Special Look At Marvel’s Avengers Age of Ultron

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Avengers, Avengers Age of Ultron, Avengers Age of Ultron Clip, Marvel, Marvel Comics, Special Look At Marvel's Age of Ultron, Ultron

Special Look At Marvel’s Avengers Age of Ultron Clip & List of Marvel’s Phase 3 Films

Marvel certainly know how to make an impact, with the announcement on Tuesday of Chadwick Boseman’s casting as the Black Panther and the new films that will feature in Marvel’s Phase 3. The list of films and their release dates are: Captain America: Civil War (May 6, 2016), Doctor Strange (Nov4, 2016), Guardians of the Galaxy 2 (May 5,2017), Thor: Ragnarok (July 28, 2017), Black Panther (Nov 3, 2017), Avengers: Infinity Wars Part 1 (May 4,2018), Captain Marvel (July 6, 2018), Inhumans (Nov 2, 2018), Avengers: Infinity War Part 2 (May3, 2019). Along with all that awesome news, during the new episode of Agents of SHIELD on ABC, Marvel also released an exclusive scene from Avengers Age Of Ultron!

Check out the Special Look at Marvel’s Avengers Age of Ultron 1st Clip as the Avengers try to prove their worth!

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Doctor Who In the Forest of the Night Review

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Abigail Eames, Clara Oswald, Coal Hill School, Danny Pink, Doctor Who In The Forest of the Night, Doctor Who Series 8, Frank Cottrell Boyce, In The Forest of the Night, Jenna Coleman, Maebh, Michelle Gomez, Missy, Peter Capaldi, Samuel Anderson, Sheree Folkson, TARDIS, The 12th Doctor, The Doctor

In the Forest of the Night

Review by Paul Bowler

(Contains Spoilers)

As a new day begins in London, in every city and town around the world, humanity awakens to find the planet in the grip of the strangest invasion yet. Trees have moved back to reclaim the planet, forests have miraculously grown overnight, appearing all over the word, engulfing every city and every land across the globe. The Doctor, Clara, and Danny must take charge of pupils from a Coal Hill School trip to a museum as they venture into the mysterious forest that has engulfed the capitol, encountering wolves and tigers in their attempt to reach safety. The Doctor has never experienced an invasion like this before, even his vast intellect and technology is of little use against such a natural catastrophe, and this could indeed be the end of humanity…

In the Forest of the Night, the tenth episode of series eight is an enchanting story by Frank Cottrell-Boyce, the acclaimed children’s author, screenwriter, and writer of the London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony. This delightfully paced episode, with its poetic references, allusions to William Blake’s The Tiger, and ecological themes is beautifully told and vividly brought to life by Director by Sheree Folkson.

The trees have moved back in and London has been transformed into a forest. When lost Coal Hill School student Maebh finds the TARDIS, she asks the Doctor for help, and the Time Lord soon realises why the TARDIS won’t start when he finds he’s landed in Trafalgar Square which is now overgrown with dense vegetation. The forests that have suddenly appeared from nowhere look set to become mankind’s nightmare, and soon all of civilisation is seemingly under threat from this bizarre ecological invasion that has mysteriously enveloped the world. Clara and Danny Pink are also trapped in London with their Year Eight “Gifted and Talented Group” of pupils, following a Coal Hill School sleepover in a museum. Clara phones the Doctor and leans that Maebh is with him, concerned that Maebh hasn’t had her medication (which she takes to alleviate the voices she’s been hearing since her sister, Annabel, went missing a year ago), Clara, together with Danny and the students, set off through the forest to Trafalgar Square to reach the TARDIS.

Peter Capaldi’s 12th Doctor is as magnificent as ever during this episode. In the Forest of the Night shows that the Doctor is at just as much of a disadvantage here as Clara, Danny, and the Coal Hill School pupils – he’s not exactly used to dealing with overgrown forests, wolves, and tigers. The sonic screwdriver isn’t much use to him in this situation either; as it can’t affect wood. In many respects the Earth is also the Doctor’s home, but this bizarre ecological catastrophe has essentially rendered him powerless. The Time Lord is baffled by the inexplicable forests that have suddenly grown worldwide in a day, throw in the added threat of the deadly solar flare racing towards Earth as well, and it’s fascinating to see him faced with such an unusual dilemma.

When Maebh becomes distressed and runs off into the forest again, seemingly because she hasn’t had her medication, the Doctor and Clara have to find her, but the vegetation is overwhelming Nelson’s Column, making it dangerously unstable, government service teams attempting to burn down sections of the forest find the trees are completely resistant to their flamethrowers, and the wildlife which the Doctor believes has escaped from London Zoo is now stalking them all through the forest. Fortunately Danny and the other students are on hand to offer assistance when the Doctor, Clara, and Maebh find themselves corned by a Tiger, so when they all eventually catch up with Maebh it becomes clear the Doctor was right about the voices in her mind and finds that she does indeed have some connection to the source at the heart of the forest.

In the Forest of the Night is another great episode for Jenna Coleman, there are some excellent scene for Clara, and it’s good to see Samuel Anderson return as Danny Pink for another adventure. This story provides some great moments for Clara and Danny, their relationship continues to flourish, although things do hit a bit of a snag when Danny rumbles that Clara went off to phone the Doctor instead of the school and the parents – and later, after Danny finds Maebh’s school book in the TARDIS, he begins to realise that Clara hasn’t been entirely honest with him about finishing her time travelling adventures with the Doctor either.

Clara’s troubled pupil Maebh Arden (played by the excellent Abigail Eames), also has an important role to play during this episode, she has some wonderful scenes with the 12th Doctor, along with her fellow Coal Hill pupils – a great group of young actors – and they all have to find a way to work together in order to survive their adventure in forest. There are flashbacks to their lessons at Coal Hill School as well, and these fun scenes really help to define their characters. I also like how Clara’s group of gifted and talented students manage to overcome their individual problems and differences over the course of this story, they all have own unique attributes and personalities that makes them special to her, and its lovely how Clara explains to the Doctor how she believes that these traits are all superpowers in her eyes if they can be used properly. It’s also fun to see how the children seem almost completely unfazed by the TARDIS interior, before virtually taking over the Console Room as they rush around to explore, with the incredulous 12th Doctor completely out of his depth with all these kids suddenly charging around in the TARDIS.

The pictures the Doctor sees Maebh has drawn in her school book are remarkably similar to the impending solar flare threatening the Earth. It seems that Maebh also believes she created the forest following a dream she had after her sister went missing, but when they are close to the source in the heart of the forest, the Doctor uses the sonic screwdriver to reveal a swarm of tiny glowing energy creatures surrounding her. They speak using her voice, explaining they have existed throughout time, and were summoned by Maebh’s dream to create the forest as they have apparently done many time before in the past.

In the Forest of the Night features some amazing special effects. The panoramic scenes of London, with its famous landmarks overgrown with vegetation, are spectacular, and really engrain the stories premise in your imagination. The way the global effects of this crisis are relayed by a series of television broadcasts are also handled very effectively. There are some good scenes with Maebh’s mother (Siwan Morris) as she sets out to look for her daughter, that also effectively show the vast scale of the forests impact on the capitol. We get to see some very impressive wildlife as well, wolves lurk in the shadows, and a tiger also makes a spectacular appearance.

When it seems there is no hope of saving the world from the solar flare, Clara’s initial suggestion to use the TARDIS as a lifeboat is just a ruse to get the Doctor to save himself, knowing the children would never want to be separated from their parents, even if the world is ending. Clara doesn’t want to be saved either and become the last of her kind like the Doctor. The Time Lord departs in the TARDIS but inspiration strikes as he monitors the solar flare, he returns for Clara, Danny, and the children, explaining how the trees have saved Earth before. The Doctor refers to events in Tunguska, 1908, and the mysterious blast that struck the Siberian region of Russia. He also mentions Curuca, another suspected asteroid impact, this time in Brazil, 1930, and he’s convinced the forests have appeared again; this time to save Earth from the solar flare.

The conclusion of In the Forest of the Night sees the children’s class project to save the Earth become a global broadcast, where Maebh calls on the nations of the world to stop using defoliating agents on the trees so they can protect the planet from the solar flare. She also includes a message for her sister, asking for her to return. Knowing the world will be safe, and having also reached an understanding with Danny, Clara decides to accompany the Doctor in the TARDIS and observe the solar flare from orbit as it strikes the Earth, watching in awe as the trees protect the entire surface of the planet from the effects of the fiery impact.

The ending does feel a little rushed, with the world being saved by the trees and the return of Maebh’s sister feeling perhaps less poignant moments than they should have been, although the intriguing, though brief, interlude with Missy (Michelle Gomez) does give us plenty to ponder over as she watches these events unfold. However, the moment where the Doctor and Clara watch from the balcony of her flat as the trees miraculously disperse, were the Time Lord states that humanities superpower to forget will make these events fade away just like the other natural catastrophes in Earth’s history – to become fables and fairytales – does stretch credibility as it wraps everything up using an evergreen reset switch of epic proportions.

In the Forest of the Night is markedly lighter in tone, the majority of episodes in series eight have been much darker, and as a result this episode does feel slightly at odds with what has gone before. The story by Frank Cottrell-Boyce makes for an engaging and poetic episode, and while its doesn’t quite realise the full potential of its intriguing premise, the excellent characterisation and the solid Direction by Sheree Folkson ensures In the Forest of the Night remains an exciting and entertaining adventure. There’s still lots to enjoy here, and the thrilling next time trailer sets the scene perfectly for an incredible looking series eight finale.

Images Belong BBC

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Marvel’s Avengers Age of Ultron Official Teaser Trailer

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Avengers Age of Ultron, Avengers Age of Ultron First Official Trailer, Avengers Age of Ultron Trailer, Marvel, Marvel Comics, Ultron

Marvel’s Avengers Age of Ultron Official Teaser Trailer & Poster!

Check out the first official teaser trailer & new poster for Avengers Age of Ultron!

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Batman Eternal #29 Review

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Arkham Asylum, Batman Eternal #29, Batman Eternal #29 Review, Batwing, comics, DCComics, Deacon Blackfire, Hush, James Tynion IV, Jim Corrigan, Joker's Daughter, Kyle Higgins, Ray Fawkes, Romulo Fajardo JR, Scott Snyder, Simon Coleby, The New Doctor, The Spectre, Tim Seeley

Batman Eternal #29

Review by Paul Bowler

Gotham is gripped by chaos, marshal law has been declared, and Commissioner Bard is in league with Hush. Now that Batman and his allies know the truth about Bard’s alliance with Hush, and with Catwoman, the daughter of the Lion, determined to reassert the natural order of crime in Gotham, all Hell is about to break loose in Arkham Asylum. The spirit of Deacon Blackfire has possessed Maxi Zeus, the Deacon and his supernatural forces now control Arkham. Batwing and Jim Corrigan are trapped. The power of the Spectre is all that can help them now, but the Deacon has other ideas, one that will unleash Hell on Gotham City itself!

The pieces of Hush’s grand design begin to fall into place in Batman Eternal #29, as the Dark Knight evaluates the full extent of the corruption within the GCP, Bard’s betrayal, and the nano-swarm in the Narrows. The City of Shadow and Doubt also brings Arkham’s role in events to the fore, in this dark storyline by writers Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV, with script by Ray Fawkes, and consulting writers Tim Seeley, and Kyle Higgins, as Batwing and Jim Corrigan face the supernatural resurrection of Deacon Blackfire in Arkham Asylum.

Batman Eternal #29 picks up this supernatural subplot with ghoulish relish, the sight of Alfred alone, raving in a cell, driven out of his mind after Hush injected fear toxin directly into his brain, is enough to send chills down the spine. There are some disturbing interludes with the Joker’s daughter, Hush is also stalking the streets of Gotham, implementing another stage in his plan, and Batwing has to claw his way back through Arkham after becoming separated from Jim Corrigan – who is now at the mercy of Deacon Blackfire.

Batwing’s struggle to escape from the phantoms beneath Arkham, trapped underwater, with his air supply running out, is another highlight of this issue. Its good to see how Batwing manages to cope with his predicament, especially with so many of his suits systems offline, he’s able to fight back against the supernatural forces and re-establish his com-link with Batman. This leads to a great scene, were Alfred’s daughter, Julia, now acting as Penny Two, is able to coordinate their efforts from the cave, and work together to attempt to decipher the cryptic code from the Riddler’s cell that Batwing’s suit has been analysing.

The art by Simon Coleby really helps to build the dark and sinister tone of this issue. The exterior scenes in Gotham, especially those featuring Hush and the Joker’s daughter, bring us right down to street level, while Batman takes to the air to tackle the GCPD’s heavy handed approach to the civil unrest in Gotham. Coleby’s art brings a dark, gritty tone to a variety of locations and characters, each superbly defined and illustrated, which, together with Romulo Fajardo JR’s intricate colors and subtle tones, really enhances the brooding atmosphere of impending dread that permeates every aspect of this issue as events unfold in Arkham.

Batman Eternal #29, with its diverse plot, extensive cast of characters, and spellbinding action, is the culmination of several plot threads that have been developing for a while now over the course of this weekly series. This issue builds to a nerve jangling climax; as Batwing races to save Jim Corrigan from Deacon Blackfire’s power, and the paranormal shocks and twists continue right up until the final page. Batman Eternal #29 continues to impress on every level, with its great story and art, this excellent issue sets the stage for some significant developments at Arkham Asylum just in time for Halloween!

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Bullet Gal #5 Review

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Andrez Bergen, Bullet Gal, Bullet Gal #5, comics, Depth Charging Ice Planet Goth, Heropa, IF? Commix, Mizi, Tales to Admonish, The Crime Crusaders Crew, Tobacco Stained Mountain Goat, Who is Killing the Great Capes of Heropa?

Bullet Gal #5

Review by Paul Bowler

Since Mizi’s arrival in Heropa, her personal vendetta against organised crime has made her many enemies. Bullet Gal #5 is the new issue of the IF? Commix book series by Australian author Andrez Bergen, writer of the noir-inspired detective novel Who is Killing the Grat Capes of Heropa? , IF? Commix book series Tales to Admonish, and his new novel Depth Charging Ice Planet Goth and the graphic novel Tobacco Stained Mountain Goat. Now in Bullet Gal #5 we discover the origin of Mizi’s latest adversary, the psychotic French hit-girl Brigit, who also happens to be the girlfriend and personal assassin of the powerful crime boss Sol.

Following the shocking events of last issue, where Bullet Gal was unable to prevent Lee’s death, Mizi was approached by one of Lee’s seven remaining doppelgangers who offered her a mask and a chance to join the Crime Crusaders Crew, Bullet Gal #5 takes a break from the adventures of our series heroine Mizi as the spotlight shifts to the underworlds voluptuous French assassin Brigit. Bullet Gal #5 charts Brigit’s origins from the poverty stricken backstreets of Paris to the gleaming metropolis of Heropa, where the blond bombshell consolidated her reputation at Sol’s side to become one of the most feared and dangerous women in Heropa.

From her impoverished upbringing on the outskirts of Paris, Brigit’s origin in Bullet Gal #5 reveals how her mother killed her father and quickly won over the Gendarme investigating the case, leading to a hastily arranged marriage – the second of many that would follow. Brigit’s school life was a torturous experience for her, fuelling her ruthless nature while her mother went on to marry five more times, each time to wealthy men who all shared remarkably short lifespans. As Brigit reached adulthood her mother’s accumulated wealth became too tantalising for her to resist, murder and faux tears ensued, and soon Brigit was on a clipper plane with a several million francs in her luggage and a new life ready for the taking in a brand new city called Heropa.

Birgit met the love of her life, Sol, in Heropa on the day the crime lord’s driver rear-ended the derriere of her prized Jaguar E type, earning him the wrath of her blade. Sol hired Brigit immediately, soon she’d established her reputation as Heropa’s deadliest assassin, dealing with Sol’s rivals, and ensuring the successful expansion of his business empire. Everything was going so well, until the arrival of “La Competition”, Bullet Gal!

Bullet Gal #5 provides a fascinating insight into Brigit’s character, who has been covertly observing Mizi’s every move for some time now, as she recollects moments from her past while preparing for her impending showdown with Bullet Gal. We learn the events that shaped her life, the darkness that twisted her soul, why she despises any rendition of ‘La Marseillaise’ – and discover how patient and fastidious she’s become at practicing her murderous trade. The story and art by Andrez Bergen effortlessly blends the events in this IF? Commix prequel series with flashbacks to Brigit’s past, offering an entirely new perspective on this bona fide femme fatale and her unpredictable psychotic tendencies as Brigit takes centre stage for this special issue.

Bergen’s striking art, with its noir-inspired visuals, a beautiful fusion of painting, digital enhancement, and enticingly stylised photomontage imagery, weaves a compelling, and dark tapestry from the defining moments of Brigit’s life. Bullet Gal #5 is a near perfect symbiotic fusion of story and art, one filled with a dark, disturbing, and almost sensual depiction of Brigit’s unflinching dedication to the work that she does so well. The scene where Brigit plans her strategy while examining her tried and trusted weapons of choice in the most private of moments, is as unnerving as is enticing, and the context of this scene in reflection of what has gone before sublimely entwines the twisted psyche of Heropa’s most famed assassin in our imagination.

Bullet Gal #5 also features an intriguing back-up story, featuring a bizarre exhumation in the twilight hours at Heropa General Cemetery, then we have a stunning pin-up of Brigit by artist Zamurai, and other fun edition of Dejavu at the Neon Bullpen. With its razor sharp characterisation, imaginatively conceived noir inspired world, and nods to Will Eisner and Brigitte Bardot, this issue of Bullet Gal is a gloriously dark and innovative addition to this excellent series.

Bullet Gal #5, is published in print form in October 2014 in Australia, along with the digital version, and available direct from the IF? Commix website.

FIND OUT MORE FROM IF? COMMIX VIA THEIR SITE:

iffybizness.weebly.com

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Doctor Who Flatline Review

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Christopher Fairbank, Clara Oswald, Danny, Doctor Who, Doctor Who Flatline, Doctor Who Series Eight, Douglas Mackinnon, Jamie Mathieson, Jenna Coleman, Jovian Wade, Matt Bardock, Peter Capaldi, Rigsy, Samuel Anderson, TARDIS, The 12th Doctor, The Boneless

Flatline

Review by Paul Bowler

[Contains Spoilers]

Strange alien creatures from another dimension, unknown even to the Doctor, are stalking a Bristol council estate and horrifically flattening their victims into the walls. When the TARDIS begins to shrink, trapping the Doctor inside, Clara must continue investigating without him. Separated from the Doctor, Clara uncovers a terrifying menace from a 2D dimension, entities that are breaking through into our reality. But how can you hide from a multi-dimensional enemy when even the walls cannot protect you? With people depending on her and the Doctor trapped, Clara must face a horror that exists beyond all human perception…

Flatline, the ninth episode of series eight, is written by Jamie Matheson (who also wrote Mummy on the Orient Express) and Directed by Line of Duty’s Douglas Mackinnon (Listen & Time Heist). This dark, menacing, and visually imaginative episode sees the Doctor and Clara confronted with the most uncanny aliens they’ve ever faced. Flatline really challenges the Doctor, he’s never encountered anything like this before, while Clara must take charge of the situation and find a way to deal with the multi-dimensional entities terrorising the estate – and the Doctor’s dimensionally transcendental predicament means he can’t help her.

Instead of returning Clara home the Doctor finds the TARDIS has materialised in Bristol. When forces begin leaching at external dimensions of the TARDIS, causing the time machine to shrink with the Doctor still inside, Clara has to take over. Using a special earpiece so the Doctor can follow events via her optic nerve, Clara essentially becomes the Doctor’s eyes and ears, with the TARDIS in her handbag, the psychic paper, and the sonic screwdriver at her disposal. Clara befriends graffiti artist Rigsy (Big School’s Joivan Wade), who is doing community service in the area, and learns about the mural in a pedestrian tunnel for the people that have gone missing.

Peter Capaldi is on fine form as the 12th Doctor in Flatline. It always makes for an interesting story when the Doctor is slightly in the dark about what’s going on, and with the Time Lord stuck inside the TARDIS for the majority of the episode he becomes completely reliant on Clara’s “Doctor Oswald” – which leads to some great banter between them when their roles effectively become reversed for the duration of this adventure. Jenna Coleman is also excellent in this episode as Clara, who is teamed with Joivan Wade‘s graffiti artist Rigsy in Flatline, and they both prove their worth against the dimensionally transcendental foes.

In a brilliantly spooky scene, Clara and Rigsy visit the home of Mr Heath, the first reported disappearance, where PC Forest (Jessica Hayles) becomes the entities next victim. Trapped in the same room where PC Forest’s nervous system is now imprinted on the wall, things are complicated even further when Clara receives an impromptu phone call from Danny (Samuel Anderson) as she’s trying to escape with Rigsy before the creatures can reach them. It also become apparent to the Doctor that Clara has been lying to him about Danny being ok with her continued adventures in the TARDIS, something the Time Lord is quick to point out to her.

The Doctor believes the forces dragging people into the walls are conducting experiments on their victims, testing, and dissecting them in order to better understand the three dimensions of our reality. When the entities start emerging from the mural in the pedestrian tunnel, wearing grotesque images of the people they’ve killed as camouflage, Clara, Rigsy, and the survivors from the council work party, Fenton (Auf Wiedersehen, Pet star Christopher Fairbank), Al (former Casualty actor Matt Bardock), and George (Raj Bajaj), flee to a train repair yard where the Doctor attempts to communicate with the aliens, but they are attacked again and forced to use the old disused Brunswick Line to escape.

This isn’t the first time the TARDIS has been affected by strange dimensional forces. In the 1964 story, Planet of the Giants, the 1st Doctor and his companions, along with the TARDIS, were all miniaturised to the size of an inch. The 2nd Doctor and Jamie had to evacuate the TARDIS in The Wheel in Space (1968) when a malfunction in the fluid link forced the Doctor to remove the Time Vector Generator, a special rod that makes the TARDIS dimensionally transcendental, which then caused the TARDIS interior to shrink rapidly. Mirroring the 12th Doctor’s predicament in Flatline, the TARDIS also shrank with the 4th Doctor still inside it in Logopolis (1981), when the calculations to fix the Chameleon Circuit were maliciously altered by the Master.

The monsters in Flatline are the Boneless, creatures that exist beyond the normal range of human perception, they are also able to shrink the exterior dimensions of the TARDIS and drain the time machines energy supplies. These bizarre multi-dimensional beings, so strange they even confuse the TARDIS, exist in the walls and can turn somehow humans into static two dimensional images, which they then use to emerge into our reality as horrifying three dimensional caricatures of their victims. I thought the special effects used here for the Boneless were utterly superb, the way the creatures moved was so inhuman, and I really liked how the story didn’t reveal everything about them – ensuring they remain chillingly mysterious and unexplained.

Finding their escape routes in the train tunnels have been flattened into two dimensions, things don’t look good for Clara and the others, especially when the creatures become three dimensional beings and begin hunting them down. The Doctor manages to provide Clara and her companions with a device to restore dimensions to get past one of the flattened doors, but in the confusion the miniature TARDIS gets accidentally knocked down a shaft, where it lands on another railway line. Using a brilliant “Adams Family” style plan to get the TARDIS clear of the oncoming train, the Doctor places the TARDIS into siege mode. After stopping the train and using it to ram the entities to buy them some more time, Clara and her friends, now joined by train driver Bill (James Quinn), must find a way to defeat this intangible menace. But with the Boneless closing in and life support failing inside the TARDIS, time is running out for them and the Doctor.

I really liked how Clara devised a plan with Rigsy to strike back at the Boneless by using his artwork, she manages to turn their enemies energies against them while also providing the TARDIS the energy it needs to return to its normal size. Peter Capaldi is superb during the final confrontation between the Doctor and the Boneless, Capaldi’s speech as he deals with these monsters is absolutely riveting, and sends shivers down the spine.

Flatline is another great story from Jamie Matheson, and he creates a really intriguing and highly original menace for this exciting episode. Even though Flatline is a Doctor-lite episode, Matheson has cleverly structured the plot around this, and the result, with Clara taking on the Doctor’s role, works really well. There are some very intense and scary scenes in Flatline, especially when the killer graffiti comes to life, and the impeccable Direction by Douglas Mackinnon keeps the action and suspense building at a cracking pace. With his innovative style, excellent pacing, and superb use of special effects, Douglas Mackinnon’s work on this eighth series of Doctor Who has been exceptional, and I sincerely hope he Directs more episodes in the future.

Flatline was a really, tense, and exciting episode. Featuring excellent performances from Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman, together with a good supporting cast of characters, and frightening monsters, Flatline is a real highlight of the eighth series. The stories conclusion was a little bit rushed, but overall I found Flatline to be a highly enjoyable adventure, and the coda with the mysterious Missy (Michelle Gomez) hinted that she’s has been keeping a very close eye on Clara indeed…

Images Belong BBC

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Doctor Who Mummy On The Orient Express Review

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Christopher Villers, Clara Oswald, Daisy Beaumont, David Bamber, Doctor Who, Doctor Who Mummy on the Orient Express, Doctor Who Series 8, Foxes, Frank Skinner, Jamie Mathieson, Janet Henfrey, Jenna Coleman, Paul wilmshurst, Peter Capaldi, TARDIS, The Doctor, The Foretold, The Mummy

Mummy on the Orient Express

Review by Paul Bowler

[Contains Spoilers]

The Doctor and Clara are travelling on the most beautiful train in history, the fabled Orient Express, but this is a train thundering across the stars on a voyage in the distant future – and a fearsome creature on board has begun killing the passengers. Once the helpless victim sees the terrifying Mummy they only have 66 seconds to live, there is no escape, and no reprieve. As the Doctor races against time to defeat this undead enemy, the train becomes stranded in space. Clara has seen the Doctor at his most ruthless and her now mind is made up, even if the Doctor figures out how to stop the Mummy, this will be their last adventure…

Mummy on the Orient Express sees the Doctor and Clara embark on their most dangerous adventure yet, in this exciting story written by Jamie Matheson (Being Human and Dirk Gently), and Directed by Paul Wilmhurst (Kill The Moon). The dark, menacing tone of series eight continues unabated, in this eighth episode, as the Doctor’s and Clara’s interstellar journey on the Orient Express, a faithful recreation of the original train travelling along hyperspace rails, where the Mummy has already killed Mrs Pitt (Janet Henfrey), and the passengers remain oblivious to its presence. Another death quickly follows and the Doctor’s little grey cells are soon called upon to solve the seemingly impossible mystery of the ghostly Mummy as it relentlessly stalks the train and its specially chosen passengers in search of its next terrified victim.

Jamie Matheson has crafted a wonderfully dark and macabre story, one that sublimely melds horror and sci-fi, to deliver a thrilling mystery with an uncanny supernatural twist. Set on a futuristic recreation of the Orient Express, the original setting of Agatha Christie’s 1934 novel Murder on the Orient Express, the Doctor and Clara soon find themselves embroiled in all the mystery, intrigue, and mayhem on board.

Knowing this trip will be their last hurrah, the Doctor and Clara are intent on enjoying their final adventure. Some time has passed since Clara’s outburst at the end of Kill the Moon. As they observe the majesty of the Magellan Black Hole with the other passengers, she explains to the Doctor that she doesn’t hate him, but she cannot continue to travel like this anymore. This beautiful scene conveys just how much their friendship means to them, despite their recent differences, with Clara’s “sad smile” speaking volumes as they seem to reach a poignant understanding here. After meeting the late Mrs Pitt’s distraught granddaughter, Maisie (Daisy Beaumont), the Doctor and Clara learn more from Captain Quell (David Bamber) about the elderly Mrs Pitt’s death and the Mummy. When the Doctor and Clara wind up exploring the train separately, the Time Lord enlists the help of chief engineer Perkins (Frank Skinner) and discusses the five thousand year old story of The Foretold and the mythical Mummy with Professor Moorehouse (Christopher Villers), while Clara and Maisie become trapped in a baggage car with a strange high-tech sarcophagus.

Peter Capaldi’s 12th Doctor doesn’t seem quite as fiercely intense during Mummy on the Orient Express, at times its almost like he’s challenging the essence of the 4th Doctor, highlighting the Doctor’s distinct alien qualities and manic eccentricities, and he even offers Professor Moorhouse a jelly baby at one point. Capaldi’s Doctor still dominates every scene he’s in and this episode once again showcases how unpredictable the 12th incarnation can be, but this time we also gain a startling insight into the Doctor’s reasoning for decisions that sometimes have to be made – especially when there are only bad choices and you still have to choose anyway.

After the Mummy strikes again the Doctor realises most of the passengers are scientific experts that have probably been gathered here by a being of tremendous power to study something. Following his announcement the train suddenly shudders to a halt and the hard light hologram façade of their carriage is transformed into a laboratory. The trains computer, Gus (John Sessions), explains that have been brought here to study the Foretold – along with the ancient scroll that somehow makes the Mummy appear in the immediate vicinity – informing them they must assess and contain the creature before it kills them so that its abilities can be reversed engineered.

Mummy on the Orient Express features an impressive guest cast: Frank Skinner is great as chief engineer Perkins, then we have the brilliant David Bamber as Captain Quell, along with Daisy Beaumont who plays distraught granddaughter Maisie, with Christopher Villers (Hugh Fitzwilliam from 1983’s 5th Doctor story The King‘s Demons) as Professor Moorhouse, the elderly Mrs Pitt is played by Janet Henfrey (Miss Hardaker in 1989‘s The Curse of Fenric), and the singer / songwriter Foexs performs a cover of Queen‘s Don’t Stop Me Now. As well as David Bamber‘s excellent performance as Captain Quell, I also thought Frank Skinner was really good as Perkins, and it was great to see the chief engineer and the 12th Doctor working together to solve the mystery of the Foretold in so many of the episodes most dramatic moments.

When the Doctor discovers the Foretold is drawn its victims weaknesses, targeting their illness or psychological state, it becomes apparent the creature moves them out of phase and leeches their energies away on a cellular level. Knowing that it’s likely Maisie will be next because of her trauma the Doctor gets Clara to bring Maisie to them, despite Clara’s reservations about lying to Maisie, and the Time Lord then takes the risk of implanting Masie’s mental issues into his own mind – effectively making him the Mummy’s next target so he can confront it. This isn’t the first time a Mummy has appeared in Doctor Who, the 4th Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith were menaced by lumbering servicer robots disguised as Mummies in Pyramids of Mars (1975), and the 11th Doctor fought against a Mummy-like creature in The Rings of Akhaten (2013). When the 12th Doctor is finally face to face with the Foretold in Mummy on the Orient Express, he asks it: “Are you my mummy?”, echoing the chilling words of the resurrected gas masked child in The Empty Child / The Doctor Dances (2005) as it searched the streets of London for its mother during the blitz.

The Mummy / Foretold (Jamie Hill) has a very unique and disquieting way of dispatching the passengers. Once this ethereal horror has clapped eyes on it victim, they only have 66 seconds to live, and nothing can save them from the Mummy’s wrath. This in no shambling terror that can be easily outrun. The fact that the Mummy can only be seen by those who are about to die make it seem even more threatening, and the way that it closes in on its horrified victim while everyone else is oblivious to their plight is brilliant. When the Doctor glimpses markings on the Foretold’s body he realises the scroll is actually a flag and the Foretold is really an ancient soldier from a long forgotten war that has become trapped by the malfunctioning technology that gives it advanced camouflage and teleportation abilities. Mummy on the Orient Express presents us with a creature that is grotesque, unstoppable, and utterly terrifying. The special effects are superb, the Mummy’s abilities are ghoulishly horrible, and it’s certainly one this seasons most memorable monsters.

Jenna Coleman’s character has undergone something of a reinvention over the course of series eight. We’ve seen Clara balancing her adventures with the Doctor and her life as a teacher at Coal Hill School; she’s also found romance with Maths teacher, and former-soldier, Danny Pink. However, everything was thrown into chaos when Danny and Courtney found out about the Doctor in The Caretaker, and when Clara was forced into making a life-changing decision to save the Earth in Kill the Moon her faith in the Doctor began to crumble.

Mummy on the Orient Express is another great episode for Clara. What began as her final adventure quickly becomes a situation that puts her danger again, and she angrily confronts the Doctor when he coerces her into brining Maisie to the lab and realises that Gus must’ve known about the Time Lord because of the force field around the TARDIS. After the Doctor manages to stop the Foretold by surrendering to it, the creature salutes him before it disintegrates, whereby Gus begins to expel the air from the carriage as the passengers have outlived their usefulness – leaving the Doctor only moments to rig a teleporter from the Foretold’s remains to save them.

The intriguing mystery of Gus and the unknown force that lured the Doctor and the other passengers to the train remains unresolved for now, although the Doctor does tell Clara that it has contracted him before, even phoning the TARDIS on one occasion – which probably refers to a call the 11th Doctor received in The Big Bang (2010).

Afterwards when Clara regains conspicuousness on a nearby planet, the Doctor sits with her and explains how they escaped from the train as they mull over recent events and the choices the Time Lord has had to make. I really like the ambiguity surrounding the Doctor’s explanation about how they escaped from the Orient Express, which exploded after the Doctor attempted to hack into Gus to find out about the mysterious force that brought everyone to the train, and this magical discussion with Clara certainly gives us plenty to ponder over.

Back in the TARDIS, the Doctor offers Perkins the chance to stay and maintain the time machines systems, but the engineer politely declines and bids them farewell. After Clara receives a phone call from Danny (Samuel Anderson), who believes this is her last adventure with the Time Lord, but the Impossible Girl makes a momentous decision after the call, one that results in her lying to Danny and the Doctor, when she decides to continue travelling with the Doctor. I don’t think any of us really believed that Clara’s adventures with the Doctor would end during Mummy on the Orient Express, however, after the way she likens the Doctor’s adventures to an addiction, it does make you wonder if the choice she that makes here might eventually come back to haunt her.

Mummy on the Orient Express is another fine addition to this eighth series, the story by Jamie Matheson is tense and exciting, and Director Paul Wilmhurst keeps the episode rattling along at a cracking pace. Peter Capaldi continues to impress on every level as the 12th Doctor, and Jenna Coleman gives another great performance as Clara. With its great sets, impressive guest cast, excellent special effects, and claustrophobic atmosphere this episode a real highlight of the season. There is a distinctly classic series feel about Mummy on the Orient Express, which also really plays to this episodes strengths, and the closing scenes between the Doctor and Clara also provides a deeply moving and emotional coda to this excellent episode.

Images Belong BBC

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Batman #35 Review

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Batman, Batman #35, Batman #35 Review, Batman Endgame, comics, Danny Miki, DCComics, FCO Plascencia, Greg Capullo, James Tynion IV, Justice League, Kelly Jones, Scott Snyder, The New 52

Batman #35

Review by Paul Bowler

A new chapter in the Dark Knight’s legacy begins in Batman #35, as writer Scott Snyder and artist Greg Capullo brings us their most epic story to date: Batman Endgame. With a mysterious gas attack right in the heart of Gotham City, a new base of operations and his oldest friends having seemingly turned against him, Batman must use the most extreme countermeasures of all… Together with its vast cast of characters and major life-changing events, Batman Endgame will challenge the Dark Knight’s resolve like never before – this is the story that could end him…

Following their reinterpretation of Batman’s origin with Zero Year, the critically acclaimed creative team of Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo bring us Batman Endgame, the story to end all Batman stories. Batman #35’s new story arc brings the series back to the present, where Batman Endgame is set during timeframe of the events and continuity that will be established after the conclusion of DC’s weekly series, Batman Eternal. Batman Endgame is Scott Snyder’s and Greg Capullo’s big story event for Batman’s 75th anniversary, and they’ve crafted their deadliest and most exciting adventure yet to celebrate this momentous landmark for the Dark Knight.

Batman #35, with its opulently crafted prologue and quick flash forward, gives us plenty to ponder over before Batman Endgame Part 1 begins in earnest in the present. With its subtle references to Zero Year and The Court of Owls, we rejoin Batman following a run in with the Scarecrow, where Scott Snyder quickly establishes a new set-up: Alfred is well on the road to recovery, its good to see his daughter, Julia, is still around too, and we also find that Bruce has moved into a new high-tech base in a very familiar part of the city.

From here Batman #35 hit’s the ground running and the excitement doesn’t let up for a moment! If anything, the no-holds-barred smack down that takes up the bulk of this issue is so well thought out, and so ingeniously clever, that you’ll be left thinking half way through the issue about how the hell Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo going to top this? That’s just in the first few pages, and you won’t have even finished the issue yet. Suffice it to say, this is a battle like no other you’ve ever seen before, and it makes you wonder what other contingence plans the Dark Knight might have secretly prepared for.

Greg Capullo’s art for Batman #35 is as breathtaking as ever, from the beautiful crafted opening, with stunning aerial views of Gotham, followed by a quick look round the new base of operations, Capullo throws us into the midst of Batman’s battle royal with the Justice League – and it’s a fight that will quite simply blow you away! Greg Capullo has gone all out for Batman’s slugfest with the Justice League, the action is fast and brutal, the “Justice Buster” suit is magnificent, and the way it functioned in this issue was brilliant. The inks by Danny Miki bring added texture and energy to every page, the scenes in the theatre look amazing, and the action feels even more intense with Miki’s excellent ink wok. FCO Plascencia’s colors enrich every page, with vivid hues for the aforementioned early glimpse of the theatre, through to the clinical opaqueness of the new base, and the battle with the Justice League sees FCO’s colors mirror each Leaguer’s abilities perfectly.

Batman #35 also features a backup story, The Pale Man, and the way this links into the main story arc of Endgame is ingeniously done, written by James Tynion IV, with fantastic art by Kelly Jones, and colors by Michelle Madsen, this dark tale follows the escape of five inmates from Arkham. Doctor Zaheer gets some late night visitors on her return home from Arkham Manor, tortured souls who each have a story they must divulge. The Pale Man is a frightening glimpse beyond the veil madness, James Tynion IV weaves a macabre web of intrigue here, which together with Kelly Jone’s art, creates a brooding atmosphere of gothic horror. A masterfully structured tale, it will be fascinating to see how these events will tie-in to the main arc of Endgame.

Its clear that from the outset that the landscape of and tone Batman Endgame is influenced and woven into the shared fabric the current bat-titles, while also drawing on elements established throughout Snyder’s and Capullo’s run; and Snyder ensures that everything knits seamlessly together in a way that’s easily accessible to new readers as well. Batman Endgame gets of to a great start with this issue, setting the groundwork for this epic to unfold, and delivering one hell of a shock ending that will catch you completely off guard. Batman #35 is the start of something really special; Snyder and Capullo have excelled themselves once again with this issue, and with its surprise ending Batman Endgame looks set to be one of their best stories ever!

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Doctor Who Kill The Moon Review

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12th Doctor, Clara Oswald, Courtney Woods, Danny Pink, Doctor Who, Doctor Who Kill The Moon, Doctor Who Series 8, Ellis George, Jenna Coleman, Kill The Moon, Paul wilmshurst, Peter Capaldi, Peter Harness, Samuel Anderson, TARDIS

Kill the Moon

Review by Paul Bowler

[Contains Spoilers]

After Courtney Woods figured out the Doctor’s secret in The Caretaker, the Time Lord finally grants the Coal Hill School pupil another opportunity to travel in the TARDIS when he offers Courtney the chance to visit the Moon in the future – despite Clara’s reservations. When the TARDIS arrives in 2049 the Doctor, Clara, and Courtney find themselves on a recycled NASA space shuttle with a crew on a suicide mission to blow up the Moon. The shuttle crash lands on the lunar surface, where they discover a derelict mining base full of corpses smothered in webbing. With horrible spider-like creatures scurrying in the darkness, a frightening dilemma must be faced, but when Clara needs the Doctor’s help the most her faith in the Time Lord is severely tested, leaving her wondering if this man she’s trusted so implicitly is really the hero she believed him to be…

Kill the Moon continues the darker, more mysterious tone of series eight, in this exciting seventh episode, from Peter Harness the writer of BBC One’s Wallander and the channels forthcoming adaptation of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, this story transports us to a time where the Moon has become a deadly threat to the Earth. Our nearest neighbour has changed somehow, growing denser, the effect on Earth has been devastating, and giant tidal surges threaten to wash away all of civilisation on the planet. Directed by Paul Wilmhurst (Whose many credits include Silent Witness, Law and Order UK, Strike Back, and DaVinci’s Demons) Kill The Moon is an incredibly tense and darkly atmospheric episode where what began as a straightforward trip into the future to allow Courtney to visit Earth’s satellite suddenly becomes an all-out battle for the survival of the human race.

From its adrenaline fuelled opening, as the space shuttle crash lands on the Moon, the Doctor, Clara, and Courtney are thrown into an uneasy alliance with the ships crew. The base, with its sinister webbed interior and gruesome dead bodies, heightens the tension even further as they explore and something ominous begins to stir in the shadows. Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman have built up a brilliant chemistry between the Doctor and Clara, the Time Lord’s friendship with his companion is brought into even sharper focus in Kill the Moon, especially when his actions during this episode give her real cause for concern about her future with the Doctor. Ellis George delivers another impressive performance as Courtney Woods, the Doctor’s newest travelling companion, and her first proper adventure in the TARDIS certainly opens Courtney’s eyes to the sights the universe has to offer – but she also discovers just how dangerous the Doctor’s and Clara’s adventures can become.

After learning the grisly fate of the Mexican crew of the mining base, the Doctor, Clara, Courtney and Lundvik become cornered by one of the creatures inside the base. When trying to evade the spider, Courtney is momentarily separated from the others and uses the antibacterial spray she had in the TARDIS to kill the vicious arachnid. Unnerved by her experience, Courtney wants to go home. The Doctor begrudgingly takes Courtney back to the TARDIS, where she passes the time by posting pictures of the Doctor on Tumblr. However, when Clara suggests to the Doctor they should leave as well because she’s been to the future and knows the Moon isn‘t destroyed, the Time Lord gravely reminds her there are some moments in time that even he cannot see – and this is one such grey area that whatever happens to the Moon hasn’t been decided yet.

The human astronauts are led by Captain Lundvik, played by Hermione Norris (Spooks, Cold Feet, Wire in the Blood, and In the Club), who together with her team: Duke (Tony Osoba, who also appeared as Lan in the 1979 story Destiny of the Daleks, and Kracauer in 1987’s Dragonfire), Henry (Phill Nice), and McKean (Christopher Dane), are determined to complete their mission and destroy the moon using the shuttles payload of nuclear bombs. Even though the Moon is threatening all life on Earth, when the Doctor discovers the secret within the satellites interior it brings him into conflict with Lundvik and Clara. When Courtney decides she wants to help the Doctor instructs her to use a special DVD that will bring the TARDIS to the mining base. As the surface of the Moon starts to break up the horrifying spider creatures swarm to the surface. The Doctor knows the time has come for him to depart in the TARDIS, leaving Clara, Courtney and Lundvik to make this momentous decision alone, even though his actions place them all in terrible danger.

The Moon has been a popular setting for many of the Doctor’s adventures, the second Doctor battled the Cybermen in The Moonbase (1967) and the Ice Warriors in The Seeds of Death (1969), the 3rd Doctor was sent to a penal colony on the Moon in Frontier in Space (1973), and in Smith and Jones (2007) the 10th Doctor and Martha Jones were transported (along with the Royal Hope Hospital) to the lunar surface where they faced the Judoon and a hungry Plasmavore. The production team returned to the scene of an old adventure to film Kill the Moon, travelling to Lanzarote, where the 5th Doctor story Planet of Fire was filmed in 1983, where the island featured as itself and also doubled for the volcanic plant of Sarn. Kill the Moon makes good used of this location, the stark volcanic landscape provides a really effective double for the lunar surface, and the finished result is seamlessly blended with visual effects to create some amazing scenery for the story.

The Doctor also uses a yo-yo to test the local gravity during this story, something the 4th Doctor did on the Nerva space station in The Ark in Space (1975), and he also practiced tricks with one in The Brain of Morbius (1976). Clara’s instance that she knows the Moon isn’t destroyed in the future mirrors a similar quandary raised by Sarah Jane Smith in The Pyramids of Mars (1975), where the journalist is certain Sutekh didn’t destroy the world in 1911 because she’s from 1980, and the 4th Doctor shows her an alternative time where Sutekh has in fact destroyed the world to illustrate why they can’t just leave in the TARDIS.

The spiders in Kill the Moon are a really creepy and menacing. For the most part they actually keep to the shadows, emanating an unsettling clicking sound as they stalk their prey, before suddenly leaping out to attack. After Courtney manages to kill one the Doctor examines the Prokaryotic Unicellular Life form, and when the Time Lord discovers traces of amniotic fluid on the lunar surface, his suspicions are later verified by a scan of the Moon’s interior. The spiders are like a kind of bacteria, and they’ve been living on a much the larger creature that’s been growing and evolving inside the Moon itself. The Moon isn‘t just breaking up, it’s actually hatching, the Moon is a gigantic egg and a new life form is about to be born into the universe.

Clara faces a life-changing situation to make for all humanity when it seems like the Doctor has abandoned them. With Lundvik’s help, Clara manages to send a message to Earth, one that is broadcast worldwide, where she asks everyone on the planet to help them decide – by either turning their lights to off destroy the Moon with the nuclear bombs or keep them on to allow the creature to hatch and survive. When they see the lights go out around the world, Lundvik arms the bombs, but Clara stops the countdown at the last moment. The Doctor returns and takes them back to Earth in the TARDIS, where they witness the Moon break up as the beautiful winged creature emerges – leaving something very special behind for the Earth as it flies off into the depths of space.

The Doctor knew this was a decision that only humanity could make, he couldn’t do it for them, and he was sure Clara would make the right choice in the end. From this point onwards, during the mid 21st century, the events of this day would inspire humanity to reach out to the stars, and they would ultimately set out to explore the universe. After returning Courtney to school, the Doctor is ready to set of on another adventure, but Clara brings the TARDIS to a halt and angrily confronts the Time Lord about what happened. Jenna Coleman is absolutely terrific in this scene, Clara’s furious diatribe even catches the Doctor off guard, and after she’s stormed out of the TARDIS it doesn’t take Danny Pink (Samuel Anderson) long to figure out what’s happened and offer his advise as he knows all too well what she’s going through because of his experiences in the army.

The Doctor’s reasoning for leaving Clara, Courtney and Lundvik on the Moon, telling them it’s their choice, is quite unlike anything we’ve seen the Time Lord do before in this kind of situation. Kill the Moon highlights just how alien and detached this 12th incarnation can be. Peter Capaldi is magnificent in this episode and the Time Lord’s actions here are sure to have long lasting repercussions for the rest of series eight.

Kill the Moon is a dark, thrilling, and emotional roller coaster ride of an episode from Peter Harness. Peter Capaldi, Jenna Coleman, and Ellis George all deliver brilliant performances in this episode, they make a great team, which makes the resolution of the crisis at the heart of this adventure seem all the more bitter sweet as a result. Paul Wilmhurst’s excellent direction masterfully builds the tension and suspense during the first half of the episode. The dark and sinister atmosphere is heightened even further when the spiders emerge, the Doctor’s and Clara’s friendship is tested to breaking point, and Wilmhurst keeps piling on the shocks and scares right up until the climatic final scenes that will leave you wondering where the Doctor and Clara can go from here.

Images Belong BBC

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Bullet Gal #4 Review

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Andrez Bergen, Bullet Gal, Bullet Gal #4, Depth Charging Ice Planet Goth, IF? Commix, Mizi, Tales to Admonish, The Crime Crusaders Crew, Tobacco Stained Mountain Goat, Who is Killing the Great Capes of Heropa?

Bullet Gal #4

Review by Paul Bowler

Bullet Gal #4 is the latest issue in the IF? Commix book series from Australian author Andrez Bergen, writer of the superhero noir-themed detective novel Who is Killing the Great Capes of Heropa? , and the IF ? Commix book series Tales to Admonish. With the recent release of his new novel, Depth Charging Ice Planet Goth and the graphic novel Tobacco Stained Mountain Goat, the latest issue of Japan based writer Andrez Bergen’s IF? Commix book series, Bullet Gal #4, will be published in print form in October 2014 in Australia.

Bullet Gal is the popular character that has featured in many of Andrez Bergen’s previous works, this new ongoing prequel series has introduced us to Mizi, the trigger-happy teen armed with two polished nickel, pearl-handled Star 9mm revolvers, who has travelled to Heropa to embark on her personal battle against organised crime. Mizi’s actions brought her to the attention of Lee, a mysterious cape (Super-Powered type), and Mizi later accepted his offer to begin training so she could join The Crime Crusaders Crew.

However, with her appetite for wanton destruction and a double-shot strong espresso, Mizi’s war against crime has affected the rackets of vicious gang leader Sol, who then sent his personal assassin and lover, French femme fatale Brigit, to spy on Bullet Gal while they conspire to destroy her. But when Mitzi discovered Lee actually had seven identical doppelgangers, a sniper called the Big Game Hunter struck as Mitzi confronted Lee in the apartment, a shot rang out, and now Bullet Gal must deal with the aftermath this fateful shooting. With her enemies closing in, Mitzi finally uncovers the truth about the Lee, and soon our heroine will have to decide if she will continue to fly solo or choose another path…

Bullet Gal #4 begins with a shocking tragedy for Mizi, as the real target of Big Game Hunter’s bullet is revealed. It’s a defining moment for Mizi and the series itself, one that ruthlessly dashes our preconceptions, to deliver an audacious twist that few could have expected. Death to the Eighth Degree is a dark, emotional, trek into the clandestine machinations of Bergin’s intricately structured universe, as the ominous rain-swept metropolis of Heropa begins to divulge its secrets in this, Bullet Gal’s darkest hour.

Mizi has witnessed death many times, but this rocks her to the core, so when Mizi encounters another of Lee’s doppelganger’s after the harrowing funeral, she finally gets to vent her anger at being deceived. These scenes in the bar, where Mizi, fuelled by half a dozen glasses of Bollinger, confronts this new dead ringer for Lee (one of the remaining 7 doubles) is a heartfelt mixture of pent up fury and sorrow as Lee explains the stark reality of the subdivision that created both him and his fellow duplicates – along with the individual quirks and personalities of each persona. While this version may not be “her” Lee, he actually seems closer to Mizi’s temperament than his predecessor, possessing a droll demeanour and dry sense of humour, and the way that she sums up the differences between the duplicates is bang on the money.

With its compelling story and art by Andrez Bergen, this issue of Bullet Gal is one of the most emotionally charged instalments to date. Bergen’s distinctive artistic style is really brought to the fore here, as he builds the noir-infused atmosphere within a richly textured a mix of photomontage, painting, and digital techniques: from the aftermath of a bullets trajectory through a window, we feel the heartbreak of a punch line lost on a dying breath, to the bleakness of a funeral, and a bittersweet revelation in a back street bar, Bullet Gal #4’s mesmerising blend of noir crime caper and wry sci-fi punk is utterly sublime.

Bullet Gal #4 features a number of added extras: including a terrific Bullet Gal pin up page from Italian artist Giovanni Ballati, the Bullet Gal story All Fur Coat no Knickers (Written by Andrez Bergen & with art by Matt Kyme) originally presented in Tales To Admonish #2, the poster for the graphic novel Tobacco Stained Mountain Goat, a feature on one of the Lee’s dressed as Major Patriot, and another fun instalment of Dejavu At the Neon Bullpen.

Events move at a brisk pace in this issue, as Mizi discovers the truth about Lee, and has to face the most difficult decision of her life. Everything she’s trained for is about to come to fruition, new allies are found, while old enemies are ready to strike, its time for Mizi to accept her destiny, the question is, will she accept the offer that‘s on the table? Bullet Gal #4 is a stunningly crafted and excellent new issue from Andrez Bergen’s IF? Commix book series. The world Bergen has created here is dark and enticing; making it an uncanny fusion of storyline and art, and this lavish noir style adventure continues to draw us ever further into the shadowy world of Heropa and its fascinating cast of characters.

 

Bullet Gal #4, is published in print form in October 2014 in Australia, along with the digital version, and available direct from the IF? Commix website.

FIND OUT MORE FROM IF? COMMIX VIA THEIR SITE:

iffybizness.weebly.com

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