Tag Archives: Riccardo Federici

Abu Dhabi’s first comic book studio premiers in December with Storm the Block

Sandstorm Comics, a soon-to-be unveiled new regional comics studio was first teased at the tenth annual Middle East Film and Comic Con in 2022. This revolutionary new organization made its first American appearance at Comic Con International in San Diego last month, where they began recruiting talent for their first-ever event in Abu Dhabi later this year.

Led by Mo Abedin, an Emirati industry leader and lifelong comic book creator himself, Sandstorm aims to put Abu Dhabi on the map of the global entertainment industry, by building the region’s comics ecosystem right from the heart of the UAE, to elevate local talent through unique opportunities not only in the region, but the world at large. The studio kicks off these efforts with the announcement of their inaugural comics and pop culture industry event, Storm the Block, scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi in early December.

Those who wish to submit a comic book project for consideration for development in partnership with Sandstorm’s international pool of talent can apply by visiting https://sandstormcomics.com/submissions/.

The inaugural Storm the Block will take place on December 8-10 in Abu Dhabi, with comics talent, animators, influencers, and creatives from around the world to be announced in the months leading up to the event. The first names from this prestigious guest list of international talent are announced alongside the event today, with the appearance of multiple artists from Superani, the world-renowned artist studio and collective. Other guests include Saroush Barazesh (Kings of Nowhere), Marvel and DC artist Bernard Chang, artist and director Chase Conley (The Boondocks, X-Men 97), Riccardo Federici, Sean “Cheeks” Galloway, Coran Kizer Stone (Kizerilla) Ron Marz (Green Lantern), Belén Ortega (Batman, The Joker), Gabriel Picolo (Teen Titans: Beast Boy), and Whyt Manga (Apple Black). US based publishers attending include Cryptozoic, DSTLRY, Mad Cave, Top Cow, and more. World-renowned Japanese retailer Kinokuniya will be offering a specially curated selection of books, stationary, and more. 

Sandstorm will also be releasing preview issues of their first 13 comic books created with local authors and renowned international artists. Storm the Block promises to be a unique experience for a global audience pairing the best in comic fandom with the vibrant city of Abu Dhabi.

Storm the Block

Preview: Knight Terrors: Detective Comics #2 (of 2)

Knight Terrors: Detective Comics #2 (of 2)

(W) Dan Watters (A) Riccardo Federici
In Shops: Aug 22, 2023
SRP: $4.99

After seeing diamonds violently pour out of a woman’s mouth and the metal of his old Batman robo-suit soldered onto someone’s flesh to wear around Gotham…Jim Gordon slowly realizes that “the good people of Gotham” being represented by monstrous ideations of power, wealth, and knowledge…aren’t very good people at all. Jim’s investigation leads him to a mysterious clock, and he goes to Oracle for help to trace who or what is causing this nightmare…but whether he is able to wake up from it at all will be up to more than just himself.

Knight Terrors: Detective Comics #2 (of 2)

Preview: Knight Terrors: Detective Comics #1

Knight Terrors: Detective Comics #1

(W) Dan Watters (A) Riccardo Federici
Price: $4.99

BATMAN TRAPPED IN THE NIGHTMARE REALM!

Jim Gordon stumbles upon a sacred ritual held by three disciples chanting around an enchanted clock…and one of them is wearing the robotic Batsuit that he donned many years ago as Batman…except this metal suit seems to have have soldered directly into the flesh of the wearer! What do these creatures want with Gotham, and why are they targeting Jim’s daughter, Babs, too? This has to be a dream, right? Or perhaps it’s a nightmare, but if you die in it, you can die in real life as well…

Knight Terrors: Detective Comics #1

Horror invade the DC Universe. Discover the Knight Terrors that await DC’s super-villains!

DC has pulled back the curtain a bit more about what will stalk the DC Universe this summer in the upcoming event, “Knight Terrors.” Taking place in July and August, it features multiple two-issue miniseries that will spotlight a hero or villain confronting their worst nightmares. Find out what’s coming along with the creating teams and be ready to see what goes bump in the night!

Knight Terrors: First Blood #1 from Joshua Williamson and Howard Porter kicks things off with an oversized issue. When Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman find the body of one of their earliest enemies inside the Hall of Justice, their investigation takes them past the land of the living, beyond the land of the dead, and directly to a new villain called Insomnia, who uses his powers to engulf every single hero and villain in their own dark and twisted nightmares. The only way to save the world is to call for the help of an unlikely hero—Deadman!

Knight Terrors: First Blood #1 comes to shops on July 4 and will feature art, a main cover, a 1:666 signed variant, and a Darkest Hour variant cover by Howard Porter. The one-shot special issue will also feature open-to-order variant covers by Jae Lee and Francesco Mattina, a 1:25 variant by Riccardo Federici, a 1:50 by Ejikure, and a 1:100 by Jae Lee.

The main Knight Terrors story will take place over four issues written by Williamson with art by Giuseppe Camuncoli, Stefano Nesi, and Caspar Wijngaard, in which Boston Brand—a.k.a. Deadman—serves as the supernatural tour guide! Following the events of Knight Terrors: First Blood #1, everyone in the world is trapped inside their nightmares, and Batman and Deadman are trying to figure out who Insomnia really is…and why he wants revenge on the heroes of the DC Universe! Knight Terrors #1 is available at comics shops on July 11 with variant covers by Francesco Mattina and Alex Maleev, a 1:25 variant by Evan “Doc” Shaner, a 1:50 by Alex Maleev, a 1:100 by Ivan Reis, and a Darkest Hour cover by Reis.

Knight Terrors #2 continues the terror as it comes to comic shops on July 25. Wesley Dodds, the Sandman, teams up with Batman and Deadman to uncover one of his oldest cases, which haunted him until the day he died. The trio are pointed in the direction of the Nightmare Stone, but Insomnia has unleashed his army, the Sleepless Knights, to hunt them down. Knight Terrors #2 will feature a cover by Ivan Reis and Danny Miki, open-to-order variants by Francesco Mattina and Mahmud Asrar, a 1:25 variant by Jeff Spokes, a 1:50 by Ivan Reis, and a 1:100 by Asrar. Reis is also providing a Darkest Hour variant.

When you’re the Clown Prince of Crime, what kind of nightmare do you have? Working a nine-to-five office job! How will the Joker handle meetings that could have been emails?! Why did management cancel bring-your-child-to-work day?! Who will want to make small talk at the coffee machine?! What is Alexis going to pick for lunch?! And who is the masked madman terrorizing Gotham at night?! Knight Terrors: The Joker #1 is available on July 4, written by Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing author Matthew Rosenberg and featuring art and main cover by Stefano Raffaele. This first of two issues includes open-to-order variants by Francesco Mattina and Simone Bianchi as well as a 1:25 variant by Alan Quah, a 1:50 by Ryan Brown, and a Midnight variant by Dustin Nguyen.

It’s another absolutely gorgeous and serene day in Pamela Isley’s lovely little new neighborhood in Knight Terrors: Poison Ivy #1 by Poison Ivy writer/artist team G. Willow Wilson and Atagun Ilhan! Everything and everyone here is wall-to-wall smiles! Nothing ever goes wrong, everyone is friends, and best of all, it’s made just for Ivy with lots and lots of love. Now, Pammy, don’t frown, don’t fuss, and don’t fret—just because this wasn’t what you thought you wanted, that doesn’t mean it won’t fit you like a glove! Have some pie, dear, don’t think too hard, and just smile. Knight Terrors: Poison Ivy #1 hits comics shops on July 4 with a main cover by Jessica Fong, open-to-order variants by Leirix and Jamie McKelvie, a 1:25 variant by Nimit Malavia, and a 1:50 variant by Jessica Dalva. Dustin Nguyen will also provide a Midnight variant cover.

Catwoman murdered Valmont, the man she loved, in order to save the other man she loved, Batman. She broke Batman’s one rule, and he will never forgive her for it, but Selina prays to Sister Zero for forgiveness and to wake up from the Nightmare Realm. Knight Terrors: Catwoman #1 is available on July 18 from Catwoman series writer Tini Howard and artist Leila Leiz. The first issue features a main cover and a 1:50 variant by Leiz, open-to-order variants by Tula Lotay and Corin Howell, a 1:25 variant by Dani, and a Midnight variant by Dustin Nguyen.

Harley Quinn finds herself in a world beyond both the waking world and that of dreams in Knight Terrors: Harley Quinn #1 from Harley Quinn series writer Tini Howard and artist Hayden Sherman. Harley’s nightmare world is one where her every choice creates a series of infinitely rippling profane reverberations. Plus, Leah Williams and Ben Templesmith help Harley crack a cosmic-mystery night terror in their backup story! Knight Terrors: Harley Quinn #1 is available on July 25 and features a main cover by Sherman, open-to-order variants by Jenny Frison and Tula Lotay, a 1:25 variant by Caspar Wijngaard, a 1:50 variant by Harley Quinn artist Sweeney Boo, and a Midnight variant by Dustin Nguyen.

Black Adam is defending Kahndaq from a border assault when the deadly nightmare wave sweeps the planet, putting all people into the nightmare realm! But what are his deepest, darkest nightmares? What horror can put fear into the heart of Black Adam?! Knight Terrors: Black Adam #1 arrives in comic shops on July 4. It is written and drawn by Jeremy Haun with a main and 1:50 cover by Haun, open-to-order variant covers by Christian Ward and Tiago da Silva, a 1:25 variant by Karl Kerschl, and a Midnight variant by Dustin Nguyen.

Deep in an abandoned Kobra safe house is a device able to access the dream powers of John Dee, a.k.a. Doctor Destiny. As heroes across the world succumb to nightmares, Angel Breaker wants it. Now, to infiltrate a hall of horrors, she’ll need the help of a professional thief—the man known as Raptor. But Angel Breaker and Raptor aren’t exactly friends. Can the mysterious merc trust a man who feels nothing but grudges as the strange pair encounter a horror as old as the Coda Sisterhood and even more dangerous? Written by Tim Seeley, with art by Acky Bright, Knight Terrors: Angel Breaker #1 is available on July 25 with a main cover and 1:50 variant by Matteo Lolli, open-to-order variants by Ivan Tao and Leirix, a 1:25 variant by Chuma Hill, and a Midnight variant by Dustin Nguyen.

Alexis Kaye, a.k.a. Punchline, has no fears…or so she’d have you believe! They will be pried out of her in the nightmare world where she’s being hunted, and she’ll be forced to face her deepest, darkest nightmare in true horror-movie fashion! Knight Terrors: Punchline #1 is available on July 18 from writer Danny Lore and artist Lucas Meyer. It will feature a main cover and 1:50 variant by Gleb Melnikov, open-to-order variants by Ben Oliver and Otto Schmidt, a 1:25 variant by Tony Shasteen, and a Midnight variant by Dustin Nguyen.

Preview: Lazarus Planet Alpha #1

Lazarus Planet Alpha #1

Written by: Gene Luen Yang, Mark Waid
Art by: Billy Tan of Tan Comics, Riccardo Federici
In Shops: Jan 10, 2023
SRP: $5.99

CHANGE THE WORLD. Following the explosive (literally) events of Batman vs. Robin #4, the Lazarus Volcano has erupted, spewing dangerous and transformative chemicals into Earth’s atmosphere! As these Lazarus clouds rain down upon the planet, people across the globe begin to develop strange new abilities, watch their already-extraordinary abilities change, and witness a whole host of chaos unlike anything the DCU has experienced before! It’s up to Damian Wayne to put out the distress call for whoever can still hear it: come to the ruins of the Hall of Justice and help save the world! Poison Ivy, Power Girl, Cyborg, Batman, and more answer the call…but why could the fate of all life as we know it rest in the hands of…Monkey Prince?

Lazarus Planet Alpha #1

Lazarus Planet Alpha doesn’t feel like a start but a continuation

Lazarus Planet Alpha

Lazarus Planet Alpha kicks off the new year for DC with an event that has a planetary impact. A volcano on Lazarus Island has gone off raining down magical energy on the world. Its impact is transforming individuals, and when it comes to heroes impacting their powers. It’s a crisis that’ll call in the scattered heroes of the world to try and stop it, all lead by… Damian Wayne!?

Mark Waid continues his big picture story with Lazarus Planet Alpha, a debut that doesn’t feel so much as a start is it does the next chapter. Waid brings together his recent runs on World’s Finest and Robin vs. Batman to this event which sees the dots connected. Unfortunately, if you haven’t been reading those comics, the story feels like you’re coming into a movie well after it began. Lazarus Planet Alpha catches readers up and provides the info needed to understand what’s going on but it’s at a surface level. There’s something missing in the experience, mostly the motivation of the “big bad”. Batman’s hurt, we don’t really know why, and various demons are thrown around as having to be found or stopped and not much info is given on them. It’s surface level entertainment that can be enjoyed but you might be missing the lead ups to it that gives greater depth and a richer story.

What stands out is the art by Riccardo Federici. With color by Brad Anderson and lettering by Steve Wands, the comic is beautiful to look at and the art feels like it gets better as the comic progresses. Federici’s art delivers dynamic visuals that break panels and provides a mix of clear vision as to what’s going on but in a way that emphasizes the chaos the characters are experiencing. There’s also some interesting choices in what does and does not get a full panel to linger on the shot. One page you’d have expected it but Federici chooses not to which makes a full page image just a bit later hit even more. It stands out and not known if it’s intentional or not.

The comic also features a story focused on the Monkey Prince who will play a key role in the event. Written by Gene Luen Yang with art by Billy Tan, color by Sebastian Cheng, and lettering by Janice Chiang, the comic delivers a bit more information about some of the characters involved in the event. These backups if throughout the run of the series might flesh out what can’t be stuffed in to the main story but the tone and style is so different it almost clashes with the main story. It’s overall very good but just a whiplash from what leads into it.

Lazarus Planet Alpha isn’t bad at all, it’s quite entertaining and delivers some solid “summer box office action.” But, where it stumbles is its clear continuation of what has preceded it. The comic, despite being an “alpha” doesn’t feel so much as an easy entry for new readers as it does the next issue in an ongoing series. Still, it’s easy to catch up on the major things you need to now, it’s just hard to not feel like you’re missing out on… something. Still, the art is fantastic and worth checking out and depending on how much fun what’s to come is, it might be worth seeing what lead up to this point.

Story: Mark Waid, Gene Luen Yang Art: Riccardo Federici, Billy Tan
Color: Brad Anderson, Sebastian Cheng Letterer: Steve Wands, Janice Chiang
Story: 7.75 Art: 9.0 Overall: 7.75 Recommendation: Read

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review


Purchase: TFAW – Zeus Comics – comiXology/Kindle

Preview: Lazarus Planet Alpha #1

Lazarus Planet Alpha #1

Written by: Gene Luen Yang, Mark Waid
Art by: Billy Tan of Tan Comics, Riccardo Federici
In Shops: Jan 10, 2023
SRP: $5.99

CHANGE THE WORLD. Following the explosive (literally) events of Batman vs. Robin #4, the Lazarus Volcano has erupted, spewing dangerous and transformative chemicals into Earth’s atmosphere! As these Lazarus clouds rain down upon the planet, people across the globe begin to develop strange new abilities, watch their already-extraordinary abilities change, and witness a whole host of chaos unlike anything the DCU has experienced before! It’s up to Damian Wayne to put out the distress call for whoever can still hear it: come to the ruins of the Hall of Justice and help save the world! Poison Ivy, Power Girl, Cyborg, Batman, and more answer the call…but why could the fate of all life as we know it rest in the hands of…Monkey Prince?

Lazarus Planet Alpha #1

NYCC 2022: Lazarus Planet explodes out of Batman vs. Robin in 2023

At the New York Comic Con “Explore the DC Multiverse” panel, it was revealed that the DC universe will be rocked to its core in DC’s first 2023 event, Lazarus Planet! Event showrunner Mark Waid teams up with Riccardo Federici, Gene Luen Yang, Billy Tan, Nicole Maines, Skylar Patridge, Francis Manapul, Dan Watters, Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Josie Campbell, and more, to transform DC’s Super Heroes and Supervillains beginning in January!

Following the events of Mark Waid and Mahmud Asrar’s Batman vs. Robin #4 this December, the Lazarus Volcano has erupted—spewing dangerous and transformative chemicals into Earth’s atmosphere, resulting in chaos across the DC universe! As these Lazarus clouds rain down upon the planet, people across the globe begin to develop strange new abilities, watch their already-extraordinary abilities change, and witness a whole host of chaos unlike anything the DCU has experienced before!

We know you’ve got questions about this upcoming DC comic book event, but you’ll have to wait for the Lazarus Planet explosions to begin for your answers! In the meantime, we’re already asking about the effects of Lazarus raining from the skies:

  • Can Power Girl free herself from the out-of-control Omen? 
  • Who are the mysterious trio claiming to be resurrected siblings of Raven? 
  • Will Dreamer’s visions guide our heroes to the path of victory? 
  • Can Mercy Graves survive the transformation she’s undergone? 
  • Will Martian Manhunter survive a psychic link to a Doomsday nest?
  • Can new hero City Boy hope to commune with Gotham in time to save it? 
  • How far would the Question go to chase a lead across a transformed Gotham City? 
  • Will the flame of Firestorm burn out yet another horrific host?
  • And what does DC’s Monkey Prince have to do with all of this? 

Here’s a hint for the last one—Damian Wayne puts out a distress call for whoever can still hear it: come to the ruins of the Hall of Justice and help save the world! Blue Beetle, Power Girl, Cyborg, Batman, and more answer the call…but why could the fate of all life as we know it rest in the hands of…Monkey Prince? 

Look for DC’s January and February DC Connect magazines to drop in the coming months for more hints into 2023’s Lazarus Planet event and the full creative teams! The weekly Lazarus Planet schedule will include:

  • Lazarus Planet: Alpha (1/10)
  • Lazarus Planet: Assault on Krypton (1/17)
  • Lazarus Planet: We Once Were Gods (1/24)
  • Lazarus Planet: Legends Reborn (1/31) 
  • Lazarus Planet: Next Evolution (2/7)
  • Lazarus Planet: Dark Fate (2/14) 
  • Lazarus Planet: Omega (2/21)

Preview: Action Comics #1045

Action Comics #1045

(W) Phillip Kennedy Johnson (A) Riccardo Federici, David Lapham
In Shops: Jul 26, 2022
SRP: $4.99

The Warworld Revolution escalates as Superman gains the upper hand, forcing Mongul to take desperate measures. Meanwhile, a fallen ally of Superman is resurrected…at a terrible cost. A new connection to Jack Kirby’s Fourth World is revealed as the Warworld Saga’s mind-blowing conclusion nears! Then, in A World Without Clark Kent-Lois Lane and John Henry Irons race against time to save Thao-La, testing the limits of the mysterious element Genesis!

Action Comics #1045

Preview: Action Comics #1044

Action Comics #1044

(W) Philip Kennedy Johnson, David Lapham (A) Riccardo Federici, David Lapham
In Shops: Jun 28, 2022
SRP: $4.99

The Warworld Revolution is here! With the Genesis Stone feeding Kal-El a portion of his long-dormant powers, the quest to overthrow Mongul’s tyrannical rule is well under way…but can Superman convince the war-torn combat-ants of this hellish nightmare planet that kindness can best cruelty? All this, plus Midnighter stabs some fools who had it coming! Then, in “A World Without Clark Kent,” Lois, Jon, and John Henry Irons (a.k.a. Steel) convene to unlock the secrets of the mysterious Genesis tech…and Thao-La awakens…

Action Comics #1044
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