Tag Deathstroke

A Deathstroke Inc. #15 Micro-Review – Year’s End

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***This is where we keep it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***

TITLE: Deathstroke Inc. #15
AUTHOR: Ed Brisson
ARTISTS: Dexter Soy, Veronica Gandini (Colorist), Steve Wands (Letterer). Cover by Mikel Janin.

RELEASED: November 22, 2022

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

“Deathstroke: Year One” ends with an issue that accents the friendship between Slade and Wintergreen. One might compare them to Batman and Alfred. But their dynamic, at least as it’s shown here, is much more about two friends as opposed to surrogate parenthood.

Cool to see Mikel Janin draw Grant and Rose Wilson, as we see on the cover. Though they don’t appear in the issue, which means I have to take a few points off…

This “Year One” story has easily been the highlight of Deathstroke Inc. I’m curious to see where it goes next, particularly after Dark Crisis.

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

A Deathstroke Inc. #14 Micro-Review – A Bad Man

Rob Siebert Leave a comment

***This is where we keep it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***

Deathstroke Inc 14, cover, 2022, Mikel JaninTITLE: Deathstroke Inc. #14
AUTHOR: Ed Brisson
ARTISTS: Dexter Soy, Veronica Gandini (Colorist), Steve Wands (Letterer). Cover by Mikel Janin.

RELEASED: October 25, 2022

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

At the risk of using an extremely tired term, this issue is pretty badass. Once again, Brisson does a fine job of balancing between Slade the villain and Slade the anti-hero. Make no mistake, this is a bad man right here.

We get a decent amount of carnage in this issue. Soy and Gandini had a good amount of blood to draw…

I’m curious to see where things go in a couple months, after this “Year One” story has wrapped up. It’s been so good that it may be hard to come back to the present day.

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

A Deathstroke Inc. #13 Micro-Review – A Villain and a Hero

Rob Siebert Leave a comment

***This is where we keep it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***

Deathstroke Inc 13, cover, 2022, Mikel JaninTITLE: Deathstroke Inc. #13
AUTHOR: Ed Brisson
ARTISTS: Dexter Soy, Veronica Gandini, Steve Wands (Letterer). Cover by Mikel Janin.

RELEASED: September 27, 2022

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

Ed Brisson has done a great job keeping Slade a villain, despite him being the hero of this story.

Certain portions of the “Deathstroke: Year One” arc are tough for me to read as a dad. Case in point, the scene in this issue where Slade learns he’s going to be a father a second time. In that sense, Deathstroke’s origin story is a tragic one.

On the flip side, this issue really endeared the character of Wintergreen to me. Strictly speaking, he’s a criminal. But he’s also a damn good friend to Slade. Better than Slade deserves, actually.

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

A Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #4 Micro-Review – Where’s Our Big Bad?

Rob Siebert 1 Comment

***This is where we keep it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***

Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths 4, cover, 2022, Daniel Sampere, Alejandro SanchezTITLE: Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #4 (of 7)
AUTHOR: Joshua Williamson
ARTISTS: Daniel Sampere, Alejandro Sanchez (Colorist), Tom Napolitano (Letterer)
RELEASED: September 6, 2022

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

Things ramp up a little bit this month. But by and large, my complaints about Dark Crisis still stand. I’m still waiting for this to feel like a Crisis-worthy event.

I’m wondering how much of that has to do with our villain choices. Right now we’ve got Pariah and Deathstroke working for something called the “Great Darkness,” which is a fairly vague concept. Did I miss some kind of required reading before Dark Crisis?

Maybe what we’re missing here is a big bad. Somebody like the Anti-Monitor or Darkseid.

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

A Deathstroke Inc. #12 Micro-Review – Missing Green Arrow

Rob Siebert Leave a comment

***This is where we keep it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***

Deathstroke Inc 12, cover, 2022, Mikel JaninTITLE: Deathstroke Inc. #12
AUTHOR: Ed Brisson
ARTISTS: Dexter Soy, Veronica Gandini (Colorist), Steve Wands (Letterer). Cover by Mikel Janin.
RELEASED: August 23, 2022

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

This issue made me realize just how much I miss Green Arrow in an ongoing series…

It’s not necessarily easy to make the Emerald Archer look tough, especially when he’s sporting the Robin Hood hat. But Brisson, Soy, and this team manage to pull it off, giving us a pretty cool fight between Ollie and Slade. If this issue is any indicator, I wouldn’t mind giving them said Green Arrow ongoing series.

I buy this issue as the start of Ollie and Slade’s rivalry. In that sense, it very much accomplishes its goal.

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

A Dark Crisis: Young Justice #3 Micro-Review – The Goggle Conflict

Rob Siebert Leave a comment

***This is where we keep it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***

Dark Crisis Young Justice 3, cover, 2022, Max Dunbar, Luis GuerreroTITLE: Dark Crisis: Young Justice #3
AUTHOR: Meghan Fitzmartin
ARTISTS: Laura Braga, Luis Guerrero (Colorist), Pat Brosseau (Letterer). Cover by Max Dunbar & Guerrero.
RELEASED: August 16, 2022

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

This issue, and this story at large, is unabashed in its appreciation for all things DC in the ’90s and early to mid-2000s. And it’s a treat to see Braga and Guerrero draw things as they were back then. Especially once we get to the final page…

I can’t decide whether I dislike ’90s Wonder Girl’s goggles, or love them for just how hokey they are.

I think I’m enjoying this book more than the main Dark Crisis one. For nostalgia purposes, as well as the pure quality of the writing and art.

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

A Deathstroke Inc #11 Micro-Review – Less Fantasy, More Tears

Rob Siebert Leave a comment

***This is where we keep it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***

Deathstroke Inc 11, cover, 2022, Mikel JaninTITLE: Deathstroke Inc. #11
AUTHOR: Ed Brisson
ARTISTS: Dexter Soy, Veronica Gandini (Colorist), Steve Wands (Letterer). Cover by Mikel Janin.
RELEASED: July 26, 2022

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

This series is a hell of a lot more grounded than when I last left it. Much more personal too. Gone are the more fantastical elements that defined this series at the start. In their place are often heavier scenes, a la Slade looking into the eyes of his crying child.

This “Year One” story is a bit more palatable for yours truly. Less to take in all at once when you open the issue. Plus, these Mikel Janin covers are epic.

There’s a pretty cool showdown teased for next issue. For now, Deathstroke Inc. has me hooked back in.

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

A Dark Crisis #2 Micro-Review – Conflict De-Escalation

Rob Siebert Leave a comment

***This is where we keep it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***

Dark Crisis 2, cover, 2022, Daniel SampereTITLE: Dark Crisis #2
AUTHOR: Joshua Williamson
ARTISTS: Daniel Sampere, Alejandro Sanchez (Colorist), Tom Napolitano (Letterer)

RELEASED: July 5, 2022

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

The idea with an event comic is that the threat continues to escalate throughout the story, right? And you build to the big climax toward the end. Dark Crisis #2, on the other hand, seems to de-escalate the conflict and end on a premature note of hope for the heroes. That’s an odd choice for a book like this.

I appreciate the incorporation of the Teen Titans Academy into the proceedings. I maintain that book was cancelled way too soon.

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

A Batman #123 Micro-Review – An Easy Transition

Rob Siebert Leave a comment

***This is where we keep it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***

Batman 123, cover, 2022, Howard PorterTITLE: Batman #123
AUTHOR: Joshua Williamson
ARTISTS: Howard Porter, Trevor Hairsine, Tomeu Morey (Colorist), Rain Beredo (Colorist), Clayton Cowles (Letterer), Willie Schubert (Letterer)

RELEASED: May 3, 2022

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

I was able to follow this issue fairly easily, despite not having read the two “Shadow War” issues that came after Batman #122. That kind of thing is always appreciated.

Still, for my money the back-up story by Williamson and Trevor Hairsine stole the issue. Taking place in the past, it sees Batman mix it up with Deathstroke and the Joker, as a bounty looms over Robin’s head. Hairsine renders the classic Robin costume very well, albeit briefly.

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

A Shadow War: Alpha #1 Micro-Review – Batman Said What?!?

Rob Siebert Leave a comment

***This is where we keep it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***

Shadow War Alpha 1, cover, 2022, Jonboy MeyersTITLE: Shadow War: Alpha #1
AUTHOR: Joshua Williamson
ARTISTS: Viktor Bogdanovic, Daniel Henriques (Co-Inker), Mike Spicer (Colorist), Troy Peteri (Letterer). Cover by Jonboy Meyers.

RELEASED: March 30, 2022

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

This issue was coming along just fine, until we came to a total clunker of a line that’s given to Batman.

Out of what feels like the clear blue sky, Batman tells Damian that he could have prevented Alfred’s murder had he been there. Damian, of course, was there, and was unable to stop it. Granted, father and son are in a heated exchange when this line comes out. But it still feels needlessly harsh, and shoehorned in as a cheap way to manufacture drama. Bad form.

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.