Home Blog Page 244

Once Upon a Time in Wonderland S1 E1

TheWookie
-
0
Once Upon a Time in Wonderland S1 E1

 Let’s take a trip down the rabbit hole.

ABC has done it again. Writers, Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz have created a spin off to the favoured show Once Upon a Time. This time we are in Wonderland.

Starting in England, we first see a young Alice emerge from a hole in the ground. Happy to be home, she runs to her house. Her father answers the door and is shocked to see her there. She had been gone “a very long time” according to him.

When Alice tries to explain where she has been and what has happened, her father grows suspicious of her current mental condition. The doctors suggest she is institutionalized.

Alice ventures back into the rabbit hole to find proof that Wonderland exists. Grown up Alice (Sophie Lowe) enters Wonderland and grabs the proof she went searching for. While running from the Queen of Hearts guards, she shrinks herself with a mushroom she stole from the hookah smoking caterpillar. She avoids capture by hiding in a bottle that is laying on the ground in the garden maze.

AliceandCyrus

Inside she finds a genie named Cyrus. After setting him free, they travel the worlds together. They eventually fall in love and as Cyrus is proposing to Alice, the Queen of Hearts (Emma Rigby) shows up and a fight ensues. Cyrus is killed by the Queen. This shatters Alice.

We flash back to England where Alice is being treated as an in-patient at a psych ward. She is trying to convince a board of doctors that she is fit to be released. She eventually agrees to a procedure to “fix” her. This is when it gets interesting.

We first meet the Knave of Hearts (Michael Socha) in Storybrooke, the town from the show Once Upon a time. Even Grumpy makes and appearance during this time. He enters Grannys Diner and there we meet The White Rabbit (John Lithgow). The White Rabbit convinces Knave that he needs to help Alice escape from the institution by telling him that he knows Cyrus is alive and in Wonderland.

Knave goes and attempts to get Alice out. Well turns out Alice is a badass and Knave needs some fighting skills. For having been one of the Queens guards, you’d think he could fight better than Alice.

They escape and meet the White Rabbit who digs his hole back to Wonderland. Now we really get to see the visually stunning world I have always imagined it to be. Dragonflies breathe fire, marshes are made mallow and the mushrooms cause you to change size. It’s just wondrous, or as Alice likes to say, “Curiouser and curiouser.”

To avoid to a total recap of the pilot episode and to leave some things to surprise I’ll just mention that The Queen, Jafar (Naveen Andrews),yes that’s right Jafar, from Azkabah and our favored Aladdin, and The white Rabbit all have a plan for Alice. As with all good shows, the villains have struck a deal.

So far I have not seen much to talk about without doing a play by play of everything that has happened. Let’s just assume I was on LSD when I decided to watch the show. I was surprised and not, at some of the plot twists. As this is just the pilot episode, I expect things will get much more interesting as the season progresses.

The acting was amazing. You could see and feel the emotions in Alice’s eyes while she defends her story. My eyes leaked  little when she was asked about Cyrus. The absolute devastation she felt when she lost him was so heartbreaking. I’m not one to get all sappy or cry at events in television shows but some parts of the show hit you right in the feels.

It’s hard to picture Jafar as a bad guy in this show, as the actor also was in the show “Lost” and was a beloved character. However, he pulls this role off very well. When we see him with the Queen of Hearts, you can see a darkness but you can also see a light in his eyes.  If this series follows the pattern of the original “Once Upon a Time” we are sure to see a different side this character.

Knave struggles with his choices right off the bat. The constant questions in his heart are evident. The show has made it clear that he was not a good guy at some point in his past and now has a hard time discerning which path he should follow. This character was obviously written to be one we cannot predict the behaviours of and Socha pulls it off with flying colours.

What fairy tale isn’t complete without an overall feeling of loss, despair and love? Once Upon a Time in Wonderland has everything to make it a kickass show. The characters, good and bad, are bound to win you over.

So far I will give the show a 3 out of 5 for it’s stunning visual effects and what I know will be amazing surprises and twists on our classic tale.

Wonderland

Skydive: Proximity Flight

James Buckingham
-
0
Skydive: Proximity Flight

Remember those ethereal dreams we have where we can fly? Mine always took the form of an Icarus-esque vision of having my own wings… and that’s obviously not going to happen (without some freaky future genetic engineering going on). However some real-life experiences can get close to that, and skydiving is possibly the best example of this.

Skydive: Proximity Flight is a new game coming from Gaijin Entertainment, and it helps to emulate the feeling of flight with the use of a squirrel suit, and it does so really well. So well in fact, it actually scared the crap out of me a couple of times!

Skydive: Proximity Flight

Released on October 1st for PS3 via the Playstation Network, the game applies a Pilotwings-style approach to base jumping providing circular waypoint rings to go through. (Yes, the title is a little misleading, although you can jump off a hot air balloon).

The game is really uncomplicated, which suits it well. There’s no story or any badly-explained narrative to worry about thankfully, and that’s completely fine – everything is challenge-based, be it stunt-orientated or a race.

There’s a wide choice of skydivers to use – 14 in fact. Each character has their own set of statistics in regards to speed, maneuverability, and weight. There’s also some legendary real-life base jumpers included: Joakim Sommer, Haluor Anguik and Andrey Karr along with some more fun ones like Dracula and Squirrel Girl. The legends are all unlocked by completing full sets of these challenges, and typically have some of the highest-available stats in the game.

Some of the views are really stunning.
Some of the views are really stunning.

The controls are really straightforward, despite there being two options to go for. Being a Playstation Move title, you can use the motion controls to increase the realism side of things, which is incredibly good fun, and allows you complete freedom of movement.

I don’t have a Move setup on my Playstation though, so I went for the straightforward controller setup. The left stick is for movement, and the right stick for camera control. The X button is for enabling tricks (when you combine it with the left stick), the triangle button changes the viewpoint so that you have it under the arm (a leg-cam) or in a first person viewpoint (and this really can be brown trouser time when you’re going particularly fast or doing barrel rolls).

The square button deploys your parachute (a wasted mechanic, as you have little control once you’ve done this, and are even given an option to skip the parachute part once you’ve pulled your ripcord), and the circle button rewinds time in case you faceplant onto the side of a canyon… which will happen. A lot.

This rewind mechanic sounds like a cheat, but it’s not thankfully – it’s just like getting another option to slightly alter your trajectory as you whip around a cliff face. This is still fairly limited, rewinding perhaps 10 seconds or so… so it’s not like you can rewind back to the start and take a different route.

Despite the responsiveness of the controls the game can sometimes be really unforgiving, as if you massively fail and have to rewind, you’ll sometimes lose momentum slightly, and if you’re a little too close to the ground, it doesn’t matter how far back you rewind… you won’t be able to get enough height to continue.

The routes get progressively harder as you beat each challenge
The routes get progressively harder as you beat each challenge

Lastly you have the adrenaline button (the right trigger) – this gives you a burst of speed, and is limited as well. You fill your adrenaline bar by performing tricks and stunts, and the rewards get bigger with the riskiest feats of lunacy – doing backflips near a cliff face for example.

These suitably insane acrobatic tricks are referred to as “Proximity Tricks”, and all involve maneuvers that will potentially shred the skin off your face as you skim past walls and trees.

In terms of game options, there’s a shedload – the base challenges initially act like a tutorial, teaching you how to do barrel rolls, backflips and forward flips, and proximity moves as well as use your basic movement skills.

Time to change your shorts
Time to change your shorts

You have a freestyle option which, as the name suggests, allows you to do whatever you like until you land. There’s also an “Adrenaline Race” option which is purely a race option against computer-controlled AI, or friends.

The great thing is when you’re playing in this mode, there’s a coloured trail of light which follows your opponents, and if you’re finding a section rather tricky, you can always just follow their route should you wish to.

This mechanic also helps to point out alternative routes you could take – I’d often be zipping through a chicane-style canyon, then see a coloured trail appear below me… pointing out that there’s a separate cavern route, so of course I looked for that route the second time around.

There’s a leaderboard so you can compete with your friends, as well as the option to create a challenge for them… this could be something as simple as get to a certain point in the map within a certain time… or performing a certain number of barrel rolls in a row. You can make your challenges really evil if you wish, providing a really tricky route and a certain point score, as well as other criteria.

Aesthetically-speaking the game is beautiful (especially for a downloadable PSN title), the coves and valleys that you swoop down into are rendered really well, even at the extreme high speeds. From what I could see as I clipped over trees and around cove walls (it’s really hard to pay attention sometimes as you’re ducking under rock formations at over 100mph), there was little to no popup or drop in framerate. The bloom and weather effects also help to boost the game’s stunning looks.

I filled my pants playing in this viewpoint!
I filled my pants playing in this viewpoint!

The only thing I noticed that could possibly use bolstering was a lack of water effects – this doesn’t come into play very often to be honest, as there’s only a few maps where you drop into the ocean.

The soundtrack is awesome though – the title screen starts with a typically extreme sport-orientated track, with a bit of an Alice In Chains flavour (It’s a band called Tarsha though, a track called Second Life). I loved it from the off, and I sat on the title screen bouncing my head for a good few minutes before I started playing.

The sound effects are great too – I imagine playing this with a headset on would be particularly immersive. The sound of the wind whipping past as you’re screaming along the base of a canyon is awesome, and so too are the crunching noises as you make a spectacular cock-up!

You'll skim over snowy peaks and wooded valley floors
You’ll skim over snowy peaks and wooded valley floors

The only thing that would make this game more exhilarating would be using this on the Oculus Rift (which is planned for the PC)… and to be honest I have a good feeling I’d either make myself sick, or actually fall on the floor playing this using that tech – it’d be fun, but insane!

Overall I’ve really enjoyed playing Proximity Flight – it’s great fun, and gets your heart pumping (especially in first person or leg-cam mode). If you’re a bit of an achievement/trophy whore, then you’ll love this too – I unlocked about 10 in my first event just by messing about pulling off tricks. There’s 51 in total!

All things aside though, once you’ve unlocked all the available characters there’s not a great deal that will pull you back to the game, unless you’re really into base jumping and skydiving in general. The multiplayer aspect is a great draw, as is the challenge creation option… but the main aspect of the replay value is striving for perfect scores on the challenges.

Is Skydive: Proximity Flight worth your time and money? Most definitely. If you’re a fan of games like Pilotwings or SSX, then you’ll enjoy this… even more so if you’re a completionist. Now the edge of my seat can finally get some rest.

Trailer:

Things Superman Shouldn’t Do

SeanPWallace
-
0
Things Superman Shouldn’t Do

In the new 52, Superman’s strength is (according to Wikipedia) almost 6 sextillion metric tons of force. Before then, it was a mere 200 quillion metric tons (what a weakling, ey?). Suffice it to say, Superman with power from the Sun is pretty strong. He can move large asteroids and small planets.

Superman-torso (1)To put this into context, the asteroid Hygiea has a mass of 87 quintillion metric tons. If we were to say, for argument’s sake, this is the heaviest object that Superman could lift under Earth’s gravity (and let’s hope he never does, because that would be somewhat thoughtless and very devastating), that would give him a strength relative to even the strongest human being of 183 quintillion to 1. (87 quintillion tons divided by 0.473 tons, the largest recorded weight lifted by a weightlifter in the 105kg+ class).

However, with that quite frankly ridiculous power comes responsibility. There are a number of things he should not do. Presented below, with an apology for going into Comic Book Physics, and a warning that I have only done some quick, basic calculations, are a list of things Superman should not do:

 

Sneeze

The fastest recorded human sneeze seems to be 71.5mph. The average is anywhere between 40 and 71.5 miles per hour. I am quite a loud sneezer myself, and have, on occasion, knocked things over with my sneezes when my hay fever is at its worst.

general zod man of steel-1
General Zod about to sneeze and destroy Metropolis.

A sneeze is an involuntary response. You can try to suppress it, but that might not always work. For Superman, it would be a matter of life and death.

I’m not going to assume a proportional increase in speed to strength, but the rate at which air would escape Superman’s lungs would be incredible. Given a proportionate strength in his muscles, the air would easily be travelling at a rate proportional to the speed of light. For miles in the direction he sneezed in, there would be catastrophic devastation: buildings evaporated, people annihilated, even the Earth itself would be dug up.

And then there would be the sound, which would be ungodly. Human sneezes can be as loud as 150 decibels: that alone is as loud as a jet taking off. When Superman sneezes, he would go well above the 194Db limit for noise and actually create a pressure wave, which would do all sorts of nasty things, particularly in conjunction with the wave of destruction ahead of him.

Were Superman to sneeze, it would be catastrophic, on par with one of those asteroids he so loves to juggle striking the planets. So Supes, please, take your Piriton, yeah?

<!–nextpage–>

Fall Asleep

We’ve all had that moment when we’re dreaming, falling asleep or dozing and, suddenly, we jump in our sleep. Perhaps it’s come when we have dreamed of falling, or when we’re about to doze off. This involuntary response is called a hypnic jerk.

We don’t want Superman to have a hypnic jerk. The ‘Twitch Force’ of a resting muscle in a human being is roughly 0.5N (Newtons). Using the same ratio of muscle strength for Superman, he would created 91.5 quintillion Newtons of force. Superman weighs roughly 102kg. Reversing the basic F = dp/dt formula, you find that Superman would produce enough acceleration to touch the speed of light.

I need only link to the excellent XKCD What If? blog to tell you how bad that would be.

Whilst Superman is not actually human, it seems unlikely that Kryptonian evolution would not have developed any tics or jerks during their sleep phases. He doesn’t physically need sleep, of course, but he does mentally induce it for rest and relaxation. Whenever he does, let’s hope he sleeps out in space, where his twitches would merely redirect asteroids.

 

Ejaculate

This is the Mallrats question: how does Superman have sex with Lois Lane when he is the Man of Steel? Supes does have incredible control over his body but there would be no evolutionary advantage to limiting ejaculation. It must be a strong, involuntary reaction to ensure procreation.

supermanwonderwoman
Don’t do it, Wonder Woman!

In Mallrats, Kevin Smith merely discusses the ‘Man of Steel, Woman of Tissue’ problem. He hasn’t done the maths. The reality would be far worse.

The average speed of a human male’s ejaculation is 28mph. Without meaning to go back over maths I’ve already done, let’s say that this would roughly be 1-2.5 times better than him sneezing in terms of direct devastation to the planet. However, it would be somewhat worse on a local scale: the woman / man / sex toy involved would be thrown away, pierced and then burnt to a crisp by the incredible heat produced by the air friction.

However, another way it could be worse would be to assume that Kryptonian sperm is able to withstand an amount of force comparable with that Superman withstands. If so, the sugars and water surrounding them would, of course, evaporate, but the sperm would survive a little longer. This would turn the air ahead of them into plasma, creating any number of horrible reactions with Earth’s atmosphere. It’s not impossible that the sperm would survive long enough to enter the atmosphere, where their plasma entourages could ignite the ozone there and destroy all life on Earth.

I would recommend that Superman go into space to do his onanistic business, but all he’d do then would create a rather disgusting interplanetary railgun. It’s just better if he keeps it in his trunks, or finds a Kryptonian able to withstand the sheer amount of force created by his love.

 

Exist

For Superman to be able to produce the level of force he is capable of, he must have an even greater amount of energy within him. Muscles are never a perfect way to convert energy- in Superman’s case, solar energy into kinetic energy – and so there must be an even greater amount within his body. If he is able to not only throw around asteroids all day but also contain the enormous volume of his heart beating, control his eyelids, ensure he never twitches, he will contain more energy than almost anything in the Universe.

250px-Superman75

With mass being relative to the energy of an object, Superman would weigh an incredible amount. The reported 102kg weight is an absolute joke. He should have a density on par with a star, if not a black hole. The havoc he would wreak on arriving on Earth even as a baby would be disastrous.

Just imagine the look on Jor-El’s face when he realises that his son is, in fact, a weapon against planets with yellow suns. When baby Kal-El is first exposed to sunlight and instantly becomes incredibly dense, killing Ma and Pa Kent and likely most life on Earth. I imagine there’d be a few blushes there…

Almost as many as there should have been for Man of Steel.

Slasher Saturdays – Peeping Tom

Michael Dodd
-
0
Slasher Saturdays – Peeping Tom

Slasher Saturdays

Last week we discussed a film which is known as one of the most influential horror stories ever released in the cinema. This week we will be doing the same, but unlike Psycho, it took a long time for the full significance of Michael Powell’s Peeping Tom to be realized. 

peepingtom3The movie came out three months before Hitchcock’s masterpiece, and it has been suggested that the negative critical reaction to it persuaded Hitchcock to not hold a press screening for his film.

Both Psycho and Peeping Tom share common themes, that of a killer’s obsessive relationship with his parents, and a commentary on latent sexual psychosis. It is astonishing that two similar yet remarkably distinct pictures were both released in the same year, and in many ways it was perhaps inevitable that the world of cinema was not prepared to handle such a double helping. 

Psycho has held sway over the horror film audience since it was released, but Peeping Tom was quieter in its influence. Young would-be directors like Martin Scorsese saw the film and were captivated by its commentary on the art of film-making. The discussion that Powell presents in the movie about the intrusive nature of the horror film, wherein a director invites the audience to become voyeurs in the act of murder, is as sharp as the knife used by the killer, and so cutting a piece of satire was the film that it made both critics and cinema-goers quite uncomfortable. 

I also find it interesting to note that perhaps the film was commenting on the new method style of acting which was at the time sweeping Hollywood after Marlon Brando’s powerhouse performances in A Streetcar Named Desire and On The Waterfront. In Peeping Tom, an actress is shown working on a film and having real difficulty in delivering the illusion of terror. This in a movie all about someone filming people’s dying moments, and thus capturing genuine fright, can perhaps be seen as Powell asserting that, while method acting certainly delivers engrossing and realistic performances, it also takes a lot out of the performer. In a sense, this film is a prophetic double edged sword of satire, discussing both the implications of the horror movie and the new direction in which acting was heading at the time. 

peepingtomThe significance that this film has to the slasher genre is also two-fold. I mentioned the theme of sexual psychosis, one which would become a staple of the slasher two decades later. In Peeping Tom, we see a male character using a phallic weapon, in this case a knife attached to the leg of a camera tripod, to murder women. Though this is by no means something which Peeping Tom innovated, it is definitely one of the earliest examples of this metaphor being presented so starkly. 

Also sharply presented is the film’s exploration of how a past, childhood trauma motivates the killer’s actions. I have hardly ever seen this theme so chillingly portrayed; a story of a young boy whose father is a scientist obsessed with human fear, and so conducted many experiments on his child and filmed his terrified reactions. The killer’s subsequent actions are therefore, just as in Psycho, a disturbingly warped attempt by the killer at connecting with a dead parent. 

Today Peeping Tom is considered a classic horror story and also one of the best ever British films. It is a tremendously well executed movie of great tension, and, just as important for us, a real influence on the slasher genre. 

There is a third film from 1960 which also has a place in the slasher lineage. Next week, we will complete our look at this influential year as we examine the work of another of cinema’s greatest directors. See you then…

Nights at the Round Table – a rib tickling web series for tabletop gamers

Becca Harper
-
0
Nights at the Round Table – a rib tickling web series for tabletop gamers


Full Cast (Custom)

Welcome gamers one and all!  Allow me introduce you to a new and very promising web series. Nights of the Round Table -from Redshirtfilms, is a fortnightly comedy based around one gaming groups search for a fifth player.

Opening with a dramatic fail,  episode one introduces us to the four; Max (Arron Dennis) – it’s his mum’s house, Milly (Jennifer Jordan) – the GM and strict keeper of the rules with a stick to help, Harmony (Amelia Tyler) – rock chick whom may or may not be a murderer and finally Sam (James Rotchell) – the new boy who would be much happier down the pub drowning his sorrows.

Packed with all the geek references and tabletop lingo you can handle,  it’s refreshing to watch something about role playing that doesn’t follow the stereotypes upheld by mainstream media – yes Big Bang I’m talking about you. For example the group is equally gender split and they aren’t all glasses wearing nerds. Okay, one lives with his mother, but they also have a (possible) murderer and GM of the female variety. It makes a nice change to have characters that I can relate to and are representative of a range of gaming geeks.

The multi talented Writer/Director/Editor Jamie McKellar, pays homage to Spaced with quick wit, dramatic cutaways and flashbacks galore. It is clear that everyone involved loves what they are doing, the acting is natural and the funny is well delivered.  The series is based around a simple premise of four people sitting around a table waiting to play a game and all the humour you expect from that, but it also looks at a particular fear of mine – meeting new people and gaming with them. What if they are a bad fit? too weird or more socially awkward than the rest of us? At only four episodes in I’m excited to see how these relationships develop and whether they actually ever find and keep the fabled fifth member required to play the game. I’m also looking forward to more geek references beautifully drenched in comedy.

11

Reassuringly the makers promise a “…desperate, hilarious, and often terrifying quest to find the perfect player to fill that empty chair and make their team complete. Along the way they’ll encounter ham-gobbling warlords,unsanitary Bisk champions and overly smug wizards, plus get through enough cheese puffs and booze to fell a stone giant.” So, basically, count me in! 

If you are roleplayer, a fan of Spaced or just looking for something funny then I implore you to take a few minutes out of your day and check out Nights of the Round Table. Episodes 1-4 can be viewed below and I also hear that episode 5, due on the 24th of October, will be a Halloween special.

Support an awesome web series and click these links below for all your Night At The Round Table needs and more information about Redshirt Films.

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/redshirtfilms
Twitter – https://twitter.com/redshirtjamie
YouTube – http://www.youtube.com/user/iamtimhelsing

 

LIMITED UK INDIE EDITIONS OF BUTTERFLY GATE AND KNIGHT & DRAGON RELEASING NOVEMBER 2013

Cristina Bogdan
-
0
LIMITED UK INDIE EDITIONS OF BUTTERFLY GATE AND KNIGHT & DRAGON RELEASING NOVEMBER 2013

It’s no secret that I like Improper Books. It’s hard not to like something that announces its impropriety in such a shameless way. But for those of you that aren’t in the know, Improper Books is actually, in the words of its own creators, “a comic and graphic novel imprint focusing on creator owned stories that have a touch of the fairy tale, the Gothic or the macabre.”‘ The same Improper Books of the Porcelain: A Gothic Fairy Tale fame are now coming up with something new and different. 

Here’s the short press release concerning the soon to be limited UK editions of their new comics: Knight&Dragon and Butterfly Gate.

butterfly-gate-benjamin-read-chris-wildgoose-improper-books     Created with GIMP

 

[quote]

Limited UK indie editions of BUTTERFLY GATE, by Benjamin Read and Chris Wildgoose, and KNIGHT & DRAGON, by Matt Gibbs and Bevis Musson, will be available Wednesday, November 20th 2013 from supporting UK comic shops.

Thanks to the support of retailers, such as PAGE 45 (Nottingham), TRAVELLING MAN (Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle and York), GOSH! (London), ORBITAL COMICS (London), CHAOS CITY COMICS (St. Albans), DESTINATION VENUS (Harrogate), PARADOX COMICS (Poole), and OK COMICS (Leeds), both titles are now available to pre-order. 

Both books will also be debuting at Thought Bubble in Leeds on November 23rd/24th 2013. Benjamin, Bevis, Chris, and Matt will be attending. In addition, Chris and Bevis will be sketching at the Improper Books table in New Dock Hall.

Butterfly Gate is a silent comic that follows the story of two siblings who, after throwing themselves headlong into another world, must face the brutal reality that lies beyond and find their place amidst an empire built after a revolution against the Gods.

Written for all ages, Knight & Dragon playfully subverts the story of a heroic Knight defeating a ferocious Dragon to rescue the fair Maiden, by offering variant paths and multiple outcomes to the classic fairy tale adventure.

[/quote]

 

If you love sampling before buying, you can actually preview a few pages of both books here. Don’t stray too far from Geek Pride, we’ll do our best to have a chat with the creators of the soon to be released comics, so be sure to hang around.

Porcelain Trilogy to get French Translation

Cristina Bogdan
-
0
Porcelain Trilogy to get French Translation

porcelain

Here’s a short press release from Delcourt Publishing and Improper Books, concerning the recently-announced release of Porcelain (you know, that comic book I was raving about a few months back?) in French, also letting it slip that the book will no longer be a stand-alone, instead turning into a trilogy. I don’t know about you guys, but I’m really excited about it, mostly because I loved the first part of it and I am sure that if you will read it you’ll come to the same conclusion: it’s awesome! Back on a more serious note, let’s see what Delcourt and Improper Books have in store for us.

 

DELCOURT and IMPROPER BOOKS are delighted to announce that the French language edition of PORCELAIN: A GOTHIC FAIRY TALE, by Benjamin Read and Chris Wildgoose, is set for a September 2014 release.

As the leading independent comic publisher in France, and with a strong record of adapting US comics, Delcourt’s passion and expertise are a natural fit for the French language editions of Porcelain and its sequels.

As part of the three book deal, two sequels are currently in development; with release of the French editions scheduled for 2015 and 2016. Tentatively subtitled BONE CHINA and IVORY TOWER, the sequels will explore the aftermath of the first book and the consequences of Child’s choices.

Porcelain first came to the attention of Delcourt at the Thought Bubble 2012 Comic Art Festival in Leeds, when Thierry Mornet, Delcourt’s Editor in Chief, discovered Benjamin Read and Chris Wildgoose’s work from a free preview published by Improper Books.

Tom Williams of The Williams Agency negotiated the deal between Delcourt and Improper Books; with the French language rights for Porcelain sold at auction. Interest in the trilogy from publishers in the US and UK is also strong, with offers expected soon.

Speaking about signing the deal, writer Benjamin Read said, “The look of Porcelain was very much inspired by the aesthetic of the European comics movement, so it’s an absolute joy for it to go full circle and be published in France, particularly by such an established and renowned company as Delcourt.”

“The intention with the next two books is to move beyond the normal fixed frame of the fairy tale and instead show a whole life. In the second book, BONE CHINA, she will be Lady. In the third book, IVORY TOWER, she will be Mother (but not perhaps how you think). We will follow Child as she grows into a woman; living out her grand, terrible, and, ultimately, legendary life.”

“I’m really excited that we’ve teamed up with Delcourt. I’m a big fan of the European market and Delcourt without a doubt brings out the best of the European comics. It’s a total honour and privilege to join their ranks,” said Chris Wildgoose.

“It has also given us the chance to jump back into the world of Porcelain for a second and a third time! It’s going to be every bit as magical and brutal as the first book and allow fans to take a deeper look into the city.”

Written by Benjamin Read and illustrated by Chris Wildgoose, with colours by André May and lettering by Jim Campbell, Porcelain: A Gothic Fairy Tale is set within a world that’s a darkly magical echo of our own. It follows the urchin, Child, as she steals into the Porcelain Maker’s garden. Captured by his alchymical porcelain automata, she charms her way into his life and he becomes the father she never had. He has only one rule; she must never, ever, open the workshop door.

I personally can’t wait to see Child all grown up so here’s my suggestion, get to know the characters of the first part of this trilogy, you’ll end up wanting more.

Mike’s Magic Reviews :Magic 2014: DOTP Expansion

The_Dark_Mike
-
0
Mike’s Magic Reviews :Magic 2014: DOTP Expansion

It was a champagne-for-all-the-staff kinda day when some young buck from Wizards of The Coast dreamed up the Magic The Gathering Videogame. So simple, yet wonderfully effective; the best way to learn to play, without the hassle of overbearing , standard loving and unfun Magic players.

The expansion obviously continues where the main game finished, both in storyline and play. You follow Chandra Nalaar after the events of 2014, and return to the plains of Ravnica, Alara and Kamigawa. It’s a great exploration into what these sets had to offer, showcasing some of the best cards available from all  these series (apart from the fact they missed Kitsunes and Orochi from Kamigawa). There is a great diversity in the challenges available and apart from a very erratic difficulty curve the game plays quite smoothly.

something something sexy pun
something something sexy pun

As for graphics, the game dosen’t really have to push the boat out. Alas sometimes the frame rate suffers when the bigger animations are triggered, and the game can be a little buggy when dealing with more than about 15 cards on the screen.

Another feature that could really have helped is the ability to skip phases (both yours and CPU opponents), as the waiting can make duels last a little too longr. This made the more difficult (spelt “impossible”) duels a little arduos. speaking of the difficulty curve, I still managed to complete the game using only three of the available decks :

Firewave: mono red, full of burn spells, some flying, very quick

Hunter’s Strength:mono green, great buff spells and counter movement, a little life gain too

Chant of the Mul Daya: mono green, massive mana exceleration and life gain, ELDRAZI

 

LOOK AT IT. FUCKING LOOK AT IT.
LOOK AT IT. FUCKING LOOK AT IT.

 

I sampled the other decks, but I found that one of these decks would be useful for any encounter. Like Qui-Gon Jinn said: there’s always a bigger fish.This is not indicative of the gameplay, Just an observation. I couldn’t get on with any other deck available, least of all Elspeth.Her tri colour monstrosity was clunky with bad synergy, reducing me to quitting the game and restarting with a different deck.

 This is a great game at a very reasonable price, the extension adding flavour and options to an already wide range of available decks. It will have you talking about it the same way players talk about the real world Magic game, like the Time Ajani stole my Eldrazi Conscription and gave it to a creature with double strike, flying AND life link . Unlike 2013, Magic 2014 seems to have a lot more advertising for the current block and (what was then) the upcoming Theros block.  A fun play that gives the player a good 15 hours (50 for completionists) .

IN THE JUNGLE THE MIGHTY JUNGLE AWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
IN THE JUNGLE THE MIGHTY JUNGLE AWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

One last thing: if you ever offer me a sliver card as a promotional part of the game again, I’m coming for you.

Why you should be watching Orphan Black

Andy Haigh
-
0
Why you should be watching Orphan Black

orphan black

MINOR SPOILERS ALERT!

Orphan Black (created by John Fawcett and Graeme Manson) stars Tatiana Maslany as Sarah; a streetwise grifter with a questionable past. Whilst waiting on a train station platform one night, Sarah sees a distraught woman jump in front of a train- the strange thing is she looks exactly like Sarah.

Tatiana Maslany as Sarah.
Tatiana Maslany as Sarah.

Sarah, wanting to untangle herself from her problematic past and current situation, (which involves her drug dealing ex boyfriend Vic , played by Micheal Mando) , decides to become her doppelganger. She discovers her name was Beth. After faking her death with adopted brother Felix (Jordan Gavaris) identifying Beth’s body as Sarah’s, She has a plan: clear Beth’s savings account and then disappear with her daughter, now in the custody of an old acquaintance due to her mixed up past.

However after answering a phone found in Beth’s handbag Sarah arranges a meet up to try and figure out just what she finds herself tangled up in and why Beth looked like her . The owner of the voice on the other end of the phone is a sick German woman who also looks exactly like Sarah who is then shot in the head by a sniper somewhere within seconds of their meeting.Things get even more complicated when it turns out Beth was a cop connected with a fatal shooting of a civilian.

 Sarah soon discovers much to her complete disbelief that she is actually a clone.

 Orphan Black doesn’t have space ships, it doesn’t have amazing special effects, alien worlds or any of the other tropes usually associated with sci-fi TV. It’s a far more grounded affair. What it does do though is explore the very real implications of genetic experimentation and has one of the best performances you’ll see in a TV show.Orphan Black recently premiered in the UK filed away on BBC 3  after airing in America earlier in the year and gaining plenty of critical acclaim.

Jordan Gavaris as the acerbic Felix.
Jordan Gavaris as the acerbic Felix.

As the story progresses Sarah( pretending to Beth) becomes involved in the investigation of the German woman’s death and has to stop Beth’s police partner Art (Kevin Hanchard) and Beth’s boyfriend Paul (Dylan Bruce) figuring out she’s not actually Beth whilst also trying to figure out exactly what the hell’s going on.

One of the things which stands out is the great characterisation. This isn’t just a case of connecting with one character, things aren’t as black and white as ‘good’ and ‘evil’ either with both antagonist and protagonist equally as sympathetic and Gavaris is great as the acerbic Felix.

The main theme running throughout Orphan Black is one of identity and the moral and ethical implications of human cloning. You might think that clones has been done

Kevin Hanchard as Art Beth's police partner.
Kevin Hanchard as Art Beth’s police partner.

before but there’s a deep exploration of nature versus nurture that is at the heart of the show.

 In a refreshing change (especially for anyone that watched Lost) this story isn’t just about piling an enigma on top of a mystery and hoping nobody figures out that really the writers have no idea what anything means or where it’s going. The story brings questions but it also brings answers in a well plotted story arc which leaves you wanting more and makes what could have been a confusing mess compulsive enthralling viewing.

 There isn’t a weak link out of the cast with even supporting characters impressing. What really stands out though is Tatiana Maslany’s talent as an actress. One actress playing several completely different characters all with peculiar mannerisms, personalities and appearances is unheard of in a TV show.

 Every episode of Orphan Black usually features at least one scene which will genuinely make you wonder how they filmed it as Sarah/Beth meets alternate versions of herself, often more than one in the same frame, and discusses the latest developments in their story. This is done so well and Maslany is so good you completely forget she is actually talking to herself.

Orphan Black rattles along like a freight train dragging you along in its wake as Sarah and Felix try and uncover the secrets behind her origins whilst Art starts to question who his partner actually is.

 Welcome to Clone Club.

Rain Review

Sai Mealing
-
0
Rain Review

It doesn’t always take something flashy to make us feel something and in today’s world of gargantuan cities, epic set pieces and glossy visuals, in some ways Rain feels like a return to old. That isn’t to say that it isn’t a pretty game but as the short story progresses it becomes evident that emotion is at the core of the experience. Like Journey and Braid, Rain sets out not to impress the eyes but to grab the heart. It aims directly for the both the child and the adult within us at the same time and it works beautifully.

The majority of the game takes place with an AI companion and tactics are required to outwit the often terrifying monsters.
The majority of the game takes place with an AI companion adding a much needed sense of companionship in a dark and lonely world.

The latest in a long line of indie exclusives to release on the PlayStation platform, Rain follows the story of a young boy plunged in a blackened netherworld plagued with constant and never ending rain. When walking alone in the rain one night, the boy sees a little girl being pursued through the darkness by a strange creature and so his adventure begins.

The characters are never named and they don’t need to be in order to make you feel an overbearing urge to protect him. As a purgatorial entity, the boy has no visible human form and instead his silhouette is created by the falling rain. The same applies to the girl and the enemy creatures ; in doing so it makes for some of the most original stealth seen in years. Enemies will only see the defenseless children when their form is created by mud or water and taking shelter will create a mask of invisibility which is just as well considering the very real sense of terror that the game creates.

The monsters themselves are never fully explained but most vaguely resemble dinosaurs and their well being seems dependent upon the darkness. Some of the later creatures are passive whilst others will go to extraordinary lengths to destroy you;  one in particular invokes painful memories of Pyramid Head. Like in Amnesia, combat is not an option so the only option is to run like hell for the nearest door or dampened covered shop front.

If 2013 will be remembered for any game development trend then it’s the emergence of the female AI companion and the girl’s place alongside the Elizabeth’s and Eliie’s of this world is safe as she proves to be an extremely indispensable ally. Enemy attention will be diverted and obstacles will be moved to help you on your way. But more than that, the girl provides a sense of friendship in a world which for no understandable reason seems to have  been torn apart.

The static camera and isometric viewpoints work wonderfully with the modern Parisian backdrop.
The static camera and isometric viewpoints work wonderfully with the modern Parisian backdrop.

Rain’s visuals are secondary to the experience but are nonetheless inspiring. The game takes place in a noir vision of Paris and some terrific water/ physics engines and translucent effects blend wonderfully with the creatively positioned text and attention to detail. The sound, however, is on a whole other level entirely. Made up of mostly arrangements of French classical pieces (some with unique vocal tracks recorded especially for the game) Rain’s soundtrack is easily my favourite of any game since Skyrim and easily has the potential to succeed just as a collection of music in it’s own right.

The violent howls of the monsters clash with the splash of puddles and patter of the never ending rain that grows heavier as the enemies become increasingly sinister. I could write pages on this but suffice to say this is a game that you will want to play with the sound and ideally through a decent surround setup or pair of headphones.

As a game though Rain isn’t without it’s problems. The static camera harks back to the early days of Resident Evil but even with such a simplistic system, there are occasional moments where the player can become lost or paths are far from obvious. The campaign can easily be finished in a single session but these moments damage the flow slightly and ruin what is otherwise a brilliantly crafted experience.

Rain’s magic is it’s ability to touch and succeed in areas where very few games dare to tread. I’m not someone who cries easily but I actually found myself welling up towards the end and was left feeling as though I had witnessed something truly special. Conversations are likely to go on for a long time as to the game’s real message but it remains that  Japan Studio have created people out of pixels to an extent that usually feels out of reach. Rain is a true diamond in the rough that reminded me of the often forgotten power of our medium and it is a game that will likely stay with me for a long time.

1...243244245...362Page 244 of 362