PREVIEWS JAN15 - selected highlights (Last chance!)

by Ben Fardon

In what we're hoping to make a regular feature - time permitting! - I'm going to quickly run through some of the selected highlights from January's Previews that are available to pre-order from Proud Lion.

I'll try to do this earlier in the month in February and from then on, giving you longer to place your orders. For now, I need any orders back by 11:59pm on Tuesday 27th January to definitely guarantee said items if you want anything.

Please email all orders to shop@proudlion.co.uk. Please note that all release dates below are subject to change.

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Frankenstein Underground #1 (of 5) is a five issue miniseries written by Hellboy creator Mike Mignola with art from Ben Stenbeck (Baltimore, Witchfinder, Living With The Dead): The Frankenstein creature is alone, abandoned, and wandering underground, where he will discover other strange creatures-and dark secrets to the universe!

In an interview previously posted on Dark Horse's web site, Mignola commented "It’s intimidating as hell to take on an icon like the Frankenstein monster,” said Mignola. “I’m trying to do something that’s true to the origin Mary Shelley created for the creature but also captures a bit of the feel that Boris Karloff brought to the role in the classic Universal films. At the same time I’m throwing the monster into an entirely new environment, so I think the result will be something new. It’s an odd one, but ultimately will add an important new wrinkle to the Hellboy/B.P.R.D. world.”

Scott Allie, Dark Horse Comics’ editor in chief, weighed in on the project by offering that “this version of the Frankenstein monster has the same thirst for knowledge readers will remember from Mary Shelley’s novel. The monster takes the reader through some of the biggest mysteries of the Mignolaverse, shedding new light on important stuff we’ve only touched on before.”

Frankenstein Underground #1 comes out on Wednesday 25th March.

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Batman Endgame #40 also comes out on Wednesday 25th March and during that last month of the story there are four additional tie-in one shots:

• Arkham Manor Endgame #1 (One-Shot)
• Batgirl Endgame #1 (One-Shot)
• Detective Comics Endgame #1 (One-Shot)
• Gotham Academy Endgame #1 (One-Shot)

These books are $2.99 each and will automatically go aside for anyone who has the parent-title on their Reservation Service pull list (i.e. if you get Batgirl monthly you'll get the Batgirl Endgame #1 one-shot too) unless you opt out by Tuesday 27th January.

If you would like any or all of these added to your order, please email me ASAP.

The Endgame one-shots are due out throughout March.

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Speaking of Batman, the eagerly anticipated next-gen video game Batman Arkham Knight is currently scheduled for release in June and DC have an official prequel comic starting in March.

Batman Arkham Knight #1 will fill the gaps in between Arkham City and the next chapter of the successful video game franchise: The Joker is dead. Arkham City is closed. As a new day begins, Bruce Wayne finds himself in devastating pain, recovering from his injuries and questioning whether his role as Batman is still necessary to the city's survival. But as the sun rises in Gotham City, dangerous new threats emerge from the shadows.

Batman Arkham Knight #1 comes out on Wednesday 11th March.

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Image Comics go from strength to strength with their incredible offerings of late and this month is no exception.

Chrononauts #1 is from Mark Millar (Secret Service: Kingsman) and Sean Murphy (The Wake) and will almost certainly be turned into a movie in the future. Which is ironic considering it concerns time travel: A bromance for the ages! Corbin Quinn and Danny Reilly are two buddies who love to have fun. They're also scientific geniuses. When their research leads them to a time-traveling adventure, will they use their knowledge for the good of all mankind? Or use the space-time continuum for their own ends? This is the story of man's first, televised steps through the time-stream and everything going wrong in the process.

Chrononauts #1 comes out on Wednesday 18th March.

Fans of Trillium and Sweet Tooth will want to check out Jeff Lemire's new title Descender #1 with art from Dustin Nuygen (Lil Gotham): One young robot's struggle to stay alive in a universe where all androids have been outlawed and bounty hunters lurk on every planet. A rip-roaring and heart-felt cosmic odyssey that pits humanity against machine, and world against world, to create a sprawling space opera. Extra-sized first issue. 30 story pages for only $2.99!

Descender #1 comes out on Wednesday 4th March.

There's definitely a science fiction theme to this month's new Image titles which suits me just fine! Next up is Invisible Republic #1: Breaking Bad meets Blade Runner. Arthur McBride's planetary regime has fallen. His story is over. That is until reporter Croger Babb discovers the journal of Arthur's cousin, Maia. Inside is the violent, audacious hidden history of the legendary freedom fighter. Erased from the official record, Maia alone knows how dangerous her cousin really is...

Invisible Republic #1 comes out on Wednesday 18th March.

Not to be out done, Becky Cloonan and Andy Belanger are also producing a new science fiction series called Southern Cross that has been eagerly anticipated since it's announcement at the Image Expo last year: NOW BOARDING: Southern Cross, tanker flight 73 to TITAN! Alex Braith is on board retracing her sister's steps to the refinery moon, hoping to collect her remains and find some answers. The questions keep coming though-how did her sister die? Where did her cabin mate disappear to? Who is that creep across the hall? And why does she always feel like she's being watched? Inspired by classic mysteries and weird fiction, SOUTHERN CROSS is a crucible of creeping anxiety and fear as Braith struggles with the ghosts of her past on board a ship that holds secrets best kept buried.

Southern Cross #1 comes out on Wednesday 11th March.

As a big fan of Terry and Rachel Dodson's work together, I have to say that Red One #1 has really piqued my interest: What happens when America's greatest hero...is a Russian Spy? Soviet Agent Vera Yelnikov is sent to 1977 Los Angeles by the Kremlin to become an American Superhero and spread communist values in the land of Uncle Sam in a funky superhero romp straight out of a Tarantino film by TERRY & RACHEL DODSON (Uncanny X-Men, Wonder Woman, Spider-Man, Harley Quinn) and XAVIER DORISON (Long John Silver, The Third Testament).

Red One #1 comes out on Wednesday 18th March.

And finally, those chaps from the Thrilling Adventure Hour are serving up a new comic Beyond Belief #1: It's time to send the little ones to dream land, and set your radio's dial to 'SPOOKY.' Steel yourself for mysterious suspense in...BEYOND BELIEF! Meet Frank and Sadie Doyle, toast of the upper crust! Headliners on the society pages. And oh yes...THEY SEE GHOSTS! Who cares what evil lurks in the hearts of men... unless evil's carrying the martini tray! Based on the hit Nerdist podcast! 

Beyond Belief #1 comes out on Wednesday 18th March.

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Never one to rest on his laurels, Warren Ellis (Transmetropolitan) is back with an interesting new miniseries called Blackcross from Dynamite Entertainment that sounds like it as potential to be one of the creepier reads of the coming year: All small towns have secrets. All small towns have ghosts. Blackcross, in the Pacific North West of America, has more secrets than most. And it is being haunted by something impossible. BLACKCROSS, a supernatural extension of the PROJECT SUPERPOWERS mythos, is a ghost story about something reaching out from the other side of the night, through the forest and mist of this remote town, to grasp at the hearts of a handful of people who may not find out that they're the targets of a strange killer until it's much, much too late.

Blackcross #1 comes out on Wednesday 4th March.

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And that's your lot for this month. Next month will include the chaos that is DC's latest nonsense, Convergence.

Please send any orders back by 11:59pm on Tuesday 27th January to shop@proudlion.co.uk. Many thanks!

Ben Fardon welcomes any feedback on these new Previews highlights articles.

New Beginnings - Alien Versus Predator: Fire and Stone #1

by Matt Puddy

And so another piece of the Fire and Stone puzzle to slot into the bigger picture. Born originally from a crossover of two strong franchises, Alien vs Predator was a geeky marriage in heaven which went on to spawn films, books, comics and video games.

Dark Horse has once again included it in the various threads of a bigger Alien story arc. But - and here is a slightly tricky aspect - its inclusion in the Fire and Stone continuity is not from the start of all hell breaking loose. Much like the weird aunt and uncle at a family wedding, it arrives late to the main event but well before the evening reception. Placed after issue #4 of Prometheus: Fire and Stone (and subsequently Aliens: Fire and Stone as a result) but completely before Predator: Fire and Stone  #1, this issue suffers quite a bit from leaving the reader in an occasional state of “what exactly has happened here?”

Now I do understand and appreciate that this style of storytelling can pique interest in readers, as it promotes so many questions about what has gone on in the parallel stories, but for me, on this occasion the leap made is too big. 

Loosely speaking the situation in the story is such that we can identify with the characters physically but their personalities in some cases are compromised to such a degree that they are different entirely. Francis is now a captive with an almost subservient manner to him, and Eldon is a completely different entity to how we first met him. Don’t get me wrong, I want to know how he got to be what he is now - with the new growths, protrusions and aliens in tow - but I can’t see him as the artificial human that started the trip in the first place. I also have no clue as to why he is so desperate to retrieve and reunite with Francis as well. (Some of that journey begins in this week's Prometheus #2 which Matt has yet to read due to a business trip, BF.)

The plot is primarily an aftermath explanation that goes out of control. While trying to escape with both Francis and an alien weapon in their custody, the inhabitants of the ship find themselves at the mercy of Eldon. He controls the Helios which in turn has power over their ship. However, as we are dealing with mercenaries here the options are simple. Stay alive by handing over Francis.

This would have all gone smoothly (and made for an awfully short comic!), had this simply happened but unbeknownst to everyone, sci-fi’s favourite hunters had also set their eyes on the ship as a hunt. The Predator's breach of the hull didn’t go unnoticed and the subsequent alarm sets everyone on edge, spinning matters out of control. A deranged android leading a group of xenomorphs on a hide and seek raid of the ship quickly ensues.

With the xenomorphs running amok on the ship, it’s easy for the stealth suited hunting party to make their advances as well. Everything culminates in a variety of face offs and preambles to fighting with poor Francis just hiding for his life. The apparent prize of it all.

Ariel Olivetti has done a cracking job of bringing Christopher Sebela’s writing to life. I really like the artwork. It has energy conveyed through the clean lines and sharp shapes, with the colouring adding more depth. There is even the odd frame that, conversely, does a lot with zero background or using a silhouette, instead of flooding the frame with details letting the readers mind fill in the rest.

Putting aside the continuity I really liked this comic and can envisage that I will like it more when I’ve collected them all and re-read them in a more structured fashion. Fire and Stone is shaping up to be a superb event series.

Matt Puddy had a tough decision between the first episode of Gotham and the start of the new series of The Walking Dead earlier this week.

New Beginnings - Aliens: Fire and Stone #1

by Matt Puddy

When Prometheus: Fire And Stone came out we looked at how the universe around humanity was changed after learning that the creators weren’t so benevolent.  We saw the good Doctor Shaw and her alien head inadvertently lead a new team of scientists in their quest for knowledge. This week we see the same foreboding planet but from a very different perspective. Although it's part of the same arc as Prometheus, the one thing to remember is that this takes place before last week's comic in the grand scheme of things. With that it also answers a few questions too.

Chris Roberson – an author who was essentially a late bloomer in the comic world – takes a trip from the ill fated LV-426 in the wake of the alien ship being discovered and the xenomorphs awoken and onto a strange new planet.

Opening in the midst of a crisis, you - as the reader - are given very little aside from a brutal death and a lot of panic. With barely a narrator to bring you rapidly up to speed ,you find yourself in a pivotal point in the struggle for life and hopefully an escape from arguably the most deadly species in the known galaxy.

Characters are fleetingly introduced and a plan is quickly formulated. It’s clear that staying in Hadley’s Hope is a death sentence and the local area is just as bad so the only option is space. Jumping onto a ship that will only just get them in and out of orbit, a hasty escape is made at the considerable cost of human life.

The nice thing I liked about this is that with a small bit of magic Roberson fits this story into current cannon. As fans of the film will know in Aliens all of the colonists were either killed or captured by the Xenomorphs before the USCM arrive. However, fans will then think back to the film and realise that this was only alluded to and never confirmed leaving this convenient gap to be exploited.

After a bumpy exit and an even harder arrival on the local moon provides more surprises instead of solace. A previously thought uninhabitable moon with no atmosphere now has a wild and thriving jungle. Unfortunately instead of having time to inspect the new and unexpected surroundings, all hell breaks loose as their makeshift escape craft not only saved them but it also brought stowaways.

On an alien moon, with a biosphere that shouldn’t be there, with limited supplies and a predatory race of creatures hunting them what is there to do? Well now we know how the xenomorphs got to that moon, this series sets to find out what happened next.

The writing moves fast, but it has to so that it provides a feeling of panic which is what the story requires, at least in the first act that is. The lull in the story when the metaphorical breath is taken is only the calm before the storm, as then the pace picks up once again. There isn’t really time for character development as a result though, except for the bare minimum in occasional cases. This in itself provides a good vehicle for highlighting the main protagonists in the story, developing their personalities for the readers in a high pressured situation shows them in the true light.

Artistically the style is what I would describe as typical Dark Horse Aliens comics. Reynolds is a Dark Horse veteran with his accolades covering some of their big titles like Hellboy, showing that he has a diverse range as well. The images are clear, although not clean, and full of detail especially with the mechanical aspects (I liked the ship even though it is very boxy) and the xenomorphs are very Gigeresque and true to their type, so my fanboy side was happy.

All together this is kind of what I expected from Dark Horse as a new title and I was happily impressed as a result. Fans of the series will follow suit I would hope. I liked how it’s already tying in with the other story and we still have AVP and Predator to go too. All of these titles already on my pulllist!

Matt Puddy is keen to find out what happens next and with Alien Isolation out next week, it's a great time to be a fan!

New Beginnings - Prometheus: Fire and Stone #1

by Matt Puddy

Back in the days of VHS videos and slightly less than strictly adhered to film certificate laws, I came across a film that changed my appreciation of science fiction forever – Aliens. I quickly followed it up by finding and watching the original and then over the coming (I’m sad to say this) decades I have followed the Alien and Predator franchises in almost all forms of media including the games.

So now this week we have Prometheus: Fire and Stone. Following on from the renowned head-scratcher of a film (for both its setup and amazement at why one person couldn’t run sideways in the face of a crashing spaceship), the comic takes up almost where it left off and stays in canon.

Paul Tobin’s story opens prior to the Prometheus film, with a probe scouring an apparently dead planet only to see it smashed under foot of one of the Engineers. Skipping forward 129 years to a point not long after Aliens, scientific curiosity has once again got the better of mankind. Following up on the probe’s findings - and also the reports of a crashed and more importantly salvageable craft - a team are led to LV-233 with everything being chronicled by filmmaker Clara Atkinson.

After a brief introduction to all of the crew, and some of their peculiarities, the party heads down to the surface. Things are not right almost from the very beginning. What was considered a barren desert planet has a thriving jungle ecosystem, contrary to what should be there. Strange creatures and insects aside they continue their foraging in search of the ship. Stranger sights are still afoot, but eventually they find their prize - a completely intact ship, apparently from the ill-fated LV-426 (Hadley’s Hope). But they have no idea what is waiting inside for them. As the reader though, you can see exactly what lies behind door number one. A dormant but deadly batch of xenomorphs.

The story has a very familiar feel to it, and is written in a similar style to Alien and Aliens. There are a few scenes which could have been transplanted from either film; for example the meet and greet, which has overtones of both the dinner scene from Alien and the military briefing in Aliens.

From a scripting point of view the story is easy to read and flows throughout through the narrative lens of the filmmaker. What I did notice though is that this is almost an optical illusion, seeing as it doesn’t actually cover that much, although what it does it does well.

Artistically, Juan Ferreyra’s work is quite good. There is a gritty differential to the camera feed and equally a huge diverse appearance in the jungle. He also has a clear skill for new phylum in the xenobiology depictions. I liked his work overall but did feel that occasionally there could have been some more definition and detail as some of the frames were a little soft for my liking.

Overall this is exactly what I would have expected from a Dark Horse title continuing their good run with the Aliens and Predator franchises. I will caveat that by repeating I am a big fan of the films, books, comics and games (yes, even Colonial Marines) and so this was an easy choice for me.

For any other fans this is also a sure win, with three linked miniseries ready to bloom across all of the other brands.

Matt Puddy is looking forward to the new BBC Radio 4 adaptation of Good Omens.

New Beginnings - Tomb Raider #1

by Matt Puddy

Crossovers between various mediums are becoming an every day thing for us. There are the obvious comic book adaptations the become multi-million dollar budget films that are well into their prime at the moment, and vice versa, comic tie-ins to big films such as the impending Godzilla HC.

There are some occasions where video games have been made into films as well (although I grimace at the thought of the big screen debut of Doom), and there have also been some successful game franchises that have been transported into comics. A recent success story has been the well known Mass Effect series, but many of us remember the hugely successful Tomb Raider comics from Top Cow a decade or so ago. Last year brought us the impressive debut of a new, reimagined young Lara Croft which was surely the start if a new series for the franchise, so it's very appropriate that the next stepping stone in her story is a return to comic books.

The Top Cow era

Lara Croft is possibly one of the best known video game characters and is quite likely the most recognisable female character too. So much so that I don’t have to describe her intellect, rugged resourcefulness or the plethora of other talents. This new version has dumped the pneumatic chest in favour of a more believable protaganist ready to reclaim her place from the Uncharted usurper Nathan Drake. As a strong, modern female character, who better to write for her than Gail Simone?

Tomb Raider: Survivors Guilt picks up a short time after the 2013 multi-platform game (now out on PS4 and X-Box One too). Having made her way off of the island, along with a few of her companions, Lara is finding that she is suffering from recurring nightmares linked to her ordeal. She has also fallen into the role of “den mother” to her group of friends, as she holds herself responsible for both what happened on the island and ensuring their safety now that they are back.

Sam, one of Lara’s companions, is also struggling but trying to deal with it herself. It’s only when Jonah calls that things go awry. Thrust into desert conditions deep in the US - territory that is almost alien to Lara - and accompanied only by a leering and sleazy guide (perhaps an avatar of the ageing mysogonisticmale gamer associated with the early Tomb Raider games), things get twisted beyond belief. Between the almost incoherent jabbering from Jonah and the freak tidal wave appearing inland, Lara is once again forced to fight to survive, losing another friend in the process. She is left with a conundrum of what is happening, with talk of missing artifacts and four imposing guardians.

The artwork is also a bit of a mystery. The cover by Dan Dos Santos is a fantastic, well-rendered picture with a smooth, detailed finish. If honest I can’t tell if it’s hand drawn or computer generated, but it looks great and also follows the continuity of the game, right down to the ice pick. Inside though is the polar opposite from Nicolas Daniel Selma. It’s full of simple, open linework making it easy to read. Even with such a basic approach in its style, all of the characters are easily recognisable and so is the island, meaning that fans of the game will immediately connect with the progression from the game and beyond.

Dark Horse is a publisher that I normally think of for teen and slightly more mature comics, but it has really felt that on this occasion the level has been played down to fit a much wider audience. Gail Simone still plays to her strengths though, with the fierceness of Croft on display once again, with much more to come. Hints at a the larger story are dropped in this first issue, meaning that the mystery is the ideal Lara Croft adventure. With the news that this is considered to be an in-canon bridge between the first new Tomb Raider game and the eagerly awaited sequel, this should be another hit title for Dark Horse across a good range of readers. Highly recommended to fans of the franchise.

Matt Puddy is intrigued by the prospect of a new Heroes miniseries.

New Beginnings - Serenity: Leaves on the Wind #1

by Matt Puddy

Joss Whedon has a good amount to answer for, especially in some fans' eyes, both good and bad. One of those points would be the TV series Firefly and the subsequent film Serenity. Many people loved them both, and Fox's decision to cancel the series meant that the void has been filled by the aforementioned film, alongside various novels and comics set within their 'Verse, cementing the cult status that it has achieved.

Continuing the canon from Firefly and Serenity, Dark Horse brings us a new Serenity comic series with Leaves on the Wind. Also “keeping it in the family,” the series is written by Zack Whedon, one of Joss’s younger brothers (his other younger brother Jed is currently working on Marvel's Agents Of SHIELD), while Joss himself is acting as an executive producer. It's been over three years since The Shepherd's Tale, the last Serenity comic from Dark Horse (not counting the Free Comic Book Day 2012 short story, both of which were also written by Zack Whedon) and it's fair to say the anticipation is high. This is the first story set after the events of the film, aside from the Float Out one-shot.

Having not read any of those other comics or novels though, my exposure is purely through the series and the film. Despite this I felt comfortable straight away as things picked up less than a year after Serenity ended. The story opens with a fierce televised political debate over the existence of the planet called Miranda whose millions of inhabitants were allegedly either murdered or turned into the cannibalistic psychopath Reavers. The public face of things is in dispute over what is really going on. From a military point of view though things are far more clear and sadly too close to the truth for their own liking which makes Malcolm Reynolds a very wanted man. The trouble is no one knows where he is or how to find him, and he intends on keeping it like that. It’s only aboard Firefly - where we learn of the absence of Jayne and continue to feel the loss of the late Wash and Shepherd Book - that we see all of the crew, including a heavily pregnant Zoe (apparently first introduced in the Float Out one-shot). The pregnancy is coming to term, and some complications on baby Emma’s arrival into the world mean that Firefly’s crew are no longer afforded the luxury of obscurity and have to come back into the light, which also means the firing line.

We do also get a glimpse of Jayne as well, who true to form has a price which is met when the newly formed and slowly growing Resistance enlist his services to find Mal. For once though it’s not to kill him or hunt him, but because they believe he will be their salvation.

The team of Zack Whedon and artist Georges Jeanty have produced a story and comic that is very easy on the eye, and easily fits in with everything I already knew. Jeanty is no stranger to Joss Whedon characters having pencilled most of Buffy Season Eight. The depictions of characters, with some minor exceptions, are identifiable and the dialogue even sounded like the actors in my head, complete with Malcolm’s drawl. In total it felt right - a good story and a great follow up to the film. As I said I had no clue about what happened in the other arcs prior to this, but that wasn’t needed either. It does require the reader to at least be familiar with the TV series and the film, but that's hardly a stretch for most discerning comic readers!

I would hope that fans of Serenity will love this comic; it’s a great continuation of Whedon’s world but I also know how critical they can be. Thankfully most Browncoats seem to be overwhelmingly supportive! For me it was a great read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Matt Puddy is contemplating fleeing for his life from crazed zombies in Cardiff.

New Beginnings - Terminator Salvation: The Final Battle #1

In 1984 James Cameron brought to the big screen a film that is considered one of science fiction’s classics. Spawning three film sequels, a plethora of video games and a TV series which was blighted by the curse of Summer Glau, The Terminator is known by pretty much everyone.

Over the course of the last (almost) 30 years since its inception, The Terminator has also received comic book treatments too with several publishers (most notably Dark Horse and Dynamite)and now under the writing of J. Michael Straczynski the war between Skynet and the Human Resistance may be finally coming to an end.

All of the Terminator films - to one degree or another - have an element where the story straddles two separate timelines. This comic tackles three points of temporal reference instead, featuring the recent past, the near future and finally the distant future just over 15 years ahead of now. Although this isn’t completely explored in this issue, there is a complimentary multitude of story lines to follow. The human rebel in the past (much akin to Michael Biehn in the original), three individual Terminators also in the past searching for a serial killer, and a terminally ill doctor whose cancer is overcome to ensure that both her and the aforementioned killer are key to Skynet's future. Slightly confused by it all? Well don’t be, once in the comic it’s not overly hard to follow, with clear division of story between elements and even time distribution for the characters.

One plot element that I did consider is how the preceding films fit with this future - including why doesn’t a sentient machine know about the past - but Straczynski tackles this early on using simple computer logic.

A lovely little twist too is that the readers preconceived ideas of what Terminators do, which is reinforced by the small homage to Arnie’s entry into the present day of T2, is shaken by them searching to protect Dr Kogan.

The artwork by Pete Woods, isn’t what I normally personally associate with Dark Horse but when you look at his credentials it’s understandable why. Woods has worked for both Marvel and DC including Paul Cornell's under-appreciated run on Action Comics.

I can’t say that I find the artwork here bad, but then again it’s not setting my world on fire. It has plenty of character but without fine detail. That said the faces are all unique and defined so that they are easily recognisable. One thing that Woods has managed to do is skilfully draw emotionless faces without them looking unreasonably blank when it comes to the three Terminators searching for Kogan. On the other end of the scale is the overabundance of emotion that makes the serial killer look grounded in a crazy way too. That in itself is no easy feat, so kudos to him for that.

As a first issue I didn’t find myself overwhelmed by what I had been presented with. I know the Terminator mythology fairly well, so can appreciate how this comfortably sits with my understanding and thus I didn’t find myself questioning it, but the one thing I felt it lacked was the franchise's inherent tension. I’m sure there is going to be more to it in the coming issues, but with so many individual threads in such a small space of time there isn’t enough to give me a compelling hook. Maybe staggering the introduction of characters in some way could have aided this more.

Matt Puddy has no major problem with Summer Glau, but let's be honest, everything she's in gets cancelled. Doesn't bode well for Arrow...

New Beginnings - The Star Wars #1

Not to be confused with the ongoing Dark Horse titles, this week’s review is a new title that also has Jedi, an Empire, lightsabers and Sith knights. Confused? Bear with me.

In May 1977, Star Wars Episode IV hit the big screen and began its journey to become the cult favourite story we all know. However as with all films, the end product isn’t necessarily how the original screenplays were designed. This is another fine (albeit a little narcissistic) example of one which has resurfaces almost four decades after its original inception.

J. W. Rinzler has taken the helm on writing this comic adaptation, and his association with the films and LucasArts positions him well within the established lore of the two trilogies.

The parallels between the filmed version of Episode IV and this adaptation of the original screenplay are abundant, but although they share a large amount of common themes, they are two very different stories at the same time.

This first issue is a scene setter for the miniseries and as such introduces a young Annikin Starkiller, who has been raised by his father Kane in the ways of the Jedi-Bendu. Although he has some training and is skilled, it was still not enough to prevent an evil Knight of Sith from cutting his younger brother down. After being rescued by his aforementioned father - himself a fully fledged Jedi-Bendu - they are forced to return home to Aquilae, the last free planetary system. The galaxy is ruled by the Emperor and the Jedi-Bendu are dwindling, hunted down after their rebellion (and thus falling from grace as the Emperor’s personal bodyguards). Violence is sadly the only thing that people seem to recognise or respond to. 

After presenting the reader with the Emperor - and a distinctly non-cybernetic or masked Darth Vader - the fight moves towards Aquilae. Below the surface we see the Rebellion resistance whose numbers bolsters by the Starkillers' arrival. Then the impoverished plea of a father wanting more for his son changes the tone. Annikin’s tutelage has to continue under General Skywalker, as it’s revealed that Kane Starkiller is nothing more than a head and right arm, atop a robot body. He is slowly dying.

With a mysterious object heading for Aquilae, the cliffhanger is set for the end of issue #1...

The artwork (by Mike Mayhew) is a strange affair. Whilst it is full of detail and features some great depictions of reimagined ships and weapons (often heavily based on Ralph McQuarrie's original designs), when re-reading it the thought that George Lucas had passed his eyes over every frame stuck with me. The main characters of Luke and Kane have a distinct Lucas look to them (nice beard) for starters, making it very much feel like Lucas originally cast himself as the heroes. Very much a Mary Sue approach to Star Wars.

The cover is full of nudges and winks to other things. The C-3PO droid screams Metropolis, whilst the Knight of Sith leering over them all has elements of the Orient, with a samurai style face mask. Obvious references to the films such as the Death Star, Cruisers and a rather hairless Chewbacca are there as well. With all this I can’t help wondering how much of this still adheres to Lucas’ original ideas on how it would look.

There is part of me that has enjoyed the twists from what is established as the norm, but at the same time I’m also very aware that this was not the final cut for the screenplay, and there's clearly good reasons as to why it was rewritten! It’s full of powerful dynamics, but in some parts it is weighed down with cheesy cliches. I’m not sure die hard fans will gravitate towards it, and compared to some of the other more original expanded universe Star Wars titles, it definitely feels weaker. One that is only for completists I felt.

Matt Puddy is never in one place for long.

New Beginnings - House Of Gold And Bones #1

Corey Taylor is known for forming and fronting Stone Sour as well as being the lead (since 1997) for Slipknot. Now he's teamed up with Dark Horse to bring us the House of Gold and Bones. The cover is mysterious, showing a tortured screaming figure with a nice artistic play on the shadows as they form a devilish individual.

The back cover however is advertising the second part of Stone Sour’s double album of the same name. This really took the edge off for me and made the story inside automatically feel like a bit of a sell out; attempting to make a brand where one may not have been or wrangling extra fans.

Further continuing the musical theme, this issue is titled Part One The Overture. For those who aren’t sure what that means, you receive a helpful definition of four possible versions of the word. I can only hope that one of them is suitable in the long run over the four issues of this miniseries.

The story is essentially a fairly basic dreamworld scenario with a nod towards fears of being chased, heights and falling. These are initially a vehicle to push the main character into a small building to meet with a shadowy figure who is scripted as part conundrum and part Yoda in his way of thinking and questioning. From here there is a vague idea of places to be and pieces to follow, but nothing firmly driving the reader to think more into it. A lot of the issue is spoon fed to you with nothing else to support it making it feel a little thin. A good example of this is the main character. With the exception of learning of a twin brother called Allen, there is nothing for the reader to identify with, leaving him a little vacuous. The only clues to a personality are found within the internal monologue and occasional interaction he has, which doesn’t leave much to work with at all. With a goal in hand and a distance to travel the issue wraps up with an obvious cliffhanger, but once again no real feeling of threat or suspense.

The artwork I also found to be similar to the writing. It’s very open and loose, with a very muted choice in its colours. As it is all a dream - or potentially a nightmare - it does work to a degree. Richard Clark’s characterisations frustrated me though. The positions that the characters were in sometimes felt a little overemphasised, but more in the sense of a puppet than a person. There's a lot of facial expression used but the rapid changes between the spectrum of emotions seems too quick to carry off a realistic change of demeanour - unless of course they are bordering on schizophrenic.

Knowing who is behind it I felt disappointed in it. Maybe it’s just that comics are not a forum that works well for Taylor's writing though, as the small taster of his prose novel in the final pages did quell the feelings of dissatisfaction. Maybe it'll improve as a whole over the three subsequent issues.

Matt Puddy is more of a Mushroomhead fan.

Big Game Hunting - Game versus Comic: Mass Effect

There are a handful of comics that only exist thanks to the great success of the games that inspired them. But just how good are these comics when compared to their digital counterparts? This week we look at some of four comic series that have been written to expand the worlds and stories of the Mass Effect universe. The series are Redemption, Evolution, Invasion, and Homeworlds, all written by Mac Walters. Please note that, while I will attempt to keep this article as spoiler-free as possible, some are simply unavoidable due to the content of the comics.

What's the comic about?

Redemption shows us Liara T'Soni's search for Shepard after a devastating attack on the Normandy. Evolution is the story of the Illusive Man and his involvement in the First Contact War. Invasion focuses on Aria T'Loak and her battle to keep Omega from Cerberus. Homeworlds is the only one that contains four smaller stories focusing on four different characters: James Vega, Tali'Zorah nar Rayya, Garrus Vakarian, and another round with Liara.

When does the comic take place in relation to game events?

This varies between series. Redemption takes place sometime after the attack on the Normandy in the beginning of Mass Effect 2. Evolution is backstory, taking place before the events of all the games, during the First Contact War. Invasion deals with the time between Mass Effect 2 and 3. Homeworlds, again being a shift from the norm, varies depending on which character is in the spotlight.

How true are the characters?

Given that the writer here was also the lead writer for Mass Effect 2 and 3, it's no surprise that the characters are almost completely consistent with their game appearances. Reading the dialogue is like playing the game, and it's wonderfully easy to hear their voices saying the words in your head. Occasionally characters felt forced, particularly Liara in the beginning of Redemption – but that could be down to my own personal connection, or lack there of, with particular characters in the series.

What about continuity?

No flaws in continuity here! In fact, the comic does the exact opposite, by filling in the blanks that players may notice in the games. For example, we get to see how Liara became so determined to get even with the Shadow Broker, Saren's involvement in the First Contact War, Aria's complicated relationship with Cerberus.

What does the comic do that the game doesn't, or can't?

Essentially it is able to give more details about the backstory or side stories that were not included in the games. The game, naturally, is only able to focus on the events that Shepard is involved in. The comics are able to delve further into the world, to focus on the people and events around Shepard and outside of his/her timeline, without the limitations of being restricted to one viewpoint character.

Can I read this without playing the game?

In all honesty? Probably not. Because each comic series focuses on a different point in time, each one would expect the reader to have played a certain amount of the games. Redemption shouldn't be read before playing through at least the first hour or so of Mass Effect 2, while Invasion is best played after completing Mass Effect 2 entirely.

Want to give these comics a go? Dark Horse are collecting all four of these graphic novels - plus short stories from MySpace Dark Horse Presents, USAToday.com and the Dark Horse digital store - into an oversized hardcover collection called the Mass Effect Library Edition Volume 1. It's released at the end of May and available to pre-order now!

Rae is trying to resist another complete play through of the Mass Effect games!

New Beginnings: Star Wars #1 (Dark Horse)

This week we open the pages of the first new Star Wars title since the Disney takeover of Lucasfilm, although it is most likely to have been penned before the billions changed bank accounts.

This new title opens with a three part story called 'In The Shadow Of Yavin,' written by Brian Wood. It’s designed so that it fits in with the Original Trilogy and to pull readers in it bills itself as “Classic Characters, All-New Star Wars!” So the question is really where along the timeline does it sit?

For the casual reader, there is a direction on where the story fits as well. In The Shadow Of Yavin is set after Star Wars IV: A New Hope, which is quite important when you think about the mood and emotional states of the main characters. Potentially this may also fill in plot holes that fans of the films may have wondered about, but it will also have to stay within the realms of believability.

Due to the huge notoriety of the films, there is no real attempt to introduce the characters; they’re almost household names in their own rights after all! The action begins right away. Searching for a site for the new Rebel base, Wedge, Luke and Leia are in the Dominus Sector of the Outer Rim, far from anything when they are attacked by a seemingly well-informed Imperial force.

After being downed on the planet and saving her own life, Leia has her X-Wing repaired and a return to the fleet segways into the loveable rogue Han Solo and his faithful Wookie also returning to the Alliance. With the exception of using a written crowbar to lever these two into the issue, this piece has no bearing on the limited story. It’s simply living up to the claims on the front of the cover that all the big names are there which is a bit of a shame.

Leia on the other hand is the crux of the storyline - directed to create her own special team to find the spy in their midst. This needed to be introduced quicker I felt. We are already a third of the way through this first story arc and I am worried that the other two issues may feel rushed as a result.

The final big part of this issue is the introduction of Darth Vader into the mix. Fresh from his humiliating defeat through the lack of covering a simple exhaust port, he is stripped of his command and urged to redeem himself. Once again, Vader felt very much a periphery character to me and there has to be much more to come.

The artwork has been given to us by Carlos D’Anda and I really liked it. Very smooth and clean lines full of detail and depth. The likenesses to all the familiar characters are strong - this is the best Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill have looked in years (far better than his depiction in Mark Millar’s Secret Service)!

A lot of time has been taken to create a faithful representation of the films which people will either love or obsess over. The only panel that bothered me for some reason though was when we saw a deflated Vader leave his ship; he just didn’t look the part. The depiction of him reminded me very much of the striding poses we often see Cyclops or Cable in (maybe it’s a Summers thing!)

Due to the timeline there are some very obvious restraints that Wood has to work with, but I hope he does well. For this reason it’ll be an interesting title to follow. The story hasn’t completely grabbed me yet but as a gateway story into something bigger it could be well worth getting on board from the outset.

Matt Puddy is taking a break next week, so Ben will be bringing you is verdict on the new Young Avengers!

Why Should I Read... The Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite?

Gerard Way wrote The Umbrella Academy. I open with that simple statement because on a superficial level, when you judge a book by it's cover, that is the most obvious (if superficial) fact about these books.

In case you don't know, Gerard Way is most famous for fronting alternative rock band My Chemical Romance. This is something of a polarising fact, as in my experience the band and their music invoke strong responses, both positive and negative. Personally, I'm not a fan of the band. Obviously, the graphic novel is not musical piece of work, but it is a creation of art nonetheless. The advice here is simple; leave your preconceptions, whatever they may be, at the door - come in and buy these books.

I say this with confidence, even gusto. I have been reading comics for over two decades. To give you an idea of scale; At any given point my pile of graphic novels that are waiting to be read totals over two grand in cost. It's safe to say I've read a lot of graphic novels but I have never read a book that made me feel like this one did.

The cornerstone of any book of this kind is the characters. The reader is introduced to a high number of characters quite quickly, each unique and fascinating. The relationship between them is shown to us through a series of carefully crafted interactions. These really are the work of a master comic book writer, they are subtle but uncomplicated, done with reserved dialogue and imagery. The story itself is interlaced with the relationships so it's revealed in parallel, again with real dexterity and texture. It's this layer upon gossamer layer approach to creating the Umbrella Academy that drew me in until I was completely immersed.

The original artwork for the Umbrella Academy was created by Gerard Way, who's first real creative medium was art. Although none of Way's artwork was used in the novel, artist Gabriel Bá did recreate Way's vision using it. This does mean a greater connection between the writing and artwork than usual. I found this allowed greater and faster access to the world Way has created, which due to its multiple layers and tangible intensity (at the emotionally appropriate moments) can be intimidating. The lining and wash colour bases felt to me that they removed the sharper edges of the book, allowing me to stay invested where I might have otherwise withdrawn.

A prime example of this is the central characters. Do not be mistaken, these are spectacular, weird, edge-of-reason characters. One of the central 'people' in this book is a gorilla in a space suit. It could easily be assumed that this kind of setup is somewhere between surreal and ridiculous. Isolated, either the writing or the artwork would be inaccessible, so far removed is it from the norm. The harsh, yet transparent personality of the character would be repellent in it's own right, and the imagery of a gorilla in a space suit is just bloody silly. Bringing them together however, creates a splendid yet sad representation of the burden of expectation. It creates a troubled yet understandable person striving to balance his own emotional well being against the welfare of others, and the demand he feels within himself to do so. This harmony of ideologies is not something I have ever seen before.

Because of this balance, the Umbrella Academy has a certain serenity to it. The issues are fantastic and incredible (and incredulous), as are the characters, backdrop and subject matter, but more importantly the relationships are accessible and relatable. The dysfunction within the family at the heart of the book gives a tinge of sadness to its core. Higher human achievements as discussed in this volume also only come with sacrifice, and that sense of loss for purpose is ingrained throughout.

Ultimately, I recommend Umbrella Academy because I have never experienced a story as emotionally unique as this one. To truly 'get it' you will need to open your mind to a new experience, accept it as entire piece and reflect on it. This isn't easy; an almost philosophical approach to reading a comic is an usual request to make of a reader. I truly believe it will be worth it, this is a very special read.

You'll probably end up wishing the worst of throat infections on Gerard Way, on the off chance he'll shut up and write more comics.

Chris Boyle is wondering what happened to the third volume of Umbrella Academy, Hotel Oblivion...

New Beginnings - The Massive #1

New from Dark Horse Comics we have The Massive, a new title brought to us by Brian Wood. Wood is known for a lot of different titles from both indie and mainstream such as Local, Demo, Northlanders, Wolverine & the X-Men: Alpha & Omega, Ultimate Comics X-Men or the Conan the Barbarian. These have been under Marvel, DC (as Vertigo) Image and more, so he is a well known writer throughout the various publishers.

The story straight from the outset poses an interesting question for the reader. In a world that has passed the point of no return as a biosystem and is rapidly failing in its other aspects, what is there for an ecowarrior to fight for?

The first issue of The Massive is one that works as an introduction to the cast and crew, but only in so much that it leaves you with enough to start to understand them but not enough to fully appreciate them. It also works as a bridge between the situation now and how it has come to be that way too by flashing back to the past. Something was most definitely wrong, with strange meteorological phenomena occurring and a growing ecological nightmare pointing to even worse things. It was during this time that the crew of the Kapital lost contact with their sister ship, The Massive, which now remains missing to this day. Captain Callum Israel not only is looking for a ray of light in all the surrounding mess but also for the missing ship.

The read through of the comic itself I actually found quite hard. This isn’t a title that will immediately smack you in the face and be full of adrenaline-fuelled action but it is a grower. There is a distinct feel of realism to it with raiders, pirates and danger that even now you can identify with and this has been very easily one by placing it only marginally in the future. Wood has written a considered piece that slowly draws you in waiting for something bigger, which you know will come.

The presentation of the title is also good. There has been so much time, effort and thought put into how it all looks and it all adds extra depth to it as well. There is a lot of emotion passed through the various looks, glances and expressions to support the story as well. What I have also liked is that the whole feel of the comic has been dictated and aided by the colouring. There is a completely muted feel to it, as if the emotional volume has been turned down on it all in line with the tone of it all. Here we have a boat, with an almost unknown set of attackers in the fog. It feels as if you should be squinting out to help them. There is also an almost The Sixth Sense element to it as well when the accentuation of the colour red is pushed through the pages to highlight importance too. I liked it a lot.

As I said this isn’t the easiest of comics to pick up and read easily, but it does deserve a good look at and maybe reading more than once. If you are a fan of Brian Woods’ work then you will really enjoy it as it is a great example of what he can do.

For a new title to try - and one that will actually make you read it properly too - this is a title to get.

Matt Puddy is getting himself fighting fit.

New Beginnings - Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi

“A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...” is a phrase that has become synonymous with the Star Wars franchise. When Star Wars first hit the screen in 1977, the film opened with a crawl designed to present the backstory and provide further context. Love or loath the original and prequel trilogies, the question of where the Jedi and Sith came from has never been explained. So now Dawn of the Jedi aims to fill this gap. In an arc starting over 36,000 years before the Battle of Yavin, here is the Dark Horse’s production of the new era.

Dark Horse - in true Star Wars fashion - has created both an issue #1 and also an issue #0. The latter is more of a guide outlining various places, sites, locations and individuals that will be no doubt be found in the forthcoming issues. An opening crawl in comic form if you will. Although it can almost give the feel of a catalogue as it moves through the issue it also does build a sense of anticipation for the introduction of it all. What it lacks is any sense of story to it all. However, this is not what the issue is designed to do and so is not necessarily a failing. It’s hard to really say much more about it after that as you would have to go into the individual aspects without context. On the whole this is not an essential read, but if you do have a copy then it is worth looking at and I found myself flicking through it both before and after reading the main story.

Issue #1 is more about contextualising the ideas in the zero issue, fleshing out some of the bones so to speak, using it as a stepping stone. Written by John Ostrander, the issue for the first half is very narrative-heavy as it takes time in showing the origins of the Tythans as a race, one born of an amalgamation of various minds drawn together by the Tho Yor. This does lead to further questions about their origin but this is left alone. What is obviously alluded to is the affinity to the Force that these people have. This leads to an establishment of the new world but also its problems too. Due to the nature of Tython anyone who is not sensitive to the force is taken off-world to newly colonised planets creating a natural divide between its people.

This history lesson was then awkwardly veered away from on the whole as the story develops into one of a new danger on the horizon. The Rakata of the Infinite Empire have their own agenda, one fueled by fear and spearheaded by greedy Predors and their sniffer-dogs known as Force Hounds. Not only are they interested in expanding their own legions with slaves, but they appear to be destroying any individual with an affinity to the Force as well. Finally their greed turns to a planet which is plentiful in these individuals - the aforementioned Tython - and so they begin their march forward.

After their stunning work on Star Wars Legacy, Jan Duursema has once again partnered with Ostrander on both of the issues and although Star Wars is not a blank canvas to work with, a lot of creativity has been shown. The mix between archaic buildings and technological advancement shows a great variety in his ability and flexibility to draw. These are two very opposing concepts but they fit well together. It has a unique feel to it but also at the same time feels as if it fits within the whole concept of Star Wars when you think back to the various films.

Overall I think the issue #1 is a good comic, but not enough to emphatically hook you. It’s pretty to look at and you have the distinct feel that there is a lot more to the story to come, especially when you consider there are a lot of aspects that don’t look quite right but you know will be explained at some point too. If you’re a Star Wars fan then I would see a very big appeal as well as it is set in an unknown time period and will then fill in the blanks between the past and the current world as it is known. Even without this pull on the normal reader I can see it also being of interest.

Matt Puddy is bemused by the chaos one late comic can cause...