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Review – Darkhawk: Heart of the Hawk #1

15th June 2021

Review – Darkhawk: Heart of the Hawk #1 Story by Dan Abnett, Kyle Higgins, Danny Fingeroth Art by Le Beau Underwood, Andrea Di Vito, Juanan Ramirez, Mike Manley Colours by Chris Sotomayor, Sebastian Cheng, Erick Arciniega Letters by Travis Lanham Cover by Inhyuk Lee Publisher: Marvel Comics Release Date: 14th April 2021 Introduction 2021 marks the 30th anniversary of Darkhawk’s 1991 debut in Darkhawk 1, a title that ran for 50 issues while the character himself had stints alongside the New Warriors, Avengers, and Guardians of the Galaxy. This is a tribute issue and a hope of things to come! From early 90s action to post-Annihilation plot and finally closing the arc. The issue is way too short, to be honest, but let’s head back to the 90s, find our alien amulet and transmute into DARKHAWK! Stories/Writing Giving us a past, present and future(ish) look at the 90s character that defied the odds and joins Marvel’s teams. During the issue, Chris Powell (Darkhawk) taps into the DATASONG of the amulet and the three stories flow from this lament. The first story, titled “Cry of the City,” is handled by the original Darkhawk creative team of writer Danny Fingeroth and artist Mike Manley, with colours by Chris Sotomayor. It follows Darkhawk as he follows criminal mastermind Phillipe Bazin, before facing off against Savage Steel. Written by the original team of Fingeroth and Manley it plays to the fans! In the second “Long Way From Home,” Powell is wandering a random planet and stumbles into an alien bar. In ten short pages, we get a neat, tidy standalone story showing off Darkhawk in a story with familiar alien baddies . It sits the most comfortable of the three stories and writer Dan Abnett teams up with Andrea Di Vito to draw these pages The final very short five-page story “Last Flight” is a short sombre finale and prelude in one. Finished wearing the amulet, Powell fills the Datasong with his memories to hope the next wearer learns from his mistakes. It’s both a moving and sad chapter to a fan favourite character. Writer Kyle Higgins and artist Juanan Ramírez fill the space with both hopelessness and hope at the same time. Artwork The three vignettes are designed well and fans will recognise the first splash page from issue 1 as a tribute to the style and writing of early 90s comics. De Vito and Ramírez though show their talent in the final 15 pages of the comic. It’s beautiful, desolate and action-packed with modern imagery and panelling. It’s amazing to show this action next to this more realistic artwork and shows you just how far comics have come in 30 short years! We are now as far from the 90s as the 90s was from the late 50s and early 60s artwork! Overall Thoughts This is a quick 12-minute read but worth it as it hints at things to come for both Marvel and Darkhawk. For fans of the hero, it’s a must-buy, but and for others, it’s a good sedge way into a character that fans love but many mainstream fans may not have heard of. If all else fails many will buy it for the stunning Lee cover that collectors will snap up and seal into CGC plastic for eternity! If you enjoyed our Review of Darkhawk: Heart of the Hawk #1 then leave a comment or rating below. 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 [yasr_multiset setid=1] [yasr_visitor_multiset setid=1]

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Review – Peanuts, Scotland Bound, Charlie Brown

16th June 2021

PEANUTS SCOTLAND BOUND CHARLIE BROWN Good Ol’ Charlie Brown has fallen in love with his pen pal from Scotland! (adapted from a planned animated special)

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Review – Teen Titans Academy #1

18th May 2021

Review – Teen Titans Academy #1 Writer: Tim Sheridan Penciller: Rafa Sandoval Inker: Jordi Tarragona Colorist: Alejandro Sanchez INTRODUCTION: Six of the original Teen Titans team members have reunited in order to teach a new generation of teens at the Roy Harper Titans Academy! Nightwing, Starfire, Raven, Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Donna Troy are sharing their skills that they learned while growing up as Titans to show new superpowered teens how to be heroes. But with the lingering mystery of who is parading around as Red X, Nightwing and the rest of the team are uncertain how to approach this specific topic. STORY: Throughout this first issue, the six original Titans introduce themselves as teachers and show the students what their time at the Academy will be like. As they welcome in a wide variety of super powered kids, we learn about the abilities and draw to the large cast of new characters being brought up by the original heroes. Characters like tech-genius Gorilla Gregg and the EMP powered hotshot named Brick stick out as fun new ideas while others like cylindrical shapeshifter named “Tooby” will assumedly be more fleshed out as future issues release. The most shocking inclusion however, is that of previously established DC alter-ego to Shazam, the young Billy Batson. Batson is the only previously known character of these new Titans and he is barely in the issue, but his inclusion is very shocking. Issue one encapsulates the first day of school feeling by showing the new kids moving in and getting introduction lectures from Titans as friendships and cliques begin to form. The intrigue to this story mainly comes in 2 different forms. The first of which is seeing the original Teen Titans members interact and embark on a new journey of teaching new kids that were in the same spot as them years ago. The second is that of seeing all these new characters being introduced and getting to learn more about their powers and personalities. These two things are mainly tied together by the intrigue of the mysterious Red X. This character is one deeply rooted in the Titans past while at the same time very ominously a large part of these new Titans’ future. Throughout the book, we see a lot of charming moments of the original Titans together again. As a big Titans fan, seeing them come together in teaching/leadership positions is a real treat. Also, seeing the current Teen Titans team as upperclassmen being out in the field is really cool. It gives fans of these new characters something to look forward to as they go through their enrollment and honors the older teens that have served as superheroes before the school was made. Out of thew set of characters, the main focus seems to be on the hotheaded ginger named Brick. Brick seems to have energy blast related power that includes electromagnetic pulses, but comes across as one of the much more powerful kids. He seems to have quickly grabbed the attention of Donna Troy who is greatly interested in his capabilities and seems to specifically have a fascination with the Red X. As the first day winds down, we see this Red X discussion come to its’ head as someone gifts Nightwing the original Red X mask that he wore years ago during his birthday celebration, warranting a speech. And the loss of this mask later on is what leaves this issue off on a dramatic note. ART: The artwork throughout is very good overall, as the powers displayed and action within are done very dynamically. I will say that Brick does look very similarly to another student that shows up late, the only difference being their hair color. I don’t think these two are supposed to be related, so the similarity may prove to be more confusing as the series continues. Characters like Stitch and Gorilla Gregg are drawn very well in a more detailed way that their characters warrant without looking out of place in the rest of the artwork. Some of the artwork within is good enough to warrant them being made into a poster, such as Nightwing’s birthday party and the upperclassmen fighting as Teen Titans. Overall, I’m looking forward to seeing this art style benefit the series as we get more issues. IN CONCLUSION: There are a few nitpicks I do have with this issue. Some small things that don’t come anywhere near ruining the issue, but still come across as very strange. The first of these things is Starfire’s eyes. This is something I didn’t notice on the first read through, but once I looked into her eyes I could never unsee it. Her eyes are completely white and comes across as blank windows into her soul. It comes across as a mistake that was forgotten rather than a stylistic choice. There are other artistically unique depictions within that make sense as artistic differences such as Nightwing’s unusual thickness as well as Cyborg’s fully silver depiction, but this specific Starfire change is borderline unsettling. Starfire also seems to be strangely into the Red X mask, alluding that she is attracted to it and its allure when having a personal conversation with Nightwing. Lastly, it’s kind of strange for Donna to exclaim to her student that she is gonna “kick his $#&”, which makes me a bit curious as to how Sheridan is going to handle the female characters of this series. I know these are small things, but I couldn’t go without at least bringing them up. Issue #1 of Teen Titans Academy does a very good job overall at setting up storylines and intrigue for the future of the series. It is clear that the allure of Red X is the main hook of the book’s narrative currently. And as long as the new teens and their dynamics with other heroes are better developed and established before this Red X storyline comes to an end, this series should do well at

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Review – Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 1

23rd June 2021

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 1Writer: Al Ewing Artist: Juann Cabal Colourist: Frederico Blee Publisher: Marvel Release Date: 2020 Guardians of the Galaxy is back in 2020 with a refreshing revamp from Immortal Hulk writer, Al Ewing. This collection, #1-5, has a very different feel to the previous comics I have read, which, I will be honest, is only a handful. I tried them after watching the films and I just couldn’t get into the comics. This is most likely due to my lifestyle at the time, rather than the quality of the comics. With kids, dogs, horses and house stuff for instance, all coming first. Sadly, sitting down with a good book and putting my feet up with a cuppa, was not on the cards. That said, a good book can captivate, as a result I have to accept the previous comics, just didn’t do it for me! Therefore, when these new ones came out, I was intrigued. I really enjoy some of Al Ewing’s work, and I have read only great things about Juann Cabal, therefore, my interest was piqued. They have garnered favourable reviews and for good reason. Peace at last? This is the first collection in the new series written by Al Ewing and it’s excellent. The Guardians of the Galaxy are back as we know them, post Endgame film and everyone is just getting back to “normal” after the Universal Church of Truth massacre that laid out the Galaxy in the last GotG series, written by Donny Cates. Finally the team are having some down time, peace at last in the Galaxy, we all know that won’t last. Al Ewing, can’t help but be fast paced and picks up the story quickly. The team are soon called upon to help defeat the Olympian gods, gone bad! The team is spilt, well Gamora wants out and peace, Quill and Rocket know they need to help and go ahead with the team, negative Gamora, to help. I won’t say anymore or I will have to divulge spoilers! But this is not just an awesome comic for action but it’s an emotional rollercoaster too. I want to read more, there has to be a resolve to this heartbreaking, personal story line… you know the gif that would suit this comic to the ground… the Chris Pratt one, y’all know the one I am talking about! Art and colouring The art work by Juann Cabal is superb and the colouring by Frederico Blee is a brilliant match for Cabals stunning drawings. It gives the comic and the characters an interesting new look. For example Rocket Raccoon in an suit?! It’s fantastic, I would never have imagined it and yet it works, it’s really cool. Quills slicked back hair I didn’t particularly like but hey that’s personal choice. The other characters got a funky reboot and the Olympian gods have a really epic feel. Overall I am impressed with this comic, it’s a team every man and his dog knows thanks to the films, it doesn’t feel a million miles away but does give the characters a fresh feel, there are a few small quibbles and questions I am left wanting answers for but I can forgive them as it’s left a little to our imagination as to how the characters would react and that’s would be fine but I have a thousand ideas on how the characters would respond to what has happened, so I am looking forward to seeing what happens next. 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 – Marvel’s Silk #1

18th May 2021

SUMMARY Marvel’s Silk #1 (2021) is the first issue of a new Spider-Man spin off, written by Maurene Goo and illustrated by Takeshi Miyazawa with colouring from Ian Herring. Kept away from her family in a bunker beneath the city of New York due to a familiar bite from an unfriendly neighbourhood spider, Cindy Moon emerges to find her place in the world. Striking a balance between her double life behind her brother’s back as an investigative journalist for one J Jonah Jameson by day and as a webshooting wonder woman by night known as Silk. When Cindy weaves her own web of journalistic intrigue through a suspicious business operation, her double life intertwines. ART Right off the bat, the design of Silk resembles that of Kitana from Mortal Kombat or Pyslocke of the X-Men if they inhabited the Venom symbiote suit. Neat! However, the cover art depiction of Cindy Moon differs from her look within the comic. Minor details that overall don’t break the consistency of the character but are noticeably different when compared. Despite an overall balance of witty humor and kick-ass action, there are foreshadowing panels of graphic imagery hinted at in small doses which will make for added suspense as the story progresses and deepens. WRITING Avid fans of the Spider-Man franchise will be happy to know that the dialogue keeps within the web of beloved Spider-Humor while presenting fresh tonalities. All of the funny comebacks with none of the groan inducing pans! The family dynamic of living a double life is given a unique and interesting spin, the usual pairing of aunt and nephew is replaced with a brother and sister relationship which on the surface has a lot more character development possibilities already alluded to. Our black widow badass, Silk, is just as much of a badass in the daytime as the woman behind the web, Cindy Moon. Shutting down haters with spidey-sense-like instincts firing off quick burns and roasting retorts. Who says superheroes need to lose their edge when the mask comes off? She even takes jabs at Mr. McPictures of Spider-Man himself! Perhaps to some controversy, it appears as though the monotonous mantra of “with great power comes great responiblah blah blah!” has been dumped in the trash heap of overused hero taglines. In its place is an intriguing message “I’ve been in a bunker for over a decade, so I’m gonna enjoy what I earn.”. Granted, it doesn’t have the same ring to it but in an age of embracing the art of self-care, this is a very relatable message. OVERALL In conclusion, Marvel’s Silk #1 (2021) delivers a lot of detail and character in short succession and sticks the landing flawlessly in its immersive story. As mentioned before, this is a worthy entry to the Spider-Verse with a refreshing spin on the world of webslinging. I’m excited to see where this weaved web of Silk leads Cindy in future issues. [yasr_multiset setid=1] [yasr_visitor_multiset setid=1] Let us know in the comments your thoughts on our Review of Marvel’s Silk #1, what you hope to see from the character and what other spin-off comics you’d like to see in the future! 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 – Superman: Red Son

15th June 2021

Review – Superman: Red Son Written by: Mark Millar Pencils by: Dave Johnson, Andrew Robinson, Walden Wong, Killian Plunkett Letters by: Ken Lopez Colors by: Paul Mounts Release Date: 2003 Introduction Arguably one of the most iconic Superman stories, Superman: Red Son is an Elseworlds story from 2003 that shows what a DC universe would look like if Superman’s rocket landed on a farm in The Soviet Union instead of Kansas. Superman: Red Son was written by Mark Millar, a name you may recognize from Old Man Logan, The Ultimates, Kick Ass, or Civil War. The book was released as a three issue mini-series and has recently been adapted as an animated film. It is one of the most popular and well known Elseworlds stories. Story The plot is pretty straight forward on the surface. A Superman raised in the Cold War Soviet Union instead of Kansas. However, the way the story comes together is what makes it special. Millar’s use of Luthor’s obsession and brilliance to propel the plot is ingenious. The resolution to Luthor’s plot might seem a little convenient but I really feel they earn it in the world. Even the climax, before it devolves into a classic fight, is a brilliant bit of clever writing that understands Superman so clearly. The very end of the book though, avoiding spoilers, really cemented it as something interesting. The way Millar plays with the mythos of Superman in the context of this story caught me off guard in the best way. I love a double entendre almost as much as I love folks being extra clever in obvious ways. Besides playing with the idea of a Superman molded by Soviet ideals instead of American ideals, the book also gives us alternate universe versions of classic DC characters. Superman Red Son proposes the idea that Superman’s arrival to the world was a catalyst for multiple foundational DC events and the way they played out. Outside of geo-political events, it shows massive shifts for Lex Luthor, Batman, Wonder woman, and more. These character twists are fun, although some of them don’t make a ton of sense of you scratch beneath the surface. The Green Lantern and Batman bits are great fan service, but they aren’t as logically strong as the rest of the book. Review – Superman: Red Son continues below Art The art is, excuse the cliche, iconic. This is meant in regards to the art in the book as well of its use of icons in general. The design of our Red Son is one of the most recognizable secondary designs of Superman. The designs of other recognizable DC characters feel both honest and unique. Instantly recognizable in the lineage of those characters, they still fit in this universe so well. It’s not an Elseworld full of change for changes sake though, with some classic designs maintained. Review – Superman: Red Son continues below The way the art style shifts with the “timeline” of the story is brilliant too. The first issue feels more like Soviet Era comics, while the third feels much more modern. It somehow makes the story feel honest and like we’re viewing an alternate history. Homages and similarities to classic comic designs help feel like you’re seeing an alternate version of the world we know. The use of Soviet iconography and colors makes the story feel authentic and serious but still a viable part of the medium we love. It’s impressive to see DC embrace Soviet iconography for the sake of the story, despite them being a step behind Nazi Germany. Overall Mark Millar has been responsible for some pretty iconic stories in the comics medium. Having a classic American hero raised in a Communist Soviet Union is such a fun contrast and the book takes the opportunity to play with that. The nice part of the book is that it doesn’t turn Superman into a totally different person. At his core, Superman still feels the same just with a different set of cultural values. There’s an authenticity to the character, despite the differences, that lots of creators lose when creating alternate versions. I would argue this is a big part of why this book and version of the character captivated audiences so much. Superman: Red Son is a fantastic cover of one of your favorite songs. It’s a fun Elseworlds story but also a touching Superman story. It’s ultimately a character study, more than it is a superhero romp. While it has logical leaps of convenience and fan service, the core of the book is strong enough to compensate for it. Millar shows an understanding of who Superman is, and despite his Soviet upbringing the character shines through. Luthor and Superman both come across as villain or hero at different moments. The art is flexible and gorgeous, balancing homages with unique imagery. Superman: Red Son is iconic for a reason and it’s a must read for fans of Superman or comics in general. If you enjoyed our Review of Superman: Red Son then leave a comment or leave your own 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

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Review – Trick ‘R Treat

17th May 2021

Review – Trick ‘R Treat Publisher: DC Comics Writer: Marc Andreyko Art: Mike Huddleston, Grant Bond, Chris Gugliotti & Fiona Staples Release date: October 2009 Introduction What’s not to love about trick or treating? It’s filled with scares, sweets, and dressing up. All these elements of the beloved Halloween tradition are present in Trick ‘R Treat. Written by Marc Andreyko, Trick ‘R Treat is a four-issue graphic novel adaptation of the cult horror film. As someone who has a soft spot for the film, I took the chance to review Trick ‘R Treat issues 1-4. Writing/Story Like its cinematic counterpart, the story features four interwoven stories that take place in an unknown town during Halloween. There’s a high school principal who dabbles in a little murder with his son; A quartet of high school kids who fall victim to their own prank; A young virgin seeking her ‘first’ which takes a bloody twist; and lastly, a bitter old recluse who gets an uninvited guest. As you can probably already tell, these stories are not suitable for younger readers. This is evident within the first few pages that set the tone quite nicely for the rest of the series. Each issue focuses on a different story, but they are all connected by a mysterious young trick or treater called Sam. This creepy little guy pops up in every issue and his presence reinforces the ancient traditions surrounding Halloween, which is really interesting, as there are so many opportunities for the story to go. One instance teaches you to always check your candy, as a young delinquent falls victim to his murderous high school principal. Then at other times, he is seen slaughtering and attacking those who do not stick to the rules of the holiday, such as giving out candy or keeping up their decorations. Halloween films very rarely focus on the actual holiday itself, and it’s something that makes Trick ‘R Treat stand out from the crowd and can put a chill up anyone’s spine. Writer Marc Andreyko manages to capture the essence of the film’s script quite well, and the anthology format works rather well as a graphic novel. You can see clearly where each of these stories begin to connect with each other, which is crucial to the overall plot. What I enjoyed about the writing, was the presence of both practical and supernatural threats. There are monsters and ghouls, but there are also mundane evils such as sadistic humans disguised as nice guys. It’s not a balance many horror comics can pull off and it adds to the atmosphere of suspense when you are reading. The only major downfall is that Andreyko’s adaptation does not add anything new to the story or the overall plot. I feel like there are certain moments that he could have explored a little further or added in extra information. That’s only a small downside, because these issues are like four giftwrapped scarefests for any horror loving fan! Art With a different artist for each issue, the artwork is certainly a bit of a mixed bag. Each artist brings a different style and this can make the four issues seem a little inconsistent. That’s not to say the visuals are not good. In the first issue, Mike Huddleston’s art looks the most realistic. With its dark purplish tint, he manages to capture the suspense of the film’s opening act. I really loved Grant Bond’s approach to the art in the second issue, which gives off this creepy cartoonish vibe. It adds to the campy and theatrical nature of the holiday and the story itself. However, Christopher Gugliotti’s tackling of the third issue fell a little flat to me. I won’t spoil the story, but it contains one of the best twists in modern horror, and the artwork was either too dark to see what was going on, or a little too chaotic. It’s a shame because it’s a great moment, but the artwork was a little too obscure to really nail it. For the fourth issue, Fiona Staples brings the old fashioned horror vibes. Think Tales From the Crypt or the Eerie comics. Her artwork is visually the most appealing and matches the darker tone of this issues story. Overall Overall, Trick ‘R Treat is a decent graphic novel adaptation of a really obscure horror film. Andreyko manages to capture the creepy tone of the film and has created a decent selection of horror stories. Though, if you are a fan of the film, these four issues won’t add anything new to the story but they do act as a nice visual companion to the film. If you’ve never seen the film, and you are looking for some good scares that aren’t cliche, then give Trick ‘R Treat a shot (preferably in the dark!). If you enjoyed our review of Trick’ R Treat 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 – Monstress Volume One

23rd June 2021

SUMMARY Monstress Volume One: Awakening, is the beginning of your new favourite horror fantasy series written by Marjorie Liu (comic book writer of Black Widow, Dark Wolverine and Astonishing X-Men) and illustrated by Sana Takeda (former designer for SEGA and illustrator for Ms. Marvel as well as X-23 alongside Liu). Game of Thrones meets Princess Mononoke meets Shadow of the Colossus meets Legend of Korra meets Dark Souls. All are limbs, mechanically Frankenstitched to a steampunk body to create something uniquely organic and memorable. In the aftermath of the war between the Cumaea, a council of power hungry humans and the magical hybrids known as the Arcanics, the Known World has become a wasteland for the inhumane with slavery and segregation at the helm. Maika Halfwolf, a half-breed girl and survivor of the war, hunts down the answers to her forgotten past and seeks to avenge her dead mother with a mysterious and gruesome entity by her side and a monstrous voice of reason in her mind. ART Firstly, Takeda has created the Western steampunk metropolis of Zamora, set against a gorgeous East Asian inspired backdrop. Think Legend of Korra but waaaaay darker! The artwork strikes a balance between supernatural levels of gritty realism– both in flesh and machine, and prophetic panels of menacing mythological minimalism. A masterclass in visualizing emotion on the surface in addition to the loose cogs of an industrial city. In contrast to the beautiful scenery and characters, this is a visceral and ugly story. I don’t know where Takeda gets her violent and horrifying inspiration from but it never ceased to contort and twist the nerves. As a well-seasoned veteran of bleak imagery myself, I appreciate the maturity especially when it is important and necessary…but good Goddess there is an abundance of darkness and terror here! WRITING It should be noted, with the comparisons to Game of Thrones and Tolkien’s Middle Earth in its ambitious worldbuilding, it is immediately daunting to intake yet another realm of characters, conflicts, races and rules. Thankfully however, much of the background history is explained through several lectures from the esteemed (and adorable) Professor Tam Tam. Review – Monstress Volume One continues below Truly, the worldbuilding as a whole is brilliantly executed, one line of dialogue in particular gave me chills with an inspiring and idealistic world view that I have never considered before. Perfectly descriptive of the history of this realm and how the current state of things has changed said history. All I’ll say is that it’s on page 96! Most importantly, with a generation changing rise in empowerment for our society, Monstress offers a heartwrenching journey that encapsulates the hardships and inner turmoil of all walks of life. Most notably in its overarching matriarchy and relatable diverse cast of characters as well as the bleak shadow of segregation. Additionally, its more subtle subtexts of mental health and the LGBT+ community offer a new chapter in the Hero’s Journey of inspiration to those battling their own monsters. Furthermore, there’s talking cats if you need a breather from the serious stuff. BALANCE! OVERALL To conclude, have you ever experienced something so visceral yet so versatile in its message that you are convinced you are in the presence of something monumental? That is the experience of reading Monstress Volume One: Awakening. This volume shoots high and breaks through the stratosphere of storytelling with a fiery sky of atmospheric artwork left in its trail. A masterpiece all on its own, that isn’t finished yet. Again, like The Hobbit and Lord of The Rings, this is a household treasure for fantasy fans that demands your annual immersion and guarantees itself to be a timeless classic. In a time of sharing the spotlight with ethnic minorities, empowering feminism and overall evolving as human beings, this comic is in a word, essential. [yasr_multiset setid=1] [yasr_visitor_multiset setid=1] Let us know in the comments your thoughts on our Review of Monstress Volume One the series as a whole with as little spoilers as possible please and if you’d like to see a TV or Film adaption of the series! 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 – Hawkeye (2012)

15th June 2021

Review – Hawkeye (2012) Writer: Matt Fraction Primary Artist: David Aja Artists/Illustrators: Javier Pulido, Annie Wu, Alan Davis, Jesse Hamm, Steve Lieber, Francesco Francavilla Publisher: Marvel Comics Release Date: August 01, 2012 INTRODUCTION: Skilled archer, assassin, ninja, Avenger, all things that Clint Barton A.K.A. Hawkeye USED to be. After experiencing everything from the likes of leading his own Avengers branch in West Coast Avengers to death by Bendis in Avengers: Dissasembled, Barton has been through the ringer. But just because there’s a fresh new Hawkeye on the scene in Kate Bishop, that doesn’t mean good old Clint’s gonna get replaced…right!? Well… contrary to Barton’s track record with women, Clint Barton and Kate Bishop do make an excellent team as their archery skills are unmatched by anyone except for each other. Even though their lives aren’t exactly filled with all the glamor and pizzazz as your average Iron Man or Captain America, this duo of purple archers make a strangely perfect team. Yep! As for these heroes, their base of operations is none other than a busy city apartment building. Because nothing says teamwork like mysterious carpet stains and rooftop barbecues! In fact, due to a strange turn of events, Clint quickly finds himself in ownership of the building in order to keep rent from forcing the residents out into the streets. But things aren’t all sunshine and roses as Barton’s new trek into the world of being a landlord brings with it the attention of a particularly stubborn russian “tracksuit mafia.” And you know it’s gonna get crazy when a clown assassin knocks on that front door! STORY: This 22 issue story stars two purple-wearing personalities and their unique dynamic, but is in many ways about the community that revolves around the apartment they live in. Each resident of the apartment complex is a part of the building’s day to day life and provides meaningful relationships with Clint. A man seemingly stuck in-between the life of a superhero and the lives of the people, not being able to fully integrate into either group. Clint does however find himself a new friend in Lucky, the pizza-loving’ dog that he saves from the ever-persistent “bros” that make up the tracksuit mafia. Kate on the other hand is a hotshot newbie with everything to prove and nothing to do..except sit and bicker with Clint of course! So as she continues to show off her sharpshooting skills, she eventually decides to head out on her own and do some private eye detective work. Kate finds herself driving all the way across America to California with the heart and soul of the team, Lucky, at her side. Kate’s journey to California and her adventures, there are ones that both differentiates the character that she took her superhero name from as well as showing the importance and uniqueness of their relationship. Kate’s relationship with Hawkeye is in no way romantic and doesn’t follow the roles of a master and a pupil. But rather a dynamic that works off of each others best and worst aspects and they always know that at the end of the day they have each other as a shoulder to lean on. ART: David Aja primarily fills the role of artist throughout the series. But throughout the story, especially in Kate-centric issues, a variety of different authors take up the task. Aja does a great job at making his work unique and his art style is clearly a large part of what makes this book stand out. Aja is particularly excellent at visual storytelling and constantly finds unique ways to tell a story through his illustrations. In many ways, Aja’s work is the biggest treat of the entire book. His creative ideas translate perfectly to the characters. These noteworthy accomplishments include an issue seen entirely from the perspective of Lucky, using simplistic but instantly recognizable symbols that shifts the perspective of the story into the eyes of the fan-favorite dog. In the second half of the story, Fraction introduces a new element in the story for Barton’s character, leaving him temporarily deafened right after the introduction of his even more washed-up than him brother. This leads us to see how a current event relates to something in the Barton family past, and shows how much Clint has grown in that time. Aja uses this opportunity to show a completely unique type of storytelling, leaving out almost all dialogue in the entire issue except for the use of sign language throughout. Leaving the reader to try to understand the things that are being said purely through the gestures and portrayals within the art. All the other artists included also do a great job at contributing their own skills to the book. While I personally may be more keen to some art styles than others, each one shows a side of the characters in a unique way that usually depicts a brand new experience in a brand new landscape for Hawkeye and co. The changes to the artwork is mostly used when Kate Bishop is on her own adventures and really differentiates her story as a unique contribution to the overarching narrative. OVERALL: As a huge fan of the Hawkeye character, this series has been a real treat. Clint Barton specifically is a character that isn’t as prominent in the mainstream as many of his fellow Avengers. So when a series comes along starring the Avenging Archer, it’s gotta really stand out to reach the demographic it can reach when at it’s fullest potential. And this series has seemed to do just that. Hawkeye by Matt Fraction is a series that is hard for an avid Marvel comics reader to avoid considering how well received it truly has been. Ever since it’s release it has gained a large following and is known for being a modern classic among the Marvel fanbase. I believe that this praise is completely earned. And if anything is deserving enough to be considered a “character-defining run”, its Matt

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Review – The Dark Knight (2008)

2nd March 2022

Review – The Dark Knight (2008) Directed by: Christopher Nolan Produced by: Chris Nolan & Charles Rovan Written by: Chris Nolan, Jonathan Nolan & David S. Goyer Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman & Michael Caine Release Date: July 24th 2008 (UK) Getting to revisit The Dark Knight for review 13 years after its original release was incredible. It still holds up as the best superhero film ever made up until this point in my eyes. Whilst a few movies, (such as Logan and Winter Soldier,) have come close to the quality of TDK, for me there is nothing that has surpassed it in the last decade. There is so much to love here, whether it is Nolan’s deliberate and effective direction, Hans Zimmer’s uplifting yet melancholy score, the beautifully epic cinematography provided by Wally Pfister and of course Heath Ledger’s incredible, electrifying performance as the Clown Prince Of Crime. The movie starts as it means to go on, with an awesome opening sequence introducing the Joker. It plays out like a short film that could even be viewed independently of the rest of the movie and still make complete sense. We see a group of criminals dressed in clown masks robbing a bank and offing each other one by one after they complete their part of the heist. This all builds up to the reveal of the enigmatic Joker, complete with an awesome Cesar Romero reference in the Joker’s mask as well. The sequence works so well, because it shows even those who aren’t comic book fans or aren’t familiar with these characters, exactly what kind of villain we are dealing with. On the other hand though, there is a lot here for long time fans of Batman comics as well. A good amount of plot elements in the movie were taken from one of my favourite Batman stories ever written; The Long Halloween. Things such as the Harvey Dent working with Jim Gordon and Batman to prevent crime to then go on to show his eventual transformation into the totally unhinged Two-Face. The design choices for the characters were also clearly inspired by a comic by Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo, simply titled: Joker. Batman: The Long Halloween Cast Announced Lastly, the ending of the movie shares similar elements to the ending of The Dark Knight Returns graphic novel, in that they both end with Batman being framed for a murder he didn’t commit and subsequently having to go into hiding and retire from crime fighting. Overall, this is a perfect movie in my opinion. It is an astonishing achievement for a comic book movie and it is a great crime epic in its own right as well. The performances across the board are great, with Heath Ledger being the obvious standout and absolutely stealing every single scene that he appears in. The technical elements of the movie are great and it is just a fantastic cinematic experience all around. I first saw the movie in IMAX and that definitely was the premium way to initially experience this movie, but no matter what format you watch it on, it is hard to deny that The Dark Knight is a cinematic masterpiece. [yasr_multiset setid=2] [yasr_visitor_multiset setid=2] Read our review for The Long Halloween here. Or check out our review for The Dark Knight Returns here. 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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