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Welcome to Pulp's Tumblr. Pulp is an ongoing column in Forte Magazine written by a twenty-something with an obsession for all things comic-related!

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Pulp 25 - Batman: Noel

Alastair: 

If you’re as obsessed with comics as Cameron and I are, you pretty much read them all year round. No breaks. Ever. Not that it’s unhealthy or anything; we just really like comics. It’s not a problem. We swear! As we wind down for the year and get ready for the Christmas/New Year break, I figured I’d get festive and look for some Christmas-themed stuff to ramble on about because hey – it’s Christmas, and you can’t NOT talk about Christmas. Nothing really stood out at first, and I had a lot of trouble deciding what I was going to talk about. Then, I remembered that Batman: Noel – the perfect blend of Batman and Christmas – exists. Perfect!

Released back in 2011, Batman: Noel is written and illustrated by Lee Bermejo, best known for his work with Brian Azarello on Joker and the more recent Before Watchmen: Rorschach (the only Before Watchmen comic I bothered to read!). Primarily a DC writer/artist, Bermejo got his big break working as an intern for Jim Lee’s Wildstorm Productions. Bejermo is given a (mostly) glowing review by Jim Lee himself, which is usually a good sign.

Batman: Noel is basically the DC version of the classic Dickens tale, A Christmas Carol. DC has placed its characters in the roles of the original cast, and for the most part it works really well. Batman is Scrooge, all angry and pigheaded – of course, like the original tale he reforms in the end. Catwoman makes for an interesting Ghost of Christmas Past; the long and off-again-on-again romance serves as a great reminder of Batman’s history as a comic. What really interested me, however, was Bejermo’s portrayal of Superman as the Ghost of Christmas Present. In comparison to the ever-dark and brooding Batman, Superman literally glows with warmth. In such a cold, dreary world, this portrayal of the Man of Steel absolutely nails what he’s about.

Speaking of Bejermo’s art – wow. Just wow. There has been criticism of Bejermo’s art (“the realistic style detracts from the comic feel” etc.) but I have to disagree. The first few pages – featuring Gotham’s skyline and Batman running across the rooftops – are nothing short of spectacular, and Bejermo’s version is probably my favourite depiction of Gotham to date.

The story doesn’t change all that much from the original tale – the characters might be different, but there’s parallels everywhere. That’s not to say that Bejermo’s writing doesn’t add to the story, but it becomes so blended with the original story that it can be hard to distinguish anything original. The content is there, but I feel like it could stand out more. There’s interesting insight into the life of Joker’s goons, too – the Noel equivalent of Bob Cratchit shows what it’s like to be desperate, as well as showing just how terrifying the Bat can be when he wants to.

All up, Batman: Noel is the perfect comic to read this Christmas – while it might appear to be just a comic version of A Christmas Carol, this is an awesome take on the tale, and Batman in general. Do yourself a favour and pick it up.

Have yourselves an awesome Christmas!

[pulponline]

Pulp 24 - Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

This one is also all Cameron. Ah, the joys of alternating weeks. Cameron: 

You know who’s cool? Robert Downey, Jr. Outside of his incarceration and addictions he’s been in some pretty fantastic movies, the most recent of which was Iron Man 3. The latest instalment of the Iron Man franchise was directed by Shane Black, and you know who’s also cool? Shane Black. The guy wrote Lethal Weapon which is the textbook definition of perfect movie and he was in the main cast of Predator and Night of the Creeps. Are you even kidding me? There are polar ice caps that will never be as cool as him.How great would it be if RDJ and Black got together to work another film that was really pulpy and semi-related to Christmas so I could write about it in this column? Oh, wait. They did, in 2005. It’s called Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang and it’s so good it made Val Kilmer stop being insane for a whole hour and a half. 

For reals.Val Kilmer is an outstanding actor who people should appreciate more.Unfortunately for us, however, he Brando’d out. That’s when a talented actor gets way fat and seems to forget how to act except for one shining example that reminds of how great they used to be(Brando’s being the Godfather). What weird is the turning point for Kilmer is The Island of Dr Moreau, which co-starred Brando. I’m not saying we should blame Brando for what became of Kilmer’s career, but I’m totally going to. Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang is some straight up noir; it really doesn’t get more Pulp than this. RDJ delivers pitch perfect first-person-snark as the continually beleaguered detective in training Harry Lockhart. The film isn’t in 100% chronological order, but it also isn’t a Tarantino movie - instead it plays out like a man telling a story. There’s a natural flow to the events and even when he screws up and has to go back and ensure you caught all the salient details. It never really disrupts the viewing. 

Of course, this is Shane Black, the man who perfected the buddy-cop drama (also see: The Last Boyscout, The Long Kiss Goodnight, Last Action Hero) and this is where Val Kilmer’s character Gay Perry comes in. Gay Perry is the real detective, the one whose made a career of discovering and keeping secrets. Perry is hired to give Harry P.I. lessons as part of Harry’s newly beginning film career. While Perry promises the real world to be banal and not at all like the oft-mentioned Johnny Gossamer novels they accidently witness a murder and are drawn into the sleazy side of Hollywood. Also, it’s Christmas time. This is barely worth mentioning save for one interesting party and some pretty Christmas scenery, but in my opinion the best Christmas movies are rarely about Christmas (see: Die Hard, and then you know, watch Die Hard again because it’s awesome). So this is how I get away with talking about it in this week’s column. But I didn’t really need an excuse. This film is amazing in every conceivable way and is pulpy as all hell. If you like movies – and more specifically films that are good – you should really get around to watching Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang.

[pulponline]

Pulp 23 - Arkham Origins, Nightmare Before Xmas

Alastair:

Once again, the year’s flown by and we’re heading towards that pit of inevitable credit card debt and over-filled stomachs: Christmas. That’s right, boys and girls - even Pulp is getting in on the festive season action! Christmas is one of those times of year that you really love as a child – everything is new and cool, and opening presents is easily the highlight of your year. However, as you get older the shine starts to wear off, and you’re not having as much fun. That said, I think I’ve just become really, really cynical. Working in retail certainly doesn’t help, either; there are only so many times you can hear the same Christmas carols over and over before you snap and try to strangle a co-worker with their company-provided santa hat. Christmas has a way of sneaking into just about everything – and the things we love best (comics and movies, duh!) certainly aren’t immune. For example, Batman and Christmas have the ability to blend together surprisingly well (more on Batman: Noel in a few weeks!), but it doesn’t always hit the mark.

Batman: Arkham Origins tried to use Christmas as a backdrop, and shoved it in our faces – we’re constantly reminded in dialogue that it’s Christmas Eve, and there are decorations and whatnot everywhere. Christmas (and the accompanying weather) was used as an attempt to explain away a complete lack of civilian life, but it doesn’t work and the game feels empty as a result. Overall, the game came across as a poor copy of Arkham City, but it’s not without charm – the vast majority of the voice acting hits the mark (though I’m not a fan of the new Joker) and the boss fights with Deathstroke and Firefly were great in different ways. Unfortunately, all the Christmas-related stuff is kind of superfluous – the game was really about Warner Bros. Montreal wanting to tell the story of Batman’s first encounter with the Joker, and the whole thing could easily have happened on any night of the year. Why did they choose Christmas Eve? Probably because they thought it sounded cool. Origins had potential, but the Arkham franchise evidently needs to stay with original developers Rocksteady. On the other end of the scale, occasionally you’ll come across something that just works, regardless of how strange the concept might be. Tim Burton adds his own brand of weirdness to everything he touches, and The Nightmare Before Christmas is no exception. It’s not quite a fully-fledged Christmas film, and neither is it a Halloween film – it’s somewhere in between, and I know plenty of people that consider it a classic. While Christmas isn’t the focus of the film – I’d say it’s more about a skeleton man having an existential crisis – A Nightmare Before Christmas still manages to be a great alternative to your usual Christmas fare, complete with some catchy songs that you’ll be unable to get out of your head for days. While the stop-motion animation can be a bit dated at times, the story is solid, the characters are bizarre in a good way and the film’s devotees will likely have me killed if I badmouth it – which is a pretty good indication of just how much you can get into its weird and wonderful universe. Really, only Tim Burton could get away with having a villain made out of a hessian sack!  In any case, just about anything would be less ridiculous than Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Jingle All the Way. Trust me, don’t go there.  

[pulponline]

Pulp 22 - Jack Frost 2

This one's all Cameron, as we alternated over Christmas. Cameron: As we head closer to the Christmas season my viewing turns to the classics of Yuletide cinema. Black Christmas, Silent Night Deadly Night 2, or even that most revered of heart warmers, Tim Allen’s The Santa Clause! With such a wide selection of themed films I could carefully select the best of the lot and really get myself into the holiday mood. But instead of doing that I watched Jack Frost 2:Revenge of the Killer Mutant Snowman. I’ve watched some dumb films over the years, including the original Jack Frost, but this was probably the dumbest of them all. You see, in the original Jack Frost the human serial killer with the unlikely name is being transported by prison authorities when their truck collides with a genetic research labs truck. Surrounded by snow when the genetic materials cover our killer his body transforms into mutant water particles instead of, you know, just dying. Already this was kind of a silly idea, but the surrounding area was one of those small town America winter wonderlands who were gearing up to celebrate Christmas. Within the confines of the movie it all sort of made sense. It was played relatively straight and because of this it was downright hilarious. Jack Frost 2: Revenge of the Killer Mutant Snowman however is set on a paradise-like tropical island, where somehow the snowman can survive and kill people on the beach. They also play it for intentional laughs, and again it’s hilarious but in entirely the wrong way. So, how dumb is this film? Two men tried to stab each other to death with a carrot. That was an actual part of the film that came out of the television, entered my eyes, and will forever be something my brain is aware of. Later on we meet some college girls played by 35 year old women who can’t hear each other being killed off despite being about five meters away from each other. Most of the death scenes are really anticlimactic, all the actual action tends to happen off screen and then we see the results. I’m guessing this was mainly due to a lower budget but it really kind of ruins the flow of the film. Except for the scene where a bunch of sentient snowball babies eat about then people at once. That was, uh, different.  The weirdest thing about this film is it’s huge drop in quality from the previous movie. While watching it I assumed it was due to a new writer and director, Michael Cooney, but he was the guy that made the first film as well. I’m not going to claim Jack Frost is an actual cinematic masterpiece, but it was competent. It seems like going into this film Cooney forgot everything he knew about lighting, coaching actors and framing shots. Often it’s a straight shot of a couple of characters in a room and it looks like someone filmed a play instead of making a movie. I enjoyed it though. It was dumb and broken, but jesus it was funny. All the intentional humour falls flat but there is something so awkward about the whole film that just makes it great. I only rented this but even money says I end up displaying a copy proudly on a shelf.

[pulponline]

Pulp 21 - Supergods, Time Travelling Tourist

Cameron:Part memoir, part history of comic books, part guide to the worlds of magic and creation Supergods has it all. The problem I find with most comic book histories is that they take the exciting realm of superheroics and fantasy and turn it into a rather dry list of events that occured. Somehow Grant Morrison manages to make the story of creating comics as exciting as the comics themselves. Though to be fair, Grant Morrison is one of the greatest writers of our time, so what else can you really expect. As both an insider in the industry and an enthusiastic historian of it, this book is nothing short of perfect.

Morrison has been one of my favourite writers since I first read his work on one of the Batman titles. Since then I’ve gone back and read a lot of his work, and the one thing that is most obvious about him is that he is a huge fan of comics himself. Supergods further proves this as he covers not only the major titles like Superman, Wonder Woman or the X-Men, but also takes a look back at the forgotten relics of superheroism and non-traditional comics. The end result is that the reader is left feeling not only educated, but entertained, and I swear it’s why I know more comic book history than I do actual real world history.

Grant Morrison also takes detours into his own backstory, and if you’re a Morrison fan this will be supremely interesting, but if you aren’t it’s also a pretty damn good read. His writing is infectious with his enthusiasm and you can’t help but be drawn into his cult of personality when reading it.

Alastair: If you were given the gift of time travel, how would you use it? Would you travel through the universe saving people like the Doctor? Or would go to the same place at multiple points in time like Marty McFly? If you’re anything like Beethoven Jones, the protagonist of Beyond Reality Media’s Time Travelling Tourist, you’d use it to visit a bunch of important moments in human history and, well, be a bit of a dick. Based in Christchurch in New Zealand, BRM have a bunch of titles that cover sci-fi, fantasy and everything in between – I, for one, can’t wait to get my hands on the awesomely-named Blastosaurus.

Beethoven, being the typical tourist that he is, spends his days jumping backwards and forwards in time, visiting famous moment from history, making sure to take an obligatory selfie at every stop. Want to visit Tutankhamen’s tomb? No problem. Want to ride around on dinosaurs? Beethoven can hook you up. However, Beethoven’s trip comes to a grinding halt the moment he meets Rebecca. He’s immediately smitten, and is intent on winning her over. Dragging her off on a whirlwind trip through time, he’s sure he’ll have her heart in no time (see what I did there? Har har, time travel puns). Unfortunately for Beethoven, Rebecca’s common sense, her disinterest in the past and the mysterious figures tracking Beethoven’s every move seem to be working against him.

The Time Travelling Tourist is without a doubt one of the most entertaining comics I’ve read in a while. It’s light-hearted, witty and is definitely one of the more original takes on time travel going around. It’s gained high praise from some of Marvel’s top-tier writers (Dan Slott and Mark Waid, to name a few) and I get the feeling that the creative team of William Geraldts and Richard Fairgray (writers) with Gonzalo Martinez (on artistic duties) is definitely going to be one to watch. Check it out!

[pulponline]

Pulp #20 - Sweet Tooth, Prom Night

Cameron: As I mentioned in the last column it is the spooky season called Halloween, so what better film to review than Halloween H20? The answer of course is Prom Night because I forgot I didn’t already own H20. At least I managed to keep the same actress involved; everyone’s favourite Scream Queen Jamie Lee Curtis!

Prom Night is one of those classic slashers that sat on my to-do list but for one reason or another I never got around to crossing it off. Finally I took the plunge and it turns out I’m an idiot for waiting this long. While released in 1980 this film has little to do with the ultra-titillating and gore-soaked decade which followed, instead owing more to the slow burn tension of the decade before it.

To clarify just how much of a slow burn this film is, in the whole first hour no one dies. The film makes up for it in the final act by offing pretty much everyone you’ve met. Despite the disparity the pacing always feels like it makes sense. There is however one moment where it feels like the wheels have fallen off.

After successfully building tension for 58 minutes and just before the bodies start dropping there are five glorious minutes of a synchronized disco dancing from Jamie Lee Curtis and her beau. While this ruins all the effort the film put into heightening the mood, I have never so enjoyed a film as I did in those moments. It is incredibly dumb and out of left field but those kids with the big collars sure knew how to dance.

Alastair: Vertigo is the comic imprint that just keeps on giving. It’s given us Sandman, Preacher and a bunch of other top-notch titles, and I’ve picked up yet another: Sweet Tooth, by Jeff Lemire. You might know Lemire from his run on the New 52 Green Arrow and Justice League Dark series’, or a stack of other DC titles. Lemire handles both writing and artistic duties on this one, and does a bang-up job on both counts. Sweet Tooth finished up with issue #40 earlier this year, and while it might not be as long-running as some of its Vertigo compatriots (I’m looking at you, Fables!) it’s definitely up there in terms of creativity.

Sweet Tooth is essentially The Road-meets-Bambi - a strange take on things, I know, but hear me out. After a plague wipes out the vast majority of humanity, there are two types of people living in the world: normal humans, who are still dying of the Affliction, and Hybrids, children born with animal features. The titular Sweet Tooth is Gus, a young boy with the features of a deer. Gus lives in deep in the forest with his dying father, who claims the world outside their leafy home is filled with fire. After his father’s passing, Gus is attacked by hunters – hunters looking for kids like him. Saved by the mysterious and brutal Jeppard (who gives him his nickname after he devoured all of Jeppard’s candy), Gus chooses to leave his secluded home and explore the world.

Needless to say, Sweet Tooth can be a bit weird at times – after all, it’s a strange concept. Once you start to get a handle on the strange and treacherous world Lemire has crafted, it’s a series you won’t be able to put down. Get on it!

[pulponline]

After a long absence...

Hey guys, long time no see!

Sorry for the long silence. Things have changed a bit since you last heard from the Pulp gang - I started working full time, then stopped working full time, and Cameron and I have both started new courses at university, and really, updating this page wasn't at the forefront of our minds. The column in Forte still runs - and hopefully those of you who can have still been reading it - but there's been one big change so far: 

As of Pulp #41, I've been flying solo.

Cameron has chosen to move on to greener pastures, and while I nearly threw in the towel myself, I decided that being paid to ramble on about comics on a regular basis was just too damn good to be true - thus, here I am.

I'm going to try to bring the Tumblr steadily up to date - one column per day, perhaps - but things are going to remain quiet here for the time being. 

Watch this space!

[pulponline]

Pulp [#569]: (almost) Halloween edition!

Alastair:

After stumbling on my new favourite comic, Bedlam, a while back, I’ve started sniffing around Image titles in the hopes of picking up something that’s just as good (metaphorically, actually sniffing books is just weird). While I haven’t found anything that has knocked it off the top of my list, I’ve found a title that came damn close: the relatively new epic tale that is Saga.

Written by Brian K. Vaughn (Y: The Last Man, Lost), Saga combines an intricate sci-fi universe (a la Star Wars) with a dramatic love story that has seen comparisons to Romeo and Juliet. It’s certainly not lacking in the art department, either. Artistic duties on Saga are handled by Fiona Staples, a Canadian illustrator who seems to have flown under the radar somewhat, mostly handling miniseries and cover art.

Saga follows Alana and Marko, lovers from opposing sides of a galaxy-wide war – the technologically advanced Landfall Coalition and the magic-wielding Wreath. Pursued by their own people for desertion, they travel from planet to planet, dodging the authorities and mercenaries along the way. If their situation wasn’t harrowing enough already, they’re also trying to raise their newborn child at the same time.

While it might sound strange at first, the setting of Saga is nothing short of spectacular. Vaughn’s writing, combined with Staples’ versatile art, makes for a winning combination, and this is definitely a series I’m going to keep following.

Cameron:

As it is officially Halloween month I decided it was time to crack out a VHS and get into the seasonal spirit. Unfortunately, I picked one of the worst tapes in my collection: the awful piece of thanksgiving horror that is Home Sweet Home.

Let me illustrate how terrible this film was with this simple observation: there is a fountain on the set of the film that looks like it has a face, and it was the most believable character in the entire thing. The rest of the characters spent the first 15 minutes successfully alienating me by running around and shouting at each other ’til I felt no bond with any of them. Also, there is a mime that spends the majority of the film with a guitar in his hands and an amp strapped to his back while he solos endlessly. He also stops the movie for five minutes to do a magic show because … of course he does.

Usually with bottom of the barrel horror like this the kills are at least memorable – often the one saving grace. This is not one of those films. The killer, after brandishing his knife for a solid third of the film, takes down the first of the main victims by jumping on the hood of his car while he leans over the engine. He is crushed to death, I guess – I rolled my eyes so hard I lost track of the action on screen.

I feel that if I’d watched this over a few drinks with some friends while we ran our own MST3K-like commentary I could have forgiven the film its many, many flaws. Unfortunately I watched this sober and alone, and I highly doubt I could give it another chance – even in that sort of setting.

[pulponline]

Pulp [#569]

Having begun as a special effects artist, Robert Hall knows how to make the most of his gore and I’m willing to give any minor flaws in this film a pass because of how skillfully Hall shoots his death scenes. This film is coated in blood and is visceral to the extreme, so if that’s what you dig in horror, this film is for you.

On top of this we are treated to a rather creepy and original killer in Chromeskull, a knife wielding psychopath who loves to play with and film his victims before brutally murdering them. Nick Principe plays him in both this film and its sequel (which I’m sure I’ll get to another week) and despite being both a mute and never removing his mask, he delivers a memorable performance.

Speaking of performances, this film is practically a who’s who of horror movie actors with veterans like Richard Lynch (Puppet Master III/Alligator II) and Sean Whalen (The People Under the Stairs/Idle Hands) as well as a pre-Game of Thrones Lena Headey. More importantly it has two actors on loan from Gregg Araki films, Kaboom’s Thomas Dekker (also known as the only good thing in the Nightmare on Elm Street remake) and The Doom Generation’s Johnathon Shaech. Some of these actors get barely any screen time, but it’s still exciting to see them turn up.

Laid to Rest lacks a little in terms of plot and pacing but thrills, gore and sheer excitement more than make up for it.

Alastair: So, DC have decided to try something a little different this month. Rather than having a month of normal, superhero-y stories, we’re getting a month full of villains, complete with chaos, carnage and dastardly plots. Now, this might sound great – you might be thinking “Oh, sweet! A whole month of Joker stories!”, but it’s not as good as it sounds. That’s not to say that villain’s month/Forever Evil is a bad idea – villain heavy/hero-lite stories can work really, really well (like ‘Blink’ from season 3 of Doctor Who, to cross media for a minute) but an entire month with only villain stories is a bit much.

Each new issue of DC’s New 52 lines has been “taken over” by one of its villains following the disappearance of the Justice League – for example, “Batman #23” became “Joker #1”, and what would have been “Flash #24” became “Reverse-Flash #1”. There’s a new villain every issue, and while it does bring a few villains back into the spotlight, it really seems like overkill. Some stories tie-in to the current storyline of their book (e.g. Reverse-Flash) and as a result fill the void left by the superheroing heavyweights. Others (such as Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy, replacing two issues of Detective Comics) just seem out of place and unnecessary. So far, it’s been a bit hit and miss so here are my picks:

-          Joker #1 (Batman #23.1) – Joker shows off his nurturing side.

-          Reverse-Flash #1 (Flash #23.2) – a great tie-in to the current Flash story arc.

-          Court of Owls #1 (Batman and Robin #23.2) – fantastic art from Jorge Lucas.

-          Lobo #1 (Justice League #23.2) – sure to stir things up a bit with Lobo fans!

[pulponline]

Pulp [#568]

Seriously, there are far too many plot threads in this film. That serial killer story seems to be connected with the haunted phone number due to his threatening calls to the main character, but that story is dropped 45 minutes in and never mentioned again. And why is the phone number haunted? I’m seriously asking you. Someone watch this and tell me because I had no idea by the end of it. There is a whole mystery surrounding a killer (a different one) and a missing girl and at the end of the film I felt no sympathy for anyone and wasn’t sure if that was the point or not.

The film is quite unnerving to begin with and has some legitimate scares along the way, but around the half way mark the pacing completely falls apart, either slowing down horrendously or jumping forward confusingly fast.

Finally, this film is about a haunted phone number and that’s so dumb, I’m not sure I can even defend it. Because of this there is a hideous ring tone that plays a million times throughout. I was jealous of the character who jammed a pencil in her ears. All up this is a super dumb and quite confusing movie, but I also really dug it. So, watch it, I guess? I have no idea.

Alastair: So, if you were paying attention last month, you might’ve caught a documentary on ABC1 called Comic Book Heroes. Not only was CBH a great look inside the world of comic book publication, it also shone the spotlight on a hidden gem of the comic book community: Australia’s own Gestalt Comics. Viewers were shown glimpse of Gestalt’s elite line up of artists, writers and titles, and one book caught my eye: Changing Ways, written and illustrated by Perth’s Justin Randall.

Above all, Changing Ways is a gorgeous book. Randall’s art is superb; it’s dark, gritty and emotive all at once, and puts some of the comic industry’s finest artists to shame. Don’t think that this means the story is lacking, though – Randall’s narrative grabs you by the collar and drags you kicking and screaming through an increasingly dark and disturbing world.

After the untimely death of his young son, David Barrot moved to the town of Grey Oaks with his wife Lucy and daughter Jessie. In the middle of a devastating thunderstorm, the family is attacked by a rabid dog that breaks through their window. After dispatching the dog, the family is confronted by the dog’s strangely scarred owner, who commits suicide after being shown David’s own bizarre mark. The Barrot family’s night goes from bad to worse as more people bearing the marks appear, all of whom behave erratically or exhibit strange powers. Struggling to make sense of events, the Garrots decide to flee Grey Oaks and leave the insanity behind.

Changing Ways is one of those books that will stay with you for days after you’ve read it. It’s an absolute masterpiece, and book 2 is next on my list of must-haves. Do yourself a favour, and buy this book.

[pulponline]

Pulp [#567]

Cameron: Just over a year ago the long running series The Amazing Spider-Man came to a close with issue #700 and the death of Peter Parker. Sort of. Actually, Peter’s brain was in Doc Ock’s body and Doc Ock’s brain was in Peter Parker’s body so when Doc Ock’s body died of cancer it took Parker’s brain with it. Oh, and now Peter Parker is a ghost and following around Ock in his body and … yeah.

So when I finally decided to check out Superior Spider-Man, penned by Dan Slott, what I found was an incredibly well written narrative with strong characterization, good humour and fun super heroics. Really that’s all you need. Slott understands Spider-Man as a character, just as he understands Dr. Otto Octavius, so when it comes to the odd hybrid that is the superior Spider-Man he nails both voices and somehow makes one cohesive character.

Alastair: Of late, my taste in comic books has been getting darker and more twisted. It started with the traditional noir grit of books like Mark Waid’s Daredevil and spiraled down into the creepy gore-fest of Preacher and American Vampire. After wallowing around in their twisted mythologies for a while (I’ve finally finished Preacher, and it was excellent) I’ve stumbled across a gem in a fantastic Image title: Severed.

Cameron dropped this one in my lap as a birthday present, and my god is it creepy! Written by Scott Snyder (Batman) and Scott Tuft (Swamp Thing), and with art by Attila Futaki (Percy Jackon and the Olympians), it’s a top-notch horror comic. Set in 1916, Severed follows 12 year-old Jack Garron as he runs away from home to find his traveling musician father. Once on the road, he finds that the traveling life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be – especially when you’re being trailed by a creepy old man with razor-sharp teeth and a penchant for human flesh. What follows is one of the most nail-biting stories I’ve read in a long time, and the last few pages of the miniseries ranks among some of the most unsettling things I’ve ever seen.

I’m in two minds about Severed – part of me would’ve liked to have seen more of Jack’s adventure, but at the same time think that adding more to the story would’ve lessened its impact. Considering that Severed finished early last year, it seemed unlikely that we’ll see more. That said, Severed is awesome, and is a must-have for horror fans.

[pulponline]

Pulp [#566]

Bedlam is a new Image Comics series, written by Nick Spencer (of Morning Glories fame) and drawn by the fabulous Riley Rossmo (Proof, Daken: Dark Wolverine) and Ryan Browne (Smoke and Mirrors, The Manhattan Projects). The premise is pretty darn interesting, and easy to sum up: What happens when you cure a seemingly incurable madman?

Madder Red (aka Fillmore Press) is a homicidal maniac in the same vein as the Joker, and delights in causing as much carnage and chaos as possible in the long-suffering city of Bedlam. After continual clashes with local vigilante The First, Madder is thought dead in an explosion. Unbeknownst to the people of Bedlam, Madder has been abducted by the mysterious Doctor (think Doctor Strange meets Professor Pyg – no Time Lords here) and is undergoing “rehabilitation”. Once cured, Fillmore is released back onto the streets, no one the wiser that the former maniac is even alive. Fillmore then buddies up with Detective Ramira Acevado, helping to solve crimes in penance for his own.

Bedlam’s art is amazing, its writing fascinating, and direction undeniably awesome. While it might not be getting the attention it deserves right now, it is fast becoming a favourite of mine. Do yourselves a favour, and check it out!

Cameron: Once upon a time Umberto Lenzi (sometimes called Harry Kirkpatrick) directed a film called Welcome to Spring Break (sometimes called Nightmare Beach) and because of reasons it is the best slasher made in the 1980’s.

Now, one of the reasons I’m such a huge fan of VHS is because I love the hand painted home release covers and feel they are a lost art. And if regular covers are art, Welcome to Spring Break’s cover is the goddamn Sistine Chapel. There is so much going on its ridiculous. First of all there is the costumed killer up top, with a screaming face reflected in his bike helmet, and this is just floating above a party scene including a band, a naked lady, windsurfers and also other beach babes. This film knows what it’s about, and what it is about is gratuity.

The kills themselves aren’t overly gory, but there is so much nudity for absolutely no reason. Also that band pictured on the front has a whole song during the film. The film literally stops so we can watch some bottom of the barrel synth-rock group play the most bland song ever, and by that point you’re willing to just go along with it.  Speaking of synthesizers, the killer has his own theme music. For some reason they decided to fade it in as he gets closer to camera, and it gives the weird illusion that the killer himself is carrying the music around on some tiny boombox.

Speaking of, the first time the killer appeared on screen without costume I thought “That guy is totally the killer.” He hadn’t even spoken, and there hadn’t been any killings on screen yet, it’s just horrendously obvious. It’s not that this film is ‘so bad it’s good’ territory, it just doesn’t care about anything and decides to have fun, and I really can’t fault that.

[pulponline]

Pulp [#565]

Cameron: Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead trilogy is one of my all time favourite franchises. As a huge fan of franchise horror this is a pretty big call for me, rating it above other beloved horror series such as Nightmare on Elm Street, Child’s Play and Scream.

When it was announced that the 1981 classic The Evil Dead was being reimagined, I was cautiously optimistic, after all it had the blessing of Sam Raimi, the man behind the spectacular original trilogy. After seeing a few trailers and reading a few early previews I was in a veritable frenzy of excitement and could not wait to see it and talk with friends about how great it (probably was) and now that time has finally arrived! So how does this new installment stack against what came before?!?

It’s okay, I guess.

I love the original trilogy because of it’s over the top violence and campy comedy and this new film captures half the spirit. There is a dramatic shift in tone for this new film veering heavily towards grit; the few comedic moments feeling rather tacked on and out of place. The violence is still over the top, but when we’ve been through the age of torture porn, is this really enough? No. No it isn’t.

Evil Dead is the backup dancer of the series and hits all the right cues for a modern horror, but like a backup dancer it does so without really drawing any interest.

Alastair: Hold on to your hats, guys – I’m actually going to talk about something other than comics. Ok, so I kinda lied; it’s kinda related to comics. Or, rather, based on one. As an added bonus, I’m talking about an adaptation of an older comic that doesn’t actually suck in any way! The movie I’m talking about here is 2012’s Dredd, starring Karl Urban (who you might know from Star Trek into Darkness and The Lord of the Rings, to name a few).

Forget Sly Stallone’s appalling 1995 take on the character – this shit’s the real deal. Urban’s Dredd is spot on; the legendary helmet is never removed, and he scowls hard enough to kill a man. His character has been written perfectly, and the gravelly rasp that is his voice fits the character so well it’s ridiculous. Urban’s Dredd even has the seal of approval from Judge Dredd creator John Wagner! Take that, Stallone!

The setting of Dredd is fairly minimalist – the entire story takes place in a 200-storey tower block, which means lots of close quarters, fierce and utterly brutal combat. Gore is aplenty, so if you’re a bit squeamish, watch with caution. Dredd is by no means a movie for those interested in all things intellectual, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth your time. It perfectly captures the dark, gritty 2000 AD universe, and with a 2000 AD-backed petition to film a sequel underway, hopefully we’ll see more in the near future.

One final note – an Evil Dead movie without Bruce Campbell might as well not be a movie at all. Just sayin’.

[pulponline]

Pulp [#564]

I was busy getting married the week this column was due, so good friend Blair Hall stepped in to cover me.

Alastair:

This week I’ve delved into the realm of insane psychiatrists: I got my hands on Harley Quinn: Night and Day (written by Karl Kesel of Hawk and Dove and Superboy fame) and Spider-Woman: Origin by Brian Michael Bendis (Ultimate Spider-Man, Daredevil).

Harley Quinn’s artistic duties were handled by Terry Dodson (Uncanny X-Men), and for the most part do an excellent job of capturing the story’s kooky feel. Night and Day follows Harley as she tries to establish herself as a big-time crime boss in Gotham City – this time without the Joker. In typical Harley fashion, the story jumps around like a kid on red cordial, and follows her as she recalls her initial descent into madness, goes shopping with Hyenas in tow, and even spends a brief time masquerading as Batgirl. It’s a great light-hearted read, and highly recommended.

Spider-Woman: Origin is (shock horror) an origin story for Jessica Drew. I won’t go into too much detail, but I found the story to be a bit up and down – unusual for the talented Mr Bendis. The art, by Image Comics regular Jonathan Luna, borders between average and sub-par. Despite these setbacks, it’s still a solid read.

Now, prepare yourself for Blair…

Blair:

Much like how when you change your Hotmail password to your girlfriend’s middle-name because it’s esoteric-enough and easy to remember (but then she dumps you) I am somehow entered into an agreement – that I created the terms of – without an inkling as to how I could actually deliver the goods, i.e. contributing to the column referred to as “Pulp”.

The only thing remotely pulpy that I consume is orange juice, and even then I can’t do it daily or even weekly because my skin breaks out in a terrible rash. But I guess I do really like art films crafted by Japanese directors who entered the studio system through making “Pinku Eiga”, or “Pink Films” – or to put it plainly, “Porn”. But it’s not porn like you’ve seen it before! No no, I’m not just in it for the kink!

There’s wildly psycho-analytical symbolism reaching farther into the depths of the characters than anything you’d get in modern adult entertainment. These directors – for example, Toshio Matsumoto, Koji Wakamatsu and Masao Adachi – were in it to break ground and redefine what it meant to make love, kill, take and own. Eyes are gouged, politics is discussed, drugs are passed around like candy and every now and then a room full of women is taken hostage by a psychopath who proceeds to have his way with them and stab them one by one. But the world this is all in is not fictional; it’s just a mirror to the one that’s already off on endless wild and bloody tangents of its own.

Recommended:

Funeral Parade of Roses by Toshio Matsumoto: Oedipus Rex told through the power play of transsexuals in a bar in Tokyo.

Ecstasy of the Angels by Koji Wakamatsu: 60s student movement meets radical extremist terrorism meets sex and violence, often all in a single scene.

Gushing Prayer by Masao Adachi: Woman loses all feeling amidst an orgy. Cue internal monologues and self-inquisition.

[pulponline]

Film Review: The Bird with the Crystal Plumage

by Corrinna Waycott

Pre-cocaine Lindsay Lohan in Mean Girls, Star Wars before the prequels, Michael Jackson pre 1990s; the 1970 Italian thriller The Bird With The Crystal Plumage (L'uccello dalle piume di cristallo)is a beauty to behold. Dario Argento’s directorial debut and credited as a landmark film in the giallo film genre, this movie is breath of fresh air, holding its own against contemporary horrors forty years later, and reflects enormous potential from Argento.

A struggling American writer living in Italy, Sam (played by Tony Musante) is just two days away from flying home when he unintentionally interrupts an attempt on the life of Monica, the wife of an art gallery owner. Monica (played by Eva Renzi) survives, but police now hold Sam as their primary suspect. The latest attack in a series of recent murders, Monica is thought to be the only victim to have survived the now notorious serial killer. Released from custody but passport confiscated, Sam decides to do some investigative work to clear his name. The closer Sam feels he’s getting to the truth, however, the higher the body count rises, and soon it becomes apparent that the next target the killer has their eyes on is Sam’s model girlfriend, Julia (played by Suzy Kendall).

This film’s killer plays in the dark, lurking in the shadows, waiting around corners. It plays on our subconscious fear of the other, and it is genuinely holy-shit-lock-the-front-door-turn-on-all-the-lights-on scary. Having spent my life desensitized to the increased level of violence and torture –porn evident in movies and television, I was surprised this film was despite its age able to shock and scare me. Impressed is an understatement. If only Elvis had stayed young and pretty, Lindsay had stayed off the crack, and Argento had stayed as hauntingly full of talent.

[pulponline]

Shadowrun Returns

by Cameron Urquhart

Set in a not-too-distant future where magic and technology co-exist, Shadowrun Returns presents itself as a unique amalgam of genres. Taking influence from high fantasy, noir and cyberpunk, its strength lies in convincingly weaving these different elements into one cohesive world.

Investigating the death of a former colleague, your character moves between street brawls and psychopathic killers, death cults and corporate espionage. The campaign can at times feel long, though in reality it only runs for roughly ten hours. Whenever one element of the story does begin to feel tired, however, it's always quick to move in an entirely different direction.

The story works well to draw the player into the world of Shadowrun. The game is built in an already existing universe that extends through a series of novels, a tabletop RPG and two previous game adaptations. Despite the wealth of pre-existing material, I personally had little knowledge of the Shadowrun universe. With only a few hours of gameplay under my belt, though, I'm well acquainted with the rules and lore inherent to the series.

Character customisation is key in the world of Shadowrun. Do you want to be a decker, hacking computers for info and selling it to the highest bidder? Maybe a shaman is more your style, invoking the spirits of animals to help you on your quest. If those options are too restrictive you can always become a techno-wizard, using both spells and computer equipment with ease.

The character models aren't overly detailed, though they are by no means ugly. You'll easily be able to tell a human and an elf apart, even picking up an element of personality from their appearance. What really sells the game is the stunning environmental art. The backgrounds are lush with detail, evoking a grimy atmosphere very reminiscent of Blade Runner.

In terms of music Shadowrun Returns is unfortunately lacking. While the tracks help set the tone of the game, there are only two or three of them and any extended play will lead to an annoying repetitiveness. There are also some issues with the music chopping during loads, though hopefully this will soon be patched.

Shadowrun Returns also comes with an editor, allowing fans to build their own campaigns from the ground up. A small community has already developed around the game, with many additional homebrew campaigns available for download. This comes in handy because while the main campaign is compelling, its linear nature limits replayability.

As well as the aforementioned art and music, the game has a few problems with bugs. Despite all this, however, Shadowrun Returns has proven itself to be one of the more compelling games of 2013.

While it's unlikely I will return to the main campaign again, I look forward to watching the community additions expand and returning to the magical cyberpunk noir atmosphere of the Shadowrun universe.

4 out of 5.

Originaly published here.

[pulponline]

Pulp [#553]

This Pulp only ever came out in the print edition, so enjoy this hidden gem from the early days.

Alastair: I have a confession to make: I’m something of a DC fanboy. I realised that this may lead to bias in certain situations whilst writing Pulp (FYI – there is no way in hell that Hawkeye could beat Green Arrow in a fight), so I recently decided to pick up a few Marvel titles to remedy this deficiency. I had a look at a few older series, and somehow ended up with 50+ digital issues of Ultimate Spider-Man. So, as it turns out, I really, really like the webhead.

Anyway, Cameron recommended I pick up the latest run of Deadpool, so I bought the first few issues, along with the first few issues of Mark Waid’s new Daredevil series. I’d seen a few Deadpool comics previously, and got a good chuckle out of them. The new series, however, had me laughing hysterically. Long story short: some schmuck thinks that America is screwed due to a lack of good leadership. So, being the thoughtful necromancer that he is, he resurrects all of America’s dead presidents. Yup, even Lincoln. SHIELD then has to hire the Merc With A Mouth to put them all down again. If you’re looking for a comic that’ll give you a chuckle as well as some gory action, the new Deadpool run comes highly recommended. I’ve really taken to Daredevil as well – 2003 movie notwithstanding, Daredevil is an awesome character, and writer Mark Waid has done a fantastic job. Needless to say, I can’t wait for more.

Cameron: Firstly I have to take issue with some things Al said above, 1) The Daredevil film with Ben Affleck is awesome, 2) Hawkeye would and has kicked Green Arrows ass, especially if we’re talking about being an actual quality read. Now onto things I was going to say.

Joe R. Lansdale once wrote a story about an old age Elvis and a black JFK fighting off a Southern mummy in a retirement home, and that wasn’t even the best thing he wrote. The Drive-In is the first book in a trilogy of bloody and hilarious apocalyptic mayhem. While attending a screening of some of history’s greatest films (The Evil Dead, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, etc.) Jack and his friends have their lives changed forever when a comet with a smile eats the rest of the world, leaving only the drive in and its occupants alive. It’s not long before people start going crazy, killing each other, eating raw babies or fusing together due to a lightning strike and becoming a monster king who vomits popcorn and… well… that last bit sort of sums up how crazy it gets. Some of Lansdale’s short stories are hilarious, like the previously mentioned Elvis caper Bubba Ho-Tep (be sure to check the film of the same name by Don Coscarelli) while others like Incident On and Off a Mountain Road are super creepy and full of monsters, this book proves he can do both at the same time.

Seriously though, Hawkeye would kick Green Arrow’s ass so hard.