Category Archives: Comic Books/Graphic Novels

Panels of Awesomeness: Putin and Superman

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By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

CREATORS: Geoff Johns (Author), Gary Frank (Penciller), Brad Anderson (Colorist)

THE SCENE: After a tragic accident in which Firestorm turns hundreds of people into glass statues, presumably killing them, Russian President Vladimir Putin is prepared to declare war on the United States. Superman arrives to resolve the matter peacefully.

WHY THEY’RE AWESOME: Naturally, Doomsday Clock has been working hard to mimic the tone of Watchmen. The ticking clock, the sense of inevitable impending doom, etc. Taking that into consideration, along with current world events, I’m actually surprised it took eight issues for him to show up. It’s incredibly surreal seeing him on the page like this. Talking to an American icon like Superman, no less.

It’s all very surreal. Uncomfortable, even. Which of course, it’s supposed to be. Especially when we see Putin getting mad, and saying things like “We are at war…” The fact that Gary Frank’s Superman looks so much like Christopher Reeve just adds to the weirdness.

 I really like the way Johns wrote Superman here. Peaceful. Non-violent. Only taking physical action when he has to, saving lives in the process. To some, that’s what makes Superman boring. But to yours truly, it’s just the opposite.

Follow Primary Ignition on Twitter, or email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com.

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Astonishing Art: Robin by Marcio Hum

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By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

My favorite Robin costume is the original one from 1940. The “pixie boots” costume, with the bare legs and the yellow cape. It may very well be the the most illogically flamboyant costume in the history of superhero comics. Especially in the context of Batman’s world. But its become iconic as the decades have gone by, no matter how much certain creators have tried to sweep it under the rug.

That’s why I love this piece by Brazilian artist Marcio Hum so much. It shows us the character in what may currently be his most popular (not to mention outrageous) incarnation from Teen Titans GO! It’s a really fun contrast with the classic Robin. Plus, the pencil sketch background makes the costumes bright colors pop that much more.

Hum has drawn similar pieces for Cyborg, Starfire, Raven, and Beast Boy. They can be found on his Instagram. Hum is also the designer of Mini Co Collectibles.

Follow Primary Ignition on Twitter, or email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com.

Panels of Awesomeness: Obi-Wan Kenobi by Mike Mayhew

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By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

CREATORS: Jason Aaron (Author), Mike Mayhew (Artist)

THE SCENES: Living as a hermit, Obi-Wan Kenobi watches over a young Luke Skywalker as he grows up on Tatooine.

WHY THEY’RE AWESOME: Lately I’ve been obsessed with the version of Obi-Wan Kenobi that Mike Mayhew drew for Marvel’s Star Wars title. Specifically, issues #15 and #20, which hit the stands in 2016.

Mayhew was by no means a stranger to the Star Wars universe at this point. Perhaps most notably, he was the artist for The Star Wars, which adapted an early draft of the original film. For Star Wars #15 and #20, however, he was tasked with depicting entries in what author Jason Aaron called “The Journals of Old Ben Kenobi.”

What I find so interesting about Mayhew’s version of Kenobi is that he didn’t take the obvious route, and draw him to look like Ewan McGregor. But he didn’t go the Alec Guiness route either. Mayhew opted for something more his own. A figure that captures the essence of the character, without being beholden to either one of the actors. That approach isn’t so far-fetched in the world of licensed comic books. Often it’s met with an eye-roll from yours truly.

This, on the other hand? This works. Something about it screams classic Star Wars. As if it’s transplanted from an era before the prequels, where we were still imagining what a young Obi-Wan Kenobi might look like. It achieves a warm and fuzzy nostalgic quality without feeling like it’s trying too hard for it.

Though Jason Aaron has been off Star Wars for awhile now, I’d love to see them revive this journal framework. If they can bring Mike Mayhew back for it, all the better!

Follow Primary Ignition on Twitter, or email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com.

Toy Chest Theater: RIP Stan Lee

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By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

With the passing of Stan Lee, fans from across the globe are paying tribute to the iconic creator in their own unique ways.

I found this image from Nicholas Belmont to be particularly touching. Since the news broke yesterday, I’ve seen a lot of “grieving” images from toy photographers. Many of which depict an emotional Spider-Man being comforted by other Marvel heroes. That’s perfectly natural, I think. There’s nothing wrong with that. People process grief in a lot of different ways.

But for yours truly, in times like these scenes of love resonate so much more than scenes of grief or sadness. That’s what we get here. The love and respect we all feel for Stan Lee, personified by the characters he helped create.

Rest in peace, Mr. Lee. Thank you for inspiring so many.

Follow Primary Ignition on Twitter, or email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com.

Power Rangers Spotlight: Jordan Gibson

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By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

I’m a huge fan of all the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers variant covers you’re going to see here. That’s why it’s somewhat embarrassing to say I just recently discovered they’re all by the same guy: Jordan Gibson.

Issue #28: Jason remembers. This is the first Gibson cover I can remember seeing. It’s downright touching, actually. A Zeo era Jason gazing fondly at his old Red Ranger costume in the Power Chamber. It’s very easy to read a nostalgic fondness on his face. Ironically, the same feeling those old MMPR episodes evoke from so many of us. For some reason, the placement of his hand on the glass goes a long way in that regard as well. It’s funny how much a simple hand placement can do.

Issue #31: “Forever Red.” I’m convinced this is a nod to another famous comic book cover. I just can’t figure out which one. At the very least, it captures that epic vibe that a lot of covers go for. Certainly as fitting a tribute to “Forever Red” as there’s ever been. My only complaint? I would have put the Red Wild Force Ranger in the center, as opposed to Red Turbo. It was a Wild Force episode, after all.

Issue #33: Dr. Tommy Oliver. Conspicuous by his absence in this year’s big Shattered Grid event comic was the Tommy we saw in Power Rangers Dino Thunder. The Tommy that acted as a mentor to his own team of Rangers. As the villain, Lord Drakkon, was an evil alt-universe version of Tommy, it would have made sense to see those two meet. The closest we got was this variant cover from Gibson. To his credit, this thing is friggin’ awesome. It catches Tommy in the final miliseconds of his morphing sequence. The orange background is really what makes it, capturing the same color scheme they used for most of the morphs that season.

Issue #34: “Once a Ranger.”

“Once a Ranger” doesn’t necessarily get a lot of love from longtime fans. I can see why. Operation Overdrive wasn’t exactly a critical success. But the two-parter still had its merits. At the very least, it was fun to see all the former Rangers back. Gibson tips his hat to said alumni with this variant cover to issue #34.

Follow Primary Ignition on Twitter, or email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com.

Epic Covers: Nightwing #50

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By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

So yeah, they shot Dick Grayson in the head. That’s one of the latest stunts over at DC. Hey, at least he wasn’t a Heroes in Crisis casualty. Don’t think they wouldn’t have done it.

The gunshot wound leaves Dick with amnesia, and no memory of his life as a superhero. It’s too early to tell if this story is going to be any good. But it does have a lot of potential to make a statement about what Dick means to the DC Universe, not to mention the Batman family as a whole.

This cover is low-key epic. Amidst all its colorful competition, it didn’t exactly jump off the rack. But once you get a closer look, you see that it’s all in the details. Specifically, the scar itself…

I’m hardly an expert on scar tissue. Specifically as it relates to bullet wounds to the head. But this was convincing enough to convey that impact and awe that the cover is shooting for. The texturing, the look of the fold in the skin, the colors. It’s striking.

The big drawback? For the cover, they made the scar look like the Nightwing insignia. Lame.

Follow Primary Ignition on Twitter, or email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com!

TMNT Fan Series Back in the Shell – Just One Question…

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By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

Falling down a social media rabbit hole yesterday, I stumbled across this little treat. A behind the scenes look at an upcoming six-episode Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fan series called Back in the Shell…

The series is coming to us courtesy of the folks at Nerdbot. The Turtle suits are coming from Prop Shop Garage, who make some stellar looking TMNT costumes akin to the ones in the old ’90s flicks, which  Back in the Shell is obviously trying to capture the spirit of. (As if that track from Spunkadelic wasn’t a dead give-away!) A teaser is is being advertised for next week. You can officially call me intrigued, dudes and dudettes.

I do have one question, though.

This is a fan-series, undoubtedly made with a fraction of the money used to make the Paramount/Nickelodeon TMNT movies. So how is it that this, a teaser for a teaser, can get me more excited than those two movies did? Not individually, mind you. Combined.

The answer is pretty obvious to me. But I’ll let you decide for yourself.

For more on Back in the Shell, check out its official Instagram page, as well as Team Ninja Turtle on Facebook.

Follow Primary Ignition on Twitter, or email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com!