June 2021

Review – A Quiet Place 2

18th June 2021

Review – A Quiet Place 2 Directed by: John Krasinski Written by: John Krasinski Produced by: John Krasinski & Michael Bay Starring: Emily Blunt, Cillian Murphy & John Krasinski Release Date: June 3rd 2021 (UK) Initially, when I saw A Quiet Place 2 for review, I wasn’t expecting to enjoy it anywhere near as much as I did because of how disappointing I found the first movie. However, sometimes I am very glad to be proven wrong and this is one of those times. A Quiet Place 2 does what all good sequels should do, in that it builds upon the foundation laid down by the first movie, whilst upping the stakes and increasing the intensity felt by the audience when watching the film. A parallel that I can’t help but draw a comparison to is the change in tone between Alien and its more action-based sequel Aliens. If the first Quiet Place movie strives to capture the suspense and slow burn slasher-inspired horror of Ridley Scott’s Alien, then A Quiet Place 2 nails the faster, more ferocious tone of James Cameron’s Alien’s. Whether this was intentional or not, I do not know, but the difference in tone is evident from very early on in John Krasinski’s sequel. While the film does star John Krasinski and Emily Blunt as their characters from the first film, Cillian Murphy’s Emmett and Millicent Simmonds’ Regan are arguably the main characters of the sequel. Whilst Krasinski appears as Lee via flashback, (SPOILER, because he died pretty unceremoniously in the first movie,) and Blunt features as Evelyn in what is pretty much a glorified side-quest, they definitely aren’t the main characters in part 2. The choice to focus on two different characters in the sequel is a welcome one as it help the film feel more fresh and when you have stellar performances from Murphy and Simmonds to wrap your movie around, that also helps. I really felt that Millicent Simmonds upped her game greatly from the first movie and although CIllian Murphy’s character was added for the sequel, he is a good enough actor to fit naturally into the plot without feeling shoehorned in. The writing also helps with this and whilst Krasinski’s script is obviously light on dialogue, (since the movie is called A QUIET Place,) it is fairly well-written and contains fewer leaps logic than part 1. The dialogue that is present in the script is decent and the movie also had a good flow that was able to build tension whilst still keeping things moving along at a good pace. Krasinski also returns as director for the sequel and does a good job in terms of getting the best possible performance out of the film’s limited cast members. I am curious to see what he tackles next, as I would imagine he would like to move beyond the horror genre and try something fresh. I would also like to see something different from him as a filmmaker. Polly Morgan’s cinematography was also enjoyable throughout the movie and really added to the intense tone that the film is striving to capture. Along with some slick editing techniques, a good use of lighting, a great instrumental score and brilliant sound design the technical aspects of the movie are solid and I can’t fault any of it. As someone with a background in 3D animation, sloppy CGI is always a major concern when I see any movie. Thankfully, the visual effects in A Quiet Place 2 are stellar and were sparse enough that I was never distracted by them or taken out of the movie at any point. Overall, I came away from A Quiet Place 2 very happy that it managed to surpass its predecessor in every discernible way. I really enjoyed this sequel and would recommend it to anyone regardless of whether you are a fan of the first Quiet Place movie or not. [yasr_multiset setid=2] [yasr_visitor_multiset setid=2] If you enjoyed Dan’s review of A Quiet Place 2, you can check out what he thought of Bad Times At The El Royale here. Don’t forget to like us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Discord and join our official Facebook Group. Check out our new Podcast and subscribe to the channel on Youtube, Spotify, Apple and Google. Buy tickets for BGCP Comic Con in and around Glasgow Scotland – BUY TICKETS Check out all of our Comic, Movie, Television and Videogame Reviews and News from Glasgow, Scotland, UK and the US, HERE and our Podcasts/Interviews HERE If you want to be part of the BGCP community, Join us on Discord, Twitter, Instagram etc then click HERE

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Review – Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2

16th June 2021

Review – Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 Writer: Al Ewing Artist: Juann Cabal and Marcio Takara Colourist: Frederico Blee Publisher: Marvel Release Date: 2021 Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 We continue Al Ewing’s revamped Guardians series and it simply gets better and better. If you haven’t read the first volume, go read it. Or have a look at my previous review here before continuing, a few spoilers appear below! Books 6-12 The first book in Guardians of the Galaxy volume 2 is book 6 “same time next week.” This one, for me, dragged along, I would have preferred something more punchy. However, I get it, it needed to bed the reader in and consolidate the action from the last volume. We find Richard Ryder talking to his therapist about the revelations from the last volume. It is a simple way to remind the reader what happened and to add any additional information we might have missed. For example, I had totally forgotten Marvel Boy and Hercules being a thing! “Let’s talk Politics” This is a diplomatic who dunit murder mystery! Talks between are not particularly constructive but they all kind of agree to disagree. An 80’s stylised Adam Ant esq Marvel boy ends up basically saying, cool, peace it is, happy days. Then heads off to the bog where he finds a dead diplomat and to the others it looks like he is the murderer. More especially when another diplomat enters, whose weapon shoots to kill Marvel Boy but somehow ends up shooting it’s own user! The other diplomats, alerted by the gun fire, find Marvel boy holding the gun… I wonder who will solve this mystery?!? “Business as Usual” Of course the mystery is solved, by none other than Rocket Racoon! With his investigative hat and coats reminiscent of 80’s detective series. With some clever thinking and great witty retorts he settles the matter and figures out the meeting was sabotaged! They discover the culprit or might that be culprits? Plus the reasoning behind it and manage to evade being blown up again! However….Knull is destroying worlds with his dragons and needs to be stopped. “I will make you Star Lord” At last some Peter Quill action, I knew he couldn’t be dead! We catch up to him in the aftermath of him choosing to blow himself up to save his friends in the previous volume. We find out what really happened and how he survived thanks to his boy hood weapon. He has to renew himself into whatever he would like to become as Star Lord, his old life washed away and a new one created in a land beyond, called Morinus. Quill spends hundreds of years there building himself up through various “houses” schooling him into being his true Star Lord self when eventually he accidentally released the gods out of his weapon and they threaten to destroy that universe. He decided they will probably follow him so, it is time to travel through the the sacred pool, back to his original reality. To protect Morinus and the friends that saved him. Review – Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 continues below. “I think I had this Album” Knull and his dragons are, in their mind cleansing the earth and making it a home for evil. The next target is SPARTAX. Of course the guardians can’t defeat him and his dragons alone, luckily for them Star Lord falls out of the sky just in time to blast a dragon in the face! “Here we make our stand” the Olympian gods are making a come back again! However, first Quill or Starlord manages to let the team know what’s about to go down whist Al Ewing let’s the characters deal with their emotions from the recent story arc. Ewing even makes time for references to the annihilation event written 15 years ago! Long term fans are going to appreciate this reference. It builds up for the final show down in book 12. As well as for later series leaving Knull for the next writer. “The Time of Mercy Is Past” The rag tag, odd ball group of mercenaries are reunited but will it last? Of course it will, or they wouldn’t have any more comics to write and sell! The story picks up quickly from where it left off, allowing the characters to realise they are worth more together than as separate individuals. Despite punches to the face by an angry Gamora. Zeus is put down by the team learning to work together.Groot is sadly destroyed but quickly bought back to life using his head and the power of the infinity stones. Now Groot can only utter those 3 little words and now we know why! GotG have def upped their game, I think Ewing’s writing has defiantly upped them to super hero status. Art and Writing This is Cabals last Guardians of the Galaxy series sadly. So yes, truly an end of an era, but what a great 12 books he has produced the art for along side Ewing who has really added some nice moments and character developments. These were well needed for a comic series that had stagnated, where the films have taken over. A lot of love is given to outsider characters, such as Nova.The writing is complimented beautifully by Juann Cabal’s artwork throughout the series. With the amazing colourist Frederico Blee, who gives the vivid blues, greens and pink colour clashes to the art which is truly a feast for the eyes and works an absolute treat with the galactic theme. Guest artist in Marcio Takara adds another new dimension, taking nothing away from Cabal. He adds a twist on Cabal’s designs, very subtlety but managing to stamp the books he worked on clearly as his own. As well as some of the other cover artists involved. Final Thoughts Overall I think Ewing and co deserve the hype they have garnered. They have pulled back this series, given it a twist and the kick

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Review – DOOM #1

24th June 2021

Review – DOOM #1 Writers – Steve Behling & Michael Stewart Artwork & Colour Design – Tom Grindberg Publisher – ID Comics Released – May 1996 Intro We were first introduced to DOOM the video game in 1993 and in 1996, ID Comics decided to adapt the cult classic First Person Shooter into a graphic novel. As with the video game, the main character is a marine who battles demons. And you can expect heavy duty weaponry, carnage and gore aplenty. But 25 years later, how would this hold up against other video game adapted comic books? Would the visuals last the test of time? Read on to find on what I thought about this little slice of nostalgia. Writing I was going to touch on the storyline. But there isn’t one. At all. The main character battles monsters and let’s out comedic one-liners which were a backbone to the video game. I’m really at a loss as to what the purpose of this comic book was? Surely the writers could have put together some semblance of a story, rather than just putting 16 pages of carnage together and calling it a book. That being said, if you are looking for a short burst of full-on violence with a dash of nostalgia, this might be right up your street. Artwork Slightly better than the writing. But still not great. It has that recognisable 90’s comic book style which defined that decade of comic book artwork. Whilst I did enjoy the graphic violence, I felt that the detail on the artwork was lacklustre and lacking in detail. The colouring just feels very one-dimensional and the palette is quite limited. Thankfully the standards have improved in the last 25 years. Overall A comic adaptation of the cult classic 1993 FPS video game. Surely that’s a no-brainer for a successful book? How wrong you would be. Clocking in at a measly 16 pages, DOOM #1 leaves you asking, ‘what was the point of this?’. I loved the video game and thought this would be a bit of nostalgic fun. But it’s simply terrible. Die hard fans of the game may love it. Not for me unfortunately. If you enjoyed our review of DOOM #1 then leave a comment or rating below. [yasr_multiset setid=1] [yasr_visitor_multiset setid=1] Buy tickets for BGCP Comic Con in and around Glasgow Scotland – BUY TICKETS Check out all of our Comic, Movie, Television and Videogame Reviews HERE and our Podcasts/Interviews HERE If you want to be part of the BGCP community, Join us on Discord, Twitter, Instagram etc then click HERE www.bigglasgowcomicpage.com

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Review – Blacksad: Arctic Nation

23rd June 2021

Review – Blacksad: Arctic Nation SUMMARY Blacksad puts himself in the crossfire of a visceral race war within The Line, a decrepit district of New York. Being a black and white cat is a dangerous thing to be when stuck between the Arctic Nation and Black Claws gang, but Blacksad is willing to go the distance in order to save the life of a kidnapped child torn from childhood. Not for the faint of heart, Animal Farm meets A Time to Kill in Blacksad’s coldest case yet. ART Guarnido’s artwork throughout Blacksad: Arctic Nation is comparable to every detective noir novel cover you’ve ever seen; hyper detailed with an aged complexion of scarred stoicism and brooding nihilism. Simultaneously and in contrast, underneath this cold and dark exterior is hearty anthropomorphic artistry, comparable to early Disney animation with carefully crafted and exaggeratedly expressive characters. As if the subject matter itself wasn’t enough to earn this comic it’s R rating, Guarnido looks to offend your eyes with equally scarring imagery of white supremacy, among other things best left unsaid. Regardless of the subject matter, the artwork throughout is wholly and undeniably masterful. WRITING Canales, in my humble opinion, has cemented himself as one of the greatest noir writers of all time with Blacksad. With a deep understanding of the genre, he manages to poke fun at the clichés while maintaining his own brilliant brand of gritty detective allegories by pushing the envelope further than his predecessors; that is by putting anthropomorphic animals into the stained shoes of the human condition. Orwell would be proud! With the comic’s original publisher being the French company Dargaud, the English translation at times can be a little askew which is forgivable, though there is one speech bubble that is just totally in French for some reason. That being said, the dialogue and storytelling do not suffer one bit with it’s pure poetry and tragic realism burned into an unapologetic apologue. OVERALL In conclusion, Blacksad: Arctic Nation is a paragon in the world of comic books and even noir novels that is sure to fluctuate your core temperature throughout. Dialogue is dripping with poetic prowess and melodramatic magnificence while the artwork pulls your heart strings back and forth with it’s adorably industrious mythology eclipsed by a painfully relevant avalanche of reality. To reiterate, this is not for the faint of heart and has garnered a harsh R rating for it’s various subject matters. If you can brave the cold of Blacksad: Arctic Nation, you’ll be rewarded with a one of a kind comic experience that will stay with you forever. A brilliantly harrowing crime story worthy of your attention. [yasr_multiset setid=1] [yasr_visitor_multiset setid=1] Let us know in the comments your thoughts on our Review of Blacksad: Arctic Nation and be sure to check out my reviews for Blacksad: Somewhere Within the Shadows & Blacksad: Under The Skin! Buy tickets for BGCP Comic Con in and around Glasgow Scotland – BUY TICKETS Check out all of our Comic, Movie, Television and Videogame Reviews HERE and our Podcasts/Interviews HERE If you want to be part of the BGCP community, Join us on Discord, Twitter, Instagram etc then click HERE

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Review – Blacksad: Somewhere Within the Shadows

23rd June 2021

Review – Blacksad: Somewhere Within the Shadows Blacksad: Somewhere Within the Shadows is a 2016 fable comic written by Juan Diaz Canales and illustrated by Juanjo Guarnido. Published by Darguad. SUMMARY Pronounced dead at the scene, the concrete jungle of New York mourns and scorns a beloved actress after her cold-blooded murder. One man is on the case to catch the killer; Private Detective and coincidentally her former lover, John Blacksad. With a personal grudge and a city of wild animals out to stop him, justice is hidden Somewhere Within the Shadows. Also, he’s a cat! ART Even if anthropomorphic animals aren’t your thing, you can’t help but admire the gritty details in the designs of these colourful cartoon characters. Guarnido is able to portray and balance a multitude of thematic scenes such as comic relief and crippling despair or primal fury combating intellectual charm. The pages of this comic are coloured like a sunny Sunday morning; faded red wine and smeared lipstick from a wild Saturday night, steamed over with the smoke of lit cigarettes and stained fresh coffee. Blissfully warming even its hazy agitated complexion, you can’t help but be wrapped up in the cruel world of John Blacksad. WRITING One gripe I have is that the characters refer to themselves both as human and animals. This could be a cheeky jab at mankind as a whole being more animalistic than humane in their day to day lives but that only works in continuity sake or with a clear idea of a human being. In this case however, mankind is absent from the setting so it comes off more like a glitch in the system. Now that I’ve got that out of the way, back to praising this wonderful City of Animals fable noir! At face value alone, Blacksad: Somewhere Within the Shadows is an outstandingly grizzly crime story with anthropomorphic animals. Take a deeper dissection of this world that Canales has created and you uncover beautifully intricate characters in a very bleak but familiar setting alongside a gripping satirical narrative laced with hierarchical social food chains and brilliant stereotypical character casting, for better or for worse. This Animal Farm has moved to the big city. OVERALL In conclusion, Blacksad: Somewhere Within the Shadows is an impassioned masterpiece in every way. The premise of a walking talking cat detective solving cases alone is enough to scratch the itch for any fan of detective novels looking for a unique noir story. Once you add the gorgeous artwork and James Ellroy-esque writing styles of Guarnido & Canales, you know you are in for something special. The heavily detailed and creative art combined with charmingly sophisticated storytelling, characters and dialogue makes this triumphant social satire comic a must have for anyone who has ever collected a comic. Blacksad leaves you begging for more and thankfully, this isn’t his last case. Rate our Review of Blacksad: Somewhere Within the Shadows [yasr_multiset setid=1] [yasr_visitor_multiset setid=1] Let us know in the comments your thoughts on Blacksad: Somewhere Within the Shadows and be sure to read our review of the video game Blacksad: Under The Skin. Buy tickets for BGCP Comic Con in and around Glasgow Scotland – BUY TICKETS Check out all of our Comic, Movie, Television and Videogame Reviews HERE and our Podcasts/Interviews HERE If you want to be part of the BGCP community, Join us on Discord, Twitter, Instagram etc then click HERE

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Review – Heavy Metal (1981)

2nd July 2021

Review – Heavy Metal (1981) Directed by – Gerald Potterton, John Bruno & Others Produced by – Ivan Reitman Written by – Dan Goldberg, Len Blum, Dan O’Bannon & Others Starring (voice talents) – John Candy, Eugene Levy, Harold Ramis & Others Release Date – 7th August 1981 Intro A glowing green orb – which embodies ultimate evil, terrorizes a young girl with an anthology of bizarre and fantastic stories of dark fantasy, eroticism and horror. So let’s take a trip back to 1981 and revisit the first animated movie from Heavy Metal. I wasn’t born at the time but I remember discovering this in the late 90’s and being overwhelmed by how utterly insane it is. And it had a kick-ass soundtrack! Re-watching it again many years later, how would I feel about it now? Story/Writing Based on the American Comic magazine of the same name, Heavy Metal (1981) the animated Sci-Fi film has a somewhat cult following. In no small part to the graphic violence, gratuitous sex/nudity and out of this world Sci-Fi stories. The Movie itself has several writers and they combine for six tales, each revolving around the mysterious green orb. A cabbie saves a girl from mobsters, a nerd transformed into a stud, a space captain on Trial, a WW2 bomber crew turned into zombies, the pentagon secretary abducted by aliens and the final tale in which the orb transforms a docile tribe into killers. The stories themselves are entertaining and certainly they might be served better with modern day animation. Art/Animation/Visuals Whilst the animation may have been fresh back in the 80’s, it has not aged well. With the advancements in digital technology, the artwork in this movie is somewhat obsolete. It doesn’t mean that it is unwatchable. People still like a bit of nostalgia. I’m sure some fans of Heavy Metal will still enjoy this. And people under the influence may enjoy the visuals even more! Overall Heavy Metal (1981) – The animation has not stood the test of time unfortunately. And as a result, if you are watching this for the first time, you may be disappointed. But it’s still entertaining from a Science Fiction point of view. And if you like a bit of nostalgia and gratuitous violence and graphic sex/nudity, this is right up your street! Not forgetting the assembly of amazing bands for the soundtrack! If you can handle the severely outdated animation, then I’m sure you will enjoy what is regarded as a cult classic. If you enjoyed our review of Heavy Metal (1981) then leave a comment or rating below. [yasr_multiset setid=1] [yasr_visitor_multiset setid=1] Buy tickets for BGCP Comic Con in and around Glasgow Scotland – BUY TICKETS Check out all of our Comic, Movie, Television and Videogame Reviews HERE and our Podcasts/Interviews HERE If you want to be part of the BGCP community, Join us on Discord, Twitter, Instagram etc then click HERE www.bigglasgowcomicpage.com

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