By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder
Blood coming from the eye socket. *shudders* I don’t even want to think about it.
Eyes inherently draw attention as it is. But then to have the blood underneath, along with the vascularity of the eyeball, adds that much more of a scare factor to this cover by Szymon Kudranski.
And did I mention the hooded murderer? Because he’s important too.
Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.
By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder
The title for this edition of “Toy Chest Theater” was originally going to be, “Motivation For Cardio.” A fair enough title, right?
But then I noticed John O’Neill had the perfect name in his caption for this image: “100m Slash.” That’s, objectively, a better title.
Incidentally, I was sorry to hear that Halloween Ends apparently sucked so badly. But in hindsight, was anyone really calling for the Halloween franchise to end? It just goes to show that, like these slashers themselves, some things are just meant to live on and on and on…
Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.
***This is where we keep it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***
TITLE: Blood Oath #1
AUTHORS: Rob Hart, Alex Segura
ARTISTS: Joe Eisma, Hilary Jenkins (Colorist), Jim Campbell (Letterer)
RELEASED: August 30, 2022
By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder
Prohibition era elements mixed with bloody horror elements. Not necessarily a combination you see every day. But thus far, the results have been intriguing. I’m curious to see what comes next.
If you like bad ass heroines in your sequential art, Blood Oath won’t disappoint you. Hazel is bold, capable, and strong in an era where women weren’t supposed to be any of those things. And of course, the fact that she’s about to start shredding up monsters doesn’t hurt either.
Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.
***”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
So can we all just stop with this “The Walking Dead comics are over” thing?
Negan Lives!, Robert Kirkman’s commendable attempt to drive readers back into comic shops came out this week. The Walking Dead #173, the “final” issue of the series, came out almost a year ago to the day. So they barely made it through another 12 months before coming back to the well. Mind you, no one could have predicted COVID-19. But my point still stands: The Walking Dead is not done. There’s too much money on the table, there’s still fan interest, and most importantly, the creators clearly still love doing it.
It might not come back as a monthly series. There might be years at a time where we don’t see it. But mark my words, The Walking Dead will rise again.
For the record, that’s not a bad thing. It’s a very, very good thing.
TITLE: Negan Lives!
AUTHOR: Robert Kirkman
ARTISTS: Charlie Adlard, Cliff Rathburn (Gray Tones), Rus Wooton (Letterer).
RELEASED: July 1, 2020
Negan Lives! is pretty much what you want it to be: A return to the Negan character, with the door left open for more stories. It’s a fun time, but nothing shocking enough to wake the dead.
For better or worse, this return to form did make me realize how much I miss The Walking Dead. All the more reason to cut the BS and bring it back, already.
TITLE: Ghostbusters: Year One #4
AUTHOR: Erik Burnham
ARTIST: Dan Shoening, Luis Delgado (Colorist), Neil Uyetake (Letterer)
RELEASED: July 1, 2020
This issue gave me the warm fuzzies for Harold Ramis. I suspect that sentimental factor is partially why they saved Egon for last.
Ghostbusters: Year One ends on an open-ended note related to Egon. As this book is meant to be a prelude of sorts to Ghostbusters: Afterlife, I’m wondering if this leads into something in the movie. On the other hand, it could be another Burnham/Schoening comic. Either way, the fans win.
TITLE: Devil’s Highway #1
AUTHOR: Benjamin Percy
ARTISTS: Brent Schoonover, Nick Filardi (Colorist), Sal Cipriano (Letterer)
RELEASED: July 1, 2020
Like Dead Body Road last week, the success of Devil’s Highway largely hinges on the likability of its female protagonist. In that sense, it’s successful. But thus far the book doesn’t have much else going for it in terms of uniqueness. It’s a standard horror story, with art that’s not particularly memorable.
I’ve been a fan of much of what AWA Studios – Upshot has been putting out lately. But I can’t say Devil’s Highway will be a high priority for me going forward.
TITLE: I Can Sell You A Body #4
AUTHOR: Ryan Ferrier
ARTISTS: George Kambadais, Ferrier (Letterer)
RELEASED: July 1, 2020
I’m not sure how I expected this book to end. But I enjoyed what they did. Denny and Henrietta don’t get a textbook happy ending. But they don’t get a tragic one either. They wind up in a fun middle-ground.
All in all, I’d call this book an overachiever. It managed to be both intriguing and funny. Moreover, it’s memorable. It stays with you after you close an issue. I’ll be keeping an eye out for both Ferrier and Kambadais going forward.
TITLE: Batman: The Adventures Continue #7
AUTHOR: Alan Burnett, Paul Dini
ARTISTS: Ty Templeton, Monica Cubina (Colorist), Joshua Reed (Letterer). Cover by James Harren.
RELEASED: July 2, 2020
This one is a mixed bag. I appreciated the different sort of way Azrael was introduced, the way Catwoman was involved, and that they let him have his original costume before putting him in the Knightfall Batman suit. But I’m not so much a fan of how the suit is created in the DCAU. It’s almost done as an afterthought. Or worse, something they did just to sell toys.
And in all fairness, maybe that’s why they did do it.
TITLE: That Texas Blood #1
AUTHOR: Chris Condon
ARTIST: Jacob Phillips
RELEASED: June 24, 2020
Think Criminal meets early Southern Bastards. Then you’ve got a decent idea of what That Texas Blood is all about. At least at this juncture.
Solicited as a “neo-Western crime series,” the issue has a certain southern-fried charm to it. Case in point, our main character, 70-year-old Sheriff Joe Coates, is trying to retrieve his wife’s casserole dish when he stumbles into trouble. Coates has a simple likability that should balance well with the violence that’s sure to ensue in the coming pages.
Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.
***”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
No comic shop for me this week. These were strictly digital purchases. Thank God for Comixology.The irony in all of this is that it feels like the prologue for a story you’d read in a comic book…
TITLE: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #4 (of 5)
AUTHOR: Ryan Parrott
ARTISTS: Simone di Meo, Alessio Zonno, Walter Baiamonte (Colorist), Igor Monti (Color Assistant), Ed Dukeshire (Letterer). Cover by Dan Mora.
RELEASED: March 18, 2020
You knew it was inevitable. You can’t have this story without somehow getting the Turtles into Ranger costumes. That being said those outfits are pretty goofy. Granted, the premise itself is goofy. And they look about as good as they were ever going to. But even by Power Ranger/Ninja Turtle standards…goofy as hell.
As I’ve said previously, pretty paint-by-numbers team-up stuff here. The TMNT characters do Power Rangers stuff, and vice versa. Shredder and Rita are still the best part. I’m guessing they’re already planning on a sequel, as we get a pretty obvious hint.
TITLE: Go Go Power Rangers #30
AUTHOR: Ryan Parrott, Sina Grace
ARTISTS: Francesco Mortarino, Raul Angulo (Colorist), Ed Dukeshire (Letterer). Cover by Eleonora Carlini.
RELEASED: March 11, 2020
A solid issue. But why is Finster creating monsters for Zedd? On the show he was pretty much on the shelf until Rita came back. Why isn’t Zedd just doing it himself?
I’m liking these Goldar, Squatt, and Baboo scenes we’ve been getting in both the main book and in Go Go. It brings back fond memories from season one.
As we move closer to the end (*sniff*), I can only assume Rocky, Adam, and Aisha will pop up soon. If for nothing else than a cameo in the final issue.
TITLE: Spider-Woman #1
AUTHOR: Karla Pacheco
ARTISTS: Pere Perez, Paulo Siqueira, Oren Junior (Inker), Frank D’Armata (Colorist), Travis Lanham (Letterer). Cover by Junggeun Yoon.
RELEASED: March 18, 2020
I’ve never read Karla Pacheco before. But in this book I’m getting a Bendis type vibe from her. That’s not a bad thing. As I recall, Bendis did alright in the Spider-Verse…
Our main story is about Jessica fighting a mysterious illness as she’s trying to protect a rich socialite from being kidnapped. It’s a lot of fun, though I’m partial to the back-up, which goes into how she got the job, and why she’s wearing a different costume for it. Why? Because she goes to a store called “Big Ronnie’s Custom Battle Spandex.”
That. Is. Brilliant.
TITLE: BANG! #2
AUTHOR: Matt Kindt
ARTISTS: Wilfredo Torres, Nayoung Kim (Colorist), Nate Piekos (Letterer)
RELEASED: March 18, 2020
BANG! was definitely the most fun book in my stack this week. What we have here is a series that isn’t afraid to revel in action movie tropes and cliches. But beneath the surface there’s something more serious with a lot of intrigue. I’ve officially got high hopes.
This month we meet a new hero, John Shaw, who’s looks like he’s based off John McClane. He gets in the middle of a massacre on a speeding train masterminded by a would-be Bond villain with a disfigured face and a speech impediment shamelessly played for laughs. Yup. I’m all in.
TITLE: Batman #91
AUTHOR: James Tynion IV
ARTISTS: Rafael Albuquerque, Jorge Jimenez, Carlo Pagulayan, Danny Miki, Tomeu Morey (Colorist), Clayton Cowles (Letterer)
RELEASED: March 18, 2020
Amidst all the chaos in this issue, the most interesting exchange is between Batman and Deathstroke. Our hero talks about the stakes in his war on crime constantly being raised. He’s almost pleading with Slade, saying that “you people,” i.e. supervillains, need to step aside so he can save Gotham.
Deathstroke gives the correct response, which is ,”You escalated first.”
This is an interesting scene to juxtapose with everything happening with the Designer, the Joker, Catwoman, etc.
We’re six issues into Tynion’s run, and Batman is still firing on all cylinders. Lord knows, I’m still along for the ride…
TITLE: Something is Killing the Children #6
AUTHOR: James Tynion IV
ARTISTS: Werther Dell’Edera, Miquel Muerto (Colorist), Andworld Design (Letters)
RELEASED: March 18, 2020
As we close this issue we get another glimpse of “the Order,” a bunch of folks in suits who all wear bandanas like Erica. I nice, cryptic little scene with a little glimpse into Erica’s past.
They did a nice job of spreading the layouts over two pages this month. The panels go left to right, then down, then left and right, almost like words in a paragraph. It’s not necessarily a rare thing. But I really dug the execution here.
TITLE: Marvels X #3
AUTHORS: Alex Ross, Jim Krueger
ARTISTS: Well-Bee, Cory Petit (Letterer). Cover by Ross.
RELEASED: March 18, 2020
There’s a line in here about Reed Richards being blamed for a global pandemic. That one hits home right about now…
They apparently felt the need to re-emphasize David’s importance. They hammer the whole “He could save us all!” thing home so much in this issue it becomes grating. I would also argue David’s plucky fanboy shtick is getting old.
Still, a fairly enjoyable outing. Well-Bee draws a hell of a Spider-Man. I also noticed the touch of gray he added to Peter Parker’s hair. Ironically, it makes him look like Reed Richards.
TITLE: Hotell #1 (of 4)
AUTHOR: John Lees
ARTISTS: Dalibor Talajic, Lee Loughridge (Colorist), Sal Cipriano (Letterer). Cover by Kaare Andrews
RELEASED: March 18, 2020
Hotell feels like a horror book with self-contained stories, a la Tales From the Crypt or The Twilight Zone. I’m not quite sure if that’s what it’ll end up being, especially with only four issues. But that’s what it feels like.
While it tends to suffer from the kind of awkward dialogue you often get in newer indie comics, Hotell surprised me with its ability to create a genuine sense of fear and dread that few comics do. If this is your cup of tea, I highly recommend it.
But be warned. It earns its Mature rating in spades.
TITLE: Star Wars #4
AUTHOR: Charles Soule
ARTISTS: Jesus Saiz, Arif Prianto & Rachelle Rosenburg (Colorists), Clayton Cowles (Letterer). Cover by R.B. Silva and Guru-eFX.
RELEASED: March 18, 2020
In regard to Luke, Leia, and Lando returning to Bespin, the solicitation for this issue tells us, “Things did not go well for the trio the last time they visited this place.”
You mean a few days ago? Hell, Luke is basically wearing the same clothes. Because for some reason the heroes in this book are complete idiots.
Luke digs through mountains of garbage to find his lightsaber. Leia has gotten herself frozen. But don’t worry! If you’ve only been frozen for a little while, you can be thawed out and be completely alert with no side effects!
Friggin’ stupid.
Follow Primary Ignition on Twitter, or email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com.
By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder
I don’t do horror very much. Nothing against it. Just isn’t my thing. Still, the overlap with the world of comic books is rather obvious. So it makes sense that they’d land in this space.
It makes even more sense when you see that the amazing Jeremy Hale does quite a bit of work with horror action figures. Case in point, the images you see here, which are among my favorites in his portfolio…
Hill has a tendency to photograph his figures with woodsy dioramas. When paired with the right lighting, it creates a deliciously ominous vibe. As always, my standard for great action figure photography is that, at least for a brief moment, it makes you forget you’re looking at a toy. All three of these images accomplish that.
What is it about water? With the right figure(s), the right lighting, and the right photographer, it can turn a strictly decent image into a great one. That’s the case with Jason and Pennywise here. Particularly in Jason’s case, as he’s got the lake in his origin story. Plus, the shot almost brings the viewer into the scene as his next victim…
More of Jeremy Hale’s work can be found on ActionFigureFriday.com, as well as his Instagram.
Follow Primary Ignition on Twitter, or email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com.
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