Mortal Kombat (1995) - Review

 

Mortal Kombat (1995)

You can pick this up on DVD over on Amazon.

Or you can watch it on Amazon Prime. 

I remember it being 1995 and seeing this movie at the theater with some friends. Back then we didn't think it was that bad. Of course our only from of reference for video game movies was Super Mario Brothers so that is an issue. Now upon viewing it again after a few decades my opinion is somewhat different and I find myself wondering what the hell was wrong with me back then.

Let me start off by saying effects wise they didn't do a bad job with what they had at the time. CGI was still much in the experimental and development phase. Terminator 2 had just came out four years prior and all that tech was still pretty expensive and most companies had no idea how well it would turn out on the big screen. So some of it turned out decent like Scorpions “Get over here” attack, but the others like Scorpion unmasking himself or Reptiles non-human form are pretty janky at their best. On the other hand the Goro puppet and animatronics were pretty damn sweet looking and much better than they had any right to be. So the practical effects actually turned out better than any of the CGI.

Then we get to casting. Oh who the fuck cast Christopher Lambert as Raiden? Seriously can we retroactively fire that person and make them pay back everything they earned for this movie. This is probably the thing that really gets me the most here. He can't act outside of a specific parameter to save his life and here he is way out of that. Just simply terrible. They cast folks who don't look like they should be in any sort of fighting competition, much less Mortal Kombat. Bridgette Wilson may have the blonde hair but she is absolutely unbelievable as Sonya Blade. At least a few were actual martial artists but that didn't help much because of... wait for it... because of....

Because the choreography sucked for the most part. The fight scenes had tons of cuts, edits and ended up looking like a jangled mess. Occasionally you would get a few shots that lasted more than a few seconds but that was a rarity. Some actual folks in place training people to do longer lasting scenes in shots that lasted a bit would have been great.

Also we discover the director loves (and I do mean loves) drowning out as many different colors as he can. Flooding a scene with one single color, be it blue, red, yellow or whatever. At first it was noticeable as a simple way to shot a scene for effect, but we get it over and over again. Somebody needs to take the flood lights away from him.

In the writing department they pull off an okay job. Nothing super bad and they do keep the characters constant throughout. Johnny is an ass, Lui is fighting against his destiny, Sonya wants to fuck up Kano. No big departures for no reason, with a nice little dash of “what have we gotten ourselves into” thrown in there. Some of Raiden's lines are pretty laughable but again, coming from a hopelessly miscast Lambert that is no surprise.

Oh I will take a moment to mention the soundtrack is fun. That's about all I can say on that.

Then the entire thing is set up for a sequel. From Jaxx being in the early part of the movie to the final end scene. But oh don't go thinking they stepped it up with part two because they sure as hell did not. One day I may view that movie again for a review, but today will not be that day.

Until next time.

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Such believable martial arts abilities.

Ravine Volume One - Review

 

Ravine Volume One 

from Top Cow and available on DrivethruComics.

This is a fantasy world based comic with dragon riders, kingdom level politics, trapped gods and sentient weapons of great power. Mainly centered around the kingdom of Palladia and the various factions of an alliance that make it up. There is a dark past that is covered at the beginning of the comic that had direct impact on the story taking place in the core part of the comic. But then there are those on the outskirts just trying to make their way through the world.

Evelynn de Corredan, whose real name is Lynn de Luctes, is one of the center points of the story. A young dragon rider who is out to prove her ability and skills while avoiding her ultimate fate that will take it all from her. Hoping to one day wield a weapon of power known as a Grimlas. But with attacks happening along the borders of the kingdom from an unknown threat and the power plays going on behind the throne, she may not be able to avoid that fate for much longer.

The world building here is very well done. With multiple layers of intrigue already built onto a history of the the entire setting. Feeling much like Artesia, with a complete and very believable background that you want to dive into with both feet. There is a lot of terms, jargon and characters introduced but in a bit of brilliance we get a glossary in the back with a break down of all the main players in the story. Plus plenty more history to boot just for those salivating for more.

Once again I'm pleased to see more artwork from one of my current favorites Stjepan Sejic. Here his style really comes to life as each character has their own unique look and feel. There is no confusion who is on the page. The attention to detail is extraordinary, from the style and designs of armor and weapons to the ferocious appearance of the dragons. He's definitely rolling in his element here.

In the end I'll give this one five out of five. Although with a world setting this heavily detailed it's probably not for everyone, especially for those looking for some light reading.

You can pick it up on DrivethruComics for just $8.99.

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Exalted: Tale of the Visiting Flare - Review

 

Exalted: Tale of the Visiting Flare

from Onyx Path Publishing and available on DrivethruComics.

This is a quick single issue comic for the tabletop roleplaying game known as Exalted. Which is described as such:

This is the tale of a forgotten age before the seas were bent, when the world was flat and floated atop a sea of chaos. This is the tale of a decadent empire raised up on the bones of the fallen Golden Ate, whose splendor it faintly echoed but could not match. This is a tale of primal frontiers, of the restless dead, of jeweled cities ruled openly by spirits in defiance of Heaven's law. This is a tale of glorious heroes blessed by the gods, and of their passions and the wars they waged in the final era of legends.

It's a setting heavily influenced by eastern culture and beliefs. With a lot of super powered heroes mixed in there to fight the good fight and restore the realm they live in.

The comic itself is a simple tale of one wandering warrior looking for his own path and trying to figure out the mystery of his past. From the mysteries of his dreams to the strange mark on his forehead where he is told he is the reincarnation of a powerful force from the past. It's short but it does convey a nice feeling for the setting and the kind of stories that can be told there.

Art wise they go that extra step and give us something that also fits the anime styled influence that also permeates the game. It's really smooth, I mean really smooth. The color and the line work mix perfectly and there are no wasted lines here. They went the extra mile in their effort.

But here lies the one problem I have with this comic. There is only one issue. It was made as a Kickstarter stretch goal apparently and there are no plans to continue with the story in this form. Which is really a pity because it leaves you wanting more. Not for the roleplaying games so much as you want to read the rest of the story around this one particular character. 

So in the end I'm giving this one four out of five. That one point loss is because it is a tease. Thus making it most likely to attract the interest of those already invested in the game it is based on or those interested in it. There is very little pull for the casual comic collector to come along and pick this solitary issue up..

Available on DrivethruComics for 2.99

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The Darkness: Levels - Review

 

The Darkness: Levels 

from Top Cow and available on DrivethruComics

The Darkness is a character has been around in the Top Cow comics universe since 1996. However this particular story is sort of retelling of the characters origin as they unfolded in the video game that was released in 2007. Giving the story of the character a bit of a brush up and some tweaks.

In a nutshell The Darkness is a cosmic entity that passes from one host to another throughout history. The current person in possession of this power is Jackie Estacado. A mafia hitman who gained his abilities on his twenty first birthday. There was no warning or foretelling about what he was about to inherit, he was just tossed in for the ride.

In this particular series we get see Jackie receive his 'gift' as he fights against the mob boss he used to work for. There is collateral damage as the woman he loves is killed during and he was not allowed to save her. Which leads to his first trip to the other world where the creatures at his command reside. A sort of hell like dimension of constant fighting and wars. But the Darkness doesn't allow him to stay dead for long and he returns to continue his crusade against his former boss. All the way learning new abilities and limitations of the powers he now possesses.

From what I gather each issue is supposed to represent a different level in the video game, telling the story of that part before moving on to the next one. Which does help bridge a bit of a gap between video game players and comic fans which I'm sure they were hoping for a lot of crossover to occur between the two. It actually works pretty well in this format although a few parts seem particularly rushed but nothing deal breaking at all. Also in a couple of spots it begins to feel like a bit of an anvil dropper but again, not to a level where it broke the comic.

Art wise we get the works of several talented folks. Much to my pleasure it has some early Stjepan Sejic work, he has become one of my favorite current artists in the field right now. So seeing some of his stuff not nearly as polished and refined was a treat. There was some significant differences in the styles here but they were all good and quite talented. Plus there is a large collection of covers, alternate covers, sketch work and stuff like that at the end.

In the end I'm giving this one four out of five stars. I enjoyed it and wouldn't mind catching up on some of the earlier material just to see what it was like.

As always it's available over on DrivethruComics and for only $11.99.  

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Sla Industries - The Surgeons

 

Image is from Marshall Law: Kingdom of the Blind. 

Not all the children who go missing are victims of the Skin Trade. Some suffer a very different fate, thankfully one that is terminal rather than what the Trade does. But it still takes those young and innocent away from the world of the living.

In there are those who have accumulated massive amounts of money. But due to being born in the downtrodden section of the city of Mort they do not have the luxuries available that their uptown brethren benefit from. One of these things they lack is access to custom grown organs, replacement glands and other such things to lengthen their lifespan and health. So they get them in other various ways.

Young children nearing the age of puberty are 'harvested' from the streets through various means. From outright kidnappings to purchasing them from parents and relatives who value money over the lives of their own relations. The fitter and more healthy they are the more they are worth to the surgeons who will use them as resell.

An organization known simply as The Surgeons then have their bounty taken to various secluded locations in abandoned hospitals, warehouses and slaughter houses. There the children are dissected and many of their organs and anything that can fetch a price on the black market is placed in a stasis solution. Whatever remains of their victims is then discarded in various means from simply body dumping operations to being mixed in with actual meat sold to the masses.

The organs and glands are then sold to the “upper class” of Downtown. They are then used to replace their own with the help of the same surgeons who collected the parts. Using an injection of a chemical known as “Alter 15A” the rejection syndrome common from donated body parts is completely negated as the DNA of the foreign body part is slightly modified to match that of the host body. Restoring the health and energy to those suffering from old age, disease and injury. Thus keeping the rich alive longer by taking the lives of the children born to poor.

Most of The Surgeons also operate out of small rundown underfunded medical clinics located all over Downtown. They use their records and connections to locate healthy children so they can be collected when an order comes in. The Alter 15A is actually an abandoned project from Karma used before lab grown body parts were perfected. Once they the people of Uptown no longer needed to rely on organ donors who had died the manufacturing of it was shut down. However The Surgeons have discovered how to replicate and manufacture their own supply now.

The Green Hornet '66 meets The Spirit - review

 

The Green Hornet '66 meets The Spirit 

From Dynamite Entertainment and available on DrivethruComics.

I may be a little biased here. I've always been a fan of the Green Hornet and Will Eisner's The Spirit. I used to chase after Spirit comics and strips while being on the look out for Green Hornet serials, the radio show or even the comics from Now Comics. So I'm kind of happy having both of them here in one story. 

They start with a great set up having The Green Hornet and Kato in Central City laying a trap for Kid Kraken a gang leader who is known as being the henchman of a previous criminal mastermind known as the Octopus who supposedly died fighting the Spirit years earlier. Yeah that's quite a long sentence to sum that all up... but it should work. Anyways their trap not only attracts the attention of Kid Kraken but also that of the Spirit as well. A younger black Spirit that nobody had identified before. The Kid suspected a trap so has henchman in vast quantities with him to feed into the fists and gas gun of our three main characters. 

As the story progresses we get plenty of twists and turns as Kid Kraken then goes on the offensive to discover the identity of his enemies. The story of what really happened between The Spirit and the Octopus is revealed. With plenty of action tossed in there for good measure. 

Writing wise this is a great story. Fred Van Lente captures that pulp feel with not only the dialogue but also with the entire plot. All of the characters feel properly place and not just a cardboard cutout saying a couple of lines. Props to him for pulling this off in the here and now. 

Bob Q does the art duties and doesn't let anyone down. He has a nice smooth style that just flow very well from panel to panel. Some parts of it even remind me a bit of Eisner's style in the Spirit comics. I'm hoping to see more from him, especially on these characters if that can happen, in the future. He's such a solid fit here. 

All in all this is a great idea for a crossover with characters that would interact well with each other. Honestly it's nice seeing Dynamite bringing back some classics like this and blowing the dust off of them. But at the same time keeping them true to their form. 

In the end I am going to give this one five out of five. The only thing I would have liked more is if there had been more pages. 

You can pick it up over on DrivethruComics for $11.99. 

Sla Industries - The division of classes

 

You can purchase Sla Industries over on DrivethruRPG. 

There is a wall that separates uptown from downtown. Making sure there is physical set boundary between those who have and those who do not. Not that this is the only division. What weapons are available for protection, currency used and even the police force enforce this division of classes. But the wall is the feature that you will always remember. 

Most vehicle traffic is slowed to a crawl especially when moving from the downtown side over to the uptown area. Being an operative helps the process along quite a bit but anything civilian level can expect hours of delays as paperwork is double checked and each vehicle is inspected for contraband and explosives. 

Foot traffic makes up for over ninety percent of movement between districts. Each side has large parking garages available nearby and Shivers provide security at the gates. Again, being an operative has it's privileges and most are allowed to walk through with a simple scan of their ID badge to verify who they are. All others are required to show identification, provide reasons for crossing and go through a scan to make sure they aren't carrying anything illegal... or rigged to explode. 

There are at least three bombings a day between all the various gates along the wall. It's just a way of life now. Things are quickly cleaned up, bodies removed and more security added for a few days. But the movement just keeps on going.

Now along each side you will also find clusters of shops and services. On the uptown side they are set up like strip malls. Clean and well lit with plenty of flashing lights and advertisements. The downtown side is very much a different sort of animal. There are shops built along the side of the wall with stairways leading up into dangerously built levels of even more shops. The streets are congested with carts and kiosks with people selling everything imaginable. The lighting is poor, the area is dirty and the petty crime rate is high. 

One thing everyone notices on the downtown side are the posters. Everywhere you look are posters for missing people. Some places they are layered over one another up to an inch deep after years of being added to. The streets are constant with loose ones blowing around in the traffic as you see desperate family members wandering around putting up new ones hoping that someone has seen their missing loved ones. Or at least hoping somebody will look. 

Ninety percent of the missing persons posters are for children. 

Downtown Mort has become the city that eats its young. 

Xena Warrior Princess: Road Warriors - review

 

Xena Warrior Princess: Road Warrior 

from Dynamite Entertainment and available on DrivethruComics.

I have to admit right off the bat that I haven't seen a Xena episode since shortly after it went off the air many years ago. To be honest I've never really given it much thought after that either except the occasional “Oh look it's Lucy Lawless, she used to play Xena” while watching movies or reading entertainment news. So going into this comic was a bit different for me than it probably is for those who are still hardcore fans of the show.

First I want to cover the writing. It goes fast and quick. It's almost all dialogue with very little of anything else except telling us where the characters are. Normally I'm not a big fan of this, however in this case it actually works quite well. Everybody knows who the main people are in the story, their motivations aren't really all that hard to figure out and it just flows. It actually feels like this could have been an episode of Xena back in the day.

Starting off with a fight between Xena and Gabrielle against the Goddess of Chaos, Discord. Her manipulation of a group of villagers and posing a threat to their children has gotten the attention of our two protagonists and they step in to make things right. As with all things dealing with the Gods in this setting there is much more going on than we know. Discord gets depowered by big daddy Zeus and is exiled. One snag and you can probably guess it, Gabby and Xena accidently get sent along with her.

We end up following the unlikely trio as they try to find their way back to Greece. Meeting up with various versions of mythological characters along the way and running into trouble at every turn. Discord develops a bit more as a character and they flesh her out a bit. She learns a little and becomes a better mortal along the way. It's actually a pretty fun little romp that takes the characters out of the traditional Greek inspired setting.

Now onto the art. It gets a bit rough in places, especially in the first couple of issues. It's by no means Rob Liefeld doing Captain America bad, but there are times when I'm wondering how some panels even made it past their editors. Then it begins to pick up and becomes a lot more smooth and fitting as the series progressed. The last few issues were much improved and I have to give that a thumbs up.

Closing out with a collection of all the alternate covers and various artwork for the series this little collection is pretty good. I have to give it a four out of five stars. If they artwork had been as good as the later issues throughout the entire series than it would have gotten a full five. Any fans of the show will most likely enjoy this a great deal.

You can pick it up on DrivethruComicsfor just $15.99.

The Scourge - Review

 

The Scourge Vol One from Aspen Comics and available at DrivethruComics. 

The story for this one is pretty straight forward. Your basic zombie outbreak with a twist. This time instead of regular zombies they turn into gargoyle/demon looking creatures that can fly. But it follows all the same beats as any other zombie story. Outbreak occurs, massive havoc as it spreads, scrappy group of survivors trying to fight back, lots of violence.

I tore into this one really wanting to like it. I mean the writer is Scott Lobdell who has a really good track record of quality. The art is by Eric Battle it looks top notch. Even the color by David Curiel and Jorge Fares is fantastic. But in the end I just did not like this. Let me go into why just a little bit.

These gargoyle zombies (zombgoyles? Yeah I'll call them that) are all claws and teeth, evidently agile and strong as hell to boot. A scratch of bite from them transmits the infection. They pile onto their targets in drove sometimes. But somehow, while being tackled and tossed around by these bad guys the main protagonist doesn't get a single scratch... while wearing a simple long sleeved shirt and a Kevlar vest. No extra protection besides the vest, just street clothes. Nothing on his head or hands. Not a single scratch. Actually all of the scrappy survivor group are wearing very little protection, some even going around bare armed.

Then we have the zombgoyles ranging from absolutely bad ass and tearing into folks to being taken down rather easily by the scrappy survivor squad at times. Even the effect of bullets on them varies from one to point to the next. There is never an explanation as to why they are suddenly weaker when in the vicinity of the good guys we are following along in the story.

That little scrappy group of survivors doesn't even fill out well. We have SuperCop and his unending supply of firearms and explosives, captain not very useful but never gets scratched, Ms. Pure Plot Devicium who exists only to solve the problem and the ever so exciting carrot on a stick kid to keep the SuperCop on his toes.

For a comic with as many action and fighting scenes as this has it sure wasn't that exciting to read. Really, at one point you just realize that the main four characters are in no danger. They aren't going to kill them and they're going to solve the problem. You see that coming a mile away and the big action scenes with teeth and claw aren't really going to do anything except show us zombgoyles being killed by gunfire, getting cut up or an occasional slightly more interesting death.

Also top it off with the most effective military in the world EVER. The suspension of disbelief is even more impossible to keep in check by this. Within an hour or less of the outbreak they have the entire island of Manhattan locked down and are planning a final solution in very short order. Damn, not even the Romans were this good and precise.

So in the end I'm sorry. But this is getting a two out of five stars from me. It wasn't exciting, it wasn't all that original and even for a comic it wasn't all that believable either. But if you are still interested it's only 9.99 on DrivethruComics. 

Pathfinder Goblins! - review

Pathfinder Goblins from Dynamite Entertainment is available over on DrivethruComics. 

Pathfinder Goblins! An anthology of stories with different writers and artists for each. The common thread here is they are all about the nasty violent (and not to bright) creatures from the Pathfinder tabletop roleplaying game. Although you don't need to be familiar with the game itself to enjoy this collection.

The thread connecting all of the stories contained within is that they are various tales told around the campfire by goblins. Now goblins aren't known for their overwhelming intelligence and wisdom. Keeping that in mind they are also not known for being overly honest either. Also they are short psychopathic murderers. So what you get are tall tales told in a particularly brutish violent style which may have a few inklings of truth hidden within. Of course there are just some outright lies as well. But who's going to go tell a bunch of Gobbo's that they are telling their own history wrong?

As with any anthology like this the quality of writing and art varies from story to story. But none of what I saw was bad by any stretch of the imagination. Plus with that different feel it flows better when the story switches up. My one quibble is that this much 'goblin speak' in a row can get a bit headache inducing. This is definitely a volume you will want to pick up and read a story or two and then put it down and read a few more the next day. Space it out a bit.

After the reprint of the first five issues they have a cover and art gallery which is always nice. Then they have a section that is for those who play the Pathfinder roleplaying game. While, once again, this is not a system I am super familiar with I do understand the basics of. So with that in mind what's there is well written and connected back to the stories told by the goblins throughout the series. Plenty of character stats, some new equipment and lots of ideas to use in your own games.

All in all I'll give this one a sold four out of five. Especially for those who like some dark humor in their fantasy comics. Also those who are fans of the game on which this is based may find plenty of use from the material as well.

Currently it's only 12.99 over at DrivethruComics.

Songs for the Dead Book One - Review

 

Songs for the Dead Book One. 

Available on DrivethruComics.

Available on Amazon.

Or check your local friendly comic shop!

This one is a bit harder to review. I'll be honest I started off not really feeling it at all, something just didn't seem to click with me. But once I got into the story and it progressed past the first issue then things began to pick up. At the final page I was actually wanting more.

Everything in here revolves around the character of Bethany, a minstrel who wants so badly to be an adventurer, just like the ones she sings about. But she's young, not that experienced, oh and one more thing, she's a necromancer. Now not the evil brooding twisted type of necromancer many of us have grown to hate in roleplaying games. But the kind who can speak with and resurrect the dead but wants to help them find peace and justice. Only most folks don't like those who command the deceased no matter their intentions.

Of course not everything goes according to plan and she rapidly ends up prisoner of one Lord Rolland. This conniving bastard wants to use her to further his goals and plans which is something she wants nothing of. Things are looking pretty bleak until she meets up with Elissar, a seasoned fighter who is simply trying to get by in the world as a sword for hire. The two kick off an unlikely friendship as they go searching for those who will accept Bethany while getting a few coins along the way.

It's a great mix of humor, fantasy, some rough fantasy action and friendship. Something that is hard to pull off but they manage to do so. It even made my cynical self smile a little.

Written by Andrea Fort and Michael Christopher Heron. You can tell these two love the story and the characters they have created. So much detail and personality has been put into the main two characters that you gain a real sense of understanding by the end of this first volume. I just didn't think the writing was that solid in the first issue. But I will fully admit that after that it picks up rather quickly, almost as if they got their footing before taking off for the sprint. By issue three they're doing amazing and the final issue four just keeps on moving in that direction.

Artwork is done by Sam Beck. Again on that first issue I wasn't to hyped up for the artwork either. But he followed in the same steps as the writers and just got better as the story progressed. That and his particular style grew on me and it fit really well with the lightheartedness that is laced throughout the comic.

All in all I'm giving this one a solid four out of five stars. If that first issue could have captured the same energy and dynamic that was in the others then it would have been a five. But that start felt rough, like a hump to get over. In the end though I want to read book two, I'm actually looking forward to finding out what happens. That's what really matters. It gets that hook into the reader.

Pick it up for 7.99 right now over on DrivethruComics.

Mindfield Volume One - review

 

Mindfield Volume one is available from DrivethruComics 

Mindfield is a modern day psychothriller sat in the world of government espionage and psychic powers. The story revolves around a team of five people that have been recruited by the CIA and had their potential psychic abilities enhanced. All with the goal of fighting terrorism in a post-911 world where the rules have changed.

Most of the story is told through the eyes of Connor, the member of the team who has the most developed abilities. A man with trauma and loss in his past that sometimes make it harder to handle it new found abilities. He is our core protagonist in this story to give the reader an anchor to hold them in place throughout. The other team members are unique in personalities and how they handle their abilities.

The center of the action is focused on stopping a group of home grown terrorists who wish to gain access to a nuclear warhead. With a fanatical following and two very dangerously powerful psychic on their side to boot. It's not pretty when they finally begin to clash in open conflict which takes us from the real world and into that of the mind.

Plenty of government secrets, references to old programs that actually existed, and more shady motivations than you can shake a stick at. This comic series feels very much like what a modern day spy thriller should be like.

The artwork is great, hands down it stays consistent and shows us the story perfectly. Alex Konat and Saleem Crawford do the illustration and inks with John Starr pulling duty on the colors. A completely finished and smooth look is achieved between this trio.

On the writing J.T. Krul and he deliver in spade. The story flows perfectly from page to page keeping a brisk pace and just enough information to keep you interested. Dialogue feel natural between the character and you come away understanding each and every one of them. It feels like the work of a practiced comic veteran.

In the end I'm giving this one five stars. Very much worth picking up for a read, especially at the $9.99 price tag. I very much look forward to seeing more for Mindfield in the future. There is plenty of story to build on and avenues to explore. But I've always been a sucker for a good story involving psychic powers.

For the gamer out there this story could easily take place in Conspiracy X, Dark Matter or even DeltaGreen. 

Also, just to get this off my chest, I really wish companies would hire somebody to put their pdfs together better. Bookmarks to the individual issues in the trade would be a start.