Geek Culture Reviews

Is digital the new comic book store? To support the indie press, and to encourage more accessible ways to read comics online, ComicScene has expanded its website. The recently launched ComicScene+ Digital Comics allows creators and publishers to showcase their work to those who wish to pay the very generous entry fee.  Coming in at £20 for a whole year, ComicScene+ allows worldwide 24/7 access to the annuals, graphic novels, magazines, and comics that will be uploaded onto the site across 2023. To make it attractive to indie creators, ComicScene will also pass on a percentage of the subscription fee to those who have their work featured on the site, as well as acting as a storefront for readers to buy physical copies too.  Currently, the storefront is in its infancy and as such, there isn't a great deal of work on there. So far subscribers can delve into the  Kirknewton Story by Colin Maxwell and the pupils of Kirknewton Primary School , as well

'I Am The Law: How Judge Dredd Predicted Our Future' with Michael Molcher... When it comes to the inner workings of 2000 AD , Brand Manager Michael Molcher is a well-known name. From being the go-to droid for PR inquiries to being a chap you'd happily have a pint with down the pub, Michael Molcher is as much the face of 2000 AD as Tharg himself. So when the opportunity arose to chat with him about his debut novel, we'll it was a no-brainer. Hi Michael, thank you for agreeing to answer a few questions about ‘I Am The Law: How Judge Dredd Predicted Our Future' . For those who don’t know you, could you tell us a bit about what you do? MM -  It’s a pleasure! By day, I’m the Brand Manager for  2000 AD  and Rebellion’s Treasury of British Comics – which covers everything from running our social media channels to drumming up press coverage to licensing to merchandising. In other words, I am permanently busy! Those who follow you on social media will have see

Rob reviews Wanted: Dead on Xbox Series X... Wanted: Dead is a game that jumped straight into my must-play list as soon as I heard that " the makers of Ninja Gaiden "  were  involved in its development. The adventures of Ryu Hayabusa have been a challenging mix of exploration and combat, that's combined with Chinese mythology and sci-fi future. Ninja Gaiden wasn't strictly a difficult game - you had to think like a Ninja to succeed. So, to say that I went into Wanted: Dead with high trepidation is a pretty accurate description. However, as they say, " it's the hope that kills you ", and sadly when it comes to Wanted: Dead... well you'll see... The story of Wanted: Dead takes place in Hong Kong. After the rampant rise of cybernetics, the world is vastly different from our own. Enter Hannah Stone, a badass cybernetic supersoldier who just so happens to be behind bars. Why? Well, we don't find out, but she's offered the chance of red

Enter Batman: What Knight Presents: Generation Joker and World’s Finest: White Knight.. The release this week of Batman: Beyond the White Knight #8 marks the finale to the current arc of Sean Murphy 's "What-If". Not content with letting this particular iteration of Gotham City rest, DC have cooked up two new titles: Batman: What Knight Presents: Generation Joker and World’s Finest: White Knight. First up is Generation Joker , written by Katana Collins and Clay McCormack  (from a story originally by  Sean Murphy) , with art by Mirka Andolfo. Generation Joker  picks up straight  after Beyond the White Knight and sees the kids of Jack Napier and Harley Quinn set out on a road trip with a mission to bring their father back to life.  'When the rebellious twins run away in a stolen Batmobile, only Joker Jack Napier’s quickly fading hologram has any hope of getting them home safely and keeping them out of the family business. But a life of crime isn’t the onl

Rob reviews Once Upon A Time In Xanatopia #4... It's been a few months since I last journeyed into the strange world of Xanatopia. Across the previous three issues, writer DC Horn has introduced us to Nora - a monster-slaying badass whose past is just as mysterious as her present, and future. Now as Nora lies unconscious as a result of her grueling fight with the monster that roams the Statue Field, she's approached by an otherworldly figure.  Is this new character the God it claims to be? Or is it just a figment of Nora's imagination? Picking up where  OUATIX #3 ends,  #4 sees Nora in a bit of a predicament. While her body is still within the real world, he mind consciousness is transported to Xanatopia's future. Here Nora finds a world where once gleaming towers have been reduced to rubble, and strange jellyfish-like creatures float across the skies. Before she's got a chance to catch her bearings, Nora's attacked by another being who can utilize

BOOM! Studios releases Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #105 next Wednesday, and we've got the preview below... 'New players are added to the board as the Power Rangers continue their frantic search for their missing Green Ranger. Meanwhile, the Omega Rangers have encountered perils of their own… is help from one of the Power Rangers’ most twisted enemies the advantage they need, or are they being led into a trap?'  Featuring main cover art by Taurin Clarke and variant covers by Bon Bernardo and Paulina Ganucheau, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #105 will be available for sale on February 15, 2023. 

Rob goes interdimensional with Department K: Interdimensional Investigators... Originating within the pages of 2000 AD's all-ages Regened Progs,  Department K is one of the few strips to cross over (and adapt itself ) to the standard Prog. At the time of writing Rory McConville 's all-ages strip is still a relative newcomer to 2000 AD. With two done-in-one episodes appearing within Regened, and one longer series appearing within the weekly 2000 AD Prog. Even so, McConville - along with PJ Holden , and Dan Cornwell - has started to fully flesh out a wider universe for his team of Judges. From their humble origins within Mega-City One, McConville launches this rag-tag bunch onto their interdimensional missions. Where the ever-present Judge Dredd deals with the nitty-gritty and more adult happenings within Mega-City One, Department K doesn't take itself seriously. As such McConville  can take a more comical and somewhat cartoonish approach to the 'Dreddverse

Rob Reviews Chained Echoes on Xbox Series X… The 90’s was a great era for JRPG titles. As a somewhat golden era for the genre, we had the likes of Tales of Mana, Final Fantasy VII, Chrono Trigger, and many more. While a lot of what the genre had to offer never strayed far out of its native Japan, recently a few of those hidden gems have made it over to Western markets. That being said, intersected with these grand pioneers are the indie titles that have been inspired by what made these greats so memorable. One such title is Chained Echoes that’s been developed by solo developer Matthias Linda . Coming fresh from a very successful Kickstarter campaign, Linda has created a role-playing title that he, a RPG fan would want to play. As such Chained Echoes is as much as it’s own title, as it is a homage to the genre’s golden era.  Taking place on the war-torn lands of Valandis, Chained Echos  tells the exploits of a rag-tag group of heroes who find themselves drawn together in these unimagin

Rob checks out Balor by Peter Harte... Created by Peter Harte and Amii Muir , Balor tells the story of an ordinary Irish youngster, Sean James whose life is about to become entwined with the mythology of old.  Up until two weeks ago, Sean James was a typical Irish youngster. However, this all changed the night his younger brother Ben was murdered by criminal kingpin Don O’Donnell. Torn up over his brother's unjust murder, and frustrated with O'Donnell being above the law, Sean is very close to doing something he may end up regretting. Sensing this frustration, Sean's mother suggests they take a trip to Ben's favorite place Loch Na Suil. Needing some alone time, Sean decides to head out into the frosty waters of the Loch. Once out on the water, he’s then overcome by a mysterious green glow that compels him to swim deeper into the murky depths. Coming into contact with a faerie, Sean is then told he is to be the vessel for Balor's magical powers. He's