Showing posts with label Joe Benitez. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Joe Benitez. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 31, 2021

I Reads You Juniors: March 2021 - Update #101

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon.

NEWS

DC TV - From THR:  Actor Barry Watson, who starred in such TheWB/TheCW series as "7th Heaven" and "Hart of Dixie," will return to The CW as a cast member of the pilot for "Naomi," based on the DC Comics titles.

DC TV - From GamesRadar:   Patrick Schumaker, the showrunner for the hit animated series, "Harley Quinn," teases the voice-acting appearance of an actor from the upcoming film, "The Suicide Squad," appearing in season three of Harley Quinn.

DC CINEMA - From WeGotThisCovered:  Rumor - Warner Bros. did not want Ryan Reynolds to reprise his role as Green Lanter.  Reynolds played the character in the box office and critical disappointment, "Green Lantern."

VIZ MEDIA - From AWN:   Showrunner Steven Maeda wants to assure fans that despite a COVID-19 hiatus his team hasn't stopped working on Netflix's "One Piece" live-action TV series.

DC TV - From Deadline:   Actor Jordan Fisher will portray "Bart Allen," the superhero "Impusle" in The CW's "The Flash."

DC COMICS - From BleedingCool:   DC Comics will collect all three "Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" miniseries and spinoffs in an omnibus edition that is due to ship the last week of December 2021.

MARVEL COMICS - From BleedingCool:   Novelist Victor LaValle is joining Marvel as a writer on the "X-Men" line of comic books.

DC CINEMA - From BleedingCool:   Actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson announces that his DC Films' movie, "Black Adam," will open in theaters July 29th, 2022.  This article includes the announcement video clip that ties into the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.

CONVENTIONS - From Deadline:   San Diego Comic-Con announces a three-day "special edition" for Thanksgiving weekend.  Kicking off November 26th, it will be the SDCC's first in-person convention since 2019.

IMAGE COMICS - From GamesRadar:  Artist Gary Frank talks to "Newsarama" about his new creator-owned comic, "Geiger," with writer Geoff Johns and their plans for a larger creator-owned universe.

DC CINEMA - From YouTube:  Here is the first trailer (Fri., March 26th, 2021) for James Gunn's "The Suicide Squad."

MARVEL - From GamesRadar:   Marvel Comics has found a new distributor to get its comics into comic shops. Marvel has entered into an exclusive multi-year deal with Penguin Random House's distribution arm to deliver its comic books, trade collections, and graphic novels to the comic shop market (the Direct Market) beginning on October 1, 2021.  Retails can still order Marvel titles from Diamond Comic Distributors, which will actually be getting them from Penguin Random House Publisher Services (PRHPS).

From BleedingCool:  Penguin Random House answers 52 questions about its Marvel Comics distribution deal.

From BleedingCool:  Dan Buckley, President of Marvel Entertainment, has issued a public statement about Marvel's distribution deal with Penguin Random House Publisher Services.

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MILESTONE - From BleedingCool:   DC Comics was going to release its new Milestone titles as digital-first titles.  Now, DC will release them print and digitally simultaneously.

DC CINEMA - From DCBlog:   Former James Bond star, Pierce Brosnan will play the character, "Doctor Fate," in DC Film's "Black Adam" movie.  Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson will play the lead.

COMICS TO FILM - From THR:   We're eagerly awaiting director Cary Fukunaga's James Bond film, "No Time to Die."  He has a new project, directing a film version of Image Comics' cyberpunk series, "Tokyo Ghost."

DC CINEMA - From THR:  Actor Ron Livingston will play Barry Allen's father in DC Films' "The Flash."
 
From THR:  Spanish actress, Maribel Verdu, will play Barry Allen's mother in DC Films' "The Flash." 
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COMICS - From THR:  Like Keanu Reeves, actor Thomas Jane ("The Punisher"), is getting into the comic book publishing business.  His series, "Lycan."  Mike Carey and David James Kelly will write the series, and AfterShock Comics will publish.

DC CINEMA - From THR:   Oscar-winning actress Helen Mirren will play the villain "Hespera" in "Shazam! Fury of the Gods," the sequel to 2019's "Shazam!"

DC COMICS - From BleedingCool:  "Superman and the Authority" by Grant Morrison and Mikel Janin.

DC CINEMA - From Variety:   WarnerMedia CEO Ann Sarnoff speaks on "Zack Snyder's Justice League" and the future of DC Films.

COMICS TO FILM - From WeGotThisCovered:  Keanu Reeves will reportedly star in a Netflix adaptation of his recently released comic book, BRZRKR.

DC TV - From Deadline:  Actress Wallis Day has replaced actress Ruby Rose as "Kate Kane" in The CW's "Batwoman."  The character, "Ryan Wilder" (Javicia Leslie) will continue to be Batwoman.  Rose's Kate Kate had been Batwoman in the series' first season.

DC CINEMA - From Deadline:   Hot off her film, "Promising Young Woman," Emerald Fennell is set to write the script for Warner Bros. and Bad Robot's "Zatanna," a DC Films movie.

DC COMICS - From BleedingCool:  DC Comics is raising the cover price on some "Batman" titles to $5.99 U.S.

DC CINEMA - From Deadline:   Zack Snyder has a Q&A with "Deadline" and speaks on his “Cathartic Journey” with his 4-hour-plus "Justice League" cut, his future with DC & original intentions for Ray Fisher "Cyborg" Movie.

MARVEL COMICS - From BleedingCool:   The final issue of writer Ta-Nehisi Coates' run on "Captain America" will be issue #30. 

IMAGE COMICS - From BleedingCool:   Writer-artist Joe Benitez is moving his self-published comic book, "Lady Mechanika," to Image Comics, where he once worked via Top Cow Productions.  The first issue of the new series begins in September.

MARVEL - From BleedingCool: Marvel Comics now has the license to produce comics based on the "Predator" film franchise.  They start in June with "Predator #1" from writer Ed Brisson and artist Kev Walker.

DC CINEMA - From Deadline:  DC Films, Warner Bros. and Chernin Entertainment are united to produce a film based on the comic book character "Hourman."

MARVEL - From EW:   Artist Russell Dauterman has designed some high fashion costumes for the X-Men that will appear in this summer's "Hellfire Gala" event.

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY - From BleedingCool:   In a scoop, the site has a list of all 50 "Free Comic Book Day 2021" titles.

DC COMICS - From BleedingCool:  It appears that DC Comics will finish publish Jeff Lemire and Keith Giffen's "Inferior Five" six-issue comic book miniseries, which it cancelled after issue four.  Issue 5 has been published on comiXology.

MANGA - From BleedingCool:  Yen Press announces six manga titles for release in April and May, including "I'm the Catlords' Manservant, Vol. 1"

HEAVY METAL - From BleedingCool:  Rich Johnston updates the legal issues between Diane O'Bannon, widow of screenwriter Dan O'Bannon, and Heavy Metal publications over the use of the "B-17" concept that Dan created for the 1981 "Heavy Metal" film.

MARVEL - From BleedingCool:   In the miniseries, "The United States of Captain America," Marvel will introduce a gay Captain America.  The series starts June 2021.

MANGA TO FILM - From Looper:   The site recommends the manga, "Gunnm," if you loved the movie, "Alita: Battle Angel."

MARVEL - From BleedingCool:   June is "Pride Month."  Marvel Comics" has announced a one-shot anthology, "Marvel Voices: Pride #1."

CARTOONS - From CNN:  The cover of the recent issue of "Charlie Hebdo," the French satirical magazine, has drawn ire.  The cartoon depicts Queen Elizabeth II kneeling on the neck of Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex.

DARWYN COOKE - From GamesRadar:   Marsha Cooke, widow of the late, great artist, Darwyn Cooke, has asked DC Comics not to use images from her late husband's art as the basis for NFT crypt art.

DC COMICS - From BleedingCool:  DC Comics has plans for Green Arrow's 80th anniversary, including a 100-page special.

DC COMICS - From BleedingCool:  Garth Ennis and Liam Sharp's first project together will be a Batman and Killer Croc comic book entitled, "Batman: Reptilian," for the "Black Label" imprint.

FASHION - From ElevenbyVenus:   Browse the selection of "Wonder Woman"-inspired fashion by tennis champion and designer Venus Williams.

DC COMICS - From DCBlog:   The "Believe in Wonder" campaign to celebrate 80 years of Wonder Woman has kicked off.

DC COMICS - From BleedingCool:   DC Comics has "Non-Fungible Tokens (NFT) plans.
 
From From BleedingCool:  Comic creators react to DC Comics and NFT.
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DC COMICS - From BleedingCool:   There will be a "Batman: The Adventure Continues Season II" and it will feature "the Court of Owls."

IMAGE - From SmashPages:   The maxi-series, "Jupiter's Legacy: Requiem," will expand on Netflix's "Jupiter's Legacy" television series.

IDW - From TheBeat:   It turns out that Mark Doyle was only one of three editorial hires that IDW Publishing made.

ALAN MOORE - From BleedingCool:   There will be an auction for the publishing rights to legendary comic book writer, Alan Moore's "Long London" series of novels.

VIZ MEDIA - From Nintendojo:   VIZ Media will publish "Kirby Manga Mania Vol. 1" June 8th.

MARVEL - From GamesRadar:    Here is a list of Spider-Man comics and books for the rest of 2021 and into the next year.

IDW - From BleedingCool;  Mark Doyle, the founder of DC Comics' "Black Label" imprint, is now "Editorial Director" at IDW Publishing.  Doyle was one of the DC staff let go ("fired") in 2020.

EN MEMORIAM - From APNews:   Norton Juster, the architect who became a children's book author, has died at the age of 91, Monday, March 8, 2021.  He is best known for the 1961 children's fantasy adventure novel, "The Phantom Tollbooth" and "The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics" (1963), which was adapted into an Academy Award winning animated short film.

VIZ Media - From ComicBook:   VIZ Media reports that 2020 was a major growth year for them.

MARVEL - From GamesRadar:  "The Amazing Spider-Man #67-69" will be published weekly as part "Chameleon Conspiracy" story line.

MARVEL - From GamesRadar:  Because of the success of Disney+'s "WandaVision," the following trade paperback collections: "The Vision Complete Collection," "Vision & Scarlet Witch: The Saga of Wanda and Vision," "House of M," and "Scarlet Witch by James Robinson: The Complete Collection" are all on back-order, with whatever copies comic shops and bookstores have now to be it until April 21, 2021 at the earliest.

DC COMICS - From GamesRadar:   Wonder Woman 80th anniversary celebration plans announced, including 100-page comic book special.

IMAGE COMICS - From BleedingCool:  Erik Larsen is finally publishing the 12th issue of Ant, a comic book series he bought from artit OMB (formerly known as Mario Gully), in June 2021.

COMICS - From SmashPages:   Writer-artist Colleen Doran is going to adapt author Neil Gaiman's short story, "Chivalry," as a graphic novel, as she did with Gaiman's "Troll Bridge" and "Snow, Glass, Apples."

MANGA-ANIME - From CBR:  How to start reading the "Fruits Basket" manga and how to start watching the "Fruits Basket" anime.

MARVEL-MANGA - From BleedingCool:  The "Deadpool: Samurai" manga may be the most read Marvel comic in the world.

MANGA - From HypeBeast:   U.S. manga sales saw a 44% increase in sales in 2020.

MANGA - From ComicBook:   Kodansha Comics is going to release a limited edition, titan-sized volume of "Attack on Titan."

MANGA TO FILM - From Deadline: "John Wick" scribe Derek Kolstad and Amazon Studios teaming up on adaptation Of Japanese manga "Hellsing."

MARVEL - From GamesRadar:   Gwen Stacey is "Spider-Gwen" no more in "Heroes Reborn."

MARVEL STUDIOS - From Variety:  Anthony Mackie finally takes the lead in a Marvel Studios project and gets a cover profile from "Variety."

FOX MARVEL U - From YahooEntertainment:  Once upon a time, Hugh Jackman saw director Lee Daniel's Oscar-winning film, "Precious," and wanted Daniels to direct the Wolverine sequel that would become 2013s "The Wolverine."

BOOM STUDIOS - From WashPost:   International superstar actor Keanu Reeves talks about writing his own comic book, "BRZRKR."

BLACK COMICS - From News19:  A profiel: "Illustrator Sanford Greene paving the way for Black heroes, and the artists behind them."

DC COMICS - From CBR:   Who is Val-Zod, Earth-Two's black Man of Steel?

DC CINEMA - From AVClub:  Ray Fisher shares new details of "racially discriminatory conversations" on Justice League set.

IMAGE COMICS - From BleedingCool:   On "Instagram," comic book artist Joe Madureira may be teasing the long-awaited arrival of the tenth issue of his comic books series, "Battle Chasers."  The ninth issue was published in 2001.
 
From BleedingCoolUPDATE:  Joe Madureira has announced that video game artist LudoLullabi will draw "Battle Chasers #10," which will be due in comic book shops later this year.
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MANGA - From CBR:  How to start reading the Inuyasha manga or watching the animae.

DC TV - From Deadline:   The CW has renewed "Superman & Lois" for a second season after its strong debut on multiple platforms.

IMAGE COMICS - From THR:  Mark Millar has announced the final entry in his "Jupiter's Legacy" comic book line.  It is "Jupiter's Legacy: Requiem," which artist Tommy Lee Edwards will draw.  The series arrives in June 2021.

FANTAGRAPHICS - From PW:  "Publisher's Weekly" talks to Shira Spector about her debut graphic novel memoir, "Red Rock Baby Candy."

CONVENTIONS - From GamesRadar:   San Diego Comic-Con International 2021 will be an online-only event.

DC COMICS - From BleedingCool:  News of a Superman movie featuring a "Black Superman" has caused eBay sales on some DC Comics titles to explode.

COMICS TO TV - From EW:  "Entertainment Weekly" has a first-look at the comics-to-screen translation of Netflix's "Jupiter's Circle."  The series is based on the comic book by Mark Millar and Frank Quitely.

From YouTube:  "Jupiter's Legacy" first look video.
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DC COMICS - From DCBlog:   The worlds of comic books and video games collide  on April 20, 2021 as DC and Epic Games announced plans to publish "Batman/Fortnite: Zero Point," a six-issue miniseries that combines the Dark Knight and other DC Super Heroes with the global gaming phenomenon, "Fortnite."

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MARCH 2021 COMICS SOLICITATIONS:
From BleedingCool:  Archie Comics for March 2021 
From BleedingCool:  AWA Studios for March 2021
From BleedingCool:  Behemoth Comics for March 2021 
From BleedingCool:  Black Mask Comics for March 2021
From BleedingCool:  BOOM Studios for March 2021
From BleedingCool:  Dark Horse Comics for March 2021
From BleedingCool:  DC Comics for March 2021
From BleedingCool:  Heavy Metal for March 2021
From BleedingCool:  IDW Publishing for March 2021 
From BleedingCool:  Image Comics for March 2021
From BleedingCool:  Mad Cave for March 2021
From BleedingCool:  March Comics for March 2021
From BleedingCool:  Oni Press for March 2021
From BleedingCool:  Second Sight for March 2021
From BleedingCool:  Scout Comics for March 2021
From BleedingCool:  Titan Comics for March 2021
From BleedingCool:  Vault Comics for March 2021
From BleedingCool:  VIZ Media for March 2021
From BleedingCool:  Zenescope Entertainment for March 2021

APRIL 2021 COMICS SOLICITATIONS:
From BleedingCool:  AfterShock Comics for April 2021
From BleedingCool:  Antarctic Press for April 2021
From BleedingCool:  Behemoth Comics for April 2021 
From BleedingCool:  Black Mask Studios for April 2021
From BleedingCool:  BOOM! Studios for April 2021
From BleedingCool:  Dark Horse Comics for April 2021
From BleedingCool:  DC Comics for April 2021
From BleedingCool:  Dynamite Entertainment for April 2021
From BleedingCool:  Hero Collector for April 2021
From BleedingCool:  IDW Publishing for April 2021
From BleedingCool:  Image Comics for April 2021
From BleedingCool:  Marvel Comics for April 2021
From BleedingCool:  Oni Press for April 2021
From BleedingCool:  Scout Comics for April 2021
From BleedingCool:  Second Sight for April 2021
From BleedingCool:  Source Point Press for April 2021
From BleedingCool:  Titan Comics for April 2021
From BleedingCool:  Valiant Comics for April 2021
From BleedingCool:  Zenescope Entertainment for April 2021

MAY 2021 COMICS SOLICITATIONS:
From BleedingCool:  Ablaze for May 2021
From BleedingCool:  Archie Comics for May 2021 
From BleedingCool:  Black Mask for May 2021
From BleedingCool:  BOOM! Studios for May 2021 
From BleedingCool:  Comic House for May 2021
From BleedingCool:  Dark Horse Comics for May 2021
From BleedingCool:  DC Comics for May 2021
From BleedingCool:  Dynamite Entertainment for May 2021
From BleedingCool:  Hero Collector for May 2021
From BleedingCool:  IDW Publishing for May 2021
From BleedingCool:  Image Comics for May 2021
From BleedingCool:  Mad Cave Studios for May 2021
From BleedingCool:  Marvel Comics for May 2021
From BleedingCool:  Vault Comics for May 2021
From BleedingCool:  VIZ Media for May 2021
From BleedingCool:  Zenescope Entertainment for May 2021

JUNE 2021 COMICS SOLICITATIONS:
From BleedingCool:  Ablaze for June 2021 
From BleedingCool:  AfterShock Comics for 2021
From BleedingCool:  BOOM! Studios for June 2021
From BleedingCool:  Dark Horse Comics for June 2021
From BleedingCool:  DC Comics for June 2021
From BleedingCool:  Dynamite Entertainment for June 2021
From BleedingCool:  Eaglemoss for June 2021
From BleedingCool:  Hero Collector for June 2021
From BleedingCool:  IDW Publishing for June 2021 
From BleedingCool:  Mad Cave Studios for June 2021
From BleedingCool:  Marvel Comics for June 2021
From BleedingCool:  Scout Comics for June 2021
From BleedingCool:  Source Point Press for June 2021
From BleedingCool:  Valiant Entertainment for June 2021
From BleedingCool:  Zenescope Entertainment for June 2021 

AUGUST 2021 COMICS SOLICITATIONS:
From BleedingCool:  Free Comic Book Day for August 14, 2021

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Wednesday, February 24, 2021

#IReadsYou Review: THE DARKNESS #1 25th Anniversary Commemorative Edition

THE DARKNESS #1 25TH ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATIVE EDITION
IMAGE COMICS/Top Cow Productions, Inc.

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Garth Ennis
PENCILS: Marc Silvestri
INKS: Batt (inking assistants: Joe Weems, Nathan Cabrera, Victor Llamas and various)
COLORS: Steve Firchow
LETTERS: Dennis Heisler
EDITOR: David Wohl
COVER: Marc Silvestri and Batt with Steve Firchow
36pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (November 2020)

Rated M / Mature

The Darkness created by Marc Silvestri, Garth Ennis, and David Wohl

“Coming of Age”


The Darkness is a long-running comic book series created by artist Marc Silvestri, writer Garth Ennis, and editor David Wohl.  The Darkness focuses on Jackie Estacado, a mafia hit man who inherits “the curse of the Darkness.”  The character made his debut in Witchblade #10 (November 1996) before making his solo debut in his own series.

In celebration of the twenty-fifth anniversary of The Darkness #1 (December 1996), Image Comics and Top Cow Productions, Inc. are publishing The Darkness #1 25th Anniversary Commemorative Edition.  This one-shot comic book reprints the story contents from The Darkness #1 and also includes an interview, an essay, a five-page section reprinting select cover illustrations produced during the series first 16 years, and other material.

The Darkness #1 (“Coming of Age”) opens at night on the Lower East Side of New York City.  Tall, dark, and handsome mafia hit man, Jackie Estacado, has just executed his latest target in service of his boss, Don Franchetti.  This latest bloody move by the Franchetti mob starts a bloody skirmish with rival mobster, Don Tommy Marchianni.  Jackie, Don Franchetti's top enforcer, is caught in the middle.

But the young killer has bigger problems.  He is about to turn 21-years-old, and “The Darkness” is about to start calling for him.  And the “Angelus” is coming for him.

THE LOWDOWN:  I read the first 10 or 12 issues of the original run of The Darkness back in 1996-97, but I eventually grew bored with this comic book and stopped reading it.  I have to admit that I had high expectations for it.  After all, the writer was Garth Ennis, red-hot in the mid-1990s because of his DC Comics/Vertigo series, Preacher.  I was a huge fan of post-Marvel Comics Marc Silvestri.  I thought many the comic books that Silvestri drew for Marvel Comics looked awful because of his chicken-scratch drawing style.  But Image Comics-Marc Silvestri seemed like an entirely different artist, especially when Silvestri's pencils were inked by the great Scott Williams.

Yet every time I read The Darkness, I felt like Ennis and Silvestri were not really delivering on this concept's potential.  I understood that the universe of Silvestri's Top Cow Productions, Inc. was obsessed with some kind of angelic vs. demonic rivalry, similar to that of Jim Lee's Wildstorm Productions universe.  However, I didn't think that Ennis and Silvestri really understood where they could take The Darkness in terms of narrative.  In The Darkness, Ennis delivered a stillborn version of the usual outtakes from his ultra-violence wheelhouse.  Silvestri's art was an unimaginative spin on the grim-and-gritty riffs that everyone was stealing from Frank Miller's Batman comics.

I don't know if The Darkness every reached its potential.  Frankly, I didn't give a crap after I stopped reading the series, but on occasion, I would see an issue of The Darkness and wonder about it … I have to admit.

The Darkness #1 25th Anniversary Commemorative Edition commemorates an anniversary that is only important to Top Cow because … let's be frank … it does not have much to commemorate.  The original Image Comics creators, Marc Silvestri among them, turned their studios into vanity project factories that produced poorly written comic books that featured the kind of art that only the artists and their sycophantic fans thought was great.  This is something that can be said of many of the artists associated with Image Comics first decade, for instance Rob Liefeld and J. Scott Campbell.

It is only in the last 15 years or so that Image Comics has delivered on the promise that the birth of the publisher offered to both comic book creators and readers.  The Darkness represents a placeholder in the evolution of Image Comics.  After the fanfare for their first wave of comic book series faded, some of Image's founders moved on to offering exciting new concepts.  For Jim Lee, it was Divine Right, and for Silvestri, it was The Darkness.  At least, The Darkness ran much longer than Divine Right.

The Darkness #1 25th Anniversary Commemorative Edition, as a package, is nothing special, but – and there is a big but – reading it again did remind me that The Darkness still has great potential.  I enjoyed re-reading this reprint of the first issue, and I might reread a few more of the original issues.  I still think that The Darkness is an outside-the-box comic book concept that could be an exceptional dark fantasy comic book.  But will it ever be that?  Does it matter?

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Top Cow Productions' comic books will want The Darkness #1 25th Anniversary Commemorative Edition.

6 out of 10

This issue contains the feature “Say Good Night to the 'Good Guy'” by Henry Barajas and Claire Napier.  This feature includes illustrations; an questions-and-answer session with Marc Silvestri and David Wohl; a bullet-point presentation about the publication, licensing, and merchandising success of The Darkness.

This issue also includes a gallery of cover art produced by the following artists and art teams for The Darkness:  Marc Silvestri, Joe Weems, and Peter Steigerwald; Joe Benitez, Joe Weems, and Dean White; Nathan Cabrera and Victor Llamas; Greg Hildebrandt and Tim Hildebrandt; Michael Turner, Joe Weems, and JD Smith; Joe Benitez, Joe Weems, and Richard Isanove; Clarence Lansang, Victor Llamas, and Matt Nelson; David Finch, Jason Gorder, and Matt Nelson; Brian Ching, Victor Llamas, and Matt Nelson; Mark Pajarillo, Danny Miki, and Matt Nelson; Dale Keown and Matt Milla; Lee Bermejo; Dale Keown; Rafael Albuquerque; Todd McFarlane; Jeremy Haun and John Rauch

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



www.topcow.com
https://twitter.com/ImageComics
https://imagecomics.com/


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Tuesday, February 2, 2021

#28DaysofBlack Review: Dwayne McDuffie and "Justice League of America: The Injustice League"

[Dwayne McDuffie (1962-2011) left behind a diverse body of work in American comic books, one that emphasized diversity and inclusion. He did so when "diversity" and "inclusion" were dirtier words than they may be to some, now. McDuffie continues to be an inspiration to new voices in American comic books and graphic novels.]

Get #28DaysofBlack review links here.

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA: THE INJUSTICE LEAGUE
DC COMICS – @DCComics

STORY: Dwayne McDuffie; Alan Burnett
PENCILS: Mike McKone; Joe Benitez; Ed Benes; Allan Jefferson
INKS: Andy Lanning; Victor Llamas; Sandra Hope; Allan Jefferson
COLORS: Pete Pantazis; Alex Sinclair
LETTERS: Rob Leigh
EDITOR: Brian Cunningham
COVER: Ian Churchill and Norm Rapmund with Alex Sinclair
MISC. ART: Ed Benes and Rod Reis with Alex Sinclair; Ian Churchill and Norm Rapmund with Alex Sinclair; Joe Benitez and Victor Llamas with Pete Pantazis
ISBN: 978-1-4012-2050-1; paperback (June 9, 2009)
144pp, Color, $17.99 U.S., $21.99 CAN

Justice League of America created by Gardner Fox

The Justice League of America is a DC Comics team of superheroes.  The team was conceived by writer Gardner Fox in the late 1950s as a then modern update of the 1940s superhero team, the Justice Society of America.  The Justice League of America's original line-up of superheroes was comprised of Superman (Clark Kent), Batman (Bruce Wayne), Wonder Woman (Diana Prince), The Flash (Barry Allen), Green Lantern (Hal Jordan), Aquaman (Arthur Curry), and the Martian Manhunter (J'onn J'onzz).  This group first appeared together as the Justice League of America in the comic book, The Brave and the Bold #28 (cover dated: March 1960).

The team received its own comic book title entitled Justice League of America, beginning with a first issue cover dated November 1960.  Justice League of America #261 (cover dated: April 1987) was the series' final issue, and a new series, simply titled Justice League, began with a first issue cover dated May 1987.  The title, “Justice League of America,” would not be used for an ongoing comic book series for almost two decades.

After the events of the event miniseries, Infinite Crisis, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman reformed the Justice League of America as seen in Justice League #0 (cover dated: September 2006), the kickoff of a new Justice League of America ongoing comic book series under the guidance of writer Brad Meltzer and artist Ed Benes.

After the publication of Justice League of America #12, Dwayne McDuffie became the series new writer.  McDuffie's first story arc was entitled “Unlimited.”  The creative team was comprised of pencil artists: Mike McKone, Joe Benitez, and Ed Benes and inkers: Andy Lanning, Victor Llamas, and Sandra Hope; colorist Pete Pantazis; and letterer Rob Leigh.

The story arc began in the one-shot special, Justice League of America Wedding Special #1 (November 2007) and ran through Justice League of America issues #13 to #15 (November 2007 to January 2008).  Issue #16 (cover dated: February 2008) offered two related stories.  “A Brief Tangent” was written by McDuffie; drawn by Benitez (pencils) and Llamas (inks); colored by Pantazis; and lettered by Leigh.  “Tangent: Superman's Reign” was written by Alan Burnett; drawn by Allan Jefferson; colored by Pantazis; and lettered by Leigh.

The “Unlimited” story was collected in Justice League of America: The Injustice League, which reprints Justice League of America Wedding Special #1 and Justice League of America issue #13 to #16.  The collection was first published first in hardcover (June 2008), and then, as a trade paperback (June 2009).

The backdrop of “Unlimited” is the impending wedding of Oliver “Ollie” Queen, the retired superhero known as Green Arrow, and Dinah Lance known as the hero, Black Canary, the leader of the Justice League of America.  The male members of the League are holding a bachelor party for Ollie that is not going as well as expected.  The female members are holding a bachelorette party for Dinah.

Elsewhere, super-villains:  Lex Luthor, The Joker, and Cheetah are forming a new iteration of “The Injustice League,” the evil counterpart of the Justice League, but this version will have the largest roster of villains ever.  Meeting at the “Hall of Doom,” Luthor dubs this new team, “The Injustice League Unlimited,” and they start launching their first attacks against the Justice League.

Soon, at St. Vincent's Hospital in Greenwich Village in New York City, Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl are fighting the new Injustice League's members, Cheetah, Dr. Light, and Killer Frost, while Firestorm (Jason Rusch) is in a hospital bed, gravely injured from his battle with the villains.  Batman and Red Arrow (Roy Harper) find themselves ambushed by The Joker, Fatality, and the Shadow Thief, who have already taken out Geo-Force.

With members of the Justice League falling to its adversaries, the Justice League is outmatched, and its numbers are dwindling.  Lex Luthor, however, is focused on his main target, Superman, and Luthor promises that he has devised a way to finally destroy Superman.

THE LOWDOWN:  Dwayne Glenn McDuffie died on February 21, 2011, one day after his 49th birthday.  McDuffie was a comic book writer, and he was one of the founders of Milestone Media.  This pioneering minority-owned-and minority-operated company created comic books which featured superheroes and other characters that were either African-American or other minorities whose depictions were underrepresented in American comic books.

McDuffie also wrote and produced for television, specifically for animated TV series.  He was a writer-producer for one season of Cartoon Network's “Justice League” (2001-2004) and a writer-producer for its follow-up, “Justice League Unlimited” (2004-2006).  He wrote and/or produced for three iterations of Cartoon Network's “Ben 10” franchise.  McDuffie also wrote several episodes of the animated series, The WB's “Static Shock” (2000-04), which was based on the Milestone comic book series, Static, that McDuffie co-created and co-wrote.

McDuffie may have been one of the most under-utilized talents and under-appreciated and underrated writers during his three-decade career in the American comic book industry.  Since I don't owe anyone anything and because I don't care much about consequences, I can freely say that had Dwayne McDuffie been a white man instead of an African-American, his status as a comic book creator would have been the American comic book industry equivalent of “most favored nation.”

However, much of his creative output was for DC Comics, where the most powerful editorial positions, those that hand out the writing gigs, were held by bigots, racists, and a variety of sexual harassers and abusers.  During his time at Marvel, McDuffie would have encountered much of the same thing, and during the last decade of his life, Marvel editors mainly hired white guys whose work impressed them and their friends outside the job.

Yet, in spite of such obstacles, McDuffie carved out a career telling hugely entertaining stories in comic books.  McDuffie was a traditionalist and largely eschewed the more “adult” and “mature” storytelling modes that began to dominate American comic books in the 1970s.  Yes, McDuffie was a modern writer and his work did feature elements of realism, but he wrote classic fantasy stories of good and evil in which the shades of gray served the plot, characters, and settings.  McDuffie did not write “grim and gritty” for the sake of style or fad.

That can be seen in the comic book, Static, which is a modern and perhaps, “urban contemporary” take on Spider-Man.  Static was a black teen superhero facing typical teen problems, learning to understand his powers, and dealing with the struggle to learn how to be a superhero.  Thirty years before the debut of Static, a white teen, Peter Parker, lived similar experiences in the pages of Marvel Comics' The Amazing Spider-Man.

Justice League of America (Vol. 3): The Injustice League offers “Unlimited,” which is also classic in the sense that it recalls the original Justice League of America series.  By the time, McDuffie started writing Justice League of America, comic books featuring superhero teams were dark in tone, with characters involved in adult relationships and living complicated, messy lives.  “Unlimited” is straight-forward good guy vs. bad guy.  Yes, the characters have rivalries, conflicts, motivations, personality quirks, and goals, but the depiction of that purely serves the central plot.  And it is this: with their backs to the wall, how do the members of the Justice League of America come back from the ass-kicking Lex Luthor, The Joker, and Cheetah and company have given them?

McDuffie's storytelling is efficient and every panel on every page is consequential, and there is no “decompression” filler.  From the beginning of the story, there is enough tension to create anxiety in the reader for his heroes, and I certainly found myself racing towards the end, hoping that things would work out in the end.  Of course, the heroes always (sort of) win in the end, but the best writers of superhero comic books convince readers that this is it – the end of the line for the good guys.  And McDuffie did that in “Unlimited,” seemingly with ease.

“Unlimited's” plot is so engaging that I ignored the inconsistency of the graphical storytelling due to the shifting art teams.  Actually, the artists offer straight-forward storytelling.  Artists Ed Benes, Mike McKone, and Joe Benitez might not be the best comic book artists or draw the prettiest pictures, but they are quite good at superhero comic book storytelling.  In the end, their art tells a fine story with great characters, and comic book fans swear that is what they really want...

And if audiences and editors really wanted great-stories-characters, then, Dwayne McDuffie, teller of fine comic book stories filled with hugely attractive characters, would not have had to wait to the last half-decade of his life for an A-list assignment in comic books.  By the way, those outstanding editorial citizens fired McDuffie from Justice League of America less than two years into his run on the title.

But they could not kill his pride... nor our memories of his work.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Dwayne McDuffie will want to treat themselves to Justice League of America: The Injustice League.

A
9 out of 10

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


https://www.dccomics.com/
https://www.facebook.com/dc/


The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

------------------------

Amazon wants me to inform you that the link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the ad below AND buy something(s).

 

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Review: The Black Bat #2

BLACK BAT #2
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT – @dynamitecomics

WRITER: Brian Buccellato
ARTIST: Ronan Cliquet
COLORS: Mat Lopes
LETTERS: Rob Steen
COVERS: Jae Lee (A), Joe Benitez (B), Ardian Syaf (C), Billy Tan (D), Marcos Martin (subscription cover)
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S.

Rated T+

“The Black Bat” was a character that appeared in Black Bat Detective Mysteries, a short-lived, 1930s pulp magazine, published for six issues. The first Black Bat is thought to have had an influence on The Batman, either through Bob Kane (the man solely credited with creating Batman) or Bill Finger (the first Batman writer and essentially the co-creator of the character) or both. There was also a second version of The Black Bat, influenced by the first.

Dynamite Entertainment recently returned this pulp hero from the 1930s to comics. Dynamite’s The Black Bat comic book stars Tony Quinn, a brash defense attorney for the mob who compromises his ethics for financial gain. When Tony refuses to commit murder, his gangster employers torture and blind him. It is a covert agency that rescues and gives Quinn a chance to make amends. Tony dons a cape and cowl and becomes the Black Bat in a quest of redemption to right the wrongs of his past

The Black Bat #2 opens with Tony as the Black Bat about to break up a drug shipment for the city’s drug lord, Oliver Snate. Tony’s baptism in fire becomes literal when a moral dilemma complicates the mission. Meanwhile, anger in the city continues to rise over the unsolved case of the missing policemen.

The first time I saw images of the cover art for The Black Bat #2, I was struck by how much it all looked similar to various Batman images and graphics. [I wonder how many times you can poke the lion that is DC Comics’ legal department?] Actually, instead of Batman, The Black Bat #2 reads like a blending of Doug Moench’s Moon Knight and Mike Baron’s The Punisher, and I rather enjoyed it.

Writer Brian Buccellato is more than competent, offering familiar “street level” comic book tales, with a character made interesting because his determination is matched by his ignorance. Ronan Cliquet is also more than competent as a graphical storyteller, and his composition and page design is nice. Cliquet’s art improves Buccellato’s script in terms of storytelling.

I liked The Black Bat #2. I might read future issues, but as I have access to digital review copies from Dynamite Entertainment, that declaration might be something of a cheat. Still, The Black Bat has promise.

B

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

Review: The Black Bat #1

BLACK BAT #1
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT – @dynamitecomics

WRITER: Brian Buccellato
ARTIST: Ronan Cliquet
COLORS: Mat Lopes
LETTERS: Rob Steen
COVERS: J. Scott Campbell (A), Joe Benitez (B), Ardian Syaf (C), Billy Tan (D), Marcos Martin (subscription cover)
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S.

Rated T+

Dynamite Entertainment has brought The Black Bat back from the public domain comic book graveyard in a new comic book series. The character that appeared in Black Bat Detective Mysteries, a short-lived, 1930s pulp magazine, published for six issues. The first Black Bat is thought to have had an influence on the creation of The Batman.

The Black Bat #1 opens with the Black Bat kicking ass. He’s looking for Silk, a police snitch who will become his assistant. The story also goes into flashback mode in order to take a look at the man who would become the Black Bat, Tony Quinn. He was a brash defense attorney for the mob who compromised his ethics for financial gain. It cost him a lot, but now as the Black Bat he can seek redemption… or vengeance?

Images and graphics in The Black Bat resemble image and graphics in and perhaps the spirit of Batman comic books. However, what writer Brian Buccellato offers is closer to “street level” comic books that Marvel Comics has produced over the years, featuring characters like Daredevil, Moon Knight, and The Punisher. It’s vigilante vs. organized crime, and the superhero costume seems extraneous in the moody, urban fiction edge of Buccellato’s script.

Artist Ronan Cliquet has a graphic style and visual sense that is perfect for the comics yarn Buccellato spins. Cliquet’s compositions and designs are flashy in a Batman mode, but a bit earthier. Once again, crime fiction edges out costumes. Dynamite Entertainment’s The Black Bat does have potential.

B+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

Monday, September 12, 2011

The New 52 Review: STORMWATCH #1

STORMWATCH #1
DC COMICS

WRITER: Paul Cornell
ARTIST: Miguel Sepulveda
COLORS: Allan Passalaqua
LETTERS: Rob Leigh
COVER: Miguel Sepulveda and Nathan Eyring
32pp, Color, $2.99

Stormwatch, a comic book created by Jim Lee and Brandon Choi, was originally published by Image Comics via Lee’s Wildstorm Productions. It debuted in 1993 and was part of a second wave of titles that began after the original Image Comics titles.

Stormwatch was a United Nations-sponsored superhero team that dealt with situations around the world. This comic book is best remembered for Warren Ellis’ run on the series which eventually resulted in the creation of The Authority. Stormwatch returns as part of DC Comics’ re-launch of its superhero line, “The New 52,” and the team is formerly incorporated into the DC Universe.

Stormwatch #1 (“The Dark Side” Part One) finds the team, which protects Earth from major alien threats, trying to recruit a young man known as “Apollo.” Stormwatch desperately needs his impressive powers, so they can’t take “No” for an answer. Something calling itself The Scourge of Worlds has arrived to test humanity, and Harry Tanner, the Eminence of Blades (Yep, that’s what he’s called), faces it alone.

Much of Stormwatch #1 is about back story and things to come. What does take place in the present is mostly character introductions. I can describe this as a mixture of elements of Warren Ellis and writer Paul Cornell’s delusions that he can always turn his contrivances into good ideas for a comic book. I have read very little of his work, but what I have read comes across as pretentious and desperate to be edgy and cool. This is, however, potential here. It could potentially be an adequate comic book, or it could potentially be something that dies a slow death over a two year run – say 18 to 24 issues.

As for the art, Miguel Sepulveda draws like mid-1990s Joe Benitez. Who remembers Weapon Zero? Sepulveda is not ready to draw for DC Comics, simply because his compositions show how raw and unpolished he is. Some of Sepulveda’s figure drawing is… wanting, especially when he draws a character doing something other than standing. Still, he has potential, and perhaps, he will surprise me.

The new Midnighter looks ridiculous.

C

August 31st
FLASHPOINT #5
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/flashpoint-5.html
JUSTICE LEAGUE #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/justice-league-1.html

September 7th
ACTION COMICS #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/action-comics-1.html
DETECTIVE COMICS #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/detective-comics-1-2011.html
HAWK AND DOVE #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/hawk-dove-1.html

 

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Image Comics from Diamond Distributors for July 20 2011

IMAGE COMICS

MAY110495 ALL NIGHTER #2 (OF 5) $2.99

MAY110432 AVENGELYNE #1 CVR A LIEFELD $2.99

MAY110433 AVENGELYNE #1 CVR B GIENI $2.99

MAY110434 AVENGELYNE #1 CVR C BENITEZ $2.99

JAN110656 DARKNESS #92 (MR) $2.99

MAY110505 DEADLANDS MASSACRE AT RED WING ONE SHOT $2.99

APR110502 ELEPHANTMEN #33 (MR) $3.99

MAY110511 HACK SLASH #6 CVR A LIESTER & ROSENBERG (MR) $3.50

MAY110512 HACK SLASH #6 CVR B BELLEGARDE (MR) $3.50

MAR110589 MARINEMAN #6 (NOTE PRICE) $4.99

MAY110435 MARKSMAN #1 (OF 6) $1.00

MAY110438 REAPER #2 (MR) $4.99

MAY110440 REPULSE ONE SHOT (MR) $6.99

MAY110469 SPAWN NEW BEGINNINGS TP VOL 01 $14.99

MAY110479 TURF HC (MR) $39.99

MAY110534 WALKING DEAD #87 $2.99

MAY110538 WALKING DEAD WEEKLY #29 (MR) $2.99

MAY110542 WITCH DOCTOR #2 (OF 4) $2.99

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Leroy Douresseaux on Earp: Saints for Sinners #1



EARP: SAINTS FOR SINNERS #1
RADICAL PUBLISHING
CREATORS: Matt Cirulnick and David Manpearl
WRITERS: M. Zachary Sherman and Matt Cirulnick
LAYOUTS: Joe Benitez, Rod Pereira, and J.K. Woodward
ARTISTS: Mack Chater, Martin Montiel, and Colin Lorimer
COLORS: Kyushik Shin
LETTERS: Rus Wooton
COVER: Alex Maleev
72pp, Color, $5.99

Created by Hollywood types, Matt Cirulnick and David Manpearl, Earp: Saints for Sinners is a modern-day re-imagining of a classic Western hero, Wyatt Earp. This new Earp story is set in a new future where an event called “Black Thirty” sets off a second Great Depression.

Out of the chaos rises the celebrity bank robber, a kind of Robin Hood meets John Dillinger. There was, however, one man who brought them in to justice and shot down the ones he didn’t bring in, and that was Wyatt Earp. Earp collared more most-wanted men than anyone in history, but after a violent assignment claimed the life of his brother, Virgil Earp, Wyatt became a businessman in the only boomtown left in America, Las Vegas.

In Earp: Saints for Sinners #1, Wyatt’s younger, brother, Morgan Earp, shows up bloodied and beaten. That sets off Wyatt’s memories of the last several years, recounting how he went from NYPD to the U.S. Marshals. Now, Morgan is wanted by the only law that matters in Las Vegas, the Pinkertons, and their leader, Allan Pinkerton will use this opportunity to get rid of the Earps, once and for all. Will Doc Holliday arrive in time?

If you don’t get confused by the constant use of flashback in this first issue, you will love this shoot ‘em up as comic book, Earp: Saints for Sinners. It is a bit longish, and the characters seem as if they’re not quite out of the development stage. The art with shimmering, watercolor-like colors is perfect for the series lovely violence. Not only does the color make the violence pulsate, but it also makes the various cities and locales seem exotic. This comic, however, owes more to modern crime films (like Heat) than it does Western cinema.

I’d like to read more of this.

B

Friday, September 11, 2009

Here Comes FallCon!



I got this press release last month for a convention about which I've become very curious:


The all volunteer, not for for profit Midwest Comic Book Association is pleased and proud to announce that the 21st Annual MCBA FallCon Comic Book Celebration will take place on October 10 & 11, 2009 at Minnesota State Fairgrounds in the Grandstand (1265 Snelling Ave N., Saint Paul, Minnesota 55108).


FallCon, the Midwest's largest comic book celebration, is a unique regional nexus of graphic literature and the widly diverse communities that fuel it, produce it, and and ultimately consume it. Given the fact that the Midwest has a long standing and somewhat unexplicable reputation of producing a disporportionate number of working comic book & graphic literature professionals, including comic book writers, artists, inkers, etc., as well as being a bredder reactor for new and independent talent, it's no wonder that FallCon has become one of the leading comic book conventions nationwide amongst the creative community, dealers and especially amongst the fans.

"FallCon, a traditional comic book convention with a 21st century bleeding edge, continues to benefit as a result of the regions ever growing home grown comic book creative community, a numerically exploding fan & readership base and ultimately the recent adoption of bleeding edge comic book culture by the much larger mainstream media." Said Nick Postiglione, Co-Director of the MCBA "Thematically, FallCon presents a relaxed, welcoming, interactive atmosphere where all aspects of the diverse worlds of graphic literature congregate, network, debate & discuss and acquire all things related exclusively to comic books and the many sub-cultures these worlds constantly generate, spawn and re-invent."


An ideal event for seasoned comic book conventioneers, as well as first timers, FallCon is all about the fun and experience and provides attendees with the opportunity to personally interface with comic book artists, inkers & writers. This includes working professionals, up and comers, independent & alternative voices, beginners, has beens, never will be's and all creative points in between.


Of course no comic book convention could be complete without hucksters! FallCon also features a super gynormous comic book marketplace with comic book stores and dealers buying, selling and trading all things comic books. There will be literally tons of comic books (Around 500,000 golden age, silver age, bronze age, current and collectible comic books), trade paperbacks, graphic novels, original comic book art, manga, action figures, statues, Star Wars & Trek, unexplicable trinkets, collectibles and the list goes on to a reasonable approximation of infinity.


Described by one long time attendee as a "graphic literature blender and bake shop" FallCon is the place where graphic arts and the written word are equally recognized and a venue where new and exciting creative alliances will be formed, collectors dreams will be recognized or dashed, new friendships will be forged in the fires of common interests, local charities will be benefited, role playing costume characters will be masters of all they survey, creative types will be inspired and all will be as it should be. Something for everyone and everyone welcome!


2009 MCBA Comic Book Celebration Copy Points Event Name:

MCBA FallCon Comic Book Celebration

Event Date's: October 10 & 11, 2009

Location: Minnesota State Fairgrounds - In The Grandstand

1265 Snelling Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108


85,000 Square feet of comic book action. Largest in the upper Midwest.* Over 225 comic book creators will be in attendance. * Extensive programming and interface opportunities. * Door Prizes. * Hucksters from all over the United States. * Art Show, Portfolio Review, How To Sessions, etc. * Huge Comic Book Marketplace! * Free Premiums * Free Parking!


Event Hours: 10AM to 5PM Both Days.


Admission: $11.00 for adults (good for both days). Get $1.00 with a canned food shelf donation. Children 9 & under are free. Tickets available at the door.Interviews: The majority of attending comic book creators are available for interviews. All of the MCBA staff is also available. E-Mail MNCBA@aol.com for a complete creator list!


Featured Guest Creator List! Gerry Conway - Co-Creator of the Punisher & The man who killed Gwen Stacy

Kevin McGuire - Eisner Award Winning Artist/Writer

Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez - Legendary Silver & Bronze Age DC Artist

Peter Bagge - Alternative/Independent Creator of Hate & Other Underground Material

Amy Hadley - Rising Star. Vertigo & Tokyopop Artist

Joe Benitez - Top Cow Cover Artist & Creator ofWraithborn

Mark Sparacio - Legendary Comic Cover Painter & Artist


This list will explode in the next 6 weeks! Many, many more to come! Attendance: 3,500-5,000 Credentials: Available to all members of the press for FallCon. Please contact the MCBA.

Contact Info:

Nick Postiglione Minnesota Comic Book Association

PO Box 131475

Saint Paul, MN. 55113

MNCBA@aol.com via e-mail (preferred); (612) 237-1801 Cell; (651) 645-0386 at my store http://www.midwestcomicbook.com/