A colorful and engrossing tale that will draw readers in and leave them wanting more.
Threats are looming for a team of iconic superheroes in this series-starting graphic novel, which reimagines a 1986 animated TV series.
Several years ago, the Defenders of the Earth won the war against planet Mongo, defeating its ruler Ming the Merciless. Since that time, Flash Gordon has kept busy overseeing the Defenders Organization in a towering high-rise. He apparently no longer has time for his son or any of his teammates, including Lothar, Mandrake the Magician, and the Phantom. Meanwhile, it hasn’t been easy for these men to trust Kro-Tan, Ming’s son, even if his powerful Barin Atomicshelped to rebuild war-ravaged Earth in record time. Because the world doesn’t seem to need them anymore, the Defenders make other plans: Lothar, a former chieftain, heads home to Africa, where the Seven Nations are “coming apart,” and Mandrake eyes a return to performing onstage. However, there’s word that the ferocious Singh Brotherhood has been scared into hiding by a more formidable menace. This first issue of writer DiDio’s series ably gets things started: Readers get a taste of the explosive war, as well as witness a shocking death before the gradual introduction of a vibrant cast of classic comic-book characters in the present day. As in the cartoon, at least some of the Defenders have children; there’s Flash’s son, Rick, who’s pals with L.J., Lothar’s son. The story, in addition to setting up a potential supervillain, aptly establishes character relationships to explore in future issues, including Rick’s resentment of his negligent father and the Phantom’s barely masked contempt for Kro-Tan. Calafiore’s artwork truly brings the panels to life; the action scenes are short but exhilarating and the facial expressions—most notably, the Phantom’s perpetual scowl—aptly establish character.
A colorful and engrossing tale that will draw readers in and leave them wanting more.Pub Date: March 4, 2025
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: Mad Cave Studios
Review Posted Online: April 25, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A clever and timely conversation on reclaiming identity and acknowledging one’s full worth.
Superman confronts racism and learns to accept himself with the help of new friends.
In this graphic-novel adaptation of the 1940s storyline entitled “The Clan of the Fiery Cross” from The Adventures of Superman radio show, readers are reintroduced to the hero who regularly saves the day but is unsure of himself and his origins. The story also focuses on Roberta Lee, a young Chinese girl. She and her family have just moved from Chinatown to Metropolis proper, and mixed feelings abound. Jimmy Olsen, Lois Lane’s colleague from the Daily Planet, takes a larger role here, befriending his new neighbors, the Lees. An altercation following racial slurs directed at Roberta’s brother after he joins the local baseball team escalates into an act of terrorism by the Klan of the Fiery Kross. What starts off as a run-of-the-mill superhero story then becomes a nuanced and personal exploration of the immigrant experience and blatant and internalized racism. Other main characters are White, but Black police inspector William Henderson fights his own battles against prejudice. Clean lines, less-saturated coloring, and character designs reminiscent of vintage comics help set the tone of this period piece while the varied panel cuts and action scenes give it a more modern sensibility. Cantonese dialogue is indicated through red speech bubbles; alien speech is in green.
A clever and timely conversation on reclaiming identity and acknowledging one’s full worth. (author’s note, bibliography) (Graphic fiction. 13-adult)Pub Date: May 12, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-77950-421-0
Page Count: 240
Publisher: DC
Review Posted Online: Feb. 29, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Even so, this remains Macbeth, arguably the Bard of Avon’s most durable and multilayered tragedy, and overall, this enhanced...
A pairing of the text of the Scottish Play with a filmed performance, designed with the Shakespeare novice in mind.
The left side of the screen of this enhanced e-book contains a full version of Macbeth, while the right side includes a performance of the dialogue shown (approximately 20 lines’ worth per page). This granular focus allows newcomers to experience the nuances of the play, which is rich in irony, hidden intentions and sudden shifts in emotional temperature. The set and costuming are deliberately simple: The background is white, and Macbeth’s “armor” is a leather jacket. But nobody’s dumbing down their performances. Francesca Faridany is particularly good as a tightly coiled Lady Macbeth; Raphael Nash-Thompson gives his roles as the drunken porter and a witch a garrulousness that carries an entertainingly sinister edge. The presentation is not without its hiccups. Matching the video on the right with the text on the left means routinely cutting off dramatic moments; at one point, users have to swipe to see and read the second half of a scene’s closing couplet—presumably an easy fix. A “tap to translate” button on each page puts the text into plain English, but the pop-up text covers up Shakespeare’s original, denying any attempts at comparison; moreover, the translation mainly redefines more obscure words, suggesting that smaller pop-ups for individual terms might be more meaningful.
Even so, this remains Macbeth, arguably the Bard of Avon’s most durable and multilayered tragedy, and overall, this enhanced e-book makes the play appealing and graspable to students . (Enhanced e-book. 12 & up)Pub Date: Sept. 9, 2013
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: The New Book Press LLC
Review Posted Online: Nov. 6, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2013
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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