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A Superman: Son of Kal-El #18 Micro-Review – Superman vs. Twitter?

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: Superman: Son of Kal-El #18
AUTHOR: Tom Taylor
ARTISTS: Cian Tormey, Ruairi Coleman, Scott Hanna (Co-Inker), Romulo Fajardo Jr. (Colorist), Dave Sharpe (Letterer). Cover by Travis Moore & Tamra Bonvillain.

RELEASED: December 13, 2022

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

We learn in this issue that Red Sin, Jon Kent’s new enemy, has been posting hateful stuff about him on social media. Does that mean we’ve got Superman fighting a Twitter troll? Hey, seems like a perfectly despicable villain to me. Especially after all the fake outrage that was generated on social media after the revelation that Jon was bi.

The Justice League are rebuilding Jonathan and Martha Kent’s house when we open the issue. Martha wonders if the Justice League should be prioritizing them, and Wonder Woman replies that they are Justice League. I love that.

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

Astonishing Art: Keke Palmer as Rogue by Meech Doodle

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By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

Keke Palmer created some Twitter buzz last week when she responded positively to a fan’s video explaining why she needs to play Rogue in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Naturally, her response piqued the interests of some artists. Meech Doodle is one of them. He presented fans with this awesome rendering of Palmer as Rogue.

Keke Palmer as Rogue, Meech Doodle

I was a little skeptical when I looked at the idea on paper. But when I saw this image, I immediately got it. Naturally, internet trolls got their feathers ruffled because of the race factor. But she looks like a pretty good Rogue to me.

So…why the hell not? Let’s make it happen!

Incidentally, I met Keke Palmer once, about 15 years ago. I was a reporter covering a school spelling event. She was there in the wake of Akeelah and the Bee. Really nice, personable kid. I’m happy she’s found so much success.

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

Power Rangers Dino Fury, “Winning Attitude” Review

Rob Siebert 2 Comments

SERIES: Power Rangers Dino Fury
TITLE: S28:E5 – “Winning Attitude”
STARRING: Russell Curry, Hunter Deno, Kai Moya, Tessa Rao, Chance Perez
WRITERS: Becca Barnes, Alwyn Dale
DIRECTOR: Chris Graham
ORIGINAL AIR DATE: March 27, 2021
SYNOPSIS: Izzy gets an all-important lesson in sportsmanship from her coach.

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

After last week’s episode Hunter Deno, who plays Amelia, tweeted the following…

In terms of her central point, she’s not wrong. This is a very diverse cast, which of course is great for kids to see. I’m really hopeful that we’ll see a Ranger of Muslim descent sooner rather than later. Much like Ravi on Beast Morphers being the first Ranger of Indian descent, the fact that it’s taken so long to have a Muslim Ranger is something of an indictment of a show that’s got diversity built into its DNA.

Also, since last week’s episode the phrase “Cool Cool Coolio!” has been randomly popping up in my head. I imagine I’m not the only one with that issue.

Jane: “A Sporix! In my pants!” There’s a joke there, which you’re definitely not allowed to make on a kids show. Kira Josephson continues to make me smile with her performances.

So the Rangers just teleport in to face Mucus and the monsters without any attempt at subterfuge. I imagine this is one of those times we’re just supposed to assume no one saw them, right? Civilians on this show can have very convenient selective sight at times…

In Kishiryu Sentai Ryusoulger, the Japanese Super Sentai series Dino Fury is based on, the heroes are knights from the “Ryusoul Tribe.” Ergo, much of what we see on this show has a vaguely medieval look to it. I took particular notice of it with the Hengemen as they teleported into the playground battle sequence.

Those cracks about the monster having kids were funny. This was a good episode for hokey Power Rangers comedy.

Void Knight and the rest of the villains continue to be based out of “Area 62.” I continue to wonder why the number 62. Did they just uptick both the digits in Area 51?

It was, of course, very cool of them to cast Sarah Dalton, a Special Olympics athlete, to play Izzy’s coach Lily. I’m finding that as a parent, I appreciate those kind of choices much more than I used to. Kudos for setting a good example, Dino Fury.

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

Power Rangers Dino Fury: “Sporix Unleashed” Review

Rob Siebert 3 Comments

SERIES: Power Rangers Dino Fury
EPISODE: S28:E2. “Sporix Unleashed”
STARRING: Russell Curry, Hunter Deno, Kai Moya, Shavaughn Ruakere, Kira Josephson
WRITERS: Becca Barnes, Alwyn Dale
DIRECTOR: Charlie Haskell
ORIGINAL AIR DATE: February 27, 2021
SYNOPSIS: Ollie devises a plan to catch the Sporix monsters on the loose, and executes it without the knowledge of his teammates.

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

I’ve got a beef with modern day morphs: They’re way too wordy. It goes, “It’s morphin’ time! Dino Fury key, activate! Link to Morphing Grid!” C’mon, folks. We’ve only got about 22 minutes here. Let’s move things along…

Also, link to Morphing Grid? I suppose that’s practical. But much like “Activate Beast Power!” in Beast Morphers, it’s not very creative. What’s the deal? If you can’t think if something quick and catchy for them to say, just stick with “It’s morphin’ time!”

I suppose I’m just old, but the notion of drones being used on Power Rangers is quaint to me. It’s a good thing, though. The more this show can keep up with the times, the better.

When Zayto, who’s been asleep since prehistoric times, asks where all the dinosaurs are, Amelia says: “Well, they’re mostly in the movies.” Mostly. I love that. Nice subtle nod to…you know…28 years of continuity.

Hartford Robotics, Jane, Power Rangers Dino Fury, Sporix Unleashed

Power Rangers Operation Overdrive doesn’t get a lot of love. Simply put, it wasn’t very good. That being said, I did enjoy the small Overdrive reference in this episode. During the scene at Buzz Blast, “Hartford Robotics” is printed on the box the android comes in (shown above). That kind of thing is cute, harmless, presumably easy to do, and fans get a kick out of it.

So the henchgirl’s name is Mucus. Again, I’ve got to call them out for lack of creativity on this one. Was Phlegm taken? I do like that she can turn into green slime, though.

While I’m not a fan of the morphing call, the CGI portion of the morph sequence is pretty awesome. I can’t bring myself to complain about that.

Thus far the music, composed by Bert Selen, really adds a lot to Dino Fury. It’s heavily synthesized, which I’m sure isn’t for everybody. But it gives the show a particular flavor, and the heavy percussion adds a lot to the fight sequences.

The “toyification” of Power Rangers, which many see as the show’s entire purpose for existing, is in full effect here. The Rangers have swords with a t-rex head on the hilt, and can manipulate the jaw to do various super-powered stuff. Are they selling that sword at Wal-Mart yet? Even as an adult, I’ve got to admit it’s pretty cool.

I saw some fans on Twitter were happy to see the Rangers teleporting. Frankly, it’s hard to believe teleportation ever left Power Rangers. During the first several years of its existence, it was a big part of the show’s DNA.

You know what would be nice? If Ollie’s mom figured out he was a Power Ranger. Not because he told her, but because she…you know…recognized her own son’s voice and body language. I don’t expect characters on a kids show to be that competent. But this woman is supposed to be a brilliant scientist, right?

I hope kids get a kick out of the zords they see on Power Rangers. Because as an adult, they generally don’t do much for me. All the CGI that’s been integrated into zord sequences for the better part of 20 years now muddies them all together, making them less distinct.

That said, the T-Rex Champion Zord looked pretty good. The CGI and practical effects were blended together fairly well. By modern zord standards, it scores high.

Well how about that? The Rangers are, in essence, using crowdsourcing as their monster alert system. Civilians can call, text, or DM Sporix sightings to the Rangers. I like that a lot, and I don’t believe anything like it has been done before.

Void Knight and Mucus (shown above) are using an abandoned base called “Area 62” as their lair. I’ve got no issues with that. Obviously it’s a take-off of Area 51. It does, however, make me wonder what happened to Areas 52-61…

Dino Fury has come out of the gate strong. I’m mostly pleased with what I’ve seen so far. I’m legit looking forward to the next episode!

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

 

Weekly Comic 100s: Batman/Catwoman #3

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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: Batman/Catwoman #3
AUTHOR: Tom King
ARTISTS: Clay Mann, Tomeu Morey (Colorist), Clayton Cowles (Letterer)
RELEASED: February 16, 2021

It’s Christmas time in this issue. I can only assume the pandemic delayed it, and it was supposed to come out in December.

I saw someone on Twitter describe the secret camaraderie that Catwoman and the Joker have as an “affair.” Joker makes an allusion along those lines in this issue. But it’s, y’know, a joke. Because he’s the Joker.  You could call the dynamic a lot of things. But not an affair. The word affair obviously implies sex. The Joker and Catwoman are not sleeping together.

At least they’d better not be…

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

Howard Finkel’s Greatest Ring Announcements

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By Rob Siebert
A NEEEEEEEWWWWW Father

So I’ve had a week to process the death of Howard Finkel. A man who, let’s be honest, was the single greatest ring announcer of all time. This might be an apples to oranges comparison. But to yours truly and many fans who grew up in the ’80s and ’90s as I did, Howard Finkel is to ring announcing what Jim Ross was/is to play-by-play. He was that good.

Over the last several days, WWE has compiled some of Finkel’s greatest moments and pushed them out to YouTube. Let’s take a look…

First of all, there’s no “arguably” about it. “The Fink” was the absolute greatest.

Secondly, the “Dean of WWE Ring Announcing.” I kinda like that…

This next clip is one of my favorites, and quite possibly Finkel’s last truly great announcing moment. If only Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler hadn’t ruined it for the audience at home by being so damn disrespectful. But for the fans in Madison Square Garden that night? It must have been magic…

Frankly, I think that tweet we saw from Vince McMahon said it all…

Rest in peace, Howard, and know that you were loved by a great many.

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

Alexa Bliss Bowls for Soup?

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By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

Imagine my surprise yesterday, pulling up my Spotify “Release Radar” playlist and seeing a Bowling For Soup song. Much less, a bowling for Soup song about Alexa Bliss. Random, much?

Low and behold, here’s the official video for it.

Reportedly in an interview awhile back, Alexa mentioned Bowling For Soup was her favorite band. The BFS front man reached out to her, fast-forward, she’s got her own Bowling For Soup song and music video.

By all accounts, the real-life Alexis Kaufman is a legit fan. The pic at left looks like it’s from her pre-WWE days as a fitness model.

You know what this video reminds me of? My pre-teen crush on Sunny. Like Alexa, she had that “girl next door” quality to her. I’m certainly not the only one she…*ehem*…pushed into puberty. And judging by her  obsessed army of Twitter followers, Alexa has that same “impact” on a lot of kids these days.

Either way, a cool little “worlds collide” moment that I can safely say I never saw coming.

Follow Primary Ignition on Twitter, or email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com.

Astonishing Art: Catwoman by Patrick Zircher

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By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

Patrick Zircher posted this little gem on his Twitter account yesterday. Catwoman won the Trinity artist’s latest “Should I draw:” poll. Specifically, the version from Batman: The Animated Series. He made sure to get Selina’s cat Isis in there as well.

I’ve always been a sucker for this costume, which was of course designed by Bruce Timm. Not just because of its association with the show, either. It’s sleek and simple. It doesn’t scream for attention, because your eyes are drawn to it anyway. It’s like Selina Kyle in that sense.

Catwoman has donned plenty of outfits in her near 80-year career. But you can make a pretty strong case for this being the best one of all.

Email Rob at PrimaryIgnition@yahoo.com, or follow Primary Ignition on Twitter.

The Fanboy’s Closet: Nightwing Crew Socks

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***”The Fanboy’s Closet,” I pull a geeky item of clothing from the closet, snap a pic, and then see what subjects it takes us into. Why? Why the hell not?!?***

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

Yeah, I post pictures of socks here now. What can I say? I’m a sock enthusiast.

I picked these suckers up at C2E2 last weekend. From the fine folks at SuperHeroStuff.com. Pretty good quality.

Once in awhile, somebody on Twitter will ask if people prefer Nightwing with the blue V-stripe or the red one. Or as I call them, Blue Nightwing and Red Nightwing. It’s not even a question, really. Blue Nightwing is the only Nightwing.

To me, Red Nightwing (i.e. the New 52 version) evoked Robin too much. Red is so closely identified with that character and that costume. A major part of Nightwing’s story is that he gave up being Robin to break away from Batman and become his own man. That independence is extremely important to the fabric of the character, and putting red on him almost takes part of that away.

Red Nightwing first appeared in 2011’s Nightwing #1, drawn by Eddy Barrows. While I really enjoy his work (he’s currently on Detective Comics), that pose on the cover (shown below) will never look natural to me…

Email Rob at PrimaryIgnition@yahoo.com, or follow Primary Ignition on Twitter.

Roman Reigns Suspended: What Happens Now???

Rob Siebert 3 Comments

Roman Reigns, Wrestlemania XXXIIBy Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

WOW. Just…just wow.

This floored me, and I don’t floor easily. Roman Reigns, WWE’s hand-picked heir to John Cena as the face of the company, has been suspended via the company’s Wellness Policy. It’s his first offense, and he’s out for 30 days.

WWE reportedly knew about Reigns’ offense prior to Money in the Bank, and acted accordingly. Reigns’ suspension will be up by Battleground on July 24. This week on Raw, he was booked to main event the pay per view in a triple threat match for the WWE Championship. He will, however, miss the draft on the July 19 edition of Smackdown.

Reigns had this to say via his Twitter account:

This explains the decision to not only have Seth Rollins beat Reigns for the title at Money in the Bank, but to then have Ambrose win it. Ambrose has now been established as their new babyface champion, as least until they decide what to do with Reigns.

But what do they do with Reigns? This is a major news story, and you’ve got to know the fans are going to be vocal about it when he comes back. Obviously Reigns has his haters, and this isn’t going to do anything to dispel that. Of course, so many of them jumped all over him when this happened. Who knew the internet was such a hateful place? I mean, besides everyone….

WWE Raw, Roman Reigns, October 12, 2015Let’s keep in mind that we know very little about the nature of Reigns’ offense. So let me emphasize that what I’m about to say is purely speculation: What if the pressure got to him? It’s no secret WWE was going against the grain with Roman as a babyface. I never faulted Roman for lack of trying. He’s going out there and doing what he’s told to do, and he’s been part of some great matches in the process. But for a huge portion of the audience, it isn’t working. That’s a lot to put on someone. I don’t say this as a slight against Reigns, but not everybody has John Cena’s resolve.

So now the question becomes: How do you handle this on television? If they knew this going into Money in the Bank, but still made that triple threat match for Battleground, that seems to indicate he’ll still be on the pay per view. But how do you address him not being on TV until then? If they came out there and said Rollins attacked him in the back or something, that would likely go over like a fart in church because it’s been so widely covered. So they almost have to acknowledge it. This isn’t like the Adam Rose suspension, where they can just pull him off TV and hope nobody notices.

Triple H, Roman Reigns, WWE ChampionshipEither way, WWE has egg on their face. Other than John Cena, this is the last guy they want getting bad publicity like this. Roman Reigns is their new Superman. And while the older fans may not like him, many of the kids in the audience are cheering for him. So does this derail WWE’s long term plans for Reigns as the next face of the company?

My answer: Probably not.

I’ll grant you this suspension hits WWE in the area their most conscious of nowadays: Their image. They crave “legitimacy” so bad, it’d be comical if it weren’t so frustrating. They’ve been okay with the poor guy getting booed in the main event of Wrestlemania. Twice. In the long run, this isn’t going to kill him. If they remain as committed to Reigns as they’ve been for the past two years or so, he’ll be just fine.

In the meantime, I suggest haters enjoy the break from Reigns, and all you in the “Roman Empire” can take comfort in the fact that he’s likely teflon at this point.

Images courtesy of WWE.

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