DC

Review – Kingdom Come (1996)

21st June 2021

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 – Kingdom Come (1996) Read More »

The Dark Knight Review: Why It Is A 2008 Masterpiece

The Dark Knight Review: Why It Is A 2008 Masterpiece

28th February 2026

Searching for a definitive The Dark Knight review to see if Christopher Nolan’s epic still holds the crown? Since its release in 2008, this film hasn’t just remained a fan favorite—it has become the gold standard for the entire genre. While modern hits like The Batman have tried to capture its grit, our The Dark Knight review explores why this crime epic remains untouchable in 2026. The Plot: An Intense Dark Knight Review of Gotham The story follows Batman (Christian Bale), Lieutenant Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman), and District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) as they form an alliance to dismantle organized crime in Gotham. However, their efforts are sabotaged by a chaotic new criminal mastermind known as The Joker (Heath Ledger). As we dive deeper into this The Dark Knight review, it’s clear the film is a high-stakes crime thriller. The opening bank heist sets a tone of realism that was unheard of for comic book movies at the time. The Joker doesn’t want money; he wants to prove that under pressure, everyone is as “ugly” as he is. Heath Ledger: The Performance That Changed Everything In any The Dark Knight review, Heath Ledger is the undisputed center of gravity. His Oscar-winning portrayal of the Joker wasn’t just “good acting”—it was a seismic shift in pop culture. Ledger famously isolated himself for weeks to develop the character’s unique, high-pitched “glass-shredding” voice and manic tics. From the “pencil trick” to his chillingly calm interrogation by Batman, Ledger transformed the Joker from a “clown” into a philosophical force of nature. Even in 2026, his performance remains the benchmark that no other villain has quite reached. Christian Bale: From Cult Star to Global Icon While Ledger stole the headlines, we have to look at how Christian Bale used this film to become a global superstar. Before 2008, Bale was respected for cult hits like American Psycho, but The Dark Knight proved he could carry the biggest movie in the world. Bale’s Bruce Wayne provided the emotional weight that allowed Ledger’s Joker to shine. His physical dedication—rebuilding his body after The Machinist—became the blueprint for the modern “superhero transformation.” After this film smashed the $1 billion mark, Bale wasn’t just an actor; he was a box-office titan. The Long Halloween Review Gear Up: Must-Have Gear After Our Dark Knight Review If our The Dark Knight review has you ready to return to Gotham, check out these top-rated items on Amazon: Final Verdict: Wrapping Up Our Dark Knight Review To wrap up this The Dark Knight review, Christopher Nolan didn’t just make a Batman movie; he made a cinematic masterpiece that transcends the genre. It is a haunting exploration of order vs. chaos that remains as relevant today as it was in 2008. Final Score: 10/10

The Dark Knight Review: Why It Is A 2008 Masterpiece Read More »

Review – Justice League (2017)

22nd December 2025

Review – Justice League (2017) Directed by: Zack Snyder (but really Joss Whedon) Produced by: Charles Roven & Deborah Snyder Written by: Zack Snyder, Joss Whedon and Chris Terrio Starring: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Ray Fisher, and Ezra Miller Release Date: November 17th 2017 (UK) Last Friday, a movie dropped that most comic book fans have been hotly anticipating for the last few decades; Zack Snyder’s Justice League. Regardless of what you may think of the Snydercut, it is hard to deny that the fact that it was actually made and put out is a significant turn of events within the movie industry. A lot has already been said about the precedent that it sets for the sway that fan campaigns could have over movies going forward, but that is a whole other conversation for another time. Instead, in this review for Justice League, I want to look at the theatrical cut of the film. Finished off by Joss Whedon after Zack Snyder had to abandon the project due to a personal family tragedy and put out into the world in 2017, the original cut of this film took somewhat of a beating upon release. I remember seeing it at the time and being unimpressed, but also not finding it offensively bad either. I re-watched it recently for this review to help discern the major differences between this cut and the Snydercut and it there is no denying that it is certainly a very different movie. This movie had a lot going against it going in; to start with, there was the previously mentioned replacement of its director mid-production. There was a large amount of pressure put on the film by fans to be as good as Whedon’s other major superhero team up movie; The Avengers. It also acted as the follow up to the critical disappointment that was Dawn of Justice, with the studio scrambling to claw back some of the goodwill from fans and critics through weird marketing choices, in the hope that at the very least, Justice League could at least be a commercial success. Lastly, there is also the fact that comic book fans had been waiting for decades to see the Justice League appear on the big screen, so that alone brings a fair amount of pressure with it. All of this combined meant that Justice League had a lot to live up to. With all of this said, even after seeing the far superior Snydercut of the movie, Justice League is still just an okay movie. It is by no means a great piece of cinema, but its fine. It is certainly not the worst film in the DCEU; I’m not sure whether that says more about Justice League 2017 or the DCEU as a whole, but I’ll leave that for you to ponder. The first half of the 2017 cut is extremely choppy and unfocused and feels more like a grab bag of scenes cut together to resemble a story rather than any sort of coherent story. Then the last half of the movie plays it incredibly safe and plays out exactly how you would predict. There are no surprises or twists and then the credits roll and half heartedly set up a potential sequel, which is fairly laughable knowing what we know now about the utter failure that was Warner Brothers attempting to force the DCEU into becoming a significant part of superhero pop-culture. In terms of reviewing Justice League 2017, there isn’t really much to talk about; which is disappointing. Although Batman V Superman left a great deal to be desired as far as being a decent comic book movie, it at least gave all of us plenty to talk about. The cast are alright, I enjoyed seeing Affleck as Batman as I always do and I love his chemistry with Alfred in both cuts of this movie. Cavill puts in a decent Superman performance if you can get by that extremely dodgy CGI upper lip. Gal Gadot is great as Wonder Woman, Ray Fisher does fine in his greatly reduced role as Cyborg and Jason Momoa’s Aquaman is pretty one-dimensional, because the DCEU’s Aquaman is written to be remarkably one-dimensional in every film he appears in. Ezra Miller is annoying but clearly supposed to be the comic relief in the film. JK Simmons is wasted as Jim Gordon, but it’s nice to see Amy Adams in a reduced role here. I don’t hate Amy Adams, but I have never been a fan of her portrayal as Lois Lane and surprisingly, she actually serves a purpose in this film, as opposed to pondering about with a camera looking surprised. The SFX varies greatly, with some really impressive visual effects and some that look like absolute garbage and could have been handled better. Something else that could have been handled far better was the resurrection of Superman. As a long time comic book fan and knowing the significance of this plot point in the comics, it feels extremely rushed and half-hearted by comparison in this film. Overall, it’s not the worst movie in the world; it’s not even the worst movie in this universe, but really it should have been far better than it is. The Justice League movie should have been so much better than, ‘just okay,’ It’s crazy to think that this film released just a month after Thor: Ragnarok, and managed to be significantly worse than the third sequel to one of the least popular Avengers’ solo films. Justice League should have blown a Thor movie out of the water, both commercially and critically, yet here we are.

Review – Justice League (2017) Read More »

Review – Injustice 2

17th May 2021

Review – Injustice 2 Developer: NetherRealm Studios Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Genre: Fighting Game Director: Ed Boon Release Date: May 11th 2017 Quick disclaimer before I start my review for Injustice 2, I am not a huge online gamer. Whilst playing through the game, I dabbled in a few online fights and played a few co op games with my better half, but for the most part this will be a review of the single player story portion of the game. I was so pleasantly surprised when I played the first Injustice game. I am a big DC fan, but fighting games aren’t one of my preferred genres in gaming, yet this fighting game set in the DC universe blew me away. The story was intriguing, the characters were diverse and it was a unique taste on a beloved universe. Therefore, the sequel had a fair amount to live up to and while it is still a fun fighting game with a multitude of colourful characters, it doesn’t feel anywhere near as special as Gods Among Us did. The setup this time around revolves around Brainiac descending upon the earth in search of Kal-El and Kara, the last two remaining Kryptonians and eliminating them. Since the events of the last game, Batman has been keeping Superman in a special prison that suppresses his powers and the world has remained relatively free of crime, however Brainaic’s arrival changes all this. From here onwards we have our superhero story, which sees epic battles occur and mortal enemies being forced to work together against a common evil. Most importantly, the game is fun. Gameplay feels pretty tight, which is both a positive and a negative when compared to Gods Among Us. The controls feel more solid and purposeful, but also feel more restrictive and less forgiving since the last time. This makes button bashing a void method and forces you to learn intricate button sequences if you want to pull off a decent combo. Thankfully, the super-moves are really fun to watch and make you feel awesome when you manage to successfully pull them off. I was so looking forward to the story mode in this game, I loved the story mode in the first game and was relying on this one to deliver also, unfortunately I found it jarring and hard to swallow, even as a lifelong comic book fan. The story in Gods Among Us was controversial amongst DC fans, as it turned a number of iconic characters on their head, causing them to fight on the opposing side from what we are used to seeing. In that game though, I thought it worked, character motivations were clear and there was context given for the heroes and villains who switched sides. This time around, characters switch sides faster than a tennis ball at Wimbledon and half the time, there is no apparent reason for it. The most jarring moment came when Wonder Woman turned on Kara. In the mission that preceded it, Wonder Woman inhales Scarecrow’s toxin and through a hallucination and it is revealed that her worst fear is turning on her friends, yet in the mission immediately after this sequence, she turns on her friends in reality! With no apparent motive to do so other than she is unconditionally on Superman’s side, making no moral decisions for herself. It came across so awkwardly and felt lazy, it’s as if the writers totally forgot about the last scene that illustrated that the last thing that Wonder Woman wants to do is turn on her friends. I did appreciate the graphics in the game. Netherealm have really stepped up their game since the first Injustice and there are some truly stunning moments throughout Injustice 2 and I don’t just mean in the cut-scenes. The area transitions are gorgeous to look at, the super-moves are very visually impressive and the detailed locations where the fights take place are also effective. The multiple unique environmental hazards present in each environment add an extra layer of unpredictability and opportunity to the fights and they do a good job of helping a player on the back foot start a comeback against their opponent. Facial animations and voice acting across the stable of characters is also solid. Although the game is technically sound and the graphics are good looking, I wasn’t a fan of the character design overall this time around. The last game updated a few character designs, but for the most part followed the traditional style that the characters are portrayed in. This time, a lot of the character’s costumes look goofy and come off looking like toy armour rather than something a superhero would realistically wear. The redesign of the Joker makes no sense. Not only did it look like they were trying too hard to make him look edgy, but in this universe, Joker was killed at the beginning of the first Injustice game and he didn’t look like that when he died. In this game he appears to Harley through one of Scarecrow’s hallucinations and looks similar to the Jared Leto version of the character from Suicide Squad, but why? As far as we know, he has never looked like that in this universe during the time he was alive and if you are going to redesign him, don’t base it on Leto’s Joker, (AKA the worst version of the character.) The co-op is as much fun as you would expect and certain matchups are more interesting than others. As with the first Injustice, pulling off combos and super-moves on someone that is physically sitting next to you is a lot more satisfying than doing it to some AI or an online player thousands of miles away. There is nothing quite like the couch co-op experience when it comes to a fighting game. Injustice 2 is a lot of fun to play in a group as well, setting up a tournament and throwing in real life forfeits also makes

Review – Injustice 2 Read More »

Review: Earth-One: Wonder Woman Vol 3

16th June 2021

Review: Earth-One: Wonder Woman Vol 3 Story: Grant Morrison Att: Yanick Paquette Colours: Nathan Fairbairn Covers: Yanick Paquette, Nathan Fairbairn Released: March 2021 Introduction This concludes the critically acclaimed story arc unique writer Grant Morrison (Doom Patrol, Animal man etc..) crazily brought to Wonder Woman. Gloriously proud, fantastically feminine and here to take down the boring patriocracy with Girl (or should I say Woman power!) After the death of Hippolyta at the hand of Paula Von Gunther, Diane must lead her people against the forces of men both today and a thousand years in the future. So let’s grab our tiara and lasso of truth, put on our knee-high red boots and start the review of Wonder Woman Earth-One’s triumphant final Volume! Jumping between the future and current timelines we find the world is a Paradise, all war eradicated and all genders and sexualities proudly working for the greater good of the world. But watch out! Let’s cut to the past and the evil Maxwell Lord who wants to bring the war to the Amazons using his A.R.E.S. mark 1 suits (corny but subtle clue Mr Morrison!) These mecha-men won’t stand for this and have had enough of women protesting and complaining about harassment. Can Steve break out of prison? Can Diana unite the tribes of Amazon women? Will there be death by Snu-Snu? Why is the queen’s heart still burning? And will I stop asking questions and get on with this review..? All the answers are in this issue….and a few you didn’t even think of If you are going to end on a high why not have Diana riding a giant kangaroo while an army of cold unfeeling menbots descends on the Amazons to stop their very way of life?     Story/Writing As with the previous two volumes, Grant’s vision of Earth One’s Diana is stunning with the story jumping from the pages into your imagination. You find yourself flicking back a few pages in case you missed a text bubble or two. This finally is Diana triumphant, ruling her people and bringing peace, love and equality to the world whether men want it or not!  Men have not bargained on her using the ultimate threat! All women will withhold sex if men do not succumb… Death by no Snu-Snu? I can imagine Grant smiling as he finished this novel and then dedicated it to his sister Leigh. If you are going to write a bonkers battle of the sexes, this is how you do it! I doff my cap to Mr Morrison! Art/Visuals Yanick’s art style is perfect for this we move from fairy wings and female empowerment motifs to the stern, cold world of men where Maxwell Lord sits on a symbolic throne watching and directing the action. The fight sequences are great, sometimes a little confusing with the armies of Amazons and Robots hard to distinguish key characters. But if that is my only complaint it is a small one and I’ve already read it twice now from cover to cover!Some of the images such as the cover are a homage to great works of art depicting strong women and anything that can get kids excited about art is worth it! Overall thoughts This could drift have drifted into a lecture on female empowerment. Instead, Grant and Yanick skillfully handle the current drive to strengthen female characters beyond the bosoms and bodices that the industry is far too guilty of. From me the father of a strong, proud daughter and husband to an even stronger wife there needs to be more of this type of book. My only slight criticism of this is that there still seems to be a small amount of Body Dysmorphia represented here with traditional tight revealing outfits and standard gravity-defying huge chests on most females. So let’s finish this review of Wonder Woman triumphant legacy and allow you to grab your significant other! Buy a copy at your Local Comic Book Shop, brew a tea and cuddle up to the joyous conclusion to one of the freshest titles to come from the Earth-One universe. If you enjoyed our Review of Earth-One: Wonder Woman Vol 3 then comment below or leave your own rating below. Join us on Discord, Instagram, Twitter etc – linktr.ee/BGCPComicCon [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

Review: Earth-One: Wonder Woman Vol 3 Read More »

Review – Suicide Squad #1

17th May 2021

Review – Suicide Squad #1 Publisher: DC Comics Writer: Robbie Thompson Artist: Eduardo Pansica Inker: Julio Ferreira Colorist: Marcelo Maiolo Letterist: Wes Abbott Release Date: March 2021 Let’s Begin: Ever since the feature film released in 2016, The Suicide Squad has changed into a completely new beast. The past 5 years has (for better or worse) been a unique half-decade for the team becoming more mainstream and emphasizing the importance of many crucial members of the team. Clearly, the series about a group of expendable D-list villains forced to work together on a covert black ops mission without knowing who would live or die at any moment had changed into something new. While Amanda Waller was still calling the shots, the members of the team seemed to become less and less expendable as they cemented themselves as permanent members of the team who were mainstream characters in the DC universe. Unlike the original conception of the series, there are clearly some characters that are untouchable. Everyone knows that Harley Quinn is going to make it to the end of the series…whether this is a negative thing or not depends on who you ask. However, one thing is for certain; The Suicide Squad has been something different. With a brand new movie by James Gunn coming this year, the Suicide Squad has the potential to enter a brand new era, and Robbie Thompson is looking to help make that happen. Guess Who’s Back: Waller’s back. And much to the dismay of Rick Flag, she has a crazy plan to turn the Suicide Squad into it’s most absolute form, Task Force Z. Amanda Waller sends Peacemaker and a few other obscure villains like Film Freak (yes, Film Freak) on a mission in Arkham Asylum to retrieve William Cobb, the Talon himself. While the Squad makes light work of the officers guarding the Asylum, Talon himself proves to be enough of a challenge on his own, as he seems to have forgotten who he is and is immediately hostile toward the team. Meanwhile, Rick Flag is clearly not a big fan of Waller’s secret plan, but Amanda isn’t having it so she electrocutes him and throws him in chains. It quickly becomes clear though that Flag isn’t the only one Waller has locked away, and the chains on this surprise prisoner definitely aren’t gonna be staying on for long. As we cut back to the Squad in Arkham Asylum, each member is dispatched one after the other by a release of Joker gas in the vicinity and the overflow of expendable guards trying to subdue them until only 2 remained. With Peacemaker and Talon retreating up flights of stairs with Asylum guards gaining from below and green toxins filling their only escape route, the two prepare to fight off the horde of officers quickly approaching as the issue comes to a close. Not Here To Show Off: The art in this book done by Eduardo Pansica is very good. The style complements the action focused storytelling by providing dynamic scenes that show the ability of the characters skills. The obscure villains utilized within are made to look powerful and cool despite their obscurity and quirkiness. The characters specifically are drawn with great detail and full page spreads are done very well. Overall, this is a clean art style for such a muddy and murky cast of characters. Some Kind Of Suicide Squad: Ultimately, this new Suicide Squad team is refreshing and intriguing enough to warrant your attention. I wasn’t going into this issue with much of any expectations, but this new set of squad members and whatever Waller has planned got me invested enough to want to continue reading the series. All of the characters seem like unique and sensible fits for the Squad with Peacemaker and Talon specifically peaking my interest to see where these characters are taken. The lack of any mainstay Suicide Squad members may throw off some fans of the series, but I think that is exactly what this series needed. The uniqueness of this story in comparison to recent storylines gives it a sense of unpredictability that a title like the Suicide Squad greatly benefits from. Every aspect of this issue seems to give off a unique energy different than what this title has had before. This year seems to be a big one for the Suicide Squad, and if you are looking forward to the upcoming movie or looking for a unique new title, this is a really solid first issue that should at least warrant picking up the next issue to see what happens next. [yasr_visitor_multiset setid=1] [yasr_multiset setid=1] Please don’t hesitate to leave a comment down below for our Review of Suicide Squad #1 and give us your rating of the comic if you’ve also read it. Join us on Discord, Instagram, Twitter etc – 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

Review – Suicide Squad #1 Read More »

Scroll to Top