by Jacob H Baxter

The world of comics is really nothing more than a physical manifestation of the phrase, “art imitates life.” We have learned to love comic characters, to a large degree, because we identify with them. Others have also taught us lessons. Anthony Edward Stark, AKA Iron Man, is one of the most educational characters about life that we can find in the pulp pages or, in this day and age, on digital screens. First introduced to us in Tales of Suspense #39, Iron Man has been fighting the good fight and making the world a better place since March 1963. So, what exactly is it that everyone's favorite genius, billionaire, playboy philanthropist can teach us? Read on, true believers!

by Jacob H Baxter

People have often said “the more things change, the more they stay the same”. As I get older, I find this to be more and more true. But, there is one even stranger phenomenon that I have found to be ever truer. Sometimes, things that seem like complete and total polar opposites can in fact be almost the same. It's all a matter of perspective.

Stay with me here, I promise that I'm going somewhere with this. What I'm referring to is people from different walks of life are more alike than we think. I recently discovered the character Kamala Khan. I have a lot of respect for her and really resonate with her, even though our demographics are different in almost every way.

by Aaron Nash

Growing up in the UK through the 90s, it was 2000 AD that really got me interested in comics. It offered something generally unseen in publications at the time, a dark realism that was a refreshing change from the usual superhero reprints that we in the UK were getting. The most iconic character of the publication, the brilliantly designed Judge Joseph Dredd, wasn't exactly a hero in the classic sense. His moral compass was shaky at best, but he was always compelling to follow as he travelled the harsh streets of Mega-City One. Even though I loved the publication growing up, I eventually started looking back towards Marvel and DC for a change and kind of kept Dredd and company as a great memory of growing up.

by Emlyn Roberts-Harry

You may well have heard by now about the controversy surrounding this year's Hugo Awards - arguably the most prestigious awards in science fiction - but here's the short version just in case. A group of largely conservative, right-wing fans and writers calling themselves the Sad Puppies have successfully campaigned to flood the ballot with works and authors approved by them, meaning that a huge number of this year's nominees have been chosen by a relatively small group of people, in apparent protest at the increasing diversity and inclusivity in the industry and in fandom. 

by Jacob H Baxter

Tonight, the new Daredevil series premiered on Netflix. Many of us are giddy with excitement about it. It is a pretty big step in the evolution of the Marvel cinematic universe. This is the first Netflix exclusive series to make its debut. So, a lot will hinge on its success.

by Aaron Nash

I am ashamed to say that before this I had read very little/next to nothing featuring Harley.  In fact, in recent years I haven’t really read any DC stuff apart from the odd Aquaman comic. With the whole New 52 thing and the big upcoming event convergence, I had no idea where to start. I’ve been tempted to read Harley after hearing some fantastic things, but at the same time I always thought that she looked like DC’s answer to Deadpool.  As I am not Deadpool’s biggest fan, I kind of put it off until I decided recently to just give it a try.

The first book comprises issues 0-8 of the New 52 Harley Quinn solo series and I guess it’s as good a place to start as anywhere. Issue 0 is kind of standalone and has a fantastic concept which surprisingly is done justice. We see Harley dreaming of what it would be like to have her own comic series. Each page is by a different artist with their own interpretation of her. It features some truly great writing and is genuinely funny, without having to resort to crass, infantile humour.  Very rarely does a great concept work as well as this, but this issue just goes to show how to do it right. 

by Sam Hurcom

Last week, I caught up on some much needed comic reading, and had a fairly productive couple of days (by productive of course, I mean I sat around in my underwear, reading comics back to back and drinking my weight in sugary fizzy drinks till the caffeine started making me shake – productive!). There were some definite highs and lows; a few comics that literally made me smile and one in particular that sort of made me frown…

Descender #1

I do love me some sci-fi, and on reading up on Image’s latest release, Descender, I got more excited than a Doctor Who fan finding Peter Capaldi buying a screwdriver in my local IKEA. Everything on paper seemed right on the money – a space opera (check) set in a universe where all robots have been mercilessly outlawed (robots: check) and hunted down by deadly bounty hunters (Boba Fett knock offs: check) and space pirates (space pirates: check), a lone android boy (android boy: check) and his robotic pet (Furbies: check), must scour the cosmos in search of his lost mother and brother (emotional attachment and sense of deep concern: double check).

by Jacob H Baxter

Comic books and video games are two things that have pretty much always been a part of my life. I honestly can’t see them ever not being here either. Over the years, many comic books have been given video games. But, I love the way that they have also been included in one off instances as well. Spawn was a surprising and welcomed addition in Soul Caliber. So, I got to thinking about what other cameos could be equally as awesome...

by Aaron Nash

Created by Federico Bertolucci and Frederic Brremaud, the series Love aims to tell emotional tales with no dialogue or narration. Instead, they aim to convey the story and its raw emotional power through some carefully crafted artwork and a very simple (yet highly relatable) idea.

Each of the stories are standalone and do not require the reader to have read the previous book in the series Der Tiger. This one, (for those who don’t speak German) is entitled The Fox and follows the journey of a fox during an extreme environmental event. To explain any more would take away some of the power that the story has, so I will leave it there in terms of description. What I will say is that the book progresses at a fast rate and is constantly gripping. It may not be the longest of books, but I’d argue that it is of perfect length. Any longer and the story would have dragged a little. Any shorter and the stories development would have been sacrificed.

by Sam Hurcom

We live in uncertain times. The twenty first century has seen a raft of individuals and organisations that could rival the villainous despots of Gotham and the global threat of Hydra. It seemed for many years that the old ways of war had been left in the last millennium, and terrorist cells, not nation states, were the new enemy to face.

But, no sooner did powers in the west think they understood the twenty first century threat, a bygone enemy in the east reared its ugly head. Russia’s recent provocation in eastern Ukraine has brought the world closer to the brink of a second Cold War than any other event since the late eighties. No-one knows how the conflict will play out and whether complex trade deals and sticky political relationships will heighten or alleviate the tensions between the aged superpowers. In the end, the smallest gesture could haul us back, or tip us over, the brink of war in Europe.