Review – Harley Quinn: The Animated Series – The Eat, Bang, Kill Tour #1. Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy end up on the run from Gordon and the GCPD!
Harley Quinn: The Eat. Bang! Kill. Tour #1 Review – Harlivy! Read More »
Suicide Squad Get Joker! Issue #1 Writer: Brian Azzarello Artist: Alex Maleev Colours: Matt Hollingsworth Letters: Jared Fletcher Publisher: DC Black Label Release Date: 4th August 2021 Variant Cover Artist: Jorge Fornés The Joker Must DIE Tasked with ending the trail of broken, bloody bodies left in the Clown Prince of Crime’s wake, Amanda Waller’s Suicide Squad – now led by the Red Hood – must hunt down Batman’s greatest foe in the hopes of putting him six feet under. The former Boy Wonder and current Red Hood, Jason Todd, agrees to help track down the Joker out of both duty and a lust for revenge against the monster some think killed the second Robin. Now side by side with some of the world’s most ruthless villains – including Harley Quinn, Firefly and Wild Dog – the Red Hood must decide who he can trust and who’s really pulling the strings of the Squad once the Joker turns the tables on Task Force X. Writer: Brian Azzarello With the recent release of James Gunn’s “The Suicide Squad” in cinema’s, DC Black Label has decided to add another layer of marketing in comic form with Suicide Squad: Get Joker! I’m a sucker for an anti-hero and Suicide Squad has always filled that niche nicely. It calls out to the deep, hidden caveman section of the old reward pathway. Now, pair that with what some would consider the most tragic of anti-heroes, Jason Todd and you can count me in. This issue sets the scene nicely, leaving the majority of the violence for the last quarter and opening with a 10-page monologue that helps fill in the gaps for new readers without overstaying its welcome. I’m under the impression that pacing can make or break a comic and even though this isn’t as action-packed as some might hope, every panel has a purpose and Azzarello is tying the strings to make the marionettes dance later down the line. The issue concludes with some good old DC Black Label ultraviolence, a foreboding cliffhanger and a rather strange realisation that the Clown Prince of Crime has the words to Milli Vanilli’s 1989 hit “Blame It On the Rain” memorised… weird. Art/Colour: Alex Maleev/Matt Hollingsworth Alex Maleev’s art in this book is very clean and easy to follow. Coupled with Hollingsworth’s colouring, it helps pull readers into Gotham City with the familiar cold and grimy aesthetic. There is one section in particular, with a neon-lit bar and a little mindless violence that shines through. The dreary backdrop of the city streets steps back, allowing vibrant colours and a more bombastic, stylised few panels that help portray the intensity of the situation the Squad find themselves in. All in all, this is a Gotham story. Darkness and shadows are key, but they can get a little depressive and monotonous. I had hoped for more flashy, colourful segments in future issues to keep the eyes entertained. In Conclusion… If you are looking for a book that will have you pondering life’s big questions, this may not be for you. Suicide Squad has always been about having fun with the characters and this seems no different. Although there is nothing out of the gate that has me wowed, it’s been absurd enough that I’m interested to see where Azzarello’s Squad end up and I’ll be picking up issue #2 when the time comes. [yasr_multiset setid=1] [yasr_visitor_multiset setid=1] Look out for this comic at your Local Comic Shop Buy tickets for BGCP Comic-Cons 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
SUMMARY After the gruesome death of the forgotten son of the Falcone family, Batman finds himself back to square one in the Holiday investigation. As the festive fear continues and suspects are picked off one by one, so to does trust begin to unravel. The question isn’t who is Holiday? anymore, but who do you believe in? ART As I’ve already stated in my review for Part One, the animation style fails to capture the noir-driven aura of the original graphic novel. For those that would argue that replicating the style in animation is impossible, I point you towards the animation studios behind Batman: Gotham Knight and The Animatrix. That aside however, very little attempt was made to at least capture iconic scenes of the comic in it’s own style. Once again, the animation itself is nothing special and can be uncanny valley levels of awkward in scenes of dialogue. Little to no expression or emotional details atop actors trying their best to bring this film to life is just another reason why this adaptation fails to capture the gravitas and Sin City-esque grit of the original comic. WRITING In my previous review for part one I expressed my dislike and interest for the events of the comic being either altered or simply ripped from the script entirely. My interest leaning purely on the potential for an alternate version of The Long Halloween so to justify the changes. Thankfully, this is the case with some additions and focus that in hindsight make sense for the story it’s going for but it was an unusual and frustrating route to take us there. Like The Riddler? Me too! Too bad he’s omitted from the story here. Hope you like Oxford and half assed paternal and maternal issues instead! I wish I could say that the story had some positives to it, perhaps in time when I rewatch it it will stand up. I will say that there are neutral additions to the story, in that they aren’t comparatively good but they aren’t bad either. The film here takes a lot of influence from the Nolan trilogy, to the point where scenes play out like an animated adaptation of Batman Begins and The Dark Knight and they are heartpoundingly thrilling! Ironically, both films were based on the original The Long Halloween comic. My issue with this though is that it distracts from the story to the point where some holidays are simply montaged over; missing out crucial plot details of the Holiday killings and even the mystery of the Holiday Killer itself! OVERALL In conclusion, Batman: The Long Halloween, Part Two is a thrilling adaptation of the original comic with the potential for cult success, overshadowed by the fact that it isn’t a faithful adaptation. Now and as a whole, this should have been called Batman: A Long Halloween as this is not THE Long Halloween we all know and love. With generic animation, pacing issues and pointless omissions on top of a new twist, you’ll enjoy this film best with no context of the original comic or at the very most as a lesser version of the story with the promise of what’s to come… [yasr_multiset setid=4] [yasr_visitor_multiset setid=4] Let us know in the comments your thoughts on Batman: The Long Halloween, Part Two, your thoughts on the adaptation as a whole and be sure to check out my review for Batman: The Long Halloween, Part One and Dan’s review of Batman: The Long Halloween comic! 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
SUMMARY Gotham’s annual festivities turn to fearful nights of fright as a mysterious murderer known only as Holiday picks of the Falcone and Roman families one by one on each consecutive holiday. It’s up to Batman, Harvey Dent & Jim Gordon to put the pieces together and save Gotham from a year-long seasonal serial killing spree. VISUALS Firstly, character designs have been sucked clean of Tim Sale’s gorgeously noirish comic style for more generic and oddly unfinished looking appearances. As well as this, characters seem to be suffering from rigor mortis with a slow and jagged stiffness to their animation atop a gloriously smooth looking art deco backdrop. Not unlike the pop art style of the spy comedy series, Archer, but with more visual phrasing. Joker says it best in this film, “Navy, navy, charcoal, black. Euk! Really Carm, is a splash of colour too much to ask?”. Despite the original comic’s dark and monochromatic appearance, the comic popped with a minimalistic festive colour palette; Halloween oranges, Valentine’s Day reds, New Year yellows, etc. Arguably, this was a large part of the comic’s charm and style. For a story gift wrapped in holiday spirit, the wide spectrum of bright holiday colours amongst the bleak backdrop of Gotham is sorely missing from this film adaptation. It’s very hard to tell what holiday we’re supposed to be celebrating. VOICEWORK & WRITING Let’s talk about the good in this adaptation. The voicecast, while nowhere near as iconic as the longstanding original voices, do a phenomenal job in recreating the beloved characters. Every voice is unique but unmistakably perfect for the variety of personalities throughout. Stand-out performances being Troy Baker’s return as the Joker with darker Hamillisms and David Dastmalchian as Calender Man with an uncomfortable monotone performance. Unfortunately, stellar impressions don’t make for a great performance as the dialogue and acting itself is both tonally inconsistent and awkward throughout, as if the actors had no frame of reference to work off of. Why the brilliant dialogue of the comic couldn’t be brought to life or at least replicated here is baffling to me. Remember in Batman: Mask of Phantasm when you got goosebumps from Shirley Walker’s tremendously grandiose choir filling the Gotham night air on top of an earthshattering orchestral ambience? Listen to it again if you can’t remember it…yeah. Batman: The Long Halloween, Part One is virtually devoid of music aside from a minimalistic pinch of ambience every now and again. There’s an entire chase scene with no music whatsoever and it is SO AWKWARD! Batman has some of the best pieces of music in cinema history and this here is an embarrassing disappointment. Annoyingly, events and details, bar the actual holidays themselves, are all out of place, altered or in some cases just omitted from the script with pointless padding in it’s place. This totally ruins the flow, suspense and drama of the original comic that makes it such a beloved entry in the mythos of Batman, as well as makes the twists painfully obvious. While I can’t say I like that Palmer is writing his own calendar for the monthly mayhem, it is intriguing enough to see where he goes with it and if he opts for an alternative ending to the comic. If the end result is the same however, what was the point in changing key details? OVERALL In conclusion, Batman: The Long Halloween, Part One honestly feels like a bootleg adaptation of the classic comic in every way. I wouldn’t be surprised if it came out that Palmer couldn’t secure the rights to the story so he had to make his own that loosely follows the original. Either that or he hasn’t read the comic! Everything from it’s cardboard cutout look and monotonous animation to it’s first take dialogue and story inconsistencies makes the film feel wholly unfinished. I hate that I have to write this review as it hurts me to my core. I was so excited to see my favourite Batman comic get the feature length animated treatment. There are sparks of the Batman spirit in the cracks of this film but the sheer amount of problems it has eclipse any semblance of hope for the adaptation. The only way I could see redemption for the film is if it leans into it’s askew recollection of the comic in order to produce a whole new take on the Holiday storyline, perhaps giving the adaptation a unique alternate reality edge with different results i.e. cementing it as it’s own story. However, if Batman: The Long Halloween, Part Two continues to stumble it’s way to the original finish line, this will be cemented in my mind as a colossal failure for DC. [yasr_multiset setid=4] [yasr_visitor_multiset setid=4] Let us know in the comments your thoughts on Batman: The Long Halloween, Part One, your thoughts on the original Jeph Loeb comic & be sure to check out Dan’s review of Batman: The Long Halloween comic and my recent comic reviews for Batman: The Detective! Buy tickets for BGCP Comic Con in and around Glasgow Scotland – BUY TICKETS Check out all of our Comic, Movie, Television and Videogame Reviews HERE and our Podcasts/Interviews HERE If you want to be part of the BGCP community, Join us on Discord, Twitter, Instagram etc then click HERE
Review – Batman: Reptilian #1. What strikes fear into the hearts of those who terrorize Gotham? It used to be Batman but what happened to him?
Review – Kingdom Come Publisher: DC Writer: Mark Waid Artist: Alex Ross Letters: Todd Klein Release Date: May – August 1996 When I was asked to write a review for Kingdom Come, I decided that I had to try and ignore its legacy as one of the greatest comics ever written and instead read through it once more and critique the book at face value. That said, 25 years after its initial release, Kingdom Come still cements its place in history as one of the greatest comic book stories ever committed to print. The idea alone of this miniseries is a fascinating one. If superheroes were to ever reveal themselves in real life, it would inevitably change the world forever. Therefore, humanity’s future world look vastly different to how it would otherwise. Once these meta-humans start to appear and breed, with each generation becoming more and more powerful, where does it stop? However, even with a great concept such as this, you still need the talent working on the book to deliver. Thankfully that is the case here. Mark Waid was the perfect choice to pen this epic story, as he clearly understands these characters inside out. To even have a rough idea of what Batman, Superman and the rest of the Justice League would look and think like years down the line, you really need to know these characters as individuals. Fortunately, Mark Waid does. As he weaves this grand and complex story, he keeps all of the characters true to their individually established personalities throughout. This really makes a difference to the reader, as at no point are you taken out of the engrossing story due to an out-of-character decision. We are so used to seeing the Justice League at the top of their game, so to see these bitter, jaded versions of our favourite heroes living in a world that feels like it no longer needs them is captivating. To see the unwavering commitment of some heroes in contrast with those who feel that they no longer owe anything to Earth’s citizens is fascinating. The whole “deconstruction of the superhero genre,” theme was most famously explored in Watchmen, however seeing it play out within the Justice League is utterly fascinating. Seeing these versions of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman is such a departure from how they are usually portrayed and yet it works, because Mark Waid has such a great understanding of these characters. The idea of a younger generation superheroes that deal a much more brutal brand of justice than their predecessors has been depicted across the comic book medium both before and since Kingdom Come. However, Kingdom Come does it exceptionally well in a way that really allows the reader to deeply relate to these fictional God-like beings. Alex Ross’ artwork in this book is possibly the best artwork ever seen in a comic book. Ross is notorious for his strikingly realistic paintings of superheroes, however his work in Kingdom Come is truly exceptional. Every panel on every page is utterly stunning and genuinely beggars belief at just how real these depictions of the Justice League are. Whilst I am sure that Ross could have employed any art style to use in this book and it would have looked phenomenal, the choice to go with gouache is a remarkable one. The opaque, slightly muted look that it gives adds such depth to the already stunning pencils. This book is a prime example of why Alex Ross is considered an artistic genius by so many. The colouring is also impeccable throughout. Even when there are complex aerial hand-to-hand battles unfolding, spread across multiple pages, your eyes are never lost anywhere on the page and the reader is always able to follow exactly what is going on. With how grand and intense several of the sequences in this book are, that is no easy feat. Overall, I am so happy that I got to revisit Kingdom Come for review. I was reminded why this book has cemented itself as a modern classic of the genre and it really is a book that everyone should make a point of reading. Kingdom Come should be a required piece of literature whether you are a comic book fan or not, because it truly is a masterpiece. [yasr_multiset setid=1] [yasr_visitor_multiset setid=1] If you enjoyed Dan’s review for Kingdom Come, you can check out what he thought of Watchmen here. Don’t forget to like us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Discord and join our official Facebook Group. Check out our 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
Review – Static: Season One #1. Bullied nerd Virgil Hawkins wasn’t the kind of kid you’d normally find on the streets at a protest
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
BGCP Interviews Mark Abnett (Aroha Comics) This week Massimo sits down for a chat with Scottish based New Zealand Born comic creator Mark Abnett to talk about his Kickstarter for the latest issue of his series ‘This Land’. They discuss the book, Mark’s comic career so far, The story writing process and how Mark hopes to bring the Maori Culture to a broader audience with his work. Mark is the owner of Aroha Comics and the writer of “SCHISM” with Glaswegian Artist Chris Connelly and ‘This Land’ which you can purchase from here Follow Aroha Comics on Twitter to get all the latest updates about ‘This Land’ – @ArohaComics Follow Mark on Twitter @MarkAbnett Check out BGCP’s review of This Land #1 and #2 here Drop us a like if you enjoyed and sub to the channel for more upcoming interviews with awesome creators. Join us on Discord, Twitter, Instagram, etc – https://linktr.ee/BGCPComicCon SpotifyYouTubeGoogle Podcast Apple Podcasts 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
