Email Rob at PrimaryIgnition@Yahoo.com, or follow us on Twitter and TikTok.
Tag Daniele Di Nicuolo
A Nightwing #98 Micro-Review – Oh, Thank God…
***This is where we keep it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***
TITLE: Nightwing #98
AUTHOR: Tom Taylor
ARTISTS: Daniele Di Nicuolo, Adriano Lucas (Colorist), Wes Abbott (Letterer). Variant cover by Brian Stelfreeze.
RELEASED: November 15, 2022
By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder
Oh, thank God. They’re not actually going back to the Ric Grayson stuff, as the end of last issue suggested. It was a set-up for the introduction of Nite-Mite, Nightwing’s equivalent to Bat-Mite. (I might have gone with the name Mite-Wing. But Nite-Mite works too.)
Daniele Di Nicuolo has guest artist duties this month. He shows off his versatility by going suitably cartoony for the Nite-Mite stuff, and then also being able to depict scary demons straight from hell (literally). At the same time, Adriano Lucas offers a nice consistency. Great looking issue.
Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.
Weekly Comic 100s: Power Rangers Double-Feature, Crossover, and More!
***”Weekly Comic 100s” keeps it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***
By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder
TITLE: Power Rangers #1
AUTHOR: Ryan Parrott
ARTISTS: Francesco Mortarino, Raul Angulo (Colorist), Ed Dukeshire (Letterer). Variant cover by Jung-Geun Yoon.
RELEASED: November 11, 2020
There’s a really cool scene in here between Jason and Rocky, where they talk about the latter being the Red Ranger, but not the team leader. Parrott is so good at creating character moments for characters who were pretty thinly written to begin with.
That being said, Mortarino draws Rocky like…there’s no other way to put it…a whiny little bitch.
Adding Drakkon to this book is smart. Between BOOM’s two new Power Rangers titles, I suspect this is the one that’s going to have more trouble staying afloat, simply because the characters aren’t the iconic Power Rangers.
TITLE: Wonder Woman #766
AUTHOR: Mariko Tamaki
ARTISTS: Steve Pugh, Romulo Fajardo Jr. (Colorist), Pat Brosseau (Letterer). Cover by David Marquez & Alejandro Sanchez.
RELEASED: November 10, 2020
Tamaki is taking a page out of Greg Rucka’s playbook and blinding Wonder Woman. For a few issues, at least. I’ll say this much: It makes for a pretty cool fight sequence in this issue.
It seems like they’re wrapping up the story of the reluctant Wondie/Maxwell Lord team, which is a shame. For my money, the concept had a lot more mileage to it. It had become something I looked forward to seeing with each new issue.
I know I’m a broken record, but I still miss Mikel Janin on this book…
TITLE: Darth Vader #7
AUTHOR: Greg Pak
ARTISTS: Raffaele Ienco, Neeraj Menon (Colorist), Joe Caramagna (Letterer). Cover by Daniel Acuna.
RELEASED: November 11, 2020
Boy, some of this is really dumb.
I like the idea of the Emperor giving Vader a sadistic test by leaving him to die on Mustafar. But early in the issue we once again backtrack to a location from the prequels, and literally see Nute Gunray’s corpse. Is that all this series has to offer? “Hey! This is something you remember from the movies!”
This character, and this universe, deserve better.
TITLE: Detective Comics #1030
AUTHOR: Peter Tomasi
ARTISTS: Bilquis Evely, Mat Lopes (Colorist), Rob Leigh (Letterer). Variant cover by Lee Bermejo.
RELEASED: November 10, 2020
I think this is the first time I’ve seen Evely’s art. It’s got a cool sketchy look to it that doesn’t always go well with Batman’s world. But paired with Lopes’ colors, it works. Evely really gets to flex in this issue, drawing much of Batman’s surrogate family.
Tomasi is looping Damian into things, which bodes well for the book’s immediate future. His work with Bruce and Damian on Batman & Robin is some of his best. I’m interested to see if he can recreate some of that magic.
TITLE: Champions #2
AUTHOR: Al Ewing
ARTISTS: Simone Di Meo, Bob Quinn, Federico Blee
RELEASED: November 11, 2020
The division among civilians over Kamala’s Law, the law against teen superheroes, is really compelling. Mostly because it’s such an unsettling reflection of the actual division we’re seeing in the United States. It’s a tremendous example of how superhero comics can reflect what we see in the real world.
We open up this issue in a “reeducation center” that’s straight up chilling. It’s actually downright dystopian. I can’t remember the last time a comic book left me this unsettled.
TITLE: Superman #27
AUTHOR: Brian Michael Bendis
ARTISTS: Ivan Reis, Danny Miki (Inker), Alex Sinclair (Colorist), Dave Sharpe (Letterer). Cover by Tony Daniel.
RELEASED: November 11, 2020
Superman spends a small portion of this issue trying to avoid hitting the big scary alien. Imagine that. A superhero trying to dodge conflict with someone who looks and talks differently. God damn, Superman is so the hero this world needs right now. While I may not be in love with his work over on Action Comics, make no mistake about it, Bendis gets Superman. That’s so important, as the vast majority of writers don’t.
Reis, Miki, and Sinclair have been killing it, giving us some of the best art we’ve seen in Superman in years. Don’t sleep on them here.
TITLE: Crossover #1
AUTHORS: Donny Cates, Mark Waid (Story Edits)
ARTISTS: Geoff Shaw, Dee Cunniffe (Colorist), John J. Hill (Letterer). Cover by Shaw & Dave Stewart.
RELEASED: November 4, 2020
There’s a character in this book wearing a shirt that says “Wertham was right.” That’s a pretty cool Easter egg for people up on their comic book history.
Crossover is a book about comic book characters coming to life in the real world. All of them. It’s a silly concept, but the book treats it pretty seriously. As such, we have a series that people with a passion for the comic book medium will likely enjoy, but more casual fans may find a little too out there. Heck, I’m passionate about comics and it’s pretty far out even for me…
TITLE: Mighty Morphin #1
AUTHOR: Ryan Parrott
ARTISTS: Marco Renna, Walter Baiamonte (Colorist), Katia Ranalli (Color Assistant), Ed Dukeshire (Letterer). Variant cover by Daniele Di Nicuolo.
RELEASED: November 4, 2020
The way Parrott writes Zordon in this issue is a departure from how we’re used to seeing him. Less a wise sage and more of a friendly uncle. It’s a risk that doesn’t pay off, in my opinion.
So wait…Drakkon’s not the Green Ranger? I’m confused…
I prefer Marco Renna’s work on this book to what we’re seeing in Power Rangers, particularly when it comes to action sequences. His panels with the Green and White Rangers are particularly strong, and the colors really pop. I’m hopeful this book will keep building momentum going forward.
TITLE: Batman #102
AUTHOR: James Tynion IV
ARTISTS: Carlo Pagulayan, Carlos D’Anda, Danny Miki (Inker), David Baron (Colorist), Clayton Cowles (Letterer). Cover by Jorge Jimenez & Tomeu Morey. Variant cover by Francesco Mattina.
RELEASED: November 3, 2020
Tynion says he came up with this new Ghost-Maker villain while he was writing back-up stories for Zero Year. That counts as a strike against him, in my book…
I’m not crazy about the name Ghost-Maker. But he’s pretty cool nonetheless. He’s got a cool costume, and a nice ninja aesthetic.
Carlos D’Anda pops up for a few pages in this issue to draw a scene where Harley Quinn gets a new apartment. It feels randomly dropped in. But I’m assuming that means Harley is sticking around in Batman for the near future.
TITLE: Star Wars #8
AUTHOR: Charles Soule
ARTISTS: Ramon Rosanas, Rachelle Rosenberg (Colorist), Clayton Cowles (Letterer). Cover by Carlo Pagulayan, Jason Paz, & Rain Beredo.
RELEASED: November 4, 2020
I’m in awe of just how much detail some artists put into these starships and the machinery. It’s a credit to not only to the talent of the artists they get on these Star Wars books, but the devotion they have to the franchise.
The writing, on the other hand, has been fairly stale across the entire line. In this book’s case, Commaner Zahra, a disciple of Grand Moff Tarkin, is a fairly interesting villain. But this just isn’t a terribly interesting story. She’s after Leia. Big whoop.
On the bright side, it’s not another story about a damn lightsaber…
TITLE: Young Justice #20
AUTHORS: Brian Michael Bendis, David Walker
ARTISTS: Scott Godlewski, Gabe Eltaeb (Colorist), Wes Abbott (Letterer). Cover by John Timms & Eltaeb.
RELEASED: November 3, 2020
Teen Lantern gets a nice spotlight here. Now if only this weren’t the final issue.
It’s an honest-to-God crime that this series is ending at only 20 issues. It’s one of the best teenage superhero books I’ve read in a long time, in that it delivers on both the action front and the teen angst front. I dig the expansive roster, as well. Sort of a Young Justice League Unlimited feel. If there’s any justice in this world, this team will be back with a vengeance.
Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.
Weekly Comic 100s: Iron Man #1, Star Wars, and More!
***”Weekly Comic 100s” keeps it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***
By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder
TITLE: Iron Man #1
AUTHOR: Christopher Cantwell
ARTISTS: Cafu, Frank D’Armata (Colorist), Joe Caramagna (Letterer). Cover by Alex Ross
RELEASED: September 16, 2020
The premise of this book is that Tony Stark is going back to basics. Good ol’ fashioned super-heroing. He does this in his classic costume, which is pretty cool. Cafu and D’Armata give us an amazing page of him “suiting up.”
Cantwell’s dialogue, particularly between Iron Man and Hellcat, is pretty funny. It may get to be grating as the issues go on. But for now I dig it.
Cool use of sign language in this issue. It’s only one panel. But it’s memorable.
TITLE: Seven Secrets #2
AUTHOR: Tom Taylor
ARTISTS: Daniele Di Nicuolo, Walter Baiamonte & Katia Ranalli (Colorists), Ed Dukeshire (Letterer)
RELEASED: September 16, 2020
This second issue is basically a big exposition dump. But there’s some interesting stuff in here. Especially what basically amounts to a ninja school for youngsters. Then the emotional stakes raise when we start to see our main character, Caspar, interact with his parents.
In a perfect world, we could have spent the entire first arc of the book on the content in this issue. Whether the speed-through was worth it or not depends on the quality of the story they end up telling.
Meanwhile, Daniele Di Nicuolo remains at home in a story about youngsters doing martial arts.
TITLE: Star Wars #6
AUTHOR: Charles Soule
ARTISTS: Jesus Saiz, Arif Prianto (Co-Colorist), Clayton Cowles (Letterer). Cover by R.B. Silva and Guru-eFX
RELEASED: September 16, 2020
Six issues in, this book finally starts to get interesting here. We finally finish the ridiculous business of finding Luke an intermediate lightsaber, and then we jump right into something cool at an old Jedi temple.
Story notwithstanding, I certainly can’t complain about Jesus Saiz and Arif Prianto’s art. Saiz captures the likenesses of the actors very well. This issue in particular has a wonderful closing splash page.
TITLE: Giant-Size X-Men: Storm
AUTHOR: Jonathan Hickman
ARTISTS: Russell Dauterman, Matthew Wilson (Colorist), Ariana Maher (Letterer)
RELEASED: September 16, 2020
Emma Frost steals this issue within the first few pages. Storm laments the fact that she might be dying, and Emma lays into her for being dramatic. “After all, we’re just going to resurrect you, dear.”
I love when even the characters themselves know how death works in comics.
Actually, we wind up returning to the “Why not just die and come back?” question later. It’s the most interesting part of the story, but we don’t dive into it to any sort of satisfaction. By and large this book, like the other Giant-Size X-Men books, is very missable.
TITLE: Darth Vader #5
AUTHOR: Greg Pak
ARTISTS: Raffaele Ienco, Neeraj Menon (Colorist), Joe Caramagna (Letter). Cover by InHyuk Lee.
RELEASED: September 16, 2020
Some of the art in this book is really awkward. Case in point, a flashback panel where we see Obi-Wan cut Anakin’s limbs off in Revenge of the Sith. The figure rendering itself is fine. But some of the posing is just weird.
Thankfully, they do not in fact exhume Padme’s corpse in this issue. That’s where it looks like it’s going for a few pages…
Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.
Weekly Comic 100s: Batman, Dead Body Road, TMNT, and More!
***”Weekly Comic 100s” keeps it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***
By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder
Last week I said I missed Star Wars and TMNT comics. This week we got the return of Bounty Hunters, and a double-dose of TMNT. Where are you gonna find a more fair friggin’ deal than that?
This week’s new releases are pretty light. So I’m holding a few back from last week’s pull list. That Texas Blood is one of them. We might also see Marvels Snapshot: Captain America and/or Harley Quin: Black + White + Red.
TITLE: Batman #93
AUTHOR: James Tynion IV
ARTISTS: Guillem March, Javier Fernandez, Tomeu Morey & David Baron (Colorists), Clayton Cowles (Letterer). Cover by Tony Daniel.
RELEASED: June 23, 2020
The Designer’s role in this story more or less wraps up in this issue. That’s a little sad, as I liked that character concept. Even if the costume was a little bit much.
Punchline, the Joker’s new answer to Harley Quinn, gets put over pretty strong here. They obviously want her to be a big deal. She’s got an interesting worldview, and it’s not as crazy as you might think. Her costume is definitely cosplay-friendly. Not quite as much as Harley, but expect to see her around the convention scene.
TITLE: Dead Body Road: Bad Blood #1
AUTHOR: Justin Jordan
ARTISTS: Benjamin Tiesma, Mat Lopes (Colorist), Pat Brosseau (Letterer). Cover by Matteo Scalera & Morena Dinisio.
RELEASED: June 24, 2020
This issue has a strong hook. For yours truly, most of that has to do with our heroine, Bree Hale. We establish her as a small town girl-next-door type. But obviously she has a history that allows her to kick all kinds of ass and escape perilous situations. She’s particularly strong in the climactic sequence as she fights off a sadistic interrogator.
My understanding is this isn’t connected with the previous Dead Body Road mini at all, and that it’s an anthology book like Criminal. So you should be okay coming in cold.
TITLE: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #105
AUTHORS: Sophie Campbell (Script), Kevin Eastman & Tom Waltz (Story Consultants)
ARTISTS: Campbell, Ronda Pattison (Colorist), Shawn Lee (Letterer).
RELEASED: June 24, 2020
There’s a big moment between Raph and Alopex in this issue that leads me to believe we’re headed toward fairly uncharted waters: Romantic interests for the Turtles.
And no, don’t talk about Mitsu in TMNT III. Please.
I’m game for really putting the Teenage in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Especially now that they’re doing this Mutant Town story. Between the Raph/Alopex scene and the concert setting, this issue really does that well. They’ve got a chance to break some new ground here. Let’s hope they take it.
TITLE:TMNT: Jennika #3
AUTHOR: Braham Revel, Ronda Pattison
ARTISTS: Revel, Jodi Nishijima, Pattison (Colorist), Shawn Lee (Letters).
RELEASED: June 24, 2020
I can’t get over how much Braham Revel’s style reminds me of the 2012 Nickelodeon show.
It’s amazing to think how virtually everything The Next Mutation did wrong with Venus di Milo, IDW has done right with Jennika. Although based on how the IDWverse has been put together, we might actually see Venus in the comics at some point.
Bebop and Rocksteady show up here. Why does Rocksteady carry an average-sized sledgehammer? It feels like it should be bigger. Mutant-sized. That, or a giant blaster like on the old cartoon.
TITLE: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #50
AUTHOR: Ryan Parrott
ARTISTS: Daniele Di Nicuolo, Walter Baiamonte (Colorist), Katia Ranalli (Color Assistant), Ed Dukeshire (Letterer). Cover by Jamal Campbell.
RELEASED: June 24, 2020
Ryan Parrott does Rocky, Adam, and Aisha a lot of justice in these books. That’s one of those things that’s expected, but still really nice when you actually see it. Rocky is also sans mullet, which I appreciate.
“Necessary Evil” might have gone a little long. But it was still a story very much worth telling. Well executed too, in terms of both the writing and the visuals.
Definitely a worthy issue #50. And if the cliffhanger at the end is any indication, PR fans are going to want to come back for issue #51.
TITLE: Suicide Squad #6
AUTHOR: Tom Taylor
ARTISTS: Bruno Redondo, Adriano Lucas (Colorist), Wes Abbott (Letterer). Cover by Redondo & Marcelo Maiolo.
RELEASED: June 24, 2020
The humor in this issue is on-point. Especially with Batman doing a guest shot. That’s a high compliment coming from me, as I don’t usually get into Harley-Quinn-style comedy.
We’re teased with a separation of Harley and Deadshot from all the various new characters in the group. That would be interesting, though I expect ultimately a bad move for sales. I’d stick around, though. Again, a pretty high compliment from yours truly.
TITLE: Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #3
AUTHOR: Ethan Sacks
ARTISTS: Paolo Villanelli, Arif Prianto (Colorist), Travis Lanham (Letterer). Cover by Lee Bermejo.
RELEASED: June 24, 2020
Boba Fett is teased for this issue, but doesn’t show. I’m curious as to how much of him we’ll need to see to keep this series afloat as the months go by. That’s not to say characters like Bossk and Valance aren’t appealing. But Boba’s drawing power is obvious at this point. You could easily make the argument for doing a Boba Fett series, much like the Darth Vader one.
I grow a little weary of the story they’re telling about all these hunters having a common target. The target in question simply isn’t that interesting. Not yet, at least.
Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.
Weekly Comic 100s: TMNT, Batman, Superman, and More!
***”Weekly Comic 100s” keeps it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***
By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder
We’re finally caught up on the March 25 releases. But, a special thanks to Jay’s Comics for mailing my books to me as all this Coronavirus madness unfolds.
So yeah, this could be the last “Weekly Comic 100s” for awhile. It will most certainly return once new issues start shipping again. But until then, perhaps you’ll see more deep-dive reviews in its place. Perhaps I’ll simply select some random indie comics to review.
But for now…
TITLE: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Jennika #2 (of 3)
AUTHORS: Braham Revel, Ronda Pattison
ARTISTS: Revel, Megan Huang, Pattison (Colorist), Shawn Lee (Letterer).
RELEASED: March 25, 2020
Poor Jennika gets friend-zoned in this issue. I was shocked. I didn’t know guys could do that. I thought it was just a thing for women…
Are we sure we only want this to be three issues? It seems like between Jennika’s past, and the promise of a mutagen “cure” they could easily stretch this to four or even five issues. But we’ve only got one left. C’mon! This is a new Ninja Turtle we’re talkin’ about! Let’s give this thing some room to breathe!
TITLE: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #104
AUTHORS: Kevin Eastman (Consultant), Tom Waltz (Consultant), Sophie Campbell (Script)
ARTISTS: Campbell, Ronda Pattison (Colors), Shawn Lee (Letterer).
RELEASED: March 25, 2020
When this series started in 2011, they did something really interesting. They made Raphael the long lost brother of the other three Turtles. It opened up a lot of doors for great storytelling. It was over in four issues.
After issue #100 the Turtles were split up again. Not just physically, but very much emotionally. Once again, some great story opportunities. Once again, it’s over in four issues.
What the hell, guys? Yes, we’re shaking up the status quo as it is. But why do that to the Turtles if you’re just going to undo it so quickly?
TITLE: Batman/Superman #8
AUTHOR: Joshua Williamson
ARTISTS: Nick Derington, Dave McCaig (Colorist), John J. Hill (Letterer). Variant cover by Andy Kubert and Brad Anderson.
RELEASED: March 25, 2020
Wait…that’s it? This whole General Zod/Ra’s al Ghul thing is just a two-issue story? Ugh. I need to do a better job reading the solicitations…
I enjoyed last issue’s cliffhanger, with all the miniaturized Kryptonians essentially becoming superpowered killer insects. But the way the whole Bottle City of Kandor thing wrapped up felt rushed and contrived. Even by superhero comic standards. Hopefully this is something they revisit in the future.
Still, if nothing else these issues were worth it for Nick Derington’s art.
TITLE: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #49
AUTHOR: Ryan Parrott
ARTISTS: Daniele Di Nicuolo, Walter Baiamonte (Colorist), Katia Ranalli (Color Assistant), Ed Dukeshire (Letterer). Cover by Jamal Campbell.
RELEASED: March 25, 2020
There’s a two page spread in this issue where all nine of our Rangers morph. Epic. Absolutely epic.
Also, it turns out the Tigerzord is capable of space travel. Reminds me of when the original Megazord had to go underwater…
In this issue we get a fight where Jason and the others pit their Omega Zords against the Blue Omega Zord, piloted by Garrison Vox. I suspect it’s because I’m not as familiar with the Omega Zords, but the whole thing came off like a big colorful blur. And I say that as a huge Daniele Di Nicuolo fan.
TITLE: Detective Comics #1021
AUTHOR: Peter Tomasi
ARTISTS: Brad Walker, Andrew Hennessy (Inker), Brad Anderson (Colorist), Rob Leigh (Letterer). Variant cover by Lee Bermejo.
RELEASED: March 25, 2020
This whole “Two-Face starts a cult/religion” story makes a lot of sense to me. The world is complex, screwed up place. A simple flip-of-the-coin simplifies everything. At least in theory.
Okay…this is something I’ve been struggling to wrap my head around even though it’s been the case for a few years now: Harvey Dent knows Bruce’s secret. But Two-Face doesn’t. I like that idea, and it looks like we’ll be playing with it here.
Still liking this Walker/Hennessy/Anderson team. Looking forward to more.
TITLE: Action Comics #1021
AUTHOR: Brian Michael Bendis
ARTISTS: John Romita Jr., Klaus Janson (Inker), Brad Anderson (Colorist), Dave Sharpe (Letterer). Variant cover by Lucio Parillo.
RELEASED: March 25, 2020
*Checks the solicitations for the next two issues*
Nope. Romita ain’t goin’ away any time soon.
The creative missteps in this book lately aren’t his alone, though. It ties into both Year of the Villain and Event Leviathan. Not to mention Young Justice. So if you don’t come into this story with at least a passing familiarity with those books, you’re pretty much screwed.
Still, I like what they did with the Red Cloud. She may or may not be riding the line between hero and villain as we move forward…
Email Rob at at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.
Weekly Comic 100s: Leviathan Dawn, Star Wars, and More!
***”Weekly Comic 100s” keeps it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***
By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder
Raising a glass to Dan DiDio, who’s gone from DC as of last week.
The way some people are talking about this, you’d think he’d died or something. That’s obviously not the case. But it does feel like the end of an era. DiDio had been with DC for 18 years, starting as a vice president in 2002, then moving up to executive editor in 2004, before becoming co-publisher in 2010.
Coincidentally, 2002 was also the year I started buying comics on a weekly basis. So for yours truly, DiDio is particularly synonymous with DC. I remember reading his old “DC Nation” columns as far back as my college years, God help me.
So here’s to you, good sir. Thank you for the memories.
TITLE: Leviathan Dawn #1
AUTHOR: Brian Michael Bendis
ARTISTS: Alex Maleev, Joshua Reed (Letterer)
RELEASED: February 26, 2020
Despite the reveal of Leviathan’s identity being a letdown, Event Leviathan was a fun read. So I’m happy to see Bendis and Maleev back at it.
This issue sees the reformation of a group longtime DC readers will be familiar with. (The cover makes it pretty obvious.) The lineup is an odd assortment. Not characters you’d expect to see working together. But strange teams often make for compelling books.
The only person I might remove from the group is the Question. He’s better as a lone wolf.
TITLE: Star Wars #3
AUTHOR: Charles Soule
ARTISTS: Jesus Saiz, Arif Prianto (Colorist), Clayton Cowles (Letterer). Cover by R.B. Silva and Guru-eFX.
RELEASED: February 26, 2020
This whole “going back to Cloud City” thing is still really stupid. Not quite as stupid as Luke getting a between-movies lightsaber. But close.
But we do get pretty great scene in this issue. One of our villains, Commander Zahra, reveals that the crew of her Star Destroyer consists of those who lost someone close to them on the Death Star. She frames the destruction of the space station as a massive tragedy caused by an act of cruelty from the other side. It’s much like Leia frames the destruction of Alderaan. It’s a really nice switch in perspective.
TITLE: Detective Comics #1020
AUTHOR: Peter Tomasi
ARTISTS: Brad Walker, Andrew Hennessy (Inker), Brad Anderson (Colorist), Rob Leigh (Letterer). Variant cover by Lee Bermejo.
RELEASED: February 26, 2020
The other night a co-worker of mine, about 22-year-old, sees this cover. She then asks me: “Why does Batman look so fancy?” Oye. Kids…
For yours truly, Brad Walker’s stock is rising. Particularly as a Batman artist. He’s not a favorite of mine, per se. But he’s on his way.
Tomasi is doing a religion-themed story with Two-Face. We don’t get into the meat of it. Just a little scene as the issue ends. But I’m a sucker for that kinda stuff. So I’m anxious to see what the “Church of the Two” is about.
TITLE: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #46
AUTHOR: Ryan Parrott
ARTISTS: Daniele Di Nicuolo. Walter Baiamonte (Colorist). Katia Ranalli (Color Assistant), Ed Dukeshire (Letterer). Cover by Jamal Campbell.
RELEASED: February 26, 2020
In an issue that features the return of the Ranger Slayer (the cover pretty much gave it away) and the Gravezord, a very tense “sparring session” between Tommy and Jason, and a fight in an asteroid field, Zack and Adam steal the show with a single page of heart-to-heart conversation.
Sadly, via his Twitter Daniele Di Nicuolo has announced he’s ending his Power Rangers run soon. That’s a big loss, as he’s arguably the best artists BOOM! has had on this line. Not sure what issue is his last, but #50 seems as opportune a time as any.
TITLE: Action Comics #1020
AUTHOR: Brian Michael Bendis
ARTISTS: John Romita Jr., Klaus Janson (Inker), Brad Anderson (Colorist), Dave Sharpe (Letterer). Variant cover by Lucio Parillo.
Ugh. They dragged Young Justice into this?
Yeah, Action Comics is a little bit of a mess right now. Primarily because Romita is on a cold streak with these last several issues. But also, look at all the heavy hitters we’ve got in this story. The Justice League, the Legion of Doom, Leviathan, and now Young Justice. Metropolis is being decimated. Yet the high stakes aren’t coming across. It almost feels like business as usual. We also have Batman in another big dumb robot suit, which doesn’t help.
But next issue, the fight drags on. And I do mean drags.
TITLE: X-Men/Fantastic Four #2
AUTHOR: Chip Zdarsky
ARTISTS: Terry Dodson, Rachel Dodson with Karl Story and Ransom Getty (Inkers), Laura Martin (Colorist), Joe Caramagna (Letterer).
RELEASED: February 26, 2020
What’s surprising me is how political this book is. Not in a real-world sense. But we’ve got the X-Men on their little island nation of Krakoa, and the fallout that comes from the Fantastic Four “invading.” Then we’ve got Doctor Doom on Latveria, and the risk of starting a war with Krakoa. The scope seems so much bigger than you’d think it would be.
Valera Richards refers to Doctor Doom as Uncle Doom? Well, it’s not like she was ever going to have a normal childhood…
Follow Primary Ignition on Twitter, or email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com.
Weekly Comic 100s: Wonder Woman #750, Guardians of the Galaxy #1, and More!
***”Weekly Comic 100s” keeps it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***
By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder
With the release of Wonder Woman #750, our resident Amazon Princess had a pretty big week. It was a 96-page issue consisting of multiple short stories, filled with A-list talent. Something like that doesn’t exactly lend itself to a 100-word format. So, as we lead off with it here, I’m going to focus on the story that I liked the best, and will hopefully have a sizeable impact on the DCU going forward. It’s titled “A Brave New World.”
TITLE: Wonder Woman #750
AUTHOR (For Our Purposes): Scott Snyder
ARTISTS (For Our Purposes): Bryan Hitch, Mike Spicer (Colorist), Tom Napolitano (Letterer). Cover by Joelle Jones.
RELEASED: January 22, 2020
It’s always surreal to see a real-life US President in a superhero comic book. Having FDR in this book was no exception. What’s more it worked, setting the period well, and helping create the monumental moment they wanted.
This story establishes Diana as the world’s first superhero, an an inspiration for generations. I’m all for establishing more of a firm timeline for the DCU. With the New 52, everything was so vague and uncertain. This is a step up, and gives Wondie a nice notch on her belt. What’s more, it opens up plenty of new story opportunities…
TITLE: Guardians of the Galaxy #1
AUTHOR: Al Ewing
ARTISTS: Juann Cabal, Federico Blee (Colorist) Cory Petit (Letterer)
RELEASED: January 22, 2020
For someone diving into a Guardians book for the first time in awhile, this was a challenge to follow. Lots of talk about the “Kree Civil War,” the “Cancerverse,” etc.
Still, the familial bond between the Guardians, Quill and Rocket specifically, is enough to get you through. Rocket’s more fashionable look is actually pretty cool. He’s almost got a secret agent vibe to him.
Question: What’s up with Gamora’s eyes? Is that just how they’re coloring her now?
TITLE: Batman #87
AUTHOR: James Tynion IV
ARTISTS: Guillem March, Tomeu Morey (Colorist), Clayton Cowles (Letterer). Cover by Tony Daniel.
RELEASED: January 22, 2020
I’ll be honest: I’m not a Guillem March fan. I soured on him when he did the New 52 Catwoman series. So his art took me out of the issue. His Penguin is a little too monsterish for me, and his Riddler was a little too…veiny?
Still, I’m digging this story with all the assassins in Gotham. There’s a definite aura of danger in the air. Cheshire was put over nicely in this issue, despite how things end up for her.
The Bat-books as a whole are also doing a nice job emphasizing Alfred’s absence.
TITLE: American Jesus #2 (of 3)
AUTHOR: Mark Millar
ARTISTS: Peter Gross, Jeanne McGee (Colorist), Cory Petit (Letterer). Cover by Jodie Muir and Matteo Scalera.
RELEASED: January 22, 2020
Ugh. I’ve got to start paying better attention to issue numbering. Three issues? That’s all we’re getting? That sucks. It really sucks. There’s potential for a whole series here. But we’re only going to scratch the surface.
I’ve you’ve seen The Path on Hulu, this issue reminded of that. We get a time jump, and our teenaged would-be Messiah is at the center of a cult housed in a secure compound. But of course, she’s a teenager. So she can’t just stay in the compound.
All I can say is they’d better really stick the landing on this one.
TITLE: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #47
AUTHOR: Ryan Parrott
ARTISTS: Daniele Di Nicuolo, Walter Baiamonte (Colorist), Ed Dukeshire (Letterer). Cover by Jamal Campbell.
RELEASED: January 22, 2020
Awesome cover, with our nine Rangers together. Now that the big secret is out, there’s potential for some really cool moments between the current team and the Omega Rangers. Case in point, we get a pretty cool interaction between Trini and Aisha in this issue.
I’ve become a huge fan of Daniele Di Nicuolo. But in this issue we get the first panel from him that I don’t like. It’s a shot of Tommy sneering at Jason. It’s both ill-executed and I’ll conceived. Tommy doesn’t really sneer, does he? He’s more of a glare guy.
TITLE: Superman #18
AUTHOR: Brian Michael Bendis
ARTISTS: Ivan Reis, Joe Prado (Co-Inker), Danny Miki (Co-Inker), Julio Ferriera (Co-Inker), Oclair Albert (Co-Inker), Alex Sinclair (Colorist), Andworld Design (Letterer)
RELEASED: January 22, 2020
This issue is essentially split in half. The first is dedicated to Superman revealing his identity to the world last issue. The second involves his role in the United Planets. The latter features a pretty awesome fight with Mongul.
I might have to call BS on the public’s reaction to Superman’s “unmasking.” In part, at least. Maybe Bendis simply hasn’t gotten to this point in the story yet, but it feels like there should be more hysteria. Clark’s family and friends being harassed for information, etc. People aren’t so calm about secrets like this. Trust me. I’ve met a few.
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Weekly Comic 100s: Kylo Ren, Doomsday Clock, Batman Finale
By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder
Yeesh. Talk about a loaded week. Big finales, big debuts, and some Star Wars backstory we’ve been waiting years for. And of course, with big issues, come big upticks in pricing. Mostly at DC. They actually had the gall to charge $4.99 for the Tom King Batman finale. Oye.
But next week is largely a throwaway week. (Unless you’re Marvel. Kudos to them.) So I’ll be able to play a little catch up. So next week’s batch will include Family Tree #2, Shazam #9, Star Wars: Empire Ascendant, Batman/Superman #5.
But for now, we’ve got a lot to get to…
TITLE: Star Wars: The Rise of Kylo Ren #1 (of 4)
AUTHOR: Charles Soule
ARTISTS: Will Sliney. GuruFX (Colors). Travis Lanham (Letterer). Cover by Clayton Crain.
RELEASED: December 18, 2019
I was ready to be mad at this issue for giving us stuff we should have gotten in one of the movies. As it turns out, this was benign.
In The Last Jedi, Luke says that after burning down the temple, Ben Solo left with some of his other students. Here, we learn that doesn’t quite mean what it sounds like. We also learn who the Knights of Ren are, which is welcome information.
Not the strongest first issue I’ve ever seen. But the intrigue around what happened to Ben Solo is enough to bring us back for more.
TITLE: Doomsday Clock #12
AUTHOR: Geoff Johns
ARTIST: Gary Frank, Brad Anderson (Colorist), Rob Leigh (Letterer).
RELEASED: December 18, 2019
From the beginning, we’ve known this book has been building toward Superman vs. Doctor Manhattan. A symbol of hope against a symbol of cynicism. The implication being that Superman would ultimately get through to Doc, and bring about a change of heart.
We do get a scene like that in this issue. But it’s so brief, and frankly a little contrived, that it was hardly worth the two years of build-up.
That’s right, folks. Doomsday Clock #1 came out in November 2017. It’s taken us more than two years to get here. Really takes the edge off, doesn’t it?
TITLE: Batman #85
AUTHOR: Tom King
ARTISTS: Mikel Janin, Hugo Petrus, Jordie Bellaire (Colorist), Clayton Cowles (Letterer). Cover by Tony Daniel.
RELEASED: December 19, 2019
Here we have yet another big finale that ends not with a bang, but with a whimper.
Tom King is a good writer. I believe that. But for whatever reason, this “City of Bane” story went on way too long, and he ended up overstaying his welcome on Batman. The truly sad part? There’s a good story in here if you rifle through it, and maybe rearrange some pieces.
On the upside? Mikel Janin’s work on Batman has been consistently great. As far as I’m concerned, he’s welcome back in Gotham any time.
TITLE: American Jesus #1
AUTHOR: Mark Millar
ARTISTS: Peter Gross, Jeanne McGee (Colorist), Cory Petit (Letterer). Cover by McGee and Frank Quitely.
RELEASED: December 18, 2019
A 14-year-old Hispanic girl becomes the modern-day Virgin Mary in a story written by the guy who did books like Kick-Ass and Nemesis? Sure. Sounds harmless enough…
Maybe it’s me, but the art in this book seems a little weird. Like the proportions are just a touch off. It’s minor, just just prominent enough to be noticeable.
There’s a lot of intrigue here, given the sensitive topic and Millar’s penchant for the outlandish. While there’s nothing blasphemous in this issue (at least as far as I can see), I figure it’s just a matter of time.
TITLE: Spider-Man #3 (of 5)
AUTHORS: J.J. Abrams, Henry Abrams
ARTISTS: Sara Pichelli, Elisabetta D’Amico (Inking Assistant), Dave Stewart (Colorist), Joe Caramagna (Letterer). Cover by Olivier Coipel.
RELEASED: December 18, 2019
Tony Stark pops up in this book, and now our story has an Avengers angle to it. That’s disappointing. This is a story about the legacy of Spider-Man, and the strained relationship between a father and son. So why not keep the lens focused on Spidey’s world, and not open things up to the larger Marvel Universe until later? We need to be focusing on Ben right now. Not some wacky take on Tony Stark as an old man.
On the upside, we get further into who Cadaverous is. Good stuff, with Pichelli’s art on point.
TITLE: Suicide Squad #1
AUTHOR: Tom Taylor
ARTISTS: Bruno Redondo, Adriano Lucas (Colorist), Wes Abbott (Letterer). Cover by Ivan Reis.
RELEASED: December 18, 2019
While it lacks the impact and sizzle of a Jim-Lee-drawn debut, this issue has some intrigue to it. We’ve got three mainstays in Deadshot, Harley, and King Shark. But we’ve also got a big group of new characters. They kind of look like what Marv Wolfman and George Perez would produce if asked to produce a modern team of superheroes.
Mind you, some of them are dead when we close the issue. But if even one of them sticks for a decent amount of time, that’s an accomplishment.
TITLE: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #46
AUTHOR: Ryan Parrott
ARTISTS: Daniele Di Nicuolo, Walter Baiamonte (Colorist), Katia Ranalli (Color Assistant), Ed Dukeshire (Letterer). Cover by Jamal Campbell.
RELEASED: December 18, 2019
A few little things I noticed that aren’t out of character per se, but perhaps show how these characters are different in this time period…
– Tommy’s more relaxed demeanor now that they’re seemingly no longer Earth’s last line of defense.
– Kimberly stepping up into more of a leadership role with the three new Rangers.
– Trini’s more sarcastic personality. It’s not how I would write the character, as she’s normally more reserved. But we can chalk it up to her gaining confidence through her experiences as a Power Ranger.
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Weekly Comic 100s: Shazam!, Killadelphia, MMPR
***”Weekly Comic 100s” keeps it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Nothing too in-depth here. Just straight, concise, and to the point.***
***Author’s Note: If I display a variant cover, it’s because I purchased the issue in question with that cover.***
By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder
TITLE: Shazam! #8
AUTHOR: Geoff Johns
ARTISTS: Scott Kolins, Michael Atiyeh (Colorist), Rob Leigh (Letterer). Variant cover by Michael Cho.
RELEASED: November 27, 2019
I’ve always admired the firm grasp Geoff Johns has on the less renowned DC characters like Green Lantern, the Teen Titans, and now Shazam. He can do anything…except get these books to come out on time.
This issue misses Dale Eaglesham, whose pencils have provided the sense of fun, adventure, and fantasy elements that define this book’s identity. Still, Scott Kolins is more than serviceable, especially during the scenes in the undead “Darklands” realm. Michael Atiyeh makes them very interesting from a color contrast standpoint. It’s like this bright red superhero has stepped into an old Universal monster movie.
TITLE: Killadelphia #1
AUTHOR: Rodney Barnes
ARTISTS: Jason Shawn Alexander, LuisNCT (Colorist), Marshall Dillon (Letterer)
RELEASED: November 27, 2019
I mean, c’mon. The title alone makes this worth a look.
If you’re into the stuff Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips do, you’ll like Killadelphia. Or at least this first issue. It’s got a great pulp-noir-meets-horror feel. A second generation cop investigates the most bizarre case his famous father ever worked. What he uncovers is, as the book itself puts it, “There are vampires in Philadelphia.”
Best page in the book? When our main character opens a door, sees a bunch of vampires hanging from the ceiling, and runs away in terror when they give chase…
TITLE: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #45
AUTHOR: Ryan Parrott
ARTISTS: Daniele Di Nicuolo, Walter Baiamonte (Colorist), Katia Ranalli & Igor Monti (Color Assistants), Ed Dukeshire (Letterer). Cover by Jamal Campbell.
RELEASED: November 27, 2019
“Necessary Evil” progresses nicely with a great “heel turn” this month. Parrott and Di Nicuolo are usually my guys as far as PR comics go. But one particular moment felt wrong…
There’s a scene where Zordon, talking to the Red Omega Ranger (Does he know it’s Jason?), says that Lord Zedd is formidable, yet “an adversary I was confident that they could handle.” While I’m sure this isn’t how Parrott meant this, that makes it sound like Zordon considers Zedd more of a nuisance than a threat. Didn’t he originally describe Zedd’s arrival as “the thing I have feared most”?
TITLE: Action Comics #1017
AUTHOR: Brian Michael Bendis
ARTISTS: John Romita Jr., Klaus Janson (Inker), Brad Anderson (Colorist), Dave Sharpe (Letterer)
RELEASED: November 27, 2019
On page one, panel one, we get a big dumb Batman robot suit. For me, that’s about the worst way to start an issue of anything.
This issue does a nice job forwarding the “Invisible Mafia” story as it crosses over with the “Year of the Villain” stuff. It looks like we’ve got a big Justice League vs. Legion of Doom fight coming at us next time.
Justice League hasn’t been on my pull list since “YOTV” started. *sigh* I suppose I should probably catch up if I’m going to fully grasp what’s happening with Lex and the gang.
TITLE: Detective Comics #1016
AUTHOR: Peter Tomasi
ARTISTS: Doug Mahnke, Tyler Kirkham (Co-Penciller and Co-Inker), Christian Alamy (Co-Inker), Keith Champagne (Co-Inker), Mark Irwin (Co-Inker), David Baron, (Colorist), Rob Leigh (Letterer)
RELEASED: November 27, 2019
Ugh. There’s another stupid modified Batsuit in this issue. What happened to the Hellbat armor Tomasi used in Batman & Robin and Superman? Wouldn’t a modified version have worked here?
Bad costume notwithstanding, I love the way this Victor/Nora story ends. “A vicious circle,” as Batman calls it. Tomasi also works in an amazing callback to a New 52 event. Continuity, ladies and gentlemen. Use it well, and it’ll do wonders for you.
This story leaves Mr. Freeze’s status quo dramatically altered. Now it’s just a question of how long DC keeps it that way.
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