Batman / Superman: World's Finest #21 - Comic Review

 

Thy Kingdom Come! Batman and Superman are well and truly stuck into the world of Kingdom Come this issue as they not only have to deal with a cruel older version of David, but come into contact with that world's versions of themselves.

This issue does the age old comic book trope of the two sides that are both heroes having a misunderstanding and fighting each other. Whilst this is a trope that I'm not particularly fond of, this book manages to do it well by making it believable, and executing it in cool ways.

Thanks to Thunderman claiming that these odd versions of Superman and Batman are villains trying to kill him the Earth-22 versions are quick to jump into the fight and help Thunderman out. The Earth-22 folks even go through some options as to what these new heroes might be, mentioning White Martians, and saying that anything they say to try to 'prove' themselves to be good mean nothing when telepaths exist. This leaves our Earth-0 heroes kind of stuck as no matter how much they ask for the others to just listen to their explanation it goes ignored.

This leads to some very cool fight scenes as our Superman and Batman go up against this world's versions of them. The two Supermen fight across the city, with ours eventually taking things underground in an old lead mine, trying to use it to get some distance from him counterpart. Meanwhile, Bruce has to go up against a more experienced Batman, who's using his new flight suit (Kingdom Come fans will recognise it instantly), and even has the help of Nightwing.

Mora makes these fight scenes look very cool, and whilst the powerhouse fight between the two Supermen might seem like the one that would be the coolest, it's the Batman fight that takes the cake. The way these two experienced fighters clash, predicting each others moves and trying to counter them, makes for some cool moments. I really like the fact that Mora puts speed lines on their movements, showing that this is two Batmen who are going all out for the fight, pushing as hard as they can.

The fight eventually ends with our heroes managing to get away, with Superman flying them to the Kent farm to take a breather and regroup. Unfortunately for them, the device needed to get home has been badly damaged in the fight, and they're stuck on Earth-22 for now. To make matters worse, A group of heroes arrives at the farm, ready to take them down. Meanwhile, in Metropolis, Thunderman, Batman, and Superman kneel before Gog, the ancient god from the Third-World. 

The last couple of pages of the book are some fantastic moments. I loved the huge splash page of the Earth-22 heroes. It's a great page to just sit and stare at, picking out who's there, and what their designs look like. Some of them are familiar, being very similar to their final Kingdom Come looks, whilst others are still on their way there, and there are some who we've just never seen before too. It also feels a little like certain characters were picked to appear based on who's popular and who's being pushed in other books at the moment too. Characters like Peacemaker, feel out of place until you realise he's in everything now.

Most interesting, however, is the inclusion of Gog, the god who first appeared in the Justice Society of America series in 2008. With Waid having created the Kingdom Come universe, but Geoff Johns and Alex Ross having created Gog in this form for that story I was surprised to see him here. Waid is clearly not being too possessive or precious of his original work, and seems happy to include what was created after. I'll be interested in seeing how he combines these stories, and what he brings from others work into his own. 

Batman / Superman: World's Finest has been a hugely fun series since it began, with some stories that have introduced fun new history for these characters that we love; but this feels like the first story in the series that has a lot of weight, the most potential impact even though it's dealing with another universe. Perhaps it's because it's returning to one of the most beloved comic stories of all time, but this feels like one of those comics that you really don't want to miss out on.

Support Amy on Patreon

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

Nightwing #108 - Comic Review

 

Tom Taylor's Nightwing is a book that feels like a pretty safe bet every month. It's fun, it reads quickly, the art is great, and I look forward to each each month. But it also sometimes feels like there's not a huge amount to it. And this issue is kind of a decent example of that.

This issue opens with the traitor amongst Bea's crew being revealed, resulting in a cool visual representation of Dick chasing him through the ship. After that, Dick and Bea have a bit of an argument about their past relationship before the ship arrives at a secret pirate city hidden inside a huge cave. Here, Bea ends up getting ambushed by her cruel brother, who kills her top man, then stabs her in the stomach with a sword and throws her hundreds of feet into the ocean below. That's it. Like I said, not a huge amount to it.

What we get is entertaining enough, it's enjoyable enough, but like with the last couple of issues of the book I've come away wondering what I can really write about it. I don't know if it's this arc, or perhaps Taylor has just gotten a bit comfortable with the character, but Nightwing seems to be in this space where it's just not managing to get me hugely excited, nor does it leave me feeling massively impressed.

I like this book, but I want to love this book. Early on in Taylor's run it was one of the books I was very hyped for, now it's like a comfortable pair of slippers, nice to put on, but that comfortable you kind of forget you're wearing them.

This issue is fun, and it has some great art, so why aren't I loving it more?

Support Amy on Patreon

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

Justice League vs Godzilla vs Kong #2 - Comic Review

 

Whilst the first issue of Justice League vs Godzilla vs Kong did a lot of set-up, things finally kick into high gear with the second issue, and we get what we all came to this series for, Superman punching Godzilla in the face! A lot of time with inter company cross-overs there's a sense of trying to play it safe, like neither company want to seem to be the one showcasing 'losers', they want their characters and their IP's to look really cool so that the fans are happy, and that new people will go 'wow, that's cool'. The same way franchises like The Fast and the Furious have gotten ridiculous because big stars have ridiculous clauses in their contracts to never lose, and to be biggest on screen and so such. This kind of thing doesn't seem to be an issue with this series, as this issue showcases characters from both sides having a pretty rough time of it.

The issue picks up where the last one left off, with Superman flying towards Godzilla as the giant lizard steps out of the ocean towards Metropolis. Of course, Superman being who he is, he tries to talk to Godzilla first, to find out if there's a peaceful solution. But it quickly devolves into a fight as Superman learns that Godzilla is able to give even his strength, speed, and invulnerability a challenge, sending the hero smashing through buildings. 

The rest of the League are on their way to the city to help when they learn that other giant monsters have appeared in Coast City, Gotham, and Themyscira, resulting in the team having to split up to go and deal with them. They do at least make the smart call to call in every hero that they can to help with this; which also has the added bonus of expanding the 'Justice League' of the title to mean pretty much any and every character.

This being the Legendary Monsterverse we don't really get any big name monsters other than Godzilla make an appearance in the issue. Scylla and Behemoth, who had previously been seen on screen in Godzilla: King of the Monsters come across to the DC universe, as does the giant bat monster Camazotz, which has only ever been seen in comic form. Everyone scatters to go deal with the new monsters, with Green Arrow joining Wonder Woman to head to Themyscira. However, along the way they find a mysterious island that shouldn't be there. Having experience with mysterious islands, Diana drops Ollie off to have a look around Skull Island, sorry, mystery island, as she continues on.

The main bulk of the book is split between Superman fighting Godzilla and the Bat Family taking on the giant bat monster over Gotham. You might be asking how a bunch of regular human vigilantes can deal with a Kaiju. The quick answer is that they don't. Instead, they have the help of Black Canary, who uses a modified sonic device on one of the Bat-Wings to fire her own version of Camazotz's sonic cry back at it, knocking it unconscious. As a fan of Black Canary, this was pretty cool.

The fight with Godzilla is less successful, however, as even with the help of some other heroes the monster is able to bat everything aside. We get a cool moment where we have atomic breath and heat vision clashing; it's very Dragonball and is the kind of thing I picked this book up for. But even with Shazam using his lightning to strike Godzilla in the head the monster us unbeatable. As Superman catches Billy Batson after the lightning strike Godzilla hits them both with his atomic breath. Superman takes the hit to protect Billy, but it leaves him laying in the street, smoke rising from his hopefully just unconscious body.

Whilst there's no King Kong in this issue there is a lot of Kaiju action, and the book doesn't really slow down much to stop from the opening to the final splash page. Even when we check in with the villains, who seem to have been transported back to their home Earth along with the Kaiju, it's in frantic moments as they try to work out what to do with the situation. Despite not having much chance to spend time with the characters Brian Buccellato manages to get some little moments in there that feel nice. Jason Todd is a bit of a dick, and Ollie is fun on every page he's one, but one character who still feels weirdly off is Hal Jordan. I wasn't too keen on him in the first issue, and here he just acts really put out by the idea that Superman might need help. Perhaps it's just me, but something about him didn't sit right with me.

Christian Duce provides art on the issue with Luis Guerrero doing colouring, and the book is a visual treat throughout. This is the kind of book that's fun to read, but you end up flicking through it several more times once you're done, just taking in the art and enjoying the spectacle that's been put to the page. There is a fantastic double page splash of Godzilla smashing Superman through a building that's great, and the final page image of Superman lying on the ground as Godzilla roars in the background is likely to be one of the most shared and remembered images from the series. 

Justice League vs Godzilla vs Kong is the kind of comic that just ticks all the right boxes. It's fun, ridiculous, jaw dropping, and looks great throughout. It's the kind of story that my inner child loves, and it's the kind of thing I'd make my action figures do as I smashed them together, imagining epic battles. It might not be trying to do anything novel, nor is it trying to get you to think about themes or messages, it's just here to have fun and absolutely achieves those goals. 

Support Amy on Patreon

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

Loki (Season Two) – TV Review

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

The first season of Loki saw the titular character, played by Tom Hiddleston, from earlier in the timeline, becoming a time variant, a Loki that shouldn’t exist, and so was taken outside of time by the Time Variance Authority (TVA). Working alongside the TVA, Loki was sent to hunt down another variant of himself, Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino). Over the course of the season we learned that the TVA was founded on a lie, and that this had all be created by He Who Remains (Jonathan Majors), a variant of the next big MCU bad, Kang. By the end of the season Sylvie had killed He Who Remains, creating a new multiverse, but things ended with Loki in a TVA who didn’t recognise him.

This season picks up literally where things left off, with Loki in a Kang-ruled TVA, with his friends Mobius (Owen Wilson) and B-15 (Wunmi Mosaku) chasing after him. Very quickly it’s revealed that Loki has become unstuck in time, and has arrived in an earlier version of the TVA who eventually have their memories wiped by Kang. In his regular time, he and the others work with the TVA’s resident egg-head inventor Ouroboros (Ke Huy Quan) to fix Loki back in time. With one disaster averted, the group now have to try to find a way of saving the TVA, as the device that manages the timeline can no longer handle all of the alternate universes passing through it, and if they can’t fix it, it could mean the end of everything.

Loki season two is a much more focused season than the previous one, with a clear goal set out early on. Part of what made the first season so enjoyable was the mystery element to the story, of trying to figure everything out as we journey along with Loki. This season, whilst still containing some mysteries, instead has a much more simple narrative; there’s a problem, let’s fix it. This helps to make this season feel distinct enough that it doesn’t feel like the people making it are relying on the same tricks again, and are brave enough to try something new.

That being said, this does mean that there are times when this season of the show feels a little bit dull. There are great performances, and the visual quality of the series is still there, but there is something of a slump in this season where the middle episodes feel like they’re spinning their wheels. This is one of those stories where it definitely feels like there was too much to be able to fit into a film, yet perhaps six episodes may have been a bit more than that could have filled well. There are some sub-plots that take too long to play out, and a few that feel like they’re distracting from the main story. In contrast, the opening episode and the final two, which focus almost solely on the main plot, are the best in the season, and deliver some fantastic moments.

As with the first season, much of the quality of the series lays with the cast. Hiddleston has been a fair few different versions of Loki by now, but it’s here that he feels the most human, and the most heroic. This Loki has had the best journey, and the best development. When this Loki pleads for people to do the right thing and be good you believe it, and when he steps up to put his life on the line you’re not in doubt that he means it. Hiddleston brings a pathos to the character that hasn’t been there before, and it works wonderfully. By the end of the season it feels like Loki can finally be put to bed. There could be more done with the character for sure, but if this becomes the last thing we have from him it’s pretty much the perfect conclusion, and it seems like Hiddleston poured everything into his performance in case this is the end.

Elsewhere in the series the next standout is Jonathan Majors as Victor Timely, a new variant of Kang. Victor is very much not He Who Remains, and it’s great to see different versions of the same person portrayed so differently, even down to their physicality, facial tics, and the way that they speak. That being said, much like with Loki himself, the series seems to have created a perfect wrapping up point, but this time not for the character, but for the actor. With multiple domestic violence and assault charges against him, which see Jonathan Majors appearing in court later this month, the continued use of the actor in such a major role has been a point of contention for many. Kang is perhaps the easiest character in the MCU to recast, with literally anyone able to play a variant of him. With the story in Loki season two being what it is, this may be the perfect time to say farewell to the actor.

Elsewhere, the returning cast don’t really get a huge amount to do. Sylvie takes more of a backseat this time round, and is more of a supporting character than a co-lead, and there are times where it feels like the writers perhaps didn’t know what to do with her after season one. Mobius continues much in the same role as the first series, acting as Loki’s guide and partner, and there are some great moments between them early in the season where they get to team up, but his role lessens as the series goes on. Despite this, he has a pretty great journey that acts as one of the emotional hearts of the show.

Wunmi Mosaku returns as B-15, and is great to have back, but never really gets any big, important moments as she did in the first season, and feels very under-utilised for the most part. Minor character Casey (Eugene Cordero) gets elevated to a recurring character this season, and gets to play off this season’s newest cast member, Ke Huy Quan a lot. Quan is a great addition to the show, and brings some fun, quirky energy to his character that ends up with him stealing almost every scene that he’s in.

As with the first season, the production value on the show is fantastic, and Loki remains the best looking MCU series. The TVA looks fantastic, and has a wonderful retro-sci-fi look that adds a level of quirkiness and realism. Every piece of costuming and set decoration in the TVA is being used to further build this world, and it ends up becoming a location you’d love to wander around in. Also returning this season is composer Natalie Holt, who did fantastic work on the season one soundtrack. Loki‘s signature theremin returns, but this time Holt also gets to compose some epic, emotional pieces of music that elevate some already fantastic scenes to some of the best moments in the MCU in recent years.

Whilst season two might not be as strong throughout as the first, it moves the story and characters forward into interesting new directions. It has some fantastic visuals and a production quality that feels miles above shows like Secret Invasion. If this is the end for this character, and for this particular corner of the MCU, then it’s a fitting one, and one that goes out on a wonderful, glorious high.

Support Amy on Patreon

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

Mortal Terror #1 - Comic Review

 

Dracula is one of the most popular horror characters to ever be created, and a large part of that is down to the fact that he's in the public domain. Anyone can use Dracula, and the fact that he can appear in any story in any kind of role means that we've been spoilt with great Dracula's over the years. Just this year we've had two cinema releases with the character in both The Last Voyage of the Demeter and Renfield, both of which are wildly different from each other. 

Mortal Terror, by writers Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon, is taking the Dracula story and doing something kind of new and interesting with it. Instead of dealing with the menace of a vampire coming to terrorise the mortal inhabitants of Britain, things have been flipped. London is a vast underground city, inhabited by vampires. Jonathan Harker, Mina Murray, Lucy Westenra, and Lady Goldaming amongst other classic characters, are now all the undead.

This first issue of the mini series is focused on laying the groundwork, and we spend a great deal of time with characters, getting to see what their roles are in this flipped world. We learn that whilst the vampires have built a good life for themselves beneath the surface, not too far removed from what we'd expect from this time period, there have been increasing attacks from terrorist-like elements. Mortals are fighting them.

The mortals are spoken about in almost urban legend ways, with many characters making them out to be not real, or not the threat that others are saying they are. But, this book does make a point of them being real. An attack on a train leave dozens of vampires dead with Jonathan Harker the only survivor, and Lucy Westenra is part of a special unit fighting mortals, and we see Quincey Morris badly wounded by them.

Other parts of the book explore the mortals in different ways, with Sewards asylum being home to a mortal woman who claims that she was once a vampire, and that the vampires have forgotten that they were once all mortal too. I'm expecting one of two things with the series, the Eternal King spoke of will either be Dracula, or Van Helsign, and will be the one responsible for turning everyone into vampires. I expect that which of them it is will dictate who the shadowy figure Mina is seeing is, with it being the opposite. I imagine the King will be Van Helsing, and that Drcaula is the mortal hero for this story. I also wouldn't be surprised if the year isn't actually 1893, and that the characters have been vampires a lot longer than that and don't know it; which is why their memories have had time to fade.

But that's all conjecture, based on not a whole lot, because whilst the book does lay a lot of foundation for stuff to come not a whole lot happens in this issue. It's got some great ideas, and as someone who's a fan of the original book it's fun to see this twist on the tale. But I'm not sure how much this issue will grab people who've not got prior knowledge.

The art on the book is done by Peter Bergting, and Chris O'Halloran on colours. The art suits the story well, and has a dark and gloomy feel to it. It very much fits the Dark Horse style, and evokes books like Hellboy. The art does a lot of the world building too, as we're dropped into an unusual world that no one really comments upon. Instead, the art showcases the differences, the city beneath the surface, the style of buildings, the way people dress. One of the panels does raise some questions too, as we see Seward's asylum surrounded by trees and plant-life, a night sky above it. I'm interested to see if this was an art error, and the artist forgot to put it below ground, or if some of the vampires have surface buildings too. 

Overall, this was an interesting introduction to the series, one that raises a lot of questions, and answers none. It's a neat twist on the expected tale, and I'm very intrigued to see where it takes us. 

Support Amy on Patreon

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

Green Lantern: War Journal #3 - Comic Review

 

It really feels like we're starting to get back to it being a great time to be a Lantern fan now, we've got three books coming out a month, and two of them have been absolutely superb and have been giving the spotlight to two often overlooked characters in the Green Lantern mythos.

In the last issue of Green Lantern: War Journal John and his mother, Shirley, came under attack whilst travelling back home from Metropolis on a train. Varron, the shitty Green Lantern who had come to Earth to start trouble with John, has been transformed into one of the Raidant Dead, a terrifying entity controlled by the Revenant Queen, an evil figure from another universe. Worse still, John has now also been infected.

With the infection travelling up his arm, Varron tells John that any use of his powers will just hasten his transformation into one of the monsters; and then proceeds to put Shirley in danger by trying to crash the train. With the choice of allowing his mother, and everyone else on the train, die or save them but damn himself, John is faced with an impossible choice. Luckily, help arrives in the form of Lantern Sherpherd, who followed the Revenant Queen into Earth-0.

Whilst Shepherd is able to save the train, and gets John and his mother to Steelworks to recover, things still don't look good for the characters. John is still infected, and every use of his powers makes his transformation go faster. And Shirley is in a coma, recovering from her injuries from the train attack. Lantern Shepherd explains the situation to John, with some help from the spirit of his universe's Kyle Rayner, who lives inside his ring, and convinces him to leave his mothers side to help stop the Revenant Queen, and her army of the dead.

This series is doing one of the things that I love most about Green Lantern, it's bringing in the amazing and the fantastical. Green Lanterns can fly around Earth helping with natural disasters, and fighting super villains, but for me the best time they're used is like this. We've got a monster from another universe who can create an army of the dead, and is out to destroy everything. It's bigger than costumes villains and petty crooks, it's stuff that could end the entire universe. And John Stewart is a perfect person to put into that situation.

John is going through a lot this issue, mainly due to having to leave his mother behind in order to try and save the day. There are a few pages in this issue where John says goodbye to his mother, where he's having to deal with the guilt of breaking his promise to her, of the worry that this might be the last time he gets to see her. It's an incredibly moving and beautifully written scene, and it's a stand out moment in an issue that has no moments that aren't brilliantly executed.

The fight on the train at the start of the issue is well choreographed, and Shepherd arriving on the scene is done in such a cool way. The visual of his giant bird constructs flying in and grabbing Varron whilst others pick up the train and take it so safety is visually stunning, and showcases the amazing art talent on the book from Montos, and Adriano Lucas.

It's also worth noting that whilst this isn't the first time that a Green Lantern book has done a story about an all powerful death entity creating an army of the dead and turning people into their puppets, it in no way feels like a rehash of Blackest Night. The Radiant Dead re visually and thematically very different, and the book has a horror vibe that feels distinct enough from that other story. 

I like it when Green Lantern stories try to be bold and different, when they bring in big ideas and take huge swings, and this book is very much that. Whilst Green Lantern feels like it's playing it safe and giving readers stuff that we've seen before, this book is taking big leaps into new directions, and I'm loving it. 

Support Amy on Patreon

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

Beyond Good & Evil – Throwback 20

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

There’s a trend in gaming where when a game is successful with critics and players it tends to get a sequel, often going on to spawn a series that produces more and more entries in an ever expanding franchise. There are some games that start off strong and end up petering out after a sequel or two, but these tend to be rare. Rarer still are games that are critically beloved, feature on lists of greatest games ever made, and who have big fan followings, that never receive a sequel. Beyond Good & Evil is, so far at least, one of these games.

Originally released on Playstation 2 and Xbox, Beyond Good & Evil takes players to the distant future of 2435, where humanity has expanded beyond Earth, and is inhabiting the stars. On the remote mining planet of Hillys, humans live alongside anthropomorphic animal people under the harsh rule of the Alpha Sections, a military dictatorship who oppress the population, claiming that it’s needed in order to protect them from the DomZ, an alien race that drains people life force.

It’s on Hillys that players take control of Jade (Jodi Forrest), a young woman who lives in an island lighthouse with her best friend, the boar-like Pey’j (David Gasman). The two of them take care of orphans who have lost their parents to DomZ attacks, and do their best to keep them safe and secure. However, money is tight, and when the defensive shields can’t be powered due to lack of money, Jade accepts a photography job to try and pay the bills. This job soon leads her to getting involved with the local resistance group, the IRIS Network, who are trying to oppose the harsh rule of the Alpha Sections.

When Beyond Good & Evil was first revealed at E3 in 2002, showcasing the a different design for Jade and a much more linear and constricted game structure, it was not met well by the industry. This caused the development team at Ubisoft, under the direction of Rayman creator Michel Ancel, to rethink the approach to the game.

Beyond Good & Evil is something of a dungeon crawling adventure game that takes some elements from The Legend of Zelda, that fans of that franchise will be familiar with, yet also combines exploration elements, photography side missions, hovercraft mechanics, and lots of stealth into a game that feels kind of fresh and original in its approach, despite being a weird chimera of things other games have already done. The player controls Jade from a third-person view, taking her through the world of Hillys, trying to discover the truth being hidden by those in charge.

Main game-play elements are stealth and exploration, and players will find themselves crouching and slowly making their way around a lot. However, these parts of the game are broken up by some puzzle-solving elements and environmental traversal such as jumping over pits and climbing that make the game feel as much of a platformer as it does a stealth-action experience. Whilst there are a lot of different elements in the game this was something that was initially criticised in some press outlets, who felt that it was never really able to go too deep into one area, and became a ‘jack of all trades, master of none‘.

Whilst the game had some mixed to positive reviews, financially it did much worse. It sold poorly upon its release, and sales failed to pick up on the approach to the holiday season. Some retailers dropped the price, up to 80% in some stores, yet sales failed to materialise. At the time, Ancel blamed the fact that big name franchises were being released, and that people weren’t as willing to try out a new series: he said that it would take time for the game to be appreciated, and this turned out to be quite true.

Despite the low level of initial sales, to the point that the game was deemed a ‘commercial disappointment’, over time a cult following began to form around Beyond Good & Evil. The lack of sales didn’t stop award nominations, and the game was nominated across a number of awards, featuring on game of the year lists. It appeared on numerous lists for best games on its release consoles, and best games of all times lists. Fans would often bring it up in discussions, and it spread through word of mouth as more and more people recommended it.

The popularity resulted in interest in a sequel, and a second game was announced in 2008. After the announcement, however, things went dark for Beyond Good & Evil‘s sequel, and it wasn’t until 2017 that the first trailer for the game (a cinematic trailer that showed no game-play) was released. It was also revealed at this time that the new game would be a prequel, not a sequel. Again, little news was released over the coming years, until Ancel left the studio in 2020, where he mentioned that it was still in development but without him. After his departure it was revealed in the press that Ancel had been connected to the accusations of rampant abuse at Ubisoft, and that this alleged behaviour was in part to blame for the long development time of the series. In 2022 it was confirmed that the sequel/prequel game was still in development and may take several years. It now has the longest development time for a video game, of more than 15 years.

Beyond Good & Evil is a mismatched game, one that combines elements from others, that shouldn’t work as well as it does. Despite this, it is an enjoyable experience, and the release of HD remasters has helped a new generation of gamers discover the fan favourite. Whether another game in the series will ever actually be released remains to be seen, but until then there’s always time to rediscover the original.

Support Amy on Patreon

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

The Incredible Hulk #6 - Comic Review

 

One of the best things abut this current run of The Incredible Hulk is that you're never quite sure what monsters and supernatural creatures are going to pop up and make an appearance when you move on to a new chapter. We've had zombies, swamp witches, and Man Thing turn up already, and this issue introduces two new monsters into the mix as Bruce and Charlie move on to a new location.

Following the events with the swamp witch, in which the creature tried to lure Charlie away with visions of her dead brother, it seems like Charlie's troubles are far from over, as they discover a news report that names Charlie as a person of interest in her father's death. This is an area that Bruce has had some experience in, both as a wanted person and as someone with a very complex relationship with an abusive father, and so this feels like the first time that the two of them are really connecting, and that Charlie is opening up to the more human side of the Hulk.

To make matters worse for them, it seems like the Hulk is still a magnet for supernatural horrors. As the two of them arrive in a small community looking for a place to rest their heads, they learn that the people are being tormented my a creature that comes in the night. Dark skinned, wearing an ancient looking mask, and with fangs and claws designed to kill, the people are under constant threat from the monster. But, it seems like they have a protector. One of the children talks about how his uncle Sal comes whenever the monster does, how he's like an angel come to protect them, and how he rides his old World War 2 bike when he does it.

That's right, this issue introduces a new Ghost Rider, though one kind of different to what we've had before. There is no host for this Rider, no person who transforms into the flaming protector of the innocent; or at least none that we know of with the information presented here. It seems that whenever a monster is close the old bike bursts into flames, and Sal comes back to the world of the living, still wearing his old WWII uniform, complete with helmet. It's a cool look for a Ghost Rider, and it manages to stay true to the flavour of what's come before whilst being instantly unique in itself and easy to identify.

Whilst this new Ghost Rider is here to protect the camp from the monster that's stalking them there is another monster close by, as Banner transforms into the Hulk as night falls. Now the flaming protector is ready to send the Hulk to hell.

This issue is probably my favourite of the series so far. I liked the interactions between Charlie and Bruce, the supporting characters are all ones that I'd like to see more of, and the new Ghost Rider definitely has my interest. I also can't wait to see more of the monster that's been attacking the community as it looks super interesting, and the mystery of the random guy who keeps having visions of killing people is one that I want to see explored a bit more too. The story just seems to land really well this issue, and the format of monster of the month seems to have settled into a decent rhythm. 

Nic Klein does the art on this issue, with Matt Wilson on colours, after a brief two issue stint of Travel Foreman on art duties. The art is a high point on this book for me, and I love the way Klein draws monsters. The masked creature terrorising the community looks really cool, and is trily scary whenever it's on the page, the new Ghost Rider has a design that's instantly iconic and will grab attention, and the Hulk transformation in this issue is stomach turning. There's a page where Banner's head is splitting open, the Hulk emerging from inside, his eyes bulging out of his sockets, and the Hulk's smile inside Banner;'s tearing mouth that's something from a nightmare. The transformations in this series look painful, horrific beyond belief, and seeing them is both a highlight and something you just don't want to see.

It feels like this series has really hit its stride now, and whilst the overall story doesn't really move forward much this issue the monster of the month format is still entertaining enough that you don't need it to enjoy the book, and you're happy enough seeing what new horror adventures Bruce, Charlie, and the Hulk get into.

Support Amy on Patreon

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

Superman #8 - Comic Review

 

The Unchained is loose in Metropolis, and he's beating the Super Family aside like they mean nothing to him. With everyone in the city at risk from his mission to gt revenge for being locked away for decades Superman is going to have to work with Lex Luthor if he's to stand a chance at stopping this dangerous new foe.

Williamson is doing some very interesting things with this new Superman run, chiefly looking back at the hidden past of both Lex and Metropolis. We keep getting glimpses to time before Superman came to the city, when Lex was trying to be it's protector and saviour. It's an interesting concept, and bringing in characters from this period who have this history that we're unaware of is a cool way of introducing a ton of new characters and making them feel relevant.

We learn in the opening pages of this issue who the Unchain really is, Sammy Stryker, son of the man who created Stryker's Island prison. Sammy has tactile telekinesis, the same powers that Conner will eventually have, and we see him showing these abilities off in a Lex controlled facility. This is where Cadmus gets their information on TT too, and how it eventually ends up inside Conner. We also learn that Lex didn't lock him away for the sheer fun of it, as Sammy eventually killed his own father; once again pushing the idea that Lex may have been trying to do good at one time.

In order to be able to fight Sammy, Superman has to work with Lex. Luckily, Lex put a weakness into the Unchained, a rare mineral he once discovered in Smallville that seemed to have no real effect. Yep, Kryptonite. Superman dons a special suit with Kryptonite covered fists, and engages Sammy in combat, allowing the others the opportunity to capture him and neutralise his powers once again. Unfortunately, by the time the dust settles Superman has severe Kryptonite poisoning, and looks close to death.

I still don't know where Lex is falling in this run. I don't know if him trying to be good and trying to help Superman is genuine or a complete act. Until fairly recently he was being a hero, he was on the Justice League, and Superman let him wear his crest. But, because Scott Snyder wanted to do what he wanted to do for all his Metal stuff Lex had to be bad, and so slipped back into his villainous ways for very little real reason. Villains like Lex rarely stay good for long if they make the switch, but his turn back to evil felt forced; so I can see him being good once again because him being bad felt out of nowhere in a way.

Lex's family don't seem to think he can be a hero though, and his relationship with his daughter Lena is explored a little more in this issue. It's been a long time since Lena appeared in a book before this run, with this story being her first appearance in 20 years. With it having been so long, with multiple Crisis events between, the book could have easily wiped the slate clean with her and started afresh, but she has the Brainiac scars from when she was taken over by the villain. It's great that Williamson isn't just adding his own new stuff to the series, but is drawing on older stories and characters too, and giving them a fresh invigoration. 

Gleb Melnikov, Norm Rapmund, David Baldeón, and Jamal Campbell all provide art duties on the book, with Alejandro Sánchez and Jamal Campbell on colouring. Normally, when a regular issue has so many artists on it I get a little worried, as I like consistency in an issue and switching artists a lot can throw a book off. But, it's not really much of a problem here. If I hadn't have seen the credits page I wouldn't have known there were four people working on the art. There's a very good consistency here, and I don't know how the art duties are split, but however it's done it's done very well.

With Lex's history and the hidden past of Metropolis continuing to expand the series remains an entertaining and engaging read. Whilst the Unchained might not have lived up to the hype of being a 'Doomsday level threat' this arc has been good, and it looks set to move onto an interesting new development for Superman next issue. 

Support Amy on Patreon

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

Overwatch Declassified: An Official History by Seanan McGuire

 

'Soldiers. Scientists. Adventurers. Oddities. During the Omnic Crisis, the people of our world were scattered, devastated . . . but heroes from around the globe answered the call. Overwatch offered a beacon of hope to weary survivors looking to reclaim and rebuild our war-torn world. From the reconstruction, their role expanded to help humanity solve some of the planet’s most dire problems and usher in a new age of hope and prosperity. And yet, just as Overwatch hit its prime, it fell victim to its own power and was disbanded. But if there’s one thing the heroes of Overwatch know, it’s when the world needs them.

'Now you can follow the complete history of Overwatch in this comprehensive volume, packed with mission briefings, splash artwork, weapon schematics, and more. All-new lore straight from the game team threads together the story of Overwatch across its many comics, stories, cinematics, and game missions. Don’t miss this must-have, collectable read for Overwatch fans both old and new.'

There was once a time when video games were somewhat disposable. Not a huge amount of story was put into them, they'd often be quite simple in their execution, such as get to a certain stage and beat the boss, game done. But as technology moved forward, and those that grew up with the first games got older and more sophisticated the desire for games that reflected that sophistication began to grow.

Video games as something to play with little thought or effort are more of a rarity now, and more and more games are embracing expansive narratives that require you to dedicated hours to in order to get the entire story. Games are recognised as a story medium, with awards given for narrative, and popular television and film adaptations of games. One area in which story doesn't always get the main focus, however, is in first person shooters.

Thanks in part to the simplicity of the games that started the craze, like Doom and Wolfenstein and the ever increasing popularity of online multi-player modes, people tend not to think of first person shooters when they think of well crafted video game worlds. This kind of thinking only seems to increase when games become hugely popular; no one is ever going to assume that Fortnite is going to have much narrative depth to it. 

Overwatch is kind of in a difficult position. It's a hugely popular shooter game, with a big online multiplayer community and large fan base. People are going to take a look at it and assume that it's something with little to no real depth to it. I myself once thought that bout it. However, there's a lot more there than you'd first think, and Overwatch Declassified: An Official History is a perfect way to start diving into that. 

This large, hardcover history book (which has an absolutely gorgeous holographic cover by the way) is written like an in-universe resource. Whilst the cover and title page bear the name Seanan McGuire, once you're into the meat of things Seanan is kind of pushed to the side, with one of the first pages in the book listing the contributors; all of whom are people within the Overwatch world. This is a pretty neat little part of the book, and clearly sets the stage for the kind of thing you're going to be reading. This isn't some kind of behind the scenes making-of, the book isn't going to be showing concept art and character design stages, nor are you going to see images of programmers at their desks working on the game.

Treating this book like it belongs in the Overwatch universe means that it can really dive into the history of that world wholeheartedly. It doesn't have to ease you into things, it just presents that lore and leaves the reader to deal with it however they so wish.

The book is split into a number of sections, each dealing with different eras and specific focuses of the world of Overwatch. The opening part of the book deals with the time before the Omnic Crisis, when the world seemed to be in a golden age. It explores the amazing medical miracles, explains how technology like hydroponics helped eliminate food shortages, clean energy, and how the scientific community came together to tackle the climate crisis. It's a hopeful thing, one that explores the kind of future most of us here in our world would very much hope to happen one day.

But, as with most good science fiction futures, humanity stumbles along the way, and golden ages begin to tarnish. As the book goes further into the future is turns its attention to the disasters that humanity faced, covering the war that eventually came, and the formation of heroic teams of soldiers, the Overwatch. 

This is the kind of book that fans of the game are going to find a lot of familiar things in, you'll know a lot of this already, and you'll come across events and characters that you know and love, but the level of detail that the book goes into means that even the most experienced Overwatch player is going to find new stuff here. It's also the kind of book where those who know very little about the game are going to be very surprised at how deep it is. I've played the game before, but didn't really do a whole lot of it. I think at the time I tried it ti just didn't click for me, and as such, when I picked up this book I was very surprised to learn how deep and well crafted this universe was. It gave me a whole new appreciation for Overwatch, and has left me wanting to go back and give it another try.

As well as extensive history and tons of lore information, the book is packed with brilliant illustrations. The credits page at the back of the book lists a lot of illustrators, and just flicking through the pages of the book it becomes clear why the art team is so big. This is a book where you can turn to any page and find multiple pieces of artwork on it, whether that be schematics and designs, character portraits, or snapshots from important events. The art helps to tell the story of this world just as much as the writing does here, and the two blend together wonderfully.

Whether you're a long time fan of the franchise who's played the game to death, or you're someone who's never explored this world before and are just curious to find out more about the game before committing to it, Overwatch Declassified: An Official History is something you're going to want to check out. It not only shows what Overwatch has created, but also how expansive video games can be, and why you should always be willing to give them the chance to impress you. 

Support Amy on Patreon

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag – Throwback 10

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

As with many video game series, the Assassin’s Creed franchise plays pretty fast and loose with its numberings, and whilst it may be billed as the fourth game in the series, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag is actually the sixth game released, and also a prequel to Assassin’s Creed III, which was the fifth game. It’s perhaps at this point in the series, with game numbering dropping off (this would be the last numbered entry), and timelines jumping all over the place, that Assassin’s Creed stopped being a series where you should care about overarching plot and instead just have a bit of fun.

Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag drops players into the role of Edward Kenway (Matt Ryan), a pirate during the early 1700s, and father and grandfather of the dual protagonists from Assassin’s Creed III. Over the course of the game Kenway would attempt to build an independent pirate nation in the West Indies, and would include appearances from well known historical figures such as Anne Bonny, Calico Jack, Mary Read, and Edward Thatch, also known as Blackbeard. The game’s story sees Kenway unravel a conspiracy between the Templars within both the British and Spanish empires who are trying to unlock ancient technology that would allow them to spy on anyone in the world.

Some of the chief complaints about the previous game in the series were that it was too linear, and that players had to wait well into the first act of the game before they were able to explore as freely as they wanted to. In order to address this, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag took a more open-world approach to the game. It also brought across one of the most popular elements from the previous title, Naval Combat, and made it a central part of the gaming experience.

As Kenway is a pirate, a large part of the game involves travelling by ship to various locations in the Caribbean. Using Kenway’s ship, the player can explore the open environment, encountering locations such as towns, sea forts, atolls, Mayan ruins, and sugar plantations. The game also allows you to explore shipwrecks, diving down in order to scavenge lost treasure. Players can also engage other ships in combat, and if you so wish you are able to board enemy ships in order to try to take them over. If successful, you can add the newly captured ship to your ever expanding armada.

Whilst the previous entry in the series had received complaints for its early game linearity and players’ inability to explore where they want until a number of hours into the experience, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag offered a great deal of freedom. Players were able to focus on the story, or they could go off and explore the environment, seeking out resources and locations using an array of equipment. The game kept the hunting elements from Assassin’s Creed III, and players were able spend time travelling from location to location, searching for prey to hunt down and collect resources from in order to upgrade equipment.

These changes were well received with both audiences and critics, and the game garnered positive reviews upon release. Many praised its improvements over Assassin’s Creed III and felt that the changes made here were what the series needed in order to gain more attention and move into a new era. The large scale of the open world was singled out often, and this would go on to be a feature that would become a huge staple of the series in future releases, with the franchise gradually becoming more of an open world role playing game. The improved graphics over the previous entry were also of note, and the game was featured on a number of lists for best looking games of 2013.

Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag sold well, and became the biggest selling game in its first week of release, beating off the hugely popular Battlefield 4. Whilst sales did take a slight dip following this, it still ended up as the third highest selling game in its release month, behind Call of Duty: Ghosts, and Battlefield 4, two games which are hard to top. Despite this, the game would go on to sell more than 11 million copies, and would win a number of awards including Xbox One & PS4 Game of the Year from GameSpot, Best Adventure Game from Hardcore Gamer, and several awards from IGN.

With Assassin’s Creed III causing some fans to begin to grow bored with the series, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag would be the sudden shot of adrenaline it needed to keep it in people’s minds. Thanks to the changes and additions made here, the series would continue to be beloved by many, and you can see how it became one of the more influential entries in the franchise.

Support Amy on Patreon

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

The Royal Tramp Collection (1992) – Blu-ray Review

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

Stephen Chow had a busy year in 1992. Not only did he make eight feature films, but five of them were the top highest grossing films in Hong Kong that year. 1992 was the year of Stephen Chow, and the Royal Tramp Collection brings together two of his most popular films of that year into one wonderfully fun and entertaining double feature set.

Based upon the popular novel The Deer and the Cauldron by Louis Cha, the two movies tell the story of Wei Siu Bo (Stephen Chow), a quick witted and fast talking entertainer who’s telling tall tales in the brothel where his sister works when a rebel leader comes under attack from a cruel general who’s plotting to take power from the Emperor (Derek Wan). Wei Siu Bo helps the rebel, getting him safely out of the building, and gets accidentally recruited into his faction. The leader agrees to train him in his martial arts, but only once he completes a special mission.

Thus, Wei Siu Bo is sent undercover in the Imperial Palace in order to steal the 42 Chapter Book. Unfortunately, he doesn’t want to wait in the long line to apply for a servant job, and goes for the recruitment office with no line at all, which he discovers is to apply to be a eunuch. Wei Siu Bo is saved from his castration by the head eunuch (Ng Man-tat), who recruits Wei Siu Bo into his own schemes. Now he’s being sent to spy on the dowager Empress (Sharla Cheung), and steal the 42 Chapter Book from her. Along the way he accidentally makes friends with the Emperor and his sister, Princess Kin-ning (Chingmy Yau), who recruit him to their own cause. And so Wei Siu Bo finds himself acting as an agent for every faction, just trying his best to stay alive using his wits and his lies.

As you may have guessed from the fairly convoluted plot, Royal Tramp isn’t a film that’s taking itself too seriously. Billed by Eureka Entertainment as comedy movie, I wasn’t quite prepared for just how comedic the film was going to be. The movie is clearly something of a love letter to wuxia action movies, and has some superb fights and action sequences scattered throughout. It’s also incredibly slapstick, has some fantastic visual gags and great one liners, and gently pokes a bit of fun at the genre it loves. It feels very much to wuxia what Airplane is to disaster movies; a movie that’s having a lot of fun with the genre.

A lot of the film’s comedy works due to Chow himself, whose comedic timing and reactions in certain scenes elevate a small joke that might get a smile out of you into a moment where you laugh out loud. It’s easy to see why the man did so well, especially in the year of the release of Royal Tramp. He has the level a charm that’s needed to keep the film from becoming grating. The rest of the cast do really well too, and a number of big names and recognisable faces from the Hong Kong film industry make appearances.

Royal Tramp II, which was released within days of the end of the theatrical run of the first film, continues the story of We Siu Bo, who now finds himself working as a powerful official within the royal palace, and an adviser to the Emperor. The Emperor is worried about an outlying lord possibly turning against his rule, so promises the Princess to his son in order to form an alliance. What no one knows, however, is that the Princess is pregnant with Wei Siu Bo’s child after their entanglement in the first film.

Whilst Wei Siu Bo tries to figure out how to deal with this problem, their transport comes under attack from revolutionaries, including a one-armed nun warrior, and an old enemy comes to get revenge on Wei Siu Bo. With the balance of the Empire – and his own life – on the line, Wei Siu Bo will find that he has to finally pick a side, and try to end all of the troubles that seem to have him being everyone’s target.

Royal Tramp II, which was filmed back-to-back with the same cast and crew, does feel like the weaker of the two movies. The comedy is a little different this time around, with Wei Siu Bo being perhaps a bit more serious, and other members of the cast trying their hand at more comedy. The fight scenes and the choreography feel a little better this time too, and whilst these moments in the first film felt like a fun parody of what you’d see in other wuxia movies, this time it feels much more like a standard wuxia film itself. That being said, the film in no way takes itself seriously, and when viewed together the two movies do make for one complete story.

The two disc set is fairly sparse when it comes to extras; however, both films come with the options to watch in the original audio with subtitles, as well as a fairly decent English dub that actually fits the comedy tone of the film well, and still manages to capture a lot of the timing and inflections needed to sell the gags. Both films also come with a pair of audio commentaries each, one from Asian film expert Frank Djeng and producer F.J. DeSanto, and the second with Mike Leeder and Arne Venema. Both commentaries offer different kinds of insights into the movies, with one being more relaxed and conversational than the other, filled with anecdotes and fun stories, whilst the other is more informative. There are also a couple of interviews and trailers to round things out.

Enjoyment of the films may depend on your comedy tastes, and your knowledge of the conventions of the genre, and those who like some silly humour and dick jokes will find a lot here that will entertain. But even those who might not have much experience with Hong Kong cinema are sure to find a great deal of entertainment here, with Stephen Chow’s charm and comedic ability alone making it worth the time to watch.

Support Amy on Patreon

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram