Tag Joshua Williamson

A Superman #1 Micro-Review – Lex on the Brain

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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.***

Superman 1, cover, February 2023, Jamal CampbellTITLE: Superman #1
AUTHOR: Joshua Williamson
ARTISTS: Jamal Campbell, Ariana Maher (Letterer)
RELEASED: February 21, 2023

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

This is about as good a way as any to start a new Superman series. We set up our fresh status quo, which includes Lois Lane becoming the new editor-in-chief of The Daily Planet.  Williamson and Campbell also do a nice job setting a brighter, more hopeful tone, which should be synonymous with a Superman book. We even manage to get by with minimal Batman references! (Just one!)

Has there been a story like this in recent memory where Lex Luthor was “inside” Superman’s head, trying to influence him? If there has been, I can’t remember it…

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

Batman – One Bad Day: Bane #1 Micro-Review – Doing Your Homework

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 One Bad Day Bane 1, cover, January 2023, Howard Porter, Tomeu MoreyTITLE: Batman – One Bad Day: Bane #1
AUTHOR: Joshua Williamson
ARTISTS: Howard Porter, Tomeu Morey (Colorist), Steve Wands (Letterer)
RELEASED: January 17, 2023

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

This story follows up on a classic Denny O’Neil story from the ’90s called “Venom.” I’ve had my issues with Williamson in recent months over Dark Crisis. But I’ve got to hand it to him on this one. He did his homework, and it paid off.

I was confused by something, though. There’s a villain in here called Grudge, and the story acts like we should know who he is. To the best of my recollection, I’ve never seen him before…

Somebody in this issue says, “No amount of venom can ever fix stupid.”

Words to live by, perhaps?

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

An Action Comics #1050 Micro-Review – Back to Normal

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.***

Action Comics 1050, cover, December 2022, Steve BeachTITLE: Action Comics #1050
AUTHORS: Philip Kennedy Johnson, Tom Taylor, Joshua Williamson
ARTISTS: Mike Perkins, Clayton Henry, Nick Dragotta, Frank Martin (Colorist), Dave Sharpe (Letterer). Cover by Steve Beach.
RELEASED: December 27, 2022

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

This issue undoes what might have been the biggest longterm effect of Brian Michael Bendis’ work with Superman’s world. It’s not necessarily surprising, as we pretty much knew it wasn’t going to last anyway. In effect, things are back to normal for Superman and Clark Kent.

Perry White has a minor stroke/heart episode in this issue. It makes you wonder, if Perry is so old and frail, how is he able to run The Daily Planet? As someone who’s worked as a journalist, if you think that’s not a stressful job, think again.

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

Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #7 Micro-Review – The Upside of a Flop

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 7, cover, December 2022, Daniel SampereTITLE: Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #7 (of 7)
AUTHOR: Joshua Williamson
ARTISTS: Various. Cover by Daniel Sampere & Alejandro Sanchez.

RELEASED: December 20, 2022

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

Dark Crisis barely stands on its own, much less as a sequel to Crisis on Infinite Earths. Issue #7 does nothing to sway my opinion in that respect. With due respect to Joshua Williamson, who usually turns in quality work, this one was a flop.

But let’s talk in the positive and not the negative. What did I like about Dark Crisis? A few things…

– The art by Daniel Sampere and Alejandro Sanchez has consistently been a treat.
– The cosmic ramifications that we (eventually…) got to.
– The emphasis on the Titans, who are too often put on the backburner.

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

Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #6 Micro-Review – Checked Out

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.***

Dartk Crisis on Infinite Earths 6, cover, 2022, Daniel Sampere, Alejandro SanchezTITLE: Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #6 (of 7)
AUTHOR: Joshua Williamson
ARTISTS: Daniel Sampere, Rafa Sandoval (Layouts), Alejandro Sanchez (Colorist), Troy Peteri (Letterer)

RELEASED: November 8, 2022

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

I hate to say it, but I’ve pretty much checked out of Dark Crisis at this point. The book has simply lacked tension or grip. It might have made for a mildly compelling storyline in the pages of a Justice League series. But a sequel to Crisis on Infinite Earths? No. Just no.

One of the real shames here is that, while the writing has been a let-down, the art has largely been spectacular. I can’t find many, if any, bad things to say about the performance Daniel Sampere and Alejandro Sanchez have turned in.

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

A Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #5 Micro-Review – “We’re the Titans!”

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 on Infinite Earths 5, cover, 2022, Daniel Sampere, Alejandro SanchezTITLE: Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #5
AUTHOR: Joshua Williamson
ARTISTS: Daniel Sampere, Alejandro Sanchez (Colorist), Tom Napolitano (Letterer)

RELEASED: October 4, 2022

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

The momentum from last issue continues here, as this finally starts to feel like a Crisis-level story with world-shattering implications. But it’s too little, too late at this point. If Dark Crisis had this level of tension and energy at the beginning, that would have been one thing…

This issue does include a really nice rallying moment for Nightwing and the Titans, though…

“You are not the Justice League!”

“We never were…we’re the Titans!”

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

A Batman vs. Robin #1 Micro-Review – Unprepared For Class

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 vs Robin 1, cover, 2022, Mahmud Asrar, Nathan FairbairnTITLE: Batman vs. Robin #1
AUTHOR: Mark Waid
ARTISTS: Mahmud Asrar, Jordie Bellaire (Colorist), Steve Wands (Letterer). Cover by Asrar & Nathan Fairbairn.
RELEASED: September 13, 2022

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

I feel a little bit unprepared for class on this one, like finishing Joshua Williamson’s Robin series would have been helpful coming into Batman vs. Robin. But nonetheless, newcomers are in fairly good hands with Mark Waid.

Tim Hunter accompanies Damian in his fight against his father. The fight takes them to the Batcave, and Hunter uses a bunch of empty Batman and Robin costumes against the Dark Knight. I loved that.

So…is Alfred back now? Yes? Please?

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 Dark Crisis #3 Micro-Review – Longing For Doom

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.***

TITLE: Dark Crisis #3
AUTHOR: Joshua Williamson
ARTISTS: Daniel Sampere, Alejandro Sanchez (Colorist), Tom Napolitano (Letterer)
INKERS: Sampere, Daniel Henriques, Danny Miki
RELEASED: August 2, 2022

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

Three issues in, and Dark Crisis still hasn’t quite found its legs. What we’re missing is that sense of impending doom that’s so prevalent in a lot of the great event comics from the big two. It’s certainly prevalent in all of DC’s Crisis stories.

There’s a sense of disorganization to Dark Crisis that doesn’t do it any favors. I understand that some of that is the nature of the story they’re telling. But the fact that DC is renaming the series Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths makes me wonder how much of this is being adjusted on the go…

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.