DC vs. Vampires #9 - Comic Review

 

Originally published on Patreon

We're getting closer to the end of DC vs Vampires, and it feels like the pieces are being put into place for the finale as we follow three groups as they make their moves to end the vampire menace.

Supergirl, Steel, Jayna, and Black Manta come to the end of their boat journey, with Australia on the horizon. However, when the sea grows eerily calm Manta knows that it's not a good sign, and vampire Atlanteans storm the ship. Unfortunately, they're the Royal Guard, which means Aquaman is on the scene. And here's where we get a pretty cool reveal (spoilers coming), as Manta removes their helmet, to reveal Mera! The queen of the ocean engages with her former husband in battle! But its not enough, Jayna dies, and the ship is destroyed, with the wreckage pulling Kara down into the depths.

Already in Australia, Oliver Queen begins an assault upon one of the blood farms, taking out guards, stealthing through sand storms in tumbleweed suits, and setting up for a fight with 'the big man'. After taking down dozens of vampires, he's grabbed by Hawkman. 

Back in the US, Harley, Black Canary, Frankenstein, and Barbara try to find a way into Gotham city using the secret tunnels that Harley used to smuggle people out. However, it looks like the tunnels are all discovered and collapsed, leaving the group with the option to try and cross the river into the city using a small boat, whilst the skies are patrolled by vampires like Wonder Girl and Power Girl. Fortunately, they get some help in the form of Damian, who offers them a way into the city.

There's a lot of cool stuff this issue, and it feels like one of the better entries in the series since issue six and the jump forward in time. The Green Arrow stuff is really good, and it's great seeing him infiltrating this place and getting closer and closer to his target. Some of the traps he comes up with are pretty evil, such as petrol bombs that have holy water in them for 'twice the burn', and him rolling into camp disguised as a tumbleweed are ridiculous and so like Solid Snake I can't not love it.

The scene in the concetration camp with Grifter was pretty interesting too, and shows how much Ollie has changed in this new world. The old Ollie would do whatever it took to break those people out, and would put helping people in need above his mission, but here he's only focused on the one thing. He's grown cold. It's also not clear if Hawkman is 'the big man' or if he's an underling, but considering him and Carter have always had a bit of beef, it'll be interesting to see them clash.

The stuff around Gotham is pretty slow compared to everything else, and seems to be more focused on getting things ready for next issue. It's good that Damian is back involved, and will be interesting to see how much of the stuff that's been happening with him in the one shots and DC vs Vampires: All Out War comes into play.

The boat scenes might be the best bits of the issue, and looking back at how Black Manta was drawn before the reveal, it's kind of obvious that someone else was inside the suit, as they were smaller and slimmer. The fact that no one else knew and it was a shock reveal to the characters shows that they weren't doing the 'you don't know the voice because of voice balloons' cheap fake out, and that the suit was modulating Mera's voice. 

I've had a bit of a soft spot for Mera since Blackest Night, and getting to see her lose her shit and take on Arthur is great, and you can really feel that this is something a bit different; the moment of pause from Arthur, the rage in Mera's face. It's all big and exciting, and kind of overshadows the death of Jayna a bit because that happens so quickly, and is given so little focus. Out of all of the stuff in this issue, seeing if Mera made it out alive or not is one of the things I'm most looking forward to next time.

The art, by Otto Schmidt, looks really good. I've always found that this series has really good looking art, and the vamps look particularly vicious and mean. There are some great moments scattered throughout, and the art really elevates them from good into great.

I know some folks have been feeling a bit of a flagging feeling with this series, possibly in part due to the extras and tie-in's, but this is one of the best issues in months, and shows that there's still a load of good stuff to be found here.

This article, and many others, can be read a month early on my Patreon for as little as $3 a month!

Support Amy on Patreon

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

Godzilla: Monsters & Protectors – All Hail The King #1 – Comic Review

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

Earlier this year IDW Publishing released a graphic novel for the first volume of Godzilla: Monsters & Protectors, a new series aimed at a younger audience that proved to be a fun and enjoyable read. Now, IDW have given fans a new series set in the same world with Godzilla: Monsters & Protectors – All Hail The King, and it looks set to be bigger and better than what came before.

As with the first volume, the story opens with Cedric chasing the high of being internet famous, this time having made a small, animated gif about Godzilla protecting the environment. His friends, who lived through an adventure alongside the titular monster, still think that advertising their connection to Godzilla is a bad thing, and encourage Cedric to just let it go. The problem is, Cedric is being constantly messaged online by a troll named Dragon who keeps demanding that Cedric prove his claims of having a connection with Godzilla.

Whilst this might just seem like your average internet rando, it is in fact an alien invader! Agent Dragon is a member of the Xillian invasion force that’s preparing to attack the Earth, but is trying to gather information that can help them do so. Dragon is trying to get info on Godzilla from Cedric, and claims that “If the boy’s connection to Godzilla is true I’ll make him reveal it with the powerful technique the humans call trolling.” This might be one of the most evil men in any Godzilla media.

And thus we get the set-up for this volume of the series; the Xillians are watching us from space, prepared to come and invade the planet and destroy all we hold dear, but are still nervous about doing so thanks to the threat of the Kaiju. However, they discover something deep beneath the surface of the Earth that might help them in their mission, which if you know a bit about Xillians, and can extrapolate from the book’s title, you may be able to guess what it is without even needing to read the book.

This seems like a good solid start to the series, and it works a lot better than the first volume, which had a much shakier beginning, despite no monsters actually appearing in this issue (other than in dream sequences that offer a surprise cameo from Gabara, a monster that existed solely in a child’s dreams in the film All Monsters Attack). But the story doesn’t really need the monsters yet, as it’s doing a decent job of establishing the human characters. The returning cast fit well with what came before, and their development since the first volume feels believable and fits with where they were last time, especially Cedric.

We also get a couple of new characters introduced in this issue too. There’s the already mentioned Agent Dragon, the Xillian tech who’s surfing the web and abusing children. This is a pretty ridiculous character, and his line about using trolling to get things done did genuinely make me laugh. He’s a bit different from what we normally get from his people, so he makes a decent change. In contrast, Commander Z, his superior, is much more what we expect from the Xillians, and seems to be the straight man for Dragon to play against. There’s also Karen Higa, a new student at Cedric’s school who transferred from Okinawa after she asked her parents to move her there. She has an interest in Cedric’s story about Godzilla, and I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s more to her character than meets the eye.

The art on the book, by Dan Schoening, and Luis Antonio Delgado looks really nice, and fits the middle grade style very well. The art is bold and bright, with clear colours and simple to absorb panels. The characters all look dynamic and are easily identifiable, and even the matching Xillians look unique from each other. The monsters that we get this issue also look really good, and I was impressed that they actually made Gabara look like something other than a joke.

For fans of Godzilla, this is a pretty decent start to a promising series. It’s designed to be accessible to younger audiences, but does actually have stuff here that older fans will be able to enjoy too. With hints of bigger, scarier things to come, this could prove to be much better than the first volume.

Support Amy on Patreon

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

Batman: One Bad Day: Two Face #1 - Comic Review

 

Originally published on Patreon

I really didn't like the first entry in this new series of one-shots; mainly because the writer of that book seemed to think the best way to write a Riddler story was to have the character forget their entire thing, and just do anything that any other villain could do. It forgot that it was supposed to be telling a story about The Riddler, about what makes that character who they are. Thankfully, Mariko Tamaki has decided to write a Two-Face story that's actually about the character; and the series has been put back on track.

This story begins with a flashback to a time when Two-Face was a villain, where Harvey Dent was buried deep inside, and death and cruelty seemed to be all he cared about. Jumping forward in time, we meet Harvey in the present, where he's once again in control, and the Two-Face personality is locked away.

When Harvey, who's been given another chance at being a good man, comes to Batman with a threatening note that was sent to his father, he asked his friend/enemy for help. His father is being targeted at his upcoming 88th birthday party, and Harvey wants to make sure nothing bad happens to him.

Whilst Batman is willing to try to help, wanting for his old friend be we well and good again, Stephanie is wary about trusting him; but agrees to assist, along with Cass. Batman is unable to find out who's behind the note, but when things start to appear suspicious at the party, it looks like the threat might be very real.

I really liked this story. It's a great spotlight on the mind of Harvey Dent and Two-Face, how the two of them work together, and the history that he has with Bruce and Batman. Bruce really wants Harvey to be okay, to be the good man that he once knew. He's willing to give over his time to help him, and give him extra chances even when others aren't.

And I love the fact that Steph calls him out on this. She doesn't let him pretend this is any other case, and gets him to admit he's going above and beyond because of who it is. It's a nice thing to see, as the family confronting Bruce about stuff when he steps out of line is always a good thing.

The book also gives over a lot of time to looking at Harvey and his father, their relationship, and the way that Harvey is trying to put his life back together. You begin to root for him, and want him to succeed, even though history tells us that this reformation is likely only temporary.

The book has really nice art in it too, provided by Javier Fernandez, and Jordie Bellaire, and the book captures a lot of the dark and gloomy essence of Gotham city. They also manage to make Harvey look scarred, but not evil, and it's clear when he's each personality, as in the flashback Two-Face looks much more cruel than the kindly Harvey in the present. The action moments are also done really well, and the Batgirls both look great.

Overall, this was a huge improvement on the previous issue, and what I was hoping for from this series.

This article, and many others, can be read a month early on my Patreon for as little as $3 a month!

Support Amy on Patreon

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White – Throwback 70

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

Charlotte’s Web is a story that most people will be aware of, even if they’ve never read it, thanks to it having become one of the most beloved children’s stories of all time. But what makes a story about a friendship between a pig and a spider stand out as something worthy of praise, and love, seven decades after it was first published?

Prior to the release of Charlotte’s Web, E.B. White was no stranger to the world of writing, having published a number of successful articles in The New Yorker and Harper’s Magazine, attracting attention for his witty way with words, and for making the most unusual subjects accessible to casual readers. But it was in children’s fiction writing that he found the most notoriety, having already published Stewart Little in 1945. Whilst that is a name that would go on to become incredibly well known, it wasn’t as well received when it was first published. It would be his second children’s book, Charlotte’s Web that would find him the most fame.

Charlotte’s Web tells the story of a small pig named Wilbur, who’s adopted by a young girl named Fern after she sees he’s the runt of the litter. Fern cares for Wilbur, and nurses him to health, but after a short while he’s grown too big, and is sold to Fern’s uncle, farmer Homer Zuckerman. Zuckerman puts Wilbur into one of the barns on his farm, and plans to fatten the pig up in order to slaughter him. Wilbur soon makes friends with Charlotte, a small spider who lived in the doorway to the barn, who hears of the farmer’s plan to slaughter Wilbur, and promises to find a way to save the young pig.

Charlotte comes up with an idea that she believes may say Wilbur, and writes a message into her web that says ‘some pig’. Zuckerman sees the writing, and as word spreads of the ‘miracle’ words, the barn, and Wilbur, become an attraction as people journey there to see it. As the excitement over Wilbur begins to die down, Charlotte writes a new word, ‘Terrific’. This again brings attention to Wilbur, and delays Zuckerman’s plans to kill him. After a third word, ‘radiant’, appears, Zuckerman decides to enter Wilbur into the country fair.

Charlotte journeys with Wilbur in order to keep the pig company, and the two of them arrive at the fair, where Wilbur fails to win the top prize. However, he is given a special award by the judges, which prompts Charlotte to write the message ‘humble’. Charlotte tells Wilbur that the prize means that Zuckerman won’t take Wilbur to slaughter now, as he’d want to keep an award-winning pig. She also tells Wilbur that that would be her final message, as she’s close to dying of old age, and does not intend to return to the farm with her friend. However, she does give Wilbur her egg sack, and asks him to take her children with him. Back at the farm, Charlotte’s children eventually hatch, and whilst most of them leave the barn, three remain behind to live with Wilbur, and he takes care of each new generation of Charlotte’s children, as she once took care of him.

One of the things that instantly wins people over to Charlotte’s Web once they’ve read it is the ending. The brief summary of the plot I’ve given only goes some way to putting across how surprisingly emotional a story this tale of a pig and his spider friend is, but it’s honestly quite devastating when you realise that Charlotte is about to die after she saves Wilbur, and that there’s nothing that can be done for her. And Charlotte’s Web might contain one of the most emotionally devastating sentences I’ve read in any book, let alone a children’s book: “No one was with her when she died”. I’m an arachnophobe who hates spiders, but that made even me cry.

But the book isn’t just about death, as it contains wonderful messages about life, about helping those around you, and of the importance of friendship and found family. The book is filled with themes that will not only appeal to younger readers, imparting important messages, but will allow adult readers to find something with more depth and weight than a simple child’s story.

And this is part of the reason why the book was so well received when it was released. The novel was seen as a story that appealed to readers of all ages, and received high praise in publications such as The New York Times, and the book would go on to receive the Newbery Honour from the American Library Association. Over the years, the book continued to sell well, and it’s estimated to have sold more than 45 million copies and been translated into more than 20 languages. It has been adapted to audio more than once, and even received a live-action movie adaptation in 2006, which also got a video-game tie-in. It’s been included in lists of the 200 best-loved novels by the BBC.

Charlotte’s Web is a story that has lasted the years because it’s open to all readers, because it has a strong emotional core, and because of the themes and messages woven into it. It has helped to teach children about death, and how it’s a part of life. And thanks to White’s short story Death of a Pig, in which he reveals his own story of trying to save a sick pig bought for slaughter, we can see Charlotte’s Web as his attempt to save a pig, even if only in his writing, as that death in his own childhood shaped the man he would become.

Support Amy on Patreon

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

Star Wars: The Mandalorian #3 - Comic Review

 

Originally published on Patreon

Issue three of Star Wars: The Mandalorian does what we've had with the first two issues, a pretty faithful retelling of the events of the television series with nothing new or extra added to it.

We join Din as he returns to Nevarro in order to collect his bounty on the child. After handing it off to the client, he gets a nice cantono full of stolen beskar that he then takes to the secret Mandalorian covert beneath the settlement, where the Armourer forges him some new armour with it.

After picking up a new job from Kriff, he heads back to the Razor Crest to head off, but thinks back to the tiny baby and what the Imperial remnant might do with the kid. Heading back into the town, he breaks into the compound and steals the child back, killing stormtroopers on his way out. The bounty hunters are made aware of his actions, and Din gets confronted on the way back to his ship; but is rescued by the other Mandos. The issue ends with Din and Grogu flying off together.

This was a great action packed story, when it first aired on TV. As it is in comic form, it's fine. And this is my big issue with this book, is that it's just fine. There's nothing here that makes me go 'wow', or gets me excited, because I know what's coming. I've seen these scenes before. I know the action beats; and whilst it looks cool in comic form it doesn't capture the imagination of entertain nearly as much as seeing it in live action.

I think perhaps the best thing about this comic is that if you need to find out where a specific scene came in the series, or what episode a certain thing happened it's easier to flick through the comics and find it than watching through the show again. It's a handy aid to refresh your memory; but if you really want to experience the show again it's just not able to compete with the actual thing.

I'm not really sure who this comic is for. Maybe folks who don't have Disney+ and can't/won't pirate it and really want to experience the story? But for those who've seen it already it's nothing that special.

This article, and many others, can be read a month early on my Patreon for as little as $3 a month!

Support Amy on Patreon

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

Black Adam #4 - Comic Review

 

Originally published on Patreon

Maybe it's just me, but I'm not really sure what's supposed to be happening in this series any more. When it began Black Adam was dying, having been infected with a  disease by Darkseid. The it was revealed it wasn't Darkseid, and Desaad did it, but then Desaad was fake and it was actually a group of ancient gods. Maybe. They could just be in Adam's mind. Then Adam died. Now he's alive again, and he's saying he was poisoned with tea, even though that got ruled out in a previous issue. And the gods might be real, and were in a space could. I think.

I am really struggling to understand what's already happened, and I have no idea where this series might be going. It also doesn't help that I kind of don't like Malik much. There are some nice moments with him, like him using his super powers to entertain his infant niece, but on the whole I have no idea what his personality is even supposed to be.

Malik talks constantly, but half the stuff he comes out with seems superfluous, half sentences and jumping from one point to the next to the point where I have no idea what point he's even trying to make. There's a lot of use of slang in this issue, especially when Malik gets thrown out into the street and the pubic are shouting stuff at him. Not being from the US, I had no idea what half the comments they were making meant, and I guess perhaps it's specific to Washinton, as its stuff that I've not heard before.

Black Adam still strikes me as being very different to every other appearance I've read him in too, with him being un-transformed the entire issue, sitting in a comfy chair talking to a friend. It doesn't feel like Black Adam the ruler and moody hero that I've seen in every other comic, and if the name and costume were changed I could believe that this was an entirely new character.

Even the appearance of Etrigan did little to help me enjoy this issue, as the point of the characters inclusion was lost upon me. I don't know why he was here, and much like Malik, I had trouble understanding the things he was saying.

I'm not going to say that the book is bad, as I know there are folks out there that are enjoying it; I'll just say that it very much seems to be a series that is not designed for me at all.

This article, and many others, can be read a month early on my Patreon for as little as $3 a month!

Support Amy on Patreon

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

Birdsong by Katya Balen - Book Review

 

'After a devastating car crash, Annie is unable to play her flute and retreats from the music she’s always loved. She exists in a world of angry silence – furious with her mum and furious she can’t seem to play her beloved flute any more.

'Then she meets Noah, who shows her the blackbirds’ nest hidden in the scrubland near their flats. As their friendship grows, the blackbirds’ glorious song reignites Annie’s passion for music. But when tragedy strikes again, will her fragile progress be put at risk?'

Birdsong is a new release from Barrington Stoke that takes a look at tragedy. Annie is a young girl with a life that she loves. She plays the flute well, and is getting ready to try out for a specialist music school, and she's got the perfect home with her mother. But everything changes for her when her and her mother are in a car crash. Her mother comes out fine, but Annie injures her hands.

With fingers that don't want to do what she tells them, unable to play her music, and with scars that remind her constantly of what she's lost, her life begins to spiral out of control. Soon, her mother isn't able to keep up with work, and the two of them have to leave their home and move into a small flat in a tower block. 

Annie is angry with the way her life has changed. Her plans for the future are gone, her home is lost, and the simple things that used to bring her please, just making music, are denied to her. She's isolated, and spiralling into depression.

When looking out of her window one morning, she sees one of the new neighbourhood kids disappearing into the patch of scrubland nearby. Following after him, Annie discovers that the boy, Noah, is spending time with blackbirds living in the area. Gaining their trust over time, Noah has been caring for the animals as much as he can. Whilst she's at first reluctant to make a new friend, Annie begins to spend more time with Noah and the birds, a decision that will go on to change her life.

Birdsong is a book that doesn't really sugarcoat things. It shows a story where a young girl goes through a terrible event, and comes out of it the worse off. Annie is hurt by the crash, she has lasting physical and emotional scars from it, and they're things that lead to genuine depression. She becomes withdrawn, her relationship with her mother deteriorates, and she begins to find it hard to find any joy in life. The book understands that depression is something that can happen to children, and it never tries to make Annie seem like she's overreacting, or being wrong in the way that she's dealing with her trauma.

Instead, the book takes a different approach, and tells children that it's okay to be sad when bad things happen to them. It takes Annie time to be ready to open up, and it doesn't really happen until she begins to make a new friend. I think the story is trying to tell children that everyone's journey can be a little different, can happen at their own pace, yet still be valid and matter. You might go through something bad, and you might not be ready to move on or open up about it immediately, but that's fine, because you'll get there eventually.

The book also comes with a number of illustrations, provided by Richard Johnson, and I feel like they fit the tone of the book. They're presented in black and white, and mostly focus on Annie and the people immediately around her. Backgrounds are often not included, or mostly minimalist, because Annie is withdrawn into herself. She's the focus of the pictures because she's the focus of her trauma and her story to the point where shes's kind of not  caring about what's around her. It's a nice representation of her feelings in the book.

Overall, Birdsong is a really nice story about overcoming pain and trauma, and learning to get better. It's the kind of narrative kids need, so that they know that when they're feeling bad it's not their fault, and it's not going to be forever.

Support Amy on Patreon

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

Batman/Superman: World's Finest #7 - Comic Review

 

Originally published on Patreon

The first arc for Batman/Superman: World's Finest was an enjoyable adventure story about ancient magic users, gods and demons, and featured appearances from Supergirl and the Doom Patrol. This new arc seems to be taking a less grand approach, and is going in a more character focused direction as it tells the story of Superman's forgotten side-kick.

The story begins on another world, another Earth in the multiverse, where a pair of scientists in Gotham city load their teenage son, David, into a special pod and blast him off into space as the planet is destroyed. Rather than hurtling through space, the pod shifts into another dimension, bringing David to Earth-0.

As the pod crashes to Earth it's met by Batman and Robin, and Superman. Upon hearing David's story Superman feels an instant connection to him (because of course he would). However, it turns out the sun on David's earth is different to this one, and much like Superman the Earth-0 sun gives him powers. Rather than being a simple duplicate of Superman, however, he gains heat based powers.

After being checked over in Kandor and the Fortress of Solitude, Superman gives David a Kryptonian suit to help regulate his powers. Meanwhile, in Gotham, Bruce has managed to find this world's version of David's parents. however, when David tries to see them, he's confronted by his own grief and loss when they have no idea who he is, and want nothing to do with him. To try and help David, Dick takes him to meet the Teen Titans.

One of the things that this series has always seemed to do well is to capture a lighter feel that was present in older comics. Even when dealing with darker material, this series feels like something of a throwback, with happier characters, and slightly silly things happening. This really helps it to feel like we're seeing past events, but it also makes the series incredibly enjoyable to read. And this issue really benefits from that.

David's story is an incredibly sad one, and whilst it mirrors Clarks it has more tragedy to it as he's not an infant. He had a life on his world, he remembers his parents, his family, his friends. He knows what he's lost, and he feels that grief. He's a young man dealing with an immense tragedy, and in other hands it could make for a very depressing story. But here it doesn't quite feel like that. The other characters are trying their best to help him, to show him some good, and to make him feel like he could make a life for himself on this new Earth.

As far as first issues go, it's a decent start, and you very quickly come to care for David and want to see good things for him. Which I guess has me worried; as we know this isn't a character that's ever been around before. Which means he's probably not going to last. Now, this could mean that he gets a happy ending elsewhere, or it could mean his story ends in tragedy. We have no idea what direction they're going with this yet, and as such, I am kind of worried that it's going to end badly for David.

This issue also saw the return of Dan Mora as artist, after taking an issue off last month, and the artwork is absolutely gorgeous. I've loved his work since I first saw it on Power Rangers, and think that he's able to elevate the story a lot of time. His background and environments always look superb, but it's the characters that really stand out to me; especially teens. Characters like Dick and David, and the other Teen Titans, all look really good; and I'm looking forward to seeing more of them next issue.

If you have't tried out this series yet, issue seven is a great place to jump on for what's one of the more entertaining and enjoyable reads from DC.

This article, and many others, can be read a month early on my Patreon for as little as $3 a month!

Support Amy on Patreon

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

DC vs Vampires: All Out War #3 - Comic Review

 

Originally published on Patreon

In the third issue of this DC vs Vampires spin-off our team of heroes and villains finally reach their destination and put their plan to save the world into action; but get given a side-mission along the way from an unexpected new ally.

The change in location to the Florida swamps is a nice shift, and gives this issue a look that feels a bit different to what we've had in the first issue. We also get a startling shot that shows us that the swamp has become a giant farm where Swamp Thing has been turned into a farm for food to feed those trapped in the blood farm. Soylent Green is Swamp Thing I guess. It's pretty creepy, even for this series.

Not long into their time in Florida the team are saved from a vampire attack by Batwoman, who dispatches a number of vampires; though is one herself. Slade and the group go to kill her, but she convinces them that she's okay, and was sent there by Damian. Not entirely trusting her, they do agree to help her to rescue Starfire; who's being held near to the blood farms.

The team splits up, with some going with Batwoman to break out the alien princess, whilst the others carry on with the original plan. And the rest of the issue mostly follows the Starfire side of the mission, with the other part probably being the focus next time.

Starfire is being held under the control of Baron Cinder (more on him in a bit), and the team have to fight through hordes of vampires to get to her. Whilst they do manage to rescue her, and she leaves with Batwoman to go do whatever Damian has in mind, Bane ends up being killed in the process; losing one of the team's stronger fighters.

This issue is okay, it's not the best entry in the DC vs Vampires canon, but it's still pretty entertaining. The action is decent enough, and it seems to be putting things into place for later plans by going in and taking out Starfire; but on the whole there's nothing here that really stands out. The characters don't really have anything about them that jumps out (other than Mary being a delight), and some of the interactions feel a bit weird. I understand that this is almost a year into the vampire apocalypse, and old relationships have changed; but I don't get why Slade and Kory are so chummy, especially as Starfire has been a prisoner of the vampires since day one. It just felt kind of off.

Now, Baron Cinder. This is a new character to the series, or a reinvention of an existing one at least.  We know he's wearing Lex Luthor's suit, but can't be Lex because he died. His head is on fire, but it's not Firestorm. This issue claims that he's powered by solar radiation, which hints at this being a Kryptonian. So, I'm leaning towards this being Superman. He got badly hurt in a previous issue, which could explained the bald, scarred head, and perhaps vampirisim and being hurt by sunlight, yet being Kryptonian and being powered by sunlight is having this weird effect on him that's causing him to burn constantly. Plus, him being in Lex's suit would kind of be poetic in a way. I'm just spit-balling, but that#s what I think we may learn by the end of the series anyway.

The art, Pasquale Qualano, and Nicola Right, looks great as usual, the black and white art with splashes of red throw in looks really good, especially with things like the flowing red hair of Batwoman. The art on this series has always been nice, and the particular style it chooses works really well at making a darker, more oppressive atmosphere, yet never feeling too muddy or murky that you get lost as to what's happening.

The back-up feature gives us the second part of 'Dark Birth', which tells the story of how Nightwing becomes the vampire king. Having walked into the headquarters of a group of vampires, this month he's having to fight for his life to escape. Of course, it's absolutely hopeless as he's outnumbered by a ridiculous degree, and even not knowing how this ends it'd look like a no-win situation. The worst part of it, for me, is as dozens of vampires swarm over him and he knows he's about to die, the last thing he thinks about is 'Who'd feed Haley in the morning?'.

This honestly made me feel really sad, and brought a tear to my eye. In his final moment Dick didn't think about what would happen to him, didn't think about how he could have done something different, he thought about his sweet, innocent little puppy and if she'd be okay. This speaks to how kind a person he is, and perhaps this depth of kindness is why he fell so far when he became a vampire; all that goodness twisting into evil.

Haining's artwork is decent enough, and looks similar to the main story by being black and white with flashes of red, but does look different enough to stand out. It has a very manga-like quality to it, and Dick is a very pretty looking boy in this story. It is odd seeing DC embracing manga art, but as a small side-story it's okay.

This article, and many others, can be read a month early on my Patreon for as little as $3 a month!

Support Amy on Patreon

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

Black Panther: Panther’s Rage by Sheree Renée Thomas – Book Review

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

'An all-new re-imagining of the legendary Black Panther comics arc, Panther's Rage, from an award-winning author.

'Follow Wakanda's high-tech king across the savannah, into the deepest jungles and up snow-topped mountains in this prose adaptation of the landmark comics series by Don McGregor, Rich Buckler and Billy Graham. This arc expands on the life and culture of the Wakandans, also introducing us to Panther's historic enemies. See T'Challa channel the strength of his ancient bloodline to take out foes including the breakout character Killmonger!'

For many, Black Panther is a character that means a lot. The first Black superhero in mainstream comics, he’s a character with a long legacy, and thanks to the MCU and the work of the late Chadwick Boseman the character was discovered by millions of people who would never think to pick up a comic.

The latest Marvel prose novel from Titan Books focuses on the character just in time for the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever to hit cinemas around the world, and tries to retell the story that saw the King of Wakanda face off against his nemesis, Killmonger, for the very first time.

The original story, printed in the series Jungle Action, was first printed in the 1970s, and was written by Don McGregor, who took the King of Wakanda away from New York and the world of superheroes and back to his home nation in Africa. It’s widely considered to be one of the best, and most important early Black Panther stories, and this retelling is helmed by Sheree Renée Thomas, an author, editor and publisher who has worked on many books, including Dark Matter, a collection of stories by some of the best Black writers in sci-fi, fantasy, and horror.

The story begins with T’Challa, the King of Wakanda, living in New York, having left his home nation in the hands of a trusted adviser whilst he pursues a career as a superhero in America. Whilst in the US he has formed a number of friendships, including one with N’Jadaka, a man whose family were exiled from Wakanda in the past, and Monica Lynne, a singer whom he’d entered a romantic relationship with. When T’Challa receives news that the regent of Wakanda is dead, he sets out to return home, bringing N’Jadaka and Monica with him.

Arriving in Wakanda, T’Challa begins to hear of a figure called Killmonger, a person seemingly worshipped by some members of the community; the same people who call T’Challa a failed king, and demand his removal from the throne. As terrorist attacks begin to take place across the nation, T’Challa must face the very real possibility that Wakanda may be dragged into a civil war, unless he can become the king his nation needs. However, things become more complex when T’Challa comes face to face with Killmonger, and discovers that it’s his friend, N’Jadaka. Not only that, but Killmonger is as strong and fast as T’Challa, has a small army at his command, and is working with a cadre of villains and evil magicians. Can T’Challa find a way to survive against the greatest threat he’s ever faced, or will this be the fall of the Black Panther?

For those that have read the original 13 issue run, this novel will be pretty familiar, as Sheree Renée Thomas recreates a lot of that story here. For those whose only exposure to these characters is the Marvel movies, it may be a bit of a shock seeing the ‘true’ origin of some of these characters; especially as the book brings in a lot of the weirdness of 70’s comics. Unfortunately, the fact that it’s recreating a year long comic run from the early 1970s is perhaps the biggest downside of this book.

There are several times in the novel where you can really feel the fact that this was originally produced as a monthly comic. There are a lot of action moments, and it’s pretty clear that this is because comics from that time would feel the need to have something big and exciting happen in every issue. And whilst plenty of action itself isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it does start to become a little repetitive at times; especially when T’Challa is beating up the exact same henchmen time and time again.

The story also feels very bogged down in throwing small challenges at the hero, where he’d have to deal with something in each of the issues. As such, there are henchmen, d-list villains, and more enhanced animals for T’Challa to fight that are reasonable across the length of the book. The sudden inclusion of zombies for a few chapter in the middle perhaps feels the most egregious because it’s so out of place and feels like the biggest departure from the tone and flow of the story.

It feels like a shame that Sheree Renée Thomas wasn’t allowed to throw out some of these moments in an attempt to streamline things more. Instead, the book feels like it’s tied to the original too much. A re-imagining that takes parts of the story, that makes it work better in this medium, and stays true to the spirit of the original would have worked much better. As it is, it feels like perhaps you’d get more out of tracking down and reading the graphic novel instead. The times where Sheree Renée Thomas does add stuff, such as the inclusion of more modern tech like cell phones, or some of the inner workings of T’Challa’s thoughts, feels like too little of a new thing to really matter, and I couldn’t help but find myself glossing over some of the paragraphs of T’Challa’s inner monologue because I just wanted to get through it as quickly as I could.

Black Panther: Panther’s Rage isn’t a bad book, and if it’s one of your first exposures to the wider history of the character it’s going to be enjoyable enough. But for those familiar with the story it does at times feel like there’s not a huge amount here that you’ve not seen before, and that modernising a story from 50 years ago without changing much of it leads to a bit of a strange experience.

Support Amy on Patreon

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram