Geek Culture Reviews

  Enter Codenames France & Paris... Over the last few weeks, Mark Millar has really delivered with his new superhero series. With the first two issues scoring a perfect 10/10, does issue #3 follow suit?  With Choon-He's superhero draft finding its way to France, it gives Millar the chance of yet another origin story, as well as expanding upon the wider narrative that's been slowly picking up  pace in the background. This issue focuses on Hotel worker Yasmine Gauvin who's writing to Choon-He in the hopes that she is picked to become the Ambassador for France. In her letter Yasmine delves into her personal life as she speaks about the fears for her son, and what his future could possibly hold. Suffering from being bullied in school, and not having a role model, Yasmine's son Jean-Luc is one bad decision away from becoming a number within the French judicial system. Not only does he dream of revenge against his tormenters, he's also losing connection with his moth...

The Ambassadors start to assemble… After it’s perfect opening act, Mark Millar ’s superhero epic returns for its second outing. With the next two Ambassadors recruited, we get to see what life is like for a superhero in training. Focus on this issue centres on the young Binnu Bhatia - who’s selfless act changes his world forever.  We first set eyes on our soon to be hero as he’s caught up in a terror attack at a mall in India. Not content with simply standing by and doing nothing, Binnu offers to trade places with one of the hostages, which results in him getting shot. This act of selflessness then attracts the attention of Doctor Choon-He who then conscripts Binnu into her Ambassadors program. Due to being a native of India, Binnu’s new identity is a reflection of his heritage. As such Codename India is born.  Where the first issue built around the mysticism to what The Ambassadors are, this second chapter starts to brake down the walls. As we follow Binnu across his training...

Rob Reviews The Ambassadors #1… With both The Magic Circle 4, and Nemesis Reloaded already on comic book shelves, comic book maestro Mark Millar is back with yet another series. This time Millar heads back into superhero territory as he drags us on a tour de force across an opening issue that starts strong, and doesn’t let go of its tempo. So, strap yourself in as I take a somewhat spoiler free look at The Ambassadors.  Much like Millar’s previous works, The Ambassadors takes it’s superhero setting into a totally unexpected direction. Straight from its opening page, you’re never quite sure of were you’ll end up. Yet come it’s conclusion, the fragile status quo of this new universe has been forever changed.  In setting up this new universe, we’re given quite a bit of exposition as to how the world is in its current state. During the Cold War, the United States and Soviet Union attempted to create their own super powered being. While Uncle Sam managed to win this “war” by fakin...

Rob reviews The Magic Order 2 #6... Mark Millar has crafted The Magic Order 2 like a brutal magic show. Over the series, we've seen plenty of illusions, mysteries, and tricks of the mind as Millar and Stuart Immonen have sent us on a mystical tour of emotion. But like every good show, the curtains will eventually fall. And for The Magic Order 2, Millar has saved the best till last!  The action kicks off with Cordelia and her Magic Order chums deep in their battle with Viktor Korne and his followers. Krone has managed to summon the mythical demon; Othoul'Endu and is poised to finally take out the Order and then rule the wider world. But in true Millar fashion, it's not that simple.  We then take a trip to the past as we see Soran Korne attempt the same plan 1000-years ago. This time around. However, on the cusp of defeat, the Lovecraftian terror retreats into its dimension, thus the proto-Order defeat Soran and as they say "the rest is history". Sadly...

Rob reviews The Magic Order 2 #5... We are on to the penultimate issue of this series as a comic heavyweight, Mark Millar ramps up The Magic Order 2 to blockbuster levels. It's a tempo that we've come to expect from Millar , and it's certainly no different here.  Millar starts this issue off with more backstory as we see inside the illustrious Magic Order. This history lesson is soon interrupted by the suicide of Francis King. Since King's introduction, we've seen the troubled magician wrestle with his demons. Whether it was an actual demon or just Francis' imagination is still to be seen. But whatever it sadly drove King to take his own life by playing into his guilt of killing Harun. It's quite an emotional scene, and part of me had hoped that someone would come to his rescue. Alas, it's not the case - and if anything this death foreshadows what else is to come in this issue.  I won't ruin what happens as the event is cert...

Rob reviews The Magic Order 2 #1... Mark Millar is no stranger to the comic world. From writing epics such as Marvel 's Civil War , Jupiter's Legac y, and even a stint as a regular writer for 2000 AD . To most Millar is a legend and as such, there's always an air of anticipation around the writers next work.  This opening issue serves as both a catch up to Cordelia and her family, as well as introducing the next big threat. For the most part, the issue takes a fairly dark tone, but it does have some lighter tones too. If anything this opening is certainly an eye-opener to this world and Mark Millar 's imagination.  The issue opens with an introduction to the Korne family - a group of magic-users based in Bucharest. They're certainly the bad guys of the issue as we get to see just how they use their "gift", and what exactly their future plans are. We then switch perspectives as we catch up to Eddie and Regan, who have arrived at the scene of a...