Previews and Reviews that are Z's Views
One of the things I love about Instagram is finding a new (to me) artist to follow. Check out Ken Lashley’s riff on Batman. The look at the other art Lashley’s posted. My guess is, if you’re not already following, you’ll hit that “Follow” button. I sure did.
Can you imagine a full Nosferatu story with art by Frank Cho? I can and it is amazing. Too bad it’s not real. Ah, but you can see more of Frank Cho’s art if you’re so inclined.
BLUE BOOK Volume 1: 1961 by by James Tynion IV (writer) & Michael Avon Oeming (artist) is out now. Here’s the lowdown…
An ambitious, non-fiction comic book experience depicting true stories of UFO abductions with an eye to capturing the strange essence of those encounters.
From the New York Times bestselling and multi-Eisner award-winning co-creator of Something is Killing the Children, The Nice House on the Lake, The Department of Truth.
In BLUE BOOK, teaming with artist Michael Avon Oeming and letterer Aditya Bidikar, James Tynion IV presents what he calls his “True Weird” stories. Tales of ordinary people encountering the strange and the impossible.
Volume 1 retells the infamous case of the abduction of Betty and Barney Hill of New Hampshire in 1961 — the very first widely-publicized UFO abduction that went on to shape and influence all future encounter stories.
Collects the Dark Horse Comics series Blue Book #1—#5, originally published on Substack.
EERIE Archives Volume 6 will be released on June 4, 2024. If you wonder what the 248 pages will contain, here’s the lowdown…
Let Cousin Eerie lead you through the shadows into total darkness in EERIE Archives Volume 6, now in a value-priced paperback edition.
Feel the fear of the frightening fables from creators Tom Sutton, Ken Kelly, Richard Corben, Doug Moench, Basil Gogos, Carlos Garzon, Nicola Cuti, and more. Also includes an in-depth interview with longtime Warren Publishing scribe Doug Moench.
Collects EERIE magazine issues #28–#31.
Deal me in. Pre-Orders are available now.
EERIE Archives Volume 5 will be 272 pages of horror when it is released on April 9, 2024. Here’s the lowdown…
Take a ride in the back of Cousin Eerie’s hearse and head for the cemetery in EERIE Archives Volume 5, now in value-priced paperback.
Join legendary creators Frank Frazetta, Archie Goodwin, Jim Steranko, Tom Sutton, Angelo Torres, Reed Crandall, and more as they devise the most dastardly tales in the heinous history of horror. Foreword by CREEPY author, screenwriter, and director Don Glut.
Collects EERIE magazine issues #23–#27.
Deal me in. Pre-Orders are available now.
EERIE Archives Volume 4 will be 256 pages when it is released on February 6, 2024. Here’s the lowdown…
Follow your Cousin Eerie on a funeral march through the haunted halls of comics history in EERIE Archives Volume 4, now in a value-priced softcover format!
Join an all-star lineup of comics creators—Archie Goodwin, Frank Frazetta, Reed Crandall, Tom Sutton —as they mine your nightmares for ghoulish gold. Includes the adaptations of “The Death of Halpin Frayser” by Ambrose Bierce and “The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe and a lengthy interview with legendary comics illustrator Al Williamson.
Collects EERIE magazine issues #16–#22.
Deal me in. Pre-Orders are available now.
Frank Miller has teamed with MEL Publisher for a very limited set of two signed and numbered SIN CITY lithographs.
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Creepy Archives Volume Six will drop on March 26, 2024. Clocking in at 288 pages it will feature…
The Eisner Award winning horror anthology series is now available in value-priced paperback editions!
Creepy Archives Volume 6 conjures a blood-curdling assemblage of shock, havoc, and nightmares by top comics fearmongers Archie Goodwin, Don Glut, Frank Frazetta, Tom Sutton, Ernie Colon, Vaughn Bodé, and more, and including “Rock God” by Hugo Award winning scribe Harlan Ellison, and illustrated by comics legend Neal Adams. Turn your happy home into a treacherous tomb with this terrifying tome!
Collects Creepy magazine issues 26–32.
Deal me in. Pre-Orders are available now.
Creepy Archives Volume Five will drop on January 23, 2024. It’ll be 224 pages of horror comics fun!
The Eisner Award winning Creepy Archives series is now available in value-priced paperback editions!
Enter a world of the finest in spine-chilling storytelling from comics legends Archie Goodwin, Steve Ditko, Reed Crandall, Angelo Torres, Alex Toth, and more. Creepy Archives Volume 5 unearths a treasure trove of horror, homicide, and hauntings that set the stage for many a nightmare. Includes the adaptation of the harrowing H. P. Lovecraft classic “The Rats in the Walls.”
Collects Creepy magazine issues 21–25.
Deal me in. Pre-Orders are available now.
FAR SOUTH by Rodolfo Santullo (writer) and Leandro Fernandez (artist) sounds like it might be pretty good. Here’s the lowdown, followed by a couple of sample pages. Click on them to see them biggie-sized. Also keep in mind that they haven’t been translated to English yet.
What happens in the Far South stays in the Far South! Pimps, crooks and gauchos call it home even though it’s dirty, greasy and violent. Welcome to a ruthless world where violence is the only love language. A Sin City-esque graphic novel brought to you by Leandro Fernandez (The Old Guard) and Argentinian best-selling novelist Rodolfo Santullo.
An arid and wild land, cut off from the world, populated by rustic men with hot blood and fond of alcohol. This is where the taciturn Montoya runs a bar. A bar where the worst scoundrels in the area come to settle their differences or talk about their setbacks. This book will immerse you in the merciless world of these cowboys through a series of short stories of jubilant violence in the ancient land of the Gauchos!
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I can not wait for this to go live. Deal me in.
A 96 page prestige format, action packed, hardcover graphic novel starring soldier of fortune Neal Fargo, based on the legendary ‘Fargo’ paperback series by John Benteen! Imagine if Conan was an American in the early 20th century. He still wouldn’t be as hard as Neal Fargo! Written and illustrated by the inimitable HOWARD CHAYKIN!
Exclusive Cover by DAVE JOHNSON.
Contributing artists also include Gary Frank, Butch Guice, Jordi Bernet, Enrico Marini, Robert Tanenbaum, Ron Garney, and more!
Who is Neal Fargo? Fargo has been described as “a combination of Robert E. Howard‘s Conan mixed with Sam Peckinpah‘s The Wild Bunch. He was a big man, with wide shoulders, narrow hips the long legs of a born and bred horseman. His hair was close-cropped and snow white, though he was only in his thirties. He had grown up hard and never looked back. He’d punched cattle, rough-necked in the oil fields—even fought in the prize rings. He joined up with Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders and found his true calling—combat. His face was so battered, scarred, weathered and remarkably ugly that it was almost handsome. He drew helplessly admiring looks from the women and cautious, wary looks from the men. He was a soldier of fortune, for sale to the highest bidder—he was Fargo.
What’s the story? Fargo is hired to protect a small railroad on the verge of going out of business from being sabotaged by a larger ruthless and corrupt competitor. Fargo always enjoyed a challenge, and payback was fair play in his book. Fist fights, gunfights, women and whisky, ‘Hell on Wheels’ is a prime example of what makes Neal Fargo a timeless character in the world of adventure graphic novels. Combine that with the unique creative sensibility of Howard Chaykin, no stranger to tough, smart protagonists (with an eye for the ladies) and ‘Fargo: Hell on Wheels’ will be one of the most exciting independent graphic novels of the year!
There are many artists known for the interpretations of Conan: Frank Frazetta, Barry Windsor-Smith, John Buscema, Neal Adams, Dan Panosian…
If you haven’t already, please add Cary Nord to the list.
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Director: Joe Johnston
Screenplay: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely based on Captain America comics created by Joe Simon, Jack Kirby
Stars: Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving, Samuel L. Jackson, Hayley Atwell, Sebastian Stan, Tommy Lee Jones, Dominic Cooper, Stanley Tucci, Toby Jones, Neal McDonough, Derek Luke, Kenneth Choi, Martin T. Sherman and Stan Lee.
Tagline: The first Avenger
The Plot…
World War II rages. Steve Rogers (Evans) wants to be a soldier and do his part in the war effort. Although a patriotic young man, Rogers is small, frail, unhealthy and keeps getting turned down. While attempting again to enlist, Dr. Erskine (Tucci) overhears Rogers’ story. Erskine is head of a secret program designed to create “super soldiers”. Steve Rogers would be a perfect candidate.
The process changes Rogers from a frail unhealthy man into a perfect physical specimen. That combined with Rogers’ ethics and humanity make him worthy of the title Captain America.
Meanwhile in Germany, Johann Schmidt (Weaving) aka The Red Skull is the leader of Hydra, Schmidt is working to create a weapon of mass destruction. It will be up to Captain America and a small band of soldiers to go behind enemy lines and put an end to the Red Skull’s plans.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)
Captain America is one of the first comics I ever read as a child. Seeing Cap and his cast of characters (especially the Red Skull) on screen was this kid’s dream come true.
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) rates 5 of 5 stars.
The Walking Dead: Dead City – Season 1 (2023)
Written by: Eli Jorné (eps. 1-2, 4, 6); Keith Staskiewicz (ep.3); Brenna Kouf (ep. 5)
Directed by: Loren Yaconelli (eps. 1-2); Kevin Dowling (eps. 3-4); Gandja Monteiro (eps. 5-6)
Stars: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Lauren Cohan, Gaius Charles, Mahina Napoleon, Zeljko Ivanek, Logan Kim, Jonathan Higginbotham, Karina Ortiz, Michael Anthony, David Chen and Lisa Emery
Tagline: Keep Your Enemies Close
The Plot…
Maggie’s son, Hershel, has been taken hostage by a sadist known as “The Croat”. The Croat was an enforcer for Negan, when Negan led The Saviors. So Maggie recruits Negan to go with her to Manhattan to rescue Hershel. Negan agrees on the condition that Maggie’s group give Ginny, a young orphaned girl, refuge.
Maggie and Negan head to Manhattan unaware that three Marshalls are tracking Negan who is wanted for murder. Because of their past history, Maggie and Negan’s partnership is uneasy at best. Add in the complications of the Marshalls, New York City full of zombies, dangerous survivalist groups, plus the sadistic Croat with plans of his own… let the fun begin!
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
The Walking Dead: Dead City – Season 1 clocks in with just six episodes, which is a smart move. I think all of the Walking Dead spin-offs should come up with a story to tell and get to it,
I wasn’t too sure about the pairing of Negan and Maggie. Maggie’s hate for Negan should override every reason for her to be around, much less work with him for a common goal. Then the writer’s came up with a plausible reason… to save her son. I liked how Negan put his murdering her husband back on Maggie when he asked her “How many husbands have you killed?” Maggie also got to see how Negan using over-the-top “theatrics” when murdering a person kept a group from attacking them. Well played, writers.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Laura Cohen are two of the most popular Walking Dead characters. They have the star power to carry the series. Zeljko Ivanek plays The Croat with zeal. Gaius Charles as the Marshall is an interesting character that I believe will be come more important in season two. Lisa (Ozark) Emery is a welcome addition to the cast. She was mean in Ozark and now she’s mean and creepy.
Bring on Season 2.
The Walking Dead: Dead City – Season 1 (2023) earns 4 of 5 stars.
Batman & Bill (2017)
Director: Don Argott, Sheena M. Joyce
Stars: Marc Tyler Nobleman, Bill Finger, Fred Finger, Portia Finger, Thomas Andrae, Jerry Bails, Otto Binder,
Athena Finger, Judy Flam, Stacey C. Friends, Carmine Infantino, Stan Lee, Todd McFarlane, Daniela Nobleman and Bob Kane.
Tagline: None.
The Plot…
For decades one of the biggest “secrets” that insiders knew was that Bob Kane wasn’t the sole creator of Batman. Despite this knowledge, every appearance of The Dark Knight contained the credit “Created by Bob Kane”. The truth of the matter is Bill Finger was the creator of Batman’s costume, Robin, Catwoman, The Joker, The Riddler, Commissioner Gordan, the Batcave, Gotham City and more. Yet Bill Finger received no credit or compensation while Bob Kane got rich and famous.
Batman & Bill is the story of one man’s quest to right this wrong. Despite overwhelming odds justice finally prevailed. This is that story.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)
Although the general public didn’t know about Bill Finger, it wasn’t a secret among comic book professionals and many fans. Bob Kane for years claimed he was the sole creator of Batman. The publishers of Batman and all its spinoffs knew differently. It wasn’t until after Bill Finger’s death that Kane started to give Finger some credit. Still, Kane was the only one listed on any Batman comic, movie or merchandise.
When Marc Tyler Nobleman learned of this injustice, he made it his life’s mission to right that wrong. He had nothing to gain, but like a true superhero wanted justice to be served. And it finally was.
Batman & Bill (2017) rates 4 of 5 stars.
