#IReadsYou Review: AMERICAN JESUS: Revelation #3

AMERICAN JESUS: REVELATION #3 (OF 3)

IMAGE COMICS

STORY: Mark Millar

ART: Peter Gross with Tomm Coker

COLORS: Jeanne McGee with Daniel Freedman

LETTERS: Cory Petit

COVER: Jodie Muir

EDITORIAL: Sarah Unwin

28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (January 2023)

Rated M / Mature

American Jesus created by Mark Millar and Peter Gross

American Jesus is a comic book series created by writer Mark Millar and Peter Gross that is being published as three comic book miniseries.  American Jesus began life as Chosen, a three-issue miniseries that was published by Dark Horse Comics in 2004, and continued in American Jesus: The New Messiah, a three-issue series published by Image Comics in 2019-20.

The series concludes in American Jesus: Revelation, a three-issue series written by Millar; drawn by Gross with Tomm Coker; colored by Jeanne McGee and Daniel Freedman; and lettered by Corey Petit.  The series offers the epic conclusion to the greatest story ever told.

American Jesus: Revelation #3 opens in 1969 at the birth of Jodie Christianson, the Anti-Christ.  Now, he is the President of the United States and is slated to kick of the End of Days.  However, moments after his birth, who really wants the little bastard?

Meanwhile, Catalina, who is the Savior and the Christ-reborn, is an an honest-to-god black woman.  She awaits Jodie in the city of Megiddo.  Will a 2000-year-old prophecy be finally fulfilled?  … Will it be fulfilled the way it is supposed to be fulfilled?

THE LOWDOWN:  Netflix/Millarworld sent me PDF review copies of American Jesus, Vols. 1 and 2.  I had not read them until recently, and I needed to do so in preparation for American Jesus: Revelation.  But nothing could prepare me … really … nothing.

Of course, American Jesus: Revelation #3 does not end the way anyone would think.  This is a Mark Millar comic book, and he won't ever cheat his readers by giving them what they expect.  Remember that incident with Giant-Man/Ant-Man, the Wasp, and a horde of ants in The Ultimates?  [The Ultimates is the “inspiration,” both visually and thematically, for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  It is available from Marvel Comics for your reading pleasure in multiple print and digital formats.]

So, in American Jesus: Revelation #3, what has really creeped me out, scared my shitless, and disturbed me is the return of the dead.  I won't give you the hows for fear of spoiling the entire … thing, but after reading those few pages, I felt like I needed a drink, a crack pipe, and a shower.

The lovely Peter Gross brings Millar's … lurid storytelling to life with the skill of a veteran comic book artist blessed with great comic book storytelling chops.  Colorist Jeanne McGee obviously sported a wicked grin while coloring this.  Artist Tomm Coker and colorist Daniel Freedman have contributed to this series and are also guilty in the eyes of God.

I am in awe of Millar's imagination, and I love that he finds the perfect artists to bring his visions to life, as Peter Gross is here.  Seriously, American Jesus: Revelation is delightfully wicked and truly unique.  Once again, Millarworld is like no other world, and we may have to accept it as our paradise.  There is no way we are getting into Heaven after reading and enjoying American Jesus: Revelation #3.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Mark Millar's comic books and of the American Jesus series must read American Jesus: Revelation.

A+

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

https://twitter.com/ImageComics

https://twitter.com/mrmarkmillar

https://twitter.com/netflix

https://www.mrmarkmillar.com/

http://www.millarworld.tv/

www.imagecomics.com

The text is copyright © 2023 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: AMERICAN JESUS: Revelation #2

AMERICAN JESUS: REVELATION #2 (OF 3)

IMAGE COMICS

STORY: Mark Millar

ART: Peter Gross

COLORS: Jeanne McGee

LETTERS: Cory Petit

COVER: Jodie Muir

EDITORIAL: Sarah Unwin

VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Tomm Coker

28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (October 2022)

Rated M / Mature

American Jesus created by Mark Millar and Peter Gross

American Jesus is a comic book series created by writer Mark Millar and Peter Gross that is being published as three comic book miniseries.  American Jesus began life as Chosen, a three-issue miniseries that was published by Dark Horse Comics in 2004, and continued in American Jesus: The New Messiah, a three-issue series published by Image Comics in 2019-20.

The series concludes in American Jesus: Revelation, a three-issue series written by Millar; drawn by Gross; colored by Jeanne McGee; and lettered by Corey Petit.  The series offers the epic conclusion to the greatest story ever told.

American Jesus: Revelation #2 opens at the White House.  The world is gradually falling in line with the way Jodie Christianson want them.  But he is also the Chosen, the Anti-Christ, and now President of the United States.  But is this what he really wants?  Maybe, it's time to return to the old hometown, Peoria, Illinois, where he can have a meeting with an old friend.

Meanwhile, Catalina, who is the Savior and Christ-reborn, arrives at Vatican City, Rome.  This is her home, but no one seems to recognize her or her authority.  Is it because the Savior is now a Black woman?  Well, she gonna fix that and so much more.

THE LOWDOWN:  Netflix/Millarworld sent me PDF review copies of American Jesus, Vols. 1 and 2.  I had not read them until recently, and I needed to do so in preparation for American Jesus: Revelation.  But, as I said in my review of the first issue, nothing could prepare me.  Now, it's time for a review of the second issue and...

...Wow.  I don't know what to say, what I could say.  Of course, I'm enjoying this, as is usually the case with Mark Millar's creator-owned titles.  But I have never enjoyed any Millar title quite the (damnation) way I have American Jesus: Resurrection.

Peter Gross' wonderful storytelling entertains and scares me.  Gross is so good at conveying the … blasphemy of this that I may have to pay a stiff penance for loving it so.  And let's be honest; I do love the idea of Jesus Christ returning as a sista, girl.

With a sign of the cross, I recommend this hugely entertaining American Jesus: Revelation #2.  With a benediction and a clove of garlic, I bid us prepare for the finale to end all finales, come January 2023 … if the world doesn't end before then!

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Mark Millar's comic books and of the American Jesus series will want to read American Jesus: Revelation.

A+

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

https://twitter.com/ImageComics

https://twitter.com/mrmarkmillar

https://twitter.com/netflix

https://www.mrmarkmillar.com/

http://www.millarworld.tv/

www.imagecomics.com

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 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: AMERICAN JESUS: Revelation #1

AMERICAN JESUS: REVELATION  #1 (OF 3)
IMAGE COMICS

STORY: Mark Millar
ART: Peter Gross with Tomm Coker
COLORS: Jeanne McGee with Daniel Freedman
LETTERS: Cory Petit
COVER: Jodie Muir
EDITORIAL: Sarah Unwin
VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Tomm Coker
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (October 2022)

Rated M / Mature

American Jesus created by Mark Millar and Peter Gross

American Jesus is a comic book series created by writer Mark Millar and Peter Gross that is being published as three comic book miniseries.  American Jesus began life as Chosen, a three-issue miniseries that was published by Dark Horse Comics in 2004, and continued in American Jesus: The New Messiah, a three-issue series published by Image Comics in 2019-20.

The series concludes in American Jesus: Revelation, a three-issue series written by Millar; drawn by Gross with Tomm Coker; colored by Jeanne McGee with Daniel Freedman; and lettered by Corey Petit.  The series offers the epic conclusion to the greatest story ever told.

American Jesus: Revelation #1 opens before time, with a depiction of the greatest and most infamous coup attempt ever known to the Western world and like-minded parts of it.  In modern times, Jodie Christianson, the Chosen, is now President of the United States.  He is a doting father, telling his two spawn … err … children bedtime tales, a bit of family time before he initiates that terrible attack that soured the hope and promise of the twenty-first century.

Now, the world is falling apart around President Jodie, and he could give a f**k.  Europe is in flames in a war with Russia.  Plagues and lock downs cover the globe.  The financial system is on the brink of collapse.  Jodie's solution is a one world government under the rule of the Antichrist (which is he) and with the digital enslavement of all mankind.

Can even the true savior – the returned Christ – stop Jodie now?  What are her true intentions, anyway?

THE LOWDOWN:  Netflix/Millarworld sent me PDF review copies of American Jesus, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2.  I had not read them until recently, and I needed to do so in preparation for American Jesus: Revelation.  But nothing could prepare me.

Mark Millar is like an incorrigible kid, running through the museum of American exceptionalism and breaking all the bric-à-brac that passes for high art and culture.  A blue-eyed, middle American, small town boy as the Anti-Christ – done.  An Afro-Latina woman as the Savior – done.  Thick bodied, dark-skinned humans as Adam and Eve – he did it.  And Millar gleefully slays the pseudo-sacred cow of 9/11.  Yes, the Scotsman went nine-eleven on 9/11.  And he blends centuries of conspiracy theories – from books, oral history, and the digital age – into a delicious comic book pop confection that I want to devour until I have diabetes.

Yes, Peter Gross, Tomm Coker, Jeanne McGee, Daniel Freedman, and Corey Petit all do stellar work.  But for this first issue, I must testify to the comic book gospel of (Saint) Mark Millar.  All joking aside, Mark and Peter and company must really respect their audience to give us such a fantastic first issue.

Dear readers, you know that not all “superstar” comic book creators go out like Mark and Peter have these past two decades.  But I won't name them; instead, I'll focus on the most excellent American Jesus: Revelation #1.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Mark Millar's comic books and of the American Jesus series will want to read American Jesus: Revelation.

A+

10 out of 10

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


https://twitter.com/ImageComics
https://twitter.com/mrmarkmillar
https://twitter.com/netflix
https://www.mrmarkmillar.com/
http://www.millarworld.tv/
www.imagecomics.com


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 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).

Leroy Douresseaux Reviews: MARKSMEN Volume 1

MARKSMEN VOLUME 1
IMAGE COMICS/BENAROYA PUBLISHING

CREATORS: Michael Benaroya, David Baxter, and Dave Elliot
STORY: David Baxter and Dave Elliot
SCRIPT: David Baxter
PENCILS: Javier Aranda
FINISHES: Gary Leach
COLORS: Jessica Kholinne and Benny Maulana
LETTERS: Bebe Giraffe
ADDITIONAL ART: Tomm Coker (series cover); Nam Kim and Matthew Dalton (end papers)
COVER: Javier Aranda and Gary Leach with Jessica Kholinne
ISBN: 978-1-60706-486-2; paperback
192pp, Color, $15.99 U.S.

Produced by Benaroya Publishing, Marksmen is a six-issue miniseries set in a post-apocalyptic America. It presents a world where everything seems to have gone wrong: a financial meltdown with a global domino effect, civil war, mass riots, looting on a large scale, opportunistic vigilantism, exodus from the cities, starvation, and even cannibalism.

Image Comics just released Marksmen Volume 1, a trade paperback collecting all six issues of the series with additional material. That includes “The Future in Our Sights,” an essay about the world of Marksmen and also two-pages of character designs. Hugo Award-winning science fiction author, Vernor Vinge (A Fire Upon the Deep, 1992) provides an afterword.

Created by Michael Benaroya, David Baxter, and Dave Elliot, Marksmen is dystopian science fiction. It is set 60 years after a global financial meltdown led to a civil war that splintered the United States into warring fiefdoms. Most of the action takes place in and around New San Diego (NSD), a technocratic utopia that offers the last bastion of peace and prosperity for those that live within its walls. Sgt. Drake McCoy, NSD’s best protector, is one of a select group known as the Marksmen, a defensive force descended from the Navy SEALs. The Marksmen defend the city from the numerous human threats that exist in the wasteland outside New San Diego’s walls.

Now, there is a new threat. The oil rich Lone Star State is sending a powerful army to steal New San Diego’s technological secrets. Arriving ahead of them is a renegade group of former Lone Star State denizens. One of them is Joe Percival, a former NSD with ties to Drake’s father, Admiral Leo McCoy, and his mother, Dr. Sharon Heston, the NSD’s head scientist. Will Percival and his son, Sean, have anything that can help Drake and the NSD stop the Lone Star Rangers? Or are the Rangers’ charismatic leader, The Duke, and resident religious fanatic, Deacon Glenn, really unstoppable?

There is not much to say about Marksmen other than to say that it is a damn good read. On Monday, May 14, I received a review copy from Benaroya Publishing. I read the first two chapters on Tuesday, May 15. On Wednesday, May 16, I practically devoured Chapters 3 to 6 and I wanted more. Marksmen is like Black Hawk Down meets Mad Max, but Marksmen’s villains are scarier than the bad guys in either of those movies.

This is a well-thought out future scenario. Writer David Baxter offers some sharp commentary on the real world social, political, and financial situations happening right now that could lead to a situation similar to the one presented in Marksmen. Then, Baxter turns it into a breathtaking science fiction and military action thriller. It is more popcorn fun than most Hollywood heavy hitter action flicks, and it is scarier because this story’s basis is grounded in the current disquieting reality.

On the storytelling end, the art by Javier Aranda (pencils) and Gary Leach (finishes) is good, but Aranda’s pencils don’t display the polished quality of a veteran artist. Composition and the layout of some of the panel interiors is a little off. However, Aranda has the ability to create drama and tension that grabs the reader, and he has a knack for visualizing both physical and non-physical conflict. This is why Marksmen keeps hitting the mark.

Readers looking for credible comic book action thrillers will want Marksmen Volume 1 for repeated readings.

A-