#IReadsYou Review: BATMAN #1

BATMAN (2025) #1

DC COMICS

STORY: Matt Fraction

ART: Jorge Jimenez

COLORS: Tomeu Morey

LETTERS: Clayton Cowles

EDITOR: Rob Levin

COVER: Jorge Jimenez

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Jim Lee and Scott Williams with Tomeu Morey; Marc Silvestri with Arif Prianto; J. Scott Campbell with Tanya Lehoux; Frank Quitely; Gabriele Dell'Otto; Julian Totino Tedesco; Stanley “Artgerm” Lau; Andy Kubert with Steve Firchow; David Aja; Jorge Jimenez; Jim Lee and Scott Williams

36pp, Color, $4.99 U.S., (November 2025)

Batman created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger

Rating: 13+

“Vast Colors in the Dark”

DC Comics recently relaunched its Batman flagship comic book series – the third time in 14 years.  It is written by Matt Fraction; drawn by Jorge Jimenez; colored by Tomeu Morey; and lettered by Clayton Cowles.  DC is pushing the series as the dawn of new era in Batman comic books.

Batman #1 (“Vast Colors in the Dark”) finds Batman at Arkham Towers in the wake of Killer Croc's latest escape.  Croc's physician, Dr. Zeller, urges patience on the part of Batman, but he has too much experience with Croc's acts of violence to buy into what the good doctor is saying.

Meanwhile, Vandal Savage, the new commissioner of the Gotham City Police Department, is making changes in the department – changes that may not be good for Batman.  Plus, there is a Robin in trouble.

THE LOWDOWN:  For years, I had a subscription to DC Comics' Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? ongoing comic book series.  It was quietly canceled within the last year, but I had 14 issues left in my subscription.  Midtown Comics in NYC, which manages DC Comics' subscriptions, gave me the option of choosing any new DC title I wanted to continue my subscription, so I chose Batman – just in time for this new era.

I am not going to dig deeply into this new Batman #1, which is only the fourth Batman #1 issue.  It follows Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson's Batman #1, cover dated Spring 1940; Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's Batman #1, cover dated November 2011; and Tom King and David Finch's Batman #1 cover dated August 2016.

Matt Fraction and Jorge Jimenez's Batman #1 reminds me of Snyder-Capullo's Batman #1 in that both are fresh starts and are different in terms of narrative and graphic aesthetic from their contemporary Batman titles.  Matt Fraction's script also gives this debut issue and its star, Batman, a jolt of energy that suggests both the very modern and the near future in terms of setting.  This is similar to what writer Grant Morrison brought to the first arc of his 2009-launched Batman & Robin series (which was collected in the Batman Reborn trade.  I imagine Fraction's biggest and most shocking twists and turns and re-imaginations will be revealed over the coming year, at least.

Thus, the real sense of newness comes from artist Jorge Jimenez and colorist Tomeu Morey.  Their vibrantly illustrated first issue is as the chapter title of this first issue suggests, “Vast Colors in the Dark.”  The team of Jimenez and Morey visually and aesthetically create a sense of amazing things to come in a fashion similar to what the team of Frank Miller, Klaus Janson, and Lynn Varley brought to Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Book One.

I'm not saying that the Fraction-Jimenez Batman #1 is Batman: DKR, but you never know.  I simply felt excitement as I read this first issue.  This first issue is promising or, at the very least, hints at great things to come for our eyes and for our imaginations.  I have a subscription so I will be back.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Batman comic books will want to read Batman 2025.

A

[This comic book includes a five-page preview of “DC KO” from writer Scott Snyder; artist Javi Fernandez; colorist Alejandro Sanchez; and letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhadu.]

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

A Kindle edition of BATMAN #1 is available at Amazon. The trade and hardcover editions of the first story arc of this series are available for pre-order at Amazon.

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#IReadsYou Review: PRODIGY: The Evil Earth

PRODIGY: THE EVIL EARTH
IMAGE COMICS

WRITER: Mark Millar
ARTIST: Rafael Albuquerque
COLORS: Marcelo Maiolo
LETTERS: Peter Doherty
EDITOR: Rachel Fulton
COVER: Ozgur Yildirim
MISC. ART: Rafael Albuquerque; André Araújo; Frank Quitely; Travis Charest; John Cassaday; Rafael Grampa
ISBN: 978-1-5343-1236-4; paperback (July 30, 2019)
168pp, Color, $19.99 U.S.

Rated M / Mature

Prodigy was a 2018-19, six-issue comic book miniseries produced by writer Mark Millar and artist Rafael Albuquerque.  Published by Image Comics, it was the second comic book series (following The Magic Order) that Millar produced after he sold his company, Millarworld, to Netflix.  Prodigy focuses on the world's smartest man, a fellow who believes that he is the go-to guy when there is a global crisis to solve.  In July 2019, the first Prodigy miniseries was collected in the trade paperback, Prodigy: The Evil Earth.

Prodigy: The Evil Earth opens at St. George's Hall, a prestigious high school in Massachusetts.  The story introduces 11-year-old Edison Crane, the son of a United States senator who is about to become U.S. Secretary of State.  It is 1993, and the “Inter-School Polo Cup Final” has just come to an end.  Edison is the star, “the Man of the Match,” much to the ire of some of his teammates who are high school students of actual high school age.

How he deals with those violent, bitter teammates is a hint at what Edison will become – a man who will take on any problem or challenge.  Edison can learn faster than anyone who ever lived, and there is nothing he can't do when he puts his mind to it.  He even performs open heart surgery on a classmate.

This is one of the first steps Edison will take on the road to becoming the world's smartest man who is running the world's most successful business.  But Edison Crane is not content because his brilliant mind needs constant challenge.  So he becomes the go-to guy for governments around the world when they have a problem or crisis they cannot solve.

When strange cars containing crispy critters start popping up around the world, however, Edison may finally face something that will truly challenge him.  It is a mystery that spans time from the Tower of Babel to the “Large Hadron Collider” and to an impending invasion from somewhere beyond.

THE LOWDOWN:  I am a fan of a number of Mark Millar's creator-owned comic book series, with Kick-Ass, Empress, and The Magic Order (also a Netflix title) being among my favorite.  After reading Prodigy, it became one of my favorite comic books of the last decade – period.

Prodigy Chapter One/Issue #1 is a teaser; the series' narrative really kicks off with Chapter Two.  Millar uses the first chapter to sell Edison Crane to his readers.  At first, Edison seems to have an unlikable personality, but by the end of this first chapter, dear readers, you might think Edison is a thoroughly intriguing character.  I certainly did.  Edison Crane mixes elements of Bruce Wayne/Batman, Sherlock Holmes, Marvel Comics' Karnak and Tony Stark/Iron Man, Angus MacGyver, and others that I can't think of right now.

Prodigy: The Evil Earth saw artist Rafael Albuquerque continue to transform as a comic book artist, in terms of his draftsmanship and in terms of the flair in his illustrative style.  The stylishly-drawn first chapter is among his best work.  By the end of this first volume, Albuquerque has created a vibe that mixes multiple genres:  spy thriller, secret agent adventure, mysteries, and conspiracy that made The Evil Earth unforgettable for me.  Marcelo Maiolo's bright coloring not only adds another layer of beauty to the art, but they strengthen the elements that this narrative borrows from a variety of genres and sources.

I can never get enough of Prodigy: The Evil Earth.  No matter how much you might think you have figured out Edison Crane, Mark Millar always keeps readers imagination hopping with a series of surprises and reveals.  In The Evil Earth, Mark Millar and Rafael Albuquerque have created a creepy masterpiece that delves into the dark crevices of civilization's cabals and confederacies, doing so at the speed of light.  And I can't stop chasing it.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Mark Millar's comic book will want to read Prodigy: The Evil Earth.

A

★★★★ out of 4 stars

You can buy a copy of the PRODIGY: THE EVIL EARTH trade paperback here at AMAZON.

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


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The text is copyright © 2022 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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#IReadsYou Review: BIG GAME #1

BIG GAME #1 (OF 5)

IMAGE COMICS/Netflix

STORY: Mark Millar

ART: Pepe Larraz

COLORS: Giovanna Niro

LETTERS: Clem Robins

EDITOR: Sarah Unwin

COVER: Pepe Larraz with Giovanna Niro

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: J.G. Jones; Frank Quitely; Jae Lee with June Chung; Danny Earls

28pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (July 2023)

Rated M / Mature

Big Game is a new five-issue comic book event miniseries from writer Mark Millar and artist Pepe Larraz.  Big Game is a crossover event series that pulls together all the franchises that are part of Millar's company/imprint, “Millarworld.”  That includes Kick-Ass, Kingsman, Nemesis, and The Magic Order, to name a few.  Colorist Giovanna Niro and letterer Clem Robins complete the series' creative team.

Big Game #1 opens in 1986 when the super-villain conspiracy known as “the Fraternity,” defeated their superhero adversaries and erased them from the collective memory of humanity.  In the present day, Wesley Gibson/The Killer (Wanted) is concerned about the reemergence of superheroes.  Thus, it's time for the Fraternity to unleash its new superhero killer, Nemesis (Nemesis: Reloaded).

Meanwhile, Edison Crane (Prodigy) meets Bobbie Griffin, who unveils a past hidden even to the world's smartest man.  Also meanwhile, Doctor Choon-He Chung (The Ambassadors) and her international rescue squad, The Ambassadors, run into resistance.

THE LOWDOWN:  I have been receiving PDF review copies of Netflix/Millarworld's comic book titles for a few years now.  Big Game #1 is the latest.

Some of Millarworld's most popular comic book franchises and series have been adapted into Hollywood feature films.  They are Wanted (2008), Kick-Ass (2010), Kick-Ass 2 (2013), Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014), Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017), and The King's Man (2021).  These movies are so disparate, one would be surprised to know that their source material originates from a shared universe.

But they do.  In fact, this review does not mention all the Millarworld characters and references that appear in Big Game #1  If you are a fan of Mark Millar's creator-owned comic books, then, you will enjoy this first issue when it teases what is to come.  However, one need not be familiar with Millarworld in order to enjoy Big Game #1.  Mark is quite good a writing comic book scripts that embrace the bigness of a fictional universe.  He is also able to give the readers a taste of multiple characters within a single issue in a way that leaves the readers intrigued about characters they are encountering for the first time.

Pepe Larraz's art is similar to the work of Bryan Hitch, a specialist in event comic books, and he is good at creating an air of menace, in faces of the characters and in the overall narrative.  Giovanna Niro's colors serve this “dark universe” quite well, and Clem Robins' lettering is uniquely fashioned to serve the flavors of Millar's scripts.

I'm curious to see what is next.  I can almost guarantee that the second issue of Big Game will blow the doorway to your imagination off its hinges, dear readers.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Mark Millar and especially of his Millarworld titles will want to read Big Game.

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

https://www.mrmarkmillar.com/

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The text is copyright © 2023 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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#IReadsYou Review: THE AMBASSADORS #2

THE AMBASSADORS #2 (OF 6)

IMAGE COMICS/Netflix

STORY: Mark Millar

ART: Karl Kerschl

COLORS: Michele Assaraskorn

LETTERS: Clem Robins

EDITORIAL: Sarah Unwin

COVER: Karl Kerschl

VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Frank Quitely; Karl Kerschl

28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (April 2023)

Rated M / Mature

The Ambassadors created by Mark Millar at Netflix

The Ambassadors is a new comic book miniseries written and created by Mark Millar.  The series focuses on the six people out of eight billion humans who will received super-powers.  Each will be a member of  the international rescue squad, The Ambassadors.  Each issue of The Ambassadors will be drawn by a different superstar comic book artist.  The second issue is drawn by Karl Kerschl; colored by Michele Assaraskorn and lettered by Clem Robins.

The Ambassadors #2 opens in Delhi, India.  Meet Binnu Bhatia.  He's in love with Gita Ganesh, as he keeps telling his best bud, Jai.  However, Binnu doesn't believe he has much of a chance with Gita; after all, Binnu is just a dude who works at a cell phone store.

Then tragedy strikes, and some time later, Binnu is “Codename India,” the Ambassador for India.  Suddenly, he has access to powers that billions of other people want really bad.  So, of course, it's a bit complicated with family, friends, and also Doctor Choon-He Chung, the amazing woman who is handing out super-powers.  Plus, some will pay anything for those powers...

THE LOWDOWN:  Thanks to a review copy provided by the Mark Millar division of Netflix, I got to read the first two issues The Ambassadors.  This is a treat for which I have been awaiting since the announcement of the series last year.

I think the best thing that writer Mark Millar does with The Ambassadors #2 is depict that even in a scenario of absolute power and seemingly supernatural power, control is an illusion.  What happens to Binnu Bhatia is both a dream and nightmare, to one extent or another.  He can't stop what's coming; he must simply survive it or try to.  This is how Mark is creating dramatic tension and conflict here, and this is what he is going to use to blow this up in our faces.

The artist for The Ambassadors #2 is Karl Kerschl, and his quirky style deftly conveys both the ambivalence and the menacing undertones in this chapter.  I could have read another 28 pages of Kerschl's lovely storytelling.

So, yes, The Ambassadors is fantastic.  It may well be one of the most consequential superhero team comic books well over a decade.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Mark Millar and of big concept superhero comic books will want to read The Ambassadors.

A+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

https://www.mrmarkmillar.com/

https://twitter.com/ImageComics

https://twitter.com/mrmarkmillar

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http://www.millarworld.tv/

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The text is copyright © 2023 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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#IReadsYou Review: THE AMBASSADORS #1

THE AMBASSADORS #1 (OF 6)

IMAGE COMICS/Netflix

STORY: Mark Millar

ART: Frank Quitely

COLORS: Frank Quitely with Vincent Deighan

LETTERS: Clem Robins

EDITORIAL: Sarah Unwin

COVER: Frank Quitely

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Gigi Cavenago; Pepe Larraz with Giovanna Niro

28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (March 2023)

Rated M / Mature

The Ambassadors created by Mark Millar at Netflix

The Ambassadors is a new comic book miniseries written and created by Mark Millar.  The series focuses on the six people out of eight billion humans who will received super-powers.  Each issue of The Ambassadors will be drawn by a different superstar comic book artist.  The first issue is drawn and colored by Frank Quitely and lettered by Clem Robins.

The Ambassadors #1 opens in Mexico, 1986.  Here, we meet Jamie, a strange fellow with strange powers.  But the real action is in Korea.

There, Doctor Choon-He Chung is imprisoned in Cheongju Women's Correctional Institution.  However, that has not stopped her or her company, “Chung Solutions” (the world's leading authority on bio-engineering and artificial intelligence), from developing a data bank of super-powers.

Now, she is launching her latest venture.  Imagine you could gift super-powers to six people.  In a world of eight billion, whom do you choose?  “Codename Korea” will choose, and ordinary people from around the world will explain why it should be them – why they should be an “Ambassador,” representing their respective countries as superheroes.

THE LOWDOWN:  Thanks to a review copy provided by the Mark Millar division of Netflix, I got to read The Ambassadors #1 early.  It is a treat for which I have been awaiting since the announcement of the series last year.

When writer Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely dropped New X-Men #114 (cover dated: July 2001) on readers, it was like no X-Men comic book anyone had ever seen.  Quitely captured the oddness Morrison's concepts and also conveyed its disruptive nature, relative to prior X-Men comic books.  Quitely also did something that few modern comic book artists do, and that is convey the sense of wonder, of mystery, of discovery, and of super-science fiction the way superhero comic books of the early 1960s did.

Quitely brings wonder, mystery, discovery, and super-sci-fi to The Ambassadors #1.  This entire first issue in a puzzle box of competing interests and subplots, and Quitely lures the readers in with some of his best art.  And now, he also colors his own illustrations, making every panel look like a painting executed in sensuous brushstrokes.

Mark Millar wrote The Ultimates, the definitive Marvel Comics superhero team book of the 21st century.  In The Ambassadors #1, Millar offers something equally ambitious.  Honestly, neither my summary of this first issue nor the one Image Comics provides can convey the wide range of characters, backgrounds, settings, plots, intrigues, etc. The Ambassadors #1 presents.

The promotional material suggests that The Ambassadors is the most ambitious comic book of all time.  If so, I would like to see it become an ongoing series in a way similar to that of core Marvel and DC Comics titles, if for no other reason than that this first issue suggests this series has a deep pre-history.

So, yes, The Ambassadors #1 is fantastic.  And yes, The Ambassadors has potential out the ying-yang.  If The Ultimates, written by Millar and drawn by the great Bryan Hitch, could become the blueprint for a massive cinematic franchise, The Ambassadors #1 certainly has the potential to launch another.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Mark Millar and of big concept superhero comic books will want to read The Ambassadors.

A+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

https://www.mrmarkmillar.com/

https://twitter.com/ImageComics

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The text is copyright © 2023 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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#IReadsYou Review: NEMESIS RELOADED #1

NEMESIS RELOADED #1 (OF 5)

IMAGE COMICS/Netflix

STORY: Mark Millar

ART: Jorge Jiménez

COLORS: Giovanna Niro

LETTERS: Clem Robins

EDITOR: Sarah Unwin

COVER: Jorge Jiménez with Giovanni Niro

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Steve McNiven with Giovanni Niro; Frank Quitely; Fiona Staples

28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (January 2023)

Rated M / Mature

Nemesis created by Mark Millar and Steve McNiven

Nemesis was a four-issue comic book miniseries from the team of writer Mark Millar and artist Steve McNiven.  It was published under Marvel Comics' “Icon” imprint in 2010-2011.  Millar and McNiven had previously produced two hugely popular Marvel event projects – the miniseries, Civil War, and the graphic novel, Wolverine: Old Man Logan.

Millar has decided to (softly) reboot Nemesis in a new five-issue miniseries entitled Nemesis: Reloaded.  It is written by Millar; drawn by Jorge Jiménez; colored by Giovanni Niro; and lettered by Clem Robins.

Nemesis Reloaded #1 opens in Fish Creek, Wisconsin.  Elderly couple, Margot and Jake, have discovered that their services have been … requested.

Who is Nemesis, and why does this eccentric billionaire who dresses up in a mask and cape want to terrorize people instead of helping them?  He has plans for Los Angeles, and by the time he is done, the city won't be the same.

THE LOWDOWN:  I have told this story before in reviews of a few other comic books.  When I first read Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns #1, I was left stunned for an hour or so …  Then, I read it again.  I thought about it the rest of the day and into the night until I fell asleep.  As soon as I woke up the next morning, I started reading it again.  I don't remember how many times I read it again while waiting for the second book in this legendary series to arrive.

When I read the original Nemesis #1 in 2010, I experienced a somewhat similar ecstasy, although I was much older then.  Still, I wanted to be Nemesis, causing chaos … and killing for a purpose and enjoying it.  Nemesis #1 remains one of the best first issues of a comic book that I have ever read.

I believe that Nemesis Reloaded #1 has surpassed Nemesis #1 in my countdown of magnificent first issues.  Reloaded even made me shit my pants – metaphorically speaking, of course.  It is the most evil comic book in the world because Mark Millar has made what should be repulsive so alluring.  I want to serve Nemesis, killing at his will.  Even Quentin Tarantino has never made murder and mayhem so sexy as Millar has done in Nemesis Reloaded, and murder and mayhem is a Tarantino specialty.

I have enjoyed quite a few comic books drawn by Jorge Jiménez, but none of them are like Nemesis Reloaded.  It is as if he has been freed of channeling childlike wonder so that he can draw the kind of comic books that made white people form decency committees in the 1950s.  It is as if Jiménez has rediscovered the vital essences of Klaus Janson's run on Daredevil, when Frank Miller was the designer and Janson drew and colored the book.

In fact, I would say that Millar and Jiménez have summoned peak Miller-Janson Daredevil (which would be Daredevil #181).  This time, Millar-Jiménez have made Bullseye the winner and the star of the remaining issues of their run.

Giovanni Niro colors Nemesis Reloaded … as if she lusted after the story, painting beautiful blue hues and maniacal red spurts all over the art.  Clem Robins letters this story as if he wants to commit murder, but has to settle for this vicarious experience.

If you say you want to read great comic books, but you won't read Nemesis Reloaded #1, dear readers, then, just stop lying to yourself.  You've lost that loving feeling that you once got from comic books, and it's gone...

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Mark Millar comic books that make the reader come … back for more … will desire Nemesis Reloaded.

[This issue includes an introduction by Mark Millar.]

A+

10 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

https://www.mrmarkmillar.com/

https://twitter.com/ImageComics

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https://twitter.com/netflix

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The text is copyright © 2023 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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DC Comics from Lunar/UCS Distributors for September 15, 2020

DC COMICS

Batman #99 (Cover A Jorge Jimenez), $3.99
Batman #99 (Cover B Francesco Mattina Card Stock Variant), AR
Batman #99 (Cover C Jorge Jimenez Nightwing Card Stock Variant), AR
Batman Curse Of The White Knight HC, $29.99
Batman The Golden Age Omnibus Volume 8 HC, $125.00
Batman’s Grave #10 (Of 12)(Cover A Bryan Hitch), $3.99
Batman’s Grave #10 (Of 12)(Cover B Arthur Adams Card Stock Variant), AR
Catwoman #25 (Cover A Joelle Jones), $5.99
Catwoman #25 (Cover B Lee Bermejo Card Stock Variant), AR
Dark Knight Returns The Golden Child Deluxe Edition HC, $17.99
DCeased Dead Planet #1 (Of 6)(Peach Momoko 4th Printing Variant Cover), $4.99
DCeased Dead Planet #2 (Of 6)(David Finch 2nd Printing Black & White Variant Cover), $3.99
Detective Comics #1027 (Cover A Andy Kubert Wraparound Variant), $9.99
Detective Comics #1027 (Cover B Lee Bermejo Batman & Nightwing Variant), AR
Detective Comics #1027 (Cover C J. Scott Campbell Batman & Batgirl Variant), AR
Detective Comics #1027 (Cover D Stanley Artgerm Lau Batman & Batwoman Variant), AR
Detective Comics #1027 (Cover E Frank Quitely Batman & Robin Variant), AR
Detective Comics #1027 (Cover F Jim Lee Batman & Superman Variant), AR
Detective Comics #1027 (Cover G Jim Cheung Batman & Bane Variant), AR
Detective Comics #1027 (Cover H Olivier Coipel Batman & Harley Quinn Variant), AR
Detective Comics #1027 (Cover I Gabriele Dell’Otto Batman & Scarecrow Variant), AR
Detective Comics #1027 (Cover J Adam Hughes Batman & Catwoman Variant), AR
Detective Comics #1027 (Cover K Marc Silvestri Batman & Joker Variant), AR
Detective Comics #1027 (Cover L Blank Variant), AR
Hawkman Volume 3 Darkness Within TP, $16.99
Joker Killer Smile HC, $29.99
Justice League #53 (Cover A Liam Sharp), $3.99
Justice League #53 (Cover B Ian MacDonald), AR
Metal Men #10 (Of 12)(Cover A Shane Davis), $3.99
Metal Men #10 (Of 12)(Cover B Kevin Nowlan), AR
Robin 80 Years Of The Boy Wonder HC, $29.99
Strange Adventures #1 (Of 12)(Evan Doc Shaner 2nd Printing Variant Cover), $4.99
Strange Adventures #1 (Of 12)(Mitch Gerads 2nd Printing Variant Cover), $4.99
Strange Adventures #3 (Of 12)(Mitch Gerads 2nd Printing Variant Cover), $4.99
Strange Adventures #4 (Of 12)(Mitch Gerads 2nd Printing Variant Cover), $4.99
Teen Titans #45 (Cover A Bernard Chang), $3.99
Teen Titans #45 (Cover B Khary Randolph), AR

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#IReadsYou Review: SHARKEY THE BOUNTY HUNTER #1

SHARKEY THE BOUNTY HUNTER No. 1 (OF 6)
IMAGE COMICS/Netflix – @ImageComics @netflix

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Mark Millar – @mrmarkmillar
ARTIST: Simone Bianchi
COLORS: Simone Bianchi
LETTERS: Peter Doherty
EDITOR: Rachel Fulton
COVER: Simone Bianchi
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Frank Quitely; Matteo Scalera with Moreno Dinisio; Ozgur Ildirim; Karl Kerschl
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (February 2019)

Rated M / Mature

Sharkey The Bounty Hunter is a new comic book miniseries from writer Mark Millar and artist-colorist Simone Bianchi.  Peter Doherty completes the series' creative team.  Sharkey The Bounty Hunter focuses on a blue-collar bounty hunter who tracks wanted criminals across the galaxy in his converted, rocket-powered, ice-cream truck .  This is third comic book series produced by Mark Millar since he sold his company, Millarworld, to Netflix.

Sharkey The Bounty Hunter #1 opens on the planet “Tefi-8,” where galactic bounty hunter, Sharkey, is bagging his latest quarry, “Multiple Jax.”  It is, however, hard out there for a bounty hunter pimp, as the bounty on Jax does not yield enough cash for the debt-ridden Sharkey.  Now, the amount on a new bounty, Edra Deering, the most dangerous woman in the galaxy, might alleviate Sharkey of his money woes... if he can capture her.  Sharkey, however, isn't the only hunter chasing this hot bounty, and Sharkey is also, suddenly saddled with a child.

While reading Sharkey The Bounty Hunter #1, I kept thinking about the 1990-91 Lobo miniseries by Keith Giffen, Alan Grant, and Simon Bisley with Lovern Kindzierski and Todd Klein (for DC Comics).  Everything about this first issue summons the spirit of that first wild and woolly Lobo miniseries.  To me, Sharkey is a leaner, down-on-his-luck version of Lobo, and because of his fidelity to integrity, he is less violent and more approachable than Lobo, whose popularity first exploded about 30 years ago.

Artist Simone Bianchi's graphical storytelling is at once familiar and then, foreign.  I have seen similar in Heavy Metal and in a number of full-color science fiction comic books series published by Marvel/Epic Comics and DC Comics, back when each publisher was pretending to care about creator-owned comic books.  Then, when I look at Bianchi's work here again... and again, it looks as if Bianchi seems to be striving to find something new.  Here and there, in this first issue, he does.

Sharkey The Bounty Hunter #1 does not blow me away like last year's The Magic Order #1 did.  Still, there is much about this first issue that is alluring, calling me back to the spaceways for a second issue of Sharkey the Bounty Hunter.  I won't resist.

7.5 out of 10

http://www.millarworld.tv/
www.imagecomics.com

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

-------------------------------

#iReadsYou Review: PRODIGY #1

PRODIGY No. 1
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics @TheMagicOrder

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Mark Millar – @mrmarkmillar
ARTIST: Rafael Albuquerque
COLORS: Marcelo Maiolo
LETTERS: Peter Doherty
EDITOR: Rachel Fulton
COVER: Rafael Albuquerque
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Frank Quitely; Rafael Albuquerque
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (December 2018)

Rated M / Mature

Prodigy is a new comic book miniseries created by Mark Millar and Rafael Albuquerque.  It is the second series (following The Magic Order) produced by Millar since he sold his company, Millarworld, to Netflix.  Prodigy focuses on the world's smartest man, who believes that he is the go-to guy when there is a global crisis to solve.

Prodigy #1 opens in 1993 at the end of the “Inter-School Polo Cup Final.”  Eleven-year-old Edison Crane is the star of the match, much to the ire of some of his teammates who are high school students of actual high school age.  How he deals with those violent, bitter teammates is a hint at what Edison will become – a man who will take on any problem or challenge on the road to becoming the world's smartest man running the world's most successful business.

But Edison Crane is not content because his brilliant mind needs constant challenge, so he becomes the go-to guy for governments around the world when they have a problem or crisis they cannot solve.  When strange cars containing crispy critters start popping up around the world, however, Edison may finally face something that will truly challenge him.

I am a fan of a number of Mark Millar's creator-owned comic book series, with Kick-Ass, Empress, and The Magic Order (also a Netflix title) being among my favorite.  I only read the first issue of the previous Millar-Albuquerque collaboration, Huck, which did not interest me enough to keep reading past the first issue.

Prodigy #1 is a teaser; the series' narrative really won't kick off until the second issue.  Millar uses this first issue to sell Edison Crane, who has a thoroughly unlikable personality, to his readers.  By the end of this issue, you might think Edison is a thoroughly intriguing character, dear readers; I did.  This first issue also has one killer scene, which concerns surgery.

Rafael Albuquerque continues to transform as a comic book artist, in terms of his draftsmanship and in terms of the flair in his illustrative style.  This stylishly-drawn first issue is among his best work, and Marcelo Maiolo's bright coloring makes this one gorgeously drawn comic book.

I am intrigued by this first issue, so I plan to keep reading Prodigy.  Of course, I recommend it to all loyal Mark Millar readers.

7.5 out of 10

http://www.millarworld.tv/
www.imagecomics.com

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

------------------------------

DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for July 31, 2019

DC COMICS

MAY190376    AMERICAN CARNAGE #9 (MR)    $3.99
NOV180527    AUTHORITY OMNIBUS HC    $99.99
MAY190360    BATMAN LAST KNIGHT ON EARTH #2 (OF 3)    $5.99
MAY190361    BATMAN LAST KNIGHT ON EARTH #2 (OF 3) VAR ED    $5.99
MAY190387    BATMAN SECRET FILES #2    $4.99
JUN190448    BATMAN WHO LAUGHS #7 (OF 7)    $4.99
JUN190449    BATMAN WHO LAUGHS #7 (OF 7) VAR ED    $4.99
DEC180682    DARK KNIGHTS METAL BATMAN & DARKSEID BABY STATUE    $85.00
APR190534    DC BOMBSHELLS THE DELUXE ED HC BOOK 02    $29.99
JUN190003    DC PREVIEWS #16 AUGUST 2019 EXTRAS    $PI
MAR190470    DEAR JUSTICE LEAGUE TP    $9.99
MAY190415    GREEN LANTERN ANNUAL #1    $4.99
APR190554    INJUSTICE 2 HC VOL 06    $24.99
MAY190431    JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK ANNUAL #1    $4.99
MAY190494    KITCHEN TP NEW ED (MR)    $12.99
MAY190443    RED HOOD OUTLAW ANNUAL #3    $4.99
NOV180575    SUPERMAN THE GOLDEN AGE OMNIBUS HC VOL 06    $125.00
APR190569    WONDER WOMAN BY JOHN BYRNE HC VOL 03    $39.99

#IReadsYou Review: THE GREEN LANTERN #1

THE GREEN LANTERN No. 1
DC COMICS – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Grant Morrison
ART: Liam Sharp
COLORS: Steve Oliff
LETTERS: Tom Orzechowski
EDITOR: Brian Cunningham
COVER: Liam Sharp with Steve Oliff
VARIANT COVER: Frank Quitely
40pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (January 2019)

Rated “T+” for “Teen Plus”

“Intergalactic Lawman”

The DC Comics superhero, Green Lantern, first appeared in All-American Comics #16 (cover dated:  July 1940).  Created by artist Martin Nodell with writer Bill Finger, Green Lantern was Alan Scott, a railroad engineer who found a magic lantern from which he fashioned a magic ring that gave him various powers.

In 1959, editor Julius Schwartz, writer John Broome, and artist Gil Kane introduced a new Green Lantern, a science fiction hero rather than a magically powered hero like the Alan Scott-Green Lantern.  Introduced in Showcase #22 (cover dated:  September-October 1959), Green Lantern was Hal Jordan, who received his green power ring from a dying alien named Abin Sur.  Sur was a commissioned officer of the Green Lantern Corps, an interstellar law enforcement agency overseen by the “Guardians of the Universe” (or “Guardians of Oa”).  Jordan, upon receiving Sur's ring, took his place as the Green Lantern of the space that Sur had patrolled.

DC Comics has launched a new ongoing Green Lantern comic book series.  Entitled The Green Lantern, it is written by Grant Morrison; drawn by Liam Sharp; colored by Steve Oliff; and lettered by Tom Orzechowski.  The Green Lantern stars Hal Jordan as Green Lantern and focuses on Green Lantern as an intergalactic policeman rather than as a superhero.

The Green Lantern #1 (“Intergalactic Lawman”) opens as Maxim Tox, the Green Lantern of Sector 2018.2, captures three of the deadliest killers in the galaxy.  However, an accident or act of sabotage drops these miscreants in Hal Jordan's lap.  Jordan may be estranged from the Guardians of Oa, but they need him now...

If it's Grant Morrison, there is a good chance that it will be weird, and the best Morrison, his 1980's run on Animal Man and his 1989 to 1993 run on Doom Patrol, is deliciously weird.  Morrison's references to Hal Jordan-Green Lantern's past might not prepare the reader for the Morrison's new take on the character, but it seems that he is mining both Green Lantern and DC Comics' past (perhaps, especially the Silver Age) for ideas and concepts.

Artist Liam Sharp summons the work of the late artist, H.R. Giger, especially his Oscar-winning work on the 1979 film, Alien, to give The Green Lantern #1 a striking visual appearance and graphic design that is atypical of twenty-first century American comic books.  The closest antecedent I can think of is the 1980s work of English comic book artist, Kevin O'Neill (Nemesis the Warlock), and the science fiction and horror comics of 1950s EC Comics, especially the comics drawn by Wally Wood and Al Williamson.

The Green Lantern #1's unique striking graphics would not be so striking without Steve Oliff's colors, which are part subdued and part earthy, but also have a vibrant quality.  Tom Orzechowski, one of the best letterers in the history of comic books, adds a stylish touch that completes this comic book's eccentric flair.

I have to admit to being a little put off by The Green Lantern #1, but I am anxious to see how Morrison and Sharp will pull off the intergalactic cop thing.  So I'll be back.

7 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2018 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

--------------

DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for July 10, 2019

DC COMICS

MAY190383    BATMAN #74    $3.99
MAY190384    BATMAN #74 VAR ED    $3.99
MAY190389    BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS #3 CARD STOCK VAR ED YOTV THE OFFER    $4.99
MAY190388    BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS #3 YOTV THE OFFER    $3.99
JAN190708    BATMAN BLACK & WHITE MINI PVC FIGURE 7 PACK SET 2    $35.00
DEC180681    BATMAN FAMILY ROBIN MULTI PART STATUE    $80.00
MAY190362    BATMAN UNIVERSE #1 (OF 6)    $4.99
APR190536    BOOKS OF MAGIC TP VOL 01 MOVEABLE TYPE (MR)    $16.99
MAY190394    CATWOMAN #13 CARD STOCK VAR ED YOTV THE OFFER    $4.99
MAY190393    CATWOMAN #13 YOTV THE OFFER    $3.99
MAY190400    DETECTIVE COMICS #1007    $3.99
MAY190401    DETECTIVE COMICS #1007 VAR ED    $3.99
MAY190368    DOOM PATROL WEIGHT OF THE WORLDS #1 VAR ED (MR)    $3.99
MAY198155    DOOMSDAY CLOCK #9 (OF 12) 2ND PTG    $4.99
MAY190406    EVENT LEVIATHAN #2 (OF 6)    $3.99
MAY190407    EVENT LEVIATHAN #2 (OF 6) VAR ED    $3.99
MAY190409    FLASH #74    $3.99
MAY190410    FLASH #74 VAR ED    $3.99
APR190544    GREEN LANTERN HC VOL 01 INTERGALACTIC LAWMAN    $24.99
MAY190420    HAWKMAN #14 CARD STOCK VAR ED YOTV THE OFFER    $4.99
MAY190419    HAWKMAN #14 YOTV THE OFFER    $3.99
MAY190422    HOUSE OF WHISPERS #11 (MR)    $3.99
MAY190424    JUSTICE LEAGUE ODYSSEY #11 CARD STOCK VAR ED YOTV THE OFFER    $4.99
MAY190423    JUSTICE LEAGUE ODYSSEY #11 YOTV THE OFFER    $3.99
APR190493    NAOMI #6    $3.99
MAY190442    RED HOOD OUTLAW #36 CARD STOCK VAR ED YOTD THE OFFER    $4.99
MAY190441    RED HOOD OUTLAW #36 YOTV THE OFFER    $3.99
MAY190448    SUPERGIRL #32 CARD STOCK VAR ED YOTV THE OFFER    $4.99
MAY190447    SUPERGIRL #32 YOTV THE OFFER    $3.99
MAY190450    SUPERMAN #13 CARD STOCK VAR ED YOTV THE OFFER    $4.99
MAY190449    SUPERMAN #13 YOTV THE OFFER    $3.99
APR190565    SWAMP THINGS ROOTS OF TERROR DELUXE ED HC    $17.99
APR190567    TRIALS OF SHAZAM THE COMPLETE SERIES TP    $24.99
MAY190456    WONDER TWINS #6 (OF 6)    $3.99
MAY190457    WONDER TWINS #6 (OF 6) VAR ED    $3.99
MAY190458    WONDER WOMAN #74    $3.99
MAY190459    WONDER WOMAN #74 VAR ED    $3.99
MAY190462    YOUNG JUSTICE #7    $3.99
MAY190463    YOUNG JUSTICE #7 VAR ED    $3.99

#IReadsYou Review: KINGSMAN: The Red Diamond #1

KINGSMAN: THE RED DIAMOND No. 1 (OF 6)
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Rob Williams
ART: Simon Fraser
COLORS: Gary Caldwell
LETTERS: Peter Doherty
COVER: Frank Quietly
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Dave Gibbons; Rob Doyle; Simon Fraser
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (September 2017)

Rated M/Mature

Kingsman: The Secret Service created by Mark Miller, Dave Gibbons, and Matthew Vaughn

The Secret Service was a 2012 six-issue comic book miniseries created by writer Mark Millar, artist Dave Gibbons, and filmmaker Matthew Vaughn (X-Men: First Class).  It was published by Icon, a pseudo-creator owned imprint of Marvel Comics.  Vaughn directed a film loosely adapted from this comic book that was entitled Kingsman: The Secret Service.  [The Secret Service comic book has since been re-branded as Kingsman: The Secret Service to tie-in closer to the film franchise.]

The Secret Service was apparently inspired by “classic” James Bond films and the spy thriller genre in general.  The story focused on a super-spy and his young and wayward nephew whom he recruits into “the secret service.”  With the impending arrival of a second film, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, there is a new six-issue comic book, Kingsman: The Red Diamond.  It is written by Rob Williams; drawn by Simon Fraser; colored by Gary Caldwell; and lettered by Peter Doherty.

Kingsman: The Red Diamond #1 finds Gary “Eggsy” London living the ribald life of a highly effective British secret agent and man-about-town.  As the story begins, Eggsy is called to rescue a royal, but while the mission is successful, Eggsy does something that gets him in trouble.  Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Eggsy, another world-beating supervillain plots to destroy civilization.

I found the original Kingsman: The Secret Service comic book miniseries to be earthy, droll, nonchalant, and rather grounded, unlike the slickly-produced film.  Kingsman: The Red Diamond #1 also lacks polish, which I consider a good thing.  This first issue opens in such an unassuming manner that you might mistake it for a disaster in the making, but writer Rob Williams offers lots of surprises and delightful little shocks to make this an enjoyable read.  Plus, Williams teases the new villain in that perfect kind of way that makes readers want to come back for the second issue.

The art and graphical storytelling by Simon Fraser is acceptable, but considering that Fraser is following a legend and exceptionally gifted comic book artist like Dave Gibbons, maybe Fraser is not quite acceptable as he would be following an artist who was not a shining light.  It is almost as if The Red Diamond is being produced on the cheap.

In the end, however, I want to read more Kingsman: The Red Diamond, and this series may have even more surprises in store for its readers.  The creative team may also blossom as the series advances.

[This comic book has a preview of “Maestros” by Steve Skroce, Dave Stewart, and Fonografiks.]

7 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

-----------------------

Review: KICK-ASS #1

KICK-ASS No. 1 (2018)
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Mark Millar
PENCILS: John Romita, Jr.
INKS: Peter Steigerwald with Megan Madrigal
COLORS: Peter Steigerwald
LETTERS: John Workman
COVER: John Romita, Jr.
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Olivier Coipel with Sunny Gho; Frank Quitely
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (February 2018)

Rated M/Mature

Kick-Ass created by Mark Miller and John Romita, Jr.

Kick-Ass is a comic book series created by writer Mark Millar and artist John Romita Jr.  It began as an eight-issue miniseries published by Marvel Comics under the company's Icon imprint, starting in February 2008 and concluding in February 2010.

Kick-Ass is the story of Dave Lizewski, a teenager who sets out to become a real life superhero.  Dave's actions are publicized on the Internet and inspire other people to put on costumes and play hero.  Dave gets caught up in the activities of two costumed, ruthless vigilantes, an exceptionally talented fighter/killer, Hit-Girl, and her father, Big Daddy.  Father and daughter are on a mission to take down the gangster. John Genovese.

Kick-Ass became a comic book franchise with three follow-up miniseries, the seven-issue Kick-Ass 2 (October 2010 – March 2012),  the five-issue Hit Girl (June 2012 – February 2013), and the eight-issue Kick-Ass 3 (July 2013 to October 2014).  The Kick-Ass comic books yielded two movies, Kick-Ass (2010) and Kick-Ass 2 (2013).

Last year, Mark Millar announced that the Kick-Ass and Hit-Girl comic books were going to be revived in a new series of miniseries slash ongoing series.  The first new six-issue miniseries, entitled Kick-Ass, is written by Mark Millar; drawn by John Romita, Jr. (pencils) and Peter Steigerwald (digital inks); colored by Steigerwald; and lettered by John Workman.

Kick-Ass #1 introduces Staff Sergeant Patience Lee, a combat veteran in the Afghanistan part of the “(Global) War on Terror.”  When she returns to civilian life in Albuquerque, New Mexico, as a wife and mother, Patience discovers that her husband has left her and the children.  Short on money and have to put her dreams on hold, SSG Lee decides that it is time to get paid.  So she puts on a familiar costume...

Because the original Kick-Ass miniseries kept selling out, I originally read the story in its first hardcover collection.  I loved it.  Kick-Ass is so gloriously deranged, and it seems like the ultimate encapsulation of writer Mark Millar's oeuvre, at least to that point in time.

Kick-Ass 2018 is quieter.  It also seems like more of a study of the post-Barack Obama America, with its resentful white middle class, its seething white working class, and its newly invigorated white supremacy slash white nationalist culture.  It is an America in which the balance between the haves and have-nots is completely out of whack because the haves not only want more, they also want it all.  They want it all and will have it all by any means necessary – legal, illegal, or otherwise.  In this America, even black people are turning into the very people and turning to the very systems they have traditionally lambasted – most of which revolves around violence.

John Romita, Jr.'s illustrations, compositions, and graphical storytelling are as powerful as it ever is when put to use for an intense story.  Let's be honest; drawing “real” superhero comic books are mostly a waste of JRJr's time, but Kick-Ass brings out the power, heft, and meatiness of his storytelling.  Here, Romita's art is served by a really good colorist, Peter Steigerwald, and John Workman is one of the few comic book lettering heavyweights capable of placing his fonts inside the Romita, Jr. graphics package.

So Kick-Ass is back, as strong as ever.

8.5 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2018 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

----------------------

Image Comics from Diamond Distributors for August 30, 2017

IMAGE COMICS

JUN170733    BLACK MAGICK #7 CVR A SCOTT (MR)    $3.99
JUN170734    BLACK MAGICK #7 CVR B LARK (MR)    $3.99
JUN170737    COPPERHEAD TP VOL 03 (MR)    $16.99
JUN170740    CROSSWIND #3 CVR A STAGGS (MR)    $3.99
JUN170741    CROSSWIND #3 CVR B STAGGS (MR)    $3.99
APR170783    DEADLY CLASS #30 CVR A CRAIG & BOYD (MR)    $3.99
APR170784    DEADLY CLASS #30 CVR B JOHNSON (MR)    $3.99
JAN170831    JUPITERS LEGACY TP VOL 02 (MR)    $16.99
JUN170683    MAGDALENA REFORMATION TP    $16.99
JUN170687    OLD GUARD TP BOOK 01 OPENING FIRE (MR)    $16.99
MAY170642    OTHER SIDE SPECIAL ED HC (MR)    $19.99
JUN170776    PAKLIS #4 (MR)    $4.99
JUL170860    PLANETOID PRAXIS #6 (OF 6) (MR)    $3.99
JUN170789    RINGSIDE #11 (MR)    $3.99
JUN170796    SAGA #46 (MR)    $2.99
MAY170712    SAVAGE DRAGON #226 (MR)    $3.99
JUN170803    SPAWN #277 CVR A ALEXANDER    $2.99
JUN170804    SPAWN #277 CVR B B&W ALEXANDER    $2.99
JUN170805    STRAY BULLETS SUNSHINE & ROSES #27 (MR)    $3.99
JUN170708    SUN BAKERY FRESH COLL TP (MR)    $16.99

#IReadsYou Review: Dark Knight III: The Master Race #9

DARK KNIGHT III: THE MASTER RACE No. 9
DC COMICS – @DCComics

STORY: Frank Miller and Brian Azzarello
PENCILS: Andy Kubert
INKS:  Klaus Janson
COLORS: Brad Anderson
LETTERS: Clem Robins
COVER: Andy Kubert and Frank Miller with Brad Anderson; Frank Miller with Alex Sinclair
VARIANT COVERS: Jim Lee and Scott Williams with Alex Sinclair; Greg Capullo; Klaus Janson with Alex Sinclair; Frank Quitely; Mikel Janin; Chip Kidd
40pp (plus 16-page insert), Color, $5.99 U.S. (July 2017)

Batman created by Bob Kane with Bill Finger

A nine-issue comic book publishing event, Dark Knight III: The Master Race (also known as DKIII) is the second sequel to Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (also known simply as The Dark Knight Returns or DKR).  DKR is the now-legendary 1986 four-issue comic book miniseries written by Frank Miller and drawn by Miller (pencils) and Klaus Janson (inks).  DKR focuses on a 50-year-old Bruce Wayne who comes out of retirement to resume fighting crime as Batman.

DKIII is written by Brian Azzarello and Frank Miller; drawn by Andy Kubert (pencils) and Klaus Janson (inks); colored by Brad Anderson; and lettered by Clem Robins.  In DKIII, Batman unites with Superman to stop a murderous group of people from Superman's home planet, Krypton, from taking over the Earth.  Meanwhile, Superman's daughter with Wonder Woman, Lara, has joined with the murderous Kryptonians, and Carrie Kelley, the former Robin, begins to evolve into the new Batgirl.

As Dark Knight III: The Master Race #9 opens, the “master race” of Kryptonians from the Bottled City of Kandor and their leader, Quar, prepare to make the Earth unlivable in order to punish humanity for not worshiping them.  Enter Green Lantern and the Atom.  Batman has a surprise for Quar and company, but Superman may have the biggest surprise of all.

If I remember correctly, when it announced that DKIII was being extended to nine issues, DC Comics said there was more story to tell (or something like that).  After reading DKIII #9, I don't know if this is so much “more story” as it is an extended action sequence, all of which could have been wrapped up in a double-sized DKIII #8.

After much criticism and complaining about DKIII (with only scattered praise), I had to admit that I thought that DKIII #8 was not only the best issue of the series, but was also a truly good comic book.  DKIII #7 and #8 moved the narrative forward more powerfully than a locomotive, and #9 is nice finale slash coda coming after those two issues.

I think that DKIII #9 also came into existence to prepare the way for more comics set in the world of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.  Rumor has it that DC may have outlines all the way to an eighth miniseries, and I'll probably read them all.  For all the series' unevenness, DKIII #9 has some surprises, like The Atom's pivotal moment and the last page, with its graphic homage to an iconic graphic from DKR.  Plus, I can't resist the eight-page gallery of Adam Kubert and Klaus Janson's art in black and white.  So in the end, I'll recommend Dark Knight III: The Master Race #9.

Dark Knight Universe Presents: Action Comics #1 (Insert comic book)
STORY: Frank Miller and Brian Azzarello
PENCILS: Frank Miller
INKS: Klaus Janson
COLORS: Alex Sinclair
LETTERS: Clem Robins
COVER: Frank Miller and Klaus Janson with Alex Sinclair

I have not really enjoyed these mini-comics inserted into the center of each issue of DKIII, but I did like DKIII #7's“Strange Adventures” and #8's “Detective Comics.”  In “Action Comics #1,” Batman provides a narration as we look in on heroes like Aquaman, Green Lantern, Flash, Wonder Woman, and The Atom.  Also, Lara and Carrie Kelley/Batgirl take the next steps in their lives (with Carrie's evolution alluded to at the end of the main story).  “Action Comics #1” is also a nice coda slash prelude to the probable “DKIV” or “DK4.”

B+
7.5 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

---------------

Review: NEW X-MEN #114

NEW X-MEN No. 114
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review originally appeared on Patreon.]

STORY: Grant Morrison
PENCILS: Frank Quitely
INKS: Tim Townsend
COLORS: Brian Haberlin
LETTERS: Richard Starkings and Comicraft
COVER: Frank Quitely
32pp, Color, $2.25 U.S., $3.50 CAN (July 2001)

X-Men created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

“E is for Extinction” Part One of Three

When Joe Quesada became Editor-in-Chief of Marvel Comics, one of his first goals (apparently) was to make the company's flagship titles regain some of “their former glory.”  One of the franchises in need of some polishing was the X-Men, and Quesada recruited writer Grant Morrison, known for his work at DC Comics, to take the X-Men in a new direction.

Morrison took X-Men, the X-title that began in 1991.  Its title was changed to New X-Men, but retained the series numbering.  Thus, the new direction began with New X-Men #114, written by Morrison; drawn by Frank Quitely (pencils) and Tim Townsend (inks), colored by Brian Haberlin; and colored by Richard Starkings.

As New X-Men #114 (“E is for Extinction” One of Three) opens, Scott Summers/Cyclops and Logan/Wolverine are in the process of destroying a Sentinel, after saving a persecuted mutant, Ugly John, from the death machine.  Meanwhile, Professor Charles Xavier, a.k.a. “Professor X,” attacks his renewed mission to help a new generation of mutants with a sense of urgency that can also be described as an episode of mania.

Jean Grey is trying to assist him, and so is Henry “Hank” McCoy a.k.a. “Beast.”  However, each has his or her own issues.  Jean and Scott's relationship is in a difficult state.  Hank has undergone a shocking “secondary” mutation that sometimes physically complicates his ability to be a super-scientist.  What the X-Men do not realize is that a new enemy has arisen from seemingly nowhere, and she wants to launch a campaign of genocide against all of mutantkind.

As a kid, I read most of my comic books so many times that they practically fell apart.  As an adult, the only comic books that I read repeatedly were Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Watchmen, The Sandman, and anything by Alan Moore, Frank Miller, and Will Eisner.  I also often re-read works of alternative comix creators like Gilbert Hernandez, Jaime Hernandez, Daniel Clowes, Peter Bagge, and R. Crumb, to new a few.  Everything else was one-and-done.

I must admit, however, that I have lost track of how many times I have read the New X-Men story arc, “E is for Extinction,” especially “Part One” in New X-Men #114.  I think that the reason is because no matter when I read it, this story arc feels fresh and ground-breaking.  New X-Men # 114 especially seems new and an exhilarating; it is as if by reading it I find myself on the cusp of a revolution.

Well, New X-Men ended up being only “kind of a revolution.”  The rest of Grant Morrison's run on this series was never as explosive and “begin-with-a-bang” as “E is for Extinction,” mostly because this first story arc was so different from anything an X-Men comic book had ever been.  It was as if there were a decades' worth of advancement between New X-Men #114 and the two decades of X-Men comic books that had come before it.

Also, I find that Morrison's best work on an established comic book series is usually his first 12 issues, as was the case here.  After the first year, Morrison's work on established series or characters turns weird or contrived, although that weirdness is usually still better than most other comic books coming out at the same time.

It also did not help that Frank Quitely was incapable of keeping up a monthly schedule, so that the first two years of Morrison's run on New X-Men is a patchwork of inconsistent art styles, some of them ugly and some of them being an ill fit with Morrison's storytelling.  It seemed as if Quitely was the only artist who could make Morrison's New X-Men stories seem truly revolution.

Another thing that I have to admit is that I had and still have mixed feelings about the villain, Cassandra Nova, who turns out to be some kind of sibling to Professor X.  I think a better choice for “E is for Extinction” villain would have been either an obscure X-Men villain from the distant past or an obscure Marvel character reconstructed or “retconned” into being a mutant.  The entire subplot slash narrative angle involving Cassandra and Professor X is almost a bridge too far for me.

Still, even with my complaints, I think that New X-Men #114 is one of the all-time great single issues ever published in American comic books, so I am going to read it again.  In fact, I am going to find other individual New X-Men back issues (especially the Quitely-drawn ones) so that I can enjoy Grant Morrison's “revolution” of the X-Men.

A+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and  syndication rights and fees.

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