451 Media: Ex Mortis: Issue 7 Review (Final Issue)

     Ex Mortis, Hitler's secret undead army, has been unleashed and only the chance of stopping them is in the hands of a group of Allied monsters called the Dreadnaughts.

     Comprised of all the essential classic horror creatures.  There's a wolfman, a vampire, Frankenstein's original Promethean man, and even a fishman among others.  The team had been betrayed and was in the hands of Axis forces and being subjected to all manner of torture and experimentation in issue 5.
     Then in issue 6 backup arrived, the Dreadnaughts escaped, and set out to prove that despite all the intolerance and persecution, they can rise above mere humanity and thwart the unstoppable Nazi onslaught.

     And rise above they do.  This finale shows that no matter what the cost they will do whatever they can to stop the evil rising out of Hitler's esoteric fanaticism.  They knew they signed up for a suicide mission, and it's come to test their mettle.
     The Dreadnaughts do not disappoint.  Few other stories can give you a blaze of glory quite like this.  This group of outcasts demonstrates that sacrificing all you are to save others is an honor that is held for people that are more than mere soldiers.  It is an act reserved for true heroes.

     Ex Mortis was created and written by the Williams brothers, and has been adapted by Andi Ewington (also known for SIX and the criminally under-appreciated Overrun).  The idea behind Ex Mortis alone could've been reduced to simple and boring fanfare, attempting to rest on familiarity of their namesakes, but the book is handled with great care.  It isn't brought down by cliched writing that befalls many stories using the stereotypical horror character line-up.  This books has given each one of them lives worth knowing.  Lives worth reading about.  And that makes all the difference.

     All these characters are brought to life on the page by the black and white art of Raymund Bermudez and Ty Dazo.  It holds up well as a modern incarnation of the horror pulp comics of yesteryear.  Each black and white page wreaks of the blood implied by the spatters of ink between each panel.  This is what has grown out of things like the Vault of Horror or Tales from the Crypt and it is wonderful and well worth the time for any fans of horror comics or of World War 2 stories.

     Ex Mortis issue 7 is available today.

     For related posts [ 451 Comics Reviews ]

     451 Media on [ Comixology ]

     Official site [ 4five1 ] [ 451 Youtube ] [ Twitter ]

*Review copy provided by 451 Media, Thank you!

451 Media: Self Storage: Issue 6 Review (The Finale!)

UNIT 83

     Average Joe storage diver Christopher Smith, in attempting to make ends meet, has made a living off what others have left behind locked away in storage sheds.  In gambling on what's been left in these storage lockers to turn a profit, Chris gets far more than he bargained for with Unit 83.

     He has found himself the proud, and very surprised, owner of an alluring zombie named...

JESSICA

     In the last issue Chris discovered the mystery behind Jessica's situation was due to her father.  A currently absent man that had experimented with his own daughter in the name of science.  Now, her mother has come to take her home.

     As the body count rises due to Jessica's insatiable appetite for human flesh, the number of the living dead increases.  Friends, coworkers, and visitors- no one is safe.

     That being said, Self Storage has a brilliant ending.  It's been built up perfectly to this point, and it's somehow both definitive, and yet, leaves a just little room for more if the creator's ever wish to return.  We learn the truth behind Jessica.  Why she was locked in unit 83, why she was a zombie, and even where her father's been at this whole time.
     We see where Chris's greedy coworker Jimmy's get-rich-with-zombies-quick schemes goes.  We see Chris's own choices and how they come to fruition.  And, in the end, we get to see that secrets like these simply can't be contained.

     As the man who sold Chris the contents of unit 83 said, that locker holds...

SOMETHING SPECIAL

     Clay McLeod Chapman has made a wonderful series with Self Storage.  It's a tightly knit tale of the connection between our covetousness and the things we won't let go of.  It combines the Storage Wars culture with a bit of Zombieland's humor, and bind's it with an unexpectedly tragic love story right out of Romeo and Juliet, and it's topped with a cherry that is made of all the bloody horror of The Walking Dead.
     All this is brought to life with the tremendously true-to-its-horror-roots black and white art of Matt Timson.  It's sleek and bold, and every panel carries us seamlessly to the next.  Honestly, the art is done in a very cinematic way, so much so that I really wouldn't be surprised to see this eventually be adapted for film or tv.

     This series has taken the zombie genre and given it new life.  Chapman and Timson have proven that the zombie genre still remains undying.  With the all-consuming hunger of the undead in Self Storage, we are shown what the cost of not letting go is.  That inability leaves a trail of pain in its wake.  For the dead and for our  material possessions, the things we cling to wind up being the things that drag us down.  It shows us that our possessions have the haunting power to effect us in ways we can't imagine long after we've forgotten about them.

     Self Storage is a must read for any zombie or horror comic enthusiasts.  It's dark, it's gritty, and it's made all the sweeter by the brevity and fast pace it moves with.  The flesh devouring monsters in this series has left my hunger for the genre sated for the time being.

     Self Storage 7 hits stands Wed. July 27th.

     Related posts [ 451 Comics Reviews ]

     [ 451 Media official site ] [ 451's Twitter ] [ 451's Youtube ]

*Review copy provided by 451 Media, Thank you!

Morphite: A Pocket-Sized No Man's Sky

     We're Five games, in co-operation with Crescent Moon Games, is developing a wonderful procedurally generated mobile game called Morphite.  It's a 3D first person exploration game in the same vein as No Man's Sky.

The universe is waiting
Set, Ready, 🚀🚀@CM_Games @werefivegames#lowpoly #screenshotsaturday #gamedev #madewithunity pic.twitter.com/i15p7zTlGn

— Polygonal Mind (@polygonalmind) July 2, 2016

    There'll be planets to explore, creatures to collect and sell, and an array of weapons to use against bosses.  The weapons will be upgradable through finding minerals, and there's even traders and stations to swap materials to make things a bit more interesting.

     From our ship, we'll be able to traverse between galaxies and use a drop pod to visit the individual planets.  Each of which will unique properties.  Because they are procedurally generated their atmospheres and environments will shift.  The flora and fauna will change between visits.  It'll never be the same.  In addition there'll also be alien temples with mysteries to unravel on our expeditions.

     Currently, we'll be set to explore 7 planets, but I recall reading that, "We plan on having 8 planets as part of the main storyline, and possibly millions of other planets to explore. You will be able to save enough data for around 500 planets - I think." [ 2 ] While I don't think we'll have nearly that many, at least not at first, it'll be cool to see exactly how much space we are free to roam and explore.

     As it is, Morphite looks to be a game that might expand the way we look at the mobile market.  It's a good way to expand what's being done, and bring more of the PC and console feel to our pocket devices.

     Morphite is still being developed and doesn't yet have a release date.

     Sources [ Crescent Moon Games ] [ Polygonal Mind ]
          via [ PocketGamer ] & [ Touch Arcade 1 & 2 ]

The LEGO Batman Movie: First Full Trailer

     Ever since the LEGO Movie hits theaters, I had considered LEGO Batman to be one of the greatest cinematic interpretations of the Batman character.  Then I heard he was getting his own LEGO spinoff movie, and I was quite overjoyed.

     Here is the first full and glorious trailer:

     My only complaint is there is currently no LEGO Mr. Freeze.  I hope he gets a cameo.

     The LEGO Batman Movie hits theaters Feb. 10th, 2017.

Doctor Strange: Second Trailer

     SDCC has given us a ton of news and trailers, and the second Doctor Strange trailer is truly magnificent.  Visually it's so different from all the previous Marvel films, and I think this will be a great shift to the next wave of films.

     Doctor Strange enters our world's plane on November 4th.

Wonder Woman: SDCC Trailer has Arrived

     The best part of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice has received her own film's trailer, including the best part of the soundtrack- Wonder Woman's theme song.

     Wonder Woman's trailer looks quite good.  My only complaint is the fight scene looks a bit odd with the sliding around in slow motion- her movements feel like they're moving her around while she is holding a position instead of a proper flow of body mechanics.  Otherwise, Wonder Woman is looking damned great.

     Wonder Woman hits theaters on June 2nd, 2017.

     For related posts [ Wonder Woman ]

Marvel Future Fight: Gwenpool is Coming!

     Marvel Future Fight has been giving us a lot of great content and expansions over the last year and now fan-favorite character Gwenpool has been officially announced.

     For those who are unfamiliar with who this strange Deadpool-esque lady is:

     "Gwen Poole was a comic book fan who was one day mysteriously transported into the Marvel Universe that she had only read about in her own world. Under the impression that the Marvel Universe is all make-believe, she's taken on her own Super Hero identity to kick butt and have fun -- with zero consequences!"

     No release date has been released yet, but Netmarble has been pretty good about getting the characters out relatively quickly after they've been announced.  I think the only time this hasn't been true is with Doctor Strange, because he's been shown in a few of their videos and he's still not out.  I mean he and Enchantress had been datamined almost a year ago.  He'll probably be held until right before his film hits theaters in November.

     Now, I'm just waiting for a cool new Ghost Rider costume.  Like the amazing flaming horse rider from Trail of Tears, or his 2099 costume.  Since he'll be arriving on Agents of .S.H.I.E.L.D. this fall, maybe we'll even get the Robbie Reyes version.  The car he uses might be a tough addition for this mobile game though.

     Related posts [ Future Fight ]

     Source [ Future Fight's Official Site ]

Justice League: SDCC (Comic Con) Trailer Footage

     With all the great things going on at SDCC 2016, it was a sure bet we'd get the Wonder Woman trailer, but this Justice League one is a bit of a surprise.

     What is a bigger surpriseis how awesome Ezra Miller's Flash is.  He's all set to be the most entertaining character of the film.  Also, that nice jab at Aquaman talking to fish was a very nice touch.

    Although, I do have to question how DC Comics's handling of their film properties are really copying the Marvel precedent.  Wonder Woman's trailer looks an awful lot like Captain America: The First Avenger, and Justice League is really hitting all the Avengers notes.  They are formula's that work, so I'm not really put off by it.  At least DC is learning and these films are looking better than their predecessors.

     Also, where's Green Lantern?  He was cast and removed from the Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and there's no sign of him in this trailer- so where's our intergalactic policeman? We need a cosmic powered emerald warrior to help fight Darkseid.

     Justice League is set to arrive in theater November 2017.

Netflix: Marvel: Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and The Defenders All Get Trailers!

     In addition to the news from Marvel at SDCC today of Ghost Rider coming to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., we also get goodies for the Netflix shows!

First up is for Luke "Power Man" Cage, we get a nice teaser for the season that airs on Sept. 30th.

     Then we get a teaser for the Luke Cage's friend, Danny "Iron Fist" Rand's series listed merely as "coming soon."

     And finally we get the culmination of all the Netflix shows with a very minimal teaser trailer for The Defenders, and is listed as arriving in 2017.

     I'm not going lie, I'm super pumped for Luke Cage.  I was hoping they'd originally would've cast the ultimate badass Erik King from Showtime's Dexter as Luke Cage, but Mike Colter was phenomenal in the role on Jessica Jones and he just leaves me wanting more.  He solidified my appreciation for the character and the show looks wonderful.

     As for Iron Fist and The Defenders, Netflix has proven they can do right by these Marvel properties, so they'll turn out well.  Despite my unfavorable opinion on how Jessica Jones should've ended- she should've ripped out Zebediah Killgrave's (The Purple Man) tongue and left him alive- I'm still exited for whatever they've got coming.  (Seriously, they even mention tearing his tongue out during the show!)  Anyway, with what little we got for teasers has given me a great interest in the shows to come.

     Plus, we are still getting a Punisher spin-off series at some point- and more Frank Castle is always a good thing.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Ghost Rider: Vengeance is Coming

     So after Hellfire appeared on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., it was only a matter of time for the Spirit of Vengeance to make an appearance.  I had been wondering about it myself, and thought it would be leaning more towards the darker and more mature aimed Netflix Marvel audiences, but- yes, Marvel revealed at SDCC today that Ghost Rider will be coming to the show for season 4.

Vengeance comes this fall to Marvel's @AgentsofSHIELD.https://t.co/dh23qUsLpP

— Marvel Entertainment (@Marvel) July 23, 2016

    While I am excited for the character to make his appearance two things bother me.  First, it's not on the darker and more mature themed Netflix roster.  Their shows have handled the grimmer and grittier material- notably the Punisher story through Daredevil season 2.  Whereas the ABC shows Agent Carter and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. have been handled with less trustworthy hands- resulting in less appealing shows overall.  Don't get me wrong, I really liked Agent Carter, but the show devolved quite rapidly from a show about a powerful female character into a romantic drama.  They lost sight of what made her so special in the Captain America films, and thus lost their way in the show.  So hearing that Ghost Rider is coming to the more limited-in-scope Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. I'm very hesitant to immediately support it.

      Secondly, it's neither stuntman Johnny Blaze, nor badass biker Danny Ketch- it'll be the more modern Marvel NOW incarnation of Robbie Reyes and his '69 Dodge Charger.  That in itself isn't bad.  Back in 2013 I wrote about this, it's a great idea- it's just after reading the series I wasn't impressed.  I think Marvel could've done a much better story with his character.  And the heavily robotic design wasn't too great either.  I was thinking it would've been more like the highly under-appreciated film The Wraith.  So, for now I'll be crossing my fingers that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. can make the Ghost Rider someone worth liking again.

Just revealed at the #MarvelSDCC booth: Ghost Rider's wheels, coming this fall to #AgentsOfSHIELD! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/O2GkKirq1a

— Marvel Entertainment (@Marvel) July 22, 2016

    On the good side of things, he'll be played by Gabriel Luna.  I've personally seen him in the movie Bernie, and the downright amazing show True Detective.  In both cases he did quite well, so I think he'll pull it off well.  He'll be an older and more mature version of Robbie Reyes, he hopefully won't be playing the part of the Spirit of Teen-Angst, so that's a good start.

    In better news about this, Marvel's Executive Producer and Head of Marvel Television Jeph Loeb has said:

"Season 4 will unquestionably be the series’ biggest, most ambitious story yet, and it all begins with the introduction of one of our greatest legacy characters in Ghost Rider. When the Spirit of Vengeance rides into S.H.I.E.L.D., it’ll change everything."(CBR)

     Loeb has been a consistently good voice in comics for a very long time, so I will take his word for it and return to see how they handle Ghost Rider on the show.  It also makes sense to link the show to the astral planes and supernatural with Doctor Strange hitting theaters November 4th.  It's simply plain, old-fashioned, good marketing.

     While I'm not too thrilled that Ghost Rider's re-emergence is on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., as opposed to the much grittier Netflix shows such as Daredevil or Jessica Jones, but they've officially snagged me again as an "on-and-off" fan.  When the show started I was very unimpressed with how poorly it was handled.  I was urged by people to give it another try, and I returned and Agents did indeed get better, and then it swiftly grew unappealing again.  I hope they can maintain the momentum and keep things interesting with one of my all time favorite characters finally coming to television.

     For now, Marvel has regained my viewership and lured me in for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 4.  Now  if they could only recapture the magic that made Agent Carter so amazing, they'd snag me for good.  Please let this turn out awesome.

     Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. returns to ABC on Sept. 20 at 10pm.

     Sources [ Marvel Twitter 1 ] [ 2 ] [ ComicBookResources ]