Tag Nick Filardi

The Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing #4 Micro-Review – Sick Kid Jokes

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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.***

The Joker the Man Who Stopped Laughing 4, variant cover, January 2023, Lee BermejoTITLE: The Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing #4
AUTHOR: Matthew Rosenberg
ARTISTS: Carmine Di Giandomenico, Francesco Francavilla, Romulo Fajardo Jr. (Colorist), Nick Filardi (Colorist), Tom Napolitano (Letterer). Variant cover by Lee Bermejo.
RELEASED: January 3, 2023

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

This issue turned me off early on. The main story takes place in a hospital, and we see a group of kids in what is presumably a cancer ward. So, as this is a Joker comic, we get a lot of sick kid jokes. That’s not really my cup of tea.

These Rosenberg/Francavilla back-ups continue to be weird as hell. But they’re also genuinely amusing and funny. Case in point, this one sees Joker swallow a bunch of mud, then vomit up a mud creature that he and his henchmen have to chase around.

See what I mean? Weird.

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A Detective Comics #1067 Micro-Review – The Kingdom of Cold

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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.***

Detective Comics 1067, cover, December 2022, Evan CagleTITLE: Detective Comics #1067
AUTHORS: Ram V, Simon Spurrier
ARTISTS: Ivan Reis, Hayden Sherman, Danny Miki (Inker), Dave Stewart (Colorist), Nick Filardi (Colorist), Ariana Maher (Letterer), Steve Wands (Letterer). Cover by Evan Cagle.
RELEASED: December 27, 2022

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

The overarcing villains for Ram V’s run on Detective Comics aren’t really landing with me. Unfortunately, I’m actually finding them a bit boring…

But on the plus side, he writes a great scene between Batman and Mr. Freeze that Ivan Reis absolutely knocks out of the park. We see what, to an extent, is Mr. Freeze’s Batcave. He calls it the “Kingdom of Cold.” Great stuff.

The Simon Spurrier/Hayden Sherman back-up starring Two-Face hasn’t landed with me either. They do, however, stick the landing as it ends this month. So there’s that.

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A Detective Comics #1066 Micro-Review – Mixing It Up

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.***

Detective Comics 1066, cover, November 2022, Evan CagleTITLE: Detective Comics #1066
AUTHORS: Ram V, Simon Spurrier
ARTISTS: Ivan Reis, Hayden Sherman, Danny Miki (Inker), Dave Stewart (Colorist), Nick Filardi (Colorist), Ariana Maher (Letterer), Steve Wands (Letterer). Cover by Evan Cagle.

RELEASED: November 22, 2022

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

These days, Jim Gordon and Harvey Bullock have their own detective. I dig that because, as we’ve seen a bit in recent issues of Detective, it allows Gordon to have his boots on the ground a little more and mix it up alongside Batman.

They’re doing something a little weird with Two-Face here. The character’s good side is in control, but he’s pretending the bad side is in control. All the while, the bad side is talking to Harvey Dent via his inner monologue. It’s a little twisted up, but interesting if you can follow along.

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A Detective Comics #1065 Micro-Review – Downright Trippy

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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.***

Detective Comics 1065, cover, 2022, Evan CagleTITLE: Detective Comics #1065
AUTHORS: Ram V, Simon Spurrier
ARTISTS: Rafael Albuquerque, Hayden Sherman, Dave Stewart (Colorist), Nick Filardi (Colorist), Ariana Maher (Letterer). Steve Wands (Letterer). Cover by Evan Cagle.

RELEASED: October 25, 2022

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

There’s a moment in this issue where Jim Gordon is with a vulnerable Batman, and it’s suggested that he take Batman’s mask off. He replies that he thinks he knows who’s under there, but he doesn’t want to know. I loved that. That’s perfect. That’s the philosophy Gordon should have as it relates to Batman.

I was excited to see Hayden Sherman’s name on the back-up for this issue. He’s been doing great work at IDW and Image recently. Sherman and Nick Filardi give us a Two-Face story that gets downright trippy.

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

A Justice League Infinity #5 Micro-Review – The Adventures of Superman and Superman

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.***

Justice League Infinity 5, cover, 2021, Meghan HetrickTITLE: Justice League Infinity #5
AUTHORS: J.M. DeMatteis, James Tucker
ARTISTS: Ethen Beavers, Nick Filardi (Colorist), DC Hopkins (Letterer). Cover by Meghan Hetrick.
RELEASED: November 2, 2021

We get a lot thrown at us here. We’ve got Superman teaming with an alt-Earth Superman and a team of alt-Earth supervillains to fight a Nazi regime led by Vandal Savage. And it’s all narrated by Martian Manhunter. Oh, and the multiverse as we know it is falling apart. It works. But it’s definitely a lot to take in.

On the upside, Batman doesn’t get shoehorned into the center of things the way he does in a lot of modern Justice League stories. That’s how you know DeMatteis and Tucker are good at what they do.

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A Justice League Infinity #4 Micro-Review – Diana and Darkseid…Shipped!

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.***

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

Justice League Infinity 4, cover, 2021, James TuckerTITLE: Justice League Infinity #4
AUTHORS: J.M. DeMatteis, James Tucker
ARTISTS: Ethen Beavers, Nick Filardi (Colorist), DC Hopkins (Letterer). Cover by Tucker.
RELEASED: October 5, 2021

Now we’re talking. Great cover. And a great premise with great execution, as Wonder Woman and Darkseid are “shipped,” as the kids would say. The result is epic, and actually somewhat moving. This is the best Infinity issue yet.

I think there’s a Hal Jordan cameo in this issue. Unless it’s supposed to be Kyle Rayner…

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A Justice League Infinity #3 Micro-Review – Multiverse Fatigue

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.***

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

TITLE: Justice League Infinity #3
AUTHOR: J.M. DeMatteis, James Tucker
ARTISTS: Ethen Beavers, Nick Filardi (Colorist), Tom Napolitano (Letterer). Cover by Dan Mora.
RELEASED: September 7, 2021

Both DC and Marvel have been leaning into multiverse stories lately. As such, three issues in I’ve got a little bit of multiverse fatigue when it comes to Justice League Infinity.

I’ll grant, though, that it’s somewhat interesting to see the Calvin Ellis Superman, a.k.a. the African American Superman (see the cover at right) drawn in that DC Animated Universe style. There’s not much substance to his part of this story. Not yet, at least. But it’s cool to see.

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

A Justice League Infinity #2 Micro-Review – Getting Superman Right

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.***

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

Justice League Infinity 2, cover, 2021, Jorge Corona, Matheus LopezTITLE: Justice League Infinity #2
AUTHOR: J.M. DeMatteis, James Tucker
ARTISTS: Ethen Beavers, Nick Filardi (Colorist), Tom Napolitano (Letterer). Cover by Jorge Corona & Matheus Lopez.
RELEASED: August 3, 2021

The most refreshing thing in the world of comics, to yours truly at least, is when a writer or writers really nail Superman. It’s surprising how few authors in the world can get Superman right.

Thankfully, J.M. DeMatteis and James Tucker are able to do that in Justice League Infinity #2. As the League deals with Overman, an evil version of the Man of Steel, we see the genuine article acting as an agent of peace, understanding, and finding common ground.

I’ve said it a million times: Superman is an idealist. The more writers that understand that, the better.

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A Justice League Infinity #1 Micro-Review – That Unlimited Feeling

Rob Siebert Leave a comment
“A Batman: Reptilian Micro-Review – The Pitch Black Knight”

***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: Justice League Infinity #1
AUTHORS: J.M. De Matteis, James Tucker
ARTISTS: Ethen Beavers, Nick Filardi (Colorist), Tom Napolitano (Letterer). Cover by Francis Manapul.
RELEASED: July 6, 2021

Much like Batman: The Adventures Continue, a nostalgia-driven book like this relies heavily on the art to recapture the feel of the series. I’m pleased to report that Ethen Beavers and Nick Filardi get the job done. This looks, and thus feels, like an episode of Justice League Unlimited.

The star of the issue, and our narrator, is Martian Manhunter. We get some insight into his thought process now that he’s left the League. That’s fertile ground for storytelling, as is the DC animated multiverse, which it looks like we’ll be exploring.

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Weekly Comic 100s: Future State: Superman/Wonder Woman #2

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.***

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

TITLE: Future State: Superman/Wonder Woman #2
AUTHOR: Dan Watters
ARTISTS: Leila Del Luca, Nick Filardi (Colorist), Tom Napolitano (Letterer). Cover by Lee Weeks and Brad Anderson.
RELEASED: February 9, 2021

Dan Watters succeeds here in that I believe Jon Kent and Yara Flor are good friends. I was left wanting to see more of the two of them, to the point that it felt like the villains were in the way. I’m not sure that’s what he was going for…

At one point, the issue tells us “Superman has not the raw cunning of Wonder Woman.” That’s BS. We already like Yara. Stop trying to put her over at Superman’s expense.

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