Sharkey the Bounty Hunter #1 kicks off a new six-issue limited run from writer Mark Millar. The series, set to be adapted into a live action Netflix movie next year, follows an interstellar bounty hunter who traverses the galaxy in a beat-up old ice cream truck. Sharkey’s luck turns around, though, when he gets a tip that could bring in the biggest score of his life.
Drawing heavily on genre tropes, this first issue sets up a fun, if not completely unique adventure.
The Writing
As mentioned, Sharkey the Bounty Hunter #1 leans heavily on the hallmarks of the space western. We have the lowlife bounty hunter with a mysterious past, the tag-along kid, the infamous outlaw with a massive price on her head…it’s all here.
Pastiche is good, though, as long as a writer knows how to use the tropes to tell an interesting story. Fortunately, Millar pulls that off nicely. The world building draws on many familiar elements, but still feels fresh, with enough unique weirdness to tie it together.
Not only that, but the book is actually very funny, too. Sharkey the Bounty Hunter #1 has multiple laugh-out-loud moments. That said, there is one bit with a cyborg character who muses about being surgically transformed into a military vehicle, which ends up being more awkward than funny.
Character development in this first issue focuses primarily on Sharkey, who is delightful. He’s a jerk with a heart of gold, possessing a ’70-era, Burt Reynolds-esque swagger. Readers will look forward to following his adventure in the next issue.
The Artwork
The art by Simone Bianchi in Sharkey the Bounty Hunter #1 is a real treat. His illustrations are alien, yet familiar at the same time, perfectly underscoring the Millar’s storytelling style.
He brings everything to life with incredible detail and dynamic, kinetic character designs. You can read the emotion in characters’ faces, and feel as they grapple over key decisions. You could honestly pull some of these panels out of the book and frame them on your wall.
Bianchi handles color duties, too. His choices are all over the map, underscoring the off-world vibe. However, the colors have similar tones, keeping everything cohesive. It’s a damn impressive display of ability.
Final Thoughts
Even if you’re not big on the space western genre, Sharkey the Bounty Hunter #1 is a home run you won’t want to miss. Highly recommended.
Bird Box is a horror film that made a huge splash when it premiered on Netflix in January and making the movie look seamless is Marcus Taormina who handled the hundreds of FX shots in the film.
Marcus Taormina started his career back in 2009 as a “data wrangler” for the Dragonball: Evolution film. Flash-forward ten years later and Marcus’ resume includes working on projects such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, Fast and Furious, Amazing Spider-Man, and Guardians of the Galaxy. In 2017, he leveled up to Visual Effects Supervisor on the Netflix film Bright.
PopAxiom put on a blindfold to talk to Marcus via the phone about working in the movie industry, making special effects, and what was his biggest challenge while making Bird Box.
Computers & Film
Marcus started making movies early on “I think it goes back to my childhood when I would steal my parents’ camera. I’d sneak down into the basement and tried my best making stop-motion kind of movies. Lamps for lighting. Anything I could grab.”
But it was just a hobby, and he went to school to study computers “It never really occurred to me until my sophomore year in college that I could make working on movies a career. I changed my major from Computer Science to Media Studies.”
After the switch, Marcus “… explored that world as much as I could … Exposed myself to everything I could. I started to get into classes about animation and what you could do with green screen. How much you could manipulate picture to the point that an audience would believe it.”
From computer science to filmmaking “Working in visual effects is the best of both worlds for me.”
Early FX Influences
Marcus points to one film immediately when asked what influenced his love of FX as a kid “… Terminator 2. If I walked into that theater, I could tell you where I was sitting. It was so cool, breathtaking, and real. But in this gritty way.”
A couple of other films come to mind “I’m a big fan of Indiana Jones; alsoJurassic Park … how forward-thinking they were on that film.”
About Bird Box
On to Bird Box, the film that took over January and caused nationwide trends that Netflix was not happy about. Famously, the movie garnered 45 million views within the first few days. On the surface, Bird Box doesn’t look like an effects-heavy film but according to Marcus “There were 520 visual effects shots in the movie.”
The number includes “A combination of computer-generated images or cleanup and practical stuff.”
For Marcus, he approaches each project with the idea of “… doing as much practically and support it later on with visual effects.”
Marcus shares a few examples “Jessica’s death, when she gets hit by the garbage truck, we tried to do that in more of an ‘old-school’ fashion. We shot Jessica walking out of the house and into the street, the garbage truck passing, etc. We’d do a few little bits of compositing tricks. But as soon as we shot it, it lacked that frenetic, violent action it needed.”
CGI was used instead “In post-production, we utilized the portion of Jessica walking out and the stunt-pass for reference.”
And the computer, oddly, made it more real “Rendering the scene, the software accounted for the mass and speed of the truck. Because of that, it would push the hair in front of the face. Normally you don’t want to cover an actors face. But the motion of the hair made it feel so visceral that we kept it.”
Computers can help when actors don’t do what you want “Another scene was the birds in the market … we worked with an animal wrangler who was confident she could get the birds to make this frantic motion and sell to the audience that they’re scared. But … the birds would only react to the wrangler a handful of time. It got to the point where we don’t want to stress the birds out anymore. So we did it digitally.”
Maybe Spoilers?
If you haven’t watched Bird Box, maybe skip
to the final section called “Wrapping Up.”
The big non-reveal of Bird Box is that the audience never sees the actual creature or “presence” as Marcus likes to call it. How did that play out from production to post? “We did months and months of R&D, some really great concepts we came up with, artwork, and 3D simulations that never made it into the final film.”
About the decision to not show a creature “Ultimately, I agree with the idea of not showing a creature. It just felt like it was all within the viewers’ eyes. Everyone can interpret the creature differently.”
Wrapping Up
Closing out I ask Marcus to name a recent film that’s impressed him recently “I have to say Avengers: Infinity Wars because of the sheer complexity of those effects. From a technical standpoint, it’s impressive. They’re really pushing the bar.”
What’s next for the computer science nerd turned FX Supervisor? “Bird Box 2! Just kidding. I’m prepping Bright 2 for Netflix.” About the Bright-verse, Marcus adds “It’s a fun world to build.”
Thanks to Marcus Taormina and Impact24 PR for making this interview possible.
With Aliens Resistance #2, the Dark Horse Comics publication continues the adventure of the underdogs against the mass corporation. By drawing on aspects from all over the Aliens franchise, the creators have produced a comic that it instantly familiar and hauntingly uncomfortable.
Like the game Alien Isolation, where one of the central characters comes from, Resistance is not a war on the Xenomorphs directly, but a fight for survival against something larger, something in control of everything else. This is a tale about two women fighting greed and arrogance. As such there are political undertones throughout.
Story/Writing
The essence of this comic is the individual standing up against the faceless corporation. In the opening of this issue Brian Wood gives the reader exactly that. As the mystery deepens around the activities at the Weyland-Yutani Blacksite Wood uses a small act of resistance to illustrate the seeming futility of putting up a fight.
This sequence is a larger reflection on the story as a whole but also on modern government and corporations. It is about who has control and how that control is used. The orange suits worn by the evacuees in Aliens Resistance purposefully conjures up images of prisoners, political and civilian.
This overshadows everything that follows with Amanda Ripley and Zula Hendricks. Although they are the heroes, and as a reader you are rooting for them from the very beginning, Wood has laid an element of doubt whether they can succeed. As the story unfolds the struggle becomes greater and greater as the tension, likewise, increases.
One of the most surprising choices Wood has made is in his approach to the Xenomorphs in this issue. They were hinted at in the first issue, creeping around the outside of spaceships but the villains in this comic are clearly the synthetics in employ of Weyland-Yutani. They are literally representative of a faceless corporation and their gold, reflective masks show no sign of humanity or individuality.
Aliens Resistance #2 Cover Credit: Dark Horse Comics
Art
The atmosphere created in Aliens Resistance is a perfect match for the Alien Isolation game which this series is a sequel to. The design of the space vessels and the industrial Blacksite, clinging to a rock in orbit of a barren planet, match up with the aesthetic created for the original Alien movie. Robert Carey uses extremely thin lines during inking so that he can get as much detail as possible into the panels. His landscape and architecture work is outstanding and creates an ideal setting for Woods story.
Carey’s figure work is a lot more expressive that you would expect after the scene setting first page. He drops a lot of the detail and simplifies the human features. He then manipulates the few lines to relay the emotion of the character. This provides a stark contrast to the machine-like Synthetics and the industrial settings, helping to highlight the themes in Woods script.
The flow of the story is enhanced by Nate Piekos’ lettering as the positioning of the speech balloons and captions lead the reader across the page. Although the lettering itself lacks character distinction, the emphasis within the dialogue creates a rhythm that builds anticipation. The emotional aspects of the speech, especially the nervousness, is evident and this is important for building atmosphere.
As with Carey’s pencils and inks, the coloring for the locations by Dan Jackson is exceptional. It produces a cinematic appearance to the settings, drawing the reader in. The look captures the aesthetic of the original film so well you can almost hear Jerry Goldsmith’s haunting music playing over the top.
Unfortunately, after the opening sequence, the colors on the characters themselves lacks depth; the two central characters especially have a ghostly quality to them. If the intention was to show that they are emotionally ‘cold’ in the same way as the synthetics then this would work, however the rest of the comic is opposed to that concept.
Aliens Resistance #2 Alternative Cover Credit: Dark Horse Comics
Conclusion
Aliens Resistance is an atmospheric story that slowly builds up the tension. It also has a poignant element by showing that Weyland-Yutani has control over life and that the company is above law and reason. How this fits in with the Xenomorphs is still to be seen, however, I don’t think it is too difficult to work out. All will be revealed soon.
Wood’s script is full of banter between the central characters and this plays out well as the comic progresses. From an art point of view, the atmosphere and location work is wonderful all-round. However, some elements lack the definition required to raise the emotional level up that extra notch.
As a single issue, Aliens Resistance #2 works well but I think it will be in the collection where it all comes together.
A new DC Comics event titled DCeased — written by Tom Taylor, with art by Trevor Hairsine, James Harren, and Stefano Gaudiano — will be released in May. Here’s the publisher’s official description:
DCeased #1
(W) Tom Taylor (A) Trevor Harisine, Stefano Gaudiano, James Harren (CA) Greg Capullo
A mysterious techno-virus has been released on Earth, infecting 600 million people and turning them instantly into violent, monstrous engines of destruction.
The heroes of the DCU are caught completely unprepared for a pandemic of this magnitude and struggle to save their loved ones first…but what happens to the World’s Greatest Heroes if the world ends?
New York Times best-selling writer Tom Taylor (Injustice) returns with a terrifying new tale and is joined by artist Trevor Hairsine (Legends of the Dark Knight) and Stefano Gaudiano (The Walking Dead)
Rated T+
In Shops: May 01, 2019
SRP: $3.99
We’ve also seen two covers for the first issue. Greg Capullo’s Batman:
And Yasmin Putri’s It-inspired Joker cover:
Before the official announcement, Taylor (Marvel’s Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man) teased glimpses across social media. On Twitter, he shared ominous hints and an image of bloodied Darkseid.
On Facebook, he posted a Superman image along with the words “Screaming… the world is screaming.”
Still unknown at the moment is whether DCeased is an in-continuity event or something more akin to Taylor’s Injustice series. Based on the premise as described, fans have already made comparisons to Marvel Zombies.
DCeased #1 arrives in comic stores May 1, which will be a big day for the publisher; they’ve already announced another title being released simultaneously: Year of the Villain.
Does DCeased look like an event you’ll pick up? Leave us a comment!
After a long break, Relay, from Aftershock Comics, returns to the shelves bringing with it space exploration and complex theological questions. It continues the journey started on last year’s Free Comic Book day; it introduces new worlds; and throws a whole set of new problems at Jad Carter, the central character.
Writing/Story
Traveling through the depths of space, Jad Carter is in search of the First World and the Relay creator Hank Donaldson. All because of a message on a mug. His journey sees him pitted against space pirates, inhospitable planets and former co-workers from the Relay.
Zac Thompson uses this issue to recap the story so far before taking it to new places. He achieves this by giving his central character an internal monologue befitting of a man trying to convince himself he is on the right track. The voice over works to develop Jad’s character showing the mental process he experiences as he encounters the various obstacles blocking his search for the Truth. It also helps to portray his inner turmoil when faced with the possibility of failure.
The voice over acts as narrator, exposition and character enhancement. Thompson makes it fit snuggly within the framing of his narrative so that it is not intrusive and feels like a natural part of the story.
This issue of Relay also takes some large leaps forward in plot development. Jad experiences a lot as he searches for The Donaldson and the First World but this is just a gateway into a whole new area for the comic. Thompson opens up the world and introduces several groups of characters who all have the potential for future conflict.
One of the central themes of this comic is the quest for the Truth on a universal scale. Who is God? lays at the heart of Jad’s journey and the new characters that Thompson introduces builds on this, adding several new dimensions to the initial problem. The Relay system is a symbol of a controlling religion, an all knowing force that should not be questioned. Additional elements of religious dogma and philosophical pondering are added into the mix this issue. Thompson does not want to give simple, clear cut answers to some of the most difficult questions ever asked; instead he provides a number of alternatives and uses Jad as a relay between the concepts and the reader.
Relay #4 Cover Credit: AfterShock Comics
Art
Dalibor Talajic has a clean pencil style with inking to match. This allows for density and detail in each panel on each page with a result that is sometimes over powering but mostly absorbing. Talajic pulls you into the story by creating a world that is 100% believable.
The design of the space vessels is Giger-esq and the costumes, especially on the lost world of Zalis, look like they have been tailored in Frank Herbert’s Dune novels. In fact, the general aesthetic for Relay doesn’t come from one source but is an amalgamation of many different Sci-Fi influences.
The coloring style on the planets is a blend of bold pastel colors behind a foreground of mostly whites and greys. This emphasises the ‘alien’ aspect of the worlds which in turn grounds the ‘human’ characters by contrasting the two. Jose Villarrubia has obviously been influenced by a number of the European comic artists and colorists such as Moebius, who are not afraid to use color in their storytelling. For the remainder of the comic Villarrubia draws on the darkness of space for his color palette, with plenty of purples and blues breaking up the black shadows.
On the lettering side, Charles Pritchett uses slightly different fonts for some of the characters, subtly creating a barrier between Jad and those pursuing him. When he meets like-minded people the lettering matches symbolising that their ideologies are also linked.
There is, however, a lot of text to fit into the pages, especially with the caption boxes for Jad’s internal dialogue. This does result in some placement issues meaning that at a quick glance there isn’t a smooth flow through the pages. This becomes especially apparent when you reach a page devoid of text. It’s like slamming on the breaks in a car and suddenly having the time to take in the surroundings. Thompson does compensate for this by pacing the overall narrative of the comic perfectly so that Jad moves from one situation to another. There is no sense of rushing through the story but also, there isn’t any unnecessary lingering.
Conclusion
For a comic that has taken a long time between issues, Relay does not suffer because of it. This is a self-contained comic which ties into the greater narrative but can easily be read in isolation. A strong narrative runs through the comic with a strong central character. Some of the side characters don’t get much to do and exist simply to serve Jad’s narrative but there is still plenty for a reader to get their teeth into.
Relay is a discussion on the nature of existence and the dangers of searching for your creator. This heavy topic may put some people off the comic, especially as it’s difficult to escape this aspect of it. Relay isn’t ashamed to ask difficult questions while engaging the reader in an exciting sci-fi story. Thompson takes elements of 2001: A Space Odyssey and Dune and throws them into a blender with the Aliens franchise. What he is left with are the building blocks for Relay and the world he builds out of them is extremely intriguing.
This is a title that is not for everyone, it isn’t a title you pick up, read in five minutes then discard. If you enjoy taking time with a comic, pulling apart the different aspects and then questioning what is meant by each, Relay is what you are looking for. And this issue is a great place to start.
Chen Andalou, an intergalactic rogue from a prominent family, wakes up after sixty years in hyper-sleep. Political intrigue, space pirates, jailbreaks, and more ensue in the opening chapter of Dark Horse’s new space opera adventure.
The Writing
Writer Jai Nitz throws everything at the wall in Astro Hustle #1. The book perfectly encapsulates the space opera vibe, borrowing elements of Flash Gordon, westerns, Barbarella, and Errol Flynn. It would be easy to lean on those influences and put out a cheap homage to nostalgia. Beyond the aesthetic, though, are the roots of an interesting and compelling tale.
This first issue doesn’t give us much in the way of backstory. Instead, Nitz throws us into the action, revealing the world our characters inhabit through the narrative in piecemeal fashion. The writer lets genre tropes fill in the blank spaces, with the reader to pick up on the context. However, he does so in a self-aware manner that showcases a genuine love for his sources.
We learn Chen is wanted for a laundry list of crimes, but not much yet beyond that. Astro Hustle #1 offers narrative threads, though, provided mostly through the character’s narration that will shape the story in upcoming issues.
The narrative’s only real weakness is a tendency to establish characters, only for them to drop off the map. You get invested in several characters, and then watch them die pages later. This trick can work once, but starts to feel emotionally-manipulative after repeat instances. Overall, though, you’ll find many more hits than misses from a storytelling standpoint.
The Artwork
Tom Reilly’s artwork is a visual delight in Astro Hustle #1. He draws on classic Raygun Gothic designs in his world building, while throwing in elements borrowed from sources as divergent as pirate lore and 19th Century British imperialism. From scantily-clad green women with antennae to colonial police uniforms, the synthesis is vital to the book’s aesthetic.
Reilly employs heavy inks throughout the book. While the style gives everything a more substantial presence, it comes at the expense of detail in some panels. It’s a stylistic choice, though, and is not often a problem. Panels here and there can be a bit difficult to grasp at first glance. However, the fact that the book is well-laid out means you never feel lost.
The colors from artist Ursula Decay are superbly vibrant throughout Astro Hustle #1. Rather than stick to a consistent palette, she hops from one color scheme to the next constantly. Yes, the colors are intense, and can feel a little overwhelming in some panels. But then, that’s part of the vibe, isn’t it?
Final Thoughts
Astro Hustle #1 is a narrative-driven work, inviting readers into an expansive world, and it’s a hell of a lot of fun. Highly recommended.
The series will reintroduce Conan back to the Marvel Universe with a team that is also comprised of Wolverine, Punisher, Elektra, Venom and Brother Voodoo. The first issue will set various questions into motion, like what is the City of Sickles? Who is the Marrow God? How is The Hand involved in correlation to Conan’s world? We’ll soon find out!
“This is an unsanctioned team of heroes,” said Duggan. “It has to be something that visually makes sense to you, and I think it does. We envisioned a threat, a magical green zone where the evil wizards of Conan’s world are trading spells with The Hand in Japan. Conan is on a very ‘Conan-like’ mission; he’s heard a tale of an amulet so he’s chasing it, and the evil magic sorcerers are doing something that would be a Marvel’s Avengers problem. It feels like we have found some very fertile ground that is a Venn Diagram between those two worlds.”
No news yet on the release of the first issue, but the publisher has indeed opened preorders.
Click HERE for the official release from Entertainment Weekly, which broke the story.
What do you think, Are you ready for the year of Conan the Barbarian? What do you think of this ragtag group of misfits and antiheroes? Let us know in the comments section below.
The war between monkeys and robots has raged on for eons; these are the stories that have survived. With art by Jamie Jones and the occasional words by Matt Sardo, Tales of Monkeys Fighting Robots hits the web every Sunday.
The Monkeys Fighting Robots comic was created by Matthew Sardo, Ruben Diaz, and Vanessa Cardinali.
The Flash and Batman corner their culprit and learn a dark truth.
It’s a new year, and that means a new Flash Batman crossover. In the wake of Heroes in Crisis, Batman is feeling guilty over the deaths. Everywhere he looks, he is reminded of Wally West, which comes to a head when there’s an attack on the Flash Museum. Barry can run to save everyone, including the caped crusader. They decide to team up to face the person who attacked the museum. The culprit turns out to be none other than Gotham Girl, a former up and coming hero. She appears to be trying to bring back her brother, Gotham, as well as get vengeance on Batman. Will the Flash and Batman be able to stop her before someone gets killed?
**Some Spoilers Below**
Story:
After Batman and Flash thoroughly investigate the crime scene, the pair figure out Gotham Girl is on an island in South America. The pair head over as Gotham Girl meets with her benefactor, who is supplying her with the chemicals needed to bring her brother back. When Flash and Batman arrive, they take their sweet time heading inside, indulging in small talk. When they get inside, however, they realize how far gone Gotham Girl has become.
This wasn’t an exciting issue by any means. When the biggest non-spoiler highlight is they have small talk, there’s a problem. You have two of the worlds greatest detectives and all around butt-kickers, and we have them just talking about their lives. The last time we had a crossover between Flash and Batman, the second issue had actual detective work and ended on a shocking cliffhanger. This has neither, and the book suffers for it.
There is one part that does stand out amongst the rest of the story. When Batman and Flash find Gotham Girl’s room, Flash is reminded of how Wally made his costume. It’s a heartbreaking moment that made me choke up.
Art:
While I may have an issue with the story, the art almost makes up for it. Rafa Sandoval takes up illustrating the issue, and it looks fantastic. Every character is full of emotion, making the scenes like Flash remembering Wally tug on your heartstrings. The colorwork was on point as well, with each panel maintaining the right level of creepiness and vibrancy due to Flash and his powers. It’s fantastic art that saves the book from being a failure.
Conclusion:
I was let down by this issue. It was just generally dull, despite having a few moments of emotional weight from the Heroes in Crisis story. The art team can give us a pretty book to look at, but nothing exciting happens. We still have two issues left, so here’s hoping it shapes up.
Anna Young, the co-owner of Gods & Monsters Comics and Collectibles has partnered with Marvel Studios to host an exclusive Captain Marvel event at her Orlando comic book store.
On Saturday, March 2, from 5 pm to 1 am, Gods & Monsters is hosting a Captain Marvel Fundraising Promo Party with 10% of sales going to to the National Women’s Law Center.
According to the PR team involved, as one of the few female-owned comic book stores, Gods & Monsters was a perfect for fit for a Captain Marvel promotion. One of the many goals of Marvel Studios’ CAPTAIN MARVEL film is to connect and empower women of all ages through the “Marvelous Women” Campaign. Following the film’s themes of strength, and the motto: Higher, Further, Faster, the focus for this fundraising event will be on “Further,” as we celebrate women supporting one another and furthering their goals. Gods & Monsters will also have donation boxes set up to collect much needed supplies for Harbor House Orlando (Shelter for women, their children, and pets escaping domestic violence). Check here for supplies needed: Harbor House Orlando donations
If you donate an item between 5 pm to 9 pm on Saturday, Marvel PR will give you Captain Marvel Premiere Movie Passes or swag from the film. Cosplayers who attend will be rewarded with Captain Marvel Premiere Movie Passes or swag as well.
Gods & Monsters has a not so secret 18-and-over post-apocalyptic themed bar, VAULT 5421 at the back of the shop and they will have Captain Marvel drink specials, with partial proceeds going to the National Women’s Law Center too. There will be entertainment from 8 pm to 12 am with Sissy Mary Sinful, of the Fahrenheit Foxes. She will be Cosplay Cage Dancing and Fire Dancing, Marvel movies and shows will be on the big screens with 90s music playing to round out the Captain Marvel theme.
Gods & Monsters is located at 5421 International Dr, Orlando, Florida 32819.
