Geek Culture Reviews

Rob reviews Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2… When it comes to replicating the success that Nintendo has with Super Smash Bro’s, not many - if any - can say that they’re on the same level. Over the last couple of years we’ve seen Warner Bros attempt the same formula with MultiVersus. While the game was competent enough, its open beta was short lived and the game soon jumped back into the shadows of “further development”. Another title that also attempted to de-throne the “Bros” was GameMill and their title Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl. Where the premise of combining the roster of Nicktoons within the Smash Bros format seemed a recipe for success, the game was hampered by janky controls, balance issues, and a less than enthusiastic audience.  However, out of the ashes GameMill are back with Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 , which in comparison feels like the game that its predecessor should have been. It’s refined, enjoyable, and more importantly isn’t living in a larger Mario-sized shadow.  So

Rob reviews 2000 AD Prog 2359… We’re back once again with another trip into the 2000 AD Thrillverse. It’s the usual suspects again this week, with our famous 5 continuing their stories. However, things are soon set to change as not only are we getting the finale to Rob Williams and PJ Holden’s latest Dredd, Fall of Deadworld is also taking a break until the new year.  But fear not! For there’s plenty of thrills coming our way, and the Xmas Prog is only a few weeks away too!  Back to the present and under the hood of a frankly superb cover by D’Israeli we have: Hershey’s killer is revealed in Judge Dredd: Poison , Death fights back in Fall of Deadworld: Retribution , the Ballerophon arrives in Helium: Scorched Earth , Constance gets in deeper trouble in The Devil’s Railroad , and finally there’s more medieval mystery with Feral & Foe .  Judge Dredd: Poison - Part 8 (Rob Williams, PJ Holden, Peter Doherty, Simon Bowland)  Dredd’s investigation into who killed Hershey comes to its ine

BOOM! Studios have given us a chance to check out what’s in store when Lotus Land #2 heads to comic book stores later this month… ‘After a beleaguered employee lashes out, the secrets of the Keeper Program are further revealed, and someone related to the victim’s attacker may be on Bennie’s trail. Meanwhile, Bennie deals with a haunting, lingering vision while following a lead… one with a deadly destination.’

In Space, Declan Shalvey CAN hear you scream… It’s fair to say that Marvel’s forays into the realms of Ridley Scott’s Alien universe have so far been a bit rocky. From Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s retreading of familiar grounds to Salvador Larroca’s questionable art, the famous Xenomorph became a mediocre comic. Too be fair, I’m being overly harsh on Kennedy as both Revival and Icarus did start to tread new ground for the franchise.  For the franchise’s fourth arc, Marvel turned to Declan Shalvey who brought us Thaw. Taking place on a barren ice-world Thaw introduced us LV-695 - a barren ice-world that’s hiding a deadly secret. While the Xenomorph’s introduction was always going to be a given, it was through Shalvey’s human cast where the mystery stemmed from. Introducing us to a likeable protagonist  and her family, Shalvey takes us on a wild ride that involves corporate takeovers, long buried secrets, greed, and a heavy dose of old fashioned horror. Taking place a few years after the ev

The77 Publications have given us a taster of what’s in store within The77 Annual No. 2… Currently seeking crowdfunding via Kickstarter, Steve Bull (Editor of The77) has teased potential readers on what to expect when The77 Annual No. 2 heads to comic book shelves later this year.  Featuring the talents of; Ade Hughes, Dave Heeley, Ian Stopforth, Paul Goodenough, Noel K. Hannan, Marc Jackson, Azza, Ken Janssens, Jeremy Dunn, Gary Burley, Andrew Richmond, David Thomas, Anna Everts, Darren Stephens, and many more, The77 Annual No. 2 promises to be an epic read over the festive season. And with included strips coming from across The77-Verse (The77, Pandora, Blazer!, and This Comic is Haunted), well, there’s already a lot to like!  The Kickstarter campaign for The77 Annual No. 2 is currently live and you can pledge towards it right here!  Why not check out my review of The77 Annual No. 1!  For more from The77 Publications you can check out their online store here.  Rob Lake - For more comic

Rob reviews Hero Survival on Nintendo Switch… Hero Survival is the latest in a line of games that’s attempting to ride on the large coattails of Vampire Survivors. While Hero Survival doesn’t change the formula, it’s a pleasant change to those who want something different.  But, is it any good?  Much like it’s fellow survival title, Hero Survival doesn’t feature an engrossing story, or vast inter-connected narrative. In fact it’s just a simple game of survival. Across each of its zones you’ll guide your chosen hero in an attempt to survive eight rounds of increasing mayhem. Across the journey you’ll earn experience that can be used to level up an menagerie of traits, to then put it all to use to finally vanquish the zone boss in the ninth round.  To aid you on this mammoth quest, your hero will have a range of weapons at their disposal. There’s quite a variety which range from the staples such as pistols, smg, shotgun, assault rifle, etc. however you’ll only be able to use four in one

The seeds of heresy are sown… Horus Rising was my first foray into the novels that depicted the wider Warhammer 40K universe. While what would be later known as the Horus Heresy is a well known plot point that drives the 40K table-top narrative, aside from a brief overview we’ve never fully explored the galaxy-wide civil war that fractured the might of the Imperial regime.  Quite often talk of Horus’ betrayal was often left over to the related Codexes, or in my experience the 2nd edition rule book. Here, Games Workshop would set the scene with talk of how Horus - the Emperor’s most favourite son - turned against his father and instigated a civil war which saw nearly half of his fellow Adeptus Astartes legions follow suit and turn traitor with him. With the Horus Heresy novels, we’re now get the nitty gritty of this betrayal. It’s also a betrayal that’s spread across in excess of 60 books.  Horus Rising is the opening chapter within this vast collection and it’s writer Dan Abnett who ha

A different face takes on the mantle that Frank Castle left behind… There’s an entirely new Punisher in town this week as David Pepose and David Wachter take the legacy of Frank Castle in an entirely new direction. But why does everything feel familiar?  You’ve had to have been living under a rock over the last few years to see the real world ramifications that the Punisher motif has had. With Marvel themselves distancing Frank Castle from his iconic symbol during what would be his last story with the Hand, we all knew that a complete reinvention/redesign of the character would be coming. Now this has come to fruition as Pepose and Wachter bring us Joe Garrison.  What separates Garrison from Frank Castle is the characters background. As an ex-S.H.E.I.L.D. operative Garrison’s gotten access to some “off the books” weapons and locales that Castle could only dream of. The other separation is that Garrison is only linked to the Punisher by means of his armour plating that takes on a sleek

One year after Starlight and the Nihil stand victorious… A lot has changed in the Star Was universe since we last saw the Jedi of Starlight Beacon. Since the Nihil’s attack on the Republics crowning jewel, the terrorist network has taken over the Outer Rim. Not only have they set up an ominous Occlusion Zone that blocks any travel into the Rim, there’s also the Nameless to contend with too. And with the Namelss being the one thing to strip a Jedi of the Force, well things aren’t too good.  Kicking off the third phase of the High Republic, Cavan Scott uses this first issue to reconnect us with Keeve Trennis to then delve deeper into her psyche. Still reeling from the effects of her undercover mission and the failure to save Starlight Beacon, Keeve is a shadow of her former self. She’s haunted by the thoughts of her former masters death at the hands of the Nameless, and even her solitude in the Force forces her to relive Sskeer’s apparent death. The past soon comes back to the present as

Rob reviews Ghostrunner 2 on PlayStation 5… When it comes to platforming games, I’m the first in the queue to say that I’m really no good. Having to perform various actions to reach a platform, or avoid a bottomless pit just aren’t my ideas of fun. So when it came to Ghostrunner 2 you could say that I was in for a “wild ride”.  I’ll admit now that I never played the first title. And if I had, I probably wouldn’t be writing this sentence right now. That’s because Ghostrunner - and it’s sequel - are not just action titles. They’re bloody platformers too! That being said, while I did struggle with Ghostrunner 2’s high intensity platforming shenanigans, and didn’t really understand what I was fighting for - it’s action sequences were a rollercoaster thrill ride that never let me escape their warm embrace until the credits rolled. Thankfully for those like myself who didn’t experience the first game there’s a handy cutscene that brings you up to speed - we’ll sort of. This introduction does