Star Trek: The Next Generation: Mirror Broken #2 – Comic Review

Originally published on Set The Tape

‘In the otherdimensional Mirror Universe, there is no United Federation of Planets, only a cruel Terran Empire, where advancement comes through assassination, brutality is commonplace and kindness is weakness. The Terran Empire is on it’s last legs in its war with the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance, but Captain Jean-Luc Picard has learned the final chance of victory: a revolutionary new Galaxy-class starship that could turn the tide of the war. The ship is called Enterprise. And Jean-Luc intends to take it.’

The second issue of the new Star Trek: The Next Generation mirror universe series, Star Trek The Next Generation: Mirror Broken, continues the tale of the desperate Terran Empire, and the crew of the ISS Stargazer as it’s captain, Jean-Luc Picard, intends to steal the most advanced ship in the empire, The Enterprise.

After the world building of the first issue, issue #2 expands upon Picard’s plan to become the captain of the Enterprise, introducing new conspiritors to his plot in the form of Geordi La Forge’s lover Leah Brahms, and William Riker.

Brahms is a character that appeared briefly in Star Trek: The Next Generation in a handful of episodes, where a relationship with Geordi was a possibility, but never actually came to pass. She was one of the people responsible for designing the warp core on the Enterprise, and as such her appearance here makes sense from a storytelling point of view, and is a great little easter egg for fans.

The Riker here is, like most others in the mirror universe, a much nastier version of himself, complete with a scar around his blinded left eye, and braided evil twin beard. Unlike most of the others involved in the plot to take the Enterprise, Riker needs some convincing, by getting in a vicious bar brawl with Picard (a bar brawl set in a bar run by Morn from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, another great little treat for eagle eyed fans).

The fight between Picard and Riker shows how vicious this universe’s version of Picard is, how much more eager to fight he is, and the fact that he will fight dirty too. Some of this is established earlier in the issue, when Picard is almost killed whilst working out in his gym aboard the Stargazer, before he kills his would-be assassin.

Thanks to this assassination attempt we get to see Picard vetting his crew for who can be taken with him to the Enterprise, a process that involves Inquisitor Troi reading the minds of the crew whilst interviewing them all.

This issue doesn’t move the plot forward in any great way, but it does help to further develop the mirror universe, showing how untrustworthy and vicious the people in the Terran Empire are, how quickly they will betray or kill the people around them in order to advance themselves.

A solid issue that focuses more on characters and building relationships over moving the plot forward in any significant ways. Whilst this may annoy some readers, giving the book time to establish these different versions of iconic characters is something that will surely pay off down the line.


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Star Trek: The Next Generation: Mirror Broken #1 – Comic Review

Originally published on Set The Tape

The mirror universe has always been an area of the Star Trek universe that has interested fans since its first appearance in the original series episode ‘Mirror, Mirror’ back in 1967. Since then it’s appeared several more episodes over the years, chiefly in Deep Space Nine, where it furthered the mythology of the mirror universe with the introduction of the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance.

Star Trek The Next Generation: Mirror Broken uses the storytelling of the Deep Space Nine episodes as a foundation for it’s story, examining what happened to the Terran Empire following the rise of the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance. Taking place after the fall of the Empire, with humanity having to have retreated to a much smaller territory centres around Earth, the story joins the crew of the ISS Stargazer, under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard.

This is not the Picard that we have come to know and love. Much like the other mirror universe counterparts he’s a much darker, evil version of himself. He appears to run his crew through fear and the threat of pain. He’s willing to go against orders and betray people around him if it means he can get further ahead and make more money. This is reflected in those in his command crew, including dark versions of Data and Reginald Barclay, along with Inquisitor Troi, who uses her Batazoid abilities to spy on the crew for Picard.

The first issue introduces a Terran Empire that is on the back foot, looking for a way to turn the tide of their conflict with the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance. Rumours abound of a new star ship that will allow them to do so, though no one appears to know if this is real or just desperate hope.

After capturing a Cardassian ship, killing all but two of the crew in the process, Picard learns that the project is real, and that the Empire is building a new, Galaxy-Class, Enterprise. Teaming up with one of the engineers on the project, Geordi La Forge, they plan on stealing the advanced vessel.

The plot is very much what you would come to expect from the mirror universe, with characters out to further themselves even over the good of the Empire as a whole, resorting to trickery, lies, and even violence in order to do so. These darker versions of the Star Trek: The Next Generation characters are shocking in how different they are, even an emotionless and logical Data comes across as a horrible person.

The artwork in the book reflects this tonal shift, with the beautiful painted art of J.K. Woodward using darker, muted colours to not just capture the darker themes of the book, but the colder world that the characters inhabit too.

Whilst it is almost guaranteed that Picard and his crew will get their hands on the new Enterprise, how they go about it, which other familiar characters they will meet on the way, and what they plan to do when they succeed are all entertaining prospects that will bring audiences back for future issues.


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2018 Movie Preview – Maze Runner: The Death Cure

Originally published on Set The Tape

‘In the epic finale to The Maze Runner Saga, Thomas leads his group of escaped Gladers on their final and most dangerous mission yet. To save their friends, they must break into the legendary last city, a WCKD controlled labyrinth that may turn out to be the deadliest maze of all. Anyone who makes it out alive will get the answers to the questions the Gladers have been asking since they first arrived in the maze. Will Thomas and the crew make it out alive? Or will Ava Paige get her way?’

Based upon the third volume of the Maze Runner young adult book series, written by James Dashner, Maze Runner: The Death Cure was due for a February 2017 release, however, the filming was put on hold last year when the film’s lead actor Dylan O’Brien was hospitalised following a car accident on set. Thankfully, O’Brien has fully recovered, and the film is slated to finally arrive in cinemas 11 months later than planned in January 2018.

Following the events of the first two films, Thomas and his friends have managed to escape from the maze and the evil clutches of WCKD and are working alongside the resistance to bring down the evil organisation. The shift in tone from the original Maze Runner’s sci-fi mystery to the more post-apocalyptic action adventure tone of Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials injected a lot of new energy into what could have been a fairly standard young adult series.

Thankfully, once the character’s left the maze the world opened up in a huge way, introducing a ravaged earth, a zombie virus, an oppressive regime, and a rebel movement. Whilst some franchises would struggle to fit all of this into a middle part of a trilogy, the Maze Runner series seemed to take it in it’s stride. Thanks to a cliffhanger ending to that second film, and a delay in production, it’s something of a relief to actually have the final chapter coming out soon.

With an action packed trailer that shows the young cast of the film leading an assault on a moving train, featuring crazy stunts, gunfights, and a helicopter extraction, Maze Runner: The Death Cure appears to be embracing the action aspect of its story. Whilst it would be easy to compare this to the final chapters of the Hunger Games series, the fact that the Maze Runner franchise has a smaller scale to their conflict, and a setting more reminiscent of Mad Max, means that it stands apart from many of the other young adult book adaptations.

With a central mystery that has still to be fully explained, some creative action sequences, impressive visuals, and believable characters (played by some great genre tv and film faces), the Maze Runner series is definitely worthy of attention. If you haven’t delved into this franchise yet because you’re tired of young adult book adaptations, do yourself a favour and go watch the first two films before Maze Runner: The Death Cure comes out, because you’re missing out on a series that impresses in ways that The Hunger Games or Twilight never did.

Maze Runner: The Death Cure will star Dylan O’Brien (Teen Wolf) as Thomas, Kayla Scodelario (Pirates of the Carribbean: Salazar’s Revenge) as Theresa, Walton Goggins (The Shield) as Lawrence, Thomas Brodie-Sangster (Game of Thrones) as Newt, Nathalie Emmanuel (Game of Thrones) as Harriet, Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad) as Jorge, Ki Hong Lee (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) as Minho, Aiden Gillen (Game of Thrones) as Janson, and Patricia Clarkson (Shutter Island) as Ava Paige.


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Ghostbusters 101 – Book Review

Originally published on Set The Tape

Ghostbusters 101 brings together the Ghostbusters with their inter-dimensional counterparts from Ghostbusters Answer the Call as their two universe’s collide with disastrous results.

When the Ghostbusters decide to try to raise some extra cash by letting members of the public come to their headquarters to experience being a Ghostbuster for themselves, the latest interns play around with the dimensional portal and encounter a ghost from another universe.

With a part of the ghost coming through the portal, the entity is able to try to pull itself back together, resulting in the two worlds merging together, bringing the two teams together to figure out a way to separate their two dimensions.

The combination of the two Ghostbuster teams actually work incredibly well together, mainly thanks to the newer team not just being carbon copies of the originals in female shells, but completely different and unique. The over the top enthusiasm and craziness of Holtzmann annoys both teams in equal measure, the friendliness and history knowledge of Patty wins over the original Ghostbusters, and Abby and Erin are able to work alongside Egon and Ray, using science as a common ground.

The book is able to give each character their own moments to stand out, to demonstrate why they’re good at what they do, and why they deserve to be a Ghostbuster. Even the relatively new characters of the 101 class get some moments to themselves, with Garrett, a character only introduce in the second issue of the cross-over, getting a poignant scene where he discovers his sick father has died by coming face to face with his ghost, giving him the chance to have a goodbye.

Ghostbusters 101 is able to mix these character moments with some fun comedy beats, with the Answer the Call’s Kevin being as ridiculous as always, and even uses the merging of dimensions for some small single panel gags, including the New York Mayor changing person halfway through a speech before reverting back to normal.

The best moments, however, are the ones that address what could have been inconsistencies, especially with the cameo appearances of the original cast in the latest film being explained away, and even the idea of Ghostbusters across multiple dimensions being tied back into the original film mythology.

Whilst in the past the Ghostbusters ongoing series has made an effort to make each dimension stand out with its own art styles, even recreating the classic cartoons, Ghostbusters 101 uses very subtle differences in the looks of the two teams and their separate New York’s. Whilst this does mean that each dimension doesn’t stand out as much as previous inter-dimensional adventures the series has done, it does mean that the merging of the two worlds feels much more fluid and natural, instead of being jarring.

A good combination of both the classic Ghostbusters films and the latest remakes, the book not only gives a great stand alone adventure that fits well into the mythologies of both versions of the franchise, but justifies that the newer version can exist without erasing what has come before; something that may help to placate the screaming man babies that condemned the latest film simply for having an all female cast.


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Star Wars Battlefront 2: Inferno Squad by Christie Golden – Book Review

Originally published on Set The Tape

The second game in the new Star Wars Battlefront series introduced audiences to Inferno Squad, an elite special ops unit within the Empire, and it’s leader Iden Version. The accompanying novel, Star Wars Battlefront 2: Inferno Squad explores the events before the story of the game, showing the formation of Inferno Squad, their first few missions, and their deep cover operation to destroy what’s left of Saw Gerrera’s partisans.

The characters of Inferno squad are written well here, with each one easily distinguishable from the other in their personality and traits, whilst also falling quite nicely in line with where they will end up during the story of the game. During the events of the book Iden is firmly loyal to the Empire, believing wholeheartedly in the institution that she was raised in, however, by the end of the book you can begin to see some of the cracks in her beliefs forming, cracks that will eventually lead to her and Del Meeko defecting to the Rebel Alliance.

Del himself is probably the most enjoyable and engaging member of Inferno squad during the events of the book. Despite being the eldest member of the squad he seems to have a sense of childlike wonder, happiness, and warmth that is lacking in many of the others. Perhaps this is because he remembers a time before the Empire, even if he was a young child, perhaps it’s just because his personality is so different from the others, but he’s one of the only characters that we get a sense doesn’t always like what he’s doing. It’s clear, even this early in the characters story, that he’s not meant to be part of the empire, that his heart is too good to be one of them.

The one character from Inferno Squad that remains loyal to the Empire, Gideon Hask, is sadly one of the least developed here. Whilst we do see his longstanding friendship with Iden, and the sense of rivalry he has with her, this could have been something that was explored further. As it is, he’s only a little more developed that we see him during the events of the game.

The book did surprise me by adding a fourth member of Inferno Squad, Seyn Marana, a character that was totally absent from the game. Unfortunately, her not appearing in the game meant that it became rather obvious that something was going to happen to the character before the conclusion of the book. Whilst her death was obvious for these reasons it was still a shocking moment, one that had more impact than I was expecting.

Whilst the previous Battlefront book had a galaxy hopping adventure on a grand scale, the Inferno Squad story tells a much smaller tale, one that focuses more on characters than action. Inferno Squad are charged with infiltrating and destroying the last of Saw Gerrera’s partisans, and to find how they are receiving their intelligence. Instead of gun fights and battles most of the story takes place within the confines of the partisan base, where Infernob Squad and the reader are left to learn about the members of the group and to try and figure out who might be the Imperial leak.

Whilst this does lead to a slower read than some of the other Star Wars books, it does allow Inferno Squad a chance to show what they are like as people rather than soldiers, how they interact with others, what they think and feel about their missions, and the effects that this has upon them once they have destroyed the rebel group.

Star Wars Battlefront 2: Inferno Squad is not the book that I was expecting, ending up being a lot slower and smaller in scale than I thought it would be. Despite this, it still manages to explore the back stories of the characters of the game, as well as laying the foundations for the eventual defection of both Iden and Del. With some surprise connections to past Star Wars stories and the return of some unexpected characters, the book also manages to tie into the Star Wars universe in more than the expected ways.


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Star Wars: Phasma by Delilah S. Dawson – Book Review

Originally published on Set The Tape

‘One of the most cunning and merciless officers of the First Order, Captain Phasma commands the favour of her superiors, the respect of her peers, and the terror of her enemies. But for all her renown, Phasma remains as virtually unknown as the impassive expression of her gleaming chrome helmet. Now, an adversary is bent on unearthing her mysterious origins – and exposing a secret she guards as zealously and ruthlessly as she serves her masters.

‘Deep inside the Battlecruiser Absolution, a captured Resistance spy endures brutal interrogation at the hands of the crimson armoured  stormtrooper Cardinal. But the information he desires has nothing to do with the Resistance or its covert operations against the First Order. What the mysterious stormtrooper wants is Phasma’s past – and with it whatever long buried scandal, treachery, or private demons he can wield against the hated rival who threatens his own power and privilege in the ranks of the First Order.’

Captain Phasma, the mysterious chrome plated leader of the First Order stormtroopers, was one of the most enduring mysteries of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, though not one of the central mysteries of the film. With so much of the film, and the upcoming Star Wars: The Last Jedi being dedicated to Rey, Luke, Kylo, and Snoke, there’s little room to explore a character like Phasma in any real satisfying way on the big screen.

Thankfully, the new novel Star Wars: Phasma not only gives us a lot of answers about who Phasma is and where she comes from, but gives us an intriguing look into the inner workings of the villainous First Order.

Despite being a story about Phasma, she’s not a main character within the book. Most of what actually happens surrounds a Resistance spy, Vi Morai, who is captured by the First Order mid mission. Being taken captive by a Captain within the First Order, a crimson armour wearing stormtrooper called Cardinal, she’s forced to tell him the information she’s learnt about Phasma’s past. Because of this, the story we hear about Phasma comes as a third hand account, one that may be filled with exaggerations and embellishments.

Whilst it’s possible that the story Vi tells Cardinal could be fake, it does feel very real, and fits with the kind of personality we’ve seen from the character even from her brief onscreen appearances. Telling a tale of her youth, growing up on a barren and desolate world, and her eventual meeting with Brendol Hux, the then leader of the First Order, Vi is able to shed a lot of light on the character. Where in the past such revelations of characters mysterious pasts can often make a character lose some of their mystique, seeing some of the things that Phasma has done as a young woman make her all the more terrifying.

With a story that feel as much Mad Max as it does Star Wars (and it’s no surprise to learn that the soundtracks the author listened to when writing the book consisted of two Star Wars soundtracks and Mad Max: Fury Road) we see a side of the Star Wars universe that we often miss. A primitive and brutal story, a civilisation barely surviving and fighting amongst itself for any resource, it feels less of a Star Wars story and more of a post apocalypse tale.

This framing narrative also allows the story to introduce one of the more interesting new characters I’ve encountered in the new novels, Cardinal. The same level as Phasma in rank, though not as favoured by the current General Hux, Cardinal was in charge of training all of the First Order stormtroopers before Phasma arrived. Having seen her martial prowess first hand, the previous General Hux split Cardinal’s duties, putting Phasma in command of the older recruits and Cardinal of the children.

Thanks to this Cardinal has had a vendetta against Phasma for years, and hopes to use the information that Vi gives him to bring her down. Without going into too much detail as to why this doesn’t come to pass, we see the internal struggle of Cardinal throughout the book, and by the end I’d come to care for the character a great deal; which surprised me greatly due to him essentially being a villain. Hopefully, Cardinal will appear in more Star Wars media to come.

Star Wars: Phasma delves deep into the backstory of one of the new trilogy’s most intriguing and visually striking characters, whilst also explaining a lot about the inner workings of the First Order military. Whilst the story does drag a little in the middle, it contains enough action, mystery, and characterisation to keep you wanting to learn more right up until the last pages.


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The Muppet Christmas Carol Re-Release Review

Originally published on Set The Tape

There have been dozens of adaptations of the classic Charles Dickens tale ‘A Christmas Carol’ over the decades, with many great actors taking on the iconic role of Ebenezer Scrooge. With a huge variety of film adaptations to choose from, ranging from the classic Dickensian ones, to modern day comedies, and even animated adventures, there’s one version of the story that captures the hearts more than any other, The Muppet Christmas Carol.

The idea of blending classic Dickens with the iconic Jim Henson puppets might seem like a strange combination, especially when you throw in a hugely respected and seasoned actor like Michael Caine and add singing, but it somehow works perfectly. Perhaps it’s because the film doesn’t try to push the silly humour too much, maybe it’s that Caine plays it completely straight throughout, or perhaps it’s the touching emotional moments the film manages to squeeze in. Whatever the reasoning, there’s only one version of ‘A Christmas Carol’ that I watch each holiday season, this one, the best one.

This was the first Muppets film made since the death of their creator Henson just two years before, and was dedicated to his memory; along with that of actor Richard Hunt, who voiced Statler, who dies during pre-production. Perhaps because the loss of these members of the Muppet family, but this is easily the darkest of the Muppet movies, with the third act of the film being particularly grim. Despite this, it’s also one with the most love, managing to warm the heart of not just the evil Scrooge, but anyone watching at home too.

The film is remarkably close to the source material, despite being acted out by foam puppets and singing vegetables rather than people, and even takes many of the lines from the original text and uses them, such as Scrooge’s reply to hearing that the poor would rather die than go to the workhouses, ‘If they would rather die, they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population’.

It’s moments like this, along with Scrooge having to relive his worst memory of losing the woman he loved, watching people steal his possessions after his death, and facing the possibility of Tiny Tim dying that makes this a dark film. Yes, there are bright and colourful characters and jokes aplenty, but this is the kind of film that you should watch with your kids for their first viewing as it can get quite sad and frightening at times.

Thanks to these moments, some of which still bring me close to tears as an adult thanks to how well they are handled and the phenomenal acting from Michael Caine, that the end is as good as it it. By the time that Scrooge has come to change his way’s you’ve come to like him and to care for him, you want him to be a good man and to make the lives of the people around him better.

The final moments will have you smiling, possibly through tears, as you’re filled with the sentiment that one person can make a difference to others; that you can go and be a force for good and kindness in the world, even if you think it’s too late. Yes, it’s a film will silly puppets and Christmas trappings, but it’s a film with a message and a heart to it that’s important. This is why the film is still beloved 20 years after it’s release, why it’s back in the cinema now, and why it will forever and always be my favourite Christmas film.


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Whitney's Wish

I don't usually use my site to try and encourage people to give money, not even to charities. I think that if people find a cause worthy they will go out of their way to give to it. But I'm going to break my own rules on this occasion, because I need people to know about this cause.

My friend, Whitney, has terminal cancer. She's a sweet and kind young girl, only 19 years old. I met her at work and became fast friends, bonding over our mutual love of Pokemon.

Whitney loves Pokemon, and a load of anime's, often cosplaying her favourite characters at conventions. One of her lifelong dreams was to visit Japan. She's now running out of time and chances to get to do so. Her family want to make sure this happens.

Please, visit her Go Fund Me page, read her story, and if you can, donate.

I know it's the holiday season, that a lot of people are spending more than they normally would at the moment, but please donate, even if it's a small amount. Forgo that extra bottle of wine, buy yourself one less present, skip buying a coffee today, and help make this wonderful young girls last days something that she will treasure forever.

Whitney's Japan Wish Go Fund Me

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Piers Morgan Mocks Trans Community In Tweet About The Snow

Piers Morgan, host of Good Morning Britain and former newspaper editor, has once again lashed out at the transgender and gender fluid community in his continued campaign of hate.

The television host, who on previous occasions has argued that children should not be allowed to dress in clothing that is not seen as being for their gender, told trans people on the show that they are 'confused', denied people's gender identity to their faces, and has described gender non-binary people as 'a contagion', has tweeted further insult to the community.

With snowfall having covered most of the UK this weekend, Morgan celebrated the change in weather by tweeting that he's 'off to build a non-binary gender fluid snowperson', followed by snowflakes.

Despite many people responding to the tweet decrying Morgan's comments, he has received a large number of positive responses, and has had a number of Twitter users respond with similar, transphobic comments.


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Back To The Future: Hard Time - Book Review

Originally published on Set The Tape

The fourth volume of the ongoing Back to the Future series is now available in stores, and begins an intriguing tale that goes back to one small throwaway line in the first film, but adds more depth to the Back to the Future universe, and the McFly family.

During the events of the first Back to the Future film the audience learnt that Lorraine McFly’s younger brother Joey had had his parole denied. Other than this, we knew nothing about who Joey is, why he was in prison, or how long his sentence was. Hard Time looks to address this, making the release of Joey the main focus for much of the book.

Whilst the usual family drama of having a member released from prison after close to fourteen years would provide enough entertainment to fill a book in itself (the interpersonal drama and family dynamic between Lorraine and her siblings and how they react to Joey’s return is varied and engaging) things become more interesting when Doc Brown tells Marty to avoid Joey at all costs. This kicks off an investigation into why Joey went to prison in the first place, and leads to Professor Irving taking Marty back to 1972 in order to view events themselves. As is typical for a Back to the Future adventure, the two of them inadvertently become embroiled in past events when the DeLorean disappears.

With Professor Irving finding himself meeting a younger, mustachioed Doc Brown, Marty accidentally gets himself involved in Joey’s criminal activity, which involves Biff Tannen. The volume gives us a great beginning to this adventure, and explores how big an impact the imprisonment of Joey had on his family. Whilst there is still a great deal of this particular story left to tell, what we get is solid enough to stand on its own as a good look into the McFly family dynamic, and ends with a possibly dangerous moment as Marty comes face to face with a younger Biff, who may recognise him as Calvin Klein from Marty’s previous journey to 1955.

With just what happens to lead to Joey going to prison still yet to be resolved, and the possibility that he may return to a life of crime in the present (1985) it will be interesting to see what (if any) impact Marty and Irving’s presence in the past has. In addition to this three part set up, we also get a stand alone adventure that focuses on Doc Brown and his son, Verne. When Doc Brown forgets his anniversary he jumps into the DeLorean in order to travel to the future to get a present for Clara, as well as picking up some pieces for his time train.

Unfortunately, Verne has stowed away in the time machine, and ends up wandering off on Halloween 2017, where he gets a sack full of candy, and ends up being used by a gang in order to rob a shop. Thanks to his cowboy skills, and having grown up hearing about his fathers adventures, he manages to thwart the robbery and becomes a hero. Whilst this little adventure doesn’t add much to the overall story, it does give us an insight into Doc Brown’s life back in 1893, and shows us a little more of his family, seen only briefly at the end of the third film.

Back to the Future: Hard Time is a fun book that sets up for even bigger misadventures through time in the upcoming fifth volume. Whilst the fact that the story is not resolved in this book, and that it ends on a cliffhanger, may upset some readers, there’s still plenty here to keep people entertained and engaged.


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