Geek Culture Reviews

I’m back with another trip into the Thrillverse as I take a look at this weeks offering from 2000 AD… Rufus Dayglo is on cover duties this week as we get a gorgeous rendition of The Devil’s Railroad that captures the overall atmosphere of the story so far.  With Poison ending last week, and Fall of Deadworld on its hiatus, Tharg has space for two new strips starting this week. Kicking things off is a continuation of Ken Niemand’s muderous utilities story in  Judge Dredd: Clanker. The other sees Cavan Scott and Luke Horsman return for book theee of Enemy Earth. Joining these is the continuations of Helium: Scorched Earth, The Devil’s Railroad, and Feral & Foe: Bad Godesburg.  So strap in, grab a beer (or other beverage), and join me as we take a look at Prog 2360!  Judge Dreadd: Clanker - Part 1 (Ken Niemand, Nick Dyer, John Charles, Annie Parkhouse) Clanker is the next part in Ken Niemand’s tale of the alien presence that’s been stalking Mega-City Ones’s municipa...

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....

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 Hersh...

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 aft...