Dynamite Entertainment Announces "Dynamite Originals" Comics Imprint

New Imprint Dynamite Originals Launches!

Starting With Superstar Mirka Andolfo & Top Creators On Vampirella: Black, White & Blood — Available Soon on Kickstarter!

Dynamite is excited to announce Dynamite Originals, a brand new imprint debuting first on Kickstarter with a heavy-hitting roster of creators taking on the company's flagship character — Vampirella! This new label will feature unique visions and innovative collaborations with the biggest creators in comics of today and tomorrow. It all starts soon, with Vampirella: Black, White & Blood!

This prestige anthology project is a close collaboration with Arancia Studio, known for its juggernaut leader Mirka Andolfo (Sweet Paprika, Mercy, Harley Quinn). Some of the most exciting rising stars of the Italian studio join today's biggest names in American comics on this star-studded special release. The whole book sports a stunning black-and-white palette, with splashes of red to really show off the artwork in these three tantalizing tales. It's the ultimate spotlight on the character and an international team-up of the comics craft.

"I couldn't be more thrilled about this book," said creator Mirka Andolfo. "Vampirella is such an iconic character…I had the pleasure of drawing her before, but this is my first time writing her. And I really hope it's not my last, because I had a lot of fun, also because I was surrounded by phenomenal creators! You're going to see some great things...”

Andolfo's creative and business partner Davide G.G. Caci added, “When, with our friends at Dynamite, we started talking about a Black, White & Blood special for Vampirella, we knew right away that we were on the same page. It was amazing to see how everyone — their team, our team, our editor Davide Morando, and of course, all the creators — were on the same page. At Arancia, we love to create creative bridges, and this special issue is something to be proud of: extraordinary American and European artists and writers teaming up to tell some stories starring a unique character.”

 

Andolfo leads the way with a fascinating fable with a meta twist. In "Redefining Shadows," she and artist Greta Xella depict the most unlikely team-up for the Daughter of Drakulon. She finds in her path a group of talented female artists, writers, and creatives, setting out to redefine their approach to fiction and challenging the dominant male narratives and gaze in the comics industry. This story not only reimagines Vampirella's story, which originally broke boundaries, but emphasizes the importance of diverse voices in storytelling.

In "Undercover" by Tim Seeley (Nightwing, Hack/Slash) and Zulema Scotto Lavina the Drakulonian antiheroine is accused of a series of violent murders. To clear her name, she goes undercover, embedding herself in a gang of vicious vampire hunters. In her quest to track down the mystery killer and protect her own kind, she may discover the culprit could be someone close to her heart.

Last but certainly not least, "The Ballad of Blind Love" features the work of Steve Orlando (Wonder Woman, Midnighter) and Alessandro Amoruso, and depicts a love story like no other. A powerful mob boss is desperately in love with Vampirella and will do anything to win her over. Misinterpreting her character and reactions, he starts bringing increasingly heinous sacrifices to garner her affection. It will take a dark turn when she demands of him the ultimate sacrifice...

Not to be outdone by the stories within, this project demanded a set of jaw-dropping covers by top names to deliver a perfect package to fans. Mirka Andolfo of course contributes one of course for the title she and her team are driving artistically. She's joined by superstars Stjepan Šejić, Jae Lee, and Joseph Michael Linsner. Each of these covers will be available as standard covers, chrome editions, and metal editions, plus fans will have the option to get them signed or CGC graded. And there will be options to get all four covers bundled together for a special collector’s price.

Everyone who signs up for updates on the campaign ahead of time will receive a free digital download of 2019's smash-hit Vampirella #1 that kicked off the character's latest major era under writer Christopher Priest.

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

#IReadsYou Review: SHEENA, Queen of the Jungle #1

SHEENA: QUEEN OF THE JUNGLE VOLUME 2 #1
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Stephen Mooney
ART: Jethro Morales
COLORS: Dinei Ribero
LETTERS: Taylor Esposito
EDITOR: Joseph Rybandt
COVER: Lucio Parrillo
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Rose Besch; Arthur Suydam; Joseph Michael Linsner; Carla Cohen; Stephen Mooney; Leslie Leirix; Lucio Parrillo; Rachel Hollon (cosplay)
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (November 2021)

Rated Teen+

Sheena originally created by S.M. “Jerry” Iger and Will Eisner

Sheena, Queen of the Jungle is an American comic book character.  She first appeared in the British magazine, Wags #46 ( January 1938), and was created by legendary American comic book creators, Will Eisner and S. M. “Jerry” Iger.  Sheena made her first American appearance in Jumbo Comics #1 (Fiction House, cover dated: September 1938) where she was a mainstay until 1953.  Sheena was also the first female comic book character to star in her own series.  A “jungle girl heroine,” Sheen was an orphan, like Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan, who had adventures featuring African natives, wild animals, and white hunters and villains.

Dynamite began publishing Sheena comics in 2017 with a series that ran ten issues.  Dynamite is debuting a second series, Sheena: Queen of the Jungle, Volume 2.  It is written by Stephen Mooney; drawn by Jethro Morales; colored by Dinei Ribero; and lettered by Taylor Esposito.  The story finds Sheena investigating the strange goings on in a cutting-edge bio-dome.

As Sheena: Queen of the Jungle, Volume 2 #1 opens, Sheena awakens in a swanky hotel in Val Verde.  Apparently, the Cardwell family has come calling again.  It seems they are behind a huge scientific project, a “bio-dome” in the middle of the Val Verde jungle.  It is an amazing synthesis of the natural world and the man-made world of the future, but the first travelers into the dome have disappeared.

That is where Sheena comes into the picture.  With her friends:  Yaqua, Chim, and Pete held out as ransom, of a sort, Sheena enters the bio-dome to find the missing people.  The walled-off jungle however hides violent death, many mysteries, and human trickery and deceit.

THE LOWDOWN:  Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department recently began providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is Sheena Queen of the Jungle Volume 2 #1, which is the first Dynamite Sheena comic book that I have read.  I think I did read Marvel Comics' two-issue version of its adaptation of the 1984 film, Sheena (which starred the late Tanya Roberts in the title role).

Stephen Mooney, Jethro Morales, Dinei Ribero; and Taylor Esposito, the creative team behind the recent comic book miniseries, Bettie Page and the Curse of the Banshee, slide right on into Sheena: Queen of the Jungle Volume 2, delivering deceit, trickery, and murder mystery most foul.  Mooney's script is a reader-grabber right from the first page, and by the end of this first chapter, that script practically held me hostage right along with Sheena.

Stephen Mooney can draw good girl art with the best of them, but his graphical storytelling is as strong as the illustrations are pretty.  Dinei Ribero also delivers pretty colors, but it can turn pretty dark when Sheena starts finding bodies.  Taylor Esposito's lettering tosses around the humor just before dropping in all the shocking reveals.

I'm totally surprised, as I really didn't expect a lot from this new Sheena series.  I thought it might be mildly entertaining, but this first issue makes me anxious for the next issue.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Sheena will want to try Sheena: Queen of the Jungle Volume 2.

A-

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

You can purchase the SHEENA Queen of the Jungle Vol. 1 trade paperback from Amazon.

https://twitter.com/DynamiteComics
https://www.dynamite.com/htmlfiles/
https://www.facebook.com/DynamiteComics/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNOH4PEsl8dyZ2Tj7XUlY7w
https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynamite-entertainment


The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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

#IReadsYou Review: JENNIFER BLOOD VOL. 2 #5

JENNIFER BLOOD VOLUME 2 #5
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Fred Van Lente
ART: Vincenzo Federici
COLORS: Dearbhla Kelly
LETTERS: Jeff Eckleberry
EDITOR: Nate Cosby
COVER: Lucio Parrillo
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS:  Joseph Michael Linsner; Lesley Leirix Li; Juggeun Yoon; Ken Haeser; Vincenzo Federici; Jimmy Broxton; Lucio Parrillo; Rachel Hollon (cosplay)
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (February 2022)

Rated Teen+

Jennifer Blood created by Garth Ennis and Adriano Batista.

“Bloodlines” Chapter Five: “There Goes the Neighborhood”

Jennifer Blood is a a comic book character created by writer Garth Ennis and artist Adriano Batista.  A suburban wife and mother by day, Jennifer Blood is a ruthless vigilante by night.  Born “Jessica Blute,” she took her mother's first name, Jennifer, and created the alter ego, “Jennifer Blood, and sought revenge against her father's family for the death of her parents.  The first Jennifer Blood comic book series ran for 36 issues from 2011 to 2014.

Jennifer Blood returns from the dead in a new comic book series, Jennifer Blood Volume 2.  It is written by Fred Van Lente; drawn by Vincenzo Federici; colored by Dearbhla Kelly and lettered by Simon Bowland and Jeff Eckleberry.  In the new series, someone is acting like Jennifer Blood, who is supposedly dead.  And this “copycat” loves to kill criminals just like the original did.  Her killing ground is Bountiful, Utah – a town run by and for criminals.  Bountiful (population 4302 ) is where the U.S. Department of Justice sends the most infamous East Coast mobsters into the federal “Witness Protection Program” (WPP).

Jennifer Blood Volume 2 #5 (“There Goes the Neighborhood”) opens in Bountiful in the wake of the slaughter of FBI agents in Salt Lake City.  They were the agents that were responsible for overseeing Bountiful.  There killer?  Jennifer Blood!  Or maybe not.

Alphonso “Don” Giallo – the former overboss of Newark, NJ who is now the boss of Bountiful – believes that the true killer is Giulietta Romeo, the top assassin for the Neopolitan Camorra.  Giallo brought her to Bountiful to hunt Jennifer Blood, and he made her Sheriff Giulietta.  Now, thanks to some video evidence, the don thinks his hired assassin is the killer she was hired to take out.

On the other hand, Giulietta believes that she has solved the mystery of Jennifer Blood's identity.  The real question is can she live long enough to prove her theory?

THE LOWDOWN:  In July 2021, Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department began providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is Jennifer Blood Volume 2 #5.  This is the fifth Jennifer Blood comic book I have read, although I had previously heard of the series.

Unfortunately, Jennifer Blood Volume 2 #5 is the final issue of this current series.  I say “unfortunately” because the series got better with each issue.  After reading the first issue, I wasn't sure if I would like Jennifer Blood Volume 2 over its entirety.  However, writer Fred Van Lente always offered something new and made each issue seem better than the previous.  He made reading about Jennifer Blood killing a lot of people every issue fun to read, and in Giulietta Romeo, he had a great secondary lead and foil

The art and storytelling by Vincenzo Federici perfectly fit Van Lente's depraved comic tone and madcap violence, and the colors by Dearbhla Kelly were the perfect accompaniment with its spurts of blood.  And throughout, Simon Bowland and Jeff Eckleberry's lettering was the soundtrack of sacrifice to mob violence and bloody revenge.

If you haven't read it yet, and you like comic books like The Punisher, then, Jennifer Blood Volume 2 is for you, dear readers.  In the meantime, I will hope that we get a third volume of this fun craziness.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Jennifer Blood will want to read Jennifer Blood Volume 2.

A

★★★★ out of 4 stars

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

You can buy a copy of the JENNIFER BLOOD: BLOODLINES VOL. 1 trade paperback here at AMAZON.

https://twitter.com/DynamiteComics
https://www.dynamite.com/htmlfiles/
https://www.facebook.com/DynamiteComics/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNOH4PEsl8dyZ2Tj7XUlY7w
https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynamite-entertainment


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

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

Amazon wants me to inform you that the link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the ad below AND buy something(s).

#IReadsYou Review: JOHN CARTER OF MARS #1

JOHN CARTER OF MARS, VOL. 1 #1
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Chuck Brown
ART: George Kambadais
COLORS: George Kambadais
LETTERS: Jeff Eckleberry
EDITOR: Nate Cosby
COVER: Junggeun Yoon
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Joseph Michael Linsner; Jonathan Case; George Kambadais; Marat Mychaels; Sebastian Piriz; Guillem March; Piper Rudich; Ryan Kincaid; Johnny Desjardins; Rachel Hollon and David Turner (cosplay)
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (April 2022)

Rated Teen+

Based on the characters and stories created by Edgar Rice Burroughs

John Carter is a character that first appeared in the serialized novel, Under the Moons of Mars (The All-Story, 1912), written by Tarzan creator, Edgar Rice Burroughs.  When it was first collected and published in hardcover, the novel was re-titled, A Princess of Mars (1917), the first of Burroughs' “Barsoom” novels, which were set on Barsoom, a fictional version of Mars.

John Carter is a Confederate veteran of the American Civil War who is transported to Mars via “astral projection.”  There he gets a new body that is similar to the one he leaves behind on Earth.  John makes several trips back and forth between Earth (which the Martians call “Jasoom”) and Barsoom, and Dejah and John are married and have two children.

John Carter first appeared in comic books in the early 1950s and continues today as a comic book character via Dynamite Entertainment.  His latest comic book series is John Carter of Mars.  The series is written by Chuck Brown; drawn and colored by George Kambadais; and lettered by Jeff Eckleberry.  In the new series, a re-imagining of and a sequel to the original “Barsoom” novels, John Carter is back on Earth and discovers that Martians are being transported to Earth while humans are being transported to Mars.

John Carter of Mars #1 opens on Barsoom.  John Carter is enjoying his reward – domestic life with his wife, Dejah Thoris (the Princess of Mars), and their son.  Suddenly, for the first time in ages, he is whisked back to Earth, but he isn't the only one.  It is 1919, and Carter is back in his old mansion estate.  There, he finds himself in a fierce battle with Green Martians that have also been transported to Earth.  And they are determined to make trophies of his head and limbs.

Meanwhile, a young Black U.S. Army officer, Lt. Fred Hines, and his friend, Charlie, have arrived at the estate to investigate the disappearance of his wife, Thai, a Civil War historian who has studied John Carter's journals.  She is also one of the humans missing on Earth that may have been transported to Mars.  Fred and Charlie are shocked to find John Carter alive and fighting for his life, a fight they must now join.

THE LOWDOWN:  In July 2021, Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department began providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is John Carter of Mars #1.  It is the first solo Dynamite John Carter comic book that I have read.

Simply put, writer Chuck Brown has created in John Carter of Mars #1 the kind of comic book that I could not stop reading.  What a blast!  It may be the freshest take on John Carter, if not ever, then, in a long time.  Brown simultaneously reinvents Burroughs influential series and also may well revitalize interest in it.  Brown has also created a comic book that can be enjoyed by many ages – from middle school to old school readers.

George Kambadais's art and coloring remind me of the work of Bruce Timm, and the graphical storytelling hops from one page to another like a lit fuse.  It has a classic comics feel with a sense of wonder and mystery.  My only complaint is that I wish I could see Kambadais' work for issue #2 now, so, of course, I am highly recommending John Carter of Mars.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Dynamite's Barsoom comic books will want to try John Carter of Mars.

[This comic book includes “Dynamite Dispatch,” which features an interview with writer Tom Sniegoski.]

A+
★★★★+ out of 4 stars

Buy the JOHN CARTER OF MARS trade paperback here at AMAZON.

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


https://twitter.com/DynamiteComics
https://www.dynamite.com/htmlfiles/
https://www.facebook.com/DynamiteComics/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNOH4PEsl8dyZ2Tj7XUlY7w
https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynamite-entertainment


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

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

Amazon wants me to inform you that the affiliate link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the affiliate link below AND buy something(s).

#IReadsYou Review: JENNIFER BLOOD VOL. 2 #4

JENNIFER BLOOD VOLUME 2 #4
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Fred Van Lente
ART: Vincenzo Federici
COLORS: Dearbhla Kelly
LETTERS: Jeff Eckleberry
EDITOR: Nate Cosby
COVER: Lucio Parrillo
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS:  Joseph Michael Linsner; Lesley Leirix Li; Juggeun Yoon; Ken Haeser; Vincenzo Federici; Lucio Parrillo; Rachel Hollon (cosplay)
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (January 2022)

Rated Teen+

Jennifer Blood created by Garth Ennis and Adriano Batista.

“Bloodlines” Chapter Four: “Me Time”

Jennifer Blood is a a comic book character created by writer Garth Ennis and artist Adriano Batista.  A suburban wife and mother by day, Jennifer Blood is a ruthless vigilante by night.  Born “Jessica Blute,” she took her mother's first name, Jennifer, and created the alter ego, “Jennifer Blood, and sought revenge against her father's family for the death of her parents.  The first Jennifer Blood comic book series ran for 36 issues from 2011 to 2014.

Jennifer Blood returns from the dead in a new comic book series, Jennifer Blood Volume 2.  It is written by Fred Van Lente; drawn by Vincenzo Federici; colored by Dearbhla Kelly and lettered by Jeff Eckleberry.  In the new series, someone is acting like Jennifer Blood, who is supposedly dead.  And this “copycat” loves to kill criminals just like the original did.  Here, the stomping ground is Bountiful, Utah – a town run by and for criminals.  Bountiful is where the U.S. Department of Justice sends the most infamous East Coast mobsters into the federal “Witness Protection Program” (WPP).

Jennifer Blood Volume 2 #4 (“Me Time”) opens in Bountiful – population 4302.  At the local library, Hercules hopes he can find a book to read.  At the local hospital, he tries the book out on his boss, Alphonso “Don” Giallo – the former overboss of Newark, NJ – the comatose former overboss.  Also in the hospital is Giulietta Romeo a.k.a. “Sheriff Lafayette,” still hunting Jennifer Blood.

Enter FBI Special Agent Latisha Adams from the Salt Lake City branch.  She is kind of like a zookeeper at Bountiful.  And she says it's “Piss Day.”  Would Jennifer interfere with that?  Plus, a lead on the true identity of Jennifer Blood.

THE LOWDOWN:  In July 2021, Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department began providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is Jennifer Blood Volume 2 #4.  This is the fourth Jennifer Blood comic book I have read, although I had previously heard of the series.

I'll say the same thing about Jennifer Blood Volume 2 #4 that I said about the first three issues.  It's a fun read and a funny read.  Every time I think that series writer Fred Van Lente offers his best issue yet, he finds a way to top that.  Well this fourth issue is the penultimate issue of the series, which is a shame.  I could read another few issues of this.

The art and storytelling by Vincenzo Federici perfectly fits this story's depraved comic tone, and the colors by Dearbhla Kelly are once again spot on.  Simon Bowland's lettering continues to be the soundtrack of sacrifice to mob violence and bloody revenge.  So, dear readers, get onboard this series.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Jennifer Blood will want to read Jennifer Blood Volume 2.

A-

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


https://twitter.com/DynamiteComics
https://www.dynamite.com/htmlfiles/
https://www.facebook.com/DynamiteComics/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNOH4PEsl8dyZ2Tj7XUlY7w
https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynamite-entertainment


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

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

Amazon wants me to inform you that the affiliate link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the affiliate link below AND buy something(s).

#IReadsYou Review: DEJAH THORIS VERSUS JOHN CARTER #5

DEJAH THORIS VERSUS JOHN CARTER, VOL. 1 #5
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Dan Abnett
ART: Alessandro Miracolo
COLORS: Dearbhla Kelly
LETTERS: Simon Bowland
EDITOR: Nate Cosby
COVER: Lucio Parrillo
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Joseph Michael Linsner; Alessandro Miracolo; Max Fiumara; Sebastian Fiumara; (Rachel Hollon cosplay)
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (November 2021)

Rated Teen+

Based on the characters and stories created by Edgar Rice Burroughs

Dejah Thoris and John Carter are characters that first appeared in the serialized novel, Under the Moons of Mars (The All-Story, 1912), written by Tarzan creator, Edgar Rice Burroughs.  When it was first collected and published in hardcover, the novel was re-titled, A Princess of Mars (1917), the first of Burroughs' “Barsoom” novels, which were set on Barsoom, a fictional version of Mars.

Dejah was the title character of A Princess of Mars, the princess of the Martian city-state/empire of Helium.  John Carter was a Confederate veteran of the American Civil War who was transported to Mars via “astral projection” where he got a new body that was similar to the one he left behind on Earth.  John made several trips back and forth between Earth and Barsoom, and Dejah and John were married and had two children.

John Carter first appeared in comic books in the early 1950s, and Dejah has become a prominent comic book character since 2010 via Dynamite Entertainment.  Now, the star-crossed lovers are the stars of Dynamite's new comic book, Dejah Thoris Versus John Carter.  The series is written by Dan Abnett; drawn by Alessandro Miracolo; colored by Dearbhla Kelly; and lettered by Simon Bowland.  The series finds Dejah and John caught in a war to save Mars from an ancient race, “The Longborn,” that has returned to reclaim the planet, and their surprising ally, the rogue scientist, Rotak Gall.

As Dejah Thoris Versus John Carter #5 opens, Rotak Gall finds out that his allies from outside of time, The Longborn, are not easy to please.  Meanwhile, Dejah and John continue to fight impossible odds in the time-lost palace of Dar Shadeth.  Having escaped into the random folds of time, they must survive … if they are going to survive the coming struggle.  Decaying emissaries of evil are searching for the perfect host, which could be … John Carter.

THE LOWDOWN:  Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department recently began providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is Dejah Thoris Versus John Carter #5, the fifth issue of the series that I have read and only the fifth Dejah Thoris or John Carter comic book I have read.

In Dejah Thoris Versus John Carter, writer Dan Abnett offers a comic book that gives off traditional serial fiction thrills.  A quick and delightful read, I always find myself wanting more by the time I reach the last page.  Also, Artist Alessandro Miracolo and colorist Dearbhla Kelly get stronger with each issue.  I highly recommend Dejah Thoris Versus John Carter to fans of Dan Abnett's comic book work.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Dynamite's Dejah Thoris and Barsoom comic books will want to try Dejah Thoris Versus John Carter.

B+

★★★½ out of 4 stars

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


https://twitter.com/DynamiteComics
https://www.dynamite.com/htmlfiles/
https://www.facebook.com/DynamiteComics/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNOH4PEsl8dyZ2Tj7XUlY7w
https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynamite-entertainment


The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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

Amazon wants me to inform you that the affiliate link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the affiliate link below AND buy something(s).

#IReadsYou Review: DIE!NAMITE Lives Volumes 2 #3

DIE!NAMITE LIVES VOLUME 2 #3
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Fred Van Lente
ART: Vincenzo Carratù
COLORS: Kike J. Diaz
LETTERS: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
EDITOR: Nate Cosby
COVER: Lucio Parrillo
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Arthur Suydam; Joseph Michael Linsner; Dave Acosta; Kendrick Lim;
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (August 2021)

Rated Teen+

DIE!namite is a series of zombie apocalypse comics from Dynamite Entertainment that utilizes some of the publisher's most popular characters and licensed properties.  The latest is DIE!namite Lives!  It is written by Fred Van Lente; drawn by Vincenzo Carratu; colored by Kike J. Diaz; and lettered by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.  In the new series, Vampirella and the remainder of Project Superheroes look for a new savior, and that could be Ash Williams (star of the 1992 film, Army of Darkness).

DIE!namite Lives! Volume 2 #3 opens in Hawaii where flesh-eating superheroes take on evil zombies.  Red Sonja, Peter Cannon, Black Terror, and Scarab battle a squad of Frankenstein lookalikes that Sonja should be able to control, except she can't.  Cannon reasons that they must be controlled from a satellite, but this deduction may be playing into Captain Future's hands.

Meanwhile, Vampirella, Pantha, Miss Fury, and Tabu have arrived at a local “S-Mart” warehouse.  Here, they hope to obtain that copy of Necronomincon Ex Mortis, the book that can stop this zombie plague, a book that Pantha bought online!  Standing in their way, however, is S-Mart's most famous employee, Ash Williams, and he is too loyal to allow looters inside!

THE LOWDOWN:  Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department recently began providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is DIE!namite Lives! Volume 2 #3, which is the first issue of this series that I have read.  In fact, this is the first DIE!namite comic that I have read, although I've known of the series since it first began.

What can I say?  DIE!namite Lives! Volume 2 #3 is fun.  I didn't expect much from it, but I previously suspected that I could like a DIE!namite comic book because I enjoyed DC Comics DCeased #1 when I read it a few years ago.  DIE!namite seems similar to DCeased.  Here, writer Fred Van Lente offers a breezy read with just enough craziness to hold the reader's attention.  I bet this series will really read nicely as a trade paperback.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of DIE!namite will want DIE!namite Lives! Volume 2.

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


https://twitter.com/DynamiteComics
https://www.dynamite.com/htmlfiles/
https://www.facebook.com/DynamiteComics/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNOH4PEsl8dyZ2Tj7XUlY7w
https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynamite-entertainment


The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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

Amazon wants me to inform you that the affiliate link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the affiliate link below AND buy something(s).

#IReadsYou Review: INVINCIBLE RED SONJA #4

[Note on the cover art: As far as I could find out, the numbering is wrong and this is cover of "The Invincible Red Sonja #4.]

THE INVINCIBLE RED SONJA #4
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti
ARTIST: Moritat
COLORS: Matt Carter
LETTERS: Dave Sharpe
EDITOR: Matt Idleson
COVER: Amanda Conner with Paul Mounts
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Joseph Michael Linsner; Amanda Conner with Paul Mounts; Celina;
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (August 2021)

Rated Teen+

Red Sonja is female high fantasy and sword and sorcery hero.  She first appeared in Conan the Barbarian #23 (cover dated February 1973) and was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Barry Windsor-Smith.  Red Sonja was loosely based on “Red Sonya of Rogatino,” a female character that appeared in the 1934 short story, “The Shadow of the Vulture,” written by Conan the Cimmerian's creator, Robert E. Howard.

In 2005, Dynamite Entertainment began publishing comic books featuring differing versions of the character.  One of those is The Invincible Red Sonja.  It is written by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti; drawn by Moritat; colored by Matt Carter; and lettered by Dave Sharpe.  In this recently launched series, Red Sonja finds herself on a spectacular journey filled with pirates, mermaids, princesses, and political intrigue as the fate of two kingdoms hangs in the balance.

As The Invincible Red Sonja #4 opens, the She-Devil with a Sword watches as Bahira Yakootah, the Lord of Thieves, summons demons from molten lava in his mission to kill the King of Erkhara.  In her bid to stop him, however, Red Sonja, commits a fatal act that determine her fate.  Now, death descends on Erkhara, Erkhara destabilizes, and Sonja may find herself even worse off.

THE LOWDOWN:  Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department recently began providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is The Invincible Red Sonja #4, which is the first issue of the series that I have read, but this is not my first experience with the character.  I have actually read various Red Sonja titles over my time as a comic book fan, including a few recently published by Dynamite.

Under a gorgeous cover drawn by Amanda Conner and colored by Paul Mounts, Conner and Palmiotti deliver a surprisingly rousing story.  Although it is but one part of a story arc, this fourth chapter is quite entertaining by itself.  This is one of the best Red Sonja comic books that I have ever read, and I am certainly enjoying this more than I do Conner and Palmiotti's Harley Quinn comic books.

Moritat's illustrations remind me of the art of the late Vaughn Bode.  Moritat's graphical storytelling is over the top in a way a Red Sonja or Conan the Barbarian comic book should be, and the characters' emotions also leap off the page.  Matt Carter's colors give the story some edge and also seem to quicken the pace of the story, along with Dave Sharpe's letters.

Honestly, I did not expect much from The Invincible Red Sonja #4, but now, I gotta have more.  It's like my sword and sorcery crack.  I'd do anything … for another issue.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Red Sonja comic books will want to read The Invincible Red Sonja.

A

★★★★ out of 4 stars

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


https://twitter.com/DynamiteComics
https://www.dynamite.com/htmlfiles/
https://www.facebook.com/DynamiteComics/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNOH4PEsl8dyZ2Tj7XUlY7w
https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynamite-entertainment


The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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

Amazon wants me to inform you that the affiliate link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the affiliate link below AND buy something(s).

#IReadsYou Review: BETTIE PAGE and the Alien Agenda Volume 6 #1

BETTIE PAGE AND THE ALIEN AGENDA VOLUME 6 #1
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Ani-Mia
ART: Celor
COLORS: Farah Nurmaliza
LETTERS: Carlos M. Mangual
EDITOR: Matt Idelson
COVER: Joseph Michael Linsner;
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Joseph Michael Linsner; Josh Burns; Stephane Roux, Jimmy Broxton, Ani-Mia; Celor; Ken Haeser
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (March 2022)

Rated Teen+

Bettie Page (1923–2008) was an American model who gained notoriety in the 1950s for her pin-up photos.  She is still referred to has the “Queen of Pinups,” and her shoulder-to-armpit-length jet-black hair with its trademark bangs and her blue eyes have inspired generations of artists, illustrators and comic book artists.

In 2017, Dynamite Entertainment made Bettie Page the star of her own comic book miniseries.  The latest is Bettie Page and the Alien Agenda Volume 6.  It is written by Ani-Mia; drawn by Celor; colored by Farah Nurmaliza; and lettered by Carlos M. Mangual.  The series finds Bettie searching for answers concerning an alien conspiracy.

Bettie Page and the Alien Agenda Volume 6 #1 opens sometime in the late 1950s.  Bettie Page is lounging poolside at the Beverly Hills Hotel in California.  Her long needed vacation, however, is interrupted by an old friend, Colonel Westbrook.

After a nearly a decade, the government is still struggling with the UFO that crash-landed in Roswell, New Mexico in 1947.  According to Westbrook, what the government scientists and researchers have discovered worries them.  It seems that the alien pilots of the craft, who have yet to be found, have a stockpile of something somewhere on Earth.

The United States military wants Bettie to discover what the stockpile is and has offered her an investigative team to help.  So Bettie travels to the University of Washington in Seattle to meet her team.  However, Bettie is really on her own, as the military will disavow the existence of both the investigation and Bettie!

THE LOWDOWN:   In July 2021, Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department began providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  The latest is Bettie Page and the Alien Agenda Volume 6 #1, which is the fourth issue of a Dynamite Bettie Page comic book that I have read.

Writer Ani-Mia previously wrote the miniseries, Bettie Page and the Bigfoot Bandits, which I did not read.  Bettie Page and the Alien Agenda has an easy pace, but Ani-Mia uses that pace to give the supporting characters some rather entertaining personalities.

Artist Celor draws in a simple, almost generic style, but his storytelling style fits this series better than it did his previous work, the Kiss: Phantom Obsession miniseries.  Here, the mood is like an Indiana Jones movie made for the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries cable network.  Celor seems, in his own unique way, to have created a sense of intrigue.

Dear readers, if you are into the legends surrounding the Roswell crash, you may be interested in trying Bettie Page and the Alien Agenda.  I am ready for the second issue.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Bettie Page comic books will want to try Bettie Page and the Alien Agenda Volume 6.

B

★★★ out of 4 stars

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


https://twitter.com/DynamiteComics
https://www.dynamite.com/htmlfiles/
https://www.facebook.com/DynamiteComics/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNOH4PEsl8dyZ2Tj7XUlY7w
https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynamite-entertainment


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

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

Amazon wants me to inform you that the affiliate link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the affiliate link below AND buy something(s).

#IReadsYou Review: RED SONJA Volume 6 #1

RED SONJA VOLUME 6 #1
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Mirka Andolfo and Luca Blengino
ART: Giuseppe Cafaro
COLORS: Chiara Di Francia
LETTERS: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
COVER: Mirka Andolfo
EDITOR: Nate Cosby
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Jan Anacleto; Joseph Michael Linsner; Erica D'Urso; Brett Booth; Mirka Andolfo; Tabitha Lyons (cosplay)
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (September 2021)

Rated Teen+

Based on the characters and stories created by Roy Thomas, Barry Windsor-Smith, and Robert E. Howard

“Mother” Chapter One

Conan the Barbarian #23 (cover dated: February 1973) saw the debut of a high fantasy, sword and sorcery heroine, Red Sonja.  Created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Barry Windsor-Smith, Red Sonja was loosely based on “Red Sonya of Rogatino,” a female character that appeared in the 1934 short story, “The Shadow of the Vulture,” written by Robert E. Howard (1906-1936), the creator of the character, Conan the Cimmerian.

Red Sonja remained a fixture in comic books from then until about 1986.  There have been several ongoing Red Sonja comic book series, and the latest, Red Sonja Volume 6, is under the guidance of popular Italian comic book creator, Mirka Andolfo.  It is written by Andolfo and Luca Blengino; drawn by Giuseppe Cafaro; colored by Chiara Di Francia; and lettered by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.

Red Sonja Volume 6 #1 opens in Hyperborea, and its story begins in a village, ransacked and set on fire.  It's residents dead, and the dregs from the forces of “Three-Eyes Shezem,” digs among the ruins for scraps.  Suddenly, the She-Devil with a Sword is upon them.  For she has traveled for two months from Massentia to arrive at this village.

Red Sonja's prize is a particular child, bearing curious white tattoos.  Her name is “Sitha,” and she turns out to be the village's only survivor, but she really does not belong there, according to Zondryck.  He is the one who has sent Sonja to find the child.  Now, Sonja has a travel companion, and their journey to Massentia will bring them across hardened ice, imposing mountains, dangerous forests, and the kind of people that make them dangerous.

THE LOWDOWN:   Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department recently began providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is Red Sonja Volume 6 #1, which is the latest of several Dynamite Entertainment Red Sonja comic books that I have recently read.

The only Mirka Andolfo comic books that I have read are the first two issues of her recent maxi-series, Deep Beyond (Image Comics).  I am happily adding Red Sonja Volume 6 to that.  The story by Andolfo and Luca Blengino is straightforward with lots of Red Sonja-style ultra-violence.  There is, however, a surprising hook in Sonja as she plays something of a mother to a child who is more than she seems.

The art and storytelling by Giuseppe Cafaro flows like water and reflects the mercurial nature of the secrets and back story behind narrative.  Chiara Di Francia's colors also capture the wild and secretive nature of this first chapter, with Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou's lettering providing a steady beat.  I am very surprised by this first issue, and I am interested enough to come back for more.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Red Sonja and Mirka Andolfo will want to try Red Sonja Volume 6.

A-

★★★½ out of 4 stars

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


https://twitter.com/DynamiteComics
https://www.dynamite.com/htmlfiles/
https://www.facebook.com/DynamiteComics/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNOH4PEsl8dyZ2Tj7XUlY7w
https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynamite-entertainment


The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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

Amazon wants me to inform you that the affiliate link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the affiliate link below AND buy something(s).

#IReadsYou Review: BETTIE PAGE and the Curse of the Banshee Volume 5 #5

BETTIE PAGE AND THE CURSE OF THE BANSHEE VOLUME 5 #5
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Stephen Mooney
ART: Jethro Morales
COLORS: Dinei Ribero
LETTERS: Taylor Esposito
EDITOR: Joseph Rybandt
COVER: Marat Mychaels
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Joseph Michael Linsner; Stephen Mooney; Leslie Leirix; Marat Mychaels; Rachel Hollon (cosplay); Bettie Page (vintage photo)
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (October 2021)

Rated Teen+

Bettie Page (1923–2008) was an American model who gained notoriety in the 1950s for her pin-up photos.  She is still referred to has the “Queen of Pinups,” and her shoulder-to-armpit-length jet-black hair with its trademark bangs and her blue eyes have inspired generations of artists, illustrators and comic book artists.

In 2017, Dynamite Entertainment made Bettie Page the star of her own comic book miniseries.  The latest is Bettie Page and the Curse of the Banshee.  It is written by Stephen Mooney; drawn by Jethro Morales; colored by Dinei Ribero; and lettered by Taylor Esposito.  In this series, Bettie, a freelance agent for the federal government and something of a monster hunter, and her partner, Lyssa Druke, travel to rural Ireland to investigate a series of murders supposedly perpetrated by a mythical creature, a “banshee.”

Bettie Page and the Curse of the Banshee Volume 5 #5 opens “somewhere beyond knowable places.”  There, the banshee, Márie, who has many guises and is building an army, makes her pitch.  She wants Bettie to use her power to help her gain revenge on the descendants of her old enemies.  Meanwhile in O'Riordan's Bed and Breakfast, Ireland, 1954.  Lyssa maintains a vigil over Bettie's sleeping form, but now, she needs to round up an army of her own – to fight a zombie horde!

This is it!  The Irish adventure of Bettie Page is almost over?  Will she escape the forever curse of the Banshee and return, unscathed, to the life of a Hollywood starlet?

THE LOWDOWN:  Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department recently began providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is Bettie Page and the Curse of the Banshee Volume 5 #5, which is the third issue of the title that I have read.

Bettie Page and the Curse of the Banshee Volume 5 #5 is the final issue of the series.  Writer Stephen Mooney offers a tidy wrap-up that balances the story between Bettie's battle and Lyssa's struggle.  There is even a poignant and tragic end for the villain; you, dear readers, may even feel a bit of sadness … or something like it.

Artist Jethro Morales presents storytelling that, in a graphic sense, softens the blow of this conclusion.  Dinei Ribero's cotton candy colors seem simultaneously out of place and appropriate, and letterer Taylor Esposito balances the sounds of a final battle that is filled with pain.

While reading the last issue of Bettie Page and the Curse of the Banshee, I thought that it would make a good basis for a B-movie.  It would be fun … if anyone wanted to finance a Bettie Page monster mash movie...

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Bettie Page comic books will want to try Bettie Page and the Curse of the Banshee Volume 5.

B+

★★★½ out of 4 stars

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


https://twitter.com/DynamiteComics
https://www.dynamite.com/htmlfiles/
https://www.facebook.com/DynamiteComics/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNOH4PEsl8dyZ2Tj7XUlY7w
https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynamite-entertainment


The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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

Amazon wants me to inform you that the affiliate link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the affiliate link below AND buy something(s).

#IReadsYou Review: DEJAH THORIS VERSUS JOHN CARTER #3

DEJAH THORIS VERSUS JOHN CARTER, VOL. 1 #3
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Dan Abnett
ART: Alessandro Miracolo
COLORS: Dearbhla Kelly
LETTERS: Simon Bowland
EDITOR: Nate Cosby
COVER: Lucio Parrillo
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Joseph Michael Linsner; Alessandro Miracolo; Sebastian Fiumara; (Rachel Hollon cosplay)
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (September 2021)

Rated Teen+

Based on the characters and stories created by Edgar Rice Burroughs

Dejah Thoris and John Carter are characters that first appeared in the serialized novel, Under the Moons of Mars (The All-Story, 1912), written by Tarzan creator, Edgar Rice Burroughs.  When it was first collected and published in hardcover, the novel was re-titled, A Princess of Mars (1917), the first of Burroughs' “Barsoom” novels, which were set on Barsoom, a fictional version of Mars.

Dejah was the title character of A Princess of Mars, the princess of the Martian city-state/empire of Helium.  John Carter was a Confederate veteran of the American Civil War who was transported to Mars via “astral projection” where he got a new body that was similar to the one he left behind on Earth.  John made several trips back and forth between Earth and Barsoom, and Dejah and John were married and had two children.

John Carter first appeared in comic books in the early 1950s, and Dejah has become a prominent comic book character since 2010 via Dynamite Entertainment.  Now, the star-crossed lovers are the stars of Dynamite's new comic book, Dejah Thoris Versus John Carter.  The series is written by Dan Abnett; drawn by Alessandro Miracolo; colored by Dearbhla Kelly; and lettered by Simon Bowland.  The series finds Dejah and John caught in a war to save Mars from an ancient race, “The Longborn,” that has returned to reclaim the planet, and their surprising ally, the rogue scientist, Rotak Gall.

As Dejah Thoris Versus John Carter #3 opens, Dejah Thoris, Queen of Helium, is a prisoner of Rotak Gall in Dar Shadeth, a ruined palace from ancient days that is also far from civilization.  However, where she is in Dar Shadeth is “outside of the present” because of Gall's use of “arcanotech.”  Dejah will learn that “The Longborn” have new plans for her, and Gall is activating those plans.

Meanwhile, John Carter fights through Gall's “Black Pirate Synthetics,” hacking and slashing to find Dejah so that he can rescue her.  But what is John's part in Gall and The Longborn's plans?

THE LOWDOWN:  Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department recently began providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is Dejah Thoris Versus John Carter #3, the third issue of the series that I have read and only the third Dejah Thoris or John Carter comic book I have read.

I found the first two issues of Dejah Thoris Versus John Carter to be likable, although I thought the second issue was stronger.  I enjoyed this third issue so much that I wish I could read more of the series right this very moment.  The art by Alessandro Miracolo still reminds me of the kind of art that readers would find in a Flash Gordon comic book, and that is appropriate.  Miracolo's art and Dearbhla Kelly colors sell the idea that this story takes place on a faraway world full of action, adventure, aliens, monster, hybrids, and ancient gods.  This is pure, lovable primordial science fiction and fantasy.

Writer Dan Abnett, a veteran comic book scribe, kicks the story into the next gear once again.  With each issue, Abnett raises the stakes, and this third issue offers a shocking and frightening vision of the immediate future for Dejah and John.  Dejah Thoris Versus John Carter is a thoroughly enjoyable read, and this third issue suggests that the fourth might be even more exciting.

I highly recommend Dejah Thoris Versus John Carter to fans of Dan Abnett's comic book work.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Dynamite's Dejah Thoris and Barsoom comic books will want to try Dejah Thoris Versus John Carter.

A-

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


https://twitter.com/DynamiteComics
https://www.dynamite.com/htmlfiles/
https://www.facebook.com/DynamiteComics/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNOH4PEsl8dyZ2Tj7XUlY7w
https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynamite-entertainment


The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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

Amazon wants me to inform you that the affiliate link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the affiliate link below AND buy something(s).

#IReadsYou Review: JENNIFER BLOOD VOL. 2 #2

JENNIFER BLOOD VOLUME 2 #2
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Fred Van Lente
ART: Vincenzo Federici
COLORS: Dearbhla Kelly
LETTERS: Simon Bowland
EDITOR: Nate Cosby
COVER: Lucio Parrillo
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS:  Joseph Michael Linsner; Lesley Leirix Li; Juggeun Yoon; Lucio Parrillo; Rachel Hollon (cosplay)
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (November 2021)

Rated Teen+

Jennifer Blood created by Garth Ennis and Adriano Batista.

“Bloodlines” Chapter Two: “Fireworks on the Green”

Jennifer Blood is a a comic book character created by writer Garth Ennis and artist Adriano Batista.  A suburban wife and mother by day, Jennifer Blood is a ruthless vigilante by night.  Born “Jessica Blute,” she took her mother's first name, Jennifer, and created the alter ego, “Jennifer Blood, and sought revenge against her father's family for the death of her parents.  The first Jennifer Blood comic book series ran for 36 issues from 2011 to 2014.

Jennifer Blood returns from the dead in a new comic book series, Jennifer Blood Volume 2.  It is written by Fred Van Lente; drawn by Vincenzo Federici; colored by Dearbhla Kelly and lettered by Simon Bowland.  In the new series, someone is acting like Jennifer Blood, who is supposedly dead.  And this “copycat” loves to kill criminals just like the original did.

Jennifer Blood Volume 2 #2 (“Fireworks on the Green”) opens in Bountiful, Utah, population 4302 – a town run by and for criminals.  You see, Bountiful is where the U.S. Department of Justice sends the most infamous East Coast mobsters into the federal “Witness Protection Program” (WPP).  Now, the population is dropping because someone is killing off the mobsters, one by one.  Could it be the legendary boogeyman, Jennifer Blood … or a copycat?

Alphonso Giallo a.k.a. “Don Gaillo,” the former overboss of Newark, NJ and current boss of Bountiful, has called in Europe's top female hit-man, the notorious Giulietta Romeo.  Giulietta is hot on Jennifer Blood's trail and is even reading Jen's “war journal.”  However, crooked former federal judge, The Honorable Whtilock Jebediah Barrister III, a rapist who also traded sex for lighter sentences, is ready to strike a bargain for helping Giulietta.  As the Bountiful Homeowners' Association's annual Fourth of July celebration, “Salute to America,” occupies the townsfolk, Jennifer or her copycat seeks to make deals of her own.

THE LOWDOWN:  Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department recently began providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is Jennifer Blood Volume 2 #2.  This is the second Jennifer Blood comic book I have read, although I had previously heard of the series.

I'll say the same thing about Jennifer Blood Volume 2 #2 that I said about the first.  It's a fun read and a funny one.  Writer Fred Van Lente seems to be having fun creating a number of oddball mobsters and depraved criminals and, so far, they are every bit as interesting as Jennifer Blood.  Van Lente also offers some funny plot twists to go along with the insane ways in which he has Jennifer kill the mobsters.

The art by Vincenzo Federici fits the violence, and the colors by Dearbhla Kelly are a splash of red and blue hues that emphasize the gore.  Simon Bowland's lettering is the soundtrack of sacrifice to mob violence and bloody revenge.  So let's keep going, dear readers.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Jennifer Blood will want to read Jennifer Blood Volume 2.

B+

★★★½ out of 4 stars

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


https://twitter.com/DynamiteComics
https://www.dynamite.com/htmlfiles/
https://www.facebook.com/DynamiteComics/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNOH4PEsl8dyZ2Tj7XUlY7w
https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynamite-entertainment


The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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

Amazon wants me to inform you that the affiliate link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the affiliate link below AND buy something(s).

#IReadsYou Review: BETTIE PAGE and the Curse of the Banshee Volume 5 #4

BETTIE PAGE AND THE CURSE OF THE BANSHEE VOLUME 5 #4
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Stephen Mooney
ART: Jethro Morales
COLORS: Dinei Ribero
LETTERS: Taylor Esposito
EDITOR: Joseph Rybandt
COVER: Marat Mychaels
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Joseph Michael Linsner; Stephen Mooney; Leslie Leirix; Marat Mychaels; Ani-Mia (cosplay)
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (August 2021)

Rated Teen+

Bettie Page (1923–2008) was an American model who gained notoriety in the 1950s for her pin-up photos.  She is still referred to has the “Queen of Pinups,” and her shoulder-to-armpit-length jet-black hair with its trademark bangs and her blue eyes have inspired generations of artists, illustrators and comic book artists.

In 2017, Dynamite Entertainment made Bettie Page the star of her own comic book miniseries.  The latest is Bettie Page and the Curse of the Banshee.  It is written by Stephen Mooney; drawn by Jethro Morales; colored by Dinei Ribero; and lettered by Taylor Esposito.  In this series, Bettie, a freelance agent for the federal government and something of a monster hunter, and her partner, Lyssa McKnight, travel to rural Ireland to investigate a series of murders supposedly perpetrated by a mythical creature, a “banshee.”

Bettie Page and the Curse of the Banshee Volume 5 #4 opens in O'Riordan's Bed and Breakfast, Ireland, 1954.  Inside a bedroom, Bettie cannot stay awake.  It is as if something wants her to remain in a deep and troubled sleep.  Meanwhile, Lyssa struggles to help her friend, and then, a priest knocks on the door.  Elsewhere, Bettie struggles with the curse of the banshee, Márie.

THE LOWDOWN:  Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department recently began providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is Bettie Page and the Curse of the Banshee Volume 5 #4, which is the second issue of the title that I have read.  Prior to this series, I had not read any of DE's other Bettie Page comic book series.

I like Bettie Page and the Curse of the Banshee Volume 5 #4, the same as I did issue #3, which makes me wish I had read the earlier issues.  In this issue, writer Stephen Mooney balances the story between Bettie's battle and Lyssa's struggle.  Lyssa shines as a supporting character, and the priest, hapless, but well meaning, inadvertently provides comic relief.

This fourth issue is the penultimate issue of the series, and I am looking forward to the final issue.  Discovering Bettie Page and the Curse of the Banshee Volume 5 has been a delightful surprise, so I will recommend it to you, dear readers.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Bettie Page comic books will want to try Bettie Page and the Curse of the Banshee Volume 5.

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


https://twitter.com/DynamiteComics
https://www.dynamite.com/htmlfiles/
https://www.facebook.com/DynamiteComics/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNOH4PEsl8dyZ2Tj7XUlY7w
https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynamite-entertainment


The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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

Amazon wants me to inform you that the affiliate link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the affiliate link below AND buy something(s).

#IReadsYou Review: DEJAH THORIS VERSUS JOHN CARTER #2

DEJAH THORIS VERSUS JOHN CARTER, VOL. 1 #2
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Dan Abnett
ART: Alessandro Miracolo
COLORS: Dearbhla Kelly
LETTERS: Simon Bowland
EDITOR: Nate Cosby
COVER: Lucio Parrillo
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Joseph Michael Linsner; Alessandro Miracolo; Sebastian Fiumara; (Rachel Hollon cosplay)
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (August 2021)

Rated Teen+

Based on the characters and stories created by Edgar Rice Burroughs

Dejah Thoris and John Carter are characters that first appeared in the serialized novel, Under the Moons of Mars (The All-Story, 1912), written by Tarzan creator, Edgar Rice Burroughs.  When it was first collected and published in hardcover, the novel was re-titled, A Princess of Mars (1917), the first of Burroughs' “Barsoom” novels, which were set on Barsoom, a fictional version of Mars.

Dejah was the title character of A Princess of Mars, the princess of the Martian city-state/empire of Helium.  John Carter was a Confederate veteran of the American Civil War who was transported to Mars via “astral projection” where he got a new body that was similar to the one he left behind on Earth.  John made several trips back and forth between Earth and Barsoom, and Dejah and John were married and had two children.

John Carter first appeared in comic books in the early 1950s, and Dejah has become a prominent comic book character since 2010 via Dynamite Entertainment.  Now, the star-crossed lovers are the stars of Dynamite's new comic book, Dejah Thoris Versus John Carter.  The series is written by Dan Abnett; drawn by Alessandro Miracolo; colored by Dearbhla Kelly; and lettered by Simon Bowland.  The series finds Dejah and John caught in a war to save Mars from an ancient race, “The Longborn,” that has returned to reclaim Mars.

As Dejah Thoris Versus John Carter #2 opens, Dejah Thoris, Queen of Helium, and her forces, the “Helium Warhost,” have traveled far into the distant west to Dar Shadeth.  There, she hoped to confront the rogue scientist, Rotak Gall, who had allied against her with her now-dead rival, the tyrant Kurz Kurtos.  Rotak claims he wants to explain his actions and to make amends.

Dejah takes a calculated risk and trusts him, believing that Rotak could aid in defending against the dreaded Longborn.  She did not expect “the Black Pirates” and Rotak's scheming.  And where is her former hero, John Carter?

THE LOWDOWN:  Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department recently began providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is Dejah Thoris Versus John Carter #2, the second issue of the series that I have read.

I found the first issue of Dejah Thoris Versus John Carter #1 to be likable, and I like this second issue even more.  The art by Alessandro Miracolo still reminds me of the kind of art that readers would find in a Flash Gordon comic book.  Miracolo's art and Dearbhla Kelly colors create the idea that the story takes place on a different planet simply by making the atmosphere and lighting look like they are part of an alien biosphere.

Writer Dan Abnett, a veteran comic book scribe, kicks the story into the next gear simply by placing Dejah in Rotak's clutches.  Now, everything is on the line for the main characters, and Abnett amps up the anticipation for the next issue by using John Carter as a wild card.  This second issue is more action oriented than the first issue.  I have to say that I am enjoying Dejah Thoris Versus John Carter more than I thought I would, so I am recommending to fans of the franchise.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Dynamite's Dejah Thoris and Barsoom comic books will want to try Dejah Thoris Versus John Carter.

B+

★★★½ out of 4 stars

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


https://twitter.com/DynamiteComics
https://www.dynamite.com/htmlfiles/
https://www.facebook.com/DynamiteComics/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNOH4PEsl8dyZ2Tj7XUlY7w
https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynamite-entertainment


The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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

Amazon wants me to inform you that the affiliate link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the affiliate link below AND buy something(s).

#IReadsYou Review: JENNIFER BLOOD #1

JENNIFER BLOOD VOLUME 2 #1 

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Fred Van Lente
ART: Vincenzo Federici
COLORS: Dearbhla Kelly
LETTERS: Simon Bowland
EDITOR: Nate Cosby
COVER: Lucio Parrillo
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS:  Joseph Michael Linsner; Lesley Leirix; Juggeun Yoon; Lucio Parrillo; Rachel Hollon (cosplay)
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (October 2021)

Rated Teen+

Jennifer Blood created by Garth Ennis and Adriano Batista.

“Bloodlines” Chapter One: “Welcome Wagon”

Jennifer Blood is a a comic book character created by writer Garth Ennis and artist Adriano Batista.  A suburban wife and mother by day, Jennifer Blood is a ruthless vigilante by night.  Born “Jessica Blute,” she took her mother's first name, Jennifer, and created the alter ego, “Jennifer Blood, and sought revenge against her father's family for the death of her parents.  The first Jennifer Blood comic book series ran for 36 issues from 2011 to 2014.

Jennifer Blood returns from the dead in a new comic book series, Jennifer Blood Volume 2.  It is written by Fred Van Lente; drawn by Vincenzo Federici; colored by Dearbhla Kelly and lettered by Simon Bowland.  In the new series, someone is acting like Jennifer Blood, who is supposedly dead.  She was killed in prison … where she was incarcerated after killing her uncles and their cohorts.

Jennifer Blood Volume 2 #1 (“Welcome Wagon”) opens in Bountiful, Utah, population 4302.  There is, however, a steady drop in the population.  You see, Bountiful is where the U.S. Department of Justice sends the most infamous East Coast mobsters into the federal “Witness Protection Program” (WPP)  Now, someone is killing off the mobsters, one by one.  Could it be the legendary boogeyman or woman, Jennifer Blood?

In the cozy cul-de-sacs of Bountiful, Utah, a noticeable number of “normal people” have gone missing.  But the missing aren't really normal, and if Jennifer Blood has returned from the dead, is she the only one doing the killings in a town of killers?

THE LOWDOWN:  Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department recently began providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is Jennifer Blood Volume 2 #1.  This is my first Jennifer Blood comic book, although I had previously heard of the series.

I like Jennifer Blood Volume 2 #1, and while the character, Jennifer Blood, might be the titular character, she isn't the only star.  Writer Fred Van Lente seems to be having fun creating a number of oddballs, weirdos, lunatics, super-felons, and murderous freaks, and, so far, they are every bit as interesting as Jennifer Blood.

The art by Vincenzo Federici fits the violence, and the colors by Dearbhla Kelly are a splash of red and blue hues that emphasize the gore.  Simon Bowland's lettering is the soundtrack of sacrifice to mob violence and bloody revenge.  Right now, though, Fred Van Lente is setting the table with platters of crazy violence.  I recommend that you, dear readers, at least give this a try.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Jennifer Blood will want to read Jennifer Blood Volume 2.

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


https://twitter.com/DynamiteComics
https://www.dynamite.com/htmlfiles/
https://www.facebook.com/DynamiteComics/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNOH4PEsl8dyZ2Tj7XUlY7w
https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynamite-entertainment


The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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

Amazon wants me to inform you that the affiliate link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the affiliate link below AND buy something(s).

#IReadsYou Review: BETTIE PAGE and the Curse of the Banshee Volume 5 #3

BETTIE PAGE AND THE CURSE OF THE BANSHEE VOLUME 5 #3
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

[Read my review of the documentary "Bettie Page Reveals All" here.]

STORY: Stephen Mooney
ART: Jethro Morales
COLORS: Dinei Ribero
LETTERS: Taylor Esposito
EDITOR: Joseph Rybandt
COVER: Marat Mychaels
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Joseph Michael Linsner; Stephen Mooney
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (August 2021)

Rated Teen+

Bettie Page (1923–2008) was an American model who gained notoriety in the 1950s for her pin-up photos.  She is still referred to has the “Queen of Pinups,” and her shoulder-to-armpit-length jet-black hair with its trademark bangs and her blue eyes have inspired generations of artists, illustrators and comic book artists.

In the comic book, Starslayer #3 (Pacific Comics; cover dated: June 1982), the late comic book writer-artist, Dave Stevens (1955-2008), introduced a new character in the story that was the second appearance of his character, “The Rocketeer.”  Her name was “Betty,” and she was Cliff Secord/The Rocketeer's girlfriend, and she was based on Bettie Page.

The Rocketeer introduced new fans to Bettie Page via Betty, including myself.  Beginning in the mid-1990s, comic books featuring Bettie Page began to appear, and in 2017 Dynamite Entertainment made Bettie Page the star of her own comic book miniseries.  The latest is Bettie Page and the Curse of the Banshee.  It is written by Stephen Mooney; drawn by Jethro Morales; colored by Dinei Ribero; and lettered by Taylor Esposito.  In this series, Bettie, a freelance agent for the federal government and something of a monster hunter, and her partner, Lyssa McKnight, travel to rural Ireland to investigate a series of murders supposedly perpetrated by a mythical creature, a “banshee.”

Bettie Page and the Curse of the Banshee Volume 5 #3 opens in Ireland, 1954.  Bettie and Lyssa find themselves in the midst of a contingent of zombies.  After being separated from Lyssa, Bettie learns the true identity of the Banshee, but does not realize that that her realization comes with a curse!  Lyssa learns some things herself, but if she can't help Bettie, her partner will also become the undead!

THE LOWDOWN:  Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department recently began providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is Bettie Page and the Curse of the Banshee Volume 5 #3, which is the first issue of the title that I have read.  In fact, I have not previously read any of DE's Bettie Page comic books.

I like Bettie Page and the Curse of the Banshee Volume 5 #3, and I wish I had read the earlier issues.  Writer Stephen Mooney fills this chapter with action and with important background information, enough so that the reader does not feel cheated on content.  I like that Lyssa feels as much a lead as does Bettie, who is a bit of ditz.

Jethro Morales' art and graphical storytelling are more action-horror than dark fantasy-horror, and his illustrations jump out at the reader, whether it is back story or zombies clawing at our heroes.  Dinei Ribero's coloring accentuates Morales' art with an appropriate dark mood and atmosphere.  Taylor Esposito's lettering conveys the sense of desperation and doom that should permeate the third or penultimate chapter of this kind of comic book.

Even cover artist Marat Mychaels delivers the goods with his riff on Gil Elvgren's painting, “Girl on Polar Bear.”  I plan to be back for more of this delightfully surprising Bettie Page comic book.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Bettie Page comic books will want to try Bettie Page and the Curse of the Banshee Volume 5.

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


https://twitter.com/DynamiteComics
https://www.dynamite.com/htmlfiles/
https://www.facebook.com/DynamiteComics/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNOH4PEsl8dyZ2Tj7XUlY7w
https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynamite-entertainment


The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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

Amazon wants me to inform you that the affiliate link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the affiliate link below AND buy something(s).

#IReadsYou Review: DEJAH THORIS VERSUS JOHN CARTER #1

DEJAH THORIS VERSUS JOHN CARTER, VOL. 1 #1
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Dan Abnett
ART: Alessandro Miracolo
COLORS: Dearbhla Kelly
LETTERS: Simon Bowland
EDITOR: Nate Cosby
COVER: Lucio Parrillo
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Joseph Michael Linsner; Alessandro Miracolo; Sebastian Fiumara; (Rachel Hollon cosplay)
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (July 2021)

Rated Teen+

Based on the characters and stories created by Edgar Rice Burroughs

Dejah Thoris and John Carter are characters that first appeared in the serialized novel, Under the Moons of Mars (The All-Story, 1912), written by Tarzan creator, Edgar Rice Burroughs.  When it was first collected and published in hardcover, the novel was re-titled, A Princess of Mars (1917), the first of Burroughs' “Barsoom” novels, which were set on Barsoom, a fictional version of Mars.

Dejah was the title character of A Princess of Mars, the princess of the Martian city-state/empire of Helium.  John Carter was a Confederate veteran of the American Civil War who was transported to Mars via “astral projection” where he got a new body that was similar to the one he left behind on Earth.  John makes several trips back and forth between Earth and Barsoom, and Dejah and John were married and had two children.

John Carter first appeared in comic books in the early 1950s, and Dejah has been a prominent comic book character beginning in 2010 via Dynamite Entertainment.  Now, the star-crossed lovers are the stars of Dynamite's new comic book, Dejah Thoris Versus John Carter.  The series is written by Dan Abnett; drawn by Alessandro Miracolo; colored by Dearbhla Kelly; and lettered by Simon Bowland.  The series finds Dejah and John caught in a war to save Mars from an ancient race that has returned to reclaim Mars.

As Dejah Thoris Versus John Carter #1 opens, Dejah Thoris reigns as Queen of Helium, after overturning the regime of the tyrant, Kurz Kurtos.  Now, she must deal with his ally, the rogue scientist, Rotak Gall.  Dejah and her forces travel to Dar Shadeth, far in the distant west.  However, before she faces Gall, she must face the beasts of “The Longborn,” the ancient and mysterious race of immortal gods that have arrived to reclaim Barsoom/Mars.

Meanwhile, John Carter worries about the status of his relationship with Dejah, after having betrayed her during her war with Kurtos.  John was in the thrall of the Witch-Queen, and he believes that means he is a liability.  Will Baroom's (former) greatest champion remain or return to Earth?

THE LOWDOWN:  Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department recently began providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is Dejah Thoris Versus John Carter #1.  I must admit that other than being aware of Edgar Rice Burrough's “Martian Series” or “Barsoom series,” my only substantial experience with these stories is the 2012 Disney film, John Carter.

I find Dejah Thoris Versus John Carter #1 likable, and the art by Alessandro Miracolo reminds me of the kind of art that readers would find in a Flash Gordon comic book.  Through her colors, Dearbhla Kelly creates the idea that the story takes place on a different planet simply by making the atmosphere and lighting look like they are part of an alien biosphere.  Simon Bowland's lettering catches the eccentric and shifting nature of the dialogue and calmly presents it to readers.

Writer Dan Abnett, a veteran comic book scribe, delivers a script filled with modern comic book storytelling elements and plot points.  There is a mission, Dejah's, that builds on mystery before delivering a cliffhanger.  Meanwhile, there is the appropriate soap opera drama focusing on John Carter's shame and self-doubt.  Abnett also makes me want to come back for the second issue, so I'll recommend Dejah Thoris Versus John Carter #1.  The series does have potential.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Dynamite's Dejah Thoris and Barsoom comic books will want to try Dejah Thoris Versus John Carter.

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


https://twitter.com/DynamiteComics
https://www.dynamite.com/htmlfiles/
https://www.facebook.com/DynamiteComics/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNOH4PEsl8dyZ2Tj7XUlY7w
https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynamite-entertainment


The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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

Amazon wants me to inform you that the affiliate link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the affiliate link below AND buy something(s).