Comics, Magazines and Books from Diamond Distributors for October 12, 2022

COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS

MAY221093 21ST CENTURIONS #10 (C: 0-0-1) $5.95

APR221772 78 MPH #3 (MR) $3.95

JUL222197 ABANDONED EMPRESS GN VOL 03 (MR) (C: 0-1-2) $20.00

APR222065 AKIRA ART OF WALL BOX SET (C: 0-1-2) $129.99

APR221217 AM ARCHIVES ZORRO FOUR COLOR #2 1958 CVR A PHOTO $3.99

APR221218 AM ARCHIVES ZORRO FOUR COLOR #2 CVR B LTD B&W PHOTO ED $9.99

JUL229114 AM ARCHIVES ZORRO FOUR COLOR #960 1958 CVR C LTD GUY CLASSIC $4.99

AUG221482 ANIMORPHS GN VOL 03 THE ENCOUNTER (C: 0-1-0) $12.99

AUG221483 ANIMORPHS HC GN VOL 03 THE ENCOUNTER (C: 0-1-0) $24.99

AUG221176 ARCHIE JUMBO COMICS DIGEST #334 $8.99

MAY221781 ATOM BEGINNING GN VOL 01 (C: 0-1-2) $12.99

MAR228929 AWAKEN GN VOL 01 (MR) (C: 0-1-1) $17.99

JUL222192 BANISHED FROM HERO PARTY QUIET COUNTRYSIDE GN VOL 03 (C: 0-1 $13.00

JUL228054 BANKS GN $19.99

JUL221562 BEAK & ALLY SC GN BEDTIME JITTERS (C: 0-1-0) $7.99

MAR228977 BEAUTY AND FEAST GN VOL 04 (C: 0-1-1) $14.99

JUL221401 BESTIES FIND THEIR GROOVE GN (C: 0-1-0) $13.99

JUL221402 BESTIES FIND THEIR GROOVE HC GN (C: 0-1-0) $24.99

AUG221135 BIG IDEAS THAT CHANGED WORLD WE THE PEOPLE GN (C: 0-1-0) $14.99

AUG221485 BIRD & SQUIRREL GN HC VOL 07 ALL TOGETHER (C: 0-1-0) $18.99

AUG221484 BIRD & SQUIRREL GN VOL 07 ALL TOGETHER (C: 0-1-0) $10.99

APR222128 BLACK & WHITE TOUGH LOVE AT OFFICE GN VOL 01 (C: 0-1-1) $14.99

JUL228055 BLACK MASS RISING COLLECTORS BOX SET $29.99

JUL228056 BLACK MASS RISING GN $19.99

AUG222042 BLACK OR WHITE GN VOL 05 (MR) $12.99

JUN222051 BROTHERS FLICK IMPOPSSIBLE DOORS TP $12.99

AUG221496 BUG SCOUTS YR GN VOL 01 OUT OF THE WILD (C: 1-1-1) $7.99

AUG221497 BUG SCOUTS YR GN VOL 02 CAMP OUT (C: 1-1-1) $7.99

AUG222071 CASE CLOSED GN VOL 84 (C: 0-1-2) $9.99

MAR228933 CAT MASSAGE THERAPY GN VOL 03 (C: 0-1-1) $14.99

AUG221063 CHICKEN DEVILS #1 CVR A SHERMAN $4.99

AUG221167 CHILLING ADV OF SALEM ONE SHOT CVR A SCHOENING $3.99

AUG221168 CHILLING ADV OF SALEM ONE SHOT CVR B FRANCAVILLA $3.99

JUL222187 CHITOSE IS IN RAMUNE BOTTLE GN VOL 02 (C: 0-1-2) $13.00

AUG221642 COLLECTED TOPPI HC VOL 08 (MR) (C: 0-1-2) $34.99

JUL222202 COMBATANTS WILL BE DISPATCHED GN VOL 07 (MR) (C: 0-1-2) $13.00

JUL221917 CREEPOVER GN VOL 02 YOU CANT COME IN HERE (C: 0-1-0) $11.99

MAR228935 CREEPY CAT GN VOL 04 (C: 0-1-1) $14.99

AUG222045 DAIGO THE BEAST GN VOL 04 (RES) (C: 0-1-2) $19.99

AUG222050 DANDADAN GN VOL 01 (MR) (C: 0-1-2) $9.99

JUL222059 DARK MAGE GN ADV HC (MAR229350) (C: 0-1-2) $22.99

MAR221257 DREADFUL DREAMSCAPES #1 CVR A PUGLIA (MR) $3.99

MAR221258 DREADFUL DREAMSCAPES #1 CVR B DISSECTIONS KROFCHECK (MR) $3.99

MAR221259 DREADFUL DREAMSCAPES #1 CVR C CENTURY ED 100 COPIES (MR) $29.99

JUL229115 DREADFUL DREAMSCAPES #1 CVR D LTD ED RIP REMEMBERANCE PHOTO $6.99

MAR228937 DUKE OF DEATH & HIS MAID GN VOL 03 (C: 0-1-1) $12.99

AUG221227 E RATIC RECHARGED #2 (OF 4) CVR A ANDREWS $3.99

AUG221038 ELLES #3 CVR A STOKART $3.99

AUG221039 ELLES #3 CVR B MAROH $3.99

JUL228060 EVE OF EXTINCTION GN $19.99

MAR221315 EXCITING COMICS #24 (C: 0-0-1) $4.99

JUL222178 EXECUTIONER & HER WAY OF LIFE GN VOL 01 (C: 0-1-2) $13.00

AUG221971 FADE A LIGHT GN (C: 0-1-1) $19.99

AUG221012 FAR CRY ESPERANZAS TEARS #1 CVR A KHALED & BASTI (MR) $3.99

AUG221013 FAR CRY ESPERANZAS TEARS #1 CVR B GENZOMAN (MR) $3.99

AUG221014 FAR CRY ESPERANZAS TEARS #1 CVR C LEIRIX (MR) $3.99

AUG221015 FAR CRY ESPERANZAS TEARS #1 CVR D LAZIC (MR) $3.99

AUG221016 FAR CRY ESPERANZAS TEARS #1 CVR E BLANK (MR) $10.00

JUL228062 FEARSOME DOCTOR FANG GN $19.99

AUG221852 FOLLOW ME INTO THE DARKNESS TP (MR) $16.99

JUL228063 FORGOTTEN BLADE COLLECTORS BOX SET $29.99

JUL228064 FORGOTTEN BLADE GN $19.99

JUN222361 FORMERLY FALLEN DAUGHTER OF DUKE GN VOL 01 (C: 0-1-1) $12.99

JUL222181 GEEK EX-HITMAN GN VOL 02 (MR) (C: 0-1-2) $15.00

MAY222044 GHOST IN THE SHELL HUMAN ALGORITHM VOL 03 (C: 0-1-0) $12.99

MAR228942 GIRL FROM OTHER SIDE SIUIL RUN DLX ED OMNIBUS HC VOL 02 (C: $42.99

JUL228066 GOODNIGHT PARADISE GN $19.99

JUL222060 GRAND TOURNAMENT GN ADV HC (MAR229351) (C: 0-1-2) $22.99

JUL228067 GRAVENEYE GN $19.99

JUL222378 HI SCORE GIRL GN VOL 09 (RES) (C: 0-1-0) $14.99

AUG221092 HIGHBALL #2 CVR A HARPER (MR) $4.99

MAR228945 HUNTING IN ANOTHER WORLD WITH MY ELF WIFE VOL 01 (C: 0-1-1) $13.99

JUN222362 HYPERVENTILATION GN VOL 00 (MR) (C: 0-1-1) $15.99

JUN221624 I LIKE TO READ COMICS HC GN IM OGRE IT (C: 0-1-1) $14.99

JUN221625 I LIKE TO READ COMICS HC GN OWL AND PENGUIN (C: 0-1-1) $14.99

JUL222193 IM NOT POPULAR GN VOL 20 (C: 0-1-2) $13.00

JUL222191 IN THE LAND OF LEADALE GN VOL 02 (C: 0-1-2) $13.00

MAR228846 ISLAND IN A PUDDLE GN VOL 04 (MR) (C: 0-1-1) $12.99

AUG221232 JONESES TP (MR) (C: 0-1-1) $9.99

AUG222066 KAIJU NO 8 GN VOL 04 (C: 0-1-2) $9.99

JUL222200 KAKEGURUI COMPULSIVE GAMBLER GN VOL 15 (MR) (C: 0-1-2) $15.00

JUN222148 KAKEGURUI TWIN GN VOL 11 (MR) (C: 0-1-2) $15.00

MAR228948 KEMONO JIHEN GN VOL 02 (C: 0-1-1) $13.99

JUL222183 KEPT PRESSING 100 MILLION YEAR BUTTON ON TOP GN VOL 01 (MR) $13.00

APR221631 KNIGHTS OF THE DINNER TABLE #297 (C: 0-0-1) $6.99

AUG222070 KOMI CANT COMMUNICATE GN VOL 21 (C: 0-1-2) $9.99

MAY222148 KONOHANA KITAN GN VOL 11 (C: 0-1-1) $12.99

OCT211382 LADY DEATH OMNIBUS HC VOL 01 (MR) (C: 0-1-1) $125.00

AUG221634 LEGACY OF VIOLENCE #1 (MR) $3.99

AUG221491 LEON GN VOL 01 LEON THE EXTRAORDINARY (C: 0-1-0) $12.99

AUG221492 LEON HC GN VOL 01 LEON THE EXTRAORDINARY (C: 0-1-0) $24.99

JUL221896 LOCUST BALLAD OF MEN #2 $4.99

JUL228068 LONESOME DAYS SAVAGE NIGHTS GN $19.99

AUG221337 LORE OLYMPUS GN VOL 03 (C: 0-1-0) $21.00

AUG221338 LORE OLYMPUS HC GN VOL 03 (C: 0-1-0) $27.99

MAR228908 LOVESICK ELLIE GN VOL 06 (C: 0-1-1) $10.99

AUG221635 MAD CAVE STUDIOS LEGACY BATTLECATS #2 CVR A CAMELO $2.99

AUG221636 MAD CAVE STUDIOS LEGACY BATTLECATS #2 CVR B LONERGAN $2.99

MAR228953 MAGIC ARTISAN DAHLIA WILTS NO MORE GN VOL 03 (C: 0-1-1) $12.99

AUG221763 MANGA INSPIRED SHORT STORIES (SATURDAY AM TANK) TP (C: 0-1-2 $15.99

JUL221897 MEGA CENTURIONS #3 (OF 5) $4.99

DEC211898 MINIONS MINI BOSS TP (RES) (C: 0-1-2) $6.99

JUL222184 MONSTABOO GN VOL 02 (MR) (C: 0-1-2) $13.00

AUG222043 MOON & SUN GN VOL 02 (MR) $12.99

JUL222380 MY ISEKAI LIFE GN VOL 03 (C: 0-1-1) $12.99

JUL221058 NIGHT EATERS GN VOL 01 SHE EATS AT NIGHT (C: 0-1-1) $24.99

JUL222190 NIGHTS WITH A CAT GN VOL 02 (C: 0-1-2) $15.00

MAY211170 NINJA HIGH SCHOOL #182 $3.99

JUL221352 NINJA KAIDAN #3 CVR A $3.99

JUL221353 NINJA KAIDAN #3 CVR B $4.99

JUL223340 PATHFINDER ADV CROWN KOBOLD KING ANN SP ED (P2) (C: 0-1-2) $59.99

JUN222220 PEACH BOY RIVERSIDE GN VOL 08 (C: 0-1-1) $12.99

AUG221151 PHOEBE & HER UNICORN GN VOL 16 UNICORNADO (C: 0-1-0) $11.99

MAR221317 PLANET COMICS #8 $4.99

JUL221329 PLAY LIKE A GIRL HC GN (C: 0-1-0) $22.99

JUL228071 POUND FOR POUND GN $19.99

JUL228073 PULL GN $19.99

JUN221170 PUNK TACO HC VOL 02 $24.99

AUG221866 QUAD VOL 01 (MR) $14.99

JUL228074 REDFORK GN $19.99

MAR228958 SAINTS MAGIC IS OMNIPOTENT GN VOL 06 (C: 0-1-1) $12.99

AUG222063 SAKAMOTO DAYS GN VOL 04 (C: 0-1-2) $9.99

MAR221314 SAMURAI 2.0 #1 (OF 4) $4.99

JUL228075 SARA COLLECTORS BOX SET $29.99

JUL222182 SASAKI & PEEPS GN VOL 01 (C: 0-1-2) $13.00

JUN222053 SATANIKA VS MORELLAS DEMON #2 (MR) $4.95

JUL221161 SENSORY LIFE ON THE SPECTRUM AUTISTIC COMICS ANTHOLOGY (C: 0 $19.99

JUL222175 SHE LOVES TO COOK & SHE LOVES TO EAT GN VOL 01 (MR) (C: 0-1- $15.00

JUL222061 SHERLOCK HOLMES INTERNATIONAL GN ADV HC (MAR229352) (C: 0-1- $22.99

AUG221895 SHERLOCK SCANDAL IN BELGRAVIA PART 2 #3 CVR A TEMPLER $4.99

AUG221896 SHERLOCK SCANDAL IN BELGRAVIA PART 2 #3 CVR B ZHANG $4.99

AUG221897 SHERLOCK SCANDAL IN BELGRAVIA PART 2 #3 CVR C JAY $4.99

JUN221478 SHOWA HISTORY OF JAPAN GN VOL 02 1939-1944 SHIGERU MIZUKI (N $29.95

JUN222316 SHWD GN VOL 01 (MR) (C: 0-1-0) $14.99

JUL221330 SIR LADYBUG HC GN VOL 03 BOOKWORMS (C: 0-1-0) $12.99

JUL222062 SPACE BRIGADE GN ADV HC (MAR229353) (C: 0-1-2) $22.99

MAR221310 SPECTREMAN HEROES #3 (OF 5) HYOMAN (C: 0-0-1) $4.99

AUG221494 SPIDER HAM HOLLYWOOD MAY HAM GN (C: 0-1-0) $8.99

AUG221495 SPIDER HAM HOLLYWOOD MAY HAM HC GN (C: 0-1-0) $22.99

AUG222072 SPLATOON GN VOL 15 (C: 0-1-2) $9.99

MAR228863 THIS IS SCREWED UP REINCARNATED AS GIRL GN VOL 03 (MR) (C: 0 $12.99

MAR221313 UNPREPPED #1 (OF 5) $4.99

APR221251 UNPREPPED #2 (OF 5) (C: 0-0-1) $4.99

MAR228917 VAMPIRE DORMITORY GN VOL 07 (C: 0-1-1) $10.99

JUL221109 WRONG EARTH ONE SHOTS TP $17.99

AUG221225 YEAR ZERO VOL 0 #1 (OF 5) CVR A ANDREWS (MR) $3.99

AUG221226 YEAR ZERO VOL 0 #1 (OF 5) CVR B DEODATO JR (MR) $3.99

AUG221766 YELLOW STRINGER (SATURDAY AM TANK) VOL 01 (C: 0-1-2) $13.99

JUL221339 YESTERDAY DIARY COMIX TP (MR) (C: 0-1-1) $15.00

JUN222363 YURI ESPOIR GN VOL 02 (C: 0-1-1) $12.99

MAGAZINES

JUN222001 BRICKJOURNAL #76 (C: 0-1-2) $10.95

AUG221744 CARTOONS MAGAZINE #41 $8.99

AUG221329 COMIC SHOP NEWS (100CT BUNDLE) #1834 (NET) $PI

JUN222002 RETROFAN MAGAZINE #23 (C: 0-1-2) $10.95

BOOKS

JUL222157 ART MAKING OF TRANSFORMERS WAR FOR CYBERTRON TRILOGY HC (C: $40.00

MAR228850 BERSERK OF GLUTTONY LIGHT NOVEL VOL 07 (C: 0-1-1) $14.99

JUN221995 BLACK PANTHER PANTHERS RAGE HC (C: 0-1-2) $25.95

AUG221236 BLACK PANTHER PROTECTORS OF WAKANDA HIST & TRAINING MANUAL ( $22.99

JUL228057 BLOOD LIKE GARNETS SC NOVEL $9.99

JUL228058 BROOD X SC NOVEL $9.99

JUL222362 CASE FILES OF JEWELER RICHARD LIGHT NOVEL VOL 01 (MR) (C: 1- $14.99

AUG222227 DESIGN YOUR OWN ANIME & MANGA CHARACTERS SC (C: 0-1-2) $24.99

AUG222298 DIDN`T I SAY MAKE ABILITIES AVERAGE NOVEL SC VOL 14 (RES) (C $13.99

AUG221443 DISNEY PRINCESS BEYOND THE TIARA STORIES INFLUENCES LEGACY ( $40.00

MAR228921 FAILURE FRAME LIGHT NOVEL VOL 05 (C: 0-1-1) $14.99

APR221632 HEAD WOUNDS SPARROW HC GN (C: 0-1-1) $24.99

JUN221822 HIS NAME IS BANKSY GN (C: 0-1-1) $24.95

AUG221275 ILLUMINATIONS STORIES BY ALAN MOORE HC (C: 0-1-1) $30.00

JUL222366 IM IN LOVE WITH VILLAINESS LIGHT NOVEL SC VOL 05 (C: 0-1-1) $14.99

JUL222215 IRREGULAR AT MAGIC HIGH SCHOOL LIGHT NOVEL SC VOL 20 (C: 0-1 $14.00

JUN221823 KEITH HARING STORY OF HIS LIFE GN (C: 0-1-1) $24.95

JUL222043 LGBTQ+ COMICS STUDIES READER SC (MR) (C: 0-1-1) $30.00

JUN221984 LIFE IS STRANGE COLORING BOOK SC (C: 0-1-2) $14.99

AUG221137 NATHAN HALES CREATE OWN COMICS LETS MAKE HISTORY HC (C: 0-1- $14.99

JUL228069 ONE EYE OPEN SC NOVEL $9.99

AUG221055 OUR LITTLE KITCHEN BOARD BOOK (C: 0-1-0) $9.99

AUG221310 PINUPS AROUND THE WORLD HC (MR) (C: 0-1-1) $24.99

AUG221237 SPIDER-MAN HIST & CELEBRATION OF WEB-SLINGER (C: 0-1-2) $40.00

AUG221978 WILD ADV THE SPIDER SC NOVEL VOL 03 SCOURGE OF SCORPION (C: $24.95

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DC Comics from Lunar Distributors for October 11, 2022

DC COMICS:

American Vampire Omnibus Volume 2 HC, $125.00
Batgirls #11 (Cover A Jorge Corona), $3.99
Batgirls #11 (Cover B Audrey Mok Card Stock Variant), $4.99
Batgirls #11 (Cover C Rian Gonzales Card Stock Variant), AR
Batman And Scooby-Doo Mysteries #1 (Cover A Dario Brizuela), $2.99
Batman Incorporated #1 (Cover A John Timms), $3.99
Batman Incorporated #1 (Cover B Jorge Molina Card Stock Variant), $4.99
Batman Incorporated #1 (Cover C Derrick Chew Card Stock Variant), AR
Batman Incorporated #1 (Cover D Jeff Spokes Glow In The Dark Card Stock Variant), AR
Batman Urban Legends #20 (Cover A Max Dunbar), $7.99
Batman Urban Legends #20 (Cover B Jorge Corona), $7.99
Batman Urban Legends #20 (Cover C Edwin Galmon), $7.99
Batman Vs. Robin #2 (Of 5)(Cover A Mahmud Asrar), $5.99
Batman Vs. Robin #2 (Of 5)(Cover B Greg Capullo Card Stock Variant), $6.99
Batman Vs. Robin #2 (Of 5)(Cover C Francis Manapul Card Stock Variant), $6.99
Batman Vs. Robin #2 (Of 5)(Cover D Rafael Sarmento Battle-Speed Card Stock Variant), AR
Batman Vs. Robin #2 (Of 5)(Cover E Clayton Henry Card Stock Variant), AR
Black Adam #1 (Special Edition), AR
Dark Crisis Worlds Without A Justice League Green Arrow #1 (One Shot)(Cover A Clayton Henry), $4.99
Dark Crisis Worlds Without A Justice League Green Arrow #1 (One Shot)(Cover B Megan Huang), AR
Dark Crisis Worlds Without A Justice League Green Arrow #1 (One Shot)(Cover C Clayton Henry Foil Variant), AR
Dark Crisis Worlds Without A Justice League Green Arrow #1 (One Shot)(Cover D Nik Virella), $4.99
DC Horror Presents Soul Plumber HC, $24.99
DC’s Terrors Through Time #1 (One Shot)(Cover A John Mccrea), $9.99
DC’s Terrors Through Time #1 (One Shot)(Cover B Steve Beach VHS Variant), $9.99
DC’s Terrors Through Time #1 (One Shot)(Cover C Karl Mostert), AR
Flash The Fastest Man Alive #2 (Of 3)(Cover A Sebastian Fiumara), $5.99
Flash The Fastest Man Alive #2 (Of 3)(Cover B Juan Ferreyra Card Stock Variant), $6.99
Flash The Fastest Man Alive #2 (Of 3)(Cover C Jorge Corona Card Stock Variant), AR
Flash The Fastest Man Alive #2 (Of 3)(Cover D Ricardo Lopez Foil Card Stock Variant), AR
Future State Gotham #18 (Cover A Simone Di Meo), $3.99
Future State Gotham #18 (Cover B Carlos Danda Card Stock Variant), $4.99
Jurassic League #6 (Of 6)(Cover A Daniel Warren Johnson), $3.99
Jurassic League #6 (Of 6)(Cover B Juan Gedeon Card Stock Variant), $4.99
Rogues #4 (Of 4)(Cover A Sam Wolfe Connelly), $6.99
Rogues #4 (Of 4)(Cover B Leomacs), $6.99
Rogues #4 (Of 4)(Cover C Kaare Andrews), AR
Superman Son Of Kal-El #16 (Cover A Travis Moore)(Kal-El Returns), $3.99
Superman Son Of Kal-El #16 (Cover B Ariel Colon Card Stock Variant)(Kal-El Returns), $4.99
Superman Son Of Kal-El #16 (Cover C Megan Huang 90s Bedroom Card Stock Variant)(Kal-El Returns), AR
Teen Titans Academy Volume 2 Exit Wounds HC, $29.99
Wonder Woman #792 (Cover A Yanick Paquette), $4.99
Wonder Woman #792 (Cover B Joelle Jones Card Stock Variant), $5.99
Wonder Woman #792 (Cover C Lucio Parrillo Black Adam Movie Card Stock Variant), $5.99
Wonder Woman #792 (Cover D Zu Orzu Card Stock Variant), AR
Wonder Woman #792 (Cover E Crystal Kung Cheetah Costume Card Stock Variant), AR
Wonder Woman Evolution HC, $29.99

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#IReadsYou Review: NOW: The New Comics Anthology #11

NOW: THE NEW COMICS ANTHOLOGY #11
FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS

CARTOONISTS: Theo Ellsworth; Jesse Simpson; Justin Gradin; Tim Lane; Baptiste Virot; Stacy Gougoulis; Natalia Novia & Ariel Lopez V.; Kayla E. Chris Wright; Steven Weissman; Josh Simmons
DESIGN: Jacob Covey
EDITOR: Eric Reynolds
COVER: Daria Tessler
BACKCOVER: Nick Thorburn
ISBN: 978-1-68396-520-6; paperback (March 2022)
128pp, 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 #11 offers a selection of fourteen cartoonists and comics creators, as well as a back cover “comics strip” from Nick Thorburn.  NOW #11 holds to editor Eric Reynolds' creed (from NOW #1) that NOW showcases “...as broad a range of quality comic art as possible...”

The contributors list also includes a Leroy favorite, Steven Weissman.  But let's take a look at each of NOW #11's cartoonists' contributions:

THE LOWDOWN:  The illustration that acts as NOW #11's cover art is entitled “Untitled,” and is produced by Daria Tessler.  It looks like something at least partially inspired by the animation in “Monty Python's Flying Circus.”

“Untitled” by Theo Ellsworth:
The NOW regular offers a one-page comic with an impressive display of curvy lines.

“Snub” by Jesse Simpson:
What's with the eyes on the two lead characters, seriously?  I want to say that it has something to do with either emotions or personality.  So after being snubbed (maybe) by fellow party-goer, “Kevin,” two friends talk it out and reveal that it does bother them, although they are also saying it does not.  I like that Simpson creates what seems like a natural conversation.  The characters are talking as much to themselves as to each other.  I want more of this.

“Wounded Candy” by Justin Gradin:
Grover, a garbage man employed by a waste disposal company called, “Talkin' Trash,” and a creature, something I call a “sidewalk spirit,” have an adventure with a celebrity Halloween mask, lots of garbage, and vomited gum.  “Wounded Candy” is the kind of edgy, surreal fantasy that alternative cartoonists produce.  Why draw a Doctor Strange comic book for Marvel that pretends to be “way out there” when you can go “off the beaten path” in many phantasmagoric directions via alt-comics?  [If you say page rate...]  Once again, I say “Encore! Encore!”

“The Junkman” by Tim Lane:
I know Tim Lane's work from Glenn Head's amazing anthology, Hotwire Comics, specifically Hotwire Comics #2.  Lane drew the cover and contributed three stories, “Outing,” “In My Dream,” and “The Aries Crow.”

“The Junkman” takes place in a junkyard.  It features a young man with an instant camera and an older man sitting in the remains of an automobile, a 1955 Chevy Belair.  The young fellow likes to take pictures of junk, and the older dude likes to ponder what could have been.  Lane's art is sort of a combination of Charles Burns and of EC Comics' Al Feldstein and Jack Kamen.  Lane's art looks like it belongs in a 1950s comic book, which makes it the perfect method and medium for a story that laments choosing practicality over risk.

As lovely as the art is, with all its textures and draftsmanship, “The Junkman” is driven by the high-quality of the dialogue and how it evolves this moment in time between two different men.  They are really talking past each other for a time, and then Lane reveals that in their differences, there are connections and familiarity.  “The Junkman” is a tremendous work of comics storytelling.

“Interior Design,” “The Visit,” “Allo?” and “The Great Escape” by Baptiste Virot:
This suite of four stories, which totals seven pages, are surreal exercises concerning the difficulty of escaping one's current situation.  Virot's “clear line” style and flat colors reveal the skills of someone investing in print making.  I wish periodical comic books could support work like this, but alas...

“Mandorla” by Stacy Gougoulis:
I was just talking to a friend about the idiotic things stupid people do for a selfie.  Starting with a failed selfie, “Mandorla” is about the perception of time, possible lives, and especially about how life goes on … after us.  As the story goes down the rabbit hole of time, I found myself drawn into it.  Gougoulis' storytelling is so powerful, I barely escaped.

“Mission: E5” by Natalia Novia & Ariel Lopez V.:
Woodcut art, acid, Jack Kirby, and the last six decades of science fiction films come together in “Mission: E5.”  At the end of the story, we are informed that “Mission: E5” was inspired by the 1917 story, “A la Deriva” (“Adrift”), from author Horacio Quiroga, the influential Uruguayan short story writer (among other things).  I also felt drawn in by this story, and once again, I barely escaped the time-bending surrealism.

“Precious Rubbish” by Kayla E.:
This comic book is another case of adaptation, in this case a combination of old publications, including comic books, and text messages between the cartoonist and her elderly mother.  “Precious Rubbish” is an ordeal to read, but not because it is a terrible work.  It is as if Kayla E. is exorcising some personal demons … that I recognize.  So, this is another excellent entry.

“Monet Coil” by Chris Wright:
This story pits French surrealist Claude Monet and American expatriate and prolific portrait painter, John Singer Sargent, in a battle over a woman.  Monet believes that every moment is a rebirth, but Sargent just wants Monet to stay away from the woman.  Monet and Sargent were apparently real-life homies, but I have not found anything about them fighting over a woman.  However, I enjoyed this philosophical tale, which reminds me of the work of the late great cartoonist, Richard Sala.

“Now” by Steven Weissman:
This story about two women who place a baby in the mouth of a weird breed of cat called a “Qat” unsettles me.  But I'm a fan of Weissman, so I like it.

“Shortcut” by Josh Simmons:
I am still chuckling at this tale of two dopers who come to an ignoble end after taking a shortcut while smoking their weed.  Encore!  Encore!

“Some Guy's Food” by Theo Ellsworth:
This is an effective one-page comic.  I have feeling that someone might exploit this for a YA dystopian prose or graphic novel before the talented Theo Ellsworth does.  Seriously, these are nine panels full of raw comics and graphical storytelling power.

“Untitled” by Nick Thorburn:
This is another weird animal tale, but it is less creepy that Weissman's tale.

NOW #11 may be the best entry in the series since NOW #1, and that is saying a lot.  Not too long ago, I declared NOW #10 to be a series high point.  What The New Yorker is to American single-panel cartoons, NOW is to alternative and art comics.  If I have to pick a best of NOW #11 – and I don't – I'll choose Tim Lane's “The Junkman,” but tomorrow, I could change my mind.

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

A+

10 out of 10

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


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#IReadsYou Review: KILLADELPHIA #18

KILLADELPHIA #18
IMAGE COMICS

STORY: Rodney Barnes
ART: Jason Shawn Alexander
PENCILS: Christopher Mitten (pp. 21-23)
COLORS: Luis Nct
LETTERS: Marshall Dillon
EDITOR: Greg Tumbarello
COVER: Jason Shawn Alexander
VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Simon Bisley
28pp, Colors, 3.99 U.S. (October 2021)

Rated “M/ Mature”

Killadelphia and Elysium Gardens created by Rodney Barnes and Jason Shawn Alexander

“Home is Where the Hatred Is” Part VI: “The End of Things”

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. and his father, revered Philadelphia homicide detective, James Sangster, Sr., thought to be dead.  He is actually a vampire.  Now father and son lead a ragtag team comprised of a medical examiner, a dead president, and a rebellious, but special young vampire (Tevin Thompkins a.k.a. “See Saw”) in a bid to save Philly from an ambitious and murderous former First Lady.

As Killadelphia #18 (“The End of Things”) opens, Abigail Adams and her vampire hordes and legions are tearing Philadelphia apart and tearing through its human citizens.  Meanwhile, back at the heroes' ranch, Anansi is ready to bounce, but at least he is offering some parting words of wisdom.

James Sr. is determined that Jim Jr. and Jose's unborn child – his grandchild – have a better life than he got and than what he gave Jim Jr.  So, he's off to battle … with a few friends.  There's no way they can survive Abigail Adams, so they need allies...  The reckoning for a city and a nation is finally at hand, but are all the players on the board?

THE LOWDOWN:  Killadelphia's third story arc, “Home is Where the Hatred Is,” comes to an end.  I thought that this would be the story arc that most reveals the complexities and multiple layers of Killadelphia.  I thought it would be the one that reveals this series as more dark fantasy than mere vampire comic book.  And it is.

I think I do need a break from the series.  I have run up against a rhetorical wall.  What more can I say?  Every issue I read impresses me and inspires me to create my own fiction.  So I need a few months breather before I take on the next glorious arc and more Rodney Barnes.  I'll have extra time to mine the dictionary for new words of praise and glorification.  Can you imagine what Barnes' Falcon comic book series would have been if Marvel Comics had not canceled it?

As for artist Jason Shawn Alexander:  Jason’s art continues to astound me.  He is just beyond talented.  Isn't it crazy or coincidental that we feel the say way about Jason, Mr. Barnes?  Seriously, Jason's art in this closer is like the best of elements of 1960s and 70s horror comic books, Hammer Films, and Bill Sienkiewicz – all brought together in a way only Jason can do.

Colorist Luis Nct, who has always done great work on this series, lost his mind and created a comic book coloring masterpiece in Killadelphia #18.  Marshall Dillon's lettering brings peace to the story, or at least enough so that we can read through the madness.  And I credit artist Chris Mitten for bringing his “A game” so that his guest art here blends in without a bump.

I'll end this review by saying that Killadelphia #18 is yet another chance for readers to get in now on the best of the best.  However, even if you get far behind, dear readers, it will be such fun to catch up.

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

[This issue includes an afterword by Rodney Barnes.]

A+

10 out of 10

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


https://twitter.com/TheRodneyBarnes
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#IReadsYou Review: DARK BLOOD #3

DARK BLOOD #3 (OF 6)
BOOM! STUDIOS

STORY: LaToya Morgan
ART:  Moisés Hidalgo
COLORS: A.H.G.
LETTERS:  Andworld Design
EDITOR: Dafna Pleban
COVER: Valentine De Landro
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Juni Ba; Valentine De Landro; Christian Ward
24pp, Colors, 3.99 U.S. (September 2021)

Dark Blood created by LaToya Morgan

Dark Blood is a new six-issue comic book miniseries created and written by screenwriter LaToya Morgan (AMC’s “The Walking Dead,” “Into The Badlands”).  Published by BOOM! Studios, the series is drawn by Walt Barna and Moisés Hidalgo; colored by A.H.G.; and lettered by Andworld Design.  The series focuses on a Black World War II veteran who discovers that he has strange new abilities.

Alabama, 1955.  After leaving his job at the diner, “Hardy's Eats,” Avery Aldridge, also known as “Double A,” has a fateful encounter with a racist.  Double A is a highly decorated World War II soldier, a former fighter pilot, a member of the soon-to-be-legendary “Red Tails.”  He is expected to act like a boy … when he is actually a very powerful man.  But this is “The Night of the Variance,” and everything is going to start to change – even the things some don't want changed.

Dark Blood #3 opens in 1945, ten years before the Variance.  In Alabama, Emma Aldridge, Avery's wife, feels the penetrating eyes of a member of the local wolf pack, also known as a police officer, specifically Officer Wright.  Meanwhile, near the Austrian border, Avery and a fellow pilot race for safety with another kind of wolf pack, in the form of a Nazi commandant and his soldiers, nipping at their heels.

Ten years later, back in the present, it is the “Night of the Variance.”  Once again, Emma evades a wolf, while Avery runs away from one.  As he did a decade before, Avery will once again have to decide when he should stop running and turn around and start fighting.

THE LOWDOWN:  The indignities that Avery Aldridge suffers in Dark Blood #2 are familiar to me because I have experienced some of them and others were told to me via first hand or second hand accounts.  A theme that runs throughout Dark Blood, thus far, is the notion that Black people are often being hunted.  Sometimes, even being watched is a form of being hunted; the difference is that the hunter hunts with his stare or gaze.

Television writer-producer LaToya Morgan (AMC's “TURN: Washington's Spies”) offers in Dark Blood a comic book that flows through multiple genres, including science fiction and fantasy, horror, history, and reality-based drama, to name a few.  As a television writer, she knows how to deliver action, suspense, and thrills along with the character drama.  And Dark Blood #3 offers the thrill of the hunt.

This third issue finds husband and wife, Avery and Emma Aldridge, living and surviving on the razor's edge more than once, over two time periods.  It would not be inappropriate to compare this issue's hunters, Alabama law enforcement and Nazi military personnel to one another.  After all, one was the teacher of codified racism, and the other was the student.  [I'll let you, dear readers, figure out which was which.]

Morgan delivers Dark Blood's most taut thrills and fraught drama, thus far, and this time she has a different artist as her creative partner.  Moisés Hidalgo, who drew a few pages of Dark Blood #2, returns to draw Dark Blood #3's dark nights of pursuit to life.  Hidalgo's compositions seem inspired by the surreal madness of Steve Ditko's comics and also the impressionism and and wild-eyed emotions of Japanese manga.  Here, Hidalgo makes the reader feel, as if he refuses to allow the reader to experience Morgan's story only in a rational way.  His art wants us to be fearful, desperate, and even irrational.  While reading this issue, I believed that I had to feel this story if I was really going to have a chance of understanding the characters' plights.

Once again, I must praise A.H.G.'s coloring for Dark Blood.  I read comiXology's digital editions of Dark Blood when I am reviewing the series, and A.H.G.'s colors look gorgeous in this format.  The coloring makes Dark Blood's interiors look like pages from a vintage comic book, so Dark Blood seems to be not a comic book about the past, but a comic book from the past.  It is like a memento from a time capsule, a story that has been waiting for us.

Strangely, Dark Blood #3 confirms what I have been thinking since I started reading this series.  Dark Blood is the comic book that some comic book readers need and have needed for a long time, though some may only discover this later via a Dark Blood trade paperback.  So, once gain, I highly recommend Dark Blood.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of modern science fiction and dark fantasy comic books will want to drink Dark Blood.

A+

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


Dark Blood trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzzXIYr_FrA&feature=youtu.be
Dark Blood first loook: https://www.boom-studios.com/wordpress/archives/dark-blood-1-first-look/
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#IReadsYou Review: KAIJU NO. 8 Volume 2

KAIJU NO. 8, VOL. 2
VIZ MEDIA

MANGAKA: Naoya Matsumoto
TRANSLATION: David Evelyn
LETTERS: Brandon Bovia
EDITOR: Karla Clark
ISBN: 978-1-9747-2714-8; paperback (April 2022); Rated “T” for “Teen”
212pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £7.99 U.K.

Kaiju No. 8 is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Naoya Matsumoto.  It has been serialized for free on Shueisha's Shōnen Jump+ application and website since July 2020.  VIZ Media began publishing an English-language edition of the manga as series of paperback graphic novels under its “Shonen Jump” imprint in December 2021

Kaiju No. 8 opens in a world where Japan is plagued by the giant monsters known as “kaiju.”  Thirty-two-year-old Kafka Hibino is a kaiju corpse cleanup man for Monster Sweeper, Inc., a professional kaiju cleaning company.  He wishes that he was a member of the Japanese Defense Force (JDF), which is tasked with neutralizing kaiju.  Kafka and childhood friend, Mina Ashiro, both wanted to be members of the Defense Force.  Mina is now captain of the JDF's “Third Division” and has neutralized hundreds of kaiju.  Kafka has revived his dream to join Mina in the Defense Force, but he undergoes an unexpected transformation.  Now, he has made the Defense Force's neutralization list as the kaiju code named “Kaiju No. 8!”

As Kaiju No. 8, Vol. 2 (Chapters 8 to 17) opens, some of Kafka's colleague know his secret that he is Kaiju No. 8, as he springs into action to put down other kaiju.  But now, it's time to worry about the final Defense Force tests.  Kafka fails spectacularly, but his spirit and determination get him into the JDF on a provisional basis.  Kafka isn't an officer; he is a cadet, and he has three months to prove himself.  A Honju (a “main beast”) has attacked, and if Kafka can't use his skills, he can use his knowledge to impress.  But is the latest invasion too much for everyone, including his colleagues, Reno Ichikawa and Iharu Furuhashi?

THE LOWDOWN:  The Kaiju No. 8 manga is one of many current kaiju manga.  It manages to be a standout with its many twists and turns.

Kaiju No. 8 Graphic Novel Volume 2 offers a familiar scenario – young people going through the process of joining and then making their way in some kind of monster-fighting organization.  Naoya Matsumoto does not short readers on scenes featuring tests and field exercises.  There are rivalries and also one student that really stands out.  Thus far, the most intense plot line in the series is Kafka and his Kaiju No. 8 situation.  What is he really?  It is not a matter of if more people will discover his secrets, but of when.  So what happens then?

Those questions and the intrigue make Kaiju No. 8 a manga worth following.  Plus, Matsumoto's kaiju illustrations are really awesome.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of kaiju manga will want to read the Shonen Jump title, Kaiju No. 8.

A-
★★★½ out of 4 stars

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


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