Monday, August 9, 2021

IDW Publishing Shipping from Diamond Distributors for August 11, 2021

IDW PUBLISHING

JUN210463    CANTO III LIONHEARTED #2 (OF 6) CVR A ZUCKER    $3.99
JUN210465    GI JOE A REAL AMERICAN HERO #285 CVR A GRIFFITH    $3.99
JUN210466    GI JOE A REAL AMERICAN HERO #285 CVR B WILLIAMS II    $3.99
JUN210476    MY LITTLE PONY FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC #101 CVR A PRICE    $3.99
JUN210477    MY LITTLE PONY FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC #101 CVR B JUSTASUTA    $3.99
JUN210458    STAR WARS HIGH REPUBLIC ADV MONSTER TEMPLE PEAK #1 (OF 4) (C    $4.99


Image Comics Shipping from Diamond Distributors for August 11, 2021

IMAGE COMICS

JUN210193    A MAN AMONG YE #6 CVR A GEORGE    $3.99
JUN210194    A MAN AMONG YE #6 CVR B KHALIDAH    $3.99
JUN210178    BIRTHRIGHT TP VOL 10    $14.99
MAY210139    BITTER ROOT #15 CVR A GREENE (MR)    $3.99
MAY210140    BITTER ROOT #15 CVR B CONLEY CURIEL (MR)    $3.99
JUN210201    DEEP BEYOND #7 (OF 12) CVR A BROCCARDO    $3.99
JUN210202    DEEP BEYOND #7 (OF 12) CVR B ANDOLFO    $3.99
JUN210203    DEEP BEYOND #7 (OF 12) CVR C MELONI    $3.99
JUN210204    DEEP BEYOND #7 (OF 12) CVR D LOLLI    $3.99
JUN210243    ORDINARY GODS #2 CVR A WATANABE (MR)    $3.99
JUN210246    SILVER COIN #5 CVR A WALSH (MR)    $3.99
JUN210247    SILVER COIN #5 CVR B MCKIBBIN (MR)    $3.99
JUN210248    SIX SIDEKICKS OF TRIGGER KEATON #3 CVR A SCHWEIZER (MR)    $3.99
JUN210249    SIX SIDEKICKS OF TRIGGER KEATON #3 CVR B GUILLORY (MR)    $3.99


Marvel Comics Shipping from Diamond Distributors for August 11, 2021

MARVEL COMICS

MAY210713    AMAZING SPIDER-MAN BY NICK SPENCER TP VOL 13 KINGS RANSOM    $17.99
JUN210699    AMERICA CHAVEZ MADE IN USA #5 (OF 5)    $3.99
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JUN210594    AVENGERS TECH-ON #1 (OF 6) MOMOKO VAR    $3.99
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MAY219405    BLACK CAT ANNUAL #1 2ND PTG YUNE VAR INFD    $4.99
APR211002    CAPTAIN AMERICA EPIC COLLECTION TP CAPTAIN    $44.99
JUN210703    CAPTAIN MARVEL #31    $3.99
JUN210704    CAPTAIN MARVEL #31 INHYUK LEE AAPIH VAR    $3.99
JUN210640    CHILDREN OF ATOM #6    $3.99
JUN210641    CHILDREN OF ATOM #6 CHANG VAR    $3.99
MAY219406    DAREDEVIL #31 2ND PTG VAR    $3.99
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JUN210646    X-MEN LEGENDS #6    $3.99
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JUN210648    X-MEN LEGENDS #6 TAN VAR    $3.99


Comic Books, Magazines and Books from Diamond Distributors for August 11, 2021

COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS

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JUN211555    AMELIA ERROWAY GN VOL 01 CASTAWAY COMMANDER    $14.99
JUN211556    AMELIA ERROWAY HC GN VOL 01 CASTAWAY COMMANDER    $26.99
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DEC201510    SAVAGE CIRCUS #5 (OF 10) (MR)    $2.99
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APR211926    THOMPSON HELLER DETECTIVE INTERSTELLAR TP    $12.99
MAR211051    THREE STOOGES SHEMPTASTIC SET W PROMO CARD    $19.99
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MAGAZINES

JUN211425    COMIC SHOP NEWS [90CT BUNDLE] #1773    $PI
MAY219422    STAR WARS INSIDER #204 FOC VAR    $9.99
JUN211866    STAR WARS INSIDER #204 NEWSSTAND ED    $9.99
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BOOKS

JUN212078    ASCENDANCE OF BOOKWORM LIGHT NOVEL PT 3 VOL 2    $14.99
JUN212079    BY THE GRACE OF GODS LIGHT NOVEL SC VOL 05    $14.99
JUN212145    DRUGSTORE IN ANOTHER WORLD LIGHT NOVEL SC VOL 02 (MR)    $13.99
JUN212074    FARAWAY PALADIN OMNIBUS GN VOL 01    $19.99
JUN211543    FRANK CHO PENCIL AND INK HC (MR)    $39.95
JUN211542    FRANK CHO PENCIL AND INK SC (MR)    $24.95
APR211751    GALAXY QUEST INSIDE STORY HC    $34.95
MAY211667    HARLEY QUINN TALKING FIGURE & ILLUS BOOK KIT    $13.95
APR213050    HARRY POTTER CROCHET WIZARDRY    $24.99
MAY211668    HARRY POTTER HOGWARTS TRUNK COLLECTIBLE SET    $35.00
MAY211068    IRON MAN MY MIGHTY MARVEL FIRST BOOK BOARD BOOK    $10.99
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APR211752    STAR TREK SHIPYARDS DELTA QUADRANT HC LEDOSIAN TO ZAHL    $34.95
JUN212081    UNWANTED UNDEAD ADVENTURER LIGHT NOVEL VOL 01    $14.99


DC Comics Shipping from Lunar Distributors for August 10, 2021

DC COMICS:

Batman ’89 #1 (Of 6) (Cover A Joe Quinones), $3.99
Batman ’89 #1 (Of 6) (Cover B Jerry Ordway Card Stock Variant), $4.99
Batman ’89 #1 (Of 6) (Cover C Ken Taylor & Taurin Clarke Team Card Stock Variant), AR
Batman ’89 #1 (Of 6) (Cover D Joe Quinones Design Card Stock Variant), AR
Batman And Scooby-Doo Mysteries #5 (Of 12) (Cover A Randy Elliott), $2.99
Batman The Adventures Continue Season Two #3 (Of 7) (Cover A Stephanie Pepper), $3.99
Batman The Adventures Continue Season Two #3 (Of 7) (Cover B Chan Chau Card Stock Variant), $4.99
Batman Urban Legends #6 (Cover A Nicola Scott), $7.99
Batman Urban Legends #6 (Cover B Jay Anacleto), $7.99
Batman Urban Legends #6 (Cover C Ejikure), $7.99
Challenge Of The Super Sons #5 (Of 7) (Cover A Simone Di Meo), $3.99
Challenge Of The Super Sons #5 (Of 7) (Cover B Jamal Campbell Card Stock Variant), $4.99
Dark Nights Death Metal Soundtrack (Lunar Distribution Exclusive Edition), AR
Detective Comics #1041 (Cover A Dan Mora), $4.99
Detective Comics #1041 (Cover B Lee Bermejo Card Stock Variant), $5.99
Fourth World By John Byrne Omnibus HC, $75.00
Future State Gotham #4 (Cover A Simone Di Meo), $3.99
Future State Gotham #4 (Cover B Simone Di Meo Punchline Connecting Variant), $3.99
Future State Gotham #4 (Cover C Dima Ivanov The Suicide Squad Movie Card Stock Variant), $4.99
Hardware Season One #1 (Of 6) (Cover A Mateus Manhanini), $3.99
Hardware Season One #1 (Of 6) (Cover B Denys Cowan Old School Card Stock Variant), $4.99
Hardware Season One #1 (Of 6) (Cover C Bill Sienkiewicz New School Card Stock Variant), $4.99
Hardware Season One #1 (Of 6) (Cover D Ricardo Lopez Ortiz Card Stock Variant), AR
Hellblazer Volume 25 Another Season TP, $34.99
I Am Batman #0 (Cover A Travel Foreman), $4.99
I Am Batman #0 (Cover B Derrick Chew Card Stock Variant), $5.99
I Am Batman #0 (Cover C Dave Wilkins Card Stock Variant), $5.99
I Am Batman #0 (Cover D Riccardo Federici Card Stock Variant), AR
Infinite Frontier #4 (Of 6) (Cover A Mitch Gerads), $4.99
Infinite Frontier #4 (Of 6) (Cover B Bryan Hitch Card Stock Variant), $5.99
Infinite Frontier #4 (Of 6) (Cover C John K Snyder III The Suicide Squad Movie Card Stock Variant), $5.99
Infinite Frontier #4 (Of 6) (Cover D Puppeteer Lee Card Stock Variant), AR
Joker #6 (Cover A Guillem March), $5.99
Joker #6 (Cover B Tony Harris), $5.99
Joker #6 (Cover C Terry Dodson), $5.99
Joker #6 (Cover D Jonboy Meyers The Suicide Squad Movie Variant), $5.99
Joker #6 (Cover E Riccardo Federici), AR
Justice League #64 (2nd Printing David Marquez Cover), $4.99
Justice League Last Ride #4 (Of 7)(Cover A Darick Robertson), $3.99
Justice League Last Ride #4 (Of 7)(Cover B Tiago Da Silva Card Stock Variant), $4.99
New 52 10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition HC, $29.99
Nice House On The Lake #1 (Of 12) (3rd Printing Cover A Alvaro Martinez Bueno), $3.99
Nice House On The Lake #1 (Of 12) (3rd Printing Cover B Alvaro Martinez Bueno), AR
Pennyworth #1 (Of 7) (Cover A Jorge Fornes), $3.99
Pennyworth #1 (Of 7) (Cover B Juan Gedeon Card Stock Variant), $4.99
Rorschach #11 (Of 12) (Cover A Jorge Fornes), $4.99
Rorschach #11 (Of 12) (Cover B Arthur Adams), $4.99
Wonder Woman #777 (Cover A Travis Moore), $4.99
Wonder Woman #777 (Cover B Sebastian Fiumara Card Stock Variant), $5.99
Wonder Woman #777 (Cover C Will Murai The Suicide Squad Movie Card Stock Variant), $5.99


Saturday, August 7, 2021

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from August 1st to 7th, 2021 - Update #24

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

COMICS TO FILM - From Negromancer:   Here is my review of "The Suicide Squad."

TELEVISION - From YahooAP:   CNN has fired three employees for going to work although they had not received a COVID-19 vaccination.

TELEVISION - From Variety:   Actress Colbie Smolders, who has made numerous appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, will play real-life political commentator, Ann Coulter, in FX's "Impeachment: American Crime Story."  She replaces actress Betty Gilpin, who had to withdraw from the project due to scheduling conflicts.  "Impeachment" focuses on the Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky.

ANIMATION - SouthPark:   MTV Entertainment Studios inks new and expansive deal with creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone through 2027. South Park TV series extending to season 30 for Comedy Central linear. 14 South Park original made-for-streaming movies exclusively for Paramount+ starting with two films in 2021

SCANDAL - From YahooWashPost:   In Hawaii, a case of mistaken identity so crazy that you have to read it yourself.  The victim spent over two years in jail and also in a mental institution.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Taylor Sheridan has created a prequel to his hit TV series, "Yellowstone."  Entitled "1883," the series will star Sam Elliot, Tim McGraw, and Faith Hill.

STREAMING - From Deadline:  Apple's "Apple Original Films" is closing in on a big deal to obtain worldwide rights to director Matthew Vaughn's star-studded next film, "Argylle."

MUSIC/SCANDAL - From TheDailyBeast:  This month, specifically Aug. 25th, is the 20th anniversary of the plane crash in the Bahamas that killed singer and actress Aaliyah D. Haughton, simply known as "Aaliyah."  This article talks about a new book, "Baby Girl: Better Known as Aaliyah," that makes the claim that the singer was drugged by one of her entourage and carried onto the plane before it crashed.

From Complex:   There have been hints that Aaliyah's music will be available on all streaming platforms this month (Aug. 2021).  In response, her family issues a statement about unauthorized projects.

COVID - From Stat:  For many people, the belated realization that COVID-19 will be "a long war" sparks anger and denial.

CELEBRITY/COVID-19 - From YahooEntertainment:  Actress Jennifer Aniston says that she has had to cut ties with "a few people" over COVID-19 vaccinations.

MOVIES - From Deadline:   Actor Brendan Fraser, best known for Universal's wonderful "The Mummy" franchise, has landed two huge acting gigs.  He has joined Martin Scorsese's highly-anticipated "Killers of the Flower Moon" and also Max Barbakow's comedy, "Brothers."

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Nicholas Hoult will star in Universal Pictures' "Renfield," which focuses on Count Dracula's henchman.

MEDIA - From Deadline:  Meet "DirecTV Stream," the new entity born as a result of AT&T spinning off DirecTV.

CELEBRITY - From CNN:   Emmy winning television personality and comedian, Kathy Griffin, has announced that she has lung cancer and will have surgery.

STREAMING - From Variety:   Amazon has released an image from and a release date (Sept. 2, 2022) for its series, "The Lord of the Rings."

BUSINESS - From WSJ:  Reese Witherspoon’s media business, Hello Sunshine, is selling itself to a firm backed by private-equity giant Blackstone Group Inc., reportedly for 900 million dollars.

BOX OFFICE - From Variety:   The winner of the 7/30 to 8/1/2021 weekend box office is Disney's "Jungle Cruise" with an estimated take of 34.2 million dollars.

From Deadline:   New Line Cinema's "The Conjuring" franchise, which is currently comprised of seven movies, has crossed the two-million dollar mark in worldwide box office.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Alex Kurtzman, the architect behind CBS Studios' "Star Trek" universe, has signed an overall mega-deal with CBS Studios.  The deal is reportedly worth 150 million dollars, which would put Kurtzman among the top writer-producers in TV.

MUSIC/POLITICS/BLM - From YahooRollingStone:   Willie Nelson returned to the stage Saturday (July 31st) to take part in the Poor People’s Campaign march for voting rights outside the Texas Capitol in Austin.

MOVIES - From TimesUK:   From "The Sunday Times" comes this article:  "Is Matt Damon the Last of Hollywood's Leading Men."  The actor says, “Movies as we know them aren’t going to be a thing in our kids’ lives.” “And that makes me sad.”

MOVIES - From YahooEntertainment:  Veteran movie car coordinator Dennis McCarthy breaks down the back stories behind two of the biggest vehicular stars of "F9" as Yahoo Entertainment presents exclusive 3D augmented-reality renderings of the film’s "Dodge Charger Wide Body" and "Dodge Charger Hellcat" — two of the nine Chargers McCarthy and his 12-person team built for the film — which you can virtually place in your family room.

BLACK FILM - From TheGuardian:   Melvin Van Peebles and Perry Henzell made seminal 70s films – now their kids have recovered their fathers’ would-be classics.

OBITS:

From Deadline:   Songwriter and musician, Dennis "Dee Tee" Thomas, has died at the age of 70, Saturday, August 7, 2021.  Thomas an alto saxophone player was one of the founding members of the American R&B, soul, funk, disco, jazz, and pop band, "Kool and the Gang," and he had been with the band since its inception in 1964 until his death.

From YahooSports:  Former Major League Baseball pitcher, J.R. Richard, has died at the age of 71, Wednesday, August 4, 2021.  A Houston Astros legend, Richard was one of the most feared pitchers of the 1970s.  Richard had a stroke in July 1980 that effectively ended his career.


Friday, August 6, 2021

Review: Idris Elba Drives James Gunn's "THE SUICIDE SQUAD"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 49 of 2021 (No. 1787) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Suicide Squad (2021)
Running time:  132 minutes (2 hours, 12 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong violence and gore, language throughout, some sexual references, drug use and brief graphic nudity
DIRECTOR:  James Gunn
WRITER:  James Gunn (based on characters appearing in DC Comics)
PRODUCERS:  Charles Roven and Peter Safran
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Henry Braham (D.o.P.)
EDITORS:  Fred Raskin and Christian Wagner
COMPOSER:  John Murphy

SUPERHERO/FANTASY/ACTION and COMEDY/DRAMA

Starring:  Idris Elba, Margot Robbie, John Cena, Joel Kinnaman, Daniela Melchior, David Dastmalchian, Storm Reid, Sylvester Stallone (voice), Michael Rooker, Jai Courtney, Nathan Fillion, Flula Borg, Mayling Ng, Pete Davidson, Sean Gunn, Peter Capaldi, Juan Diego Botto, Joaquin Cosio, Lynne Ashe, Taika Waititi, and Viola Davis

[Overview:  Yes, The Suicide Squad 2021 is the entertaining film that Suicide Squad 2016 should have been, but was not.  And that has as much to do with star Idris Elba as it does with writer-director James Gunn.]

The Suicide Squad is a 2021 superhero and action-fantasy film from writer-director James Gunn.  It is a sequel to the 2016 film, Suicide Squad, and is based on the DC Comics team of antiheroes, Suicide Squad.  The Suicide Squad the film focuses on a team of imprisoned super-villains who are forced to invade a South American island where a deadly creature supposedly resides.

As The Suicide Squad opens, intelligence officer Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) has activated her “Task Force X,” a team composed of dangerous criminals.  Imprisoned in Louisiana's Belle Reve penitentiary, these individuals either possess super-powers, have special abilities, or are some kind of meta-human, humanoid, animal hybrid, or mutant.  All of them are “super-villains.”  Waller chooses thirteen of these inmates and divides them into two teams (unbeknownst to the inmates) and sends them to the small island nation of Corto Maltese, off the coast of South America.

The first team is led by Army Special Forces Colonel Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) and is comprised of  former psychiatrist and Joker boy toy, Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie); Australian thief and super-boomerang thrower, Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney); animal hybrid and child killer, Weasel (James Gunn), meta-human, T.D.K. (Nathan Fillion); long-haired computer hacker, Savant (Michael Rooker); overeager mercenary, Blackguard (Pete Davidson); possessor of a special javelin ... Javelin (Flula Borg); and the alien warrior, Mongal (Mayling Ng).

The second more serious team is comprised of five super-villains.  It is lead by a mercenary and hit man with an advanced technological suit and weapons, Bloodsport (Idris Elba), and is comprised of the former military officer who kills for peace, Peacemaker (John Cena); a man who can emit polka-dots, Polka-Dot Man (David Dastmalchian); a female thief who controls rats, Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior); and a man-eating, human-shark hybrid, Nanaue a.k.a. “King Shark” (Sylvester Stallone).

Once on Corto Maltese, Task Force X has to reach a structure called “Jötunheim.”  It houses a laboratory built on the island decades ago by exiled Nazi scientists so that they could continue their monstrous experiments.  Now, Jötunheim apparently houses a secret program known as “Project Starfish.”  At the heart of this project is something referred to as “the beast,” and to destroy this project, the members of this squad will show why the nickname for Task Force X is “The Suicide Squad.”

First, I can say that The Suicide Squad is a much better film than its predecessor, Suicide Squad (2016), which was probably made problematic by Warner Bros. Pictures executives making bad decisions about it.  In The Suicide Squad, writer-director James Gunn offer his audience gleeful and extreme violence, insane set pieces, and snappy dialogue.  However, Gunn is also very good at creating engaging character drama that allows even the most troubling characters to have a journey in which he or she experiences a poignant or uplifting heroic arc.  In this case, Bloodsport (kinda) transforms from selfish, killer asshole into an anti-hero who cares … about a few things and people … and a rat.

Other characters more or less have a similar arc, although Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn is as crazy, as homicidal, and as sweet as ever.  Joel Kinnaman's Rick Flag, a holdover from the first film, is a much more interesting and likable character.  Viola Davis' Amanda Waller is darker, maybe even more … evil than ever, and Storm Reid delivers a surprisingly deft turn in a small role as Tyla, Bloodsport's daughter, who appears in two scenes.  David Dastmalchian steals a few scenes as the surprisingly endearing Polka-Dot Man.  Overall, the characters are both more interesting and much more appealing and fun than the characters in the first film.  I say that although in the new film, the Suicide Squad is much more homicidal.

Gunn makes sure The Suicide Squad feels irreverent and outrageous and pours on the ultra-violence, and most of the time, it works.  Sometimes, however, it feels like Gunn is trying too hard, and the violence is either gross or is so over the top as to come across as lame.  Gunn is known for writing and directing Disney/Marvel Studios' Guardians of the Galaxy films.  However, I think Gunn was trying to make The Suicide Squad like 20th Century Fox's Deadpool films, which are gleefully violent and shameless and infused with droll humor.  However, the Deadpool movies have Ryan Reynolds, who has mastered his own brand of (sometimes) endearing comedy that is witty, sarcastic, sardonic, silly, and stupid.  There is no Ryan Reynolds om The Suicide Squad, so the film can seem a little desperate in its bid to be crazy and cool.

However, The Suicide Squad does have Idris Elba, and if not for him, James Gunn would have ended up with a Suicide Squad film that works about as well as David Ayers' Suicide Squad film.  Elba, as the world-weary, but supernaturally skilled killer, Bloodsport, plays the complicated anti-hero turned action hero with his usual understated grace and commanding screen presence.  The Suicide Squad is bonkers, inventive, and imaginative – thanks to James Gunn.  However, it is a superhero fantasy and action thrill machine because of Idris Elba.

7 of 10
A-

Friday, August 6, 2021


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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