Let’s kick off with the exciting stuff shall we, namely Bond, James Bond, and the release of the first trailer for SPECTRE. Following shortly after the events of Skyfall, Bond has a secret that he won’t trust anyone with and it seems he must go on a journey to uncover some kind of terrible truth.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6yjrNBaxwU
Secrets, insignia rings, shadowy bad guys. What’s not to love? SPECTRE is due for release in the UK on the 23rd of October.
DEADPOOL, DEADPOOL, RA RA RA. It was this week that Ryan Reynolds revealed the first look at the merc with a mouth for the upcoming (you guys made it happen) Deadpool movie and it’s super sexy.
Fox also released a logo, a website and the official synopsis.
Based upon Marvel Comics’ most unconventional anti-hero, DEADPOOL tells the origin story of former Special Forces operative turned mercenary Wade Wilson, who after being subjected to a rogue experiment that leaves him with accelerated healing powers, adopts the alter ego Deadpool. Armed with his new abilities and a dark, twisted sense of humor, Deadpool hunts down the man who nearly destroyed his life.
Earlier in the week we were introduced to the first trailer for Mission Impossible 5: Rogue Nation. I can’t believe they are up to 5, still they are fun, sprinkled with wit and ridiculous ‘impossible’ spy stunts. Plus they have the added bonus of the never ageing Tom Cruise and Simon Pegg.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uku_yf7pAPM
Speaking of Simon Pegg he had this to say about writing Star Trek 3 film:
It just came out of conversations I was having with J.J. [Abrams] and Bryan Burk, and they decided to kind of like restart the process…But I think we just want to take it forward with the spirit of the TV show. And it’s a story about frontierism and adventure and optimism and fun, and that’s where we want to take it, you know. Where no man has gone before – where no one has gone before, sensibly corrected for a slighter more enlightened generation. But yeah, that’s the mood at the moment.
Now here is the news that got the Geek Pride gang all excited this week. It has been announced that Steven Spielberg will be directing the adaptation of the best selling book Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. The screen play has been in the works with Warner Bros. since 2010, with Zak Penn writing the latest draft.
If you have not read this book, go do that, go do that now. It is amazing and immersive to the point that when I finished it, I was oh so very sad I was no longer in that world. The story follows Wade, a teenager who plugs into a virtual world called OASIS. Wade’s devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world’s digital confines—puzzles that are based on their creator’s obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them.
It marks the return of Spielberg to Warner Bros. since AI back in 2001. It’s such a great book but it is difficult to imagine how on earth they will bring it to the big screen. But if you want a job done right, then I guess hiring one of the biggest and most celebrated directors of our time, is the way to go.
Now to news that I’m kinda meh about, but may be someone will be interested. The sequel to TMNT has it’s title, wait for it…Half-Shell. Well that is according to Los Angeles Clippers player J.J. Redick. Redick and his team mates Austin Rivers, Matt Barnes, Spencer Hawes, and DeAndre Jordan, recently shot scenes for the second film in the bastardized franchise, WHY DO THEY HAVE NOSES?. Whilst this is not officially confirmed, you can see Redick mention it here:
https://youtu.be/pB0CTz5QlOw?t=44s
Onto another film franchise that for some reason is still going and by looks of this news, continuing to grow. The Transformers universe is set to expand. Yes, Paramount Pictures have got Akiva Goldsman on board to head up a ‘writers room’ working alongside director Michael Bay, executive producer Steven Spielberg and producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura. It appears the writing team will create multiple spin-offs and sequels which the studio will be fast tracking. I’m not sure why either.
A collection of comic news for you, and it looks to be a treat. First up, we have the Marvel news about their upcoming Post-Secret Wars. Not one, but two teams have been announced.
Still pushing Inhumans, eh Marvel?
Okay, so first up we have the Uncanny Inhumans. We have Medusa – Queen of the Inhumans – accompanied by Naja, Inferno, Triton, Iso, all of whom have been introduced in the ‘Inhumans’ comic series.
Interestingly, we also have Johnny Storm of the Fantastic Four. Wait, what? The Inhumans and FF have had interactions in the past, but it is still pretty interesting to see him as part of this team. I mean, not a guest appearance, but as PART of this team.
YES, MILES SURVIVES!
Here is by far the biggest surprise – the announcement of an all-new Avengers line-up.Several things to consider here, most of all that MILES MORALES AND KAMALA KHAN WILL BE AVENGERS.
*ahem*
Okay, so we have an interesting team-up here. Sam Wilson is still Captain America, and will be joined by Sam Wilson (Nova), Thor (still not Odinson), an ‘Uncanny Avengers’ version of Vision, Kamala Khan (Ms. Marvel), Miles Morales (the Ultimate Universe version of Spider-Man), and an Iron Man, who has ditched his ‘Superior Iron Man’ blue-and-white for the traditional red-and-gold. Though is this the 616 universe’s Tony Stark, or another who managed to survive the Secret Wars?
And unlike the ‘Avengers NOW!’ line-up, these actually look to be the actual comics, rather than just featuring a wave of relaunched titles.
Finally, DC’s ‘Futures End’ event is coming to an end, and some might be wondering what is next on the cards for DC?
Well…Convergence.
What is Convergence?
Well, how about you take a peek as co-publisher Dan DiDio himself explains the story of DC’s Convergence event and teases what’s to come.
So, we have a huge planet filled with the cities of dead or dying universes (we can thank Brainiac for this). These cities were set apart from each other by some kind of forcefield, which has been lowered in Brainiac’s absence thanks to Telos, a new villain who is tied with the planet that houses all these lost-cities.
I kind of didn’t keep an eye on ‘Future’s End’, but this one I might due to the fact that…well, I have a thing for Multiverse stories. I’ve just finished collecting all ‘The Multiversity’ issues (thank you Grant Morrison), and it looks like some of the worlds featured in this series are set to feature in ‘Convergence’. As well as a few others, including Elseworlds and Alternate Timelines.
Now in its sixth year, the annual Sci-Fi Weekender is quickly gaining a reputation for being a convention that is more than a convention. Although described as such by the organisers, the Sci-Fi Weekender is more akin to a festival, with something for everyone in its veritable smorgasbord of geekery.
If there is one thing to be said about the organisers of the Sci-Fi Weekender, is that they are unafraid to experiment. Whilst some changes may not always work, they should be applauded for refusing to rest on their laurels and for continuing to seek ways to improve their event.
This year was no exception, with the prog-rock festival Hard Rock Hell: Prog 3 sharing the same site as the Sci-Fi Weekender. They did not the have same venues however: the music festival was based in the site’s bar whilst the convention took over the central venue.
Area 51’s Imaginarium
There was minimal interaction between the two events, but a consequence of the music festival was that there were fewer available venues for the Sci-Fi Weekender’s events, which was overcome by inventive site management. The author interviews (for which this author was roped in to assist with) were held in Starbucks, which worked surprisingly well despite their unconventional location, as it leant a relaxed vibe to the proceedings.
Nonetheless, Sylvester McCoy and James Cosmo were both engaging guests, offering fascinating commentary on their shows whilst taking the time to meet their fans – Sylvester even roamed the audience to better answer their questions.
Fire forms a quintessential part of Area 51’s performances.
The Opening Ceremony was a bombastic display of fire performers and pyrotechnics by Area 51, however their Imaginarium performance felt drawn-out. The opening and closing segment, with their awesome fire shows and angle-grinders were fantastic, but John Faust was too similar to Caspian who had just been on before him.
Darth Elvis and the Imperials followed, with a fantastic set of Star Wars inspired parodies of existing tracks by an Elvis Impersonator; an idea that on paper should not work, yet it does, so well.
Saturday evening witnessed the Cosplay Competition, compèred as always by Robert Rankin, with only seven entries chosen out of the initial entrants for a smoother operation. Although Rincewind from Terry Pratchett’s Discworld was overlooked for the final three (a gross oversight), the winning team of Tim Burton characters (Edward Scissorhands and Corpse Bride) were ingenious, especially given their young age.
Area 51’s Opening Ceremony
Also on Saturday night was Festival of the Spoken Nerd, a two hour performance that proved science nerdery can be cool, demonstrating how colours of the spectrum interact and predicting outcomes using data sets.
A disco followed each of these events, whilst the music varied from YMCA by the Village People to AC/DC’s Back in Black, some of the more cheesy elements (such as the Superman Song by Black Lace) was a misfire.
The sheer breadth and imagination demonstrated by cosplayers throughout the weekend was unparalleled, with costumes ranging from Black Cat to the Unikitty and Batman from The Lego Movie. Dancing through the night was a fantastical experience, where you could easily find yourself dancing next to aliens and robots. It is for this reason alone that makes the Sci-Fi Weekender such an amazing experience, as the atmosphere is out of this world.
The Scooby Gang were on the prowl
The professional costuming group Galactic Knights deserve a special mention, not just for their impressively accurate costumes throughout the weekend, but that they ensured a series of children favourites – such as Tinkerbell and the gang from Scooby Doo – were present on Saturday when families were there.
Area 51 were only officially there for Friday, with their performers mingling throughout the day, some stayed behind for fire performances during Saturday’s disco. This alleviated the disappointment that there were no stilt-walkers on Saturday, which add a carnivalesque atmosphere to do the days proclivities.
The traders market also felt comparatively sparse and included some surprising traders. Whilst some such as Forbidden Planet, Rodney Matthews and even New Rock (everyone wears them in the future!) made sense, others selling band t-shirts and gothic jewellery seemed out of place. This was a consequence of Birmingham Comic Con and Cardiff Comic-Con clashing with the Sci-Fi Weekender, where some of the regular traders chose to cover the other conventions instead.
Hellboy and friends from Area 51 amazed the crowds.
Despite this clash, the Sci-Fi Weekender remained a packed event, with the accommodation selling out well in advance of the event. Although Friday seemed quieter than usual, that was due to many people still arriving and the damp weather that plagued the day (fortunately the clouds were held at bay until the solar eclipse passed, although I was disappointed not to see anyone dressed as Riddick from Pitch Black). By Saturday the event was much busier, as everyone had arrived.
The Sci-Fi Weekender resides in a caravan park on the picturesque Welsh coast, rather than in a muddy field like most festivals. Accommodation was in the form of a series of caravans and apartments, which offered a comfortable respite from the convention’s hectic schedule.
In conclusion, the Sci-Fi Weekender is a testament to the maxim of “we arrive as strangers but leave as friends.”
Team Burton with their fans
“May the odds be ever in your favor.”
Area 51 robots and robo-babes.
Area 51 proved Listerine only does so much
Either a large deckchair or a small Joker and Zatana
Get in the car – no time to explain!
Area 51 doing what they do best!
Sadly her Omni tool was incompatible.
Rincewind stopped by from the Discworld
Urban Stormtroopers on BMXs – what else?
Tinkerbell delighted the children
The walking carpet
All photos are by Peter Gatehouse and Vicky Caves, and are used with permission.
Hot on the heels of London Super Comic Con this year, was MCM Comic Con’s return to Birmingham the following weekend. I’m not usually one for doing two conventions so close to each other, but I have to say the Birmingham layout was something MCM definitely nailed on the head.
I’m used to London, to swathes of people and next to no breathing room. It’s one of those places that’s generally so packed you walk a couple of feet and find yourself wanting to throttle someone – but thankfully Birmingham was a very nice change of pace and bestowed upon us oodles of glorious room! If anything I have to confess to feeling it was a little sparsely populated in certain places, but I’m not going to knock it – because the atmosphere as ever was definitely pleasant.
For me, the main draw of MCM is usually the cosplay. I’m terrible at it, but that doesn’t stop me from being utterly awestruck by the costumes on show to the world. There’s an art to bringing a character to life and the masses at Birmingham did exactly that. From resurrecting childhood classics like the Swan Princess through to reliving the thrills and spills of the Walking Dead, the cosplay scene was something truly beautiful to behold. (And alright, yes maybe I did fangirl a little bit too much in certain cases, but trust me- if you were there, you would’ve done it too!)
All those childhood memories came flooding back with this fantastic Odette from the Swan Princess
For the first time, I actually managed to get a good look at the exhibitors this time too, which was a surprising luxury I’m going to have to hope to repeat in future. My personal favourites this time included the chaps behind Telikos Protocol (which is literally the most jaw droppingly stunning comic ever) and the David & Goliath stand, because I live for terrible puns – and their stuff is adorable so it’s a win-win! The Street Fighter stand also warrants an honourable mention, although I did get wiped the floor with by Chun Li. Clearly I need them to exhibit again so I can get more practice in!
Aside from this, I did also get to catch a round or two of Robot Wars which left me singing Eye of the Tiger for far longer than was entirely appropriate, and of course to witness the stunning 200 strong parade of Star Wars characters who were marking the UK Garrison’s 15th anniversary.
An example of some of the phenomenal Telikos Protocol panel art.
Birmingham MCM is definitely one of my favourite events this year and with special guests like Warwick Davies, Colm Meany and the Walking Dead’s Laurie Holden in attendance, it’s easy to see why. It was a laid back con, full of like-minded, enthusiastic people and for me that’s kind of what a con should be.
Which is why I’ll definitely be back when it returns to the NEC in November – hopefully I’ll see you there!
The world of wrestling is mourning another legend this weekend: Perro Aguayo Jr (El Hijo del Perro Aguayo) passed away in hospital after suffering fatal injuries at a show in Tijuana on Saturday. He was fighting in a tag team match with Manik against Rey Mysterio Jr and Xtreme Tiger (Tiger Uno). The cause of death has been officially declared as a cardiac arrest, but likely following a broken neck. The entire harrowing incident was televised and recorded, leading to some shocking and disappointing internet commentary, and often little sign of the respect due to the man.
Aguayo was in his prime, at 35 years old and a real big player. His father is the legendary luchadore Perro Aguayo, who really was about as big as you can be in Mexican wrestling, and his family is full of wrestlers. He was raised in the industry and many of the most famous names in lucha were his friends and family. Some of the reports of his death have tried to compare the significance of this accident to other wrestlers who have died in-ring or at their prime, such as Misawa, Oro and Owen Hart. Suffice to say he wasn’t ‘a’ big name, he was ‘the’ big name.
He was the lynchpin of AAA’s product and most of what they did was planned around him. He had a perfect 13-0 Luchas de Apuestas record and had held many titles at different companies, including the WWE Tag Team titles. He was the premier rudo and head of the most popular rudo stable, Perros Del Mal, in CMLL until 2008, returning to wrestling in 2010 with great fanfare to work for AAA.
Perros Del Mal are not some flash in the pan gimmick, they have grown beyond the bounds of a single wrestling company and have had over 40 members. He created and headed this group which have helped to define modern lucha. Just last week he headlined the 19th Rey de Reyes, AAA’s main show of the year. He was a talented and skilled wrestler and had charisma in spades, one of the many Mexican wrestlers who could easily have won over an international audience.
For the first time I can remember both companies (CMLL and AAA) have put their massive differences aside to pay respects to Aguayo and issue statements in response to this shocking tragedy, along with many other promotions and wrestlers.
CRASH Lucha Libre, the independent promotion running the show have come under fire for their reaction to the accident, and there are now rumours that investigations may even be leading to manslaughter charges.
Professional wrestling is rarely free from politics and scandal but this is a time when the focus should be on those involved in the terrible incident and the friends and family of Perro Aguayo Jr. He was a young man who had overcome some hefty obstacles to get to where he was, and was an absolute professional with a glittering 20 year career behind him. We’ll never know how good it could have got for him, but without a doubt his passing will leave a deep scar on the world of wrestling and it’s many fans, and most of all for all those who knew and loved him. RIP El Hijo de Perro Aguayo, taken far too soon.
I think I’ve now reached the point where I’m a con veteran… having been to too many to count, and having lost track utterly of what happened where and when. Granted, this may have something to do with most of the cons I attend being held at the ExCel Centre in London- and even if they’re not, all convention halls look the same on the inside anyway.
One of my biggest revelations about conventions is how much it reminds me of getting married. In the weeks before, you plan everything meticulously: you get everything booked and the minute-by-minute itinerary of the entire weekend sorted, you spend more time panicking over what you’re going to wear than you do at work. And then the time comes and there’s an alarming amount that’s not finished, not completely perfectly planned. But it doesn’t matter, what matters is that everyone’s here and we’re gonna have so much fun.
Or at least that’s how it is for me. But then I was a relatively low-maintenance bride and, as I’ve come to accept, not a “natural” cosplayer. I like dressing up, having my photo taken, sure, love it! But when I’m painstakingly working on a costume, there’s always a little voice in my head that says “I hate to interrupt while you’re working so hard, but… I thought we were a writer?” We are, I think to myself, but we’re a writer who cosplays. “Oh yes?” says the voice, “How’s that comic coming along?”
With the benefit of hindsight, foregoing sleep and regular meals in an attempt to build an Aeryn Sun trenchcoat from scratch whilst also working seven days straight at my regular job, may -MAY- have driven me a little bit mental.
Anyway. LSCC 2015. Let’s recap this quickly so I can start work on my cosplay for the next con, because if there’s one thing Laura Maier does not do, it is learn from her mistakes. Because Words Are Hard, I will attempt to make the experience more pleasant by adding lots of pictures by Gabrielle Maier Photography.
Even though the con itself didn’t start officially until Saturday, Friday was the pre-party, the day when everyone turned up, met up, and got drunk. And everyone did last-minute cosplay work while maintaining an unconvincing pretense of having it All Under Control. Everyone. Anyone who says they didn’t is a craven liar and should be flogged.
THERE WAS A PAM! I WAS SO HAPPY AT THE PAM!
The trip was pretty standard as trips go- my sister Gabi deciding it would be funny to screw with me by pretending she got the days mixed up, a confusing and frustrating walk to our hotel… the sort of things that happen every time I go on a trip. Once we were in the room, we had a visit from the resident beard, Mike Orvis, where we recorded an episode of the Gentlemanly Chats podcast, and filmed an as-yet-unreleased issue of Laura Reads.
Poison Ivy and Deadpool up to mischief!
The pre-con shindig is as important a part of the experience as the con itself, and– oh who am I kidding, I just shoehorned this in here so I had a platform to shamelessly plug stuff. I regret nothing!
EVERYTHING IS AWESOME! Get it? Because Lego?
Saturday
On Saturday morning, my sister and I were joined by my husband and our friend Jessie, because somewhere in the planning stages I thought having four people sleep in a double room would be a good idea. I make poor decisions, ladies and gentlemen.
Me as Aeryn Sun and Gabi as Harley Quinn
Conventions make you say some ludicrous things. In the queue for the ATM -which, incidentally, was longer than the queues for some of the panels- I was stood behind a girl with the most perfect shade of MJ-red hair. “Do you think that’s her real hair?” I whispered to my husband after intense staring at the back of this poor girl’s head had failed to enlighten me. I was so consumed by this dilemma that I accidentally took out £200 instead of £20. At some point in this article I will try to find an excuse for how I ended up spending it all.
Belleverine and Bat White looking pretty! Who’s jealous? I’m not jealous.
One of the panels highlighted on my extensive itinerary was the “Pitching to Editors” panel, which in spite of the gentleman leading the panel introducing esteemed writer Ron Marz with “he has drawn many of the comic book characters you know and love” -awkward- was actually quite informative. I could summarise my notes from the panel here for the curious, but instead I will recommend you get your hands on Brian Michael Bendis’ “Words for Pictures”, which reinforces everything said in the panel and then some.
“If you want food, you’ll have to go through me!” – Sian K1tt3h as Harley Quinn. We didn’t get food.
The London Super Cosplay Championship semi-finals were epic, of course. My guilty favourite was Faust’s Suicide Squad Harley Quinn crossplay, who lip-synched to Adore Delano’s “Hello, I Love You” as his corset began its inevitable descent; a move which marks the first nip slip I’ve witnessed in my four years of attending conventions. Unfortunately, if not unsurprisingly, he didn’t make the finals. Sissy Cosplay as Katniss from Mockingjay had an incredible mid-skit costume change- her absence in the Sunday finals caused me to shake my fist at the stage and shout “She were robbed! Robbed, I tells ya!”
7ft of solid squee :3
I ran back to hit the comic stalls for some last-minute shopping, and overheard a guy telling his young son about the importance of keeping comics in mint because then “at the very least, you’ll always make your money back”. It’s like nobody remembers the Comics Crash of ’96… and like nobody wants to have fun any more. That was the point when I called it a day.
Good to know things worked out for Han and Leia 😀
Rush Hour was on TV back at the hotel. It’s still an awesome movie, in case you were wondering.
Call me mushy, but family cosplays are the best cosplays…
Sunday
I came to the conclusion, at some point in the weekend, that conventions are the nerd equivalent of a spa weekend- sure, we spend a lot and it seems like a waste of time and money to people who don’t get it, but we come back from our time away feeling much better about life. It struck me that this would be a good way to explain my obsession to my more “normal” friends. I think that’s why I decided to combine metaphor with reality and get a massage to soothe my aching comic-carrying muscles.
You may have noticed them at conventions, the inviting stools with the smily ladies offering you a neck/back/shoulder rub. To be totally fair to them, they were lovely, and the back portion of the massage was fantastic… but I’m pretty sure every nerve in my neck and shoulders got pinched. There were pins and needles and shooting pains. I cursed my upbringing for not adequately equipping me with the social skills necessary to say “I am in agony, please cut that shit out” to a really friendly masseuse. I think I stood up tenser than I sat down. But then maybe I’m just not the type that’s built for massages.
Cheshire Cat!
In an increased state of crankiness, I went on the prowl for a T-shirt from one of the many clothing stalls, since my lack of success in the field of “cute T-shirts that fit me” is well documented on this very site. I was disappointed to find that the T-shirts available in ladies’ sizes were significantly fewer in number than the men’s, and much more basic in design- nothing I couldn’t find cheaper in Primark, and some pretty poor My Little Pony tees. I mean seriously, I love My Little Pony so much, but the day I willingly don a T-shirt with a picture of Twilight Sparkle and the inexplicable caption “EMO” is the day I have obviously been replaced by Bizarro Laura. Do better next time, guys.
However, all was not pain, disappointment and suffering. My friend Jessie got a signed Christian Ward print on the Saturday, which sustained a small rip. No big deal, really, but Jessie was pretty devastated. So on Sunday, Christian Ward replaced it with not one, but three prints. And then he tore the slightly-damaged one into pieces with a look of near-manic glee while Jessie cried. It was beautiful.
…and here they are again!
The cosplay finals had some solid entrants: Popette was Lady Loki, complete with handouts detailing why French Loki is the best Loki- they had graphs and everything! Jake and Rocket Penguin Cosplay as Joker and (of course) Penguin, graced us with a hilarious “Do You Wanna Kill the Batman?” skit. Valentine Cosplay’s Oberyn Martell lectured us on the benefits of various poisons and the subtle joy of killing a man… I really feel I learned something.
In the end, however, none took home the prize. That honour went to runner-ups Cosplex (with a Poison Ivy fan dance/family-friendly burlesque), Kerry and Kenny Cosplay with their magnificent Live Die Repeat/Cheeky Girls mash up, and the ultimate winner RossECobb’s Broadway Ursula, complete with seductive evil musical number.
So that was that. It was an interesting weekend, even if some of the wide-eyed wonder has tarnished now I’ve been on the scene for so long. But on the train home, having devoured Bendis’ advice on how to write comics, and my own notes from the panel, as well as chatting to some indie comics creators and seeing the bigger names interact with their fans, I was overcome with the need to write. Not articles, but fiction. The thing that drew me headfirst into this world in the first place.
So this will be my last article for Geek Pride. I have loved working here, loved being a part of this community, loved (and still love) all the friends I’ve made. But journalism isn’t for me any more, and fiction is. It always was. Thank you to my Geek Pride colleagues for the support, the laughs and the sexual innuendoes you always tolerated from me; and thanks to you guys for reading my words- however many or few you are, I appreciate that you took the time to read, like, comment, share my work.
I love you all. So long, and thanks for all the fish.
The latest in the seemingly endless production line of TV shows based on comics, iZombie is the new venture from Veronica Mars creator Rob Thomas with co developer Diane Ruggiero-Wright .
The story revolves around Olivia or “Liv” Moore (played by Rose McIver) a medical resident who after a fateful experience on a boat party is now a zombie and needs brains, a side effect of the whole zombie thing. Liv is the assistant of Coroner Ravi (played by Rahul Kohli) who soon discovers her secret, realising a body she dealt with was a little light in the brains department. Rather than freaking out though he is intrigued and Liv is relieved to find someone she can share her secret with.
Clive (played by Malcolm Goodwin) is a police detective newly-transferred from vice to homicide who ends up using Liv to help out solving cases after he and Ravi discover she is “psychic-ish” retaining some of the memories from the brains she eats.
iZombie is completely different to that other TV series which features zombies, although if you’re sick of the whole zombie thing in general that won’t make much difference. The core aspect at the heart of iZombie is what happens to Liv’s perfect life with the great fiancé, awesome roommate, job she loves and the loving family when she wakes up as a zombie.
As if it needed saying this bares little resemblance to the rather excellent, quirky comic it’s based on by Chris Roberson and Michael Allred,having more in common with Diana Rowland’s White Trash Zombie novels.
Despite having very little in common with its source material iZombie somewhat contradictorily also seeks to constantly remind viewers of its comic origins with the excellent title sequence featuring art from original comic artist Allred that rapidly explains the story behind Liv’s condition (shame about the music mind) and scenes opening up with comic panel framing and caption boxes.
Whilst these touches are great and give things a quirky vibe, everything else about it falls unfortunately flat with a resounding thud. By far the worst aspect of iZombie is it tries too hard to be witty. Maybe it’s because I’m way outside iZombie‘s target demographic but the dialogue between characters doesn’t seem even remotely natural. This isn’t because of the delivery, McIver is actually great as Liv, but more because the writing tries so hard to be witty and just utterly fails. This is so blatant that you almost expect a flashing “LAUGH NOW” sign to pop up constantly to prompt you and remind you this is supposed to be funny, like, hilarious because they’re being so damn witty.
Whilst Goodwin’s police detective, in a refreshing change to the norm, isn’t either a) a dysfunctional drunk with a broken marriage or b) a strapping alpha male hunk/love interest any dramatic narrative is torpedoed by how disengaging the “witty” dialogue is and how much of it there is. The main character’s name is Liv Moore, get it? That is a worrying demonstration of the level we’re operating at.
Things might improve over time but as first episodes go iZombie is a flatlining corpse.
Magic of Myths: Faerie is an interesting prospect. It serves as a sort of side text to the core canon text of Magic of Myths (a review of which can be found here), exploring an aspect of the narrative’s world that has been somewhat alluded to before, but never fully explored. While Magic of Myths focuses on the primary players of the Roman and Greek pantheons, Faerie, unsurprisingly, explores the realm of the fae folk. As with the primary MoM story, it does so with characters that will be very familiar to a fair amount of readers. The presence of Mercury and Hermes serves as our main link back to the original story while the primary players in Faerie are drawn from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Titania and Oberon serving as jealous rulers of the realm and unfaithful partners, their daughter Robin meanwhile is our entrance to the narrative and the figure unfairly cast as Puck in Shakespeare’s story.
The intention of Faerie is clearly that of a stand-alone story. While it’s referencing to the greater mythos of the Magic of Myths universe is often obvious, it does not rely on these references to forge its own narrative. The characters within stand up well on their own, despite the fact that it is no more than a brief glimpse we get at several of them. Titania in particular, conveys volumes with the short scene of speech in which she appears. What works so well for Faerie, perhaps even better than in the regular Magic of Myths storyline, is that it plays upon a certain established cultural knowledge. Even if you haven’t specifically read A Midsummer Night’s Dream or fairy related folklore, there are certain elements of the stories and characters that you know, seemingly without really knowing how or why. When it comes to matters of mythology, there is an extent of permeation that occurs regardless of intention. We are attracted to totemic figures, these near idol characters, and so, to a degree, we understand everything about Robin, Titania and Oberon even before we are shown their individual paths.
However, and this is somewhat of a small however, there are problems. The writing from Corey Brotherson is on good form, as it was with Magic of Myths, and even plays to some of the darker notes that the core text perhaps shied away from. And Sergio Calvet’s art definitely works better here than it did in the regular MoM series. Though it’s still not my favourite stylistic, the oddness of his figures definitely work well when dealing with the otherworldy nature of the fae. Titania and Oberon particularly, came through with strong looks. Here is my issue though. Aside from the mild frustration of not getting to see the full events of the story played out,the possibilities of follow up are still being debated by the creators given their commitments to the core series but their may well be more one-shots in the future whether Faerie related or not, my main problem is one of tonal commitment. The script is very good, don’t get me wrong. But when you compare the second half of Faerie to the first, the difference is hugely noticeable. And while change is obviously something one expects from a good story, when the change happens over such a short span of time it seems somewhat incongruous. And my real irritation is that I really, really like the darker stuff. When Brotherson decides to go dark, his characters really have to deal with some heavy issues. I just wish that those issues were played out for longer, and teased in more from the start, rather than appearing halfway in. Brotherson handles the spacing of the story well but could perhaps do with committing one way or the other rather than taunting me with possibilities at the close of the narrative.
Overall? It’s a very solid entry into the Magic of Myths series, serving well as an entry point for new fans while also holding a lot of appeal for those already invested. And though I have my issues, there are some very promising signs here. Calvet’s art is never going to be my favourite but in Faerie he’s really found a direction that makes it work to the full advantage of its unique style. And though it is still up in the air whether or not I’ll get the full investment of darkness I would love to see from this universe, the more Brotherson develops his style and his characters, the more excited I get to see where this undoubtedly talented writer ends up. Old fan or new, I would thoroughly recommend checking out this addition to the Magic of Myths series, if for no other reason than it may convince the creative pair to make more of this side narrative.
Magic of Myths: Faerie will be launched at Birmingham Comics Festival next month. You can keep up with all Magic of Myths news, Faerie and otherwise, via the official website.
Marvel Entertainment is a tease and we all know it. With the upcoming premiere of Avengers: Age of Ultron, it seems like Marvel is hell-bent on giving their fans and casual viewers alike, enough to keep them entertained, but not enough to satisfy “the hunger”. See why I called them teases?
Just a short while ago a new character poster was released for Age of Ultron, featuring the titular character himself, surrounded by destruction.
Maybe it’s just me, but while I like the poster, I feel like I’m reaching maximum capacity when it comes to this movie. It’s almost like it’s everywhere and I can’t escape it. Of course, I’ll watch it, cheer on for my favourite superheroes and mope when the film is over, but while I’m all for teasing and aggressive marketing, I still think that sometimes less is more. Then again, if they gave us nothing, I’d complain about the lack of news.
Marvel Studios presents “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” the epic follow-up to the biggest Super Hero movie of all time. When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. As the villainous Ultron emerges, it is up to The Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible plans, and soon uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for an epic and unique global adventure.
Age of Ultron stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner with the additional support of Don Cheadle, Cobie Smulders, Stellan Skarsgård. Samuel L. Jackson, Aaron, Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany.
Written and directed by Joss Whedon and produced by Kevin Feige, Avengers: Age of Ultron is due for release on May 1, 2015.
Disclaimer for the unwary :the following will be spoilerific for The Walking Dead both the TV series and the Image comic so if you’re an “ERMEHGERD SPOILERS!” type then just stop reading now and go make a cup of tea or go for a nice walk and enjoy the fresh/ polluted air or something.
With that out of the way, let’s look at the problem at the core of AMC’s The Walking Dead.
10 years ago suggesting the idea of a TV series based on Image Comics The Walking Dead (which had been around for a year or two) would’ve undoubtedly got a “keep dreaming” response if people knew what you were actually talking about, and yet in 2015 not only is there a TV series based on The Walking Dead, it’s rather popular too.
The Walking Dead being a big hit for AMC is kind of a big deal, because it proved two things:
a) you can actually make a TV series based on a comic that isn’t about superheroes.
b) that you can make a horror based TV series.
Neither of these things were really present 10 years ago. The idea of a TV series set during a zombie apocalypse would’ve been a horror fans daydream fodder.Whilst AMC’s The Walking Dead is based on the Image Comics (written by Robert Kirkman with art from Terry Moore initially and then Charlie Adlard and Cliff Rathburn), both are two different mediums. This has resulted in various changes, some of these changes have been positive or at least interesting, like several characters that died fairly early in the comics like Carol and Shane have been used in a different manner narratively, whilst other characters like Daryl and Merle despite being created for the series have been fundamental to its popularity.It’s proof positive that diversifying from source material can actually work incredibly well if executed with skill, just take a look at The 100 .
Some changes though haven’t really resulted in a positive effect, with various characters being reduced to pale imitations of what fans might expect. The character of Andrea, for example (played by Laurie Holden) not only differed drastically from her source material counterpart (who is one of the few characters still alive despite being there at the beginning and also becomes another badass powerful female character to rival fan favourite Michonne) she also died in Season 3 after getting tangled up in a relationship with The Governor in Woodbury. Tyreese (played by Chad Coleman) suffered badly in the translation process too, becoming little more than a glorified babysitter and a pacifist reluctant fighter rather than Rick’s right hand man and one of the main stays of the group with a talent for melee fighting rather than being reliant on firearms.
The main reason for watching The Walking Dead? Waiting to see if the next episode is as good as you think it could be and finding out it isn’t (even if it is better than Gotham, which isn’t hard though).
The main problem with The Walking Dead? The writers might be taking story cues from the source material but the best they can do is offer them in a diluted form. AMC’s series struggles with not being as brutal or disturbing as the source material that it is based on and the writing is incredibly inconsistent and the characterisation so all over the place half the characters are merely ciphers. Honest trailers brilliantly lampooned The Walking Dead a while back and things really haven’t changed. Whilst the core group of Rick, Carl, Carol, Daryl, Michonne, Abraham, Eugene, Maggie and Glen might have been around long enough to actually have had a bit of character development, emphasis on the bit, the cast is bloated with other characters that have so little development you forget they even exist until they pop up again and then die in an arbitrary manner which has no impact because you didn’t care about them anyway.
You can have a large cast and still have characters that are well developed, just look at Game Of Thrones! That has the largest cast of any TV series pretty much.
The Walking Dead has tried to build a world where living is about hard won survival, a world where life is cheap and people are far more dangerous than the zombies that make up the back drop of everyday life. Some have called The Walking Dead “misery porn”, but actually it’s pretty cheery compared to the grim brutality that Rick and company deal with in the comics which is balanced out by almost constant momentum. Momentum is something the TV series generally lacks. The world of a firmly entrenched zombie apocalypse is convincing thanks to a great credits sequence with a haunting theme by Bear McCreary and the amazing special effects make up from Greg Nicotero but this world doesn’t stand much scrutiny on a narrative level.
A good example is Judith; throughout The Walking Dead’s several seasons one of the cornerstones of the world is finding food. It’s distinctly problematic at best and life threatening at worst and can lead to days of hunger , yet somehow Judith is still alive despite this. Judith represents hope for the future which is in short supply and killing Judith will just bum everyone out or something because babies can’t die but shooting kids in the head is fine.
Anyone who has read the comic will know that Judith didn’t last long dying in a rather brutal manner being crushed to death by her mother Laurie who was carrying her when she was shot trying to flee the prison where lots of people died, this brings us to another major point of contention namely The Governor.
The Governor as he featured in the comic was an utterly sadistic sociopath and the leader of the people of Woodbury. There are glaring differences between the character in the comic and the character in the series (like the relationship with Andrea for one). Some of the major differences though are, after meeting him, The Governor hacks one of Rick’s hands off with a machete to try and force him to give up the location of their base the prison, when this doesn’t work The Governor then brutally tortures and rapes Michonne who is also captive at Woodbury giving her an ultimatum – he will shoot her in the head as a mercy if she gives up the prison or she will remain his personal play thing. Glenn who is held captive in a room next to hers listens to this unfolding.
For the series Rick got to keep his hand and the above sequence became a scene featuring The Governor threatening Maggie with Glenn in the next room listening, it was creepy but in no way paints The Governor as the vile monster he should be. There’s a lot of debate about rape as a narrative device but this was a prime example of how the series utterly neutered one of the major antagonists, a character you are supposed to hate and be scared of just like Rick and the survivors do.
The Governor is supposed to be inhuman, the idea that all villains need to be sympathetic is a narrative idea that robs antagonists of their ability to instil terror. The Governor represents Rick and the rest of the survivors worst fears made flesh, the worst of humanity and the distillation of the idea that people are far more dangerous than zombies. Michonne’s brutal and horrific treatment at the hands of The Governor is the catalyst for her furious and righteous vengeance which is just as brutal as the treatment she received (I should note that Michonne’s torture and rape didn’t even have to be shown, nobody wants a pornotastic Straw Dogs rape scene, it could’ve easily been implied rather than shown if handled right and more effective for it) . By omitting this they’ve robbed both characters of a major defining moments. This righteous fury is reduced to Michonne stabbing The Governor in the eye when in the comic she exacts a far more bloody revenge and here it lacks the catharsis and context too, there’s no real deep seated hatred between The Governor and Michonne here because there’s no reason for it aside from the overall framing narrative of Rick and the survivors versus The Governor’s army.
Reasons why The Governor being a subhuman degenerate rapist scumbag with a taste for mutilation matters? Their treatment at Woodbury utterly entrenches a fear and paranoia of strangers for the group but especially for Rick, Glen and Michonne and makes them become the people they would avoid, their encounter with The Hunters only escalates this. Another major point though is it also contrasts majorly with the other main antagonist of The Walking Dead – Neegan.
Rick and the survivors first encounter Neegan some time after finding the Alexandria safe zone, which they’ve just done recently in Season 5. Neegan is the sadistic and mentally unhinged leader of a large community based somewhere not too far away from the Alexandria safe zone. Neegan’s group is running a protection racket with several scattered communities giving Neegan half their supplies in exchange for his “protection”. Rick taking umbrage at this tries to take Neegan on the way he and his group have handled previous antagonists and it goes horribly, horribly wrong. As punishment Glen is brutally bludgeoned to death by Neegan whilst Rick and several others look on helplessly. One thing Neegan definitely isn’t though is a rapist. He actually brutally kills one of his own men after catching him trying to rape Andrea who is a prisoner at Neegans base. Without this important contrast The Governor and Neegan are very similar characters.
With the recently announced news that a spin off from The Walking Dead set somewhere else in the same world with different characters is set for at least two seasons I have to question whether anyone will be watching but more importantly will it just be more of the same potential and disappointment of the current series?
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