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‘Legend of the Mantamaji: Book Two’ — A Book Every Blerd Should Read

It has been said before and it’s worth repeating — it is an AWESOME time to be a nerd — and for Black nerds, we are finally seeing more creators and characters of color push through in the graphic novel/superhero genre both in film and print, conglomerate and indie produced. This week is no exception.

“Legend of the Mantamaji: Book Two” published by And…Action! Entertainment is the second book in television director Eric Dean Seaton’s new graphic novel series. It was set for release on Dec. 10, 2014, “Book Two” brings new characters, lots of action and open-mouth-catch-flies twists.

In this series installment, Seaton has to carry the expectations that readers embraced in the first book in the series — a smart plotline, good pacing, great artwork, layered characters, lots of action and those darn plot twists that got us in the first book. He also has to work hard to avoid the pitfalls that plague the second anything in a planned trilogy. No one enjoys settling into a good second book or movie only to feel like the series was stalling for time until the good stuff happens in the final installment (looking at you Matrix Reloaded).

Fortunately, Seaton and his collaborative team have exceeded expectations with “Book Two.” Part of what makes “Book Two” work is continuity in the team that worked on “Book One.”

Eisner-nominated letterer Deron Bennett brings his talented pen to the piece with consistency and skill.

Artist Brandon Palas continues to produce fantastic work. The action scenes are epic, yet easy to follow and there are panels that you want to pull out simply to admire the work. Palas is also careful to avoid female “same face” that often happens to female characters in the superhero genre. If you listen to Seaton’s numerous interviews to date, he is adamant that the women in the series are every bit as powerful and influential as the men — a powerful declaration of his female characters’ value and purpose — which surely influenced Palas’ art direction.

Colorist Andrew Dalhouse brings Palas’ work to life with brilliant, focused color. There is real depth in his work and deliberation in color choices, from the body armor of the Mantamaji to the intricacies of the splash pages. His long-time experience with the big comic companies is evident and demonstrated throughout the series.

Seaton, of course, is the man behind the entire story that keeps readers engaged from page one. A critically acclaimed television director with 198 episodes and 38 series under his belt including hit shows like NBC’s Undateable, BET’s Reed Between the Lines, Disney’s Austin and Ally and Nickelodeon’s The Haunted Hathaways, Seaton manages to make each chapter of the book feel like both television show episodes and weekly editions of a comic book series. This creates nice stopping points, even though the book compels you to keep reading if you can hold off work, family and everything else for close to 200 pages.

Seaton also keeps the books very clean, with an eye on a wide audience range, he leaves out swearing and excessive violence. The books are listed as being for ages 9 and up.

The Good:

The Story: “The Legend of the Mantamaji” storyline is terrific with well-placed plot twists that keep readers guessing the entire time. Just when you think you have it all figured out, Seaton throws you for a loop. While this second book picks up where the first one left off, you don’t have to read “Book One” ahead of “Book Two,” BUT without “Book One” you miss much of the backstory that marries the ancient African warrior vibe with modern-day resurgence of the Mantamaji very well. It does have the signature middle book cliffhanger, but you never feel like you’ve wasted your time. “Book Two” is definitely not a standalone book in the sense that you can get to the end and be completely satisfied. Readers will want to pre-order “Book Three” for February release.

The Characters: Seaton continues to supply his characters with interesting backstories and opportunities to rise or fall down on the job. He even instills humor as a way to help readers identify with all of his characters, good and bad alike.

We learn more about top cop Sydney who continues to hold her own against the city’s bad guys — in the occasional party dress no less. The social media popular Sanctuants, the sisters to the Mantamaji, reappear as well. And fortunately, we don’t see any butt to the camera fighting action that seems to be the pose du jour for female characters in the superhero genre.

The Action: Most of the action involves the Four Horsemen who are as intimidating as their names. The battles between the four and Elijah spill all over the place — the city, the woods … it’s exhausting and rewarding at the same time as Seaton has been teasing the Horsemen as a part of his social media campaign since before the first book launch. We also get to finally see the rebirth of Sirach, which is both frightening and intense.

The OK:

The Dialogue: As previous reviewers have mentioned, the dialogue can get a bit stilted. Some of it works with specific characters, other times it feels not as natural as you would expect in something that is clearly very modern.

Overall, “Legend of the Mantamaji: Book Two” lives up to the hype and at $14.99 is worth the investment. Unlike many indie works, the series is available in all formats [except braille and audio] and through a variety of sellers including Amazon, Barnes and Noble stores and online, Comixology, iTunes, comic book stores and the “Legend of the Mantamaji” website. Previews of all three books are also available at the “Legend of Mantamaji” website and on Amazon.

Source: Terreece M. Clarke at legendofthemantamaji.com

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Review: A Fresh Start to ‘Secret Six’ Comic

Gail Simone’s magnum opus returns to shelves this week in the form of a brand new volume. Needless to say, expectations are huge as Simone’s original series won a lot of people over due to her excellent characterization and her ability to provide these villain characters with sympathetic backgrounds that made them seem almost heroic. The team frequently saw new members join as old members either died horribly, quit through means of betrayal, or both. With a team populated by villains, this shouldn’t have been much of a surprise, but somehow Simone always managed to shock audiences with every turn of events.

Because DC doesn’t like us to have nice things, sadly the new series isn’t a continuation but a fresh start. Issue 1 see’s Catman, who originally had a very prominent role in the first incarnation of the series, is front and center of this issue as we find out what this New 52 (at what point do we stop calling it new?) incarnation of Catman is capable of. Unfortunately the pacing of this book makes it hard for readers to get a closer examination of the characters outside of Catman. Although characters do make minuscule first impressions, it fails in comparison to the attention given to Catman. Admittingly, this is a good first issue, but it may leave little to be desired by hardcore fans of the series as it left a bittersweet taste in my mouth. While some of these characters are new to this series, plus the modifications made to the returning characters, the core of what Secret Six was can definitely be could definitely be felt, and fans of the previous volume should be willing to give this iteration a fair shot.

Source: Tajaye Williams at blacknerdproblems.com

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Could This Be the ‘Final Fantasy 7’ Remake All the Fans Want?

Oh Square Enix, what have you done?

For years and years, Final Fantasy fans have been hoping and praying for a full-fleshed, updated, super high-end Final Fantasy 7 game for the next gen systems. It didn’t happen on the PS3, so like with Kingdom Hearts 3 expectations arose for it to finally happen on the PS4.

Whether you like Final Fantasy 7 or think it’s the most overrated of all the Final Fantasies, there’s one thing you can’t deny, it’s popularity. Final Fantasy 7 has transcended its original single-game format and has had movies and a prequel game expanding on its lore.

So here we are in 2014 with Square Enix hyped up about a Final Fantasy 7 announcement for the PS4! Could it be what fans have been clamoring for all these years? No, the answer is no. Instead of an HD remake with new everything, what fans get is a port of the game for the PS4. If you don’t know what that means, I’ll explain. Instead of HD graphics and high-definition they’re instead re-releasing the original game on the PS4, which they’ve already done for PC and for the PS3 on the Playstation Network.

There’s already been a lot of backlash for this, so instead of adding to it, I’m going to go a different route with this.

The fact of the matter is that Square Enix fans want to feel like they are appreciated and loved. A remake of Final Fantasy 7 would have solidified that fact. Giving the fans something they’ve asked for would put Square Enix back on that pedestal they used to be on. The recent Final Fantasy games haven’t been able to capture the magic that the old ones used to bring. That sense of “Wow this game is the best game of all time!” hasn’t been said for the recent Final Fantasies, and I think fans are trying to relive the Square Enix of old.

Maybe I’m wrong in my assumptions, but I’m speaking from my personal point of view on the whole situation. Final Fantasy 7 isn’t my favorite Final Fantasy but would I throw my money at Square Enix for a full-on HD remake? I’ll answer my question with another question. Is Rock Lee the realest ninja out there?

Someday, we might get that remake that other fans and I have asked for, but, sadly, today is not that day.

Source: William Young at blacknerdproblems.com

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10 Things You May Not Have Known About the Fearless Comic Character Storm

The X-Men are incredibly popular, and one of the most popular superheroes on the team is Storm, whose real name is Ororo Munroe. She’s been a fixture in the X-Men team and transcended the comic into cartoons, video games and movies. She has her own ongoing series, but it’s in danger of being canceled after only five issues. So, to help raise awareness, here are some cool facts you probably didn’t know about everyone’s favorite Black female superhero. This list is courtesy of Maurice and Nigel from thegeektwins.com

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Storm Was Originally Supposed to Be a Man

Back in the 1970s, Marvel editor Roy Thomas was trying to develop an international team of mutants to appeal to foreign markets. Originally, the Black female of the team was supposed to be called “Black Cat,” who could turn into a humanoid cat. She had a similar costume as Storm but without the cape and a “cat-like haircut with tufts for ears.” Unfortunately, artist Dave Cockrum discovered several other female cat characters had been developed like Tigra, The Cat and Pantha. The team suggested he use his idea for a male character who could control weather, called “Typhoon,” and turn him into a woman.

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Storm Is the First Black Female Superhero

Storm first appeared in “Giant-Size X-Men #1” (1975), which was written by Len Wein and penciled by Dave Cockrum. She was one of the first Black comic book characters and is the first Black female in mainstream comics.

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Upcoming Feature Film Adaptation of Nalo Hopkinson’s Novel Brown Girl in the Ring

Director and actress Sharon Lewis is making a feature film based on speculative fiction author Nalo Hopkinson’s award-winning Caribbean-Canadian science fiction novel, Brown Girl in the Ring. It is based in a near-future, segregated area of Toronto that has been struck by economic collapse, riots and severe poverty. Through the emotional and spiritual development of the novel’s heroine, Ti-Jeanne, the book engages themes of folklore, dystopian futures, feminism, spirituality and magical realism.

The movie is scheduled to be filmed August/September 2015, and Lewis states on the film’s Facebook page that she will be seeking funding and investment after the holidays. Check out the sizzle reel for the feature film below and “Like” the film’s Facebook page for updates and ways you can support!

BROWN GIRL IN THE RING – The Feature Film –sizzle reel from sharon lewis on Vimeo.

Rasheedah Phillips is a Philadelphia public interest attorney, speculative fiction writer, the creator of The AfroFuturist Affair, and a founding member of Metropolarity.net. She recently independently published her first speculative fiction collection, “Recurrence Plot (and Other Time Travel Tales).”

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How the Gaming Community Can Provide an Outlet to an ‘Outsider’

Here’s the truth: I’m scared. This fear is borne from a lack of cultural and individual identity, a haze of uncertainty within which my poetry is immersed. I often concede this fear to that of a common human need; that is, to belong. I was born in Georgetown, Guyana, and raised in Plaisance, Guyana, right in front of the Atlantic Ocean until the age of 9. I then moved to East Orange, New Jersey, of the United States. Guyana, for most who aren’t aware, is just about 50 percent Black and 50 percent Indian. I fell somewhere in between as a small percentage of the Indian population include a mix of Portuguese blood. This mix obviously left me with a bit of a culturally ambiguous look on my face at most parties. East Orange was a tremendous culture shock for me; my introduction to the United States was in an Abbott school district that was predominantly Black and below the poverty line. All this is to say, I’ve had to learn things on the fly about cultures that I borrowed from throughout my life and retained little to none of what cultural identity I can call my own. Enter gaming.

One of the major keystones in my life is being introduced to the modern computer (I use this term loosely) when I arrived in the United States. While I gamed at the arcade in Guyana wasting untold amounts of money playing Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Battletoads, I was christened as a gamer when I donned that Windows 3.11 PC that my uncle gave to me and my brother. This, however, was just the building block to an addiction that would wholly evolve throughout my formative years. Being a migrant with migrant parents, I obviously was not allowed to leave the house in this “strange land” that was my hood, so I ultimately withdrew into Destruction Derby and learning how to emulate GameBoy titles on my computer so that I could play Pokemon (both Red and Blue titles) on my computer while all of my friends traded Pokemon via their handhelds by day and I watched from the shadows with great envy.

What many would consider a secluded, sheltered and possibly unhealthy upbringing in gaming, I saw as both liberating and safe. Safe, in that I could ask the questions and work toward the answers for myself for the first time under the guise of gaming’s myopic lens.

Read more from Ian Khadan at blacknerdproblems.com

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The ’70s Comic ‘Shaft’ Gets a Well-Deserved Reboot

After months of waiting, the long-anticipated comic release of Dynamite Comic’s Shaft is upon us! The series reboot, written by David Walker, reintroduces the late Ernest Tidyman’s iconic character from the 1970s in a comic that gives a first-time exploration of the origins of John Shaft. Whether the name conjures images of Richard Roundtree’s afro and sideburns or Samuel L. Jackson playing his nephew in the 2000 sequel, the name is synonymous with toughness, badassery, and one of the best theme songs of all time.

Issue 1 begins in the criminal underbelly of New York City with a racially charged dialogue that sets the tone of the story. Junius Tate is the gangster who runs Harlem, only anyone who knows better understands it’s really his boss who runs the streets. Shaft knows better. Either way, as Shaft wraps up his hands to get into the boxing ring, he knows he has a decision: take a dive that Junius set up, or be a fighter that lays down for nobody. Which man would you expect John Shaft to be?

With references to Vietnam and a nod to Cassius Clay turned Muhammad Ali, Walker captures the climate while simultaneously revealing the man’s character developed through childhood, war and personal heroes. One of those heroes was Bamma Brooks. Bamma was the one who taught young Shaft to box, who taught him to never lie down for anybody. Imagine what it would do to your psyche to see that same man working for Junius Tate, the man paying you to take a fall and commanding you get tuned up in an alley after you refuse. These are the events that molded Shaft the man, to Shaft the legend.

If I had to choose a drawback to issue 1, I would only cite some expressionless faces. The artwork is great as a whole, except some fight scenes have characters whose faces look less like they’re fighting and more like they’re waiting for the crosstown bus. You might catch yourself staring at a panel wondering if you could ever look so stoic throwing a punch.

That aside, Shaft’s first issue has every sign of being an awesome series worth following closely. He makes his own decisions and faces each consequence. And the last page shows the insecurity you need as a reader to care for his character and cheer for him every step of the way: “Now, all I had to do was decide what to do with the rest of my life.” I’m excited.

Source: Jordan Calhoun at blacknerdproblems.com