Weekly Comics Review - 24th April 2024

 

I take a look at a selection of this weeks comic releases. This week I read and review Green Arrow, Avengers, Wolverine, Batman: Dark Ages, Ultimate Spider-Man, Star Wars: Darth Maul - Black, White & Red, and more!

Geen Arrorw #11 

DC Comics, Writer: Joshua Williamson, Artists: Phil Hester, Eric 

Gapstur, Sean Izaake, Colourist: Romulo Fajardo Jr., Letterer: Troy Peteri

The latest issue of Green Arrow sees Oliver and the newly reunited Roy Harper teaming up to take on hard light hologram versions of the the classic Justice League, a defence mechanism created by the Sanctuary mask that they've been tasked with collecting for Amanda Waller. Luckily, most of the rest of the Arrow-family are around to help, and whilst they don't beat the fake League they are able to get the mask and escape. This leads Ollie to teleport out, thanks to Waller, and go after his real target, Malcolm Merlyn. Unfortunately, the elderly archer has had a very long time to plan for Ollie's eventual arrival in the distant future.

This has been a very enjoyable series since it came back, and it's doing a great job at reintroducing a lot of the Green Arrow extended cast of heroes, villains, and allies. The last issue brought in a lot of the female members of the family, even bringing along Arowette who'd never really been a part of things. This issue gives Merlyn a similar treatment, as we get a couple of pages that go over the characters history. This is something that's very helpful thanks to the ever shifting nature of backstories and continuity that can happen in comics, and is a useful for those who may have never encountered the character in comic form before. The art this issue is also superb, with a splash page towards the end showing off multiple versions of some characters, featuring costumes from across the decades that's a joy to behold. 

It's easy to forget that this series is going on as Green Arrow has never really been a high profile character on the comic book shelf, but this is a series that's definitely shaping up to be a must read.  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rise of the Powers of X #4

Marvel Comics, Writer: Kieron Gillen, Artist: R.B. Silva, Colourist:

David Curiel, Letterer: Clayton Cowles

The mutants and their allies are fighting back against the forces of Orchis, and the AI that have been helping them but pose the true threat. Whilst most X books at the moment are dealing with the physical fight, Rise of the Powers of X is taking a different approach, and is showing readers the secret war that's going on behind the scenes, focusing on the machinations of Professor Xavier. This issue shows us how far Xavier is willing to fall to save his people, killing Rachel and Rasputin IV, and going to work for the Sentinels in order to get them to agree to leave mutants alone when they kill off the humans.

However, this issue hints at a larger plan, one that could win the day. It seems that everything Xavier is doing is to help mutants win, and that he's not prepared to trust the AI to hold up their ends. Whilst he's working with them he seems to have put the pieces in place for the others to win the day. Because of this, this is definitely the slowest X book at the moment, and there are a lot of spinning plates that readers have to keep track of. And whilst it might not be the case that Charles has gone full villain and is only putting on an act if he is doing all this to save his people will this be a machination too far for him to be forgiven? The book is posing some big questions.

The art on the title is superb, and the way in which R.B. Silva shows every moment of anguish on Xaviers face as he uses his powers to betray humanity really helps to sell just what the character is going through. Despite how good this title is, I also can't help but think that it will read better in a collected graphic novel alongside its counterpart. ⭐⭐⭐

Predator: The Last Hunt #3

Marvel Comics, Writer: Ed Brisson, Artist: Francesco Manna,

Colourist: Erick Arciniega, Letterer: Clayton Cowles

One of the problems reading an Alien or Predator book month to month rather than when it's done is that sometimes the pacing can feel off. When collected together it doesn't matter if a large part of the story deals with things going to shit, as that's an expected part of these franchises. However, when an entire issue is action, with people dying on every page, gunfire, explosions, and people getting thrown around, it can leave that months issue feeling a little underwhelming. This is how I came out of this months issue of Predator: The Last Hunt feeling.

The previous issue ended with Theta and her newly assembled team, featuring John Schaefer from the classic Dark Horse stories, being ambushed by this story's big bad Predator. This issue sees said Predator tearing through the group like they're nothing. People are blown apart by plasma casters, cut with knives, attacked by Predator dogs, and generally have a bad time whilst Theta herself has a momentary breakdown, trying to get her head back in the game. I'm sure as part of the whole this issue will read fine, but as this months check in on the story it didn't feel like a whole lot of stuff really happened. As such, it was kind of never really more than just fine.

The art team do a decent job this issue, and there's lots of exciting stuff for them to draw and colour as opposed to the initial two chapters. If blood and guts and violence are your thing then this issue delivers in spades. ⭐⭐⭐

X-Men Forever #2

Marvel Comics, Writer: Kieron Gillen, Artist: Luca Maresca,

Colourist: Federico Blee, Letterer: Clayton Cowles

X-Men Forever very much feels like a companion piece to Rise of the Powers of X this week, and if you're going to read the two of them (and you really need to this time I think) you're going to want to be doing this one second. The questions at the end of Rise, of whether Xavier has a second secret plan and is just going along with the AI is very much answered here, as we see him helping out the surviving mutants in the White Hot Room, and readying the stage for the return of the Phoenix. We see our troops assembling, including some characters who fell in other books, such as Archangel, and spend a quiet moment with them as they prepare for their assault on Earth.

One of the biggest problems that I can see with this book is that it requires a lot of knowledge for a lot of other titles from the Krakoa Era. It references several books and events that are fine if, like myself, you've read everything, but I also appreciate that I'm an outlier, and that not everyone will have done that. As such, it's quite possible you can get a bit lost at points in this issue. However, it very much feels like a last stop to talk, plan, and bring up complex backstory, before the final fight, and I expect that these issues will feel somewhat lessened as we head into the grand finale.

The artwork on this issue is gorgeous, and everyone looks fantastic. I love that Exodus is still in his Gala outfit, and want him to stay in it going forwards as he just looks so damn fine. And the scene in which the Mother Righteous duplicate melts to nothing is fascinating and revolting in equal measure, and a real stand out. For those who've been eagerly awaiting the return of the Phoenix, and have been watching the events in the White Hot Room closely this is one issue that you're not going to want to miss. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Wolverine #48

Marvel Comics, Writers: Benjamin Percy & Victor LaValle, Artist:

Cory Smith, Colourist: Alex Sinclair, Letterer: Cory Petit

Sabretooth War has been a rocky road for our heroes. It opened with a gut punch of an issue, seeing Quentin dead and his head being used as a weapon, whilst Sabretooth tore apart Logan's son. From there we've had Laura be kidnapped and tortured, and Logan has lost his powers. This is where we pick up on part eight of the ten part epic, as Laura tries to escape Sabretooth's floating ship above Krakoa, as his son, Graydon Creed returrns as a cyborg ready to kill his father. On the ground, Logan manages to heal up enough from his injuries to head to one of his weapon stashes that he and Forge prepared to grab some gear, emerging wearing adamantium armour and carrying a Murumasa blade; but meanwhile, Sabretooth emerges from his cocoon, possibly changed forever.

Things are both moving at a very quick pace, and also feel kind of slow in this issue as we see a lot of pieces moved into their positions for the final two issues of the story. As with a lot of the stuff in the Krakoan era, you're going to have had to read a lot of titles to fully get everything here, and that's part of the reason why the book now includes Victor LaValle alongside Benjamin Percy, both of whom have been laying the seeds for this story across different books. I'm excited to see what happens in the final two issues, and it feels like things are going to be big, but it also feels like the story is in a little bit of a slump. Perhaps ten issues was a bit long, and maybe things would feel better if it was a few issues left and had to be a bit tighter. But still, this is a decent issue of Wolverine. ⭐⭐⭐

Power Girl #8

DC Comics, Writer: Leah Williams, Penciler: Eduardo Pansica, Inker:

Júlio Ferreira, Colourist: Romulo Fajardo Jr., Letterer: Becca Carey

I love Power Gril, she's one of my favourite DC characters and I've read a lot of her stuff. She's a great example of a feminist super hero. She's strong both physically and mentally, she's a leader, she's a businesswoman, and she doesn't take crap from anyone. She's been in both the Justice League and Justice Society, and even led the latter. And whilst some dismiss her because of her costume she's a fantastic role model for women. I don't know where she is anymore though, because the woman in the pages of Power Girl just isn't her. I dropped this title after the first issue, having read the stuff leading up to it and not enjoying any of that either. This isn't Power Girl, her entire personality has changed, she has a different name, and doesn't act like the character I fell in love with. This entire book feels more like a Supergirl pitch where they did a replace on the names and costume and decided it'd work fine.

I picked this issue up to see how it ties into the Brainiac story that's been going on, and withing the first couple of pages was reminded why I dropped this title. Power Girl is learning to roller skate, and it's pretty bad. She's nervous, shy, and very un-Power Girl. And more time gets given over to her roller skating and talking about her love life than does the Brainiac attack. The rest of this event has been fun and exciting, and this issue fails on every regards. This is definitely a title that folks can skip when reading through this particular Superman event.

The art on the issue is decent, and when the action does happen it's very quick and to the point. Most of the issue is given over to talking though, so don't expect much super heroics to fill the pages, which feels like a shame as this team seem to deliver it well when given the chance. I don't want to say that this series is a character assassination, as I've really like Leah Williams' X-books, but boy is this a bad time to be a Power Girl fan. ⭐

Universal Monsters: Creature From The Black Lagoon Lives!

Image Comics, Writers: Dan Watters, Ram V., Artist: Matthew Roberts,

Colourist: Dave Stewart, Letterer: D. C. Hopkins

Out of the Universal Monsters my favourite has been the Creature from the Black Lagoon. From his design, to what I found to be the much tighter, more interesting story, that film was the one that really spoke to me the most, and I've got a soft spot in my heart for both him and stories that try to imitate it. This is the first Universal Monsters book that I've picked up, but it's quickly become one of my favourite comics of the week. The story follows journalist Kate Marsden as she hunts a serial killer who has escaped to the Amazon jungle to avoid authorities. Having almost become one of his victims, nearly drowned by him, Kate has a lot of trauma surrounding the man, but is determined to find him. What she stumbles across, however, is a strange conspiracy to steal a drowning victim, and a creature she thought only able to exist in myths.

I've only really caught a few bits of Dan Watters work here and there before, as part of anthologies or event stories, but am familiar with and enjoy Ram V's work, so was excited to see what this writing team could bring to the table. The result is an opening issue that very quickly draws you in and gets you invested. You almost even forget that there's supposed to be a monster involved as you get drawn into this story of a woman hunting the man who traumatised her. Things play out at a great pace, and when the final page comes I ended up annoyed that the issue was over, and that I didn't have the next one already.

The art on the book is really very good, and the presentation of the story is a big part of why the comic is a great read. Matthew Roberts and Dave Stewart do a fantastic job at binging things to life, and their styles compliment each other really well. they make Kate look tired and drawn out, selling you on her trauma and desperation, and the environments all look perfect and sell the atmosphere of the story. But it's the Creature where things excel. He looks amazing, and I loved the pages where we actually got to see him. I'm excited to see what comes next, and can't wait to see more of the Creature. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Avengers #13

Marvel Comics, Writer: Jed MacKay, Artist: Francesco Mortarino,

Colorist: Federico Blee, Letterer: Cory Petit

When Orchis essentially ushered in an era of global hate for mutants one of the things that I didn't like was that the other heroes didn't seem to be doing anything about it. This furthered the feeling that the X titles often feel like they're in a world separate to the rest of Marvel. However, the slow reveal that most heroes and teams were waiting for the signal to go to town on the fascists was great, and the Avengers have spent the last couple issues smashing Sentinels, saving mutants from concentration camps, and bringing Orchis down. This issue continues this, with the Impossible City under siege from dozens of the new Sentinels. As the powerhouses fight the machines in orbit, Captain America and Black Panther take the fight to the heart of Orchis.

I really like the way that the Avengers have been utilised for this story, and their willingness to go to bat for the mutants. Whilst they're not quite as dedicated as the X-Men (I don't think the Avengers are really killing) they're still doing a lot to help the cause. And the reveal this issue that they've been doing so for a long time with a sleeper agent within Orchis was a great addition to the story. Whilst the issue does do a little time skip at the end that shows a post-Orchis world and things seem fine, I guess revealing the X-Men beat the Dominions (we know they will anyway right?) it also jumps straight into the next event with the final page setting the stage for Bloodhunt.

Whilst things move fairly quickly this issue, and wrap up very fast with little to no time to decompress or examine what the Avengers have been through, this is a pretty decent and action-packed issue. The art reflects this, with pages that are absolutely jampacked with combat, explosions, and the Avengers being absolute tanks. The space fights are great, and there are some fantastic scenes which showcase just why this team is one of the best the Marvel universe has. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Darth Maul: Black, White, & Red #1

Marvel Comics, Writer: Benjamin Percy, Artist: Stefano Raffaele,

Colorist: Raúl Angulo, Letterer: Joe Caramagna

We're on our way to the anniversary of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, and an anthology series exploring different untold tales from the life of that films break out villain, Darth Maul, seems like a perfect thing to celebrate. Each issue of the series will feature a different creative team, and the first issue falls to writer Benjamin Percy, who's spent the last few years working on Wolverine and X-Force. With these more violent titles under his belt, and with Maul being a vicious combatant, you might expect this opening issue to be filled with action and death. However, it subverts those expectations somewhat.

The story sees Maul being sent to a prison transport ship that has gone adrift in space. The ship contains the members of bizarre group called the Final Occulation, three individuals with skills and powers that Maul's master, Darth Sidious, wants. When Maul arrives on the ship he finds carnage and death waiting for him, and must deal with the escaped prisoners one by one. The story is a strange mix of the physical violence of the Maul of this era, and the almost crazy mind of the later Maul. His head gets messed with a lot here, and it's almost like watching him walk through a waking nightmare. The result is a story whose tone I wasn't quite sure of, and whose story never really amounted to anything more than just interesting.

The art on this issue is provided by Stefano Raffaele with colours by Raúl Angulo, and the look suits the tone of the story well. There are moments in the book that feel like half formed nightmares, images you might see in your dreams, and it definitely enhances the feel that Percy seems to be going for. With upcoming issues promising different things each time, this is a decent start to what would be a great series. ⭐⭐⭐

Blade #10

Marvel Comics, Writer: Bryan Hill, Artist: Elena Casagrande,

Colourist: Kike J. Díaz, Letterer: Cory Petit

The latest series of Blade comes to an end with it's tenth issue, bringing the story of Blade's fight against the ancient evil force of the Adana to a final, bloody close. I've enjoyed this series, and have liked the long fight to correct the mistake that Blade made in the first issue of helping to free an ancient evil. Along the way Blade has made some new friends and allies, and has learned to embrace more of his vampiric nature, gaining some new abilities from Dracula. There was a moment in this issue where I thought that despite this growth and development that our hero was going to shun his allies and try to win the day on his own. However, the fact that he brought others along to help with the fight feels earned, and feels like the natural next step in his development across the series.

The final issue manages to mix these character moments in with the action well, and we get a decent fight towards the end of the issue that shows off some of Blade's new abilities. When I first finished the issue I did feel somewhat disappointed by the ending, by how Adana gets beaten. However, thinking over it more, I've changed my mind on that and instead find the conclusion very fitting. Blade might not get the killing blow, acting more like the distraction than the lead, but it both works for his character growth, and feels right that the character that gets the killing blow is the one to do so. It's the kind of storytelling that doesn't do the expected, and might get some criticism for that, but ultimately chooses the more narratively satisfying way.

The art team on this title work well together, and have delivered some great issues across the series. They've created a very satisfying visual tone, and the action always looks great. This marks the end of this volume of Blade, and it's disappointing that it has only lasted for the ten issues. However, with Blood Hunt on the very near horizon it feels like Blade has to be heavily involved in that, and so won't be gone for long. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Batman: Dark Age #2

DC Comics, Writer: Mark Russell, Artist: Michael Allred,

Colourist: Laura Allred, Letterer: Dave Sharpe

Mark Russell began the first issue of Batman: Dark Age with an old Bruce Wayne, living in a retirement home. It's a different depiction of the older Bruce than fans have come to love, having fallen in love with the version given to us in Batman Beyond. However, when we jump into the flashbacks it became very clear that this is a Bruce Wayne that we do not know, one whose life followed a very different path to what we're used to. With a lot of alternate takes on the dark knight being very different, opting to go big and weird, Batman: Dark Age offers instead a version of the character that could very much have existed within the comics, a Bruce Wayne who is only separated from the one we know thanks to a few slight changes.

Having been sent to prison at the end of the last issue, Bruce is facing ten years behind bars, but knows that he'll be lucky to make it past his eighteenth birthday. The night of his birthday he manages to repel an attempt on his life, and is then released to the army, having been offered to have his sentence commuted if he fights in Vietnam. It's in the jungles of Vietnam that Bruce is trained as a commando by legendary solider Ra's al Ghul, fighting with unconventional means and weapons alongside other soldiers, such as Oliver Queen. Upon being released from the army, for refusing to kill a prisoner, Bruce returns home to find a Gotham changed since he left, a city in desperate need to help. With the assistance of Lucius Fox, Bruce adopts a new identity to help save his home.

Batman: Dark Age was a title I wasn't completely sold on when I picked up the first issue. It took me several pages to really get into it, but it quickly became a fascinating read. This issue carries that feeling on, and whilst the book may be extra size in length it felt like I reached the end in no time, having become so absorbed into the narrative. Michael Allred's art is also a big draw to the book for me. Everything is crisp and clean, but the designs have their own unique flavour to them that doesn't feel like any other Batman title on the shelf. The book is one of those comics where once you're done reading it you will likely spend a great deal of time just looking back through the pages, marvelling at the art. I'm loving this version of Batman, and can't wait to see what comes next. I'm also sad that this title only has four issues, and that I'm already half way through it as I could see myself reading this series for a long time to come. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ultimate Spider-Man #4

Marvel Comics, Writer: Jonathan Hickman, Artist: David Messina,

Colourist: Matt Wilson, Letterer: Cory Petit

The new Ultimate Spider-Man started particularly strongly, and the new twist on the formula for Peter Parker has been a big draw to this series for me. I've liked seeing a more mature Peter, one who's not had to worry about powers and heroics and has had the time to build his family. His relationship with his daughter has been a definite highlight, especially last issue. However, the fourth issue has been the first that really feels like it's highlighting some of the flaws from the series as it's getting going. The main one of these, for me, is MJ. She and Peter had very big conversation in the first issue, the kind of conversation that mirrors a lot of people's coming out talks with spouses when they reveal their queerness or that they're trans (that talk definitely resonated with people in the trans community). It was the type of talk that rocks marriages, yet it seems nothing has come up since then,

Peter told his wife he needs a big change, that there's a part of his life missing, and then they've not really brought it up since. I had assumed that MJ knew about his spider powers, but that was quickly shot down. This issue further highlights how ridiculous it is that she doesn't know as she, Peter, Harry Osborn, and his wife (no spoilers) go out for dinner and MJ is the only one there who doesn't know. There's a lot of talk about her not knowing between Peter and Harry. There's a lot of talk in general this issue as the vast majority is a dinner chat. Expect heavy use of the nine panel page, and lots of tell rather than show as the characters talk about their world and lives. It's a decent issue, though there's not much in this one that excites or grabs, and is likely to be very quickly forgotten when thinking about the other stuff this series has done. Because of the normality of the issue it does feel a little like the art team are being underutilised here. Everything looks great, but there's nothing that stands out and I'm left remembering the general vibe of the book rather than any particular moments. Hopefully this is a moment of calm before the series gets into full swing again next issue. ⭐⭐⭐

Daredevil #8

Marvel Comics, Writers: Saladin Ahmed, Erica Schultz, Elsa Sjunneson,

Ann Nocenti, D. G. Chichester, Ty Templeton, Artists: Aaron Kuder,

Jan Bazaldua, Eric Koda, Stefano Raffaele, Ken Lashley, Tommaso

Bianchi, Ty Templeton, Colourists: Jesus Aburtov, Ceci de la Cruz,

Dee Cunniffe, Juan Fernandez, Letterer: Clayton Cowles

Whilst the latest issue of Daredevil might be the eight of the new run it's also something a little bit special, as it's a celebration of 60 years of the character. Rather than making an issue that's all about that, this months release combines the ongoing story with several other tales from across the history of the character to give readers something a little bit special. The first story in the collection is the one that is set during the present and carries on the ongoing story, seeing our two Dardevil's, Matt and Elektra, teaming up together properly for the first time since Matt came back. The story ends with a nice little reveal of a new big bad for the vigilantes to have to deal with that I think fans are going to be more than happy with.

Alongside this are stories that long time and new readers alike will enjoy. There's a story focused on Elektra and Alice that is pathing the way for Daredevil: Woman Without Fear coming later in the year that has piqued my interest for that series. There's a story that sees Matt being a guest speaker at a school for deaf and blind kids that ends up with him helping to save a young girl. Plus we get a story during the black armour period that features the Punisher for those edgy 90's nostalgia fans out there. The stand out of the entire comic might be the King of the Hill style strip featuring the Kingpin; the only downside of which is that I now want an entire series of this.

The book features several writing and artistic teams, each with their own look and feel. The styles suit their stories well, and the book is great to look at and showcases some really wonderful talent. Whether you've been reading Daredevil for a while, or just jumped on board with this run, I think this is an issue that folks are going to like. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Star Trek: Discovering The TV Series by Tom Salinsky – Book Review

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

With Star Trek being the huge franchise it is, it’s hard to think that there was once a time when it wasn’t a world renowned piece of fiction. Today we have a dozen television series, and even more movies, as well as several new projects on the horizon. There are video games, board games, and roleplaying RPGs. Conventions happen all around the world, with stars from the franchise meeting fans and celebrating the series; they even have a Star Trek cruise! But there was a time when it was still considered quite niche, when Star Trek was just an odd, often looked down upon, television series that you’d get mocked for liking. The original series found more love over time, but when it first came out it was not something that many people made a big thing about liking.

It wasn’t really until series creator Gene Rodenberry got a second shot at things that it really started to take off as a franchise to take notice of. Thanks to the success of Star Wars every studio was trying to find the next big sci-fi hit, and it’s how we’ve gotten some great franchises. Star Trek was one of these attempts to cash in on the sci-fi high, and the cast of the original series were brought back together for some big screen outings, the popularity of which helped to launch a whole new show, Star Trek: The Next Generation. This is where the franchise really took off, and Star Trek became the cultural juggernaut that it is today.

Tom Salinsky, a long time fan of the franchise, was introducing his housemate Steve to various pieces of entertainment media since he’d moved to the UK from Syria. He’d shown him Doctor Who, Columbo, Singing in the Rain, and Fawlty Towers, but realised that he’d not really introduced Steve to one of his oldest loves: the Star Trek franchise. So Salinksy became inspired to watch through all of Star Trek in order (I assume with Steve), watching one episode a day as he made his way through every single show. Contained within the pages of Star Trek: Discovering the TV Series are his experiences with the original series, the animated series, the original series movies, and Star Trek: The Next Generation.

The book is split into segments for each of the shows and movies, making it easier to digest. From here Salinsky gives us a brief description of the episodes, who starred in them, and a star rating, before launching into his thoughts on the episode. Each episode is given anywhere between half a page and a full page, depending on how much there is to say on each one, and covers anything from Tom’s previous experiences with the episodes when he first saw them, his changing view of them over the years, or his fresh experience of them if this is his first time viewing. For those who are familiar with the episodes, these dives are likely to bring fond memories of the show, and might remind you of certain episodes that you haven’t seen in years. And Salinsky writes in a very relaxed, almost conversational manner that makes these segments feel less like a breakdown from an academic and more like a friend just chatting about the show.

However, perhaps the biggest flaw in this format, and with the book in general, is that it’s not friendly to those who haven’t seen the episodes. The plot is maybe mentioned in a sentence, and then only in the broadest of terms. And on occasion Salinsky will only mention small parts of the plot in such ways that you might hear a part of the resolution, but don’t know why things are happening. For example (picked from a randomly opened page), in the discussion of the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode ‘The Long Goodbye’ it mentions that Picard is in the holodeck playing detective. A crewmember gets killed. Wesley saves the ship.

Why is the crewmember killed? Why does the ship need saving? How does Wesley do this? All of this information is missing. This is fine if you’ve seen the episode, but if not, or if you can’t remember it that well, it does leave you a little lost. If you’re reading through the book and you either haven’t seen the episode, or may not have seen it recently enough to remember the plot, discussions end up pointless, and can lead to you having to skip over things, or be left with no context for portions.

The book isn’t bad by any means, and when you have that knowledge of the episodes it makes for fun, if brief breakdowns of them from Salinsky’s point of view. Perhaps the best way to enjoy the book is either to watch the show as you read it, perhaps doing an episode a day system the way the author did, or to have Wikipedia open along with the book so that you can read the episode description to get a refresher before reading Salinksy’s thoughts on it.

For the hardcore Star Trek fan who’s looking to add something a little different to their collection, or to be inspired to have yet another watch through of the series, this will be a great companion piece to add to their shelf. For casual fans, or perhaps those who’ve never seen the show and are interested in learning more about it, it’s perhaps not the best choice to start with.

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Witch - British Folk Horror Coming Soon

 

Released on 29th April 2024, Witch is a new British folk horror film from directors Craig Hinde and Marc Zammit. 

Witch takes viewers to 1575 England, where we will meet Twyla, played by Sarah Alexandra Marks, a caring wife and mother who has been accused of witchcraft. Facing the death penalty if found guilty, her husband William sets out to find the real witch behind the crimes Twyler has been accused of, hoping to bring her to justice to save his wife's life.

Witchcraft has often been a ripe source of inspiration for horror films, and whilst Witch promises to feature otherworldly horror, it's perhaps the very real horrors of the witch hunts and trials from history that take centre stage in this upcoming film. Set decades before the infamous witch trials of Salem, the film promises to shine a spotlight on the often forgotten witch hunts of Britain, and the terrors of the time for those accused of being practitioners of the dark arts. 

However, the film also tells the story of a devout husband, one willing to go through terrifying trials and face down awful horrors to save the woman he loves.

Witch releases in the UK on 29th April, and I will be reviewing it for release. However, until then, check out this clip from the film.

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Three Exorcism Siblings Vol 1 by Shinata Harekawa - Manga Review

 

'In the mountains above Japan, Mamoru Yamaemori spends his days tending to his family shrine, fighting Tengu— monsters who feast on human flesh—and, making sure his two younger brothers will never have to pick up his mantle. Unable to escape the life forced upon him by his parents and a dark ritual involving Tengu blood, all he knows is that his existence is a curse: he is destined to die young in the service of others.

'But to fight monsters, Mamoru must dance that line between loving older brother and mindless beast – or else he risks becoming that which he is sworn to destroy.'

Three Exorcism Siblings opens with a grim image. Deep in the woods, something huge and monstrous eats the head of a child whilst another lays nearby, unconscious, with the warning that 'Deep in the mountains... Dwell the Tengu.' This is something of a dark, horrific beginning to a story that isn't as frightening as this first page would have us believe, as whilst there are indeed monsters to be found within these pages, there are also brave young warriors whose mission is to stop them.

In the mountains there lies a remote shrine, watched over by three siblings from the Yamaemori family. The youngest of them is fifteen-year-old Yu, who loves sports and doesn't really do well at his academic studies. The middle brother is Kei, a seventeen-year-old student who is almost the opposite to Yu, and is incredibly smart and studious. And looking after both of them is twenty one-year-old Mamoru. Mamoru is the first of these three siblings that we meet, and the first time we see him he's killing the monstrous Tengu with a sword, saving a child's life. As the elder sibling, he's sworn to protect the shrine and the surrounding area from the Tengu. This would lead you to think that Mamoru is going to be a grim, perhaps even haunted kid of young man; where in fact he's something of a mother hen to the others.

In a delightful twist on the expected formula, Mamoru spends much of his time cleaning the home, making dinner for his brothers, and acting like a loving parent to them. He's even unafraid to cry and show is emotions over how proud he is of his two younger brothers. He's a wonderful subversion on the warrior with a sacred duty archetype that you can't help but instantly like him.

Unfortubately, things can't stay nice and happy for our three protagonists. When his brother is in danger, Mamoru heads out into the woods to fight the monsters that are threatening his family. Whilst he manages to save Yu, he's seemingly killed in the attempt, but comes back as a Tengu-like creature himself. Somehow fighting off the full infection, Mamoru must learn to control his new abilities and find a way to use them for good, lest he turn into one of the very monsters he has sworn to destroy.

Three Exorcism Siblings has a really interesting start, with a nice mix of very relaxed, enjoyable slice of life style scenes with a family that care about each other and get along well, along with some very bloody and horrific moments that feel like they belong in a horror title. Plus, there's a load of action thrown into the mix too to keep things exciting. Shinata Harekawa does a great job at balancing all of these different tones, and gets you invested pretty early on. By the time Mamoru becomes infected by the Tengu you're already on board for this story, and you care for the siblings, even though you've barely begun the story. 

This investment in making likable characters definitely keeps you on board as Harekawa spends the rest of this first volume diving into the history of this family, the mythology around the Tengu's, and this secret world of shrine protectors that exists hidden from the regular world. Like with most good Urban Fantasy books, you get small peeks of the strange and unusual before diving headfirst into the fantastical elements, and the first volume keeps racking up the stakes throughout so that by the time the first book comes to a close you're desperate to find out what happens next. 

Harekawa's artwork looks fantastic, and the action and horror moments stand out as some of the best parts in the book. The very first page feels incredibly visceral, and the image of the Tengu biting a child's head off in a single bite is shocking and rendered in a way that doesn't revel in the blood and gore, but conveys the horror of the imagery well enough that it feels haunting. There are several moments like this throughout, where it almost feels like the reader is a perverse watcher, peeking in on awful, depraved events that we shouldn't be looking at. Thankfully, the action that's in the book acts like a nice palate cleanser for these moments. And the scenes in which Mamoru gets to cut down a monster with his family sword are drawn beautifully. 

If you're looking for a new manga series that manages to juggle world building, likable characters, great action, and horror, then Three Exorcism Siblings is a book that you're going to want to pick up. It's a very addictive read, and if you're like me you'll end up finishing the entire thing in a single go and be ready for the next volume already.

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Hellboy (2004) – Throwback 20

 

Originally published on Set The Tape

When looking at the last decade or so of cinema and the huge numbers of big budget comic book movies and multimedia shared universes it’s easy to forget when comic movies were first becoming a popular thing.

The early 2000s was when the genre was first making its way onto the big screen without being seen as a joke, with films such as Blade, X-Men and Spider-Man leading the charge for these films to be taken seriously again after the 90s saw a drop in popularity and acclaim with fairly disastrous Batman movies. With people wanting to see more comic book films on the screen there was a push to find more properties to adapt, and studios began to look outside of the ‘big two’ (Marvel and DC) to find source material.

One of the properties that stood out to studios looking to cash in on the popular, darker tone of successful movies like the Blade series, and the more serious natured approach to X-Men, was Dark Horse Comics‘ Hellboy. Originally having appeared in Dime Press #4 in 1993, the character of Hellboy quickly appeared in his own four issue mini-series, Hellboy: Seeds of Destruction, a year later.

This book would prove to be the spark that not only made a name for the character, but also began an entire universe. The Hellboy universe would begin fairly small, but over time new characters and new titles would be added, spawning spin-offs and events in a story that would go on for more than thirty years. The popularity of the series, and the fact that series creator Mike Mignola was already on board to bring it to the big screen alongside director Guillermo del Toro made the prospect an enticing one, though the road to get to the big screen wasn’t an easy one.

Del Toro wanted to make Hellboy before a single studio did, having discussed the idea of adapting it with Mignola in depth years before the project was given the go-ahead. Del Toro took the key storyline from the first Hellboy story, but altered several elements to better suit the big screen, including slightly altering Hellboy’s origins to better connect him with the films antagonists.

Most interestingly, during these early stages of development, del Toro had already cast his lead actor. Del Toro wrote the script with Ron Perlman as his only choice for the titular role, and made efforts to make the character work for him. Part of the choice in casting Perlman was due to his experience in extensive monster make-up, thanks to his work on the television series Beauty and the Beast, a series where Perlman also displayed his ability to convey nuance and emotion whilst hidden under prosthetics.

Whilst several studios initially rejected del Toro’s pitch to adapt the comic, with many executives not liking the very idea of the film, the push to get more comic movies made and on the screen ultimately helped. Del Toro was ready to make Hellboy in 1998, but it wasn’t until 2003 that a studio finally gave him the chance to make it.

The film loosely follows the story of the first graphic novel, and opens with the origin of Hellboy (Ron Perlman), a demon summoned by the Nazis, and the mystic Rasputin (Karel Roden), during an occult ritual on a remote Scottish island during World War Two. A group of Allied soldiers, along with a young occultist, manage to stop the ritual from being completed. Rasputin is sucked into a portal and lost forever, whilst a small demon baby with a right hand made from stone is found in the ruins. Sixty years later, the demon, now a man named Hellboy, works for the government institution the B.P.R.D. (Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense). Having been raised by the young occultist, who he sees as his father, Hellboy fights to protect the world from paranormal threats and monsters.

Helping him in his mission is Liz Sherman (Selma Blair), a young woman with the power to create and control flames, who has a budding romance with Hellboy, and Abraham ‘Abe’ Sapien (played by Doug Jones and voice by David Hyde Pierce), a psychic fishman. The three of them are joined by a new agent, who has only just discovered the world of the paranormal and is in over his head, but acts as our audience ride-along character as we get to discover this world ourselves. When the team learn that Rasputin has returned from the demon realm he was lost to decades before, it begins a mission that has the fate of the world resting in the balance.

Despite having a built in fan-base, and the popularity of comic book movies at the time, Hellboy did not experience a smooth release. Being brought out during the Easter period, and with both Hell in the title and a demon as the hero, the film met protests from religious groups and businesses. Some toy chains refused to sell Hellboy merchandise, some theatres wouldn’t show the film, and certain markets in southern US areas changed the name of the film to ‘Helloboy’ to try and avoid demonic association. Despite these protests, the film received high critical and audience praise, and was nominated for several awards. The success of Hellboy would also see a sequel four years later that was even better received.

Whilst superheroes may have been dominating the comic book movie landscape at the time Hellboy offered audiences something different, and showcased to general audiences that comic books are a lot more that capes and tights.

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The Borderlands - Limited Edition Blu-ray

 

The Borderlands was a film that I had seen on a number of lists of great horror films that few people had heard of, and it was often cited as one of the best found footage horror films. A few years ago I managed to find a copy, and thought that I'd give it a try, my household being fans of both horror and found footage. It quickly became one of our favourite horror films, and have since watched it pretty much every Halloween season. As such, when I heard that Second Sight were releasing a new Limited Edition Blu-ray release of the film I knew that I needed to check it out.

The Borderlands takes viewers to the sleepy English countryside, to a small town where nothing special really happens. However, a small, barely looked after church, has experienced what the priest is calling a miracle, as objects upon the altar began to move on their own. We join a trio of Vatican investigators as they travel to the small church to try and debunk what has happened. There's the sceptical priest Mark (Aidan McArdle), the agnostic techy Gray (Robin Hall), and the alcoholic and world weary investigator Deacon (Gordon Kennedy). Equipped with headcams to record their investigation, the three of them work together to find out what's going on in the church; and discover something that none of them could have ever expected. 

Forgoing jump scares, The Borderlands is something of a slow-burn horror film, and for much of its run there's very little happening that you could actually call horror. The film takes its time, and lets you get to know the characters as they bond as a group, and begin to investigate what they're sure is a hoax. Many of the early scenes feature two of the leads, Deacon and Gray, as they hang out in their rental home, having a few beers, doing a jigsaw, and getting to know each other. The chemistry between the actors in these scenes are undeniable, and it's a huge part of the charm of the movie. There's a sense that the production was perhaps somewhat relaxed, and that much of the banter and joking between the two leads is largely improvised on set joking (this is confirmed in an interview included on the disc).

The film draws you in and gets you attached to the characters very easily, and as such, when the spooky stuff does start it almost takes you by surprise as you've forgotten that this is supposed to be a horror film. Like the characters, you've almost come to think that the events they're investigating must be a hoax, and that you're just there for a fun time. And this is one of the things that the film does wonderfully. This lulling into a false sense of security before it pulls the rug out from under you elevated the horror and makes it that much more disturbing. It feels real in the sense that the film has the frightening intersecting with the mundane in a way that makes your skin crawl and your stomach turn. 

Perhaps the biggest thing about the film, and something that gets brought up almost every time it's mentioned, is the ending. I'm not going to go into what happens at the end of the film, as if you've never seen The Borderlands and haven't had it spoilt for you you definitely need to see it. It's the kind of ending that had me with my jaw hanging, and having to double check I was seeing what I was seeing, asking the others with me if it was really happening. It's unexpected, shocking, and absolutely stays with you. It's the kind of ending that makes you want to re-watch the film almost immediately; and because of this ending I'm sure that The Borderlands will continue to grow as a cult hit. 

Alongside the movie, the new set comes packed with a host of enjoyable special features that fans of the movie are sure to enjoy. There's an archive Behind the Scenes featurette that has been on previous releases of the movie, but there's also some brand new features made just for the new Blu-ray. There's an interview with special effects artist Dan Marin, named 'Monster Goo', that goes into the work done for the film, but also includes a guide to making your own monster slime at home; something that I didn't know I wanted to do before seeing it explained to me. There's also an interview with producer Jennifer Handorf, who goes into the production of the movie, the adventures in filming underground, and how the film was given a different name in the US.

The two best features, however, as the interview with stars Robin Hill and Gordon Kennedy, and their audio commentary for the film. The interview, which takes place inside an old church that appeared in a small scene in the film, is a lot of fun, and the two stars slip back into their friendly banter and jokey relationship that their characters had on screen. The two of them are a lot of fun together, and their stories often lead to you chuckling along with them and wanting to hear more. Luckily, the commentary allows for this, and whilst watching through the film with the two of them telling jokes and funny stories does make the experience less frightening it absolutely makes it hugely enjoyable. 

The Borderlands has very quickly become one of the horror films that I'll always recommend to people who haven't seen it. It's imaginative, enjoyable, and encourages multiple watch-throughs. This new release, which also comes with some art cards and a book filled with essays about the film, is perhaps the perfect edition of the movie. It has everything that a fan of the film could want, and I can't think of a good reason to not want it decorating your shelf. 

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Bobcat Moretti - Film Review

 

Sports are hugely popular, and have become engrained into modern culture in ways that other pursuits haven't. There are large sections of daily newspapers dedicated to sports, the nightly news will include a sports segment, and there are entire channels committed to not just watching sports but discussing them in depth. This has become very normalised, in ways that you don't get for things such as the arts, and most people just see sports as one of those things that is everywhere. Despite that, sports tends not to make its way to the movies all too often. There are exceptions to that, and we're not without sports films, but compared to its prevalence elsewhere it's strange that it's not a bigger genre.

One sport that tends to make the translation to film a lot, however, is boxing. Boxing movies allow the creators to skip over having to manage a large cast that would come with team sports, and instead focus on one persons story. And boxing movies are often more than just boxing; they're stories of a person overcoming some difficulty, or pushing themselves harder than they thought possible in order ton pursue a dream. Bobcat Moretti fits nicely into this mould, and whilst it doesn't do anything new or innovative with the genre, it still tells an engaging story that ticks all the boxes that fans would want.

The film begins by introducing us to our titular character, Bob Moretti (Tim Realbuto), a man in his late thirties who has found himself overweight and sick following a personal tragedy that saw his wife killing their son before turning a gun on herself. Pushing past the doctors insistence that his pain must be psychological, he's eventually diagnosed with MS, multiple sclerosis. Struggling to take care of his elderly mother, who's suffering with dementia, he eventually moves back to LA to stay with his brother and his family after their mother passes. 

With the opportunity to do anything in front of him, but weighed down by his grief and his diagnosis, Bob struggles to know what to do with his life. He eventually comes across an old boxing guy run by Jo (Vivica A. Fox), who agrees to take Bob on as a janitor. She also agrees to help train him in order to help him manage his grief and improve his physical health. Thus begins a story that will see Bob, now nicknamed Bobcat, moving on to a new chapter of his life; but it's one that's far from easy.

Bobcat Moretti is clearly a small movie, and it has some issues that you do come across with some indie productions, chiefly with the audio not quite being perfect all the time, but it's also clear that a ton of passion has gone into making the film. Realbuto co-wrote the film alongside director Rob Margolies, and the scenes in which Bob is dealing with the trauma that he's carrying with him are some of the better moments in the film, and Realbuto sells it well, delivering some scenes that any actor would be proud of. However, it's his physical transformation during the movie that's perhaps the most surprising. 

Midway through the film there's a skip of several months, during which Bob has dropped a lot of weight. The first time we see the transformed Bob I had a moment of confusion as to what the film had done. It looked like Bob, yet he'd clearly lost a lot of weight. I considered that they'd recast him with another actor who was incredibly similar looking, or even that the film had used some very good prosthetics to make him look larger earlier on. The truth is so much simpler, and much more impressive. Realbuto lost 70kg (11 stone) midway through the film. This is the kind of physical transformation some actors will do for a role before a movie, so to see it happen during one is hugely impressive, and speaks to the level of dedication that the lead has for the film. 

Alongside Realbuto, Vivica A. Fox is the films top billed actor, and is perhaps one of the bigger names in the movie (apart from a cameo from the hugely famous Coolio, but I'm not sure that counts). Getting Fox for the film was definitely a big thing, and it helps Bobcat Moretti stand out from other independent movies filled with largely unknown names. I'll admit, it was seeing her name on the cast list that initially grabbed my attention. But, Fox isn't just here to give the film credibility, as she plays the role of Jo well. A lot of boxing movies have an older, experienced trainer for our leads to connect with, and Fox fills that kind of role here, and does many of the things that you'd expect. However, she brings a degree of warmth and care to the role that in so many other films often comes across as the 'grouchy' older guy. The fact that a role that's normally given to older male actors is being performed by a Black woman also makes the film stand out from the crowd. 

Bobcat Moretti isn't a perfect film. There are issues throughout, and it's clear that the budget is limited in places (scenes that are supposed to include a crowd focus on a few people and put cheering voices in the background to do the rest), but it's decent despite this. The film tries, and whilst it does include many of the tropes from these kinds of movies it does do things a little different here and there too, and is trying to tell its own story. Whilst you're not going to be getting Rocky Bobcat Moretti is an enjoyable and engaging experience.

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