Blog Archives
Heroes and Villains – Reviewing Recent Comics 6-7-2017
This time on Heroes and Villains, we’ll be looking at a variety of comics out this week and last, from a variety of genres. Meet me after the jump for my thoughts on Batman #24, Secret Empire #3, Secret Empire Uprising #1, Predator: Hunters #2, Slayer: Repentless #3, Grimm Tales of Terror #6, and the first Infinite Seven trade collection… be warned, there may be spoilers…
Aim For Big Game With “Predator: Hunters #1” On The Wednesday Run
Space aliens and pop culture.
They leave a lasting effect in the mind, don’t they?
Why, just last week, this very column highlighted the highly anticipated release of the new Aliens: Dead Orbit series, published by Dark Horse Comics. That one starred, arguably, the greatest and most horrific alien to ever chest-burst its way on to the silver scree. The comic book release happily coincided with #AlienDay and you can catch that particular column here, if you missed it the first time around.
But there’s another cinematic alien every bit as popular as the double-mawed creature of our nightmares.
And today, Dark Horse Comics is once again behind the furthering of that creature’s pop culture legend.
Today sees the release of the universe’s biggest and baddest big-game hunter with Predator: Hunters #1!
What If… Europa Universalis IV
One of the biggest and most intriguing literary trends in recent decades is that of alternate history – the what if – changes in a past event creating a whole new timeline. There have even been games based on the concept. One such computer videogame, Europa Universalis IV, has resulted in a book anthology, featuring work by the king of the what if, Harry Turtledove, and others, including sometimes contributor to Biff Bam Pop!, Janice Gable Bashman. Meet me after the jump for more on Europa Universalis IV: What If? The Anthology of Alternate History.
Livin’ In The 80s : The Nerdy Wonder Years
Our genre interests are shaped in those formative teen years. For better or worse, they influence our movie viewing for the rest of our lives, and we always come back to these cinematic touchstones for comfort, for reassurance.
Go take a look at your movie library. Take stock of the titles on your shelf. Go ahead. I’ll wait.
Done? Good. Now, I’ll wager easy money that at least 80 percent of the titles in your collection are films that you watched between the ages of 14 and 19. This isn’t an exact science, I’m making a best-range guesstimate here, but chances are…I’m right. Because that’s the lay of the land when it comes to MY library. The things we collect and keep often act as a time capsule for our wonder years.
And for me, that time period was The 80s.
Prometheus Pre-Game: An Aliens World Where Newt and Hicks Lived?
Did you check out our own Glenn Walker’s piece on the much maligned and possibly misunderstood Alien 3? If not, it’s well worth your time as the man looks back at the failed third film in the venerable franchise. Glenn echoes what most of would say about the film – killing off the characters of Newt and Hicks, two of the three survivors at the end of James Cameron’s Aliens was a big mistake. Doing so in the first three minutes of the the film – unconscionable.
Here’s the thing – there is an Alien world where Newt and Hicks lived. Where she grew up and he grew angry. It was black and white, dark and desolate and one of the most disturbing comics I read as a kid. And it’s my Alien 3.
Prometheus Pre-Game – Glenn Walker Revisits Alien 3
The Alien pseudo-sideways-prequel Prometheus hits theaters in a few days, and as part of our build-up for the release here at Biff Bam Pop!, our editor-in-chief asked me to review Alien 3. At first I thought he was mad at me, punishing me. As you may have guessed, there is no love lost between me at the second Alien sequel. That said, having not seen it since I watched it in a movie theater back in May of 1992, I recently gave it a fresh viewing. These are my thoughts.
