#IReadsYou Review: FIRE AND ICE VOL. 1 #1

FIRE AND ICE VOLUME 1 #1

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Bill Willingham

ART: Leonardo Manco

COLORS: Leonardo Manco

LETTERS: Taylor Esposito

EDITOR: Matt Idelson

COVER: Bill Seinkiewicz

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

Rated Teen+

Fire and Ice created by Ralph Bakshi and Frank Frazetta

“Good in Life”

Fire and Ice is an animated epic, dark fantasy, adventure film directed by Ralph Bakshi.  The film is the result of a collaboration between Bakshi and the legendary fantasy painter, Frank Frazetta, with the film's screenplay being written by veteran comic book writers, Roy Thomas and Gerry Conway.

In 2022, Dynamite Entertainment announced that it had gained the license to produce a comic book series set in the world of Fire and Ice.  The series would act as a prequel to the film.  Fire and Ice the comic book is written by Bill Willingham; drawn and colored by Leonardo Manco; and lettered by Taylor Esposito.

Fire and Ice Volume 1 #1 opens in the Riverlands, situated between the Ice Lands and the Fire Kingdom.  Larn is part of a group of young warriors led through the forests of the Riverlands by its “Hunt Father.”  Tragedy strikes, however, and Larn soon finds himself captive.  Eventually, he ends up being a prize for an ambitious witch.

Meanwhile, the Queen of the Fire Kingdom and her young daughter, Princess Teegra, are also on the hunt when they come upon the D'Kora Kai, the tribal lackeys of Juliana, Queen of the Ice Lands.  Can evil be blunted in this time before the Fire Kingdom waned and the Ice Lands surged?

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 Fire and Ice Volume 1 #1,  which is the first Frank Frazetta-related comic book I have read in a long time.

I have never seen Fire and Ice, except for a few minutes so long ago that I can't remember that time or what I saw.  I am a fan of the films of Ralph Bakshi, especially of Wizards (1977).  I enjoy looking at Frank Frazetta's paintings.  I enjoy the comic book work of writers, Roy Thomas and Gerry Conway, and I am a big fan of the Conan movie they wrote, Conan the Destroyer (1984).  So let's say that I should and will eventually watch Fire and Ice.

In the meantime, there is this prequel comic book series.  I think readers can enjoy Fire and Ice Volume 1 #1 without having seen the movie.  As I said, I have not, but I did read the film's Wikipedia page before reading this lovely first issue.  The Wikipedia info combined with Bill Willingham's engaging script is enough to have made this issue a joy.

Willingham's script works so well because it is in the hands of artist Leonardo Manco, who easily captures the prehistoric and savage splendor of the sword and sorcery genre to which Fire and Ice belongs, in both pencil and color.  Also, Taylor Esposito's lettering creates a pounding graphical soundtrack to this first issue.

Hey, dear readers, this is really good stuff. I'm an definitely coming back for more, and you should definitely come around at least for this first issue.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Ralph Bakshi and Frank Frazetta will want to try the comic book, Fire and Ice Volume 1.

A

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

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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: ELVIRA Meets Vincent Price #3

ELVIRA MEETS VINCENT PRICE #3
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: David Avallone
ART: Juan Samu
COLORS: Walter Pereya
LETTERS: Taylor Esposito with Elizabeth Sharland
EDITOR: Joseph Rybandt
COVER: Dave Acosta
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Dave Acosta; Juan Samu; Anthony Marques and J. Bone
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (November 2021)

Rated Teen+

Chapter Three: “Raiders of the Lost Schlock”

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, which ran for eleven issues and one special issue (1987).  Eclipse Comics and Claypool Comics began the long-running Elvira: Mistress of the Dark from 1993 to 2007.  In 2018, Elvira returned to comic books via Dynamite Entertainment in the four-issue comic book miniseries, Elvira Mistress of the Dark, that actually ran for 12 issues.

Vincent Price (1911–1993) was an American actor and a legendary movie star.  Price was and still is best known for his performances in horror films, although his career spanned other genres.  Price appeared in more than 100 films, but he also performed on television, the stage, and on radio.  Thus, he has two stars on the “Hollywood Walk of Fame,” one for motion pictures and one for television.

Elvira and Vincent Price team up for the first time in the comic book miniseries, Elvira Meets Vincent Price.  The series is written by David Avallone; drawn by Juan Samu; colored by Walter Pereyra; and lettered by Taylor Esposito with Elizabeth Sharland.  The series finds Elvira and Price searching for a long-lost cult movie, “Rise of the Ram,” because it contains an incantation that can save the world from destruction at the hands of the ancient Egyptian god, Amun-Ra.

As Elvira Meets Vincent Price #3 (“Raiders of the Lost Schlock”) opens, Elvira and Vincent travel to Cairo, Egypt in hopes of finding the one person who could still have a copy of “Rise of the Ram,” the film's screenwriter, Ahmed Alhazred.  Our ghoulish duo finds him at “The Pyramid Fields of Abu Sir,” conducting tours and doing archaeological work.  Elvira and Vincent get lucky, as Ahmed has even more good news for them about The Books of the End of All Things, a scroll that has suddenly become an important part of Elvira and Vincent's quest.

However, they are unaware that they are being stalked by the “Sons of the Desert.”  Even if they avoid that trouble, their main adversary is about to make her big appearance.

THE LOWDOWN:  Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department recently began providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is Elvira Meets Vincent Price #3, which is the third issue of the series that I have read and one of many Dynamite Elvira comic books that I have thoroughly enjoyed.

I have been a fan of writer David Avallone's Elvira comic books for a few years now.  Once again, an issue of Elvira Meets Vincent Price reminds me, if I need a reminder (which I don't), why I love these comic books so much.  In this third issue, Avallone gifts his readers a game of cat-and-mouse among the pyramids.  His script is filled with sparkling comedy, witty asides, and enough cultural references to make Quentin Tarantino jealous.  I should not forget the funny bit players and supporting characters like the “Sons of the Desert” who may be a riff on a kind of silent movie stock villain.

Talented Spanish artist, Juan Samu's graphical storytelling and art creates a comic book that recalls screwball comedies and Bob Hope and Bing Crosby with Dorothy Lamour.  Walter Pereya's painterly colors light up the story in living color.  The lettering, by Taylor Esposito with Elizabeth Sharland, creates a delightful pitter-patter of breezy comedy and endless charm.

I could read another 100 pages of Elvira Meets Vincent Price #3; I'm addicted.  Dear readers, don't deny yourself this cure for the pandemic-time blues.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Elvira and of Vincent Price and of David Avallone's Elvira comic books will want to read Elvira Meets Vincent Price.

A

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


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

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#IReadsYou Review: SHEENA, Queen of the Jungle #1

SHEENA: QUEEN OF THE JUNGLE VOLUME 2 #1
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Stephen Mooney
ART: Jethro Morales
COLORS: Dinei Ribero
LETTERS: Taylor Esposito
EDITOR: Joseph Rybandt
COVER: Lucio Parrillo
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Rose Besch; Arthur Suydam; Joseph Michael Linsner; Carla Cohen; Stephen Mooney; Leslie Leirix; Lucio Parrillo; Rachel Hollon (cosplay)
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (November 2021)

Rated Teen+

Sheena originally created by S.M. “Jerry” Iger and Will Eisner

Sheena, Queen of the Jungle is an American comic book character.  She first appeared in the British magazine, Wags #46 ( January 1938), and was created by legendary American comic book creators, Will Eisner and S. M. “Jerry” Iger.  Sheena made her first American appearance in Jumbo Comics #1 (Fiction House, cover dated: September 1938) where she was a mainstay until 1953.  Sheena was also the first female comic book character to star in her own series.  A “jungle girl heroine,” Sheen was an orphan, like Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan, who had adventures featuring African natives, wild animals, and white hunters and villains.

Dynamite began publishing Sheena comics in 2017 with a series that ran ten issues.  Dynamite is debuting a second series, Sheena: Queen of the Jungle, Volume 2.  It is written by Stephen Mooney; drawn by Jethro Morales; colored by Dinei Ribero; and lettered by Taylor Esposito.  The story finds Sheena investigating the strange goings on in a cutting-edge bio-dome.

As Sheena: Queen of the Jungle, Volume 2 #1 opens, Sheena awakens in a swanky hotel in Val Verde.  Apparently, the Cardwell family has come calling again.  It seems they are behind a huge scientific project, a “bio-dome” in the middle of the Val Verde jungle.  It is an amazing synthesis of the natural world and the man-made world of the future, but the first travelers into the dome have disappeared.

That is where Sheena comes into the picture.  With her friends:  Yaqua, Chim, and Pete held out as ransom, of a sort, Sheena enters the bio-dome to find the missing people.  The walled-off jungle however hides violent death, many mysteries, and human trickery and deceit.

THE LOWDOWN:  Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department recently began providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is Sheena Queen of the Jungle Volume 2 #1, which is the first Dynamite Sheena comic book that I have read.  I think I did read Marvel Comics' two-issue version of its adaptation of the 1984 film, Sheena (which starred the late Tanya Roberts in the title role).

Stephen Mooney, Jethro Morales, Dinei Ribero; and Taylor Esposito, the creative team behind the recent comic book miniseries, Bettie Page and the Curse of the Banshee, slide right on into Sheena: Queen of the Jungle Volume 2, delivering deceit, trickery, and murder mystery most foul.  Mooney's script is a reader-grabber right from the first page, and by the end of this first chapter, that script practically held me hostage right along with Sheena.

Stephen Mooney can draw good girl art with the best of them, but his graphical storytelling is as strong as the illustrations are pretty.  Dinei Ribero also delivers pretty colors, but it can turn pretty dark when Sheena starts finding bodies.  Taylor Esposito's lettering tosses around the humor just before dropping in all the shocking reveals.

I'm totally surprised, as I really didn't expect a lot from this new Sheena series.  I thought it might be mildly entertaining, but this first issue makes me anxious for the next issue.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Sheena will want to try Sheena: Queen of the Jungle Volume 2.

A-

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

You can purchase the SHEENA Queen of the Jungle Vol. 1 trade paperback from Amazon.

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

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

#IReadsYou Review: ELVIRA Meets Vincent Price #1

ELVIRA MEETS VINCENT PRICE #1
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: David Avallone
ART: Juan Samu
COLORS: Walter Pereya
LETTERS: Taylor Esposito with Elizabeth Sharland
EDITOR: Joseph Rybandt
COVER: Dave Acosta
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Dave Acosta; Juan Samu; John Royle
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (August 2021)

Rated Teen+

Chapter One: “The Price is Right!”

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, which ran for eleven issues and one special issue (1987).  Eclipse Comics and Claypool Comics began the long-running Elvira: Mistress of the Dark from 1993 to 2007.  In 2018, Elvira returned to comic books via Dynamite Entertainment in the four-issue comic book miniseries, Elvira Mistress of the Dark, that actually ran for 12 issues.

Vincent Price (1911–1993) was an American actor and a legendary movie star.  Price was and still is best known for his performances in horror films, although his career spanned other genres.  Price appeared in more than 100 films, but he also performed on television, the stage, and on radio.  Thus, he has two stars on the “Hollywood Walk of Fame,” one for motion pictures and one for television.

Elvira and Vincent Price team up for the first time in the comic book miniseries, Elvira Meets Vincent Price.  The series is written by David Avallone; drawn by Juan Samu; colored by Walter Pereyra; and lettered by Taylor Esposito with Elizabeth Sharland.  The series finds Elvira and Vincent searching for a long-lost movie in order to save the world.

Elvira Meets Vincent Price #1 opens after the events depicted in Elvira: The Omega Ma'am.  [This is a Kickstarter comic book that shipped to campaign supporters the first quarter of this year.]  Elvira and her writing partner, Eddie Mezzogiorno, are in the offices of a powerful streaming service.  The duo is (desperately) pitching ideas for new “Elvira” television series with no luck.  In fact, things have been a bit dark of late for the “Mistress of the Dark,” with the possibility of darker still to come.

After a night of drinking, Elvira experiences an intense dream-vision in which her “favorite all-time movie star” – living or dead – appears.  It's the late, but still great Vincent Price!  He needs Elvira's help to find a lost movie of his, but this match made in cinematic-Hades seems to have the forces of darkness aligned against them.

THE LOWDOWN:  I have been a fan of writer David Avallone's Elvira comic books for a few years now.  When Avallone is teamed with artist Dave Acosta, they deliver hugely-entertaining Elvira comic books; they are the “Misters of the Dark.”

For Elvira Meets Vincent Price, Avallone teams up with talented Spanish artist, Juan Samu, who has drawn Marvel Action Black Panther and Transformers comics for IDW Publishing.  Here, Samu's layouts and page designs deftly capture the wild mood swings of this first issue – from the banality of office spaces to the mirthful macabre of Elvira's dwellings and from the fever dreamscapes of Elvira to the crusty outback of the California film making industry.  Samu is also a man of a thousand facial expressions, as he is always conveying different character tempers and humors, panel per panel.  Walter Pereya's colors add a quality to the storytelling that is both lurid and dreamlike.

David Avallone's script is filled with sparkling and witty dialogue, the kind of which DC Comics' Harley Quinn comic books so desperately need.  Reading Avallone's dialogue for Vincent Price certainly made my imagination believe that Price was actually speaking.  The interplay of bold and plain text in the lettering by Taylor Esposito and Elizabeth Sharland balances the need for the script to be funny, and it also advances a plot.

So I encourage everyone looking for (really) funny macabre comedy to purchase and read Elvira Meets Vincent Price #1.  I want a sequel to this series, already.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Elvira and of Vincent Price and of David Avallone's Elvira comic books will want to read Elvira Meets Vincent Price.

A

9 out of 10

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


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

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

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Buy the Elvira Meets Vincent Price trade paperback collection here.

#IReadsYou Review: VAMPIVERSE #3

VAMPIVERSE VOLUME 1 #3
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Thomas Sniegoski and Jeannine Acheson
ART: Daniel Maine
COLORS: Francesca Cittarelli
LETTERS: Taylor Esposito
EDITOR: Matt Idelson
COVER: Madibek Musabekov
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Stephen Segovia; Meghan Hetrick; Maria Sanapo; Daniel Maine; Roberto Castro; Madibek Musabekov; Rachel Hollon (cosplay)
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (November 2021)

Rated Teen+

“The Red Mass” Book 3: “Paperchase”

Vampirella is a vampire and female superhero created by the late author and science fiction and horror expert, Forrest J Ackerman, and designed by comic book artist, Trina Robbins.  Vampirella first appeared in Vampirella #1 (Sept. 1969), the debut issue of a black and white horror comics magazine from Warren Publishing.  Writer-editor Archie Goodwin changed the character from a hostess of horror comics to a leading character in her own stories.

Vampirella publications were published by Warren into 1983, and after Warren's bankruptcy, Harris Publications obtained the character and published new and reprint Vampirella comic books into the mid-1990s.  In 2010, Dynamite Entertainment obtained the character and has been publishing new Vampirella material since then.

Dynamite's latest Vampirella comic book series is Vampiverse.  The series is written by Thomas Sniegoski and Jeannine Acheson; drawn by Daniel Maine; colored by Francesca Cittarelli; and lettered by Taylor Esposito.  In this new series, a Vampirella from one universe must travel the “Threads of the Fabric” and gather Vampirellas from other universes.  Their goal is to stop Bloodwing, a Vampirella who wants to kill all the other Vampirellas and also the Creator of all things.

Vampiverse Volume 1 #3 (“Paperchase”) opens on a world much like one of those 1950s television domestic sitcoms.  But where is the domesticity?  Lilith Van Helsing is on the run – from Bloodwing!  The murderous Vampirella has already killed Lilith's mother, Vampirella; her father, Adam; and her little brother, Adam, Jr.

Luckily, our heroic Vampirella; her new partner, adorable-yet-deadly Baby Prague; and “Book” (the “Book of Prophecy” personified as a disembodied boy) arrive in time.  Now, Lilith is part of this “Scooby gang” of the Vampirella universe.  Still, they need to find another Vampirella, the two-fisted, supernatural detective, “Vamp” if Book is going to find his missing pages.  But waiting for them is...

THE LOWDOWN:  Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department recently began providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is Vampiverse Volume 1 #3, one of a growing number of Vampirella comic books that I have recently read.

After a shaky first issue, Vampiverse has kicked into high gear with its second and third issues.  Writers Thomas Sniegoski and Jeannine Acheson are weaving an interesting take on the universe of Vampirella by revealing delightful alternate Vampirellas and their inventively different worlds.  The third issue gets more action-packed with each page as it unveils a supernatural take on the 1930s and 40s.  Think Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow with a touch of The Rocketeer.

Daniel Maine's art and Francesca Cittarelli's colors sell the pre-World War II vibe while Taylor Esposito's letters carry the beat of this fast-moving story.  Vampiverse's creative team has certainly given me a reason to return for more, and that reason is Vampiverse #3.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Vampirella comics will want to read Vampiverse Volume 1.

B+

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


https://twitter.com/DynamiteComics
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The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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

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#IReadsYou Review: BETTIE PAGE and the Curse of the Banshee Volume 5 #5

BETTIE PAGE AND THE CURSE OF THE BANSHEE VOLUME 5 #5
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Stephen Mooney
ART: Jethro Morales
COLORS: Dinei Ribero
LETTERS: Taylor Esposito
EDITOR: Joseph Rybandt
COVER: Marat Mychaels
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Joseph Michael Linsner; Stephen Mooney; Leslie Leirix; Marat Mychaels; Rachel Hollon (cosplay); Bettie Page (vintage photo)
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (October 2021)

Rated Teen+

Bettie Page (1923–2008) was an American model who gained notoriety in the 1950s for her pin-up photos.  She is still referred to has the “Queen of Pinups,” and her shoulder-to-armpit-length jet-black hair with its trademark bangs and her blue eyes have inspired generations of artists, illustrators and comic book artists.

In 2017, Dynamite Entertainment made Bettie Page the star of her own comic book miniseries.  The latest is Bettie Page and the Curse of the Banshee.  It is written by Stephen Mooney; drawn by Jethro Morales; colored by Dinei Ribero; and lettered by Taylor Esposito.  In this series, Bettie, a freelance agent for the federal government and something of a monster hunter, and her partner, Lyssa Druke, travel to rural Ireland to investigate a series of murders supposedly perpetrated by a mythical creature, a “banshee.”

Bettie Page and the Curse of the Banshee Volume 5 #5 opens “somewhere beyond knowable places.”  There, the banshee, Márie, who has many guises and is building an army, makes her pitch.  She wants Bettie to use her power to help her gain revenge on the descendants of her old enemies.  Meanwhile in O'Riordan's Bed and Breakfast, Ireland, 1954.  Lyssa maintains a vigil over Bettie's sleeping form, but now, she needs to round up an army of her own – to fight a zombie horde!

This is it!  The Irish adventure of Bettie Page is almost over?  Will she escape the forever curse of the Banshee and return, unscathed, to the life of a Hollywood starlet?

THE LOWDOWN:  Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department recently began providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is Bettie Page and the Curse of the Banshee Volume 5 #5, which is the third issue of the title that I have read.

Bettie Page and the Curse of the Banshee Volume 5 #5 is the final issue of the series.  Writer Stephen Mooney offers a tidy wrap-up that balances the story between Bettie's battle and Lyssa's struggle.  There is even a poignant and tragic end for the villain; you, dear readers, may even feel a bit of sadness … or something like it.

Artist Jethro Morales presents storytelling that, in a graphic sense, softens the blow of this conclusion.  Dinei Ribero's cotton candy colors seem simultaneously out of place and appropriate, and letterer Taylor Esposito balances the sounds of a final battle that is filled with pain.

While reading the last issue of Bettie Page and the Curse of the Banshee, I thought that it would make a good basis for a B-movie.  It would be fun … if anyone wanted to finance a Bettie Page monster mash movie...

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Bettie Page comic books will want to try Bettie Page and the Curse of the Banshee Volume 5.

B+

★★★½ out of 4 stars

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


https://twitter.com/DynamiteComics
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The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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

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

#IReadsYou Review: VAMPIVERSE #2

VAMPIVERSE VOLUME 1 #2
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Thomas Sniegoski and Jeannine Acheson
ART: Daniel Maine
COLORS: Francesca Cittarelli
LETTERS: Taylor Esposito
EDITOR: Matt Idelson
COVER: Madibek Musabekov
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Stephen Segovia; Meghan Hetrick; Maria Sanapo; Daniel Maine; Roberto Castro; Madibek Musabekov; Rachel Hollon (cosplay)
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (October 2021)

Rated Teen+

“The Red Mass” Book 2: “Even More Yous”

Vampirella is a vampire and female superhero created by the late author and science fiction and horror expert, Forrest J Ackerman, and designed by comic book artist, Trina Robbins.  Vampirella first appeared in Vampirella #1 (Sept. 1969), the debut issue of a black and white horror comics magazine from Warren Publishing.  Writer-editor Archie Goodwin changed the character from a hostess of horror comics to a leading character in her own stories.

Vampirella publications were published by Warren into 1983, and after Warren's bankruptcy, Harris Publications obtained the character and published new and reprint Vampirella comic books into the mid-1990s.  In 2010, Dynamite Entertainment obtained the character and has been publishing new Vampirella material since then.

Dynamite's latest Vampirella comic book series is Vampiverse.  The series is written by Thomas Sniegoski and Jeannine Acheson; drawn by Daniel Maine; colored by Francesca Cittarelli; and lettered by Taylor Esposito.  In this new series, a Vampirella from one universe must travel the “Threads of the Fabric” and gather Vampirellas from other universes.  Their goal will be to stop a mysterious force from destroying them and the Creator of all things.

Vampiverse Volume 1 #2 (“Even More Yous”) opens on a world in which its Vampirella was forced to marry Dracula in order to save humanity.  Things only got worse, and this Vampirella became the killer, “Bloodwing.”  After destroying her own world, Bloodwing travels the “Threads of the Fabric” (also known as the “Weave”) seeking the “Book of Prophecy,” personified as an elementary school-age boy called “Book.”

Now, our heroic Vampirella and Book arrive on a world ravaged by the “Chaos Plague.”  There, they meet this world's Vampirella and her sidekick, Prague, both of whom are ready for action.  However, Bloodwing is also coming to this world, and she has a taste for a book.

THE LOWDOWN:  Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department recently began providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is Vampiverse Volume 1 #2, one of a growing number of Vampirella comic books that I have recently read.

As I've been reading Dynamite Entertainment's comic books over the past few months, I have noticed that some first issues introduce the main series, but are more prologue than story.  With these series, it is in the second issue that the story really kicks off.  I find that to be the case with Vampiverse #2.  Writers Thomas Sniegoski and Jeannine Acheson start this issue by quickly defining Bloodwing and then, they move on to an action-packed story.  I find the characters likable, and I am intrigued by this book chase and Vampirella kill-fest.

Vampiverse's writers have certainly given me a reason to return for more, especially if they can offer a line-up of interesting Vampirellas the way Sonjaversal offers a universe of intriguing alternate Red Sonjas.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Vampirella comics will want to read Vampiverse Volume 1.

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


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#IReadsYou Review: NYX #2

NYX #2
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Christos Gage
ART: Marc Borstel
COLORS: Jordi Escuin Llorach
LETTERS: Taylor Esposito
EDITOR: Matt Idelson
COVER: Rose Besch
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Rose Besch; Fernando Dagnino; Greebo Vigonte; Giuseppe Matteoni, Jamie Biggs; K Dani; Mel Rubi; P Dani
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (December 2021)

Rated T+

Nyx created by Tom Sniegoski and Ed McGuinness

“Tales to Admonish”

Nyx is a Vampirella comic book character.  She is the daughter of Chaos the Mad God and a human woman, making Nyx half-demon and half-human, but she needs to feed on human life force in order to live.  Nyx was created by writer Tom Sniegoski and artist Ed McGuinness and first appeared in Harris Comics' Vengeance of Vampirella #23 (cover dated: February 1996).  She is a longtime enemy and sometimes friend of Vampirella.

The character now has her own solo comic book series, entitled Nyx.  It is written by Christos Gage; drawn by Marc Borstel; colored by Jordi Escuin Llorach; and lettered by Taylor Esposito.  The series finds Nyx dealing with her emerging human side, although her demon side is still powerful and hungry for human life force.

Nyx #2 (“Tales to Admonish”) opens in the realm of the Mad God Chaos.  You see, Nyx has journeyed to the realm of her father, the Mad God Chaos, to demand answers about herself and her bloodline.  And things go about what one would expect.  Father and daughter talk the only way they know how – a full on battle.

During the battle, however, Chaos offers shocking revelations that Nyx could never uncover on her own.  Still, all she really wants is to find happiness.  Can dear old dad help with that?

THE LOWDOWN:  Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department recently began providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is Nyx #2, the second issue of the series that I have read.

Nyx #1 was a powerful first issue, and Nyx #2 also has power.  Writer Christos Gage offers a twist with some epic family dysfunction.  Marc Borstel's art gives the battle to readers as if it were glorious superhero fight comics.  Jordi Escuin Llorach's colors pump up the testosterone, and Taylor Esposito's loud lettering completes the explosive effect of reading this issue.

I highly recommended the first issue, dear readers, but I must admit that I am still surprised.  This comic book is actually quite good.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Vampirella comic books will want to try Nyx.

A

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


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#IReadsYou Review: BETTIE PAGE and the Curse of the Banshee Volume 5 #4

BETTIE PAGE AND THE CURSE OF THE BANSHEE VOLUME 5 #4
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Stephen Mooney
ART: Jethro Morales
COLORS: Dinei Ribero
LETTERS: Taylor Esposito
EDITOR: Joseph Rybandt
COVER: Marat Mychaels
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Joseph Michael Linsner; Stephen Mooney; Leslie Leirix; Marat Mychaels; Ani-Mia (cosplay)
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (August 2021)

Rated Teen+

Bettie Page (1923–2008) was an American model who gained notoriety in the 1950s for her pin-up photos.  She is still referred to has the “Queen of Pinups,” and her shoulder-to-armpit-length jet-black hair with its trademark bangs and her blue eyes have inspired generations of artists, illustrators and comic book artists.

In 2017, Dynamite Entertainment made Bettie Page the star of her own comic book miniseries.  The latest is Bettie Page and the Curse of the Banshee.  It is written by Stephen Mooney; drawn by Jethro Morales; colored by Dinei Ribero; and lettered by Taylor Esposito.  In this series, Bettie, a freelance agent for the federal government and something of a monster hunter, and her partner, Lyssa McKnight, travel to rural Ireland to investigate a series of murders supposedly perpetrated by a mythical creature, a “banshee.”

Bettie Page and the Curse of the Banshee Volume 5 #4 opens in O'Riordan's Bed and Breakfast, Ireland, 1954.  Inside a bedroom, Bettie cannot stay awake.  It is as if something wants her to remain in a deep and troubled sleep.  Meanwhile, Lyssa struggles to help her friend, and then, a priest knocks on the door.  Elsewhere, Bettie struggles with the curse of the banshee, Márie.

THE LOWDOWN:  Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department recently began providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is Bettie Page and the Curse of the Banshee Volume 5 #4, which is the second issue of the title that I have read.  Prior to this series, I had not read any of DE's other Bettie Page comic book series.

I like Bettie Page and the Curse of the Banshee Volume 5 #4, the same as I did issue #3, which makes me wish I had read the earlier issues.  In this issue, writer Stephen Mooney balances the story between Bettie's battle and Lyssa's struggle.  Lyssa shines as a supporting character, and the priest, hapless, but well meaning, inadvertently provides comic relief.

This fourth issue is the penultimate issue of the series, and I am looking forward to the final issue.  Discovering Bettie Page and the Curse of the Banshee Volume 5 has been a delightful surprise, so I will recommend it to you, dear readers.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Bettie Page comic books will want to try Bettie Page and the Curse of the Banshee Volume 5.

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


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#IReadsYou Review: VAMPIVERSE #1

VAMPIVERSE VOLUME 1 #1
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Thomas Sniegoski and Jeannine Acheson
ART: Daniel Maine
COLORS: Francesca Cittarelli
LETTERS: Taylor Esposito
EDITOR: Matt Idelson
COVER: Adam Hughes
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Stephen Segovia; Meghan Hetrick; Maria Sanapo; Daniel Maine; Roberto Castro; Adam Hughes; Rachel Hollon (cosplay)
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (September 2021)

Rated Teen+

“The Red Mass” Book 1: “The Bride”

Vampirella is a vampire and female superhero created by the late author and science fiction and horror expert, Forrest J Ackerman, and designed by comic book artist, Trina Robbins.  Vampirella first appeared in Vampirella #1 (Sept. 1969), the debut issue of a black and white horror comics magazine from Warren Publishing.  Writer-editor Archie Goodwin changed the character from a hostess of horror comics to a leading character in her own stories.

Vampirella publications were published by Warren into 1983, and after Warren's bankruptcy, Harris Publications obtained the character and published new and reprint Vampirella comic books into the mid-1990s.  In 2010, Dynamite Entertainment obtained the character and has been publishing new Vampirella material since then.

Dynamite's Vampirella comic book series is Vampiverse.  The series is written by Thomas Sniegoski and Jeannine Acheson; drawn by Daniel Maine; colored by Francesca Cittarelli; and lettered by Taylor Esposito.  In this new series, a Vampirella from one universe must gather Vampirellas from other universes in order stop a mysterious force from destroying them and the Creator of all things.

Vampiverse Volume 1 #1 opens in war.  Some stories are just beginning.  Some have been going on for a really, really long time.  Some are ending.

There is a different Vampirella for every thread – for every story – across the “Weave,” the fabric of time and space.  There is a Vampirella of every conceivable notion born to protect her particular reality. Some of Vampirella stories are beginning, and some have been going on for a very long time.  Some Vampirella stories are ending...

Bloodwing is killing the Vampirellas and stealing away their precious life energies and growing in power.  Now, it is up to one particular Vampirella to gather other special Vampirellas in order to stop this growing threat to “The Artist,” the creator of all things.  And all she has is a book, but is that enough, even if it is the “Book of Prophecy?”

THE LOWDOWN:  Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department recently began providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is Vengeance of Vampiverse Volume 1 #1, one of a growing number of Vampirella comic books that I have recently read.

I like Dynamite's “multiverse of Red Sonjas” comic book, Sonjaversal, but I was not sure I could like Vampiverse, “a multiverse of Vampirellas” comic book.  However, the creative team has changed my mind … for the time being.

Writers Thomas Sniegoski and Jeannine Acheson offer a nice first chapter, one that teases me enough to a pay attention.  They also offer a bad-ass villain.  Daniel Maine's art is both pretty and effective storytelling, with some nice coloring from Francesca Cittarelli layered over.  Plus, DC Comics' letterer Taylor Esposito stops by to drop off his usual high-quality lettering.

I think I'll come back for more and tell you about it, dear readers.  Vampiverse, I must admit, has some potential to be an entertaining Vampirella comic book.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Vampirella comics will want to read Vampiverse Volume 1.

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


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#IReadsYou Review: BETTIE PAGE and the Curse of the Banshee Volume 5 #3

BETTIE PAGE AND THE CURSE OF THE BANSHEE VOLUME 5 #3
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

[Read my review of the documentary "Bettie Page Reveals All" here.]

STORY: Stephen Mooney
ART: Jethro Morales
COLORS: Dinei Ribero
LETTERS: Taylor Esposito
EDITOR: Joseph Rybandt
COVER: Marat Mychaels
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Joseph Michael Linsner; Stephen Mooney
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (August 2021)

Rated Teen+

Bettie Page (1923–2008) was an American model who gained notoriety in the 1950s for her pin-up photos.  She is still referred to has the “Queen of Pinups,” and her shoulder-to-armpit-length jet-black hair with its trademark bangs and her blue eyes have inspired generations of artists, illustrators and comic book artists.

In the comic book, Starslayer #3 (Pacific Comics; cover dated: June 1982), the late comic book writer-artist, Dave Stevens (1955-2008), introduced a new character in the story that was the second appearance of his character, “The Rocketeer.”  Her name was “Betty,” and she was Cliff Secord/The Rocketeer's girlfriend, and she was based on Bettie Page.

The Rocketeer introduced new fans to Bettie Page via Betty, including myself.  Beginning in the mid-1990s, comic books featuring Bettie Page began to appear, and in 2017 Dynamite Entertainment made Bettie Page the star of her own comic book miniseries.  The latest is Bettie Page and the Curse of the Banshee.  It is written by Stephen Mooney; drawn by Jethro Morales; colored by Dinei Ribero; and lettered by Taylor Esposito.  In this series, Bettie, a freelance agent for the federal government and something of a monster hunter, and her partner, Lyssa McKnight, travel to rural Ireland to investigate a series of murders supposedly perpetrated by a mythical creature, a “banshee.”

Bettie Page and the Curse of the Banshee Volume 5 #3 opens in Ireland, 1954.  Bettie and Lyssa find themselves in the midst of a contingent of zombies.  After being separated from Lyssa, Bettie learns the true identity of the Banshee, but does not realize that that her realization comes with a curse!  Lyssa learns some things herself, but if she can't help Bettie, her partner will also become the undead!

THE LOWDOWN:  Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department recently began providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is Bettie Page and the Curse of the Banshee Volume 5 #3, which is the first issue of the title that I have read.  In fact, I have not previously read any of DE's Bettie Page comic books.

I like Bettie Page and the Curse of the Banshee Volume 5 #3, and I wish I had read the earlier issues.  Writer Stephen Mooney fills this chapter with action and with important background information, enough so that the reader does not feel cheated on content.  I like that Lyssa feels as much a lead as does Bettie, who is a bit of ditz.

Jethro Morales' art and graphical storytelling are more action-horror than dark fantasy-horror, and his illustrations jump out at the reader, whether it is back story or zombies clawing at our heroes.  Dinei Ribero's coloring accentuates Morales' art with an appropriate dark mood and atmosphere.  Taylor Esposito's lettering conveys the sense of desperation and doom that should permeate the third or penultimate chapter of this kind of comic book.

Even cover artist Marat Mychaels delivers the goods with his riff on Gil Elvgren's painting, “Girl on Polar Bear.”  I plan to be back for more of this delightfully surprising Bettie Page comic book.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Bettie Page comic books will want to try Bettie Page and the Curse of the Banshee Volume 5.

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


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#IReadsYou Review: ELVIRA: The Shape of Elvira

ELVIRA: THE SHAPE OF ELVIRA
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT – @dynamitecomics

STORY: David Avallone
ART: Fran Strukan (#1-3); Pasquale Qualano (#4)
COLORS: Maxim Šimic (#1-3); Walter Pereya (#4)
LETTERS: Taylor Esposito
EDITOR: Kevin Ketner
COVER: Franceso Francavilla
MISC. ART: Francesco Francavilla; J. Bone; Kyle Strahm; Dave Acosta and Jay Leisten with Mark Dale; Dave Acosta with Mark Dale; Dave Acosta with Brian Level; Dave Acosta with Mohan
ISBN: 978-1-5241-1197-7; paperback (August 24, 2021)
120pp, Color, $17.99 U.S. (Direct Market: August 11, 2021)

Rated Teen+

In 1981, actress and model Cassandra Peterson created the “horror hostess character, “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, which ran for eleven issues and one special issue (1987).  In 1993, Eclipse Comics and Claypool Comics began the long-running Elvira: Mistress of the Dark.

In 2018, Elvira returned to comic books via Dynamite Entertainment in the four-issue comic book miniseries, Elvira Mistress of the Dark, that actually ran for 12 issues.  The second Elvira miniseries, Elvira: The Shape of Elvira arrived in 2019.  It was written by David Avallone; drawn by Fran Strukan and Pasquale Qualano; colored by Maxim Simic and Walter Pereya; and lettered by Taylor Esposito.

Elvira: The Shape of Elvira finds the Mistress of the Dark landing a role in a prestige film, but she discovers that her co-star is not who she thought he was.  This four-issue miniseries is now collected in the new trade paperback, Elvira: The Shape of Elvira.

As The Shape of Elvira opens, Elvira has received an urgent call from  her talent manager, Jill Van Nuys.  Jill informs Elvira that someone has finally offered her the kind of plum role for which she has been hoping.  It's a hush-hush film project, entitled “The Heart is the Black Lagoon,” but the film's director is the wunderkind, Billy Bullworth.  Elvira knows the director has a reputation for being strange, but she wants this role.

Elvira arrives at Bullworth's complex, and the strangeness begins when she meets Bullworth's assistant, Don Sandman, who previously started in a Bullworth film.  Next, it's off to sign an insane non-disclosure agreement, and then, a misadventure behind the bookcase.  Elvira later meets Bullworth's screenwriter-of-choice, Eddie Mezzogiorno, who is also secretive.

Finally, Elvira meets Bullworth, who is as melodramatic as he wants to be, but when he reveals what he keeping secret, Elvira can't believe her eyes.  “The Heart is the Black Lagoon” is a horror-romance, and her co-star is … Gill-Man?!  Bullworth insists that “Gill-Man” is really an actor in a supremely-designed fish-man monster suit, and Elvira is willing to play along.

However, after an encounter with two U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department agents, Elvira knows something … fishy is going on.  It seems that Mr. Bullworth wants his film to spawn more than just box office dollars and Academy Award nominations.

THE LOWDOWN:  With the Shape of Elvira, writer David Avallone does a send-up of director Guillermo del Toro's 2017 film, The Shape of Water.  The highly-acclaimed movie won four Academy Awards, including “Best Picture” and “Best Director.”  Avallone also takes aim at del Toro and his earnest filmography, in general, with its artsy sci-fi and fantasy offerings.  Avallone also makes a pass at The Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954), the most obvious cinematic influence on The Shape of Water.  In addition, Avallone gives gentle ribbing to the 1950 Film-Noir classic, Sunset Boulevard, with some elements from the film making its way into the comedy seafood gumbo that is The Shape of Elvira.

Truthfully, The Shape of Elvira would probably work as a forty-eight page graphic novel, but Avallone's smooth comedy, sarcasm and snark, and witty asides makes the story move fast.  Before I knew it, dear readers, I'd reached the end.  Suddenly, I wanted this comic book, which could have been half its size, to be so much longer.  Some comic book fans can never be satisfied, eh?

The art by Fran Strukan and Pasquale Qualano is straightforward, but always with a wink and nod.  However, Avallone's skewering of precious pop culture comes through with a bluntness that will give some pause … before they are laughing again.  Each artist takes his storytelling seriously, while conveying that hilarity that will ensue.  I have a few quibbles about the drawing techniques, but that does not stop me from enjoying this comic book.

Maxim Šimic and Walter Pereya both present a tapestry of muted colors that occasionally have a dreamlike quality.  Sometimes shadowy and sometimes moody, the colors also give this story a film-noir atmosphere.  As usual, Taylor Esposito's lettering is solid and perfectly captures the interplay of comedy and mystery and also, Elvira's snark, sarcasm, and wit.

Elvira: The Shape of Elvira is another fun time with Elvira, and the Mistress of the Dark is a good time, live-action or comic books.  I wouldn't mind seeing Elvira and Avallone skewer the filmmography of other “visionary” directors – David Cronenberg, Tim Burton, Mario Bava, etc.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Elvira and of David Avallone's Elvira comic books will want to read Elvira: The Shape of Elvira.

A-
7.5 out of 10

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


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Review: JOOK JOINT #1

JOOK JOINT No. 1 (OF 5)
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Tee Franklin
ART: Alitha E. Martinez
COLORS: Shari Chankhamma
LETTERS: Taylor Esposito
EDITOR: Brenda Wright
COVER: Alitha E. Martinez with Shari Chankhamma.
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Mike Hawthorne with Jordie Bellaire
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (October 2018)

Rated M/Mature

Jook Joint is a new comic book series from writer Tee Franklin (Bingo Love) and artist Alitha E. Martinez (Black Panther: World of Wakanda).  The series focuses on a voodoo priestess who is the proprietor of a strange music and social club that resides somewhere outside New Orleans.

Jook Joint #1 opens in the 1950s.  Everyone knows that the hottest spot in all of New Orleans is the Jook Joint, where the jazz is always popping and people keep on a-bobbing.  The women who work in the club are to die for... and men literally die if they don't follow the Jook Joint's only rule:  “Keep your hands to yourself.”  Of course, some men don't believe that rules apply to them, and that is when the Jook Joint's owner, Mahalia, and her coven get to enjoy themselves delivering punishment.

Joint Joint #1 is a timely publication in these times when women are pushing forward and coming out of the dark to tell the truth about the abuse, degradation, and violence that they have faced and continue to face at the hands of (mostly) men.  In an afterword at the end of this first issue, writer Tee Franklin talks about how Jook Joint emerged from her recovery and healing from the years of hurt and pain she experienced in numerous abusive relationships.  Text pieces in Jook Joint #1 offer three phone numbers and two website addresses where abused women and men can seek help after they experience domestic and sexual violence or if they are considering suicide.

Jook Joint #1 does not offer a story so much as it presents an introduction to the world of Mahalia and her Jook Joint.  It is an introduction that glorifies in revenge against and punishment of men who plot domestic and sexual violence against women and of men whose sense of entitlement will lead them to commit wanton acts of sexual violence.  I think the second issue of Jook Joint is where the story will really begin.

Artist Alitha E. Martinez, who was brilliant in Black Panther: World of Wakanda, offers powerful illustrations and graphics in service of this taste of honeyed revenge.  Colorist Shari Chankhamma's old-school, earthy hues recall classic horror comic book coloring, like that found in the Joe Orlando-edited DC Comics titles.

I'm not sure how to describe Taylor Esposito's lettering.  It is like a musical accompaniment, conveying the threats of abusive men while capturing the sly sultriness of the warnings given to those men.  Then, Esposito's lettering blasts out the avante-garde sounds of bloody punishment.

When I was a kid, a “jook joint” was a trashy club owned or frequented by Black folks, where a jukebox filled the club with music that was intermittently interrupted by gunfire.  Jook Joint the comic book ain't trashy, but there will be blood.

9 out of 10

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


The text is copyright © 2018 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: ELVIRA Mistress of the Dark #1

ELVIRA MISTRESS OF THE DARK No. 1
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT – @dynamitecomics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: David Avallone
ART: Dave Acosta
COLORS: Andrew Covalt
LETTERS: Taylor Esposito
EDITOR: Kevin Ketner
COVER: Joseph Michael Linsner
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: J. Bone; Kyle Strahm with Greg Smallwood; Craig Cermak with Brittany Pezzillo; Robert Hack with Francesco Francavilla; Craig Cermak; Joseph Michael Linsner; Kyle Strahm
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (July 2018)

Rated Teen+

Elvira: Timescream – Chapter One: “Frankenstein is the Name of the Doctor”

“Horror hosts” present low-budget, low-grade, and cult films to television and radio audiences, with an emphasis on horror, science fiction, and/or B-movies.  Some horror hosts adopt an alternate identity, creating a character they play, such as when actress, Maila Nurmi, became the horror host character, “Vampira” in 1954 for KABC-TV in Los Angeles, California.

In 1981, actress and model Cassandra Peterson created the hostess character, “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, which ran for eleven issues and one special issue (1987).  In 1993, Eclipse Comics and Claypool Comics began the long-running Elvira: Mistress of the Dark.  Eventually, Claypool would be sole publisher, and Elvira, Mistress of the Dark ran for 166 issues until 2007.

Elvira returns to comic books in Dynamite Entertainment's new four-issue, comic book miniseries, also entitled Elvira Mistress of the Dark.  It is written by David Avallone; drawn by Dave Acosta; colored by Andrew Covalt; and lettered by Taylor Esposito.

Elvira Mistress of the Dark #1 (“Frankenstein is the Name of the Doctor”) find Elvira on the set of her latest B-movie.  During a break in filming, she returns to her trailer to find a coffin in the middle of the floor, but it isn't just any old coffin.  It emits a time vortex, and Elvira soon finds herself pushed in and tumbling through time.  First stop, the summer of 1816 and a certain villa near Lake Geneva.

Writer David Avallone and artist Dave Acosta are the creative team behind Dynamite Entertainment's most excellent crossover comic book, the four-issue miniseries, Twilight Zone: The Shadow (2017).  A moody, stylish, atmospheric piece, the narrative focused on reckoning for The Shadow.

Avallone and Acosta deliver something quite different with Elvira Mistress of the Dark.  Avallone's story is campy, kind of like a rollicking romp of a horror movie that plays loose with the history of horror fiction.  Acosta's illustrations recall classic Warren Publications horror comics with humor that is bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, and the storytelling is perfect for the mood.

Andrew Covalt's coloring of Acosta's  illustrations is visually and graphically striking.  It is a deft mixture of sparkling color effects and and something like the colorful and sometimes garish cinematography of Hammer Film Productions (the legendary British film studio that produced numerous horror films).  As usual, Taylor Esposito's lettering is solid and perfectly captures this first chapter's mood and also Elvira's snark, sarcasm, and wit.  Esposito even delivers comedy gold on the characters' screeching and yelling.  “Edgar Allan Freaking Poe!, indeed.

Elvira Mistress of the Dark is blessedly cursed with an excellent creative team.  I can't wait for the second issue.  Maybe, these guys could produce a readable Harley Quinn comic book.

9 out of 10

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


The text is copyright © 2018 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: JEEPERS CREEPERS #1

JEEPERS CREEPERS, VOLUME 1 No. 1
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT – @dynamitecomics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Marc Andreyko
ART: Kewber Baal
COLORS: Jorge Sutil
LETTERS: Taylor Esposito
EDITOR: Matt Idelson
COVER: Kelley Jones with Doug Hazlewood
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Kewber Baal with Schimerys Baal
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (April 25, 2018)

Rated “Teen+”

Jeepers Creepers created by Victor Salva

Jeepers Creepers is a 2001 horror film written and directed by Victor Salva.  The film takes its name from the 1938 song "Jeepers Creepers" (which is featured in the film) and tells the story of two siblings who become the targets of a demonic creature in rural Florida.  Salva wrote and directed a sequel, Jeepers Creepers 2 (2003), and a third film, Jeepers Creepers 3 (2017), which is set in a time period between the first and second films.

The adversary in all three films is an ancient creature known as “the Creeper” that awakens every 23rd spring for 23 days.  During this awakening, the Creeper feasts on human body parts, which then form parts of the creature's own body.

Dynamite Entertainment recently obtained the license to produce comic books based on the Jeepers Creepers film, and the result is Jeepers Creepers Volume 1.  This new comic book series is written by Marc Andreyko; drawn by Kewber Baal; colored by Jorge Sutil; and lettered by Taylor Esposito.

Jeepers Creepers, Volume 1 #1 introduces Devon James, an American college graduate student just arriving in Mexico.  He is there to work on his graduate thesis (“The Cross-Cultural Appearances of the Dragon in North American Mythology from the Aztecs to Today”).  When he arrives at the archaeological site, “The Lost Aztec City of Teotihuacan,” Devon decides that he should not act like a regular tourist and follow the tour guide.  Instead, he summons his inner Indiana Jones without realizing the danger in which he is putting himself.

Twenty pages of actual story for a cover price of $3.99 is long-term, slow suicide for the American comic book market.  For instance, Jeepers Creepers #1 offers some effective teasing, and that is what 20 pages of a first issue comic book narrative is today – a cock tease.  The teasing is so good here that I am ready for the second issue, and I imagine fans of the Jeepers Creepers films will also enjoy this comic book.  But 20 pages for $3.99...  I am emphasizing price point and page count because I think that they will negatively effect this new comic book's reception.  But this is a really good comic book.

Marc Andreyko's script diverges from the mythology of the films, but in a way that would still connect it to overall narrative of the franchise.  Kewber Baal, whom I remember from Chaos Campus: Sorority Girls vs. Zombies (Approbation Comics), offers imaginative compositions, while Jorge Sutil's colors create the perfect Jeepers Creepers atmosphere and mood.  Taylor Esposito's lettering is all-around effective because he makes the dialogue and first person narration seem like one flowing conversation, although one floats in word balloons while the other sits in caption boxes.

Yes, the creative team of Jeepers Creepers #1 has delivered a first issue will make readers want to come back for more.  I know I want more.  I hope 20 pages/$3.99 does not hold some of us back.

8 out of 10

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


The text is copyright © 2018 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: SCARLETT'S STRIKE FORCE #1

SCARLETT'S STRIKE FORCE No. 1
IDW PUBLISHING – @IDWPublishing

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Aubrey Sitterson
ART: Nelson Daniel
COLORS: Ryan Hill
LETTERS: Taylor Esposito
COVER: Harvey Tolibao with Chris Allo
VARIANT COVERS: Nelson Daniel; Matt Horak with Ryan Hill; Luca Pizzari
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (December 2017)

Marvel Comics and writer Larry Hama conceived and designed what would become the long running war-themed action figure and toy line, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, an update of the original “G.I. Joe” toy line (1964).  One of the characters they created was Scarlett, an original member of the “G.I. Joe Team.”  The members of the G.I. Joe Team are the good guys, and they fight Cobra, the worldwide terrorist organization, and its agents.

Marvel Comics even produced the G.I. Joe comic book (G.I. Joe, A Real American Hero #1 – June 1982) and several related series, beginning in 1982.  Since 2008, IDW Publishing is the holder of the license to produce comic books based on the G.I. Joe property.  IDW's latest G.I. Joe related comic book series is Scarlett's Strike Force.  It is written by Aubrey Sitterson; drawn by Nelson Daniel; colored by Ryan Hill; and lettered by Taylor Esposito.

Scarlett's Strike Force #1 finds a Joe's team fighting mutated insects under the control of “Cesspool,” a Cobra official.  From Cobra's hidden base, the new “Cobra Commander” initiates a plan to create Cobra's new, monstrous foot soldiers.  Meanwhile, at the underwater G.I. Joe base, Lemuria, Scarlett and G.I. Joe field commander, Roadblock, launch a new strike team to take down the new Cobra Commander.  Rock 'n Roll, Quick Kick, Skywarp, Spirit, Cover Girl, Salva, Spitfire, Gung-Ho, Doc, Lady Jaye, Spectrum, Grand Slam, Lift Ticket: who will make Scarlett's Strike Force?

According to IDW, people are calling Scarlett's Strike Force “the best action comic ever!”  Of course, what I am about to say will seem snarky, but those people must have read a Scarlett's Strike Force #1 that is vastly different from the one I read.  Scarlett's Strike Force #1 is a bad comic book; in fact, I would have to be generous to even call it mediocre.  The story is poor, but to be honest, it does have the kind of dead-ahead, breakneck pace that a good action comic book needs.

The art is bad.  It is not that Nelson Daniel cannot draw.  Of course, he can; IDW would not give him an assignment if he could not draw.  The quality of Daniel's illustrations are the problem, however; at this point, Daniel's work would be appropriate for self-publishing via print-on-demand printing.  To charge readers $3.99 for a comic book featuring Daniel's awkward, unpolished art is quite frankly dishonest on IDW's part.

Well, the lettering by Taylor Esposito is pretty good.  If this comic book convinces anyone that it contains a good action story, that is because Esposito's lettering graphically provides most of this story's spark.  By the way, I think IDW may have already decided to cancel Scarlett's Strike Force after the third issue.

2 out of 10

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


The text is copyright © 2018 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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