Monday, March 29, 2021

DC Comics from Lunar Distributors for March 30, 2021

DC COMICS:

Batman Catwoman #4 (Of 12)(Cover A Clay Mann), $4.99
Batman Catwoman #4 (Of 12)(Cover B Jim Lee & Scott Williams), $4.99
Batman Catwoman #4 (Of 12)(Cover C Travis Charest), $4.99
Batman’s Grave The Complete Collection HC, $39.99
Flash #768 (Cover A Brandon Peterson), $4.99
Flash #768 (Cover B Ian MacDonald), AR
Future State Superman Vs Imperious Lex #3 (Of 3)(Cover A Yanick Paquette), $3.99
Future State Superman Vs Imperious Lex #3 (Of 3)(Cover B David Nakayama Card Stock Variant), AR
Green Arrow 80 Years Of The Emerald Archer The Deluxe Edition HC, $29.99
John Constantine Hellblazer Volume 2 The Best Version Of You TP, $16.99
Justice League Odyssey Volume 4 Last Stand TP, $16.99
Other History Of The DC Universe #3 (Of 5)(Cover A Giuseppe Camuncoli & Marco Mastrazzo), $6.99
Other History Of The DC Universe #3 (Of 5)(Cover B Jamal Campbell), $6.99
Strange Adventures #9 (Of 12)(Cover A Mitch Gerads), $4.99
Strange Adventures #9 (Of 12)(Cover B Evan Doc Shaner), $4.99
Teen Titans Raven HC, $19.99



Saturday, March 27, 2021

#IReadsYou Review: KILLADELPHIA #7

KILLADELPHIA No. 7
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Rodney Barnes
ART: Jason Shawn Alexander
COLORS: Luis Nct
LETTERS: Marshall Dillon
LOGO/GRAPHIC DESIGN: Brent Ashe
EDITOR: Greg Tumbarello
COVER: Jason Shawn Alexander with Luis Nct
VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Skottie Young
28pp, Colors, 3.99 U.S.(August 2020)

Rated “M/ Mature”

“Burn Baby Burn” Part I: “Jupiter Rising”

Launched by Image Comics last year, Killadelphia is a comic book series from writer Rodney Barnes and artist Jason Shawn Alexander.  The series focuses on a police officer caught in a lurid conspiracy, one masterminded by the second president of the United States, John Adams.  A vampire, Adams made the corrupt, but historical city of Philadelphia vampire-ridden.  Colorist Luis Nct and letterer Marshall Dillon complete Killadelphia's creative team.

James “Jim” Sangster, Jr., a Baltimore Police Department, came home to Philly to deal with the final affairs of his recently murdered father, revered Philadelphia homicide detective, James Sangster, Sr.  But Senior was not dead; he was of the undead.  It took the son, the vampire father, the chief medical examiner (Jose Padilla), and a rebellious vampire (Tevin “See Saw” Thompkins) to lead the battle to save “the City of Brotherly Love” from a vampire apocalypse.

Killadelphia #7 (“Jupiter Rising”) opens six months after John Adams brought Philly to its knees, before his ultimate destruction.  Jimmy and Ms. Padilla are part of the front line forces that keep the bloodsuckers in check.  But what of the remnants of John Adams' family, the ones who waited patiently for centuries along with him?  What is Abigail, Adams' “widow,” up to up there on Chestnut Hill?

Plus, it is April 28, 1962 on the Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles, California.  Watts is on fire.  And the patrolman in Los Angeles Police Department Car 2713 is about to have a fatal encounter with a “suspicious Negro woman.”

THE LOWDOWN:  Killadelphia's first story line, “Sins of the Father,” was quite fantastic.  In six issues, the Killadelphia creative team established this comic book as maybe the best vampire comic book of the twenty-first century.

What writer Rodney Barnes offers in Killadelphia is what some of us readers wish we could find in Marvel's Blade comic books, but better creator-owned than being owned.  Barnes quickly switches gears and delivers a first chapter of the second story arc that may be as powerful as the opening act of the first story arc.  New readers don't need to have read the first six issues in order to understand Killadelphia #7, but they will want to because it is so... bloody good.

Artist Jason Shawn Alexander offers a little night music that promises to keep this dark fantasy fresh and full of possibilities.  His art goes for the throat, and with colorist Luis Nct throwing red hues after him, Alexander will make you love and be afraid of Killadelphia, as it should be.  After all, this is a horror comic book, but, as read under Marshall Dillon's lettering, the character and the drama will move this comic book and narrative beyond mere genre considerations.

Comic book news sites have been reporting a surge in sales for Killadelphia #7.  These new readers are about to get a treat, and maybe some of them will sock away a few copies in their coffins as an investment.  All the smart immortals are making their way to Killadelphia.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of vampire comic books and of exceptional dark fantasy will find that Killadelphia is an essential read.

10 out of 10

[This comic book includes the extra story, “Elysium Gardens” by Rodney Barnes, Jason Shawn Alexander, and Marshall Dillon

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

https://twitter.com/TheRodneyBarnes
https://twitter.com/jasonshawnalex
https://twitter.com/luisnct
https://twitter.com/MarshallDillon
https://twitter.com/ImageComics
https://imagecomics.com/
http://rodneybarnes.com/


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Friday, March 26, 2021

#IReadsYou Review: SPY X FAMILY Volume 2

SPY X FAMILY, VOL. 2
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: Tatsuya Endo
TRANSLATION/ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Casey Loe
LETTERS: Rina Mapa
EDITOR: Amy Yu
ISBN: 978-1-9747-1724-6; paperback (December 2020); Rated “T” for “Teen”
200pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Spy × Family is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tatsuya Endo.  It has been serialized biweekly for free on the Shōnen Jump+ application and website since March 25, 2019.  VIZ Media began publishing an English-language edition of the manga as a paperback graphic novel series under its “Shonen Jump” imprint in June 2020.

Spy × Family focuses on the mysterious master spy, “Twilight,” a man of a hundred faces with extraordinary combat, memory, and information processing skills.  His latest mission takes him from his native Westalis to its neighbor to the east, The People's Republic of Ostania.  To protect a fragile truce between Westalis and Ostania, he must get close to Donovan Desmond, a politician, and spy on his activities.  To do that, Twilight poses as a family man, “Loid Forger,” with a pretend-wife, Yor Briar, and an elementary school-age daughter named “Anya.”  Is Twilight finally in over his head?

Spy × Family, Vol. 2 (Chapters 6 to 11) opens at prestigious Eden Academy on its “Admissions Day.”  Now, Twilight and Yor will learn if Anya has been admitted to the school, which she must if Twilight is to be successful in his mission.  But Twilight may have done something that could cost the child admittance into Eden.

Later, Anya learns about the academy's system of merits (“Stella” or stars) and demerits (“Tonitrus bolts), the hard way.  Plus, Twilight plots “the Friendship Scheme” as a way for Anya to get close to her Eden classmate, Damian Desmond, the second son of Donovan Desmond.  However, the plan goes awry as soon as the two children meet.

[This volume includes the bonus manga, “Extra Mission 1;” “Spy × Family Confidential Files: Franky's Secret Files;” a bonus illustration; and “Anya's Favorite Things.”]

THE LOWDOWN:  The Spy × Family manga (which is apparently pronounced “Spy Family”) is a spy manga with a domestic twist.  The family part of the series is a story of growing love, and the spy part is edgy and filled with suspense.

Spy × Family Graphic Novel Volume 2 does two things.  First, it introduces new characters, including a classroom rival and also a best friend for Anya.  Creator Tatsuya Endo also provides a deeper look at some supporting cast members, including Henry Henderson, Headmaster at Eden Academy.  The second thing is that Endo reveals that the series' world of spies and Twilight's mission are more complicated than the first volume suggested.

Casey Loe's English-language adaptation captures the nuance of the dialogue, character relationships and drama, and the plot.  While Vol. 2 of Spy × Family is not as dialogue heavy as the first volume was, the narrative remains a complexity of different tones, both in drama and comedy.  Once upon a time, it would have been published under VIZ Media's “Shonen Jump Advanced” imprint, which is no longer used.  Spy × Family is no mere shonen manga, nor is it a battle manga.  The drama can be poignant, but the comedy can by seriously edgy.  I think this is a series to keep watching.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of secret agents and of international intrigue will want to spy on the “Shonen Jump” title Spy × Family.

A
8 out of 10

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


https://www.viz.com/
https://twitter.com/VIZMedia
https://www.instagram.com/vizmedia/
https://www.facebook.com/OfficialVIZMedia
https://www.snapchat.com/add/vizmedia


The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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

Amazon wants me to inform you that the link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the ad below AND buy something(s).


Thursday, March 25, 2021

#IReadsYou Book Review: STAR WARS: THE HIGH REPUBLIC: A Test of Courage

STAR WARS: THE HIGH REPUBLIC: A TEST OF COURAGE
DISNEY/Lucasfilm Press

[This review was originally posted on Patreon, and visit the "Star Wars Central" review page here.]

AUTHOR: Justina Ireland
ILLUSTRATOR: Petur Antonsson
COVER: Petur Antonsson
ISBN: 978-136805730-1; hardcover-reinforced binding (January 5, 2021)
256pp, B&W, $14.99 U.S., $19.99 CAN

Ages 8-12

Star Wars: The High Republic: A Test of Courage is a 2021 Star Wars novel from author Justina Ireland. Star Wars: The High Republic is an all-new storytelling initiative set in the world of Star Wars that will be targeted at multiple age groups of readers.  A Test of Courage focuses on a new Jedi Knight whose first assignment finds her and a small group of survivors shipwrecked on a strange moon.

Star Wars: The High Republic's saga takes place 200 years prior to the events depicted in the film, Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999), in an all-new time period.  The High Republic is set in an era when both the Galactic Republic and the Jedi Order are at the height of their power, serving and protecting the galaxy.  This is a hopeful and optimistic time, and the Republic and the Jedi are noble and respected.

Star Wars: The High Republic: A Test of Courage introduces Vernestra “Vern” Rwoh, a newly-minted Jedi Knight.  At the age of sixteen, she is one of the youngest ever, and she may be the first Padawan to pass her Jedi trials on her first attempt, as she did at the age of fifteen.  However, her first real mission for the Jedi Council, her first tasking as a Jedi Knight, feels an awful lot like babysitting.

Vernestra is at Port Haileap, where she has been charged with supervising 12-year-old aspiring inventor, Avon Starros.  The powerful Senator Ghirra Starros is also Avon's mother, and she sent her daughter to Haileap, which to Avon feels like a banishment.  Soon, Rwoh, Avon, and J-6 (Avon's droid) will leave Haileap on the “Steady Wing,” a cruiser headed to the dedication of a wondrous new space station called Starlight Beacon.

Soon into their journey, bombs go off aboard the cruiser. While the adult Jedi, Master Douglas, tries to save the ship, Vernestra, Avon, and J-6 join Imri Cantaros, Douglas's 14-year-old Padawan, and Honesty Weft, an ambassador’s son, and make it to a maintenance shuttle.  They escape the Steady Wing, but communications are out and supplies are low in the shuttle. They decide to land on a nearby moon, Wevo, which offers shelter but not much more.  And unbeknownst to Vernestra and company, danger lurks in the forest; the Steady Wing's saboteurs are also on the moon; and the darkness calls to some of them....

THE LOWDOWN:  Star Wars: The High Republic: A Test of Courage is one of the three novels that are part of Star Wars: The High Republic.  I have already read Star Wars: The High Republic: Light of the Jedi, the “adult readers” novel of the three.  As much as I enjoyed Light of the Jedi, I find myself utterly thrilled by Star Wars: The High Republic: A Test of Courage.

The main reason for that is that I think that author Justina Ireland focuses more on character development and on the personalities of the characters.  Ireland uses her characters' thoughts and internal dialogue to reveal their inner turmoil.  For instance, readers know how much his home planet of Dalna and its culture mean to Honesty Weft and how that brings him into conflict with others and especially with himself.  Ireland makes us feel Honesty's grief and guilt, which makes his heroic arc engage the readers.

Ireland makes the readers feel the doubts and struggles of the Jedi, especially in the case of Imri Cantaros, although even the Jedi prodigy, Vernestra, still questions her own methods and the decisions she makes.  Ireland also makes young Avon Starros the kind of curious and inventive explorer of science and tech that could star in her own science fiction series.  I hope to see all these characters again.

I am decades older than A Test of Courage's target age group, but I had a blast reading it.  Once I got into it, I could not stop.  I wish I had Star Wars: The High Republic: A Test of Courage to read when I was a teen reader, but I can enjoy it now.  Author Justina Ireland has written a Star Wars novel that captures all that is the light that draws fans to the many worlds of Star Wars.  I hope to read more High Republic stories written by Ireland.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Young Star Wars fans will want to read Star Wars: The High Republic: A Test of Courage.

10 out of 10

[This book contains a 12-page preview of the upcoming novel, Star Wars: The High Republic: Race to Crashpoint Tower by Daniel José Older.]

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



https://www.starwars.com/the-high-republic
https://twitter.com/starwars
https://www.starwars.com/
https://books.disney.com/book-author/lucasfilm-press/
https://twitter.com/disneybooks
https://www.youtube.com/disneybooks
https://www.instagram.com/disneybooks/
https://twitter.com/justinaireland


The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Tuesday, March 23, 2021

#IReadsYou Review: THE SCUMBAG #1

THE SCUMBAG No. 1
IMAGE COMICS – @ImageComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Rick Remender
ART: Lewis Larosa
COLORS: Moreno Dinisio
LETTERS: Rus Wooton
DESIGN: Erika Schnatz
EDITOR: Will Dennis
COVER: Lewis Larosa with Moreno Dinisio
VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Andrew Robinson
28pp, Colors, 3.99 U.S. (January 2020)

Rated “M/ Mature”

“Jazz Apple Armageddon,” Part One


The Scumbag is a new comic book series from writer Rick Remender and artist Lewis Larosa.  Described as a “comedy espionage series” by publisher, Image Comics, The Scumbag's tagline reads, “The fate of the world rests in the hands of the worst person on it!”  Colorist Moreno Dinisio and letterer Rus Wooton complete the book's creative team.

The Scumbag #1 opens in New York City.  There, we meet Ernie Ray Clementine.  He is a rundown, raggedy, filthy man.  He is a profane, illiterate, drug-addicted biker and ne'er-do-well with a fifth-grade education.  But thanks to a power-imbuing serum called “the Formula Maxima,” Ernie will be the only thing standing between humanity and total Armageddon... because he has suddenly become the world's most powerful super-spy.

THE LOWDOWN:  I don't have a lot to say about The Scumbag #1.  I like the art team of Lewis Larosa and Moreno Dinisio, which delivers some pretty art.  These illustrations remind me of the painted comic book art found in some entries in the old “Marvel Comics Graphic Novels” line.  Rus Wooton's lively letters capture this series' comedy and spy-spoof humor.

I have enjoyed what few Rick Remender comic books I have read, and I find myself really enjoying The Scumbag #1.  No fan of Remender can afford to skip reading the first issue of The Scumbag, which some are speculating will be the next Deadpool.  That's all I have to say... except that I am determined to read The Scumbag #2.  I don't know about it being like Deadpool, but it has the potential to offer a brief respite from the traumas of the world with some regularly delivered salacious fun.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Rick Remender, of mature comedy, and of reprobate-type anti-hero lead characters will want The Scumbag.

7.5 out of 10

Tuesday, October 20, 2020


https://twitter.com/Remender
http://www.giantgenerator.com/
https://twitter.com/lewislarosa
https://twitter.com/ImageComics
https://imagecomics.com/


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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

Amazon wants me to inform you that the link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the ad below AND buy something(s).


Monday, March 22, 2021

BOOM! Studios from Diamond Distributors for March 24, 2021

BOOM! STUDIOS

JAN210982    DUNE HOUSE ATREIDES #5 (OF 12) CVR A CAGLE    $4.99
JAN210983    DUNE HOUSE ATREIDES #5 (OF 12) CVR B TOCCHINI    $4.99
JAN210944    FIREFLY BRAND NEW VERSE #1 CVR A KHALIDAH    $4.99
JAN210945    FIREFLY BRAND NEW VERSE #1 CVR B FISH    $4.99
JAN210946    FIREFLY BRAND NEW VERSE #1 CVR C BLANK SKETCH CVR    $4.99
DEC209327    FIREFLY BRAND NEW VERSE #1 CVR G UNLOCKABLE VAR    $4.99
DEC209328    FIREFLY BRAND NEW VERSE #1 CVR H UNLOCKABLE VAR    $4.99
JAN210970    ONCE & FUTURE #17 CVR A MORA    $3.99
JAN210931    POWER RANGERS #5 CVR A SCALERA    $3.99
JAN210932    POWER RANGERS #5 CVR B LEGACY VAR DI NICUOLO    $3.99
JAN210933    POWER RANGERS #5 CVR C BLANK SKETCH CVR    $3.99
DEC201076    WE ONLY FIND THEM WHEN THEY ARE DEAD TP VOL 01 DISCOVER NOW    $9.99



Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for March 24, 2021

DARK HORSE COMICS

JAN210264    BARBALIEN RED PLANET #5 (OF 5) CVR A WALTA    $3.99
JAN210265    BARBALIEN RED PLANET #5 (OF 5) CVR B ROBLES    $3.99
AUG208567    BLACKSAD HC AMARILLO    $19.99
NOV200193    BPRD HELL ON EARTH TP VOL 01    $29.99
JAN210250    CRIMSON FLOWER #3 (OF 4) CVR A LESNIEWSKI    $3.99
JAN210251    CRIMSON FLOWER #3 (OF 4) CVR B SAUVAGE    $3.99
OCT200343    CYBERPUNK 2077 JACKIE WELLES 10 IN FIG    $49.99
OCT200344    CYBERPUNK 2077 V-FEMALE 10 IN FIG    $49.99
NOV200248    EARTH BOY TP    $12.99
SEP208037    ELFQUEST FINAL QUEST TP VOL 03 (NEW PTG)    $19.99
SEP208038    ELFQUEST FINAL QUEST TP VOL 04 (NEW PTG)    $19.99
APR200382    KILL WHITEY DONOVAN TP    $19.99
JAN210241    LADY BALTIMORE WITCH QUEENS #1 (OF 5) (RES)    $3.99
NOV200240    ORVILLE SEASON 2.5 TP    $19.99
NOV200234    SPY ISLAND TP    $19.99
DEC200283    YOUTH TP    $19.99