Shazam! #3 - Comic Review

 

The Captain is in trouble once again as his powers continue to be corrupted by outside forces in the latest issue of Shazam, and the identities of those messing with him are revealed to the reader.

In previous issues of the new series we've seen the Captain scream at people, a rage taking over him in public in a way that makes him look more like Black Adam than anything else. We saw a couple of figures hiding in the shadows that were responsible, and in my review of the first issue I speculated that one of the figures was Zeus; well it looks like I was right, as we learn that all of the gods who make up the Shazam name are messing with Billy, trying to be the one to push him over the edge. Worse still, they've made Freddy their unwilling accomplice, putting a spell on him to see through his eyes to spy on Billy.

Back on Earth, Billy is trying desperately to avoid turning into the Captain again, and has even changed his YouTube channel to focus on Metamorpho instead in a moment of panic. It's quite fun to see Billy dealing with this situation from a mortal child's perspective, trying his best but really not doing terribly well. Unfortunately for him, the gods are determined to have their games, and force his hand. After transforming in order to save a bus (filled with visiting dignitaries from Gorilla City!) he ends up travelling to Gorilla City, where he hears a story about the Emperor of the Moon, who's preparing to attack Earth. The Captain heads up to the moon to fight this evil menace, little knowing that the gods are toying with him.

Oh yes, and a space T-Rex is still patiently waiting for Billy to come home in order fill out a huge pile of paperwork, lest the Auditors take notice and come instead.

Mark Waid and Dan Mora feel like the current power duo at DC right now. Their Batman/Superman: World's Finest series is an absolute delight each and every month, and is a celebration of the history of the DC Universe, and of the Silver Age of comics. And Shazam feels a little like that too. Whilst the book is set in the modern tires, with references to other characters and events making that clear, it has a lot of the weirdness and fun from the Silver Age thrown in too. Rescuing a bus full of talking gorillas, a Moon Emperor, and a top hat wearing space T-Rex having a chat with Billy's talking tiger friend all feel a bit too silly and weird to be anything but a celebration of older comics. Most other books simply wouldn't be able to get away with this, but Shazam not only does, but makes it wonderfully fun too.

Speaking of Mora, the art is, as always, phenomenal. This book has a lot of moments that some could call 'dull', with pages where gods are talking to each other and scheming, and where Billy is refusing to  become a hero again. Despite having nothing big or flashy happening on the page these moments still feel dynamic and cool looking, because they're done by Mora. Mora has a way of making the most ordinary thing look like it's amazing, and this issue showcases that. I also suspect that Waid might be throwing things like talking Gorillas, space T-Rex's, and Moon Emperors at Mora just to see him draw these cool things. If that's the case, please keep doing it, as the result is wonderful.

We're only three issues into this new Shazam run, and this is already one of the best titles that character has had. The story is delightfully weird, full of action, has great character moments, and keeps you wanting to read more to find out what happens next. The Waid/Mora dream team at work.

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Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories #8 – Comic Review

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

The focus on the villains continues in the latest issue of Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories as we jump forward in time to the Rise of the First Order, to events that lead into the sequel trilogy. Last couple of issues we got to see the seedy underbelly of the galaxy, following bounty hunters and pirates; this time we’re focusing on a force for order in the galaxy, though a fascist one.

The First Order, in their mission to slowly take control over the galaxy and impose their will onto others, have come to the planet Karaxia, where they wish to force the population to serve them, supplying them with anything they want. The presence of Storm Troopers and Star Destroyers has failed to bring the population to heel, however, and as such Supreme Leader Snoke has summoned General Hux and Kylo Ren, tasking them with bringing the planet firmly under the control of the First Order.

Anyone who’s seen the films knows that these two characters do not see eye to on most things, and that difficulty and refusal to work together plays out here in this story too, showing that they’ve been long time enemies. Hux believes that his way is the best, and demands Kylo follow his lead, whilst Kylo is trying to make himself into a big scary Force user, trying to capture some of the fear and respect that his grandfather carried. Over the course of the book we’ll see how the two of them end up doing their own things, and how their plans don’t work out on their own. But this isn’t a ‘you should have learned to work together’ type story, and neither villain learns a valuable lesson come the end.

The book gives us a little insight into how the First Order became the power that it was in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and how so many worlds fell to them. Thanks to their massive fleet and their troops they’re able to force their way onto worlds and basically act like thugs to get what they want. The pretence of making the galaxy a better place through unity that the Empire had isn’t even here for the First Order, and they’re little more than bullies. This plays into the lore of them being built from the remnant of the Empire, and of wanting to punish the galaxy for having pushed them out in the first place.

The continuous plot thread that has been present in all of these issues, the Wookie doll, pops up here, just for a panel or two, but this time feels like the first time we’ve been offered any kind of insight into what it is. Kylo, still mostly untrained in the Force, senses some kind of Force presence near the doll. We knew in issue #1 that something important was placed inside it, but now we know that it has some kind of power to it too. Hopefully, this will be explained in future issues, and it being connected to the Force is certainly a good way to justify it keeping appearing in these stories, getting close to important and powerful players in the Star Wars saga.

The art on this issue is provided by Andy Duggan, with Dan Jackson on colours, and it looks decent enough. The established characters look enough like their on screen counterparts to be easily identifiable, though Hux is the weakest of these as he has less to distinguish him. There are some moments of action in the issue, but none of them have anything truly exciting or special about them, and even the inclusion of a giant monster does little to make it really stand out.

Overall this was a perfectly serviceable entry in the series, though one that seems to be playing it safe. It doesn’t really add much to the narrative, nor does it reveal anything new or interesting about the characters features. Compared to the last issue, it feels like a big step backwards in terms of care and desire to tell an engaging story. It’s Star Wars, but it’s forgettable Star Wars.

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Birds of Prey #1 - Comic Review

 

The Birds of Prey return with a whole new type of team for the first issue of this new series as Black Canary needs to assemble a group of absolutely amazing warriors to help save her sister.

Set after the events of Green Arrow issue six (spoilers for that series on the very first page of this one!), we meet up with a Black Canary that's in need of help. Her younger sister, Sin, is being held prisoner and is facing execution, something that Dinah can't just sit back and allow to happen. She also knows that she can't do it alone, and is looking to reform her old team, the Birds of Prey. Unfortunately, Barbara is unable to help her out with this one, and so Dinah is left to try and assemble a new team all on her own. 

We get given a cryptic reason for Barbara not being involved, and we're told that she doesn't even want to know what's happening. This, coupled with Dinah wanting to populate her team with people that will 'make you $@#% your pants' hints at something big to come, some kind of danger or situation that is going to need a group willing to go harder than most. 

Most of this first issue is spent with Dinah assembling said team, and we get introductions to each of the characters. First up is Cassandra Cain, Batgirl. Trained to be a deadly assassin since her birth, and one of the most loyal and trustworthy members of the Bat Family, Dinah picks her both for her deadly skills and because she knows Cass will have her back. Next up is Big Barda, the New God. An absolute powerhouse of a character, Barda is a big gun on a team of big guns.

Dinah also calls in a favour with Zealot, a teleporting assassin deadly with both guns and close quarters weapons. Despite the four of them being a group you don't want to mess with, Dinah feels like they're missing something, an x factor. Thus, Cass suggests the most surprising member of the group, Harley Quinn. With the team fully assembled, Dinah reveals the mission to the group, a mission that well see them having to fight a powerful army, possibly hurt some allies, and one that includes a visitor from the future.

For an issue where we're essentially just assembling a team, this does a fantastic job at keeping things fun and interesting, as well as packing a lot of stuff into the pages. Each character has a decent introduction, with a scene that brings them into the book in a decent way. The most enjoyable are probably Cassandra and Barda, as they involve fighting against ninja's, and vampires. But the book doesn't just rely of action to keep you interested, as there are some really enjoyable character interactions scattered throughout too, and you can already see some interesting bonds and relationships being formed.

When the book was announced and the roster was being slowly revealed there were some people who were unsure of the inclusion of Harley Quinn on the team. Harley has had a big push over the last few years, and there are some who don't like her new heroic turn. The book seems to have most of the characters take a similar kind of view, such as Dinah not trusting Harley, and not really wanting her on the team. But, as Cass explains, she absolutely does add a certain x factor to things, and her reason to agreeing to join up with the team to save Sin feels genuine and decent.

Whilst I really enjoyed the writing on the book the art was something that I have to admit didn't set my world on fire. There are some nice visuals in the book, and the two page spread of Dinah and Cass fighting a horde of assassins across a rooftop is a stand out for sure. But things felt a little too flat and simple for me at times. There's little detail in some of the characters, such as Batgirl being an almost fully black silhouette with a white line where the mouth part of her mask is, which makes the character fall very flat for me.

The issue ends with the reveal of what the mission is, and it's a reveal that I won't spoil as it's a genuine twist I did not see coming. It also makes it clear why Dinah had to assemble a team like this, and raised the stakes for the coming issues considerable. With big action on the horizon, and the promise that the book will feature a rotating cast of heroes, it makes this an exciting start.

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The Hunger and the Dusk #2 – Comic Review

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

The first issue of IDW‘s new fantasy series The Hunger and the Dusk introduced readers to a dark and dangerous fantasy world, one where humans and orcs have been at war for generations, and where raiding parties and armies would clash so often that the animosity and hatred for the other race was baked into each culture. But when a new threat emerges from the pages of myth and legend, those hatreds have to be put aside if both races are to survive. As such, a ground-breaking alliance was made, and an orc healer travelled to the human kingdoms to learn from them and form a bond of friendship.

The second issue picks up shortly after this, with Tara, the orc healer, trying to find her place within The Last Men Standing, a group of warriors and heroes who travel the land. Tara and the team’s leader, Callum, have already begun to form a friendship (and I think a few ships have been born about them already) but she feels like she’s too distant from the others. This gives the reader an easy insight into the other key members of the group, as Callum gives both us and Tara a quick intro to several members of the group. Unfortunately, the new team are soon tested when they come under attack from the savage Vangol.

Meanwhile, the orcs are continuing to form alliances and strengthen their own nations, with Troth Icemane (Tara’s cousin) marrying Faran Stoneback in an attempt to unite the two most powerful orc dynasties. But orc wedding’s aren’t simple affairs, and the two of them set out into the cold, snowy wilderness on a hunt that will either bring them honour and a united nation, or a grim and painful death.

One of the things that G. Willow Wilson did so well in the first issue was to create a world that felt easy to slip into. Writing for characters and worlds that are already established with readers can be a lot easier than creating a whole new setting, especially one with tons of history, but Wilson is doing a fantastic job at easing us into things. The first issue set up the threat, and the basic structures of the human and orc nations, whilst this issue gives us more insight into how the orc culture works through the wedding ceremony. Meanwhile, we get a very natural insight into how the humans of this world work via Callum and his troops. Small snatches of dialogue and tiny insights slowly build a larger picture.

This world building and the character moments are also well balanced with the action, with both of the story lines getting moments of action. The action in the book is something that I’ve come to really like even over just two issues. Things feel very visceral and dangerous, and there’s blood flying all over the place, yet things never feel like they’re gratuitous or gory just for the sake of it. The art works in such a way that it tries to draw your attention away from the worst parts of the violence, such as having a character in the background shouting an order to others, whilst someone is being beheaded in the foreground. The careful placement of the important characters and dialogue keeps your focus off the severed heads and pools of blood without omitting them completely, and it’s a wonderfully executed trick.

Speaking of the art, much like in the last issue review I have to spend some time gushing about how amazing the art on this book is. Every character looks unique and interesting, with fun designs and little quirks that make them instantly identifiable, and makes them able to stand out in a crowd. The environments look gorgeous, and the moments of action are all dynamic and filled with movement and energy, but also the smaller moments where characters are just talking keep your attention thanks to the emotions conveyed on their faces and the depth of personality on display.

The Hunger and the Dusk seems to have managed to keep up the quality of the first issue, showing that it wasn’t just a strong start for the series, but hopefully an indication of how good the entire thing is going to be. With ten more issues to go I’m already slightly sad that it’s not going to be a longer and ongoing, because if the book continues on like this it’s easily going to be one of the best comics of 2023.

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Batman #137 - Comic Review

 

Yet another comic event with war in the title, because war sells. Gotham War heats up in the second part of this Bat-Family civil war story as Bruce comes down hard on Selena's new plan for the city, and the rest of Gotham's crime fighters pick sides.

The first issue of this story laid out a very clear and concise plan, Catwoman wants to train the petty thugs, the goons and henchmen of Gotham, to become specialised thieves like her. The goal, is to give them a better way of making money, a way that means they can target only the wealthy, only those who can stand to lose a few pieces of jewelery and cash, and it stops the costumed criminals from having desperate people to pull into their schemes. It's not a bad idea on paper, and the book makes a point of showing that because of this violent crimes and killings have dropped a lot; but Batman isn't on board.

And this is perhaps the biggest issue with this story, and the reason why people are disliking what's going on. Batman is being a complete dick. He's refusing to listen, even for a moment, he doesn't want to see the data or the evidence, because he's in an all crime is bad mindframe, and doesn't seem to want to look at things a little more objectively. Some of that is understandable, he's been through a lot recently with Failsafe, the multiverse stuff, and Knight Terrors all happening to him in quick succession. There's a reason he's got Zur-En-Arrh screaming in his head, he's close to losing his mind.

This means that in this issue we have a Batman who's going off the deep end. He's purposely going after Catwoman's people, he's making a point of stopping them in the scariest and most violent ways possible. He sees himself as the ultimate law in Gotham, with only his way being the right one, and he will enforce that if needs be. Whilst this does fit with some versions of the character we've had over the years it doesn't mean it's a good thing, and we're seeing Bruce once again push his friends and family away from him and sending himself down a dark path.

The fact that there are very clear and distinct sides taken this issue too, with everyone but Damian standing against him kind of shows that Bruce is in the wrong here. Of course Jason was likely to go against him on this, but you've got Tim, Dick, Barbara, and Duke, reasonable level-headed folks taking a side against him too; that alone should make Bruce stop and think for a second. Sadly, thanks to the aforementioned series of traumatic incidents and slow mental deterioration, Bruce simply sees it all as a betrayal.

This is definitely the weakest of the stories we've had since Zdarsky took over the title, and whilst I don't think that this is the best story to be doing I most certainly won't be jumping on the 'he's been a terrible writer the whole time' bandwagon that folks on social media are running. This story feels like a DC editorial decision, one that he's been told that he has to do and that he's simply trying his best with. I might be wrong, maybe this was part of his plan the whole time. Either way, I'm not ready to throw an entire writer's worth away for one story that's less than perfect.

Whilst the story for this issue might not be the best, the art on the book, by Jorge Jiménez and Tomeu Morey, looks great. The action sequences are really well done, and even if you hate the idea of Bruce fighting his family the way in which it's presented on the page at least looks really good. The page reveal of Damian siding with his father (because of course he does) is a particularly great panel too.

We'll have to see how this particular story plays out, and whilst it might not be the best one we've had it certainly is perhaps one of the most interesting, and there is a good idea at the heart of this book. This plot will be divisive for sure, but you might find something cool here beneath the initial fan outcry.

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Enter The Clones of Bruce - Film Review

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

There are a few men that you can point to and say that they made an entire genre of cinema popular, but Bruce Lee is one of these. Thanks to his work, martial arts films became hugely popular in the US and Europe, and his untimely death only helped to make him even more popular, as fans and the general public were caught up in both the drama of his death and thoughts about what could have been if he’d have lived. With a huge demand for more martial arts movies, and for more Bruce, filmmakers in Hong Kong made a bold decision: to bring Bruce Lee back to life. Thus began an era of Bruceploitation, where multiple men stepped up to bring the star back to screens.

Enter The Clones of Bruce is a new documentary feature that takes a look at this era in Hong Kong cinema, which resulted in bootleg sequels, fake biopics, and claims of long lost movies from Bruce Lee, most of which introduced a new pretender to the throne. The film focuses on the years immediately following the death of Lee, and charts the ever growing rosters of imitators and the movies they made. And the film does a decent job at tracking down a large number of these replacement Bruce’s, and bringing them onto camera to talk about the wild days of Hong Kong film making where it seemed anything goes was the rule.

It’s interesting to see the progressive wackiness of events, of a style of film making so bizarre that it simply couldn’t happen today thanks to tighter copyright laws, as well as people being less willing to milk the dead in the same way. It seems that as soon as one replacement Bruce made his way onto screens other production companies were doing the same, with anyone even remotely resembling the man being put in a Bruce Lee haircut and large sunglasses. And some are so vividly different that it’s ridiculous it was even tried (Hong Kong film makers banking on white audiences not being too good at telling Asian people apart, it seems).

Because of how surreal the entire thing was, and how ridiculous the movies they made were, Enter The Clones of Bruce seems to walk this fine line between documentary and comedy, though not by choice. You can’t dive into this subject and not have the end result feel a bit silly, because the events were. Especially when multiple Bruce Lee replacements get brought together in one movie to play his clones, or when a movie had Bruce Lee going to the afterlife to fight people like Abraham Lincoln, James Bond, Clint Eastwood, and Dracula.

The film also shows us the global impact of Bruce Lee’s passing, and how there were huge demands for more movies, not just in the US but France and Germany too. The film makers speak to several experts on the subject, including people who were involved in the marketing of these movies in Europe. One of the more interesting and eye opening parts of the film shows us how these films were originally marketed, with images of Bruce Lee fighting on the posters, claims that he’d directed them, and even photographs of him in his coffin appearing before legal action resulted in them replacing his images with the real actors, and removing false claims of his involvement.

For those who like the ridiculous, who enjoy finding weird and wonderful pieces of history, and those who have an interest in quite cheesy Hong Kong cinema, Enter The Clones of Bruce is a delightful examination of a unique and unrepeatable moment of film history. It may even add a whole lot of new films in your to-be-watched pile.

Enter The Clones of Bruce screened at FrightFest 2023.

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Black Panther #4 - Comic Review

 

If you're part of comic social media there's a good chance you'll have heard about the fourth issue of Black Panther. Not because of a story beat, not because of some action, but because of people's reaction to a character being revealed to be trans. Over the last few issues writer Eve L. Ewing has been slowly building the new setting for T'Challa's latest series, transporting him to another city in Wakanda. Part of this has been inhabiting it with new characters, one of whom is the new vigilante/thief Beisa.

This issue it was revealed that Beisa is a trans woman. This new is something that, of course, didn't phase our hero at all. Wakanda is an advanced, enlightened culture, and of T'Challa is a good and decent man. Not only did this news not throw the hero, but he showed that he seems to admire Beisa even more because of it. The internet, however, was less cool about it.

There are a lot of folks out there who see this as good news, who are celebrating the inclusion of a new trans hero, and praising Ewing for the positive representation that's been given to the trans community. There are some, however, who have been less kind about it. There is of course the standard accusations of it being 'woke', because everything these people don't like anymore is 'woke'. There's been misgendering, and awful insults thrown towards the character and trans readers. There have been people making claims that the potential romance between the leads won't happen now because they don't see Beisa as a woman and don't accept T'Challa as gay. And there are those who have a similar outlook, but are seeing this as the 'turning gay' of T'Challa. In general, shitty people being shitty.

It's a shame, as based on a lot of the good responses I've seen this news has been well received, and it's also inspired people who've not been reading the series to go and give it a try because of Beisa being trans. Whilst I'm sure that the usual suspects are going to be pissing and crying about this for a while now, when all is said and done it feels like this is going to be an issue that people talk of fondly.

But what happens outside of this one scene? Well, not a huge amount. The issue begins with the fight with Deathlok, which ends super quickly. The rest of the issue is sent with T'Challa talking to N'Yobi, talking to Beisa, or talking to himself, about the mystery that he's been looking into all series. We get given a name for a person who might be behind it, but it's not one we or T'Challa know, and no one seems to want to explain who they are to him. As such, despite the action packed beginning, the issue feels quite slow. Sadly, this has been a feeling I've had for the entire series so far.

The issue does end on a note of escalation, however, and it's possible that things are going to increase in pace with the fifth issue. But that does feel like a very long time to be setting things up and introducing everything. It also means that the eventual first volume graphic novel for the series is going to be a book all about set-up; which I can't help but wonder if it might harm the series overall.

I've been liking the series as it is, but there's not a huge amount to Black Panther that has me excited for each new issue, and whilst the Beisa reveal might keep me reading a bit longer, it's not enough to get me very excited for the series as a whole.

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To Fire You Come At Last - Film Review

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

To Fire You Come At Last is one of the shorter films on offer at this year’s FrightFest, running at around 45 minutes in length. The shortness of the film works well for this historical folk horror, as it keeps things moving at a decent pace as the simple premise tries to get under your skin.

Set in 17th century England, the film centres on four men who have to transport a coffin along a long, remote walk in order to reach the churchyard. Local superstition surrounds the ritual, with stories about the devil and his minions haunting the walkway at night, and how those that transport the dead will be assaulted by various horrors.

As such, the men in the village refuse to help out at such a late hour, knowing that they’ll be out after dark, no matter how much money grieving father Squire Marlow (Mark Carlisle) offers to pay them. With only three men willing to help, Marlow’s underling Pike (Richard Rowden), his deceased son’s friend Holt (Harry Roebuck), and local drunk Ransley (James Swanton), Squire Marlow has to take up one corner of the coffin, and the four men set out onto the moor as the sun begins to set.

What follows is a series of conversations about the recently lost man, and how the four men transporting the body related to his life and passing in some way. The revelations here build up a picture of a tragic life; one where it seems like each of the men played a part in not only making it worse for him, but in his sudden and untimely death. The main issue with this is that these moments enter high drama, only to fizzle away to nothing. For example, Squire Marlow learns that Ransley used to expose himself to his son when he was a child, and as you can imagine this leads to a violent confrontation. But needing to finish moving the body the group then goes back to their task, with Marlow and Ransley chatting away as normal. It undermines the drama of the scene before, and makes the characters feel like they’re reacting in the moment and don’t really have much depth to them. The fact that this happens more than once adds to the tonal whiplash of these moments.

There are some moments of horror here too, however, and as the film goes on things get more bizarre and more horrific, with some creepy scares cropping up from time to time, though with them mostly being towards the very end of the film it’s possible to forget that you’re not just watching a period drama, but a horror film. By the time things do start to happen it almost comes as something of a relief as it means the film has finally gotten interesting.

Shot in black and white, the film at least looks decent. The lack of colour and the characters standing out as bright shades of white and grey in an oppressive sea of blackness helps with atmosphere, and in keeping the film looking interesting. The lack of colour is also used to decent effect when the horror is on screen too, with white spectral figures in the darkness working well.

To Fire You Come At Last isn’t a bad film, but it never feels like a great film either. The script has some faults in places, especially in the managing of character drama and balance of horror elements, and there are times when it leaves you waiting for something to happen. It also feels a bit mean-spirited at times too, relying on the cruelty of sexual assault more than once, and deeming one man deserving of death for falling in love with someone’s ex. Despite these issues, there’s a decent enough film here to keep you entertained for a short while, and the 45 minute length helps it to feel shorter.

To Fire You Come At Last premiered at FrightFest 2023.

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Fire & Ice: Welcome to Smallville #1 - Comic Review

 

When people think about the Justice League of the 90's they tend to think about JLA and the Grant Morrison team, which is fair, as it's both a great team and a great series. But for the majority of the 90's, and some of the 80's, the Justice League was a bit less showy, had a few fewer big guns on it, and at times was more of an odd comedy book than the headline team for the DC Universe. Fire & Ice: Welcome to Smallville picks up with a trio of characters from these simpler, weirder times for the League and sees what they're up to today. And might just be the first introduction to these characters for many readers.

After appearing in the Power Girl Special, Fire and Ice have found themselves moving to the small town of Smallville, former home to Clark Kent, hoping to prove to Superman that they have what it takes to be seen as decent, responsible heroes. Forgoing their original plans to live on the Kent Farm with John and Martha, the two of them have bought an old hair salon in town, and have moved above the business with their old Justice League robot friend L-Ron.

Tora very quickly discovers that charms that Smallville has to offer, and quite likes the idea of getting away from the busy world for a bit, and even considers re-opening the salon. Beatrice, however, lives up to her super hero moniker, and her fiercely burning personality refuses to allow her to see the good in their new position. As the two of them try to find their new places in the world their different approaches start to create a strain on their decades long relationship.

If you're coming to Fire & Ice: Welcome to Smallville hoping for action, this might not be the book for you. However, if you're looking for something a bit quieter, a character driven story with a lot of charm, and lashings of humour then this might be the best that DC has to offer you right now. 

As someone who really enjoyed the old Justice League International and Justice League Europe series, and the way that the books never really took things too serious, and always had time to put the characters and their interpersonal dramas first, this book really felt like a return to that kind of thing but with some much more modern sensibilities and style. Whilst the titular characters are very much at the centre of things, the book establishes some supporting characters for them to interact with. There's Martha Kent, who's a delight as always, L-Ron, who just seems to want a nice domestic life, Tamarind, who gets hired on to work the salon and is very unimpressed that her bosses are super heroes, as well as a host of Smallville residents who make brief appearances.

In only a few pages Joanne Starer manages to make the town feel like a lived in place, filled with people with their own quirks and personalities. The humour of the book helps with this a lot, and Starer manages to make things feel funny and enjoyable without turning it into something slapstick, or something that feels out of place in the wider DC Universe. Perhaps the one moment that feels like it might be going a bit too far is when King Shark turns up looking to fight, but he's presented very much like The Suicide Squad version of the character, so it's not too weird or jarring.

The art really helps with the tone too, and Natacha Bustos, and Tamra Bonvillain do a wonderful job at not just creating an enjoyable tone, but selling a lot of really enjoyable visual gags. The art has lovely bold, thick lines and bright colours with minimal shading that kind of give it both a classic comic look and keep it very modern at the same time. The use of solid colours rather than gradients really helps with this, and whilst the book has a more cartoon-like look than most of the other titles on offer from DC that it no way harms the book.

The first issue of Fire & Ice: Welcome to Smallville was a genuine delight to read, a book that I suspected I was going to like, but that I'm now sure that a lot of other folks are going to get a kick out of too. For those already familiar with these characters it's a great new chapter for their journeys, and for those who might only just have been introduced to them it's a wonderful jumping on point.

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Herd - Film Review

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

The best zombie movies, the ones that stick around and are remembered, are about more than fighting hordes of shuffling zombies; they’re a commentary on humanity. You need look no further than the works of George A. Romero to see that, as his early zombie movies dealt with issues such as race and consumerism, and those films are often held up as the pinnacle of the genre, yet his later movies are often forgotten as they don’t really try to say much. Herd is much like the early Romero work, as it’s actually trying to bring something new to the table as it dives into trauma and homophobia.

After a brief opening scene that sets up the dangerous infection narrative, we meet the films two principal leads, Jamie (Ellen Adair) and her fiance Alex (Mitzi Akaha). The two of them have recently suffered the loss of their daughter, and their relationship is suffering as neither is able to communicate with each other properly and deal with their grief. In order to try to fix things they leave the big city behind to take a camping trip, canoeing down the river. When the tension between them comes to a head they have an accident on the boat, and both fall over the edge, with Alex’s foot getting stuck under a sunken log and snapping. Jamie pulls her out of the water, and tries to get her to safety.

As they try to find help they come across a group of men out on the road, one of whom at first mistakes them for ‘heps’ and tries to shoot them. It’s then that the women learn that the infection they’d heard rumours about on the news has turned into a full blown outbreak, and that their lives are very much in danger. Whilst Alex is eager to trust the men, who offer to fix her leg and take them to a secure compound, Jamie is less eager to, realising that their trip has brought them to her old hometown, where her abusive father ran her out after finding out that she’s gay. Now the women have to contend not only with the dangers of the infection, but also the prejudices of a small town.

For those that fall into what could be considered the ‘standard’ and most common groups in our society – cisgender, heterosexual, white, able-bodied people – there’s often very little thought that goes into the safety of those who fall outside of that standard. They often don’t have to think about whether or not they’d be safe in certain situations, so often don’t consider that it might be an issue for others. I’ve seen family come to a shocking realisation when my sister mentions she has to rule out certain holiday destinations with her girlfriend, and the look on people’s faces when they recommend me places to go which I have to inform them would see me killed is quite unique. Herd seems to be wanting to do this with the zombie genre, trying to show audiences that the expected human drama isn’t the only thing that you’d have to worry about, but that old bigotries would continue on even at the end of the world.

Herd handles this surprisingly well, and the way that Ellen Adair plays a woman haunted by the abuse from her father is wonderfully done in places. The compound that the group takes the two women to is her father’s mechanic shop, and as such she’s forced into the environment of her abuse, with the memories coming up to the surface unbidden. For anyone who’s suffered trauma, who’s had the experience of that trauma coming crashing back, these scenes will feel very familiar. The film manages to not focus solely on this, however, and there’s enough drama with the infected, with warring survivor groups, and the troubled relationship between the leads to keep the contents of the film varied and interesting.

The film also plays around with the zombie genre in a decent way when it comes to the infected, and as it progresses and we learn more about the infected, it becomes clear that this isn’t the dead walking, but people suffering with a disease, and as such the film gives them some interesting rules. The creative team manages to subvert a lot of the zombie conventions, particularly towards the end, and I think that fans of the genre will be pleasantly surprised.

A very well made and decently performed movie from a first time feature film director. Steven Pierce has previously worked on a number of short films, but Herd shows that he’s more than capable of moving up to feature films with great skill.

Herd screened at FrightFest 2023 and will have its UK Home Entertainment release on 23rd October.

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