(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.

(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. 

(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) O' Captain, my Captain....a look at Captain Marvel Vol. 1

Can I just say first that going through the comics on Googleplay (I download my comics, for ease of access,) that the comments frustrated me.

"Captain Marvel will always be a man to me."

"Hated this. Captain Marvel shouldn't be a woman."

We had this with Thor as well.

So when reading, always remember to retain an open mind.

This incarnation of Captain Marvel is the 7th in a line of Captain Marvels and I'll say this too: Carol Danvers isn't the first female Captain Marvel.

All I'm asking is that you open your minds a little more.

Now that I've had my two cents, let's have a look at the comic.



The story is set with Carol Danvers on earth, living in the crown of the Statue of Liberty. Feeling that she's gotten herself into a rut, she misses the adventure and excitement of the unknown.

So, she tells her significant other, James 'Rhodey' Rhodes that she's going to space.

He supports her decision and tells her that he'll be here when she returns.

Carol's mission in space is to return a young Nowlian named Tic to her new home on Torfa. She does this with the help of the Guardians of the Galaxy.

When they arrive, they receive news that the refugees are getting sick and dying. The King of Spartax and Star Lord's father, J'son, is trying to move the healthy off world and leaving the rest to die.

But there's more to this than meets the eye and Carol, Avenger of Earth and Galactic representative, will do all she can to save the refugees and find out if something is causing the sickness.

DeConnick's writing is sharp and sassy, with a lot of moments where you find yourself laughing out loud. It also shows Carol Danvers as a well rounded woman who, while she was not the ideal pick for the task Tic had posed, proves that she can get the job done, regardless.

Danvers is likeable and I really like the relationships she develops as the story progresses.

DeConnick shows that including all genders, binary and non is an easy task and shows it tastefully.

The art in this comic shows the characters with sharp edges, as though they were drawn with a razor blade, while the backgrounds contrast with rounded edges and a sort of, hazy look, as though you were looking at them in the middle of a desert on a hot day.

It's a nice contrast and I really enjoy the style.

Overall, I don't understand what everyone's beef was with this comic.

If you're going to judge a piece of art, you judge it based on the quality of story and art, not hating on it because it doesn't fill those needs of nostalgia.

Please, I implore you, give this a read with an open mind. It's well worth it.

5 stars.

(Comic) Unlikely friends...a look at Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Avengers Vol. 1

The Guardians of the Galaxy and Iron Man team up?

Oh hell yes. 

As a part of the new Marvel Now relaunch, all of the series have new stories so that the current audience don't have to read through a library's worth of comics to know the lore. 

In this first volume, Peter Quill, better known as Star Lord, has been ordered by his father, the King of Spartax to stay away from Earth with the threat of arrest. 

Quill, whose backstory we see at the beginning, ignores his father's orders after the Badoon attack Earth.

What's strange about this story is that it abruptly switches to moments in which Quill is trying to get the band back together. Frankly, this is kind of jarring for someone who is only establishing themselves in comics.

The dialogue is funny with each of the characters bringing their own kind of humour to the table. Introducing Iron Man into GotG, he learns the Groot can only speak three words and trying to interact with Drax is....tricky, to say the least. 

The art style, though it changes depending on what part of the backstory occurs, is beautifully detailed and if it were animated, the angles in the panels look dynamic and create an action packed scene that blend well with the humour. 

I liked seeing Stark interact with the GotG and he seems to fit in quite well, though I often wonder how he charges his suit in space.

In the end, while the story was interesting, the fact it was as jumbled as it was left me feeling confused. I had no knowledge of the lore prior to reading (except for the movie,) so it was a bit tricky to make heads and tails of it. The art style changing kind of threw me off as well. 

Also, what's with the page breaks saying, "please turn to next page?" what's with this hand holding garbage?!

With this in mind, I've decided to give this comic 4 stars. 

(Comic) Devil's Advocate....a look at Marvel's Civil War

This review was recommended by James Bridges. 

With all the hype that the Civil War movie is gaining, it made a lot of  sense to have a look at the original source material from which the movie is derived. 

After a massive screw up involving teenage superheroes and an explosion that killed a lot of people, the U.S Government has put forward a bill so that superheroes would be registered, trained and paid. Kind of like a super powered police force. 

This bill, which is then passed, divides the superhero community. 

On the one hand, you have Tony Stark, the Iron Man, suggesting that people register because it's not only good business, it's also very practical. Superheroes would have accountability and be trained to use their powers in a manner that would minimise collateral damage. 

Captain America, on the other hand, believes that by registering, they give up their greatest weapon. Their anonymity. Not only this, but then they'd have a boss in the U.S government and Cap is all too familiar with how they use superheroes. As he says, "If we register, they'll start telling us who the villains are."

These two sides argue, prepare traps and prison and fight it out with people trading sides in between.

Not only does this comic feature heavy hitters like Cap, Iron Man, Yellow Jacket and Doctor Strange, but as it encompasses the entire superhero community, you've also got the X-Men to consider. Every one has a say in the matter.

The story is cohesive and self contained. You know enough about the characters that even if you haven't read comics before, you could still follow the storyline. It's a simple plot, with massive and complex consequences. With that said, I would recommend reading some comics to get backgrounds on some of the lesser known superheroes.

Having only just started reading comics myself, I wasn't overly invested in the characters they killed off, because I hadn't heard of them.

So before you read this storyline, I'd advise reading other comics in the same universe, so you can get a feel for the characters. 

I think the only thing that really bugged me is the fact that one of the key characters they killed off was a person of colour. What's more, I didn't know all that much about him, which is why I advised reading comics prior to this storyline.

The art style is colourful, yet gritty. Heroes in upbeat brightly coloured costumes are contrasted by dark and grungy scenery. Men are drawn with strong square jaws and large shoulders and women are drawn slender, yet well muscled. While unrealistic for two of the many genders, this is comic history and we look back on what was in order to build from that. 

All in all, it was a fascinating read and often makes me wonder what I would do in those situations. Would I take a side? Or would I be like the X-Men and Doctor Strange and sit it out all together?

What would you do?

This comic warrants 4 and a half stars.

Thus ends this review.

Agree? Disagree? Let me know in the comments. 

I'll see you all next week, when I tackle the Guardians of the Galaxy! 

Please leave me some comic recommendations if you have any and I'll see you all soon!  

(Movie) Insert size joke here...a look at Ant-Man

I'd heard good things about this movie. Never so far as singing it's praises, but enough that it received relatively positive feedback.

Was the movie worth raving about, though?
Let's see! 

Story/Dialogue: Story goes that Scott Lang, a former con, is recruited by a scientist/soldier named Hank Pym. Pym is the creator of the Pym particle; able to shrink matter while compounding the durability of said matter.

Lang is recruited to steal a piece of tech created by Pym's protege, Darren Cross.

With the help of a variety of ants and Lang's old crew, they perform a heist like no one has ever seen.

I can't remember the last time I saw a superhero heist movie. That's what it is. A superhero heist movie with sci-fi elements.

Paul Rudd plays a lovable rogue who just can't get a break. You can't help but like him and the circumstantial humour that follows him.

The characters that help him, from his ant buddies to his crew are funny and easy to like.

Evangeline Lilly's character is equal parts badass with an element of humility. She feels as though you could meet her on the street or have a laugh with her at a bar. Her character feels real.

I'm told that Steve Buscemi was supposed to be Hank Pym. While I don't doubt his performance would have been excellent, Michael Douglas' performance is a happy accident.

As a comic character, I hated Pym. I, like most out there, figured he was a wife beating crazy person. Mr. Douglas took my initial feelings and showed me a broken man whose anger drove him. He's almost like Stark's darker half, I suppose.

Finally, our villain. In terms of character, I felt that his motivation was lacking, or could have been better explained. He felt like an idiot genius who pretended to not know what was going on. It creates this false sense of tension that made me wonder if he was totally ignorant or if the part of his brain that focuses on profiting from science was the only part that worked.
Don't get me wrong, the performance was great, it was the character's development, or lack thereof, that I had an issue with.
Don't make a villain who is a villain, 'Just because.'

Cinematography: I think this is one of those movies where 3D would have been good. The green screen made it look as though a tiny camera crew was filming it. I thought that was brilliant. I thought the ants were great, though they acted like dogs or wildebeest or something, which I thought was interesting.

There were moments where there was shaky cam and super quick cuts during fight and transition scenes. Like, I can understand that in the midst of a fight, it gets pretty crazy, but if you're going to do that, show it from a first person perspective after establishing it. There's a lot less hassle involved and it doesn't look lazy.

I wish I could talk about the sequence that happens which is totally awesome and mind messingly bedazzling, but spoilers, so I won't.

Audio: I got really excited when it came to writing this section.

You have the horns from a epic superhero tale and the bongo drums and double bass for old school heist movies and I gotta say, it's a helluva combination. You're all excited sitting on the edge of your seats as the music piles on more and more tension and it builds to a crescendo that finally leaves you collapsed in your seat wishing you had something to help you relax.

The sound effects were awesome. The suit making its sounds and the dubbing of the punches is excellent. I could sit here all day and talk about it.

Overall: At the end of the day, Ant-Man never tries to be more than what it is. It's a heist film that increases the gap on a constant basis and eases you back down with a lot of funny moments to break that tension.

Marvel takes its heroes and villains seriously, so it's cool to see them try something a little more experimental with one of their superheroes. I mean, even the promotions were awesome! All of the signs for ants and figurines lifting the poster out of its slot in one of those bus shelters.

Promotional Posters done right.

They handled this character really well. They made him likeable and someone to root for.

That villain kind of spoiled it for me, though. 

So I'm going to give it 3 and a half stars. A solid effort.

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(Movie) Hooked on a Feeling. A look at Guardians of the Galaxy.

Who are these jokers?

This ragtag group who have shown up out of seemingly nowhere, all with their separate goals in mind, end up banding together to defend or 'guard' the galaxy from a fanatic.

This is like....hipster Avengers.

'Oh, these guys are like the Avengers, but you've probably never heard of them. Unless you;'ve played Marvel VS. Capcom or actually read the obscure comics.'

Hipster tone aside, I must analyse this critically. Which I shall do presently.

Story/Dialogue: For the most part, this movie's dialogue made you laugh out loud. Quips from cheerful or cynical characters had excellent comedic timing which showed that this wasn't a superhero movie. This was a comedy in the guise of a superhero movie.
In terms of story, it was simple. This is not bad, however. It feels as though the movie deals with a central theme of equivalent exchange. (In order to gain something, something of equal value must be lost.) Quill dealt with the loss of his mother at a young age and when he was able to deal with it emotionally, gained courage and friends. Each of the heroes in this story has lost something. Their bodies, families, their right to choose. But in being with each other and fighting for a cause, they gain something greater.

Cinematography: Space! Colours! Lights! Oh My! Visually the backdrops in this movie are visual porn. Everything from the intensity of the colour of Kree skin tone, to the dark greens and browns of backdrops created atmosphere that fit the scene.

Audio: A great bunch of tracks from the 60's and 70's. Half remembered songs that toy with the light bulb that dangles in the darker corners of your mind. They fit the feel of the movie. But even as it was a comedy, it knew how to be serious when it called for it, so the tense parts (which were followed closely by thoroughly humorous bits,) were tense when appropriate.

Overall: The comedic timing in this movie is spectacular. This is a movie that knows what it is and simply says, 'Take me as I am.' It's so embarrassingly honest that it's heartwarming. You can't help but get caught up with all these broken misfits and root for them as they blunder their way through 12 percent of a plan.

A brilliant movie.

4 and a half out of 5 stars.