'Green Arrow' #26 Comic Review

For quite some time now, Green Arrow has been *the* DC book for me, with a lot of that adoration surrounding Lemire and Sorrentino’s work on replacing Ollie’s previously barren mythology with a far more engrossing and exciting take on his origins and his family. Namely, the idea of the different totem clans and the Outsiders have managed to work their way quite seamlessly into the character’s story, the likes of which haven’t been seen since Andy Diggle and Jock’s ‘Green Arrow: Year One’. Now the time has come for all the build-up regarding the Outsiders and the clans to finally come together in the form of the 6 issue arc named ‘The Outsiders War’. To say I was hyped would be somewhat of an understatement.

The book's art, as before, needs no introduction. Sorrentino and Maiolo hit their mark every single time, with their famous double page splashes returning once again to great effect. The way this particular issue is drawn makes it feel more like a Hollywood epic than just a conventional comic book, with sweeping establishing shots blending seamlessly alongside detailed close-ups and mids of character interaction and expression, which ultimately make this issue all the more enjoyable to read as well as to gaze upon in sweet admiration and jealousy. However, never to abandon his calling cards, the familiar panelling style of Sorrentino returns once again for one particularly imaginative scene regarding Ollie’s time on the island which I was left particularly pleased with as it incorporated both his interesting grasp on temporality as well as his semi-monochrome panels for emphasis on particular things of interest. Also, as a wee side note, that cover is just outright stunning.

As I mentioned before, this is the first part of ‘The Outsiders War’ arc, and so you would be excused for predicting that this issue would be fairly sub-standard in comparison to other issues. This, thankfully, is not the case with GA #26. While this issue may not be the high octane action packed arrow fest that many of Green Arrow’s recent issues have been (not a bad thing either way) it still serves as a very interesting, albeit quite tame, introduction into this arc. The concept of the network of clans amongst the Outsiders is further developed upon, with the re-emergence of two characters that recent readers are bound to recognise, reinforcing the idea of a hierarchy among these individual orders. This is again expanded upon through the creation of a new villain who takes his position as the head of the shield clan. Readers of GA #25 should recognise him as the big bugger who booted Ollie off of a cliff at the end of the issue. His name is infact (I don’t consider this a spoiler as it is already a piece of info that’s readily available online) Kodiak, and he looks pretty bloody menacing, although I’ll leave the rest of that discovery to you. This issue gives an overriding sense of something far bigger than just one character’s story, especially one who isn’t even held with the same level of reverence as the likes of Batman (for some undoubtedly ridiculous and disappointing reason), but that is where the concept on paper is beaten to the ground by the execution, as something that feels too big for Ollie alone actually feels quite right, and that is impressive. Although I feel that without Ollie’s current supporting cast, it wouldn’t be quite as well fitting, but that is, again, a credit to Lemire’s storytelling and character building abilities.

Verdict:

Green Arrow #26 is yet another fantastic issue that, while not being as explosive as previous issues, is still just as enjoyable a read as any of the others, leaving me wanting more from this arc which already has the potential to be one of the best, if not the best, Green Arrow arcs ever. This is how Green Arrow should have been from the start of the New 52, and hopefully it will stay this way.

Score:

9.5/10

'Batman' #25 Comic Video Review

The second video review :D

'Batman: Arkham Origins' (2013) Game Review

This move defined trial by fire. After developing two of the best games in the past decade, both winning numerous awards and receiving critical acclaim throughout the industry, Rocksteady were to pass the Arkham helm down to a much smaller, less proven developer named Warner Brothers Montreal. This relatively unknown developer didn’t just have boots to fill. It had a cowl, a cape and a Batsuit to fill. How did they fare? I would have to say they did pretty well in a lot of aspects, but not so well in others.

The story surrounds Roman Sionis a.k.a Black Mask and his attempt to get rid of the Batman by offering a $50,000,000 pay-out to any one of the eight assassins that he’s brought into Gotham on Christmas eve of all nights. It’s a simple yet effective premise that offers enough substance to stand on its own whilst also bringing some genuinely unforeseen (at least in my case) plot twists and revelations that went a long way to illustrate the mind-set of certain characters, as well as giving them a more thorough background in the Arkhamverse. One dynamic that I found to be particularly well done was the Batman and Joker relationship. This was a dynamic that I feel made the story far better than it may have been without it. As a result, I have almost forgiven the game for what was a disappointingly abrupt ending, leaving me feeling as if I hadn’t quite been given everything that I should have from the game, with one character being left out of the main story completely, despite being at the forefront of the game’s marketing campaign. The same goes for another character who was swept aside quite quickly after his encounter with Batman, only to reappear once more at the end of the game for a more than slightly interesting end credits scene. However, that scene and the Batman/Joker dynamic still didn’t completely wash away the slightly bitter taste I was left with as the credits came rolling, but the story on the whole was interesting, and I can’t fault the strokes of genius that screamed Rocksteady.

The gameplay is essentially a carbon copy of Arkham City with a couple of new features and slight improvements. The new features include:

The Remote Claw which really adds very little in the grand scheme of things, aside from its obligatory uses in missions and map traversal, as well as it’s combat capability incorporating environmental objects into its functionality such as knocking out thugs by Remote Clawing them to gargoyles or propane tanks (they must have mighty shoulders to be able to burst them open)

Shock Gloves which act as a significant damage multiplier when activated after being charged through successful strikes. These can help a lot in some situations but in others I felt as if it cheapened the combat, making all unique enemy abilities and weapons redundant when struck with the Shock Gloves

Virtual Crime scenes that are literally unlosable

Fast Travel which does exactly what it says on the tin, and a welcome addition considering the map size

All in all, I felt as if the only one of the new features that served any genuinely useful purpose was fast travelling. The Remote Claw was cool, but not essential, the Shock Gloves were a bit cheap for me and unnecessary, and the VCS’s were again just there more for the fact that WB Montreal could say “Look everyone, new things!” rather than genuinely innovating or improving the game. I’d say, all in all, this falls into the ‘If it ain’t broke don’t fix it’ category because, whilst not being revolutionary, it doesn’t really have to be, because the system is already a very good one. Multiplayer gameplay, however, is a completely different kettle of fish. Batman and Robin play much the same as they did previously, albeit with a more balanced combat capability to give the villains a chance, whereas the bad guys have a totally new scheme of controls involving another new aspect in the form of gunplay. Surprisingly enough, the controls are actually passable. A little clunky here and there, but that is more down to the fairly dodgy net code which causes an irritating but not game breaking level of lag. It’s a fairly simple layout with a Gears of War style sprint charge, left trigger ADS, right trigger shooting and button melee so there’s nothing particularly mind blowing or stupid in the controls. The multiplayer consists of one gamemode, Invisible Predator Online, that is built around the premise of 3 Joker thugs vs 3 Bane thugs vs Batman and Robin. The heroes have to build up their ‘Intimidation Meter’ by knocking out thugs, whilst the villains have to kill their opposite team (eventually bringing the other teams ticket count to zero) and the heroes whilst capturing various conquest style checkpoints that give them a ticket advantage. The villains are also given the option to take control of either the Joker or Bane (depending on the team) after reaching a certain number of points. Both of these leaders have significantly increased health and damage with unique weapons and abilities that can aid in their team in a big way, and even turn the tide of the match. All in all though, I would have to say that although IPO does have an interesting premise and does show some promise in the less laggy matches, it still lacks that killer element to make it especially interesting, and it also lacks some of the basic elements of a good multiplayer section such as good netcode and balanced gameplay, as it can often feel as though Batman and Robin are in fact less powerful than the villains (not a good thing).

The game’s overall presentation is still as good as before, with slightly more texture dropouts than usual due to the even larger map size than its predecessor, but not enough to cause any huge break from the game’s generally fantastic aesthetic. However, that doesn’t excuse the shameless lack of texturing in some of the game’s buildings, with a fair number of accessible exterior points being left with a flat, near textureless model that acts more as a filler to be viewed from afar, rather than something to be seen close up. This, in my eyes, definitely did take away from the game’s level of immersion, as I was left on a few occasions to simply sit and be greeted by a grotesque mass of lazy game development in the form of these buildings.

Above all else though, there is one thing that damn near killed Arkham Origins for me, and it is one thing that is simply not acceptable for a game of this pedigree. THE GAME CONSTANTLY CRASHES. I have been left on many occasions sitting looking at a still image of a game that I had just fallen in love with as it chose to bugger itself as soon as the main campaign drew to a close. Worse still is the fact that these crashes are so frequent that I genuinely struggled to do more than one objective at a time during the side missions without being met with the undesirable sight of a mid-zipline Bat-ass as soon as I had done it. This is a prime example of why I strongly oppose game developers choosing to release a game that is essentially incomplete, and then using patches to remedy faults that should have been caught during testing. Not even GTA 5 crashes in the way that Origins does.

Verdict:

I want to give this game a really high score, I truly do. It has so many spectacular elements in it. The story, whilst being short, was engaging and fun, the gameplay is as smooth as ever and the ability to travel throughout a huge chunk of Old Gotham is brilliant, but that doesn’t make up for the fact that the game is, at times, quite simply broken, and with a franchise like the Arkham franchise, WB Montreal should have taken more care to guarantee its quality.

Score:

7/10 (It would have been a six had it not been for the fun I had when it ran smoothly)

'Batman: Arkham City' (2011) Game Video Review

                                    This is the first ever video review for the blog, so please watch, like and subscribe!

Do svidanya
-Jamie                                                

November Comic Preview!

Next month sees DC go full throttle with the Zero Year arc as a huge chunk of their titles undergo a Zero Year tie in! See Green Arrow’s first encounter with Batman in Green Arrow #25 and keep up to date with the best arc in the industry at the moment with Batman #25! Also, expect the last two chapters of my "TBWR The Arkham Trilogy" to be released a.s.a.p. There could also possibly be something a bit different for the blog coming up next month but, as usual, no spoilers ;)

Do svidanya

-Jamie (The Black Watcher)

'Batman' #24 Comic Review

This is the one. The one I’ve been waiting for. This issue is Batman as it should be. It is dark, action packed, emotional and clever, all in one outstanding oversized package. It’s a big issue, with a price tag of $6.99 (compared to the usual $3.99) but you certainly get your money’s worth out of it. The art from Capullo needs no introduction; his Batman is the Batman of the New 52 (with Jason Fabok’s Detective Comics Batman a close second) and his drawing of other characters and scenery is exceptional. The story of this issue surrounds Bruce finally taking up the mantle of the Bat and facing the Red Hood Gang in an attempt to save Gotham from their reign. It really does capture the essence of the Batman; smart, stealthy and genuinely intimidating for his enemies. All of these aspects are illustrated brilliantly in this issue. It also carries with it a few homages to earlier Batman exploits, with one panel being a recreation of the famous cover of Detective Comics #27 (Batman’s comic book debut) as well as the ol’ vat of toxic waste trick. The only problem I found with this issue was the somewhat quick ending of the Red Hood arc, but even that is forgiven due to the historical significance of that ending.

Verdict:

‘Batman #24  is a classic issue that is bound to go down in history as the definitive origin of the Bat. Pick this up a.s.a.p

Score:

10/10

Copyright Jamie King 2013, All Rights Reserved, permissions may be granted upon request.

'Hawkeye' #13 Comic Review

Hawkeye is finally back! After a short hiatus, everyone’s favourite purple wearing archer has returned and he’s back in good fashion. The art by David Aja is fantastic. It’s unique, it’s colourful and it nails Clint’s character perfectly, with a focus on a purple colour palette, much like Sorrentino’s work on the incredible Green Arrow series from DC. This gives the book a very distinctive tone and feel. The story focusses on the return of focus towards Clint, rather than Kate and Lucky. It’s emotional and it really does hit hard. Clint is in a bad way at the moment and Fraction really lets you know it. One interesting note is the reappearance of Clint’s actual Hawkeye costume, something rarely seen in the book considering that it’s a series called Hawkeye, but funnily enough, that is one of the books best aspects. It doesn’t rely on acts of super heroism or feats of metahuman strength to make the comic readable, it simply relies on a genuinely gripping story of human drama. It follows the story of a man who should have it all, being an Avenger, when it’s quite clear that he doesn’t. That is what I love about this book, it really makes you go deeper than just the hero, something that  doesn’t happen often enough in this art form.

Verdict:

Hawkeye #13 is an emotional return to the life of Clint Barton that left me ready for more.

Score:

8.5/10

Copyright Jamie King 2013, All Rights Reserved, permissions may be granted upon request.

'The Walking Dead' #115 Comic Review

This is the beginning of the ‘All Out War’ story arc, an arc which has been building up for several issues now, involving the final conflict of Rick’s combined forces of the Hilltop, Alexandria safe zone and the Kingdom against Negan’s army. It’s a twelve issue arc, resulting in the format change of the series, moving from a monthly to a bimonthly release. The art is good as usual, with Adlard now cemented as the ideal man for the job in my opinion (his beards are spectacular, truly). In terms of the story content in this issue, I felt as if it was lacking something, and could have brought more to the table than it did as it felt more like another issue of build up as opposed to a new arc, with the issue’s main twist being somewhat predictable, but this is often to be expected in an arc’s first issue, sadly (standard’s certainly do change). However, it does have some nods towards a potential classic. The build has been good enough to make me genuinely feel for Rick and his people (the Andrea/Rick dynamic being one of my favourite elements of the series) whilst also making my dislike for Negan increase as time went on. He is a fantastic villain, possibly even the series’ best so far, and I can’t wait to see what happens with him and Rick.

Verdict:

It was a solid starter issue, not an epic by any standard, but good enough to kick off All Out War with a hop, rather than a jump.

Score:

7/10

 Copyright Jamie King 2013, All Rights Reserved, permissions may be granted upon request.

'Batman: Arkham Asylum' Game Review

This was the one that started it all. The license game that finally broke free from chains that had been forged by years of below average platformers and dysfunctional hack-and-slash ‘adventures’ with about as much adventure as a trip to the bog. No no, dear friends, this game had substance. This game was Batman: Arkham Asylum.

The story involves Batman, fresh from a night of catching the Joker, who just so happens to have planned his arrest and subsequent re-re-re-re-re-re…-re-re-incarceration to the infamous Arkham Asylum. Now, obviously there are certain negative implications when Gotham city’s most prolific criminal psychopath has just taken control of a max security asylum, filled to the brim with normal thugs from Blackgate prison, homegrown asylum lunatics and some of Gotham’s most notorious super-villains. Now, although this premise may be a pretty damn grim one for the Bat, it still doesn’t remove from the fact that it makes one helluva fine video game story. It features some of Batman’s main bad guys, whilst dropping references left right and centre in such an abundance that they’re near enough coming out of the walls (in some cases they literally are the walls) and the numerous conveniently placed ventilation shafts. This all adds together to make the ultimate Batman fan love letter that, in my opinion (whilst having a slightly ridiculous ending, which in the end is justified by how they incorporate it so effectively into the game’s sequel) is near perfect in every aspect.

In terms of gameplay, this game certainly does not disappoint. Keeping in touch with the source material, there is a fair amount of detective work that is simple enough to be fun for the player without being condescending and clever enough without being unsolvable. This element comes in two distinct forms. The explicit use of the intuitive ‘Detective mode’ (an ‘x-ray vision’ style interface that allows the player to see enemies through walls, whilst also pointing out key points such as whether an enemy is armed or not, or if the enemy is jumpy, as well as simpler things like doors and collectible, the latter of which still remain difficult to find) to set up virtual crime scenes used to progress at certain points, leading you towards objectives with trails of different substances such as the tobacco from Jim Gordon’s pocket. There are also different detective-type challenges set out by none other than The Riddler, concerning riddles that are assigned to different areas all over Arkham, with the solutions behind hidden within different environmental easter eggs which are great fun to find (I was sad enough to 100% the campaign and found them all). The combat is flawless. It uses the Freeflow fight mechanic, boasting a simple 3 button core system of attack, stun and counter. The result of this is an extremely smooth combat system that showcases some perfectly free flowing animations as Batman hops from enemy to enemy. This, as a result, requires precision timing, forcing button mashers to actually learn how to play a game properly, a big positive in my opinion. There are also other elements such as instant KO takedowns and disarms that are activated using double button presses which also add positively to the fighting. Lastly is the allowed use of Batman’s gadgets during fights, often being used to great effect, whilst gathering score bonuses from their use also. All of these aspects are included in the games mostly well executed boss battles, which incorporate different gameplay features into their completion (although some are slightly lacking, such as the Titan boss fights). The stealth gameplay is also a great aspect of the game, forcing the player to think tactically when taking out enemies through a variety of methods (silent takedowns being the most prominent of these).

The graphics are surprisingly solid, with little to zero drops in texture or rendering issues. All characters are designed brilliantly, with their appearances reflecting their personalities perfectly (Batman’s design was a particular favourite of mine). Also, the asylum itself is designed with Batman in mind. A dark place with plenty of disturbingly creepy areas (that damn morgue being one) as well as some places with a more elegant feel, whilst still retaining the grittiness of the rest of Arkham (the Gotham skyline is also fairly well imagined, even whilst being at a distance).

Verdict:

Arkham Asylum is the one that sparked it all. The king of licensed games (at least until Arkham City) and is an essential buy for fans of Batman, DC, comics or even just games. It is fun from start to finish, and stands proudly among the league of gaming giants.

Score:

10/10

 Copyright Jamie King 2013, All Rights Reserved, permissions may be granted upon request.

'Forever Evil' #1 Comic Review

This is big. It’s a seven issue arc, anything over five is considered big in my book, and is the first New 52 crossover series to include the entire DC Universe all in one place. It’s also the flagship release for DC’s current Villain’s Month event, so it goes without saying that this book had to be good. Funnily enough it was, for once.

 The art was impressive, while slightly sketchy in bits (i.e Lex Luthor) but apart from that it was pretty much bang on. The Crime Syndicate look exactly how they should and also, Deathstroke has been un-Liefeld’d! The concept seems clever at first glance; the Justice Leagues have been terminated, Villains have taken over under the banner of the Crime Syndicate, and the remaining heroes have to deal with the fallout.

 However, upon further inspection, I did find a couple of problems. 1. How did the Crime Syndicate get so much info on a certain hero so easily? 2. Why so many questions? (Oh the irony) much like Trinity War, Forever Evil’s first chapter suffers from Chronic Ambiguity Syndrome, leaving buckets of questions on top of the already substantial DC question pit. Apart from that, I can’t see much else wrong with it, which is a damn good thing considering how I felt about Trinity part 1 (not very happy for those who remain unaware).

Verdict:

A good start but still in need of a nice big answer bomb. Also, where is Booster Gold?

Score:

8/10

 Copyright Jamie King 2013, All Rights Reserved, permissions may be granted upon request.

'Infinity' #1 Comic Review

Infinity has been hyped quite severely for some time now. It was billed as Marvel’s big summer event. Six issues that featured a vast number of heroes from the Marvel Universe, as well as the infamous Thanos, known by many as the purple smiley guy from the Avengers post-credits teaser. With its own Free Comic Book Day issue, this was to be the one to beat all. Sadly, the first issue wasn’t quite the masterpiece we’d all hoped for.

I can’t fault the art, by no means can I fault the art, as this is a great looking book (it’s also a very large one by normal standards). I specifically enjoyed panels that involved the villainous drones named Outriders whose shiny craniums and drooling, teeth infested mouths were drawn consistently well, but this was almost guaranteed to be the case considering how much ad space Marvel has given to Infinity.

So with that being taken into account it’s a real shame to see that the execution of the book’s storyline wasn’t quite as crisp as we had all hoped it would be. Conversations dragged to the point of boredom and the attempt at scale felt messy and, at times, bewildering. That isn’t something I expect from a book as hyped as Infinity was.

Verdict:

Although there were some very entertaining sequences, the characters were written very well and it was something very unlike a normal Marvel event, there just wasn’t enough to pull Infinity out of my average box.

Score:

6/10

 Copyright Jamie King 2013, All Rights Reserved, permissions may be granted upon request.

'Halo: Initiation' #1 Comic Review

I love Halo. It’s a great franchise with a deep and engaging mythology that takes all the best elements of Sci-Fi and moulds it into a great big bundle of multimedia joy. As a fan, I bought the first issue of the new comic named ‘Halo: Initiation’. Much to my surprise, it was quite good.

The book’s art was very well done, and true to the franchises current art style, blending futuristic armour and ships with gritty battlefields, big explosions and lots and lots of firepower. The ODST’s are drawn brilliantly, fitting perfectly with the pre-established ODST appearance. This was also aided by a good level of grounding in the character’s physical abilities. Unlike in some Halo work, the human’s aren’t seen flipping around and performing feats of acrobatics unmatched by any other, but they are depicted as what they are: more than human, but not superhuman.

There is also a fairly welcome sense of familiarity in the book, with Halo 4 character Sarah Palmer heading up the protagonist role and a cameo from Halo Reach survivor Jun.

However, there was something lacking. The action was fun, but it wasn’t Halo. The story was interesting, but it wasn’t £3 worth of fun. It just didn’t have the sort of crunch that I’ve come to expect from a Halo story.

Verdict:

Whilst not a Master Chief, this issue still has enough in it to bring me back for another go, but it still needs that killer element to seal the deal.

Score:

6.5/10

 Copyright Jamie King 2013, All Rights Reserved, permissions may be granted upon request.

'Green Arrow' #23.1 (Count Vertigo) Comic Review

Once again, Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino have nailed it. Even without a single appearance from the title’s protagonist, this issue doesn’t miss a beat. The art is, as always, stunning and still holds my coveted ‘Art of the Industry’ championship title (still fictional). Although this issue is a part of DC’s ‘Villain’s Month’ event, it still feels like a regular issue of Green Arrow, and that is definitely a good thing. It doesn’t feel like any sort of interruption to the title, unlike what has happened with some other Villain’s Month titles. It also serves as the means to establish Count Vertigo’s New 52 origin. This is a dark and brutal issue with some haunting artwork to illustrate how twisted the Count’s upbringing was. Although this origin may be a tad cliché, it still impresses with a couple of violent twists that separate the Count’s upbringing from that of other villains. The issue acts as an effective lead for the Count into the upcoming ‘Battle for Seattle’ arc that has already accommodated the Clock King, Richard Dragon and Green Arrow. I’m also glad that it finally replaces the awful Werner Vertigo name to Werner Zytle, it always was a bit too conveniently placed before.

Verdict:

This is another great Green Arrow issue from Lemire, Sorrentino and Maiolo that has to be one of the best Villain’s month issues (and covers) so far, as well as providing a greatly improved origin for the underrated villain.

Score:

8.5/10

 Copyright Jamie King 2013, All Rights Reserved, permissions may be granted upon request.

'Batman' #23.1 (The Joker) Comic Review

This should have been the best of the lot. It’s The Joker. The epitome of what a villain is and should be. No other comic villain has had such a profound impact upon not only comics but also on all of pop culture. So why in the name of all things righteous and good in the world was this not the best of the lot? The art was ok generally, but the Joker looked pretty bad in my humble opinion. The flashback art was disturbing and powerful, but still not enough to pull the book’s general artwork out of my ‘meh’ pile. The book makes one fatal flaw in terms of story from the outset. It attempts to give the Joker a snippet of origin without blatantly declaring or even implying (out with the altered art style) that it was just another creation of the Joker’s fractured memory. This disappointed me quite profoundly. The general premise of the book was ok, featuring the Joker’s attempt to raise an ape he found in a zoo, which I must admit was not what I had hoped for or expected, but did ok in the end. The main saving grace of this book was the fact that the Joker was written exceptionally well, his personality was a perfect Mark Hamill, and for that I must give props. 

Verdict:

It’s not what I hoped for, but the well written Joker dialogue deserves some credit.

Score:

6.5/10

 Copyright Jamie King 2013, All Rights Reserved, permissions may be granted upon request.

'Detective Comics' #23 Comic Review

I like it when a Batman title actually focuses on the central character’s gimmick. Especially a Batman title entitled Detective Comics. In this aspect the book does well. I felt throughout as if it was inviting me to piece everything together bit by bit before confirming what I had deducted as truth from what I was given, rather than slapping me in the face with a great big fish named ‘Plot Construction Blatancy’. This made the book that little bit more enjoyable to read, and left my pre-set daily requirement of detective work partially satisfied.

The art, in comparison to last month’s issue was a bit disappointing for me. Granted, it can’t always be raining and dark in Gotham city but it still didn't have the same atmospheric quality that the previous issue had, although the expressions on Batman’s face in this book are still hands down the best Batfacial expressions of the New 52, and the added stubble makes him seem just that little bit darker. In the back up however, the art is stunning. The level of detail in the drawing and the realism in the colours was immense, well above that of the issue’s main feature, surprisingly enough, the best element of it being the colours chosen to represent the masses of blood and gore that filled numerous panels in the backup.

The recently re-introduced ‘Anti-Batman’ villain named Wrath continues to develop well, with his character receiving more flesh not only on the mask, but also on the man behind it (read to find out). This is also the case for Bruce Wayne, who holds a fairly significant amount of space in this issue, which is more than welcome considering how scarce old Brucey Boy’s appearances have been in this title. Alfred’s appearance is also very welcome, and genuinely interesting and useful in advancing the story and adding a greater level of threat in the reader’s view of Wrath.

The execution of this issue’s main points is effective and relatively fast paced, although I must admit, I felt that the main conflict between Wrath and Bats had a fairly cheap ending to it that was intensely clichéd and forced, but the actual meat of the fight was enough to show off Layman’s action scene skill, add in some real time detective narration from Batman and also add more substance to Wrath’s mannerisms and individual voice as a real character. However, I feel there is still more work to be done on advancing his charisma, even in spite of the character’s intriguing connection to Wayne Enterprises and Bruce Wayne.

One thing that I must give credit for is the way that the backup is executed. The merging of flashbacks over narration may be a common storytelling technique but in the backup it is used to damn good effect. Coupled with the art, I really felt for a character that I knew hardly anything about, whilst also developing a severe dislike for another unfamiliar character. This, for me, is what a comic book should be able to deliver as its bread and butter, so it’s a shame that the main story hasn't managed to inspire the same sense of dislike towards its main villain that the backup managed to for me.

Verdict:

While the art may not have been as striking as the previous issue, and with Wrath still remaining that little bit too undefined, I still feel that Detective Comics #23 does enough to still increase my interest in this arc, whilst also providing a genuinely interesting and welcome backup that is of a real benefit to the main story.

Final Score:

8/10

 Copyright Jamie King 2013, All Rights Reserved, permissions may be granted upon request.

'Green Arrow' #22 Comic Review

After the ‘Kill Machine’ arc concluded, I felt as if my longing for a good Green Arrow run had come to an end. Lemire’s writing and Sorrentino’s artwork were perfect for me, I loved the sense of direction and purpose in the story, I loved the new villain Komodo and I adored Sorrentino’s flawless artwork (now my favourite artist in any field). Could the start of the next arc have the same effect on me? You’re damn right it could.

This issue covers the first New 52 appearance of one of Green Arrow’s few regular villains, Count Vertigo, with a fantastic redesign that fits the character’s new personality and tone perfectly. Fitted with appropriately spiralled body paint and a visible Vertigo device thing (how intelligent of me) he looks far better than his previous incarnations. The whole book, as usual, looks stunning. Sorrentino excels in not only the little details, but also his amazing splash page work (it certainly blew Green Arrow’s mind). With the Count’s power being the ability to induce Vertigo to his enemies, Sorrentino decides to take this and play with it, using his trademark loose panelling in a new, highly effective way. The issue also showcases Ollie’s skill in taking on multiple foes, shaking off the view of him only being useful against one target behind a bow.                                    

Splash, ahhahh, savior of the universe.

The story, whilst standing on its own legs, also holds ties into the previous arc in terms of the way it deals with Ollie’s origins and his family ties (one helluva twist at the end, believe me). I found this to be a fairly welcome element as it gave the first arc an even bigger sense of meaning than I had originally expected an arc like that to have. It also reassured me to know that Jeff Lemire wasn’t giving up on his promise to flesh Ollie out more than his predecessors had, and is still intent on making Oliver Queen, not Green Arrow, feel more like a real person than just a name.

In this issue, the relationship between Fyff, Naomi and Ollie is shown off properly for the first time, with a lot of good ol’ friendly banter being tossed around between the three of them, as well as some new trick arrows (still no sign of that boxing glove arrow yet…) that help to give them more of a team feel, whilst still allowing Ollie to have his book without them invading it. It’s also a pleasantly funny break from the new more serious status quo of the title which, although being my preferred theme, felt sometimes too prominent in the first arc.

Also making their New 52 debuts are a re-designed Clock King, and ex-villain Shado who appears as an ally in this issue. Tockman’s role in the issue may be a minor one compared to Shado and Vertigo’s, but at least he is still there (a sign of more great things to come perhaps?)  While Tockman is now totally different to his previous incarnation, Shado has remained very similar to her pre-N52 counterpart.

My one gripe about this issue is mainly to do with one line on the book’s first page involving a joke about Arrow’s entrance to the castle in Vlatava, using the old “so much for the subtle approach” type line, despite walking straight up to the front door with nothing but a hooded rag to cover his suit, which instantly reminded me of the Halo trailer at E3 involving a cloaked Master Chief. Very silly indeed.

Verdict:

Green Arrow is my favourite comic book running right now and is on the fast track to becoming DC’s best not only in my opinion, but in the opinion of many others also. This issue has it all, action, humour, a classic villain and above all, mystery. Pick this book up now! Trust me, you won’t regret it.

Score:

10/10

-Jamie

Copyright Jamie King 2013, All Rights Reserved, permissions may be granted upon request.

'Dead Space' (2008) Game Review

“In space, no one can hear you scream.” That famous tagline from Ridley Scott’s classic Sci-Fi horror ‘Alien’ gets thrown around quite a lot. I now have to assume that this line cannot be applied to Visceral Game’s astoundingly scary survival horror title ‘Dead Space’. Not only will people hear you scream, people will also melt around you, Raiders style, as your ridiculous real body motions of fear during an escape send shivers down the currently melting spines of your comrades as they watch you succumb to what many in the 1500s may have assumed to be a severe case of good ol’ demonic possession.

The game follows CEC Engineer Isaac Clarke as he boards the Planet Cracker class mining vessel named the USG Ishimura after communications to the ship were lost during its illegal mining operation on the colonist planet of Aegis VII. The reason for Isaac’s posting on the Ishimura not only being a result of his engineering skill, but also his personal ties to one of the crew members, his girlfriend, Nicole. However, as with all the best horror works, things didn’t quite go to plan.

This game, is fantastic in so many ways. The atmosphere it creates is second to none among other survival horror games of its time, and many of the previous generation’s offerings.  The HUD offers no safety in game, as you are still left in play when checking your inventory which is displayed as a holographic panel projected by your engineer suit’s ‘RIG’, along with your healthbar which is displayed along Isaac’s back as blue segments, turning green, yellow and red according to the number of hit points that remain lit. Even the tutorial panels are projected by the ‘RIG’, again offering no protection from any enemies nearby. Rather than the more traditional compass or waypoint for objectives, Dead Space opts again for a more immersive approach in this regard, having a holographic locator activated in Isaac’s hand that traces a glowing blue line on the floor towards his next objective. All these features merge to create a game that is built upon almost total immersion. Even items inside lockers or the corpses of enemies come up as a projected panel. The controls are also very well done, with a Resi Evil style aim system, and a simple melee system to boot.

The enemies themselves take the form of Necromorphs. These are ex-humans who died and became reanimated into terrifying creatures, similar to The Thing, that come in several varieties. Every weapon in their arsenal, be it blades on their arms or spikes fired from their dangly mandibles, is supposed to be composed of something within the human body, giving them a very organic, alien, but also quite human appearance, and one that I found quite refreshing compared to the usual bipedal zombies from other games of its kind. Perhaps one of Dead Space’s most unique features is its kill mechanic. Rather than placing most damage points within shots to the head, Dead Space instead decides to make dismemberment the most effective way to dispose of enemies, adding a very original and gory touch to an already very uniquely terrifying experience.

Resource scarcity is punishing in Dead Space, forcing you to ration ammunition and prioritise which weapons are more useful and when to use them. This sense of desperation as the ammo counter falls adds to the tension, creating an effect similar to that which was created by the ammo levels on the Sentry Guns and Pulse Rifles in Jim Cameron’s ‘Aliens’. It also adds to the difficulty of the game. It can be truly torturous at times, especially if you wrongly prioritise one weapon over another in a situation, a scenario all too common for those who wish to simply storm through the game all guns blazing. There is always of course the two option melee system of a semi rapid punch for standing enemies and a slow but effective ghetto stomp for grounded enemies, as well as a ‘Kinesis Module’ which allows you to use the game’s wide array of inanimate objects as weapons, also allowing you to use the limbs of your Necromorph foes against them. Either way, it’s far more appealing to have a fully loaded Plasma Cutter at your disposal rather than your hands and feet…as well as other people’s hands and feet.

Surprisingly enough, despite having a mute protagonist (if you ignore his cries of pain that is), the game’s story is still pretty enjoyable, with a plot twist that I had in a way predicted but still had to appreciate as I was a bit blindsided by it in the end. The world that is built up also gives a sense of real thought having been put into making the world of Dead Space as real as possible. I also really felt for Isaac more than most videogame characters, and he currently stands as one of my favourites.

My only gripe with the game lay in the sometimes repetitive mission structures, which at times followed a pattern of finding your ally, getting told to do something, then going off to find another ally. Apart from that, I really can’t complain, whilst many note the melee system as a problem when overwhelmed by enemies, I found it to simply add to the tension for better.

Verdict:

Dead Space was a breath of fresh, blood tinged air in a world of action horror and cheap jumps scares that actually has the amazing element of a story! A real, functioning story! It also plays well and keeps you constantly on your toes. If you like being scared, and if you like survival horror games, you’re gonna love this. Imagine Alien as a game, ramp up the fear and gore by 100. Voila.

Score:

10/10

-Jamie

Copyright Jamie King 2013, All Rights Reserved, permissions may be granted upon request

'Larfleeze' #1 Comic Review

Now, most fans of DC Comics will know of the infamous Agent Orange, aka Larfleeze, who is the holder of the Orange light of Avarice (greed) in the Green Lantern mythos. For those who don’t, do yourselves a favour and pick up Geoff Johns’ and Ivan Reis’ DCU epic ‘Blackest Night’ (buy the main story TP). The reason? Number one: It’s a damn good story, number two: you get to meet Larfleeze.

An instant fan favourite, Larfleeze recently appeared in a GL back up named Threshold, which was to be his last appearance in a DC comic until everyone’s favourite greedy dog alien was given his own title. His own, no one elses.

Many have asked the question “Is a character whose whole premise is essentially the characterisation of a single joke really substantial enough to have his own title?” the answer to this question, at the moment, seems to be yes. What I found in Larfleeze #1 was something I haven’t found in any other title in the DC roster for quite a while, and that is a willingness to blend a fairly serious story surrounding dark elements such as murder and suicide with dark, yet surprisingly effective humour. There is also a profound sense of self awareness in the comic, with the title of the arc being proudly named “THE EXTREMELY LARGE DOG ON THE EDGE OF FOREVER!” with a further bit of humour coming from the credits no less “They tried to force them into retirement, but—Keith Giffen and J.M. Dematteis are together again* really—how much harm can they possibly do on a comic book called Larfleeze?” The team know how ridiculous the idea is, but they don’t avoid that (unlike in JLI) they embrace it to the book’s credit.

The art from Kolins is unique when placed alongside other titles, but I can see it being fairly divisive, with some panels not holding up as well as others, but overall Larfleeze #1 is a very nice looking book. It is clear that the character’s design has changed quite significantly from its original incarnation, looking far less alien in the facial department, while still retaining most of the character’s defining attributes.

One thing that struck me about this issue was how well Giffen manages to construct a real back story for a previously flat character that feels far more complex than I had originally expected it to be. This, paired with Dematteis' well written script, allowing for a number of inaccuracies in Larfleeze’s interpretation of his past to be contrasted with the drawn reality, whilst also blending in the truthful parts of Larfleeze’s more gruesome chapters seamlessly, drawing the reader into a sense of pity for a character who should, through principles of a dislike for greed, be frowned upon.

This issue has definitely sparked my interest, and it resides in a currently high place on my pull list, but there were still some elements of Larfleeze #1 that I found to be somewhat less impressive, namely the fairly random ending (no spoilers) that left me laughing, but confused, and some jokes that simply didn’t work.

Verdict:

Larfleeze #1 was a light, funny yet surprisingly engaging book that managed to bring more depth to a character that had remained flat for quite some time, whilst also bringing just enough intrigue to the table to bring me back for another issue. Whilst the art might not be for everyone, no one can deny the fact that this was a nice easy book with plenty of humour to make even the most stern of fans twitch their mouths.

Score:

9/10

For Fans Of: Green Lantern, Hawkeye, (Chief) Inspector Clouseau

-Jamie

Copyright Jamie King 2013, All Rights Reserved, permissions may be granted upon request.

'Man of Steel' (2013) Film Review

Dir. By Zack Snyder

Starring Henry Cavill and Michael Shannon

I am a huge DC Comics fan. Of that I cannot deny. Naturally, upon hearing of the existence of a new Superman film that was being produced by the genius behind the hugely successful Dark Knight trilogy, Christopher Nolan, I couldn’t help but feel somewhat overwhelmed by my beaming hope for a good Superman film. This hope was met with a positive, albeit slightly disappointing take on the world’s greatest purveyor of “Truth, justice and the American way.”

What struck me from the beginning of Man of Steel was the sheer beauty of the film’s visuals that jump right out of the screen (surprisingly well assisted by what I normally viewed as the gimmick of 3D cinematography), as the camera pans chaotically across the scene of two rivalling Kryptonian factions at war, all guns blazing in front of an orange sky the likes of which even Bespin’s Cloud City couldn’t rival. The sense of scale that this powerful first act conveyed through not only the stunning work of the visual effects department, but also through the intricacies of the character's costumes (in particular the battle armour of Russell Crowe’s and Michael Shannon’s Jor-El and General Zod respectively) and the instantly recognisable musical mastery of Hans Zimmer’s epic score (quite possibly my favourite element of the entire film) was quite spectacular to say the least.

Sadly however, this level of majesty was just too much for quite a large section of the rest of the film to compete with. Although the origins of the character were well illustrated through a number of cleverly placed flashback sequences, featuring the surprisingly powerful work of Kevin Costner as Jonathan Kent, I was left with the feeling that some of these sequences were included to indulge in the filmmakers big named assets as much as possible. These sequences, along with numerous others, all contributed to constructing a film of a length that was simply far too long for what it had to offer. Had it not been for the fantastic cast that were involved in the film, I feel my patience would have been thinned far further than it was in the end.

The cast were one the best parts of Man of Steel, with not a single actor missing a trick in their performances, with one of my favourite being Laurence Fishburne playing the editor of the Daily Planet newspaper. It is in this area that MOS excels. Crowe delivers a solid performance as Jor-El, Cavill’s on-screen ‘real’ father from Krypton, managing to work well in scenes with the young actor whose performance as Superman was a pleasant surprise for me, whilst also managing to make the first act of the film as good as it is as he checks off nearly every box in the Sci-Fi checklist in a matter of about 20 minutes. However, I feel that the actor who shined most out of the entire cast has to be Michael Shannon. His performance as Zod not only captured the character's violent demeanor perfectly, but also allowed for some of the film’s best exchanges of dialogue. His intelligent voice and dominating face made for a performance that I feel is one of the best recent super villain performances around.

The final act is, despite the shortcomings of the films previous sections (minus the first 20), fantastic. The fight scenes are fantastically choreographed with plenty of flying punches and decimated buildings courtesy of every character wearing spandex or battle armour. The CGI does become somewhat tedious at times, but due to the nature of the character it can be ignored as being somewhat necessary, if not slightly self-indulgent on Snyder’s part. It also covers one of the most important parts of the Superman mythos of all time, including a cry of pain that is synonymous with Superman’s past. I’ll let you find that one out yourself. During this final act, you can’t help but ignore the film’s flaws and just sit back and let the über destruction and super punches unfold in front of you.

Verdict:

Man of Steel is what it is. Whilst not quite the Batman Begins that everyone hoped for, it still stands tall on its two spandex clad ham hock legs and manages to stake a successful claim to a position within the league of successful superhero films, which is more than can be said for its other DC counterpart,  Green Lantern. Although not the best superhero film, it could well be the best Superman film. It certainly makes a Man of Steel 2 seem like a very probable and very exciting prospect.

Score:

7 out of 10

-Jamie

Copyright Jamie King 2013, All Rights Reserved, permissions may be granted by request.

'Rugby World Cup 2011' (2011) Game Review

Over the years, the game of Rugby union has been largely underrepresented in the world of video games. With EAs support for Rugby union being withdrawn after its final entry in 2007 which many believed to be the last of what were a fun, yet somewhat incomplete series of games. For the next 4 years, Rugby gamers were left in limbo, desiring a next gen game that could successfully remake their favourite sport of Rugby union. Then, in August 2011, a certain game was released under the guise of 'Rugby World Cup 2011'. I bought the game. I enjoyed the game. I completed the game. I then began to wish that I hadn't bought the game. I had spent 40 quid on a game with about as much replay value as a burst sheet of bubble wrap. At the end of the day, there's only so many times you can lift the Webb Ellis cup with your monstrously rendered and horribly modelled virtual national team (only half of the 20 teams included actually being officially licensed) before their robotic running and nightmarish faces become a bit stale.

This supposed high definition revamp of developer HB Studio’s previous rugby title, Rugby 08, falls so short of its sports gaming rivals, such as the fun but flawed Jonah Lomu Rugby Challenge and the long running football franchise FIFA, that you wouldn’t be wrong to mistake the title with that of a last generation game. The game’s graphics have only marginally improved upon the aforementioned Rugby 08 (ironically the last rugby game ever published by sports gaming powerhouse EA Sports), making it look tired and weak when compared to its competition. The sound of the game also reflects upon the lack of graphical quality, with all 6 commentators sounding apathetic, much like the crowd.

However, as most gamers now know, the most important aspects of any game are its features and its gameplay. It is in these departments that the game disappoints the most.

Instead of retaining all of Rugby 08’s modes, that included the Tri Nations, English Premiership and southern hemisphere Super 15 Rugby, RWC instead opted for a stripped down version of its predecessor with only five gameplay modes, Rugby World Cup campaign, single tests (only international), warm up tour (choose a team and play a tour of the opposite hemisphere as said team), a fun albeit miniscule pace kick shootout mode (clearly designed for semi-drunken competitions between friends) and finally a 2 player only online multiplayer mode (despite local multiplayer allowing for 4 players). Not only is the multiplayer restricted in its player numbers, but the net-code for the game is also truly awful, making for many a frustrating mistake as a result of a near unresponsive team when playing online (that is if you can even find another player online). The gameplay itself, for what it’s worth, is acceptable for someone looking to play a very simplified version of the game, with the base operations being mapped out well on the controller (passing with the shoulder buttons, kicks mapped on the face buttons). However, this simplicity can become quite irritating at times especially during rucks in which a button mash approach is taken, with a fairly repetitive cycle of sprint-pass-sprint-pass dominating the majority of offensive play, made more mundane by the weak AI that fails to offer too much of a challenge even at the highest difficulty level. As a result of this, many gameplay features such as the scrums and lineouts feel like more of an annoyance than a challenge, especially when playing as a less skilled team such as Namibia, where knock-ons and passes straight into touch are an all too common occurrence.

In terms of the game’s longevity, most of it exists in its local multiplayer mode where, despite all its flaws, the simple fun of the game comes out most prominently, as you get a glimpse of what HB Studios were trying to achieve. Alas, their attempt was simply not enough to lift their repackaged, stripped down version of Rugby 08 out of the bargain bin.

Verdict:

Rugby World Cup 2011 promises more, but in the end gives far less than hoped. The one thing that sums up the state of RWC is quite possibly its most ironic flaw. Not even the host nation of the tournament that the game is built upon was willing to give up its license to this title. I recommend only picking this title up for more than £7 if you are a major international Rugby fan who can’t find a copy of the far superior Jonah Lomu Rugby Challenge. Otherwise, skip it altogether, and go for the better title.

Score:

4/5 out of 10

 -Jamie

Copyright Jamie King 2013, All Rights Reserved, permissions may be granted by request.