Everything Else...

If it doesn't fit anywhere else, you'll find it here. If it's not here, it doesn't matter. ;-) Articles will be archived to reduce page length. All opinions are purely personal, okay...?

REVIEWS - "X-MEN 2" and "Lady Death - A Medieval Tale"

Posted 6th May 2003

*** WARNING - Possible Spoilers Included! ***

It's review time for the first time this year, and what first-class material is first to go under the draconic gaze...

First - "X-Men 2", the first major movie of the year. With what I felt was the BEST superhero movie ever to live up to, and a whole heap of other big movies to come, "X2" could have been expected to be cannon-fodder - but NO! Not needing to introduce the whole X-World to a non-comic reading audience, the film cuts to the action straight away, with an excellent introduction for Nightcrawler, the latest X-Man to be brought to the big screen. Opportunities to screw up really badly are thankfully avoided with great skill, as in the first movie, and deviations from the "official X-Story", in particular a couple more rewritten origins, are handled so well that even the staunchest X-Fan will surely excuse them - and anyway, Wolverine gets to (quite literally) cut loose a whole lot more than last time.

The short-but-sweet verdict? Love the first film, and you'll love the second.

For me, however, the real thrill of this movie is knowing what's to come in "X3"...

* ...takes a deep breath... *

...PHOENIX!

Classic costume please - do that, and I may just be able to wait 'til 2006.

"Lady Death - A Medieval Tale" - Ever since Crossgen Comics announced the return of Lady Death, the result has been awaited by this reviewer with considerable anticipation. The product has now arrived, and I can say with confidence that Lady Death does indeed have a future, as the new realisation of the character has consigned the old to history and put in its place a Dark Ages tale that works just fine from the start, with a more naturally proportioned and more conservatively-dressed Lady Death who doesn't have you yearning for the original.

One cover, with no "premium variants", is all you need when you have as good a story and character as this. Rarely does a character get "reborn" in such style, and with such promise. If Brian Pulido can hold back from burying His star in reams of mythology and half a dozen "ultimate destinies", Lady Death will be around for a long time to come.

Now, is there any chance of a return for Purgatori...?

The "Rebirth" of LADY DEATH?

Posted 10th December 2002

I was somewhat surprised, and not a little disappointed, when I heard that CHAOS! Comics had gone bankrupt. I liked a lot of their stuff - I am, as many may already know, a major fan of Purgatori - but with the passing of CHAOS!, there was one comfort, that being that, sooner or later, someone was certain to bring back Lady Death and company...

Cue Crossgen, purveyors of fine quality independent titles, much in the same style as Malibu did with their quite excellent "Ultraverse" comics. Recently rebranded as "CG Entertainment", and looking to expand their portfolio, the company threw Lady Death's creator, Brian Pulido, something of a lifeline, and the "Diva of Death" is now scheduled for a return in the New Year.

This may not be the same Lady Death as chronicled in the CHAOS! comics, but that may not be a bad thing. I get the feeling this is the start of something special, something that may just put the previous incarnation in the shade. The uber-mythology is gone, most likely taking the "mega-death" theme with it, but the underlying conflict will still be there. I shall report my findings as soon as deliveries permit. Hopefully, with another company holding the reins, Lady Death and the rest will not get weighed down by endless special limited edition cover variants, which this reporter suspects were the cause of the demise of CHAOS!

Time will tell...

The "Battle Of The Planets" Continues!

Posted 5th November 2002

When "Battle Of The Planets" first aired in the UK, it was pretty much everything this young sci-fi fan could have wished for - massive, city-smashing monsters, cool high-tech, a team of heroes not afraid to get into a fight...and Princess.

Here was the kind of heroine British TV hadn't seen since Emma Peel, only with a bit more innocence and less overt sexuality, but to this viewer, she was the dream woman - long, dark hair, gymnastic...dressed in a costume that included, to my boyish delight, fabulous white thigh-high boots. It was always a disappointment if she didn't see any serious action, and I'm sure I wasn't alone, as boys up and down the land sat rooted to the spot in front of their TVs, hoping for a glimpse of her panties - THAT, my friends, was the start of the rise of "hentai" in the UK, not the release of the "Urotsukidoji" videos - but for me, the boots were always the thing (and, I think, Princess can be counted as responsible for instigating my liking for long gloves as well ;-) ).

Imagine my delight, then, when '80s nostalgia rekindled an interest in the series, reaching its current pinnacle in the Top Cow "Battle Of The Planets" comic. So far, this title has lived up to expectations, retelling that first adventure in excellent style, and the renewed interest has brought with it a desire for merchandise related to the show, most notably a range of fabulous action figures, of normal and "Action Man" size. The 6" Princess stands proudly on top of my new computer base unit, but the 12" figure in full cloth costume (AND shiny white boots) will, sadly, have to wait a while...

Long may the "Battle..." continue!