Geek Culture Reviews

Rob checks out Hardcore Hare #1 from Caulkhead Comics… When long time supporter - and all round legend - Andrw Sawyers  reached out in regards to checking out a comic he’s had the fortune to draw the variant cover for - I couldn’t say no. Since starting Geek Culture Reviews, Andrw has been a great advocate for the blog, and along with fellow 77’ alumni, Dave Heeley , was a voice that spurred me on to creating GCR after my split from Flickering Myth. So to say that I owe Sawyers more than one favour is a bit of an understatement. Plus he’s a mate, and after all it’s what mates do!  Anyway, Hardcore Hare is the debut comic from writer Dan Digby , and artist Lee Benstead . This opening issue asks the simple question of “Where is Shylock?”, to then proceed to get its answers with plenty of gratuitous violence. With a story that feels a lot like Watchmen mixed with Kick-Ass, and garnished with a splash of Sun Ciry, Hardcore Hare sets off to a good start.  Underneath a striking variant cove

Rob reviews Bend The Roo’les DLC pack for Kao The Kangaroo on Xbox Series X… Back in June 2022, our very own Ellie reviewed the remake of 2000’s Sega Dreamcast anthropomorphic platformer Kao The Kangaroo - and judging by her 8.5/10 scoring - she had a blast with the platformer.   Fast forward to now, and it’s my turn to check out Bend The Roo’les, a standalone expansion pack that sees Kao take on a terror from the deep. With the game already experiencing multiple cosmetic packs, and last years Halloween themed content, it’s clear that developers Tate Multimedia still have a lot up their sleeves when it comes to furthering Kao’s adventures. So with a new set of levels, plenty of new moves, and an even bigger bad guy to beat, let’s get to it.  Taking place after the main games conclusion, Kao finds himself at peace with the world. Well that is until King Crab rises from the deep. With no choice but to save the world again, Kao dons his signature boxing gloves and sets off on another adv

Rob reviews Last Year on PC… If I had known that Last Year  was a 5 Vs 1 horror before accepting the code to write this review - I probably would of declined. Don’t get me wrong, while the genre does have its fans, I’m sadly not one of them. In the past I’ve dabbled with the likes of Dead by Daylight, Friday The 13th, and Evil Dead , but the premise didn’t really resonate with me. However, I am a fan of cheesy horror movies that feature dumb characters, doing stupid things, and ultimately getting their comeuppance in typically gruesome ways. This is where Last Year sets its atmosphere. It’s those cheesy horrors movies that have become a guilty pleasure for so many of us.  So, come with me back to high school as we attempt to survive the nightmares that Undaunted Games has in store. Set in the 90s, Last Year follows a group of teenagers as they’re  thrown into an alternate universe. Now trapped within a location that looks exactly like their school campus, the group soon find themselves

Phase II of The High Republic draws to a close this week with Star Wars: The High Republic #10.  “The LEVELER has been unleashed in a secret Jedi vault on JEDHA. Jedi Knight VILDAR MAC has risked everything to defeat the PATH OF THE OPEN HAND, but in the face of tragedy, can he resist the lure of the dark side? Jedha’s Battle for the Force reaches its epic conclusion!” Star Wars: The High Republic #10 will be heading to comic book shelves this Wednesday, 24th May, 2023.

Rob reviews 2000 AD Prog 2332… Another week, and we’re back with another jolly across the thrill-verse as Tharg returns with another installement of 2000 AD goodness.  Judge Dredd is on cover duties this week with a very impressive show by artist Toby Willsmer (adds yet another Lawmaster to THAT gallery). Under the cover and we have the beginnings to a multi-episode Judge Dredd that’s been helmed by Michael Carroll , there’s yet more offerings from Durham Red, Enemy Earth, and Rogue Trooper. Then rounding this week off is the penultimate part to the Dan Abnett’s phenomenal that’s The Out. So, with another strong line-up, shall we?  Judge Dredd: In The Event of My Untimely Demise - Part 1 (Michael Carroll, Paul Marshall, Dylan Teague, Annie Parkhouse) Picking up from the plot threads teased within one of  Carroll ’s previous Dredd episodes - ‘ The Long Game’, In the Event of My Untimely Demise deals with the aftermath of that alliance between the Parliament and the Kindred crime familie

Rob reviews Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #108… Things slow down this week as we finally learn the origins behind Mistress Vile’s mysterious partner. As Vessel’s origin is revealed what ramifications will it bring to the wider MMPR mythos?  Kicking things off back in the not-so distant past, Mistress Vile and Alpha-1 are hunting for something on the planet Bizark. This soon turns out to be the resting place for Zordon’s body which was placed on Bizark after Rita stripped his consciousness and trapped the Eltarian within the time vortex. Needing a “vessel” for the Dark Spectre, Mistress Vile sees the body of her arch nemesis as the perfect host.  Flash forward and we then find ourselves in the present day as the battle for Earth continues. Across the next few panels we get some gorgeous work from the returning Marco Renna  that illustrates Vessel heading towards his target, while chaos rains all around. With the Command Centre in his sights, Vessel effortlessly dispatches with Rock, Adam

Rob reviews Cyber Citizen Shockman on Nintendo Switch… With modern gaming being more accessible than ever, there’s a growing trend with publishers re-releasing those niche titles that may have never seen a main line release . For argument sake, this past year we’ve seen ININ Games bring Cotton to Western markets, and Square Enix have followed suit with Live A Live.  Now it’s the turn of indie publisher Ratalika Games , and developer Shinyuden to bring us Western gamers another quintessential slice of that niche pie.  Enter, Cyber Citizen Shockman a 2D side scroller that originally made its debut back in 1989. Released primarily in Japan on the PC Engine, Cyber Citizen Shockman  never saw a Western release. While we would see it’s sequel, the original stayed localised to Japanese markets. Now, Ratalika Games and Shinyuden have teamed up to bring the franchise into the 21st century, with all the bells and whistles of a modern video game.  However is this a retro delight that even need

Ahoy Comics have given us an extended preview for The Gimmick #3 Heading to comic book shelves tomorrow (17th May, 2023), The Gimmick #3 sees Shane return to the pro wrestling circuit. However with the FBI closing in, what does the future hold?   Rob Lake - For more comic book and video game chat why not follow us on Twitter/Facebook @GeekCultureRev, and TikTok/YouTube @Geekculturereviews.