#IReadsYou Review: UNCANNY INHUMANS #1

UNCANNY INHUMANS #1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Charles Soule
PENCILS: Steve McNiven; Brandon Peterson
INKS: Jay Leisten; Brandon Peterson
COLORS: Sunny Cho; Nolan Woodard
LETTERS: VC's Clayton Cowles
COVER: Steve McNiven and Jay Leisten with Justin Ponsor
VARIANT COVERS: Jim Cheung with Justin Ponsor; Art Adams with Richard Isanove; Art Adams (Kirby Monster Variant); Skottie Young; Adi Granov; Damien Scott (Hop Hop variant); Kalel Sean costumed by Brian A. Parsley and photographed by Judy Stephens (cosplay variant)
40pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (December 2015)

Rated T+

Inhumans created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

The Inhumans are a race of super-humans in Marvel Comics.  Created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee, they first appeared in Fantastic Four #45 (cover dated: December 1965).  The Inhumans are a strain of humanity that began with genetic manipulation by visitors to Earth from an alien civilization (the Kree), long ago in human prehistory.  Exposure to the mutagenic Terrigen Mist (a process known as Terrigenesis) reveals if a person is an Inhuman.

Little more than a B-list character group, the Inhumans are in ascendancy in the Marvel Universe, especially over the last four years.  In 2013, Marvel even launched a new comic book series, entitled Inhuman.  The launch of the “All-New, All-Different Marvel” sees the Inhumans continuing to rise to prominence.  The latest Inhuman comic book series is Uncanny Inhumans.  This series is written by Charles Soule; drawn by Steve McNiven (pencils) and Jay Leisten (inks), colored by Sunny Cho; and lettered by Clayton Cowles.

Uncanny Inhumans #1 opens the series with several sub-plots.  It is dough boys and dinosaurs when Triton and Reader (and his dog Forey) join Black Bolt in a time-traveling mission.  This trip, however, breaks a deal Black Bolt made with Kang the Conqueror, and the latter strikes back.  Also, Medusa and a group of new Inhumans (NuHumans) are engaged in a Central Park battle against the Chitauri.

Later, Medusa looks to the X-Man, Beast, to use his scientific knowledge to end the friction between mutants and Inhumans.  Plus, a visit from the Human Torch exacerbates marital discord.  Plus, in a bonus story, Frank, Flint, and Naja travel to Morocco to recover a lost Inhuman.

For a long time now, first issues of comic books that work on a five or six issue story arc are little more than introductions to the story and characters.  They are also often infuriatingly vague.  That is not the case with Uncanny Inhumans.  Writer Charles Soule has a way of making practically every page not only satisfying to read, but also intriguing enough to encourage the readers to come back for more.

The drama is convincing, and Soule gives the characters interesting personalities and/or engaging individual melodramas.  Medusa/Beast: I want more of that.  Black Bolt: it's all good.  I am not ashamed to say that Soule makes me feel like a fanboy about the titles he writers.

Of course, he has a great art team.  Steve McNiven has mastered making style work as high drama.  McNiven pencils are a series of flourishes and bells-and-whistles that come together to convey character, setting, plot, and drama.  In the back-up story, artist Brandon Peterson does something similar, but I'm not going to play that game of who is better – McNiven or Peterson.  I must admit, however, that I prefer Nolan Woodard's beautiful colors for Peterson's art, although I am not slighting Sunny Cho's excellent hues on the main story.

I'm ready for more Uncanny Inhumans, and if you listen to my recommendation and buy Uncanny Inhumans #1, you will be ready for more, also.

A-

Reviewed by Leroy Douesseaux 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.

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

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

#IReadsYou Review: 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.

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

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

#IReadsYou Review: 2016 SPIDER-MAN #1 Was a Strong Debut

SPIDER-MAN No. 1 (2016)
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Brian Michael Bendis
PENCILS: Sara Pichelli
INKS: Sara Pichelli with Gaetano Carlucci
COLORS: Justin Ponsor
LETTERS: VC’s Cory Petit
COVER: Sara Pichelli and Justin Ponsor
VARIANT COVERS: Mark Bagley and Dexter Vines with Andrew Crossley; Michael Cho; Skottie Young; Adi Granov (Hip-Hop variant)
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (2016)

Rated T

In 2011, Marvel Comics and writer Brian Michael Bendis introduced a Black, Brooklyn teenager as the new Spider-Man.  Specifically, Miles Morales, of African-American and Latino heritage, was the new Ultimate Spider-Man, the friendly neighborhood wall-crawler and web-slinger of Marvel’s Ultimate line of comics (or universe).

Miles has starred in two comic books series, Ultimate Spider-Man (or Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man) and Miles Morales: Ultimate Spider-Man.  As part of the All-New, All-Different Marvel, Miles gets a new comic book series, simply entitled Spider-Man.  It is written by Brian Michael Bendis; drawn by Sara Pichelli; colored by Justin Ponsor; and lettered by Cory Petit.

Spider-Man #1 opens with Spider-Man facing Blackheart – “Son of Mephisto” and “Prince of the Underworlds.”  Let's go back a bit.  At Brooklyn Visions Academy, Miles has failed with Julie, the gorgeous girl he wants to date.  He is also failing in school, which angers his mother (!), but does not really concern his father.  Back to Blackheart, who has killed several Avengers, so what's going on?

I really missed Sara Pichelli when she was not the artist on Miles Morales: Ultimate Spider-Man, although David Marquez, the artist on that series, was quite good.  Still, only three pages into Spider-Man #1, and I was reminded of why Pichelli and colorist Justin Ponsor are such a damn good art team.

As for Brian Michael Bendis: the teen Spidey drama is as good as always; there aren't many pages of it, but Bendis does character drama in superhero comics better than it has ever been done – ever.  The action around Blackheart is hugely intriguing, so I have no complaints, just the need for more.

Of course, I am recommending this...

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 information on reprint or syndication rights and fees.

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

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

#IReadsYou Review: The Death of Captain Marvel

THE DEATH OF CAPTAIN MARVEL (MARVEL GRAPHIC NOVEL #1)
MARVEL COMICS

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Jim Starlin
ART: Jim Starlin
COLORS: Steve Oliff
LETTERS: James Novack
EDITOR: Al Milgrom
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Jim Shooter
COVER/BACK COVER: Jim Starlin
68pp, Color, $5.95 U.S. (1982)

Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell) created by Stan Lee and Gene Colan

Introduction by Al Milgrom

“Marvel Graphic Novel” (MGN) was a line of paperback original graphic novels published from 1982 to 1993 by Marvel Comics.  The books were published in an oversize format, 8.5" x 11", similar to French comic book “albums,” which generally had cardboard covers, full-color, slick pages.  [In response, DC Comics would also establish a competitor line known as “DC Graphic Novel.”]

The first Marvel Graphic Novel was released in 1982.  Entitled The Death of Captain Marvel, it was written and drawn by Jim Starlin, who had been the comic book creator most associated with the character of Captain Marvel up to that time.  The rest of The Death of Captain Marvel's creative team included colorist Steve Oliff and letterer James Novak.  The late Allen Milgrom was the graphic novel's editor and also provided a short introduction to the story.

Captain Marvel is a Marvel Comics superhero and science fiction and fantasy character.  He was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and designed by artist Gene Colan and first appeared in Marvel Super-Heroes #12 (cover dated: December 1967).  He is the original bearer of the name “Captain Marvel” within the world of Marvel Comics.

Before he became Captain Marvel, he was named “Mar-Vell,” and he was a member of the alien Kree race.  Captain Mar-Vell came to Earth to spy on humans, but he eventually rejected the Kree, and took the name “Captain Marvel.”  While living among humans, he also used the identity of “Walter Lawson” and was a member of the Avengers.

As The Death of Captain Marvel opens, Marvel has been living a live of semi-retirement on Titan, one of the planet Saturn's moons (satellites).  Marvel is recording a mini-autobiography of his life while on board a spaceship belonging to his allies, the demigod, Mentor, and his son, Eros.  Mentor and Eros are also the father and brother of the recently defeated and killed, Thanos, the mad warlord of Titan.

The trio is heading to the command central ship of Thanos' space fleet.  Inside, Thanos is dead and encased in stone (because of events depicted in Marvel Two-in-One Annual 1977), and they want to make sure he has stayed that way.  A surprise meets these heroes, however, as they discover that followers of Thanos live aboard the ship, awaiting what they believe will be the inevitable resurrection of the mad Titan.

The intense battle to defeat these alien zealots inadvertently reveals the secret that Marvel has been keeping from his closest friends, Mentor and Eros.  Marvel is dying of cancer – what the Titans call the “Inner Decay” and the Kree call “the Blackend.”  [Captain Marvel was exposed to the nerve gas that would lead to this cancer in Captain Marvel #34 (cover dated: September 1974)].  Now, Marvel must also share his diagnosis with his lover Elysius, the woman with whom he had hoped to share his life.  He must also inform, Rick Jones, the young human who once shared an existence with Marvel.  When he shares this news with the current members of the Avengers:  Black Panther, Iron Man, Thor, Vision, Wonder Man, Beast, and Yellowjacket, they immediately spring into action, bringing all their scientific knowledge to bear in a bid to save Marvel from death.

As the greatest heroes of the Marvel Universe gather on a deathwatch, Captain Marvel still has one final battle.  The hero must face his greatest enemy, Thanos, and Thanos' dark mistress.

THE LOWDOWN:  I first discovered the existence of The Death of Captain Marvel via in-house ads published in various Marvel Comics titles that I read at the time.  Those ads made me quite interested in the book, but it was only sold in comic book shops via the “Direct Sales” market.  At the time, I bought all my comic books at the now-defunct K&B drug store chain (headquartered in New Orleans, LA), and a few other places that sold comic books, mostly other drug stores and grocery stores.  They all placed the comic books in those old “spinner racks.”  I didn't know if there were any comic book shops near me, although it turned out that there was one about a 45-minute drive from where I lived at the time.

When I first started visiting comic book shops, I sometimes came across a copy of The Death of Captain Marvel,  By that time, however, I wasn't really as interested in reading it as I was when I first heard about it.  I recently decided to go back and re-read the Marvel Graphic Novels that I had previously read and read the ones that I had not.  On eBay, I found a nice copy of the second printing of The Death of Captain Marvel, which went through several printings just in the first decade of its original publication.  The second printing was apparently published within months of the first printing.

I am glad that I read The Death of Captain Marvel now, as I don't know if I would have appreciated it decades ago the way I do now.  The way comic book stories are told and structured has radically changed in the four decades since the debut of The Death of Captain Marvel.  This had made me appreciate what Starlin did with only 66 pages, which is more than most modern comic book writers do with over 100 pages.

Jim Starlin was certainly a good comic book artist.  His drawing style has similarities to some of the most popular comic book artists that came before him.  Still, Starlin's style is unique, and his illustrations always grab me.  The background elements, the figure drawing, the landscapes, the backdrops, the costumes, the alien and fantastic landscapes:  the way Starlin illustrates a comic book page is like nothing anyone else did or does in superhero comics books.  Starlin has created a unique visual and graphical language, and no other artist's work could be mistaken for his.

Surprisingly, Starlin may be an even better comic book writer than he is a comic book artist.  The stories that he writes and other artists illustrate maintain Starlin's imaginative and inventive storytelling.  Starlin was one of the best mainstream comic book writers of the last quarter of the 20th century.  Yes, he was right up there with Alan Moore, Chris Claremont, John Byrne, Marv Wolfman, Steve Englehart, and Grant Morrison, to name a few.

You can discover this for yourself, dear readers, in The Death of Captain Marvel.  This stand-alone story references the past, but is singularly focused on Captain Marvel's final battle.  It is philosophical, thoughtful, and contemplative.  It is surreal and also matter-of-fact in its realism, all of it leading to the last act, a breathtaking death-dream that gave me pause.

Starlin offers some melodrama, mainly involving the characters to which is he intimately connected – from the bitter and frustrated anger of Rick Jones to the quite acceptance of Elysius.  I am surprised that Marvel Comics published a story in which a superhero must face his imminent death – and one executed with such honesty.  Captain Marvel freely admits that he does not want to die, and that he thought that when death came – a long time in the future – it would be a warrior's death.

Instead, the hero died in bed, ravaged by disease.  Still, The Death of Captain Marvel gives the title character the kind of epic story of his end that would be befitting of elite superheroes.  We know, however, that such superheroes don't stay dead.  Instead, the story of Captain Marvel/Mar-Vell's death is one of Marvel Comics' greatest stories, and he did stay dead.  I'd like to believe that Jim Starlin created a story so powerful that even the most arrogant Marvel editors and superstar creators could not summon the gall to undo it.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of the greatest Marvel Comics stories ever told will want to read The Death of Captain Marvel.

10 out of 10

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


https://twitter.com/Marvel
https://www.marvel.com/
https://www.marvel.com/comics
https://www.comixology.com/Marvel_Comics


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

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

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

#IReadsYou Review: THE ETERNALS #1 Still Shows Off Jack Kirby's Imagination

THE ETERNALS #1 (1976)
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Jack Kirby
PENCILS: Jack Kirby
INKS: John Verpoorten
COLORS: Glynis Wein
LETTERS: Gaspar
32pp, Color, .25¢ U.S. (July 1976)

The Eternals created by Jack Kirby

“The Day of the Gods”

The Eternals are a race of humanoids in the Marvel Comics universe.  They were created by the legendary comic book creator, writer-artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The Eternals #1 (cover dated: July 1976).  The Eternals are described as an offshoot of the evolutionary process that created sentient life on Earth.  They were created by the immensely powerful alien race, the Celestials, along with a destructive counterpart, the Deviants.

The Eternals' first comic book series ran for 19 issues from 1976 to 1977, with issue #19 having a January 1978 cover date.  Marvel Comics canceled the series before all its subplots were resolved, but The Eternals remained popular with fans, and Marvel published a 12-issue miniseries, The Eternals, in 1985 and 1986.  I never took much interest in these characters, but they are the stars of an upcoming movie from Marvel Studios and Walt Disney Pictures.  So I bought a copy of the first issue of the original series on eBay.

The Eternals #1 (“The Day of the Gods”) opens in a newly discovered, massive, underground Incan temple hidden beneath the high plains of the Andes in South America.  The discoverers are Doctor Damian; his daughter, Margo, and the doctor's mysterious young assistant, Ike Harris.  The site turns out to be the legendary “Chamber of the Gods,” and it holds the “Galaxy Plague,” an Incan stone carving that depicts the Incas' “Space God” and his space craft.

This discovery leads Ike Harris to tell the doctor and his daughter the story of the “Space Gods” that visited Earth far in the planet's prehistory and later, visited the Incas.  During their first visit, the Space Gods used their “cosmic chemistry” on “the apes” they found on Earth to create three races.  Those races were the “Eternals,” the “Deviants,” and humans.  Ike Harris is really an Eternal named “Ikaris.”

Ikaris is searching for the chamber's greatest treasure, a great “Reflector” that will summon the Space Gods back to Earth.  What Ikaris, Doctor Damian, and Margo do not know is that Kro, a Deviant, is leading a force of lackeys to the chamber to destroy the Reflector and to stop the return of their Space God creators.

THE LOWDOWN:  This story starts off with one of those typically bombastic titles, “The Day of the Gods,” that often started off many of its stories during the first two decades of Marvel Comics' existence.  From page one, Jack Kirby offers one of his typically epic and cosmic stories that extend to the far reaches of time and space and space-time.

It seems to me that here, Kirby was influenced by author Erich von Daniken's 1968 book, Chariots of the Gods? Unsolved Mysteries of the Past, or the 1970 documentary film based on the book.  Von Daniken is one of the primary 20th proponents of the “ancient astronauts” hypotheses and ideas.  Influences aside, The Eternals #1 is all Jack “King” Kirby.

Kirby's awesome architectural and structural illustrations depicting the Chamber of the Gods take in Aztec and Incan art, designs, and stone wall murals.  Kirby fills the pages with massive, brawny edifices and interiors that seem too big for the page.  The characters are also big, drawn in Kirby's melodramatic, awkward poses.  Kirby may not be among the best figure drawers in the history of American comic books, but the way he drew characters created much of the visual and graphical language of superhero comic books.  His work over a two-decade period in the 1960s and 1970s still defines the storytelling in mainstream comic books.

The lettering by noted comic book letterer, Gaspar, is perfect for this kind of Kirby story.  It pounds out the meaty, fast-paced story and captures its constant crescendo.  Glynis Wein's colors are muted, which I think is good.  She keeps from hiding the power of Kirby's pencil art, which inker John Verpoorten smartly accentuates.

By the time I reached the end of The Eternals #1, I really wanted to read The Eternals #2.  I don't want to pay premium collector's prices for the second issue, so I better find a book collection.  Oh, reading this also made me want more Jack Kirby.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Jack Kirby will want to read The Eternals... or some of you, dear readers, will want to read it to prepare for the film.

8 out of 10

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


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

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

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

#IReadsYou Review: Henry and J.J. Abrams' SPIDER-MAN #1

SPIDER-MAN No. 1 (2019)
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: J.J. Abrams and Henry Abrams
PENCILS: Sara Pichelli
INKS: Sara Pichelli with Elisabetta D'Amico
COLORS: Dave Stewart
LETTERS: VC's Joe Caramagna
EDITOR: Nick Lowe
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Akira Yoshida a.k.a. C.B. Cebulski
COVER: Olivier Coipel with Dave Stewart
VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Sara Pichelli with Dave Stewart; Chip Kidd; Ed McGuiness with Laura Martin; Humberto Ramos with Edgar Delgado; Jason Polan
40pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (November 2019)

Rated  “T”

Spider-Man created by Steve Ditko and Stan Lee

“Bloodline”

Spider-Man is the classic Marvel Comics superhero that debuted in Amazing Fantasy #15 (cover dated: August 1962).  Peter Parker, a high school student, was bitten by a radioactive spider.  That bite gave him strange powers, including the proportional speed and strength of a spider and his “spider-sense” a kind of internal warning beacon.  Parker donned what would become his trademark red and blue costume (that he made himself), and became the crime-fighting superhero, The Amazing Spider-Man.

Spider-Man publications have always attracted celebrated comic book creators who wanted to tell Spider-Man stories.  One of the most recent is acclaimed film director and Emmy-winning television producer, J.J. Abrams.  Abrams and his son, Henry Abrams, are the writers of a new five-issue comic book miniseries, entitled Spider-Man.  [When this series is collected in book form,“Spider-Man: Bloodline” might be the title.]  The series is drawn by modern Spider-Man superstar artist, Sara Pichelli, with Elisabetta D'Amico as an inking assistant.  The series colorist is Dave Stewart, and the letterer is Joe Caramagna.

Spider-Man #1 opens on what may be the worst day of Spider-Man's life.  His battle against a powerful villain named  “Cadaverous,” has left him grievously wounded.  For the hero, the day also turns stunningly, shockingly tragic.

Twelve years later, Peter Parker travels, practically non-stop, always working on another “assignment.”  Meanwhile, Peter's son, Ben, lives with Aunt May and struggles, not because he is a bullied wallflower – like the teenage version of his father.  Ben fights back, which drives a wedge between him and his father.  Now, Aunt May believes it is time for Ben to learn some secrets...

I am a huge fan of comic book artist Sara Pichelli, who is the artist most associated with Miles Morales, the Ultimate Spider-Man and the star of the Oscar-winning film, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.  Here, Pichelli delivers some of her most beautiful illustrative work, and her storytelling is emotive, potent, dramatic, and lovingly mysterious.  Nailed it!

After Marvel announced that J.J. Abrams and Henry would be writing a special Spider-Man comic book, I came across the usual cacophony of negative commentary from the fan-resentment chorus.  However, the American comic book industry would be better off if more Hollywood types, that are quite skilled in the art of the story, wrote comic books.  Abrams excels at emotion, character drama, female characters, and family drama, especially when it comes to the dynamics between parent and child.  I don't know how much Henry is contributing to writing here, but it is good.  Nailed it!

Everyone who reads comic books on a regular basis knows that Dave Stewart is currently among the very best colorists in American comic books, if not the best.  I can say that here, Stewart “Nailed it!”  Letterer Joe Caramagna... captures the subtle and quiet atmosphere of this first chapter with his usual skill.  So he... Nailed it!, too.

I am happy that the Abrams' Spider-Man is one of those superstar-driven, event comic book publications that is actually, really damn good.  I am so ready for more.

10 out of 10

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


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

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

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

#28DaysofBlack Review: BLACK PANTHER BY JACK KIRBY Volume 1

[The late comic book maestro, Jack Kirby, is, of course, not an African-American comics creator.  However, Kirby was instrumental in creating the greatest Black comic book character of all time, the Black Panther. The character has become an icon in American culture, and, I suspect, will eventually become an iconic figure in world popular culture.  So, as far as I'm concerned, Jack Kirby deserves a little spot of his own in Black History Month.]

BLACK PANTHER BY JACK KIRBY, VOL. 1
MARVEL COMICS

STORY: Jack Kirby
PENCILS: Jack Kirby
INKS: Mike Royer
COLORS: Dave Hunt; Petra Goldberg; Irene Vartanoff; Sam Kato
COLOR RECONSTRUCTION: Jerron Quality Color.
LETTERS: Mike Royer
EDITOR: Jack Kirby; Archie Goodwin (consulting); Jeff Youngquist (collection)
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Joe Quesada
COVER: Jack Kirby with Matt Milla
ISBN: 978-1-7851-1687-7; paperback (August 11, 2005)
136pp, Color, $19.99 U.S., $32.00 CAN

Black Panther created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee

Black Panther is a Marvel Comics superhero.  He was created by artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee and first appeared in Fantastic Four #52 (cover dated: July 1966).  Black Panther is T'Challa, the king and protector of the (fictional) African nation of Wakanda.  Black Panther was also the first Black superhero in mainstream American comic books.

After his debut, Black Panther made guest appearances in other comic books and with The Avengers #52 (cover dated: May 1968) became a member of the Avengers.  Black Panther received his own feature in the title, Jungle Action, beginning in 1973.

Jack Kirby returned to Marvel Comics after working at rival DC Comics for several years.  One of his assignments upon his return was a new ongoing Black Panther comic book series.  Beginning with Black Panther #1 (January 1977), Jack Kirby began chronicling new adventures for the King of Wakanda, and which he continued doing until Black Panther #12.

Published in 2005 by Marvel Comics, Black Panther by Jack Kirby Vol. 1 reprints Black Panther #1 to #7.  These seven issues combine to form a story arc that sees Black Panther pitted against “the Collectors,” a group of powerful eccentrics that hunt the greatest treasures of history, fable, and myth.  Black Panther finds himself coerced into taking the lead in finding two treasures – one incredibly dangerous and the other capable of granting immortality.

Black Panther by Jack Kirby Vol. 1 opens with Black Panther #1, which is entitled “King Solomon's Frog.”  Black Panther and his companion, Mister Abner Little, have found a brass frog … and a dead man … and a strangely garbed warrior wielding a strange sword.  The brass frog turns out to be “King Solomon's frog,” and while the Black Panther manages to chase of the warrior, he isn't the only one after the frog.

Black Panther and Mister Little are captured by one of the latter's fellow Collectors, Princess Zanda.  It is Zanda who discovers the brass frog's true nature.  It is a time machine, and she proves that by bring forth a super-powered creature from six million years in Earth's future, the “Six Million Year Man.”  This “man” is nearly impossible to defeat.  Black Panther, Mister Little, and Zanda must travel to King Solomon's burial chamber.  There, they believe this will find King Solomon's Frog's twin, which will give them the power to return the Six Million Year Man to his own time.

Next, Zanda is joined by fellow Collectors:  Count Zorba, Colonel Pigman, and Silas Mourner in blackmailing Black Panther and Mister Little into traveling to the mysterious and hidden “Samurai City.”  There, they will find the “Sacred Water-Skin,” which holds the “water of immortality.”  And the Collectors want them some immortality.

Meanwhile, back in Wakanda or, as it is called in this series, “the Wakandas,” there is trouble.  Black Panther's half-brother, General Jakarra, has staged a coup.

THE LOWDOWN:  Supposedly, Jack Kirby was not happy writing and drawing the Black Panther comic book.  Apparently, he wanted to work on new characters, believing that he had already worked extensively on Black Panther material.

Kirby's alleged unhappiness did not show in the material reprinted in Black Panther by Jack Kirby Vol. 1.  This was not Kirby's best work, neither as a writer nor an artist, but his imagination remained powerful.  Odd characters, lavish and outlandish costumes, lunatic technology, and weird, wild, and wondrous lost civilizations:  Kirby was an idea machine, and he certainly was one in this strange Black Panther series.

Once again, as he had done with Wakanda, Kirby imagined a mystically powerful and highly technological African civilization, this time in the form of Princess Zanda and her denizens.  Also, Zanda herself is special.  Her facial features are powerful and strong like those of actress-singer Grace Jones, but also softer.  Her costumes look as if they were created for a Fashion Week runway, but are dotted with odd patters and shapes.  Zanda is one of the most beautiful Black female comic book characters that I have ever seen.

Kirby, however, was not hugely imaginative in his characterization of Black Panther/T'Challa in this series.  Kirby played T'Challa as a stalwart hero, but he gave him a sense of right-and-wrong that was similar what writer-artist Steve Ditko did with some of his characters, such as the Question.

As the cover copy says on two issues of Black Panther, Black Panther #1-7 offers “action in a mystic  realm...”  This is more weird fiction than typical superhero comics, but, as unpopular as Kirby's Black Panther apparently was, these stories did seem to influence future Black Panther comic book writers.  The sense of the mystic and weird remain, even a little, in modern Black Panther tales.

A year or so after Jack Kirby embarked on this Black Panther ongoing comic book, he left the title.  Less than a year after his last issue, Black Panther #12, Kirby left Marvel Comics for good.  Personally, I look at Black Panther by Jack Kirby Vol. 1 as a chance to enjoy the wonderful work that Kirby did for Marvel Comics, an entity that exists mainly because of Kirby's imagination and hard work.

Before we go, dear readers, I want to note two things.  First, there was a Vol. 2 collection of Kirby's Black Panther comic books.  Secondly, Jerron Quality Color's “color reconstruction” and restoration of the art reprinted in this book is simply gorgeous.  Jerron restores the original rich, flat colors and makes them pop off the page of this collection.  So I will give Black Panther by Jack Kirby Vol. 1 a grade that reflects what I feel about the story and about the quality of this trade paperback.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Jack Kirby will want to read Black Panther by Jack Kirby Vol. 1.

[This book includes a seven-page gallery of cover art, sketches, and unused art committed by Jack Kirby in the creation of the Black Panther.]

A-
7.5 out of 10

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

https://twitter.com/Marvel
https://www.marvel.com/
https://www.marvel.com/comics
https://www.comixology.com/Marvel_Comics


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

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

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

#28DaysofBlack Review: Eric Jerome Dickey's STORM

[The 2006 miniseries, "Storm," was basically a reboot of the story of Storm's relationship with the young man who would become the Black Panther when both were young. The series remains strong, and I wish the late Eric Jerome Dickey would have written more comic books featuring Marvel Comics' African and African-American characters.]

Get #28DaysofBlack review links here.

ERIC JEROME DICKEY'S STORM
MARVEL COMICS

WRITER: Eric Jerome Dickey
PENCILS: David Yardin; Lan Medina
INKS: Jay Leisten; Sean Parsons
COLORS: Matt Milla
LETTERS: VC’s Randy Gentile
EDITOR: Axel Alonso
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Joe Quesada
COVER: Mike Mayhew

Storm created by Len Wein and Dave Cockrum

Eric Jerome Dickey (1961-2021) was a New York Times bestselling African-American author.  He was best known for his novels about contemporary African-American life, such as Sister, Sister and Milk in My Coffee.  Dickey, who died January 3rd, also wrote crime novels that were international in their casts and settings, like A Wanted Woman.

Storm a/k/a Ororo Munroe is a Marvel Comics super-heroine and longtime member of the X-Men.  She was created by writer Len Wein and artist Dave Cockrum and first appeared in Giant-Size X-Men #1 (cover dated: May 1975).

Storm is also the former queen consort of Wakanda, a title she held when she was married to King T’Challa, better known as the superhero, Black Panther.  Before the two were married (in Black Panther #18 cover dated: September 2006), Marvel published several stories and comic books under the tagline, “Prelude to the Wedding of the Century.”

One of those series was Storm, a 2006, full-color, six-issue comic book miniseries.  It was written by Eric Jerome Dickey; drawn by David Yardin and Lan Medina (pencils) and Jay Leisten and Sean Parsons (inks); colored by Matt Milla; and lettered by Randy Gentile.  In the Storm miniseries, Dickey re-imagines the first meeting between the younger versions of both Ororo Munroe and T'Challa.

Storm #1 “Chapter One” (April 2006):

The story opens in an outdoor market in an unnamed African country.  Ororo Munroe, our future “Storm,” is among a number of street urchins that prowl the market looking for things they can steal from the shoppers and shopkeepers and even from those simply passing through the market.  Goaded by her compatriots, Ororo steals a camera from a white man.  What she does not realize is that this white man is de Ruyter, a South African and a ruthless hunter and poacher who is also a racist.  He is determined to track Ororo using any brutal means necessary.  Zenja, a jealous rival of Ororo’s, watches the situation, making plans of her own.

Flashbacks also show Ororo with her parents, her African-American father, David Munroe, and her African (Kenya) mother, N'Dare.  With the upheaval of change causing so much turmoil in America, N’Dare wants to return to her home country in Africa.  David does not believe that they will be better off in Africa.  Will their marriage survive this crucial disagreement?

Meanwhile, Ororo’s strange powers began to manifest themselves.  Plus, Teacher arrives to tell Ororo that the lessons in picking pockets and thievery she learned from her first teacher, Achmed El-Gibar, are not enough to suit his purposes.

Storm #2 “Chapter Two” (May 2006):

The issue first offers series cover artist, Mike Mayhew's haunting cover painting of the shattered Munroe family photo.  The racist South African poacher continues to stalk Ororo, determined to capture her for the mysterious powers he has discovered she possesses.  A jealous rival turns out to be more ally than enemy.  Plus, a mysterious young man comes to the rescue.

Storm #3 “Chapter Three” (June 2006):

The mysterious young man is T'Challa, son of the King of Wakanda, T'Chaka.  T'Challa is on his “walkabout,” a “journey into manhood,” and he finds himself in a serious philosophical debate with “Teacher,” the man who teaches Ororo and the other “urchins” to be thieves.  T'Challa is drawn to Ororo, who is recovering from the poison of a tranquilizer dart used on her by de Ruyter.  Speaking of the white hunter, he calls his brother, Andreas de Ruyter a.k.a. “the Bull,” to help him capture Ororo, whom he calls the “Wind Rider.”

Storm #4 “Chapter Four” (July 2006):

Ororo has left with young T'Challa, and their romance begins in earnest.  Elsewhere,  Andreas de Ruyter learns who T'Challa is, and the Bull's past as an adversary of Wakanda is revealed.

Storm #5 “Chapter Five” (August 2006):

Ororo and T'Challa struggle with what they mean to each other in the wake of consummating their relationship.  Then, they are captured.

Storm #6 “Chapter Six” (September 2006):

Ororo settles matters with her rival, Zenja.  In a high-flying helicopter chase, T'Challa and Ororo have their final battle with the de Ruyter brothers.  Then, the young couple continue their journey together – one a warrior and one both a warrior and a woman.

THE LOWDOWN:  Black writers can bring different perspectives and diverse points-of-view to comic book storytelling.  In one single issue, Storm #1, Eric Jerome Dickey shows what different perspectives on storytelling and diverse points-of-view can mean to the mythology of one X-Men in particular, Storm, and to the X-Men, in general.  Dickey really puts Ororo through her paces, forcing her to endure many challenges and obstacles if she is to survive her life as a thief and as a denizen of a jungle refuge.

Over the course of the six issues that comprise the Storm miniseries, Dickey creates a coming-of-age story that resonates with African themes, but is also an universal story of a young person finding  herself and her place.  Ororo’s life is not difficult just because she is an orphan, but also because she is, in some ways, a stranger in Africa.  Dickey, as a Black man, understands the stress fractures that exist in what it means to be Black in a larger culture and how it relates to heritage.  When Ororo’s fellow thieves insist that she is not one of them, Dickey brings a sense of authenticity and realism to those accusations.  He hits right at the heart of the matter.  Africans may see Ororo as a Black American and not at all as an African, no matter what her mother, N’Dare’s origins are.  This is another way that Dickey makes Ororo's story a universal tale.  Storm is a story that is also about the search for identity, and everyone, regardless of his or her group origins, can identity with that.

I would be remiss if I did not also praise artists David Yardin and Lan Medina and their inkers, Jay Leisten and Sean Parsons.  Throughout this series, the art is consistently beautiful, and the storytelling is dramatic, action-packed, bracing, and romantic.  The art and graphical storytelling deftly conveys the setting, making it both exotic and familiar.  Matt Milla's colors glow and sparkle, and also make Storm shimmer, giving her blue eyes an otherworldly quality.  The high drama and action would fall flat without Randy Gentile's dynamic and dynamite lettering.

Eric Jerome Dickey had a superb creative team for Storm.  They are the reason that the one work of comics that he left behind is brilliant and hopefully will delight readers for a long time to come.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Eric Jerome Dickey and fans of the X-Men's African weather goddess, Storm, will want to read Dickey's Storm miniseries.

A
8 out of 10

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


https://twitter.com/Marvel
https://www.marvel.com/
https://www.marvel.com/comics
https://www.comixology.com/Marvel_Comics


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

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

#IReadsYou Review: STAR WARS VOL. 1: The Destiny Path

STAR WARS VOL. 1 (2020): THE DESTINY PATH
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

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

STORY: Charles Soule
ART: Jesus Saiz
COLORS: Arif Prianto with Jesus Saiz (#1); Rachelle Rosenberg (#4); and Dan Brown (#5)
LETTERS: VC's Clayton Cowles
EDITOR: Mark Paniccia
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Akira Yoshida a.k.a. C.B. Cebulski
COVER: R.B. Silva with Guru-eFX
MISC. ART: Arthur Adams with Jesus Aburtov; Jen Bartel; Adam Hughes; Mahmud Asrar with Matthew Wilson; Phil Noto; Ema Lupacchino with Jesus Aburtov; Daniel Acuna; Patch Zircher with Edgard Delgado; John Tyler Christopher
ISBN: 978-1-302-92078-4; paperback (November 10, 2020)
152pp, Color, $17.99 U.S., $22.99 CAN

Rated T

In 2015, Marvel Comics began publishing Star Wars comic books again.  Marvel's new Star Wars #1 opened in the time immediately after the events depicted in the original film, Star Wars (1977), which is also known as Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope.  After 75 issues, that series ended.

In late 2019, the new Star Wars ongoing series began.  It is written by Charles Soule; drawn by Jesus Saiz; colored by Arif Prianto; and lettered by Clayton Cowles.  Star Wars (cover dated: 2020) starts during the last act of the 1980 Star Wars film, The Empire Strikes Back (also known as Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back) and then, goes on to tell the story of the aftermath of the events depicted in Episode V.

The first six issues of Star Wars (2020) are collected in the recently released trade paperback, Star Wars Vol. 1: The Destiny Path.  “The Destiny Path” is the first story arc of this new series.

Star Wars Vol. 1: The Destiny Path opens inside the Millennium Falcon.  Its passengers:  Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, R2-D2, C-3PO, and Lando Calrissian have fled the Cloud City of Bespin, formerly owned by Lando.  They also escaped capture by the forces of the Galactic Empire, thanks to a save by R2-D2 (as seen in The Empire Strikes Back).  However, there are also feelings of recrimination and anger over Han Solo being the prisoner of a group of bounty hunters, led by Boba Fett, in service of Darth Vader – with the involuntary assistance of Lando.

Leia's plan is for the Falcon to reach The Mid Rim, Rendezvous Point: Delta-Three and join the “Fourth Division” of the Rebel Fleet.  But the Fourth Division is trapped there by Imperial forces led by Lieutenant Gorr of the Imperial Star Destroyer, “Tarkin's Will.”  Now, Leia, Luke, Chewbacca, and Lando will have to put aside the anger, pain, and grief if they are going to save the Rebel Alliance.

“No … I am your father.”

Meanwhile, Luke struggles with his destiny as a Jedi Knight in the aftermath of his battle with Darth Vader at Cloud City.  He calls to his late mentor, Ben “Obi-Wan” Kenobi, but does not receive a reply, and Luke also feels out of sorts with the Force – as if it has abandoned him.  Then, Luke begins to have dreams and visions of a mystery woman who holds out a lightsaber to him – perhaps to replace the one he lost at Cloud City.  Now, Luke must find her, if he is to find his way with the Force … or so he thinks.  Plus, Leia, Luke, and Lando return to Cloud City, each for his or her own reasons.

THE LOWDOWN:  Star Wars Vol. 1: The Destiny Path takes place inside the final 10 minutes of The Empire Strikes Back.  It expands on what happens between the Millennium Falcon escaping the Imperial forces shortly after leaving Bespin and the film's final moments.  Then, The Destiny Path creates a larger story of what happens afterwards, which involves several sub-plots.

The Rebel Alliance must find a new base, but first, they have to escape Imperial forces, which have found a way to track the whereabouts of the separated “Divisions” of the Rebel Fleet.  The Imperials can track one Division in order to find a second; then, it destroys both.  The main goal of Leia, Luke, Lando, and Chewbacca is to find Han Solo, and if Boba Fett hasn't already turned Han over to Jabba the Hutt on Tatooine, then, they must track Boba.

Writer Charles Soule has previously said that he hopes to use this new Star Wars series to expand on what happened between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi (1983), the final film of the original Star Wars trilogy.  And I'm all for that!  Star Wars Vol. 1: The Destiny Path is a very well written first arc.  Soule expounds on the conflict between Leia and Chewbacca against Lando.  Soule gives Lando a chance to settle his affairs at Cloud City and to reunite with a friend (and one of my favorite characters, Lobot).

Soule delves into Luke's struggles after his duel with Darth Vader, revealing a young man adrift and who may have to find his own way.  Soule plays up the idea that Luke's journey will be different from that of any other Jedi's.  The Destiny Path allows readers to see Luke take the first big steps that he takes alone on his path to being a Jedi.

I really like the art by illustrator Jesus Saiz and colorist Arif Prianto.  The graphical storytelling is moody and emotionally, but also offers edge-of-your-seat thrills, all of it well paced by Clayton Cowles' lettering.  For however long Saiz and Prianto work on this new Star Wars series, they seem capable of capturing the dark mood of a time when the Star Wars narrative fell into the deep, cold shadows of the Empire.

I have to be honest.  Although I was a regular reader of the previous series, Star Wars (2015), my excitement for the series's last 12 issues was about a third of what it was for the first 12 issues.  Star Wars Vol. 1: The Destiny Path is making me feel excited about Star Wars comic books the way the beginning of Star Wars 2015 did.  And I feel quite safe in recommending this collection to you, dear readers and Star Wars fans.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Star Wars comic books and of the time between Star Wars: Episodes V and VI will definitely want to sample Star Wars Vol. 1: The Destiny Path.

9 out of 10

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

https://twitter.com/Marvel
https://twitter.com/starwars
https://www.starwars.com/
https://twitter.com/CharlesSoule


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

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

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

#IReadsYou Review: FALCON & WINTER SOLDIER #1

FALCON & WINTER SOLDIER #1 (OF 5)
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Derek Landy
ART: Federico Vicentini
COLORS: Matt Milla
LETTERS: VC's Joe Caramagna
EDITOR: Alanna Smith
COVER: Dan Mora with David Curiel
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Bengal; Butch Guice with Frank D'Armata; Ziyian Liu
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (April 2020)

Rated T+

Sam Wilson/The Falcon created by Stan Lee and Gene Colan; Falcon costumed designed by Alex Ross

James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby; The Winter Soldier created by Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting

Sam Wilson a.k.a. The Falcon is a Marvel Comics superhero.  Wilson/Falcon first appeared in Captain America #117 (cover date: September 1969).  The Falcon uses mechanical wings to fly, and he has limited telepathic and empathic control over birds.

James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes is a Marvel Comics superhero.  Writer Joe Simon and artist Jack Kirby introduced “Bucky” as a sidekick to Captain America in Captain America Comics #1 (cover-dated March 1941).   Published by Marvel's predecessor, Timely Comics, Captain America Comics #1 also introduced Captain America.

Over six decades later, writer Ed Brubaker and artist Steve Epting reinvented Bucky as being brought back from supposed-death to be the brainwashed assassin called “The Winter Soldier.”  The character, which debuted in Captain America #1 (cover dated: January 2005), was the villain slash adversary in the 2014 film, Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will team up in an upcoming Marvel Studios television series, “The Falcon & the Winter Soldier,” for the Disney+ streaming service.  Marvel Comics is getting in on the action with a five-issue limited series entitled... Falcon & Winter Soldier.  It is written by Derek Landy; drawn by Federico Vicentini; colored Matt Milla; and lettered by Joe Caramagna.

Falcon & Winter Soldier #1 opens at the Indiana home of Bucky Barnes, where he and his cat are enjoying some morning solitude.  Then, a group of men, armed with military-style weaponry, break into the house to kill Bucky.  [This attack is similar to the one that heavily-armed German security forces launched into Bucky's apartment in the 2016 film, Captain America: Civil War.]

Later, in New York City, The Falcon decides to pay a visit as Sam Wilson to the local office of an agency called the “Office of Federal Utilities.”  There, he finds an entire office of dead people... and the Winter Soldier, but Bucky says he didn't do it – kill all these people.  So, it seems that the dramatic attempt on Bucky's life has reunited The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.  They decide that they will have to hunt down the identity of the new leader of Hydra, but a gifted new killer is also hunting them.

I bought a copy of Falcon & Winter Soldier #1 for a friend of mine to read.  I was a little interested in it, as a fan of The Falcon, but not enough to purchase it for myself.  I got it back and decided to read it, and I have to admit that it was way better than I thought it would be.  Writer Derek Landy offers a simple, but straight-forward story.  There is a goal, uncover Hydra's new secrets, and there is a shocking new adversary, a gifted young killer.  The cover of Falcon & Winter Soldier looks like it belongs to a high-octane action comic book series, and it turns out that Falcon & Winter Soldier #1 reads like an actual, honest-to-goodness, high-octane action comic book.

Artist Federico Vicentini is not a polished illustrator and draftsman.  Some of his figure drawing and background details look awkward and funky.  However, his storytelling is clean and clear, especially important for this genre of comic book.  Matt Milla's coloring is good enough, but not particularly imaginative, and Joe Caramagna's lettering is by-the-books, but good enough.

Falcon & Winter Soldier #1 is not great, but it is the kind of satisfying start that could make me come back for the second issue.  I might even buy the inevitable trade paperback collection.

7 out of 10

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


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

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

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

#IReadsYou Review: KARNAK #1

KARNAK No. 1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Warren Ellis
ART: Gerardo Zaffino
COLORS: Dan Brown
LETTERS: VC's Clayton Cowles
COVER: David Aja
VARIANT COVERS:  Gerardo Zaffino; Jim Cheung with Justin Ponsor; Skottie Young; Eric Powell (Monster variant) Kaare Andrews (Hop Hop variant)
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (December 2015)

Rated T+

Karnak created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

“The Flaw in All Things” Part 1

Karnak is a Marvel Comics character that is part of the super-human race known as the Inhumans.  Karnak was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and debuted in Fantastic Four #45 (cover dated: December 1965), the same issue in which the Inhumans first appeared.

Unlike most Inhumans, Karnak was not exposed to the Terrigen Mists.  Because he did not undergo Terrigenesis, he did not develop additional powers like other Inhumans.  A martial artist, Karnak can find the weakness or the flaw in anything (people, ideas, objects, philosophies, structures, and systems).  Using his training and strength, Karnak exploits his talents and can turn a weakness into a weapon.

Marvel Comics is apparently expanding the profile of the Inhumans even more, and that includes launching Inhuman solo titles.  The first one is Karnak, which is written by Warren Ellis; drawn by Gerardo Zaffino; colored by Dan Brown; and lettered by Clayton Cowles.  [Of note:  due to unforeseen circumstances, the art team will change in future issues.]

Karnak #1 (“The Flaw in All Things” Part 1) finds Magister Karnak doing his thing at the Tower of Wisdom.  His thing is interrupted when S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent Coulson come calling for his help and whisk him off to a S.H.I.E.L.D. base in the Arctic.

It seems that William and Sarah Roderick have lost their son, Adam.  He recently underwent Terrigenesis and afterwards, was abducted.  The culprit seems to be I.D.I.C. (International Data Integration and Control), an old splinter group of A.I.M. (Advanced Idea Mechanics), thought to be defunct. Now, Karnak, the baddest philosopher since I-don't-know-who, will find Adam and I.D.I.C.

Karnak is another intriguing series from the mind of Warren Ellis, one of most the imaginative and inventive writers of North American and British comic books.  When I first heard that there was going to be a Karnak comic book, I was all like “Puh-lease!”  However, once I learned that Ellis would be the writer, I was intrigued.

I read Ellis' Karnak as an amalgamation of a fixer, special operative, troubleshooter, and martial artist.  He is the Inhuman blunt instrument, called in when no one can get the job done.  I wonder if Karnak will be a pop comic, full of kick-ass and action swag, while offering up something new in terms of ideas, plots, and settings.

Surprisingly, I am as impressed with the art of Gerardo Zaffino and Dan Brown as I am with Ellis' story-script-concept.  Zaffino's compositions are representational in a moody and impressionistic way, but the art makes for kinetic storytelling – as if the narrative is always urging forward.  The colors are alluring; they are like candy, and I think Brown's hues were the elements that kept drawing me deeper into this first issue.

I heartily recommend Karnak.  Readers looking for the really different in the All-New, All-Different Marvel will want to buy this first issue, even if it means mail order or digital.

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.

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

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

 

#IReadsYou Review: DARTH VADER ANNUAL #1

DARTH VADER ANNUAL No. 1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

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

STORY: Kieron Gillen
PENCILS: Leinil Yu
INKS: Gerry Alanguilan
COLORS: Jason Keith
LETTERS: VC's Joe Caramagna
COVER: Leinil Yu
44pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (February 2016)

Rated T

Annual

Marvel Comics recently released the first two “Annual” editions of its flagship Star Wars comic book titles, Star Wars and Darth Vader.  Although Marvel published three Star Wars Annuals for its original Star Wars series (1977 to 1986), this is the first Darth Vader Annual, and it is written by Kieron Gillen, who writes the ongoing Darth Vader series.  This inaugural annual features arts by Leinil Yu (pencils) and Gerry Alanguilan (inks); colors by Jason Keith; and letters by Joe Caramagna.

Darth Vader Annual #1 finds Darth Vader traveling to the planet, Shu-torun.  It is a Mid-Rim world known for producing valuable ore needed by the Empire for its ceaseless building projects.  The planet is ruled by the King who must also manage the dukes (“Ore-Dukes”), each one ruling over a domain that mines the precious ore so important to the Empire.

Of late, Shu-torun has failed to meet the delivery quotas set by the Emperor, so he has sent Lord Vader to reinforce the cooperation of the King and the Ore-Dukes.  There is, however, some game afoot.  The King has sent his third child, his daughter Trios, to meet Lord Vader, and perhaps to stall him.  Rebellion is reportedly brewing on Shu-torun, but against whom?  Plus, the malevolent droid duo, 0-0-0 (Triple Zero) and BT-1 (BeeTee One), have fun on their own.

I flipped through Darth Vader Annual #1 about two weeks before I got around to reading it.  Honestly, I put off reading it because it did not look appealing.  I was wrong – so wrong.  Writer Kieron Gillen offers a simple, straight-forward story, but it depicts Vader as the fearsome, bad-ass villain Star Wars fans want him to be.  That's all; this story is just Vader being Vader.

Gillen and Jason Aaron (who writes Star Wars) are proving to be the among the best Star Wars comic book writers ever, and at the rate they are going, I will likely think of them as the best if they can give us a few years of the same high quality at which they are already performing.  Gillen adds to the Star Wars universe, offering another world and another society, without altering anything.  It is nothing groundbreaking, but it enriches the ground that has already been broken.

Leinil Yu and Gerry Alanguilan's art stylistically resembles the work of P. Craig Russell, but the storytelling recalls Alex Raymond's Flash Gordon, which I am sure is one of the works that influenced George Lucas' creation of Star Wars.  This touch of Flash Gordon makes Darth Vader Annual #1 seem like classic space opera, with a touch of interplanetary romantic courtly intrigue.

This is the perfect one-off story for a comic book “Annual” special.  Here's to many more.

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.

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

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

#IReadsYou Review: CRIMINAL VOLUME 1: Coward

CRIMINAL VOL.1: COWARD
MARVEL COMICS/Icon

WRITER: Ed Brubaker
ARTIST: Sean Phillips
COLOR: Val Staples
ISBN: 0-7851-2439-X; paperback (May 2007)
128pp, Color, $14.99 U.S, $24.00 CAN

Criminal, the comic book series by writer Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips, is less than a year old, and it has garnered acclaim from trendy comics critics and Brubaker and Phillips’ colleagues, who are all too eager to provide quotes for book covers.  Word is that Criminal is some kind of meditation of the clichés of the crime genre – the authors’ chance to play with and to examine what makes crime fiction.  Whatever.  Along comes Criminal Vol. 1: Coward, the first trade collection of this series.

The truth of the matter is that to hold Coward is probably what it’s like to hold a rattlesnake in your hands.  People wondered if there would ever be another great, long-running crime series like Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso’s 100 Bullets, and this little mean sonuvabitch could be it.  This is crime fiction.

Criminal Vol. 1: Coward collects the first five issues of the series and focuses on Leo Patterson.  He learned the art of being a pickpocket from his father Tommy Patterson and his “Uncle” Ivan.  Leo has never been arrested because he’s careful and he follows “the rules” to the tee.  His troubles begin when two old associates (from a job that went bad when Leo didn’t follow his rules) coerce him into a job with Jeff Driscoll, a dirty cop.  Leo takes control of the heist to make sure that everyone sticks to his rules, but the best laid plans mean nothing when dealing with a dirty cop.

Who will like this?  Fans of the aforementioned 100 Bullets and also admirers of David Lapham’s Stray Bullets are hungering for Criminal even if they don’t know it exists.  You can think of this as a hard-ass remix of elements of John Huston’s The Asphalt Jungle, Stanley Kubrick’s The Killing, and Samuel Fuller’s Pickup on South Street.

Does this concept really work?  Brubaker’s writing is actually pretty elegant for such a down and dirty tale.  While the characters all fit a crime genre type, not all are stereotypes.  The female character Greta is a layered, rich personality and is completely believable as a former junkie.  If there is a movie version of this, a good actress can take Greta and turn her into an Oscar nomination.

Sean Phillips’ art isn’t so much gritty as it’s hard.  Where as 100 Bullets is crime fiction as slick, high art, Phillips paints Criminal as severe and as tough as a world in which people do kill without blinking.  He draws the characters in such a fashion that we know they’re hiding secrets and thoughts, but when something comes to the surface, Phillips makes sure it’s plain to see.

Ultimately, there is hardly a bump in the road here, making Coward a seamless crime comics classic.  There were times when I had to back away from this murderous little treat.  Read it.  Enjoy it, but don’t turn you back on it.

A
9 out of 10

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


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

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

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

#IReadsYou Review: Wolverine #1

WOLVERINE #1 (2020)
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Benjamin Percy
ART: Adam Kubert; Viktor Bogdanovic
COLORS: Frank Martin; Matthew Wilson
LETTERS: VC's Cory Petit
EDITOR: Jordan D. White
COVER: Adam Kubert with Frank Martin
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Alex Ross; Chip Kidd; Jeehyung Lee; Jim Lee with Jason Keith; Rahzzah; R.B. Silva with Marte Gracia; Skottie Young; Gabriele Dell'Otto
72pp, Color, $7.99 U.S. (April 2020)

Parental advisory

Wolverine created by Roy Thomas, Len Wein, and John Romita, Sr.

“The Flower Cartel” and “Catacombs”

Wolverine is a Marvel Comics character, a member of the superhero team, the X-Men, and one of Marvel's all-time most popular characters.  Wolverine first appeared in the last panel of The Incredible Hulk #180, but his first full appearance was in The Incredible Hulk #181 (cover-dated: Nov. 1974).  Wolverine was created by then Marvel Editor-in-Chief Roy Thomas, writer Len Wein, and then Marvel art director John Romita (Sr.)  Romita designed Wolverine, but the late artist Herb Trimpe drew Wolverine's earliest comic book appearances.

Wolverine first starred in his own solo comic book in the four-issue miniseries simply entitled Wolverine (cover-dated:  September to December 1982), which was famously written by Chris Claremont and drawn by Frank Miller.  Claremont and the late comic book artist, John Buscema, launched Wolverine's first ongoing comic book series with Wolverine #1 (cover-dated: November 1988), the first of many Wolverine ongoing comic book series.

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 2019 welcomed “Dawn of X,” the launch of six new X-Men titles.  The new series are Excalibur, Fallen Angels, Marauders, New Mutants, X-Force, and X-Men.

The seventh Wolverine ongoing comic book series headed the “second wave” of “Dawn of X” titles.  Wolverine (2020) is written by Benjamin Percy; drawn by Adam Kubert; colored by Frank Martin; and lettered by Cory Petit.  The first issue of the new series also includes a second story written by Percy; drawn by Viktor Bogdanovic; colored by Matthew Wilson; and lettered by Petit.

Wolverine #1 (“The Flower Cartel”) opens to find Wolverine and his cohorts:  Marvel Girl, Domino, and Kid Omega, in a sorry state.  The story turns to a flashback from several days earlier, with Wolverine on Krakoa, the living island and mutant nation-state that is the home to all mutants on Earth (if those so choose).  At the behest of Kitty Pryde, Wolverine begins an investigation/mission to discover who is selling narcotics based on a Krakoan flower from which medicine is derived.  Wolverine will come across many players in this narcotics trade before finding himself tangling with an entity known as “The Pale Girl.”

In the second story, Wolverine begins another investigation/mission, this time to discover why the homicidal mutant, Omega Red, suddenly showed up on Krakoa in a grievously wounded condition.  Who whipped that ass?  Wolverine vehemently opposes Red being given sanctuary on Krakoa, but he does want to know what happened to him.  Wolverine heads to Paris where he discovers that blood flows freely in the “Catacombs” beneath Paris.

If I had to give a grade only to the opening story, “The Flower Cartel,” I might give it a “B.”  Ten of the 30 story pages simply meander, but when the action kicks into gear, it has quite a kick.  There is nothing here by the creative team that stands out as any of its members' best work, and I am disappointed to say that because I always expect a lot of Adam Kubert.

The real treat in this issue is the second story, “The Catacombs.”  For a grade, I will give it a solid “A.”  I don't want spoil anything, but Benjamin Percy's story reads like a slickly, produced dark fantasy, mystery-thriller.  Viktor Bogdanovic's illustrations and storytelling recall some Marvel stalwarts, like John Romita Jr. and Art Adams, 1980s work.  Matthew Wilson's color is pitch perfect for the tale, and Cory Petit's lettering creates an edgy, but alluring rhythm.

I am inclined to seek out the second issue of this new series to see if the plot of the second story plays out in the next issue.  Beyond that, the fact that Adam Kubert is drawing a Wolverine comic book will keep me curious about it.  The truth is, however, the main story of Wolverine 2020 simply does not stand out as exceptional material.

7 out of 10

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


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

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

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

 

#IReadsYou Review: STAR WARS #1

STAR WARS #1 (2020)
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

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

STORY: Charles Soule
ART: Jesus Saiz
COLORS: Jesus Saiz; Arif Prianto
LETTERS: VC's Clayton Cowles
EDITOR: Mark Paniccia
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Akira Yoshida a.k.a. C.B. Cebulski
COVER: R.B. Silva with Guru-eFX
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Arthur Adams with Jesus Aburtov; Jen Bartel; Adam Hughes; Mahmud Asrar with Matthew Wilson; Phil Noto; Chris Sprouse; Karl Story with Neeraj Menon
4pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (March 2020)

Rated T

“The Destiny Path” Part I

In 2015, Marvel Comics began publishing Star Wars comic books again.  Star Wars #1 opened in the time immediately after the events depicted in the original film, Star Wars (1977), which is also known as Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope.  After 75 issues, that series ended.

Now comes Star Wars 2020.  It is written by Charles Soule; drawn by Jesus Saiz; colored by Arif Prianto and Saiz; and lettered by Clayton Cowles.  The new series takes place after the events depicted in the 1980 Star Wars film, The Empire Strikes Back (also known as Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back).

Star Wars #1 opens inside the Millennium Falcon.  Its passengers:  Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, R2-D2, C-3PO, and Lando Calrissian escaped the Cloud City of Bespin, formerly owned by Lando.  They also escaped capture by the forces of the Galactic Empire, thanks to a save by R2-D2, as seen in The Empire Strikes Back.  There are also feelings of recrimination and anger over the capture of Han Solo by bounty hunters, led by Boba Fett, in service of Darth Vader.

Leia's plan is for them to reach The Mid Rim, Rendezvous Point: Delta-Three and join the “Fourth Division” of the Rebel Fleet.  But the Fourth Division is trapped there by imperial forces led by Lieutenant Gorr of the Imperial Star Destroyer, “Tarkin's Will.”  Now, Leia, Luke, Chewbacca, and Lando will have to put aside the anger, pain, and grief if they are going to save the Rebel Alliance... and find a traitor.  Meanwhile, Luke struggles with his destiny in the aftermath of his battle with Darth Vader in Cloud City.

Star Wars #1 (2020) takes place inside the final 10 minutes of The Empire Strikes Back.  It expands on what happened between the Millennium Falcon escaping the Imperial forces shortly after leaving Bespin and the film's final moments.  Writer Charles Soule has said that he hopes to use this new Star Wars series to expand on what happened between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi (1983), the final film of the original Star Wars trilogy.  And I'm all for that!

Star Wars #1 is a very well written first issue, as Soule expounds on the conflict between Leia and Chewbacca against Lando.  Soule delves into Luke's struggles after his duel with Darth Vader, revealing a young man adrift and who may have to find his own way.  Soule plays up the idea that Luke's journey will be different from that of any other Jedi's.  Soule also offers a tremendous mini action-thriller involving a besieged part of the Rebel Fleet, facing certain doom at the hands of Imperial Star Destroyers.  Soule creates the perfect scenario in which he can show how the post-Episode V core of heroes:  Luke, Leia, Lando, Chewbacca, and the Droids can work together to save the Rebellion.

I really like the art by Jesus Saiz and Arif Prianto.  The graphical storytelling is moody and emotionally, but also offers edge-of-your-seat thrills, all of it well paced by Clayton Cowles' lettering.  For however long Saiz and Prianto work on this new Star Wars series, they seem capable of capturing the dark mood of a time when the Star Wars narrative fell into the deep, cold shadows of the Empire.

I have to be honest.  Although I was a regular reader of the previous series, Star Wars (2015), my excitement for the series's last 12 issues was about a third of what it was for the first 12 issues.  Star Wars #1 2020 has not made me feel the original highs I felt, but it's close enough.

8 out of 10

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


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

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

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