Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Bebop and Rocksteady Hit the Road #3 - Comic Review

Originally published on Set The Tape

The third issue of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Bebop & Rocksteady Hit the Road draws from Turtles history to throw further obstacles into the way of the titular duo in their attempt to get home to New York. Having been returned to human form and wounded close to the point of death, the time travelling demonic villain Savanti Romero appears, offering to return the two of them to their mutant forms in exchange for their servitude.

And so, back in their mutant form and with Bebop sporting a fancy arm cast that shows his bones mending via x-rays, the two of them gladly agree to serve the villain, assisting him in his attempt to get back to the 79th dimension.

Whilst Bebop and Rocksteady can be interesting characters – and Savanti Romero has been somewhat entertaining in the past – the pairing here feels very strange. There is no apparent reason as for why Romero needs the two mutants on his side, especially when their participation actually leads to Romero being captured by his enemies?

The three of them enter into a sky battle with people from the 79th dimension sent to capture Romero, with the ships chasing each other around buildings and along highways, before the dramatic conclusion. But this encapsulates the whole experience of the series: things happen for no real reason, they’re big and loud and over the top, but have very little impact on the whole story.

By the end of the issue the two of them are mutants again and still heading for New York; but that’s it. That’s the only thing that really happens.

The reveal towards the end of the issue as to the reason Bebop and Rocksteady were turned into humans again was the biggest thing to come out of the story*. As far as explanations go? It’s OK and not what I was expecting, but it’s nothing mind-blowing or a major revelation.

*(Spoiler: it was all part of an elaborate plot by Savanti Romero to get the two of them to work for him.)

Bebop and Rocksteady act as nothing more than bumbling sidekicks to a villain that himself has been reduced to a bit of an idiot in his own right. The whole event comes across as over the top and cartoonish. There are definitely better TMNT stories around – such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Vol. 3: Fall and Rise, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vol. 19: Invasion of the Triceratons, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The IDW Collection Volume 7 – and especially so if you like the fun and cartoonish tales. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Bebop & Rocksteady Hit the Road is brightly coloured and flashy, but lacks any real depth or substance.


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'Red’s Kingdom' Game Review

Originally published on Set The Tape

Originally developed and released for mobile phones, single-player adventure puzzle game Red’s Kingdom makes the leap to the Nintendo Switch as you take control of the titular Red, a squirrel who lives in a land under the rule of a tyrant king. When the mad king steals Red’s nuts, he must set off on a quest to get them back. Oh, and his father was taken too, though Red doesn’t really seem that concerned by that part.

The gameplay is very simple as you use either the control stick or the touch screen to make Red roll around the stages, using objects in the area to direct him to the objective. It instantly reminded me of the ice puzzles in the Pokemon games; and anyone who is familiar with these will feel very at home here.

Throughout the course of the game you will find unlockable extras to collect that will give you new abilities. These include a set of wings that allow Red to glide across gaps and a glowing mushroom that you can use to teleport. Whilst these additions would work great within levels to allow you to solve more complex puzzles, they’re used more to allow Red to access new areas instead.

However, the puzzles themselves are engaging and, whilst challenging to a degree, never feel overly difficult. The game is also good at letting you get used to the puzzles before introducing a new elements, such as spiky barrels, sticky tar, or bouncy tires that make your progress more difficult.

Despite having begun life on mobile platforms, the game looks and feels perfect for the Switch. The graphics feel right at home on the console, with its bright, cartoony art style lending itself nicely to the family friendly aesthetic that Nintendo is known for. There’s plenty of charm to be found in the visuals and the game’s soundtrack is fairly pleasant and relaxing, never feeling too intrusive or annoying; which can be a major benefit if you become momentarily stuck on a puzzle.

The game is broken up by the odd cut scene where small pieces of story help to fill in some information about the world. They show just how uncaring a son Red actually is, more worried about his missing nuts than his father. These scenes are quite fun, with the characters talking in strange gibberish whilst subtitles fill in what’s actually being said.

Whilst Red’s Kingdom is an overall good experience, there are a few things that do let it down a little. The lack of a movable camera does hinder on occasion, with certain parts of the area being unclear, or even hidden, and this does sometimes lead to Red accidentally falling off the edge of the stage. The repetitive nature of the gameplay is another aspect that lets the game down. Whilst played in small bursts, such as on a mobile phone, the game is great, but if you sit down with your Switch to play it for a long session you may soon begin to find your attention lagging. As such, Red’s Kingdom is much better suited to playing in small sessions.

Red’s Kingdom is a fun puzzle game. The gameplay is simple, yet manages to present enough of a challenge that you will need to think things through and try multiple approaches. Best played in short bursts, Red’s Kingdom is sure to keep you entertained for hours.


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The Flash: New Costume Sparks Body-Shaming Backlash

Originally published on Set The Tape

News has been leaking online over the last few days of a brand new costume that will feature in season five of The CW’s The Flash series. Whilst a new costume for the popular hero has been a source of excitement for many fans, a small yet vocal minority have lashed out not only at the design, but at actor Grant Gustin himself.

The new suit looks to be much closer in design to the one worn by the character in the comics. The leather has been replaced with fabric, and most startlingly different, the chin is no longer a part of the cowl. The open face look of the new design jumps out instantly as it’s such a big departure from all of the versions of the Flash suit we’ve had yet, but it also looks just like the character in the books. As a fan of the source material, it’s a bold decision to change to look like this, but I think that it looks great.

Unfortunately, the internet being the internet, there were people who immediately took to the web to complain about the new costume. People have complained that the mask looks ‘too goofy’, that the ‘leather look was better’ (despite so many people complaining about the leather for four years), and that it ‘looks like a carnival kids’ costume’.

Whilst these kinds of complaints are to be expected from any superhero costume (has there ever been one that everyone has liked?) it’s worth remembering that this is a leaked image of an unfinished costume. There are changes being made to it, it’s in unflattering light, and there could even be extra effects added to it. It’s the same as the complaints about the Titans costume leaks from a few months ago.

What was surprising about some of the comments, however, is how many have attacked Gustin personally. People have complained that Gustin is ‘too thin’, that he needs to be more muscular to play the character, and some have even said that he looks ‘sick’.

These comments immediately generated a response from Gustin himself, who took to Instagram to say the following:

'So here’s the thing about this bullshit photo leak. It’s a cool suit. That’s a terrible photo that I was unaware was being taken, much less being posted. Some things need work and they will be worked on. We’ll get there.

'As far as the body shaming. That’s what pisses me off. Not even for my sake. I’ve had 20+ years of kids and adults telling me or my parents I was too thin. I’ve had my own journey of accepting it. But there’s a double standard where it’s okay to talk about a dude’s body. I do my best to stay in shape and add as much size as I can through out these seasons. I’m naturally thin, and my appetite is greatly affected by stress. Stress is something that ebbs and flows for me throughout a season. Thus gaining weight is a challenge for me. I didn’t cast as a slim actor as The Flash. I went to an audition for a role I never dreamed I’d actually book.

'But, here I am 5 seasons later. I’m happy with my body and who I am and other kids who are built like me and thinner should be able to feel like THEY could be a superhero on tv or film or whatever it may be someday.

'I love the suit that has been designed for me, and I think when everyone sees it in its entirety, you will love it too. Things have been adjusted since that leaked shot was taken, and more things will continue to be adjusted until it feels right.'

Grant Gustin also posted a short video to the social media site in which, visibly upset by the comments that he has been subjected to, he says ‘fuck whoever leaked that’.

Sadly, I have to agree with Gustin on this topic. Not only do leaks spoil the experience of the show, but also give false expectations of what things will look like. Behind the scenes photos aren’t how things are supposed to be viewed. You see things in a way they’re not designed to be seen, without finished effects, or even in a way that they’ll never look on screen. Sometimes people understand this about behind the scenes images – nobody thought that Spider-Man’s new suit would be black and grey spandex covered in numbers in the final product – but people seem to forget this about practical costumes. Camera angles, set lighting, how an actor moves all affect how a suit will look.

As for Gustin being ‘too thin’ for the role, I don’t understand these complaints. The Flash is a runner. He’s not a muscular fighter. It makes a lot of sense for him to be thinner. When you factor in how fast his meta-human metabolism is and how quickly his body burns calories it would be incredibly hard for the character to put on lots of weight. Gustin is slim yes, but I’ve never looked at him and thought that he looks unhealthy, or that he doesn’t look right in the role. He’s played the part perfectly for four years, and embodied the Flash in ways that other actors haven’t.

Not liking a design is one thing, but not liking an unfinished costume and then attacking the shape and size of a person’s body because of it is not only a foolish decision, but also incredibly ignorant and cruel. With toxic fans affecting so many franchises lately, it’s time to put a stop to this kind of abuse and to call out those doing it.  Instead, let’s keep coming together to enjoy something that we all love.

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Warhammer 40,000: Deathwatch #3 – Comic Review

Originally published on Set The Tape

‘With the abrupt arrival of a Xenos craft on Sidra, the Kill Team are tasked with a new mission; to warn Xyston of the new invasion, Kaelar and Izrafel make their way to the gunship, only to find that it has been destroyed by the Xenos horde. Left with few options, and the highly corrosive acid rain beginning to fall, the team advance towards the transmission station in the heart of the colony, in the hopes of making contact with the Xyston Watchtower. After separating from the team, Sergeant Agathon is ambushed by a prime Ur-Ghul. Tiberius comes to his aid, whilst the rest of the team face a horde of Orks. Now the real battle begins.’

The tease for this issue, that ‘the real battle begins’ is incredibly apt for the third issue of the book as there are only around five or six pages within the book that aren’t given over to the horrific battles that the Space Marines of the Deathwatch are forced to fight.

The Space Marines of the Warhammer 40,0000 universe are easily some of the most ridiculously overpowered soldiers in sci-fi, one man armies capable of taking down dozens, if not hundreds of enemies themselves. Whilst this can sometimes fail to come across when playing the game (depending on your dice rolls they can be made to look ridiculously weak if you’ve got some bad luck) writer Aaron Dempski-Bowden really manages to put this concept across.

Following the brutal surprise attack from an Ur-Ghul in the final moments of issue #2 Veteran Sergeant Agathon has been thrown around, his armour broken and smashed, and even had one of his arms bitten off. Despite these wounds (which would spell the end of any normal human) Agathon doesn’t even slow in his paces, running and gunning from further Ork attacks, and manages to lead his team effectively.

Despite these demonstrations of Space Marine hardiness from Agathon, the stand out character for this issue has to be Rurik Warsong, the Terminator Armour clad warrior from the Space Wolves chapter. Having taken a leg wound that means he can’t run he chooses to stay behind to buy his comrades time to flee. Taking on more Orks than should be possible, Rurik kills dozens, all whilst being stabbed, cut, shot, and even impaled.

Rurik’s last stand is something to behold, with the old warrior thinking back through his past, remembering killing a giant wolf with nothing but an axe at just eight years old, to destroying enemies of the Imperium such as Chaos Space Marines and Necrons over 300 years. It spurs the ancient warrior on to fight to his dying breath, even when his weapons run out of ammunition. It’s a stunning moment, managing to feel suitably epic in its scope, whilst also capturing the sadness of the loss.

Tazio Bettin and Kevin Enhart, the artist and colourist respectively, manage to bring these moments to life in a stunning way, capturing the brutality of the battles. The action sequences have weight to them, and the giant warriors tearing through hulking Orks has a sense or realism to it that could have been lost with others working on the book. One of the prettiest sequences, however, has to be Rurik’s memories of his home-world, where the oranges and reds are replaced with blues and whites, bringing to life the frozen landscapes of Fenris in stunning visuals.

Warhammer 40,000: Deathwatch #3 isn’t big on story, not a great deal happens, but it manages to pack in some great character moments, and even gives powerful insight into Rurik (the MVP of the issue) without taking away from the brutal pace of the battle. The artwork and writing work brilliantly together, and sets up for what’s sure to be a fast paced and bloody finale.


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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Bodycount – Book Review

Originally published on Set The Tape

‘After being out of print for years, a grindhouse-style classic returns—better than ever. Inspired by the magazine Heavy Metal and the films of John Woo, creators Kevin Eastman and Simon Bisley present a much darker take on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, spinning a pulse-pounding yarn of over-the-top action and more than a bit of the old ultraviolence. In gritty 1990s New York, our boys Raphael and Casey are swept up into an international murder/revenge/assassination plot, complete with gangsters, thugs, cops, cyborgs, machine guns, and (of course) hockey sticks. Don’t miss what might just be the longest-running gunfight in comic book history!’

I grew up watching the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon as a kid (Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles for those like me, watching it in the UK) and fell in love with the gang of green heroes. As I got older, I found out that the show was based upon comics and that the books were much more adult and darker in tone than the children’s series.

I’ve now read quite a bit of these comics and have experienced this ‘darker’ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but even the early comics didn’t quite prepare me for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Bodycount.

Originally published as a mini-series in 1996, the story tells the bloody and gruesome tale of Hong Kong gangster Midnight, who has travelled to New York City on the run from her former colleagues who are now hunter her for apparently betraying them. Running into Casey Jones, then Raphael, the two of them end up helping Midnight as she travels across the country seeking Sanctuary, a place where she can be safe.

Whilst this doesn’t sound too far removed from a fairly standard TMNT plot, the execution (and I’ve chosen that word intentionally) is something very different. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Bodycount, as the name suggests, wracks up a huge amount of kills. Johnny Woo Woo, the cyborg assassin sent after Midnight, cares nothing for collateral damage and as such mows down anyone that’s between him and his target.

The majority of the book is one long gun fight with dozens killed. They are not quick, clean kills either; people have arms and legs blown off, their guts blasted out, and are even decapitated by bullets. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Bodycount isn’t helped in its ultra-violence by the artwork of Simon Bisley.

An artist that I’ve always considered ‘messy’, Bisley’s scraggy and misshapen people look gross at the best of times, but are downright disgusting when being shot to pieces. It makes the death and violence more visceral than it otherwise would be. Whilst the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has never shied away from violence, it has never been gratuitous or disgusting; but this book seems to revel in it, appealing most to people who love gore and torture porn.

Bisley’s art also adds horror to the book whenever he draws Raphael, making the heroic turtle look like like a hideous monster. His limbs are misshapen and uneven, covered in veins and bulges, his mouth looks like The Joker and the Cheshire Cat had a nightmare baby; he’s ugly and looks like a demon.

The worst of the artwork has to be Midnight in the final battle against Johnny Woo Woo. Wearing what can only be described as a thong and strips of skintight cloth, Midnight’s over the top breasts are barely held in place as she participates in a knife fight, every panel focusing on either her arse or pointed nipples. She’s made into a violent sexual fantasy designed to arouse as she performs violence.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Bodycount has been described as encapsulating the ‘grim and gritty’ sensibilities of the 90s and turned it to the extreme. This is completely true, but it takes everything that was awful with 90s comics and dials it up to 11. The violence is over the top and full of gore. Women are sexualised objects with breasts bigger than their heads and costumes that could barely clothe a cat, and even the heroes are pushed into ‘ultra-dark’ as Eastman makes Raphael murder dozens of people with guns and grenades.

The book might be written by Kevin Eastman, one of the creators of the Turtles, but it feels like he’s failed to capture the essence of the characters or the series at all. Gory and violent for the sake of it, filled with awful language and even has Raphael using disgusting slurs such as ‘retarded’; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Bodycount is the goriest, most violent and vulgar TMNT comic I’ve ever read. Absolutely awful.


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