DC Comics Shipping from Lunar Distributors for September 13, 2022

DC COMICS:

Batgirls #10 (Cover A Jorge Corona), $3.99
Batgirls #10 (Cover B Sweeney Boo Card Stock Variant), $4.99
Batgirls #10 (Cover C Erica Henderson Harley Quinn 30th Anniversary Card Stock Variant), $4.99
Batgirls #10 (Cover D Rian Gonzales Card Stock Variant), AR
Batman Black And White TP, $24.99
Batman Detective Comics Volume 3 Arkham Rising HC, $24.99
Batman Hush #1 Special Edition (Batman Day 2022), AR
Batman One Dark Knight HC, $29.99
Batman Urban Legends #19 (Cover A Dike Ruan), $7.99
Batman Urban Legends #19 (Cover B Chris Burnham), $7.99
Batman Urban Legends #19 (Cover C Claire Roe), $7.99
Batman Vs. Robin #1 (Of 5)(Cover A Mahmud Asrar), $5.99
Batman Vs. Robin #1 (Of 5)(Cover B Joshua Middleton Card Stock Variant), $6.99
Batman Vs. Robin #1 (Of 5)(Cover C Alexander Lozano Card Stock Variant), $6.99
Batman Vs. Robin #1 (Of 5)(Cover D Jason Fabok Card Stock Variant), $6.99
Batman Vs. Robin #1 (Of 5)(Cover E Steve Beach Card Stock Variant), $6.99
Batman Vs. Robin #1 (Of 5)(Cover F Blank Card Stock Variant), $6.99
Batman Vs. Robin #1 (Of 5)(Cover G Dave Rapoza Team Card Stock Variant), AR
Batman Vs. Robin #1 (Of 5)(Cover H Lucio Parrillo Card Stock Variant), AR
Batman Vs. Robin #1 (Of 5)(Cover I Bryan Hitch Card Stock Variant), AR
Batman Vs. Robin #1 (Of 5)(Cover J Mahmud Asrar Big Reach Card Stock Variant), AR
Batman Vs. Robin #1 (Of 5)(Cover K Francis Manapul Card Stock Variant), $6.99
Batman Vs. Robin #1 (Of 5)(Cover L Francis Manapul Foil Card Stock Variant), $6.99
Batman’s Mystery Casebook Special Edition #1 (Batman Day 2022), AR
Dark Crisis Worlds Without A Justice League Wonder Woman #1 (One Shot)(Cover A Leila Del Duca), $4.99
Dark Crisis Worlds Without A Justice League Wonder Woman #1 (One Shot)(Cover B Al Barrionuevo), AR
Dark Crisis Worlds Without A Justice League Wonder Woman #1 (One Shot)(Cover C Leila Del Duca Foil Variant), AR
Flash The Fastest Man Alive #1 (Of 3)(Cover A Max Fiumara), $5.99
Flash The Fastest Man Alive #1 (Of 3)(Cover B Juan Ferreyra Card Stock Variant), $6.99
Flash The Fastest Man Alive #1 (Of 3)(Cover C Jorge Corona Card Stock Variant), AR
Flash The Fastest Man Alive #1 (Of 3)(Cover D Jorge Corona Foil Card Stock Variant), AR
Future State Gotham #17 (Cover A Simone Di Meo), $3.99
Future State Gotham #17 (Cover B Chokoo Card Stock Variant), $4.99
Harley Quinn 30 Years Of The Maid Of Mischief The Deluxe Edition HC, $49.99
I Am Batman #13 (Cover A Christian Duce), $3.99
I Am Batman #13 (Cover B Mike Bowden Card Stock Variant), $4.99
I Am Batman #13 (Cover C Georges Jeanty Hispanic Heritage Month Card Stock Variant), $4.99
I Am Batman #13 (Cover D Roger Cruz Card Stock Variant), AR
Joker Harley Criminal Sanity TP, $24.99
Joker Presents A Puzzlebox HC, $39.99
Jurassic League #5 (Of 6)(Cover A Daniel Warren Johnson), $3.99
Jurassic League #5 (Of 6)(Cover B Jonathan Marks Card Stock Variant), $4.99
Jurassic League #5 (Of 6)(Cover C Dan Mora Hispanic Heritage Month Card Stock Variant), $4.99
Suicide Squad King Shark TP, $16.99
Superman Son Of Kal-El #15 (Cover A Travis Moore), $3.99
Superman Son Of Kal-El #15 (Cover B David Talaski Card Stock Variant), $4.99
Superman Son Of Kal-El #15 (Cover C Pamela Hoogeboom Card Stock Variant), AR
War For Earth-3 TP, $16.99
Wonder Woman #791 (Cover A Yanick Paquette), $4.99
Wonder Woman #791 (Cover B Paul Pope Card Stock Variant), $5.99
Wonder Woman #791 (Cover C Guillem March Harley Quinn 30th Anniversary Card Stock Variant), $5.99
Wonder Woman #791 (Cover D Liam Sharp Card Stock Variant), AR

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Review: In "THE BLACK PHONE," the Children Answer the Call

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 52 of 2022 (No. 1864) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Black Phone (2022)
Running time:  103 minutes (1 hour, 43 minutes)
MPA – R for violence, bloody images, language and some drug use
DIRECTOR:  Scott Derrickson
WRITERS:  Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill (based on the short story “The Black Phone” by Joe Hill)
PRODUCERS:  Jason Blum, Scott Derrickson, and C. Robert Cargill
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Brett Jutkiewicz (D.o.P.)  
EDITOR:  Frédéric Thoraval
COMPOSER:  Mark Korven

HORROR/CRIME/MYSTERY/THRILLER

Starring:  Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Jeremy Davies, E. Roger Mitchell, Troy Rudeseal, James Ransone, Miguel Cazarez Mora, Rebecca Clarke, Tristan Pravong, Brady Hepner, Jacob Moran, Banks Repeta, and Ethan Hawke

The Black Phone is a 2022 supernatural horror, mystery,and crime thriller from director Scott Derrickson.  The film is based on the short story, “The Black Phone,” from author Joe Hill.  The story was first published in the The 3rd Alternative No. 39, the Autumn 2004 issue of the former British horror magazine.  The Black Phone the movie focuses on a teen boy who is abducted by a child killer and imprisoned in a basement where he starts receiving phone calls from a disconnected phone.

The Black Phone opens in North Denver, 1978.  A presumed serial killer, nicknamed “The Grabber” (Ethan Hawke), has been prowling the streets of a particular Denver suburb and abducting teenage boys.  Shortly after the film begins, a boy named Bruce Yamada (Tristan Pravong) disappears and is presumed a victim of The Grabber.

Teen Finney Blake (Mason Thames) lives in this North Denver suburb with his younger sister, Gwen Blake (Madeleine McGraw), and their abusive, alcoholic, widowed father, Terrence Blake (Jeremy Davies).  At school, Finney is frequently bullied and harassed, but he has struck up a friendship with a classmate, Robin Arellano ( Miguel Cazarez Mora), who fends off the bullies.  Then, the Grabber gets Robin.

Meanwhile, Gwen, who has psychic dreams like her late mother, dreams of a masked man who drives a van and kidnaps Bruce, leaving black balloons in his wake.  Then, Finney has a violent encounter with the Grabber.  Finney awakens in a soundproofed basement where the Grabber has imprisoned him.  On the rear wall is a black rotary phone that the Grabber says does not work.  The black phone is supposedly disconnected, but later, the phone rings.  When Finney answers it, he here's a familiar voice – a voice of one of the Grabber's victims.  Now, Finney must rely on the instructions of ghosts, his own shaky bravery, and (unknown to him) the dreams of Gwen if he is going to survive the murderous plans of a maniac.

I have not read the short story, author Joe Hill's “The Black Phone,” upon which this film is based.  [I have read Hill's 2013 novel, NOS4A2, and his 2019 short story and novelettes collection, Full Throttle.]  Not reading the short story did not stop me from enjoying The Black Phone the movie, for the most part.

It takes a bit to really get into the nonsensical scenario:  a guy drives around in a pitch black van, snatching kids in the middle of the day, practically right out in the street, and no one sees a thing.  However, co-writer/director Scott Derrickson and co-writer C. Robert Cargill thrive on generating scares out of ridiculous scenarios, such as in their 2012 creepy horror film, Sinister.  Truthfully, horror films should not necessarily make sense; whether the film is driven by a killer, demonic possession, or haunting, horror films are a fantastic scenario.  Scary movies should not be logical or perhaps, be somewhat illogical.  Still, until the Grabber grabs Finney, I was not invested in the film, although I was already feeling some fear.

That said, the children are the stars of this film, especially the siblings, Finney and Gwen Blake.  Finney tries to find answers in the mysterious phone calls he receives on the disconnected black phone.  Gwen battles her own doubts even as she deals with an abusive father who is afraid of what will become of her and her abilities, to say nothing of the two police detectives who must come around to believing her visions.

The Black Phone is one of those times when both a boy and a girl come of age and undergo the heroic journey at the same time in the same movie.  That makes the struggle and victory all the more satisfying.  Mason Thames as Finney and Madeleine McGraw as Gwen are convincing as both the heroes and as the sensible ones.  They make The Black Phone's last act visceral and invigorating, and dear readers, you will vicariously fear for your life, which makes the resolution so, so satisfying.  It is rare that I cheer the end of a horror movie, but I did it for The Black Phone.

7 of 10
A-
★★★½ out of 4 stars

Saturday, September 10, 2022


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

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from September 1st to 10th, 2022 - Update #20

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

D23 - From TheWrap:  "Indiana Jones 5" trailer brings down the house at D23, Sat., Sept 10th.

From Variety:  At the Disney Legends Award Ceremony at the D23 Expo on Friday, Sept. 9th, the late actor, Chadwick Boseman, was officially named a "Disney Legend."  His brother, Derrick Boseman, gave an emotional acceptance speech.

DISNEY - From Deadline:  Former Disney boss, Robert "Bob" Iger, predicts a reckoning for streaming services, the death of linear and satellite TV, and a "smaller and scarred" movie industry.

AMAZON - From THR:  The cast of Prime Video’s "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" is united in speaking out about racist threats that  non-white performers from the show have apparently faced.

OBAMAS - From CNN:  Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama's official White House portraits were unveiled during an emotional ceremony at the White House on Wednesday, September 7, 2022.

SCANDAL - From TheWrap:  If you are interested, the site has a timeline and explanation of the drama behind the upcoming film, "Don't Worry Darling, directed by Olivia Wilde and starring Florence Pugh and Harry Styles.

From Variety:  Connected to "Don't Worry Darling," Harry Styles addresses the story that he spit on co-star Chris Pine during an interview.

CELEBRITY - From Variety:  Oscar-winner Jennifer Lawrence talks motherhood, the Hollywood pay gap, and falling out with her "Republican family" over the fall of "Roe v. Wade."

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 9/2 to 9/4/2022 weekend box office is Sony/Marvel Studios' re-release, "Spider-Man: No Way Home," with an estimated take of 6 million dollars.

From Here:  The Negromancer review of "Spider-Man: No Way Home."

From Variety:  "Top Gun: Maverick" has passed "Black Panther" has the fifth-highest grossing film in North America.

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EMMY AWARDS - From THR:  Creative Arts Emmys: Night 1 (Sat., Sept. 3rd) - A winner's list

From THR:  At Saturday's "Creative Emmy Arts," former President Barack Obama won his first Emmy. It was in the category "Outstand Narration" for "A World of Wonder" episode of "Our Great National Parks."  Obama is the second U.S. President to win an Emmy, but the first to win in a competitive category. Dwight D. Eisenhower won the "Governor's Award" in 1956.

From THR:  The Disney+ live-action/animation hybrid film, "Chip ‘n’ Dale: Rescue Rangers," won the Emmy Award for "outstanding television movie"  during the second night of the 2022 Creative Arts Emmys.

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MOVIES - From VanityFair:  The site has a Fall 2022 movie preview guide with  "34 Films to Watch Out For"

CELEBRITY - From GQUK:  British comedy and television legend, Lenny Henry, talks about becoming a major player in fantasy streaming series, like Netflix's "The Sandman" and Amazon's "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power."

FILM FESTIVALS - From Variety:  At the 79th Venice Film Festival, director Todd Field's "Tar," which stars Cate Blanchett gets a six-minute standing ovation.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  MGM has bought the Miramax film project, "The Beekeeper," from director David Ayer ("Suicide Squad") and starring Jason Statham.  It will begin filming in late September and the entire cast has not been finalized.

OBITS:

From BBC:  The Queen of the United Kingdom, Elizabeth II, has died at the age of 96, Thursday, September 8, 2022.  Born Elizabeth Alexandra Mary of the House of Windsor, Queen Elizabeth II was the longest reigning British monarch (70 years and 214 days) and second longest recorded of a monarch of a sovereign nation.  Her son, Charles Philip Arthur George, is now Charles III, King of the United Kingdom and of the Commonwealth realm.

From BBC:  Queen Elizabeth II - a life in pictures.

From TheNewYorkTimes:  American journalist and television anchorman, Bernard Shaw, has died at the age of 82, Wednesday, September 7, 2022.  Shaw was the founding anchor of CNN, being the lead anchor from 1980 until his retirement in March 2001.  Shaw was also a former U.S. Marine who served during the Vietnam War.

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BRITTNEY GRINER:

From TheDailyBeast:   Legendary NBA bad boy and champion (Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls), Dennis Rodman claims that he has been given permission to go to Russia and help free imprisoned hostage, WNBA star, Brittney Griner.

From Vox:  Vox's Jonathan Guyer talks the Brittney Griner case with Danielle Gilbert, a Dartmouth professor who is writing a book about states and rogue actors that take hostages.

From ESPN:   A Russian court sentenced WNBA star Brittney Griner to nine years in prison Thursday, Aug. 4th.  Griner was arrested Feb. 17 for bringing cannabis into the country and pleaded guilty July 7, though the case continued under Russian law.

From ESPN:  The Biden administration has offered a deal to Russia aimed at bringing home WNBA star Brittney Griner and another jailed American, Paul Whelan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday.

From RSN:  "Will Support From LeBron James, Joe Rogan, Kim Kardashian, and Other Celebrities Help Free Brittney Griner From a Russian Prison?" by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar via Substack

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: "GOOD ON BOTH SIDES" is Good Cover to Cover

GOOD ON BOTH SIDES – A (TH)INK ANTHOLOGY #5
KEITH KNIGHT PRESS/Microcosm Publishing

CARTOONIST: Keith Knight
ISBN: 978-0-9788053-5-7; paperback; 6" x 7.5" x 0.4" (June 2022)
128pp, Color, $20.00 U.S.

Good on Both Sides is a new collection of the socio-political, single-panel comic strip, (th)ink.  Debuting in 2000 on the now defunct website, Africana.com, (th)ink is the creation of Keith Knight, a cartoonist, comics creator, and musician.  Knight is also the creator and an executive producer on the recent Hulu series, “Woke.”  (th)ink currently appears in several outlets, including the Nib, Daily KOS, Antigravity, and The Funny Times.

Good on Both Sides, the fifth (th)ink paperback collection, takes its title by paraphrasing Donald Trump's moral equivalency after the 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.  It covers (th)ink episodes published during the early years of Donald Trump's masquerade as the 45th President of the United States.  Knight captures the absurdity of the time under an absurd leader and chronicles and depicts everything that made non-white supremacists cringe.

THE LOWDOWN:  In a sense political cartoonists are a dime a dozen.  The truth is that I have a hard time finding many that are really bad at their chosen professions.  What makes Keith Knight different?

I first became acquainted with Knight's work in late 2006 when I received a copy of Are We Feeling Safer Yet? (2007), the second (th)ink collection.  Sadly, I lost touch with him and had not thought of him until I heard about his Hulu TV series, “Woke,” last year.  I recently reconnected with him to request a copy-for-review of Good on Both Sides.  On the back cover of this book is a quote from Dawn Tol, part of which reads, “Keith Knight has never been more overtly Black.”

That is what makes Knight different from other political cartoonists.  He is Black.  Yes, there are other African-American political cartoonists (Walt Carr, David G. Brown), but for now, we are talking about Keith Knight, who is from a particular tradition.  That tradition involves Coloreds, Negroes, Afro-Americans, African-American, etc. who do not bite their tongues, metaphorically or otherwise, for the sake of propriety and for the feelings of good White folk and cautious, fretting Black folk.

I had forgotten just how screwed up the first half of Trump's occupation was … because the second half turned into … well,you know.  Knight's commentary via political cartoons is both incisive and relentless.  I won't say that he is “unapologetic” because apologizing is irrelevant in the context of what Knight does.  It isn't just Trump that is wrong with this country; it is also the rotten culture and society.  Honestly, much of that rot comes from White racism, supremacy, and privilege:  those that perpetuate it; those that enjoy the advantages while letting someone else do the dirty work; and those who benefit and give nominal lip service in criticizing it.

In Good on Both Sides, nothing and no one is spared.  Warts and all, Klan robes and hoods:  Knight reveals the stains without a thought for decorum.  Political commentary, words, pictures, or cartoons need that, especially when so many commentators want us to “turn down the temperature.”  Knight is the triple truth, Ruth.

Good on Both Sides isn't all about Trump.  As I said, there were plenty of awful people during that time who deserve Knight's punches.  Knight also offers several nice memorials and tributes to such luminaries as W.E.B. Du Bois, Dick Gregory, and Josephine Baker, to name a few.  I am not crazy about everything in Good on Both Sides, but it's close.  I could have read another hundred pages just to see what Knight has to say about the time period this collection covers.

Keith Knight's political cartoons are timely, and many are timeless.  The timeless ones will always have bite, but the timely will cut like a knife for years to come.  And Good on Both Sides is just plain funny.  I laughed a lot, and I practically always need that from political cartoons.  I encourage you, dear readers, to get a copy of Good on Both Sides.  Maybe if enough of you read it, someone will get the notion to shortlist Mr. Knight for a Pulitzer Prize.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of great political cartoons and of Keith Knight's work will want to read Good on Both Sides.

A

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


You can buy copies of Good on Both Sides at indie book stores or at the following online shops: here or https://keithknight.bigcartel.com/product/pre-order-good-on-both-sides-the-new-th-ink-collection and here or https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/books/1446.


Find Keith Knight on the Internet:
https://keithknightart.com/
https://kchronicles.com/
https://twitter.com/KeefKnight
https://www.patreon.com/keefknight
https://www.instagram.com/iamkeithknight/?hl=en
https://keithknight.bigcartel.com/
https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/books/1446
https://www.facebook.com/keithknightcartoonist/
https://www.gocomics.com/thekchronicles


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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"The Power of the Rings" Sets Amazon Prime Video Record

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Attracts More than 25 Million Global Viewers on its First Day, Marking Prime Video’s Biggest Premiere Ever

CULVER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power attracted more than 25 million global viewers on its first day, breaking all previous records, marking the biggest premiere in the history of Prime Video. The series launched exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon Studios, said: “It is somehow fitting that Tolkien’s stories - among the most popular of all time, and what many consider to be the true origin of the fantasy genre - have led us to this proud moment. I am so grateful to the Tolkien Estate – and to our showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay, executive producer Lindsey Weber, cast and crew - for their tireless collaborative efforts and boundless creative energy. And it is the tens of millions of fans watching – clearly as passionate about Middle-earth as we are – who are our true measure of success.”

Episodes of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will launch weekly through the October 14th season finale on Prime Video.


About The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power:
Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power brings to screens for the very first time the heroic legends of the fabled Second Age of Middle-earth's history. This epic drama is set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and will take viewers back to an era in which great powers were forged, kingdoms rose to glory and fell to ruin, unlikely heroes were tested, hope hung by the finest of threads, and one of the greatest villains that ever flowed from Tolkien’s pen threatened to cover all the world in darkness. Beginning in a time of relative peace, the series follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared reemergence of evil to Middle-earth. From the darkest depths of the Misty Mountains, to the majestic forests of the elf-capital of Lindon, to the breathtaking island kingdom of Númenor, to the farthest reaches of the map, these kingdoms and characters will carve out legacies that live on long after they are gone.

The series is led by showrunners and executive producers J.D. Payne & Patrick McKay. They are joined by executive producers Lindsey Weber, Callum Greene, J.A. Bayona, Belén Atienza, Justin Doble, Jason Cahill, Gennifer Hutchison, Bruce Richmond, and Sharon Tal Yguado, and producers Ron Ames and Christopher Newman. Wayne Che Yip is co-executive producer and directs along with J.A. Bayona and Charlotte Brändström.

A world-renowned literary work, and winner of the International Fantasy Award and Prometheus Hall of Fame Award, The Lord of the Rings was named Amazon customers’ favorite book of the millennium in 1999 and Britain’s best-loved novel of all time in BBC’s "The Big Read" in 2003. The Lord of the Rings books have been translated into over 38 languages and have sold more than 150 million copies.

About Amazon:
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.

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Comics Review: "SABRINA Anniversary Spectacular #1" Introduces New Rival "Amber Nightstone"

SABRINA ANNIVERSARY SPECTACULAR #1
ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS, INC.

STORY: Dan Parent; George Gladir; Dexter Taylor; Frank Doyle
PENCILS: Dan Parent; Bob Bolling; Dexter Taylor; Stan Goldberg
INKS: Bob Smith; Rudy Lapick; Jon D'Agostino
COLORS: Glenn Whitmore; Barry Grossman
LETTERS: Jack Morelli; Bill Yoshida
EDITORS: Jamie Lee Rotante; Vincent Lovallo; Stephen Oswald
EiC: Mike Pellerito
COVER: Dan Parent with Rosario “Tito” Peña
32pp, Color, $2.99 U.S. (October 2022)

Rating: All-Ages

Sabrina in “Celebration Vexation”

Sabrina the Teenage Witch is an Archie Comics character that was created by writer George Gladir and artist Dan DeCarlo.  Sabrina Spellman first appeared in Archie's Madhouse #22 (cover-dated: October 1962).  2022 is the sixtieth anniversary of Sabrina's debut, and Archie Comics is honoring the character with the “60 Years of Magic” celebration.

The celebration includes a newly-released one-shot comic book entitled Sabrina Anniversary Spectacular #1.  The comic book reprints four Sabrina stories.  It also includes the new story “Celebration Vexation,” which introduces a brand new character, Amber Nightstone.  The new tale is written by Dan Parent; drawn by Parent (pencils) and Bob Smith (inks); colored by Glenn Whitmore; and lettered by the great Jack Morelli.

Sabrina Anniversary Spectacular #1 opens with “Celebration Vexation,” and it is Sabrina's 17th birthday.  Aunt Zelda and Aunt Hilda and Cousin Ambrose are throwing a party for their birthday girl, and of course, her cat, Salem, is present.  However, there is a party crasher, Amber Nightstone, who is also celebrating a seventeenth birthday.

Like Sabrina, Amber is also half-mortal and half-witch, and under the witch's “Code of Sorcery,” only one witch/mortal can achieve ultimate power.  And Amber wants to be the teen witch who gets to live in the mortal world.  So which of these female teen witches is going to have the best birthday?

THE LOWDOWN:  Sabrina Anniversary Spectacular #1 is an absolutely wonderful anniversary comic book special.  “Celebration Vexation” is one of writer-artist Dan Parent's best stories ever, and maybe he is the best modern Archie Comics storyteller.  Amber Nightstone, in this first look, seems to be a keeper as a character in the world of Sabrina, and I'm sure she can raise quite a bit of heck and hell in other Archie titles.

The four reprint stories include a one-page comic (“Sun Fun”), which finds Sabrina engaging a genie for some help, with painful results.  There is a “Little Sabrina” story (“Bats All, Folks”), which features Little Archie and Riverdale High regulars, Mr. Weatherbee and Miss Grundy.  Because of the new story, new character debut, and the quality of the reprinted stories, I highly recommend Sabrina Anniversary Spectacular #1.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of classic-style Archie Comics and of Sabrina the Teenage Witch will definitely want to get a copy of Sabrina Anniversary Spectacular #1.

A

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


https://archiecomics.com/
https://twitter.com/archiecomics
https://www.instagram.com/archiecomics/
https://www.facebook.com/ArchieComicsOfficial?ref=tn_tnmn
https://www.youtube.com/user/ArchieComicsOfficial
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8914136-archie-comics


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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Comics Review: "PRODIGY: The Icarus Society #3" is Produced by Prodigies

PRODIGY: THE ICARUS SOCIETY #3 (OF 5)
IMAGE COMICS/Netflix

STORY: Mark Millar
ART: Matteo Buffagni
COLORS: David Curiel
LETTERS: Clem Robins
COVER: Matteo Buffagni with David Curiel
DESIGN: Melina Mikulic
EDITORIAL: Sarah Unwin
VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Matteo Buffagni
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (September 2022)

Rated M / Mature

Prodigy: The Icarus Society is a five-issue comic book miniseries produced by writer Mark Millar and artist Matteo Buffagni.  It is a sequel to the 2018-19 six-issue miniseries, Prodigy.  The Prodigy comic books focus on the adventures of the world's smartest man, Edison Crane, who believes that he is the go-to guy when there is a global crisis to solve.  Letterer Clem Robins and colorists Laura Martin and David Curiel complete the sequel's creative team.

Prodigy: The Icarus Society pits Edison against “The Icarus Society,” a secret society of geniuses who are all richer than Edison.  And now, he is caught inside the club's internal rivalries and blackmailed into hunting for the treasures of one of the most legendary locations of all time.

Prodigy: The Icarus Society #3 opens in the Himalayas, 1722, detailing two parties searching for the mythical kingdom of “Shangri-La.”  One of them is led by the pirate, Red Ana de Tourzel.  Three centuries later, Edison Crane is caught between the machinations of Icarus Society rivals.  One is the homicidal Professor Tong, and the other is Felix Koffka, the richest man in the world and the owner of the cars in which John F. Kennedy and James Dean respectively died.

When one outwits the other (or so it seems), Edison is working for man who works at a level no one else can understand.  For Edison, that means a journey into legend.

THE LOWDOWN:  Mark Millar has produced some incredible comic books since he became a Netflix executive.  The Magic Order is one of the twenty-first century's greatest comic books about magic.  Meanwhile, Prodigy has emerged as a spinner of conspiracies, legends, myths, and lore to rival cable network, The History Channel's “Ancient Aliens” television series.

Over the past quarter-century, Millar has been writing some of the most interesting and unique superhero comics:  The Authority, The Ultimates, Ultimate X-Men, Ultimate Fantastic Four, Wanted, Kick-Ass, and Nemesis, to name a few.  I think Prodigy should be added to that list.  While its star does not wear a costume, Edison Crane has the elements of such clever superhero characters as Tony Stark, Bruce Wayne, Karnak (The Inhumans), and Ozymandias (Watchmen), to name a few.  The difference is that Millar sends Edison on better adventures than those other characters have had in years, and Edison is better dressed.

Artist Matteo Buffagni has a drawing style that merges the clean line style, photo-realism, and textured inking.  The result is storytelling that captures the intimacy and violence of the conflicts between characters and the endless possibilities of the adventures before them.  David Curiel's colors convey the shadows and dark moods of Buffagni's compositions, while letterer Clem Robins makes the dialogue pop off the page with menace and mystery.

Mark Millar has stated that he wants to write comic books that readers really enjoy reading, and, in addition to his writing skills, he has a talent for gathering superb creative talent.  Prodigy: The Icarus Society #3 is the result of superb talent working hard for our enjoyment.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Mark Millar and of his comic book, Prodigy, will want to read Prodigy: The Icarus Society.

A+

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


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