Comics Review: JOHN CARTER OF MARS #3

JOHN CARTER OF MARS, VOL. 1 #3
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Chuck Brown
ART: George Kambadais
COLORS: George Kambadais
LETTERS: Jeff Eckleberry
EDITOR: Nate Cosby
COVER: Dave Acosta
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Joseph Michael Linsner; Jonathan Case; George Kambadais; Nathan Szerdy; Dave Acosta; Rachel Hollon and David Turner (cosplay)
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (June 2022)

Rated Teen+

Based on the characters and stories created by Edgar Rice Burroughs

John Carter is a character that first appeared in the serialized novel, Under the Moons of Mars (The All-Story, 1912), written by Tarzan creator, Edgar Rice Burroughs.  When it was first collected and published in hardcover, the novel was re-titled, A Princess of Mars (1917), the first of Burroughs' “Barsoom” novels, which were set on Barsoom, a fictional version of Mars.  The novel also introduced Dejah Thoris, Princess of Mars.

John Carter is a Confederate veteran of the American Civil War who is transported to Mars via “astral projection.”  There he gets a new body that is similar to the one he leaves behind on Earth.  John makes several trips back and forth between Earth (which the Martians call “Jasoom”) and Barsoom, and Dejah and John eventually marry and have two children.

John Carter first appeared in comic books in the early 1950s and continues today as a comic book character via Dynamite Entertainment.  His latest comic book series is John Carter of Mars.  The series is written by Chuck Brown; drawn and colored by George Kambadais; and lettered by Jeff Eckleberry.  In the new series, a re-imagining of and a sequel to the original “Barsoom” novels, John Carter is back on Earth and discovers that Martians are being transported to Earth while humans are being transported to Mars.

John Carter of Mars Volume 1 #3 opens with an explanation of how the villains of this piece, the Therns, have gained a new ability with Ninth metal.  It all has to do with an asteroid made of pure Ninth and how it affects both Earth and Mars.

Shifting to the Kingdom of Helium on Mars, Dejah has joined with the human army officers, Fred and Charlie, in order to benefit the denizens of both planets.  But first she has a lesson for them: how to jump on Mars the way John Carter once did.  This leads to a reunion for Fred … some of it with a group of angry humans.

Meanwhile, on Earth, John Carter continues his boogie-woogie with the Green Martians.  Despite some generosity on his part, Carter may still have to fight for his life.

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 John Carter of Mars Volume 1 #3.  It is the third solo Dynamite John Carter comic book that I have read.

With John Carter of Mars, writer Chuck Brown has created the freshest take on John Carter, if not ever, then, in a long time.  Brown simultaneously reinvents Burroughs' influential series and revitalizes it with fast-paced cross-planet action.  The first two issues worked on character development, but this third issue focuses on advancing the plot via big action scenes.

As I have previously written, George Kambadais's art and coloring remind me of the work of Darwyn Cooke and also of the graphic design of the Cartoon Network series, “Samurai Jack.”  Kambadais' art and storytelling recall the energy and sense of wonder of classic Silver Age comic books.  His art super-charges Brown's script and transforms it into powerful and attention-grabbing storytelling.

So the first two issues were not flukes.  John Carter of Mars has an excellent writer and artist, and the result is a fantastic read that can appeal to a broad audience.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Dynamite's Barsoom comic books will want to try John Carter of Mars.

[This comic book includes “Dynamite Dispatch” June 2022, which features an interview with writer Christopher Priest.]

A

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


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Comics Review: SAMURAI SONJA #1

SAMURAI SONJA VOLUME 1 #1
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Jordan Clark
ART: Pasquale Qualano and Miriana Puglia
COLORS: Kike J. Diaz
LETTERS: Jeff Eckleberry
EDITOR: Nate Cosby
COVER: Lucio Parrillo
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Leslie “Leirex” Li; Clayton Henry; Paulina Ganucheau; John McCrea; Johnny Desjardins; Ariel Diaz; Erik Klaus; Lucio Parrillo; Rachel Hollon and @dead_shot_photo (cosplay)
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (June 2022)

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.

Dynamite Entertainment is now the publisher of Red Sonja comic books, and it publishes a number of titles featuring alternate versions of the character.  The latest is Samurai Sonja, Volume 1.  It is written by Jordan Clark; drawn by Pasquale Qualano and Miriana Puglia; colored by Kike J. Diaz; and lettered by Jeff Eckleberry.  This series introduces a brand new Sonja whose adventures are set in feudal Japan.

Samurai Sonja, Volume 1 #1 opens in the Sengoku period of Japan (1467-1615).  It is a time of near-constant civil war.  Sonja, daughter of a slain samurai, is eager to prove herself worthy of her family's glorious name and history.

In a desperate moment, Sonja makes an awful deal with a dreaded sea goddess, Amaterasu Omikami, agreeing to become her champion.  Gifted with magical armor and weapons capable of slaying mythical beasts, Sonja must take on the demon shogun, Shuten Doji.  If she falls in battle, her bloodline and family's name will be erased.

THE LOWDOWN:   Since July 2021, the marketing department of Dynamite Entertainment has been providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is Samurai Sonja, Volume 1 #1, one of many Red Sonja-related comic books that I have read.

I enjoyed Samurai Sonja.  Jordan Clark offers a story that is essentially a Japanese spin on a Red Sonja adventure.  This time, however, he grounds her fate in family and legacy.  This comes across, at least to me, as more consequential than the usual Red Sonja tale.  I like that the story will feature “yokai” (creatures of Japanese myth and lore) of which the 2013 movie, 47 Ronin (remember that one), could have used more.

The art team of illustrators Pasquale Qualano and Miriana Puglia and colorist Kike J. Diaz present some pretty art.  They also move the story at an easy pace, allowing the new concepts to ingratiate themselves with the readers.  This new take on Red Sonja is not offensive, and it looks to be quite an interesting new angle in the saga of Red Sonja.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Red Sonja will want to try Samurai Sonja, Volume 1.

[This comic book includes “Dynamite Dispatch” June 2022, which features an interview with writer Christopher Priest.]

A-

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


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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


The text is copyright © 2022 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved.  Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from July 10th to 16th, 2022 - Update #13

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Tony Revolori (the Sony/Marvel "Spider-Man" films) and Samara Weaving join the cast of "Scream 6."

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:  "Top Gun: Maverick," starring Tom Cruise, has passed the 600 million dollar-mark at the domestic box office.

SCANDAL - From Deadline:  Oscar-winner Kevin Spacey has pled not guilty to five sexual assault charges at a court hearing at London’s famed Old Bailey court Thurs, July 14th and will face trial in June 2023.  Spacey goes to trial in New York in October to face a sexual assault lawsuit from actor, Anthony Rapp.

TRAILERS - From Deadline:  Universal Pictures debuts the trailer for director Rob Zombie's "The Munsters," a film adaptation of the 1960s television sitcom.

EMMYS - From Variety:  The nominations for the 2022 / 74th annual Primetime Emmy Awards have been announced.  HBO's "Succession" and Apple TV+'s "Ted Lasso" lead in the major categories.  The eligibility period is June 1, 2021 to May 31, 2022.  The winners for the "Creative Arts" categories will be announced Sept. 3rd and 4th and the main awards will be announced Sept. 12th on NBC.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 7/8 to 7/10/2022 weekend box office is DisneyMarvel's "Thor: Love and Thunder" with an estimated take of 143 million dollars.

From Here:  Negromancer's "Thor: Love and Thunder" review.

DISNEY - From Variety:  Hulu is renewed its popular series, "Only Murders in the Building" for a third season.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson has joined the horror film, "Skill House," as both an actor and producer.

MARVEL STUDIOS - From People:  With new of a "Captain America 4," actor Chris Evans wants to remind people that Sam Wilson, not Steve Rogers, is Captain America, now.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Actor Miles Teller says that he is having conversation with Tom Cruise about a third "Top Gun" movie in the wake of the billion-dollar box office success of the second film in the series, "Top Gun: Maverick."

MOVIES - From THR:  Writer-director Zach Cregger's horror film, "Barbarian," is moving from its Aug. 31st, 2022 release date to September 9th, 2022.  The film stars Bill Skarsgard and Georgina Campbell.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  British film music composer and singer, Monty Norman, has died at the age of 94, Monday, July 11, 2022.  He was best known for composing the instantly familiar "James Bond Theme," which first appeared in the 1962 Bond film, "Dr. No." In the 1950s and 1960s, Norman sang in several big band acts and for various variety shows.  Norman also composed songs for such acts as Cliff Richards, Count Basie, and Bob Hope.

From Variety:  Actor and director, L.Q. Jones, has died at the age of 94, Saturday, July 9, 2022.  As an actor, he was best known for appearing in several films for director Sam Peckinpah, including "Ride the High Country" (1962), and "The Wild Bunch" (1969), and "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid" (1973), to name a few.  He directed the cult 1975 science fiction film, "A Boy and His Dog."

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BRITTNEY GRINER:

From ESPN:  Detained WNBA star Brittney Griner pleaded guilty on Thursday to bringing hashish oil into Russia, telling a judge that she had done so "inadvertently" while asking the court for mercy.

From CBSSports:  The Brittney Griner situation explained.

From RSN:  According to The Washington Post Editorial Board: "Brittney Griner is a hostage, plain and simple.

Comics Review: 2013 RED SONJA #1 Dynamite Edition

RED SONJA DYNAMITE EDITION

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Gail Simone
ART: Walter Geovani
COLORS: Adriano Lucas
LETTERS: Simon Bowland
EDITOR: Josephy Rybandt
COVER: Walter Geovani
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Walter Geovani; Gracie the Cosplay Lass and Morgan McClung and Happy Trigger (cosplay)
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (June 2022)

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.

Dynamite Entertainment is now the publisher of Red Sonja comic books.  One of its recent publications is Red Sonja Dynamite Edition.  It is a facsimile edition of Red Sonja #1 (2013), the debut of the blockbuster creative team of writer Gail Simone and artist Walter Geovani, published with a new cover by Geovani that pays homage to legendary Red Sonja comic book artist, Frank Thorne.  Colorist Adriano Lucas and letterer Simon Bowland completed the 2013 creative team.

Red Sonja Dynamite Edition opens as King Dimath leads his army to victory over the evil Zamorans.  Deep in a Zamoran prison pit, Dimath finds two women that he frees.  One of them is Red Sonja.  A few turns of the season later, it is Dimath that must call upon Red Sonja for rescue.  The Zamorans have attacked again, and Dimath's army has also been decimated by plague.  Sonja is ready to do her part to help the king, but among the enemy is a familiar face.

THE LOWDOWN:   Since July 2021, the marketing department of Dynamite Entertainment has been providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is Red Sonja Dynamite Edition, which is one of many Dynamite Entertainment Red Sonja comic books that I have read.

I have vague recollections of Gail Simone writing Red Sonja, but I don't remember the 2013 series in particular.  As usual, Simone presents some really good storytelling, and her take on Red Sonja results in a rich, multi-layered character.  The story, plot, and setting seem very carefully thought-out.

Walter Geovani's art is good, stronger on storytelling that it is on technique.  For instance, the brushwork on the inks a bit heavy, and Geovani saves his best figure and facial drawing for Sonja.  All the other characters are drawn like stock characters.  Adriano Lucas' colors make everything look pretty enough to make me stop quibbling.  Simon Bowland's letters, as usual, are solid and serves the story's swings from mood to movement.

Red Sonja comic book fans who missed the original first issue would do well to pick up this facsimile edition, Red Sonja Dynamite Edition.  Walter Geovani's lovely cover art is also a nice extra.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Red Sonja, Gail Simone, and Walter Geovani will want to read Red Sonja Dynamite Edition.

A-

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


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Comics Review: RED SITHA #3

RED SITHA #3
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Mirka Andolfo and Luca Blengino
ART: Valentina Pinti
COLORS: Chiara Di Francia
LETTERS: Jeff Eckleberry
EDITOR: Nate Cosby
COVER: Junggeun Yoon
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Mirka Andolfo; Valentina Pinti; Lesley “Leirix” Li; Junggeun Yoon; Rachel Hollon and David Turner (cosplay)
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (July 2022)

Rated Teen+

Sitha is a female character that debuted in Red Sonja Volume 6 #1, and she was created by comic book superstar Mirka Andolfo.  Red Sonja accepted a bounty to bring a girl named “Sitha” to a broker who would send her home to her father.  The girl, however, became attached to Sonja and called her “Mother” and their adventures began.

Now, Sitha is “Sitha the Red,” and she is the star of her own comic book series, Red Sitha.  It is written by Andolfo and Luca Blengino; drawn by Valentina Pinti; colored by Chiara Di Francia; and lettered by Jeff Eckleberry.  The series focuses on Sitha the Red, the adopted daughter of Red Sonja, now a decade older and a bounty hunter in the Kingdom of Aquilonia.  That is until Kildrick, a young man who claims to be Sitha's brother, involves her in a suicide mission.

Red Sitha #3 opens in the magical oasis kingdom of “Azul-Amon.”  The kingdom is in a state of jubilation because Prince Hazar-Bey, eldest son of Grand Vizier Jassan-Bey, is about to marry Kebra, someone with ties to Sitha.

If the wedding is going to happen, however, Sitha, Kildrick, and Kebra must foil a “Kinn,” fearsome desert demon of wind and anger.  Sitha and Kildrick must find “the Sand Astrolabe,” a magical artifact that will show them the way to where their parents are being held.  It is one of many treasures guarded by the Kinn

And there's still the wedding...

THE LOWDOWN:   Since July 2021, the marketing department at Dynamite Entertainment has been providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is Red Sitha #3, the third issue of the series that I have read.

After three issues, I can say that Red Sitha is absolutely a really good comic book – a freaking good comic book.  Writers Mirka Andolfo and Luca Blengino have created what is probably the best Robert E. Howard-type spin-off.  It is both highly imaginative and delightfully humorous.

Artist Valentina Pinti continues to deliver such rich storytelling, a landscape of shifting moods and settings that captures the imagination.  Her art is a convincing transportation to new worlds.  Colorist Chiara Di Francia's beautiful colors make Pinti's pretty art a paradise of eye candy, and also helps to convey the moods and drama.

I want you to read this comic book, Red Sitha, dear readers.  You'll love it

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Red Sonja and of Mirka Andolfo will want to try Red Sitha.

[This comic book includes “Dynamite Dispatch” July 2022, which features an interview with writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson about his new James Bond comic book series.]

A

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


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Comics Review: "SAVAGE TALES #1 ONE-SHOT" is Full of the Good Stuff

SAVAGE TALES #1 ONE-SHOT
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Scott Bryan Wilson; David Avallone
ART: Mariano Benitez Chapo; Will Rios; Al Barrionuevo; Hamish Munro-Cook
COLORS: Adrian Woolnough; Dinei Ribero; Jordi Escuin Llorach
LETTERS: Taylor Esposito
COVER: Arthur Suydam
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Liam Sharp; Rafael Kayanan; Arthur Suydam
32pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (June 2022)

Rated Teen+

Savage Tales is the title of an anthology comic book series that has been used by both Dynamite Entertainment and Marvel Comics (twice).  Dynamite recently brought its version back as a one-shot comic book.

Savage Tales #1 One-Shot contains four short stories.  The first is a Vampirella tale entitled, “Horrible People Doing Horrible Things To Horrible People,” and is written by Scott Brian Wilson; drawn by Mariano Benitez Chapo; and colored by Adrian Woolnough.  Next, is an Allan Quatermain tale, “Missionaries of Madness,” written by David Avallone; drawn by Will Rio; and colored by Dinei Ribero.  The third is a Red Sonja story, “The Executioner's Sword,” written by Scott Brian Wilson; drawn by Al Barrionuevo; and colored by Jordi Escuin Llorach.

The final entry is a Captain Gullivar Jones story, “His War,” written by David Avallone; drawn by Hamish Munro-Cook; and colored by Dinei Ribero.  All four stories are lettered by Taylor Esposito.  I'll review each story separately.

THE LOWDOWN:  Since July 2021, the marketing department at Dynamite Entertainment has been providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is Savage Tales #1 One-Shot, which is the first time I have read a Dynamite Savage Tales comic book.

“Horrible People Doing Horrible Things To Horrible People” by Scott Brian Wilson, Mariano Benitez Chapo, Adrian Woolnough, and Taylor Esposito:

Enjoying a drink in a bar, Vampirella meets an interesting fellow drinker who has interesting things to say about horrible people doing horrible thinks to other horrible people.  At least, he thinks its interesting.  Now, Vampirella is about to hand out a lesson in morality.

I Reads You says:  I don't really remember any Vampirella tales from back in the Warren Publications days.  Maybe, I need to buy some back issues.  Anyway, this excellent tale by Scott Brian Wilson apparently recalls the good old days of Vampirella.  The comeuppance Vampirella delivers does remind me of the fate of characters in the few original Warren comics short stories that I have read.  Wilson offers enough brutality to make a reader feel pity for a man who likely does not deserve any, which I think makes this tale a winner. Mariano Benitez Chapo's smooth art gives the story a sense of impact; he makes the punishment mean something.

“Allan Quatermain and the Missionaries of Madness” by David Avallone, Will Rio, Dinei Ribero, and Taylor Esposito:

It is Durban, Africa, year 1883.  The legendary big game hunter, Allan Quatermain, has come across a massacred village, and he knows who the culprits are.  They call themselves “Servants of the Great Old Ones,” but they don't know that they are Quatermain's latest big game.  Will his search for these “murderous missionaries, however, lead Quatermain to his own doom?

I Reads You says:  Of course, Allan Quatermain is author H. Rider Haggard's (1856-1925) fictional big game hunter.  Writer David Avallone's idea of bringing Quatermain into the realm of H.P. Lovecraft's domain is actually a good one, and I hope to see more.  Will Rio's art and storytelling make “Missionaries of Madness” seem more like a Western than an African-set tale.  This is also a welcomed bit of newness.

“The Executioner's Sword” by Scott Brian Wilson, Al Barrionuevo, Jordi Escuin Llorach, and Taylor Esposito:

Upon passing through a village, Red Sonja discovers that the local executioner has a very special sword which he uses to kill the condemned.  But which, the executioner or his weapon, is cursed with an insatiable hunger?

I Reads You says:  It is easy to create a good Red Sonja comics short story because the character is so special and has existed for so long that these stories practically write themselves.  It is not easy to create a great Red Sonja comics short story; I know this because I have read enough to know.  On writer Scott Brian Wilson's part, “The Executioner's Sword” is great story and an excellent piece of story craftsmanship in forging a morality tale in which the “She-Devil with a Sword” seems merciful and just rather than vengeful – which she often is.

Al Barrioneuvo's moody art conveys the sense of malaise and doom that hangs over the village in which the story is set.  Barrioneuvo pulls off a rarity.  He creates a Red Sonja who is different in spirit from every other Sonja, and that is something, indeed.

“His War” by David Avallone, Hamish Munro-Cook, Dinei Ribero, and Taylor Esposito:

Once upon a time, Captain Gullivar Jones was swashbuckling his way across Mars.  Now, he is back on Earth and in the pit of the Great War (World War I).  Is this return to Earth Gullivar's new beginning, and is it something he really wants?

I Reads You says:  Captain Gullivar Jones is the science fiction military man created by Edwin Lester Arnold (1857-1935).  By bringing Jones back to Earth to fight humanity's war, writer David Avallone creates the idea that his lead character needs healing and redemption.  Beyond that, I can't say much.  “His War” is more like a taste of a larger work, and this taste makes me think that the story could work as a graphic novel, prose novel, or even as an intriguing screenplay.  Hamish Munro-Cook's art and graphical storytelling thoroughly sells the idea of man now grounded from his former fantastic realities.

If I have to reluctantly pick a favorite comics story in Savage Tales #1 One-Shot, it is a difficult choice.  I think I will go with “The Executioner's Sword,” which is the most genuinely emotional and, dare I say it, human story of this publication.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of anthology comic books will want to read Savage Tales #1 One-Shot.

[This comic book includes “Dynamite Dispatch” July 2022, which features an interview with writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson about his new James Bond comic book series.]

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


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