TRASH IN MY EYE Reviews

Monday, June 26, 2023

Comics Review: "BATTLE CHASERS #10" - Return of the Kings

BATTLE CHASERS #10

IMAGE COMICS

STORY: Joe Madureira

ART: Ludo Lullabi

COLORS: Ludo Lullabi

LETTERS: Richard Starkings & Comicraft's Tyler Smith

COVER: Ludo Lullabi

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Joe Madureira with Billy Garretsen; J. Scott Campbell with Tanya Lehoux; Humberto Ramos; Chris Bachalo with Jaime Mendoza; Mirka Andolfo; Skottie Young

MISC. ART: Joe Madureira and Aron Lusen; Ludo Lullabi; Joe Madureira with Grace Liu

36pp, Colors, 3.99 U.S. (June 2023)

Rated “M/ Mature”

Battle Chasers created by Joe Madureira

Battle Chasers, the fantasy comic book series created by artist Joe Madureira, original ran from 1998 to 2001. Now, the series returns via Image Comics. The series is currently written by Madureira; drawn and colored by Ludo Lullabi; and lettered by Tyler Smith.

Battle Chasers focuses on Gully, a ten-year-old girl who possesses a pair of magical gauntlets left behind by her father, the great warrior, Aramus, who disappeared. She is aided in her quest to find her father by three new friends. They are Garrison, a legendary swordsman who possesses a powerful magical sword; Knolan, a powerful 500-year-old wizard; and his companion, Calibretto, a towering “Wargolem,” who is the last of his kind. Also aboard is Red Monika, a voluptuous outlaw who is the target of King Vaneer of the Unified Territories.

Battle Chasers #10 opens in Sirene Valley at the home of Garrison. Red Monika has come seeking shelter because she is a fugitive. Her pursuers are Maestro and his Master Paladins, but these are not the Paladins of old. These are criminal and killers with supernatural powers. Now, only her old friend slash foe slash frienemy, Garrison can save her. But is even the great warrior enough to face off against impossible powers?

Meanwhile, back in Capital City, specifically in its military prison, Gully confronts Sebastias Nefar, the man who claims to be her father Aramus' son from an earlier relationship. This only leads to more and uglier confrontations.

THE LOWDOWN: I have previously written that I was a huge fan of Joe Madureira a.k.a. “Joe Mad” in the 1990s. I used to call him “the young master” because of his talent and abilities and because his art seemed to explode every few months into something even better and more beautiful. I even collected multiple pages of Joe Mad's original art.

I was also a huge fan of Battle Chasers, and I never forgot about it even after it disappeared in 2001. So much time passed that I was not sure if I would bother with the series if and when it returned. In the end, however, I thought, why not?

I'm glad I did. Battle Chasers #10 may be the best issue of the series yet. It is certainly the best written. This issue is the first time in which the script writing has grappled with the inner workings of the characters, especially Garrison, Monika, and Maestro, and how they act and work. It's as if Madureira spent some time considering how he should present character motivation in depth in this series. Knowing at least some of their fears and some of what they want, the actions of the characters seem authentic. The result is that this issue's Garrison/Red Monika versus Maestro and the Martial Paladins confrontation feels like something genuine instead of seeming like an excuse to draw cool actions scenes. And speaking of art...

Ludo Lullabi is the perfect artist to follow Joe Madureira's original and masterful run, not because Lullabi mimics Joe's style, which quite a few artists did in the 1990s (and some still do, now). The reason is that Lullabi is also a good storyteller. I can feel the tension in two primary conflicts in Battle Chasers #10 – the opening chase and also Gully's “family reunion.” I do like Lullabi's style, which looks like a mix of anime and the design aesthetic of a few Ralph Bakshi films.

So I'm glad that Battle Chasers is back. I hope readers of the series' first iteration are happy enough to make it a hit. Most importantly, I hope new readers discover it.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of artist Joe Madureira and of his former comic book series, Battle Chasers, will want to read the revived Battle Chasers.

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

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Sunday, June 25, 2023

Review: Steven Spielberg's "EMPIRE OF THE SUN"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 27 of 2023 (No. 1916) by Leroy Douresseaux

Empire of the Sun (1987)

Running time: 153 minutes (2 hours, 33 minutes)

MPAA – PG

DIRECTOR: Steven Spielberg

WRITER: Tom Stoppard (based on the novel by J.G. Ballard)

PRODUCERS: Steven Spielberg, Frank Marshall, and Kathleen Kennedy

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Allen Daviau (D.o.P.)

EDITOR: Michael Kahn

COMPOSER: John Williams

Academy Award nominee

DRAMA

Starring: Christian Bale, John Malkovich, Miranda Richardson, Nigel Havers, Joe Pantoliano, Leslie Phillips, Masato Ibu, Emily Richard, Rupert Frazer, Peter Gale, Takataro Kataoka, and Ben Stiller

Empire of the Sun is a 1987 wartime drama and historical film directed by Steven Spielberg. The film is based on the 1984 semi-autobiographical novel, Empire of the Sun, from author J.G. Ballard (1930-2009). Empire of the Sun the film focuses on a young English boy who is separated from his parents and then, struggles to survive the Japanese occupation of China during World War II

Empire of the Sun opens in 1941 in the “International Settlement,” an enclave of British and American citizens in Shanghai, China. James “Jamie” Graham is the only child of an British upper middle class couple, John Graham (Rupert Frazer) and Mary Graham (Emily Richard). Jamie enjoys a privileged life in the International Settlement, but he keeps an eye on the activities of the Japanese who have encroached on Shanghai. After their attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese begin their occupation of the settlement. During the family's bid to escape, Jamie is separated from his parents.

Eventually, Jamie is taken prisoner and moved into an internment camp. He survives by befriending the American expatriate and hustler, Basie (John Malkovich), and also the kindly Englishman, Dr. Rawlins (Nigel Havers). Now, called “Jim” by everyone, he establishes a successful trading network that keeps him with food and necessities. As World War II drags on, however, Jim realizes that he no longer remembers what his parents look like.

Last year, I began watching and, in some cases, re-watching early Steven Spielberg films, such as Duel, Jaws, and 1941, in anticipation of Spielberg's autobiographical film, The Fabelmans, which was released in 2022. The film has long since completed its theatrical run, but there remained Spielberg films I wanted to see. I had been putting off watching Empire of the Sun for 36 years, and my best resource to see it, DVDNetflix, is closing soon. So why not see Empire of the Sun now?

What can I say? Empire of the Sun is not one of Spielberg's better films. It does not really have a narrative center, and the plot is unfixed. The film plays like a series of anecdotes – many, many, many anecdotes – played over a film that runs nearly two and a half hours long. Some of the scenes have great emotional impact, such as Jim's reunion with his parents and even that last shot of the suitcase in the water. Still, overall, the film lacks dramatic heft and emotion. It's too cold and is disjointed. Instead of feeling like a narrative that flows from beginning to end, Empire of the Sun feels like individual pages from a children's picture book.

If Empire of the Sun is a coming-of-age story and a boys' adventure tale, then, the film needs a great boy. That is what actor Christian Bale is for this film. All of 13-years-old when filming began, Bale carries Empire of the Sun with the tenacity and acting chops of an actor more than twice his age. Bale embodies the emotional depth and dramatic depth that this film lacks as a whole. None of the other actors' performances approach his, not because they are bad, but because neither Spielberg nor Tom Stoppard's script gives them the space and material.

Spielberg makes this film seem as if its true purpose is to be about a boy and his wartime adventures. Thus, none of the Japanese elements really feel as if they have the force of an empire behind them. Still, the focus on Jim Graham works because Christian Bale is the child emperor of Empire of the Sun.

6 of 10

★★★ out of 4 stars

Sunday, June 25, 2023

NOTES:

1988 Academy Awards, USA: 6 nominations: “Best Cinematography” (Allen Daviau), “Best Art Direction-Set Decoration” (Norman Reynolds and Harry Cordwell), “Best Costume Design” (Bob Ringwood), “Best Sound” (Robert Knudson, Don Digirolamo, John Boyd, and Tony Dawe), “Best Film Editing” (Michael Kahn), and “Best Music, Original Score” (John Williams)

1989 BAFTA Awards: 3 wins: “Best Cinematography” (Allen Daviau), “Best Score” (John Williams), and “Best Sound” (Charles L. Campbell, Louis L. Edemann, Robert Knudson, and Tony Dawe); 3 nominations: “Best Screenplay-Adapted” (Tom Stoppard), “Best Costume Design” (Bob Ringwood), and “Best Production Design” (Norman Reynolds)

1988 Golden Globes, USA 2 nominations: “Best Motion Picture – Drama” and “Best Original Score-Motion Picture” (John Williams)

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Saturday, June 24, 2023

Comics Review: "Unbreakable RED SONJA #5" Offers a Softer Ending Than I Expected

UNBREAKABLE RED SONJA VOL. 1 #5

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Jim Zub

ARTIST: Adrian M. Garcia

COLORS: Francesco Segala with Agnese Pozza

LETTERS: Taylor Esposito

EDITOR: Matt Idelson

COVER: Lucio Parrillo

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

Rated Teen+

Red Sonja created by Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor-Smith and Robert E. Howard

Red Sonja is female high fantasy and sword and sorcery hero. She first appeared in Conan the Barbarian #23 (cover dated February 1973) and was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Barry Windsor-Smith. Red Sonja was loosely based on “Red Sonya of Rogatino,” a female character that appeared in the 1934 short story, “The Shadow of the Vulture,” written by Conan the Cimmerian's creator, Robert E. Howard.

In 2005, Dynamite Entertainment began publishing comic books featuring differing versions of the character. The latest is Unbreakable Red Sonja Volume 1. It is written by Jim Zub; drawn by Giovanni Valletta and Adrian M. Garcia; colored by Francesco Segala; and lettered by Carlos M. Mangual and Taylor Esposito. This series finds the She-Devil with a Sword teamed up with what is apparently a younger version of herself.

Unbreakable Red Sonja Volume 1 #5 opens … somewhere. Past, present, and potent futures collide as Sonja parlays with “Scathach, the Warrior Maiden.” For Sonja, this journey through time is most important if she and her younger self are going to survive Tendra the Forbidden, the all-knowing goddess of creation.

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 Unbreakable Red Sonja #5, which is one of many, many Dynamite Red Sonja comic books that I have read.

The Unbreakable Red Sonja has a creative team, writer Jim Zub and artists Giovanni Valletta and Adrian M Garcia, that recalls the creative teams of old Conan the Barbarian comic book series. This series is like something from the Marvel Comics of yesteryear.

However, the final issue is a bit of a letdown. It reads like a rushed ending. Zub built up the engaging mystery over four issues and suddenly wraps it up with some low-rent mysticism and time-shifting shenanigans. Still, I recommend that readers who passed on this give it a try in the eventual trade paperback collection.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of Red Sonja comic books will want to try Unbreakable Red Sonja.

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

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from June 18th to 24th, 2023 - Update #16

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

STRIKE - From Deadline: Members of the Directors Guild of America have overwhelmingly ratified a new film and television contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents the film and TV studios.

TELEVISION - From Deadline: The "Magnum P.I." reboot starring Jay Hernandez was broadcast for four seasons on CBS. NBC picked it up for a fifth season when CBS cancelled it. Now, NBC has opted not to order additional episodes beyond this current fifth season.

MOVIES - From Deadline: Director Spike Lee is attending the Cannes Lions Festival where he will receive the "Creative Maker of the Year" awards. In an interview, the Oscar-winner mentioned a piece of advice given to him by the late recording artist and icon, Michael Jackson. The King of Pop told Spike, "Don't ever use the term, 'music video'." Spike calls his music videos "short films."

NETFLIX - From Variety: Netflix has revealed the cast for its live-action series version of "Avatar: The Last Airbender," and it has released the first teaser trailer. The series is due in 2024,

MOVIES - From IndieWire: Oscar-winners, Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese, and should-be-an-Oscar-winner, Paul Thomas Anderson, have teamed up for an emergency call with Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav about the layoffs of Turner Classic Movies’ (TCM) top brass.

TELEVISION - From Deadline: Warner Bros. Discovery is shopping some of its HBO library titles to its rival, Netflix. The first title may be the Issa Rae comedy, "Insecure," which recently finished its five-season run.

SCANDAL - From Deadline: France’s highest appeals court dismissed accusations of rape by Belgian-Dutch actress Sand Van Roy against French director and producer Luc Besson on Wednesday. Van Roy accused Besson of raping her in 2016 and 2018 encounters.

ANIMATION - From Deadline: Actor Dan Stevens will now provide the voice of the lead character, "Korvo," in Hulu's animated series, "Solar Opposites." He replaces Justin Roiland, who is also the co-creator (with Mike McMahan) of the series. Roiland was ousted from Solar Opposites in January because he was facing domestic abuse charges.

TELEVISION - From Deadline: Television super-producer and creator, Ryan Murphy ("American Horror Story," "Nip/Tuck," "Pose") is set to leave Netflix after his five-year Netflix deal expires. He is in talks to return to Disney which owns FX, the home of his biggest hits.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro: The winner of the 6/16 to 6/18/2023 weekend box office is Warner Bros.' "The Flash" with an estimated total of 55.1 million dollars.

From Deadline: Wes Anderson's latest film, "Asteroid City," has the strongest opening weekend ($790,000) for a limited release/specialty box office film in many years.

From BloodyDisgusting: John Squires of "Bloody Disgusting" says that The seven million-dollar debut of Tim Story's "The Blackening" is a win for Lionsgate.

DISNEY - From Variety: In an interview with "Variety," Pixar CCO (Chief Creative Officer) Pete Docter says that Disney has trained families to wait for films to appear on Disney+. He reveals that Pixar is working on "Toy Story 5."

MOVIES - From Deadline: Two plagiarism claimants were trying to delay the recent release of director Tim Story's black-centric horror comedy, "The Blackening." A California district court judge didn't buy the claim.

OBITS:

From Deadline: Stage and screen actor, Frederic Forrest, has died at the age of 86, Friday, June 23, 2023. His breakthrough film was 1972's "When Legends Die," which earned his a Golden Globe Award. He appeared in four films in which Francis Ford Coppola was involved, including "The Conversation" (1974) and "Apocalypse Now" (1979). He earned an Academy Award nomination for "Best Supporting Actor" for his role as "Huston Dyer" in "The Rose" (1979), alongside Bette Midler.

From Deadline: American mystery author and actress, Carol Higgins Clark, has died at the age of 66, Monday, June 12, 2023. She was best known for her "Regan Reilly" mystery series, and Clark was also the daughter of the late suspense novelist, Mary Higgins Clark. She also appeared in several television movies, including "A Cry in the Night" (1992), which was based on her mother's 1982 novel of the same title.

WRITERS STRIKE:

From THR: Studios won't give writers better pay, and now, are laying off janitors.

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.

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Friday, June 23, 2023

Review: Miller, Keaton Speed "THE FLASH" Forward

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 26 of 2023 (No. 1915) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Flash (2023)

Running time: 144 minutes (2 hours, 24 minutes)

MPAA – PG-13 for sequences of violence and action, some strong language and partial nudity

DIRECTOR: Andy Muschietti

WRITERS: Christina Hodson; from a screen story by John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein, Joby Harold (based on the DC Comics characters)

PRODUCERS: Barbara Muschietti and Michael Disco

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Henry Braham

EDITORS: Jason Ballantine and Paul Machliss

COMPOSER: Benjamin Wallfisch

SUPERHERO/FANTASY/ACTION

Starring: Ezra Miller, Michael Keaton, Sasha Calle, Michael Shannon, Ron Livingston, Maribel Verdu, Kiesey Clemons, Antje Traue Temuera Morrison, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Nicolas Cage, George Clooney, Jason Momoa, and Jeremy Irons

The Flash is a 2023 superhero and action-fantasy film directed by Andy Muschietti. The film is based on the DC Comics character, The Flash, with the two most famous versions being created by the teams of writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert and writer Robert Kanigher and artist Carmine Infantino. The film is the 13th entry in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). In The Flash, the superhero known as “the fastest man alive” uses his super-speed to change his family's tragic past, but also creates a world without superheroes.

The Flash opens at a very important time in the life of Barry Allen/The Flash (Ezra Miller). His father, Henry Allen (Ron Livingston), has been imprisoned, wrongfully convicted for murdering his wife and Ezra's mother, Nora Allen (Maribel Verdu). As a police forensic investigator for the Central City Police Department, Barry has been using his knowledge and connections in a bid to free his father, whose next appeal of his conviction is a day away.

However, Barry's superhero life intrudes, so he races to Gotham City where he helps Batman (Ben Affleck) stop a terrorist group. After that, the Flash visits his childhood home. Overcome by his emotions, Barry starts running so fast that he does not realize that his power, super-speed, has tapped into the “Speed Force” to such an extent that he has traveled back in time. Although Batman's alter-ego, Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck), warns him against doing so, the Flash travels back in time, again.

He returns to the day his mother was murdered and changes events in order to save her life, and the thing about which Bruce warned Barry occurs, the unintended consequences of time travel. Soon, Barry comes face to face with his younger self, college-age Barry (Ezra Miller). Not long afterwards, Barry learns that his big change to the past has also created an Earth without superheroes. As an alien threat looms, the two Barrys seek out the one superhero everyone knows exists – or at least once existed, Batman. However, this Earth's Bruce Wayne (Michael Keaton) does not want to be Batman again, even if it dooms the world.

When I first heard of the premise of The Flash, I knew that Warner Bros. Pictures wanted to make its on version of Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios' multiverse adventure, Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021). Unlike this very sharp Spider-Man flick, The Flash is not as crisp and as efficient. The Flash's action scenes are always at least a minute too long and too overdone. The drama is a bit too melodramatic, sometimes in danger of being corny. Still, director Andy Muschietti and his editors offer a film that is often quite engaging, thrilling, and entertaining.

I believe that the persons that really carry The Flash are first, Ezra Miller as The Flash/Barry Allen and as younger Barry Allen and second, Michael Keaton as Batman/Bruce Wayne. This time around Ezra offers a superhero and alter-ego that are both far less annoying and forced than they were in Joss Whedon's 2016 superhero film, Justice League. Miller is so good at portraying two versions of Barry that they seem like distinctly different people and personalities. Here, Miller's Flash is more like a quirky character than in Justice League, where he seemed like bad character writing and a resulting confused and awkward performance. Sadly, Miller's legal problems may keep them from portraying the Flash again, which is a shame. They have finally got a bead on how to play that kind of character in a way that makes him endearing.

To a slightly lesser extent, Michael Keaton also carries this film. His Batman/Bruce Wayne is one of the most famous iterations of the character, having appeared in director Tim Burton's Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992). Keaton revives the beats of the way he played the character over three decades ago, while adding a lot of new flavors to his character and new engagement in his performance. After this appearance, I would really like to see more of Keaton's Batman.

Ben Affleck also makes a really nice turn as the “DCEU Batman/Bruce Wayne.” Sasha Calle as Kara Zor-El/Supergirl gives a performance that makes the character seem shoe-horned into this film. And there are some delightful cameos from other actors and characters that have appeared in DC Comics-related film and television series. Plus, there is a surprise appearance from another cinematic Batman. As I have said, however, Ezra Miller and Michael Keaton put a light-speed jolt into The Flash. I found The Flash entertaining, but I'm giving it the grade I am because of Miller and Keaton.

[The Flash has one scene at the end of the credits.]

7 of 10

B+

★★★½ out of 4 stars

Friday, June 23, 2023

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Thursday, June 22, 2023

Comics Review: "BATTLE CHASERS ANTHOLOGY" - Best Way to Read Original Series

BATTLE CHASERS ANTHOLOGY

IMAGE COMICS

STORY: Joe Madureira and Munier Sharrieff

PENCILS: Joe Madureira; Adam Warren

INKS: Tom McWeeney with Joe Madureira; Adam Warren

COLORS: Liquid!; Christian Lightner; Aron Lusen; Ryan Kinnaird

LETTERS: Richard Starkings & Comicraft

COVER: Joe Madureira with Grace Liu

ISBN: 978-1-5343-1522-8; paperback (September 25, 2019)

32pp, Colors, 24.99 U.S.

Rated “T/ Teen”

Battle Chasers created by Joe Madureira

Battle Chasers is an American fantasy comic book series created by artist Joe Madureira. Launched in April 1998, the series was sporadically published for nine issues over a period of a little over three years. Battle Chasers #1 to #4 (cover dated: April to October 1998) were published by Image Comics' studio, Wildstorm Productions, via its “Cliffhanger” imprint. Issues #5 to 8 (cover dated: May 1999 to 2001) were published by DC Comics via Wildstorm Productions and its “Cliffhanger” imprint. The series returned to Image Comics for Battle Chasers #9 (cover dated: September 2001). Although there was some art produced for a Battle Chasers #10, the issue was never published.

Well, Battle Chasers #10 finally arrives June 14th, 2023 (at least 21 years late) albeit with new series artist. So I decided to go back and reread the original run, and there is a handy way to do that.

Battle Chasers Anthology, originally published in September 2019, collects every Battle Chasers comics story. That includes Battle Chasers #1 to 9; the eight-page story from Battle Chasers Prelude (cover dated: February 1998); the 10-page story published in Frank Frazetta Fantasy Illustrated (cover dated: Summer 1998); and the Joe Madureira-Adam Warren “Red Monika: Interlude” serial, which was originally published in Battle Chasers #6 and #9.

[This volumes also includes a 21-page sketchbook section; a 10-page pin-up and illustration gallery; and 27-page cover art gallery.]

Battle Chasers takes place in a “steampunk” nineteenth century-type fantasy world. It focuses on five main characters. The first is Gully, a ten-year-old girl who possesses a pair of magical gloves left behind by her father, the great warrior, Aramus, who disappeared. Next is Garrison, a legendary swordsman and grieving widow; he has a powerful magical sword. Knolan is a powerful 500-year-old wizard. His companion is Calibretto, a towering “Wargolem,” who is also an outlaw and the last of his kind.

The four join forces to find Gully's father. They must also stop four extremely powerful villains that were inadvertently released from imprisonment by the fifth main character, Red Monika, a rogue and a voluptuous bounty hunter. Meanwhile, the legacy of Aramus, the machinations of King Vaneer of the Unified Territories, and the secrets of Knolan begin to poison everything and everyone around them.

THE LOWDOWN: I was a huge fan of Joe Madureira a.k.a. “Joe Mad” in the 1990s. I used to call him “the young master” because his talent, abilities, and art seemed to explode every few months into something even better and more beautiful. I even collected multiple pages of Joe Mad's original art.

So I was ecstatic when his first creator-owned comic book, Battle Chasers, was announced in 1997. I was so excited about Battle Chasers when it arrived in the spring of 1998 that I also bought one of the variant covers. I enjoyed the series, but it was a bit hard to follow because … well, because Mad took two and a half years to deliver nine issues. For instance, there was a 16-month delay between the publication of Battle Chasers #6 (August 1999, DC Comics) and #7 (January 2001, DC Comics).

In the end, Joe Mad abandoned the series to work in the video game industry and went on to co-found a video game company. Eventually, he did return to Battle Chasers, and Battle Chasers Anthology was published in 2019.

It is through Battle Chasers Anthology that a reader can see how imaginative, inventive, and fun to read Battle Chasers was and is. Having the series gathered in one book allows a reader to enjoy the series without waiting months or a year-and-half to read each chapter. The story flows, so the overall narrative comes across as impressive and well-thought out, and except for some wonky names for people, places, and beings and some awkward dialogue, the script writing by Munier Sharrieff is really good. Engaging plots, interesting character, and surprising cliffhangers make this an exciting and gripping read. Battle Chasers is a wild gumbo of video games scenarios, Dungeons & Dragons, and anime and manga. Still, it is original rather than being a pastiche, although on the surface, it might appear to be as such.

To that end, along with the end of his run on Marvel Comics' Uncanny X-Men, Battle Chasers is peak Joe Mad art. His creature design for this series is still impressive, and there was nothing like it, at least in American comic books, back then. Battle Chasers' character design is also quite good, simply because none of the lead characters or main supporting and guests character look remotely alike.

Like Tim Townsend did when he inked Joe Mad, Tom McWeeney uses his inks to control the wild energy and eccentricity that showed itself in Mad's comic book art after he left Battle Chasers. In the 1990s, I thought that there were no better comic book colorists than Liquid Graphics a.k.a. Liquid! Twenty years later, the studio's work on this comic book still looks amazing. Even the lettering by Richard Starkings & Comicraft stands out as exceptional – even today. I'm starting to believe that, in spite of their lateness, Battle Chasers and the other two original Cliffhanger titles were not only peak 1990s mainstream comic books but also a peak in mainstream comic books in general.

I wanted to read Battle Chasers Anthology just in case I decided to read the finally arrived Battle Chasers #10 (Image Comics). I enjoyed this collection so much that I feel that I have to at least read this new issue.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of artist Joe Madureira and of his former comic book series, Battle Chasers, will want Battle Chasers Anthology.

[This volume includes an introduction by Jeph Loeb and an afterword by Joe Madureira.]

[MISC ART: Joe Madureira; Joe Madureira and Tom McWeeney with Liquid!, Joe Maduriera and Alex Garner; Joe Madureira and Vince Russell; Joe Madureira and Richard Starkings; Ed McGuiness and Liquid!; David Finch and Liquid!; Travis Charest and Richard Friend; Ed McGuiness and Jason Martin with Justin Ponsor; Travis Charest and Richard Friend with Liquid!; Joe Chiodo; Adam Warren with Liquid!; Humberto Ramos and Sandra Hope with Liquid!; J. Scott Campbell and Richard Friend with Liquid!.]

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

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Wednesday, June 21, 2023

Comics Review: "RED ZONE #4" - A Kiss Kiss Bang Bang Ending

RED ZONE #4 (OF 4)

AWA STUDIOS

STORY: Cullen Bunn

ART: Mike Deodato, Jr.

COLORS: Lee Loughridge

LETTERS: Steve Wands

COVER: Rahzzah

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Michael Cho

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

Rated: “Teen+”

Red Zone is a four-issue comic book miniseries from writer Cullen Bunn and artist Mike Deodato, Jr. Published by AWA Studios, the series focuses on an American professor who must fight his way out of Russia where he lived a former life full of long-buried secrets. Colorist Lee Loughridge and letterer Steve Wands complete the series creative team.

Red Zone introduces Randall Crane, an unassuming professor of Russian and Slavic Studies at NYU. By request, he becomes part of U. S. Army Special Forces secret extraction mission into Russia. The target is Elena Sidorov, once a very close friend of the professor's. What she knows makes her a high priority asset to the U.S. When the mission goes wrong, however, Randall is alone and forced to summon the secrets of his past to save himself and Elena daughter, Nika.

As Red Zone #4 opens, Randall and Nika have sought shelter in the home of Novel Abramov, an old acquaintance of Randall's. He lives on the outskirts of an abandoned city turned ghost town, which is the perfect place for a showdown. Andreiko Volkov, the man who wants Crane dead, has called in the cowboy-cosplay killer, Maxim. But hey, why not have just about everyone after Randall show up for a throw-down in a ghost town?

THE LOWDOWN: AWA Studios marketing recently began providing me with PDF review copies of their comic book publications. One of them is Red Zone #4, the fourth issue of the series that I've read.

Writer Cullen Bunn created an edge-of-your-seat thriller in Red Zone – right to the end. It offers both a satisfying conclusion and a kick-ass last stand. Bunn creates more exhilarating set pieces in each single issue than most comic books can offer in four issues. He has given us enough insight into Randall Crane, enough to make him become someone who really intrigues readers. Who is he? What did he do in the past? And what is the thing that his past has become in the present day?

In Red Zone, artist Mike Deodato, Jr. has created a page design and graphic design that presents a tapestry of thrills. Deodato's art suggests that Crane and Nika are trapped at every turn – and they practically are. Around each page, on the borders and edges, however, are slivers of panels that anticipate the coming drama and action. That makes the art seem active rather than static. Deodato throws his tapestry of static and kinetic energy at us to the end of this narrative. If there is follow-up series, there will hopefully be more Deodato.

Red Zone #4 finishes this series with a bang, as it should. Here, the villains do the damn thing. They should come back, also, but, for now, their fates will make Red Zone's trade paperback collection a damn good read.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of action and espionage in comic books will want to read Red Zone.

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

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