Tag Matteo Scalera

Batman – One Bad Day: Mr. Freeze #1 Micro-Review – One Fundamental Flaw

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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.***

Batman One Bad Day Mr. Freeze 1, cover, 2022, Matteo Scalera, Dave Stewart, Mr. FreezeTITLE: Batman – One Bad Day: Mr. Freeze #1
AUTHOR: Gerry Duggan
ARTISTS: Matteo Scalera, Dave Stewart (Colorist), Deron Bennett (Letterer)

RELEASED: November 15, 2022

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

My big issue with this…uh, issue, is that it paints Victor Fries as a bad apple even before the accident with his wife that turned him into Mr. Freeze. That waters down the tragedy element that makes the Mr. Freeze origin story so heart-breaking. The issue is otherwise well written and beautifully drawn. But it’s got that one fundamental flaw that drags it down.

On the upside, the story provides a nice glimpse into the kind heart of Dick Grayson, who is still Robin in this story.

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

Weekly Comic 100s: Power Rangers #5

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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.***

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

TITLE: Power Rangers #5
AUTHOR: Ryan Parrott
ARTISTS: Francesco Mortarino, Raul Angulo (Colorist), Jose Enrique Fernandez (Color Assistant), Ed Dukeshire (Letterer). Cover by Matteo Scalera.
RELEASED: March 24, 2021

I was thrilled at the tail end of issue #4 to see the planet Onyx, and I’m even more thrilled to see it explored more here. In Power Rangers in Space, the Onyx Tavern was more or less the franchise’s equivalent of the Mos Eisley Cantina.

This is a good issue for in Space fans, as we can clearly see Ecliptor on the cover. And he’s not the only familiar character inside. Once again, different characters from different eras are colliding in the pages of Power Rangers comics. As a fan, it’s really cool to see.

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

Weekly Comic 100s: Batman, Bendis’ Superman Finale, Spider-Man, and More!

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***”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: Batman: The Adventures Continue #16
AUTHORS: Alan Burnett, Paul Dini
ARTISTS: Ty Templeton, Monica Cubina (Colorist), Josh Reed (Letterer). Cover by Mirka Andolfo.
RELEASED: December 18, 2020

This issue and issue #15 are weird in that they essentially repeat a story from the New Batman Adventures episode “Double Talk.” Arnold Wesker, the Ventriloquist, tries to reform and ultimately fails. That’s a really strange thing to have happen, as these guys obviously worked on the old shows as well…

This story seems primarily like an excuse to put Harley and Ivy together. On the upside, we get a cool villain Christmas party at the Iceberg Lounge with plenty of cameos. Including, oddly enough, a panel where Captain Boomerang and Roxy Rocket are making out.

TITLE: Superman #28
AUTHOR: Brian Michael Bendis
ARTISTS: Ivan Reis, Danny Miki (Inker), Alex Sinclair (Colorist), Dave Sharpe (Letterer). Variant cover by Kael Ngu.
RELEASED: December 15, 2020

I’d love to know when Bendis’ run on the Superman books was originally supposed to end. Or if they even had an endpoint in mind. In the grand scheme of things, this feels like a fairly abrupt finale. But at the end of the day, Bendis did right by Superman. That’s more than a lot of writers can say. I respect him that much more for that.

Reis and the artistic team did too. There’s a beautiful panel in here of Lois looking lovingly at her husband. Amongst all the space alien grandeur in this issue, it’s an unlikely highlight.

TITLE: Power Rangers #2
AUTHOR: Ryan Parrott
ARTISTS: Francesco Mortarino, Raul Angulo (Colorist), Ed Dukeshire (Letterer). Cover by Matteo Scalera & Moreno Dinisio.
RELEASED: December 16, 2020

A neat issue, conceptually. Jason, Zack, and Trini against a bunch of space vampires. But this series is having trouble holding my attention even earlier than I anticipated. The foundations of a good book are there, but I think Power Rangers needs a stronger hook. Here’s hoping this book can up its game in a big way soon.

There’s a pretty cool splash page early in this issue. It’s just Jason posing with a sword. But between the pose, the framing, and the lighting, it’s got an epic feel to it that works really well.

TITLE: Spider-Man #5 (of 5)
AUTHORS: J.J. Abrams, Henry Abrams
ARTISTS: Sara Pichelli, Elizabetta D’Amico (Inking Assisant), Dave Stewart (Colorist), Joe Caramagna (Letterer). Cover by Olivier Coipel & Stewart.
RELEASED: December 9, 2020

This story was compelling enough, and the premise was enjoyable. Plus, Sara Pichelli was apparently born to draw Spider-Man. But I’ve said it before, and I’ll keep saying it: The presence of the Iron Man characters took away from Ben Parker’s journey as Spider-Man. Especially here in this final issue. This was supposed to be a family story about Peter Parker, his son, and the passing of the proverbial Spider-Man torch. Instead, the waters got a little too muddied.

TITLE: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #112
AUTHORS: Kevin Eastman & Tom Waltz (Story), Sophie Campbell (Script)
ARTISTS: Jodi Nishijima, Ronda Pattison (Colorist), Shawn Lee (Letterer)
RELEASED: December 9, 2020

Just when I think these TMNT issues can’t add any more depth, we get a story about a fight breaking out during an “I used to be a  human, but now I’m a mutant” support group meeting. Love it.

To help differentiate between the Turtles without their multi-colored bandanas, Ronda Pattison is giving them different skin tones. The IDW Turtles have had different skin tones since issue #1. But note they aren’t given such tones on this otherwise pretty cool cover.

TITLE: Star Wars #9
AUTHOR: Charles Soule
ARTISTS: Jan Bazaldua, Rachelle Rosenberg (Colorist), Clayton Cowles (Letterer). Cover by Carlo Pagulayan, Jason Paz, & Rain Beredo.
RELEASED: December 9, 2020

You’d think a story about Lando and friends trying to break into a museum on Coruscant would be a lot more fun than this. But somehow this issue managed to bore me with it.

I’ve been on the brink of dropping this Star Wars title for a long time. This might have been the issue to push me over the edge. There’s a certain fun, a certain spark, that’s missing here.

TITLE: Suicide Squad #11
AUTHOR: Tom Taylor
ARTISTS: Bruno Redondo, Adriano Lucas (Colorist), Wes Abbott (Letterer). Variant cover by Jeremy Roberts.
RELEASED: November 24, 2020

I’m not a Harley Quinn mark the way a lot of people are. But even I’ve got to admit: That’s an awesome cover.

In hindsight, this series was better than it had any right to be. As expected, Taylor leaves the door open to work more with the characters he created in Suicide Squad. He and Redondo are about to start a run on Nightwing. So I expect we might see them there.

In the end, this may go down as one of the more underrated runs Suicide Squad has ever seen.

TITLE: Batman/Superman #14
AUTHOR: Joshua Williamson
ARTISTS: Max Raynor, Alejandro Sanchez (Colorist), John J. Hill (Letterer). Cover by David Marquez & Sanchez.
RELEASED: November 24, 2020

“I’m calling for my Bat-spaceship to come get us.”

*cringe* That feels like a line out of a post-Wertham comic in the ’50s.

Still, while this story looks uninspired on the surface, it manages to be a decent amount of fun in its execution. A fairly interesting take on the composite Superman/Batman concept, with some fun art by Max Raynor and beautiful coloring by Alejandro Sanchez. I’ve seen much better. But in all fairness, it could have been much worse.

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

Weekly Comic 100s: Batman, Dead Body Road, TMNT, and More!

Rob Siebert 1 Comment

***”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: Wonder Woman #750, Guardians of the Galaxy #1, and More!

Rob Siebert Leave a comment

***”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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An Imposter #1 Review – Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

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Imposter #1 coverTITLE: Imposter #1
AUTHOR: James Patrick
PENCILLER: Martin Szymanski. Cover by Victor Santos.
PUBLISHER: 21 Pulp
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE DATE: February 10, 2016

By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

I’ll say this much for Imposter, it’s got a hell of a scope. It’s one of those rare cop drama meets wizard/magic fantasy meets space adventure comics, featuring gorillas that talk. You don’t see those that often…

Hale Barker is a detective in Black City, facing off against a family of gangsters known as the Square Jaw Quadruplets. At his side is the city’s resident crime-fighting vigilante, The Centipede. But something is very wrong, not just in Black City, but in the mystical Tether Realm and the primitive Wild Lands. How are these events connected, and what do they mean for Hale Barker’s future?

Imposter #1, interior 1I’ll stay spoiler-free here, but by the end of this story, Barker is given the chance to be a common thread between not only these realms, but various additional otherworldly settings. But who is Hale Barker, really? The impression we get from Imposter #1 is that he’s noble, but not entirely straight-laced in his detective work. And his response to the revelation at the end of the issue is intriguing. I’d have liked to have learned a bit more about him up front, but there’s only so much you can do in one issue.

It’s difficult to find one’s bearings in this issue initially, as so many different timeframes and settings are thrown at you so quickly. It also doesn’t help that we get a couple of groan-inducing lines. Nothing unforgivable, though. There also might be a misprint during the shoot-out in the first half of the issue. Barker says: “Yeah, we got that smuck.” I think they meant for him to say schmuck, i.e. the old fashioned word for a dope or a fool. Google the word “smuck” and Urban Dictionary will tell you it’s a Hebrew word for foreskin that’s chopped off at birth. I mean, maybe that’s what they meant. But somehow I doubt it.

Imposter #1, 2016, gorillasMartin Szymanski’s work is somewhat reminiscent of what Matteo Scalera has done with Black Science over at Image. It’s not as polished, but the potential for variety in the content is what sparks the comparison. For instance, in the middle of the issue we abruptly transition from a scene involving gangsters and a superhero to a page with talking gorillas. It definitely takes some adjusting to, but after your first read-through you come to appreciate it.

I was disappointed to see that Imposter is only going to be four issues. We’re only an issue in, and it’s clear there’s so much that can be done with this concept. Not just with the various realms, but the potential to blur the lines between them and blend a little bit. Here’s hoping we get at least decent miniseries out of this, so we can do more exploring in the future.

Images courtesy of 21 Pulp.

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