I Reads You

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for February 5 2014

DARK HORSE COMICS

DEC130060 1 FOR $1 MASS EFFECT FOUNDATION #1 $1.00
OCT130056 AVATAR LAST AIRBENDER SEARCH LIBRARY ED HC $39.99
OCT130054 AXE COP TP VOL 05 AXE COP GETS MARRIED $14.99
DEC130119 BAD BLOOD #2 $3.99
DEC130116 BALTIMORE CHAPEL OF BONES #2 $3.50
NOV130044 BLOODHOUND CROWBAR MEDICINE #4 $3.99
SEP130024 CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT TP VOL 01 $14.99
DEC130089 CATALYST COMIX #8 (MR) $2.99
JUN130065 CLASSIC MARVEL CHARACTERS X-MEN #4 BEAST $49.95
SEP130073 CONAN PHANTOMS O/T BLACK COAST TP $19.99
OCT130068 CREEPY ARCHIVES HC VOL 18 $49.99
SEP130078 EC ARCHIVES VAULT OF HORROR HC VOL 03 $49.99
SEP130080 FORBIDDEN WORLDS ARCHIVES HC VOL 03 $49.99
NOV130077 GRIMMS JOURNAL $12.99
DEC130118 GRINDHOUSE DOORS OPEN AT MIDNIGHT #5 $3.99
DEC130101 JUICE SQUEEZERS #2 $3.99
DEC130112 LOBSTER JOHNSON GET LOBSTER #1 $3.99
OCT130020 MASS EFFECT FOUNDATION TP VOL 01 $16.99
DEC130102 MICHAEL AVON OEMINGS VICTORIES #9 (MR) $3.99
DEC130094 OCCULTIST #5 $3.50
JUL130030 ROBERT E HOWARDS SAVAGE SWORD #7 $7.99
SEP130075 SHERLOCK HOLMES & VAMPIRES OF LONDON HC $17.99
DEC130073 STAR WARS #5 LUCAS DRAFT $3.99
OCT130016 STAR WARS LEGACY HC VOL 03 $34.99
OCT130076 STRAIN FALL TP VOL 01 $19.99
DEC130063 TERMINATOR SALVATION FINAL BATTLE #3 $3.99

Image Comics from Diamond Distributors for February 5 2014

Comics, Magazines and Books from Diamond Distributors for February 5 2014

Digital Comics: Digital new releases available from your local comic book shop are marked below. [DIG] = Digital version available. [DIG/P+] = Print-Plus digital/print combo pack available. For more information, go to www.digitalcomicsreader.com.

PREVIEWS PUBLICATIONS
NOV130009 PREVIEWS TOYCHEST 2014 $1.25

COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS
NOV131225 A CENTAURS LIFE GN VOL 02 (MR) $12.99
OCT131319 ABSENCE HC (MR) $19.99
OCT130991 ADVENTURE TIME FIONNA & CAKE #1 SDCC EXC CVR $9.99
DEC130996 ADVENTURE TIME FLIP SIDE #2 $3.99
DEC131203 AIR GEAR GN VOL 30 $10.99
NOV131226 ALICE I/T COUNTRY OF JOKER CIRCUS & LIARS GAME VOL 04 (MR) $12.99
NOV130874 ALIENS VS PARKER TP VOL 01 (MR) $14.99
DEC131293 ALONE FOREVER GN (MR) $9.95
NOV131048 ANT COLONY HC (MR) $21.95
DEC131315 ARCHER & ARMSTRONG ARCHER #0.2014 PULLBOX EISMA $3.99
DEC131314 ARCHER & ARMSTRONG ARCHER #0.2014 REG HENRY $3.99
NOV130773 ARCHIE #652 REG CVR [DIG/P+] $2.99
DEC131180 BABYS IN BLACK TP $15.99
NOV131010 BEST OF PANTHA THE WARREN STORIES HC (MR) $29.99
SEP131342 BRAVOMAN HC VOL 01 $19.99
NOV130997 CODENAME ACTION #5 $3.99
NOV130734 CRYPT OF HORROR #20 $29.95
JUL131088 DAMSELS #12 $3.99
NOV131023 DEJAH THORIS & GREEN MEN OF MARS TP VOL 01 RED MEAT (MR) $16.99
NOV131041 DEVILS PANTIES GN VOL 07 (MR) $20.00
MAR121030 DF AVENGERS #25 LEE SGN CVR PI
MAY131114 DF SPIRIT ROCKETEER PULP FRICTION #1 WAID SGN ED PI
JUN131107 DF TEN GRAND #1 LEE SGN ED $29.99
MAY121124 DF ULTIMATES #13 HUMPHRIES SGN PI
JUL131113 DF WOLVERINE #1 MARVEL NOW DLX ED ROMITA SR & HAESER ED $199.99
JUL131112 DF WOLVERINE #1 MARVEL NOW HAESER ED $59.99
NOV131228 DRAGONAR ACADEMY GN VOL 01 (MR) $12.99
OCT131192 EC GRAHAM INGELS SUCKER BAIT & OTHER STORIES HC $28.99
DEC131163 EC JACK KAMEN ZERO HOUR & OTHER STORIES HC $28.99
DEC130906 FERALS TP VOL 03 (MR) $19.99
NOV130769 FOX #4 REG CVR [DIG/P+] $2.99
DEC131014 GARFIELD #22 [DIG] $3.99
DEC131390 GFT ASCENSION #1 A CVR MALSUNI $3.99
DEC131391 GFT ASCENSION #1 B CVR ORTIZ $3.99
DEC131392 GFT ASCENSION #1 C CVR ERIC J $3.99
DEC131393 GFT ASCENSION #1 D CVR CAFARO $3.99
DEC131370 GFT CODE RED #3 A CVR IGLE (AOFD) (MR) $2.99
DEC131371 GFT CODE RED #3 B CVR CUMMINGS (AOFD) (MR) $2.99
DEC131372 GFT CODE RED #3 C CVR ABEL (AOFD) (MR) $2.99
DEC131373 GFT CODE RED #3 D CVR MYCHAELS (AOFD) (MR) $2.99
OCT131416 GFT OZ #6 A CVR LASHLEY (MR) $2.99
OCT131417 GFT OZ #6 B CVR ORTIZ (MR) $2.99
OCT131418 GFT OZ #6 C CVR GOMEZ (MR) $2.99
OCT131419 GFT OZ #6 D CVR GARZA (MR) $2.99
DEC130898 GOD IS DEAD #1 ENHANCED CONNECTING CVR (MR) $3.99
DEC130892 GOD IS DEAD #6 (MR) $3.99
DEC130893 GOD IS DEAD #6 CARNAGE WRAP CVR (MR) $3.99
DEC130894 GOD IS DEAD #6 END OF DAYS CVR (MR) $3.99
DEC130895 GOD IS DEAD #6 ICONIC CVR (MR) $3.99
OCT130820 GOLD DIGGER PLATINUM VOL 06 $14.99
DEC131105 GRIMM WARLOCK #3 $3.99
OCT131306 HAGANAI I HAVE NO FRIENDS GN VOL 05 (MR) $12.99
DEC131345 HAPPY MARRIAGE GN VOL 04 (MR) $9.99
DEC131331 HARBINGER TP VOL 04 PERFECT DAY $14.99
DEC131117 JENNIFER BLOOD #36 (MR) $3.99
DEC131355 KAMISAMA KISS GN VOL 14 $9.99
SEP131219 KNIGHTS OF THE DINNER TABLE #205 $5.99
OCT131307 LOVE IN HELL GN VOL 02 (MR) $11.99
DEC131275 LOXLEYS AND THE WAR OF 1812 HC 2ND ED $19.99
NOV131122 LUNCH LADY & SCHOOLWIDE SCUFFLE YR GN $6.99
OCT131091 MARK WAID GREEN HORNET #9 $3.99
NOV131115 MILAN K HC PART 01 TEENAGE YEARS (MR) $29.95
OCT131309 MY BOYFRIEND IS A VAMPIRE GN COLL ED VOL 06 (MR) $17.99
SEP131250 MYSTERIOUS STRANGERS TP VOL 01 STRANGE WAYS $19.99
NOV131197 NINJAGO HC VOL 09 $10.99
DEC131088 NOIR #4 $3.99
OCT131287 PRE CODE CLASSIC THING HC VOL 01 $47.99
NOV131209 PRE CODE CLASSIC THING HC VOL 02 $47.99
OCT130980 REGULAR SHOW #9 MAIN CVRS [DIG] $3.99
NOV131116 RETROWORLD HC (MR) $29.95
DEC130978 REVELATIONS #2 (MR) [DIG] $3.99
DEC130975 ROBOCOP HOMINEM EX MACHINA ONE SHOT [DIG] $3.99
DEC130979 ROBOCOP LAST STAND #7 (MR) [DIG] $3.99
DEC130913 ROVER RED CHARLIE #3 (MR) $3.99
DEC130914 ROVER RED CHARLIE #3 WRAP CVR (MR) $3.99
NOV131211 ROY THOMAS PRESENTS COLL PACK $94.99
NOV131210 ROY THOMAS PRESENTS PLANET COMICS SLIPCASE ED VOL 03 $64.99
SEP130895 SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH MAGIC WITHIN TP VOL 04 $10.99
NOV130976 SHADOW #22 BOLSON CVR $3.99
NOV130977 SHADOW #22 CALERO SUBSCRIPTION CVR $3.99
NOV130975 SHADOW #22 ROSS CVR $3.99
DEC131334 SHADOWMAN #15 REG DE LA TORRE $3.99
OCT131257 SIXTH GUN TP VOL 06 (MR) $19.99
NOV130788 SONIC UNIVERSE #60 REG CVR [P+] $2.99
SEP131339 STREET FIGHTER CLASSIC HC VOL 02 CANNON STRIKE $49.99
DEC130981 SUICIDE RISK #10 [DIG] $3.99
AUG131202 THE SPIDER #17 $3.99
AUG131424 THING BOXSET EDITION $120.00
DEC131027 TUROK DINOSAUR HUNTER #1 $3.99
DEC131043 TWILIGHT ZONE #2 $3.99
DEC130941 UBER #2 ANGEL OF DEATH CVR (MR) $9.99
DEC130942 UBER #7 WAR CRIMES CVR (MR) $5.99
NOV131008 VAMPIRELLA #38 NEVES CVR (NOTE PRICE) $4.99
NOV131009 VAMPIRELLA #38 PARRILLO CVR (NOTE PRICE) $4.99
NOV131021 WARLORD OF MARS DEJAH THORIS #35 (MR) $3.99
NOV131030 ZORRO RIDES AGAIN TP VOL 02 WRATH OF LADY ZORRO $19.99

MAGAZINES
OCT130964 BLEEDING COOL MAGAZINE #8 (MR) $1.99
DEC131455 COMIC SHOP NEWS #1390 PI
OCT131510 DC SUPERHERO CHESS FIG COLL MAG #49 BLACK MANTA BLACK PAWN $16.00
OCT131511 DC SUPERHERO CHESS FIG COLL MAG #50 JOKER BLACK KNIGHT $16.00
NOV131447 DOCTOR WHO MAGAZINE #469 $9.99
NOV131449 HORRORHOUND #45 $6.99
SEP131529 STAR TREK STARSHIPS FIG COLL MAG #8 USS EXCELSIOR NCC-2000 $20.00

BOOKS
DEC131425 300 RISE OF EMPIRE ART OF FILM HC $34.95
DEC131426 ART OF MR PEABODY & SHERMAN HC $45.00
DEC131412 DC BATMAN TEAM OF HEROES WALL CLINGS SC $9.99
NOV131400 MR PEABODY & SHERMAN KIT $9.95
NOV132510 WARHAMMER 40K PATH OF THE ELDAR SC $17.50

Monday, February 3, 2014

Yaoi Review: NightS

NIGHTS
SUBLIME – @SuBLimeManga

CARTOONIST: Kou Yoneda
TRANSLATION: Katherine Schilling
LETTERS: Sabrina Heep
COVER: Kou Yoneda with Shawn Carrico
ISBN: 978-1-4215-6409-8; paperback (January 2014) Rated “M” for “Mature”
248pp, B&W, $12.99 U.S., $14.99 CAN, £8.99 UK

Kou Yoneda made her manga debut with No Touching at All (2009) and followed that up with A Singing Bird Can’t Fly. Yoneda’s most recent work is NightS, a collection of yaoi short stories. Yaoi manga is a subset of boys' love (BL) manga that features explicit depictions of sex between male characters.

NightS focuses on three couples. In the title story, “NightS,” 28-year-old Masato Karashima is a “transporter,” a man paid to smuggle anything from drugs to guns to people. He is approached by Masaki Hozumi, a yakuza lieutenant who needs something transported. Masato finds himself attracted to the older man, and so begins a cat-and-mouse game of lust and deception. In this business transaction, no one is telling the entire truth about anything.

In “Emotion Spectrum,” high school student Kugo agrees to play wing man to Usui, a fellow student who is attracted to Kugo's flighty friend, Nakaya. Results are unexpected. In the two-part, “Reply,” shy mechanic, Seki, finds himself at odds with the salesmen at the auto dealership where he works. Then, he meets the emotionally-reserved, matter-of-fact salesman, Keigo Takami, who is outstanding as a car salesman. They like each other, but perhaps, not in the same way.

Obviously, a yaoi short story collection gives readers several stories to read, and if they are lucky, at least two couples trying to come together romantically. The NightS yaoi manga offers seven stories of varying lengths, and best of all, three couples working towards a romantic conclusion... and some sex scenes.

I didn't find the stars of the “NightS” short story particularly interesting because of the awkward execution of the story. However, the material – too much deceit, too much crime, and the stars seem doomed as a couple – was there to make this an especially good story. Kou Yoneda just didn't make it happen.

“Emotion Spectrum” is the same: good idea that does not fully flower. The deceit is fluffy, and it's a crime that the romance comes across as syrupy as a bubblegum pop song. This couple may not be doomed, but they are destined to be uninteresting.

Luckily, “Reply” offers a more attractive couple and is an excellent read. The romance is filled with captivating pitfalls, and the conceit: two guys who may be too different to be successful as a couple: works. Because the romance is strong, I simply found myself rooting for these guys. Keiko and Seki are the one couple in this collection that I'd like to see again. I want to spend more NightS with them.

B+

www.SuBLimeManga.com

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

Sunday, February 2, 2014

Ooku: Japan Goes Dutch

I read Ôoku: The Inner Chambers, Vol. 9 (Ooku: The Inner Chambers)

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin (which has free smart phone apps and comics).

Saturday, February 1, 2014

I Reads February 2014

It's February 2014. Welcome to I Reads You, a ComicBookBin web and sister publication (www.comicbookbin.com). The ComicBookBin has free smart phone apps and comics. We write about the things we read: mostly comic books, comics, and related books. Sometimes, we’ll write about or link to other topics: typically books, politics, and entertainment.

All images and text appearing on this publication are copyright © and/or trademark their respective owners.

This is my comic book of the month:

Friday, January 31, 2014

Graphic Novel Review: A FROZEN WORLD

A FROZEN WORLD
EYEKON PUBLISHING – @afrozenworld

CARTOONIST: Nick Andors
ISBN: 978-0-9895312-1-4; paperback (2014)
120pp, B&W, $15.95 US

Suggested for mature readers – Thriller, horror, sci-fi

Artist and illustrator Nick Andors sent me a copy of his new original graphic novel, A Frozen World, for review. This black and white comic links four stories and, according to Andors, is “…a psychological thriller filled with twists and turns...”

A Frozen World is set in Irongates, which is basically a city as an endless expanse of concrete and iron. In this futuristic urban dystopia, cloud-piercing buildings stretch as far as the eye can see and also belch smoke that smears the skyline.

The first story focuses on an unnamed scavenger who introduces us to Irongates. His nocturnal activities put him at odds with the city authority, as he violates the 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew known as “Lockdown.” The night we meet him, the scavenger is just looking for smokes and finds that and more. Next, we meet 86-year-old Geoffrey. He works for “Body Patrol,” the organization that picks up the bodies strewn on the streets and disposes of them. The day we meet Geoffrey falls on a tragic 60th anniversary, and we get to see his bizarre ceremony of remembrance.

Next, Anneka is a young girl consumed by the fear inside her, but as she grows older, fear becomes hate. Anneka runs from her abusive past and to a life of murder and mayhem. However, her brutality initiates a war with The Hidden Hand, the most powerful entity in Irongates. The final story focuses on Ivan, who concludes A Frozen World by revealing his deepest and strangest secret.

Nick Andors describes A Frozen World as being “in the vein of The Twilight Zone…” Both Andors’ graphic novel and Rod Serling’s classic television series do share a visual sensibility. Both use the black and white visual to create a sense of mystery. Light and shadow form the landscape for the interplay of the known and the unknown. Andors takes advantage of black and white graphics to create a world in which danger hides in the dark, and where the light reveals the rotten fruit of danger’s labor.

I have to admit that the opening story made me think of director John Huston’s classic film noir, The Asphalt Jungle (1950), in particularly, cinematographer Harold Rosson’s photography for that film. As the scavenger walks the city, there is even a touch of Warren Ellis’ late comic book series, Transmetropolitan.

I think that the reason A Frozen World sparks my imagination and memory is because it so evocative. It has a dreamlike quality, but it uses common imagery and elements so that the story is familiar, allowing a broad range of readers to understand this dream. Conceptually, Irongates is recognizable – the dystopian metropolis or the urban hell-scape. That is the familiar. The players and their actions within this dream, however, are subject to different interpretations, depending on the reader.

If, as one of the characters says, the world of Irongates is frozen, the characters certainly are not. Through exposition, dialogue, and action, Andors builds the characters, transforming them from the ciphers to which we are introduced into the complex, engaging players they become. For all that they and Andors tell us, we can never be sure of them, and Andors makes them worth exploring.

I found myself wanting to plumb the depths of these characters, even if ultimately, I was wrong about them. So what if I project upon these characters motivations and personalities the author never intended. That isn’t an assault on an author; rather, it is a sign of how I have grappled with the author’s narrative.

Early in this year that finds much of the United States and Canada frozen, we already have a top-quality original graphic novel. I hope that readers leave their usual favorite story worlds and take a trip to A Frozen World.

A-

https://www.facebook.com/AFrozenWorld
https://twitter.com/@afrozenworld
http://afrozenworld.com (the book is available for purchase on the author’s website)

Other reviews and commentary concerning A Frozen World:
http://www.comicsreporter.com/index.php/briefings/commentary/45606/

http://www.craveonline.com/comics/lists/617243-the-20-best-graphic-novels-of-2013

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.