#IReadsYou Review: POWER MAN AND IRON FIST #1

POWER MAN AND IRON FIST No. 1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: David Walker
ARTIST: Sanford Greene
COLORS: Lee Loughridge
LETTERS: VC's Clayton Cowles
COVER: Sanford Greene
VARIANT COVERS: Kalman Andrasofszky; John Tyler Christopher; Sanford Greene; Theotis Jones; Chris Visions; Trevor Von Eeden with Rachelle Rosenberg; Skottie Young
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (April 2016)

Rated T+

“The Boys are Back”

Luke Cage, also known as “Power Man,” is a Marvel Comics superhero.  He was created by writer Archie Goodwin and artist John Romita, Sr., and first appeared in Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1 (cover dated: June 1972).  Cage was imprisoned for a crime he did not commit, but he eventually gains superpowers in the form of durability, unbreakable skin, and superhuman strength.

Iron Fist/Daniel “Danny” Rand is a Marvel Comics superhero.  The character was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Gil Kane, and first appeared in Marvel Premiere #15 (cover dated: May 1974).  An orphan and martial artist, Danny earned the power of a mystical force called the Iron Fist in the also mystical city of K'un Lun.

Both characters have starred in their own comic books series, but Luke Cage and Iron Fist have also been a duo and a team called Heroes for Hire.  There was also a long-running comic book series entitled Power Man and Iron Fist.  Thanks to the All-New, All-Different Marvel, Power Man and Iron Fist the comic book is back.  It is written by David Walker; drawn by Sanford Greene; colored by Lee Loughridge; and lettered by Clayton Cowles.

Power Man and Iron Fist #1 (“The Boys are Back”) opens with Luke and Danny on their way to meet Jennie Royce.  The former office manager of Heroes for Hire, Jennie has finished serving a prison sentence for murdering her abusive ex-boyfriend, Eugene Mason.  Jennie asks Luke and Danny to retrieve a family heirloom currently in the possession of a criminal, Lonnie Lincoln a.k.a. “Tombstone.”  Luke is adamant that he is not re-teaming with Danny Rand and that this mission to retrieve Jennie's heirloom is just a favor for a friend-who-is-like-family in need.  But, of course, it is not the easy.

One look at Sanford Greene's cover art for this new Power Man and Iron Fist #1, I knew that I would not like what was behind the cover.  I was wrong.  I really liked this first issue, and I am genuinely suspicious or ambivalent about first issues.

David Walker's story and script is off-beat in a way that makes this comic book stand out from the Marvel pack, in a way that Matt Fraction and David Aja's Hawkeye did.  Sanford Greene's visual language for this comic book balances superhero action against an edgy kind of street-comedy and gritty drama that pushes back on easy classification.

I like this comic book, and I look forward to future issues.  Besides, David Walker and Sanford Greene are the Black/African-American creative team I have been demanding, so I gots to keep it real and read this comic book for several issues, at least.  So far, it looks like their work will help to choke the Jim Crow out of the American comic book industry

A-
7.5 out of 10

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


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#IReadsYou Review: SUPERMAN SMASHES THE KLAN #1

SUPERMAN SMASHES THE KLAN No. 1 (OF 3)
DC COMICS

[This review was originally published on Patreon.]

STORY: Gene Luen Yang
ART: Gurihiru
COLORS: Gurihiru
LETTERS: Janice Chiang
COVER: Gurihiru
VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Kyle Baker
80pp, Color, $7.99 U.S. (October 2019)

Rated “E” for “Everyone”

Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster

Part One

Superman is the most famous DC Comics superhero characters.  Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, Superman first appeared in Action Comics #1 (cover dated: June 1938).  Superman was first a baby named “Kal-El” shot into space via rocket from the doomed planet, Krypton.  Brought to Earth by that rocket ship (or space craft), Baby Kal was adopted by Martha and Thomas Kent of Smallville, Kansas.

They named their new adopted baby, “Clark Kent.”  Earth's yellow sun gave Clark amazing powers, and he used those strange powers and abilities to become the superhero, Superman.  As a character Superman was an immediate hit.  In the 1940s, Superman was not only the star of comic books, but also of movie serials, novels, and radio serials.

The Adventures of Superman was a long-running radio serial that originally aired from 1940 to 1951, originating on New York City's WOR radio station and eventually being syndicated nationally by the Mutual Broadcasting Company.  One of The Adventures of Superman story arcs was “Clan of the Fiery Cross,” which found Superman fighting an racist and terrorist organization that was a fictional stand-in for the Ku Klux Klan (KKK).

The “Clan of the Fiery Cross” is the inspiration for a new young readers and “all ages” Superman three-issue, comic book miniseries, Superman Smashes the Klan.  Acclaimed comic book creator, Gene Luen Yang (American Born Chinese, Superman), is the writer of Superman Smashes the Klan, presenting his personal retelling of the adventures of the “Lee family” (the target in the original radio serial) as they team up with Superman to smash the Klan.  Superman Smashes the Klan is drawn and colored by Gurihiru and lettered by Janice Chiang.

Superman Smashes the Klan #1 opens in 1946 at the Metropolis Dam.  There, Superman smashes “the Atom Man,” a Nazi-inspired villain seeking to avenge the “humiliation” of the “master race.”  Witnessing Superman's victory is Lois Lane, the star reporter of Metropolis newspaper, The Daily Planet; and Jimmy Olsen, a cub reporter for the Planet; and Inspector William Henderson (an African-American character) of the Metropolis Police Department.  Shortly after the battle, Superman is overcome by a powerful smell that emanates from the device that powers the Atom Man.

Meanwhile, Dr. Lee, a scientist, is moving his wife and two children, Roberta and Tommy, from Chinatown to the new home located in a neighborhood in Metropolis.  Tommy quickly adjusts to his new home, even joining a baseball team that was started by a local religious organization (“The Unity House”) and is managed by Jimmy Olsen.  Roberta struggles, feeling awkward and out of place.

You see Dr. Lee and his wife are Chinese immigrants to the United States, but their Roberta and Tommy were born in America.  Although the family tries to fit in with their new neighbors, they have drawn the ire and attention of a dangerous racist and terrorist organization, “the Klan of the Fiery Kross.”  Now, Superman must help protect a family and perhaps save three children from the evils of racism and bigotry.

If I remember correctly, Superman Smashes the Klan was announced early last year (2018), so it has been long-awaited and eagerly-awaited.  And I am not at all disappointed; in fact, I am absolutely thrilled.  It is one of the most enjoyable Superman comic books that I have ever read.  If the remainder of the series delights me as much as this first issue did, I might call Superman Smashes the Klan an instant classic.

Writer Gene Luen Yang and artist Gurihiru seem to act as one creative unit, fashioning a story that captures the true all-American spirit of Superman.  That spirit conjures the Man of Steel as a fighter for the little guy; a model of fair play and honesty, and a champion of truth, justice, and the American way.  Yang's depiction of Roberta Lee is superb character writing, delving into the struggles of a pre-teen girl who is trying to adjust to a new life and new neighbors.  However, I also like that Yang has made Roberta a fighter and a budding champion of justice in her own right.

Giruhiru's lovely art, with its Walt Disney-like qualities, might be called “cartoony,” but it is also true to the spirit of the clean, somewhat minimalist comic book art of American comic books' first three decades, especially the comic book art of the 1950s and early 1960s.  On the other hand, Giruhiru's compositions are clearly inspired by the kinetic and expressive nature of animated films and television series.  Giruhiru's graphical storytelling is also powerful and immediate, and her glorious colors pop off the page.  Paired with Janice Chiang's classic-cool lettering, Giruhiru's art and colors recall the graphic classicism of Darwyn Cooke's DC: The New Frontier (DC Comics, 2004).

Superman Smashes the Klan #1 also includes the first part of a feature article or essay by Gene Luen Yang that discusses the history of the Ku Klux Klan and its history of violence against African-Americans after the civil war and against Chinese immigrants.  The essay also concerns the history of the persecution of Chinese immigrants and Yang's personal background.

Obviously, I love Superman Smashes the Klan #1 and can't wait for the second issue or graphic novel (because this series is really like a graphic novel miniseries).  By the way, I must congratulate Yang for making the saying of the slur, “ching-chong,” feel like someone is saying “nigger.”

[This comic book includes the essay, “Superman and Me, Part 1,” by Gene Luen Yang.]

A+
10 out of 10

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

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#IReadsYou Review: ONE PIECE Volume 53

ONE PIECE, VOL. 53
VIZ MEDIA

CARTOONIST: Eiichiro Oda
TRANSLATION: Taylor Engel, HC Language Solutions Inc.
ENGLISH ADAPTATION: Lance Caselman
LETTERS: HudsonYards
ISBN: 978-1-4215-3469-5; paperback (June 2010); Rated “T” for Teen
216pp, B&W, $9.99 US, $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

One Piece is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. It has been serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine since July 1997.  VIZ Media has been publishing an English-language edition of the manga as a paperback graphic novel series, beginning in September 2003, under its “Shonen Jump” imprint.

Monkey D. Luffy dreams of becoming King of the Pirates.  Even after the enchanted “Devil Fruit” gave him the ability to stretch like rubber while taking away his ability to swim, Luffy was undeterred.  He set out to sea and gradually enlisted a motley crew:  Zolo the master swordsman; Nami the treasure-hunting thief; Usopp, the lying sharpshooter; Sanji the high-kicking chef; Chopper, the walkin’ talkin’ reindeer doctor; the secretive archeologist, Nico Robin; shipwright and cyborg, Franky; and skeleton warrior with an afro, Brook.  Known as the “Straw Hats,” these pirates sail the oceans on their new vessel, Thousand Sunny.  Their goal is the legendary treasure known as “One Piece.”

As One Piece, Vol. 53 (Chapters 513 to 522; entitled “Natural Born King”) begins, the Straw Hats rumble with Bartholomew Kuma, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.  “Tyrant” Kuma smacks them around using his bare paw, which erases them.  They are not really being erased, however; this is Kuma’s teleportation power, which sends victims of his smack down to unknown locations.  Luffy finds himself on the island of Amazon Lily, an island where men are not allowed on pain of death!

THE LOWDOWN:  One of the most imaginative manga being offered to the North American market, One Piece takes readers from one exotic locale to another – each one populated by a menagerie of creatures, people, and creature people who almost defy imagination.  Yet this all comes from the imagination of Eiichiro Oda.  The art is drawn in such detail that very little of the page is left without something drawn on it.  Vol. 53 isn’t one of the better volumes, but it really picks up when Luffy fights the Gorgon sisters.

POSSIBLE AUDIENCE:  Readers looking for wacky “Shonen Jump” fun will find it in One Piece.

B+
7 out of 10

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


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#IReadsYou Review: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS: The Golden Child #1

DARK KNIGHT RETURNS: THE GOLDEN CHILD No. 1
DC COMICS/Black Label

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Frank Miller
ART: Rafael Grampá
COLORS: Jordie Bellaire
LETTERS: John Workman and Deron Bennett
EDITOR: Mark Doyle
COVER: Rafael Grampa with Pedro Cobiaco
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Andy Kubert with Brad Anderson; Frank Miller with Alex Sinclair; Joelle Jones with Dave McCaig; Rafael Grampa with Pedro Cobiaco; Paul Pope with Jose Villarrubia
32pp, Color, $5.99 U.S. (February 2020)

Ages 17+

Batman created by Bob Kane with Bill Finger

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (also known as DKR) was a four-issue comic book miniseries starring Batman.  Published by DC Comics in 1986, this prestige-format comic book was written by Frank Miller; drawn by Miller (pencils) and Klaus Janson (inks); colored by Lynn Varley; and lettered by John Costanza, with the book covers drawn by Miller and Varley.

DKR told the tale of a 50-year-old Bruce Wayne, long retired as Batman, who dons the cape and cowl again to take on a new crime wave in Gotham City.  When an institutionalized Joker discovers that Batman has returned, he revives himself and begins a new crime wave of craziness.  Batman also battles Superman who is trying to force Batman back into retirement.

DRK was a smash hit, and from the time of its publication, it became a hugely influential comic book, especially on the editorial mindset of DC Comics.  There have been sequels to DKR, as well as other comic books set in its “universe.”  The most recent DKR comic book is Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child.  It written by Frank Miller, drawn by Rafael Grampá; colored by Jordie Bellaire; and lettered by John Workman and Deron Bennett.  The Golden Child finds the heirs to the legacy of the Dark Knight and the Man of Steel taking on adversaries of their predecessors.

Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child #1 opens three years after the events depicted in the nine-issue miniseries, Dark Knight III: The Master Race (2015-2017).  Lara, the daughter of Wonder Woman (Diana) and her consort, Superman, has spent that time learning to be more human.  After spending her life with the Amazons of Paradise Island, however, Lara has a great disdain for humans.  Carrie Kelley, the former Robin, has been growing into her new role as The Batwoman, after Bruce Wayne/Batman finally retired.

The Batwoman has been battling the Joker and his gang of Joker clones, who are in full rage as the day of the U.S. presidential election approaches.  [Although he is not named, President Donald Trump's image and presence are prominent throughout this comic book].  But Joker has found a new partner in a terrifying evil that has come to Gotham – Darkseid.  Now, Lara and Carrie must team-up to stop two evils, but their secret weapon, young Jonathan, “the golden child” (Lara's brother and Diana and Superman's son) is also the object of Darkseid's murderous desire.

I really like Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child, but not because of Frank Miller's story.  It is a hot mess of sound and fury signifying nothing.  It is like someone's incorrect idea that the sound of Jack Kirby is not big (in relation to Darkseid, a character he created), but is histrionics.  Miller does offer a few good ideas, and he is one of the few mainstream comic book creators that could get away with not only casting Donald Trump in a DC Comics title, but also portraying him in an unflattering light.  Teaming-up Joker and Darkseid is not one of Miller's good ideas, and Miller's portrayal of Lara and Jonathan is a mixed bag.  But I can tell that Miller really loves Carrie Kelley, a character he created in DKR.  She is glorious as The Batwoman.

No, I don't love Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child because of Frank Miller.  I love it because of Rafael Grampa, the Brazilian film director and comic book artist.  Grampa's style in Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child is a mixture of Frank Miller's graphic style in both Batman: The Dark Knight Returns and in his Sin City series of miniseries and one-shot comic books and also of Scottish comic book artist Frank Quitely's graphic style.

Grampa's gorgeous illustrations and compositions look even better under Jordie Bellaire's inventive coloring and varietal of hues.  But even all that pretty art can't create superb graphical storytelling from Frank Miller's mish-mash of a story, except in a few places – the Batwoman sections of course.  Carrie Kelley is absolutely spectacular in the double-caped, leathery Bat-suit, which also looks like an actual man-sized bat.

Well, you can't get everything, although John Workman and Deron Bennett also deliver some fine-looking lettering.  So I'll be satisfied with Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child #1 being one of the beautifully drawn and illustrated comic book one-shots that I have ever read.

8 out of 10

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

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