Joker Archives - RVA Mag

Happiest of Tuesdays, comic fans! Welcome back to your bi-weekly stop for comics and pop culture news in the River City. Every issue we talk to industry experts and Richmond creatives who love comics and dig deep to find their recommendations on the next big read, with a little bit of news so we eat our vegetables, too.

This week in news we enjoy a mini Post-Oscars theme as some of the best in comics from 2019 went for the gold Sunday night. Plus, Sam Raimi makes his big return to Marvel-Land, and Scarlet Witch and Vision take us down sitcom memory lane in the trailer for WandaVision. However, before we dive in, we have some new recommendations to investigate.

*Art by Gianna Meola, via portfolios.sva.edu/giannameola*

This week our recommendations come from indie artist Gianna Meola. Based in Brooklyn, Meola has been reading comics since she was young, but didn’t start drawing them until college when she was an illustration major. Professionally she focuses on young adult and children’s comics, but personally enjoys reading anything horror-focused. It’s good to stay balanced.

She makes her own self-published zines and comics, but this year she will be releasing a book with Graphic Universe. Without a doubt that will be on all of our future recommendation lists once it drops.

All Over Coffee, by Paul Madonna

“All Over Coffee is a collection of Paul Madonna’s comics from the San Francisco Chronicle,” said Meola. “They’re great, they blend sketches and comics/observations in a beautiful way.”

Mexican Horror Story, by Simone Rein

“Simone’s work is funny, and touching and beautiful,” said Meola.

Gleem, by Freddy Carrasco

“Incredible and inspirational ink work– a really great and interesting read,” said Meola.

Nobody Like You + Unsolved Cases, by Carmen Pizarro

“Carmen’s work has incredible personality and is ridiculously cool,” said Meola.

Tekkon Kinkreet, by Taiyo Matsumoto

“Everyone knows this one but it’s one of my all time favorite comics,” said Meola. “The pacing and style are amazing.”

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The Oscars have long been the Super Bowl of the film industry, and with a groundbreaking four wins that included Best Picture, Parasite made the ceremony a night to remember in its 92-year history as it became the first non-English language film to take home the highest honor.

While Parasite did its thing on stage, comic book fandoms celebrated in the corner as they quietly infiltrated the ceremony. Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker saw two nominations for best score, visual effects, and sound editing, and trailing behind was Avengers: Endgame best visual effects.

However, Joker swept them both not only by receiving eleven nominations but bringing home awards for best musical score and best actor for Joaquin Phoenix, who gave a powerful acceptance speech. It’s almost like comic films hold merit and are seen as actual art forms after all.

Oh, Spider fans, have you missed Sam Raimi? Niche horror fans in the Marvel universe are getting their forbidden wish in the form of Evil Dead/Army Of Darkness director Sam Raimi returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Raimi has been officially hired as the new director of the awaited Doctor Strange sequel, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

The Marvel universe hasn’t seen Raimi since his direction of the original Spider-Man film trilogy, then still owned by Sony Pictures, between 2002 and 2007. While the overall plot of the Strange sequel still has not been released, what is known so far is that it will be Marvel’s first dip into the water of horror. Who better to guide us on this new journey that the man who brought us Ash Williams of the legendary Evil Dead franchise?

Marvel also finally dropped the trailer for the heavily anticipated WandaVision series trailer during the Superbowl last week. While the 40-second trailer does not reveal much, it still gives us something to work with until a longer trailer is released.

Scarlet Witch Wanda Maximoff and android Avenger Vision, together at last, appear to be traveling through various eras of time, represented by homages to various sitcoms of times gone by. There is a clear I Love Lucy reference in the beginning all the way down to what appears to be the typical 90s sitcom, which leaves the door open to a Full House bit. Between the shot of Wanda and Vision standing over two cradles (take note, Young Avengers fans), and the fact that Scarlet Witch actress Elizabeth Olsen is the sister of the famous Olsen Twins of Full House fame, it’s an easy door to walk through. There is even a reference to Wanda’s classic Scarlet Witch costume from the comics.

While a specific release date is still unknown, we do know that it will drop this year on Disney+’s streaming service. Personally, I’m just glad that Wanda just might finally get the happy ending she so deserves.

That wraps it up for us this week, comic fans. What kooky shenanigans and sitcoms should Wanda and Vision get into this year?

Until next time.

Happiest of Tuesdays, comic fans! Welcome to issue number twenty-eight of your biweekly comic exchange in what is only the best and spookiest month of the year. I have some good old-fashioned Halloween-flavored news for you. After that, our good friends down the block at Velocity Comics have some hearty recommendations for you this week that cover the gamut, including one from a (neighboring) hometown hero.

Grab your candy of choice, and grab your favorite blanket. Not only is it finally chilly in the River City, it’s time for comics. Dig on in, friends.

This past week the newest cinematic dive into the DC Universe was released in the form of The Joker’s origin story in Joker, starring Joaquin Phoenix. The film is one of DC’s most divisive film releases yet – from a rave review in The Observer to a borderline critical score of 69% on Rotten Tomatoes to polarizing reviews all over the internet, Joker is already a film with no middle ground.

You’re really going to love it, or you’re going to really hate it.

Phoenix portrays Arthur Fleck, a failed stand-up comedian in the 1970s, who falls into a quickly spiraling decline to madness and crime as he becomes the titular Joker of Gotham City. Refusing to acknowledge that he just isn’t cut out for comedy, he decides to go for a life of crime instead, and apparently, if you believe reviews, decides to go into a weird rendition of Taxi Driver. Moral of the story: Maybe comedy just isn’t for everyone – even Batman’s favorite frenemy who could never take a hint.

Fellow Evil Dead fans – dust off your chainsaws, because Sam Raimi has teased that he is giving us more. The only catch is that it might be without Bruce Campbell’s beloved Ash, at least not on screen..

“There’s more Evil Dead coming,” Raimi told NME while on a press tour.

No word yet on any further details, aside from the fact that Campbell is set to produce, but needless to say, if he’s involved – even backstage – it will not disappoint.

And now, on to the comics! We’re finally getting chilly and seasonally appropriate down in Richmond, and we could not be more excited. Nothing says fall like cool air and a good read, and luckily for us, our good friends over at Velocity Comics have some page turners to keep us warm and cozy while the leaves fall around us.

Doctor Doom #1, by Christopher Cantwell and Salvador Larocca

“Marvel’s original bad guy gets his own ongoing series for the first time, and he gets thrown in the deep end as he’s accused of an act of terror he didn’t commit,” said owner Patrick Godfrey. “Writer Christopher Cantwell has been dazzling the comic biz for the last few years with his creator-owned titles She Could Fly and Everything, and the layered complexity of his plotting is perfectly suited to this Monarch/Villain/Sorcerer/Scientist. It’s gonna be good!”

The Batman’s Grave #1, by Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch

“About 20 years ago, writer Warren Ellis and artist Bryan Hitch teamed up to create The Authority, a superhero team book that changed the direction of comics forever,” said Godfrey. “Here they reunite for a 12-part series starring everyone’s favorite orphan (sorry, Annie) confronting the notion of his own mortality. Sounds fun!”

Ginseng Roots #1, by Craig Thompson

“Craig Thompson puts out comic work every 6-8 years or so, and every time he does the accolades and awards almost bury him alive,” said Godfrey. “The guy’s a master brush n’ inker, and is also pretty good at making you feel sad and stuff. Ginseng Roots is an autobiographical look back at Thompson’s childhood, when he and his brother worked on a farm harvesting ginseng. I’d expect some whimsy with a side of existential dread, sprinkled with familial dysfunction.”

Pug Davis, by Rebecca Sugar

“One of the past decade’s cartoon phenomenons [Steven Universe] was created by Rebecca Sugar,” said Godfrey. “[She] grew up just north of NoVA… and before she became a beloved animation showrunner, she did some comics! This is a new printing of an old favorite that has been very, very hard to get one’s hands on until this week. A pug-headed space hero fights evil aliens with his sensitive partner named Blouse. And for the first time ever: it’s all in color!”

RWBY #1, by Marguerite Bennett and Mirka Andolfo

“Learn about the prestigious Beacon Academy, training the next generation of monster hunters,” said Godfrey. “This one follows the adventures of a tight-knit team of students as they try to protect their world. Tying in with the hit Rooster Teeth series! I’m 48 so I don’t know what that means. But this looks cool!”

The Hard Tomorrow, by Eleanor Davis

“Eleanor Davis is for sure one of the premier cartoonists working today,” said Godfrey. “Her work mines delicate territory with depth and humor, and her experimental linework never fails to connect. Here she explores the ups and downs of a couple in their 30s grappling with the realities of relationships, aging, and surviving in the current world.”

That wraps it up for us this week, comic friends. Tell us: what are you cozied up with this week? Did you see Joker? Was it everything you wanted Taxi Driver to be?

Until next time!

Top Image via Warner Bros

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