POSTAL: Five Momentous Moments

June 25, 2019

On 3^rd July the Top Cow imprint of Image Comics will release the first issue of the new arc of Postal. Writers Matt Hawkins and Bryan Hill will be reuniting for the first issue in over a year since the epilogue Postal: Laura was released in March 2018.

The new run is due to pick up directly from where the previous run left off, however the writer and creator Matt Hawkins has stated on Twitter that ‘you don’t actually have to read the first one to read this.’ This is good news for newbies to the comic but what have you missed?

Set in the town of Eden, a haven for criminals, the first arc introduces the characters and setting. It also has a well-constructed storyline that evolves the central characters through a series of moralistic dilemmas. The comic is packed with twists and turns and gob smacking moments. Here are five of the best bits from the initial Postal run.

Warning: The following contains Spoilers for the initial run of Postal

Postal: Five Momentous Moments — Postal Deliverance #1 Cover Credit: Top Cow

Bonding Over Violence

In the initial storyline, the town mailman and son of the Mayor, Mark Shiffron, is given a severe beating. Mark has Asperger’s syndrome, a weakness in his mother’s eye, and as such he is resigned to the mail house; put out of the way to keep him busy. Postal is primarily about Mark’s rise to power in the town of Eden and the character he is to become all stems from a confrontation in issue 4.

After being beaten by the followers of Isaac Shiffron (a much larger story) Mark asks for help from Maggie, a local waitress and pawn of the FBI. Together they confront his torturers. Mark lures the five people to a barn and confronts them, asking for an apology. They laugh in his face and threaten him with more violence. In steps Maggie, shotgun in hand, as protector and saviour.

This sequence is instrumental to the plot of the first arc because it lays the building blocks for Mark and Maggie’s relationship. From this moment onwards they are as thick as thieves. Hawkins/Hill manoeuvre the characters through the previous 3 issues, leading them to this exact moment. It portrays Mark’s inner strength and contrasts the way that he is seen with the way that he behaves.

It also demonstrates Maggie’s commitment to Mark. She is only just getting to know him but already she is willing to kill for him. She can see the future he has and is making a statement by being by his side.

This moment is a pivotal moment in their relationship but also cements their positions within the town of Eden.

I’m A Fire Starter

A number of the issues of Postal deal with difficult moral issues, often relating to horrible crimes. In issue 8 Maggie dispenses what she believes to be justice against a man accused of child murder. This issue revolves around the spread of rumours and the unjust corruption used to protect the guilty even at the risk of the innocent. Maggie is shown to be a violent fighter for the cause of innocence.

Johan is an ex-convict whose crime was theft however, when he was caught the body of a child was found buried in his garden. The authorities were never able to prove Johan had anything to do with the murder and he was adamant he didn’t kill the child. This didn’t stop the rumours or the constant beatings he received in prison.

When he was released he found sanctuary in Eden where Mayor Shiffron protects him, partly because that’s what Eden was designed for but also because she needs him to create a town wide surveillance network.

In issue 8 Maggie convinces Mark that Johan doesn’t deserve the protection of the Mayor or the town. This storyline further advances the relationship between Maggie and Mark. She pushes his boundaries to see just how much he will do for her. She is directing his actions which will lead, ultimately, to a confrontation with his mother.

But this issue also highlights Maggie’s staunch belief in right and wrong. The extreme’s that she goes to for justice, locking Johan in his caravan while she sets it on fire, demonstrate the strength of her beliefs. The writers want the reader to see what kind of world these characters live in. It is a world of protection and violence where one person’s ideas can mean life or death for others.

There is one panel in issue 8, drawn by Isaac Goodhart and colored by Betsy Gonia, that illustrates this concept perfectly. It is a headshot of a masked Maggie, surrounded by the flames of the caravan. She is cast mostly in shadow and she stares coldly at a body which is out of panel. The speech balloon hangs in the air behind her, a stark statement in the chaos: “He deserved it” she says with conviction. There is no reason to doubt her as she is portrayed steadfast within her belief.

This Is Your Home Now

As a companion piece to issues 4 and 8, issue 12 examines the lengths that Mark will go to in order to protect Maggie. A new resident to Eden causes trouble but just like Johan she is protected by the Mayor. The reasons for this protection are made clear to Mark but after the newbie, Molly, beats up Maggie to prove a point, Mark devises a plan to entrap her. The result is that Molly becomes locked in a cage, in a disused mine.

The contrast to the way that Mark deals with people and the way that Maggie, or his mother, deals with people is highlighted in this issue. Most of the town resort to violence to make their point or stake their claim but Mark is much more controlled and devious. He thinks about the big picture and crafts complex traps for people. The result is that he gets what he wants with the minimal amount of consequences. The moment in issue 12 where Mark locks Molly in the cage while distantly explaining her future life is a perfect snapshot of who Mark is.

Rowan

Issue 13 sees the start of a storyline where Eden goes to war against a white supremacist group. It is a violent, nasty war that results in a number of deaths. The introduction of the story however is an examination of redemption. The central character is Rowan; a once violent racist who severed time for manslaughter after dragging a young African American boy by a chain behind his truck.

On paper, Rowan is a nasty piece of work. However, Bryan Hill manages to get the reader to empathise with Rowan. Throughout the issue Rowan’s story is revealed and he receives a range of reactions from the other characters. Hatred, anger, indifference and pity. These emotions flood the comic as Hill forces the reader to question the notion of forgiveness and redemption. Who has the right to be forgiven and who can do the forgiving?

Issue 13 of Postal is a powerful look at hate crime and the everlasting consequences. It is one of the best issues of the entire run and worth reading. Hill and Goodhart deal with a very difficult subject in a mature and thought provoking way.

This Is The End?

The final monumental moment of the first arc comes at the very end, almost. Issue 25 picks up after the final confrontation of the Shiffron’s and sees Laura reveal her final secret to Mark. The series started with the death of Marks sister and it ends with him finding out about the death of a brother he knew nothing about. The story, involving human sacrifice, illustrates the insanity at the heart of Eden and how it affected Laura from the very beginning. She knows that she has done wrong but can’t get passed the hope that what she did was, ultimately, worth it.

In the final sequence of the comic Laura passes the baton of responsibility for Mark to Maggie then leaves Eden. As she ventures into the empty land around the town the color fades from the landscape, a bright, yellow light fills the horizon and Laura puts a gun to her head.

The atmosphere created by K. Michael Russell’s colors is outstanding. It produces a sense of a new dawn: as if the long night has finally ended and something new is coming. It is symbolic of Laura’s decision to commit suicide and leaver her son, Mark, to take over. The sequence has a warming glow but it doesn’t quite reach Laura who is drained of color. She sits in a field, alone and determined.

On the final page Mark makes an appearance and almost begs for Laura to stop. They have come so far; their relationship has changed dramatically because of the violence surrounding them. But at the end, it comes down to a son asking his mother to stay with him.

The scene is touching yet tense. Even in the final panel where all the color has faded, and the landscape is fading to white, the reader does not know the outcome of their meeting. Does Laura killer herself or not? At this point the answer is irrelevant. The moment is about the change, about the dawn of a new day and about the growth of Mark. He is no longer the helpless boy introduced in the first issue.

Postal: Deliverance picks up after these moving scenes with the next chapter in Marks life. He is running the town of Eden and must face new problems and dilemmas. Where the series will go is anyone’s guess but one thing is for certain, based on the first arc, anything is possible. With Postal expect action, violence, character, and drama but also be prepared for your beliefs to be challenged.

Postal takes risks. This is one of man reasons to read it when it returns.

Did you have any favourite moments from the first run of Postal? Why not let us know in the comments below.

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INTERVIEW: Adrian Peng Correia Makes GLOW On Netflix Shine Bright

Ruben Diaz

June 25, 2019

Cinematographer Adrian Peng Correia followed the life of a Muslim-American in Ramy on Hulu and an American Princess running off to find her dreams (or escape reality), but now he’s faced with the gorgeous ladies of wrestling or GLOW, the Netflix series based on the late 80s wrestling show.

GLOW centers around an ensemble cast lead by Alison Brie. All the women of the show face adversity while seeking a better life. That better life may or may not be provided by a strange but burgeoning television that flips the wrestling of the day on its head. GLOW is part comedy, but mostly a drama about finding your place in the world, finding friends, and freeing yourself from a life you didn’t want to begin with.

PopAxiom spent some time talking to Adrian Peng Correia about becoming a cinematographer, his favorite cameras and making GLOW shine bright.

Visions of Light

Throughout the 100 year history of film, the projects have added many roles. Today, the average Hollywood production coordinates the efforts of nearly 600 people. Directors, actors, and composers seem to get all the attention, though. “It wasn’t until I was in my early 20s and I watched a documentary called Visions of Light that I really understood there was something else. A whole world behind the camera.”

Like the average viewer, Adrian, “… understood there was a director and through cultural osmosis people like John Williams.”

“But that documentary was the first time I thought, someone is responsible for the photography of a film … and I understood the nature of that role.”

Visions of Light planted a seed. “That doc started the process of me learning about cinematography then investigating it more and then an obsession.”

GLOW-Netflix-interview — **Alison Brie as Ruth “Zoya the Destroya” Wilder**

Getting The Glow

Before signing on to the second season of GLOW, Adrian worked on many other projects running the gamut of genres. Talent and connections create opportunities. For Adrian, he was friends with Reed Morano who “… knew Jesse Peretz [director of the season one pilot].”

Peretz mentioned to Moran that, “GLOW needs a new DP,” and, “Reed recommended me.”

Peretz brought Adrian in for an interview after looking at his reel. According to Adrian, “the interview went well.” But a couple of weeks of waiting and “nervous grating” ensured. “Then, I got the call.”

Adrian shares the moment the call came in. “I was visiting my mother in law who was convalescing with a broken hip. So you’re talking about this quiet medical facility with tons of people who are trying to heal and rehab. I get this tremendously good news and want to scream. Instead, I just calmly walked through these hallways and got to an exit and started screaming with excitement.”

Then And Now

Adrian was award of the new GLOW series, “I knew the series. I was a big fan of Christian’s work.”

Adrian grew up right at the time to enjoy the original series too. “Growing up, I was a wrestling fan. I’d seen the premiere of GLOW pilot.”

Adrian notes, “It was an interesting contrast. Wrestling back then was kind of serious. They had some comedy moments, but it was treated as a very serious sporting event. Along comes GLOW and it’s effervescent, almost a variety show kind of feel.”

About GLOW

GLOW on Netflix is a wonderful mix of comedy and drama driven by characters. “One of the things I loved about the show was how serious they played it. There wasn’t any winking. It’s serious, but it’s also very sweet and intimate.”

What’s the process like taking over the DP reigns on a TV show? “Christian and I operate on the opposite ends of how we expose and shoot. So I wanted to know exactly why he chose what he chose and what things he’d like to see carried over.”

Coming into season two, there’s a remarkable balancing act. “You want to keep consistency in the show, but you don’t want to be a robot. So you try to hold on to some things the previous DP did. The way stuff is lit, for instance.”

Season two expands the show-within-a-show as the GLOW series within the series gets off the ground. “A lot of the episodes of this drama comes from the conflict between these women as people and these women as personas. Their personalities in the ring kind of double-back on them and affect them in the real world.”

Adrian, “… wanted to straddle the world stylistically by bringing some of the theatrically into the real elements and toning down the glamour at certain moments during the wresting and other bits so that some of the stuff that is more bombastic in style could still survive on a realistic level.”

GLOW mixes genres and visual style. “The interplay of tone is critical. There are dramatic and comedic elements competing on a scene-by-scene, episode-by-episode basis.”

“I found that kind of photographic interplay between reality and the show life to be fascinating.”

The Look

Every era seems to have this certain look to it. 70s films have a yellow tint to them that eventually shifts into the neon of the 80s. However, the change is subtle. “For our show, there is a bit of yellow in our mid-tones. So, a bit of that is built into the look of the show and finessed in post.”

Talking more about that ‘look’ of an era, Adrian thinks, “A lot of it is the work of set designers, makeup, costumes, the art department, the right locations, that set that feel.”

He continues, “Photography is photography. The world is built around what these departments give to the cinematographer. Your job is to interpret that world with light and shadow, lenses, and cameras.”

To date, GLOW’s received two dozen nominations, including a win for the Production Design team. “When you’re batting fourth, and you have a murderers row of players around you it’s not hard to succeed.”

RED, SONY. Blackmagic?

What’s Adrian’s camera of choice? “I have no camera of choice. I used to be a big RED guy. I shot with that camera from 2008 to 2015.”

Like many up-and-coming cinematographers, Adrian would bring his own camera to low budget projects that couldn’t afford better equipment. “Eventually, I got to a point where that wasn’t necessary.”

“For me now, a lot of cameras shoot beautiful imagery. It’s just a question of what tools are you offered that you feel most comfortable with.”

Filmmaking is the ultimate creative team effort. “If I have a great colorist and the lenses I want, I’m camera agnostic.”

Wrapping Up

The talk shift to influences. Adrian lists six cinematographers, past and present, who subconsciously influence his work. “Gregg Toland. The fact that he was using techniques in a way that were unique. Fake candle lightening in Grapes of Wrath. The use of movement and light in Citizen Kane. He’s amazing.

Number two: “Stanley Cortez was a huge influence on me because he bounced around so many genres. The dramatic realism and gothic drama of The Magnificent Ambersons or the fairytale aspects of the Night of the Hunter. Even his b-movie stuff like Shock Corridor. I loved his versatility.”

Three and four: “Conrad Hall and Gordon Willis for their creativity and, frankly, guts. They embodied breaking out of the confines of the studio system and established photography. Embracing things like intentional mistakes with lens flares or underexposure.”

Five and six: “More modern it’s gotta be Chivo [Emmanuel Lubezki] and Darius Khondji. They delve into genres … in profound and meaningful ways.”

“Those six cinematographers are ones I think about often.”

If Adrian could be DP on a remake, what movie would he want that to be? “Michael Mann’s first feature is Thief with James Caan. I think that movie would be a fantastic movie to remake for a couple of reasons. One, it’s got this beautiful style, this expressionistic use of dark and that kind of movie was made for the kind of underexposure digital cameras can do now. It could be really beautiful. Two, I think the thematic elements about the American dream are so relevant today.”

What’s next? “I’m right on the edge of something really great, but I don’t want to talk about it.” Loose lips sink ships.”

Thanks to Adrian Peng Correia and Impact24 PR
for making this interview possible.

Want to read more interviews like this? CLICK HERE.

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Review: Fighting For Life In DICK TRACY FOREVER #3

Darryll Robson

The journey through history has reached the present day in Dick Tracy Forever from IDW Publishing. Modern day storytelling and narrative expectations have been embraced to make the timeless detective feel at home. Action and drama pack the pages in Michael Avon Oeming’s vision of Dick Tracy but can the old school detective survive against modern day crimes?

Fighting For Life In DICK TRACY FOREVER #3 — Dick Tracy Forever #3 Credit: IDW Publishing

Writing/Story

Junior, Tracy’s adoptive son, is in hospital fighting a life threatening disease while Tracy and Tess can do nothing but watch. But there is a possible cure, one that would involve breaking the law; not an option the great detective would ever take.

Meanwhile there’s another job to do: Tracy and Tess have been working together to break a local criminal gang. The ambush is set. Tess is the lynchpin but will she play the game by the rules or go her own way?

Michael Avon Oeming brings the detective up to date with an emotional journey that sets in motion a conflict between Tracy’s obligation to his family and obedience to the Law. In previous issues Oeming has focused on Tracy’s determination for doing what is right and in this issue the writer has created a lose/lose scenario: this is Dick Tracy’s Kobayashi Maru and Oeming lays the drama on thick and fast.

The story’s theme has a simple ‘right against wrong’ motif however in the modern day this concept is outdated and complex. Oeming highlights this throughout, forcing Tracy into situations where he has to question his own motives as well as of those around him. The straight forward, black and white crimes he is used to fighting no-longer exist and Tracy is shown to be struggling to adapt to this brave new world.

The only flaw in this story is that it doesn’t have a satisfying end. There is a twist in the tale which is intriguing and leads brilliantly into the final issue next month but it leaves this issue hanging with no resolution. All of the difficult issues that Oeming raises for his characters are addressed but there are no consequences. It does feel a little bit like Oeming is cheating the reader just like Kirk cheated the Kobayashi Maru simulation.

Art

The art is as bold and brash as the story itself. Oeming has a Pop Art style that gives the characters and the city a larger than life feel. Each scene is played out in front of a backdrop which could easily be a movie set but some very clever panel layouts give the scenes some depth.

There is a minimalistic aesthetic to Dick Tracy Forever that suits the bombastic action sequences more than the intimate character moments. However, a number of extreme close ups and steady profiles interject some much needed emotion into the narrative. The struggle that Tracy faces in this modern world is as plain as day. Oeming illustrates the detective’s aging face beautifully in certain scenes packing as much of a punch as the car chase or shoot out.

The coloring by Taki Soma is also influenced by Pop Art thereby giving the comic a bold, modernist look. It creates atmosphere through the stark contrast of color and heavy black. Oeming relies on heavy shadows and thick black lines; Soma’s colors separate the foreground from the background and create layers and depth in the panels.

Shawn Lee does something similar with the lettering. The Text within the speech balloons is full of life and on a number of occasions it can barely be contained within the borders. Heavy bolding and changing size of text creates drama within the narrative. As does the elaborate, energetic sound effects. There is a playfulness to the collections of sound effects employed in the comic. They add to the overall sensation that Dick Tracy Forever is aiming for.

Conclusion

On the whole Dick Tracy Forever is an entertaining read. Packed with action and adventure and fuelled by a central struggle of right and wrong. The narrative is relevant for our time as it deals with the fluctuating sense of what is right in the face of who we are and what we want to achieve. How far is too far when it comes to saving someone you love?

As Oeming takes Dick Tracy through time, paying homage to Chester Gould’s original strips, he has picked out elements that make the character who he is. These have then been inflated and streamlined to fit in a single issue. Some of the drama and suspense is lost in the translation but the fun and adventure remains intact.

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GWENPOOL STRIKES BACK Exclusive First-Look & Interview With Leah Williams and David Baldeon

Anthony Composto - EIC

June 25, 2019

Gwenpool Strikes Back #1 is out August 7th, but thanks to Marvel Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive first-look at the book, as well as an interview with writer Leah Williams and artist David Baldeon.

About the five-issue series:
POOL’S OUT FOR SUMMER! That’s right — everyone’s favorite comics-fan-turned-comics character is back, and this time, she’s playing for keeps! Gwen Poole is desperate not to disappear into comic book limbo, so she’s going to make an impact on the Marvel Universe! First up: Unmask Spider-Man! And heck, maybe see if she can get some real super-powers while she’s at it!

Gwenpool first appeared in 2015 on a variant cover for Deadpool’s Secret Secret Wars #2 designed by Chris Bachalo. She became an immediate fan-favorite, and was given her own series later that same year. She has since appeared in a number of other Marvel series, most notably as a member of the West Coast Avengers.

Gwenpool Strikes Back Marvel Comics Exclusive preview interview — Main cover by Terry Dodson.

Carry on to read our interview with Leah and David, and to get your first look at GWENPOOL STRIKES BACK:

Monkeys Fighting Robots: We know Gwen is going to try and unmask Spider-Man in the new series. What else can you tell us about the series? What other hijinks should fans expect?

Leah Williams: ”Expect the unexpected” is such a cop-out answer but it’s Gwenpool so it feels especially, urgently true in this case. I am writing this miniseries, but I do not feel like I am remotely in control of Gwen’s actions. I feel like I’m the person recording them. She’s captaining this miniseries, not the creative team. The choices she’s making are about her survival in this world, so she’s orchestrating optics that are wild beyond belief—she’s art directing her own covers in this miniseries. Fans should expect maximum hijinks and max earnestness. Gwen’s in a rough spot, honestly, but it’s not her fault. We’re not pulling any emotional punches and shying away from how this is making her feel.

MFR: What sets this series apart from Gwen’s previous series?

LW: Gwen’s a real person—she’s from our world. Like us, she carries the sum total of her life experiences at all times. In Earth 616, she carries the sum total of her appearances. Every book with Gwenpool adds to the snowball effect of her growing up and adapting to life inside Marvel comics. This miniseries is “go big or get retconned” for her because there are forces outside her control—within Marvel—working against her. So we’re catching Gwen at a time when she is literally fighting for her survival, fighting for her right to exist. She’s angry, she’s hurting, but…it’s Gwen. She loves us, loves comics, and is an earnest goofball. She wants to stay. She wants to be good. She’s also looking at things like sales figures for each of her books, and adjusting her own optics accordingly.

MFR: David, what are the artistic elements that make up Gwenpool? Like Spider-Man is all loose, The Thing is ridged, etc. What do you try to capture when drawing Gwen?

David Baldeon: Gwen is a tricky one to get, art-wise. Any other character has a very defined body language and, say, “style” to their art. As you say, Spider-Man is loose and all that. But Gwen… She is not just one thing. She’s a bit awkward, but also very relaxed. She has humor, but it takes a thousand different tones and covers a thousand different feelings. She’s not just the one thing. But then again, as Leah points out, Gwen is a person rather than a character. Spider-Man and the Thing and all these guys… You can trust that a certain couple strokes will be enough for the readers to understand certain things because, well, there’s an understanding on certain graphic cues built up for decades. But Gwen is another thing entirely. It’s not as much about imbuing her with a personality as it is about correctly capturing a lot of the stuff going on with her. Because of her very nature as an exile of our reality, one really needs to change the point of view ever so slightly so she does not get watered down. She is an entirely different creature, a completely new and very complex challenge altogether.

And then there’s the comic book language part. There is A LOT that Gwen (and Leah and Jordan!) is allowing me to do and explore and panic about a little, when it comen to twisting and squeezing out the possibilities of the comic book page… I had never had a chance like this one. This is not the way I usually deal with pages, narration wise. I try to be as inconspicuous as possible as a narrator, just picking the tone and the narrative tools that best suit the character and the story… But here’s Gwen that needs -or rather, demands- to make it explicit that we’re in a comic book. That she is in a comic book, that she knows and uses that fact, and that it must be felt in every page that that veil is thin and she can easily break it. It’s exhilarating, and I’m very much enjoying to explore that part of the book. Or rather, I’m enjoying Gwen grabbing my hand and giving me a tour of that part of the book!

MFR: How do you think Gwenpool was able to go from a variant cover one-off to a fan-favorite character with her own series? What about her speaks to you as a creator?

LW: Gwendolyn Poole went from a variant cover to becoming Gwenpool; the people’s champion of Marvel characters because Chris Bachalo designed that cover initially. Like, full stop. Chris has this uncanny ability to draw things that are stunningly expressive and that cover tapped into a zeitgeist of something unfulfilled that Marvel had been lacking up to that point—I never really know how to describe the kind of alchemical magic that happens within fandom, but that’s what happened there. And then, she became our champion because she’s one of us—meaning, a comics fan. She’s the only person in Earth 616 capable of listening to fans and making changes within the canon as a result. She’s not listening to me, David, Jordan, C.B., or anyone else working with her. She’s gone rogue within the pages of Marvel comics.

MFR: Gwen and Deadpool both are cut from similar cloths and both have cult followings, and yet Gwen feels unique in her own right. What do you think makes her more than just a female Wade Wilson?

LW: “Girl Deadpool” or “Deadpool lite” is my litmus test for who’s read her books or not. That sounds bad and gatekeeper-y (because it is) but I really just don’t understand how anyone can read Christopher Hastings’ and Gurihiru’s stunning work with her in Gwen’s first solo run, The Unbelievable Gwenpool, and still reduce her to that. Wade Wilson is a comics character. Gwendolyn Poole is person.

MFR: How would you define the comedy of Gwenpool?

LW: Gen Z. Gwen’s gen z, and she grew up entrenched in internet culture so her humor is absurdist, Dadaist, and almost casually nihilist. But in Gwen’s age group she’d be called “meme trash” for the very same humor. It comes naturally to her as it does to a lot of Gen Z. They are a generation of Americans unlike anything we’ve ever seen before because they have an unparalleled understanding of the world informed by constant, unqualified access to high-speed internet. They are smarter and more adept, and in a way that’ll make (us) millennials look like dinosaurs by the time they’re entering the work-force. But this knowledgeability comes with a price, because staying informed means they’ve grown up with an understanding of how constantly dire world events are, and how much of the world is suffering all at the same time. Gen Z is anxious and depressed, and they are valid for that. They all go to school wondering if it’s their turn to get shot by a classmate that day. Humor is very much a powerful coping mechanism for them, and it’s something that edges past the widely-accepted understanding of how bleak modern life is, right on into making each other laugh about it as praxis. It’s dark and joyful at the same time. The stuff Gwen jokes about isn’t funny at all, but her desire to make the reader happy—make us laugh despite how bad the situation is—is sincere as hell. The tl;dr of what I just said is that Deadpool references memes; Gwenpool makes the memes. She’s the only sh*tposter operating within Earth-616. And she knows exactly what she’s doing.

Are you excited for Gwenpool Strikes Back? Comment and let us know your thoughts!

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Review: If The Music Doesn’t Get You..KILLER GROOVE #2

Darryll Robson

Murder, mystery, and music is the name of the game in AfterShock Comics‘ Killer Groove issue 2 out this week. Inspired by crime stories from throughout the 20^th century, Ollie Masters throws the reader head first into the seedy underbelly of L.A. and doesn’t allow them to come up for air.

In 1970’s America, not everyone is living the high life and just surviving can be difficult. You do what you must and take whatever job you find. For Jackie, a private investigator, this means applying a little pressure to people she’d rather not mingle with. And for Jonny, washed out musician, this means picking up a gun.

If The Music Doesn't Get You..KILLER GROOVE #2 — Killer Groove #2 Credit: AfterShock Comics

Ollie Masters is crafting a smart crime thriller that focuses on two different worlds. Throughout this second issue Masters is comparing these two worlds and the characters at the centre of each. Both are surrounded by violence but how that affects the characters is the central premise of Killer Groove.

Masters demonstrates Jonny’s reluctance to violence in the opening pages, setting up a classic target practice scene in a desert. This is followed up by a sequence of extreme violence which Jonny takes too far, lost in the moment. The two sequences together open up Jonny allowing the readers to see the true nature of the character and the anger buried within him. The reason for this anger and bitterness has been hinted at throughout the narrative so far but the consequences are fascinating; he is starting to get what he believes he deserves.

The relationship between Jonny and Ignatius is that of a mentor and his protégé. Their conversation bounces back and forth like a Quentin Tarantino film script but there is a detachment to Jonny. This is portrayed as an awkwardness, a difficulty making and understanding jokes. Masters uses these moments of conversation to highlight the difference between Jonny and the seemingly cold bloodied killer, Ignatius.

Masters’ contrasts this with Jackie’s relationship with her father. Jackie can feel the rug being pulled from under her but she is fighting to keep the balance. Instead of succumbing to the violence she makes a stand against it. This makes her job, and her life, harder but she chooses the moral high ground.

The story isn’t the only place this contrast is made, the art work highlights the difference in the central character’s outlooks. The color work by Jordie Bellaire makes a strong statement about the two personalities. Jonny is surrounded by red: backgrounds, furniture, blood. He is drenched in the violence although at this stage he doesn’t have any red on him directly, almost as if the violence isn’t touching his character.

Jackie, however wears a red jacket and is driven around in a bright red car; the violence infects her personally and leads her through life. The amount of violence in her story is considerable less, and not instigated by herself, but it has a bigger effect on her than on Jonny.

Eoin Marron treats the characters the same, focusing on their reactions to situations. The characters are extremely expressive allowing the reader to get to know them and understand them to a certain degree. Jonny has a coldness in this issue, a detachment from his actions. Marron often draws him with the same expression on his face; pensive yet removed from the world. This only changes during the violence and production of his music. Jackie has emotional reactions to everything that happens around her, she takes note and is a part of the world she lives in.

All of this comes through in Marron’s steady pencils and compositions. He treats the panels like a camera, starting with a wide, establishing shot before zooming in for reaction shots. He builds a sense of location early on each page so that he can drop the backgrounds to a minimum throughout the scenes. This leaves the reader focused on the characters and their interactions but the locale is firmly implanted in the reader’s mind.

The lettering is brilliantly blended into the art work, mostly by simply coloring the speech balloons an off white. The starkness usually associated with the speech is dampened and gives the conversations a natural, laid back feel. Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou also has a novel approach to balloon design with flat ended tails and over lapping balloons linked by parallel lines creating a canal for the speech to flow through from one balloon to another.

This layering gives the speech some rhythm. While the balloons are overlaid there is a faster, punchy pace to the speech. It’s a comfortable, flowing conversation. But when he separates the balloons this emphasises the break in the speech and slows it down. It adds dramatic pauses and moments of indifference.

Killer Groove is an impressive thriller. The creative team use a number of clever gimmicks to tell the story but it doesn’t rely on these gimmicks to make it interesting. As a reader you are engaged in the comic first then notice the little storytelling tricks afterwards.

The plot reads like a 1970’s pulp novel mixed with characters from a modern thriller. The violence is harsh and in your face. It doesn’t apologise for what it is but also does not glorify it. Masters’ uses the character reactions to discuss the nature of violence and makes a general comment on the depiction and acceptance of that violence.

Killer Groove is entertaining but also hard hitting. Like a good Peter Luck novel or a Martin Scorsese film. In comic terms it falls somewhere between Sin City and Criminal;taking the harshness of the former and the aesthetic of the later.

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INTERVIEW: Adam Glass And Olivia Cuartero-Briggs Of MARY SHELLEY: MONSTER HUNTER

Matthew Sardo

June 23, 2019

The first three issues of MARY SHELLEY: MONSTER HUNTER written by Adam Glass and Olivia Cuartero-Briggs has a unique sense of horror when teamed up with Hayden Sherman’s artwork. The creators have put together a brilliant combination of grit and tension, one which has become a definite must read.

Glass and Cuartero-Briggs spoke with Monkeys Fighting Robots about their writing process and how Mary Shelley’s story is more relevant today in the current political climate. Check out the full interview below.

MFR: Both of you work in television. How has your experience in TV helped you as a comic book writer?

GLASS: It’s all storytelling at the end of the day. But tv shows, much like comics is truncated storytelling, you must hook your audience fast and leave them with a cliff hanger to come back for more. I started on TV but found the writing approach in graphic novels very similar.

CUARTERO-BRIGGS: Agreed, storytelling is storytelling, so working in any medium will help inform another, especially when it’s visual, like both comic books and television are. I would say where TV helps the most is the necessity that cliff hanger at the end of every act. It gets your mind thinking big, which is very useful when writing comics.

MFR: In film and TV, you can build tension with a musical score. MARY SHELLEY: MONSTER HUNTER is very tense; I could almost hear the music in my head as I read the first three issues. What are the elements you use to build tension?

GLASS: I feel as writers we’re always tapping into our own worse fears and putting ourselves into our characters head. So everything you see is how Olivia and I feel like we’d see it. I know I spend way to much time thinking about how to kill people in interesting ways then I should.

CUARTERO-BRIGGS: Adam and I agreed early on that this had to be a character-driven comic book. The central characters, Mary, Percy, Byron, Claire and Victoria had to be dynamic and psychologically complex to really make this story work the way we wanted it to. With that focus, we were able to slow down the plot a bit and really build suspense, not just through the situations they find themselves in and the frightening occurrences that build on one another, but through exploring their personalities, desires, and relationships as well.

MFR: Gender equality is a huge political topic right now, and as a society, it seems like we have lost our ability to have a civil debate. Do you think comic books can sneak into a political conversation and open up a few minds?

GLASS: What I’ve always loved about genre writing is it’s the perfect place to speak about societies woes without being preachy. Mary Shelley: Monster Hunter has this in spades because at the foundation of our story is the real-life journey of Mary Shelley, who was a feminist way before anyone even knew what the word meant. So, yes, just like the X-Men helped people accept race and differences I feel like our story can open a few eyes on feminism.

CUARTERO-BRIGGS: Yes. And with everything that’s going on right now in Middle America and the continual chipping away of women’s rights to healthcare, it is so important that we remind ourselves where we came from. Women like Mary Shelley – not to mention her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft – fought like hell for the rights we now enjoy. It’s crazy that we’re seeing similarities in the treatment of women from 1815 to today. We should be well past that kind of oppression, and the fact that we’re not should disturb people. Perhaps the reminder we’re giving folks in Mary Shelley Monster Hunter will inspire more people to stand up and fight.

MFR: What does Hayden Sherman bring to the table as an artist? His panel designs amped up the fear and had me hesitantly turning the page.

GLASS: Hayden was the perfect artist for this book because he understands the horror and how to pace it out so it has maximum effect.

CUARTERO-BRIGGS: From the moment Adam and I first saw his work, we knew he was the guy. His work has an elegance and creep factor all its own, and it has really helped to enhance the books. Thanks, Hayden!

MFR: The pacing of the book is solid, as it had me wanting to read the next issue immediately. Since you are a writing duo, what’re the conversations like when it comes to pacing and how you want to end each comic?

GLASS: Olivia and I are friends and have worked together on TV so we have a real shorthand when it comes to writing. But I think we talk about what we’d like to see and what we think is cool and then we just do that.

CUARTERO-BRIGGS: Absolutely. I’ve been really fortunate to work with Adam and benefit from his years of experience and talent, not just in comics, but in TV as well. He’s amazing at pacing, building to cliffhangers, and crafting those fun, impactful openings. So, while we definitely have a shorthand – and a lot of fun coming up with ideas together – I have to admit that I’ve learned a lot through this process that I will certainly take with me as I continue on in this crazy business.

What did you think of the interview? Comment below with your thoughts.

MARY SHELLEY: MONSTER HUNTER #4 hits your local comic book store on July 17, with final orders due on June 24, so bug your comic shop to order copies.

About MARY SHELLEY: MONSTER HUNTER from AfterShock Comics

For nearly two centuries, scholars have wondered how on earth Mary Shelley, a nineteen-year-old girl, was able to conjure one of the most frightening and enduring horror stories of all-time: Frankenstein. But with the recent discovery of Mary Shelley’s secret memoir, the truth is finally revealed: Mary Shelley didn’t just write Frankenstein, she lived it. Traveling back to that historic Geneva winter of 1816, Mary, her fiancé Percy, sisters Claire and Fanny, and the celebrated poet Lord Byron, find themselves guests of the eerie Frankenstein Estate. The macabre and frightening events that follow lead Mary to both a gruesome and shocking discovery. Their mysterious host is not at all what they expected, and their intentions will change the course of Mary’s life forever.

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J.J. Abrams Takes On Spider-Man

Kevin Sharp

June 22, 2019

Marvel continues to make big news for the 80th anniversary. We already know that Marvel Comics #1000 will bring an all-star lineup of creators, and that Mark Waid will be retelling the History of the Marvel Universe.

Now comes word that film and TV superstar creator J.J. Abrams will be co-writing a new Spider-Man comic with his son, Henry. Sara Pichelli will be on interior art while Olivier Coipel handles covers.

The New York Times first announced the story this week, including an interview with the father-son Abrams team. According to the story:

They are introducing a new villain, Cadaverous, who will cause problems for Spider-Man, his alter-ego, Peter Parker, and his beloved Mary Jane Watson, in a five-part series arriving in September. The Abramses are writing, and the comic will be drawn by Sara Pichelli and colored by Dave Stewart.

On how the project came about, J.J. Abrams said,

“Nick [Lowe, the book’s editor] had been pressing me to do a book with him. A year or so ago, I started talking about it with Henry and it sort of happened organically. And that has been the joy of this. Even though I’ve been talking to Nick for a long time, weirdly, this feels like it just sort of evolved from the conversations of Henry and I, having ideas that got us excited and Nick being open to the collaboration.”

Henry Abrams added his thoughts on the character:

“Spider-Man is one of those superheroes where the more you read about him, for me at least, the less I understand him. He’s so anti-everything that you’d expect from a hero. I think Stan Lee said something about putting the human in superhuman. That is what we’re trying to do.”

Are you ready for a new Spidey book? Does having J.J. Abrams onboard get you more excited? Leave us a comment!

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Vertigo No More: DC Comics Ending Its Separate Imprints

Kevin Sharp

June 22, 2019

After weeks of rumors about the move, DC Comics has made it official: Vertigo and their other imprints will be shutting down as separate entities. DC Zoom and Ink, which just launched last year, are also part of the “sunsetting.”

In Dan DiDio’s words,

“We’re returning to a singular presentation of the DC brand that was present throughout most of our history until 1993 when we launched Vertigo to provide an outlet for edgier material.”

It wasn’t too long ago (2018 to be exact) that DC announced the Vertigo relaunch. Now, instead of the separate imprints, all books will be published under a general DC banner but categorized for different ages. Those will be Kids, DC, and Black Label.

According to Jim Lee,

“[DC] will also continue to publish creator-owned projects, and will evaluate and assign to the appropriate label to help our fans find the best books for their interests. These new labels not only bring greater consistency and focus to our characters, but they also open up a wealth of new opportunities for the talent working on our books.”

Some things we don’t yet know:

Will this lead to the cancellation of any comics?

What will become of the current Vertigo titles? (Seeing the Sandman Universe books under the regular DC label would be a first.)

Will reprints from the old Vertigo catalog — Preacher, 100 Bullets, etc — still carry the label? (DC already recategorized Killing Joke and Watchmen as Black Label.)

Here’s the full press release:

Beginning in 2020
All Content will be Organized Under Three Age-Specific Labels:
DC Kids, DC and DC Black Label

Vertigo Publishing Imprint to be Sunset at the End of the Year

DC announced today that beginning in 2020, all of its publishing content will be organized and marketed under the DC brand, creating three age-specific labels – DC Kids, DC and DC Black Label – that would absorb all of its existing imprints and focus DC’s publishing content around characters and stories that evolve and mature along with the awareness and sensibilities of DC’s readers. As a result of this new labeling strategy, DC will sunset the Vertigo publishing imprint at the end of the year.

The new segmentation, featuring the new age rating system, will launch in January 2020. Books currently being published under the recently launched DC Zoom and DC Ink imprints, which are focused on the middle grade and young adult segments, respectively, will be assigned to the DC Kids and DC labels depending on the content and intended audiences.

“We’re returning to a singular presentation of the DC brand that was present throughout most of our history until 1993 when we launched Vertigo to provide an outlet for edgier material,” said DC Publisher Dan DiDio. “That kind of material is now mainstream across all genres, so we thought it was the right time to bring greater clarity to the DC brand and reinforce our commitment to storytelling for all of our fans in every age group. This new system will replace the age ratings we currently use on our material.”

The three labels will be structured as follows:

DC Kids will focus on readers ages 8-12 and offer content created specifically for the middle-grade reader
DC, focusing on ages 13+, will primarily be the current DC universe of characters
DC Black Label will focus on content appropriate for readers 17 and older

“What we’ve done here is apply an ages and stages organizing philosophy that will strengthen what we’re already doing well, whether that is our move into the young adult and middle grade audience or our long track record of success with creator-driven pop-up lines,” said DC Publisher and Chief Creative Officer Jim Lee. “We will also continue to publish creator-owned projects, and will evaluate and assign to the appropriate label to help our fans find the best books for their interests. These new labels not only bring greater consistency and focus to our characters, but they also open up a wealth of new opportunities for the talent working on our books.”

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Review: BLACK MIRROR SEASON 5 – An Uninspired Entry to the Series

Kieran Freemantle

Black Mirror is one of the jewels in Netflix’s crown, attaching big name actors and directors to the anthology. Due to the complex production of Black Mirror: Bandersnatch the fifth season had a shorter run of three episodes instead of the usual six for Netflix. Sadly the fifth season is the most forgettable out of the seasons of the show.

“Striking Vipers”

“Striking Vipers” opens the season, following an illicit relationship in the virtual world. Anthony Mackie stars as Danny, a middle-aged man trying to have a baby with his wife (Nicole Beharie). Danny is given a new VR video game from his old roommate, Karl (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) and their play time quickly turns from fighting to fucking.

Charlie Brooker is an enthusiastic gamer and with “Striking Vipers” he is taping into the past and future of video games. Brooker stated that this episode was influenced by his experience playing Tekken with his flatmates in the ’90s, the character designs and move set in “Striking Vipers” were similar to Street Fighter, and even the title of the game is similar to Fighting Vipers. As someone who grew up on ’90s fighting games these references were appreciated. Although I find it hard to believe that a VR fighting game could be turned into a sex simulation, at least not without some hacking of the software.

“Striking Vipers” is really a story about two male friends who enter into an affair. The game world allows for characters to meet up without even leaving their home. They could fulfill their wildest fantasies but it was underdeveloped. The relationships were also underdeveloped – there was no great exploration as what drives people to be closeted or why they can act differently online. The episode even missed a trick because it focused on Danny when it would have been more interesting to look at Karl who was a woman in the virtual world.

“Striking Vipers” is a disappointment, wasting its ideas. The episode had little to say about technology or the human condition.

It will be amusing for superhero fans to see Falcon, Mantis, and Black Mantra in the same episode.

“Smithereens”

“Smithereens” is the first contemporary set episode since “Shut Up and Down.” Brooker felt that Black Mirror moved too far into the sci-fi genre and wanted to make at least one episode that looks at the impact of social media.

Chris (Andrew Scott) is an Uber driver in London whose fiancé died 18 months prior. After a one night stand with another grief sufferer he decides to take action against the social media giant Smithereen (basically Twitter.) He plans to kidnap an employee and threatens to kill him if Chris doesn’t get to speak to the company’s CEO.

“Smithereens” is a standard plot for a thriller which has added social commentary about the tech age we live in. Most of the episode takes place in a field where Chris is surrounded by armed police, leading to a tense standoff between Chris and the police whilst Smithereen employees in California try to find out what Chris really wants. Smithereen ends up being the ones who find out about Chris because they have access to all his social media posts and are able to hack into Chris’ phone. It shows how easily personal information can be accessed and uses revelations by Edward Snowden as a part of the plot (i.e. hacking into phones so they can be used as bugging devices.)

“Smithereens” is one of the more human Black Mirror stories. Chris is a man of the edge and Brooker avoids the typical route of making out Smithereens to be a heartless corporation who only care about their profits. The people at the company are human beings who don’t want someone to get hurt, not even a lowly intern.

The episode needed to have great performances. “Smithereens” was lucky to have Andrew Scott who gives a strong, tortured performance as a smart man but quick to anger due to his delicate mental state. Scott has proven himself to be a talented actor in previous roles and he’s allowed to use his natural Irish accent.

It is a refreshing change of pace to have an episode that’s more grounded.

“Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too”

“Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too” will easily be one of the most divisive Black Mirror episodes with its 6.0 IMDB score reflecting this.

Rachel (Angourie Rice) is a lonely and awkward teenager and a huge fan of pop star Ashley O (Miley Cyrus.) Ashley O releases an interactive doll that’s a cross between Amazon’s Alexa and a Funko Pop doll. When Rachel gets an Ashley Too doll for her birthday she treats it as a friend, leading to her older sister, Jack (Madison Davenport), to worry. At the same time Ashley O life struggles creatively and is dominated by her aunt/manager (Susan Pourfar.)

The first half of “Rachel, Jack, and Ashley Too” is typical fare for Black Mirror where a new technology is released and someone becomes obsessed with it or it has a negative impact. This was done in “Be Right Back” and “Arkangel” and has the added dimension of focusing on a teenage girl. It easily draws on ideas that children and teens are too dependent on technology for socialization and validation.

As well as being a story about technology “Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too” is a story about siblings and this is where the episode was really relatable. Rachel and Jack are chalk-and-cheese, Jack is a moody rocker who scoffs at her younger sister’s tastes and often makes fun of her. But deep down Jack does care, from telling their dad when Rachel’s birthday is, to trying to protect Rachel from a negative influence. Anyone who has brothers or sisters could easily relate to their story.

Ashley O’s story is nothing out of the ordinary where a young pop star personal life is hell. Ashley O is forced to sing music she has outgrown and controlled by her handlers. The most interesting part of this story was it acted as a meta-commentary about Miley Cyrus’ career. She started out as a teen singer who wanted to break away from her Disney image when she got older. It did lead to the question of how the stories would connect.

When the stories do merge the episode turns into an outright comedy and this is where the point of contention arises. Cyrus was clearly having fun voicing Ashley Too who was allowed to swear like a sailor and the narrative turns from a slow boil to a fast-paced heist. It was tonally inconsistent but the humor make a change of pace from the usually depressing show and Cyrus was funny in her role.

“Rachel, Jack, and Ashley Too” had a lot of interesting ideas and the three leads gave strong performances. Rice was particularly impressive as the awkward teen and shows why her star is rising. The episode did need a bit of refining, especially for the final act where Brooker wanted to get to the end quickly.

Conclusion

Season 5 is sadly the weakest Black Mirror season so far in its consistency. The quality of the acting and the special effects were still of the same high standard and there are worst episodes as individual pieces. But this season has a rushed quality to the writing: the philosophical and social ideas and character development were not as rich as in the previous seasons.

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Marvel Comics Exclusive Preview: STAR WARS AGE OF REBELLION DARTH VADER #1

Matthew Sardo

June 20, 2019

Star Wars Age Of Rebellion Darth Vader #1 hits your local comic books store on June 26, but thanks to Marvel Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive five-page preview of the issue to share with you.

Star Wars Age Of Rebellion Darth Vader #1 is written by Greg Pak, with art by Ramón Bachs, colors by Stéphane Paitreau, Travis Lanham’s letters, and Terry and Rachel Dodson worked on the cover.

About the issue:
YOUR HUMBLE SERVANT VADER!
DARTH VADER may be the most feared man in the galaxy. But to the proud Grand Moffs of THE EMPIRE, he’s just the Emperor’s apprentice – below them in the hierarchy. But what fury burns in the heart of a SITH with such overwhelming rage when a mere Moff dares command him? And at what point does Darth Vader show them his true power?