Kamisama Kiss: The Shriden Maiden

I read Kamisama Kiss, Vol. 20

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin.  Follow me on Twitter and Tumblr or Grumble.  Support me on Patreon.

Review: STRANGE FRUIT #2

STRANGE FRUIT No. 2 (OF 4)
BOOM! Studios – @boomstudios

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITERS: J.G. Jones and Mark Waid
ARTIST: J.G. Jones
LETTERS: Deron Bennett
COVER: J.G. Jones
24pp, Colors, $3.99 U.S. (October 2015)

Suggested for mature readers

Strange Fruit is a four-issue comic book miniseries from comics creators, Mark Waid (Daredevil; Kingdom Come) and J.G. Jones (Wanted; Y: The Last Man).  According to publicity released by publisher BOOM! Studios, Strange Fruit is “a deeply personal passion project” and is a “provocative examination of the heroic myth confronting the themes of racism, cultural legacy, and human nature through a literary lens, drawing from Southern folklore and tradition.”

Strange Fruit is set in and around Chatterlee, Mississippi.  It is April 1927, during what would become known as the “Great Mississippi Flood of 1927.”  The Mississippi River is rising, threatening to break open the levees and destroy Chatterlee, after already washing away other “God-fearing” towns.  The race to shore up the levees is also threatening to break open the racial and social divisions of Chatterlee and the surrounding area.  Into this roiling situation, a mysterious Black man falls from the sky.

As Strange Fruit #2 opens, the mysterious (and tall and muscular) Black man enters Chatterlee, where he immediately scares all the White women and angers most of the White men.  Eventually, he finds residence in the town jail, where he is reunited with the agitatin' young Black man, Sonny, who has named the strapping mystery man, “Johnson.”  Meanwhile, another Black outsider believes that Johnson can save the town from the “mighty Mississippi.”

J.G. Jones is producing some of the most beautiful comic book art that I have ever seen, and until I see otherwise, I am calling his work on Strange Fruit the best of this year.  His cartooning of the human face is breathtaking, and his ability to give each and every character a different and unique face is something that is rare in comic books.  Jones' dexterity in portraying a variety of expressions, moods, emotions, etc. for each character further demonstrates that he is a master comic book artist and also a masterful graphical storyteller.

Overall, the series remains in a teasing mode about everything:  the mystery Black man, the missing boy, and especially some of the characters.  I wish this story settled on who the leads are, so that the narrative would seem a little less unsettled like the roiling river that threatens Chatterlee.  I'll toss those complaints aside for now because I cannot get enough of Jones and Waid's emerging masterpiece.

A

www.boom-studios.com

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

One Piece: Smile

I read One Piece, Vol. 77

I posted a review at the ComicBookBin.  Follow me on Twitter and Tumblr or at Grumble.  Support me on Patreon.

Review: HUCK #1

HUCK No. 1
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics

[This review originally appeared on Patreon.]

WRITER: Mark Millar – @mrmarkmillar
ARTIST: Rafael Albuquerque
COLORS: Dave McCaig
LETTERS: Nate Piekos of Blambot
COVER: Rafael Albuquerque
VARIANT COVER: Rafael Albuquerque
28pp, Color, $3.50 U.S. (November 2015)

Rated T / Teen

Huck is a new comic book series created by writer Mark Millar (Kick-Ass, Chrononauts) and artist Rafael Albuquerque (American Vampire).  The series focuses on a young man who essentially performs acts of super-heroism anonymously in a small town.

Huck #1 opens in rural Maine.  In a quiet seaside town, there are picket fences, farms, old-fashioned gas stations, and everyone knows everyone.  Life is a good, and it is made better by Huck, a young man of mysterious origins.  He humbly works at a gas station, but he has special gifts and physical abilities.  Each day, he uses his gifts, such as super-strength, to do a good deed.  His neighbors return his favors by keeping Huck's abilities a secret, but newcomers to the town see money in telling secrets.

When one considers writer Mark Millar's previous work on comic books like The Authority and his creation of such comics as Wanted and Kick-Ass, it not unreasonable to be shocked that Millar could write a first issue like Huck #1.  By turns sweet and sentimental, Huck #1 is like a retelling of the early years of Clark Kent, but by way of Mayberry instead of Metropolis.  Millar tries to create the spirit of genuine Americana, and maybe he can pull it off in a way two boys from Cleveland could not.

I have mixed feelings about artist Rafael Albuquerque's work in Huck #1.  Albuquerque is both a distinctive stylist and storyteller, but you could not tell that from the flat work he delivers in this debut issue.  Here and there, some moments stand out visually or graphically.  I hope that Albuquerque can do something special here, and perhaps, he will later in the series.  I get the feeling, however, that there are several comic book artists who could have done Huck #1 as good as or better than Albuquerque.

B+

http://www.millarworld.tv/

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for February 24, 2016

DC COMICS

DEC150221     AQUAMAN #49     $3.99
DEC150358     ART OPS #5 (MR)     $3.99
DEC150277     BATMAN AND ROBIN ETERNAL #21     $2.99
OCT150246     BATMAN ARKHAM KNIGHT HC VOL 02     $22.99
NOV150276     BIRDS OF PREY TP VOL 02     $19.99
DEC150224     CYBORG #8     $2.99
NOV150155     DARK KNIGHT III MASTER RACE #3     $5.99
DEC150315     DC COMICS ESSENTIALS BATMAN AND ROBIN #1     $1.00
DEC150227     DEATHSTROKE #15     $2.99
NOV150272     DEATHSTROKE TP VOL 02 GODKILLER     $14.99
DEC150231     FLASH #49     $3.99
DEC150283     GRAYSON #17     $3.99
DEC150305     HE MAN THE ETERNITY WAR #15     $2.99
DEC150360     JACKED #4 (MR)     $3.99
NOV150171     JUSTICE LEAGUE #48     $3.99
DEC150235     JUSTICE LEAGUE 3001 #9     $2.99
OCT150282     KILL YOUR BOYFRIEND VINAMARAMA DELUXE ED HC (MR)     $19.99
DEC150362     LAST GANG IN TOWN #3 (MR)     $3.99
DEC150310     MAD MAGAZINE #538     $5.99
NOV150264     MARTIAN MANHUNTER TP VOL 01 THE EPIPHANY     $14.99
DEC150240     SUICIDE SQUAD MOST WANTED DEADSHOT KATANA #2     $4.99
DEC150267     SUPERMAN #49     $3.99
DEC150269     SUPERMAN LOIS AND CLARK #5     $3.99
DEC150213     SUPERMAN THE COMING OF THE SUPERMEN #1     $3.99
DEC150264     SUPERMAN WONDER WOMAN #26     $3.99
DEC150248     TEEN TITANS #17     $2.99
DEC150291     WE ARE ROBIN #9     $3.99

Marvel Comics from Diamond Distributors for February 24, 2016

MARVEL COMICS

DEC150750     ALL NEW ALL DIFFERENT AVENGERS #6     $3.99
DEC150888     ALL NEW CAPTAIN AMERICA TP VOL 01 HYDRA ASCENDANT     $19.99
DEC150805     ALL NEW INHUMANS #4     $3.99
DEC158544     ALL NEW WOLVERINE #4 BENGAL 2ND PTG VAR     $3.99
DEC150847     ALL NEW X-MEN #5     $3.99
NOV150842     AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #1.3     $3.99
DEC150843     ANGELA QUEEN OF HEL #5     $3.99
DEC158548     ASTONISHING ANT-MAN #4 NAKAYAMA 2ND PTG VAR     $3.99
DEC150770     ASTONISHING ANT-MAN #5     $3.99
DEC158545     CAPTAIN AMERICA SAM WILSON #5 ACUNA 2ND PTG VAR     $3.99
DEC150832     DAREDEVIL #4     $3.99
DEC158546     DEADPOOL #6 KOBLISH 2ND PTG VAR     $3.99
DEC150903     DEADPOOL CLASSIC TP VOL 15 ALL REST     $34.99
DEC150780     DRAX #4     $3.99
DEC150885     GUARDIANS OF GALAXY AND X-MEN TP BLACK VORTEX     $39.99
DEC150863     GUIDEBOOK MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE MARVELS AVENGERS     $3.99
DEC150827     HERCULES #4     $3.99
DEC150900     HOWARD THE DUCK TP VOL 02 COMPLETE COLLECTION     $34.99
DEC150834     HOWLING COMMANDOS OF SHIELD #5     $3.99
DEC150871     KANAN #11     $3.99
SEP150795     KARNAK #2     $3.99
DEC150861     MARVEL UNIVERSE ULT SPIDER-MAN SPIDER-VERSE #4     $2.99
AUG150891     MMW CHAMPIONS HC VOL 01     $100.00
DEC150801     MOON GIRL AND DEVIL DINOSAUR #4     $3.99
DEC150830     PATSY WALKER AKA HELLCAT #3     $3.99
DEC158547     SECRET WARS #9 ALEX ROSS 2ND PTG VAR     $4.99
DEC150883     SIEGE BATTLEWORLD TP     $16.99
DEC150818     SILK #5     $3.99
DEC150822     SPIDER-MAN 2099 #7     $3.99
DEC150890     SPIDER-VERSE TP     $50.00
NOV150951     STAR WARS TP CHEWBACCA     $16.99
DEC150840     UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL #5     $3.99
DEC150782     VENOM SPACE KNIGHT #4     $3.99
DEC150746     X-MEN WORST X-MAN EVER #1     $3.99

IDW Publishing from Diamond Distributors for February 24, 2016

IDW PUBLISHING

DEC150457     BACK TO THE FUTURE #5     $3.99
DEC150471     BOY-1 TP     $19.99
NOV150463     CORTO MALTESE GN CELTIC TALES     $29.99
NOV150445     DANGER GIRL RENEGADE #4     $3.99
DEC150435     DIRK GENTLY A SPOON TOO SHORT #1     $3.99
DEC150504     DONALD & MICKEY DISNEY COMICS/STORIES 75TH ANNV COLL TP     $12.99
DEC150459     GHOSTBUSTERS INTERNATIONAL #2     $3.99
DEC150419     GI JOE IDW COLLECTION HC VOL 06     $49.99
DEC150520     HAUNTED HORROR #21     $4.99
DEC150519     HAUNTED LOVE #1     $4.99
DEC150488     JEM & THE HOLOGRAMS #12     $3.99
DEC150451     JUDGE DREDD (ONGOING) #3     $3.99
DEC150525     MAXX MAXXIMIZED #28     $3.99
DEC150454     ORPHAN BLACK HELSINKI #4     $3.99
AUG150425     SAM KEITH MAXX ARTIST ED HC     PI
DEC150497     SKYLANDERS SUPERCHARGERS #5     $3.99
DEC150443     STAR TREK NEW VISIONS TP VOL 03     $19.99
DEC150446     STAR TREK ONGOING #54     $3.99
DEC150398     STREET FIGHTER X GI JOE #1     $4.99
DEC150528     THE LAST FALL TP     $19.99
DEC150425     TMNT AMAZING ADVENTURES TP VOL 01     $17.99
DEC150431     TMNT ONGOING #55     $3.99
DEC150406     TRANSFORMERS #50     $7.99
DEC150416     TRANSFORMERS IDW COLL PHASE 2 HC VOL 03     $49.99
OCT150314     TRANSFORMERS ROBOTS IN DISGUISE A NEW MISSION TP     $7.99
DEC150420     TRANSFORMERS VS GI JOE #11     $3.99
DEC150439     WYNONNA EARP #1     $3.99