#IReadsYou Review: RED SONJA Black White Red #5

RED SONJA BLACK WHITE RED #5
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Jacob Edgar; Oliver Gerlach; Frank Tieri
ART: Jacob Edgar; Alex Moore; Lee Ferguson
COLORS: Giorgio Spalletta; Alex Moore; Kike J. Diaz
LETTERS: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
EDITOR: Nate Cosby
COVER: Lucio Parrillo
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Joshua Sway Swaby; Jae Lee; Lucio Parrillo; Rachel Hollon (cosplay)
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (December 2021)

Rated Teen+

Based on the characters and stories created by Roy Thomas, Barry Windsor-Smith, and Robert E. Howard

Conan the Barbarian #23 (cover dated: February 1973) saw the debut of a high fantasy, sword and sorcery heroine, Red Sonja.  Created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Barry Windsor-Smith, Red Sonja was loosely based on “Red Sonya of Rogatino,” a female character that appeared in the 1934 short story, “The Shadow of the Vulture,” written by Robert E. Howard (1906-1936), the creator of the character, Conan the Cimmerian.

In 2005, Dynamite Entertainment began publishing comic books featuring differing versions of the character.  One of those is Red Sonja Black White and Red, an anthology comic book featuring stories from well known comic book writers and artists, with the art presented in black, white, and red.

Red Sonja Black White and Red #5 is comprised of three stories.  The first is “The Hunted,” which is written and drawn by Jacob Edgar; colored by Giorgio Spalletta; and lettered by Hassan Otsmane-Elahou.  The second is “The Chill Touch of Sorcery!,” which is written by Oliver Gerlach; drawn and colored by Alex Moore; and lettered by Hassan Otsmane-Elahou.  The third is “Erik the Black, He-Demon with an Axe,” which is written by Frank Tieri; drawn by Lee Ferguson; colored by Kike J. Diaz; and lettered by Hassan Otsmane-Elahou.

THE LOWDOWN:   Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department recently began providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is Red Sonja Black White and Red #5, which is the fourth issue of the title that I have read.

“The Hunted” by Jacob Edgar, Giorgio Spalletta, and Hassan Otsmane-Elahou:
Baron Raaf wants someone to bring him the head of Red Sonja.  Is that “Yul, the Eternal,” called an immortal because no man has ever drawn his blood?  Are Wenyl and Fenyl, speedy and skilled with a dagger, the men who can kill the She-Devil?  Can an archer take her down?  Who is the hunted?

“The Hunted is a thoroughly enjoyable story.  Like many of the short stories in this series, “The Hunted” is for Red Sonja fans because they don't need the narrative to unveil Sonja's character as they know her.  Readers only need a clever plot, and this one is.

“The Chill Touch of Sorcery!” by Oliver Gerlach, Alex Moore, and Hassan Otsmane-Elahou:
Red Sonja is pursuing a sorceress across a treacherous, icy landscape.  It is a good story, but not a great story.  I do like the artist's use of page design here.

“Erik the Black, He-Demon with an Axe” by Frank Tieri, Lee Ferguson, Kike J. Diaz, Hassan Otsmane-Elahou:
In a bar full of assassins, pirates, thieves, barbarians, she-bitches, etc., everyone gives Red Sonja, the She-Devil with a Sword a wide birth … except Erik the Black, He-Demon with an Axe.  He says that he is here to kick “the fine, metal bikined ass” of Red Sonja...

Writer Frank Tieri offers his usual meaty, violent storytelling, which I enjoy, but with a neat twist.  Lee Ferguson's art fits this story's “tale of” back-story aspects.  It all works.

It is not hard for me to pick a favorite story of the three offered in Red Sonja Black White and Red #5.  It is “The Hunted” by Jacob Edgar, Giorgio Spalletta, and Hassan Otsmane-Elahou.  However, “Erik the Black, He-Demon with an Axe” is a nice runner-up and would be my favorite otherwise.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Red Sonja will want to try Red Sonja Black White and Red.

A-

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

You can find these stories and more in the hardcover trade collection, RED SONJA: BLACK, WHITE, RED VOL. 2, which is available at Amazon.

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#IReadsYou Review: LOVE AND ROCKETS Volume II #2

[This review of "Love and Rockets Volume II #2 is the second comic book review that I ever wrote for my “Negromancer” blog, the original version, way back in mid-Summer of 2001.  Recently, I was able to recover my files from two 2000s-era hard drives.  Beginning with this review, I am going to go back and re-edit all my original “Negromancer” comic book reviews and post these updated versions on here, my “I Reads You” blog.  I hope you enjoy the trip back in time.]

LOVE AND ROCKETS VOLUME II #2

FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS

STORY: Gilbert Hernandez; Jaime Hernandez; Mario Hernandez

ART: Gilbert Hernandez; Jaime Hernandez

LETTERS: Gilbert Hernandez; Jaime Hernandez

EDITOR: Gary Groth

COVER: Gilbert Hernandez with Carrie Whitney

BACK COVER: Jaime Hernandez with Carrie Whitney

36pp, B&W, $3.95 U.S., $5.95 CAN (Summer 2001)

The return of Love and Rockets can be viewed with trepidation. After all, Gilbert Hernandez’s Luba, Luba’s Comics and Stories, and his all ages title Measles, and Jaime Hernandez’s Penny Century well served their talents. However, fans of the Los Bros. were apparently having trouble finding their post L&R work precisely because it did not carry the “Love and Rockets” brand. Volume II of the fabled title, which ran from the mid-80’s to the mid 90’s for 50 beautiful issues and is one of the all time great comic book series reunites Jaime Hernandez and Gilbert Hernandez with brother Mario Hernandez for the first time in ages. It’s off to a wobbly start.

The first reason is because it follows such an important and well-regarded work as the original series and expectations are very high. Secondly and more important, the brothers have simply outgrown it the need for an anthology series that combines their work.

Gilbert is the least served by the new series of the three. His aforementioned solo works served his growing talent as a writer, difficult, as it is to believe that he could get better. With the serialized “Blood of Palomar, “X,” and “Poison River,” Gilbert had proved himself to be the preeminent comic book writer. Yes, better than anyone writing during that time, including Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman, who were getting all the attention. His post L&R solo titles served Gilbert’s ability to weave a long story arc over several issues or different titles. The stories were stunning when read together, but they were almost as good when read as single issues.

Love and Rockets Volume II #2 opens with “Julio’s Day,” Gilbert’s short tale that showcases everything that he does well: evocative dialogue and excellent page layouts. His art is that which marks him as a special cartoonist, that being a writer who can tell his story in words and pictures as well or better than it could be told in words or in pictures alone. However, the format of L&R Volume II limits Gilbert’s contribution to these kinds of nice little shorts like “Julio’s Day,” of which he is quite good. We can, however, get that from Measles; or the two Luba titles.

The issue’s second offering is Jaime’s “Maggie,” which is a pleasant little offering as far as the story goes, nothing serious or earth shattering. Although capable of beautiful, longer work, Jaime thrives in short stories and vignettes; he entertains in one page as easily as some can fail to entertain in a four issue mini-series.

The ongoing revelation is certainly Jaime’s continuing, astounding growth as an artist. From the beginning, his talent was obvious, and his ability to harness that talent became evident with each story. I am so overwhelmed by his illustrative powers that I can hardly stand to look at a page for more than a minute before I must turn my face lest I go blind. As an illustrator of black and white comic books, he is Toth-good, Eisner-good, Wood-good, and too damn good.

Mario Hernandez returns in the current issue as a writer with Gilbert as artist in "Me for the Unknown." The story’s surrealism is ably matched by Gilbert’s drawing prowess, but the story fails to arouse much interest. I’m quite sure that it would be best read in its entirety. The feeling is that something fantastic waits just over the horizon from these the combo of these two brothers, but serialization may not be good for any Mario-Beto collaborations.

The issue’s final offering is Gilbert’s return of Errata Stigmata is “Erratic Stigmatic,” which is a welcome return of an old character. It is a nice morsel of Beto’s continuing experimentation with his brand of surrealism, which mixes and matches several genres, artistic styles, and storytelling forms. Uniquely his own brand of work, one can see a story like the above and realize that there is nothing like Beto’s cartooning in current comics.

Reservations aside, this book is not to be missed simply for the fact that three brilliant comic book minds are moving and expanding the medium. Over time the series will gain its own momentum and surprise and delight us as the original did. Sadly, this is largely lost on a comic book reading populace that is too hungry for the next bat/mutant/manga event spectacular.

A-

★★★½ out of 4 stars

Edited from the original:  Sunday, April 20, 2025

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

Enjoy Love & Rockets paperback and hardcover trade collections found at the LOVE AND ROCKETS LIBRARY page at Amazon.

The text is copyright © 2025 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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#IReadsYou Review: ORION #15

[This review of Orion #15 is the first comic book review that I ever wrote for my “Negromancer” blog, the original version, way back in mid-Summer of 2001.  Recently, I was able to recover my files from two early aughts hard drives.  Beginning with this review, I am going to go back and re-edit all my original “Negromancer” comic book reviews and post these updated versions to my “I Reads You” blog.  I hope you enjoy the trip back in time.]

ORION #15

DC COMICS

STORY: Walter Simonson

ART: Walter Simonson

COLORS: Tatjana Wood; Digital Chameleon (separations)

LETTERS: John Workman

EDITOR: Joey Cavalieri

COVER: Walter Simonson with Tatjana Wood

56pp, Color, $3.95 U.S., $6.50 CAN (August 2001)

Orion and The New Gods created by Jack Kirby

“At the Edge of the Abyss”

Orion is a DC Comics superhero character that first appeared in New Gods #1 (cover dated: February 1971) and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby.  Orion is the son of the super-villain, “Darkseid” of “Apokolips,” who traded him to “Highfather” of “New Genesis” in a peace deal between the two planets.  Orion has powers similar to that of Superman, and he rids a device called an “Astro-Harness.”  In 2000, DC Comics began publishing Orion, a 25-issue series written and almost entirely drawn by Walter Simonson (best known for his run on Marvel Comics' Thor from 1983-87).

After a little over a year, the fifteenth issue brings to an end what could be considered the first major arc of Walter Simonson’s engrossing epic comic book series, Orion.  The story/epic begins in the first issue with Darkseid’s occupation of the town of Main Line, Nebraska in a bid to extract the “Anti-Life Equation” from the town’s inhabitants. Mentally exhausted and frustrated by his sire’s machinations, Orion meets Darkseid in combat and seemingly kills him in the fifth issue of the magazine. By the eleventh issue, Orion has mastered the Anti-Life Equation and begins to order Apokolips, New Genesis, and Earth in an attempt to end war, suffering and strife. 

Orion #15 offers Darkseid's returns.  But is Darkseid actually another opponent who seeks to engage Orion in battle?

THE LOWDOWN:  I must admit to being mostly disinterested in Jack Kirby’s New Gods and other “Fourth World” comic books that are not the work of Kirby (with the exception of an occasional mini-series or odd stand alone story here and there).  That was the case until John Byrne took over the mid-1990’s revival of the New Gods (Vol. 4, 1995-97) for the final four issues (#12 to #15) and  then, produced subsequent 20-issue series , Jack Kirby’s Fourth World (1997-98).

I was saddened to see Byrne extinguish the title, but I was curious after the announcement that Simonson would have a follow-up magazine that would focus on Orion.  It is in Issue #15 that we can see what Simonson does when he is really “on his game,” and as good as he has been, this issue is a career highlight precisely because he doesn’t rely on the fact that he can rest on his laurels because he is a mature and practiced veteran. His knowledge, ability and passage meet at a nexus that the best comic book creators rarely reach even in a career of standout work.

Orion is one of those rare “these days” books in which the title thrives not just on the popularity and strength of the characters, but primarily upon the skills of the artists involved.  Simonson’s tales are not only epic in scope, but are also melodramatic and operatic in execution. As in the best of serializations, Simonson weaves strong character development, directs engrossing plot lines, and executes the genre trappings with verve of an old hand who is an old master.

Orion is in fact a sad and pitied figure in the tradition of tragic royalty.  Blessed and cursed by birth and history and with power and a great warrior’s skill, he struggles to bring order to his universe precisely because he cannot find that same order anywhere.  His home of Apokolips is a nest of never ending intrigue, betrayal, and hypocrisy.  New Genesis, the enlightened opposite of Apokolips is more of the same except it has flowers, sunshine, and nice architecture.  Earth is the playground of misguided super powered beings that, in the long run, are actually largely ineffective.

It is in the world that the reader must see and engage the lead, which is not a slight of the other characters.  Even those that are not necessarily as developed as others, Simonson endows them with their own list of wants and needs and weaves them into the vast tapestry that is Kirby’s Fourth World. However, it is Orion that we must follow, because Simonson draws the reader to him; the reader sees the world only through Orion’s eyes. Yes, the others are interesting, but we view them always with the thought in mind of how he or she fits into Orion’s story.  Is he friend or enemy of Orion? What does she want of Orion? This is truly one of the standards by which other “solo” books should be measured.  Regardless of how “cool” or interesting a supporting player might be, that player is merely a piece on the lead’s board.  No supporting player should have a story or plot thread concerning him that does not directly affect the lead.

About Simonson art – what is there to say?  Like Byrne, he captures the sense of grandeur, scale, power, and dynamism that was in Kirby’s work, and executes it in their own inimitable style.  Rather than an homage or remake, Simonson continues the saga the way one storyteller would follow the others before him who were also painting, so to speak, on a larger shared canvas.  One can see Simonson’s considerable skill and talent in the vitality of the line work, the simultaneous grace and roughness of the inking, and the draftsmanship of a man who knows what he is doing.  The panel layouts and arrangement so much serve the story in plot and pacing that one knows that it could never be any other way – meaning he didn’t do it to make pretty original art for buyers who are easily wowed by the eye candy of a pinup.  Characters literally leap off the pages, and they pose with the grace and confidence of proven warriors and kings born.  There is pathos and drama that is better than some “movie” and is worthy of the theatrical stage. Every single panel matters, and Simonson wastes nothing.  There is no filler to snap the attention of those easily distracted.  This is quality work, good storytelling, and style over substance.

If you ignore so-called mainstream work, Orion can be your guilty pleasure that is not a guilty pleasure.  For the ones chasing alternate covers, “Ultimate” titles and revamps, there is good food at this table called Orion.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Walter Simonson and of Jack Kirby's “Fourth World” will want to find a trade collection of Orion (2000).

[This comic book also includes the back-up story, “Great Than / Less Than” from writer Kevin McCarthy, artist John Paul Leon, colorist Tatjana Wood, and letterer John Workman.]

A

★★★★ out of 4 stars

EDITED:  Sunday, April 13, 2025

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. “I Reads You”

In 2018, DC Comics began publishing trade collections of Walter Simonson's Orion, which you can find at Amazon.

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#IReadsYou Review: THE MADNESS #3

THE MADNESS #3 (OF 6)

AWA STUDIOS

STORY: J. Michael Straczynski

PENCILS: ACO

INKS: David Lorenzo

COLORS: Marcelo Maiolo

LETTERS: Sal Cipriano

COVER: ACO

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Mike Deodato with Lee Loughridge; Chris Ferguson

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

Rated: “Mature”

The Madness is a six-issue miniseries from AWA Studios.  It is written by J. Michael Straczynski; drawn by ACO (pencils) and David Lorenzo (inks); colored by Marcelo Maiolo; and lettered by Sal Cipriano.  The series follows a woman who uses her super-powers as a thief and her quest for revenge against a group of superheroes.

The Madness introduces Sarah Ross a.k.a. “The Raven.”  She has super-powers:  flight, super speed, super strength, and invulnerability, but she can only use one at a time.  Sarah has been using her powers as a thief, stealing from the rich and giving it to herself.  She plans one more big score so that she can retire to a life of luxury.  However, she steals from the “wrong person” and that leads to brutal consequences that will drive her to revenge... and to ultimate madness.

The Madness #3 opens as The Raven continues her revenge tour.  She has tracked down “the Council of Justice,” the team of government-sanctioned superheroes who killed her family and left her in a shattered mental state.  They are, however, now aware that she is coming for them.  So will that save Agent X-9 from a brutal interrogation?  Or will he give up the secrets to a woman beset by madness?

THE LOWDOWN:  AWA Studios marketing recently began providing me with PDF review copies of their comic book publications.  The Madness #3 is a recent acquisition.

Writer J. Michael Straczynski continues to blow my mind with his most excellent scripts for The Madness.  He mixes the madness of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' Watchmen with the exhilaration of Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch's The Authority.  Still, comic book reviewers often focus a bit too much on the work of the writers, as good as the writer is in this case.

The mad genius of the art and graphical storytelling for this series is artist and co-creator, ACO, and he drives The Madness to the edge of madness again and again.  His art recalls the work of both the late Neal Adam in terms of page design and the aforementioned Bryan Hitch in terms of composition.  How does ACO convey the madness and thirst for revenge that possesses Sarah Ross?  ACO sends the art and storytelling right at us.  It is as if ACO keeps grabbing us by the back of the head and slamming our face into the story.  He insists that we WILL know The Raven's madness and the violence, chaos, and fear she creates.  It's the perfect design of action for a comic book revenge thriller.

So here is a superhero comic book that delivers greatness without requiring you, dear readers, to buy 30 other comic books that are part of some kind of bizarre crossover event.  Come and get The Madness, now... or later with the trade paperback.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans looking for excellence in superhero comic books will want to try The Madness.

A+

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

"THE MADNESS" trade paperback collection is available at AMAZON.

THE MADNESS PAGE: https://awastudios.net/series/the-madness/

AWA Website: https://awastudios.net/ 

AWA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awastudiosofficial/

AWA Twitter: https://twitter.com/AWA_Studios

AWA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/awastudiosofficial

The text is copyright © 2023 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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#IReadsYou Review: SAVAGE TALES: Winter Special One-Shot

SAVAGE TALES: WINTER SPECIAL ONE-SHOT

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Scott Bryan Wilson; David Avallone

ART: Max Fuchs; Eman Casallos; Mariano Benitez Chapo; Hamish Munro-Cook

COLORS: Gab Contreras; Adriano Augusto; Adrian Woolnough; Jorge Sutil

LETTERS: Taylor Esposito

COVER: Arthur Suydam

32pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (December 2022)

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 one-shot comic books.

Savage Tales Winter Special One-Shot contains four short comics stories.  There is a Draculina story, “Juicing with the Devil,” which is written by Scott Bryan Wilson; drawn by Max Fuchs; and colored by Gab Contreras.  Next up is a John Carter & Dejah Thoris story, “A Honeymoon on Mars,” which is written by David Avallone; drawn by Emas Casallos; and colored by Adriano Augusto.  Third is Vampirella story, “Crypt Junkies,” which is written by Wilson; drawn by Mariano Benitez Chapo; and colored by Adrian Woolnough.  Last is a Captain Gullivar Jones story, “His War Chapter II,” which is written by Avallone; drawn by Hamish Munro-Cook; and colored by Jorge Sutil.

All four stories are lettered by Taylor Esposito.  I am reviewing each story separately.

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 Savage Tales Winter Special One-Shot, which is the second time I have read a Dynamite Savage Tales comic book.

Draculina in “Juicing with the Devil” by Scott Bryan Wilson, Max Fuchs, and Gab Contreras:

Story:  A skinny young man is transformed from weakling to muscular strongman – by a demon.  The cost for this is that the transformed human must join his demon benefactor in a wrestling match against Draculina...

My thoughts:  This is a delightful story, very well drawn and colored.  The writer perfectly captures both the desperation and subsequent self-delusion of a guy who finally gets everything he thought he wanted and more.

John Carter & Dejah Thoris in “A Honeymoon on Mars,” by David Avallone, Emas Casallos, and Adriano Augusto:

Story:  An aerial outing sends John and Dejah on a rescue mission, but the result is the revelation of John Carter's savage past – one that is longer than he expected.

My thoughts:  This story is beautifully drawn by Emas Casallos and colored by Adriano Augusto in a way that remind me of stories from issues of old Heavy Metal and Epic Magazine.  Writer David Avallone deftly reconciles or perhaps, redeems John Carter of some of his past military affiliations, with emphasis on one in particular.

Vampirella in “Crypt Junkies” by Wilson, Mariano Benitez Chapo, and Adrian Woolnough:

Story:  Trash TV junkie, Vampirella, has a chance to appear on her favorite reality television series, “Crypt Junkies.”  The show basically breaks into sealed graves, tombs, crypts, etc. in order to “see the wonders inside.”  But maybe no one should be opening the "Grave of Omuo."

My thoughts:  This is another very well drawn story, and it really conveys the power and tragedy of writer Scott Bryan Wilson's clever tale.  I'd call “Crypt Junkies” one of the few original comic book stories that genuinely mixes the styles of Robert E. Howard and H.P. Lovecraft.

Captain Gullivar Jones in “His War Chapter II” by Avallone, Hamish Munro-Cook, and Jorge Sutil:

Story:  The story opens in France, September 1918.  The Earth man, Gullivar Jones, who once adventured on Mars, is now returned to Earth and trapped in the muck and mire of World War I.  He can wish himself away from this and return to Mars, but now, how is life on Mars?

My thoughts:  Gullivar Jones is the science fiction military man created by Edwin Lester Arnold.  Jones made one literary appearance in the 1905 novel, Lieut, Gullivar Jones: His Vacation.  Now, writer David Avallone is giving him new life in the medium of comics.  I think what Avallone is doing is creating a sequel to a character that was short-lived, or he is, at least, giving new life to an abandoned character.  In two chapters, he and Munro-Cook have breathed new life into Captain Gullivar Jones in a way that is true to old-timey science fiction and is also an intriguing reboot.  What makes me anticipate more of this is that the possibilities are endless … or at least Avallone and Munro-Cook think so.

Wow.  This issue is full of excellent stories, all well lettered by award-winning letterer, Taylor Esposito.  If I have to reluctantly pick a favorite comics story from Savage Tales Winter Special One-Shot, I will have to make a difficult choice.  I think I will go with “Crypt Junkies,” if only for the fact that it feels like it has potential to be a media franchise, but my eye is also on Gullivar Jones.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of anthology comic books will want to read Savage Tales: Winter Special One-Shot.

A+

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

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#IReadsYou Review: CONAN THE BARBARIAN #6

CONAN THE BARBARIAN #6 (2023)

TITAN COMICS/Heroic Signatures

STORY: Jim Zub

ART: Doug Braithwaite

COLORS: Diego Rodriguez

LETTERS: Richard Starkings of Comicraft

EDITOR: Matt Murray

COVER: Mike Deodato

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Patch Zircher; Dan Panosian; Joey Spiiotto

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

Suggested for mature readers

“Thrice Marked for Death!” Part II: “The Cursed”

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 Doug Braithwaite; colored by Diego Rodriguez; and lettered by Richard Starkings.  Entitled “Thrice Marked for Death!,” the arc finds Conan taking up with a thieves guild known as “The Gloryhounds,” and the target of their latest act of larceny is a fine-cut, dark stone that only Conan realizes is dangerous.

Conan the Barbarian #6 (“The Cursed”) opens with what happens when Conan is ignored.  One of the Gloryhounds has touched their quarry, the dark stone known as “Tarim's Touch,” which only Conan realizes is a shard of the dreaded “Black Stone.”  Now, malevolent specters have emerged from the stone, and they are ready to possess some unwary human flesh.  The thieves will have to use all their skills to escape these dark spirits, but only Conan's savage swordsmanship can save them from the guards of the Temple of Bel.

Also, Conan ruminates on the loss of Belit, captain of the Trigress and Queen of the Black Coast.  Haunted by memories of his greatest love, Conan may not realize that the heist of Tarim's Touch may have caused him to plunge ever deeper into chaos.

THE LOWDOWN:  Titan Comics has been providing me with PDF copies of their publications for review for several years now.  Conan the Barbarian #6 is a recent arrival.

Halfway through this new Conan the Barbarian story arc and writer Jim Zub is still throwing down like he's been throwing down.  His first Conan the Barbarian story arc was a brawny jewel true to the tradition of the weird fiction that spawned Conan over nine decades ago.  This second arc, “Thrice Marked for Death!,” is downright murderous and is unremittingly dark.  And I like it.  I like that Conan is also vulnerable and lost in a kind of grief that is as unrelenting aggressive as he is.

Doug Braithwaite, the artist for this story arc, recalls all the shadowy textures and muscular storytelling that the late great artist, John Buscema, brought to all his Conan comic books.  Braithwaite made the first chapter of this arc, “The Heist,” dark, creepy, dirty, and nasty.  For “The Cursed,” Braithwaite goes full action movie with daring escapes and a kinetic sense that thrums between the panels.  Diego Rodriguez's colors make the action pop all the more.

Once again, Richard Starking's letters give this Conan the Barbarian comic book an audio track so that the reader might imagine to hear the clash of swords.  So, dear readers, you must give this comic book a try.  Every page is a pure Conan joy to read.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Conan comic books will want to try Titan Comics and Heroic Signatures' Conan the Barbarian.

[This comic book includes the essay, “Robert E. Howard and His Ages Undreamed Of” Part Six, by Jeffrey Shanks.]

A

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

The trade paperback that collects this issue, CONAN THE BARBARIAN: THRICE MARKED FOR DEATH VOL. 2, is available at Amazon.

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#IReadsYou Review: LORD OF THE JUNGE Volume 3 #5

LORD OF THE JUNGLE VOLUME 3 #5

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Dan Jurgens

ART: Benito Gallego

COLORS: Francesco Segala with Agnes Pozza

LETTERS: Carlos M. Mangual

EDITOR: Matt Idelson

COVER: Philip Tan

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

Rated Teen+

“Law of the Jungle”

Tarzan is one of the most famous fictional characters in the world.  Tarzan was an orphan and the archetypal “feral child,” and in this instance, he was raised in the African jungle by great apes.  Tarzan was born a noble, John Clayton, Lord Greystoke, but he rejected civilization and lived in the wilds of Africa as a heroic adventurer.  Tarzan was created by Edgar Rice Burroughs and first appeared in the novel, Tarzan of the Apes, which began serialization in All-Story Magazines in 1912, before it was published in book form in 1914.  Tarzan would go onto to be a multimedia star, appearing in films, on television, and in comic books.

The latest Tarzan comic book is Dynamite Entertainment's Lord of the Jungle Volume 3. It is written by Dan Jurgens; drawn by Benito Gallego; colored by Francesco Segala; and lettered by Carlos M. Mangual.  Tarzan's friend, an African local named Bouanga, recounts an event that occurs in the early years of Tarzan's adventures.  Now, the Lord of the Jungle has returned to right a past wrong no matter what manner of beast or obstacle stands in his way.

Lord of the Jungle Volume 3 #5 (“Law of the Jungle”) opens in Africa, in the 1959.  Tarzan's old friend, Bouanga, is being interrogated by local police.  Where is Tarzan, they demand of Bouanga?  Meanwhile, Tarzan has traveled to “ the Valley of Mists,” where he means to keep his promise to return the “Diamonds of the Triad,” the jewels that were once treasures from the Valley of Mists.

Bouanga tells the story of how Carson, a white hunter from England, first encountered Tarzan decades earlier.  He also tells of the mission Tarzan undertook to save Bouanga's life – a mission to steal “the Treasures of the Mists.”  What happened when Tarzan attempted to steal the diamonds?  How went his meeting with the valley's inhabitants, the Tiakklan tribe, and Dzianni, their chief?

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 Lord of the Jungle Volume 3 #5, which is only the fifth issue of a solo Dynamite Tarzan comic book that I have read.

Writer Dan Jurgens continues this old-fashioned jungle adventure that spans two eras of Tarzan's life.  A gripping action-thriller, it enthralls and engages on every page.  I like that Jurgens captures both the human and the wild-man-warrior in Tarzan and that he shows the vulnerability of both sides.  Tarzan knows loyalty and apparently, has compassion, although that shouldn't surprise me.

Artist Benito Gallego's storytelling remains consistently good, and it is some of the most beautifully drawn comic book art being published today.  It is a good thing that Gallego's drawing style resembles that of the late comic book legend, Joe Kubert.  Kubert had a four-year stint (1972-76) as writer-artist and later as writer-only of DC Comics' Tarzan comic book series, considered by some to be among his best work.

Colorist Francesco Segala's lovely colors capture the varied moods of this story's settings, both in time and locale, and gives this tale a sense that it is from a bygone era.  Letterer Carlos M. Mangual brings a sense of high drama and with his stylish, emotive fonts

Lord of the Jungle Volume 3 #5, like previous issues, strongly delivers on the potential the first issue promised.  I rarely read Tarzan comic books, but I will read this series' entire run.  I highly recommend it to you, dear readers.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Tarzan comic books will want to read Lord of the Jungle Volume 3.

A

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

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#IReadsYou Review: DREAMOVER Original Graphic Novel

DREAMOVER

IDW PUBLISHING/Top Shelf Productions

CARTOONIST: Dani Diaz

EDITOR: Leigh Walton

EiC: Chris Staros

ISBN: 978-1-60309-546-4; paperback with French flaps | 6" x 8.5" (January 14, 2025)

Diamond Code: NOV241133 (January 15, 2025)

312pp, Color, $19.99 U.S.; $26.99 CAN

Age: 13 to 17

Grades: 8 to 12

Dreamover is a 2025 original graphic novel created by Dani Diaz.  Published by Top Shelf Productions, this full-color, paperback book is Diaz's debut work.  Dreamover follows two best friends, adolescents who are becoming more than friends when a sleepover becomes a “dreamover.”

Dreamover opens in the pre-smartphone 2000s.  It introduces two characters who have been friends since the third grade.  Amber is a headstrong girl and goofball with a temper, while Nico Davis is shy and self-conscious boy.  Amber has had a crush on Nico for a long time, and she can't hide her feelings any longer.  Amber and Nico are also close with a few other friends.  There is Drew, who seems to be on the verge of coming out, and also Stella and Grace, who are already, seemingly a couple.

The friends have just finished eighth-grade, and that milestone is being marked by an eighth-grade beach trip.  There, Amber confesses her love to Nico and discovers that the feeling is mutual.  This begins a glorious and blissful summer of first love.

However, when the school year comes around again.  Amber, Nico, and their friends have entered high school, specifically Barrington High with its 2000 students.  Amber and Nico cling to each other through bullies, homework, early mornings, and other stressful situations.  As they maintain their closeness, however, Amber and Nico begin to alienate and neglect Drew and Stella and Grace.

Amber wishes she and Nico could get away.  One night, Amber gets her wish after the two fall asleep playing video games.  Soon, a sleepover turns into a dreamover, but it isn't as perfect and as magical as it sounds...

THE LOWDOWN:  I have been on the mailing list of Top Shelf Productions editor-in-chief, Chris Staros, for over two decades.  Back in January, I received one of his emails that announce new publications.  When I saw the write up and promo art for Dreamover, it was like being struck by magical lightning.  I knew I had to read it, and my Amazon gift card balance made that a possibility.

Comics are not so much a “sequential art” as they are a graphics-based art that yields graphical storytelling.  In Dreamover, author and creator Dani Diaz through her work here testifies to the fact that not only illustrations, but also colors and lettering are art when it comes to comic book storytelling.  They are a narrative grouping that makes storytelling more than about mere words.

Dreamover is a story told through pictures and graphics.  The narrative is not about the intellect, but is about emotions, impressions, and visuals.  We have to feel as much as we read.  That's how we understand Amber and Nico:  the tumult and exhilaration which defines both their relationship with one another and with their friends and also the surreal journey through dreams and dreamscapes that ultimately challenges each individual's expectations.  Diaz touches upon magical realism, coming-of-age drama, and slice-of-life melodrama, but most of all she grapples with the reality of how a small and intimate relationship between two children involves big and complicated emotions.

In time, as more people discover Dreamover, Dani Diaz may discover the back-handed joy of “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.”  The visual and graphic splendor of this story and how the author uses it to depict the vagaries of young love has some similarities to the colorful wonderland comics narratives of the past.  That includes the work of Windsor McKay, Moebius, Chester Brown, Trina Robbins, and Jim Woodring, to name a few.  As these artists had disciples, so I believe that Diaz will, also.  I have to believe that Dreamover will have descendants, so to speak.  That is because Dreamover is magical and inescapable, and I wish this graphic novel didn't have an ending.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of young adult original graphic novels and of Top Shelf's YA graphic novels will want to read Dreamover.

A+

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

You can buy DREAMOVER directly from Top Shelf Productions or you can buy it from Amazon, in which case I collect a bounty on that sale. 

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#IReadsYou Review: THE MAGIC ORDER 4 #6

THE MAGIC ORDER 4 #6 (OF 6)

IMAGE COMICS/Netflix

STORY: Mark Millar

ART: Dike Ruan

COLORS: Giovanna Niro

LETTERS: Clem Robins

EDITORIAL: Sarah Unwin

COVER: Dike Ruan with Giovanna Niro

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Javier Fernández with Alejandro Sánchez; Dike Ruan

36pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (August 2023)

Rated M / Mature

The Magic Order created by Mark Millar at Netflix

The Magic Order 4 is a six-issue miniseries from writer Mark Millar and artist Dike Ruan.  The is the fourth 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 – 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 focuses on a coup within the Order, one that has left the Moonstones defeated … seemingly … by the dark one who always wanted to rule the order – the supposedly defeated Madame Albany.  Now, to save everything, Cordelia Moonstone, the now deposed leader, will have to go way down in the dirty dirty to restore order.

The Magic Order 4 #6 opens as Madame Albany prepares to face the consequences of bringing the Wizard King from the world/dimension known as “Kolthur” back to Earth.  However, Albany wants to face the consequences.  It's all part of her quest for revenge, even if it means she goes back to being dead.  The only ones who are around to face the Wizard King are several apprentice wizards.

Madame Albany isn't the only one with a trick or two up her magical sleeves.  How will Cordelia defeat a being of infinite power?  And can she finally end the long-running “wizard wars?”

THE LOWDOWN:  In late 2021, the Millarworld division of Netflix began providing me with PDF copies of its comic books for review.  That has given me the opportunity to read many Millarworld titles, especially my favorite, The Magic Order.

Because of The Magic Order 4 #6, I can justify saying that The Magic Order series is the most interesting comic book about magic that I've read since Alan Moore and J.H. Williams' Promethea.  I can also safely say that The Magic Order is the most inventive and intense comic book about magic since Steve Ditko and Marvel Comics' Strange Tales unleashed Doctor Strange on newsstands.  When the Netflix series adaptation of The Magic Order arrives, I hope that it is every bit as weird as Disney and Marvel Studios 2016 film, Doctor Strange.

Writer Mark Millar never disappoints with The Magic Order.  It seems that he loves his readers enough to keep throwing one surprise after another at us.  Not only does he cleverly resolve this fourth volume with something he's previously referenced, but he also drops a bomb on the last page about what is coming in the next series.  And the surprises certainly explode under Clem Robins' lettering.

Artist Dike Ruan turned in some fabulous graphical storytelling in this series.  His every line and every brushstroke is an exercise in the intensity and insanity of dark magic.  Ruan made this series feel dangerous, and colorist Giovanna Niro made it all burn before our very eyes.  I hope this isn't the last we see of Ruan in this franchise.

The Magic Order 4 #6 is a delight from the first sound effect to the last caption box.  Dare I say, dear readers, that The Magic Order 4 is magical?

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Mark Millar and of The Magic Order will want to read The Magic Order 4.

A+

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

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#IReadsYou Review: SUPERGUY #1

SUPERGUY #1

STORY: Anthony Iannaccio

SCRIPT: Anthony Iannaccio

ART: Joey Murphy

COLORS: Joey Murphy

LETTERS: Joey Murphy

COVER: Joey Murphy

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Ahmed Raafat; Dominque Barlow; Billy Lahiff

28pp, Color, $10.00 U.S., $13.00 (variants); reward bundles

Superguy created by Anthony Iannaccio and Joey Murphy

“There Goes My Hero”

Superguy #1 is a new comic book from writer Anthony Iannaccio and artist Joey Murphy.  The series follows the adventures and misadventures of a self-absorbed superhero, who is usually in his underwear, and his earnest robot sidekick, who has a mysterious and likely dark past.  The story and script are by Iannaccio and the art, colors, and lettering are by Murphy.

Superguy #1 (“There Goes My Hero”) opens in Thebig City, specifically Thebig City Elementary School.  It was supposed to be the school's “Graduation Day,” but that has been canceled so that they can have “Superguy Day!”  Although the kids are excited to see Thebig City's favorite superhero, that superhero, the aforementioned Superguy, can't be bothered to show up on time.

Superguy can't even be bothered to do his job, so that's why his loyal sidekick, Robotguy, steps into the job and starts saving the day.  Eventually, however, that is going to rub a super-someone the wrong way.  Before long, there is a battle for the ages, and no one really understands how bad it will get or how many players are watching from the sidelines.

THE LOWDOWN:  Last year, Anthony Iannaccio sent me a PDF copy of a Superguy preview story that he and Joey Murphy produced.  Iannaccio also generously provided me with an advanced PDF copy of Superguy #1, which is the subject of a new Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign.

I was really impressed by the Superguy preview I read last year.  It was the kind of comic book story that young'un Leroy would have flipped over.  I can say the same for Superguy #1, and I've been trying to figure out why that is so.

Perhaps, I think of Superguy as something that will appeal to comics readers, young and old, because it seems as much like a broadcast network animated television series as much as it is actually a comic book.  Superguy is sort of like Fox's long-running animated series, “The Simpsons,” combined with humor of Seth MacFarlane, another Fox animation mainstay, but without the more obviously adult content.  Superguy #1 is a humor comic book that does not downplay the superhero fantasy elements, and it is also a superhero comic book that does not temper the humor.  Perhaps, I see its potential for broad appeal in the fact that it broadly embraces more than one or two genres and subgenres.

Iannaccio and Murphy are a good team; they are like a seamless pairing that cannot go astray.  Iannaccio offers a suite of snappy comedy, sharp dialogue, and lively jokes that it usually takes a team of writers to produce.  This is an impressive feat on his part.  Murphy is a humor comics artist with solid drawing and storytelling chops.  There is a consistency in his compositions that suggests a veteran talent, even if Murphy hasn't been doing this a long time.  Murphy's art and storytelling depicts humor and comic timing so well that this also makes it seem like he is an old hand at comedy and comics.

In his own way, Superguy is a lovable man-child, full of jealousies and self-importance.  Robotguy is a stand-up hero, as good as any human good guy, but destined to face his darkness.  I love these characters. I love this comic book.  I love what Iannaccio and Murphy are doing here.  So far, their Superguy #1 Kickstarter is doing exceedingly well.  I hope they make enough dough to fund at least a few more issues of Superguy because this comic book is a super-read.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of pure comic book fun will want to read Superguy #1 over and over again.

A

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

Linktree for Anthony Iannaccio social media: https://linktr.ee/mrtonynacho

Link to the Joey Murphy's IG page: https://www.instagram.com/jorion/

Kickstarter link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mrtonynacho/superguy-1

The text is copyright © 2025 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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#IReadsYou Review: SCOOBY-DOO, Where Are You? #131

SCOOBY-DOO, WHERE ARE YOU? (2010) #131

DC COMICS

STORY: Derek Fridolfs; Sholly Fisch

PENCILS: Walter Carzon; Randy Elliot

INKS: Horacio Ottolini; Randy Elliot

COLORS: Silvana Brys; Pamela Lovas

LETTERS: Saida Temofonte

EDITORS: Courtney Jordan; Harvey Richards (reprint)

COVER: Derek Fridolfs with Silvana Brys

32pp, Color, $2.99 U.S. (February 2025)

Ages 8+

“Scaries Not Included”

Welcome, dear readers, to my continuing journey through the Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? comic book series, which began publication in 2010.  I continue to renew my subscription so that I can continue to review this series for you, dear readers.

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #131 opens with “Scaries Not Included,” which is written by Derek Fridolfs and drawn by Walter Carzon (pencils) and Horacio Ottolini (inks).  The story finds Mystery Inc.:  Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, Fred, Daphne, and Velma attending the “Coolsville Collectible Toy Fair.”  There, they hope to collect items for the “Children's Toy Drive.”

What they find instead is agitated toy collectors looking for items that are exclusive to the toy fair.  Everyone is caught up in exclusives fever when an elf, specifically an elf-like “drow,” crashes the show.  Can the gang survive collector's mania long enough to solve the mystery of this dark elf?

As usual, the second story, “Not Just Yeti,” is a reprint story.  It is written by Sholly Fisch and drawn Randy Elliot.  [This story was originally published in Scooby-Doo, Where Are You #94 (cover date: October 2018).]  The story opens at “Benji Ford's Rockin' Gym,” an indoor climbing wall facility.  It's being haunted by a “yeti,” and the owner, Benji Ford, believes that the only ones who can help him are the experts of Mystery Inc.  While the gang has taken on the yetis a.k.a. “abominable snowmen,” in the past, this is the first time a yeti mystery is set on top of an indoor climbing wall and not at or near the top of a mountain. So what is really going on here?

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #131 offers a Christmas-like theme via the opening story, “Scaries Not Included.”  Although there isn't much Christmas spirit among the toy collectors in this new story, it is a treat from Scooby-Doo comic book stalwarts:  Derek Fridolfs, Walter Carzon, and Horacio Ottolini.  I consider that a Christmas gift from this comic book series.  Also, “Scaries Not Included” accurately depicts the collector's mania atmosphere that permeates conventions and toy fairs where show exclusive toys, action figures, and play sets are offered.

The reprint story, “Not Just Yeti,” another duo of Scooby-Doo stalwart creatives, Sholly Fisch and Randy Elliot, offer a Scooby-Doo mystery favorite supernatural pest, the yeti.  Honestly, yetis in Scooby-Doo television series have always scared me, so I consider this tale a nice offering.

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #131 offers a reading experience that is a bit more fun than what the previous issue presented.  So grab your “Scooby Snacks” and read this issue, and maybe watch a Scooby-Doo movie, later.  And until next time, Scooby-Dooby-Doo!

B

[This comic book includes a seven-page preview of the DC Comics original graphic novel, “Anti-Hero” by Kate Karyus Quinn, Demitria Lunetta, and Maca Gil.]

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

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#IReadsYou Manga Review: "TOMIE Complete Deluxe Edition"

TOMIE COMPLETE DELUXE EDITION

VIZ MEDIA

CARTOONIST: Junji Ito

TRANSLATION: Naomi Kokubo

LETTERS: Eric Erbes

EDITOR:  Masumi Washington

ISBN: 978-1-4215-9056-1; hardcover (December 2016); Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”

400pp, B&W, $34.99 U.S., $46.99 CAN, £25.00 UK

Tomie is a horror manga written and drawn by Junji Ito (the creator of the the acclaimed dark fantasy and horror manga, Uzumaki).  Tomie was Ito's first published work and was published in Monthly Halloween (where it was originally submitted) and later in Nemuki from 1987 to 2000.  The manga centers on the titular character, a beautiful, but supernaturally dangerous young woman named Tomie.

Dark Horse Comics last published Tomie in English a decade ago as Museum of Terror.  Now, VIZ Media has returned Tomie to print in Tomie: Complete Deluxe Edition.  This special, over-sized manga (5.7 x 8.4) hardcover was released under the VIZ Signature imprint December 20, 2016.  It has a suggested reader rating of ‘T+’ for Older Teens and a print MSRP of $34.99 U.S. / $46.99 CAN.

In Tomie, Junji Ito introduces Tomie Kawakami, who seems to be of high school age.  She is a femme fatale with long black hair and a beauty mark just under her left eye.  Tomie can seduce nearly any man, and after she has them in her thrall, she drives these men to murder, even though the victim is often Tomie herself.  The story is always the same; while one lover seeks to keep Tomie for himself, another lover grows terrified of this seemingly immortal succubus-like female.  Soon, all her lovers come to realize that no matter how many times they kill her, the world will never be free of Tomie.

THE LOWDOWN:  As far as I am concerned, dear reader, Junji Ito is an undisputed master of horror comics and not just of horror manga.  He truly deserves to be called a visionary as he has continually pushed the horror genre in provocative directions with works such as Uzumaki and Gyo also with the fantastic phantasms that are the short stories found in the collections known as Fragments of Horror.

The Tomie manga is highly effective, shockingly so when one considers that it was the debut long form work of Ito.  I think that readers will be delighted by the thoroughly mesmerizing Tomie and her unsettling, but engrossing reign of fright.  I think that readers will be happy that this classic horror manga is collected in a high quality hardcover.  If nothing else, you can use it to bash in Tomie's head, although you know the bitch will be back.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Anyone who has ever read and enjoyed work by Junji Ito or who love horror manga will find joy in Tomie Complete Deluxe Edition.

A+

10 out of 10

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

EDITED:  Wednesday, March 19, 2025

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#IReadsYou Movie Review: HELLBOY: THE CROOKED MAN

Hellboy: The Crooked Man (2024)

Running time: 99 minutes (1 hour, 39 minutes)

MPA – R for strong bloody violence and gore throughout, and language

DIRECTOR:  Brian Taylor

WRITERS:  Brian Taylor, Christopher Golden, and Mike Mignola (based upon the Dark Horse comic book series created by Mike Mignola)

PRODUCERS:  Jeffrey Greenstein, Sam Schulte, Robert Van Norden, Yariv Lerner, Mike Richardson, Les Weldon, and Jonathan Yunger

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Ivan Vatsov (D.o.P.)

EDITOR:  Ryan Denmark

COMPOSER:  Sven Faulconer

SUPERHERO/FANTASY/HORROR

Starring:  Jack Kesy, Jefferson White, Adeline Rudolph, Leah McNamara, Joseph Marcell, Martin Bassindale, Hannah Margetson, Bogdan Haralambov, Carola Columbo, Anton Trendafilov, Michael Flemming, and Suzanne Bertish

Hellboy: The Crooked Man is a 2024 superhero, horror, and dark fantasy film from director Brian Taylor.  The film is based on the Hellboy character and comic books created by Mike Mignola and published by Dark Horse Comics.  The film is also the second reboot of the Hellboy film franchise.  In Hellboy: The Crooked Man, Hellboy and a first-time field agent unexpectedly find themselves in a mountain community dominated by witchcraft and ruled over by a local demon.

Hellboy: The Crooked Man opens in 1959.  We meet Hellboy (Jack Kesy) and Special Agent Bobbie Jo Song (Adeline Rudolph), both of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (BPRD).  The two are transporting a supernatural toxic spider by train when something goes awry, and they suddenly find themselves stranded in the Appalachian Mountains.  They wander until they come to a backwoods community that is filled with superstition and with the belief in witches.

They meet a former local, Tom Ferrell (Jefferson White), himself a witch, who has home to atone for his sins and to settle a hateful debt he owes.  Witches and witchcraft, however, are not the only things that haunt this isolated mountain community.  The devil is about in the form of Mister Onselm (Martin Bassindale), also known as “The Crooked Man.”  He has come to collect a debt, and Hellboy, Song and Ferrell are the resistance.  Soon, the mountain church of the blind Reverend Watts (Joseph Marcell) will be the scene of an epic battle of good versus evil.

I am not a big fan of Guillermo del Toro's 2004 film, Hellboy, the first film in the series.  It has great production values, and it is a gorgeous movie filled with fantastical visual elements.  On the other hand, the story is executed in a clunky and awkward fashion, and the characters are not particularly interesting.  However, del Toro's follow-up to that film, the Oscar-nominated Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008), is one of my all-time favorite films, and I consider it to be one of the best-ever films adapted from a comic book.  Director Neil Marshall's 2019 film, Hellboy, was supposed to reboot the Hellboy film franchise.  It was a box office bomb, with its worldwide box office failing to recoup even the film's production costs, but Hellboy 2019 is far superior to Hellboy 2004.  It is closer to Hellboy II, in terms of quality, and almost seems like a reworking of the plot of the 2008 film.

All that said, Hellboy: The Crooked Man is another try at rebooting or restarting the series.  I remember reading press and promotion for The Crooked Man stating that it was the closest of the four films in terms of being faithful to the comic book.  I get that being faithful to the comic book is important to comic book people, especially the comic book creators and fans, but in the larger world of the film business, that is irrelevant.  What the people behind Hellboy: The Crooked Man should have been doing is telling the world that The Crooked Man is one helluva movie...

...Because it is.  Hellboy: The Crooked Man is a mutha f**kin' good movie.  I enjoyed the hell outta it, so much so that I might owe The Crooked Man of the film a debt.  I am not trying to say that it is perfect, because it is not.  Hellboy: The Crooked Man starts off slow, dry, awkward, and forced, and its first act seems like a collection of contrivances.

Then, the movie loses it mind and goes bonkers, and Hellboy: The Crooked Man flips the script so fast that I didn't know what hit me.  The Crooked Man's director, Brian Taylor, is known for his work with fellow writer-director Mark Neveldine, and the duo specializes in directing nutty and bonkers film like Crank (2006) and the 2011 comic book movie, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.  The duo also wrote the kooky horror-Western film hybrid, Jonah Hex (2010).

Going solo on The Crooked Man, Taylor busts out a film that takes the gruesome dead of the 1982 film, Creepshow, and mixes them with hoary hell hounds of director Sam Raimi's The Evil Dead (1981).  The result is the most horrifying film in the Hellboy franchise, a film with enough bone-rattling folk horror to convince many viewers that it is a legit horror flick.

I find that David Harbour, who played Hellboy in the 2019 film, didn't stray far in his performance from what Guillermo del Toro's Hellboy star, Ron Perlman, did with the character.  The Crooked Man's Hellboy actor, Jack Kesy, is more like Jeff Bridges' “Jeffrey 'The Dude' Lebowski” (from The Big Lebowski) than he is like the dark-fantasy action hero of the previous Hellboy films.  It is not that Kesy is better or worse, for the matter; it is just that he takes a different path to bringing the character to life.

There are other good performances in this film.  Jefferson White makes a mark as Tom Ferrell, but there are times when both White and his character, Ferrell, seem to get lost in the hell-raising of this film.  Adeline Rudolph, however, does not get lost as Bobbie Jo Song, and Rudolph's robust performance makes Song not so much a supporting character as she is a co-lead.  I would be remiss if I didn't mention Joseph Marcell as Reverend Watts because he is a scene-stealer in the role.  I was shocked to learn that Marcell played “Geoffrey Butler,” the butler on the former NBC sitcom, “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990-96).

Hellboy: The Crooked Man lacks the superhero fantasy, blockbuster bombast of its predecessors, but it is a truly unique superhero movie convincingly cos-playing a scary movie.  I don't want to give away too many of its chilling, goose flesh-raising frights.  The film did receive mixed reviews, but here, I won't send a mixed message.  Hellboy: The Crooked Man is a damn good movie, and I would be damned if I said otherwise.

A-

★★★½ out of 4 stars

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

The text is copyright © 2025 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint or syndication rights and fees.

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#IReadsYou Review: GEEK-GIRL #15

GEEK-GIRL #15

MARKOSIA ENTERPRISES, LTD.

STORY: Sam Johnson

ART: Carlos Granda

COLORS: Chunlin Zhao

LETTERS: Paul McLaren

COVERS: Carlos Granda with Chunlin Zhao; Aaron Felizmenio

24pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (January 2025)

Rated T+

Geek-Girl created by Sam Johnson

“Identity Crisis” Part 5: “Coming Together.”

Created by Sam Johnson, Geek-Girl is a comic book character that debuted in the 2016 Geek-Girl miniseries,  She returned in a second miniseries, 2018's Geek-Girl Vol. 2, which subsequently became an ongoing series.  Geek-Girl Vol. 2 is written by Sam Johnson; drawn by Carlos Granda; colored by Chunlin Zhao; and lettered by Paul McLaren.

Geek-Girl focuses on Ruby Kaye of Acorn Ridge, Maine, a sexy and popular college coed who inadvertently becomes a superhero.  Ruby dons a pair of super-tech eye glasses that give her super-powers.  Ruby's BFF, Summer James, then talks her into trying to be a superhero, even providing her with a moniker.  Now, Ruby is Maine's newest superhero, “Geek-Girl,” but the female super-villain, Identity Thief, has stolen her powers.

Geek-Girl #15 (“Coming Together.”) opens in the wake of Ruby's confrontation with Identity Thief in a bid to get her powers back.  Ruby is shocked to learn that Identity Thief also stole the powers of one of her most dangerous opponents, Lightning Storm.  But what did Identity Thief really steal.  With a little help from her friends, Ruby might finally defeat Identity Thief and get some answers.

Meanwhile, Summer has gained powers of her own via the power-sharing group, “The Hive.”  But does she really understand what she has gotten herself into and what it costs?

THE LOWDOWN:  Geek-Girl creator-writer Sam Johnson regularly sends me PDF review copies of the latest issues of Geek-Girl, and has been doing so for several years.  I enjoy reading about Geek-Girl and her (mis)adventures.  I like this comic book enough to keep encouraging you to give this addictive series a try, dear readers.

Geek-Girl #15 brings to an end the “Identity Thief” story arc that began in Geek-Girl #11.  Writer Sam Johnson wraps up this arc, but he also gifts his readers with plenty ghosts of Christmas-futures in the form of emerging subplots.  I don't want to say that this is my favorite issue, but I want to say that Johnson does what he does so often.  That is he makes an issue so good that you immediately want more, so this could be my favorite until the next issue.  Truth is that Johnson is quite good at writing superhero comic books, but how he does it is like no other writer.  Geek-Girl always seems fresh and is always crackling with energy, but without a reliance on decades of prior storytelling, as is the case with what is passing for the new hotness in current American comic books.

Artist Carlos Granda is quite good at capturing facial expressions and the quirkiness and oddness in the way people act in the context of emotions and speech.  That really serves him well in Geek-Girl #15, which has a hilarious bit about pronouns.  Granda has also created his own unique superhero storytelling language.  He is quietly moving beyond the expected and into new territories of naturalism, surrealism, and realism.  It seems like an impossible trio, but he is doing something new and something that is exiting to read.  Granda's excellent storytelling here shows all the more under Chunlin Zhao's excellent colors (as usual) and Paul McLaren's consistent lettering.

I enjoyed Geek-Girl #15, and I heartily recommend it to you, dear readers.  Geek-Girl captures the charm and magic of classic comic books and adds a clever modern touch.  I know that more of you will want to discover it.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of lovable superheroes will find an all-around winner in Geek-Girl.

A

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

You can get more information about Geek-Girl #15 and purchase it here or at https://samjohnsoncomics.wixsite.com/geekgirlcomics.

https://x.com/daSamJohnson

https://x.com/Geek_Girl_Comic

https://x.com/Markosia

https://markosia.com/

The text is copyright © 2025 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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#IReadsYou Review: SPACE GHOST #3

SPACE GHOST VOL. 1 #3

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: David Pepose

ART: Jonathan Lau

COLORS: Andrew Dalhouse

LETTERS: Taylor Esposito

EDITOR: Joseph Rybandt

COVER: Francesco Mattina

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Jae Lee with June Chung; Bjorn Barends; Michael Cho

32pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (July 2024)

Rated “Teen”

“Beware the Web of the Widow!”

Space Ghost is a superhero character created by the American animation studio and production company, Hanna-Barbera Productions.  The character first appeared in the Saturday morning cartoon series, “Space Ghost,” which was originally broadcast on CBS from September 1966 to September 1967 for 20 episodes.

In his original incarnation, Space Ghost was a superhero whose base of operations was a small world known as “Ghost Planet.”  He fought super-villains in outer space with his teen sidekicks, Jan and Jace, and their monkey, Blip.  His main weapons were power bands he wore around his wrists and lower arms; the bands fired off multiple energy beam-based attacks, including heat, cold, and force, to name a few.  Space Ghost could also fly, survive in space, and turn invisible (his “Inviso Power”).  He also had a space ship known as “the Phantom Cruiser.”

Space Ghost sporadically appeared in various comic book publications over a fifty year period.  Dynamite Entertainment has just launched a new Space Ghost comic book as part of its licensing agreement with Warner Bros.  Entitled Space Ghost Volume 1, it is written by David Pepose; drawn by Jonathan Lau; colored by Andrew Dalhouse; and lettered by Taylor Esposito.  In the new series, twins Jan and Jace Keplar and their pet monkey, Blip, meet that legendary cosmic vigilante known as “the Space Ghost.”

Space Ghost Volume 1 #3 (“Beware the Web of the Widow!”) opens as Space Ghost, Jan, Jace, and Blip battle Lizard Slavers, and the tide is turning... against our heroes!  Enter the Widow.  Not only is she their savior, but she also has an offer that is hard to refuse: join her in a heist that will penetrate Robo Corp central.

Now, Space Ghost can find out why Robo Corp's CEO, Dr. Xander Ibal, has placed a five million-credits bounty on his head.  What does he want of him that is different from what the Galactic Patrol wants?  Will Space Ghost, Jan, and Jace find answers or betrayal?

THE LOWDOWN:  Since July 2021, Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department has been providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  Space Ghost Volume 1 #3 is the latest, but it is not the first Space Ghost comic book that I have read.

The first three issues of Dynamite's Space Ghost revival comic book are a pure delight.  Comic books like this new Space Ghost are why I keep reading comic books long after growing bored with my core Marvel and DC Comics titles.  With this third issue, writer David Pepose makes things perfectly clear: the first two issues of this series were not flukes.  As a spinner of Space Ghost yarns, Pepose is the real fucking deal.

Jonathan Lau's illustrations and Andrew Dalhouse's colors make for a gritty narrative, but they also turn Pepose's script into the perfect Space Ghost storytelling.  Grit and edge aside, Lau and Dalhouse capture the classic energy of the original Hanna-Barbera “Space Ghost” animated series.  Letterer Taylor Esposito also does his part to capture that classic cool.

I highly recommend Space Ghost Volume 1.  It is easily one of the best comic book media adaptations that I have read in years, dear readers.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Dynamite Entertainment's Warner Bros. comic book series will want to read Space Ghost Volume 1.

A

★★★★ out of 4 stars

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

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The text is copyright © 2024 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like these, BOOKS PAGE, GRAPHIC NOVELS, or MANGA PAGE and BUY something(s).