Tag Mikel Janin

A Justice Society of America #2 Micro-Review – Scatterbrained

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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.***

Justice Society of America 2, cover, January 2023, Mikel JaninTITLE: Justice Society of America #2
AUTHOR: Geoff Johns
ARTISTS: Mikel Janin, Jerry Ordway, Scott Kolins, Jordie Bellaire (Colorist), John Kalisz (Colorist), Rob Leigh (Letterer)
RELEASED: January 24, 2023

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

This book still feels a little bit unfocused to me. We’re bouncing around the timestream a lot, which doesn’t necessarily allow us to invest in what we’re seeing. I’m still not ready to poo-poo the book just yet. But thus far it feels scatterbrained.

On the upside, Justice Society has been artistically beautiful. Mikel Janin gets to draw the classic JSA in this issue, which is cool to see.

Those classic JSA members are the ones we primarily bought this book to see, yes? It feels odd that Johns would withhold them from us as much as he has.

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

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 Justice Society of America #1 Micro-Review – The Long Game

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.***

Justice Society of America 1, cover, November 2022, Mikel JaninTITLE: Justice Society of America #1
AUTHOR: Geoff Johns
ARTISTS: Various. Cover by Mikel Janin.

RELEASED: November 29, 2022

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

Geoff Johns appears to be playing the long game out of the gate with this new Justice Society of America series. We’re not jumping right in with series staples like Green Lantern Alan Scott, The Flash (Jay Garrick), and Wildcat. Instead, we’ve got a time-travel story about Batman’s daughter Helena Wayne, a.k.a. Huntress. It’s not what I expected at all, but I’m not ready to poo-poo the book yet. Let’s see where things go…

At least with Mikel Janin and Jordie Bellaire handling the art, things look pretty.

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

The New Golden Age #1 Micro-Review – Fun Ideas, No Coherence

Rob Siebert 2 Comments

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

TITLE: The New Golden Age #1
AUTHOR: Geoff Johns
ARTISTS: Various. Cover by Mikel Janin.

RELEASED: November 8, 2022

Coming in, I was under the impression The New Golden Age was going to be a look at the World War II era DC Universe, what the Justice Society of America was up to during that time, perhaps a little time travel to boot, etc. That’s not exactly what we got

There are a good amount of interesting and fun ideas in here. The trouble is that there’s a lack of coherence between them. For instance, does this take place in the main timeline? Or is it on an alternate Earth? Earth-2, perhaps? Is it a multiverse type thing?

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 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 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 Batman 2022 Annual Micro-Review – More (*sigh*) Ghost-Maker…

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.***

TITLE: Batman 2022 Annual
AUTHOR: Ed Brisson
ARTISTS: John Timms, Rex Lokus (Colorist), Clayton Cowles (Letterer). Cover by Mikel Janin.

RELEASED: May 31, 2022

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

The Ghost-Maker character still does almost nothing for me. So unfortunately, as he’s our main character here, this issue did very little for me. That’s a shame, as the issue is well drawn by John Timms.

Thankfully, the Batman Inc. characters are there to add a little spice. Hopefully they’ll continue to add that spice as DC releases its new Ghost-Maker led Batman Incorporated relaunch this fall.

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

A Superman ’78 #6 Micro-Review – A Rush to Satisfaction

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.***

Superman 78 6, cover, 2022, Mikel JaninTITLE: Superman ’78 #3
AUTHOR: Robert Venditti
ARTISTS: Wilfredo Torres, Jordie Bellaire (Colorist), Dave Lanphear (Letterer). Cover by Mikel Janin.

RELEASED: January 25, 2022

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

Things feel a little rushed in this conclusion to Superman ’78. But I can’t bring mysef to throw too much shade at it. Venditti and Torres still manage to close things on a satisfactory note.

Torres gives us a pretty conspicuous Goonies cameo here. And probably a few more that I’m missing.

In the end, Superman ’78 is one of the better nostalgia books DC has put out in the last several years. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: This could have been Superman III. And perhaps it should have been.

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