Batman: Arkham Knight vs Titans' Tower

Batman: Arkham Knight has not had a good time of things on PC. It started with a review page full of red and ended, at least so far, with the game being pulled from Steam entirely. It's uncertain when we'll see it return but at least there should be a little more incentive to get things fixed promptly.

But what if you have a machine with a little muscle under the hood? We took a spin in the batmobile with Titans' Tower - the Dual GTX Titan X machine which will hopefully be cutting edge for at least three months. Take a look in the video below and apologies in advance for the sound issues; trying to save time by recording audio with Shadowplay wasn't entirely successful! 

It's worth noting that my optimism here is entirely based on running this game on some pretty impressive hardware and is not indicative of most people's experience.  

#FCBD Free Comic Book Day 2015: CJ's top 10!

This is the 2015 Free COmic Book Day special! Today, in the US (and most of the world) it is FCBD, brought to you by Diamond Comics Distributors, where your local comic book stores have loads (around 50 this year ) of  comic books for FREE! Now, some retailers can choose to make you buy a certain amount of stuff before giving them away, some charge a couple of pennies for them, and that’s alright.  The comics are free to us, but not to the retailers, so remember to buy some other stuff while you’re there, support your LCBS, they will love you for it! Also, if you like these books, put them on your pull list, ask your LCBS how they handle those lists, I mean, a lot of these are big sales attempts anyway, if you like them, make them work!

This time around, I’m going to give you my top 10 comics from FCBD, in relatively no particular order, I’m not going to spoil you on them, but I’ll give you a little bit on what they are.

• Pokemon XY

  • Perfect Square comics

  • Three Pokemon comic stories, one from X/Y, One from Emerald, and one from Black & White.

  • Reads like a manga, so opens “backward” and reads left to right, instead of right to left

• All New All Different Avengers

  • Marvel comics

  • Two post-Secret Wars stories, one from the Avengers, and one from the Inhumans.  You may be a bit confused on what the backstory is, but that's OK

• Avatar: the Last Airbender

  • Dark Horse Comics

  • A post-television show story about Tai Lee & Toph

  • Also contains a Plants vs Zombies & Bandette story

• Secret Wars #0

  • Marvel Comics

  • Not the full story of Secret Wars, and barely enough to be considered an episode 0, but if you are really confused, this may help.

• Fight Club

  • Dark Horse Comics

  • A post-movie book about Sebastian

  • Also has The Goon & The Strain comics

  • NOT SAFE FOR CHILDREN

  • One of my favorite books

• Boom Studios’ Ten Year Free Comic Book Day celebration

  • Lots of stories from the Boom Studios library

• Mega Man

  • Archie Comics

  • World’s Unite prelude

  • Contains the Sonic the Hedgehog world’s unite prelude

  • The entire Worlds Unite is out on trade paperback.  Why not pick it up when you’re out at FBCD? ;)

• Doctor Who

  • Titan Comics

  • Three amazing, only found in this book Doctor Who Stories from the 10th, 11th, and 12th doctors

• Street Fighter

  • Udon comics

  • a completely kid-friendly book about the characters from Street Fighter

  • A pleasant surprise, I wasn’t really looking forward to this.

• Attack on Titan

  • Kodansha Comics

  • Some backstory (outside current Canon / TV canon)

  • Manga-style (opens to the left, read left to righ)

  • My favorite book

Disney makes a stand: Han shot first! #Marvel #StarWars

Could it be that Disney and Marvel are looking to address the controversy over whether or not Han shot first? Issue 3 of the ongoing Star Wars comic book includes the following exchange:

Is this the biased opinion of a character who both hates Solo and wasn't there? Is it a nice nod to fans who weren't happy with the continuity change? Let us know what you think in the comments. 

Catch up on your Marvel reading! 2 for 1 offer on Digital comics.

Have you been holding off on catching up with the Spider-Verse shenanigans, or are curious about the new Star Wars stories? Have you been tempted to go digital but don't want to risk spending too much on an unknown quantity,  or do just want an excellent deal? 

Then now is the time to head over to the Marvel Digital Comics Shop where, for a limited time only, you can get a free comic or collection for every one you buy. Standard rules apply so check them out below but it not only looks like a genuinely good offer which a huge range of titles available and no sneaky red tape to wrap up the choice titles. Check it out now:

Spider-Man to enrole in the MCU

A fractured multiverse is nothing new to Comic Book fans, but since they’re under the same management there was always room for them to overlap. Just take a look at the recent inter-dimensional jaunts of Spider-Man and Deadpool for an example of that. But when it comes to live action adaptations the separation is maintained by a force even more insurmountable; legal rights. And not even Superboy could punch those universes back together.

Or so it seemed.

Today Marvel have announced that fan-favourite Spider-Man would be welcomed into the Cinematic Universe. What this actually means is remarkably uncertain. Spider-Man will appear in an MCU film after which Sony will release their own film in 2017. Speculation places a blue and red spandex guest appearance in Captain America 3: Civil War, partially because of Spider-Man’s role in the Civil War comic book event, but mostly because the other MCU movies on the imminent horizon have either wrapped up filming or are set in space.

In other news, while the 2017 Spider-Man movie will be funded by Sony, Marvel has also announced changes to their release schedule in light of this announcement. Thor: Ragnarok will still strike cinemas in 2017 (November 3rd) but Black Panther and Captain Marvel are now set for 2018 and Inhumans will début in 2019. 

Wynter #1: Review

Science fiction is a powerful tool that can be used to take real world events and themes and extrapolate them into occasionally far fetched worlds and settings. Star Trek took the political themes of the day and made scary alien threats from them, Marvel took the civil rights movement and gave us the X-men. Wynter, from the new and upcoming publisher New World Comics, takes the online world of today and mixes in a little teenage angst for good measure.

For those of us old enough to remember when the internet was new, the constantly connected world of today is something of a contrast to the way things used to be. Arguments over whether that actor or another was in a film used to inspire debates and conversations on the subject where now it’s a quick visit to IMDB on someone’s smartphone and the facts are laid out. Before a deep thought or fantastic idea could inspire your thought processes and encourage you further where now, however, a quick google search is all it takes to remind you that thousands of other people have had that exact same thought, idea, concept and you’re not the unique snowflake you thought you were. I daren’t imagine what it must be like to be a young person growing up in this always-online world… but what about further down the line? What about when there aren’t just billions of humans but billions of billions. Enough so that every possible viable permeation of human DNA has been born into hundreds of thousands of times before or after your birth. Where all these people are so interconnected that every thought and action is logged and statistically analysed. There are no original thoughts left to have and it’s all on record for you to see how special you’re not.

That’s the world of Liz Winter, and like everyone else she is no one special. The first few pages of this opening issue are devoted to telling the reader exactly why she’s no one special. Every thought she has gets a running narration on how many times it’s been had before, and how even her responses have been experienced and felt before. It’s Twitter if Twitter had an evil Mr Clippy pop up on screen and say, “I see you’re trying to tweet about the existential angst of teenage life, 12 million people have expressed the same thought in the last month, would you like to see their tweets?” If that all seems a little dark then that’s because it is, but fortunately a snappy pace and decent writing helps keep things from slipping too far into darkness. It’s a sardonic sense of humour that fits the character and story well.

If the dialogue is perfectly paced then the same can’t really be said about the issue as a whole. A lot of time is spent telling us about her perspective on the universe and then things go to hell remarkably quickly. “Everything’s a Haze” remarks Liz and she could be speaking for the audience. Fortunately the last two pages pick things back up and leave the reader ready and eager to go on.

In addition to the remarkably high calibre of writing, the artwork is really good too, and not just good for an indie title. It’s a painted art style which, while it may not suit the tastes of many comic book readers, does render the universe of Wynter in interesting and sometimes abstract brushstrokes. It’s not all perfect, though. It seems that whatever future we find ourselves in, teenage rebels will shave half their head and use it as a canvas for geometric tattoos, for example - it’s fine just painfully generic. Then there are the borderline likeness-infringing examples of reference models that place Judge Judy in the role of an actual future-judge and, so it would seem, David Tennant as a pharmaceutical salesman. Small touches that can potentially pull the reader out of an otherwise excellently realised world.

While not without its flaws, Wynter is an engaging and enjoyable read that gets a well deserved score of four ear-rings in one ear. If you want to read it for yourself you can do so for free by following New World Comics on twitter to find out how to get the first issue emailed to you, and issues two and three can be found on Comixology.

Nailbiter Vol.1: There Will Be Blood: Review

Any discussion on serial killers has to, at some point, ask the question of nature versus nurture; were these people born evil or did circumstances influence their murderous ways? It’s an interesting conversation point but one of those things that has far too much conflicting real world evidence to give us a decent conclusion. Image Comics, however, are taking their own, ahem, stab at the debate in the form of Nailbiter, where a small town has given birth to too many serial killers for it to be a coincidence. What, or who, is turning the people of this quiet town into brutal killers?

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The original covers are reproduced in all their bloody glory.

Nailbiter is an ongoing series, so chances are pretty good that you’re not going to be given the answer anytime soon. In fact, while there are many answers given in this five issue collection, there are always more questions. In case it wasn’t obvious, this is a horror comic but it’s one that was born of older movies; more Silence of the Lambs, than Saw. In fact Silence of the lambs is referenced quite heavily as the titular serial killer, a man who likes to gnaw on his victim’s fingers to gruesome effect, seems to believe himself the Hanibal Lecter character in this story. And even though the story does open on him and his capture, the character we spend most of the time following is that of Nicholas Finch, an Army Intelligence officer with a dark past and explosive anger. We first see him holding his gun against his head, though this seems to be a thread the writers aren’t planning on picking back up in at least the first few issues. It’s an introduction to a troubled character that borders on the narrow line between cliche and trite, but it’s handled well enough to keep the reader engaged.

That actually sums up the writing for the first couple of issues quite well. The tight pacing and over-efficient use of dialogue leaves characters speaking little more than pointed exposition a lot of the time. There doesn’t seem to be an action or spoken line that doesn’t come with a big neon arrow pointing to a fact the reader needs to learn. It’s not subtle but is is good enough to keep the reader engaged. There are even some interesting moments where the big bad’s identity is hidden by showing things from their perspective as characters spill exposition (and then blood). It’s a nice touch that has worked well in the movies, and does the same here.

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While the book may not focus on the title character, the preview images certainly do.

Another thing that Nailbiter takes from older Horror movies is a sense of humour that a lot of modern films have forgotten. It can be dark, sarcastic or occasionally silly, but it’s satisfying to read a horror comic that’s not just relentless gore and drama for pages on end. This is also helped by the artwork which, while suitable gritty for the genre, is drawn and coloured in an almost cartoony style that softens the blow of the more intense scenes.

Volume one collects the first five issues of Nailbiter but little else. You get collected covers, which is always nice, but the only value here is in the reduced cover price over buying the issues separately. As that stands, though, it does make this the perfect starting point for someone who has not picked up the series yet. It also serves as the perfect catch-up for the series, issue six of which is also released on October 1st. It gets four chewed on finger stumps as a solid enjoyable read, and hopefully it can maintain this energy for the rest of its run… and that we find out about the bees.

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Caught up with volume one and want to continue this series? Issue six is released on the same day and serves as an interesting one-shot breather amongst all the fast paced killing before it. The main perspective changes to a secondary character for the duration and we see what happens when someone actually wants their child to be born in the place that creates serial killers. This issue also serves to demonstrate that this isn’t going to be a single note song and that there is actually a lot of potential for the future. So far so good.

Comixology (Amazon) Cuts In-App Purchases from iOS, Android Limited

It really didn't take long for Amazon to get their claws into Comixology after their recent purchase. Users of the IOS app have just been informed that the app is going to be retired shortly and a new, read only, version will be released in its place. The Kindle app was updated in a similar fashion in an attempt to bypass Apple’s 30% cut on in-app purchases. It only seems natural that the change in the Comixology app is fueled by the same intent.

Android users aren't let off lightly either. Customers can still purchase comics through the app but they can no longer pay using their Google play account. Presumably for similar reasons. It’s not all bad news, though, since the Android app has been updated to include a cart feature, allowing people to purchase multiple comics in a single transaction. A more cynical person, though, might conclude that larger single transactions are more profitable than several single-issue purchases.

Comixology introduced a whole new audience to comic books, and was largely responsible for the surge in popularity of digital distribution and since it’s launch it’s remained high in the list of top grossing iPad apps. Things are about to change of course, if nothing else the lack of continuous transactions are going to keep this out of the iOS charts after an initial surge of downloads. Many of those downloads, too, will naturally be for the purpose of one-star reviews from disgruntled users who lament the loss of not only convenient purchases, but also the ability to use iTunes (or Google Play) gift cards to buy their comics.

We’ll soon see how successful this is for Comixology, but it’s impossible to feel good about a move that sacrifices customer experience in the name of profitability. Unless, of course, those savings are passed on to the customer.

Superior Spider-Man 99¢ Digital sale!

Go over to Comixology right now for huge savings on Superior Spider-Man. It looks like the first 24 issues have been discounted to 99¢/69p which should be more excuse than you need to dip your toes into Dan Slott's excellent run that saw Doctor Octopus taking the driving seat of our friendly neighbourhood superhero. 

I've done nothing to hide my love for this series even though, or perhaps because, it was such a drastic change from the norm. Keep an eye out too for my review of the feature length, but still too short, final issue.

Darrell & CJ take the Buffy Challenge!

By Darrell Shayler & CJ Boat

Licensed comics have come a long way in recent years, and a lot of that can be attributed to the efforts of Dark Horse comics.Check out our review of Serenity: Leaves on the wind for a little more insight into this, but it basically comes down to, “get the show’s talent on board, don’t settle for bare minimum.” In fact the high standard has meant that the comic books aren’t just an excuse to make a little extra income from fans, but have cemented themselves as a valid medium for continuing cancelled television shows, something Joss Whedon has embraced to breath new life into his shows.

Whedon’s no stranger to comics, after all, with stand-out original works such as future-vampire slayer events with Fray, and an excellent run of Astonishing X-Men, so it should come as no surprise that his shows made the transition into print incredibly well. Which is why we’re now looking forward to season ten of a show that finished on television after only seven. So with Buffy The Vampire Slayer about to go into double digits, what better time to have a recap?

All seven seasons of the television series are available on Netflix and the two seasons of comic books are available in collected versions both digitally and in print. What follows is a recap of the series to date along with a little insight into which episodes are required watching because they stand out as an excellent example of what this fan favourite has to offer.

Yes the film exists, yes you’re welcome to go watch it out of some grim sense of morbid curiosity, and no, we don’t generally talk about it.

Season 1

Buffy’s the new girl at school. She’s beautiful, athletic and has head cheerleader written all over here. She also happens to fight the undead on a nightly basis. Season one was made cheaply as a mid season filler (which is why it only runs 12 episodes) and every dollar not spent is painfully evident on screen. Visually it doesn’t hold up well, the acting is a little ammature hour and it just doesn’t get the polish the writing deserves. Fortunately the writing is great and while the basic role-reversals (petite beautiful blondes kick ass as both good guys and bad) aren’t as fresh as they were back then it still stands as a great introduction to the show’s concepts and cast.

Stand out moments.

Welcome to the Hell Mouth/The Harvest. This is where is all begins. The players are introduced, the Big Bad is presented to begin a season arc (a concept not started in buffy, but definitely this show is the reason it caught on in a world of stand-alone shows) and friends are lost. The best place to start… better than the film.

The Pack. Xander is one of a group of students are possessed by demonic Hyena spirits in what really should be a silly episode but is absolutely saved thanks to a willingness to mix comedy with some incredibly dark twists. Not the usual teen drama.

The Puppet Show. This divides fans more than most episodes but it includes a possessed ventriloquist puppet that may or may not be a killer. Yes it’s ridiculous, but it defies expectations and deconstructs horror movie tropes enough that it’s worth taking a look. Plus possessed ventriloquist puppet.

Prophecy Girl. The first season finale and buffy has to die. It’s not even close to being the best Buffy season ending, but it’s required viewing if you want to see where this show is heading.

Season 2

Buffy has been affected by the events of the previous season and comes back with some attitude issues. Fortunately they don’t last long as catharsis is quickly found by grinding her foe’s bones to bake her bread. Fortunately we do get a full season here and a noticeable bump in production values. Season opener aside the cast are also demonstrably more comfortable in their roles now. This season also pulls a great bait-and-switch with the Big Bad; after introducing Drusilla and Spike as the ones to watch out for, we find out that someone closer to home has a dark side too. A life lesson for any girl thinking about sleeping with their seemingly perfect boyfriend has got to be found here.

Stand Out Moments.

School Hard: Worth watching if only for the introduction of Drusilla and Spike; you’re going to be seeing a lot of this pair.

Halloween: This not only starts the tradition of some fun Halloween episodes, but also gives Xander a little knowledge that’s going to come back later on. It’s also a great example of the way this show uses comedy to break up the more serious themes running through a season.

Surprise/Innocence: This two parter not only reveals the true big bad for the season, but also Sets up a lot of Angel’s backstory.

Phases: Oz cements himself as a fan favourite in his episode. The werewolves possibly got a special effects person fired.

Passion: In a season so full of comedy (intentional or otherwise) the dark moments stand out in stark contrast. In any other show where a main character goes evil there’s a line drawn where their actions would become irredeemable. This episode draws that line and then dances over with evil glee.

Killed by death: Buffy does horror and does it well.

Becomming: Season Finales are probably going to feature in this list a lot. We see Angel’s history (complete with a completely authentic accent…), secrets are kept, sacrifices are made and things in Sunnydale aren’t going to be the same again..

Season 3

There’s a good argument to be made for this being Buffy’s finest season. The budget finally did the writing justice, the cast hit their stride and the bad girl, Faith, is introduced. What more could you ask for, a giant CGI monster?

Stand out Moments

Consequences: Dealing with the aftermath of Faith’s actions Buffy turns to her friends, and in a shining moment of trope reversal our faith in these characters is validated.

Dopplegangland: Evil mirror universes have never been done so well… mostly because Spock with a goatee is nothing compared to vampire Willow.

Enemies: Faith isn’t as good as she thinks, and Angel returns to form. Another fine twist at the end.

The Prom: Oh the feels. A wonderfully heartwarming, and a little heartbreaking episode.

Graduation Day: The, Ahem, Stakes are high and the gang is facing the end… of high school. Also the world is about to be taken over by a giant worm… it’s possible the Mayor didn’t really think through his end game there. Oh, and Angel has his own TV show to leave for.

Season 4

After what could be seen as the best season, you would be forgiven for thinking it’s downhill from here on. There’s a good argument for that too. The gang go to university and Buffy finds herself a little out of her league for a little too long. Then there’s the secret supernatural military organisation that just so happens to recruit students for soldiers because… plot. If that’s the case, then, it just goes to show that even weak buffy seasons can have some of the series’ greatest epidoedes.

Stand out moments

The Harsh Light of Day: The return of Spike, the introduction of Harmony as a vampire and a plot so big it needs to cross over into Angel.

Fear, Itself: Another Halloween and some people are messing with supernatural forces. Noteworthy if only for bunny phobias and “shown actual size.”

The Initiative: Sometimes a moment is worth sitting through forty-five minutes, in this case that would be Spike’s performance issues with Willow.

Hush: The bad guys are brilliantly creepy and a show that’s built a reputation on it’s smart, witty dialogue goes silent for most of the run time. Also it was a stabby action.

This Year’s Girl/ Who Are You?: The return of Faith, and she comes back armed with a little mayoral gift.

Superstar: Buffy veers into What If? territory. An enjoyable episode that, thankfully, doesn’t have anything to do with the main season arc. Ultimately silly but fun.

Restless: The final showdown with Adam  had one standout moment of special effect badassery but it wasn’t enough for it to make the list. This last one, though, is an exercise in weirdness as we step into the gang’s mysterious and slightly twisted dreams. Cheese?

Season 5

Buffy vs. God, well a God, with a deliciously bad fallen God who has fantastic taste in shoes. This season also retcons in Buffy’s sister, Dawn. She divided fans instantly, those who hated her were obviously wrong… well they were proven wrong… eventually.

Stand out moments

Buffy vs Dracula: It’s buffy… vs Dracula. After seasons playing with vampire mythology and throwing out a lot of the old rulebooks Dracula moves into town and brings with him all the old powers. It should have been an incongruous mess, what it is, however, is a glorious love poem to classic vampire movies.

The Replacement: After taking a hit from a demon Xander awakens to find someone else living his life. And they’re doing a much better job of it than he is. A fantastic Xander episode that truly lets him shine.

Family: Tara becomes an official Scooby in a touching moment that makes this episode stand out. Family really is everything, but it doesn’t always have to be the one you’re born into.

Fool For Love: Spike may be verging on comic relief character, but he’s still killed more than one Slayer. Buffy’s concerns about her own mortality, and the short life expectancy of your average slayer, leads us to some fantastic flashbacks to slayers over the years.

The body: Hot on the heels of love bots, buffy strikes a devastating blow. Heartbreaking.

The Gift. The impact of this episode would have been felt harder if this had been the series end and not just the season. Even so it stands as a fantastic episode with laughter and tears for all.

Season 6

It started with a pun from Joss Whedon. Buffy will return but they’ll have to Urn it. This season started of dark and, unfortunately, didn’t quite know what to do when it got there. Sex and drugs, metaphorical or otherwise, are handled clumsily and if it weren’t for a few episodes it would be tempting to think Buffy should have ended with the last season. It does have those good episodes though; the nerds of doom are great, dark Willow is superb and then there was the musical.

Stand out moments:

Life Serial: Buffy’s confusion at being tested by geeks who have read too much Superman threatens to overwhelm the episode, but fortunately there’s enough fun to be had with the nerds to make this one worth watching.

Once More, With Feeling: It’s a Buffy Musical. The songs are catchy (for the most part) and even now the musical episode has become a standard genre event. If only Angel’s Smile Time had the same cultural influence.

Tabula Rasa: A spell goes wrong and the gang loses their memories. Hilarity ensues.

Doublemeat Palace: The secret ingredient may or may not be people.

Hell’s Bells. Another Xander and Anya episode and another forty-five minutes of bitter sweet heartache.

Normal Again. Buffy finds herself in two realities and which one is real? It’s clever, chaotic and at times the viewer is as disoriented as the lead, but it stands out as a perfect example of Buffy-as-intelligent-drama.

Seeing Red/Villains/Two toGo/Grave: The last four episodes begin with mystical balls and take the viewer on a rollercoaster of comedy, grief and revenge. There really is no separating these episodes out, watch them all and realise that season six wasn’t so bad after all.

Season 7

The final television series, but of course not the final season.  Buffy must protect the potential slayers from an on-again-off-again  evil Spike and Caleb.  Buffy and the Scooby Gang have to take out an evil from Buffy’s past, as well as what will happen when it all falls apart.  The season gives a final send-off for those who did not want to read comics, but gave a great jumping-off point for those wanting to delve deeper into the Buffyverse.

Stand out moments:

If saying the entire season is out, then let’s take a few episodes and focus on them.

Lessons: THe premiere sets up the entire season, introduces the Protentials, the Bringers, and what will be known as one of the most wild rides in Television.

Sleeper: When the threat comes from within, what can the Scoobies do to confront this?

Never Leave Me: If you enjoyed the previous episode, this concludes that arc.

Lies My Parents Told Me: Some issues that have been nagging at fans since the beginning are finally resolved.

Dirty Girls: Introduces a very important villain, and sets up the show for the finale.

Empty Places: Continuation of the final arc.

End of Days: Pretty much self-explanatory title, and also the penultimate episode.

Chose: Series finale, simply amazing.

Season 8

This is where the Dark Horse comic takes over the continuity.  The Hellmouth is closed, The Scoobies are scattered, and a veritable army of the paranormal are at Buffy and Xander’s disposal.  Buffy and the Scoobies are labelled terrorists, and have to deal with the fallout of having a worldwide evil that stretches much deeper than what was ever dealt with in the show.  A close to home evil, some leave, some come home, and someone important to the gang doesn’t come out of this event with their life.

Season 9

Another Dark Horse canonical comic, taking place immediately after the Seed of Wonder destruction and dealing with the fallout of Twilight.  Zompires are running rampant, with magic being on the out, Buffy is without some of her greatest allies, and seemingly powerless.   Buffy needs to restore magic, restore some semblance of normalcy, and follow any path they can to face the reactions to their own actions. This season does cross over quite a bit with Angel & Faith ongoing comic, also from Dark Horse comics.

This was the Buffy Challenge, taken on by both CJ Boat and Darrell Shayler, we tackled the entire Buffyverse in less than two weeks.  It was a fantastic run, and with the season 10 comic out now, only more magic can come out of this, and it’s already a wild ride.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Review.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier is many things, first and foremost if these is a fantastic film that will delight comic book fans and regular moviegoers alike. More interestingly, though, is that it addresses some of the main concerns people may have had about the future of the Marvel Cinematic universe.

Firstly, it can’t be easy making a comic book movie. If you stray too far from the source material then you risk alienating fans of the comic, adhere too closely and that same audience will never be surprised. The identity of the titular Winter Soldier isn’t going to be a huge revelation to most people watching the latest Marvel movie and, fortunately, that really doesn’t matter. This film is not about him, it’s about Captain America and the modern world he’s found himself a part of. It’s about questioning the battles he finds himself fighting and which side he’s really on. It’s about whether a World War II era soldier, super or otherwise, has a place in the current day battlefield. And there’s also a cybernetically enhanced assassin with a penchant for eye makeup and face masks who may or may not be related to his past. The story involves so many threads, familiar, new and different, that no one is going to be hurt by how familiar they are, or aren’t, with the source material.

Then there’s the concern that over time this single Marvel universe would feel far too homogenised to be consistently entertaining without simply being more of the same. Viewed on its own this is still very much a comic book movie, but it’s also a techno-paranoia fueled espionage thriller. Yes, this is the same universe that brought us the bright coloured alien invasion in Avengers or the mythological fantasy of Thor: Dark world, but it’s rooted in a darker, more believable reality. In comic book terms, they’re all Marvel creations, but different artists and writers have a great deal of latitude in presenting a story to their audience.

And this is different to the films that have come before (and a literal world apart from the sci-fi comedy of the incoming Guardians of the Galaxy). People have complained that Cap’s new muted uniform is a far stretch from his original Stars and Stripes outing and it quickly becomes apparent that this is to fit the darker missions SHIELD is sending him on. It’s a theme that pops up in comic books frequently and not only does it represent the tonal shift in storytelling, but it also allows for that triumphant third act hurrah after the hero realises that things simply aren’t the way they’re supposed to be.

That hero is brought to life once more by Chris Evans who is clearly more comfortable than ever in this role. Cap has been allowed to grow as he lives in this modern world but he retains the basic nature of who he was pre-freeze. Samuel L Jackson, too, proves himself more comfortable than ever as Nick Fury who finally receives enough screen time to flesh out the character a little more. Scarlett Johansson return to Black Widow’s skin tight stealth suit doesn’t seem to have been as successful though. The story lends itself to discovering so much more about her character but much of her performance for the first half of the movie’s run time seems to fall flat. It’s only a relative drop, but given the development of her character in Avengers it seems a shame that she’s handled so differently when she has more of an on-screen presence. New hero on the block, Falcon, is brought on board with only the slightest hint of contrivance and is realised in fantastic comic book glory when Anthony Mackie finally suits-up. Robert Redford as his high powered, morally ambiguous spy leader is everything you could want from the role which is almost detrimental to the suspense factor since nothing he does will come as a surprise to anyone who’s seen a Robert Redford film before.

As mentioned before, the Winter Soldier may be in the film’s title, but this is not his film. In good comic book form this is essentially volume one in his story arc with much left unresolved. As a stand-alone experience that may be frustrating to some but it’s much better than comic book movies of old where one or more villains would be allowed a single movie’s run time to cover their origin, crime spree and sudden death. It’s nice that Loki isn’t the only persistent antagonist in the Marvel Cinematic Universe now too.

A masked assassin with a robut arm is not the only thing that stops this being a straight espionage thriller; this is very much a blockbuster movie. From the high action opening that demonstrates what puts the super in Captain America’s soldier to the epic final showdown(s) it’s evident that Disney have made sure most of this film’s budget ends up on screen. It doesn’t try to compete with Avengers in terms of special effects spectacle but it doesn’t have to, it’s not that kind of movie, but there are too many holy-crap moments to consider this anything but a visual feast.

Fortunately the writing matches the action with the script both supplying the tension while not scrimping on the occasional moment of humour. Again, this is not Joss Whedon’s typical sarcastic tone, but that doesn’t stop it from being clever and occasionally witty. It comes back to that same universe, different interpretation aspect that’s easy to get away with in comic form, but could risk incongruence in a live action situation where actors as well as their characters are common elements. Speaking of the story, another concern put to rest by having a single universe is the fear that nothing change, that each movie must tie things up nicely so that future films, or the ongoing Agents of SHIELD, are adversely affected. After the events of this movie nothing can be the same again, and it will be fun to see how that’s going to work out.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier is an amazing experience that reinforces the foundations of Marvel’s cinematic vision while simultaneously turning everything on it’s head. It gets five salutes and you get a reminder to sit through to the end. It’s standard form for Marvel movies to have end credit sequences and this one has two of them.

Images courtesy of marvel.com
 

We have ALL the Spider-men!

Marvel have just announced the greatest piece of Spider-Man fan service since Spider-Island. Launching this November SPIDER-VERSE! will unite every Spider-Man (and, for that matter, every Spider-Man costume variation) from every universe to combat Morlun. Expect more talk of Spider Totems.

The first threads of this multiverse spanning web will be spun in April’s Amazing Spider-Man #1 which sees the return of Peter Parker (driven by Peter Parker) with the main event kicking off in issue 9.

Dan Slott, who has recently proven his worth over and over with the excellent Superior Spider-Man run will be at the helm once again and the art will be taken care of by Olivier Coipel. Marvel fans should recognise that name from a number of titles including some beautiful work on the House of M event; it will be interesting to see whether his work will be a departure at all from the more comic stylings that Humberto Ramos is establishing for Peter Parker’s immediate future.

An event even greater than the time Madam Web brought together alternate Spider-Men to battle Spider-Carnage!

Editor Nick Lowe had this to say on this ambitious undertaking:

“The scope of this event is so big, the word ‘epic’ just doesn’t do it justice. The story is just huge and heartbreaking and has necessitated spreadsheets to organize all the Spider-Men. Luckily we have a writer who has proven time and time again he can thread impossible story-needles [Slott] and the most versatile character artist in the business [Coipel].”

It’s certainly an exciting time to be a Spider-Man fan and it looks like we’re finally going to see the event that adds Miles Morales to the 616 universe.

A Stan Lee cameo has neither been confirmed nor denied. Don't ask me why I decided to fixate on this episode!

Those Beautiful Toys: DC Announces New Toy Line

DC have announced a new product lineup ahead of the New York Toy Fair and while there's a fair bit of filler on display, there are a few pieces that are worth keeping an eye on. The first of these has got to be Batman: The Animated Series version of the Dark Knight himself. It was an iconic look for Batman that has been perfectly realized in all his stark angular glory and needs to be a part of my collection.

There's also a great looking Catwoman figure which, while true to the original source may not have made the transition from cartoon to reality as well as Batman. Speaking of the man, this Bat-heavy update includes an interesting take on the New 52 style which looks interesting aside from some of the detailing which may be a little heavier than it should be; the body armour style look of the New 52 costumes has divided fans and this isn't going to win any over. On the subject of armour, Batman's Thrasher armour is another that I'm really looking forward to see up close.

There are non-bat related figures on offer, including a particularly intense looking Atomic Green lantern figure based on the Infinite Crisis game and while there are also some so-so pieces such as the cheap looking New 52 Supergirl and Batman dartboard, there's enough here to keep any DC fan saving up and looking forward to that toy fair in New York.

Click the above image to browse through a gallery of choice items on offer.

Full press release:

DC Collectibles, the exclusive line of toy and collector items from DC Entertainment, announced today an exciting 2014 product line-up just in time for New York Toy Fair.  DC Collectibles will offer a wide range of new action figures and collector’s items based on DC Comics’ iconic characters and other properties including the highly-anticipated Son of Batman direct-to-video film and Infinite Crisis, the upcoming video game from Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and developed by Turbine. And for the first time ever, new 6” scale action figure lines based on designs from both Batman: The Animated Series and The New Batman Adventures will be released later this year.

“DC Collectibles has an amazing 2014 line-up in store for fans and collectors and we’re psyched to be showcasing our new action figures, statues and more at New York Toy Fair,” said Geoff Johns, chief creative officer of DC Entertainment. “The new slate shows off the team’s commitment to bringing innovative ideas and the highest quality toys and collector’s items to fans worldwide, and as a fan myself I’m particularly excited about the new Batman: The Animated Series and The New Batman Adventures lines.”

Additional new product categories scheduled for 2014 include a “(Bat)man cave” line of high-end lifestyle products, an all new Wood figure line, and porcelain dolls based on a beloved character from Vertigo’s THE SANDMAN series.

Following up with some of their most popular lines comes a second wave of action figures based on art from Greg Capullo, and new additions to both the DC Comics Bombshells and DC Cover Girls statue series.

DC Collectibles 2014 line-up includes:

• NEW LINE -- Batman: The Animated Series action figure: Catwoman
• NEW LINE -- The New Batman Adventures action figures: Batman, Two Face, Mr. Freeze
• NEW LINE -- Son of Batman action figures: Deathstroke, Robin, Batman, Nightwing; based on character designs by Phil Bourassa
• NEW LINE -- DC Comics “(Bat)man Cave” Super-Villain Poker set with art by Kevin Nowlan, Batman Dart Board set 
• NEW LINE -- BATMAN LI’L GOTHAM action figures: Harley Quinn, The Joker, Batman, Robin
• NEW LINE -- Wood figures 4”: Batman, Superman
• NEW LINE -- Porcelain Doll: THE SANDMAN’s Death
• DC Comics The New 52 action figures: Supergirl, Nightwing, Batgirl
• Infinite Crisis 6” action figures: Pajama Party Harley Quinn, Atomic Green Lantern, Atomic Poison Ivy, Mecha Wonder Woman, Renaissance Batman
• DC Comics Cover Girls statues: Katanna, Mera
• Batman Black and White: “Zombie” Batman statue based on artwork by Neal Adams
• Batman Black and White: The Joker statue based on artwork by Dick Sprang
• Batman Black and White: Batman statue based on artwork by Michael Turner
• Superman: The Man of Steel statues: designed by Shane Davis, and one based off Superman The Animated Series
• DC Comics Designer Series: Greg Capullo action figures: Catwoman, Batman Thrasher Armor, Mr. Freeze, Red Hood
• Wonder Woman The Art of War statue based on artwork by Yanick Paquette
• DC Comics Bombshells statue: Zatanna 

Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Search Library Edition: Review

Avatar: The Last Airbender stands as an example of how good children’s cartoons can be. On the surface it looks a lot like a standard westernization of Japanese anime which too often can end up diluted and compromised in the translation, but it quickly established itself as a masterpiece of writing, voice acting and beautiful artwork. If you haven’t seen it yet (and, ‘it’ most definitely refers to the cartoon and not the execrable movie) then this book is not for you… yet; go away and watch the series now, this book will be waiting for you on your return.

This book is for those of you who loved the series and realize that there were too many plot threads that were never tied off, and ones that won’t be tied off with any real satisfaction in the Legend of Kora series. Specifically, this book takes a look at the mystery surrounding Zuko’s mother who was last seen banished into the night presumably in an effort to save her son’s life. It’s a major part of Zuko’s backstory that has had so many fan theories built up around it that the challenge of satisfying fans must have been a daunting undertaking.

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The bit where Thor explains to his friends that he needs Loki's help.

Dark Horse Comics have a history of treating their licences with respect and this tends to involve getting original talent on board. This doesn't just lend authenticity to the works, but often brings the books into the continuity of the series. In this case, original creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko have taken the opportunity to tie off a few loose ends and they've done it in a way that feels like it belongs as part of the series’ cannon. 

The Search begins not long after the TV series with Fire Lord Zuko ruling over his people in peace and his Father and Sister locked up for their past actions. It would have been simple for the show to forget that Zuko’s mother left two children behind that night but instead his sister, Azula, is brought into events early on as she agrees to help find out what really happened to their mother. Team Avatar joins their friend to not only help solve the mystery, but also to be there when his sister inevitably betrays him. 

From a storytelling perspective having that wild card in the mix makes perfect sense in progressing the story at a decent pace, but it’s an element that’s woven into the story that really is about the relationship between brother and sister more than Zuko’s hunt for his absent parent. It’s one of those themes that’s used almost too overtly when contrasts are drawn between Zuko and Azula, and original Team Avatar siblings Sokka and Katara. But while it’s certainly not done subtly it never feels forced or contrived and frequently it’s done with a simple image that only feels blatant on subsequent readings. Another theme featuring Masks is taken from the series and woven so subtly throughout the pages that it took a second reading to truly appreciate that a major plot point had been set up so early on. The storytelling is simply so perfectly organic that even major revelations are set up right from the beginning in a way that rewards repeat readings greatly. 

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Xander proves that even when a military badass he's still a good source of the funny.

And if there is a word that keeps coming up when trying to describe the writing here it has to be organic. It managed to take ideas, moments and even lines from the series and incorporate them in a way which will please fans but never feels forced or artificial. There are even elements which are are shown as seeds here but which will bear fruit in the Legend of Kora series but manage not to feel forced in the way that prequels so often seem to feel. It feels like an authentic and, yes, organic story that is a part of a single flowing continuity and that’s an achievement worth commending. The same goes for the characters who, for the most part, speak so authentically that it’s difficult to read their words in anything other than the original actor’s voice. There are a couple of disappointments though: Toph is nowhere to be seen (ahem) but her character is given a nice mention that will make Kora fans smile, and Sokka fulfills his role of comic relief with a little too much enthusiasm. It detracts a little from his development during the series but not to the detriment of the story. Sokka just doesn't get the chance to be anything other than funny… until he does and then all is forgiven!

It’s not just the writing that adds to this authenticity but the artwork too. It has to be difficult trying to seem consistent with an aesthetic that, by necessity, had to be simple enough to be drawn at twenty-frames a second with a weekly series’ deadlines to meet. Avatar: The Last Airbender was a beautiful cartoon, but traditional comics don’t have the same restrictions. That said, it stands as a compliment that this book both never looks worse than the series, but also never strays too far from the look that it established. Frequent enhancements such as the use of light and shadow or the arrangement of frames on the page always improve the experience but never to the point of overpowering it with fancy effects. There are a number of times too where a powerful moment is expressed without a single word and the art is more than up to the task.

The Search was originally released in March 2013 and was made up of three graphic novels. This Library Edition collects all three parts in a hardbound cover and was released by Dark Horse Comics on February 5th 2014. As well as the complete story it adds some beautiful concept art that takes the reader through some of the stylistic evolution that didn't make it onto the page. There are also numerous editorial notes on the pages themselves that are never less than entertaining and oven provide an insight into the creative thinking behind the words and themes. It all adds up to an almost perfect collectible item that holds up to multiple reads; a must for any Avatar fan and as such it scores a full five bending elements because I am the Avatar, a bridge between worlds.

Serenity: Leaves on the Wind #1: Review

Generally speaking, comics based on television shows are tough to get right. There are a few little niggles that always seem to be there; the characters (regardless of licenses) look nothing like the actors, they never grow or develop beyond the confines of the show (admittedly a necessity where the show may be ongoing or the comic is set at a specific historical point) and if a character says something once on screen that becomes popular with fans, then it often become so overused to the point of catchphrase in comic form. ‘There are exceptions, though, most of which seem to come from Our Lord and King, Joss Whedon. So after the relative success of Buffy: The Vampire Slayer can Dark Horse comics do it again with Firefly?

You know Firefly, of course, it’s the most popular show on television that was handled badly by broadcasters in America and had already been cancelled before the rest of the world could import their DVD box sets. There’s nothing more to be gained on arguing exactly how badly handled this show was, suffice it to say that there is a huge fanbase considering all it has to go from for continuity are thirteen episodes and a movie.

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The art is stunning, the actors' likeness, though, it a little more inconsistent.

And now we have Serenity: Leaves on the Wind. A six part mini-series that has fans excited. This isn't the first time Dark Horse Books have published books based on this property; Whedons Joss and Zack have both worked on titles before which are all worth looking out for and are considered to be Firefly canon… but whether it’s timing, the talent involved or something else entirely, Leaves on the Wind is something people are getting excited about.

Issue one is set nine months after Serenity. We know the events of that movie have changed things in the ‘verse though how those changes will affect the surviving crew members is unknown. It would seem, though, that their days of going by relatively unnoticed have come to an end. Everyone is asking the same question. Where is Serenity?

As a continuation of the series, the first issue does a fantastic job of not only reminding us of previous events, but it also points out how much was left unresolved after the credits of Serenity rolled. The Reaver revelation was less an explosive finale and more Mal lighting the fuse. Zack Whedon takes his time showing us the impact of those actions on every scale and expertly manages to fit a lot of exposition into these 27 pages without once feeling rushed. In fact the pacing feels perfect with panels that know when to flood the reader with dialog and when to let them, and the characters, have a quiet moment to let events sink in.

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For a series that's so well known for the perfectly written dialog it's easy to forget how perfect the characters were in silence. This book captures those moments perfectly.

When characters do speak, their words not only fit the universe, but also the characters we know and love. They maintain the spark without relying on lines that have become literal clichés (13 episode, 13 billion firefly t-shirts, there’s bound to be some repetition) and for the most part it is easy to feel like you’re watching an episode of the show. In fact they almost go too far in trying to not rely on well-known speech patterns; there’s no cussing in Mandarin, and not a single, “shiny” is exclaimed.

When the characters aren't speaking the artwork on display expresses just as much as the words. Characters are perfectly expressive with every emotion, subtle or otherwise, on display. It’s such a shame, then, that the artist doesn't have the actors’ likenesses down with more consistency. The first time we’re reintroduced to the crew the reader should be thinking something more affectionate than, ‘is that supposed to be River or Kaylee?’ It has to be difficult drawing so many panels where likeness is important, there’s a reason comic book characters tend to have distinctive visual cues after all, but when the rest of the art is so wonderful it’s a shame when you’re seeing Simon and Mal talking, for example, and it’s not quite clear which one you’re looking at. And the rest of the art really is beautiful. You can tell that this was drawn and colored with affection for the source material. Every panel is filled with life and details that would be missing from lesser titles. City views are full of billboards and people going about their lives, if there are two people talking in a scene, there could be ten others in the background adding thematic weight to proceedings. It’s a “no corners cut” approach that makes this feel like a high quality production even and it’s more than enough to make it worthwhile re-reading the whole issue over and over to catch the more subtle little touches.

Serenity: Leaves on the wind starts with a near perfect issue, giving us a fitting continuation to a beloved sci-fi series. It’s not the new series fans want, but it’s good enough to feel like more of what we love. Firefly is definitely in good hands. It gets 5 cunning hats that let you know you’re not afraid of anything, and issue two can’t get here soon enough... just please don't kill anyone off!

Serenity: Leaves on the wind is published by Dark Horse Books and will be available January 29th 2014.

Harley Quinn #1: Review

It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of Harley Quinn as a character. After her first introduction in Batman: The Animated Series she became so popular with fans that she made the transition into comic book continuity seamlessly, and she could do this because she was so well realised. Of course she was beautiful but she was also strong, intelligent (when she wasn’t trying to hide it), funny and took an optimistic outlook that bordered on the extreme. Sure, she was a little bat-shit-crazy but she had a tragic element that resonated with a lot of us; she was in love with someone who was incapable of loving her back. Literally. That guy’s a narcissistic sociopath.

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The comic style is carried over through more than just the talking beaver - even the art has a safe but fun sense of humour.

Then there was THAT episode where she teamed up with Poison Ivy.

The problem with her these days, though, is that DC just doesn’t have a clue what to do with her. Suicide Squad gave her a couple of ok moments but somewhere along the line it was decided that she couldn’t be sexy unless she was half naked all the time and while I liked one moment of terrified humanity during Death of the Family all it really did was prove to us that a character born of a Saturday morning cartoon doesn’t work particularly well with a Joker that would casually remove his own face. So after breaking up the second most dysfunctional romantic relationship in comic history (After going back and reading The Killing Joke I realise that the top title goes to Batman and Joker) Harley Quinn is striking out on her own and I really hoped DC wouldn’t muck this up.

Harley Quinn #1 is a reskinned Deadpool without the healing factor. I was going to step easily around that revelation, but there really is no sugar coating it. After the enjoyable fourth wall shattering zero issue where she goes through different artists to try and work out her new look we find out that she’s been left an old apartment building from a deceased former patient and she sets out to make a new life for herself.

If that sounds like the tenuous premise for a sitcom spin-off then the rest of the issue will feel like a pilot episode for that same sitcom spin-off. Given how DC can often seem overly serious that is actually a good thing, even if it does feel like a cross between Deadpool and The Golden Palace (ask your parents).

And yes, that feeling that someone read a little too much Deadpool sticks throughout the book, everything from the jokes to her talking beaver feel ripped straight from those pages and while it does seem to be taking the character in a different direction it’s a preference to the road she was on previously. The artwork too is certainly on the more cartoony side but for the most part it does look very nice indeed. Occasionally faces will look a little too much like caricatures (or worse look like they’ve been heavily photo-referenced to the point of looking like other people) but it doesn’t break thematically from the story that’s being told.

Tara Strong's Harley Quinn has been doing the rounds in recent productions... now it seems Tara Strong is doing the rounds literally in Harley's new book.

Fortunately it’s not a bad story either. Yes, it suffers from trying to cram too much exposition into the pages but it’s one of those pilot episode conceits that will hopefully leave up the rest of the series to pace itself with so much already established… unfortunately there IS a lot established. She has a new home, new financial concerns, two new jobs, a team of cookie-cutter supporting characters and even a bounty on her head; with so many threads the future could see them either woven deftly into an engaging read, or else unravel into a roller derby style bloody mess. But it’s certainly worth giving a read.

I give it 4 talking beavers which are optimistically telling me to read the next issue... and also to burn things.

Comix-up - I haven't forgotten about reviews!

It's been a while since I've updated my blog with a review or, well, anything really. More will be incoming, along with a more fixed schedule. Until then here's one of my random doodlings that came to mind when I was trying NOT to get completely wasted at the day-job's christmas party.

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Just remember, getting completely wasted and punching the boss is something that should always happen to someone else!

Clown Fatale #1: Review

Publisher: Dark Horse Comics

Released: 13th November 2013

“Sexy female clowns are mistaken for contract killers and abandon their shabby traveling circus for a world of violence and cruelty—with clown makeup.”

Sometimes the publisher’s description is the best place to start and in this case they’ve done a pretty decent job of summing up Victor Gischler’s Clown Fatale; a grindhouse movie-style comic that wears its influences proudly. This issue starts with a group of sexy clowns…

OK I don’t know WHY they’re clowns. They could have been strippers, though I guess that would have been a little too on the (red honking) nose. I guess given the genre they have to have some sort of hook and this probably seemed as good an excuse as any to have them unhappy and undressed. As long as you can keep Stephen King's Pennywise out of your mind, you'll be fine.

This issue starts with a group of sexy clowns not having a particularly good day working in the circus. There’s a little exposition in the form of narrative introductions to the main characters but for the most part this story starts off in high gear and doesn’t really let up; the entire first issue is designed to set them up as assassins and very little more. Fortunately the writing is enjoyable to read and any bad dialogue feels like an added touch of Exploitation movie authenticity rather than a lack of quality. This faithful adherence to genre tropes extends to the characters too as there doesn’t seem to be a single likeable person in this world. It’s something that’s par for the course for the style they’re going for but it says something when the main characters are so immoral that their first target has to attempt rape before the book can justify killing him. It does make me wonder how things will play out in future issues.

The artwork, like the writing, matches the tone they’re going for perfectly. It’s not as clean or finished as some of the larger titles but it’s not supposed to be. Each of the main characters seems to be designed to tick off some fetish or other and I’m sure anyone reading it will find they have a favourite in the group. No I’m not telling you who mine is. There’s also a fair bit of nudity here and if it feels gratuitous then, frankly, it’s supposed to. Maybe that’s where the beauty of the clown theme can be found; clowns are funny or scary but they should never be scary, and in putting them in stripper outfits (or less) it’s the reader’s own comfort that’s being exploited?

If there's a take-home sentiment of this review, then it's this; Clown Fatale is a perfect example of what it sets out to be, it just never attempts to be anything more.

And I’m alright with that. Clown Fatal is a fun read that delivers on every promise and I'm sure Quentin Tarantino is already bidding on the movie rights. In his honour I give this four naked Uma Therman's feet out of five.

Star Trek: Khan: Review

Published by: IDW

Released: October 16th 2013

Why do Klingons go from smooth foreheads to bumpy foreheads? Why did Han Solo use the parsec as a unit of time? Why didn't the eagles simply fly the ring to Mount Doom?

Why does the Into Darkness Khan look nothing Ricardo Montalban?

Being a genre fan can be hard sometimes. Creators are only human, after all, and sometimes inconsistencies and mistakes can be introduced which simply don't have a logical explanation.. Occasionally the answers are provided through official canonical explanations such as the genetically engineered Klingons in season four of Enterprise, more frequently the fans take it upon themselves to create their own solutions through fan fiction and forum discussions (tv.tropes has a wonderful page dedicated to just this). And then there are the times where answers are offered through officially licensed but not-entirely cannon spinoffs. Star Trek: Khan falls into the latter category. Although it doesn't seem like this to begin with. To begin with, we have a legal trial.

“My name is Khan and I reject the authority of this court.”

Interesting opening, it's just a shame that in the next couple of panels the federation's top lawyer defers to Captain Kirk for the opening argument. And what does he do? He basically uses the opportunity to say ask why Khan doesn't look like an older gentleman with skin like rich Corinthian leather.

Khan answers and we quickly realise that the legal trial is a poorly implemented setup for a flashback to the 1970s and a young Noonian Singh.

The rest of the issue takes place in flashbacks and something tells me that the rest of the series will likely follow the same pattern of court trial introduction to justify licensing the actors' likenesses before jumping back into Khan's backstory. The problem with using Khan himself is the narrator is that he starts off from a perspective that he couldn't have been present for. That's not the only continuity flaw either since the entire concept of eugenics seems to get dismissed on page in favour of genetic manipulation. Given that this takes place before the time travel that caused Abram's Star Trek universe to break off from the older timelines it's an odd choice to change such a fundamental part of established history. Since this is part of a miniseries it's hard to say now whether this is going to be part of a larger storyline but I'd be disappointed if it was allowed to slip without further mention.

The writing is a mixed bag; before the flashbacks begin it feels forced and improbable with the characters feeling like they're just shoehorned into a situation to service a plot device. Once we make the jump, however, things improve greatly. Things move along quickly and while every single plot point is telegraphed pages ahead it is interesting enough to want to see how the rest of the tale unfolds.

The art throughout is generally good but it just feels rushed. For the most part there are no backgrounds behind characters making everything feel flat, and there are never fewer than five panels on a page which not only makes the pacing seem hurried, but doesn't allow the artist any opportunity to wow the reader with a dramatic moment.

So it's not perfect and it falls prey to many of the problems that face licensed comics... but it's not bad either. Sure the setup is preposterous but if you can overlook that then you can start on an interesting journey that will hopefully give a little more depth to the Abram-verse interpretation of an iconic villain. Of course, if we could overlook things like that we wouldn't need to have continuity-wank in the first place. Three warp core breaches which may be retconned to four if they can fix the apparent plot holes.

RUIN: A Kickstarter recommendation (Updated)

I never know quite what to make of Kickstarter, especially when it comes to artistic projects such as comic books. I always worry that it enables those creative types who want the reward before the effort and those are the ones that seem to fall through. On the other hand, it’s also an amazing way for people to support projects that might otherwise never see the light of day. I think the latter is true of RUIN.

RUIN is described by the creators as, “…a Sci-Fi post-apocalyptic graphic novel (think Mad Max meets Alien) in which a nomadic survivalist attempts to make ends meet in a future dystopia.” It’s a description so painfully generic that it almost had me ignoring it before moving on to something else, but then I saw a page from the comic where a character is talking to his three legged dog. A dog who communicates through puzzles. I’m not entirely sure how a pictographic representation of a tire is verbalised in this world, but it was a nice touch that captured my interest. The thirsty companion had me at HIJKLMNO.

 So there is one unique element but it’s not enough to save the book from genre mediocrity… but it was enough to keep me reading the kickstarter page and there is a lot here to like. The artwork on display is richly detailed and sells the setting of a grimy post-apocalyptic world incredibly well. The character designs are interesting and it’s nice that females don’t fall back on certain disproportionate physical attributes like so many other indie comics. Unless, of course, the thought of a character that’s “…is controlled by the sinister mutant fetus that resides in her makeshift plexiglas womb” turns you on and if that’s the case then this may just be the comic for you!

The behind the scenes story of this book is almost as interesting as the one found on the pages; creators Ricky Lanier (Writer and Letterer) and Ruben Rojas (artist/colourist) are separated by language and an ocean since one is in America and the other in Spain. Apparently the two haven’t even spoken on the phone, let alone face-to-face.

So the comic is generic but shows a lot of promise, the creators are talented and amiable, what about the kick-starter campaign?

Well they’ve set a nicely realistic goal of $5,000 and as of writing this they’re half way to meeting that goal with 37 days to go. The rewards for backing are a little on the pricey side but it’s good that they've erred on the side of realistic deliverables. This is very much one of those projects where you have to factor in the pleasure you get from backing something you feel enthusiastic about and in this case, I think that carries a nice dollar value all of its own. The only thing I didn't like, though is the fact that postage outside the US asks for $15-25 extra… in one case this is actually more than the reward. Again this is them being safe and not over-stretching their funds, but it does make the non US backer a little more hesitant to commit. Digital-only rewards at the higher tiers might have helped a lot with this.

In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m really interested in this projected and would love for it to get funded. I fully encourage people to go out and help make this a reality so head to the link below and take a look. At the very least we can get them a pair of Skype headsets!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/darkersho/r-u-i-n

Update: 
The kickstarter has now been updated to include digital only rewards to address the concerns of us international backers. It's a $30 level which may seem a little steep until you see what's included:

"You'll receive, a new avatar of yourself by Ruben, sketch of Sasha with personal greeting. Exclusive advance reading of chapter one from the fiction novel adaptation of RUIN. 4602 map of the Outer-Terra wallpaper (only available here). We will scan and personalize a Sketch Card for you! PDF of character Bios and script issue #1. Sketches, weapons, vehicles NEVER POSTED before. Our new logo, wallpapers, and cell phone wallpapers! You'll also receive issues of RUIN and Wicker #1, PDF and DRM free AND the mini-comic, if we can scan it... you get it! Conveniently sent to your inbox."

That's simply fantastic value especially if you want to back the project without most of your money going towards postage.