Review – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)
Review – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990). In New York, mysterious radioactive ooze has mutated four sewer turtles into talking, walking ninjas
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Review – Daredevil: To Heaven Through Hell
Review – Daredevil: To Heaven Through Hell Publisher: Marvel Comics Writer: Chip Zdarsky Pencilers: Marco Checchetto, Lalit Kumar Sharma & Jorge Fornes Inkers: Marco Checchetto, Jay Leisten & Jorge Fornes Colourist: Sunny Gho, Java Tartaglia & Jordie Bellaire Letterer: Clayton Cowles I recently got to read through Daredevil: To Heaven Through Hell for review and although I had read the first five issues of this run in the past, it was interesting to see where writer Chip Zdarsky took the character directly after those five issues. To Heaven Through Hell follows a Matt Murdock who is a good bit into his career as a crime-fighting vigilante and is starting to grow older too. In the story arc prior to this one, he was struck by a truck whilst saving a child and so, when this story opens, he is still in recovery from the near-death experience. What Zdarsky does with this setup at the opening of this TPB is fascinating and he uses Matt’s current predicament as a clever way to re-establish this character to both newcomers and Daredevil veterans alike. I love it when a storyteller does this; uses a recent plot point to craft a subtle re-introduction of an iconic character. It means that readers with no prior knowledge of the character’s history can immediately jump on-board with the story being told, whilst being careful not to bore fans familiar with the character or condescend them either. In the first issue, Zdarsky also wastes absolutely zero time establishing Matt Murdock’s morals, history, religious ties & powers. All of these vital character elements are immediately evident or at least hinted at and never in a way that feels contrived or unnatural. This aspect of the storytelling in this book is masterful. Without having to explicitly come out and say, this guy has sonar abilities and is a devout catholic, these aspects of the character are made clear through more subtle means such as dialogue. On the second page, the girl that Matt is chatting to at the bar asks if she can have one of his painkiller, to which he bluntly responds; “That would be illegal.” In just one short response, Zdarsky manages to encapsulate Matt’s moral compass, his career as a lawyer and his unwavering commitment to always do the right thing. Frankly, this is one of the best examples of indirectly summing up a character’s ethical standpoint that I have ever read. Another fascinating motif that Zdarsky dips his toes into at the start of this book before fully diving into as the run progresses, is Daredevil’s somewhat inconsistent and fairly questionable no-kill rule. Unlike Batman, who has an extremely staunch perspective on the subject that he will never kill regardless of the circumstances, or Frank Castles antithetical viewpoint that killing criminals is undoubtedly the best practice to prevent them from causing any further harm, Daredevil’s take on the issue is more of a grey area. Over the years, there have been books where Daredevil has chosen to end a criminal’s life and there have been others where he chooses to take an approach more akin to Bruce Wayne’s outlook on the matter. Usually, it depends on the writer telling the story at any given time. However, here Zdarsky retcons this inconsistency in the character’s lore and utilises it to enhance the story being told in this book. Matt explains that early in his Daredevil career, before he really properly knew what he was doing, he did accidentally beat a few crooks too badly, leading to their death. Though, in the years since he has become more precise and is now able to have more self-control so as to ensure he is able to dish out justice without taking lives. Therefore, he hasn’t killed any criminals in for long time. Speaking of the fact that Matt has been the Man Without Fear for a good number of years during this story, it is interesting to get to see an aging Daredevil, somewhat struggling to keep up with his old standards. Hearing Matt’s inner monologue during these sequences really put me in mind of Frank Miller’s Batman from The Dark Knight Returns. In terms of the artwork in this TPB, unfortunetaly it is one of those books where the artist various throughout. By far the highlight is Marco Checchetto’s work in the first five issues of the book. His character designs are unique compared to how past artists have portrayed Matt Murdoch, but it was never off-putting or distracting. Instead, it gave a fresh, unique look to the characters when the first issues dropped back in 2019. His use of shading is extremely well implemented. A really good example of this is in Issue 1, page 7, panel 4. In this panel, Matt is telling the girl he brought home from the bar about why he is on painkillers, while his eyes are covered in shadow from the window pane. Something else that I really appreciated was the visual used for Matt’s sonar ability. It is fairly minimalistic, but also very striking and bold. The colour work by Sunny Gho also greatly enhances this visual choice. His colour work throughout the chapters he worked on in the book is all pretty great. I love the way that he colours the red suit against the dark night sky. Unfortunately, when you move onto issue 6, the look of the book takes a turn for the worst when Lalit Kumar Sharma takes over art duties. In particular, I do not like the way that he chooses to draw Kingpin. Instead of being the brooding brute that we are all familiar with, Sharma draws him as a wide-eyed maniac who is entirely incapable of masking his emotions. This is particularly jarring having just came from the measured, dignified look that Checchetto gave him in the previous issues immediately before this one. Sadly, Sharma’s artwork doesn’t improve whatsoever between this panel and the end of issue 9, which is where his
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Review – DC Horror Presents – The Conjuring – The Lover #1
DC Horror Presents – The Conjuring – The Lover #1. The terrifying debut of the tie-in to The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It begins here
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Review – Labyrinth: Under The Spell
SUMMARY Labyrinth: Under The Spell is a graphic novel anthology based on the beloved Jim Henson classic, Labyrinth. Split into four stories, the novel offers readers an eternally expansive dive into the deeper lore of the film. The Eternal Tournament, written by S.M. Vidaurri and illustrated by Sarah Webb, sees the proud and courageous Sir Didymus and his noble steed Ambrosius take part in a competition of many trials. The prize for winning? An eternity as the bridgekeeper of the Bog of Eternal Stench! En Guarde!, written by Sina Grace and illustrated by Boya Sun, follows a young Hoggle in need of some wanderlust away from his tedious and unrewarding role as the Guards’ Guard. With a sneaky change of the guard, he soon finds himself as the new fairy dusting groundskeeper of the Labyrinth. No!, written by and presumably illustrated by Michael Dialynas, is the story of a clumsy young goblin called No: The Clumsy Goblin. Trying to fit in is hard enough at the best of times, within the Goblin City however, what’s yours is mine and what’s fair is unfair and vice versa. Last but certainly not least, Masquerade is written by Lara Elena Donnelly and illustrated by Pius Bak, Samantha Dodge & French Carlomagno. The story takes place in the same timeline as Sarah and looks to answer some of the most pondered questions of Labyrinth; Just who are the other guests at the Masquerade ball? What happens to those who never find what they’re looking for? What happens to those who are never found? ART The Eternal Tournament and En Guarde! surprisingly both open with an anime-like art style, with adorably exaggerated features and expressions. While the likenesses are recognisable, Webb and Sun have toned down the grotesque yet nostalgic Henson horror of characters and Jareth’s orbs aren’t perpetually and aggressively in my face. Perhaps this is to accommodate for their whimsical and unsullied realm that has yet to wither and spoil…I’m still talking about the Bowie balls. True to Labyrinth fashion, the story with more pleasant storytelling has grimmer artwork in a sort of flipped judging of books by their covers. Similar to the styles of The Eternal Tournament and En Guarde!, this artistic choice by Dialynas could provide deeper context into the timeline in which the story is set. My initial thought when I saw the first panel for Masquerade was “Did Mike Mignola illustrate this one?”. With three different artists at work, this final chapter offers a definitive contrast to the rest of the artwork and it fits the story perfectly. While the Labyrinth and its inhabitants are creepy in a fun and adventurous way, the inner workings of its halls and hollows host grim realities with suitably bleak imagery lurking throughout. WRITING For long-time fans of Labyrinth, you might wonder how Sir Didymus became the keeper of the bridge. Well the Eternal Tournament answers that question with a uniquely heart-warming and fun triumph of storytelling from Vidaurri. Recognisable and beloved personalities thankfully remain recognisable and beloved in their written presentation. En Guarde!, while staying true to the brave and cowardly Hoggle, Grace shows a different side of Jareth. This Jareth remains authoritative as a Goblin King should be, bust has compassion for his individual subjects and their roles throughout the Labyrinth. No cruelty, only generosity. Dialynas’ story, No!, stands alone in this anthology tonally and narratively but sticks out as an innocent and important life lesson for anyone growing up, ironically just like No himself! Who’da thought you’d find something sweet in the Bog of Eternal Stench! Finally, Masquerade shatters the ballroom mirror of our minds with a disturbingly brilliant piece of lore created by Donnelly that changes everything we assumed about the Labyrinth. On the other hand, how it resolves is nice enough but a little mediocre in execution compared to what is built up (in my personal opinion, not unlike the film.). OVERALL In conclusion, Labyrinth: Under the Spell is a fantastically virtuosic cherry on top of a piece of cake known as Jim Henson’s Labyrinth. Versatile in it’s storytelling and varied in it’s artwork while still staying true to the source material, there’s a lot here for new and old fans of the beloved film that is sure to make an eternity in the Bog of Eternal Stench a lot more manageable! If you’re a fan of the film, you need this. I don’t know why, but every now and then in your life, for no reason at all, TRA LA LAAA!?! [yasr_multiset setid=1] [yasr_visitor_multiset setid=1] Let us know in the comments your thoughts on Labyrinth: Under The Spell, your thoughts on the original film and what your favourite Jim Henson puppet is! Join us on Discord, Twitter, Instagram etc – https://linktr.ee/BGCPComicCon 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
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Review – The Nice House On The Lake #1
Review – The Nice House On The Lake #1. The story sees a group of mostly 30-somethings invited to a sylvan lake house by a friend named Walter.
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Review – Avengers Vs X-Men
Review – Avengers Vs X-Men Written by: Brian Michael Bendis, Matt Fraction, Jason Aaron, Ed Brubaker, Jonathan Hickman Pencils by: John Romita Jr, Olivier Coipel, Adam Kubert Release Date: 2012 Introduction Avengers vs X-Men is the definition of an event book. It gives us an epic crossover and a superstar lineup both on the creative side as well as in the 616 storyline itself. Released in 2012, Avengers vs X-Men features some of the biggest artists and writers of the time tackling the biggest characters in the Marvel Universe dealing with one of the biggest ideas in comics- the Phoenix. The Phoenix is coming and everyone has opinions about it, so begins Avengers vs X-Men. What better device to pivot our beloved heroes against each other than one of the most popular cosmic forces in the 616 universe! Avengers vs X-Men is a culmination of a half dozen events that had been happening in recent years. The biggest influence, being House of M and the actions Scarlet Witch took in that book. You needn’t read those other books to appreciate Avengers vs X-Men though. They do add extra context and appreciations but the writers do their best to fill us in on what happened. Story The story is massive. It delivers on the name, Avengers vs X-Men, by giving you a plot that justifies their conflict as well as an abundance of fights that you expect from a book like this. They do a decent job at giving breathing room to a lot of characters, and even spreading out smaller moments for other characters. It’s very fun to watch new relationships get some play, like Hope and Spider-Man, or to see old dynamics come to a head like Xavier and Cyclops. There are legit great character beats hidden in this book, particularly with folks like Spider-Man, Cyclops, and Nova. Spider-Man has a scene that I won’t likely forget. The Phoenix is one of those things in comics that risks being played out. It’s used and referenced so much that it’s easy to almost cringe in fear when it’s brought up. They tow the line pretty well in using it in Avengers vs X-Men. At some point, after the Phoenix has chosen a host, they do start to lose the thread of why the X-Men are after Hope. There’s a scene where Cyclops is uber-powered and shows up demanding they hand over Hope that made me put down the book and try to remember why. It’s at this point that they’ve transformed the world for better and are only left chasing Avengers. It’s a big event comic though, so I let it go and kept enjoying the ride. I only need so much motivation to watch superheroes beat each other up. Review – Avengers Vs X-Men continues below That said, the story does stretch a bit long. If it weren’t for what I imagine is a publisher’s mandate, I could see this as more of an 8-10 issue story. 12 issues left it feeling a little bloated. At points it felt like we were nearing the climax, only to have a couple more issues. However, the climax was a rare feat for a Marvel event. It didn’t feel rushed or wrapped up too cleanly. Satisfying compared to other events of the era, perhaps a result of the superstar lineup of writers. I couldn’t help but wonder if this story, contained to an X-title instead of a crossover event, might not have been a bit stronger though. It would have had less publisher influence, more focus on the mutant side of the story, and maybe a more organic fit in the history. I wouldn’t have minded a little less defined lines in who chose what sides too, like what we got in Civil War. Less about teams and more about ideology, especially through a 2021 lens, but I guess that would take away from the title of the book. Art The book features gorgeous superhero art. Narrowing the selection down for this review got particularly difficult. There’s constantly action scenes packed full of characters or cool moments across multiple panels. It takes full advantage of the comic format as a visual medium, giving the reader page after page of fantastic art. They utilize the crossover nature of an event book like this to fill in the background with other characters or details that make the world feel real. Having multiple artists with different styles telling the story in chunks could have been distracting but ultimately it flows pretty smoothly and I enjoyed the changes in style. Review – Avengers Vs X-Men continues below Avengers vs X-Men delivers intimate, close up, character moments as well as the giant, action packed splash pages you expect in a bombastic crossover book. The Phoenix storyline itself lends itself to epic, colorful pages full of fire and screaming faces. We even get some new character designs, as a result of the aforementioned Phoenix and they’re mostly great. From covers to layouts to splashes, the art compliments the story and event pretty brilliantly. Overall The biggest disappointment with this book is the same with a lot of big hallmark events… it doesn’t mean anything. It has no consequences, it has no staying power. The status quo returns pretty quickly after. It’s not like Crisis where you felt it’s impact for 20 years. The book happens, it spikes sales, then after a few months they erase the effects. Heck, this very book exists to erase the effects of House of M. The Phoenix will come back or all of the improvements to the world by The Phoenix Five will be gone. Cyclops will be a normal part of the team again, despite murdering someone. That makes it hard to sink your teeth into. So if you want to enjoy this as a fun 12 episode arc of superhero fights, dive in! If you’re hoping for an impactful, important story of why two of the biggest teams in comics would
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Review – Spyro Reignited Remake
Review – Spyro Reignited Remake Developer: Toys for Bob Publisher: Activision Genre: Platform Director: Dan Neil Release Date: 13/11/18 Is Spyro, everyone’s favourite purple dragon, worth revisiting? Think back to the heady days of the Playstation One and the times when you found yourself staring in open delight at what was the very pinnacle of technology for the time. All these memories of angular lines, of horrendously low polygon count and of grainy visuals and audio meant nothing at the time. This was as good as it got. It seemed impossible to ever imagine that it could get better. Plenty of us have series from the era that we poured hours into and hold a special place in our hearts. Smashing boxes and spinning to win with Crash, swapping discs in FFVII and marvelling at how big a game could be or knocking on walls as Solid Snake – there will be an example for most of a *cough* certain age. Maybe the image of Spyro and his egg and gem collecting antics might be the one that triggers happy memories for a few. Chasing down these blue thieves? Sparx being oddly infuriating? How about searching an area over and over again for the elusive last few collectibles : – there is no denying that there was plenty to enjoy. With all three games in the series having being reworked and reimagined in a collection for modern consoles, is it worth your time and money to replay or will the rose-coloured glasses of nostalgia trick you into parting with your hard earned cash? Read on to find out. Overview What are you actually getting for your money here? You not only get the updated version of the original Spyro, you also get the sequel “Ripto’s Rage” and “Year of the Dragon”, the third instalment. When Reignited loads, the three games are displayed for each save file alongside progress in percentage completion so it’s easy to hop from one to another and keep an eye on how you’re getting on. Published by Activision and developed by Toys for Bob and Insomniac Games, what you can expect overall is a cleaner, more streamlined and modernised version of all three games suitable for the current era. While all the voice lines and animations have been re-done, the level layouts, the mechanics and the characters are all faithful to the spirit of the original and make for a pleasant trip down memory lane. Issues No game is perfect, but before we get to what makes this offering excellent, it’s only fair to point out a few of the problems that it has. While there is a lot to admire, some of the issues from the original series have carried over. Take the flying levels for example. Arguably one of the harder challenges in the game, some negative aspects of the original series have bled through. While the controls for Spyro on the ground around the levels feel tight and responsive, they are suddenly “heavy” in flight. In the part of the experience that most emphasises the 3D space that you are in, it is as though you have the least control. I did encounter one major problem on my playthrough. Issues can be subjective (people reporting “odd” animation styles), but this one was fairly annoying. Progressing gradually through the game with my partner, we loaded it up one day to find our progress rolled back significantly with no method of recovery available. This issue affected many and no real solution ever found. When I say substantial, I mean going from 100% completion in one game and ~50% in the second to 75% in the first only. Luckily, this only happened the once, but it was a little worrying to cover all that ground again, always concerned that the game would simply wipe the progress at some point without any warning. Positives That being said, there is a lot to admire here. Ironing out some of the more egregious glitches from the original series is a positive (although speedrunners have found new ones to replace them, as they do). These new graphics overall feel close enough to the original to seem familiar without being jarring and it is simply a faithful upgrade by people who clearly felt a lot of love for the series in general. The game audio has had a revamp too, and a notable one. The tracks sound excellent, having been cleaned up and brought to a modern standard. As with the original, former Police drummer Stewart Copeland (yes, really) was brought back on board to oversee composition and his work remains as iconic as ever. All voice lines have been re-recorded to a high standard and the gameplay is every bit as engaging as it ever was. Spyro has always scratched that completionist itch for a lot of players and this still holds up to this day. Seeing your progress tick up is every bit as enjoyable as ever and it keeps you coming back for more. The refined mechanics make even the levels that felt difficult in childhood enjoyable. No more flashbacks to endless loops of “Trouble with the Trolley” and nearly breaking your only controller trying to get all the flying objectives in a single run. All that was enjoyable is here and better. Conclusion Whether you’re just looking to relive some memories or if you’ve never played the series before, it is a great way to get into it whether for the first time in years or the first time ever. The intervening years have not cost Spyro any of his appeal. In fact, a lot of it has improved. Three games for a single purchase? The answer as to whether it is worth the price of admission is a resounding yes. [yasr_multiset setid=5] [yasr_visitor_multiset setid=5] If you enjoyed our review of Spyro Reignited Remake, you can check out our review for Retro Machina here. Buy tickets for BGCP Comic Con in and around Glasgow Scotland – BUY
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Review – Beta Ray Bill #1
Review – Beta Ray Bill #1. The second-most famous wielder of Mjolnir. The right-hand man to the god of Thunder. And now, a warrior without his best weapon.
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Review – Umbrella Academy Season 1&2
Review – Umbrella Academy Season 1&2 Directed by: Ellen Kuras, Stephen Surjik & Others Produced by: Gerard Way, Steve Blackman & Others Written by: Gerard Way, Steve Blackman & Others Starring: Elliot Page, Tom Hopper & Robert Sheehan Release Date: 2019 – 2020 A few years ago when I heard the guy from My Chemical Romance had written a graphic novel, it piqued my interest. However, after reading up on some reviews of the book, it came across as quite unoriginal and somewhat sounded like a rip-off of other properties like Watchmen and X-Men. There was also the fact that I found the obscure character designs and bizarre artwork slightly off-putting at a glance. I never got around to reading it after this as I was kind of put off by the accusations of unoriginality and the weird art. Then in late 2018, I read that there was a Netflix adaption of the comic being released and my curiosity was once again piqued. After reading some of the early glowing reviews from critics, I knew that I had found my next binge. This show is fantastic, which for the most part is owed to its well written and well acted characters. The members of the Umbrella Academy and their various odd relationships with one another, as well as the outsiders that interact with them throughout the show, make the character dynamics of this show as a whole pretty unique and exciting. The cast are all brilliant, with Robert Sheehan’s Klaus being the clear stand-out, – especially in the first season. He gets all of the best lines and nails the American accent that he speaks with in the show. The rest of the cast are also great, although I feel like David Castaneda deserves a special shout-out due to the how well he nails Diego’s brilliant character progression in the second season. It is cool to get an insight into the world that the show-runners have crafted, which is as odd as it is charming. It is similar to our own world, with a few pretty drastic changes that change the dynamic of the universe in a oddly interesting way. There were points while watching the show that I was reminded of other superhero stories like Watchmen and X-Men, but instead of Umbrella Academy blatantly ripping off these other stories, it instead takes some of the best parts from its respective influences and adapts them to suit the narrative that is unfolding. It comes off as more of a wink and a nod than just a lazy copy/paste job. I also feel like the amazing CGI work on Pogo the chimp, – who is highly intelligent and serves as the family’s butler in the first season, – deserves a shout-out. It is quite possibly the best CGI that I have ever seen in a TV show and is almost on the same level as the CGI on Caesar in the Planet Of The Apes movies. Overall, The Umbrella Academy is a stellar example of what happens when a show embraces its influences and presents them in a coherent way in collaboration with the original story that the show itself is telling. It is probably not the greatest superhero story ever filmed, but it is an extremely entertaining and satisfying ride that the show takes you on over its first 20 episodes and it is well worth your time. [yasr_multiset setid=2] [yasr_visitor_multiset setid=2] Speaking of X-Men, if you enjoyed Dan’s review of Umbrella Academy, you can check out what he thought of X-Men: Apocalypse 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 – Sniper Elite 4 (2017)
Review – Sniper Elite 4 Developer: Rebellion Developments Publisher: Rebellion Developments Genre: Stealth/Action Director: Colin Harvey Release Date: February 14th 2017 I decided to revisit Sniper Elite 4 for review; the fourth game in the third person WW2 shooter series and I had a blast doing so. This game expands on the groundwork laid by its predecessors. If you are just coming off of a story driven game and are just looking for something satisfying and fun, then this is perfect for you. The story and characters are paper thin and the voice acting is all over the place in terms of quality, but that’s not why you come to Sniper Elite, you come to watch a Nazi’s brains explode from the sheer impact of your well placed bullet. This is definitely the best game in the series in terms of it’s game-play systems. The control given to the player is clear and specific and if you miss a shot, you have no one to blame but yourself. The infamous X-ray cam makes a glorious return and it is even more detailed and brutal than in previous entries. No matter how many times you make a pair of Nazi testicles go pop from across a beautiful Italian town, it never gets old. The other great thing about this game is its various lush environments. There is an array of different maps that you work your way through during the game’s campaign and each is unique and well thought out enough to give you a challenge, but also make you feel like a total bad-ass when you land a near impossible shot in equal measure. Although the landscapes are nice to run around in and function well in terms of matching with the game’s game-play style, the quality of the graphics itself isn’t going to astonish anyone. Even for a game released around halfway through the PS4’s life-cycle, this looks at best, like a late generation PS3 game. Again though, it doesn’t really matter here, as I don’t know anyone who is buying Sniper Elite 4 for it’s graphical quality. Overall, there is a ton of fun to be had here. Don’t think too much about the story and just enjoy systematically working your way through each various map, popping Nazi skulls as you go. I am very glad that I got to revisit this modern classic, so much so that I played it enough to snag the Platinum Trophy. [yasr_multiset setid=5] [yasr_visitor_multiset setid=5] If you are a fan of the stealth-action genre and you enjoyed Dan’s review of Sniper Elite 4, check out what he thought of Hitman 1, 2 & 3 here. Or if you want to see more undead Nazis, read his review of Overlord 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 www.bigglasgowcomicpage.com
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