TRASH IN MY EYE Reviews: Superhero

Showing posts with label Superhero. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 1, 2025

Comics Review: "BATMAN #1" Gets a Spiffy Fraction-Jimenez Makeover

BATMAN (2025) #1

DC COMICS

STORY: Matt Fraction

ART: Jorge Jimenez

COLORS: Tomeu Morey

LETTERS: Clayton Cowles

EDITOR: Rob Levin

COVER: Jorge Jimenez

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Jim Lee and Scott Williams with Tomeu Morey; Marc Silvestri with Arif Prianto; J. Scott Campbell with Tanya Lehoux; Frank Quitely; Gabriele Dell'Otto; Julian Totino Tedesco; Stanley “Artgerm” Lau; Andy Kubert with Steve Firchow; David Aja; Jorge Jimenez; Jim Lee and Scott Williams

36pp, Color, $4.99 U.S., (November 2025)

Batman created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger

Rating: 13+

“Vast Colors in the Dark”

DC Comics recently relaunched its Batman flagship comic book series – the third time in 14 years. It is written by Matt Fraction; drawn by Jorge Jimenez; colored by Tomeu Morey; and lettered by Clayton Cowles. DC is pushing the series as the dawn of new era in Batman comic books.

Batman #1 (“Vast Colors in the Dark”) finds Batman at Arkham Towers in the wake of Killer Croc's latest escape. Croc's physician, Dr. Zeller, urges patience on the part of Batman, but he has too much experience with Croc's acts of violence to buy into what the good doctor is saying.

Meanwhile, Vandal Savage, the new commissioner of the Gotham City Police Department, is making changes in the department – changes that may not be good for Batman. Plus, there is a Robin in trouble.

THE LOWDOWN: For years, I had a subscription to DC Comics' Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? ongoing comic book series. It was quietly canceled within the last year, but I had 14 issues left in my subscription. Midtown Comics in NYC, which manages DC Comics' subscriptions, gave me the option of choosing any new DC title I wanted to continue my subscription, so I chose Batman – just in time for this new era.

I am not going to dig deeply into this new Batman #1, which is only the fourth Batman #1 issue. It follows Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson's Batman #1, cover dated Spring 1940; Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's Batman #1, cover dated November 2011; and Tom King and David Finch's Batman #1 cover dated August 2016.

Matt Fraction and Jorge Jimenez's Batman #1 reminds me of Snyder-Capullo's Batman #1 in that both are fresh starts and are different in terms of narrative and graphic aesthetic from their contemporary Batman titles. Matt Fraction's script also gives this debut issue and its star, Batman, a jolt of energy that suggests both the very modern and the near future in terms of setting. This is similar to what writer Grant Morrison brought to the first arc of his 2009-launched Batman & Robin series (which was collected in the Batman Reborn trade. I imagine Fraction's biggest and most shocking twists and turns and re-imaginations will be revealed over the coming year, at least.

Thus, the real sense of newness comes from artist Jorge Jimenez and colorist Tomeu Morey. Their vibrantly illustrated first issue is as the chapter title of this first issue suggests, “Vast Colors in the Dark.” The team of Jimenez and Morey visually and aesthetically create a sense of amazing things to come in a fashion similar to what the team of Frank Miller, Klaus Janson, and Lynn Varley brought to Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Book One.

I'm not saying that the Fraction-Jimenez Batman #1 is Batman: DKR, but you never know. I simply felt excitement as I read this first issue. This first issue is promising or, at the very least, hints at great things to come for our eyes and for our imaginations. I have a subscription so I will be back.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of Batman comic books will want to read Batman 2025.

[This comic book includes a five-page preview of “DC KO” from writer Scott Snyder; artist Javi Fernandez; colorist Alejandro Sanchez; and letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhadu.]

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

A Kindle edition of BATMAN #1 is available at Amazon. The trade and hardcover editions of the first story arc of this series are available for pre-order at Amazon.

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Wednesday, September 24, 2025

Comics Review: "Cabra Cini/Geek-Girl: EXODUS #1" Arrives with a Bang

CABRA CINI/GEEK-GIRL: EXODUS #1

ACTUALITY PRESS

STORY: Sam Johnson

ART: Fernando Melek

COLORS: Chunlin Zhao

LETTERS: Paul McLaren

COVER: Fernando Melek with Chunlin Zhao

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Flint Douglas with Chunlin Zhao

22pp, Color, (August 2025)

Teen+

Cabra Cini created by Sam Johnson

“Exodus” Part 1: “Girlfriend in a Coma.”

Cabra Cini: Voodoo Junkie Hitwoman is a comics character created by writer Sam Johnson. She 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. Geek-Girl is a superhero character created by Sam Johnson. She is Ruby Kaye of Acorn Ridge, Maine, a sexy and popular college coed who inadvertently becomes a superhero by donning a pair of super-tech eye glasses that gives her super-powers.

Now, the two characters have united for the comic book crossover, Cabra Cini/Geek-Girl: Exodus. It is written by Johnson; drawn by Fernando Melek; colored by Chunlin Zhao; and lettered by Paul McLaren.

Cabra Cini/Geek-Girl: Exodus #1 opens in a hospital in Detroit where Kristina lies in a coma. However, her soul is in Limbo from where she contacts her drug-dealer boyfriend, Jacob Trencher. Kristina reveals her part in plot with “The Rook,” ruler of “the Infinite,” against Cabra Cini. So how does that benefit Kristina and the tenuous position of her soul, especially because you can't keep a good hit woman down?

Meanwhile, over in Acorn Ridge, Maine, at the location of the headquarters of Geek-Girl's new super-team, it's training day. First, some members of the team need a superhero costume or a superhero name, and Geek-Girl needs to chat with one of her teammates.

THE LOWDOWN: Sam Johnson provided me with a PDF review copy of Cabra Cini/Geek-Girl: Exodus#1. The Kickstarter campaign for this comic book has already started.

I am very late with this review, unfortunately, as it is part of a Kickstarter campaign, and there is less than a week left to back the project. The shame of my lateness is that Cabra Cini/Geek-Girl: Exodus #1 is a very good read. Sam Johnson is one of the best indie writers of superhero comic books. His superhero tales are traditional in foundation, but they also have an offbeat modern sensibility. Johnson is always going in unexpected directions, in a fashion that is similar to the way Zach Cregger injected twists and turns into the script for his 2022 film, Barbarian. The difference is that Johnson hasn't introduced a killer ho living in the basement... yet.

I seriously adore the art by Fernando Melek. It is in a straightforward mode that captures the various atmospheric moods of Johnson's script. Melek subtly creates intensity in ways that the reader might miss – for instance, the general creepiness of Kristina and Jacob's conversation and of whatever bubbles beneath in pending conversation between Geek-Girl and the Minger. I think Melek has the potential to be a superstar artist.

Chunlin Zhao's colors, beautiful as always, amplifies the unique qualities of Melek's art and storytelling. Also, I toast Paul McLaren because his lettering is perfect for superhero comic books.

So, dear readers, head on over to Sam's Kickstarter. Look around and become a fan of two delightfully different female stars, Cabra Cini and Geek-Girl.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of writer Sam Johnson's Geek-Girl and Cabra Cini comics will want to both fund and read Cabra Cini/Geek-Girl: Exodus.

The Cabra Cini/Geek-Girl: Exodus Kickstarter campaign is here or: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/geekgirlcomics/cabra-cini-geek-girl-exodus-complete-crossover

https://x.com/daSamJohnson

https://x.com/Ruby_Kaye_

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Wednesday, September 17, 2025

Comics Review: "THE BLUE FALCON AND DYNOMUTT #1" Digs Deep

THE BLUE FALCON AND DYNOMUTT VOL. 1 #1

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Jimmy Palmiotti

ART: Pasquale Qualano

COLORS: Jorge Sutil

LETTERS: Jeff Eckleberry

EDITOR: Joseph Rybandt

COVER: Lucio Parrillo

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Amanda Conner; Joseph Michael Linsner; Francesco Mattina; Lucio Parrillo

32pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (September 2025)

Rated “Teen”

“The Blue Falcon and Dynomutt” created and designed by Joe Ruby and Ken Spears

“Love You Till Forever”

“Dynomutt, Dog Wonder” was an American animated television series created by Joe Ruby and Ken Spears and produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. It first aired on ABC from September 11, 1976, to October 1, 1977. A superhero-comedy, the series focused on “The Blue Falcon,” a Batman-like superhero, and “Dynomutt,” a robotic dog who was both his sidekick and assistant. Although Dynomutt could produce what seemed like an infinite number of mechanical devices from his body, such creations often resulted in the bumbling Dynomutt causing disaster and annoying the Blue Falcon quite a bit.

There have been very few comic books based on the Blue Falcon and Dynomutt, with the most prominent being the 1977-78, six-issue Marvel Comics series. Dynamite Entertainment has launched a new comic book based on the series as part of its licensing agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery. The Blue Falcon and Dynomutt Volume 1 is written by Jimmy Palmiotti; drawn by Pasquale Qualano; colored by Jorge Sutil; and lettered by Jeff Eckleberry.

The Blue Falcon and Dynomutt Volume 1 #1 (“Love You Till Forever”) opens in the nightmares of Radley Crown, but why should that matter? Well, Radley is really the vigilante hero, the Blue Falcon. Secure in his luxurious penthouse high above the downtown streets of Big City, Crown, a wealthy inventor and art collector, lives with his beloved and faithful canine companion. It is a charmed existence, and Radley is on the verge of a technological breakthrough that will improve his ability to protect Big City.

However, this is a fateful day. A vicious gang of thugs plans on shattering his complacency, and that will bring tragedy upon the life of Radley Crown. How will he respond?

THE LOWDOWN: Since July 2021, Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department has been providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles. The Blue Falcon and Dynomutt Volume 1, Issue #1 is the latest, and it may be the first comic book based on this franchise that I have read.

This first issue of The Blue Falcon and Dynomutt Volume 1, as a first issue or first chapter, is really a taste of what is to come from the team of writer Jimmy Palmiotti and artist Pasquale Qualano. Palmiotti offers a one-two punch of the excitement of the Blue Falcon and his canine pal and the dread of the evil to come, and both are really gripping and attention-grabbing. This is a very effective way of engaging the reader's interest in finishing this first issue and also coming back for more. I definitely feel excited, more than I expected.

Qualano's stylish art establishes the very slick and futuristic setting of Big City, but most of all, it hits all the emotional highs of Radley Crown and his dog as they prepare for a bright future. Then, Qualano unleashes the pure brutality of the villains in a way the speaks to the readers and may make some of them feel slapped around (such as myself). I feel like Qualano pulls me into this story and its emotional peaks and valleys. This is some helluva storytelling.

I expect big things from The Blue Falcon and Dynomutt Volume 1. I will probably get it, going by this first issue.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of Dynamite Entertainment's Warner Bros. comic book series will want to read The Blue Falcon and Dynomutt Volume 1.

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

https://x.com/DynamiteComics

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https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynamite-entertainment

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Wednesday, August 27, 2025

Comics Review: "SPACE GHOST Volume 2 #1" is Still D.R.E.

SPACE GHOST VOL. 2 #1

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: David Pepose

ART: Jonathan Lau

COLORS: Andrew Dalhouse

LETTERS: Taylor Esposito

EDITOR: Joseph Rybandt

COVER: Francesco Mattina

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Jae Lee with June Chung; Bjorn Barends; Michael Cho; Alex Ross; Francesco Mattina

32pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (July 2025)

Rated “Teen”

“The Toymaker Strikes...”

Space Ghost is a superhero character created by the American animation studio and production company, Hanna-Barbera Productions. The character first appeared in the Saturday morning cartoon series, “Space Ghost,” which was originally broadcast on CBS from September 1966 to September 1967 for 20 episodes. Space Ghost shared his television series with a second feature, entitled “Dino Boy in the Lost Valley.” Space Ghost was designed by cartoonist and comic book artist, Alex Toth (1928-2006), who created the character with Hanna-Barbera's founders, William Hanna (1910-2001) and Joseph Barbera (1911-2006).

In his original incarnation, Space Ghost was a superhero whose base of operations was a small world known as “Ghost Planet.” He fought super-villains in outer space with his teen sidekicks, Jan and Jace, and their monkey, Blip. His main weapons were power bands he wore around his wrists and lower arms; the bands fired off multiple energy beam-based attacks, including heat, cold, and force, to name a few. Space Ghost could also fly, survive in space, and turn invisible (his “Inviso Power”). He also had a space ship known as “the Phantom Cruiser.”

Space Ghost sporadically appeared in various comic book publications over a fifty year period. Dynamite Entertainment has just launched a new Space Ghost comic book as part of its licensing agreement with Warner Bros. Entitled Space Ghost Volume 2, it is written by David Pepose; drawn by Jonathan Lau; colored by Andrew Dalhouse; and lettered by Taylor Esposito.

Space Ghost Volume 2 #1 (“The Toymaker Strikes...”) opens as Space Ghost, the Guardian of the Spaceways, battles the villainous Toymaker who has hijacked an amusement park planet and is holding the visitors hostage. Toymaker is proving to be a formidable opponent, but Space Ghost has decided to play his game. Plus, he has a wildcard – Blip.

Meanwhile, Jan and Jace are guests at the mansion of Doctor Henry Contra, their maternal grandfather. As the twins describe what Space Ghost means to them, Dr. Contra is formulating other plan.

THE LOWDOWN: Since July 2021, Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department has been providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles. Space Ghost Volume 2 #1 is the latest, but it is not the first Space Ghost comic book that I have read.

David Pepose and Jonathan Lau have returned to what seems to be their goal – tell the best Space Ghost stories in almost 60 years. In launching this second volume of their Space Ghost run, they offer a one-off story that establishes both the determination of Space Ghost and the focus of Jan and Jace as they chart their respective futures. There hints of trouble to come, but this is a good introductory issue for new readers and a hugely satisfactory treat for returning readers.

Andrew Dalhouse's colors are still fire, burning through the action of this story. Taylor Esposito is still delivering classic comics font, perhaps making an argument that he is the definitive Space Ghost comic book letterer.

I highly recommend Space Ghost Volume 2, as I did the first volume. This first issue is well worth many American dollars, dear readers.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of Dynamite Entertainment's Warner Bros. comic book series will want to read Space Ghost Volume 2.

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

A Kindle edition of SPACE GHOST VOL. 2 #1 is available at Amazon.

https://twitter.com/DynamiteComics

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https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynamite-entertainment

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Wednesday, July 30, 2025

Review: "THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS" Focuses on Family

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 32 of 2025 (No. 2038) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)

Running time: 115 minutes (1 hour, 55 minutes)

Rating: MPA – PG-13 for action/violence and some language

DIRECTOR: Matt Shakman

WRITERS: Josh Friedman, Eric Person, and Jeff Kaplan & Ian Springer; from a story by Eric Pearson, Jeff Kaplan & Ian Springer, and Kat Wood (based on the Marvel Comics by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby)

PRODUCER: Kevin Feige

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Jess Hall (D.o.P.)

EDITORS: Nona Khodai and Tim Roche

COMPOSER: Michael Giacchino

SUPERHERO/SCI-FI/ACTION and FANTASY/DRAMA

Starring: Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Joseph Quinn, Ralph Ineson, Julia Garner, Natasha Lyonne, Paul Walter Hauser, Sarah Niles, Mark Gatiss, and Matthew Wood (voice)

SUMMARY OF REVIEW:

-- I found the lead characters, “The Fantastic Four” to be a bit too mild-mannered, and things do seem to come too easily for them. However, this quartet is quite lovable and adorable, and when he comes along, the baby starts to steal the show.

-- “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” has two great villains in Galactus and the Silver Surfer, with the Surfer dominating most scenes in which she appears. In fact, the action scenes are hyper-intense and breathtaking. I was riveted to the screen while watching them.

-- Overall, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” is by far the best “Fantastic Four” movie to date, and I put it ahead of the recent “Superman” and “Thunderbolts*”

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a 2025 American superhero movie and science fiction film from director Matt Shakman and Marvel Studios. The film is based on Marvel Comics' Fantastic Four, which was created by artist Jack Kirby and writer Stan Lee and first appeared in the comic book, The Fantastic Four #1 (cover dated: November 1961). It is also the 37th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the second reboot of the Fantastic Four film franchise. In First Steps, the Fantastic Four is forced to balance their family life and their superhero life as never before when a god-like space being and his enigmatic herald arrive and mark Earth for destruction.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps opens on Earth-828 in the year 1960. It introduces “The Fantastic Four,” a quartet of astronauts turned superheroes. First is the highly intelligent scientist, Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), who as “Mr. Fantastic” can stretch any part of his body to great lengths. Next is Reed's wife, Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), the founder of the “Future Foundation,” a global demilitarization and world peace organization. As the “Invisible Woman” Sue can generate force fields and turn invisible. Then, there is the brilliant pilot, former astronaut, and Reed's best friend, Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), a.k.a. “The Thing,” whose skin has been transformed into a layer of orange rock, which grants him super-human strength and durability. Finally, there is Sue's younger brother, Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn), who as the “Human Torch,” can engulf his body in flames, control fire, and fly.

The world honors The Fantastic Four for what they have given humanity, so when Reed and Sue reveal that they are expecting a child, the world celebrates and prepares for the new arrival, while also wondering if the child will also have super-powers. However, the celebrating is short-lived. A metallic-skinned, seemingly-female alien arrives from space, riding a surfboard. This “Silver Surfer” (Julia Garner) is the herald of Galactus (Ralph Ineson), a planet-devouring cosmic being, and he is coming to devour Earth. Now, the members of The Fantastic Four face their toughest test ever, and the price they must pay to save the Earth may be too high for even them to pay.

I actually enjoyed Tim Story's two Fantastic Four films the aughts, Fantastic Four (2005) and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007). Director Josh Trank's 2015 reboot of the franchise, Fantastic Four, had a lot of good ideas, but alleged studio interference turned the film into a wreck. The Fantastic Four: First Steps is not at all a wreck. Its intense action sequences had me gripping the armrests of my seat at the local movie theater. The villains are great. Galactus is awesome and even scarier than the gargantuan “Celestials” of Marvel Studios' 2021 epic, Eternals; he seemed unbeatable. Julia Garner's Silver Surfer is 10 times the herald the one in Rise of the Silver Surfer is. This Silver Surfer, whose original name was “Shalla Bal,” is like a velociraptor on a surfboard. She chases our heroes with the unrelenting hellish fury of the “Headless Horseman” that chases Ichabod Crane in “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” segment of Disney's The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949).

On the other hand, the heroes of The Fantastic Four: First Steps come across as too mild-mannered. They are so accomplished that everything seems to come too easy for them. Even when they are angry with one another, that anger lacks passion. In fact, I'd call the cast and characters dispassionate. It is as if the film's director, Matt Shakman, who does an excellent job overall, wants his leads to be inoffensive. I like the casting of the leads, but they need to breath a little more fire.

In the end, I like that Disney and Marvel Studios finally take the opportunity to honor the late Jack Kirby (1917-1994), the comic book writer-artist who created the Fantastic Four with the late Stan Lee (1922-2018). There are several nods to Kirby, and this is long overdue. That makes me love First Steps even more. It is almost a great film, and its special effects and inventive and imaginative retro-futuristic elements endlessly fascinate me. The Fantastic Four: First Steps is hugely entertaining, and these are the right first steps to bring the Fantastic Four into the cinematic prominence they deserve.

8 of 10

★★★★ out of 4 stars

Wednesday, July 30, 2025

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Friday, July 11, 2025

Review: James Gunn's "SUPERMAN" Starts a New Era

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 31 of 2025 (No. 2037) by Leroy Douresseaux

Superman (2025)

Running time: 129 minutes (2 hours, 9 minutes)

Rating: MPA – PG for violence, action and language

DIRECTOR: James Gunn

WRITER: James Gunn (based characters created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster)

PRODUCERS: James Gunn and Peter Safran

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Henry Braham (D.o.P.)

EDITORS: Craig Alpert and William Hoy

COMPOSERS: David Fleming and John Murphy

SUPERHERO/FANTASY/ACTION

Starring: David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Edi Gathegi, Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced, Skyler Gisondo, Maria Gabriela de Faria, Sara Sampaio, Wendell Pierce, Beck Bennett, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Neva Howell, Bradley Cooper, Angela Sarafyan, and Sean Gunn

SUMMARY OF REVIEW:

-- I am not crazy about the plot and narrative of the James Gunn's new Superman film, but I really like its cast and its interpretation of the characters, especially David Corenswet as Clark Kent/Superman.

-- I heartily recommend that fans of Superman movies get in on the ground floor of this new beginning

Superman is a 2025 American superhero, fantasy, and action film from writer-director James Gunn. It is the first film in the new DC Comics cinematic universe known as the “DC Universe.” The character, Superman, first appeared in the comic book, Action Comics #1 (on-sale date of April 18, 1938), and was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, who also created other characters and situations related to Superman. In Superman, the embodiment of truth, justice, and the human way must reconcile his desire to help humanity with a shocking revelation about his alien heritage.

Superman opens threes years after the metahuman, Superman (David Corenswet), revealed himself to the people of Metropolis. His alter-ego, Clark Kent (David Corenswet), works as a reporter for “The Daily Planet,” where he has a relationship with fellow reporter, Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan). Lois knows that Clark is Superman. She knows that he is Kal-El, a baby sent from the planet, Krypton, by rocket ship to Earth. Lois also knows that Clark was raised in Smallville, Kansas by his adoptive parents, Jonathan and Martha Kent (Pruitt Taylor Vince and Neva Howell), a fact he has kept secrets from others.

Superman recently stopped the country of Boravia, an ally of the United States, from invading its neighboring country, Jarhanpur. As the film begins, Superman has just received a beat-down from Boravia's own metahuman, the Hammer of Boravia. Things are not as they seem, however, as brilliant billionaire Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) has launched a secret plot to destroy Superman, whom he sees not as a superhero, but as an existential alien threat to mankind. With the help of his lackeys, Ultraman and The Engineer (Maria Gabriela de Faria), Luthor believes that he has the science and technology – the brain power – to beat Superman.

But Superman is not the only metahuman who is a superhero. He occasionally gets help from the “Justice Gang”: Michael Holt/Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi), Guy Gardner/Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion), and Kendra Saunders/Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced). And Clark Kent will need all the friends he can get; a complete version of the broken message his Kryptonian parents, Jor-El (Bradley Cooper) and Lara Lor-Van (Angela Sarafyan), sent with him has come to light. Now, some of the people of the world are starting to feel differently about Superman just when they need him the most.

Superman is a good film, but not a great film. Overall, I like it, but I found myself rather cool to it as I watched it in a local theater last night. I must admit that I felt the same way about the previous two attempts to reboot the Superman film franchise, director Bryan Singer's Superman Returns (2006) and director Zack Snyder's Man of Steel (2013). Like Superman (2025), the plot and narratives of these earlier films are over-stuffed with subplots, settings, and characters that make the overall plot and narrative struggle to come together. The over-stuffings are like roadblocks that force the central plot and narrative to veer off their most obvious and productive path. I don't think the new Superman is as awkward in these areas as the aforementioned Superman reboots, but I do believe that the new film spends its first half bouncing around ideas, subplots, themes, relationships and conflicts. To me, it is obvious that Superman 2025 borrows the big action set pieces of Man of Steel and also follows Superman Return's veneration of director Richard Donner and star Christopher Reeve's respective work on the Superman film franchise (1978-87).

There are things about the new Superman film that I really like. I think the actors and the way they play the characters, for the most part, are nearly perfect. The best thing about David Corenswet as Clark Kent/Superman is that he is the first actor that I have accepted as a true heir to the late Christopher Reeve (1952-2004), who is the gold standard when it comes to a cinematic Clark Kent/Kal-El/Superman. In a way, Superman 2025 offers its audience a vision of Superman as the quintessential nice guy the way Christopher Reeve and Superman: The Movie (1978) did.

Also, Rachel Brosnahan is a true heir to my favorite cinematic Lois Lane, the late Margot Kidder (1948-2018), Christopher Reeve's co-star. I also got a kick out of Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific. I liked him in his early roles in such films as Twilight (2008) and X-Men: First Class (2011), and I'd like to see him play Mister Terrific as a lead in either film or television. I like Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, but the character is played way too over-the-top, but I think Hoult as Luther will be a huge benefit to future DC Universe films.

I obviously don't like James Gunn's Superman as much as I enjoyed his work on Marvel Studios' Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, which ended with the fantastic Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023). Still, the new Superman is both a fresh start and a start in the right direction.

6 of 10

★★★ out of 4 stars

Friday, July 11, 2025

SUPERMAN is available for order on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K at Amazon.

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Wednesday, July 9, 2025

Review: "SUPERMAN III" is Good, Bad and Ugly

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 30 of 2025 (No. 2036) by Leroy Douresseaux

Superman III (1983)

Running time: 125 minutes (2 hours, 5 minutes)

MPAA – PG

DIRECTOR: Richard Lester

WRITERS: David Newman and Leslie Newman (based characters created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster and on characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics)

PRODUCER: Pierre Spengler

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Robert Paynter (D.o.P.)

EDITOR: John Victor Smith

COMPOSER: Ken Thorne

SUPERHERO/FANTASY/COMEDY

Starring: Christopher Reeve, Richard Pryor, Jackie Cooper, Marc McClure, Annette O'Toole, Robert Vaughn, Annie Ross, Pamela Stephenson, Gavan O'Herlihy, Paul Kaethler, and Margot Kidder

Superman III is a 1983 American superhero film and comic-fantasy from director Richard Lester. The film is the third in the “Superman” film series, which began with 1978's Superman (also known as Superman: The Movie). The character, Superman, first appeared in the comic book, Action Comics #1 (on-sale date of April 18, 1938) and was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, who also created other characters and situations related to Superman. In Superman III, Superman becomes the target of a greedy entrepreneur and a computer genius when they realize that he will obstruct their plans for wealth and world domination.

Superman III opens at an unemployment office in Metropolis. August “Gus” Gorman (Richard Pryor) has discovered that his employment checks have run out, but by chance he discovers information about a school where he can learn to be a computer programmer. Soon, Gus is working for the conglomerate, Webscoe Industries, where he uses his amazing computer skills to secretly embezzle over $85,000 from the company payroll.

However, Gus' activities do draw the attention of Webscoe's boss, Ross Webster (Robert Vaughn), and his sister and partner, Vera Webster (Annie Ross). Ross is obsessed with the idea of using technology in order to gain financial domination over the world. With the help of Annie and his tawdry mistress, Lorelei Ambrosia (Pamela Stephenson), Ross blackmails Gus into using his fantastic computer skills to begin a series of evil tech schemes.

Meanwhile, over at “The Daily Planet,” Metropolis' top newspaper, Clark Kent/Superman (Christopher Reeve) is preparing to return to his hometown of Smallville for his high school reunion, the Class of 1965. He wants to use the reunion as the subject of a feature article, so he takes Daily Planet photographer, Jimmy Olsen (Marc McClure), with him. At the reunion, Clark reconnects with his childhood friend, Lana Lang (Annette O'Toole), much to the chagrin of Clark's former high school bully, Brad Wilson (Gavan O'Herlihy).

While Clark enjoys his time with Lana and also bonds with her young son, Ricky (Paul Kaethler), Ross and Gus have launched their diabolical plans. Even the Daily Planet's star reporter, Lois Lane (Margot Kidder), ends up being a victim of their moves. When Ross discovers that Superman be an obstruction to his schemes, he forces Gus to find a way to destroy Superman, and those methods of destruction may come very close defeating the Man of Steel.

Superman III was not nearly the box office success that its predecessors, Superman: The Movie and Superman II (1980) were. Some fans and critics blamed the film's shortcomings on having Richard Pryor as a cast member. Some people may remember that Paramount Pictures was considering adding Eddie Murphy as a star of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. Many of the science fiction and comic book fans that I knew at the time insisted that because Richard Pryor “ruined” Superman III, a science fiction film could not have a “Black comedian” in it or it would be similarly ruined. They predicted doom and gloom for the fourth Star Trek feature film, but Murphy eventually passed on it to star in The Golden Child (1986). These early fans that I met were racist and stupid, and, at the time, I thought their opinions about “Blacks” in genre films were racist and stupid. I am glad that my association with them was short-lived.

Anyway, Pryor, one of the most influential American stand-up comedians of all-time, was known for his raunchy, adult-oriented act during the 1970s. Into the 1980s, however, he became a more cuddly figure, appearing in a number of mainstream and even family-friendly films. Although I was surprised that Pryor was cast in Superman III, I thought he was one of the few good things about the film when I first saw it in a theater back in 1983. I still think that.

Superman III is mediocre because the screenplay by David Newman and Leslie Newman, or at least what made it to screen, is awkward and sometimes illogical. Superman III's director, Richard Lester, was a very capable director during his active career; I am still a fan of his 1973 film, The Three Musketeers. Lester is controversial a figure in the annals of Superman cinema because of the production of Superman II, which I don't feel like getting into right this moment. Speaking strictly of Superman III, Lester and the Newmans did get one thing right.

When Superman III focuses on the jovial and genial nature of the film's characters, it is quite lovable. Clark, Lois, Lana, Ricky, Gus, Jimmy, the Daily Planet editor Perry White (Jackie Cooper), and even the film's ostensible villains: Brad, Ross, Vera, and Lorelei all come across as endearing. I enjoyed getting to know them as eccentric characters and character types. When the focus moves to Superman III's conflict/plot, the film turns simply ridiculous.

Almost a day after watching the entirety of Superman III for the first time in 32 years, I'm still thinking about it. And yes, I like Richard Pryor in this film as much as I like Christopher Reeve, the star of four Superman films from 1978 to 1987, returning to play his signature role. I don't mind the comic nature of Superman III, especially as some modern superhero movies are too damn dark. However, it has too many ideas, and too many of them are handled in the most nonsensical manner. Still, I can't help but kind of like Superman III because it is full of nice people.

5 of 10

B-

★★½ out of 4 stars

There is a Blu-ray collection of five Superman films, including SUPERMAN III, and it is available at Amazon.

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Wednesday, May 14, 2025

Comics Review: "HUCK: BIG BAD WORLD #1" is an Explosive First Issue

HUCK: BIG BAD WORLD #1

DARK HORSE COMICS

STORY: Mark Millar

ART: Rafael Albuquerque

COLORS: Dave McCaig

LETTERS: Clem Robins

EDITOR: Daniel Chabon

COVER: Rafael Albuquerque

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Rafael Albuquerque; Jae Lee with June Chung

32pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (May 2025)

Rated 18+

Huck created by Mark Millar and Rafael Albuquerque

Huck: Big Bad World is a new six-issue comic book miniseries created by writer Mark Millar and artist Rafael Albuquerque. Published by Dark Horse Comics, it is a sequel to the 2015-16 miniseries, Huck. Both series focus on Huck, an autistic man with extraordinary powers who tries to do one good deed every day. Colorist Dave McCaig and letterer Clem Robins complete the creative team.

Huck: Big Bad World #1 opens in Ukraine, 1976. What does this vision have to do with the past of Huck's mother, Anna Polina Marianna Kozar? Now, a mysterious man, Dr. Jack Harper, has arrived to tell Anna that she and her son are not the only super-people out there and that there are others in hiding that are just like them.

Meanwhile, Huck is on a rescue mission. When he returns home, however, he will need to rescue his relationship with Zoe Fox.

THE LOWDOWN: This is the second time that I have been on any kind of list that provides PDF copies of titles published by Dark Horse Comics. The latest received is Huck: Big Bad World #1.

I recently finished reading Huck Volume 1, the trade collection of the first miniseries. While writer Mark Millar picks up where he left off, Huck: Big Bad World veers into darker narrative territory. What Millar gave us in the first miniseries was just a sampler of the dark and complicated history and back story of Anna Kozar. This first issue intrigues by referencing the tone of the first, but mainly by taking us into a sinister realm.

The storytelling by artist Rafael Albuquerque conveys the darker turn of the story. It is almost as if Albuquerque is giving Huck the mood of one of those gloomy fairy tales from the world of Mike Mignola's comic book hero, Hellboy. Dave McCaig's outstanding coloring for the first issue sets the striking tone that there is more on the line here than in the previous series. As always the lettering by Clem Robins is a mood embellisher.

Wow, I really liked Huck Volume 1, and this first issue of Huck: Big Bad Day does not disappoint. I have really bought into it, and I'd really like to hurt Jimbo Burke. Yeah, this first issue got me into my feelies and made me pay attention.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of Mark Millar and of the first Huck series will want to try Huck: Big Bad World.

A+

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

The HUCK VOLUME 2: BIG BAD WORLD trade paperback will arrive Feb. 2026 and is currently available for preorder via Amazon.

https://www.mrmarkmillar.com/

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http://www.millarworld.tv/

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Tuesday, May 13, 2025

Comics Review: "HUCK Volume 1" is Comic Book Perfection

HUCK VOLUME 1

IMAGE COMICS

STORY: Mark Millar

ART: Rafael Albuquerque

COLORS: Dave McCaig

LETTERS: Nate Piekos of Blambot

EDITOR: Nicole Boose

COVER: Rafael Albuquerque

ISBN: 9781534300804; paperback; (July 26, 2016)

160pp, Color, $14.99 U.S. (May 2016)

Rated T / Teen

Huck created by Mark Millar and Rafael Albuquerque

Book One: All-American

Huck was a six issue comic book miniseries created by writer Mark Millar and artist Rafael Albuquerque. Originally published from 2015 to 2016, Huck focused on a man who lives in a small town from where he anonymously travels the world doing good deeds and acts of kindness and mercy using his super powers. The series was first collected as a trade paperback graphic novel in 2016.

Huck Volume 1 opens in rural Maine. In a quiet seaside town, there are picket fences, farms, old-fashioned gas stations, and everyone knows everyone. Life is a good, and it is made better by Huck, a 34-year-old young man of mysterious origins. He humbly works at a gas station, but he has special gifts and physical abilities. Each day, he uses his gifts, such as super-strength, to do a good deed.

His neighbors return his favors by keeping Huck's abilities a secret, but a newcomer to the town – in the form of Diane Davis – sees money in revealing Huck to the media. Now, Huck is about to discover that his past had an eye on the future – a dark future of beings like him.

THE LOWDOWN: Millarwold and Netflix provide me with PDF review copies of their publications and have been doing so for several years now. I recently requested a copy of Huck Volume 1 in anticipation of Huck: Big Bad World #1, which is due in May 14, 2025.

When one considers writer Mark Millar's previous work on his creator owned series like Wanted, Kick-Ass, and Nemesis, it is not unreasonable to be shocked that Millar could write a comic book like Huck: All-American. By turns sweet and sentimental, the first issue, Huck #1, almost seems like a fanciful retelling of the early years of Clark Kent. However, it goes by way of Mayberry of former CBS sitcom, “The Andy Griffith Show,” more so than by way of Superman's Metropolis. Millar tries to create the spirit of genuine Americana, and he pulls it off in a way that is different from the way two boys from Cleveland (writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster) did it.

I initially had mixed feelings about artist Rafael Albuquerque's work on Huck #1. Albuquerque is both a distinctive stylist and storyteller, but almost a decade ago, I found his work in that first issue to be flat. Now, I find Albuquerque's art to be a revelation. Huck Volume 1 is a revelation.

Albuquerque's work in the entirety of Huck is glorious. He really depicts and captures the spirit of Huck for which Millar is aiming. Huck is not so much about good versus evil as it is about people who tirelessly do for others versus people who perpetually hurt and destroy others for their own personal gain. Dave McCaig's colors convey Huck's spirit of human goodness. The lettering by Nate Piekos is classic comics cool and gives the story a vintage 1980s sci-fi movie aesthetic.

Wow! I love this first volume of Huck. I would never go against the Moonstone family and the The Magic Order, but Huck is close to being my favorite Millarworld comic book. I must have really been having a bad time in life back when Huck was originally published to have felt so “meh” about it. [Actually, there was an awful lot of family melodrama back then. It was other people's problems, and I was letting it constantly drag me down.] Anyway, the first issue of the new series, Huck: Big Bad World, is about to drop. I think I'm in a better mood to receive Huck this time.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of Mark Millar and Millarworld titles will want to read Huck Volume 1.

[This volume includes a section of Rafael Albuquerque's character designs, layouts, and inked art.]

A+

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

The HUCK VOLUME 1 trade paperback is available at Amazon.

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http://www.millarworld.tv/

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Friday, May 9, 2025

Review: Marvel's "THUNDERBOLTS*" Wants to Be "The New Avengers" So Badly

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 21 of 2025 (No. 2027) by Leroy Douresseaux

Thunderbolts* (2025)

Running time: 126 minutes (2 hours, 6 minutes)

MPA – PG-13 for strong violence, language, thematic elements, and some suggestive and drug references

DIRECTOR: Jake Schreier

WRITERS: Eric Pearson and Joanna Calo (based upon the Marvel Comics)

PRODUCER: Kevin Feige

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Andrew Droz Palermo (D.o.P.)

EDITORS: Angela M. Catanzaro and Harry Yoon

COMPOSER: Son Lux (Ryan Lott, Rafiq Bhatia, Ian Chang)

SUPERHERO/FANTASY/ACTION and DRAMA

Starring: Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Lewis Pullman, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, Hannah John-Kamen, Geraldine Viswanathan, Olga Kurylenko, and Wendell Pierce

SUMMARY OF REVIEW:

--Thunderbolts* is very entertaining. It fights a lot and talks a lot.

--The film's main character is really Yelena Belova. It would have been a better film with Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier as the lead, but Florence Pugh is quite good as Yelena

--Entertainment value aside, Thunderbolts* is Marvel Studios' least interesting team movie

Thunderbolts* is a 2025 American superhero fantasy film and action movie directed by Jake Schreier and produced by Marvel Studios. It is the 36th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film features Marvel Comics' “Thunderbolts,” an antihero and super-villain superhero team created by writer Kurt Busiek and artist Mark Bagley that first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #449 (cover dated: January 1997). Thunderbolts* the movie focuses on an unconventional team of antiheroes that takes on a conniving CIA official and a dangerous super-being while confronting their own dark pasts.

Thunderbolts* opens in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. There, Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) destroys an O.X.E. Group laboratory on behalf of CIA director, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus). Valentina is facing a Congressional committee that wants to impeach her in order to have her removed as CIA director, so she is having to conceal all her illicit programs. One of those programs in need of concealment is the O.X.E. Group's “Sentry” project, which involves experimentation on humans in order to develop a superhuman.

Valentina dispatches Yelena to a remote O.X.E. facility on a mission to destroy sensitive materials. After entering the facility, however, Yelena discovers that she is not alone. John Walker/U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell), Ava Starr/Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), and Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko) are also there, under the pretense of a mission. The real reason all of them are in the facility is so that Valentina can have them and any incriminating evidence against her be destroyed simultaneously. Another of this mission's surprises is the sudden appearance of a mysterious man named “Bob” (Lewis Pullman).

Now, Yelena and this bunch of reprobates embark on mission to punish Valentina, and they are joined by Yelena's father, Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian (David Harbour), and Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan). They gather in New York City for a showdown, but there are wildcards. Who is “Sentry?” And what is “Void?”

Thunderbolts* is like a sequel, of sorts, to the 2021 Marvel Studios film, Black Widow. It also references such previous Marvel Studios films as Marvel's The Avengers (2012) and the recent Captain America: Brave New World (2025), and also the Disney+ television series, “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” (2021), to name a few.

At the center of Thunderbolts* is Yelena Belova, and the good thing is that the actress playing the character, Florence Pugh, is quite good. Pugh gives Yelena gravitas, and I find myself believing almost everything about the character. That said I would have preferred Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes a.k.a. “The Winter Soldier” as the “magnetic center” of Thunderbolts*, but I guess the character has already had plenty of time to showcase himself in previous Marvel Studios productions.

Beyond those two characters, I found myself bored with Julia Louis-Dreyfus' Valentina, although I am a long time fan of Louis-Dreyfus because of her role in the former NBC sitcom, “Seinfeld.” I like actor David Harbour as “Red Guardian,” but the character is a bit overwrought, while Hannah John-Kamen is overly wasted as “Ghost.” Geraldine Viswanathan is very nice in the supporting role of Mel, Valentina's assistant. Lewis Pullman, who seems very skilled at creating a new personality for each acting role he takes on, is very, very good as “Bob.” Marvel Studios would do well not to waste the potential of what Pullman can bring to the MCU.

All that said, Thunderbolts* is my least favorite MCU team movie. Don't get me wrong. It is a very entertaining film because director Jake Schreier makes the most of an offbeat screenplay and of the work of the film editors, cinematographers, and other collaborators. The result is that they deliver a movie that is surprisingly humorous and is often laugh-out-loud funny.

I don't buy all the depression and battling-personal-demons melodrama of the film's story. It is often overdone, contrived, and tedious enough to drag down the moments when that does feel genuine. There is enough enjoyment in Thunderbolts* to make me give it a relatively high rating. If this movie were made by most other film studios, however, I would give it a lower rating.

[Thunderbolts* has an extra scene in the middle of the credits and one at the end of the credits.]

7 of 10

B+

★★★½ out of 4 stars

Friday, May 9, 2025

THUNDERBOLTS* is currently available in various DVD and Blu-ray format at Amazon.

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Monday, April 21, 2025

Comics Review: "UNCANNY X-MEN #1" Rises from the Ashes

UNCANNY X-MEN #1 (2024)

MARVEL COMICS

STORY: Gail Simone

ART: David Marquez

COLORS: Matthew Wilson

LETTERS: VC's Clayton Cowles

COVER: David Marquez with Matthew Wilson

EDITOR: Tom Brevoort

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Andy Kubert with Brad Anderson; David Marquez with Matthew Wilson; Jim Lee with Alex Sinclair; John Tyler Christopher; Leinil Francis Yu with Sunny Gho; Luciano Vecchio; Pablo Villalobos; Scott Koblish with Rachelle Rosenberg; Stephen Segovia with Jay David Ramos

40pp, Color, $5.99 U.S. (October 2024)

Rated T+

X-Men created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

“Red Wave”

The X-Men are a Marvel Comics superhero team. The team was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1 (cover dated: September 1963). The X-Men are “mutants,” and Marvel's mutants are humans born with a genetic trait called the “X-gene,” which naturally grants them superhuman abilities. Being different from normal humans makes mutants the subject of prejudice, discrimination, and violence from humans. Founded by Professor Charles Xavier a.k.a. “Professor X,” the X-Men fight to protect Earth for both humans and mutants, often battling various “evil mutants” and otherworldly threats.

Over the decades, especially over the last four, there have been countless comic book publications featuring the X-Men. The X-Men flagship comic book was entitled “The X-Men” beginning with Issue #1 lasting through Issue #141. With Issue #142, the title official became “Uncanny X-Men.? Over the last decade Uncanny X-Men has been relaunched a few times, each news series beginning with a new Issue #1.

The latest relaunch began last year (2024) during the late summer. The 2024 iteration of Uncanny X-Men is written by Gail Simone; drawn by David Marquez; colored by Matthew Wilson; and lettered by VC's Clayton Cowles. The new series takes place in the wake of the “From the Ashes” crossover publishing event and finds the X-Men without a home and without Professor X.

Uncanny X-Men #1 opens in Westchester County, New York, specifically at the former “Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters.” Diabolical forces have taken over the campus and are making plans to transform it from a school into some kind of detention center or prison.

Since the fall of the island-nation slash mutant paradise of Krakoa, mutants have been left adrift across the globe. Rogue, Gambit, and Wolverine are in Mexico, specifically Teotihuacan, where they will face a dragon. Next up is “the University of Mississippi Medical Center,” where they engage in a mission of mercy for Nightcrawler and a low-level, dying mutant boy named “Harvey X.” Before long, the quartet will encounter what may be some new mutants, but is Rogue willing to become the new leader of the X-Men? Should the X-Men even continue to be a thing?

THE LOWDOWN: I am not on any kind of comp list that provides me with review copies – PDF or otherwise – of Marvel Comics publications. That leaves me free to say what I want without feeling that a bad review could get me excommunicated. [Despite what the marketing people at publishers say, a slip-up of any kind can get a reviewer removed from a comp list.]

By the time I read this new Uncanny X-Men #1 and began to write the review, this series' first trade collection, Uncanny X-Men Vol. 1: Red Wave, had been in stores for a week and a half. I am still not going to post detailed spoilers, and I suspect there is a lot to spoil over the entire arc. I like the vibe that Gail Simone brings to the series. It is part traditional X-Men, but with an offbeat wild vibe that is similar to what readers found in New X-Men #114 (cover dated: July 2001). I don't know how new and original the new mutants presented in this issue are, but Simone seems to be aiming for a new direction in this first issue of her run on this venerable series. I think she is the first woman to be the regular series writer on Uncanny X-Men, which is disgraceful that it took decades for that to happen.

As for the art by David Marquez: his work has looked better and the storytelling has been much more potent. His graphical style was simpler and cleaner in the classic Miles Morales: Ultimate Spider-Man #1 (cover dated: July 2014). Now, Marquez is more stylish and impressionistic that he has ever been, but the storytelling here substitutes flash action for meaningful drama. The great Matthew Wilson makes the art pop off the page with his rich, earthy hues. As usual, letterer Clayton Cowles is solid, but his lettering does not get in the way of the way of the story's action.

So I don't know if I will seek out the trade for this first arc of the new Uncanny X-Men. This first chapter of “Red Wave” is somewhat intriguing, but I feel like Simone put off too much of the narrative in order to focus on Rogue's melodrama. I assume the best is yet to come, so I will recommend that X-Men fans give this series a try.

Yes. You can describe me as ambivalent about this first issue. I am still curious about X-Men comic books, but my passion for them has cooled over the years.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of X-Men comic books will always want to see what's going on with the Uncanny X-Men.

[By Marvel's legacy numbering, Uncanny X-Men #1 (2024) is also Issue No. 701.]

B+

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

The first trade collection, "Uncanny X-Men by Gail Simone Vol. 1: Red Wave" is now available at Amazon.

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https://www.marvel.com/

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Wednesday, April 16, 2025

Comics Review: "ABSOLUTE SUPERMAN #1" Struts and Frets Its Hour Upon the Stage

ABSOLUTE SUPERMAN #1

DC COMICS

STORY: Jason Aaron

ART: Rafa Sandoval

COLORS: Ulises Arreola

LETTERS: Becca Carey

EDITOR: Chris Conroy

COVER: Rafa Sandoval & Ulises Arreola

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Jim Lee and Scott Williams with Alex Sinclair; Wes Craig with Mike Spicer; Clayton Crain; Matteo Scalera

36pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (January 2025)

Superman created by Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster

“Last Dust of Krypton” Part One: “Down in the Dirt”

Superman is a DC Comics superhero that was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and that first appeared in Action Comics #1 (first published on April 18, 1938). Superman was born “Kal-El” on the fictional planet Krypton. As a baby, his parents, “Jor-El” and “Lara” sent him to Earth in a small spaceship shortly before Krypton was destroyed in a natural cataclysm.

The space ship landed in outside of the fictional town of “Smallville,” Kansas, USA. Farmers Jonathan and Martha Kent found baby Kal-El, adopted him, and named him “Clark Kent.” Clark began developing superhuman abilities, such as incredible strength and impervious skin, and the Kents advised him to use his powers to benefit humanity. As an adult, Clark moved to the fictional American city of “Metropolis.” Clark works as a reporter for “The Daily Planet,” but he fights crime as the superhero, “Superman.”

The origin story of Superman has been its own “Goldberg variations” for decades. Now, comes a new line of DC Comics, “Absolute Comics,” which is similar to Marvel's “Ultimate Comics” line, in that Absolute Comics presents alternate versions and the changed narratives of familiar DC Comics characters and their back stories. Welcome to “Earth-Alpha” and the “Absolute Universe.”

Absolute Batman was the first entry in the Absolute Comics line. The second entry is the recently launched comic book series, Absolute Superman. It is written by Jason Aaron; drawn by Rafa Sandoval; colored by Ulises Arreola; and lettered by Becca Carey. In the new series, Superman/Clark Kent is without the fortress...without the family... and without a home. So what is left is the Absolute Man of Steel?

Absolute Superman #1 (“Down in the Dirt”) shifts in time. First, it opens in the past on the planet, Krypton, which is nine million light-years from Earth. It is a world of haves, have-nots, and have-mores. Jor-El, an engineer, has discovered that something terrible is about to happen to his world.

In the present day, Kal-El, a strange young man who is not of this world, has been helping the have-nots, much to the chagrin of the have-everthings. Against the advice of his “companion,” “Sol,” Kal-El has been working below in mineral mines, doing deeds that favor of the poor, especially the abused miners, much to the chagrin of Lazarus Corp. Now, these conflicting values are all coming to a head.

THE LOWDOWN: I do not receive PDF review copies from DC Comics. I bought a copy of Absolute Superman #1 from Lone Star Comics' eBay shop.

The art by Rafa Sandoval is pretty, but it is overly detailed. Most of the panels are so crowded with elements and content that it creates a murkiness between the storytelling and the readers – at least as far as I am concerned. The colors by Ulises Arreola are also pretty, but sometimes, the colors look like a soupy mess of bright, vivid, heavy, and thick coloring that is not necessary. Less is indeed more, sometimes. I find that it is Becca Carey's lettering, of all the elements, that serves to make the story clear.

Superman's origin has undergone major renovation in the past, everything from John Byrne's 1986 comic book miniseries, The Man of Steel, to J. Michael Straczynski and Shane Davis' Superman: Earth One Volume One. Even director Zack Snyder's 2013 film, The Man of Steel, takes a radical view of Superman's origin.

Without offering spoilers, I can say that Jason Aaron's re-ordering of Superman's origin is radical on two fronts. First, his new look at Krypton borrows from Byrne and goes even darker. Secondly, Aaron takes Superman/Clark Kent's life on Earth and makes it unrecognizable, but familiar in that it recognizes Superman's place as a man of the people rather than as being nothing more than a superhero brand and lucrative IP.

When DC Comics' marketing copy says, “Without the fortress...without the family...without a home...what's left is the Absolute Man of Steel!,” Aaron means it. Still, I wonder if Aaron is not stripping away a lot of familiar, but worn elements merely to replace them with new elements that will quickly become worn.

Absolute Superman #1 has high production values and a lot of interesting narrative concepts around it. In a way, I like what Jason Aaron and Rafa Sandoval are doing... but I'm not really that interested. I don't want to pay the price of admission, nor do I want to spend the time to engage with Absolute Superman. Still, I recommend that curious comic book readers at least give this first issue, Absolute Superman #1, a try. It is high-quality, professionally executed commercial fiction.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of Superman comic books will want to at least try Absolute Superman.

[This comic book features a back-up story, “AEW Presents Darby All In” from writer Steve Orlando; artist Pop Mhan; colorist Hi-Fi; letterer Josh Reed; and editor Michael McCalister.]

B+

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

The ABSOLUTE SUPERMAN VOL. 1: LAST DUST OF KRYPTON hardcover is available at Amazon.

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Sunday, March 23, 2025

Advanced Comics Review: "SUPERGUY #1" is a Super-Duper Great Read

SUPERGUY #1

STORY: Anthony Iannaccio

SCRIPT: Anthony Iannaccio

ART: Joey Murphy

COLORS: Joey Murphy

LETTERS: Joey Murphy

COVER: Joey Murphy

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Ahmed Raafat; Dominque Barlow; Billy Lahiff

28pp, Color, $10.00 U.S., $13.00 (variants); reward bundles

Superguy created by Anthony Iannaccio and Joey Murphy

“There Goes My Hero”

Superguy #1 is a new comic book from writer Anthony Iannaccio and artist Joey Murphy. The series follows the adventures and misadventures of a self-absorbed superhero, who is usually in his underwear, and his earnest robot sidekick, who has a mysterious and likely dark past. The story and script are by Iannaccio and the art, colors, and lettering are by Murphy.

Superguy #1 (“There Goes My Hero”) opens in Thebig City, specifically Thebig City Elementary School. It was supposed to be the school's “Graduation Day,” but that has been canceled so that they can have “Superguy Day!” Although the kids are excited to see Thebig City's favorite superhero, that superhero, the aforementioned Superguy, can't be bothered to show up on time.

Superguy can't even be bothered to do his job, so that's why his loyal sidekick, Robotguy, steps into the job and starts saving the day. Eventually, however, that is going to rub a super-someone the wrong way. Before long, there is a battle for the ages, and no one really understands how bad it will get or how many players are watching from the sidelines.

THE LOWDOWN: Last year, Anthony Iannaccio sent me a PDF copy of a Superguy preview story that he and Joey Murphy produced. Iannaccio also generously provided me with an advanced PDF copy of Superguy #1, which is the subject of a new Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign.

I was really impressed by the Superguy preview I read last year. It was the kind of comic book story that young'un Leroy would have flipped over. I can say the same for Superguy #1, and I've been trying to figure out why that is so.

Perhaps, I think of Superguy as something that will appeal to comics readers, young and old, because it seems as much like a broadcast network animated television series as much as it is actually a comic book. Superguy is sort of like Fox's long-running animated series, “The Simpsons,” combined with humor of Seth MacFarlane, another Fox animation mainstay, but without the more obviously adult content. Superguy #1 is a humor comic book that does not downplay the superhero fantasy elements, and it is also a superhero comic book that does not temper the humor. Perhaps, I see its potential for broad appeal in the fact that it broadly embraces more than one or two genres and subgenres.

Iannaccio and Murphy are a good team; they are like a seamless pairing that cannot go astray. Iannaccio offers a suite of snappy comedy, sharp dialogue, and lively jokes that it usually takes a team of writers to produce. This is an impressive feat on his part. Murphy is a humor comics artist with solid drawing and storytelling chops. There is a consistency in his compositions that suggests a veteran talent, even if Murphy hasn't been doing this a long time. Murphy's art and storytelling depicts humor and comic timing so well that this also makes it seem like he is an old hand at comedy and comics.

In his own way, Superguy is a lovable man-child, full of jealousies and self-importance. Robotguy is a stand-up hero, as good as any human good guy, but destined to face his darkness. I love these characters. I love this comic book. I love what Iannaccio and Murphy are doing here. So far, their Superguy #1 Kickstarter is doing exceedingly well. I hope they make enough dough to fund at least a few more issues of Superguy because this comic book is a super-read.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of pure comic book fun will want to read Superguy #1 over and over again.

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

Linktree for Anthony Iannaccio social media: https://linktr.ee/mrtonynacho

Link to the Joey Murphy's IG page: https://www.instagram.com/jorion/

Kickstarter link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mrtonynacho/superguy-1

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