Gangsta: War of the Twilights

I read Gangsta., Vol. 2

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin, which is in need of donations.  Follow me on Twitter and visit my Indiegogo campaign.

I Reads You Review: SUICIDE SQUAD: Amanda Waller #1

SUICIDE SQUAD: AMANDA WALLER #1
DC COMICS – @DCComics

WRITER: Jim Zub
PENCILS: André Coelho
INKS: Scott Hanna
COLORS: Andrew Dalhouse
LETTERS: Carlos M. Mangual
COVER: Giuseppe Camuncoli with Blond
48pp, Color, $4.99 U.S.

Rating “T+” Teen Plus

Amanda Waller created by John Ostrander and John Byrne

“Sacrifice in the Storm”

Dr. Amanda Blake Waller, or simply, “Amanda Waller,” is a DC Comics character.  Waller first appeared in Legends #1 (1986) and was created by John Ostrander and John Byrne.  [Ostrander plotted the series, while Len Wein wrote the script.]  Waller does not possess super-powers, but she has been and is a powerful ally/antagonist of the DC Comics superheroes, as well as being an antihero.

In The New 52, the restart of the DC Comics Universe, Waller is the commander of the Suicide Squad (or “Task Force X”), a team of super-villains.  Members of the squad take on risky missions in exchange for time served.  The team’s base of operations is Belle Reve Penitentiary, a special prison for meta-humans and super-villains located in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana.  Waller chooses the Suicide Squad’s membership and basically has the power of life and death over those members.  The New 52 Amanda Waller is a slim, attractive young woman, whereas the original version of her was a portly, older African-American woman.

Suicide Squad: Amanda Waller #1 is a one-shot comic book set after the events depicted in Suicide Squad #24 (The New 52 series, of course).  Entitled “Sacrifice in the Storm,” the story finds Amanda Waller confronting a super-powered attacker and focuses on the decisions she has to make in order to save some lives.

The story opens with Waller traveling aboard a U.S. Air Force plane with a military escort.  She is negotiating the cooperation of Dr. Algot Issen, who has developed genetic testing equipment that not only classifies super-powered beings, but also offers the opportunity to control them.  However, an entity from Dr. Issen’s past, called Kriger-3, has come back for some payback.  Now, Waller has to make the tough decisions that will decide who dies and who survives … if anyone survives.

When a young actor is hot… well, let’s be honest… When a young white male actor starts getting hot, the major Hollywood studios/corporations (Warner Bros., FOX, Universal, etc.) will find a “star vehicle” for this hot stuff.  A “star vehicle” is some kind of action movie or comedy with an uncomplicated plot, but has an interesting idea (once called a “high concept”).  Basically, it’s a chance for YWM (young white male) to showcase whatever it is about him that might make him a movie star.

The movie will feature a young (usually) white actress as a sidekick slash arm candy slash girl who probably gives him some booty (off-screen or on-screen, depending on the rating).  This film will have a mixture of respected older actors, venerable character actors, and actors (regardless of age) who specialize in playing such supporting characters as best friends, sassy friend-girls, kooky coworkers, etc.

Disturbia was a star vehicle for Shia LaBeouf.  Most of the films in Channing Tatum’s filmography of the last six or seven years are star vehicles.  Enemy of the State was a star vehicle for Will Smith (one of the Negro exceptions in Hollywood).

Suicide Squad: Amanda Waller #1 could be seen as a star vehicle for a fictional character.  To be honest, I only picked up this comic book because I am a fan of writer Jim Zub’s work on IDW Publishing’s Samurai Jack comic book.  [And Black Jesus knows DC Comics acts as if it would kill them to hire a Black writer to write about a Black character.]

Anyway, I think Amanda Waller makes an excellent choice to star in her own series or occasional miniseries, one-shot, or original graphic novel, especially if Jim Zub were the writer.  Zub’s story focuses on Waller, but is also told in the context of Suicide Squad’s central idea – imprisoning super-villains and sending them on deadly missions no one else would take and Waller’s part in that.

Zub sends Waller on a mission that is dangerous in every sense of the word.  To live, she has to make some brutal choices, and no, I won’t spoil the story by listing them.  I can say that to stay alive, Waller has to go to the heart of darkness and his cousin, ugly.  I am not saying that this is great work.  In some ways, it is merely professionally executed – nothing particularly special.  However, this story does mix internal character conflict and explosive superhero action quite well.

The art by André Coelho (pencils), Scott Hanna (inks) and Andrew Dalhouse (colors) is good.  The colors heighten the drama and beauty of the compositions with its clean line and “exacto” inking.  The storytelling, however, rests on Jim Zub’s efforts, so I hope we get more Suicide Squad: Amanda Waller, with the right storyteller.

B+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

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

DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for May 21 2014

DC COMICS

MAR140281 AMERICAN VAMPIRE SECOND CYCLE #3 (MR) $2.99
JAN140355 BATGIRL HC VOL 04 WANTED (N52) $24.99
FEB140247 BATGIRL TP VOL 03 DEATH OF THE FAMILY (N52) $16.99
MAR140244 BATMAN 66 #11 $3.99
MAR140218 BATMAN AND FRANKENSTEIN #31 $2.99
MAR140243 BATMAN BEYOND UNIVERSE #10 $3.99
FEB140258 BATMAN DEATHBLOW AFTER THE FIRE TP $14.99
MAR140210 BATMAN ETERNAL #7 $2.99
MAR140205 BATMAN SUPERMAN #11 $3.99
MAR140207 BATMAN SUPERMAN #11 COMBO PACK $4.99
MAR140220 BATWOMAN #31 $2.99
MAR140226 BIRDS OF PREY #31 $2.99
JAN140326 BLACK CANARY AND ZATANNA BLOODSPELL HC $22.99
FEB140292 EX MACHINA TP BOOK 02 (MR) $19.99
JAN140237 FOREVER EVIL #7 $4.99
JAN140242 FOREVER EVIL #7 COMBO PACK $5.99
MAR140236 GREEN LANTERN NEW GUARDIANS #31 $2.99
MAR140224 HARLEY QUINN #6 $2.99
FEB140149 JUSTICE LEAGUE #30 (EVIL) $3.99
FEB140151 JUSTICE LEAGUE #30 COMBO PACK (EVIL) $4.99
FEB140152 JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #14 (EVIL) $3.99
FEB140154 JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #14 COMBO PACK (EVIL) $4.99
FEB140255 MOVEMENT TP VOL 01 CLASS WARFARE (N52) $14.99
MAR140167 NEW 52 FUTURES END #3 (WEEKLY) $2.99
MAR140229 RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #31 $2.99
MAR140248 SCRIBBLENAUTS UNMASKED CRISIS OF IMAGINATION #5 $2.99
FEB140262 SHOWCASE PRESENTS SUPER FRIENDS TP VOL 01 $19.99
MAR140230 SINESTRO #2 $2.99
MAR140204 SUPERGIRL #31 $2.99
MAR140189 TRINITY OF SIN PANDORA #11 $2.99
MAR140294 UNWRITTEN VOL 2 APOCALYPSE #5 (MR) $3.99
MAR140194 WONDER WOMAN #31 $2.99

Marvel Comics from Diamond Distributors for May 21 2014

MARVEL COMICS

FEB140847 A PLUS X TP VOL 03 EQUALS OUTSTANDING $17.99
MAR140671 ALL NEW DOOP #2 ANMN $3.99
MAR148148 ALL NEW GHOST RIDER #2 2ND PTG MOORE VAR $3.99
MAR140732 ALL NEW X-FACTOR #8 $3.99
FEB140846 ALL NEW X-MEN TP VOL 03 OUT OF THEIR DEPTH $19.99
MAR140641 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #2 ANMN $3.99
FEB140863 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN EPIC COLLECTION TP GHOSTS OF PAST $34.99
MAR140730 AMAZING X-MEN #7 $3.99
MAR140687 AVENGERS WORLD #6 $3.99
MAR140652 DAREDEVIL #3 ANMN $3.99
MAR140744 DEADPOOL ANNUAL #2 $4.99
FEB140851 DEADPOOL TP VOL 04 DEADPOOL VS SHIELD $15.99
MAR140658 ELEKTRA #2 ANMN $3.99
MAR140656 HULK #3 ANMN $3.99
FEB140858 IMMORTAL IRON FIST COMPLETE COLLECTION TP VOL 02 $39.99
FEB140855 LONGSHOT SAVES MARVEL UNIVERSE TP $14.99
MAR140666 MAGNETO #4 ANMN $3.99
FEB140853 MARVEL KNIGHTS HULK TP TRANSFORME $14.99
MAR140680 MIRACLEMAN #6 $4.99
MAR140721 NOVA #17 $3.99
FEB140848 NOVA TP VOL 03 NOVA CORPSE $16.99
MAR140627 ORIGINAL SIN #2 $3.99
OCT130740 POWERS BUREAU #10 (MR) $3.95
MAR140740 SAVAGE WOLVERINE #19 $3.99
MAR140708 THOR GOD OF THUNDER #22 $3.99
MAR140700 ULTIMATE FF #2 $3.99
MAR140737 UNCANNY X-MEN #21 $3.99
MAR140741 WOLVERINE AND X-MEN #4 $3.99
FEB140859 X-FACTOR BY PETER DAVID TP VOL 02 COMPLETE COLLECTION $34.99
MAR140729 X-MEN #14 $3.99

IDW Publishing from Diamond Distributors for May 21 2014

IDW PUBLISHING

MAR140453 7TH SWORD #2 $3.99
MAR140450 DANGER GIRL MAYDAY #2 $3.99
MAR140387 DEXTERS LABORATORY #2 $3.99
FEB140355 GENIUS ANIMATED CARTOON ART OF ALEX TOTH HC VOL 03 $49.99
MAR140457 INDESTRUCTIBLE #6 $3.99
MAR140396 LITTLEST PET SHOP #1 $3.99
MAR140400 MONSTER & MADMAN #3 $3.99
MAR140390 MY LITTLE PONY FRIENDS FOREVER #5 $3.99
MAR140375 POPEYE CLASSICS ONGOING #22 $3.99
MAR140427 ROGUE TROOPER #4 $3.99
MAR140452 STAR MAGE #2 $3.99
MAR140438 STAR SLAMMERS REMASTERED #3 $3.99
MAR140369 STAR TREK KHAN TP $19.99
FEB140447 THUNDER AGENTS #8 $3.99
MAR140341 TMNT 30TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL $7.99
MAR140426 TRANSFORMERS MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE TP VOL 01 NEW PTG $19.99
MAR140425 TRANSFORMERS ROBOTS IN DISGUISE TP VOL 01 NEW PTG $19.99
MAR140421 TRANSFORMERS WINDBLADE #2 DAWN O/T AUTOBOTS $3.99
MAR140402 V-WARS #2 $3.99

Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for May 21 2014

DARK HORSE COMICS

MAR140040 1 FOR $1 DRAGON AGE SILENT GROVE #1 $1.00
MAR140098 AXE COP AMERICAN CHOPPERS #1 $3.99
MAR140081 BPRD HELL ON EARTH #119 $3.50
MAR140044 BRAIN BOY MEN FROM GESTALT #1 $2.99
MAR140076 BTVS SEASON 10 #3 MAIN CVR $3.50
MAR140047 DARK HORSE PRESENTS #36 (MR) $7.99
JAN140156 MIND MGMT HC VOL 03 HOME MAKER $19.99
JAN140195 SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN TP VOL 16 $19.99
MAR140018 STAR WARS DARTH MAUL SON OF DATHOMIR #1 $3.50
JAN140182 STAR WARS LEGACY II TP VOL 02 OUTCASTS BROKEN RING $19.99
MAR140039 WITCHER #3 $3.99

Image Comics from Diamond Distributors for May 21 2014

IMAGE COMICS

MAR140613 A VOICE IN THE DARK #7 (MR) $3.99
MAR140563 ARTIFACTS #37 $3.99
FEB140598 EAST OF WEST #12 $3.50
MAR140575 GHOSTED #10 (MR) $2.99
FEB140476 INVINCIBLE #111 (MR) $2.99
FEB140529 MANHATTAN PROJECTS TP VOL 04 FOUR DISCIPLINES $14.99
MAR140579 MERCENARY SEA #4 $2.99
NOV130509 MIND THE GAP #17 CVR A ESQUEJO $2.99
NOV130510 MIND THE GAP #17 CVR B FRISON $2.99
MAR140468 MPH #1 CVR A FEGREDO $2.99
MAR140469 MPH #1 CVR B JOCK $2.99
MAR140470 MPH #1 CVR C BLANK $2.99
OCT130611 PROPHET #44 $3.99
DEC130590 ROCKET GIRL #5 $3.50
MAR140517 SAGA #19 (MR) $2.99
MAR140611 UNDERTOW #4 CVR A TRAKHANOV (MR) $2.99
MAR140612 UNDERTOW #4 CVR B WYATT (MR) $2.99
DEC130602 VELVET #5 (MR) $2.99
MAR140614 ZERO #8 (MR) $2.99