Wolverine & The XMen #36 Review

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Battle of the Atom, Battle of the Atom Part #5, Cyclops, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Jason Aaron, Jean Grey, Marvel Comics, Oringial X-Men, Wolverine, Wolverine and the X-Men, Wolverine and the X-Men #36, Xorn

Wolverine and the X-Men #36

Review by Paul Bowler

Dr Henry McCoy brought the original X-Men to the present to try and reunite mutantkind. When young Scott Summers was almost killed, temporarily erasing his older self from reality, the X-Men argued whether or not they should send the young mutants home. Matters were complicated further by the arrival of a team of X-Men form the future, who insist the original X-Men must return to their own time. Jean Grey refuses and goes on the run with Scott; they evade the pursuing X-Men and seek help from the adult Cyclops and his Uncanny X-Men. Cyclops agrees to help but Emma Frost has contacted the X-Men who quickly arrive on Utopia. Confronted by the future version of Jean Grey, who wears a Xorn mask to control her abilities, the X-Men of the present and the future stand ready to fight to protect the past and save the future.

With Xorn, the young Jean Grey, Emma Frost and the Cuckoos standing motionless as they battle psychically, the adult Scott Summers and his younger self begin to realise that Xorn is actually an older version of the young Jean Grey – the one who never returned to her own time and consequently grew up in the future.

Faced with the X-Men from the future, Wolverine, and the present day-day X-Men, the Uncanny X-Men watch on as Logan offers the “slim and slimmer” incarnations of Cyclops a chance to be reasonable and stand down. Wolverine is quick to criticise the adult Cyclops for brining his young team into the field of battle, however Cyclops is having none of it, stating that he believes the responsibility for their conflict rests entirely with Logan and Hank McCoy.

The teenage Cyclops brings their argument to a head by attacking Wolverine. After ordering Magneto to gets their students to safety, Cyclops remains to help young Scott fight the present-day X-Men and their future counterparts. Meanwhile, Emma’s psychic battle with Xorn begins to falter as first the Cuckoos, and then Emma herself, succumbs to Xorn’s telepathic assault, leaving Jean alone against her future self. As Jean gets an unexpected glimpse into Xorn’s mind, back at the school the young Beast and Iceman travel into the future with Magik to try and discover what the X-Men from the future have been hiding from them…

Wolverine and the X-Men #36 sees tensions between X-Men strained to breaking point as Battle of the Atom explodes into all-out-action. Jason Aaron keeps the action moving at a break-neck pace as standoff between Cyclops and Wolverine inevitably leads to conflict, with the future X-Men also becoming more aggressive, Storm tries to calm the situation and Beast admits he regrets bringing the original X-Men to the present. We also get a great scene where Kitty and Rachel discuss the situation with Kitty’s future self, with Rachel noting that she is no longer the leader she once knew.

With some great art by Giuseppe Camuncoli and finisher Andrew Currie, along with colorists Matt Milla and Edgar Delgado, Wolverine and the X-Men #36 has some excellent fight scenes, with everyone getting a good slice of the action. However, it is the psychic combat with Xorn that is the real highlight this issue, and I really like the way Camuncoli portrays the raw power of this psychic battleground. We also get to see the toll this fight takes on the combatant’s physical bodies, as blood pours from their noses, and in Xorn’s case, from the corner of one eye of her mask as she fights Jean on the psychic plane. This issue features another eye-catching cover by Arthur Adams, with the X-Men attacking en masse as Cyclops and his younger self, together with Rachel and Kitty, stand their ground to protect Jean.

Jason Aaron maintains the tone and style already established for this crossover event by Brian Michael Bendis, while adding just the right amount of humour to Wolverine and the X-Men #36 as each twist and turn of the plot unfolds. It’s good to see some of the other X-Men from the future taking a more active role in proceedings, with Deadpool giving a heartfelt – if not entirely honest – speech and the hulking Iceman going on the rampage.

Wolverine and the X-Men #36 introduces some significant plot developments, decisions are made that will no doubt have a big impact as Battle of the Atom progresses, and the startling ending will leave you  eager to find out what happens next.

Hellraiser The Dark Watch #8 Review

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BOOM Studios, Brandon Seifert, Clive Barker, Hellraiser, Hellraiser The Dark Watch, Hellraiser The Dark Watch #8, Tom Garcia, Valadimir Popov

Hellraiser the Dark Watch #8

Review by Paul Bowler

The Cenobites are suffering terrible losses in their war with a new breed of Demon, creatures that are seemingly impervious to attack. They are also using the bodies of the fallen Cenobites to form a massive Glyph of the Solutent across the surface of the Labyrinth. Having saved D’Amour from a Raparee, Tiffany and her friends travel into the Labyrinth with the New High Priest of Hell and join the battle. Using a protection talisman and a demon slaying knife, they drive the invaders back and leave Butterfield at the mercy of the Cenobites. Tiffany is shocked when she learns D‘Amour has been lying about her adoptive mother, Kirsty Cotton, and that he secretly knew where she was all this time. Armed only with her demon killing knife and protection talisman, Tiffany remains in Hell and begins searching for Kirsty.

Hellraiser the Dark Watch #8 plunges Tiffany deep into the hidden depths of the Labyrinth as she continues her quest to find her adoptive mother. Clive Barker and co-writer Brandon Seifert have constantly made Tiffany’s character one of the most interesting aspects of this title. She has a rebellious steak, her relationship with Kirsty is another highlight, and Tiffany’s determination to find her “mother” remains the series predominant driving force.

Tiffany strikes up an uneasy alliance with Butterfield, the major adversary from Lord of Illusions, who she rescues from his Cenobite interrogators. Although he no longer has any arms, Butterfield is still the master trickster of old, convincing Tiffany to free him so he can lead her to Kirsty.

The art by Tom Gracia captures every gruesome detail of the Cenobites shadowy realm of pleasure and pain. Mid-way through the issue Butterfield’s body splits open and he metamorphoses into a horrific worm creature, bristling with claws, with only his human face left fused atop the slithering abomination. Gracia seems to delight in creating these gloriously macabre creatures, Butterfield’s new form is truly repugnant, as is the way he can now ensnare people to gets up close and personal with his victims.

Butterfield guides Tiffany to a vast chamber filled with gleaming crystals and delicate glowing orbs. Kirsty Cotton and Elliot Spencer are trapped inside one of the small glowing orbs, a mind prison, one of Leviathan’s tortures. Tiffany finds herself inexplicably drawn into the orb, where she is reunited with Kirsty and ends up fighting Spencer. Once they manage to break free of the orbs influence Tiffany confronts D’amour about why he lied to her, but before the Pontifex can explain, the Labyrinth begins to collapse around them as a terrifying new threat appears.

Hellraiser the Dark Watch #8 concludes with a flesh rending twist that few could have predicted. Clive Barker and Brandon Seifert continue to expand the scope and scale of this Hellraiser series, drawing together several plot elements as the issues builds towards its gut wrenching cliff-hanger. Together with Tom Gracia’s art and Valadimir Popov’s excellent colors, Hellraiser the Dark Watch #8 is one of the series best issues so far.

Uncanny XMen #12 Review

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Battle of the Atom, Battle of the Atom part 4, Brian Michael Bendis, Chris Bachalo, Cyclops, Jean Grey, Marte Gracia, Marvel Comics, Uncanny X-Men, Uncanny X-Men #12, X-Men

Uncanny X-Men #12

Review by Paul Bowler

A team of X-Men from the future materialise at the Jean Grey School claming the original X-Men’s presence could endanger the future. However, these future X-Men have also psychically blocked their minds to prevent the young Jean Grey from prying. Suspicious of these new arrivals, Jean and Scott go on the run. With the modern-day X-Men and future X-Men in pursuit, the pair turn to the present-day Scott Summers and The Uncanny X-Men for help.

Battle of the Atom continues in Uncanny X-Men #12 as the young Jean and Scott meet up with Cyclops and the Uncanny X-Men on Utopia. While the SHIELD Helicarrier temporal displacement unit monitors the readings at the Jean Grey School, causing Maria Hill to vent her frustration about the situation, on Utopia Cyclops introduces his X-Men to Jean and Scott. In order to hasten explanations, Emma Frost, Celeste, and Phoebe instigate the Stepford Sisters hive mind and link everyone telepathically to share the young X-Men’s memories about the X-Men from the future.

Brian Michael Bendis uses the vast ensemble cast of mutants to drive the plot forward, adding individual flourishes to every characters dialogue, and blending in a number of humorous situations and observations along the way. The scenes with Maria Hill on the Helicarrier are very funny, as is Emma’s remark about Celeste and Phoebe’s Jean Grey envy.

Magik is able to confirm the that one of the future X-Men is indeed Xavier’s grandson, revealing that she has met these X-Men before, much to Cyclops surprise. She teleports away before he can question her further, leaving everyone wondering how she could have already met the X-Men from the future. Of course Cyclops and the Uncanny X-Men are unaware that Magik has already used her powers to cross time at some point, as we saw in Battle of the Atom part #1, to catch a glimpse of the future they are all fighting for.

The argument over whether the original X-Men should be sent home because they could potentially damage the time stream forms the central focus of this issue. On the Pacific Coast Highway the X-Men and their future counterparts argue with Rachel and Kitty about who should decide the young X-Men’s destiny. Kitty Pryde continues to fight for her student’s right to make the decision themselves and Rachel firmly believes that everyone should live the way they want to. Cracks are clearly beginning to show in the X-Men’s ranks as Rachel and Kitty strongly voice their opinions, with Kitty confronting Storm and Wolverine, before trying to get everyone to think about what they are doing. Its moments like this were Bendis really excels, Kitty’s impassioned speech is brilliant, and makes for compelling reading.

Back on Utopia the Uncanny X-Men also have reservations after Cyclops decides they will help Jean and Scott, particularly Emma, who accuses him of letting his own feelings about the past compromise his decision. Magneto also has doubts, but it is the young Warren Worthington who steps forward and makes perhaps the most sensible argument of all.

With some great art by Chris Bachalo and Marte Gracia’s colors, Uncanny X-Men #12 looks really good. Every character is clearly defined, we also get to see Jean and Scott getting to know another team of mutants, and it all builds to a great final scene.

Having received a mysterious message telling them where to find Jean and Scott, the present and the future X-Men teams arrive at Utopia. The adult Jean Grey in her Xorn mask takes charge of the situation, freezing everyone telepathically, before attacking the young Jean Grey. But the person who contacted the X-men is not prepared to stand by and watch Xorn beat up her younger self. They intervene and challenge’s the Jean Grey from the future…

This fourth chapter of Battle of the Atom is deceptively light on action, but the great interaction between the characters more than makes up for that. The apparent betrayal and twist at the end sets up an exciting cliff-hanger, and the tense standoff will have fans eagerly anticipating the battle to come. Uncanny X-Men #12 is a good addition to Battle of the Atom, with its engaging storyline and great art, I look forward to seeing what twists and turns this time warping adventure will take next.

Doctor Who Classic SereisThe Ambassadors of Death

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Astronauts, Caroline John, Doctor Who, Dr Who, Jon Pertwee, Liz Shaw, Nicholas Courtney, Season Seven, The 3rd Doctor, The Ambassadors of Death, The Brigadier, UNIT

The Ambassadors of Death

Review by Paul Bowler

When contact is lost with three astronauts on board the Mars Probe 7 mission, a second capsule is sent up to investigate, but when Recovery 7 also stops transmitting the Doctor (Jon Pertwee) and Liz (Caroline John) join the Brigadier (Nicholas Courtney), Sgt Benton (John Levene), and the UNIT forces at Space Control to try and help Professor Ralph Cornish (Roland Allen) save the astronauts and discover the truth behind a strange extraterrestrial transmission.

On returning to Earth, UNIT and the Brigadier find themselves pitted against a secret organization who tries to forcibly take possession of Recovery 7, but with the Doctor’s help the capsule is returned safely to Space Control – only for them to discover that the astronauts have been kidnapped. The capsule actually contained a trio of alien ambassadors (Steve Peters, Neville Simons, and Ric Felgate) on a peaceful mission, who took the place of the astronauts, but their captors are only interested in their immense power and force the radiation dependant aliens to work for them.

Deciding to take a solo flight in Recovery 7, the Doctor is ready to dock with Mars Probe 7 when a gigantic alien vessel intercepts his capsule and drags it inside. The Doctor discovers the original astronauts safe and well onboard the alien spacecraft, they are hypnotised into believing they are still on Earth, leaving the Doctor free to negotiate with the alien captain – who states he will destroy Earth if the ambassadors are not returned immediately.

The alien captain allows the Doctor to return to Earth, but he is captured and taken to a secret location, where he joins Liz who is also a prisoner, together they learn that General Carrington is behind the conspiracy to discredit the alien ambassadors. The Doctor builds a device to communicate with the aliens, and together with the Brigadier’s help, he escapes with Liz and the ambassadors – returning to Space Control in time to stop Carrington’s broadcast and thereby prevent the world powers from firing on the alien spacecraft. After the Brigadier and the UNIT troops storm Space Control, war is averted, and General Carrington is led away in disgrace. The Doctor leaves Liz to help Professor Cornish arrange the exchange of the ambassadors for the human astronauts with the alien spaceship while he returns to his work on repairing the TARDIS.

The Ambassadors of Death (1970) is the penultimate adventure of Season Seven, featuring Jon Pertwee as the third incarnation of the Doctor, with Caroline John as his companion Liz Shaw. The third Doctor seems to be adapting well to his exile on Earth as UNITS scientific advisor, although he is still upset by the way the Brigadier destroyed the Silurians underground base. Dashingly dressed in his frilly shirt, cape, Jon Petwee brought a real sense of action to the role of the Doctor, with the Time Lord adept in using martial arts and sharing the actor’s love of gadgets, motorbikes, and cars. The Ambassadors of Death offers the Doctor plenty of great action scenes, he also gets the chance to blast off in a rocket and venture back into space, as well as using his diplomatic skills to try and resolve the impending threat of Armageddon by ensuring the ambassadors safe return.

Caroline John also plays a significant role as Liz Shaw, helping the Doctor analyse the alien transmission, and later, after being involved in a car chase, she is captured fleeing across a bridge over a weir by armed thugs. Liz is taken to where the alien ambassadors are being held by Reegan (William Dysart), where she is forced to work with another scientist, Dr Lennox (Cyril Shaps), to help keep the aliens alive with radioactive isotopes. Liz also manages to escape but is quickly recaptured when she mistakenly gets into Dr Taltalian’s car. Dr Lennox also tries to get away and seek help from the Brigadier and UNIT, but while he waits in protective custody a radioactive isotope is delivered to his cell, killing him before he can reveal General Carrington’s plans.

Reggan is Carrington’s right hand man, ruthless and calculating; he carries out raids with the ambassadors to gather more isotopes, and later uses them to kill Sir James Quinlan (Dallas Cavell) the head of the Space Programme. He also tricks the treacherous double agent Bruno Taltalian (Robert Cawdron) into planting an explosive briefcase near the Doctor, but Reegan alters the timer, setting it to explode as soon as Taltalian arms it – killing Taltalian and wounding the Doctor.

General Carrington’s xenophobic stance towards the aliens becomes clear when we learn how the ex astronaut first encountered them during the Mars Probe 6 mission, where the aliens accidentally killed his fellow astronaut Jim Daniels. His elaborate scheme to trap the aliens and use the media – fronted by television reporter John Wakefield (Michael Wisher) – shows just how Carrington’s first contact with the aliens has damaged him psychologically. General Carrington ultimately comes across as a tragic figure, a man broken by his own warped convictions and misguided prejudice.

The scripts for The Ambassadors of Death are a little uneven in tone, probably because David Whitaker was just one of a number of writers involved with this story, with Malcolm Hulke and Trevor Ray also contributing but unaccredited for their work. Although Derrick Sherwin and Peter Bryant were only involved with the first part of Season Seven they were instrumental revamping the programmes format: they cast Jon Pertwee, exiled the Doctor to Earth where he joined UNIT, introduced Liz Shaw, and originated a series of sophisticated adventures set against the industrial landscape of the not too distant future. Although the format works well in concept, their incoming successor, Barry Letts, would eventually refine these themes, and with Terrance Dicks staying on as script editor, along with the great bond between cast and crew, would see the UNIT family becoming an intrinsic part of the third Doctor‘s era.

This story packs in a number of action packed set-pieces over the course of its seven episodes, with director Michael Ferguson making full uses of the HAVOC team to realize a brutal shootout in a disused warehouse, some daring chase sequences, and blowing a sizable hole the budget with the spectacular hijacking of Recovery 7 whilst UNIT is transporting it back to Space Control. The scope and scale of the stunt work involved in the hijacking sequence is more akin to something you might see in a Bond film: with the convoy coming under attack by a helicopter, which lands and deploys villains armed to the teeth with futuristic weaponry that easily overpower the Brigadier’s troops, taking out motorbike outriders whilst stealing the truck carrying Recovery 7. One brave UNIT troop even leaps at the helicopter while it hovers just above the ground, hanging on for dear life as he tries to get inside, before losing his grip and tumbling down a slope.

The aliens themselves are one of the most mysterious races the Doctor has ever encountered. We learn from Carrington that they came from another galaxy and were on Mars before manned space missions arrived at the red planet, but other than their dependence on radiation and their ability to kill with just a single touch we learn little about them. Encased in the humanoid space suit’s the ambassadors are quite sinister in appearance, a uncanny hissing sound crackles around them, and their space helmets are fogged up making it impossible to discern any features. We only get a brief glimpse at one of the ambassadors when it removes its helmet in front of Liz, who recoils in horror at the misshapen face beneath, and the Doctor’s close encounter with the alien spaceship leads to a short conversation with the alien Captain (Peter Noel Cook) on a screen that also obscures our view.

By using the aliens sparingly throughout the story, director Michael Ferguson manages to build up the tension, so when the space suited creatures do appear their misted up helmets and slow lumbering walk makes them seem even more menacing. When the Doctor finds Sir James Quinlan dead in his office he rushes over to the body, unwittingly turning his back on the astronaut hiding behind the door as it advances towards him, its deadly hand reaching towards him. This is just one of a few iconic scenes that feature the astronauts, but the one that sticks in the memory most is where another lone astronaut walks towards the entrance of Space Control – its body silhouetted in a gleaming halo of sunlight as it approaches the terrified guard.

The Ambassadors of Death may have been part of the first season of Doctor Who to be shown in colour, but it was some years before it would ever be seen again in all its glory. Sadly the BBC wiped the original colour version of Episodes 2-7 in the late 70‘s, leaving only the black and white filmed episodes in the archives. A partially re-colorized version of the story was released on BBC Video in 2002 that utilized some off-air colour NTSC videotape found in America, the end results saw 90 minutes of colour restored to the story, with the rest remaining in black and white. The Ambassadors of Death was released on DVD in 2012, with the latest techniques employed to finally restore colour to the entire story in a two disk set that was packed with extra features.

With its superb action scenes, excellent model work for Recovery 7 and Mars Probe 7, and intriguing plot The Ambassadors of Death is one of the best adventures from Season Seven. It shows just how versatile the new format of the show could be, making good use of UNIT and the earthbound setting,  to pave the way for even greater things to come.

The Walking Dead : AMC Developing Spin-Off Series!

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AMC, David Alpert, Gale Anne Hurd, Robert Kirkman, The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead : AMC Developing New Spin-Off Series!

AMC has announced that they are in the early stages of developing a spin-off series for The Walking Dead. The companion series is aiming to premier in 2015, with Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, and David Alpert  as executive producers.

“Building on the success of the most popular show on television for adults 18-49 is literally a no-brainer,” AMC’s president & general manager Charlie Collier said in a statement. “We look forward to working with Robert, Gale and Dave again as we develop an entirely new story and cast of characters. It’s a big world and we can’t wait to give fans another unforgettable view of the zombie apocalypse.”

The new series, which has yet to be given a title, will be set in the same world as The Walking Dead, but with stories about a different group of survivors.

 “After 10 years of writing the comic book series and being so close to the debut of our fourth, and in my opinion, best season of the TV series, I couldn’t be more thrilled about getting the chance to create a new corner of The Walking Dead universe,” Kirkman said. “The opportunity to make a show that isn’t tethered by the events of the comic book, and is truly a blank page, has set my creativity racing.”

Season Four of The Walking Dead begins on AMC on Sunday October 13^th

X-Men #5 Review

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Battle of the Atom, Brian Wood, Cyclops, David Lopez, Jean Grey, Kitty Pryde, Marvel Comics, Rachel, Scott Summers, X-Men, X-Men #5

X-Men #5

Review by Paul Bowler

The Beast may have brought the original X-Men back with him to the present day to help reunite Mutantkind, but after the young Cyclops was nearly killed in a battle with the Sentinels, the modern day version of the X-Men decided to send the young mutants back to their own time. Now that she is aware of her tragic fate, the young Jean Grey is reluctant to go back. But when a team of X-Men from the future suddenly appear at the Jean Grey School, brining a dire warning of how the future will be destroyed if the original X-Men stay, young Jean causes a fight to distract everyone and goes on the run with Scott. As the X-Men prepare to give chase, the female Xorn removes her mask and is revealed as the adult Jean Grey from the future…

X-Men #5 is the first issue of Battle of the Atom that is not written by Brian Michael Bendis, it gives us some idea of how this crossover event is going to unfold over the various X-Titles, and Brian Wood does an excellent job of maintaining the pace and tone of the story. X-Men #5 picks up after the young Jean and Scott escaped in the Blackbird in All New X-Men #16, as both present and future generations of X-Men decide what to do next. We also learn that the adult Jean Grey can only manage without the Xorn helmet for a few minuets as her powers have grown so much.

Brian Wood’s manages to include some fun scenes, including one where the past, present, and future versions of the Beast remind themselves about the test jet they built: as they collectively reminisce about designing it, after building it in the present, and then remembering it fondly – before their super sleek aircraft (The Dove) rises up through the floor into the hanger bay.

After Professor Xavier’s grandson takes a Cerebro Spike, a special pill to help them track Jean’s psychic trail, Storm decides that Kitty, Rachel, and Jubilee will stay behind at the school with the young Bobby and Hank, while she leaves with the others in the Dove to search for Jean and Scott. This leads to a great moment between Kitty and Rachel, as they talk about the Jean Grey from the future and their concerns about making the original X-Men to return to their own time against their wishes. Kitty in particular has grown very close to them and Rachel believes that the young X-Men should be allowed to decide for themselves if they go back.

Having found the abandoned Blackbird the X-Men continue to scan for the mutant runaways. They soon locate them, tearing along the Pacific Coast Highway on a motorbike after Jean lowers her psychic shields and reaches out telepathically to someone for help. The X-Men catch up with them on the highway, Scott tries to evade them, but Deadpool takes out the bikes tyres. Fortunately Kitty and Rachel arrive in a small craft and get the X-Men teams to back off, with Kitty confronting Storm and Rachel berating the future Jean Grey. While the X-Men argue Jean and Scott slip away in Kitty and Rachel’s craft and travel to Utopia for a meeting with another team of mutants…

The scenes where Jean and Scott are on the run are the real highlight of X-Men #5, especially when they steal some clothes from a washing line and get changed. It’s a wonderfully goofy and awkward moment for them, as it goes hilariously wrong. However, their conversation as they escape along the highway on the motorbike brings their relationship sharply into focus, when Scott admits he would do anything for her, but unfortunately Jean has no time to respond before the X-Men arrive in force to bring them in.

Overall this is a good issue, X-Men #5 provides Brian Wood’s with the some good character moments for his regular cast, particularly between Kitty and Rachel at the school, and a funny scene were  Jubilee leaves Bobby and Hank to look after baby Shogo. This issues tie-in does interrupt Wood’s main X-Men storyline in favour of the Battle of the Atom crossover, with the focus firmly placed on Jean and Scott’s developing relationship. The art by David Lopez, together with Cam Smith’s inks and Lara Martin’s colors, is also good, and I really like the cover by Arthur Adams.

While it may not be indicative of Wood’s series as whole, X-Men #5 is still a good issue, and effectively slots into this big X-Men crossover event. Battle of the Atom is shaping up to be a really action packed story, with some great interaction between the characters, with tensions fraying between the teams as Scott and Jean make their way to Utopia.

First Poster For Robocop Reboot

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Robocop

First Poster For Robocop Reboot

 

Columbia Pictures and MGM have released the first poster for Jose Padilha’s Robocop remake.

Robocop is set in the year is 2029 where multinational conglomerate OmniCorp is at the centre of robot technology. Their drones are winning American wars around the globe and now they want to bring this technology to the home front.

Alex Murphy is a loving husband, father and good cop doing his best to stem the tide of crime and corruption in Detroit. After he is critically injured in the line of duty, OmniCorp utilises their remarkable science of robotics to save Alex’s life.

He returns to the streets of his beloved city with amazing new abilities, but with issues a regular man has never had to face before.

The film by Director José Padilha (Elite Squad) has an ensemble cast featuring Joel Kinnaman, Abbie Cornish, Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton, Samuel L. Jackson, Jackie Earle Haley, Michael K. Williams, Jay Baruchel, Jennifer Ehle, and Marianne Jean-Baptiste

ROBOCOP is scheduled for release February 7th 2014

The Walking Dead #114 Review

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Andrea, Carl, Charlie Adlard, Image Comics, Michonne, Negan, Rick Grimes, Robert Kirkman, The Saviors, The Walking Dead, The Walking Dead #114, Zombies

The Walking Dead #114

Review by Paul Bowler

The stakes have never been higher as The Walking Dead #114 sees Rick and his friends outgunned and at the mercy of Negan and the Saviors. After his attempt to kill Negan outside Alexandria failed, only Andrea, Michonne, and a handful of the remaining survivors remain to oppose the Saviors. When Carl tried to help by shooting a lump out of Negan’s trusty baseball bat, Lucille, the Saviors leader demanded the boy pay for it with his life.

From her sniping position in the bell tower Andrea is fighting for her life against one of Negan’s men. When the people inside Alexandria refuse to hand Carl over Negan prepares to let Lucille have her revenge against Rick and the others. Having seen a body fall from the bell tower, everyone thinks that it was Andrea who perished, but she has survived…

Tensions have been slowly building over the last few issues as Rick plotted with Ezekiel and the other hilltop communities to overthrow Negan’s reign of terror, now all the carefully developing plot strands begin to come together as Robert Kirkman sets in motion events that will lead Rick and the Saviors to All Out War. Last issues heart sopping moment, when it looked like Andrea had tumbled from the bell tower, gives way to a surprise attack spearheaded by Jesus, and backed up by Ezekiel and his pet tiger Shiva.

It’s immensely satisfying to see Jesus fighting Negan one-on-one, as Ezekiel sets Shiva on the Saviors. Jesus quickly overpowers Negan, even holding a gun to his head at one point, before Negan manages to break free and escape with his men.

Rick makes for the bell tower and is relived to find that it was the Savior who fell. He rushes up to the top of the tower and finds Andrea. She managed to push her assailant to his death, but she was badly beaten in the process. After everyone gets patched up by Doctor Cloyd, Rick has to face some serious questions from both Andrea and Michonne, who fear that Rick’s attempt to kill Negan may have cost them their advantage in the upcoming battle against the Savoirs. However, Rick doesn’t believe that Negan knows just how organized they really are.

Negan is as vile and depraved as ever, taking delight in playing his captives against each other, while taking the opportunity to taunt Rick as the events of issue #100 hang like a bloodstained shroud over them all.

The second half of The Walking Dead #114 includes some excellent scenes as Rick leadership comes under the spotlight. I especially liked the moment where Rick takes the time to talk to Carl about how he kept his cool during the Saviors attack. Rick knows that the time has come for them to make their move against Negan, and a conversation with Jesus quickly makes him realise just how much his people look to him for courage and inspiration. In fact, Jesus plays a pivotal role in this issue, as the bearded loner gets to prove his worth by saving Rick and attacking Negan. But most importantly of all he makes Rick see just how vital his role is as leader of the survivors.

Charlie Adlard’s art captures the raw strength of Jesus’ counterattack, which result with tense standoff as he holds Negan at gunpoint. We also get to see Shiva munch down on the Saviors, tearing across the page, claws rending flesh. These action packed scenes are well balanced by the quieter moments, where Adlard depicts every emotional beat as the characters react to recent developments. Carl’s bluntly delivered request, about how his father should deal with Negan, is a fine example of this, caught in his son’s cold unflinching gaze; Rick’s expression says it all.

The Saviors return to their camp, where Negan declares that the time has come for them to go to war. As this is the last issue before the “All Out War” there is understandably a sense that pieces are being set in place by Kirkman for the next storyline. That doesn’t detract from the issue overall, although the pace slows noticeably after the initial burst of action. With the scene now set for All Out War, the Zombie apocalypse is about to get even more dangerous, as the hilltop communities fight it out in a desperate battle for survival. The Walking Dead #114 is another great issue by Kirkman and Adlard as the action intensifies and everyone readies themselves for All Out War.

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Title & Programme Schedule Revealed

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50th Anniversary, David Tennant, Doctor Who, Jenna Coleman, John Hurt, Matt Smith, The Day of The Doctor

.

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Title & Programme Schedule Revealed

Today the BBC revealed a brand new poster and the title of the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary episode as The Day of The Doctor. This 75 minute special will be shown on the 23rd of November, staring Matt Smith’s 11th Doctor, Jenna Coleman as Clara, as well as Smith‘s predecessor David Tennant as the 10th Doctor and Billie Piper as Rose, and John Hurt as another – as yet unspecified – incarnation of the Doctor. This celebratory story will also feature some of the Time Lords most deadly enemies from his adventures in time and space, including The Daleks, and the Zygons.

A whole raft of programmes have also been announced to support the programmes 50th Anniversary, as detailed by the BBC…

The countdown starts here as the BBC reveals its plans to take over TV and radio to mark the Doctor’s 50th anniversary.

With special programmes planned across the BBC, the celebrations will peak on 23 November with the anniversary episode, revealed as The Day Of The Doctor. Starring Matt Smith, David Tennant and Jenna Coleman with Billie Piper and John Hurt, the special for BBC One has been confirmed as feature-length, with 75 minutes of adventure.

Matt Smith, who plays the Doctor, says: “The Day Of The Doctor is nearly here! Hope you all enjoy. There’s lots more coming your way, as the countdown to the 50th begins now.” Each channel will be home to unique content, celebrating the wealth of history and talent from the last 50 years.

BBC Two will broadcast a number of new shows, focusing on telling the story behind the programme. For one night only, Professor Brian Cox will take an audience of celebrity guests and members of the public on a journey into the wonderful universe of the Doctor, from the lecture hall of the Royal Institution of Great Britain (1×60 minutess). Drawing on the latest theories, as well as 200 years of scientific discoveries and the genius of Einstein, Brian tries to answer the classic questions raised by the Doctor: Can you really travel in time? Does extra-terrestrial life exist in our galaxy? And how do you build something as fantastical as the TARDIS?

In an hour-long special, BBC Two’s flagship arts programme The Culture Show presents Me, You And Doctor Who (1×60 minutes), with lifelong fan Matthew Sweet exploring the cultural significance of the BBC’s longest running TV drama, arguing that it’s one of the most important cultural artefacts of modern Britain. Put simply, Doctor Who matters. He’ll examine how the show has become a cultural force in its own right and tell the stories of some of the unsung cultural heroes, who pioneered its innovative music, design and storytelling.

BBC Two wraps up its coverage with the previously announced An Adventure In Space and Time (1×90 minutes), which will tell the story of the genesis of Doctor Who and the many personalities involved. Written by Mark Gatiss, the drama stars David Bradley (the Harry Potter films); Brian Cox (The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Identity), Jessica Raine (Call The Midwife) and Sacha Dhawan (History Boys, Last Tango In Halifax).

Steven Moffat, lead writer and executive producer of Doctor Who, says: “Fifty years has turned Doctor Who from a television show into a cultural landmark. Personally I can’t wait to see what it becomes after a hundred.”

BBC Four will introduce audiences to the first Doctor, William Hartnell, with a special re-run of the first-ever story, which marked the start of 50 years of history. The four episodes are being shown in a restored format, not previously broadcast in the UK.

There will also be programmes across CBBC with 12 Again (1×30 minutes) bringing together CBBC’s super-fan Chris Johnson, impressionist Jon Culshaw, Tommy Knight (Luke Smith), Warwick Davis (Porridge), Neve McIntosh (Madame Vastra), Dan Starkey (Strax) Louise Jameson (Leela) and the seventh Doctor, Sylvester McCoy, to share their memories of watching TV’s top Time Lord when they were young.

Blue Peter will launch an exciting new competition giving viewers aged between six and 14 the opportunity to design a new gadget that will become part of the iconic science fiction series. Two live Blue Peter specials will see presenters Barney, Lindsey and Radzi joined by aliens and monsters, with viewers challenging Matt Smith to answer their Doctor Who questions.

BBC Three will be home to several exciting entertainment commissions. Audiences will be encouraged to get involved and vote in Doctor Who: Monsters And Villains Weekend, as we countdown to the top Doctor Who monster. For those less familiar with the show, Doctor Who: The Ultimate Guide will introduce fans and viewers to a wealth of archive material and act as a guide to all things Who. A further exciting commission to be announced later this year will see the celebrations finish with a bang.

Danny Cohen, Director of BBC Television, says: “Doctor Who is a titan of British television and I’m incredibly proud to have it on the BBC. It’s an astonishing achievement for a drama to reach its 50th anniversary. I’d like to thank every person – on both sides of the camera – who has been involved with its creative journey over so many years.”

It’s not just TV where audiences will be able join in the celebrations; programming across Radio 2, Radio 1 and Radio 4 Extra will also mark the 50th.

BBC Radio 2 will ask Who Is The Doctor? in a 90-minute documentary featuring newly recorded interviews and exclusive archive material. The programme will look at the lasting appeal of Doctor Who and ask how much of its continued success can be attributed to its basic formula.

In The Blagger’s Guide To Doctor Who, David Quantick will give the iconic Doctor the Blagger’s treatment. He’ll be finding out the answers to questions such as, why do Americans think Tom Baker is still Doctor Who? How many Doctors have there really been? Were the Daleks really named after an encyclopaedia?

Finally, Graham Norton will be broadcasting his weekly Radio 2 show live (Saturday 23 November, 10am) from the Doctor Who Celebration in London. In a special three-hour show, Graham will take a ride in the TARDIS and will also be chatting with some of the series’ stars and fans.

Music is a key part of Doctor Who, from the famous theme tune to soaring melodies, but the show has also inspired a whole new phenomenon – Time Lord Rock (TROCK). Radio 1 will look at this genre of music inspired by the Doctor and his journeys through space and time with a 60-minute documentary.

Meanwhile, Radio 4 Extra travels back to 1963 with a three-hour special programme, Who Made Who?, to look at the world that inspired the television series. Doctor Who may have come from other times, but his roots were very much in the present of 1960s Britain. This distinctive programme combines audio from the archive, new interviews and extracts from audio versions of Doctor Who. Additionally, the station will broadcast readings and dramas featuring the great Doctor.

There will also be special content across the official website bbc.co.uk/doctorwho and on BBC iPlayer.

American Vampire Returns March 2014

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American Vampire, Rafael Albuquerque, Scott Snyder, Vertigo

American Vampire returns March 2014

The eagerly awaited return of American Vampire is almost here. Set to appear in March 2014, writer Scott Snyder and artist Rafael Albuquerque’s award winning Vertigo series will finally emerge from hiatus to pick up the events following the series last story arc “The Blacklist”, as the story of Pearl, Calvin, and Skinner Sweet shifts from the 1950’s and into the world of the swinging 60’s.

American Vampire began in 2010 featuring a story co-written by bestselling horror novelist Stephen King, since then Scott Snyder and Rafael Albuquerque have spent the last few years charting the story of the first American Vampire, wild west outlaw Skinner Sweet, and his Vampire progeny, the would-be movie star Pearl Jones. There series has won an Eisner and received critical acclaim from fans and critics alike, mixing its unique take on Vampire lore with a scientific and historical slant, banding its Vampires into different species, while Skinner and Pearl’s story begins to entwine with  many of the biggest events of the 20trh century.

So, what is in store for Skinner Sweet and Pearl Jones when the series returns? “American Vampire definitely has a special flavour,” series artist and co-creator Rafael Albuquerque said on the Vertigo website. “After working daily with these characters for so long, Scott and I feel connected to them, just as if they were real people, somehow. Returning to that feels like getting back home after a long, long, trip.”

“I’ve missed American Vampire so much it’s downright scary,” says writer and co-creator Scott Snyder, adding. “In the interm, Raffa and I have planned and plotted a lot, and I think its safe to say that for both of us, there is no project more exciting or important than this one. We cannot wait to bring you all back to the world of American Vampire this spring. The best stories are coming-promise.”

While March 2014 may seem a long way off, this is the perfect time to catch up on all 5 volumes of the original series, as well as the recently published American Vampire Anthology featuring stories set in the world of American Vampire, with tales by some incredible talent including Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon (DAYTRIPPER), Becky Cloonan (DMZ), Jeff Lemire (TRILLIUM) and Ray Fakes (CONSTANTINE) and many, many more. There is also the brilliant American Vampire: The Long Road to Hell, a one-shot special from earlier this year, featuring Travis-Kidd, by co-writers Snyder and Albuquerque, with art by Rafael Albuquerque.

You might also like to check out The Wake, written by Scott Snyder with art by Sean Murphy (American Vampire: Survival of the Fittest), and Rafael Albuquerque will join Jeff Lemire from issue #24 of Animal Man. The first “Wake” trade is also scheduled for release soon, which will collect the first five issues of the series.

So there is plenty to keep fans happy while we prepare for American Vampire to return.

“American Vampire” will return from hiatus in March 2014; and “The Wake” issue #4 is released September 25^th