Tuesday 29 March 2011

Spooky Alaska - X-Files vs 30 Days of Night


There are only really a few full on sins in the world. George Clooney as Batman...and that whole series of Batman films, Superman, I mean really - waste of a Superhero and so unbelievably predictable. "Oh no, I've fallen, oh actually it's OK this rock isn't made of Kryptonite". Also, Mr Kent, you may have noticed that most of the evil underworld looking to take you and your super buffed up posse on, they mostly have PHDs SO, with that annoying dog of yours being called Krypto it doesn't take much for them to start thinking of links to your weakness DONT HELP THEM. God I hate Superman. Anyway. Oh yeas, and also X-Files series 9.

Throughout X-Files, regardless of everything she saw and experienced, Scully was never a believer. There was always the scientist inside her just screaming that side of rational explanation to make her counter whatever she had just seen. As soon as Mulder goes...."Oh, I believe". It is also clear, it was never the same without Mulder, which is why the majority of the fans were pleading for one more hit, one more fix of Mulder and Scully. That they got in the new X-Files film 'I Want To Believe'.

Whilst this satisfied some X-Files fans, for instance my buddy Jim who was mostly happy because he got to see Scully on a boat in a bikini at the end, it didn't quite hit the spot with all. For instance myself. Due to goings on in the series, they weren't really able to bring Mulder back as he was. So whilst it was Mulder and Scully, it wasn't 'classic' them. So this has always left me wanting more....

.......until now.....

From September 2010 to February 2011, IDW ran a six part X-Files comic series. With a clash of another Sci-Fi favorite. 30 Days of Night.

Writer of the cult film, '30 Days of Night', Steven Niles teamed up with one of the top metal guitarists of our time, whom placed ninth in Guitar World's Top 100 Greatest metal Guitarists, Adam Jones. Jones is regularly credited for a majority of Tool's music videos. Thus creating a partnership seemingly capable of delivering what perhaps the remaining unhappy fans were waiting for.


The artwork has been done by Tom Mandrake, you may recognize the name from Marvel's 'Call of Duty: The Precinct', and his techniques and talents have bought the gritty, evil work at hand in Alaska to life in brilliant form.

The story line is a tense thriller keeping you hooked and wanting to be able to pick up the next one very quickly and has a perfect level of gruesome horror to satisfy both 30 Days of Night and X-Files fans, with some wonderful art work on the....unfortunate endings of some...

Mulder and Scully have been captured in their best form throughout the comic. Forget the last film, throw away the last two series, around about then. That is the Mulder and Scully in this comic, back to their true form, sharp as ever with the 'Mulderisms' and investigating the kind of case that best suits their odd attraction as a team.

During the second week of darkness in Wainwright, Skinner sends the meddling duo in to investigate, and hopefully stop whatever is happening. Now, we all know thanks to the twisted mind of Niles, what is going on - but can Mulder and Scully find out and stop it before it's too late? There is only one way to find out.....that's right...get yourself down to Frog Bros and order all six issues now!!

And tell 'em I sent you!!

Got a face like a Jigsaw? Got a death wish? Wanna really annoy a crazy vigilante? Then you could take lessons, and the best place to start is when I review Marvel's five part series of 'Punisher: In The Blood next week!..

www.frogbros.com

Thursday 24 March 2011

who you gonna call? - Ghostbusters Infestation


911 can’t help you. You’ve no choice. Nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide. If you want help, it’s time to call 555-2368.

Dunnnnaddduunnnnaaaaddduuunnnnnaaaaadddduuunnnnnaaaaa dada dadala DA DA (repeat, hum, bounce, sing out loud……then come back to me and carry on reading)

With Columbia University far, far behind them, the geek inside all of us has been crying out for another instalment of those cheeky, troublesome, proton pack shooting scientists. The third film…well that’s basically never going to happen, with Bill Murray even saying they’re too old. The game though was another example of Dan Aykroyd an Harold Ramis as accomplished writers and although was a fantastic game, left us all disappointed at no film. This left something. Something needed. Something that geek inside will never rest until they get. And Erik Burnham has now bought us the answer.

Released through IDW, my hopes for the story of Ghostbusters Infestation dropped immediately when I saw it wasn’t written by Aykroyd and Ramis, but I was curious so I purchased volume one and scurried on home with it wrapped in my arms like a small and delicate baby protecting it from the nasty rain drops of Bournemouth.

Upon reading I decided, Burnham has either found a secret lab and injected himself with the sacred blood of a paranormal exterminator or, and possibly most likely, been captured so many times by the stream crossing gang, he has had time to research their styles.

The story has been impressively written and once you start reading you are lost in it so much it feels as though it is being acted out by the original crew right in front of your eyes. Each character has their persona captured as efficiently as a ghost in the Ecto-Containment Unit. For example, in volume two, Peter shouts “Ray, I told you, Egon does the math before we do the crazy things! I swear this is gonna be Coney Island all over again!” when Ray is excited about getting to use a new toy.

And what characters there are that turn up. As well as the usual gang of Egon, Ray, Peter and Winston, they are joined by charismatic receptionist Janine and the Marshmallow man to name a few.

Burnham’s work has been bought to life to your eyes by Kyle Hotz, famous for his ‘creepy style’ which has seen him previously illustrate such characters as Ghost Rider. The artwork is seriously something to keep you staring at each page of the comic for hours before remembering you have to read the rest of the story. Hotz has pulled off a fantastic portrayal of all the characters, whilst adding a slight, almost dark, edge to each of them, and for this story the art and script are perfectly matched.

So, what is it about then? The atmosphere is a little tense within the Ghostbusters camp as they have a hell of a lot of poltergeists….and nowhere to put them. With the amount of energy needed to contain them, there isn’t enough in the power so they’ve had to stay in the traps in the basement of an old fire station for the time being. This seems to be the least of the gangs worries though as, whilst they are arguing, soulless ‘men’ are starting to reign on their city and cause them no end of trouble. Just when things couldn’t get much worse a devil woman and a familiar, but not so friendly giant marshmallow turn up…but is there someone to take him on and has he finally met his match? To answer that question you wil simply have to buy both volumes.

The two part comic is a must have for any comic book fan, especially if you happen to combine that love with the paranormal exterminators (and I still don’t think I have met one comic book fan that doesn’t like the Ghostbusters). The writing is enough to make Aykroyd and Ramis consider adopting Burnham as their love child, and the artwork will keep you hooked and open up the comic fan within you once again to want to dust off the sleeves of the ones hiding under your bed and re-visit some of your favourite friends.

So come on, once, for me…..all together now….who you gonna call?

FROG BROS!

That is right my pedigree chums, get yourself on that blower – volume one was released on 9 March with volume two released today (23 March). Let’s be honest, the weather has been rather lovely recently…so go on…treat yourself…..

Now, one last question. What happens if you cross Mulder and Scully with 30 Days of Night? Come back for next week’s review to find out!

www.frogbros.com

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frog bros comics and books, this is a blog all about well comics and books. We do deal in both but this is not a forum for us to peddle any crap... if it's not good we'll tell you and if something rocks our boat, well we'll tell you that too.