#IReadsYou Review: BUBBA HO-TEP and the Cosmic Bloodsuckers #5

BUBBA HO-TEP AND THE COSMIC BLOODSUCKERS No. 5
IDW PUBLISHING – @IDWPublishing

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Joshua Jabcuga (based on the novel by Joe R. Lansdale) – @jabcuga @joelansdale
ART: Horacio Domingues
COLORS: Ryan Hill
LETTERS: Tom B. Long
EDITOR: Chase Marotz
COVER: Baldemar Rivas
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Horacio Domingues with Ryan Hill; Baldemar Rivas
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (July 2018 / in shops January 9, 2019)

Joe R. Lansdale's 2017 novel, Bubba Ho-Tep and the Cosmic Bloodsuckers, initially received some kind of limited release. The novel is a prequel to Lansdale's 1994 novella, “Bubba Ho-Tep,” which filmmaker Don Coscarelli (Phantasm) adapted into a beloved, comic horror film of the same name that was released in 2002.  The novel is receiving a wider release in February 2019.

In the meantime, dear readers, you can enjoy the comic book, Bubba Ho-Tep and the Cosmic Bloodsuckers.  This 2018 comic book adaptation is written Joshua Jabcuga; drawn by Tadd Galusha; colored by Ryan Hill; and lettered by Tom B. Long, with covers drawn by Baldemar Rivas.  The comic book follows a fictional version of legendary rock 'n' roll singer and performer, and American icon, Elvis Presley.  The King of Rock 'n' Roll works for a secret government organization (which might by named the “Hidden Agenda”).  Elvis' manager, “The Colonel” (based on the real-world Presley's manager, Colonel Tom Parker), is his handler, as Presley and a team of operatives fight supernatural enemies that threaten the world.

Bubba Ho-Tep and the Cosmic Bloodsuckers #5 is the final issue of the adaptation, and Horacio Domingues replaces Todd Galusha as artist for this final issue.  The issue opens at the safe house, an abandoned plantation manor, from where Elvis and his team have plotted to stop a blood-sucking threat against Earth from another dimension.  Contemplating the nature and process of social wasps and their nest building, Elvis discovers something about the nature of their enemy – something that can help Elvis and company defeat them.  But the end may be bigger than Elvis and his team can imagine.

Without spoiling this issue, I can say that the resolution offered in Bubba Ho-Tep and the Cosmic Bloodsuckers #5 may have been hinted at since the first or second issue.  I did think there was some oddity in the way the adversarial monsters acted, as if they never fully employed the power they seemed to have.

This final issue is also kind of melancholy.  It seems as if circumstances, duty, and fate conspire to strip away characters' dignity to the point that one must give up so much to have a little peace of mind and self-determination.  For the sake of continuity (more or less), this ending does explain, to an extent, the state in which we find Elvis in “Bubba Ho-Tep.”

The change in artist does not hurt the story in a major way.  Considering the end, Horacio Domingues seems to be an appropriate off-beat note, and Ryan Hill's garish colors keep things as funky and as surreal as he did in the earlier issues.  I hope to see this creative team again.  I hope Joe R. Lansdale transfers the moniker, Bubba Ho-Tep, to Elvis, making it a battle name for the King of Rock 'n' Roll in a new future of monster fighting.  I hope...

8 out of 10

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.

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Review: BUBBA HO-TEP and the Cosmic Bloodsuckers #3

BUBBA HO-TEP AND THE COSMIC BLOODSUCKERS No. 3
IDW PUBLISHING – @IDWPublishing

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Joshua Jabcuga (based on the novel by Joe R. Lansdale) – @jabcuga @joelansdale
ART: Tadd Galusha – @TaddGalusha
COLORS: Ryan Hill
LETTERS: Tom B. Long
EDITOR: Joe Hughes
COVER: Baldemar Rivas
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Baldemar Rivas; Tadd Galusha
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (May 2018)

There is a kind of flavorful, pop culture horror, a “McHorror,” if you will, like the tasty treats that are tricks from McDonald's.  In McHorror, pluck, grit, and a few Latin phrases will banish the fiercest denizens of Hades.  An example of this is The Conjuring scary movie franchise.  Then, there is another kind of horror storytelling.  In this horror, pithy quotes and declarations from the sacred texts and languages of Western religious faith cannot and will not stop two serial killers from enjoying Friday night cadaver poon at the local drive-in.

The latter is exemplified by author Joe R. Lansdale, whose bibliography is a journey through the dark corpus of America – from the rooter to the tooter.  IDW Publishing's current comic book miniseries, Bubba Ho-Tep and the Cosmic Bloodsuckers, is adapted from a 2017 novel by Lansdale.  That novel is a prequel to a Lansdale novella, “Bubba Ho-Tep” (which was adapted into film by another purveyor of non-McHorror storytelling, Don Coscarelli).

Bubba Ho-Tep and the Cosmic Bloodsuckers the comic book is adapted by writer Joshua Jabcuga; drawn by Tadd Galusha; colored by Ryan Hill; and lettered by Tom B. Long, with covers drawn by Baldemar Rivas.  The comic book follows a fictional version of legendary rock 'n' roll singer and performer, and American icon, Elvis Presley.  The King of Rock 'n' Roll works for a secret government organization (which might by named the “Hidden Agenda”).  Elvis' manager, “The Colonel” (based on the real-world Presley's manager, Colonel Tom Parker), is his handler, as Presley and a team of operatives fight supernatural threats to the world

As Bubba Ho-Tep and the Cosmic Bloodsuckers #3 opens, Elvis and company remain secure in an abandoned plantation manor protected by the craziest barriers, spells, and wards.  The team awaits an attack while Elvis gets his ashes hauled by some fine-ass spectral bouté, who will lend her powers to the cause.  An attack will come, but nothing about it will be what it appears to be.  And Elvis might have to fight the invaders while in a state of butt-ass nakedness!

I gave the first two issues of Bubba Ho-Tep and the Cosmic Bloodsuckers each a glowing review.  I love this comic book, and IDW can't get new issues to me fast enough to sate my outer-dimensional-vampire-like blood lust for it.  I was not going to review this third issue, but Tadd Galusha's art and storytelling is just too outrageous to ignore.

I enjoy Joe R. Lansdale's writing, and I am clearly enjoying Joshua Jabcuga's adaptation of Lansdale here.  As comic books rely on illustrations to tell much of the story, I have to notice artist Tadd Galusha.  He has to deliver, and he does in a way that matches the wildness and weirdness of the source and its adaptation.  Galusha impressive drawings include a naked, ghostly broad; a multi-headed thing connected to an oil slick-like monstrosity; and an army of the dead to rival Army of the Dead.  All of it is visually and graphically striking, obviously, but it exists to tell the story, which it truly does.  And well, Galusha draws an impressive naked Elvis.

Ryan Hill colors Bubba Ho-Tep and the Cosmic Bloodsuckers as if he is battling for his place in the hoary American comic book horror hall of fame.  He uses shades of orange, brown, blue, and green to create horror comic porn, and I'm aroused.

As Tom B. Long's spot-on lettering and fonts chase me with the simulated sound effects of funky phantom invasion, I await more.  And I wonder... what Mr. Lansdale might imagine Elvis doing off-camera when not racing cars in Viva Las Vegas.

10 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.


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Review: BUBBA HO-TEP and the Cosmic Bloodsuckers #2

BUBBA HO-TEP AND THE COSMIC BLOODSUCKERS No. 2
IDW PUBLISHING – @IDWPublishing

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Joshua Jabcuga (based on the novel by Joe R. Lansdale) – @jabcuga @joelansdale
ART: Tadd Galusha – @TaddGalusha
COLORS: Ryan Hill
LETTERS: Tom B. Long
EDITOR: Joe Hughes
COVER: Baldemar Rivas
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Baldemar Rivas; Tadd Galusha
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (April 2018)

Bubba Ho-Tep and the Cosmic Bloodsuckers is a current comic book miniseries adaptation of author Joe R. Lansdale's 2017 novel, Bubba and the Cosmic Bloodsuckers (Subterranean Press).  The novel is a prequel of sorts to Lansdale's 1994 alternative history and dark fantasy novella, “Bubba Ho-Tep.”

Lansdale is a prolific writer of novels and short stories and has also written numerous comic books, including three Jonah Hex miniseries for DC Comics and the graphic novel, Red Range.  SundanceTV's recent series, “Hap and Leonard,” is based on Lansdale's long-running “Hap (Collins) and Leonard (Pine)” series of novels, novellas, and short stories.

Bubba Ho-Tep and the Cosmic Bloodsuckers the comic book is adapted by writer Joshua Jabcuga; drawn by Tadd Galusha; colored by Ryan Hill; and lettered by Tom B. Long, with covers drawn by Baldemar Rivas.  The comic book follows a fictional version of legendary rock 'n' roll singer and performer, Elvis Presley.  The King of Rock 'n' Roll works for a secret government organization, in which his manager, “The Colonel” (based on the real-world Presley's manager, Colonel Tom Parker), is his handler, as Presley and a team of operatives fight supernatural threats to the world

As Bubba Ho-Tep and the Cosmic Bloodsuckers #2 opens, the blind seer, “Blind Man,” leads Elvis and company to an abandoned plantation manor.  He declares that it will be the base of operations from which The Colonel and Elvis and his four-man team will face a monstrous alien threat.  First, however, The Colonel and the Blind Man have a lot of information and mythology to share with the team.  Plus, Elvis learns that he has to pay “the price” and that the current circumstances are all his hip-swiveling and charismatic self's fault.

In my review of Bubba Ho-Tep and the Cosmic Bloodsuckers #1, I wrote that although the first issue was only 20 pages long (in terms of actual comics), it read like a 32-page tale.  Issue #2 is also 20 pages long and it reads like one of those double-sized comic book annuals that Marvel and DC Comics used to do so well.  Reading this second issue felt like reading 40+ pages tense drama with a generous helping of riveting back story and kooky mythology.

The television series, “The X-Files,” has regular, monster-of-the-week episodes in which Agents Dana Scully and Fox Mulder have to unravel the mystery of some monster, creature, or human with dangerous supernatural powers.  The series also offers mythology episodes which addresses or focus on the series' overall story arc concerning government conspiracies involving UFOs and the abduction of humans by beings from other worlds.

Bubba Ho-Tep and the Cosmic Bloodsuckers #2 is the mythology issue of this miniseries.  I have not (yet) read the novel upon which this comic book is based, but I have read some of Lansdale's other stories.  Series writer Joshua Jabcuga and artist/illustrator take the essence of Lansdale's weird “Bubba” cosmology and distill it into a single comic book.  Now, readers know who, what, where (for the most part) and can prepare themselves for the battles ahead.  I call this a “bible” of Bubba-verse, and this chapter is layered and detailed, yet with simplicity manages to prod our superstitions and fears of things that want to eat and drink us.

It is not giving Jabcuga and Galusha too much credit to say that they have taken a previously published work from another medium and transformed it into something exceptional in a different medium.  Bubba Ho-Tep and the Cosmic Bloodsuckers #2 convinces me that this series is a dark, nasty, evolved mutant child of classic scary comic books of the past.  This includes titles published by EC Comics and Warren Publications and the Joe Orlando-edited dark fantasy comic books of the late 1960s and 1970s.

Colorist Ryan Hill attacks Tadd Galusha's illustrations and graphical storytelling with angry, red hues.  I would rather believe that Hill painted this comic from a bucket of blood and offal rather than by using a digital palette.  Hill is definitely a co-storyteller along with Lansdale, Jabcuga, and Galusha.  And finally, veteran letterer Tom B. Long fills his word balloons and caption boxes with fonts and text that crawl towards the readers to deliver the gradually building sense of mystery, suspense, and dread of this truly fun to read second issue.

I highly recommend Bubba Ho-Tep and the Cosmic Bloodsuckers #2, as I did with the first issue.  Honestly, Baldemar Rivas' cover art for this issue alone is worth the cover price.

10 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.

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Book Review: BUBBA AND THE COSMIC BLOODSUCKERS

BUBBA AND THE COSMIC BLOODSUCKERS
BOOKVOICE PUBLISHING – @mybookvoice

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

AUTHOR: Joe R. Lansdale – @joelansdale
ISBN: 978-1-949381-09-2; paperback (February 12, 2019)
259pp, B&W, $14.99 U.S.

Bubba and the Cosmic Bloodsuckers is a novel written by author Joe R. Lansdale.  It was originally published in 2017 by Subterranean Press in two limited editions – a “signed limited edition” and a “signed lettered edition.”  This past February (2019), BookVoice Publishing released a “mass market” paperback version of the novel.

Bubba and the Cosmic Bloodsuckers is a prequel to Lansdale's 1994 novella, “Bubba Ho-Tep,” an “alternate history” story that was first published in the Elvis Presley-themed anthology, The King is Dead: Tales of Elvis Post-Mortem.  The story pits an aged Elvis Presley and an old African-American man named “Jack” (who claims to be the real President John F. Kennedy) against a senior citizen-killing mummy that Elvis names “Bubba Ho-Tep.”  Bubba and the Cosmic Bloodsuckers is set decades before the novella and focuses on a (1970s-era) Elvis who is part of a monster-fighting unit.

Bubba and the Cosmic Bloodsuckers opens with an unfortunate drunk who believes that he has made a delightful discovery –  a place to call home in a seemingly abandoned junkyard.  What he finds instead is a life-death as a living ball of food for vampire-like creatures from another dimension.

Enter Elvis Presley.  The King of Rock 'n' Roll turns out to moonlight as a hunter of monsters, (also known as “the Weirdlings”).  Presley is an agent of the “Hidden Agenda,” which deals with supernatural threats to Earth and which is apparently controlled by the President of the United States.  At the time of this story, the commander-in-chief is Richard M. Nixon.  Presley's immediate superior is his “The Colonel” (based on the real-world Elvis Presley's manager, Colonel Tom Parker), who holds something over Presley to keep him serving the Hidden Agenda.

Presley is part of a team of eccentrics.  Their is the clairvoyant, the “Blind Man,” who is a white-haired albino.  Jack, of Asian extraction, is the “master planner.”  John Henry is the hammer-swinging Black dude of the outfit, and he has an edgy humorous attitude.  Jenny Jo Dallas is the newest member, and she is an up-and-coming singer and recording star known to the public as “Raven.”  Oh, there is Johnny Smack, Elvis' right-hand man, sidekick, and bodyguard (who narrates portions of this story).  Elvis and this strange band are back together, but they don't know that they are about to face their most difficult opponent in “Big Mama” and her cosmic bloodsuckers.  They are about to get woke.

It may be true that there are no more original ideas.  However, author Joe R. Lansdale is such an original voice in American fiction that he must be from another dimension, one where there are still original ideas.  Perhaps, his writer's voice is the secret.  Lansdale can turn a phrase and pound out prose that is evocative.  He can get a laugh, and in his readers' imaginations, he can evoke a fear of monsters and things that go bump – supernatural and otherwise.

There is an excellent comic book adaptation of Bubba and the Cosmic Bloodsuckers that is entitled Bubba Ho-Tep and the Cosmic Bloodsuckers (IDW Publishing).  This five-issue comic book miniseries is written by Joshua Jabcuga; drawn by Tadd Galusha and Horacio Domingues; colored by Ryan Hill; and lettered by Tom B. Long.

One element that the novel emphasizes that the comic book series only touches upon is a sense of melancholy and loneliness that hangs over the Elvis and company.  The characters seem to be striving for connections, if not outright relationships, but they do not seem to be sure of what exactly they want.  It is as if they want another life, but fear of the unknown hampers moving on.  After all, they don't know what their new lives might be like, but the lives they know well, as monster hunters, is one they really don't want to live.

This internal conflict, a kind of existential crises, is what makes Bubba and the Cosmic Bloodsuckers something more than a straight-forward horror novel.  Yes, this is an excellent horror novel, and yes, it is told in a gleefully vulgar voice.  But these characters seem larger than one story, and their yearnings and desires extend beyond each Weirdlings fight.  I guess that they are just the kind of people who can fight Cosmic Bloodsuckers.

So I heartily recommend Bubba and the Cosmic Bloodsuckers.  As for the title, I assume that “Bubba” and “Bubba Ho-Tep” are used to denote Joe R. Lansdale's version of Elvis Presley, who first came to readers in the novella, “Bubba Ho-Tep.”  As Elvis or as Bubba, this king is still cool, and this novel is indeed cosmic.

8.5 out of 10

[This edition of Bubba and the Cosmic Bloodsuckers includes a reprint of the original novella, “Bubba Ho-Tep.]

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 syndication rights and fees.

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Review: BUBBA HO-TEP AND THE COSMIC BLOODSUCKERS #1

BUBBA HO-TEP AND THE COSMIC BLOODSUCKERS No. 1
IDW PUBLISHING – @IDWPublishing

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Joshua Jabcuga (based on the novel by Joe R. Lansdale)
ART: Tadd Galusha
COLORS: Ryan Hill
LETTERS: Tom B. Long
EDITOR: Joe Hughes
COVER: Baldemar Rivas
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Tim Truman; Baldemar Rivas; Tadd Galusha
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (March 2018)

“Bubba Ho-Tep” is a 1994 novella written by short story author, novelist, and comic book writer, Joe R. Lansdale.  An “alternate history” tale, “Bubba Ho-Tep” was first published in, The King is Dead: Tales of Elvis Post-Mortem, an Elvis Presley themed anthology.

Filmmaker Don Coscarelli (Phantasm) wrote and directed a film adaptation of the novella, which earned a cult following.  Also entitled Bubba Ho-Tep, the film starred Bruce Campbell as Elvis and the late Ossie Davis as “Jack,” a black man who claimed to be the President John F. Kennedy.

Lansdale wrote a novel, Bubba and the Cosmic Bloodsuckers (2017, Subterranean Press), that was a prequel or background story to “Bubba Ho-Tep.”  IDW Publishing is currently publishing a comic book adaptation of the 2017 novel.  Entitled Bubba Ho-Tep and the Cosmic Bloodsuckers, the comic book is adapted by writer Joshua Jabcuga; drawn by Tadd Galusha; colored by Ryan Hill; and lettered by Tom B. Long.  The comic book follows Elvis who works for a secret government organization, fighting monsters along with a team of operatives.

Bubba Ho-Tep and the Cosmic Bloodsuckers #1 opens in the penthouse suite of a Las Vegas Hotel.  It introduces Johnny Smack, a bodyguard for Elvis Presley.  Smack narrates the story, claiming that Elvis retired from being a recording artist and music performer.  An “Elvis impersonator” now pretends to be the “real Elvis,” while the real Elvis pretends to be one of many Elvis impersonators.

Elvis works for a secret government agency, with his activities overseen by his manager, “The Colonel” (based on the real-world Presley's manager, Colonel Tom Parker).  President Richard Nixon calls “The Colonel” into his secret lair where he informs him about an alien threat that must be stopped.  However, this threat is unlike anything Elvis and company have ever faced.

Bubba Ho-Tep and the Cosmic Bloodsuckers #1 is one of the best first issues that I have read this year.  It is already one of my favorite comic books of the last several years, so I hope that this first issue is not a fluke.  A blend of B-movies, weird fiction, Southern Gothic, monster movies, horror, and Elvis Presley subculture, Bubba Ho-Tep and the Cosmic Bloodsuckers #1 offers a lot of background information and action for a first issue, especially since so many current first issue comic books amount to teaser trailers or vague prologues.  Bubba Ho-Tep and the Cosmic Bloodsuckers #1 is only 20 pages long, but it reads like a 32-page tale.

I have not read Lansdale's original novel, but Joshua Jabcuga's adaptation delivers a superb first issue.  He made me immediately want to read the second issue.  Tadd Galusha's art has a funky vibe that reminds me of the art in alt-comics and Underground Comix that were homages to classic EC Comics.  Think the late Rand Holmes and underrated genius, Rick Altergott.  Ryan Hill's garish, day-glo and back-lit colors are perfect for the Bubba Ho-Tep concept.  Tom B. Long packs the thick dialogue and heavy exposition into neat boxes and balloons in a way that helps the weirdness of this comic book go down smoothly with southern fried aftertaste.

I highly recommend Bubba Ho-Tep and the Cosmic Bloodsuckers #1.  I already hope that this team produces more Bubba Ho-Tep comic books series.

9 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.

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SEP180739    JUDGE DREDD TOXIC #2 CVR A BUCKINGHAM    $3.99
SEP180740    JUDGE DREDD TOXIC #2 CVR B GALLAGHER    $3.99
SEP180670    MY LITTLE PONY NIGHTMARE KNIGHTS #2 CVR A FLEECS    $3.99
SEP180671    MY LITTLE PONY NIGHTMARE KNIGHTS #2 CVR B HICKEY    $3.99
SEP180769    NIGHT MOVES #1 (OF 5) CVR A BURNHAM    $3.99
AUG180722    OPTIMUS PRIME #25 CVR A ZAMA    $3.99
AUG180723    OPTIMUS PRIME #25 CVR B COLLER    $3.99
SEP180703    REAL SCIENCE ADVENTURES NICODEMUS JOB #5 CVR A MCCLAREN    $3.99
SEP180704    REAL SCIENCE ADVENTURES NICODEMUS JOB #5 CVR B GOUX    $3.99
MAY180747    RICK VEITCH BRATPACK HC    $29.99
SEP180761    SUKEBAN TURBO #1 (OF 4) CVR A SANTOS    $3.99
SEP180658    TANGLED HAIR RAISING ADVENTURES #3 (OF 3) CVR A PETROVICH (C    $3.99
SEP180683    TMNT URBAN LEGENDS #7 CVR A FOSCO    $3.99
SEP180684    TMNT URBAN LEGENDS #7 CVR B FOSCO & LARSEN    $3.99
SEP180753    X-FILES CASE FILES TP VOL 01    $15.99

I Reads You Juniors October 2018 - Update #69

Support Leroy on Patreon.

Leroy's Amazon Comics and Graphic Novels Page:

From Newsarama:  Fox has reportedly hired Julius Avery, the director of "Overlord," to direct its long in development film based on the "Flash Gordon" comic strip.

From BleedingCool:  Juan Jose Ryp announces that he is leaving Valiant Comics.

From BleedingCool:  Former Marvel President Bill Jemas and former Marvel Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso are launching a new comic book/multimedia publisher, "Artists, Writers & Artisans Inc."  Grant Morrison and Garth Ennis are among the talent working on books for them.

From ANN:  Suu Morishita, creator of the "Shortcake Cake" manga, will launch a new manga, "Hoshokukei Heroine ni Ato 1-nen Inai ni Taberaremasu (I Will Be Eaten by a Predatory Heroine Within the Next Year)" on the Gangan Online website November 12.

From ANN:  Aya Shouoto, "Kiss of the Rose Princess" manga creator, also launching a new title at Gangan Online.  The title has not yet been released.

From Deadline:  Legendary to adapt Kohei Horikoshi's manga, "My Hero Academia" manga into film.

From BleedingCool:  Marvel's "Captain Marvel: Monica Rambeau" trade paperback will only be available in comic book stores - not at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

From ComicBookBin:   Webcomic Johnny Bullet #1 in color
From ComicBookBin:   Webcomic Johnny Bullet #1 en couleur

From BleedingCool:  Marvel Comics' hip-hop variant covers from a few years ago to appear on actual hip-hop albums.

From Newsarama:  Kelly Thompson, one of three writers relaunching Marvel's "Uncanny X-Men," talks to Newsarama.

From ICv2:  Fantagraphics Books early 2019 releases include an art book of the late, great Wally Wood's erotic comics and art.

From ColumbusDispatch:  Event explored Jewish influence and input in American comic books.

From KyodoNews:  Cameroon-born manga artist deftly captures life growing up in Japan

From BleedingCool:  Archie Comics is discontinuing its line of "Marvel Comics Digest."

From GeekTyrant:  RWBY will get a new manga in English releases of "Shonen Jump."

From BatesNews:  How Gabby Rivera is revolutionizing pop-lit’s depiction of the comic-book hero

From BleedingCool:  A Marv Wolfman-penned Superman story will see the light of day next year.

From ComicBook:  The first Pokemon manga has never been released outside of Japan because it depicts, among other things, full frontal nudity.

From IGN:  This article talks about Junji Ito's new "Frankenstein" collection.

From BleedingCool:  Retailers ordred 300,000 copies of "Return of Wolverine #1."

From 13thDimension:  In 2017, comic book writer/artist/designer/cover illustrator Alex Ross pitched a reboot of the Fantastic Four.  See his images from his proposal at "13th Dimension."

From BleedingCool:  Writer Chuck Wendig says he was fired from Marvel because of his politics.  He was in the middle of writing a "Star Wars" miniseries.

From ABCAustralia:  Aussie manga creator Queenie Chan tells her story.
.
From DorkSide:  News from the Lucasfilm Publishing panel at NYCC 2018.

From AutoStraddle:  What were the gayest comic books from New York Comic Con 2018.

From Newsarama:  "The Walking Dead'" Robert Kirkman has signed a deal with Sony Television to form a new production company, Skybound Galactic, which will develop comic book projects for television, among them Top Cow's "The Darkness."

From BleedingCool:  Here is a one-page preview of "Batman: Damned #2."

From Polygon:  Bruce Wayne's penis is making DC Comics reassess future "Black Label" releases.

From ComicBook:  "The Walking Dead" creator Robert Kirkman quietly launches the animated series, "Super Dinosaur," in Canada.

From CriticalHit:  Big announcements from New York Comic Con 2018.

From CBR:  New manga and novel based on American anime series, "RWBY," coming in 2019.

From BleedingCool:  Todd McFarlane says that he is planning a trilogy of "Spawn" films.

MEMORIAM - From BleedingCool:   It is just coming to light that Jim Novak, one of the most influential and accomplished comic book letterers and designers, died in April of this year.  He worked for both DC Comics and Marvel Comics.  He redesigned the "Star Wars" logo and also designed the logo for the film, "Creepshow."

From Webtoons:  Warren Ellis and Colleen Doran's new webcomic, "Finality," has debuted.

NEW YORK COMIC CON 2018:

From BleedingCool:  Todd McFarlane says that he will meet with a "Game of Thrones" cast member about creating a comic book series.

From BleedingCool:  Marvel's "Women of Marvel" panel at NYCC 2018 fielded a "talent and diversity" question.

From BleedingCool:  There was a #MeToo and #TimesUp panel at NYCC 2018.  Unionization of comic book creatores came up. [As a side note, here is an article about an attempt to form a comic book union, from ComicsAlliance.]

From THR:  NYCC 2018 attendees thrill to the film footage from director Neil Marshall's "Hellboy" reboot.

From BleedingCool:   Due August 20, 2019 is "White," a sequel to Kwanza Osajyefo, Tim Smith, Jamal Igle, and Khary Randolph's "Black" comic book miniseries.

From CBR:  Joss Whedon will oversee BOOM! Studios upcoming "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" comic books series.  Whedon will join writer Jordie Bellaire and artist Dan Mora to reboot the entire Buffy concept.

From Newsarama:  Marvel new "Invaders" comic book will launch in 2019.  It is set during World War II and will pit Captain America and Sub-Mariners against each other.

From Newsarama:  "Star Trek: The Q Conflict" will bring together four "Star Trek" franchises, the "Original Series," "'The Next Generations," "Deep Space Nine," and "Voyager."

From BleedingCool:  Todd McFarlane draws a Michael Myers "Halloween" poster for NYCC 2018.

From BleedingCool:  DC Comics rumored to announce "Wonder Comics."  This is an in-continuity teen comics imprint from Brian Michael Bendis.
----------------------------------------------------

From Deadline:  Actor Matt Bomer will play "Negative Man" in DC Universe's streaming, live-action TV series based on the comic book, "Doom Patrol."

From YouTube:  The YouTube channel, "Cereal at Midnight," discusses IDW's current miniseries, "Bubba Ho-Tep and the Cosmic Bloodsuckers."

MEMORIAM - From EW:  Carlos Ezquerra, the artist who co-created seminal British comics character, Judge Dredd," has died at the age of 70.

From EW:  Chuck Palahniuk announces "Fight Club 3" comic book series with artist Cameron Stewart.  It would be the second sequel to his cult novel, "Fight Club," that was produced as a comic book, following the 10-issue "Fight Club 2," which was also drawn by Stewart.

From HeatVision:  Dynamite Entertainment announces another comic book starring "Elvira, Mistress of the Dark."  It is entitled "The Shape of Elvira," a reference to the Oscar-winning film, "The Shape of Water."

From CBR:  Neil Gaiman ("The Sandman") has signed a development deal with Amazon.

From DeejayDayton:  "Babblings About Comics" blog talks about New Titans Annual (1995).

From BleedingCool:  "Marvel Action" is the name of Marvel/IDW's line of all-ages comic books starring Marvel characters.

From BleedingCool:  Comic book creator and attorney, Rod Underhill, recently died.  There is a GoFundMe campaign to help his family.

From Variety:  The "Titans" TV series that streams of the "DC Universe" streaming service will stream to international customers on Netflix.

From Newsarama:  In DC Comics' "Action Comics #1005," writer Brian Michael Bendis brings back the classic version of Steve Ditko's Charlton character, "The Question."

From DailyCalifornian:  Why you should start reading "Saga."


OCTOBER 2018 COMICS SOLICITATIONS:
From Newsarama:  AfterShock Comics for October 2018
From Newsarama:  Archie Comics for October 2018
From Newsarama:  BOOM! Studios for October 2018
From BleedingCool:  Caliber Press for October 2018
From BleedingCool:  Dark Horse Comics for October 2018
From Newsarama:  DC Comics for October 2018
From TheOuthousers:  Dynamite Entertainment for 2018
From BleedingCool:  Fantagraphics Books for October 2018.
From TFW:  IDW Publishing from October 2018
From Newsarama:  Image Comics for October 2018
From CBR:  Marvel Comics for October 2018.
From Newsarama:  Rebellion for October 2018
From Newsarama:  Scout Comics for October 2018
From Newsarama:  Valiant Entertaiment solicitations for October 2018.

NOVEMBER 2018 COMICS SOLICITATIONS:
From Newsarama:  AfterShock Comics for November 2018
From Newsarama:  BOOM! Studios for November 2018
From Newsarama:  Dark Horse Comics for November 2018
From Newsarama:  DC Comics for November 2018
From Newsarama:  Dynamite Entertainment for November 2018
From TheOuthousers:  Fantagraphics Books for November 2018
From Newsarama:  IDW Publishing for November 2018
From BleedingCool:  Image Comics for November 2018
From BleedingCool:  Lion Forge solicitations for November 2018
From Newsarama:  Marvel Comics solicitations for November 2018
From BleedingCool:  Rebellion 2000AD for November 2018
From BleedingCool:  Titan Comics for November 2018

DECEMBER 2018 COMICS SOLICITATIONS:
From BleedingCool:  AfterShock Comics for December 2018
From Newsarama:  BOOM! Studios for December 2018
From ComicList:  Dark Horse Comics for December 2018
From Newsarama:  DC Comics for December 2018
From BleedingCool:  Image Comics for December 2018
From BleedingCool:  Marvel Comics for December 2018
From BleedingCool:  Titan Comics for December 2018

JANUARY 2019 COMICS SOLICITATIONS:
From BleedingCool:  Action Lab for Jan. 2019
From BleedingCool:  Aspen Comics for Jan. 2019
From BleedingCool:  Black Mask for Jan. 2019
From BleedingCool:  Dark Horse Comics for 2019
From BleedingCool:  Dynamite Entertainment for Jan. 2019
From BleedingCool:  IDW Publishing for Jan. 2019
From BleedingCool:  Oni Press for Jan. 2019
From BleedingCool:  Papercutz for Jan. 2019
From BleedingCool:  Titan Comics for Jan. 2019

IDW Publishing from Diamond Distributors for September 26, 2018

IDW PUBLISHING

MAR180549    BUBBA HO-TEP & COSMIC BLOOD-SUCKERS #3 CVR A RIVAS    $3.99
MAR180550    BUBBA HO-TEP & COSMIC BLOOD-SUCKERS #3 CVR B GALUSHA    $3.99
JUL180937    CROW MEMENTO MORI TP    $15.99
JUL180897    DISNEY COMICS AND STORIES #1 CVR A DISNEY ITALIA    $5.99
MAY180680    GOOSEBUMPS DOWNLOAD & DIE HC    $12.99
JUN180710    MICKEY AND DONALD CHRISTMAS PARADE    $14.99
JUL180904    MY LITTLE PONY PONYVILLE MYSTERIES #5 CVR A GARBOWSKA    $3.99
JUL180905    MY LITTLE PONY PONYVILLE MYSTERIES #5 CVR B MURPHY    $3.99
JUL180910    RICK & MORTY VS DUNGEONS & DRAGONS #2 (OF 4) CVR A LITTLE (C    $3.99
JUL180911    RICK & MORTY VS DUNGEONS & DRAGONS #2 (OF 4) CVR B LITTLE (C    $3.99
JUL180815    STAR TREK VS TRANSFORMERS #1 (OF 4) CVR A MURPHY    $3.99
JUL180816    STAR TREK VS TRANSFORMERS #1 (OF 4) CVR B MURPHY    $3.99
JUL180879    STAR WARS ADVENTURES #14 CVR A MAURICET    $3.99
JUL180880    STAR WARS ADVENTURES #14 CVR B MURPHY    $3.99
JUL180823    TRANSFORMERS LOST LIGHT #24 CVR A ROCHE    $3.99
JUL180824    TRANSFORMERS LOST LIGHT #24 CVR B SENIOR    $3.99
JUL180889    UNCLE SCROOGE MY FIRST MILLIONS #1 (OF 4) CVR A GERVASIO    $3.99

IDW Publishing from Diamond Distributors for August 1, 2018

IDW PUBLISHING

MAY180729    ASSASSINISTAS TP    $19.99
FEB180393    BUBBA HO-TEP & COSMIC BLOOD-SUCKERS #2 CVR A RIVAS    $3.99
FEB180394    BUBBA HO-TEP & COSMIC BLOOD-SUCKERS #2 CVR B GALUSHA    $3.99
JUN180724    DELTA 13 #4    $3.99
MAY180714    GHOSTBUSTERS CROSSING OVER #5 CVR A SCHOENING    $3.99
MAY180715    GHOSTBUSTERS CROSSING OVER #5 CVR B LATTIE    $3.99
MAY180642    GI JOE A REAL AMERICAN HERO #254 CVR A FERREIRA    $3.99
MAY180643    GI JOE A REAL AMERICAN HERO #254 CVR B ROYLE    $3.99
MAY180739    HIGHEST HOUSE #6 CVR A SHIMIZU    $4.99
APR180426    J SCOTT CAMPBELL DANGER GIRL GALLERY ED HC    $24.99
FEB180485    JACK KIRBY MARVEL HEROES & MONSTERS ARTIST ED HC    $150.00
APR180437    STAR HAWKS HC VOL 03 1979 - 1981    $39.99
MAY180700    STAR TREK DISCOVERY SUCCESSION #4 CVR A HERNANDEZ    $3.99
MAY180701    STAR TREK DISCOVERY SUCCESSION #4 CVR B PHOTO    $3.99
MAY180667    TANGLED THE SERIES LET DOWN YOUR HAIR TP    $9.99
JUN180606    TMNT BEBOP ROCKSTEADY HIT THE ROAD #1 (OF 5) CVR A PITARRA    $3.99
JUN180607    TMNT BEBOP ROCKSTEADY HIT THE ROAD #1 (OF 5) CVR B BATES    $3.99
APR180323    TMNT BODYCOUNT HC (MR)    $29.99
JUN180622    TMNT UNIVERSE #25 CVR A WILLIAMS    $4.99
JUN180623    TMNT UNIVERSE #25 CVR B DANIEL    $4.99
MAY180755    WALLED CITY TP VOL 01 HIS DREAM OF SKYLAND    $29.99

IDW Publishing from Diamond Distributors for May 16, 2018

IDW PUBLISHING

FEB180446    ASSASSINISTAS #5 CVR A HERNANDEZ (MR)    $3.99
FEB180447    ASSASSINISTAS #5 CVR B RUGG (MR)    $3.99
JAN180438    BUBBA HO-TEP & COSMIC BLOOD-SUCKERS #1 CVR A RIVAS    $3.99
JAN180439    BUBBA HO-TEP & COSMIC BLOOD-SUCKERS #1 CVR B GALUSHA    $3.99
FEB180354    GOOSEBUMPS DOWNLOAD & DIE #3 CVR A WONG    $3.99
FEB180355    GOOSEBUMPS DOWNLOAD & DIE #3 CVR B VAUGHN    $3.99
MAR180537    INFINITE LOOP TP VOL 02    $17.99
MAR180488    MY LITTLE PONY FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC #66 CVR A FLEECS    $3.99
MAR180489    MY LITTLE PONY FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC #66 CVR B RICHARD    $3.99
MAR188177    SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #1 3RD PTG (C: 1-0-0)    $3.99
MAR180402    STAR TREK TNG THROUGH THE MIRROR #3 CVR A WOODWARD (C: 1-0-0    $3.99
MAR180403    STAR TREK TNG THROUGH THE MIRROR #3 CVR B HOOD (C: 1-0-0)    $3.99
MAR180424    TMNT ONGOING #82 CVR A WACHTER (C: 1-0-0)    $3.99
MAR180425    TMNT ONGOING #82 CVR B EASTMAN (C: 1-0-0)    $3.99
MAR180427    TMNT UNIVERSE #22 CVR A WILLIAMS II (C: 1-0-0)    $4.99
MAR180428    TMNT UNIVERSE #22 CVR B TORRES (C: 1-0-0)    $4.99

I Reads You Juniors December 2017 - Update #61

Support Leroy on Patreon.

Leroy's Amazon Comics and Graphic Novels Page:

From Newsarama:  December 28th 2017 was Stan Lee's 95th birthday and industry pros wished him a happy birthday.

From ComicBook:  Batman co-creator, the late Bill Finger, had a street in New York City named for him - "Bill Finger Way."

From ComicBook:  Dr. Strange is apparently set to become the "God of Magic."

From BleedingCool:  The Max Landis story that was removed from The DC Holiday Special 2017 is available again on digital copies bought via comiXology.

OBIT - From BleedingCool:  British comic book creator and artist, Jim Baikie, died at the age of 77, Friday, December 29, 2017.  A mainstay of the venerable British comics magazines, "2000AD," Baikie created the alien science fiction comic strip, "Skizz" with Alan Moore.  He also created with Moore the comics, "The First American," for Moore's America's Best Comics (ABC) line.

From TheBeat:  In his column, "Tilting at Windmills #266, Brian Hibbs writes an open letter to new Marvel Comic EiC C.B. Cebulski, with some good suggestions for the publisher - that will ultimately be ignored.

From BleedingCool:  A list of rumors about upcoming creator changes at Marvel, including Nick Spencer on "The Amazing Spider-Man."

From AldotCom:  Alabama.com profiles Alabama favorite son, Jason Aaron.

From BleedingCool:  Marvel's "Weapon X" comic book could become "X-Men: Black."

From BleedingCool:  Marvel Comics is launching an app that will allow fans to create their own comics - which Marvel will completely own.

From ComicBook:  There is a controversial "Boruto: Naruto Next Generations" cover that has fans fuming.

OBIT - From Newsarama:  Veteran comic book inker, Victor Llamas, has died at the age of 41, Friday, December 22, 2017.  He broke into the industry via Top Cow and inked then emerging artists like David Finch and Joe Benitez.  There is a GoFundMe page here to help his family with expenses.

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COMIC BOOK THEFTS:
From ABCActionNews:   Thousands of dollars in comic books stolen from IDC Comics Toys & Collectibles in Avon Park, Florida.

From BostonHerald: $20,000 in comic books stolen The Hall of Comics store in Southborough, Massachusetts.

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From ComicBookBin:  New Johnny Bullet episode #148 in English.
From ComicBookBin:  New Johnny Bullete episode #148 in French.

From BleedingCool:  Sony Would Have Liked the Rights to a Gay Miles Morales Spider-Man.

From BleedingCool:  Brian Michael Bendis announces that his "Punisher" comic book, "Punisher: End of Days," has been cancelled, as well as some of his other Marvel projects of which we have never heard.

From BleedingCool:  Rumor is that Brian Michael Bendis will write a Superman book in 2018.

From Mashable:  This article explains the difference between the 2003 film, "Old Boy," and the manga from which it was adapted.

From BleedingCool:  It's Alive is bringing back Trina Robbins' long out-of-print graphic novel, "The Silver Metal Lover" with a Kickstarter campaign.

From CBLDF and LatuffCartoons:  Lawyers for Turkey‘s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan pressure Twitter to delete the content of 80 of Brazilian cartoonist, Carlos Latuff's posts, including 11 of Latuff's ‘toons,

From ScienceFiction:  Gail Simone has advice for aspiring comic book writers.

From FortressofSolitude:  An embarrassing (and typical) "best comic books of 2017" list.

From NYT:  The New York Times profiles a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania comic book store, Amalgam Comics & Coffeehouse, that promotes diversity.

From BleedingCool:  Joe Quesada takes to Twitter to discuss Marvel Comics' recent cancellation of titles starring LGBTQ characters, characters of color, and female characters.

From BleedingCool:  Joe Glass examines the victims of the Marvel Comics cancellation bloodbath.

From BleedingCool:  Writer David L. Walker has confirmed that his "Luke Cage" series is being cancelled due to low sales.

From CBR:  The site ranks every comic book movie in 2017 from worst (Netflix's "Death Note") to best ("Logan").

From Newsarama:  The "Black Comic Book Festival" is back.  According to Newsarama:  "The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture has opened registration for its "6th Annual Black Comic Book Festival" that will be held on January 12-13, 2018 at the Schomburg Center. Registration is free and open to the public and is available at schomburgcenter.eventbrite.com."

From THR:  Joe R. Lansdale has announced a comic book prequel to his prose novella, "Bubba Ho-Tep," which inspired a 2002 cult film from director Don Coscarelli (creator of the "Phantasm" film franchise).

From WashPost:  Novelist Brad Meltzer has also written comic books, like "Justice League" and "Identity Crisis" for DC Comics.  Now, he is announcing a graphic novel about "Ghandi."

From MyAJC:  Two brothers launch a line of Black superhero comic books in hopes to catch the upcoming "Black Panther" movie wave.

From Crunchyroll:  Masashi Kishimoto, the creator of the manga, "Naruto," has a new manga due next year.  Japanese fans caught to see a sneak preview of draft pages from the upcoming and still unnamed manga.

From BleedingCool:  Japan's "Shonen Magazine" (Kodansha) is running a "Marvel manga" contest to recruit new talent.

From BleedingCool:  Trade paperback and collections from Dynamite Entertainment for March 2018.

From BleedingCool:  The DC Comics imprint, "Young Animal," curated by Gerard Way ("The Umbrella Academy") will be relaunched in March with four new titles.

From JeffLemireBlog:  Acclaimed writer, Jeff Lemire, talks about his plans for 2018.

--------------------------------------------
From BleedingCool:  In Lafayette, Louisiana, comic shop owner, Teresa Moran, is trying to buy the shopping center, where her store, Acadian Comics & Collectibles, is located.  She has started a GoFundMe campaign to raise one million dollars.  [I know Teresa Moran a.k.a. "Miss Teresa," and her shop is the descendant of the comic shop I first patronized when I entered college. - Leroy]

From GoFundMe:  Teresa Moran's GoFundMe page to buy a shopping center.

--------------------------------------------
From Kotaku:  The "Terra Formars" returns to Japan's "Young Jump" next April.

From Newsarama:  Yen Press March 2018 solicitations.

From Newsarama:  A first look at "Rise of the Black Panther #1."

From ComicBookBin:  New Johnny Bullet episode #147 in English.
From ComicBookBin:  New Johnny Bullet episode #147 in French.

From BleedingCool:  Marc Silvestri's "Cyber Force" returns (again) with Matt Hawkins and Bryan Hill writing and Silvestri "overseeing" the project.

From BleedingCool:  Marvel announces a digital first Avengers comic books, "Avengers: Back to Basics," written by Peter David.

From BleedingCool:  Editorial changes are happening at DC Comics, including for the Superman line, which Brian Michael Bendis will apparently join as a writer (Action Comics?).

From Gizmodo:  The site explains Patreon's recent fee change announcement, which has caused an uproar.  The changes will affect small press and indie comics creators who use the platform.

From IrishTime:  Controversial film director Takashi Miike talks about how important manga was to his generations of boyhood.

From KotakuAustralia:  The best selling manga of 2017 in Japan - actually December 5, 2016 to November 27, 2017.  "One Piece" is #1.

From ComicBookBin:  New Johnny Bullet episode #146 in English.
From ComicBookBin:  New Johnny Bullet episode #146 in French.

From BleedingCool:   An article about calculating history and the sale of the color cover proof for Action Comics #1 - the one that introduced Superman.

From IGN:  What the Star Wars comic books and novels can tell us about "The Last Jedi."

From BleedingCool:  Upcoming "Power Rangers" comic book will featuring killing off of some Rangers.

From BleedingCool:  Dark Horse Comics will release "Dave McKean: Short Film as a hardcover  book and a Blu-ray.

From ComicBook:  "One Piece" creator Eiichiro Oda makes a statement about his manga's record breaking sales.

From DangerousMinds:  A look at the comic book story that inspired John Carpenter's 1988 film, "They Live."

From ComicBook:  The "Hunter x Hunter" manga returns next year (2018) in Japan's "Weekly Shonen Jump."

From LRMOnline:  Kouhei Horikoshi, the creator of the manga, "My Hero Academia," will create a poster that brings Star Wars and his manga together.  The poster will appear in a February 2018 issue of "Weekly Shonen Jump."

From Kotaku:  "Junji Ito Collection" is an upcoming anime series that will adapt the super-creepy horror comics of mangaka, Junji Ito.

From LawOfficer:  Police officer Greg Granderson creates a comic book as an outreach to kids.

From ComicBook:  Marvel announces a six issue New Mutants miniseries, "New Mutants: Dead Souls."

From SideshowToys:  Sideshow talks to pretend comic book artist J. Scott Campbell about his new line of statues/figures from Sideshow.  They call Campbell a legend, apparently not really knowing what a legend actually is.

From ComicBookBin:  New Johnny Bullet episode #145 in English.
From ComicBookBin:  New Johnny Bullet episode #145 in French.

From Twitter/BBCArchive:  This archival video is from a 1975 BBC profile of the great and influential artist, Frank Hampson, who created the classic British sci-fi comic, Dan Dare.  Hampson apparently had been experiencing hardship at the time.

From BleedingCool:  When a monthly Batman comic book artist lives on the edge of poverty.

IDW Publishing from Diamond Distributors for October 18, 2017

IDW PUBLISHING

MAY170546    A STORY OF MEN HC    $19.99
MAY170547    BEHIND YOU ONE-SHOT HORROR STORIES HC    $15.99
JUN170551    BOTTLED TP    $19.99
JUL170620    DARKNESS VISIBLE TP VOL 01    $19.99
JUN170590    DEVIATIONS BETA TP    $15.99
JUL170521    DUCK AVENGER NEW ADVENTURES TP BOOK 02    $24.99
AUG170524    HALF PAST DANGER II DEAD TO REICHS #2 (OF 5) CVR A MOONEY (C    $3.99
AUG170525    HALF PAST DANGER II DEAD TO REICHS #2 (OF 5) CVR B BYRNE    $3.99
MAY170549    HAP & LEONARD SAVAGE SEASON TP    $17.99
AUG170526    INFINITE LOOP NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH #2 (OF 6) CVR A CHARRETI    $3.99
AUG170527    INFINITE LOOP NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH #2 (OF 6) CVR B ALBUQUER    $3.99
JUN170524    JEM & THE HOLOGRAMS MISFITS INFINITE #3 (OF 3) CVR A ST ONGE    $3.99
JUN170525    JEM & THE HOLOGRAMS MISFITS INFINITE #3 (OF 3) CVR B FISH    $3.99
AUG170373    KID LOBOTOMY #1 CVR A FOWLER (MR)    $3.99
AUG170374    KID LOBOTOMY #1 CVR B QUITELY (MR)    $3.99
JUN170568    LITTLE BOOK OF KNOWLEDGE HC TATTOOS    $14.99
JUN170502    MICHAEL RECYCLE ENVIRONMENTAL ADVENTURES HC    $14.99
AUG170402    MY LITTLE PONY LEGENDS OF MAGIC #7 CVR A FLEECS    $3.99
AUG170403    MY LITTLE PONY LEGENDS OF MAGIC #7 CVR B HICKEY    $3.99
JUL170577    OPTIMUS PRIME FIRST STRIKE #1 CVR A PITRE-DUROCHER    $3.99
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Review: RED RANGE: A Wild Western Adventure

RED RANGE: A WILD WESTERN ADVENTURE
IDW PUBLISHING/It's Alive – @IDWPublishing

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Joe R. Lansdale
ARTIST:  Sam Glanzman
COLORS: Jorge Blanco and Jok
LETTERS: Douglas Potter
ISBN: 978-1-63140-994-3; hardcover (June 20, 2017)
112pp, Color, $19.99 U.S., $25.99 CAN

This review is based on a copy-for-review of Red Range provided by IDW Publishing, which the author of this review did not request.

Red Range: A Wild Western Adventure is a Western graphic novel written by Joe R. Lansdale and drawn by Sam Glanzman.  It was originally published in 1999 by Mojo Press and apparently was ignored upon its first release.  Lansdale is a prolific novelist and short story writer who has also written numerous comic book stories.  A U.S. Navy veteran of World War II, Glanzman has been writing and drawing comic books since the medium's “Golden Age,” beginning with a story published in 1941.  Glanzman is probably best known for his Western and war comics.

It's Alive, an imprint of IDW, is bringing Red Range: A Wild Western Adventure back into print in a new full-color, hardcover edition with colors by Jorge Blanco and Jok and letters by Douglas Potter.  This new edition also includes essays and text pieces by Richard Klaw (Red Range's original publisher) and comics creator and publisher, Stephen R. Bissette.  This volume also includes a black and white comics short story, “I Could Eat a Horse,” written and drawn by Glanzman and first published in Wild West Show (Mojo Press, 1996).

Red Range opens somewhere in Texas (east Texas?) sometime in the 19th century (after the Civil War).  The Ku Klux Klan is in the middle of torturing and murdering a husband and wife, when a shot rings out that kills two of the Klansmen.  After more than half their number has been shot dead in the most brutal ways, the rest of the Klansmen flee in horror.  Who or what scared the bejesus out of them?

It's that notorious, Klan-killing Black vigilante, the Red Mask.  Once he was Caleb Range, a Black man whose wife and son were killed by evil White men before his very eyes.  Now, he is the monster in a Klansman nightmare.  Caleb takes Turon, the son of the Black couple murdered and tortured by the Klan, as his new partner.  Meanwhile, Batiste, Klan leader and survivor of the Red Mask's most recent attack, gathers a crew of morons and murderers into an ersatz posse to hunt and kill the Red Mask and Turon.  However, the final showdown between the Red Mask and Batiste will take them into the wild and wonderful world of the “Weird Western.”

The essayists of the Red Range: A Wild Western Adventure graphic novel apparently hope for some vindication for the apparently initially-ignored graphic novel with its new release.  I don't remember Red Range at all, and I assumed I was both an astute reader and follower of independent comic books at the time.  I don't even remember Red Range's original publisher, Mojo Press, although the name does seem oddly familiar.

The truth is that in 1999, Red Range was way, way ahead of its time.  I had a professor of Shakespeare at LSU who insisted that no one was “ahead of his time.”  Every creative person was “of his time.”  That may be true, but a person of his time can create a work that is ahead of its time, and that is exactly what Joe R. Lansdale and Sam Glanzman did.

My recollection of the 1990s was that there was deep resistance to comic books featuring African-American characters from certain segments of the comics media, comic book retailers, comic book publishers, and comic book readers.  Here comes Red Range with its unapologetic Black male hero who shot White men down as if they were rabid dogs.  The world of American comic books was not ready for what was essentially the marriage of “The Lone Ranger” and Django Unchained, 13 years before Django shot two white men and whooped one's ass before he shot him, early in Quentin Tarantino's Oscar-winning film.

Lansdale gleefully weaves a tale of ultra-violence and unfettered racial hate, and sprinkles the dialogue with racial epithets aplenty.  Glanzman, a master of graphical storytelling, turns Lansdale story into comics storytelling that is filled with gore, but skillfully picks up the sly and shade-throwing humor in Lansdale's writing.

Now, Red Range is ready for the world of American comic books, or is it the other way around?  Social media has given both African-American comic book creators and readers a voice to beat back those trying to hold them back.  The-economy-is-great-and-we're-all-fine, late 20th century America of President Bill Clinton is long gone.  Now, we have the post-President Barack Obama America in which the first Black president of the United States has been replaced by a President who shamelessly courts racists, religious bigots, White separatists, bullies, misogynists, etc.  Donald Trump's appointment as President by the Electoral College woke the naive up... finally.  We are not in a post-racial America.

There are more people in America who are like Batiste, the villain in Red Range, Batiste, than many of us would like to admit.  So it has to be okay for two White men to create fiction that depicts pure-dee, American racism and the fight against it in the most blunt storytelling language.

Lansdale and Glanzman were never over-the-top and mean-spirited, even back in 1999.  Readers simply did not recognize the genius and the A-game of Joe R. Lansdale and Sam Glanzman, who both, at best, probably only had a cult following at the time.  But like the ghosts of Mississippi, Red Range: A Wild Western Adventure is back for justice.  Please, read this graphic novel.  Also, when you consider the high quality and high production values of IDW Publishing's hardcover graphic novels and archival collections, Red Range is a steal... even shop-lifting at the price of $19.95.

A+

This book includes the following text pieces with illustrations:

“When Old is New and New is Old” – Introduction by Richard Klaw
“Beneath the Valley of the Klan Busters” - Afterword by Stephen R. Bissette
“A Brief History of Cowboys & Dinosaurs: Pop Culture Cowpokes & Carnosaurs” essay by Stephen R. Bissette

This book also includes the Sam Glanzman comics short story, “I Could Eat a Horse.”

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


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

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