Comic Books, Magazines and Books from Diamond Distributors for June 14, 2023

COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS

APR231749 ALORA WITCH PRINCESS GN $15.00

APR231046 ANIMAL CASTLE VOL 2 #2 CVR A DELEP ALEZAR (MR) $3.99

APR231047 ANIMAL CASTLE VOL 2 #2 CVR B DELEP SILVIO (MR) $3.99

APR231048 ANIMAL CASTLE VOL 2 #2 CVR C 10 COPY DELEP VIRGIN INCV (MR) $3.99

DEC221736 ASCENCIA #17 $4.99

FEB232127 AT 30 I REALIZED I HAD NO GENDER GN (MR) $13.99

APR231229 BIG UGLY GN $19.95

APR231535 BRUTAL NATURE OMNIBUS TP $29.99

JUL229536 CALIE & KIKI GN ADV HC $15.99

APR232104 CALL OF THE NIGHT GN VOL 12 $9.99

APR231847 CATBOY GN $19.99

APR231245 DARK HUNGER CARPATHIAN MANGA GN $18.00

MAR231030 DEAD BY DAYLIGHT #1 (OF 4) CVR A TAO $4.99

MAR231031 DEAD BY DAYLIGHT #1 (OF 4) CVR B SHEHAN $4.99

MAR231032 DEAD BY DAYLIGHT #1 (OF 4) CVR C GAME COVER $4.99

MAR231033 DEAD BY DAYLIGHT #1 (OF 4) CVR D SIMECKOVA $4.99

MAR231035 DEAD BY DAYLIGHT #1 (OF 4) CVR F RED BLANK SKETCH $4.99

JAN238339 DEAD BY DAYLIGHT #1 (OF 4) CVR G LEE $4.99

FEB238401 DEAD BY DAYLIGHT #1 (OF 4) FOC FOIL LEE $14.99

MAR231034 DEAD BY DAYLIGHT #1 (OF 4) IBAN COELLO CONNECTING VAR $4.99

APR231794 DEATH DROP DRAG ASSASSIN #1 CVR A MOORE (MR) $4.99

JUL221485 DF MINOR THREATS #1 CGC GRADED $79.99

JUN221511 DF PREDATOR #1 CGC GRADED $87.00

MAR231816 DICE MAN COMPLETE ED HC $49.99

APR231684 DONT SPIT IN THE WIND #3 (OF 4) $3.99

APR232073 DRAGONS BETROTHED GN VOL 02 (MR) $12.99

DEC221955 ECCENTRIC DOCTOR OF MOON FLOWER KINGDOM GN VOL 02 $14.99

APR231656 ELINOR WONDERS WHY GN BUGGING OUT $14.99

APR231657 ELINOR WONDERS WHY GN HOW TO CARRY A CUPCAKE $14.99

DEC221956 EVEN THOUGH WERE ADULTS GN VOL 06 (MR) $12.99

APR231501 FAINT OF HEART GN $18.99

APR231502 FAINT OF HEART HC GN $26.99

APR231483 FAMILY STYLE MEMORIES OF AMERICAN FROM VIETNAM GN $17.99

APR231484 FAMILY STYLE MEMORIES OF AMERICAN FROM VIETNAM HC GN $25.99

MAR231517 FANTAGRAPHICS UNDERGROUND MYSTIC DEBRIS HC $39.99

FEB232126 FAVORITE POP IDOL MADE IT BUDOKAN GN VOL 01 $14.99

JAN231152 FEMFORCE #200 $5.95

MAR231758 FRANK FRAZETTA MOTHMAN #1 (OF 5) CVR A MUTTI $4.99

MAR231759 FRANK FRAZETTA MOTHMAN #1 (OF 5) CVR B FRAZETTA $4.99

APR231978 GARVEYS CHOICE GN $12.99

APR232189 GHOST OF KYIV #1 $3.99

APR231660 GNOME AND RAT GN $10.99

APR231177 GOLD DIGGER #300 CVR A PERRY STANDARD CVR $3.00

APR231178 GOLD DIGGER #300 CVR B FOIL VARIANT $14.99

APR231179 GOLD DIGGER #300 CVR C BEN DUNN VARIANT $3.00

APR231180 GOLD DIGGER #300 CVR D WELDON WRAPAROUND VARIANT $19.99

APR231181 GOLD DIGGER #300 CVR E KELSEY SHANNON VARIANT $3.00

APR231182 GOLD DIGGER #300 CVR F SKETCH COVER VARIANT $9.99

APR231353 GREAT BRITISH BUMP OFF #3 (OF 4) CVR A ALLISON $3.99

APR231354 GREAT BRITISH BUMP OFF #3 (OF 4) CVR B BELEZA $3.99

APR231983 GRIMM SPOTLIGHT LOVECRAFTS LEGACY CVR A TARRAGONA $5.99

APR231984 GRIMM SPOTLIGHT LOVECRAFTS LEGACY CVR B TARRAGONA $5.99

APR231985 GRIMM SPOTLIGHT LOVECRAFTS LEGACY CVR C BURNS $5.99

APR231986 GRIMM SPOTLIGHT LOVECRAFTS LEGACY CVR D ORTIZ $5.99

MAR231340 GRIT N GEARS #2 (OF 7) CVR A NAHUEL SB (RES) $3.99

DEC221958 HIS MAJESTY DEMON KINGS HOUSEKEEPER GN VOL 04 $13.99

MAR222173 IM STANDING ON MILLION LIVES GN VOL 13 (MR) $10.99

MAR231493 INTERTWINED LAST JEWISH DAUGHTER OF KAIFENG #1 CVR A $12.99

MAR231494 INTERTWINED LAST JEWISH DAUGHTER OF KAIFENG #1 CVR B $12.99

MAR231495 INTERTWINED LAST JEWISH DAUGHTER OF KAIFENG #1 CVR C $12.99

MAR231496 INTERTWINED LAST JEWISH DAUGHTER OF KAIFENG #1 CVR D $12.99

MAR231497 INTERTWINED LAST JEWISH DAUGHTER OF KAIFENG #1 CVR E $12.99

MAR231498 INTERTWINED LAST JEWISH DAUGHTER OF KAIFENG #1 CVR F $12.99

DEC221962 KAGEKI SHOJO GN VOL 09 (MR) $12.99

APR232096 KOMI CANT COMMUNICATE GN VOL 25 $9.99

JAN232355 LAST GENDER GN VOL 03 (MR) $12.95

APR231687 LEGACY OF VIOLENCE #6 (OF 12) (MR) $3.99

APR231531 LEGENDS OF THE PIERCED VEIL IZUNA (MR) $29.99

MAR231826 LETS PLAY GN VOL 03 (RES) $19.99

MAR231827 LETS PLAY HC GN VOL 03 (RES) $24.99

APR231963 LIQUID KILL #5 (OF 6) CVR A IZZO (MR) $3.99

APR231964 LIQUID KILL #5 (OF 6) CVR B IUMAZARK (MR) $3.99

APR231965 LIQUID KILL #5 (OF 6) CVR C LLOVET VAR (MR) $3.99

APR231966 LIQUID KILL #5 (OF 6) CVR D IZZO VIRGIN VAR (MR) $9.99

FEB231534 LIZARD PRINCE OTHER SOUTH AMERICAN STORIES GN $15.00

APR231522 LOVE REPORT GN $12.99

APR231844 LSBN GN (MR) $14.99

APR231750 MEXICA AZTEC PRINCESS GN $15.00

APR231157 MIGHTY MARVEL TEAM-UP SPIDER-MAN ANIMALS ASSEMBLE $12.99

APR231367 MISS TRUESDALE &THE FALL OF HYPERBOREA #2 (OF 4) CVR A LONER $3.99

APR231368 MISS TRUESDALE &THE FALL OF HYPERBOREA #2 (OF 4) CVR B LARSE $3.99

JUL229537 MR WINGLETTER GN ADV HC $15.99

APR231369 MURDER INC JAGGER ROSE #2 (OF 6) $3.99

JAN232327 MY ISEKAI LIFE GN VOL 07 $12.99

APR231566 MY LITTLE PONY BEST OF RAINBOW DASH $6.99

APR231567 MY LITTLE PONY TP CLASSICS REIMAGINED LITTLE FILLIES $12.99

MAR231973 NASTY #3 CVR A CAHOON (RES) $4.99

MAR231974 NASTY #3 CVR B CANTIRINO (RES) $4.99

APR232197 NBX BATTLE FOR PUMPKIN KING #2 (OF 5) CVR A $4.99

APR232198 NBX BATTLE FOR PUMPKIN KING #2 (OF 5) CVR B B&W VIRGIN $5.99

FEB231077 NEW MEN TP VOL 01 LEAP OF FAITH (MR) $19.99

APR231496 NUKING ALASKA GN $19.95

APR232072 OLD FASHIONED CUPCAKE GN (MR) $12.99

MAR231856 OMEGA GANG #1 CVR A CEREGATTI $4.99

APR231526 OWL & PENGUIN GN BEST DAY EVER $14.99

APR232074 PERSONA 5 COMIC A LA CARTE GN $13.99

APR231845 PROKARYOTE SEASON GN (MR) $24.99

JAN232358 PROPHECY COMPLETE OMNIBUS ED GN (MR) $29.95

MAR231961 QUEEN OF SWORDS BARBARIC STORY #1 CVR A HOWELL & DIAZ $4.99

MAR231962 QUEEN OF SWORDS BARBARIC STORY #1 CVR B GOODEN & DIAZ $4.99

MAR231963 QUEEN OF SWORDS BARBARIC STORY #1 CVR C HOWELL POLYBAG (MR) $7.99

MAR231964 QUEEN OF SWORDS BARBARIC STORY #1 CVR D LEIZ POLYBAG (MR) $7.99

APR231673 REGGIE KID PENGUIN GN VOL 01 $7.99

APR231674 REGGIE KID PENGUIN HC GN $12.99

NOV222126 SAVING 80K GOLD IN ANOTHER WORLD GN VOL 01 $12.99

APR231098 SECOND COMING TRINITY #3 (OF 6) CVR A PACE (MR) $4.99

JAN232255 SEVEN DEADLY SINS OMNIBUS GN VOL 10 $19.99

APR231161 SPARKLING STORIES OF PHOEBE AND HER UNICORN 2 IN1 $16.99

APR232087 SPIDER-MAN FAKE RED GN $14.99

APR231572 STAR TREK #9 CVR A FEEHAN $4.99

APR231573 STAR TREK #9 CVR B LENDL $4.99

APR231574 STAR TREK #9 CVR C BAYLISS $4.99

APR231590 STAR TREK ECHOES #2 CVR A BARTOK $4.99

APR231591 STAR TREK ECHOES #2 CVR B KANGAS $4.99

APR231594 STAR TREK LIBRARY COLLECTION TP VOL 01 $29.99

MAR231347 STRAY SHEEP #5 (OF 5) $3.99

DEC221979 SUMMER YOU WERE THERE GN VOL 03 $13.99

APR231497 THE PROPHET GN $21.95

APR231658 THIS IS NOT MY STORY HC GN $19.99

APR231608 TMNT ONGOING #140 CVR A GAVIN SMITH $3.99

APR231609 TMNT ONGOING #140 CVR B EASTMAN $3.99

APR231980 TOTAL WASTE OF SPACE TIME SC GN VOL 02 $7.99

APR231244 TRIDENT OF AURELIA TP $12.99

DEC221986 TUNNEL TO SUMMER EXIT OF GOODBYES ULTRAMARINE GN VOL 04 $12.99

APR231389 TWISTED TALE PART OF YOUR WORLD GN $14.99

APR231709 VERN CUSTODIAN OF UNIVERSE GN $20.99

MAR231348 VIOLET DESCENDS #2 (OF 5) CVR A FALCON $4.99

JAN232360 WELCOME TO DEMON SCHOOL IRUMA KUN GN VOL 02 $12.95

MAY222025 WELCOME TO SUCCUBUS HIGH GN VOL 04 (MR) $13.99

APR231487 WHAT HAPPENS NEXT GN SCIENCE FAIR FRENZY $12.99

APR231488 WHAT HAPPENS NEXT HC GN SCIENCE FAIR FRENZY $22.99

DEC221910 WHO WANTS TO MARRY A BILLIONAIRE GN VOL 05 (MR) $13.99

FEB232128 WHY I ADOPTED MY HUSBAND GN (MR) $12.99

APR231188 WORLD OF BETTY & VERONICA JUMBO COMICS DIGEST #26 $9.99

DEC221989 XGENDER GN VOL 02 (MR) $14.99

APR231712 XINO #1 CVR A LESNIEWSKI $5.99

APR231713 XINO #1 CVR B ANDRE LIMA $5.99

APR231714 XINO #1 CVR C WARD & SHEEAN $5.99

APR231715 XINO #1 CVR D KANE $5.99

APR232107 YAKUZA LOVER GN VOL 09 $9.99

APR232105 YASHAHIME PRINCESS HALF DEMON GN VOL 03 $9.99

MAGAZINES

APR231332 COMIC SHOP NEWS (100CT BUNDLE) #1869 $PI

OCT221698 HORRORHOUND #97 $8.99

APR231036 STAR WARS INSIDER #219 FOIL VAR $19.99

APR231035 STAR WARS INSIDER #219 NEWSSTAND ED $9.99

APR231034 STAR WARS INSIDER #219 PX ED $9.99

BOOKS

APR231694 BLACK PANTHER UPRISING SC NOVEL $9.99

APR231635 COMPLETE BEGINNER`S GUIDE TO DRAWING MANGA $19.99

APR231889 CREATURES FROM THE SUBCONSCIOUS ART OF DENIS KITCHEN HC $39.99

APR231089 DIRTY PICTURES HOW REBELS INVENTED COMIX SC $18.00

MAR221915 ENCYCLOPAEDIA EORZEA WORLD OF FINAL FANTASY XIV HC VOL 01 (C $49.99

MAR221916 ENCYCLOPAEDIA EORZEA WORLD OF FINAL FANTASY XIV HC VOL 02 (C $49.99

MAR239746 ENDLESS VESSEL HC NOVEL SOULE SIGNED ED $30.00

APR231636 FLASH OFFICIAL VISUAL COMPANION FROM PAGE TO SCREEN HC $34.99

APR231156 GI JOE CLASSIFIED SC NOVEL $8.99

APR231890 KID TROLL WOLF & HEARSE PARODY CYNICAL BASTARDS HC $24.99

APR231158 SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS MYSTERIES OOZE IN OCEAN $14.99

APR231159 TALES OF ETERNIA HC NOVEL LOST IN VOID $14.99

APR231607 TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES HC LAST RONIN THE COVERS $34.99

JUN222338 TRAPPED IN DATING SIM WORLD OTOME GAMES NOVEL SC VOL 08 $14.99

DEC222001 VIVY PROTOTYPE L NOVEL VOL 04 $14.99

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DC Comics Shipping from Lunar Distributors for June 13, 2023

DC COMICS:

Absolute Dark Nights Death Metal HC, $100.00

Batman And Scooby-Doo Mysteries #9 (Cover A Scott Jeralds), $2.99

Batman Beyond The White Knight HC, $29.99

Batman Incorporated #9 (Cover A John Timms), $3.99

Batman Incorporated #9 (Cover B James Stokoe Card Stock Variant), $4.99

Batman Incorporated #9 (Cover C Rosi Kampe DC Pride Card Stock Variant), $4.99

Batman Incorporated #9 (Cover D John Timms Card Stock Variant), AR

Dark Crisis Young Justice HC, $24.99

DC Pride Through The Years #1 (One Shot)(Cover A Derek Charm), $9.99

Dead Boy Detectives By Toby Litt And Mark Buckingham TP, $29.99

Green Lantern #2 (Cover A Xermanico), $4.99

Green Lantern #2 (Cover B Tony S. Daniel Card Stock Variant), $5.99

Green Lantern #2 (Cover C Darick Robertson Card Stock Variant), $5.99

Green Lantern #2 (Cover D Rafael Sarmento Card Stock Variant), AR

Green Lantern #2 (Cover E Cully Hamner Card Stock Variant), AR

Green Lantern #2 (Cover F Mike Deodato Jr. Card Stock Variant), AR

MAD Magazine #32, $5.99

Multiversity Harley Screws Up The DCU #4 (Of 6)(Cover A Amanda Conner), $4.99

Multiversity Harley Screws Up The DCU #4 (Of 6)(Cover B Meghan Hetrick Card Stock Variant), $5.99

Multiversity Harley Screws Up The DCU #4 (Of 6)(Cover C Travis Mercer Card Stock Variant), AR

Sandman Universe Nightmare Country The Glass House #3 (Of 6)(Cover A Reiko Murakami), $3.99

Sandman Universe Nightmare Country The Glass House #3 (Of 6)(Cover B Elizabeth Torque Card Stock Variant), $4.99

Sandman Universe Nightmare Country The Glass House #3 (Of 6)(Cover C David Romero Card Stock Variant), AR

Spirit World #2 (Of 6)(Cover A Haining), $3.99

Spirit World #2 (Of 6)(Cover B Dustin Nguyen Card Stock Variant), $4.99

Spirit World #2 (Of 6)(Cover C Jessica Lui Fong DC Pride Card Stock Variant), $4.99

Spirit World #2 (Of 6)(Cover D Zu Orzu Card Stock Variant), AR

Static Team-Up Anansi #1 (One Shot)(Cover A Nikolas Draper-Ivey), $3.99

Static Team-Up Anansi #1 (One Shot)(Cover B Natacha Bustos Card Stock Variant), $4.99

Static Team-Up Anansi #1 (One Shot)(Cover C Edwin Galmon Card Stock Variant), AR

Superman Camelot Falls The Deluxe Edition HC, $39.99

Superman Lost #4 (Of 10)(Cover A Carlo Pagulayan & Jason Paz), $4.99

Superman Lost #4 (Of 10)(Cover B Lee Weeks Card Stock Variant), $5.99

Superman Lost #4 (Of 10)(Cover C Rafael Sarmento Card Stock Variant), AR

Teen Titans Academy Volume 2 Exit Wounds TP, $19.99

Waller Vs. Wildstorm #2 (Of 4)(Cover A Jorge Fornes), $5.99

Waller Vs. Wildstorm #2 (Of 4)(Cover B Eric Battle), $5.99

Waller Vs. Wildstorm #2 (Of 4)(Cover C Tom Raney), AR

WildC.A.T.s #8 (Cover A Stephen Segovia), $3.99

WildC.A.T.s #8 (Cover B Kael Ngu Card Stock Variant), $4.99

WildC.A.T.s #8 (Cover C Otto Schmidt Card Stock Variant), AR

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Comics Review: "THE AMBASSADORS #6" is a Battle Royale

THE AMBASSADORS #6 (OF 6)

IMAGE COMICS/Netflix

STORY: Mark Millar

ART: Matteo Scalera

COLORS: Lee Loughridge

LETTERS: Clem Robins

EDITORIAL: Sarah Unwin

COVER: Matteo Scalera

VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Kilian Plunkett with Marcelo Maiolo

44pp, Color, $5.99 U.S. (June 2023)

Rated M / Mature

The Ambassadors created by Mark Millar at Netflix

The Ambassadors is a comic book miniseries written and created by Mark Millar.  The series focuses on the six people out of eight billion humans who will receive super-powers.  Each person will become a member of  the international rescue squad, The Ambassadors.  Each issue of The Ambassadors will be drawn by a different superstar comic book artist.  The sixth issue is drawn by Matteo Scalera; colored by Lee Loughridge; and lettered by Clem Robins.

The Ambassadors focuses on the efforts of Doctor Choon-He Chung.  The technology of her company, Chung Solutions (the world leader in bio-engineering and artificial intelligence), built her a new body.  Now, she wants to share super-powers with the world.  From her “Base-Control” in Antarctica, Choon-He is building “The Ambassadors.”

The Ambassadors #6 opens in Gyeongju, South Korea.  “Codename Mexico” has joined The Ambassadors just in time for the first team international exercise.  There is a powerful tsunami on the way to Gyeongju, and The Ambassador for Mexico has completed the team just in time for them to face their first major conflict together.

Unbeknownst to them, however, this first team mission will also be the first time that Choon-He discovers the truth behind her husband, Jin-Sung's activities.  He has created his own superhuman upgrade program, and super-rich guys from around the world have paid him a billion dollars each in order to gain super-powers.  Now, the battle between super-teams will begin, and the winner will decide the fate of the world.

Plus, Jamie McPhail of the “Bonzo Project” returns again.

THE LOWDOWN:  Thanks to a review copy provided by the Mark Millar division of Netflix, I have been able to read all six issues of The Ambassadors.  This is a treat for which I have been awaiting since the announcement of the series last year.

Writer Mark Millar does penultimate issues (the second-to-last issue) of miniseries quite well, and The Ambassadors #5 was an excellent one, promising a hell of sixth and final issue of the first arc of this franchise.  Lo and behold, Millar delivers just such a fantastic final issue in The Ambassadors #6.  The finale has the intensity and superhero violence that is on the level of magic-infused violence of concluding issues of Millar's The Magic Order miniseries.

This issue's artist Matteo Scalera, one of Millar's best collaborators, details the action and excitement in a way that delivers bracing and entertaining reading.  Colorist Lee Loughridge is always good at coloring comic books that are intense thrillers, and he does quite well here.

The ending makes me excited about the future of The Ambassadors.  Who are going to be their next rivals?  And I'm sure at least one current Ambassador will be foolish enough to bring infamy to this team.  But for now, enjoy this first series now, or be waiting for The Ambassadors trade paperback, dear readers.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Mark Millar and of big concept superhero comic books will want to read The Ambassadors.

A+

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

https://www.mrmarkmillar.com/

https://twitter.com/ImageComics

https://twitter.com/mrmarkmillar

https://twitter.com/netflix

http://www.millarworld.tv/

www.imagecomics.com

The text is copyright © 2023 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from June 1st to 10th, 2023 - Update #27

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

ANIMATION - From Deadline:  Warner Animation Group is now Warner Bros Pictures Animation, and that is just part of the rebranding from new President of Feature Animation, Bill Damaschke.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  NBC has cancelled the sitcom, "Young Rock," after three seasons on the network.  The series focuses on different chapters in the life of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

MUSIC - From Variety:  Grammy-winning legend, Madonna, and Grammy and Oscar-winner, Sam Smith, drop their new collabo, the single, "Vulgar."

SCANDAL - From THR:  Actor and voice performer, Jay Johnston, has been arrested by the FBI for his alleged participation in the Jan. 6, 2021 riots at the U.S. Capitol. Charged by the Department of Justice in connection to his presence at the Capitol, Johnston was arrested Wednesday in Los Angeles.  Johnson is best known for his voice role as "Jimmy Pesto Sr.," a pizzeria owner on Fox's long-running animated series, "Bob's Burgers," and for appearing on such series as "Mr. Show with Bob and Dave" (HBO) and "The Sarah Silverman Program" (Comedy Central).

ANIMATION - From Deadline:  Due to its recent rise in ratings, Cartoon Network is giving its "Adult Swim" banner an extra hour of programming each evening, starting in late August.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  For the first time, the NFL highlights and analysis TV series, "Inside the NFL, moves to The CW, beginning Sept. 5th.  The series began in 1977 on HBO (1977-2008). It moved to Showtime (2008-21), and then most recently was on Paramount+ (2021-23).

NETFLIX - From Variety:  Zack Snyder days that his epic sci-fi film, "Rebel Moon," will be two films, and each will have two versions.  There will be a version that "anyone can enjoy," and there will be a version that is explicit and for "adults only."

DISNEY - From THR:  ABC has defeated a lawsuit from Ingo Rademacher over his dismissal from the daytime soap opera, "General Hospital," for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine.  Rademacher left or was fired from the series around November 2021.

SCANDAL - From THR:  Disgraced director, Bryan Singer (Fox's "X-Men" franchise), is planning a documentary film that would address the sexual misconduct accusations against him.  A 2019 expose in "The Atlantic" magazine detailed accusations against Singer by four accusers.

BREAKING - From THR:  98 percent of the members of Hollywood’s largest union, SAG-AFTRA, have given the green light to their negotiators to call a strike if deemed necessary in upcoming labor negotiations with the Hollywood studios.

APPLE - From Deadline:  Apple has announced its first major device launch in nearly a decade its VR (virtual reality) and AR (augmented reality) headset and platform, "Vision Pro."  Apparently, the starting price will be $3499.00

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 6/2 to 6/4/2023 weekend box office is Sony Pictures Animations' "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" with an estimated take of 120.5 million dollars.

From Deadline:  "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" grosses 88.1 million dollars at the international box office. Combined with its 120.5 million at the domestic box office, that is a global total of 208.6 million dollars.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Oscar-winning directors Francis Ford Coppola and Kevin Costner talk about risking their fortunes bankrolling passion projects.  For Coppola, it is "Megalopolis," his epic, troubled sci-fi film.  For Costner, it is "Horizon," the first of four films set in the pre- and post-Civil War expansion of the American West.

DISNEY - From Deadline:  The Disney layoffs have hit Pixar with 75 jobs being made redundant at the legendary animation studio.  Among those let go are Angus McLane, the director of Pixar's "Lightyear" and Galyn Susman, the film's producer.  Susman had been with Pixar since 1995 and is apparently the person who saved "Toy Story 2."

DISNEY - From Deadline:  British actor Hugo Speer, one of the original actors from the 1997 film, "The Full Monty," was dropped from the forthcoming Disney spinoff series because (according to him) a few people saw him... naked.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  The CW's "The Winchesters" is officially dead, as Warner Bros. has not been able to find another home for the series, which The CW cancelled after one season.  It is a spinoff and prequel to The CW's long-running "Supernatural."

MOVIES - From Variety:  Harrison Ford says he takes some of the blame for his clash with Brad Pitt over the script for the 1997 film thriller, "The Devil's Own."

LGBTQ+ - From Variety:  Elliot Page reveals in his upcoming book, "Pageboy," that a famous actor threatened to force sex on when he came out as gay over decade ago when he was "Ellen Page." The forced sex would prove that he wasn't gay - just afraid of men...

CELEBRITY - From PerezHilton:  Reality television star family, the Duggars, will always be with us. Hilton details how family patriarch, Jim Bob Duggar, stole his children's reality TV money. The post starts off funny and then, starts to read like an expose on a cult leader.

MOVIES - From TheWrap:  Universal Pictures is in active development on an untitled new “Fast & Furious” film starring Dwayne Johnson as "Luke Hobbs." The film won’t be a sequel to 2019's “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw” or a spinoff.  Instead, it will be a direct continuation of the main “Fast Saga” story, serving as a bridge between the recently released “Fast X” and and its follow-up, “Fast X: Part II.”

From CBR:  Star Vin Diesel is reportedly upset with another "Fast & Furious" co-star over stealing attention from him.

DISNEY - From CBR:  Disney and Lucasfilm have revealed seven new "character posters" from "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny."

HARRISON FORD - From Variety:  Harrison Ford told a trio of stunt workers on the set of "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" the following: "Leave me the f**k alone."  Why? Read and find out.

From CBR:  Harrison Ford has now changed his stance and agrees with "Blade Runner" director, Ridley Scott. Ford believes that the film's lead character, "Rick Deckard," is a replicant.

AWARDS - From Deadline:  Here is your 2023-24 award season calendar, beginning on May 31, 2023 with the "Television Academy Honors" ceremony and ends on ends on March 10th, 2024 with the 96th Academy Awards.

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WRITERS STRIKE:

From Deadline:  The Directors Guild of America (DGA) has reached a tentative new three-year deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). So what does the Writers Guild (WGA), currently on strike and negotiating with the AMPTP, think of that deal.

From Deadline:  Netflix shareholders declined to support the 2023 pay packages of top executives during a non-binding vote at the company’s annual shareholder meeting on Thursday.  The vote won't prevent these execs from getting their loot (an total of $166 million), but this is a rare public rebuke.  The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has urged shareholders to vote "No" because the pay was "inappropriate" at this time.

From Deadline:  Warner Bros Discovery chief David Zaslav gave the commencement address at Boston University. There he was met with jeers and also chants of "pay your writers" from picketers and from some in the audience.

From Deadline:   President Joe Biden speaks on the Writers Guild of America strike.

From Deadline:  Retaliation! The studios have starting informing writer-producers who have "overall" and "first-look" deals that such deals are being suspended.

From Deadline:  Retaliation!  Prolific HBO creator, David Simon, who is best known for "The Wire," is one of the many writers who have had their overall deals suspended the studios due to the WGA strike.  Simon has been with HBO for 25 years.

From Deadline:  The Writers Guild of America (WGA) is on strike.

From Deadline:  Disney, HBO/HBO Max, and CBS have sent letters to showrunners (the TV equivalent of film directors) instructing them to return to work, inspite of the writer's strike.

From Deadline:  The WGA's chief negotiator, Ellen Stutzman, talks about the state of the writers' strike, including the lack of engagement on the part of the strike's other party, AMPTP.

From Deadline:  What went wrong between the WGA and AMPTP? What could they not agree on that led to a strike?

From Deadline:  The site explains the WGA strike: the issues, the stakes, movies and TV shows affected, and how long it might last.

Review: "TRANSFORMERS: Rise of the Beasts" is the Best Transformers Movie That I'VE Seen

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 24 of 2023 (No. 1913) by Leroy Douresseaux

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023)

Running time:  127 minutes (2 hours, 7 minutes)

MPA – PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, and language

DIRECTOR:  Steven Caple, Jr.

WRITERS:  Joby Harold, Darnell Metayer, Josh Peters, Erich Hoeber, and Jon Hoeber; from a story by Joby Harold (based on Hasbro’s Transformers Action Figures)

PRODUCERS:  Don Murphy, Tom DeSanto, Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Michael Bay, Duncan Henderson, and Mark Vahradian

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Enrique Chediak

EDITORS:  William Goldenberg and Joel Negron

COMPOSER: Jongnic Bontemps

SCI-FI/ACTION

Starring:  Anthony Ramos, Dominique Fishback, Luna Lauren Velez, Dean Scott Vazquez, Tobe Nwigwe, and Sarah Stiles; (voices) Peter Cullen, Pete Davidson, Ron Perlman, Peter Dinklage, Liza Koshy, Michelle Yeoh, Cristo Fernandez, Michaela Jae Rodriguez, John DiMaggio,Tongayi Chirisa, David Sobolov, and Colman Domingo

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is a 2023 science fiction action film.  It is based on Hasbro's Transformers toy line, and it is the seventh movie in the Transformers live-action film series.  The film serves a standalone sequel to the sixth film, Bumblebee (2018), and also as a prequel to the first film in the series, Transformers (2007).  Set during the 1990s, Rise of the Beasts sees a new faction of Transformers join the Autobots as allies in a battle to save Earth from a planet-eating threat.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts opens thousands of years in the past.  There, the planet-eating dark god, Unicron (voice of Colman Domingo), devours a planet inhabited by the Transformers known as the “Maximals.”  Unicron had sent his servant, Scourge (voice of Peter Dinklage), and the Terrorcons to steal the Maximals' greatest piece of technology, “the Transwarp Key,” which can open portals through space and time.  Optimus Primal (voice of Ron Perlman) and the Maximals:  Airazon (voice of Michelle Yeoh), Cheetor (voice of Tongayi Chirisa) and Rhinox (voice of David Sobolov), escape to Earth with the Transwarp Key.

Moving forward to Brooklyn, 1994: the story introduces two humans that are about to get caught up in the Transformers' drama.  The first is Noah Diaz (Anthony Ramos), an ex-military electronics expert who struggles to find a job to support his family, his mother, Breanna Diaz (Luna Lauren Velez), and his younger brother, Kris (Dean Scott Vazquez), who suffers from sickle cell.

The second is Elena Wallace (Dominique Fishback).  She is an intern at a museum and an artifact researcher who doesn't get the credit for how her knowledge benefits the museum.  She has discovered that an artifact which her museum recently obtained has what turns to be a Maximal symbol on it.  Soon, Noah and Elena will find themselves in the company of the Autobots:  Optimus Prime (voice of Peter Cullen), Mirage (Pete Davidson), and Arcee (voice of Liza Koshy) and caught in a battle to protect the Transwarp Key from falling into the clutches of Scourge in service of Unicron.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is the best Transformers movie that I have seen, although I have only seen three of the previous six.  I liked the first film, Transformers, and its sequel, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009), but after the second sequel, Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011), I'd had enough.  I didn't bother with Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014), and I tried to watch Transformers: The Last Knight (2017) on television and found it unwatchable.  I have never gotten around to watching the first prequel film, Bumblebee (2018), although I had planned on doing it.

There are several things that make Rise of the Beasts stand out from the earlier films.  First, there is some genuine human drama.  Noah's dedication to his family, especially his little brother, Kris, resonates, and Noah's determination to help his family financially makes his decisions seem logical.  Honestly, I really identified with Elena, whose boss, Jillian (Sarah Stiles), keeps taking credit for her work, a situation I have dealt with on and off for four decades (!).  I give the filmmakers a lot of credit for choosing non-white actors as the leads, and the screenwriters even more credit for being willing to depict the slights, micro-aggressions, and job discrimination that talented people of color put up with from mediocre white people.

Also, Rise of the Beasts has excellent visual special effects and eye-popping computer-generated imagery.  The transformational process the robots go through still looks really cool and sometimes mind-bending.  The robot fight scenes rival and probably surpass anything audiences would find in Star Wars movies.  This time, however, it means something and isn't just one long slog of creatures of metal slamming into each other.  There is a real sense of peril for both human and Autobots.  They might die or be destroyed, and the Earth might be devoured.  Plus, Unicron is a deliciously evil villain who is equally god and monster.  I hope he returns in future movies because as much as he scared me, he also fascinated me.

Director Steven Caple, Jr. has delivered a Transformers movie that is both visually busy and also dramatically hefty with genuine melodrama.  Yes, the third act is a bit tedious, but...  I'm shocked to say this.  I heartily recommend Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.

[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts has an extra scene that appears just after the credits begin and also a mid-credits scene.]

7 of 10

A-

★★★½ out of 4 stars

Friday, June 9, 2023

The text is copyright © 2023 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Book Review: "THE WAY OF THE BEAR" Takes the Readers Deep into Greed and Murder

THE WAY OF THE BEAR – (A Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito Novel #8)

HARPERCOLLINS

AUTHOR: Anne Hillerman

ISBN: 978-0-06-290839-1; hardcover (April 25, 2023)

286pp, B&W, $30.00 U.S., $37.50 CAN

The Way of the Bear: A Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito Novel is a 2023 hardcover original novel from author Anne Hillerman.  It is the eighth novel in her “Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito” book series, which began with Spider Woman's Daughter (2013).

This series is a continuation of the “Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee Series” written by Hillerman's late father, bestselling author, Tony Hillerman (1925-2008).  The father's novels are the basis for “Dark Winds,” a television series from the cable network, AMC, and its streaming service, AMC+.  In The Way of the Bear, Chee and Manuelito find themselves caught up in a case that involves fossil harvesting, greed, rejected love, and murder.

The Way of the Bear opens in December.  Navajo Nation Police Officer Bernadette “Bernie” Manuelito and her husband, Sgt. Jim Chee, have traveled to San Juan County, Utah to the place known as “the Valley of the Gods,” near the Bears Ears National Monument.  Chee is on assignment for the Navajo Nation Police Department, and his job is to convince Dr. Chapman “Chap” Dulles, a wealthy fossil hunter and paleontologist., to donate money to a fallen Navajo police officers fund.

Bernie has gone along on the trip and uses the time to visit Bears Ears for relaxation, contemplation, and exploration.  This has been a difficult time in her life for both personal and professional reasons.  While there, she has a terrifying encounter involving a pickup truck that tries to run her down.  One of the truck's passengers even shoots at her.  And after that, Bernie helps a young couple deliver their baby in the middle of the night.

However, an unexpected death on a lonely road outside of Bears Ears for raises questions for Bernie and Chee.  They didn't plan on being involved in a murder, but they also wonder why a seasoned outdoorsman and well-known paleontologist freezes to death within walking distance of his car?  A second death, and apparent murder, brings more turmoil and mystery. Who is the unidentified man killed during a home invasion where nothing much seems to have been taken? Why was he murdered?

The Bears Ears area, at the edge of the Navajo Nation, is celebrated for its abundance of early human habitation sites and for the discovery of unique and revolutionary fossils.  Instead of being able to appreciate all this, Bernie and Chee are faced with an unprecedented level of violence that sweeps them both into danger.

THE LOWDOWN:  I have been crazy about Anne Hillerman's work since I first read Spider Woman's Daughter.  I had read two of her late father, Tony Hillerman's novels a long time ago, so I requested a review copy of Spider Woman's Daughter from HarperCollins when it was offered to reviewers back in 2013.  It was a fortuitous decision, as the “Manuelito, Chee & Leaphorn” series became one of my favorite modern literary series.

When I read the previous novel in the series, 2022's The Sacred Bridge, I didn't know if I should call it a turning point in the series, but the story did suggest that big changes were ahead for both Bernie and Chee.  Joe Leaphorn did not appear in The Sacred Bridge, nor does he appear in The Way of the Bear, except indirectly, and Hillerman continues to hint at big changes for him.

Like The Sacred Bridge, The Way of the Bear is a solid crime thriller, and at times, a riveting suspense thriller.  In this new novel, Bernie and Chee's lives are constantly under threat – sometimes in unexpected ways.  There is level of danger, menace, and peril that I don't remember encountering in earlier novels.  However, the entries in this series always seem to be moving the characters forward.  Nothing is stale, and the lives of Bernie and Chee are ongoing and evolving.  Even with the danger this story imposes on them, the narrative also gives us a deeper look into them.

As I have done with the previous books, I am heartily recommending The Way of the Bear.  The more I read, the more I learn about Bernie and Chee, and the more attached to them that I become.  As always, I am sad about reaching the end of the story, doubly so this time because it was just a year ago that I read The Sacred Bridge.  The best recommendation that I can give The Way of the Bear is to tell you, dear readers, that I would like to read another book in the series right now.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:   Fans of Anne Hillerman and of her late father, Tony Hillerman, will want to read The Way of the Bear.

A

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

https://www.annehillerman.com/

https://twitter.com/harperbooks

https://www.instagram.com/harperbooks/

https://twitter.com/HarperCollins

https://www.harpercollins.com/

The text is copyright © 2023 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved.  Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Comics Review: "SINS OF THE SALTON SEA #1" Opens with Several Bangs

SINS OF THE SALTON SEA #1 (OF 5)

AWA STUDIOS

STORY: Ed Brisson

ART: C.P. Smith

COLORS: C.P. Smith

LETTERS: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

COVER: Tim Bradstreet

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Mike Deodato, Jr. with Lee Loughridge; Chris Ferguson; Mike Deodato, Jr.

32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (June 2023)

Rated: “Mature”

Sins of the Salton Sea is a new five-issue comic book miniseries from writer Ed Brisson and artist C.P. Smith.  Published by AWA Studios, the series focuses on a professional thief who finds himself with lives on his hand rather than the money promised in his hand.  Letterer Steve Wands completes the series creative team.

Sins of the Salton Sea #1 opens somewhere out in the American West.  It introduces Wyatt, a professional thief living off the grid.  What he doesn't know is that his brother, Jasper, has been keeping tabs on him, and now, he has come asking for help.  Jasper has allegedly scored information on one of those proverbial “last big scores.”  If Jasper and his team can pull this off, everyone will be set for a long time, maybe even life.

Problem is that Jasper needs a fifth member of his team, and that would be Wyatt, an explosives expert.  Wyatt reluctantly agrees, and he is right to be cautious.  This heist is not anything like what Jasper and his team expects.

THE LOWDOWN:  AWA Studios marketing recently began providing me with PDF review copies of their comic book publications.  Sins of the Salton Sea #1 is the latest.

I don't have a lot to say about Sins of the Salton Sea #1, but it is a damn good read.  Writer Ed Brisson offers a tale that when it blows up in the reader's face – and it does – it leaves everything changed and the direction of the story totally different from what the reader expected.

Meanwhile, artist-colorist, C.P. Smith, depicts the West in true grand fashion with a clean compositional style and panels that feel wide and cinematic.  Smith's colors, however, give the story a deeply intimate feel.  Not only the drama, but also the action scenes bring the readers up close and personal.  I felt like I was there and in trouble with everyone else.

I highly recommend Sins of the Salton Sea #1.  It promises a lot for the rest of this series.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of action thrillers and conspiracies will want to try Sins of the Salton Sea.

A

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

AWA Website: https://awastudios.net/

AWA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awastudiosofficial/

AWA Twitter: https://twitter.com/AWA_Studios

AWA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/awastudiosofficial

The text is copyright © 2023 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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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).