TRASH IN MY EYE Reviews

Monday, July 31, 2023

Comic Books, Magazines and Books from Diamond Distributors for August 2, 2023

COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS

MAR231810 10000 DISASTERS OF DORT TP $16.99

FEB231668 2000 AD FEBRUARY PROG PACK (APRIL 2023 SHIPPING) (MR) $22.00

JAN231771 2000 AD NOVEMBER PROG PACK (FEB 2023 SHIPPING) (MR) $28.00

JUN232481 A GIRL ON SHORE COLL ED HC (MR) $29.95

MAR231393 ABE SAPIEN THE DROWNING & OTHER STORIES TP $29.99

OCT221887 ACG COLL WORKS ADV INTO UNKNOWN SOFTEE VOL 21 $29.99

JUN231805 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #26 YOON COMICXPOSURE EXC VAR $29.99

JAN232269 AMONGST US GN GN 01 SOULMATES $17.99

MAY231225 ANCIENT ENEMIES #5 (OF 6) CVR A BEYRUTH $5.99

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MAY231312 BEAUTY OF HORROR TAROT COLORING BOOK (MR) $17.99

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MAY231995 STABBITY BUNNY TP VOL 02 $24.99

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MAY231395 STAR TREK DS9 DOG OF WAR #5 CVR C PRICE $4.99

MAR239013 STAR WARS HYPERSPACE STORIES #7 (OF 12) CVR A FOWLER $3.99

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APR231268 SULFUR WELLS TP (MR) $19.99

MAR231112 SUPERBABES STARRING FEMFORCE #15 $5.95

MAY232034 TALES OF ASUNDA #2 CVR A ILLUMINATI $3.99

MAY232035 TALES OF ASUNDA #2 CVR B MACK $3.99

MAR231358 TAROT WITCH OF THE BLACK ROSE #133 DLX STUDIO ED (MR) $19.99

MAR231357 TAROT WITCH OF THE BLACK ROSE #68 CLASSIC BUNDLE (MR) $15.00

APR231527 TEAM TRASH TIME TRAVELERS GUIDE TO SUSTAINABILITY GN $14.99

JUN231874 THE ANTAGONISTS #1 (MR) $4.99

APR231601 TMNT LAST RONIN LOST YEARS #5 CVR A GALLANT $4.99

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MAY231447 TRVE KVLT TP (MR) $16.99

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FEB231268 VALERIAN AND LAURELINE GN VOL 02 WHERE STORIES ARE BORN $13.95

APR231451 WEREWOLF JONES & SONS DLX SUMMER FUN ANNUAL HC (MR) $19.99

APR231935 WEST OF SUNDOWN TP VOL 02 $19.99

DEC228757 WIND BREAKER GN VOL 01 $12.99

JAN232308 WONDERCAT KYUU-CHAN GN VOL 08 $14.99

JUN232299 WORLD TRIGGER GN VOL 25 $9.99

JUN232441 YAKUZA FIANCE GN $14.99

JUN232305 YONA OF THE DAWN GN VOL 39 $9.99

MAGAZINES

MAR231896 CINEMA RETRO VOL 19 #56 (MR) $12.99

MAY231708 COMIC SHOP NEWS (100CT BUNDLE) #1876 $PI

FEB231631 DOCTOR WHO MAGAZINE #589 $13.99

JUN231911 ILLUSTRATION MAGAZINE #82 $15.00

MAR231809 JUDGE DREDD MEGAZINE #456 $10.99

DEC221590 PS ARTBOOK NIGHTMARE MAGAZINE #4 $22.99

BOOKS

DEC221994 7TH LOOP VILLAINESS CAREFREE LIFE SC NOVEL VOL 04 $14.99

JUN231865 ADVENTURES IN CARTOONING SC NEW PTG $18.99

JUN232444 CASE FILES OF JEWELER RICHARD LIGHT NOVEL VOL 05 (MR) $14.99

JUN231862 DRAWING WORDS & WRITING PICTURES SC NEW PTG $45.99

JUN232056 I AM GANDHI YR SC $9.99

JUN232057 I AM HELEN KELLER YR SC $9.99

JUN232058 I AM JACKIE ROBINSON YR SC $9.99

JUN232384 INFINITE DENDROGRAM LIGHT NOVEL SC VOL 18 $15.99

MAY232107 JACK KENT WIT WHIMSY & WISDOM OF COMIC STORYTELLER $25.00

JUN231876 LITTLE MERMAID LITTLE GOLDEN BOOK $5.99

JUN231861 MASTERING COMICS SC NEW PTG $50.00

APR232151 MISFIT DEMON KING ACADEMY NOVEL SC VOL 01 $15.00

JUN231877 MOON GIRL & DEVIL DINOSAUR LITTLE GOLDEN BOOK $5.99

JUN232385 MY FRIENDS LITTLE SISTER IN FOR ME L NOVEL VOL 08 $15.99

JUN232161 NEIL GAIMAN HANSEL & GRETEL GRAPHIC SC $11.99

JUN231910 OFFICIAL BOBS BURGERS COLORING BOOK $16.99

MAR231055 STAR WARS BOOK BOBA FETT COLL ED HC $19.99

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DC Comics Shipping from Lunar Distributors for August 1, 2023

DC COMICS:

Adventures Of Superman Jon Kent #6 (Of 6)(Cover A Clayton Henry), $3.99

Adventures Of Superman Jon Kent #6 (Of 6)(Cover B Ariel Colon Card Stock Variant), $4.99

Adventures Of Superman Jon Kent #6 (Of 6)(Cover C Laura Braga Card Stock Variant), $4.99

Adventures Of Superman Jon Kent #6 (Of 6)(Cover D Cully Hamner Blue Beetle Movie Card Stock Variant), $4.99

Adventures Of Superman Jon Kent #6 (Of 6)(Cover E Zu Orzu Card Stock Variant), AR

Adventures Of Superman Jon Kent #6 (Of 6)(Cover F Clayton Henry Foil Variant), AR

Batman One Bad Day Bane HC, $17.99

Batman One Bad Day Clayface HC, $17.99

Blue Beetle Graduation Day TP (English Language Version), $14.99

Blue Beetle Graduation Day TP (Spanish Language Version), $14.99

City Boy #3 (Of 6)(Cover A Minkyu Jung), $3.99

City Boy #3 (Of 6)(Cover B Creees Lee Card Stock Variant), $4.99

City Boy #3 (Of 6)(Cover C Mike Choi Card Stock Variant), AR

Justice Society Of America #5 (Of 12)(Cover A Mikel Janin), $3.99

Justice Society Of America #5 (Of 12)(Cover B Yanick Paquette Card Stock Variant), $4.99

Justice Society Of America #5 (Of 12)(Cover C Alvaro Martinez Card Stock Variant), AR

Knight Terrors Batman #2 (Of 2)(Cover A Guillem March), $4.99

Knight Terrors Batman #2 (Of 2)(Cover B Francesco Mattina Card Stock Variant), $5.99

Knight Terrors Batman #2 (Of 2)(Cover C Felipe Massafera Card Stock Variant), $5.99

Knight Terrors Batman #2 (Of 2)(Cover D James Stokoe Card Stock Variant), AR

Knight Terrors Batman #2 (Of 2)(Cover E Ejikure Card Stock Variant), AR

Knight Terrors Black Adam #2 (Of 2)(Cover A Jeremy Haun), $4.99

Knight Terrors Black Adam #2 (Of 2)(Cover B Christian Ward Card Stock Variant), $5.99

Knight Terrors Black Adam #2 (Of 2)(Cover C Darick Robertson Card Stock Variant), $5.99

Knight Terrors Black Adam #2 (Of 2)(Cover D Gary Choo Card Stock Variant), AR

Knight Terrors Black Adam #2 (Of 2)(Cover E Jeremy Haun Card Stock Variant), AR

Knight Terrors Poison Ivy #2 (Of 2)(Cover A Jessica Fong), $4.99

Knight Terrors Poison Ivy #2 (Of 2)(Cover B Lesley Leirix Li Card Stock Variant), $5.99

Knight Terrors Poison Ivy #2 (Of 2)(Cover C Jamie Mckelvie Card Stock Variant), $5.99

Knight Terrors Poison Ivy #2 (Of 2)(Cover D Nimit Malavia Card Stock Variant), AR

Knight Terrors Poison Ivy #2 (Of 2)(Cover E Jessica Dalva Card Stock Variant), AR

Knight Terrors Ravager #2 (Of 2)(Cover A Jeff Spokes), $3.99

Knight Terrors Ravager #2 (Of 2)(Cover B James Stokoe Card Stock Variant), $4.99

Knight Terrors Ravager #2 (Of 2)(Cover C Tony Shasteen Card Stock Variant), $4.99

Knight Terrors Ravager #2 (Of 2)(Cover D Natali Sanders Card Stock Variant), AR

Knight Terrors Ravager #2 (Of 2)(Cover E James Stokoe Card Stock Variant), AR

Knight Terrors The Joker #2 (Of 2)(Cover A Stefano Raffaele), $4.99

Knight Terrors The Joker #2 (Of 2)(Cover B Christian Ward Card Stock Variant), $5.99

Knight Terrors The Joker #2 (Of 2)(Cover C Ryan Brown Card Stock Variant), $5.99

Knight Terrors The Joker #2 (Of 2)(Cover D Riley Rossmo Card Stock Variant), AR

Knight Terrors The Joker #2 (Of 2)(Cover E Stefano Raffaele Card Stock Variant), AR

Omega Men #3 (Facsimile Edition)(Cover A Keith Giffen & Mike Decarlo), $3.99

Omega Men #3 (Facsimile Edition)(Cover B Keith Giffen & Mike Decarlo Foil Variant), $4.99

Peacemaker Tries Hard #4 (Of 6)(Cover A Kris Anka), $4.99

Peacemaker Tries Hard #4 (Of 6)(Cover B Steve Lieber), $4.99

Peacemaker Tries Hard #4 (Of 6)(Cover C Kris Anka Movie Poster Variant), $4.99

Peacemaker Tries Hard #4 (Of 6)(Cover D Miguel Mercado), AR

Punchline The Gotham Game HC, $24.99

Sandman Universe Special Thessaly #1 (One Shot)(Cover A Reiko Murakami), $4.99

Sandman Universe Special Thessaly #1 (One Shot)(Cover B Skylar Patridge Card Stock Variant), $5.99

Sandman Universe Special Thessaly #1 (One Shot)(Cover C Jasmin Darnell Card Stock Variant), AR

Sandman Volume 6 TP, $34.99

Scooby-Doo Where Are You #123 (Cover A Derek Fridolfs), $2.99

Steelworks #3 (Of 6)(Cover A Daniel Sampere), $3.99

Steelworks #3 (Of 6)(Cover B Mike Deodato Jr. Card Stock Variant), $4.99

Steelworks #3 (Of 6)(Cover C Joe Quinones Blue Beetle Movie Card Stock Variant), $4.99

Steelworks #3 (Of 6)(Cover D Jerry Gaylord Card Stock Variant), AR

Steelworks #3 (Of 6)(Cover E Jerry Gaylord Foil Variant), AR

Swamp Thing Green Hell HC, $29.99

Teen Titans Beast Boy Loves Raven TP (Connecting Cover Edition 3 Of 4), $16.99

Teen Titans Beast Boy TP (Connecting Cover Edition 2 Of 4), $16.99

Teen Titans Raven TP (Connecting Cover Edition 1 Of 4), $16.99

Wonder Woman #800 (2nd Printing Cover A Daniel Sampere), $5.99

Wonder Woman #800 (2nd Printing Cover B Daniel Sampere Trinity Card Stock Virgin Variant), AR

Teen Titans Robin TP (Connecting Cover Edition 4 Of 4), $16.99

Young Alfred Pain In The Butler TP, $12.99

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Comics Review: "LORD OF THE JUNGLE Volume 3 #6" is a Grand Finale

LORD OF THE JUNGLE VOLUME 3 #6

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. (July 2023)

Rated Teen+

“The Tortured Few”

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 All-Story Magazines 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. Tarzan's friend, an African local named Bouanga, recounts an event that occurs in the early years of Tarzan's adventures. Now, the Lord of the Jungle has returned to right a past wrong no matter what manner of beast or obstacle stands in his way.

Lord of the Jungle Volume 3 #6 (“The Tortured Few”) opens in Africa, in the 1950s. Tarzan has returned to the Valley of Mists to keep his promise to return the "Diamonds of the Triad," the jewels that were once treasures from the valley.

Bouanga, the narrator, also returns to the past to tell the story of Tarzan's final confrontation with Carson, a white hunter from England who first encountered Tarzan decades earlier. Will Tarzan defeat Carson? Can he save Bouanga in the 1950s? And from when and where is this story told? And what does the future hold for Tarzan?

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 #6, which is only the sixth issue of a solo Dynamite Tarzan comic book that I have read.

Dan Jurgens has written one of the best Tarzan comic books that I have read in decades. It is a hugely satisfying mix of redemption, revenge, and reunion, which are among the hallmarks of romantic adventure fiction. It's safe to say that Lord of the Jungle Volume 3 is a high-point in modern adventure fiction, as well as being one of the best of Jurgen's recent works.

Artist Benito Gallego transforms Jurgen's script into high-adventure storytelling, and Gallego's work remained consistently good throughout this series. It is some of the most beautifully drawn comic book art being published today. It is a good thing 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 series finale, both in the three time periods and three locales of this closing chapter. Letterer Carlos M. Mangual brings a sense of high drama with his stylish, emotive fonts, making sure this story ends with power.

Lord of the Jungle Volume 3 #6, like previous issues, strongly delivers on the potential the first issue promised. I rarely read Tarzan comic books, but I read this series' entire run with gusto I highly recommend it to you, dear readers, as a series and as a trade paperback collection.

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

A+

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

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from July 23rd to 31st, 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:

ACADEMY AWARD - From Deadline: The story of Orson Welles' "Best Screenplay" Oscar(s) of "Citizen Kane" and the attempts to auction them.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro: The winner of the 7/28 to 7/30/2023 weekend box office is Warner Bros.'s "Barbie" with an estimated take of 93 million dollars.

STAR TREK - From ScreenRant: On directing the "Star Trek: Discovery" finale, "Star Trek" legend, Jonathan Frakes, said, "We didn't know it was the end."

From Variety: Jonathan Frakes, a "Star Trek" legend, talks about directing the season/series finale of "Star Trek: Discovery" and about the "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds-Star Trek: Lower Decks" crossover.

SCANDAL - From Deadline: NBC's long-running daytime soap opera, "Days of Our Lives," which now streams on NBCUniversal's "Peacock" platform, is on an unplanned hiatus due to a scandal. Thirty to forty people, most women, have accused longtime co-executive producer/director Albert Alarr of inappropriate comments and conduct. The series will remain on hiatus at least until August 7th.

TELEVISION - From Deadline: A federal judge dismissed Donald Trump's $475 million defamation suit against CNN. The Dumpster had argued that CNN's use of the term, "the Big Lie," to describe his lies that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him were defamatory.

MOVIES - From Deadline: Actor Seann William Scott has revealed that he made $8000 for his role in the surprise hit teen sex comedy, "American Pie" (1999).

ANIMATION - From TheFilmStage: Japanese director of animated films, Hayao Miyazaki, has seen the release of his latest (and last film), "How Do You Live?" It is scheduled to be released later this year under the title, "The Boy and Heron." "The Film Stage" has a two clips of the film's theme song, "Spinning Globe," written and performed by Japanese musician, Kenshi Yonezu.

SCANDAL - From Deadline: Kevin Spacey has been acquitted of all nine sex crime charges he was facing at Southwar Crown Court in London. The charges were the results of accusation from four men who alleged abuse occurring in a period beginning in 2001 and ending in 2013.

CELEBRITY - From Deadline: Carlos Macci is the 72-year-old man who sold the late actor, Michael K. Williams, a fatal dose of fentanyl. A Manhattan judge sentenced Macci to 2.5 years in prison and three years of supervised release, with the first year spent as an inpatient at drug treatment facility. Williams ("The Wire," "Boardwalk Empire") was found dead in his Brooklyn home in 2021.

ANIMATION - From Deadline: Warner Bros. Discovery has announced the first "localized" version of iconic MGM cartoon, "Tom and Jerry." The famous cat and mouse duo take their cartoon rivalry and adventures to Singapore in a series produced locally in Asia and will premiere on Cartoon Network in Asia Pacific and HBO Go in Southeast Asia.

FILM FESTIVALS - From Deadline: The 48th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has announces the first 60 films that will screen at the festival. The total number is expected to exceed 200. The festival will run from Thurs., Sept. 7th to Sun., Sept. 17th, 2023.

From Deadline: The 80th edition of the Venice Film Festival has announced its full lineup of films being screened, including those being shown "in competition" and those "Out of Competition." The festival runs from August 30th, to September 9th, 2023. Oscar-winning director Damien Chazelle is jury president.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro: The winner of the 7/21 to 7/23/2023 weekend box office is Warner Bros.'s "Barbie" with an estimated take of 155 million dollars.

From Deadline: "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" (collectively known as "Barbenheimer") had a combined domestic opening weekend box office of 235.5 million dollars and a combined global debut of 511 million dollars. They set numerous records, including that this is the first time one film had a debut of 100M+ and another 50M+ in the same weekend.

From Variety: "Barbie" director Greta Gerwig makes history as "Barbie" has the biggest opening weekend ever ($155 million) for a female director.

From Deadline: Greta Gerwig resisted orders to remove a scene in the new movie, "Barbie," that features Margot Robbie, who plays Barbie, sitting on a bench next to an older woman.

MOVIES/TRAILERS - From CBR: Actor-writer-director, Kenneth Branagh, returns as Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot for a third time in "A Haunting in Venice." The film, which is due in theaters Sept. 15th, has its first official trailer.

MOVIES - From Deadline: James Cameron, the director of the "Avatar" films said he warned us about AI (artificial intelligence) back in 1984 with his film, "The Terminator." "I warned you guys in 1984, and you didn’t listen," Cameron told Canada's CTV News.

OBITS:

From Deadline: Actor, comedian, writer, and children's entertainer, Paul Reubens, has died at the age of 70, Sunday, July 30, 2023. Reubens is best known for his character, "Pee-wee Herman." As Herman, Reubens starred in two films, director Tim Burton's breakthrough film, "Pee-wee's Big Adventure" (1985), and the 1988 sequel, "Big Top Pee-wee." Reubens also starred as Pee-wee in the former CBS children's comedy television series, "Pee-wee's Playhouse" (1986-90). The series won 15 of the almost 60 Daytime Emmy Award nominations it received over its run, including two wins for Reuben himself. He was also nominated for 3 Primetime Emmy Awards. As an actor, Reubens also appeared in such films as "Batman Returns" (1992), "Mystery Men" (1999), and "Blow" (2001).

From Variety: Musician and singer-songwriter, Randy Meisner, has died at the age of 77, Wednesday, July 26, 2023. Meisner was best known as one of the four co-founding members of the seminal rock band, "The Eagles." Meisner was primarily the band's bassist and back-up high-harmony vocalist, but he sang lead on the band's 1975 hit single, "Take it to the Limit," which he also co-wrote with bandmates, Don Henley and Glenn Frey. Meisner quit the Eagles in 1977. With them, he won three Grammy Awards and received five more Grammy nominations.

From THR: Film and television writer, Bo Goldman, has died at the age of 90, Tuesday, July 25, 2023. He won a "Best Adapted Screenplay" Oscar for the film, "One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest" (1975) and a "Best Original Screenplay" Oscar for the film, "Melvin and Howard" (1980). He also received a "Best Adapted Screenplay" Oscar nomination for the film, "Scent of a Woman" (1992).

From Deadline: Irish singer, musician, and recording artist, Sinead O'Connor, has died at the age of 56, found Wednesday, July 26, 2023, cause of death currently unknown. She was a seven-time Grammy Award nominee, winning once. She recorded 10 studio albums with the first two, "The Lion and the Cobra" (1987) and "I Do Now Want What I Haven't Got" (1990)," being the most successful. The latter contained her "Billboard Hot 100" number one hit, "Nothing Compares 2 U," a remake of a song written by Prince.

From Deadline: Walt Disney animator, Randy Fullmer, has died at the age of 73, Monday, July 10, 2023. Fullmer's specialty as Disney was visual effects animation, which he performed on such films as "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" (1988), "The Little Mermaid" (1989), and "Beauty and the Beast" (1991), to name a few. Fullmer also produced "The Emperor's New Groove" (2000) and "Chicken Little" (2005).

WRITERS/ACTORS STRIKE:

From Deadline: If you are interested, here is a list of the film and TV productions SAG-AFTRA has granted waivers to continue filming.

From Variety: International superstar, Dwayne Johnson, makes a seven-figure contribution to the "SAG-AFTRA Foundation Relief Fund." Foundation president, actor Courtney B. Vance, says the amount will remain confidential.

From Variety: Why haven't A-list stars joined the SAG-AFTRA picket line?, asks "Variety."

From Deadline: Author George R.R. Martin, whose works were the basis for HBO's "Game of Thrones," says the strikes will be long and bitter.

From THR: Production works at Warner Bros. Animation (66) and at Cartoon Network (22) have gone public with their attempt to unionize via The Animation Guild.

From Variety: Halted film productions due to the writers and actors strikes are costing each Hollywood studio at least 600,000 dollars per week.

From Variety: Said at a strike meeting: “Without a transformative change in SAG-AFTRA’s current contract with the AMPTP, the acting profession will no longer be an option for future generations of performers, and actors already working in the industry will need to pursue other careers in order to survive.”

From Deadline: If you are a "social media influencer" who is NOT a member of SAG-AFTRA, you can be barred from future membership for promoting a film or television series during the actors' strike.

From Variety: The SAG/AFTRA strike begins in New York and Los Angeles. Hollywood actors began striking today, Fri., July 14th.

From Deadline: The site has the video of the powerful strike speech given by SAG-AFTRA president, Fran Drescher, the actress best known for CBS' former sitcom, "The Nanny."

From Deadline: Concerning the Hollywood writers strike (via the WGA), the Hollywood Studios (as represented by the AMPTP) is to let the writers go broke before resuming talks deep into the Fall.

From Deadline: SAG-AFTRA is already preparing strike picket signs in case the actors' strike begins next week.

From Deadline: WGA is picketing the New York City filming location of the 12th series of FX's "American Horror Story" (entitled "Delicate") after series co-creator Ryan Murphy threaten litigation against an east coast strike captain.

From THR: TV super-producer, Ryan Murphy, in a letter from his attorney to the leadership of the Writers Guild of America, threatened litigation against Warren Leight, an East Coast strike captain and Strike Rules Compliance Committee member who has subsequently forfeited those positions.

From Deadline: The Hollywood studios via the AMPTP has given Canadian actors a new contract, including a 5 percent raise.

From Deadline: Writers Strike puts the spotlight back on the challenge from writers for animation productions to be covered by the WGA.

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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Thursday, July 27, 2023

Review: Miyazaki's "THE CASTLE OF CAGLIOSTRO" is Something Else Entirely

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 34 of 2023 (No. 1923) by Leroy Douresseaux

Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro (1979)

Rupan Sansei: Kariosutoro no Shiro – original Japanese title

Running time: 102 minutes

MPAA – not rated

DIRECTOR: Hayao Miyazaki

WRITERS: Hayao Miyazaki and Haruya Yamazaki (based upon the manga by Monkey Punch)

PRODUCER: Tetsuo Katayama

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Hirokata Takahashi

EDITOR: Masatoshi Tsurubuchi

COMPOSER: Yuji Ohno

ANIMATION/FANTASY/COMEDY and ACTION/ADVENTURE

Starring: (English voices – Manga Entertainment dub) David Hayter, Bridget Hoffman, Kirk Thornton, Kevin Seymour, John Snyder, Dorothy Elias-Fahn, Milton James, Michael Gregory, Barry Stigler, and Joe Romersa; (Japanese voices) Yasuo Yamada, Eiko Masuyama, Kiyoshi Kobayashi, Makio Inoue, Goro Naya, Sumi Shimamoto and Taro Ishida

Rupan Sansei: Kariosutoro no Shiro or Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro is a 1979 Japanese animated action-adventure and comic-fantasy animated from director Hayao Miyazaki. An English-language dub of the film was first theatrically released in the U.S. in 1991 under the title, The Castle of Cagliostro, the title that I will use for this review.

The Castle of Cagliostro focuses on a master thief, Lupin III. The film Lupin is based on the manga character, Lupin the Third, created by late manga artist, Kazuhiko Kato (1937-2019), who is best remembered by his pen name, Monkey Punch. In the film, a dashing thief struggles to free a princess from an evil count who needs her in order to gain a mysterious treasure.

The Castle of Cagliostro opens in Monaco. There, Master thief Lupin III (David Hayter) and his partner, Jigen (John Snyder), flee the National Casino with huge quantities of stolen money. As they will soon learn, however, the stolen bills are actually distinctive, high-quality counterfeits known as “Goat bills.” Lupin decides to seek out the source of this counterfeit money, the country known as the Duchy of Cagliostro.

Shortly after arriving, Lupin and Jigen see a young woman being chased by armed thugs. It turns out that she is Lady Clarisse de Cagliostro (Bridget Hoffman), and she is running away from her fiancé, the Count de Cagliostro (Kirk Thornton), the regent of the Duchy of Cagliostro. The Count has arranged a marriage with Lady Clarisse in order to cement his power. The marriage will also help him recover the fabled ancient treasure of Cagliostro, for which he needs both his and Clarisse's ancestral signet rings.

Lupin is determined to save Clarisse from this arranged marriage. In addition to his partner Jigen, Lupin calls in the highly-skilled martial artist and swordsman, Goemon (Michael Gregory), and the rival professional thief, Fujiko (Dorothy Elias-Fahn). Meanwhile, Inspector Zenigata of Interpol (Kevin Seymour) sees Lupin's activities in the Duchy of Cagliostro as a perfect opportunity to catch the thief he has been chasing for so long. Can Lupin rescue Clarisse? Will Count Cagliostro destroy them both? And just what is the treasure of Cagliostro?

I have previously reviewed the following Miyazaki-directed films: My Neighbor Totoro (1988), Princess Monoke (1997), Spirited Away (2001), Howl's Moving Castle (2004), Ponyo (2008), and The Wind Rises (2013). As Netflix is shutting down its DVD-by-mail division, I am hoping to get to the Miyazaki films that I have not previously watched.

I had heard of The Castle of Cagliostro in connection with Miyazaki, but I had put off seeing it. I wish I'd seen it earlier, as it is a delightful and maniacal comedy. The film is not without flaws, as it stretches credulity a bit far, even for a Japanese animated film. Lupin is not just a master thief; he is also apparently a super-human thief with supernaturally good luck.

Still, I treasure The Castle of Cagliostro's loopiness because Miyazaki and his co-writer Haruya Yamazaki are imaginative when it comes to the comic and action-adventure possibilities of the twists and turns this quasi-mystery takes. As both designer and storyboard artist, in addition to being director, Miyazaki is inventive in the way he stages the action as a series of chases and fights that are as defined by feats of aerial stunts and gymnastics as they are by martial arts and combat skills.

The characters are quite nice, especially gallant Lupin, who is apparently more ruthless in the original manga, and his partner, Jigen, the amiable, but quite skilled tough guy. However, the star here is Miyazaki in his first feature-length film. He makes the action unrestrained by gravity, natural law, or architecture. Thus, the film is a rollicking adventure with a humorous tone that belies the threat of brutal violence and death that frequently pop up in the story. I really like The Castle of Cagliostro, and I highly recommend it to fans of Hayao Miyazaki and to those searching for the great animated films. I also plan on buying my own physical copy.

8 of 10

★★★★ out of 4 stars

Thursday, July 27, 2023

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Comics Review: "NIGHT CLUB #6" Doesn't Wait Until Dark

NIGHT CLUB #6 (OF 6)

IMAGE COMICS

STORY: Mark Millar

ART: Juanan Ramírez

COLORS: Fabiana Mascolo

LETTERS: Clem Robins

COVER: Matteo Scalera with Giovanna Niro

EDITORIAL: Sarah Unwin

VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Matteo Scalera

36pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (July 2023)

Rated M / Mature

Night Club created by Mark Millar at Netflix

Night Club is a 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.

Night Club #6 opens with Starguard (Danny), Thundercloud (Sam), and Yellowbird (Amy) prepare to get the vampire gang overlord, Gunner Joe, and crew his crew before they get them. The best laid schemes o' mice an' men an' teen vampires, however, is a way of saying that things will not go according to plan. In the final showdown, it is clear that one side will have to annihilate the other. So what happens after that?

THE LOWDOWN: Netflix/Millarworld sends me PDF review copies of their comic books. Thus, I have been lucky enough to get review copies of all six issues of Night Club.

Writer Mark Millar and artist Juanan Ramírez offered big surprises in Night Club #5. There was an intriguing origin story and the depiction of the strife between the (apparently) small number of vampires that currently exist. In this finale, Millar sets the groundwork for more rivalries and offers a revelation that it is not so much that power corrupts, but that it inflates the ego.

Ramirez attacks the action in this final issue with gusto. It is somewhere between supernatural violence and rural crime thriller. Colorist Fabiana Mascolo captures the subtly moments and the violence with equal aplomb. Letterer Clem Robins also captures the shifts and tones in mood that lay the groundwork for what is to come in future Night Club series.

Night Club is a truly unique spin on vampire comic books the way the 1997 film, Near Dark is certainly a unique take on the vampire movie. Night Club #6 is quite a nice end of the beginning, and it will probably seem even better in trade paperback form

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

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

The trade collection of this series, Night Club Volume 1, is available for sale at Amazon.

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www.imagecomics.com

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Wednesday, July 26, 2023

Comics Review: "THE RIBBON QUEEN #1" Put Me on My Knees

THE RIBBON QUEEN #1 (OF 8)

AWA STUDIOS

STORY: Garth Ennis

PENCILS: Jacen Burrows

INKS: Guillermo Ortego

COLORS: Dan Brown

LETTERS: Rob Steen

COVER: Declan Shalvey

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Fay Dalton; Chris Ferguson and Jacen Burrows; Declan Shalvey

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

Rated: “Mature”

Chapter 1: “Here's to the Health of Her Majesty”

The Ribbon Queen is a new eight-issue miniseries from AWA Studios. The series focuses on an ancient and terrible force that is loose in the modern world. It is written by Garth Ennis; drawn by Jacen Burrows (pencils) and Guillermo Ortego (inks); colored by Dan Brown; and lettered by Rob Steen.

The Ribbon Queen #1 (“Here's to the Health of Her Majesty”) introduces NYPD Detective Amy Sun, who has something of a troubled history as a law enforcement officer. But she has a problem. Three years ago, a young woman named Bella Rhineback was rescued from a serial killer by a police tactical unit. Now she’s dead, and Amy has a bad feeling that the SWAT team leader, Keith Connolly, is responsible. Now, as she investigates her own department, she discovers something old and awakened. And it will confront everything she believes.

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

Many comic book readers know writer Garth Ennis from his work in British and American comic books, which spans four decades. The highlights include his creator owned titled, Preacher, (DC Comics, 1995-2000), created with the late artist, Steve Dillon. There is his two-decade run on various titles starring The Punisher for Marvel Comics (2000-20). And of course, there is The Boys (DC Comics, 2006-07; Dynamite Entertainment, 2007-12), with series co-creator, artist Darick Robertson.

Fewer readers are familiar with Ennis and artist Goran Sudzuka's A Walk Through Hell (AfterShock, 2018-19). The series was creepy, unsettling, and disturbing, but it was also much quieter than the tone of Ennis' usual writing. While Preacher featured supernatural and horror fiction elements, I find that it was never as disturbing in tone as A Walk Through Hell.

The Ribbon Queen reminds me of A Walk Through Hell, but not because they are similar in subject matter and story. They are both... eerie and unsettling and depict modern crime and corrupting in disquieting ways. Yes, there are also hints of old things and magical, occultic things that demand a sacrifice, say in a wicker man. I won't spoil it for you, dear readers, but some of you know that Ennis … shall we say – fucking brings it. So he does here.

The art team of Jacen Burrows (pencils) and Guillermo Ortego (inks) in a way are summoning Steve Dillon's spirit. No one captured the disquiet and banal madness and evil of an Ennis comic book like the late British artist. My experience is that people profusely praised Ennis and did not praise Dillon enough. Ennis' scripts became the powerful comic books they were because of Dillon.

So here is an opportunity to praise an Ennis collaborator. The Ribbon Queen wouldn't feel like a memento from the Grim Reaper without the insanity-infused pencil art of Jacen Burrows (who is thoroughly underrated). Ortego's inks catch the subtleties of the madness, and Dan Brown's colors are understated, but are really crazy, too. There is a workman-like quality to Rob Steen's lettering, which quietly builds up this first chapter's tension and intensity.

The Ribbon Queen is yet another fantastic title from AWA Studios. Dear readers, you don't have to keep reading (Marvel and DC) comic books that make you unhappy when good stuff like The Ribbon Queen and Sins of the Salton Sea are waiting for you.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of Garth Ennis and (ought-to-be) fans of Jacen Burrows will want to read The Ribbon Queen.

A+

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

THE RIBBON QUEEN PAGE: https://awastudios.net/series/ribbon-queen/

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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