The New Champion of Shazam! #4 - Comic Review

 

Originally published on Patreon

One of the things that I've really enjoyed about this series is how it's turned around and criticised the idea that female heroes have to be the female versions of heroes. We've had plenty of times when the original hero takes a back seat for a while and a new person steps up to take on the name, or we get a second version of that character operating at the same time. Dick Grayson being Batman, Jon Kent being Superman, Bucky Barnes as Captain America. And whenever a man does it there will be some grumbles by those that don't like the story decision, but for the most art it's fine; people will call them Batman, Superman, and Captain America, but will then clarify which one. But when women do this something different happens. People complain, they attack, they belittle the characters, and they insult the very idea that they're that hero, adding some caveat like 'woman Thor', 'girl Wolverine', and 'She-Zam'.

This book takes a big hard no to that kind of thinking. Mary isn't Mary Marvel, Mary Shazam, Miss Shazam, She-Zam, or any other variation. She is Shazam. Purely, simply Shazam. As much as Billy Batson is. And her finally coming into that name, finally feeling like she can call herself Shazam is part of her journey, as well as part of her fight to be seen as worthy of respect from others. 

I'm sure that there will be people who hate this idea, and the comic depicting online spaces where people attack the very idea of her being a hero, let alone Shazam isn't a fictional concept; it's the real world. We see it all the time in fan spaces, and it's fucking boring. I'm sick of seeing it in real life, of seeing people who claim to be fans, who say they love these universes and characters shitting over it all because a woman is getting the spotlight. And if books with women in the spotlight are going to occasionally stick their middle finger up at these misogynistic pieces of shit, well that's all the better.

This issue doesn't just focus on that, however, as it also has to deal with some things left hanging from the last issue. Darla has run off, and has been kidnapped by the big bad of the story. Mary heads after her and gets into a couple of fights with some misogynistic dicks, kicks their arses, then heads off to the final confrontation. The reveal of who the villain is, what their connection to the Shazam mythos is, is actually really cool, and I like that it's not just a new unconnected character. 

The final confrontation isn't a big fist fight either, and the issue makes the point that the new Shazam isn't like the old one who goes in fighting. She makes plans, she uses her brains, and she thinks of alternate solutions. That being said, her taking the villain down a few pegs by screaming Shazam and powering up the way she does is pretty damn awesome, and might be one of my favourite Shazam moments. We also get more Hoppy helping out too; which can only ever be a win.

I was worried with this being a four issue mini that things would feel quite rushed, especially at the end. But this book has been hugely entertaining, and the story has felt 100% right for Mary's character. I love that she's been given the spotlight, and that she's getting to 'move up the ranks' as it were from a sidekick into the titular champion. She's more than earned that place, and with this series, her presence in DC vs Vampires: All Out War, and her being in Lazarus Planet, I hope that this is just the start of loads more of her as Shazam.

This article, and many others, can be read a month early on my Patreon for as little as $3 a month!

Support Amy on Patreon

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

Arch-Conspirator by Veronica Roth - Book Review

 

'From dystopian visionary and bestselling phenomenon Veronica Roth comes a razor-sharp reimagining of Antigone. In Arch-Conspirator, Roth reaches back to the root of legend and delivers a world of tomorrow both timeless and unexpected.

'Outside the last city on Earth, the planet is a wasteland. Without the Archive, where the genes of the dead are stored, humanity will end.

'Passing into the Archive should be cause for celebration, but Antigone’s parents were murdered, leaving her father’s throne vacant. As her militant uncle Kreon rises to claim it, all Antigone feels is rage. When he welcomes her and her siblings into his mansion, Antigone sees it for what it really is: a gilded cage, where she is a captive as well as a guest. But her uncle will soon learn that no cage is unbreakable. And neither is he.'

Veronica Roth is a name that some science fiction fans will instantly recognise; having shot to fame with the release of her first book, Divergent, that focused on a young woman fighting back against an oppressive regime. Since then her books have only grown in popularity, and fans have been enjoying more work from her. Her latest science fiction novella once again deals with a young woman trapped in an oppressive world; but does so in a very different way. Arch-Conspirator mixes post apocalypse science fiction with ancient mythology as Roth reinvents Antigone.

In Arch-Conspirator, Antigone and her siblings, her sister Ismene, her twin brother Polynices, and her other brother Eteocles, are the children of deposed, deceased leaders of the sealed off community that they like in. The world outside has been ravaged by radiation, and the last remnants of humanity have gathered together behind the walls of their city to try and survive. Over the generations their community has developed new systems and ways of existing; and this has led to a society where people no longer reproduce naturally, instead choosing the genetic material of deceased people to birth clones. Antigone and her siblings are different, however, born the natural way. 

After the deaths of their parents, the four of them have come to live with their uncle, Creon, who has taken over as leader. Due to having been conceived the natural way, people see Antigone and her siblings as being without souls, and their existence is barely tolerated. As such, when Polynices tries to assassinate his uncle and is killed in the attempt Creon refuses to allow Polynices genetic material to be stored like everyone else's. With only a handful of hour to save her brothers 'soul' Antigone is prepared to go against her uncle's laws to do so; but doing so could lead to terrible repercussions.

Luckily for me, I wasn't familiar with the story of Antigone before reading this book, and as such much of what transpired here was fresh and new to me. The story was interesting, in part due to the world that Roth had crafted to go around it. We don't learn much about the world outside of this final city, other than the fact that it's unlivable and irradiated, nor do we learn much about the origins of the city and the strange traditions and practices that happen there. This is mainly because these things don't really matter to the characters. Yes, the setting informs their story because of the way people treat death and the process of harvesting DNA to survive afterwards; but the topic of how they got there doesn't really matter. You don't need to know all of American history to read a story set in New York for example.

It would have been easy to get bogged down in these kinds of details, to spend pages going into the history of this future that Roth has crafted; but this would have slowed things down quite considerably, and it would have taken away from the central focus, Antigone herself. Plus, this is a novella, so space is somewhat at a premium too. As it is, we get enough information so that we understand the motivations and the reasons as to why things happen, but get to keep the fast pace and easy to read quality that comes with the novella format.

The story of Antigone is the focus here, and despite the short length of the book and the multiple narrators I feel that there's a pretty good sense of who she is and what drives her. She's trapped in a world that's not designed for women to succeed, or even be seen as equal, and on top of that she's not even seen as a real person. The book puts her at the centre of her societies problems with people, it makes her the most hated and disliked, and then it makes her one of the most reasonable and smartest people there. Her struggles throughout the book, to be seen as a person, to be seen as more than just a walking womb, and to be listened to make her easy to connect with, as it's a struggle that a lot of women and feminine presenting people are dealing with right now.

Feminine people have always had it worse than masculine ones. Men rule over women, women are the weaker, meeker, and subservient people. Men are in charge, women have to obey. It's been baked into the majority of cultures for a while now. And whilst this notion has been fought against, and whilst more rights are slowly being won they're also constantly under attack. The US saw the overturning of the hugely important Roe V Wade, which has resulted in a roll back for women's bodily autonomy. Obviously, these were issues that were already effecting a lot of people, usually those in even more marginalised groups such as women of colour, but now it effects even more people. The result of this is a bigger focus on bodily autonomy and reproduction rights, particularly from those who'd not really have to consider it before. In some ways Arch-Conspirator feels like a result of this, a story where reproduction and women's rights are an important part of the world that's been created here. It's also worth noting that whilst these issues are often called women's rights it does effect people who aren't women, and Arch-Conspirator does acknowledge this with a brief mention of trans men and non-binary people.

Having now looked into the original story, it's interesting to see how Roth has adapted it to this new setting. There are a lot of similarities, and she's not just taken the names and transplanted them into a new tale. This is still very much Antigone, and I think that those who are familiar with the original story and enjoy seeing new versions be made will find some interesting stuff here that they will enjoy.

Perhaps my only real criticism with the book is that it's too short. The novella format works well here, and the story is paced really well to keep you interested, to give you lots to experience, and to leave you feeling satisfied. However, I'd have also have loved to have seen what Roth would have done with this story in a longer form. It would have been wonderful to see more of this world, to spend more time with the characters, and to have the experience of reading it to have lasted longer. But those are tiny gripes, and the book is still a fantastic read that I'm sure will leave folks feeling happy.

Support Amy on Patreon

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

Nightwing #100 - Comic Review

 

Originally published on Patreon

Nightwing issue 100 opens with Dick and Bruce at Alfred's grave, talking about something big that Dick has been asked to do; something that's giving him pause. Considering how often Dick will jump into impossible, dangerous situations, the number of times he's stepped up and become a leader to heroes from around the world, him being unsure about something feels like a moment that matters. 

The comic then jumps back a few weeks, to Heartless leading an assault on Bludhaven Prison, where he releases thousands of convicts onto the streets of the city, armed with weapons and sporting masks. Knowing that he's got to tr and stop this, but that he can't do it alone, Dick leaps into action with two important strategies in mind. The first, is to convince decent people to do the right thing. He appeals to the small criminals, the innocent people, the people who had a spot of bad luck, that fighting for Heartless isn't the right thing to do. He asks them to stop. And it works.

This shows one of the best aspects of Dick Grayson, that he's not just going to leap into battle wanting to fight everyone and with the aim of harming people. He always wants to see the best in people. He wants to help, and to give people a chance. And its rewarded here, as most of the escaped criminals throw down their weapons and masks and start helping out.

The other plan he has reflects another aspect of Dick's personality. He has friends. If this were Batman he's be heading off alone to try and do it himself, maybe begrudgingly accepting help from the Bat Fam. But this is Nightwing, and he knows when to ask for help. As such, the Titans arrive in Bludhaven and head out to do some good. With their help Dick is able to bring the riot to an end, and even though Heartless gets away, things go well.

So what has Dick all worried at the start of the book? Well, that's what comes next, as Superman and Wonder Woman ask him to lead the world in the absence of the Justice League, to be the hero that the others look up to. To be the man who protects the Earth. It is indeed a big ask, but thanks to a pep-talk from Bruce that will make you cry, Dick knows that he's the man who can do it.

This issue is setting Dick Grayson up to be one of the most important people in DC going forward; and it's about time. He's one of the best heroes DC has because of the kind of person he is. He can lead, and most every hero will follow him. He looks for the best in people, and will give a chance to those others would write off. He's given his life over to this job, having grown from a kid to a man whilst being a hero. He's as close to an embodiment of what makes heroes good and decent people as Superman is; and he deserves this position.

As someone who has always loved Dick Grayson, who has always seen him as being as capable and decent as heroes like Superman and the rest of the League, this feels like the perfect next step in his story. I don't know if he's just going to be leading the Titans as the Earth's main defenders, or if he's going to be building something else. But whatever it is, it's sure to be fantastic.

This article, and many others, can be read a month early on my Patreon for as little as $3 a month!

Support Amy on Patreon

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

Dead Space 3 – Throwback 10

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

The Dead Space franchise is one that very quickly found an audience when the first game was released in 2008. It had been a few years since there had been a big Resident Evil release, with the fifth game a year away, and the last few Silent Hill releases had been pretty poorly received. Whilst there were some action and shooter games that were incorporating horror elements it was a pretty tough times for fans of survival horror.

As such, when a dark, claustrophobic horror game that pitted the player against monstrous creatures set to rip you to pieces it was met with huge acclaim. It also helped that Dead Space was also very, very good. Fast forward several years and the first game had become a modern classic, and the sequel was even more beloved. So, what was the third game going to do to try and top it?

After the second game in the series became a critical success, but failed to become a financial one (an increased budget but similar sales to the first game led Dead Space 2 to make less money than EA wanted), the decision was made to take the planned third game in slightly different directions. Originally the team behind the game wanted to focus on the horror elements, feeling that the sequel had already introduced more action than was best for the series. However, with the popularity of high-octane shooter games at the time, management told them to increase the amount of action.

This resulted in a shift in the plans for the game, with some of the team seemingly aware that the increase in non-horror elements would lead to this being the final game in the series (this would be the last Dead Space game until 2023 when a remake of the first would be released). Many of the elements that were only hinted at in the previous games was brought more to the forefront in this, and the production team decided that they would include many of the answers to questions that fans kept asking for, such as what the Necromorphs were, and where they came from.

The story of Dead Space 3 begins on Earth’s moon, where series star Isaac Clarke (Gunner Wright) is living when the city starts to come under attack from Necromorphs, who have been unleashed by a cult that worships the Markers that create them. Teaming up with a small crew, Isaac heads off to the remote world of Tau Volantis, which is believed to be the home world of the Markers. Arriving on the frozen planet, Isaac and his new companion John Carver (Ricardo Chavira), must fight their way through hordes of undead alien monsters, and human cultists in order to find a way to defeat the Necromorphs once and for all, saving humanity in the process.

One of the biggest changes to the game was the inclusion of co-operative play, which resulted in the creation of John Carver, a former soldier. The original plan for the game would have followed series themes of exploring mental health and how the Markers mess with people’s minds, and would have put the second player in control of Shadow Isaac, a hallucinatory version of Isaac that would appear. However, Electronic Arts informed the creative team that they wanted to move away from these themes, and as such Carver was created instead, in part due to the popularity of soldier-based shooter games at the time.

Despite the inclusion of co-op play, the game still worked pretty well. Unlike other co-op games of the era, which would force the second player character to be there at all times, controlled by AI if no second player was present, Dead Space 3 didn’t do this. Instead, if the player chooses to play through Dead Space 3 alone they will be alone. Instead of having an AI-controlled partner running around on screen getting into difficult situations, Carver and Isaac simply get separated when they don’t need to be together for the story. This keeps the player on their own, and offers an experience that feels a little more like the first two games. However, the increase in action does mean that there are certain circumstances where co-op play is a welcome help, especially on the harder difficulty settings.

Perhaps the worst thing done in the name of trying to make more money, however, was the inclusion of micro-transactions. Micro-transactions and loot boxes are an incredibly predatory system that uses FOMO (fear of missing out) and other psychological trickery to prey upon gamers in order to spend more money. The practice has been criticised for years, and in some countries the practice has been classified as gambling. The way micro-transactions are designed are also specifically made to prey upon people with gambling addiction, mental health issues, and neurodivergent people. And these systems have sadly become so normalised in gaming that most people don’t even think twice about them, even though there have been studies that prove their harm. But, when Dead Space 3 was first released the practice was still quite new, and its inclusion in the game in order to charge player money for crafting materials they could find in game anyway was met with criticism. It’s ironic that a system that is so normalised and ignored now was for a while considered a contributing factor to the failure of Dead Space 3, and the end of the franchise.

Despite the game receiving mostly positive reviews in a number of publications Dead Space 3 failed to meet the expected sales that Electronic Arts were hoping for, and it was estimated that the game made 20% less than its predecessor, Dead Space 2, did. The changes to the game, the difficulty in finding a balance between the new elements forced into it and the original vision, and the low sales, resulted in no further games in the series being given the go-ahead, despite Dead Space 3 ending on something of a cliffhanger (via the DLC) that would leave fans of the series in limbo for the next decade. However, the series would continue to remain popular, and a new remake of the original game has since been released.

Support Amy on Patreon

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

The Flash #791 - Comic Review

 

Originally published on Patreon

The Flash moves at super speed, flying through the world at a pace that's almost impossible to see, and reading issue 791 of The Flash feels a bit like I've tapped into the Speed Force too, because it seemed to be over so quick that I had to be going super fast. The One Minute War is under way, and as the shock of the devastating first contact last issue sets in the Flash Family start to gather the troops.

The end of the last issue saw the alien invaders from beyond Earth-0, the Fraction, dropping from the sky and blowing a hole into Central City. We begin with the very stark commentary that the attack has killed hundreds, if not thousands already; that the Flash has already been unable to save everyone. With everyone on Earth who isn't a speedster frozen in place, our heroes begin to do their best to figure out what happened. Wally and his family try to find somewhere safe for their frozen friends and family, Kid Flash and Impulse head over to the huge alien structure in the middle of the city, and Barry weeps over the body of Iris.

Last issue review I speculated that perhaps Iris wasn't dead, that by being frozen in time she only appears to be; but this issue seems to put that idea to bed as Barry, Wally, and everyone else treats it as if she's dead. And they've been handling frozen people for a while at this point, so they should know the difference if there is one. So yeah, Iris appears to be gone, and it's probably going to have a pretty big impact upon Barry. He's already admitted that he'd go back and change it if he could (good old responsible Barry as always).

Outside of this, we get to see the other members of the team coming up against the Fraction forces, beating several of them, and gathering together to form a plan of action. Unfortunately, this seems to put the speedsters on the Fraction's radar. I like that the Fraction acknowledge that they expected to find a speedster or two, that it's pretty common across the multi-verse, but the amount in Central City is unheard of. DC admitting that they've got more speedsters than the average. 

The large number of people connected to the Speed Force gets the Fraction's leader interested in them, and he wants as many as possible captured as a gift for the upcoming wedding of their empress. To this ends, they release Miss Murder, a creature that they 'captured on the dark world'. The woman in question (who's on the cover) bears a mask similar to the Batman Who Laughs; so with the comment about where they found her seems to indicate that she could be from the same universe. 

This is a bit of a meh revelation for me if I'm being honest. I kind of hated the Death Metal stuff and the whole Dark Multiverse stories, and as such don't particularly like the Batman Who Laughs as a villain. I'll acknowledge the design is okay, but this is now the second new Who Laughs type villain we've seen pop up over the last couple of months (with a Harley Who Laughs in Harley Quinn) and the design and concept might be becoming a bit overused. Have an evil speedster thing that the Fraction can send out after our heroes, sure, but maybe be a bit more original in her design.

Overall, though, this was a decent second issue to the event. Things are still in the set-up stage, with the Flash Family gathering the troops and figuring out what to do. But with the team together it looks set for things to start heating up in the next chapter.

This article, and many others, can be read a month early on my Patreon for as little as $3 a month!

Support Amy on Patreon

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

Attachment – Film Review

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

Queer romance, evil spirits, and generational trauma make up the new horror film Attachment: a slowly building character-driven story filled with Jewish culture, from first time direct Gabriel Bier Gislason, that greatly impresses.

Attachment begins not as a horror film, but as a rom-com, with lead characters Leah (Ellie Kendrick) and Maja (Jospehine Park) meeting in a Danish library, with Maja there dressed up as a Christmas elf come to read stories to local children. Literally running into Leah, the two of them instantly hit it off, but are both clearly filled with nervous energy. After some clunky flirting the two of them spend a passionate night together, and then in an experience that many queer people will be familiar with, Leah just never wants to leave.

However, when Leah breaks her leg in the middle of the night during a strange seizure she’s forced to go home to London, finally having to confront the overbearing mother, Chana (Sofie Gråbøl), whose calls she’s been dodging. Going with her, Maja is somewhat taken aback when she meets Chana and sees the stressed relationship she and Leah have. Trying her best to impress her girlfriend’s mother, and to keep the peace between them, Maja begins to suspect that something nefarious is happening when she finds strange things around the apartment, and Chana begins acting strangely.

One of the more impressive aspects of Attachment is that director Gabriel Bier Gislason doesn’t lean too heavily into the horror tropes in order to tell his story. A great deal of the film plays out in ways that feel like it would be more at home in another genre, with moments that feel like a romance and others that feel like a tense familial drama story, yet throughout it all are small hints at something more. This element of horror slowly builds in the background without the audience really noticing it. The film plays a trick on you, having you almost forget that this is supposed to be a horror film, letting you settle into Leah and Maja’s story so that when the horrific does begin to happen it feels all the more shocking. You’re almost put into Maja’s shoes, where you’re expecting a fairly regular story that suddenly takes a sharp turn into the realm of nightmares.

A lot of the success of the film comes from the lead actors’ performances, with the central trio managing to draw you into an uneasy web of relationships. Ellie Kendrick and Josephine Park are wonderful as Leah and Maja, and are completely believable as a young couple; the nervousness of their first meeting, the passion and desperation to be around each other after they finally admit their feelings, and the drive to do whatever it takes to protect each other when things go wrong. The two of them end up going through a huge range of emotions and experiences across the film’s run time, and there’s never a moment where it feels unbelievable or forced. They have an easy and natural chemistry that’s so charming and entertaining that if there were no horror elements in the film and it was just a romance story it would still be wonderfully entertaining.

Sofie Gråbøl, on the flip side, injects so much dark and stressful energy into the mix that she almost feels like an oppressive and malevolent presence in the story. She portrays the overbearing mother wonderfully, and you can understand why Leah initially ran away to another country to get away from her. Every scene between her and Leah ends up with enough awkward energy that even you as the audience kind of want to slink away just to avoid it, and you can’t help but feel awful for Maja stuck in the middle of it, trying to keep her girlfriend happy whilst also trying to win Chana over too.

Gislason uses the visual elements of the film to build upon these emotions, with the early parts of the film with just Leah and Maja feeling bright and open, with more open location and wider shots, but once the film shifts to London the light begins to seep out, the shots get darker, the sets get smaller and more cramped, and the angles get tighter. The entire film shifts to reflect the feelings and emotions, and enhances the experience to the point where you begin to feel desperate for a release from it yourself. And throughout it all there’s a building sense of dread as hints at bigger, darker forces at work are drip fed to the viewer.

It’s wonderful to see more diverse horror stories being told, that we’re not just being given the same kinds of stories and the same kind of monsters from Christian mythology over and over again. Attachment draws upon the Jewish faith and experience, and it helps the film to feel fresh and different. Much like 2020’s The Vigil, it showcases the fact that horror is something that is present in cultures all over the world across history, and incorporating them in respectful ways can only enhance the genre and give it new life.

Support Amy on Patreon

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

Monkey Prince #10 - Comic Review

 

Originally published on Patreon

Monkey Prince is an odd series. It's very silly, it likes to do ridiculous things, and its lead character is kind of a dick; but it's also incredibly charming and manages to be a lot of fun. This issue sees the series, and the titular hero, being dragged into planet-wide heroics when the Lazarus Rain begins to fall from the sky; forcing the teen hero to step out into a larger world of powered beings.

The issue begins where the last one left off, with the Ultra Humanite trying to kill Supergirl with one of his devices, and MP stuck in the middle of it. Luckily, he manages to convince Supergirl that he's not a villain, and even takes an energy blast to prove it to her. Unfortunately he does sexually harass her, which is less cool. (I really wish he'd stop being such a horny teen and would start treating women like people).

As the Lazarus Rain begins it starts to cause chaos around the city as people are given powers, and some are transformed into bizarre monsters. It also results in Supergirl's powers coming and going. Monkey Prince helps her out, using his new power to create tiny versions of himself from his hair, and has to help get her to the Hall of Justice when it's clear that this chaos is a world-wide event. This leads him to be there when several heroes arrive to help, and leads directly into the first issue of Lazarus Planet (which came out last week).

So far this seems like a decent enough blending of the Monkey Prince series and the Lazarus Planet event. Unlike the other Lazarus Planet tie-in this week, which seemed only partially connected and didn't add anything to the main story, it seems like this title could be a key part in the event. Monkey Prince is getting a bit of a push lately, and his experiences with other heroes definitely seems to be having a positive effect on him. His actions in Lazarus Planet: Alpha were my favourite of him since he turned up, mainly because the creepy pervert energy had been toned right down, and he was actually being a caring, decent person to Black Alice. Hopefully more of that will come across into his own title.

The artwork on this issue is pretty decent, and there are some great visual moments, such as MP's new mini-clone ability. However, Supergirl's belt is incredibly inconsistent in size, going from a regular belt to looking almost like a corset at it seems to envelop most of her torso at times.

Overall, this was a decent issue, one of the better ones of the series so far, and I'm looking forward to seeing how the character interacts with the larger DC universe.

This article, and many others, can be read a month early on my Patreon for as little as $3 a month!

Support Amy on Patreon

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

Queen of Deception: A Marvel Legends of Asgard Novel by Anna Stephens - Book Review

 

'All that stands between Hela and control of Elizabethan England are two legendary heroes and an army of Dark Elves, in this action-packed historical adventure from Marvel’s Legends of Asgard.

'A burst of magic from Midgard attracts the attention of Hela, Queen of Hel. The Goddess of Death craves power to enable her ultimate conquest of the Realms, and this new sorcery from Earth is tantalising… Pursuing its source, Hela is appalled to find herself in Elizabethan England. From Asgard, Lady Sif and the valkyrie, Brunnhilde are also dispatched to Midgard, and neither of them have any love for Hela. Yet a still greater threat awaits: the Dark Elves see Midgard as the first battle in war of the Realms. Only a team-up between hated enemies can win the day, but how far can you really trust the Queen of Hel?'

The Marvel Thor comics fit really well into two pretty distinct settings, the world of Norse mythology from which it was inspired (including that time period), and modern day. Whether it's exploring the wilds of Midgard during the 700's, or visiting New York City to help the Avengers beat up some costumed villains, the folks from Asgard feel right at home. But we don't often get to see them really explore other time periods. They manage to fit into stories set in modern times well thanks to their fish-out-of-water type approach, but would the same work in other eras? Queen of Deception gives it a try as a trio of Asgardian women visit Elizabethan England to track down a mysterious artefact.

The story begins on Earth, in the city of London. John Dee, the fabled court astrologer for Queen Elizabeth, is approached by a mysterious hooded figure who wishes to sell him what they claim is a mystical gem and a magical book that are supposed to work together. Dee buys the items, and when he uses them together his body is flooded with magic, and his mind transports to another place where he believes he's talking to angels. 

However, far across the nine realms, the effects of Dee's magics are being felt. Hela, the Queen of Hel, and Goddess of Death, feels the magic stirring in Midgard, and wants it for herself. She sets off to go and claim it for her own, but when she arrives she's shocked when the magic begins to drain her own abilities, reducing her powers. On Asgard, the valkyrie Brunnhilde is having horrid dreams that leave her feeling drained. The nightmares are getting worse, and she's finding it impossible to get any rest. When investigated by Odin and Friga, they feel that magic is at play; magic originating on Midgard. Odin sends Brunnhilde to Midgard to find out what's causing this, sending the warrior Lady Sif along with her to help. Much like Hela, once they arrive on Midgard Bunnhilde's powers are effected in strange ways. Now the two groups must find a way to infiltrate Dee's estate and steal the artefacts before the other does, or before something even worse happens with the ever building magic.

Those who pick up this book hoping for a lot of action may end up getting a bit of a surprise, as Queen of Deception actually ends up feeling much more like a mystery novel than you'd expect. Part of this is down to Anna Stephens depowering some of the characters at various points throughout the story. Which is absolutely a good choice. If that wasn't done the book would be a hell of a lot shorter as Hela would be able to walk in, kill everyone, and leave. As it is, the characters are forced to play it smart, rather than just plowing through any obstacle in their way. 

Brunnhilde and Sif kind of get off the easiest in this regards, firstly because only one of them really suffers any ill effects, and secondly, because they have each other to lean on. The book establishes that the two of them have a relationship already, and once they're together they very quickly fall into a comfortable rapport that makes it clear they're friends. The upshot of this is that when things start to go wrong, or when Brunnhilde starts to unravel a bit she's got someone there for her. Hela, on the other hand doesn't really have this.

Hela definitely gets things the tougher out of the three. Being a figure who's used to be obeyed, to being the most respected and powerful in any room, her coming to England in the 1600's, without much of her magic, is a huge shock for her. It forces her to think smart, to use strategy and deception, and in some ways ends up humanising her a lot more. Part of this is down to the sidekick that Stephens gives her. Recruiting a human lad to take her around London and do her bidding, she ends up actually starting to like the kid, showing a side of her that I can't really remember seeing before. I was slightly disappointed that her companion didn't ask to go with her come the end of the book, as it felt like his growing adoration and worship of her might have been building to that, but the hint at the end of who he actually was more than made up for it, and made ma laugh out loud a little.

Queen of Deception has a lot of fun with the format, and gives the three characters that fans will be familiar with new challenges and situations in which to play. They manage to slot really well into the new setting, and it's a nice middle-ground between being completely alien stand-outs like they are in modern times, and managing to fit in well as they do in the Viking era. They kind of know what the world is like, but are alien enough that they keep doing things to stand out, or keep butting up against the way Elizabethan England works.

This is a really enjoyable read that feels different to the other entries in the series, yet keeps a lot of what makes those stories great.

Support Amy on Patreon

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

Batgirls #14 - Comic Review

 

Originally published on Patreon

With Steph being held prisoner by her villainous father it's down to Cass to track down and save her friend, so this issue is spent following the more quiet of the two Batgirls around the city as she pieces together the clues she needs in a dialogue free issue that might be one of the best in the series to date.

Cass is one of the more interesting characters in the Bat Family, and her getting the spotlight is always a load of fun. When used right she's one of the best characters in Gotham (the recent story where Jason Todd is fighting his family and claims they don't frighten him until Cass turns up and he then gets scared is a prime example of her being brilliant). And this issue proves that the writers, Becky Cloonan and Michael W. Conrad, know how best to utilise her.

Over the course of the issue we watch Cass as she checks out police files on Steph's dad, follows assassins and gets into a big fight on a bridge, pieces clues together, gears up and heads out to save her best friend. Throughout it all she doesn't utter a single word, and the people around her are silent too as she does what she does. As a character who's never been much for talking and lets her actions speak for her this issue really leans into that.

It does cheat somewhat, in the sense that one of the police files she reads has information for the audience, so we get to read it too, and she gets a letter from Steph (an in case of death type of letter) which we also get to read. Whilst I'm sure there will be some who claim that this means that the issue cheats with the premise there's still no spoken dialogue on the page, and these moments add to the story. Especially the letter.

The letter from Stephanie might be one of my favourite parts, because it gives us an honest insight into her. She never expected anyone to read it if she was alive, and so she gets to be honest in it. We learn how she really feels about Cass, how important her relationship with her is, how much she loves her. She also asks her to tell Tim how proud she is of him, which is honestly wonderful. This culminates in Cass heading out to save her friend, with a torn piece of one of Steph's capes tied around her neck as a purple scarf. It's a really cool look, and I love that she's taking a piece of her friend into battle with her, not knowing if she might find her alive or not.

The artwork on the issue, by Jonathan Corona, is really nice. It's a fairly simple style, with big bold lines, bright colours, and heavy shading and shadow. A lot of the issue often feels like it's being drawn in silhouettes, because Cass is a black shadow moving across the panel. It works really well for a story where Cass and her actions are the focus, and we don't really need panels packed with details and huge backgrounds. It's a story focusing on her, and the art style reflects that.

Batgirls has been a really great series for these two characters, and I've come to adore their relationship because of it. I doubt that Steph is going to be killed off through this story, so I'm not really worried about that. Instead, I'm enjoying the rid of getting to see what this does for the two of them, and how it's allowing for a deeper examination of their friendship.

This article, and many others, can be read a month early on my Patreon for as little as $3 a month!

Support Amy on Patreon

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram

Batman/Superman: World's Finest #11 - Comic Review

 

Originally published on Patreon

I've been enjoying Batman/Superman: World's Finest since it began, in large part due to what feels like the perfect partnership of writer and artist. Waid is telling some really interesting and engaging stories, and Dan Mora is one of the best comic artists around at the minute, able to make any character and any design look awesome. And whilst I at first thought this was just going to be a fun series set in DC's past, it's set up some major events and stories that are happening in DC at the moment with both Batman vs Robin and Lazarus Planet being connected. 

After that you'd think I'd have expected something big to come from the current story arc, the tale of Superman's forgotten sidekick, Kid Thunder. But I didn't. And even if I had I don't think I would have predicted the shocking final page in the last issue; where it was revealed that David would grow up to become the character Magog. Waid was the writer behind Kingdom Come, so him wanting to play with those characters and themes again isn't a surprise. And with those events kind of being pretty separate to the main universe continuity, bringing some of those elements into Earth-0's timeline makes sense.

And whilst we readers now know the shocking truth, the characters don't. As such, we get to spend much of this issue waiting for the inevitable bad thing to happen. We know that David is going to go down a certain road, but now we're left waiting to see how it happens. The result is an incredibly tense issue.

To begin with, David has badly wounded the Joker when he didn't have to, resulting in the Teen Titans, Batman, and Superman all confronting him and telling him what he did was wrong. This being the latest in a long line of things that show that David might be something of a loose canon, the decision is made to do something about it. Superman and Robin take him to the Fortress of Solitude where they'll remove his powers. And so this is the first moment where I was left on the edge of my seat. Was this process going to work, leading to him looking for new powers in the future? Was it only going to partially work? Would this cause him to hate Superman later in life because he did this?

But, this is Clark we're taking about, and he can't strip a confused and hurt boy of his powers, even if it is probably the smartest choice. He tells David that he's going to help him instead. But when The Key attacks the Fortress things spin out of control. The eventual end for David, the thing that takes Boy Thunder away from Superman, ends up feeling incredibly tragic. There's a sense of desperation as it happens, in which Clark just wants to save this poor, hurting young man, but is powerless to do so.

The final page of the book, in which David finds himself lost on another Earth, face to face with the entity Gog. Now, this means that the expectation that David ends up on Earth 22 for Kingdom Come was wrong, and that this is a whole new Magog in the making. This means that Waid gets to have his cake and eat it too, as Kingdom Come remains untouched and untroubled, and he gets to play with Magog all over again in this new incarnation. The fact that the text at the bottom of the splash page reads 'Not The End...' only hypes up things to come.

As I said earlier, Mora's art is absolutely gorgeous, and this issue looks great throughout . The Key looks creepy and terrifying, the old style outfits look wonderful, the Fortress is gorgeous. But more importantly, the characters really emote. You can see the pain and raw emotion on Davids face during the important scenes, and it just heightens the experience.

We get a small tease of what's to come in the next issue, and if things are like the first six issue's we're going to get a decent one-off story before delving into something bigger once again. With this book seeming to be laying a lot of the foundations for big events and shocking changes, I can't wait to find out what it could be.

This article, and many others, can be read a month early on my Patreon for as little as $3 a month!

Support Amy on Patreon

Buy Amy A Coffee

Go to Amy's Blog

Follow Amy on Twitter

Add Amy on Instagram