Image Comics from Diamond Distributors for October 30, 2019

IMAGE COMICS
JUL190099    BLACK SCIENCE TP VOL 09 NO AUTHORITY BUT YOURSELF (MR)    $16.99
AUG190038    CHRONONAUTS FUTURESHOCK #1 (OF 4) CVR A FERRY (MR)    $3.99
AUG190039    CHRONONAUTS FUTURESHOCK #1 (OF 4) CVR B FERRY (MR)    $3.99
AUG190040    CHRONONAUTS FUTURESHOCK #1 (OF 4) CVR C CHAREST (MR)    $3.99
AUG190041    CHRONONAUTS FUTURESHOCK #1 (OF 4) CVR D CANETE (MR)    $3.99
AUG190042    CHRONONAUTS FUTURESHOCK #1 (OF 4) CVR E NOWLAN (MR)    $3.99
AUG190043    CHRONONAUTS FUTURESHOCK #1 (OF 4) CVR F BLANK CVR (MR)    $3.99
AUG190044    CHRONONAUTS FUTURESHOCK #1 (OF 4) CVR G MACUTAY (MR)    $3.99
AUG190047    CHRONONAUTS FUTURESHOCK #2 (OF 4) CVR A FERRY (MR)    $3.99
AUG190048    CHRONONAUTS FUTURESHOCK #2 (OF 4) CVR B B&W FERRY (MR)    $3.99
AUG190049    CHRONONAUTS FUTURESHOCK #3 (OF 4) CVR A FERRY (MR)    $3.99
AUG190050    CHRONONAUTS FUTURESHOCK #3 (OF 4) CVR B B&W FERRY (MR)    $3.99
AUG190051    CHRONONAUTS FUTURESHOCK #4 (OF 4) CVR A FERRY (MR)    $5.99
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AUG198881    COPRA #1 2ND PTG (MR)    $3.99
AUG198880    DEAD EYES #1 2ND PTG (MR)    $3.99
AUG198879    DIE #8 2ND PTG (MR)    $3.99
AUG190127    HIT-GIRL TP VOL 05 (MR)    $14.99
JUL190134    KICK-ASS #18 CVR A FRUSIN (MR)    $3.99
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AUG190112    STREET ANGEL DEADLIEST GIRL ALIVE TP    $19.99
APR190207    WITCHBLADE #16 (MR)    $3.99

Marvel Comics from Diamond Distributors for October 30, 2019

MARVEL COMICS

AUG198564    AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #30 2ND PTG OTTLEY VAR AC    $3.99
AUG191157    AMAZING SPIDER-MAN TP RED GOBLIN    $24.99
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AUG191150    DEADPOOL BY SKOTTIE YOUNG TP VOL 03 WEASEL GOES TO HELL    $15.99
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AUG191164    X-MEN STARJAMMERS BY DAVE COCKRUM TP    $39.99
AUG191166    X-MEN TRIAL OF JUGGERNAUT TP    $34.99

Comics, Magazines and Books from Diamond Distributors for October 30, 2019

COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS

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AUG191968    ALGERNON BLACKWOODS WILLOWS GN (MR)    $12.95
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MAGAZINES
AUG191828    CINEFEX #167    $12.50
AUG191845    COMIC SHOP NEWS [90CT BUNDLE] #1689    $PI
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BOOKS
SEP191997    50 YEAR MISSION ORAL HIST STAR TREK 1ST 25 YEARS SC    $21.99
JUL192200    A MARVELOUS LIFE AMAZING STORY STAN LEE HC    $29.99
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SEP191801    FRANK ZAPPA COLORING BOOK SC    $15.99
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Review: MAJOR X #1

MAJOR X No. 1 (OF 6)
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Rob Liefeld
PENCILS: Rob Liefeld
INKS: Rob Liefeld with Adelso Corona and Dan Fraga
COLORS: Romulo Fajardo, Jr.
LETTERS: VC's Joe Sabino
EDITOR: Jordan D. White
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Akira Yoshida a.k.a. C.B. Cebulski
COVER: Rob Liefeld and Romulo Fajardo, Jr.
VARIANT COVER: Whilce Portacio with Romulo Fajardo, Jr.
36pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (June 2019)

X-Men created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby; Major X created by Rob Liefeld

Comic book writer, artist, and publisher, Rob Liefeld started working at Marvel Comics in 1989.  He drew the cover of New Mutants #85 and became the series artist and co-plotter with issue #86 (February 1990).  However, it was with New Mutants #87 (March 1990), Liefeld's presence and creativity exploded on Marvel Comics, as that issue introduced one of Liefeld's first, big-time (co-) creations, the mutant warrior-hero, Cable.

In New Mutants #98 (February 1991), Liefeld and his collaborators sprang his greatest (co-) creation, Deadpool, on the world.  Deadpool is probably the most famous superhero character introduced during the last three decades.  Two live-action feature films starring the character have grossed over 1.5 billion dollars in global box office.

Liefeld and Marvel would later launch a new X-Men comic book series, X-Force, in 1991, but less than a year later, X-Force #9 (April 1992) marked the end of three years of edgy new characters and explosive character redesigns, as Liefeld left Marvel to begin his own publishing ventures.  Four years later, however, Liefeld would return to Marvel Comics in 1996, the first of two decades of an on-again, off-again Marvel Comics-Rob Liefeld relationship.

Rob is back at Marvel again to introduce a... new mutant character, Major X.  The character is the star of a six-issue miniseries, entitled Major X, that will ship twice a month from April to June 2019.  Liefeld will write the series.  The first issue is drawn by Liefeld (pencils and inks) with Adelso Corona and Dan Fraga (inks); colored by Romulo Fajardo Jr.; and lettered by Joe Sabino.  Other artists will also provide art for series.

Major X #1 opens with a strange visitor appearing at the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters (a.k.a. “the X-Mansion”).  He is called “Major X,” and he is from another dimension or plane of existence known as “the X-istence.”  He needs Cable's help, but Cable just wants to hit Major X.  Plus, Deadpool fights a familiar-looking foe, and Wolverine steps in.

Once upon a time, I was a regular reader of Rob Liefeld's X-Men related comics and other stuff he did for Marvel.  I even tried to read Liefeld's mostly unreadable Image Comics title, Youngblood, but I gave up after the fourth issue or so.  If I remember correctly, Liefeld took one year to deliver all four issues.  Maybe, Youngblood is where it all went wrong for Liefeld.

His early Marvel work (1989-92) had spark.  No one had seen anything like it before.  Liefeld's art, with its screwy dynamics and incorrect compositions, leaped off the page.  His graphical style seemed perfect for superhero comics.  For various reasons (such as his inability to keep a consistent publishing schedule), the novelty wore off.  It is as if Liefeld had his time, and then, he and his work were things that just cropped up to remind readers of what was and what could have been – once upon a time...

Major X is like that:  once upon a time, this would have been something really fun.  Major X and Rob Liefeld don't seem as desperate as Madonna to still be relevant; they both want to be something hot.  Liefeld's drawing might still be tolerable... to some, but his writing and storytelling are as poor as ever.  Romulo Fajardo Jr.'s coloring is quite pretty, though.

Maybe, Marvel Comics, Liefeld, and collector-minded fans hope that Major X will be another Deadpool (by far Liefeld's most famous and popular comic book creation).  Yeah, if Major X does become a hot character, great... for Marvel and Liefeld.  I wish the comic book Major X #1 had tried to be great.  Maybe, the rest of this series will be...

4 out of 10

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.

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Review: LEVIUS

LEVIUS
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

CARTONIST: Haruhisa Nakata
TRANSLATION: John Werry
ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Jason A. Hurley
LETTERS: Joanna Estep
EDITOR: Joel Enos
ISBN: 978-1-9747-0502-3; hardcover (September 2019); Rated “T+” for “Older Teen”
672pp, B&W with some color, $34.99 U.S., $46.99 CAN, £25.00 UK

Levius is a seinen manga (comics for adult men) created by Haruhisa Nakata.  It was serialized in 18 chapters from 2012 to 2014 in the Japanese manga magazine, Ikki.  In Japan, Levius was collected in three tankobon (graphic novels).  VIZ Media is publishing the entirety of Levius in English as a omnibus hardcover, entitled Levius.

Levius is set on an alternate Earth.  It is the 19th century, and the world has entered the “Era of Rebirth,” as it recovers  from a devastating war.  Seventeen-year-old Levius Cromwell lost his father to war, and his mother lies in a coma in a hospital because she suffered grave bodily injuries in the battle in their neighborhood, Green Bridge.  Five years earlier, Levius came to live with his uncle, his late father's brother, Zack Cromwell, and his paternal grandmother.

Now, Levius is a fighter in the sport of mechanical martial arts (M.M.A.), which has galvanized the nations of the world.  Cybernetically augmented fighters turn their blood into steam and their bodies into brutal and sometimes monstrous fighting and killing machines.  Young Levius is one of those arena battlers, a mechanical martial artist prodigy, hell-bent on winning in order to simply survive in a sport where combatants often enter the “Final Cage,” death.

There are five levels in M.M.A., I, II, III, IV, and V, and Levius is Level II.  In order to move up to Level I, Levius will have to fight the monstrous Hugo Stratus and a young woman named A.J. Langdon.  To defeat them, to maybe save them and himself, Levius may have to enter the Final Cage.

The Levius manga is appropriate for high school age readers, although it is classified with the adult seinen manga label.  Creator Haruhisa Nakata depicts some shockingly brutal fights, but Levius' mixture of dystopian science fiction, mecha, and martial arts will attract a number of manga readers who are familiar with titles like Full Metal Alchemist and Ghost in the Shell.

The art is richly detailed and the fights and behind-the-scenes segments about cybernetics will remind readers of Ghost in the Shell.  In the drama scenes, Nakata's art reminds me of the work of Katsuhiro Otomo (Akira).

I found this manga to be an exciting read.  However, there were times that the story seemed to become repetitive.  I will not say that the story is padded, but Nakata often needs to draw out fights to the gruesome end in order to convey the story's plot and themes.  The consequence is that readers may find that some of the mechanical martial arts battles will simply wear them down, as it did me a few times.

Otherwise, Levius is a unique alternate Earth, futuristic drama and action-thriller.  Its stylish art and powerful graphical storytelling left me wanting more.  And there is more, a follow-up, entitled Levius/est, which hopefully makes it way to American readers.

8 out of 10

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 syndication rights and fees.

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Review: HEX WIVES #1

HEX WIVES No. 1
DC COMICS – @DCComics @vertigo_comics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Ben Blacker
ART: Mirka Andolfo
COLORS: Marissa Louise
LETTERS: Josh Reed
EDITOR: Molly Mahan
COVER: Joëlle Jones with Jordie Bellaire
VARIANT COVER: Jenny Frison
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (December 2018)

“Suggested for Mature Readers”

“Bewildered and Bothered”

Hex Wives is a new comic book series published by DC Comics' Vertigo Comics imprint.  It is written by Ben Blacker; drawn by Mirka Andolfo; colored by Marissa Louise; and lettered by Josh Reed.  Hex Wives focuses on a centuries-old conflict between a coven of witches and its antagonists – an all-male cabal of witch-haters.

Hex Wives #1 (“Bewildered and Bothered”) introduces Isadora Roma.  She is the leader of a coven of perpetually reincarnating witches and is the coven's fiercest fighter.  Isadora and her lover, Nadiya Momo, are the thorns in the side of “The Architects,” the all-male conspiracy that has been trying to kill Isadora's and her coven since at least the 17th century.  Now, Aaron Gabriel, the new leader of these bitter men, believes that he has found a way to defeat the enemy that his father, his father's father, and their forefathers could not.

This is going to be a short review.  Hex Wives has potential.  I have a feeling that this first issue could be the preview of an interesting and unique comic book or the beginning of a comic book that pretends to be clever, but is really nothing special.  Believe me, I think this is an odd feeling to have about a comic book after reading a first issue, but...

I also want to point out that I like how Marissa Louise colors this story to give it a surreal atmosphere that is also filled with menace.  Letterer Josh Reed deftly juggles the text and dialogue-heavy script and makes everything easy to read.  So let's see where and how Hex Wives goes forward.

7 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 syndication rights and fees.

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Review: SPIDER-MAN: Life Story #1

SPIDER-MAN: LIFE STORY No. 1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Chip Zdarsky
PENCILS: Mark Bagley
INKS: John Dell
COLORS: Frank D'Armata
LETTERS: Travis Lanham
EDITOR: Tom Brevoort
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Akira Yoshida a.k.a. C.B. Cebulski
COVER: Chip Zdarsky
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Marcos Martin; Greg Smallwood; Skottie Young
36pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (May 2019)

Rated  “T”

Spider-Man created by Steve Ditko and Stan Lee

Spider-Man is the classic Marvel Comics superhero that readers first met in Amazing Fantasy #15 (cover dated: August 1962).  The Amazing Spider-Man #1 (cover date: March 1963) was the beginning of the first Spider-Man title, as we followed his adventures and his secret life as a teenager and high school student named Peter Parker.  Over the years, a legion of Spider-Man writers depicted Peter Parker graduating from high school, going to college, becoming a college graduate student, a working stiff, a freelancer, an employee, etc.

Spider-Man: Life Story is a new comic book miniseries tells the story of Peter Parker and Spider-Man in real time, depicting his life from beginning to end.  Spider-Man: Life Story is written by Chip Zdarsky; drawn by Mark Bagley (pencils) and John Dell (inker); colored by Frank D'Armata; and letterer Travis Lanham.  “Life Story” is set against the events of the decades through which Spider-Man has lived.  The conceit of this series is as follows (as described by Marvel Comics:

In 1962, in Amazing Fantasy #15, 15-year-old Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider and became the Amazing Spider-Man! Fifty-seven years have passed in the real world since that event - so what would have happened if the same amount of time passed for Peter as well?

Spider-Man: Life Story #1 opens in 1966, four years after the events depicted in Amazing Fantasy #15.  Peter has one left year in college, but that is not all that is on his mind.  He has money woes, and as more young men his age are drafted to serve in the Vietnam War, Peter starts to wonder if Spider-Man should also serve in the conflict.  As his old rival, Flash Thompson, prepares to leave for Vietnam, Peter really starts to weigh the question of where his responsibility truly lies.  Meanwhile, a dangerous foe reappears, threatening Spider-Man's secrets.

Spider-Man: Life Story #1 is just the kind of first issue with which a prestige or “high-end” miniseries should open.  This is the kind of wonderful read that will make readers come back for the second issue.  Simply put, it is quite well written by Chip Zdarsky, who is proving to be a writer with classic storytelling chops.  What I mean by that is that Zdarsky focuses on spinning comic book yarns (1) that are true to the core of the characters, (2) that have successful superhero action scenes, and (3) that also have a modern sensibility.  In this way, Zdarsky's Spider-Man: Life Story #1 reminds me of Brian Michael Bendis' Ultimate Spider-Man #1 (cover dated:  October 2000), a modern take on Spider-Man that had a classic Spider-Man sensibility.

Another reason that I am reminded of Ultimate Spider-Man is that the penciler of Spider-Man: Life Story #1 is Mark Bagley, who was the long-time artist on Ultimate Spider-Man, drawing just under 120 issues.  Bagley is a consummate superhero comic book artist, whose storytelling is straightforward.  His graphic style is not overly stylish, but, once again, his art looks like classic superhero comic book art from the 1960s and 1970s.

I thought I might like Spider-Man: Life Story #1, but I often only read the first issue of a miniseries even when I like it enough to be interested in future issues.  I plan to read more Spider-Man: Life Story, and I am eagerly awaiting that second issue.

8.5 out of 10

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.

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