Comics Review: Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #114

SCOOBY-DOO, WHERE ARE YOU? (2010) #114
DC COMICS

STORY: Sholly Fisch; Alex Simmons
PENCILS: Valerio Chiola; Robert Pope
INKS: Valerio Chiola; Scott McRae
COLORS: Valerio Chiola; Heroic Age
LETTERS: Saida Temofonte; Travis Lanham
EDITORS: Courtney Jordan; Michelle Siglain (reprint)
COVER: Derek Fridolfs with Jeremy Lawson
32pp, Color, $2.99 U.S. (April 2022)

Ages 8+

“Jailhouse Shock”

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? #114 opens with “Jailhouse Shock,” which is written by Sholly Fisch and drawn by Valerio Chiola.  The story finds Mystery Inc.:  Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, Fred, Daphne, and Velma  at a local police station, after closing their most recent case involving bank fraud and someone masquerading as a Yeti.

Before they can leave, they learn from Sarge, the head of the station, that the building is being haunted.  The haunt is none other than the ghost of the notorious early twentieth century bank robber, Muggsy Derringer, who claims to want revenge.  The real Muggsy, however, was hunted down a century ago in Chicago, so why would his ghost be haunting this police station?  It is up to the gang to find out?

The second story, “Dead & Let Spy” is, as usual, a reprint story and is written by Alex Simmons and drawn by Robert Pope and Scott McRae.  [This story was originally published in Scooby-Doo #106 (cover date: May 2006).]  Mystery Inc. is meeting the spymaster “G,” who wants the gang to help his nephew, J.Z. Bang, a teen secret agent.

J.Z. is used to dealing with spies and secret agents, but his latest adversary, a freelance agent called “Cadaver,” uses spooky tricks, such as employing monsters and ghouls.  The teen secret agent is trying to gather the ten pieces of a new invention created by the eccentric Dr. Ooh.  He needs help fighting off a menagerie of creeps that look as if they are a rogues gallery from a horror film festival.  Are the monster-hunting talents of Mystery Inc. just want J.Z. Bang needs?

The funniest thing about “Jailhouse Shock” is that Mystery Inc. knows from the beginning that the ghost of Muggsy Derringer is a fake.  Well, at least Shaggy and Scooby-Doo are willing to sell the idea that they are facing a real ghost.  While Sholly Fisch's story is funny, I still haven't bought into Valerio Chiola as an appropriate artist for a Scooby-Doo comic book.  He draws the Mystery Inc. characters well enough, but all the other character are awkwardly drawn.

“Dead & Let Spy,” the reprint tale, is a better story and it is also drawn by one of the better Scooby-Doo comic book artists, Robert Pope, inked here by Scott McRae.  Pope's graphical storytelling is fast paced, from beginning to end, and he offers an impressive menagerie of monsters.  The monsters J.Z. Bang faces include the classic Scooby-Doo creep, the Yeti, which first appeared in “Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!” (1969-70) Season One, Episode 17 as the “Snow Ghost.”  I think writer Alex Simmons has come up with a scenario that would make a nice Scooby-Doo graphic novel and perhaps, be excellent source material for an animated Scooby-Doo film.

B

[This comic book includes a six-page preview of the original graphic novel, “Teen Titans Go! DC Super Hero Girls: Exchange Students!” by Amy Wolfram and Agnes Garbowska.]

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


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TRAILER: Disney+ Releases "Introducing Moon Knight" Video Featurette

The latest Marvel Studios series, MOON KNIGHT, starts streaming March 30th on Disney+.  The video featurette below about the series is entitled, "Introducing Moon Knight":

Disney+ Releases First "Obi-Wan Kenobi" Teaser Trailer

 

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Disney+ Debuts Brand-New Teaser Trailer For ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’

TUESDAY, MARCH 9, 2022 -- Disney+ released the teaser trailer for Obi-Wan Kenobi, giving fans an exciting first look at the highly anticipated limited series, which launches exclusively on the streaming service on May 25, 2022.

The story begins 10 years after the dramatic events of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, in which Obi-Wan Kenobi faced his greatest defeat—the downfall and corruption of his best friend and Jedi apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, who turned to the dark side as evil Sith Lord Darth Vader.

The series stars Ewan McGregor, reprising his role as the iconic Jedi Master, and also marks the return of Hayden Christensen in the role of Darth Vader. Joining the cast are Moses Ingram, Joel Edgerton, Bonnie Piesse, Kumail Nanjiani, Indira Varma, Rupert Friend, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Sung Kang, Simone Kessell, and Benny Safdie.

Obi-Wan Kenobi is directed by Deborah Chow and executive-produced by Kathleen Kennedy, Michelle Rejwan, Deborah Chow, Ewan McGregor, and Joby Harold.

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Comics Review: "KING OF SPIES #4" - "The Best from the Best

KING OF SPIES #4 (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
42pp, Color, $5.99 U.S. (March 2022)

Rated M / Mature

King of Spies created by Mark Millar at Netflix

King of Spies is a 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, Sir 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.

King of Spies #4 opens in the past – a sort of origin of Roland's relationship with his ex-wife, Ornella, and especially with his son, Atticus.  Present day, Roland is riddled with bullets and dying, but in his time of greatest need, an old love has returned to nurse him back to life.

Yes, King has escaped his now adult son, Atticus, who is leading the mission to kill him.  Foiled again, King's old bosses decide to play dirty.  It is Roland's self-assigned final mission:  murdering all the men and women in high office that he knows are to blame for the absolute mess the world has become.  But to do this will cost Roland everything, even if it gives everything to the people he hurt long ago.

THE LOWDOWN:  Mark Millar's fifth original comic book property for Netflix, King of Spies, comes to an explosive and shocking conclusion.  It is impressive that Millar delivered one killer spy comic book series, the Kingsman series, beginning with 2012's The Secret Service.  However, it is more impressive that Millar actually delivers a second one, this amazing King of Spies.

Artist Matteo Scalera's supremely skillful graphical storytelling and brilliantly designed compositions and pages made King of Spies fly as high as any action movie.  King of Spies #4 reveals Scalera's deft and subtle touch with genuine emotion and love.  The rekindling of Roland's former love interest is poignant and painful, as Scalera depicts the wrenching reality of what the relationship was and the heartbreaking possibilities of what that relationship could have been.  Giovanna Niro's colors and Clem Robins' letters complete the beautiful graphics package that is this fourth and final issue, as they did for the previous issues.

Mark Millar could have rested on his laurels.  After all, by the time Millar sold Millarworld to Netflix, he already had an extensive backlist of creator-owned publications.  Those comic books yielded an impressive library of intellectual property.  Many comic book creators have cashed in on a big Hollywood sale of one comic book property and rested on that laurel.  Now an executive at one of the planet's most influential and powerful media companies, Mark could have relaxed.

Yet, Millar is actually still writing comic books, and not just any kind of comic books.  He is delivering (forgive me) kick-ass titles like King of Spies, which offers a clever, shocking, and pleasing ending.  Best of all, King of Spies #4 assures that the series will be an evergreen of the spy genre – good now and still good by the time EON Productions names its next James Bond … and the next...

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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Comics Review: "ELVIRA MEETS VINCENT PRICE #5" is a Lovely Send Off

ELVIRA MEETS VINCENT PRICE #5
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: David Avallone
ART: Juan Samu
COLORS: Walter Pereyra
LETTERS: Taylor Esposito with Elizabeth Sharland
EDITOR: Joseph Rybandt
COVER: Dave Acosta
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Dave Acosta; Juan Samu; Anthony Marques and J. Bone
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (March 2022)

Rated Teen+

Chapter Five: “Final Girl Lost”

In 1981, actress and model Cassandra Peterson created the “horror hostess character,” known as “Elvira.”  Elvira gradually grew in popularity and eventually became a brand name.  As Elvira, Peterson endorsed many products and became a pitch-woman, appearing in numerous television commercials throughout the 1980s.

Elvira also appeared in comic books, beginning in 1986 with the short-lived series from DC Comics, Elvira's House of Mystery, which ran for eleven issues and one special issue (1987).  Eclipse Comics and Claypool Comics began the long-running Elvira: Mistress of the Dark from 1993 to 2007.  In 2018, Elvira returned to comic books via Dynamite Entertainment in the four-issue comic book miniseries, Elvira Mistress of the Dark, that actually ran for 12 issues.

Vincent Price (1911–1993) was an American actor and a legendary movie star.  Price was and still is best known for his performances in horror films, although his career spanned other genres.  Price appeared in more than 100 films, but he also performed on television, the stage, and on radio.  Thus, he has two stars on the “Hollywood Walk of Fame,” one for motion pictures and one for television.

Elvira and Vincent Price team up for the first time in the comic book miniseries, Elvira Meets Vincent Price.  The series is written by David Avallone; drawn by Juan Samu; colored by Walter Pereyra; and lettered by Taylor Esposito with Elizabeth Sharland.  The series found Elvira and Price searching for a long-lost cult movie, “Rise of the Ram,” and trying to save the world from destruction at the hands of the ancient Egyptian god, Amun-Ra.

Elvira Meets Vincent Price #5 (“Final Girl Lost”) opens somewhere in Hollywood.  In the wake of saving the world from whack-ass Egyptian gods, Elvira and Vincent are enjoying a night of board games.  Then, Elvira gets an urgent call from her agent.

A friend, Darlanne Wing, a “scream queen” actress, is missing, and the leading suspect is horror movie mogul, Stanley Saliva.  Saliva, who produces “The Crawling Creep” films, in which Darlanne stars, has been stalking her for some time.  So Elvira and Vincent join forces again and travel to Saliva's creepy mansion.  To find Darlanne, the duo will to literally break the fourth wall and enter the world of a slasher movie.  Can Elvira and Vincent save Darlanne and themselves before Vincent has to depart for the spirit world?

THE LOWDOWN:  In July 2021, Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department began providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is Elvira Meets Vincent Price #5, which is the fifth issue of the series that I have read and one of many Dynamite Elvira comic books that I have thoroughly enjoyed.

Well, all good things must come to an end, although whenever one David Avallone Elvira series disappears, another is just around the corner.  This time around, however, it is a little bittersweet.  Elvira Meets Vincent Price reminded me of how much I miss Vincent Price, who has been dead for a little over three decades.  From time to time, I'll see a genre film or television series, and I'll suddenly think that Vincent would be wonderful in it.

This final issue is filled with Avallone's sparkling dialogue and zany antics.  Juan Samu draws it all in a lovely mercurial graphical storytelling style that is part comic horror and part bromance.  Walter Pereyra's colors add a lovely vintage touch to the art and storytelling.  All of it is nicely wrapped up in a lettering bow by Taylor Esposito and Elizabeth Sharland.

Elvira Meets Vincent Price is a winner, and as Avallone tells us inside the story, the trade collection of this series will be here sometime in the near future.  It is a chance to relive the series or discover its golden touch.  My slight sadness is tempered by the fact that there is another series headed our way.  Dynamite, Elvira, and an Avallone-led creative team are comic book platinum.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Elvira and of Vincent Price and of David Avallone's Elvira comic books will want to read Elvira Meets Vincent Price.

A

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


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Comics Review: "DRACULINA #2" is a Tight Second Issue

DRACULINA, VOLUME 1 #2
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Christopher Priest
ART: Michael Sta. Maria
COLORS: Ivan Nunes
LETTERS: Willie Schubert
EDITOR: Matt Idelson
COVER: Collette Turner
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Rose Besch; Guillem March; Rafael Kayanan; Rachta; Jamie Biggs; Ergun Gunduz; Michael Sta. Maria; Panda (cosplay)
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (March 2022)

Rated Teen+

“The Tower”: “90 Hours in San Francisco” Book Two

Draculina is a Vamperilla comic book character.  She first appeared in Vampirella #2 (cover date: November 1969) and was likely created by Vampirella's creator, Forest J. Ackerman.  Draculina was depicted as Vampirella's younger or twin sister.

Draculina gets her own comic book series, Draculina Volume 1, a spin off of the comic book series, Sacred Six.  It is written by Sacred Six writer, Christopher Priest; drawn by Michael Sta. Maria; colored by Ivan Nunes; and lettered by Willie Schubert.  The series focuses on Draculina, a woman who finds that she is of two natures, and one wants revenge on everyone who ever did her wrong, including that pesky other identity.

Draculina Volume 1 #2 (“The Tower”) opens in San Francisco where a rat and a detective talk about the sleeping Katie.  Who is Katie?  Who is her other identity, Draculina?  What is the Dark World?

Draculina's origin begins centuries ago in an ancient tower, where her mother, Lilith, made a desperate deal with Belial to bear his children.  Now, Draculina's human alter-ego, Katie, lays dying, while Draculina plums the depths of the girl's past.  To make matters worse, someone is trying to regain control over someone else.

THE LOWDOWN:  In July 2021, Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department began providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is Draculina Volume 1 #2, which is the second time I've read any story involving this character.

Writer Christopher Priest has fashioned a great read in Draculina, but readers will have to put forth some effort for the enjoyment.  Draculina hops across times and settings practically every time the reader changes pages.  The result might be a little confusion, but Priest is giving readers a detailed look at a number of fascinating supporting characters.

The art by Michael Sta. Maria and the smooth coloring by Ivan Nunez deliver strong graphical storytelling, not to mention some pretty comic book art.  It makes Draculina a must read for fans of the Vampirella universe.  The best thing that Priest Sta. Maria do is make Draculina stand out on its own; it does not seem like a spin-off title.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Vampirella characters and of writer Christopher Priest will want to try Draculina Volume 1.

A

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


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Comics Review: "EVIL ERNIE Volume 3 #4" - The Gang's All Here

EVIL ERNIE VOLUME 3 #4
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Scott Lobdell
ART: Ariel Medel
COLORS: Candice Han
LETTERS: Dave Sharpe
EDITOR: Joseph Rybandt
COVER: Arthur Suydam
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Arthur Suydam; Philip Tan; Jamie Biggs; Meghan Hetrick; Stuart Sayger
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (March 2022)

Rated Teen+

Evil Ernie created by Brian Pulido and Steven Hughes

Evil Ernie is a super-villain fictional character created by writer Brian Pulido and the late artist Steven Hughes.  He first appeared in Eternity Comics' Evil Ernie #1 (cover dated: December 1991).  Evil Ernie was Ernest Fairchild, a boy who became an undead psychotic killer.

Evil Ernie is now the property of Dynamite Entertainment.  The character gets a new comic book series in Evil Ernie Volume 3.  It is written by Scott Lobdell; drawn by Ariel Medel; colored by Candice Han; and lettered by Dave Sharpe.  The new series focuses on Ernest Gleckman, a good kid who, after being mortally wounded, must “pay down his new lease on life” by serving as a part time fixer for a death cult.  Of course, he must also serve Evil Ernie.

As Evil Ernie Volume 3 #4 opens, Ernest's friend, Candace, is in the killing hands of Evil Ernie.  Candace is momentarily able to summon Ernest so that he can regain control, but Ernie is hard to keep down.  Whoa!

More evil people and beings are arriving by the second.  First, an old rival of Ernie's tries to destroy Potsdam, New York by blowing up the local damn.  Then, the boss of them both arrives...

THE LOWDOWN:  In July 2021, Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department began providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is Evil Ernie Volume 3 #4, which is the fourth Evil Ernie comic book that I have ever read.

Writer Scott Lobdell has made Evil Ernie Volume 3 not so much a horror comic book as it is a horror-comedy or comic-horror in the tradition of Sam Raimi's “Evil Dead” film series.  Each issue is a delight to read, and Ariel Medel's energetic art and storytelling brings Lobdell's wacky violence to life.  Candace Han's sharp colors make the heaping helpings of gore jump right out at the reader.

I didn't expect much from Evil Ernie Volume 3, but this fourth issue makes me think that it is not only good, but that it might also be a title that could be around for awhile.  The best thing that I can say about Evil Ernie is that I really enjoy reading it.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Evil Ernie will want to read Evil Ernie Volume 3.

A-

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


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