#IReadsYou Review: KILLADELPHIA #15

KILLADELPHIA #15
IMAGE COMICS

STORY: Rodney Barnes
ART: Jason Shawn Alexander with Well-Bee (pp 9-10)
COLORS: Luis Nct
LETTERS: Marshall Dillon
EDITOR: Greg Tumbarello
COVER: Jason Shawn Alexander
VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Paul Pope
28pp, Colors, 3.99 U.S.(July 2021)

Rated “M/ Mature”

Killadelphia and Elysium Gardens created by Rodney Barnes and Jason Shawn Alexander

“Home is Where the Hatred Is” Part III: “Manifest Destiny”

Killadelphia is an apocalyptic vampire and dark fantasy comic book series from writer Rodney Barnes and artist Jason Shawn Alexander and is published by Image Comics.  At the center of this series is a police officer caught in a lurid conspiracy in which vampires attempt to rule Philadelphia, “the City of Brotherly Love.”  Colorist Luis Nct and letterer Marshall Dillon complete Killadelphia's creative team.

Killadelphia focuses on James “Jim” Sangster, Jr. and his father, revered Philadelphia homicide detective, James Sangster, Sr., thought to be dead.  He is actually a vampire.  Now father and son lead a ragtag team comprised of a medical examiner, a dead president, and a rebellious, but special young vampire (Tevin Thompkins a.k.a. “See Saw”) in a bid to save Philly from an ambitious and murderous former First Lady.

As Killadelphia #15 (“Manifest Destiny”) opens, there is a new vampire player in town, and it's another “Founding Father” and former president.  Meet Tom Jefferson.  He has a tale to tell, philosophically, of course, and he is making a claim on the throne.

Elsewhere, Toppy and the rest of Abigail Adams' inner circle invade the Sangsters' sanctum.  Oh, they also want to know where See Saw has gone, but isn't that his body, all curled up on the floor?  Meanwhile, See Saw is meeting important religious figures like Jesus (who is Black), but he may have to go back to an original god to get the help and the answers he seeks.

THE LOWDOWN:  Killadelphia hits the midway point of its third story arc, “Home is Where the Hatred Is.”  After the pyrotechnics of the previous story arc, “Burn Baby Burn,” this new story line started with a focus on family – damned and otherwise, but now, its pyrotechnics begin.

I find myself endlessly fascinated by writer Rodney Barnes' plots, but sometimes, I really get a chance to admire how he drops history, religion, culture, politics, and philosophy, scattered like drops of enlightening blood throughout his scripts.  That he has brought Thomas Jefferson into play shows that Killadelphia is not growing cold, but will keep surprising and scaring us.

Artist Jason Shawn Alexander and colorist Luis Nct dance through Barnes' script bringing each scene or sequence into life with its own unique look.  From lurid to luminescent, Killadelphia is a comic book of different worlds and different textures and moods and not a place where things are from a melting pot...

Killadelphia #15 is a another great chapter, and you should be reading it, dear readers.

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

[Killadelphia #15 has a backup feature: “Elysium Gardens” Part 8 “The Power of One” by Rodney Barnes, Chris Mitten, Sherard Jackson, and Marshall Dillon]

A+

10 out of 10

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


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#IReadsYou Review: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS: The Golden Child #1

DARK KNIGHT RETURNS: THE GOLDEN CHILD No. 1
DC COMICS/Black Label

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Frank Miller
ART: Rafael Grampá
COLORS: Jordie Bellaire
LETTERS: John Workman and Deron Bennett
EDITOR: Mark Doyle
COVER: Rafael Grampa with Pedro Cobiaco
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Andy Kubert with Brad Anderson; Frank Miller with Alex Sinclair; Joelle Jones with Dave McCaig; Rafael Grampa with Pedro Cobiaco; Paul Pope with Jose Villarrubia
32pp, Color, $5.99 U.S. (February 2020)

Ages 17+

Batman created by Bob Kane with Bill Finger

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (also known as DKR) was a four-issue comic book miniseries starring Batman.  Published by DC Comics in 1986, this prestige-format comic book was written by Frank Miller; drawn by Miller (pencils) and Klaus Janson (inks); colored by Lynn Varley; and lettered by John Costanza, with the book covers drawn by Miller and Varley.

DKR told the tale of a 50-year-old Bruce Wayne, long retired as Batman, who dons the cape and cowl again to take on a new crime wave in Gotham City.  When an institutionalized Joker discovers that Batman has returned, he revives himself and begins a new crime wave of craziness.  Batman also battles Superman who is trying to force Batman back into retirement.

DRK was a smash hit, and from the time of its publication, it became a hugely influential comic book, especially on the editorial mindset of DC Comics.  There have been sequels to DKR, as well as other comic books set in its “universe.”  The most recent DKR comic book is Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child.  It written by Frank Miller, drawn by Rafael Grampá; colored by Jordie Bellaire; and lettered by John Workman and Deron Bennett.  The Golden Child finds the heirs to the legacy of the Dark Knight and the Man of Steel taking on adversaries of their predecessors.

Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child #1 opens three years after the events depicted in the nine-issue miniseries, Dark Knight III: The Master Race (2015-2017).  Lara, the daughter of Wonder Woman (Diana) and her consort, Superman, has spent that time learning to be more human.  After spending her life with the Amazons of Paradise Island, however, Lara has a great disdain for humans.  Carrie Kelley, the former Robin, has been growing into her new role as The Batwoman, after Bruce Wayne/Batman finally retired.

The Batwoman has been battling the Joker and his gang of Joker clones, who are in full rage as the day of the U.S. presidential election approaches.  [Although he is not named, President Donald Trump's image and presence are prominent throughout this comic book].  But Joker has found a new partner in a terrifying evil that has come to Gotham – Darkseid.  Now, Lara and Carrie must team-up to stop two evils, but their secret weapon, young Jonathan, “the golden child” (Lara's brother and Diana and Superman's son) is also the object of Darkseid's murderous desire.

I really like Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child, but not because of Frank Miller's story.  It is a hot mess of sound and fury signifying nothing.  It is like someone's incorrect idea that the sound of Jack Kirby is not big (in relation to Darkseid, a character he created), but is histrionics.  Miller does offer a few good ideas, and he is one of the few mainstream comic book creators that could get away with not only casting Donald Trump in a DC Comics title, but also portraying him in an unflattering light.  Teaming-up Joker and Darkseid is not one of Miller's good ideas, and Miller's portrayal of Lara and Jonathan is a mixed bag.  But I can tell that Miller really loves Carrie Kelley, a character he created in DKR.  She is glorious as The Batwoman.

No, I don't love Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child because of Frank Miller.  I love it because of Rafael Grampa, the Brazilian film director and comic book artist.  Grampa's style in Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child is a mixture of Frank Miller's graphic style in both Batman: The Dark Knight Returns and in his Sin City series of miniseries and one-shot comic books and also of Scottish comic book artist Frank Quitely's graphic style.

Grampa's gorgeous illustrations and compositions look even better under Jordie Bellaire's inventive coloring and varietal of hues.  But even all that pretty art can't create superb graphical storytelling from Frank Miller's mish-mash of a story, except in a few places – the Batwoman sections of course.  Carrie Kelley is absolutely spectacular in the double-caped, leathery Bat-suit, which also looks like an actual man-sized bat.

Well, you can't get everything, although John Workman and Deron Bennett also deliver some fine-looking lettering.  So I'll be satisfied with Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child #1 being one of the beautifully drawn and illustrated comic book one-shots that I have ever read.

8 out of 10

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

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#IReadsYou Review: THE BADGER #1

BADGER No. 1
DEVIL'S DUE/1FIRST COMICS

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Mike Baron
ART: Jim Fern
LETTERS: Willie Schubert
COLORS: Paul Mounts
COVER: Val Mayerik with Andres Esperanza
VARIANT COVERS: Paul Pope; Bill Reinhold
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (February 2016)

Badger created by Mike Baron and Jeff Butler

Rated “M” for mature readers

Badger is a comic book superhero character created by writer Mike Baron and artist Jeff Butler.  Badger first appeared in the comic book, Badger #1 (cover date: July 1983), published by Capital Comics.  After Capital Comics closed, Baron moved Badger to First Comics, where the character appeared in a titular series until 1991.

Badger was mostly set in Madison, Wisconsin.  The lead character was Norbert Sykes, a Vietnam War veteran who suffered from multiple personalities.  Sykes' most dominant personality was “Badger,” a martial arts expert who had mastered untold numbers of “esoteric and arcane” martial arts.  Badger was also a self-styled crime fighter and costumed vigilante.

After First Comics, other Badger comic book titles were published by Dark Horse Comics, Image Comics, and IDW Publishing.  First Comics was recently revived as “1First Comics” and has united with Devil's Due Productions to form a joint publishing unit.  The new 1First Comics has also revived Badger.  The new Badger comic book series is written by Mike Baron; drawn by Jim Fern; colored by Paul Mounts; and lettered by Willie Schubert.

Badger #1 opens as Norbert Sykes enlists in the United States Army.  Eventually, Sykes is placed in the Army's “Explosive Ordinance Disposal” (a “bomb squad”), and is assigned a puppy that he names “Otis” as his partner.  Sykes and Otis eventually become an outstanding insurgent/terrorist-fighting duo, but the traumas and tragedies forces a different side of Norbert Sykes to the surface.

Over the years, I often wondered what happened to Mike Baron, who enjoyed some success as a writer at DC Comics and at Marvel Comics in the late 1980s and into the early 1990s.  After the late 1990s, he seemed to disappear from comic books, except on occasion when Nexus, a comic book series he created with artist Steve Rude, returned.  I think Baron wrote English script adaptations for manga published by Del Rey Manga.

I also occasionally thought about Badger, a comic book character I had enjoyed for a number of years.  Reading this new Badger #1 reminded that what I truly missed was Mike Baron writing Badger.  Baron has merely changed Norbert Sykes from a Vietnam vet to a veteran of the Global War on Terror (or whatever it is called).

Baron offers a Badger #1 that is an easy-to-digest origin issue.  In this gone-on-too-long age of “decompressed” comic book storytelling, Badger #1 is stunningly efficient, giving readers most of what they need to understand Norbert Sykes and to go forward with the series.  A reader could stop here and feel that he read a good single-issue story.  I don't know how long the new 1First Comics will last, but if this new Badger can be as inventive and as offbeat as the long-running 1980s series, we are in for a treat.

A-

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


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

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#IReadsYou Review: SPIDER-MAN: Life Story #6

SPIDER-MAN: LIFE STORY No. 6
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Chip Zdarsky
PENCILS: Mark Bagley
INKS: Andrew Hennessy
COLORS: Frank D'Armata
LETTERS: VC's Travis Lanham
EDITOR: Tom Brevoort
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Akira Yoshida a.k.a. C.B. Cebulski
COVER: Chip Zdarsky
VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Paul Pope with Bruno Seelig
36pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (October 2019)

Rated  “T”

Spider-Man created by Steve Ditko and Stan Lee

Chapter Six: “All My Enemies”

Spider-Man is a classic Marvel Comics superhero, perhaps the most famous and most popular Marvel character of all time.  Over the years, readers have followed the adventures of Spider-Man and his secret identity, Peter Parker, who is a teenager and high school student when readers first meet him.  Amazing Fantasy #15 (cover dated: August 1962) introduced 15-year-old Peter Parker.  He was bitten by a radioactive spider and, after gaining various fantastical abilities as a result of that bite, Peter became the Amazing Spider-Man.

Fifty-seven years have passed in the real world since that event, but Peter Parker, a fictional character, has practically always been either a teenager or a young man no older than his mid to late twenties.  What would have happened if fictional time passed the same as real time for Peter Parker?  The 15-year-old bitten by the radioactive spider would be 72-years-old in 2019 instead of being eternally young still in 2019.

Spider-Man: Life Story is a new comic book miniseries that tells the story of Peter Parker and Spider-Man in real time, depicting his life from beginning to end.  Spider-Man: Life Story is written by Chip Zdarsky; drawn by Mark Bagley (pencils) and Drew Hennessy (inks); colored by Frank D'Armata; and lettered by Travis Lanham.  “Life Story” is set against the events of the decades through which Spider-Man has lived.

Spider-Man: Life Story #6 (“All My Enemies”) opens in 2019.  There is a new generation of heroes, including a new Spider-Man, secretly a young man named Miles Morales.  Still, Peter Parker is called to be Spider-Man one more time.  He leaves his wife Mary Jane and their children, the twins:  daughter, Claire, and son, Benjy.

Peter and Miles take off into space in a Victor Von Doom spaceship and head for Tony Stark's old Space Lab.  There, they will find a device that can put a stop to Doom's technological plot against the world.  Peter believes that he must step aside for a new generation of heroes, and that he is an old man whose enemies have all died.  Peter is only partially right on one belief and dead wrong on the other.

As I wrote in my review of Spider-Man: Life Story #2, for the last two decades, especially since the beginning of Joe Quesada's reign as Editor-in-Chief of Marvel Comics (in the year 2000), Marvel has been rebooting, re-imagining, and re-purposing the fictional histories of its comic books.  Maybe, that is a way to introduce classic story lines, story arcs, characters, concepts, etc. to a new readers.  One could say that this also allows older (and old) readers to experience the stories of the past retold to one extent or another.

Spider-Man: Life Story is neither a swipe of the fictional history and mythology of Spider-Man, nor is it a reboot or retelling.  First, Chip Zdarsky is representing the conflicts and melodramas that The Amazing Spider-Man and other Spider-Man publications depicted as the life experiences of a character who is aging in “real time.”  These are no longer just the adventures and misadventures and trial and tribulations of a young man and his superhero alter-ego who have been (mostly) no older than their mid-20s for the better part of six decades and are often eternally on the verge of graduating high school.  Zdarsky depicts Spider-Man having to face his personal obstacles and his rogue's gallery of supervillains as an aging and old man when he previously did this only as a young man.

In Spider-Man: Life Story, Zdarsky is playing with the two themes that run throughout practically every Spider-Man publication and depiction of the character in film and television – the themes of consequence and obligation.  Because of that pivotal moment in his origin story when he decided not to stop the thief that would go on to murder his beloved Uncle Ben Parker, Peter is always confronted by the consequences of his actions and inaction.  What he does or does not do in pivotal moments affects everyone around him and connected to him.

Thus, writers have always depicted Peter as having a deep sense of obligation because he has these fantastic powers, so he owes the world Spider-Man, the superhero who tries to always be here, there, and everywhere.  So, I think what Chip Zdarsky is telling us in his brilliantly conceived comic book series, Spider-Man: Life Story, is that Peter Parker will be the hero Spider-Man regardless of his age and regardless of what year it is.  For Peter and Spider-Man, time is truly neutral.

I think that artist Mark Bagley also makes Spider-Man: Life Story a classic Spider-Man comic book series for two reasons.  First, Bagley is a straight-forward graphical storyteller, illustrating fantasy as if he were a journalist conveying the history that he is witnessing.  Secondly, Bagley understands the core ideas that make Spider-Man resonate with readers and fans.

Inker Andrew Hennessy embellishes Bagley's pencil art without losing what makes it special.  Frank D'Armata colors beautifully, accentuating the story without distracting from it.  Letterer Travis Lanham seems to know exactly where to place the lettering and also how to use the lettering to convey the story's emotions, moods, and atmosphere.  I can say that Zdarsky and Bagley's storytelling would be less successful without Lanham's efforts.

Spider-Man: Life Story #6 has a shocking number of surprises that relate to Spider-Man's past conflicts, including the recent past.  The best thing that I can say about this issue is that it ends the series and also leaves me (and I suspect, many readers) really wanting more.

9.5 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: NIGHTWING The New Order #1

NIGHTWING: THE NEW ORDER No. 1
DC COMICS – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Kyle Higgins
ARTIST: Trevor McCarthy
COLORS: Dean White
LETTERS: Clayton Cowles
COVER: Trevor McCarthy
VARIANT COVER: Paul Pope with with Lovern Kindzierski
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (October 2017)

Rated “T+” for “Teen Plus”

Batman created by Bob Kane with Bill Finger; Nightwing created by Marv Wolfman and George Perez

Chapter One

DC Comics character, Dick Grayson, first appeared as Batman's kid sidekick, Robin, in Detective Comics #38 (cover dated: April 1940).  Decades later, writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Perez transformed Grayson from Robin into the adult character, Nightwing, first appearing in Tales of the Teen Titans #44 (cover dated: July 1984).

Nightwing has been appearing in his own comic books since a 1995 one-shot and miniseries and an ongoing series that began in 1996.  A new Nightwing six-issue comic book miniseries, entitled by Nightwing: The New Order, looks at the future of the character.  It is written by Kyle Higgins; drawn by Trevor McCarthy; colored by Dean White; and lettered by Clayton Cowles.

Nightwing: The New Order #1 opens in Gotham City in the year 2040.  Dick Grayson is the leader of a government task force called “the Crusaders,” which hunts people with superpowers.  Since the year 2028, superpowers have been eliminated and outlawed.  However, Grayson is about to face the Crusaders' wrath, the same way he has directed it at so many others.

The allure of Nightwing: The New Order for me is that it features Nightwing, my favorite Robin.  It is kind of thrilling to see that he has evolved into the kind of authoritarian monster that it is plausible to believe Batman would become.  Irony is not dead, and the direction of the series is telegraphed early in the series.  I think Nightwing: The New Order could end up being dark and tragic, or writer Kyle Higgins could surprise us.  I hope he surprises us.

The art by Trevor McCarthy shows flourishes here and there, some nice page design, stylish figure drawing, and solid composition, although that is somewhat crowded.  That makes the storytelling a bit tight, and this story seems to need to explode, which it may do later.

Still, I think that Nightwing: The New Order is a Batman-related title to watch.  It has potential, and does not seem like cynical sales exploitation.

7 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.

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Review: THE KAMANDI CHALLENGE #4

THE KAMANDI CHALLENGE No. 4 (OF 12)
DC COMICS – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: James Tynion IV
ART: Carlos D'Anda
COLORS: Gabe Eltaeb
LETTERS: Clem Robins
COVER: Paul Pope with Lovern Kindzierski
VARIANT COVER: Carlos D'Anda
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (June 2017)

Rated “T” for Teen

Kamandi created by Jack Kirby

“The Wild Wondrous West”

Created by Jack Kirby, Kamandi, The Last Boy on Earth was a comic book series published by DC Comics in the 1970s.  Running from 1972 to 1978, the series starred Kamandi, a teenaged boy in a post-apocalyptic future.  In this time, humans have been reduced back to savagery in a world ruled by intelligent, highly evolved animals.

Kamandi, The Last Boy on Earth #1 (cover dated: October 1972) opens some time after a huge event called “The Great Disaster,” which wiped out human civilization.  In “Earth A.D.” (After Disaster), many animals have become humanoid, bipedal, and sentient, and also possess the power of speech. These newly intelligent animal species have equipped themselves with weapons and technology salvaged from the ruins of human civilization and are constantly at war in a struggle for territory.

The world of Kamandi returns in the DC Comics miniseries, The Kamandi Challenge, bringing together 14 teams of writers and artists.  Each issue will end with an cliffhanger.  The next creative team will resolve that cliffhanger left behind by the previous creative team, before creating their own story and cliffhanger, which the next creative team after them will have to resolve... and so on.  The fourth issue of The Kamandi Challenge is written by James Tynion IV; drawn by Carlos D'Anda; colored by Gabe Eltaeb; and lettered by Clem Robins.

The Kamandi Challenge #4 (“The Wild Wonderous West”) finds Kamandi and his friend Vila in the clutches of the Jaguar Sun Cult.  The cult members are feeding the pair to the cult's god, “The Great Jaguar,” which is several stories tall.  If they escape this fire, waiting for them is the Kanga Rat Murder Society in the mad, mad, mad Outback.

“The Wild Wondrous West” follows the cliffhanger that ended issue #3's “Bug in Your Ear.”  The Kamandi Challenge #3 packed more punch than the second issue.  However, The Kamandi Challenge #4 lacks the freewheeling fun of the third issue.  After reading the second issue, I suspected that this series could end up being hit and miss, simply because each new issue presented a new creative team, itself presented with the challenge of picking up some other team's story.

I am generally a fan of comic book writer James Tynion IV, especially his work on Batman titles, but I find “The Wild Wondrous West” to be little more than rehashed ideas from the original Planet of the Apes films series.  Artist Carlos D'Anda's work here is more style than storytelling, and Gabe Eltaeb's garish coloring is static in the line of communication between the reader and the story.  I will admit that I do like the last few pages of this story, because this is where the creative team seems to start to sparkle, so I look forward to where this cliffhanger ends up.

Its is not easy for The Kamandi Challenge creative teams in this series to come close to Jack Kirby's original vision of this concept.  The Kamandi Challenge #4 exemplifies that.

[Afterword by Jimmy Palmiotti]

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.

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Review: BUG! The Adventures of Forager #1

BUG! THE ADVENTURES OF FORAGER #1
DC COMICS/Young Animal – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Lee Allred
ART: Michael Allred
COLORS: Laura Allred
LETTERS: Nate Piekos of Blambot
COVER: Michael Allred with Laura Allred
VARIANT COVERS: James Harvey; Paul Pope with Paul Maybury
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (July 2017)

Mature Readers

The Bug and Fourth World characters created by Jack Kirby

“Domino Effect: Part 1 of 6 “Bughouse Crazy”

Forager is a DC Comics character that first appeared in New Gods #9 (cover dated:  August 1972).  Created by writer-artist Jack Kirby, Forager was a character in Kirby's “Fourth World” universe.  Forager's people were a society of humanoid bugs that thrived in colonies built beneath the surface of the planet, New Genesis.  Forager lived among these beings, but was apparently really not one of them.  The character was later killed in DC Comics' Cosmic Odyssey (1988) miniseries.

Forager returns in the new comic book, Bug! The Adventures of Forager, published under DC Comics' “Young Animal” imprint.  This imprint, curated by rock musician/comics creator, Gerard Way, reinvents, re-imagines, and modernizes eclectic, oddball, and cult characters (Doom Patrol and Cave Carson, among others) in new comic books series.  Bug! is written by Lee Allred; drawn by Mike Allred; colored by Laura Allred; and lettered by Nate Piekos.

Bug! The Adventures of Forager #1 (“Domino Effect”) opens with Forager finding himself alive again!  After he meets “Ghost Girl” and her teddy bear, Forager learns that he might be dreaming, but can a corpse dream?  Then, there are the weirdies and beasties and... The Sandman.

Bug! The Adventures of Forager is a family affair.  Lee Allred and Mike Allred are brothers, and Mike and Laura Allred are married.  I guess that is kind of neat, but even neater is this comic book.  Bug! The Adventures of Forager is a good-old-fashioned comic book – full of fun, adventure, and strangeness.  It is wild, weird, and wonderful.

I have had mixed feelings about Mike Allred's comics over two decades+ reading them, but I like Allred's touch with the more eccentric Jack Kirby characters, such as Allred recent run, with Dan Slott, on Marvel Comics' Silver Surfer, a classic Kirby character.  There is such delightful kookiness in Bug! The Adventures of Forager.  I liked it so much that I wanted to read the next issue right away, and that is one of the highest compliments I can give as a comics reviewer.  I am also going to do something I don't always do – give a grade to a first issue.

I implore you to try at least this first issue.

A

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.

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Review: MOTHER PANIC #1

MOTHER PANIC No. 1
DC COMICS/Young Animal – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Jody Houser
ART: Tommy Lee Edwards
COLORS: Tommy Lee Edwards
LETTERS: John Workman
COVER: Tommy Lee Edwards
VARIANT COVERS: Paul Pope; Bengal
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (January 2017)

Mature Readers

Mother Panic created by Gerard Way, Jody Houser, and Tommy Lee Edwards

“A Work in Progress” Part 1

Young Animal is a DC Comics imprint curated by rock musician (My Chemical Romance) and comics creator, Gerard Way (The Umbrella Academy).  The first three Young Animal titles released are remakes and re-imaginings of Silver Age (Doom Patrol, Cave Carson) or cult DC Comics properties (Shade the Changing Man, a Steve Ditko character).

Mother Panic is a brand new comic book creation about a brand new vigilante who calls Gotham City (Batman's hometown) her stomping grounds.  This latest Young Animal series is written by Jody Houser; illustrated by Tommy Lee Edwards; and lettered by John Workman.

Mother Panic #1 (“A Work in Progress”) opens as Violet Paige returns to Gotham City, and the press is nearly in full force for the return of a prodigal daughter.  Why is Violet's return so noteworthy?  She is a member of Gotham's elite glitterati, but she did not return home in order to play “celebutante.”  There is filthy, disturbed underbelly in Gotham City, and Violet is back to begin cleaning it.

Apparently, the point of Mother Panic is to present stories from Batman's hometown that are too disturbing for Batman comic books that are marketed to Batman fans of all-ages.  Mother Panic is basically a quasi Batman-related title for adult readers.  I say good for them – them being DC Comics and the Young Animal imprint, although I can't say that I'm particularly interested.

Mother Panic might turn out to be a really good title, but once again, we have a first issue that teases the reader and features standard superhero fare (violence), this time with a vague Vertigo Comics haze over the story.  I am reviewing Mother Panic #1 via a PDF that DC Comics makes available to reviewers.  I can guarantee you, dear reader, that if I review the second issue that it will also be via a PDF.  I wouldn't spend money on this – at least not now.

[This issue includes a bonus story “Gotham Radio Scene One: 1621” by Jim Krueger, Phil Hester, Ande Parks, Trish Mulvihill, and Deron Bennet.]

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


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

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Review: FIGHT CLUB 2 #1

FIGHT CLUB 2 #1
DARK HORSE COMICS – @DarkHorseComics

WRITER: Chuck Palahniuk
ART: Cameron Stewart
COLORS: Dave Stewart
LETTERS: Nate Piekos of Blambot
COVER:  David Mack
VARIANT COVERS: Lee Bermejo; Amanda Connor; Steve Lieber; Cameron Stewart; and Chip Zdarsky; Joëlle Jones; Paul Pope; Tim Seeley
EDITOR: Scott Allie
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (May 2015)

The Tranquility Gambit #1: “Keep The Home Fires Burning”

Written by Chuck Palahniuk, the novel, Fight Club, was first published in 1996.  It was subsequently adapted into a film of the same title by director, David Fincher, that starred Brad Pitt and Edward Norton in the lead roles.  Released in 1999, the film was not a big box office smash, but it has since gained cult status and continued popularity.

Fight Club the novel follows an unnamed male protagonist, who is struggling with insomnia and is unhappy with his workaday life as an office drone.  The turning point in his life is when he meets a mysterious man named Tyler Durden, who has established an underground fighting club, which becomes a kind of radical psychotherapy for disaffected males who are unsatisfied with the modern, industrial, consumerist world.

Last year, Dark Horse Comics and Chuck Palahniuk announced that Fight Club was getting a sequel, but that sequel would not be a novel.  It would be a comic book, and thus, we now have Fight Club 2, which is written by Chuck Palahniuk, drawn by Cameron Stewart, colored by Dave Stewart, and lettered by Nate Piekos, with cover art by David Mack.

Fight Club 2 #1 (“Keep The Home Fires Burning”) reintroduces the unnamed protagonist of Fight Club, who now calls himself “Sebastian.”  A decade ago, he had an army of men ready to take down the modern world.  Now, Sebastian is surrounded by assorted pills and medications.  His wife, Marla Singer, once his co-revolutionary, is deeply unsatisfied with the suburban, TV Land life they lead.  Even their son, “Junior,” is now more interesting than his dad.  Marla just wants to fuck Tyler Durden again, and she just may get that chance...

I think I saw Fight Club the movie before I read the novel.  Both are good.  The film is a bracing, exhilarating trip through the dissatisfaction of the kind of Gen-X males that, having generously supped on the tit of White privilege, suddenly found themselves overfed and bored.  The book is nuanced, probing, thoughtful, and provocative.  It demands that its reader engage it, and each reader takes from the novel what he can understand or absorb.

Fight Club 2 retains the voice of the novel, which might seem obvious considering that the originator of Fight Club is also the writer of the comic book.  However, popular culture is littered with the disappointing or uneven results of creators returning to a creations some considerable time after they first began working on them.  Some of you, dear readers, will immediately think of the original Star Wars films and compare them to the “prequel trilogy.”  In comics, a good example would be Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again, which disappointed readers because it was so different from the original, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.  So the voice is not always the same when it should obviously be the same.

Discounting the film, there was more to say about Fight Club, and although this is only the first issue, Fight Club 2 seems as if it will be both a worthy successor to the original and also a solid narrative in its own right.  Artist Cameron Stewart captures the banality and the fragility of Sebastian's current life, as well as its surreal and unreal nature.  David Mack's cover art for this first issue evokes the sense that Tyler Durden is both alluring and dangerous. This cover alone should earn him an Eisner Award nomination in the “cover artist” category.

So after one issue, I heartily recommend Fight Club 2 #1, at least, to anyone who has ever read Fight Club the novel and/or seen the film.

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux (This review first appeared on Patreon.)


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

I Reads You Review: ALL-NEW CAPTAIN AMERICA #1

ALL-NEW CAPTAIN AMERICA #1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

WRITER: Rick Remender
PENCILS: Stuart Immonen
INKS: Wade von Grawbadger
COLORS: Marte Gracia with Eduardo Navarro
LETTERS: VC's Joe Caramagna
COVER: Stuart Immonen and Wade von Grawbadger and Marte Gracia
VARIANT COVERS: Paul Pope; Alex Ross; Sara Pichelli with Laura Martin; Kris Anka
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (January 2015)

Rated “T”

Captain America created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby

As part of its “Avenger NOW!” initiative, Marvel Comics is debuting some new titles and relaunching others.  All-New Captain America is a relaunch.  Written by Rick Remender, drawn by Stuart Immonen (pencils) and Wade von Grawbadger (inks), colored by Marte Gracia (with Eduardo Navarro), and lettered by Joe Caramagna, this Captain America title launches superhero, Sam Wilson a.k.a. The Falcon, as the new-look Captain America.

The Falcon is an African-American superhero created by Stan Lee and Gene Colan that first appeared in Captain America #117 (cover dated: September 1969).  In his new role, the Falcon gets Captain America's shield and a redesigned uniform, as well as a new version of his Falcon wings.  Sam Wilson also gets a partner, Ian Zola, the son Arnim Zola.  Ian is the new Nomad.

All-New Captain America #1 finds Captain America and Nomad, with Redwing (a highly-trained hunting falcon), infiltrating a Hydra base hidden beneath a mountain.  The new Captain America wants to show that he can be the man, but visiting mercenary, Batroc, doesn't thing agree.  Besides, Batroc isn't the only familiar face making a surprise appearance.

I have not read many comic books written by Rick Remender.  This first issue of  All-New Captain America makes me want to read more.  This story features some typical superhero action, but it has a humorous streak, and all the major characters seem to be on equal footing.  Also, the battle depicted here will not be a one-sided affair, and the winner(s) will have to earn it.  The situation is in flux for the new Captain America and that piques my interest.

Before there was All-New Captain America, there was All-New X-Men, which was guided by the art team of Stuart Immonen, Wade von Grawbadger, and Marte Gracia.  I loved the art in that flashy new, X-Men comic book, but I came to take it for granted.  Seeing their work here, however, makes me appreciate this art team all over again.  This is one pretty comic book, so I think I'll come back to All-New Captain America to see if this entire creative team can make something special of this new series and this new Captain America.  I think they can.

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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

Image Comics from Diamond Distributors for March 26 2014

IMAGE COMICS

JAN140571 ALEX + ADA #5 $2.99
JAN148239 BLACK SCIENCE #1 3RD PTG (MR) $3.50
JAN148240 BLACK SCIENCE #2 3RD PTG (MR) $3.50
JAN140577 BOUNCE #11 (MR) $2.99
JAN140548 CHEW TP VOL 08 FAMILY RECIPES (MR) $12.99
JAN140582 DEAD BODY ROAD #4 (MR) $2.99
JAN148238 DEADLY CLASS #1 3RD PTG (MR) $3.50
JAN140583 DEADLY CLASS #3 (MR) $3.50
NOV130502 FATALE #21 (MR) $3.50
JAN140546 JANS ATOMIC HEART AND OTHER STORIES TP (MR) $14.99
JAN140599 KRAMPUS #4 $2.99
OCT130607 MANHATTAN PROJECTS #19 $3.50
JAN140607 ONE HIT WONDER #2 (MR) $3.50
JAN140554 PAUL POPE MONSTERS & TITANS BATTLING BOY ART ON TOUR SC $24.99
JAN140609 PROTECTORS INC #5 CVR A PURCELL & ATIYEH (MR) $2.99
JAN140610 PROTECTORS INC #5 CVR B URUSOV (MR) $2.99
JAN140555 RAT QUEENS TP VOL 01 SASS & SORCERY (MR) $9.99
JAN140533 REAL HEROES #1 CVR A HITCH $3.99
JAN140534 REAL HEROES #1 CVR B CHO $3.99
JAN140535 REAL HEROES #1 CVR C FINCH $3.99
JAN140536 REAL HEROES #1 CVR D CHAREST $3.99
JAN148236 REVENGE #1 2ND PTG (MR) $2.99
JAN140611 REVENGE #2 (MR) $2.99
JAN140613 SATELLITE SAM #7 (MR) $3.50
JAN140615 SEX #12 (MR) $2.99
JAN148237 SEX CRIMINALS #1 6TH PTG (MR) $3.50
JAN140544 SKULLKICKERS #25 $3.50
NOV130460 THINK TANK TP VOL 03 $14.99
JAN140620 UMBRAL #5 (MR) $2.99
JAN140624 WALKING DEAD #124 (MR) $2.99
JAN140560 WALKING DEAD SPANISH LANGUAGE ED TP VOL 03 (MR) $14.99

IDW Publishing from Diamond Distributors for March 30 2011

IDW PUBLISHING

JAN110544 BEST OF DICK TRACY TP VOL 01 (RES) (NOTE PRICE) $19.99

JAN110526 DOCTOR WHO ONGOING VOL 2 #3 $3.99

DEC100414 FISH POLICE TP VOL 01 $14.99

JAN110463 GODZILLA KINGDOM OF MONSTERS #1 $3.99

JAN110536 JAMES PATTERSONS WITCH & WIZARD HC VOL 02 OPERATION ZERO $17.99

JAN110539 STRANGE SCIENCE FANTASY TP VOL 01 $24.99

JAN110530 THE SUICIDE FOREST #4 (OF 4) $3.99

NOV100393 TORPEDO HC VOL 03 (MR) $24.99

JAN110488 TRANSFORMERS PRIME TP VOL 01 $7.99

JAN110484 TRANSFORMERS RISING STORM #2 (OF 4) $3.99

JAN110509 TRUE BLOOD TAINTED LOVE #2 (MR) $3.99

DEC100426 X-9 SECRET AGENT CORRIGAN HC VOL 02 $49.99

Paul Pope Debuts New THB at Baltimore Comic-Con

Paul Pope's THB: Comics from Mars #2 Debuts at Baltimore Comic-Con!

AdHouse Books is proud to announce the Baltimore Comic-Con Exclusive Debut of THB: Comics from Mars #2 by Paul Pope.

This comic continues to add to the epic tale that is THB. It contains 6.5 stories (or thereabouts) that take you further into the world of HR Watson and all the androids, Martians, and cartoon characters that populate the red planet -- still larger than life and just as sweet.

"This comic is the 'sister' to the 2007 San Diego Comic-Con THB: Comics from Mars #1, and we could not be happier than to be releasing it at the Baltimore show," said Chris Pitzer, Adhouse Books Publisher. "It was all very last minute, but you wouldn't know that from the quality of the stories."

Paul Pope, creator of THB, been called the "Comics Destroyer", the "Jim Morrison of comics", and "Comics' Petit Prince". His work has won multiple Eisner Awards and has been part of a major collection of DKNY.

Paul's return to the Baltimore Comic-Con this year features a panel discussion on Sunday from 3-4 titled: PAUL POPE VS. BOB SCHRECK - A CAGED EVENT. Don't miss this satisfaction-guaranteed, fists-a-flying blood match by joining award-winning multi-talented storyteller, Paul Pope, in an examination of his creative process and how he suffers under the heel of his terrifying editor.

Twitter Hashtag
Will you be tweeting this year from the show floor? Make sure you use the #BCC2010 hashtag! See what the latest news and excitement at the 2010 Baltimore Comic-Con is about by tracking #BCC2010!

Guests
The Baltimore Comic-Con is pleased to announce the following last-minute additions to the show: Dave Elliott (Shark-Man), Daniel Krall (Murderland), Tom Scioli (Godland), Stephen Scott (Murderland).

As always, the latest developments on the Baltimore Comic-Con can always be found at our website (http://www.baltimorecomiccon.com/), Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/baltimorecomics), Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/baltimorecomiccon), MySpace (http://www.myspace.com/baltimorecomics), and ComicSpace (http://www.comicspace.com/baltimorecomicon) pages.

This year's Baltimore Comic-Con will be held August 28-29, 2010. Convention hours are Saturday 10 AM to 6 PM and Sunday 10 AM to 5 PM. The ceremony and banquet for the Harvey Awards will be held Saturday night, August 28th.


About The Baltimore Comic-Con
The Baltimore Comic-Con is celebrating its 11th year of bringing the comic book industry to the Baltimore and Washington D.C. area. With a guest list unequaled in the industry, the Baltimore Comic-Con will be held August 28-29, 2010. For more information, please visit www.baltimorecomiccon.com.

About The Harvey Awards
The Harvey Awards are one of the comic book industry's oldest and most respected awards. With a history of over 20 years, the last 5 in conjunction with the Baltimore Comic-Con, the Harveys recognize outstanding achievements in over 20 categories. They are the only industry awards nominated and selected by the full body of comic book professionals. For more information, please visit http://www.harveyawards.org/.

Liberty Comics 2010 Set for October 2010

GIVE ME FREEDOM OF SPEECH

Image Comics to release LIBERTY COMICS 2010 in October, benefiting the CBLDF

What do Frank Miller, Jeff Smith, Geoff Johns, Jim Lee and Image Comics have in common? They all support the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, which protects your right to make, sell and read the comics you love. Image Comics is showing its continued support for the CBLDF with the publication of LIBERTY COMICS 2010 this October.

The CBLDF is a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection of the First Amendment rights of the comics art form and its community of retailers, creators, publishers, librarians and readers. The CBLDF provides legal referrals, representation, advice, assistance and education in furtherance of these goals.

LIBERTY COMICS is the annual ensemble of comic book greats, all of whom have donated their time and energy to support the CBLDF. With two issues published to date, LIBERTY COMICS has raised over $50,000 for the Fund.

LIBERTY COMICS 2010 will feature some of the best in the industry, including a new The Boys story by GARTH ENNIS & ROB STEEN, the first new Megaton Man adventure by DON SIMPSON in over a decade, an all-new Milk & Cheese story by EVAN DORKIN, a preview of The Contrarian by SCOTT MORSE, a new Conan tale by DARICK ROBERTSON, Boilerplate by ANINA BENNETT & PAUL GUINAN and "Why We Fight!" by LIBERTY COMICS editor LARRY MARDER.

LIBERTY COMICS will also feature all-new short stories and illustrations by GEOFF JOHNS & SCOTT KOLINS, FRANK MILLER, GABRIEL BÁ & FÁBIO MOON, PAUL POPE, JEFF SMITH, TERRY MOORE, DAVE GIBBONS, BRIAN AZZARELLO & JILL THOMPSON, ROB LIEFELD, COLLEEN DORAN and SKOTTIE YOUNG as well as all new covers by JIM LEE and DARICK ROBERTSON. Design for the entire package is contributed, as always, by Richard Starkings and John Roshell from Comicraft.

"The comics community would be at a great loss without the CBLDF around to protect our First Amendment rights," says Marder. "LIBERTY COMICS is such a great way both creators and comics fans can show their support. Creators break into their busy schedules, donating their time and creativity. Fans can express their appreciation by purchasing LIBERTY COMICS from the CBLDF or from their favorite comics shop. I think this year's LIBERTY COMICS will be the most diverse and cool issue yet!"

Adds Image Comics Publisher Eric Stephenson, "We've always been enthusiastic in our support for the CBLDF, but it's both an honor and a pleasure to be involved with the many fine creators donating their talents to LIBERTY COMICS. Larry's put together an outstanding book this year!"

LIBERTY COMICS 2010, a 48-page full-color comic book from Image Comics, will be available October 6, 2010. All proceeds from LIBERTY COMICS will benefit the First Amendment legal work of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund!


Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has five partners: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino. It consists of four major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.