I Reads You: Review

Showing posts with label Review. Show all posts

Thursday, October 29, 2026

A SilverScreen Blog Film Review: "CLAYFACE"

"SilverScreen Blog" is a WordPress blog where you, dear readers, will frequently find reviews of the latest movies. Here is a recent review:

CLAYFACE (2026):

We’re only three films into James Gunn and Peter Safran’s revived DC cinematic universe. The first two flicks were strong superhero diversions featuring Superman and Supergirl. This third picture, Clayface, breaks the mold. It’s a genre film; a foray into body horror. It’s a bold choice; a risky move so early on in this cinematic universe. Not even the MCU has done anything such as this – and they’re 38 movies in and, more often that not, a moneymaker. They can afford to take a risk like this and be able to bounce back if it fails. Make no mistake – this is rated R. Not a movie for kiddies. Don’t go in expecting the good guys to be victorious. We’re in a moral grey area – there are no good guys here.

I’d say the gamble pays off. Out of the kiln comes something gruesome, splattery and grotesque. Away from the pristine, polished sheen of Superman’s Metropolis, we take our first trip to Gotham City. Under James Watkins’ trusted direction, the place is fully realized; the glitz and glamour of the nightlife, the seedy crime-ridden underbelly.

Continue Reading FREE at SilverScreen Blog:

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Sunday, October 18, 2026

#IReadsYou Review: CABRA CINI/GEEK-GIRL: EXODUS #1

CABRA CINI/GEEK-GIRL: EXODUS #1

ACTUALITY PRESS

STORY: Sam Johnson

ART: Fernando Melek

COLORS: Chunlin Zhao

LETTERS: Paul McLaren

COVER: Fernando Melek with Chunlin Zhao

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Flint Douglas with Chunlin Zhao

22pp, Color, (August 2025)

Teen+

Cabra Cini created by Sam Johnson

“Exodus” Part 1: “Girlfriend in a Coma.”

Cabra Cini: Voodoo Junkie Hitwoman is a comics character created by writer Sam Johnson. She is a former sex worker who used “voodoo magik” to free herself of her abusive pimp/boyfriend. Now, she is a hit woman addicted to voodoo. Geek-Girl is a superhero character created by Sam Johnson. She is Ruby Kaye of Acorn Ridge, Maine, a sexy and popular college coed who inadvertently becomes a superhero by donning a pair of super-tech eye glasses that gives her super-powers.

Now, the two characters have united for the comic book crossover, Cabra Cini/Geek-Girl: Exodus. It is written by Johnson; drawn by Fernando Melek; colored by Chunlin Zhao; and lettered by Paul McLaren.

Cabra Cini/Geek-Girl: Exodus #1 opens in a hospital in Detroit where Kristina lies in a coma. However, her soul is in Limbo from where she contacts her drug-dealer boyfriend, Jacob Trencher. Kristina reveals her part in plot with “The Rook,” ruler of “the Infinite,” against Cabra Cini. So how does that benefit Kristina and the tenuous position of her soul, especially because you can't keep a good hit woman down?

Meanwhile, over in Acorn Ridge, Maine, at the location of the headquarters of Geek-Girl's new super-team, it's training day. First, some members of the team need a superhero costume or a superhero name, and Geek-Girl needs to chat with one of her teammates.

THE LOWDOWN: Sam Johnson provided me with a PDF review copy of Cabra Cini/Geek-Girl: Exodus#1. The Kickstarter campaign for this comic book has already started.

I am very late with this review, unfortunately, as it is part of a Kickstarter campaign, and there is less than a week left to back the project. The shame of my lateness is that Cabra Cini/Geek-Girl: Exodus #1 is a very good read. Sam Johnson is one of the best indie writers of superhero comic books. His superhero tales are traditional in foundation, but they also have an offbeat modern sensibility. Johnson is always going in unexpected directions, in a fashion that is similar to the way Zach Cregger injected twists and turns into the script for his 2022 film, Barbarian. The difference is that Johnson hasn't introduced a killer ho living in the basement... yet.

I seriously adore the art by Fernando Melek. It is in a straightforward mode that captures the various atmospheric moods of Johnson's script. Melek subtly creates intensity in ways that the reader might miss – for instance, the general creepiness of Kristina and Jacob's conversation and of whatever bubbles beneath in pending conversation between Geek-Girl and the Minger. I think Melek has the potential to be a superstar artist.

Chunlin Zhao's colors, beautiful as always, amplifies the unique qualities of Melek's art and storytelling. Also, I toast Paul McLaren because his lettering is perfect for superhero comic books.

So, dear readers, head on over to Sam's Kickstarter. Look around and become a fan of two delightfully different female stars, Cabra Cini and Geek-Girl.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of writer Sam Johnson's Geek-Girl and Cabra Cini comics will want to both fund and read Cabra Cini/Geek-Girl: Exodus.

Print copies of Cabra Cini/Geek-Girl: Exodus #1 are available at IndyPlanet or at https://www.indyplanet.com/cabra-cini-geek-girl-exodus-1.

Digital editions are available at DriveThruComics or at https://www.drivethrucomics.com/en/product/588845/cabracini-geek-girl-exodus-1. And also at Amazon Kindle.

Plus, the Kickstarter for the Cabra Cini/Geek-Girl: Exodus trade paperback collection begins November 2026.

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https://x.com/daSamJohnson

https://x.com/Ruby_Kaye_

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Friday, October 16, 2026

#IReadsYou Movie Review: "RED SONJA" (1985)

Red Sonja (1985)

Running time: 89 minutes (1 hour, 29 minutes)

Rating: MPAA – PG-13

DIRECTOR: Richard Fleischer

WRITERS: Clive Exton and George MacDonald Fraser (based on the character created by Robert E. Howard)

PRODUCER: Christian Ferry

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Giuseppe Rotunno

EDITOR: Frank J. Urioste

COMPOSER: Ennio Morricone

FANTASY/ACTION

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Brigitte Nielson, Sandahl Bergman, Paul Smith, Ernie Reyes, Jr., Ronald Lacey, Janet Argen, and Tad Horino

Red Sonja is a 1985 American action-fantasy, sword-and-sorcery film from director Richard Fleischer. The movie focuses on a fearless warrior who sets out to avenge the murder of her family and to rid the kingdom of the evil queen who had them killed.

Red Sonja is female high fantasy and sword and sorcery comic book character that first appeared in Marvel Comics' Conan the Barbarian #23 (cover dated: February 1973) and was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Barry Windsor-Smith. They loosely based Red Sonja on “Red Sonya of Rogatino,” a character who appeared in a short story written by Robert E. Howard (1906-36), the creator of pulp character, Conan the Barbarian.

Red Sonja the movie introduces a young, red-haired woman named Sonja (Brigitte Nielson) She watches as the soldiers serving Queen Gedren (Sandahl Berman) murder her parents and her brother. Seeking revenge, Sonja trains under the warriors of the sword-master called “The Grand Master” (Tad Horino), although she has come to distrust nearly all men. Sonja sets off to avenge herself against Gedren and to end the Queen's tyrannical rule over the kingdom.

Assisting Sonja – whether she likes it or not – are the swordsman, Kalidor (Arnold Schwarzenegger); the boy prince of Hablock, Tarn (Ernie Reyes, Jr.); and his servant-bodyguard, Falkon (Paul Smith). Together the four must enter Berkuban, the “Land of Perpetual Night,” and stop Gedren from using the mysterious relic, “the Talisman,” to destroy the world.

I've been putting off seeing Red Sonja for decades, but because I want to see director M. J. Basseet's Red Sonja (2025), I thought it was time to finally see the 1985 film. Red Sonja was directed by Richard Fleischer (1916-2006), who also directed the second of the Conan the Destroyer (1984), the sequel to Conan the Barbarian (1982).

Red Sonja is a charming, even quaint sword-and-sorcery and film. Brigette Nielson is not a strong or particularly talented actress, and her performance gets no favors from this film's stilted dialogue. Still, Nielson is quite a trooper here and gives her all in her performance. I was definitely sold on the notion not only that she was Red Sonja, but also that Red Sonja was a real person.

Back when this film was initially released to theaters, a few of my friends saw it and hoped that Arnold Schwarzenegger's character in this film, Kalidor, would be revealed to be Conan. Apparently, contractual obligations and rights issues meant that Schwarzenegger ended up as “Kalidor,” essentially a Conan substitute-character. I really like Kalidor because Schwarzenegger plays the character in a somewhat lighthearted manner and also because in the 1980s, we got peak physique Schwarzenegger.

I was surprised that Red Sonja has attractive production values. The costumes by designer Danilo Donati and the work of the “Costume and Wardrobe Department” deliver costumes that were certainly worthy of some kind of contemporary awards recognition. I love them. Ennio Morricone's score for Red Sonja, while not among his best work, blends the sweep of forceful action with a surprising sense of romantic adventure that tells a story as much as it delivers cues.

Red Sonja is not a great film, and it did not need to be then or now. It is a true B-movie delight. Red Sonja is what it is, and that is a delightful cult film for those who want it to be that.

★★★ out of 4 stars

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

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Thursday, October 1, 2026

#IReadsYou Review: DC/MARVEL: SUPERGIRL/BLADE

DC/MARVEL SUPERGIRL/BLADE

DC COMICS/Marvel Comics

STORY: CRC Payne

LAYOUTS: Mikel Janin

FINISHES: Hugo Petrus

COLORS: Marcelo Maiolo

LETTERS: Pat Brosseau

EDITOR: Katie Kubert

COVER: Mikel Janin

36pp, Color, $0.00 U.S., (June 2026)

Supergirl created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino; Blade created by Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan

Marvel and DC Comics have been publishing crossover comic books blending their favorite heroes in all-new adventures. Titles published by Marvel are labeled “Marvel/DC,” and DC Comics' side is “DC/Marvel.”

The latest DC/Marvel title is DC/Marvel: Supergirl/Blade, a digital-first comic book that is available to read for free at “DC Universe Infinite” website and on the “DC Go” app. The story is written by CRC Payne; drawn by Mikel Janin (layouts) and Hugo Petrus (finishes); colored by Marcelo Maiolo; and lettered by Pat Brosseau. In the story, the “Girl of Steel” and “the Daywalker” find themselves in clutches of Mojo, the master of the “Mojoverse,” who wants Supergirl and Blade to star in one of his new gladiator-like television series?

DC/Marvel: Supergirl/Blade opens on Mojoworld, where its ruler, Mojo, the meta television show tycoon is looking for his next TV hit. In the hopes of entertaining the denizens of Mojoworld, Mojo has come up with a new idea. How about a romance series starring a strong female?

He kidnaps Supergirl and pits her against a trio of vampires. That's more than enough reason to bring in the male lead – Blade the vampire slayer. Trapped on Mojo's sound stage, Supergirl and Blade will be forced to battle bloodsucking foes, engage in melodramatic tropes, and take on Mojo himself. Now, this unlikely duo must team up to fight their way to freedom before the show’s final twist becomes their series finale and the end of their lives.

THE LOWDOWN: I have been mostly ignoring the Marvel-DC Comics crossovers, but I love me some Blade. I was excited by the recent, surprise news about Supergirl/Blade, and I became even more excited when I learned that it would be free to read.

Supergirl/Blade is a totally unexpected team-up, and while this comic book does not feature an intense struggle against evil in support of continuity, it is still a charming digital comic. I must give writer CRC Payne credit for finding a way to create a delightful tale featuring two mismatched characters that is also an appropriate for comics readers of all ages.

The art team of Mikel Janin (layouts), Hugo Petrus (finishes), and Marcelo Maiolo (colors) delivers straightforward storytelling that grounds the weirdness of this team-up. This is straightforward entertaining weird fiction. Pat Brosseau's classic lettering puts the finishing touches on this comics tale that makes it seem as timeless as it is unusual.

Dear readers, I suggest taking a trip over to “DC Universe Infinite” and enjoying Supergirl/Blade. It isn't monumental, but I had fun reading it.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of DC/Marvel crossovers will want to read DC/Marvel Supergirl/Blade.

★★★ out of 4 stars

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

"DC/Marvel: Supergirl/Blade" will be collected in the collection, "DC/MARVEL: THE COSMIC KISS CAPER AND OTHER STORIES," which will be available in hardcover and paperback editions from Amazon in September 2026.

https://www.dcuniverseinfinite.com/

https://www.dccomics.com/

https://x.com/DCComics

https://www.facebook.com/dccomics

https://www.youtube.com/user/DCEntertainmentTV

https://www.pinterest.com/dccomics/

https://www.periscope.tv/DCComics/1ZkKzezXwZdxv

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Tuesday, September 29, 2026

#IReadsYou Review: NIGHT CLUB II #6

NIGHT CLUB II #6 (OF 6)

DARK HORSE COMICS

STORY: Mark Millar

ART: Juanan Ramírez

COLORS: Fabiana Mascolo

LETTERS: Clem Robins

EDITOR: Daniel Chabon

COVER: Juanan Ramírez with Fabiana Mascolo

EDITORIAL: Sarah Unwin

VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Juanan Ramirez

32pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (February 2025)

Rating: 18+

Night Club created by Mark Millar at Netflix

Night Club II is a six-issue miniseries written and created by Mark Millar and drawn by Juanan Ramírez. A Dark Horse Comics publication and a Netflix production, Night Club II is a sequel to the 2023 miniseries, Night Club. Both series focus on a teen boy who is bitten by a vampire and decides to make the best of his new condition. Colorist Fabiana Mascolo and letterer Clem Robins complete Night Club II's creative team.

Night Club II focuses on 17-year-old Danny Garcia. After being turned into a vampire, he passed his new found powers unto his friends, DJ Sam Huxley and Amy Chen. Now, they're the superheroes: Starguard (Danny), Thundercloud (Sam), and Yellowbird (Amy). But jealousy has broken up this vampire-superhero trio and opened the door to a disaster of newer, more nihilistic and narcissistic vampires.

Night Club II #6 opens with the reconciliation of Danny, Sam, and Amy. But now, it's time for this trio to settle the war with Risso, Kendra, and their vampire gang. The problem is that the gang may be a wee bit larger than our heroes think it is.

In this shocking conclusion to the second volume, heroes are dead and villains are triumphant. One thing about vampire stories, however, is that even the coldest and most rotting corpses might not stay dead for long.

THE LOWDOWN: This is the second time that I have been on any kind of list that provides PDF copies of titles published by Dark Horse Comics. The latest received is Night Club II #6.

Mark Millar closes out Night Club II with a bang, and though it is full of blood and gore, Issue #6 closes out the series with a sly grin. This issue may be the most humor-infused yet, or perhaps, I'm interpreting a sense of humor that really isn't there. Still, Millar says goodbye-for-now to the series with another surprise... because that is the way it should be.

Artist Juanan Ramírez has built this narrative on capturing the reckless nature of young people with too much power, regardless of whether this power is natural or supernatural and criminal or evil. Ramirez's storytelling depicts the joy of victory with a wink and smile from start to finish. Night Club jumps off the page thanks to colorist Fabiana Mascolo funky and flashy colors. Clem Robins' lettering, as always, is a perfect accompaniment – a musical interlude of fury and funny.

Night Club II does not disappoint, dear readers. Be on the lookout for the trade collection.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of Mark Millar and of vampire comic books will want to be bitten by Night Club II.

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

This issue is collected in the trade collection, "NIGHT CLUB VOLUME 2," is available at Amazon.

https://x.com/mrmarkmillar

https://x.com/netflix

https://www.mrmarkmillar.com/

http://www.millarworld.tv/

https://www.darkhorse.com/

https://x.com/darkhorsecomics/

https://www.facebook.com/darkhorsecomics/

https://www.instagram.com/DarkHorseComics/

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Tuesday, September 22, 2026

#IReadsYou Review: ELVIRA IN MONSTERLAND #3

ELVIRA IN MONSTERLAND VOLUME 1 #3

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: David Avallone

ART: Kewber Baal

COLORS: Walter Pereya

LETTERS: Taylor Esposito

EDITOR: Joseph Rybandt

COVER: Dave Acosta with Walter Pereya

32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (July 2023)

Rated Teen+

Chapter Three: “Howl”

In 1981, actress and model Cassandra Peterson created the “horror hostess character,” known as “Elvira.” Elvira gradually grew in popularity and eventually became a brand name. As Elvira, Peterson endorsed many products and became a pitch-woman, appearing in numerous television commercials throughout the 1980s.

Elvira also appeared in comic books, beginning in 1986 with the short-lived series from DC Comics, Elvira's House of Mystery. In 2018, Elvira returned to comic books via Dynamite Entertainment. Elvira's latest comic book series is Elvira in Monsterland Volume 1. The series is written by David Avallone; drawn by Kewber Baal; colored by Walter Pereyra; and lettered by Taylor Esposito. The series finds Elvira returning to the Multiverse of Movies (a bunch of “pocket dimensions” created by the existence of movies) in order to stop Vlad the Impaler and the creation of a monster army.

Elvira in Monsterland Volume 1 #3 (“Howl”) opens in that pivotal moment in the 1981 film, An American Werewolf in London, when two young American backpackers experience a life-changing event with a werewolf. However, Elvira has been inserted into the scenario, and the werewolf is just the latest recruit of Vlad the Impaler.

Having cleaned up on vampires and Frankenstein monsters, it's time to gather the lycanthropy unit of Vlad's monster army. Now, it's a race through kooky werewolf and wolf man movie history, but Elvira is still wondering if Vlad is the true mastermind behind this hairy recruitment drive.

THE LOWDOWN: Since July 2021, Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department has been providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles. One of them is Elvira in Monsterland Volume 1 #3, one of many Dynamite/David Avallone Elvira comic books that I have read and enjoyed.

I am a huge fan of werewolf movies. Add that genre to David Avallone's Elvira comic books, and you have a horror porn – at least for me. I have seen many werewolf movies, and I have even reviewed some of them. Classics of the genre that Avallone references in this issue are The Wolf Man (1941), An American Werewolf in London (1981), The Howling (1981), and Teen Wolf (1985). Avallone even throws in some indirect, for-fun references to other movies, for instance, the based-on-a-true-story, The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), and the faux-documentary, 2000 Mules (2022).

Artist Kewber Baal's art perfectly captures the were-fun in Avallone's script. Just as Avallone does in his script writing, Baal has a knack for finding the spoof-a-panel gold in some well known films. With Walter Pereya's colors, Baal makes his parody of An American Werewolf in London look like that pivotal moment in the actual film.

Elvira in Monsterland is perfectly designed to be a romp through monster movie history. Fans of monster fiction will like this, and werewolf movie fans need this third issue.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of Elvira and of David Avallone's Elvira comic books will want to read Elvira in Monsterland Volume 1.

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

This issue is part of the trade collection, "ELVIRA IN MONSTERLAND," is available at Amazon.

https://twitter.com/DAvallone

https://twitter.com/DynamiteComics

https://www.dynamite.com/htmlfiles/

https://www.facebook.com/DynamiteComics/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNOH4PEsl8dyZ2Tj7XUlY7w

https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynamite-entertainment

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Tuesday, September 15, 2026

#IReadsYou Review: RED SONJA NOIR: The Princess and the Plunder

RED SONJA NOIR: THE PRINCESS AND THE PLUNDER

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: David Avallone

ARTIST: Edson Enn

COLORS: Adriano Augusto

LETTERS: Jeff Eckleberry

EDITOR: Joseph Rybandt

COVER: Lesley “Leirix” Li

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Robert Hack; Lesley “Leirix” Li; Molly Stewart cosplay

40pp, Color, $5.99 U.S. (July 2026)

Rated: Teen+

Red Sonja created by Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor-Smith, from the character created by Robert E. Howard

Red Sonja Noir: “The Princess & the Plunder”

Red Sonja is female high fantasy and sword and sorcery heroine. She first appeared in Marvel Comics' Conan the Barbarian #23 (cover dated February 1973) and was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Barry Windsor-Smith. Red Sonja is loosely based on “Red Sonya of Rogatino,” a female character that appeared in the 1934 short story, “The Shadow of the Vulture,” written by Conan the Cimmerian's creator, Robert E. Howard.

In 2005, Dynamite Entertainment began publishing comic books featuring the character. One of the recent titles is the one-shot title, Red Sonja Noir: The Princess & the Plunder. It is written by David Avallone; drawn by Edson ENN; colored by Adriano Augusto; and lettered by Jeff Eckleberry. The one-shot finds Red Sonja plying her mercenary trade at an enclave for the rich and wealthy merchant class where a wedding turns nefarious thanks to thieves, dark magic, and monsters.

Red Sonja Noir: The Princess & the Plunder opens on the island of Zaralina. Red Sonja has been hired by Elder Zaralin, the island's patriarch, as extra security for the wedding of his daughter. Sonja is mainly at the Elder's estate to protect the extravagant wedding gifts.

Events soon take a turn for the dark and nefarious as Sonja finds herself in the middle of ill-natured wedding guests, a bevy of thieves, dark magic, and a monstrous plot that could leave the local town and most of the island in ashes.

THE LOWDOWN: In July 2021, Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department began providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles. One of them is Red Sonja Noir: The Princess & the Plunder, which is not the first David Avallone Red Sonja comic book that I have read.

Red Sonja Noir: The Princess & the Plunder is the second long-form Red Sonja story written by David Avallone that I have read. The first was 2025's Red Sonja Noir One-Shot (“The Crimson Calypso”). Thus far, this new story is Avallone's crowning Red Sonja achievement. Pure sword-and-sorcery adventure, slick action set pieces, sparkling dialogue, skanky villains deserving of their fates, and magic that falls on the story like a shower of golden sugar on my favorite deserve. This story made me say “Uhh! Na nah na nah!”

The art and storytelling by Edson ENN (Edson Novaes Neves) makes the story move in ways that keep the readers guessing. ENN brings this story to life with passion; this isn't another swing of the sword. It's a thriller offering energetic sword thrusts with a sense of mystery worth engaging.

In order to praise colorist Adriano Augusto's work, I have to reveal that there is a dragon in this story, beautifully and amazingly drawn by ENN. Augusto lights the story on fire in several pages. However, there is a page with the dragon that Augusto makes so bright and vivid that I could almost feel the heat n my face. Jeff Eckeberry's lettering has a classic style that recalls the best old school Red Sonja comic books.

Red Sonja Noir: The Princess & the Plunder is worthy because the creative team brought the gifts to this wedding.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of Red Sonja comic books will want to read Red Sonja Noir: The Princess & the Plunder.

A+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux aka "I Reads You"

A Kindle edition of "Red Sonja Noir: The Princess & the Plunder" is available at Amazon.

https://www.deviantart.com/edsonenn/gallery

https://x.com/DynamiteComics

https://www.dynamite.com/htmlfiles/

https://www.facebook.com/DynamiteComics/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNOH4PEsl8dyZ2Tj7XUlY7w

https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynamite-entertainment

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Thursday, September 10, 2026

#IReadsYou Review: THE MAGIC ORDER 5 #4

THE MAGIC ORDER 5 #4 (OF 6)

DARK HORSE COMICS/Netflix

STORY: Mark Millar

ART: Matteo Buffagni

COLORS: Giovanna Niro with Laura Ciondolini

LETTERS: Clem Robins

EDITOR: Daniel Chabon

EDITORIAL: Sarah Unwin

COVER: Matteo Buffagni with Giovanna Niro

VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Matteo Buffagni

32pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (January 2025)

Rating: 18+

The Magic Order created by Mark Millar at Netflix

“The Death of Cordelia Moonstone”

The Magic Order 5 is a six-issue miniseries from writer Mark Millar and artist Matteo Buffagni. This is the fifth installment of The Magic Order series, which began with the 2018-19 miniseries written by Millar and drawn by Olivier Coipel. The Magic Order is a band of sorcerers, magicians, and wizards – with a focus on the Moonstone family and its leader, Cordelia Moonstone – that live ordinary lives by day, but protect humanity from darkness and monsters of impossible sizes by night. Colorist Giovanna Niro and letterer Clem Robins complete the series creative team.

The Magic Order 5 finds Cordelia preparing for her death – the punishment for using black magic (back in Volume 1). However, a new case has dropped itself in front of her, but it all may be a front for some really bad people trying to collect the price on Cordelia's head. Cordelia Moonstone is going to die soon... and there's nothing she can do about it. The end is coming in a matter of days.

The Magic Order 5 #4 opens on a lonely, rural Texas road in 1978. This is the story of how Clyde Bailey ended up with three demons inside him. He eventually tamed the demons and tried to make up for the wrong he did because they controlled him. Now, doing good means saving Cordelia. But there are so many magical denizens after her – from “Skin-Walker Sam” the magical hit-man to the magical world's most attractive bounty hunter, who has been sent by Sister Moon.

Meanwhile, after kidnapping and killing boys for years, Grandmaster Samuel Mott and his splinter group, “the Fellowship of the Bell,” believe that they have finally found the boy with the “bell” inside his small body. It is the bell that will summon the Fellowship's ancient gods.

THE LOWDOWN: This is the second time that I have been on any kind of list that provides PDF copies of titles published by Dark Horse Comics. The latest received is The Magic Order 5 #4.

It is possible for each issue of The Magic Order 5 to be crazier than the previous issue, and I know that because issue #4 is nuttier than issue #3. And that's a good thing. However, The Magic Order has always been slickly produced, no matter how dark the narrative became, but now, the darkness seems paramount to drama, which scares me as much as it attracts me.

Millar certainly benefits from an artist who uses his favorite drawing implements to transform his scripts into glorious graphical storytelling (comic book storytelling). Line by line, artist Matteo Buffagni creates a world of such fearsome darkness, treacherous magic, and magical treachery that mesmerizes the reader. In the end, Buffagni makes The Magic Order 5 one of the best comic book series about magic ever published in North America.

The glorious hues of Giovanna Niro are a symphony of colors of light that accentuate the spellbinding aura of this narrative. Finally, there is Clem Robins – reliable Clem Robins, and his lettering is the soundtrack of this deadly game of thrones and bones.

The Magic Order 5 is plotting something mind-bending; that I know, dear readers. Don't miss the twenty-first century's best American comic book about wizards and sorcerers. It's a shame that this is supposedly the final entry in the series.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of Mark Millar and of The Magic Order will want to read The Magic Order 5.

A+

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

This series is collected in the trade paperback, "THE MAGIC ORDER VOLUME 5," is available in a Kindle edition at Amazon.

https://www.mrmarkmillar.com/

https://twitter.com/mrmarkmillar

https://twitter.com/netflix

https://twitter.com/themagicorder

http://www.millarworld.tv/

https://www.darkhorse.com/

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Tuesday, September 8, 2026

#IReadsYou Review: HARLEY QUINN X ELVIRA #1

HARLEY QUINN X ELVIRA VOLUME 1 #1 (OF 6)

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti

ART: Amanda Conner; Juan Samu

COLORS: Amanda Conner; Walter Pereya

LETTERS: Dave Lanphear

EDITORS: Joseph Rybandt and Chris Conroy

EDITORIAL CONSULTANT: David Avallone

COVER: Amanda Conner

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Chad Hardin; Joseph Michael Linsner; Ben Caldwell; Mark Spears;

32pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (October 2025)

Rated Teen+

Harley Quinn created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm

Chapter One: “Stage Spite”

In 1981, actress and model Cassandra Peterson created the “horror hostess character” known as “Elvira.” Elvira gradually grew in popularity and eventually became a brand name. As Elvira, Peterson endorsed many products and became a pitch-woman, appearing in numerous television commercials throughout the 1980s. Elvira first starred in her own comic book back in the mid-1980s. Beginning with 2018's Elvira Mistress of the Dark #1, Elvira has been the star of numerous comic book series that were written by David Avallone and published by Dynamite Entertainment.

DC Comics villain, Harley Quinn, originated as a character on the animated television series, “Batman: The Animated Series” (FOX Network, 1992). Created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm, Harley debuted in the episode “Joker’s Favor” (September 11, 1992), as a female sidekick of The Joker and his eventual accomplice. Harley made her first comic book appearance in The Batman Adventures #12 (cover dated: September 1993), DC Comics’ comic book spin-off of the animated series. Harley Quinn became the star of her own DC Comics' ongoing series, beginning in 2000.

Now, Elvira and Harley Quinn unite in the new six-issue miniseries, Harley Quinn x Elvira Volume 1. It is written by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti; drawn by Conner and Juan Samu; colored by Conner and Walter Pereya; and lettered by Dave Lanphear. Official Elvira comic book writer David Avallone is acting as an editorial consultant. In this new series, Harley Quinn convinces Elvira to unite in throwing the greatest Halloween party Brooklyn has ever seen.

Harley Quinn x Elvira Volume 1 #1 (“Stage Spite”) opens in another one of Harley Quinn's funky dreams. These dreams are apparently a sign that the “Clown Princess of Crime” is frustrated and needs to do something to get her groove back, according to her partner, “Big Tony.” But what to do? When Harley spots a billboard promoting the television program of Elvira, Mistress of the Dark on Station 51Z, Harley has an idea. All she needs to do is find Elvira.

Meanwhile, Elvira's boss at 51Z, Sidney Spellman, is cleaning house and Elvira loses everything. Well, Elvira's new friend Harley Quinn has an idea that's just crazy enough to make things better for both of them. Together, they are going to throw the greatest Halloween party the borough of Brooklyn has ever seen – whether the borough likes it or not.

THE LOWDOWN: Since July 2021, Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department has been providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles. One of them is Harley Quinn x Elvira Volume 1: Issue 1.

I knew what to expect from Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti as writers of Harley Quinn comic books. They are among the best Harley Quinn storytellers and have been doing their damn thing with more consistency and longevity than any others. However, I was not sure how they would be at writing Elvira as a comic book character, especially because David Avallone, the writer of modern Elvira comic books, is so damn good at it. I must say that I'm pleasantly surprised at Conner and Palmiotti's turn on the character, with their Elvira being a bit more subdued and also droll instead of sporting her usual sterling acerbic and screwball comic book interpretation.

This series' main artist is Elvira comics regular, Juan Samu, although Amanda Conner does draw and color several pages here. Samu brings life to Conner and Palmiotti's script, creating a candy-coated confection of madness with a slight touch of the macabre. Colorist Walter Pereya drops a castle's worth of Neapolitan ice cream over Samu's art that turns this story into a dessert bar for the eyes. Dave Lanphear's lettering is the final flourish that makes this story feel like static electricity dancing across the pages.

Honestly, I didn't expect much from Harley Quinn x Elvira Volume 1, mainly because I have been underwhelmed by previous Harley Quinn team-ups. But it was time for me to get to this debut issue as the second issue approaches. So should you, dear readers.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of Elvira and of Harley Quinn comic books will want to read Harley Quinn x Elvira Volume 1.

A-

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

A Kindle edition of HARLEY QUINN X ELVIRA #1 is available at Amazon. The trade paperback and hardcover editions of this entire series are also available at Amazon.

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Wednesday, August 26, 2026

#IReadsYou Review: ECTYRON DOUBLE FEATURE

ECTYRON DOUBLE FEATURE: SHOWDOWN IN SOUTH DAKOTA and ATOM.I.K.E. AND THE STRUCTURE VS. THE Z-HEMOTHS OF OMAHA

CANDLE LIGHT PRESS/Warning Comics

STORY: Carter Allen

SCRIPT: John Ira Thomas (on “Showdown in South Dakota”)

ART: Carter Allen

COLORS: Carter Allen

LETTERS: John Ira Thomas

MISC. ART: Will Grant; Jeremy Smith

COVER: Carter Allen

32pp, Color, $10.00 U.S. at conventions (2026)

Comic book writer-artist and graphic novelist, Carter Allen, has been publishing a series of comic books and graphic novels featuring a “kaiju” character known as “Ectyron! The Radioactive Chicken!” Candle Light Press and Allen's Warning Comics have previously published several Ectyron comic books, including 2025's Ectyron v Rojo Gallo.

Ectyron is back on the attack in the recently released comic book, Ectyron Double Feature: Showdown in South Dakota and Atom.I.K.E. and the Structure vs. the Z-Hemoths of Omaha. It is written by Allen (story) and John Ira Thomas (script on “Showdown in South Dakota”); drawn and colored by Allen; and lettered by Thomas. Ectyron comics employ particular elements of various Japanese science fiction sub-genres, in particular “Kaiju.” This is a term used to describe the giant monsters and the fiction in which they appear. Godzilla is an example of a kaiju, and Ectyron, a giant-sized chicken, is also a kaiju.

Ectyron Double Feature opens with Showdown in South Dakota. The story is set in the “Badlands” of South Dakota some time in the past. In this sprawling countryside roams a mysterious monster known as “Creature 3.” When people start disappearing in the wake of this monster, it's up to two special agents from “Sustenatione Stabilitas” to find out what is happening.

Aleksandria “Lek” Stal and her partner, Shotaro “Sam” Mifune, arrive in the “Athena 5 Rover.” However, this heavily fortified vehicle cannot protect Lek and Sam from the horrific psychic attack powers of Creature 3. They'll need help from Ectyron, but is the “Marvelous Monster of the Midwest” really a match for Creature 3? Guest-starring Madam Madamn of Sustenatione Stabilitas.

The second feature is Atom.I.K.E. and the Structure vs. the Z-Hemoths of Omaha. It opens with the arrival of aliens from the “Yohahte Empire,” which are bent on plundering the Earth's resources. To that end, they mutate three ordinary animals, creating the “Z-Hemoths” Soon, the monsters descend on Omaha, Nebraska.

Can Atom.I.K.E. (Herb Mantlo), Atom.A.X. (Jake Johnston), and Atom.A.Y (Iowa Harris), also known as “The Structure,” stop them? Or will it take something... super?

THE LOWDOWN: I have been receiving review copies of Carter Allen's comic books and graphic novels for almost two decades. Carter and I are also collaborators, and that includes collaborating on the 2024 original graphic novel, The Wrath of Karapace: A Big Spirits Epic.

I have previously reviewed the following Ectyron comics: Ectyron Against Lagaxtu (2017), Ectyron: Rise of Nemehiss (2018), and Ectyron: The Invasion from the Red Star Nebula (2019), and Ectyron vs. Des Moines (2023). I also reviewed the Ectyron Omnibus Vol. 1 (2022), which includes a preview story that I co-wrote with Allen.

Ectyron Double Feature: Showdown in South Dakota and Atom.I.K.E. and the Structure vs. the Z-Hemoths of Omaha is not only an old-fashioned double feature comic book, but is also a two-times-the-fun comic book. It is inventive and imaginative and a carnival of Where-the-Monsters-Dwell unusual strangeness. It is a fun, uncanny comic book in the tradition of oddities like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Hellboy, which are fun because they offer the weird, the wild, and the wonderful.

I don't know how the heck writer-artist, Carter Allen, has managed to create a hugely entertaining comic book about a giant chicken, but he has done it several times. If this were a standalone Ectyron comic book, it would still be a winner. The addition of “the Structure” and “the Z-Hemoths” is a cascade of cherries on top of the Ectyron's heavenly dish of comics ice cream.

For as long as I've been reading Allen's comic books, I have seen a lot of unprecedented and foreignness in characters that yield enjoyable comics. Still, Atom.I.K.E. and the Structure vs. the Z-Hemoths of Omaha seems like a brand new day, in which monsters, aliens, and tokusatsu move and act like old-fashioned superhero comics. I look at this and think Avengers vs Kree or Skrulls, and I'm a happy reader.

Ectyron Double Feature: Showdown in South Dakota and Atom.I.K.E. and the Structure vs. the Z-Hemoths of Omaha is a treasury comic book of endless delights. Dear readers, I think you will want to read it again and again. Find the Candle Light Press gang at a comics or pop culture convention and snag a copy.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of double feature/flip comics, of kaiju, and of Carter Allen's kaiju comic books will want Ectyron Double Feature: Showdown in South Dakota and Atom.I.K.E. and the Structure vs. the Z-Hemoths of Omaha.

A+

10 out of 10

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

Ectyron Double Feature YouTube trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8IVYsmQXMo&t=6s.

From YouTube comes “A brief history of Ectyron”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zevMoxXmHc

http://www.warningcomics.com/

http://candlelightpress.tumblr.com/

https://www.youtube.com/@warningcomics

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https://www.facebook.com/Warning-Comics-194471080646766/

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Wednesday, August 5, 2026

#IReadsYou Review: NEMESIS FOREVER #2

NEMESIS FOREVER #2 (OF 5)

DARK HORSE COMICS

STORY: Mark Millar

ART: Mateo Scalera

COLORS: Giovanna Niro with Laura Ciondolini

LETTERS: Clem Robins

EDITOR: Sarah Unwin

COVER: Matteo Scalera with Giovanna Niro

VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Matteo Scalera

32pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (October 2025) on-sale: Wednesday, October 8, 2025

Age range: 18+

Nemesis created by Mark Millar and Steve McNiven

Nemesis Forever is a new five-issue comic book miniseries from writer Mark Millar and publisher Dark Horse Comics. It is a sequel to the miniseries, Nemesis Reloaded (2023) and Nemesis Rogues' Gallery (2024). Besides Millar, the rest of the creative team is comprised of Matteo Scalera (artist); Giovanna Niro (colors); and Clem Robins (letters).

Nemesis Forever finds that Nemesis, the world’s most dangerous man, has now made himself into one of the richest. No longer content just to terrorize the forces of law and order, Nemesis has a new plan: seize control of the world itself and enslave humanity with super-technology. For now, Kitty Tepper a.k.a. Sofie Stein, a CIA deep undercover agent, may be the only person who can impede Nemesis... at least a little.

Nemesis Forever #2 opens in the wake of the devastation Nemesis unleashed on Singapore that killed three thousand people. Meanwhile, Sofie's infiltration of Nemesis HQ Number 5 takes her deeper into this particular lair of henchmen. However, Nemesis' current fake identity, that of tech billionaire, Hans Berg, has to deal with someone who has gotten too close to the truth about Hans.

THE LOWDOWN: This is the second time that I have been on any kind of list that provides PDF copies of titles published by Dark Horse Comics. Nemesis Forever #2 is the latest PDF that I have received.

I usually take the time to praise writer Mark Millar in my reviews of Millarworld titles. This time, however, I want to focus on the art team of illustrator Matteo Scalera and colorist Giovanna Niro. Here, they have produced some of the prettiest art to appear in comic books in several years, and Scalera and Niro's Nemesis recalls the best of the team of Mark Millar and Frank Quitely. Their depictions of Nemesis and of his Hans Berg identity are things of artistic beauty. It's like comics rococo, and once again, a Nemesis art team is finding the wicked beauty in a ruthless bad guy.

I must also throw it up to Clem Robins. He does not let himself get left behind because his lettering is as tight as ever.

If this is the final chapter of Nemesis' hell-raising (and it doesn't have to be, Mark), then Nemesis Forever will end it with fire and beauty. Your serve, dear readers, and I know you want good comic books.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of Mark Millar's comic books of his Nemesis series will desire Nemesis Forever.

A+

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

The Kindle edition of NEMESIS FOREVER #2 is available at Amazon. You can also preorder the NEMESIS FOREVER trade paperback collection, which is due in May 2026, at Amazon.

https://www.mrmarkmillar.com/

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Tuesday, July 28, 2026

#IReadsYou Review: ELVIRA MEETS H.P. LOVECRAFT #2

ELVIRA MEETS H.P. LOVECRAFT VOLUME 1 #2

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: David Avallone

ART: Kewber Baal

COLORS: Walter Pereyra

LETTERS: Taylor Esposito

EDITOR: Joseph Rybandt

COVER: Dave Acosta with Walter Pereyra

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Kewber Baal; Robert Hack; Dave Acosta

32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (March 2024)

Rated Teen+

Chapter Two: “The Fun Witch Horror”

In 1981, actress and model Cassandra Peterson created the “horror hostess character,” known as “Elvira.” Elvira gradually grew in popularity and eventually became a brand name. As Elvira, Peterson endorsed many products and became a pitch-woman, appearing in numerous television commercials throughout the 1980s.

Elvira also appeared in comic books, beginning in 1986 with the short-lived series from DC Comics, Elvira's House of Mystery. In 2018, Elvira returned to comic books via Dynamite Entertainment. Elvira's latest comic book series is Elvira Meets H.P. Lovecraft Volume 1. The series is written by David Avallone; drawn by Kewber Baal; colored by Walter Pereyra; and lettered by Taylor Esposito. In this new series, Elvira joins the ghost of infamous horror and fantasy author, H.P. Lovecraft, who has returned to the mortal plane on a mission from the Elder Gods to locate the last true company of the infamous “Necronomicon.”

Elvira Meets H.P. Lovecraft Volume 1 #2 (“The Fun Witch Horror”) opens as Elvira and Lovecraft arrive at Miskatonic University. Deep in its bowels is supposed to be the last true copy of that archetypal book of forbidden knowledge, the Necronomicon.

What the duo finds instead is a pair of chatty librarians. Also, Elvira and Lovecraft don't realize that one of the librarians has a direct connection to Lovecraft's bibliography and past. Meanwhile, the “Sons of Nyarlathotep” are close on Elvira and Lovecraft's heels for the Necronomicon.

THE LOWDOWN: Since July 2021, Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department has been providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles. One of them is Elvira Meets H.P. Lovecraft Volume 1 #2, one of many Dynamite/David Avallone Elvira comic books that I have read and enjoyed.

“Miskatonic is where the wealthy landed gentry send their clownish progeny to be inaugurated into the cult of power... regardless of their ability to wield it in a manner which is useful, or even sane.”

The above line is why I enjoy writer David Avallone's Elvira comic books so much. Avallone uses “snide asides” and Elvira's self-effacing humor as a magic carpet that carries readers to a magical kingdom of comedy gold. And I never want an issue of Avallone's Elvira to end, and this issue in particular left me panting and giggling on the floor.

Artist Kewber Baal continues to be an excellent match for Avallone's humor in this series as he was in the other recent Elvira comic book miniseries, Elvira in Monsterland. Here, Baal turns Avallone script into swell comedy, while he creates a supernatural, dark fantasy world that feels genuine. Walter Pereyra's colors convey this interplay of comedy and scary that keeps the story moving.

I expect really good things from Elvira Meets H.P. Lovecraft, and I'm getting it. I expect you to read Elvira Meets H.P. Lovecraft, dear readers.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of Elvira and of David Avallone's Elvira comic books will want to read Elvira Meets H.P. Lovecraft Volume 1.

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

The trade paperback collection, "ELVIRA MEETS H.P. LOVECRAFT," is now available at Amazon.

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Thursday, July 23, 2026

#IReadsYou Review: CONAN THE BARBARIAN #12

CONAN THE BARBARIAN #12 (2023)

TITAN COMICS/Heroic Signatures

STORY: Jim Zub

ART: Roberto de la Torre

COLORS: Diego Rodriguez

LETTERS: Richard Starkings and Tyler Smith of Comicraft

EDITOR: Chris Butera

COVER: Jeffrey Alan Love

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Stuart Sayger; Greg Broadmore; Jeffrey Alan Love

32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (July 2024)

Suggested for mature readers

“The Age Unconquered” Part IV: “Terror Undreamed Of!”

Conan the Cimmerian was born in the pulp fiction of Robert E. Howard (REH), first appearing in the magazine, Weird Tales (1932). In 1970, Marvel Comics brought Conan to the world of comic books via the title, Conan the Barbarian. With only a few pauses, Conan comic books have been published for the better part of five decades.

Titan Comics and Heroic Signatures are the new producers of Conan comic books, and they launched a new Conan the Barbarian series in 2023. The current story arc is written by Jim Zub; drawn by Roberto de la Torre; colored by Dean White and Diego Rodriguez; and lettered by Richard Starkings and Tyler Smith of Comicraft. Entitled “The Age Unconquered,” this arc finds Conan's body and/or soul transported 80,000 years into the past

Conan the Barbarian #12 (“Terror Undreamed Of!”) opens with the horror of the Black Stone sarcophagus revealed. Plunged tens of thousands of years in the past to the time known as the “Thurian Age,” Conan joined Kull of Atlantis (also known as “Kull the Conqueror”), Brule the Spear-slayer, and Kull's elite “Red Slayer” guards on Kull's journey to find the source of the darkness that threatens his kingdom. Kull believed the source of the darkness to be in Atlantis, the land of his birth, but what they found first was the terrors of the abyss.

Now, Kull lies near death, and the specter of Atlantis' most hideous evil, the man who was known as “Kathulos” and is forever known as “Thulsa Doom,” emerges from his sarcophagus. Jealous of the warrior-kings like Kull who emerged after his burial Thulsa Doom is determined to destroy Kull and once again conquer everything before him. However, he must contend with a foe that is familiar to him, but one he did not expect to be present now.

THE LOWDOWN: Titan Comics has been providing me with PDF copies of their publications for review for several years now. Conan the Barbarian #12 is one of them.

I am so far behind in my reviews of Titan and Heroic Signatures' Conan the Barbarian comic book series that some of you, dear readers, already know what fate awaits Conan, Kull, and Brule. However, I am enjoying my slow roll through the narrative wonders of writer Jim Zub. Zub brings his third Titan Comics Conan the Barbarian story arc, “The Age Unconquered,” to a stunning close. It is full of mystery, evil, stunning revelations, and a great duel, of course.

Artist Roberto de la Torre, with his haunted illustrations, offers storytelling that recalls the vintage wonders of weird fiction. Roberto has made “The Age Unconquered” seem like a story out of a mysterious unknown “times past” with aesthetic elements and graphical styles that recall Frank Gazetteer, Al Williamson, and John Buscema. It is not often that modern comics recall the hoary pulpy prose of Weird Tales, but Jim and Roberto pull that off.

Diego Rodriguez's colors enhance the Stygian and infernal wonders of this third chapter of the arc. It is a dazzling display of comics coloring. I love that Richard Starkings and Tyler Smith's lettering completes the classic comic book vibe because whenever I see Comicraft letting, I know that I am really experiencing the true spirit of comic books.

“The Age Unconquered” ends up being a nice change of pace for Conan the Barbarian. I heartily recommend the third trade paperback volume of Titan's Conan, dear readers, because it collects this hugely enjoyable story.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of Conan comic books absolutely must read Titan Comics and Heroic Signatures' Conan the Barbarian.

[This comic book includes the essay, “Conan, Cthulhu, and the Cosmic Horror of Robert E. Howard” the twelfth installment of Conan/Howard essays by Jeffrey Shanks.]

★★★★ out of 4 stars

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

"Conan the Barbarian #12" is collected in the trade paperback, "CONAN THE BARBARIAN: THE AGE UNCONQUERED VOL. 3," which is available at Amazon.

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Wednesday, July 22, 2026

#IReadsYou Review: SAVAGE TALES #1

(GIANT-SIZED) SAVAGE TALES #1 (2026)

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: David Avallone

ART: Mariano Benitez Chapo; Pasqual Qualano; Sebastian Piriz

COLORS: Ome Remalante, Jr.

LETTERS: Jeff Eckleberry

COVER: Bjorn Barends

VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Bjorn Barends

40pp, Color, $5.99 U.S. (April 2026)

Rated Teen+

Savage Tales is the title of an anthology comic book series that has been used by both Dynamite Entertainment and Marvel Comics (twice). Dynamite recently brought its version back as a series of occasionally-published one-shots.

The 2026 edition of Savage Tales #1 has four short stories, all written by David Avallone, a master of the comics short story. These stories feature Gullivar of Mars (“His War Chapter Four” drawn by Mariano Benitez Chapo); Red Sonja (“The Code” drawn by Pasqual Qualano); Allan Quatermain (“Allan Quatermain and the Invaders” drawn by Sebastian Piriz); and Vampirella (“The Old Country Trigger” drawn by Mariano Benitez Chapo). All four stories are colored by Ome Remalante, Jr., and lettered by Jeff Eckleberry.

I will summarize and review each story individually.

THE LOWDOWN: Since July 2021, the marketing department at Dynamite Entertainment has been providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles. One of them is the 2026 edition of Savage Tales #1, which is one of several Savage Tales titles that I have reviewed.

Captain Gullivar of Mars: “His War: Chapter Four” by Avallone and Benitez-Chapo:

Captain Gullivar Jones is based on the character, Lt. Gulllivar Jones, that first appeared in the novel, Lieut. Gullivar Jones: His Vacation, which was written by Edwin Lester Arnold and was published in 1905. Writer David Avallone has been reworking the character over the past few years.

“His War” finds Jones returned to Mars – 20 years after he left it to its fate – via his magic carpet, “Ditan Yunshu. What he finds is a disaster, and his once “luminous princess” is now the embittered one-eyed Princess Heru. Determined to fix all that went wrong because he left, Capt. Gullivar Jones must make a most amazing journey – one that may well become his final journey.

Avallone has a deft touch with vintage and classic characters, and because of author Edwin Lester Arnold's influence on the science fiction sub-genre, “planetary romance,” Gullivar Jones is both vintage and classic. I thought “His War: Chapter Three” was Avallone's best work at that point in the serial, but for Chapter Four, I must use the phrase “blown away.” I am honestly blown away by Chapter Four, which finds Avallone unleashing 16 pages of thrill, chills, and savage surprises.

Artist Benitez Chapo's storytelling is a two-fisted celebration of old-timey science fiction. Chapo offers aggression, passion, and determination, and it all explodes off the pages thanks to Omi Remalante, Jr's raw coloring. The experience of reading this reminds me of why I like comics because Avallone and Chapo left me feeling dazed. I felt cross-eyes after reading this true adventure gem.

Red Sonja: “The Code” by Avallone and Qualano:

“The Code” opens in the city of “Bukhrosha” on the evening of the second day of the “Bukhroshan Revolution.” A man referring to himself as a merchant hires Red Sonja to get him out of the city, which is in the throes of a murderous rampages against the nobility. But there is more to this merchant's story, and it will test the She-Devil with a Sword's fidelity to “the code.”

David Avallone is good at Red Sonja – really damn good. When I read his Sonja stories, I feel the experience of reading about a genuine female character with as much depth of character and emotion as she has skill with a blade. Pasqual Qualano's beautiful art and storytelling is clever, brutal, and lethal without slathering on violence. I enjoyed the hell out of reading “The Code.”

"Allan Quatermain and the Invaders” by Avallone and Piriz:

The story opens in June 1932 aboard the cargo vessel, the “SS Cyclops.” There, Marlowe, a passenger, tells the ship's captain a tale of the legendary English big game hunter whose adventures occur in southern Africa. Marlowe's tale is one told to him by a World War I German soldier whose military unit finds itself in conflict with that great hunter, Allan Quatermain, after they seek refuge in his South African estate.

“Allan Quatermain and the Invaders” is one of the best stories featuring the character that I have ever read. Once again, Avallone proves that he is as deft with Victorian characters as he is with vintage American pulp characters. Sebastian Piriz's art creates a ghost story so potent that I thought I was being dragged into the Germans' tragic fate. What a powerful tale, y'all. I'm horny for it.

Vampirella: “The Old Country Trigger” by Avallone and Benitez-Chapo:

“The Old Country Trigger” opens in New York City where NYPD Officer Ana Reyes seeks help from Vampirella. The target is John Trigger a.k.a. “The Old Country Trigger,” and he's a vampire. Officer Reyes wants Vampirella's help in destroying Trigger, but, of course, it is going to be just a tad bit more complicated than even Vampirella expects.

Avallone and Mariano Benitez-Chapo do the buddy-cop thing with “The Old Country Trigger,” and honestly, I'd like to see Vampirella and Ana Reyes team-up again. Here, writer and artist are macabre dance partners in producing this delightful performance of dark fantasy storytelling. In fact, I could see it in a longer form as a graphic novel. They give this narrative, the characters, and the settings room to breath and to move and groove. This is a gem of a short story.

If I had to reluctantly pick my favorite story in Savage Tales #1 (2026), it would indeed be a reluctant process. As I don't have to, let's have fun with it, dear readers. I'm going with “Allan Quatermain and the Invaders” as my favorite in this box of dazzling tales. Still, I think you, dear readers, should buy a copy of this comic book and decide for yourself.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of anthology comic books who are looking for a collection full of great stories will want to read Savage Tales #1 (2026).

A+

10 out of 10

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

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https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynamite-entertainment

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Tuesday, July 21, 2026

#IReadsYou Review: BATMAN #1

BATMAN (2025) #1

DC COMICS

STORY: Matt Fraction

ART: Jorge Jimenez

COLORS: Tomeu Morey

LETTERS: Clayton Cowles

EDITOR: Rob Levin

COVER: Jorge Jimenez

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Jim Lee and Scott Williams with Tomeu Morey; Marc Silvestri with Arif Prianto; J. Scott Campbell with Tanya Lehoux; Frank Quitely; Gabriele Dell'Otto; Julian Totino Tedesco; Stanley “Artgerm” Lau; Andy Kubert with Steve Firchow; David Aja; Jorge Jimenez; Jim Lee and Scott Williams

36pp, Color, $4.99 U.S., (November 2025)

Batman created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger

Rating: 13+

“Vast Colors in the Dark”

DC Comics recently relaunched its Batman flagship comic book series – the third time in 14 years. It is written by Matt Fraction; drawn by Jorge Jimenez; colored by Tomeu Morey; and lettered by Clayton Cowles. DC is pushing the series as the dawn of new era in Batman comic books.

Batman #1 (“Vast Colors in the Dark”) finds Batman at Arkham Towers in the wake of Killer Croc's latest escape. Croc's physician, Dr. Zeller, urges patience on the part of Batman, but he has too much experience with Croc's acts of violence to buy into what the good doctor is saying.

Meanwhile, Vandal Savage, the new commissioner of the Gotham City Police Department, is making changes in the department – changes that may not be good for Batman. Plus, there is a Robin in trouble.

THE LOWDOWN: For years, I had a subscription to DC Comics' Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? ongoing comic book series. It was quietly canceled within the last year, but I had 14 issues left in my subscription. Midtown Comics in NYC, which manages DC Comics' subscriptions, gave me the option of choosing any new DC title I wanted to continue my subscription, so I chose Batman – just in time for this new era.

I am not going to dig deeply into this new Batman #1, which is only the fourth Batman #1 issue. It follows Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson's Batman #1, cover dated Spring 1940; Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's Batman #1, cover dated November 2011; and Tom King and David Finch's Batman #1 cover dated August 2016.

Matt Fraction and Jorge Jimenez's Batman #1 reminds me of Snyder-Capullo's Batman #1 in that both are fresh starts and are different in terms of narrative and graphic aesthetic from their contemporary Batman titles. Matt Fraction's script also gives this debut issue and its star, Batman, a jolt of energy that suggests both the very modern and the near future in terms of setting. This is similar to what writer Grant Morrison brought to the first arc of his 2009-launched Batman & Robin series (which was collected in the Batman Reborn trade. I imagine Fraction's biggest and most shocking twists and turns and re-imaginations will be revealed over the coming year, at least.

Thus, the real sense of newness comes from artist Jorge Jimenez and colorist Tomeu Morey. Their vibrantly illustrated first issue is as the chapter title of this first issue suggests, “Vast Colors in the Dark.” The team of Jimenez and Morey visually and aesthetically create a sense of amazing things to come in a fashion similar to what the team of Frank Miller, Klaus Janson, and Lynn Varley brought to Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Book One.

I'm not saying that the Fraction-Jimenez Batman #1 is Batman: DKR, but you never know. I simply felt excitement as I read this first issue. This first issue is promising or, at the very least, hints at great things to come for our eyes and for our imaginations. I have a subscription so I will be back.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of Batman comic books will want to read Batman 2025.

[This comic book includes a five-page preview of “DC KO” from writer Scott Snyder; artist Javi Fernandez; colorist Alejandro Sanchez; and letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhadu.]

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

A Kindle edition of BATMAN #1 is available at Amazon. The trade and hardcover editions of the first story arc of this series are available for pre-order at Amazon.

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