Comic Books, Magazines and Books from Diamond Distributors for October 5, 2022

COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS

JUL221854 2000 AD REGEND TP VOL 04 (MR) $16.99

AUG221661 ALCATOE AND THE TURNIP CHILD GN $12.99

AUG221173 ARCHIES HALLOWEEN SPECTACULAR #1 $2.99

AUG222186 ASCENDANCE OF A BOOKWORM PART 2 GN VOL 04 $14.99

MAY222035 BE AFRAID OF INUKI KANAKO GN $12.99

JUL221970 BECOMING FRANKENSTEIN #2 $3.99

JUN221855 BEST OF CAT GIRL TP $18.99

JUL221340 BLACK CARAVAN PREM JONS CLARK SOMETHING JUICY #1 $4.99

AUG221224 BLACKGAS WRAP CVRS BAG SET (6CT) (MR) $19.99

JUN221975 BLADE RUNNER BLACK LOTUS #3 CVR A SPOKES $3.99

JUN221976 BLADE RUNNER BLACK LOTUS #3 CVR B DAGNINO $3.99

JUN221977 BLADE RUNNER BLACK LOTUS #3 CVR C CONCEPT ART $3.99

JUL228748 BLADE RUNNER BLACK LOTUS #3 FOC SPOKES VIRGIN $3.99

APR221839 BLADE RUNNER ORIGINS TP VOL 03 BURNING (MR) $17.99

JUN228693 BLOODBORNE LADY OF LANTERNS #1 2ND PTG KOWALSKI EXC VAR (MR) $3.99

AUG222067 BORUTO GN VOL 15 NARUTO NEXT GENERATIONS $9.99

JUL221890 BY THE HORNS DARK EARTH #5 (MR) $4.99

AUG222167 CANIS DEAR HATTER GN VOL 01 $14.95

FEB221549 CELERY STALKS VOL 02 (MR) $14.99

FEB221719 COWBOY BEBOP #1-4 VIRGIN PACK $19.99

AUG221222 CROSSED FAMILY VALUES DEADLY BEAUTY BAG SET (5CT) (MR) $19.99

MAR221589 DF MOON KNIGHT BLACK WHITE & BLOOD #1 CGC GRADED $75.00

MAY221409 DF SPAWN #1 30TH ANNV BLANK HAESER SGN RMRK $92.00

APR221447 DF SPAWN #327 MCFARLANE CGC GRADED $99.99

AUG222064 DR STONE GN VOL 23 $9.99

JUN221436 EDGAR ALLEN POE CONQUEROR WORM ONE SHOT LTD MONSTAR VAR $19.99

JUN221223 ENCHANTING ESCAPADES OF PHOEBE AND HER UNICORN TP $14.99

JUN221695 ENOLA HOLMES MYCROFTS DANGEROUS GAME GN $17.99

APR221761 ESSENTIAL JUDGE DREDD NECROPOLIS TP (MR) $28.99

AUG222187 FARAWAY PALADIN OMNIBUS GN VOL 04 $19.99

JUN221306 FEARLESS DAWN #1 (OF 4) CVR A MANNION SGN ED $9.99

MAR228787 FREE LIFE FANTASY ONLINE IMMORTAL PRINCESS GN VOL 01 (MR) (C $13.99

JUN222132 GAHICHAN GN VOL 01 (MR) $13.00

JUL221332 GEORGE RR MARTINS CLASH OF KINGS GN VOL 04 $28.99

AUG222198 GRAND BLUE DREAMING GN VOL 17 (MR) $12.99

JUL228419 GUN HONEY BLOOD FOR BLOOD #1 (OF 4) 2ND PTG ARTGERM COPIC VI $3.99

JUN229455 GUN HONEY BLOOD FOR BLOOD #2 (OF 4) FOC CHEW COPIC (MR) $3.99

JUL228033 GUN HONEY BLOOD FOR BLOOD #2 (OF 4) FOC EMILIAN NUDE BAGGED $10.00

JUL221975 GUN HONEY BLOOD FOR BLOOD #2 CVR A CHEW (MR) $3.99

JUL221976 GUN HONEY BLOOD FOR BLOOD #2 CVR B MOLOCEA (MR) $3.99

JUL221977 GUN HONEY BLOOD FOR BLOOD #2 CVR C COSPLAY (MR) $3.99

JUL221978 GUN HONEY BLOOD FOR BLOOD #2 CVR D HOR KHENG (MR) $3.99

AUG221287 GYPSY VISIONS BAG SET (5CT) (MR) $19.99

AUG221282 HELLINA RED HOT BAG SET (4CT) (MR) $19.99

AUG221288 HELLINA SCYTHE BIKINI BAG SET (5CT) (MR) $19.99

JUN222144 HERO LAUGHS PATH OF VENGEANCE SECOND TIME GN VOL 02 $13.00

JUL221951 ILLUSION WITCH #4 (OF 6) CVR A CATRACA $3.99

JUL221952 ILLUSION WITCH #4 (OF 6) CVR B LIMA $3.99

JUN222291 IMAGINARY GN VOL 01 (MR) $13.99

JUN221878 IMPOSSIBLE JONES TP VOL 01 GRIN & GRITTY $19.99

AUG221512 JODOROWSKY LIBRARY HC THE SAGA OF ALANDOR DIOSAMANTE (MR) (C $39.99

JUL221860 JUDGE DREDD LEGENDS OF LAW TP (MR) $24.99

JUL221711 JUNIOR HIGH HORRORS MONSTER SIZED ANNIV SP CVR A KENT $7.99

JUL221712 JUNIOR HIGH HORRORS MONSTER SIZED ANNIV SP CVR B BECK $7.99

JUL221713 JUNIOR HIGH HORRORS MONSTER SIZED ANNIV SP CVR C NIKOLAKAKIS $7.99

JUL221714 JUNIOR HIGH HORRORS MONSTER SIZED ANNIV SP CVR D DONGARRA $7.99

JUL221715 JUNIOR HIGH HORRORS MONSTER SIZED ANNIV SP CVR E ROSENBAUM $7.99

JUL221716 JUNIOR HIGH HORRORS MONSTER SIZED ANNIV SP CVR F POTCHAK $7.99

JUL222205 KAIJU GIRL CARAMELISE GN VOL 06 $13.00

AUG221856 KINGDOM COME DELIVERANCE #3 CVR A WALTER (MR) $3.99

AUG221857 KINGDOM COME DELIVERANCE #3 CVR B NIKO WALTER (MR) $3.99

AUG221858 KINGDOM COME DELIVERANCE #3 CVR C NIKO WALTER (MR) $3.99

AUG221281 LADY DEATH BOOTY BAG SET (5CT) (MR) $19.99

AUG221284 LADY DEATH SIZZLING BAG SET (5CT) (MR) $19.99

JUN221777 LOUD HOUSE HC VOL 16 LOUD AND CLEAR $12.99

JUN221776 LOUD HOUSE SC VOL 16 LOUD AND CLEAR $7.99

JUL221743 MAD CAVE STUDIOS LEGACY BECSTAR #1 $2.99

JUL221744 MAD CAVE STUDIOS LEGACY STARGAZER #1 $2.99

JUL221845 MAX MEOW CAT CRUSADER GN VOL 04 TACO TIME MACHINE $12.99

APR221855 MINIONS VOL 1-4 BOX SET $27.99

AUG221157 MONSTER BAR MITZVAH GN $16.95

AUG222068 MORIARTY THE PATRIOT GN VOL 09 $9.99

AUG222062 MY HERO ACADEMIA GN VOL 32 $9.99

AUG222056 MY LOVE MIX UP GN VOL 05 $9.99

JUL222027 NARWHAL & JELLY HC GN VOL 07 NARWHALICORN AND JELLY $12.99

JUL221154 NATHAN HALES BIGGER BADDER GN UNDERGROUND ABDUCTOR $19.99

JUL221959 NEVERENDER #5 (OF 9) CVR A KRAFT $3.99

JUL221960 NEVERENDER #5 (OF 9) CVR B KRAFT $3.99

MAY228677 NIGHT OF LIVING CAT GN VOL 01 $13.99

AUG221223 NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD ORIGINAL TERROR BAG SET (6CT) (MR) $19.99

AUG221235 NOMADD CITY OF EMPTY TOWERS #4 (OF 6) $4.99

MAR221946 PEANUTS BOXED SET SC $24.99

AUG221289 RAVENING LINGERIE BAG SET (5CT) (MR) $19.99

MAR228061 RENT A GIRLFRIEND GN VOL 14 (MR) $12.99

AUG222055 ROMANTIC KILLER GN VOL 01 $16.99

AUG221616 ROVER AND SPECK GN VOL 01 THIS PLANET ROCKS $14.99

JUL228745 SABRINA ANNIVERSARY SPECTACULAR #1 2ND PTG $2.99

JUL221069 SEAMUS THE FAMOUS ETERNITY RUN GN $9.99

JUN221381 SHEPHERD THE PIT #1 CVR A FONTANILI $4.99

AUG221066 SIDE EFFECTS GN $17.99

JUN221537 SLASH THEM ALL HC (MR) $29.99

MAR228788 SUMMER YOU WERE THERE GN VOL 01 (MR) $13.99

JUN222182 SUNDOME MILKY WAY GN VOL 05 (MR) $14.99

JUL221312 SUZANNE JAZZ AGE GODDESS OF TENNIS GN $24.95

JUL222103 TALES OF TERROR QUARTERLY RISE OF CTHULHU CVR A SPOKES $8.99

JUL222104 TALES OF TERROR QUARTERLY RISE OF CTHULHU CVR B VITORINO $8.99

JUL222105 TALES OF TERROR QUARTERLY RISE OF CTHULHU CVR C RIVEIRO $8.99

JUL222106 TALES OF TERROR QUARTERLY RISE OF CTHULHU CVR D REYES $8.99

MAR228916 THAT TIME I GOT REINCARNATED AS A SLIME GN VOL 20 (MR) $12.99

AUG221659 THIEVES GN $20.99

AUG221663 VICTORY STAND RASING MY FIST FOR JUSTICE GN $17.95

AUG221664 VICTORY STAND RASING MY FIST FOR JUSTICE HC GN $22.95

JUL221961 WALKING WITHOUT A SOUL (MR) $16.99

MAR228065 WANDANCE GN VOL 02 $12.99

AUG221290 WARGODDESS CATFIGHT BAG SET (5CT) (MR) $19.99

JUL221902 WEST MOON CHRONICLES #1 $4.99

JUL221672 WONDER CITY GN VOL 01 $17.99

AUG221175 WORLD OF BETTY & VERONICA JUMBO COMICS DIGEST #19 $8.99

JUL222355 YAKUZA REINCARNATION GN VOL 03 $12.99

MAR222234 YOUNG LADIES DONT PLAY FIGHTING GAMES GN VOL 03 $12.99

MAGAZINES

MAY221811 BACK ISSUE #139 $10.95

JUL221422 COMIC SHOP NEWS (100CT BUNDLE) #1833 $PI

AUG221445 FANGORIA VOL 2 #17 $19.79

MAY221812 JACK KIRBY COLLECTOR #84 $10.95

JUL221905 SCREEM #40 NOSFERATU ED $9.95

JUL221906 SCREEM #40 ROBOT MONSTER ED $9.95

JUL222091 SHUDDER #7 (MR) $6.99

BOOKS

JUN222005 BRITMANIA HC $43.95

AUG222188 BY THE GRACE OF GODS LIGHT NOVEL SC VOL 10 $14.99

JUL221680 CHARMED ILLUSTRATED STORYBOOK HC $19.99

AUG221789 FIGHT MAGIC ITEMS HIST FINAL FANTASY RISE JAPANESE RPG SC (C $17.99

JUN222165 IN THE LAND OF LEADALE LIGHT NOVEL SC VOL 06 $15.00

JUN222162 MAGISTELLUS BAD TRIP LIGHT NOVEL SC VOL 02 (MR) $15.00

AUG221448 MONSTER ART OF BASIL GOGOS HC NEW PTG DRACULA CVR $99.95

AUG221790 MONSTER KIDS HOW POKEMON TAUGHT CATCH THEM ALL $17.99

JUL222214 SASAKI & PEEPS LIGHT NOVEL SC VOL 02 $15.00

AUG222189 SEIREI GENSOUKI SPIRIT CHRONICLES OMNIBUS NOVEL VOL 07 $22.99

AUG221341 STAR WARS HIGH REPUBLIC HC NOVEL PATH OF DECEIT $17.99

MAR221962 TEAM-UP COMPANION $39.95

AUG222190 UNWANTED UNDEAD ADVENTURER LIGHT NOVEL VOL 08 $14.99

AUG222191 WHITE CATS REVENGE PLOTTED DRAGON KINGS LAP LN VOL 05 $14.99

AUG221343 WHO IS CAPT MARVEL DK READER LEVEL 2 SC $4.99

JUL221561 YOURS CRUELLY ELVIRA MEMOIRS OF MISTRESS OF THE DARK SC $17.99

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DC Comics Shipping from Lunar Distributors for October 4, 2022

DC COMICS:

Absolute Doomsday Clock HC, $125.00
American Vampire Omnibus Volume 1 HC (2022 Edition), $125.00
Batman #128 (Cover A Jorge Jimenez), $4.99
Batman #128 (Cover B Gabriele Dell’Otto Card Stock Variant), $5.99
Batman #128 (Cover C Francesco Mattina Card Stock Variant), $5.99
Batman #128 (Cover D Ryan Sook Card Stock Variant), AR
Batman #128 (Cover E Jock Foil Card Stock Variant), AR
Batman #128 (Cover F Guillem March Card Stock Variant), $5.99
Batman Knightwatch #2 (Of 5)(Cover A Marcelo Di Chiara), $2.99
Batman The Long Halloween Haunted Knight Deluxe Edition HC, $49.99
Black Adam The Justice Society Files Doctor Fate #1 (One Shot)(Cover A Kaare Andrews), $5.99
Black Adam The Justice Society Files Doctor Fate #1 (One Shot)(Cover B Photo Card Stock Variant), $6.99
Constantine Distorted Illusions TP, $16.99
Dark Crisis On Infinite Earths #5 (Of 7)(Cover A Daniel Sampere & Alejandro Sanchez), $4.99
Dark Crisis On Infinite Earths #5 (Of 7)(Cover B Ivan Reis & Danny Miki Card Stock Variant), $5.99
Dark Crisis On Infinite Earths #5 (Of 7)(Cover C Mateus Manhanini Identity Crisis Homage Card Stock Variant), $5.99
Dark Crisis On Infinite Earths #5 (Of 7)(Cover D Ariel Colon Card Stock Variant), AR
Dark Crisis On Infinite Earths #5 (Of 7)(Cover E Mikel Janin Card Stock Variant), AR
Dark Crisis On Infinite Earths #5 (Of 7)(Cover F Daniel Sampere & Alejandro Sanchez Foil Card Stock Variant), AR
Dark Crisis On Infinite Earths #5 (Of 7)(Cover G Perforation Trading Card 1 Of 2 Card Stock Variant), $6.99
Dark Crisis On Infinite Earths #5 (Of 7)(Cover H Perforation Trading Card 2 Of 2 Card Stock Variant), $6.99
Dark Crisis The Deadly Green #1 (One Shot)(Cover A Goni Montes), $5.99
Dark Crisis The Deadly Green #1 (One Shot)(Cover B Felipe Massafera), $5.99
Dark Crisis The Deadly Green #1 (One Shot)(Cover C Steve Beach Foil Variant), AR
Gotham City Year One #1 (Of 6)(Cover A Phil Hester & Eric Gapstur), $4.99
Gotham City Year One #1 (Of 6)(Cover B Ryan Sook), $4.99
Gotham City Year One #1 (Of 6)(Cover C David Marquez), AR
Hardware Season One HC, $29.99
I Am Batman #13 (Cover C Georges Jeanty Hispanic Heritage Month Card Stock Variant), $4.99
Joker The Man Who Stopped Laughing #1 (Cover A Carmine Di Giandomenico), $5.99
Joker The Man Who Stopped Laughing #1 (Cover B Lee Bermejo), $5.99
Joker The Man Who Stopped Laughing #1 (Cover C David Nakayama), $5.99
Joker The Man Who Stopped Laughing #1 (Cover D David Nakayama Madness Foil Variant), $5.99
Joker The Man Who Stopped Laughing #1 (Cover E Blank Variant), $5.99
Joker The Man Who Stopped Laughing #1 (Cover F Francesco Mattina), AR
Joker The Man Who Stopped Laughing #1 (Cover G Ben Oliver), AR
Joker The Man Who Stopped Laughing #1 (Cover H Haining), AR
Jurassic League #5 (Of 6)(Cover C Dan Mora Hispanic Heritage Month Card Stock Variant), $4.99
MAD Magazine #28 (70th Anniversary Issue), $5.99
Monkey Prince #7 (Of 12)(Cover A Bernard Chang), $3.99
Monkey Prince #7 (Of 12)(Cover B Marcus To Card Stock Variant), $4.99
Monkey Prince #7 (Of 12)(Cover C Dexter Soy Card Stock Variant), AR
Multiversity Teen Justice #5 (Of 6)(Cover A Robbi Rodriguez), $3.99
Multiversity Teen Justice #5 (Of 6)(Cover B Stephanie Hans Card Stock Variant), $4.99
Multiversity Teen Justice #5 (Of 6)(Cover C Lee Bermejo Black Adam Movie Card Stock Variant), $4.99
Poison Ivy #4 (Of 6)(Cover C Sozomaika Card Stock Variant)(Corrected Printing), $4.99
Poison Ivy #5 (Of 6)(Cover A Jessica Fong), $3.99
Poison Ivy #5 (Of 6)(Cover B Stjepan Sejic Card Stock Variant), $4.99
Poison Ivy #5 (Of 6)(Cover C David Talaski Card Stock Variant), $4.99
Poison Ivy #5 (Of 6)(Cover D Tula Lotay Card Stock Variant), AR
Poison Ivy #5 (Of 6)(Cover E Stjepan Sejic Foil Card Stock Variant), $4.99
Superman #1 (Facsimile Edition)(2022), $6.99
Sword Of Azrael #3 (Of 6)(Cover A Nikola Cizmesija), $3.99
Sword Of Azrael #3 (Of 6)(Cover B Steve Beach Card Stock Variant), $4.99
Sword Of Azrael #3 (Of 6)(Cover C Jorge Corona Card Stock Variant), AR
Task Force Z #12 (Of 12)(Cover C Chris Batista Hispanic Heritage Month Card Stock Variant), $4.99
Trial Of The Amazons HC, $29.99
Young Justice Targets #3 (Of 6)(Cover C Adrian Gutierrez Hispanic Heritage Month Card Stock Variant), $4.99

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Comics Review: "PANTHA Volume 2 #5" is in the Endgame

PANTHA VOLUME 2 #5
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Thomas Sniegoski and Jeannine Acheson
ART: Daniel Maine
COLORS: Adriano Augusto
LETTERS: Dezi Sienty
COVER: Giuseppe Matteoni
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (September 2022)

Rated Teen+

“Dieties & Death!”

A Dynamite Entertainment, Pantha first appeared in Vampirella #30 (cover date: January 1974).  She is an ancient Egyptian queen who was cursed by the goddess of war and rage, Sekhmet, because of the murders she committed.  Pantha must walk the world forever, trapped between the forms of human and panther.  She will never know home or peace, burdened by the fury of a goddess and the rage of the innocents she ordered slain.

Pantha, like Vampirella, is now belongs to Dynamite Entertainment, which gave the character her own six-issue miniseries in 2012.  Pantha returns in a new comic book series, entitled Pantha Volume 2.  It is written by Thomas Sniegoski and Jeannine Acheson; drawn by Igor Lima and Daniel Maine; colored by Adriano Augusto; and lettered by Dezi Sienty, Carlos  M. Mangual, and Taylor Esposito.  In this new series, Pantha/Maatkar Samira must save the Egyptian pantheon from Ta-Nakht, a mysterious adversary that is older than the gods and wants the gods' power.

Pantha Volume 2 #5 (“Dieties & Death!”) opens beneath the remains of Chernobyl.  There, an epic battle is about to begin.  The primordial god, Atum, will meet his end at the hands of his original creation, the so-called god-eater, Ta-Nakht.  And the father will be the food for his creation.

After millennia of waiting and planning, everything is in place for Ta-Nakht to fulfill its nefarious destiny.  Captured by the god-eater, Pantha, Nick Heart (1960s crooner and current persona of the god, “Ihy”), and the ancient deities known as the Mortalists must somehow free themselves to prevent the birth of a new race of dark deities eager to plunge the world into shadow.  The war against the old gods has begun, and the fate of humanity will depend on Samira, an Egyptian queen cursed to become the most savage of beasts!  Darian Blackwood (Set) and his Blackwood Munitions guest star.

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 Pantha Volume 2 #5, which is only the fifth Pantha comic book that I have read.

Unfortunately, Pantha Volume 2 #5 brings the series to an end.  Writers Thomas Sniegoski and Jeannine Acheson gave readers a wonderful dark fantasy-thriller full of eccentric heroes and monstrous adversaries.  The series is action-packed with intense battles that sees the villains killing the heroes. Keeping the heroes with their backs against the wall, the writers amped up the conflict and sense of impending doom.

The series main artist, Igor Lima, did not draw this final issue, but Daniel Maine ably fills in with depictions of extreme battle violence.  Maine's storytelling also conveys hope for Pantha's ongoing battle … even if there may not be hope for another Pantha series in the immediate future.

I'll repeat what I said in my reviews of the first four issues.  Don't walk.  Don't run.  Drive like a maniac (without causing an automobile accident) to your local comic shop and get Pantha Volume 2 #5 or, hopefully, a trade paperback collection.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Dynamite's dark fantasy titles will want to read Pantha Volume 2.

A-

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


https://twitter.com/DynamiteComics
https://www.dynamite.com/htmlfiles/
https://www.facebook.com/DynamiteComics/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNOH4PEsl8dyZ2Tj7XUlY7w
https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynamite-entertainment


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

---------------------

Amazon wants me to inform you that the affiliate link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the affiliate link below AND buy something(s).

Comics Review: "PROJECT SUPERPOWERS: Fractured States #5" Closes with a New Hero

PROJECT SUPERPOWERS: FRACTURED STATES VOLUME 1 #5
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Ron Marz and Andy Lanning
ART: Emilio Utrera
COLORS: Arthur Hesli
LETTERS: Tom Napolitano
EDITOR: Brian Cunningham
COVER: Mike Rooth
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (August 2022)

Rated Teen+

Project Superpowers was a comic book limited series published by Dynamite Entertainment beginning in January 2008.  The series resurrected many superheroes from the “Golden Age of Comics” that were originally published by now-defunct companies like Crestwood Publications, Fox Comics, and Nedor Comics.  Many of these characters were in the public domain.

The series was set on an Earth where a twentieth century conflict gave rise to the age of “the Superpowers.”  These Superpowers protected the world, especially the United States.

The characters return in the new comic book series, Project Superpowers: Fractured States Volume 1.  It is written by Ron Marz and Andy Lanning; drawn by Emilio Utrera; colored by Arthur Hesli; and lettered by Tom Napolitano.  The series is set in 2052 and finds the United States of America, post-disaster, fractured into warring regions.  Into this world, a mysterious man awakens, unkempt, naked, and abandoned in an underground base.  This “John Doe” finds the world turned upside down, but does he bring salvation … or doom?  And where are the Superpowers and can they rise again?

Project Superpowers: Fractured States Volume 1 #5 opens in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania in the year 2037.  John Doe is trapped in a void with the other missing heroes, and the one who imprisoned them is the “American Spirit,” who is in the thrall of a mysterious adversary.

Who exactly is John Doe?  Is he a hero, a villain, a friend, or a foe?  All is revealed, including the ultimate fate of all the missing patriotic heroes.  And this climactic finale will determine if a broken country will be healed or if it will be swept into the ash bin of history.  Plus, a brand-new hero is born.

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 Project Superpowers: Fractured States Volume 1 #5, which is the fifth Project Superpowers comic book that I have read.

Fractured States #5 is the final issue of this superb superhero comic book series.  Writers Ron Marz and Andy Lanning offer a satisfying ending that suggests more to come.  Their finale is a bit surreal, but they give us a powerful new hero to face a malevolent entity with bad intentions for what is left of the United States.

Artist Emilio Utrera, colorist Arthur Hesli, and letterer Tom Napolitano present an eye-popping and trippy graphical storytelling package that carries us rapidly to the end of this series.  I hope they also come back for more.  Again, please read, Project Superpowers: Fractured States Volume 1, dear readers.  It is a really good superhero comic book … and hopefully a really good trade paperback.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Project Superpowers and of superhero comic books will want Project Superpowers: Fractured States Volume 1.

A-

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


https://twitter.com/DynamiteComics
https://www.dynamite.com/htmlfiles/
https://www.facebook.com/DynamiteComics/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNOH4PEsl8dyZ2Tj7XUlY7w
https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynamite-entertainment


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

------------------------

Amazon wants me to inform you that the affiliate link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the affiliate link below AND buy something(s).

Review: Original "HOCUS POCUS" Still Casts a Friendly Spell

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 56 of 2022 (No. 1868) by Leroy Douresseaux

Hocus Pocus (1993)
Running time: 96 minutes (1 hour, 36 minutes)
MPAA – PG for some scary sequences, and for language
DIRECTOR:  Kenny Ortega
WRITERS: Mick Garris and Neil Cuthbert (from a story by Mick Garris and David Kirschner)
PRODUCERS:  Steve Haft and David Kirschner
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Hiro Narita (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  Peter E. Berger
COMPOSER:  John Debney

FANTASY/COMEDY/FAMILY

Starring:  Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, Omri Katz, Thora Birch, Vinessa Shaw, Stephanie Faracy, Charles Rocket, Sean Murray, Amanda Shepherd, Larry Bagby III, Tobias Jelinek, Doug Jones, and Jason Marsden (voice) with Garry Marshall and Penny Marshall

Hocus Pocus is a 1993 fantasy, supernatural comedy, and Halloween film directed by Kenny Ortega.  The film focuses on the new boy in town who ignores local Halloween legend and lore and unwittingly awakens a trio of scheming witches who were executed 300 years earlier.

Hocus Pocus opens on October 31, 1693 (All Hallow's Eve), in Salem, Massachusetts.  A boy named Thackery Binx (Sean Murray) tries to save his little sister, Emily (Amanda Shepherd), from the schemes of Winifred “Winnie” Sanderson (Bette Midler) and her two sisters, Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Mary (Kathy Najimy), who are all witches.  Thackery fails to save Emily, whose life force is drained in order to make the witch sisters young again.  The witches curse Thackery with eternal life and transform him into a black cat.  However, the vengeful townsfolk capture the Sanderson sisters and hang them, but not before Winifred casts a curse.  According to this curse, the Sanderson sisters will be resurrected during a full moon on All Hallows' Eve if a virgin lights the “Black Flame Candle” in their cottage.  Thackery, now a black cat, decides to guard the cottage in order to keep anyone from bringing the witches back to life.

Three hundred years later, it is October 31, 1993 – Halloween.  Teenager Max Dennison (Omri Katz) is the new kid in Salem, where he has moved from Los Angeles with his sister, Dani (Thora Birch), and their mother (Stephanie Faracy) and father (Charles Rocket).  Max's parents force him to take Dani out trick-or-treating.  One of the houses they visit is the home of Allison (Vinessa Shaw), Max's classmate at Jacob Bailey High School and a beautiful teen girl upon whom he has a crush.

Looking to do something different on Halloween, Max, Allison and Dani visit the former Sanderson cottage, which became a museum before it was shut down.  There, Max, a virgin, lights the Black Flame Candle which, in turn, resurrects, Winnifred, Sarah, and Mary.  Now, the three children join the still alive Thackery the black cat (voice of James Marsden), and William “Billy” Butcherson (Doug Jones) the zombie in a bid to stop the Sanderson sisters from sucking the souls out of all the children of Salem, which would give them eternal youth and immortality.

I remember that Walt Disney did mount a somewhat strong marketing campaign for Hocus Pocus upon it original release in 1993, but the film under-performed at the theatrical box office.  [I won't describe it as a box office bomb, as some do.]  In the 1990s, I worked at a video store and our VHS copy of Hocus Pocus was frequently rented, especially during Halloween.  During the last decade and a half, Hocus Pocus has exploded in a popularity due to repeated shows on “The Disney Channel” and what is now known as “Freeform.”  That popularity resulted in the production of a recently released sequel, Hocus Pocus 2 (via the “Disney+” streaming service).  The arrival of the sequel was the impetus I needed to finally watch the original Hocus Pocus from beginning to end, which I had never done, although I had been putting it off literally for decades.

Having finally seen it, I really like it.  Honestly, despite my best attempts, I can't find anything to dislike about it.  Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy are a riot as the Sanderson sisters, even if Midler is a little too over the top … here and there.  The sisters' costumes and the Halloween costumes worn by the townsfolk are impressive and imaginative, especially the sisters garb.  The sets and art direction are visually perfect, creating a pop Gothic mood and playful macabre sensibility that are pitch-perfect for a family-oriented Halloween film.

The child actors: Omri Katz as Max, Thora Birch as Dani, and Vinessa Shaw as Allison are quite good, and Max ably carries the film.  I do find the emphasis on Max's virginity to be a bit odd.  Billy the zombie and Thackery the black cat are pitch perfect supporting characters for this film.  Hocus Pocus is an impressive bit of directing on the part of Kenny Ortega and also smooth editing on the part of Peter E. Berger.  Hocus Pocus never stops moving; it has a brisk and appealing pace that can make the viewer lose track of time.  I certainly did.

I highly recommend Hocus Pocus for a family viewing night.  It is not a masterpiece of American cinema, but it is simply as perfect and as effective as it can be.  The critics who initially panned Hocus Pocus were sourpusses, and may still be sourpusses … dead or alive.

8 of 10
A
★★★★ out of 4 stars

Sunday, October 2, 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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Review: Baz Luhrmann's "ELVIS" Reveals That White People Ruined Presley

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 55 of 2022 (No. 1867) by Leroy Douresseaux

Elvis (2022)
Running time:  159 minutes (2 hours, 39 minutes)
MPA – PG-13 for substance abuse, strong language, suggestive material and smoking
DIRECTOR:  Baz Luhrmann
WRITERS:  Baz Luhrmann, Sam Bromell, Craig Pearce, and Jeremy Doner; from a story by Baz Luhrmann and Jeremy Doner
PRODUCERS:  Baz Luhrmann, Gail Berman, Catherine Martin, Patrick McCormick, and Schuyler Weiss
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Mandy Walker (D.o.P.)
EDITORS:  Jonathan Redmond and Matt Villa
COMPOSER:  Elliot Wheeler

BIOPIC/HISTORICAL

Starring:  Austin Butler, Tom Hanks, Olivia DeJonge, Helen Thomson, Richard Roxburgh, Kelvin Harrison, Jr., David Wenham, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Luke Bracey, Dacre Montgomery, Leon Ford, Gary Clark, Jr., Yola, Natasha Bassett, Xavier Samuel, Adam Dunn, Shonka Dukureh, and Chaydon Jay

Elvis is a 2022 biopic, musical drama, and historical film from director Baz Luhrmann.  The film is an overview and fictional account of the life of Elvis Presley (1935–1977), the singer, songwriter, performer, and actor best known as simply “Elvis” and also as the “King of Rock and Roll.”  Elvis the movie examines his life – from his childhood to his rise to cultural icon status – and his complicated relationship with his notorious manager, Colonel Tom Parker.

Elvis opens in 1997 and introduces Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks).  After suffering a stroke, he is on his deathbed.  His gambling addiction has left him broke, but once upon a time, he was somebody.  He was both famous and infamous.  He was the manager of Elvis Presley, the King of Rock and Roll.

Early in his life, Elvis Aaron Presley (Chaydon Jay) was a just a kid whose family had moved into a housing project in the white section of an African-American neighborhood in Memphis, Tennessee (1948).  Elvis' family was poor, and his father was in prison.  Elvis, already familiar with country music, became steeped in the gospel music of the nearby Black churches and also in the rhythm and blues of the Black clubs and music halls on Memphis' Beale Street.

Later (1955), when Colonel Parker meets the now adult Elvis Presley (Austin Butler), he is making waves as a young singer and guitarist.  Parker is already partnered with country singer, Hank Snow (David Wenham), when he hears Elvis, a young white artist who sounds black, especially on the groundbreaking single, “That's All Right.”

Soon, Parker is managing Elvis, and the young man's stage performances are making him very popular with young people, especially young women, who are driven crazy by Elvis' salacious wiggling legs, swinging hips, and thrusting pelvis.  Under Parker's management, Elvis begins a meteoric rise to stardom, but his stage act is drawing the ire of white people who don't want their kids exposed to Black music and culture.  To save Elvis from trouble, Colonel Parker exerts more control over Elvis' music, performances, and life, but what will that do to Parker and Elvis' already complex relationship?

Hard as it is to believe, Australian filmmaker Baz Luhrmann has only directed six films in his thirty-year career, beginning with his 1992 debut, Strictly Ballroom, which I have never seen.  Other than Elvis, I have only seen Luhrmann's William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet (1996) and Moulin Rouge! (2001), and I have only reviewed the latter.

Elvis is like Moulin Rouge!, a flashy, fast-moving musical drama with excellent production values.  Everything about Elvis is lavish, spectacular, fabulous and beautiful.  The production design, art direction, and sets are the most beautiful that I have seen this year and maybe in a long time.  The costumes, regardless of the characters' wealth and social status, are gorgeous (the only word I can think of).  The cinematography and lighting create a world of fantasy, and the film editing manages to convey the seemingly incalculable number of moods and emotions that Luhrmann wants the audience for Elvis to experience.

The soundtrack is filled with Presley's iconic recordings, including some sung by Austin Butler.  There are a number of famous gospel and blues songs performed by their legendary originators.  There are also modern jams, some reinterpretations of classic songs, including the work of Elvis.

Simply put, Austin Butler makes you believe that he is Elvis Presley.  Butler seems to channel everything that made Elvis an icon and a legend.  Even Elvis' ex-wife, Priscilla, and daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, were awed by Butler's performance.  For anyone to beat Butler to the Oscar this year, they will have to be as amazing as him.

As for the entire film:  Elvis is at its best when it chronicles Elvis' rise before he enters the military service (the U.S. Army 1958-60).  When Elvis is close to his Memphis roots and hanging around Black singers and performers, he is happy and so is the film.  Post-military, the film is still beautiful to look like, but the film takes a darker turn as Elvis is disconnected from his roots and becomes surrounded by white people, most of whom are parasites.  And the ones that are not parasites are manipulators.

Tom Hanks' Colonel Tom Parker is one of the most ridiculously awful and awfully ridiculous film characters that I have ever seen.  Hanks' Parker is like a mix of “Pennywise the Clown” from the It films (based on the Stephen King books) and a mangy elf.  Parker epitomizes the morass that drags at the film for most of its running time.  Hanks' Parker does make one of the film's themes obvious and true.  Maybe, Elvis and Parker snowed themselves as much as they snowed each other.

My grade reflects how much I like this film's production values, music, and Austin Butler's performance.  Butler is the shining light of Elvis.  I could watch him play Elvis Presley again – in a better film.

6 of 10
B
★★★ out of 4 stars

Thursday, September 29, 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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Amazon wants me to inform you that the affiliate link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the affiliate link below AND buy something(s).