Suicide Squad #1 & #2 (DC Rebirth)| English Review #20

Worst heroes ever …. no let’s forget the PR-phrase of the horrible Suicide Squad Realfilm. The comics establish the team as intended and as a bunch of supervillains are being monitored by two „good guys“ and their boss!

After the Suicde Squad was compiled in the eponymous Rebirth Special by Amanda Waller, there is already the first real mission!

In Siberia, alien technology was discovered and hidden in an underground military complex. With such technology in the wrong hands becoming a deadly danger, Amanda Waller’s suicidal Black Ops must be on the alert to eliminate the danger in advance. If a few super villains die, no one is sad …

There is also a small Origin of Captain Boomerang, a member of the Suicide Squad.

Sucide Squad Issue 1 is a great introduction to the series and a pretty epic prelude to the „Steel Crypt“ saga. Action alternates with humor and each team member gets enough screentime, not to be forgotten already after 3 panels. There is also a small but very entertaining episode in which the Origin Story by Captain Boomerang is told and which reads very entertaining.

Visually, the band is amazing and Jim Lee’s drawing style fits perfectly with the dark and dirty tone of the comic. The style is reminiscent of the old Image Comics of the 90s and my highlight was the appearance of General Zod, the old ass ripper.

All in all, Suicide Squad # 1 & # 2 make a great debut in the Rebirth series and show what’s in the suicide squad. The comic is extremely pleasing to the eye, but there is also plenty of narrative. Action and humor alternate pleasantly, which creates a very positive overall picture.

I forgive the rating worth reading for Suicide Squad # 1 & # 2!

That’s it from my side. We read in the next post!

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DCEASED #2 |English Review #19

The horror and chaos continues …

What happened so far …

When Darkseid came to Earth and was defeated by the Justice League, he retired. In the process, he kidnapped Cyborg, in whose heart he implemented a techno-organic virus that is transmissible through the Internet and blood. Back on Earth, the virus spreads rapidly and quickly claims first victims. Batman is attacked by the infected Tim Drake / Red Robin and Dick Grayson / Nightwing …

— Dceased #1 review —

While Superman flies with Lois, his son Jon and Damian Wayne aka Robin to the Daily Planet to use the analogue communication systems, Harley Quinn „separates“ (again) from the Joker, Aquaman is attacked by Infected and Hal Jordan goes along Camping with friends. However, when Hal goes to his phone, he gets infected and attacks his friends Green Arrow and Black Carnary. After a brief but tough battle, Black Carnary finally kills Hal Jordan and becomes an unwanted Green Lantern. When Superman arrives at the scene, there’s a quick chat with Batman before the virus finally gets the upper hand …

Dceased issue 2 is based on the same strengths as the first edition and continues to expand. Especially the scene with Aquaman at the beginning illustrates the gloomy atmosphere of the series perfectly and everything that has to do with Green Lantern forms the optical highlight of the issue. In general, optics and staging are among the great strengths of Dceased.

All in all, Dceased # 2 is worth reading and pleases by the plot as well as the great drawing style. The horror genre is really good for the DC heroes and villains!

That‘s from my side. We read in the next post!

The nice details of Far Cry 3 Classic Edition | Mind Game #9

I’m currently playing (among others) the Far Cry 3 Classic Edition on the Playstation 4 because I’ve been battling my backlog.

One thing can already be said; Far Cry 3 deserves its own review and is a great game, but today I am „only“ to have some nice details this game offers!

Let’s start with the healing animation right away. If protagonist and „adventure vacationer“ Jason no Medikits or similar has some ready-made first aid sequences. The interesting thing is the variance of the scene. For example, if Jason falls from a certain height and injures himself, a bone fracture will be treated. In animal attacks Krass / bite wounds are connected and if hit by bullets, shrapnel or similar, the projectiles are pulled out of the body. This may not sound particularly spectacular BUT I love these details and commendable for having thought of how to implement such a sequence into gameplay at Ubisoft!

A tradition, besides the healing animation, is the fire. Weapons such as flamethrowers and / or Molotov cocktails always provide entertainment in the Far Cry games. Even though the extent of fires has been scaled back compared to the second part, it still looks very impressive when larger areas are in flames. By that I do not mean that it’s fun to bunch the Far Cry games, but the high-quality animations of the fire and how it understandably spreads.

However, what Far Cry 3 raises above the clover and thus heads to the top of the series is the main character Jason. Sure Rogue Vaas may be the figurehead of Far Cry 3 but compared to other offshoots in the series, the third part has a real protagonist with character that evolves as the story progresses. He speaks, pursues goals and leads dialogues with other people. Since other Far Cry games are lacking in interesting protagonists, Part 3 is an outstanding part of the franchise.

To the final, a visual detail. The underwater world of Far Cry 3 looks great and above all realistic, with different shades of blue, depending on the depth of the water. In addition, there are occasional shark attacks that come completely unexpectedly.

I like Far Cry 3. The game is full of great details and is an outstanding part of the high quality standard of the series. Meanwhile, I can understand much better why this part is so popular and I’m looking forward to writing the review about this game.

That’s it from my side. We read in the next post!

Batman: Curse of the White Knight Book One | English Review #18

Batman: White Knight was one of my favorite comics of the year 2018. The bigger the anticipation for the sequel Curse of the White Knight, whose first issue is already rocking!

Some time has passed since the events of Batman: White Knight Story. Jack Napier is again Joker and sits in Arkham Asyulm, but plans something big. When he manages to break out, he begins to put his plan into action. Batman clings to the heels of his arch-enemy, but has to cope with the death of Alfred and explore the past of Gotham City and his own family.

Something big is coming up and the dark knight will get a new nemesis …

I have to praise the beginning of the comic whose aesthetics is more like a horror comedy than a superhero comic and reminds me of Castlevania.

After entering, the scene changes to a classic Batman crime story, which creates a pleasant contrast and immediately hits the sound of its predecessor. The gloomy atmosphere is further intensified by the extremely appealing drawing style and exudes a certain uniqueness at the same time.

In addition to the built-in elements of the story and the visual presentation, the comic takes enough time to look into Bruce Wayne’s psyche and to express both his inner pain and his anger. It also refers directly to the events in White Knight, when Batman almost brought down.

Furthermore, the joker oscillates between self-hatred, typical madness and a certain manipulative streak as he sends a certain veteran with a sword to a divine mission.

All in all, Batman: Curse of the White Knight is a successful entry into the sequel to White Knight and convinces all along the line. The bridges to the predecessor are beaten meaningfully and at the same time the comic builds up its new story excitingly. I’m curious how Waynes‘ past will coincide with Batman’s present and, ultimately, future. Although it’s a standardized formula, it’s fun to see Batman fight the Joker again.

If you liked Batman: White Knight or are looking for a visually appealing comic or are looking for an exciting Batman story, you can safely access it here. I forgive for Batman: Curs of the White Knight Book One the rating worth reading!

That’s it from my side. We read in the next post!

Batman: White Knight | English Review #17

Batman: White Knight is one of the best Batman stories ever. Reason enough to write an english version of the review. This is not a story about Batman but about the Joker and the first comic of the DC Black Label.

The story does not follow Batman, but the Joker, whose real name is Jack Napier, who is put by Batman during a chase in a warehouse for pharmaceutical products. In the face of Nightwing, Batgirl, and the GCPD elite, Batman nearly beats the Joker to death and stuffs dozens of drugs into his throat. Joker dies from this brutal attack but is experiencing a fundamental change. Exempted from his madness, Jack Napier wants to give Gotham City back to its citizens and launch a revolution that outlays Batman, „cleans“ GCPD, and gets Mayor Hill into serious trouble with corruption.

While Batman still stoically fights Jack Napier, a far worse threat grows in the shadows. With the help of Clayface and Mad Hatter, the new super rascal Neo Joker manages to assemble an army of the worst criminals to bully Gotham and revive the old joker. A fight for the future Gotham City is getting ready …

Batman: White Knight is undoubtedly one of the best stories about the old bat that has appeared in recent years. The focus on the Joker is very refreshing and shows thanks to the premise a completely new image of Batman’s archenemy. Here, too, the similarity between the figures is clear, although the methods are completely different. In addition, comes Batman’s fanatical distrust of the Joker and his differences with Dick Grayson aka Nightwing to wear, because even between these two vigilantes is not all right.

Likewise, I have to praise the drawing style. Thanks to many shades, hard contours and a generally gloomy style, the equally gloomy story comes into its own. In addition, the depiction of the characters, both heroes and villains, is very successful and the Dr. Ing. Jackyll / Mr. Hide principle of Jack Napier / Joker was successfully implemented. This complete package is rounded off by a continuously rising voltage curve as well as a balanced mix of dialogue and action.

Finally, I must praise author / illustrator Sean Murphey for his work, as Batman: White Knight is just as intriguing a joker story as Batman’s story. The interplay between the two characters who want to save Gotham is exciting and takes an interesting turn towards the end. Batman: White Knight is clearly one of the best comics of the year 2018 and gets the rating particularly worth reading from me. Every DC / Batman fan should have read this comic!

That’s it from my side. We read in the next post!

DCEASED #1 | English Review #16

The ending starts here … or something like that. Dceased is a comic event that addresses a zombie apocalypse on Earth. Of course, the series plays outside of the DC mainstream, but this does not change the fact that the comic is thematically very interesting and fits perfectly with Halloween!

Darkseid comes to Earth, but is provided by the combined power of the Justice League. To the surprise of the heroes Darkseid pulls back without much of a stir, because he has what he wants. A short time later, the League notes that the member Cyborg is missing. That hero was deported to Apokolips, Darkseid’s homeworld. With a techno-organic virus, cybord is sent back to earth and chaos takes its course. The virus transmits to the Internet and transforms humans (as well as meta-beings) into murdering beasts. While chaos erupts in Gotham, Batman shields his system, but is called by Alfred desperately keeping the infected Red Robin and Nightwing in check …

Dceased starts a bit lengthy, but from the half of the issue shows his potential and quickly enters the horror after the short exposure. The cause of the „zombie apocalypse“ is more creative with the technical virus but compared to Puls (similar theme but different implementation and a different genre) comes the danger from the inside of the hero, albeit rather involuntarily.

Visually, the comic pleases very well and thanks to the use of dark shades, the settlement in the horror genre is implemented extremely coherent. The scenes on Apokolips seem eerie but also very atmospheric thanks to dark red tones. In the finale of the issue, you’ll see a Batman struggling with the first spurs of disaster at his estate, and the cliffhanger at the end is just as shocking as it is nasty.

In summary, the first issue of Dceased is a solid entry that tells a simple premise and provides a strong visual staging. For fans of DC comics, zombie scenarios and / or horror comics Dceased is made for you. I forgive the rating worth reading!

That’s it from my side. We read in the next post!

A look at Old Man’s Journey | Mind Game #4

Austria is not known to develop video games (not anymore), at least not in Europe. In 2017, however, a small indie developer released the Adventure Old Man’s Journey and I look at it today. So a heartfelt welcome to the first post of Ein Blick auf … in which I imagine a video game per feature, that can hardly be processed in a classic review or only with great difficulty!

The title is program, because in Old Man’s Journey you drive an old man who goes on a journey after he has received a letter. On his adventurous journey, the man roams the most diverse areas. The game is completely without text but manages to convey many emotions thanks to strong images and to tell a story as simple as it is sensitive.

During the journey, the player will be able to see memories of the old man, in the form of beautiful images that tell of his long life full of ups and downs, joy and sorrow, loss and reconciliation.

These four screen shots, in my opinion, best convey the beautiful art style of Old Man’s Journey, with which it does not need to hide from big productions. Especially the memory of his great love during a trip to the north has touched me deeply, but in general the memory, together with the emotional ending, is a feast for fans of bitter-sweet stories.

Narration is very important to Old Man’s Journey, and every aspect of the game takes this aspect for granted. You notice this with the simple gameplay and the wonderful soundtrack, which wonderfully underlays the individual scenes without ever dominating.

A picture says more than 1000 words and Old Man’s Journey follows this creed. Fans of bitter-sweet stories will be just as enthusiastic as fans of artistically demanding video games. For one to two hours you can have a lot of fun with this game and will be rewarded in the end with a sad as well as beautiful finale.

That’s it from my side. We read in the next post!