#IReadsYou Review: ARCHIE VALENTINE'S SPECTACULAR #1

ARCHIE VALENTINE'S SPECTACULAR #1 (2025)

ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS, INC.

STORY: Jamie Lee Rotante; Daniel Kibblesmith; Craig Boldman; George Gladir

PENCILS: Holly G!; Dan DeCarlo; Rex Lindsey

INKS: Jim Amash; Rex Lindsey; Rich Koslowski, Dan DeCarlo

COLORS: Glenn Whitmore; Barry Grossman

LETTERS: Jack Morelli; Rex Lindsey; Bill Yoshida; Vickie Williams

EDITORS: Jamie Lee Rotante; Vincent Lovallo; Stephen Oswald

EiC: Mike Pellerito

COVER: Dan Parent with Rosario “Tito” Peña

32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (April 2025) – On-sale February 5, 2025

Rating: All-Ages

“Riverdale is Where the Heart Is!”

Eternal high school student and teenage boy, Archie Andrews, and his friends made their debut in M.L.J. Magazines' Pep Comics #22 (cover dated: December 1941), and before long, Archie was the publisher's headliner character.  In 1946, the company changed its named to Archie Comic Publications, also known as “Archie Comics.”

Archie Comics frequently publishes themed one-shot comic books featuring Archie's characters (sometimes referred to as “the Archie Gang”).  One of them is the annual Archie Valentine's Spectacular No. 1.  The 2025 edition of this comic book has one new story and three reprint stories, with one of the reprints being a two-parter.  Entitled “Riverdale is Where the Heart Is!,” the new story is written by Jamie Lee Rotante; drawn by Holly G! (pencils) and Jim Amash (inks); colored by Glenn Whitmore; and lettered by the great Jack Morelli.

Archie and the Gang – featuring Hearts, Flowers, & Candy: “Riverdale is Where the Heart Is!”:

As the story opens, the Spirits of Valentine's Day:  “Flowers, Hearts, & Candy,” have come to Riverdale, which they believe is “a place where love grows.”  Their tour of this romance capital of the world will allow them to witness love in all its glory – from loving friends and to romantic couples.  Their tour will take them from the brightest and most familiar spots to the gloomiest and most supernatural locales in Riverdale.  But even in Riverdale, does everyone get a Valentine.

THE LOWDOWN:  Archie Comics has been sending me PDF review copies of their titles for several years.  Archie Valentine's Spectacular No.1 is the latest.

“Riverdale is Where the Heart Is!” isn't a great story so much as it is a nice story just in time for Valentine's Day.  It is warm and sweet like cocoa, and its sentimental emphasis on everyone getting a treat for Valentine's Day can pull on the heartstrings.  The creative team of Rotante, Holly G!, Amash, Whitmore, and Morelli deliver a charming love letter to readers.

As a bonus, one of the reprint stories is a “Betty and Veronica” tale drawn by Archie Comics' legend, the late Dan DeCarlo.  Entitled, “The Trophy,” it offers a classic scenario Betty and Veronica fighting a girl (Cheryl Blossom) for Archie's attentions.

If you are like me and love classic-style Archie Comics, you will love these stories.  And Archie Valentine's Spectacular is certainly for you, dear readers.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of classic-style Archie Comics will want to find a copy of Archie Valentine's Spectacular No. 1.

[This comic book includes “Editor's Notebook” by Mike Pellerito, featuring art by Vincent Lavallo and Holly G!]

B

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

https://archiecomics.com/

https://twitter.com/archiecomics

https://www.instagram.com/archiecomics/

https://www.facebook.com/ArchieComicsOfficial?ref=tn_tnmn

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

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8914136-archie-comics

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

#IReadsYou Review: ELVIRA in Horrorland #1

ELVIRA IN HORRORLAND VOLUME 1 #1
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: David Avallone
ART: Silvia Califano
COLORS: Walter Pereya
LETTERS: Taylor Esposito
EDITOR: Joseph Rybandt
COVER: Dave Acosta
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Dave Acosta; John Royle; Silvia Califano
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (May 2022)

Rated Teen+

Chapter One: Bloch Party

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 Horrorland Volume 1.  The series is written by David Avallone; drawn by Silvia Califano; colored by Walter Pereyra; and lettered by Taylor Esposito.  The series finds Elvira trapped in the Multiverse of Movies.

Elvira in Horrorland Volume 1 #1 (“Bloch Party”) opens in the aftermath of Elvira's adventures with the ghost of the late, great film legend, Vincent Price (see Elvira Meets Vincent Price).  Part of those adventures included the discover that all movies create their own little “pocket dimensions.”

Now, Elvira finds herself in the pocket dimension belonging to one of the most famous horror films of all time, directed by one of the most influential and greatest filmmakers of all time.  That should be wonderful for Elvira, except that the movie includes an infamous and famous brutal murder in a shower.  To return to her own world, Elvira just has to find a “magical remote control” (Hello, Pleasantville), but can she really let things play out in this pocket dimension the way they are supposed to?  Well, there wouldn't be an entire comic book if she didn't.

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 Elvira in Horrorland Volume #1, one of many Dynamite Elvira comic books that I have read and enjoyed.

By now, anyone who is a regular reader of my comic book reviews know that I adore Elvira comic books written by David Avallone and published by Dynamite Entertainment.  So, it is best just to move on, although I should note that I was surprised to see David make an extended reference to the notorious and pointless remake of the film that Elvira visits this issue.

Artist Silvia Califano superbly captures the spirit of this “pocket dimension” and conveys a sense of humor that I think only the best MAD Magazine satirists and parody masters could pull off.  Califano's art even resembles Howard Chaykin's peak art from the 1980s, especially the 1986 miniseries now known as The Shadow: Blood and Judgment.  Califano's sense of style and mood are superb, with the storytelling really having a sense of movement.

Taylor Esposito's lettering stabilizes the storytelling, bring order to the madcap, and colorist Walter Pereya certainly adds a jarring note at the right time.  Of course, I expected this creative team to pull this off.  Of course, I expected Elvira in Horrorland #1 to be good.  Now, I expect you to go out and buy it and other Avallone Elvira productions.

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

[This comic book includes “Dynamite Dispatch” May 2022, which features an interview with writer Jordan Clark.]

A+

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

There is a Kindle edition of ELVIRA IN HORRORLAND 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


The text is copyright © 2022 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and 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).

#IReadsYou Review: VATICAN CITY #2

VATICAN CITY #2 (OF 3)

DARK HORSE COMICS/Netflix

STORY: Mark Millar

ART: Per Berg

COLORS: Per Berg

LETTERS: Per Berg

EDITOR: Daniel Chabon

EDITORIAL: Sarah Unwin

COVER: Per Berg

VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Per Berg

32pp, Color, $5.99 U.S. (May 2025)

Rating: 18+

Vatican City created by Mark Millar at Netflix

Vatican City is a new three-issue Millarworld miniseries from Dark Horse Comics.  It is created and written by Mark Millar and drawn, colored, and lettered by Per Berg.  Vatican City is set in a world overrun by vampires, except for Vatican City, which is the main target of the vampires.

Vatican City finds the vampire race revealing itself for the first time in ages.  Their goal is “Vatican City,” the independent city-state within Rome, Italy that is the government of the “Holy See” (the Pope and the Papacy).  Now, Guido Cavelti, recently of the Swiss Air Force, leads the human resistance to an invasion of monsters determined to get something that is buried deep beneath Vatican City.

Vatican City #2 opens in Russia and China, which seem to be among the last strongholds of human resistance against a vampire takeover of the world.  Meanwhile, the siege of Vatican City continues as legions of vampires wait outside, afraid of the holy relics with the city.

This is something buried beneath the Vatican itself, and the vampires want it more than they want the human blood inside.  What they don't know is that Guido Cavelti has decided that the humans inside need to make a last stand, and he is going to use the vampire's prize to make that stand.

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 Vatican City #2.

Millar continues to throw his readers right into the action with this second issue.  As always, Millar's action is a bracing action – filled with equal parts thrills and chills.  I don't want to spoil anything, but, of course, there was a shocking surprise to close out the first issue, and Millar also offers the shocking retaliation that defines this second issue.

The art, colors, and letters by Per Berg (also known as Per Darwin Berg or by the pen name, “Narwhal”) are both representational and impressionistic, possibly because Berg is depicting a world that is rapidly shifting from the natural to the supernatural.  One thing that Berg's storytelling certainly does is create the sense of rapid breakdown and hopelessness, which are perfect modes for apocalyptic fiction.  Berg wants the reader to guess at what is happening more than know what is happening.  In this second issue, Berg's impressionistic and psychological storytelling wants readers to feel humanity's struggle and resistance.

Millar and Berg gave readers a reason to come back for the second issue, and now, they've given us a reason to come back for the bloody third and final issue.  I suggest that you do so, dear readers.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Mark Millar, of vampire comic books, and of horror apocalypse will want to read Vatican City.

A

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

The trade paperback collection for "VATICAN CITY" is available at Amazon.

https://www.mrmarkmillar.com/

https://x.com/mrmarkmillar

https://x.com/netflix

http://www.millarworld.tv/

https://www.darkhorse.com/

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

#IReadsYou Review: THE MAGIC ORDER 5 #2

THE MAGIC ORDER 5 #2 (OF 6)

DARK HORSE COMICS/Netflix

STORY: Mark Millar

ART: Matteo Buffagni

COLORS: Giovanna Niro

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. (October 2024)

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 the end, her punishment for using black magic.  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.

The Magic Order 5 #2 opens in Lincoln Park Hospital, Chicago.  Cordelia is under the care of a psychiatrist who insists that her name is not Cordelia Moonstone, but is instead “Caroline Stone.”  Also, She isn't the leader of monster fighting wizards; she is really a hotel receptionist.

Cordelia Moonstone was raised to believe that her family was all that stood between the world we know and the other world of eternal darkness.  Has it all been in her imagination?  Is she really simply just a woman with serious mental health problems?  Are the only monsters the ones that exist in her head?  Clyde Bailey, a former really bad hombre, may be the only one who can answer those questions.

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 #2.

Mark Millar is probably the only “mainstream” comic book writer who delivers outstanding pop comics every time, and I don't mean starts off great and... peters out.  I mean A-rated entertainment every time.  The Magic Order 5 has certainly started out as consistently outstanding pop comics.  As Millar executes twists and turns in the narrative, we have no choice but to batten down the hatches as we vainly try to figure out where this franchise ends, why it ends, and how it ends.

The art team of Matteo Buffagni and colorist Giovanna Niro deliver stellar work early in this series.  The compositions have a fine art quality that when merged with the plot creates a disquieting sense of doom.  This makes The Magic Order 5 seem like a well-appointed funeral.  Finally, Clem Robins's lettering is the gentle chamber music by which to read this deathwatch.

The Magic Order 5 is plotting something mind-bending; that I know, dear readers.  Don't miss it.

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"

The trade paperback collection of "THE MAGIC ORDER 5" is available 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/

The text is copyright © 2024 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and 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).

#IReadsYou Review: THE MADNESS #6

THE MADNESS #6 (OF 6)

AWA STUDIOS

STORY: J. Michael Straczynski

PENCILS: ACO

INKS: David Lorenzo

COLORS: Marcelo Maiolo

LETTERS: Sal Cipriano

COVER: ACO

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: David Aja; Chris Ferguson

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

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 #6 opens as Sarah frees her recent prize – one from the Djinn – the dragon Ignatius.  Next, Sarah and the Raven have another conversation.  Will she stay or will she go?

Now, it's time for the final battle.  Just two names remain on The Madness' hit list.  They are Darius, the leader of the Council of Justice, who ordered the dropping of the bomb on Sarah and her family.  The second is Captain Micron, the one who dropped the bomb.  In order to complete her revenge, however, Sarah may have to destroy herself along with her targets.

THE LOWDOWN:  AWA Studios marketing began providing me with PDF review copies of their comic book publications since April 2023.  The Madness #6 is one of the recent acquisitions.

With this sixth issue, writer J. Michael Straczynski presents a final chapter that is as intense as all the previous chapters.  The Madness mixes the craziness of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' Watchmen with the exhilaration of Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch's The Authority.  At this end, Straczynski presents a final chapter that is complicated, but that also offers a satisfactory conclusion working on themes of dedication, loyalty, and love.

Artist ACO closes out his daring storytelling with intensity and verve.  The conflict is close and personal, and the heroine certainly seems imperiled.  He also sells us on an ending that offers continuation.  Marcelo Maiolo's colors are more like cinematography than ever, and I'm sure they look good in the recently released trade paperback collection of this series.

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 trade paperback collection of "THE MADNESS" 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 © 2024 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and 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).

#IReadsYou Review: JOSIE ANNUAL SPECTACULAR #1

JOSIE ANNUAL SPECTACULAR, NO. 1

ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS, INC.

STORY: Dan Parent; Dick Malmgren

PENCILS: Dan Parent; Dan DeCarlo; Frank Doyle

INKS: Bob Smith; Rudy Lapick

COLORS: Glenn Whitmore; Barry Grossman

LETTERS: Jack Morelli; Bill Yoshida

EDITORS: Jamie Lee Rotante; Vincent Lovallo; Stephen Oswald

EiC: Mike Pellerito

COVER: Dan Parent with Rosario “Tito” Peña

VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Dan DeCarlo

32pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (January 2026); on-sale November 19, 2025

Rating: All-Ages

“Scare Tactics”

In December 1962, Archie Comics introduced the character, Josie Jones, in Archie's Pals 'n' Gals #23 (cover dated: Winter 1962-1963).  Created by Dan DeCarlo, Josie Jones would become “Josie McCoy,” and she would join her friends, Melody and Valerie, in the band, “Josie and the Pussycats.”

Josie Annual Spectacular, No. 1 is an annual one-shot comic book featuring Josie and the Pussycats.  The 2025 release includes one new story and three reprint stories.  The new story features “The Southside Serpents” and is entitled “Scare Tactics”  It is written by Dan Parent; drawn by Parent (pencils) and Bob Smith (inks); colored by Glenn Whitmore; and lettered by the great Jack Morelli.

The South Side Serpents in “Scare Tactics”:

Josie and the Pussycats were supposed to play a gig at the haunted “Eyegore Estates.”  Well, they were supposed to do so, but they have discovered that another band has stolen their gig.  But the thieves – the South Side Serpents – are not a real band.  And why is Alexandra Cabot singing with this fake band? Can Josie, Valerie, and Melody get their gig back?  Also, are there already forces ready to put an end to the entire thing?

THE LOWDOWN:  I have been a fan of the Josie and the Pussycats franchise since I was a small child.  I am crazy about classic Josie comic books that were published from the 1960s to the early 1980s, some of which you, dear readers, can find in the 2021 trade paperback collection, Shes Josie.  I'm also still in love with the two 1970s animated television series based on the Josie comics.

“Scare Tactics” is one of the better five-page “Josie and the Pussycats” stories that I have read in a long time.  Of course, it is written and drawn by the great Archie Comics creator, Dan Parent, who he has mastered the short-short story just as he has mastered longer stories.  Parent manages to squeeze in a nice subplot and a few neat twists in “Scare Tactics,” which made me wish this story was longer.

The rest of this comic book features reprint stories.  One of those is the cute single-page tale, “Hair with Flair.”  Another is the three-part “The Ghost of Dark Valley Manor,” which features art from the team of Dan DeCarlo (pencils) and Rudy Lapick (inks.)

In my reviews of Archie Comics that feature reprinted stories, I always warn readers of my prejudice or preference.  It is this:  I will always recommend classic-style Archie Comics titles.  Josie Annual Spectacular No. 1 (2025) is a cool comic book – from new to old.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of classic-style Archie Comics and of Josie and the Pussycats will definitely want to get a copy of Josie Annual Spectacular No. 1 (2025).

A

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

https://archiecomics.com/

https://twitter.com/archiecomics

https://www.instagram.com/archiecomics/

https://www.facebook.com/ArchieComicsOfficial?ref=tn_tnmn

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

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8914136-archie-comics

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

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

#IReadsYou Review: ARCHIE CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR 2024

ARCHIE CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR (2024)

ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS, INC.

STORY: Ian Flynn; Ron Cacace; Tom DeFalco

PENCILS: Holly G!; Rex Lindsey; Steven Butler; Pat Kennedy

INKS: Jim Amash; Lily Butler; Bob Smith

COLORS: Glenn Whitmore

LETTERS: Jack Morelli

EDITORS: Jamie Lee Rotante; Vincent Lovallo; Stephen Oswald

EiC: Mike Pellerito

COVER: Dan Parent with Rosario “Tito” Peña

VARIANT COVER ART: Kubert School

32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (January 2025; on-sale December 4, 2024)

Rating: All-Ages

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina in “Revenge Gifting”

Eternal high school student and teenage boy, Archie Andrews, and his friends made their debut in M.L.J. Magazines' Pep Comics #22 (cover dated: December 1941), and before long, Archie was the publisher's headliner character.  In 1946, the company changed its named to Archie Comic Publications, also known as “Archie Comics.”

Archie Comics frequently publishes holiday themed one-shot comic books featuring Archie's characters (sometimes referred to as “the Archie Gang”).  The latest is the Archie Christmas Spectacular, 2024 edition.  It features one new story and four reprint stories.  The new story is a humorous tale tied to the (very dark) Chilling Adventures of Sabrina series and is entitled, “Revenge Gifting.”  The story is written by Ian Flynn; drawn by Holly G! (pencils) and Jim Amash (inks); colored by Glenn Whitmore; and lettered by the great Jack Morelli.

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina in “Revenge Gifting”:

Amber Nightstone is the fiercest magical rival of Sabrina Spellman, a.k.a. “Sabrina, the Teenage-Witch.”  Now, Amber is on a mission to get Sabrina... the best Christmas gift ever?!

In her own unique way, Amber has... convinced Archie, Betty, Veronica, and Jughead to help her find a gift for Sabrina.  Why would Amber buy her sworn enemy a gift?  Well, in the spirit of the holidays, Sabrina gave Amber a gift made of real amber.  Not one to appreciate the thought that counts, Amber is determined to outdo Sabrina and give her an even better gift.  But can you get the perfect gift for someone you really haven't taken the time to know?

THE LOWDOWN:  I have been reading comic books, on and off, for decades.  I have sporadically read Archie Comics titles over that time.  For many years now, Archie's marketing department has been sending PDF copies of some of their titles for review.  Archie Christmas Spectacular is the latest.

Even if you have only read Chilling Adventures of Sabrina #1, you know that as a “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” tale, “Revenge Gifting” is really an “Archie & Friends” story, and it is a nice one.  Writer Ian Flynn offers up that perfect kind of holiday comics story that captures the true meaning of Christmas.  The art team of Holly G! and Jim Amash brings out the humor in Amber Nightstone in the wake of her misfortune in the Josie Annual Spectacular, No. 1.  Their art finds the fun in her.

The rest of this issue features reprints of classic-style Archie Christmas and holiday stories.  There are guest appearances by several Archie Comics superheroes, including the “Ralph Hardy” and “Ivette Velez” versions of the Archie Comics' superhero, “The Jaguar.”  The Shield and The Mighty Crusaders also appear.

Dear readers, I will always recommend classic-style Archie Comics, especially when it comes in Christmas packaging – anytime of the year.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of classic-style Archie Comics will want to find a copy of Archie Christmas Spectacular.

B+

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

https://archiecomics.com/

https://x.com/archiecomics

https://www.instagram.com/archiecomics/

https://www.facebook.com/ArchieComicsOfficial?ref=tn_tnmn

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

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8914136-archie-comics

The text is copyright © 2024 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and 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).

#IReadsYou Yaoi Review: CAMERA CAMERA CAMERA 2

CAMERA CAMERA CAMERA 2

JUNE MANGA/DMP BOOKS

CARTOONIST: Kazura Matsumoto

TRANSLATION: Sachiko Sato

LETTERS: Samantha Yamanaka

ISBN: 978-1-56970-758-6; paperback w/dust jacket (February 26, 2008)

208pp, B&W, $12.95 U.S.

Drama/Romance; Rated “YA” for “Young Adults 16+”

Camera Camera Camera is a boys' love/yaoi manga series from mangaka, Kazura Matsumoto.  It was originally serialized from February 2002 to February 2003 in Dear+, the boys' love manga magazine published by Shinsokan, the Japanese publishing company.  Boys' love (or BL) manga is a manga genre that depicts amorous situations between male romantic leads and is typically created for a female audience.  Yaoi manga is a BL subset that features explicit depictions of sex between male characters.  The Camera Camera Camera series is specifically yaoi manga.

Camera Camera Camera focuses on Akira Togawa.  He may be an average high school student, but he is in love with his older stepbrother, Satoru.  Make that was.  A scruffy photographer named Kaoru Nakahara came into Akira’s life when he began work on a campus photography project.  Kaoru fell head over heels in love with Akira, and he wouldn’t take even Akira’s loudest “No!” for an answer, but Akira eventually fell in love with Kaoru, too.

As Camera Camera Camera, Vol. 2 opens, Akira gets a shocking phone call about Satoru, but that’s not his only problem.  Akira also finds himself fighting a diminutive, 16-year-old, male model named Daisuke Kotoko for Kaoru’s attention.  Meanwhile, a mystery woman comes back into Kaoru’s life, and Akira may finally learn why Kaoru doesn’t like to take photographs of people.

THE LOWDOWN:  The drama continues as the Boys’ Love (BL) drama, Camera Camera Camera, moves steadily, but with much commotion, towards its conclusion.  Creator Kazura Matsumoto presents such well-developed characters, and while she doesn’t offer much psychological insight into them, she does connect them through love and obligation.  All that passion, concern, duty and commitment make for tasty conflict, jealousy, and rivalries, but it’s all smooth and entertaining rather than being dark and tiresome.  Matsumoto is an all around good artist, but her stylish facial drawings immediately capture attention.  It is funny; however, that her drawing style made Akira’s face look like the mug Michael Jackson is currently sporting.

Camera Camera Camera quality BL manga.  It is also a Young Adult drama that may appeal to teen BL fans as much, if not more, than older readers.

I READS YOU REVIEW:  Fans of Camera Camera Camera 1 will want to read Camera Camera Camera 2.

B+

★★★½ out of 4 stars

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

https://junemanga.com/

https://www.digitalmanga.com/

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

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

#IReadsYou Review: NEMESIS: ROGUES' GALLERY #5

NEMESIS: ROGUES' GALLERY #5 (OF 5)

DARK HORSE COMICS/Netflix

STORY: Mark Millar

ART: Valerio Giangiordano

COLORS: Lee Loughridge

LETTERS: Clem Robins

EDITOR: Daniel Chabon

EDITORIAL PRODUCTION: Sarah Unwin

COVER: Valerio Giangiordano with Lee Loughridge

40pp, Color, $6.99 U.S. (January 2025)

Age range: 14+

Nemesis created by Mark Millar and Steve McNiven

Nemesis: Rogues' Gallery is a five-issue comic book miniseries from writer Mark Millar.  It is a sequel to the miniseries, Nemesis Reloaded (2023) and Big Game (2023).  Published by Dark Horse comics, the new series finds the super-killer, Nemesis, on a mission of revenge.  Rogues' Gallery is drawn by Valerio Giangiordano; colored by Lee Loughridge; and lettered by Clem Robins.

Nemesis: Rogues Gallery finds Nemesis on a mission to once again be the world's greatest super-villain. Now, out for revenge against everyone who wronged him, Nemesis must rebuild his empire and his fortune... this time with a sidekick, Pedro Hernandez, following him every step of the way.

Nemesis: Rogues Gallery #5 opens on an island where billionaires gather to indulge in the worst fantasies mankind can imagine outside the watchful eye of the authorities.  That's where Nemesis is – using his Alton Albrecht identity, of course.

Nemesis is a guest of notorious billionaire, Adrian Zigo, and he plans on being a poor guest.  Nemesis is on a mission that involves each and every one of these billionaires on the island and half their wealth.  However, Nemesis' first sidekick, Sang, is also on the island, and he is leading an assault team in high-tech suits and bearing a hard-on for Nemesis.  Is Nemesis finally trapped for real and looking at his demise or is his new sidekick, Pedro, also on the island?

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 comic book to mark my return is Nemesis: Rogues' Gallery #5.

Writer Mark Millar offers an explosive finale for Nemesis: Rogues Gallery #5, as he did for the previous Nemesis series.  His depiction of the billionaire class as plutocratic dullards who are always looking to indulge their depraved desires is timely.  It is only a little ironic that a substantial portion of the readers for a comic book like Nemesis are chumps for the tech bros and would gladly serve the whims of the super-rich.  Rogues Gallery is cathartic precisely because fiction is the only scenario in which the ultra-rich get their comeuppance.

Artist Valerio Giangiordano continues to deliver stellar storytelling with a gritty, crime-noir spin on violent superhero/fantasy action.  If Nemesis is a take on an evil version of Batman, Giangiordano gets in on the spirit of things and draws several close ups of Nemesis that look like some of the close-ups of Batman that Frank Miller drew for his seminal graphic novel, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.  Letterer Clem Robins captures the deranged narcissism of the title character by making us believe this comic book has a soundtrack.

Nemesis: Rogues' Gallery offers one of the best lines that I've read in a comic book in recent memory:  “Do you kiss your cows with that mouth?”  If you missed this series, dear readers, there should be a trade paperback available soon.  That's how you can make up for this transgression... before Nemesis finds out.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Mark Millar's comic books and of Valerio Giangiordano's art will desire Nemesis: Rogues' Gallery.

A

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

The trade paperback collection of NEMESIS: ROGUES' GALLERY is available at Amazon.

https://www.mrmarkmillar.com/

https://x.com/mrmarkmillar

https://x.com/netflix

http://www.millarworld.tv/

https://www.darkhorse.com/

https://x.com/darkhorsecomics/

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

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

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

#IReadsYou Review: SAVAGE DIRT AXES

SAVAGE DIRT AXES

CANDLE LIGHT PRESS

STORY: Will Beard

ART: Will Beard

LETTERS/PRODUCTION: John Ira Thomas

MISC. ART: Carter Allen; Will Grant

ISBN: 978-0-9743147-0-9; paperback (2025)

60pp, B&W, $10.00 U.S.

Savage Dirt Axes is a 2025 original graphic novel from writer-artist Will Beard.  Published as a paperback original with black and white interior art by Candle Light Press, Savage Dirt Axes is set in the 19th century Old West and focuses a ragtag band of friends fighting a monster invasion.  John Ira Thomas joins Will Beard as the story's letter.

Savage Dirt Axes opens with two cowboys – the stoic and stern, Rhett, and the somewhat cowardly young fella, Billy – ready to close out their day.  They head on over to visit some roughneck pals, Ottis and Rex.  Billy also hopes to meat his girlfriend, Josie, the daughter of Rex.

However, it turns out that Rex is missing, and the search for him takes the group right into a confrontation with a herd of monstrous, demonic, and gigantic creatures, which one of them call “dirt axes.”  Can the cowboys, ornery old dudes, and one gal stop a monster invasion or will they end up being meat for the beast – just like the cattle?

THE LOWDOWN:  Will Beard is a budding master of the weird Western comic book.  In collaboration with writer John Ira Thomas, he drew the hardcover original graphic novel, Dan Callahan and the Sand Pirates.  Also, Savage Dirt Axes reminds me of the 1999 weird Western original graphic novel, Red Range: A Wild Western Adventure, from writer Joe R. Lansdale and artist Sam Glanzman.

In Savage Dirt Axes, Beard has fashioned a weird Western comic book that is first and foremost set firmly in the Western fiction genre.  Secondly, the monsters are genuinely scary and practically impossible to defeat, yet they don't feel out of place in or contrived for this story.  I had a blast riding along with our heroes as they fight to save their lives.

I also like that Beard embraces the weird fiction roots of comic books and goes wild, weird, and wonderful on this story that doesn't try to make scientific sense.  Savage Dirt Axes is pure comic book fun; it is a pure monster comic.  Dear readers, you can enjoy the fun by finding the Candle Light Press table at any conventions they attend.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of the weird western will want to try Savage Dirt Axes.

A

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

https://candlelightpress.tumblr.com/

https://www.tumblr.com/candlelightpress

https://www.facebook.com/candlelightpres/

https://www.threads.net/@candle_light_press

https://bsky.app/profile/candlelightpress.bsky.social

https://bsky.app/profile/johnirathomas.bsky.social

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

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

#IReadsYou Review: CONAN THE BARBARIAN #10

CONAN THE BARBARIAN #10 (2023)

TITAN COMICS/Heroic Signatures

STORY: Jim Zub

ART: Roberto de la Torre

COLORS: Diego Rodriguez

LETTERS: Richard Starkings and Tyler of Comicraft

EDITOR: Chris Butera

COVER: Alan Quah

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: E.M. Gist; Roberto de la Torre; David Aja; Alan Quah

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

Suggested for mature readers

“The Age Unconquered” Part II: “Far Shores & Fearless Men”

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 Comicraft.  Entitled “The Age Unconquered,” this arc finds Conan's body and/or soul transported 80,000 years into the past

Conan the Barbarian #10 (“Far Shores & Fearless Men”) opens in the dreams of Kull of Atlantis (also known as “Kull the Conqueror”).  Once awakened, Kull must confront the blind rage and mania that caused him to turn on his his loyal Pict fighter, Brule the Spear-slayer, and also caused him to engage Conan in fierce battle.

Conan!  Kull!  Brule the Spear-slayer!  How can this be when tens of thousands of years separate the time of Conan from the time of Kull and Brule?  Well, the result of Conan's encounter with a shard of the “Black Stone” has thrown him thousands of years into the past and has him currently located in Kull's capital, Valusia, “the City of Wonders.”

Now, Conan finds himself swept up in Kull's journey to find the source of the darkness that threatens his kingdom.  Kull believes the source of the darkness is in Atlantis, the land of his birth.  It will be a hard journey, however, and Conan, Kull, and Brule may find death before they reach their destination.

THE LOWDOWN:  Titan Comics has been providing me with PDF copies of their publications for review for several years now.  Conan the Barbarian #10 is one of them.

Writer Jim Zub has moved the Conan the Barbarian comic book series in a new direction.  Zub has transported Conan out of “the Hyborean Age,” the age in which Conan's creator, Robert E. Howard, set his adventures.  Zub has moved Conan into the past to “the Thurian Age,” the time in which Howard sets the adventures of Conan's precursor, Kull of Atlantis, another of his creations.

It is a big change, but it allows Zub to make Conan a stranger in a strange land, and that itself presents new opportunities for conflict and tension.  This tenth issue quickly resolves the conflicts of issue #9 and Zub begins to hypnotize his readers with an alluring journey into darkness.  Great action, great mystery, and great darkness and sorcery:  Zub makes it hard to stop reading.

I must admit that artist Roberto de la Torre, with his haunted storytelling, is the big star on this creative team.  Mixing elements and graphical styles of Frank Frazetta, Al Williamson, and John Buscema, de la Torre guides this second chapter from the mists of lost time and gleam of shining cities into darkness, death, and sorcery.  It is nice to see de la Torre recall the Conan comic books of yesteryear in telling this fantastic story, and it is nice that Diego Rodriguez's colors enrich the shadows and gloom.  Richard Starking's stark lettering is the pounding audio track to this fine opening chapter.

“The Age Unconquered” may end up conquering us, dear readers, as it carries us to a new direction for Conan the Barbarian.

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, “Kull of Atlantis: Barbarian King of an Antediluvian Empire” the tenth installment of Conan/Howard essays by Jeffrey Shanks.  It also includes a Q&A with Roberto de la Torre.]

A

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

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

https://titan-comics.com/

https://twitter.com/ComicsTitan

https://www.instagram.com/titancomics/

https://www.facebook.com/ComicsTitan

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

#IReadsYou Review: PRODIGY: Slaves of Mars #5

PRODIGY: SLAVES OF MARS #5 (OF 5)

DARK HORSE COMICS/Netflix

STORY: Mark Millar

ART: Stefano Landini

COLORS: Michele Assarasakorn

LETTERS: Clem Robins

EDITOR: Daniel Chabon

EDITORIAL: Sarah Unwin

COVER: Stefano Landini with Michele Assarasakorn

VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Stefano Landini

40pp, Color, $5.99 U.S. (January 2025)

Rated M / Mature

Prodigy created by Mark Millar at Netflix

Prodigy: Slaves of Mars is a five-issue comic book miniseries produced by writer Mark Millar.  It is the third entry in the Prodigy series, following the original 2018-19 six-issue miniseries, Prodigy, and the 2022 miniseries, Prodigy: The Icarus Society.  This new series' creative team is comprised of artist Stefano Landini; colorist Michele Assarasakorn; and letterer Clem Robins.  Prodigy focuses on the adventures of the world's smartest man, Edison Crane.

In Prodigy: Slaves of Mars, Edison returns to New York City from an adventure in the Himalayas to find his company, Crane Solutions, in disarray.  He also learns that his father, the former Senator Whitney Crane, is dead on Mars after discovering some shocking secret.  Now, a wanted man, Edison only has one person left to whom he can turn.  That would be his older, smarter brother, Elijah Crane.

Prodigy: Slaves of Mars #5 opens on Mars.  Elijah ascertains that he and Edison's father, Whitney, discovered a series of “star gates” on Earth.  So Edison and Elijah head to the most consequential star gate, the one in Sigiriya, Sri Lanka, and that's how they got to Mars.

Now, it is time to get down to three mysteries:  First, who murdered their father?  What is the full story behind the secret mission to Mars?  And what is the terrible fate of the human race is facing sooner than it thinks? The answers are shockers.

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 title to mark my return is Prodigy: Slaves of Mars #5.

While the fourth issue was a blast to read, Prodigy: Slaves of Mars #5 offers the reader a chance at a variety of emotions.  The issue is at once humorous and then, scary.  It contemplative and talkative by measures before moving onto weird conspiracies and threatening futures.  Millar goes full “Ancient Aliens,” secret space programs, and the Anunnaki.  You already know about Millar's love of secrets and conspiracies if you have read Prodigy: The Icarus Society #1 or read Prodigy: The Evil Earth, the trade collection of the first miniseries.

The art team of illustrator Stefano Landini and colorist Michele Assarasakorn, as in the earlier issues, unveil the surprises in a steady stream of straightforward storytelling.  Landini's storytelling here is more cautious, and does not race across the pages.  Now, Landini wants us to savor doom, and Assarasakorn colors it all in the red hues of bad dreams.  As always, Clem Robins provides the perfect soundtrack to this chapter with his classic lettering – this time more muted and ominous.

Without spoiling things, I can say that Millar's script is the kind that a father would write, with its resolutions and redemption.  It is more about legacy than inheritance, and more about pointing the way than making the way.  That makes Prodigy: Slaves of Mars a unique entry in a idiosyncratic franchise.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Mark Millar and of his comic book, Prodigy, will want to read Prodigy: Slaves of Mars.

A

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

Both a Kindle and a trade paperback edition of "PRODIGY: SLAVES OF MARS'" is a Amazon. 

https://www.mrmarkmillar.com/

http://www.millarworld.tv/

https://twitter.com/mrmarkmillar

https://www.netflix.com/

https://twitter.com/netflix

https://www.darkhorse.com/

https://x.com/darkhorsecomics/

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

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

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

#IReadsYou Yaoi Review: CAMERA CAMERA CAMERA 1

CAMERA CAMERA CAMERA 1

DMP BOOKS/June Manga

MANGAKA: Kazura Matsumoto

TRANSLATION: Sachiko Sato

LETTERS: Samantha Yamanaka

ISBN: 978-1-56970-757-9; paperback w/dust jacket (December 11, 2007)

200pp, B&W, $12.95 U.S.

Drama/Romance; Rated “YA” for “Young Adults 16+”

Camera Camera Camera is a boys' love/yaoi manga series from mangaka, Kazura Matsumoto.  It was originally serialized from February 2002 to February 2003 in Dear+, the boys' love manga magazine published by Shinsokan, the Japanese publishing company.  Boys' love (or BL) manga is a manga genre that depicts amorous situations between male romantic leads and is typically created for a female audience.  Yaoi manga is a BL subset that features explicit depictions of sex between male characters.  The Camera Camera Camera series is specifically yaoi manga.

Camera Camera Camera 1 introduces Akira Togawa.  He is an average high school student, with the only exceptional thing in his life being that he’s in love with his older stepbrother, Satoru.  If only that were the lone tricky situation in his life, but it’s not.

Suddenly, there’s a scruffy photographer named Kaoru Nakahara hanging around the school to work on a campus photography job.  Kaoru falls head over heels in love with Akira, and he won’t take even Akira’s loudest “No!” for an answer.  Worse still is that this persistent Akira-enthusiast is aware of Akira’s hard crush on Satoru, who now has a devotee of his own.  A female, Kano Miyata, arrives on the scene in Satoru’s life, and she’s also notices that Akira clings to his stepbrother.  When a young male model with a crush on Kaoru comes forward, Akira is not just in a love triangle; he’s in a love pentagon, and his feelings are all jumbled.

THE LOWDOWN:  In Camera Camera Camera, Vol. 1, lovers and rivals seem to appear out of nowhere.  Camera is a charming frivolous treat, the kind of light-hearted romantic drama one would expect from shoujo manga (comics for teen girls), and, except for the gender of most of its cast, Camera is practically a typical high school romantic comedy/drama.

Camera is successful because (1) it’s a breezy read (2) and it has such endearing characters.  Young Akira is so twisted by his deep emotional attachment to his brother and by his conflicted feelings for the pervy photographer who is suddenly on the scene that Akira is his own comic foil.  Unusual for BL, Camera has a strong female supporting character in Miyata.  Rather than make her just a girl-in-the-way, a throwaway female character/obstacle to boys’ fun, Matsumoto makes her a determined, level-headed, smart player.  Miyata may be an interloper, but she’s sympathetic and fun to have around.

Camera Camera Camera also effectively depicts the fierce yearnings of teen love without one sex scene, and the narrative is heavy with intriguing conflicts and complications.  There is, however, lots of comedy – pratfalls, misunderstandings, and playful fisticuffs.  This skillful interplay of comedy, drama, and romance is why Camera Camera Camera is a fun fun fun read.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of yaoi manga will want to read Camera Camera Camera.

B+

★★★½ out of 4 stars

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

CAMERA CAMERA CAMERA 1 is still available in a paperback edition from Amazon.

https://junemanga.com/

https://www.digitalmanga.com/

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

#IReadsYou Review: WORDS OF DEVOTION 2

WORDS OF DEVOTION 2

DMP BOOKS/June Manga

MANGAKA: Keiko Konno

ISBN: 978-1-56970-805-7; paperback w/dust jacket (January 8, 2008)

186pp, B&W, $12.95 U.S.

Drama/Romance; Rated “M” for “Mature Audiences 18+”

Words of Devotion is a boys' love manga series.  Boys' love (or BL) manga is a manga genre that depicts amorous situations between male romantic leads and is typically created for a female audience.  Yaoi manga is a BL subset that features explicit depictions of sex between male characters.  The Words of Devotion series is specifically yaoi manga.

Words of Devotion 2 goes back to the early high school days of boyfriends Shinya Otani and Miyako Tachibana.  The dark-haired Otani and the blond Tachibana are in their second year in high school.  Inseparable friends, they look like they’re on the verge of becoming something more that just two guys who hang out together.

But the duo has girlfriends.  Tachibana seems to be (sort of) dating Yukiko “Yuki” Mizusawa, and Otani feels somewhat threatened by their closeness… or is that what he’s really feeling?  Otani is not sure, but he has his own relationship to handle.  Otani has a girlfriend named Youko Akizuki, but he’s not sure what’s really going on between the two of them.  Otani thinks that he wants to have a sexual relationship with Akizuki, but how does he initiate that with her?  Should he make the first move?  Does Akizuki love Otani, and how much?  And Otani is so unsure about his true feelings for Tachibana.

THE LOWDOWN:  Teen melodrama reigns supreme in the BL (boys’ love) manga, Words of Devotion 2, which is filled with back story that brings this series to a close.  While light on explicit sex (a staple of yaoi, a BL subset), Words of Devotion is heavy on teen relationship.  The awkwardness of Otani and Tachibana’s relationship is fun to watch – like peeking around the corner at a young couple.  Some of Words of Devotion 2’s best moments, however, are the scenes between Otani and Akizuki – a conflicted gay boy and a crazy-in-love girl.  Hot stuff!

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Yaoi fans with a need for teen drama will like Words of Devotion.

B

★★★ out of 4 stars

Re-edited:  Tuesday, December 9, 2025

https://junemanga.com/

https://www.digitalmanga.com/

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

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

#IReadsYou Review: VAMPIRE HUNTER D Volume 1

HIDEYUKI KIKUCHI’S VAMPIRE HUNTER D, VOL. 1

DMP BOOKS

MANGAKA: Saiko Takaki

TRANSLATION: Earl Gertwagon

ISBN: 978-1-56970-827-4; paperback w/dust jacket (November 13, 2007)

192pp, B&W, $12.95 U.S.

Sci-Fi/Horror; Rated “YA” for “Young Adults 16+”

Since the publication of his novel Vampire Hunter D in 1983, Japanese horror author, Hideyuki Kikuchi has published 16 more novels chronicling the adventures of his monster-killing dhampir (half-human/half-vampire).  A few years ago, Kikuchi and Digital Manga Publishing (DMP) joined to create manga adaptations of the Vampire Hunter D novels.

In late 2007, DMP published the first manga, Vampire Hunter D, Vol. 1, adapted and illustrated by Saiko Takaki.  Vol. 1 introduces “D,” the lone, mysterious vampire hunter, who wanders the post-apocalyptic Earth of the year 12,090 A.D.  In this age, a race of vampires known as the “Nobility” rule, and humans live in fear of them.  Once bitten by a vampire, a human is cursed to become a member of the undead.

Enter D.  He comes to the aid of a young woman named Doris Lang, who has been bitten by the vampire lord, Count Magnus Lee.  D takes up Doris’ cause, determined to deliver her from the cursed fate of becoming the undead and perhaps bringing her salvation.  Standing in D’s way are Count Lee and his daughter, Larmica.  However, the human population also hunts Doris.  Led by Rei Ginsei, a vicious and powerful hunter, and Greco, the mayor’s son, local villagers plot to imprison Doris and her little brother, Dan.  Can D take on so many adversaries?

THE LOWDOWN:  Adapting a book with a cult following into another medium can be a thankless task.  Sometimes, even involving the original creator in the adaptation will not reduce the criticism, skepticism, and concerns of fans.  Digital Manga Publishing and Vampire Hunter D creator Hideyuki Kikuchi had a thankless task, especially as the book had already been adapted into the 1982 OVA (original video anime), Vampire Hunter D.  They still made an excellent choice in picking Saiko Takaki, known primarily for his amateur work, to adapt D into manga.

Takaki’s adaptation of the prose into comics is truly a visual experience.  The story is less about the logical progression of a narrative and more about emotions, feelings, impressions, and sensations invoked by the art.  Takaki’s art is wild and untamed – a fierce windstorm of line work that is stylish and quirky.  The inking practically pulsates with life, like blood rushing so obviously beneath a surface.

Takaki leaves no doubt about it; the vampires and creatures that populate this story are like a force of nature, so when they use their power, Takaki reflects this by drawing in a whirlwind of unruly penciling and windswept brushstrokes.  He makes the terrifying beautiful; he even draws his humans as a rustic, hardy lot, for only such mortals could live so near such devastatingly dark forces.

No doubt, there may be Vampire Hunter D purists who can find fault with this manga, but Saiko Takaki’s work here stands in the very small circle of great vampire comics.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of horror comics that have exceptional art (EC’s horror titles of the 1950 and Marvel Comics’ horror titles of the 1970’s) will like the Vampire Hunter D manga.

A

★★★★ out of 4 stars

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

https://www.digitalmanga.com/

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

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

#IReadsYou YAOI Review: "UNSOPHISTICATED AND RUDE"

UNSOPHISTICATED AND RUDE

JUNE MANGA/DMP BOOKS

MANGAKA: Momoko Tenzen

TRANSLATION: Sachiko Sato

LETTERS: Replibooks

ISBN: 978-1-56970-060-0; paperback (July 16, 2009)

194pp, B&W, $12.95 U.S.

Drama/Romance; Rated “18+ Mature”

Unsophisticated and Rude is a collection of yaoi short stories from creator Momoko Tenzen (Manhattan Love Story), and this collection actually lives up to its title.  In these stories, five boys experience the tumult of romantic love just like girls in teen romance.  The objects of their desire use sneaky flirtation, passionate confessions, and blurted declarations of love to get the ones they love to love them back.  Oh, my!  But sometimes it backfires on them!

In the title story, “Unsophisticated and Rude,” Hiroto Nakajima is in love with his longtime best friend, Satoshi Uchida.  However, Satoshi has a serious crush on popular upperclassmen and star basketball player, Nao Miyazawa.  Hiroto wants to be happy that his friend has landed the handsome Nao, but what is this nagging feeling that seems worry Hiroto’s thoughts and tug insistently at his heartstrings?  Is this about Hiroto’s jealousy over Satsohi dating another man, or is this about Nao the other man.

THE LOWDOWN:  Momoko Tenzen’s beau-hunks are indeed unsophisticated and rude.  They may know what they want, but they aren’t sophisticated lovers.  Thus, all their amorous moves are fumbling at best and rude at worst.  On the other hand, it is this lack of polish in their lovemaking that makes Unsophisticated and Rude such a fun read.  Without the conflict, the misunderstandings, the naïve attitudes, etc., there wouldn’t be the kind of delicious drama that is plentiful in these stories.

Tenzen’s clean drawing style, with her sharply defined figure rendering, is perfect for these stories about young men who are still maturing both physically and emotionally.  The toning gives the art a tactile feel by visually giving clothing texture and the backgrounds solidity.  The visual storytelling is excellent, and while these stories may be familiar, it’s all about the execution.  How Tenzen tells these stories is what makes all five stories in Unsophisticated and Rude yaoi romance comfort food.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Readers who want to enjoy the bliss of love finally arrived will enjoy Unsophisticated and Rude.

A-

★★★½ out of 4 stars

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

https://junemanga.com/

https://www.digitalmanga.com/

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

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

#IReadsYou Review: FRAGMENTA 7: Dan Callahan and the Sand Pirates

FRAGMENTA 7: DAN CALLAHAN AND THE SAND PIRATES

CANDLE LIGHT PRESS

STORY: John Ira Thomas

ART: Will Beard

COVER: Val Mayerik with Will Grant

Color, $15.00 US, 68pp, hardcover (2015)

Fragmenta 7: Dan Callahan and the Sand Pirates is the seventh entry in Candle Light Press' Fragmenta publications.  This is a series of paperback and hardcover books, picture books, and pamphlets.  Each edition collects essays, scripts, art, and/or comics produced by the writers and artists of Candle Light Press.  Some of this material concerns early or uncompleted projects, while other material represents developmental words and pictures for completed projects.

Apparently, back in the old days, several of the creators who would eventually form Candle Light Press produced an anthology comic book entitled, ED.  One of the projects that would be serialized in ED was a weird western adventure entitled, Dan Callahan and the Sand Pirates.  Written by John Ira Thomas and drawn by Will Beard, this comic was never finished.  Everything that exists of Dan Callahan and the Sand Pirates is three finished chapters, one chapter in pencil form, and a script for a fifth (and evidently, final) chapter.

Fragmenta 7: Dan Callahan and the Sand Pirates is a hardcover book that collects the five chapters of the Dan Callahan serial.  This book also includes a nine-page history written by John Ira Thomas that details both ill-fated projects – the Dan Callahan comic and the ED anthology.

THE LOWDOWN:  So, dear reader, you probably want to know something about the actual Dan Callahan and the Sand Pirates comic.  It is set sometime in the latter half of the 19th century.  The title character, Dan Callahan, is a 20-something young man who is studying engineering at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, CO.  He is also eagerly awaiting his wife-to-be, Miss Dolores O'Riordan, whom he has never met in person, having only seen a picture of her.

Dolores is presumed dead or, at least, missing after the train by which she was traveling is attacked (obviously, as far as white people are concerned) by those reliable savages, Indians!  Determined to find her, Dan heads towards Arizona on a misadventure that nearly costs him his life.  A half-Chinese, half-Apache woman who calls herself “The Painted Lady” rescues Dan.  Although she thinks that he is stupid and crazy, she decides to help Dan find his betrothed, who happens to be prisoner,  She is held captive by a band of pirates wreaking havoc aboard a ship that sails through sand as if it were water.

Although Dan Callahan and the Sand Pirates is an early and primitive work by the exceptionally talented John Ira Thomas and the imaginative Will Beard, it is entertaining... at least to me.  I don't think that Dan Callahan should be an abandoned project.  When one considers all the weird Westerns that American comics creators have given their readers, a spiffed-up Dan Callahan and the Sand Pirates could be a standout comic book.

So Fragmenta 7: Dan Callahan and the Sand Pirates is probably the best Fragmenta so far, because of the potential of its contents.  Also, this book has a Val Mayerik cover that is hard to resist.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of earlier Fragmenta and also fans of Western comic books will want Fragmenta 7: Dan Callahan and the Sand Pirates.

B+

★★★½ out of 4 stars

Fragment 7: Dan Callahan and the Sand Pirates is available for sale at various shows and conventions in which Candle Light Press appears.

https://candlelightpress.tumblr.com

https://candlelightpress.tumblr.com/dan.html

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

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

#IReadsYou Review: SABRINA MAGIC UNLEASHED #1

SABRINA MAGIC UNLEASHED, NO. 1

ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS, INC.

STORY: Craig Boldman; Holly G!; Tania Del Rio; Dan Parent; George Gladir; Frank Doyle

PENCILS: Steven Butler; Holly G!; Dan Parent; Bill Golliher; Stan Goldberg; Bob Bolling

INKS: Lily Butler; Jim Amash; Bob Smith; Jon D'Agostino; Rudy Lapick; Al Nickerson

COLORS: Glenn Whitmore; Barry Grossman

LETTERS: Jack Morelli; Bill Yoshida

EDITORS: Jamie Lee Rotante; Vincent Lovallo; Stephen Oswald

EiC: Mike Pellerito

COVER: Dan Parent with Rosario “Tito” Peña

VARIANT COVER: Dan DeCarlo and Rudy Lapick with Vincent DeCarlo

32pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (November 2025); on-sale date: September 3, 2025

Rating: All-Ages

Sabrina the Teenage Witch in “Magic Unleashed!”

Sabrina the Teenage Witch is an Archie Comics character that was created by writer George Gladir and artist Dan DeCarlo.  Sabrina Spellman first appeared in Archie's Madhouse #22 (cover-dated: October 1962).

Archie Comics has been publishing a series of Sabrina one-shot comic books over the past few years.  The latest is Sabrina Magic Unleashed, No. 1.  Sabrina Magic Unleashed offers five reprint stories and one new five-page story, “Magic Unleashed!”  The new story is written by Craig Boldman; drawn by Steven Butler (pencils) and Lily Butler (inks); colored by Glenn Whitmore; and lettered by the great Jack Morelli.

“Magic Unleashed!” opens in the sky over the “Eyegore Estates,” the lair of Mother Striga, the first witch and the mother of all witches!  The evil witch Striga has returned for revenge, and she has enlisted the aid of the wicked scientist Mad Doc Doom and his daughter, Medusa Doom.

Will the powers of Doom's diabolical science be too much for Sabrina's magic?  She may have to turn to some shockingly familiar figures for help.

THE LOWDOWN:  Over the last few years, Archie's marketing department has been sending PDF copies of some of their titles for review.  One of the most recent is the one-shot comic book, Sabrina Magic Unleashed, No. 1.

I am giving the new story, “Magic Unleashed!,” a high grade because I really like the art, storytelling, and graphics turned in by Steven and Lily Butler, Glenn Whitmore, and Jack Morelli.  It is gorgeous and makes this rather average story seem really special.  In fairness, I think writer Craig Boldman would have done much more with this plot if he had – say – a full issue to tell it.

This issue also includes stories drawn by classic Sabrina comic book artists, Bob Bolling and the late Stan Goldberg.  And, dear readers, I will always recommend classic and classic-style Archie Comics stories.  

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of classic-style Archie Comics and of Sabrina the Teenage Witch will definitely want to get a copy of Sabrina Magic Unleashed, No. 1.

B+

★★★½ out of 4 stars

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

A Kindle edition of SABRINA MAGIC UNLEASHED #1 is available at Amazon.

https://archiecomics.com/

https://twitter.com/archiecomics

https://www.instagram.com/archiecomics/

https://www.facebook.com/ArchieComicsOfficial?ref=tn_tnmn

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

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8914136-archie-comics

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