Boom Bandits: The Complete Saga - Graphic Novel Review

 

'In Scarcity, you can't trust anyone over the age of 40. For Pixie and Freydank, life expectancy is low and regularly disrupted by immortal elders from neighbouring Methuseland. When a small act of mischief forces them to flee their home, they discover a forgotten relic that - if unleashed - will smash the status quo and cause potential anarchy between the two cities.'

When people say the word comic most would hear it and think of superheroes, folks with powers and bright costumes who rush in to save the day against equally as strange villains. However, British comics are a very different animal, and those who grew up in the UK would be more used to seeing characters like Judge Dredd, Strontium Dog, or the ABC Warriors on the shelf of the local newsagent over someone like Superman or the X-Men. British comics are less about larger than life heroes, and more about examining the world around us through a satirical, often grim lens that will create these extreme characters and settings that have more to say about society than you'd first think. Helldunkel Studios new graphic novel, Boom Bandits, follows in this tradition.

Set in a far distant future, Boom Bandits introduces readers to a society divided, a world of haves and have-nots, where the rich tower above the poor un a beautiful city, whilst those without must eek out a hard existence in dangerous, gang filled slums. This isn't too unusual a setting, it's something that has been used in literature throughout the ages to quickly sans easily show a society that's grown corrupt by prioritising the elite. In this world, however, it's not just being rich that sets those above as different, it's also their age. Scar City is home to the Boomers, a group of older people whose wealth has allowed them to access technology that has slowed the ageing process down, allowing them to continue to live a lifestyle where they have access to all of the resources, and the younger people are left to rot in a world where the excess of the older generation has left it almost impossible to survive, let alone thrive. Can you see the social commentary yet?

Just the name of the book, Boom Bandits, hints at the kind of story it's going to tell, where the Boomers are equated to criminals, bandits who have stolen the world from those that have come after. They've taken the healthcare for themselves, they've got the best homes, they're protected by the best security and police forces, they can eat whatever they want, do whatever they want, and all the while they look down on those who are different from them as little more than dirty, violent, and criminal. Those who've been left behind, who survive in the ruins of the world left to them by the selfish Boomers, live in a society dominated by gangs and violent culture, mainly as there's not enough to go around anymore, and so those that live in the slums must fight to even get by.

It's here that we meet a pair of Boomers who've come to tour the slums are part of a vacation, who see the younger people and their literal fight to survive as something to be entertained by, treating the people as an attraction, barely considering them human, referring to them as Guttersnipes. When the technology that protects them from being harmed fails some of the locals express their dislike of the system by violently attacking the Boomers, something the earns a violent response. Not ones to get their own hands dirty, the Boomers send in their security forces, the Youthanisers, a third class of cybernetically enhanced people that 'protect' the Boomers and their interests, but are little more than state sanctioned killers. 

When one of the Youthanisers attacks people in the slums, killing anyone it can find, not caring if they're engaging in any crime or if they were part of the attack that spurred this on, a young girl named Pixie ends up in an underground vault that's home to an old mech from the Tech Wars. This silent young girl is somehow able to connect with this machine, seemingly with her mind, and uses it to battle the Youthaniser. Thus begins a war between the Boomers and the youth of society, one where survival itself hangs in the balance, and with the promise that society itself will forever be changed by the outcome.

It's not hard to see the subjects that Boom Bandits is tackling, but like with all good satire it's done in such a way that you get from this what you want to take away. You can read the book simply as a story set in a fictitious future where gangs are fighting back against an oppressive system with little more to it than just being a decent sci-fi story; but if you want to you can go deeper, you can see the social commentary about generation inequality, crime, police brutality, and other topics. Boom Bandits has a lot to say, but it doesn't preach, it allows the reader to find these things on their own and trusts that you're smart enough to see what's being done here. And even if you're not, you're probably still going to have a good time reading it anyway.

Boom Bandits moves at a pretty brisk pace, and it likes to get the reader from important point to important point as quickly as possible. As such, it can sometimes feel like the story is moving a bit too fast, and there are times where I came away wanting a bit more space to explore this world and the characters a little more before the next big set piece of story beat was hit. That being said, enough time is spent with the characters that the few really important ones get fleshed out enough that you can understand their motivations, you feel a connection to them, and you feel bad when some of them don't make it to the end. Other characters, particularly some of the older Boomer characters, don't quite get the same treatment, and come off as a little cartoonish in their villainy, but this may be intentional, as it does help towards showing this 'upper' class as a faceless, detached mass, one that feels less individual and more of a system of oppressors. 

The art, also by the book's writer Bruno Stahl, looks absolutely fantastic. I have to be honest, the first time I read Boom Bandits was as individual issues for the first two parts of the book, and I read these digitally. I enjoyed the art at the time, but I honestly didn't connect with it as much as I did now having the physical book in my hands. The black and white art looks so much better on paper than it does a screen, and where before I may have felt that it needed a little something more to feel fully finished and realised now it just works for me. I loved the art on the book, and even once I was finished reading I'd find myself flipping through it several times, just soaking up the images. Digital comics may be more common now, and often easier to get than physical books, but as far as I'm concerned the best way to experience Boom Bandits is with the physical book in your hands.

Boom Bandits is a book that I enjoyed more as a complete, physical package, so if you missed out on the individual issues and have been holding out for the complete collection this new graphic novel will more than satisfy you. If you like British comics, and are a fan of 2000AD this book will feel right at home for you, as it feels like it was ripped right out of the pages of that publication (in the best way possible). I can't wait to see what Bruno Stahl and Helldunkel Studios gives us next, because this book was an absolute joy to read.

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V/H/S: Beyond - Blu-ray Review

 

The V/H/S franchise has been going on for over a dozen years now, and has been through a number of changes across that time. I remember watching the first one when it was new out and thinking that it was a decent horror anthology, showcasing some low budget min-movies that were clearly made with a lot of passion, even if not a lot of money. As time has gone on, however, the films have become more successful, and the budgets have increased, and the seventh entry in the franchise might be the most impressive looking one yet, with some slick effects and and big ambitions on the screen.

As with previous V/H/S films, V/H/S: Beyond has a framing narrative. In the past these have on occasion been the reason for the other films that we've seen, such as in the first film where someone is literally watching the short films. This time the framing device is simply another film, split into parts and scattered throughout the other pieces, constructed as a documentary movie about a specific incident of a supposed extra-terrestrial encounter. 

This segment, 'Abduction/Adduction', is written and directed by Canadian documentary maker Jay Cheel, and comes across as very believable and realistic, thanks in part to Cheel's experience in this type of filmmaking. Many of the people brought into this segment are semi-famous faces that may be recognisable to people who have some experience watching paranormal documentaries, such as host of Alien Encounters: Fact or Fiction Mitch Horowitz or the Corridor Crew YouTube team who specialise in debunking footage. The segment makes for a nice break between the other films, and the realistic approach to it's presentation does make for a nice framing device as it feels like a small dose of 'reality' thrown at the viewer to break up the more fantastical moments you're moving between.

'Stork' is the first main segment of the film, and was perhaps the one that I enjoyed the most, simply because it felt like a mash-up of movie and first-person video games in the best way. 'Stork', Directed by Jordan Downey, with a script from Downey and Kevin Stewart, follows a group of specialist police officers named W.A.R.D.E.N., who are investigating a case of several missing babies. The latest member of the team, brought on for their first mission, is tasked with filming events and acting as an observer, getting to see what the others do. After having a tip that the missing kids have been taken to a creepy old house, the team heads in for answers, but find horrors waiting for them instead.

Those watching the film who've had experience with first-person perspective horror games will find 'Stork' very familiar, and there are a number of points during this section where I had to remind myself it wasn't actually a video game. It has a great mixture of action and violence with creepy horror that made it one of my favourite parts of the film. The creatures that the cops find waiting for them feel like regular zombie-like entities at first, but as things progress they become weirder and scarier, to the point where I'd loved to have seen more of it. 

The second chapter is 'Dream Girl', written by Virat Pal and Evan Dickson, and directed by Pal. Set in Mumbai, the story focuses on paparazzi videographer Arnab (Sayandeep Sengupta) and his slightly bumbling assistant Sonu (Rohan Joshi), who are sent onto the set of a new film starting the biggest sensation in Bollywood, 'Dream Girl' Tara (Namrata Sheth). Sneaking into Tara's trailer after watching her shoot a dance scene, Arnab discovers something truly shocking about the hit star that will lead to death and destruction on the set.

'Dream Girl' continues something of a tradition in the V/H/S series, of including non-English language movies. I love seeing these included in the V/H/S series as it showcases horror filmmaking from around the world; which is something that I enjoy a lot of. I've seen a lot of East Asian horror, and some Spanish horror, but this was my first foray into Indian horror, and it was really cool to see. It's not often that you get a horror film that includes a Bollywood dance number, and it made this part of the movie stick out as something pretty unique and interesting. It may not have had some of the best effects work in the movie, but I think that it'll end up being a pretty memorable segment for most people.

'Live and Let Dive', directed by Justin Martinez, with a script from Martinez and Ben Turner, feels like the most ambitious of the movie presented here. Beginning with a group of friends going skydiving for a birthday event, the film begins with our group in the air, journeying to jump height in the back of a small plane. However, when a UFO appears near the plane, and the Air Force engages them with jets, the small aircraft finds itself in danger. A mid-air disaster strikes the plane, and the cameraman is thrown out of the shattered craft. We get a pretty impressive scene of the fall through the air, with pieces of the plane and other jumpers sailing past, as we fall towards the ground below. It's a visually impressive moment, and one that showcases how far the V/H/S series has gone, having begun as very small scale movies and having become mini alien invasion disaster movies.

Once on the ground things only become worse for the lead character as aliens hunt him and his friends through an orange grove. The setting makes for a surprisingly good location for the characters to be chased through, as despite being in broad daylight and out in the open the rows of orange trees make for an oppressive, maze-like environment that the filmmakers put to good use as the monstrous aliens hunt them down. 'Live and Let Dive' has a lot of effects work, from the opening moments right up to the end, and I was hugely impressed with how good it looked considering it's a short, lower-budget movie. It showcases just how much can be achieved with limited resources by competent craftspeople.

The next short film is, unfortunately, the one that clicked the least with me. 'Fur Babies', written and directed by Justin and Christian Long, feels very out of place amongst the others. It's one of two of the films that doesn't seem to have a connection to the overall alien theme, though you could argue that the other on, 'Dream Girl', may have a tangential connection, 'Fur Babies' does not, and feels more akin to something like The Human Centipede or Tusk. The story centres on a group of animal rights activists who learn of a doggy day care centre where the owner has stuffed her old dogs and have decided that she's 'mutilating' animals. It's a big leap to make, though one that is very close to the truth. A few of the group set up a sting operation to catch her out, but end up discovering something terrible in the process.

If you're familiar with the two films that I compared this segment to you're probably able to figure out what's going on in this segment. I don't see any connection to aliens or UFO's, I don't really get why it's been included in this collection over the more loosely defined V/H/S/ movies where you get a broad mixture of stories. It's also, to me, one of the least interesting movies here. You can see where things are going pretty early on, and if you're not into the weird body mutilation style movies it doesn't really offer much to entertain.

The final film is 'Stowaway', directed by Kate Siegel, and written by Mike Flanagan. This segment is a homemade documentary film, made by a woman named Halley (Alanah Pearce), who has travelled to the Mojave desert to talk about the numerous UFO and alien sightings that the local residents have been reporting. Filmed on an old home movie camera, which results in her accidentally recording over her daughters birthday party footage, the film looks very amateurish, and feels like it was from a few decades ago, giving it a very The Blair Witch Project feel that works well here. After discovering some strange lights in the sky, Halley follows where one seems to come down to the ground and discovers an alien spaceship. 

The low quality of the footage and the amateur approach for 'Stowaway' gives this segment a very grounded feel, and helps to hide a lot of the potential imperfections that you'd perhaps come across trying to bring to life the interior of an alien spaceship. It's hard to see things, you get only small glimpses of what Halley is discovering, but that just adds more realism and more mystery to events. 'Stowaway' has an almost tragic feel throughout, both in Halley's reaction when she realises she's taped over a precious memory in pursuit of something others will likely mock her for, and then how her story ends. It's a great way to close out the film, especially as it leads into the final framing segment that has a similar dark tone that rounds out the movie leaving viewers feeling unsettled.

Alongside the film the new Blu-ray release comes with a number of extra features. There are a number of image galleries for the various segments, offering some behind the scenes looks, as well as a set tour with the team from IGN for the 'Stork' segment that gives a really cool look at how this came about, and the location where much of the film was made. There's some pre-visual footage for the 'Live and Let Dive' film that shows some of the special effects work that went into bringing this impressive segment to life, and an audition tape for the 'Fur Babies' segment's key actor Libby Letlow. There's also some timelapse footage that shows how the alien spaceship for 'Stowaway' was made, and some behind the scenes footage of 'Dream Girl' that gives a look at the various aspects of the mini-movie, such as prosthetic work, set building, and dance practice. The extras are a great showcase of the various types of work that goes into making even a short movie, and whilst there's not a huge amount for every movie, there's a broad range of extras gathered from all of them that you come away feeling like you've gotten a great idea of how V/H/S: Beyond was made.

As someone who's enjoyed watching how the V/H/S series has evolved over time, and who likes discovering new filmmakers to follow, V/H/S: Beyond is a great movie. A couple of the segments from this film definitely make it into my list for favourite V/H/S stories, but even those that didn't still left me very impressed, and I adored seeing how much bigger the series feels now, with movies that feel like they've got bigger budgets, bolder stories, and better effects. For fans of the series, and horror fans in general, V/H/S: Beyond is a great addition to your movie library.

V/H/S: Beyond is available on Blu-ray, DVD, and digital from 10th February 2025.

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Wolverine #6 - Comic Review

 

Writer: Saladin Ahmed, Artist: Martín Cóccolo, 
Colourist: Bryan Valenza, Letterer: Cory Petit

After a few issues with Logan babysitting Leonard, a teenage infected with the Wendigo curse, we've finally gotten back into the main thrust of this first arc, which sees a mysterious infection that's turning people with Adamantium in their bodies into mind controlled killers; as well as turning their Adamantium from silver into a golden coloured metal instead. We pick up with Logan after his fight with Constrictor, Lady Deathstrike, and Cyber last issue, joining him in the middle of a vision that makes him think he's trapped deep under the earth, like Adamantium ore, after having been infected in the final moments of issue five.

Drawn out of his vision by Nightcrawler, it seems that Logan is no longer infected, whether because his healing powers allowed him to fight it off, or the infection chose to let him go, it's not clear yet; but Logan is back in the game and ready to go after his foes. However, they've vanished, leaving bodies and destruction in their wake. It's amidst this destruction that Logan comes across family, as the other Wolverine, Laura Kinney, is in the middle of fighting Leonard. Luckily, Logan is able to stop the fight, and father and daughter are able to team up to continue their chase of their infected enemies. It turns out that Laura has been on their trail too after a group of metallurgists in the UK were killed, leading the two Wolverines to come to the conclusion that anyone with knowledge of how to create Adamantium is being targeted by the infected. 

The two of them are able to track their foes to a facility in Arizona using the Blackbird's tracking system, and head there to continue the fight. Finding even more death, they're surprised when they come face to face with Donald Peirce, the mutant hating Reaver, who's cybernetics are coated in Adamantium, allowing him to be infected too. Joined by the other infected, the two Wolverine's have to fight for their lives; but discover a familiar, ancient face, leading them in a final page reveal that promises some interesting things to come. 

It feels like Wolverine has begun to increase in quality over the last two issues. After a fairly promising start the book seemed to lose a lot of momentum as Logan took a few issues out of the main story to deal with Leonard, something that so far doesn't seem to have added much to the series. Perhaps he's a Chekov's Gun, and he'll end up being important at a later point. The last two issues feel more like what people tend to come to a Wolverine book for though, as we get lots of blood, and action scenes where Logan and Laura fight their way through familiar and fan favourite faces.

The story is still kind of thin, there's some kind of ancient entity called the Adamatine that wants to change Adamantium and make the people with it in their bodies into mindless drones to its will, but that's about it. We don't know what it is, where it came from, or why it's doing this; though the final moments of this issue do give the impression that some kind of explanation will be coming next time. But, what we have here is enough in the sense that it's what we need as an excuse to have our titular hero and his daughter get into some fights. After all, we don't really expect complex, intellectual stories in a Wolverine title, we expect fighting and some Logan angst; and that's what we've been given so far.

The art team, Martín Cóccolo and Bryan Valenza, make some great work, and even if the story isn't to your taste it's hard to deny that the book doesn't look really nice. Everyone looks crisp and clean, character designs are really nice, and you get a great sense of the death and destruction happening around Wolverine as the background details are usually really well crafted. Even when the book felt a bit slow for my liking on previous issues I couldn't fault the artwork, and that continues here with some really great fight scenes and smaller character moments that never leave me disappointed.

After the last page reveal I'm very curious to see what's going to be happening next. It's something of a morbid curiosity as my experience with this character has been in stories that I've not hugely enjoyed, but perhaps Ahmed will change my mind on them and this will be the story that makes me see them as an interesting and impressive antagonist.

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Batman #157 - Comic Review

 

Writer: Chip Zdarsky, Artist: Tony S. Daniel, Jorge Jiménez, 
Colourist: Tomeu Morey, Letterer: Clayton Cowles

I have to be honest, the longer Chip Zdarsky's run on Batman has gone on the more I've ended up disliking it, and this final arc might be one of the best examples for why I dislike it. There are multiple reasons why this issue annoyed me, things such as Bullock being fired from the cops again after just having gone back to them, a lingering question over whether Gordon was mind controlled or not when he murdered the mayor so might actually be a killer, Thomas Wayne having had an affair, Gordon having had an affair. Things that either cast our characters in a poor light, or things happening just for the sake of having them happen to have no lasting consequences (like Bruce maybe having a brother who's taking away his company, but no, he's not really his brother so that whole sub plot was a big nothing).

But the thing that I disliked most was the ridiculousness of the stakes and what Batman does in this issue. The simple (ish) plot about The Riddler messing with Gotham and framing Gordon for murder turned into a global plot by the Russian government to steal tech that would allow them to get the US nukes and start World War III, meaning Batman is now racing to stop a nuclear apocalypse and global war. This leads him to boarding a private jet and stopping the Russian agents, killing one in the process because everyone kills now I guess. However, the jet loses control and is crashing towards Gotham. So batman climbs onto the plane, uses two machine guns and some explosive gel to blow the wings off so it'll fit on the street it's crashing towards. He then lands the wing-less jet perfectly, bringing it down right in front of the villain. Before the jet even stops moving he's dived out of the windows, throwing batarangs to save a woman being hung, and lands whilst hitting the villain in the face. Because Batman can do ANYTHING.

This has been a common theme in Zdarsky's run. We've had Batman literally falling from space and walking away without much hassle, him fighting his way across the multiverse, having to battle an unstoppable robot that even Superman can't beat, stopping World War 3. Batman is a great character when he's a vigilante detective, but Zdarsky seems to want him to be the greatest human that's ever lived who can fell from space, save the world, and do the impossible without any preparation. This run feels like the worst example of the Bat God trope, and if Zdarsky turned around and revealed that it was all a parody of those kind of stories I'd still be annoyed, but at least it'd feel like it made sense.

The art, by Tony S. Daniel, Jorge Jiménez, and Tomeu Morey is superb, and the book looks great, and there are some really great panels here that out of context look like amazing Batman moments. But in context of the story and everything that's happening great art can't make up for a poor story. That being said, if the art wasn't as good as this I dare say I'd have ended up marking the book lower.

I really tried to like this issue, and the entire Zdarsky era, but by the close of this issue all I felt was relief that it was over. The final scene raising the possibility that Gordon murdered a man without mind control and did it in a fit of rage took out any sense of joy of the book at least being over. 

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Absolute Superman #4 - Comic Review

 

Writer: Jason Aaron, Artist: Rafa Sandoval, 
Colourist: Ulises Arreola, Becca Clay

There's been a shift in comics telling stories about corrupt governments, cruel corporations, and people in positions of power oppressing the regular folk to the point where they've become so broken that violent uprising is the only option left to them. Marvel and DC are doing this in their alternate universe lines of Ultimate and Absolute and it's interesting how these themes are present in both companies at this time; but then I look at the world we're in now and it's not hard to see why we have art like this. The latest issue of Absolute Superman takes a step away from the mysterious new Man of Steel to follow Lazarus agent Lois Lane as she tries to find out more about the mysterious helper of the downtrodden.

Lois' journey takes her around the world, talking to various people that have been saved by Superman, learning more about him, but also more about Lazarus and the people that she works for. We saw a small change in Lois in the previous issue, where she wanted to write her own report instead of allowing the clearly evil Brainiac 'AI' (we know it's totally not an AI) to do it for her. This issue we see this change in her continue, as she strikes out on her own, goes against protocol, and even dismisses the warnings from her father. Perhaps the biggest sign that she's the decent, kind Lois that we know and love is that she beats the crap out of a Peacemaker and arrests him for brutalising civilians, showcasing that despite the massive differences this world has a lot of these people are still the decent, kind people we know.

This issue also introduces us to two of the previously mentioned Omega Men, a group of terrorists/freedom fighters that have been bringing the fight to Lazarus in order to challenge their grip on the world. One of them will be immediately familiar to Superman readers, and it brought a huge smile to my face to see them this issue. The other, Omega Prime, is less obvious, and I think that when the mask comes off it could end up being anyone we know, or a completely new character. Whoever she is, I like her relationship with the other Omega Man, and her design is pretty cool too.

The art is provided by Rafa Sandoval and Ulises Arreola, who make fantastic work. This is one of the coolest looking books DC has on the shelf at the moment, and the style fits the darker, grittier tone that the book has well. The slums and war-torn places that we visit always look great, full of detail that sells the fact that these are bad places, places that you'd never want to find yourself, let alone live in. It's these smaller details that really make the book work for me. Whether it's the workings of General Lane's robotic legs, the cut in half helicopters, or the bulky Peacemaker armour, the book has a very real, tactile quality that I adore. 

Superman isn't in the issue much, despite his presence being felt throughout, but when he is on the page the art team make him feel larger than life, and the depiction of his dust cape remains one of the the more visually impressive parts of the series. This Superman feels so different to our regular one, and even without any dialogue just his presence on the page marks him out as different to Clark.

I'm loving the Absolute books, and each one of them is recreating these iconic heroes in new and interesting ways that feel unique to these titles, yet manage to stick to the qualities that made these heroes last for almost a hundred years. That being said, it does feel like each of the books has their own distinct identity, and they could almost be their own universes. I'm hoping that we get a little cohesion at some point, even if it's smaller details. Show us Peacemakers in Gotham, have a mention of Amazons in Superman, do something that shows this is the same universe, because whilst I'm loving these titles they don't feel like the same world yet, and the longer that feeling goes on for me the weirder it gets.

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JSA #4 - Comic Review

 

Writer: Jeff Lemire, Artist: Joey Vazquez, 
Colourist: Luis Guerrero, Letterer: Steve Wands

I've been a fan of the Justice Society since getting into comics, there's been something about this team of Golden Age heroes, who train up the younger generation and embrace legacy heroes, that really appeals to me. I still haven't finished the previous run on the title, the Johns written series about Helena Wayne, mainly due to the sporadic release schedule making it hard to stay invested. I think this made me a bit unsure going into Lemire's run, and the secretive manner of the first issue didn't help me settle into things too well. Now that we've started to get more answers as to what's going on I'm really coming to like this run, and this issue's focus on Doctor Mid-Nite, the Beth Chapel version, was an absolute treat for me.

With the JSA scattered, some trapped in the underworld, some on Earth, and others captured by an alliance of the team's many villains, Lemire seems to be doing a good job at balancing the multiple characters, and everyone feels like they're doing something that plays into the larger narrative. This issue drops us with Beth Chapel, the second character to wear the Doctor Mid-Nite costume. Despite having read a lot of Justice Society books I've not spent a whole lot of time with Beth, so getting to see this issue through her was great for me, and gave me a good impression of her character, showcasing how resourceful and smart she can be, even when stripped of her equipment and back-up.

We also spend some time catching up with Todd Rice, Obsidian, this issue. Obsidian has been in the series since the first issue, but we learned that he was an imposter, and that Johnny Sorrow was tricking the team; which makes this the first time we're getting to see the real Obsidian since the series began. Todd is trapped inside a hospital, one where he's being drugged every time he wakes up, his room bathed in bright light. His mind addled by drugs, strapped to a bed, Todd seems lost and disorientated, and it's down to his own inner strength and guile to win him through and free him from his imprisonment. It's a nice reintroduction to the character, and for those only getting into the JSA with this run I think it shows some of the best of his character. 

The art team do a wonderful job this issue, and I love how Joey Vasquez and Luis Guerrero make everything pop. The book has a larger than life, almost cartoonish feel to it, where it doesn't feel like realism is the main goal of the art, but it's the desire to have fun that takes president. This works well with these kinds of characters, as both the JSA and their villains tend to look a bit goofier than characters introduced after the Golden Age. And I say goofy affectionately there. I adore the sillier look a lot of Golden Age characters have, where they look like they're wearing real clothes instead of high-tech uniforms. The art on the book enhances that feel, and for that I really like it. With more of the mystery being revealed this issue, and several of the pieces moving, I'm looking forward to seeing how things come together, and what happens when the team get reunited.

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Birds of Prey #18 - Comic Review

 

Writer: Kelly Thompson, Artist: Juann Cabal, 
Colourist: Adriano Lucas, Letterer: Clayton Cowles

With the previous arc over we catch up with the Birds as they take some downtime. Dinah and Sin are hard at work training, testing Sin's new powers and abilities, whilst Cass and Barda train in another way entirely, in video games. Unfortunately, the team's peace is shattered when Barbara gets some intel that indicates the cult who are after Sin and Megaera are coming to Gotham to capture her. Not wanting to risk civilians, Dinah and Sin head out to a remote cabin in the woods to set as trap for the cultists. Meanwhile, Cassandra and Barda get called away to help Constantine, who's transporting a demon inside himself in a magical plane, but who needs some help getting it where it belongs. 

Birds of Prey has done a great job at balancing personal character moments with big, larger than life adventures that takes a team like the Birds to solve. This issue continues that, with things split pretty decently between the team just hanging out with each other and having fun, with the two missions that they get sent on. Even when they're on mission Thompson does a fantastic job at injecting a lot of character into everyone, and it really does feel like this team keeps doing stuff together because they're actually having fun being heroes and enjoy each other's company. It's a great tone that allows the book to take itself seriously, but never feel dour or grim, and it always ends up being a load of fun.

Juann Cabal and Adriano Lucas do a fantastic job on the art, and every character has a ton of great visual moments. Whether it's the small facial expressions that Barda is making in the background when she finds out that she's not going on the mission, or the way that Cass looks sad even through her mask when Barda breaks her game controller, these moments inject a lot of life into the book and make it an enjoyable read. The art team also throw a few background gags in there, like 'The Art of Ambush' book on the coffee table as ninja's are sneaking up on the heroes. 

Perhaps the best moment from the art team is when Barda actually uses one of the frames around a panel to launch herself into an attack. Does this mean that Barda can break the fourth wall, is that one of her New God powers, or am I overthinking the whole thing? I don't know how that works, but it's brilliant to look at. I think a lot of people may have overlooked Birds of Prey for other big name teams, but this is easily one of the best team books on shelves right now. 

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The Ultimates #9 - Comic Review

 

Writer: Deniz Camp, Artist: Chris Allen, 
Colourist: Federico Blee, Letterer: Travis Lanham

I have been enjoying The Ultimates, but the last couple of issues felt like a slight dip in quality for me. I didn't really vibe with the Guardians story last month, and it felt like the series was changing gear a little. This issue, however, feels like a powerful return to form that I can't help but love. Issue nine does what this series seems to do best, it took a step away from the overall story and focused on a small corner of this new universe and fleshed it out for us, delivering more of the larger revolution against The Maker, whilst also showing us how bad things in 6160 can be.

Issue nine focuses on Luke Cage, who we meet twenty years ago as he's sentenced to one year to life in prison, his crime is never revealed to him, he doesn't get a trial, he's just a fifteen year old boy who realises he's facing the rest of his life in prison. Over a shifting timeline, we see Cage at various points in his life, being abused by a for-profit prison system that wants him as a slave. He's beaten by faceless guards, abused, maligned, and very literally stripped of his status as a human. So when Iron Lad sends him a package that promises to give him power it leads Luke down a path to revolutions. 

This issue is a fantastic book, it's the kind of issue where if I've got someone asking if this new Ultimate Universe is any good I'd hand them it to read; because I think this is a perfect way to win people over to it. It captures the tone of The Ultimates perfectly, of an oppressed people leading a movement against a cruel regime to fight for a better tomorrow.

The art for the issue is provided by Chris Allen and Federico Blee, who create a wonderfully oppressive atmosphere. The prison world that we're introduced to feels cold, hard, and unwelcoming, and you're sold on how terrible it is immediately. Luke himself looks great, and it's wonderful to see his gradual change over the years, and if you're not hyped to see him as the super powered saviour of the oppressed, wrapped in the chains used to imprison him I don't know what would win you over. If The Ultimates keeps making issues like this the series is going to become a must read for decades to come.

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Listen to Your Sister by Neena Viel - Book Review

 

'Twenty-five year old Calla Williams is struggling since becoming guardian to her brother, Jamie. Calla is overwhelmed and tired of being the one who makes sacrifices to keep the family together. Jamie, full of good-natured sixteen-year-old recklessness, is usually off fighting for what matters to him or getting into mischief, often at the same time. Dre, their brother, promised he would help raise Jamie–but now the ink is dry on the paperwork and in classic middle-child fashion, he’s off doing his own thing. And through it all, The Nightmare never stops haunting Calla: recurring images of her brothers dying that she is powerless to stop.

'When Jamie’s actions at a protest spiral out of control, the siblings must go on the run. Taking refuge in a remote cabin that looks like it belongs on a slasher movie poster rather than an AirBNB, the siblings now face a new threat where their lives–and reality–hang in the balance. Their sister always warned them about her nightmares. They really should have listened.'

Horror is a genre that can do a lot; sometimes it's fairly straight forward to understand, such as a monster or killer stalking a victim, but there are some horror stories that have you wondering what you've just experienced. These stories are the one that worm their way under your skin and stick with you for a long time after. A lot of the time these stories tend to come later in a writers career, when they've found their voice and are playing with something a little bit more experimental. Neena Viel, however, arrives on the scene with her debut novel, Listen to Your Sister, in a hugely impressive way with a horror story that will have you adding Viel to your list of authors to follow closely.

Listen to Your Sister tells the story of Calla Williams (the titular sister) and her two younger brothers, Jamie, and Dre. Calla is twenty five, and finds herself not only having to be a big sister, but having to be the guardian for her youngest sibling. Calla is juggling this responsibility with a job she dislikes, a new relationship, and the other pressures that come with being a young adult. It's a difficult time in her life, made even tougher by the fact that Jamie is something of a rebel, regularly in trouble with his school, using is teenage energy band bravado in ways that bring him into conflict with authority. With Dre, the middle of the three siblings, being unwilling to help, Calla finds herself close to the end of her rope, struggling with this extreme situation. 

To make matters worse, Calla's worries and fears over her brothers safety in a world that's increasingly hostile to young Black people, she's begun to have terrible nightmares about Jamie and Dre dying in frightening ways. In her dreams Calla is unable to save them, and it's further fraying her mental health. Calla's fears and nightmares begin to bleed into her waking life when terrible things happen to her brothers, such as Dre being attacked by a girl in a prom dress, and Jamie being attacked by a racist cop at a protest. Knowing that they need to get away someplace safer, Calla books them into a remote AirBNB in the woods, leading them to an isolated cabin. Unfortunately, the horrors they sought to leave behind have followed them into the forest.

I don't want to talk about Listen to Your Sister much beyond the initial set-up, as it's both a book that's hard to describe, and one that's best experienced with as little knowledge as possible. What I will say, however, is that it's a hell of an experience. The book deals with trauma, family trauma, fractured relationships, loss of family members, systemic racism, abandonment, sibling guardianship, guilt, missed opportunities, things that can forever shape a life in a negative way; especially when bottled up and not talked about. Viel's book feels incredibly raw at times, dealing with issues that a lot of people may have experience with, but that people tend not to talk about. It's brutally honest at times, and its exploration of these themes through a horror lens is beautifully dark and disturbing.

It might sound like there's not a lot to Listen to Your Sister that's particularly positive or joyful, but as much as it deals with these negative issues and feelings there's also a lot of positivity to be found here too. Calla absolutely loves her brothers, and the familial bond the Williams family shares is the central focus of the book, with hope for a better tomorrow being a large part of the narrative. It also employs dark humour in great ways, a reminds you that even when things are bad there are things that you can latch onto for a little glimmer of humour, even if it might not always seem like the right time for it.

Listen to Your Sister is a very creepy story, one with some dark and twisted moments, a narrative that's full of atmosphere and dream-like moments at times. It's dealing with the darkly fantastical, yet is grounded in the very human, very real lives of our central characters. It might not always be an easy read, but it's one that feels very raw and honest at times, and will mean a lot to certain readers who might see some of their own lives reflected here.

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Blackwater Lane - Film Review

 

The mystery genre is one that has always been popular, and there's good reason why the biggest selling author of all time is a mystery writer. People love to try to figure things out, it's why shows like Law & Order or CSI can go on for decades and have a half dozen spin-offs that do the same. Watching a story unfold, seeing the clues, putting your own theory together, and seeing if you were right or not as things come to a satisfactory conclusion can be tons of fun; but when a film seems unable to properly structure a mystery, and delivers a flat and frankly ridiculous ending it can leave you feeling very disappointed. Sadly, Blackwater Lane, an adaptation of the BA Harris novel The Breakdown, fails to deliver a movie that's going to be memorable for the right reasons.

Blackwater Lane tells the story of Cass (Minka Kelley), an American actress turned drama teacher who's moved into an old mansion in the UK with her husband Matthew (Dermot Mulroney). One night, after going out for drinks with some other teachers to celebrate the break up of term, Cass is driving home along the dark forest road Blackwater Lane, which her husband advised her against. As the rain comes down heavily outside Cass sees a car by the side of the road and slows to a stop. She sees a woman sitting inside, but rather than seeing if she needs any help simply carries on and leaves her there. The next morning, however, Cass learns that the woman, who she knew, was murdered.

A Cass grapples with the guilt of having not done anything to help the woman, she becomes convinced that something strange is happening around her home. She's seeing a figure on the grounds, is receiving strange phone calls, and is sure that someone keeps getting inside the house. Matthew dismisses her concerns, believing that her history of mental health issues might be to blame. As more unfolds Cass is told that she may be suffering from early on-set dementia, as her mother did, and starts to lose her grasp on what she can and can't believe. Now Cass must figure out if her home is haunted, if she's being followed by a killer, or if her own mind might be to blame.

Blackwater Lane looks like a good film. It's well shot, has a gorgeous setting, and has familiar actors in the main roles. I saw the trailer and thought that the film looked suitably impressive enough to give it a try. The mixture of murder mystery and supernatural elements was something that appealed to me too. However, it became clear fairly early on into the film that the things that had impressed me in the trailer was a bit of sleight of hand, as the film itself felt disjointed, overly long, and kind of boring for the most part. The plot should be interesting, but thanks to how little time is spent on the murder mystery and how much is given over to scenes that are trying to convince us that Cass is losing her mind, it instead left me watching the clock to see how much time was left instead of being drawn into the narrative.

Some of this is down to the dialogue. The cast do a decent job with what they're given, and I can't pick too much faults with performances for much of the film (the end is a different matter). However, the script is very janky at times, and it comes across more like the things being said are being said to explain things to the audience rather than because the characters would say them. A lot of the dialogue is expository or explanatory, and the characters end up being devices to move the plot forward than players in this narrative. And thanks to this, the plot becomes very predictable, and it's not hard to see where things are going; at least until a very weird final act twist.

If you don't want to know how the film ends skip ahead, otherwise here's my main criticism of the movie beyond simply being dull. In the final act Cass learns that her husband is having an affair with her best friend, Rachel (Maggie Grace), and that the two of them killed the woman on Blackwater Lane to cover up that affair. Oh, and they've been gaslighting her the whole time to make her think she's crazy as well as trying to frame her for the killing. When Cass has the evidence of this she does what any sensible person would do, and she goes to the police. However, instead of them simply arresting Matthew and Rachel they allow Cass to enact a plan where she fakes her own death (on camera to Matthew and Rachel), has a student of her find her body, has the police report her dead, and then will pretend to be a ghost when Matthew and Rachel come to collect evidence of their misdeeds. The police watch all of this unfold, including watching Cass and another friend be assaulted and tied up by 
Matthew and Rachel, who have weapons on them, and only step in when Rachel accidentally fatally stabs Matthew. 

If this sounds utterly ridiculous and unbelievable it's because it is. I was waiting for the film to reveal that this entire ending was a fake out of some kind, that I wasn't actually seeing what I was seeing, but no, the police allow civilians to be put in danger and risk of murder, including an actual child, to allow a woman who's been mentally abused the chance to fuck around for a bit and get some revenge. And then, when things are still unclear, we get a final scene of Cass explaining how it was all a years long elaborate conspiracy to get her house and money to the husband of the woman who was murdered; who just gives her a little nod and smile at the end because why would he have a real human reaction? It almost feels like the filmmakers knew that the majority of the film was kind of dull and predictable, so decided to inject some weird excitement into the final act but didn't stop to consider if any of it made a lick of sense.

Blackwater Lane is not a great movie, and I'd struggle to even say it's a good one. It has some good elements, it's competently shot, it looks good, the setting is beautiful, but that's not enough to keep a film afloat; especially for almost two hours. I've not read the original book the film is based on, so I don't know if this is an issue that has arisen from the adaptation, or if things were this bad in the original text, but as it is, I can't really recommend Blackwater Lane.

Blackwater Lane is available now on UK streaming services.

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At Dark, I Become Loathsome by Eric LaRocca - Book Review

 

“If you’re reading this, you’ve likely thought that the world would be a better place without you.' A single line of text, glowing in the darkness of the internet. Written by Ashley Lutin, who has often thought the same—and worse—in the years since his wife died and his young son disappeared. But the peace of the grave is not for him—it’s for those he can help. Ashley has constructed a peculiar ritual for those whose desire to die is at war with their yearning to live a better life.

'Struggling to overcome his own endless grief, one night Ashley finds connection with Jinx—a potential candidate for Ashley’s next ritual—who spins a tale both revolting and fascinating. Thus begins a relationship that traps the two men in an ever-tightening spiral of painful revelations, where long-hidden secrets are dragged, kicking and screaming, into the light. Only through pain can we find healing. Only through death can we find new life.'

Eric LaRocca is for me perhaps one of the best horror writers around at the moment. His ability to worm his way under my skin and make me uncomfortable with every narrative he crafts means that even if I'm not frightened by his writing I am affected by it; which when it comes to horror can often be the thing that leaves the biggest lasting impression. I've also found that it means I need to be very careful when reading LaRocca's work, as its darkness and disturbing content is not always something that I find comfortable to read, and if I read it at the wrong time it can worm its way into spiral of depression and discomfort. This is what happened to me when reading At Dark, I Become Loathsome.

At Dark, I Become Loathsome tells the story of Ashley Lutin, a man who has gone through immense tragedy in his life. His beloved wife died of cancer, and slow decline that he was with her for every step of. Then, his son Bailey goes missing one day, apparently snatched from outside a shop when Ashley left him alone for a few moments. In the years since, Ashley has become a very different person, having changed both his personality and appearance. He no longer paints, he rarely goes out, and he's modified his body with piercings and surgeries to 'reflect' the monster he believes is inside him.

One of the ways in which Ashley has found to contend with his depression is to help others through theirs. He's developed a ritual, designed for those who have given up on life and have reached rock bottom. Ashley takes these people to a remote location and buries them alive. Left underground for thirty minutes before being dug back up, the person is left to contemplate what it would mean if their life ended their and then, and how much they want that to happen. People emerge from the other side of the ritual reinvigorated, a newfound desire for life within them, and an appreciation for the beauty of the world. Ashley, unable to help himself move past his own turmoil, is doing it for others.

But Ashley's life changes when the police find evidence of his son, evidence that points to him having been murdered. Now Ashley doesn't quite believe in the ritual anymore, doesn't think that life is worth living for those like him. In meeting Jinx, his latest candidate for the ritual, that Ashley's life goes in a horrifying new direction.

At Dark, I Become Loathsome is not an easy read. It deals with themes of depression, loss, suicidal ideation, murder, sexual abuse, animal cruelty, and more. But it's not just a cruel and disturbing read, there's a story there too, a character we're following who's living through a terrible series of events, and transformation into something that most people would call monstrous. Ashley's journey is interesting to see, even if it's not an enjoyable or comfortable one. He's a man lost to grief, who has found truly awful ways of dealing with his depression. He views himself as a monster, he views the body modifications he's gotten as monstrous, he sees himself as damned, trapped forever in misery. He's a broken, pathetic person, but you're not sure if he's deserving of your pity.

As with other LaRocca books, there's heavy use of disturbing themes such as sexual violence and abuse, body horror, and animal cruelty. These are not pleasant to read about, and because of this I understand that LaRocca won't be to everyone's tastes. I don't think that this is the worst book for these themes, I've read much worse, but because I was particularly unwell whilst reading it, and thanks to some upsetting things going on at the time, I found this to be one of the hardest books for me to read. There's no joy here, no light to cling onto. It's misery, depression, and disgust. So make sure that you're in the right frame of mind to read this, because if not it's going to be a very difficult journey.

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Marvel Studios' The Infinity Saga - Guardians of the Galaxy: The Art of the Movie - Book Review

 

'This fully illustrated tome is a comprehensive behind-the-scenes look at the creative process of the Marvel blockbuster. Follow the film’s complete artistic evolution, featuring stunning concept artwork, behind-the-scenes photographs, production stills, and in-depth interviews with the cast and crew. Here is everything you need to know about the film from its key players, including director James Gunn, co-producer Jonathan Schwartz, executive producer Jeremy Latcham, head of visual development Charlie Wen, along with the talented concept illustrators and storyboard artists who worked on the set and behind the scenes to create the art of Guardians of the Galaxy.'

I was working in a comic shop when the Marvel Cinematic Universe began, and there was a huge sense of excitement from it. As soon as Iron-Man hit, and we got the post credits scene with Nic Fury namedropping the Avengers people became unbelievably hyped, realising this was a shared universe that was going to build towards the most ambitious project comic book movies had ever seen. People came into the shop talking about the films, and wanting to learn more about the characters on the screen. People took more of an interest in folks like Captain America and Thor, giving them a second chance when they might have overlooked them before. 

By the time Guardians of the Galaxy rolled around the shop wasn't there anymore, but I'd have been super curious to see what people's reaction to this unknown team would have been. Even for those who read a lot of comics, the Guardians were a group that tended to fly under the radar, who maybe appeared in a crossover for an issue; but even then it would be a niche story. The MCU had played it fairly safe until Guardians of the Galaxy picking characters that had some wider recognition at least, but the Guardians was a big gamble for them. An unknown team with a bunch of aliens that included a raccoon man, and a talking tree, it wasn't like anything that had come before. Luckily, writer/director James Gunn managed to not only make the film succeed, but made the Guardians a household name. The latest entry in the Marvel Studios Infinity Saga art book series takes a look at the first entry in this hit trilogy of movies.

One of the things that I love about this series of art books is seeing how the filmmakers bring the comic to life on the big screen. Seeing iconic characters go from the pace to the real world is a fascinating experience, but in some of the previous books these sections have to be shared with more mundane things, such as how they designed Tony Starks house, or creating the small town where Thor hangs out. With this latest release, however, everything is new. It's set in space, there's very little here that feels recognisable or normal, and because of this the book is absolutely jam packed with stunning art, and unused concepts that you'll find yourself wishing could have been on film.

Guardians of the Galaxy also brought to life a lot more characters than previous films, from the Guardians themselves, to their villains, background cameos, and others they meet along their journey, it's a bit of a who's who of the cosmic side of the Marvel Universe. This means that the majority of the book is given over to character designs (my favourite thing). Having been familiar with how the characters looked in the comics prior to their big screen debut, I was very interested to see how they changed as much as they did, and the book covered this in spades. Whether it's seeing versions of Peter Quill sporting a full helmet rather than just a mask, or versions of Yondu with a huge fin on his head, these versions feel much closer to their original look, and give you a fascinating idea of what the film could have been like before the designs were further refined. 

It's also fascinating to see why some of these changes took place. Quill had his helmet scaled back to being just a mask because the fully helmeted look was a bit more menacing, and they needed the audience to identify him as the hero quickly. Drax was a fascinating one to see here too, as it gave a much more in depth look and explanation for his film design than anything in the films. There's some fun designs that put Drax in a form of armour, with the armour creating the shape of his tattoos, but the ritual scarring design that was settled on was an idea unique to the film; and the book shows them off beautifully. There's a two page spread showing close-up shots of a few of his scars, and explaining the events from his life they depict. This was a scene that was cut from the actual film, so getting to see that here, with photos that you can examine and take in in your own time, is great, not least because it's given me a whole new understanding of the character. 

Whilst there are designs for most of the characters where you can find things you like over the ones that made it into the film, and may even prefer some of the unused designs, two characters that seem to have been the perfect versions of themselves are Rocket Raccoon and Groot. The book says that they landed on the perfect Groot design pretty early, and looking at some of the alternative designs you can see why that was the one they went for. A walking tree isn't easy to make work, especially if its supposed to be a character that can emote, and some of the rejected designs are a bit too cold and alien to work. Rocket is the same, with some of the rejected designs feeling too cartoonish, or too unpleasant to look at. One of them looks like a mutant Wookie. It seems the design team really nailed the perfect looks for these two characters, and looking at some of the images in this book its clear we got lucky.

The film also had to create spaceships, planets, and weapons, as very little in the movie was from Earth, and so everything had to be created from the ground up. Much like the character designs it's great to see some of the alternative looks we could have had. The Guardians ship was bigger and longer in some designs, with one looking like a futuristic hot rod. There are versions of the Dark Aster that resemble twisted floating heads that evoke demonic imagery. Some of the Nova Corp uniforms make them look less like beat cops and more like robots. It's amazing how despite the varied looks of the different cultures of the film everything seems to work together so well, especially when you see so many designs here that are good designs, but would have thrown that unified feel off if they'd have been chosen instead. 

Guardians of the Galaxy is a film that probably shouldn't have worked. It was so different and so risky for Marvel, yet it became one of the best parts of the MCU, and I'll maintain that the three films (and their Christmas special) is perhaps the best, most consistent comic book movie series made. This book offers a fantastic insight into the creation of the film, one that will please both film fans and comic readers alike.

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