The new trailer for Revolution of the Daleks is here at last! The Thirteenth Doctor and the fam are back to kick-off 2021 with a special action-packed episode on New Year’s Day – Revolution of the Daleks!
When we last saw the Thirteenth Doctor at the end of series 12 she was trapped in a high-security alien prison. Now in this upcoming festive special episode, Yaz, Ryan and Graham are on Earth and continuing their lives without her. But a threat involving a Dalek is brewing. Can the Doctor escape her prison and how will her friends fight a Dalek without the Doctor’s help? Fortunately Captain Jack’s back, but even with his help the Doctor and her friends are about to face their greatest challenge of all time…
Staring Jodie Whittaker (The Doctor), Bradley Walsh (Graham), Mandip Gill (Yaz) and Tosin Cole (Ryan), with a guest cast featuring John Barrowman MBE as Captain Jack, along with Chris Noth as Jack Robertson, stage and screen star Dame Harriet Walter also makes her Doctor Who debut with TV star Nathan Stewart-Jarrett (The Trial of Christine Keeler).
Revolution of the Daleks will air on New Year’s Day 2021, the special episode is a standalone episode and direct sequel to Resolution, and marks the debut of a special new Dalek design.
Hi, I’m Paul Bowler, blogger and reviewer of films, TV shows, and comic books. I’m a Sci-Fi geek, a big fan of Doctor Who, Star Trek, movies, Sci-Fi, Horror, Comic Books, and all things PS4.You can follow me on Twitter @paul_bowler,or at my website, Sci-Fi Jubilee, and on YouTube and Facebook
The Man Without Fear gets ready to face the music in Daredevil #24 (Truth / Dare Part 4) as his trial for murdering Leo Cararo looms. Ironically, Matt Murdock is only just Back in the Red as Daredevil following the chaos wrought on Hell’s Kitchen by the Stormwyns, and with the citizens of the city looking for someone to hold accountable Matt’s crime-fighting return might soon be over before its even begun.
Daredevil #24 is a masterclass in storytelling from writer Chip Zdarsky that sees Matt and the ensemble cast, both friend and foe alike, run a gauntlet of frayed emotions and angst as Daredevil’s trial approaches. With the erstwhile Mayor Fisk now considered a hero in the eyes of New York’s citizens, Matt has been moved into making plans of his own to ensure the safety of Hell’s Kitchen from the threat of Fisk’s corporate and criminal machinations with the imminent likelihood that Daredevil will probably soon be behind bars. Daredevil has already enlisted Spider-Man’s help to put the frighteners on a meeting of the crime families where Wilson Fisk appointed Izzy Libris as the new Kingpin of New York City, and asked Tony Stark to gain board approval to bid in the property auction for Hell’s Kitchen to keep it out of Fisk’s clutches.
Matters have been complicated by Foggy Nelson decision to go behind Matt’s back to recruit not just Kirsten McDuffie into DD’s legal defence team, but also calling in Mike Murdock – Matt’s twin brother — to pose as Matt himself during the trial as Daredevil takes the stand. As if all that wasn’t’[t enough for Matt to deal with Mayor Fisk has also made a dangerous new ally, Typhoid Mary! Zdarsky juggles all these plot threads and characters with consummate ease throughout this issue. For a superhero who is blind like Daredevil there’s a certain irony to be had in having the supporting characters spending most of this issue wrestling with own inner conflicts and emotions to such a degree that it consequently makes them all essentially blind to the secrets, lies and uncomfortable home truths right under their noses — which is all frankly genius scripting from Chip Zdarsky.
The Devil’s in the detail and that certainly the case here as the art for this issue of Daredevil is handled by penciler Mike Hawthorne, inker JP Mayer and color artist Mattia Iacono who collectively render the numerous scenes and character perspective with a striking level of detail, exciting page layouts, and bold colors. The fallout from Matt and Kirsten’s relationship resonates especially powerfully throughout, and the art beautifully encapsulates this integral driving force of the issues richly compelling narrative. The loneliness of Daredevil’s plight is also wonderfully depicted as Matt ponders the fate of Hell’s Kitchen alone on a rooftop, the courtroom is a veritable who’s who of friends and foes, and we even get a masked, suited and booted look for Daredevil as he prepares to face justice in this remarkably illustrated issue.
I can’t begin to tell you how much I’ve enjoyed Chip Zdarsky’s run on Daredevil since the tiles 2019 relaunch. He’s taken Matt Murdock on a dark journey, turned all the familiar DD tropes on their head, and woven a masterpiece of interconnected story arcs and unexpected character beats into a rich narrative that has ultimately lead to this point. Daredevil #24 is a stylish blend of courtroom drama, shady scheming, and emotional drama with the fate of Hell’s Kitchen at stake and only a whisper of hope remaining for Daredevil as his trial begins. Highly recommend.
Hi, I’m Paul Bowler, blogger and reviewer of films, TV shows, and comic books. I’m a Sci-Fi geek, a big fan of Doctor Who, Star Trek, movies, Sci-Fi, Horror, Comic Books, and all things PS4.You can follow me on Twitter @paul_bowler,or at my website, Sci-Fi Jubilee, and on YouTube and Facebook
The Dark Knight and Ghost-Maker clash in Batman #103 and only one will walk away as Gotham’s hero! After a slow build up things now take a dramatic turn in Ghost Stories Part 3 as writer James Tynion IV ramps up the action and suspense. The idea of Bruce having a childhood rival who has lived, trained, and taken the same crime-fighting path as him is an intriguing one and this issues flashback to their confrontation in the Gobi desert further illustrates how their choices have inevitably brought them to this moment.
However, while Ghost-Hunter believes Bruce’s emotions make hm weak, Bruce clearly doesn’t, and it is this key difference in their crime-fighting natures that will undoubtably prove crucial moving forward, Tynion has really changed the landscaper of Gotham since Joker War. Lucius Fox now controls the majority of the Wayne fortune, Batman has less resources at his disposal, the citizens of Gotham are calling for Punchline to be released from prison, and Clownhunter has set his sights on taking out Harley Quinn who is trying to get her life back on track in the aftermath of Joker War.
Fortunately Batman still has the rest of the Bat-Family on side, including Barbara Gordon in he role as Oracle, but even she cannot get past Ghost-Hunter’s intricate Ghost-Net to uncover anything about this new threat to Gotham. With artistic duties for Batman #103 handled by Carlo Pagulayan & Danny Miki, Guillem March and colorist David Baron, the look and pace of the issue holds together very well, and overall the issue is packed with detail and awash with vivid colors that nicely accentuates the action. Batman going toe to toe with Ghost-Hunter is every bit the action-packed spectacle you’d expect, Harley Quinn’s moments of reminiscing in her run-down apartment and subsequent fight with Clownhunter are the big highlight though, and I really like how Harley is becoming one of the most interesting additions to Tynion’s ensemble cast for this book.
The introduction of Ghost-Hunter has delivered a compelling new villain for Batman to face following Joker Wars turbulent fallout on Gotham, and the shared history between them offers a wealth of possibilities to explore. Ghost-Hunter has only been in Gotham for less than a day and he’s already been on a one-man crime-busting spree, but as he soon finds out, in Batman’s world everything isn’t always as cut and dried as it first seems. With familiar faces and a cast of colourful new character all jostling for attention, Batman #103 brings a frenetic mix action and exposition into this story-arc. It’s an exciting issue for sure, I just hope Tynion can maintain the momentum and keep all these plates spinning.
Publisher DC Comics
Writer James Tynion IV
Artists Carlo Pagulayan & Danny Miki, Guillem March
Hi, I’m Paul Bowler, blogger and reviewer of films, TV shows, and comic books. I’m a Sci-Fi geek, a big fan of Doctor Who, Star Trek, movies, Sci-Fi, Horror, Comic Books, and all things PS4.You can follow me on Twitter @paul_bowler,or at my website, Sci-Fi Jubilee, and on YouTube and Facebook
The darkest, most macabre confrontation imaginable awaits Peter Parker in The Amazing Spider-Man #52 as the wall crawler comes face-to-face with the new villain – Kindred! As Kindred reveals his true power to Spider-Man, horrors past and present are unleashed, and Spidey begins realise the terrible danger he’s in!
Having failed to secure the help of Doctor Strange last issue Spider-Man decided to take the fight directly to Kindred himself, but it’s a decision Peter might come to regret as their showdown unfolds. With a gathering of high profile skeletal remains for Kindred’s ghoulish tea party from hell, including George Stacy, Jean Dewolf, Marla Jamerson, Flash Thompson, Gwen Stacy, and Ben Parker, writer Nick Spencer ramps up the horror quota of Kindred’s vendetta to the max in Spider-Man #52 to such a degree that its positively skin-crawling. The way Kindred taunts and goads Spidey before brutally pummelling him to a pulp is done with almost surgical precision, and its not long before our friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man finds the tables have been horrifically turned on him.
Kindred has been plotting and scheming from the shadows for much of Spencer’s run, having first killed Mendel Stromm and then Mysterio, Kindred went on to resurrect Sin Eater to cleanse criminals of their sins — including Norman Osborne (the Green Goblin). Last Remains kicked off with Kindred sending these collective sins after Spider-Man’s Spider-Friends, Spider-Gwen, Spider-Woman, Spider-Girl, Miles Morales, and Madame Web, transforming them into twisted demonic version of themselves in order to unleash carnage on Peter and terrorise New York City. It is this demonic version of The Order of the Web that Kindred now uses against Spider-Man in this issue with almost frightening relish, and effetely forces him into a fateful no-win scenario.
Patrick Gleason’s artwork is a perfect fit for The Amazing Spider-Man. Employing a dynamic blend of overlapping page layouts and spectacular two-page spreads to convey the horror and intensity of Spidey’s face-off with Kindred, Gleason renders every moment of raw emotion, grisly horror and bone crunching action to perfection. Every scene is packed with detail and colourist Edgar Delgado enhances the action with a glorious use of vivid color, rich tones, and sinister shadows.
Everything builds towards a shock cliff-hanger which is brilliantly ambiguous and shockingly chilling. Grim thrills and intense action makes Amazing Spider-Man #52 riveting reading, Nick Spencer is firing on all cylinders here, and Patrick Gleason’s art continues to impress on every level. The creative team on this book are doing a fantastic job and Last Remains is easily one of the most darkly compelling Spider-Man storylines that I’ve enjoyed in a long while.
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writer: Nick Spencer / Artist: Patrick Gleason
Colorist: Edgar Delgado / Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramanga
Hi, I’m Paul Bowler, blogger and reviewer of films, TV shows, and comic books. I’m a Sci-Fi geek, a big fan of Doctor Who, Star Trek, movies, Sci-Fi, Horror, Comic Books, and all things PS4.You can follow me on Twitter @paul_bowler,or at my website, Sci-Fi Jubilee, and on YouTube and Facebook
The cross-dimensional saga X of Swords continues apace in X-Men #14 as writer Jonathan Hickman delivers the long awaited reckoning between Apocalypse and his wife, Genesis!
As events go this year’s epic crossover X of Swords has been vast in scale, it has encompassed the entire X-Men comics range, and brought a series of startling revelations to the fore. The X-Men champions of the Mutant nation of Krakoa have been chosen to retrieve ancient swords before their participation in a tournament against the champions of Arakko, led by Genesis, and their children, the first horsemen and now sword-bearers of Arakko! As the champions gathered at the Starlight Citadel Apocalypse learned that the fearsome Annihilation, ruler of Arakko, is actually his long lost wife genesis!
Last issue virtually retconned everything we once knew about Apocalypse. In X-Men #14 we get another perspective on those events as Genesis meets him on the eve of the coming battles to recount the history of Arakko. Its a spellbinding blend of legends, world-building, conflict and heartbreak as Genesis’ story unfolds. We see how Krakoa and Arakko were torn apart across the dimensions, the subsequent wars that followed raged on, and witness Genesis’ salvation ultimately became her own cosmic hubris. One of the most compelling aspects of the mutant amnesty on the island of Krakoa – established during House of X and Power of X – is how it allowed for a far more sympathetic and insightful portrayal of Apocalypse. X of Swords has continued the renaissance of Apocalypse which has now become a cornerstone of Hickman’s X-Men run. The reunion with his wife Genesis in this issue is fraught with emotion and tension, indeed, this is probably the most intricate character development the ancient mutant has ever undergone.
Featuring art by Mahmud Asrar and Leinil Francis Yu, and colors by Sunny Gho, X-Men #14 is a visual cornucopia of beautifully rendered scenes, lush gardens bloom with opulence, while magnificent battles unfold across vast landscapes as magic and legends entwine as one. The attention to detail Asrar and Yu have lavished on this issue is quite staggering, every page is packed with detail, and Sunny Gho’s vibrant colors encapsulate the epic scope of the story perfectly.
This issue of X-Men effectively bring us to the midway point in the X of Swords saga. As a whole the event has been sound enough, in concept at least, but the sprawling nature of the narrative has also seen it veer alarmingly between grandiose storytelling and pretentious twaddle at times. So far X of Swords has hardly been essential reading. A lot of far more compelling plot threads have been effectively sidelined to accommodate this crossover event as well. However, now that we are getting to the nitty gritty of the story perhaps X of Swords will take a turn for the better once the tournament begins and the combatants clash – with the fate of Krakoa and Arakko resting on the outcome.
We now see how the shared history of Apocalypse and Genesis has forged the evens leading into X of Swords (which in some instances even reach back as far as X-Men #2), its tragic how Genesis fell to the corruption of Annihilation, and inevitably a titanic showdown between them is now on the cards at some point. X-Men #14 brings some much needed elucidation to X of Swords somewhat contrived storyline, its gorgeously illustrated throughout, and stands as a compelling character piece in its own right.
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writer: Jonathan Hickman /Art: Mahmud Asrar & Leinil Francis Yu
Color Artist: Sunny Gho /Letterer: VC’s Clayton Cowles
Design: Tom Muller /Cover: Leinil Francis Yu & Sunny Gho
Hi, I’m Paul Bowler, blogger and reviewer of films, TV shows, and comic books. I’m a Sci-Fi geek, a big fan of Doctor Who, Star Trek, movies, Sci-Fi, Horror, Comic Books, and all things PS4.You can follow me on Twitter @paul_bowler,or at my website, Sci-Fi Jubilee, and on YouTube and Facebook
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