(Comic) Baby Daddy....a look at Daredevil: Guardian Devil

While I knew that Kevin Smith had worked in comics before, I'd only been familiar with his films, so it was interesting to see how he'd interact with this medium.

Guardian Devil follows Matt Murdock as he encounters a woman who gives him a child that is believed to be the Anti-Christ.

Okay, first off, taking a superhero who typically operates in a small scale area and throwing him an apocalyptic curveball is a great move. So you have him trying to juggle this, along with a couple of his exes coming back to town all the while trying to keep his best friend and colleague Foggy Nelson out of prison.

After reading Hush and watching that play out, Guardian Devil lead me down a dark alley and then suitably beat me over the head with a plot twist.

From the get go you're immersed in heavy, introspective dialogue, which I'm told is a Daredevil standard. It feels less like a comic and more like a play on a page. Beautiful, grand and deep. After each issue I feel as though I need to take a minute or so to digest what's happening. Even though I read this in a night, it took the entire night to read and process. 

The art is a rich canvas of bright colours against the harsh yellows, browns and greys of New York City.

I think the only thing that bugged me was the fact that Foggy looked comically out of place. He reminded of one of those old 90's cartoon characters. Like a bumbling security guard or a administrative clerk with a weird voice. Having only witnessed the Netflix series (Which was awesome and I'll probably talk about it at some point soon,) and the 2003 movie (Which I enjoyed when I was younger, but now....I'll have to review that one next week and see how I feel about it.) I can only wonder if Foggy was always drawn that way or not. But it felt out of place and got on my nerves a lot. 

Overall, this was a fantastic read. I loved seeing Matt argue with himself and interact with people and sleuth his way to the truth. Such an excellent read.

4 and a half stars.

(Comic) Fist of Iron, Soul of Platinum...a look at Iron Fist: Rage

While I do have recommendations to get to, (and I will get to them!) the past fortnight has consisted of me devouring Sam Alexander - Nova, Guardians of the Galaxy and X-23. More importantly, after seeing the video by the Comicstorian (You can see the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbfyTnfSCwA) I was compelled to read it too. 

Daniel Rand is being interviewed by a journalist named Brenda who wants to know the story of how he got his powers. We see the story through a series of flashbacks, before we learn that ninjas have broken into Danny's penthouse. 

After fighting off the ninjas, Danny and Brenda come across a little girl with a massive backpack. It turns out the ninjas were looking for her. 

This story is intense and you don't always feel as though you know what's going on. Even though you know who the bad guy is, you still feel there's an element of mystery to it. 

The dialogue jumps from prose-y, to humorous to something that reminds me of Short Round from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Unsure if it could be classed as racist or not, but then if I have to question it, it's probably the case. 

The art style feels gritty and intense that are reminiscent of the brush strokes in Okami. It feels as though I'm looking at stills of an anime or something, which I find fascinating to look at. 

Overall, I enjoyed the story, but the dialogue left a lot to be desired. 

I'm going to give it three and a half stars.

(Book) Stop, Hammer Time! A look at Soulless Monk

As you can see, this is the second instalment of the Inquisitor Series. 

When we last left Brother Sebastian, he'd been given a ring that was reserved for Hammers. Hammers are like the Red Berets of the Clergy. They attempt to Purge the toughest things that go bump in the night. 

But it's not all roses. A Bishop has had his name besmirched, so Sebastian has to leave New England under the wing of Clergyman heavy hitter Brother Malachi. 

The story formula changes up with the inclusion of former monk James. Reading the chapters from his perspective was like looking at the other side of the coin. He seemed emotionally distant not just out of necessity, but also because he completely disregarded human life in exchange for power. 

It's almost as if he traded his soul or something! 

I enjoyed reading both Sebastian's and James' paths. Though they end up in very different places from what I expected, it was still emotionally satisfying. 

Thaddeus is a great bad guy, but his henchmen seem a lot like those bumbling gooks from Saturday morning cartoons. Their incompetence is probably the real reason that Thaddeus failed. Not so much a critique as an observation.  

Though, I never expected to get so attached to one of the summoned creatures the magi are capable of summoning. Without saying much, I found him incredibly likeable and was legitimately sad when it died.

The detail throughout the story kept me engaged and the pacing was so quick that I had to take breaks to pace myself. 

I don't know for sure, but I'm pretty sure my favourite character so far is Brother Malachi.

The dangerous thing about sequels is that you need to find a way to ramp up the action and the tension without going too big, too quickly. 

Soulless Monk found a great balance of raising tension without going too big. 

It's a visceral journey that makes Catholicism look cool and goes from 0-60 in a matter of pages.

I can't wait for the third book.

5 Stars

You can find the book here: http://www.amazon.com/Soulless-Monk-Inquisitor-Book-2-ebook/dp/B015JC9LY4/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1444927824&sr=1-1&keywords=soulless+monk

(Comic) Can't get the Butcher Back....a look at Oink: Heaven's Butcher

This comic was recommended by a guy I met recently when I went to see Kevin Smith and Jay Mewes at the Sydney Opera House. 

I never got his name, but apparently he went by the handle "Crowboy" on Ebay. He was in the row in front of me, so if you happen to know the guy, let him know that this one is for him.

In an Orwellian Dystopian future, humans make slaves of men/pig hybrids and force them to slaughter pigs for food. They are poorly treated and indoctrinated into a belief that they are not worthy of "heaven" because of their forms. A young priest goes to see the Oink, the pigman who butchered heaven for his final confession before he is executed. The pigman tells his story.

As a young slave, Oink sees one of his brethren brutally killed, but as far as his cellmates and the clergy are concerned, that pigman was "saved."

Questions burning in his heart, Oink challenges the system and burns it to the ground. 

Throughout history, pigs have always been a representation for uncleanliness. This comic is no exception, complete with half man, half pig hybrids. As far as most would be concerned, this is the height of abomination and filth. 

I turned the pages with a mix of fascination and horror. These people who stand at what they consider to be heaven mistreating these hybrid folk because they were different. It was unforgiving in its storytelling and was visceral in its visuals.

The art style looked to be digitally coloured and drawn and looked like it was made up of slash markings, which I found beautiful, yet difficult to look at. Like watching someone get tattooed. 

In any case, this brutal and hellish comic is more than worthy of 5 stars.

(Comic) Wrath of Khan....a look at Ms. Marvel

This recommendation comes from my best mate, Sarah. She crochets and she's pretty awesome. You can find her over on facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/shinyshinycrochet

Thanks dude! 

Everyone knows of the days when Carol Danvers was Ms. Marvel. With the swimsuit looking "armour" and the thigh high boots. 

Danvers inspired many people as Ms. Marvel, but none so much as Kamala Khan, a Pakistani-American living in Jersey City. A massive superhero geek and Spider-Marvel shipper, she writes fanfics in her spare time.

One night, she decides to disobey her parents and sneak out to a party to see what it's like. Once Kamala realises it's not all that it's cracked up to be, she tries to make her way home. On the way, she encounters the Terrigen Mists, that were released by the Inhuman King, Black Bolt. After falling unconscious and having a bizarre hallucinogenic dream about Captain Marvel speaking Urdu (The language of Pakistani,) Kamala steps forth with the ability to shapeshift and elongate her body.

This is the beginning of Kamala taking on the mantle of Ms. Marvel. Soon she is helping people in a trial and error fashion. Making it up as she goes and using video games to cope with combat, Kamala is a young woman the demographic can relate to. 

What's more, it's nice to see Marvel making their roster more diverse and including more than just cis gendered white people. (Funny, coming from a cis gendered white guy, but hey, everyone needs a character to relate to.)

Kamala is incredibly likeable in that she tries her hardest to do the right thing, despite her parent's rules. She also geeks out frequently, which makes her even more likeable. 

The art is unlike anything I've seen before. Everything looks so soft and has a glow about it. Seeing hard lines during the night moments make it visually fascinating to look at. 

Overall, Ms. Marvel is a compelling story that shows a lot of culture while being respectful. The panels are a feast for the eyes in their soft textures during the day and their slightly harder textures during the night. 

I'm going to give this comic 5 stars. 

(Movie) A fine wine....a look at the Intern

I went to see this with the iron matriarch on Monday. We'd seen the trailer and talked about going to see it, so we were pretty excited. (She also got out of letting pay for her ticket! Incorrigible.)

I'd seen some of the reviews for it, too (Jeremy Jahns and Chris Stuckmann are two such guys I subscribe to on YouTube,) and they seemed to enjoy it.

But enough of expectations and reviewers! Was it worth watching?

Let's find out! 

Story/Dialogue: A retired widower Ben Whittaker (Robert DeNiro) has sent in an application video for a seniors intern program at an online fashion company run by Jules Ostin, (Anne Hathaway) a quirky boss who excels at micromanaging.

As Ben deals with being back in the workforce, Jules struggles with the decision to hand over control to a CEO. 

Now, let me be very clear on this point! This is not a romantic comedy. At least, not in the traditional sense. Blake Snyder will tell you that all buddy comedies are romance stories and to a point, he's right.

However, we're dealing with love in a friendship capacity. It explores dynamic of two people with a massive age gap and no romantic interest in each other. Ben, even as an intern, plays a mentor to Jules, who challenges him and keeps him on his toes. 

It's this chemistry that works really well throughout the movie. 

The other thing is that it's incredibly funny. There were a lot of instances throughout the movie that were both tastefully done, yet still hilarious. 

While the dialogue isn't prose from the tongue of the Bard, it's perfectly suited to the film. Not groundbreaking, but not clunky. 

Cinematography: The camera seemed to reflect Jules in that there was no handheld element. Dolly shots made grand sweeps of the streets of Brooklyn and the remodelled warehouse that Jules works in. 

I think the only instance where I was irked by the lighting was when Jules was in bed and even though the lights were off, there was this weird glow as if there was a skylight right on their bed. It was an interesting shot, but it kind of took me out of the story, which bugged me. 

Unlike the camera shots, the framing was often unbalanced. Characters would all stand to one side leaving 2/3's of the screen empty. However, this is not a complaint, merely an observation. It allowed all the focus to be on the characters in the scene, but didn't allow for much visual storytelling. 

Audio: The score contained a lot of flutes, which made the shots of Brooklyn feel whimsical. It also included a lot of upbeat piano and more bar appropriate music in those scenes.  A lot of the other times, it wasn't all that memorable.

The atmos tracks were well layered and added an air of authenticity, while maintaining that same movie quality. It's often difficult to balance that, so it's something that I greatly appreciated.

Overall: Frankly, this movie was everything I hoped for and more. The acting was excellent, the humour was funny and tasteful and you can't help but like each of the characters. It really shows that even though you may be retired, you still have plenty more to teach and to learn. 

Lastly, I also loved how the beginning and the end shots mirrored each other. It was a nice touch.

5 Stars.

Thus ends this review.

(Movie) I need some space....a look at the Martian

When it comes to watching movies, I have two rules.

1: Anything surrounding hype is not to be watched until the hype has died down. (I've still yet to see Frozen)

2: Pick movies based on the story, not on the cast in the movie.

This movie is the first in which I've broken the rules I've set for myself. 

Why?

Let's review! 

Story/ Dialogue: The story follows a crew on a mission to Mars. One of the crew is presumed dead and left behind on the red planet after the crew had to leave abruptly. This crew member, Mark Watney (Matt Damon), must survive a certain amount of solar days until NASA can get him home.

This is a classic tale of man vs. nature. What's interesting however is that it cuts between Earth, the Hermes (the ship that the rest of the crew are on,) and Mars. Everybody has their own way of handling the situation. Teddy Sanders, played by Jeff Daniels, is trying to not cause a panic and doesn't want to tell the crew, because he wants them to focus on the mission.

Meanwhile, Mark needs to find a way to grow food while everyone finds a way to get him back.

Arguably the best thing about this movie is Mark's determination to survive. He tackles the task with humour and a plucky, can-do attitude. It makes you want to root for him and make sure he gets home.

The other thing is the tension. This guy is in space, so making sure he doesn't suffocate is the top priority. Even though the situations are different, the tension only increases. I was literally on the edge of my seat by the climax of this film.

The dialogue is snappy and a lot of it makes you laugh. There's even a few references in there to satisfy your inner geek.

Cinematography: You and I have seen deserts. Sandy with a couple of rocky mountains, right? Well, if you add a filter, you can make it look like Mars. I know this probably sounded sarcastic in your head, but it was actually praise. They resolved the challenge of making a desolate place interesting. With all the sweeping shots, you really get this sense of isolation. The framing is well composed and nothing looks visually boring. 

One of the better parts about the visuals is that you couldn't tell what was green screened and what wasn't. I mean, the space scenes were (or were they? CONSPIRACY!) but the rest of the scenes look liked they'd been shot in the same place Mad Max: Fury Road was shot.

Seriously though, fantastic visuals and framing.

Audio: I love how a lot of the music tied into the story. It added humour and an extra layer of suspense to the overarching story. What's more is that I really enjoyed how balanced the sounds, dialogue and music were well balanced. None of them seemed to overtake the others, which I really liked. 

The score had an tension raising element with some electronica flowing throughout which I really enjoyed.

Overall: The Martian is a movie best seen from the edge of your seat. Not only is there a fantastic cast, there's more funny moments to outweigh the crap (if you've seen the movie, you'll understand the pun,) Mark gets into. 

It's well worth the watch and is one of my picks for best movies of 2015. 

Which is also why it warrants a Ravensmark (Picture pending,) a symbol for movies, comics and books of the highest calibre. 

Thus ends this review. 

(Comic) Let's do the time warp again! A look at Marvel 1602

I read this back in 2008 and while I fell in love with it (I'll explain why in a moment,) I didn't pay attention to the author.

Years and a growing admiration for Mr. Gaiman later I come across this story again.

As I swipe right to turn the pages on my tablet I fell in love with this story once more.

The story follows Nicholas Fury and Stephen Strange, the head of intelligence and court magician respectively to Queen Elizabeth the 1st.

Now, while both of these characters might not surprise you, there are other characters that feature in this story. Matt Murdoch, better known as the Daredevil, Peter Parquagh and Carlos Javier and his band of Witchbreed.

The story focuses on a treasure being brought back from the Crusades in Jerusalem and people are trying to find it. There's also a sense that the timeline is out of whack and they need to find the cause.

Now, I'm not usually one for what if stories as that's my entire process as a writer. It literally starts with, "What if?" So when I usually see things like this, I question the point of their general existence.

However, (and I'm not saying this because I love Gaiman's work,) I found it incredibly immersive story wise, the characters are likeable (Try and not like Matt Murdoch, I dare you,) and seeing the true nature of characters is fascinating to look at.

One of the reveals in this left me going, "huh, well that's a thing," in a scenario that people would normally try to play up. But no, it's done with respect and tact and they move on from that.

I feel as though in some instances I remove myself from the story as it gets to be too dialogue heavy and I want to focus on the artwork.

The artwork drags your eyeballs further into the world as the pieces add another dimension to the old school atmosphere of the comic.  

Overall, this piece by Gaiman and his crew is excellent, but at times I wished it weren't so dialogue heavy. I found this incredibly disconnecting.

So I'm going to give this four and a half stars.

(Comic) Be vewy, vewy qwiet......a look at Batman: Hush

Many thanks to Josh and John over at Gotham Knights Fan Films for this recommendation! Give their facebook page a like. https://www.facebook.com/GothamKnightsFanFilms

As a kid, I grew up watching the Tim Burton Batman films. The music in those films was awesome and I was always running around like I was in the Batmobile.

Funny story, when I was 5, I tried to leave the house dressed as Batman to fight crime. At like, midnight. 

I was the night....until my mum tried to catch me leaving the house. 

In any case, let's talk about Batman: Hush.

This story follows Batman and his quest to find the person messing with him and his city. It features a large cast of heroes and villains that are intricately interwoven throughout the plot. In the story we see Killer Croc, Harley Quinn, Clayface, the Joker, amongst. This also includes Oracle, Nightwing, Catwoman and Red Robin.

As we follow Batman, we learn more about his childhood friend and how a man wrapped in bandages is using him like a puppet on a string. We see the bandaged man, who knows so much about Batman that we wonder who he truly is.

What's brilliant about this comic's writing is that you never truly know who Hush is until the very end. You're lead on a merry journey that immerses you in all the Batman lore or at least a lot of it. 

What's more is that I like the dynamic between Batman and Catwoman. While yes it's a heteronormative relationship, Catwoman is her own woman. Yes she takes orders from Batman in some instances, but she's still her own woman and it's great to see her exercise her own power. The fact she keeps Bruce on his toes is super important and I respect the writer a lot for that.

I loved this comic and would love to check out more. 

So I'm going to give it 5 stars.