Reviews - BGCP Comic Con

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 – Thor: Ragnarok

17th May 2021

Review – Thor: Ragnarok Directed by: Taika Waititi Written by: Craig Kyle & Christopher Yost Produced by: Stan Lee & Kevin Feige Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston & Mark Ruffalo Release Date: October 24th 2017 (UK) Last night, I re-watched Thor: Ragnarok for review to see how well it holds up a few years on from its release. While there is still a very fun movie to be enjoyed here, it is far from perfect. I wonder if the filmmakers were so paranoid about not churning out another formulaic, checklist of a Marvel movie after the snooze-fest that was the Dark World, that they just chucked a whole bunch of disparate ideas into this mixing pot of a film and hoped that some of it would work. To some extent they were right; some of it does work, but some of it really doesn’t. The stuff that doesn’t work would probably work okay in a separate movie, but here it just provides a lack of cohesion and brings a jolting change of tone to many of the film’s scenes. The abrupt tonal shift that takes place whenever we change environments is one of my biggest issues when going back to re-watch the film. Some plot elements also feel rushed in the film, which means that less emotional impact is felt overall by the audience at the climax of each plot thread. The plot elements of Ragnarok could have been split across a few movies and it would mean that certain characters wouldn’t have been wasted and that the big events that take place would have had more weight and gravitas to them, instead of just being brushed off in favour of getting to the next punch-line. For example, Odin dies in this film and Thor and Loki deal with it and move on in a matter of seconds. There are no emotional repercussions felt whatsoever. Another example of this is the Warriors Three appearing in a single scene, having no dialogue and then being killed in a matter of seconds of being onscreen. Additionally, a character arc is attempted with Skurge, but again Karl Urban is onscreen for such a small amount of time that no resolution is felt following his sacrifice at the end of the movie. As soon as Cate Blanchett starts to show some potential as a memorable Marvel villain, the movie cuts away to yet another scene of Hulk and Thor bantering on Sakaar. The fact that Hela spends the whole movie in Asgard and Thor and Loki spend most of the movie on Sakaar, means that the main threat in the film always feels very distant and disconnected. Idris Elba is wasted here too, having barely any dialogue and a very dull subplot. Jeff Goldblum is used purely as a gimmick and again is wasted by not having anywhere near enough screen time. I normally like seeing Tessa Thompson in things, but even she phones it in here. Then, at the end of the movie, it is like the filmmakers suddenly remembered, ‘oh that’s right we need to conclude that Ragnarok subplot that we started at the beginning of the movie.’ You know the goddamn title of the movie? And so Surtur destroying Asgard gets tacked on at the end to sort of bring a conclusion to all of the other multiple subplots and lazily wrap up the movie. The sheer amount of ideas that they attempted to incorporate here, causes a number of elements of the movie’s plot to feel underdeveloped and although most of these separate parts could have worked if they were split up and fleshed out, here they all just end up falling flat by the end of the movie making the film feel anti-climatic as a whole. Don’t get me wrong, there is also a lot here that works too. I thought the cameos from Matt Damon, Luke Hemsworth and Sam Neill was awesome. I liked the Doctor Strange appearance. I like how they had Thor lose his eye and I especially like how they managed to keep that out of all of the trailers and marketing. The trailers did ruin some things though, if we didn’t already know that Mjolnir was going to get destroyed through seeing the trailers, it would have had more of an impact and all the talk about the vicious rival that Thor would have to face in the gladiator ring would have been way more effective if we didn’t already know that it was going to be the Hulk. Let’s end things on a high note, the visuals were spectacular and this movie is worth going to see in theatres just for this alone. The CGI was incredible and the soundtrack was pretty great too. Overall this is still a very fun movie, even if it is a little bit all over the place. [yasr_multiset setid=2] [yasr_visitor_multiset setid=2] If you enjoyed Dan’s review of Thor: Ragnarok, you can check out what he thought of Thor: The Dark World 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 – The Evil Within 2 (2017)

20th May 2021

Review – The Evil Within 2 (2017) Developer: Tango Gameworks Publisher: Bethesda Softworks Genre: Survival Horror‎ Director: John Johanas Release Date: October 13th 2017 I recently revisited the criminally underrated Evil Within 2 for review and I loved almost every second I spent in this insane world. The Evil Within 2 does what all great sequels should aim to do, which is to take the best concepts and systems from the first game and expand on them, while adding in some fresh concepts and discard a lot of the excess fat that dragged the first game down. This game is a much more streamlined action-horror adventure than the first entry and while it starts out with some creepy and uneasy moments, it focuses more on the action element than the horror side of things in comparison with the first game. I do however feel that the game finds a nice equal balance of horror and action, in a way that feels reminiscent of the modern classic, Resident Evil 4. Even though Shinji Mikami didn’t direct this game as he did the first entry, this one actually feels more like a traditional Shinji Mikami game. The villain that torments you for the first third of the game is brilliant, he is engaging, threatening and over the top in all of the best possible ways. The one issue I have with him is that he is sadly killed off far too early and replaced with a more bland, less entertaining villain. There is also some ropey voice acting present in the game, the actor who plays Kidman has been changed from the first game and the new VO artist isn’t quite as engaging in her performance. The actor playing the protagonist’s daughter Lily, is also quite awkward and stilted sounding. There are also some strange lines of dialogue that don’t feel very natural and come across a bit pantomime, but it should be remembered that this is a Japanese game, written in Japanese and then translated into English. I did experience some technical issues whilst playing through the final third of the game, mostly to do with the use of the radio transmitter and I experienced one slight hiccup with the in-game physics. Unfortunately, although these weren’t game-breaking issues, they are still present 4 years after the game’s initial release, meaning I am forced to knock a point off of my overall score. In summary though, this is a damn good time for any horror fan out there. The fact that this game is a great deal easier than the first may bother some of the more hardcore gamers out there, but for me it was fine as I mostly play games for the story anyway rather than the challenge. The optional first person mode is also a nice addition and adds a cool incentive to play through the New Game Plus. [yasr_multiset setid=5] [yasr_visitor_multiset setid=5] Read Dan’s thoughts on an inferior horror game here in our review for Vampyr. 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 – Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi

18th May 2021

Review – Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi Directed by: Rian Johnson Produced by: JJ Abrams & Kathleen Kennedy Written by: Rian Johnson Starring: John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Oscar Isaac & Adam Driver Release Date: December 14th 2017 I decided to re-watch The Last Jedi for review last night for the first time since seeing it in the cinema upon its release and with the benefit of hindsight, I can honestly say that I hated it even more than I did the first time. I get that Rian Johnson was going for something different, but damn! This movie was not what anyone expected and not in a good way. I now feel comfortable definitively saying that absolutely none of the twisted decisions in this film were made for the better. Despite that, there are still aspects of this movie that I do like. First off, the performances all around were brilliant, with the stand outs being Adam Driver and Mark Hamill. Adam driver plays a conflicted and tortured, yet exceedingly powerful Kylo Ren. His performance is electric throughout the movie and as an actor, his range is extremely impressive. Although this is definitely my least favourite portrayal of Luke Skywalker in a Star Wars movie, it is probably my favourite performance of Mark Hamill playing the iconic character. He commits to the absurd decisions that Johnson makes with integrity and grit and it is clear that he has greatly honed his skills as an actor in the 30+ years since the original trilogy. The special effects and CGI work in the movie is breath-taking at points, the movie is a joy to look at on a visual level and the technical achievement of some of the shots featured is nothing short of incredible. Now, onto the issues I had when re-watching The Last Jedi for review. First off, the whole Casino planet section of the movie really should have just been removed altogether. Ignore it, it has no bearing to the overall plot and if it wasn’t included, the movie would still play out in the exact same way. The entire segment is a waste of time and the end result isn’t even worth the hassle. Finn was one of my favourite characters in The Force Awakens, so it was good to see him get his own storyline here, but the awkward moments and lack of payoff make it such a waste of time for the audience. The shoehorned message about animal cruelty also felt too forced and cringe-inducing and that is coming from an animal lover. The whole sequence also brought back horrible memories of the prequels, which is something that I never want to be reminded of again. The other dumb subplot in this movie revolves around Poe and a new character played by Laura Dern called Admiral Holdo. After Leia is incapacitated, Holdo is put in charge of the Rebels. Poe asks her repeatably what the plan is to get out of the compromising situation they are stuck in and she refuses to tell him, labelling him as a hothead flyboy. He eventually decides he can’t just sit around and do nothing while their ship is destroyed, (which is also the catalyst for Finn and Rose going on their dumb side mission to the casino planet,) and so he enacts a mutiny on Holdo. Then Leia wakes up and reveals that the plan all along was to take the escape pods to a nearby planet containing an old rebel base and attempt a last stand there. This whole mutiny could have been avoided with a simple conversation, or even a goddamn post-it note. Another thing that bothered me was the lack of any significant scene showing Rey being trained by Luke. There are two fleeting scenes of her training and that is apparently enough to allow her to become a ‘jedi.’ Instead of following Finn and Rose on their pointless adventure, or Poe and his pointless mutiny, we should have spent the majority of the movie on Luke’s island. To this day, I still don’t know why they chose to portray Luke as such a slob. This is the guy that blew up the Death Star and spearheaded the rebellion that changed the tide of war across the entire galaxy and now he’s milking weird sloth creatures for food. Even now, I still don’t hate the reveal that Rey’s parents were nobodies that came from nothing, but it just makes all of the set up in Force Awakens and in the first half of this movie seem like such a waste of everyone’s time, especially when you know that they are going to go back on it in the next movie. I also hate the fact that they squander an interesting character when they just nonchalantly kill off Snoke. Watching the film for the first time, you are left wondering, with the age he looks and his torn up face, this guy has clearly been around for a long time, like probably as long as Yoda or Vader, so how come we have we never seen him over the course of the previous eight films? Was he in hiding? If so, then why was he in hiding? Why did he come out of hiding after the Empire fell and why was he appointed as Supreme Leader? However, it turns out that none of these questions matter when you find out that he is just a clone and Snokes are ten-a-penny puppets for Sidious. What an absolute waste of potential. Knowing that reveal is coming also makes the throne room scene in The Last Jedi such a hollow victory in hindsight. Lastly, I want to talk about Phasma. Rian Johnson has joked that she was like this trilogy’s version of Kenny from South Park and frankly I think that this is a valid comparison and I don’t think that it’s something to joke about. Gwendoline Christie is a phenomenal actress and she was so wasted in these movies. Her bulletproof armour

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Review – The Raid: Redemption

22nd April 2021

Review – The Raid: Redemption Directed by: Gareth Evans Produced by: Todd Brown Written by: Gareth Evans Starring: Iko Uwais, Ray Sahetapy & Doni Alamsyah Release Date: May 18th 2012 (UK) What do you get when you take a Welsh director, a bunch of Indonesian stuntmen and a block of high rise flats and put them together? One of the greatest action movies ever committed to film apparently. I love a great action movie and I love tight, clever fight choreography and the Raid delivers this in spades. There is an extravagant display of martial arts on display here all shown with a realistic sense of brutality and grit that is a joy to watch onscreen. Whether it is a bare-knuckle hand-to-hand fight that you are witnessing, or a fight using deadly melee weapons, every sequence is beautifully brutal and expertly crafted in terms of its choreography. Although the fight sequences and intense action are the star attraction in The Raid, Gareth Evans uses his actors and his camera work to make the audience feel an unfaltering sense of tension when necessary to balance the sheer, white-knuckle excitement of other scenes. I have watched this movie a ton and I have seen the subtitled version, the dubbed version and the original Indonesian version without subtitles. Even in the latter, when none of the characters are speaking any English, you can still easily follow what is going on, due to the expressive performances given by the cast. Overall, if you are an action fan, you can’t do much better than the Raid. It is an intense story told so well by a bunch of extremely talented people. I would go as far as to argue that the level of intensity present in this movie’s fight choreography and its sequel has not been equalled since in any other action movie. Which makes the Raid movies some of my favourite action films of all time. [yasr_multiset setid=2] [yasr_visitor_multiset setid=2] Fun fact: some of the cast members from The Raid also appeared in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Read our review for that 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: Valerian: The Complete Collection Volume 1

18th May 2021

Writer: Pierre Christin Artist: Jean Claude Mézières Colours: Évelyne Tranlé Publisher: Cinebook Release Date: 23 June 2017 Valerian: The Complete Collection Volume 1. I cannot tell you how excited I was to read this comic and review it. I knew this was the comic that had been an inspiration to Luc Besson. Which lead him to make probably my favourite film, The Fifth Element. Luc Besson employed the duo behind the comic, Valerian in the making of the Fifth Element. The Introduction Thanks to the introduction in Valerian: The Complete Collection Volume 1. I also found out during the making of The Fifth Element, they begin to discuss the possibility of making Valerian into a film. A film which I enjoyed too, one that got bad press from the reviewers. Some because they didn’t do any research and did not understand it was an original Sci-Fi. It wasn’t copying Star Wars, as I read in one review but the other way round! I also didn’t mind the acting, Cara Delevigne can do no wrong she is a beautiful lady … I used to work for one of her relatives so I might be a bit biased! Not only an inspiration to its French motherland, nurturing and moulding young talented minds, like Bessons but also to the larger Sci-Fi world. As a result, it is clear Valerian has been used as research for some of the Star Wars characters. As well as some themes borrowed by the likes of Star Trek. Valerian was the original and still the best. I must admit, I do have my rose tinted glasses on. I am not going to sit on the fence with this one and try to be impartial, I love it. There is a great part of the introduction to the comic, with interviews of the writer, artist and Luc Besson. It gives a wonderful insight into what is now, a classic cult hit comic. How the duo came together to create this magnificent work, way ahead of its time. Bad Dreams The first book in Valerian: The Complete Collection Volume 1, is book #0, Bad Dreams. This is the first time the comic has been translated into English and wow, it is worth it. Firstly, it should be noted, it was published after City and retroactively numbered. It is still the original, draft like comic that Christin and Mézières created for the series, way back in 1967. It is where the two characters Valerian and Laureline meet for the first time. We begin in Galaxity, the capital of Earth in the year 2720 and soon the comic transforms us to 11th century France. Valerian is chasing down a dissident who has abused his power and escaped from his own timeline to cause trouble. Did I mention they can travel through time and space with an instant teleportation device? Pretty awesome and give huge scope to the writer and artist for wonderful stories and settings throughout the comic series. Valerian is a pretty clumsy kind of hero but a very handsome and charming type of man. We find out in the introduction, he was based loosely on the good looks of French singer Hugues Aufray. There is a running joke through the series of Valerian always being late. This is despite the ability to travel through time in an instant. Though normally he was merely seconds late however, in the future it seems they are sticklers for time keeping. In this book, Valerian gets into a bit of a muddle in a forest. Enter Laureline, an 11th century peasant who comes to the rescue. A strong, feminine, sexy, hero who I can truly get behind. Remember, this was written in the 60’s and it’s awesome. Some of the recent comics I’ve read, have dealt with the female narrative horrendously. This comic again, is proving to be way, way ahead of its time. The Start of Something Beautiful The artistry in this book, by their own admission, is simplistic. As a result, this comic was, in itself, more like a draft. Yes the action is not thorough or detailed. The length is non standard, which is why it got published retroactively. All these things aside, you can see the characters coming together. The humour and one hell of an interesting storyline in the making. One that lasted over 40 years and with the first film and another possibly in the rumblings for the future. They definitely had the start of something beautiful here. The City of Shifting Waters and Earth in Flames This is the second book in Valerian: The Complete Collection Volume 1. It focuses on the year 1986 but was written in 1968. As a result, the near future as it was when written. The planet has suffered from a cataclysmic event, sped up global warming. New York, this comics first episode setting, is flooded and mainly underwater. Enter our heroes who are again trying to find the naughty dissident Xombul, who certainly doesn’t give up! The second episode finds the characters exploring the volcanic and burning Yellowstone landscape. With some interesting characters they met along the way from Sun Rae inspired by Jazz composer and musician Sun Ra. This apocalyptic comic feels so much more recent. For instance, it has themes echoing our own planetary problems but heightened of course, but not too out there that it couldn’t happen. Ok, it is a lengthy comic, but I never got bored or fed up of the dialogue and art work. This is the original, full version – 2 x 28 page, non-standard length comic. It required many cuts to fit standard book length. the artistry is incredible the flooded and jungle ridden New York scenes are among comic books top masterpieces. You can’t tell me this hasn’t inspired future works of art and film. The Empire of a Thousand Planets The third book in Valerian: The Complete Collection Volume 1 was written in 1971. It is where the comic books

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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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