Friday, July 22, 2022

#IReadsYou Review: NOCTERRA #5

NOCTERRA #5
IMAGE COMICS/Best Jacket Press

STORY: Scott Snyder
ART: Tony S. Daniel
COLORS: Tomeu Morey
LETTERS: Andworld Design
EDITOR: Will Dennis
COVER: Tony S. Daniels with Tomeu Morey
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Cary Nord; Francesco Francavilla; Tony S. Daniel and Marcelo Maiolo
28pp, Colors, 3.99 U.S. (July 2021)

Rated “M/ Mature”

“Full Throttle Dark” Part Five


Nocterra is a horror and science fiction comic book series from writer Scott Snyder and artist Tony S. Daniel.  Published by Image Comics, Nocterra is set on an Earth that has been experiencing an everlasting night, the “Big PM,” since the sky went dark and the world was plunged into an everlasting night over a decade ago.  Colorist Tomeu Morey and letterer Andworld Design complete the series' creative team.

In Nocterra, any living organisms left unlit in the dark for more than 10 hours start undergoing a biological transformation.  Soon, the living turn into monstrous versions of themselves, becoming something called a “Shade.”

Valentina “Val” Riggs – call sign “Sundog,” – was in the fifth grade the day the “Big PM” occurred.  Thirteen years later (“13 PM”), Val drives a big rig hauler, a heavily-illuminated 18-wheeler known as the “Sundog Convoy.”  A skilled “ferryman” Val transports people and goods along deadly unlit roads between the few remaining human outposts, and now she has her most dangerous haul – Bailey, a girl with a dangerous secret and her brother, Emory “Em” Riggs, who is becoming a Shade.

As Nocterra #5 opens, Val remembers those early days of sanctuary, when there was hope to reverse her parents' transformations into “Smudges,” the name for a human Shade.  Now, Val has found safety in the mysterious Sanctuary, having brought Bailey to the her grandfather's brother, Tiberius McCray, the leader of Sanctuary.

Sanctuary is also the place where Val found that mysterious light, “the Lux,” that can reverse Em's transformation into a Smudge.  Now, Val has two choices:  keep herself and Em safe or take Sanctuary for granted and leave.  Val is leaning towards that latter, but is there truth and darkness even in this great light?

THE LOWDOWN:  As I have written in some of my earlier reviews of Nocterra, I enjoy writer Scott Snyder's creator-owned series.  I have also told you, dear readers, that I am usually happy to read a comic book drawn by Tony S. Daniel, going back to his early days writing and drawing creator-owned titles at Image, such as The Tenth.  Nocterra has justified my devotion, and this penultimate issue, #5, of the series' first story arc has made me determined to follow Nocterra's dark highways and byways wherever they might lead.

As a theme in Nocterra #5, Snyder presents the idea that nothing, even sanctuary, is enough for humans.  They will take the bad that is the best for which they can hope and do worse trying to get better instead – even if that will obviously lead to disaster.  Andworld Design's lettering pounds the reads with this issue's ominous mood and dark misgivings about humanity.

Daniels eschews kinetic action for two-fisted conspiratorial drama that carries readers to this issue's shocking cliffhanger.  Tomeu Morey's beautiful colors advances an array of moods and emotions, conveying darkness even in the blinding light of Lux.  So, dear readers, there is time to catch up before this debut story arc ends.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Scott Snyder and Tony S. Daniel will want to sample Nocterra.

A

[This comic book includes a preview of Ordinary Gods #1 by Kyle Higgins and Felipe Watanabe.]

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



https://twitter.com/Ssnyder1835
https://www.instagram.com/ssnyder1835/
https://twitter.com/TonyDanielx2
https://tonydaniel.bigcartel.com/
https://twitter.com/tomeu_morey
https://twitter.com/deronbennett
https://twitter.com/andworlddesign
https://twitter.com/ImageComics
https://imagecomics.com/


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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Wednesday, July 20, 2022

#IReadsYou Review: THE MAGIC ORDER 2 #2

THE MAGIC ORDER 2 #2 (OF 6)
IMAGE COMICS/Netflix

STORY: Mark Millar
ART: Stuart Immonen
COLORS: Sunny Gho
LETTERS: Clem Robins
COVER: Stuart Immonen
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Stuart Immonen; Gene Ha
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (December 2021)

Rated M / Mature

The Magic Order created by Mark Millar at Netflix


The Magic Order was a six-issue comic book miniseries written by Mark Millar and drawn by Olivier Coipel.  Published in 2018-19, The Magic Order focused on the sorcerers, magicians, and wizards that protect humanity from darkness and from monsters of impossible sizes.

A second six-issue miniseries, The Magic Order 2, has arrived.  It is written by Mark Millar; drawn by Stuart Immonen; colored by Sunny Gho; and lettered by Clem Robins.  The new series focuses on a magical turf war between The Magic Order and a group of Eastern European warlocks whose ancestors the Order once banished.

As The Magic Order 2 #2 opens, the wizard Francis King returns from an addiction center … just in time, as the Order needs all the members it can summon.  The Moonstones, Cordelia and Regan, and their cousin, Kevin Mitchell, have discovered that a piece of the Stone of Thoth has been taken.  A talisman from ancient Egypt that summon anything from space, time, and beyond, the Stone of Thoth has been guarded by Kevin's chapter of the Order.  It was divided into four pieces and hidden, and now, an unknown enemy is searching out the pieces.

Five hundred years after The Magic Order made all the monsters disappear, they are mysteriously reappearing.  And the dark forces that are magic's underbelly are emerging.

THE LOWDOWN:  I've been saying this for a few years.  The Magic Order is my favorite Mark Millar written, creator-owned comic book.  When it debuted three years ago, the series gave us a thrilling introduction to a new world and new universe of magic, magical beings, and magical conspiracies.  The Magic Order is really like a blend of Harry Potter with a Martin Scorsese mob film.

To read and enjoy and understand The Magic Order 2, one does not have to have read the original series.  Mark Millar throws readers right into a riveting and alluring conspiracy, and his script for The Magic Order 2 #2 recalls the riveting thrills of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns and the alluring conspiracy of Watchmen.  One of the things that made these comic books so great was that reading them was like experiencing something that had never been seen in the mainstream American comic books that had come before them.

Becoming a Netflix executive did not stop Mark Millar from being one of the very best comic book writers in the English language.  He has given The Magic Order 2 #2 to us as a warning, just in case we thought that he might have slipped.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Mark Millar and of The Magic Order will want to read The Magic Order 2.

A+

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


https://twitter.com/ImageComics
https://twitter.com/mrmarkmillar
https://twitter.com/netflix
https://twitter.com/themagicorder
http://www.millarworld.tv/
www.imagecomics.com


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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Monday, July 18, 2022

Fantagraphics Enters Publishing Partnership with Sunday Press

Fantagraphics and Sunday Press Enter Partnership Deal

SEATTLE, WA—Fantagraphics is excited to announce a new partnership with the award-winning independent publisher Sunday Press.

Fantagraphics will distribute Sunday Press’s back list beginning in July 2022, and, in 2023, start publishing new books under the Sunday Press imprint.

Sunday Press, founded by Peter Maresca in 2005, is the multiple Eisner and Harvey Award-winning publisher of high-quality, full-sized collections of classic American newspaper strips. Maresca’s first book was Little Nemo in Slumberland: So Many Splendid Sundays, an oversized volume of Winsor McCay’s groundbreaking strip. He followed these up with Sunday with Walt & Skeezix (Frank King), Little Sammy Sneeze (McCay), and collections of strips by Gustave Verbeek, George Herriman, and others. Maresca’s books represent a high water mark in the full color reproduction and preservation of American comic strips.

Fantagraphics, now in its 5th decade, is the world’s preeminent publisher of classic comics and literary graphic novels. It has published compilations of many of the finest newspaper strips ever created, including George Herriman’s Krazy Kat, E.C. Segar’s Popeye, Walty Kelly’s Pogo, Crocket Johnson’s Barnaby, Hal Foster’s Prince Valiant, and Charles Schulz’s Peanuts, to name just a few. Its contemporary graphic novelists span two generations, including Daniel Clowes, Jaime Hernandez, Carol Tyler, Joe Sacco, Jim Woodring, Emil Ferris, Eleanor Davis, Lee Lei, and many of the most aesthetically challenging young cartoonists working today.

“It’s just a perfect fit for a small publisher like myself,” said Sunday Press founder and editor Peter Maresca. “I’ve always been a great admirer of the editorial decisions and quality production from Fantagraphics and I’m very happy for this chance to become a part of their family.”

Fantagraphics publisher Gary Groth expressed his esteem for Maresca’s curatorial vision. “I’ve admired Peter’s publishing efforts from afar for years, and now I’ll be able to admire them up close. He’s that rare publisher of integrity where taste and conscientious execution combine to create a singularly beautiful work. Our aesthetic sensibilities complement each other and I look forward to working with him to publish his scrupulously edited and designed books.”

Fantagraphics’ trade distributor, W.W.Norton will distribute all of Sunday Press’ back list to bookstores, while Diamond Distributors will sell them to the comics stores. They are all available on Fantagraphics website for direct purchase (fantagraphics.com/SundayPress).

Fantagraphics and Sunday Press both have had a presence at Comic-Con International in San Diego for decades. This year, Fantagraphics is proud to host Sunday Press, displaying several of their latest titles, and offering free Sunday Press giveaways with the purchase of any book at the booth.


About Fantagraphics:
For nearly 50 years, Fantagraphics has published the very best comics and graphic novels that the medium has to offer. Our mission is to celebrate great cartooning in all of its incarnations, from the form’s early luminaries to contemporary artists currently forging the future of visual storytelling. Not content to rest on our laurels and extensive roster of talented artists, we constantly seek out fresh voices from across the globe. Thus, we honor the rich history of comics while providing a platform for bold new stories, styles, and perspectives that push the boundaries of the medium. Fantagraphics remains peerless in our commitment to be the publisher of the world’s greatest cartoonists.

Find out more about Fantagraphics books, cartoonists, and upcoming events on, check out our blog, and follow us on social media @fantagraphics.

“It’s hard to overstate the revolutionary transformation Fantagraphics has helped bring to comics over its four decades.” — NPR

“Since the mid-1970s, Fantagraphics has published a large and varied line, with new works and classic reprints, and has fought to establish comic books as a form of high art.” — The New York Times

“Fantagraphics has consistently published America’s most important comics artists.” — TIME

About Sunday Press:
Sunday Press is an American publisher of comic strip reprint collections founded in 2005 by Peter Maresca. Since its launch, Sunday Press has worked to collect strips such as Chester Gould’s Dick Tracy, Winsor McCay’s Little Nemo in Slumberland, and George Herriman’s Krazy Kat in oversized hardcovers, representing the material in the same dimensions in which it was originally seen. Sunday Press has been nominated for multiple honors, with wins from both the Will Eisner Comic Book Awards and Harvey Kurtzman Awards.

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BOOM! Studios from Diamond Distributors for July 20, 2022

BOOM! STUDIOS

MAY220396 ALICE EVER AFTER #4 (OF 5) CVR A PANOSIAN $3.99
MAY220397 ALICE EVER AFTER #4 (OF 5) CVR B HANS $3.99
MAY220376 ANGEL #7 (OF 8) CVR A MALAVIA $4.99
MAY220399 FAITHLESS III #6 (OF 6) CVR A LLOVET (MR) $3.99
MAY220400 FAITHLESS III #6 (OF 6) CVR B EROTIC VAR ANKA (MR) $4.99
MAY228127 GRIM #1 4TH PTG FLAVIANO $3.99
MAY220332 GRIM #3 CVR A FLAVIANO $3.99
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APR228721 GRIM #3 CVR F FOC REVEAL VAR LEE $3.99
APR228722 GRIM #3 CVR G FOC UNLOCKABLE VAR FRISON $3.99
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Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for July 20, 2022

DARK HORSE COMICS

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Dynamite Entertainment from Diamond Distributors for July 20, 2022

DYNAMITE

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MAY220713 JENNIFER BLOOD #10 CVR B LAU (MR) $3.99
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FEB210802 MYOPIA GN $19.99
MAY220734 NYX #8 CVR A MATTEONI $3.99
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MAY220630 SAMURAI SONJA #2 CVR A HENRY $3.99
MAY220631 SAMURAI SONJA #2 CVR B LEIRIX $3.99
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AUG210896 SONJAVERSAL TP VOL 01 $19.99

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IDW Publishing from Diamond Distributors for July 20, 2022

IDW PUBLISHING

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MAY221528 DUNGEONS & DRAGONS MINDBREAKER GN $17.99
APR221559 GI JOE A REAL AMERICAN HERO BEST OF SNAKE EYES $6.99
APR221564 GODZILLA VS MMPR #4 (OF 5) CVR A  FREDDIE WILLIAMS II $3.99
APR221565 GODZILLA VS MMPR #4 (OF 5) CVR B DRAPER-IVEY $3.99
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MAY221554 STAR TREK MIRROR WAR #7 (OF 8) CVR A WOODWARD $3.99
MAY221555 STAR TREK MIRROR WAR #7 (OF 8) CVR B MADRIAGA $3.99
MAY221562 TMNT ONGOING (IDW) COLL HC VOL 14 $59.99
MAY221565 TRANSFORMERS LAST BOT STANDING #3 CVR A ROCHE $5.99
MAY221566 TRANSFORMERS LAST BOT STANDING #3 CVR B ALLISON $5.99
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MAY221568 TRANSFORMERS LAST BOT STANDING #3 CVR D WON $5.99
MAY221571 USAGI YOJIMBO #29 CVR A SAKAI $3.99

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