Tuesday, March 29, 2022

Comics Review: "THE MAGIC ORDER 2 #6" - the Finale That Kills

THE MAGIC ORDER 2 #6 (OF 6)
IMAGE COMICS/Netflix

STORY: Mark Millar
ART: Stuart Immonen
COLORS: David Curiel
LETTERS: Clem Robins
COVER: Stuart Immonen
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Stuart Immonen; Greg Tocchini
36pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (April 2022)

Rated M / Mature

The Magic Order created by Mark Millar at Netflix


The Magic Order 2 is a six-issue comic book miniseries written by Mark Millar and drawn by Stuart Immonen.  It is a sequel to The Magic Order, a 2018-19 miniseries written by Mark Millar and drawn by Olivier Coipel.  The Magic Order is a group of sorcerers, magicians, and wizards that protects humanity from darkness and from monsters of impossible sizes.  Colorists David Curiel and Sunny Gho and letterer Clem Robins complete the creative team of the current series.

The Magic Order 2 finds The Magic Order and its new leader, Cordelia Moonstone (an “escapologist”), caught in a turf war.  Their adversaries are Victor Korne and his group of Eastern European warlocks whose ancestors the Order once banished.

The Magic Order 2 #6 opens and it seems as if Victor Korne has won.  He has used the ancient Egyptian talisman, the Stone of Thoth, to summon the creature, Othoul-Endu, from the “Outer Dark.”  With the creature's power, Korne can think anything and it will happen.

A wayward son and a child will ride to the Order's rescue.  But for the Order, nothing will be the same … even if they survive.

THE LOWDOWN:  As I wrote in my reviews of the fourth and fifth issues:  with each issue, The Magic Order 2 surpasses it predecessor.  That is quite the accomplishment, as the first miniseries, The Magic Order, was and is awesome, but the imagination of Mark Millar is like a magic wand.  Now, The Magic Order 2 #6 closes this great series.

I feel comfortable saying that The Magic Order series is the best English-language, magical fantasy comic book franchise of the moment.  Walt Disney Pictures and Marvel Studios may indeed deliver a gem in its upcoming film, Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, but Marvel Comics' Doctor Strange comic book...  Well, don't believe the hype.  Steve Ditko's Doctor Strange showed the potential in comic books about magic, and with The Magic Order 2, Millar pays off on that potential.

Artist Stuart Immonen and colorist David Curiel create a symphony of lightning and supernovas.  I could feel the energy of Immonen and Curiel's work in my eyes.  This story is alive, so alive that it feels like a curtain closing on an act rather than feeling like a finale of an arc.

Comic book readers who hate good comic books are not reading The Magic Order 2.  So I ask again.  Are you reading it, dear readers?

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Mark Millar and of The Magic Order will want to read The Magic Order 2.

A+

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


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https://www.mrmarkmillar.com/
http://www.millarworld.tv/
www.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: "PANTHA Volume 2 #2" a Strong, Very Stong Second Issue

PANTHA VOLUME 2 #2
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Thomas Sniegoski and Jeannine Acheson
ART: Igor Lima
COLORS: Adriano Augusto
LETTERS: Dezi Sienty
COVER: Giuseppe Matteoni
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Jorge Fornes; Vincent Aseo; Alvaro Sarraseca; Elena Pianta; Ken Haeser; Andrew Mangum
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (March 2022)

Rated Teen+

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, 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; colored by Adriano Augusto; and lettered by Dezi Sienty.  In this new series, Pantha must save the Egyptian pantheon from a mysterious adversary that is older than the gods and wants the gods' power.

As Pantha Volume 2 #2 opens, Sekhmet, the goddess of war, has fallen captive to the mysterious adversary, Ta'Nakht, that wants to devour the “divinity” of every god.  In Sekhmet's case, her divinity is her “wrath.”

That wrath, however, is in present day, Toortooga, Florida.  It resides as a curse inside Maatkar Samira a.k.a. Pantha, who lives at the Toortooga City Zoo in the guise of a six-hundred pound black panther.  Nick Heart, the god “Ihy” (the god of music and joy), has found Samira and is ready to bring her and her curse to where they can help Sekhmet.  With Sekhmet captured, Nick and Samira need a new plan.  Enter Set, the god who seems to keep to himself as Darian Blackwood, CEO of a munitions manufacturer.  Will Set/Darian help and what is that help worth?

THE LOWDOWN:  In July 2021, Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department began providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  They recently provided me with a PDF for Pantha Volume 2 #2, which is only the second Pantha comic book that I have read.

Right now, Pantha Volume 2 is one of the best new titles of the year.  I'd never heard of the character, yet I find myself deeply engaged with Thomas Sniegoski and Jeannine Acheson riveting story featuring this new-to-me character.  It's like the perfect serial, as the writers give readers just enough to keep their appetites whet without them feeling cheated.

Artist Igor Lima's illustrations manage to be beautiful comic book art and really gripping comic book storytelling.  I find myself racing through the pages of this most excellent storytelling with its intriguing plot and strongly drawn characters.  Adriano Augusto sparkling colors and Dezi Sienty letters complete the power of this story.

I'll repeat what I said in my review of the first issue.  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 #2.

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"


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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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Walt Disney Celebrates Six Oscar Wins at the 94th Academy Awards

The Walt Disney Company Earns 6 Academy Awards® Including Best Animated Feature Film and Best Documentary

The Walt Disney Company received six Academy Awards® at the 94th annual ceremony, broadcast live on ABC from the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 27, 2022.

Walt Disney Animation StudiosEncanto was recognized as Best Animated Feature Film. This is the second Oscar® win for director Byron Howard and producer Clark Spencer, and the first Oscar win for director Jared Bush and producer Yvett Merino. The win adds to a list of accolades for the film following recognitions from the Annie Awards, Art Directors Guild Awards, BAFTA Awards, Critics Choice Awards, Golden Globe® Awards, NAACP Image Awards, and Producers Guild Awards. Encanto is also the first Disney movie to claim a No. 1 album and a No. 1 single.

Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), from Searchlight Pictures, Disney’s Onyx Collective, and Hulu, received the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature. This marked the first Oscar wins for first-time director Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and producers Joseph Patel, Robert Fyvolent, and David Dinerstein. It is also Disney’s Onyx Collective and Hulu’s first Academy Award, and Searchlight Pictures’ first Best Documentary Feature award. To date, the film has won 55 awards across critics’ groups and guilds, including the BAFTA Award, Spirit Award, DOC NYC Award, American Film Institute Award, Producers Guild Award, Cinema Eye Honors, International Documentary Association Award, American Cinema Editors Award, Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award, African-American Film Critics Association Award, and National Board of Review Award.

The Eyes of Tammy Faye was honored with two awards, including Best Actress in a Leading Role for Jessica Chastain’s portrayal of Tammy Faye Bakker. This marks Chastain’s first win and Searchlight Pictures’ sixth win in the Best Actress in a Leading Role category. The Eyes of Tammy Faye also won for Best Makeup and Hairstyling, which is Searchlight Pictures’ first Best Makeup and Hairstyling Oscar.

Ariana DeBose was awarded Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance as Anita in West Side Story, marking a historic moment as the first Afro-Latina and openly queer woman of color to receive the honor. The first-time Oscar winner and Rita Moreno also made history as the first pair of women to win Academy Awards for playing the same character; their wins come 60 years apart.

Legendary costume designer Jenny Beavan won the award for Best Costume Design for Disney’s Cruella. Beavan’s work on Cruella previously resulted in a BAFTA Award, a Costume Designers Guild Award, and a Critics Choice Award.

See below for a complete list of Academy Awards won by The Walt Disney Company:

The Eyes of Tammy Faye | Searchlight Pictures
2 Academy Awards
-Best Actress in a Leading Role – Jessica Chastain
-Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Encanto | Walt Disney Animation Studios | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | Streaming on Disney+
1 Academy Award
-Best Animated Feature Film

Summer of Soul(…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) | Searchlight Pictures | Onyx Collective | Hulu | Streaming on Hulu and Disney+
1 Academy Award
-Best Documentary (Feature)

West Side Story | 20th Century Studios | Streaming on Disney+
1 Academy Award
-Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Ariana DeBose

Cruella | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | Streaming on Disney+  
1 Academy Award
-Best Costume Design

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Monday, March 28, 2022

BOOM! Studios Shipping from Diamond Distributors for March 30, 2022

BOOM! STUDIOS

JAN220708 BUFFY VAMPIRE SLAYER 25TH ANNIV #1 CVR A FRANY $9.99
JAN220709 BUFFY VAMPIRE SLAYER 25TH ANNIV #1 CVR B FRISON $9.99
JAN220710 BUFFY VAMPIRE SLAYER 25TH ANNIV #1 CVR C CORONA $9.99
JAN220711 BUFFY VAMPIRE SLAYER 25TH ANNIV #1 CVR D ANDOLFO $9.99
JAN220712 BUFFY VAMPIRE SLAYER 25TH ANNIV #1 CVR E BUFFY PHOTO $9.99
JAN220713 BUFFY VAMPIRE SLAYER 25TH ANNIV #1 CVR F SCOOBY GANG PHOTO $9.99
JAN220714 BUFFY VAMPIRE SLAYER 25TH ANNIV #1 CVR G BLANK SKETCH $9.99
NOV210772 GOOD LUCK TP $17.99
JAN220802 KILLER AFFAIRS OF STATE #2 (OF 6) CVR A JACAMON (MR) $4.99
JAN220737 SOMETHING IS KILLING THE CHILDREN #21 CVR A DELL EDERA $3.99
JAN220738 SOMETHING IS KILLING THE CHILDREN #21 CVR B DIE CUT MASK VAR $4.99
JAN220739 SOMETHING IS KILLING THE CHILDREN #21 CVR C DIE CUT BLOODY V $4.99

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DC Comics Shipping from Lunar Distributors for March 29, 2022

DC COMICS:

Aquamen #2 (Cover A Travis Moore), $3.99
Aquamen #2 (Cover B Mico Suayan Card Stock Variant), $4.99
Aquamen #2 (Cover C Jim Lee), AR
Batman Beyond The White Knight #1 (Of 8)(Cover A Sean Murphy), $4.99
Batman Beyond The White Knight #1 (Of 8)(Cover B Sean Murphy), $4.99
Batman Faze Clan #1 (One Shot)(Cover A Tyler Kirkham), $3.99
Batman Faze Clan #1 (One Shot)(Cover B Jason Badower Connecting Variant 1 Batwoman), $3.99
Batman Faze Clan #1 (One Shot)(Cover C Jason Badower Connecting Variant 2 Nightwing), $3.99
Batman Faze Clan #1 (One Shot)(Cover D Jason Badower Connecting Variant 3 Batman), $3.99
Batman Faze Clan #1 (One Shot)(Cover E Jason Badower Connecting Variant 4 Robin), $3.99
Batman Faze Clan #1 (One Shot)(Cover F Tyler Kirkham Black & White Variant), AR
Batman One Dark Knight #2 (Of 3)(Cover A Jock), $6.99
Batman One Dark Knight #2 (Of 3)(Cover B Paul Pope), $6.99
Challenge Of The Super Sons TP, $16.99
DC Connect #23, AR
DC Poster Portfolio Jim Lee Volume 2 TP, $24.99
DC Vs Vampires #6 (Of 12)(Cover A Otto Schmidt), $3.99
DC Vs Vampires #6 (Of 12)(Cover B Francesco Mattina Card Stock Variant), $4.99
Sensational Wonder Woman Special #1 (One Shot)(Cover A Belen Ortega), $9.99
Sensational Wonder Woman Special #1 (One Shot)(Cover B Junggeun Yoon Variant), $9.99
Sensational Wonder Woman Special #1 (One Shot)(Cover C Maria Laura Sanapo International Women’s Day Variant), $9.99
Sensational Wonder Woman Special #1 (One Shot)(Cover D Emanuela Lupacchino), AR
Sensational Wonder Woman Special #1 (One Shot)(Cover E Cat Staggs), AR
Shadow War Alpha #1 (One Shot)(Cover A Jonboy Meyers), $5.99
Shadow War Alpha #1 (One Shot)(Cover B Viktor Bogdanovic Card Stock Variant), $6.99
Shadow War Alpha #1 (One Shot)(Cover C Dan Mora Card Stock Variant), AR
Swamp Thing #11 (Of 16)(Cover A Mike Perkins), $3.99
Swamp Thing #11 (Of 16)(Cover B Francesco Francavilla Card Stock Variant), $4.99
Swamp Thing #11 (Of 16)(Cover C Kyle Hotz Card Stock Variant), AR
War For Earth-3 #2 (Of 2)(Cover A Rafa Sandoval), $5.99
War For Earth-3 #2 (Of 2)(Cover B Gleb Melnikov Card Stock Variant), $6.99

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Dark Horse Comics Shipping from Diamond Distributors for March 30, 2022

DARK HORSE COMICS

JUL210387 APEX LEGENDS OVERTIME #4 (OF 4) $3.99
JUN210392 DUNE LADY JESSICA FIGURE $59.99
JUN210393 DUNE PAUL ATREIDES FIGURE $59.99
NOV210320 HAM-LET SHAKESPEAREAN MASH-UP HC $10.99
DEC210401 HELLBOY SILVER LANTERN CLUB #5 (OF 5) $3.99
NOV210312 IN THE FLOOD TP $19.99
NOV210318 KILLER QUEENS TP $19.99
NOV210314 ORVILLE SEASON 2.5 DIGRESSIONS TP $19.99
NOV210292 PEARL TP VOL 01 $19.99
NOV210304 SAVAGE HEARTS TP $19.99
NOV210321 USAGI YOJIMBO SAGA TP VOL 04 (2ND ED) $29.99

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Dynamite Entertainment Shipping from Diamond Distributors for March 30, 2022

DYNAMITE

NOV210590 INVINCIBLE RED SONJA #8 CVR K CONNER LTD VIRGIN $50.00
NOV210591 INVINCIBLE RED SONJA #8 CVR L LINSNER LTD VIRGIN $50.00
NOV210592 INVINCIBLE RED SONJA #8 CVR M CELINA LTD VIRGIN $50.00
JAN220643 JENNIFER BLOOD #6 CVR J BRADSTREET LTD VIRGIN (MR) $50.00
JAN220644 JENNIFER BLOOD #6 CVR K LINSNER LTD VIRGIN (MR) $50.00
FEB210830 KILLING RED SONJA TP $19.99
JAN220653 NYX #5 CVR I BESCH LTD VIRGIN $50.00
DEC210593 PANTHA #2 CVR A MATTEONI $3.99
DEC210594 PANTHA #2 CVR B ASEO $3.99
DEC210595 PANTHA #2 CVR C PIANTA $3.99
DEC210596 PANTHA #2 CVR D FORNES $3.99
DEC210597 PANTHA #2 CVR E SARRASECA $3.99
NOV218946 PANTHA #2 CVR L FOC TMNT HOMAGE HAESER ORIGINAL $3.99
NOV218947 PANTHA #2 CVR M FOC TEXEIRA HOMAGE MANGUM ORIGINAL $3.99
JAN220692 VAMPIRELLA DRACULA UNHOLY #4 CVR A PARRILLO $3.99
JAN220693 VAMPIRELLA DRACULA UNHOLY #4 CVR B BESCH $3.99
JAN220694 VAMPIRELLA DRACULA UNHOLY #4 CVR C MAER $3.99
JAN220695 VAMPIRELLA DRACULA UNHOLY #4 CVR D CHATZOUDIS $3.99
JAN220696 VAMPIRELLA DRACULA UNHOLY #4 CVR E COSPLAY $3.99
JAN228787 VAMPIRELLA DRACULA UNHOLY #4 CVR M FOC HETRICK STREET ORIGIN $3.99
JAN228788 VAMPIRELLA DRACULA UNHOLY #4 CVR N FOC STA MARIA ORIGINAL $3.99

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