Tag Werther Dell’Edera

The Closet #1 Micro-Review – Something is Scaring the Children

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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 Closet 1, cover, 2022, Gavin FullertonTITLE: The Closet #1
AUTHOR: James Tynion IV
ARTISTS: Gavin Fullarton, Chris O’Halloran (Colorist), Tom Napolitano (Letterer)

RELEASED: June 1, 2022

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

Based on the art, along with James Tynion IV’s name, this book is pretty easy to peg from the cover. It’s very much in the vein of Something is Killing the Children. Only thus far it’s much less bloody, and told primarily from a father’s point of view.

Even the art by Gavin Fullarton and Chris O’Halloran isn’t a far cry from what Werther Dell’Edera and Miquel Muerto have given us on Children. It’s got its own identity. But again, it’s very much in the same vein.

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

Weekly Comic 100s: Rorschach, Sea of Sorrows, 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: Rorschach #2
AUTHOR: Tom King
ARTISTS: Jorge Fornes, Dave Stewart (Colorist), Clayton Cowles (Letterer). Variant cover by Peach Momoko.
RELEASED: November 17, 2020

Heh. Peach Momoko. I love that name. Hell of a variant cover too.

This issue paints our Rorchach doppleganger as a sympathetic nerd type who took things a step too far. It feels somewhat reminiscent of what Alan Moore did with the Jon Osterman character.

That’s not the only echo from Watchmen here. We’ve got a high rise apartment building. We’ve got the whole fiction-within-fiction thing with a comic book called “The Citizen.” It’s all very…noticeable. Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing remains to be seen.

TITLE: Sea of Sorrows #1
AUTHOR: Rich Douek
ARTISTS: Alex Cormack, Mark Mullaney (Colorist), Justin Birch (Letterer)
RELEASED: November 18, 2020

I wouldn’t call this the easiest issue in the world to get through. But I’m intrigued by how it portrays the sea as a deep, dark, seemingly endless void. Coming in, I actually wondered if an oil spill was part of the story.

Regardless, the darkness certainly lends itself to the horror-with-a-touch-of-fantasy vibe Sea of Sorrows seems to be going for. I’m not sure I’m coming back for issue #2 on this one. We’ll see…

TITLE: Batman #103
AUTHOR: James Tynion IV
ARTISTS: Carlo Pagulayan, Guillem March, Danny Miki (Inker), David Baron (Colorist), Clayton Cowles (Letterer). Cover by Jorge Jimenez & Tomeu Morey.
RELEASED: November 17, 2020

Harley Quinn calls out the teenaged Clownhunter for having B.O. in this issue. Then she knees him in the balls. That got a laugh from me. Damn teenagers…

Also, Tynion is apparently aware that Ghost-Maker is a dumb name. Good on him.

About halfway through the issue we abruptly switch from Pagulayan to March. Weird transitions like that are never good. But this issue pulls it off as well as one can expect. The color consistency from Baron helps to that end.

TITLE: Juggernaut #3
AUTHOR: Fabian Nicieza
ARTISTS: Ron Garney, Matt Milla (Colorist), Joe Sabina (Letterer)
RELEASED: November 18, 2020

That’s a really cool over. Juggernaut and the scales of justice. It pops.

In this issue Cain fights the Sandman. I mean, technically it’s a villain named Quicksand. But she’s got the same powers, and for all intents and purposes is Sandman.

So far I’m digging this cast. Cain is teaming with D-Cel, a young woman with the power to create “deceleration fields.” In other words, she slows things down. That’s a nice contrast to the Juggernaut powers. Then of course, you have Damage Control, the Marvel Universe’s resident clean-up crew.

TITLE: Something is Killing the Children #12
AUTHOR: James Tynion IV
ARTISTS: Werther Dell’Edera, Miquel Muerto (Colorist), Andworld Design (Letters)
RELEASED: November 18, 2020

There’s a shot in this issue that’s pretty bad ass. Four members of the Order of St. George emerging from total darkness, wearing their white face masks. Little did these creators realize just how…relevant such masks would be as the series unfolded.

Dell’Edera and Muerto turn in some really nice art here. The red that Muerto uses for the blood really pops, and Erica Slaughter’s “acting” is pretty good too.

TITLE: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Jennika II #1
AUTHOR/ARTIST: Braham Revel
RELEASED: November 3, 2020

The best thing this series has going for it thus far is its general “sketchy” aesthetic. It’s unlike what we usually see in TMNT books, and it makes for a fun read.

Jennika spends most of this issue fighting a monster. But it leads into a potentially interesting development. What happens if/when the inhabitants of Mutant Town actually become the monsters that so many think they are? And how does media coverage effect the world’s view of Mutant Town?

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

Weekly Comic 100s: Suicide Squad, and Playing Catch-Up

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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

Playing a little catch-up this week. With it being the week of the presidential election here in the United States, Lord knows it’s a hell of a lot more fun to be in a land of escapism right about now…

TITLE: Suicide Squad #10
AUTHOR: Tom Taylor
ARTISTS: Bruno Redondo, Adriano Lucas (Colorist), Wes Abbott (Letterer). Variant cover by Travis Moore & Alejandro Sanchez.
RELEASED: October 27, 2020

Has Black Mask ever had his mask ripped off his face? Because that happens in this issue, and it’s really the only notable thing about it. Oddly enough, we don’t really get a good look at his face without the mask. I imagine it looks something like raw hamburger meat.

I’d recommend the variant cover on this one. Harley gets center-stage, obviously. But it’s a pretty cool group shot.

TITLE: Detective Comics #1029
AUTHOR: Peter Tomasi
ARTISTS: Kenneth Rocafort, Daniel Brown (Colorist), Rob Leigh (Letterer)
RELEASED: October 27, 2020

Still digging Kenneth Rocafort’s work. He and Tomasi won some sentimental points with me in this one by putting in a shot of the Batpoles, straight out of the ’60s Batman show.

Tomasi’s run on Detective has been notably disappointing so far. But he may very well turn things around with these next few issues. We’ve got a story about a mayoral candidate running on an anti-vigilante platform. There’ve been stories in that territory before. But I’m intrigued to see what Tomasi does with it.

TITLE: Batman/Superman #13
AUTHOR: Joshua Williamson
ARTISTS: Max Raynor, Alejandro Sanchez (Colorist), John J. Hill (Letterer). Variant cover by Mark Brooks.
RELEASED: October 27, 2020

I had started to write this “Planet Brainiac” story off as fluff. But in this issue we have a couple scenes where our robotic villain (who is not Brainiac) talks to both our heroes respectively about their motivations as heroes in attempt to understand them. If you’re a big fan of Superman and/or Batman, it’s not terribly insightful. But I like some of that stuff for more casual readers. I’d prefer we get it via storytelling as opposed to plainly stating it the way Williamson does here. But I give him points nonetheless.

TITLE: Something is Killing the Children #11
AUTHOR: James Tynion IV
ARTISTS: Werther Dell’Edera, Miquel Muerto (Colorist), Andworld Design (Letters). Variant cover by Inhyuk Lee.
RELEASED: October 20, 2020

We meet a character called “the Old Dragon” in this issue who has a really cool look. I hope to see more of him soon.

Not a very eventful issue outside of meeting this new character. Though we do get a nice back-and-forth between Erica Slaughter and our resident cop character. Tensions continue to rise. Despite some of my reservations about children and gore, I can’t deny Tynion, Dell-Edera, and Muerto have put together one of the most suspenseful books on the stands.

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

Weekly Comic 100s: Superman, TMNT, Something is Killing the Children, 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

TITLE: Superman #25
AUTHOR: Brian Michael Bendis
ARTISTS: Ivan Reis, Julio Ferriera & Danny Miki (Inkers), Alex Sinclair (Colorist), Dave Sharpe (Letterer)
RELEASED: September 8, 2020

Apparently in the post-New 52 continuity, or whatever continuity we’re in right now, Clark Kent and Lana Lang haven’t been in touch for awhile. Though apparently she was still Superwoman at one point…

For a couple pages here, Ivan Reis gets to take on Clark’s Smallville days. That’s pretty cool. Less cool? He also draws the New 52 Superman costume. Though thankfully it looks less like armor.

I’ll be sad to see Bendis’ run on the Superman books end in December. He did right by the Man of Steel.

TITLE: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #109
AUTHOR: Sophie Campbell, Kevin Eastman & Tom Waltz (Story Consultants)
ARTISTS: Jodi Nishijima, Ronda Pattison (Colorist), Shawn Lee (Letterer)
RELEASED: September 9, 2020

It continues to amaze me how this book is breaking the mold of what a TMNT story can be. What we’ve been getting lately is something more akin to a later issue of The Walking Dead. They’re trying to build a new society from the ground up.

Michaelangelo, for all intents and purposes, starts a Mutant Town podcast in this issue. That. Is. Genius.

TITLE: Something is Killing the Children #10
AUTHOR: James Tynion IV
ARTISTS: Werther Dell’Edera, Miquel Muerto
RELEASED: September 9, 2020

“While you worry about the rules, real people are getting hurt.”

Good line.

This is the first issue of Something is Killing the Children that I think went a little too far with the gore. We actually see a child get murdered in supernatural, yet still pretty brutal, fashion. I still dig the book at large, but that took me right out of the issue.

TITLE: Batman: The Adventures Continue #12
AUTHOR: Alan Burnett, Paul Dini
ARTISTS: Ty Templeton, Monica Kubina (Colorist), Josh Reed (Letterer)
RELEASED: September 11, 2020

We start getting into the nitty gritty of what the Joker does to Jason Todd in this issue. Harley Quinn is written as having a problem with it. That’s the first move Burnett and Dini have made that I really don’t buy.

I love that for the flashbacks where Jason is Robin, they switched Batman’s costume back to the old Batman: The Animated Series design. Great little continuity touch.

All in all, I really like the DCAU spin they’ve put on A Death in the Family. And it looks like they’re about to stick the landing.

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

Weekly Comic 100s: Batman, Power Rangers, Magneto, and More!

Rob Siebert Leave a comment

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

Been a rocky couple of weeks on the comic book front for yours truly. Wasn’t able to get to the shop a couple weeks ago. Then last week my local shop had a problem with Lunar Distribution, the company that now distributes DC in the wake of their split from Diamond. So there are still some holes left to be filled in my pull list. In the coming days, expect to see the most recent issues of Superman and Detective Comics, along with the final issue of Greg Rucka’s Lois Lane maxi-series.

But still, the train rolls along. I was even able to throw an issue of Batman: Gotham Nights in for good measure.

TITLE: Batman: The Adventures Continue #8
AUTHORS: Alan Burnett, Paul Dini
ARTISTS: Ty Templeton, Monica Cubina (Colorist), Joshua Reed (Letterer)
RELEASED: July 16, 2020

This one went by pretty quickly. But it does Azrael some nice justice. We put over the violent tendencies we saw all those years ago in the comics, while also tying yet another classic Batman villain into the story.

With few exceptions, Ty Templeton and the artistic team have been as consistent as you could hope for on this title. What we see is more or less what we remember from those old tie-in comics, and I’m not sure what more you could ask in that sense.

TITLE: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #51
AUTHOR: Ryan Parrott
ARTISTS: Moises Hidalgo, Walter Baiamonte (Colorist), Ed Dukeshire (Letterer). Cover by Jamal Campbell.
RELEASED: July 15, 2020

Not a huge fan of Moises Hidalgo on this book. I usually like my MMPR art on the crisp, clean side. His has a little more of an exaggerated look. And as nitpicky as this is, I don’t enjoy the way he draws Tommy or Rocky’s hair.

As good as it got at various points, I’m very happy to see we’ve mostly moved on from “Necessary Evil.” We’ve got Zedd back, as well as Lord Drakkon. Yes, I’ve heard about the upcoming “split.” But hopefully we can enjoy ourselves in the meantime.

TITLE: Giant-Size X-Men: Magneto
AUTHOR: Jonathan Hickman
ARTISTS: Ramon Perez, David Curiel (Colorist), Clayton Cowles (Letterer). Cover by Ben Oliver.
RELEASED: July 15, 2020

In this issue, Emma Frost recruits Magneto to find her an island where she can set up a base. Fair enough. If you want somebody to find an island for you, Magneto’s not a bad choice. Good call, Emma.

But yeah…that’s about it. Certainly not worth the $4.99 cover price. Completely and utterly skippable.

TITLE: Batman #94
AUTHOR: James Tynion IV
ARTISTS: Guillem March, Rafael Albequerque, David Baron (Colors), Clayton Cowles (Letterer). Cover by Tony Daniel & Tomeu Morey.
RELEASED: July 7, 2020

Not necessarily the strongest issue we’ve seen from Tynion and the crew thus far. But I will say that this issue goes a long way in creating that vibe of foreboding dread that comes when an event comic villain really ramps it up.

Batman #94 is, for my money, the first time we really start to deal with the ramifications of Alfred not being around. Lucius is treating an injured Batman, and at one point laments that he can’t be as focused or single-minded as Alfred was.

No offense Lucius, but we knew you weren’t gonna cut it.

TITLE: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #106
AUTHORS: Kevin Eastman & Tom Waltz (Story Consulting), Sophie Campbell (Story), Ronda Pattison (Script)
ARTISTS: Nelson Daniel, Pattison (Colorist), Shawn Lee (Letterer).
RELEASED: July 15, 2020

This issue is refreshingly Turtle-centric. That sounds odd for a book called Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. But the TMNT have such a vast crew of supporting characters, it can work against them in that they feel lost in their own book. This issue gives us a chance to catch up.

Nelson Daniel is doing a fine job with the Turtles. I’ve said this before, but for some reason TMNT artists are make or break for me based on how they draw the bandanas in relation to the faces. Daniel does that very well.

TITLE: Something is Killing the Children #8
AUTHOR: James Tynion IV
ARTISTS: Werther Dell’Edera, Miquel Muerto
RELEASED: July 8, 2020

This issue brings up an interesting question: How do you walk the line of good taste in a book about monsters eating and dismembering children? Or do you? If your book is already about that, do you just embrace the uncomfortable gore of it all?

Issue #8 shows us part of a dismembered corpse and a bloody shoe. As long as the art isn’t going for photorealism, I’d say that’s a nice balance. Werther Dell-Edera’s combination animated/painterly style works well with it too.

TITLE: Young Justice #16
AUTHOR: Brian Michael Bendis, David Walker
ARTISTS: Scott Godlewski, Gabe Eltaeb (Colorist), Wes Abbott (Letterer). Cover by John Timms & Eltaeb.
RELEASED: July 7, 2020

Now that we’ve taken a dive into what Conner Kent’s relationship to the space-time continuum is, this issue dives into Impulse’s. I’ll say this much: I didn’t expect it to involve Arkham Asylum.

It’s interesting that Bendis has continued to portray Superboy and Impulse as outliers from another reality. They don’t really belong. And as we’ll see next issue, he’s about to open it up that much further by bringing the in the Justice League. It gives this team an enduring misfit quality. That sort of thing is great if you like some teen angst in your superhero books.

TITLE: Marvels X #4
AUTHORS: Alex Ross (Story), Jim Krueger (Story and Script)
ARTISTS: Well-Bee, Cory Petit (Letterer). Cover by Ross.
RELEASED: July 8, 2020

This issue gives us a nice old-school Avengers moment. It’s very Alex Ross, with the heroes in their classic outfits. Well-Bee’s style darkens it. But that makes the colors pop that much more.

There’s an exchange in this issue that I love between Kraven the Hunter and Captain America. It’s about how anyone can put Cap’s costume on, and it’s simply a disguise. But of course, that’s not true. The costume is part of something much larger than the sum of its parts. Again, very Alex Ross.

TITLE: Batman: Gotham Nights #12
AUTHOR: Tim Seeley
ARTISTS: V Ken Marion, Sandu Florea (Inker), Andrew Dalhouse (Colorist), Troy Peteri (Letterer)
RELEASED: July 7, 2020

A nice little Robin reunion that I was at one point convinced was drawn by Brett Booth. Is it common knowledge among supervillains which heroes used to be Robin? That’s what this issue seems to suggest. And if so, why? How would they know?

Interesting that they put Spoiler among this little alumni group. I was under the impression Stephanie Brown’s tenure as Robin wasn’t canon. I won’t complain, though. It’s actually rather refreshing to see.

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

Weekly Comic 100s: Go Go Power Rangers Finale, Batman, 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

A slightly abbreviated version this week. I wouldn’t expect that to become a trend. As we continue to get back in the swing of things, they’ll get consistently bigger.

TITLE: Go Go Power Rangers #32
AUTHORS: Ryan Parrott, Sina Grace
ARTISTS: Francesco Mortarino, Simona Di Gianfelice (Inking Assist), Raul Angulo (Colorist), Ed Dukeshire (Letterer). Cover by Eleonora Carlini and Angulo.
RELEASED: June 10, 2020

Fracesco Mortarino draws Rocky with a mullet in this issue. That was most certainly not how he looked on the show…

While I’m very sad to see Go Go Power Rangers…uh…go, the series does end on a satisfactory note. We close with Jason, Zack, and Trini giving up their powers to take on a secret mission in space as the Omega Rangers. But it’s less about the original team splitting up, and more about the growth into two teams. It’s like we’ve gained four new Rangers instead of losing three.

TITLE: Batman Secret Files #3
AUTHORS: Vita Ayala, Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Mariko Tamaki, Dan Watters, James Tynion IV.
ARTISTS: Andie Tong, Victor Ibanez, Riley Rossmo, John Paul Leon, Sumit Kumar. Cover by Guillem March and Tomeu Morey.
COLORISTS: Alejandro Sanchez, Jordie Bellaire, Ivan Plascencia, Leon, FCO Plascencia
LETTERERS: Rob Leigh, Troy Peteri, Tom Napolitano, Deron Bennett Carlos M. Mangual
RELEASED: June 9, 2020

This issue spotlights the various assassins sent to kill Batman in the latest story in the titular series. Obviously this includes Deathstroke. Batman scribe James Tynion IV gives us a story about the Joker pitching Slade a plan that will presumably come to pass in the upcoming Joker War story.

From an overall quality standpoint, the story about Mr. Teeth is probably leading the pack, followed by a story featuring Merlyn and Green Arrow. All in all, some great character spotlights make this an issue that’s definitely worth picking up.

TITLE: Something is Killing the Children #7
AUTHOR: James Tynion IV
ARTISTS: Werther Dell’Edera, Miquel Muerto (Colorist), Andworld Design (Letters)
RELEASED: June 10, 2020

Tynion is slowly peeling back the layers in terms of what the monsters are, and who this group fighting against them is.

For instance, in this book we learn Erica Slaughter belongs to the “Slaughter House,” and that there’s some kind of hierarchy to it. But of course, we don’t find out what that is or how it works. The approach is effective.

We also get an important bit of info as to why Erica kept young James at her side in the first story. It doesn’t paint her in the best light. But it does make sense.

TITLE: Lois Lane #11
AUTHOR: Greg Rucka
ARTISTS: Mike Perkins, Andy Troy (Colorist), Simon Bowland (Letterer)
RELEASED: June 9, 2020

This thing was disjointed before the COVID interruption. Sadly, things haven’t changed in that regard. I love Greg Rucka, and Mike Perkins gives us some awesome art. But what the hell is going on in this story???

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

Weekly Comic 100s: Power Rangers Double Feature, Spider-Woman #1, 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

No comic shop for me this week. These were strictly digital purchases. Thank God for Comixology.The irony in all of this is that it feels like the prologue for a story you’d read in a comic book…

TITLE: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #4 (of 5)
AUTHOR: Ryan Parrott
ARTISTS: Simone di Meo, Alessio Zonno, Walter Baiamonte (Colorist), Igor Monti (Color Assistant), Ed Dukeshire (Letterer). Cover by Dan Mora.
RELEASED: March 18, 2020

You knew it was inevitable. You can’t have this story without somehow getting the Turtles into Ranger costumes. That being said those outfits are pretty goofy. Granted, the premise itself is goofy. And they look about as good as they were ever going to. But even by Power Ranger/Ninja Turtle standards…goofy as hell.

As I’ve said previously, pretty paint-by-numbers team-up stuff here. The TMNT characters do Power Rangers stuff, and vice versa. Shredder and Rita are still the best part. I’m guessing they’re already planning on a sequel, as we get a pretty obvious hint.

TITLE: Go Go Power Rangers #30
AUTHOR: Ryan Parrott, Sina Grace
ARTISTS: Francesco Mortarino, Raul Angulo (Colorist), Ed Dukeshire (Letterer). Cover by Eleonora Carlini.
RELEASED: March 11, 2020

A solid issue. But why is Finster creating monsters for Zedd? On the show he was pretty much on the shelf until Rita came back. Why isn’t Zedd just doing it himself?

I’m liking these Goldar, Squatt, and Baboo scenes we’ve been getting in both the main book and in Go Go. It brings back fond memories from season one.

As we move closer to the end (*sniff*), I can only assume Rocky, Adam, and Aisha will pop up soon. If for nothing else than a cameo in the final issue.

TITLE: Spider-Woman #1
AUTHOR: Karla Pacheco
ARTISTS: Pere Perez, Paulo Siqueira, Oren Junior (Inker), Frank D’Armata (Colorist), Travis Lanham (Letterer). Cover by Junggeun Yoon.
RELEASED: March 18, 2020

I’ve never read Karla Pacheco before. But in this book I’m getting a Bendis type vibe from her. That’s not a bad thing. As I recall, Bendis did alright in the Spider-Verse…

Our main story is about Jessica fighting a mysterious illness as she’s trying to protect a rich socialite from being kidnapped. It’s a lot of fun, though I’m partial to the back-up, which goes into how she got the job, and why she’s wearing a different costume for it. Why? Because she goes to a store called “Big Ronnie’s Custom Battle Spandex.”

That. Is. Brilliant.

TITLE: BANG! #2
AUTHOR: Matt Kindt
ARTISTS: Wilfredo Torres, Nayoung Kim (Colorist), Nate Piekos (Letterer)
RELEASED: March 18, 2020

BANG! was definitely the most fun book in my stack this week. What we have here is a series that isn’t afraid to revel in action movie tropes and cliches. But beneath the surface there’s something more serious with a lot of intrigue. I’ve officially got high hopes.

This month we meet a new hero, John Shaw, who’s looks like he’s based off John McClane. He gets in the middle of a massacre on a speeding train masterminded by a would-be Bond villain with a disfigured face and a speech impediment shamelessly played for laughs. Yup. I’m all in.

TITLE: Batman #91
AUTHOR: James Tynion IV
ARTISTS: Rafael Albuquerque, Jorge Jimenez, Carlo Pagulayan, Danny Miki, Tomeu Morey (Colorist), Clayton Cowles (Letterer)
RELEASED: March 18, 2020

Amidst all the chaos in this issue, the most interesting exchange is between Batman and Deathstroke. Our hero talks about the stakes in his war on crime constantly being raised. He’s almost pleading with Slade, saying that “you people,” i.e. supervillains, need to step aside so he can save Gotham.

Deathstroke gives the correct response, which is ,”You escalated first.”

This is an interesting scene to juxtapose with everything happening with the Designer, the Joker, Catwoman, etc.

We’re six issues into Tynion’s run, and Batman is still firing on all cylinders. Lord knows, I’m still along for the ride…

TITLE: Something is Killing the Children #6
AUTHOR: James Tynion IV
ARTISTS: Werther Dell’Edera, Miquel Muerto (Colorist), Andworld Design (Letters)
RELEASED: March 18, 2020

As we close this issue we get another glimpse of “the Order,” a bunch of folks in suits who all wear bandanas like Erica. I nice, cryptic little scene with a little glimpse into Erica’s past.

They did a nice job of spreading the layouts over two pages this month. The panels go left to right, then down, then left and right, almost like words in a paragraph. It’s not necessarily a rare thing. But I really dug the execution here.

TITLE: Marvels X #3
AUTHORS: Alex Ross, Jim Krueger
ARTISTS: Well-Bee, Cory Petit (Letterer). Cover by Ross.
RELEASED: March 18, 2020

There’s a line in here about Reed Richards being blamed for a global pandemic. That one hits home right about now…

They apparently felt the need to re-emphasize David’s importance. They hammer the whole “He could save us all!” thing home so much in this issue it becomes grating. I would also argue David’s plucky fanboy shtick is getting old.

Still, a fairly enjoyable outing. Well-Bee draws a hell of a Spider-Man. I also noticed the touch of gray he added to Peter Parker’s hair. Ironically, it makes him look like Reed Richards.

TITLE: Hotell #1 (of 4)
AUTHOR: John Lees
ARTISTS: Dalibor Talajic, Lee Loughridge (Colorist), Sal Cipriano (Letterer). Cover by Kaare Andrews
RELEASED: March 18, 2020

Hotell feels like a horror book with self-contained stories, a la Tales From the Crypt or The Twilight Zone. I’m not quite sure if that’s what it’ll end up being, especially with only four issues. But that’s what it feels like.

While it tends to suffer from the kind of awkward dialogue you often get in newer indie comics, Hotell surprised me with its ability to create a genuine sense of fear and dread that few comics do. If this is your cup of tea, I highly recommend it.

But be warned. It earns its Mature rating in spades.

TITLE: Star Wars #4
AUTHOR: Charles Soule
ARTISTS: Jesus Saiz, Arif Prianto & Rachelle Rosenburg (Colorists), Clayton Cowles (Letterer). Cover by R.B. Silva and Guru-eFX.
RELEASED: March 18, 2020

In regard to Luke, Leia, and Lando returning to Bespin, the solicitation for this issue tells us, “Things did not go well for the trio the last time they visited this place.”

You mean a few days ago? Hell, Luke is basically wearing the same clothes. Because for some reason the heroes in this book are complete idiots.

Luke digs through mountains of garbage to find his lightsaber. Leia has gotten herself frozen. But don’t worry! If you’ve only been frozen for a little while, you can be thawed out and be completely alert with no side effects!

Friggin’ stupid.

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

Weekly Comic 100s: Spider-Man, Detective Comics, Something is Killing the Children

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

Like last week, I’m playing a little bit of catch-up. We’ve got two regulars, as well as the start of a miniseries I simply couldn’t resist…

TITLE: Amazing Spider-Man: The Daily Bugle
AUTHOR: Mat Johnson
ARTISTS: Mack Chater, Francesco Mobili, Scott Hanna, Dono Sanchez-Almara and Protobunker (Colors), Joe Carmagna (Letterer). Cover by Mark Bagley and Morey Hollowell.
RELEASED: January 29, 2020

I love it when journalism and comics cross paths. That’s one of the reasons I’m so into the Lois Lane mini that’s out right now. But this, dare I say, promises to be brighter and flashier.

We’ve got hardened newspaper reporter Ben Urich teaming up with Robbie Robertson’s niece Chloe, a social media star. So we’ve got a nice old school meets new school thing going on. Peter Parker is also back at the Bugle as a photographer. So we’ll see no shortage of Spidey in these pages.

This could be a lot of fun.

TITLE: Detective Comics Annual #3
AUTHOR: Peter Tomasi
ARTISTS: Sumit Kumar, Romulo Fajardo Jr (Colorist), Tom Napolitano (Letterer). Cover by Steve Rude.
RELEASED: January 29, 2020

I like Eduardo Risso, I’m just not sure if I like him on Batman…

The stories we get here are okay. But what really stood out to me was a new character: Marigold Sinclair, a former colleague of Alfred’s from his secret agent days. By no means do I want her to be Bruce Wayne’s butler. But she apparently picked up some of Alfred’s irreverent wit along the way. I’d love to see her return at some point.

Really dig this cover, too. A fine piece by the great Steve Rude.

TITLE: Something is Killing the Children #5
AUTHOR: James Tynion IV
ARTISTS: Werther Dell’Edera, Miquel Muerto (Colorist), Andworld Design (Letters)
RELEASED: January 29, 2020

It’s rare that a comic makes me uncomfortable to the point that I’m almost queasy. But Dell’Edera and Muerto pulled it off in this issue. We go into our monster’s dwelling, and there’s  one particular shot of its victims. *shudders*

This issue felt like the end of the first story arc, albeit one with a couple heavy cliffhangers. Now that we’ve established our main characters and our monsters, the story seems to be set to expand. No complaints on my end.

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