Friday, April 3, 2026

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from April 1st to 11th, 2026 - UPDATE #5

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like this, MOVIES PAGE, and BUY something(s).

TREATS: From AnotherCookie?:  There is a new online cookie retailer, "AnotherCookie?" The cookies are delicious.

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NEWS:

APPLE - From WorldofReel:  David E. Kelly is adapting Tom Wolfe's 1987, "The Bonfire of the Vanities" for Apple TV+.  Matt Reeves ("The Batman") is set to direct the series.  The novel was previously adapted in to film by director Brian De Palma. Starring Tom Hanks and released in 1990, the movie was and still is considered a disaster.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Sisters Lilla and Nora Zuckerman are writing "Scream 8."  They were recently showrunner for Peacock's streaming series, "Poker Face."

MOVIES - From Variety: Sony Pictures is developing a biopic about famed CBS anchor and journalist, the late Walter Cronkite. The film will be an adaptation of Douglas Brinkley's 2012 biography, "Cronkite."

BUSINESS - From VarietyJ.J. Abrams is downsizing his production company, "Bad Robot," and is moving it from Los Angeles to New York.

MOVIES - From WorldofReel:  The critically-acclaimed and hit horror film, "Weapons," will get a prequel film.  Entitled "Gladys," it will focus on Weapons' villain, "Aunt Gladys," who was portrayed by Amy Madigan, who, in turn, was a "Best Supporting Actress" Oscar for her performance.  Zach Cregger, creator of "Weapons," will write the screenplay with Zach Shields. There is no word as to whether or not Cregger will direct, "Gladys."

TELEVISION - From EWHBO's teen drama, "Euphoria," returns April 12, 2026, but it won't be about teens...


Thursday, April 2, 2026

Comics Review: "CABRA CINI: Voodoo Junkie Hitwoman #1/2" is All Good

CABRA CINI: VOODOO JUNKIE HITWOMAN #½
(A Prelude to  Cabra Cini: Voodoo Junkie Hitwoman Vol. 1)

ACTUALITY PRESS
STORY: Sam Johnson
ART: Bruno Letizia with R.D. Ricci; Nathan Ramirez; R.D. Ricci
COLORS: Harwan Stia Yoga; Mark Dodson; D'Anthony Mathenia; Aljosa Tomic
LETTERS: Bruno Letizia; Nathan Ramirez; Chas! Pangburn; Micah Myers
COVER ARTIST: Carlos Villas
42pp, Color, (March 2026)

Suggest for mature readers

Cabra Cini created by Sam Johnson

Cabra Cini is a comics character created by writer Sam Johnson.  He is best known as the writer and creator of the sexy superhero, Geek-Girl.  Cabra Cini is a former sex worker who used “voodoo magik” to free herself of her abusive pimp/boyfriend.  Now, she is a hit woman addicted to voodoo.

Cabra Cini is about to get her first trade paperback collection, Cabra Cini: Voodoo Junkie Hitwoman Vol. 1.  Sam Johnson has launched a Kickstarter campaign to help fund the collection.  To help promote the campaign, Johnson compiled a special digital comic book that offers some of the stories that will be found in the trade.  He sent me a copy the PDF, Cabra Cini: Voodoo Junkie Hitwoman #½.

Cabra Cini: Voodoo Junkie Hitwoman #1/2 opens with a “Prologue” written by Johnson and drawn by Bruno Letizia with R.D. Ricci.  “Prologue” asks the question, what would you do if the clumsy antics of a young werewolf interrupted your sex life.  If you're Cabra Cini, you fix him...

The next story is “White Out.”  It is set in Detroit and is written by Johnson and drawn by Nathan Ramirez.  There is a new killer in town, “White Out.”  He's dressed in white from head to toe and he likes to kill Black men; plus, he has plans for the neighborhood.  All Cabra Cini wanted to do was prepare dinner for her man, Geoff, but now she is forced to face a dangerous, enigmatic stranger.

The Ballad of La Chica Cabra,” written by Johnson and is drawn by R.D. Ricci, opens in Detroit in Cabra's apartment.  Her lover, Geoff, has a few questions, and Cabra explains the origins of her name, “Cabra,” and the origins of her identity.  Meanwhile, White Out is looking for her.

“Sliding in the Wreckage,” written by Johnson and drawn by R.D. Ricci, opens five weeks later.  Cabra is traveling through “Limbo” and “The Infinite.”  The Infinite's ruler, “the Rook,” grows angrier with each of Cabra's intrusions, so he has planned his cruelest response yet.  But is Cabra really as vulnerable as she seems?

THE LOWDOWN:  Sam Johnson has been sending me PDF review copies of his comic books for over a decade.  In that time, he has gradually developed into one of the most original voices in superhero comic books.  Most of you, dear readers, have not heard of him because he does not write for Marvel or DC Comics.  Recently, some fans have been lamenting their relatively late discovery of Robert Kirkman, Cory Walker, and Ryan Ottley's superhero comic book series, Invincible (Image Comics).  Eventually, many of you will be offering the same lamentations about Johnson's Geek-Girl and also his delightfully weird Cabra Cini: Voodoo Junkie Hitwoman.

Two of the stories included in Cabra Cini: Voodoo Junkie Hitwoman #1/2 also appeared in Cabra Cini: Voodoo Junkie Hitwoman #1, which offered its delightfully weird wares back in 2022.  The two newer stories in this digital comic book, “The Ballad of La Chica Cabra” and “Sliding in the Wreckage,” are not so much weird as they are edgy and dark.  To me, Johnson is at his most self-assured in spinning tales of Cabra Cini to date.  He can shift the mood from strange and surreal to down and gritty in a seamless flow.

In the newer stories, artist R.D. Ricci takes Johnson's scripts and turns them into comic book storytelling that is both polished and potent.  We get professional chops, but the art ain't too proud to offer some enjoyable ultra-violence.  Ricci makes me feel the threat and danger of Cabra Cini's adversaries, and he left me wanting more of this fear and dread.

In the earlier stories, “Prologue” and “White Out,” five artists: Nathan Ramirez, Bruno Letizia, R.D. Ricci, Pablo Zambrano, and Jorge Oliveira use their diverse talents and approaches to graphical storytelling to pull these stories together.  The change in artists isn't jarring because they seem to share a similar aesthetic.  In fact, having several artists helps to make Cabra Cini come across more like a multifaceted character and less like a mere clever name and idea.

My opinion of Cabra Cini: Voodoo Junkie Hitwoman #1/2 is about the same as it was for the 2022 Cabra Cini one-shot.  Both are certainly excellent enough to make me heartily recommend that readers consider contributing to the crowdfunding campaign for Cabra Cini: Voodoo Junkie Hitwoman Volume 1.  However, I want to say that this new one-shot is better at declaring that Cabra Cini is something truly unique and undeniably entertaining.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of writer Sam Johnson's comic books will want to fund Cabra Cini: Voodoo Junkie Hitwoman, Vol. 1.

A+

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


Cabra Cini: Voodoo Junkie Hitwoman Vol. 1 is available on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/geekgirlcomics/cabracini. There is also a YouTube trailer for the Kickstarter campaign: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UP-bO-UXa8


https://x.com/daSamJohnson
https://samjohnsoncomics.wixsite.com/geekgirlcomics


The text is copyright © 2026 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Wednesday, April 1, 2026

Review: "GHOST IN THE SHELL" is Still a Stunning Feat

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 147 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux

Kokaku kidotai (1995) – anime
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Japan
Ghost in the Shell (1996) – U.S. English dub release
Running time:  83 minutes (1 hour, 23 minutes)
MPAA – R
DIRECTOR:  Mamoru Oshii
WRITER:  Kazunori Ito, based upon the graphic novel by Masamune Shirow
PRODUCERS:  Mitsuhisa Ishikawa, Ken Iyadomi, Ken Matsumoto, and Yoshimasa Mizuo
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Hisao Shirai (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  Shuichi Kakesu
COMPOSER:  Kenji Kawai

ANIME/SCI-FI/ACTION

Starring:  (English dub voices) Mimi Wood, Richard Epcar, Christopher Joyce, William Frederick, Ben Isaacson, Abe Lasser, and Hank Smith

Kokaku kidotai is a 1995 sci-fi, cyberpunk, and action-thriller anime film from director Mamoru Oshii.  It is best known by its English title, Ghost in the Shell.  This animated film is based on the manga, Ghost in the Shell, from creator, Masamune Shirow.  Ghost in the Shell the film follows a cyborg policewoman and her partner as they hunt a mysterious and powerful hacker called “the Puppet Master.”

Some aficionados consider the film, Ghost in the Shell, to be the second greatest anime (Japanese animation) film of all time behind the venerable Akira.  However, at the time of its release, Ghost in the Shell so stunned audiences with its futuristic look and dazzling blend of traditional and computer animation that some people considered it to be the future of anime and also the top achievement in the history of anime.

Ghost in the Shell opens in the year 2029.  A female cyborg cop, Major Motoko (Mimi Woods), and her partner, Batou (Richard Epcar), hunt a mysterious and powerful computer hacker called “The Puppet Master” (Abe Lasser).  In the year 2029, society is information driven, and humans are connected on a mass basis to an omnipresent interactive information network.

Sophisticated criminals are hacking into the network, so the government forms “Section 9,” which is led by powerfully advanced cyborgs like Motoko, who hunt the hackers.  But in order to discover the secrets of the Puppet Master, Motoko will have to unravel the secrets of “Project 2501.”

Ghost in the Shell's story can get a little confusing at times.  The writer of the manga upon which this movie is based put a lot of thought and research into his project.  The “ghost” of the title is a soul or psyche, and the “shell” of the title is the body of the cyborg.  I would suggest, dear readers, that you pay close attention and follow the dense social, political, and philosophical ideas of the film.  In fact, this Ghost in the Shell anime was one of the smarter, science fiction movies of its time, granted that it does occasionally get ahead of itself and spews too many ideas.

As good as the story and script are, the grand achievement of this film is its animation.  Anime filmmakers have been ahead of everyone else in animating the human figure in a dramatic context.  No one really approaches the grace and the artistry of movement in the animated humans in Disney film, but Japanese animators have done excellent work in creating animated figures that move with fantastic bursts of energy during action sequences that depict sword duels, gunfights, martial arts and hand to hand combat, and wielding great arcs of eldritch and magical energy.

The quality of Ghost in the Shell’s car chases and gunfights rival those found in big, budget live action films, which makes this film feel bracing and invigorating.  The beauty of both the hand rendered animation and computer animation totally captures the power of action and movement.  Ghost in the Shell is explosive eye candy; imagine the artistry of Disney matched with the intensity of a James Cameron action flick.

Fans of anime and of science fiction love this film, but it is something special,  So it should be enjoyed by people who love film and spectacular cinematic achievement.

8 of 10
A
★★★★ out of 4 stars


EDITED:  Wednesday, April 1, 2026


The text is copyright © 2026 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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A Negromancer April 2026

Welcome to April 2026. Welcome to Negromancer 2.0.  This is the rebirth of the Negromancer, the former movie review site, as a movie review and entertainment and culture news blog.

All images and text appearing on this blog are © copyright and/or trademarks of their respective owners.

While you're at it, have AnotherCookie.

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Also, my first original graphic novel, THE WRATH OF KARAPACE: A BIG SPIRITS EPIC, which is published by Candle Light Press.  Co-created by Carter J. Allen, (Warning Comics), The Wrath of Karapace is now on sale at Amazon and Barnes and Noble online.

Other online shops that are selling "The Wrath of Karapace" include the following:

- AmazonUK;

Bookshop.org;

- ElmStreetBooks;

- the German book shop, OrrellFussli;

- Powells.com;

- Russell Books.com;

- SuperBookDeals.com;

Walmart online.

Of note, The Wrath of Karapace is also available on eBay from a few different sellers.

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"The Wrath of Karapace" also a "Google Books" listing.




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Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like these, BOOKS PAGE, GRAPHIC NOVELS, or MANGA PAGE and BUY something(s).


Tuesday, March 31, 2026

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from March 22nd to 31st, 2026 - UPDATE #11

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like this, MOVIES PAGE, and BUY something(s).

TREATS: From AnotherCookie?:  There is a new online cookie retailer, "AnotherCookie?" The cookies are delicious.

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

NEWS:

NETFLIX - From WorldofReel:  Netflix will apparent not release "The Adventures of Cliff Booth" this summer.  The film is set immediately after the events depicted in director Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" (2019).  Brad Pitt, who won a "Best Supporting Actor" Oscar for the film will reprise his role of "Cliff Booth."

AMAZON - From EWSophie Turner, the star of Amazon's highly anticipated "Tomb Raider" series, has been injured on the series' set, causing a halt in production.  Turner, who starred in "Game of Thrones," plays heiress and adventurer, Lara Croft.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 3/27 to 3/29/2026 weekend box office is Amazon-MGM Studios' "Project Hail Mary" with an estimated take of 54.5 million dollars.

HULU - From Deadline:  Actor Himesh Patel will join actress Danielle Deadwyler in Hulu's reboot of the former FX sci-fi drama, "The X-Files."  Oscar-winner Ryan Coogler will write and direct the pilot and will produce.  Jennifer Yale will serve as the series showrunner, and Chris Carter, creator of the original series, will serves as one the reboot's executive producers.  Deadwyler and Patel will not play Agents Scully and Mulder; they will reportedly play new characters.

MUSIC - From VarietyPaul McCartney has released his first new music in five years, a single entitled "Days We Left Behind."  McCartney has a new album, "The Boys of Dungeon Lane," which is due May 29th, 2026.

MOVIES - From Variety:  In one of the stranger recent news items in entertainment comes word that talk show host, Stephen Colbert, and his son, Peter McGee, will join "Lord of the Rings" franchise veteran, Philippa Boyens, will write a new LOTR film, "The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past."  That film will go into production after "The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum."

TELEVISION - From WorldofReelQuentin Tarantino is set to write and co-direct, with Sylvester Stallone, a 1930s-set gangster series. Described as a six-part series, it will be shot in black and white using 1930s cameras. The series featuring gangsters, showgirls, boxing, but there are no cast details.  Apparently, Stallone will not be acting on screen, only directing.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 3/20 to 3/22/2026 weekend box office is Amazon/MGM's "Project Hail Mary" with an estimated take of 80.58 million dollars.

OBITS:

From THR:  American film and television actor, James Tolkan, has died at the age of 94, Thursday, March 26, 2026.  Tolkan was best known for playing "Principal Gerald Strickland" in "Back to the Future" (1985) and "Back to the Future II" (1989), and "U.S. Marshall James Strickland" in "Back to the Future III" (1990).  Other notable film roles include "Serpico" (1973), "Top Gun," and "Masters f the Universe" 1987), to name a few.  Tolkan appeared in multiple episodes of such TV series as "Mary" (starring the late Mary Tyler Moore), "Remington Steele," and "Nero Wolfe," among others.

From DailyMail:  The veteran animator, director, and storyboard artist, Barry Caldwell, has died at the age of 60, March 2026.  A groundbreaking Black artist and animation veteran, Caldwell directed five episodes of "Tiny Toon Adventures" and 16 episodes of "Animaniacs."  Beginning his career at Filmation in 1979, Caldwell was a storyboard artist on such series as "Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids," "The New Adventures of Zorro," "Blackstar," and "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe," to name a few.  He would move on to other animation companies, including Warner Bros. and Disney, where he worked on such series as "The Smurfs" (1981), "Alvin and the Chipmunks" (1983), "Chip 'n' Dale Rescue Rangers" (1989), and "Pinky and the Brain," to name a few.  Caldwell won a "Daytime Emmy Award" and was nominated two other times for his work on "Animaniacs."

From Variety:  American actress, Valerie Perrine, has died at the age of 82, Monday, March 23, 2026.  Perrine may be best known for playing Lex Luthor's girlfriend, Miss Teschmacher, in "Superman: The Movie" (1978) and in "Superman II " (1980).  She earned as Academy Award nomination in the category of "Best Actress" for "Honey Bruce" in "Lenny" (1974), the biopic about comedian Lenny Bruce.  She also won the "Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress" (1975) and earned a BAFTA nomination and an award for the role of "Honey Bruce."  Her other notable film appearances include roles in "Slaughter-Five" (1972) and "The Electric Horseman" (1980).  Perrine appeared in a number of TV films and series, and that includes "Sweet Bird of Youth" (1989), ER (1995), and "Nash Bridges" (1996).

From Deadline:  Canadian actress, Carrie Anne Fleming, has died at the age of 51, Thursday, February 26, 2026 of complications related to breast cancer.  Fleming was best known for her recurring roles on two television series from The CW, "iZombie" and "Supernatural."  She also appeared in such TV series, as "Smallville," "Supergirl" and "The 4400."


BANDAI Releases First Key Visual Image from "THE GHOST IN THE SHELL" Anime Series

Bandai has announced a new anime adaptation of Masamune Shirow's classic manga, Ghost in the Shell, which was first serialized from 1989 to 1990 in Japan's manga anthology, Young Magazine.  The first adaptation was 1995's Ghost in the Shell anime film.

This new adaptation, an anime series entitled THE GHOST IN THE SHELL, debuted earlier this year in Japan.  It is due in the U.S. via Amazon's Prime Video in June 2026.

Bandai released a 1st key visual image from the new anime, which I have posted below.  Since then, there has been a 2nd key visual image release.

On YouTube, there is a 1st Promotion Video and a 2nd Promotion Video.

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1st Key Visual from "THE GHOST IN THE SHELL":



Sunday, March 29, 2026

Comics Review: "THUNDARR THE BARBARIAN #1" is a Classic Action Comic Book

THUNDARR THE BARBARIAN VOL. 1 #1
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Jason Aaron
ART: Kewbar Baal
COLORS: Jorge Sutil
LETTERS: Taylor Esposito
EDITOR: Joseph Rybandt
COVER: Michael Cho
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Joseph Michael Linsner; Francesco Mattina; Bjorn Barends; Rob Liefeld; Michael Cho
32pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (February 2026)

Rated “Teen”

“Thundarr the Barbarian” created Steve Gerber and Joe Ruby and Ken Spears; developed by Steve Gerber

“Thundarr the Barbarian” was an American Saturday morning animated television series.  The series ran for two seasons on ABC from October 4, 1980, to October 31, 1981 for a total of 21 episodes.  The titular hero, Thundarr, is a muscular warrior who wields the “Sunsword.”  With his companions, Princess Ariel, a formidable young sorceress, and Ookla the Mok, a mighty lion-like biped, he travels a post-apocalyptic world on horseback and fights injustice.

“Thundarr the Barbarian” is set in a future (circa 3994), a post-apocalyptic wasteland in which Earth has been divided into kingdoms and territories.  The majority of these places are ruled by wizards, and these ruined places are recognizable as cities and locations in the United States.  The passage of a runaway planet between the Earth and the Moon in 1994 created this apocalyptic situation that destroyed human civilization.  The back story is that Earth has been reborn as a world of “savagery, super-science, and sorcery.”

Dynamite Entertainment recently began publishing a comic book series based on “Thundarr the Barbarian,” the first ever such series.  Entitled Thundarr the Barbarian, it is written by Jason Aaron; drawn by Kewber Baal, colored by Jorge Sutil; and lettered by Taylor Esposito.

Thundarr the Barbarian #1 opens in the “Windless City” where the River Pirates are holding a slave market with captured humans for sale.  Enter the motorcycle-riding Ratman of the Badlands, and they are ready to purchase all the humans.

Among the slaves for sale, however, is one man who breaks the bonds that restrain him.  Enter Thundarr the Barbarian.  With his faithful companions, Ariel the sorceress and Ookla the Mok, and with the power of his mystical blade, “the Sunsword,” Thundarr is on a mission to liberate his world from the forces of evil.  Meanwhile, Lord Gemini has plans to stop Thundarr...

THE LOWDOWN:  Since July 2021, Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department has been providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  Thundarr the Barbarian #1, Volume One is the latest.

In its promotional material for Thundarr the Barbarian #1, Dynamite refers to series writer, Jason Aaron, as a “visionary comics author.”  Aaron is good, but if there are modern visionary modern comic book authors, they are not plying their trade at either Marvel and DC Comics.  Still, Aaron offers a sensational first issue of Dynamite's Thundarr the Barbarian.  It's rough-and-ready, dark, and full of kick-ass action.  Aaron really captures the attitude and mood of the 1980s animated original; he makes this first chapter genuinely fit in with the temper of the source material.

Artist Kewbar Baal has steadily been making his way, climbing the ladder of comics publications over the better part of the last two decades.  You can see Baal grow from Approbation Comics' Chaos Campus: Sorority Girls vs. Zombies #11 to Dynamite's Jeepers Creepers #1 (2018) to the recent Elvira in Monsterland #1 (2023).

In Thundarr the Barbarian #1, Baal only partially borrows from the aesthetic of the “Thundarr the Barbarian” Saturday morning cartoon.  The rest of Baal's graphical storytelling for this first issue offers his own post-apocalyptic expression, which recalls the art from classic science fiction and fantasy comic book magazines such as Heavy Metal and Marvel Comics Epic Illustrated.

I recommend this first issue, dear readers.  I'm certainly ready to see where this goes.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of the “Thundarr the Barbarian” animated show will want to read Thundarr the Barbarian Volume 1.

A

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


https://x.com/DynamiteComics
https://www.dynamite.com/htmlfiles/
https://www.facebook.com/DynamiteComics/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNOH4PEsl8dyZ2Tj7XUlY7w
https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynamite-entertainment


The text is copyright © 2026 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like these, BOOKS PAGE, GRAPHIC NOVELS, or MANGA PAGE and BUY something(s).