Review – Save Yourself #1
Review – Save Yourself #1. When Gigi witnesses the Lovely Trio battling a monster first-hand, she sees something that causes her to question everything
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Review – Blacksad: Somewhere Within the Shadows
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)
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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Review – Bunny Mask #1
Review – Bunny Mask #1.Sealed in a cave before the dawn of man, released by a crazed madman, Bunny Mask walks our world once more
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Review – Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters #1
Review: Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters #1. The notorious bounty hunter will not stop until he gets what’s rightfully his.
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Review – The Joker Presents: A Puzzlebox
Review – The Joker Presents: A Puzzlebox Writer – Matthew Rosenberg Artist – Jesus Merino Colourist – Ulises Arreola Letterer – Ferran Delgado Publisher – DC Comics Release Date – 9th June Intro It’s story time! The G.C.P.D. discover a mysterious corpse, a magical box, and a murderer’s row of the city’s most dangerous villains sitting in a jail cell.Now all they need to figure out is what exactly happened. Fortunately, one suspect is willing to talk. Unfortunately, it’s The Joker. Now, superstar writer Matthew Rosenberg, magnificent artist Jesus Merino, and a multitude of rising-star artists invite you to spend a night in the Gotham Central interrogation room for a dozen tales of murder, mayhem, and mystery as told by the Clown Prince of Crime himself. Can you solve this puzzle before the sun comes up? Writing Although there are many Joker titles out there, this is still a fresh take on the Clown Prince of Crime. Matthew Rosenberg gives us an enjoyable storyline, although not as overly action packed as you might expect. Instead we have an intriguing mystery told in the way of a back and forth between the Joker and Commissioner Gordon. The dialogue is fantastic and the way Rosenberg portrays the Joker’s recollection of events is comical. His portrayal of the Joker and his twisted sense of humour really shines in this book and he captures the lunacy of the character perfectly. Artwork The pairing of Jesus Merrino and Ulises Arreola combine to great effect. And as a result the artwork compliments Rosenberg’s writing perfectly. I especially like Merrino’s depiction of the Joker, which draws similarities to his portrayal in the 70’s. It would be remiss of me not to touch on Letterer Ferran Delgado and his contribution to the book, which helps the story flow with ease. Overall The Joker Presents: A Puzzlebox is a thoroughly entertaining first issue in a planned seven-part series. Rosenberg perfectly portrays the Clown Prince of Crime at his diabolical best. And the artwork is a perfect match for this intriguing mystery story. Can you gather the clues and solve the puzzle? If you enjoyed our The Joker Presents: A Puzzlebox 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 – Bad Times At The El Royale
Review – Bad Times At The El Royale Directed by: Drew Goddard Written by: Drew Goddard Produced by: Drew Goddard & Jeremy Latcham Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Jon Hamm, Jeff Bridges & Cynthia Erivo Release Date: October 12th 2018 (UK) I re-watched Bad Times At The El Royale for review last night and it was a blast to revisit. I would even go as far as to say that this film is a often forgotten about modern classic. I am not sure why the movie never received the widespread praise and success that it deserved, but at the very least, Bad Times is undoubtedly a future cult classic. In this day and age, it is becoming increasingly difficult to go into a movie without already knowing a bunch of information about it beforehand. Somehow Bad Times At The El Royale managed that back when it released back in 2018. I can still remember the luxury of going into this film with very little knowledge about what was going to unfold. I have a great time with this movie. I love the entire cast in this film, Jeff Bridges and Jon Hamm are among my favourite actors working in Hollywood and I love to see Chris Hemsworth doing a fantastic job playing the villain for a change. The rest of the cast are fantastic too. As an aside, Cynthia Erivo’s voice still completely blows me away every time I watch the movie, even though I have seen it before. I know that she has done some Broadway shows in the past, but she sounds utterly incredible in this film and I love the way that her singing is organically tied in with the plot. Bad Times is written and directed by Drew Goddard, who was also behind Cabin In The Woods and there are some similarities here, if you were to swap the horror elements out for mystery. I have also seen multiple reviews over the years comparing Bad Times to a Tarantino movie. There are obviously similarities in the structure that this film uses and the out-of-chronological-order structure that a Tarantino movie tends to follow, but I’d argue that Bad Times has its own distinct and unique style. I also think that the cinematography is very effective throughout the film. The opening scene is particularly well shot, as is the scene when Hemsworth’s character is introduced. The score also works well with the plot and the dialogue in the script is well written too. The main negative that slightly hinders my enjoyment of the movie, are the decisions made regarding the pacing. The movie is split up so that we see things happen out of sequence or they are seen more than once from a different perspective. We are introduced to each new character and then we are given their backstory via a flashback. The main issue with this structure is that the flashbacks break the momentum of the events happening in the current story. Without spoiling too much, towards the end of the movie, everything comes to a head and an intense fight/shootout breaks out. Then, for some unknown reason, the filmmakers decide to slam on the brakes and give us another arbitrary flashback. It slightly breaks your immersion as a viewer and tarnishes the intensity of the shootout sequence for me. Overall, I had a good time re-watching Bad Times for review. If you are looking for an exciting, suspenseful thriller, then you could definitely do worse than spending a night at The El Royale. [yasr_multiset setid=2] [yasr_visitor_multiset setid=2] If you enjoyed Dan’s review for Bad Times At The El Royale, you can check out what he thought of a much worse 2018 film here in our review for Shane Black’s Predator. 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 – DCeased Dead Planet Collected Edition
Review – DCeased Dead Planet Collected Edition
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Review – Blacksad: Under The Skin
Blacksad: Under The Skin is a detective adventure game by Pendulo Studios, based off of an ongoing comic series of the same titular name by Juan Díaz Canales & Juanjo Guarnido. Think the gritty realism of LA Noire meeting the charm and anthropomorphic style of Sly Cooper. Released in November, 2019 Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, macOS, Classic Mac OS SUMMARY The stage is set, Bobby Yale VS the reigning champ Al Stone in a boxing match at Madison Square Garden! However, the shocking discovery of a beloved gym coach’s apparent suicide has put the match and industry in jeopardy. It’s up to private investigator John Blacksad to peel back the layers of chicanery and monkeyshines to reveal what’s Under The Skin. STORY Set against a backdrop of New York; the concrete jungle wet dream tomato (or whatever Alicia Keys said), you’ll find all manner of anthropomorphic animals from all walks of life, more often than not carefully reflecting stereotypes of the real world with exceptional voice acting and beautiful animation. Our titular character, Blacksad, is everything a crime solving cat should be; smooth, witty, handsome and a big ol’ softie or a brooding nihilist depending on how he’s feeling (or how you decide to play). A sultry silken voiceover by Barry Johnson combined with a stoically calm demeanour makes this character the coolest cat in town. The story is overly typical of your favourite noir and whodunnit stories and that’s never a bad thing. They’re always so much fun to unravel and solve, especially in this case with a wide variety of possible suspects and motives. I’ve yet to replay the game to try and invert my statistics so I am unaware if said inversion of my results will award me with an alternate ending, it looks promising though! GAMEPLAY As with any good detective game, you’ll be searching for clues and asking questions to solve a crime and Blacksad: Under The Skin is no different. It’s closest comparison is Rockstar’s LA Noire with some deviations, both good and bad. What separates this game from the pack is its logistical and varied mechanics, including an actual solving window where you combine the information you’ve collected to connect the dots. As a smooth-talking feline, your wits will only get you so far before you need to put your cat-like reflexes and enhanced senses to the test with slow motion hot spot scenes and QT events. As well as the primal tools of a cat, Blacksad never leaves his office without his trusty lockpick. On top of this, your quickdraw decisions and emotional connections to each character have consequences and this allows for an inclusive experience that demands your attention. The game is forgiving enough of your mistakes – if you don’t mind seeing your beloved Blacksad die in a variety of painfully callous game over scenarios, but some mistakes will stick with you forever. A problem with the game however, is that is riddled with bugs, and not the buzzing anthropomorphic kind. I initially put the game down months ago because the flow and my progress were interrupted several times by crashes. Upon returning to the game, those issues have mostly subsided but there are still fuzzy textures and choppy frame rates that could break the immersion. Alas, it’s part of the wider issue of releasing games before they are completely bug-tested. OVERALL In conclusion, Blacksad: Under The Skin is a gem of a noir detective story set in a coffee stained New York jungle full of interesting and likeable animals. With an initial playtime of 7-9 hours and the addition of replayability, there is more than enough gameplay to enjoy here. If it weren’t for the multiple bugs, especially of the game breaking variety, this game would be a cult classic masterpiece. Until such time as the developers continue to fix said bugs, I would say wait for a final update or discounted price. If you have an itch for a unique and engaging interactive noir story however, I suggest you have a scratch at this to once more with a brooding voice, reveal what’s Under The Skin. [yasr_multiset setid=5] [yasr_visitor_multiset setid=5] Let us know your thoughts on Blacksad: Under The Skin, your thoughts on the original comic series and what your favourite noir and whodunnit stories are! If you enjoyed our Blacksad: Under The Skin Review, you can check out what we thought of Cyberpunk: 2077 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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Review – SPECTRE (2015)
Review – SPECTRE (2015) Directed by: Sam Mendes Written by: John Logan & Neal Purvis Produced by: Daniel Craig & Barbara Broccoli Starring: Daniel Craig, Cristoph Waltz & Dave Bautista Release Date: October 26th 2015 In anticipation for No Time To Die finally getting released later this year, I recently decided to revisit SPECTRE for review. I actually had more fun re-watching this movie than I expected to and enjoyed it far more than when I first saw it back in 2015. When Casino Royale released back in 2006, it was intended to be a soft reboot of the franchise that showed viewers the events of Bond’s first mission and it strived to rectify some of the silly gadgets etc that were being over-used with Brosnan’s Bond. In my opinion, Casino Royale was a great film, it just wasn’t a Bond film. It did away with all of the silly gimmicks and cheesy one liners and was an introduction to a more grounded version of the iconic character, which made for a great spy thriller but not a great Bond movie. Then Quantum of Solace came out and literally nobody cared, not many people went to see it, it didn’t make much money at the box office and to this day I’ve still not watched the entire movie from start to finish and to be honest, I’m perfectly okay with that. Skyfall was the third Craig Bond movie to be released and it was a triumph. Finally Craig felt like he was actually playing Bond and not just some random hard ass military spy. It even flirted with the idea of gadgets, had a flamboyant supervillain and introduced a young, fresh faced Q, which was a nice touch. The movie ended with Silva killing Judi Dench’s M and Bond killing Silva, Ralph Fiennes was then appointed with the title of M and Naomi Harris was revealed to be the new Moneypenny. So with the last movie pleasing both long time Bond fans and newcomers alike, SPECTRE had a lot to live up to. SPECTRE opens with Bond in Mexico City, during the Day Of The Dead festival. Bond listens in on a meeting of two Mafioso and learns about a mysterious organisation hoping to achieve world domination and their illusive leader known as ‘The Pale King.’ He then blows up the building they are in and ends up in a chopper fight with one of the gangsters, whom he eventually kills. This leads into a stunning opening credits sequence, that really is one of the best I’ve seen, (even though the song is still crap.) This is an awesome intro and probably tops Skyfall’s intro which was also very cool. The rest of the movie is a joy to a long time Bond fan like me. It checks off all of the boxes that make up a classic Bond movie. An awesome Aston Martin car chase – check. A big bad henchman who doesn’t say much but is very hard to kill – check. An effective use of gadgets and cheesy one liners – check. A super-villain that has an epic secret layer that he invites Bond to – check. Bond being strapped to an elaborate device in that secret layer and tortured – check. Now all of this is fairly well executed, but the problem with it is that it throws any of the gritty realism shown in the last three movies right out of the window, which causes this movie to feel as if it is taking place in a separate universe from the last three. This is something that bothered me at the time, but in hindsight I didn’t mind it. Revisiting the film, I was than happy to have a good old fashioned Bond movie back on our screens that isn’t afraid to shy away from the use of gadgets and witty quips. Also, SPECTRE is a movie that actually handles it well, unlike some of the naff late Brosnan movies. On the other hand though, I can totally see why people had issues with this movie at the time of its release, especially if you aren’t a long time Bond fan and prefer Craig’s more realistic turn as Bond. If that is the case then SPECTRE probably isn’t ever going to be enjoyable for you. Now, let’s forget for a minute that this is a 007 movie and just analyse it as a traditional piece of cinema. First off, I’m really glad that they brought Sam Mendes back to direct this one, he is very obviously a passionate Bond fan and I think he has done a great job with both Bond movies that he has made in the past. The script in SPECTRE is also well written, providing the film’s dialogue with a witty and fast paced feel. The tone that the script creates ensures that the audience is kept intrigued, but are never lost as to what is going on. The cinematography in this movie is also great, besides a shaky cam chase sequence during the opening of the movie, I’d actually say that this is a masterfully shot movie. Hoyte Van Hoytema was the principle of photography for this movie and that guy really likes his eye pleasing shots and his use of the rule of thirds, which is especially evident in the funeral scene where Monica Belluci is introduced. There are two Bond girls in this movie, Belluci only really being there for exposition, but Lea Seadoux did a great job with her more fleshed out role. Now, I want to talk about the main villain in the movie, played by the incredible Christoph Waltz. During his screen-time in the movie, he steals every scene he appears in, however that leads me on to a problem I have with the movie. He is introduced near the beginning of the film, – within the first half hour, – then a good hour passes before he is reintroduced. Although what is going
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