Monday, 30 July 2018

Super Baby Vegeta Revealed For Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2



Bandai Namco have released a brand new trailer for the next Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 character pack, focusing on the new fighter, Super Baby Vegeta.

The Dragon Ball GT villain who took possession of the hero Vegeta, the character was one of the first major threats in the third Dragon Ball series.




The upcoming DLC will also include Kefla, the fused form of the two new female Saiyan fighters that premiered in Dragon Ball Super. There is currently no confirmed release date.


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Transgender Teen Win Legal Battle Against School



17-year-old transgender student Drew Adams has won his legal battle against his local school board in order to be granted access to the correct bathroom facilities.

A student at Allan D. Nease High School, Adams transitioned to his male gender during the eighth grade in 2015, and was using the male restroom facilities since then. However, in June 2017 he was pulled out of class and told by the school guidance counsellor that he would have to use either the girls bathroom, or a unisex restroom in the school office, following an anonymous complaint.

Adams said that he found the schools decision to be 'insulting', and said that if he were made to use the unisex facilities in the school office he would miss valuable education as the facility is far away from where he has his lessons.

Adams and his family decided to take legal action against the school district for what they felt was a discriminatory decision.

On Thursday July 26th, Judge Timothy J Corrigan of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida ruled that the school board had engaged in unlawful discrimination. Corrigan said that, 'Everyone agrees that boys should use the boys’ restroom at Nease and that girls should use the girls’ restroom. The parties disagree over whether Drew Adams is a boy. I can only answer that question with the evidence given to me at trial.

'Drew Adams says he is a boy and has undergone extensive surgery to conform his body to his gender identity; medical science says he is a boy; the State of Florida says so; and the Florida High School Athletic Association says so. Other than at his school, Adams uses the mens’ bathroom wherever he goes, including in this federal courthouse during trial. Even the St. Johns County School Board regards Adams as a boy in every way, except for which bathroom he can use.

Nease High principal Lisa Kunze said at the trial when
asked if she considers Adams a boy, 'I do not'.

'When confronted with something affecting our children that is new, outside of our experience, and contrary to gender norms we thought we understood, it is natural that parents want to protect their children. But the evidence is that Drew Adams poses no threat to the privacy or safety of any of his fellow students.

'Rather, Drew Adams is just like every other student at Nease High School, a teenager coming of age in a complicated, uncertain and changing world. When it comes to his use of the bathroom, the law requires that he be treated like any other boy. As a boy, Adams must be permitted to use the boys’ restroom at school.'

Omar Gonzalez-Pagan, the attorney for the Adams family, said Thursday’s ruling sets the stage for other transgender cases. 'I think it will show to other school districts across Florida and across the country that they better watch out, and they can’t discriminate against transgender students. Otherwise they will be subject to lawsuits because they will be violating the Constitution and federal civil rights law.'

Erica Adams Kesper, Drew's mother said after the case, 'I am still heartbroken to know that the place my child spends more time than at home with me was discriminating against him for being transgender, but I am so relieved that the court has put a stop to this humiliating restroom policy. If there's something you don't know, do the research, look it up, learn the science. Learn what's going on in the world and be open-minded. I just trust Drew to be who he is, and it's the best support any parent can give.'

Adams, who is both an honour student who plans on attending medical school to become a psychologist, and a volunteer at the Mayo Centre, was also awarded $1,000 in compensation for damages caused by the school.

'I am so grateful that I can just focus on being a regular kid at school.' He told the press. 'I have so many other things on my mind, like getting into my top college choice, so I don’t want to have to worry about whether I can use the boys’ restroom. It was upsetting to think my school didn’t want me because I am transgender, and I hope no one else has to feel like that.'

According to court documents, when Allan D. Nease High School principal Lisa Kunze was asked whether she considered Adams to be a boy, she replied, ‘I do not.'


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Alaska Airlines Makes Gay Couple Move For Straight Couple



Alaska Airlines has faced criticism after news emerged that it recently forced a gay couple to leave their flight so that a straight couple could sit together.

Well known American business man David Cooley, owner of both The Abbey Food & Bar restaurant and nightclub The Chapel, has revealed through his Facebook account that he and his partner were removed from an Alaska Airlines flight after refusing to move to allow a heterosexual couple to have their seats.

Cooley and his partner had been seated in their assigned seats on board flight #1407 from JFK to LAX when they were approached by a member of the flight crew, who told them that Cooley's partner would have to move so that a couple could sit together. Not only was he told that he had to give us his seat, but that he would be moved from his Premium seat to Coach.

Cooley told the flight attendant that they were a couple and wished to remain together, but was instructed that if they did not give up their seat for the straight couple they would have to leave the aircraft.


'I have never been so discriminated against while travelling before. I was removed from an Alaska Airlines flight # 1407 from John F. Kennedy International Airport to LAX to give preferential treatment to a straight couple. After my travelling companion and I had been seated in our assigned seats for a while, we were approached by the flight attendant and my companion was asked to move from his premium seat to coach, so a couple could sit together.' Cooley wrote on Facebook. 'I explained that we were a couple and wanted to sit together. He was given a choice to either give up the premium seat and move to coach or get off the plane. We could not bear the feeling of humiliation for an entire cross-country flight and left the plane.

'I cannot believe that an airline in this day and age would give a straight couple preferential treatment over a gay couple and go so far as to ask us to leave. We will never be flying Alaska Airlines or their recently purchased Virgin Airlines Group ever again. Thank you to Delta Air Lines for getting us home safe. If you are an #LGBT person, please spend your travel dollars with an LGBT friendly airline like Delta.'

When approached by Gay Star News for a statement, Alaska Airlines responded to confirm that the incident did indeed take place, and is currently under investigation.

'When boarding flight 1407 from JFK to LAX, a couple was mistakenly assigned the same seats as another couple in Premium Class. We reseated one of the guests from Premium Class in the Main Cabin.

 ‘We are deeply sorry for the situation, and are investigating the details while communicating directly with the guests involved to try and make this right. Alaska Airlines has a zero-tolerance policy for discrimination of any kind, and our employees value inclusion for our guests and each other.'

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Friday, 27 July 2018

Green Mighty Morphin Power Ranger Coming To Build-A-Bear



Build-A-Bear has announced a brand new addition to their plush toy catalogue to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, the Green Mighty Morphin Power Ranger Bear.

The 16 inch tall plush toy is currently available via the Build-A-Bear website for £21.50, with the option to add the characters iconic Dragon Dagger weapon, and the option to include a speaker that plays the series theme tune.

'It’s Morphin Time! With its awesome built-in bodysuit, Power Rangers Green Ranger Bear is an exclusive furry friend that blasts in just in time to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Power Rangers! Add morphinominal accessories like a plush Green Ranger Sword to your furry friend!'

The new bear is in the same style as the Red and Pink Ranger bears that were released in 2017, but no news has been announced yet as to if more rangers will be released in the future.


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Throwback 30: Die Hard



Originally published on Set The Tape


For a film that is often cited as one of the greatest Christmas movies of all time, it is a little surprising that Die Hard actually came out in mid-July in the US (although it was released in early February here in the UK). I was mildly surprised to learn this given that I regularly watch it around the weeks leading up to the Christmas holidays. The idea of watching it in the summer strikes me as a little off. When it comes to Die Hard, however, it doesn’t actually matter when it was released, or when you go and watch it, because it doesn’t rely on the setting of a Christmas party to make it one of the greatest action films ever made.

The story begins as a very personal tale of New York City cop Jon McClane (Bruce Willis) as he travels across America to be with his estranged family at Christmas. Separated from his wife Holly (Bonnie Bedelia) who moved to Los Angeles in order to chase a successful career, McClane wants desperately to have his family back and still loves his wife dearly. The personal drama stems from their inability to make their marriage work with their careers, even though an easy fix would be for John to move to LA to become a cop there.

Unfortunately their marriage woes are interrupted by one of the best movie villains of all time, Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman), and his group of German terrorists as they take control of the building in order to seal the $640million in the vault.

Die Hard was the feature film debut for Rickman – and the first action movie role for Willis – and would go on to make both of its lead actors into household names. While you can argue that each actor received accolades for this movie based solely on their own merits, I can’t help but feel that the way they are designed against each other plays a big factor to their success. Willis is the streetwise hero, wearing a vest and covered in dirt and grime, whereas Rickman is his opposite; he’s cultured, wears an expensive suit and likes to maintain his composure. They are a Yin and Yang pair who complement each other wonderfully, which is a big reason for their success.


Previously in action films, villains were portrayed as madmen or thugs, but Rickman brings so much more to the role and flips the expected characteristics of the hero and villain.

What makes Die Hard truly entertaining is Willis as the battered and near broken hero. Stripped down to only a pistol (and no shoes) he has to take on over a dozen bad guys armed with machine guns and explosives in a location that he’s unfamiliar with, in a city that isn’t even his own. He’s a fish out of water, doing whatever he can not only to survive, but to stop the bad guys.

Compared to later films in the series, especially the fourth and fifth films, this is McClane at his most human and vulnerable. He isn’t performing over the top feats like driving a car into a helicopter, he’s not even able to find a pair of shoes to steal. He gets beat up, his feet get sliced, and by the end he’s stumbling around because he can barely walk. It is this humanity, this frailty, that makes John McClane so popular and relatable.

It is strange to think that at the time it was made, Die Hard was a gamble for the studio, but with a script that was changing even during production, an actor who had never acted on film in the villain role, and a hero whose film career had stalled, it was a huge risk for them. Thankfully, they took that risk. Without Die Hard we would have lost out on one of the greatest action films (and Christmas movies) ever, and would probably not have had the careers of both Bruce Willis or Alan Rickman. Die Hard is more than just a simple action movie, and with this being the 30th anniversary of its release that should be celebrated.


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Thursday, 26 July 2018

TV Rewind… Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 1×06 – ‘FZZT’



Originally published on Set The Tape


The sixth episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. finally takes some time to look at two of the most underdeveloped characters within the main cast, Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) and Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge). Whilst we’ve not had huge amounts of characterisation beyond Coulson (Clark Gregg) and Skye (Chloe Bennet) we at least have a feel for each of the team; but Fitz and Simmons have only really been there to perform science tasks and explain tech stuff to the audience. ‘FZZT’, however, not only gives them a chance to shine, but also gives an early indication that Fitz may actually be the best character on the show with the most talented actor.

When a number of firefighters that were present during the Battle of New York (the events of the final act of Avengers) start dying in mysterious circumstances, Coulson and his team are brought in to investigate. These deaths begin to show the differences between Fitz and Simmons. Simmons is thoroughly fascinated by case and is more than willing to get in close to the bodies to investigate, whilst Fitz is repulsed by them and freaks out about what a corpse is doing to the cleanliness of his lab.

For two characters that have been very interchangeable up to this point it’s nice to see them differ of something, especially something that has to do with science. These scenes are also played relatively fun, with a much more fluid and natural approach rather than the quip heavy humour the show has had to this point (seriously, it’s like you have to take comedy improv classes at the S.H.I.E.L.D. academy to become an agent or something).


When it’s discovered that a Chitauri helmet is responsible for the deaths, containing an alien virus, I was a little disappointing as it felt like the series was once again relying on a connection to the films in order to tell its stories. Thankfully, there’s little focus on the events of Avengers and things take on a much smaller, personal story.

The moment when the team find a firefighter that has been infected and is moments away from death is a really interesting scene. In most shows this would be something that would take place in the final act, and the infected person would end up saved. But here it happens midway through the episode and there’s nothing that can be done. The moment where Coulson sits with the infected man and talks to him about his own experience with dying, preparing him for what is to come, is very sweet and sad, and gives us some insight into how Coulson has processed his own experience. It’s a brave choice of a scene for a show that seems to have prided itself on its sense of humour, but the level of maturity and darkness it brings to the show is incredibly welcome.

Unfortunately for the team, Simmons has also been exposed to the virus and will soon be killed by the virus too, though the explosive electrical blast that comes with her death is also set to destroy their plane mid-flight, killing the rest of the team. This is when Fitz and Simmons are given the focus of the episode, working against the clock to try and save Simmons’ life.

The scene where Simmons has all but given up on finding a cure, but then Fitz willingly exposes himself to the virus in order to help her is a great one, and begins to really show how good De Caestecker is as an actor as he refuses to let his best friend die. The drama with Fitz and Simmons feels so real, so full of fear and sadness, that its some of the best scenes the show has given us yet.


When Simmons believes that there is no cure she jumps out of the plane in order to spare the rest of the team, only for Fitz to realise there is a cure and to try and follow her out. Whilst it’s sad that he doesn’t get to be the one to jump out after her, that honour falling to Ward (Brett Dalton), he was still putting on the parachute, still willing to leap from a moving plane for her; that willingness to possibly die to save her speaks volumes to his character.

Fitz and Simmons are easily some of my favourite characters as the show goes on, and Ian De Caestecker is an amazing actor, and this episode is really the beginning of a lot of why I love the two of them. It has action, drama, emotion, and huge moments, but all of them are focused on these two characters; the weird scientists who work in the back of the bus. ‘FZZT’ may not have big spectacle or action but it’s a wonderfully told personal story.


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Wednesday, 25 July 2018

Warhammer 40,000: Deathwatch #2 – Comic Review



Originally published on Set The Tape


The Warhammer 40,000 universe is huge, it’s filled with dozens of races, hundreds of characters, and thousands of hours of books, games, and comics. Despite this massive amount of lore it seems to be a rare occurrence when it ventures into the medium of comics, which is crazy given how visually striking the designs of Warhammer 40,000 are.

Warhammer 40,000: Deathwatch focuses on a small group of Imperial Space Marines that make up a part of the Deathwatch, a specially trained and uniquely equipped section of the Order Xenos, who are charged with the destruction of all alien races the Imperium comes into contact with. Made up of exemplary Space Marines from every chapter, they draw upon the best of the best to make the ultimate fighting force.

Centring the book on the Deathwatch is a great choice, and a really clever creative move. It enables the writer to focus on a handful of characters, rather than squads or even a whole army, and it means that they can include characters with vastly different personalities, experience, and gear that reflect aspects of their original chapters.

The five Space Marines that make up the heroes of the book are Dienekas Agathon of the Imperial Fists, Izrafel of the Flesh Tearers, Kaelar of the Celestial Lions, Rurik Warsong of the Space Wolves, and Tiberius of the Ultramarines. Sent to the mining colony of Sidra to eliminate an infestation of the vicious Ur-Ghul’s, their mission goes horribly wrong when an army of Orks arrives on the planet, trapping the five marines.

This second issue follows the Marines as they make their way through the ruined streets and buildings of Sidra, ascertaining the sheer volume of the Ork invasion they face, and trying to find a way to escape the planet. Despite the Deathwatch being some of the best Marines in the whole galaxy, we see over the course of the issue that they’re massively outnumbered as they’re hunted by thousands of Orks. It’s a nice change of pace to see the normally super-human Space Marines being the side against overwhelming odds, where their lives are in danger, as it would be very easy to fall into the trap of making them close to unstoppable.

The danger faced by the Marines is highlighted when Agathon has to fight an Ur-Ghul alone, a fight that results in his armour broken, and the loss of one of his arms. Having previously seen Agathon easily dispatch an Ork in single combat, it’s definitely a surprise when he’s so harshly beaten.

The five heroes of Warhammer 40,000: Deathwatch face dire odds, with no apparent way of escaping the horrors of Sidra, and their leader heavily wounded. This being the Warhammer 40,000 universe, where everything is grim and full of horror, there’s no guarantee that things will work out for them in the coming issues.


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Tuesday, 24 July 2018

Doctor Who: A Confusion of Angels – Book Review



Originally published on Set The Tape


‘When the Doctor and his companions are drawn to a seemingly empty transport vessel in deep space, they’re pulled into an impossible conflict – between the robotic Heavenly Host… and the Weeping Angels!’

Doctor Who has a huge history to draw upon, with hundreds of hours of adventures on screen, dozens of books and comics, all spanning more than 50 years. As such, whenever a story utilises characters or monsters from the past things can feel special, especially when it combines elements from multiple stories. ‘A Confusion of Angels’ does this with the new series history, mixing together Weeping Angels, Heavenly Host, Judoon, Slitheen, and Missy into one huge adventure.

The premise for the story is simple enough, the Doctor, Bill, and Nardole have recently left Earth to gather supplies to fix the vault containing Missy, but get sidetracked on their way back when they discover a cargo ship adrift in space. The trio soon discover that something terrible has happened on the ship: the power is being drained, communications are off-line, and members of the crew have gone missing.

The story manages to keep a sense of mystery going for quite a while in these early pages, and even performs some sleight-of-hand trickery for those who aren’t aware that the story features Weeping Angels. With Bill sneaking through the bowels of the cargo ship alone we see glimpses of a creepy-looking angel-like figure stalking her. Knowing Doctor Who and its monsters you immediately think Weeping Angel, but are then surprised to discover Heavenly Host instead. You’re led to believe that not only are these angelic robots the culprits, but are what we saw stalking Bill. When the Weeping Angels do finally appear it’s a shock because the book bluffed the reader into believing that they weren’t there.

It’s a clever little trick to pull, and shows that writer Richard Dinnick shouldn’t be trusted to play fair; something that becomes more apparent when you discover that the mysterious stowaway in the creepy clown mask is another version of the Doctor. Dinnick messes with the reader more than once, and it makes the story more enjoyable and complex than it could have been in another writer’s hands.

‘A Confusion of Angels’ brings back other story elements though, as the ship’s distress call gets answered by a squad of Judoon, led by a special investigator, Margaret Slitheen. Picking up a loose thread left over from Eccleston’s series, we finally get to see what happened to Margaret after she was regressed to an egg and allowed to live her life over with a good family. I think that Dinnick wanted to convey some kind of possibility that she may have still been untrustworthy, as it is brought up more than once, but she never really does anything that would be considered questionable.

The book’s two artists, Francesco Manna and Pasquale Qualano, complement each other wonderfully, and fit the story well. They both manage to capture the likenesses of all of the characters well, which means that returning characters like Margaret are instantly recognisable without need of an explanation of who they’re supposed to be. They also bring some great new designs of their own to the story, with the crew of the cargo ship being unique and wonderful creations.

Mixing together elements from previous stories, bringing back the new series’ most iconic new monster, and adding more depth and background to the Series 10 plot of Missy’s reformation, ‘A Confusion of Angels’ throws a lot at the readers, but doesn’t slow down in its pacing to let you catch your breath. It’s a fast paced fight for survival against a terrifying enemy that is sure to keep the reader on the edge of their seat.


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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The IDW Collection Volume 7 – Book Review



Originally published on Set The Tape


‘A new age begins for the turtles as the epic events of the past have created new opportunities for the future, but new dangers as well. While they continue to get used to a world leading the Foot Clan post-Shredder, they return to the Technodrome to monitor the revival of the Utroms on Burnow Island and are surprised to meet a new mutant – Leatherhead! But will the mysterious mutant be friend or foe? Plus, Kitsune still poses a threat, and a new group, the Street Phantoms, enters the fray!’

The saga of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles continues in the latest bumper volume from IDW, bringing together 14 issues in one beautiful 300 page book. Following the defeat, and death, of their enemy The Shredder at the hands of Splinter, the Turtles and their friends find themselves a part of the Foot Clan when Splinter takes over as their leader. Much of this volume centres on this massive change to the lives of the Turtles as they come to terms with their new place amongst their former enemies, and the effect that this change has had on their father.

The death of Shredder could have been a conclusion to the Turtles’ story, or an opportunity to introduce a new villain to the universe; instead, the team behind Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles made the much wiser choice of having conflict come from within the family unit. Whilst the book does feature the appearance of a new tech-savvy street gang and their crime boss leader Darius Dunn, they’re not a huge threat or a central focus.

What the book focuses on instead is the slow descent of Splinter to becoming the kind of morally corrupt leader that the Turtles previously fought against, and how this affects their family unit. At the beginning of the book Michelangelo has already made his feelings on the matter clear and has left his family, disagreeing with Splinter’s choices, and throughout the story the characters make moves to bring him back into the fold, before pulling the rug out from beneath the readers in the final issue and having the rest of the Turtles turn their backs on Splinter too.

The interpersonal drama is well paced, and feels very real. You can understand why Splinter is making the decisions that he is, and can even agree with them to a certain point. At the same time, however, it’s easy to side with the Turtles too. There’s no clear black and white, no good or bad, just differing opinions on what is the best way to proceed with their new circumstances. For a book that’s essentially about mutant animals fighting aliens and ninjas, it’s able to do interpersonal drama better than many DC and Marvel books.

The book also packs in a lot of action throughout, with a number of smaller intertwining stories. There’s a huge confrontation with the Street Phantoms and Darius Dunn at the end of the book, but we also have several skirmishes before this, as well as a battle with the supernatural entity Kitsune: a fight that has huge consequences for the Turtles’ ally Alopex.

Whilst the book is mainly about the Foot Clan and how the Turtles have been picking up the pieces following the death of Shredder, there’s also a section of the book that moves the Utrom story forward, with the Turtles assisting Professor Honeycutt in awakening a number of the aliens from their hibernation. A distraction from the main plot, this small side-story is actually very entertaining, and manages to introduce the mutant crocodile Leatherhead into the re-imagined universe.

This volume also introduces readers to several new mutants in the form of the Mutanimals: a rag-tag group of crime-fighters that includes Man Ray, Herman the Hermit Crab, and Mondo Gecko. A really fun mix of characters that gives Mickey the spotlight early on, they make for a great expansion to the universe.

Volume 7 of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles packs a lot of action and interpersonal drama into its pages, crafting a hugely enjoyable and well-told story that is sure to satisfy long-term fans and new readers alike.


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Monday, 23 July 2018

Star Trek Discovery Season 2 Trailer



The trailer for the upcoming second season of the hit series Star Trek Discovery premiered this weekend at San Diego Comic Con.

Following on from the surprise arrival of the USS Enterprise at the end of season one, the trailer shows Captain Pike taking command of the Discovery in order to investigate 'red bursts' that are happening across 30,000 light  years of space.

The trailer shows something of a lighter tone for the series than the first season, uniforms that are closer to those of the original series, new cast members, and hints that the central mystery is somehow connected to Spock.



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