October 5, 2022

Ken M

Black Market Narrative, Comics, Entertainment, Image Comics, NYCC, Pop Culture, Radiant Black, The Dead Lucky, The Massive-Verse

THE DEAD LUCKY #3 (IMAGE COMICS)

October 5, 2022

Ken M

Black Market Narrative, Comics, Entertainment, Image Comics, NYCC, Pop Culture, Radiant Black, The Dead Lucky, The Massive-Verse

Welcome to an all new edition of Parlay Points, the complementary comic book blog to the ODPH Podcast! For this entry, we’re checking out the latest installment of one of 2022’s best new series. The Dead Lucky by MELISSA FLORES, FRENCH CARLOMAGNO, MATTIA IACONO AND BECCA CAREY (alog with editor Michael Busuttil) has hit the ground running introducing readers to the world of Bibiana Lopez-Yang aka Bibi. Bibi’s story of returning home to San Francisco after being honorably discharged from the armed forces hasn’t gone exactly as planned.

With the growing threats of Morrow and the Salvation Gang trying to implement their visions onto the city, Bibi has taken action to save her city while dealing with her own mental health post service (PTSD and Survivor’s Guilt). Two issues in and this story from Image Comics and Black Market Narrative (Home of the Radiant Black-led “Massive-Verse”) has a must-read for all comic fans. The Dead Lucky #3 is about to hit comic shops so lets take a deeper dive and see what’s happening here, shall we?

The Dead Lucky #3 - On Sale October 5th
Creative: MELISSA FLORES, FRENCH CARLOMAGNO, MATTIA IACONO AND BECCA CAREY
Credit: Image Comics/Black Market Narrative

*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***

This issue opens up with a Morrow board meeting with the attendees discussing how their vision of San Francisco is going over. While hearing the feedback, plans are set in motion to disrupt the popularity of San Francisco’s new hero. Meanwhile, Officer Maria Garcia tracks Bibi and her friend Eddie at Bibi’s family’s’ restaurant. Maria is trying to give warning to the pair of what Morrow is up too. Her speech is meant with some resistance until Maria opens up a bit more on her reason for fighting Morrow. Readers see how quickly Maria gets acquainted with the team and how her help will impact Bibi. Readers will have to wait and see how this dynamic will all co-exist but for now, it looks like Bibi might have some much needed assistance to fight an ever-growing front from Morrow.

This thought might be short lived as Morrow amps up their search for Bibi. With drones in place, they make a bold move. When Bibi responds, the situation escalates in a manner no one is expecting. What happens now? With actions come consequences and readers will NOT be ready fro what happens during the final act of this issue. For a hero that relays on a bit more luck than most, is there enough for what’s going on here? It is a final sequence of events with an exclamation point parting image that readers will be so amped up to see how this all unfolds, they might be waiting at the LCS the minute they get done reading so they don’t miss out.

Flores continues to take readers on a journey with Bibi that never loses its’ hold on their attention. Throwing in Maria as an ally (or so it seems) in their fight is a very cool element to watch unfold. I’m still not 100% sold of her motives just yet, but that’s a good thing as it should never feel predictable this early in a story. Seeing how she connects with both Eddie and Bibi were standout moments of this issue as well. Morrow’s big play within these pages makes sense and pushes Bibi into areas where we haven't seen her in yet, but how they conclude this issue will have fans very excited.

Carlomagno, Iacono & Carey continues to hit on all the points for this series. From Maria's conversations with Eddie & Bibi to covering her moves from Valentine and Morrow, the emotions played out connect with the readers easily. Those personal interactions have been a strength of the book since issue #1. Seeing how Bibi is reacting to the final act is impressive as well. No spoilers here for that but the moment grabs the reader and doesn't waver on hitting it's mark with the fantastic art. San Francisco is ever changing with Carlomagno's art but it does steal scenes for how vibrant the city is to the story. It's always a visual treat when reading this series.

Overall, The Dead Lucky #3 continues it's incredible debut with another must read story. Flores, Carlomagno and the team present the world of Bibi with dynamic visuals and a story that continues to shine issue after issue. This isn’t your ordinary super hero book and I, for one, am very happy to see that each month at the LCS when the latest issue drops. Don’t miss this comic on NCBD!

Hit me up on Twitter and let me know what you thought of The Dead Lucky #3. Thanks for reading!

September 21, 2022

Ken M

Comics, Entertainment, Image Comics, NYCC, Radiant Black, Black Market Narrative

RADIANT BLACK #18 (IMAGE COMICS)

September 21, 2022

Ken M

Comics, Entertainment, Image Comics, NYCC, Radiant Black, Black Market Narrative

Welcome to an all new edition of Parlay Points, the complementary comic book blog to the ODPH Podcast! For this entry, we are checking out a very special issue from one of the best comics and comic lines in the business today. RADIANT BLACK #18 by Kyle Higgins, Laurence Homles, Stefeno Simeone, Igor Monti, Becca Carey & Michael Busuttil for Image Comics presents one of the most creative origin stories in recent memory: Radiant Yellow. This kind of imaginative storytelling is a staple from the team at Black Market Narrative, which is home to other amazing books like Rogue Sun, Inferno Girl Red and The Dead Lucky just to name a few.

The “Massive-Verse” line is only matched by the energy of their fan base. Look at what AmazngNickanger made to hype this issue! Let’s not delay any longer and jump into the latest chapter from the flagship book of “The Massive-Verse” and deep dive into this incredible issue, shall we?

RADIANT BLACK #18 - On sale September 21st
Creative: Kyle Higgins, Laurence Homles, Stefeno Simeone, Igor Monti & Becca Carey
Credit: Image Comics via Black Market Narrative

*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***

From what readers have seen of him in previous issues, Radiant Yellow has always been a voice of reason when deal with the other Radiants. How he grew into that voice has always been a story fans have waited to see. With this issue, the story of Wendell George (aka Radiant Yellow) is presented to readers in a very creative way. Each page is broken down into four specific years of his life: 1984, 2002, 2020 and 2038, where each year’s panels stretches across the book equally. In 1984 Wendell has just graduated from Purdue with a degree in engineering. His wife is expecting their first child. Wendell thinks his landed a dream job but not everything is as what it seems. However, when that chapter ends, Wendell’s life is forever changed.

Jumping to 2002, Wendell and his wife Zandra are trying to celebrate their daughter Ziza 18th birthday and not everything is as easy as they hoped. As the years progressed, Wendell’s dream job has not been the dream he hoped it would be. With an ever changing business environment, Wendell struggles with a work/life balance. The damage this is doing is immense and leads to nothing good. Fast forward to 2020, Wendell is starting careers over as everything he’s built has crashed around him. It’s a humbling and somber moment, but a fateful encounter changes everything. Lastly, 2039 is a whole level of change happening as Wendell is surviving thru a devastated world. His companion is a great surprise that long-time Massive-verse fans will appreciate that cameo. What is the mission that ties this all together? How does the landscape in the Massiveverse change moving forward? Readers will have much to enjoy with this incredible issue.

Absolutely fantastic issue from Higgins (along with Laurence Holmes) concerning the overall theme of this story. “We Are Products Of Our Decisions” is a quote dropped later in the book that perfectly ties all four stories together. As readers see, every choice Wendell makes with good intentions fails with its executions. The slow breakdown of what he’s strived for is masterfully showcased. From having the optimism of just graduating with degree and family in tow to ultimately losing more than hope, Higgins and Holmes combines real-world challenges with the super hero surroundings that connects on many levels. By the time this issue concludes, one can’t help but to buy into seeing where he goes from here.

Simeone steps in for art duties here and absolutely crushes it! From how each story flows from page to page, Simeone gives them their own emotional weight without ever becoming lost in the shuffle. Each one guides the reader along Wendell’s saga and drives home the points of his character. Without spoiling too much, once the second acts conclude in each story, the art adds so much to those moments that you simply can’t avoid the impact when they hit. Even with the little super hero elements featured, this issue packs all fantastic traits that readers have grown accustom to with this book and brand.

Overall, Radiant Black #18 is one issue fans will be talking about for quite some time due to it’s amazing creativity. Higgins, Holmes Simeone and the team introduce the hidden tale of Wendell George to the masses with an incredible tale proving all thing are connected. Highest possible recommendation at the LCS this week. Don’t miss it!

If you’re looking for more “Massive-Verse” content, I strongly recommend joining the Radiant Black Discord which Matt from the Panel 2 Panel podcast is moderator of. It’s a great fan base to talk in and connect with fans such as the team over at the Radiant Black Podcast .

Hit me up on Twitter and let me know what you thought of Radiant Black #18. Thanks for reading.

August 17, 2022

Ken M

Comics, Image Comics, Pop Culture

20TH CENTURY MEN (IMAGE COMICS)

August 17, 2022

Ken M

Comics, Image Comics, Pop Culture

Welcome to an all new edition of Parlay points, the complementary comic book blog to the ODPH Podcast! For this blog post, we’re taking a look at a book which has been generating some buzz for the past few weeks and it’s rightly justified. 20TH CENTURY MEN by Deniz Camp, S. Morian and Aditya Bidikar for Image Comics is a fascinating read which presents a world of individuals and “heroes” in a vision that is simply all its’ own. Honestly, there isn’t anything at the LCS currently that is such a creative mix of so many narratives with nothing being held back . It is not your average comic book and that’s a very good thing to be.

Before we get started with the blog, there are some graphic images in the preview below. Take that in consideration before moving forward. If you’re all good, Let’s take a deeper dive into the debut issue and see what all the hype is about, shall we?

20TH CENTURY MEN - On Sale August 17th
Deniz Camp, S. Morian and Aditya Bidikar (Cover B: Igor Kordey)
Credit: Image Comics

20TH CENTURY MEN - On Sale August 17th
Deniz Camp, S. Morian and Aditya Bidikar
Credit: Image Comics

*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***

The issue starts are in 1969 Vietnam. As a mysterious colonel arrives to an army base, he becomes witness to a horrific scene. As the soldiers take him to see “the Tin man”, they come across what appears to be a deadly marker with bodies and body parts all around the land. The marker looks as a warning sign to anyone trying to come through that they will not be well received. Readers will have no question about the intensity of the story they are about to embark on.

From here, the book jumps to 1948 Moscow. A mother and son are confronted by Russian police where they take the boy, Petar Platonov away to an unknown future at the time. That future is shown later in 1987 Kabul. Platonov is know known as ‘The Iron Star”, an armed walking weapon that is the “hero” this world needs. The Iron Star “influences a conference of dignitaries into coming to terms on their disagreements.

From this point, Readers are taken into a journey into the mind of Petar and what his role is being the Iron Star appears to be. It is a cold picture of reality but it’s balanced out from a connection and conversation with Azra, an Afghan woman who’s committed to helping her people. The interactions she has with Petar seems as she is the only person in this world who sees he’s more than a weapon.

Their conversation is cut brief as Petar is debriefed about another situation in an all too familiar place to him. What does Jalalabad mean to him? During this time, a threat is introduced that will be a major cause of concern. Who is this threat? What are their motives? How does Petar and Azra tie into this? For those answers, you need to check this issue out. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed you did!.

Wow….this is a very excellent and intense read. Camp dives into presenting this unapologetic, harsh world with a hero that is forged from its powerful landscape. Petar has many layers to his character and scars that he wears (figuratively and literally). The amount of hard moments he has lived thru has made him a reflection of the times he currently stands in. Some of his interactions with others read devoid of all emotions except for his time with Azra. While appearing in only a few moments, she represents hope in this unforgiving tale. With the overall themes of politics and war looming throughout, combining that realism into a “hero”’s story such as Petar’s is almost unheard of. Camp answers that challenge with a very compelling tale that stands out from many other books.

Morian’s art crafts this dark, unapologetic story that captures the gravity of the times these characters live in. “War Is Hell” is brought to life with the imagery in the flashback sequences. For a book like this to work, nothing can be restrained. From the opening scenes in Vietnam 1969 to the Jalalabad sequence, Morain depicts these moments with the gripping realness of this dire scenarios. The conversations with Azra show off the human elements of these characters which gives a solid contrast to the overall feel of this book. Once readers get to the “big bad” of the story, Morian’s subtle use of cigar smoke (in one panel in particular) and facial expressions speak volumes of what this character is adding to the story at hand. The art complements the writing perfectly to establish the broken climate readers are about to enter.

Overall, 20th Century Men #1 presents such a distinctive vision of creativity that simply can’t be ignored. Camp and Morian (along with Bidikar) welcome readers into a very multi-layered story with exceptional art to guide them through what is an ever-changing volatile environment. This is one book to make a point to check out at the local comic shops for NCBD.

Hit me up on Twitter and let me know what you thought of 20th Century Men #1. Thanks for reading!

August 3, 2022

Ken M

Comics, Entertainment, Image Comics, Pop Culture, The Dead Lucky, Radiant Black

THE DEAD LUCKY #1 (IMAGE COMICS)

August 3, 2022

Ken M

Comics, Entertainment, Image Comics, Pop Culture, The Dead Lucky, Radiant Black

Welcome to an all new edition of Parlay points, the complementary comic book blog section to the ODPH podcast! Image Comics & Black Market Narrative are hitting the comic shops with one of the most anticipated comics of the year on August 3rd! The Dead Lucky #1 by MELISSA FLORES, FRENCH CARLOMAGNO, MATTIA IACONO and BECCA CAREY introduces readers to the latest character entering into one of the most exciting and creative universes in comics today: the “The Massive-Verse” (home to Rogue Sun, Inferno Girl Red and the 2022 Eisner Award Nominee for Best New Series: Radiant Black).

The Dead Lucky has been on the radar from a feature in the “SuperMassive” comic in February 2022. Since then, the hype has been building to a fever pitch. The ODPH (along with Tom Craven from Off The Cuff Gaming/That Hashtag Show) talked to Melissa Flores about this book a few weeks back. #DeadLuckyDay is finally here and the issue is now out in stores. Let’s take a deeper dive into the debut and break this book down, shall we?

The Dead Lucky #1 - On Sale August 3rd
Creative: MELISSA FLORES, FRENCH CARLOMAGNO, MATTIA IACONO AND BECCA CAREY
Credit: Image Comics

*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***

The Dead Lucky centers around a character by the name of Bibiana Lopez-Yang aka Bibi. Bibi is an honorably discharged veteran who has returning to civilian life after serving in Afghanistan. The issue opens up with Bibi talking to a therapist. Bibi is now returning to her home of San Francisco which both her and her city are drastically changed from the time she left.

San Francisco is now under the “protective” eye of Morrow, a tech corporation that is trying to make the city into a “city of tomorrow.” Morrow has a unique way of presenting their case with “Guardian” robots patrolling the city. One area of interest is Bibi’s family’s restaurant, Chi-Mexi-Q located in Chinatown. Morrow representatives allude to Bibi’s family if they don’t comply with Morrow’s vision of the city (and relocate) then they would have no protection from the Salvation Gang.

Morrow claims they are domestic terrorists. The Salvation Gang claim to be ending Morrow’s reign. With their power struggle right in her hometown, Bibi gets involved (with a few tricks up her sleeves as well as a bit of help as seen below). How does this altercation end up? What is Morrow really up to? What about the Salvation Gang? and THAT LAST PAGE! Readers will have much to enjoyably discuss after reading this excellent first issue.

What a fantastic read! Flores does an impressive job introducing readers to Bibi and her city of San Francisco. Opening the issue with seeing how Bibi is handling her mental health post service (PTSD and Survivor’s Guilt) via therapy was a strong way to connect readers to her character. This style of storytelling also stands out when Bibi is “talking” to the reader right after her initial encounter with Morrow (see “I’m Not a soldier…” page for example). Another noteworthy element of this issue is seeing the dynamic of San Francisco. The city is a character itself, with a distinctiveness all its own. Morrow’s vision of tomorrow vs. the people refusing to change is a conflict to keep an eye on. Factor in the Salvation Gang’s role and there are many moving parts involved. Flores pulls this off easily balancing the major players while allowing Bibi to have her moments with her supporting cast and becoming a reluctant hero in the process.

Carlomagno and Iacono crush the art duties for a dynamic debut issue. The city of San Francisco has a very undeniable feel to it. Meshing the world of tech into the landscape here feels more organic than readers might think. The action sequences capture the intensity of the moments. However, Carlomagno’s strengths this issue has to be the personal moments with Bibi and her supporting cast. The talks with Bibi and her therapist to the Morrow representative discussing the “business deal” with Bibi’s parents jump out as fragments of the story that translate to the reader this isn’t an ordinary super hero comic. There is a lot to be excited about for fans, especially with a jaw-dropping last page.

Overall, The Massive-Verse has a huge addition on their hands that readers simply can’t miss! Flores, Carlomagno, Iacono and Carey present an engaging lead character and her world with spectacular storytelling and phenomenal art. The Dead Lucky #1 debuts with a must-read issue that fans simply won’t be able to put down. Make your way to the local comic shop on #DeadLuckyDay (August 3rd.) and get this comic! Highly recommended!

Hit me up on Twitter and let me know what you thought of The Dead Lucky #1. Thanks for reading.

July 29, 2022

Ken M

Amazon Studios, Comics, Entertainment, Prime Video, SDCC, Image Comics

PAPER GIRLS (PRIME VIDEO - AMAZON STUDIOS)

July 29, 2022

Ken M

Amazon Studios, Comics, Entertainment, Prime Video, SDCC, Image Comics

Welcome to a special edition of Parlay Points, the complementary comic book blog section of the ODPH podcast. For this edition, we’re checking out a brand new comic series heading to the small screen on July 29th. Paper Girls is the latest addition to what is slowly becoming the go-to landing spot for independent comics on TV/streaming via Prime Video. The 2015 Image Comic, created by Brian K. Vaughan (known for Saga, Runaways and Y: the Last Man to name a few) & Cliff Chiang , is a former Eisner winner and now joins the ranks of The Boys and Invincible as the latest independent comics to cross over to Amazon Studios along with Legendary Television, in connection with Plan B.

“Paper Girls” ran until July 2019. Shortly there after, a TV production deal was announced. The show was met with a very positive 2022 San Diego Comic Con panel and is set to premiere (all 8 episodes) with a ton of hype behind it. The ODPHpod was granted early screening privileges to the series so here is out SPOILER FREE review!

The plot synopsis (quote courtesy of Amazon studios) reads as follows: “In the early morning hours after Halloween 1988, four paper girls—Erin, Mac, Tiffany, and KJ—are out on their delivery route when they become caught in the crossfire between warring time-travelers, changing the course of their lives forever. Transported into the future, these girls must figure out a way to get back home to the past, a journey that will bring them face-to-face with the grown-up versions of themselves. While reconciling that their futures are far different than their 12-year-old selves imagined, they are being hunted by a militant faction of time-travelers known as the Old Watch, who have outlawed time travel so that they can stay in power. In order to survive, the girls will need to overcome their differences and learn to trust each other, and themselves.”

The show stars Camryn Jones (playing Tiffany Quilkin), Sofia Rosinsky (Mac Coyle), Riley Lai Nelet (Erin Tieng) and Fina Strazza (KJ Brandman) as the four paper girls in the center of this story. The rest of the cast is filled out by Nate Corddry, Ali Wong and Adina Porter.

Being that this a SPOILER-FREE review, trust me when I say: The show lives up to the early buzz behind it. Whenever time travel is used as a major plot point in a series, it can always be tricky to pull off. Where “Paper Girls” does things right with the series is that it doesn’t focus viewers on the issue at hand. Where this show finds its strength is in the four young actresses who make the show about their journeys finding themselves more than the travel in time. The show allows all four to have their own individual moments without feeling like one overshadows the other.

However, the two actresses that will make strong cases for breakout stars from this season will be Fina Strazza (KJ) and Sofia Rosinsky (Mac). Due to the nature of each of their character’s journeys, both have very impactful performances once the show starts heading into the middle act. This especially holds true for Rosinsky as she shows many different sides to her character. For being only 16 years old, this was a very noteworthy performance from first episode to last. In comparison, Nelet (Erin) and Jones (Tiffany)’s respective arcs tie more into the overall story.

The rest of the cast does a great job bringing the sci-fi aspect to life in this series. There are excellent performances from Porter, Corddry, and Wong who bring the uniqueness of a time traveled world to the viewers. The overall story is one that will have non-readers of the comics engaged but (imo) never feeling lost in where the show is moving. The handling of time travel moments never feels too much and are spaced out well to showcase the leads.

The show does an excellent job with capturing the time periods that they are in as well. For being in 1988 to start, everything from the images surrounding to the music gives the story solid footing. The only “drawback” that might be wrongly mentioned is viewer’s claims that this is too much like Netflix’s “Stranger Things”. In a time period where most of pop culture had its attention drawn into, everything remotely close is being compared to the smash streaming hit. While I can see the comparisons’ idea: (4 young kids fighting something in the 1980’s, weird colorful imagery in the skies), that’s where the arguments end.

“Paper Girls” stands more on the strengths of the leads finding themselves more than fighting monsters in the Upside Down. Once the story gets moving, the direction the story heads is one that is more character driven than most viewers might realize. Sure, there are very noticeable sci-fi elements throughout the show. Do they take anything away form the show. Absolutely not. If anything, they serve as a break from the internal discovery of the leads. At some points, it may not seem to mesh as well, but once you near the conclusion of this run, it pays off. There are a few moments that viewers will be very amped to talk about in that aspect.

Overall, “Paper Girls” presents a strong character driven view into an ever changing landscape of time travel. Viewers will be immersed with the character portrayals of such a young cast. Each display their stories with many moving parts. It’s equally balanced out by a supporting cast that makes the fiction element feel somewhat normal without making the viewers disenfranchised to the overall theme.

As David Bowie once said: “Time may change me … But I can't trace time”

Don’t miss “Paper Girls” debuting all 8 episodes on Prime Video on July 29th

Hit me up on Twitter and let me know what you thought of the series. Thanks for reading!