by Jake Douglas

I have always solidly believed that Dark Horse comics were the best and worst thing to happen to the Predator franchise. On one hand, you've got the amazing Alien VS Predator, on the other hand, you've got the crappy Alien VS Predator. On that same hand exists the comic adaptation of Predator 2. Say what you want about the movie itself, but it bloody rocks... bloodily. It's more violent, more insane and more involved. This film gave us our first real glimpse of what these crazy intergalactic hunters were all about. It paved the way for all of the fiction that followed, much like Aliens, and Terminator with their respective sequels.

by Jake Douglas

I'll be completely honest. I wasn't exactly sure on how to judge the first issue of The Fuse by Antony Johnston and Justin Greenwood.

I picked it up based on the idea that it was going to have everything I love in the one story, and that the potential was there to be the perfect blending of ideas. Then I read it, and was torn between wondering if this was indeed a brilliant and highly thought out story with major potential or just another sci-fi comic with a lot of promise based on the idea, but missing vital elements that could have made it better.

Was it excellent, or just OK? If it's just OK, is it because I am in a bad mood? Or is it because it is actually just OK and not excellent?

by Bob Bruno and Jake Douglas

Warning: Spoilers follow.

Bob: Hello everyone and Happy Hellboy week! Inspired, Jake and I have decided to do something a little different for our weekly review. Just so everyone knows, that at the time of writing this, Jake and I have only read up to the second trade, Wake the Devil. We're new to this universe, and neither have any idea where the story is going...

by Jake Douglas

In the musical sense, I almost always feel that when a band releases a second album, it is their best and strongest work; lyrically and musically. You've got Metallica with Ride the Lightning, Kings of Leon with Aha Shake Heartbreak, Rainbow with Rainbow Rising, and Van Halen with Van Halen II.

With each of these bands, their second album retains the energy and the like-ability of the first, but with higher production values and a more mature approach to the music. 

In comics the first issue will absolutely make or break the story. 

The second issue has the opportunity to not only continue the story, but to expand on everything that the first issue gave us a taste of. The energy remains, the wild ideas become a little more fanciful, and the storytelling begins to really take shape into what will eventually become a well rounded, solid story that in years to come can be viewed all together in a pretty hardcover edition.

by Jake Douglas


Let's think about the big picture for a second.

The ocean that we swim in is home to over 230,000 different forms of life. Each one of those life forms has an individual history. Every year, thousands more are discovered as we venture deeper into the mysteries that the ocean has to offer.

It comes as no surprise that it's this unknown element of the planet that we live in, that has inspired countless creative minds over the course of human history.

With literature, we have Jules Verne, Arthur C. Clarke, and HP Lovecraft. In films, we have The Abyss, Deep Star Six, Jaws, Leviathan, and Deep Rising.

There also seems to have been a recent surge in the comics industry based around the wonders of the sea, with The Wake, Great Pacific, Gestalt Comics' The Deep, and now Undertow.

by Jake Douglas 

I like to think that when Batman runs into a smug 135 year old Sherlock Holmes in Detective Comics #572 and breaks off mid sentence after realising who he is, that he created a time paradox, resulting in a chain reaction that unraveled the very fabric of the space-time continuum and destroyed the entire universe.

Outside of Sir Arthur Conan Doyles original mysteries, Sherlock Holmes has been thrown all over the space time continuum in books, films, TV and yes, comics. He has been tossed in with the likes of Fu-Manchu, the Predator, Jack the Ripper and Dracula. In some instances Sherlock has even faced the creepy characters that normally reside within Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos. He has even been re-imagined to form entirely different characters like Gil Grissom from CSI, and Gregory House from... House. In the comics medium, whether it was intentional or not, Batman is Sherlock Holmes. You don't throw a comic book out there with 'The Worlds Greatest Detective' plastered all over it and expect for it not to garner comparisons. 

by Jake Douglas

The legendary George A. Romero was once quoted as saying the following:

“I was trying to come up with a concept about a new society, revolutionary... in political terms, that's taking over and devouring the old society.”

With, Night, Dawn, Day and Land of the Dead, Romero was obviously building up to this, each story becoming more epic than the last. This idea of a revolutionary society taking over the old one builds with the increasing apocalyptic nature of these stories.

With Diary and Survival of the Dead, it took that concept, which had been dangling in front of our faces, and whisked it away. We were instead treated to a more personal set of stories, which while still containing the brilliant social satire that we have all come to expect, falls short of the grand scope set up in the first four films.

Empire of the Dead, the new comic series written by Romero himself and illustrated by Alex Maleev, brings the idea of revolution back to the forefront, and slams the rotter's back in our faces, throwing a little social commentary our way too.

by Jake Douglas 


Wolverine is a man of messy origins.

With Wolverine: Origin, back in 2002/2003, Paul Jenkins took us back into the late 1800's, detailing the childhood of James Howlett, the boy who would eventually become Logan.

While pretty (thanks to Andy Kubert) and intriguing, for me, I could have just the same guessed everything that happened and felt the same way about the character. It offered no real revelations except for the fact that he was not initially raised with the name Logan. Now nearly twelve years later, Marvel takes us back to where Wolverine: Origin left off, shoving the first blood soaked issue of Wolverine: Origin II in our sweaty faces. Only this time, Kieron Gillen takes the helm as writer, with Adam Kubert on art duties instead of his brother Andy.

Origin II picks up shortly after the first series left off, with Logan out in the wilderness cozying up to a pack of wolves. Hunting, eating, hunting, eating, running, hunting, more hunting and so on and so forth, Logan seems to finally be at peace with who and what he is. Deep down however, he knows that the peace he has with the pack is a fleeting thing. Just like the bad shit that went down in Alberta when he was sick little James Howlett, and just like the even crazier events that occurred in the stone quarry that led him to where he is now. Logan begins to see that no matter where he goes, strong smelly winds seem to follow.

by Jake Douglas



Alien, is a special kind of film. Up until its release in 1979, there had been absolutely nothing like it. Sure there had been sci-fi films, scfi-fi horror films, and sci-fi thrillers all the same (most of which were parodied on Mystery Science Theatre 3000) but nothing to rival - if you'll beg the clichéd terms - the terror and suspense of the first Alien film. It spawned three sequels, two spin off films, one prequel, an entire merchandising line that still pumps out goods on a regular basis, and of course countless (and I do mean countless) books and comics based on the original premise.

Lets not mince words boys and girls, if you haven't seen Alien, then that's just downright shameful. I wouldn't normally say that to anyone about anything, but if you're over the age of fifteen and haven't watched it yet, you've already gone on too long without seeing it, and you need to immediately rectify this. So I'm just going to sit here and wait while the people who haven't seen it, see it. I'll give you - lets say - 3 hours. That gives you enough time to hire it out and watch it. Then you can come back and read the rest.

Ok, watched it? Changed your life? Good! Now you're back on track!

by jake douglas

Lets say the other night you were sitting in your fancy leather chair, swilling brandy from your crystal snifter, and pondering the state of the planet and its many peculiarities. The bad stuff, the good stuff, the really really bad stuff, the inexcusably awful, terribly terrible bad stuff. We're talking things that don't even make it to the news, so that the general public (who - in public deem these things to be not very good at all) doesn't puke in their TV dinners.

You're thinking about this, because, well, the brandy's taking hold. In your mildly tipsy state, you RISE UP! You lift your snifter to the sky and scream to the new gods; 'WE NEED BATMAN!