Lovers Lane (1999) – Blu-ray Review

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

Lovers Lane is an odd piece of cinema. The slasher movie was at its height in the 1980s, a time where you couldn’t walk through a video store without tripping over a stack of slasher VHS tapes. After vanishing into obscurity for a few years, the genre made a resurgence in the late 90s thanks to Scream bringing fresh life and interest to things. the success of Scream would lead to movies like I Know What You Did Last Summer and Halloween: H20 as other studios tried to jump on the trend. Lovers Lane was released just a couple of years after Scream, and feels like it should be primed to cash in on this, yet somehow manages to feel out of time and out of place.

Lovers Lane begins with a flashback sequence to thirteen years in the past, where a young couple are making out in a parked car at the local lovers lane. They’re disturbed by a hook-handed maniac, who tries to kill them both. The couple manage to escape, but find another car with a man and woman murdered in it. When police arrive on the scene one of the officers, Tom (Matt Riedy), who has his young daughter in the car with him, is distraught to learn that the murdered woman is his wife, who was having an affair. The hook-handed man is arrested, and placed in a psychiatric hospital.

Thirteen years later, in the present day (1999) the local teens are gearing up for parties and shenanigans for Valentine’s Day. The film spends some time introducing us to a number of characters, such as Chloe (Sarah Lancaster), the school bitch, cheerleader Janelle (Anna Faris), and the prankster Doug (Billy O’Sullivan). We also get to see Tom’s daughter Mandy (Erin J. Dean), who has become a bit of a lonely teen, and Michael (Riley Smith), the son of the principal, and the son of the man Mandy’s mother was having an affair with. As the teens plan their parties and prepare for a night of fun, the hook-handed man breaks out of hospital, ready to continue his swathe of killings.

Despite being released towards the end of the 90s, Lovers Lane feels like a movie from an earlier time – but it’s hard to pin down what time. Much of the film has the feel of a story from the 1950s thanks to the use of the Hook Man urban legend that was popularised at that time, whilst the quality of the slasher horror feels more at home in a cheap movie from the 80s. There are no scenes in the film that really impress. The film feels kind of flat, like it’s going through the motions and ticking the boxes for what’s needed for the story to happen, without giving any of it any flair.

We spend time with the teens at the start of the movie because it needed to establish characters that are going to be killed. But none of the teens really feel like characters. Some of them are stereotypes, like the bitchy popular and pretty girl who hates everyone she sees as beneath her, and the guy in the bright shirt who’s always cracking jokes and acting like a smart-ass because he thinks it will somehow get him laid. But outside of that none of the teens are really much of anything. Mandy is bookish and shy, and seems to be disliked or outright hated by the other teens, but the film doesn’t explain why. Other characters just kind of exist, and other than being there to fill the room or get killed off they don’t really contribute anything to proceedings.

This flatness translates to visuals as well. Most of the scenes are shot in the most expected ways possible, and there are no stand out moments or things that happen that you’ll not have seen done better in other movies. None of the scenes are badly shot, but there’s nothing about them that makes them feel special. Locations and sets look kind of bland and flat, and the characters’ costumes feel plain and un-noteworthy. Compared to some of the visual flair of other teen slasher movies of the time it feels like little effort was made to be seen as anything other than a cheap cash-in.

The film tries to do something different with the ending at least, something that does set it apart from the older slasher movies that it seems to have drawn a lot of inspiration from, but once again, compared to something like Scream, which was already two films deep at this point, it still fails to make it interesting enough to compete with those twist endings.

The Blu-ray version comes with two versions of the film, one in widescreen and one in full frame, but neither differs from the other in any real way other than the presentation. There’s an audio commentary from the film’s writers and producers, Geof Miller and Rory Veal, who go into some details about the making of the movie that ends up being more interesting than the film itself, just as a way of seeing how films were made. There’s also a new behind the scenes featurette, ‘Screaming Teens: The Legacy of Lovers Lane’ which features some of the cast and crew.

Overall, Lovers Lane feels like an odd relic of a movie. It doesn’t really fit in with the other films of its type at the time, but neither does it really fit with the eras that it has drawn inspiration from. There’s an attempt to make a half decent movie here, but it often feels like the effort and skill didn’t meet the hopes. For those who have an interest in this genre, and film history, it might be of note, but for the casual horror fan there are much better releases from Arrow that are worth your time and money.

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Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent #3 - Comic Review

 

Jon Kent is lost in the multiverse, stuck on another world where he's just witnessed that universe's version of his father murder Ultraman. Following the events of the last issue, Jon has fallen unscious and has has been taken to the Hall of Justice. The book begins with Diana and Clark having a discussion about Jon. It seems like this Superman is ready to trust Jon, and is willing to do whatever it takes to help the son he never had. Diana is the main voice of reason here, pointing out that he's not this Clark's son, and that he might not be able to be trusted.

Jon awakes in the medical bay, where he finds Luthor as his doctor. Luthor explains how Jon expelled all of his energy at once, and that that's why he's so weak now. It's also a way of explaining away Jon's ability to turn electric blue, because he's using up more energy than he should be. There might be more of an explanation for it than that, but if not you can kind of shrug it off as being the reason why. There's also a moment where you can see Luthor trying to brace Jon for learning what this world is like, and what this version of Superman is like, which is a fun nod to his being a traitor in the Injustice series. The fact that Luthor is also alive here places this somewhere in the five years that take place before the events of the game.

The Clark of this universe seems to try his best to come across as good and decent towards Jon, treating him well, and even promising to help him rescue Val and Lois from the Phantom Zone. The way that Clark is written in this issue is really interesting, as its showing that he still thinks of himself as a decent man, and that a lot of the things he does comes from a place of what he sees as kindness. It adds a layer of creepiness to the dictator. 

When there's a break in at one of the Regime's compounds in Gotham, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Flash head off to try and help, and don't allow Jon to go with them. However, the mention of Damian grabs his attention, and Jon heads off to Gotham anyway. In Gotham, Damian is fighting Bruce, and Jon rushes into the middle of things to try and stop his best friend. However, this is a version of Damian who has no idea who Jon is, so he proceeds to use his super strength against him. Eventually Batman manages to get away, and Damian blames it all on Jon. Clark arrives and fills Jon in on the reason for the rift between Bruce and Damian, the death of Dick, but leaves out a lot of the story so as not to give it context, or reveal the kind of man Superman has become.

Clark agrees to let Jon fly around on his own, to see the world that Clark has built in the wake of the tragedy he experienced. Jon at first seems to think things seem good, and even talks about how his father often wanted to be this proactive. However, when he helps save someone, who then runs in fear because of the symbol on his chest, Jon realises that there's something rotten on this world; and Superman is at the core of it.

This issue feels like it's doing a lot of set-up. Despite being the third issue of a six issue series, it's got the feel of a first issue because it's having to introduce Jon to a lot of stuff. The readers might be familiar with the Injustice comics, but Jon isn't, as such we need context for everything that he's coming across. This means that a lot of the issue is dealing with backstory, with world building, and with catching up with the status quo. The result is an issue that feels kind of slow; though it still manages to be interesting and engaging, and keeps your attention. I think those who've read the Injustice comics will also find it interesting.

With Jon now apparently realising that there's some bad stuff happening on this world, and with the shady conversations that Clark has had with his allies, it looks like things might be descending into violence pretty quickly. There's no way that Jon is going to side with this version of Superman, so he's going to have to fight him. But, would he perhaps pretend to be okay with things until Superman helps him to free Val and Lois so that he can go home? Maybe, though I can also see this version of Superman refusing to actually free them, because if Red Tornado gets out it means that Jon can leave their universe; and I don't see Clark wanting to lose his son again. 

We've reached the halfway point of the series, and it looks like things are going to get pretty interesting with the next issue.

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Living With Chucky – Documentary Review

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

The Child’s Play franchise is one that will be well known to many a horror fan, and its main character is one of the most well known and instantly recognisable figures in horror (sorry Anabelle, Chucky’s the number one doll). Living With Chucky is a new documentary film that takes a look at the entire scope of the franchise, and one that has something a little different and special up its sleeve to make it stand out from other horror retrospectives.

The film begins simply enough, as we slowly go through each film in the series, getting to learn about the evolution of the franchise. We get to meet Don Mancini, the original writer and creator of Chucky (Brad Dourif), who tells us about the origins of the script, the process of shopping it around Hollywood, hoping to see it picked up. Luckily, producer David Kirschner just happened to be into haunted dolls at the time, and was looking for a script to scratch that itch. The two met, and Child’s Play began. From here we get some insight into how the film was made, the process of creating the first Chucky puppets, and what it was like for Alex Vincent to work on the film at such a young age as Andy, the boy Chucky was determined to take over.

From here we jump into the second film, then the more maligned third movie, as the creators talk about the quick demand for sequels, and how they ultimately took the series in the direction they did. Whilst the first two films get some decent attention, the third is covered relatively quickly; perhaps the creators knowing that it’s still considered to be the least favourite of the series by fans. Then, however, we enter a new era for the series, with The Bride of Chucky. Embracing a more comedic angle, the series introduced Jennifer Tilly into the mix as Tiffany, who would ultimately become a doll just as iconic as Chucky. You can see the joy on Dourif’s face when talking about this movie, of how happy he was to go from working alone in a sound booth for the movie to being able to act with Tilly and bounce off her energy, quick wits and ability to improvise.

We then cover Seed of Chucky, which brought actor Billy Boyd on board to play Chucky’s gender fluid child Glen/Glenda in a film that got a little bit meta. What comes next is another shift in the series, as we cover Curse of Chucky and Cult of Chucky, both of which go back to the horror roots of the franchise, and introduced a new protagonist in the form of Dourif’s own daughter, Fiona. By the time each of the films have been covered it’s become clear that, unlike some horror franchises, the Child’s Play series has embraced change, has tried new things, and has surprisingly kept most of the same cast and crew across seven films. But with a big section of the film left, what is the rest of the documentary about?

This is where Living With Chucky sets itself apart from other documentaries, as the director introduces herself, Kyra Elise Gardner, daughter of special effects creator Tony Gardner, who worked on the series since Seed of Chucky. Kyra grew up with Chucky, Tiffany, and Glen/Glenda in the house, and has come to see Chucky as something of a younger brother, and the franchise as part of her family. And this film has been her chance to finally meet a lot of the people who made that a part of her life. She connects with actor Alex Vincent over what it was like having Chucky around as a kid, and she and Fiona Dourif joke about what it’s like watching your father killed on film, and childhood experiences with the franchise.

The documentary goes from being a brief overview on the franchise, and instead starts to look at the family that formed behind the camera. Whether it’s the writer who’s been involved with each instalment, the producer who’s been there since the beginning, the actors who made the roles iconic, or the special effects team who brought the puppets to life, you can see the bonds that these people developed over the three decades that Chucky has been around. The genuine joy they have when swapping stories, or the affection that comes through when they talk about their co-workers, makes this more than a bunch of talking heads. Brad and Fiona Dourif are together each time either one of them is talking, and you can see the pride that the elder Dourif has for his daughter becoming part of the franchise that made him an icon, and how much he cares about the franchise passing into her hands.

The documentary also talks about the fans that have fallen in love with the series, and how they’ve become part of that extended family. The fans who have the dolls, who have the characters tattooed on them, and who dress up as Chucky and Tiffany. You can see the appreciation that the cast and crew have for them, and how grateful they are for the support that the series has been given over the years. It becomes a celebration of the franchise and all those who’ve come to love it, rather than a simple breakdown of the films and how they were made

The film isn’t your average horror documentary, though it does do some of the expected. It has a host of talking heads that aren’t really connected to the film, but come from the wider horror genre; such as Lin Shaye and Abigail Breslin. It looks at each of the films and gives brief glimpses into the behind the scenes that are interesting, and I’m sure that there will be some criticism that these parts were glossed over pretty quickly, and it would have been nice to see more about their making, but that’s not what this film is ultimately about. It’s like the title says, it’s about growing up Living With Chucky.

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Shazam #1 - Comic Review

 

Shazam has gone through some changes recently. Billy has spent some time stuck in hell, he's been the guardian of the Rock of Eternity, the Rock of Eternity merged with him and lives inside his chest, Mary became the new champion, Billy's powers were corrupted by the wizard before being fixed, and Mary gave her power to Wonder Woman before having them replaced with powers from a group of goddesses. But now we have a new costume, a new creative team, and a new issue one for the character; and it's a wonderful jumping on point for readers new and old.

The book starts with the Captain (love that they're getting close to going back to calling him Captain Marvel as best they can, riding a t-rex through the rain forest. This isn't just an ordinary dinosaur, however, as it turns out its the kid of a family of alien dinosaurs who crash landed on Earth. The Captain managed to find the missing child, and brings them home to to their family. From there he fixes their ship with super-speed, and gets to have tea with the alien dinosaurs. There's something absolutely ridiculous but hugely charming about this whole intro sequence. Billy is having a ton of fun, he's riding a T-rex, he's having tea in giant tea-cups that have been made by space dinosaurs. What's not to love about the whole things. And it's wonderful to get to see Billy just enjoying himself, and getting to have fun being a super hero.

After seeing the aliens off, he heads back to the Rock of Eternity to store his latest trophy, and to hang out. We see that he's turned the Rock into a mix of trophy room and teenage boy's bedroom, where he sit around playing video games between missions. After Freddy Freeman arrives, however, the two of them head back to Earth as school's about to start. We see that some shadowy figures are watching Billy, and judging him for the way he's acting. One of them looks a bit like the wizard, but considering Lazarus Planet: Revenge of the Gods just did a story where the wizard turned against him for a bit I'm hoping that this is a misdirect, and that we're not going to be having the same story again.

The book also gives a good explanation as to why Billy ever changes back from his super hero persona. He talks about the wisdom of Solomon, and how it doesn't make him a super genius, but does give him a voice in his head telling him things like eat healthier, and to play less video games when he's between missions; which is the kind of nagging parent stuff a teenager won't want to hear inside their own head. This is a fun reasoning for why Billy isn't the Captain all the time, and makes sense for his character. The book also brings back one of the best members of the Shazam mythos, with Tawky Tawny living in his house, being a butler for the family for free room and board. I love Tawny, he's ridiculous and just the kind of silly that a character like Shazam needs to stop from becoming too dour and serious. I'm really hoping that we at some point get to see him interacting with my other favourite Shazam family talking animal, Hoppy the rabbit. 

The book ends with the Captain heading out to help with an earthquake, where he assists the first responders and rescue workers in saving as many people as possible. He lifts up huge pieces of debrid, digs his way through the ruins, and saves several lives. However, when he's being interviewed by news crews after and one of the survivors hugs him and thanks him for what he did he completely flips out, and starts screaming about how they're all beneath him, and should be on their knees before him. The outburst passes, and Billy realises that the camera where all pointed at him. 

There's obviously something sinister going on here, and those shadowy figures who were badmouthing him earlier in the book are more than likely behind things. If it is the wizard, and possibly Zeus based on the look of the other guy, then it could be them corrupting the Captain's powers, and causing him to turn on people like he did. Whatever's happening, it's kind of a bummer to see. The first half of the book did a wonderful job at showing how much fun Billy is having, and how much joy being a hero brings him, that to see this turn, to see his reputation so quickly harmed, is a really sad and shocking moment.

The art on the book is also worth noting. Waid and Mora have been working really well together on Batman / Superman: World's Finest  and its great to see the creative team here again. It feels like the two of them have a really good working relationship, and that Mora is able to put across Waid's writing in really dynamic, and interesting ways. Mora's characters always look fantastic, and getting to see characters like Shazam riding a dinosaur is just fun. The full page splash where we see all of the things that the Captain has done inside the shape of Billy is one of the stand out visuals of the book, and a hugely creative choice.

This is a fantastic start to this series, it's showing us how fun this character is, why reading his book is worth it, and it's teasing some interesting things to come in the rest of the series. If you've not really given Shazam a chance in the past this is the perfect jumping on point. 

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Masters of the Universe: Masterverse #3 – Comic Review

 

Originally published on Set The Cape

Masters of the Universe: Masterverse is a series that allows the creative team to play a little fast and loose with the concept of Masters of the Universe. Thanks to the myriad possibilities that a multiverse adds, we’ve been given several unique and different version of Eternia, as well as its heroes and villains. But, as we enter the third issue, it’s beginning to feel like there’s perhaps not a whole lot to the concept, and that the series is running out of steam as it heads towards its end.

This latest issue begins in dramatic fashion, with the Sorceress and Zodac coming to blows over their different stances on what makes a good protector for the Power of Greyskull, and what should be done about Prince Adam. Unfortunately, this doesn’t last long, and the two ultra-powerful beings put aside their fight to the death to start looking through windows into other universes once again.

The first world we come to takes us to a more primitive and savage version of Eternia, where the kingdom that mixes magic and machines that we know doesn’t exist, and instead there are warring tribes that wear little more than loincloths and animal furs. It’s here that we meet Teel-la, a warrior woman who can hear the voices of ancestral warriors who came before her. When a group of men, who she describes as ‘superstitious barbarians’, capture a shaman of the Beast-Men tribe, she sneaks in at night to free the prisoner. However, when she is confronted by their best warrior, He-Man, she’s forced to battle against him.

This story features on the cover of the book, and the cover gives us a woman who looks very similar to He-Man, with the same kind of hair, muscles, and a big sword. Because of this I thought that we might be getting a universe where He-Man is female, where the power was given to a gender swapped version of Adam. Instead, the story is about Teela, and she looks nothing like the woman on the cover. Her build is different, her hair is different, she’s not as muscled, and she doesn’t have a sword. That, coupled with the story not actually really doing much, leads to this first tale to be hugely disappointing.

The art for this story is pretty strong, however, and is provided by Claudia Balboni and Rico Renzi. The art is very crisp, and very clear, and it’s easy to tell who characters are and what they’re doing, though mostly because they’re the most detailed thing on the page. A lot of panels have very minimal backgrounds, with some having none, and so the characters often stand out of the page as the only thing to draw your eye.

Beastman looks pretty cool, and his design here is understated compared to some versions of him. He-Man is just a guy in furry underwear, however, and there’s nothing distinct about him, and if he didn’t give his name you could be forgiven for not knowing who he is. Tee-la’s design is one that I’m not sure about. She’s wearing the small fur undies like He-Man, and that’s about it. She’s got some bracers on her arms, and her breasts are sitting inside metal cups that are somehow attached to her chest (magic?) that look extremely uncomfortable, and impractical as hell. It’s like an attempt was made to make her a sexy savage, and it just ends up coming off as a bit exploitative.

The second story introduces us to a He-Man who’s part of a group of travelling adventurers who have called themselves the Masters of the Universe. The group consists of Adam, Ram-Man, Man-E-Faces, and Stratos, who awaken to find that their ship has run aground on the Isle of Gray Skulls, and is sinking. Grabbing their gear, they head onto the mysterious island. Following the sounds of hammering metal coming from up the mountain, they go deep inside a cave where they discover a horrific, skull-faced man forging a magical sword, with a woman held as his prisoner. Whilst his friends want to help the woman, He-Man sees no reason to risk his life for a stranger.

This story is a bit of an odd one. For the majority of it Adam is painted as something of a selfish coward and a dick. He doesn’t want to help others out, he seems to be constantly drinking and seems to sleep through important stuff; and in the end he only really steps up when he’s got no other option. I’d question why the Sorceress would be showing Zodac this particular world, as it really seems to be helping his argument that Adam is a dick who shouldn’t be given the powers. There is also a lot of inconsistency with the Isle of Gray Skulls, where at various points we see the team traipsing up snowy mountains, or making camp in the woods, but when we see the entire island come the end of the story neither of these environments are present.

The art for this story is by David Rubin, who provides both the line-work and the colours. It definitely has a style distinct from the first story, and the framing story, and looks wholly its own. It has an odd mix of making things look somewhat gritty and realistic, yet also at times giving characters big, cartoonish expressions, or just big white ball eyes whenever they’re surprised. These moments often feel at odds with the rest of the art, and gives a weird mixed message as to what kind of tone the story is supposed to be. Is it a serious tale, or it it supposed to be a humorous one?

Come the end of the issue it seems like the Sorceress has finally convinced Zodac to stop being a bit of a dick, and to see that He-Man is a decent choice to be her champion. With that done, what else could the two of them need to argue about for the final issue? Well, it looks like the Sorceress is going to show Zodac worlds where He-Man inspired other heroes (though that would be most surely?). We get a small hint in the final panel, and a huge hint in the next cover preview, that one of these worlds is going to be from the new Netflix series. It’ll be interesting to see what other world they showcase, and if its going to be based on another known interpretation.

With the series getting ready for its final issue it’s a real shame that the penultimate one feels so lacklustre and dull. The stories collected here don’t really do much for me, and it feels like neither one really does much with the concept. Hopefully the last issue will throw in a bit more excitement so that the series doesn’t end on a sour note.

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Peacemaker Tries Hard #1 - Comic Review

 

The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker have been hugely popular parts of the recent DC film and TV releases, and the resulting success of both surely played a part in James Gunn being put in charge of the new DC film and TV universe. It's also not a surprise that characters such as Peacemaker have started to appear more now as a direct result. Peacemaker seems to be a big part of Amanda Waller's plans post Dark Crisis, and he's one of the antagonists in Unstoppable Doom Patrol. But, these versions are still trying to stay close to what the character was before the success of the live action version. However, thanks to DC's Black Label, which allows creators to make books outside of the regular DC continuity, the Peacemaker that the fans of the John Cena version get him in a book proper.

It's not stated that this book is set within the same continuity as the live action version, but there's a number of things in the book that seem to be saying that you can consider it to be if you want to. There's the fact that Peacemaker is John Cena for one. Every panel in which he's not wearing the helmet he looks like the actor. This isn't the first comic to make characters look like actors, it's been done a lot, and sometimes it can be quite jarring (I still find it weird whenever I see the Tommy Lee Jones version of Norman Osborne), but with Peacemaker it kind of works. He's a character that doesn't have a ton of comic appearances, and the Cena version is the one that made him not only popular, but well known to people who've never picked up a comic. 

The book begins with Peacemaker picking up some supplies at the grocery story whilst a young couple talk about the upcoming movie of their favourite comic, Tales From The Black Freighter. The cashier is concerned that Peacemaker is planning to make some kind of muscle cake thanks to the muscle powder and cake mix he's buying, which leads to a conversation about how much poop he'd eat in order to bring about peace. It's at this point it becomes clear that the book is going to be trying to emulate the comedy style of the series; and whilst it's not bad it does become apparent that not every writer is able to pull this off as well, and that a large part of the success of the series is the way Cena delivers the lines, and how he presents the character. The book does a decent job at emulating this, but it never quite manages to be as good as the show it's trying to be.

That being said, it's not bad comedy. There are a number of moments that feel like it could slip nicely into the show. The mission that he gets sent on by Waller to break up a terrorist cell that ends up with the terrorist and Peacemaker insulting each other throughout the fight and Peacemaker trying to justify how he's a cooler guy than any off them. Whilst there he comes across a stray french bulldog that he decides to adopt. Thanks to the markings that make him look like he's wearing a tuxedo he names the animal Bruce Wayne, because he's a fancy little guy.

When out picking up supplies for his dog, and the cake mix he fucked up, Bruce Wayne is kidnapped. Going after the people who have his new friend, Peacemaker finds out that The Brain and Monsieur Mallah are behind the theft, and are holding his dog in order to get Peacemaker to go on a mission for them; a mission to collect the genetic material from Deathstroke.

Overall, there's a lot to enjoy about the book. It's got its fun moments, the art is really good, and the story seems like it could be interesting. Half of the jokes land really well, though some do feel a bit forced, or a bit out of nowhere. If you're a fan of the TV series you're either going to enjoy the book, or really love it. And for those that hate it, it's Black Label, so you don't have to worry about it being in continuity.

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Injustice: Gods Among Us – Throwback 10

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

There have been a lot of DC Comics inspired video games over the years, from Superman on the Atari way back in 1979, to the various versions of the 89 Batman, to obscure characters like a Swamp Thing game on the original Nintendo, and Sgt. Rock On The Frontline.

Despite this large catalogue, there have been relatively few games that get held up as being really good. The Arkham games have been beloved, and the various Lego DC titles are popular, but the hits seem few and far between. In 2008 an unusual experiment came out, Mortal Kombat vs DC, which saw the two franchises meet. The results were mixed, but it did plant the seed for an idea.

Created by NetherRealm Studios, responsible for the popular Mortal Kombat series, Injustice: Gods Among Us would ditch the other franchise completely, and be a pure DC game. Set on a different world somewhere within the DC multiverse, the story begins in the past, where the Joker has caused Superman to inhale a gas that makes him think that Lois is his deadly enemy Doomsday, resulting in him accidentally killing his wife and unborn child. Unfortunately, the Joker had connected a nuclear bomb to Lois’ heartbeat, and upon killing her it detonates in the heart of Metropolis, destroying the city. The angry Superman kills the Joker, and begins a campaign to bring real justice to the world.

Five years later, that world is ruled by Superman under his One Earth Regime, with the former hero little more than a fascist dictator. A small resistance of heroes, and a few villains, fight back against his regime, but are struggling to make much of a difference. The insurgency thinks that it might be able to a access a kryptonite weapon that can take Superman down once and for all, but needs the DNA of all the core Justice League members to do so – and several on on his side. So, the insurgency leader, Batman, pulls the needed heroes in from another universe to help them.

Injustice: Gods Among Us plays very similarly to most fighting games: you have your characters on one side of the screen, your opponent is on the other, you fight to the best of three rounds by depleting the others health (though the game does things a bit differently by giving each character two health bars that you need to deplete, but it’s essentially the same). You have basic attacks, combo moves that you can unleash, and even special attacks that are unique to each character. Unlike most fighting games, however, you don’t pick just the one character and play through the story.

Much like NetherRealm’s previous game, 2011’s Mortal Kombat, the story mode puts you in control of multiple characters at different points of the story, jumping from character to character as the story progresses. This change to the formula gives the player the chance to try a bit of each character during the campaign, allowing you to see which of the roster you prefer for different modes. However, it did add the wrinkle that each time you felt like you’d begin to get the hang of a new character the game would switch them out for another, causing dips and spikes in difficulty at times. Outside of the story mode, the game featured the expected versus mode, as well as a challenge mode, which consisted of 240 character specific challenges that almost act as a training mode, often requiring the player to master a specific skill or move; as well as some more unusual challenges.

The game managed to pack in a decent roster of characters to play with, including Wonder Woman, Hal Jordan Green Lantern, Aquaman, Black Adam, Lex Luthor, Green Arrow, Barry Allen Flash, Deathstroke, Bane and others, including alternate skins that turn existing characters into other versions, such as a Jack Garrick Flash, and John Stewart Green Lantern. The game does play it a bit safe with some of the character choices, however, and the majority of the characters on offer are ones that the general public will have a passing familiarity with for the most part. It definitely seems designed for casual fans who may never have picked up a comic; and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Injustice: Gods Among Us received mostly positive reviews upon release, and was the highest selling game in the US for the month of its release. The popularity of the game not only resulted in a sequel game coming out in 2017, but a comic series being produced by DC to cover the five years between the death of Lois Lane, and events of the game. The series, written by Tom Taylor, would bring in characters that weren’t featured in the game, and expand out to encompass the entirely of that world’s DC universe in more than 100 issues. An animated feature film adapting the game was also released in 2021, though it does deviate from the original story.

Injustice: Gods Among Us wasn’t the first time that DC Comics played in the waters of fighting games, but it was the first really good one.

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Batman #135 - Comic Review

 

The latest issue of Batman is something a little special; not only is it the final chapter of the latest story arc, but it's also the 900th issue to bear the title. With that in mind, Chip Zdarsky not only creates a fun conclusion for the story, but manages to make it a celebration of the character too.

The last issue took some big leaps in the story, and things suddenly began to speed up as we got an explanation for who Halliday is, as well as his plan involving manipulating the multiverse. Not only that, but this alternate Gotham came under attack from Halliday's forces, and Bruce ended up losing a hand in a fight with Ghostbreaker (that world's version of Ghostmaker).

This issue picks up in the middle of all of that chaos. The streets of Gotham have become a warzone as the citizens do what they can to survive the red mist, whilst Man-Bat creatures attack them from the skies. Catwoman and Jewel do what they can to save the people, but they need somewhere safe to take them. That's where Alfred comes in. Having been inspired by this other version of his son, and seeing the chaos that's happening outside his building, Alfred leads the citizens of Athena tower in overpowering the security guards, and opens the doors to the people of Gotham.

Meanwhile, Halliday uses his multiverse device to peer into other universes to see the moment that the Joker was born, hoping that in doing so it will help transform him into the Joker. However, he soon discovers that not only does that not work, but that his presence in that moment actually comes to make the Joker. He tries again on another world, and the same thing happens. In the fight against Batman, Halliday jumps into the device, vanishing into the multiverse. And so Batman goes after him, hoping to stop him, and perhaps find a way home.

The first half of this issue feels like the main conclusion to this arc, it deals with the alternate Gotham, it sets the world there on a better course, and shows that even having been there a short while Bruce has managed to inspire people, and to make it a better place. The book even teases a moment where it looks like Alfred might go with Bruce, where he could come cross to Earth-0. This is something that I saw fans speculating on online, as a possible way of not undoing Alfred's death, but also getting Alfred back. I think addressing it as a possibility, but ultimately shutting it down, is the best thing that could have been done. It would feel somewhat disrespectful to our Alfred to replace him with another version of himself, one that doesn't have those memories or connections with Bruce and the others. Especially as this Alfred has a wife he'd be leaving behind too. 

Speaking of alternate versions of characters, the second half of the book is the part that I think people are going to be remembering and talking about for a good long while. Following Halliday into the multiverse, Bruce jumps from world to world, following a few steps behind. Every world Halliday visits results in either a Joker being born into that reality where there wasn't one before, or the Joker already there becoming more crazed and powerful than ever. And so we follow Bruce as he visits realities like the 1989 movie, the Red Rain universe, the Arkham games, and Batman 66.

There are a couple of worlds in which Bruce gets the chance to slow down and interact with the other versions of Batman he encounters, ones that help him on his journey. Terry and Bruce from Batman Beyond give him tech that will help send him home, Adam West's Batman gives him a utility belt to help him out, and the Dark Knight Returns Batman not only gives him a suit, but builds him a robot hand to replace his missing limb.

The final confrontation with Halliday is pretty wild, and it very much embraces the ridiculousness of the situation and the wild impossibilities of the multiverse. It also contains a moment that I think fans of Batman are going to laugh out loud with, as it brings back one of the most ridiculous and fun moments of the character's history. 

This issue of Batman is, ultimately, a lot of fun to read. If you're someone who's familiar with the various different versions of the character this book will feel like a fun nostalgia trip for you. It brings in some of the most popular versions of the character from the comics, as well as those from other media such as movies, TV, and games. It feels like a celebration of the different ways in which people could have fallen in love with the character, whether it's one of the books that people always recommend, a show you watched as a kid, of a game, it's a fun, enjoyable romp through some of the best bits of Batman's cultural impact. 

Whilst the book does put a lot of the issues that Bruce has been dealing with lately to bed there are still some big questions looming over the character that I'm hoping the next few issues will deal with. Will Failsafe return to challenge Bruce again when he returns to his own Earth? Has his psyche been at all damaged by the recent events with the multiverse travel and the release of Zur-En-Arrh (and that last page!?)? And will he keep the robot hand, or is he going to get a real one the same way Alfred did after losing his? Zdarsky has a lot of things he can do with these questions, or he could ignore them completely and go onto the next story. Whatever is coming next, I'm very excited, as this has been a fantastic run so far.

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Isle of the Undead: A Zombicide Black Plague Novel by C.L. Werner - Book Review

 

'Necromancers and dragons stand between a heroic knight and victory over the zombie outbreak chewing its way through the fantasy realm of Zombicide Black Plague.

'The Black Plague’s terrible toll never ends, unleashing a new wave of zombies with disastrous consequences. Low on hope, Knight Alaric von Mertz and his companions flee their crumbling sanctuary, and soon come under the unlikely wing of murderous pirates. There, they learn of a legendary artifact called Mournshroud that could destroy swathes of the undead, but to claim it they must defeat an evil sorceress on an isolated island. Guarded by a dragon! A knight’s honor demands he defend his kingdom, no matter the cost. Yet, as the undead hordes close in on them, a familiar evil waits in the shadows, plotting revenge on Alaric and everything he holds dear…'

Zombies are big business, they're a hugely popular monster thanks to a number of reasons. They can be relatively easy to kill, though can be made into much scarier creatures thanks to mutations, or hordes. They can stand in for real world issues and themes. There's the horror of never knowing who might become one. And there's the angst of them being former people, and the twisted scenarios where you might be fighting for your life against a former loved one. They're easy to mould and adapt into different stories, and because of that there has been a lot of zombie stories over the years; to the point where they've almost begun to get a bit boring. But one of the ways in which they can be given instant new life is to put them in places where they don't often turn up. Forget our modern world, zombies in historical, or wildly different fictional settings always feels new and interesting. And this is something that the Zombicide series is doing so well, and one of the reasons why this is such an enjoyable book.

In the previous entry in the Black Plague series we are transported to a world under siege. A cabal of necromancers have come together in a way never seen before, and are using their immense dark powers to raise the dead across the land. This black plague is turning the dead into monstrous creatures, corpses with a desire to eat and destroy the living. Worse still, some of the dead have become twisted monstrosities, such as large, hulking beasts capable of tearing through people like paper.

As the world fell we met a small group of survivors trying their best to stay alive, noble Knight Alaric von Mertz, the rogue Gaiseric, witch hunter Helchen, orc warrior Ratbag, and dwarf explosive expert Ursola. Together, the group was able to defeat one of the necromancers, and take over his fortified tower in the centre of the city, securing it to protect the survivors that had fled there. Now, Gogol, the necromancer that has been searching for revenge against Alaric, has created a new breed of undead, ones impervious to almost all attacks. Launching an assault upon the tower, Gogol's new creatures are able to breach the defences, and the survivors are forced to flee.

Leaving the city far behind them, the heroes lead the civilians to what they hope will be safety, thought Gogol's forces continue to pursue them. When all hope seems lost, salvation arrives in the form of a pirate ship, captained by the beautiful and cunning Sylvia, who claims that she and her crew are bringing survivors to a secure stronghold. With the threat of death hot on their tail the survivors are forced to go with the pirate captain; a choice that will lead them to new allies, and a dangerous new mission the likes of which they've never encountered before. 

One of the things that Isle of the Undead does very quickly is set itself out as being different from the book that came before it. Whilst the first book was incredibly enjoyable, doing more of the same wouldn't have helped the sequel to stand out. However, it quickly becomes apparent that Werner isn't content to just go through the motions and have the same old story of survivors looking for a safe haven, losing it, looking for a safe have, losing it that other, more boring zombie stories have been content to do for decades (sorry The Walking Dead, but it's true). Instead, Werner decides to flip things on its head as soon as possible, introducing a frightening new form of undead, and taking away our characters sense of security.

The book doesn't spend too long with the characters on the road either. There's a few chapters of the heroes leading the survivors through the zombie infested countryside, trying to find a place where they might find a little safety, but it's a relatively small section of the book. This could have been stretched out, and could have been the focus of the novel entirely; but Werner has something much more interesting in store for the readers instead. After joining up with the pirate crew, our heroes do indeed get taken to a new safe location, one that seems to actually be able to withstand the zombie plague. Rather than making the drama about whether or not these people can be trusted, or how long the stronghold will last (other very overused tropes in the genre) our heroes get sent out on a quest to locate a powerful magical artefact that could end the undead once and for all. Yep, we get an action packed fetch-quest instead!

This change in pace is great, as it means we can ditch the civilians, and we can just focus on our heroes being competent zombie killers as they head to an island fortress to steal an artefact from an ancient sorcerer. But of course, the island has fallen to the undead too. Not only are there hosts of zombie goblins and orcs there, led by an orc necromancer, but the island is also home to a monstrous dragon. In a lot of ways this story feels like a Dungeons and Dragons quest, something that seems simple on paper, but gets more and more complex and dangerous as it goes. And if you're a fan of fantasy games like that you're going to get on really well with the story here.

The returning characters all get a lot of stuff to do as well, and whilst there are still a few characters who get a bit more of the spotlight than the others, such as Alaric, Gaiseric, and Helchen, everyone gets to do something important that helps the team survive the events of the book. Since the last book some of the characters have been through some changes too, Ursola seems to be learning to put some of her dwarvish prejudices to bed, working alongside Ratbag for example, though it's something that she's still having to work on; leading to her being the grouch of the team more often than not. Helchen has also gone through quite a journey after becoming friends with a man that her order would have persecuted, and then losing him. The loss of Hulmul at the end of the previous book seems to have had quite the effect on the witch hunter, and she's beginning to question the actions of her order. Not only that, but she's started to use magic herself; something that the old her would rather have died than do. Her journey is perhaps the most interesting in this book, and I'm super excited to see what happens with her next. 

The one character who appears to have changed the most over the course of the two books, however, is Gaiseric. The thief was introduced as a very shady character, someone who was only ever out for himself, was adverse to combat if it could be avoided, and who was only working with Alaric because it was the best option open to him at the time. But by the end of Isle of the Undead he's become a whole lot more than that. There's a moment in the book where the group finds a weapon capable of killing the undead incredibly quickly, and Gaiseric tries to give it off to the other members of the group. Each of them refuses the weapon, for various reasons, leaving it to him to wield. Gaiseric tries to tell them that this is the kind of weapon that a hero should wield, and Alaric basically tells him that a hero is wielding it. It's a lovely moment where it seems like Gaiseric finally sees how much he's changed, how he's become a man who volunteers to go into danger, who has protected the innocent, and is fighting to save the world. It's a lovely moment.

Isle of the Undead isn't just a good successor to the book that came before it, but one that expands on it in new and interesting ways. The characters continue to evolve and grow, and the new heroes who join the group feel like worthy, interesting additions to the team. The story doesn't play it safe, and instead chooses to make some bold decisions that already seem to be setting up for an even more exciting third chapter. There is some great action scattered throughout the book, and some truly impressive set pieces. And there's a loss that is going to leave a huge impact upon not only the characters, but the series going forwards. C.L. Werner has done a fantastic job with the story, and I'm super excited to see what future books have in store for us.

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Twice Cursed: An Anthology - Book Review

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

'From the fun of the fair to the depths of hell, experience sixteen more curses in this sequel to the bestselling Cursed: An Anthology. A blend of traditional and reimagined curses from fairy-tales to Snow White, from some of the best names in fantasy.

'In this sequel to the bestselling Cursed: An Anthology are more tales from some of the best names in fantasy.

'Following on from the hugely successful first volume, in this book Joe Hill gives us a chilling interpretation of a carnival curse in ‘Dark Carousel’, Sarah Pinborough offers a hellish curse in ‘The Confessor’s Tale’, both A.C. Wise and Laura Purcell tackle fairy-tale curses from the female protagonists’ perspective in ‘Shoes as Red as Blood’ and ‘Awake’, while Neil Gaiman gives us a very different take on Snow White in ‘Snow, Glass, Apples’, Kelley Armstrong draws us into her unique mythos with a troublesome toy in ‘Just Your Standard Haunted Doll Drama’, and Helen Grant imagines a curse on a much bigger scale in ‘A Curse is a Curse’.'

In 2020 Titan Books published a darkly magical anthology book called Cursed, edited by authors Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane. It brought together a plethora of talented writers to tell twisted and grim tales about people under the spell of magical curses. Now, three years later, it looks like readers have been cursed a second time, cursed to read even more fantastic stories (is it still a curse if it’s a good thing?) as their new collection, Twice Cursed, is released.

Much like last time, this collection brings together a number of well known, award winning authors to craft stories based around the age old superstition of curses. There are a few writers who’ve actually made a return for this new volume, including Neil Gaiman, M.R. Carey, but most of the sixteen authors are new to the series this time round, and Twice Cursed acts as a wonderful follow-up to the first book, showcasing even more great names in the field of horror, and dark fantasy.

Cursed opened with a new take on Snow White, and whilst this volume begins differently, with a short four page tale from the wonderful Joanne Harris, the second story returns to familiar ground with yet another interpretation of this classic tale. Written by Gaiman, ‘Snow, Glass, Apples’ is told from the point of view of the ‘evil’ stepmother. A young woman who falls in love with the recently widowed King, the unnamed narrator moves into the castle after marrying the now single father. Taking on responsibilities not just as wife and monarch, but as a mother, she soon comes to fear the child living within the castle; the deathly pale little girl who bites her and sucks upon the wound.

When the King passes away, withered and drained, the new Queen orders for her stepdaughter to be taken out into the woods and killed, her heart brought back as proof. With the still beating heart delivered to her, the Queen knows that despite her orders, the cursed child is still somehow alive, and must take further steps to destroy the vampiric monster. Gaiman’s prose is wonderfully written, and immediately takes the reader into a dark world, filled with twisted versions of characters that we know. The choice to make Snow White the monster, and the stepmother the victim trying to save her kingdom is a genius twist upon the tale, and the narrative will go places that you can’t predict.

There are a number of stories in this collection that follow a similar theme, of dark fantasy worlds that feel like nightmare infused fairy tales. One that immediately stands out is ‘The Confessors Tale’ by Sarah Pinborough. Set in some long ago time, this story focuses on Arkaday Melanov, a young man whose tongue was stolen when he was a baby. There are conflicting tales about how the boy lost his tongue, whether it was a wild wolf that ripped it out, or if his mother went insane and did it to him, but either way, the young boy grew up unable to speak.

Not being able to speak, people soon begin to talk to Arkaday, unloading their secrets and dark confessions on him, knowing that he will never pass them on. When he’s given a strange puzzle made of bone not long after his father dies, people begin to die after telling him their confessions. I can’t say more without spoiling this story, but this was easily my favourite in the book. It takes a turn towards the end that made me yell out loud, unwilling to believe that it had done what it did. The fact that it connects to a very well known horror story makes it a particular stand out, and a moment of pure shock when reading.

The book doesn’t just stick to the past, or to fantasy settings, as there are several stories in the collection that take place in our own world, that show a darker side to the lives we’re all familiar with. M.R. Carey’s ‘Mister Thirteen’ follows a group of people afflicted by different curses, who have come together to form a support group to help each other through the difficulties their curses bring. There’s someone whose body begins to unravel like twine, a man whose food turns to ash in his mouth, and woman who will die die unless they pass their curse on to an innocent person. Then, one day a new member arrives, a man who can’t give his name but calls himself Mister Thirteen, a man who was cursed to live forever, hundreds of years ago; unfortunately, he’s not come to the group for support. This is one of the more unusual stories in the book, as it not only turns curses into ordinary, almost mundane parts of life, but also poses the question of what if on occasion a curse might not be a bad thing.

‘Dark Carousel’ by Joe Hill is one of the longer stories in the book, but it doesn’t feel like it’s taking up masses of room, nor does it overstay its welcome. This story tells the tale of a group of teenage friends and the night their lives went to hell in the summer of 1994. These two couples spend their day hanging out at a seaside amusement pier, one of them ready to leave for college soon, and another off to join the military. The four of them are trying to make the most of their time together whilst they have it.

The quartet come across a creepy carousel at the end of the pier, one with twisted horses, monstrous sea creatures, and other dark monstrosities to ride. The teens have fun on the carousel, but when one of them realises their money is missing, and they decide that the ride operator is responsible, it sets them on a course of action that leads to a terrible outcome. This story takes its time to reveal the horror at the heart of it, instead letting the reader get to know the characters, their lives, and the world that they inhabit. Because of this, you almost forget that this is a story about curses, and when the awful things finally begin to happen it’s something of a surprise; a nightmare thrown into a world of normality.

‘Just Your Standard Haunted Doll Drama’ by Kelley Armstrong, as the title suggests, doesn’t really take itself too seriously; at least in the sense that it’s not a story that revels in horror or the supernatural. This story centres on a young woman who owns a shop that sells formerly cursed items. She’s able to remove the curses placed onto things thanks to her family’s magical heritage, and does some good by doing so too. Her younger sister has grown up with a love for creepy dolls, and with her birthday coming up she’s enlisted the help of her rich boyfriend to find a creepy cursed doll to give her as a present; a cursed doll that isn’t too cursed mind you.

However, when they come across a very disturbing looking doll it turns out that they may have bitten off more than they can chew. This story feels like something plucked from the middle of a long running supernatural drama series, and could be an episode of television. The characters are all really well formed, their world and their lives feel fleshed out, and it’s almost like taking a snapshot from a much larger narrative. Armstrong has written several supernatural drama series in her time, and it’s clear from this short story that she’s very good at it. If this kind of thing is something you enjoy, this story will definitely make you want to check out more of her work.

Twice Cursed takes the concept of the first collection and does it all over again, but never feels like it’s giving the same kind of stories, or is content to do the bare minimum. The tales collected here all feel incredibly different, with different styles, settings, and tones, yet fit together incredibly well, giving what feels like a broad overview of how a simple prompt like a curse can result in so many different kinds of stories when given to talented writers.

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