TRASH IN MY EYE Reviews: TV adaptation

Showing posts with label TV adaptation. Show all posts

Friday, January 30, 2026

Comics Review: "SUPERNATURAL #3" - Dead-Action Role-Players

SUPERNATURAL #3

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Greg Pak

ART: Eder Messia; Pasquale Qualano, Alessandro Ranaldi, Vincenzo Federici, and Gerardo Gambone

COLORS: Ellie Wright

LETTERS: Jeff Eckleberry

EDITOR: Nate Cosby

COVER: Clayton Crain

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Drew Moss; Andrea Broccardo; Clayton Crain

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

Rated “Teen”

“Supernatural” created by Eric Kripke

"Supernatural" was an American television series created by Eric Kripke. It debuted on The WB broadcast network on September 13, 2005 and subsequently became part of successor network, The CW. The series ended November 19, 2020, after a total of 15 seasons and 327 episodes. “Supernatural” starred Jared Padalecki as “Sam Winchester” and Jensen Ackles as “Dean Winchester,” two brothers who hunt demons, ghosts, monsters, and other supernatural beings.

DC Comics and its Wildstorm imprint published four Supernatural comic book miniseries over a period from 2007 to 2011. Now, Dynamite Entertainment has the license and has launched a new series, Supernatural. It is written by Greg Pak; drawn by Eder Messias and others; colored by Ellie Wright; and lettered by Jeff Eckleberry. According to Dynamite, this new comic book is set between Supernatural Seasons 1 and 2, and finds Dean and Sam Winchester forced to take on a new threat before they can continue their hunt for the demon that killed their mother, Mary Winchester.

Supernatural #3 opens in Erie, Arizona where two live action-role players, Johannes and Orville, get in deeper than at least Orville expected. A week later, the “monster hunters,” Sam and Dean arrive and have to make a stop because of car trouble.

Now, a group of Johannes and Orville's friends go looking in the woods for their pals, and face a mysterious attack. Luckily, Sam and Dean are tracking them and comes to the rescue. In this case, however, the weapons this role-players face are real, and the Winchester brothers are about to suffer than own supernatural hassles.

THE LOWDOWN: Since July 2021, Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department has been providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles. Supernatural #3 is one of the latest, and it is the second “Supernatural” comic book that I have read.

I did not read any of the DC/Wildstorm's Supernatural comic books, and I only watched the first few seasons of “Supernatural.” When I tried to rejoin it later in the series run, I just couldn't reconnect. Eventually, I'll try streaming it... all 15 seasons...

Supernatural #3 is an interesting but not really special issue. It is the first misstep in this series for writer, Greg Pak, but, as this seems to be the first part of a story line, I'll wait to see what the fourth issue offers before making a final judgment.

Artists Eder Messias, Pasquale Qualano, Alessandro Ranaldi, Vincenzo Federici, and Gerardo Gambone continue to create creepy moods that make this series feel genuine to its source material, the television series, “Supernatural.” Ellie Wright's colors capture the garish supernatural elements that appear in this tale, while letterer Jeff Eckleberry creates a kind of soundtrack for this tale of the supernatural gone amok.

Dear readers, let's keep following this iteration of the adventures of the Winchester brothers.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of the television series, “Supernatural” may want to try the new Supernatural comic book series.

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

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Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Comics Review: "SUPERNATURAL #2" - The Ghost with the Pearl Earring

SUPERNATURAL #2

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Greg Pak

ART: Pasquale Qualano, Alessandro Ranaldi, Vincenzo Federici, and Eder Messias

COLORS: Ellie Wright

LETTERS: Jeff Eckleberry

EDITOR: Nate Cosby

COVER: Clayton Crain

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: David Cousens; Eder Messias; Clayton Crain

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

Rated “Teen”

“Supernatural” created by Eric Kripke

Supernatural was an American television series created by Eric Kripke. It debuted on The WB broadcast network on September 13, 2005 and subsequently became part of successor network, The CW. The series ended November 19, 2020, after a total of 15 seasons and 327 episodes. “Supernatural” starred Jared Padalecki as “Sam Winchester” and Jensen Ackles as “Dean Winchester,” two brothers who hunt demons, ghosts, monsters, and other supernatural beings.

DC Comics and its Wildstorm imprint published four Supernatural comic book miniseries over a period from 2007 to 2011. Now, Dynamite Entertainment has the license and has launched a new series, Supernatural. It is written by Greg Pak; drawn by Eder Messias and others; colored by Ellie Wright; and lettered by Jeff Eckleberry. According to Dynamite, this new comic book is set between Supernatural Seasons 1 and 2, and finds Dean and Sam Winchester forced to take on a new threat before they can continue their hunt for the demon that killed their mother, Mary Winchester.

Supernatural #2 opens in 1961 just in time to witness the inevitable aftermath of a murder. In the present, The Winchester's adventures along the back roads of America's heartland hunting monsters have been rewarding. The problem is that they do not pay well or even pay at all. Sam and Dean are broke, and Dean has hit upon the idea of traveling to Las Vegas where he figures that they can earn money the old-fashioned way – gambling what little cash they have left at a casino.

While Dean is going through a losing streak, Sam meets California “Callie” Hernandez, a young woman who decides to use her amazing powers of luck to help Dean start winning. Dean's winning streak catches the attention of Bobby McCatrick, the hood who runs this casino. Will the sympathetic Callie lead Sam and Dean to temporary wealth or to worst turn of fortune?

THE LOWDOWN: Since July 2021, Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department has been providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles. Supernatural #2 is one of the latest, and it is the second “Supernatural” comic book that I have read.

I did not read any of the DC/Wildstorm's Supernatural comic books, and I only watched the first few seasons of “Supernatural.” When I tried to rejoin it, I just couldn't reconnect. Eventually, I'll try streaming it... all 15 seasons...

I had my doubts about this new Supernatural comic book series, although it is written by one of the better comic book writers of the last two decades, Greg Pak. But Greg has delivered, and I think the first issue of this series, Supernatural #01, was not a fluke. Pak delivers another standalone issue that feels just like the early, Gothic, and haunted early episodes of the television series. If Netflix... I mean, Warner Bros. ever decides to bring “Supernatural” back to television, I think considering Greg Pak as a series writer would be a good idea.

Issue #1's artist, Eder Messias, is joined by Pasquale Qualano, Alessandro Ranaldi, and Vincenzo Federici to create a mood that makes this second issue that feels genuine to its source material “Supernatural.” One again, readers won't think they are reading a tie-in comic book because Messias and company's storytelling feel like it belongs in the world of “Supernatural,” a genuine chapter within the continuity of the series.

Ellie Wright's colors capture the garishly colorful mood of the casino which makes this setting seem genuine. As always, letterer Jeff Eckleberry captures the spirit of the story, this time creating the sense of a crime story that is gradually revealing the darkness in its origins.

I didn't know what to expect of the first two issues, dear readers. Now, I expect that I'll have to return for the third.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of the television series, “Supernatural” may want to try the new Supernatural comic book series.

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

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Thursday, December 18, 2025

Comics Review: "SPACE GHOST Volume 2 #3 - The Iceman Cometh

SPACE GHOST VOL. 2 #3

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; Francesco Mattina; Jae Lee

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

Rated “Teen”

“No One Escapes... Tarko the Terrible!”

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 Volume 2 #3 (“No One Escapes... Tarko the Terrible!”) opens 10,000 years ago and tells the tale of the Viking barbarian, Tarko the Terrible, and his seemingly icy end on a blood-soaked battlefield. Now, he is a frozen bauble belonging to the latest bad guy to be conquered by the Space Ghost and his assistants, Jan and Jace.

When the twin's estranged grandfather, Dr. Henry Contra, defrosts Tarko, disasters strikes! Once thawed, Tarko discovers a whole new world ripe for conquest. Can Space Ghost and his young charges stop this time-lost warrior from wreaking havoc upon the future? Or will our heroes find themselves among the newest victims of Tarko's savage blade?

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 #3, Volume 2 is one that I have recently received, but it is not the first Space Ghost comic book that I have read.

Once again, I am really late with a review a review of Space Ghost Volume 2, so I'll keep it short. Writer David Pepose and artist Jonathan Lau continue the excellence they established in Space Ghost Vol. 1. They have mastered the standalone story in the first volume, and they are continuing that mastery with the new series, issue #3 exemplifies.

Pepose offers an axe-swinging sword and sorcery tale that blends the savagery of a Conan comic book with the a touch of Thor-Viking hell-raising. It all feels like a natural fit for Space Ghost, and the result is a rousing standalone tale. Lau's storytelling seemingly refuses to be confined to the page, all the better to depict the ferocity of Tarko's violence. Lau brings what I call a “rousing tale” and makes seem to jump off the page.

Andrew Dalhouse's colors set this tale of Tarko the Terrible on fire with explosive brilliance that dazzles with each fight. 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, dear readers. Whether we are on time or late, we should keep reading it.

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"

There is a Kindle edition of SPACE GHOST VOL. 2 #3 available at Amazon.

https://twitter.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

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Sunday, November 30, 2025

Comics Review: "SUPERNATURAL #1" Wants to Burn Your Ass

SUPERNATURAL #01

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Greg Pak

ART: Eder Messias

COLORS: Thyago Brandao

LETTERS: Jeff Eckleberry

EDITOR: Nate Cosby

COVER: Clayton Crain

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: David Cousens; Eder Messias;

Amanda Conner; Joseph Michael Linsner; Francesco Mattina; Lucio Parrillo

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

Rated “Teen”

“Supernatural” created by Eric Kripke

DC Comics and its Wildstorm imprint published four Supernatural comic book miniseries over a period from 2007 to 2011. Now, Dynamite Entertainment has the license and has launched a new series, Supernatural. It is written by Greg Pak; drawn by Eder Messias; colored by Thyago Brandao; and lettered by Jeff Eckleberry. According to Dynamite, this new comic book is set between Supernatural Seasons 1 and 2, and finds Dean and Sam Winchester forced to take on a new threat before they can continue their hunt for the demon that killed their mother, Mary Winchester.

Supernatural #01 opens with the fiery death of Ritchie Wilson, an employee and mixologist for Windler Breweries. Sam and Dean, prowling the highways and byways of small town America in search of demonic wronging, arrive in Windler, Wisconsin to investigate

As the brothers hunt to uncover the entity responsible for a series of mysterious fires in the decaying rust belt town, they encounter Windler Breweries employee, Effie, and she may know more than she lets on. Meanwhile, where is the mysterious CEO Steff Windler and what does he have to do with this burning and deadly mystery.

THE LOWDOWN: Since July 2021, Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department has been providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles. Supernatural #01 is one of the latest, and it is the first “Supernatural” comic book that I have read.

Meanwhile, all of us can enjoy Dynamite's new comic book series. Writer Greg Pak offers a sensational opening tale that recalls the fresh dark fantasy vibe and novel horror scenarios of “Supernatural Season One.” Pak makes this first issue feel both familiar and like a new direction with the way he guides this story through its paces.

Artist Eder Messias' work here brings a comic book illustrator's sensibilities to the aesthetic of “Supernatural.” Readers won't feel like they are reading a tie-in comic book because Messias' storytelling will feel like it belongs in the world of “Supernatural,” a genuine chapter within the continuity of the series.

Thyago Brandao's colors capture the creeping and dreadful shadows of the back roads and haunted Americana of “Supernatural.” As always, letterer Jeff Eckleberry captures the spirit of the story, this time creating a haunting imaginary audio for this first issue.

I didn't know what to expect of this first issue, dear readers. Now, I expect that I'll have to return for more.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of the television series, “Supernatural” may want to try the new Supernatural comic book series.

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

There is a Kindle edition of "SUPERNATURAL #01," which is available at Amazon.

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

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Wednesday, October 29, 2025

Comics Review: "SPACE GHOST Volume 2 #2 is Too Legit to Quit

SPACE GHOST VOL. 2 #2

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; Francesco Mattina; Jae Lee

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

Rated “Teen”

“The Dawn of the Eclipse Woman!”

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 #2 (“The Dawn of the Eclipse Woman!”) opens in the “Black Nebula Bar” years ago. This is the story of how Dax met Luna Solaris. Now, Dax is the Space Ghost and Luna is the notorious thief known as “Eclipse Woman.” Her latest target is the treasure of the dangerous Boss Parko of the “Raptor Cartel.”

Now, Space Ghost and Jan, Jace, and Blip have to save the old flame turned bad girl. However, Boss Parko's treasure is a mysterious alien artifact that is full of surprises – the kind of surprises that could doom everyone.

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 #2 is one that I have recently received, but it is not the first Space Ghost comic book that I have read.

I am really late with this review, so I'll keep it short. Writer David Pepose and artist Jonathan Lau continue the excellence they established in Space Ghost Vol. 1. They have mastered the standalone story in the first volume, and they are continuing that mastery with the new series. If you miss an issue, reading the following issue will be delight and not an exercise in trying to figure out what happened the issue you missed, dear readers.

Andrew Dalhouse's colors are still fire, burning with brilliance through the action of these stories. 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, dear readers. Whether we are on time or late, we should keep reading.

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"

https://twitter.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

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Friday, August 1, 2025

Review: "THE NAKED GUN: From the Files of Police Squad!" is Still Comedy Gold

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 33 of 2025 (No. 2039) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)

Running time: 85 minutes (1 hour, 25 minutes)

MPAA – PG-13

DIRECTOR: David Zucker

WRITERS: Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker & Pat Proft

PRODUCER: Robert K. Weiss

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Robert M. Stevens (D.o.P.)

EDITOR: Michael Jablow

COMPOSER: Ira Newborn

COMEDY/CRIME

Starring: Leslie Nielsen, Priscilla Presley, O.J. Simpson, Ricardo Montalban, George Kennedy, Susan Beaubian, Nancy Marchand, Raye Birk, Jeannette Charles, Tiny Ron, “Weird Al” Yankovic, and Reggie Jackson

The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! is a 1988 American crime comedy film from director David Zucker. The film is also known simply as The Naked Gun (the title I will use for most of this review). It is a continuation of the short-lived ABC sitcom, “Police Squad!” (1982), which was created by the team of David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker, the comedy filmmaking trio known as “ZAZ.” The Naked Gun the movie focuses on the sitcom's lead character, the bumbling and incompetent police lieutenant, Frank Drebin, as he attempts to foil an assassination plot against Queen Elizabeth II.

The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! reintroduces Lieutenant Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen), a member of “Police Squad,” a special division within the Los Angeles Police Department. Frank returns from a mission in Beirut to hear some bad news from Police Squad Captain Ed Hocken (George Kennedy). Drebin's best friend and Police Squad colleague, Detective Nordberg (O.J. Simpson), is in a coma after his attempt to bust a heroin operation turned disastrous.

Drebin's investigation of what happened to Nordberg brings Vincent Ludwig (Ricardo Montalban), a highly-successful businessman, to his attention. Drebin soon learns that Ludwig may be involved in a plot to assassinate Queen Elizabeth II (Jeannette Charles) during her visit to Los Angeles, one of the three stops on her American tour. Drebin's investigation is complicated by the fact that he falls in love with Ludwig's assistant, Jane Spencer (Priscilla Presley). Can Drebin save the Queen, or will his bumbling and incompetence lead to an international scandal?

I first saw The Naked Gun in the old Bon Marche Cinema 11 at the Bon Marche Mall in Baton Rouge, Louisiana during a midnight showing. I went with some friends, and we laughed until we cried, doubled-over, chocked, and coughed. Since that first time, I think that I have only seen the film in its entirety once, and that was well over thirty years ago. Paramount Pictures just released a “legacy sequel,” also entitled The Naked Gun, from director Akiva Schaffer and producer Seth MacFarlane (“Family Guy”), with actor Liam Neeson playing “Lt. Frank Drebin, Jr.” So I decided to give the 1988 film another watch, and I found myself laughing out loud again from start to finish.

The fast-paced slapstick comedy has not slowed with age; in fact, The Naked Gun has not aged, at least to me. It doesn't feel like an “old movie,” and the visual and verbal puns and sight gags are as sharp as ever. The team of Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker, and their frequent collaborator, Pat Proft, deliver a film full of gags that are shamelessly unapologetic, goofy, brilliant, and truly hilarious. As the film's director, David Zucker, does superb work, but it is clear that his film editor, Michael Jablow, also does some fantastic work here.

The Naked Gun also has a great cast with Leslie Nielsen as the center of this comic force of nature. Nielsen reinvented himself as the star of parodies and satires during the last three decades of his prolific Hollywood career. As Lt. Frank Drebin, he made The Naked Gun the crowning achievement of his career as comic lead. Priscilla Presley is excellent in her turn as the dry and droll Jane, and George Kennedy is smooth as a kind of straight policeman to Nielsen's Drebin. Every chance he had in his career, actor Ricardo Montalban showed his range, as he does here as the delightful villain, Vincent Ludwig. Even future killer, O.J. Simpson, makes the most of his small role here, six years before the world would look at him differently.

The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! is one of the greatest American film comedies of the last quarter of the 20th century. I hope this new film encourages audiences to see The Naked Gun for the first time or to see it again for the first time in a long time. The original will make your laughter laugh.

8 of 10

★★★★ out of 4 stars

Friday, August 1, 2025

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THE NAKED GUN, the original trilogy, is available as a set on Blu-ray at Amazon.

Sunday, July 27, 2025

Comics Review: "SPACE GHOST ANNUAL 2025" Brings Down the House

SPACE GHOST ANNUAL 2025 VOLUME ONE

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; Anthony Marques with Nick Caponi; Jae Lee; Francesco Mattina

40pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (July 2025)

Rated “Teen”

“The Ultima Supremacy!”

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 1, it has yielded its first annual, Space Ghost Annual 2025 Volume One. It is written by David Pepose; drawn by Jonathan Lau; colored by Andrew Dalhouse; and lettered by Taylor Esposito. In this series, twins Jan and Jace Keplar and their pet monkey, Blip, face their first universal threat in their new lives as the partners of the cosmic vigilante known as “the Space Ghost.”

Space Ghost Annual 2025 Vol. 1 (“The Ultima Supremacy!”) opens in Robo Corp Tower. Doctor Xander Ibal, the CEO OF Robo Corp, finally obtained Blip because he is the “Binary Language Integrated Prototype.” Then, Ibal used Blip to initiate the “Ultima Protocols.” What is that, and how will it affect the galaxy... and even the universe?

Now, our heroes must survive Ultima as it nears the total takeover of every mind in the universe, and suddenly, Space Ghost seems like the final lynch pin in Ultima's plan. It's up to Jan and Jace to fight against this evil, and maybe Jan has a way to save this day and all the days to come.

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 Annual 2025 Volume One is a recent issue that I have received.

So, Space Ghost #12 did not bring the 2024-launched Space Ghost comic book series to a close. There is a new relaunch scheduled for this year, but in the meantime, Space Ghost Annual 2025 brings the current series to an end.

Now, I can give this series a review send-off by simply saying that writer David Pepose and artist Jonathan Lau have ended it the way they began it – on fire with a bang, but not a whimper. On the other hand, there are whispers of the darkness to come. I can say again that Pepose and Lau have liberated their Space Ghost from every previous iteration, especially the previous comic book iterations. It is as if Pepose and Lau have gone back to the beginning of Space Ghost and forged their own path.

Andrew Dalhouse's lovely colors are still a raging inferno, matching Lau flame for flame. He deserves some award notice for his work here. Letterer Taylor Esposito brings the sounds of battle to life with more of his strong lettering. As he closes this series, I'm sure Esposito is ready to bring the noise again for the next series.

I had a blast reading Space Ghost Volume One, both the series and this annual, dear readers. I want you to enjoy this, too, and you can via current and future trade paperback editions.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of Dynamite Entertainment's Warner Bros. comic book series will want to read Space Ghost Annual 2025.

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

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Saturday, May 24, 2025

Review: "MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – THE FINAL RECKONING" is a Long Goodbye

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 23 of 2025 (No. 2029) by Leroy Douresseaux

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (2025)

Running time: 169 minutes (2 hours, 49 minutes)

MPA – PG-13 for sequences of strong violence and action, bloody images, and brief language

DIRECTOR: Christopher McQuarrie

WRITERS: Christopher McQuarrie and Erik Jendresen (based upon the television series created by Bruce Geller)

PRODUCERS: Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Fraser Taggart (D.o.P.)

EDITOR: Eddie Hamilton

COMPOSERS: Max Aruj and Alfie Godfey

ACTION/ADVENTURE/SPY/THRILLER

Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Esai Morales, Pom Klementieff, Shea Whigham, Greg Tarzan Davis, Holt McCallany, Janet McTeer, Nick Offerman, Hannah Waddingham, Tramell Tillman, Rolf Saxon, Lucy Tulugarjuk, Charles Parnell, Mark Gatiss, and Henry Czerny and Angela Bassett

SUMMARY OF REVIEW:

-- Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is a Mission: Impossible film, and fans of the franchise will like it to one extent or another

-- However, even as a fan, I find it to be too long and not as good as the previous film, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One

-- I think that the possibility of Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning being Tom Cruise's final Mission: Impossible film (at least as a lead) added to my desire to like it more than I probably should

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is a 2025 action-thriller and espionage film directed by Christopher McQuarrie and starring Tom Cruise. It is the eighth film in the Mission: Impossible film series which began with the 1996 film, Mission: Impossible, and is based on the American television series, “Mission: Impossible” (CBS, 1966-73), that was created by Bruce Geller. This film is also a direct sequel to 2013's Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. In The Final Reckoning, Ethan Hunt learns that our lives are the sum of our choices as he and his IMF team race to stop an assassin from gaining control of a rogue AI that wants to destroy humanity.

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning opens in the wake of the events depicted in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. The IMF (Impossible Mission Force) has failed to put an end to the machinations of either “The Entity,” the most powerful ever AI (artificial intelligence), or the assassin, Gabriel (Esai Morales), who wants to control The Entity. The Entity is plotting global nuclear annihilation against humanity.

IMF agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) turns himself over to authorities and is brought before President of the United States Erika Sloane (Angela Bassett), who was once the Director of the CIA. He asks her for the resources to find the sunken advanced Russian submarine, the “Sevastopol.” There, he hopes to obtain the “the Rabbit's Foot,” the core module that contains the original source code for The Entity. IMF computer technician, Luther Stickwell (Ving Rhames), has created malware in the form of a kind of flash drive that when inserted into the core module will help imprison The Entity where it can no longer be a threat to humanity.

President Sloane gives Ethan permission to act independently, and he brings together a new ragtag IMF team that includes technical field agent, Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg); a professional thief, Grace (Hayley Atwell), a French assassin, Paris (Pom Klementieff), a U.S. intelligence agent, Theo Degas (Greg Tarzan Davis); CIA agent William Donloe (Rolf Saxon); and Rolf's wife, Tapeesa (Lucy Tulugarjuk). Ethan and his IMF team head to South Africa for an epic showdown while the world's nuclear powers await nuclear Armageddon.

I divide the six Mission: Impossible movies into two trilogies. Mission: Impossible (1996), Mission: Impossible 2 (2000), and Mission: Impossible III (2006) make up the first trilogy. Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011), Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015), and Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018) form the second trilogy. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One and Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning are, for the time being, the two-part conclusion to Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible franchise.

And let's be honest, unlike the original “Mission: Impossible” TV series, which was an ensemble espionage drama, the Mission: Impossible films are a Tom Cruise vehicle / espionage action movies. The Final Reckoning is all about Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt. Heck, the theme of this film is that Ethan's life is the sum of his choices. Yes, the other characters all get their moment or, in some cases, moments to shine, but this film is about Tom/Ethan.

Like Dead Reckoning Part One, The Final Reckoning is a non-stop thrill machine full of heart-pounding races, chases, standoffs, last-second escapes, and near death experiences with Tom Cruise running more than he ever has. I initially balked at Dead Reckoning's runtime of two hours and forty-three minutes, but the film didn't feel that long. The Final Reckoning feels too long at two hours and forty-nine minutes.

I don't really have anything else to say. Like all the previous films, The Final Reckoning is a perpetual thrill-machine. If it were any other film, I'd give it a grade of “B.” However, I am a sucker for both Tom Cruise and for his Mission: Impossible films, which I still, for the most part, re-watch. I will watch Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning again – many times, so it gets a preferential grade.

7 of 10

B+

★★★½ out of 4 stars

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Thursday, March 20, 2025

Comics Review: Disney's "DARKWING DUCK #1" Makes Another Strong Debut

DARKWING DUCK VOLUME 2 #1

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Daniel Kibblesmith

ART: Ted Brandt & Ro Stein

COLORS: Dearbhla Kelly

LETTERS: Fabio Amelia

EDITOR: Nate Cosby

COVER: Tad Stones

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Mark Bagley; Ted Brandt & Ro Stein; Nicoletta Baldari; Ciro Cangialosi; Tad Stones

32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (March 2025)

Rated “All Ages”

“Year One” Part One of Twelve: “Hi, Voltage!”

“Darkwing Duck” was an animated superhero comedy television series produced by Walt Disney Television Animation. It originally aired for three seasons (for a total of 91 episodes) from 1991 to 1992, both as part of the syndicated programming block, “The Disney Afternoon,” and as part of ABC's Saturday morning lineup. “Darkwing Duck” focused on a suburban duck, Drake Mallard, and his superhero alter-ego, “Darkwing Duck.” The character was a parody of the pulp fiction vigilante character, The Shadow, and his alter-ego, Kent Allard.

A little over two years ago, Dynamite Entertainment launched a new Darkwing Duck comic book series. Now, it has recently relaunched the series with Darkwing Duck Volume 2. It is written by Daniel Kibblesmith; drawn by Ted Brandt & Ro Stein; and colored by Dearbhla Kelly; and lettered by Fabio Amelia. The new series revisits Darkwing Duck's first year as a superhero.

Darkwing Duck Volume 2 #1 (“Hi, Voltage!”) opens at night in the city of St. Canard. Then, the story moves to the suburbs of St. Canard, specifically the Mallard residence. Drake Mallard is regaling his adopted daughter, Gosalyn Mallard, with tales of his adventures as Darkwing Duck. It is, however, early in his crime-busting career, but Darkwing is ready to have... an arch-nemesis?! Meanwhile, one such candidate presents himself when Megavolt goes after “the max-capacity super battery.”

Meanwhile, Gosalyn does not want an early bedtime when her father is off having adventures. She wants to visit “the St. Canard-Once-a-Year-After-Hours-Fun-Time-Carnival.” And to do that, she needs to convince tonight's guard dog, Launchpad McQuack, that he wants to have fun, too. What are the chances both the father's and the daughter's missions cross paths?

THE LOWDOWN: Since July 2021, Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department has been providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles. One of them is Darkwing Duck Volume 2, Issue #1, one of a few Darkwing Duck comic books that I have read.

I have never watched an episode of the “Darkwing Duck” animated series, although I have always wanted to do so. My only previous experience reading a Darkwing Duck comic book was Dynamite's 2023 series, and I only read the first four issues.

However, the work of this new series' creative team might make me stick around longer. Writer Daniel Kibblesmith spins a yarn that offers the usual fun of Darkwing Duck, while depicting a hero in the early days of his crime-busting. Still, Kibblesmith finds the joy in the character and personality of Darkwing Duck and in the series' signature brand of humor rather than focusing on the mechanics of a superhero's “Year One.”

The art team of illustrators Ted Brandt & Ro Stein and colorist Dearbhla Kelly offer a spry first chapter of storytelling that sparks on the page with adventure and humor. Brandt & Stein capture the Disney graphical aesthetic, while Kelly colors the story in a way that suggests something vintage or, at least, of recent vintage. Letterer Fabio Amelia keeps the energy going with battery-charged sound effects, captions, and word balloons.

I hope that Dynamite can find continued success with Darkwing Duck. There is an audience for this title, and it could be you, dear readers.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of Darkwing Duck will want to try Dynamite's new Darkwing Duck Volume 2 comic book series.

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

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Saturday, February 1, 2025

Comics Review: "SPACE GHOST #7" Offers Meat for the Beast

SPACE GHOST VOL. 1 #7

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; Anthony Marques and Fran Crivelli with Nick Caponi; Francesco Mattina; Jae Lee; Jonathan Lau;

32pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (November 2024)

Rated “Teen”

“Blip Versus the Creature King!”

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 One, it is written by David Pepose; drawn by Jonathan Lau; colored by Andrew Dalhouse; and lettered by Taylor Esposito. In the new series, twins Jan and Jace Keplar and their pet monkey, Blip, meet that legendary cosmic vigilante known as “the Space Ghost.”

Space Ghost Volume One #7 (“Blip Versus the Creature King!”) opens on the Planet Halcyon... and everything is in chaos. Space Ghost and Jan have been taken prisoner. Something is very wrong with Jace's mind. Our human heroes find themselves trapped on a mysterious jungle planet where they face The Creature King, who commands a host of beasts to do his nefarious bidding. Using his “Telepathic Crown,” the Creature King and his beasts will tear down the human civilization.

In our heroes' most desperate hour of need, there is only one member who can save them – Blip! And it's Blip as you've never seen him... or heard him before now.

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 #7, Volume One, however, is not the latest issue that I received because I bought my own copy this time.

Having bought my own personal copy, I am finally free to say what I really feel about Dynamite's new Space Ghost comic book. I don't have to feel obligated to say good things in order to show my appreciation to Dynamite for gifting me a complementary PDF copy of this comic book...

… But girl, I still love the heck outta this new Space Ghost comic book.

Writer David Pepose offers a great one-off tale with “Blip Versus the Creature King!” It is riveting to say the least, with every page making me believe that this is it – the end of our heroes. I read it like a man whose imagination has been starving for great comic books stories and finally found a great one to satisfy him. Well, me and old Mister Mind got one of the best standalone issues we've read in a long time. Cheers to Pepose.

Jonathan Lau takes Pepose's story and turns it into powerful and effective comic book storytelling. By the end of his run, Lau may end up being one of the very best Space Ghost comic book artists. Blending moody EC Comics-like atmosphere with an outer space aesthetic, Lau has created a kind of sci-fi Film-Noir that gives futuristic adventure a dark turn to a place where hope struggles to survive. Lau clearly understands that conflict still drives the drama even in the most fantastic of narrative settings and environments.

Andrew Dalhouse's lovely colors give the haunting tones of “Blip Versus the Creature King!” a rich resonance. Letterer Taylor Esposito throws gasoline on the fire to make this story burn, baby, burn, using classic comics cool to heighten the heated action.

I'm having a blast reading Space Ghost Volume One, dear readers. I want this enjoyment for you, too. This Space Ghost is super, man.

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

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

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Monday, January 27, 2025

Advanced Comics Review: "SILVERHAWKS #1" is Fully in Flight

SILVERHAWKS, VOL. 1 #1

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Ed Brisson

ART: George Kambadais

COLORS: Ellie Wright

LETTERS: Jeff Eckleberry

EDITOR: Nate Cosby

EDITOR: Joseph Rybandt

COVER: Lucio Parrillo

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Jae Lee with June Chung; Bjorn Barends; James Stokoe; Geraldo Borges; Declan Shalvey; Leirix; Manix; Mark Spears; Mark Bagley

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

Rated “Teen”

“SilverHawks” was an American animated television series developed by Rankin/Bass Productions. Lorimar-Telepictures provided the distribution for TV syndication and the Japanese studio, Pacific Animation Corporation, produced the animation. Rankin/Bass created “SilverHawks” as a space-based equivalent of its earlier animated series, ThunderCats (1985-86).

“SilverHawks” was set in the galaxy of “Limbo.” It focused on the bionic space enforcer, Commander Stargazer, and his recruits, “the SilverHawks,” heroes who were “partly metal, partly real.” They fought the evil Mon*Star, an escaped alien crime boss. He could transform into an enormous armor-plated creature with the help of Moonstar, a “solid star” in Limbo.

The “SilverHawks” property now belongs to Warner Bros. Discovery, and Dynamite Entertainment has a license to produce comic books based on many WBD properties. Dynamite is launching a SilverHawks comic book series, SilverHawks, Volume One. It is written by Ed Brisson; drawn by George Kambadais; colored by Ellie Wright; and lettered by Jeff Eckleberry.

SilverHawks Volume 1 #1 opens in the year 2839 in Bedlama City on the planet of Bedlama. Lt. Quick of the Interplanetary Force B is leading a unit to take down the notorious smuggler, Hardware. What Quick and his men don't know is that this is bigger than Hardware, bigger than Interplanetary Force B.

Mon*Star, the deadly mob boss taken down by Commander Stargazer and the SilverHawks, is about to break free of Penal Planet 10, where he has been imprisoned for one hundred years. Now, he plans to take revenge on everyone who tried to take his territory and anyone who tried to make moves on his criminal enterprise.

And his old enemies, Commander Stargazer and the SilverHawks, are too old to fight him again.

THE LOWDOWN: Since July 2021, Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department has been providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles. SilverHawks, Volume One: Issue One is the first SilverHawks comic book that I've read.

I only vaguely remember the “SilverHawks” TV series, and I never watched it. I am more familiar with writer Ed Brisson, having enjoyed his AWA Studios work, including the excellent Sins of the Salton Sea #1. I enjoy the output of artist George Kambadais, having reviewed John Carter of Mars #1 and Disney's Gargoyles #1.

Together, Brisson and Kambadais offer a riveting first issue of the new SilverHawks series. Brisson deftly brings together the past and present, expertly tying them together to create what is likely the series' central conflict.

Kambadais, who seems gifted when it comes to science fiction-fantasy comic books, makes the story crackle from page to page with exciting action. Still, he leaves plenty of space to introduce the characters and their attitudes, if not their personalities. Ellie Wright's colors make the art shimmer and shake with the energy of a new beginning. Jeff Eckleberry's lettering is reliable in creating a rhythm for the narrative, and it does here.

I expected very little from Silverhawks #1, but I'm pleasantly surprised. This could be a really good series that is in for a long run.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of Dynamite Entertainment's Warner Bros. comic book series and of “SilverHawks” will want to give SilverHawks, Volume One a try.

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

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Wednesday, August 30, 2023

Review: "THE EQUALIZER 2" is Brutal and Personal

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 40 of 2023 (No. 1929) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Equalizer 2 (2018)

Running time: 121 minutes (2 hours, 1 minute)

MPAA – R for brutal violence throughout, language, and some drug content

DIRECTOR: Antoine Fuqua

WRITER: Richard Wenk (based on the television series created by Michael Sloan and Richard Lindheim)

PRODUCERS: Antoine Fuqua, Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, Tony Eldridge, Mace Neufeld, Alex Siskin, Michael Sloan, Steve Tisch, and Denzel Washington

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Oliver Wood (D.o.P.)

EDITOR: Conrad Buff IV

COMPOSER: Harry Gregson-Williams

ACTION/CRIME/THRILLER

Starring: Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Ashton Sanders, Orson Bean, Bill Pullman, Melissa Leo, Jonathan Scarfe, Kazy Tauginas, Garrett A. Golden, and Sakina Jaffrey

The Equalizer 2 is a 2018 action movie and crime thriller directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring Denzel Washington. It is a sequel to the 2014 film, The Equalizer.” Both films are based on the television series, “The Equalizer,” which was created by Michael Sloan and Richard Lindheim and was originally broadcast on CBS from 1985 to 1989. The Equalizer 2 finds Robert McCall out to make the people who murdered someone he loves pay for their crimes with their lives.

The Equalizer 2 opens on a train headed to Istanbul, Turkey. Robert “Bob” McCall (Denzel Washington) is about to serve his unflinching brand of justice on man who kidnapped his daughter in order to punish his ex-wife. McCall still lives quietly in Boston, where he works as a Lyft driver and assists the less fortunate, the exploited, and the oppressed. Among the people he is currently helping include Samuel “Sam” Rubinstein (Orson Bean), a Holocaust survivor trying to recover a painting of his sister, Magda, who died in a Nazi death camp. Lately, he has taken an interest in Miles (Ashton Sanders), a troubled African-American teen who lives in the same apartment building. Miles has tremendous artistic talent, but he is also being recruited by a violent, drug-dealing street gang.

However, the big action is in Brussels, Belgium. There, Robert's friend and former DIA (Defense Intelligence Agency) colleague, Susan Plummer (Melissa Leo), is investigating the apparent murder-suicide of DIA “agency affiliate” and his wife. That investigation costs Susan her life. McCall begins investigating Susan's murder with the assistance of her colleague and his former DIA teammate, Dave York (Pedro Pascal). Determined to avenge Susan's murder, McCall will have to go deep into his past and risk endangering people very close to him.

With his Oscar-winning turn in 2001's Training Day, Denzel Washington proved to be a convincing bad guy. With 2010's The Book of Eli, Washington showed that he could be a bad-ass, kick-ass, action hero with fancy martial arts-styled moves. The first take on The Equalizer allowed Washington to blend hero and anti-hero in a visceral mix. So in anticipation of The Equalizer 3, I decided to see The Equalizer 2, of which I have seen bits and pieces on television over the past few years.

In the original film, the screenplay by Richard Wenk had McCall constantly in peril or made it seem as if he were in danger even when he was not. Wenk returns for the sequel and delivers a script that adds compassion to the standard revenge thriller. McCall can be a gentle soul helping a teen go through growing pains that are filled with danger, and he can lend a kind ear to an old man whose current quest could be the real thing or the result of a failing memory crashing from the accumulation of data over a long life. On the other hand, McCall will also break a mutha down to the blood and bone if he deserves such a reckoning, even if it means killing him.

The Equalizer would be a standard revenge thriller if its avenger were portrayed by just any other movie star, but Denzel Washington is a consummate professional and charismatic actor. That means he can deliver the meat and potatoes and the art to every performance – whether it is Shakespeare on stage or Hollywood entertainment product destined for the multiplex. In this second film, Washington super-charges his performance in order to make the personal so personal that it is murderous.

Director Antoine Fuqua plays Washington's skills for everything he can get out of this brilliant actor. Fuqua is an impressive director in his own right, especially when it comes to dark, violent, dramatic thrillers, such as Shooter (2007). Together, Fuqua and Washington deliver in The Equalizer 2 a film that slightly surpasses the original. I find myself endlessly fascinated by it because The Equalizer 2 is a really good thriller.

7 of 10

A-

★★★½ out of 4 stars

Wednesday, August 30, 2023

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Wednesday, February 8, 2023

Comics Review: "Kolchak: The Night Stalker – 50th Anniversary Graphic Novel" is a Great Tribute, Great Read

KOLCHAK THE NIGHT STALKER 50TH ANNIVERSARY SOFTCOVER

MOONSTONE BOOKS

STORY: David Avallone; Jonathan Maberry; Peter David; R.C. Matheson; Kim Newman; Tim Waggoner; Steve Niles; Rodney Barnes; Gabriel Hardman; James Aquilone; Nancy A. Collins; James Chambers

ART: Julius Ohta; Marco Finnegan; J.K. Woodward; Paul McCaffrey; Clara Meath; Szymon Kudranski; Jonathan Marks Barravecchia; Gabriel Hardman; Colton Worley; Warwick Caldwell-Johnson;

COLORS: Zac Atkinson; Szymon Kudranski; Colton Worley; Warwick Caldwell-Johnson;

LETTERS: Tom Napolitano; Tom Napolitano with DC Hopkins

EDITOR: James Aquilone

COVER: Colton Worley

MISC. ART: Jerry Ordway with Zac Atkinson; J.K. Woodward; Dan Brereton

ISBN: 978-1-946346-14-8; paperback (October 21, 2022)

188pp, Color, $24.99 U.S.

Kolchak: The Night Stalker – 50th Anniversary Graphic Novel is a 188-page comic book anthology that celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of the former ABC television series, “Kolchak: The Night Stalker.” This graphic novel is edited by James Aquilone and published by Moonstone Books.

“Kolchak: The Night Stalker” was a television series that blended horror, fantasy, and science fiction. It aired on ABC during the 1974–1975 season for a total of 20 episodes. The series was preceded by two ABC television movies, The Night Stalker (1972) and The Night Strangler (1973).

The TV series and two movies followed wire service reporter named Carl Kolchak, who was played by the late actor Darren McGavin (1922-2006). Kolchak worked for the Chicago branch of the Independent News Service (INS), a small news wire service. He often investigated mysterious crimes and events and they were usually caused by forces, creatures, monsters, entities, etc. that were of supernatural, science fiction, and/or fantastic origins. Carl Kolchak was created by the late writer, Jeff Rice (1944-2015).

2022 marked the fiftieth anniversary of the debut of “The Night Stalker” TV movie (specifically January 18, 1972). To commemorate that anniversary, editor and publisher, James Aquilone, launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for an anthology graphic novel telling all-new comics stories that would span Carl Kolchak's entire career as a reporter of the supernatural and as TV’s greatest monster-hunting reporter.

The result was a hugely successful campaign and the eventual release of Kolchak: The Night Stalker – 50th Anniversary Graphic Novel. This special 188-page graphic novel is comprised of 12 all-new stories that chronicle the adventures of the intrepid Carl Kolchak from the 1930s to the early 2000s.

The stories are written by a stellar line-up of novelists, television writers, and comic book scribes. The list includes David Avallone, Rodney Barnes, James Chambers, Nancy A. Collins, Peter David, Jonathan Maberry, and Steve Niles, to name a few. The artists include Jonathan Marks Barravecchia, Szymon Kudranski, Paul McCaffrey, Julius Ohta, J.K. Woodard, and Colton Worley, to name a few.

THE LOWDOWN: There is more than one edition of Kolchak: The Night Stalker – 50th Anniversary Graphic Novel, including one that will contain a series of prose stories featuring Carl Kolchak. My review will be of the 188-page “Cover A” paperback edition that contains the 12 stories and a short illustration gallery of variant cover art.

First, allow me to gush, dear readers. If Kolchak: The Night Stalker – 50th Anniversary Graphic Novel is not the best horror comics anthology of the 21st century that I have read, it is definitely in the top three. I can't think of a better one that I've encountered over the last twenty-plus years.

It is bracketed by a fine opening story and a pitch-perfect closing story. The opening tale, writer David Avallone and artist Julius Ohta's “The Funny Place,” introduces a young Carl Kolchak who is coming into his own. Avallone does not make the mistake of doing what the film, Solo: A Star Wars Story,” did and show us the origins of every single habit for which television viewers and fans would come to know Kolchak. I'd like to see Avallone and Ohta produce a YA graphic novel expansion of their take on young Carl Kolchak. I know it likely won't happen, but a fanboy can dream...

The closing story, writer James Chambers and artist Paul McCaffrey's “The Last Byline,” is masterstroke as a concluding story in an anthology. It recalls Kolchak's debut, The Night Stalker; is a summation of his work and motivation; and is a fitting end … with his boots on.

In between, the writers and artists introduce new spins on the adventures of Carl Kolchak, such as Nancy A. Collins' and Warwick Caldwell-Johnson's “The Sin Feeder” and Jonathan Maberry and Marco Finnegan's “The White Lady.” Writer Rodney Barnes and artist Jonathan Marks Barravecchia summon the spirit of original “Kolchak: The Night Stalker” episode, “The Zombie,” with the superb “Voodoo Child.” It is a timely rumination on the pervasive poverty of black and brown inner city neighborhoods and also police violence, with a seeding of George A. Romero's “Dead” films.

I actually cannot pick a personal favorite story from Kolchak: The Night Stalker – 50th Anniversary Graphic Novel because they are all so damn good. “The Nest” by Tim Waggoner and Clara Meath may be the sweetest. I unequivocally endorse Kolchak: The Night Stalker – 50th Anniversary Graphic Novel. I think the version that I am reviewing costs $32 to purchase from James Aquilone's Monstrous Books website. I am sure, dear readers, that some of you have spent much more on reading material that is not nearly as good as this book.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of Carl Kolchak and of “Kolchak: The Night Stalker” will very much want Kolchak: The Night Stalker – 50th Anniversary Graphic Novel.

[This volume includes introductions by R.C. Matheson and James Rice.]

A+

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

https://twitter.com/jamesaquilone

https://monstrousbooks.com/

https://monstrousbooks.com/shop

https://moonstonebooks.com/

https://www.facebook.com/MoonstoneBooks/

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Saturday, July 16, 2022

Review: DOWNTON ABBEY: A New Era" Celebrates the New with the Old

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 43 of 2022 (No. 1855) by Leroy Douresseaux

Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022)
Running time: 124 minutes (2 hours, four minutes)
MPAA – PG for some suggestive references, language and thematic elements
DIRECTOR: Simon Curtis
WRITER: Julian Fellowes (based on the television series created by Julian Fellowes)
PRODUCERS: Julian Fellowes, Gareth Neame, and Liz Trubridge
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Andrew Dunn (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Adam Recht
COMPOSER: John Lunn

DRAMA/HISTORICAL

Starring: Hugh Bonneville, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter, Raquel Cassidy, Brendan Coyle, Michelle Dockery, Kevin Doyle, Michael Fox, Joanne Froggatt, Robert James-Collier, Allen Leech, Phyllis Logan, Elizabeth McGovern, Sophie McShera, Tuppence Middleton, Lesley Nicol, Harry Hadden-Paton, Maggie Smith, Imelda Staunton, and Penelope Wilton with Dominic West, Hugh Dancy, Laura Haddock, Jonathan Coy, Jonathan Zaccai, and Nathalie Baye

Downton Abbey: A New Era is a 2022 historical drama film directed by Simon Curtis. It is based on the British television series, “Downton Abbey” (ITV, 2010-15), which was created by Julian Fellowes, who also wrote the screenplay for this film. A New Era is also a direct sequel to the 2019 film, Downton Abbey. In A New Era, the Crawley family go on a grand journey to uncover the mysteries behind the dowager countess' recent inheritance, a villa in the south of France.

Downton Abbey: A New Era opens in 1928. Tom Branson (Alan Leech), the son-in-law of Robert Crawley, Lord Grantham and 7th Earl of Grantham (Hugh Bonneville), is marrying Lucy Smith (Tuppence Middleton). Lucy is the former maid and the recently-revealed daughter of Lady Bagshaw (Imelda Staunton), and she will become the heiress to Lady Bagshaw's extensive estate.

Returning from the wedding, the Crawley family experience two big surprises. First, they learn that Lord Grantham's mother, Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham (Maggie Smith), has inherited a villa near Toulon, in the south of France, from a gentleman she knew in the 1860s, the Marquis de Montmirail. He has recently died, and his son, the new Marquis (Jonathan Zaccai), has invited the Crawleys to visit the villa, named “La Villa des Colombes” (the Villa of the Doves).

Violet is not well enough to travel, but she is particularly anxious for Tom and Lucy to go, because she has decided to transfer ownership of the villa to Sybbie, Tom's daughter with the late Lady Sybil Crawley. So Lord Grantham and his wife, Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham (Elizabeth McGovern), lead a small group of family and servants to the south of France, where the late Maquis' wife, La Marquise, Madame Montmirail (Nathalie Baye), awaits them with a mind to challenge her late husband's will.

The second surprise is that a studio, British Lion, wishes to use Downton as a filming location for a silent film entitled, The Gambler. Although Robert, Lord Grantham is initially opposed to the idea, his eldest daughter, Lady Mary Talbot (Michelle Dockery), convinces him that the money from the film could be used to replace Downton Abbey's leaky roof.

So the film crew arrives. The members of the staff at Downton Abbey are intrigued by the chance to see the stars of the film, the leading man, Guy Dexter (Dominic West), and the leading lady, Myrna Dalgleish (Laura Haddock). Lady Mary appears to make an impression on the film's director, Jack Barber (Hugh Dancy), and he soon needs her help. The Gambler is being made just as a great change is occurring in the world of cinema, one that could prematurely end production of the film.

These are just a few of the dramas and melodramas, both large and small, that threaten to upend the lives of those upstairs and downstairs at Downton Abbey.

The original television series, Downton Abbey, began airing on the British television network, ITV, in 2010 and ended in 2015, after six seasons and 52 episodes. It aired on the American broadcast network, PBS, as part of its “Masterpiece” series from 2011-20, before moving onto streaming services, Peacock and Netflix. The final episode of “Downton Abbey” was set on New Year's Eve, 1925. The first film, 2019's Downton Abbey, is set in 1927, 18 months after the TV series finale. Downton Abbey: A New Era opens in the following year and picks up on some of the plot lines from the first film.

As I wrote in my review of the first film, when I first heard of “Downton Abbey,” I mostly ignored it, although I watched a few minutes here and there. One Sunday afternoon, however, while channel surfing, I came across the show and recognized an actor (maybe American actress Elizabeth McGovern). I decided to see what she was doing on the show and within a few minutes I was hooked. It wasn't until two hours later I realized that I still had chores to do, but it was hard to pull myself away from the TV. I found myself in the thrall of “Downton Abbey's” hypnotic powers.

I also found Downton Abbey the movie hypnotic, and a New Era was no less hypnotic, in large part because director Simon Curtis seems to have a grasp of all elements of the film, down to the details. Both films offer many of the same ingredients of the television series that made it so popular and have since made it an enduring favorite.

One thing that A New Era does that the first film did not is offer a lot of change, including one monumental change. Much of that change directly or indirectly involves the ailing dowager countess, Violet Crawley, as she settles her affairs and prepares the family for her eventual passing. Series creator and screenwriter of both films, Julian Fellowes, specializes in historical ensemble dramas, such as Gosford Park (2001), and historical costume dramas, such as The Young Victoria (2009). Fellowes spends much of this film introducing a sense of newness or of renewal in the lives of the denizens of Downton Abbey and of those connected to them.

There are new relationships and changes in employment, including the promise of another wedding and of two acquaintances becoming a couple. Individuals assume new positions in the Crawley family, and even members of the film crew get new leases on their careers and in their personal relationships. Downton Abbey: A New Era is truly the dawning of a new era in this world, and while this film does indeed have two primary settings, its story feels a bit more focused than the first film's story.

If you liked the television series, you will like this second film, to some degree, because it is more Downton Abbey. Honestly, as with the first film, I love it and want more. Downton Abbey: A New Era makes me happy, and I look forward to what is next...

8 of 10
A
★★★★ out of 4 stars

Saturday, July 16, 2022

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