I Reads You Presents "I Reads You Juniors" - Update #5

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From Newsarama:  There will be some shipping delays for the Batman/Flash crossover event, "The Button."

From BleedingCool:  Comic book legend, George Perez, doing better after recent health scare.

From io9:  There is a documentary about Batman's co-creator, Bill Finger, on Hulu.

From CBR:  Stan Lee has a cameo in the new FOX X-Men TV series, which may be called "Gifted," and has apparently started shooting.

From CBR:  Kevin Melrose talks about the Chris Claremont-inspiration of the new X-Men comic book series, "X-Men: Gold."

BLURB REVIEW:  THE WILD STORM #3 (DC Comics – June 2017) by Warren Ellis and Jon Davis-Hunt with Steve Buccellato

Well, it's the return of an “unaffiliated covert action team,” a “wild CAT.”  Get it?  The Wild Storm continues to pay off on the promise of its first issue, and it may end up being one of DC Comics' best series – if not the very best.  There is a slight problem, if I may.  Even at 22 pages in length, The Wild Storm #3 seems like a sip of water of a longer story, not enough to quench the reader's thirst.  That is the problem with modern comic book serials.  Each chapter of a story is a single issue of a comic book, and often, that single issue is either redundant story padding or is like an abbreviated chapter cut-off in the middle of an important sequence.  I guess that is why many readers simply “wait for the trade.”

Kickin' it adverbial, this comic book is an example of Warren-Ellis-when-he-is-really-good, so I highly recommend The Wild Storm.

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Review: THE UNSTOPPABLE WASP #2

THE UNSTOPPABLE WASP No. 2
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

STORY: Jeremy Whitley – @jrome58
ART: Elsa Charretier
COLORS: Megan Wilson
LETTERS: VC's Joe Caramagna
COVER: Elsa Charretier with Nicolas Bannister
VARIANT COVER: Tony Fleecs
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (April 2017)

Rated “T+”

The Wasp a.k.a. Janet van Dyne is a Marvel Comics female super hero, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.  First appearing in Tales to Astonish #44 (cover dated:  June 1963), The Wasp is usually depicted as having the ability to shrink to a height of several centimeters; fly by means of insectoid wings; and fire bio-electric energy blasts.  The Wasp is also a founding member of the Avengers.

After Janet van Dyne, there was another version of The Wasp, Hope Pym, also known as the Red Queen and the Wasp.  Hope is the daughter of Hank Pym, the original Ant-Man.  Of course, Marvel has an alternate universe version of Hope Pym, and her name is Nadia, who is now in the main Marvel Universe.  She is the daughter of Hank Pym and Maria Trovaya.  Nadia is the star of the new Marvel comic book series, The Unstoppable Wasp.  It is written by Jeremy Whitley; drawn by Elsa Charretier; colored by Megan Wilson; and lettered by Joe Caramagna.

The Unstoppable Wasp #2 opens as Nadia continues her quest to build “G.I.R.L.” (Genius in Action Research Labs).  This is an organization “dedicated to finding the brilliant girls and women who will not just save the world, but change it.” First stop, meet Taina Miranda, before moving on to Lunella Lafayette a.k.a. “Moon Girl.”  But Nadia's past is about to make a reappearance.

I enjoyed the first issue of The Unstoppable Wasp comic book.  I had a few reservations, but everything makes sense after reading this second issue.  That's crazy because it is hard to believe that a comic book has its act together or seems fully formed after only two issues.

Perhaps, the secret is in writer Jeremy Whitley's characterization of Nadia/The Unstoppable Wasp.  She is self-assured, although not fully formed.  She is determined to make her place in the world by not having to wash a man's drawers, bake him cookies, or get him a beer.  In fact, Nadia believes that her place in the world is to make sure other girls and women have a place in the world where they can be the best they can be (or even better than that).  This is comic book where the female characters don't get together to talk about what the man is doing.  At some point, I may have to call this something like brilliant, even if I don't use that word.

Artist Elsa Charretier vivid compositions and boisterous storytelling is well served by Megan Wilson's bright colors.  The Charretier-Wilson team marries the retro-style of Daniel Clowes' Ghost World with the pop charm of Darwyn Cooke, and that is a good thing.

A

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


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Review: MIDNIGHT OF THE SOUL #1

MIDNIGHT OF THE SOUL No. 1
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics

WRITER/ARTIST: Howard Chaykin
COLORS: Jesus Aburtov
LETTERS: Ken Bruzenak
COVER: Howard Chaykin with Jesus Aburtov
28pp, Color, $3.50 U.S. (June 2016)

Rated “M / Mature”

Midnight of the Soul is a new comic book miniseries from Howard Chaykin.  The series is set in 1950 and is written and drawn by Chaykin; colored by Jesus Aburtov; and lettered by Ken Bruzenak.

Midnight of the Soul #1 opens in New York City, 1950.  Joel Breakstone is a former G.I. who served in World War II and was one of the liberators of the infamous internment camp at Auschwitz.  Joel is also a pile of seriously damaged good, formerly addicted to morphine and currently addicted to alcohol.  He recalls his wartime experiences as he struggles to be a writer of alternate-universe science fiction.  With his life cratering, Joel is ready for change.

As a youngster, I was a fan of Chaykin's seminal and influential 1980s science fiction comic book series, American Flagg!!  I also fell hard for Chaykin's other 1980s work, especially The Shadow, a four-issue reboot of the classic pulp magazine hero for DC Comics.  To a lesser extent, I also enjoyed Blackhawk, his re-imagining of the Golden Age, adventure comic, Blackhawks (also for DC Comics).  I also read and re-read Chaykin's noir-infused, black and white, porno-mystery comic, Black Kiss.

After those classics, I found other Howard Chaykin comic books to enjoy, but none brought me the sheer joy I got from his 1980s comics.  I have not gotten around to reading his recent output, especially the work published by Image Comics.  I only read one issue of his murder mystery comic book series, Satellite Sam (created with writer Matt Fraction).  I read the entirety of Blade, which stars Marvel's vampire-killin' Black dude, which Chaykin drew, but did not write.

This is the long way of saying that I never stopped being interested in Howard Chaykin and still read his comics when I can find them.  So I am curious about Midnight of the Soul.  Chaykin buries the reader in the morass that is Joel Breakstone, and, in my case, I am ready to take a journey into or to wherever he is going.

After four decades of producing comic books and graphical storytelling, Chaykin still has it.  He has mastered the medium, creating a unique graphical language with its own captivating rhythm.  Graphic design, page layout, and composition create panels that are individually striking and collectively intriguing.  I don't know if Midnight of the Soul will ultimately be an ambitious misfire or a standout, but the creator is exceptional.  That makes reading this comic book worth the time.

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


The text is copyright © 2016 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for April 26, 2017

DC COMICS

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Marvel Comics from Diamond Distributors for April 26, 2017

MARVEL COMICS

FEB170945    ANAD MARVEL READING CHRONOLOGY #1 (BUNDLE OF 25)    $0.01
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IDW Publishing from Diamond Distributors for April 26, 2017

IDW PUBLISHING

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Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for April 26, 2017

DARK HORSE COMICS

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