TRASH IN MY EYE Reviews

Monday, January 23, 2023

Comics Review: "KILLADELPHIA #27" - F**k Him and John Wayne

KILLADELPHIA #27

IMAGE COMICS

STORY: Rodney Barnes

LAYOUTS: Jason Shawn Alexander

PENCILS: Germán Erramouspe

INKS: Jason Shawn Alexander

COLORS: Lee Loughridge

LETTERS: Marshall Dillon

EDITOR: Greg Tumbarello

COVER: Jason Shawn Alexander

VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Ben Templesmith

32pp, Colors, 3.99 U.S. (January 2023)

Rated “M/ Mature”

Killadelphia created by Rodney Barnes and Jason Shawn Alexander

“There's No Place Like Home” Part III: “When God Turns Away”

Killadelphia is an apocalyptic vampire and dark fantasy comic book series from writer Rodney Barnes and artist Jason Shawn Alexander. Published by Image Comics, it centers on a conspiracy in which vampires attempt to rule Philadelphia. The series is currently written by Barnes and drawn by Alexander and Germán Erramouspe. Colorist Lee Loughridge and letterer Marshall Dillon complete Killadelphia's creative team.

Killadelphia focuses on James “Jim” Sangster, Jr. and a ragtag team fighting the vampire invasion of Philadelphia. Among them are a medical examiner (Jose Padilla), werewolves, a witch, and a rebellious, but special young vampire (Tevin Thompkins a.k.a. “See Saw”). But their current adversary is an infamous rebel leader turned monster hunter and his army of killers.

As Killadelphia #27 (“When God Turns Away”) opens, Anasi the Spider-God is contemplating his place and the place of humans in all things reality. War and death and gods occupy his mind, and now, he must return to the streets of Hell for a meeting with an entity that does not seem bothered by deep thoughts.

Meanwhile, former President George Washington – the undead, vampire version of him – and his vampire army are put on the defensive as they fight for survival against Toussaint Louverture and his Haitian guardians. Will the Founding Father and his boys be able to turn the tide, or will heavy losses and insurmountable odds seal their fate as another American myth bites the dust.

THE LOWDOWN: We are at the middle point of Killadelphia's fifth story arc, “There's No Place Like Home.” Before this arc debuted, creators Rodney Barnes and Jason Shawn Alexander warned readers that they were not prepared for what was coming in the arc – which has proven to be true, very true.

The first two issues of this arc caused me sadness with their shocking endings. This time, however, writer Rodney Barnes made me happy. His glorious scripts are in tune with the current state of the good ol' U.S. of A. This nation must reckon with its racist and genocidal past, and it is too late for that racial reckoning to go down gently. At times, metaphorical and allegorical, Killadelphia is perhaps a modern Book of Revelation – with some cool vampire action driving the revelation.

New pencil artist Germán Erramouspe and colorist Lee Loughridge have joined artist Jason Shawn Alexander for this arc. The result is a fiery cataclysm of comic book storytelling that is seemingly not sparing sacred cows. Holding this comic book might cause our hands and forearms to catch fire before it is finished, dear readers.

Sometimes, it is okay not to be prepared for the shocks that a creative team is delivering. Issue #27 has left me pleased. Come share this pleasure with me.

NOTE: Killadelphia #27 is also available in a “Noir Edition,” featuring black-and-white line art interiors.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of vampire comic books and of exceptional dark fantasy will want Killadelphia.

A+

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

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Saturday, January 21, 2023

Review: "AMSTERDAM" is a Movie That Follows the Right God Home

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 4 of 2023 (No. 1893) by Leroy Douresseaux

Amsterdam (2022)

Running time: 134 minutes (2 hours, 14 minutes)

MPA – R for brief violence and bloody images

WRITER/DIRECTOR: David O. Russell

PRODUCERS: David O. Russell, Christian Bale, Matthew Budman, Anthony Katagas, and Arnon Milchan

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Emmanuel Lubezki (D.o.P.)

EDITOR: Jay Cassidy

COMPOSER: Daniel Pemberton

DRAMA/COMEDY/HISTORICAL

Starring: Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, John David Washington, Alessandro Nivola, Andrea Riseborough, Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Rock, Matthias Schoenaerts, Michael Shannon, Mike Myers, Taylor Swift, Timothy Olyphant, Zoe Saldana, Rami Malek, Ed Begley, Jr., Beth Grant, and Robert De Niro

Amsterdam is a 2022 comedy, period drama, and historical film from writer-director David O. Russell. The film is based on the 1933 United States political conspiracy “the Business Plot,” which involved a secret plan to overthrow the government of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and to install a dictator in its place. Amsterdam follows three friends who seek to uncover the truth behind the mysterious death and apparent murder of a retired U.S. general.

Amsterdam introduces Burt Berendsen M.D. (Christian Bale), a physician and surgeon. In 1918, his estranged wife, Beatrice Vandenheuvel (Andrea Riseborough) and her parents, who don't really care for Burt because he is “half-Jew,” bully him into enlisting to fight in World War I. While stationed in France, Burt befriends an African-American soldier, Harold Woodman (John David Washington).

Later, after being severely injured in battle, Burt and Harold are nursed back to health by Valerie Bandenberg (Margot Robbie), an eccentric American nurse and artist who makes art out of shrapnel removed from the soldiers. Burt and Harold befriend Valerie and follow her to Amsterdam, the capitol of the Netherlands. There, they live together and Harold and Valerie engage in a budding romance. First, Burt returns to New York City to be with his wife, and then, Harold returns to begin his career as an attorney.

In 1933, Burt owns his own medical practice that caters to veterans of WWI, and he still remains friends with Harold. Things begin to change for them when they discover that General Bill Meekins (Ed Begley, Jr.), who was important to Burt and Harold during the war, has died. His daughter, Elizabeth Meekins (Taylor Swift), believes that her father was murdered. Soon, Elizabeth herself is murdered, and Burt and Harold are blamed. Seeking to clear themselves, they begin to investigate the mystery surrounding General Meekins before his death, which leads to their reunion with Valerie. She had also returned to America and is living in seclusion with her wealthy brother, Tom Voze (Rami Malek) and his wife, Libby (Anya Taylor-Joy).

The three friends find themselves in a conspiracy involving another retired military officer, Marine Corps General Gil Dillenbeck (Robert De Niro). And everything is heading for a showdown at an event that is very important to Burt, the 14th Annual New York Veterans Reunion Gala.

Yeah, dear readers, the synopsis of the film's plot is a bit longer than I would like it to be. Although Amsterdam's narrative only runs a little under two hours and ten minutes, the film has enough subplots, characters, and settings to fill a television miniseries. Actually, a miniseries version of Amsterdam with the same cast would be orgasmic – well, at least for me it would.

Anyway, most of you, dear readers, are familiar (to one extent or another) with the event known as the “January 6 United States Capitol attack.” On Wednesday, January 6, 2021, a (mostly) white mob attacked the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. The members of mob were comprised of supporters of then-President Donald Trump, and they were seeking to keep Trump in power by preventing a joint session of the U.S. Congress from counting the electoral college votes to formalize the victory of President-elect Joe Biden.

That event led journalists, historians, and writers to recall other insurrections and attempts to overthrow a democratically elected U.S. government. The Business Plot is one of them. It has also been referred to as “the Wall Street Putsch” because the people behind it were allegedly wealthy American businessmen. They hoped to overthrow the government of President Franklin D. Roosevelt by creating a fascist organization comprised of World War I veterans that would be led by Marine Corp General Smedley Butler, a hero of WWI and a veteran of several military conflicts. After this military led coup and overthrow of the government, the plotters would install Butler as a dictator.

Butler, upon whom Amsterdam's Gen. Dillenbeck is based, himself is the one who revealed the Business Plot. At the time, some of the press considered the Business Plot to be hoax, although a congressional committee investigating the plot believed that it was discussed and at least partially planned.

Amsterdam is a film that is kind of like a fairy tale version the Business Plot with Burt (ostensibly the story's lead character), Harold, and Valerie as the gallant trio fighting the mysterious bad guys. In this manner, the film is filled with conniving wizards (rich businessmen), evil knights (the killers of Gen. Meekins), and menagerie of oddball characters and creature-types, which is a good way to describe even Amsterdam's heroic trio. As I said earlier, I think that the manner in which writer-director David O. Russell tells this story, it needs to be done in a longer form.

Still, one thing at which Russell really excels is in creating ensemble films featuring a cast that delivers stellar performances which in turn creates the most interesting cinematic characters. He has done that with a large ensemble, as in the case of his highly-acclaimed 2013 film, American Hustle, and with an intimate small ensemble, such as in his Oscar-winning 2012 film, Silver Linings Playbook.

Christian Bale delivers another amazing performance as Burt Berendsen. Margot Robbie is eccentric and delightful as Valerie, and John David Washington is dashing, bold, and stalwart as Harold. Robbie and Washington have excellent chemistry and thus, are convincing as a couple. Anya Taylor-Joy, beautiful and radiant as always, effortlessly slays in her turn as the vain and insecure attention-seeker, Libby Voze. Of course, Robert De Niro, as Gen. Dillenbeck, turns up the heat in the film's most pivotal moments.

Rami Malek, Chris Rock, and Zoe Saldana also shine in key supporting roles, and Taylor Swift's quick spin as Bill Meekins' daughter, Elizabeth, gives the film an early jolt. So the smaller roles help to make Amsterdam that much better as a top notch ensemble film.

In the film, the city of Amsterdam seems to represent a place where people can be their authentic selves while accepting that others must also be allowed to be their authentic selves, even if that might lead to clashes of personality and belief. Amsterdam is not perfect, but it is lovable because of its idiosyncratic way, and that makes me look forward to the next large ensemble film from the inimitable David O. Russell.

8 of 10

★★★★ out of 4 stars

Saturday, January 21, 2023

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from January 15th to 21st, 2023 - Update #19

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

SUNDANCE - From Deadline: Director Doug Liman says that "Justice," his self-funded documentary about sexual assault allegations against now Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, might be far from finished as new tips started pouring within a half hour of the highly-secretive project being announced on Thursday (Jan. 19th). The film made its debut at the Sundance Film Festival 2023 on Friday (Jan. 2th).

From HuffPost: This is another article on the documentary, "Justice," which focuses on the history of sexual abuse on the part of disgraced and disgraceful Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

RUST - From Deadline: New Mexico First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies announced that Alec Baldwin and armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed will face criminal charges for the October 2021 fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the Western film, "Rust." Each will be charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter in Hutchins’ death.

MOVIES - From Deadline: Disney is developing its next TRON film, "Tron: Ares," with Jared Leto as its star. Joachim Ronning is in negotiations to direct.

TELEVISION - From Deadline: After diving deep into the Los Angeles Lakers' dynasty in the HBO miniseries, "Winning Time," executive producer and writer, Rodney Barnes, will take on the legendary boxer and icon of African-American manhood, Jack Johnson, as writer and executive producer in a new HBO miniseries starring Oscar-winner, Mahershala Ali.

MOVIES - From Deadline: Antoine Fuqua is set to direct "Michael," a Lionsgate drama telling the complex life story of the iconic singer Michael Jackson. John Logan has written the script. The film will be produced by Graham King via his GK Films alongside the co-executors of Jackson’s estate, John Branca and John McClain.

NETFLIX - From Variety: Netflix executives unveil its lineup of 2023 releases, which include director Zack Snyder's "Rebel Moon" (a sci-fi film in the vein of "Star Wars") and "Knives Out 3."

TELEVISION - From Variety: NBC's comedy revival, "Night Court," debuted its first two episodes to strong ratings, making it NBC's best comedy premiere since its 2017 "Will & Grace" revival.

MOVIES - From THR: Michael B. Jordan will star in "Rainbow Six," an adaptation of a novel by Tom Clancy. The film will be directed by Chad Stahelski ("John Wick" franchise) and will also be a follow up to the 2021 film, "Without Remorse" (based on another Clancy book), which Paramount Pictures licensed to Amazon for streaming.

STREAMING - From Deadline: Oscar winner and big screen legend, Meryl Streep, is joining Season 3 of Hulu's hit mystery-comedy, "Only Murders in the Building," but the specifics of her role is being kept secret.

MARVEL STUDIOS - From Deadline: China’s unofficial ban on Marvel Studios is apparently lifting. Disney/Marvel’s "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" (Feb. 7th) and "Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania" (Feb. 17th) have both secured release dates in China, ending a three-and-a-half year period during which movies featuring Marvel characters did not gain entry to the world’s second largest box office market.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro: The winner of the 1/13 to 1/15/2023 weekend box office is "Avatar: The Way of Water" with an estimated take of 31.1 million dollars.

From Here: Leroy Douresseaux's review of "Avatar: The Way of Water."

TELEVISION - From Deadline: The cable networks, "USA Network" and "Syfy," have renewed their horror series, "Chucky" for a third season.

From Deadline: The cable network, "Syfy," has renewed its comedy-drama-fantasy series, "Reginald the Vampire" for a second season.

MOVIES - From Deadline: Director Todd Field ("Tar") talks about the time superhero Tom Cruise told him how to save Field's 2001 film, "In the Bedroom," from the depravations of convicted sexual predator and Oscar-winning studio boss, Harvey Weinstein.

OBITS:

From Deadline: Legendary American singer-songwriter and guitarist, David Crosby, has died at the age of 81, Thursday, January 19, 2023. Crosby was a founding member of "The Byrds," one of the most influential rock bands of all time. He later co-founded the folk rock super-group, "Crosby, Stills & Nash," with Stephen Stills and Graham Nash. Neil Young would later join and on-off over the next five decades, they were sometimes known as "Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young." Crosby also recorded as a solo artist, and he was a 10-time Grammy Award nominee.

From Deadline: Italian actress, Gina Lollobrigida, has died at the age of 95, Monday, January 16, 2023. An icon of Italian cinema, Lollobrigida was also known for such American and international productions as "Beat the Devil" (with Humphrey Bogart, 1953), "Solomon and Sheba" (1959), and "Come September" to name a few.

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AWARDS:

From Variety: The nominations for the 2023 EE BAFTA Awards have been announced. The Netflix World War I drama, "All Quiet on the Western Front," leads with 14 nominations. The winners will be announced Sunday, February 19, 2023.

From Deadline: The winners were announced at the 2023 / 28th annual Critics Choice Awards. "Everything Everywhere All at Once" was named "Best Picture."

From Deadline: The nominees for the 2023 / 34th Producers Guild of America Awards have been announced in both film and TV categories. The winners will be announced Sat. Feb. 25th, 2023.

From Deadline: The nominations for the 2023 / 29th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards have been announced. The winners will be announced Sun., Feb. 26th, 2023.

From Deadline: The National Society of Film Critics has named "Tar" its "Best Picture" of 2023 and its star, Cate Blanchette, as "Best Actress."

From Deadline: The nominations for the 2023 / 23rd Annual Black Reel Awards have been announced. "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" and "The Woman King" have tied for the lead in nominations with 14 apiece. The winners will be announced February 6, 2023.

From Deadline: The Black Film Critics Circle named "The Woman King" the "Best Film" of 2022.

From Deadline: The winners of the 2022 Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA) Awards have been announced. "Everything Everywhere All at Once" and "Tar" tie for "Best Picture" award.

From Deadline: The nominations for the 2023 / 80th annual Golden Globes Awards were announced today (Mon., Dec. 12th). "The Banshees of Inisherin" led the film field with eight nominations. ABC's "Abbot Elementary" lead the TV side with five nominations. The winners will be announced January 10, 2023.

From Deadline: The American Film Institute (AFI) has named its "AFI Awards Film" list of "Top 10 Films of 2022." The list includes "Avatar: The Way of Water," "Top Gun: Maverick," and "The Woman King."

From THR: The African-American Film Critics Association name "The Woman King" the "Best Film of 2022."

From Deadline: The nominations for the "2023 Critics Choice Awards" in the television categories have been announced. ABC's sitcom, "Abbot Elementary" leads the nominations. The winners will be announced Sunday, January 15, 2023 and broadcast on The CW.

From Variety: The 2022 / 88th Annual New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC) Awards have been announced. Todd Field's "Tar" wins "Best Film" and "Best Actress" (Cate Blanchett). Keke Palmer wins "Best Supporting Actress" for her performance in "Nope."

From Deadline: "Everything Everywhere All at Once" wins the "Best Feature" award at the 2022 / 32nd Annual Gotham Awards, one of two wins for the film.

From IndieWire: The nominations for the 2023 Film Independent Spirit Awards have been announced. "Everything Everywhere All at Once" leads with eight nominations. The winners will be announced March 4th, 2023.

From Variety: The nominations for the 2022 / 32nd Annual Gotham Awards were announced a month ago. Todd Field's "Tar" leads with five nominations. The winners will be announced Monday, November 28th.

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BRITTNEY GRINER:

From CBSNews: WNBA star Brittney Griner has been released from her Russian imprisonment in a one-for-one prisoner swap for notorious international arms dealer, Viktor Bout.

From NBCNews: Brittney Griner will enter a system of isolation, grueling labor and psychological torment when she is transferred to a penal colony, the successor to the infamous Russian gulag, to fulfill a nine-year sentence handed down Tuesday in Moscow, former prisoners and advocates said.

From NBCNews: A Russian court has rejected Brittney Griner's appeal of her nine-year prison sentence on (fake) drug charges.

From Reuters: Russia says that it is ready to talk prisoner swamp for Brittney Griner and U.S. Marine veteran Paul Whelan, but also scolds the U.S. Embassy.

From TheDailyBeast: Legendary NBA bad boy and champion (Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls), Dennis Rodman claims that he has been given permission to go to Russia and help free imprisoned hostage, WNBA star, Brittney Griner.

From Vox: Vox's Jonathan Guyer talks the Brittney Griner case with Danielle Gilbert, a Dartmouth professor who is writing a book about states and rogue actors that take hostages.

From ESPN: A Russian court sentenced WNBA star Brittney Griner to nine years in prison Thursday, Aug. 4th. Griner was arrested Feb. 17 for bringing cannabis into the country and pleaded guilty July 7, though the case continued under Russian law.

From ESPN: The Biden administration has offered a deal to Russia aimed at bringing home WNBA star Brittney Griner and another jailed American, Paul Whelan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday.

From RSN: "Will Support From LeBron James, Joe Rogan, Kim Kardashian, and Other Celebrities Help Free Brittney Griner From a Russian Prison?" by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar via Substack

From ESPN: Detained WNBA star Brittney Griner pleaded guilty on Thursday to bringing hashish oil into Russia, telling a judge that she had done so "inadvertently" while asking the court for mercy.

From CBSSports: The Brittney Griner situation explained.

From RSN: According to The Washington Post Editorial Board: "Brittney Griner is a hostage, plain and simple."

Friday, January 20, 2023

Comics Review: "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #119" Goes Equidae All Day

SCOOBY-DOO, WHERE ARE YOU? (2010) #119

DC COMICS

STORY: Derek Fridolfs; Sholly Fisch

ART: Randy Elliot; Dave Alvarez

COLORS: Silvana Brys; Candace Schinzler-Bell

LETTERS: Saida Temofonte

EDITORS: Courtney Jordan; Aniz Ansari & Jessica Chen (reprint)

COVER: Derek Fridolfs and Silvana Brys

32pp, Color, $2.99 U.S. (February 2023)

Ages 8+

“Centaur Attention”

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? #119 opens with “Centaur Attention,” which is written by Derek Fridolfs and drawn by Randy Elliot. The story finds Mystery Inc.: Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, Fred, Daphne, and Velma arriving at the “Coolsville Equestrian Center.” There, Daphne and her horse, Daisy, are participants in the “Coolsville Equestrian Meet.” However, a monstrous centaur is determined to ruin the event. Can the gang stop the creature in time to save the event?

The second story, “Knight Mare” is, as usual, a reprint story and is written by Sholly Fisch and drawn by Dave Alvarez. [This story was originally published in Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #52 (cover date: February 2015).] The story finds Mystery Inc. attending the “Renaissance Faire.” Everyone is having fun until a ghost, “The Scarlet Knight,” arrives to ruin the event. What's the story behind this ghostly knight, and will Shaggy and Scooby once again be coerced into being the bait for a trap to catch the the Scarlet Knight?

If Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #119 has a theme, it involves riding horses and ghostly villains that want to stop fun events from occurring. Both stories, the new and the reprint, feature Scooby-Doo comics creators that are among my favorites. That said, this is an average issue in the series, especially considering that there have been several above average issues published in the last year. The villains are not that interesting, but both artists turn in some nicely drawn pages featuring excellent graphic design within the individual panels and overall pages.

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #119 is a slight downgrade from issue #118. Still, it is a Scooby-Doo comic book, Scooby-Doo fans. So grab your “Scooby Snacks” and read issue #119 and maybe watch a Scooby-Doo movie, later. And until next time, Scooby-Dooby-Doo!

B-

[This comic book includes a seven-page preview of the DC Comics original graphic novel, “My Buddy, Killer Croc” by Sara Farizan and Nicoletta Baldar.]

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

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Thursday, January 19, 2023

Comics Review: "LORD OF THE JUNGLE Volume 3 #2" Swings Into Excellent Second Issue

LORD OF THE JUNGLE VOLUME 3 #2

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Dan Jurgens

ART: Benito Gallego

COLORS: Francesco Segala with Agnes Pozza

LETTERS: Carlos M. Mangual

EDITOR: Matt Idelson

COVER: Philip Tan

32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (December 2022)

Rated Teen+

“Heartache”

Tarzan is one of the most famous fictional characters in the world. Tarzan was an orphan and the archetypal “feral child,” and in this instance, he was raised in the African jungle by great apes. Tarzan was born a noble, John Clayton, Lord Greystoke, but he rejected civilization and lived in the wilds of Africa as a heroic adventurer. Tarzan was created by Edgar Rice Burroughs and first appeared in the novel, Tarzan of the Apes, which began serialization in The All-Story Magazine in 1912, before it was published in book form in 1914. Tarzan would go onto to be a multimedia star, appearing in films, on television, and in comic books.

The latest Tarzan comic book is Dynamite Entertainment's Lord of the Jungle Volume 3. It is written by Dan Jurgens; drawn by Benito Gallego; colored by Francesco Segala; and lettered by Carlos M. Mangual. The story involves an event that occurred in the early years of Tarzan's adventures, and he returns to Africa to right a past wrong no matter what manner of beast or obstacle stands in his way.

Lord of the Jungle Volume 3 #2 (Heartache) opens in Africa, in the 1950s. Tarzan, Lord Greystoke, has reunited with his old friend, a local named Bouanga. Once upon a time, Tarzan met white men like him for the first time, but those foreign raiders pillaged his jungle home. For the first time, Tarzan came face-to-face with evil, as the white devils left behind death and destruction in their wake.

The encounter leads to a catastrophic event in his life, causing him great heartache. Now, Tarzan is determined to right a grievous wrong, but he must also come to grips with his own unique origins.

THE LOWDOWN: Since July 2021, Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department has been providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles. One of them is Lord of the Jungle Volume 3 #2, which is only the second issue of a solo Dynamite Tarzan comic book that I have read.

What I said in my review of the first issue stands for the second issue of Lord of the Jungle Volume 3. Writer Dan Jurgens' solid storytelling is filled with intriguing moments that pull the reader through the riveting jungle action of this narrative.

Artist Benito Gallego's storytelling is beautifully drawn, but more importantly, it is gripping and thrilling. It still does not hurt that Gallego's drawing style resembles that of the late comic book legend, Joe Kubert. Kubert had a four-year stint (1972-76) as writer-artist and later as writer-only of DC Comics' Tarzan comic book series, considered by some to be among his best work. Colorist Francesco Segala's lovely colors capture the varied moods of this story's settings, both in time and locale. Letterer Carlos M. Mangual brings a sense of high drama and with his stylish, shifting fonts.

Lord of the Jungle Volume 3 #2 strongly delivers on the potential at which the first issue hinted. I rarely read Tarzan comic books, but I think that I will read this series' entire run.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of Tarzan comic books will want to read Lord of the Jungle Volume 3.

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

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Wednesday, January 18, 2023

Comics Review: "NIGHT CLUB #2" - If the Teen Titans Were Teen Vampires...

NIGHT CLUB #2 (OF 6)

IMAGE COMICS

STORY: Mark Millar

ART: Juanan Ramírez

COLORS: Fabiana Mascolo

LETTERS: Clem Robins

COVER: Juanan Ramírez with Fabiana Mascolo

EDITORIAL: Sarah Unwin

VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Juanan Ramírez

28pp, Color, $1.99 U.S. (January 2023)

Rated M / Mature

Night Club created by Mark Millar at Netflix

Night Club is a new six-issue miniseries written and created by Mark Millar and drawn by Juanan Ramírez. An Image Comics publication and a Netflix production, Night Club focuses on a teen boy who is bitten by a vampire and decides to make the best of his new condition. Colorist Fabiana Mascolo and letterer Clem Robins complete Night Club's creative team.

Night Club introduces 17-year-old Danny Garcia, who had ambitions to gain fame and fortune as a YouTube star with his friends, DJ Sam Huxley and Amy Chen. Then, after a terrible accident, a vampire bites him, and his life goes awry. Instead of living like a stereotypical vampire, Danny decides to live “la vida loca” of a superhero.

As Night Club #2 opens, Danny has just revealed to Sam and Amy that he is a vampire and a vampire who wants to be a superhero. Plus, he wants them to be a part of his new life! If they let Danny bite them, they can join him in the superhero team he is forming. There are wrestling masks to buy and scores to settle, but do Danny and his new jack superheroes really understand what they are and what new limitations they have?

THE LOWDOWN: Netflix/Millarworld sends me PDF review copies of the their comic books. Thus, I was lucky enough to get a review copy of the first two issues of Night Club.

In Night Club, writer Mark Millar has created a modern and edgier teen superhero comic book in the spirit of the original Teen Titans of writer Bob Haney and artists Bruno Premiani and Nick Cardy. Robin, Kid Flash, Aqualad, and then, Wonder Girl were always having such delightful adventures saving the day from bad guys and solving mysteries that involved unusual settings and strange people and beings.

In Night Club, the heroes are the strange and unusual beings, but they are still having fun. And this fun is infections. Millar has the uncanny touch of making me feel like I want to join Danny and friends. Even if you are not inclined to be a vampire, dear readers, Millar makes you want to see his young character be bad – really bad – the kind of bad that is just so fun to watch.

Artist Juanan Ramírez continues to bring Millar's story to life in a graphical storytelling that has enough energy to light up a city. Ramirez's art is both stylish and gritty and both explosive and smooth. Fabiana Mascolo's colors make the story pop off the page. It is as if the story is always throwing confetti in my face. Even Clem Robins' lettering jumps like a musical score.

Night Club feels infectious and addictive, and the last page of each first two issues makes me jittery because I feel as if the publisher is cutting off the drug that causes my vampire superhero high. I am recommending Night Club #2 as I did with the first issue. Drink deeply of its fun.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of Mark Millar and of vampire comic books will want to be bitten by Night Club.

A+

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

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Tuesday, January 17, 2023

Review: "MASTERS OF MAKE-UP EFFECTS" is a Century of Practical Magic in One Magical Book

MASTERS OF MAKE-UP EFFECTS: A CENTURY OF PRACTICAL MAGIC

WELBECK PUBLISHING

AUTHORS: Howard Berger and Marshall Julius

DESIGN: Russell Knowles; Darren Jordan

EDITORS: Ross Hamilton and Roland Hall

ISBN: 978-0-80279-001-6; hardcover – 9” x 11” (September 20, 2022)

320pp, Color, $39.95 U.S., £30.00 U.K.

Forward by Guillermo Del Toro; Afterword by Seth MacFarlane

Masters of Make-Up Effects: A Century of Practical Magic is a film history and art book from authors Howard Berger and Marshall Julius. Berger is a special make-up effects artist with over 800 feature film credits. With Tami Lane, Berger won the “Best Make-up” Academy Award for their work on the 2005 film, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Julius is a London-based film critic, blogger, broadcaster and author, whose previous books include Vintage Geek (September Publishing, 2019) and Action! The Action Movie A-Z (Batsford Film Books, 1996).

Masters of Make-Up Effects: A Century of Practical Magic is an illustrated oral history of the art form of make-up effects, celebrating the make-up artists and acclaimed make-up effects masters from the world of both film and television The authors take their readers into that fascinating world via untold stories from the sets of both popular and cult films and television. Read the tales behind the make-up and effects on such films as An American Werewolf in London, Star Wars, Pan's Labyrinth, and The Thing, to name a few. Visit the sets of such TV series as “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Doctor Who,” “Star Trek,” and “The Walking Dead,” to name a few.

THE LOWDOWN: In Masters of Make-Up Effects: A Century of Practical Magic, there are 293 stories over 15 chapters. I counted. That made Masters of Make-Up Effects one of my most difficult book reviews – if not the most difficult. There is just so much good stuff for film fans and movie buffs that reading it can sometimes feels like sensory overload.

First, I'll mention something that absolutely delighted me. Co-author Marshall Julius pens an introduction that recounts an interview he conducted with his then-future co-author, Howard Berger, in 2006. It ended with Berger applying his make-up effects magic on Julius, and the result of that magic... Well, you have to buy Masters of Make-Up Effects to find out what it is. [If you are a movie fan, you really should already have this book.]

Masters of Make-Up Effects contains hundreds of photographs, a few of which I was familiar. However, the vast majority were new to me – these photographs of actors, directors, and, of course, the make-up and effects artists who are the stars of this book. Yes, I have seen make-up special effects legend, Tom Savini (Dawn of the Dead, Creepshow), in film and on television for decades. However, the other photographs put faces on these make-up effects and make-up artists I only knew as names on screen, on the Internet, and in books. This includes masters such as Rick Baker, Rob Bottin, Greg Nicotero, Dick Smith, David White, Kevin Yagher, and Louis Zakarian, to name a few.

Seeing a photo of Stuart Freeborn and another of the members of his Star Wars “creature crew” was almost a religious experience. Thank you, Howard and Marshall, for that. Freeborn and company were the people behind Chewbacca and the creatures of the “Mos Eisley cantina sequence” in the first Star Wars. In 1982, I saw Star Wars in a pre Return of the Jedi re-release. That Saturday afternoon, I followed Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan “Ben” Kenobi into that “wretched hive of scum and villainy” and movies were never the same for me after that. So finally seeing the artists behind it is a big deal.

While trying to find a way to talk about all these photos, it was then that I realized that Masters of Make-Up Effects: A Century of Practical Magic is not only a book of photographs, but it is also a book of stories. If you like science fiction, fantasy, and horror films and television, this book of stories is for you and the fans in your life. The storytellers include the great Robert Englund, Rick Baker, Doug Bradley, Bruce Campbell, Nick Dudman, Toni G, Doug Jones, John Landis, James McAvoy, Greg Nicotero, Sarah Rubano, and Tom Savini, to once again name a few.

One does not need to be a fantasy film fan to love this book. After all, film and TV dramas also require make-up effects and make-up artists. Chapter 13 is entitled “Reel Lives” and focuses on the make-up work behind films based on real-life figures. Actors have to be made up to resemble historical figures like Alfred Hitchcock (Anthony Hopkins in 2012's Hitchcock); Judy Garland (Renée Zellwegger in 2019's Judy); and Margaret Thatcher (Meryl Streep in The Iron Lady), to name a few.

I bought this book almost a few months ago, and I find myself repeatedly returning to it. I can't get enough of the photographs or the stories. Howard Berger and Marshall Julius have created an important book in Masters of Make-Up Effects: A Century of Practical Magic, both for what it is and for what it may mean in the future.

As more people discover this book, some because of a second printing, they will realize that it is a gem. Over time, it will become an important resource for reference and scholarly research. Movie and television fans, put those unused gift cards from Christmas and the holidays to use and buy Masters of Make-Up Effects: A Century of Practical Magic.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Readers who are fans of the magic that is movies will want a copy of Masters of Make-Up Effects: A Century of Practical Magic.

A+

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

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