Showing posts with label Lee Loughridge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lee Loughridge. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 20, 2024

#IReadsYou Review: RED ZONE #4

RED ZONE #4 (OF 4)
AWA STUDIOS

STORY: Cullen Bunn
ART: Mike Deodato, Jr.
COLORS: Lee Loughridge
LETTERS: Steve Wands
COVER: Rahzzah
VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Michael Cho
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (June 2023)

Rated: “Teen+”

Red Zone is a four-issue comic book miniseries from writer Cullen Bunn and artist Mike Deodato, Jr.  Published by AWA Studios, the series focuses on an American professor who must fight his way out of Russia where he lived a former life full of long-buried secrets.  Colorist Lee Loughridge and letterer Steve Wands complete the series creative team.

Red Zone introduces Randall Crane, an unassuming professor of Russian and Slavic Studies at NYU.  By request, he becomes part of U. S. Army Special Forces secret extraction mission into Russia.  The target is Elena Sidorov, once a very close friend of the professor's.  What she knows makes her a high priority asset to the U.S.  When the mission goes wrong, however, Randall is alone and forced to summon the secrets of his past to save himself and Elena daughter, Nika.

As Red Zone #4 opens, Randall and Nika have sought shelter in the home of Novel Abramov, an old acquaintance of Randall's.  He lives on the outskirts of an abandoned city turned ghost town, which is the perfect place for a showdown.  Andreiko Volkov, the man who wants Crane dead, has called in the cowboy-cosplay killer, Maxim.  But hey, why not have just about everyone after Randall show up for a throw-down in a ghost town?

THE LOWDOWN:  AWA Studios marketing recently began providing me with PDF review copies of their comic book publications.  One of them is Red Zone #4, the fourth issue of the series that I've read.

Writer Cullen Bunn created an edge-of-your-seat thriller in Red Zone – right to the end.  It offers both a satisfying conclusion and a kick-ass last stand.  Bunn creates more exhilarating set pieces in each single issue than most comic books can offer in four issues.  He has given us enough insight into Randall Crane, enough to make him become someone who really intrigues readers.  Who is he?  What did he do in the past?  And what is the thing that his past has become in the present day?

In Red Zone, artist Mike Deodato, Jr. has created a page design and graphic design that presents a tapestry of thrills.  Deodato's art suggests that Crane and Nika are trapped at every turn – and they practically are.  Around each page, on the borders and edges, however, are slivers of panels that anticipate the coming drama and action.  That makes the art seem active rather than static.  Deodato throws his tapestry of static and kinetic energy at us to the end of this narrative.  If there is follow-up series, there will hopefully be more Deodato.

Red Zone #4 finishes this series with a bang, as it should.  Here, the villains do the damn thing.  They should come back, also, but, for now, their fates will make Red Zone's trade paperback collection a damn good read.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of action and espionage in comic books will want to read Red Zone.

A

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


AWA Website: https://awastudios.net/
AWA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awastudiosofficial/
AWA Twitter: https://twitter.com/AWA_Studios
AWA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/awastudiosofficial


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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Thursday, February 15, 2024

#IReadsYou Review: KILLADELPHIA #28

KILLADELPHIA #28
IMAGE COMICS

STORY: Rodney Barnes
LAYOUTS: Jason Shawn Alexander
PENCILS: Germán Erramouspe
INKS: Jason Shawn Alexander with Robert Melendrez
COLORS: Lee Loughridge
LETTERS: Marshall Dillon
EDITOR: Greg Tumbarello
COVER: Jason Shawn Alexander
VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Chris Anthony
32pp, Colors, 3.99 U.S. (February 2023)

Rated “M/ Mature”

Killadelphia created by Rodney Barnes and Jason Shawn Alexander

“There's No Place Like Home” Part IV: “Death of the Dream”

Killadelphia is an apocalyptic vampire and dark fantasy comic book series from writer Rodney Barnes and artist Jason Shawn Alexander.  Published by Image Comics, it centers on a conspiracy in which vampires attempt to rule Philadelphia.  The series is currently written by Barnes and drawn by Alexander and Germán Erramouspe.  Colorist Lee Loughridge and letterer Marshall Dillon complete Killadelphia's creative team.

Killadelphia focuses on James “Jim” Sangster, Jr., a ragtag team of fighters, and a menagerie of gods and monsters on one side or the other or both in the vampire invasion of Philadelphia.  Of note are a special young vampire (Tevin Thompkins a.k.a. “See Saw”), Anansi the Spider-God, and the infamous rebel leader turned monster hunter, Toussaint Louverture, and his army of killers.

As Killadelphia #28 (“Death of the Dream”) opens, immortal (vampire) Thomas Jefferson mourns the destruction of his compatriot-turned-immortal, George Washington.  But why can't eternally young old Tom Jefferson show real love to the man who has loved him like he was blood, his slave turned vampire, Jupiter?

Plus, See Saw suffers an existential crisis.  What has really changed in Philly since the vampire infestation, he wonders?  Is shit the same in Killadelphia?  Meanwhile, Anansi, a trickster god, tries to trick the great deceiver himself.

THE LOWDOWN:  We are at the middle point of Killadelphia's fifth story arc, “There's No Place Like Home.”  Before this arc debuted, creators Rodney Barnes and Jason Shawn Alexander warned readers that they were not prepared for what was coming in the arc – which has proven to be true, very true.

I'm not sure what to say about Killadelphia #28, although I can say that love it … to death.  Some of it reads like an enthralling, fiery Black Panther Party tract that throws jet fuel on a gasoline fire.  Other parts read like a hypnotic revenge fantasy inspired by “The 1619 Project.”

In my recent reviews of comic books written by Mark Millar (such as Nemesis Reloaded), I talked about how they recall the craziness and rebellion of 1980s comic books.  Killadelphia is beautifully crazy.  If Fox News and other conservative, right wing, reactionary, KKK media organizations knew about Killadelphia, they would dog Rodney Barnes' name they do Nikole Hannah-Jones.

If such criticism and negativity were to become a reality, however, they would ask you a simple question, dear readers.  If you aren't reading Killadelphia, then, why isn't your dumb ass reading Killadelphia?

NOTE: Killadelphia #28 is also available in a “Noir Edition,” featuring black-and-white line art interiors.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of vampire comic books and of exceptional dark fantasy will want Killadelphia.

A+

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

You can buy KILLADELPHIA VOL. 5 at Amazon.

https://twitter.com/TheRodneyBarnes
https://twitter.com/jasonshawnalex
https://twitter.com/MarshallDillon
https://twitter.com/ImageComics
https://imagecomics.com/
http://rodneybarnes.com/
https://www.instagram.com/imagecomics/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Image-Comics-Inc/178643148813259
https://www.twitch.tv/imagecomics
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHmaKLo0FXWIPx-3n6qs3vQ
https://www.linkedin.com/company/image-comics/


The text is copyright © 2023 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).


Tuesday, January 30, 2024

#IReadsYou Review: SINS OF THE SALTON SEA #1

SINS OF THE SALTON SEA #1 (OF 5)
AWA STUDIOS

STORY: Ed Brisson
ART: C.P. Smith
COLORS: C.P. Smith
LETTERS: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
COVER: Tim Bradstreet
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Mike Deodato, Jr. with Lee Loughridge; Chris Ferguson; Mike Deodato, Jr.
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (June 2023)

Rated: “Mature”

Sins of the Salton Sea is a new five-issue comic book miniseries from writer Ed Brisson and artist C.P. Smith.  Published by AWA Studios, the series focuses on a professional thief who finds himself with lives on his hand rather than the money promised in his hand.  Letterer Steve Wands completes the series creative team.

Sins of the Salton Sea #1 opens somewhere out in the American West.  It introduces Wyatt, a professional thief living off the grid.  What he doesn't know is that his brother, Jasper, has been keeping tabs on him, and now, he has come asking for help.  Jasper has allegedly scored information on one of those proverbial “last big scores.”  If Jasper and his team can pull this off, everyone will be set for a long time, maybe even life.

Problem is that Jasper needs a fifth member of his team, and that would be Wyatt, an explosives expert.  Wyatt reluctantly agrees, and he is right to be cautious.  This heist is not anything like what Jasper and his team expects.

THE LOWDOWN:  AWA Studios marketing recently began providing me with PDF review copies of their comic book publications.  Sins of the Salton Sea #1 is the latest.

I don't have a lot to say about Sins of the Salton Sea #1, but it is a damn good read.  Writer Ed Brisson offers a tale that when it blows up in the reader's face – and it does – it leaves everything changed and the direction of the story totally different from what the reader expected.

Meanwhile, artist-colorist, C.P. Smith, depicts the West in true grand fashion with a clean compositional style and panels that feel wide and cinematic.  Smith's colors, however, give the story a deeply intimate feel.  Not only the drama, but also the action scenes bring the readers up close and personal.  I felt like I was there and in trouble with everyone else.

I highly recommend Sins of the Salton Sea #1.  It promises a lot for the rest of this series.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of action thrillers and conspiracies will want to try Sins of the Salton Sea.

A

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

You can buy the SINS OF THE SALTON SEA trade paperback at Amazon.

AWA Website: https://awastudios.net/
AWA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awastudiosofficial/
AWA Twitter: https://twitter.com/AWA_Studios
AWA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/awastudiosofficial


The text is copyright © 2023 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).


Thursday, December 21, 2023

#IReadsYou Review: KILLADELPHIA #27

KILLADELPHIA #27
IMAGE COMICS

STORY: Rodney Barnes
LAYOUTS: Jason Shawn Alexander
PENCILS: Germán Erramouspe
INKS: Jason Shawn Alexander
COLORS: Lee Loughridge
LETTERS: Marshall Dillon
EDITOR: Greg Tumbarello
COVER: Jason Shawn Alexander
VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Ben Templesmith
32pp, Colors, 3.99 U.S. (January 2023)

Rated “M/ Mature”

Killadelphia created by Rodney Barnes and Jason Shawn Alexander

“There's No Place Like Home” Part III: “When God Turns Away”

Killadelphia is an apocalyptic vampire and dark fantasy comic book series from writer Rodney Barnes and artist Jason Shawn Alexander.  Published by Image Comics, it centers on a conspiracy in which vampires attempt to rule Philadelphia.  The series is currently written by Barnes and drawn by Alexander and Germán Erramouspe.  Colorist Lee Loughridge and letterer Marshall Dillon complete Killadelphia's creative team.

Killadelphia focuses on James “Jim” Sangster, Jr. and a ragtag team fighting the vampire invasion of Philadelphia.  Among them are a medical examiner (Jose Padilla), werewolves, a witch, and a rebellious, but special young vampire (Tevin Thompkins a.k.a. “See Saw”).  But their current adversary is an infamous rebel leader turned monster hunter and his army of killers.

As Killadelphia #27 (“When God Turns Away”) opens, Anasi the Spider-God is contemplating his place and the place of humans in all things reality.  War and death and gods occupy his mind, and now, he must return to the streets of Hell for a meeting with an entity that does not seem bothered by deep thoughts.

Meanwhile, former President George Washington – the undead, vampire version of him – and his vampire army are put on the defensive as they fight for survival against Toussaint Louverture and his Haitian guardians.  Will the Founding Father and his boys be able to turn the tide, or will heavy losses and insurmountable odds seal their fate as another American myth bites the dust.

THE LOWDOWN:  We are at the middle point of Killadelphia's fifth story arc, “There's No Place Like Home.”  Before this arc debuted, creators Rodney Barnes and Jason Shawn Alexander warned readers that they were not prepared for what was coming in the arc – which has proven to be true, very true.

The first two issues of this arc caused me sadness with their shocking endings.  This time, however, writer Rodney Barnes made me happy.  His glorious scripts are in tune with the current state of the good ol' U.S. of A.  This nation must reckon with its racist and genocidal past, and it is too late for that racial reckoning to go down gently.  At times, metaphorical and allegorical, Killadelphia is perhaps a modern Book of Revelation – with some cool vampire action driving the revelation.

New pencil artist Germán Erramouspe and colorist Lee Loughridge have joined artist Jason Shawn Alexander for this arc.  The result is a fiery cataclysm of comic book storytelling that is seemingly not sparing sacred cows.  Holding this comic book might cause our hands and forearms to catch fire before it is finished, dear readers.

Sometimes, it is okay not to be prepared for the shocks that a creative team is delivering.  Issue #27 has left me pleased.  Come share this pleasure with me.

NOTE: Killadelphia #27 is also available in a “Noir Edition,” featuring black-and-white line art interiors.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of vampire comic books and of exceptional dark fantasy will want Killadelphia.

A+

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


https://twitter.com/TheRodneyBarnes
https://twitter.com/jasonshawnalex
https://twitter.com/MarshallDillon
https://twitter.com/ImageComics
https://imagecomics.com/
http://rodneybarnes.com/
https://www.instagram.com/imagecomics/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Image-Comics-Inc/178643148813259
https://www.twitch.tv/imagecomics
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHmaKLo0FXWIPx-3n6qs3vQ
https://www.linkedin.com/company/image-comics/


The text is copyright © 2023 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).


Wednesday, December 20, 2023

#IReadsYou Review: RED ZONE #3

RED ZONE #3 (OF 4)
AWA STUDIOS

STORY: Cullen Bunn
ART: Mike Deodato, Jr.
COLORS: Lee Loughridge
LETTERS: Steve Wands
COVER: Rahzzah
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Mike Deodato, Jr. with Lee Loughridge
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (May 2023)

Rated: “Teen+”

Red Zone is a four-issue comic book miniseries from writer Cullen Bunn and artist Mike Deodato, Jr.  Published by AWA Studios, the series focuses on an American professor who must fight his way out of Russia where he lived a former life full of long-buried secrets.  Colorist Lee Loughridge and letterer Steve Wands complete the series creative team.

Red Zone introduces Randall Crane, an unassuming professor of Russian and Slavic Studies at NYU.  By request, he becomes part of U. S. Army Special Forces secret extraction mission into Russia.  The target is Elena Sidorov, once a very close friend of the professor's.  What she knows makes her a high priority asset to the U.S.  When the mission goes wrong, however, Randall is alone and forced to summon the secrets of his past to save himself and Elena daughter, Nika.

As Red Zone #3 opens, Randall and Nika are scurrying about the alleys and back streets of Moscow, avoiding death by gunfire from above and mechanized death from behind them.  Milena, a female assassin who was once the deadliest woman in the world, is perched somewhere above them, trying to take them out with sniper fire.  Murderer for hire, Nikita Vasiliev, is an old enemy who now wears a hydraulic suit of armor.  Hopefully, Nikita and Milena can get in each other's way before they kill Randall and Nika.

Even if they escape this pair, there are killers and spies at every step of the way.  And their one hope may not be in the condition they need him to be.

THE LOWDOWN:  AWA Studios marketing recently began providing me with PDF review copies of their comic book publications.  One of them is Red Zone #3, the third issue of the series that I've read.

Writer Cullen Bunn has certainly created an edge-of-your-seat thriller in Red Zone.  It is one of the few comic books in which I eagerly await each new issue, and this third issue does not disappoint.  Bunn creates more exhilarating set pieces in a single issue than most comic books can offer in four issues.

In Red Zone, artist Mike Deodato, Jr. has created a page design and graphic design that presents a tapestry of thrills.  His illustrative style in Red Zone is similar to the design artist B. Krigstein used for the classic EC Comics short story “Master Race” (Impact, April 1955).  Deodato creates the visual suggestion that Crane and Nika are trapped at every turn – and they practically are.  Around each page, on the borders and edges, however, are slivers of panels that anticipate the coming drama and action.  It makes the art seems active rather than static.

The first issue of Red Zone was an excellent introduction to the series.  The second issue was like an assurance that the first issue was no fluke.  Red Zone #3 will make readers desperate to come back for more of this fine series.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of action and espionage in comic books will want to read Red Zone.

A

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


AWA Website: https://awastudios.net/
AWA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awastudiosofficial/
AWA Twitter: https://twitter.com/AWA_Studios
AWA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/awastudiosofficial


The text is copyright © 2023 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).


Wednesday, November 8, 2023

#IReadsYou Review: KILLADELPHIA #26

KILLADELPHIA #26
IMAGE COMICS

STORY: Rodney Barnes
LAYOUTS: Jason Shawn Alexander
PENCILS: Germán Erramouspe
INKS: Jason Shawn Alexander
COLORS: Lee Loughridge
LETTERS: Marshall Dillon
EDITOR: Greg Tumbarello
COVER: Jason Shawn Alexander
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Jason Shawn Alexander (Spawn variant); Chris Visions
32pp, Colors, 3.99 U.S. (December 2022)

Rated “M/ Mature”

Killadelphia created by Rodney Barnes and Jason Shawn Alexander

“There's No Place Like Home” Part II: “No Woman, No Cry”

Killadelphia is an apocalyptic vampire and dark fantasy comic book series from writer Rodney Barnes and artist Jason Shawn Alexander.  Published by Image Comics, it centers on a conspiracy in which vampires attempt to rule Philadelphia.  The series is currently written by Barnes and drawn by Alexander and Germán Erramouspe.  Colorist Lee Loughridge and letterer Marshall Dillon complete Killadelphia's creative team.

Killadelphia focuses on James “Jim” Sangster, Jr. and his father, revered Philadelphia homicide detective, James Sangster, Sr., a vampire!  Father and son lead a ragtag team comprised of a medical examiner (Jose Padilla), werewolves, a witch, and a rebellious, but special young vampire (Tevin Thompkins a.k.a. “See Saw”) in a bid to save Philly.  Their adversary is a former First Lady, the vampire Abigail Adams.

As Killadelphia #26 (“No Woman, No Cry”) opens, Anasi the Spider-God parlays with gods from many pantheons.  How many can he convince that one of the four great demon lords, Corson, is preparing to conquer all the realms?  Can he convince them of Corson's plot?  Will they even give a f**k?

At the same time, Abigail Adams, who started the vampire fire, remembers her past:  her childhood, how she meet John Adams, and how they became vampires.  Meanwhile, after having killed a Sangster, General Toussaint Louverture and his Haitian army of monsters continue to slay vampires.  And the General has his sights on another big prize … in the name of God, of course.

THE LOWDOWN:  We are at the second chapter of Killadelphia's fifth story arc, “There's No Place Like Home.”  Before this arc debuted, creators Rodney Barnes and Jason Shawn Alexander warned readers that they were not prepared for what was coming in the arc.

I doubted.  I mean I didn't doubt as hard as the Apostle Thomas.  However, I believed that because I had been reading Killadelphia from the beginning, I had seen so much...  So what could they possibly do that I would not expect?  What could I see?

New pencil artist Germán Erramouspe and colorist Lee Loughridge have joined a creative team that continues to produces the “world's greatest vampire comics magazine.”  Long time readers are being rewarded for sticking around, but I can say that those who have not yet joined should get started now so that they can eventually get current.  Killadelphia just slays me.

So, yes, I have seen the previously unseen.  I am seeing things … for which I was not prepared, as I was warned.  I believe, and I am still not prepared for what is to come.

NOTE: Killadelphia #26 is also available in a “Noir Edition,” featuring black-and-white line art interiors.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of vampire comic books and of exceptional dark fantasy will want Killadelphia.

A+
10 out of 10

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


https://twitter.com/TheRodneyBarnes
https://twitter.com/jasonshawnalex
https://twitter.com/MarshallDillon
https://twitter.com/ImageComics
https://imagecomics.com/
http://rodneybarnes.com/
https://www.instagram.com/imagecomics/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Image-Comics-Inc/178643148813259
https://www.twitch.tv/imagecomics
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHmaKLo0FXWIPx-3n6qs3vQ
https://www.linkedin.com/company/image-comics/


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).


Tuesday, August 15, 2023

#IReadsYou Review: RED ZONE #1

RED ZONE #1 (OF 4)
AWA STUDIOS

STORY: Cullen Bunn
ART: Mike Deodato, Jr.
COLORS: Lee Loughridge
LETTERS: Steve Wands
COVER: Rahzzah
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Mike Deodato, Jr. with Lee Loughridge
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (March 2023)

Rated: “Teen+”

Red Zone is a new four-issue comic book miniseries from writer Cullen Bunn and artist Mike Deodato, Jr.  Published by AWA Studios, the series focuses on an American professor who must fight his way out of Russia where he lived a former life full of long-buried secrets.  Colorist Lee Loughridge and letterer Steve Wands complete the series creative team.

Red Zone #1 introduces Randall Crane, an unassuming professor of Russian and Slavic Studies at NYU.  After one of his classes, he gets a visit from Captain Simon Crow of the United States Army Special Forces.  Crow tells Crane that the U.S. government is calling the professor in for a secret international mission in Russia.

Crow is leading a five-man extraction team, and their target is Elena Sidorov, a former Prima Ballerina Assoluta of the Moscow Ballet.  What she knows makes her a high priority asset to the U.S., and she has specifically asked that Randall, once a close friend of hers, accompany the team.  Not long into the mission in St. Petersburg, there are complications, and before he knows it, Randall is alone and forced to summon the secrets of his past.

THE LOWDOWN:  AWA Studios marketing recently began providing me with PDF review copies of their comic book publications.  My first PDF is Red Zone #1.

The characters, setting, plot, mood, drama, and action that writer Cullen Bunn offers reminds me of one of my all-time favorite action movies, director John Frankenheimer's 1998 film, Ronin, starring Robert De Niro and Jean Reno.  The suspense, intrigue, shadowy characters, and the mission disaster: Bunn spins an espionage thriller that effectively works in the comic book medium.  Bunn offers that thrilling slow burn the draws the reader into the narrative – just in time for the explosion.

Artist Mike Deodato, Jr. has refined his graphical and drawing style into a kind of photo-realism similar to that of Bryan Hitch's.  It perfectly serves the moody and mysterious international thriller that is Red Zone #1.  Lee Loughridge's skillful coloring adds layer upon layer of atmosphere, and Steve Wands' lettering and effects capture the edginess of this first issue.

This first issue of Red Zone is an excellent introduction to the series, and it definitely makes me want to return for more.  I highly recommend it to anyone looking for really good comic books in general, regardless of genre, dear readers.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of action and espionage in comic books will want to read Red Zone.

A

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


AWA Website: https://awastudios.net/
AWA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awastudiosofficial/
AWA Twitter: https://twitter.com/AWA_Studios
AWA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/awastudiosofficial


The text is copyright © 2023 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).


Tuesday, August 23, 2022

#IReadsYou Review: STAR WARS: Crimson Reign #1

STAR WARS: CRIMSON REIGN #1 (OF 5)
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

STORY: Charles Soule
ART: Steven Cummings
COLORS: Guru-eFX
LETTERS: VC's Travis Lanham
EDITOR: Mark Paniccia
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Akira Yoshida a.k.a. C.B. Cebulski
COVER: Leinil Francis Yu with Sunny Gho
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Steve Cummings with Guru-eFX; Ario Anindito with Edgar Delgado; Clayton Crain; Valerio Giangiordano with Arif Prianto; David Lopez; Rahzzah; Khoi Pahm with Lee Loughridge
36pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (February 2022)

Rated T

Part 1: “The Orphans”


Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters was a Marvel Comics Star Wars publishing event that was comprised of 34 individual comic books, published from May to October 2021.  The series imagines a series of events that occur between the time bounty hunter, Boba Fett, collects Han Solo frozen in carbonite in 1980s The Empire Strikes Back (Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back) and his appearance in 1983's Return of the Jedi (Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi).

Coming out of War of the Bounty Hunters is the comic book miniseries, Star Wars: Crimson Reign.  It is written by Charles Soule; drawn by Steven Cummings; colored by Guru-eFX; and lettered by Travis Lanham.  According to Marvel, Crimson Reign is the second installment of a trilogy that will reshape the history of the Star Wars Galaxy during the “Age of Rebellion.”

Star Wars: Crimson Reign #1 opens in the halls of the group known as “Crimson Dawn.”  Qi'ra of Corellia is now the group's leader.  She has taken on the killers, liars, and thieves that make up this group and has given them a purpose.

Qi'ra has gathered a diverse group:  “The Knights of Ren,” “Chanath Cha and the Orphans,” Deathstick, Ochi of Bestoon, Margo and Trinia, and the Archivist to carry out of her plans, which is to destroy the Sith in order to free the galaxy.  Her main targets, of course, are Emperor Palpatine a.k.a. “Darth Sidious” and his apprentice, Darth Vader.  Qi'ra begins her mission by sending her allies against the galaxy's criminal syndicates, but has doom for herself and her group already been foretold?

THE LOWDOWN:  I have enjoyed the vast majority of the Charles Soule's Star Wars comic book work that I have read.  I have enjoyed Steven Cummings art since I was first exposed to it in some OEL (original English language) manga from Tokyopop, including Pantheon High (2007), Star Trek: The Manga (2007), and CSI: Intern at Your Own Risk (2009).

However, Star Wars: Crimson Reign #1 isn't the kind of first issue that will inspire me to go out of my way to read the rest of the series.  It is professionally written, professionally drawn, professionally colored, and professionally lettered.  This isn't a bad comic book.  I simply have little interest in Qi'ra's conspiracy, which is contrived past the point of being credible.  I find it hard to believe that not one syndicate leader would notice that the troubles begin shortly after Qi'ra and her ilk begin meeting with the syndicates.  Does it take two issues for even one of them to figure this out?

Lucasfilm and Marvel seem determined to retcon the fuck out of the original Star Wars trilogy and the imaginary timeline surrounding it – known as the “Age of Rebellion.”  That is their prerogative, but it is mine to choose to read it.  I choose not to.  I have never been that curious about “what happened” between the films, The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983).  But if that is your thing, Crimson Reign is not only a miniseries, but it is an event that will take place in various issues across Marvel's line of Star Wars comic books.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Marvel's Star Wars comic books may want to try Star Wars: Crimson Reign.

B
★★★ out of 4 stars

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


https://twitter.com/Marvel
https://www.marvel.com/
https://www.marvel.com/comics
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The text is copyright © 2022 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Wednesday, September 15, 2021

#IReadsYou Review: BATMAN: Strange Apparitions

BATMAN: STRANGE APPARITIONS
DC COMICS – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Steve Englehart; Len Wein
PENCILS: Marshall Rogers; Walter Simonson
INKS: Terry Austin; Dick Giordano; Al Milgrom
COLORS: Marshall Rogers
LETTERS: Ben Oda; Milton Snapinn; John Workman
EDITORS: Dale Crain (collection); Julie Schwartz (original)
MISC: Marshall Rogers; Walter Simonson; Terry Austin; Al Milgrom; Jerry Serpe
COVER: Marshall Rogers and Terry Austin with Lee Loughridge
ISBN: 978-1-56389-500-5; paperback (January 2000)
180pp, Color, $12.95 U.S., $20.00 CAN (November 11, 1999)

Batman created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger

Introduction by Steve Englehart


Steve Englehart is an American comic book writer known for his influential and prominent work during the 1970s.  He had memorable runs writing The Avengers from #105 -#152 (1972 to 1976) and Doctor Strange (Vol. 2) #1 to 18 (except #3).  He created such comics characters as “Shang-Chi, Master of Kung-Fu,” “Nomad,” “Star Lord,” and “Mantis.”

Marshall Rogers (1950 to 2007) was an American comic book artist known for his work for Marvel Comics, DC Comics, and Eclipse Comics.  He produced memorable work like Harlan Ellison's graphic novel, Demon with a Glass Hand (DC Comics, 1986); an early 1980s run on Doctor Strange and a late 1980s run on The Silver Surfer, both for Marvel.

In November 1999, DC Comics published the trade paperback, Batman: Strange Apparitions.  It collected Englehart and Rogers' most acclaimed and most influential work, which was their collaboration on a six-issue run of Batman stories for Detective Comics in the 1970s.  From issue #471 to issue #476 (August 1977 to March-April 1978), Englehart and Rogers produced some of the most popular Batman stories of all time, although they each produced two stories for Detective Comics with other collaborators.

Englehart wrote a Batman two-part story for Detective Comics #469 and #470, which were drawn by legendary comic book artist, Walter Simonson.  Rogers drew a two-art Batman story for issues #478 and #479, which were written by the late great comic book writer, Len Wein.  However, their work from #471 to #476 is what marks Englehart and Rogers as one of the greatest Batman creative teams of all time.  Although their work covers no more than six issues and is comprised of about only 102 pages, they are six memorable issues and 102 glorious pages.

DC Comics first reprinted Detective Comics #469 to #476 and #478 to #479 in the five-issue comic book miniseries, Shadow of the Batman (December 1985 to April 1986).  Shadow of the Batman #1 reprints the Englehart and Simonson issues, and Shadow of the Batman #5 reprints the Wein and Rogers stories.  Shadow of the Batman #2 to #4 reprints the Englehart-Rogers run.  Rogers also drew double-sided covers for each issue of Shadow of the Batman, and each issue also includes a comics short story drawn by Rogers that appeared in one of DC Comics' 1970s comic book anthology series.  Batman: Strange Apparitions reprints Detective Comics #469 to #476 and #478 to #479, without the Rogers short stories.

Englehart and artist Walt Simonson open Strange Apparitions with a two-part story from Detective Comics #469 (“...By Death's Eerie Light!”) and #470 (“The Master Plan of Dr. Phosphorus”).  The radioactive villain, “Dr. Phosphorus,” is attempting to hold Gotham City hostage, and Batman is having a difficult time with the villain.  Phosphorus has the strength to go toe-to-toe with Batman, and his radioactive touch can burn through Batman's uniform and leave serious burn on the Dark Knight's body.  Phosphorus is also part of a conspiracy that reaches into city hall.  The ringleader of this conspiracy is Boss Rupert Thorne, city council chairman and crime boss.  Englehart also introduces a memorable love interest for Bruce Wayne, Silver St. Cloud, a socialite and eventually, an event planner who comes to realize that Wayne is Batman.

That leads into the first two Steve Englehart-Marshall Rogers issues, Detective Comics #471 (“The Dead Yet Live) and #472 (“I Am the Batman”).  As Bruce Wayne, Batman checks into Graytowers Clinic, where the renowned Dr. Todhunter has a reputation for helping wealthy and powerful men recover physically and mentally.  Batman is hoping to recover from the grave wounds he sustained battling Dr. Phosphorus.  However, Dr. Todhunter is in actuality an old Batman villain, Hugo Strange.  Strange discovers that Bruce Wayne is Batman and incapacitates Wayne so that he can assume the identity of Batman.  Another plot line involves Boss Thorne putting out a contract on Batman's life, which draws the attention of some colorful and familiar Batman enemies.  In “I Am the Batman,” Robin returns to Gotham City to re-team with Batman.

Batman takes on The Penguin in Detective Comics #473 (“The Malay Penguin”) and the assassin “Deadshot” in issue #474 (The Deadshot Ricochet”).  Early in the latter story, Robin ends his temporary reunion with Batman when he is summoned by the Teen Titans.

Englehart and Rogers most famous story in their run occurred in the two-part Detective Comics #475 (“The Laughing Fish”) and #476 (“Sign of the Joker”).  This story features an unambiguously homicidal Joker, whose murderous actions are wholly illogical and consistently capricious.  In this mini-story arc, The Joker uses a chemical to disfigure fish in the ocean, giving them a “rictus grin” (similar to his own ghastly grin).  The Joker brazenly expects to be granted a federal trademark on these grinning fish.  The local government bureaucrats try to explain to the Joker that they cannot help him even if they wanted.  Obtaining such a claim on a natural resource (like the fish) is legally impossible.  So The Joker starts killing these men in the most gruesome way, and Batman begins a desperate and seemingly failing battle to stop the Joker.  Issue #476 is Englehart's final issue.

Marshall Rogers ends his tenure on Detective Comics with a two-part tale written by Len Wein.  The story appears in Detective Comics #478 (“The Coming of... Clayface III!”) and #479 (“If a Man Be Made of Clay...!”) and introduces the third iteration of the classic Batman villain, Clayface.

During his short, but essential run on Detective Comics, Steve Englehart returns Batman to his pulp fiction roots, making him a relentless force for justice.  Marshall Rogers draws Batman as brooding, fearsome, wraith-like, and (indeed) bat-like.  Batman moves about the page in a way that recalls what may be the character's chief inspiration, the pulp hero and vigilante, Walter Gibson's The Shadow.

The Joker also experiences a return to his roots.  Englehart and Rogers present an insane, matter-of-fact, and homicidal Joker, who has a creepy, unsettling grin dominating his face.  This recalls the character originally presented by writer Bill Finger and artists Bob Kane and Jerry Robinson.  As a visual reference for the way Rogers draws The Joker, readers need only take a look at three covers drawn by Jerry Robinson that feature The Joker:  Detective Comics #69 (Nov. 1942) and #71 (Jan. 1943), and also Batman #37 (Oct.-Nov 1946).

Steve Englehart now refers to his 1970s run on Detective Comics as “Dark Detective I,” as precursor to his 2005 miniseries, Batman: Dark Detective, which he now calls “Dark Detective II.”  I read these 1970s Englehart-Rogers Batman stories when I was a pre-teen, again in my late teens, and again in my early thirties, and now in my early 50s.  I can say that, for the most part, these stories have aged well.

Englehart has also said that these stories not only influenced the 1989 Batman movie, but that they are also the reason that film went into development.  I don't know if that is true or not, but I could believe it.  These stories are special enough to influence other Batman storytellers, and in the trade paperback collection, Batman: Strange Apparitions, they prove that they won't fade away.



The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Friday, May 7, 2021

#IReadsYou Review: POWER MAN AND IRON FIST #1

POWER MAN AND IRON FIST No. 1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: David Walker
ARTIST: Sanford Greene
COLORS: Lee Loughridge
LETTERS: VC's Clayton Cowles
COVER: Sanford Greene
VARIANT COVERS: Kalman Andrasofszky; John Tyler Christopher; Sanford Greene; Theotis Jones; Chris Visions; Trevor Von Eeden with Rachelle Rosenberg; Skottie Young
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (April 2016)

Rated T+

“The Boys are Back”


Luke Cage, also known as “Power Man,” is a Marvel Comics superhero.  He was created by writer Archie Goodwin and artist John Romita, Sr., and first appeared in Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1 (cover dated: June 1972).  Cage was imprisoned for a crime he did not commit, but he eventually gains superpowers in the form of durability, unbreakable skin, and superhuman strength.

Iron Fist/Daniel “Danny” Rand is a Marvel Comics superhero.  The character was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Gil Kane, and first appeared in Marvel Premiere #15 (cover dated: May 1974).  An orphan and martial artist, Danny earned the power of a mystical force called the Iron Fist in the also mystical city of K'un Lun.

Both characters have starred in their own comic books series, but Luke Cage and Iron Fist have also been a duo and a team called Heroes for Hire.  There was also a long-running comic book series entitled Power Man and Iron Fist.  Thanks to the All-New, All-Different Marvel, Power Man and Iron Fist the comic book is back.  It is written by David Walker; drawn by Sanford Greene; colored by Lee Loughridge; and lettered by Clayton Cowles.

Power Man and Iron Fist #1 (“The Boys are Back”) opens with Luke and Danny on their way to meet Jennie Royce.  The former office manager of Heroes for Hire, Jennie has finished serving a prison sentence for murdering her abusive ex-boyfriend, Eugene Mason.  Jennie asks Luke and Danny to retrieve a family heirloom currently in the possession of a criminal, Lonnie Lincoln a.k.a. “Tombstone.”  Luke is adamant that he is not re-teaming with Danny Rand and that this mission to retrieve Jennie's heirloom is just a favor for a friend-who-is-like-family in need.  But, of course, it is not the easy.

One look at Sanford Greene's cover art for this new Power Man and Iron Fist #1, I knew that I would not like what was behind the cover.  I was wrong.  I really liked this first issue, and I am genuinely suspicious or ambivalent about first issues.

David Walker's story and script is off-beat in a way that makes this comic book stand out from the Marvel pack, in a way that Matt Fraction and David Aja's Hawkeye did.  Sanford Greene's visual language for this comic book balances superhero action against an edgy kind of street-comedy and gritty drama that pushes back on easy classification.

I like this comic book, and I look forward to future issues.  Besides, David Walker and Sanford Greene are the Black/African-American creative team I have been demanding, so I gots to keep it real and read this comic book for several issues, at least.  So far, it looks like their work will help to choke the Jim Crow out of the American comic book industry

A-
7.5 out of 10

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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Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Review: JOURNEY TO STAR WARS: The Rise of Skywalker - Allegiance #1


JOURNEY TO STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER – ALLEGIANCE No. 1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon. And visit the "Star Wars Central" review page here.]

STORY: Ethan Sacks
ART: Luke Ross
COLORS: Lee Loughridge
LETTERS: VC's Clayton Cowles
EDITOR: Mark Paniccia
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Akira Yoshida a.k.a. C.B. Cebulski
COVER: Marco Checchetto
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Brian Stelfreeze; Will Sliney with Guru-eFX
36pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (December 2019)

Rated T

Journey to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker – Allegiance Part I - “An Old Hope”

Journey to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker – Allegiance is four-issue Star Wars comic book series from Marvel Comics.  Published weekly this month (October 2019), Allegiance takes place before the events depicted in the upcoming film, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.  Journey to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker – Allegiance is written by Ethan Sacks; drawn by Luke Ross; colored by Lee Loughridge; and lettered by Clayton Cowles.

Journey to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker – Allegiance #1 (“An Old Hope”) opens in the aftermath of the film, Star Wars: The Last JediThe Resistance is in tatters, and its adversary, the First Order, and its Supreme Leader, Kylo Ren, will stop at nothing to crush what is left.  General Leia Organa, the head of the Resistance, leads the last of the rebels, which includes Rey (Jedi-in-training), Finn, Poe Dameron, Rose Tico, Chewbacca the Wookie, and the droids:  C-3PO, R2-D2, and BB-8.

The story opens on the Mid Rim ice planet, Tah'Nuhna, which the First Order's General Hux uses as a warning to any other worlds that may be considering offering any kind of assistance to the Resistance.  General Organa decides that it is time for her to be proactive with a new mission, for which she takes Rey, Rose, and Tico with her.  On the refueling station, “The Wayward Comet,” Finn, Poe, and BB-8 hope to meet a contact who will point them to a weapons cache that the Resistance can use.  However, they are unaware that they are being watched.  Meanwhile, Leia and her delegation approach “an old hope” with lots of hope and some trepidation...

I wish I could say that Journey to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker – Allegiance #1 temporarily sates my appetite for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, but it doesn't.  Hell, it doesn't even whet my appetite for the film.

Journey to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker – Allegiance #1 is not a bad comic book; it simply reads like filler material.  It also seems like a movie tie-in that is mostly a cynical money grab.  I will say that writer Ethan Sacks has presented a scenario that does have potential; so there is... hope.  Perhaps, this issue is mostly set-up, and future issues will read more like a complete story and less like... just-another-Star-Wars-thing.

I must note that the art team of Luke Ross (pencils) and Lee Loughridge (colors) turns in some really pretty art.  Clayton Cowles' lettering is sharp, and the back matter is a nice addition to this first issue.

Will my mixed feelings about Journey to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker – Allegiance #1 stop me from reading the second issue?  No.  Like a true Star Wars sucker, I will probably get all four issues!

[This comic book includes a script-to-art-to-colors look at the process of scripting, drawing, and coloring five pages of Journey to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker – Allegiance #1.  There is also a look at Marco Checchetto's cover art for all four issues of Journey to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker – Allegiance.]

6 out of 10

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


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

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Tuesday, October 30, 2018

Review: THE DEMON: Hell is Earth #1

THE DEMON: HELL IS EARTH No. 1 (OF 6)
DC COMICS – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Andrew Constant
PENCILS: Brad Walker
INKS: Andrew Hennessy
COLORS: Chris Sotomayor
LETTERS: Tom Napolitano
COVER: Brad Walker and Andrew Hennessy with Lee Loughridge
32pp, Color, $2.99 U.S. (January 2018)

Rated “T” for “Teen”

The Demon created by Jack Kirby

“Hell is Earth” Part One

Etrigan the Demon is a DC Comics anti-hero/superhero.  The character was created by Jack Kirby and first appeared in The Demon #1 (cover dated: August 1972).  Etrigan is a demon from Hell, but he often finds himself allied to forces of good, for instance to Batman (when he was based in Gotham City).  Etrigan, also known as simply, “The Demon,” is bound to a human, Jason Blood, who recites an incantation when he wants to summon Etrigan to take his place.

Etrigan returns in a new six-issue miniseries, entitled The Demon: Hell is Earth.  It is written by Andrew Constant; drawn by Brad Walker (pencils) and Andrew Hennessy (inks) colored by Chris Sotomayor; and lettered by Tom Napolitano.

The Demon: Hell is Earth #1 finds Jason Blood living in a shack in Death Valley.  He has not freed Etrigan from inside himself “in a very long time.”  Troubling visions, however, are plaguing Blood, including a vision of Etrigan setting a child on fire.  Unbeknownst to Blood, that child is heading to Death Valley, and well as an old ally.  Meanwhile, a dark force launches its plans right at Etrigan.

I could be my cynical self, but I am shocked by how much I am liking The Demon: Hell is Earth #1.  Writer Andrew Constant offers a story that intrigues.  Often, these first issues, with their slow gathering of players and forces, do not interest me enough to keep reading past the first issue, but I am ready for the second issue of this series now!  Pencil artist Brad Walker offers a number of exciting pages, especially the powerful two-page reveal of Etrigan.  Inker Andrew Hennessy finishes Walker's pencils with sharp potent line work.

I think I am smitten with colorist Chris Sotomayor's riot of reds and oranges.  That makes the demonic and dark elements alight with hellish delight.  Tom Napolitano, an accomplished letterer, hits all the high notes or words, and his lettering here makes the dialogue snap and crackle.  The Demon: Hell is Earth #1 shows that comic books are a team effort and that a good team can turn a comic book that seems like just another thing into a thing worth reading.

7.5 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 blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Thursday, January 5, 2017

Review: GRIP: The Strange World of Men #1

GRIP: THE STRANGE WORLD OF MEN No. 1
DC COMICS – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY/ART: Gilbert Hernandez
COLORS: Pamela Rambo
LETTERS: John Costanza
COVER: Gilbert Hernandez with Lee Loughridge
32pp, Color, $2.50 U.S., $4.25 CAN (January 2002)

Part 1: “Grip of Fear”

Cartoonist and comix creator, Gibert Hernandez, is most famous for being one-half of Los. Bros. with his brother, Jaime Hernandez.  Together, they are the creators of the long-running comic book series, Love and Rockets (with their brother Mario sometimes contributing).

Most of Gilbert's work has been published by alternative comics publisher, Fantagraphics Books, but some of his output has been released by other entities.  One example is the 2002 five issue miniseries, Grip: The Strange World of Men, that was published by DC Comics under its Vertigo imprint.  Gilbert wrote and drew this miniseries with colors by Pamela Rambo and letters by John Costanza.

Grip: The Strange World of Men #1 (“Grip of Fear”) opens in an unnamed city on a busy sidewalk.  We meet a young man of Asian extraction (Chinese-American?) with a lipstick imprint of a kiss on his right cheek.  He does not know who he is, but in the suit he is wearing, he finds the state license of a Black man named “Clarence Gideon.”

The young man discovers that he has a strange aversion to institutions that might be able to help him, but he can visit the home of Clarence Gideon's wife.  Meeting Mrs. Gideon begins the slow process of discovering his past, but a man calling himself “Joe Hook” claims to know all.

I had long forgotten about Grip: The Strange World of Men, but during a recent re-organization and clean-up, I found that I had bought all five issue.  I can't remember why I had never gotten around to reading it (and many other comics books that I had apparently “squirreled” away).  I decided to read at least the first issue and review it... for those that might decide to discover it or rediscover it.  Dark Horse Comics collected Grip in a trade paperback last year.  Grip: The Strange World of Men, unlike many Vertigo, so-called creator-owned series, is entirely owned by Gilbert Hernandez.

Anyway, if Gilbert Hernandez were not credited as the writer-artist of Grip, I would not necessarily associate it with him, although it does resemble some of his other work.  Right now, I'm thinking of Gilbert's contributions to the early incarnation of the 1980s comic book, Mr. X.  Still, this has an odd quality; perhaps, it simply does not resemble Gilbert's recent work and that is what is throwing me off.  Grip is playful, even with the explicit depictions of violence.  It is hugely intriguing and looks like an alt-comix interpretation of one of those Alfred Hitchcock murder-mystery, suspense thrillers.  The difference is that Grip does not seem so intense.

I have long thought of Gilbert as being one of the best comic book writers in North America over the better part of four decades, with him often being the best.  Truthfully, he is a gift to American comic books, a unique voice in the wilderness of corporate products, media tie-ins, and genre dumpster comics.  Grip shows that he can be imaginative even on cruise control.

A-

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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Friday, December 11, 2015

Review: Batman #44

BATMAN No. 44
DC COMICS – @DCComics

[This review originally appeared on Patreon.]

STORY: Scott Snyder
WRITERS: Scott Snyder and Brian Azzarello
ART: Jock
COLORS: Lee Loughridge
LETTERS: Deron Bennett
COVER: Jock
VARIANT COVERS: Tony Daniel with Tomeau Morey (Green Lantern 75th Anniversary Cover)
40pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (November 2015)

Rated “T” for “Teen”

Batman created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger

“A Simple Case”

Once upon a time, American network television sitcoms occasionally offered up episodes that focused on timely and/or relevant events, issues, and topics (sex, teen pregnancy, gun violence, abortion, etc.).  Such series installments came to be known as the “very special episode.”

There are a certain episodes that come to mind when I think of the “very special episode.”  In “Diff'erent Strokes” (which personified the special episode), a bicycle shop owner grooms Gary Coleman's “Arnold Jackson” and Arnold's friend “Dudley Jackson” (Shavar Ross) for sexual assault.  In “Family Ties,” Michael J. Fox's “Alex P. Keaton” loses his virginity to a woman who promptly dumps him, even though Alex had fallen in love with her after the encounter.  In “Good Times,” Jimmie Walker's “JJ” was engaged to a young woman who uses hallucinogenic drugs (angel dust?) that leads to to her jumping through a bathroom widow to her death.

Writers Scott Snyder and Brian Azzarello and artist Jock, with the assistance of colorist Lee Loughridge and letterer Deron Bennett offer up what could be considered a “very special issue” of Batman.  The story revolves around the police shooting of an unarmed young black man.

Batman #44 (“A Simple Case”) opens in the Gotham Marshes, near the old city limit.  Fifteen-year-old Peter Duggio, a resident of the Narrows, is found dead.  It looks as if he were dropped straight from the sky.  At first, Batman suspects a supervillain, one of his “rogues gallery.”  Then, it seems that Peter, an unarmed young black man, was shot by veteran Gotham City Police Department officer, Ned Howler.  However, Peter's death is far more complicated, with the teen boy's demise being the center of a web of deceit and lies.  And Bruce Wayne may be in that web.

I first heard about Batman #44 when it became a buzzed-about comic book story for a few days.  It generated only a little fake controversy.  The truth is that “A Simple Case” is not so much about a White cop shooting an unarmed Black kid, as it is about the entire, rotten, corrupted thing that a big city can become.  Peter Duggio's death is the result of criminals, corrupted public officials, law enforcement, and system-wide failure, especially on the part of institutions.

Snyder and Azzarello seem to be say that individuals can make a difference because each person can offer his of her singular focus.  On the other hand, institutions, agencies, organizations, etc. are made of multiple individuals and often cannot provide a singular focus where it is needed – in this case of needing singular focus, Peter Duggio.

The art by Jock is half graphical storytelling and half illustration.  Snyder and Azzarello's story seems separate from Jock's art, but that does not take away from the story.  Sometimes, Jock's art comes across as illustrations for an essay or piece of journalistic writing.  Jock's art becomes comic book storytelling in those moments when Snyder and Azzarello focus on character drama and character interaction.  Lee Loughridge's colors are moody, but also accentuate Batman's quest, giving it a sense of immediacy.  The colors suggest that this story is a dark and moody thriller, but at times, Loughridge understands that the story needs a sense of hope.

Batman #44 is a nice change of pace for the series.  Best of all, it is nice that the creative team offered more than something that is simply of the moment.  Peter Duggio's story is timeless because it depicts problems that just won't go away.

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.


Friday, October 2, 2015

Review: DOCTOR FATE #1

DOCTOR FATE #1 (2015)
DC COMICS – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Paul Levitz
ART: Sonny Liew
COLORS: Lee Loughridge
LETTERS: Nick J. Napolitano
COVER: Sonny Liew
VARIANT COVER: Ibrahim Moustafa
32pp, Color, $2.99 U.S. (August 2015)

Rated “T” for “Teen”

“Blood of the Pharaohs”

Doctor Fate created by Gardner Fox and Hal Sherman

Doctor Fate is a DC Comics magical superhero character that has had several incarnations.  The original version of Doctor Fate was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Howard Sherman, and first appeared in More Fun Comics #55 (cover dated:  May 1940).

The “DCYou” publishing initiative offers a new version of Fate and a new Doctor Fate series.  The new comic book is produced by writer Paul Levitz and artist Sonny LiewLee Loughridge is the colorist and Nick J. Napolitano is the letterer.

Doctor Fate #1 (“Blood of the Pharaohs”) opens on Shore Parkway, Brooklyn, where we meet Anubis, the Egyptian Lord of Dead in the form of a mangy-looking dog.  He has launched a plan to restore “the Maat” (“the order of things”), and that involves flooding the world to wash the civilization of mankind away.  And the rain/deluge has begun...

However, Bastet, an Anubis rival, has found the human who must wear the helmet of Fate and preserve the Maat before the flood takes it all.  He is an overwhelmed Brooklyn medical student named Khalid Nelson.  Is he ready to take on such responsibility without even an instruction manual to guide him?

I placed Doctor Fate at the end of my reading slush pile of “DCYou” launches.  I have read very few Doctor Fate comic books over the years, and I have generally found them not to my liking.  Plus, the cover for this new Doctor Fate #1 is unappealing to me to say the least.

Yes, yes:  I know.  Don't judge a book by its cover.  Doctor Fate #1 is quite intriguing.  I think it has potential, and I certainly enjoyed reading this first issue.  In fact, I think this is the most I have enjoyed anything written by Paul Levitz that he didn't write over 30 years ago.  The first issue is like one of the first chapters of a manga that gives the reader the basics about the hero, as well as a little about the opposition in about 20 pages.

The art and storytelling by artist Sonny Liew is just write for what seems like a quirky take on both Fate and also on magic and the supernatural in the DC Universe.  The storytelling is mostly clear and straightforward even when the art turns a bit eccentric.  I'm ready for a second issue of Doctor Fate.

B+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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


Friday, August 14, 2015

Review: BLACK CANARY #1

BLACK CANARY (2015) #1
DC COMICS – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Brenden Fletcher
ART: Annie Wu
COLORS: Lee Loughridge
LETTERS: Steve Wands
COVER: Annie Wu
VARIANT COVERS: Tula Lotay
32pp, Color, $2.99 U.S. (August 2015)

Rated “T” for “Teen”

“The Most Dangerous Band in America”

DC Comics' superhero, Black Canary, first appeared in what is known as the “Golden Age” of comic books.  She was created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Carmine Infantino and debuted in Flash Comics #86 (cover date:  August 1947).  Black Canary was one of DC Comics' earliest female superheroes.

Her alter-ego was Dinah Drake, and she was a member of and appeared in both the Justice Society of America and Justice League of America comic books.  Eventually, Dinah Drake gave way to a younger version of the character, Dinah Laurel Lance (who was at one time depicted as the daughter of Dinah Drake).  Dinah Lance's super-power is the “Canary Cry,” a high-pitched sonic scream that can shatter objects and incapacitate enemies, and she is also a world-class martial artist.

As part of DC Comics' new publishing initiative, “DC You,” Lance is the star of a new comic book entitled Black Canary.  It is written by Brenden Fletcher, drawn by Annie Wu, colored by Lee Loughridge, and lettered by Steve Wands.

When Black Canary #1 (“The Most Dangerous Band in America”) opens, Dinah is the lead singer of a four-piece band called “Black Canary.”  On keys is Paloma TerrificLord Byron pounds the drum kit.  The “silent wunderkind,” Ditto, is the guitarist.  Talk about kick out the jams, mutha...., Black Canary is literally tearing up the venues in which her band plays.  She is a trouble magnet, but what she discovers about her band will change all their lives.

The snarky part of me thinks that this Black Canary comic book won't last more than 12 issues; actually, I don't think that it will go past eight issues.  This is not a bad comic book, but, at this point, its uniqueness may not save it.  Black Canary is a like a shallow Vertigo Comics spin on Eisner Award winner Jaime Hernandez's classic “Lucas” comics in the long-running alt-comix title, Love and Rockets.  Hernandez was able to convey the heady noise-making of punk rock in both the static images and graphical language of comic books.  Black Canary doesn't bring the noise.

Black Canary has potential, but sometimes, quirky and interesting isn't enough.  Black Canary needs a great second issue to suggest a long run.  Hell, a third and fourth great issue wouldn't hurt.

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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


Friday, May 9, 2014

I Reads You Review: DEAD BOY DETECTIVES #1

DEAD BOY DETECTIVES #1
DC COMICS/Vertigo – @DCComics  @vertigo_comics

STORY: Toby Litt and Mark Buckingham
SCRIPT: Toby Litt
PENCILS: Mark Buckingham
INKS: Gary Erskine
COLORS: Lee Loughridge
LETTERS: Todd Klein
EDITOR: Shelly Bond
COVER: Mark Buckingham
VARIANT COVER: Cliff Chiang
32pp, Color, $2.99 U.S. (February 2014)

Rated “T” for Teen

“Schoolboy Terrors” The New Girl, Part 1 of 4

Dead Boy Detectives created by Neil Gaiman and artists Matt Wagner and Malcolm Jones III

In preparation for Vertigo Comics’ new ongoing series, Dead Boy Detectives, I read The Sandman Presents: The Deadboy Detectives.  This 2001 miniseries was written by Ed Brubaker and drawn by Bryan Talbot (pencils) and Steve Leialoha (inks), with colors by Daniel Vozzo.  I loved it because this miniseries is the kind of comic book that is the reason I keep reading comic books.

I am not as enamored with the new series, Dead Boy Detectives, which launched a few months ago.  A production of the creative team of Toby Litt and Mark Buckingham, the first issue of Dead Boy Detectives is not quite tepid, but it certainly lacks the sparkling wit and dazzling imagination of The Sandman Presents: The Deadboy Detectives #1.

For those that don’t know, “The Dead Boy Detectives” are Edwin Paine and Charles Rowland.  The two characters first appeared in The Sandman #25 (cover dated: April, 1991) and were created by writer Neil Gaiman and artists Matt Wagner and Malcolm Jones III.  Paine was murdered at his British boarding school, Saint Hilarion’s, in 1916, and spent 75 years in Hell.  He escaped in 1991 and returned to Hilarion’s, where he met Rowland (during the events depicted in The Sandman story arc, Seasons of Mist).  Rowland died during this time, but refused to accompany Death, preferring the prospect of future adventures with Paine.  The two ghosts spent a decade haunting places, preparing to become “first-rate detectives.”

As Dead Boy Detectives #1 begins, Edwin and Charles are observing the spectacle that is British performance artist, Maddy Surname.  With her rock star husband, Seth Von Hoverkraft, Maddy plans to steal Vincent Van Gogh’s painting, “Sunflowers,” from the British National Gallery.  They will replace Van Gogh’s masterpiece with another painting that Maddy will steal before the Van Gogh theft.  Maddy and Seth’s daughter, Crystal Palace, seems an unwilling participant in the performance.

However, some others decide that they also want play in this game, and it has a great affect on Crystal Palace.  Now, Crystal makes a decision that will have the Dead Boy Detectives shadowing her to a familiar place.

With Brubaker’s layered story and radiant characters and Bryan Talbot and Steve Leialoha’s textured and detailed art, The Sandman Presents: The Deadboy Detectives was a dazzling fantasy, graphic novella.  Toby Litt and Mark Buckingham offer something with potential, but, at this point, it seems like little more than a story with its style lifted from Daniel Clowes’ Ghost World.

I must say that I do like the art by Buckingham (pencils), Gary Erskine (inks), and Lee Loughridge (colors).  Beyond that, I guess I’ll just have to keep reading.

B

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.