Read This! - Symmetry (Vol. 1)

In today's age of technology, we all like to be connected to our devices, whether it's at work, at home, or even in our cars.  But what if this connectivity was something we had from birth?  This is the starting point of Symmetry, written by Matt Hawkins and illustrated by Raffaele Ienco.
Symmetry tells a story very similar to Brave New World, in which the world's population is kept heavily medicated and connected to their AI system at all times.  The people are also a homogenous society, even to the point that all races are kept completely separate.  When disaster strikes and disconnects a small segment of people from their AI system, a man named Michael discovers Maricela, the first black woman he's ever seen.  The two fall in love while working together to survive the new terrors of life without AI assistance.  Meanwhile, the administrators of this 'utopia' race to rebuild their society under the guidance of a mysterious AI whose ultimate aims are unknown.
Co-creator Raffaele Ienco illustrates this book with clean lines and sharp colours, but the main attraction here is the storytelling of Matt Hawkins.  While it starts out simple enough, there are a lot of complex ideas under the surface here.  Symmetry deals with ideas of segregation, morality, and our relationship with technology.  While I personally was hoping for something a little more complex, it appears that Symmetry's story does unfold further in following chapters.  Hawkins and Ienco have mixed elements from sources like Brave New World, The Matrix, and the long-term thinking of Frank Herbert's Dune novels to deliver an interesting take on the sci-fi dystopia genre.  Go check it out for yourself today at The Gauntlet Comics and Games!

Read This! - East of West (Vol. 1)

Read This! is made possible by The Gauntlet Comics and Games

At first glance, sci-fi and western don't seem to be genres that would mix well.  However, the popularity of shows like Westworld proves that it can be done with the right concept.  East of West (published by Image Comics) is another of those unusual genre mixes that works surprisingly well, and is a refreshing departure from typical comics.
Written by Jonathan Hickman (best known for his work with Marvel, including the recent Secret Wars miniseries), East of West takes place in an alternate universe where the American Civil War never truly ended, along with Mao Zedong's China.  The story also deals with the possibly impending apocalypse.  That is, if the Four Horsemen can locate Death, who has gone off the reservation, so to speak.  With the help of a mysterious native couple, Death wanders the land in search of his former lover, Xiaoling.  The only issue is that Xiaoling is the daughter of Mao III, current leader of the heavily fortified city-state New Shanghai.
The internal mythology Hickman has created for this book is impressive and intriguing.  The supernatural elements of the story add another layer for fans to unravel in an already complex combination of genres.  East of West is true to its western influences, not shying away from violent scenes and adult situations.  If you're not the type for seeing blood splatter in your comics, this is probably not the book for you.  For the rest of you, East of West provides plenty of exploded heads and eye gouging, much of it courtesy of Death himself.  Nick Dragotta's artwork showcases more than just violence, however.  He has a knack for capturing subtleties of facial expression, which give the reader a glimpse into the motivations of the many mysterious characters.
If you're looking for something out of the ordinary, with action and a good story hook, East of West is a great book to add to your collection.  If the mystery of things interests you, there's plenty more to explore, with several more volumes available.

Doctor Strange (2016)

The latest in Marvel's ever-expanding film universe, Doctor Strange explores the magical side of the Marvel universe.  Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is a gifted surgeon, but has an attitude on par with someone like Dr. Gregory House.  His only concern is maintaining his own renown in medicine and keeping up with his lavish lifestyle.  After his hands are badly damaged in a car accident, Strange is forced to search for alternatives to medicine to cure his ailment.  This search leads him to Nepal, where he learn the secrets of magic and mysticism under a mysterious woman known as The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton).  Meanwhile, Keacilius (Mads Mikkelsen), a former student of The Ancient One, has discovered forbidden knowledge and is acting on it in the most dangerous way.  Together with his teachers, and some clever manipulation of time and space, Doctor Strange must fight the forces of chaos in order to protect the Earth from the destructive entity known as Dormammu.
For comics fans and newcomers alike, Doctor Strange is a great entry in the Marvel filmography.  The story follows the fairly traditional path of classic Samurai films, with a bit of the fantastic added to the mix.  The plot may feel familiar to some, but it's so well done, only the most jaded of movie fans will feel bored by it.  Benedict Cumberbatch plays Doctor Strange very well.  Over the course of the film, we see him change from arrogant to angry, and finally to a man in command and control of himself.  His personal transformation is believable, and it's what drives this film forward.  In particular, his scenes with Rachel McAdams (as love interest Christine Palmer) illustrate this change of character fully.  During the scenes of Strange's training, Tilda Swinton also has some good moments as the wise master figure.
This film has a lot of very cleverly done visuals.  The 3D effects are particularly well executed, with many kaleidoscopic transformations of ordinary settings.  I'm not certain how well these effects translate to non-3D, but they were impressive in the format I saw them in.  One of the things I appreciated most as a comics fan was the film's depiction of Dormammu and his chaotic dimension.  They are shown in an abstract way, yet the evil they represent is made very clear.
Doctor Strange is a breath of fresh air for the Marvel movies, showing the audience something a little different than the usual super-science or simple fist-fighting heroes.  It will be interesting to see how Doctor Strange will fit into a team setting, although one of the post-credits scenes hints at a possible ally.  If you're a fan of the comics, or just bored with traditional superhero films, Doctor Strange is a great way to see a new side of the superhero genre.

Read This! - Letter 44 (Vol. 1)

Read This! is made possible by The Gauntlet Comics and Games

Published by Oni Press, Letter 44 is tells the intriguing story of President Stephen Blades.  Shortly after his inauguration, he finds a mysterious letter in the Oval Office.  The letter, written by the previous president, tells Blades about a secret government space mission.  This mission has had next to no contact with Earth for the past several years.  While Blades goes about taking the steps to contact and learn more about the team of soldiers and scientists, the crew of the Clarke has more immediate things to deal with.  The discovery of a gigantic alien vessel complicates things, as does the pregnancy of a key member of the team.  Meanwhile, certain groups are aiming to keep the president in the dark about what's going on, and are taking drastic measures to make sure the public doesn't know.
Charles Soule (current writer of Daredevil) does a great job with this story.  It's well balanced between the space exploration and the political cloak-and-dagger tale.  Soule has a knack for tension and keeping the reader guessing.  As a reader, you're never quite certain you have everything figured out.  When you feel as though you have a handle on the situation, something completely unexpected will happen, leaving you to puzzle over how these new events fit into the bigger picture.  The art style of Alberto Jimenez Alburquerque fits quite well with the story.  Each character design is distinctive, so it's always clear who's who, which is very important with the sizable cast Alburquerque has to work with.  As well, his attention to facial expression helps to humanize the characters.  The art of the space scenes is especially well done, and communicates the feeling of zero gravity better than any space comic I've read in a while.
If you or someone you know is into science fiction and/or political thrillers, this is exactly the book you're looking for.  There are a few other volumes in this series as well, so now's a great time to get that Christmas present for the comics fan on your list!  The Gauntlet Comics and Games has got what you need.  Tell them Dave sent you!

The First Three - Luke Cage (2016)

Statistics have shown that it takes a few episodes for a viewer to get hooked on any given series.  On average, the number of episodes is three. (thus my title) With this in mind, I welcome you to the first in a series in which I will review shows based on the first three episodes.  In this first edition, I'll be looking at the new Netflix original, Luke Cage.
To those unfamiliar with the character, Luke Cage (sometimes known as Power Man) is a Marvel Comics character who has been around since the 1970s.  The new Netflix series, produced by Marvel and ABC Studios, brings Luke Cage into the here and now, sharing the TV universe of other heroes like Daredevil and Jessica Jones.  Although Luke Cage's powers include super-strength and unbreakable skin, he tends to keep a low profile in the first episodes of this series.  This is in large part to the fact that Cage (Mike Colter) is a man who is running from his troubled past.  Luke does his best to live a quiet, trouble free life in Harlem while people like the gangster 'Cottonmouth' Stokes (Mahershala Ali) and his cousin Mariah (Alfre Woodard), a misguided, if not crooked politician, cause problems that end up affecting the whole neighbourhood.  When a violent tragedy strikes Pop's barber shop, the local social hub, (and one of Cage's workplaces) Luke realizes the impact crime is having on Harlem, and sets out to use his powers to make a lasting change for the city.
One of the most striking elements of Luke Cage is just how steeped in black culture the show truly is.  From background jazz or rap music to discussions of basketball and even black poets and writers, the show covers just about everything.  There were several references that I didn't understand, but this is one of the things that excites me about the show.  It gives me the feeling that the writers know what they're talking about, and that there is true authenticity in the dialogue.
Much of the black community has voiced their support of the show and its cast, though there is some divisiveness over the show's more political elements, such as the use of certain racial language, or Luke Cage's hoodie, a possible reminder of the Trayvon Martin case.  While these things may be uncomfortable for some, I feel that it's all done in the name of authenticity, and the shows writers and producers should be applauded for it.  The show acknowledges the daily issues I'm certain many black people face, while at the same time, not going the route of stereotyping.  From a writing standpoint, this is a difficult balancing act, but it has been done to perfection here, and the show deserves recognition for that alone.  
Another reason the show is so successful is the performance of Mike Colter in the iconic title role.  Colter's Luke Cage is soft spoken, yet powerful.  He will defend himself physically, but doesn't go out looking for trouble.  Throughout the series, we also get glimpses of Cage as a man conflicted by his past, and dealing with feelings of guilt.  Mike Colter brings great depth and seriousness to the character, and he's helped by an outstanding supporting cast.  The women of the series are especially compelling characters for me.  Simone Missick plays the street-smart detective Misty Knight with just the right balance of sharp wit and sex appeal.  Alfre Woodard's portrayal of Mariah is wonderfully complex.  It's clear from Woodard's performance that Mariah believes she is doing the right thing, even though she is doing it in the most unethical of ways.  In my opinion, she may be the most interesting character on the show after Luke Cage himself.
To sum up, Luke Cage is a show that will appeal to not only long time comic fans, but to people who are entirely new to the character.  It contains fantastic action sequences, as well as real human drama.  Luke Cage is great not only for its entertainment value, but is equally valuable for its social commentary.  If you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend you try watching at least the pilot episode.  Even if it's not to your taste, it will certainly leave you with a few things to think about.

Read This! - Thief of Thieves (Vol. 1)

Read This! is made possible by The Gauntlet Comics and Games

Thief of Thieves, published by Image Comics, tells the story of one Conrad Paulson, aka Redmond, a master thief on the FBI's most wanted list.  Interestingly enough, Redmond has decided to get out of the game.  While we see various flashbacks of his old life, we discover that Redmond's son Augustus is in prison.  In order to get him free, Redmond works out a deal with Elizabeth Cohen, one of the FBI agents assigned to track him down.  He agrees to do one last job, and assembles a team to rob one of the biggest players in his business.  Things don't go quite as planned on either side, and Redmond is left to make some serious decisions about his future.
Creator Robert Kirkman, best known for The Walking Dead, shows with this book that he can do more than capes and zombies.  Thief of Thieves contains a number of familiar character types and situations, but there are enough surprises to keep things interesting.  Writer Nick Spencer delivers appropriately hard-boiled dialogue and narration, along with some memorable action scenes.  The art style of Shawn Martinbrough matches the tone of the book very well.  The thick ink lines bring to mind newspaper detective comics of old.  One of the things I found most interesting about this book was the panel structure, which one could say is the cinematography of comics.  The majority of panels are full-page width (widescreen for comics, in other words), mixed with a handful of full-page splash panels that enhance the dramatic effect of key story moments.
Thief of Thieves seems tailor-made for an episodic medium like television, which is likely why it's currently in development with AMC.  If the success of The Walking Dead is any indication, Thief of Thieves could be the next big thing, so now's a great time to discover the original material for yourself!

Read This! - Black Science (Vol. 1)

For those of you who don't know me, I've been into comics for several years.  I enjoy the great stories and artwork that can be found in comics, and I'm always quick to talk about my favourite writers and artists.  So, in partnership with my local comic shop, The Gauntlet Comics and Games, I will be presenting occasional reviews of various graphic novels for those who might be interested.  For my first edition of Read This!, we'll be looking at Black Science, published by Image Comics.

The first thing I noticed about this book was the artwork, by Matteo Scalera and Dean White.  The sharp, bright colours against dark backgrounds draw you into a world that looks like some kind of nightmarish black-light poster.  Additionally, the sketchy panel outlines and light ink spatters reinforce the feeling of a world that's slowly disintegrating, which ties in excellently with Rick Remender's story.
The story follows the adventures of one Grant McKay, founder of a group of anarchist scientists who are working on interdimensional travel and exploration.  Unfortunately, as often happens in these kind of stories, something goes horribly wrong, and it's up to Grant and his team to get back home safely, and keep his children safe.  As the story progresses, they travel from world to world, encountering numerous dangers while also trying to uncover which member of the team sabotaged their mission.  Various flashbacks provide context of the relationships of the characters as well as possible clues to who the traitor is.
This comic uses some of the best elements of pulp sci-fi, while still keeping things original.  For instance, one of the worlds the team encounters early on is populated by German World War I soldiers in the middle of a battle with a technologically advanced tribe of Native Americans.  There are also all manner of futuristic equipment and strange life forms to feast your eyes on.
While Black Science draws on pulp influences, it isn't so clear-cut as far as good and evil.  Just about every character in this comic (minus the kids) has reasons for what they're doing.  It's entirely in the eye of the reader as to whose decisions are right or wrong.  The fact that each character is still three-dimensional and sympathetic even in such moral grey areas is a testament to the writing ability of Rick Remender.  Even when you think a character is making the worst decisions possible, you can understand them, or even identify with their logic.
I won't go into details of the ending, but I will only say it left me wanting more.  Black Science gives us a very interesting look at ideology and personal choice against an incredibly vibrant, endless canvas of sci-fi worlds.  If you're getting bored with typical good vs. evil superhero books, but still want a bit of fun in your comics, Black Science is a great place to start.