Review: "KINGSMAN: The Golden Circle" Improves on the First Film

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 22 of 2022 (No. 1834) by Leroy Douresseaux

Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017)
Running time: 141 minutes (2 hours, 21 minutes)
MPAA – R for sequences of strong violence, drug content, language throughout and some sexual content
DIRECTOR:  Matthew Vaughn
WRITERS:  Jane Goldman and Matthew Vaughn (based on on the comic book, The Secret Service, by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons)
PRODUCERS:  Adam Bohling, David Reid, and Matthew Vaughn
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  George Richmond (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  Eddie Hamilton
COMPOSERS:  Henry Jackman and Matthew Margeson

COMEDY/ACTION/SPY/SCI-FI

Starring:  Taron Egerton, Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Mark Strong, Halle Berry, Pedro Pascal, Channing Tatum, Jeff Bridges, Edward Holcroft, Hanna Alström, Calvin Demba, Thomas Turgoose, Tobi Bakare, Bruce Greenwood, Emily Watson, Elton John, Sophie Cookson, and Michael Gambon

Kingsman: The Golden Circle is a 2017 spy movie and action-comedy from director Matthew Vaughn.  It is a direct sequel to the 2015 film, Kingsman: The Secret Service.  Both films are based on characters and elements from the 2012 comic book, The Secret Service, by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons.  The Golden Circle focuses on two elite secret organizations that must band together to defeat a common enemy that is holding the world hostage.

Kingsman: The Golden Circle opens a year after Gary “Eggsy” Unwin (Taron Egerton) defeated and killed the diabolical Internet billionaire, Richmond Valentine.  Eggsy has officially joined the independent intelligence agency, Kingsman, and has taken his late mentor. Harry Hart's (Colin Firth) position as agent “Galahad.”  Eggsy is also dating Tilde (Hanna Alström), Crown Princess of Sweden, whom he saved from Valentine.

One night in London, Eggsy is ambushed by Charlie Hesketh (Edward Holcroft), a rejected Kingsman applicant.  Eggsy defeats Charlie, who escapes.  However, Charlie has a new employer, a mysterious organization known as “The Golden Circle.”  Its leader, Poppy Adams (Julianne Moore), the world's largest manufacturer and distributor of illegal drugs and narcotics, launches an attack against the Kingsman that leaves the agency devastated.  The survivors, Eggsy and Merlin (Mark Strong), make contact with “Statesman,” the American counterpart of Kingsman, which uses a Kentucky-based bourbon whiskey business as a front.  [The Kingsman's front is as a Savile Row tailor.]

With the help of the Statesman, Agent Whiskey (Pedro Pascal) and Ginger Ale (Halle Berry), Eggsy tries to stop Poppy Adams' plot to use a toxin in the drugs and narcotics she sells to hold the world for ransom.  She wants her demands met or she will withhold an antidote to the toxin, which means hundreds of millions of people will die.  In order to stop her, Eggsy will have to face many challenges … and a number of surprising reveals.

I enjoyed Kingsman: The Secret Service quite a bit, but it was mostly a substance-free past-time.  As much as I enjoyed the film, I had mostly forgotten about it a few hours after seeing it.  Kingsman: The Golden Circle isn't quite as substance-free as its predecessor.  The bonds and obligations of friendship and love weigh on the characters, especially Eggsy.  He can no longer just live for the job, not when there is a serious relationship commitment in front of him.

I found some of the Statesman characters to be either superfluous or simply boring, with the exception of Halle Berry's Ginger Ale.  I am a longtime fan of Berry's, and she makes the casually smart and calm Ginger an endearing character.  Elton John also makes a surprising and shocking turn as something of a fun and offbeat action hero.

The film also has a wacky-ass and fun soundtrack.  It uses John Denver's 1971 hit, “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” including a poignant version sung by Mark Strong's Merlin.  There are a few Elton John hits, of course, some performed in the film by Elton.  The best song on the soundtrack may be a funky, country rock version of Cameo's “Word Up” by the German musical act “The BossHoss.”

Taron Egerton as Eggsy has star appeal and leading man quality, which is a surprise to me.  I wish the film had given some of the narrative time devoted to the Statesman characters back to Eggsy.  Egerton takes the Kingsman film franchise to the next level.  Kingsman: The Golden Circle is an improvement over the original film, enough of an improvement that I hope to see another sequel.

7 of 10
B+

Wednesday, February 16, 2022


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Comics Review: A TOWN CALLED TERROR #1

A TOWN CALLED TERROR #1
IMAGE COMICS

STORY: Steve Niles
ART: Szymon Kudranski
COLORS: Szymon Kudranski
LETTERS: Scott O. Brown with Marshall Dillon
COVER: Szymon Kudranski
VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Tony S. Daniel
28pp, Colors, 3.99 U.S.(April 2022)

Rated “M/Mature”

A Town Called Terror” created by Steve Niles and Szymon Kudranski

Part 1: “A Message from Home”

A Town Called Terror is a new comic book series from writer Steve Niles and artist-colorist Szymon Kudranski.  The series blends the genres of crime and horror fiction.  Letterer Scott O. Brown completes the creative team.

A Town Called Terror #1 (“A Message from Home”) welcomes you to a town called “Terror,” population 1300.  A great man has just come back from the dead – apparently not for the first time.  Meanwhile, Henry West is enjoying some post-coital cuddling with his wife, Julie, when men break into the house, drug Julie, and kidnap Henry.

In the days that follow, Julie is unable to get help for her missing husband.  All evidence, or lack thereof, indicates a phantom crime.  But Henry knows where he is...

THE LOWDOWN:  Steve Niles may be the most famous modern writer of horror comic books in North America.  Artist Szymon Kudranski has been plying his trade on the dark side of comics with stints on Marvel Comics' The Punisher and on Spawn and Nita Hawes NIGHTMARE Blog from Image Comics.

Niles presents an interesting scenario, a town for monsters and freaks, which is not necessarily a new idea.  At least two of Dynamite Entertainment's recent Vampirella comic books series deal with something similar.  Apparently, Niles is bringing organized crime and crime fiction to the world of horror, and that is where it gets interesting.

The major treat here is Kudranski's beautiful art, which is part film-noir and part EC Comics.  His still images are the graphics of luscious blacks and creepy, silky shadows.  Flickering lights on wan faces and the criss-cross, interplay of light and dark and black and white instantly transports the reader to a town called Terror, and to corrupt law enforcement, and even to a happy marriage.

Yes, Kudranski takes you there, dear readers, a scary world where you will want to be for awhile.  Now, we just have to wait for the story to kick in, and, if it does, I think I should be in Terror … for at least awhile.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Steve Niles, Szymon Kudranski, and horror comic books will to try A Town Called Terror.

A-

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


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Comics Review: "Nita Hawes' NIGHTMARE Blog #6": You've Got Another Thing Coming

NITA HAWES' NIGHTMARE BLOG #6
IMAGE COMICS

STORY: Rodney Barnes
ART: Szymon Kudranski
COLORS: Luis Nct with mar and Silvestre Galotto
LETTERS: Marshall Dillon
EDITOR: Greg Tumbarello
COVER: well-BEE
VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Jason Shawn Alexander
28pp, Colors, 3.99 U.S. (April 2022)

Rated “M/ Mature”

Nita Hawes' Nightmare Blog created by Rodney Barnes and Jason Shawn Alexander

“The Fire Next Time” Part VI: “Revelations”

Nita Hawes' Nightmare Blog is a comic book series created by Rodney Barnes and Jason Shawn Alexander.  Nita Hawes' Nightmare Blog is written by Barnes.  It has been drawn by the artists Jason Shawn Alexander, well-BEE, and Patrick Reynolds, with Szymon Kudranski being the current artist.  Colorist Luis Nct and letterer by Marshall Dillon complete the creative team.  The series focuses on a woman who is on a quest to root out the evil in her city.

In Baltimore, Maryland, which some call “Bodymore, Murderland,” there is a woman named Dawnita “Nita” Hawes.  She is the owner of “Nita Hawes' Nightmare Blog” where citizens can contact Nita when they have a problem of a supernatural or paranormal nature.  Nita has just begun her quest to root the evil out of her city – with the help of her dead brother, Jason.

As Nita Hawes' Nightmare Blog #6 (“Revelations”) opens, Jason chats with Anansi the Spider-God, about his life and about Nita.  Her first case is a hot mess, and Hell is threatening to spill over into the land of the living.  Now, Jason and Anansi must travel to Hell to free Nita from the one of the four demon kings, Corson, who snatched her soul from her body.  Now, he won't let go, but maybe it isn't necessarily Corson's power that is keeping her in Perdition.

Meanwhile, an elderly, wheel-chair bound Steve Carpenter waits in his mansion for a visit from the man he and his late business partner, Harry Boartfield, screwed over.  That would be one “Howlin'” Henry Hawkins, legendary blues singer and currently possessed by Corson.  Can Nita free her ass in time to save Carpenter's old white ass?

THE LOWDOWN:  Nita Hawes' Nightmare Blog is a spin-off of Rodney Barnes and Jason Shawn Alexander's hit vampire comic book, Killadelphia.  Nita's connections to the series play a substantial part in this opening story arc, “The Fire Next Time,” which has now come to an end.

As dark as this series has been, writer Rodney Barnes has found time for humor, and this sixth issue shows that the supernatural are willing to talk shit to one another even with all Hell on the line.  In a strange way, it makes the threat of danger more dangerous or more threatening.  This is another reason why Nita reminds me of John Constantine and his dark fantasy and multitude of moods series, Hellblazer.  However, thus far, Barnes does not make Nita all-powerful, and it seems that he will grow the character before our very eyes.  What is she really and who or what will she be?

Artist Szymon Kudranski offers a mix of graphical storytelling styles – from clean line work and a smooth brushstroke to jarring and pitch-black compositions for the panels in Hell and from Hell.  Kudranski captures the series' signature – hope and damnation – and he conveys the right moods for a story arc that has an ending and also lingering elements and plot lines.

So, wow!  What a ride.  The series takes a quick break, which gives you, dear readers, a chance to read this first case in Nita Hawes' Nightmare Blog

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Killadelphia and of the original Hellblazer will want Nita Hawes' Nightmare Blog.

A+

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


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#Comics Review: FARMHAND #16

FARMHAND #16
IMAGE COMICS

STORY: Rob Guillory
ART: Rob Guillory
COLORS: Jean-Francois Beaulieu
LETTERS: Kody Chamberlain
GRAPHIC DESIGN: Burt Durand
COVER: Rob Guillory
32pp, Colors, 3.99 U.S.(April 2022)

Rated “M/ Mature”

Farmhand created by Rob Guillory

Chapter 16: “Fallow Earth”

Farmhand is a dark fantasy comic book series from comic book creator, Rob Guillory.  Guillory is also known for his award-winning tenure on the long-running comic book, Chew (Image Comics), with writer John Layman.  Farmhand is written and illustrated by Guillory; lettered by Kody Chamberlain (who also designed the Farmhand logo); and currently colored by Jean-Francois Beaulieu.

Farmhand sees Ezekiel “Zeke” Jenkins, a graphic designer and illustrator, return to his hometown of Freetown, Louisiana with his wife, Mae, and their children, Abigail and Riley.  Zeke's father, Jedidiah “Jed” Jenkins, and sister, Andrea (“Andy”), own and operate “Jenkins Family Farmaceutical Institute.”  Using stem cell biotechnology, the “farm” grows plant-based replacement human organs and tissue.  Once upon a time, transplant recipients saw this as a miracle.  Now, Zeke and the rest of the world see the miracle as a curse.

Farmhand #16 (“Fallow Earth”) opens with a once upon a time – a flashback to when Jedidiah first staked his claim, had his vision, created a miracle, and first watched it turn into an abomination.  Now, his ex-partner, Monica Thorne, is a demon who rules the world … perhaps.

She is certainly the power in what is left of Freetown and its inhabitants.  Everyone is infected with the “Jedidiah seed,” the transgenic seed that combines human and plant DNA to produce human organs capable of being grafted onto patients.  In addition, the Jenkins are also infected with family dysfunction, as Abigail finds herself caught in the cold war between her father and grandfather.  Happily, there is sanctuary … for now.

THE LOWDOWN:  It is exactly two years since Farmhand #15 arrived in comic book shops – just as the world was going into pandemic mode  I had not forgotten about Farmhand, but I had forgotten how much I really liked it.  This is a really and truly great comic book series.

For a long time, I thought of Farmhand as a kind of mix of the original version of “The Twilight Zone” television series and of Stephen King's dark fantasy fiction.  However, Farmhand has both grown and evolved, and while it retains the touches of Rod Serling and of King, it has become something else.  I won't call it dystopian or apocalyptic fiction, although there are elements of both.

It is metaphorical and allegorical, and I see that in Jed Jenkins, who has some Biblical level anger.  Still, for the first time, I really identify with him.  Like many Black men of a particular time, he has some scores to settle with the Jim Crow society a.k.a. American apartheid.  His fall begins when his struggle becomes narcissism and revenge.

Like King, Rob Guillory has fashioned a great man vs. evil struggle without losing the human drama.  Zeke, Jed, and the rest of the Jenkins got family problems, and Guillory won't let us escape them.  The characters' personalities, motivations, and conflicts read as genuine.  Farmhand is more than mere genre fiction because Rob's imagination gives his readers both an incalculable crypto-zoography and characters whose humanity rings as authentic and meaningful.

It is good to be down on the farm again.  I hope you give Farmhand a try, dear readers.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of dark fantasy fiction of great comic books will want to be a Farmhand.

A+

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


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Comics Review: "The Immortal RED SONJA #1" is a Killer First Issue

IMMORTAL RED SONJA #1
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Dan Abnett
ARTIST: Alessandro Miracolo
COLORS: Ellie Wright
LETTERS: Jeff Eckleberry
EDITOR: Nate Cosby
COVER: David Nakayama
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Junggeun Yoon; Joseph Michael Linsner; Sean Izaakse; Jae Lee; Marat Mychaels; Dave Acosta; Dominic Glover; Ale Garza and Nathan Szerdy; Gus Mauk and Kevin Conrad; Stephanie Hans; Josh Burns; Celina; Edu Souza; Sara Frazetta and Holly Frazetta with Brian LeBlanc and Raymund Bermudez with Sebastian Cheng; Jamie Tyndall; Gracie the Cosplay Lass and Jim Donnelly
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (April 2022)

Rated Teen+

“The Last House”

Red Sonja is female high fantasy and sword and sorcery hero.  She first appeared in Conan the Barbarian #23 (cover dated February 1973) and was 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 Conan the Cimmerian's creator, Robert E. Howard.

In 2005, Dynamite Entertainment began publishing comic books featuring differing versions of the character.  The latest is Immortal Red Sonja.  It is written by Dan Abnett; drawn by Alessandro Miracolo; colored by Ellie Wright; and lettered by Jeff Eckleberry.  The series is set in the Britain of legend and finds Red Sonja wearing cursed chain mail and forced to save a fallen kingdom.

As Immortal Red Sonja #1 (The Last House) opens, Red Sonja is a weary traveler, riding her horse in the rain and seemingly talking to herself.  She arrives at a lonely place, seeking shelter, a roof, and a fire.  Lott, the master of this place called “The Last House,” offers that and food, but for a price.  Lott's price is a story, so Sonja tells him how she became a “She-Devil.”  But there is more to the Last House, to Lott, and to Sonja's story.  Her life and the fate of a lost kingdom rely on the whole story.

THE LOWDOWN:  In July 2021, Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department began providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is Immortal Red Sonja #1, which is one of many, many Dynamite Red Sonja comic books that I have read.

I really don't want to spoil this first issue of Immortal Red Sonja, but as I write this review, I have just finished reading it.  As of now, I am calling it the best issue of a Dynamite Red Sonja comic book that I have ever read.  It may also be the best single Red Sonja comic book I have ever read.  Abnett's spin on the Arthurian legend is both imaginative and alluring.  He could run with this concept for years, and I'd probably be right behind him, trying to steal of glimpse of each issue before it arrives in stores.

Alessandro Miracolo's art and storytelling is mercurial and mystical.  He establishes an atmosphere of mystery that remains in place even when the story turns violent.  Miracolo seems to draw the vibe of magic and occultism into his very illustrations, but his Red Sonja is more practical and steady, less prone to blood lust.  Miracolo tells this story in a way that draws the reader in, and some, like me, may not want to leave.  Ellie Wright's potent colors and Jeff Eckleberry's precision lettering complete the effects of Miracolo's spell.

I highly recommend Immortal Red Sonja.  It is another Dynamite Red Sonja winner.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Red Sonja comic books must read Immortal Red Sonja.

[This comic book includes “Dynamite Dispatch,” which features an interview with writer Tom Sniegoski.]

A

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


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Comics Review: "BETTIE PAGE and the Alien Agenda #2" is a Superior Second Issue

BETTIE PAGE AND THE ALIEN AGENDA VOLUME 6 #2
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Ani-Mia
ART: Celor
COLORS: Farah Nurmaliza
LETTERS: Carlos M. Mangual
EDITOR: Matt Idelson
COVER: Joseph Michael Linsner;
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Joseph Michael Linsner; Josh Burns; Stephane Roux, Jimmy Broxton, Ani-Mia; Celor; Ken Haeser
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (April 2022)

Rated Teen+

Bettie Page (1923–2008) was an American model who gained notoriety in the 1950s for her pin-up photos.  She is still referred to has the “Queen of Pinups,” and her shoulder-to-armpit-length jet-black hair with its trademark bangs and her blue eyes have inspired generations of artists, illustrators and comic book artists.

In 2017, Dynamite Entertainment made Bettie Page the star of her own comic book miniseries.  The latest is Bettie Page and the Alien Agenda Volume 6.  It is written by Ani-Mia; drawn by Celor; colored by Farah Nurmaliza; and lettered by Carlos M. Mangual.  The series finds Bettie searching for answers concerning an alien conspiracy.

Bettie Page and the Alien Agenda Volume 6 #2 opens at the Saqqara Necropolis, Egypt.  Bettie and her team, Professor Sofia Villannueva and Kim Young-Ja, arrive via helicopter at the pyramid of Djoser.  There, they meet their guide, Reynolds, and his associates, Ahmed and Karim, who will provide protection during the journey inside the pyramid.

They will need it, as Djoser is filled with treasure and deadly traps.  But Bettie and company have to be here to find the clues that will take them to their next clue location … if they survive Djoser.

THE LOWDOWN:   In July 2021, Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department began providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  The latest is Bettie Page and the Alien Agenda Volume 6 #2, which is the fifth issue of a Dynamite Bettie Page comic book that I have read.

Writer Ani-Mia previously wrote the miniseries, Bettie Page and the Bigfoot Bandits, which I did not read.  Bettie Page and the Alien Agenda has an easy pace, but Ani-Mia uses that pace to trick readers.  This series is sedate until it turns to lightning and this issue as some explosive moments.

Celor's calm and smooth art belies the fierce nature of this series.  Celor captures the spirit of fictional grave robbers and treasure hunters like the beloved cinematic archaeologist, Henry “Indiana” Jones.  Celor draws a page turner – an irresistible page turner, and the best thing that colorist Farah Nurmaliza does is accentuate the mood while staying out of Celor's way.

Dear readers, if you are into the legends surrounding the Roswell crash, you may be interested in trying Bettie Page and the Alien Agenda.  I, for one, love this comic book.  I am ready for the third issue.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Bettie Page comic books will want to try Bettie Page and the Alien Agenda Volume 6.

A

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


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Comics Review: "EVIL ERNIE Volume 3 #5" Ends in Love and Death

EVIL ERNIE VOLUME 3 #5
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Scott Lobdell
ART: Ariel Medel
COLORS: Candice Han
LETTERS: Dave Sharpe
EDITOR: Joseph Rybandt
COVER: Arthur Suydam
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Arthur Suydam; Philip Tan; Jamie Biggs; Meghan Hetrick; Stuart Sayger
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (April 2022)

Rated Teen+

Evil Ernie created by Brian Pulido and Steven Hughes

Evil Ernie is a super-villain fictional character created by writer Brian Pulido and the late artist Steven Hughes.  He first appeared in Eternity Comics' Evil Ernie #1 (cover dated: December 1991).  Evil Ernie was Ernest Fairchild, a boy who became an undead psychotic killer.

Evil Ernie is now the property of Dynamite Entertainment.  The character gets a new comic book series in Evil Ernie Volume 3.  It is written by Scott Lobdell; drawn by Ariel Medel; colored by Candice Han; and lettered by Dave Sharpe.  The new series focuses on Ernest Gleckman, a good kid who, after being mortally wounded, must “pay down his new lease on life” by serving Evil Ernie.

As Evil Ernie Volume 3 #5 opens, Evil Ernie and Ronique a.k.a. “Mistress Mayhem”/Death are reunited.  And to celebrate, Ronique has thrown Candace, Ernest's girlfriend, over the dam where she is currently plunging to her death...  Candace's death would be inevitable except that Ernest now has some say in when Ernie is in charge of their body.  It seems that the stirring in his loins has given the good kid some bad control.  Now, the questions is what does that do to Ernie and Ronique's centuries old complicated relationship?

THE LOWDOWN:  In July 2021, Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department began providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is Evil Ernie Volume 3 #5, which is the fifth Evil Ernie comic book that I have ever read.

Writer Scott Lobdell brings Dynamite's rebirth of Evil Ernie to an end … at least, the first chapter, and it was a fun read.  Lobdell even provides a happy ending, a meeting of the minds that will result in many happy returns from potential follow-up series.

Artist Ariel Medel's punk-inspired storytelling made this not only a delightful and breezy read, but also a gleefully wicked read.  Medel's illustrations yield the kind of dynamic graphical storytelling that Stan Lee championed.  Medel makes every panel matter, and his compositions pop with electricity.  Candace Han's sharp colors make them pop off the page.  Dave Sharpe's lettering and effects add the finishing touches to the maniacal vibe here.

I would like to see this creative team return for more.  That's up to you, dear readers.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Evil Ernie will want to read Evil Ernie Volume 3.

A

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


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