A History of Fans and Fandom: A Journey into the Passion and Power of Fan Culture by Holly Swinyard - Book Review

 

'Do you have a Google alert for your favourite band going on tour? Or maybe you have a pull list at your local comic book shop? Or perhaps you’ve got a season ticket to your sports team of choice? That would make you a fan, whether you realise it or not, and there’s a lot more to fan culture than you might think.

'In the 21st century pop culture is everywhere; you can’t move for a new superhero film or major franchise appearing in our lives and we love it. We’re just jumping into the media landscape headfirst in order to get more of our favs, track down spoilers and deep dive about plot lines on social media. It’s hard to deny fan culture as part of the world now, there’s a fandom for everyone, but what does that actually mean, and where did it come from?

'From ancient times to modern media, humans have shared their love for the stories that mean something to them and brought in others to be fans of them too. We’ve written ourselves in, made art of, and celebrated with others who love the same things as us all in the name of being a fan, even before the word fan existed. There’s a whole lot of who, where, what, when, why, how and huh to look into when it comes to fan culture.

'From Shakespeare to Superman, Dickens to Daleks, and fanfiction to Frodo there is so much more to fandom than meets the eye. And a whole lot of references to pack in too.'

Fandom, it's everywhere today, and it's never been a better time to be a fan of something. Social media has brought many fans together, despite also sparking 'fan wars', conventions are happening all over the place, and geek culture is more popular than ever. But, whilst people think of geeks when they hear the words fans and fandom, these are far from the only areas that fall into the category of fandom. Being into music and following a particular band, or supporting a sports team all fall into the realm of fandom. This is what A History of Fans and Fandom: A Journey into the Passion and Power of Fan Culture seeks to explore, as it's author, Holly Swinyard, takes a look at this ever evolving form of sub culture, and it's origins.

Chances are, especially if you're part of a fandom and geek culture, that you'll have ideas of the origins of modern fandom. I came into the book thinking I might know where the story might start, thinking back to both the popularity of the original Star Trek television show and how it spawned fan fiction, and the hype that surrounded the Sherlock Holmes stories and how Arthur Conan Doyle was besieged by fan mail. But I was wrong, Swinyard takes readers back even further in time to learn about the Shakespeare Festival that seems to be the start of fan gatherings and the genesis of what we might recognise as the convention.

Learning about these origins, way back in the 1830's was an eye opening read, and Swinyard takes us through it with a very calming and relaxed way of writing that feels less like reading an academic paper or a simple retelling of history. Swinyard writes like you're sitting down with them and having a chat. It's very conversational, very chill, and it eases you into a book that you'd expect to be a heavy going examination of this global phenomena in a way that makes the topic that much easier to digest. Swinyard's writing might not be what everyone would expect, but I found it to be a great mixture of informative and friendly.

The book is split down into several chapters, each of which caters to a different aspect of fandoms. Posed as questions, the chapters are When? Why? How? Who? Where? Huh? The End?. This approach makes the topic a bit easier to understand, and takes the reader through a much more manageable approach. The When dives into the history of the topic (my favourite part of the book), whilst the Why and How take a look at the psychology and the drive behind fandoms, and Who goes into the various types of people who call fandom home and shows how it's much more varied than people often assume. 

One of the most important parts of the book for me was that it felt very accessible. It felt open to all readers, and there was never a sense that you needed some education on the topic already to be able to pick it up. The beginning of the book goes over some of the relevant terms and phrases that have developed within fan circles, especially online, over the last decade or so just enough that when they get mentioned you're not jumping to Google to understand what the author is describing. Thanks to how quickly online fan circles change their language there were even some terms in there that I was thankful for a breakdown of.

With the ever growing nature of fandom, with it reaching more and more people and becoming an accepted part of todays culture in ways that it just wasn't historically it feels like there's never been a more important time to gain an understanding of it. We don't want to slip back into those dark days of people being mocked for their passions, and instead we need to embrace and love them. Everyone has something that they love, some niche subject or piece of media that speaks to them and that they are in some ways fans of. Picking up this book can certainly help people understand a little more about this very important phenomena, and might even spark you into realising that you might be a part of a fandom yourself too.

Support Amy on Patreon

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

Witch - Film Review

 

When people mention the witch trials and witch hunts of old the mind will often go to Salem and the trials that took place across the US during the late 1600's. But this was far from the only time that a fear of the other has led to people being accused of witchcraft and being executed for it. Britain was also home to multiple witch trials, beginning much earlier in the 1500's. This is the era that Witch takes viewers to, as a young woman is accused of witchcraft and finds her life on the line. 

The film begins with a scene in a remote cabin in the woods, where an older, bearded man is performing some kind of magic ritual on two women as two younger men fight out in the forest. The scene is somewhat confusing, we don't know why this is happening, or who these people are. Things end with all but one of the the men and women dead, a couple who drink something and embrace. As the scene ends they break their embrace and the bodies in the cabin are gone. They leave, heading out into the night. 

From here we jump back 'four days earlier' as a small community is awoken in the middle of the night by screams as a young woman (Mims Burton) walks through the street, covered in blood, carrying the heads of her parents in each hand. The woman is quickly arrested, with a trial set to commence to charge her for murder and witchcraft. One of the jurors on her case will be William (Ryan Spong), the town blacksmith. William, and his wife Twyla (Sarah Alexandra Marks) are the young couple that we see in the cabin in the very first scene, though their lives are still somewhat normal now.

During this we also come across the strange older man from the first scene, played by Russel Shaw, who warns Twyla that she will be accused of witchcraft, and seems to have knowledge of what is going to happen, taking part in events from behind the scenes. As Twyla is swept up into the trial she and her husband will have to trust the stranger if they wish to escape with their lives. 

Witch presents itself as a fairly simple film on the surface, the story of a woman accused of witchcraft and the lengths that she and her husband will go to to survive. However, there's a lot more going on here than you'd first think. And that opening scene is the key to it. I won't spoil what happens, but that first scene is not a simple flashforward to begin the movie with, and what at first feel like strange inconsistencies soon start to add up to parts of the larger, true narrative that's going on with the film. This secret narrative certainly helps to make the film feel a little unique, and sets it apart from other historical fiction pieces. The fact that this isn't just a story about accusations of witchcraft in the real world, but takes place in a world where magic and the paranormal are very real helps too.

The movie is a fairly small budget British film, and often small budget movies are passion projects where you can see that they're being made by people who care about what they're making, even if they perhaps don't quite have the budget or ability to put everything they want on the screen. Having seen some low budget historical and fantasy films before I was ready for poor costumes and shoddy sets, but Witch has a decent quality production value to it. The costumes look decent and sell the time period they're in, but it's the filming locations that really shine through.

I say filming location rather than set, as it very much feels like the production found somewhere to make their movie rather than produced the sets themselves. I might be wrong on that, the small town, the castle, and the courtroom might all have been created for the production, but the quality of the build and the weathered look of it jumps out to me more as a place that already exists. Whether it's a recreation or a historical site I'm not sure, but either way the film looks bigger than you'd expect from an independent film such as this. However it was accomplished, the film certainly benefits from it, and I was genuinely impressed by it.

The actors do a decent job too, especially as some of them have to sell the audience on some pretty big, pretty wild ideas. It lands mostly well, but there are times where things do feel a bit too ridiculous to fully land. The cast are definitely at their best when in the more grounded scenes and involved in the more human drama. Daniel Jordan is great as Judge Hopkins, and is cruel enough to really sell his sadistic evilness without ever drifting into arch and camp, and the scene in which William is begging him not to charge Twyla with witchcraft is perhaps the best scene in the film in terms of strong performances.

Witch is an odd film, one that plays on a lot of horror tropes and definitely sells itself as a horror film, but would likely be better described as more of a fantasy and a mystery. There's a lot of weird stuff going on in this movie, a lot of bold ideas, and whilst if you go in expecting a horror film you might be somewhat disappointed if you're instead just looking for something a bit different it will likely entertain.

Support Amy on Patreon

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

Weekly Comics Review - 24th April 2024

 

I take a look at a selection of this weeks comic releases. This week I read and review Green Arrow, Avengers, Wolverine, Batman: Dark Ages, Ultimate Spider-Man, Star Wars: Darth Maul - Black, White & Red, and more!

Geen Arrorw #11 

DC Comics, Writer: Joshua Williamson, Artists: Phil Hester, Eric 

Gapstur, Sean Izaake, Colourist: Romulo Fajardo Jr., Letterer: Troy Peteri

The latest issue of Green Arrow sees Oliver and the newly reunited Roy Harper teaming up to take on hard light hologram versions of the the classic Justice League, a defence mechanism created by the Sanctuary mask that they've been tasked with collecting for Amanda Waller. Luckily, most of the rest of the Arrow-family are around to help, and whilst they don't beat the fake League they are able to get the mask and escape. This leads Ollie to teleport out, thanks to Waller, and go after his real target, Malcolm Merlyn. Unfortunately, the elderly archer has had a very long time to plan for Ollie's eventual arrival in the distant future.

This has been a very enjoyable series since it came back, and it's doing a great job at reintroducing a lot of the Green Arrow extended cast of heroes, villains, and allies. The last issue brought in a lot of the female members of the family, even bringing along Arowette who'd never really been a part of things. This issue gives Merlyn a similar treatment, as we get a couple of pages that go over the characters history. This is something that's very helpful thanks to the ever shifting nature of backstories and continuity that can happen in comics, and is a useful for those who may have never encountered the character in comic form before. The art this issue is also superb, with a splash page towards the end showing off multiple versions of some characters, featuring costumes from across the decades that's a joy to behold. 

It's easy to forget that this series is going on as Green Arrow has never really been a high profile character on the comic book shelf, but this is a series that's definitely shaping up to be a must read.  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rise of the Powers of X #4

Marvel Comics, Writer: Kieron Gillen, Artist: R.B. Silva, Colourist:

David Curiel, Letterer: Clayton Cowles

The mutants and their allies are fighting back against the forces of Orchis, and the AI that have been helping them but pose the true threat. Whilst most X books at the moment are dealing with the physical fight, Rise of the Powers of X is taking a different approach, and is showing readers the secret war that's going on behind the scenes, focusing on the machinations of Professor Xavier. This issue shows us how far Xavier is willing to fall to save his people, killing Rachel and Rasputin IV, and going to work for the Sentinels in order to get them to agree to leave mutants alone when they kill off the humans.

However, this issue hints at a larger plan, one that could win the day. It seems that everything Xavier is doing is to help mutants win, and that he's not prepared to trust the AI to hold up their ends. Whilst he's working with them he seems to have put the pieces in place for the others to win the day. Because of this, this is definitely the slowest X book at the moment, and there are a lot of spinning plates that readers have to keep track of. And whilst it might not be the case that Charles has gone full villain and is only putting on an act if he is doing all this to save his people will this be a machination too far for him to be forgiven? The book is posing some big questions.

The art on the title is superb, and the way in which R.B. Silva shows every moment of anguish on Xaviers face as he uses his powers to betray humanity really helps to sell just what the character is going through. Despite how good this title is, I also can't help but think that it will read better in a collected graphic novel alongside its counterpart. ⭐⭐⭐

Predator: The Last Hunt #3

Marvel Comics, Writer: Ed Brisson, Artist: Francesco Manna,

Colourist: Erick Arciniega, Letterer: Clayton Cowles

One of the problems reading an Alien or Predator book month to month rather than when it's done is that sometimes the pacing can feel off. When collected together it doesn't matter if a large part of the story deals with things going to shit, as that's an expected part of these franchises. However, when an entire issue is action, with people dying on every page, gunfire, explosions, and people getting thrown around, it can leave that months issue feeling a little underwhelming. This is how I came out of this months issue of Predator: The Last Hunt feeling.

The previous issue ended with Theta and her newly assembled team, featuring John Schaefer from the classic Dark Horse stories, being ambushed by this story's big bad Predator. This issue sees said Predator tearing through the group like they're nothing. People are blown apart by plasma casters, cut with knives, attacked by Predator dogs, and generally have a bad time whilst Theta herself has a momentary breakdown, trying to get her head back in the game. I'm sure as part of the whole this issue will read fine, but as this months check in on the story it didn't feel like a whole lot of stuff really happened. As such, it was kind of never really more than just fine.

The art team do a decent job this issue, and there's lots of exciting stuff for them to draw and colour as opposed to the initial two chapters. If blood and guts and violence are your thing then this issue delivers in spades. ⭐⭐⭐

X-Men Forever #2

Marvel Comics, Writer: Kieron Gillen, Artist: Luca Maresca,

Colourist: Federico Blee, Letterer: Clayton Cowles

X-Men Forever very much feels like a companion piece to Rise of the Powers of X this week, and if you're going to read the two of them (and you really need to this time I think) you're going to want to be doing this one second. The questions at the end of Rise, of whether Xavier has a second secret plan and is just going along with the AI is very much answered here, as we see him helping out the surviving mutants in the White Hot Room, and readying the stage for the return of the Phoenix. We see our troops assembling, including some characters who fell in other books, such as Archangel, and spend a quiet moment with them as they prepare for their assault on Earth.

One of the biggest problems that I can see with this book is that it requires a lot of knowledge for a lot of other titles from the Krakoa Era. It references several books and events that are fine if, like myself, you've read everything, but I also appreciate that I'm an outlier, and that not everyone will have done that. As such, it's quite possible you can get a bit lost at points in this issue. However, it very much feels like a last stop to talk, plan, and bring up complex backstory, before the final fight, and I expect that these issues will feel somewhat lessened as we head into the grand finale.

The artwork on this issue is gorgeous, and everyone looks fantastic. I love that Exodus is still in his Gala outfit, and want him to stay in it going forwards as he just looks so damn fine. And the scene in which the Mother Righteous duplicate melts to nothing is fascinating and revolting in equal measure, and a real stand out. For those who've been eagerly awaiting the return of the Phoenix, and have been watching the events in the White Hot Room closely this is one issue that you're not going to want to miss. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Wolverine #48

Marvel Comics, Writers: Benjamin Percy & Victor LaValle, Artist:

Cory Smith, Colourist: Alex Sinclair, Letterer: Cory Petit

Sabretooth War has been a rocky road for our heroes. It opened with a gut punch of an issue, seeing Quentin dead and his head being used as a weapon, whilst Sabretooth tore apart Logan's son. From there we've had Laura be kidnapped and tortured, and Logan has lost his powers. This is where we pick up on part eight of the ten part epic, as Laura tries to escape Sabretooth's floating ship above Krakoa, as his son, Graydon Creed returrns as a cyborg ready to kill his father. On the ground, Logan manages to heal up enough from his injuries to head to one of his weapon stashes that he and Forge prepared to grab some gear, emerging wearing adamantium armour and carrying a Murumasa blade; but meanwhile, Sabretooth emerges from his cocoon, possibly changed forever.

Things are both moving at a very quick pace, and also feel kind of slow in this issue as we see a lot of pieces moved into their positions for the final two issues of the story. As with a lot of the stuff in the Krakoan era, you're going to have had to read a lot of titles to fully get everything here, and that's part of the reason why the book now includes Victor LaValle alongside Benjamin Percy, both of whom have been laying the seeds for this story across different books. I'm excited to see what happens in the final two issues, and it feels like things are going to be big, but it also feels like the story is in a little bit of a slump. Perhaps ten issues was a bit long, and maybe things would feel better if it was a few issues left and had to be a bit tighter. But still, this is a decent issue of Wolverine. ⭐⭐⭐

Power Girl #8

DC Comics, Writer: Leah Williams, Penciler: Eduardo Pansica, Inker:

Júlio Ferreira, Colourist: Romulo Fajardo Jr., Letterer: Becca Carey

I love Power Gril, she's one of my favourite DC characters and I've read a lot of her stuff. She's a great example of a feminist super hero. She's strong both physically and mentally, she's a leader, she's a businesswoman, and she doesn't take crap from anyone. She's been in both the Justice League and Justice Society, and even led the latter. And whilst some dismiss her because of her costume she's a fantastic role model for women. I don't know where she is anymore though, because the woman in the pages of Power Girl just isn't her. I dropped this title after the first issue, having read the stuff leading up to it and not enjoying any of that either. This isn't Power Girl, her entire personality has changed, she has a different name, and doesn't act like the character I fell in love with. This entire book feels more like a Supergirl pitch where they did a replace on the names and costume and decided it'd work fine.

I picked this issue up to see how it ties into the Brainiac story that's been going on, and withing the first couple of pages was reminded why I dropped this title. Power Girl is learning to roller skate, and it's pretty bad. She's nervous, shy, and very un-Power Girl. And more time gets given over to her roller skating and talking about her love life than does the Brainiac attack. The rest of this event has been fun and exciting, and this issue fails on every regards. This is definitely a title that folks can skip when reading through this particular Superman event.

The art on the issue is decent, and when the action does happen it's very quick and to the point. Most of the issue is given over to talking though, so don't expect much super heroics to fill the pages, which feels like a shame as this team seem to deliver it well when given the chance. I don't want to say that this series is a character assassination, as I've really like Leah Williams' X-books, but boy is this a bad time to be a Power Girl fan. ⭐

Universal Monsters: Creature From The Black Lagoon Lives! #1

Image Comics, Writers: Dan Watters, Ram V., Artist: Matthew Roberts,

Colourist: Dave Stewart, Letterer: D. C. Hopkins

Out of the Universal Monsters my favourite has been the Creature from the Black Lagoon. From his design, to what I found to be the much tighter, more interesting story, that film was the one that really spoke to me the most, and I've got a soft spot in my heart for both him and stories that try to imitate it. This is the first Universal Monsters book that I've picked up, but it's quickly become one of my favourite comics of the week. The story follows journalist Kate Marsden as she hunts a serial killer who has escaped to the Amazon jungle to avoid authorities. Having almost become one of his victims, nearly drowned by him, Kate has a lot of trauma surrounding the man, but is determined to find him. What she stumbles across, however, is a strange conspiracy to steal a drowning victim, and a creature she thought only able to exist in myths.

I've only really caught a few bits of Dan Watters work here and there before, as part of anthologies or event stories, but am familiar with and enjoy Ram V's work, so was excited to see what this writing team could bring to the table. The result is an opening issue that very quickly draws you in and gets you invested. You almost even forget that there's supposed to be a monster involved as you get drawn into this story of a woman hunting the man who traumatised her. Things play out at a great pace, and when the final page comes I ended up annoyed that the issue was over, and that I didn't have the next one already.

The art on the book is really very good, and the presentation of the story is a big part of why the comic is a great read. Matthew Roberts and Dave Stewart do a fantastic job at binging things to life, and their styles compliment each other really well. they make Kate look tired and drawn out, selling you on her trauma and desperation, and the environments all look perfect and sell the atmosphere of the story. But it's the Creature where things excel. He looks amazing, and I loved the pages where we actually got to see him. I'm excited to see what comes next, and can't wait to see more of the Creature. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Avengers #13

Marvel Comics, Writer: Jed MacKay, Artist: Francesco Mortarino,

Colorist: Federico Blee, Letterer: Cory Petit

When Orchis essentially ushered in an era of global hate for mutants one of the things that I didn't like was that the other heroes didn't seem to be doing anything about it. This furthered the feeling that the X titles often feel like they're in a world separate to the rest of Marvel. However, the slow reveal that most heroes and teams were waiting for the signal to go to town on the fascists was great, and the Avengers have spent the last couple issues smashing Sentinels, saving mutants from concentration camps, and bringing Orchis down. This issue continues this, with the Impossible City under siege from dozens of the new Sentinels. As the powerhouses fight the machines in orbit, Captain America and Black Panther take the fight to the heart of Orchis.

I really like the way that the Avengers have been utilised for this story, and their willingness to go to bat for the mutants. Whilst they're not quite as dedicated as the X-Men (I don't think the Avengers are really killing) they're still doing a lot to help the cause. And the reveal this issue that they've been doing so for a long time with a sleeper agent within Orchis was a great addition to the story. Whilst the issue does do a little time skip at the end that shows a post-Orchis world and things seem fine, I guess revealing the X-Men beat the Dominions (we know they will anyway right?) it also jumps straight into the next event with the final page setting the stage for Bloodhunt.

Whilst things move fairly quickly this issue, and wrap up very fast with little to no time to decompress or examine what the Avengers have been through, this is a pretty decent and action-packed issue. The art reflects this, with pages that are absolutely jampacked with combat, explosions, and the Avengers being absolute tanks. The space fights are great, and there are some fantastic scenes which showcase just why this team is one of the best the Marvel universe has. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Darth Maul: Black, White, & Red #1

Marvel Comics, Writer: Benjamin Percy, Artist: Stefano Raffaele,

Colorist: Raúl Angulo, Letterer: Joe Caramagna

We're on our way to the anniversary of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, and an anthology series exploring different untold tales from the life of that films break out villain, Darth Maul, seems like a perfect thing to celebrate. Each issue of the series will feature a different creative team, and the first issue falls to writer Benjamin Percy, who's spent the last few years working on Wolverine and X-Force. With these more violent titles under his belt, and with Maul being a vicious combatant, you might expect this opening issue to be filled with action and death. However, it subverts those expectations somewhat.

The story sees Maul being sent to a prison transport ship that has gone adrift in space. The ship contains the members of bizarre group called the Final Occulation, three individuals with skills and powers that Maul's master, Darth Sidious, wants. When Maul arrives on the ship he finds carnage and death waiting for him, and must deal with the escaped prisoners one by one. The story is a strange mix of the physical violence of the Maul of this era, and the almost crazy mind of the later Maul. His head gets messed with a lot here, and it's almost like watching him walk through a waking nightmare. The result is a story whose tone I wasn't quite sure of, and whose story never really amounted to anything more than just interesting.

The art on this issue is provided by Stefano Raffaele with colours by Raúl Angulo, and the look suits the tone of the story well. There are moments in the book that feel like half formed nightmares, images you might see in your dreams, and it definitely enhances the feel that Percy seems to be going for. With upcoming issues promising different things each time, this is a decent start to what would be a great series. ⭐⭐⭐

Blade #10

Marvel Comics, Writer: Bryan Hill, Artist: Elena Casagrande,

Colourist: Kike J. Díaz, Letterer: Cory Petit

The latest series of Blade comes to an end with it's tenth issue, bringing the story of Blade's fight against the ancient evil force of the Adana to a final, bloody close. I've enjoyed this series, and have liked the long fight to correct the mistake that Blade made in the first issue of helping to free an ancient evil. Along the way Blade has made some new friends and allies, and has learned to embrace more of his vampiric nature, gaining some new abilities from Dracula. There was a moment in this issue where I thought that despite this growth and development that our hero was going to shun his allies and try to win the day on his own. However, the fact that he brought others along to help with the fight feels earned, and feels like the natural next step in his development across the series.

The final issue manages to mix these character moments in with the action well, and we get a decent fight towards the end of the issue that shows off some of Blade's new abilities. When I first finished the issue I did feel somewhat disappointed by the ending, by how Adana gets beaten. However, thinking over it more, I've changed my mind on that and instead find the conclusion very fitting. Blade might not get the killing blow, acting more like the distraction than the lead, but it both works for his character growth, and feels right that the character that gets the killing blow is the one to do so. It's the kind of storytelling that doesn't do the expected, and might get some criticism for that, but ultimately chooses the more narratively satisfying way.

The art team on this title work well together, and have delivered some great issues across the series. They've created a very satisfying visual tone, and the action always looks great. This marks the end of this volume of Blade, and it's disappointing that it has only lasted for the ten issues. However, with Blood Hunt on the very near horizon it feels like Blade has to be heavily involved in that, and so won't be gone for long. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Batman: Dark Age #2

DC Comics, Writer: Mark Russell, Artist: Michael Allred,

Colourist: Laura Allred, Letterer: Dave Sharpe

Mark Russell began the first issue of Batman: Dark Age with an old Bruce Wayne, living in a retirement home. It's a different depiction of the older Bruce than fans have come to love, having fallen in love with the version given to us in Batman Beyond. However, when we jump into the flashbacks it became very clear that this is a Bruce Wayne that we do not know, one whose life followed a very different path to what we're used to. With a lot of alternate takes on the dark knight being very different, opting to go big and weird, Batman: Dark Age offers instead a version of the character that could very much have existed within the comics, a Bruce Wayne who is only separated from the one we know thanks to a few slight changes.

Having been sent to prison at the end of the last issue, Bruce is facing ten years behind bars, but knows that he'll be lucky to make it past his eighteenth birthday. The night of his birthday he manages to repel an attempt on his life, and is then released to the army, having been offered to have his sentence commuted if he fights in Vietnam. It's in the jungles of Vietnam that Bruce is trained as a commando by legendary solider Ra's al Ghul, fighting with unconventional means and weapons alongside other soldiers, such as Oliver Queen. Upon being released from the army, for refusing to kill a prisoner, Bruce returns home to find a Gotham changed since he left, a city in desperate need to help. With the assistance of Lucius Fox, Bruce adopts a new identity to help save his home.

Batman: Dark Age was a title I wasn't completely sold on when I picked up the first issue. It took me several pages to really get into it, but it quickly became a fascinating read. This issue carries that feeling on, and whilst the book may be extra size in length it felt like I reached the end in no time, having become so absorbed into the narrative. Michael Allred's art is also a big draw to the book for me. Everything is crisp and clean, but the designs have their own unique flavour to them that doesn't feel like any other Batman title on the shelf. The book is one of those comics where once you're done reading it you will likely spend a great deal of time just looking back through the pages, marvelling at the art. I'm loving this version of Batman, and can't wait to see what comes next. I'm also sad that this title only has four issues, and that I'm already half way through it as I could see myself reading this series for a long time to come. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ultimate Spider-Man #4

Marvel Comics, Writer: Jonathan Hickman, Artist: David Messina,

Colourist: Matt Wilson, Letterer: Cory Petit

The new Ultimate Spider-Man started particularly strongly, and the new twist on the formula for Peter Parker has been a big draw to this series for me. I've liked seeing a more mature Peter, one who's not had to worry about powers and heroics and has had the time to build his family. His relationship with his daughter has been a definite highlight, especially last issue. However, the fourth issue has been the first that really feels like it's highlighting some of the flaws from the series as it's getting going. The main one of these, for me, is MJ. She and Peter had very big conversation in the first issue, the kind of conversation that mirrors a lot of people's coming out talks with spouses when they reveal their queerness or that they're trans (that talk definitely resonated with people in the trans community). It was the type of talk that rocks marriages, yet it seems nothing has come up since then,

Peter told his wife he needs a big change, that there's a part of his life missing, and then they've not really brought it up since. I had assumed that MJ knew about his spider powers, but that was quickly shot down. This issue further highlights how ridiculous it is that she doesn't know as she, Peter, Harry Osborn, and his wife (no spoilers) go out for dinner and MJ is the only one there who doesn't know. There's a lot of talk about her not knowing between Peter and Harry. There's a lot of talk in general this issue as the vast majority is a dinner chat. Expect heavy use of the nine panel page, and lots of tell rather than show as the characters talk about their world and lives. It's a decent issue, though there's not much in this one that excites or grabs, and is likely to be very quickly forgotten when thinking about the other stuff this series has done. Because of the normality of the issue it does feel a little like the art team are being underutilised here. Everything looks great, but there's nothing that stands out and I'm left remembering the general vibe of the book rather than any particular moments. Hopefully this is a moment of calm before the series gets into full swing again next issue. ⭐⭐⭐

Daredevil #8

Marvel Comics, Writers: Saladin Ahmed, Erica Schultz, Elsa Sjunneson,

Ann Nocenti, D. G. Chichester, Ty Templeton, Artists: Aaron Kuder,

Jan Bazaldua, Eric Koda, Stefano Raffaele, Ken Lashley, Tommaso

Bianchi, Ty Templeton, Colourists: Jesus Aburtov, Ceci de la Cruz,

Dee Cunniffe, Juan Fernandez, Letterer: Clayton Cowles

Whilst the latest issue of Daredevil might be the eight of the new run it's also something a little bit special, as it's a celebration of 60 years of the character. Rather than making an issue that's all about that, this months release combines the ongoing story with several other tales from across the history of the character to give readers something a little bit special. The first story in the collection is the one that is set during the present and carries on the ongoing story, seeing our two Dardevil's, Matt and Elektra, teaming up together properly for the first time since Matt came back. The story ends with a nice little reveal of a new big bad for the vigilantes to have to deal with that I think fans are going to be more than happy with.

Alongside this are stories that long time and new readers alike will enjoy. There's a story focused on Elektra and Alice that is pathing the way for Daredevil: Woman Without Fear coming later in the year that has piqued my interest for that series. There's a story that sees Matt being a guest speaker at a school for deaf and blind kids that ends up with him helping to save a young girl. Plus we get a story during the black armour period that features the Punisher for those edgy 90's nostalgia fans out there. The stand out of the entire comic might be the King of the Hill style strip featuring the Kingpin; the only downside of which is that I now want an entire series of this.

The book features several writing and artistic teams, each with their own look and feel. The styles suit their stories well, and the book is great to look at and showcases some really wonderful talent. Whether you've been reading Daredevil for a while, or just jumped on board with this run, I think this is an issue that folks are going to like. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Support Amy on Patreon

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

Star Trek: Discovering The TV Series by Tom Salinsky – Book Review

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

With Star Trek being the huge franchise it is, it’s hard to think that there was once a time when it wasn’t a world renowned piece of fiction. Today we have a dozen television series, and even more movies, as well as several new projects on the horizon. There are video games, board games, and roleplaying RPGs. Conventions happen all around the world, with stars from the franchise meeting fans and celebrating the series; they even have a Star Trek cruise! But there was a time when it was still considered quite niche, when Star Trek was just an odd, often looked down upon, television series that you’d get mocked for liking. The original series found more love over time, but when it first came out it was not something that many people made a big thing about liking.

It wasn’t really until series creator Gene Rodenberry got a second shot at things that it really started to take off as a franchise to take notice of. Thanks to the success of Star Wars every studio was trying to find the next big sci-fi hit, and it’s how we’ve gotten some great franchises. Star Trek was one of these attempts to cash in on the sci-fi high, and the cast of the original series were brought back together for some big screen outings, the popularity of which helped to launch a whole new show, Star Trek: The Next Generation. This is where the franchise really took off, and Star Trek became the cultural juggernaut that it is today.

Tom Salinsky, a long time fan of the franchise, was introducing his housemate Steve to various pieces of entertainment media since he’d moved to the UK from Syria. He’d shown him Doctor Who, Columbo, Singing in the Rain, and Fawlty Towers, but realised that he’d not really introduced Steve to one of his oldest loves: the Star Trek franchise. So Salinksy became inspired to watch through all of Star Trek in order (I assume with Steve), watching one episode a day as he made his way through every single show. Contained within the pages of Star Trek: Discovering the TV Series are his experiences with the original series, the animated series, the original series movies, and Star Trek: The Next Generation.

The book is split into segments for each of the shows and movies, making it easier to digest. From here Salinsky gives us a brief description of the episodes, who starred in them, and a star rating, before launching into his thoughts on the episode. Each episode is given anywhere between half a page and a full page, depending on how much there is to say on each one, and covers anything from Tom’s previous experiences with the episodes when he first saw them, his changing view of them over the years, or his fresh experience of them if this is his first time viewing. For those who are familiar with the episodes, these dives are likely to bring fond memories of the show, and might remind you of certain episodes that you haven’t seen in years. And Salinsky writes in a very relaxed, almost conversational manner that makes these segments feel less like a breakdown from an academic and more like a friend just chatting about the show.

However, perhaps the biggest flaw in this format, and with the book in general, is that it’s not friendly to those who haven’t seen the episodes. The plot is maybe mentioned in a sentence, and then only in the broadest of terms. And on occasion Salinsky will only mention small parts of the plot in such ways that you might hear a part of the resolution, but don’t know why things are happening. For example (picked from a randomly opened page), in the discussion of the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode ‘The Long Goodbye’ it mentions that Picard is in the holodeck playing detective. A crewmember gets killed. Wesley saves the ship.

Why is the crewmember killed? Why does the ship need saving? How does Wesley do this? All of this information is missing. This is fine if you’ve seen the episode, but if not, or if you can’t remember it that well, it does leave you a little lost. If you’re reading through the book and you either haven’t seen the episode, or may not have seen it recently enough to remember the plot, discussions end up pointless, and can lead to you having to skip over things, or be left with no context for portions.

The book isn’t bad by any means, and when you have that knowledge of the episodes it makes for fun, if brief breakdowns of them from Salinsky’s point of view. Perhaps the best way to enjoy the book is either to watch the show as you read it, perhaps doing an episode a day system the way the author did, or to have Wikipedia open along with the book so that you can read the episode description to get a refresher before reading Salinksy’s thoughts on it.

For the hardcore Star Trek fan who’s looking to add something a little different to their collection, or to be inspired to have yet another watch through of the series, this will be a great companion piece to add to their shelf. For casual fans, or perhaps those who’ve never seen the show and are interested in learning more about it, it’s perhaps not the best choice to start with.

Support Amy on Patreon

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

Witch - British Folk Horror Coming Soon

 

Released on 29th April 2024, Witch is a new British folk horror film from directors Craig Hinde and Marc Zammit. 

Witch takes viewers to 1575 England, where we will meet Twyla, played by Sarah Alexandra Marks, a caring wife and mother who has been accused of witchcraft. Facing the death penalty if found guilty, her husband William sets out to find the real witch behind the crimes Twyler has been accused of, hoping to bring her to justice to save his wife's life.

Witchcraft has often been a ripe source of inspiration for horror films, and whilst Witch promises to feature otherworldly horror, it's perhaps the very real horrors of the witch hunts and trials from history that take centre stage in this upcoming film. Set decades before the infamous witch trials of Salem, the film promises to shine a spotlight on the often forgotten witch hunts of Britain, and the terrors of the time for those accused of being practitioners of the dark arts. 

However, the film also tells the story of a devout husband, one willing to go through terrifying trials and face down awful horrors to save the woman he loves.

Witch releases in the UK on 29th April, and I will be reviewing it for release. However, until then, check out this clip from the film.

Support Amy on Patreon

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

Three Exorcism Siblings Vol 1 by Shinata Harekawa - Manga Review

 

'In the mountains above Japan, Mamoru Yamaemori spends his days tending to his family shrine, fighting Tengu— monsters who feast on human flesh—and, making sure his two younger brothers will never have to pick up his mantle. Unable to escape the life forced upon him by his parents and a dark ritual involving Tengu blood, all he knows is that his existence is a curse: he is destined to die young in the service of others.

'But to fight monsters, Mamoru must dance that line between loving older brother and mindless beast – or else he risks becoming that which he is sworn to destroy.'

Three Exorcism Siblings opens with a grim image. Deep in the woods, something huge and monstrous eats the head of a child whilst another lays nearby, unconscious, with the warning that 'Deep in the mountains... Dwell the Tengu.' This is something of a dark, horrific beginning to a story that isn't as frightening as this first page would have us believe, as whilst there are indeed monsters to be found within these pages, there are also brave young warriors whose mission is to stop them.

In the mountains there lies a remote shrine, watched over by three siblings from the Yamaemori family. The youngest of them is fifteen-year-old Yu, who loves sports and doesn't really do well at his academic studies. The middle brother is Kei, a seventeen-year-old student who is almost the opposite to Yu, and is incredibly smart and studious. And looking after both of them is twenty one-year-old Mamoru. Mamoru is the first of these three siblings that we meet, and the first time we see him he's killing the monstrous Tengu with a sword, saving a child's life. As the elder sibling, he's sworn to protect the shrine and the surrounding area from the Tengu. This would lead you to think that Mamoru is going to be a grim, perhaps even haunted kid of young man; where in fact he's something of a mother hen to the others.

In a delightful twist on the expected formula, Mamoru spends much of his time cleaning the home, making dinner for his brothers, and acting like a loving parent to them. He's even unafraid to cry and show is emotions over how proud he is of his two younger brothers. He's a wonderful subversion on the warrior with a sacred duty archetype that you can't help but instantly like him.

Unfortubately, things can't stay nice and happy for our three protagonists. When his brother is in danger, Mamoru heads out into the woods to fight the monsters that are threatening his family. Whilst he manages to save Yu, he's seemingly killed in the attempt, but comes back as a Tengu-like creature himself. Somehow fighting off the full infection, Mamoru must learn to control his new abilities and find a way to use them for good, lest he turn into one of the very monsters he has sworn to destroy.

Three Exorcism Siblings has a really interesting start, with a nice mix of very relaxed, enjoyable slice of life style scenes with a family that care about each other and get along well, along with some very bloody and horrific moments that feel like they belong in a horror title. Plus, there's a load of action thrown into the mix too to keep things exciting. Shinata Harekawa does a great job at balancing all of these different tones, and gets you invested pretty early on. By the time Mamoru becomes infected by the Tengu you're already on board for this story, and you care for the siblings, even though you've barely begun the story. 

This investment in making likable characters definitely keeps you on board as Harekawa spends the rest of this first volume diving into the history of this family, the mythology around the Tengu's, and this secret world of shrine protectors that exists hidden from the regular world. Like with most good Urban Fantasy books, you get small peeks of the strange and unusual before diving headfirst into the fantastical elements, and the first volume keeps racking up the stakes throughout so that by the time the first book comes to a close you're desperate to find out what happens next. 

Harekawa's artwork looks fantastic, and the action and horror moments stand out as some of the best parts in the book. The very first page feels incredibly visceral, and the image of the Tengu biting a child's head off in a single bite is shocking and rendered in a way that doesn't revel in the blood and gore, but conveys the horror of the imagery well enough that it feels haunting. There are several moments like this throughout, where it almost feels like the reader is a perverse watcher, peeking in on awful, depraved events that we shouldn't be looking at. Thankfully, the action that's in the book acts like a nice palate cleanser for these moments. And the scenes in which Mamoru gets to cut down a monster with his family sword are drawn beautifully. 

If you're looking for a new manga series that manages to juggle world building, likable characters, great action, and horror, then Three Exorcism Siblings is a book that you're going to want to pick up. It's a very addictive read, and if you're like me you'll end up finishing the entire thing in a single go and be ready for the next volume already.

Support Amy on Patreon

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

Hellboy (2004) – Throwback 20

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

When looking at the last decade or so of cinema and the huge numbers of big budget comic book movies and multimedia shared universes it’s easy to forget when comic movies were first becoming a popular thing.

The early 2000s was when the genre was first making its way onto the big screen without being seen as a joke, with films such as Blade, X-Men and Spider-Man leading the charge for these films to be taken seriously again after the 90s saw a drop in popularity and acclaim with fairly disastrous Batman movies. With people wanting to see more comic book films on the screen there was a push to find more properties to adapt, and studios began to look outside of the ‘big two’ (Marvel and DC) to find source material.

One of the properties that stood out to studios looking to cash in on the popular, darker tone of successful movies like the Blade series, and the more serious natured approach to X-Men, was Dark Horse Comics‘ Hellboy. Originally having appeared in Dime Press #4 in 1993, the character of Hellboy quickly appeared in his own four issue mini-series, Hellboy: Seeds of Destruction, a year later.

This book would prove to be the spark that not only made a name for the character, but also began an entire universe. The Hellboy universe would begin fairly small, but over time new characters and new titles would be added, spawning spin-offs and events in a story that would go on for more than thirty years. The popularity of the series, and the fact that series creator Mike Mignola was already on board to bring it to the big screen alongside director Guillermo del Toro made the prospect an enticing one, though the road to get to the big screen wasn’t an easy one.

Del Toro wanted to make Hellboy before a single studio did, having discussed the idea of adapting it with Mignola in depth years before the project was given the go-ahead. Del Toro took the key storyline from the first Hellboy story, but altered several elements to better suit the big screen, including slightly altering Hellboy’s origins to better connect him with the films antagonists.

Most interestingly, during these early stages of development, del Toro had already cast his lead actor. Del Toro wrote the script with Ron Perlman as his only choice for the titular role, and made efforts to make the character work for him. Part of the choice in casting Perlman was due to his experience in extensive monster make-up, thanks to his work on the television series Beauty and the Beast, a series where Perlman also displayed his ability to convey nuance and emotion whilst hidden under prosthetics.

Whilst several studios initially rejected del Toro’s pitch to adapt the comic, with many executives not liking the very idea of the film, the push to get more comic movies made and on the screen ultimately helped. Del Toro was ready to make Hellboy in 1998, but it wasn’t until 2003 that a studio finally gave him the chance to make it.

The film loosely follows the story of the first graphic novel, and opens with the origin of Hellboy (Ron Perlman), a demon summoned by the Nazis, and the mystic Rasputin (Karel Roden), during an occult ritual on a remote Scottish island during World War Two. A group of Allied soldiers, along with a young occultist, manage to stop the ritual from being completed. Rasputin is sucked into a portal and lost forever, whilst a small demon baby with a right hand made from stone is found in the ruins. Sixty years later, the demon, now a man named Hellboy, works for the government institution the B.P.R.D. (Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense). Having been raised by the young occultist, who he sees as his father, Hellboy fights to protect the world from paranormal threats and monsters.

Helping him in his mission is Liz Sherman (Selma Blair), a young woman with the power to create and control flames, who has a budding romance with Hellboy, and Abraham ‘Abe’ Sapien (played by Doug Jones and voice by David Hyde Pierce), a psychic fishman. The three of them are joined by a new agent, who has only just discovered the world of the paranormal and is in over his head, but acts as our audience ride-along character as we get to discover this world ourselves. When the team learn that Rasputin has returned from the demon realm he was lost to decades before, it begins a mission that has the fate of the world resting in the balance.

Despite having a built in fan-base, and the popularity of comic book movies at the time, Hellboy did not experience a smooth release. Being brought out during the Easter period, and with both Hell in the title and a demon as the hero, the film met protests from religious groups and businesses. Some toy chains refused to sell Hellboy merchandise, some theatres wouldn’t show the film, and certain markets in southern US areas changed the name of the film to ‘Helloboy’ to try and avoid demonic association. Despite these protests, the film received high critical and audience praise, and was nominated for several awards. The success of Hellboy would also see a sequel four years later that was even better received.

Whilst superheroes may have been dominating the comic book movie landscape at the time Hellboy offered audiences something different, and showcased to general audiences that comic books are a lot more that capes and tights.

Support Amy on Patreon

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram