DC Comics from Lunar Distributors for September 28, 2021

DC COMICS:

Action Comics #1035 (Cover A Daniel Sampere), $4.99
Action Comics #1035 (Cover B Julian Totino Tedesco Card Stock Variant), $5.99
Batman Reptilian #4 (Of 6)(Cover A Liam Sharp), $4.99
Batman Reptilian #4 (Of 6)(Cover B Cully Hamner), $4.99
Batman Reptilian #4 (Of 6)(Cover C Declan Shalvey), AR
Batman Superman #22 (Cover A Ivan Reis & Danny Miki), $3.99
Batman Superman #22 (Cover B Gary Frank Card Stock Variant), $4.99
Batman Urban Legends #6 (2nd Printing Nicola Scott Cover), $7.99
Batman Vs Bigby A Wolf In Gotham #1 (Of 6)(Cover A Yanick Paquette), $3.99
Batman Vs Bigby A Wolf In Gotham #1 (Of 6)(Cover B Brian Level & Jay Leisten Card Stock Variant), $4.99
Checkmate #4 (Of 6)(Cover A Alex Maleev), $3.99
Checkmate #4 (Of 6)(Cover B Matt Taylor Card Stock Variant), $4.99
Deathstroke Inc. #1 (Cover A Howard Porter), $3.99
Deathstroke Inc. #1 (Cover B Francesco Mattina Card Stock Variant), $4.99
Deathstroke Inc. #1 (Cover C Adam Hughes Card Stock Variant), $4.99
Deathstroke Inc. #1 (Cover D Gerardo Zaffino Team Foil Card Stock Variant), AR
Deathstroke Inc. #1 (Cover E Dima Ivano Card Stock Variant), AR
Detective Comics #1043 (Cover A Dan Mora)(Fear State), $4.99
Detective Comics #1043 (Cover B Lee Bermejo Card Stock Variant)(Fear State), $5.99
Detective Comics #1043 (Cover C Kael Ngu Card Stock Variant)(Fear State), AR
Harley Quinn #7 (Cover A Riley Rossmo)(Fear State), $3.99
Harley Quinn #7 (Cover B Derrick Chew Card Stock Variant)(Fear State), $4.99
Harley Quinn #7 (Cover C Kael Ngu Card Stock Variant)(Fear State), AR
Icon And Rocket Season One #3 (Of 6)(Cover A Taurin Clarke), $3.99
Icon And Rocket Season One #3 (Of 6)(Cover B Doug Braithwaite Card Stock Variant), $4.99
Justice League #68 (Cover A David Marquez), $4.99
Justice League #68 (Cover B Alexander Lozano Card Stock Variant), $5.99
Justice League Volume 8 Death Metal TP, $16.99
Legends Of The Dark Knight #5 (Cover A Giannis Milonogiannis), $3.99
Legends Of The Dark Knight #5 (Cover B Riley Rossmo Card Stock Variant), $4.99
Legends Of The Dark Knight #5 (Cover C Jorge Fornes Card Stock Variant), AR
Locke And Key The Sandman Universe Hell And Gone #2 (Cover A Gabriel Rodriguez), $6.99
Locke And Key The Sandman Universe Hell And Gone #2 (Cover B J. H. Williams III), $6.99
Locke And Key The Sandman Universe Hell And Gone #2 (Cover C Kelley Jones), $6.99
Mister Miracle The Source Of Freedom #5 (Of 6)(Cover A Yanick Paquette), $3.99
Mister Miracle The Source Of Freedom #5 (Of 6)(Cover B Valentine De Landro Card Stock Variant), $4.99
Robin #6 (Cover A Gleb Melnikov), $3.99
Robin #6 (Cover B Francis Manapul Card Stock Variant), $4.99
RWBY Justice League #6 (Of 7)(Cover A Mirka Andolfo), $3.99
RWBY Justice League #6 (Of 7)(Cover B Simone Di Meo Card Stock Variant), $4.99
Superman ’78 #2 (Of 6)(Cover A Ben Oliver), $3.99
Superman ’78 #2 (Of 6)(Cover B Bryan Hitch Card Stock Variant), $4.99
Superman Action Comics Volume 5 The House Of Kent TP, $17.99
Superman And Lois Lane The 25th Wedding Anniversary Deluxe Edition HC, $34.99
Superman Son Of Kal-El #3 (Cover A John Timms), $3.99
Superman Son Of Kal-El #3 (Cover B InHyuk Lee Card Stock Variant), $4.99
Teen Titans Beast Boy Loves Raven TP, $16.99
Wonder Woman Black And Gold #4 (Of 6)(Cover A Tula Lotay), $5.99
Wonder Woman Black And Gold #4 (Of 6)(Cover B Joshua Middleton), $5.99
Wonder Woman Black And Gold #4 (Of 6)(Cover C Matias Bergara), AR
Wonderful Women Of The World TP, $16.99

#IReadsYou Review: KILLADELPHIA #12

KILLADELPHIA #12
IMAGE COMICS

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Rodney Barnes
ART: Jason Shawn Alexander
COLORS: Luis Nct
LETTERS: Marshall Dillon
EDITOR: Greg Tumbarello
COVER: Jason Shawn Alexander
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Todd McFarlane with Luis Nct; Bill Sienkiewicz
36pp, Colors, 3.99 U.S.(January 2021)

Rated “M/ Mature”

“Burn Baby Burn” Part VI: “Endgame”

Killadelphia is an apocalyptic vampire and dark fantasy comic book series from writer Rodney Barnes and artist Jason Shawn Alexander and is published by Image Comics.  At the center of this series is a police officer caught in a lurid conspiracy in which vampires attempt to rule Philadelphia, “the City of Brotherly Love.”  Colorist Luis Nct and letterer Marshall Dillon complete Killadelphia's creative team.

Killadelphia focuses on James “Jim” Sangster, Jr., who comes home to Philly to deal with the final affairs of his recently murdered father, revered Philadelphia homicide detective, James Sangster, Sr.  Not dead, but undead, the father joins the son, the chief medical examiner (Jose Padilla), and a rebellious vampire to lead the battle that saves Philly from the vampires.  But that was just the first battle, and this is a war.

Killadelphia #12 (“Endgame”) opens in one of those neighborhoods (a.k.a. “gated communities”) where the well-to-do and rich white people go to avoid the riff raff.  One such refuge from the refugees, however, can't keep all the … bad things out.

Meanwhile, James, Sr., Jimmy, and Ms. Padilla head out to the center of the vampire revolution.  Now, they will see for themselves just how crazy Abigail Adams is.

Elsewhere, in the afterlife (so to speak). Tevin Thompkins has his own plans for the revolution.  First, he needs to see the boss.  He needs to see “Corson.”

THE LOWDOWN:  The second story arc of Killadelphia, “Burn Baby Burn,” comes to an end, but it ends on a cliffhanger.  This is as it should be, if you think about it.

Writer Rodney Barnes has revealed that what we thought to be a rather straight-forward concept is rather complex.  Like blood splatter, Killadelphia's plots and subplots go all over the place, but it is a narrative with purpose.  This is a world beyond the narrow confines of the world-beating ambitions of would-be vampire gods and monsters.  I don't want to be one of those readers who are always saying, “This is the best issue ever!”  Still, if each issue isn't better than its predecessor, then, each issue certainly expands the “Killa-verse,” making it all the more alluring.  Killadelphia #12 is the best and boy, does it ever expand the undead playing field.

For Killadelphia #12, Jason Shawn Alexander's storytelling is no one thing.  Pages seven and eight show the Sangsters and Padilla in a quiet moment of discussion and planning, but a feeling of intensity infuses the moment.  A short scene between Tevin and is grandmother is sweet, but without a hint of anything extra – neither irony nor weirdness.  However, the opening pages, with their comeuppance of the gated communities, is fun, crazy, and righteous.

Luis Nct's colors are like traffic lights and signals directing our emotions, imaginings, and feelings in specific directions.  Marshall Dillon's lettering is our driver, and he takes us to places where our minds will love the fire.  Killadelphia #12 reveals that “burn, baby, burn” is not necessarily a bad thing, especially when we get a cliffhanger leading to the next arc instead of only ashes.  Killadelphia #12 establishes this series as a top five comic book, without a doubt.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of vampire comic books and of exceptional dark fantasy will want Killadelphia.

10 out of 10

[This comic book includes an “Afterword” by Rodney Barnes.]

Killadelphia #12 has a backup feature:
“Elysium Gardens” Part 5 “Cry Havoc”

Story: Rodney Barnes
Pencils/Gray Tones: Jason Shawn Alexander
Inks: Bill Sienkiewicz
Layouts: Sherard Jackson
Letters: Marshall Dillon
Edits: Greg Tumbarello

The back-up feature, “Elysium Gardens,” has returned to its “present day.”  In the wake of their encounter with Malcolm X, Angela/Zubiya and her pack of werewolves go on the attack, but even they know their limits.  If they want to use their curse as a key to “Black Liberation,” they need to know more about its origins.  Brother Jabir knows where they need to go, and it is a familiar place.

Part 4's appearance of Malcolm X was shocking and an utter delight.  Part 5 offers beloved comic book master artist, Bill Sienkiewicz, as a contributor, as an inker, to this chapter.  It is the right time for a legend to show up, as the flow of this narrative makes its first great change of direction.


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/


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


The text is copyright © 2021 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).

#IReadsYou Review: SURFACING #6

SURFACING #6
APPROBATION COMICS

STORY: B. Alex Thompson – @ApproBAT
ART: Ricardo Mendez
COLORS: Alivón Ortiz
LETTERS: Krugos
EDITOR: Denise Thompson
MISC. ART: Cesar Grego with Alivon Ortiz
COVER: Gleidson Ribeiro and Victor Maya with Alivon Ortiz
32pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (2020)

Rated: “M” for Mature

“The Stone and the Shell” Part 2 of 2

Surfacing is a comic book franchise created by B. Alex Thompson and published by Approbation Comics.  The four-issue miniseries, Surfacing: Depth Perceptions, focuses on a series of encounters, sometimes violent, between humans and mermaid-like creatures.  The eponymous Surfacing is an anthology series in which each issue offers a story in which a mermaid finds herself trapped in the world of humans.  Besides Thompson, artist Ricardo Mendez; colorist Alivon Ortiz; and letterer Krugos currently comprise Surfacing's creative team.

The latest chapter in the saga of Surfacing is “The Stone and the Shell.”  It is set two million years ago, on a Savannah, likely somewhere in eastern Africa.  This is  the home of a tribe of Homo erectus/ergaster (called the “tree folk” in this story).  Kon is a member of the tribe.  He is exceptionally good at making tools and at fishing, but in a tribe of fierce hunters, Kon's talents are seen as weaknesses.  It does not help that Kon has webbed feet, which also makes the other tree folk suspicious of him.  However, Kon encounters a beautiful young woman, “Int” of the “water folk.”  Meeting Int will change Kon's life, but what will it do to his relationship his own people?

Surfacing #6 opens as Int introduces Kon to her people, the “water folk.”  Obviously, they are suspicious of Kon and his intentions, as well as being wary of Kon's people, the “tree folk.”  Still, they welcome him into the tribe, but everything is not on the “up and up.”  And some transgressions can never be forgiven.

THE LOWDOWN:  As much as I enjoyed the miniseries, Surfacing: Depth Perceptions, I find myself really enjoying Surfacing, which showcases some of writer B. Alex Thompson's most imaginative writing.  The fifth and sixth issues of Surfacing present a big shift from the usual Surfacing tales.

Thompson's imagination gives us a story set in eastern Africa (likely modern day Kenya) during the Early Pleistocene.  That story offers a different kind of character, a complicated man who has troubles in his native world and who ends up caught between two worlds.  The Stone and the Shell” also emphasizes the familiarity of family conflict and romantic discovery, which allows the readers to recognize Kon and, perhaps, to place themselves in his life.  Thompson makes every page of this story intriguing, and like Part 1, Part 2 always has at least one thing on each page that makes me curious and want to know more about this story and its setting.

Artist Ricardo Mendez has proved to be a perfect collaborator for Thompson in this writer-artist team.  In “The Stone and the Shell,” Mendez creates a beautiful prehistoric pastoral world that is as interesting as the main story.  As he did in the first part, Mendez deftly tells this second chapter of “The Stone and the Shell” via his figure drawings of the characters, which give the story a sense of naturalism.  Alivon Ortiz's muted colors allow the emotions of the characters to stand out in the story.  Krugos' lettering and sound effects are also muted, but are “pitch-perfect” for this chapter's emphasis on betrayal.

I highly recommend Surfacing #6, just as I did for issue #5.  Surfacing is like nothing else you will find in mainstream, alternative, or indie comics, so please, dive into this.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of fantasy comic books published by DC Comics' late imprint, Vertigo, will want to read Surfacing.

A
9 out of 10

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


https://twitter.com/ApproBAT
www.ApprobationComics.com
www.AlexThompsonWriter.com


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

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

#IReadsYou Movie Review: Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold

Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold (2018)

Running time:  75 minutes (1 hour, 15 minutes)
DIRECTOR:  Jake Castorena
WRITERS: Paul Giacoppo; from a story by James Tucker (based on characters from Hanna-Barbera and characters from DC)
PRODUCER: Michael Jelenic
EXECUTIVE PRODUCES: Sam Register and Benjamin Melniker & Michael E. Uslan
EDITORS:  Christopher D. Lozinski and Molly Yahr
COMPOSERS:  Kristopher Carter, Michael McCuistion, and Lolita Ritmanis
ANIMATION STUDIO:  Digital eMation, Inc.

ANIMATION/FANTASY/SUPERHERO/FAMILY and ACTION/COMEDY/MYSTERY

Starring:  (voices) Frank Welker, Matthew Lillard, Grey Griffin, Kate Micucci, Diedrich Bader, Jeff Bennett, Jeffrey Combs, John DiMaggio, Nicholas Guest, John Michael Higgins, Kevin Michael Richardson, Fred Tatasciore, Nika Futterman, and Tara Strong

Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold is a 2018 straight-to-video, animated, comic mystery film.  It is the 30th animated movie in the Scooby-Doo straight-to-video series from Warner Bros. Animation, which began in 1998 with Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island.  This film is also a crossover between Scooby-Doo and the Cartoon Network animated television series, “Batman: The Brave and the Bold” (2008-2011).  The story finds Scooby-Doo and his friends joining Batman and superhero colleagues in order to solve a mystery involving a scary new villain.

Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold opens as Mystery Incorporated: Fred Jones (Frank Welker), Daphne Blake (Grey Griffin), Velma Dinkley (Kate Micucci), Shaggy Rogers (Matthew Lillard), and Scooby-Doo (Frank Welker) investigates a series of thefts performed by the ghost of Puppetto the Puppeteer and his puppet, Fredo.  As the gang struggles to capture the ghost, Batman (Diedrich Bader) intervenes and warns them to leave things to the professionals.

Mystery Inc. manages to capture Puppetto and Fredo and discovers that the ghost and his puppet are really the superheroes, Martian Manhunter (Nicholas Guest) and Detective Chimp (Kevin Michael Richardson).  Batman, Manhunter, and Detective Chimp reveal that the Puppetto mystery was a test for Mystery Inc., which they passed.  So the heroes initiate Scooby and company into the “Mystery Analysts of Gotham,” the world's preeminent crime-busting organization.  The superheroes also inform the gang that they could use their help on a few cases.

A week later, Mystery Inc. visits the Mystery Analysts' headquarters where they meet the other members:  The Question (Jeffrey Combs), Black Canary (Grey Griffin), and Plastic Man (Tom Kenny), as well as the tag-a-long Aquaman (John DiMaggio), who desperately wants to be a member of the Analysts.

Mystery Inc. gets a chance to take the lead in the next case for the Analysts and follows the heroes to Gotham Chemical Storage.  There, they encounter a red-cloaked figure, calling himself “the Crimson Cloak” (John DiMaggio).  Why is he swearing revenge on Batman, and how is he tied to the one case Batman has never been able to solve?

I only watched a few episodes of “Batman: The Brave and the Bold.”  The series had a lighter tone than some of the Batman animated TV series that came before it, and it depicted Batman as being witty and playful.  I was curious how a collaboration between Scooby-Doo and this iteration of Batman would work.

As a child, I was a huge fan of the second Scooby-Doo animated TV series, “The New Scooby-Doo Movies,” which premiered on September 9, 1972 and ran for two seasons on CBS until 1974.  It was the first Scooby-Doo cartoon series that I ever saw, and it began my life-long love of Scooby-Doo and his pals.  It also began my life-long love affair with Batman and Robin.  The Dynamic Duo were guests stars on two Season One episodes of “The New Scooby-Doo Movies” – Episode #2's “The Dynamic Scooby-Doo Affair” and Episode #15's “The Caped Crusader Caper.”  These episodes were my first encounters with Batman and Robin, and I was immediately fascinated by the mysterious Batman and his colorful young sidekick.

Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold reminds me of those old cartoons, and while this film doesn't quite take me back to the 1970s, I enjoyed it immensely.  The animation is good, and it allows for the many colorful DC Comics' superheroes and super-villains that appear in this film to move in a way that really conveys the action.  The color palette is perfect for the comic mystery atmosphere of Scooby-Doo, and, to some extent, recalls those old Mystery Inc./Batman team-ups of the 1970s.

The story is good, but it has more superhero characters than it really needs.  Sometimes, Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold comes across like an advertisement for a DC Comics toy fair.  Aquaman, who eventually proves to be useful to solving the mystery, is often extraneous, and he is constantly and annoyingly yelling “Outrageous!”  And The Question, Black Canary, and Plastic Man seem like nothing more than IP placement.  Luckily, there is a surprisingly happy ending.

Still, Scooby-Doo and Mystery Incorporated teaming up with Batman casts a spell that is still effective on me.  I had fun, and I can't wait for them to do it again.

A

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


The text is copyright © 2021 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).

#IReadsYou Review: NOW: The New Comics Anthology #10

NOW: THE NEW COMICS ANTHOLOGY #10
FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS

CARTOONISTS: Julia Gfrörer,; Tim Lane; Jacob Weinstein; Steven Weissman, M.S. Harkness; Walt Holcombe; Theo Ellsworth; Joakim Drescher; Silvia Rocchi; Alex Nall & Hartley Lin; Chris Wright; Noah Van Sciver; Celia Vårhed; Richard Sala; Karl Stevens
DESIGN: Jacob Covey
EDITOR: Eric Reynolds
COVER: Rebecca Morgan
BACKCOVER: Nick Thorburn
ISBN: 978-1-68396-399-8; paperback (July 2021)
108pp, Color, $12.99 U.S.

NOW: The New Comics Anthology is an alternative-comics anthology series launched in 2017 and edited by Eric Reynolds.  NOW is published by alt-comix and art comics publisher, Fantagraphics Books.  Over its four-plus decades of existence, Fantagraphics has published what is probably the most diverse collection of comic book anthologies in the history of North American comic books.  That line-up includes such titles as Anything Goes, Critters, Mome, Pictopia, and Zero Zero, to name a few.

NOW: The New Comics Anthology #10 offers a selection of sixteen cartoonists and comics creators, as well as a back cover “comics strip” from Nick Thorburn.  NOW #10 holds to editor Eric Reynolds' creed (from NOW #1) that NOW showcases “...as broad a range of quality comic art as possible...”  This latest edition also includes nine pages of never-before published comics from the late Richard Sala (1955-2020).

The contributors list also includes a Leroy favorite, Noah Van Sciver.  But let's take a look at each of NOW #10's cartoonists' contributions:

THE LOWDOWN:  The illustration that acts as NOW #10's cover art is entitled “Feminist Mountain Man,” and is produced by Rebecca Morgan.  The illustration is what it says it is, with some modern additions, such as a button bearing the logo of the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers – a sight I always welcome.

“The Counterweight” by Julia Gfrörer:
This beautiful one-page comic is composed of 24 panels that depict the evolution of love and war and the impermanence of a union.  Gfrörer's lovely art also celebrates drawing the human figure in motion.

“The Mobbing Birds: by Tim Lane:
Tim Lane's story, “The Mobbing Birds,” has two things going for it.  The first is its textured, almost photo-realistic art.  The second is having the legendary Hollywood star and cultural icon, Steve McQueen (1930-1980).  The combination of the two create the sense of this story being select scenes from an actual Steve McQueen movie.  “The Mobbing Birds” is like a slice of Americana, probably the dominant theme of Lane's comics, and I find myself fascinated by it.  I wouldn't mind seeing it as a full-length graphic novel, but then, there's the McQueen estate...

“T.D. Ramanujan” by Jacob Weinstein:
This story focuses on T.D. Ramanujan, the administrator of a table tennis federation in the nation of India.  The art reminds me of mid-90s Chris Ware, and the lead character and the setting are quite interesting.  The story's most powerful moments are set during World War II, and the way Weinstein draws the characters makes each one look like a unique figure.  I would certainly like to see more comics set in this milieu.

“No More Or Less Alive” by Steven Weissman:
I have read so many alt-comics anthologies that I am sure I have previously come across Steven Weissman's amazing comics many times.  “No More Or Less Alive” is NOW #10's most explosive, in-your-face story.  A nature story and quasi-animal fable, it is set in “Black Feather Valley” and focuses on a mother gopher fighting a wheat snake for the lives of her seven nursing pups.  If I ever had the words to convey to you, dear readers, the power of this story, I can't find them as I write this.  There must be some literary comics award that will recognize this story as one of the year's best comics.

“Go Big, Then Stay Home” by M.S. Harkness:
Cartoonist M.S. Harkness is also a competitive weightlifter, and this autobiographical comics short story recounts a trip she took with her friend, Elis Bradshaw, a competitive female power lifter.  Early in 2020, Harkness and Bradshaw travel to Columbus, Ohio for a power-lifting event, the “Arnold Fitness Expo,” where Bradshaw will compete, with Harkness there to help.  “Go Big, Then Stay Home” provides an interesting look at the world of power-lifting, but what really amps up the drama is that COVID-19 looms over this story.  Interestingly, the story is set in the last days before the pandemic shutdown so much of public life.

“I'm Trying to Sleep!” by Walt Holcombe:
“I'm Trying to Sleep!” is comic relief, the short story equivalent of a gag strip.  I think I have read Walt Holcombe before, and I'd like more.

“You Wouldn't Think So but It Happens All the Time” by Theo Ellsworth:
This colorful story is about the interaction of humans and animal-hybrids, but such interaction requires traveling to the animal-hybrids' world.  But it ain't easy to go to the animal-hybrid world.  I wish there were more of this story, because it seems like there should be.

“Miserable Mildrid” by Joakim Drescher:
One might mistake this for a series of “funny animal” one-page comics, except “Miserable Mildrid” is not that, even if it has a passing resemblance to such.  However, the porcine-ish Mildrid offers humor as creator Joakim Drescher digs into such ailments of modern culture and popular culture as conspiracy theories, incels, fan culture, COVID-19, and the subsequent shutdown.  “Miserable Mildrid” is solidly alt-comics, and it is one of my favorite entries in NOW #10.

“I Hate Parties” by Silvia Rocchi:
“I Hate Parties” is an observation more than it is a story, and it is indicative of something that I have noticed in the four volumes of NOW that I have read.  Many of these stories could be longer … in my humble opinion.  It's as if these cartoonists don't realize either their own potential or the potential of what they create.  “I Hate Parties” is an example of this...

“Real Witches” by Alex Nall & Hartley Lin:
...On the other hand, “Real Witches” is a two-pager that feels complete.  Its 21 panels recall classic 1950s and 1960s newspaper comics concerning the lives and adventures of children, except that “Real Witches” has a strong angle of modern edginess.  If Charles Schulz's Peanuts debuted today, it might look and read like “Real Witches,” another of my favorites from this volume.

“Taffy” by Chris Wright:
“Taffy” is like a demented children's picture book that is entirely inappropriate for anyone to read.  I find it fascinating.  Strangely, “Taffy” reminds me of the work of another cartoonist featured in NOW #10, the late Richard Sala.

“Mellow Mutt” by Noah Van Sciver:
A boy and his toy triceratops and using the imagination to play action heroes:  that's “Mellow Mutt.”  It's silly, funny, crude, and ultimately sad.  What would NOW be like without an offering from the great Noah Van Sciver.

“Free Cone Day” by Celia Varhed:
“Free Cone Day” would be funny even if it weren't painfully true.  When you want something, like a job or a particular career, you can fool yourself to the point of foolish oblivion.  “Free Cone Day” is the kind of superb work of alternative comics that only NOW is original enough to publish.

“Five Shorts”
Richard Sala (1955-2020) was one of the great cartoonists and most unique comics creators of the last four decades.  I have reviewed many of his works and have compared his comics to Charles Addams, Gahan Wilson, and Edward Gorey.  Sala's “pop macabre” sensibilities placed him in the company of contemporaries and of such fellow purveyors of Gothic pop art and entertainment as Charles Burns, Tim Burton, Lemony Snicket, and Guillermo Del Toro, to name a few.

“Five Shorts” is a nine-page suite of never-before published comics from early in Sala's career.  He apparently never even showed them to his friends, according to NOW editor Eric Reynolds.  I thought the world of Sala as an artist and cartoonist, and I exchanged some emails with him back in the Aughts.  I am happy to get this early work in NOW #10.  In them, one can see the beginnings of the graphic style and sensibilities that made Sala an artist whose influence is probably wider than many suspect.

“In This Short Life” by Karl Stevens:
This one-page comic features beautiful, photo-realistic art, and some contemplation.

“Then... But... NOW” by Nick Thorburn:
This is another befuddling back cover strip from Nick Thorburn.  I like it.

So, in conclusion, NOW #10 is the best volume of the series that I have read since I read NOW #1.  It is full of excellent stories, inventive pieces, and beautiful art, but I must choose “No More Or Less Alive” by Steven Weissman as the best of NOW #10.  Like B. Krigstein, Weissman is innovative in the use of the space of a comic book page for “No More Or Less Alive.”

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of classic alternative-comics anthologies will want to discover NOW: The New Comics Anthology.

A

9 out of 10

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


https://www.fantagraphics.com/
https://twitter.com/fantagraphics
https://www.instagram.com/fantagraphics/
https://www.facebook.com/fantagraphics/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtLxEaspctVar287DtdsMww


The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog 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).

BOOM! Studios from Diamond Distributors for September 22, 2021

BOOM! STUDIOS

JUL218471    DARK BLOOD #2 (OF 6) 2ND PTG DE LANDRO    $3.99
JUL211122    DARK BLOOD #3 (OF 6) CVR A DE LANDRO    $3.99
JUL211123    DARK BLOOD #3 (OF 6) CVR B BA    $3.99
JUL211131    DUNE HOUSE ATREIDES #10 (OF 12) CVR A CAGLE    $4.99
JUL211132    DUNE HOUSE ATREIDES #10 (OF 12) CVR B TODESCO    $4.99
JUL211114    EAT THE RICH #2 (OF 5) CVR A TONG (MR)    $3.99
JUL211115    EAT THE RICH #2 (OF 5) CVR B CAREY (MR)    $3.99
MAY210976    FIREFLY RETURN TO EARTH THAT WAS HC VOL 01    $19.99
JUL211140    GOOD LUCK #4 (OF 5) CVR A CORONA    $3.99
JUL211128    ONCE & FUTURE #20 CVR A MORA    $3.99

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

Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for September 22, 2021

DARK HORSE COMICS

JUL210291    BLACK HAMMER VISIONS #8 (OF 8) CVR A RUBIN    $3.99
JUL210292    BLACK HAMMER VISIONS #8 (OF 8) CVR B REYNOLDS & NCT    $3.99
JUL210293    BLACK HAMMER VISIONS #8 (OF 8) CVR C FABRY & HOLLOWAY    $3.99
MAY210233    IYANU CHILD OF WONDER TP VOL 01    $19.99
JUL210358    KILLER QUEENS #2 (OF 4) CVR A BALBONI (MR)    $3.99
JUL210359    KILLER QUEENS #2 (OF 4) CVR B ABLES (MR)    $3.99
JUL210360    KILLER QUEENS #2 (OF 4) CVR C BEALS (MR)    $3.99
JUL210361    NORSE MYTHOLOGY II #4 (OF 6) CVR A RUSSELL (MR)    $3.99
JUL210362    NORSE MYTHOLOGY II #4 (OF 6) CVR B MACK (MR)    $3.99
JUL210365    TALES FROM HARROW COUNTY FAIR FOLK #3 (OF 4) CVR A SCHNALL    $3.99
JUL210366    TALES FROM HARROW COUNTY FAIR FOLK #3 (OF 4) CVR B CROOK    $3.99

-------