Secret Six #1 - Comic Review

 

Writer: Nicole Maines, Artist: Stephen Segovia, 
Colourist: Rain Beredo, Letterer: Steve Wands

The original run of Secret Six is a comic that I've not read in a long time, but one that I'd very quickly name as one of my all time favourite series. It was so good that even after more than a decade of not having read it I'm still remembering it fondly (which reminds me I should pick up the swanky omnibus at some point); as such, and book that's going to carry that title on is going to have some big shoes to fill. When this new volume was announced the line-up was pretty interesting, featuring some characters who's been on the team before, Black Alice, Catman, and Deadshot, alongside three newbies, Superman (Jon Kent), Dreamer, and Gossamer. The returning characters are some great picks, and I think both Deadshot and Catman feel like must haves for the Secret Six, and the new trio are bringing some interesting baggage with them following the events of Absolute Power.

And Absolute Power is a big influence on this new series, and out of all of the titles launched since that event this one feels like one of the most direct follow-on's. At the end of Absolute Power Amanda Waller was put into Belle Reve prison, her memories of all of the super heroes secrets wiped from her mind thanks to Dreamer. It's here that our story begins, with Jon Kent helping to detain Waller's formerly mind controlled Bizarro II, who's in the process of escaping the prison. It shows that despite the sense of victory that came in Absolute Power there's still a lot to be cleaned up, and a lot of problems remaining. 

This is only highlighted when Jon goes to see his boyfriend Jay, who perhaps lost the most during Absolute Power. Thanks to Waller's machinations Jay's nation was destroyed, and his mother was murdered. As such it's not hard to see why he still holds a lot of trauma, and why he's especially angry for those responsible. Unfortunately, one of those people is Nia, the hero Dreamer, a good friend of Jon's who was blackmailed into working with Waller. Despite saving Jon more than once during the event, and even giving up her life, Jay blames her as much as Waller; which leads to some uncomfortable moments when she appears on their doorstep to tell them that Waller has gone missing. Thus begins their mission to get into Belle Reve to get some answers; a mission that will lead to them being forced to work alongside a trio of criminals.

If you haven't read Absolute Power the first issue of Secret Six is throwing a lot of new information at you, however, Nicole Maines manages to deliver it in very concise, easy to understand pieces throughout the book. We're slowly given what we need as it becomes needed, such as starting with Jon and learning about Waller's actions, before moving on to learn about what happened to Jay. A lot of this is delivered through some handy narration boxes, delivered by Jon, but a lot of it comes up quite naturally in the dialogue; especially when Jon, Nia, and Jay are together. It would have been very easy to bog these moments down in exposition, or to have them become angsty screaming matches, but Maines manages to walk the line between expository and realistic well, and I actually really like the interpersonal moments, even if I think Jay is being too much of a dick to Nia.

This trip relationship is definitely the heart of the book, and it's been interesting to see how it's evolved from the comics leading up to Absolute Power to now. If you've read all of those you can't help but feel bad for Nia, who was forced into an impossible situation and did everything she could to set it right. But, you can absolutely understand why Jay resents her. Poor Jon is the one stuck in the middle, trying to make it work, wanting to support his boyfriend and friend both, which can't be easy for him when he clearly sees Jay's anger as misplaced. I'd seen people talking about this trio several months ago, talking about how it seemed to them that they were being set up to become a polyamorous relationship, and whilst I didn't see that myself it's certainly an interesting dynamic that this could be building towards. I'd be very interested to see this kind of relationship explored more in comics (previous Secret Six titles did this too), and one that starts off more antagonistic would be a neat twist on that. 

The art on the book is really well done, and it was one of the first things that jumped out at me when it was announced alongside Stephen Segovia's cover. I love the designs for the characters, especially Jon and Catman. Jon has gone through a lot of different looks over recent years, which feels in part a response to DC editorial not really knowing what to do with the character. His look here is very different, darker in colour, slightly armoured looking without it being some kind of mech suit, and it just kind of works for me, especially with the darker tone this title's going for. Catman I big for his new cape, particularly the big collar he has. It gives him some bulk, and changes up his shape a little so that he doesn't just look like 'Batman but a cat'. He's got his own thing going on here and I really like it. Rain Beredo's colours also go a long way towards making me really click with the art style too, as I like the moody edge it has, and the shades that have been chosen for the colours.

This series was going to have to be really good for me to consider it worthy of using the title Secret Six, and whilst this is only the first issue I was more than just pleased with what we got, I was massively impressed. I ended the issue ready to jump into the next one, it hooked me in just the right way. I think Nicole Maines has done a terrific job here, and anyone who might try to claim that she's working in comics purely because she played Dreamer on television is going to have to shut up after this issue, as it showcases that she's a superb up and coming comic book writer who's sure to have a fantastic career.

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Running on Karma - Blu-ray Review

 

Whilst I'm no expert on East Asian cinema I've certainly seen a lot more than the average person, and some of my favourite films are ones a lot of people wouldn't have even heard of. As such, when I received a copy of Running on Karma I was surprised to learn that I'd never actually watched a Johnnie To film before, and that this would be my first. In fact, I'd not seen any films produced by the Milkyway Image production company, and was eager to correct that.

Made in 2003, Running on Karma tells the story of Big (Andy Lau), a former Buddhist monk turned bodybuilder and stripper who we meet in the middle of a police raid in Hong Kong, where he's arrested for indecent exposure and being an illegal immigrant. What makes Big even more unusual (if he wasn't unique enough already) is the fact that he has the ability to look at people and see visions of their past lives, granting him the ability to know what's going to happen to them in this life based upon their karma. Big attempts to escape the police raid, literally fleeing through the streets naked, pursued by undercover cop Lee Fung-yee (Cecilia Cheung).

Whilst the raid is happening homicide police are responding to a brutal murder nearby, and discover a killer able to contort himself into tiny spaces. The killer escapes, and the two police chances literally run into each other in the street. As Big is caught and arrested he sees a vision of Lee Fung-yee as a Japanese solider in a former life and understands that it means she may soon die. Despite the authorities trying to deport him, Big sticks around to try and help Lee and prevent her death after seeing her innate kindness.

Running on Karma is something of an odd film, one that I struggled to come to a decision on. On the one hand it's presented as somewhat comedic. Andy Lau is in a muscle suit that makes him look odd and out of proportion half the time, though the suit looks incredibly good at times too. There's also silly scenes, such as when Big has to follow the cops on a bike, but because he's never driven one before he's crashing and trashing the bike constantly. The film also has some supernatural elements, such as Big being able to see karma, but also there's a killer who can get through impossible holes and bends like he's Tooms from The X-Files, and a burglar who crawls on walls like an insect. This gives the film a somewhat ridiculous tone, but it crashes up against moments like police brutality, people being brutally killed, mutilation, and trauma. These tones often change from scene to scene, giving the viewer tonal whiplash more than once across the runtime. 

A film that's trying to mix together Buddhist beliefs, super hero action, comedy, crime thriller, romance, and martial arts might seem so unwieldy that you might think that there's little to keep you engaged, but the central relationship between its two stars was engaging enough that it stopped things from being so boring or silly that I stayed engaged until the end. The two actors have decent chemistry, and it's easy to see how Andy Lau became such a big star of Hong Kong cinema. Even when in a big muscle suit and playing the fool he has charisma that comes through and showcases why he's a leading me. He's charming and you can't help but come to care for Big, despite how silly things may feel.

Despite the silliness, the film takes a pretty sharp turn towards the end, and becomes a very dark affair. Whilst it still can't play things 'normal' and adds some elements that make the ending feel weird and otherworldly, it still manages to have an emotionally impactful conclusion that makes this odd journey feel worthwhile. That being said, the ending is odd, and I can absolutely see it leaving a lot of folks unsatisfied. I think that Running on Karma is a film that people will like certain aspects of, but that most people will come away disliking certain elements as it's a film that seems to be trying the 'throw everything in and see what works' approach.

The new Blu-ray from Eureka Entertainment comes with a 1080p HD presentation of the movie that looks very crisp and sharp. There are a lot of films that when they make the leap to HD don't quite hold up as much as you can see the seams as it were, and I half expected that with Running on Karma, especially when it came to the muscle suit. I thought that it would look overly fake in HD, but it actually looks really good in high quality, and doesn't prove as distracting as I was expecting. There's also two audio commentaries for the film that goes into the behind the scenes, the careers of the people both in front and behind the camera, and the way the movie was received and impacted Hong Kong cinema. They're both very informative, and even if you didn't quite gel with the movie itself the commentaries are definitely worth a watch to learn a bit more about the movie.

Alongside the film and the commentary tracks the disc includes a theatrical trailer, and an archive behind the scenes featurette that includes interviews with cast and crew. There's also a new featurette interview with Gary Bettinson, the editor-in-chief of Asia Cinema journal that does into more depth on the film, its stars, and even some of the history of the Milkyway Production company and the people involved with it. Overall, the extras provide a really nice history and background on the film, and those that enjoy learning about cinema will certainly enjoy what's on offer here. 

Running on Karma might be a bit of a weird film, and it's probably not going to be to everyone's tastes, but it makes for some interesting viewing, and the new Masters of Cinema version not only offers a really great quality version of the film, but some cool extra's for film fans, and so is definitely worth looking at for fans of Hong Kong cinema.

Running on Karma is available no Blu-ray now from Eureka Entertainment,

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Die Alone - Film Review

 

The end of the world has always been a ripe premise for fiction, whether that's ancient fairy tales like Ragnarök or the Rapture, or modern stories like The Last of Us or the George A. Romero zombie films, people have always wanted to imagine a scenario of what could come after civilisation as we know it falls. Die Alone is the latest entry in this genre, and whilst you can look at all of it's individual parts and see similar ideas in other places, as a whole it's one of the more interesting and engaging post-apocalypse pieces I've seen in many years.

The film begins with our lead character, Ethan (Douglas Smith) standing on a hilltop, watching the sunset, before putting a gun to his head and pulling the trigger. From here we're thrown backwards in time to see what led him to this point, entering the story as Ethan wakes up in a crashed car, him memory addled, and his girlfriend Emma (Kimberly-Sue Murray) missing. Ethan can remember Emma, can remember that a strange virus was been sweeping across the world, but has little memory of what led him to this moment, presumably thanks to the car crash he's been through.

Searching for Emma, Ethan comes across the hardened survivor Mae (Carrie-Anne Moss), a woman more than capable of defending herself and others in the new world that Ethan finds himself in. Able to take down hostile people, and with her own isolated home that has its own food garden, fresh water, and the ability to generate electricity, she takes Ethan in and agrees to help him try to find Emma. Unfortunately, it's not just hostile humans that Ethan and Mae have to contend with, as the virus has turned the infected into plant-like zombies.

I'm sure you've just read the words plant-like zombies and your mind has likely gone to make comparisons to The Last of Us, which had a similar concept of people being infected with a variation of the cordyceps fungus; Die Alone isn't just copying that, however, as it's zombies look and feel a lot different. The effects work on the infected in this film has to be one of the first things I talk about as I need to heap praise on it. Whilst we don't see huge numbers of these creatures, those we do see have some of the more interesting and creative designs I've seen on the cinema screen. Some of the infected are covered in moss, some have grass and leaves growing out of them, others seem to almost be transforming into trees, with literal branches coming out of them. It's such a fun and unique feeling design that I always wanted to see more of them, and my main criticism of the movie is that it didn't include more of these monsters; though I'm not going to tell the creators how they should have made their movie.

Die Alone isn't all about zombies, and most of the film doesn't even feature them to be honest. The heart of Die Alone is Ethan's story and his quest to find the woman that he loves. Douglas Smith does a good job at portraying the desperation that Ethan feels in this situation, of wanting desperately to be with Emma in a world that's gone to hell. You get the sense that he's suffering more from not being with her than from his memory loss or broken arm, and it humanises him nicely. Anyone who has a partner they love will be able to connect with Ethan, and can understand how it would drive you crazy to be separated from them, especially in a situation like this.

Carrie-Anne Moss's Mae is a perfect counterpoint to Ethan, and absolutely shines as the joint lead. Initially somewhat intimidating, Mae is clearly well equipped to survive in a world where you've always got to be on guard, and there are moments where she's quite frightening. However, it's also clear that there's a lot of vulnerability to her that shines through in some of the more intimate moments of the film. The two of them fit together nicely as Ethan seems like the sort of person who needs someone to take care of him, and Mae seems so starved of companionship that despite her stony exterior appears to quickly fall into that protector role for the benefit of companionship and company that she's been without.

The film poster also features Frank Grillo quite prominently, and his name is up there with Carrie-Anne Moss and Douglas Smith, but if you come to Die Alone expecting to see a lot of him you might be a bit disappointed, as Grillo is in relatively little of the film. By the time he appeared on screen I'd honestly forgot he was supposed to be in the movie. That being said, whilst his screentime is short he has a big presence and makes the most of his time, and gets to be in some of the more memorable moments of the story.

There's more I'd like to say about Die Alone, but if I did it would likely spoil the viewing experience in some small and significant ways, so all I will say is that the film's story does some stuff that I really loved, and by the time it comes to a close I honestly wanted to go back and watch the whole thing again to see how I'd feel seeing it a second time. And with the film sitting at a very well paced 90 minutes it's not something I'd be against doing as it's not a long film, but does use it's time really well. 

Die Alone might not get much attention thanks to big budget post-apocalypse film and TV, but it's a film that definitely deserves your attention. Whether it's the brilliant performance of Carrie-Anne Moss (who definitely needs to be cast in roles like this again), the intriguing story, or the fantastic effects work on the infected, Die Alone has a ton of positives going for it. Fans of the horror and post-apocalypse genres should definitely give it a watch.

Die Alone will be available on home entertainment from 10th March 2025.

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Green Lantern #20 - Comic Review

 

Writer: Jeremy Adams, Artist: Jack Herbert, 

Colourist: Romulo Fajardo Jr., Letterer: Dave Sharpe

With the launch of Green Lantern Corps things have changed for the main Green Lantern title as Hal's adventures now not only tie into what's happening in the other book, but he's sharing page space with Kyle Rayner as the entire Corps become embroiled in a galaxy spanning adventure. As a long time Green Lantern fan I like this kind of set-up more, and I think we've reached the point where having a singular GL headline a lone book just feels somewhat too small for the universe that has been built up around them. 

Following on from the events of the Fractured Spectrum special, this issue sees Hal dealing with an alien whose connected to the powers of the Red Lanterns, whilst Kyle and his team search for a piece of Source Energy in order to stop the Sorrow Lantern building his own Central Power Battery. Each of these stories takes up a fairly evenly divided portion of the book, though Hal isn't around for a good portion of his events as we spend several pages following Erastus, an alien blacksmith who eventually taps into the power of Rage. Erastus is a decent man, one who works hard, who takes great pride in his skill, but whose work is stolen by the local boss, who refuses to pay Erastus as he agreed to. We also see that Erastus's life partner cares little for him, going out partying when he comes home from work, putting him down, and even going off to sleep with other men. 

After spending this time with Erastus we not only understand why he's driven to anger, but I think that most people would sympathise with him. It would have been easy to have started with Hal coming to Alteon-X to respond to the carnage that Erastus causes, being introduced to him at the same time Hal is, but that would have presented Erastus as little more than an angry monster; a faceless foe for Hal to overcome. By spending this time with him we see the person under the anger, we understand how he came to this point, and it makes you want to see him have a decent outcome rather than him just being stomped by the hero. It's one of the things that I think the original introduction of the Red Lanterns lacked. We would eventually find out more about them and would learn to see them as victims in need of help rather than monsters, such as Bleez being a victim of torture and rape, or the frankly heart breaking origin story for Dex-starr, but these latter provided origin stories always struck me as the writers going back and justifying why you should care for these characters. Here, Adams gives us that reason up front and it makes it much better. 

When Hal enters the story we know Erastus, and as such I wanted Hal to be able to help him the same way that Sinestro was able to help the woman who'd tapped into the emotional spectrum in the first issue of Green Lantern Corps. But Erastus proves to be a quite formidable opponent, and this situation remains unsolved by the end of the issue, meaning that it's likely going to be carried across into the next one. What we do get is entertaining though, and the fight between him and Hal is decent, with Erastus using energy construct versions of his blacksmith hammers, whilst Hal does what he can to wear him down. It's pretty decent, and it's nice to see Hal in a situation where he has to think a little tactically, and where brute force isn't going to be the way out for him.

Whilst all of this is going on Kyle is continuing his mission to find Source Energy, a task that has seen him recruit Conner Kent, and the time travelling thief Odyssey onto a team with him. Their mission has brought them to the Source Wall, where they discover that one of the giant bodies that's part of the wall is actually a carefully hidden temple filled with traps that guard their prize. The fact that Kyle immediately makes the comparison to Indiana Jones (even giving himself the hat and whip) actually made it a bit more enjoyable to me as the book was able to lean into the tropes a little more, and the characters had some fun with the situation. 

This was a decent issue, one that I enjoyed a lot more than the earlier issues of the run where Hal was stuck on Earth. Having the main book be part of a larger story that includes the other GL's is definitely more my thing. I'm still not completely sure about the new villain, the Sorrow Lantern, but I'm definitely interested in learning more and coming to a definitive decision on if I like it or not. I am still quite amused that Hal Jordan cuckolded a man so hard he became a super powered space villain though, it's a hell of an origin story.

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Hellhunters #3 - Comic Review

 

Writer: Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Artist: Adam Gorham, 
Colourist: Frank Martin, Letterer: Travis Lanham

The first two issues of Hellhunters have been a very different kind of read than a lot of other current Marvel work. At a time where it feels like the main line is either pushing for MCU synergy, or moving from one big crossover event to the next it's nice to get a book that draws upon existing Marvel lore but is able to do it's own thing in it's own little corner. The fact that it's also a horror book set during World War Two also sets it aside as something a little special. However, the first two issues kind of didn't give readers much more than this, keeping a lot of details back and giving readers cool vibes and awesome set pieces to draw you in. 

Issue three, by contrast, puts a lot of its cards on the table and gives readers some big revelations. For example, this issue we finally get a name for the monsters that our mishmash group of heroes are up against; the Unhallowed. We find out where these creatures came from, and what their plan is, as well as getting another named monster in the form of the new foe Baraphiel, a huge kaiju-sized monster that can swallow people whole. The issue balances lore drops, action, and character development well; particularly with the new team member, Bucky Barnes.

It was revealed that Bucky would be part of Hellhunters when the series was teased, but after the first two issues it was almost easy to forget that he was going to be there. The book felt like the kind of thing that could be going on during the time, sure, but it was different enough from the existing Captain America and Bucky WWII stuff that it was hard to see where the two could mesh together. This issue brings the Hellhunters to a US camp, where they try to give the commander a report that will convince him to lend them more support. They're after Captain America if they can have him, but convincing a military general that monsters from myth are taking over the war isn't easy even in the Marvel universe. The team are on their own, and may even lose Nick Fury and Peggy Carter in a week or two too, meaning that they've got little time to finish their mission.

Whilst the people in charge talk strategy, Romero runs across Bucky Barnes, the young teen 'sidekick' of Captain America. Romero, having thought that Bucky was just a publicity stunt, is shocked to learn that he's an actual soldier. I appreciate how the issue really hammers home how messed up it was that Bucky was at war, how he was literally a child soldier, and how it really messed him up even before he became the Winter Soldier. When we first see Bucky here he's crying because Dum Dum Dugan took away his collection of ear trophies he'd taken from dead Nazis. It's incredibly jarring to see this teen crying over his kill trophies having been taken off him that it makes Bucky being there so uncomfortable, to the point where you even have to question what the hell Cap was thinking having Bucky along at all.

That being said, Bucky actually brings some great energy to the team when he finally convinces them to bring him along. He's full of personality, cracking jokes, and trying to bum smokes off Fury, it marks him as very different from the older, more world weary members of the team. Plus, the full page splash of Ghost Rider Romero jumping his Harley whilst Bucky rides on the back, singing, and shooting his gun with a huge smile on his face is such a weird but wonderful moment that it makes you put your objections to Bucky being there aside so that you can just enjoy the silliness. 

Gorham and Martin do a great job with the art this issue, and the just mentioned splash page is one of the best looking parts of the book, and makes for such a striking image that if Marvel don't make it into a poster they're missing a trick. But, this isn't the only good thing about the book, as the art team fill it with amazing moments. The opening page, showing us the Unhallowed, is both beautiful, and evokes the spirit of the supernatural winter that they bring in their wake thanks to the blues and purples that fill the page with ghostly light. The violence and gore are also incredibly well done, with most of the more disgusting moments being implied through clever visuals, rather than turning the book into an off putting splatter-fest. 

Hellhunters has reached its halfway point, and it's a bittersweet thing as it feels like the series has really found it's feet here with the introduction of Bucky. It's sad that there's only going to be a couple more issues, but I can easily see this series being held up as one of the best pieces of both Marvel horror, and it's World War 2 catalogue. 

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Justice League Unlimited #4 - Comic Review

 

Writer: Mark Waid, Artist: Dan Mora, 
Colourist: Tamara Bonvillain, Letterer: Ariana Maher

The best thing about Justice League Unlimited is the huge roster, where Waid is able to use pretty much any hero in the DC Universe; but this issue goes one step further and shows us that no one is safe of being drawn into the action as even a civilian has to step up and help save the world.

In the last issue the terrorist group Inferno lived up to their name by setting the Amazon rainforest on fire, an action that spells doom to the entire world with the global ramifications that its destruction would bring. It also appeared to kill Swamp Thing, taking a powerful force away from our heroes. To help them combat this threat Mr Terrific has to try and find someone else who can do what Swamp Thing can do, and so reaches out to Tefé Holland, the daughter of the first Swamp Thing, Alec Holland, to help bring the rainforest back to life.

It's a pretty action packed issue, one that focuses a lot on the conflict in the amazon, and as such much of what we see has our heroes surrounded by thick smoke and flames, and so whilst there's nothing inherently bad looking about the issue (it is Dan Mora after all) it's not the most engaging looking issue of the series for me. This was only compounded for me with the use of The Green, the psychedelic plant realm that gives Tefé her powers. Things get a bit weird in places, and whilst I didn't hate it it wasn't stuff that I found particularly exciting. 

Outside of the main story, however, was a subplot that was much more my thing. In previous issues we saw that Martian Manhunter left the League after losing control of himself on a mission, something that happened because a number of his psychic powers have been lost since the events of Absolute Power. This issue has Batman find J'onn, in the desert of Egypt. Those expecting Bruce to give J'onn a stern talking to, or to order him to come back to the League will be disappointed, as instead he connects with J'onn on a personal level, understanding that the loss of his powers would be like the loss of a sense, and even says out loud something that I've held as my personal opinion for years, that J'onn is the heart and soul of the League. 

It's a beautiful moment, one that's nicely placed in the middle of the issue to break up the chaos that's going on on the other side of the globe, and helps to give the reader a small break from the frenetic energy that that other story has. When the series started I was unsure how Waid was going to juggle so many different characters and large casts like this, but this issue was a great example of how he does that. Even when things are chaotic, with dozens of heroes, the whole world on the line, and bits that weren't quite my taste, he can still inject these wonderful, small character focused scenes to balance it out and make it a great book.

As mentioned earlier, I wasn't keen on all of the art in the issue, but that's not due to the quality of it. Mora and Bonvillain do an amazing job at bringing everything to life, it's just that I found the scenes in the fire to be a little oppressive (which is probably what they were going for), and I've never been too keen on stuff set in The Green. It's personal taste rather than a critique of the art itself, which is absolutely beautiful.

The slowly unfolding story of Inferno feels like it's reached a key moment here, and whilst not a huge amount happens with them it feels like the League has proven to them that they can stop Inferno, and that this is going to have some repercussions to come. The issue also ends with another reminder of their spy within the League, which we've known about for a while now, and it seems like Waid has a plan for the characters that's yet to be revealed.

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Superman #23 - Comic Review

 

Writer: Joshua Willaimson, Artist: Dan Mora, 
Colourist: Alejandro Sánchez, Letterer: Ariana Maher

The first few stories in Joshua Williamson's time on Superman spent time creating some new characters, such as Dr. Pharm, Marilyn Moonlight, and the Chained. It felt like a bold new era for the character that was brining in these new elements, but this latest arc has been a wonderful melding of these new changes and classic characters to create what might be my favourite arc in the entire run. Not only do we have Lois taking a bigger role as a new Superwoman, but we've got Doomsday, big new lore about the Time Trapper, and even the Radiant. Williamson has brought a lot of different pieces together here to create a truly exciting and engaging Doomsday story; something that has rarely (if ever) been done since his first introduction. 

With the Radiant and its army attacking Metropolis in the last issue, demanding that Superman hands Doomsday over to them, things feel at their most desperate here. Clark is fighting side-by-side with Doomsday against the invading forces, and Lois has been snatched out of linear time by the Time Trapper, a far distant future version of Doomsday that can control the flow of time itself. Having previously tried to talk Clark into making a deal with him, Time Trapper is now attempting it with Lois, warning her of the dark future that is close to coming into being that only he can help prevent. There's a moment where it seems like Lois might take the deal, but this is Lois Lane, a woman who's never bowed down to bullies or monsters even when she didn't have powers. Unfortunately, her defiance of Time Trapper leads to tragedy.

Meanwhile, the battle with Radiant and his fleet is raging across Metropolis, with multiple members of the Superman family helping out but unable to turn the time. With things looking grim for the heroes it's time for Lex Luthor to step up and be the hero. After the Lex Luthor special there's some questions as to where he is at the moment mentally, if this is the completely amnesiac Lex, or if this is his villainous side playing a long con, and his actions this issue do little to help clear that up. You could argue that what he does is quite sinister, but his protests that he did it for the right reasons seem completely plausible. I'm enjoying this story for him, and like that Williamson isn't giving the game away yet. Superman Luthor was a favourite of mine, and his time as a hero was a delight, so if we get a good Luthor for a while it's definitely a plus as far as I'm concerned.

As mentioned earlier, there is a moment of tragedy in this issue, and for a while I thought that Williamson was perhaps building up towards a death that would have been absolutely heart breaking. Whilst we avoided that there's no denial that a beloved character has something bad happen to them, and that as a result of that another character may be on a path back to villainy. As someone who enjoys the characters that surround Superman and wants more of a supporting cast featured in modern comics over stories that just centre on heroes and villains I like that this is included here, as it gives this character their own storyline, and seems to suggest that it'll be something that will continue on for a while at least.

The issue ends with two scenes that set up future developments, one of which was hinted at in a previous special issue and that I was expecting to see relatively soon, but the other was a complete surprise as the last two pages hint at huge things not just for Superman but the entire DC Universe. 

What can I say about Dan Mora's art that hasn't been said hundreds of times over by now? The man is one of the best artists in the business, and every panel of the book is phenomenal. He perfectly captures the epic scale and chaos of the action, showcasing the raw power of the characters at play here, as well as filling those characters with some beautifully human moments; some of the moments with Lois at the end of the book are beautiful depictions of someone wracked with guilt and sorrow trying to hold themselves together. I don't think there's a character that Dan Mora hasn't nailed yet, and this book and all of the amazing things he's bringing to life are just a genuine delight.

This is my favourite run on Superman since before the New 52. Williamson is capturing a load of the stuff that I love about the 90's Triangle Era Superman titles with a more modern comics sensibility on top, and each issue leaves me feeling both satisfied and eager for the next.

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Red Hulk #1 - Comic Review

 

Writer: Benjamin Percy, Artist: Geoff Shaw, 
Colourist: Bryan Valenza. Letterer: Cory Petit

A new era has begun at Marvel as Doctor Doom has taken over the planet after becoming Sorcerer Supreme, and it seems that part of his new rule is locking away people who might be a threat to him. One of those people is General Ross, a man who's not just a high ranking US military figure, but is the sometimes hero Red Hulk, a creature as powerful as the Hulk, but with the mind of a cold, calculating soldier. And whilst the Red Hulk getting his own titular One World Under Doom tie-in around the same time that the character is making his big screen debut does feel like it's likely some MCU synergy going on behind the scenes the book is entertaining enough that I don't really mind.

The issue opens with a sequence that shows how this Hulk is in many ways more frightening that the green one, as we see General Ross aboard a commercial flight above North Korea. Ross changes into the Red Hulk, destroys the flight mid-air, and uses it as cover to attack a North Korean facility below; all of this part of a carefully calculated scheme to make it appear like North Korea destroyed a civilian target as the first step to conflict across east Asia. Thankfully, it turns out that the entire scenario was one conjured up by magic. It appears that Doom not only captured Ross to take him off the board, but to use his military mind to help him test out scenarios and plans.

We soon learn that Ross isn't the only 'asset' that Doom has locked away like this, as several others, including Deathlok and Machine Man, begin communicating with each other using morse code. Thus begins a long, careful scheme to break out of the prison that Doom is keeping them in. And this is the main conceit of the book, Doom has captured a number of people and they're breaking out of prison, and Red Hulk is leading that charge. It's a set-up that I like, one that I don't feel like we've really seen too many times before, and with an interesting assortment of characters thrown into the mix too.

It would have been easy to fill these cells with some bigger name characters, for Doom to have somehow captured key heroes from various teams across the world, with people like Captain America or Spider-Man there to be a big name draw. They could even have done a bit of a Secret Invasion twist on things, like having a character such as Iron Man in one of the cells saying he's been there for months, raising questions as to if the Iron Man in the other titles has been replaced with a Doom-bot.

But Benjamin Percy has chosen to take a different route, to make the book feel smaller and more self-contained by keeping Red Hulk as the biggest name and having him team up with some characters who don't get used that often. It leave the book feeling like it's not going to be a huge part of the One World Under Doom story, and as such is going to be freer to do its own thing. It feels like there's a lot of promise here, that the book can go in many different directions, and a big part of the excitement for the next issue is in seeing where that's going to be.

Geoff Shaw and Bryan Valenza do a great job on the art, and there's some really visually fantastic moments to be found in a book that's largely just several people locked in almost empty rooms. The opening sequence is fantastic, and showcases the destructive power of Red Hulk in a horrifying way. 

Red Hulk #1 was a book that I wasn't sure I wanted to read, it felt like it was likely being done because the character was on the big screen, and that it would end up being a tie-in that I'd think little of and not care to finish. However, it's the best thing with the One World Under Doom banner that I've read so far, and I'm genuinely looking forward to the next issue. 

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Absolute Wonder Woman #5 - Comic Review

 

Writer: Kelly Thompson, Artist: Hayden Sherman, 
Colourist: Jordie Bellaire, Letterer: Becca Carey

One of the things that strikes me each time I pick up an Absolute title is the amazing needle that the creative teams seem to have threaded, that they've created characters who feel so different and new, yet also perfectly embody the aspects of the originals that made them so well loved. The Diana that we have in Absolute Wonder Woman could be a completely new character, and out of the three Absolute titles we've had so far this is the one that I could easily see being it's own book; just file off the serial numbers, change a few names and it's it's own indie title. It's the one that I think stands on it's own the most, that has managed to craft something that doesn't need the DC connection to be as good as it is; and that's phenomenal to me because this is still so clearly Wonder Woman.

Issue five marks the final part of 'The Last Amazon', the opening chapter to this new series. As such, readers are expecting the immense threat of the Tetracide to be dealt with here, a creature that has proven to be unstoppable and unkillable each issue leading to now. Diana has tried multiple things, magics and weapons that should spell the end of most foes. As such, it feels a little like Kelly Thompson is going to have a hard time bringing this to a conclusion that feels satisfying. If Diana is able to defeat a monster like this how will other foes be any trouble to her, and why didn't she just use whatever magic or weapon from the beginning?

Luckily, Thompson is able to not only answer both of these questions, but does it in a way that feels in keeping with everything we've had so far and sets an interesting stage going forward. A good portion of the issue is given over to flashbacks to Diana's time in Hell, where her mother, Circe, gives her her most dangerous weapon, something that should only ever be used as a last resort. We see the affect this weapon has on Diana, not in the fight in which she uses it, but in the impact it has on her following this. She describes it as 'cruel', something that Diana would never want to be, and it's only through some soul searching, and advice from a god, that she comes to understand this weapon and why her mother gave it to her. 

I won't spoil what this is, but we later see first hand why she would see it as cruel, and why it's something that Diana should avoid using. Thompson gives us a conclusion that's huge in scale, yet makes it part of Diana's personal journey and creates a great reason as to why we may not see this weapon often, and why Diana can't just fall back on using it to solve all of her battles. And this is very Wonder Woman to me. Her main universe counterpart is capable of huge destruction, she's not been afraid to do bad things to save the world, such as killing Maxwell Lord, but she never relies on that. Cruelty, killing, and the endangerment of innocents isn't what Diana does unless there's no other way to save the day, and she'll be the first in line to take on the pain of having to do those terrible things; and Absolute Wonder Woman is no different in that regard.

The art team continue to create a book that's absolutely stunning to look at, one where the art is as impressive as the writing, and the two of them come together to create a book that feels damn near perfectly crafted. The moments of wonder and action feel huge and shocking, and the more intimate moments hit perfectly, and there's not a single page where you're bored looking at it. Even when it's a page of Diana and Circe talking to each other on the beach the way that the panels are presented to you draws you in, gets you interested, and leaves you wanting more.

The Absolute books were pitched as a new take on the Elsewords concept, of a unified new universe where these heroes and villains would be presented in new and interesting ways. But Absolute Wonder Woman doesn't feel like that. It's not a 'cool look how weird this is' kind of Elseworld, it's not a story that rides on the novelty of being different. Absolute Wonder Woman already feels like a book that's going to be held up as a quintessential Wonder Woman title, a book that people are going to recommend for decades to come. 

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West Coast Avengers #4 - Comic Review

 

Writer: Gerry Duggan, Artist: Danny Kim, 
Colourist: Arthur Hesli, Letterer: Joe Caramagna

West Coast Avengers has been a delightful surprise since it began, with it's unique set-up of heroes trying to rehabilitate villains, and it's interesting team roster. This latest issue expands on two of these teammates in particular as we finally get an explanation as to why Tony and Rhoedy trust the apparently reformed Ultron, and we see more of the PTSD that Firestar is going through after the events of her time with Orchis.

Last issue we learned about 'The One', one of the four different Ultron's that exist now that Ultron has split his personality. The One has started a cult, a Church of Ultron, in which he's transforming humans into cyborgs with super powers. The West Coast Avengers are figuring out how to deal with that threat this issue, as well as internal conflict. And that's the main thrust of this issue, how this situation is affecting the team, and what it might mean for them going forwards. There's no real physical conflict to be found inside these pages, other than a small flashback, yet the book manages to be more entertaining than some of Marvel's recent 'blockbuster' books.

The first half of the issue reveals how Ultron gained the trust of the team's leaders, in a flashback that does seem to make this version of the villain trustworthy. You could argue that this is all a trick, that he played the odds and gambled on Tony deciding to trust him and believe his claims, but for the most part I do want this to be on the level. I'd like for this Ultron be actually want to be a hero, and whilst I know that even if that is the case it'll eventually get undone, I think him honestly trying to reform himself would be a much more interesting and rewarding story than it all being a villain plot.

Firestar, on the other hand, doesn't trust him, even after learning the truth. And for those that read the Krakoa saga that's absolutely understandable. Firestar was put in an awful situation, where she had to go undercover with a group that was actively causing the genocide of her people. A group that was being helmed by an evil AI. It's not hard to see why she can't trust Ultron here, and her reactions of drinking alcohol, lashing out at her teammates, and refusing to see things their way makes a lot of sense when you consider the fact that she's been through trauma.

This isn't just a meta reading of the text though, as Blue Bolt outright states this to her, telling her that she's going through PTSD. She denies this at first, but after he pushes the point she starts to see that perhaps he's right, that she may need to work through the trauma that she's still carrying before putting herself into a position where she's expected to go out and save the world; especially if that means having to work alongside, and fight, AI's. This was my favourite part of the book, I adored seeing how Angelica's journey post-Krakoa has been going, and her scenes with Blue Bolt might be the best moments in West Coast Avengers since the first issue. It feels like it's going to be a long journey for her to get to a place of healing, but when comics often ignore older stories in order to tell new ones the fact that it's been carried across this way is a delight; but considering that Gerry Duggan told that previous story it's not that surprising that he's still interested in exploring it here.

The book looks great too, and the art team of Danny Kim and Arthur Hesli do some great stuff throughout. The small action beats in the flashback look superb, and you get a great sense of the scale of destruction that happened in that moment. The new look for the heroic Ultron is pretty cool too, and has some very classic comic sensibilities to it that go well with Tony and Rhodey's armours at the moment. They also do a great job at humanising Firestar and Blue Bolt, both in showing her pain as well as his weirdly infectious joy in moments where you genuinely believe he's a decent guy underneath his gruff exterior.

I've said it before, but West Coast Avengers is a book that took me by surprise, but is by far my favourite Marvel team book at the moment, and I hope that it gets the attention that it deserves.

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Doctor Vampire - Blu-ray Review

 

Some of the best horror films throw a little bit of comedy into the mix, things like Shaun of the Dead, Dog Soldiers, or An American Werewolf in London immediately come to mind. And it's not an easy thing to do, go too far one way and it's either a silly movie with horror themes, or a horror movie with some very out of place jokes. Out of those two, I find the first to be the best, a movie that's so silly that it becomes hard to actually see it as a horror film, but you're having way too much fun to care. This is exactly the kind of movie Doctor Vampire is.

Vampires were a popular brand in Hong Kong cinema thanks to the success of Mr Vampire, a movie that spawned a number of sequels and knock-off's over the coming several years. Whilst few of these managed to capture much of the magic of the original Mr Vampire (still one of the best vampire movies made in Hong Kong) there were ever increasingly creative attempts to win over fans of the genre; and Doctor Vampire might be one of the best examples of this.

Beginning in England, we meet Dr Chiang Ta-Tsung (Bowie Lam), who's in the country for work. When his car breaks down on a country lane he goes looking for help and arrives at a castle that houses what looks like a tradititional early 90's pub. What makes it stand out, however, is the very sexual nature of the staff and customers, and it becomes clear to the audience that Chiang has stumbled into a brothel. What's less obvious, especially to him, is that it's run by vampires. After Chiang thinks he saves a young woman named Alice (Ellen Chan) from an angry customer, he gets taken upstairs and thanked for his heroics with a steamy night of passion in which he loses his virginity.

Back in Hong Kong, Chiang returns to the hospital where he works and tells his two best friends that he finally had sex. The three of them, the worst doctors in the hospital, have to keep the information quiet from Chiang's girlfriend May (Shiela Chan), who works in the hospital as a nurse. However, when Chiang begins to feel strange, unable to eat his favourite garlic dish, needing sunglasses when out in the daylight, and being drawn to buy himself a cape, his friends begin to suspect that he's becoming a vampire; a suspicion backed up when they discover that he was bitten in his private area during his steamy night with Alice. Meanwhile, in England Alice's master, the Count (Peter Kjaer) discovers a taste for Chiang's blood by drinking it through Alice, and sets out to get more of it.

One of the things that makes Doctor Vampire stand out against some of the other Hong Kong vampire movies is that it forgoes that traditional Jiangshi (hopping vampire) and focuses instead on the western vampire in a collision of traditions and cultures. This is illustrated in a couple of scenes in the film, where Chiang is considering what life might be like if he completes his transformation into a vampire. He questions how he should move as a vampire, hopping out of the room with his hands raised, and later in the story his two friends buy him a costume that makes him look like a Qing dynasty official (the traditional look for the Jiangshi). There's even a Taoist priest who arrives for the final battle, his talismans and vampire killing sword at the ready, but with the enemy being a western vampire this ends up being pretty useless, and he ends up locked inside a freezer for the rest of the finale.

Doctor Vampire embraces a lot of the tropes of the western vampire genre, including putting romance as one of the central themes. Despite her having bitten him, Chiang begins to fall in love with the vampire Alice; and she him. His love for her and his transformation into a vampire is a big part of the narrative, and whilst there is the added wrinkle that he's cheating on his long term girlfriend, a lot of this plot ends up being kind of sweet. The cruel, ancient count who's trying to get between them has shades of Dracula, whilst being far enough removed that you'd never accuse the film of being too inspired by it.

Where Doctor Vampire excels, however, is when it's not taking itself seriously and leans into the sillier parts. Chiang and his two friends are the worst doctors in their hospital because they don't do enough operations, so we get a sub-plot of them doing unnecessary operations on patients to get their numbers up, such as a circumcision to cure a headache. The farcical moments like Chiang lurking around in a cape, or a nurse thinking his friends are fellating him in the staffroom are so ridiculous that you can never take the film seriously, but are fun enough that you can't help but be a little bit charmed by them. A lot of the time the film feels more like a comedy that just happens to have vampires in it than any serious attempt to be a horror movie.

If you're not looking for a very serious movie, one that's more interested in giving you a fun experience over the small things like a plot that makes complete sense or internal consistency, Doctor Vampire is a film that offers that. How many movies have a vampire who looks like he raided a fancy dress shop shooting lasers out of his eyes whilst flying through the air, or heroes that get inexplicably transformed into Buddha powered warriors by a statue? Doctor Vampire might not win any awards, but it certainly kept me entertained throughout, which I can't always say for every film I see.

The new release from Eureka Entertainment has a brand new 2K restoration of the film, which compared to some old clips of it that I've seen might make this the most visually impressive version of the movie that you'll be able to get your hands on. The new audio is also really crisp and sharp, and sounds fantastic throughout. Alongside the film there's the usual audio commentaries, featuring returning names Frank Djeng, who does a solo commentary, and another with Arne Venema and Mike Leeder. For those familiar with Eureka's usual Hong Kong movie releases you'll know the kind of commentary tracks to expect here, and both offer interesting additions to the movie. There's also an interview with Stacey Abbott, author of Celluloid Vampires: Life After Death in the Modern World, and Vampire Slaying 101: Remixing Monster Traditions in Doctor Vampire, a new video essay by gothic scholar Mary Going who goes into the marriage of eastern and western vampire myths present in the movie. 

As with previous Eureka releases, this new Blu-ray offers fans a wonderful way to experience the movie, with crisp video and audio quality, and a load of extra features that gives you a reason to dive into the film a couple more times. Doctor Vampire might be an unusual entry in the Hong Kong vampire film catalogue, but it's one that's loads of fun.

Doctor Vampire is available on Blu-ray from 24th February 2025.

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Ultimate Wolverine #2 - Comic Review

 

Writer: Chris Condon, Artist: Alessandro Cappuccio, 
Colourist: Bryan Valenza, Letterer: Cory Pettit

One of the things that I like more about this new Ultimate Universe over the first one is that whilst there's a pretty varied style across the board, and most of the books are doing their own thing, none of them have been bad, and certainly so far none of them have been incredibly objectionable. There have been some big changes, the world is so unlike the one we know that entirely different nations exist, and some well known characters have died already, but it's not as bad as a racist Captain America, incest twins, or heroes being eaten alive. But if there's one title that feels like it could possibly come close to entering that territory it's Ultimate Wolverine; but unlike those examples, the book has so far managed not to feel nasty or meanspirited.

The first issue of Ultimate Wolverine introduced us to this world's version of Logan, who had been through the same adamantium infusing experiments as the 616 version, but had also been programmed into this worlds Winter Soldier. This is a Logan who has yet to escape being a weapon, and is being used to hunt and kill anyone who opposes the rule of the Rasputins and Omega Red. We saw this in the first issue where he was sent to kill an Opposition cell, including two of their mutant leaders, Mystique and Nightcrawler. This is what I mean by this book has the potential to be like the worst parts of the old Ultimate Universe, because right from the start Ultimate Wolverine has shown it's not afraid to kill characters in horrible ways. But whilst things such as the Blob eating the Wasp felt like they were done for shock sake, here at least it feels like it fits.

We see that even more this issue, a world in which killing, cruelty, and darkness feel right at home. From the opening pages where we see the Maker creating the world he wants, to the Rasputin's torturing Logan, and the throwing away of loyal subject's lives in order to perform a test; the cruelty feels baked in, and as such it means that the brutality this series delivers doesn't feel as jarring, even though it's more extreme than what we'd see in the main 616 universe. The first issue of Ultimate Wolverine felt like it was creating the tone, but this issue shows us how that tone works, how the Eurasian Republic operates from the top and gives us insight into the twisted machinations that take place in the background.

As with the first issue, the art on the series is impeccable, and suits the tone wonderfully. Cappuccio and Valenza create some absolutely beautiful moments in this book that most pages had at least one panel that had me stopping for a moment just to pour over how good it looked. The scenes in the forest were beautifully crafted, and captured the desolate, cold atmosphere in ways that almost had you feeling the chill. The art works well in moments of violence too, where you see just enough that you can feel the visceral, animalistic nature that Logan brings to his killing, yet it never feels overly gory or gratuitous. It manages to walk that line between dark and disturbing incredibly well.

Ultimate Wolverine, like much of this new universe, feels like a slow burn story, one that's not just carefully crafting these characters but the world they inhabit, allowing the reader to get a little more each issue rather than presenting everything up front. It's an approach that's working incredibly well for this title so far, and has quickly elevated this book to my most anticipated Ultimate book each month.

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