New Beginnings - The Names #1

by Matt Puddy

So when I picked up this new issue of Vertigo’s new title of The Names I thought “What’s going on here then?” On first inspection I saw a woman in a slinky dress with a knife. On second look I see the silhouette of a falling man and numbers... lots of number and even some equations. Even the cover of this comic is subtly saying that there’s more to this than at a casual first glance.

You know something is wrong the moment you start reading Peter Milligan’s tale, as you are introduced to a character who could be incredibly influential to the story, but is being coerced into a suicide note and then throws himself out the window. An unwilling scapegoat, perhaps, of the man known as the Surgeon.

Faced with the apparent suicide of her husband Kevin, combined with the new “revelation” that maybe her husband suffered with depression, Katya Walker starts to unravel a little. Her husband potentially wasn’t what she thought and she has a selectively mute stepson that she doesn’t know how to communicate with. Eventually all the frustration starts to seep out. It’s only the arrival of a strange phone - complete with a cautionary if not also cryptic message - that awakens a new side of Katya.

All the while the wheels are turning in the background.  A shadowy cabal, that the Surgeon is part of, plays with the world's finances on their individual whims. However, even this isn't going quite according to plan as they are even plagued by The Loops – a sentient program that is causing even them problems.

Behind another door, Philip (Katya’s stepson) is showing there is more to himself as well. Aside from bordering on mathematical genius, he also has a very soft spot for Katya. Hidden away in books are pictures of her and he feels an amount of remorse towards his father, as if he has done something or feels something he shouldn’t. You can’t help but wonder what his involvement is, or will be, with the bigger picture.

Desperate to get to the bottom of this mystery, Katya starts to use the information from the phone - even if it didn’t make sense - to entrap and drag information out of Marco, a man that is linked to it all. Will it open everything up, or will he just have a snippet of information that points her in the right direction? She’s not going to rest until her husband is avenged. Wall Street meets Kill Bill.

I like Peter Milligan’s writing, I’ve enjoyed his Five Ronin series, as well as when he started off the Red Lantern titles, so it’s no surprise I enjoyed this as well. One criticism though is that sometimes the direction changes in the story felt a little abrupt. The narrative jumps were jarring, with little or no connection to the previous section; there is little natural flow to the story. You still get wrapped up in each new section though, but it can throw you a little.

Leandro Fernandez has put a lot into this and through the letter at the back you got a brief glimpse at the consultative approach that creating this comic has taken. His style is fairly minimal, only using details when needed to highlight specific things when needed for the story. He’s also managed to create some interesting forms and archetypes. Katya is a strong female protagonist, but without being overly muscular or becoming super heroic parody of a human. The Surgeon on the other hand is gangly and creepy, the stuff corporate nightmares are made of. Even Philip gives off a very sombre feel that fits his implied character as well. Although it’s a little subdued for my normal tastes as well, it still looks really good and as I said the characters have a real feel about them.

It makes a nice change to have a story that isn’t revolving around superpowers or the supernatural. OK, so a secret syndicate of incredibly powerful and ridiculously immoral men running the world from the shadows isn’t anything new as conspiracies go, but it certainly adds a different dimension to the story when an apparently normal person has to break that, whilst also including the cyberterrorism angle as well.

Put all together it’s not bad at all. As you might expect form a Vertigo title, it is an adult (or at least teen) comic with realistic violence and partial nudity.  Plenty of things to come I reckon, including what the hell Kevin meant about Champion!?

Matt Puddy is packing up and heading to LV-223...

New Beginnings - Wayward #1

by Matt Puddy

Breaking away from the superhero mould that DC and Marvel so happily fit into is nothing new for Image and their newest publication is no exception. Wayward is written by Jim Zub (Samurai Jack, Archer & Armstrong and Suicide Squad), we are transported to the Far East onto the islands of Japan for the story to take place.

Our heroine Rory Lane is making her way to Japan to meet and live with her mother. It is a massive change for her; one that is welcomed, albeit a touch scary as well. On arrival she has to try to find her own way to her mothers’ house which, in Japan, is quite a feat in itself. However even now Rori feels there is something strange going on, when a path mysteriously opens up to her in the form of a glowing red line. Putting it down to simple jet lag she pushes it aside and goes about her way.

It’s with her next foray into the city that strange occurrences continue to happen around her. The plethora of cats following her is just the start, and when she has the misfortune of walking into a small street gang of thugs, the arrival of a stranger called Ayane only adds to the weirdness.

Of course Rori is grateful for the help, but when her would-be assailants' skins are ripped off to reveal that they are sword wielding turtle-like creatures – known in Japanese mythology as Kappa – things get crazier. Ayane - complete with yellow eyes and pointy teeth - seems to be enjoying the whole experience, all while Rori starts seeing the red lines again as a route of escape. Athletically leaping from point to point (after handing out a good few blows to the Kappa) the girls run from the scene.

All it takes is some strawberry milk to thank for Ayane saving the day – something which she handles with a very casual ease. But then, just as immediately as Ayane appeared she simply disappears into the night, once again leaving Rori a stranger in a strange land.

There is some really nice writing in this comic which makes it a really easy read. Once I got over the first page Americanisation (or spelling mistake?) of decent instead of descent, you quickly get used to the idea that over 90% of this issue is “written and translated” from Japanese for ease of reading.

Interestingly enough it is all interwoven with a small amount of Japanese fables and myths as well. To support this (and this is something I really liked) there’s a small edutainment section at the back as well, where readers are introduced to the full story behind the myths and legend of the culture from the land of the rising sun.

Artistically I know that Ben wasn’t impressed by Cover C (Jeffrey Chamba Cruz) for this issue - one of 11 variants in total - but I have to disagree a little. It’s bright, colourful and introduces three main areas of the comic without giving anything really away and keeping an air of mystery at the same time. (I definitely felt the other main covers were stronger I'm afraid, particularly Alina Urusov's cover B. BF)

Internally Steve Cummings artwork and John Rauch’s colouring (assisted again by Jim Zub) work really well. The line work is clean and smooth, as well as the shading and colouring. Equally there is a general American feel to the overall comic, but even in the drawing there are elements and a certain feel to it which are Japanese – Ayane in particular.

Overall this was a really interesting comic and one heartily recommended by many for fans of Buffy The Vampire Slayer. A girl taken out of her world and pushed into a new one, a strange new instinct or is it power? And a myriad of mythical creatures to tackle in the process. What can possibly go wrong?

Matt Puddy is ready to start taking names...

Big Game Hunting - Games on the Horizon, part three

by Rae

Here's a preview of even more new games coming soon to Proud Lion! All games can be pre-ordered at a 10% discount from Proud Lion.

Shadowrun: Crossfire – RRP £40.00 (pre-order price £36.00)

Shadowrun: Crossfire Expansion Pack - RRP £13.00 (pre-order price £11.70)

Set in the fantasy, cyberpunk world of Shadowrun, this cooperative deck-building game has players taking on various jobs and fighting together to overcome tough obstacles in their way. With multiple roles to play and a handful of different scenarios to try, Shadowrun: Crossfire provides challenging gameplay in a setting where teamwork is vital to your survival.

Loot Letter – RRP £10.00 (pre-order price £9.00)

Ever wondered what would happen if you mixed the beautifully simple game Love Letter with a parody RPG adventure game like Munchkin? Me neither, but here it is! Rather than trying to gain the romantic favour of the princess, Loot Letter has players trying to get their hands on the greatest treasure before their opponents! Loot Letter is available as both a boxed edition and an unboxed edition, which includes a velvet bag for storing the game.

Munchkin Panic (RRP: TBC)

It's another Munchkin hybrid game – this time, it's being combined with the excellent semi-cooperative game, Castle Panic! In Munchkin Panic, you must work together to defend the castle from the onslaught of monsters. However, each monster carries a certain amount of loot, and only one can end the game as the Master Munchkin!

Warhammer 40,000: Conquest – RRP £34.00 (pre-order price £30.60)

Prepare your army, capture the planets, and claim their assets to strengthen your resources. In this living card game, players build their decks to create a powerful warlord who is able to dominate the planet sector – or is simply strong enough to destroy their only competition.

We'll be hosting a launch event for this game, in conjunction with Pork Chop Gaming. Full details TBC.

The X Files – RRP £50.00 (pre-order price £45.00)

Fans of the classic TV show will be pleased to see this release! Play as Mulder, Scully, and the rest of the X Files team to investigate paranormal mysteries. But be wary of the player in control of the Cigarette Smoking Man, who will be actively trying to manipulate the situations and steer the agents in the wrong direction!

XCOM: The Board Game (RRP: TBC)

Humanity is on the brink of destruction: an alien invasion has just begun, and time is running out. It is your team's mission to take down UFOs, discover the aliens' plans, and end the invasion – all without allowing the governments that fund your entire operation to collapse. This new board game comes with a companion app, which can be downloaded to a device or accessed online, which is integrated directly into the gameplay to make it a truly immersive experience.

Rae has had an idea for a new board game: you play as parents desperately trying to survive the school holidays...

Cheltenham Drink and Draw - September 2014

by Rae

Tomorrow night – Tuesday 2nd September – will be the next monthly Cheltenham Drink and Draw! This is held the first Tuesday of every month, and we invite all artists and otherwise to come down to Boston Tea Party and draw whatever they fancy.

Of course, for those so inclined, we also have a theme. In celebration of the Meet Rex exhibit at The Wilson, September's theme is dinosaurs! We look forward to seeing what you all will make of that!

As a side note, in previous months we have been collecting people's artwork with the intention of putting it online in a small competition. We have decided that we will no longer be doing so. There is concern that turning this event into a competition is putting some people off, and we don't want anyone to feel excluded. Drink and Draw is about encouraging people to draw and socialise with others who want to do the same, and we want to make sure that is the feeling we are promoting!

If you have submitted your artwork to us previously and would like it returned, please come and collect it from Proud Lion or tomorrow night's event. Any artwork not collected before October's Drink and Draw will need to be recycled!

Rae has not drawn dinosaurs in a very long time.