Shazam #1 - Comic Review

 

Shazam has gone through some changes recently. Billy has spent some time stuck in hell, he's been the guardian of the Rock of Eternity, the Rock of Eternity merged with him and lives inside his chest, Mary became the new champion, Billy's powers were corrupted by the wizard before being fixed, and Mary gave her power to Wonder Woman before having them replaced with powers from a group of goddesses. But now we have a new costume, a new creative team, and a new issue one for the character; and it's a wonderful jumping on point for readers new and old.

The book starts with the Captain (love that they're getting close to going back to calling him Captain Marvel as best they can, riding a t-rex through the rain forest. This isn't just an ordinary dinosaur, however, as it turns out its the kid of a family of alien dinosaurs who crash landed on Earth. The Captain managed to find the missing child, and brings them home to to their family. From there he fixes their ship with super-speed, and gets to have tea with the alien dinosaurs. There's something absolutely ridiculous but hugely charming about this whole intro sequence. Billy is having a ton of fun, he's riding a T-rex, he's having tea in giant tea-cups that have been made by space dinosaurs. What's not to love about the whole things. And it's wonderful to get to see Billy just enjoying himself, and getting to have fun being a super hero.

After seeing the aliens off, he heads back to the Rock of Eternity to store his latest trophy, and to hang out. We see that he's turned the Rock into a mix of trophy room and teenage boy's bedroom, where he sit around playing video games between missions. After Freddy Freeman arrives, however, the two of them head back to Earth as school's about to start. We see that some shadowy figures are watching Billy, and judging him for the way he's acting. One of them looks a bit like the wizard, but considering Lazarus Planet: Revenge of the Gods just did a story where the wizard turned against him for a bit I'm hoping that this is a misdirect, and that we're not going to be having the same story again.

The book also gives a good explanation as to why Billy ever changes back from his super hero persona. He talks about the wisdom of Solomon, and how it doesn't make him a super genius, but does give him a voice in his head telling him things like eat healthier, and to play less video games when he's between missions; which is the kind of nagging parent stuff a teenager won't want to hear inside their own head. This is a fun reasoning for why Billy isn't the Captain all the time, and makes sense for his character. The book also brings back one of the best members of the Shazam mythos, with Tawky Tawny living in his house, being a butler for the family for free room and board. I love Tawny, he's ridiculous and just the kind of silly that a character like Shazam needs to stop from becoming too dour and serious. I'm really hoping that we at some point get to see him interacting with my other favourite Shazam family talking animal, Hoppy the rabbit. 

The book ends with the Captain heading out to help with an earthquake, where he assists the first responders and rescue workers in saving as many people as possible. He lifts up huge pieces of debrid, digs his way through the ruins, and saves several lives. However, when he's being interviewed by news crews after and one of the survivors hugs him and thanks him for what he did he completely flips out, and starts screaming about how they're all beneath him, and should be on their knees before him. The outburst passes, and Billy realises that the camera where all pointed at him. 

There's obviously something sinister going on here, and those shadowy figures who were badmouthing him earlier in the book are more than likely behind things. If it is the wizard, and possibly Zeus based on the look of the other guy, then it could be them corrupting the Captain's powers, and causing him to turn on people like he did. Whatever's happening, it's kind of a bummer to see. The first half of the book did a wonderful job at showing how much fun Billy is having, and how much joy being a hero brings him, that to see this turn, to see his reputation so quickly harmed, is a really sad and shocking moment.

The art on the book is also worth noting. Waid and Mora have been working really well together on Batman / Superman: World's Finest  and its great to see the creative team here again. It feels like the two of them have a really good working relationship, and that Mora is able to put across Waid's writing in really dynamic, and interesting ways. Mora's characters always look fantastic, and getting to see characters like Shazam riding a dinosaur is just fun. The full page splash where we see all of the things that the Captain has done inside the shape of Billy is one of the stand out visuals of the book, and a hugely creative choice.

This is a fantastic start to this series, it's showing us how fun this character is, why reading his book is worth it, and it's teasing some interesting things to come in the rest of the series. If you've not really given Shazam a chance in the past this is the perfect jumping on point. 

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Masters of the Universe: Masterverse #3 – Comic Review

 

Originally published on Set The Cape

Masters of the Universe: Masterverse is a series that allows the creative team to play a little fast and loose with the concept of Masters of the Universe. Thanks to the myriad possibilities that a multiverse adds, we’ve been given several unique and different version of Eternia, as well as its heroes and villains. But, as we enter the third issue, it’s beginning to feel like there’s perhaps not a whole lot to the concept, and that the series is running out of steam as it heads towards its end.

This latest issue begins in dramatic fashion, with the Sorceress and Zodac coming to blows over their different stances on what makes a good protector for the Power of Greyskull, and what should be done about Prince Adam. Unfortunately, this doesn’t last long, and the two ultra-powerful beings put aside their fight to the death to start looking through windows into other universes once again.

The first world we come to takes us to a more primitive and savage version of Eternia, where the kingdom that mixes magic and machines that we know doesn’t exist, and instead there are warring tribes that wear little more than loincloths and animal furs. It’s here that we meet Teel-la, a warrior woman who can hear the voices of ancestral warriors who came before her. When a group of men, who she describes as ‘superstitious barbarians’, capture a shaman of the Beast-Men tribe, she sneaks in at night to free the prisoner. However, when she is confronted by their best warrior, He-Man, she’s forced to battle against him.

This story features on the cover of the book, and the cover gives us a woman who looks very similar to He-Man, with the same kind of hair, muscles, and a big sword. Because of this I thought that we might be getting a universe where He-Man is female, where the power was given to a gender swapped version of Adam. Instead, the story is about Teela, and she looks nothing like the woman on the cover. Her build is different, her hair is different, she’s not as muscled, and she doesn’t have a sword. That, coupled with the story not actually really doing much, leads to this first tale to be hugely disappointing.

The art for this story is pretty strong, however, and is provided by Claudia Balboni and Rico Renzi. The art is very crisp, and very clear, and it’s easy to tell who characters are and what they’re doing, though mostly because they’re the most detailed thing on the page. A lot of panels have very minimal backgrounds, with some having none, and so the characters often stand out of the page as the only thing to draw your eye.

Beastman looks pretty cool, and his design here is understated compared to some versions of him. He-Man is just a guy in furry underwear, however, and there’s nothing distinct about him, and if he didn’t give his name you could be forgiven for not knowing who he is. Tee-la’s design is one that I’m not sure about. She’s wearing the small fur undies like He-Man, and that’s about it. She’s got some bracers on her arms, and her breasts are sitting inside metal cups that are somehow attached to her chest (magic?) that look extremely uncomfortable, and impractical as hell. It’s like an attempt was made to make her a sexy savage, and it just ends up coming off as a bit exploitative.

The second story introduces us to a He-Man who’s part of a group of travelling adventurers who have called themselves the Masters of the Universe. The group consists of Adam, Ram-Man, Man-E-Faces, and Stratos, who awaken to find that their ship has run aground on the Isle of Gray Skulls, and is sinking. Grabbing their gear, they head onto the mysterious island. Following the sounds of hammering metal coming from up the mountain, they go deep inside a cave where they discover a horrific, skull-faced man forging a magical sword, with a woman held as his prisoner. Whilst his friends want to help the woman, He-Man sees no reason to risk his life for a stranger.

This story is a bit of an odd one. For the majority of it Adam is painted as something of a selfish coward and a dick. He doesn’t want to help others out, he seems to be constantly drinking and seems to sleep through important stuff; and in the end he only really steps up when he’s got no other option. I’d question why the Sorceress would be showing Zodac this particular world, as it really seems to be helping his argument that Adam is a dick who shouldn’t be given the powers. There is also a lot of inconsistency with the Isle of Gray Skulls, where at various points we see the team traipsing up snowy mountains, or making camp in the woods, but when we see the entire island come the end of the story neither of these environments are present.

The art for this story is by David Rubin, who provides both the line-work and the colours. It definitely has a style distinct from the first story, and the framing story, and looks wholly its own. It has an odd mix of making things look somewhat gritty and realistic, yet also at times giving characters big, cartoonish expressions, or just big white ball eyes whenever they’re surprised. These moments often feel at odds with the rest of the art, and gives a weird mixed message as to what kind of tone the story is supposed to be. Is it a serious tale, or it it supposed to be a humorous one?

Come the end of the issue it seems like the Sorceress has finally convinced Zodac to stop being a bit of a dick, and to see that He-Man is a decent choice to be her champion. With that done, what else could the two of them need to argue about for the final issue? Well, it looks like the Sorceress is going to show Zodac worlds where He-Man inspired other heroes (though that would be most surely?). We get a small hint in the final panel, and a huge hint in the next cover preview, that one of these worlds is going to be from the new Netflix series. It’ll be interesting to see what other world they showcase, and if its going to be based on another known interpretation.

With the series getting ready for its final issue it’s a real shame that the penultimate one feels so lacklustre and dull. The stories collected here don’t really do much for me, and it feels like neither one really does much with the concept. Hopefully the last issue will throw in a bit more excitement so that the series doesn’t end on a sour note.

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Peacemaker Tries Hard #1 - Comic Review

 

The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker have been hugely popular parts of the recent DC film and TV releases, and the resulting success of both surely played a part in James Gunn being put in charge of the new DC film and TV universe. It's also not a surprise that characters such as Peacemaker have started to appear more now as a direct result. Peacemaker seems to be a big part of Amanda Waller's plans post Dark Crisis, and he's one of the antagonists in Unstoppable Doom Patrol. But, these versions are still trying to stay close to what the character was before the success of the live action version. However, thanks to DC's Black Label, which allows creators to make books outside of the regular DC continuity, the Peacemaker that the fans of the John Cena version get him in a book proper.

It's not stated that this book is set within the same continuity as the live action version, but there's a number of things in the book that seem to be saying that you can consider it to be if you want to. There's the fact that Peacemaker is John Cena for one. Every panel in which he's not wearing the helmet he looks like the actor. This isn't the first comic to make characters look like actors, it's been done a lot, and sometimes it can be quite jarring (I still find it weird whenever I see the Tommy Lee Jones version of Norman Osborne), but with Peacemaker it kind of works. He's a character that doesn't have a ton of comic appearances, and the Cena version is the one that made him not only popular, but well known to people who've never picked up a comic. 

The book begins with Peacemaker picking up some supplies at the grocery story whilst a young couple talk about the upcoming movie of their favourite comic, Tales From The Black Freighter. The cashier is concerned that Peacemaker is planning to make some kind of muscle cake thanks to the muscle powder and cake mix he's buying, which leads to a conversation about how much poop he'd eat in order to bring about peace. It's at this point it becomes clear that the book is going to be trying to emulate the comedy style of the series; and whilst it's not bad it does become apparent that not every writer is able to pull this off as well, and that a large part of the success of the series is the way Cena delivers the lines, and how he presents the character. The book does a decent job at emulating this, but it never quite manages to be as good as the show it's trying to be.

That being said, it's not bad comedy. There are a number of moments that feel like it could slip nicely into the show. The mission that he gets sent on by Waller to break up a terrorist cell that ends up with the terrorist and Peacemaker insulting each other throughout the fight and Peacemaker trying to justify how he's a cooler guy than any off them. Whilst there he comes across a stray french bulldog that he decides to adopt. Thanks to the markings that make him look like he's wearing a tuxedo he names the animal Bruce Wayne, because he's a fancy little guy.

When out picking up supplies for his dog, and the cake mix he fucked up, Bruce Wayne is kidnapped. Going after the people who have his new friend, Peacemaker finds out that The Brain and Monsieur Mallah are behind the theft, and are holding his dog in order to get Peacemaker to go on a mission for them; a mission to collect the genetic material from Deathstroke.

Overall, there's a lot to enjoy about the book. It's got its fun moments, the art is really good, and the story seems like it could be interesting. Half of the jokes land really well, though some do feel a bit forced, or a bit out of nowhere. If you're a fan of the TV series you're either going to enjoy the book, or really love it. And for those that hate it, it's Black Label, so you don't have to worry about it being in continuity.

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Injustice: Gods Among Us – Throwback 10

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

There have been a lot of DC Comics inspired video games over the years, from Superman on the Atari way back in 1979, to the various versions of the 89 Batman, to obscure characters like a Swamp Thing game on the original Nintendo, and Sgt. Rock On The Frontline.

Despite this large catalogue, there have been relatively few games that get held up as being really good. The Arkham games have been beloved, and the various Lego DC titles are popular, but the hits seem few and far between. In 2008 an unusual experiment came out, Mortal Kombat vs DC, which saw the two franchises meet. The results were mixed, but it did plant the seed for an idea.

Created by NetherRealm Studios, responsible for the popular Mortal Kombat series, Injustice: Gods Among Us would ditch the other franchise completely, and be a pure DC game. Set on a different world somewhere within the DC multiverse, the story begins in the past, where the Joker has caused Superman to inhale a gas that makes him think that Lois is his deadly enemy Doomsday, resulting in him accidentally killing his wife and unborn child. Unfortunately, the Joker had connected a nuclear bomb to Lois’ heartbeat, and upon killing her it detonates in the heart of Metropolis, destroying the city. The angry Superman kills the Joker, and begins a campaign to bring real justice to the world.

Five years later, that world is ruled by Superman under his One Earth Regime, with the former hero little more than a fascist dictator. A small resistance of heroes, and a few villains, fight back against his regime, but are struggling to make much of a difference. The insurgency thinks that it might be able to a access a kryptonite weapon that can take Superman down once and for all, but needs the DNA of all the core Justice League members to do so – and several on on his side. So, the insurgency leader, Batman, pulls the needed heroes in from another universe to help them.

Injustice: Gods Among Us plays very similarly to most fighting games: you have your characters on one side of the screen, your opponent is on the other, you fight to the best of three rounds by depleting the others health (though the game does things a bit differently by giving each character two health bars that you need to deplete, but it’s essentially the same). You have basic attacks, combo moves that you can unleash, and even special attacks that are unique to each character. Unlike most fighting games, however, you don’t pick just the one character and play through the story.

Much like NetherRealm’s previous game, 2011’s Mortal Kombat, the story mode puts you in control of multiple characters at different points of the story, jumping from character to character as the story progresses. This change to the formula gives the player the chance to try a bit of each character during the campaign, allowing you to see which of the roster you prefer for different modes. However, it did add the wrinkle that each time you felt like you’d begin to get the hang of a new character the game would switch them out for another, causing dips and spikes in difficulty at times. Outside of the story mode, the game featured the expected versus mode, as well as a challenge mode, which consisted of 240 character specific challenges that almost act as a training mode, often requiring the player to master a specific skill or move; as well as some more unusual challenges.

The game managed to pack in a decent roster of characters to play with, including Wonder Woman, Hal Jordan Green Lantern, Aquaman, Black Adam, Lex Luthor, Green Arrow, Barry Allen Flash, Deathstroke, Bane and others, including alternate skins that turn existing characters into other versions, such as a Jack Garrick Flash, and John Stewart Green Lantern. The game does play it a bit safe with some of the character choices, however, and the majority of the characters on offer are ones that the general public will have a passing familiarity with for the most part. It definitely seems designed for casual fans who may never have picked up a comic; and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Injustice: Gods Among Us received mostly positive reviews upon release, and was the highest selling game in the US for the month of its release. The popularity of the game not only resulted in a sequel game coming out in 2017, but a comic series being produced by DC to cover the five years between the death of Lois Lane, and events of the game. The series, written by Tom Taylor, would bring in characters that weren’t featured in the game, and expand out to encompass the entirely of that world’s DC universe in more than 100 issues. An animated feature film adapting the game was also released in 2021, though it does deviate from the original story.

Injustice: Gods Among Us wasn’t the first time that DC Comics played in the waters of fighting games, but it was the first really good one.

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Batman #135 - Comic Review

 

The latest issue of Batman is something a little special; not only is it the final chapter of the latest story arc, but it's also the 900th issue to bear the title. With that in mind, Chip Zdarsky not only creates a fun conclusion for the story, but manages to make it a celebration of the character too.

The last issue took some big leaps in the story, and things suddenly began to speed up as we got an explanation for who Halliday is, as well as his plan involving manipulating the multiverse. Not only that, but this alternate Gotham came under attack from Halliday's forces, and Bruce ended up losing a hand in a fight with Ghostbreaker (that world's version of Ghostmaker).

This issue picks up in the middle of all of that chaos. The streets of Gotham have become a warzone as the citizens do what they can to survive the red mist, whilst Man-Bat creatures attack them from the skies. Catwoman and Jewel do what they can to save the people, but they need somewhere safe to take them. That's where Alfred comes in. Having been inspired by this other version of his son, and seeing the chaos that's happening outside his building, Alfred leads the citizens of Athena tower in overpowering the security guards, and opens the doors to the people of Gotham.

Meanwhile, Halliday uses his multiverse device to peer into other universes to see the moment that the Joker was born, hoping that in doing so it will help transform him into the Joker. However, he soon discovers that not only does that not work, but that his presence in that moment actually comes to make the Joker. He tries again on another world, and the same thing happens. In the fight against Batman, Halliday jumps into the device, vanishing into the multiverse. And so Batman goes after him, hoping to stop him, and perhaps find a way home.

The first half of this issue feels like the main conclusion to this arc, it deals with the alternate Gotham, it sets the world there on a better course, and shows that even having been there a short while Bruce has managed to inspire people, and to make it a better place. The book even teases a moment where it looks like Alfred might go with Bruce, where he could come cross to Earth-0. This is something that I saw fans speculating on online, as a possible way of not undoing Alfred's death, but also getting Alfred back. I think addressing it as a possibility, but ultimately shutting it down, is the best thing that could have been done. It would feel somewhat disrespectful to our Alfred to replace him with another version of himself, one that doesn't have those memories or connections with Bruce and the others. Especially as this Alfred has a wife he'd be leaving behind too. 

Speaking of alternate versions of characters, the second half of the book is the part that I think people are going to be remembering and talking about for a good long while. Following Halliday into the multiverse, Bruce jumps from world to world, following a few steps behind. Every world Halliday visits results in either a Joker being born into that reality where there wasn't one before, or the Joker already there becoming more crazed and powerful than ever. And so we follow Bruce as he visits realities like the 1989 movie, the Red Rain universe, the Arkham games, and Batman 66.

There are a couple of worlds in which Bruce gets the chance to slow down and interact with the other versions of Batman he encounters, ones that help him on his journey. Terry and Bruce from Batman Beyond give him tech that will help send him home, Adam West's Batman gives him a utility belt to help him out, and the Dark Knight Returns Batman not only gives him a suit, but builds him a robot hand to replace his missing limb.

The final confrontation with Halliday is pretty wild, and it very much embraces the ridiculousness of the situation and the wild impossibilities of the multiverse. It also contains a moment that I think fans of Batman are going to laugh out loud with, as it brings back one of the most ridiculous and fun moments of the character's history. 

This issue of Batman is, ultimately, a lot of fun to read. If you're someone who's familiar with the various different versions of the character this book will feel like a fun nostalgia trip for you. It brings in some of the most popular versions of the character from the comics, as well as those from other media such as movies, TV, and games. It feels like a celebration of the different ways in which people could have fallen in love with the character, whether it's one of the books that people always recommend, a show you watched as a kid, of a game, it's a fun, enjoyable romp through some of the best bits of Batman's cultural impact. 

Whilst the book does put a lot of the issues that Bruce has been dealing with lately to bed there are still some big questions looming over the character that I'm hoping the next few issues will deal with. Will Failsafe return to challenge Bruce again when he returns to his own Earth? Has his psyche been at all damaged by the recent events with the multiverse travel and the release of Zur-En-Arrh (and that last page!?)? And will he keep the robot hand, or is he going to get a real one the same way Alfred did after losing his? Zdarsky has a lot of things he can do with these questions, or he could ignore them completely and go onto the next story. Whatever is coming next, I'm very excited, as this has been a fantastic run so far.

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Isle of the Undead: A Zombicide Black Plague Novel by C.L. Werner - Book Review

 

'Necromancers and dragons stand between a heroic knight and victory over the zombie outbreak chewing its way through the fantasy realm of Zombicide Black Plague.

'The Black Plague’s terrible toll never ends, unleashing a new wave of zombies with disastrous consequences. Low on hope, Knight Alaric von Mertz and his companions flee their crumbling sanctuary, and soon come under the unlikely wing of murderous pirates. There, they learn of a legendary artifact called Mournshroud that could destroy swathes of the undead, but to claim it they must defeat an evil sorceress on an isolated island. Guarded by a dragon! A knight’s honor demands he defend his kingdom, no matter the cost. Yet, as the undead hordes close in on them, a familiar evil waits in the shadows, plotting revenge on Alaric and everything he holds dear…'

Zombies are big business, they're a hugely popular monster thanks to a number of reasons. They can be relatively easy to kill, though can be made into much scarier creatures thanks to mutations, or hordes. They can stand in for real world issues and themes. There's the horror of never knowing who might become one. And there's the angst of them being former people, and the twisted scenarios where you might be fighting for your life against a former loved one. They're easy to mould and adapt into different stories, and because of that there has been a lot of zombie stories over the years; to the point where they've almost begun to get a bit boring. But one of the ways in which they can be given instant new life is to put them in places where they don't often turn up. Forget our modern world, zombies in historical, or wildly different fictional settings always feels new and interesting. And this is something that the Zombicide series is doing so well, and one of the reasons why this is such an enjoyable book.

In the previous entry in the Black Plague series we are transported to a world under siege. A cabal of necromancers have come together in a way never seen before, and are using their immense dark powers to raise the dead across the land. This black plague is turning the dead into monstrous creatures, corpses with a desire to eat and destroy the living. Worse still, some of the dead have become twisted monstrosities, such as large, hulking beasts capable of tearing through people like paper.

As the world fell we met a small group of survivors trying their best to stay alive, noble Knight Alaric von Mertz, the rogue Gaiseric, witch hunter Helchen, orc warrior Ratbag, and dwarf explosive expert Ursola. Together, the group was able to defeat one of the necromancers, and take over his fortified tower in the centre of the city, securing it to protect the survivors that had fled there. Now, Gogol, the necromancer that has been searching for revenge against Alaric, has created a new breed of undead, ones impervious to almost all attacks. Launching an assault upon the tower, Gogol's new creatures are able to breach the defences, and the survivors are forced to flee.

Leaving the city far behind them, the heroes lead the civilians to what they hope will be safety, thought Gogol's forces continue to pursue them. When all hope seems lost, salvation arrives in the form of a pirate ship, captained by the beautiful and cunning Sylvia, who claims that she and her crew are bringing survivors to a secure stronghold. With the threat of death hot on their tail the survivors are forced to go with the pirate captain; a choice that will lead them to new allies, and a dangerous new mission the likes of which they've never encountered before. 

One of the things that Isle of the Undead does very quickly is set itself out as being different from the book that came before it. Whilst the first book was incredibly enjoyable, doing more of the same wouldn't have helped the sequel to stand out. However, it quickly becomes apparent that Werner isn't content to just go through the motions and have the same old story of survivors looking for a safe haven, losing it, looking for a safe have, losing it that other, more boring zombie stories have been content to do for decades (sorry The Walking Dead, but it's true). Instead, Werner decides to flip things on its head as soon as possible, introducing a frightening new form of undead, and taking away our characters sense of security.

The book doesn't spend too long with the characters on the road either. There's a few chapters of the heroes leading the survivors through the zombie infested countryside, trying to find a place where they might find a little safety, but it's a relatively small section of the book. This could have been stretched out, and could have been the focus of the novel entirely; but Werner has something much more interesting in store for the readers instead. After joining up with the pirate crew, our heroes do indeed get taken to a new safe location, one that seems to actually be able to withstand the zombie plague. Rather than making the drama about whether or not these people can be trusted, or how long the stronghold will last (other very overused tropes in the genre) our heroes get sent out on a quest to locate a powerful magical artefact that could end the undead once and for all. Yep, we get an action packed fetch-quest instead!

This change in pace is great, as it means we can ditch the civilians, and we can just focus on our heroes being competent zombie killers as they head to an island fortress to steal an artefact from an ancient sorcerer. But of course, the island has fallen to the undead too. Not only are there hosts of zombie goblins and orcs there, led by an orc necromancer, but the island is also home to a monstrous dragon. In a lot of ways this story feels like a Dungeons and Dragons quest, something that seems simple on paper, but gets more and more complex and dangerous as it goes. And if you're a fan of fantasy games like that you're going to get on really well with the story here.

The returning characters all get a lot of stuff to do as well, and whilst there are still a few characters who get a bit more of the spotlight than the others, such as Alaric, Gaiseric, and Helchen, everyone gets to do something important that helps the team survive the events of the book. Since the last book some of the characters have been through some changes too, Ursola seems to be learning to put some of her dwarvish prejudices to bed, working alongside Ratbag for example, though it's something that she's still having to work on; leading to her being the grouch of the team more often than not. Helchen has also gone through quite a journey after becoming friends with a man that her order would have persecuted, and then losing him. The loss of Hulmul at the end of the previous book seems to have had quite the effect on the witch hunter, and she's beginning to question the actions of her order. Not only that, but she's started to use magic herself; something that the old her would rather have died than do. Her journey is perhaps the most interesting in this book, and I'm super excited to see what happens with her next. 

The one character who appears to have changed the most over the course of the two books, however, is Gaiseric. The thief was introduced as a very shady character, someone who was only ever out for himself, was adverse to combat if it could be avoided, and who was only working with Alaric because it was the best option open to him at the time. But by the end of Isle of the Undead he's become a whole lot more than that. There's a moment in the book where the group finds a weapon capable of killing the undead incredibly quickly, and Gaiseric tries to give it off to the other members of the group. Each of them refuses the weapon, for various reasons, leaving it to him to wield. Gaiseric tries to tell them that this is the kind of weapon that a hero should wield, and Alaric basically tells him that a hero is wielding it. It's a lovely moment where it seems like Gaiseric finally sees how much he's changed, how he's become a man who volunteers to go into danger, who has protected the innocent, and is fighting to save the world. It's a lovely moment.

Isle of the Undead isn't just a good successor to the book that came before it, but one that expands on it in new and interesting ways. The characters continue to evolve and grow, and the new heroes who join the group feel like worthy, interesting additions to the team. The story doesn't play it safe, and instead chooses to make some bold decisions that already seem to be setting up for an even more exciting third chapter. There is some great action scattered throughout the book, and some truly impressive set pieces. And there's a loss that is going to leave a huge impact upon not only the characters, but the series going forwards. C.L. Werner has done a fantastic job with the story, and I'm super excited to see what future books have in store for us.

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Twice Cursed: An Anthology - Book Review

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

'From the fun of the fair to the depths of hell, experience sixteen more curses in this sequel to the bestselling Cursed: An Anthology. A blend of traditional and reimagined curses from fairy-tales to Snow White, from some of the best names in fantasy.

'In this sequel to the bestselling Cursed: An Anthology are more tales from some of the best names in fantasy.

'Following on from the hugely successful first volume, in this book Joe Hill gives us a chilling interpretation of a carnival curse in ‘Dark Carousel’, Sarah Pinborough offers a hellish curse in ‘The Confessor’s Tale’, both A.C. Wise and Laura Purcell tackle fairy-tale curses from the female protagonists’ perspective in ‘Shoes as Red as Blood’ and ‘Awake’, while Neil Gaiman gives us a very different take on Snow White in ‘Snow, Glass, Apples’, Kelley Armstrong draws us into her unique mythos with a troublesome toy in ‘Just Your Standard Haunted Doll Drama’, and Helen Grant imagines a curse on a much bigger scale in ‘A Curse is a Curse’.'

In 2020 Titan Books published a darkly magical anthology book called Cursed, edited by authors Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane. It brought together a plethora of talented writers to tell twisted and grim tales about people under the spell of magical curses. Now, three years later, it looks like readers have been cursed a second time, cursed to read even more fantastic stories (is it still a curse if it’s a good thing?) as their new collection, Twice Cursed, is released.

Much like last time, this collection brings together a number of well known, award winning authors to craft stories based around the age old superstition of curses. There are a few writers who’ve actually made a return for this new volume, including Neil Gaiman, M.R. Carey, but most of the sixteen authors are new to the series this time round, and Twice Cursed acts as a wonderful follow-up to the first book, showcasing even more great names in the field of horror, and dark fantasy.

Cursed opened with a new take on Snow White, and whilst this volume begins differently, with a short four page tale from the wonderful Joanne Harris, the second story returns to familiar ground with yet another interpretation of this classic tale. Written by Gaiman, ‘Snow, Glass, Apples’ is told from the point of view of the ‘evil’ stepmother. A young woman who falls in love with the recently widowed King, the unnamed narrator moves into the castle after marrying the now single father. Taking on responsibilities not just as wife and monarch, but as a mother, she soon comes to fear the child living within the castle; the deathly pale little girl who bites her and sucks upon the wound.

When the King passes away, withered and drained, the new Queen orders for her stepdaughter to be taken out into the woods and killed, her heart brought back as proof. With the still beating heart delivered to her, the Queen knows that despite her orders, the cursed child is still somehow alive, and must take further steps to destroy the vampiric monster. Gaiman’s prose is wonderfully written, and immediately takes the reader into a dark world, filled with twisted versions of characters that we know. The choice to make Snow White the monster, and the stepmother the victim trying to save her kingdom is a genius twist upon the tale, and the narrative will go places that you can’t predict.

There are a number of stories in this collection that follow a similar theme, of dark fantasy worlds that feel like nightmare infused fairy tales. One that immediately stands out is ‘The Confessors Tale’ by Sarah Pinborough. Set in some long ago time, this story focuses on Arkaday Melanov, a young man whose tongue was stolen when he was a baby. There are conflicting tales about how the boy lost his tongue, whether it was a wild wolf that ripped it out, or if his mother went insane and did it to him, but either way, the young boy grew up unable to speak.

Not being able to speak, people soon begin to talk to Arkaday, unloading their secrets and dark confessions on him, knowing that he will never pass them on. When he’s given a strange puzzle made of bone not long after his father dies, people begin to die after telling him their confessions. I can’t say more without spoiling this story, but this was easily my favourite in the book. It takes a turn towards the end that made me yell out loud, unwilling to believe that it had done what it did. The fact that it connects to a very well known horror story makes it a particular stand out, and a moment of pure shock when reading.

The book doesn’t just stick to the past, or to fantasy settings, as there are several stories in the collection that take place in our own world, that show a darker side to the lives we’re all familiar with. M.R. Carey’s ‘Mister Thirteen’ follows a group of people afflicted by different curses, who have come together to form a support group to help each other through the difficulties their curses bring. There’s someone whose body begins to unravel like twine, a man whose food turns to ash in his mouth, and woman who will die die unless they pass their curse on to an innocent person. Then, one day a new member arrives, a man who can’t give his name but calls himself Mister Thirteen, a man who was cursed to live forever, hundreds of years ago; unfortunately, he’s not come to the group for support. This is one of the more unusual stories in the book, as it not only turns curses into ordinary, almost mundane parts of life, but also poses the question of what if on occasion a curse might not be a bad thing.

‘Dark Carousel’ by Joe Hill is one of the longer stories in the book, but it doesn’t feel like it’s taking up masses of room, nor does it overstay its welcome. This story tells the tale of a group of teenage friends and the night their lives went to hell in the summer of 1994. These two couples spend their day hanging out at a seaside amusement pier, one of them ready to leave for college soon, and another off to join the military. The four of them are trying to make the most of their time together whilst they have it.

The quartet come across a creepy carousel at the end of the pier, one with twisted horses, monstrous sea creatures, and other dark monstrosities to ride. The teens have fun on the carousel, but when one of them realises their money is missing, and they decide that the ride operator is responsible, it sets them on a course of action that leads to a terrible outcome. This story takes its time to reveal the horror at the heart of it, instead letting the reader get to know the characters, their lives, and the world that they inhabit. Because of this, you almost forget that this is a story about curses, and when the awful things finally begin to happen it’s something of a surprise; a nightmare thrown into a world of normality.

‘Just Your Standard Haunted Doll Drama’ by Kelley Armstrong, as the title suggests, doesn’t really take itself too seriously; at least in the sense that it’s not a story that revels in horror or the supernatural. This story centres on a young woman who owns a shop that sells formerly cursed items. She’s able to remove the curses placed onto things thanks to her family’s magical heritage, and does some good by doing so too. Her younger sister has grown up with a love for creepy dolls, and with her birthday coming up she’s enlisted the help of her rich boyfriend to find a creepy cursed doll to give her as a present; a cursed doll that isn’t too cursed mind you.

However, when they come across a very disturbing looking doll it turns out that they may have bitten off more than they can chew. This story feels like something plucked from the middle of a long running supernatural drama series, and could be an episode of television. The characters are all really well formed, their world and their lives feel fleshed out, and it’s almost like taking a snapshot from a much larger narrative. Armstrong has written several supernatural drama series in her time, and it’s clear from this short story that she’s very good at it. If this kind of thing is something you enjoy, this story will definitely make you want to check out more of her work.

Twice Cursed takes the concept of the first collection and does it all over again, but never feels like it’s giving the same kind of stories, or is content to do the bare minimum. The tales collected here all feel incredibly different, with different styles, settings, and tones, yet fit together incredibly well, giving what feels like a broad overview of how a simple prompt like a curse can result in so many different kinds of stories when given to talented writers.

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Action Comics #1054 - Comic Review

 

The latest issue of Action Comics sees Superman come to blows with Metallo to save his children, Jon learns more about the alien princess as his parents deal with Doombreaker, and we spend some time with John Henry Irons as we get treated to three new stories. 

In the last issue's main feature we were left on a big cliffhanger as Otho left the apartment and seemingly attacked a Blue Earth protest, killing one of the anti-alien bigots. As Jon and Osul come flying in to grab her and do what they can to clean up the mess, it's revealed that the young Warworld refugee didn't harm anyone, and that the people she attacked were actually Metallo drones, who quickly burst out of their skin and start attacking. 

Whilst Clark arrives on the scene to help, Metallo grabs the Super Twins, and escapes with them. We get a moment here where Jon begs his father to be the one to go after them, revealing to his dad that the twins asked him if he hated them, and that he feels like he needs to be the one to save them to prove that he doesn't. This is honestly a really sad moment, and I feel bad for Jon and the twins. I said in my review for the last issue how Jon's issues with his parents thanks to losing his childhood have led to some interesting and complex emotions now that they've adopted the twins, and it's stuff I'd love to see explored more. Unfortunately, Clark doesn't allow Jon to go with him to help save them; which is perhaps the only part of this story that I didn't like. It's so clear that Jon needs to do this, for his own emotional well being, and Clark not getting that feels like a mistake.

Clark uses his senses to track down the twins location, and head over to stop them. It's during the confrontation with Metallo that it's revealed that his core is Warworld tech, and that that's what's corrupting and manipulating him. Using some fancy new powers, Clark is able to take him down and disable the device, freeing Metallo of the control. And in true Superman fashion, he offers to help Metallo find and save his sister before taking the man to jail. It's here that we find out who has been controlling Metallo this whole time. And it's a hell of a reveal! I can't wait to see where this story goes next, as this villain is a personal favourite of mine.

The second story continues to tell us what happened following the Doombreaker fight as Clark, Lois,a and Jon try to relax on their farm. As Lois and Clark search for their son they come under attack fro Doombreaker once again, who has continued to evolve. Not only does he have four arms now, but he's also got a large pair of wings. We don't get much of the confrontation between him and Clark, as most of the issue focuses on Jon, but it looks like it's going to be a tough fight for Superman if the few bits we see are anything to go by.

Whilst all of this is happening Jon is learning more about Glyanna, the alien princess that he's trying to help. After having escaped from her ship the two of them have crashed back to Earth somewhere in the pacific, and are trapped on an island together. Glyanna gives Jon (and the audience) a breakdown of her history, of the world that she comes from, and the reason why she's asking for Superman to help her (all stuff that feels like it should have come up before now to be fair). Jon, being the good kid that he is assures her that if she's trying to help people then his father will help her. Unfortunately, it seems like she's not completely on the level, and makes a bit of a villain turn towards the end. We'll have to wait to see if she's an out and out villain, or if she is a good person who's just making some terrible choices for how to get Superman to help her.

The final part of the issue is given over to Steel, and catches up with him in the events leading up to his speech at Steelworks in Action Comics 1051. This part of the story is acting as set-up, and it's a great way for those who are unfamiliar with Steel to get a feel of his character. The book shows why he became the hero that he is, and delves a little bit into his history as a tech designer whose concepts were stolen to make weapons. With the reveal that a shady figure is watching him at the end of the issue, it feels like this is going to be an important point, and that this story may be connecting back to that part of his life. With a Steelworks book coming out in June we'll have to wait to see if the events taking place in Action Comics will be a part of that, possibly building towards the series, or not. However, this story isn't written by Michael Dorn, who will be writing Steelworks, so it's likely it's own thing.

Overall, this was a really good issue of Action Comics. The main story has taken a surprising turn and has introduced a hugely exciting villain for our heroes to deal with, as well as showcasing some cool new powers, further exploring the family relationships, and showcased why Clark is a great guy. The Lois and Clark story has been one of my least favourites in the series so far, but this issue feels like the best part of that story, and all of the characters are going through something interesting at the moment. And whilst I think the Steel story is the weakest one in this issue, that comes from the fact that I'm already familiar with who John Henry Irons is and how his character came about. However, for newcomers to the character it's a decent jumping on point, and it seems to be getting ready to do something interesting with a character that I like, who rarely gets given a chance to shine. Overall, some really great stuff.

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Tim Drake: Robin #8 - Comic Review

 

As with Batgirls Tim Drake: Robin is coming to a close sooner than expected; and in part I assume it's down to the book having a poorer reception that people were hoping for. The first arc of Batgirls was something of a misstep, but the series improved and is very enjoyable; and the same seems to be true for this series too, as the first issue of the final arc of the book seems to be really good, and is my favourite one so far. Sadly, this series is going to have even less of a chance than the Batgirls were given, and we will only have two issues after this to enjoy Tim's adventures.

The issue opens with Tim on his boat, working on the engine as Bernard and Darcy watch on, asking him why he'd choose to live on a boat in Gotham marina, when as a Wayne he could be staying in much better, drier, accommodations. Their activities are disrupted, however, when Batwoman comes crashing down onto the deck, unconscious and covered in blood. Whilst Darcy gets Bernard away (neither she nor Tim knowing that he knows they're vigilantes) Tim gets the uncoscious vigilante below decks to help her recover.

When Kate comes to she reveals that she has no memory of the last few months, even the times she spent with Tim celebrating his coming out, or helping him move into the Marina. Tim tries to analyse the blood that was covering Kate's gloves, but doesn't get any matches for them. It's at this point that Kate being Kate, assumes that she's killed someone, and tries to go it alone. Thankfully, Tim isn't the kind of guy to let that happen, and convinces Kate to let him help.

However, their investigation is quickly waylaid when the Chaos Monsters attack the city, setting buildings on fire and attacking the police. Tim, Sparrow, and Batwoman spring into action to fight the criminals, but when Tim goes off to confront their leader Batwoman breaks away from the fight to come after him, desperate to get answers about her missing memories. This leaves Sparrow vulnerable, and she takes a knife to the stomach. The leader of the Choas Monsters is able to capture Batwoman, and reveals that she's a baby killer. 

So, a lot happens in this issue to set up for the new story; but with only three issues in which to tell it's tale things have to move pretty quickly from here on out. But, it never feels like the book is skipping out on stuff, or glossing over things, and it's easy to follow everything that's happening, and to keep up with the story. What it does mean is that we get to skip a lot of stuff that would feel like padding. Tim hears Kate's protests that she has to go it alone and tells her to knock it off because the story doesn't have time to be dealing with that; but it also feels like something that the character would do. Tim's smart, he knows that Kate is going to do that, and knows that they don't have time for it. The story having to move quickly works for the characters and the situation, and I really enjoyed it. 

The inclusion of Batwoman is really enjoyable too. Kate is a fun character to have around, especially when she's interacting with others. She injects a lot of fun energy into books, and putting her at the centre of this mystery is a great choice. It's also nice to have one of the older members of the Bat Family appear in this series too, as it's very much been focused on the younger characters up to this point. She's also something of a loose canon at times, and her not listening to Tim, which results in Darcy getting seriously hurt, feels like it's something that she could do; especially if she's had her head messed with like this.

Speaking of Darcy, the issue ends with her being cradled in the arms of Detective Williams, who says that she's not going to make it. Comics will fake-out and tease character deaths a lot, and it's normally a given that when a big character, especially one whose book it is, is dying that it's not actually going to happen. However, Sparrow is a very minor character, she's not really been in much other than this series, and I could see the book killing her off. Is it likely? Probably not, but could it happen for dramatic effect? Sure, I could see it.

The art on this issue, by Nikola Čižmešija and Lee Loughridge, looks really nice here. The book feels very similar to the art on the first arc, yet is very distinctly different from it. The characters are all nice and clear, and look really good. I love the way Kate looks when she's got the mask and wig off, and the scene when she's inside Tim's boat recovering and telling him what happened she comes across as tired and vulnerable, two things you tend not to see with her character. 

I've not been the biggest fan of this series, the first arc was one I struggled to enjoy, but this issue was really enjoyable, to the point where I'm disappointed that we only have two left. It's a shame that DC seems to struggle to give its titles much of a chance anymore. How many amazing books from the past would modern DC end early because they have shaky beginnings? Sadly, Tim Drake: Robin is the latest casualty to this new system, which seems to be a bit of a shame. 

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Unstoppable Doom Patrol #2 - Comic Review

 

I made some comparisons in the last issue of Unstoppable Doom Patrol that it felt a bit like the X-Men, specifically the Morrison run. This issue doesn't do much to dispel that feeling, but it still feels like it's being it's own thing, and being really unique and interesting at the same time. 

This issue opens with the Doom Patrol fighting some giant robots with the Peacemaker logo on them as Beast Girl tires to make contact with another new meta-human that they're trying to help. She comes across Worm, a young boy who has a blue worm-like creature living inside his chest who can leave his body. Despite the name, only he's called Worm, the actual worm is called Velvet. It's a tiny thing, but that tiny subverting of expectations is delightfully funny to me; of course the worm is called something cute and pretty, look at her, she's adorable. 

The team take Worm to their new base of operations, an underground facility somewhere in Kansas. We get an amazing two page splash reveal of the facility, complete with cross-section style layouts for the place. It doesn't go into huge detail, it doesn't feel the need to label every room or facility on the page, allowing for there to still be a decent amount of mystery as to what everything is or does, whilst allowing the audience the ability to know the general scope of the Doom Patrol's new operation. 

Upon entering the base we see that the team have already rescued several new meta's, who are wearing slightly different coloured versions of the team's costumes to denote their status as new trainees. They're not the only ones there though, as Niles Caulder is still around, and is trying to worm his way back in control of the team, along with Flex Menatllo, and Mento. It's great to see some characters from previous runs of the series being brought back for those returning fans, as well as new characters being introduced. As someone who's only experience of the Doom Patrol outside of cameo appearances in other titles is this series, these returning members was either clearly explained enough, or given enough mystery to them that it felt like more information would be coming in later issues.

However, once on the base it turns out that Worm is Peacemaker's spy, and that he's been sent into the place to spy on the team as part of Taskforce X. Worm uses Velvet to work her way through the vents in the base, spying on people and learning things, in a page that looks absolutely fantastic as we get panels of the different rooms, connected by air vents that velvet is crawling her way through. Despite having a bomb in his head, Worm refuses to do what Peacemaker says, realising that the Doom Patrol are decent people. 

The team are able to block the signal to the explosive, having known Worm was a spy from the beginning, but can't do so forever. The kid hands Velvet over, before Robot man throws him high up into the sky, where he detonates. I'm really surprised that the book quite literally blows up a child in the second issue, but love it in a lot of ways too. It feels like the series is being allowed to do whatever it wants, and that even something as shocking as children exploding isn't off the table. 

Even more so than the first issue, it feels like this one is doing a fair bit of set-up. We spend some time getting to know The Shelter, we get to see what the Doom Patrol are doing when they're not out being heroes, and it's furthering the story of Peacemaker running the military's plans to take the team down. This issue doesn't really give much time to spend with the characters that make up the team because of this, with a lot of the focus being given to Worm; but that only helps the shock ending of the kid being killed. With things in place now, however, it feels like we're ready to really sink our teeth into the meat of the story with the next issue.

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