The New Golden Age #1 - Comic Review

 

Originally published on Patreon

I've loved the Justice Society since Jeff Johns' run on the title, where he was able to bring back a load of the Golden Age heroes, bring them up to date, and introduced new generations of heroes to join their ranks. Ever since then the team has had an on and off relationship with DC it would seem, being erased from the main timeline, being brought back, being given nothing to do, showing up for big events. They've kind of been a bit all over the place; which is a huge shame as they're DC's best team by far. Now, however, Johns is back, and he's doing something incredibly bold with the them.

The New Golden Age is an extra sized one shot that kicks off both the new Justice Society book that's coming, and the new Stargirl limited series. It also pulls in some events from the end of Flashpoint Beyond, so expect time travel and universe changing shenanigans.

The events of this comic are split across several different timelines, we visit the Justice Society during their first meeting, catch up with Doctor Fate in the 1970's, catch up with Khalid Nassour, the current Doctor Fate, in present day continuity, and travel to the distant future of the 31st century. There's also multiple points in time, in the future, where we drop in on Helena Wayne, the daughter of Batman and Catwoman.

First off, to get it out of the way, the Helena Wayne segments aren't related to Earth-2, which would be a fair assumption given the history of the character. This book isn't dealing with multiple Earths, nor it this a story about the Justice Society of another world. This is firmly the main DC universe. It's just one that's changing slightly.

The sections dealing with Helena are in the future of the continuity we're reading now, and she is the daughter of Earth-0 Batman and Catwoman, meaning that they get back together at some point. There are references to people and things in those segments that make it pretty clear. However, there is time shenanigans going on, so who knows how set in stone this all is.

Helena is having visions of a mysterious man who's been cropping up throughout her life, watching her, taking joy in her moments of pain. This same man also kills the new Justice Society in the era of the Legion of Super Heroes, something that seems to reverberate backwards through time to each Doctor Fate. It seems likely that the man, who's probably a time traveller, is Per Degaton, someone that Justice Society fans will be familiar with.

We also get some moments that show some of the people removed out of time shown at the end of Flashpoint Beyond are integrating back into the timeline, as Alan Scott reads a headline about the Russian super hero/villain Red Lantern in the 1940's. However, knowing what we do about the Stargirl series, it seems like not all of them have returned to their timeline correctly. With the end of the comic being set in the future, where the Justice Society is older, and Helena gets the news of her father's murder and decides to become Huntress, it's unclear for those who've not read solicitations what shape the new Justice Society series is going to take, whether it will involve more time travel, or if it'll be set in the future. Whatever shape it's going to take, this seems like an intriguing beginning.

The comic features multiple artists, all of which take on different styles depending on when its set and who they're following. The segments set in the past have a much more classic comic look to them, and it helps to illustrate incredibly quickly that the reader is in a different time. These styles also differ greatly in both the modern day, the far future, and the Helena Wayne segments, all of which makes for a complex and shifting narrative easier to understand.

The Justice Society are back, they've got an ongoing series, and some of their characters are getting mini series too, so if you're a fan of the original super hero team this is a really exciting time.

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Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #6 - Comic Review

 

Originally published on Patreon

Dark Crisis days are always a stressful time. The series is very good, and a genuine joy to read, but there feels like there's so much at risk and so many heroes that could fall that reading each issue is just too stressful; and issue six might be one of the most nerve-wracking chapters of the event yet.

The Justice League have managed to break out of their fake worlds and are together again on Pariah's planet, watching as the new multiverse forms in the skies above them. However, Pariah has already taken the full might of his dark army to Earth-0, where the remaining heroes have gathered at the Hall of Justice for one final stand. But their enemies have dozens of villains, and some heroes, on their side. And when your enemies have Darkseid, Necron, and the Spectre amongst its ranks your chances of survival go down considerably.

As the League try to find a way back home, the heroes of Earth-0 do their best to hold the line, hoping to give Mr Terrific the time he needs to put their last plan into action. But will everyone make it through the battle?

The opening pages of the issue hit hard, after a more quiet introduction there's a huge two-page spread of the war at the Hall of Justice, and it's a stunning sight to behold. Raven has grown giant and is fighting the Spectre, Starfire is holding back Necron, Jon Kent is battling Darkseid, and a whole bunch of heroes are trying to survive Doomsday. It's chaos.

But amongst this chaos we get small moments where we get to focus on some of the conflicts going on, such as Beast Boy taking on Deathroke, that really feel like they matter. It's not just action for the sake of the end of the event, there are personal stories and personal stakes here too that feel earned. Perhaps the one that hits the best is Jon. For those that have been reading Superman: Son of Kal-El you know that he's been without his father for months, trying to figure out the kind of Superman he wants to be, and how he wants to live up to that legacy. Now is father is gone again, possibly forever, and it's up to him to protect Earth. He steps up in a big time here, standing alone against enemies like Darkseid, Eclipso, and Doomsday, ready to die if needed. 

There are some other tense moments, such as the apparent disintegration of Booster Gold, Blue Beetle, Connor Hawke, Steel, and Firestorm. Now, for a moment I was sitting there stunned, but then I remembered Pariah did that trick with the League, so they're probably okay. Frankenstein getting ripped in half, not so sure about that one though.

The art, by Daniel Sampere and Alejandro Sanchez looks great throughout, and the amount of detail that they put into the huge battle scenes is truly stunning. You can tell that this is a big event book, because every panel is packed, the art is consistently great, and it feels no expense has been spared. The art is the best it's looked all series here, and there are some truly stunning moments.

There's only one issue left of the main Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths story left, a few tie ins still to come though, so stuff is going to have to have to wrap up pretty quickly. However it ends, it feels like its going to be big.

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Goosebumps: Say Cheese and Die (R.L. Stine) – Throwback 30

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

It’s time to talk about Goosebumps yet again, as we’ve reached the anniversary of yet another of R.L.Stine’s classic children’s horror books. Some of you may be a little surprised to have seen this book appear here, as here in the UK Say Cheese and Die was the second book in the series released by Scholastic. But originally it was the fourth, so we’re doing it fourth. Publishing is weird right?

Speaking of weird, Say Cheese and Die is wonderfully Stineish in its weirdness, and follows a group of four friends who end up getting involved in a frightening situation. Greg, Shari, Doug, and Michael are trying to find something to keep them entertained in their small town, and the four of them decide to explore the mysterious Coffman House, an old, dilapidated building that local legend claims to be haunted. Breaking their way inside, the kids fail to find a ghost (something of a surprise for a book in this series), and instead discover an odd homeless man called Spidey.

Avoiding Spidey, the four of them find a secret out-cove in one of the walls that hides a weird looking camera. Having an interest in photography, Greg decides to claim the camera for himself. He takes a picture of Michael, and the camera produces a photo from the front that shows Michael falling, rather than leaning against the railing like he was when it was taken. Moments later, the railing breaks, and Michael falls, injuring his ankle. Fleeing the house, as the noise has attracted Spidey, the kids take the camera with them.

Greg keeps using the old camera, and keeps getting strange photos. His father’s brand new car has a photograph of it wrecked, his brother’s picture shows him running across a baseball field looking afraid, and Doug’s picture shows him with his neck twisted at an odd angle. When the next day all of the pictures become real, his father’s car crashed, his brother running afraid to help him, and Doug getting injured, Greg begins to suspect that there’s something wrong with the camera. However, it isn’t until he takes a picture of Shari, who doesn’t appear in the photo, that things become really worrying, as Shari soon goes missing.

Say Cheese and Die is one of the more famous of the early Goosebumps books, not particularly because of the plot, but because of the cover. Here in the UK the cover showed an evil looking camera with a face sinking into some orange goo, but in the US the cover depicted a family of skeletons at a barbecue. This artwork, which depicted a scene that wasn’t originally in the book and had to be added later so that it matched, would go on to become one of the most remembered in the series. The fact that Stine liked it so much that he added an extra sequence into the book to include it, speaks to the popularity of the moment.

Outside of this, Say Cheese and Die is a fairly standard haunted/cursed item type story, and doesn’t really feature many of the wild twists and shock endings that the series would be well remembered for. As such, there isn’t really a moment here that makes you shake your head and think ‘this is too silly’. It actually bears some passing similarity to the episode of The Twilight Zone ‘The Most Unusual Camera’, a series that Stine has said he’s a fan of and may have been an intentional homage to the show. Speaking of shows, this would be one of the stories that would go on to become part of the Goosebumps series, appearing in the first season.

One of the less wacky entries in the series, Goosebumps: Say Cheese and Die came along a few months after the initial wave of releases and helped to keep the series selling well, with more than 2 million copies of the book being sold.

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Predator #4 - Comic Review

 

Originally published on Patreon

After spending an issue battling a Yautja on a barren ice planet Theta is ready to load her ship up with supplies and get the hell out of the way before authorities arrive. However, the big question of how the Predator found her, having brought her axe from her last hunt with it, plays on her mind, raising the possibility that the creatures have started to come after her.

That proves to be correct as this issue sees her ship coming under attack from two Yautja vessels that chase her through the snow filled atmosphere. Trying her best do doge and weave, trying to avoid the incoming fire, it soon becomes clear that she's not going to lose the alien hunters, so turns the tables instead.

Theta manages to destroy one of the ships, but the second manages to down her ship. Rather than letting the alien hunter blow her ship apart, or coming in after her, she heads out into the snow to challenge them to a fight. The Yautja beams down, and the two of them enter combat. And it does not go well for Theta. She gets bashed around pretty badly, and is all set to lose when a hail of gunfire rips the Yautja apart. Theta is then rescued/captured by Astar Industries.

This Predator story has been okay, and I like the central idea of someone hunting down Predators, trying to find the one that killed their family, but this issue felt a bt weird for me. Maybe it's because it's doing something different with the fomula, having space ship dog fights rather than the Yautja on the ground, hunting. I'm not sure what it was, but it definitely felt weaker than the last two issues. However, we do know now that multiple Yautja are hunting Theta, which does add a level of tension to things.

I'm assuming that at the start of the next issue she's going to be Astar's prisoner, and that it may end up being the Yautja coming after her that gets her out of that situation. If so, that could be a fun way to take the series, and I think that it would be an interesting way to conclude the story. 

The artwork is solid throughout, and the spaceship fights and the battle in the snow all looked really good. The series has been really consistent with the art, and everything has always looked fantastic, with the only real weaknesses being the writing department.

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Rise of the Guardians – Throwback 10

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

Father Christmas, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, Jack Frost, the Sandman; what do all of these have in common? They’re figures of childhood myth, characters that exist in popular culture around the world. But they’re also superheroes, or at least that’s what Rise of the Guardians tells us; and frankly, it’s a pretty cool idea.

The film is based upon the book series The Guardians of Childhood by William Joyce. The books, which take place hundreds of years before the film, chronicle the origins of the characters in the movie, and act as prequels for the movie. According to Joyce, the inspiration to write the stories came when his daughter once asked him if Santa Claus had ever met the Easter Bunny. To be fair, it’s an important question, and one that deserves an answer.

The Rise of the Guardians reveals that not only have the two characters met, but so have several others, who come together to help protect the children of the world in times of great danger. An unknown, unseen superhero team for children. The film begins with the origin of one of the characters, Jack Frost (Chris Pine), who awakens from a frozen lake with no memory of who he is. When he realises that no one can see or hear him, and that he can’t touch anyone, he runs away from the nearby village. 300 years later we see that Jack has found new purpose in the world, becoming the Spirit of Winter. He travels the world, bringing snow and the cold, and takes joy in seeing children play in the winter wonderland he creates, though he’s sad that not many people believe in him.

In the North Pole the Guardians assemble, with Santa (Alec Baldwin), the Easter Bunny (Hugh Jackman), the Tooth Fairy (Isla Fisher), and the Sandman gathering to listen to a warning from the Man in the Moon, who tells them that the evil Pitch Black (Jude Law) has escaped and is threatening the world’s children. However, in order to stop him they’ll need the help of a new Guardian, Jack Frost. Now the Guardians will have to find a way to convince Jack to join them if they’re going to be able to stop Pitch from using his nightmares to make the world’s children stop believing in them and erasing them forever.

In a lot of ways Rise of the Guardians is a superhero movie, just with public domain characters that most people grew up hearing about. This grants the film a lot of freedom, as there’s not really much expectation around these characters or what you’d be expected to do with them. The Tooth Fairy takes children’s teeth, sure, but why, and what does she do with them? Well, according to the movie the teeth store important childhood memories that kids have, and she and her fairies keep them safe so that those memories endure. What’s the Easter Bunny like other than a rabbit who oversees Easter? Well, he’s 6ft tall, Australian, and has a lot of attitude. And Santa, he’s a tattooed Russian guy who lets the elves think they’re making the presents to keep them happy and out of trouble, but really uses an army of Yetis to help him prepare for Christmas. And you can’t argue that that’s wrong because there are no rules to these characters.

The team behind Rise of Guardians seem to have gone into this with the desire to have fun, and to create something to entertain. They’re not worried about staying true to any strict rules or canon, and every choice they make here, that isn’t already in Joyce’s original books, is in service to that story. DreamWorks, the company behind the movie, worked closely with Joyce to ensure that the film would stay respectful to his original vision for the series, and Joyce helped work on the film until he had to drop out when his daughter, Mary Katherine, passed away from a brain tumour. The film is dedicated to her memory: ‘For Mary Katherine Joyce, a Guardian Fierce and True’.

Joyce would remain an executive producer on the movie, and was joined by Guillermo del Toro, who brought his own brand of creativity to the film. Del Toro would go on to say that he was proud of the work he did on the film, and for the team’s willingness to make parts of the film darker and poetic. The film would also be the first for DreamWorks, as it was both the first animated film released by them to have only one director, Peter Ramsey, and the first big-budget CG animated film ever to be directed by a Black director.

Upon its release the film was received well, and had generally positive reviews, but despite grossing more than double its budget, didn’t seem to make too much of a cultural impact at the time. However, over the years, thanks to home releases and streaming services, the film has gathered a huge fanbase, and has become one of DreamWorks’ most popular animated films, in part due to its ability to appeal to audiences of all ages.

Whether you still believe in Santa, the Easter Bunny, and the others, Rise of the Guardians shows us all that they’re still out there, protecting the world, caring for children, and inspiring. These are characters that have existed for generations, and are beloved across the globe, and because of that Rise of the Guardians will always be able to find new viewers, new fans, and new children to amaze.

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Dark Knights of Steel #8 - Comic Review

 

Originally published on Patreon

After a while away Dark Knight of Steel makes a return just in time for war to begin. After several issues of build-up, of political manoeuvring, and assassinations, it looks like the three kingdoms have nothing left but battle to resolve their issues.

This issue is largely the final pieces getting into place, in some cases literally, as the assembled army of the Amazons and the Kingdom of Storms makes their way towards the castle of the Els. Along the way they're approached by Harley and Waller, who try to appeal to the better sense of the allied leaders, asking them to try and find a peaceful solution to the situation. But, it looks like blood is the only thing that's going to settle things.

When Constantine tries to attack the leaving diplomats, against the orders of his queens, they come under attack by Ivy, who uses her abilities to protect Harley, and to destroy a portion of the army. It's at this point that the Green Man comes in, beat down Ivy so that the allied army can continue on. His ring tells him that the war needs to go ahead.

This, I think, points towards some answers. We know that there's some manipulations happening behind the scenes, that the kingdoms are being pushed to war, and that some of the powered individuals have been duplicated, or someone is impersonating them, in order to commit crimes that will get blamed on either side. With the Green Man's ring pushing him to make sure that the war happens, it further convinces me that he's the one behind things, that he impersonated Zara, and killed the King of Storms. The fact that his ring talks to him, seemingly trying to manipulate him, is interesting, and makes me think of Power Ring from Earth-3.

The issue ends with the leaders of the opposing armies assembled on the battlefield, making one last push to end things without violence; Diana and Zara say as much to each other before entering the situation. However, upon shaking the hand of Hippolyta, agreeing to avoid war, Lara cuts her in half with her heat vision. So, fair to say things are going to kick off next issue.

The world that Taylor has created in this series, the new versions of the characters, their relationships with each other, and the ever expanding and complex story has been a highlight each issue, and whilst I don't want these groups to end up fighting each other like this, it does feel like the only thing that could have happened. Like when watching Game of Thrones and you can see the good on both sides of the conflict, and want everyone to come out okay, you're both excited and afraid when the battle begins. The manipulations behind the scenes have led them here, and it doesn't look like it can be avoided.

I'm glad that the series is back, but I'm also hating that it means characters are going to start dying. These aren't are regular DC characters, but Taylor has managed to make these versions so interesting and likeable that only eight issues into the series it still shocks and hurts when we lose them. 

The art, by Yasmine Puti and Arif Prianto, looks great, and some of the best moments are the quieter ones between characters, such as Constantine trying to convince the resurrected prince to strike against his enemies, or the moment between Ollie and Dinah in the El's dungeons. Though, the final image of the issue of someone being bisected down the middle with heat vision is pretty amazing too.

Dark Knights of Steel has been a great series, and I'm glad its back and heading into the endgame of the series.

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Frankenstein: New World #3 – Comic Review

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

Something terrible is stalking Frankenstein and Lilja. Having emerged from the bowels of the earth, filled with darkness, this awful creature is following them across the new world. But this lingering shadow is far from the only threat that our brave explores will have to face in the latest issue of Dark Horse‘s new B.P.R.D. series, Frankenstein: New World.

In the previous issue our two valiant explorers had found a new civilisation on the surface: a group of frog-like beings called the Bonji who were willing to take the two of them in and make friends with them. It’s here that we rejoin them, with Lilja making friends with the children of the village and joining in their games. However, when she chases the ball into one of the huts she finds a member of the village in pain, covered in some strange kind of infection. Calling upon Frankenstein to help him, they learn that their new friends aren’t the only sentient beings that have made a home on the surface of Earth.

The injured villager tells a story of how he and his friends travelled to a neighbouring area, where they explored the sacred ruins of a more war-like, violent species. The three of them ended up coming face-to-face with these people’s god, and it infected them. Only he was able to escape and make it back home, as his friends met a horrible end at hands of the other tribe. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like this is the end of the incident, and the peaceful Frankenstein finds himself being drawn into a fight that he doesn’t want in order to protect an innocent, peaceful people.

It’s interesting that there seems to be a big bad introduced last issue, and explained in more detail at the start of this one, yet it then goes on the back-burner as a whole new threat is brought in for Frankenstein to deal with. But I liked the choice of having these Varsu coming in to present a threat for our lead character to deal with. They’re not monsters, they’re people, no different to the ones that he’s just made friends with. They have a different culture and a different belief system that puts them at odds with other people, but they’re not dark, evil beings. And that puts Frankenstein in a position where he’s facing similar positions to those in his past, murky, messy choices that are testing his convictions. It’s certainly adding more depth to the story than a blank slate world reboot would make you think.

As with the previous issues, the art by Peter Bergting and Michelle Madsen looks great throughout, and the issue really comes to life both in the flashback scenes and when the Varsu attack the village. The comic takes on a more sinister tone thanks to some subtle shifts in the artwork and the colours used, and it helps to reinforce the idea that these are horrific, awful things happening, even if they’re happening to a group of people that aren’t human. It helps to humanise the Bonji, to make them more sympathetic to the more vicious looking Varsu. It would have been easy to make two groups of monsters here, but the art team do a great job at making sure that didn’t happen.

The world of Frankenstein: New World continues to expand and become more complex, and the more we learn about it the more interesting it is. There are multiple plates spinning now, with the plot having changed from one simple quest to a story that is drawing the characters deeper into the lives of the people they meet. It’s clear that the writing team have some big things planned here, and it should be exciting to see some of it revealed.

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Batman & The Joker: The Deadly Duo #1 - Comic Review

 

Originally published on Patreon

The Joker is a character best done in small doses. Like a decent spice, if used too much it can overpower the dish, and could even put you off trying the flavour again. With The Joker already headlining an ongoing series, did we really need another book with him in the title role? Well, it kind of helps that this is an out of continuity story, one that you could even discount as not even being set in the past, but in another world in the DC multiverse if you wanted, and that can help make having another Joker book a bit easier I guess.

The story, for this issue, seems simple enough, Harley Quinn, who's still The Joker's girlfriend here, is kidnapped by a mysterious figure who's hoping to use her to lure The Joker out. Meanwhile, murders are happening across the city that look to involve The Joker, yet don't really fit with his usual patterns and methods. Batman comes across The Joker, but he's a huge, monstrous version of himself.

It turns out that it's not The Joker at all, and that people are being infected by something that's turning them into monster versions of the villain. The real Joker comes to Batman, asking for his help, and proposing that the two of them team up, making a Deadly Duo, in order to solve the case. Reluctantly, Batman agrees.

The story for Batman & The Joker: The Deadly Duo is interesting enough, though it's clear that there's more story elements to come in regards to the mystery of the Joker monsters and who's behind this. Using the Joker monsters, and the kidnapping of Harley, as a reason to get the two titular characters working together feels decently believable. I can see both characters putting aside their issues and working with the other in this kind of situation, both wanting rid of the extra Jokers for their own reasons.

The real draw for this book, however, is the art, provided by writer Marc Silvestri. A name that comic fans, particularly those who like Image Comics, will be familiar with, Silvestri makes the book look really good straight from the go. Using lots of line-work, Silvestri manages to make the boo look incredibly sharp and detailed, yet messy and muddy at the same time. This works great for the environments and backgrounds, as it really makes Gotham feel like a lived in, run down place.

The action also looks really good, and there's a nice weight and fluidity to things here. It feels like people rolling around, throwing punches, and trying to get the upper hand, rather than bigger than life action that can sometimes creep in to Batman stories. The designs of the Joker monsters is also really cool, and the final panel shows several of them, all of which sport their own looks that all feel like they're trying to evoke different types of Jokers we've seen before.

The book being different enough to what's going on in current continuity, and taking place outside that continuity, makes this a pretty decent excuse to have another Joker led book, and there's some interesting ideas amongst the gorgeous artwork. I'm looking forward to seeing what Silvestri does with the rest of the series.

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Star Wars #29 - Comic Review

 

Originally published on Patreon

So, the Rebellion have received word that the Empire is building a second Deathstar, and know that death and destruction on an unrivalled scale is looming on the horizon. And this time they have no idea where it's being made, or how to destroy it. So in this situation what can you do other than go on holiday?

The opening of this issue is, at first, incredibly jarring, as Leia, Luke, Lando, and Chewie, join Holdo for a bit of a vacation getaway, lounging around a pool and relaxing. It doesn't really feel like it makes much sense to begin with, and feels very jarring, until Holdo reveals that they're on the planet to get hold of something that will make a lot of the Rebellion's supply issues vanish.

It's at this point that the issue began to sit better, when we realise that they're not really on vacation, but on a mission, and that Holdo was just giving them a moment to relax before they got on with things. If it wasn't for the mission it would have felt like a huge misstep to do; but perhaps I should have trusted Soule to not just give us a beach episode in the middle of such important events.

The mission, that the team have sprung on them, is to get hold of a Nihil ship that's up for auction. Well, specifically, data from the Nihil's starpath computer, which Holdo thinks could be used to help locate a huge shipment of fuel and supplies that vanished during the Hyperspace Disaster. A kind of ghost tale about the shipment having survived has been around ever since, but no one ha ever been able to find it.

After trying to outbid the head of the Imperial museum, the gang go to plan B and break into the ship to steal what they need. After fleeing the planet they use the starpath data and jump through hyperspace to No-Space, where the remains of the Nihil Great Hall float in space before them.

I'm really enjoying it when things from the High Republic get brought into the older canon. The small nods and connections to the previous eras of the Star Wars universe are always enjoyable, and the fact that it's actually being used to shape the stories makes it feel like a bigger, more connected galaxy. Soule, who wrote the opening chapter to the High Republic, has been doing it really well, and any time stuff comes up it ends up feeling very natural, and quite rewarding to those who've read the High Republic, without it feeling like those who haven't will end up alienated or lost. It's a fine line, but they're doing it really well.

The rest of the issue is pretty fun too, with some of the vacation stuff being quite enjoyable, seeing how the group spends their down time. Lando and Chewie playing cards by the pool whilst Luke reads his Jedi books feels fitting for the three of them. Though, Leia and Hold sunbathing whilst talking about men feels a bit of a misstep to me.

The auction scenes are decent and entertaining, and the mystery as to what's messing with Luke isn't answered in this issue, so I'm expecting that it could possibly be related to the Nihil, as the ship was there when he was having Force issues, and that this will be explored a bit further now that they're at the Great Hall. The fight to get on the Nihil ship was a particularly stand out moment, and shows how effective the team are together at taking down multiple opponents in a surprise attack.

Overall, this is a pretty decent issue that sets up some interesting things to come. The more connections that we have between the different eras like this, and the more new and interesting stories the better.

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Picture Perfect by Serena Patel - Book Review

 

'A quest for screen-free family time leads to camping chaos in this hilarious and heartwarming comedy from the author of Anisha, Accidental Detective.

'Sonal needs to capture a great family picture for her school photography project but it’s impossible when everyone’s always so busy! Luckily they’re heading off on a family camping trip which should provide lots of great photo opportunities … shouldn’t it? Faced with an enforced digital detox, will Sonal’s family come together and have fun … or will the trip end in complete disaster?'

It almost feels like a cliche at this point in time, families failing to find time together in a meaningful way. It changes over time, with different things being blamed for it, whether that be work commitments, after school clubs, TV, but in the modern age electronic devices are the bane of family life it seems; with people lamenting the fact that people used to talk to each other before mobile phones and smart devices took over. Whilst I'm not going to argue that these devices are innocent, people have always found ways to stay in their own little bubble even when amongst friends and family. It's just when that's all that happens that things become a problem.

In Picture Perfect Sonal, a young girl from a family that's always busy, needs to take a series of photos for a school project; photos that show her family life. This should be easy, a few seconds to grab a photo here and there. But, Sonal keeps running into trouble as her father is always making work call or sending emails, her brother is always playing games, and her sister is constantly on social media. She feels like things are hopeless, and wants to give up as she fails to get the photos that she needs time and time again. The only member of the family who seems to take the time to even care is Nanna, her grandfather.

Seeing that Sonal is struggling, that her family's inability to even pose together for a photo has hurt her, Nanna sets out to make it so the family has to spend some quality time together. Buying a tent online, and booking a camping site, he tells the family that they're heading out for the weekend, and that they will have to leave their devices behind. What follows is a weekend of ups and downs, where the family end up getting on each others nerves, but also discovering how much fun can be had just by spending time together as a family.

Picture Perfect is an enjoyable story about a family relearning to spend some time together, to slow down and to appreciate each others company and learning that even the simplest activity can be enjoyable when you do it with people that you love. In an age where more and more people seem to be decrying the prevalence of mobile devices, this kind of story might appeal to parents trying to get their kids to put their electronics down for a bit.

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