Negromancer News Bits and Bites from August 8th to 14th, 2021 - Update #23

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

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ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS: 

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:   Disney/20th Century Studios "Free Guy," starring Ryan Reynolds, looks to lead the weekend box office.

TELEVISION - From IndieWire:  In an interview, actor Jonathan Majors talks about the "jarring" end of HBO's "Lovecraft Country."

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Oscar-winner Emma Stone signs a deal to star in a sequel to Disney's recent hit, "Cruella."

TELEVISION - From Deadline:   FX chairman John Landgraf would like TV super-producer Ryan Murphy to return to 20th Century Television and Disney from his current perch at Netflix.

MOVIES - From Deadline:   Gina Carano's first project since getting fired from the Disney+ series, "The Mandalorian," is an untitled revenge thriller.  Eric Red ("The Hitcher") has written the script for the film, which is based on his novel "White Knuckle."  Carano will star in the film and will be one of the film's producers.

MUSIC - From Afrotech:   Singer-songwriter Dolly Parton has made millions of dollars in songwriting royalties from the late Whitney Houston's 1992 remake of Parton's 1974 song, "I Will Always Love You."  Parton revealed that she has invested some of that money in the African-American community of Nashville, TN.

CELEBRITY - From YahooTelegraphy:  Oscar-nominated actress, Debra Winger, talks about how the MeToo movement has gone too far and about why she really left Hollywood in the early 1990s.

TELEVISION - From Variety:  There is a second teaser and a full trailer for FX's "Impeachment: American Crime Story," which debuts Sept 7th.  The series focuses on the scandal involving President Bill Clinton and the intern Monica Lewinsky.

CELEBRITY - From YahooEntertainment:   Oscar-winner Quentin Tarantino says that the has stuck to a childhood promise not to never give a "penny" to his mother.

From YahooEntertainment:  His mother, Connie Zastoupil, has something else to say.

MOVIES - From IndieWire:   Recent Oscar-winner Chloe Zhao has raved about director Denis Villeneuve's upcoming sci-fi epic, "Dune."  But how many people will see it in movie theaters.

TELEVISION - From TVInsider:   Seth McFarlane says the third season of his sci-fi comedy TV series, "The Orville," has wrapped and will debut on Hulu.

SPORTS/TELEVISION - From Deadline:   According to early numbers, NBC suffered an all-time viewership low in its broadcast of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics (a.k.a. "the Games of the XXXII Olympiad").  Still, an average of 15.5 million in today's numbers is actually good.  NBC has broadcast the Summer Olympics since 1988 Seoul Korea Olympics.

MOVIES - From IGN:   Actor Idris Elba will provide the voice for the character, "Knuckles," in the sequel to the "Sonic the Hedgehog" movie.

NETFLIX - From Variety:  Netflix is developing "Wednesday Addams," a TV series based on "The Addams Family" television series and on Charles Addams' series of cartoons in "The New Yorker" magazine.   Actor Luis Guzman has been cast as "Gomez Addams."

From Variety:  Oscar-winning actress Catherine Zeta-Jones will play Morticia Addams in Netflix's series, "Wednesday Addams."  Jenny Ortega has been previously announced as Wednesday.

ANIMATION - From YahooEntertainment:   Voice actor Jeff Bergman talks about the responsibility in voicing classic animated cartoon characters like Bugs Bunny and Yogi Bear.

SCANDAL - From Deadline:   Actor Joel Kinnaman has obtained a restraining order against a former sex partner, Swedish model Gabriella Magnusson.  According to Kinnaman, Magnusson has threatened to accuse him of raping her.

BOX OFFICE - From Variety:   The winner of the 8/6 to 8/8/2021 weekend box office is "The Suicide Squad" with an estimated take of 26.5 million dollars.

MOVIE REVIEW - From Negromancer:   Here is my review of "The Suicide Squad."

TELEVISION - From Deadline:   Actor Kapil Talwalkar ("Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist") will be a series regular on NBC's upcoming sequel to "Night Court" (1984-92), its long-running courtroom comedy.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  Former child star, Jane Withers, has died at the age of 95, Saturday, August 7, 2021.  She was one of the most popular child stars of the 1930s and early 1940s, and she was the only child star to complete a seven-year contract.  Her breakthrough role came as a supporting actor next to Shirley Temple in the film, "Bright Eyes" (1934).   Withers retired at 21 in 1947, but returned to screen and television work in 1955.

From Deadline:   The actress, Markie Post, has died at the age of 70, Saturday, August 7, 2021, after a nearly four-year battle with cancer.  Post was best known for playing the role of "Christine Sullivan" on NBC's former courtroom comedy, "Night Court," becoming a series regular in its third season.  Post was also the star (with John Ritter) of CBS' late sitcom, "Hearts Afire" (1992-95).  In recent years, Post had a recurring role on NBC's police drama, "Chicago P.D."

From Deadline:  Former costars and colleagues remember Markie Post ("The Fall Guy," "Night Court,") who died on Saturday at the age of 70.

TRAILERS:

From THR:  There is a trailer for Nicolas Cage's upcoming film, "Prisoners of the Ghostland," which arrives Sept. 17th at theaters, on digital, and video-on-demand.

Comics Review: KISS: Phantom Obsession #1

KISS: PHANTOM OBSESSION #1
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Ian Edginton
ART: Celor
COLORS: Valentina Pinto
LETTERS: Troy Peteri
EDITOR: Joseph Rybandt
COVER: Jae Lee with June Chung
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Stuart Sayger; Tim Seeley; Celor; Jae Lee
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (August 2021)

Rated Teen+

Kiss is an American, four-man, rock band.  It was formed in New York City in January 1973 by Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss, the original line-up that is also considered classic Kiss.  Kiss is best known for its members' face paint and stage outfits, and the group rose to prominence and gained a notorious reputation in the mid to late 1970s with its shocking live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood-spitting, and pyrotechnics.

The members of Kiss have licensed their band name and likenesses for merchandising.  In a 2014 article, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Kiss had sold over one billion dollars from the sale of more than three thousand licensed items.  That merchandising includes comic books.  Kiss first officially appeared in a comic book in Marvel Comics' Howard the Duck #12 (cover dated: May 1977) and first starred in their own comic book with Marvel Comics Super Special #1 (1977).  Image Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Platinum Studios, Archie Comics, and IDW Publishing have published licensed Kiss comic books.

Dynamite Entertainment obtained the license to produce comic books featuring Kiss' brand and began releasing Kiss comic books in 2016.  The latest comic book is Kiss: Phantom Obsession.  It is written by Ian Edginton; drawn by Celor; colored by Valentina Pinto; and lettered by Troy Peteri.  Phantom Obsession pits the band against a powerful, obsessed Kiss fan.

Kiss: Phantom Obsession #1 finds the members of KISS:  Paul, Gene, Ace, and Peter onboard a private, but mysterious flying craft.  It belongs to Darius Cho, the richest man in existence … and the most reclusive.  By reputation, he is a ghost and a phantom; some people even believe he doesn't exist and is actually a front for a maze of companies and consortiums.

Oh, but Cho does exist, and he is a huge KISS fan.  He has hired the band to play a private party for his employees.  But KISS is an obsession for Cho, and the band has some misgivings about him.  Unfortunately, KISS might not be suspicious enough...

THE LOWDOWN:  Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department recently began providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is Kiss: Phantom Obsession #1, which is the very first Kiss comic book that I have ever read.

I like that Ian Edginton makes the members of KISS wary of their faux-benefactor.  There is something endearing about their suspicions; it suggests that they have knowledge and power and cannot really be victimized.  It also prepares the readers for some seriously dramatic conflict.

The art team of illustrator Celor and colorist Valentina Pinto:  I can take it or leave it.  The two of them come together and are good enough.  Troy Peteri's electric lettering gives the graphics the spice and energy they need.  I look forward to the second issue.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Kiss comic books will want to read Kiss: Phantom Obsession.

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


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Comics Review: THE SILVER COIN #5

THE SILVER COIN #5 (OF 5)
IMAGE COMICS

STORY: Michael Walsh
ART: Michael Walsh with Gavin Fullerton
COLORS: Michael Walsh and Toni Marie Griffin
LETTERS: Michael Walsh
EDITOR: Chris Hampton
COVER: Michael Walsh
VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Maya McKibbin
28pp, Colors, 3.99 U.S. (August 2021)

Rated “M/ Mature”

The Silver Coin is created by Michael Walsh, Ed Brisson, Jeff Lemire, Kelly Thompson, and Chip Zdarsky

“Covenant”

The Silver Coin is a horror comic book anthology published by Image Comics.  It is the creation of artist Michael Walsh and writers Ed Brisson, Jeff Lemire, Kelly Thompson, and Chip Zdarsky.  Each issue of this five-issue miniseries tells a tale of terror that is set in a supernatural world in which the mysterious “Silver Coin” changes the lives of those who take possession of it.  The fifth issue is written by Michael Walsh; drawn by Walsh with Gavin Fullerton; colored by Walsh and Toni Marie Griffin; and lettered by Walsh.

The Silver Coin #5 (entitled “Covenant”) goes back to the origin of the coin and its cruel curse.  In a small New England village, Rebekah Goode helps her neighbors with her special powers.  When a roving, witch-hunting minister, Cotton Dudley, comes to town, he manages to get Rebekah's friend, a simple girl named Martha, to speak ill of her friend – for the price of a silver coin.  Now, Dudley and Martha will see the true extent of Rebekah's power.

THE LOWDOWN:  As I wrote in my reviews of the first four issues of The Silver Coin, I am a big fan of horror comic book anthologies.  That includes everything from the classic EC Comics titles to later titles like DC Comics' Ghosts and House of Mystery, Kitchen Sink Press's Death Rattle, and Approbation Comics' Amour, to name a few.

Now, dear readers, I will have the opportunity to keep telling you about The Silver Coin.  Series co-creator, Michael Walsh, announces at the end of The Silver Coin #5 that the miniseries will become an ongoing series with the release of the sixth issue.  Walsh closes out the miniseries arc of The Silver Coin with a powerful old-fashioned tale of weird fiction that is filled with betrayal and the dark craft of magic that can be both good and cruel.

I enjoy these one-off, standalone tales, but I wouldn't mind some more narrative meat on the bones of the stories of the Silver Coin.  This miniseries finale, “Covenant,” is a bit of fun, but the truth is that this 24-page tale does what classic horror comics short stories did in six to eight pages.  Still, let's see where the coin shows up next.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of classic horror comic book anthologies will want to spend The Silver Coin.

A-

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


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The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Comics Review: RED SONJA Black White Red #2

RED SONJA BLACK WHITE RED #2
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Jonboy Meyers; Jeff Parker; David F. Walker
ART: Jonboy Meyers; Natalie Nourigat; Will Robson
COLORS: Jonboy Meyers; Natalie Nourigat; Will Robson
LETTERS: Pat Brosseau; Natalie Nourigat; Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
EDITOR: Nate Cosby
COVER: Lucio Parrillo
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Jonboy Meyers; David Nakayama; Tabitha Lyons (cosplay)
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (August 2021)

Rated Teen+

Based on the characters and stories created by Roy Thomas, Barry Windsor-Smith, and Robert E. Howard

Conan the Barbarian #23 (cover dated: February 1973) saw the debut of a high fantasy, sword and sorcery heroine, Red Sonja.  Created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Barry Windsor-Smith, Red Sonja was loosely based on “Red Sonya of Rogatino,” a female character that appeared in the 1934 short story, “The Shadow of the Vulture,” written by Robert E. Howard (1906-1936), the creator of the character, Conan the Cimmerian.

Red Sonja remained a fixture in comic books from then until about 1986.  In 2005, Dynamite Entertainment began publishing comic books featuring differing versions of the character.  One of those is Red Sonja Black White and Red, an anthology comic book featuring stories from well known comic book writers and artists, with the art presented in black, white, and red.

Red Sonja Black White and Red #2 is comprised of three stories.  The first is “Proelium Finalis” by Jonboy Meyers and Patrick Brosseau.  Next is “Edible” by Jeff Parker and Natalie Nourigat.  The final story is “Listen Close” by David F. Walker, Will Robson, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.  I'll review each story separately.

THE LOWDOWN:   Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department recently began providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is Red Sonja Black White and Red #2, which is the first issue of the title that I have read.  I have seen listings for it, but did not pay attention.

“Proelium Finalis” by Jonboy Meyers and Patrick Brosseau:
The plot involves “The Lemurians” who return from the bowels of the Earth in a bid to end both the Hyborian Age and the world of man.  They are led by the wizard, Kael Al-Ammon, but the humans are led by Red Sonja.

Meyers makes sure that Red Sonja's hair is red, but otherwise, he uses the color to splash across the pages of his sharp artwork in order to signify violence and gore. “Proelium Finalis” is a beautifully drawn comic book short story, but I'd like to see the team of Meyers and Brosseau smash us in the face with a miniseries version of this.

“Edible” by Jeff Parker and Natalie Nourigat:
The story introduces a tribe of humans that have settled in a valley with which they were not familiar.  Near the valley is a bog, and members of the tribe have gone into the bog and never returned.  The latest missing tribesman is a girl named Tanira or “Tan,” for short.  Once in the bog, Red Sonja discovers that a strange, seemingly unbeatable organism rules the area.

“Edible” is a clever story, and it is probably the closest that anyone will come to an all-ages Red Sonja story that is actually a Red Sonja story.  The pretty art is drawn by Natalie Nourigat in a clean style that readers will generally find in children's comics.

“Listen Close” by David F. Walker, Will Robson, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou:
“Listen Close” is a bedtime story about Red Sonja.  An African-American father tells the story to his red-haired daughter, who wants to be “just like Red Sonja.”  The “She-Devil with a Sword” has been summoned by King Assuman, who promises her great riches if she can rescue his bride-to-be, Ophelia, from a “vile creature.”  But there is more to this rescue mission than Red Sonja has been told...

“Listen Close” is this issue's second clever tale, and it is also blessed by Will Robson's ornate art with its detailed composition.  David F. Walker, who is currently known for his comic book, Bitter Root (Image Comics), offers a nice middle-grade appropriate Red Sonja tale.

It's hard to pick a favorite story of the three offered in Red Sonja Black White and Red #2.  Each story has at least one thing about it that I really like, so I'll just recommend the entire issue.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Red Sonja will want to try Red Sonja Black White and Red.

A-

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


https://twitter.com/DynamiteComics
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The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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"The Conjuring" Cinematic Universe Surpasses Two Billion Dollars in Worldwide Box Office

New Line Cinema’s “Conjuring” Universe Surpasses $2 Billion at the Global Box Office

Visionary filmmakers James Wan and Peter Safran’s hugely popular franchise has crossed the major milestone and remains the most successful horror series of all time

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Amidst the global pandemic, New Line Cinema’s “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It,” which kicked off the summer as theaters continue to open around the world, has taken in more than $196 million worldwide, pushing filmmaker James Wan and producer Peter Safran’s “Conjuring” Universe past the $2 billion mark at the global box office, with the film still to open in such markets as Thailand, India and Japan. The announcement was made today by Toby Emmerich, Chairman, Warner Bros. Pictures Group.

In making the announcement, Emmerich said, “Our thanks to James, Peter, all the casts and crews and Walter, Richard, Dave and the team at New Line—you’ve delivered one of the scariest and most artfully crafted horror franchises in history. These phenomenal results showcase the support of audiences and genre fans from all over the world and we congratulate you on your incredible success.”

Since it launched A Nightmare on Elm Street, New Line Cinema has created an unparalleled legacy in horror and has remained at the forefront of the modern era of the genre. Globally, all seven films in the “Conjuring” Universe rank among the top 25 horror movies of all time, with four of the titles in the top eight. The worldwide theatrical grosses for the previous “Conjuring” Universe films stand as: “The Nun” at $366,172,824; “The Conjuring 2” at $321,571,936; “The Conjuring” at $320,219,495; “Annabelle: Creation” at $306,776,383; “Annabelle” at $257,670,907; and “Annabelle Comes Home” at $231,402,409.

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Comics Review: GEIGER #5

GEIGER #5
IMAGE COMICS/Mad Ghost

STORY: Geoff Johns
ART: Gary Frank
COLORS: Brad Anderson
LETTERS: Rob Leigh
EDITOR: Pat McCallum and Brian Cunningham
COVER: Gary Frank with Brad Anderson
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Jerry Ordway with Brad Anderson; Paul Pelletier and Norm Rapmund with Alex Sinclair; Gary Frank with Brad Anderson
32pp, Colors, 3.99 U.S. (August 2021)

Rated “T+/Teen Plus”

Geiger created by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank

“God Bless America”

Geiger is a comic book series from writer Geoff Johns and artist Gary Frank.  Published by Image Comics, Geiger is set on a dying Earth in the years after a nuclear war ravaged the planet and focuses on a “walking bomb” hero.  Colorist Brad Anderson and letterer Rob Leigh complete the series' creative team.

Geiger is set 20 years after the nuclear conflict known as the “Unknown War” ravaged the planet, turning Earth into a dying world.  In the state of Nevada, desperate outlaws battle for survival in a world of rapidly disappearing resources and supplies.  In Boulder City, Nevada, there resides the fearsome man known by many names:  Joe Glow, The Meltdown Man, and the Walking Bomb, to name a few.  But before the war, he was simply a man named Tariq Geiger.  So who or what is Geiger, now?

Geiger #5 (“God Bless America”) opens with a recitation of the story up to this point.  Then, after a hard encounter with “the Organ People,” Geiger is in a state of radioactive disarray, and the children, Hailee and Henry, are in the custody of remnants of the old world.  These mysterious new figures are excited to now have the “nuclear football” that was in the children's possession, but they want to know how their late mother, Carolina, came to have it.

When a heartbreaking revelation causes Geiger to break with this happy paradise, their new pals call upon an ancient warrior.  Meanwhile, the King, formerly “the Prince,” and his “Nuclear Knights” continue to track Geiger.

THE LOWDOWN:  As first issues go, Geiger #1 was mostly an introduction, kind of like a prologue.  It introduced the title character, Geiger, giving readers a look at who he was in the past and a glance at who he is now.  Geiger #2 went inside Las Vegas.  With Geiger #3, Geoff Johns began to excavate the heart of the character drama and the passion of old grudges and conflicts.  With Geiger #4, Johns executed his first game changer – in terms of Geiger and the children's fates – and readers got a Mad Max 2/The Road Warrior action sequence.

Geiger #5 is the penultimate issue of the series' first story arc.  Geoff Johns offers the series' most emotionally fulfilling chapter, and he elevates the children from mere pawns into major characters that deliver turning points in the narrative.

As in the third issue, Gary Frank's art captures the emotions and passions of intimate moments and of pivotal scenes in Geiger #5.  The storytelling pours the hotter blood of the relationships of the past that shape the present of Geiger's narrative.  Close-ups are painfully familiar, but that makes this fifth issue in which things seem to matter the most.

I'm all in on Geiger now, and I highly recommend it.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Geoff Johns and Gary Frank will want to check out Geiger.

A

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


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The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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BOOM! Studios Shipping from Diamond Distributors for August 11, 2021

BOOM! STUDIOS

JUN211082    EVE #4 (OF 5) CVR A ANINDITO    $3.99
JUN211083    EVE #4 (OF 5) CVR B MEYERS    $3.99
APR211222    FIREFLY UNIFICATION WAR TP VOL 03    $14.99
JUN211112    MAMO #2 (OF 5) CVR A MILLEDGE    $4.99
JUN211020    MIGHTY MORPHIN #10 CVR A LEE    $3.99
JUN211021    MIGHTY MORPHIN #10 CVR B LEGACY VAR CARLINI    $3.99
JUN211026    MIGHTY MORPHIN #10 CVR G FOC REVEAL VAR YOON    $3.99
APR211199    MIGHTY MORPHIN TP VOL 02    $16.99
JUN211037    WWE NEW DAY POWER OF POSITIVITY #2 (OF 2) CVR A BAYLISS    $7.99
JUN211038    WWE NEW DAY POWER OF POSITIVITY #2 (OF 2) CVR B RAHZZAH    $7.99