Marvel Action: Avengers #5 – Comic Review

Originally published on Set The Tape

Issue five of Marvel Action: Avengers straight away manages to address some of the criticisms that I had with the previous issue: that the story seemed to be missing some parts and felt confusing. Here, within the first few pages we get a flashback to an event that wasn’t shown: Count Nefaria transporting Doctor Strange, Thor, and Captain Marvel to the strange world that we saw in the previous issue.

I’m sure that this will read a lot better in graphic novel form, where you can go straight from one issue to the next, but when you have to wait a number of weeks for information that’s vital to the previous issue it can be fairly frustrating.

Thankfully, with this information now in hand, and having been told the end goal of Nefaria and what that could mean for the world, it picks the story up quite a bit as our heroes in both dimensions must fight to stop him from achieving his goals.

Whilst the action is entertaining throughout, and certainly manages to showcase most of the team in interesting ways, there’s very little in the issue that progresses or serves the characters. This is a big shame, but I feel it’s not any fault of Matthew K. Manning, but rather a behind the scenes choice to have each story arc only be three issues long. Manning has done a good job in the series so far at making the characters pop here and there, and I think that if he was given more time to play with the characters and story the issues would feel more satisfying from a story and character point of view.

But, please don’t take this as a complaint against the writer, as despite the brevity of the stories they have been very entertaining so far, and have showcased some of the characters that I’ve had very little knowledge of, such as Count Nefaria. It’s this use of more obscure characters and different storytelling sensibilities that makes the Marvel Action titles stand out.

The art is also another highlight, as Jon Sommariva makes even the simplest panel look dynamic and interesting, and the world of the Ruby Egress is filled with so many interesting and varied creatures, some familiar and some new, that it really stands out.

A much better middle part of the story than the first, one that gives a lot of information and packs in some good action, before setting up for what is sure to be an explosive finale.


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Wastelands: The New Apocalypse – Review Book

Originally published on Set The Tape

'Wastelands: The New Apocalypse' is the latest anthology from Titan Books, and the third book in the Wastelands series. Edited by John Joseph Adams, it collects together an impressive thirty-four short stories that take readers through a host of post-apocalyptic fiction.

One of the most impressive things about this collection is the sheer variety in the stories that it provides. The apocalypse is a wide and fertile environment, a place where writers can tell almost any kind of story, in as different or as recognisable a world as they like. Wastelands: The New Apocalypse cashes in on this.

Some of the stories have a very recognisable world to our own, one where the apocalypse is only recent, or wasn’t catastrophic enough to change things too much. In others, the end was years, sometimes even decades ago, and the environments are much more what you would expect to find in universes like Fallout or Metro. Some stories are set in such distant times that they become almost magical. Wherever the location, whatever the reasons for the apocalypse that created these worlds, the stories all have a very human story at their hearts.

‘Bullet Point’ by Elizabeth Bear tells the story of a young woman left in Las Vegas, the only person left in the city. Everyone else disappeared through some unexplained reason. When she finds one other person, a man, she must figure out if being alone is safer than being with someone else, and we get to see the effects this has on her psyche.

‘Not This War, Not This World’ by Jonathan Maberry, is set within the same universe as Night of the Living Dead and connects the author’s previous books with that world. It follows a military sniper as he tries to survive against the dead. Instead of focusing on fighting against the dead, as many zombie stories do, it shows the deep psychological damage that such an experience would have on someone, and how deeply it can break a spirit.

As well as examining the mental effects of the apocalypse, the book also tells stories about human love and companionship, and how important these connections are, even if the world around you is not the one that you remember.

‘Cannibal Acts’ by Maureen F. McHugh examines the relationship between two people stuck out in the end of the world, struggling to stay alive in Alaska, and how their love keeps them together, even when they are faced with one of the hardest choices in order to stay alive, and fall on opposite sides. ‘Otherwise’ by Nisis Shawl is about two young women in love, their journey to find another that means a great deal to one of them, and how that changes their love and their connection.

Some of the stories in 'Wastelands: The New Apocalypse' aren’t as deep, or even particularly long, yet manage to be just as enthralling and entertaining, such as the world where rabies has turned the majority of the population into raging maniacs, or the world where giant parrots have learnt to prey upon humans for survival, or the game show host who is still putting on his show for the survivors, to try and keep morale up.

'Wastelands: The New Apocalypse' can frighten, inspire, and shock. The stories within tell tales of survival, love, and the strength to overcome the impossible. The apocalypse can be grim and dangerous, yet also contain beauty and wonder, and this book provides all of those and more. With interesting and unique worlds, characters that pull you in, and stories that can be surprisingly complex, there’s something for everyone inside this new entry in the series.

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Trans Teen Loses Life To Suicide

16-year-old transgender teen José Matías De la Fuente Guevara has lost his life to suicide following a series of alleged abuse and bullying at his school.

José lost his life on May 23rd when he fell from the 11th floor of the building where he lived in the northern Chile town of Copiapó.

His mother, Marcella, told local press that José had begun to socially transition from the age of 13, taking on the name José and wearing masculine clothing, with the intention of living his life as his true gender. Sadly for José he was met with a great deal of bullying from his fellow students at Sacred Heart High School.

Reports indicate that José left a letter detailing his reasons for taking his own life, and that the bullying he had suffered from fellow students is one of the main reasons. When his mother was asked why he had not shared this information with his parents before she replied 'I think there was a feeling of wanting to protect us'.

After José's death his parents also became aware of videos that the teen had made on WhatsApp where he said that the bullying had left him wanting to take his own life, and that in one video that he had received a fellow student had told him to throw himself off his building.

Marcella also told the press that José had been made to leave a local dance group due to having transitioned, and that a school inspector had insulted his appearance, an incident that the school had refused to meet with her about.

‘The last conversation I had with him, he told me “change my school”,’ Marcela said. ‘I did not understand that the school was going to punish the boy for being different.’

‘My son always felt marginalized… he spent many hours exposed to strange looks, comments and teasing. As a mom I can say that I do not want to go to that school anymore, I want them to be stained with my son’s blood’.


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Wonder Woman 1984 Poster Reveals New Costume

A new poster for the upcoming DC film Wonder Woman 1984 has revealed a tantalising glimpse at a new costume for the titular hero.

Released by writer/director Patty Jenkins, the image shows off a startling gold armoured look for the Amazon warrior princess. Possibly taking some inspiration from golden outfits work by her fellow Amazon's in early Wonder Woman comics, the look is certainly different from other costumes that we've seen in the films, and looks amazing amid the bright technicolor of the new poster.

The poster was accompanied by an announcement that Warner Bros. would not be attending Comic Con  International this year.

Wonder Woman 1984 is set for release on June 5th 2020, and will star Gal Gadot as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman, Chris Pine as Steve Trevor, Connie Nielson as Hippolyta, Kristen Wig as Cheetah, and Pedro Pascal in an as yet unannounced role.


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Gareth Roberts Dropped From Doctor Who Book Following Transphobia

Author and screen writer Gareth Roberts, who has contributed to Doctor Who several times in the past, has been dropped from an upcoming Doctor Who anthology book, 'Doctor Who: The Target Storybook', following complaints regarding his transphobic views.

Roberts, who has previously written a number of Doctor Who books, as well as the television episodes 'The Shakespeare Code', 'The Unicorn and the Wasp', 'The Lodger', and 'Closing Time', was invited to contribute to the new anthology book being published by BBC Books, a subsidiary of Penguin Random House. However, when information about the book, and Roberts' contribution was leaked other writers on the project protested against his involvement, threatening to withdraw their work if he remained on the project.

With the prospect of losing several of the contributors BBC Books made the decision not to feature Roberts' work, though they would pay him for his contribution. BBC Books made it clear that the decision to remove Roberts was to avoid the book becoming 'economically unviable'.

Having been removed from the project Roberts' went online to complain about the situation, blaming tweets that he made in 2017 as the rain reason for the protest against him.

The tweets read, 'I love how trannies choose names like Munroe, Paris and Chelsea. It's never Julie or Bev is it? It's almost like a clueless gayboy's idea of a glamorous lady. But of course it's definitely not that.'

Roberts claimed that these tweets were 'cheerful vulgarity', and attempted to excuse away his use of a transphobic slur as being okay because he was gay man in the 1980's. He then went on to double down on his transphobia.

'Some have urged me to make a full, obeisant apology. Even if I was inclined to, I don’t think it would have any effect at all – for example, Helen Lewis of The New Statesman is currently being monstered for the most careful, respectful piece on this issue. I’m not bothered very much by words though I’m bothered when they distress my friends and family. But then, that’s how intimidation works. That’s why intimidators intimidate. (And I know for a fact it would be much worse for a woman in this position.)

'For the record this is my opinion on transgenderism and its ideology, with no humour or irony attached.

'I’ve rejected restrictive cultural gender stereotypes for as long as I can remember. I consider them to be very often harmful and constricting, especially for girls and women. The culture I enjoy most and the artists I like most are people who laugh at, bend and play with these roles.

'I don’t believe in gender identity. It is impossible for a person to change their biological sex. I don’t believe anybody is born in the wrong body.

'I think it’s wrong to – write a falsehood into law; compel people by law to speak words they do not believe; rewrite the law to remove women’s biological sex-based rights and protections; reinforce gender stereotypes; medicalise children who don’t conform to gender stereotypes. That’s it.

'I don’t believe my view should be protected either. People must be protected, ideas must never be. I would ask the writers who objected to my inclusion in the same book as them to reflect on that.

'My opinions on transgenderism are neither extreme nor unusual. It would be interesting to know if BBC Books/Random House would be prepared to pull from publication writing by Sharron Davies, Graham Linehan, Linda Bellos, Robert Webb, Germaine Greer, Lionel Shriver, Julie Burchill or Martina Navratilova.'

Despite only highlighting two of his past transphobic tweets in his statement Roberts has made many in the past that have used the word 'trannies', and have often insulted trans people as 'jokes'.

A spokesperson from the published has said that 'Ebury Publishing will no longer feature Gareth Roberts' work in the soon to be published Doctor Who: The Target Storybook. Comments made by the author on social media using offensive language about the transgender community have caused upset to Doctor Who fans and conflicted with our values as a publisher.'

Children's author Susie Day, one of the writers making a contribution to the anthology, complained about Roberts' involvement. She said that 'being involved felt like a tacit endorsement of his views'.

'I raised my concerns, and said if he was in, I was out. I don’t share a platform with bigots (including ones who say it’s all just bants, before restating their bigotry). I fully expected to be ditched. He’s a name in this world. I’m not. BBC Books made their decision. I'm grateful they took the opportunity to demonstrate that transphobic views have no place in the Whoniverse, both in and out of stories.' Day commented.

Many members of the Doctor Who fandom have taken to social media to support the decision to remove Roberts from the project, echoing similar sentiments to Susie Day, that transphobia has no place within the community. Unfortunately, a core group of fans of Roberts have been vocal in their siding with him, claiming that his removal is a violation of free speech.


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Animorphs: The Encounter - Book Review

'Jake, Rachel, Marco, Cassie, and Tobias were just ordinary kids until they were given the power to morph. Now the first four are extraordinary kids - and Tobias will never be a kid again. The five friends know they are the only ones who can save the human race from the evil Yeerks who plan to destroy it. But can Tobias still help now he's a hawk? Or should he just forget he was ever a boy - and fly away forever?'

Volume three of the Animorphs series is possibly one of the most interesting yet, as it not only expands upon the Yeerk threat, but also takes a look at the psychological effect that the battle has taken upon the five heroes, especially Tobias.

Flying above the city, Tobias senses a strange disturbance, yet is unable to see anything. It's only when a flock of geese hit an invisible barrier mid-flight that he discovers that the Yeerks have the ability to cloak their ships. Following this invisible threat, the Animorphs find out that the Yeerks are collecting water from a lake in one of the local forests to resupply their ships.

The teens make a plan to travel up into the mountains in wolf form, then transform into fish to enter the ship via it's water collection tubes so that they can destroy it from within.

The introduction of the Yeerk supply ships is a nice addition to the mythology, it shows that the Yeerks aren't able to produce everything that they need in order to survive, and that they will need to resupply from time to time. This opens a lot more options to our heroes to try and interfere in their plans. Whilst in this case it's water that the Yeerks are after, who's to know if there will be other times that the Animorphs will find supplies that their enemies need, and be able to disrupt that.

Thanks to some clever thinking, the team are able to destroy the Yeerk ship, though this is almost down to dumb luck. It gives our heroes a much needed win, a victory over their enemies that they've not really had yet, though doesn't make it easy enough that this will be something that they will be able to do every book. It's a hard fought win, and one that they almost didn't have.

Despite dealing with this new Yeerk threat the heart of the book is the struggle that Tobias has been going through since becoming trapped as a hawk. Whilst this had been explored briefly during the previous book, it was only done so in passing, and never from his point of view. Now that the story has shifted to his narration K.A. Applegate is able to really delve into this, and show just how devastating it has been for him.

It's not just the fact that Tobias has lost his body, and is suffering because he can't do the things he loved anymore, it's also the internal fight he has against the hawk's natural instincts. Whenever the Animorphs first morph we get to see them struggle against the animals instincts, but this is something that fades away after a little while, so the fact that it comes back for Tobias is something of a surprise. His fight to maintain his humanity, to try and retain a semblance of himself and not give in to living like an animal is possibly the hardest fight that he has had so far.

The Encounter is where Animorphs starts to feel more like a war, with the heroes planning a mission to disrupt their enemies supply chains, and where we get to see the physical and psychological effects that the battle has had upon them. The first indication that this won't just be a simple children's story where the heroes come out unscathed, this proves to be a more important chapter in the series that it first appears to be.

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Marvel Action: Spider-Man #4 Review

Originally published on Set The Tape

With the first three issues of Marvel Action: Spider-Man bringing together our three main heroes and slowly introducing them to each other the book feels like it’s finally found its groove, with a much more relaxed and naturally paced story this issue.

The main story focuses on Peter Parker as he comes to terms with having two new friends who are themselves spider-themed heroes. Whilst Peter seems happy to no longer be a lone hero, he feels reluctant to share his web shooter technology with the others, feeling that if he gives them webbing he will lose something that makes him unique.

It’s an interesting thought, that Spider-Man, a character that we are all used to seeing as not only incredibly brave, but also incredibly giving, would be reluctant to share his toys with other heroes. But then this is a Spider-Man who is literally still a kid at this point. He has all of the insecurities and self esteem issues that all teenagers have, and these are definitely playing into how he is internalising this issue. This is one of the best things about doing a series that goes back, that makes Peter a high schooler once again, as it allows us to explore personal and moral dilemmas that the regular, adult, Peter Parker wouldn’t be dealing with.

Issue four also introduces us to the ever wonderful J Jonah Jameson for the first time, bringing Peter’s grumpy, scenery-chomping editor into this new universe. He is, as always, over the top, full of himself, and absolutely loathes Spider-Man, even if Spider-Man saves him from a costumed villain. Whilst the new Marvel Action series are good ways at bringing new and interesting takes to existing characters I’m glad that Jameson is still the grumpy old pain that fans know and love.

The most exciting thing about this issue, however, is the set up for the next big villain to appear. When Jameson began looking for a way to bring down Spider-Man I thought that this would be the introduction of Scorpion, a character that Jameson had a hand in creating back in the regular 616 universe, but Erik Burnham managed to subvert my expectations by having Jameson contact Kraven the Hunter instead. Kraven has always been a favourite villain of mine, so getting to see him go up against not just one, but three spider-themed heroes in coming issues is definitely an exciting prospect.

The artwork throughout is gorgeous, as always, and Christopher Jones brings a wonderful sense of dynamic action to the fight scenes, filling them with movement: not an easy job for static panels. He also manages to make Spider-Man look great even when doing the most mundane things. He hangs from webs in interesting ways, crawls down walls in unusual positions, and even manages to make climbing in a window look good.

The writing and art on Marvel Action: Spider-Man work brilliantly together, and are crafting a wonderful, entertaining new Spider-Man universe that’s a genuine pleasure to read every issue.


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The Forgotten Girl – Book Review

Originally published on Set The Tape

'Harvey Anderson is a twenty-six-year-old street performer from New Jersey. He enjoys his peaceful life, but everything is turned upside down when he is abducted and beaten by a group of nondescript thugs. Working fora sinister man known as "the spider," these goons have spent nine years searching for Harvey's girlfriend, Sally Starling. Now they think they know where she lives. And who she loves. There's only one problem: Sally is gone and Harvey has no memory of her. Which makes no sense to him, until the spider explains that Sally has the unique ability to selectively erase a person's memories. An ability she has used to delete herself from Harvey's mind. But emotion runs deeper than memory, and Harvey realises that he still feels something for Sally. And so - with the spider threatening - he goes looking for a girl he loves but can't remember...and encounters a danger that reaches beyond anything he could ever imagine. Political corruption and manipulation. A serial killer's dark secrets. An appetite for absolute, terrible power...For Harvey Anderson, finding the forgotten girl comes at quite a cost.'

The Forgotten Girl isn’t by any means a slow book. It begins by plunging the readers straight into the action of the central mystery as the book’s protagonist, Harvey, is kidnapped and tortured for information about a girl that he has no memory of. It’s a stunning start that drops you into the middle of the same confusing situation that Harvey is in, giving you little information and expecting you to keep up.

This becomes one of the main thrusts of the book, as both the reader and Harvey must work to gain the information that everyone else seems to have about the mysterious Sally Starling, the girl that has erased herself from Harvey’s mind.

Over the course of the book Harvey begins to find pieces of this puzzle, through his own detective work, and through conversations with people who knew him and Sally, and we begin to get a sense of the woman that Sally was, the effect that she had on Harvey’s life, and what her being missing really means to him.

Without going into huge details about the plot, as it’s really one that you should come to relatively unspoiled, Harvey’s story eventually shifts from a mystery thriller into a chase story filled with suspense, revenge, and violence.

The Forgotten Girl has more layers to it than you’d first think, slowly revealing more about its world and characters as the narrative unfolds, opening up a world of psychic powers, conspiracies, and evil masterminds, yet also managing to to stay grounded and personal, tying it all back to Harvey and his experiences.

Filled with interesting characters, and sub-plots that weave throughout the narrative to make some surprising appearances and twists that you won’t see coming, The Forgotten Girl is a wonderful journey. Packed with emotion, mystery, and pain, it’s a story about human strength. The strength to survive, the strength to achieve power, and the strength it takes to put everything on the line to save the one that you love.

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Snakeskins – Book Review

Originally published on Set The Tape

‘Caitlin Hext’s first shedding ceremony is imminent, but she’s far from prepared to produce a Snakeskin clone. When her Skin fails to turn to dust as expected, she must decide whether she wishes the newcomer alive or dead. Worse still, it transpires that the Hext family may be of central importance to the survival of Charmers, a group of people with the inexplicable power to produce duplicates every seven years and, in the process, rejuvenate. In parallel with reporter Gerry Chafik and government aide Russell Handler, Caitlin must prevent the Great British Prosperity Party from establishing a corrupt new world order.’

Snakeskins tells three intertwining stories within a version of Britain where the country has closed itself off to the outside world, and where society is run and shaped by an elite few. Whilst this scenario may seem very, very familiar and has obvious connotations to what the country is going through at the moment, Snakeskins adds a sci-fi twist to the tale.

The world of Snakeskins differs from our own due to The Fall: an event that caused a branching history. A phenomena that resulted in a small group of people, called Charmers, gaining the ability to ‘shed’ every seven years, to create a duplicate of themselves that would allow them to rejuvenate. Whilst these copies, Snakeskins as they become known, usually only last a few moments we discover over the course of the book that this is not always the case.

One of the main characters, Caitlin Hext, is drawn into a dark world of corrupt government and secret history when her Snakeskin doesn’t fade away. At the same time a journalist, Gerry Chafik, begins to look deeper into Charmer society, whilst a low level government aide called Russell Handler is recruited to investigate a possible conspiracy.

The three stories in Snakeskins are all incredibly well told, and could easily be the sole focus of the book, yet by combining all three of them into one bigger, more diverse narrative Tim Major not only tells very personal, human stories, but crafts a deeper world. This is a United Kingdom that is somewhat recognisable, yet has taken its own path, and for the most part feels like something from the past, rather than being set a year from now.

Whilst the world of Snakeskins is incredibly interesting, and there’s still enough left untold here that Major could easily write more books within this universe to expand upon these concepts, it’s the personal stories that really make the book stand out.

Russell’s journey over the course of the story is an enjoyable one, as he goes from a timid personal assistant to a government minister, to discovering that he has depths of bravery that he didn’t know existed. However, he never feels too brave, managing to avoid falling into the category of ‘hero’. He is more like a man who was doing what he was doing from a sense of duty and honour, despite being terrified the whole time. He manages to remain grounded and real throughout.

The strongest character, however, is Caitlin. For Caitlin her first shedding ceremony isn’t just a milestone into becoming a Charmer, but acts as a gateway into her adulthood. Her shedding is the second one we see in the book, but it has an impact because of how emotional and heartfelt a moment it is. We ignore the spectacle of the Snakeskin coming into being and focus on the emotion it holds for Caitlin. Despite how big her story gets, and how it will go on to shape the world, we never leave this emotional journey, we follow the effects that her shedding has upon her, how coming to accept her Snakeskin changes her as a person, and how she grows and matures from this. Snakeskins might be a great sci-fi story with a conspiracy mystery at its heart, but it’s also an amazing coming of age story about a wonderfully written young woman.

Snakeskins has so much more in it than you might first imagine. It’s packed full of slowly revealed alternate history, it has mystery that unfolds at a great pace, and characters who aren’t superheroes but real people with believable motivations and personal stories. I read Snakeskins in one day because I couldn’t put it down, but the story, the world, and those who inhabit it will stay with me much, much longer.

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Ferals: The Crow Talker - Book Review

'In a city ravaged by crime and corruption, 13-year-old orphan Caw’s only friends are the murder of crows he has lived with since his parents flung him from their house aged only five. Caw lives in a treehouse in an abandoned city park, surviving on scraps of food and only communicating with his three crows. But a jailbreak at the prison forces him into contact with other humans – particularly a girl called Lydia, who is attacked by the escaped prisoners and is saved by Caw.

'Caw realises that these escaped prisoners have more in common with him than he’d like… they too are FERALS – humans able to communicate with and control an animal species. And they want to bring their evil Feral master, The Spinning Man, back from the Land of the Dead. Only by joining forces with other good Ferals hiding throughout the city can Caw stand a chance of defeating them.'

Ferals is a young adult fantasy series that I completely missed when it first came out, but I am very glad that I have since discovered. Set in a world where certain humans, Ferals, have the ability to communicate with and control animals, we enter a dark world of crime, mystery, and the supernatural.

The main character, Caw, is a young man living on the streets of Blackstone City, a place that feels very similar to the dark and depressing surroundings of Gotham City, or New York as depicted in gritty 70's and 80's movies. Caw has been alone for eight years, living with the crows. Able to understand them and work alongside them, he is always accompanied by his three companions, Glum, Screech, and the white crow Milky.

When Caw witnesses a prison break his world turns upside down. He becomes drawn into a secret world that he had no idea existed, one that not only holds the secrets to his past, but threatens the handful of friends he makes along the way.

The world of Ferals is surprisingly well crafted, and we make the same journey as Caw as he slowly learns more about not only his powers, but the history of the Ferals and of Blackstone City. He, and the reader, don't get told everything up front, nor do we get the answer to every question, but we learn enough to not only understand how the rules of this universe work, but also the danger that our heroes face. Despite not meeting the main villain until the final handful of pages, we learn so much about him, and what he did in the past, that once we do we have a good handle on how much of a threat he is, and what it means for this world.

It's not just the world of Ferals that's well crafted, however, the characters are also brilliantly written. We learn a lot about Caw over the course of the book, and get a really good sense of the kind of person he is, but even the smaller characters are incredibly well realised. The other Ferals in the book, some of which fought against the evil forces in the past, each have their own distinct personalities and sense of style, even those that we only get to see for a handful of pages.

Jacob Grey has managed to craft every aspect of the book so well that feels like a living breathing world, full of characters that have deep and rich backstories and their own motivations, no matter how little we see of them. As the first part of a trilogy the book does an amazing job at establishing the world and the players, and left me hungry not only to see where the story goes, but wanting to find out more about the history, the Ferals, and to meet more exciting characters.

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