Geek Culture Reviews

Previewing Alien #9... Marvel have given us a sneak peak at what to expect when 'Alien' #9 comes to book shelves.  Writen by Philip Kennedy Johnson, with art by Salvador Larroca, ' Alien ' continues the story of Marvel 's first foray into Xenomorph territory... ' THE FALL OF THE GARDEN! •  Carnage consumes the settlement. •  Who will survive the night? •  Where is sanctuary? And how will they get there?' ' Alien' #9 is heading to stores this Wednesday - February 2nd, 2022. 

Previewing Basilisk #7... BOOM! Studios has revealed what to expect when Basilisk #7 heads to stores next week. The original story from writer  Cullen Bunn , illistrator  Jonas Scharf , colourist  Alex Guimaraes , and letterer  Ed Dukeshire, has really come into its own over its first story arc, and this second arc is taking everything down a much larger road... ‘ With her car wrecked, Hannah is inconsolable after experiencing traumatic flashbacks, and on the run from Jimmy-Boy, who is dangerously close to ending her. Vanessa obtains unexpected power, but wants more, and is even willing to kill those close to her to get it…’ Basilisk #7 heads to stores next Wednesday - 2nd February, 2022. 

Rob reviews Bear Skin... Bear Skin is a graphic novel that took me by surprise. What starts like a typical crime story, soon evolves into something that's more akin to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre ,  The Thing and the video game,  Dead Space.  Currently seeking crowdfunding via Kickstarter, Bear Skin is heading into its final 11-days seeing its modest £3,731 target being smashed by nearly £4000! (Figures correct at time of writing) Thankfully I've been given an advanced look at the finished product via pdf, and it's certainly a unique graphic novel...  Set within Grantsville, West Virginia, Bear Skin follows a delusional guy as he makes his way into a seemingly normal diner. What follows is anything but normal as he changes into an adult-sized bear suit, to then slaughter the diner's patrons - the only survivor being a child. While this opening sets Bear Skin up to be a typical crime drama, it soon turns into something far more.  Much like a typical horror

Rob reviews Cyberpunk 2077: You Have My Word #3... Ever since her daughter's death, Teresa has been on a mission of revenge. This has subsequently seen a trail of blood seep throughout Night City as she heads closer to the truth. Now as we reach the penultimate part of You Have My Word, Bartosz   Sztybor  adds another twist to this tale.  So far You Have My Word has been a pretty brutal tour through the Night City underworld. We've seen Teresa maim and slaughter her way through this "scum" as she attempts to find out who ordered the hit on her daughter. While initially the finger of blame was laid on Alina - Oriona's partner and Miltech mole. However come the end of this issue, we now know who set it all up, and a little insight into why.  Issue #3 sees this journey continue as Teresa comes perilously close to becoming one of Night Cities victims herself. Ever since Teresa took over as the primary character there's been a sense of mystery around wh

Rob reviews A Thing Called Truth #4... The road trip continues as the mismatched duo, Doctor Magdalene Traumer and Dorian Wildfang continue.  Lolanda Zanfardino and Elisa Romboli 's Road trip adventure has been a refreshing read over the last couple of months. The two protagonists are from totally different worlds, yet through their tragedies have come together in an upbeat journey through some classic film locations.  In issue #4, Mags and Dorian continue their journey through Europe whilst following the journal entries of Dorian's deceased brother Faust. Since their journey began we've seen the ice thaw between Mags and the carefree Dorian. It's been interesting to see the two develop their friendship - especially when considering the circumstances of how they met. While this road trip moves on, back home there's trouble brewing.  After not hearing from Mags, her estranged husband storms to her lab looking for an argument. Being blocked by

Rob reviews Sentinel Issue #10: Newtopia... 2021 was a successful year for team Sentinel . Not only have they enjoyed continued success via consistent crowdfunding - and a growing backing on social media. 2021 also saw Sentinel creator (and writer) Alan Holloway create the narrative for a whopping 5 issues and the creation of the all-ages "experiment" - Crackpot on top of this as well. As we head into 2022, Alan Holloway is busy weaving his magic for yet more issues of the successful mini digest. The first of these is ' Dark Matter' - a gritty sci-fi that centres on a group of badass mercenaries.  But before we get into ' Dark Matter ', Sentinel marks its milestone tenth issue with ' Newtopia '. ' The city of Newtopia, Earth, the near future. Sure, we got flying cars, but Newtopia is not a good place to live. It's dark, damp and populated by low lives in low places. There are also aliens. Yeah, those off-planet weirdos stayed be

Rob reviews Venom #4... After their apparent betrayal and subsequent capture, Dylan and Sleeper find themselves at the mercy of Alchemax. Meanwhile, Venom deals with his own "separation anxiety" as he attempts to carry on without long time host, Eddie Brock. With a deadly foe hiding in the background, it isn't long before Dylan and Venom are drawn back together... So far Ram V has crafted quite a page-turner with this current run. His script comes in at a breakneck speed, and it's all backed up with some stellar art by Bryan Hitch . While Venom does  rely on you having some understanding of past events, it doesn't detract from what's happening in the present.  In regards to the present, things aren't looking good for Dylan and Sleeper. After the betrayal of Archer Lyle, Dylan is under the examination of Liz Allen and her team at Alchemax. Whether Liz knows the full extent of "Vacant Throne" is up for debate, as the invasive experiment

Rob reviews Star Wars: The High Republic #13... The High Republic #13 ushers the Jedi of Starlight Beacon into the twilight of the first arc's closing segments. To say it's been a wild thrill ride is an absolute understatement. The whole High Republic project has so far documented the gallant Jedi in their struggles against a foe that doesn't know defeat - the Nihil. We've seen the Jedi suffer loss after a loss as the Nihil utilises quite a brutal way of combat to the Outer Rim.  Every time the Jedi seem to catch a break, there's something there to send them crashing back down again. Cavan Scott has been steadily building to what happens in this issue for a while. And its result could be something we've seen before on the big screen... Issue #13 sees the relatively small strike force of Avar Kriss, Keeve Trennis, and Sskeer in their mission to raid the Great Hall of the Nihil. They plan to capture Lourna Dee - the supposed Eye of the Storm. However

Rob reviews Biker Garage: Mechanic Simulator on Nintendo Switch... The great thing about video games is that they allow you to do things that you couldn't necessarily do in the real world. From being an ace fighter pilot, super soldier, or even a footballing star - video games are a great escape from the shackles of everyday life.  Away from the glitz and glamour of games such as; Call of Duty , and Fifa , there's a small niche market of titles that aim to simulate everyday life. There is an abundance of these "Simulator" games that cover a wide spectrum of everyday jobs. From lawn mowing, space rover repair, and even being a train driver. There's a simulator game that allows you to virtually live out these vocations within the comforts of your own home. The latest title offering a real-world experience is the aptly named - Biker Garage: Mechanic Simulator . It's here where you'll live out your dreams of running your motorbike garage, complete

Rob reviews 2000 AD Prog 2265... It's time to venture into the Thrillverse with another instalment of the Galaxy's Greatest Comic. But first a news report from the team over at Rebellion ... Please head over to Instagram and give the social media Droids your support - and a follow!  Back to Prog 2265... We sadly said goodbye to the phenomenal The Out last week. While Dan Abnett will return with another instalment of Cyd's adventures in the future, for now, we're back into the weirdness of Saphir  with a new 5-parter.  Alongside this new outing for Inspector Mucha we have continuations to Working Girl, The Order, Kingmaker, and Proteus Vex. Judge Dredd: Working Girl - Part 3 Just as things couldn't get worse for Mona, she's now been told that she could have a bomb in her backpack. Dredd is still in hot pursuit as Mona continues to stay one step ahead, and find out what exactly she got herself into.  So far, so good. Patrick Goddard is nai

Rob reviews Magic Powder #1... The fantasy genre has always been one that's captured my interest. From sharing the highs (and lows) of Dungeons & Dragon's  to the phenomenal MMORPG, World of Warcraft. Stories told within this setting often allow for a lot  of imagination.  But what happens when you cross these fantasy tropes with The Godfather and The Wire ?  Magic Powder is a hard-hitting fantasy that's steeped within a real-world setting. There are Orcs, Goblins, Dwarves, and Elves, except these characters, are more akin to the Mafia, rather than the courageous adventurers we already know. 2200 years ago the world was conquered by the Elves who brought a sense of law and order with them. Sitting just outside of Elvish jurisdiction is the last remaining "free city", Thesz. It's here where the outcasts such as Dwarfs, Orcs, Goblins, and anyone else who doesn't fit into the Elvish society call their home. This is also the last remaining plac