TRANS-SCRIBE

Tuesday, 10 September 2019

Tunnel of Bones by Victoria Schwab - Book Review

'Trouble is haunting Cassidy Blake . . . even more than usual. She (plus her ghost best friend, Jacob, of course) are in Paris, where Cass's parents are filming their TV show about the world's most haunted cities. Sure, it's fun eating croissants and seeing the Eiffel Tower, but there's true ghostly danger lurking beneath Paris, in the creepy underground Catacombs.

'When Cass accidentally awakens a frighteningly strong spirit, she must rely on her still-growing skills as a ghosthunter -- and turn to friends both old and new to help her unravel a mystery. But time is running out, and the spirit is only growing stronger.'

Tunnel of Bones sees a return to the wonderful Cassidy Blake series, as author Victoria Schwab takes the young ghost hunter to the streets of Paris, a city teeming with a history of haunting, and beneath to the terrifying catacombs.

Tunnel of Bones tells the story of Cassidy Blake, a girl that almost drowned to death, but was saved by Jacob, a ghost of a boy not much older than her. Since almost dying Jacob has become Casidy's best friend, and she has discovered that she has the ability to sense other ghosts, and to cross over into The Veil, a place between life and death where the spirits remain trapped.

Cassidy's parents are filming a television series about the most haunted places on earth, and Cassidy has been brought along on the trip. In the first book of the series, City of Ghosts, Cassidy and her family travelled to Edinburgh in Scotland, where she met another girl with similar abilities. She learnt that she not only senses ghosts, but has the ability to free them from The Veil, sending them on to the afterlife.

When Cassidy and her family travel to Paris she discovers that not only is the city more haunted than she first thought, but that there are vast tunnels beneath the city that house the remains of more than six million dead; the Paris Catacombs, the largest mass grave in the world. When she travels beneath the streets into the catacombs Cassidy accidentally awakens a powerful spirit and sets it loose upon the city. Now it's down to her and Jacob to set things right.

Much like the first book, I found Tunnel of Bones to be incredibly difficult to put down. It's the kind of book that's so easy to read, and has a story that's so engaging that you'll want to read the whole thing in one sitting. Whilst I did with the first book, I ended up being too ill and tired to manage it with this one. The spirit was willing, but my flesh was way too weak to do it. Thankfully, I carried on soon after and read the end within a day of starting. This is one of the things I love about the Cassidy Blake books. Of all the Victoria Schwab books I've read they're easily my favourite.

The book is aimed at younger readers, and as such it's very easy to read. It's not bogged down with complexity and overly wordy (and I don't mean that Victoria Schwab writes really simply or anything like that), it's a book that's very accessible, that gets on with the story and moves with a brisk pace that means you don't get a chance to get bored or for your mind to wander.

The characters don't suffer for this either, and even though there's not a whole amount of time given over to characters outside of Cassidy and Jacob, you still get a great sense for who people are. Her parents have distinct personalities that compliment each other well, and it's easy to see how good a relationship they have with their daughter, and how they helped to shape her personality. Even characters that only show up for this one book, such as Pauline, their local guide, gets background information teased out, and a character arc.

The people who really shine, however, are the dead ones. Whilst the book is about Cassidy, we learn so much more about Jacob here than we did in the first book. He gets really pushed during Tunnel of Bones, and we get to see a whole side of his personality that we never had before. There's a scene at the end of the book where he even opens up to Cassidy about his old life and how he died, something that was never spoken about before, that's one of the most touching moments in the whole series, and easily one of my favourite scenes.

The main villain of the book, a poltergeist by the name of Thomas is also incredibly well crafted. He's not a one dimensional 'evil' ghost. He isn't a villain in the sense that the Red Raven was in the first book. Over the course of the story we learn a lot about him, and even come to care a great deal about him.

Schwab has created a story that not only acts as a good sequel, but helps to build up the world started by the first book. Whilst there's no indication here where in the world Cassidy and her parents will be heading next in their journey to haunted locations, it's clear that there is more planned. There is a moment in the final pages of the book that indicate that there is more to come, and that Schwab is setting up something interesting and rather sinister. Whatever happens next for Cassidy and Jacob, I'm sure that I'm going to love it as much as this book, and that I will read it as quickly as possible.

Tunnel of Bones is not only one of my favourite books from Schwab, but one of the best books for young adult readers that I can think of. The series has mystery and spectacle, horror and hope, and tells a story of an amazing friendship. An absolute must read.

Buy Now On Amazon

Monday, 9 September 2019

New Resident Evil Game Teased

The latest game in the Resident Evil franchise has been teased ahead of a bigger reveal at the Tokyo Game Show this coming Thursday 12th September.

Project Resistance, possibly the game's title, possibly a working name, appears to be an online multiplayer game. The teaser trailer, whilst impressive, doesn't give too much more away. It's unclear if this will be in a similar vein to Left 4 Dead, where a team of four will face off against AI controlled monsters, or if it will follow other recent horror games like Friday the 13th: The Game and Dead by Daylight, and one player will control some of the scarier Resident Evil monsters, such as the Mr X tyrant featured in the trailer.

Hopefully more will be revealed later this week.

This will not be the first time that a multi-player game has been a part of the Resident Evil franchise. Resident Evil Outbreak and it's sequel were the first games in the franchise to focus on multi-player, and were fairly well received by fans. Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City and Umbrella Corps were the most recent multi-player entries, but were less popular with fans (for the record, I really enjoy Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City).

Buy Amy A Coffee
Go to Amy's Blog

The Girl The Sea Gave Back by Adrienne Young – Book Review

Originally published on Set The Tape

When I was offered The Girl The Sea Gave Back to review I immediately grabbed it up as I’d already read Adrienne Young’s previous novel, Sky In The Deep, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I received the new book and was intrigued by the blurb on the back, and found it to be enjoyable once I started reading it. The one thing I wasn’t expecting, however, was that this was a direct sequel to her last book. Not once was this mentioned in the description, and once I realised several characters were making a return I was overjoyed.

The Girl The Sea Gave Back isn’t the kind of sequel where it’s absolutely necessary to have read the previous book, however, as much of what happened in the last book is given in background detail here, during events more than a decade later. It takes the world that Young created in Sky In The Deep and expands upon it in new and interesting ways, yet tells a story that also stands on its own as a great book. Because of this I felt a little torn over how to review this book. Is it its own separate entity, or should I talk about it as a sequel? Well, I’m going to try and do both.

The Girl The Sea Gave Back tells two stories that interweave with each other: one that follows the titular girl the sea gave back, Tova. Tova, a member of the Kyrr tribe was thought dead by her people, and cast adrift into the sea in a burning boat. However, when the boat fails to burn fully, and the alive Tova is found by a villager from the Svell tribe, she’s taken in to act as a Truthtongue, a woman who is able to read the future through rune casting. The Svell use her abilities when they choose to attack a neighbouring tribe, the Nadhir.

This is where the second narrative kicks in, and where the book is a sequel to Sky In The Deep. The Nadhir are the remnants of the Riki and Aska tribes that came together to fight a common enemy in the previous book, and have now been a unified tribe for ten years. We follow one of their leaders, or soon to be leaders, Halvard. Halvard has been chosen to take over as the chief of the tribe, and finds that he is having to take on these responsibilities sooner than expected when the Svell declare war. Halvard is also a returning character, one who was much younger in the last book, and more of a secondary character.

The narrative jumps between Tova and Halvard every chapter, not only following their journey through these events, but also key moments from their past that helped to shape them into the people they are. This is a big change to the narrative style of the previous book, where we centred on just one character. This change, however, is great, and we get to see two sides of certain events, and Young uses these jumps in narrative to create peaks in tension and mini cliffhangers.

The two narrative viewpoints also work in helping to show that these two characters aren’t just tangled up in the same series of events, but that their destinies are tied together. Each of them helps to shape where the other ends up, and they ultimately rely on each other in order to survive what happens.

One of the other big changes to this book over Sky In The Deep is the pace. The last book was set over a number of months, and followed a much longer, and more personal journey. This book happens across a few days, a week at most. The action starts much earlier here, and there’s a sense of tension and pace that doesn’t let up throughout. Because of this the book grabbed me a lot quicker, and I found myself desperate to find out what was going to happen next. If Sky In The Deep was a character study, The Girl The Sea Gave Back is a roller-coaster action tale.

I was hugely surprised and impressed with The Girl The Sea Gave Back. It stands on its own as an exciting action story in a beautiful and well crafted world, but it also builds upon the world created by Sky In The Deep to tell an even bigger story. Whether this is your first introduction to Adrienne Young’s work, or if this is a return, it’s sure to keep you hooked throughout.

Buy Now On Amazon

Sunday, 8 September 2019

Power Rangers Actor Robert Axelrod Passes Away

It's with sadness that I'm reporting that Robert Axelrod, the actor behind iconic Power Rangers villain Lord Zedd, has passed away.

The news was released early this morning, September 8th 2019, by Barbara Goodson, the actress behind the voice of Rita Repulsa, a friend and colleague of Robert's. Robert had been fighting illness for more than a year following complications from spinal surgery. Robert was immobile from the waist down and unable to work.

A GoFundMe was set up by Zachery Taylor McGinnis to assist Robert with his medical expenses, and many Power Ranger fans donated. Robert also signed a number of photos that fans could buy to help raise money. The GoFundMe reported that he only had the energy to sign 140 photos, and that these were likely the last signings he made for his fans.

Robert voiced a number of characters in Power Rangers, including monsters of the week. However, he is best known for Finster, the creator of Rita Repulsa monsters from the very first episode onward, and Lord Zedd. Lord Zedd was introduced in the second season of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers as the new lead villain, and was the first major character created for the franchise that had no counterpart in the Super Sentai series the show was based upon.

Robert was 70 at the time of his passing.

Saturday, 7 September 2019

UK Judge Rejects Gay Asylum Seeker For Not Acting Gay

A British immigration judge has been reported as having rejected a gay asylum seekers application to enter the UK because he 'lacked a homosexual demeanor' and 'did not look around the room in an effeminate manner'.

Rehana Popal, the lawyer for the asylum seeker, has complained that the unnamed judge was guilty of stereotyping their client, and rejecting them based on prejudice. Their client, who has also been unnamed in the report, comes from a country where homosexuality is illegal and was seeking asylum in the UK through fears that they will be targeted for being gay.

According to the report made by Ms Popal to The Guardian the judge compared her client to previous applicants, who they claimed 'wore lipstick' and were 'effeminate'. The judge compared this man to the other applicants, and deemed him not to be gay as he was not effeminate.

'He has taken a stereotype, used it as a benchmark and compared my client to it,' said Ms Popal, in relation to the judge's ruling. 'That is totally wrong. You do not need to dress a certain way, carry yourself a certain way or look a certain way to be homosexual. The only thing that makes a person gay is if they are attracted to someone of the same gender.'

Ms Popal also claimed that the judge made comments about the man's older partner, who has been successful in their asylum application a month earlier, claiming that 'younger men are highly valued' in homosexual relationships. A comment that Ms Popal believes falls into the myths that gay men are connected to paedophiles.

Ms Popal and her client have challenged the judge's ruling on this case, and an appeals court granted her client a second hearing. They also criticised the judge's ruling.

This has not been the first time that a judge has been criticised regarding a ruling concerning asylum from members of the LGBTQ+ community. In the past judges have ruled against lesbian asylum seekers due to them having previously had male partners, believing that they cannot be lesbians if they had been married to a man in the past.

Ms Popal also said that she has encountered a number of cases where asylum seekers have been refused by the Home Office because of 'absurd' reasons to deny their sexuality. She said that it has happened so often to become routine. Most disturbingly, many of these rulings are upheld by judges in the appeal stage.

'The system has definitely become harsher in recent years.' She explained. 'The quality of decision-making has reduced. You come across decisions that are genuinely absurd. You think, how did anyone write this?

'One that comes up a lot is when they say to gay Muslim men that being gay is unacceptable in Islam, and therefore it’s implausible that they can be gay and Muslim. Or when they say to a woman who was previously in an arranged marriage with a man that she therefore cannot be gay. The Home Office do not abide by their own policy guidance. If they followed them we wouldn’t have a problem. But they don’t.'

When asked about these incidents a Home Office spokesperson said, 'The UK has a proud record of providing protection for asylum seekers fleeing persecution. Each case is considered on its individual merits by experienced caseworkers, with all available evidence carefully and sensitively considered in light of published country information.'

Despite these assurances from the Home Office the director of the UK Lesbian and Gay Immigration Group, Leila Zadeh, said that these kinds of cases are not isolated incidents.

'The biggest challenge facing LGBTQI+ people in need of international protection is proving their sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or sex characteristics.' She said. 'When someone appeals against a refusal, they should be given a fair hearing without expectation that they should fit a stereotype. We urge the tribunals to ensure all judges follow the judiciary’s guidance on equal treatment of LGBTQI+ people.'

These kinds of incidents seem to be far from isolated, however, and there have been reports from asylum seekers across the world who have had similar experiences. Recent reports came out that the Australian government asked offensive and invasive questions regarding the sex lives of LGBTQ+ asylum seekers.

In documents that the Australian government spent over a year trying to suppress, it was revealed that two gay men from Bangladesh were asked questions regarding how often they had sex, how long their sex lasted, where and when they had sex, and if they 'drink cum'. The interviewers repeatedly asked them questions regarding their sexual activities in order to try and 'trick them' into revealing conflicting details that would prove they weren't actually gay.

The interview occurred in 2012, but the Australian government spent eighteen months trying to prevent the release of transcripts and audio recordings of the interview following a freedom of information request from Buzzfeed News. The government claimed that it did not want to release the files as it would 'violate the men's right to privacy' (ironic considering how they invaded their privacy, and because they felt it would cause a 'negative media reaction'.

It's clear that there are still many problems in regards to LGBTQ+ people seeking asylum because of their sexuality and gender, and that the practices and views of those conducting these cases needs to be updated as soon as possible. Sadly, many of these people are fleeing their own countries as they are actively in danger because of who they are, and who they love. There are still more than 70 countries where it is illegal to be LGBTQ+, and close to a dozen where the death penalty is in place.

Buy Amy A Coffee
Go to Amy's Blog

Friday, 6 September 2019

Tabatha - Book Review

Tabatha is a graphic novel published by TPublications, written by Neil Gibsion, and featuring artwork by The Artist. The book tells the story of Luke and his friends, and the awful series of events that they find themselves in.

Luke is a mailman in Los Angeles, and has been using his job to scope out houses on his route that can provide an easy target. Luke and his friends have been moonlighting as thieves in order to raise funds for an operation that the mother of two of the group needs (thank you once again shitty American healthcare system). When the group comes across the home of a movie special effects technician they think they've hit the jackpot, but come across the remains of more than a dozen brutal murders. Obviously shaken by what they find the group's lives are forever altered when the killer targets them, and draws them into his crazed plots.

Tabatha is, at it's core, a story about how things can spiral out of control, and how simple decisions can have huge, life changing repercussions. But, it's also something of a horror story. Gustav, the man behind all of the awful events of the book, is a scary figure because of how real he is. Okay, so he's trying to bring his sex doll companion to life by putting her 'consciousness' inside a real woman, which is obviously not a real thing, but his motivations and his journey to that point are.

He's scared to get out and meet people. He's shy and tucked away in his own world. He's unlucky with women, views himself as unattractive, believes he deserves love and sex, and resorts to physical violence when he thinks these things are beyond him. He's an Incel. Now, Tabatha was first published in 2014, the same year as the mass killing by Incel Elliot Rodger, and so this story would have been worked on long before Incels became as known to the general public as they are today; as such I can't say whether the creators intended for Gustav to be an Incel, or if his behaviour just happened to fall inline with them. Either way, the fact that there have been at least four mass killings by men like him, with dozens of deaths, makes him an antagonist that's more frightening than most horror characters. He's not a monster or some kind of creature. He's the same kind of person as some who are out in the real world, ready to hurt and kill others because of their unhappiness.

It's in part thanks to this very real scenario that makes Tabatha feel oppressive when you're reading it. The artwork and colouring also adds to this, with many of the panels having little to no background other than dark colours. The result is a book that's dark in not just tone but in look too. There's a simplicity to the art style used that doesn't clutter the panels, that doesn't provide distractions to give the reader a break from the horrors that are happening. Yes, there are a few panels that have wonderfully intricate views of Gustav's home, filled with movie nods and references, but once the terror begins the backgrounds fall away, forcing you to stay in the horror of the moment.

Tabatha isn't a groundbreaking story, it doesn't do anything that challenges the genre or wows the reader, but it does entertain. Which is the most important thing. The characters don't get a huge amount of development, outside of the antagonist, and whilst that's something of a shame you do find yourself caring about their survival. Tabatha is a fun little read that proves to be an entertaining way to spend an hour or two.

Thursday, 5 September 2019

Marvel Action: Avengers #7 – Comic Review

Originally published on Set The Tape

Marvel Action: Avengers issue seven gives readers a peek behind the curtain as we discover who has been pulling the strings behind everything that has happened in the last six issues, and gives us terrifying hints at what is yet to come.

There are two main storylines in this issue, which appear separate at the moment, but I’m sure will come together in the next issue. We return, once again, to A.I.M., the Advanced Idea Mechanics, who were responsible for brainwashing Iron Man in the first story-arc of the series. We learn that not only were they behind that attack on the Avengers, but were responsible for the recent troubles with Count Nefaria too.

Thanks to their leader Modok, we learn that both of these events were A.I.M. trying to prepare a defence of the planet, trying to secure supplies and possible soldiers. However, as they were unsuccessful, they’re leaving the planet behind. The threat that they were worried about is clearly made out to be extraterrestrial in origin, but we know little else about it at this point. However, the fact that A.I.M. is willing to flee earth in order to avoid this invasion, it’s sure to be a threat that is going to push the heroes to their limits.

Thankfully, it would appear that Madame Masque and the U-Foes are prepared to break their alliance with A.I.M. rather than flee the planet, and it looks like Matthew Manning is setting up something of a team-up between them and the Avengers in order to face this coming invasion.

The Avengers, however, are experiencing a slight issue themselves. During the course of the book Black Panther has to face off against a villain named Killer Shrike, who appears to be suffering from some kind of paranoia or psychosis. This appears to be far from an isolated incident, as we later see Black Panther and Captain America talk about another villain, Whirlwind, who was experiencing something similar. It appears, however, that it’s not just the villains who are being affected, but the heroes too, as Black Panther experiences visions of his deceased father.

It’s not completely clear what threat the Avengers are going to be facing in this invasion, despite the small glimpse of the creature Captain America has, but the way that A.I.M. is reacting to their coming, and the way that they’re affecting powered individuals is all setting the stage for something that feels a little special.

The series has been clearly building to this storyline, and it’s nice to see that the past adventures have been a part of a bigger whole, rather than isolated incidents. Hopefully the next few issues will prove to live up to the hype that’s being built up, and deliver on the epic invasion that we’ve been promised.

Buy Amy A Coffee
Go to Amy's Blog

Wednesday, 4 September 2019

The Sinking City - Game Review

I've only recently begun to dip my toe into the waters of Lovecraft and Cthulhu mythology, having been sent copies of the Sherlock Holmes vs Cthulhu trilogy to read by Titan Books. Thankfully, I was drawn to these books through my love of Sherlock Homes, and quickly found myself become drawn to the Cthulhu mythology presented there. I began to read through the collected works of H.P. Lovecraft, and whilst finding a great deal of his work to be very much a product of their time and filled with uncomfortably racist views and words, the underlying storytelling was incredibly interesting, and I enjoyed what he had made. As such, I found myself drawn to the Cthulhu mythos presented in other media too, especially video games.

The Sinking City is one of the most recent games to draw upon the works of Lovecraft, and presents players with an open world to explore.

Players take on the role of Charles Reed, a former U.S. Navy diver during World War One who has since become a private investigator. Prior to the events of the game Reed was stationed on board a ship, the U.S.S. Cyclops, which sank under mysterious circumstances. Ever since he has been plagued with strange visions, and has gained unusual abilities of observation that help him with his cases. Reed is drawn to the flooded city of Oakmont to investigate the visions that have been plaguing him, and others who have travelled to Oakmont.

The Sinking City is essentially a detective game, where players are sent on various cases across the city in order to unravel the larger mystery. I was thrown by this at first, as the game doesn't hold your hand after taking you through the first case. You're told where you need to go, and then that's it. The whole city is yours to do with as you wish.

Unlike a lot of other games that are set in a large city none of these areas are initially shut off to you or filled with high level enemies that prevent you from exploring, like in Grand Theft Auto or Assassin's Creed games. You can travel from one side of Oakmont to the other, finding important buildings and landmarks, and unlocking fast travel points, something that actually made the rest of the game a lot easier.

I found myself doing this a lot towards the beginning of the game, and picked up a number of optional side-cases that kept me busy for a number of hours before I went back to the main story. The cases, both main ones and the optional variety, give you vague hints that you have to work out yourself. You don't get a way-point to travel to, but a rough description of the location which you have to find on your map. Sometimes you have to question people, other times you will have to consult city and criminal archives to try and piece together the puzzle. This gives a big sense of accomplishment when you finally figure out where you've got to travel to, and makes even simple navigation different from most other games.

The crime scenes themselves often require a lot of investigating, and I'd sometimes find myself missing some tiny piece of evidence tucked away in the corner that I needed in order to move the case forward. However, even when you do find all of the evidence the game doesn't tell you the solution, and you have to come to that yourself, piecing together the pieces in Reed's mind palace. Here you can come to your own conclusions, choosing who to trust, who to side against, and how you want the case to end.

These choices aren't right or wrong, and often there are arguments for why each outcome is the right one. Ultimately, you will find yourself drawing upon your own opinions and sense of ethics to decide who the real villains are, and if giving up on your own moral code is worth a easy resolution.

Behind all of this investigation, however, is the story of an ancient evil that is close to awakening, and the role that Charles has to play in its fate. The world of Oakmont is filled with twisted creatures and supernatural forces, some that are competing to free Cthylla from her sleep, and others that have their own agendas.

The world of The Sinking City is seeped in Lovecraftian touches, with side quests, characters, and tiny details all containing nods to both the Cthulhu mythos and other Lovecraft stories. There's Robert Throgmorton, the ape-like gangster who's a nod to the story Facts Concerning the Late Arthur Jermyn and His Family, the presence of the creepy Johannes Van der Berg who takes inspiration from The King In Yellow, the inclusion of Innsmouthers, just to name a few. It's clear that the team behind the game have a lot of love for the source material, and have chosen to make this a world very much built upon it. It takes the work of Lovecraft and creates a world inspired by it, rather than one that would fit nicely into it such as the 2018 Call of Cthulhu game.

Despite all these things that I enjoyed the game has it's faults. The combat isn't brilliant, and sometimes I'd end up killed because of clunky controls or bad camera controls that meant I got backed into a corner with no way out. Occasionally things wouldn't load properly, and I'd occasionally have rooms where some of the objects were glowing bright colours, or there would be walls with no textures. I even found myself in an inescapable room once and had to reload.

The game isn't perfect, and has bugs, but I couldn't bring myself to dislike it. There was something about the world that Frogwares had created, and the game-play experience that hooked me. I enjoyed exploring Oakmont, I wanted to solve every side case, and I wanted to see what happened next in the story. The Sinking City might not be one of the best polished games I've played this year, but it was certainly one of the most enjoyable.

Buy Now On Amazon

Monday, 2 September 2019

Marvel Action: Spider-Man #7 – Comic Review

Originally published on Set The Tape

Peter Parker, Miles Morales, and Gwen Stacey swing into action in issue seven of Marvel Action: Spider-Man as they come up against the dastardly cat burglar Black Cat.

When the three young heroes find a burglar breaking into a jewellery store they inadvertently end up catching Walter Hardy, one of the best cat burglars in the world. Whilst this may initially seem like a good thing it turns out that Walter has a daughter, Felicia Hardy, who soon sets her sights on revenge against the Spider Squad for getting her father sent to prison. The super powered cat burglar draws the heroic trio into a trap, where she uses her ability to cause bad luck in people to cause the heroes to lose in spectacular fashion.

Black Cat makes a pretty good first appearance here, using one of her lesser known abilities to cause a lot of trouble for our heroes. The run of bad luck that they experience not only allows her to win against them, but also to drive a wedge between them. The three heroes have a few victories under their belts by this point, but are still a fairly new team, and as such there’s a lot of tension between them as they try to figure out their places.

This is something that runs throughout the issue. Peter is trying to be a leader and mentor to the others, using his longer experience as Spider-Man to lead them into their fight against crime. Whilst this makes a degree of sense due to him having been a hero for longer and having developed their web shooters, he’s still a teenager, and barely older than the others. He’s unsure of himself, and doesn’t know if he has what it takes to be a leader.

Gwen by contrast is very much the stronger member of the group, wanting to charge her way into any given situation. She’s headstrong, and is afraid that inaction might mean that a bad guy could get away. She’s clearly had to fight for her place in the world before, being a young woman, and isn’t sure that she’s able to follow someone else.

Miles is the most unsure member of the group. He’s even struggling to find a name for himself. This was a situation I was wondering how the book would address. Having originated in the Ultimate universe, Miles became Spider-Man following the death of Peter Parker, and even kept that name when he became part of the 616 universe, though that also included a much older Peter. Here Peter isn’t as old, and isn’t as well established as the 616 Spider-Man, so it’s still unclear if he’s the kind of person willing to share the title of Spider-Man, though from his comments that Miles should call himself Spider-Man 2 it might be something this Peter isn’t so comfortable with.

This sense of conflict between the three, and their struggle to find their places within a team is brilliantly highlighted with the inclusion of Black Cat, and something that I’m looking forward to seeing develop over the next few issues. The villain is sure to push the heroes further, but whether or not they come to find themselves by the end of this story remains to be seen.

As always the artwork by Fico Ossio is wonderful, and is able to capture wonderful moments of character interaction, which is no easy feat when they all have their faces covered. Fico manages to bring life to static masks, able to create expressions that convey so much emotion. There’s also the option of a variant cover with artwork from Nicoletta Baldari, which is both completely different from Fico’s work, yet captures the sense of fun that fills the book.

Buy Amy A Coffee
Go to Amy's Blog