Review – The Nice House On The Lake #2
Review – The Nice House On The Lake #2. After the life-changing events of the previous issue, the guests at the nice house on the lake must decide their next steps
Review – Blade Runner 2029: Reunion
Review – Blade Runner 2029: Reunion SUMMARY After the events of the original Blade Runner, the replicants caused a blackout in the Tyrell archives, scrubbing the records of existing replicants. The virtual and moral line between humanity and a surviving species is lost to the darkness. One Blade Runner on this thin tightrope looks to make the replicants permanently disappear, one way or another. ART With the exception of the beautiful neo-noir cover art, the artwork throughout the novel is more akin to Akira. There’s a rugged darkness to the original Blade Runner and even it’s colourful sequel Blade Runner 2049 that doesn’t come through here. This is more of a comparison to the films rather than a critique as Lesko’s grainy Akira-like sci-fi palette totally works for this story and is nevertheless beautifully illustrated. It may be a design choice by Guinaldo to exclude the glowing iris of the replicants in order to make the distinction between man and machine all the more difficult to decipher. The inclusion of the subtle distinction however could help in establishing the story’s Blade Runner setting as well as make for some awe-inspiring artwork that tells it’s own story. WRITING With a clear understanding of the source material, Johnson is able to manipulate and engineer his own interesting social dilemmas and gripping scenarios within the thought-provoking mythos of Blade Runner. As well as this, he demonstrates some noir detective chops with memorably poetic dialogue. Something I really admire about the story is how it is uniquely it’s own story, there’s very few callbacks or foreshadowing to events before or after it. Johnson’s worldbuilding is expertly paced throughout, allowing the reader to invest in the complexities of each character. More Blade Runner is good Blade Runner! OVERALL In conclusion, Blade Runner 2029: Reunion is a stand-out and eventful storyline with so many moving pieces, set in the beloved dystopian future of Blade Runner, you’ll think it was directed by Christopher Nolan. Between the grizzly darkness of the original film and the polished luminescence of it’s sequel, this comic stands ironically in the middle with a classic look and a refreshingly inventive story. [yasr_multiset setid=1] [yasr_visitor_multiset setid=1] Let us know in the comments your thoughts on our Review of Blade Runner 2029: Reunion, what your favourite Blade Runner film is and what else you’d like to see us cover at BGCP! 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
Review – You Look Like Death – Tales from The Umbrella Academy
Review – You Look Like Death – Tales from The Umbrella Academy Writers: Gerard Way and Shaun Simon Art: I.N.J Culbard Publisher: Dark Horse Comics You look like Death If you haven’t heard of The Umbrella Academy, what rock have you been living under? It’s the wacky and wild tale about 7 of 43 super-powered babies born on the same morning. Whose mothers had no idea they were pregnant. These special 7 are adopted by Billionaire Industrialist and extraterrestrial Sir Reginald Hargreaves. They are given numbers rather than names by their adoptive father and taught to be a “family” of Heroes. Also there is a massive Netflix show which is brilliantly cast. One of said cast members who plays the lead character in this particular comic, is Robert Sheehan who plays Klaus or number 4 and gives a great description of his character in the introduction of this book. You Look Like Death is the first Umbrella Academy spin off and focuses on Klaus. He has seance abilities allowing him to talk to the dead and amalgamate his body with their spirit, taking on their abilities. What’s it all about? After a falling out at home, in the Umbrella Academy mansion, Klaus leaves to find his own way. He is broke and in need of his fix, his drugs, which allow him to go into the Void. The Void to me seems like a waiting room for heaven or hell where the ghosts learn to accept their death. After a ruckus at the drug dealers, Klaus finds himself in Hollywood making dollar for his talents. He is picked up by an agent who isn’t all she seems. He has a vampire drug lord chasing his tail. Not to mention the vast array of ghostly figures that make an appearance to help and hinder his progress to stardom. All of which, for Klaus is just a means to an end, in order for him to get his drugs. Klaus, actually being a really good guy, but reluctantly, soon uncovers a murder mystery. He manages to get hired by Hollywood’s controllers. Fends off a vampire drug Lord and gets vengeance for murder victims. Klaus manages to do all this, whilst being totally resistant to doing anything at all and on a plethora of drugs. You can almost hear him sighing! Writing and Art It is a great collection, a nice, easy read, but intelligent and challenging enough to keep the reader involved. Especially in its questioning of perceived human nature, often found in comic books to be just black and white. Let’s face it in real life there isn’t just good and bad. As a result, the writers have done a great job of creating multicoloured and multi dimensional characters. Ones that have a little of everything human nature can provide, even in the monsters! The Art work is very good. I liked at the end they showed their process of developing one of the characters with old Hollywood glamour. Over all it was a bit dark, gloomy and angsty, which for the majority of the time suited the subject. But I think, personally, the best art was often the really simple stuff, to be found between the pages. These had an almost 3D effect, like the green and red glasses gave you from the 90’s. The colour choice reflected this kind of throw back too. It just caught the eye so much, I just loved the effect Final thoughts Overall, it’s a good read and one that throws you straight back into the world of the Umbrella Academy. It was a good choice of character for the first spin off. Klaus is probably one of the most likeable characters, with his rogue like fashions and reluctance to do anything. But he always seems to make the right choice anyway, like he can’t fight his own nature. Which just makes him very loveable even if he can’t see it in himself. The volume fits together nicely and is well worth the read. The at times psychedelic art is fitting for the type of story we soo. find ourselves embroiled in.
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Review – Blacksad: Amarillo
SUMMARY Back on the losing side of life, Blacksad takes a step back from the rough world of PI work and opts for a seemingly harmless job as a valet through the valleys of Route 66. What follows is a travelling circus of criminal chaos with one man leaving his mark in each town, a down on his luck lion with a one hit wonder novel. Even with Blacksad and a stampede of bad decisions on this lion’s tail, everyone deserves a second chance to do one good thing. ART Coincidentally, the colouring throughout this comic is like a brand new coat of paint on a 50s Cadillac; redefiningly classic and exuberantly bright. Brightest of this palette is the condimental combination of red and yellow. While it’s symbolism is tailored more towards carnival cosmetics, there is a fitting air of Summer poetry to the warm and passionate colours of red and yellow. Guarnido demonstrates his artistic ingenuity in designing and engineering intricate watercolours throughout this wanderlusting adventure. In the midst of gorgeous train stations and populated city landscapes are atomic nuances of artistry such as concentrated expressions among 100 different animal civilians at once. WRITING As we reach the final instalment (for now) of the Blacksad series, it seems only fair to take the arcs of the series into consideration here. While Canales’ characterisation is immediately brilliant from the moment we are introduced to a character, the real beauty comes from the friends we made along the way. Or rather, their development as beloved characters. For the short time that we see Weekly in this comic, it is a wholesome time to be had as he and Blacksad have formed a genuine admiration for each other. Despite his external and fowl flaws both moral and physical, his inner talents and personality are a breath of fresh air! Canales strays from the path of his usual storytelling tropes of razor sharp relevant subject materials and instead offers his most unique and deep addition to the series. I’m not entirely sure of the overall theme, the human condition? The larger balance of work and passion? A powerful and gripping message of mental health? Whatever it is, I relate to it way more than the other volumes. There’s an element of self-discovery to be found in Blacksad: Amarillo that is as intriguing as it is daunting. OVERALL In conclusion, Blacksad: Amarillo is a fast paced and fascinating addition to the story of Blacksad. Where previous tales focused on subject matters grounded in scarily relevant realism, Amarillo instead offers a simple but convoluted by the numbers classic detective story with uniquely engaging twists and thrills. Heavily detailed and beautifully consistent in both Guarnido’s artistry and Canales’ writing, this duo when separated are stand-alone virtuosos but together are a real tour de force that are ahead of the curve in the world of comic books. [yasr_multiset setid=1] [yasr_visitor_multiset setid=1] Let us know in the comments your thoughts on Blacksad: Amarillo and be sure to check out my reviews for Blacksad: Somewhere Within The Shadows, Blacksad: Arctic Nation, Blacksad: Red Soul, Blacksad: A Silent Hell & 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
Review – We Only Find Them When They’re Dead
Review – We Only Find Them When They’re Dead Vol. 1. THE GODS ARE ALWAYS BEAUTIFUL… …AND THE GODS ARE ALWAYS DEAD.
Review – Rick and Morty Presents: The Hotel Immortal
Review – Rick and Morty Presents: The Hotel Immortal Writer – Alejandro Arbona Artist – Marc Ellerby Colourist – Leonardo Ito Letterer – Crank! Publisher – Oni Press Release Date – 14th July 2021 Intro The next installment of the Rick and Morty Presents series kicks off with a whodunnit in Rick and Morty Presents: The Hotel Immortal. When Cornvelious Daniels checks in for some R&R at the Hotel Immortal, bodies start dropping—and accusations start flying! A fun Rick and Morty one shot which sees the pair in their own murder mystery story. How can someone die in a Hotel with an immortal dome where no-one can die? It’s a schwifty mystery that only Rick and Morty can solve! Writing Rick and Morty Presents: The Hotel Immortal is the fourteenth instalment of the Rick and Morty Presents series and some might say it’s difficult to keep the material fresh. Whilst the subject matter may not be the most original, writer Alejandro Arbona does bring the Rick and Morty Sci-Fi take on it. It did feel like it struggled to match the pacing of the animation but a good book nonetheless. Artwork I’m a traditionalist and I prefer the artwork to be in keeping with original. Not to detract from some of other variations in any way. But artist Marc Ellerby brings us the art style that is synonymous with Rick and Morty and paired with colourist Leonardo Ito, it’s just as you would expect from the animation. Overall Rick and Morty Presents: The Hotel Immortal. A murder mystery book which has the artwork in keeping with the animation and whilst it loses pace in places it is still a decent read. Fans of Rick and Morty will enjoy what is another fun addition to the ever growing franchise. 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: A Silent Hell
SUMMARY Taking a trip down to New Orleans, Blacksad and his repellent rascal of a reporter Weekly are tasked with finding a beloved missing musician in the mayhem of Mardi Gras. However, the Masquerade of the local music industry has prowled through the poisonous streets of New Orleans longer than any parade. In the hometown of Jazz and voodoo, Blacksad is soon to find out that A Silent Hell awaits those with a Life Everlasting. ART With a loud and proud colour palette party and an intricate gallery of water-coloured storytelling throughout, Guarnido has a field day with this volume of Blacksad. You know you are witnessing something special when even the simple use of colour can tell a dynamic story. With the subject matter dealing with the harsh realities of drug abuse, Guarnido takes the opportunity to show off his abstract chops with some truly trippy compositions that are both moving and menacing all at once. These in their own right could be covers for the comic or installations in a renowned art gallery for kaleidoscopic prowess. WRITING Crossing the line between art and writing, I wasn’t sure how to talk about the English translation of this comic. Unfortunately, it’s shoddily done both in it’s style and translation. Slapped across the original speech bubbles like a tacky elbow patch on a tailored suit is a grammatical nightmare of an English translation from it’s original French text, in a lifeless husk of a font no less. Canales is a genius with his immersive dialogue and sadly there’s enough immersion-breaking mistakes in the translation that really break the flow. I’d happily learn French for Blacksad but I think it’d be easier to re-release the comic with a more collaborative translation. That being said, Canales is a tour de force when it comes to his virtuosic talents for as a writer and not even a poor translation can stop him from creating a riveting tale of fabled realism. Arctic Nation dealt with racism, Red Soul a commentary on political warfare and now with A Silent Hell, a dark descension into the world of drugs and exploitative nature of the music industry. OVERALL In conclusion, Blacksad: A Silent Hell, is a maddening Mardi Gras of mistreatment and music. Just like Jazz, there’s a beauty to the dissonance of Canales’ story coupled with a fun and lively appearance atop an exhausted internal struggle from Guarnido. Despite it’s rough and staggered translation to the English language, this comic is essential reading for anyone attending the Blacksad party! [yasr_multiset setid=1] [yasr_visitor_multiset setid=1] Let us know in the comments your thoughts on Blacksad: A Silent Hell and be sure to check out my reviews for Blacksad: Somewhere Within The Shadows, Blacksad: Arctic Nation, Blacksad: Red Soul & 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
Review – Spawn’s Universe #1
Review – Spawn’s Universe #1 SUMMARY Spawn is back with a vengeance! With Omega Spawn vanquished and the dead zones locked, the last remnants of Heaven & Hell on Earth are on the run from Spawn as they race towards the now empty throne of Hell! If a new king is crowned, Hell will go to war with Heaven that is sure to shatter the glass ceiling between good and evil that is Earth. Reluctant as he is to work with others, Spawn will need all the help he can get from all the unlikely allies he encounters. ART McFarlane promised the very best from his new team of illustrators for his beloved characters and they have not disappointed, every iteration of Spawn in this comic looks insane. The virtuosic artists have nailed the various incarnations of McFarlane’s Hellspawns, from their settings to their visual character arcs and designs, each one is unique. If there’s a Hellspawn art gallery universe, I want to be there always and forever. Being the linchpin between Heaven & Hell guarantees a blurred sense of morality. Spawn’s resurrection has boosted the action set pieces with a polished and refined intensity, both for the titular protagonist and his otherworldly antagonists. On top of this, the various artists possess a modern flare for the surgical intricacies of brutality and raw emotion. WRITING The dialogue throughout strikes a perfect balance between gritty convolution and humorous charm. Simplistic enough to follow for new readers while remaining extensive in it’s lore to keep it engaging for die-hard fans. Not to mention, in the modern world of excessive universe building, we need more universes with themes of a gothic persuasion. McFarlane’s narration has that badass nostalgic quality mixed with apocalyptic poetry throughout, you are bound to bounce off of every sentence he writes before you can even begin to fathom Spawn’s Universe but once you do, you’re in for a wicked ride. That being said, if you aren’t familiar with Spawn, McFarlane will bring you up to speed on the history and prowess just through the sheer pride and awesomeness of his commentary for his beloved characters. Like a child playing with his favourite action figures! OVERALL In conclusion, Spawn’s Universe #1 is a bleak but fruitful taste of everyone’s favourite Hellspawn and his return to the world of comic books is grandiose with a mighty blaze of biblically proportionate brooding and satirically dark realism. Comparitive to the likes of Watchmen’s Doomsday Clock, Batman’s The Death of The Family and coincidentally, Marvel’s Loki series, the first issue cements itself as an earth-shattering first step into the year of Spawn! Rate or comment on our Review of Spawn’s Universe #1 below. [yasr_multiset setid=1] [yasr_visitor_multiset setid=1] Let us know in the comments your thoughts on Spawn’s Universe #1, your favourite incarnation of Spawn and how you’ll be celebrating the year of Spawn! 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
Review – Batman: The Long Halloween, Part One
SUMMARY Gotham’s annual festivities turn to fearful nights of fright as a mysterious murderer known only as Holiday picks of the Falcone and Roman families one by one on each consecutive holiday. It’s up to Batman, Harvey Dent & Jim Gordon to put the pieces together and save Gotham from a year-long seasonal serial killing spree. VISUALS Firstly, character designs have been sucked clean of Tim Sale’s gorgeously noirish comic style for more generic and oddly unfinished looking appearances. As well as this, characters seem to be suffering from rigor mortis with a slow and jagged stiffness to their animation atop a gloriously smooth looking art deco backdrop. Not unlike the pop art style of the spy comedy series, Archer, but with more visual phrasing. Joker says it best in this film, “Navy, navy, charcoal, black. Euk! Really Carm, is a splash of colour too much to ask?”. Despite the original comic’s dark and monochromatic appearance, the comic popped with a minimalistic festive colour palette; Halloween oranges, Valentine’s Day reds, New Year yellows, etc. Arguably, this was a large part of the comic’s charm and style. For a story gift wrapped in holiday spirit, the wide spectrum of bright holiday colours amongst the bleak backdrop of Gotham is sorely missing from this film adaptation. It’s very hard to tell what holiday we’re supposed to be celebrating. VOICEWORK & WRITING Let’s talk about the good in this adaptation. The voicecast, while nowhere near as iconic as the longstanding original voices, do a phenomenal job in recreating the beloved characters. Every voice is unique but unmistakably perfect for the variety of personalities throughout. Stand-out performances being Troy Baker’s return as the Joker with darker Hamillisms and David Dastmalchian as Calender Man with an uncomfortable monotone performance. Unfortunately, stellar impressions don’t make for a great performance as the dialogue and acting itself is both tonally inconsistent and awkward throughout, as if the actors had no frame of reference to work off of. Why the brilliant dialogue of the comic couldn’t be brought to life or at least replicated here is baffling to me. Remember in Batman: Mask of Phantasm when you got goosebumps from Shirley Walker’s tremendously grandiose choir filling the Gotham night air on top of an earthshattering orchestral ambience? Listen to it again if you can’t remember it…yeah. Batman: The Long Halloween, Part One is virtually devoid of music aside from a minimalistic pinch of ambience every now and again. There’s an entire chase scene with no music whatsoever and it is SO AWKWARD! Batman has some of the best pieces of music in cinema history and this here is an embarrassing disappointment. Annoyingly, events and details, bar the actual holidays themselves, are all out of place, altered or in some cases just omitted from the script with pointless padding in it’s place. This totally ruins the flow, suspense and drama of the original comic that makes it such a beloved entry in the mythos of Batman, as well as makes the twists painfully obvious. While I can’t say I like that Palmer is writing his own calendar for the monthly mayhem, it is intriguing enough to see where he goes with it and if he opts for an alternative ending to the comic. If the end result is the same however, what was the point in changing key details? OVERALL In conclusion, Batman: The Long Halloween, Part One honestly feels like a bootleg adaptation of the classic comic in every way. I wouldn’t be surprised if it came out that Palmer couldn’t secure the rights to the story so he had to make his own that loosely follows the original. Either that or he hasn’t read the comic! Everything from it’s cardboard cutout look and monotonous animation to it’s first take dialogue and story inconsistencies makes the film feel wholly unfinished. I hate that I have to write this review as it hurts me to my core. I was so excited to see my favourite Batman comic get the feature length animated treatment. There are sparks of the Batman spirit in the cracks of this film but the sheer amount of problems it has eclipse any semblance of hope for the adaptation. The only way I could see redemption for the film is if it leans into it’s askew recollection of the comic in order to produce a whole new take on the Holiday storyline, perhaps giving the adaptation a unique alternate reality edge with different results i.e. cementing it as it’s own story. However, if Batman: The Long Halloween, Part Two continues to stumble it’s way to the original finish line, this will be cemented in my mind as a colossal failure for DC. [yasr_multiset setid=4] [yasr_visitor_multiset setid=4] Let us know in the comments your thoughts on Batman: The Long Halloween, Part One, your thoughts on the original Jeph Loeb comic & be sure to check out Dan’s review of Batman: The Long Halloween comic and my recent comic reviews for Batman: The Detective! 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
Review – Batman: Reptilian #1
Review – Batman: Reptilian #1. What strikes fear into the hearts of those who terrorize Gotham? It used to be Batman but what happened to him?