Underwater - Film Review

 

I rarely get the chance to watch movies that I simply just want to watch anymore. A lot of the time I'm watching new releases for review purposes, and these tend to be new releases of older films. As such, a lot of new stuff slips by me until a few years have passed. Underwater is one of these films. I can remember the trailer for it when the film was coming out, and how I thought that it looked pretty good. But it wasn't until this weekend that I was finally able to watch it; and boy am I annoyed it took me so long.

The film, set in the near future of 2050, takes us deep beneath the ocean surface to the Kepler research and drilling station on the seafloor in the Mariana Trench, the deepest part of the Earth. When the station is hit by a huge earthquake the station is heavily damaged, and the vast majority of the 300 plus crew killed. Several survivors manage to come together, and come up with a plan to leave the quickly failing station and walk across the bottom to a smaller station.

The group don their pressure suits and begin to make their way out of the station, but discover strange squid-like creatures feasting on the remains of the crew along the way. As the station explodes above them and they're forced out onto the ocean floor, they see strange, almost humanoid creatures illuminated in the explosion. As they continue to make their way to their only means of escape back to the surface the creatures begin hunting the group, taking them out one by one. Unfortunately, these horrible entities are only the heralds of something much worse.

One of the things that I thought when I watched the first trailer for this film was 'those monsters look a bit Lovecraftian', and I can't believe how close I got with that first guess. Spoiler alert time for anyone who's not seen the film yet, the big bad at the end of the movie is freaking Cthulhu! I love the fact that this creepy, underwater horror film turned out to actually be a Cthulhu movie, and the fact that they didn't push that fact in the marketing feels wild. Perhaps the folks who'd want to watch a Cthulhu movie would see the trailer and think the same thing I did, and would go and see the movie, but I can't help but feel that the studio not making a big thing about the iconic monster being in this film might have hurt the movie in some ways; even if it did make for a great surprise whilst watching it.

This being a Lovecraft horror movie, there are some other monsters in this too, with some Deep Ones making appearances in the movie to hunt and kill our main cast. The creature design is pretty awesome, and the moment where one of them essentially swallows someone whole is gross and shocking. They're used pretty sparingly throughout the film, and as the survivors get closer to Cthulhu they make for a decent series of foes to fight their way through first.

The main cast, headed up by Kristen Stewart, are one of the best parts of the movie, and they make for a decent group of survivors. The film moves at a decently fast pace, and we don't have a huge amount of time to get to know them before they're plunged into scary situations; but the cast manage to do a decent job at getting you to like them pretty quickly. Stewart is a great lead, and this is one of the only things I've ever actually seen her in, but I thought she did a really good job at taking the lead and being our vehicle to experience the story. T.J. Miller and Jessica Henwick are to of the better members of the supporting cast, and the scenes they were in were the more enjoyable for their inclusion.

I ended up watching this film via streaming, and found myself so interested in it that I've since ordered the blu-ray because I need to listen to the commentary, and see the behind the scenes stuff. I've seen plenty of movies that I've found enjoyable, but this is one of the few where I ended up wanting to know more. I want to know how this sneaky Cthulhu movie was made, I want to see how the monsters were designed, and I want to know more of the little details that are hidden throughout (I did pick up the company name and the hidden Cthulhu drawing in one of the lockers, but I'm sure there's more). I also love that the film seems to have taken a lot of inspiration from Alien, which is another film that I love.

I don't think Underwater is a perfect movie, and I can see some places where it could have done better; but it is a movie I think has gotten under my skin a little. I wanted more of it, I want to watch it again already a day later, and I think this is going to end up being a movie where I keep coming back to it. 

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Hawkeye, Episodes 1 & 2 - TV Review

 

Originally published in Patreon

I know I'm incredibly late to watching and talking about Hawkeye which is why my reviews for the show are going to be here, but I enjoyed what I've seen so far and wanted to write a little bit about it.

Episode one was a great introduction to the character of Kate Bishop. I've not read much of her in the comics, but was aware of her existing before the series came out, and having seen Hailee Steinfeld in Bumblebee, and having enjoyed it, I was eager to see this version of the character. The first scene of the young adult Kate was great, and it felt like the perfect intro to both her, and the tone of the show. It looks like this is a series that isn't going to be taking itself too seriously, and is simply going to try and have a bit of fun; and I can appreciate that. The fact that when we meet up with Clint he's watching a really, really bad musical based upon Steve Rogers just further emphasises this point. 

Speaking of Clint, I love that they've finally made him deaf in the MCU. This is one of the more high profile disabled characters, and the fact that it's taken over a decade of him existing on screen in this incarnation to come up has been a major oversight for sure. I like that it's finally being done, but wish that it was something that had always been a thing.

The central conflict of the show, the Ronin suit and the issues that it brings with it, is a pretty good way to get things kicked off, and whilst there's definitely more going on other than just the issues around Ronin, it's a good intro point.

Kate proved to be a pretty decent fighter in the first episode, especially in the auction fight; which I felt was one of the more enjoyable moments so far. I liked how she wasn't completely polished as a fighter. Yes, she's skilled, but there's a difference between learning and practising in a controlled environment, and actually fighting against people who want to hurt you. And the show really sells this idea. She has promise, but still has a bit of a way to go before she can be the next Hawkeye.

When Kate and Clint finally come together in the second episode it proved to be a lot of fun, and I like how Clint immediately went from being about to hit her in the face to being the kind and protective father figure, making sure that she was okay. It reminded me of his role in Avengers: Age of Ultron, and how he acted towards Wanda in that film. He fits well into a mentor role, and it seems like that's going to be his big arc for this show.

The Tracksuit Mafia were an absolute delight to watch, and walked that line between believably silly and too over the top well. I really hope that we get them as a long term antagonist for the show, because they just brought a smile to my face every scene they were in. And, is their boss Echo? It certainly seems like it might be her, because that woman definitely seemed to be deaf. I know that there's supposed to be an Echo show coming at some point, so wouldn't be surprised to see her character be given an introduction here.

Overall, I had a lot of fun with the first two episodes of Hawkeye, and am looking forward to seeing more of the show.

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Ms Marvel - TV Review

 

I'd not had any experience with Ms Marvel before the start of her MCU television series. I've dipped in and out of Marvel comics over the years, and mostly stick to X-Men stories, so have never really seen anything with her in it (other than an older alternate universe version in Exiles). As such, I was coming to the show pretty fresh, with no real expectations. I knew that she was an Inhuman, had stretchy powers, and was beloved by readers. And I guess only one of those things is true for her live action counterpart now.

The story of the show introduced us to Kamala well, and I liked how the first episode was filled with little asides, and how we got to see inside her head and how she thought of the world with the big doodles and graffiti like stuff that would drop over the screen. Whilst this didn't stick around for the whole show, or at least wasn't used as much or made so prominent, it was a good way to get to know this super hero obsessed teen.

Kamala and her best friend, Bruno, are trying to go to Avenger Con, to celebrate their love for the Earth's heroes with other like-minded people; but Kamala's parents don't want her to go without adult supervision. As such, the two of them sneak out with a plan to get their, win the cosplay competition, and get home. Part of the plan involves the beautiful bracelet that Kamala received in the post from her grandmother. When she puts it on, however, it unlocks amazing powers within her, and Kamala is able to produce hard light, crystal-like constructs.

When Kamala uses her new powers to save someone she spreads across the internet; which grabs the attention of a government agency who want to track her down because of her unregistered use of super powers. Not only that, but a group of mysterious, powered individuals are also after Kamala and her bracelet.

I enjoyed Ms Marvel, but if I have to be honest, the super hero part of the show was the stuff I found least interesting. It was still entertaining, and it was great to see Kamala discover her powers and figure out what she is; but it felt a like stuff that I've seen before in other shows, films, and comics. The series did little to make her heroics feel different or interesting. What made the show stand out, however, were the characters.

I absolutely loved Kamala. She was such a sweet, enthusiastic, and lovable kid. There's an energy about her that makes her instantly likeable, and you can't help but to start rooting for her. Iman Vellani has something to her that just lights up every scene she's in. When Kamala is smiling and having fun you can't help but get sucked into it too, and end up smiling along; but she also did well with some of the weightier scenes, and really sold the feeling of being a teen with a family that doesn't always get you.

Speaking of her family, they might be my favourite characters in the show, and some of the best family representation in the entire MCU. I'm not Pakistani, nor am I Muslim, so I don't know what it's like growing up in a family that is, but I do have some Italian relatives, and I saw a lot of my family in Kamala's. Her family are big on tradition, hold family to be important, and can sometimes be stifling and overbearing, though in a way that comes from love. I've been in some similar situations to Kamala, and know the frustrations that come from a family that don't give you the freedoms that you want, that don't ever seem to fully trust you, and who can love you in ways that feel like the exact opposite.

I also loved how much their culture and faith was a part of the show, and how it was a celebration of Muslim and Pakistani lives, traditions, and culture. Some of my favourite scenes were when the family went to the mosque and spoke to the Iman there, or when they celebrated Eid with their friends and family, and when Kamala's brother got married. It was wonderful to see Muslim and Pankistani people getting to not just be on television, but to be the focus, for their culture to be given centre stage and get the chance to show off it's beauty. 

The show did take a look at some of the issues that come from being Pakistani Muslims too, and I liked that the show didn't gloss over those moments, and made them part of the story. The show didn't shy away to the experiences of being Muslim in the US, and the scenes where the government came into the mosque made a point of the fact that that wouldn't have been the first time law enforcement barged their way in, that the people there understand that some white people look at them with unjust suspicion. It's a topic that you don't expect to see in something that's really just light entertainment, but its sadly an important part of life for some people, and you can't just ignore it.

We also get to take a look at this history of Pakistan as the show focuses on Partition; a particularly awful part of history that is often left out of education. The episode that featured the flashbacks to Partition was my favourite episode of the show, and it felt like it flew by in no time at all. I loved that the show got the chance to take some time out and slow down to explore this important part of its story, and also an important event in the lives of so many families. If anything, it felt like not enough time was spent on this, and I'd have loved to have seen more of it.

Looking back at the show now that it's done I can say that Kamala and her family were the best part of the series. Their regular lives, their relationships, and their personalities were absolutely the highlight, and the main draw. Her father is one of the sweetest guys, and his talk with her on the roof at the end of the final episode was just the best. Her mother started out being overbearing and disapproving, but became one of her biggest supporters by the end, going so far as making her costume for her. And her brother just randomly turning up in the school to help them out because he's her caring big brother was so sweet in its silliness. Her family were the best, their acceptance and support of Kamala were wonderful, and her community rallying around her at the end was the the perfect encapsulation of what the show was about.

Now, I know that the show has changed some things about Kamala, one of which being her powers. As I said, I'd never read her in the comics, but know what her powers were. And I can understand why they might want to change them. Marvel are planning to bring the Fantastic Four into the MCU, so probably don't want another stretchy person; and stretchy powers just aren't that interesting either. Kamala was able to use her hard light powers to do some of those things, making her big hands, and embiggening, but her new powers also let her do cool new things like shields and platforms to jump across. I felt like the change made sense, looked pretty, and gave her better powers; though I know a lot of people will disagree with me on that point. I also understand why they've changed what she is, making her a mutant rather than an Inhuman. 

Let's be honest. No one really cares about the Inhumans, and the one they probably care about the most is Kamala. They were given the big push in the comics because Disney didn't have the film rights to the X-Men, and so they wanted something similar. The Inhumans gave them that. All you need to do is look at the last decade or so of Marvel Comics and you can see that their stories have been shaped by the films, with certain characters and status quo's being pushed because it's what's going on in the movies. But, now they can bring the mutants into the MCU, and why not start with Kamala? Plus, in interviews since it looks like the creators of the character in the comic wanted her to be a mutant back when she was first created too; and knowing that Marvel were pushing Inhumans back them because of the X-Men film rights issue I wouldn't be surprised if that were the reason she was ultimately changed to be Inhuman instead.

Overall I had a lot of fun with the series, and it felt like a great introduction to a character I didn't really know. I'm certainly a lot more excited for The Marvels now too, as it means we'll be getting more of Kamala and her family. Hopefully we can get more seasons of the show too.

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Multiversity: Teen Justice #1 - Comic Review

 

Originally published on Patreon

One of the things I remember fondly when discovering comics at my local library as a kid were the Elseworlds books; tales of strange worlds similar to the one we knew from DC, but very different in a lot of ways. Because of this, I've always had a bit of a soft spot for these alternative takes in the DC universe, and am glad to see that we're still getting stories set on other Earth's in their multiverse.

Multiversity: Teen Justice is set on Earth 11, a world where the genders of characters have been flipped. There are more subtle differences than that, but for the most part you have Batwoman instead of Batman, Superwoman instead of Superman, and Wonder Man instead of Wonder Woman.

This new title follows the exploits of a teen hero group similar to the Teen Titans. Their members include Robin, daughter of Batwoman; Supergirl, daughter of Superwoman; Aquagirl; Donald Troy, aka Wonder Lad; Kid Quid, non-binary nibling to Jessie Quick; and Klarienne the witch girl.

The story starts with the team already together, though still figuring out how to work with each other. There are some personal issues and clashes of personalities to work through; though they do work well together when things are bad.

Over the events of the book we learn that Sister Blood has formed a church in New York City and is trying to recruit young people into her following. There's also a break in at STAR Labs that may be connected. The two separate cases are brought together by Raven, who brings it to the group that have been trying to recruit him. And we get a surprise reveal in the last few pages that I genuinely did not see coming, and am very excited to see more of as its a version of one of my favourite characters.

The story of Multiversity: Teen Justice seems pretty decent so far. It feels a lot like other teen tram books, it has a decent beginning of a good story, the team feels like a good mix, and I'm interested in seeing more of this alternative Earth.

I like the characters, both the way that they're written and in their designs. Part of the fun of this book is seeing characters we know in completely different ways than we have before. They all feel similar enough to their Earth 0 counterparts to not feel completely alien, but give us plenty of new things. I also really like several of the character designs, especially Supergirl, Robin, and Raven.

The issue also gives us reprint of the original Teen Justice short story that appeared in a previous anthology; giving new readers a chance to see where the characters originated.

I was unsure whether I was going to enjoy this title or not after being introduced to the team in DC Pride 2022 (a full review for which can be found on my blog) but had a lot of fun with this issue. It's definitely in the pile of stuff I'm going to be looking forward to each month.

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Poison Ivy #1 - Comic Review

 

Originally published on Patreon

Poison Ivy is a character that's been through a lot of changes over the years, the biggest one being her going from a regular villain into something of an anti-hero. The strangest thing about this change, however, is that she herself has changed very little. Instead, they way people see her has changed.

We live in a world where climate change has caused some serious damage for the planet. Temperatures are out of control, weather is going wild, and multiple species are dying. We're facing what is fast becoming a certainty that humanity is not going to survive these changes. As such, a character who fights against deforestation, pollution, and the destruction of the planet is absolutely going to look like a hero.

So how do you keep someone like that from becoming a fully fledged hero and keep them in the grey area between hero and villain? I suspect this is what the new Posion Ivy series is going to attempt to do.

The first issue opens with Ivy having killed off cattle with a strange fungus. When she's approached by the farmers, she lashes out at them too, killing them with the same fungus. Through narration that she's leaving in the form of a letter we begin to learn that there's something wrong with Ivy, that she might be sick in some way, and is heading to Seattle.

Along the way Ivy uses the fungus to kill more people, thinks about the physical changes she's been through recently, and laments at the end of her romantic relationship with Harley Quinn.

It's not clear what's motivating her at this point, why she seems to have started hurting more innocent people, but I suspect that there's more here than there first appears. Ivy doesn't seem herself at all, and I suspect that she's being affected by the fungus in some ways too.

Poison Ivy #1 has a tone that's much more in line with the horror titles DC are producing, and I wouldn't be surprised to see this become an out and pit horror title. Which might be the perfect direction to take things. It'll definitely keep the character interesting, and make it more than just a series where we don't end up rooting for the villain.

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A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess – Throwback 60

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

For most people the name A Clockwork Orange will conjure images of the 1971 Stanley Kubrick film, and thanks the the striking imagery of the film being so ingrained in popular culture, a lot of people may have only ever experienced the story in that medium, unaware that it was originally published as a novel in 1962 by author Anthony Burgess.

The novel, which has appeared on dozens of top 100 lists and has been called a ‘must read for teens’ follows Alex, a fifteen-year-old boy in a future dystopian city. Alex is the leader of a gang of criminals called droogs, a group who commit petty crimes and violent assaults seemingly for the sheer pleasure of doing so, thriving on the pain and terror it brings to their victims. In the early stages of the book readers follow the gang as they drink drug-laced milk, break into homes and assault residents, and as Alex drugs and rapes pre-teen children.

When the gang enter the home of a wealthy old woman they brutally attack her, and when they hear approaching sirens Alex is betrayed by one of his gang and knocked out, left for the police to find. Learning that the old woman died from her injuries, Alex is sentenced to fourteen years in prison. During his sentence, Alex is blamed for a brutal beating and is offered a new form of aversion therapy in exchange for having his sentence commuted. Alex is drugged, and forced to watch violent films until he comes to hate his own violent impulses.

Once Alex is released from prison he begins to try to put his life together, but eventually comes to the decision to end his own life. When he fails to take his own life he discovers that he has actually managed to break his conditioning, allowing his violent urges to return. In the final chapter of the book an older Alex finds that his violent actions are bringing him less pleasure, and begins to contemplate giving up his criminal life to become a productive member of society.

A Clockwork Orange is not a book that will be for everyone, due in large parts to the violent nature of the material it contains. Anthony Burgess doesn’t shy away from portraying Alex and his gang as thoroughly violent and brutal young men, capable of disturbing acts. It’s because of this content that the book gained a reputation for ‘glorifying’ violence and sexual assault, and was subsequently banned and restricted in multiple states in the US.

Part of the reason why the book may have been seen in this light is the fact that the final chapter, the one that shows Alex reconsidering his life and his violent actions, is actually omitted from the US printing, thus leading to an end where Alex becomes cured from his conditioning and is free to engage in brutal acts once again. As you can imagine, this would indeed lead to a very different conclusion to the ending that Burgess actually intended. This is the same ending that appeared in the movie, as Kubrick didn’t even learn about the final chapter until working on the film.

Whilst it would be easy to dismiss the book as being purely about glorifying violence, that would be a rather simplistic and ill thought out conclusion. For one thing, the thing that inspired Burgess to actually write the story was how his first wife, Lynne, was brutally beaten by American servicemen stationed in Britain during World War Two; an attack that would cause her to miscarry. As such, it’s hard to believe that Burgess would every glorify such actions considering the fact that he saw the devastating effect violence can have on someone close to him. But A Clockwork Orange isn’t about violence, but rather an exploration of free will, by asking the question ‘is it better to choose to be bad than to be programmed to do good?’

Outside of these difficult moral questions and lurid descriptions of violence the book should also be praised for its artistic and linguistic achievement. Burgess incorporated a whole new form of language in the book, with the youth of the novel speaking in a slang dialect called Nadsat, which was influenced by the Russian language. Whilst the inclusion of Nadsat has been reported to have made some people feel unable to access the book, along with the violence, its inclusion makes the novel a lot more interesting for sure.

If you’ve seen the film and feel inspired to check out the original material, or have seen the book feature on lists of ‘must reads’ but have never actually picked it up yourself, perhaps the 60th anniversary might be the right time to give this classic a read.

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Obi-Wan Kenobi – TV Review

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

When the prequel films were first released they were not well received by some Star Wars fans. These fans disliked the tone, the script, some of the casting, and even engaged in hate campaigns that saw actors and behind the scenes crew retreat from the public eye. Over the years since, opinion on these films has changed, due also in part to The Clone Wars expanding upon this era. Now, the prequel films are beloved by fans, and seen as an integral part of the franchise. Even I went from disliking the films to it becoming the era of Star Wars I love the most.

A big part of the prequel films, and The Clone Wars, was the relationship between Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen). Master and apprentice, friends, brothers, these two were a duo who could do anything, and were galactic heroes; yet their relationship was doomed to end in pain, betrayal, and misery. Their fight on Mustafar has become one of the most emotional moments in the entire Star Wars universe. Obi-Wan Kenobi might have changed that though, as we pick up on Obi-Wan and his story ten years later, and get one of the best stories in Star Wars.

Obi-Wan Kenobi takes viewers to the desert world of Tattooine, where former Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi (living now simply as Ben) lives in a cave, works a dull job, and watches over the son of his best friend from afar. The Obi-Wan we meet has lost his connection to the Force, having shut it away. He’s miserable, walking through life without any real meaning. However, his solitude is broken when Bail Organa (Jimmy Smits) reaches out to him for help; his daughter, Princess Leia (Vivien Lyra Blair) has been kidnapped, and only Obi-Wan can help to get her back.

Obi-Wan has sworn an oath to watch over Luke Skywalker (Grant Freely), but his sister is just as important, just as worthy of Obi-Wan’s care. So, Obi-Wan digs up his lightsaber and heads out into the galaxy once again to save the daughter of Anakin Skywalker. But little does Obi-Wan know, the kidnapping has been orchestrate by an Imperial Inquisitor, Reva (Moses Ingram), who wants to lure the former Jedi out for her own evil machinations.

One of the best things that Obi-Wan Kenobi did before its release was to keep information tight. We were told that Ewan and Hayden were back, that we’d get to see Owen (Joel Edgerton) and Beru (Bonnie Piesse) again, and that there would be Inquisitors, but we were given very little information on the plot, other than when director Deborah Chow said that it would feature the ‘rematch of the century’ between Obi-Wan and Vader. There was speculation as to why Obi-Wan would leave Tattooine, but bringing in a young Leia was the perfect way to do this, and was such a pleasant surprise.

There’s a lot to praise about Obi-Wan Kenobi, but Vivien Lyra Blair is easily top of that list. This young actress does a phenomenal job at capturing the essence of Leia. She has the passion, strength, and sass, that fans came to love from Carrie Fisher. You can’t watch this series and not fall in love with this version of Leia. Blair is perfect in every scene she’s in, and the relationship she forms with Obi-Wan over the course of these six episodes became one of my favourites in the Star Wars saga. It now makes complete sense why she names her son Ben, and why her Lightsaber looks like Obi-Wan’s.

She’s not the only great new addition to the series, however. Moses Ingram’s Reva is a wonderful, and fascinating character. When she’s introduced she seems very one dimensional. She’s an Inquisitor with a short fuse, and a single-minded obsession with Obi-Wan. But, as the series unfolds, and we learn more of her history and her motivations, she becomes the most fleshed out, well written, and engaging Inqusitor that there’s ever been. Ingram is an amazing actress, and some of her scenes in the latter half of the season are some of the best in the show. I hope that she becomes a character that we see more of, whether in other shows, comics, games, or novels, as she’s a character I think there could be some interesting stories with.

Indira Varma also steals a lot of the show with her portrayal of Tala Durith, an Imperial who has turned her back on the Empire after seeing the cruelty they’re capable of. It’s a character arc we’ve seen before in many characters in the Star Wars franchise, and it’s one that I do really like. She’s a wonderful addition to the story, proving to be an important ally for Obi-Wan, and Varma is fantastic in the role.

The best acting in the series, however, goes to Ewan McGregor. This version of Obi-Wan goes through so much over the course of the six episodes. He begins as a broken man, having lost everything and everyone he cares about, lost his connection to the Force. He’s more beaten down than we’ve ever seen the character, and McGregor plays it with the cold, empty, almost zombie-like detachment that really hammers home how lost he is. But over the course of the season he learns to become the man he was once again. His connection with Leia is one of the big parts of this, and the way he warms to this little girl as the episodes go on is simply delightful. She teaches him to hope again, to find something to live for, and you can see that in the quiet, subtle moments in Ewan’s performance. As a fan of the prequels, who loves the character, it’s a wonderful journey to watch.

The series is filled with moments like this, times where the action slows down and we get to focus on the characters. Whether it’s Obi-Wan feeling hope again, Tala standing defiant in the face of a fascist regime, or the cold terror when Obi-Wan learns that Anakin is still alive, these moments stand out as some of the best performances in the franchise. There’s a few in the final episode that I can’t go into for spoiler reasons, but they have become two of my favourite moments in Star Wars, and literally reduce me to tears watching them.

I guess one of the big questions about Obi-Wan Kenobi will be, ‘Do they deliver on the rematch of the century claim?’. Yes. Yes, they absolutely do. If you like Darth Vader this series will be for you. Vader has never been more menacing, more threatening than he is here. There were moments where I felt myself curling up in my chair because his presence on screen was that intense. I’ve never seen Vader as actually frightening until this series. And, the series gives us what is in my opinion the two best fights Vader has ever had before. I hate putting them above his confrontation with Ahsoka in Star Wars Rebels, but for sheer spectacle this show has his best moments by far.

Obi-Wan Kenobi received some harsh criticism by some fans as it aired, with some folks being unhappy with it whatever it did. But, much like the prequels I think that many of those critics will change their mind as time goes on. This has been one of the best series the franchise has produced, with the best acting, some of the best action, and some amazing lore-building. As someone who loves the prequel era and those characters this felt like a love-letter to those films.

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Aquaman: Andromeda #1 - Comic Review

 

Originally published on Patreon

Aquaman is a character I've not had a huge amount of experience with. I've read a handful of his solo stories, but mostly I've read him as part of a team. And I've found that Arthur can be very different depending on who's writing him. He can be powerful and kingly, or a pointless buffoon (the recent Bendis run of Justice League was terrible for this). But one thing I've not really seen done with the character is horror; which considering how frightening the sea is, is a big surprise.

Thankfully, Ram V seems to be going in that direction for Aquaman: Andromeda. And this is an are where Ram absolutely excels.

The story of Aquaman: Andromeda follows a small group of scientist and military personnel on board the Andromeda, an advanced sub that's making its way into a desolate part of the ocean to investigate what might be a crashed alien spaceship.

Whilst below the waves the military vessel above, disguised as a tanker, is attacked by a giant, tentacled sea monster. With the ship destroyed, the Andromeda have no support, and can't turn back without being caught by multiple navies. Forced to go on, the crew worry about what might be waiting for them as they near their target.

We get brief moments of Aquaman, who intervenes to stop the monster, and Black Manta, who has been hired to retrieve the data on the alien ship. By the end of the book the pieces have been set on the board, and things feel sufficiently eerie.

So far, the story this issue most closely resembles would probably be Sphere. An unknown ship in the bottom of the ocean, dark and spooky atmosphere, a small team of scientists, and what might be people's imaginations coming to life. Its not clear yet exactly what's going on, if the member of rhe Andromeda crew reading a story about a kraken made a sea monster appear or not, but I'm certainly interested to find out.

The story is definitely more complex than the standard super hero stuff, and it seems to be relying on character drama and tension rather than showy action in order to keep the reader interested. I guess this is why it's part of DC's Black Label rather than a regular book.

The art on the book really helps sell that this is something different too, and it feels eerie and strange a lot of the time you have to look twice to really see what you're supposed to be seeing. It's great art, and is a perfect example of the art and the writing coming together to tell a story well.

I was disappointed when the issue came to a close, and and excited for the next one.

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Superman: Son of Kal-El #12 - Comic Review

 

Originally published on Patreon

I've been loving Superman: Son of Kal-El, and it's quickly become one of my favourite series along with Nightwing. The connecting factor is that both are written by Tom Taylor, and have the same kind of sense of hope, and messages of goodness in them.

This issue continues the story of Jon trying to find a way to take down the corrupt dictator of Gamora, who's turning people into super powered killers under his control.

We get some good developments to the story here, with a great infiltration of Lex Corp thanks to the help of Dick Grayson (I love how he and Jon just keep appearing in each others books, and the friendship that they're forming).

This issue also sees the return of Kyrpto, and who doesn't like Krypto? He's back from space and he's here to be the goodest boy there is. It was delightful to see him breaking through Justice League defences just to get to his humans and be told he's a good boy. This is the kind of Kyrpto I like, where he's almost an unstoppable force of nature, and you're left thanking God he's a nice dog.

I love this series, I've come to love Jon as a character, and am really invested in the characters and story that Tom Taylor is creating and am looking forward to reading more.

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The Path of Thorns by A.G. Slatter – Book Review

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

The Path of Thorns returns readers to the world of Sourdough, A.G. Slatter’s shared fantasy universe filled with magic, monsters, and women proving their power in the face of adversity. Set in the same universe as last year’s All The Murmuring Bones, Titan Books’ latest fantasy offering is a tense and layered mystery that will keep you hooked right up to the amazing conclusion.

The Path of Thorns tells the story of Asher Todd, a young governess who has recently been hired to teach the children at Moorwood Grange, a large estate nestled in the countryside. Asher has impeccable credentials, and perfect letters of recommendations, and seems to be the perfect fit to look after the three young Moorwood children. However, her documents are fake, and Asher is hiding a dark secret. Having come to Moorwood Grange for her own reasons, she begins to carefully manipulate the family, healing the eyesight of the fierce matriarch , Leonora, winning over the children, and forging friendships with key members of the household and local village. But can Asher walk this dangerous path without being caught, and what is her end goal?

People who like dark, Gothic tales are going to find a lot to enjoy with The Path of Thorns. This is a story that makes its home firmly in big family estates, dark haunted halls, spooky woodland, and hidden mysteries. The book feels like a Jane Eyre plot that’s accidentally had some pages from a horror story shuffled into it. We get the things we expect from a Regency era drama: a new member of a rich household staff figuring out their place in the internal power structure, family secrets and scandal, budding romance, and people trying to maintain appearances of respectability for the common folk. But as the story unfolds we begin to suspect that there’s something darker beneath the surface. There are portraits missing from the walls, names removed from the family tree, spectral figures walking the halls at night, and wolfish monsters prowling in the woods.

These elements are no surprise to those that have read Slatter’s work before, particularly those set within the Sourdough universe, where the ordinary and the monstrous meet at almost every turn. Whilst other books of Slatter’s, like All The Murmuring Bones, have more obvious fantastical elements, this book plays it quite subtle, and for the longest time you’re left wondering if there might not be anything supernatural at play, but things with a more mundane experience. But this is a fantasy Gothic story at its heart, and after a while those elements begin to become more and more interwoven into the narrative. It becomes a key part of the story and these characters, and you realise that Slatter is telling a story that feels at home amongst books by Bronte, but absolutely has its own sense of uniqueness.

Asher Todd is the central character and narrator for the book, and is a character that readers quickly learn has a few secrets hidden away. We’re dropped into the narrative with her having arrived at Moorwood Grange, so we don’t know what lies she told to get there, or what’s driving her on to infiltrate this household. As the story progresses we get several clues, and whilst it is a mystery the book never treats the reveal as a big moment.

We’re seeing the story from Asher’s point of view, so when she addresses the reason for her being there it’s not new information for her, and as such it’s a very understated moment in the book. I really liked how Slatter handled the various mysteries in this way. She had Asher lead us through this world carefully, slowly getting us used to things, and the fantastical elements that were new to us were treated just as calmly as the mundane. It meant that the story never felt like it was relying on shocks or twists to keep you interested, and simply let the characters and their tales keep you hooked.

And the book very much did keep me hooked. The tale that Slatter was telling was incredibly engaging, and I found myself reading on long after I should have put the book down to take a break, because I kept wanting to know what was coming next. Slatter was able to twist the narratives in directions that I wasn’t expecting, and asked some tough questions about how far you’d be willing to go to keep a promise, and what the right thing is. By the end of the book I struggled to know if there were any purely good people in this book, with so many of the characters having dark secrets and evil deeds in their past. It’s not a straight forward and easy read, and I loved that.

The Path of Thorns is a book that starts simple but introduces more and more complexity and depth as it goes on, expanding this small corner of Slatter’s universe in interesting ways. If you’re a returning reader I’m sure that you’re going to enjoy a lot of what’s on offer here, and if you’re new to Slatter and her work I suspect that you’ll come away from this wanting to read more. And you absolutely should. A wonderful read to get lost in on a dark and rainy night.

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