Comics Review: "NOCTERRA #4" Backwards and Forwards Good

NOCTERRA #4
IMAGE COMICS/Best Jacket Press

STORY: Scott Snyder
ART: Tony S. Daniels
COLORS: Tomeu Morey
LETTERS: Andworld Design
EDITOR: Will Dennis
COVER: Tony S. Daniels with Tomeu Morey
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Jenny Frison; Tony S. Daniels with Tomeu Morey
28pp, Colors, 3.99 U.S. (June 2021)

Rated “M/ Mature”

“Full Throttle Dark” Part Four

Nocterra is a horror and science fiction comic book series from writer Scott Snyder and artist Tony S. Daniels.  Published by Image Comics, Nocterra is set on an Earth that has been experiencing an everlasting night, the “Big PM,” since the sky went dark and the world was plunged into an everlasting night over a decade ago.  Colorist Tomeu Morey and letterer Andworld Design complete the series' creative team.

In Nocterra, any living organisms left unlit in the dark for more than 10 hours start undergoing a biological transformation.  Soon, the living turn into monstrous versions of themselves, becoming something called a “Shade.”

Valentina “Val” Riggs – call sign “Sundog,” – was in the fifth grade the day the “Big PM” occurred.  Thirteen years later (“13 PM”), Val drives a big rig hauler, a heavily-illuminated 18-wheeler known as the “Sundog Convoy.”  A skilled “ferryman” Val transports people and goods along deadly unlit roads between the few remaining human outposts, and now she has her most dangerous haul – a girl with a dangerous secret and her brother, Emory “Em” Riggs, who is becoming a Shade.

Nocterra #4 opens in Val's memories of “Day Three” of the Big PM.  She and Em are trapped in the basement, as their parents are transforming into Shades.  They are knocking at the door of the basement, determined to enter and kill their children.  Val and Em have each come up with a plan, but they always follow Val's plans.  Em wants that to change.  So what now?

Back in the present, exposed to the dark for so long, Em is changing.  Val need a “solar lamp” to slow down the change, and she knows where one is located.  It's in the outpost town of Tipton; make that “brought down” outpost town.  Even if Val gets lucky, there still is the problem of getting Bailey to Sanctuary, which might not be there.

THE LOWDOWN:  As I have written in some of my earlier reviews of Nocterra, I enjoy writer Scott Snyder's creator-owned series.  I have also told you, dear readers, that I am usually happy to read a comic book drawn by Tony S. Daniels, going back to his early days writing and drawing creator-owned titles at Image, such as The Tenth.

Well, I am having a blast reading Nocterra, which reads like an old-fashioned pulp serial with its haunting settings, crazy monsters, bad-ass villains, questionable supporting characters, and one against-all-odds female hero.  Nocterra #4 even has a theme: what to do when there only two choices, and both of them are risky, but one means destruction.

Snyder and Daniels are delivering in Nocterra the kind of work that has made them superstar comic book creators.  If you are fans of either, there is no reason that you should not be reading Nocterra.

If you are a fan of colorist Tomeu Morey, then, you want to see how beautifully he colors the dark world of Nocterra.  And I always enjoy reading the lettering of Andworld Design.  Thus, it is easy for me to give this series the highest recommendation, especially when Nocterra #4 delivers a powerful chapter that is built on a riveting backstory in order to deliver a heart-stopping last act.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Scott Snyder and Tony S. Daniels will want to sample Nocterra.

A

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


https://twitter.com/Ssnyder1835
https://www.instagram.com/ssnyder1835/
https://twitter.com/TonyDanielx2
https://tonydaniel.bigcartel.com/
https://twitter.com/tomeu_morey
https://twitter.com/deronbennett
https://twitter.com/andworlddesign
https://twitter.com/ImageComics
https://imagecomics.com/


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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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from June 1st to 5th, 2021 - Update #14

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

MOVIES - From WeGotThisCovered:   Christina Ricci has been cast in a mystery role in "The Matrix 4."

AMAZON - From InTheseTimes:  Bezos the Great and Powerful: Beyond the dangers of corporate consolidation, Amazon’s acquisition of MGM has exposed an American economy that’s mostly make-believe.

CULTURE/BLM - From THR: Tom Hanks penned a guest essay for The New York Times on Friday in which he called for the truth of the Tulsa race massacre to be taught in schools.

POLITICS - From Variety:   Facebook says that it will suspend former president Donald Trump from its Facebook and Instagram social media platforms until at least January 2023.  Further, Trump will only be reinstated "if conditions permit."

STREAMING - From Deadline:  Emmy-winning actor, Billy Porter, and executive producer Greg Berlanti are developing a TV series, "Fruits of Thy Labor," for NBC's "Peacock" streaming service.

ANIMATION - From Deadline:   Nickelodeon has released a teaser trailer and art form the "Spongebob Squarepants" spinoff, "The Patrick Star Show."

MOVIES - From Deadline:   Hong Kong actor and filmmaker, Donnie Yen, is joining Keanu Reeves in "John Wick 4."

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Despite all Tom Cruise's cussin' and hollarin', production on "Mission: Impossible 7" in the U.K. will shut down for 14 days because of a positive COVID-19 test.

FILM FESTIVALS - From Variety:   The lineup for the 2021 Cannes Film Festival has been announced.  This year's festival will be held from July 6th to 17th, 2021.

DISNEY - From Deadline:   "Indiana Jones 5" will begin filming in the United Kingdom next week, according to sources.

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:   Paramount Pictures brings resurrects movie-going with "A Quiet Place Part II" ... or do "Deadline" says.

STREAMING - From Deadline:   Actor Sebastian Stan (Marvel's "Winter Soldier") has posted a new photo of himself as the rocker, Tommy Lee (of the band "Motley Crue") to promote Hulu's limited series, "Pam & Tommy."

OBITS:

From Deadline:   The actress Romy Walthall has died at the age of 57, Wednesday, 19, 2021.  Her first screen was in 1984 and her last in 2011.  Walthall made appearances in some of the biggest television series of the 1980 and 90s.  This included "T.J. Hooker," "Moonlight," "Matlock," "In the Heat of the Night," "L.A. Law," and "The X-Files," to name a few.  Walthall also had small role in the director John Woo's hit movie, "Face/Off," starring Nicolas Cage and John Travolta.

From Deadline:   American stunt coordinator and film director, Buddy Van Horn, has died at the age of 92, Tuesday, May 11, 2021.  Van Horn was actor Clint Eastwood's stunt double and was credited as the stunt coordinator on Eastwood films from 1972 to 2011.  Van Horn also directed three films in which Eastwood starred, "Any Which Way You Can" (1980), "The Dead Pool" (1988), and "Pink Cadillac" (1989).

From XXL:   Dashawn Maurice Robertson, known as the rapper "Lil Loaded," has died at the age of 20, Monday, May 31, 2021.  Lil Loaded came to fame in 2019 when his song, "Blocc Baby" went viral.  He self-released his one studio album, "A Demon in Blue," October 2020, as a digital download/streaming.

 

Comics Review: "MILESTONE RETURNS: Infinite Edition #0

MILESTONE RETURNS: INFINITE EDITION 0
DC COMICS/Milestone Media

COVER: Denys Cowan with Chris Sotomayor
EDITORS: Chris Conroy; Mark Doyle and Jim Chadwick
48pp, Color, $4.99 U.S., (July 2021)

Rating: 13+

Milestone created by Dwayne McDuffie, Denys Cowan, Michael Davis, and Derek T. Dingle

Milestone Comics was the publishing division of Milestone Media, and its comic book titles were published and distributed by DC Comics.  Milestone was founded in 1993 by a coalition of African-American artists and writers, consisting of Dwayne McDuffie, Denys Cowan, Michael Davis, and Derek T. Dingle.  Milestone Media's founders believed that minorities were severely underrepresented in American comic books and wished to address this.  In 1993, Milestone Media launched its first four titles Icon, Blood Syndicate, Static, and Hardware.  DC Comics ceased publication of all Milestone Comics titles in 1997.

There have been rumors, even press releases, saying that Milestone Comics was returning, especially the past several years.  Finally, Milestone returned in Milestone Returns: Fandome Preview, a 17-page, online digital comic that was a primer story.  It was released September 12, 2021 during one of DC's “FanDome” events.  DC Comics recently combined the contents in Milestone Returns: Fandome Preview with a new 24-page story, “The Big Bang,” to create the one-shot comic book, Milestone Returns: Infinite Edition 0 (or Milestone Returns: Infinite Edition Zero).  I'll review the two sections separately.

“The Big Bang”
STORY: Reginald Hudlin
LAYOUTS: Denys Cown
PENCILS: Denys Cowan; ChrisCross
FINISHES: Nikolas Draper-Ivey
INKS: Bill Sienkiewicz; Juan Castro
COLORS: Nikolas Draper-Ivey; Chris Sotomayor; Wil Quintana
LETTERS: Andworld Design

Milestone Returns: Infinite Edition 0 opens with “The Big Bang.”  It is a retelling or re-imagining of “the Big Bang,” the event in which the superheroes of the Milestone Comics' “Dakota Universe” received their powers.

It begins with a “Black Lives Matter” protest in the city of Dakota.  It ends when the police shot canisters filled with an untested chemical at the protesters.  Bullied teen, Virgil Ovid Hawkins, is one of the BLM protesters exposed to the chemicals, and now he has strange powers.  Virgil isn't the only one with strange new powers, and some of those other kids are his bullies.

Meanwhile, Curtis “Curt” Metcalf, a famed scientist at Alva Industries prepares to take the blame for the use of those chemicals, so he will go on the run – as the super-weapon, Hardware.  Elsewhere, an alien stranded on Earth meets the ambitious young woman who will transform his life.  Together, they become the superhero duo, “Icon and Rocket.”  Plus, a leader steps forward.

THE LOWDOWN:  Beginning this month (June 2021), DC Comics will launch three six-issue Milestone titles, Static: Season One, Icon and Rocket: Season One; Hardware: Season One.  “The Big Bang” introduces the events of the Big Bang: the police-brutality protest gone wrong that changes the face of the city of Dakota forever by unleashing a wave of superpowers across its population.

The only original Milestone Comics titles that I read on a monthly basis were Hardware and Static.  At the time, Static read like something relevant and of the moment.  That was the opposite of the contemporary mainstream, superhero comic books that DC Comics was then publishing, which seemed focused on continuity and internal fictional mythology of the “DC Universe.”  Dakota, the setting of Static, seemed like a real city where people lived real, day to day struggles.  Even with the introduction of superheroes, Dakota felt less like fantasy and more like contemporary urban world.

“The Big Bang” doesn't feel as gritty and real as the original Static.  Still, the year 2020 was marked by the “Black Lives Matter,” anti-police violence, civil rights, and human rights protests that took off in the wake of the death of George Floyd (May 25, 2020), an African-American man murdered by a white police officer.  “The Big Bang” uses the protests of 2020 as its launching point, and that includes the protests of the police-killing of a black woman, Breonna Taylor (March 13, 2020), in her apartment.  So rather than feel real world, “The Big Bang” is connected to the real world, which I think makes its superhero fantasy relevant.

“Milestone Returns: Fandome Preview”

STORY: Reginald Hudlin
PENCILS: Jim Lee; Ryan Benjamin; Denys Cowan; Khoi Pham
INKS: Jim Lee; Ryan Benjamin; Jimmy Palmiotti; Don Ho, Bill Sienkiewicz; Scott Hanna
COLORS: Alex Sinclair; Hi-Fi; Chris Sotomayor
LETTERS: Andworld Design

The second half of Milestone Returns: Infinite Edition Zero reprints the contents of “Milestone Returns: Fandome Preview,” the digital FanDome comic.  “Fandome Preview” is comprised of six vignette segments that act as origin stories or introductions to what will be the core titles of the new Milestone:  Static, Icon and Rocket, and Hardware.

THE LOWDOWN:  Overall, I can say that if you, dear readers, are previously familiar with Milestone Comics, “Milestone Returns: Fandome Preview” will make sense to you, to one extent or another.  That is also the case with “The Big Bang” story.  I did find myself clueless about several aspects of both stories and some characters.  I like the art in both sections, especially anything drawn by the great Denys Cowan, as well as ChrisCross and Ryan Benjamin.

I am ecstatic that Milestone Comics is back.  So you might want to take the following recommendation with a proverbial grain of salt:  buy Milestone Returns: Infinite Edition Zero.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Milestone Comics will want Milestone Returns: Infinite Edition 0.

B+

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


https://twitter.com/DakotaUniverse
http://milestone.media/
https://www.instagram.com/milestone.media/
https://www.dccomics.com/
https://twitter.com/DCComics
https://www.facebook.com/dccomics
https://www.youtube.com/user/DCEntertainmentTV
https://www.pinterest.com/dccomics/
https://www.periscope.tv/DCComics/1ZkKzezXwZdxv


The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: "THE CONJURING 2" is One Hell of a Scary Movie

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 38 of 2021 (No. 1776) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Conjuring 2 (2016)
Running time:  134 minutes (2 hours, 14 minutes)
MPAA – R for terror and horror violence
DIRECTOR:  James Wan
WRITERS:  Chad Hayes, Carey W. Hayes, and James Wan and David Leslie Johnson; from a story by Chad Hayes, Carey W. Hayes, and James Wan (based on characters created by Chad Hayes and Carey W. Hayes)
PRODUCERS:  Rob Cowan, Peter Safran, and James Wan
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Don Burgess
EDITOR:  Kirk M. Morri
COMPOSER:  Joseph Bishara

HORROR

Starring:  Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Madison Wolfe, Frances O'Connor, Lauren Esposito, Benjamin Haigh, Patrick McAuley, Simon McBurney, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Simon Delaney, Frank Potente, Bob Adrian, Robin Atkins Downes, Bonnie Aarons, Javier Botet, Steve Coulter, Abhi Sinha, Daniel Wolfe, and Sterling Jerins

The Conjuring 2 is a 2016 supernatural horror film from director James Wan.  The film is a direct sequel to 2013's The Conjuring and is also the third film in “The Conjuring Universe.”  Like the original film, The Conjuring 2 stars Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as fictional versions of real life, American paranormal investigators, Ed and Lorraine Warren.  In The Conjuring 2, the Warrens travel to North London to help a single mother and her four children who are being plagued by a supernatural spirit.

The Conjuring 2 opens in 1976.  Noted paranormal investigators, Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga), are involved in the investigation of the haunting of the house in Amityville, Long Island, New York, the case that came to be known as “the Amityville Horror.”  During a seance, Lorraine is drawn into a vision where she relives the murders committed in the house by Ronald DeFeo, Jr., in which he killed his mother, father, two brothers, and two sisters.  The spirit of one of the killed children lures Lorraine to the basement, where she encounters a demonic figure that looks like a nun.  Lorraine also witnesses a horrifying fate for her husband, Ed.

The Conjuring moves forward to 1977.  In Ponders End, the southeasternmost part of the London borough of Enfield, there is a council house on Green Street that is the “Hodgson Residence.”  Here, Peggy Hodgson (Frances O'Connor) lives with her four children:  daughters, Margaret (Lauren Esposito) and Janet (Madison Wolfe), and sons, Billy (Benjamin Haigh) and Johnny (Patrick McAuley).  Peggy's husband, Richard, has abandoned them, and she struggles to support her family.

In addition to financial problems, the family has another strange problem.  Janet starts to sleepwalk and to converse in her dreams with an entity in the form of an angry elderly man who sits in the family's armchair, insisting that the Hodgson Residence is really his house.  Eventually, Janet's mother and siblings begin to witness the paranormal events surrounding her.  A media firestorm ensues and a representative of “the church” asks the Warrens to travel to London and to investigate the Hodgsons' claims.  Lorraine, however, fears that this confusing case may cost Ed his life.

As much as I liked The Conjuring, The Conjuring 2 is one of those cases in which the sequel surpasses the original.  The sequel is really scary, and is certainly a superior cinematic ghost story.  Not only is it spine-tingling, but it also made me feel tingling all over my body, especially in my thighs (TMI?).  The Conjuring 2 has some wild scenes that frightened me so much that I felt my butt checks really clinching (again, too much information?)  So, yeah, I'm trying to tell you that The Conjuring 2 is just plain scary.  It scared me so much that I was too afraid to finish it the first time I watched it.

Where I found the sequel to be superior is its emotional component in the form of Ed and Lorraine Warren.  As good as it was in the original film, in the sequel, Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson's screen chemistry is uncannily convincing, at least as I see it.  Their performances seem so genuine and honest that they make their version of the Warrens come across as a real, longtime, loving, married couple.

Farmiga and Wilson make The Conjuring 2 so fresh and surprising, when in many ways, it is like another spin on the really scary 1979 film, The Amityville Horror.  I have confidence that going forward the (dark) fate of The Conjuring film franchise rests in the hands of its (romantic) leads.

8 of 10
A

Thursday, June 3, 2021


The text is copyright © 2021 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 link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the ad below AND buy something(s).

Comics Review: RADIANT BLACK #3

RADIANT BLACK #3
IMAGE COMICS

STORY: Kyle Higgins
ART: Marcelo Costa
COLORS: Marcelo Costa
LETTERS: Becca Carey
EDITOR/DESIGNER: Michael Busuttil
COVER: Marcelo Costa
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Becca Carey; Goñi Montes
28pp, Colors, 3.99 U.S. (April 2021)

Rated “T+/Teen Plus”

“Writing Day”

Radiant Black is a new superhero comic book series from writer Kyle Higgins and artist Marcelo Costa.  The series focuses on a failed writer who discovers a cosmic force that changes his life.  Letterer Becca Carey and designer Michael Busuttil complete the series' creative team.

Radiant Black introduces Nathan Burnett, who just turned thirty-years-old, and things are not going great.  A failed writer (thus far), Nathan leaves Los Angeles and returns home to Lockport, Illinois to live with his parents.  A night on the town with his old pal, Marshall, leads to Nathan unlocking an alien artifact that changes his life.  This new thing seems totally unique, but there is more to it than Nathan can imagine.

As Radiant Black #3 (“Writing Day”) opens, it's time for Nathan to get on that “writing thing.”  It's easier said that done, as Nathan finds himself procrastinating, including paying Marshall a visit at his video store job.  Marshall has been more productive, creating a social media account for “Radiant Black.”  Yes, that's the name he has decided to give Nathan when he wears that alien artifact.

Now, back to writing:  is it too much to ask not to be bothered?  That includes alien voices beaming an unintelligible language into his brain.

THE LOWDOWN:  Radiant Black may the first entry in a new “shared universe” of superhero titles from Image Comics, if what I read on the Internet is true.  That is what initially made me interested in Radiant Black, but after reading issues #2 and #3, I am curious about the title.

Kyle Higgins offers a nice slice-of-life issue in Radiant Black #3, and Marcel Costa's art perfectly conveys all of Nathan's struggles.  Thus far, I think the thing that really sells this title is the focus on who Nathan is and how he struggles with the questions about himself.  Plus, there is a nice moment with some … Radiant Black fans.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans looking for something new with a touch of classic in superhero comic books will want to try Radiant Black.

A

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


https://twitter.com/ImageComics
https://imagecomics.com/
https://radiant.black/
https://twitter.com/KyleDHiggins
https://twitter.com/CostaMarcelo77
https://www.instagram.com/marcelocosta1977/


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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#WandaVision Negromancer Link-o-Rama 2021 - Update #14

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon.

TRAILERS:

From YouTube:  One minute TV trailer released Tuesday, Jan. 12th, 2021

WANDAVISION News: 

6/1 - From RollingStone:   "The Oral History of 'WandaVision.'"

3/5 - From Vox:  SPOILERS! - WandaVision episode 9 finale: Recap and 2 credits scenes, explained

2/26 - From TheWrap:   "WandaVision" just retconned the MCU in a really big way

2/19 - From YahooInsider:   "WandaVision" Episode 7 recap with SPOILERS.

2/10 - From GamesRadar:  Marvel artist shares his design sketches for "Sparkly," the dog from "WandaVision."

2/3 - From YahooLifestyle:   "WandaVision" Fans Think This Leak Might Confirm the Show Will Finally Bring X-Men Into the MCU

From Sideshow:   Watching WandaVision on Disney+? Here’s What Marvel Comics to Read Next

1/26 - From YahooEntertainment:   Paul Bettany Says Major "WandaVision" Actor Hasn’t Been Leaked Yet: "Scenes Are Pretty Intense"

1/22 - MensHealth:   SPOILERS: Monica Rambeau—Also Known as "Geraldine"— Is the Key to Expanding WandaVision's Story

1/22 - From YahooEntertainment:   SPOILERS: "WandaVision" - What you need to know about the bonkers ending of the Marvel show's third episode

1/18 - From GazetteXtra:   A list of comic book stories that might help readers understand what is happening in "WandaVision."

1/14 - From YahooEntertainment:   When Paul Bettany was called in for a meeting at Marvel Studios, he thought he was being fired.  Instead, he was offered a TV show.

1/8 - From THR:  The Marvel Comics titles to read before "WandaVision" arrives.

1/4 - From IndieWire:  Everything you need to know about "WandaVision"

From Wikipedia:  "WandaVision" has a "Wikipedia" page.

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A Negromancer Juneteenth - June 2021 - One Year Free

It was a year ago that my ass did what my mind knew it should do, but would not do.  My ass freed itself and my mind followed.  And along the way, I purged a parasite from my life.  I am not sure of the exact date I left massa house, so it's a modern Juneteenth!

Welcome to June 2021. Welcome to Negromancer 2.0.  This is the rebirth of Negromancer, the former movie review website as a new movie review and movie news site.

Support me on Patreon.

All images and text appearing on this blog are © copyright and/or trademark their respective owners.

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