2015 Update (Finally)

Wow. It's been a while.

I think it's time to let you all know what's happened since my last post here.

First things first is the fact that I'm no longer with the Big Glasgow Comic Page. I enjoyed most of my time there, met some genuinely awesome people and got a great opportunity to write about and learn about a culture that I've always had an interest in, but never had the chance to jump into. Best of luck to Ian and everybody else on the page with everything the future may bring.

Secondly, I'm now working for a website called GamerHeadlines...but truth be told, not much is happening there from me. I started a little while back and enjoyed writing for them, but as University has reared its ugly head back into my life, I've lost the time I had to go back to GH and really get some stuff written. Hopefully this'll change soon and I'll be back on track, but for now that's a bit inactive.

Thirdly, and most importantly, I've been making some moves on Twitch, and now have 2 regular series running :D I broadcast live initially and then export the broadcasts to YouTube so you can catch up on any that you miss. My regular series at the moment are my weekly horror series; Alien: Irrigation, and my less regular; Black Watch Wrasslin'.

Sorry that this has taken so long to finally get out here, but at least it is here now.

I'm back. Not in a huge way, but at least it's a start.

Do svidanya folks, bye bye.

'Green Arrow' Volume 4: 'The Kill Machine' Comic Review

Sometimes you just have to revisit your favourites to truly appreciate everything else. For me, there are only 2 options. Batman, and the ultimate archer: Green Arrow.

 This is the Black Watcher, and here is the second half of my favourite series reviews, with Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino's 'Green Arrow' Volume 4: The Kill Machine.

Art:

I won't dance around the subject here, because this book's art could quite simply be described as the best collection of modern comic book art I have ever seen. I've always been one to try and avoid claims like that, but in this case the art is just too good not to recognise fully. The story is dark, gloomy and dramatic, and Sorrentino's art acts as a perfect match for this darker tone. Heavy usage of shadow and ink works beautifully with the masterful colours from Marcelo Maiolo, causing a constant back and forth between heavy shadows and silhouettes, alongside the brighter settings in the book such as the Black Mesa desert. While character's hair styles may be somewhat repetetive, the wide range of highly emotive body and face actions meld expertly with the cinematic establishing shots of Seattle and fast paced fight scenes. The art really is, for lack of a better expression, a piece of art.

Story:

The Kill Machine focusses quite strongly on rebooting Green Arrow's post New 52 story, and wastes no time in smoothly erasing the result of one of the character's worst runs in history. It takes Ollie and strips him down to hisnmost basic form. No trick arrows, no team, no support. It is when he's been brought down to this level that the Green Arrow we know and love comes to light. This is a younger, less refined Oliver Queen, but by no means is he less interesting. The story is told with elements of origin intertwined into a strong central narrative that brings family and trust into the forefront, introducing a new villain, Komodo, who has the potential to become one of GA's greatest villains if dealt with well (he has recieved nothing but good writing since his debut). Komodo is another archer, with ties to Ollie's past, and incredible bow skills. His involvement in the story brought an intrigue and complexity to Green Arrow that is unfortunately not always present within his stories, but is flowing strongly in this one. The story also allows for a lot of future developments to be made for the character, showing a secure future for Oliver Queen

Readability:

The Kill Machine is a very easy read, with enough intrigue and suspense on each page to keep you turning. There are a couple of moments in the book where the text is slightly heavy, but this is still well balanced by the plentiful, but not excessive, action scenes that add bursts of primal energy to sections that may initially appear to be somewhat calm.

Verdict:

 The Kill Machine is a fantastic introduction into the ever expanding and ever enthralling world of Green Arrow, and a masterclass in modern comic book art. Pick this up, and do not regret it.

Score:

10/10

'Batman' Volume 3: 'Death of the Family' Comic Review

Art:

I’ve previously talked quite in depth about the art of the New 52’s current Batman run, and the same discussion applies just as well here, if not even better. ‘Death of the Family’ is a dark book. Even for a Batman arc it is dark, and Capullo’s art reflects that darkness beautifully. There are very few artists whose work I could describe as being genuinely creepy at times, but Capullo is one of them. His design for the Joker is perhaps the most unsettling portrayal of the character I’ve ever seen. As grotesque and macabre as it might be, it still feels curiously appropriate and believable. Capullo takes the Joker’s personality, including the paradoxical horror of his character, and he paints it stunningly throughout the book. With scenes such as the GCPD break-in being told in an almost cinematic manner, showcasing the madness of the Joker, whilst creating an atmosphere of complete and utter dread, as the lights go out and heart rates go up. These scenes are where Capullo excels. However, it can’t be denied that there are some less than impressive slip ups from time to time, with a few odd expressions or rushed character drawings that sometimes feel stiff and detract from what is otherwise a hugely atmospheric and haunting set of visuals. You may even want to read this with one eye over your shoulder, and that is an impressive feat for a comic to achieve.

Story:

The story focusses on the return of the Clown Prince to Gotham after an extended absence following the removal of his face in the pages of Detective Comics. As per usual, Joker has a plan, and that plan involves the Batman, but this time he has a few other targets as well. Whilst not a completely original concept when dissected, the story still offers enough in the way of originality to be one of the most unique Joker tales ever written. This is the way that a Joker story should be written. Throughout the whole volume there is an overwhelming feeling of dread and violation that comes across as terrifyingly atmospheric. You never know what could happen next, and the knowledge of the Joker’s presence in Gotham is enough to leave the stories protagonists in a state of vulnerability and paranoia that is almost infectious to the reader. Elements of detective work are embraced to the benefit of the story, as the book lets you deduce what is going to happen next in conjunction with the book’s faithful representation of the Joker’s unpredictable manner. Whilst at times the story may dwindle, particularly in its somewhat disappointing climax, it still maintains the key to a great story, with a number of impressive dialogues between characters that allow the reader to truly explore the strange relationship between the Bat and the Joker. The end page alone is bound to make fans smile cautiously with gleeful expectation.

Readability:

The balance of text and imagery in ‘Death of the Family’ is very well done, with their being only a couple of isolated instances of text heaviness that are overwhelmed by the overarching quality of the book. Dialogue fits each character well, and moments that could quite easily be left alone are improved by the inclusion of insightful commentary and soliloquy from Batman.

Verdict:

‘Batman’ Volume 3 is an unsettlingly masterful dive into the mind of the world’s greatest villain, exploring his relationship with the Batman, whilst also managing to deliver one of the greatest Batman stories ever told. Although it may be somewhat hasty towards the end, the book still leaves the reader with a powerful feeling of unease, and awe, as they have just read what will surely become a timeless addition to the world of the Batman, and his ever smiling nemesis.

Score:

10/10

Little touches

Some of you may have noticed that my review scores have had colours lately, fairly minor I know. Basically, I'm gonna outline the colours corresponding to the scores here for you, just to make sure that it's not left open (some don't look too much like the intended colour, but oh well!):

1-3 Brown, for obvious reasons

4-6 Green, run of the mill, average

7- Bronze, not bad (or as close to it as I can get)

8- Pretty damn good, check it out

9-10 Exactly what it says on the tin, either perfect or just about.

So hopefully that's all clear now :) It only really came in recently, so don't expect it from my older work.

'Future's End' #1 Comic Review

This is another prime example of how DC is seeing how far they can push the fan base, with yet another weekly title on the shelves, DC really aim to rake in the money. As much as some of us may complain, the fact remains that each of the first four issues of ‘Batman Eternal’ (a weekly) took places in the top 10 bestselling comics of April this year. Don’t complain if you’re gonna buy them, folks. However, that’s an argument for another day.

Story

 ‘Future’s End’ #1 should in reality go by the name of ‘Future’s End’ #2, as the title did essentially begin with the FCBD 0 issue, which established some fairly important plot details (as far as I could tell). This makes me wonder why DC didn’t just throw the FCBD issue into this book anyway for the sake of those that didn’t manage to get a hold of a copy, but again, that’s another story. The book is of course, as the title suggests, focussed on the somewhat bleak, dystopian future of the New 52, where a cybernetic apocalypse has been set in motion, with a similar structure to that of the ever so popular Zombocalypse formula of wounding and subsequent infection. It’s this cybernetic dominance that acts as the book’s main antagonistic force. Following the escapades of a time travelling Terry McGinnis (Batman Beyond) and with an appearance from Grifter and an aging Firestorm, the book shows how these heroes go about their quest to save the DCU in a number of different well known locations. While the premise itself is suitably dark for the event, the book still feels like it is ultimately tied down by the tirade of apocalyptic works currently stagnating in pop culture, and results in it feeling quite clichéd. However it does show promise, with an ending that, while clichéd, is still quite enticing and leaves enough for the reader to want to return.

Art

The book’s art has a fairly standard feel to it, while not spectacular by any means; it still does enough to keep the book alive, and is admittedly impressive with the character’s themselves, with their designs feeling interesting and somewhat inspired, especially when there is such a variety of characters on display. Environments look foreboding and dark enough to match well with the subject matter, and the book on the whole has a fairly dread filled tone about it, unsurprising for a DC title.

Readability

The book, while not completely engaging, is still quite easy to follow and well balanced between text and visuals. However, it does, at times, feel a little too simple, although that is likely just a result of its weekly format leading to a more drip by drip method of storytelling, which is quite clearly on display here.

Verdict:

‘Future’s End’ #1 is a fairly uninspired take on the future of the New 52, but leaves enough to evoke some interest in the reader, and is faithful to the characters it portrays. While not as emotionally jarring as some other DC titles, it still shows enough promise with an ending that, as overdone as it is, brings in enough in the way of enigmas to warrant a second outing.

Score:

6/10

TV Reviews! Format and first review announcement

This is my first step into yet another unknown territory, like a colonial period American with an interest in the world’s media. TV is one of those things that I have never fully explored up till this point as I felt that reviewing TV would be simply too difficult to do. Whatever the case, however, I’ve decided that it’s worth a try, so now I need to define a format, and here it is:

TV- Story, Acting Quality + Presentation, Watchability, Verdict, Score

This is fairly similar to my Film format, without music being judged, as I feel that TV’s use of music is too minor to hold its own section, so I have mixed it in with visuals to bring presentation as an alternative. Now that the technicality is out of the way, it’s time to move on to the fun stuff, i.e the review itself. It will be separate to this piece, just for the sake of it not looking daft in the title, but I can tell you that the first ever BWR Television review is of  ‘Hannibal’ season 2 episode 1!

As usual, feel free to rate it or slate it, and any feedback/suggestions would be appreciated!

 Do svidanya, folks.

'The Walking Dead' #126 Comic Review

Story:

This thing has been building up nice and slowly since September last year, the thing in question being the ‘All Out War’ arc. While hyped up immensely and made out to be the arc to end all arcs, I can’t help but feel as if I’ve been let down quite harshly by the arc’s ending. While I can’t deny that the arc has had its fair share of flaws during its run, I still felt as though I was being drip fed just enough to keep me hanging on each fortnight for the next instalment, even waiting excitedly at times. Sadly though, this issue, considering what it represented, namely the end of the titular war, just wasn’t good enough to justify the reader’s anticipation. The climax of the war was incredibly rushed and just downright disappointing to watch, culminating in nothing more than a particularly lacklustre action scene with very little in the way of genuine payoff. Considering how fantastic the series’ endings have been previously, one wouldn’t be out of place to say that this issue was simply not up to the standard. While, admittedly, the book does have what is essentially a series’ first in terms of post arc tone, it simply isn’t satisfying enough for me to acknowledge this unique change of direction that could have perhaps drawn more appreciation if the ending had been dealt with more cleanly, as the war aspect of this issue is quite swiftly expelled, leaving room for this change of direction to awkwardly take shape. One particular disappointment comes in the form of a section of character interaction towards the end of the book that feels really quite pointless, with very little in the way of any genuine emotional impact for me, which is something that ‘The Walking Dead’ has managed to pull off effortlessly before now.  This left me asking myself, yet again, if I had already seen this before, and unfortunately the answer was yes. This trend is becoming more and more common in ‘The Walking Dead’, which begs the question: “Is now the time to call it a day?”

Art:

Adlard’s performance in #126 is as usual still quite competent, with most panels remaining true to the current series’ standard. However, the aforementioned action scene’s art suffered from the same problem that the interaction scene suffered from later on in the book, and that was the distinct impression that left me saying that I had seen it all before, and the fact is that I have. The scene was boring, uninspired, and did not live up to the chaotic nature of what had come before it. The scenes involving Rick were particularly clichéd in their delivery, with the usual camera angles being brought in as yet another speech is given. However, I cannot fault Adlard himself too much as the story plays a large role in the art feeling so rehashed and limp.

Readability:

This issue is very familiar. The same speeches, conversations and dilemmas presented in previous books return once again to bring this issue down. Perhaps I’m just fed up with the series now, but I found this book particularly arduous to read, as it seemed to simply drag on in a fashion that makes me wonder how long this series has until Robert Kirkman’s weary character killing sword is brought down swiftly onto the neck of the series itself.

Verdict:

While not enough to warrant a pull list removal, I would advise all to lower their expectations for this issue, as its cliché ridden pages feel disappointingly familiar, and the ending which the readers expected remains undelivered, whilst the replacement, as different as it was, still does not live up to the hype that this arc had gathered. Though it cannot be denied that this issue has done enough to warrant my future curiosity if nothing else.

Score:

6/10