Birdman of Alcatraz – Blu-Ray Review

Originally published on Set The Tape

Birdman of Alcatraz is often cited as one of the greatest prison dramas ever committed to film; and now, for the first time ever, the moving human drama has been brought to Blu-Ray in stunning quality.

Telling the highly fictionalised story of real life prisoner Robert Stroud (Burt Lancaster) through his many years incarcerated in Leavenworth prison and later Alcatraz. Sent to prison for murder, Stroud quickly finds himself at odds with those running the institute due to a rebellious streak. After fatally attacking a guard, he’s placed in solitary confinement where he discovers a baby sparrow, which he nurses back to health. This begins a passion with birds that would become an area of expertise, earning him the moniker ‘Birdman’.

After being moved to Alcatraz, Stroud continues to find himself at odds with prison authorities, yet still manages to help stop a prison riot. Eventually, Stroud is moved on again to another prison, where he would remain.

Having read a lot about Robert Stroud, it’s difficult to fully enjoy the film as the story is so removed from actual events to be almost completely fictional. One of the biggest issues is that Burt Lancaster is too likeable as Stroud. Whilst he doesn’t play the character as a ‘good’ person, there’s enough charm to him that by the end, the audience is very clearly supposed to come away liking Stroud. This is in large down to changes made to events that paint the man in a much kinder light.

For example, the film says that Stroud killed a prison guard due to an issue around being denied visitation with his mother. Whereas, in real life, he stabbed a man to death over a minor rule infraction. His role in helping to end a prison riot on Alcatraz  is also an attempt to show him as a kinder, more reformed prisoner, but in real life he had no involvement in this incident in any way. In fact, the escape attempt was not even a full scale riot at all and only involved six prisoners.

Whilst these historic inaccuracies may not be too much of an issue for a casual audience member, I couldn’t help but stumble through them, with the depiction of Stroud drawing me out of what was an otherwise enjoyable film experience. Lancaster is on fine form but the real Stroud was far from mild-mannered. Hewas described by those who knew him as “jerk”, a “vicious killer” and someone who “liked chaos and turmoil”. It is reported that fellow prisoners who saw Birdman of Alcatraz actually said that Burt Lancaster “owes us all an apology”.

Despite these historical inaccuracies, the film itself is well deserving of its place as a classic of cinema. The direction from John Frankenheimer is good throughout and he gives his actors the room to give life to their characters. The scenes are longer than they would be in a modern film and the dialogue is much slower, but this actually gives a lot a weight to scenes that would otherwise be fairly flat.

Arguably, Lancaster gives Stroud more depth and charisma than the real person had (or deserved) and some of his scenes are incredibly absorbing. Burt is also accompanied by a strong supporting cast; in particular Karl Malden as Harvey Shoemaker, the embodiment of the prison system that frequently butts heads with Lancaster.

The Blu-Ray looks beautiful and it appears that a great deal of time and effort has been made into presenting the film in the best possible quality. The picture and sound quality are superb and Blu-Ray is definitely the best way to watch this classic. Whether you’ve seen it before or have only ever heard about it, now is the perfect time to watch the oft-cited cinematic masterpiece.


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The Road to The Predator… Predator: Concrete Jungle (2005)

Originally published on Set The Tape

Predator: Concrete Jungle is a third-person action game that puts you in the shoes of the Yautja hunter ‘Scarface’ on his mission for redemption. Beginning in the 1930’s, the Yautja hunter stalks and kills mobsters across New Way City. When the hunt goes wrong, leaving the hunter badly scarred, and some of his technology in human hands, he’s exiled by the rest of his clan. However, 100 years later, his clan give him the chance to redeem himself as he returns to Earth to retrieve his technology.

The story of Predator: Concrete Jungle is fairly basic, and is easily one of the strongest aspects of the experience. It uses some of the established lore from the Predator books and comics and delves into the idea of the hunters honour system as it’s core plot. Sadly, this is probably the highlight of the game, as the actual game-play and level design lets the whole experience down.

The game progression is mission based, with 27 in total, each of them having multiple objective which you will need to accomplish. The mission objectives for each level aren’t always the clearest either, with you having to go into the menu in order to find out what you need to do. Added to that, they sometimes feel quite disjointed and make little sense within the context of the universe. For example, in the middle of your quest to undo your past mistakes you have to interrupt a mugging, then take refuge in a church. Why? Well, the game never really explains why.

The game also doesn’t move from one mission to the next, instead returning you to the main menu after finishing one, making you select the next mission rather than just taking you to it. Scarface is fairly well equipped during the game, armed with a variety of combat spears, explosives, plasma caster, vision modes, and stealth camouflage.

Whilst you do have the iconic stealth camouflage the game’s stealth mechanics are not the best, sometimes you will be hidden, yet other times the enemy will suddenly be able to see you, with little warning that this is happening. There seems to be no clear rule as to when you are and aren’t visible, and coupled with some unexpected difficulty spikes leads to a game that can often be unforgiving. Poor camera controls and a lack of mission checkpoints, meaning that if you fail you have to replay the entire level again, round out a game that should have been good on paper, but thanks to some poor mechanics lets the whole experience down.

Predator: Concrete Jungle is a great concept, and the story itself is fairly good, but you have to work your way through a lot of difficult and poor game-play in order to experience it.


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The Road to The Predator… Predator: If It Bleeds

Originally published on Set The Tape

‘Over the centuries, extraterrestrial hunters of the Yautja race–also known as the Predators–have encountered (and stalked) humans on Earth and in the depths of space. Offered here are sixteen all-new stories of such hunts. Inspired by the events of the original Predator movies, graphic novels, and novels, these adventures pit hunter against prey in life-and-death struggles where there can be only one victor.’

Following 2017’s Aliens: Bug Hunt, an anthology book that told several stories set within the Alien universe, it was only a matter of time until a book focusing on Predator came along. Whilst Aliens: Bug Hunt was certainly a mixed bag of stories, Predator: If It Bleeds is a huge improvement in quality.

The beauty of the Predator universe is that it allows the titular creature to visit so many places and times from across human history. And the stories in the book take full advantage of this. ‘Stonewall’s Last Stand’ tells the story of Confederate general Stonewall Jackson and a unit of his men falling afoul of a Yautja (Predator) hunting soldiers during the American Civil War. The story makes great use of being able to set the action within real historical events, by explaining away why Jackson ended up being shot by his own men; he was running away from a Predator and his men thought he was deserting.

Whilst the rest of the book doesn’t set events within such specific events it does make use of Earth’s varied history. There’s a story where a band of vikings come up against a trio of young Yautja that have come to earth to learn to hunt humans that shows how badass vikings were and why we need a movie of Predator vs. Vikings. There’s also a story where a wandering samurai returns to his homeland to fight the demonic Oni that’s killing all other warriors, a story that leads to the the samurai learning from the Yautja’s techniques to form the first ninja.

A lot of the stories are about humans fighting Yautja hunters, but sometimes the book surprises with a story that subverts expectation. There’s a story where an abused child angers one of the creatures and lures it to his home so that it will kill his abusive guardians; and a story where a POW rescues a Yautja from captivity in order to escape.

The book also has some nice connections to existing Predator stories. Tim Lebbon returns to write a prequel story to his amazing Rage War trilogy that pitted the Predators and Aliens against each other. The story, titled ‘Devil Dogs’, shines a light onto the history of Akoko Halley and her military unit, The Devil Dogs. It’s a good story, and a solid choice for the first story in the book as it will feel familiar to those who have read other recent Predator books, whilst also being exciting enough to draw in new readers.

‘Drug War’ acts as a follow up to Predator 2, featuring the return of Danny Glover’s Harrigan as he comes across a Yautja waging a small war against the drug cartels in South America. It’s cheesy and very over the top, but it feels like a good follow-up to the film, with the same kind of sensibilities and unrealistic depictions of a crime ridden near future (though it’s well in the past for us now).

There are so many stories in the book that there’s bound to be one that appeals to someone, even if you don’t end up enjoying the whole book. There’s one set in Vietnam, World War One, Hurricane Katrina, and distant alien worlds. It’s a book that makes the most of the Predator universe, that draws inspiration from all corners of the franchise and presents new and exciting depictions of the famous monster.


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'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Bebop and Rocksteady Hit the Road #5' Comic Review

Originally published on Set The Tape

‘Bebop and Rocksteady’s road trip reaches its crazed conclusion as old enemies from their trip catch up and a brand new unbeatable foe stands between them and their home!’

The final issue of the Bebop and Rocksteady Hit The Road mini series is not a satisfying conclusion. The series has been all over the place in overall quality, with random and strange events interspersed with awful dialogue and messy art, and this may end up being the worst of the bunch.

Forced into a final confrontation with Agent Ravenwood of the Earth Protection Force, the two bumbling mutants end up not only fighting the grotesque Ravenwood, but also robot versions of themselves. Why fight robot versions of themselves that add nothing to the story or build anything? I have no idea, but it helped to stretch out the already paper-thin plot even more, so perhaps it was put in to beef up an initial script that came in too short.

Having fought their robot counterparts for no real reason – seriously, this sequence could be removed and you wouldn’t even realise it – the two ‘heroes’ go up against Ravenwood. Up to this point we’d seen that she was a hulking antagonist with enhanced strength, and some Plastic Man style stretchy powers, but during the final battle we discover that she’s actually a collection of five heads with tentacles attached to them.

The one good thing in this issue is this reveal, and the subsequent shock that Ravenwood is actually much more disturbing that we were led to believe across the previous issues. It also goes a way to explaining just why Agent Bishop seemed determined to ruin her mission.

Following this fight, in which all but one of the Ravenwood monsters is killed (I’m guessing one was left alive so that she can return at some later date), the two broken and beaten mutants finally make it to New York City. And that’s about it, that’s the big conclusion to the five issue series.

This is the biggest problem with this issue, and the whole run in general: it doesn’t feel like anything was gained from this story. I don’t really know what it’s added to the TMNT universe, or what it’s done to grow any of the characters.

Unfortunately, the issue isn’t helped by the artwork either, which is at its best simple and cartoony, but at times downright ugly. One segment of the issue is filled with huge explosions and Bebop and Rocksteady covered in blood, but the panels are a mess of thick black jagged lines, deep red splashes of colour, and white highlights. It’s a shame, because Ben Bates has produced much better work throughout the rest of the series.

Overall, the final issue of Bebop and Rocksteady Hit the Road is a letdown of a finale, in what has been a fairly lacklustre and pointless series. It has crammed in references to past stories and characters, yet fails to really do anything of significance with them. Hardcore fans may find something here to like, but it’s certainly not accessible to a casual reader.


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The Nun – Who Is The Real Valak?

Originally published on Set The Tape

The titular demonic Nun of Corin Hardy’s prequel horror was first introduced to us in James Wan’s The Conjuring 2 back in 2016, which dramatised the infamous Enfield Haunting and the inquiry conducted by world renowned paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga respectively) on behalf of the Vatican. The Nun is a horrifying entity that barely appeared in the film, yet managed to make its presence felt throughout. This character was added to the story late in the production, with the scenes filmed as part of the re-shoots, but the creature has some very real roots.

Lorraine Warren, a medium as well as a paranormal investigator, has reported a number of times that during many of her investigations, including the famous Amityville Haunting, Enfield Haunting, and Annabelle case, she experienced the presence of a dark, demonic spirit. She dreamt of a hooded and veiled figure with ‘female energy’ who would often attack her husband, Ed. Over the course of months and years, the dreams would become more frequent, and eventually Lorraine began to experience these visions during her waking time too.

An illustration of ‘Volac’ from Infernal Dictionary by Collin De Plancy.

Lorraine investigated these visions and discovered that the veiled entity was in fact the demon Valak – played so memorably by Bonnie Aarons in the supernatural horror film.

Valak was first mentioned in literature in the 17th Century demonic grimoire ‘The Lesser Key of Solomon,’ a book that drew together stories and tales from centuries prior. The book focuses on demons that were apparently summoned to Earth by the biblical King Solomon, hence its name.

The book describes Valak as a the Grand President of Hell, commanding over a legion of lesser demons. It says:

“The Sixty-second Spirit of Volac, or Valak, or Valu. He is President Mighty and Great, and appeareth like a Child with Angel’s Wings, riding on a Two-headed Dragon. His Office is to give True Answers of Hidden Treasures, and to tell where Serpents may be seen. The which he will bring unto the Exorciser without any Force or Strength being him employed. He governeth 38 Legions of Spirits, and his Seal is thus.”

Obviously, the description of Valak in the book differs greatly from that of the upcoming film and The Conjuring 2, where it is portrayed as a sinister nun, largely due to the artistic licence afforded director James Wan. Lorraine Warren described her visions of Valak as being a “swirling tornado vortex with a hooded figure” in the centre.

Whilst all of the promotional material for The Nun still depicts Valak as a nun, perhaps the film will surprise us all with a shock look at the cherub-like winged baby demon at some point too?


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Back To The Future: Tales From The Time Train - Book Review

Originally published on Set The Tape

‘It’s 1893, and at last, Doc Brown fulfills his promise to Clara as he completes the project he’s been working on: the Time Train! But where in time and space will the Brown family go on their inaugural trip? And what could possibly go wrong if and when they get there?’

Back To The Future: Tales From The Time Train takes a break from the main story of the Back To The Future comics to focus on Doc Brown and his family, as they settle into their new lives as time travellers. Despite what the title may lead you to believe, there aren’t multiple tales contained within the pages of this collected volume, but one large story of the Brown family’s first trip together through the time stream.

Originally travelling into the future of 2038, Doc and Clara try to distract and entertain their young sons with a trip to a future amusement park, filled with robots. Unfortunately, it’s not the future adventure that they were hoping for, and things soon go astray, leading to Doc Brown to try a different approach, and time.

Taking his family to the New York World’s Fair in 1939, he hopes that they can find something to keep them entertained. Unfortunately, things don’t go as planned when Einstein escapes from the time train and gets lost in the Fair, getting himself mixed up with Prince Rufio, the ‘four legged regent of Barataria’; whilst Doc Brown falls into the sights of a pair of Nazi agents, who think that he might be Albert Einstein.

What ensues are two outlandish and over the top stories that keep intertwining around the two cases of mistaken identity, and bumbling villains.

The story itself isn’t too bad, and is at times quite fun and inrriguing. Doc Brown and his family are genuinely pleasant to spend time with, and Jules and Verne never quite stumble into the ‘annoying kid’ role that often happens in fiction. Their reactions to the things that they are seeing feel very real and believable, and can sometimes even be quite sweet. The scene where Doc Brown explains away why the Fair means so much to him and is a moment of hope in a very dark world gives a wonderful insight into the character.

Sadly, the villains of the piece, two Nazi agents, and some of the handlers of Prince Rufio, feel very two dimensional and flat in comparison. They spend much of the book as caricatures, rather than characters. If the Brown family weren’t so well written then this would have been a major problem, instead of just a minor annoyance.

The artwork is well drawn, and is simply coloured with most of the art having just a base shade and a shadow. It keeps things simple, and stops the panels from feeling too crowded, and the simple, flat coloured backgrounds helps to emphasise the action taking place with the characters.

The main criticism of the book is that it begins to feel a bit long by the end, with the story stretched too thin. The book has six issues, but it could easily have told the same story without missing anything important in just five. Whilst a good portion of the book is filled with entertaining character moments, it’s towards the end, when the characters are on the run from the villains, that things start to feel a little too long, and dare I say, boring.

Overall, Back To The Future: Tales From The Time Train tells a very entertaining and engaging story, and even adds new light to one of the final scenes from the films. It explores the Brown family in fun ways, and creates a core cast that readers will definitely want to see more from again in the future.


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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Bebop and Rocksteady Hit the Road #3 - Comic Review

Originally published on Set The Tape

The third issue of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Bebop & Rocksteady Hit the Road draws from Turtles history to throw further obstacles into the way of the titular duo in their attempt to get home to New York. Having been returned to human form and wounded close to the point of death, the time travelling demonic villain Savanti Romero appears, offering to return the two of them to their mutant forms in exchange for their servitude.

And so, back in their mutant form and with Bebop sporting a fancy arm cast that shows his bones mending via x-rays, the two of them gladly agree to serve the villain, assisting him in his attempt to get back to the 79th dimension.

Whilst Bebop and Rocksteady can be interesting characters – and Savanti Romero has been somewhat entertaining in the past – the pairing here feels very strange. There is no apparent reason as for why Romero needs the two mutants on his side, especially when their participation actually leads to Romero being captured by his enemies?

The three of them enter into a sky battle with people from the 79th dimension sent to capture Romero, with the ships chasing each other around buildings and along highways, before the dramatic conclusion. But this encapsulates the whole experience of the series: things happen for no real reason, they’re big and loud and over the top, but have very little impact on the whole story.

By the end of the issue the two of them are mutants again and still heading for New York; but that’s it. That’s the only thing that really happens.

The reveal towards the end of the issue as to the reason Bebop and Rocksteady were turned into humans again was the biggest thing to come out of the story*. As far as explanations go? It’s OK and not what I was expecting, but it’s nothing mind-blowing or a major revelation.

*(Spoiler: it was all part of an elaborate plot by Savanti Romero to get the two of them to work for him.)

Bebop and Rocksteady act as nothing more than bumbling sidekicks to a villain that himself has been reduced to a bit of an idiot in his own right. The whole event comes across as over the top and cartoonish. There are definitely better TMNT stories around – such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Vol. 3: Fall and Rise, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vol. 19: Invasion of the Triceratons, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The IDW Collection Volume 7 – and especially so if you like the fun and cartoonish tales. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Bebop & Rocksteady Hit the Road is brightly coloured and flashy, but lacks any real depth or substance.


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'Red’s Kingdom' Game Review

Originally published on Set The Tape

Originally developed and released for mobile phones, single-player adventure puzzle game Red’s Kingdom makes the leap to the Nintendo Switch as you take control of the titular Red, a squirrel who lives in a land under the rule of a tyrant king. When the mad king steals Red’s nuts, he must set off on a quest to get them back. Oh, and his father was taken too, though Red doesn’t really seem that concerned by that part.

The gameplay is very simple as you use either the control stick or the touch screen to make Red roll around the stages, using objects in the area to direct him to the objective. It instantly reminded me of the ice puzzles in the Pokemon games; and anyone who is familiar with these will feel very at home here.

Throughout the course of the game you will find unlockable extras to collect that will give you new abilities. These include a set of wings that allow Red to glide across gaps and a glowing mushroom that you can use to teleport. Whilst these additions would work great within levels to allow you to solve more complex puzzles, they’re used more to allow Red to access new areas instead.

However, the puzzles themselves are engaging and, whilst challenging to a degree, never feel overly difficult. The game is also good at letting you get used to the puzzles before introducing a new elements, such as spiky barrels, sticky tar, or bouncy tires that make your progress more difficult.

Despite having begun life on mobile platforms, the game looks and feels perfect for the Switch. The graphics feel right at home on the console, with its bright, cartoony art style lending itself nicely to the family friendly aesthetic that Nintendo is known for. There’s plenty of charm to be found in the visuals and the game’s soundtrack is fairly pleasant and relaxing, never feeling too intrusive or annoying; which can be a major benefit if you become momentarily stuck on a puzzle.

The game is broken up by the odd cut scene where small pieces of story help to fill in some information about the world. They show just how uncaring a son Red actually is, more worried about his missing nuts than his father. These scenes are quite fun, with the characters talking in strange gibberish whilst subtitles fill in what’s actually being said.

Whilst Red’s Kingdom is an overall good experience, there are a few things that do let it down a little. The lack of a movable camera does hinder on occasion, with certain parts of the area being unclear, or even hidden, and this does sometimes lead to Red accidentally falling off the edge of the stage. The repetitive nature of the gameplay is another aspect that lets the game down. Whilst played in small bursts, such as on a mobile phone, the game is great, but if you sit down with your Switch to play it for a long session you may soon begin to find your attention lagging. As such, Red’s Kingdom is much better suited to playing in small sessions.

Red’s Kingdom is a fun puzzle game. The gameplay is simple, yet manages to present enough of a challenge that you will need to think things through and try multiple approaches. Best played in short bursts, Red’s Kingdom is sure to keep you entertained for hours.


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The Flash: New Costume Sparks Body-Shaming Backlash

Originally published on Set The Tape

News has been leaking online over the last few days of a brand new costume that will feature in season five of The CW’s The Flash series. Whilst a new costume for the popular hero has been a source of excitement for many fans, a small yet vocal minority have lashed out not only at the design, but at actor Grant Gustin himself.

The new suit looks to be much closer in design to the one worn by the character in the comics. The leather has been replaced with fabric, and most startlingly different, the chin is no longer a part of the cowl. The open face look of the new design jumps out instantly as it’s such a big departure from all of the versions of the Flash suit we’ve had yet, but it also looks just like the character in the books. As a fan of the source material, it’s a bold decision to change to look like this, but I think that it looks great.

Unfortunately, the internet being the internet, there were people who immediately took to the web to complain about the new costume. People have complained that the mask looks ‘too goofy’, that the ‘leather look was better’ (despite so many people complaining about the leather for four years), and that it ‘looks like a carnival kids’ costume’.

Whilst these kinds of complaints are to be expected from any superhero costume (has there ever been one that everyone has liked?) it’s worth remembering that this is a leaked image of an unfinished costume. There are changes being made to it, it’s in unflattering light, and there could even be extra effects added to it. It’s the same as the complaints about the Titans costume leaks from a few months ago.

What was surprising about some of the comments, however, is how many have attacked Gustin personally. People have complained that Gustin is ‘too thin’, that he needs to be more muscular to play the character, and some have even said that he looks ‘sick’.

These comments immediately generated a response from Gustin himself, who took to Instagram to say the following:

'So here’s the thing about this bullshit photo leak. It’s a cool suit. That’s a terrible photo that I was unaware was being taken, much less being posted. Some things need work and they will be worked on. We’ll get there.

'As far as the body shaming. That’s what pisses me off. Not even for my sake. I’ve had 20+ years of kids and adults telling me or my parents I was too thin. I’ve had my own journey of accepting it. But there’s a double standard where it’s okay to talk about a dude’s body. I do my best to stay in shape and add as much size as I can through out these seasons. I’m naturally thin, and my appetite is greatly affected by stress. Stress is something that ebbs and flows for me throughout a season. Thus gaining weight is a challenge for me. I didn’t cast as a slim actor as The Flash. I went to an audition for a role I never dreamed I’d actually book.

'But, here I am 5 seasons later. I’m happy with my body and who I am and other kids who are built like me and thinner should be able to feel like THEY could be a superhero on tv or film or whatever it may be someday.

'I love the suit that has been designed for me, and I think when everyone sees it in its entirety, you will love it too. Things have been adjusted since that leaked shot was taken, and more things will continue to be adjusted until it feels right.'

Grant Gustin also posted a short video to the social media site in which, visibly upset by the comments that he has been subjected to, he says ‘fuck whoever leaked that’.

Sadly, I have to agree with Gustin on this topic. Not only do leaks spoil the experience of the show, but also give false expectations of what things will look like. Behind the scenes photos aren’t how things are supposed to be viewed. You see things in a way they’re not designed to be seen, without finished effects, or even in a way that they’ll never look on screen. Sometimes people understand this about behind the scenes images – nobody thought that Spider-Man’s new suit would be black and grey spandex covered in numbers in the final product – but people seem to forget this about practical costumes. Camera angles, set lighting, how an actor moves all affect how a suit will look.

As for Gustin being ‘too thin’ for the role, I don’t understand these complaints. The Flash is a runner. He’s not a muscular fighter. It makes a lot of sense for him to be thinner. When you factor in how fast his meta-human metabolism is and how quickly his body burns calories it would be incredibly hard for the character to put on lots of weight. Gustin is slim yes, but I’ve never looked at him and thought that he looks unhealthy, or that he doesn’t look right in the role. He’s played the part perfectly for four years, and embodied the Flash in ways that other actors haven’t.

Not liking a design is one thing, but not liking an unfinished costume and then attacking the shape and size of a person’s body because of it is not only a foolish decision, but also incredibly ignorant and cruel. With toxic fans affecting so many franchises lately, it’s time to put a stop to this kind of abuse and to call out those doing it.  Instead, let’s keep coming together to enjoy something that we all love.

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Warhammer 40,000: Deathwatch #3 – Comic Review

Originally published on Set The Tape

‘With the abrupt arrival of a Xenos craft on Sidra, the Kill Team are tasked with a new mission; to warn Xyston of the new invasion, Kaelar and Izrafel make their way to the gunship, only to find that it has been destroyed by the Xenos horde. Left with few options, and the highly corrosive acid rain beginning to fall, the team advance towards the transmission station in the heart of the colony, in the hopes of making contact with the Xyston Watchtower. After separating from the team, Sergeant Agathon is ambushed by a prime Ur-Ghul. Tiberius comes to his aid, whilst the rest of the team face a horde of Orks. Now the real battle begins.’

The tease for this issue, that ‘the real battle begins’ is incredibly apt for the third issue of the book as there are only around five or six pages within the book that aren’t given over to the horrific battles that the Space Marines of the Deathwatch are forced to fight.

The Space Marines of the Warhammer 40,0000 universe are easily some of the most ridiculously overpowered soldiers in sci-fi, one man armies capable of taking down dozens, if not hundreds of enemies themselves. Whilst this can sometimes fail to come across when playing the game (depending on your dice rolls they can be made to look ridiculously weak if you’ve got some bad luck) writer Aaron Dempski-Bowden really manages to put this concept across.

Following the brutal surprise attack from an Ur-Ghul in the final moments of issue #2 Veteran Sergeant Agathon has been thrown around, his armour broken and smashed, and even had one of his arms bitten off. Despite these wounds (which would spell the end of any normal human) Agathon doesn’t even slow in his paces, running and gunning from further Ork attacks, and manages to lead his team effectively.

Despite these demonstrations of Space Marine hardiness from Agathon, the stand out character for this issue has to be Rurik Warsong, the Terminator Armour clad warrior from the Space Wolves chapter. Having taken a leg wound that means he can’t run he chooses to stay behind to buy his comrades time to flee. Taking on more Orks than should be possible, Rurik kills dozens, all whilst being stabbed, cut, shot, and even impaled.

Rurik’s last stand is something to behold, with the old warrior thinking back through his past, remembering killing a giant wolf with nothing but an axe at just eight years old, to destroying enemies of the Imperium such as Chaos Space Marines and Necrons over 300 years. It spurs the ancient warrior on to fight to his dying breath, even when his weapons run out of ammunition. It’s a stunning moment, managing to feel suitably epic in its scope, whilst also capturing the sadness of the loss.

Tazio Bettin and Kevin Enhart, the artist and colourist respectively, manage to bring these moments to life in a stunning way, capturing the brutality of the battles. The action sequences have weight to them, and the giant warriors tearing through hulking Orks has a sense or realism to it that could have been lost with others working on the book. One of the prettiest sequences, however, has to be Rurik’s memories of his home-world, where the oranges and reds are replaced with blues and whites, bringing to life the frozen landscapes of Fenris in stunning visuals.

Warhammer 40,000: Deathwatch #3 isn’t big on story, not a great deal happens, but it manages to pack in some great character moments, and even gives powerful insight into Rurik (the MVP of the issue) without taking away from the brutal pace of the battle. The artwork and writing work brilliantly together, and sets up for what’s sure to be a fast paced and bloody finale.


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