NEGROMANCER: The Home of "Trash in My Eye"

Saturday, August 24, 2024

Comics Review: "NIGHT CLUB II #1" - Young Vampires Beefin'

NIGHT CLUB II #1 (OF 6)

DARK HORSE COMICS

STORY: Mark Millar

ART: Juanan Ramírez

COLORS: Fabiana Mascolo

LETTERS: Clem Robins

COVER: Juanan Ramírez with Fabiana Mascolo

EDITORIAL: Sarah Unwin

VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Jae Lee with June Chung

32pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (August 2024)

Rated M / Mature

Night Club created by Mark Millar at Netflix

Night Club II is a new six-issue miniseries written and created by Mark Millar and drawn by Juanan Ramírez. A Dark Horse Comics publication and a Netflix production, Night Club II is a sequel to the 2023 miniseries, Night Club. Both series focus 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 II's creative team.

Night Club introduces 17-year-old Danny Garcia, who had ambitions to gain fame and fortune as a YouTube star. After being turned into a vampire, he passed his new found powers unto his friends, DJ Sam Huxley and Amy Chen. Now, they're the superheroes: Starguard (Danny), Thundercloud (Sam), Yellowbird (Amy). But jealousy has broken up this vampire-superhero trio...

Night Club II #1 opens with Danny and Amy, now a couple, still playing superheroes and filming it for their lucrative YouTube page. They are actively attacking the drug empire of Rufus Tee, much to the chagrin of the police. Meanwhile, former “band mate,” Sam is using his vampire powers to ball hard, and now, he's gotten an attractive offer from a man who should be his enemy.

THE LOWDOWN: This is the second time that I have been on any kind of list that provides PDF copies of titles published by Dark Horse Comics. The latest received is Night Club II #1.

Reading this first issue of Night Club II, I suddenly remembered how much I really liked the first series and how much I really missed it. I'd love for Night Club to be an ongoing series, but I know that Millarworld doesn't really work that way. Night Club will have a beginning, middle, and end, but I feel like, as far as a vampire-superhero hybrid goes, it could be like DC Comics' Teen Titans.

Instead of offering big surprises in this return, writer Mark Millar and artist Juanan Ramírez build on the narrative that began in Night Club #1 and came to a head in Night Club #6. Millar provides the character drama, and Ramirez spreads it out in big panels and in widescreen storytelling. I think this means that there will be a lot of force applied by various interested parties to other interested parties in this second installment, and I think we'll like it, dear readers.

If you have ever seen the 1987 vampire film, The Lost Boys, you might have wondered what it would be like if the vampire boys got to play to their own interests. Maybe, Night Club II is that story.

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

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

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from August 18th to 24th, 2024 - UPDATE #13

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like this, MOVIES PAGE, and BUY something(s).

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

MOVIES - From Deadline: Oscar-winning Alejandro G. Iñàrritu’s untitled movie with Tom Cruise continues to add to its stellar cast. The Warner Bros and Legendary Entertainment film now includes such cast members as Sandra Hüller, John Goodman, Michael Stuhlbarg, Jesse Plemons and Sophie Wilde. Oscar winner Riz Ahmed is in final negotiations to join the cast.

NETFLIX - From Deadline: Ted Danson's upcoming Netflix comedy, "A Man on the Inside," now has a premiere date of November 2024 and some first-look photos.

FESTIVALS - From Deadline: The Santa Barbara Film Festival 2024 (Oct. 18-24) will hold a retrospective on the films of Denis Villeneuve.

BUSINESS - From Deadline: Skydance, which really covets Paramount Global, encourages the company's board to ignore American businessman Edgar Bronfman, Jr.'s 6 billion dollar offer.

From Deadline: American businessman and media executive, Edgar Bronfman, Jr., makes his move to obtain Paramount Global with a 4.3 billion dollar offer.

KAMALA - From Deadline: Director and Oscar-nominated film producer, Reginald Hudlin, has directed the short biopic film that will be shown just before Vice-President Kamala Harris gives her acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday, May 22, 2024. Hudlin and his wife, Chrisette, are friends of VP Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro: The winner of the 8/16 to 8/18/2024 weekend box office is 20th Century Studios' Alien: Romulus with an estimated take of 41.5 million dollars.

From EW: How Alien: Romulus resurrected the late Ian Holm, who starred in "Alien," for a new character.

MUSIC/POLITICS - From RSN: A "Rolling Stone" list of music acts that don't want Donald Trump using their music.

NETFLIX - From Variety: "The Union" director Julian Farino explain why Mark Wahlberg and Halle Berry never kiss in the newly released Netflix feature.

MOVIES - From Deadline: Oscar-winner Colin Firth is looking to join Emily Blunt in Steven Spielberg's next film, which is due May 2026. The unnamed film would be Spielberg's first major summer release in years.

OBITS:

From Deadline: American media personality and television talk show host, Phil Donahue, has died at the age of 88, Sunday, August 18, 2024. Donahue was best known for "The Phil Donahue Show," later renamed "Donahue." It began in Dayton, Ohio and the ended after a 29-year run in New York City in 1996. It was the first talk show format to include audience participation. Donahue returned to TV with the MSNBC talk show, "Donahue," which began in July 2002 and was cancelled in February 2003, apparently because Donahue opposed the then imminent U.S. invasion of Iraq in March 2003. Donahue was nominated for 20 Daytime Emmy Awards for hosting his talk show, and won eight times. He also received two special Daytime Emmys.

From THR: Iconic French actor, Alain Delon, has died at the age of 88, Sunday, August 18, 2024. His style, looks, and movie roles made him one of the biggest actors of the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, and made him an enduring star of European cinema. Among his best known films are "Purple Noon" (1960), "The Leopard" (1963), "Le Samourai" (1967), and "Un Flic" (1972). Although he moved to Hollywood briefly in the mid-1960s, and made several films, including "Once a Thief" (1965) and "Lost Command" (1965), he was never able to crack the American audience.

From Deadline: "Deadline" looks back at the career of French film icon, Alain Delon, with an overview of his best films.

Friday, August 23, 2024

Comics Review: "SCOOBY-DOO, Where Are You? #128" Hails Hydra

SCOOBY-DOO, WHERE ARE YOU? (2010) #128

DC COMICS

STORY: Derek Fridolfs; Georgia Ball

PENCILS: Randy Elliot; Dario Brizuela

INKS: Randy Elliot; Dario Brizuela

COLORS: Silvana Brys; Candace Schinzler-Bell

LETTERS: Saida Temofonte

EDITORS: Courtney Jordan; Jessica Chen (reprint)

COVER: Derek Fridolfs with Silvana Brys

32pp, Color, $2.99 U.S. (August 2024)

Ages 8+

“Dehydrated”

Welcome, dear readers, to my continuing journey through the Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? comic book series, which began publication in 2010. I continue to renew my subscription so that I can continue to review this series for you, dear readers.

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #128 opens with “Dehydrated,” which is written by Derek Fridolfs and drawn by Randy Elliot. The story finds Mystery Inc.: Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, Fred, Daphne, and Velma visiting a local lake for a lazy day of floating and fishing. Unfortunately, the place is haunted by a three-headed version of the monster of antiquity known as “the Hydra.” And you know, Mystery Inc. is never one to let a mystery go unsolved.

As usual, the second story, “Scuba Scoob,” is a reprint story. It is written by Georgia Ball and drawn by Dario Brizuela. [This story was originally published in Scooby-Doo, Where Are You #54 (cover date: April 2015).] The story finds Mystery Inc. in the Caribbean Islands for some scuba-diving fun via “Scuba-Duba Boat Tours.” However, the boat tour's owner, Farukh, is having trouble with a monster shark. As usual, Scooby and the gang have a mystery to solve.

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #128 has as its theme vacations on the water ruined by water-based monsters. This issue is blessed by being drawn by two of the best modern Scooby-Doo comic book artists, Randy Elliot for “Dehydrated” and Dario Brizuela for “Scuba Scoob.” The latter story features some dazzling color and color effects by Candace Schinzler-Bell. In fact, it is the art and colors that really stand out this time around. The stories are nice and feature nice monsters, but these simply aren't stand out stories.

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #128 does not match up to the quality of issue #127, but a Scooby-Doo comic book is always a good thing. So grab your “Scooby Snacks” and read it, and maybe watch a Scooby-Doo movie, later. And until next time, Scooby-Dooby-Doo!

[This comic book includes a seven-page preview of the DC Comics original graphic novel, “DC League of Super-Pets: The Great Mxy-Up” by Heath Corson and Bobby Timony.]

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

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Thursday, August 22, 2024

Review: Brandon Lee Gives "THE CROW" Staying Power

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 38 of 2024 (No. 1982) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Crow (1994)

Running time: 102 minutes (1 hour, 42 minutes)

MPAA – R for a great amount of strong violence and language, and for drug use and some sexuality

DIRECTOR: Alex Proyas

WRITERS: David J. Schow and John Shirley (based on the comic book series and comics strip created by James O'Barr)

PRODUCERS: Jeff Most and Edward R. Pressman

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Dariusz Wolski (D.o.P.)

EDITORS: Dov Hoenig and M. Scott Smith

COMPOSER: Graeme Revell

SUPERHERO/FANTASY/ACTION/CRIME

Starring: Brandon Lee, Michael Wincott, Ernie Hudson, Rochelle Davis, Bai Ling, Sofia Shinas, Anna Thomson, David Patrick Kelly, Angel David, Laurence Mason, Michael Massee, Tony Todd, Jon Polito, Bill Raymond, Marco Rodriguez, and Kim Sykes

The Crow is a 1994 American superhero and dark fantasy film from director Alex Proyas. The movie is based on The Crow comic book series and on the character that first appeared in the comic book, Caliber Presents #1 (cover dated: January 1989), all created by James O'Barr. The Crow the movie focuses on a musician who returns from the dead a year after he and his girlfriend were brutally murdered to seek vengeance against their murderers.

The Crow is infamous for the death of its lead actor, Brandon Lee (1965-1993), the son of film icon, Bruce Lee. On March 31, 1993, Lee was fatally wounded by a discharge from a prop gun. At that point, Lee had completed almost all his scenes for the film. Through the use of special effects, digital face replacement, stunt doubles, and rewrites, Proyas was able to finish the film, and it was released in May 1994.

The Crow is set in a crime-ravaged and decrepit city that is like Detroit, Michigan, and the story opens on October 30th, Devil's Night (an infamous celebration in Detroit). It introduces rock musician, Eric Draven (Brandon Lee), and his fiancée, Shelly Webster (Sofia Shinas). They are going to be married on Halloween. Instead, Eric is beaten and murdered. Shelly is brutally beaten and raped and later dies of her injuries.

One year later, Eric Draven rises from the grave as an avenging spirit, The Crow (Brandon Lee). He has returned to killed the men who murdered him and Shelly: T-Bird (David Patrick Kelly), Funboy (Michael Massee), Tin Tin (Laurence Mason), and Skank (Angel David). Sarah (Rochelle Davis), a young girl who was Eric and Shelly's friend, and Albrecht (Ernie Hudson), and an outcast police officer, become personally involved in Eric's return as The Crow. Waiting in the background, however, is Top Dollar (Michael Wincott), the crime lord who is connected to what happened to Eric and Shelley and who sees The Crow's rampage as a threat to his criminal empire.

Despite the notoriety it gained because of the onset tragedy, The Crow should also be known as a really good film. It was Alex Proyas first major directorial effort, and that shows in the occasional clumsiness in the flow of the narrative. However, Proyas unleashes a film that is highly-stylized and drenched in darkness that has a painterly quality. In other films, this darkness would merely be a case of a poor lighting and mediocre cinematography. Here, the film's production values and contributions from the cinematographer, production design/art direction team, hair and make-up crew, and film editors contribute to the creation of dark and gloomy cinematic art.

Proyas finds the film's substance in Eric Draven/The Crow's quest for revenge. In this film, retribution has depth, weight, feel soul; in that, The Crow is like its comic book source material. Proyas finds power and vulnerability in his lead character the way he finds power and juice in the violence that must happen before Draven can return to his grave.

Proyas, who would go on to direct Will Smith in I, Robot (2004), gets fine performances from a number of supporting actors, especially Ernie Hudson, Michael Wincott, and Rochelle Davis. He gets the most out of his star, Brandon Lee, who was likely on the verge of blowing up. In this film, Lee has his own charisma and presence, different from that of his father, Bruce Lee, who made his most charismatic turn in Enter the Dragon (1973). Was The Crow going to be Brandon's Enter the Dragon? I don't know, but Brandon makes The Crow feel solid in its slightest moments and grander in its biggest and most violent moments.

The Crow is a flawed jewel, but not a heavily flawed jewel. Also, I imagine that it is a lot more influential than movie buffs realize. I can see bits and pieces of it in later films like Blade (1998), The Matrix (1999), and The Dark Knight (2008). The on-set death of its star cast a melancholy mood over The Crow, but the determination of the filmmakers, cast, and crew eventually brought it out to the public. The Crow is not a morbid curiosity. It is more like a rose that survived a deluge of misfortune.

8 of 10

★★★★ out of 4 stars

Thursday, August 22, 2024

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Wednesday, August 21, 2024

Comics Review: "CONAN THE BARBARIAN #8" Brings Conan Low

CONAN THE BARBARIAN #8 (2023)

TITAN COMICS/Heroic Signatures

STORY: Jim Zub

ART: Doug Braithwaite

COLORS: Diego Rodriguez

LETTERS: Richard Starkings of Comicraft

EDITOR: Chris Butera

COVER: Ashleigh Izienicki

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Patch Zircher; Greg Broadmore

32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (March 2024)

Suggested for mature readers

“Thrice Marked for Death!” Part IV: “Sacrifice”

Conan the Cimmerian was born in the pulp fiction of Robert E. Howard (REH), first appearing in the magazine, Weird Tales (1932). In 1970, Marvel Comics brought Conan to the world of comic books via the title, Conan the Barbarian. With only a few pauses, Conan comic books have been published for the better part of five decades.

Titan Comics and Heroic Signatures are the new producers of Conan comic books, and they launched a new Conan the Barbarian series in 2023. The current story arc is written by Jim Zub; drawn by Doug Braithwaite; colored by Diego Rodriguez; and lettered by Richard Starkings. Entitled “Thrice Marked for Death!,” the arc finds Conan taking up with a thieves guild known as “The Gloryhounds,” and the target of their latest act of larceny is a fine-cut, dark stone that only Conan realizes is dangerous.

Conan the Barbarian #8 (“Sacrifice”) opens with Conan alone, wandering the streets, and possessed. Only recently, he ran with the thieves guild known as the “Gloryhounds.” They wanted to steal an artifact known as “Tarim's Touch,” but only Conan recognized it as a shard of the cursed “Black Stone,” which he'd once broken with a Pict Blade. Now, all the Gloryhounds are dead, their violent deaths caused by the spirits within Tarim's Touch.

Now, it's Conan's turn. All the spirits of the shard are inside him, and they want him to find the blade he once used against the stone. Because he'd sold it, Conan must now go on a rampage through darkened Shadizar in order to find it. When he finds it, will that bring him peace and freedom or more trouble and damnation?

THE LOWDOWN: Titan Comics has been providing me with PDF copies of their publications for review for several years now. Conan the Barbarian #8 is one of them.

Writer Jim Zub spends the narrative of his script for issue #8 working himself and the story into a corner. “Thrice Marked for Death!” must come to an end, but it doesn't seem that Zub will come up with an end that makes sense in the context of the situations in which he has placed Conan. But, of course, Zub does it. He saves the day and sends Conan on a new adventure, with the kind of tremendous surprise I would never expect.

Artist Doug Braithwaite continues to summon the ghosts of Conan's greatest comic book artist, John Buscema, with strong storytelling. Issue #8 is a sound and fury signifying a storm of trouble for Conan, with powerful, brutal and violent action that boggles the mind even of a longtime Conan reader like myself. The art shines brilliantly under Diego Rodriguez's remarkable colors. All the while, Richard Starking's lettering maintains a soundtrack of doom.

People looking for good comic books should be reading Titan Comics' Conan the Barbarian. This is the real Conan deal, and dear readers, I think you will enjoy this as much as I keep enjoying it.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of Conan comic books will want to try Titan Comics and Heroic Signatures' Conan the Barbarian.

[This comic book includes the essay, “Robert E. Howard and His Ages Undreamed Of,” by Jeffrey Shanks. Although labeled as “Part Six,” it is also the eighth installment.]

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

https://titan-comics.com/

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Tuesday, August 20, 2024

Comics Review: "KARDAK THE MYSTIC #1" is Mystically Charming

KARDAK THE MYSTIC #1

ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS, INC.

STORY: Joe Corallo

ART: Butch Mapa

COLORS: Ellie Wright

LETTERS: Jack Morelli

EDITOR: Jamie Lee Rotante

EiC: Mike Pellerito

COVER: Butch Mapa

VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Skylar Patridge

32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (October 2024); on sale in comic book shops August 14, 2024

Rating: Teen+

Eternal high school student and teenage boy, Archie Andrews, and his friends made their debut in M.L.J. Magazines' Pep Comics #22 (cover dated: December 1941), and before long, Archie was the publisher's headliner character. In 1946, the company changed its named to Archie Comic Publications, also known as “Archie Comics.”

Archie Comics has also published superhero comic books featuring offbeat characters. One of the stranger ones was initially known as “The Mystic” and he first appeared in Top Notch Comics #1 (cover dated: December 1939). In Top Notch Comics #4 (cover dated: April 1940), The Mystic became “Kardak.”

Kardak debuted in a story by writer Harry Shorten and artist C. A. “Chuck” Winter. Kardak was John Cardy, an American adventurer and professional magician known as “Kardak the Mystic.” He was a superhero magician, employing tricks and mystical powers to fight organized crime and super-villains. He was assisted by his fiancée, Lorna Dorne, and his faithful servant, Balthar. Kardak made his final Golden Age appearance in Top Notch Laugh Comics #29 (cover dated: September 1942).

A modern version of Kardak the Mystic arrives in the new one-shot comic book, Kardak the Mystic No. 1. It is written by Joe Corallo; drawn by Butch Mapa; colored by Ellie Wright; and lettered by the great Jack Morelli.

Kardak the Mystic No. 1 introduces John Cardy. He is the stage magician, “Kardak the Mystic,” and all he ever wanted was to be recognized for his talents at magic tricks and sleight of hand. However, the audiences for his shows are shrinking, and his loyal assistant, Lorna, believes that they should retire the act and move on with their lives.

Walking down the street one night, deep in his thoughts, John comes upon a magic shop, “Enchantra's Enchantments.” There, he gets an offer he can't refuse – an amulet that would change everything for him. But that kind of power is never free...

THE LOWDOWN: I have been reading comic books, on and off, for decades. I have sporadically read Archie Comics titles over that time. For many years now, Archie's marketing department has been sending PDF copies of some of their titles for review. Kardak the Mystic No. 1 is the latest.

I really like Kardak the Mystic No. 1. Joe Corallo's story is simple and straightforward, but really engages the imagination. It is a standalone tale, but it suggests a number of possibilities going forward. As I read it, I found my imagination to be quite engaged, and I was always wondering about what came next. The ending certainly left me wanting more.

Corallo's script is transformed impressively by Butch Mapa's art into graphical storytelling with a hint of the supernatural. Mapa's art is clean and smooth, so it captures the obvious emotions, dilemmas, conflicts, and danger that play in this story of transformation. The coloring by the talented Ellie Wright heightens the tension and drama in the story. As a team, Mapa and Wright team-up results in a dark tale that sparkles with playful magic and creepy mysticism.

Wow. I'm impressed, but also disappointed. I don't think that there is much of a chance of readers getting a second issue. Or maybe Kardak can pull of another miracle.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of Archie Comics' superhero titles will want to try Kardak the Mystic No. 1.

[This comic book includes a two-page section on the making of Kardak the Mystic No. 1.]

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

https://archiecomics.com/

https://twitter.com/archiecomics

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https://www.facebook.com/ArchieComicsOfficial?ref=tn_tnmn

https://www.youtube.com/user/ArchieComicsOfficial

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8914136-archie-comics

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Monday, August 19, 2024

BOOM! Studios Shipping from Diamond Distributors for August 21, 2024

BOOM! STUDIOS

JUN240146 BLOW AWAY #5 (OF 5) CVR A WU $4.99

JUN240147 BLOW AWAY #5 (OF 5) CVR B BOSS $4.99

JUN240154 BRIAR #8 (OF 8) CVR A LINS $3.99

JUN240157 BRIAR #8 (OF 8) CVR D FOC REVEAL VAR $3.99

JUN247501 BRZRKR A FACEFUL OF BULLETS #1 2ND PTG MANNA (MR) $9.99

APR240033 BRZRKR SHORT COMIC BOX (BUNDLE OF 5) $69.99

JUN240133 CROCODILE BLACK #4 (OF 5) CVR A SORRENTINO (MR) $4.99

APR240124 FIREFLY THE FALL GUYS HC (C: 0-1-2) $24.99

FEB240112 HUNT FOR THE SKINWALKER TP (C: 0-1-2) $17.99

JUN240137 LAWFUL #3 (OF 8) CVR A KHALIDAH $4.99

JUN240138 LAWFUL #3 (OF 8) CVR B MERCADO $4.99

JUN240087 POWER RANGERS INFINITY #1 CVR A GANUCHEAU (C: 1-0-0) $7.99

JUN240088 POWER RANGERS INFINITY #1 CVR B BRANDT&STEIN (C: 1-0-0) $7.99

JUN240089 POWER RANGERS INFINITY #1 CVR C FOIL VAR MONTES (C: 1-0-0) $9.99

APR240076 SLOW BURN TP (C: 0-1-2) $19.99

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