All or Nothing: A Zombicide: Novel by Josh Reynolds - Book Review

 

'Caught between murderous humans and hungry undead, a newly resurrected thief must survive a casino-turned-gladiatorial arena and his own growing blood-lust in this dark, yet vibrant splatter-fest from Zombicide

'When former career criminal Westlake finds himself semi-zombified and shuffling towards Atlantic City, he freaks out. He’s supposed to be dead, after all. Kidnapped, he becomes part of a savage gladiator-styled show for the amusement of a heartless overlord. Lucky for him, ex-cop Estela Ramirez and her crew of mishap heroes are already on their way to save him and stop the horrors being inflicted on the humans in good ol’ AC… if they can figure out a way to fly a plane there, that is. While trying to stay “alive” and resist the urge to gnaw human flesh, Westlake realises that while the zombies are pretty bad, the worst thing in this apocalypse is definitely the people.'

The previous entry in the modern day Zombicide series introduced us to Westlake, a career criminal who finds his life thrown completely off-kilter when the world comes to an end, and the dead begin to rise. And whilst the dead rising did help him out of a tough spot to begin with, the world coming to an end did kind of send his life in a direction he wasn't expecting. Having teamed up with a group of survivors to take over a remote compound, Westlake ended up being bitten and infected; and the last we saw of him was him driving a car away to lure the undead away from his new friends.

But if you thought that that was the end for Westlake, think again! Picking up a few months after the first book in the series, All or Nothing takes us to Atlantic City, where Westlake seems to come to from a weird, confused state. Was he suffering from a head injury, was it some kind of memory loss? Worse, he comes to consciousness to discover that he's long since dead, and has turned into a zombie. What does this mean or him, will he be able to keep him mind intact, how long will his undead body last? These are all questions that will have to go on pause when Westlake finds himself getting dragged into a war in Atlantic City.

A casino has been transformed into a haven from the zombies, but the man who runs it does so with an iron fist, and dreams of conquest. Worse still, a twisted scientist is experimenting on the zombies in the basement, and those captured by the casino forces are made to fight for their lives in an arena for the amusement of the casino residents. Westlake must try to do his best to stay alive (ish), and to help the innocents caught up in these evil schemes. Meanwhile, his friends at the Villa hear the call for help from Atlantic City, and set out on a rescue mission of their own.

All or Nothing does what the first book did, it gives readers great zombie action, interesting characters, and a fun story, but it also does what every good sequel needs to do, and ups the ante and gives us some cool new things too. The first, and most obvious, is that Westlake has become a zombie. It's hard to talk about this book and not address that fact. Westlake having become the undead alters his story in about the biggest way possible, and gives him something super interesting. Whilst his role as the reluctant hero, a shady character who's trying to do the right thing but doesn't want to look too good, was fine for one story, but couldn't really last for long. This new development gives the perfect excuse for him to change, to be a bit different. He seems much more willing to throw himself into danger this time round, to put himself at risk to help others; due in large part to him technically already being dead.

It makes things more interesting because it raises questions about what makes him so special, what led him to become this unique form of zombie. Is it something unique to Westlake, or are there others out there like this? I think it's fascinating how much this opens the world up, and it means that all kind of things could be possible in future books. Could another member of the group end up becoming a zombie? Could they discover a whole community of sentient zombies? And the questions that are at the forefront of my mind, will this last? Are we going to get to a point where Westlake rots away too much and falls apart, or could he lose his mind and end up becoming a monster? These are all things that make this series much more interesting than just another zombie survival story, and give it something a little extra exciting.

But, the book isn't just about Westlake. All of the survivors at the Villa make a return, and we get to see them go on a whole new adventure with them as they head off to Atlantic City to answer a distress call. This mission involves them having to break into an airport and steal a plane; something that's incredibly balls, but isn't even the wildest thing that happens to them in this book. It's great to see this group back, as they're a bunch of characters that were an absolute joy to spend time with last time, and getting to see them go off on an adventure that's even bigger and more dangerous than the last is a lot of fun; even if there are certain parts of it where you end up reading on thinking 'why would you do that!?'.

There are also some new characters introduced in this book, both allies and villains; and it's not always clear who's going to be which. The story that Reynolds crafts in Atlantic City is a really interesting one, and it feels a lot more dynamic and engaging than the first book, which was a very simple story of trying to capture one location. Here, it's not always clear who to trust, there are double dealings, and there's a sense that we've stumbled into the middle of a story that's been going on for a while. It makes the world of Zombicide feel bigger, more lived in, and more realistic.

If you're a fan of zombie horror this book has a ton of stuff in it that you're going to like. It has masses of zombies, corrupt humans out to better themselves, brave survivors going up against overwhelming odds, and weird, twisted new types of zombies. Whether you've ever played Zombicide or not, this book is sure to keep you thrilled throughout.

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The Flash #785 - Comic Review

 

Originally published on Patreon

The search for Barry Allen comes to a close in the latest Dark Crisis tie-in issue of The Flash.

The bulk of this issue is split between two of the three parallel worlds, with Wally and his kids being the main focus here. Which considering this series has been about the West family for a while now, feels kind of fitting.

On the Mad Max style world Max Murcury and Jesse Quick help to hold off the marauder forces whilst that worlds Barry takes a magical pearl inside a huge tower structure and smashes; doing...something? It's not really clear what this is going to do; and honestly, it doesn't really matter as this is all just stuff to keep two of the speedsters busy whilst other things happen.

On the dark world inhabited by Night-Flash, the twins learn about this worlds Flash from a kid they encounter, who tells that of how this version of Barry Allen got his powers, and how he has become a merciless dictator. Convinced that this Flash is evil, and that beating him will prove to their family that they have what it takes to be heroes, the kids set out to find him and stop his evil reign.

The only issue with this plan, it turns out that despite the frightening appearance and the way he was acting, Night-Flash isn't a villain; but the kid the twins are with is. Thanks to some help from Jay Garrick, who finally arrives in time, the twins are able to stop themselves from doing anything particularly bad, and help the Night-Flash in time.

I kind of like how this section subverted expectations, as I was convinced that this was going to be an evil Batman/Flash mash-up, but I was wrong. It's also a really good lesson for the kids, to not judge by appearances, to not trust so readily, and to be prepared to think on your feet and change in a moment's notice on the battlefield.

Now, for the important stuff. Barry (our Barry) is continuing to beat the shit out of Wally, thinking that he's the Reverse Flash there to hurt his family. And there's a moment when it seems like Wally is going to get through to him, but it's fleeting, as Pariah's prison world exerts its control over him and puts him back under its spell. Luckily, help comes in a surprising form, as Linda follows her family into the portal thanks to her new speedster abilities; and she knocks Barry off her husband.

This is the shock needed to break Barry out of things, and he gets brought up to speed by the others; and reveals to the Flashes that the League aren't dead, but trapped in fake worlds just like him. So, the Flash family heads back to Earth-0 to try and help against the villains there, whilst Barry heads off to find a way to free the League.

So, it looks like this has become a very important part of the Dark Crisis event, and that people who haven't read it could end up being surprised when Barry shows up out of nowhere in the next issue of the main series. Thankfully, I've been reading this, as it's been absolutely fantastic.

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A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin – Book Review

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

'For Ning, the only thing worse than losing her mother is knowing that it's her own fault. She was the one who unknowingly brewed the poison tea that killed her—the poison tea that now threatens to also take her sister, Shu.

'When Ning hears of a competition to find the kingdom's greatest shennong-shi—masters of the ancient and magical art of tea-making—she travels to the imperial city to compete. The winner will receive a favor from the princess, which may be Ning's only chance to save her sister's life.

'But between the backstabbing competitors, bloody court politics, and a mysterious (and handsome) boy with a shocking secret, Ning might actually be the one in more danger.'

A Magic Steeped in Poison is the debut novel of author Judy I. Lin, who has crafted a truly breathtaking world based upon Chinese culture and mythology, delivering a unique and wonderful magic system that not only makes this book stand out, but will also have you craving a good cup of tea.

The novel begins when Ning packs her bags to leave her family home. Having grown up in a small village with her mother, father, and her sister, Shu, her life has been forever changed now that her mother has died after drinking poisoned tea. Even worse than that, the same poison is currently killing her younger sister. Despite the best efforts of her father, the village doctor, there seems to be nothing that can be done to cure the poison that looks set to claim another life from their family.

Ning, however, has come up with a plan to try and save Shu. The capital is currently holding a competition to crown a new shennong-shi, a magic user that is able to brew different teas to craft spells, combat poisons, and perform amazing feats. The winner of the competition will be given a place of honour among society as the shennong-shi for the royal family, but will also be granted access to cures and resources that Ning believes would allow her to save her sister. Stealing off into the night, Ning makes her way to the capital where she’s able to use the invitation sent to her mother – who was a shennong-shi and taught Ning – to enter the competition.

However, now that Ning is part of the competition she learns that she is not only having to compete against other, better trained and more well connected opponents, but that she has entered a world of court intrigue, double crosses, and plots. With assassins targeting the princess, the Emperor locked away inside his castle, and a poison plot claiming the lives of people across the kingdom, Ning realises that it may not be as easy to save her family as she first hoped.

A Magic Steeped in Poison feels like multiple stories all rolled into one. On one hand it has a central competition that feels like The Apprentice, with various competitors fighting to prove themselves and to win their prize. There’s also the court intrigue and villainous plots from stories like A Song of Ice and Fire with various ministers and court officials all out to advance themselves. And there’s some romance thrown in for good measure as Ning begins to fall for a dangerous, dashing young man with a dark secret. And on top of all of this, the book gives us one of the most interesting and engaging magic systems that I can remember coming across, one that feels wholly unique to this world.

The magic of the story is tightly connected to tea. The shennong-shi create their magic by carefully crafting the right teas, picking the ingredients for the different qualities that they bring to the table. They have to think about how these items interact with each other, taking care not to brew something where one ingredient drowns out another, ruining the intended outcome. They then ceremonially brew and pour the teas, and breathe magic into them using their inherent powers. It’s a complex and subtle art, one that requires years of training and careful study, as well as some natural talent too. Ning is probably the least experienced person in the competition, yet has a natural flair for the process that allows her to not only compete with the others, but to stand above them at times too.

There are multiple instances throughout the book that we see hints of Ning’s magic at work without the use of teas, such as her listening to the flow of the world around her, taking notice of nature and asking it for guidance to find certain objects. The book makes hints that whilst the teas are the most obvious and practised form of magic in this world they’re not the only one, and that there is more beauty and horror hiding just out of sight. Because of this, it’s one of the more subtly engrossing fantasy worlds I’ve read. It draws you in slowly, and will occasionally add more elements into the mix, though it never seems to want to overshadow the tea brewing itself. Much like the shennong-shi crafting their teas, it seems like Lin has carefully crafted and curated what we learn of this world to give us the best result.

Whilst the book takes some chances and does some unique things with some of the elements, others will be comfortingly familiar. The book follows structures that will be recognisable to those who’ve read a lot of Young Adult literature, with a few of the more popular tropes thrown in there too. It could be easy to dismiss a book that uses familiar structures and tropes as not trying, or not being creative; but that’s certainly not the case here. Lin does some things that may be expected with the formula, but it never feels derivative or hackneyed, and instead it puts enough freshness and new ideas into it that it instead feels reassuringly familiar.

The book is packed with interesting characters, and by the time it ends you’ll probably have had your opinions on quite a few of them change more than once. Lin’s cast of characters are always more complex than they first appear, and have ulterior motives, hide their true intentions, and often put on a front in the imperial court. The result is that you can never really feel too complacent, and that you end up having to take careful note of everything you read as you never know how the plot and characters are going to shift.

My only criticism of the book is that this is a first part, the beginning entry in The Book of Tea series. I enjoyed the book, and when it came to an end with the story unresolved, and me unable to jump straight into the next volume, I was a bit disappointed. But that’s the sign that a book has done its job well, when it comes to an end and you’re thirsty for more. The book ends with things to be continued, but it’s still a wonderful, contained story that you can pick up and enjoy all on its own. Fingers crossed fans won’t have to wait long for the next instalment though.

A Magic Steeped in Poison is a wonderful debut packed full of interesting and intriguing things for readers to get lost in. The cover is absolutely gorgeous, and is a wonderful work of art in itself. If you love fantasy stories but want to try something that feels fresh and original, this is the book for you.

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Nightwing #95 - Comic Review

 

Originally published on Patreon

Issue 95 of Nightwing might be one of the best of the run yet, and with how good this series has been that's a big achievement.

The issue opens with Dick travelling to save his half sister from Blockbuster, in an escape that has such a great surprise in it that I literally burst out laughing at how well timed it was. Tom Taylor continually proves that he's brilliant at story timing, and it's not just the way he writes the characters and the stories he gives that that works, but the tiny moments that make the story pop.

So, with things reaching a head with Blockbuster, and with him knowing that he no longer has control over the mayor it means that we finally have to move against the villain. But how can Nightwing go up against everyone all on his own? Blockbuster has too many people, all of which will run and hide if they find out the law is moving against them and their allies.

Luckily, Nightwing has some allies of his own. First we get Batwoman, who joins him to talk to the new police commissioner, Maggie Sawyer, thanks to their shared history. And at this point I was thinking 'this is good, he's got help', but then it got so much better when the elevator door opens and you see who else has come along. Batman, Tim Drake, the Batgirls, Signal, Blue Bird, and the Titans. All of Dick's friends come to help, because of course they do. And then when they move against the criminals the Flash arrives. The only people that felt like they were missing here were Damian and Jon, but then I think they're both busy invading a country at the moment.

I absolutely loved that when things need sorting, when Dick can't handle everything alone and the day needs saving, his friends and family are there for him. Dick Grayson is one of the kindest, most caring, and best liked members of the super hero community. You'd be hard pressed to find a hero who doesn't respect him and wouldn't come and help him if asked. So of course he never had to do this alone.

Whilst Dick and his friends take down Blockbusters operations Blockbuster himself decides to be a spiteful dick, and targets Haven. Of course, Dick has to face him, but thanks to some truly evil shit from Blockbuster, is quickly overpowered. And worse still, his mask comes off, and Blockbuster finally learns that Nightwing and Dick Grayson are the same person. Which is frankly kind of obvious and he should have known long before now.

Things really kick off this issue, and it's amazing how many awesome moments get packed into this one comic. With Dick at the mercy of his nemesis it's clear that things will be continuing in an explosive manner next issue; and I'm so excited to see what happens next.

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The Butcher by Laura Kat Young - Book Review

 

'A debut small-town horror novel that is a chilling blend of Shirley Jackson meets Devil's Day by way of Westworld.

'When Lady Mae turns 18, she'll inherit her mother's ghastly job as the Butcher: dismembering Settlement Five's guilty criminals as payment for their petty crimes. But then their leaders, known as the Deputies, come to Lady Mae's house, and there in the living room murder her mother for refusing to butcher a child.

'Within twenty-four hours, now alone in the world, Lady Mae begins her gruesome job. But a chance meeting years later puts her face to face with the Deputy that murdered her mother. Now Lady Mae must choose: will she flee, and start another life in the desolate mountains, forever running? Or will she seek vengeance for her mother's death even if it kills her?'

We all like to think that if we were in some kind of awful regime we'd do something to stand up against it, some kind of defiant act that says 'no, I will not comply'; and dystopia fiction often puts defiant young heroes into roles where they end up becoming key figures in some kind of resistance movement, where their defiance becomes a spark for a larger rebellion. But, I think we all know that in reality that just isn't how it works. Looking around my country right now there are no resistances to our corrupt government, no one leading the charge against rampant capitalism, and transphobia, racism, and homophobia are all on the rise, unchallenged. The reality is, people don't really stand up against stuff, and if they do it's often small acts that do do much.

The Butcher feels very much like a story like that, where terrible things are allowed to happen, often with the excuse of 'that's how it's always been', and very little is said and done to stop it. It's not a story where our protagonist rises up and leads a movement that will change the world forever, there's no fight for freedom. But you get small acts of defiance, small moments where people say 'no', and sometimes they inspire others, but sometimes they do nothing. And because of that The Butcher is a realistically bleak story.

The story takes readers to Settlement Five, a small town in the mountains. Here, we meet Lady Mae, the daughter of the town Butcher, the person whose job it is to administer the physical punishments on those charged with criminal offences. The Butcher takes pieces from the townspeople, sometimes just a finder, sometimes a whole hand, depending on their crimes; and Lady Mae is set to take over for her mother one day.

However, when Lady Mae's mother lets a child go, rather than removing several fingers, she's attacked by the Deputies, the town's law enforcement, and killed in front of Lady Mae in her own home. Over the next few years Lady Mae takes over for her mother, and becomes the new Butcher. But when her childhood love returns to town her life begins to forever change as she realises that perhaps she doesn't want to keep hurting people, and that the system they all live under is wrong.

The Butcher is a story that takes readers to a very different world to our own; yet isn't concerned with building much of that world. We know that we're in Settlement Five, and that it's in the mountains, but that's about all. We don't know what year it is, what country it's set in, or how the world became this harsh, authoritarian place. There's no indication whether or not this is a dark future, or a completely separate fantasy world that has no connection to our own. And at first I was left wondering all of these questions, hoping that Young would provide some answers. But, that stuff wasn't really important, and inn the end, it doesn't matter.

What does matter are the people, both the characters like Lady Mae and Arbuckle around whom the story centres, and the people in the background. There are a lot of people in the book who don't get a time in the spotlight, who don't even get names, but every person in Settlement Five matters, as it's the way they live, the way they obey the laws of the Deputies, and the way they rebel against them, that shapes the story. We don't know the details of this world, but its inhabitants build it for us through their words and actions.

As such, this very quickly becomes a story where you care for the characters. You start to worry for them, you start to hope for them, and fear for them. Young shows us early on that this is not a kind world, that anything can happen to the characters, as not long into the book a young girl who breaks the law is sentenced to be burnt to death for her crimes. The laws of this land are harsh, and those in power aren't afraid to enact the cruellest of punishments. As such, you begin to understand why Lady Mae is constantly in a state of fear and paranoia; and you start to feel that yourself. There's an oppressive quality to the writing that gets under your skin as you read it.

But like I said before, this is a story about defiance, and Lady Mae, her lover, and her mother, all harbour the desire to rebel, to buck against the system. There are no big moments in this story, no grand gestures or big speeches. This isn't a story like that. Instead, it keeps its focus on the characters, on how they come to the tough decision to stand up and refuse to boy down, and how that effects them personally. And because of that it feels different to other stories about defiance in the face of oppression.

There are times where The Butcher is hard to read. It doesn't shy away from awful things, and goes to some very dark and disturbing places; but it never feels like it's completely without hope. It has a good message, and has a small seed of hope that I think we can all learn to try to have in real life. This isn't a light or fun read at all, but it is a damn good one, and one that speaks volumes.

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Batgirls #9 - Comic Review

 

Originally published on Patreon

Now that the leftovers from the Peacekeepers have been dealt with, what do the three Batgirls have left to contend with? Well, it looks like they're dealing with a huge summer heatwave (same here girls) and a vicious serial killer on the loose (thankfully, not the same her girls). 

We've had this small story going on in the background for a while now, simmering beneath the surface and it's kind of wild that nothing has really happened with it until now. Yes, I know that the Batgirls have been dealing with some super villains and evil hackers that they couldn't just ignore, but other than Steph becoming convinced their neighbour was the killer and stalking him they've done nothing about this serial killer.

I don't know if the book was intending to make the point that these heroes sometimes have very skewed priorities, but it certainly did. The villains have been stopped and the Batgirls identities and ability to operate are secure, and Babs goes out for coffee with her friend, Cass goes book shopping, and the only one who even acknowledges there's a killer is Steph, who's actually trying to do something.

And then they find another victim, brutally murdered. I'm not saying that it's the Batgirls fault, but they definitely should have been on this case before now. They know the worlds greatest detective, they should look into ordinary crimes every now and then.

Thankfully, it seems that this latest killing has spurred them on to look for the killer; a killer who seems to be watching the girls. Killer Moth is lurking in the shadows, watching the three of them. Is he the one committing these murders? It does seem a little different from his normal MO, but it does keep surrounding the Batgirls, which does fit with his obsession.

Whether it's him or not, it at least seems like the girls are going to be trying to close this case now, and it looks like it's going to take a slight toll on Steph, who blames herself for their neighbours death, and for suspecting him of being the killer just because he was a bit odd. 

After the simply just fine quality of the previous story I'm looking forward to the series trying something more, and this story arc seems like it could be a lot more entertaining and engaging than the first one. I'm certainly excited to see how it ends up going.

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The Old Man and the Sea (Ernest Hemingway) – Throwback 70

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

There are a few books in the world that carry the term classic, that are considered some of the greats in literature. And whilst many of these are older books, written more than a hundred years ago, The Old Man and the Sea stands out amongst them for being relatively modern, and for also not even being a full novel. This short novella very quickly became a bestseller and award winner, as well as revitalising the career of its author; all in a relatively small package.

The Old Man and the Sea tells the story of Santiago, an ageing fisherman who lives in a small coastal town in Cuba. Santiago is incredibly poor, and barely gets by as he hits a patch of bad luck, and begins to come back without catching any fish for the day. This bad luck extends and soon he’s failed to catch anything for more than eighty days. His only real friend, a young man who used to work on his boat with him, has had to leave to work on other ships, leaving Santiago to fish alone.

As he reaches eighty five days without making a single catch, Santiago head out into the Gulf Stream, hoping to finally find something. Soon, Santiago manages to hook a huge marlin on his line, but is unable to bring it in. Thus begins a battle between the man and fish that lasts days, with Santiago slowly reeling the huge animal closer and closer to his small boat. After two days, with the ship having drifted further and further from land, Santiago finally manages to bring the fish in, and kills it with his harpoon. However, the fish is too big to bring on board, and he has to tie it to the side.

As Santiago tries to get back to land the blood from the marlin begins to attract sharks, and though he manages to battle away many, killing several, it’s not enough, and by the time he makes it home all that’s left is the head of the fish. With his giant prize eaten, Santiago returns home with nothing to show for his ordeal.

There are many books that contain the message to never give up, to keep going no matter what to achieve your goals and come out on top. And whilst these are decent sentiments, and people should always strive to achieve, The Old Man and the Sea has a slightly different message; that even if you fight your hardest for something you can still lose.

Santiago battles against the marlin for days, he goes with little to no sleep, with barely any food or water, he cuts his hands open. And when he finally manages to pull in his catch he faces an even greater task, getting through the sharks that are drawn in. Fighting with harpoons, an oar, and just a knife, he kills shark after shark, showing a fierce dedication to protecting his prize, going further than any man should, and it’s all for nothing. Santiago doesn’t do anything wrong, he doesn’t make any particularly bad mistakes, but he still fails in the end. It’s an example of the famous Captain Picard quote “It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life.” in action.

The Old Man and the Sea teaches a lesson that few stories want to, that sometimes you fail no matter what. Most stories want a happy ending, or a resolution so bad that it’s catastrophic. But by the end of this book Santiago is just back to his normal life, carrying on after failing because that’s the human way. We can strive, and whilst we sometimes succeed we can also fail; that’s just a part of life.

The Old Man and the Sea was Hemingway’s final book to be published during his life, and was printed in both book form and in the September edition of Life magazine. The first edition of the book was printed at 50,000 copies, but Life sold more than five million copies in just two days. The huge number of sales made Hemingway a celebrity once again, after his last full length novel, Across the River and into the Trees, was met with a poor reception.

Many critics thought that Hemingway has peaked as a writer, and that his best work was long behind him. But The Old Man and the Sea changed that. Within just a few short years the novella received both a Pulitzer Prize, and the Nobel Prize in Literature, which Hemingway would dedicate to the Cuban people. The book’s publisher printed it with the term ‘new classic’ on the cover, and most critics agreed with this statement, favourably comparing it to some of the greatest pieces in literature.

The Old Man and the Sea has gone on to become one of, if not the, most famous works of Hemingway, and has become a staple text for many schools across the world. It’s been adapted for the screen more than once, with a feature length film version, a television mini-series, and an animated short film which went on to win more than a dozen awards. Whether you experience this story through reading it, or via one of the various adaptations, it’s a story that’s sure to leave some form of lasting impression upon you, which is part of the reason it has become a important piece of literary history.

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Future State: Gotham #16 - Comic Review

 

Originally published on Patreon

The story of the five Batmen continues to heat up in the latest issue of Future State: Gotham, as the five heroes and villains finally come together; promising an explosive conclusion to this story.

We pick up where the last issue left off, with Jace being attacked by Damian, under the instruction of Hush. It turns out that Damian learned a few tricks whilst he was in hell, as his rune and symbol covered Batarangs cause Jace to relive the worst moments of his life, making him face the 'sins' that will cause him to go to hell. Luckily, Red Hood and Panic are on hand to come to his aid and stop Damian from killing him.

Elsewhere, Dick ends up fighting the other members of the Bat-family, who are trying to stop him from using the brain drug. But, Dick seems determined that not only is he going to be Batman, but that his family can't be involved. Using the drug, he's able to stop his friends, and heads off into the night.

Back with the others, things get complicated when the Batmobile crashes onto the scene, delivering Talia al Ghul and Bruce onto the scene. Damian, now not knowing who or what to trust, seems to go wild, and turns on everyone. The issue ends with Dick arriving, bringing the five Batmen together at last.

There's a lot of action in this issue, but we also get time to squeeze in some more insight and character moments as we get to see a little bit about Jace's past and what drives him, as well as getting to see a bit more of how this new, older version of Damian thinks. It's interesting to see how easily Hush is able to manipulate Damian, a grown man who spent years surviving in literal hell, but then you realise it's because all Damian has ever wanted is a father who loves him; and that's what Hush is using to get what he wants.

I will be honest, not a huge amount happened this issue, but this is often the case in comic stories, where you're past the exciting set-up and just coming up to the conclusion, so you have to have the less exciting issues that bring everything together. This issue did a lot of work for the big final confrontation, but that doesn't in any means mean it's bad or boring. This was a solid issue that was enjoyable to read.

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The Jurassic League #4 - Comic Review

 

Originally published on Patreon

In a world where comics are mired in continuity, where everything is connected, and serious, and has to all make sense with each other it can be nice to have a book that ignores all of that and just decides to be absolutely silly. The Jurassic League is absolutely that kind of book as it takes the heroes and villains that you love and asks 'what if they were dinosaur people instead'? So, if you're looking for serious and realistic this is not the book for you. However, if you're looking for a bit of fun this is absolutely worth a shot.

The fourth issue of the series sees the last few members of the Jurassic League come together as the villains, under the command of Atrocitasaurus, start to lash out against the humans and their protectors. As the heroes fight off the evil dinosaurs they discover the secret that the bad guys have been hiding, a huge, monstrous egg.  When the egg cracks open and pulls in the bodies of its fallen servants, eating them, it hints at something even more terrible to come; a prophecy that's fulfilled in the final moments of the issue when the egg hatches and gives birth to the gigantic Darkyloseid.

One of the best things about this book is the ridiculous dinosaur versions of the characters. Some of them feel kind of perfect in their execution, such as the velociraptor Flash, or the giant actual manta version of Black Manta, whilst some of the others do take some getting used to, such as Green Lantern being a Parasaurolophus for no obvious reason. Some of the characters look a bit weird, and some of the designs feel a little forced, but some of them work wonderfully and look amazing, like Atrocitasaurus. Though perhaps the best design of the bunch is the reveal of Darkseid at the end.

Yet despite all this ridiculousness there's still a lot about this book that feels a bit more grounded in the DC universe we know at times, as the characters are still who they've always been; just big and scaly. Superman is still a kind, caring defender, and he has some moments where he talks with his adoptive human parents in some really sweet scenes. Wonder Woman is still the stoic warrior, trained from birth to fight in order to ensure peace, and Batman begins as a gloomy loner who doesn't want anything but his mission to avenge his parents, but finds that he comes to care about the people he saves and even starts to love the orphan child he rescued (I really hope we get a human Robin amongst these dinosaurs).

The book isn't just a complete re-imagining, it isn't just making things anew, instead it's trying to make these weird and wonderful dinosaurs that characters we know; and is kind of succeeding at it.

The artwork on the series is also delightful, and works perfectly for the setting and the character designs, and results in some really stand out moments.

I was really unsure about this series when it was first announced, and thought that it would be ridiculous nonsense; and whilst it is absolutely that, its delightful ridiculous nonsense.

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Isolation: The Horror Anthology - Book Review

 

'A chilling horror anthology of 18 stories about the terrifying fears of isolation, from the modern masters of horror. Featuring Tim Lebbon, Paul Tremblay, Joe R. Lansdale, M.R. Carey, Ken Liu and many more.

'Lost in the wilderness, or shunned from society, it remains one of our deepest held fears. This horror anthology calls on leading horror writers to confront the dark moments, the challenges that we must face alone: hikers lost in the woods; astronauts adrift in the silence of deep space; the quiet voice trapped in a crowd; the prisoner, with no hope of escape. Experience the chilling terrors of Isolation.'

Isolation is a key component to horror. Whether it's being stranded in a remote location, living alone in an old house filled with strange noises, or having to face a monster all on your own, it's a big part of the genre. And it's probably the thing from horror that most of us will have to content with at some point in our lives; especially over the last few years. Humans thrive on companionship, and even the most introverted person will need someone once in a while. Facing horror alone is something that can be more frightening than the horror itself, and Isolation: The Horror Anthology understands that. Collecting together eighteen stories from some of the best writers in the genre, this book has a huge variety of tales on offer.

The book begins with the story 'The Snow Child' by Alison Littewood, and perfectly set the tone for the entire book. Telling the story of a woman travelling home to spend some time with her mother, it covers isolation in a number of ways. The two of them are living in a cabin the middle of the woods in winter, away from other people and away from help. But the woman is also isolated from her mother, with their relationship having been strained to near breaking point, even when they're together she's practically alone. And these are ideas that will end up being repeated across multiple stories in this book, that even when you're not physically alone, or if you're in a location where there are others around you, you can still be incredibly isolated.

Littlewood's story has some incredibly creepy imagery in it too, with ice children surrounding the remote snow covered home, a mother becoming increasingly detached from society, and the vastness of the countryside around her all adding together to make some vivid images that are designed to unsettle. It's a good choice to have this as the first story in the book, as it draws the reader in with its very normal, relatable set-up, and before you know it it's changed from this story of a woman trying to reconnect with her mother into something much more twisted. And by then you're hooked, you want to read more, and you have the rest of the book waiting for you.

'Solivagant' by A.G. Slatter is a supernatural story where the isolation and the horror don't come about from the monstrous creature at the heart of the tale, but instead are because of an evil that will be unfortunately recognisable to many people. The story is about Kitty, a young woman living in a small town under an assumed name, working in a local grocery store, doing her best to get by, but making no friends and no connections. She wants to, but she can't because of her boyfriend, her abusers, Cinna. Cinna is a vampire, and takes a great deal of pleasure in the pain that he spreads. Having groomed Kitty when she was younger, sucked her in to a life that she doesn't really want, he's kept her young for years whilst keeping her in misery.

Whilst the fact that Kitty's life is being controlled by an undead being, it's an isolation that does effect far too many people in the real world. Domestic abuse is one of the most isolating things that a person can go through. Surrounded by other people, but unable to get close to anyone for fear of what might happen if they do. It's a very visceral story underneath it's supernatural coating. One that I think will get under the skin of a lot of readers.

'The Peculiar Secclusion of Molly McMarshall' by Gwendolyn Kiste stands out because it's not written like many of the other stories in this book. Split up into transcripts of security camera footage, descriptions of missing posters, and extracts from articles, it tells a story through snapshots that build a bigger narrative as it unfolds, revealing a truly creepy series of events. It makes isolation feel different, like an insidious infection that can spread and infect. 

The story tells us about Molly McMarshall, a young woman who went into her house one day and never came out again. Standing alone in her window, watching the world outside, everyone could see Molly was still alive, but she never moved, never stopped to sleep, and never left her house. When people begin to worry about her try to get her to come out, to open the door, but she refuses. All attempts to get in are met with failure. But when people begin to notice a strange, dark presence standing behind her, it becomes clear that there's something truly awful in there with her. 

Joe R. Lansdale's 'The Long Dead Day' is one of the shorter stories in the book, but also one of the saddest, and you very quickly come to care about the people in it. Set in a zombie apocalypse, it follows a man as he learns that his young daughter has been bitten by one of the undead, and what he chooses to do when he discovers this. I don't want to say much about it so as not to spoil it, but Landale does a lot of character and world building in a very short space, and you end up coming away feeling like you've read a much bigger story.

Another zombie story from the selection (there are a few) that takes a different approach is 'Second Wind' by M.R. Carey, which is set in a world where people come back after they die, as either ghosts or zombies. It's not a zombie apocalypse or anything like that, just that some people die, but carry on. The story follows Nick, a highly successful stock trader who ends up dying young thanks to his high pressure, high intensity lifestyle. Luckily, he's prepared for the eventuality of coming back as a zombie, and has a plan in place to keep himself preserved, and locked away from the rest of the world so that he can keep doing the things he loves. However, when a homeless woman ends up getting inside his carefully constructed hideaway, he begins to change his outlook on life....well, death.

I really enjoyed this story, thanks in part to the fact that the horror elements kind of took a back seat. The supernatural was a part of it, and the story wouldn't exist without them, but at its heart it's a story about people. Nick has never needed people in his life, and never considers needing any kind of connection now that he's dead. The relationship that begins to form between these two people is the highlight of this story, and it makes it stand out as perhaps not really a horror story, but a nice human story set in a more extraordinary world.

'Friends for Life' by Mark Morris tells the story of Daniel, a man living alone in the pandemic shortly after the death of his mother. Having never really been one to socialise much or spend time with people outside of work, he's come to realise that his life is getting a bit lonely. But when he sees a flyer for a local meet and greet group near his home he ends up giving it a shot and actually starts making some friends. As he gets to know the people there he begins to relax, and makes some genuine connections. But when he ends up going on a trip with one of the group things begin to take a sinister turn. 

This story is super creepy in a way that you don't get enough of. It's a folk horror tale in the vein of The Wicker Man, and even though at a certain point you can see the turn coming you end up reading on hoping that Daniel will realise just what kind of story he's in. There's something super creepy about small villages and old traditions that this story absolutely nails. And whilst the horror doesn't happen in isolation, Daniel is very much preyed upon and drawn in because of his isolation at the start, and ends up as the only 'sane' person come the end, standing him alone in a sea of horror.

There are many more amazing stories in Isolation: The Horror Anthology, with stories that cover apocalypse scenarios, haunted houses, frightening dreamscapes, and hospitals to name but a few. there are stories by Jonathan Maberry, Brian Evenson, Chịkọdịlị Emelụmadụ, Michael Marshall Smith, Lynda E. Rucker, Marian Womack, Nina Allan, Ken Liu, Owl Goingback, Ramsey Campbell, Paul Tremblay, Laird Barron, Tim Lebbon, and Lisa Tuttle rounding out the collection.

If you're a fan of horror this book will appeal to you for sure. It has a huge variety in styles and genres, and you'll find stories that delight, disturb, and challenge in equal measure.

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