Batman and Robin

COMIC: BATMAN & ROBIN - DARK KNIGHT VS. WHITE KNIGHT

When Grant Morrison killed off Bruce Wayne back in 2009, something unexpected happened. Batman comics got really, really good. While this may seem like blasphemy, one cannot deny the popularity generated by the explosion of new series, such as Batman & Robin, capturing the fast-paced,... more
Posted by John Coughlan - Monday, January 30, 2012 - 19:51 - comments

MOVIE: THE GREY

There’s a thing about people wanting to “get back to nature” that survival stories often try to address: when you really get back to nature, it means literally and almost constantly fighting for your own continued existence. It’s a side that some people never really think... more
Posted by PC - Monday, January 30, 2012 - 18:12 - comments

MOVIE: THE DESCENDANTS

Alexander Payne may only have a few features to his name, but he has already presented a fairly consistent pattern in terms of his chosen focus. Election, About Schmidt, Sideways, they’ve all showcased rather unpleasant people unwilling to grow up, regardless of their station in life. This... more
Posted by PC - Monday, January 30, 2012 - 16:01 - comments
Red Skull Incarnate David Aja

COMIC: RED SKULL - INCARNATE

History was my favourite subject at school. Looking back at these stories of war, tragedy and struggle, and the triumph of human willpower over such adversities always thoroughly engaged me, all the more so for knowing that these were all true. Clearly, writer Greg Pak has a similar passion. In... more
Posted by John Coughlan - Sunday, January 29, 2012 - 19:19 - comments
Daredevil

COMIC: DAREDEVIL - VOLUME ONE

In the 1980s, superhero comics went through a "grim and gritty" phase, perhaps out of a adolescent-like urge to be taken more seriously, with more intense and realistic stories such as Alan Moore's Watchmen and Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns dominating that era. Over at... more
Posted by John Coughlan - Thursday, January 26, 2012 - 20:18 - comments
Secret Six Darkest House

COMIC: SECRET SIX - THE DARKEST HOUSE

It is said that all good things must come to an end. Apparently, this is sometimes true of evil things as well. And there are none more deliciously vile, cruel, wicked, and yet strangely lovable as the Secret Six. Spinning out of DC Comics event story Infinite Crisis, the series followed the... more
Posted by John Coughlan - Thursday, January 19, 2012 - 21:06 - comments
Captain America Fear Itself

COMIC: FEAR ITSELF

Just as it brings blockbusters to cinema screens, summer sees event stories bloom in comic book stores. DC and Marvel will each begin a massive crossover mini-series, with all their heroes (and maybe some villains) fighting to save everything from some great threat. In 2011, DC had Flashpoint... more
Posted by John Coughlan - Monday, January 16, 2012 - 20:06 - comments
Goon

MOVIE: GOON

In my life, there has only ever been one sport that I showed any kind of interest in… ice hockey. Partly due to the frenetic mania and high-speed violence of the game, partly because of the funny names like Konowalchuk and Rafalski, but mostly because I also used to watch the Mighty Ducks... more
Posted by PC - Sunday, January 8, 2012 - 13:42 - comments

MOVIE: THE IRON LADY

Everyone knew that there would one day be a film about the life of Margaret Thatcher. Mostly, the question was just about whether the woman herself would be alive to see it. However, the film was always going to be as problematic as it was inevitable. Love her or hate her, there is an undeniable... more
Posted by PC - Sunday, January 8, 2012 - 10:49 - comments
Batman Dark Knight Golden Dawn David Finch

COMIC: THE DARK KNIGHT - GOLDEN DAWN

Yet another splinter of the Batman empire reaches trade, with David Finch's series The Dark Knight, featuring more supernatural themed Bat-stories. In Golden Dawn we see Bruce drawn into a search for missing socialite and former childhood friend Dawn Golden -- a search that pits him against... more
Posted by John Coughlan - Friday, January 6, 2012 - 19:44 - comments