DC Comics Shipping from Lunar Distributors for January 18, 2022

DC COMICS:

Absolute Fourth World By Jack Kirby Volume 2 HC, $150.00
Aquaman The Becoming #5 (Of 6)(Cover A David Talaski), $3.99
Aquaman The Becoming #5 (Of 6)(Cover B Khary Randolph Card Stock Variant), $4.99
Batman The Knight #1 (Of 10)(Cover A Carmine Di Giandomenico), $4.99
Batman The Knight #1 (Of 10)(Cover B Greg Capullo & Jonathan Glapion Card Stock Variant), $5.99
Batman The Knight #1 (Of 10)(Cover C Gerald Parel Card Stock Variant), AR
Batman The Knight #1 (Of 10)(Cover D Greg Capullo & Jonathan Glapion Foil Variant), AR
Batman The Long Halloween Dark Victory The Deluxe Edition HC, $49.99
Batman Vs Bigby A Wolf In Gotham #5 (Of 6)(Cover A Yanick Paquette), $3.99
Batman Vs Bigby A Wolf In Gotham #5 (Of 6)(Cover B Brian Level & Jay Leisten Card Stock Variant), $4.99
Black Manta #5 (Of 6)(Cover A Jorge Fornes), $3.99
Black Manta #5 (Of 6)(Cover B Sanford Greene Card Stock Variant), $4.99
Blue And Gold #5 (Of 8)(Cover A Ryan Sook), $3.99
Blue And Gold #5 (Of 8)(Cover B Simone Di Meo Peacemaker Card Stock Variant), $4.99
Catwoman #39 (Cover A Jeff Dekal), $3.99
Catwoman #39 (Cover B Jenny Frison Card Stock Variant), $4.99
Catwoman #39 (Cover C Sozomaika Card Stock Variant), AR
Crime Syndicate TP, $17.99
Detective Comics #1049 (Cover A Dan Mora), $4.99
Detective Comics #1049 (Cover B Lee Bermejo Card Stock Variant), $5.99
Detective Comics #1049 (Cover C Jorge Fornes Card Stock Variant), AR
Green Lantern #10 (Cover A Bernard Chang), $4.99
Green Lantern #10 (Cover B Alan Quah Card Stock Variant), $5.99
Icon And Rocket Season One #5 (Of 6)(Cover A Taurin Clarke), $3.99
Icon And Rocket Season One #5 (Of 6)(Cover B Doug Braithwaite Card Stock Variant), $4.99
Looney Tunes #264 (Cover A Derek Fridolfs), $2.99
Nightwing #88 (Cover A Bruno Redondo), $3.99
Nightwing #88 (Cover B Jamal Campbell Card Stock Variant), $4.99
Nightwing #88 (Cover C Bruno Redondo Card Stock Variant), AR
Nubia And The Amazons #4 (Of 6)(Cover A Darryl Banks), $3.99
Nubia And The Amazons #4 (Of 6)(Cover B Brittney Williams Card Stock Variant), $4.99
Robins #3 (Of 6)(Cover A Baldemar Rivas), $3.99
Robins #3 (Of 6)(Cover B Marcus To Card Stock Variant), $4.99
Suicide Squad King Shark #5 (Of 6)(Cover A Trevor Hairsine), $3.99
Suicide Squad King Shark #5 (Of 6)(Cover B Siya Oum Card Stock Variant), $4.99
Suicide Squad King Shark #5 (Of 6)(Cover C Kaare Andrews Peacemaker Card Stock Variant), $4.99
Supergirl Woman Of Tomorrow #7 (Of 8)(Cover A Bilquis Evely), $4.99
Supergirl Woman Of Tomorrow #7 (Of 8)(Cover B Nicola Scott), $4.99
Superman Son Of Kal-El #7 (Cover A John Timms, $3.99
Superman Son Of Kal-El #7 (Cover B Travis Moore Card Stock Variant), $4.99
Wonder Woman #783 (Cover A Terry Dodson & Rachel Dodson), $4.99
Wonder Woman #783 (Cover B Will Murai Card Stock Variant), $5.99
Wonder Woman Evolution #3 (Of 8)(Cover A Mike Hawthorne), $3.99
Wonder Woman Evolution #3 (Of 8)(Cover B Juliet Nneka Card Stock Variant), $4.99

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Comics Review: "KING OF SPIES #2" is an Ass-Pounding Good Read

KING OF SPIES #2 (OF 4)
IMAGE COMICS/Netflix

STORY: Mark Millar
ART: Matteo Scalera
COLORS: Giovanna Niro
LETTERS: Clem Robins
COVER: Matteo Scalera
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Matteo Scalera; Ozgur Yildirim
28pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (January 2022)

Rated M / Mature

King of Spies created by Mark Millar at Netflix

King of Spies is a new four-issue miniseries created and written by Mark Millar.  It focuses on the world's greatest secret agent who has six months to live and won't die quietly in a hospital bed.  Published by Image Comics, King of Spies is drawn by Matteo Scalera; colored by Giovanna Niro; and lettered by Clem Robins.

British secret agent, Roland King, is 65-years-old and has just been diagnosed with Glioblastoma, the most aggressive from of brain cancer.  Facing an unusual, mid-life turned end-of-life crisis, King decides to go to war with the very system that he propped up for 40 years.  Kings, presidents, crooks, and the greedy pigs who treat everything like their personal troughs: King is coming for you.

As King of Spies #2 opens, Roland has begun his war.  There is a list names, people Roland could not touch when he was the golden boy of British intelligence.  These were people so important that the exposure of their crimes and depravities could bring down the system.  Tired of killing the wrong people, Roland is going to start killing the monsters.

While Roland is murdering every crooked politician and spymaster he blames for the world being in the state it is in right now, others have quickly realized that he is behind the killing spree of presidents and prime ministers.  So they put a “Code Black” on his name.  But who can get close enough to Roland to kill him?

THE LOWDOWN:  King of Spies is the fifth original comic book property that Mark Millar has created for Netflix since the media giant bought his comic book company, “Millarworld,” in 2017.  King of Spies is Millar's second comic book set in the world of secret agents, following the Kingsman series that began in 2012 with the miniseries, The Secret Service.

I like the two Kingsman comic book miniseries, but I have no problem saying that after only two issues, King of Spies is the better of Millar's two secret agent kill-fests.  King of Spies proves once again – if it needs proving – that Millar probably writes the best “pop comics.”  For me, a pop comic is the equivalent of a “high concept movie,” which was a big thing in Hollywood film-making in the 1980s and 1990s.  The 1992 Steven Segal hit movie, Under Siege, was described as “Die Hard on a boat.”  That was considered a “high concept.”

King of Spies is “James Bond meets John Wick,” and as a “pop comic,” it is a high-octane adventure with the kind of big action scenes that would look great on widescreen if they were in a movie.  Millar has the perfect collaborator for King of Spies in Matteo Scalera.  His is the kind of graphical storytelling that unleashes pages of kinetic action that carries the readers along on this insane adventure.   Giovanna Niro's colors are perfect for Scalera's art, which needs the glow of a bonfire behind it.  The finishing touch comes from letterer Clem Robins, who dots these pages with sound effects and sharp bursts of dialogue.

I need a cigarette … and the third issue of King of Spies.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Mark Millar and of secret agents will want to read King of Spies.

A+

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


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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: "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #113"

SCOOBY-DOO, WHERE ARE YOU? (2010) #113
DC COMICS – @DCComics

STORY: Ivan Cohen; Terrence Griep Jr.
PENCILS: Valerio Chiola; Anthony Williams
INKS: Valerio Chiola; Jeff Albrecht
COLORS: Valerio Chiola; Paul Becton
LETTERS: Saida Temofonte; Jenna Garcia
EDITORS: Courtney Jordan; Joan Hilty (reprint)
COVER: Derek Fridolfs with Jeremy Lawson
32pp, Color, $2.99 U.S. (February 2022)

Ages 8+

“Unboxing Day”

Welcome, dear readers, to my continuing journey through the Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? comic book series, which began publication in 2010.  I continue to renew my subscription so that I can continue to review this series for you, dear readers.

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #113 opens with “Unboxing Day,” which is written by Ivan Cohen and drawn by Valerio Chiola.  The story finds Mystery Inc.:  Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, Fred, Daphne, and Velma in Cooper's Woods.  They are there to help their friend, DIY television star, “Builder Billy,” and his sister, Betty.  It seems a ghostly dryad, a forest spirit from Greek mythology, is vexing Billy's attempt to build a box fort treehouse.  Can Mystery Inc. solve the mystery of the dryad in time to help Billy and Betty build the treehouse?

The second story, “Elf King Swing” is, as usual, a reprint story and is written by Terrence Greip Jr. and drawn by Anthony Williams and Jeff Albrecht.  [This story was originally published in Scooby-Doo #49 (cover date: August 2001).]  Mystery Inc. is in Germany to help an old chum, Baron von Gerhard a.k.a. “Willie.”  His legacy:  a barony, a dense forest, and Munehof, his family's ancestral home, are being threatened by “The Elf King.”  It is a figure right out of Germany's literary history, and he wants to claim Willie and Mystery Inc. as his own.  Can our heroes solve the mystery of the Elf King and save the von Gerhard legacy.

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? issues #111 and #112 were two of the best issues of this series that I'd read in some time.  Issue #113 is not so hot.  The new story, “Unboxing Day,” does have an interesting angle in the treehouse building, but the dryad does not cut it as a villain, as far as I'm concerned.

The reprint story, “Elf King Swing” does not interest me at all, so it is best that I say nothing.  However, I do want to note that it references “Erlkonig,” the famous poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, concerning a supernatural being that stalks a young boy who is on horseback with his father.

So, I will only recommend Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #113 to people who collect Scooby-Doo comic books.  And until next time, Scooby-Dooby-Doo!

C

[This comic book includes a six-page preview of the original graphic novel, “Superman of Smallville,” by Art Baltazar and Franco.]

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


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Review: New "SCREAM" Will Entertain Scream Fans

[Fans will want to see the entertaining new “Scream” film in movie theaters – right now.  But for everyone else, there is nothing here worth a trip to the local theater.]

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 2 of 2022 (No. 1814) by Leroy Douresseaux

Scream (2022)
Running time:  114 minutes (1 hour, 54 minutes)
MPA – R for strong bloody violence, language throughout and some sexual references
DIRECTORS:  Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett
WRITERS:  James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick (based on characters created by Kevin Williamson)
PRODUCERS:  Paul Neinstein, William Sherak, and James Vanderbilt
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Brett Jutkiewicz (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  Michel Aller
COMPOSER:  Rich Delia

HORROR/MYSTERY/THRILLER

Starring:  Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jack Quaid, Mikey Madison, Marley Shelton, Dylan Minnette, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, Sonia Ammar, Kyle Gallner, Chester Tam, Skeet Ulrich, and Roger L. Jackson (voice)

Scream is a 2022 slasher horror film directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett.  It is the fifth film in the Scream film series, which began with the 1996 film, Scream.  In Scream 2022, a new series of murders forces familiar faces to return to Woodsboro, where they will confront a horrible legacy.

Scream opens twenty-five years after high school pals and serial killers, Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich) and Stu Macher, terrorized the town of Woodsboro as the killer known as “Ghostface.”  Now, Ghostface (voice of Roger L. Jackson) has returned and high school student, Tara Carpenter (Jenna Ortega), is the first victim.  

Informed of the attack on Tara, her estranged sister, Samantha “Sam” Carpenter (Melissa Barrera), returns to Woodsboro with her boyfriend, Richie Kirsch (Jack Quaid), reluctantly along.  Sam is not only troubled by the attack on Tara, but she is also dealing with her shocking connection to one of the original Woodsboro murderers.  With this new Ghostface adding to the body count, Sam turns to an original Woodsboro survivor for help, the reclusive, Dwight “Dewey” Riley (David Arquette).

Although he is initially reluctant to get involved, he contacts two other survivors, Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), and his ex-wife, television host, Gail Weathers (Courteney Cox), to inform them that the killings have started again.  Although she is the center of the new killing spree, is Sam Carpenter willing to stay and fight the killer, or will she simply run away from her past, again?

I'll start of my critique of the new Scream by repeating what I said of 2011's Scream 4.  As a slasher film, Scream 2022 is entertaining.  Ghostface remains a terrific and terrifying horror movie villain, although in the new Scream, he does lots of slashing and stabbing, whereas Scream 4's Ghostface slaughtered his victims to the point that they seemed like butchered meat and offal.  Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, and David Arquette are still the “old reliables,” of this franchise, no matter how old they look or how much plastic surgery they may have had done.  Scream's new cast is, for the most part, pretty good.  As Sam Carpenter, Melissa Barrera seems like she could carry this franchise going forward – at least for two more films.  When the new Scream plays it straight, it is a better-than-average slasher horror film.

Scream 4 was the work of the franchise's original writer, Kevin Williamson, and original director, the late Wes Craven (to whom the new film is dedicated).  Scream 4 was a sequel and essentially a remake of the original 1996 film, but it was critical of two huge cultural changes that had occurred since the first film – Internet celebrity and social media culture.  [Williamson is only an executive producer on the new film.]

The writers and directors have offered in Scream 2022 a film that is a sequel and also a reboot.  This film is intimately connected to the original film, but it essentially reboots Scream with a new cast of both victims and survivors.  The original Scream was self-referential and was also steeped in pop culture, especially concerning horror films.  The new Scream essentially mocks both the idea of film sequels and the fan culture that is obsessed with sequels, prequels, reboots, and every detail concerning their making.

I thought Scream 4's rant against social media and celebrity seemed like the creation of two guys whose aging was putting an every widening gap between them and the core audience for the kind of films they made.  The new Scream seems like the work of dudes who don't appreciate the kind of fans they attract with the kind of the films they make.  In a way, if they can't stand the fan heat, they should get out the slasher film kitchen.

Anyway, I think the motivation behind the Ghostface of the new Scream would have worked better for the Ghostface of Scream 4.  So, I'll say about the new Scream what I said about Scream 4: it is best when it focuses on its great villain (Ghostface) stalking his victims.  For the most part, hardcore fans of this franchise will want to see Scream 2022 in movie theaters.  Anyone else who is interested can wait for on-demand and streaming.

6 of 10
B

Friday, January 14, 2022


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

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from January 9th to 15th, 2022 - Update #23

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

DISNEY+ - From Deadline:  Actor Tim Allen is returning to his popular "The Santa Clause" film franchise. He will star in and executive produce a Disney+ TV series that will act as a sequel to "The Santa Clause" trilogy.

NETFLIX - From Deadline:  Wes Anderson will write and direct a feature adaptation of Roald Dahl's short story, "The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar," for Netflix.  The story was published in Dahl's 1977 collection, "The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More."

CELEBRITY - From Deadline:   Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith’s Westbrook Inc. has acquired full control of German film and TV firm Telepool, including the 50 percent stake previously owned by Swiss financier Elysian Invest.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Writer-director Robert Rodriguez is among a group developing a reboot of the classic masked vigilante character, "Zorro," with the hero now being female instead of male.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Paramount Pictures is remaking director Alfred Hitchcock's "To Catch a Thief" with Gal Gadot as the lead.  Eileen Jones will write the script.

From Deadline:  Michael Sarnoski, who directed last year's acclaimed drama, "Pig" (starring Nicolas Cage), is in negotiations to direct the next "A Quiet Place" film.

STREAMING - From Variety: "Spider-Man: No Way Home" director Jon Watts is one of the producers of a revival of the "Final Distination" horror franchise for HBO Max.

NETFLIX - From Deadline:  Michael Bay, Patrick Hughes, and Gareth Evans' are united to reboot Evan's cult 2011 film, "The Raid," for Netflix.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  The NAACP-CBS Studios venture has announced its first projects.  One of them is a reboot of the 1991 cult comedy, "Soapdish," in which one of the film's star, Whoopi Goldberg, will reprise her role ("Rose Schwartz") from the film.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 1/7 to 1/9/2022 weekend box office is Sony Pictures/Marvel Studios' "Spider-Man: No Way Home" with an estimated take of 33.02 million dollars.

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

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  ABC has renewed "Grey's Anatomy" for a 19th season. Ellen Pompeo has signed a deal to return as the show's title character, Meredith Grey.

PIXAR/DISNEY+ - From Deadline:  Pixar's "Turning Red" will be the third straight Pixar Animation Studio film to skip theaters and go straight to Disney+.  The other two were "Soul" (2020) and "Luca" (2021).

OBITS:

From Variety:  American television host, stand-up comedian, and actor, Bob Saget, has died at the age of 65, Sunday, January 9, 2022.  Saget was best known for playing the role of widowed father, "Danny Tanner," in the ABC sitcom, "Full House" (1987-95).

From Deadline:  Actor and television executive, Dwayne Hickman, has died at the age of 87, Sunday, January 9, 2022.  Hickman was best remembered for starring as "Dobie Gillis," the eternally romantic teen in the former CBS TV series, "The Many Loves of Dobie Gills" (1959-62).  Hickman was also a programming executive at CBS from 1977 to 1988, and from 1989 to 1996, he directed episodes of various television sitcoms.

From Deadline: American songwriter and lyricist, Marilyn Bergman, has died at the age of 93, Saturday, January 8, 2022.  She was best known for her partnership with her husband, Alan Bergman.  The duo won two “Best Song” Oscars: “The Windmills of Your Mind” from “The Thomas Crown Affair” (1968) and the title song for “The Way We Were” (1973). They won an Oscar for “Best Original Song Score” for “Yentl” (1983).  The two also won four Primetime Emmy Awards and a Grammy Award for “Song of the Year” for “The Way We Were.”

From Deadline:  American television director, Dick Carson, died at the age of 92, Sunday, December 19, 2021.  He was nominated for the Daytime Emmy 12 times and won five of them, mostly for his work on "The Merv Griffin Show" and "Wheel of Fortune."  Dick was also the younger brother of television legend, the late Johnny Carson."  Dick also directed several episode of "The Tonight Show," including episodes of the series before his brother became the host.

SIDNEY POITIER - From Variety:  Oscar-winner Halle Berry pens tribute to Sidney Poitier, "An Angel Watching Over All of Us."

From Deadline:  Former President Barack Obama pays tribute to Oscar winner, the late Sidney Poitier, who died Thurs., Jan. 6th, 2022.

From Variety:   "Why Sidney Poitier Is the Most Important Actor in American History" by Steven Gaydos

From Deadline:  Star tributes continue to pour in for Sidney Poitier.

From Deadline:  This is the site's Sidney Poitier (1927-2022) page.

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AWARDS:

From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2022 / 28th Screen Actors Guild Awards have been announced.

From Variety:  The snubs and surprises in the nominations for the 28th Screen Actors Guild Awards.

From Variety:   At the 2022 / 79th Golden Globes, "The Power of the Dog" wins "Best Motion Picture-Drama" and "West Side Story" wins "Best Motion Picture-Musical or Comedy."

From Variety:  The National Society of Film Critics names the Japanese film, "Drive My Car," the best film of 2021.

From AwardsWatch:  The nominations for the 22nd Annual Black Reel Awards were announced a few weeks ago. Netflix's Black Western, "The Harder They Fall," has a record 20 nominations.  The winners will be announced February 27, 2022.

From AwardsWatch:  The Columbus Film Critics Association announced the nominations for their annual film awards.  Director Jane Campion's "The Power of the Dog" leads with 12 noms.  The winners will be announced Thurs., Jan. 6th, 2022.

From Deadline:  The Los Angeles Film Critics Association has named the Japanese film, "Drive My Car," the "Best Picture" of 2021.

From Deadline:  The 2022 / 37th annual Film Independent Spirit Awards have announced their nominations. "Zola" leads with six nominations. The winners will be announced Sun., March 6, 2022.

From THR:  The 2022 / 79th Golden Globes Awards nominations have been announced.  "Belfast" and "The Power of the Dog" lead with seven nominations each.  Winners will be announced Jan. 9th, 2022.

From GoldDerby:   The 2022 Critics Choice Awards nominations have been announced. "Belfast" and "West Side Story" leads with 11 nominations each. Winners will be announced Jan. 9th, 2022.

From Deadline:   The American Film Institute announced the "2021 AFI Awards" Top 10 list, and the list includes "Dune," "The Tragedy of Macbeth," and "West Side Story."

From THR:  Director Aleem Khan's "After Love" tops the 2021 British Independent Film Awards, winning six awards, including "Best Film of 2021."

From Variety:   The New York Film Critics Circle has named the Japanese drama, "Drive My Car," as the "Best Film of 2021."

From Deadline:  The National Board of Review hands director Paul Thomas Anderson's "Licorice Pizza" it "Best Film" and "Best Director" awards.  Will Smith picks up the "Best Actor" award for "King Richard."

From THR:  Netflix’s "The Lost Daughter," directed by actress Maggie Gyllenhaal, dominated the 2021 Gotham Awards in New York on Monday night (Nov. 29th).  The film won in four of the five categories in which it was nominated, including "Best Feature."

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"RUST" ACCIDENTAL SHOOTING DEATH:

From Deadline:  This link will take you to Deadline's Halyna Hutchins page, which articles related to everything about her shooting death on the set of the Western film, "Rust."

From Deadline:   Alec Baldwin has finally turned over his cell phone to police for their probe into the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Baldwin's Western film, "Rust," last October in New Mexico.

From Variety:  One of the producers of tragic Western film, Rust, Emily Salveson, pushes tax shelters and hid income.

From THR:  "I let go of the hammer and 'Bang,' the gun goes off" says Alec Baldwin says in his first interview of the moment when a gun he was holding accidentally killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the Western film, "Rust."

From Deadline:  Alec Baldwin will sit down with ABC's news-reading clown George Stephanopoulos for a one hour special tomorrow night to talk about what happened on the set of the movie "Rust."  It will be Baldwin’s first extensive interview about the shooting.

From Deadline:  Industry veteran, Thall Reed, the father of Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer on the Western, "Rust," may have handed the police a tip on why the film's cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, was shot to death on the set.

From THR:  A search warrant affidavit filed Tuesday for a prop shop sheds light on how alleged live ammunition ended up on the set of the Western film, "Rust," where cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed in October.

From Deadline:  A month after cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, was shot and killed on the New Mexico set the movie Western, "Rust," by a prop gun “discharged” by Alec Baldwin, those closest to the cinematographer held a private ceremony and interred her ashes at an unknown location.

From Deadline:  Actor Daniel Baldwin defends his brother, Alec Baldwin, in the accidental shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film, "Rust."  "Someone loaded that gun improperly," Daniel says.

From Deadline:  The newest lawsuit involving the tragic shooting on the set of the Western film, "Rust," has been filed by the film's script supervisor, Mamie Mitchell, against Alec Baldwin, the producers, the production company, armorer Hanna Gutierrez Reed, and others.

From Deadline:  Serge Svetnoy, the gaffer on "Rust," has filed a lawsuit against several parties related to the film, including the production, the financiers, star Alec Baldwin, armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed, and first Assistant Director David Halls.

From THR:   In the wake of the tragic accidental shooting on the set of his film, "Rust," Alec Baldwin on Monday took to social media to urge Hollywood to employ a police officer on every film and TV set that uses guns.

From THR:   The budget for "Rust" - Alec Baldwin was set to earn $150,000 as lead actor and $100,000 as producer, while $7,913 was earmarked for armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed and $17,500 was set aside for the rental of weapons and $5,000 for rounds.

From Deadline:  Attorneys for Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer on the set of the film, "Rust," said that they’re looking into whether a live bullet was placed in a box of dummy rounds with the intent of  “sabotaging the set.”

From THR:   Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer on the film, "Rust," released a statement through her lawyers.  She says she had “no idea where the live rounds came from” that were recovered by the Santa Fe County Sheriff's during the investigation of the accidental on-set shooting death of Halyna Hutchins.

From Jacobin:  An opinion piece says that cinematographer Halyna Hutchins' death on the set of the film, "Rust," was not a freak accident, but was about Alec Baldwin and his fellow producers' cost-cutting decisions.  Baldwin accidentally fired the gun that killed Hutchins.

From Deadline:   Two of executive producers on "Rust," Allen Cheney and Emily Salveson, disavow responsibility for the film's troubled production.

From THR:   Iconic "Ghostbusters" actor Ernie Hudson is reeling from the news of the death of Halyna Hutchins, like the rest of Hollywood. Hudson also appeared in the film, "The Crow," the film in which its star, Brandon Lee, was killed because of an on-set accidental shooting.  He also agrees with the call to ban real guns from movie sets.

From THR:  The Sheriff of Sante Fe County says that his office has recovered three guns and 500 rounds of ammunition from the set of the movie "Rust" where cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed.

From Deadline:  Regarding criminal charges in the death of Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film "Rust," District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altweis, "all options are on the table - no one has been ruled out."

From THR:  Does Hollywood Need Guns? Will new regulations lead to an overreactions to a tragedy.

From Deadline:   "Rust" producers have opened an internal investigation into the fatal shooting on the set of the Western film.  They have hired outside lawyers to conduct interviews with the film's production crew.

From Deadline:  "Rust's" AD (assistant director), Dave Halls, has come under scrutiny in the wake of the on-set shooting death of the film's cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins.

From Deadline:  The affidavit of Sante Fe Sheriff's Department Detective Joel Cano has been made public. It can be read at "Deadline."  The affidavit was for a search warrant from the property were the Western, "Rust," was being filmed.

From THR:  The production company behind "Rust" has shut the film down until the police investigation into the fatal, on-set shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins is through.  The Sante Fe County Sheriff's Office has also revealed a timeline of the shooting.

From Deadline:  The Santa Fe Sheriff’s Department confirmed Thursday night that Alec Baldwin “discharged” a prop gun on the New Mexico set of the movie, "Rust."  As a result, one crew member, director of photography Halyna Hutchins, was killed and director Joel Souza was injured and remains in a local hospital - his condition unknown.

From THR:  "Rust" director, Joel Souza, who was wounded in the accidental on-set shooting, says that he is "gutted" by the death of his cinematographer on the film, Halyna Hutchins.

From Deadline:  The fatal shooting on the set of "Rust" may have been "recorded" according to detective for Santa Fe Sheriff's Department.

From Deadline:  The production company behind the film, "Rust," will launch an internal safety review after the fatal accident that killed Halyna Hutchins; possible prior gun incidents; and a camera crew walkout.

From CNN:   Crew member yelled "cold gun" as he handed Alec Baldwin prop weapon, court document shows.

From Variety:  Actor Alec Baldwin releases statement on the death of Halyna Hutchins: "There are no words to convey my shock and sadness."

From Variety:  The prop gun that killed “Rust” cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza on during an on-set accident on Thursday contained a “live single round,” according to an email sent by IATSE Local 44 to its membership.

Comics Review: "NOCTERRA Blacktop Bill Special" is Kinda Special

NOCTERRA BLACKTOP BILL SPECIAL
IMAGE COMICS/Best Jacket Press

STORY: Scott Snyder and Tony S. Daniel
PENCILS: Denys Cowan
INKS: Kent Williams
COLORS: Chris Sotomayor
LETTERS: Andworld Design
EDITOR: Will Dennis
COVER: Tony S. Daniel with Marcelo Maiolo
VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Denys Cowan
28pp, Colors, 3.99 U.S. (January 2022)

Rated “M/ Mature”

“Blacktop Bill Origins” Part One: “Hall of Mirrors”

Nocterra is a horror and science fiction comic book series from writer Scott Snyder and artist Tony S. Daniel.  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.

Nocterra's most terrifying creature is “Blacktop Bill,” whose body is bonded with a matrix of carbon nanotubes.  His origin story is the subject of a new special one-shot comic book, Nocterra Blacktop Bill Special.  It is written by Snyder and Daniel; drawn by Denys Cowan (pencils) and Kent Williams (inks); colored by Chris Sotomayor; and lettered by Andworld Design.

Nocterra Blacktop Bill Special opens somewhere in Florida.  That is where we meet “Blacktop Bill,” the so-called “hitman of hitmen,” But when it comes to killing, for Bill, there is work and then, there are “passion kills.”  Was Nocterra's most terrifying creature a monster before the “Big PM?”

THE LOWDOWN:  In Nocterra #4, on page 13 of the story, Mother Hubbard (at the “Hub Cap”) and Bea Bellweather (in Luxville, Colorado) are having a conversation over a private channel.  Bellweather wants to know the history of Blacktop Bill, and Mother starts telling what he has heard...

Nocterra Blacktop Bill Special is that story, the origin of Blacktop Bill.  I am a fan of Nocterra, one of the best new comic books of 2021, and I am a longtime fan of Denys Cowan, the artist for this special.  Writer Scott Snyder offers what seems like a folk tale side-story to Nocterra, and Cowan's art has a surreal, freestyle quality.

Honestly, I enjoyed it only a little, but I expected more.  Maybe, that's the problem.  Considering that I like Nocterra and that I am a fan of Cowan, I expected something bigger … or perhaps, better...  However, I also see it as the first of something more to come – maybe, something bigger.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Scott Snyder and Tony S. Daniel's Nocterra will want Nocterra Blacktop Bill Special.

[This comic book contains a seven-page preview of the comic book series, “Monkey Meat,” by Juni Ba.]

B-

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


https://twitter.com/Ssnyder1835
https://tonydaniel.bigcartel.com/
https://twitter.com/andworlddesign
https://twitter.com/ImageComics
https://imagecomics.com/


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: "THE SCORCHED #1" is Off to a Hot Start

THE SCORCHED #1
IMAGE COMICS

STORY: Sean Lewis; Todd McFarlane (additional dialogue)
ART: Stephen Segovia; Paulo Siqueira
COLORS: Ulises Arreola; Nikos Koutsis
LETTERS: Andworld Design (King Spawn)
EDITOR: Thomas Healy
COVER:  Puppeteer Lee
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Todd McFarlane with FCO Plascencia; Brett Booth and Todd McFarlane with FCO Plascencia; Greg Capullo and Jonathan Glapion with Dave McCaig; Don Aguillo; Marc Silvestri and Todd McFarlane with Peter Steigerwald; Ryan Stegman and Todd McFarlane with Peter Steigerwald
56pp, Color, $5.99 U.S. (January 2022)

Rated: “T/ Teen”

Spawn created by Todd McFarlane

Spawn is a superhero/antihero character that stars in the long-running comic book series, Spawn.  Created by writer-artist Todd McFarlane, Spawn first appeared in Spawn #1 (cover dated: May 1992).

Spawn was Albert Francis “Al” Simmons.  A career military man who becomes a highly capable assassin and dies a violent death.  He makes a deal with the devil, Malebolgia, in order to return to the living realm to see his wife one last time.  However, Al returns with almost no memories accept that his name is Al Simmons, and he learns that he is now a “Hellspawn” in service of Malebolgia.  Rebelling, Al Simmons, now “Spawn,” finds a new purpose in stopping evil.

Back in February 2021, Todd McFarlane announced his plans to build a larger, multi-character, interconnected, comic book universe based around his Spawn comic book – a “Spawn Universe.”  McFarlane also announced four new comic book titles coming out in 2021, with three of them continuing as regular monthly titles.  The last of the three monthly titles, The Scorched, has arrived.

The Scorched is written by Sean Lewis; drawn by Stephen Segovia and Paulo Siqueira; colored by Ulises Arreola and Nikos Koutsis; and lettered by Andworld Design.  The Scorched features the debut of the “Spawn Universe's” first superhero team.

The Scorched #1 opens somewhere in Russia.  Medieval Spawn, Gunslinger Spawn, Jessica Priest/She-Spawn, and Redeemer are trying to save two young women, Odessa Turgnev and Natasha Gorky, from the clutches of Russian Colonel Kruschev.

Before this, however, see how Spawn brought them together.  Or did he?  Who made whom?  Plus, Gunslinger Spawn takes on the “Locust Rangers” in Crowheart, Wyoming.  And Al and Terry argue and debate, again.

THE LOWDOWN:  I read Spawn #1 back in 1992, and I had mixed feelings about it.  Yet I was a fan and followed the series for another five or six years.  I've always expected more of it...

2021 saw the expansion of the Spawn publishing line and the full birth of the “Spawn Universe.”  Writer Sean Lewis is emerging in this new era as the most consequential writer of Spawn comic books since the creator-master himself, Todd McFarlane.  McFarlane's storytelling is full of craziness, in the tradition of classic comic book weirdness and in the vein of the madness that was and is Robert E. Howard.  Lewis embraces that craziness and, using his own inventive turns, delivers high-octane fight comics, dark fantasy violence, and edgy, angry character drama.  It wouldn't be Spawn without some monsters and some edgy people.

The art team of Stephen Segovia and Ulises Arreola and the team of Paulo Siqueira and Nikos Koutsis each deliver in a solid way, and the latter's textured illustrations and painterly colors stand out.  Andworld Design's matter-of-fact lettering delivers the real foot up the ass to your imagination.  The Scorched #1 is an excellent start and is the kind of first issue that will bring readers back for more of … whatever craziness is to come.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Spawn will want to read The Scorched.

[This comic book includes four back-up stories and “Spawning Ground” Presents “The Breakdown,” in which Todd McFarlane looks back at the beginning and at the year's covers.]

A-

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


https://twitter.com/Todd_McFarlane
https://mcfarlane.com/
https://twitter.com/ImageComics
https://imagecomics.com/


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).