Red Sonja: Vulture's Circle #4 - A Review

Red Sonja is dead! Replaced by a being known as The Queen of Swords, this avatar of The Red Goddess must journey to Stygia with Sonja's companions in search of answers on how to defeat the dread demigod Sutekh. But they had best be swift, for the armies of Set are already at the gates of Aquilonia - the only civilized nation yet to fall to the will of Sutekh!


Regular readers will recall some months back I reviewed a Red Sonja mini-series called The Black Tower. Featuring time-travel, robots, light-sabers and flying saucers, I declared that while it might not be the worst Red Sonja comic ever written it was certainly the most incongruous in regards to the Robert Howard oeuvre and the sword-and-sorcery aesthetic.

With this issue, Vulture's Circle has become worse than that series. Much worse. And while I've come to expect this sort of thing from any story Luke Liberman is involved in writing (i.e. He Who Has Been Trying And Failing For A Decade To Sell Us On His Anti-Hero Version of Thulsa Doom), even I never anticipated something this antithetical to the characters involved.

It does pose something of an interesting question for debate - which is the more anathema concept from the perspective of the REH purist? That the proud king of Aquilonia should surrender his armies and subjects into the hands of the Stygians as in the page above? Or that the largely indifferent gods of the Hyboria age should be invoked to create a holy god-slaying sword as in the page below?


The art by Fritz Casas does offer one bit of hope. Despite last issue making lawyer-friendly jokes about the Aquilonian king still owing Red Sonja a favor and the prominence placed on said king in this issue, the artwork makes it clear that this king is not the sullen-faced barbarian we were expecting. Which, in retrospect, makes sense, as he was always inclined to lead from the front and would likely face an army lead by a demigod personally. Yet why make the joke last issue if this was not meant to be a reference to King Conan?

In the end, it matters little. I am done with this Red Sonja series. In truth, it can't even be called a Red Sonja story now that Sonja has been replaced by The Queen of Swords. And unlike The Black Tower, it can't be considered a curiosity worth of mockery.

The Flash: Season Zero #16 - A Review

Barry Allen is still determined to rescue the so-called King Shark from the clutches of The Suicide Squad. But even with Cisco and Caitlin backing him up and blueprints of ARGUS' headquarters and security systems, can The Flash accomplish this impossible mission? Not if Amanda Waller has anything to say about it. And armed with some newly built drones designed specifically for bringing down The Fastest Man Alive, she may indeed have the last word.


This issue marks the first time Eric Gapstur has handled the art duties on this series himself and it proves a welcome change. I love Phil Hester's artwork but his blocky style seemed a little stiff for The Flash. Gapstur's style is more fluid and there's a greater sense of motion to the book as a result.


The script itself is as enjoyable as we've come to expect from this creative team. Cisco makes A-Team references nobody else gets but proves to be far more than simple comic relief as he takes charge in the field and comes up with the plans that keep Barry in once piece. And while I side with those who dislike the newer, slimmer Amanda Waller design, I cannot deny that John Ostrander's Wall is very much here in spirit, no matter her appearance.

Starman Plays Discworld - A Let's Play Adventure - Part One

In honor of the recently deceased Sir Terry Pratchett (author of the Discworld books), I decided to record my very first Let's Play video on an old favorite - the 1995 Discworld Adventure game.

This first part centers upon the opening movie and solving the game's first puzzle - waking up The Luggage.

Special thanks to Jeff Hillary of Mad Centaur Productions for his help with the editing.

Doctor Who: The Ninth Doctor #1 - A Review

Fresh from their adventures in World War II era England, The Doctor, his companion Rose Tyler and rogue Time Agent Captain Jack Harkness are on their way to one of The Doctor's favorite planets. Unfortunately, there's an asteroid field where the planet used to be along with a warship full of angry robots. Then a second group of heavily armed robots show up and things really begin to get stressful!


I have mixed feelings about the script for this issue.  On the one hand, Cavan Scott perfectly captures the voices of the characters from the show and there's some wonderful dialogue and banter worthy of the show.  On the other hand, the actual plot of the story thus far is terribly generic and the plot requires slightly out-of-character behavior on the part of both Rose and The Doctor to set up the issue's cliffhanger ending.


I'm similarly conflicted about the artwork. Artist Blair Shedd generally does an amazing job capturing the likenesses of the characters from the show though the expressions don't always seem to match the tone of the scene, as when The Doctor looks less angry as he tells Jack Harkness off for using a gun and more... well, I'm not sure HOW to describe this expression. And the coloration leaves everything looking a little too bright and almost washed-out at times.

Despite this, the book gets more right than it does wrong. And the sum of the whole proves greater than the individual parts. I dare say Doctor Who fans will find this book... fantastic!

Rick and Morty #1 - A Review

If you aren't already familiar with the Adult Swim series Rick and Morty, you've been missing out on one of the funniest and most original series in recent memory. Ironic given that the show started out as a decidedly unoriginal five-minute short, created as a blatant riff on Back To The Future to "poke fun at the idea of getting cease and desist letters", according to co-creator Justin Roiland.

The show centers upon super-scientist Rick Sanchez and his milquetoast grandson Morty, as they travel through space and a fair number of alternate dimensions having adventures. Think Doctor Who if The Doctor were completely amoral and a drunken, continually belching asshole and you might just be able to grasp what Rick and Morty is like... after a few stiff drinks.

Speaking of The Doctor, one can't help but notice that this first issue's antagonist - Professor Tock, The Time Detective - bears more than a slight resemblance to William Hartnell in Colin Baker's wardrobe, with Sylvester McCoy's umbrella.


If you're a fan of the show, this first issue will be familiar territory. And if you're not familiar with the show, it's also a fine introduction to the mad world of Rick and Morty.  The plot involves Rick - in an effort to spite his idiot son-in-law Jerry -  teaching Morty the finer points of the intergalactic stock-exchange. Of course Rick has been forbidden from trading due to unspecified past crimes and that sets Professor Tock on his trail. And hilarity ensues. With killer cat robots.


This comic has immediately earned a place on my pull-list. To stay that it has perfectly captured the look and the humor of the show would be an understatement!  This is a must-read for all fans of the show as well as smart, twisted sci-fi satire.