The first ever Manchester Animation Festival (MAF for short) starts today! It takes place at HOME in Manchester and will last from today (17th Nov) and until the end of Thursday (19th Nov).
There are lots of exciting events - workshops, Q&As, screenings, and panels - on over the three days, so come and check it out! There's a full diary of all the events on the website with tickets still available to purchase for most events online or in person, ranging from £5 to £12.
Today is Wednesday and comic book fans will know what that means: New Comic Book Day! New comic books are released every Wednesday, and starting today I will be writing a new comic book article every Wednesday.
This week I headed into my local comic book shop to pick up some new comics - Travelling Man in Manchester, I highly recommend popping in if you're in the area. Check out spoiler-free reviews of my picks of the day below.
If you're thinking of getting stuck into some Marvel books, now's the time to jump in as the publisher is just coming out of a reboot which means a lot of number ones are popping up. Number ones are always the start of a new story or series, ideal for jumping in!
All-New Wolverine #1 (Marvel)
The Wolverine is dead! Long live the Wolverine! That's right - if you haven't been keeping up with the Marvel universe, the news is that Logan - the original Wolverine - is dead. That transpired in the 2014 comic 'Death of Wolverine', but there's no need to read that comic first - I certainly haven't! The new Wolverine is Laura Kinney, a.k.a. X-23, a.k.a. Logan's younger female clone (long story, you don't need to know it, all you need to know is that she's like a daughter to Logan).
The story dives straight into the action with Wolverine on a mission and a story that's already got me intrigued. I love the Laura Kinney character and the 2010-2012 'X-23' series remains one of my favourite comics (check it out if you have time, but it's not necessary reading for 'All-New Wolverine'), so I'm pleased to see the character get her own solo series again and be treated so right. Self-discovery, a sense of identity, and the fight against your worst instincts are common themes with Laura, and the writer Tom Taylor is keeping them going.
Finally, it would be wrong not to mention the gorgeous artwork of David Lopez and David Navarrot. The facial acting of the characters is superb and I love how distinctive and recognisable each character looks, and I love how Laura looks especially - powerful and confident, and not at all sexualised. Just look at that full body shot! Jump on this train now, true believers, you're in for one hell of a ride.
Rating: 9.2/10
Ultimates #1 (Marvel)
The ultimate team to solve the ultimate problems! Two things immediately grabbed me about this series: the art and the characters. The art is by Kenneth Rocafort with colours by Dan Brown and it is, simply put, stunning. Rocafort and Brown give a stunning sense of physicality and depth to the book - I feel like I could reach in and swirl my hands about the cosmic dust clouds or feel Blue Marvel's chiseled face. Which brings me to the characters.
The Ultimates are a team of some of Marvel's heaviest heavy-hitters. Literally the smartest and most powerful heroes Marvel has to offer: Black Panther, Spectrum, Blue Marvel, Ms America, and Captain Marvel. Don't worry if you've never heard of some or any of them, this book does some of the best and quickest team-member-introductions I have ever seen. Three fifths of the team is female. Four fifths of the team is non-white. Literally the smartest and most powerful heroes Marvel has to offer. This makes me very happy.
Al Ewing has proven himself a terrific writer and this series has me pumped. Brilliant and diverse characters using their brains as well as their muscles to solve problems which does not always but still sometimes involves punching things? Sign me up. Sign yourself up. I am so excited for this book.
Rating: 9.8/10
Spider-Gwen #1 and #2 (Marvel)
Spider-Gwen, Spider-Gwen, does whatever Gwen Stacy can! 'Spider-Gwen' takes place in an alternate universe so it's really easy to read and not worry about having to read other comics. 'Spider-Gwen' takes place in an alternate universe where Gwen Stacy got bit by a radioactive spider, not Peter Parker, and became Spider-Woman. 'Spider-Gwen' features some of the best costume and character design you'll see in comics today - I'll post pictures of my Spider-Gwen hoody some day soon.
'Spider-Gwen' relaunches with a brand new #1 and Jason Latour and Robbi Rodriguez continue to kill it on the break out hit. The story ramps up and we're introduced to the Captain America of Spider-Gwen's universe - and she kicks ass! #2 reveals this Captain America's origins and, without giving it away, it really fits in with the spirit of Spider-Gwen's reality. I never got round to reading the first volume of 'Spider-Gwen', but I never felt alienated for it when reading these two issues. If you're unsure about whether or not to jump in, do it! The water's fine.
Rating: 7.6/10
The Wicked + The Divine #16 (Image)
"You were always best at the game." 'The Wicked + The Divine' (WicDiv for short) is probably my favourite comic book at the moment, and soon it will be yours too! If you're not familiar with the premise: "Every ninety years twelve gods return as young people. They are loved. They are hated. In two years, they are all dead. It's happening now. It's happening again." Think big metaphors about life and death, creators and gods. Think Game of Thrones with Kanye West, Kate Bush, and Daft Punk facsimiles.
Feel like checking out the book? I highly recommend you do. Volume 1 collects issues 1-5 and volume 2 collects issues 6-11. Volume 3 will eventually collect issues 12-17. Pick up physical issues at your local comics book shop, or grab them digitally at Comixology.
If you are familiar with the premise and you've been following the series until now: writer Kieron Gillen wrote earlier today "I suspect the issue will not be quite what people expected." This issue was not quite what I expected. There's a lot of teen angst - goth angst in particular - of which folk who know me will know I am a BIG fan. This issue was a bit more melancholic, a bit more raw and biographical than I expected. Guest artist Leila Del Duca is great fit for the flashbacks. The tone of the writing meant it took me a little longer to process it than usual. It was different. It was good. I have a lot to say about this book. Annotations are all the rage with books like this, WicDiv especially, so I expect I will start doing annotations of WicDiv soon.
Rating: 8.0/10
Remember, remember, the fifth of November
Gunpowder, treason, and... comic book plot?
Tonight is bonfire night, and whether you want a light read before heading out to the celebrations, a heavier read as you stay in for the night, or something to try the day after before the autumnal mood leaves you, Hello, Robots! has you covered. Curl up with this selection of our favourites:
5. Pete Wisdom (Marvel)
Imagine if James Bond was: a) from Essex and b) a mutant with the power to create energy knives, and you have Pete Wisdom. I have a particular soft spot for the British super spy and reluctant bureaucrat: he enjoys blowing stuff up just like Guy Fawkes - I never said the bonfire night connections weren't going to be tenuous - and is a great in to British politics, at least in the Marvel universe.
What to read:Captain Britain and MI:13, written by Paul Cornell with art by Leonard Kirk. The definitive British Marvel comic book, there arethreevolumes to pick up. There's a lovely firework display (of sorts) towards the end of volume 3, too.
What else to read: Pete Wisdom turns up in a bunch of comics: the original Pryde & Wisdom miniseries featuring Kitty Pryde, and the most recent Gambit and X-Men Legacy series. Once you've read Captain Britain & MI:13, check out Pete's own miniseries Wisdom. It takes place before Captain Britain & MI:13, but it's not as strong.
4. Luci (The Wicked + The Divine)
For the uninitiated, The Wicked + The Divine is a comic about gods as pop stars and pop stars as gods. Luci - short for Lucifer - is one of the aforementioned gods and a heavily Bowie-inspired pop star, and she has a couple things in common with Guy Fawkes. Like Guy, Luci has some capital-T Thoughts about religion and a penchant for blowing stuff up, although Luci tends to opt for heads over parliament buildings. If you're not reading The Wicked + The Divine yet, now's the time to start.
What to read:The Wicked + The Divine, written by Kieron Gillen with art by Jamie McKelvie and Matt Wilson. Volume 1 collects issues 1-5, volume 2 collects issues 6-11. Issue 15 is out right now in all good comic book shops, or pick up any issue you fancy digitally at Comixology.
What else to read: Luci hasn't appeared in any other media, unless you count a sort of cameo in Image Comics stable-mate Sex Criminals. The Wicked + The Divine is set to be adapted into a TV series, however, so keep an eye out for that. If you want more by the same team, try Phonogram.
3. Citizen Jack (Citizen Jack)
Prefer your Bonfire Night shenanigans more focused on the politics than the explosions? Check out the brand new Citizen Jack for a look at American politics. Jack's running for President, and like most candidates he has a few skeletons in his closet - like that devil he worships! The brand new ongoing series is written by Sam Humphries, a favourite writer of mine, so I know we're in safe hands. And the first issue dropped only yesterday, so there's no catching up to do!
What to read:Citizen Jack! Pop into your local comic book store or buy digitally.
What else to read: Check out more of Sam Humphries's work: the infamous Our Love Is Real made Sam's name, and Sacrifice is a comic about time travel, Aztecs and Joy Division.
2. Jubilee (Marvel)
Jubilation Lee, one of my favourite characters in the Marvel universe! You might recognise the mall rat mutant from the 90s X-Men cartoon, where she became my instant fashion icon. Jubilee's mutant power was to "release plasmoids" and "detonate matter on the sub-atomic level", which basically amounted to fireworks! Jubilee was a member of the X-Men for years, initially just stunning her opponents with her fireworks before learning to cause actual damage, until an event known as "M-Day" resulted in Jubilee losing her powers. After some more adventures, Jubilee returned home to the X-Men as a vampire and adopted a baby boy called Shogo. Heart-warming stuff.
What to read: The 2011 Wolverine & Jubilee is my favourite Jubilee text, and you don't need to know anything going in to get the most out of it. It's set post-M-Day so you get minimal fireworks, but included in the back is Jubilee's 1989 debut issue which is a really enjoyable read.
What else to read: Check out Curse of the Mutants to find out how Jubilee became a vampire, or X-23 to see Jubilee as a supporting character being a vampire and making friends with Wolverine's female clone (it's complicated). Read the 2013 X-Men series and the Battle of the Atom crossover to see vamp Jubilee as a full member of the X-Men and a new parent. Heck, go back and watch the 90s X-Men cartoon on Netflix.
1. V (V for Vendetta)
Honestly, was it ever going to be anyone other than V? He's wearing a Guy Fawkes mask and is using fireworks a-plenty to take down corruption in a dystopian British government. His mask has become synonymous with civil disobedience. If you haven't read Alan Moore's 1988 masterpiece, tonight's the night to start fixing that. It can be a bit heavy - hey, it's like serious politics and philosphy stuff, it should be heavy - but it's damn fascinating and an absolute must-read.
What to read:V for Vendetta. Written by Alan Moore. Art by David Lloyd. That's it. Just read it.
What else to read: You want more Moore? Read the similarly politically-charged Watchmen and my favourite Moore outing The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Then watch the V for Vendetta film, but give the Watchmen and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen films a miss.
There we have it: that's what I'm going to be reading this bonfire night. What about you? Did I leave anyone out? Let me know in the comments below what your favourite bonfire night read is.
Plot development and character development abound in the latest episode of Steven Universe. When it rains, it pours. Spoiler warning: don't read ahead if you don't want 'When It Rains' spoiled for you.
Let's get this out of the way: CUTE MOMENTS. This week's superb CUTE MOMENTS include (but is not limited to) Garnet's declaration of love (OH MY GOD SO CUTE), Peridot's fear of thunder and rain, and Steven and Peridot's hand-holding.
Steven and Peridot's relationship continues to build in what is unusually a more-or-less direct continuation of last week's episode, 'Catch and Release'. Steven is so unbelievably sweet and patient and encouraging with Peridot, it just makes me happy to know that there is such a positive role model on the kids' television.
Let's take a minute here to appreciate the use of composition and space in Steven Universe. Steven Universe is not afraid to have big open spaces framing the characters off-centre, observing the compositionary rule of thirds. It creates some really stunningly beautiful images. And then it does this stuff to show and build and develop character relationships. When Steven and Peridot were enemies, they take up the full screen, they face one another, there's a difference in there sizes and stances. Now, they stand at the same height, close to one another, facing the same direction, sharing only a section of the screen, the rest giving way to the environment around them. They're closer as characters. Their relationship to one another is different and their relationship to their environment is different.
As mentioned, there's a lot of plot development in this episode. We find out what the cluster is - turns out my guess last week was correct, albeit I said hundreds when it turns out to be MILLIONS - and learn more about the fusion experiments. Peridot begins working with the Crytal Gems too, which I LOVE. I am a sucker for foes becoming friends, a trope which is a major contributor to my love for Power Rangers and Digimon and Buffy. Whether Peridot will truly become a friend remains to be seen, but considering how the last couple episodes have built up Steven and Peridot's relationship I would expect the Gems to give Peridot at chance to redeem herself, much as Lapis did.
'When It Rains' gets a huge thumbs up from me. Like I said, I'm a sucker for villain redemption arcs and together with 'Catch and Release', this episode has some really tight, beautiful character moments. The action scene towards the end feels a little off - both in terms of tone following the rest of the episode and production value - but it's perhaps a necessary consequence of such short episode lengths and doesn't reduce the quality of the episode for me.
It's that time of the year again when the house is filled with the pitter-patter of comic book-inspired television. Already I'm being kept up at night by superhero programming crying out to be burped and changed and streamed.
It's been tricky keeping up with comic book television over the past couple weeks and with upcoming premieres, so we're undergoing a little bit of a change of how we cover these shows. Welcome to the first installment of a new weekly column rounding up spoiler-free reviews of each week's comic book television, replacing our full-length reviews. The eagle-eyed amongst you will notice that the premiere installment is arriving on a Monday, but future round-ups will be arriving every Friday here on Hello, Robots!
Gotham
Gotham was lucky enough to be the first, last, and only comic book-inspired TV programme to be treated to a full-length review before we retired the format, for its season two premiere, 'Damned If You Do'. Episode two is titled 'Knock, Knock'.
The Maniax! I love me a team-up, especially a supervillain team-up. This episode we see the Maniax working together (mostly) to cause trouble for Gotham, and so I thought this would be a good opportunity to run through its members: Jerome Valeska is obviously our Joker analogue, and Cameron Monaghan delivers a fantastic performance as the would-be clown prince of crime that shines much as Robin Lord Taylor's season one performance as The Penguin did. Barbara Kean is Jim Gordon's old flame, based on the comic book character of the same name who is mother to Barbara Gordon Jr (a.k.a. Batgirl) and James Gordon Jr (they're not very creative with names) and never became criminally insane, to my knowledge. Aaron Helzinger is based on Batman bad guy Amygdala, whose removed amygdala grants him super strength and super rage. Robert Greenwood and Arnold Dobkins round out our five, but neither are based on existing DC characters. The team itself is also an original creation, as is the team's benefactor Theo Galavan, although some reckon his true identity is yet to be revealed (myself included). His sister is loosely based on supervillain Tigress, whilst the would-be sixth member of the Maniax seen last episode was Richard Sionis, based on Black Mask, a.k.a. Roman Sionis.
I feel warmer about this episode than I did the last - the scenes with the Maniax were pretty exciting and Jerome in particular is a delight to watch. I continue to find Jim Gordon's and Bruce Wayne's scenes the least interesting, however, but I found the latter redeemed by the return of Lucius Fox and the exchange between Fox and Alfred. And after his limited appearance in the season premiere, it was surprising not to see the Penguin in this episode, especially considering what a fan favourite of season one he was.
Rating: 7/10
'Knock, Knock' was broadcast in the US on Monday 28th September. Episode three, 'The Last Laugh', will be broadcast in the US on Monday 5th October. Season two of Gotham will not be arriving in the UK until 2016.
Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
And Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is back! It's no secret that I am a HUGE Marvel fan, so it should come as no surprise that I love Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., even if it is a pain to type. It got off to a wobbly start in season one but quickly found its feet, and I'm pleased to report that the season three premiere 'Laws of Nature' has me really excited about the new season.
Three important new characters are introduced in this episode: the new inhuman Joey Gutierrez and ATCU Director Rosalind Price are both original creations as far as I can tell, but the inhuman bad guy is existing comic book character Lash. His general goals in the comic books have been to recruit strong new inhumans and wipe out those he feels don't deserve to have undergone terrigenesis (the thing that gives them powers). Lash's appearance is impressively spot-on for his comic book counterpart in this episode, and his powers seem roughly similar too - he can absorb and convert energy into different types of energy. Comic book writer Charles Soule described his powers thus: "Let's say someone's running at him — that's kinetic energy. Lash can change all of that into heat — and whoosh! — the other guy goes up in flames." Visually, Lash is a very strong villain, but he's not quite BIG bad material, so it's pretty likely that somebody else is pulling the strings.
Daisy (Daisy! Skye is officially now Daisy Johnson!) using her powers and really taking charge as a fully fledged agent was great. I'm not fully sold on Joey yet, but I am thrilled to see the introduction of a Latino AND gay character. Yay representation! ATCU gets set up as 'the new S.H.I.E.L.D.' and wisely decide not to feature any periods in their initialism name, and I really enjoyed Phil's altercation with ATCU's leader Rosalind. A lot is set up in this episode, but it never looses momentum and does a good job of keeping the action up throughout.
The standout action for me was with Fitz. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. isn't afraid to blur the line between the smart/support characters and the action/physical characters, and whilst there's been similar moments for Fitz in the past two seasons, this is a standout moment of badass for the fan favourite. Which only serves to underline the heartbreak to come.
Rating: 8/10
'Laws of Nature' was broadcast in the US on Tuesday 29th September. Episode two, 'Purpose in the Machine', will be broadcast in the US on Tuesday 6th October. There is no UK air date yet for season three of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., but it is expected to arrive this autumn.
Heroes Reborn
The premiere of Heroes Reborn with episodes one and two back-to-back unfortunately passed us by here at Hello Robots towers, partly due to the difficulty of keeping tabs on US air dates from here in the UK, but we're all caught up now and ready to bring you our thoughts.
If you're not familiar with Heroes, here's the rundown. First off, I love Heroes. Second off, Heroes is not based on a comic book. It does, however, draw heavily on comic book tropes, none more so than in season one which featured art by actual comic book artist Tim Sale. Season one was hugely celebrated. It was full of mystery and excitement and great visual effects depicting the really cool powers of the really interesting characters. Seasons two to four continued the story, but the storyline got increasingly complicated and retconned and the show got decreasingly interesting and exciting. We lost a lot of mystery and gained too many characters. This is generally universally acknowledged and I love Heroes in spite of much of the last couple of seasons. Don't get me wrong, there was still a bunch to like, but it certainly lost its magic.
Now, five years since Heroes ended, it's back with Heroes Reborn. It promised to bring back the mystery that everybody loved about season one, to take away the confusion and get back to great characters and cool powers. I was pretty excited, to say the least.
So did Heroes Reborn achieve it? Ehh, kind of.
The start is promising, but it's difficult to get away from the lore in a universe so steeped in it. Everytime an old character or story-thing appeared or was referenced - which was a lot more frequently than I expected - I was simultaneously excited to see something I recognised and jarred by their total lack of introduction. Wait a minute, where is that character? What was she doing? How did we leave him? These are synapses I haven't stretched for five years, and I actually find myself hoping this is only a problem for returning fans of the show and not new viewers. Heroes Reborn just struggles to get away from the confusion Heroes was rife with, and without a single compelling threat or mystery uniting the different storylines it's just difficult to get away with.
There are some fun moments; I like Tommy's teen romance storyline and I was pleased to see the grown-up Molly Walker to have undergone some real character changes since we last saw her. The depiction of the computer game environment in Miko's scenes is just plain embarassing, however.
Rating: 5/10
Episodes one and two, 'Brave New World' and 'Odessa', were broadcast in the US on Thursday 24th September. Episode three, 'Under the Mask', was broadcast in the US on Thursday 1st October. Episode four, 'The Needs of the Many', will be broadcast in the US on Thursday 8th October. Heroes Reborn has not yet been picked up for broadcast in UK.
Other News
Coming up this week is the return of three more comic book-inspired television programmes starting with the return of iZombie, the detective show/loose adaptation of the Vertigo comic book by the same name, entering its second season on Tuesday 6th. Unfortunately, iZombie's first season is yet to be picked up for broadcast in the UK, never mind its second season.
Also on Tuesday 6th, we have the US season two premiere of The Flash, followed by the US season four premiere of Arrow on Wednesday 7th. Both shows based on DC comics characters and set in the same universe will be broadcast in the UK the following week on Sky One.
Further off in the distance, Supergirl premieres in the US on 26th October but has yet to be picked up for broadcast in the UK. Marvel's Jessica Jones will be released on Netflix internationally on 20th November, but in the meantime two new teaser trailers were released last week:
Got any tips or recommendations of anymore television we should be watching? Let us know in the comments below, or let us know what you think of any of the TV programmes we discussed today.
Tickets and passes for Manchester Animation Festival became on sale today. MAF will be filled with guest speakers, workshops, masterclasses, retrospectives, panel discussions, and feature screenings over the 17th, 18th, and 19th November at HOME Manchester.
Tickets for individual screenings and events range from £6 to £12, day passes are £40, whilst passes for the full festival are £85. Concessions on the ticket prices are available for students, people aged 60+, those with a registered disability, and those who are registered unemployed or claiming Jobseekers Allowance.
A new Doctor Who spin-off by the BBC has been announced. The spin-off will be aimed at teenagers and will be written by young adult fiction author Patrick Ness, pictured below.
The series, titled 'Class', will be set in a school in modern London but be filmed in and around Cardiff like Doctor Who itself. Class will consist of eight 45-minute episodes and will air on BBC Three in 2016.
I'm astounded and thrilled to be entering the Doctor Who universe, which is as vast as time and space itself. There's so much room there for all kinds of amazing stories and to work with [Doctor Who writer] Steven Moffat and [producer] Brian Minchin to find a place to tell one of my own has been an absolute joy. I can't wait for people to meet the heroes of Class, to meet the all-new villains and aliens, to remember that the horrors of the darkest corners of existence are just about on par with having to pass your A-levels.
Previous Doctor Who spin-offs include Torchwood, aimed at adult audiences and The Sarah Jane Adventures, aimed at younger audiences. Doctor Who Confidential and Torchwood Declassified were behind-the-scenes spin-offs that were also broadcast on BBC Three. Class will be the first spin-off aimed at teenage audiences, as well as the first new spin-off of the Moffat-era of Doctor Who.
What are you hoping to see in Class? It's pretty likely that the Doctor himself will turn up at some point, as he did in The Sarah Jane Adventures. I'm hoping to see the premise for Class set up in Doctor Who itself. Being set in a London school, it seems quite possible that the series could feature Coal Hill School, which the Doctor's granddaughter Susan attended and where Clara Oswald teaches. Jenna Coleman departs Doctor Who at the end of the current series - could it be becuase Clara Oswald wants to focus on a teaching career, leading into Class?
Finally, what do you think of the title Class? I'm not totally convinced by it, but I may warm up to it yet. Class doesn't air until 2016 so we may see a title change yet. Discuss it in the comments below and we'll get a conversation started!
A new trailer for Marvel's Jessica Jones dropped yesterday. In the brand new teaser trailer, we catch a glimpse of Krysten Ritter as the titular superhero post-bar brawl.
In the comics, Jessica Jones is a former superhero with super strength, durability, and the ability to fly. It's still unclear exactly how much of the character will translate to screen, but from the way she taps the jukebox, I'm willing to bet she retains her super strength.
The entire series will drop on Netflix on 20th November. In the meantime, you can watch the previous teaser trailer and learn more about the Marvel's Jessica Joneshere and catch up on Marvel's Daredevil on Netflix here.
Another week, another new episode of the always excellent Steven Universe. And what an episode! It appears we're on the forward march with plot in this week's episode 'Catch and Release'. Spoiler warning: don't read ahead if you don't want 'Catch and Release' spoiled for you.
First of all: PERIDOT. I love Peridot. She is such a useless, dorky child, and this episode is Peridot at her best. I mean, she is a threat and pretty skilled at what she does, but she is also a petulant, tantrum-throwning child and I LOVE IT. She's seriously funny, and in this episode, I suppose we discover WHY she's such a child.
There a lot of visual parallels are drawn between Steven and Peridot in this episode that I think are worth pointing out. We see them both in forms a little different to how we usually see them (Steven's pyjamas vs. Peridots's smol), which facilitates the pair having a similar size and proportions, and they're drawn in similar poses throughout (hugging their legs, hugging Peridot's foot enhancer, etc.). All of this serves to highlight their character similarities - immaturity, goofiness - as well as their relationship. Steven is the only Crystal Gem not to immediately attack Peridot and to instead try and understand her - I'm reminded of Steven's relationship with the Centipeetle in the episode 'Monster Buddies'.
Peridot's "pebble" insult directed at Steven is brilliant, and I hope it's a standard homeworld put-down. Peridot's "filthy war machine" insult directed at Garnet is less brilliant however and serves to remind us of homeworld gems' attitudes towards fusions. Peridot may be very funny this episode (the fascination with the bathroom mirror and other fixtures, for example), but don't forget she's done a lot of terrible things. But there's also evidence that terrible things might have been done to her - the neccessity for "limb enhancers" might suggest some prejudice she faced on homeworld, and Peridot's fear that anything in the bathroom might be a weapon may be the result abuse she's faced from Jasper, Yellow Diamond, or other homeworld gems, besides her frequent battles with the Crystal Gems.
Besides Steven and Peridot, there are great character moments for all the Crystal Gems this episode. Pearl's bit about tying Peridot outside on a leash is a great funny moment, and Amethyst is just fantastic throughout this episode - "duuh, home girl knows we're gonna beat her into a green pancake". Garnet is MERCILESS in poofing Peridot in a display of Garnet-typical stoicness and ferocity. This is the first time we see the Crystal Gems poof and imprison a non-corrupted gem too, which makes me a little uneasy knowing they're sealing away a fully functional person.
AWW. You're like an angry little slice of pie.
The biggest plot advancements in 'Catch and Release' are Peridot taking up residence at the Crystal Gems' temple and the reveal of the "cluster". What is the cluster? Some peek at Peridot's larger reason for coming to Earth? Something to do with the gem mutants that Peridot's been working on that we saw only two episodes ago? My immediate guess would be some sort of giant gem mutant featuring hundreds of crystals - a "cluster" of them, if you will - hatching out of the Earth in the same way that gems were made from the ground at the Kindergarten.
But that's only my guess, and I'm looking forwards to seeing myself proved right or wrong in the coming episodes.
Gotham made a return to US television screens on Monday with the premiere of season two. Season two won't be coming to UK audiences until 2016, but whilst you wait (or find alternate means of online streaming) fans can find our spoiler-free reviews of Gotham every Tuesday from now going forwards here at Hello, Robots!
Haven't seen season one yet? You can find it on Netflix UK, where it's well worth a watch for its excellent character work (Robin Lord Taylor's Oswald Cobblepot/the Penguin is a particular delight to watch develop), machiavellian schemes, and masterful manipulation as we follow characters through the grimy underworld of Gotham.
Episode one of season two is 'Damned If You Do' and mostly serves as setting up the new status quo for Gotham.
In fact, one early scene does a pretty good job of doing that by itself: James Gordon and Dr Leslie Thompkins are in a relationship (as are their real-life actors Ben McKenzie and Morena Baccarin, AND having a baby); Harvey Bullock is no longer a cop and working as a bartender; the Penguin has taken control of the Falcone crime family; and Barbara Kean has been sent to Arkham Asylum and is mingling with the other inmates, including Jerome. This is a scene to really look out for, with Lou Reed's 'Perfect Day' doing an excellent job of setting the mood and reminding us of the recurring "brand new day in Gotham" line. It really speaks to something in Barbara's psyche too, in my opinion - melancholic, nostalgic, bright and happy on the outside with a touch of sadness inside.
Speaking of Barbara, it's a delight to see her let loose the wild and manipulative side of her that we only saw briefly in season one. Jerome, Gotham's Joker analogue (is he Joker? Will he become Joker? He fills the role brilliantly but I actually hope it's a question Gotham never answers), is similarly likable, as likable as a manipulative, loud-mouthed killer can be.
The central plot asks what is Jim Gordon prepared to do to be a police detective, which may have some interesting repercussions down the line. There's also a side-plot with Bruce and Alfred attempting to get into Thomas Wayne's secret basement - the Bat-cave the duo discovered in the season one finale. I can't help but feel that this episode suffers from the same problem I had with a lot of the first season, however: that Jim and Bruce are mostly boring characters.
I'm much more interested in what The Penguin (who isn't in this episode very much besides to service Jim's plot) or any other villain character is doing - indeed, the Penguin is possibly the most popular character in the show. I even enjoyed the freak-of-the-week "Zaardon the Soul Reaper" (an original character with no basis in the comics, in case you were wondering), not least of all because he looks a lot like Danny Devito as the Penguin. I suppose that's rather fitting in this series, being subtitled "Rise of the Villains" after all.
As an opening episode, 'Damned If You Do' is perhaps expectedly tame, largely serving to welcome viewers back and set up the status quo. Further judgement is going to have to be withheld until we see more of the series, but I'm very hopeful for this "Rise of the Villains" arc. Villains, or at least morally grey characters have always been Gotham's strong suit, and with the show's new focus on continuing storylines rather than the freak-of-the-week formula, we should see some really excellent storylines spinning out of Gotham.
The first ever Manchester Animation Festival (MAF) is fast approaching and today MAF's full website launched.
Taking place on the 17th, 18th, and 19th of November and hosted at HOME in Manchester, the festival is set to attract an international community of animators and animation enthusiasts. Tickets go on sale on the 2nd of October, so there's plenty of time to prepare if you're interested in attending the event set to feature screenings, workshops, panels and more.
Among today's news was the reveal of the beautiful MAF Awards design sculpted by Mackinnon and Saunders, a Manchester-based animation company that has previously worked on films such as Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride and Frankenweenie and Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr Fox. The design features a steampunk bee, combining the industrial imagery associated with Manchester and Manchester's history with creative industries.
There was also a call for volunteers to help see the festival run smoothly. If you're interested, it's sure to be a fantastic experience so be sure to apply on the website before the 2nd of October.
Woo! After nearly a month of no Star vs The Forces of Evil, we got it back last week, and then a
week after that we get the season finale?
Could things be
any more exciting right now?
(Spoilers)
Well, being that this is Star,
we were more or less promised two things: weird, and wild. Did it deliver? Ohhh
yes.
The premise of the episode is fairly simple: Now that
someone competent is in charge of the
monsters, Marco is kidnapped, and Star will do anything to save him – even
sacrifice the wand.
I can’t really give much more of a description than that –
it’s a brilliant episode that can be succinctly summarized, and that’s part of
its charm. It doesn’t try to surprise
us with the unexpected, it just takes a simple story and executes it
beautifully. The animation throughout
the episode is utterly gorgeous, the dialogue is spot-on, and we’re left with a
ton of questions ready for season 2. And of course, we get to see just how
close Marco and Star have come over the course of the series – she sacrifices
her wand for him, people!
And really, there’s not much more I have to say about that,
people. It’s a great season 1 finale for a great show, and my one regret is
that we have to wait until next year for season 2.
Upgrade . . .
Pros
Double length episode!
With Toffee in charge, the monsters seem like a much more credible threat
Regenerated wand
Enough unanswered questions to get me excited for season 2
Cons
The long, long wait for season 2
9.5/10
Another fortnight, another episode of Gravity Falls for our perusal! Am I happy about that, I hear you
ask? Well, let me answer your question with another question:
Does a manotaur shit in the woods?
(Seriously, does anyone know? I mean, they don’t seem like
the types to be fussed over indoor plumbing . . .)
For those of you who might not have gathered yet from my
previous reviews, I love Gravity Falls.
It’s one of the best shows I’ve seen in a long time, a bizarre blend of Twin Peaks and Scooby-Doo. I love the humour, I love the characters, and I love
the mysteries that surround that insane little town. And, as a result of that
love, I hold a lot of expectations for the show – I can’t help that.
So, if you’re looking for a review that sings this episode’s
praises, I’d suggest looking elsewhere. ‘Roadside Attraction’ has its charming
moments, but they’re few and far between.
Stan takes the kids (along with Candy and Grenda) on a road
trip around Oregon, intending to vandalise every other tourist trap in the
state along the way. Meanwhile, Dipper is still
not over his crush on Wendy, and Stan gives him some flirting advice – and well,
you can imagine how well that goes.
It’s an interesting enough concept for an episode, but the
execution felt more than a little flawed; after all the build-up we’ve had to
Stanford’s introduction, and the threat of Bill Cipher in the previous episode,
the mundane (‘continuity-free’ as Alex Hirsch calls it on Twitter) nature of ‘Roadside
Attraction’ feels out of place, with pretty much no links to anything that’s
happened in previous episodes.
That said, we got some great Stan moments, and any episode
that has Mabel, Grenda and Candy in one plays is guaranteed to have some
laughs. Overall, not a bad episode, but definitely not one of the best.
Pros
Nice to see Stan after last episode's near-absence
The golden trio, together once more!
Cons
None of the mystery element that makes Gravity Falls such a great show
