Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #9 - Comic Review

I'm going to be honest at the start of this review, I've found that Star Wars: Bounty Hunters has been my least favourite of the current Star Wars comics. I think it might be because a lot of what happens in this book doesn't seem to really connect much to the rest of the Star Wars universe, and other than featuring some bounty hunters fans will recognise it's kind of off doing its own thing. This isn't necessarily bad, as it's adding more to the universe and expanding things, but I prefer it when the comics connect to the bigger story, even in tiny ways.

But I think that's why I really actually enjoyed this issue, and found it to be the best one of the series so far, as Valance heads off to rescue a lost Rebellion convoy. It might not have any of the bi heroes on it, and it doesn't seem to be making reference to bigger events, but by him coming in and helping to save a group of the good guys it just instantly feels more like the Star Wars that I love.

The issue begins, much like the last one did, with a flashback to Valance during his time at the Imperial Academy, where he was training to become a TIE pilot. After being shot down his squad leaves him behind, and he's forced to try and survive in the ruins of this hostile world. Not only does this flashback further flesh out Valance, as well as giving further insight into why the Empire sucks, but it shows that he knows about camaraderie, and going against orders when the rest of his squad, including a young Han Solo, return to rescue him.

This is something that I think very much informs his actions during the rest of the issue, when he's putting himself in danger to help a group of people who really don't trust him. The rebels don't really want him around, and the commander even throws him in the brig, refusing to let the bounty hunter get them out of a no win situation. It would have been easy for Valance to simply give up, or just leave all together, but instead he keeps throwing himself in danger to do the right thing and help these people.

It's something we've seen from the character before, taking the much harder path because his conscience won't let him take the easy way out, but I think this is one of the better examples of it. It's easy to get a morally grey character to do the right thing when it's to protect a kid, as we'd seen in earlier issues, but when it's like this, when he's pushed back against and told no over and over, where he could walk away guilt free, it means something more for him to stand up and be a hero.

We also get some development with the villains of this issue too, as we see that the rebels are under attack from the Ohnaka Gang, though Hondo himself isn't around. Whilst it's great to see the Ohnaka Gang are still around and doing some dodgy things during the time of the Empire I'm glad that Sacks made the smart choice of not including Hondo here, instead having the pirates under the command of another Weequay, Skaag. Hondo has always walked a fine line of hero and villain, and his time on Star Wars: Rebels has definitely made him walk closer to the hero side of things, so I'm pleased that he's not here attacking the Rebellion as it would have felt a bit wrong for him. The pirates are also joined by Dengar, another iconic bounty hunter; which I think now means that all of the bounty hunters from The Empire Strikes Back have had a chance to feature in the book.

The issue also has a short interlude on Ruusan, where it's revealed that T'Onga, the bounty hunter from the first story arc of the series, didn't perish as we'd all been led to believe. Not only is this a good decision to bring her back because it allows her character another chance to shine, but also brings back one of the few openly queer Star Wars characters. At the time of her 'death' it felt like another slap in the face to queer Star Wars fans, especially after that pathetic 'first lesbian kiss' thing that happened with The Rise of Skywalker being overly hyped yet a 'blink and you miss it' moment that meant nothing. I'm hoping that this is perhaps a small way of making it up to the queer fans of the franchise.

Overall I really enjoyed this issue of Star Wars: Bounty Hunters, and thought that this was one of the better showings for Valance as both a decent person and a competent fighter, especially when he got to take an X-Wing out for a spin. Fingers crossed that this quality will continue through the rest of the story arc.

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Another 5 TV Shows Based On Books!

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

When I did research for 5 TV Shows Based On Books I ended up having enough for a second list. Well, it turns out I had even more, and needed to share with everyone else, so here’s the third entry in television shows that started life as books!

Fresh Off The Boat (2015 – 2020, ABC)

Fresh Off The Boat is an American sitcom series centred around the lives of a Taiwanese-American family. Loosely based on the life of chef and food personality Eddie Huang, the series takes inspiration from his autobiography of the same name. The show is set in the 1990s, and follows the Huang family as they relocate to Florida to start a new life and open a restaurant.

The series stars Randall Park and Constance Wu as Eddie Huang’s parents, with Hudson Yang playing Eddie. The cast was rounded out with two younger brothers and a grandmother, as well as Chelsey Crisp and Ray Wise as the family’s friendly neighbours. The series marked the first prime-time American sitcom with an all Asian main cast since 1994, and is the only series featuring an all Asian American cast to reach more than 100 episodes.

Hannibal (2013 – 2015, NBC)

It’s probably easy to tell from the name, but this series is based upon the Hannibal Lecter series of books, Red Dragon, Hannibal, and Hannibal Rising by crime author Thomas Harris. The series is focused on the relationship between FBI special investigator Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) and forensic psychiatrist Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen).

Whilst Hannibal Lecter is a known criminal and killer in the novels and their film adaptations, the series has Lecter’s cannibal identity a secret, and instead focuses on his relationship with Graham as he tries to push him closer to becoming a killer himself. The series was well received with fans and critics. Despite this, the show was cancelled after three seasons. There have been a number of campaigns and petitions to revive the show, and series stars have said that they would be eager to return, but so far there is no sign that Hannibal will make it back to screens.

Sherlock (2010 – 2017, BBC)

Sherlock takes the classic Arthur Conan Doyle mystery novels from the 19th century and gives them a flashy, modern spin in this BBC series. Produced by Stephen Moffat and Mark Gatis, the series would go on to achieve huge acclaim with the public and make stars of series’ leads Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman.

There’s a lot that can be said about this show, about how it takes different elements from the original stories and makes them almost unrecognisable, about how it seems to not understand any of the characters, or about how the show seemed to implode and lost most of its fans by the fourth series – but you can read that elsewhere on the site! Despite not being the best version of Sherlock Holmes by any means, the series did make the fictional detective popular with a whole new audience.

The Vampire Diaries (2009 – 2017, The CW)

Based upon the L.J. Smith series of the same name, The Vampire Diaries is set in the fictional town of Mystic Falls, a town full of supernatural history. It follows teen girl Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev) as she falls in love with centuries old vampire Stefan (Paul Wesley). Over the course of the series viewers learn more about the mysterious past of the town and its inhabitants, as well as getting to see the heroes deal with other supernatural threats such as ghosts, witches, and werewolves.

Despite having the highest watched series premiere of all time on the CW (until Arrow took the title) the show didn’t do particularly well when it first aired, but ratings improved over time. The series was popular enough to last for eight seasons, and even received a spin-off series, The Originals, which would last for five seasons itself.

The Man In The High Castle (2015 – 2019, Amazon)

The Man In The High Castle premiered in 2015 to much fanfare among Amazon viewers. The show is based upon Philip K. Dick’s 1962 novel, where the allied powers lost World War 2, and the US is now under occupation of Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan, who have divided the country in half.

The series follows members of the American Resistance as they fight against the fascist powers, when they discover old film reels that show an alternate history where the Allies won the war. The show diverged a fair bit from the original books, mainly due to lasting for 4 season. It still proved to be popular with fans of the original work, and received a number of award nominations across its run.

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Don Vega by Pierre Alary - Book Review

 

'The year is 1849, and the future state of California is under the control of former soldiers from the Mexican-American War. Their leader, General Gomez, is busy buying up the locals' land for pennies on the dollar, so that he and his cronies can maximize their profits from the coming gold rush. But he and his men are dogged by a series of masked, would-be avengers all calling themselves Zorro. They are an almost laughable annoyance, simple peasants living out the fantasy of a local legend. Until one man shows up and starts picking off Gomez's men one by one, as stealthy as a fox. He brandishes a sword which he uses to carve the letter Z into his victims' cheeks... Could this be the true Zorro?'

I feel like we don't get enough books featuring Zorro. He's one of the first masked superheroes, yet we don't get many stories with him. I remember growing up and occasionally seeing re-runs of the 1950's television series, and there were the films with Antonio Banderas in the late 90's and early 2000's, but other than that I never really got to experience much of the character, despite him seeming to be one of those pop culture figures that everyone knew.

Zorro seemed to be a figure bigger than his books or his films, where people who have never read or watched anything with the character know about him. They might not know who he is under the mask, or what motivates him, but they know he's a masked swordsman who cuts the letter Z into things as his symbol. So when I saw that Europe Comics were releasing a new book that would be telling a Zorro story I was extremely excited to get my hands on it.

Don Vega makes the smart decision to tell its own Zorro story, instead of directly trying to adapt the books written by Johnston McCulley, who seemed to take a rather slap-dash approach to the stories, where there were wild inconsistencies or contradiction between entries. Here, the story begins in 1849, where California is under the control of former soldiers from the Mexican-American War. The book begins with General Gomez having already stolen much of the land he can find, using his men to drive out the rightful owners, using the law to claim the land from the Mexican owners.

However, there's one piece of land he's desperate to own that he can't yet, that of the Don Vega family. The land contains a gold mine that the general is desperate to legally own, but because the Don Vega family are American citizens he can't just take it the way he has everything else. Instead, he's devised a plan to lure the son of the Vega family home from Spain, so that he can get him to sign the land over to him. Unfortunately, Gomez is also having to deal with rebellion from the locals, where the people have started to take on the mask of Zorro, a legendary figure, to fight back. Whilst these poor and weak people are no match for Gomez things take a turn when the real Zorro appears to arrive on the scene, and begins to challenge Gomez and his men.

One of the things that I really enjoyed about this book is the way that Zorro is a well know figure before the book even begins. With Gomez taking over everything and the people ground down under his boot ordinary citizens have begin to wear black masks, leaving painted symbols around, trying to use the idea of Zorro to instil fear in their oppressors. It's just a shame that none of them are a match for Gomez and his small army, so any time anyone does manage to stand against him it always ends in failure.

This is the place that the real Zorro finds himself, in a community that is close to breaking point, where people have been using his image as a way of striking back, but have almost lost their faith in the real Zorro ever coming to help them. 

I loved this set-up, not only because it shows how beloved a figure Zorro is, but made it feel weighty, that this isn't just someone putting on a mask to do good, but a statement of defiance, a legacy that needs to be earned by the man wearing the mask. To anyone who's familiar with the Zorro mythology it's obvious that this real Zorro is Don Vega, having returned to help his people and take his family home back from Gomez, but it still works so well, even knowing that. The book doesn't rely on having Zorro's identity a mystery, and instead makes it about Vega's journey. One of the best moments of the book was when he learns that his own father was the Zorro before him, and gets to put on his father's mask, the mask that is more familiar to Zorro fans; though I'd have liked this moment to have come earlier in the book so that we could have seen him take down the villain wearing his father's mask.

That's one of my biggest criticisms of the book, that I didn't get enough Zorro. The book is pretty short, and for what it is it's brilliant, and I loved every moment of it, but I wanted more. I would have been happy for the book to have been twice as long, for readers to be able to spend more time with Zorro, and Don Vega outside of the costume. 

The story moved at a decent pace, and we got time for some great action sequences, as well as character development. I just hope that this is a first book, and that we'll get more to come later because this book help me to remember just how amazing Zorro is, and I want more from the character now.

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Excalibur #17 - Comic Review

 

Following on from the events of X of Swords the Excalibur team are still left searching for Betsy, whilst in another reality Betsy finds herself as both Captain Britain and the Queen of England.

One of the best things that the Excalibur book has been giving readers is an X book that feels really different from the other parts of Dawn of X, without it feeling completely disconnected. Tini Howard has done a great job at merging together the new mutant status quo with the Captain Britain and Excalibur mythos to create something that feels fresh and new, whilst also connecting into things that longtime fans of the title will enjoy.

Now that Apocalypse has been taken off the board, thanks to the events of X of Swords we get to see how the Excalibur team are operating without him pulling the strings in the background, or him being able to step in when they're in trouble and bailing them out. This new, more dangerous time for the team is only compounded thanks to Betsy being lost somewhere in the multiverse. Not only because it means they're down their leader, but also because it's bringing them extra conflict.

The issue starts with Coven Akkaba learning that both Betsy and Brian are gone, and this seems to be driving their fear and hatred of mutants to new heights, as they decide that without a Braddock to stop them now is the perfect time to strike against Excalibur and take over the lighthouse, aiming to burn the Krakoan gate within. This means that Rogue, Gambit, Jubilee, and Richtor, along with the help of Pete Wisdom, have to stay and protect the lighthouse, leaving Betsy to find her way home alone.

Thankfully, Betsy has actually ended up in a pretty good situation. After waking to find herself in a reality quite different from her own she learns that not only is she Captain Britain in this new world, but also the Queen. Luckily this means that not only has her counterpart prepared for any kind of dimensional mishaps that could result in this kind of body swap, but Betsy has allies on this world to help her out.

I liked how Howard lets the reader think that Betsy is going to get help from that worlds version of Angel, and that we get to see the two characters interacting together and Betsy dealing with her own history with Angel on Earth 616, but pulls the rug out from under us at the last minute by introducing another character who'll be helping Betsy get home; Kwannon.

For as long as I can remember reading X-Men books Betsy and Kwannon were one person, the mind of Betsy inside Kwannon's body in the form of the hero Psylocke. I never saw the two of them as separate beings, and due to a break in reading Marvel I only came back to reading X-Men comics after they were split again, so this is my first time seeing the two of them actually interacting with each other, and it's the content I didn't know I was waiting for. Yes, this might not be our version of Kwannon, but she makes for a perfect surrogate, and makes a good bridging step for Betsy, who is still working up the courage to really interact with the 616 version.

The scenes where the two of them are breaking into the facility that will get Betsy home are some of the best bits of the book, and the conversations that the two of them have are an important moment for Betsy, one that I can see driving her on to have these kind of conversations with the Kwannon in her home reality.

Excalibur continues to be a really enjoyable book, one that draws on the history of the title but manages to do new and exciting things with the characters. I'm not sure what's going to be coming in the next issue, but I'm sure whatever it is it's going to be an entertaining time.

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Dreamy Days And Random Naps by Mawson Bear - Blog Tour

 

'Mawson Bear awakes and ponders on the art of creative napping. Scotland the Brave imagines doing great deeds. Professors Caddy and Bree hold the highest hopes for their visionary inventions. Samantha sees wondrous things all round her. The Seekers journey all the way to the edge of the world, being sure to return, of course, by bedtime.

'Flop down and relax awhile with Mawson and his drowsy friends. Refresh the soul in the tranquility of simple joys and innocent dreams.'

If you had to ask one of the things I wouldn't expect to be doing when I started reviewing books, reading an insightful picture book for all ages written by a stuffed bear probably wouldn't have been one of the first things I thought of, yet that's what I find myself doing today. The publishing industry is a wild, wild place.

Dreamy Days and Random Naps is the latest book written by Mawson Bear, a 'big-hearted, soul-searching Writer-Bear of little books with lots of heart', who lends his thoughts and opinions on a variety of topics across his books. This latest book deals with sleep, bedtimes, and naps.

The book is split into a multitude of short little, couple of page long tales, each one featuring Mawson and some of his friends. I was expecting a single story going into this, what with this being my first experience of his books, so was a little surprised to find that it was written in this style, but liked it. It reminds me more of short comic strips you'd find in newspapers, things like Garfield, where the characters would turn their thoughts to a specific topic or theme; and like those kinds of comic strips I found that the book is able to appeal to people of all ages.

Okay, so the book is filled with photos of stuffed toys getting into mischief and adventures that definitely appeals to kids, as well as some adults, but some of the topics covered and the pearls of wisdom that Mawson comes out with are a little more adult in nature, and require a little bit of thinking. I liked this about the book, and it strikes me as the kind of read where if a parent were reading it to a child they'd get something out of it too. I dare say an adult without a child to read the book to would get a fair bit out of it too.

Like I said, I went into the book expecting certain things, and found that most of my expectations were off the mark. Instead of finding a picture book purely designed for children I got to read a picture book that has something in it for all ages, a book that will take you by surprise, and get you to think a little. 

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Future State: Aquaman #1 - Comic Review

 

We've already been introduced to the new Aquawoman in Future State: Justice League, where we saw the hero working alongside the new version of the Justice League, but Future State: Aquaman takes a jump back in time, showing a key part of the origin of this new hero.

The issue opens with Jackson Hyde looking older and more grizzled than we've seen him before, trying to escape pursuit in some strange dark ocean, with people in pursuit. Despite failing to make it to freedom Jackson sees something in the water that causes him to laugh as he's captured. We then learn that he has been held prisoner by the Confluence, a group that he has tried to escape some three hundred times already. Brought before their leader Jackson begin to reveal his tale, filling in both his captors and the readers.

Years earlier, after having taken on the mantle of Aquaman from Arthur Curry, Jackson was swimming in the ocean with Andy, the daughter of Arthur and Mera, training her how to use her abilities. However, something strange happens and the two of them find themselves transported into a bizarre ocean neither of them recognise. This is the Confluence, a nexus in space where the oceans of different realities intersect. 

Jackson and Andy begin to search for a way back to their home, but travel from ocean to ocean, discovering strange new creatures, and having to fight for their survival.

Whilst I was hoping that this issue would give me more information on Andy this is really Jackson's story, his chance to shine, and it really does show off to people who might not be as familiar with the character why he's worth paying attention to. We get to see him the dual roles of protective mentor and defiant prisoner, as a man filled with hop, and one almost broken. The issue hows how big a journey he's been on, and even when he should be completely beaten down and ready to give up he's willing to stand and fight. Anyone who thinks Aquaman is a joke character still really gets shown how wrong they are in this story.

The issue felt like it gave enough set up to the main event, without getting too bogged down on the details. We get enough explanation of where Jackson and Andy are to understand the stakes, we see enough of their relationship to understand how it works, and it means that come the final pages readers are pumped to find out what's going to come next.

The comic has some gorgeous artwork from Daniel Sampere, who manages to breath a lot of life into the mostly empty oceans around the characters, making sure that each place and every creature we see feels different and unique. Colourist Adriano Lucas also plays a big part of that, and the instant you see that the ocean around them has changed a different, sickly colour you know that something's happened, that our heroes are in a bad situation. 

If there's one complaint I'd have to make about the book it's that the front cover, whilst gorgeous, really has you expecting a more lighthearted adventure, and doesn't quite prepare you for the stakes or the grim tone within it's pages; but that's not something that's completely bad, as it means the content of the book hits harder for the tone the cover.

If you're a fan of Aquaman this comic is sure to keep you entertained and get you pumped, and if you've never read anything of the character before this is a perfect jumping on point, one that shows just how amazing the series can be.

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Brain Drain Part One by Pierre-Henry Gomont - Book Review

 

'Certain details surrounding the death of Albert Einstein are so outlandish as to sound like urban legend: namely, the theft of his brain by Thomas Stoltz Harvey, the pathologist who performed the eminent physicist’s autopsy. From these historical events, Pierre-Henry Gomont concocts a picaresque road trip of a tale by turns farcical and moving, whimsical and melancholy, sweeping up in its narrative whirlwind the FBI, a sanatorium, neurobiology, hallucinogens, hospital bureaucracy, and romance. In his dissection of friendship and the forging of scientific reputation, the nimble cartoonist serves up a slice of lovingly rendered Americana for the ages.'

One of the things I like most about the books that Europe Comics produce that intersect with true events is that I invariably end up learning something that I never knew before, and in this case it's that someone stole Albert Einstein's brain. Someone stole Albert Einstein's brain; how is that not one of the first things anyone learns about him? Why is it only now this amazing story is something I'm hearing about? Thankfully, Pierre-Henry Gomont is here to lead me along this story so crazy it shouldn't be true.

The story begins at the end of Einstein's life, the day he's found dead in his home and brought to Princeston Hospital for an autopsy, whilst crowds gather outside to learn how the smartest man in the world died. The autopsy falls to Thomas Stoltz, a beleaguered and harassed member of staff with a miserable home life and a desire to make an impact in the world of science somehow. After discovering that Einstein died of internal bleeding caused by a ruptured aneurysm the autopsy is supposed to come to an end, but Stoltz is driven by his desire to learn more about what creates a genius brain, and does the unthinkable. He steals Einstein's brain.

From here the story follows Stoltz as he attempts to sneak the stolen organ into his home, which seems to go well until he finds himself confronted by Albert Einstein in his basement office. Now, this is where the story starts to take a life of its own, goes in new and unexpected directions. From here Stoltz, through various mishaps, gets recognised as the man who stole Einstein's brain, and whilst attempting to find a way to convince the executor of Einstein's estate to legally sign the brain over to him for research purposes, ends up on the run from the FBI.

The story is a little ridiculous, especially as Stoltz seems to be aided in his mission by Einstein himself, who I at first thought was simply a hallucination, yet is able to be seen by other people, and interact with the world around him. It's something that I was truly never expecting from the story, and it adds a whole new level of anticipation for the next volume of the book. Not only am I looking forward to finding out what happens to Stoltz as he ends this volume on the run from the authorities, but I also want to know how they're going to explain this ghost, for lack of a better description, along on the journey.

It's obvious that Gomont has taken a lot of artistic license with this story, as from what I've looked into Stoltz never went on the run with the brain, and there were certainly no reports of a reanimated corpse of Einstein walking around, but stories that take real world events as the jumping off point and go and do their own thing make for some really fun books. It means that this isn't just a dramatisation of what really happened, but a story where you never know what to expect next, and where the end destination may be completely different from what we know.

Gomont also provides the art for the book, and has a style that really suits the story. It's a little wild in places, and helps to show the strange thoughts going through Stoltz's head, and how his actions aren't normal. This wildness is contrasted in scenes where things are much more 'normal' and the art takes on a more subdued and traditional style. He also makes Einstein instantly recognisable when he turns up, and the image of him having to hide the top part of his head being missing under a furry hat is a pretty fun one that makes the book more memorable.

Brain Drain Part One proves to be an engaging and interesting first volume, and I'm interested to see what happens with our two wanted men in the next part, and what Gomont does to this amazingly weird story.

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Future State: Batman / Superman #1 - Comic Review

 

Future State: Batman / Superman is one of the few Future State books that feels the most like the regular status quo for the DC universe, mostly due to the fact that it seems to be the earliest placed of all the books, set at the very beginning of the Magistrate's time in Gotham City.

After saving a teenager from taking their life in Metropolis Superman discovers that there's a new drug on the street, one that can change a person's head into that of an animal. Whilst it's only supposed to last as long as the delivery device is attached to the person's neck the effects are lasting longer than they should, and resulting in people's faces retaining some animal features. Determined to get to the bottom of things and help the kid he travels to where the drug originated, Gotham.

This version of Gotham isn't at the point of the other Future State books yet, there aren't drones in the sky or robots hunting villains and vigilantes, but it's on its way there. Instead of doing his normal thing on the rooftops of the city Batman is left hiding in the Batwing on stealth mode, keeping an eye on things from above. This version of Batman, one who's determined to stay in the shadows to stay off the Magistrate's radar makes for a fun counterpoint to a Superman who's more out in the open then ever.

Teaming up a character who's all about making criminals afraid, and hiding in the darkness with a bright symbol of hope has always been good, but this comic shows them at their extremes, a Batman even more obsessed with hiding, and a Superman that's all about honesty and being open with people. The small conversations between the two of them on the topic are some of the better parts of the book, and it gives some good insight into the way that Superman in particular sees the world now that his identity is public.

The book is also packed with gorgeous artwork from Ben Oliver and Arif Prianto, who's pencil work and colouring come together to make one of the prettiest books in Future State. The book has an elegance to it that can sometimes be missing from comics, with neat, fine line-work and colours that not only sell the differences between Metropolis and Gotham, but the differences between the two heroes and their attitudes.

It's not a huge surprise to see that Gene Luen Yang is able to make Superman in this comic one of the best depictions of the character in the entirety of Future State, he wrote the amazing Superman Smashes The Klan last year, and that is one of the best Superman books in years. Yang is taking over Batman / Superman following the conclusion of Future State in March, and if this comic is any indication of how the series is going to be under his leadership it's going to be a title that I'm going to be very excited to read.

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Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse - Book Review

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

'A god will return, When the earth and sky converge, Under the black sun.

'In the holy city of Tova, the winter solstice is usually a time for celebration and renewal, but this year it coincides with a solar eclipse, a rare celestial event proscribed by the Sun Priest as an unbalancing of the world.

'Meanwhile, a ship launches from a distant city bound for Tova and set to arrive on the solstice. The captain of the ship, Xiala, is a disgraced Teek whose song can calm the waters around her as easily as it can warp a man’s mind. Her ship carries one passenger. Described as harmless, the passenger, Serapio, is a young man, blind, scarred, and cloaked in destiny. As Xiala well knows, when a man is described as harmless, he usually ends up being a villain.'

I first came across Rebecca Roanhorse when reading the anthology book A Phoenix First Must Burn, and was really impressed with her short story collected there. Later I saw that she’d contributed to the ongoing new Star Wars canon with Star Wars: Resistance Reborn, and thought she did great work within that universe. So when I saw that she had a new trilogy of books coming out, partly inspired by and based upon the Pre-Columbian Americas, I knew that this was going to be a project that interested me; and I wasn’t wrong, as Black Sun was an absolute joy to read.

The story follows a handful of characters in the weeks building up to the winter solstice, and the solar eclipse that will take place at the same time. There’s Naranpa, the Sun Priest in the city of Tova; a woman who has worked her way up from the bottom of society, both literally and figuratively, to become one of the four high priests of their society. During the build up to the winter solstice Naranpa has to deal with the machinations of the other priests, and discovers that there is a secret plot to try and remove her from power, by violent means if necessary.

Heading into Tova during this difficult time is also Xiala, a ship captain with mysterious magical abilities, who has been hired by a wealthy merchant to transport a very special cargo, making sure that it arrives at Tova before the eclipse. This cargo is another of our lead characters, Serapio, a blind young man, covered in ritualistic scars. But, there’s a lot more to Serapio than there first appears, and his arrival at Tova will mean not only the fulfilling of his destiny, but could change the world as we know it.

The three lead characters of Black Sun are a great collection of people, all of them outsiders in their own ways, all of them seen as different and undesirable by those around them, and all of them thrust into important roles in this story. The narrative will shift between the three of them, and a fourth character who plays a smaller role, and we’re provided with unique perspectives because of this, with each of them having very different outlooks on the world. Naranpa and Serapio are two of the most interesting, as their positions and the journeys that they are on should put them both at odds with each other, but Roanhorse never makes one of the other the hero or the villain, and its easy to identify with and agree with characters who should in theory be enemies.

Roanhorse manages to walk this line wonderfully throughout the narrative, and you find your opinions on characters and ideas shifting a lot during the course of the book. People that you thought were nice will end up looking like villains, and some people who are set up to look pretty bad early on are revealed to be more victims of circumstance who are demonised simply for having the will to survive. The narrative and the way you see the world of Black Sun feels so real because of this, and the book seems more grounded in reality because of its complex moral nature, despite the fact that it deals with magic and gods.

There’s also been a lot of love and attention given to the world beyond the characters, and the various locations we visit over the course of the book feel varied and different, yet still feel like part of the same world. Roanhorse has managed to craft a world with variety and wonder, but never goes to extremes that could draw you out of the narrative, and even when the amazing or wondrous happened I never felt like it didn’t fit. Even without the main narrative this is such a well crafted universe that you’d still want to read about it, to learn about the various peoples, their homes, and their histories.

The only downside to the book is that because this is the first part of a trilogy I came to the end and desperately wanted to jump straight into the next one – but instead I have to wait for the second book to come out! Other than that, there wasn’t a single moment where I wasn’t enthralled by the journey, enchanted by the world, or falling in love with the characters. Black Sun is the start of a series that I know is going to do well, one that will win over a lot people, so make sure that you’re not one of the ones who misses out.

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Future State: Superman Worlds At War #1 - Comic Review

 

What would a world without Clark Kent as Superman look like? This is the main question that drives the narrative of Future State: Superman Worlds At War, a book that despite featuring the hero prominently on the front cover doesn't really feature the hero much within its pages.

The story is set within the same world of Future State where Jon has taken over as Superman in Metropolis. Meanwhile, in Smallville, crowds have gathered to worship at the alter of the original Superman. This is a world where people have learned that Clark Kent was Superman, and his home town has turned into a giant tourist trap for fans, worshippers, and people who have come to get closer to the figure they worship like a god.

What's most fascinating about this is that despite people knowing who Superman was, knowing that he's a Kryptonian who came to Earth as a baby, was raised by the Kents, and was very much as human as them, at least in personality, they treat him like a mysterious figure. Despite being able to talk to people who knew him as a child, being able to see his old school records, a lot of the people in this book seem to be unable to accept that this was who he was.

They have theories that he's part of a race who travel the stars and come to less developed worlds to be worshipped as gods and remake the planet in Krypton's image. There's someone positing that he's transcended physical form, and is everywhere as energy, living as a 'righteous wind'. Another person puts forward that he never looked human, but was some kind of shape-shifter, who travels from world to world setting themselves up as a hero before moving on. 

The book shows how even when people have answers, even when they know what's real they feel the need to make things bigger, to try and see more in things than really exist. When you know who Superman really is and it doesn't meet the wild expectations you have you cant accept that truth. It strikes me as being similar to those people who have to come up with elaborate conspiracy theories to explain things, because they can't just accept that sometimes things are only as simple as they seem.

Despite this, there is someone who sees through the conspiracies and the wild theories, Sadie. Coming to speak with a group of people who were all saved by Superman she finds their weird theories and odd opinions to be missing the point of who he really was, about what made him special. Something that's summed up when she tells them it's not Superman who saved her life, it was Clark Kent. She seems to be the only one to understand that it's not the powers or the cape that made him a hero, but the human being he was behind it all.

The issue does have some Superman in it though, it's not just people talking about him, as we travel across the universe to War World, home of Mongul, where a captured Superman is being forced to fight for his life in a gladiatorial arena. It's a brief appearance for the hero, but one that not only sets up for a more action packed second issue, but also shows that even when he's been beaten down, enslaved, and forced to fight, he still has hope inside him; that the heart of Superman can't be beaten down.

Future State: Superman Worlds At War wasn't the book I was expecting it to be, and at first I wasn't even sure that it was a book I liked, but the more I thought about it, the longer I allowed the content to sit and mull over in my mind the more I realised that this book really spoke to the heart and soul of the character. It showed that it's not what makes him fantastic that makes Superman a hero, but what makes him a human.

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Rebel Girls Lead: 25 Tales of Powerful Women - Book Review

 

'Rebel Girls Lead: 25 Tales of Powerful Women celebrates the incredible and inspiring stories of 25 women leaders in politics, business, sports, activism, and more, all written in fairy tale form. It is part of the award-winning Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls series.

'Reach for new heights with Vice President Kamala Harris. Organise voter registration with Stacey Abrams. Spread messages of kindness with Lady Gaga. And captain a team of Olympic gymnasts with Aly Raisman.  

'This collection of 25 stories includes the most beloved stories of leadership from the first three volumes of the New York Times best-selling series, Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls. And also features 11 brand new tales of women’s activism, bravery, and vision.'

Let's be honest, women rock, but they don't really get celebrated like they should be. Often throughout history women have been overshadowed, and their achievements have been ignored, and sadly this still happens today. Thankfully, books like Rebel Girls Lead exist to help highlight women who have achieved amazing things.

This book covers twenty five women from recent times who have excelled in personal achievement, and some who have gone on to change the world for thousands of people. The book has fourteen previously published figures, as well as eleven all new women to celebrate.

Within the pages of this book you'll find brief one page descriptions of some well known people like Angela Merkel, Queen Elizabeth I, Lady Gaga, and Kamala Harris, as well as some figures that you might never have heard of before such as Leymah Gbowee, Rigoberta Menchu Tum, and Wilma Mankiller. Whilst the book is aimed at younger readers the variety of people it's celebrating means that even adults will learn something from it. There were several people in the book that I'd never heard of before, and the book spurred me on to go away and read more about these amazing women.

That's really what this book is about, inspiring you to learn more about these overlooked figures, these amazing women who have achieved amazing things. Whilst the descriptions in this book as basic, giving you a broad overview of their lives and achievements, it encourages you to learn more about them, and other women too. It's a gateway into a whole area of history that you may never have considered before, and the lack of knowledge of some of these people will make you want to change how often women get forgotten, and strive for equality. 

The book is also filled with some amazing artwork, and each person covered in it gets their own portrait, each done by a different artist with their own unique style. These images capture the essence of these women, and it makes the book way more interesting than just filling it with photographs. 

Rebel Girls Lead is a great book for any child who wants to learn a little bit about history, as well as any kid who wants to be inspired to push themselves to achieve their dreams. The book is full of stories of people who were told they couldn't do something, who were in situations that they thought would limit them, yet achieved amazing feats; and it's perfect to inspire that kind of drive and determination, no matter what your gender.

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Future State: Catwoman - Comic Review

 

If there's one thing that Future State is teaching me, it's that I absolutely love Ram V's writing, and think he might be my favourite writer at DC at the minute. Whether it's horror futures with Future State: Swamp Thing, magic apocalypse in Future State: Justice League, or now Catwoman doing a train heist, he just seems to be able to make everything work.

This issue follows a similar set up to the other Gotham based Future State books, which is something I really enjoy as some of the Future State stories don't really seem to work together or make complete sense as a whole. With the Magistrate having taken control of the city they're looking to get a stronger hold of Alleytown, and the issue clearly shows how that's affecting everyday people in the city, with the first few pages showing citizens waiting to be loaded onto trains to be relocated. The book very clearly sets the Magistrate up to be villains here, probably more so than any other Future State book, and I think the fact that the imagery is evocative of Nazi's helps a lot with that.

Luckily, Catwoman is on the case and is looking to get onto the train. This is the highlight of the issue, and her heist skills get used in a great way, transferring things that she would have once done to steal stuff into a way of saving people highlighting how far the character has come over the years from villain to hero.

Unlike some other Future State books, Selina feels a lot more like the character we've been reading for a while now too, and it's more the world around her that's changed and who her enemy is. Where other books in the event are changing how characters act it's great to see her still being herself. It's one of the few books that feels like a natural progression of her current series, and it's all the more stronger because of that.

It's also great to see a more human face put onto the Magistrate. They've been a pretty faceless threat so far, with only a couple of characters that seem to have any kind of character to them, but here they actually seem like people. There's some small moments where a faceless guard s dealing with a kid who's asking to go to the toilet and you just get the sense that he's a regular guy just trying to get by. He seems tired and worn down and just wants to get things done so that he can clock off and go home; and it's more character and more humanising that any other portrayal of the Magistrate I've seen.

Otto Schmidt provides the art for the issue, and makes everything look great. Whether it's the wide shots of the processing station where crowds are waiting to be put onto their trains, or the tight confines of the train itself, he's able to breath life into whatever the story dictates. He also makes Selina look great, and I love her new costume, especially the way her goggles retract up into her cowl when needed. It feels very high tech, yet also true to who Catwoman is, and makes sense as something she'd use.

There's some twists and turns in the story, with some surprise characters thrown into the mix that I wasn't expecting, and make things a lot more interesting that the story first appears. It also sets up for what could be one of the more interesting second issues in the Future State Gotham books, and one that I'm eagerly looking forward to seeing resolved.

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Fable by Adrienne Young - Book Review

 

'For seventeen-year-old Fable, the daughter of the most powerful trader in the Narrows, the sea is the only home she has ever known. It’s been four years since the night she watched her mother drown during an unforgiving storm. The next day her father abandoned her on a legendary island filled with thieves and little food. To survive she must keep to herself, learn to trust no one, and rely on the unique skills her mother taught her. The only thing that keeps her going is the goal of getting off the island, finding her father, and demanding her rightful place beside him and his crew. To do so Fable enlists the help of a young trader named West to get her off the island and across the Narrows to her father.

'But her father’s rivalries and the dangers of his trading enterprise have only multiplied since she last saw him, and Fable soon finds that West isn't who he seems. Together, they will have to survive more than the treacherous storms that haunt the Narrows if they're going to stay alive.'

I've liked Adrienne's work since reading Sky In The Deep when that first came out, and loved the way that she was able to blend fantasy elements with very realistic, grounded worlds, something that she was able to do with her second book, The Girl The Sea Gave Back. When I found out that she was bringing out a new duology, another fantasy series, and that this time it would feature pirates and adventures at sea I was excited to get my hands on the book.

However, I wasn't quite expecting it to be as good as it was, I read the entire thing in a single sitting and was really upset that it ended so soon and I had to wait for the next book; not that the book was short by any means, it's over 350 pages. No, the book just felt too short because it drew me in so much, it made me desperate to find out what happened next and kept reading even when I should have taken a break because the story and the characters were so compelling and engaging that I just couldn't do anything but read it all.

The book follows a young woman named Fable, who has spent the last three years on a remote island, a place home to cutthroats and killers. She was dumped there by her father the day after their ship sank at sea, an event that also caused the death of her mother. She was left with nothing but the clothes she was wearing, a series of cuts her father carved into her arm, and the instructions to survive, to find a way off the island, and to track him down. Since that day Fable has convinced herself that if she can buy her way off the island her father will finally give her the love she desperately craves, and will let her crew on his new ship with him.

Unfortunately, getting off the island is easier said than done. Diving the local reef, Fable has used her strange affinity to gems and precious stones to slowly gather these expensive items, which she's been selling to a trader named West, who visits the island every few weeks. However, her unusual success with her dives, and her mounting pile of coins, has made her a target for some of the islands inhabitants, and when she's forced to fight for her life Fable manages to convince West to take her across the Narrows to her father. But little does she know she's just set out on an even more dangerous journey.

Like I said earlier, this was a book that I had a hard time putting down, and I found myself reading the entire thing in one sitting. Whilst the story was a big part of this, and Young manages to weave a layered and detailed tale across the course of the book, it was the characters that really grabbed me and made me want to keep reading.

Fable herself is probably my favourite of Young's protagonists to date, and I adored how this tough young woman we meet in the first few chapters, a woman who's had to fight every day for years to survive in an environment that would kill most people slowly evolved over the course of the book and showed us that there's more to her than meets the eye. When the story begins Fable is closed off, not trusting anyone, believing that the only person that she can ever rely on is herself. She's unwilling to believe that people would be willing to help others purely out of the kindness of their heart, and that people will always be trying to get something out of you. She's got a pretty cynical outlook, but one that you can understand given the circumstances.

However, after a while we begin to see this hard exterior begin to crack, Fable starts to see that some people actually can care for others, that not everyone is motivated by greed or hatred, and that love and affection can be powerful forces too. West and his crew are a big part of this change in her, and it's brilliant getting to know them as Fable does, seeing this handful of people trying to keep her at arms length to begin with, but watching as they, and her, slowly begin to open up. These interpersonal relationships are one of the highlights of the book, and I adored seeing how these characters got to know each other, and how Fable would come to care for them over time.

It's not all interpersonal relationships, however, we also get regular ships! The book is full of sea action, with big storms, dangerous reefs, dodgy dealings and smugglers, and inter-ship rivalries and vendettas. There's a lot of stuff going on around Fable that the story never feels dull, and you're always waiting to find out what adversity is about to rear its head to get in the way of her plans, whether it's bad weather, or other crews trying to destroy West and his ship. 

The one and only criticism of the book is that it's a duology. This isn't really a bad thing, as it means that we're going to get a whole second book with these characters, and there's promise of big and exciting things to come in the second book, but it means that I have to wait to find out what's going to happen next; and that's just not fair.

I adored this book, and can't wait until the next part in the story comes out. Adrienne Young has once again crafted a story that manages to include brilliant fantasy elements, yet feels grounded and believable, like it could have happened in our own world. She's very quickly become a writer whose work I adore, with three books of hers that are some of my favourites, and a fourth that looks set to join them. If you've never read any of her work before this is the perfect jumping on point, though be warned, you'll end up wanting to read everything she's written by the time you're done.

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Doctor Aphra #7 - Comic Review

 

I enjoyed the first story arc in Doctor Aphra under Alyssa Wong, but it felt like there was something missing in the first story, some kind of spark that I knew the series has had before, but didn't quite click with me for the first five issues. Luckily, whatever it was that didn't feel right for me has been resolved, because the latest issue of the series turned out to be a fun, and a little over-the-top, adventure story.

Some of this new feel might be the inclusion of Sana Starros. Aphra herself has always had an air of chaos around her, something I really like about her, and Starros is very similar in this regard. Whenever the two of them are on the page you always know that they've got some kind of scheme going on, some sort of double-cross or elaborate way to get out of whatever mess they're in; so getting them both together always heightens this to even greater levels.

I also enjoyed the fact that Sana didn't just immediately agree to go along with Aphra, but that it was something the Doctor really had to work on. She had to bug her, to slowly wear away at her and basically annoy her into agreeing to help. In a universe where people seem to be either driven by morals or their willingness to do anything for money it was fun to see this new kind of approach, where a character simply agrees to do something in exchange for some peace and quiet from someone who annoys them.

What also makes this issue feel a lot more fun is the added links to the rest of the Star Wars universe it has. Yes, the first arc had some action take place on Canto Bight, but it wasn't really stand out, we didn't see the heroes going to the same places we saw in The Last Jedi. Here, however, the action takes place on Corellia, which we got to see come to life in Solo. Not only does the art in the issue manage to capture the look and feel of the planet from the film, but the inclusion of Lady Proxima made it feel like we were returning to a place we'd already seen before.

We didn't really need to have Lady Proxima in the book, she doesn't have a major impact on the story, and her role could have been given over to any other character that Wong could have made up, but having her appear helped to ground this issue in a familiar way; plus it was just a lot of fun to see the giant worm again. She feels very much like the character we saw in the film, and Wong was able to capture her perfectly, portraying her as essentially a big worm Fagin. I loved that Aphra was knew enough about Proxima to know to bring a shiny present for her so that she didn't end up being killed. It shows not only that Aphra is a smart woman who's always a step or two ahead, but also gives some insight into how Han was able to keep surviving around her in his past, as she's clearly open to flattery and pretty things, two things we know Han is able to provide whenever needed.

It was also nice to see the appearance of the Unbroken Clan, a group that will be familiar to anyone reading the Bounty Hunters comics also being produced by Marvel. The tiny inclusion of Vukorah, a general in the Unbroken Clan, was enough of a nod to this other series to make me happy, and it brought a small smile to my face when I recognised her. In a world where some people think you need big or explicit referencess or cross-overs to make things seem interconnected it's nice to get these kinds of small things too, ones where it doesn't matter if it's something you don't pick up on, but brings a little extra joy if you do.

Readers also get to check in with Lucky this issue too, and I'm liking the extra attention to his family life the character's getting. It's fleshing out a character who could have easily been a fairly flat antagonist for Aphra, and showing that despite having betrayed her in the first story arc he's probably no better or worse than her, and is simply a man trying to make his way through the galaxy, protecting the people he cares about. It's that king of complexity and moral grey that makes the Star Wars universe compelling.

On the whole there was a lot to enjoy with this issue, and it definitely sets up for more fun stuff to come later on. It's been the most enjoyable issue of Wong's run so far, and I'm looking forward to seeing what she does with the characters next.

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Blithe Spirit – Film Review

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

The latest adaptation of the Noel Coward play Blithe Spirit is released on Sky Cinema this month, and offers a fun distraction for those stuck at home in lockdown.

The plot follows struggling writer Charles Condomine (Dan Stevens) who has been tasked with adapting one of his books into a screenplay by his father-in-law, a wealthy film producer. When he and his wife, Ruth (Isla Fisher), take the evening off to try and clear his head they go to visit a medium, Madame Arcati (Judy Dench). Despite seeing her act go wrong, and seeing that she relies on theatrics and trickery to wow her audience, Charles sees a lot in her that he likes.

It’s then that Charles has the idea of working ghosts and mediums into his story, and invites Madame Arcati to his house to perform a seance, so that he can see how she does it. However, things don’t quite go as planned when Madame Arcati accidentally summons the spirit of Elvira (Leslie Mann), Charles’ first wife. Now with her spirit refusing to leave, Charles’ life begins to spiral out of control as his dead wife fights for his attention and affection.

The plot is a bit ridiculous, and the film absolutely leans into how silly things are, and this less than serious tone definitely helps the whole thing land. The film has a sense of silliness throughout, even before the ghost of Elvira arrives on the scene, though once Leslie Mann appears on screen things get turned up to eleven, thanks in no small part to just how hammy she is.

Mann seems to be having a lot of fun playing this part, with her ridiculousness and over the top acting, and it’s not hard to imagine that a lot of her laughter was very real. This is the kind of role that allows the actor to really cut loose and just play around a lot, and she breathes a lot of life into the character of Elvira because of it – which is kind of ironic as she’s never seen alive during the whole film.

The film really relies on this sense of fun to keep you entertained, as the plot itself is pretty thin on the ground, but writers who have adapted Coward’s work have really tried their best to add more to the original play and give viewers something more to keep them entertained. At times this works, such as when we get to follow Madame Arcati as she tries to research a way to get rid of Elvira’s spirit for good, but the arguments that ensue between Charles and Ruth can sometimes get a little grating and feel repetitive, and you’ll probably find yourself shaking your head at the characters at least once or twice as you just beg them to put aside their silly arguments and just talk to each other about the problems they’re facing.

Outside of the characters the film is a genuine treat to look at, with some great production values and exquisite design. The film really uses its 1930’s setting well, with lavishly decorated sets and beautiful costumes to help set the scene. Charles and Ruth’s house is wonderful piece of 1930’s architecture that instantly transports you to the period with very little work being needed, and the various costumes that Elvira cycles through in her ghostly form range from the over the top to the sleek and elegant. Whilst Ruth comes across as a regular, though well off, woman of the 30s, Elvira’s costumes shows how much of a socialite she was, and she conveys a lot of the ‘swinging’ energy of the era well.

Blithe Spirit might not be the best film I see in 2021, but it never really let me down, and kept me entertained throughout, with some laugh out loud moments thrown in too. Because of that, it’s the perfect film to start the new year with, something fun and harmless, that has a great cast having a lot of fun with the material.

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