#IReadsYou Review: DEEP BEYOND #2

DEEP BEYOND #2 (OF 12)
IMAGE COMICS/Arancia Studio

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Mirka Andolfo and David Goy
ART: Andrea Broccardo
COLORS: Barbara Nosenzo
LETTERS: Fabio Amelia
DESIGN: Fabrizio Verrocchi
EDITOR: Rossano Bruno
COVER:  Andrea Broccardo with Andrea Meloni
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Mirka Andolfo; Dan Panosian; Marco Checchetto
28pp, Colors, 3.99 U.S. (March 2021)

Rated “T+/Teen Plus”

Deep Beyond created by Mirka Andolfo, David Goy, Andrea Broccardo, and Barbara Nosenzo

Deep Beyond is a new twelve-issue comic book miniseries from writers Mirka Andolfo and David Goy and artist Andrea Broccardo.  Published by Image Comics, Deep Beyond is a science fiction comic book that follows a small group of people trying to discover what is hidden in an abyss.  Colorist Barbara Nosenzo and letterer Fabio Amelia complete the creative team.

It is the year 2085 on Earth.  The planet has been devastated by the dire consequences of the “millennium bug” (December 31st, 2000?).  A small number of people, mostly talented scientists, work to ensure the survival of mankind.  Now, Jolene leads a mission to rescue one of those scientists, her twin sister, Pamela Bell, and Pamela's colleague and ex-lover, Dr. Paul Bailey, has joined the mission.  What the survivors don't know is that there is something worse in the deep beyond.

As Deep Beyond #2 opens, Jolene and Paul are on the run from a marine monster.  Luckily, Jolene's compatriots come to the rescue, only to find themselves in peril from this seemingly unbeatable beast of many tentacles.

Now, on to getting equipped for the rescue of Pamela Bell.  Will the equipment work?  And do the rescuers know that someone powerful is willing to kill them to stop them?

THE LOWDOWN:  Thanks to a PDF copy for review of Deep Beyond #1, I had my first Mirka experience.  I had seen writer-artist Mirka Andolfo's name around for the past several years, but I had not read any of her work, including her other Image Comics series, Mercy.

Andolfo does not draw Deep Beyond.  The art team is comprised of illustrator Andrea Broccardo (Star Wars: Doctor Aphra) and colorist Barbara Nosenzo, and this artist-colorist team is delivering some absolutely gorgeous work on Deep Beyond.  In the first issue, their work bares the naked truth about Deep Beyond's dystopian future:  things are really, f*****g screwed up.  Broccardo creates the bleakness and Nosenzo's colors create the terror, but in this second issue, the team draws exciting action scenes with beautiful illustrations and vivid colors.  It's a dark future, from an eye candy point of view.

Co-writers Andolfo and David Goy threw a lot of narrative curve balls at the readers in the first issue.  In Deep Beyond #2, the writers offer straightforward action and provide more insight into the characters.  Yes, the story is still unclear about all the adversaries and about what awaits the rescue mission, but Andolfo and Goy are good at keeping us intrigued.  I think I want more, dear readers, and maybe you will to.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Mirka Andolfo will want to go Deep Beyond.

8 out of 10

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


https://twitter.com/ImageComics
https://imagecomics.com/
https://twitter.com/Mirkand
https://www.mirkaandolfo.com/
https://twitter.com/aranciastudio
https://aranciastudio.com/


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

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#IReadsYou Review: STAR WARS: Target Vader #1

STAR WARS: TARGET VADER No. 1 (OF 6)
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

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

STORY: Robbie Thompson
ART: Marc Laming; Cris Bolson
COLORS: Neeraj Menon; Jordan Boyd; Andres Mossa; Federico Blee; Erick Arciniega
LETTERS: VC's Clayton Cowles
EDITOR: Mark Paniccia
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Akira Yoshida a.k.a. C.B. Cebulski
COVER: Nic Klein
VARIANT COVERS: Carmen Carnero; Marco Checchetto
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (September 2019)

Rated “T”

Part 1 of 6: “On the Hunt”

Star Wars: Target Vader is a new six-issue comic book miniseries.  It is written by Robbie Thompson.  The art for the first issue is drawn by Marc Lamming and Cris Bolson, with coloring by Neeraj Menon, Jordan Boyd, Andres Mossa, Federico Blee, and Erick Arciniega.  Series letterer is Clayton Cowles.  Target Vader finds the Dark Lord of the Sith hunting for a mysterious criminal syndicate that operates outside of the rule of the Galactic Empire.

Star Wars: Target Vader #1 opens on the “Lower Bay Docks” of Eikari in the Outer Rim.  Holaq, a gun-toting criminal, has chosen his new allies badly.  Darth Vader is on the hunt!  He is searching for “The Hidden Hand,” a highly-secretive criminal syndicate that is selling weapons to the Rebel Alliance.  Emperor Palpatine wants Vader to find The Hidden Hand and to expose and destroy every member and to also tear any allies or associates to pieces.  Meanwhile, on Coruscant, the notorious bounty hunter, Beilert Valance, is about to get an offer from The Hidden Hand.

Sometime before the debut of the 2015 film, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, a commentator wrote that he would like that film and the Star Wars films to follow to be more like the original Star Wars (1977) film.  To him, that first film was a kind of science fiction that had the elements of an American Western film.  I can see the spaceport town of Mos Eisley on the planet Tatooine as something like an isolated Western outlaw town.

Star Wars: Target Vader #1 has a vibe that suggests the original Star Wars film.  The settings and action could be from either a Western or even from an urban gangland fairy tale like “The Untouchables” (1959 to 1963) television series.  Robbie Thompson's script for this first issue is a lean, mean, fighting machine – quick to the point and quick to dispatch characters to their violent deaths.  Thompson manages to make even Darth Vader seem vulnerable (somewhat) in this scenario.

The other star of this comic book is Beilert Valance, now an official character in the Star Wars canon.  He is a re-imagined version of Valance the Hunter, a character that originated in Marvel Comics' first Star Wars comic book series (which began in 1977) and not in the Star Wars films.  [Valance was created by writer Archie Goodwin and artist Walter Simonson and first appeared in Star Wars #16 (cover dated: October 1978).]  Thompson makes Beilert seem quite intriguing:  a loser with a bad-ass streak and the skills to kill.

The art for this issue is split between Marc Laming and Cris Bolson.  Both deliver comic book art that is in the spirit of science fiction comic book artists of the pasts like Al Williamson and Dan Barry.  The coloring is bright and vivid and shimmers like starlight, and Clayton Cowles proves to be a letterer whose fonts are perfect for Star Wars.

I really like Star Wars: Target Vader #1, and I hope the rest of the miniseries can offer the excitement this one does.  This series might even offer readers a kind of Star Wars take on DC Comics' Suicide Squad.  I can say, once again, that Marvel's Darth Vader titles are consistently good.

8 out of 10

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


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


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#IReadsYou Review: STAR WARS: Obi-Wan and Anakin #1

OBI-WAN AND ANAKIN No. 1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

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

WRITER: Charles Soule
ART: Marco Checchetto
COLORS: Andres Mossa
LETTERS: VC's Joe Caramagna
COVER: Marco Checchetto
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (March 2016)

Rated “T”

“Part I”

At the end of the the 1999 film, Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, newly minted Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi took on, as his student (Padawan), Anakin Skywalker.  The two were together for the ten years between The Phantom Menace and the 2002 film, Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones.

Marvel Comics' latest Star Wars comic book miniseries takes place during that decade.  It is entitled Obi-Wan and Anakin.  It is written by Charles Soule; drawn by Marco Checchetto; colored by Andres Mossa; and lettered by Joe Caramagna.

Obi-Wan and Anakin #1 (“Part 1”) finds Obi-Wan and Anakin on the planet Carnelion IV, located in the farthest reaches of the galaxy.  This world was not part of the Republic, so there was nothing to stop the denizens of that far-reaching planet from destroying themselves.  However, a distress call was broadcast, using “archaic phrasing,” so Obi-Wan and Anakin have been sent to help.  To the extent that it may be needed, however, is Jedi help wanted?  Meanwhile, Anakin's behavior has drawn the interest of a powerful figure, even as that behavior concerns the Jedi Council.

I liked Charles Soule's work on the five-issue miniseries, Lando, and I liked Marco Checchetto art on the four-issue miniseries, Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Shattered Empire.  I am intrigued by Obi-Wan and Anakin, although this first issue is mostly introduction, but the creative team makes me look forward to it.  What gives me hope that this will be an exceptional comic book is the flashback that takes place on Coruscant.  This leads me to believe that Obi-Wan and Anakin will be an important chapter concerning the development of Anakin Skywalker, leading up to Attack of the Clones.

There is not much else to say.  Still, I think that Star Wars fans that read Star Wars novels and comic books should consider Obi-Wan and Anakin a publishing event not to be missed.

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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#IReadsYou Review: X-MEN #1 (2019)

X-MEN No. 1 (2019)
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Jonathan Hickman
PENCILS: Leinil Francis Yu
INKS: Gerry Alanguilan
COLORS: Sunny Gho
LETTERS: VC's Clayton Cowles
EDITOR: Jordan D. White
EiC: Akria Yoshida a.k.a. “C.B. Cebulski”
COVER: Leinil Francis Yu with Sunny Gho
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Mark Bagley and John Dell with Israel Silva; Mark Brooks; Tom Muller; Whilce Portacio with Chris Sotomayor; Leinil Francis Yu; Chris Bachalo with Edgar Delgado; Artgerm; Marco Checchetto; Russell Dauterman
44pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (December 2019)

Rated T+

The X-Men created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

“Pax Krakoa”

The X-Men are a Marvel Comics superhero team and franchise created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Jack Kirby.  In The X-Men #1 (cover dated: September 1963), readers were introduced to a professor and team-leader and his students who had unique powers and abilities because they were “mutants.”  The leader was Professor Charles Xavier a/k/a “Professor X.”  His students were Scott Summers (Cyclops), Jean Grey (Marvel Girl), Warren Worthington III (Angel), Henry “Hank” McCoy (Beast), and Bobby Drake (Iceman).

This past summer (2019), writer Jonathan Hickman revamped, rebooted, and re-imagined the X-Men comic book franchise via a pair of six-issue comic book miniseries, House of X and Powers of X (pronounced “Powers of Ten”).  October welcomed “Dawn of X,” the launch of six new X-Men titles, although all except one bore titles that have been previously used.  The new series were Excalibur, Fallen Angels, Marauders, New Mutants, X-Force, and the subject of this review, X-Men.

X-Men 2019 is written by Jonathan Hickman; drawn by Leinil Franics Yu (pencils) and the recently-deceased Gerry Alanguilan (inks); colored by Sunny Gho, and lettered by Clayton Cowles.  The series will apparently focus on Cyclops and his hand-picked team of mutant powerhouses who will stand between the mutants' sacred land (the island of Krakoa) and the threat of the human world.

X-Men #1 (Pax Krakoa) finds the X-Men engaged in a mop-up operation, destroying the last stronghold of Orchis, the organization that was attempting to build a more powerful generation of the mutant-hunting robots, the Sentinels.  Cyclops, Storm, Magneto, and Polaris find little real resistance from the minions of Orchis.  However, they do find a “posthuman” and a large group of mutant children in need of rescuing... and in need of a home.

So it's back to Krakoa, the living island and mutant nation-state.  Many are still adjusting to this new home and the new state of mutant affairs.  Meanwhile, their enemies are not going quietly into the night, nor is their evil science.

For the first two decades of its existence, the X-Men comic book series (later titled Uncanny X-Men) had an intimate feel to it.  The series basically focused on a small band of heroes and adventures who (1) had few allies and (2) fought “evil mutants” in order to protect the larger world of humanity.  Even when the team line-ups changed or when a second group of “New Mutants” entered the picture, the X-Men comics felt like an intimate affair with its tales of the mutant-us against the world.

From the mid-1980s on, Marvel Comics published an increasing number of X-Men and X-Men related ongoing series, finite series, graphic novels, and assorted one-off publications.  Then, the hit film, X-Men (2000), presented the X-Men's home and base, “Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters” (Xavier Institute for Higher Learning), as an actual school, packed with minor children who were mutants.  Marvel Comics followed suit, and suddenly Professor Charles Xavier a.k.a. Professor X's mansion went from half a dozen or so inhabitants to housing untold dozens of students, in addition to members of the X-Men who were suddenly being depicted as teachers and counselors.

So during the past two decades of X-Men comic books, the X-Men titles have stopped being superhero comic books and have become mutant soap opera, dystopian, science fiction, serial dramas.  That would not be a problem except there are too many characters, too many plots, and too many comic books.  No matter how many Spider-Man, Superman, or Batman comic books there are, those titles still focus only on Spider-Man, Superman, or Batman.  There is still an intimacy between the reader and a single character.  Too many Avengers or Justice League comic books become redundant, like an over-supply of superhero characters.  That's the problem with the X-Men... still... even after the latest spiffy, new reboot.

Jonathan Hickman's House of X and Powers of X were finite series with a purpose, a goal, and (more or less) an endgame.  Each series had a beginning, a middle, and an end – even during the moments when that was presented in a non-linear fashion.  Both of these comic books were wonderful, satisfying, complete reads.

But we seem to be back to the status quo that was not supposed to be, at least, post-Hickman revolution.  X-Men 2019 is the start of a wave of new X-Men titles, “Dawn of X,” soon to be followed by more waves.  Well, maybe Hickman will continue to surprise us and later issues of X-Men 2019 won't feel like padded story the way this X-Men #1 does.  One can hope, even a former X-Men fan like myself.  But I have a feeling that sales on the “Dawn of X” titles will have plummeted so much by the end of 2020 that Marvel Comics will already be planning the next relaunch.

5.5 out of 10

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


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


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Review: HOUSE OF X #1

HOUSE OF X No. 1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Jonathan Hickman
ART: Pepe Larraz
COLORS: Marte Gracia
LETTERS: VC's Clayton Cowles
EDITOR: Jordan D. White
EiC: Akria Yoshida a.k.a. “C.B. Cebuski”
COVER: Pepe Larraz with Marte Gracia
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Mark Brooks; Marco Checchetto; John Tyler Christopher; Dave Cockrum with Jesus Aburtov; Mike Huddleston; Joe Madureira with Peter Steigerwald; Phil Noto; Sara Pichelli with Dean White; Humberto Ramos with Edgar Delgado; Skottie Young
56pp, Color, $5.99 U.S. (September 2019)

Rated T+

The X-Men created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

“The House That Xavier Built”

The X-Men are a Marvel Comics superhero team created by editor Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby.  The X-Men debuted in the comic book, The X-Men #1 (cover dated: September 1963), and the focus of that comic book was Professor Charles Xavier a/k/a “Professor X” and his small circle of students.  Each student had a unique power or ability granted to them because each student was a mutant, and each had a code name.  The students were Scott Summers (Cyclops), Jean Grey (Marvel Girl), Warren Worthington III (Angel), Henry “Hank” McCoy (Beast), and Bobby Drake (Iceman).

From time to time, the X-Men concept is changed in some way via a relaunch or revamp.  The most famous was the debut of the “new X-Men” in Giant-Size X-Men #1 (cover dated: May 1975).  Once consistently among the bestselling comic books in the United States (and often the bestselling comic book), the X-Men have fallen on hard times, especially over the last decade.  Part of the problem is that the editorial powers that be at Marvel Comics have spent much of the last two decades revamping, relaunching, remaking the X-Men, and especially involving the X-Men line of comic books in ultimately pointless title crossover events.

However, fans and readers have hope for this new X-Men thing.  The latest remodeling comes via a pair of six-issue miniseries, House of X and Powers of X, published biweekly on an alternating schedule.  The first to debut is House of X.  It is written by written Jonathan Hickman; drawn by Pepe Larraz; colored by Marte Gracia; and lettered by Clayton Cowles.

House of X #1 (“The House That Xavier Built”) opens on a world that has changed.  In the last half year, Professor Charles Xavier (a.k.a. “Professor X”) has been rolling out his master plan for mutant-kind.  Xavier wants to bring mutants out of the shadow of mankind and into the light once more.  On the island of Krakoa is a home for mutants only, a place where they can be safe.

As a gift to the ever-suspicious humanity, Xavier is offering miracle pharmaceuticals.  However, seeing Armageddon in this new world order, a secret organization of humans has activated the “Orchis protocols.”  Plus, the activities of Sabertooth and Mystique earn the attention of the Fantastic Four, and this issue story also stars Magneto, Cyclops, and Jean Grey to name a few.

“Did you honestly think we were going to sit around and take it forever?” is what Cyclops asks the Invisible Woman during a standoff between the X-Man and the Fantastic Four.  Fight the power, indeed, but this first chapter of House of X is as much about evolution as it is about self-defense.  In Jonathan Hickman's radical revamp of Marvel's X-Men franchise, the mutants of the Marvel Universe have more than a sanctuary; they have a home.  Apparently, they are going to spend their time in their new home being great and striving for greater – socially and scientifically, and that is making humans, especially certain human interests, suspicious and preparing for war.

I don't know where Hickman is taking Marvel's X-Men line, but, in House of X #1, he has created the kind of first issue that makes readers so curious that they just have to come back for more.  At the local comic shop I visit, all issues of House of X and Powers of X have been sellouts.

In this first issue, the art by Pepe Larraz is pretty, but the graphical storytelling does not come across as being as striking and as radical as Hickman's script is.  However, Marte Gracia's coloring is a glorious display, and Clayton Cowles' lettering keeps the shifting ground of House of X #1's story and book design coherent.

Will House of X #1 be a seminal moment in the history of X-Men comic books?  We will see, but it is a must-read for anyone who has ever been a fan of X-Men comic books.

8.5 out of 10

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


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


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Review: 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 Jedi.  The 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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Review: DAREDEVIL #1

DAREDEVIL No. 1 (2019)
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted in Patreon.]

STORY: Chip Zdarsky
ART: Marco Checchetto
COLORS: Sunny Gho
LETTERS: VC's Clayton Cowles
EDITOR: Devin Lewis
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Akira Yoshida a.k.a. C.B. Cebulski
COVER: Julian Totino Tedesco
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Alex Maleev; Joe Quesada; Skottie Young; Gabriele Dell'Otto
36pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (April 2019)

Daredevil created by Stan Lee and Bill Everett with Jack Kirby and Wally Wood

“Know Fear” Part 1

Daredevil is a Marvel Comics superhero created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett.  The character first appeared in Daredevil #1 (cover dated: April 1964).  Daredevil is Matt Murdock, a vision-impaired attorney who was blinded as a child after being exposed to a radioactive substance.  That substance enhanced his senses to a supernatural level and gave him a 360-degree radar sense.

Marvel Comics is giving Daredevil the comic book something of a reboot.  Daredevil 2019 is written by Chip Zdarsky; drawn by Marco Checchetto; colored by Sunny Gho; and lettered by Clayton Cowles.

Daredevil #1 opens in the wake of the events depicted at the end of writer Charles Soule's run on Daredevil and in the subsequent five-issue miniseries, Man Without Fear.  After recovering from grievous injuries and intense physical therapy, Matt Murdock returns to Hell's Kitchen.  As the story begins, Matt has already acted once as Daredevil (although apparently not in costume).  However, there is a new sheriff in town.

Straight outta Chicago comes Detective Cole North.  He has been tasked by New York City Mayor Wilson Fisk, formerly known as The Kingpin – the crime lord of New York City, to take down costumed superheroes in NYC.  When he dons the Daredevil costume for the first time in a long time, Matt may end up doing Detective Cole's work for him.

Daredevil #1 (2019) is quite a good start for the new series.  First, there is Julian Totino Tedesco's beautiful cover art.  Inside, Marco Checchetto offers his most disciplined compositions to date, with an emphasis on storytelling that makes the most of atmosphere and mood and characters' emotions.  Previously, Checchetto was good at these things, but his drawings seemed to emphasize style.  Sunny Gho's colors are beautiful and emphasize reds and blues to create a sort of rose-tinted Film-Noir look.  The artists' depiction of Daredevil's radar sense is also quite nice.

Writer Chip Zdarsky's storytelling here reminds me, in some ways, of writer Frank Miller and artist David Mazzuchelli's “Born Again” story arc in Daredevil (1964) #227-231.  It is also something of a spiritual heir to the last year of Frank Miller's original run on Daredevil as writer-artist/designer (with Klaus Janson as artist).  I don't know if Zdarsky's work on Daredevil will reach the great heights of Miller, but I like how Zdarsky emphasizes Matt's moral conflicts and his past, as well as emphasizing Wilson Fisk as being an existential threat to Matt Murdock-Daredevil.  Clayton Cowles lettering creates a nice rhythm for Zdarsky's script.

I was not looking forward to Daredevil (2019), but happenstance dropped a copy of Daredevil #1 (2019) in my lap.  I am glad I read it, and I am recommending it to Daredevil fans.

8 out of 10

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


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

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Review: STAR WARS: The Last Jedi - The Storms of Crait #1

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI – THE STORMS OF CRAIT #1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Ben Acker and Ben Blacker
ART: Mike Mayhew
LETTERS: VC's Clayton Cowles
COVER: Marco Checchetto
VARIANT COVERS: Caspar Wijingaard; Movie Cover
36pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (February 2018)

Rated “T”

“Storms of Crait”

Star Wars: The Last Jedi – The Storms of Crait #1 is a one-shot comic book.  It is a tie-in to Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017), the second film in the “sequel trilogy” (after 2015's Star Wars: The Force Awakens).  The story is set on the planet of Crait, which plays a pivotal role in the last act of The last Jedi and which is also a setting of the 2017 novel, Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi – Leia, Princess of Alderaan (Claudia Gray, Disney Lucasfilm Press).  The Storms of Crait is written by Ben Acker and Ben Blacker; drawn and colored by Mike Mayhew; and lettered by Clayton Cowles.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi – The Storms of Crait #1 is set after the events depicted in the original film, Star Wars (2017).  The leaders of the Rebel Alliance are looking for a new location to establish their secret base of operations.  Princess Leia Organa suggests Crait, a “dead planet,” a mining planet.  There, she hopes to make a deal with Trusk Berinato, an old friend of her late father.

Meanwhile, Luke Skywalker, the hero of the Battle of Yavin, is struggling with what he sees as mundane duties.  What he seeks is action and adventure, not tasks that are similar to the old farm boy chores he did on his former home of Tatooine.  Also, Han Solo does not realize how much he has become protective of Leia.  Perhaps, Luke and Han will discover their true feelings when their mission on Crait suddenly turns complicated.

I am a fan of Mike Mayhew, especially of his Star Wars comic book art.  His photo-realistic style is perfect to capture the likeness of actors who have played classic Star Wars characters for comic book art.  In The Storms of Crait, his Princess Leia is the perfect likeness of a young Carrie Fisher.  Mayhew's Luke Skywalker and Han Solo don't capture young Mark Hamill and younger Harrison Ford, respectively, in the way he does Leia/Carrie Fisher.  Still, he is quite good at making Luke and Han's emotions and facial expressions seem genuine.  It is as if Mayhew captured those expressions in photographic images.

Mayhew's seeming dedication to Leia makes sense as writers Ben Acker and Ben Blacker make Leia the centerpiece of this story.  This scripting duo does a good job capturing the established personalities of Leia, Luke, and Han, and their scripts offers plenty of Star Wars battle action and even a surprising lightsaber duel.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi – The Storms of Crait #1 is not a great comic, but it is an entertaining Star Wars comic book.  Marvel continues to do a good job publishing Star Wars comic book stories that take place in the time between Star Wars (1977) and The Empire Strikes Back (1980).  Thus, regardless of how you might feel about Star Wars: The Last Jedi, dear readers, The Storms of Crait #1 is for classic, original trilogy era fans.

7.5 out of 10

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


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

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

Review: ELEKTRA #1

ELEKTRA No. 1 (2017)
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Matt Owens
ART: Juann Cabal
COLORS: Antonio Fabela and Marcio Menyz
LETTERS: VC's Cory Petit
COVER: Elizabeth Torque
VARIANT COVERS: Marco Checchetto; Pasqual Ferry with Chris Sotomayor; Bill Sienkiewicz; Skottie Young
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (April 2017)

Rated T+

Elektra created by Frank Miller

“Always Bet on Red: Part 1”

Elektra (full name Elektra Natchios) is a Marvel Comics character.  Created by Frank Miller, Elektra first appeared in Daredevil #168 (cover dated:  January 1981).  She is a highly trained assassin and anti-hero who wields a pair of bladed sai, which are her trademark weapons.

The best Elektra stories are those written by Miller, which culminated in the death of Elektra in Daredevil #181 (cover dated:  April 1982).  Miller resurrected his most famous original character-creation in Daredevil #190 (cover dated:  January 1983) and also used the character in the long-in-gestation original graphic novel, Elektra Lives Again, which was finally published in 1990.

Frank Miller has long claimed that Marvel Comics promised not to use the character without his permission.  Beginning in 1994, however, Elektra began to make appearances in comic books not written by Miller, including starring in her own miniseries and ongoing series.  The latest is the ongoing comic book, Elektra.  It is written Matt Owens; drawn by Juann Cabal, colored by Antonio Febela and Marcio Menyz; and lettered by Cory Petit.

Elektra #1 finds the titular assassin in Las Vegas, staying at the Midway Casino.  This casino and hotel is secretly a place of debauchery and violence, if you can pay for it.  Elektra is ready to shed some blood of her own, but even she does not know the secret at the heart of this evil.

The art – compositions by Juann Cabal and colors by Antonio Fabela and Marcio Menyz – is quite pretty.  Cabal's precision pencil work – with its Frank Quitely quality – turns out to be perfect, at least for Matt Owen's take on Elektra.  Speaking of Owens, well, I can't hate on him.  I am actually intrigued by this first issue.  I hope the second issue hasn't sold out already.  I want to give this another try.

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


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

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

Review: BULLSEYE #1

BULLSEYE No. 1 (2017)
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITERS: Ed Brisson; Marv Wolfman
ART: Guillermo Sanna; Alec Morgan
COLORS: Miroslav Mrva; Frank Martin
LETTERS: VC's Clayton Cowles
COVER: Dave Johnson
VARIANT COVERS: Tim Bradstreet; Marco Checchetto; John Tyler Christopher; Bill Sienkiewicz; Chris Stevens; Skottie Young
36pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (April 2017)

Parental Advisory

“The Colombian Connection” Part 1

Bullseye is a Marvel Comics supervillain.  The character was created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist John Romita, Sr. and first appeared in Daredevil #131 (cover dated: March 1976).  Bullseye is an assassin and he is best known for his personal vendetta against the superhero Daredevil.  Bullseye does not have super-powers but he can turn almost any object into a lethal weapon.

Bullseye is the new comic book miniseries starring this popular villain.  It is written by Ed Brisson; drawn by Guillermo Sanna; colored by Miroslav Mrva; and lettered by Clayton Cowles.

Bullseye #1 opens to find the titular villain/anti-hero active again after being alive, dead, and imprisoned again and again.  Now, he is at the Houghton Residence in Long Island, New York fulfilling an assassination contract.  But, man!  Bullseye is hoping that his next assignment yields both a high body count and buckets of blood.  Desperate gangster Raph Losani may offer that, but a desperate widow just wants to count one body.

Recently, I reviewed the first issue of Kingpin, another comic book seemingly spun out of the world of Marvel Comics' Daredevil.  I was harsh in my review, but not because I thought the writer (Matthew Rosenberg) and the artist (Ben Torres) lacked talent (Rosenberg) or potential (Torres).  The problem is the fact that these two delivered substandard work and the fact that Marvel Comics would consider such unprofessional material worth publishing and charging readers $3.99 to read.

Bullseye #1 suffers from the same problem of a lack of professionalism.  The story and script that Ed Brisson offers is just lazy hackwork that mimics better storytelling.  The casual depiction of Bullseye's murderous rampages is not imaginative or smart, but it is unimaginative and stupid.  Frank Miller did not create Bullseye, but during his 1980s run on Daredevil, he certainly defined the character, making him the kind of dangerous and alluring villain that becomes timeless.  Here, Bullseye's violence seems as if Brisson took the clever violence of Mark Millar's comic books and turned that into filler material because Brisson could not think of anything else to do with it.

I think artist Guillerma Sanna has a lot of potential, but in Bullseye #1 he draws as if he should still be toiling in the world of micro press black and white comic books.  Everything here looks as if Sanna is simply mimicking (badly) other artists' (good) work; Chris Samnee and Eduardo Risso, come to mind.

There is a backup story by writer Marv Wolfman and artist Alec Morgan, “If I Tell You...” that takes some of the sour out of the main story.  It makes me wonder why Wolfman isn't writing this miniseries.  Is it because he is “too old” and “passè?”  I don't doubt that he would not write as bad a script as Ed Brisson wrote, even if he kept the overall plot.  I also like Alec Morgan's Eduardo Risso-like art.  Why isn't he drawing the main story!?

I am not recommending this, nor do I intend to read another issue.  But I might change my mind...

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


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

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

Review: KINGPIN #1

KINGPIN No. 1 (2017)
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Matthew Rosenberg
ART: Ben Torres
COLORS: Jordan Boyd
LETTERS: VC's Travis Lanham
COVER: Jeff Dekal
VARIANT COVERS: Marco Checchetto; Bill Sienkiewicz; Ben Torres; Julian Totino Tedesco; Skottie Young; John Tyler Christopher
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (April 2017)

Rated “T+”

Kingpin created by Stan Lee and John Romita, Sr.

“Born Against”

The Kingpin/Wilson Fisk is a Marvel Comics villain.  He was created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Romita and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #50 (cover date: July 1967).

The Kingpin is portrayed as one of the most (if not the most) feared and powerful crime lords in Marvel Comics and as the “kingpin” of crime in New York City.  During his run on Daredevil in the early 1980s, writer-artist Frank Miller depicted the Kingpin as a master schemer and cold-blooded murderer who stayed beyond the reach of the law.  Personally, I think Miller is the creator that defined Kingpin more than anyone else.

Kingpin is the new comic book series that chronicles the new adventures of Wilson Fisk.  It is written by Matthew Rosenberg; drawn by Ben Torres; colored by Jordan Boyd; and lettered by Travis Lanham.

Kingpin #1 (“Born Against”) introduces Sarah Dewey, a down on her luck writer, reporter, and journalist.  She has staked some of her remaining credibility on chronicling what she hopes will be the rise of a promising boxer, Orlando Perez.  She gets a break when a powerful man asks her to write his tell-all memoir – warts and all.  However, Sarah does not think she is the right person to write the story of Wilson Fisk... even if he won't take “No” for an answer.

It would be lazy of me to say that Kingpin #1 is “awful” or “terrible.”  Instead, I can simply say that it does not seem like the work of professional comic book creators, although, considering how and why comic book professionals often get assignments, I guess that isn't saying much either.  Still, this is such lazy, uninspired, unimaginative writing on the part of Matthew Rosenberg.  If he had a “Eureka!” moment before he wrote this, I am sad for him.

Now, the art is actually terrible.  Ben Torres does not have the compositional chops to draw for Marvel Comics, and yes, I know.  Marvel's standards for comic book artists have been and still are inconsistent at best.  Right now, Torres is certainly ready for semi-pro-zine work (if such a thing still exists).  I can see him drawing for small press, black and white publishers or self-published webcomics, but he ain't ready for prime time.  Oh, he is has potential, but he has not reached it.

Marvel's overall publishing program treats the North American comic book market like a flood plain in need of a flood.  With so many comic books to publish and likely budgetary constraints, the need for low-page-rate artists means artists like Ben Torres – amateurs who are technically not amateurs because a Diamond Distributors premiere publisher is willing to give them paying assignments.

Yeah... I'm not coming back to this, no.

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


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

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

Marvel Comics from Diamond Distributors for January 10, 2018

MARVEL COMICS

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Marvel Comics from Diamond Distributors for December 6, 2017

MARVEL COMICS

OCT170877    AMAZING SPIDER-MAN VENOM INC ALPHA #1 (OF 1) GRANOV VAR A LE    $4.99
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Review: Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi - CAPTAIN PHASMA #1

JOURNEY TO STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI – CAPTAIN PHASMA No. 1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

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

STORY: Kelly Thompson
ART: Marco Checchetto
COLORS: Andres Mossa
LETTERS: VC's Clayton Cowles
COVER: Paul Renaud
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (November 2017)

Rated T

Captain Phasma: Book 1, Part I

Two years ago, Marvel Comics published Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Shattered Empire.  It was a four-issue miniseries that was set in the immediate aftermath of the events depicted in the 1983 film, Return of the Jedi (or Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi).  It introduced the parents of a pivotal character who, at the time, was to appear in Star Wars: The Last Jedi (Episode VII), a little over two months after the first issue of Shattered Empire.

Now, a little over two months before the theatrical release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi (Episode VIII), Marvel is publishing another Star Wars “Journey to” comic book miniseries.  This is Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi – Captain Phasma.  It written by Kelly Thompson; lettered by Clayton Cowles; and features the team of artist Marco Checchetto and colorist Andres Mossa (who drew and colored Shattered Empire).

Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi – Captain Phasma #1 opens on the First Order's super-weapon, “Starkiller Base,” parallel to what is the final act of The Force Awakens.  Captain Phasma has escaped from the trash compactor into she was forced by Han Solo, Chewbacca, and the former stormtrooper FN-2187, now known as “Finn.”  Starkiller Base is under attack by Resistance Forces, and Phasma discovers that the Resistance had help inside the base.  Now, Phasma has a new mission – hunt and kill the traitor who allowed Starkiller Base to be destroyed.

From the moment Star Wars fans first spotted Phasma in an early movie trailer for The Force Awakens, they have had high expectations for this character.  Alas, her part in the film was small and her role mostly unimpressive – relative to expectations.  Phasma is supposed to have a bigger role in the upcoming Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

In the meantime, she comes across as quite menacing in Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi – Captain Phasma #1.  Writer Kelly Thompson tells the story using first person narration by Phasma and gives the readers a look at how relentless she is in service of the First Order.  This could prove to be perilous however, if Thompson characterizes Phasma as nothing more than a cog in service of the First Order.  That would make this miniseries a long and dull one.

I find the work of artist Marco Checchetto here to be what it has been in his previous Marvel Comics work:  pretty art, but sometimes cluttered graphical storytelling.  Luckily, Andres Mossa is here to add some dynamism to the storytelling.

So I hope that the storytelling in Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi – Captain Phasma gets stronger.  This first issue shows the potential of the series, but is itself a bit lukewarm.  Of course, this may be because Captain Phasma is still a character that is mostly a blank slate.

B
6.5 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 for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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

Review: Star Wars: SHATTERED EMPIRE #4

JOURNEY TO STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS – SHATTERED EMPIRE No. 4
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

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

WRITER: Greg Rucka
ART: Marco Checchetto
COLORS: Andres Mossa
LETTERS: VC's Joe Caramagna
COVER: Marco Checchetto
VARIANT COVER: Sara Pichelli
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (December 2015)

Rated T+

Shattered Empire: Part IV

The recent miniseries, Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Shattered Empire, has come to an end.  The film, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, takes place some 30 years after the events depicted in the 1983 film, Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi.  As The Force Awakens' release date (December 18, 2015) approached, Lucasfilm filled in the three-decade story gap between Episode VI and Episode VII (The Force Awakens), using its media partners in book publishing and in comic books, in this case, fellow Disney subsidiary, Marvel Entertainment, LLC.

Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Shattered Empire is written by Greg Rucka, drawn by Marco Checchetto, colored by Andres Mossa, and lettered by Joe Caramagna.  According to Marvel.com, Shattered Empire will fully be part of the official Star Wars canon and will depict the immediate aftermath of the events of Return of the Jedi.

As Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Shattered Empire #4 opens, Lt. Shara Bey contemplates mustering out of service to the Rebel Alliance.  This troubles her as the job is unfinished.  Even with the death of Emperor Palpatine, remnants of the Empire continue to fight.  Now, she finds herself on a mission with the legendary Commander Luke Skywalker and his droid, R2-D2, of course.  Their destination is the Imperial base on Ventine to retrieve something Palpatine stole.

Now, that I am totally smitten with artist Macro Checchetto's beautiful cover art and interior art for this series, I don't want Shattered Empire to end.  In fact, I am sure that Greg Rucka can spin more post-Battle of Endor yarns to keep us entertained for at least another year or two.

The biggest thrill for me, however, is Luke Skywalker, my all-time favorite Star Wars character.  It's always great to see him in action in a comic book, which does not happen enough as far as I am concerned.  In Shattered Empire #4, Checchetto depicts Luke as having an air of mystery about him, and behind his eyes, secrets gather like storm clouds.

After reviewing the first issue of Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Shattered Empire, I said that the series had potential.  It has reached that potential, but there can be even more...

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.

Review: JOURNEY TO STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS: Shattered Empire #1

JOURNEY TO STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS – SHATTERED EMPIRE No. 1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

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

WRITER: Greg Rucka
ART: Marco Checchetto
COLORS: Andres Mossa
LETTERS: VC's Joe Caramagna
COVER: Phil Noto
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (November 2015)

Rated T+

Shattered Empire: Part I

The upcoming film, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, takes place some 30 years after the events depicted in the 1983 film, Return of the Jedi (or Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi).  As The Force Awakens' release date (December 18, 2015) approaches, Lucasfilm is going to fill in the three-decade story gap between Episode VI and Episode VII (The Force Awakens), using its media partners in book publishing and comic books, in this case, fellow Disney subsidiary, Marvel Entertainment, LLC.

Thus, Marvel Comics recently released the first issue of the comic book series Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Shattered Empire.  This new comic book is written by Greg Rucka, drawn by Marco Checchetto, colored by Andres Mossa, and lettered by Joe Caramagna, with cover art provided by Phil Noto.  According to Marvel.com, Shattered Empire will fully be part of the official Star Wars canon and will depict the immediate aftermath of the events of Return of the Jedi.

Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Shattered Empire #1 opens during the closing moments of the Battle of Endor.  Rebel pilots are engaging Imperial forces in furious dogfights, as they try to protect the Rebellion's capital ships.  Then, the shield protecting the second Death Star is shut down...

Soon, the rebel forces are celebrating on the Forest Moon of Endor.  Rebel pilot, Shara, just wants to find her husband, Sgt. Kes Dameron, before she can celebrate.  Still, there are still Imperial forces to be dealt with on the Forest Moon.

Honestly, Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Shattered Empire underwhelms me – not that I am going to stop reading it.  Marvel Comics is publishing Star Wars comic books again.  When I was a kid, the arrival of each issue of my subscription to the old Marvel Star Wars comic book series was like a bonus Christmas.

Shattered Empire has potential.  Artist Marco Checchetto has an imaginative sense of page design.  Various story elements in the first five pages seem to leap off the page, as if Checchetto is trying to recreate the feel of Star Wars' famous dogfights and aerial battles.  The coloring by Andres Mossa makes the battle scenes crackle.  It's up to Greg Rucka to hold up his end on the writing.

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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