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Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate Confirmed

Hani Fearon
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Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate Confirmed

Ubisoft have just confirmed the upcoming game in the Assassin’s Creed series via a live stream online. Set in Victorian London, Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate is set for release on 23rd October, in line with Ubi’s standard yearly instalment. Whilst the Victorian London setting for Syndicate hasn’t come as a surprise to most fans, the live stream unveiled the overall look of the game and offered a sneak peak at gameplay.

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Gamers will play as Jacob, stereotypical Londoner in the Victorian era, complete with a rather fetching top hat. However, it has also been hinted that we may see some gameplay as a female protagonist as well this year, with the involvement of Jacob’s sister, Evie. The focus of Syndicate appears to be gang warfare, fighting to overthrow street gangs and their leaders in each district to gain control. Jacob leads his own gang, which gains members from helping allies throughout the missions in the game.

The gameplay footage shown in the live stream sees Jacob working against gang leader Bloody Nora (terrible pun) which climaxes in a full on gang war. Expect plenty of hand to hand combat here, complete with knuckle bashing, head butting and crotch kicking in almighty brawls. With a combination of bald thugs in braces to dapper gents with fabulous ‘taches, along with blood spattering all over the place, it’s absolute carnage. There’s an emphasis on stealth mode in Syndicate too, with there being too many enemies for just storming in and wrecking the joint, my current go to Creed tactic. There are also plenty of glimpses of iconic landmarks in the sneak peak, showing London in all it’s grit and glory. Maybe they’ll even throw some Jack the Ripper in the narrative; I’m holding out hope for that one.

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Along with the move to more hand to hand combat, Ubi promise to be bringing plenty more new features to the game, including the involvement of traditional transportation. Jacob will frequently utilise a horse and carriage, for both combat and a new hiding location. Steam trains will also be used in the game, although we’ve see no gameplay footage of them in use just yet. New weapons and gadgets are incoming, including a rope hook which will allow Jacob to scale the tallest buildings in seconds. Gamers can also expect a withdrawal of the standard melee weapons that I tend to favour, in exchange for fists and foreheads, along with some good old fashioned brass knuckles and hidden blades.

Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate aims to bring us an entirely new take on the franchise, whilst still being ground in what we’ve come to expect in the games so far. With a general disappointment with issues that Unity has brought gamers since it’s release, hopefully we’ll see Ubisoft back on form this October. Personally, I’m a big fan of the Victorian setting and Syndicate really does look worlds away from what we’ve seen so far. However, the idea of a French Revolution Creed had folk very excited, but came across as rushed and a little sloppy in parts. Here’s hoping that Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate will breathe new life into the series that’s had fans hooked for years.

Check out the first trailer now.

Catching up on TV news; Life, Death and Renewals

Daniel Delargy
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Catching up on TV news; Life, Death and Renewals

In the Game of TV Shows, you get renewed or you die.

All in all, things have looked pretty good for TV, especially those shows of the super-powered variety.It was announced back in January that Gotham would get a second season, and it’s been a while since news about Daredevil getting second season…which – to be honest – has me hungering for more Marvel/Netflix collaborations. Can’t wait to see how AKA Jessica Jones and the other upcoming shows fare, given how well the Man without Fear was received.

Looks like we get to see a lot more of the ‘Avocados at Law’

So, who else is coming back for another round? Whose stories will progress and expand?

Well, continuing with Marvel shows, Agent Carter and Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will be getting another season each. This is excellent news for lovers of the ‘vintage’ series, as we get to see more of Peggy Carter acting all badass – it was thought that the series might not be renewed, considering how despite rave reviews the series ultimately did not the best of ratings. Glad to see this isn’t the case, and cannot wait to see where the series goes from here.

Also, it might be interesting to see where Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. goes – could we see more from the Inhumans? Judging by how the finale is looking, it looks interesting as to where it could go…

ONE MORE SEASON! ONE MORE SEASON!

Also, let’s just say all the CW super-stars are coming into their own. Not only are The Flash, Arrow and iZombie getting another series (iZombie apparently didn’t pull is as many numbers as the other shows, but was still ppular enough for renewal), but they will be joined by none other than another addition to the Flash/Arrow universe – DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, which is set to look amazing as a team of heroes and villains must team up with time traveler Rip Hunter to fight an as yet unnamed immortal foe.

Congratulations on the renewals, and can’t wait to see what happens next!

Powers also receives an official renewal from the Playstation Network, given how well it’s premier did, and how well received it was. However, it will be losing showrunner Charlie Huston over “creative differences”. And Supergirl has been picked up by CBS. Not much else is known about the series, other than that promotional picture of the lead, Melissa Benoist, in her costume.

Now, the unfortunate news of cancellations.

First up,the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. spin-off that was going to star Adrianne Palicki (Mockingbird) and Nick Blood (Lance Hunter) has apparently not been picked up. This comes from the news that the spin-off has divided fans, as there had been some backlash to the idea of taking some of the strongest new characters on S.H.I.E.L.D. away from the mothership series. So, they won’t be pulling a DC’s Legends of Tommorow. Which actually makes me wonder – how will their commitment to the spin-off affect their characters in their respective shows? Will they run at the same time as Flash and Arrow, and have crossover episodes?

Another unfortunate piece of news is that NBC has ultimately passed on giving Constantine another season, even after fans campaigned and signed online petitions to show their support. The news came from show creator Daniel Cerone on Twitter;

However, there’s always hope; Cerone is looking to move it to another channel. Whilst it may not happen, I have my fingers crossed – maybe the CW will pick it up, and add it to their ever-growing DC universe. We’ve seen it grow to accommodate super-powered beings…what would happen if they discovered magic and demons?

However, there are rumors that might be getting picked up by Fox to join the as-yet to be picked-up series Lucifer…

Only time will tell.

Geek-Pride goes to MCM Belfast Comic Con 2015!

Dave Foy
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Geek-Pride goes to MCM Belfast Comic Con 2015!

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Its Saturday 10am on a typically rainy early May day, and in the leafy suburbs of South Belfast something strange seems to be happening. Amongst the usual sight of men in 4x4s nipping to the Balmoral golf club for a quick 9 holes, and women in Porsches sneaking in a quick latte before they go shopping, there appears to be a host of new additions to the local population.

By car, train and bus they come – a range of genders and ages, some of whom are dressed in various incredible and outlandish outfits…but all with a smile on their face! It can be only one thing: it’s Comic Con time!!

Now in its second year, the MCM Belfast Comic Con continues to explode in popularity, with the event (yet again being staged at the Kings Hall convention centre) being a sell-out over the course of its 2-day duration. The event’s organisers claim that around 16,000 people attended the event, breaking previous records for attendance and money generated in Northern Ireland-based film/TV/comic events.

But how does the Belfast event rank in terms of quality?

 

Facilities

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Firstly, I’ve got to say that I really like the Kings Hall Convention Centre as a hosting venue. Yes, it’s essentially just a big metal shed at the back of a crumbling, unused complex (which is in serious danger of being demolished, if reports are to be believed) – but I still think that it suits this type of event better than say the Odyssey Arena, Waterfront Hall or Titanic Belfast.  Those other venues may have a better quality of facility in terms of travel routes, restaurants and toilets – but they simply wouldn’t have the square-footage to accommodate an event of this size (it would either have to be downscaled or take place over multiple floors/rooms). Being able to walk around all of the attractions and it be on one open, self-contained level is definitely a major bonus.

Overall, the centre was well laid out, providing plenty to see and to keep attendees occupied. The queues for signings/meet and greets were very well organised, meaning that waiting times were kept to a minimum. I would also commend the staff (both MCM and the local crew) and the stall owners for their attitude – all that I interacted with were incredibly friendly and helpful (kudos on giving on rain ponchos to all that were leaving into the heavy rain on both nights – a very nice touch).

On a personal note – special thanks has to go to the MCM E-Sports booth, who had to suffer the Geek-Pride crew taking photos next to them all day (sorry for the noise!), and also the owners of the only wrestling-based stall at the event – embarrassingly I forgot to take a note of their names on the day, and a google search has been fruitless – but many thanks for the amazing El Generico and Kenta dvds!!

That said, there are a few recommendations that I would make to further improve the event facilities going forward:

  • Lack of comics at Comic Con – Comics were criminally underrepresented at this event, in fact I only spotted one stall selling actual graphic novels. On the other hand, there were a multitude of stalls selling the same generic ‘Pop’ toys and Anime/Superhero memorabilia. Perhaps next year there should be some diversification in the types of sellers/vendors invited.
  • Lack of MCM-branded official photographers – The amount of cosplayers in attendance was incredible, and the quality of the work on show was truly inspiring. But while the Cosplay Masquerade was very well organised and extremely well received by all in attendance – there seemed to be a distinct lack of an official photo booth from the event organisers (other than a stand with a random promotions girl taking photos with an iPad). Surely the hard work in creating these costumes deserves professional photography?
  • Lack of a rest spot for attendees – Currently the venue doesn’t provide a chill-out space for the attendees to rest in, other than the seating in the two food areas (which you couldn’t sit in unless you were eating). This meant that there were a lot of tired people having to resort to just sitting around the edges of the centre. The problem was, security teams were having to make rounds to ask those people to move (quite correctly) due to safety concerns. This combined with high temperatures in the centre and torrential rain outside, made for some uncomfortable attendees. This could easily be remedied by adding a separate space for people to relax in (like you would see in Comic Con events in the mainland).

 

Guest stars

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While the number of special guests had decreased this year, the quality of had certainly improved, with a genuine worldwide film/TV star attending this year, as well as an up-and-coming star from a fan-favourite TV show, and a few UK TV favourites.

The most recognisable guest was of course John Noble, the veteran Australian actor best known for his menacing performance as Denethor in the ‘Lord Of The Rings’ trilogy, as-well-as his recent forays into mainstream US Sci-fi TV in ‘Fringe’ and ‘Sleepy Hollow’.  His panel was fascinating, ranging from his love of Peter Jackson (“a truly wonderful man…a visionary!”) to anecdotes regarding Jean the Cow (Walter Bishop’s laboratory pet in ‘Fringe’ – “there were three different cows, all lovely…but they would shit everywhere”). He spoke in length about how important the role of Denethor was to his career (“a once in a lifetime experience”), but also how tricky he found the process (“I had to be very careful with the character, to research the role thoroughly, as it would’ve been so easy for him to be just a simple psychopath. But he wasn’t – he was misunderstood. He was heartbroken that he had lost one son, but blind to the fact that he was slowly losing another because of his own anger.”).

John also took time to discuss the new ‘Batman: Arkham Knight’ game, in which he provides the voice for the main villain, The Scarecrow. He described voice-acting as “long, demanding, but incredibly rewarding”, and then left the majority of the audience happy by confirming that he had seen and played the new game, and that it was “incredible”. I for one, can’t wait!

The stunning Katrina Law was another guest, and one that proved extremely popular with the younger fans in attendance during the weekend. Currently wowing audiences as Nyssa al Ghul in smash-hit superhero series ‘Arrow’, she described her training for the part of a trained assassin as “intimidating, but a challenge that I relished” and talked about her pride in playing an openly gay character in a mainstream US TV show. She finished her panel by taking a mass selfie with herself and the audience, confirming that Nyssa will return in the next series of ‘Arrow’ and announcing that she was about to fulfil a life-long fantasy by visiting the Giant’s Causeway.

Other guests included Danny John-Jules of ‘Red Dwarf’ fame – who discussed his time in the famed sci-fi comedy show (“It’s coming back!”), as well as describing ‘Maid Marion and Her Merry Men’ as a forgotten British TV masterpiece; animation voice-talent superstar Hynden Walch – voice of Princess Bubblegum in ‘Adventure Time’ and Starfire in ‘Teen Titans’ – who’s booth had a queue of teenage girls so long, you would have thought it was One Direction doing a signing; and the comically out-of-place Shane Richie and Jessie Wallace (Alfie Moon and Kat Slater from ‘Eastenders’). Why the organizers thought that having these two attend a geek/sci-fi/comic event was a good idea, is beyond me – but at least they seemed to be genuinely appreciative of the warm welcome that they received from the Belfast crowd.

The Comic Village also made a welcome return with a range of well respected comic-book artists in attendance to interact with fans, provide custom sketches/art and even provide guidance on the fan’s own art. Of particular note were the beautiful Anime-like stylings of DestinyBlue, and local comic heroes John McCrea (Judge Dredd, Preacher, The Boys) and P.J. Holden (2000AD, Warhammer).

 

Attendees

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As was the case last year, there was an amazing range of attendees at the event – from babies dressed in Spider-Man baby-grows to pensioners in 1980s Dr. Who t-shirts, the one thing that you could never accuse fans of the ‘geek’ genre of being, is one dimensional.

There is always such vibrancy about Comic Con events – you never know what characters you’re going to spot as you make the rounds. One minute there’s a massive custom-built Hulk lumbering around with a load of kids chasing in its wake attempting to get a photo, the next the next there’s a gender-swop Joker/Harley-Quinn-dressed couple discussing which superhero-themed belt buckle they wanted to buy.

Cosplayers were out in force, with a ton of incredible costumes on show. All were happy to stop and pose for photos when requested, not only from the various press/bloggers in attendance, but also from the normal fans who just wanted to congratulate them on a job well-done and to grab a selfie.

The most popular cosplay outfits seemed to be Oliver McQueen/Green Arrow (‘Arrow’), Deathstroke, Link (Legend Of Zelda), Harley-Quinn and various characters from ‘Attack On Titan’ – but there were a multitude of other well-known characters. My personal favourites included a pair of young siblings (they must have been around 7-8 years old) whose mother had constructed amazing outfits for each – one was a Predator, the other an ‘Alien’ Xenomorph; a full-sized Ninja Turtle in the style of the original 90’s movie; and an Ace Ventura who remained in character during the whole day (complete with the strutting walk), and who had a multitude of props on hand for photo opportunities.

It was encouraging to see so many families in attendance, and that so many young children were able to take part in all of the attractions available. Here’s hoping that events such as this (along with the current success of the superhero genre) implant an interest in the younger fans that will grow as they get older, exposing them to new characters and genres.

 

Overall

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In conclusion, I’m more than happy to report that this year’s MCM Belfast Comic Con was a rousing success. While the event itself is still building momentum, and there are definitely subtle changes that can be made by the event organisers to improve the overall experience for attendees – there is most certainly a market in Northern Ireland for this type of event.

With each year that it is staged, the word of mouth and publicity around the event will improve – this will in-turn lead to an increase in range of facilities/stalls/attractions available for fans, the quality and amount of guest stars will considerably improve (please, let’s never have another Shane Richie fiasco!), and of course the potential audience will multiply.

Already looking forward to next year  – just need to get my costume sorted out…

In Defence of Joss Whedon: The Difference Between Character and Creator

Callum Tyndall
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In Defence of Joss Whedon: The Difference Between Character and Creator

Joss Whedon recently left Twitter amid a storm of hate and threats. Whedon told Buzzfeed that “Twitter is an addictive little thing, and if it’s there, I gotta check it. When you keep doing something after it stops giving you pleasure, that’s kind of rock bottom for an addict. I just had a little moment of clarity where I’m like, You know what? If I want to get stuff done, I need to not constantly hit this thing for a news item or a joke or some praise, and then be suddenly sad when there’s hate and then hate and then hate.”

There were a few reasons for the recent targeting of Whedon but the main issue people have taken is that of Black Widow’s portrayal in Age of Ultron. There are a couple of facets to the issue, from the supposed portrayal of the Widow as unequal to her male counterparts to the equation of female sterility to monstrosity during a conversation with Bruce Banner. The first point is one I don’t particularly feel merits attention. Regardless of your like or dislike of Joss Whedon’s work, I would argue that it’s hard to say that he is sexist. The guy is a vocal advocate for equality and feminism and a mass of his characters are what we can broadly describe as ‘strong women’. Feminism is very much in Whedon’s wheelhouse.

Now, the position of his feminism is a completely different manner. I’m not going to say the man is flawless because it has been very acutely pointed out to me that the kickass superheroine in the body of a cheerleader is in in itself a form of male fantasy. Whedon may be better than some out there but, like most people he’s not perfect. That said, to try and say that Black Widow doesn’t hold her own just seems… well, it seems stupid. Both Widow and Hawkeye, the two non-super members of the Avengers, not only got some great usage in Age of Ultron, Hawkeye actually delivered some of my favourite moments, but were more than capable of stepping into the action alongside the likes of Thor and Iron Man. And if at any point they don’t seem to be undertaking quite such ridiculous feats of action, then that is not because of sexism it is because ONE OF THEIR TEAMMATES IS A GOD. The exact same thing being said of Black Widow could easily be said of Hawkeye. In fact, one of my main issues with complaints about Black Widow being relegated is that the same things would never be said of Hawkeye. True, the first Avengers didn’t optimally utilise Jeremy Renner’s character but AoU did some brilliant things with the archer. But when it’s Black Widow not getting a solo flick its sexism.

How can someone so fabulous NOT have their own movie?
How can someone so fabulous NOT have their own movie?

Now I am not saying there aren’t any issues with the treatment of Black Widow within the broader context. Nerdist recently pointed out the shameful disparity in the number of Black Widow toys compared to the other Avengers, for example. My main contention is that the issues people often draw upon are those done without an appreciation of context. And thus I come to the meat of my disagreement with those lashing out at Whedon.

Aside from the fact that I loved Age of Ultron and I have a lot of love for Whedon’s other works and a fair amount of respect for the man himself, I have a real bone to pick with those sending the hate mail. Let’s ignore the fact that this kind of bullying, threatening tactic is a vile way to treat another person and is about as far from the right way to get your opinion across as is possible. Let’s instead take a look at the argument here, the notion that Whedon equated Black Widow’s sterility to the Hulk’s natural monstrous nature.

First of all, I’d like to point out that Black Widow’s conception of herself as monstrous was more to do with the things she’d done in her life. The fact that being forcefully sterilised as a part of her training was a part of her path to getting a lot of red in her ledger is undeniable, as is the fact that it is a truly horrifying thing to find out about her past. But, to my interpretation at least, she was not saying this made her a monster, she raised the point only when Bruce pointed out he couldn’t have children. She was equivocating with a man she loved and, here’s the clincher, even if she thought that her sterility made her a monster on the level of the Hulk, it was her saying it.

One of these things is not like the other
One of these things is not like the other

Creators ARE NOT their characters. Yes, the ideas and personality of creators seeps into characters but to say that they are direct reflections is to say that no one can ever create a character that isn’t just them. It is to say that Whedon is Ultron and Lucas is Vader and Nolan is the Joker. The view presented by Black Widow was the character’s own and, importantly, it is one that made emotional sense for that character. We’ve seen across both Avengers films that Natasha Romanoff has a lot of regrets tied to her past, one of her main throughlines is the idea of redemption through heroism. So to portray her as more than a little self-loathing is nothing more than truthful to the character.

What we have here is an issue of misplaced anger. Those who are lashing out are those who are apparently convinced that they need to seek out wrongdoing and hate and injustice where none exists. These are people who thrive off attacking others. There are often attacks on gaming culture over the idea that gamers can’t differentiate between reality and fantasy. Apparently, those attacking Whedon can’t differentiate between character and creator. There are a lot of times that feminists gain criticism and, as such, detract from their movement as a whole. I like to believe that this is because these people, those like the ones who have chased one of the geek world’s foremost creator’s away, are not truly feminists. They are people who co-opt the ideology of feminism in an attempt to justify their own vitriol because, in cases dealing with issues like gender or race, people are afraid to disagree or fight back.

Well here’s my disagreement. As long as people like this cannot distinguish between the fantasy and the reality and choose to present their opinion purely through hatred, they do not deserve an opinion. Yes, there are issues with equality and representation in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s getting better with the introduction of Scarlet Witch and the upcoming Captain Marvel film but it’s far from perfect. There’s a long way to go. But, and here’s the kicker, as long as this is the way in which the argument for equality is made, the movement will be held back and judged on the lines of this vocal minority. They are one of the worst threats to their own position and one of the greatest detractions from creators and creativity.

Differentiate character from content, remove the hate from the argument, and approach the discussion as a rational human being. Then this debate may be able to actually move forward and we may be able to actually make progress where it truly NEEDS to be made.

Kanzume Goddess

Bevan Clatworthy
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Kanzume Goddess

Right, so it’s not often I come across a game I can say I didn’t enjoy on some level. I don’t know whether I’ve just been lucky, hung about with a discerning crowd of gamers who only bought the best or that I just have low standards (not blinking likely!). So when Kanzume Goddess turned up, I got a pretty nasty shock. It looked like it ticked all the boxes: deck-builder archetype, cool manga style artwork, compact design with high production values. So why did Kanzume Goddess fall flat?

The premise is you play a god/goddess from either Greek or Norse mythology, represented by a player card with its own special abilities. Players then get a deck of basic Disciples and Sacred Guardian cards. The former generate Faith, which is the resource used to buy more powerful cards whilst the Sacred Guardians allow a player to defend themselves from damage and negate the abilities of opponent’s God cards.

A selection of Warrior cards with the three dot system

The rest of the cards in the tin are Warrior cards. These are arranged into six random decks in the middle of the table, and have more powerful abilities than the basic cards each player starts with. As mentioned, Faith points are used to buy these Warrior cards, which then go onto top of your own deck. Like most deck builders, the plan is to buy better and better cards each turn to improve your own deck as you strive to put together stronger hands each round. At the end of each round, players discard their hand and draw from their deck, recycling their discard pile if they can’t draw a full one.

So what’s the point? Well, winning is accomplished by either killing all the other players off or reaching 25 Energy (essentially life points). This is done by either attacking your opponents directly using your newly purchased Warrior cards or healing yourself with them, depending on whatever abilities they have. Others will have defensive abilities, which either directly block damage from attacking Warriors (hence why players draw a new hand of cards at the end of their turn) or negate certain abilities.

To make things interesting KG features a combo chaining mechanic, where Warrior cards have three coloured dots printed in their top left corner. The largest is the card’s colour (Warriors that Attack tend to be red for example, whilst healers are often yellow). The two smaller dots denote what colour card is allowed to follow. In theory this creates a strategy to what cards you need to buy to make sure you can play correctly in some thunderstorm of card draw, super attacks and smug 10-card ultra-combo of deck emptying awesomeness!

In practice, it’s actually a boring struggle to get the right cards at the right time. Even when you do, the majority of the occasions every other player can either defend the damage, or just heal up in their own turn. To make it even duller, many of the cards will only allow you to draw a single additional card, in theory just replacing itself in your hand and only being playable if you are lucky enough to have the right coloured dots on it. Instead of being clever, it’s just restrictive and few of the cards make good use of what cards have been played already in a turn. Suffice it to say, KG has hit the table several times in our house and every time has out stayed it’s welcome as the game grinds down into a ‘I hit you’ ‘I defend most of it’ ‘OK, your turn’ ‘I heal back up, then hit you’ ‘Fine, I defend all of the damage’, rinse, lather, repeat.

The God cards

Remember those God cards? Well, each player gets one with their own special abilities; these powers can be played as often as the cost can be paid. It sounds like a fantastic way to make each game different and improve the replayability of KG. The reality is the Gods are woefully unbalanced, and I don’t think KG has been playtested extensively enough to compare all situations between all the potential card combinations. Some Gods just blast the others to pieces before they can get any traction, whilst others just extend the game into a tedious tit-for-tat of minor damage and healing.

The artwork and component quality are the only place where KG really shines. The artwork is amazing, if you can handle a gratuitous amount of cleavage. Manga-esque fan service is very much in full swing here, as all the Warrior cards are female with varying amounts of preposterous endowments and flesh on display. This aside, each is beautifully drawn and coloured and the cards don’t look horrendously cluttered with symbols so the graphic design has been handled well. The text is very small however, which can cause detraction during game play as players are forced to pick up and peer closely at each new card as it is revealed.

The rulebook leaflet is decently written; we had no trouble getting going without numerous references back. There are also some interesting variants such as team play which can add a little back to the flat nature of the game, but at the risk of introducing alpha gamer syndrome into an already lacklustre game.

So in summary, the game looks and feels like it should be great with some cracking ideas for mechanics. In practice however, it’s a slow, dull grinding affair where the mechanics act against the enjoyment of the game. Between this and the unbalanced God cards the whole experience is one of style over substance, and I have a sneaky suspicion that play-testing was not high on the agenda when Kanzume Goddess was designed.

David Ayer reveals first look at Suicide Squad The Internet goes erm, what?

Andy Haigh
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David Ayer reveals first look at Suicide Squad The Internet goes erm, what?

Suicide-Squad-Cast-Photo

So for anyone that didn’t know the first official photo of the cast of David Ayer’s upcoming Suicide Squad in costume hit the internet after first appearing on Ayer’s Twitter account and well my response was pretty much a confused, ehhhh?

Anyone with half a brain knows that there’s going to be some variation on how characters appear in film when compared to their source material. Characters in comics have numerous different appearances depending on their longevity and the creative team working on a given title, but when you’re sat looking at a cast photo for a film featuring numerous characters you are familiar with and then trying to figure out who’s who then it’s an indicator that something may have gone a bit awry on the costume design front.

Whilst Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje might look pretty badass as Killer Croc and Jay Hernandez and Karen Fukuhara may look the part as El Diablo and Katana the rest pretty much left me scratching my head even if Margot Robbie does look pretty dollsome as Harley Quinn.

DC/Warner’s track record so far has been pretty appalling when it comes to recent cinematic representations of their characters, Green Lantern and Jonah Hex were both opportunities to do something different that were utterly squandered and Man Of Steel whilst being a box office hit split fans with many disliking the seemingly default “gritty” tone ill suited to a character like Superman alongside its incoherent narrative and bewildering CG FX driven carnage.

If any DC property fits the “gritty” tone it’s Suicide Squad The CW’s Arrow has managed to do good things with a fraction of the budget here and David Ayer seems like an ideal fit with a catalogue of believably gritty and brutal films to his name like Fury, End Of Watch and Training Day and a more serious tone would definitely work in its favour after all it’s called Suicide Squad not Super Happy Friendship Squad.

Exactly how this is going to work on a narrative level remains to be seen as introducing so many characters in one film is going to be problematic at best and especially for characters like Harley Quinn who has far more to her character than “crazy girl who loves The Joker”.

Until something like a trailer appears then my and seemingly the internet at larges opinion seems to be one of confusion as to whether the writers of Suicide Squad have actually had more than a fleeting glance at the source material Suicide Squad is apparently based on.

Suicide Squad is set to appear in August 2016.

Mighty Release Date

Daniel Delargy
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Mighty Release Date

Mighty No. 9

A long awaited project from Comcept, an independent Japanese game design and development studio formed in 2010 by industry veteran Keiji Inafune, best known as the illustrator and co-designer of the Mega Man character.

The spiritual successor of Mega Man.

For months, we have been getting updates on the final product, from development updates to beta footage.

It was originally planned for a spring release, but after some silence on the that issue a release date has finally appeared. Teaming up with publisher deep Silver, the team at Comcept have stated that the deal will allow them to add various language settings to the game to allow for a much much versatile marketing (appealing to gamers globally, from Spanish to Russian, German to Portuguese), and “also allows us more time and resources for testing, polish, and the creation of physical retail versions (on some systems), and — very importantly — won’t affect absolutely any of our Kickstarter plans or rewards. In short, it will make for an even Mightier No. 9, for backers, for us, and for all our fans, worldwide!”

To any backers who feel skeptical about Comcept ending up with an outside publisher, they have also included a brief FAQ which provides more information for those who would feel uneasy about this partnership.

 

Comcept are also working on a DLC pack adding a new stage, boss battle, and playable character. That’ll launch alongside the game, and will be free to Kickstarter backers, which will presumably be released at a later date. Handheld ports will be receiving a later release date, due to the complexity requiring that they remake the game from the ground up for these handheld systems.

Fool’s Assassin by Robin Hobb

Peter Ray Allison
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Fool’s Assassin by Robin Hobb

Robin Hobb’s Realm of the Elderlings series began in 1995 with the release of Assassin’s Apprentice. This was the first novel in what was to be Farseer Trilogy, which chronicled how the royal bastard FitzChivalry Farseer navigated the brutal politics in the Six Duchies. This was later followed by The Tawny Man trilogy, where Fitz accompanies a Farseer prince in his quest to unite the Six Duchies with their former enemy the Outislands.

The problem with any long-running series is power-creep, and the Realm of Elderlings is no different in this regard. After six book, Fitz has mastered the Skill (the ability to communicate with people over long distances), the Wit (the ability to communicate with animals), become an accomplished assassin, a formidable warrior and even killed a dragon. You might think that by this point there is very little that could feasibly scare Fitz.

You would be wrong. You give him the one thing he wants more than anything else, and then threaten to take it away from him. Thus, Robin Hobb places Fitz in the place he most wants to be, yet the one he is least experienced in; a loving family.

Another problem can be with the author attempting to ensure that new readers understand the intricacies of the established back-story whilst not talking down to existing readers. Robin plays this balancing game with deceptive aplomb. In many ways Fool’s Assassin is the ideal jumping on point for readers new to Robin Hobb. Sufficient time has passed since the previous novels to have minimal impact upon Fool’s Assassin.

Readers seeking a traditional high fantasy adventure will be disappointed, as this is not the type of novel that Fool’s Assassin is. Robin Hobb has never bowed down to clichéd fantasy adventures and mighty knights riding forth on noble quests. If you want those books, read David Eddings. Robin Hobb takes a far more grounded approach, with even her magic having being logically explored.

Comparisons with George R.R. Martin are valid, as Robin Hobb is a fantasy writer whose novels are steeped in brutal political intrigue. However, whilst everyone emerges bloodied in Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire, it is Fitz who is consistently screwed over in Realm of the Elderlings. Having said that, Fitz does start to learn how to play the game of Buck Keep politics, and starts to gain pushback, but this is never without consequence.

Which brings me back to Fool’s Assassin. Fitz has left the world of politics, assassins and intrigue behind him; to settle down with his true love Molly.   Much of the novel deals with him enjoying a quiet life as the holdster “Tom Badgerlock” with his family at Withywoods Manor. However, like all good things, it must come to an end.

These are stories where actions have consequence. Robin Hobb’s world has magic, but it is rare and often comes with a price, thus people are forced to rely on medieval medicine of herbal poultices and bandages. People who are injured in battle are rarely able to fight again, often leaving them maimed or horribly disfigured.

Existing fans of Robin Robb will love Fool’s Assassin, as many of the regular characters are there. Yet, time has moved on, and they have all evolved during the interim period. Robin Hobb’s line describing how “it has been eight years since I had killed anybody” for Fitz, was bleakly uplifting and demonstrated how the world had changed.

In many ways, Fool’s Assassin is less of a fantasy novel, and more of a family drama. Yet, this slow-burner of a novel thrums with tension as the stakes mount and clues are discovered, whilst Fitz finds himself being dragged once more into the political intrigue he had once put behind him. There is an almost a tragic current to this novel. Fitz does not want this life of intrigue where he is forced to kill, yet his loyalty to his friends and the lengths he will go to protect his family force him down that path, despite the danger of distancing himself from those he loves.

The reason why Fool’s Assassin is such an engrossing read is that all of the characters – from Fitz to the house servant Revel – are so well rounded and developed, that it feels less of a fantasy novel and more like a historical drama (at least until Fitz uses his magic).

Fitz continues to be an engaging character; even if he does seem to be remarkably unobservant. Despite all his training, Fitz continually fails to miss clues that the reader had spotted a hundred pages previously. However, it is refreshing at last to witness Fitz taking command from the outset, rather than simply following orders.

Ultimately, this is a story about family responsibility and accepting one’s role. The theme may not appeal to readers seeking a more adventurous tale. Yet, those who are deterred by these themes will miss a fantastic novel by an author who is writing at the top of their game. The Fool’s Assassin poses new puzzles on every page that leaves the reader begging for more.

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New Dragon Ball Series announced!

SeanPWallace
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If you grew up in the 90s, you’ll probably have watched the anime Dragon Ball Z as you grew up. For many of us, it was our first induction into Anime, even if it was a little ridiculous with the episode-long charge up attacks and Goku’s power creep. I still get chills on seeing Goku growl, “I won’t let you get away with this!”

However, there hasn’t been a new series since the somewhat-atrocious DBGT (not including the shortened DBZ Kai). That is, until today, as Toei Animation have announced Dragon Ball Super. Set after the new Dragon Ball films Dragon Ball: Battle of Gods and Dragon Ball: Resurrection of F, and the death of Buu at the end of DBZ, it will be aired from July this year.

“Having loved Dragon Ball since childhood, it is very exciting to be a part of this project,” said Osamu Nozaki, producer for Fuji Television. “Mr. Toriyama has developed a plot that’s not only a dream come true for Dragon Ball’s millions of fans, but one that will foster in a new generation of viewers.”

The full announcement, such as it is, is available on the Toei Animation website.

After the Fall, edited by Alex Davis

Peter Ray Allison
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After the Fall, edited by Alex Davis

I am generally ambivalent towards short story collections. They tend to consist of random stories that the authors had lying around, with little relation to the title and none to each other. Thankfully, this was not the case with After the Fall.

The editor Alex Davis has carefully chosen each of the stories collected within After the Fall, based upon how appropriate they to the title and the overall theme. As you may have guessed, this is a collection of post-apocalyptic tales, specifically those where the fall of civilisation was caused by technology. Whilst the genre of these tales was broadly science-fiction, there were others that encompassed the horror and fantasy genres as well.

Nonetheless, the chosen stories are as diverse as they are enjoyable. Some are set during the collapse of civilisation, whilst others set long after; exploring the “new” world. Surprisingly, not all of them are serious: some – such as “As They Get Warmer They Give A Little” by Caren Gussof – have a far more humorous take on the idea.

“Instrumentum” by Adam Roberts was a fantastic exploration of religion and control, whilst “Hell Freezes Over” is a brutal story set in a new ice age. Others, such as “Patience” by Simon Sylvester are atmospheric vignettes, which evoke the feeling of isolation amidst the ruins of civilisation’s fall.

Some were not as accessible as I would like them to be, especially those that invented a devolved dialect of the English language (I struggled to read these).

Personally, I do not enjoy “Then and Now” by Delphine Boswell, as it seemingly delighted in the idea of a world freed from technology (its pervasiveness and lack of privacy) whilst failing to consider areas in which technology improves our lives (e.g. medical care and communications). For me, these technophobic undertones felt blinkered and trite.

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