#IReadsYou Review: THE AMBASSADORS #2

THE AMBASSADORS #2 (OF 6)

IMAGE COMICS/Netflix

STORY: Mark Millar

ART: Karl Kerschl

COLORS: Michele Assaraskorn

LETTERS: Clem Robins

EDITORIAL: Sarah Unwin

COVER: Karl Kerschl

VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Frank Quitely; Karl Kerschl

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

Rated M / Mature

The Ambassadors created by Mark Millar at Netflix

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A+

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

https://www.mrmarkmillar.com/

https://twitter.com/ImageComics

https://twitter.com/mrmarkmillar

https://twitter.com/netflix

http://www.millarworld.tv/

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

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Review: SHARKEY THE BOUNTY HUNTER #1

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

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

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

Rated M / Mature

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

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

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

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

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

7.5 out of 10

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

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


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


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Review: THE MAGIC ORDER #6

THE MAGIC ORDER No. 6 (OF 6)
IMAGE COMICS/Netflix – @ImageComics @TheMagicOrder @netflix

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Mark Millar – @mrmarkmillar
ARTIST: Olivier Coipel
COLORS: Dave Stewart
LETTERS: Peter Doherty
EDITOR: Rachel Fulton
COVER: Oliver Coipel with Dave Stewart
VARIANT COVER: Karl Kerschl
36pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (February 2019)

Rated M / Mature

The Magic Order is a six-issue comic book miniseries created by writer Mark Millar (Kick-Ass, Chrononauts) and artist Olivier Coipel (Thor).  It is also the first new and original comic book series created by Millar since he sold his organization, Millarworld, to Netflix in August of 2017.  Colorist Dave Stewart and letterer Peter Doherty complete the creative team.  The Magic Order recently ended (although there will be another miniseries in near future).

The Magic Order focuses on the sorcerers, magicians, and wizards that protect humanity from darkness and from monsters of impossible sizes.  The Order's leader, Leonard Moonstone, and his children:  Regan, Cordelia, and Gabriel must deal with a mob-like war and conspiracy that is killing off members of The Magic Order.  Their adversary is Madame Albany and her cohorts who are stealing magical objects, with Albany focusing on the object she wants the most, the magical book, “the Orichalcum.”

The Magic Order #6 opens with the full conspiracy revealed.  The wayward Cordelia stands alone on the side of The Magic Order, and the identity of Albany's assassin, “The Venetian,” is a shocker.  As an ally of Albany prepares to snatch the Orichalcum, Cordelia has to fight or die, and she has to show that she is not exactly the wayward girl many think she is.

I think The Magic Order is my favorite Mark Millar written, creator-owned comic book.  It is a thrilling introduction to a new world and new universe of magic, magical beings, and magical conspiracies.  The Magic Order is really like a blend of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them with a Martin Scorsese mob film – leaning more towards Fantastic Beasts, but with a strong sense of Casino.  Millar has also shown that these characters are multi-layered and have much to show us beyond what we see in this first series.  Peter Doherty's lettering brings a sharp edge to Millar's dialogue, which in turn makes the scenes featuring characters engaged in violence explode.  So as this series ends, Millar gives us a little more, perhaps to set us up for a return to this Order.

After reading the first issue, I was not all that crazy about artist Olivier Coipel, but I was so wrong.  So much about The Magic Order works because of Coipel's graphical storytelling.  Coipel's art sells the idea that The Magic Order is a massive world of magic and history and that it is a world hidden in the shadows, just out of view of the eyes of humans.  Dave Stewart's muted colors add a layer to Coipel's art, creating a sense of mystery and mysticism.

I am as excited by Millar's premise now as I was when I read the first issue of this comic book last summer (2018).  Millar, Coipel, Stewart, and Doherty have created a special comic book, and The Magic Order #6 is the superb ending that a superb miniseries deserves.

9 out of 10

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

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


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

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Review: ROBOTECH #3

ROBOTECH No. 3
TITAN COMICS – @ComicsTitan

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Brian Wood
ART: Marco Turini
COLORS: Marco Lesko
LETTERS: John Workman
COVER: David Nakayama
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Karl Kerschl; Blair Shedo
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (October 2017)

Titan Comics is currently publishing a new comic book series based on “Robotech” the 85-episode American animated television series, originally syndicated to U.S. back in the mid-1980s.  The new Robotech, which is a slight reboot of the franchise, is written by Brian Wood; drawn by Marco Turini; colored by Marco Lesko, and lettered by John Workman.

Robotech begins when a giant extraterrestrial vehicle crash lands on Macross Island in the South Pacific.  The people of Earth adapt the vessel's alien technology, which they call “Robotechnology,” including harnessing the alien vehicle, now called the Super Dimension Fortress (SDF-1).  It is the epicenter of “The Robotech Project” and of the city built around it, Macross City.  The arrival of an alien armada in the solar system forces the SDF-1 to initiate a “space fold” transporting it and a chunk of Macross City to the edge of the solar system.

Robotech #3 finds SDF-1 Captain Henry Gloval and his crew bringing the people and some of the infrastructure of Macross City unto the ship.  Rick Hunter and Lynn Minmei, who were on a part of Macross City caught in the space fold, are trapped deep in the bowels of the SDF-1.  Tired of eating rations while they wait for rescue, the duo tries something new.  Meanwhile, the alien armada tracks the SDF-1 believing that humans don't really understand the technology in their possession.

Robotech #1 was a fantastic first issue, and the second issue was not a let down.  Robotech #3 begins the process of impressing upon readers that this new Robotech comic book is not a fluke.  Brian Wood digs deep into the characters, and reveals a Lynn Minmei who is a modern woman, a leap from the being the waif and object of desire.  Captain Gloval and Roy Fokker are edgier, and Lisa Hayes and Claudia Grant, well... there's something more to them than they had before.

Even Marco Turini's art and storytelling suggest that this Robotech is something new.  Turini is visualizing space opera that recalls the SciFi Channel's mid-aughts take on “Battlestar Galactica” without loosing heart of Robotech; yeah, it's still a little cute.  My only complaint is that no single issue of Robotech is enough for me.  Can't wait for issue four – fanboy out.

9 out of 10

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


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

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Image Comics from Diamond Distributors for April 4, 2018

IMAGE COMICS

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Review: ROBOTECH #2

ROBOTECH No. 2
TITAN COMICS – @ComicsTitan

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Brian Wood
ART: Marco Turini
COLORS: Marco Lesko
LETTERS: John Workman
COVER: Nick Roche
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Karl Kerschl; Blair Shedo; Giannis Milonogiannis
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (September 2017)

“Robotech” was an 85-episode American animated television series.  Production company and film distributor, Harmony Gold USA, distributed the series to television stations in the United States via syndication in the 1980s.  Producer, story editor, and developer, Carl Macek, created “Robotech” by adapting, combining, and editing three Japanese anime series:  “Macross” (full title, “Super Dimension Fortress Macross”) and two other anime series, “Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross” and “Genesis Climber Mospeada.”

Over a three-decade period, several entities have published comics based on the Robotech franchise, including the defunct Comico the Comic Company and DC Comics' imprint, WildStorm Productions.  Titan Comics brings Robotech back to comic books with the new series, Robotech.  It is written by Brian Wood; drawn by Marco Turini; colored by Marco Lesko, and lettered by John Workman.

Robotech begins when a giant extraterrestrial vehicle crash lands on Macross Island in the South Pacific.  A decade later, the people of Earth have adapted the vessel's alien technology, which they call “Robotechnology,” to advance human technology.  The ship is now known as the Super Dimension Fortress or SDF-1, and it is the epicenter of “The Robotech Project” and of the city built around it, Macross City.

Robotech #2 finds the Earth under siege by an alien armada.  In Macross City, talented but cocky pilot, Rick Hunter, has taken one of the SDF-1's Veritech fighters out of necessity.  Now, he and his passenger, Lynn Minmei, come face to face with a giant alien being, and neither is sure how to use the Veritech to fight the creature.  Meanwhile, aboard the SDF-1, Captain Henry Gloval comes to a shocking decision on using some of the ship's incredible Robotechnology.

Robotech #1 was a fantastic first issue; so is this second issue.  Like the first issue, I like Robotech #2 enough to highly recommend it to Robotech fans.  Once upon a time, I was a big Robotech fan; now, I have not engaged the franchise in decades, but this comic book has reignited my Robotech love.

Right now, I am looking for two things in this new Robotech comic book.  One, I want it to be a well-produced comic book with good writing, good art, and overall engaging storytelling.  Two, I want it to recall classic Robotech while also exploring new possibilities for the series and also going places the original might have, but did not.

So far, I'm getting both of those things from this very entertaining comic book.  It is as if Brian Wood and Marco Turini have mastered the 22-page comic book serial, delivering lively pop comic increments... so far.  In fact, this second issue is good enough to tease readers back for a third issue of Titan Comics' Robotech.

A
8.5 out of 10

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


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

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Review: ROBOTECH #1

ROBOTECH No. 1 (2017)
TITAN COMICS – @ComicsTitan

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Brian Wood
ART: Marco Turini
COLORS: Marco Lesko
LETTERS: John Workman
COVER: Stanley “Artgerm” Lau
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Stanley “Artgerm” Lau; Karl Kerschl; Blair Shedo; Michael Dialynas; The Waltrip Brothers; Andrew Leung; Luis Guerrero; Francisco de la Fuente; Miguel Mercado; Rachel Stott; Alex Ronald; Andre Lima Arajuo; Caspar Wijngaard; Mariano Laclaustra; Antonio Fuso; Douglas Franchin; Andy Cotnam; Pasquale Qualano
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (August 2017)

In the 1980s, production company and film distributor, Harmony Gold USA, had the U.S. syndication rights to broadcast the Japanese animated (or anime) television series, “Macross.”  They hired producer, story editor, and developer, Carl Macek, to adapt the series for American audiences.

To meet television syndication requirements, Macek took “Macross” (full title, “Super Dimension Fortress Macross”) and two other anime series, “Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross” and “Genesis Climber Mospeada” and edited them together by using the concept of “Robo-technology” as the unifying element.  Thus, Macek created the 85-episode American animated TV series, “Robotech.”

Over a three-decade period, several entities have published comics based on the Robotech franchise, including the defunct Comico the Comic Company and DC Comics' imprint, WildStorm Productions.  Titan Comics brings the franchise back to comic books with the new series, Robotech.  It is written by Brian Wood; drawn by Marco Turini; colored by Marco Lesko, and lettered by John Workman.

Robotech #1 begins with a brief description of the arrival of the giant extraterrestrial vehicle that would come to be known as the Super Dimension Fortress or SDF-1.  It lands on Macross Island, and a decade later, the vehicle is the epicenter of “The Robotech Project” and Macross City has been built around the SDF-1.

Talented but cocky pilot, Rick Hunter, has arrived at SDF-1 to visit his “big brother,” Lt. Commander Roy Fokker, Veritech pilot and legendary leader of the “Skull Squadron” of the Robotech Defense Force.  This reunion is put on hold when multiple extraterrestrial vehicles arrive near Earth and some begin to enter the planet's atmosphere.  And SDF-1 springs into action on its own.

First, let me say that Robotech #1 is a fantastic first issue.  I love it, and I highly recommend it to Robotech fans.  Probably the first thing that this comic book does right is to use the first page to present the cast of characters with a brief description of each character and what he or she does.

Back in 2013, Dark Horse Comics launched a new Star Wars comic book, simply titled Star Wars.  Its story was set immediately after the events depicted in the original, 1977 Star Wars film (also known as Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope).  Brian Woods was the series writer, and he fashioned a Star Wars comic book that felt like an authentic, accurate, and canonical continuation of A New Hope.  Now, at least with this first issue, Woods makes Robotech seem like a reboot that will be genuine Robotech.  To me, Robotech #1 feels like the “Robotech” anime that I first encountered on those long-ago Saturday mornings via the recently launched Channel 15 in Lafayette, Louisiana.

I find myself really liking the art by Marco Turini and colors by Marco Lesko; it feels like authentic Robotech.  Turini's compositions clearly and ably translate Woods' concise and efficient script writing into clean sequences that introduce the conflict and tease the villains of this reboot without overwhelming the first issue with too much information.

In fact, this debut issue is good enough to tease readers back for a second issue of Titan Comics' Robotech.

A
8 out of 10

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


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

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Review: FUTURE QUEST #3

FUTURE QUEST No. 3
DC COMICS – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted of Patreon.]

STORY: Jeff Parker – @JeffParker
ARTIST: Steve Rude
COLORS: Steve Buccellato
LETTERS: ALW Studios' Dave Lanphear
COVER: Steve Rude
VARIANT COVER: Karl Kerschl
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (September 2016)

Rated “T” for “Teen”

“Vortex Tales: Birdman in: The Deadly Distance”

Future Quest is a comic book series produced by DC Comics that re-imagines and re-interprets the classic sci-fi and superhero television series created by American animation studio, Hanna-Barbera.  Future Quest brings together the stars of the TV programs “Jonny Quest,” “Space Ghost,” “The Herculoids,” “Birdman,” “Frankenstein Jr.,” “The Galaxy Trio,” “The Impossibles,” and “Mightor.”

Future Quest is written by Jeff Parker; primarily drawn by Evan “Doc” Shaner; colored by Jordie Bellaire; and lettered by Dave Lanphear.  So far, the main focus of Future Quest is the cast of “Jonny Quest” (referred to as “Team Quest”):  Jonny Quest; his adopted brother, Hadji; his father, Dr. Benton Quest; family bodyguard, Race Bannon; and, of course, Jonny's dog, Bandit.

Future Quest #3 offers two “Vortex Tales.”  “The Deadly Distance” is written by Jeff Parker; drawn by Steve Rude; colored by Steve Buccellato; and lettered by Dave Lanphear.  The story takes place just before the events depicted in Future Quest #1.  It finds Birdman in Southwest Utah where he joins Inter-Nation Security agent, Deva Sumadi, to battle what they call a “xenomass.”  This creature is really part of the alien Omnikron, which seeks to absorb everything.

The second of the “Vortex Tales” is “Mine-Crash!” and stars The Herculoids.  It is written by Parker; drawn by Aaron Lopresti (pencils) and Karl Kesel (inks); colored by Hi-Fi; and letterd by Dave Lanphear.  On the Herculoids home planet, Quasar, the strange heroes, Tundro, Zok, Igoo, and Gloop and Gleep, battle mining robots.  Now, it is time for Tarra and Zandor to the tell their son, Dorno, and the Herculoids the story of their previous life on Quasar's sister planet, Amzot.  They will reveal how the “Robot Uprising” affects them today.

Future Quest #3 is essentially a fill-in issue, but it gives readers a welcomed glimpse into the back story of the series' primary plot, while also providing what is essentially an origin story of “The Herculoids.”  Writer Jeff Parker is the chosen one, the storyteller who can take classic Hanna-Barbera sci-fi/superhero and bring them into the modern age.  That he has advanced these concepts in terms of character and drama is diamond icing on the golden cake.

Speaking on golden, Steve Rude, who was influenced by Hanna-Barbera, delivers wonderful storytelling in the Birdman tale.  There is a sense of dynamism that matches the classic Birdman cartoons, but the sense of drama Rude brings to the character is new.  Two decades as a comic book artist and Aaron Lopresti is still refining his art and craft.  With his work on this Herculoids short story, he may have made the case that if The Herculoids get their own comic book, he should be the artist.

Future Quest #3 delivers.  It is not an issue to set aside, and like the earlier two issues, it makes the case that this is the best comic book that DC Comics is currently publishing.

A

This comic book includes the story, “Vortex Tales: The Herculoids in Mine-Crash!” written by Jeff Parker; drawn by Aaron Lopresti (pencils) and Karl Kesel (inks); colored by Hi-Fi; and lettered by Dave Lanphear.

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


The text is copyright © 2016 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: SUPERMAN #41

SUPERMAN #41
DC COMICS – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Gene Luen Yang
PENCILS: John Romita, Jr.
INKS: Klaus Janson
COLORS: Dean White
LETTERS: Rob Leigh
COVER: John Romita, Jr. and Klaus Janson with Alex Sinclair
VARIANT COVER: Karl Kerschl (Joker 75th anniversary cover)
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (August 2015)

Rated “T” for “Teen”

Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster

“Before Truth” Part 1

DC Comics' new-look slash new-direction, “DCYou,” not only means the launch of new comic book series, but it also means a change for ongoing titles.  One of those titles taking on a new direction is Superman, featuring the debut of acclaimed graphic novelist, Gene Luen Yang, as the series' new regular writer.  The art team of Superman remains the same as it has been for the last year:  John Romita, Jr. (pencils) and Klaus Janson (inks), with colorist Dean White and letterer Rob Leigh.

Superman #41 (“Before Truth” Part 1) opens with a tease of what is to come for Superman.  The story returns to the “present” with Clark Kent still dealing with the changes in his Superman powers and abilities.  Something else that is new in Kent's life is unknown figures who sends mysterious text messages that offer tips about the kind of illegal activities that Superman fights.

One tip guides Kent and Jimmy Olsen, who now knows that Clark is Superman, to the underground factory of a black market, hi-teach weapons dealer.  It is indeed a hot and accurate tip, but what are the real motives of this “unknown source?”  And how does it affect Superman's future?

Although I am aware of Gene Luen Yang's work, I have never read any of it.  I was curious about how he would approach Superman, but I expected only a minor change in tone.  Boy, was I wrong.  Everything about Superman #41 seems fresh and, in some instances, new.  This is a Superman that looks forward, with hope and possibility and ready for whatever comes with change.  I think that Superman has always been about tomorrow, about hope, and about the new.  The character grows moribund when the status quo takes hold for years at a time.

In fact, I think that Yang is a better Superman writer for John Romita, Jr.  Previous Superman writer, Geoff Johns, played to Romita's ability to summon the spirit of Jack Kirby in creating king-sized brawls between super-powered beings.  Yang plays to Romita's strengths as a storyteller who is both inventive and imaginative, also to his ability to change mood, tone, and atmosphere within a single chapter.  So this new direction for Superman is about both Gene Luen Yang and John Romita, Jr.

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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

I Reads You Review: GOTHAM ACADEMY #1

GOTHAM ACADEMY #1
DC COMICS – @DCComics

STORY: Becky Cloonan and Brenden Fletcher – @beckycloonan @BrendenFletcher
ART: Karl Kerschl – @karlkerschl
COLORS: Geyser with Dave McCaig
LETTERS: Steve Wands
COVER: Karl Kerschl
VARIANT COVER: Becky Cloonan
32pp, Color, $2.99 U.S. (December 2014)

Rated “T” for “Teen”

“Welcome to Gotham Academy”

Gotham Academy is a recently launched DC Comics titled aimed at teen readers.  The series is written by Becky Cloonan and Brendan Fletcher, drawn by Karl Kerschl, colored by Geyser (with Dave McCaig), and lettered by Steve Wands.

Gotham Academy #1 (“Welcome to Gotham Academy”) opens just outside the Headmaster's office of Gotham Academy.  No one is really in trouble.  Headmaster Hammer simply wants second year student, Olive Silverlock, to act as “nanny” (chaperon) to first-year student, Maps Mizoguchi.  Maps just happens to be the younger sister of Olive's boyfriend (ex-boyfriend?), Kyle.  Chaperoning the little sister is going to be the least of Olive's problems.

Let's be straight, dear reader.  Gotham Academy is a girl's comic book, and that is a good thing.  What writers Becky Cloonan and Brendan Fletcher have done is show that with imagination, the most traditional aspects and elements of DC Comics mythologies and properties can yield something for just about any reader.  And that can be done without transforming the central property, in this case Batman, into something alien.  Gotham Academy is simply a small country in the world of Batman.  It is a boarding school story with elements of mystery and adventure, genres and sub-genres that are familiar to most people who have been regular readers throughout their lives.

So, Gotham Academy is for everyone – for everyone who wants it.  In the meantime, with its female lead and mostly female supporting cast (so far), this comic book is aimed at teen girls, a demographic that producers of comic books in America should be trying to attract.  Still, fans of everything Batman can find something to love about this enticing title.

Gotham Academy is an especially good read, and I certainly want to read more.  Karl Kerschl's quirky graphic style, his energetic graphic design and layouts, and his sparkling graphical storytelling will hook readers into attending this boarding school.  Like another famous boarding school, it has an alluring sense of mystery, wonder, and darkness about it.

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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The New 52 Review: LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #1

LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #1
DC COMICS

WRITER: Paul Levitz
ARTIST: Francis Portela
COLORS: Javier Mena
LETTERS: Pat Brosseau
COVER: Karl Kerschl
32pp, Color, $2.99

The Legion of Super-Heroes is a DC Comics superhero team whose adventures are set the 30th and 31st centuries of the DC Comics Universe. The team first appeared in Adventure Comics #247 (cover date April 1958) and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino.

In that comic book, the original Superboy meets three teenagers from the 30th century: Lightning Boy, Saturn Girl, and Cosmic Boy, who were members of a “super-hero club,” called the Legion of Super-Heroes. The trio formed the club with Superboy as an inspiration, and for a long time, the Legion was closely associated with Superboy (the version that was Superman as a teenager).

With the re-launch of DC Comics’ superhero line, “The New 52,” the Legion of Super-Heroes gets a new series (in what seems like the tenth time in 10 years). Legion of Super-Heroes #1 (“Renegade World”) finds members of the Legion on Panoptes, a military “Watchworld,” from where the United Planets keeps an eye on the Dominators’ Empire. Now, there is a problem and contact with Panoptes has been lost. Chameleon Boy, Dragonwing, Phantom Girl, Ultra Boy, and Chemical Kid embark on a stealth mission to discover if anything is wrong on Panoptes. Something is.

I was an avid Legion of Super-Heroes reader from the mid to late 1980s, and, of course, my favorite writer of Legion adventures was Paul Levitz. This first issue of the new Legion of Super-Heroes series is written by Levitz, although I didn’t find anything here that reminded me of the good old days. Half of this issue is a collection of scenes offered to catch readers up on the Legion, but there isn’t much story in these scenes. The Panoptes plotline is actually good, and I wish more of this issue had been devoted to it.

The art, which is a joint venture by Francis Portela (pencils/inks) and Javier Mena (colors) is quite pretty. The colors shimmer like a candied kaleidoscope, and the compositions and quality of the drawing are tight with few cracks. Hopefully, this is the beginning of a strong and long-lasting Legion of Super-Heroes series.

B+

September 21st
BATMAN #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/batman-1.html
BLUE BEETLE #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/10/blue-beetle-1.html
CATWOMAN #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/catwoman-1.html
DC UNIVERSE PRESENTS #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/10/dc-comics-presents-1.html
GREEN LANTERN CORPS #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/10/green-lantern-corps-1.html
NIGHTWING #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/nightwing-1.html
RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/red-hood-and-outlaws-1.html
SUPERGIRL #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/10/supergirl-1.html
WONDER WOMAN #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/wonder-woman-1.html