Review: NEW CHALLENGERS #1

NEW CHALLENGERS No. 1
DC COMICS – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Scott Snyder and Aaron Gillespie
PENCILS: Andy Kubert
INKS: Klaus Janson
COLORS: Brad Anderson
LETTERS: Deron Bennett
EDITOR: Rebecca Taylor
COVER: Andy Kubert with Brad Anderson
32pp, Color, $2.99 U.S. (July 2018)

Rated “T” for Teen

Challengers of the Unknown created by Jack Kirby

Part 1

DC Comics has launched a new superhero comic book initiative, “The New Age of DC Heroes,” coming out of its Dark Nights: Metal event miniseries.  This line of comic books will consist of eight new comic book series:  The Curse of Brimstone, Damage, The Immortal Men, Sideways, The Silencer, The Terrifics, The Unexpected, and the subject of this review, New Challengers.

New Challengers is the seventh release (with only The Unexpected still due).  The series is written by Scott Snyder and Aaron Gillespie; drawn by Andy Kubert (pencils) and Klaus Janson (inks); colored by Brad Anderson; and lettered by Deron Bennett.  New Challengers is a reboot of the Jack Kirby creation, Challengers of the Unknown.  This feature focused on group of adventurers that first appeared in Showcase #6 (cover dated: February 1957) and appeared off-and-on in various forms and in comic books over the next six decades.

New Challengers #1 takes place during the events depicted in Dark Nights: Metal.  Trina Alvarez, Robert Brink, Moses Barber, and a man who insists on being called “Krunch” are dead.  Their first post-mortem stop is Challengers Mountain, and now it is time for them to meet the mysterious “Professor,” or as he calls himself, “The Prof.”  He is giving these “misfit strangers” a second chance at life, but only if they obey the orders of the Prof and execute deadly missions in the most unexplored corners of the multiverse.  And before the first mission even begins, one them dies!

I can say that I am intrigued by New Challengers.  I am a fan of artist Andy Kubert and have been for almost three decades, so I tend to want to read any comic book that he draws.  However, although Kubert's pencil art is inked by the great Klaus Janson, this is far from being close to Kubert's best work  The page design is impressive, but the storytelling does not aspire to be anything more than professionally polished.  Brad Anderson covers Kubert-Janson's compositions in his shimmering, evocative colors.  Deron Bennett wrangles the Challengers Mountain worth of dialogue in this first issue with sterling lettering and graphic design.  So that does make things, from a graphical storytelling point of view, a little better.

Writers Scott Snyder and Aaron Gillespie tease as much as they leave things about this story vague.  I thought too much about this first issue was coy.  Would it have killed DC Comics to make all first issues of “New Age” titles double-sized?  New Challengers #1 definitely needs to be at least regular-size and a half.  Twenty pages is a joke; 30 pages would have made this a better first issue.  Honestly, as it is, New Challengers #1 is only a little above average, but I will try the second issue.

6 out of 10

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


The text is copyright © 2018 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

------------------------

Review: ZEITGEIST #1

ZEITGEIST No. 1
APPROBATION COMICS

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: B. Alex Thompson – @ApproBAT
ART: John River
COLORS: John River
LETTERS: B. Alex Thompson
EDITORS: B. Alex Thompson and John P. Ward
COVER: John River
36pp, Color, $4.99 U.S.

Rated: Teen 13+

Zeitgeist is a comic book series published by Approbation Comics.  It is written and lettered by Approbation boss, B. Alex Thompson, and drawn and colored by John River.  The series, which is told in an episodic style that mimics a Sunday newspaper comic strip, follows the misadventures of on-the-go twenty-somethings.

Zeitgeist #1 presents Strips 001 to 036.  This first issue opens in a large comic book store.  Employee Isabelle Fanning spies a customer handling a graphic novel in an appropriate and damaging manner.  After confronting the young man, she discovers that his name is Max Yeung, and he is a screenwriter.  After some witty repartee, it is decided that Isabelle will read a screenplay Max recently sold and give him feedback.  Truthfully, Isabelle is very attracted to Max, but a chance encounter with Isabelle's friend, Leah Winters, leads to hilarity.

The interior pages of Zeitgeist #1 are printed in the landscape format, so readers will have to read it as if they were flipping through a calendar.  When I first received a review copy of this comic book from Approbation, I was not sure if I was annoyed or not.  I prefer to read comic books the same way I normally do – left to right in the “portrait” layout.

Still, there was something about Zeitgeist that kept bugging me and attracting my attention, so I finally surrendered and read it.  Zeitgeist is good – really good.  It has a situation comedy (sitcom) quality and is somewhat similar to many of the popular television sitcoms of the last three decades that focus on groups of friends, including “Friends,” “How I Met Your Mother,” and Living Single,” to name a few.  B. Alex Thompson has created some especially likable characters; you will not have to read too far into the first issue to feel like you want to hang out with these characters.

Zeitgeist really seems to capture a defining spirit of modern times... or attempting to do so.

The art by John River is clean and expressive.  It is like a combination of the graphic styles found in alt-comix and college newspaper comic strips.  River uses minimal backgrounds, but they are still highly suggestive.  I found my imagination filling in the rest of the environments.  I think many readers will find themselves filling out the story by putting themselves in this comic book.

8 out of 10

www.ApprobationComics.com
www.AlexThompsonWriter.com

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


The text is copyright © 2018 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

-----------------------

Review: ZEITGEIST #2

ZEITGEIST No. 2
APPROBATION COMICS

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: B. Alex Thompson – @ApproBAT
ART: John River
COLORS: John River
LETTERS: B. Alex Thompson
EDITORS: B. Alex Thompson and John P. Ward
COVER: John River
36pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (2015 / February 17, 2016 – comiXology release date)

Rated: Teen 13+ /12+ comiXology rating

Zeitgeist is a comic book series published by Approbation Comics.  It is written and lettered by Approbation boss, B. Alex Thompson, and drawn and colored by John River.  The series is told in an episodic style that mimics a Sunday newspaper comic strip.  Zeitgeist follows the misadventures of on-the-go twenty-somethings:  Max Yeung, Isabelle Fanning, Leah Winters, and Cassie Washington.

Zeitgeist #2 presents Strips 037 to 072.  This second issue opens in the morning with Isabelle discovering a naked Max in Leah's apartment.  WTF?!  He booty was supposed to belong to Isabelle!  The day gets even worse when Isabelle discovers that the comic book store is closing, which means that she will be out of a job in probably less than two months.  To lighten the mood, Leah suggests dinner with her parents, which leads to revelations about the extent of her and Isabelle's relationship.  Plus, Max is determined to tag along.

The interior pages of Zeitgeist #2 are printed in the landscape format, so readers will have to read it as if they are flipping through a calendar, just as they did for the first issue.  When I first received a review copy of the first two issues of Zeitgeist from Approbation, I was not sure if I was annoyed or not.  I prefer to read comic books the same way I normally do – left to right in the “portrait” layout.

Well, after reading the second issue, I actually like this landscape slash Sunday newspaper comics page format.  I am surprised to find myself not only enjoying Zeitgeist, but also anticipating more of it.  It's like a version of all our favorite sitcoms about groups of friends, from “Seinfeld” and “Living Single” to copycats like “Friends” and “Will & Grace.”

The art by John River is clean and expressive, which serves the narrative's focus on dialogue and character interaction.  River's art has a knack for focusing on facial expression which makes the characters' emotions clear and gives heft to the character drama and comedy.  I think Zeitgeist is deserving of a larger readership, and I hope people head to comiXology to purchase an issue.

8 out of 10

Zeitgeist #2's ComiXology page.

www.ApprobationComics.com
www.AlexThompsonWriter.com

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


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

-----------------------------------------

Review: THE MAN OF STEEL #1

THE MAN OF STEEL No. 1 (2018)
DC COMICS – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

SCRIPT: Brian Michael Bendis
PENCILS: Ivan Reis; Jason Fabok (pp. 21-22)
INKS: Joe Prado; Jason Fabok (pp. 21-22)
COLORS: Alex Sinclair
LETTERS: Cory Petit
EDITOR: Michael Cotton
COVER: Ivan Reis and Joe Prado with Alex Sinclair
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (July 2018)

Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster

“Man of Steel “ Part 1

In November 2017, Marvel Comics' best writer of the last two decades, Brian Michael Bendis, ended his tenure with Marvel and signed an exclusive deal with Marvel's rival, DC Comics.  It was not long before rumors of Bendis focusing on the character Superman were burning up the e-grapevine.

After serving up a Superman tale in the anthology and milestone comic book, Action Comics #1000, Brian Michael Bendis officially begins his tenure as the lead writer of the Superman comic book line with the six-issue, weekly miniseries, The Man of Steel.  Each issue will feature a different art team, and the artists for the first issue are Ivan Reis (pencils) and Joe Prado (inks), with Jason Fabok drawing the story's last two pages (pp. 21-22).  Alex Sinclair colors, and Cory Petit letters.

The Man of Steel #1 opens sometime in the past when a being named “Rogol Zaar” declares that Krypton must destroyed.  Kryptonians mean to destroy the rest of the galaxy, according to Rogol, so they must be destroyed first.  Rogol believes he is just the being who can and should do the destroying.  Back in the present, Superman believes that he has discovered that arson is plaguing a particular section of Metropolis.  Meanwhile, Clark Kent deals with work and family, not realizing that a new threat to destroy him is emerging.

In late 1986, DC Comics published a special, event miniseries, entitled The Man of Steel.  Written and drawn by John Byrne, then one of the most popular and powerful comic book writer-artists, The Man of Steel re-imagined, rebooted, and modernized Superman.  After decades of stagnation up to the mid-1980s (according to some), the Superman comic book line needed a course correction.  Byrne's The Man of Steel was a seismic shift in terms of what a Superman comic book could and should be.

Brian Michael Bendis' The Man of Steel 2018 is quieter because it does not need to modernize Superman.  John Byrne already did that, beginning with The Man of Steel during his subsequent two-year run as writer-artist and writer on Superman, Action Comics, and The Adventures of Superman titles.  Since he does not have to modernize Superman, Bendis can focus on the character and personality of the Man of Steel.

Bendis presents Superman/Clark Kent as stoic and stalwart, but with a generous sense of humor.  I think that this Bendis Superman of the comic books is so like the cinematic Superman portrayed by beloved actor, the late Christopher Reeve.  Bendis's Superman is not so different from Patrick J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason's Man of Steel, as seen during their recent run on the flagship comic book, Superman, except the emotional component of Bendis' Superman/Clark Kent is a bit edgier, even with the humor present.

Apparently, from what I have read, Bendis is rewriting Superman's origins.  Still, 2018 The Man of Steel does not seem like a sea change in terms of Superman's world and fictional mythology the way the 1986 Byrne miniseries was and still is.  However, from a character and emotional point of view, Bendis may adding or changing something rather than fashioning a new Man of Steel

8.5 out of 10

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


The text is copyright © 2018 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

-----------------

BOOM! Studios from Diamond Distributors for June 26, 2019

BOOM! STUDIOS

JAN191414    ADVENTURE TIME JAKE TP    $9.99
APR191244    AVANT-GUARDS #6 (OF 12) MAIN    $3.99
APR191245    AVANT-GUARDS #6 (OF 12) PREORDER MCGEE VAR    $3.99
APR191230    BONE PARISH #10 (OF 12)    $3.99
FEB191260    CODA TP VOL 02    $14.99
MAR198801    MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS #40 FOC MORA VAR    $3.99
APR191199    MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS #40 FOIL MONTES VAR    $4.99
APR191198    MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS #40 MAIN    $3.99
APR191251    STEVEN UNIVERSE ONGOING #29 MAIN PENA CVR    $3.99
APR191252    STEVEN UNIVERSE ONGOING #29 PREORDER LOUGHRAN VAR    $3.99

Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for June 26, 2019

DARK HORSE COMICS

APR190254    AVATAR TSU TEYS PATH #5 CVR A WHEATLEY    $3.99
APR190255    AVATAR TSU TEYS PATH #5 CVR B STANDEFER    $3.99
APR190274    BAD LUCK CHUCK #4 (OF 4)    $3.99
FEB190389    BERSERK DELUXE EDITION HC VOL 02 (MR)    $49.99
APR190239    FIGHT CLUB 3 #6 CVR A MACK (MR)    $3.99
APR190240    FIGHT CLUB 3 #6 CVR B FAGAN (MR)    $3.99
FEB190388    HP LOVECRAFTS AT MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS TP VOL 01    $19.99
FEB190277    JOE GOLEM OCCULT DETECTIVE HC VOL 03 DROWNING CITY    $24.99
FEB190343    STEPHEN MCCRANIES SPACE BOY TP VOL 04    $10.99
APR190216    STRANGER THINGS SIX #2 CVR A BRICLOT    $3.99
APR190217    STRANGER THINGS SIX #2 CVR B GIST    $3.99
APR190218    STRANGER THINGS SIX #2 CVR C DAWN    $3.99
APR190219    STRANGER THINGS SIX #2 CVR D SATTERFIELD PHOTO    $3.99
FEB190342    USAGI YOJIMBO TP VOL 33 HIDDEN    $17.99

DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for June 26, 2019

DC COMICS

APR190436    ACTION COMICS #1012    $3.99
APR190437    ACTION COMICS #1012 VAR ED    $3.99
APR190444    BATMAN BEYOND #33    $3.99
APR190445    BATMAN BEYOND #33 VAR ED    $3.99
MAR190493    BATMAN DAMNED #3 (OF 3) (RES) (MR)    $6.99
MAR190494    BATMAN DAMNED #3 (OF 3) VAR ED (RES) (MR)    $6.99
APR198794    BATMAN LAST KNIGHT ON EARTH #1 (OF 3) 2ND PTG (MR)    $5.99
APR190456    BOOKS OF MAGIC #9 (MR)    $3.99
NOV180596    DARK KNIGHTS METAL BATMAN THE MERCILESS STATUE    $85.00
NOV180595    DC DESIGNER SER SUPERGIRL BY STANLEY LAU STATUE    $150.00
MAY190003    DC PREVIEWS #15 JULY 2019 EXTRAS    $PI
APR190466    DETECTIVE COMICS #1006    $3.99
APR190467    DETECTIVE COMICS #1006 VAR ED    $3.99
APR190463    DIAL H FOR HERO #4 (OF 6)    $3.99
APR190472    FLASH #73    $3.99
APR190473    FLASH #73 VAR ED    $3.99
APR190480    HIGH LEVEL #5 (MR)    $3.99
APR190482    JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #12    $3.99
APR190483    JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #12 VAR ED    $3.99
MAR190586    MAN OF STEEL BY BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS TP    $17.99
APR190491    MARTIAN MANHUNTER #6 (OF 12)    $3.99
APR190492    MARTIAN MANHUNTER #6 (OF 12) VAR ED    $3.99
MAR190590    OLD LADY HARLEY TP    $16.99
MAR190598    SANDMAN TP VOL 09 THE KINDLY ONE 30TH ANNIV ED (MR)    $19.99
APR190503    SILENCER #18    $3.99
APR198795    SUPERMAN LEVIATHAN RISING SPECIAL #1 2ND PTG    $9.99
FEB190469    TEEN TITANS RAVEN TP DC INK    $16.99
APR190510    TERRIFICS #17    $3.99
APR190516    WONDER WOMAN #73    $3.99
APR190517    WONDER WOMAN #73 VAR ED    $3.99