Here is one such animated film. I’ve chosen this one because, every one shares animation films from Japan mostly but, there’s a lot of people who never guessed that quality films, comic books and graphic novels have come from Europe. For example Metal Hurlant, Black Sad, hell even Mysterious Cities of Gold, The Incal, Metabarons and more.

Directed by Pascal Morelli, Morto Cortese in Siberia is one of the better animated films if not the best of the bunch. With crisp animations and near R-rated action and mature themes, it grips you into it’s intrigue and drama.

With this book Hugo Pratt leaves behind the short story form he’d used for 21 interrelated tales and presents a truly epic graphic novel. In the aftermath of the Russian Revolution and the First World War, Corto Maltese is engaged by the Red Lanterns—a Chinese secret society made up entirely of women—to find an armored train laden with gold that belonged to the last Russian Tsar, Nicholas II. They aren’t the only ones lusting after the treasure. The adventure, which shifts from the hidden courts of Venice to the mysterious alleys of Hong Kong, from Shanghai to Manchuria and Mongolia to Siberia, also attracts regular and irregular armies, as well as revolutionaries and counter-revolutionaries.
– https://www.idwpublishing.com/product/corto-maltese-siberia

A running time of 92 minutes is long enough for this energetic and lush adventure. My favorites scene has to be the scene on the ship when Corto and his friend Rasputin (who resembles but has not relation to the actual Rasputin) are confronted by assassins. The story takes you globe trotting as they both trek in search of lost gold and glory. I’m recommending this to any and all fans of the Adventures of TIN TIN.
Below is the full playlist for Corto Maltese in Siberia.

Keep yourself safe out there and talk hard. But above all keep your finger on that rewind button.

Playlist Link:

Expect either a review of the first issue or the whole 12 issue arc here at New Retro Wave.

BLADE RUNNER 2019 #1 (MR)
(W) Michael Green, Mike Johnson (A) Andres Guinaldo (CA) Artgerm
In the neo-noir city of Los Angeles, 2019, Ash, a veteran Blade Runner, is grappling with a new case: a billionaire’s wife and child, apparently kidnapped by Replicants for dark purposes… An all-new ongoing comic series from the pen of Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Michael Green (Blade Runner 2049, Logan, American Gods), with longtime co-writer Mike Johnson (Batman/Superman, Supergirl, Star Trek), illustrated by Andres Guinaldo (Justice League Dark, Captain America). The first comic to tell original, in-canon stories set in the Blade Runner universe! In Shops: Jul 17, 2019 SRP: $3.99

10. Big Trouble in Little China: Old Man Jack (BOOM! Studios)

While the story of the second and final arc of Big Trouble in Little China: Old Man Jack was underwhelming, the artwork on display throughout the BOOM! Studios series makes it an easy start to our list of the 10 best retro-themed comics of 2018. Series artist Jorge Corona translates Carpenter’s Jack Burton perfectly into visual storytelling and the hero’s luck-based bumbling is always bristling with a striking amount of kinetic energy.

9. Doomsday Clock (DC Comics)

It’s 2018 and there is an honest-to-goodness Watchmen sequel. DC Comics veteran Geoff Johns delivers in what is largely a thankless task. Following up arguably the greatest comic of all time written by debatably the greatest comic writer is, to put it lightly, difficult. While not as cerebral as its predecessor, Doomsday Clock delivers as a page-turning superhero thriller. This has been more and more apparent as the series has progressed, with issue #8 out of 12 dropping just a few weeks ago. There’s no doubt that this will end with a sense of bombast that only Geoff Johns can deliver.

8. Black Hammer (Dark Horse Comics)

If Doomsday Clock is Watchmen’s successor in a literal sense, Black Hammer is it’s successor in a thematic sense. Jeff Lemire has always been an incredibly talented writer, but until Black Hammer it was hard to say what his definitive series would be. There is no question, Black Hammer is one of the best writers today writing at his best, and the results show. With the recent string of spin-off comics in 2018, Black Hammer is poised to be publisher Dark Horse’s next Hellboy.

7. Blackbird (Image Comics)

If you’ve been to a comic shop, you’ve seen Jen Bartel’s work. If a comic has any traction or hype, it’ll usually boast a cover from Bartel at some point. While Blackbird, a series in which she serves as artist, is still in its infancy, it has had one of the most impressive debut issues in recent years. The world that writer Sam Humphries has created is both noir and fantasy portrayed with a sense of realism that makes everything feel immediately relatable. Couple this with Bartel’s art and this is easily the series to watch in the upcoming year.

6. Misfit City (Image Comics)

Misfit City’s first arc was solid, and we wrote about the debut issue of the Kirstin Smith-written and Naomi Franquiz-drawn series back in 2017. While that was good in its own right, the series has really found its voice in 2018 and has quickly become one to pick up. The premise is interesting enough for fans of retro media — the town is very clearly modeled after Astoria, OR, and the movie filmed in the town in the 80’s is very clearly supposed to be The Goonies. On that backdrop, though, this is one of the best stories of the year, and the back half of the series has been a rollercoaster.

5. Robocop: Citizens Arrest (BOOM! Comics)

Writer Brian Wood’s take on Robocop is a little more restrained than Frank Miller. It’s in the microcosm of the universe that he writes that his series really shines. The anti-consumerist, anti-corporate bend of the original Robocop film is more relevant in 2018 than when it was released, and Wood never lets the citizen-consumers of his dystopia off the hook. Jorge Coelho’s highly stylistic art lends itself to the feeling of unease and dread that permeates a series that ran for a tight six issues in 2018.

4. Mister Miracle (DC Comics)

Tom King built his series on the idea of ambiguity. It’s hard to build a story around an unreliable narrator without readers feeling betrayed, but King affirms his status as one of the best writers around today by sticking that landing throughout. This is no doubt assisted by Mitch Gerads incredible artwork. Gerads relentless and retro-inspired nine panel layout really nails King’s depression-laden story and makes the whole experience feel as unique as it does melancholy.

3. Robotech (Titan Comics)

I was taken aback by how good Robotech was last year when it was added to NRW’s end-of-year list in 2017. Even with those raised expectations, Titan Books’ revival of the cult 80’s show that admittedly I hadn’t heard of before this series has continued to be one of the most consistently well-written, well-drawn, and interesting books of 2018. It’s wild to think of how much is crammed into this series, from the espionage plots, to the grand war narratives, to the subtle moments of romance. All of it is given equal room to breathe.

2. Labyrinth: Coronation (BOOM! Comics)

Few people understood storytelling better than Jim Henson. With the BOOM! Studios spin-off Labyrinth: Coronation, it’s clear that writer Simon Spurrier understands the appeal that Henson’s fantastic imagination had, and exactly why it was so foundational to multiple generations of kids and teens watching Bowie sing “Dance Magic Dance”.

1. X-Men Grand Design (Marvel Comics)

The X-Men comic franchise has been, if we’re being frank, a mess in recent years. There will be moments of promise, like the Jean Grey solo series or X-Men Blue’s earlier arcs, but the House of Ideas can never settle on what it wants to do with its mutants for more than a year at a time. As a result, it’s been very stop-start. For new fans, it makes the books seem less important and confusing. For longterm fans, they feel disheartened when the series fail to meet expectations. Grand Design aims to fix that issue for both fans, and the success with which it accomplishes that is nothing short of uncanny. In some respects, Grand Design acts as cliff notes for the often convoluted superhero soap opera that is the X-Men. While those old X-Men comics are worth reading in their own right, it is a huge undertaking to do so. Grand Design has you covered, but for returning fans, it acts as a love letter to a series and a mythos that rivals that of Superman and Batman. The X-Men have always been extremely important to me, and were my gateway into this kind of storytelling. It’s glorious to see what this series is doing for it.

Wytches

Wytches writer Scott Snyder may be most famous for his modern run of Batman, but before that he teamed with Stephen King to deliver the stellar American Vampire. In 2014, Snyder refined those horror credentials by making one of the most unique horror comics, and one which was visually rendered in stunning detail by artist Jock. In a horror landscape where everything seems like an imitation of something else, it’s frighteningly delightful to see an imagining of witches in a completely unique way. There are no witches like Snyder’s witches, and because of that there are few books like Wytches. What would happen to you if you were pledged to the beasts of the forest?

Clean Room

Gail Simone is one of the most consistent comic book writers when it comes to her work with mainstream superheroes. One of the things that makes Clean Room so compelling is that is manages to be so tonally different from her other work while being perhaps her strongest offering as a writer.  With the Going Clear documentary giving popularity to the subject, Simone’s scary take down of a movement that bears a resemblance to Scientology is worth a read. Jon Davis-Hunt’s art perfectly compliments Simone’s story, and brings it to vivid life.

Abbott

Saladin Ahmed cut his teeth writing critically acclaimed novels. When he recently transitioned to comics, it became apparent that he had found a medium that really worked for his emotionally-driven storytelling. Noir stories lend themselves to horror well. This story of a detective solving a series of occult-connected murders gradually expands its own story. It builds its world so well that it’s hard not to wish it was longer. Sami Kivela’s artwork is straightforward, but it’s hard to imagine this comic looking any different.  It feels very classic in its delivery, but the comic feels so fresh.

Harrow County

Though it recently ended, Harrow County was a wild ride. Writer Cullen Bunn and artist Tyler Crook have created a genuinely scary comic. Each Harrow County arc somehow manages to outdo the already high bar the previous sets. At 32 issues, or 8 collected volumes, the comic feels like a sprawling, large novel that never feels tedious. It wastes little time in grabbing readers with Bunn’s stellar storytelling.  Crook’s skill with visual storytelling make this a stunning book loaded with memorable images.

The Walking Dead Vol. 1

I know. I know. We’ve reached the point of oversaturation with The Walking Dead that it makes dabbing and fidget spinners seem hip and new. Still, it probably deserves as much credit for comics being as culturally relevant today Marvel’s films. Reading the first volume of The Walking Dead, it’s not surprising that this became such an enormous cultural moment. Robert Kirkman delivers an incredible story. The building blocks of a major pop culture reference points are obvious almost immediately.

Uzumaki

As a piece of fiction, this manga may be the single scariest work on this entire list. While most of Junji Ito’s work feels obviously a cut above the majority of horror fiction, it’s in Uzumaki that Ito crafted what will likely be remembered as his definitive work from both a narrative and visual perspective. In a way that few have ever matched, Ito makes a concept as abstract as a spiral the most haunting and horrifying sight buried within in a panel. This story of a town haunted by spirals is terrifying and memorable. We don’t want to give too much away. If you just jump in, you won’t regret it. This book will consume you.

In the Flesh

This Korem Shadmi anthology is, in a lot of ways, a collection of love stories. The short story make-up of In the Flesh allows for fast, single-sitting readings of stories. For a unifying theme, Shadmi focuses on love, or, more accurately, desire. Anybody who has ever had a crush knows that they don’t always make us feel good. Sometimes our desire for someone can be, for lack of a better word, crushing. Shadmi captures that feeling with frightening precision. That fear is exponentially increased when our desires are perverse or warped.  

From Hell

From Hell is an overlooked gem in Alan Moore’s iconic bibliography. While not as radically influential as Watchmen or his work with Superman, Moore gives the Whitechapel murders an air of conspiracy and paranoia that feels real in a way that a lot of Jack the Ripper stories struggle with. If conspiracies are our way of making sense of the senseless, Moore obviously attempted to give significance to a story that has been commodified to an extent that the horror of it is sometimes lost. Moore never lets you forget that horror. His attempt to apply sense to it is proportionate to the brutality of the crimes themselves.

Long Lost

Long Lost is one of the best and most distinct comics in recent years, and as it is continuing it’s second and final arc at the time of this writing, it’s as good a time as any to jump on board and grab the first volume — a release we anticipated earlier in the year. With Long Lost, series writer Matthew Erman has crafted a world inhabited by such believable characters and strong emotional arcs that you can imagine them reacting to situations not presented on the page. Series artist Lisa Sterle gives the comic a look that draws from a number of influences, but with the end result of being something utterly distinct. The story of two sisters and their strange odyssey to their roots is not a story you should miss.       

Beautiful Darkness

If you stop this list right now and read Beautiful Darkness without reading anything else about it, I promise you that you will not expect what this book is. It’s upsetting, weird, difficult, and utterly terrifying. We don’t want to give too much away, but just know that even if it may seem cute and whimsical in the first few pages, this French comic becomes everything but. This truly scary and truly unusual book will likely be remembered for years to come. And we suspect that the reveals it has in store will stick with readers for a long time. 

Ryan Gosling in Blade Runner 2049 in association with Columbia Pictures, domestic distribution by Warner Bros. Pictures and international distribution by Sony Pictures Releasing International.

Now news has surfaced via CBR.com that London based publishing company Titan will be co-publishing with Alcon Media a BLADE RUNNER comic book set in-canon with both Blade Runner films. That means that the drama taking place on the page will be happening in the same universe as Deckard and K.

“In partnering with the exceptional Titan Comics and Titan Books,” Kosove and Johnson said, “we’re confident that the world of Blade Runner will continue to organically grow in a way that refuses to sacrifice the quality, tone and high standards of this beloved property.”

Landau and Cheung added:

“We are extremely excited to be publishing Blade Runner comics and illustrated books. The Blade Runner universe has barely been explored; there is so much more there. It’s an honour to be bringing this world to life in new ways for a new audience — and to reveal tales from that universe that you’ve never seen before.”
– Titan’s co-founders, Nick Landau and Vivian Cheung.

That quote was from a statement made with Alcon co-founders and co-CEOs Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove. They also mentioned that the companies are set to develop a mix of Blade Runner comics, as well as a “a variety of publications focused on the visual and technical sides of the production process.”

I’m nowhere near on the moon but, my excitement is in the red. I just hope for a good team of creators to sign up for the project and deliver. It’s a good time on the horizon for people that relish in the HI-TECH, LOW LIFE aesthetic and pessimism of technology putting the polish on this turd of civilization while the concrete jungles of the world are crumbling around the sheep surrounded by hungry wolves.

Keep your head up. Keep your fingers on that rewind button.

“Image Comics has published Deadly Class on a mostly monthly basis since the first issue was released on January 22, 2014.” – Wikipedia

Producing the series are the Russo brothers who many of you know are the directors of the massive MCU blockbuster Avengers: Infinity War. Deadly Class hopes to remain faithful to it’s source material while delivering on a very demented ‘Coming of Age’ tale. The series is set during the late 1980’s and stars Benedict Wong (Doctor Strange, Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams), Benjamin Wadsworth (Teen Wolf), Lana Condor (X-Men: Apocalypse, Alita: Battle Angel), Maria Gabriela de Faria (Yo Soy Franky, Sitiados), Luke Tennie (Shock and Awe), Liam James (The Way Way Back, The Killing) and Michel Duval (Señora Acero, Queen of the South).

No premiere date has been announced, but the series will debut in 2019.

Trailer Link:

Old Man Jack #1 – 4 out of 5

The Big Trouble in Little China comics have quietly been some of the most consistently entertaining comics of the past few years, with 2016/2017’s crossover with Escape From New York being a particularly strong endeavor, as we covered multiple times. This was all on the strength of great series writers who ran with the original film as a starting point, but largely put their own spin on Jack Burton’s misadventures. With Big Trouble in Little China: Old Man Jack, things are a little different. John Carpenter is at the helm with co-writer and largely unknown comic writer Anthony Burch. For two people with little in the way of established comics writing credentials, the result is… actually pretty great. Aided by outstanding art from both Jorge Corona and colorist Gabriel Cassata, Old Man Jack shows that many of the best parts of both the original film and the expanded comic series are going to be on display here. 

The Power of the Dark Crystal #7 – 3 out of 5

There’s a weird disconnect in The Power of the Dark Crystal #7. The story has been strong from the opening issue, as we reviewed, and it still is from a zoomed out perspective. The minutia of the issue’s narrative is where things don’t hold up so strongly. There are clearly huge things happening in the back half of this story, but this issue spends a lot of its time treading water to get to them. I have little doubt that writer Simon Spurrier will make the entire arc worth the wait, but this issue sees a special comic going through the motion. What elevates this comic is ultimately its art, with artists Kelly and Nichole Matthews delivering a strong contender for best comic art of the entire year in terms of both color and individual panel art.

Bill & Ted Save The Universe #4 – 4 out of 5

One of the more consistently enjoyable aspects of Bill & Ted Save the Universe that other comic spin-offs featuring those titular characters is the way that it doesn’t hesitate to show the emotional core of its protagonists. For as goofy as the films get, they aren’t without moments of struggle or emotional joy, which gets largely ignored by many other comic adaptations — opting to focus instead on the zany antics and jokes littering the original scripts. The issue also makes sure to prepare readers for conclusion next month with dramatic tension unexpected for the source material.

Clive Barker’s Hellraiser Omnibus – 4 out of 5

Just like Old Man Jack, the return of an original creator to expand on their brainchild through the medium of comics leads to some memorable work in the form. Clive Barker’s Hellraiser Omnibus straddles the line of “great coffee table addition for horror fan” and “compelling read for franchise obsessive”. Hellraiser’s proximity with slasher’s was always a strange and unfair association. The series, and in particular Clive Barker’s original,  is less like slasher thrillers of the 80’s and more like Carpenter’s less well known and more artistic early 90’s films with more Lovecraftian themes. Barker, his various co-writers, and the rotating lineup of strong artists wear their comic influences on their sleeves, as this is undeniably in the same vein as Gaiman’s Sandman opus or early Hellblazer comics. Apart from the art and killer plotlines in this collection of twenty issues and an annual, you also get treated to some of Barker’s original artwork, which is as frightening and unsettling as you’d imagine.

If you’ve been following either the comic or the NRW reviews, you’ll know that we left off with Locke barely surviving a car crash before being apprehended by an ominous dialogue spouting figure and separated from Spencer his comfort item/panther partner. Spencer & Locke #3 utilizes the Bill Watterson-inspired cold open that the previous two issues have made standard for the series. These openings have become progressively more disconcerting as the series goes. This is partly due to the clash of the lighter art style with the narrative heaviness, but perhaps more due to the fact that the reader is becoming conditioned to see that there were no good old days for Locke, and that, perhaps, the hellish noir world in which he lives is kinder to him when his only human connection is stuffed panther. This opening shows Locke killing his mother in self-defense in an upsetting sequence. One other common thread of these flashbacks is the frequency with which they portray Locke’s pivotal moments with women. For a character that does not come off as a misogynist, and who has over the course of #2 and #3 solidified that his desire to help the few women in his life is at times his primary motivation, it is interesting that his history is littered with so much trauma surrounding women.

Anyway, on to the really fun stuff. A few reviews back, I mentioned how Spencer as an anthropomorphic detective partner panther is a natural progression of the imagination that made him the Hobbes-esque figure in Locke’s past. Locke, much like Calvin before him, incorporates several elements of pulp science fiction into his imaginative play, calling himself Rocketman Reynolds when he does. The way that Pepose reintroduces this aspect of the character into the present is nothing short of glorious. After being captured, he is subjected to a strong dose of heroin, amphetamines, and psychotropics, and if you listen very closely, you can hear Jorge Santiago Jr. and Jasen Smith cracking their knuckles. They’re about to have some fun.

The bulk of the comic rapidly cuts between Locke’s aggressively weird psychosis, the real world impact of what he’s doing, and the flashback introduced in the open. He sees the world around him as a hostile distant planet, and the people trying to attack him as monsters. As he commits more acts of violence, he’s taken back to when he killed his mother. The art team absolutely nails two splash pages in the middle of the comic, the first of which is a collage of the violence that Locke is committing and the second being a beautiful page turn to Locke’s drug addled imagining of Sophia. All of which is perfectly paced and given a real sense of urgency due to the constant presence of Locke’s heart rate.

There is real ambiguity to the ending that would have felt cheap were this the last issue of the series. Since there is one more left, that makes the ending interesting and most likely worth revisiting once the entire series is finished. If you haven’t been reading Spencer & Locke, you’re really missing out on what is easily one of the best series of the year, and definitely missing out on the best single issue.

Spencer & Locke #3

5 / 5

It’s time for us to cross the streams, true believers.

There’s a lot of talk about comics here on NRW, and rightly so. Joey has his own awesome strand of articles wherein he sheds light on the old and exposes us to the retro-new, and we love it, because Joey is to the medium of comics what I am to sitting on my ass in front of a CRT monitor with a controller in my hand: he’s a passionate expert on the subject. It’s worth diving into; when done well, the comic book or graphic novel is an art form capable of deftly transporting the reader to new worlds – some like our own, and some realities away from it.

What can’t be overlooked is how the comic book multiverse has been thrust into the colored-light beams and binary rows of the VG grinder time and time again in the plodding quest to juice franchises for more revenue. Here’s the dolorous stroke, folks: We’re going to take a look at how they’ve done this with one of Marvel’s undisputed icons, their bread-and-butter household name… Spider-Man. Peter Parker, the world’s most beloved wise-cracking web slinger, has been dipped in silicon and code frequently throughout video gaming’s history, with results that I will be kind and describe as “varied.”

I mean, he’s an icon. Some comics fans think he’s a pussy. Honestly, I do too. I’m more of a Punisher guy. No one can deny, however, that Peter Parker is one of the most luminous stars in comic book history. (Artwork by Michael Golden)

Everyone’s pretty familiar with Spidey’s origins and powers. He got bit by a radioactive spider, got some powers, lost his uncle to crime, and got serious about cleaning up the Big Apple (and sometimes beyond). The wall-crawler has made tons of friends and enemies since his appearance in the 60s, from goblins to murderous hunters to symbiotic aliens that abandoned him and sought out his unstable and disgruntled colleagues for revenge (Venom is the man!) Pete’s powers, coupled with his nifty web-shooting devices, make for the possibility of great dynamic gameplay if translated creatively into digital form. Right?

Ah, shit, kids… let’s just do this. I’m not gonna look at every game, but we’ll examine the prominent titles that most of us may have seen or played.

Spider-Man (1982)

Platform: Atari 2600

Culprits: Parker Brothers/Atari

Eh. It’s not great, but everything looked like this in 1982. At least we can tell which one’s Spider-Man.

You’ll probably expect me to be cruel here, because I do lean on the side of bastardry when it comes to the 2600. I mean… eh. Let’s stay in context… this isn’t bad for a 2600 game. Considering the limits of the system graphics- and sound-wise, you get a good representation of the key elements. Gameplay consists of getting up on top of the building and kicking Green Goblin’s ass, which to be fair, ate up a lot of Peter’s logged superhero hours in the 70s/80s either together or as separate activities. Using your web shooters is a little tedious, but once you’ve got the hang of how to do it in a rhythm and pull yourself up, it’s pretty fun. I suppose my only knock on this one is that it’s not enough to do. But then, not every 2600 game can be Burgertime and crush your soul with raw chaos.

The Amazing Spider-Man (1990)

Platforms: Amiga, Atari ST, PC Compatibles

Culprits: Oxford Digital/Paragon Software

Let me start off with something nice before I put my hands under the table and fucking lift. The Amiga has always stood out for its time as a system capable of audiovisual richness, and this game really turns her out. The ST and PC versions are decent in that regard too, although the audio quality varies.

“Shut down all the garbage mashers on the detention level!”  I’m sorry. I couldn’t help myself.

Now, let’s talk about HOW they chose to turn her out. The controls are pretty fucking far from intuitive; while I expect translating Spider-Man’s iconic means of locomotion to be a challenge for a game developer, this shit is just abyss you’ll keep falling into until you start being meticulously careful… which isn’t prudent in 90% of the situations you’ll be navigating. Move fast? Move really carefully? The answer to both is usually no. Again, I can’t knock the graphics, but there’s something inherently wrong about this image, seen during the intro. Something that reminds me of “non-Euclidean shapes,” “lightless gulfs across time and space,” and “red-haired woman being forcibly abducted by a fishbowl-headed mannequin.” Poor Mary Jane.

somebodys_fetish.jpg

Almost as bizarre is the choice to represent your life bar as a picture of Spider-Man that turns skeletal from the feet upward as you move closer to death.

He looks a little embarrassed. I don’t blame him.

Last gripe: the game is, at least to me, unreasonably goddamn long considering the tedium it is to play. You can watch a longplay here, and be sure to listen to the entire intro music, or at least sit through it for as long as you can before reaching for that little red track-bar to skip through it and save your sanity.

Spider-Man: Return of the Sinister Six (1992)

Platforms: NES, Game Gear, Master System

Culprits: LJN (OF COURSE), Flying Edge, Bits Studios

This game is mercifully short, but still feels like being hurled into a black hole and somehow kept alive to slowly lose one’s mind via time dilation. Spider-Man, despite being fully human height, has the same general proportions as Wee Man from Jackass. His ability to leap through the air is admirable, and the controls aren’t too bad… until you try to do any of the shit Spider-Man is known for doing in terms of movement. The graphics are candy-colored palettes of pure hell wherein men are depicted universally as shoeless mongoloids and no light seems to penetrate anything (despite the garish coloration of everything).

It’s like Willy Wonka took a massive shit all over everything, and really wasn’t feeling well when he did. I bumble forth, capable of great feats of agility but barely able to keep my goose neck from dropping my pumpkin head onto my barrel chest. As Spider-Man, I am the monster, and I belong here.

A small handful of farty, tooty pieces of music cycle as you penetrate deeper into the Sinister Six’s criminal kingdom, presenting a strange yet totally-LJN mix of jazzy swing and “I ate so many tabs I can’t even tell what genre this is.” The drums punch at the listener’s mind, almost as if they are intended to pummel you into accepting the rest of this musical affront as tolerable. It’s like a rave in a Civil War graveyard, and someone invited Dizzy Gillespie. Actually, fuck that… that’d rule. This doesn’t.

Again, I can’t flush this game completely; it’s a decent effort overall, but LJN had a tendency (with a scant few exceptions) to attach its name to something and then pile drive it into the floor until no amount of reconstructive surgery could fix it.

Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage (1994)

Platforms: Genesis. SNES

Culprits: LJN, Acclaim, Software Creations

We’re ending on a positive note. We have to. We owe it to ourselves.

I really liked the Maximum Carnage story arc in the comics. It’s held high by some and shit on by others, but there’s something about a villain so terrifying that two bitter enemies (not to mention a wild cross section of Marvel’s 90s line-up) combined forces to defeat him as he rampaged across New York with his own wrecking crew. I love big events, and I LOVE villains. And Carnage… well, he’s one burning hell of a villain.

Really, if anyone deserves this shit, it’s JJ. 

This effort did decent justice to the source material. I’ll keep this simple and just tick off some pros and cons.

PROS

-Venom is a playable character

-Morbius shows up, along with Deathlok, Black Cat, Iron Fist, and a few other underrated Marvel good guys

-it’s a beat-em-up, and not a bad one, either

-comic book style cut scenes, and they’re not done poorly

–pretty damn good music

-LJN didn’t set this one on fire and stand back playing pocket pool while it burned to slag

Really cool audio-visual presentation all around. It keeps true to the comic feel without burning that candle at both ends with a welding torch.

CONS

-The music did not sound as good in the Genesis version

-This game is also long; why the hell does Spider-Man mean “long fucking game” almost uniformly to game designers

-It’s incredibly unfair to put bad-ass characters like Black Cat, Iron Fist and Morbius in here and not have them as full-on playables

-I feel like a lot of the villains get undersold in terms of their powers and badass-ness

-Still, to make an understatement, a bit fucking cumbersome to do the web slinging thing, although it must be acknowledged that it’s better in this than in any predecessor

Overall, Maximum Carnage is fun as hell. I owned the Genesis cart as a kid and got a lot of replay value out of it. It’s a net win due to presentation and the choice of formatting it as a beat-em-up, which makes it approachable on a level far beyond its ancestors in Spidey’s video game library.

That brings us to 1994, folks, so I guess I’ll put the brakes on it here. Thanks for reading, and before I go, I suppose I owe you some number ratings on these hunks of pop media history.

Atari 2600: 6/10

Amiga: 5/10

NES: 3/10

Genesis/SNES: 7/10

See you at the end of the month, RetroFans! Excelsior!!!

Big Trouble in Little China / Escape From New York has spent months as one of the most consistently enjoyable comics in months, with each issue adding to the craziness that makes the series so lovable. Issue #5 was the best of the series and by the time it ended, it seemed strange that there was only one more issue before this crossover concluded. It had a lot of elements in the air and had again upturned it’s own status quo by having Jack Burton join forces with Lo Pan and the dragon-universe version of Snake Plissken (as this comic itself hilariously states early on, “Just go with it.”), so it did raise some concerns about how the series would be able to wrap up and if it would be able to satisfy the momentum it built. 

It does and doesn’t. It’s still fun, ridiculous, and full of unexpected turns, comedy, and heart, but it’s hard not to feel mildly robbed of a sense of resolution. The payoff of dragon-Snake (Dragon Plissken?) happens much quicker than expected, though it is the subject of two of the best pieces of art of the issue. Daniel Bayliss’ art and Triona Farrell’s coloring are as delightful as they have been the past five issues, with Bayliss’ cover art being representative of the way that comics can be fun.

Unfortunately, a lot of things wind up unresolved. Perhaps I wound up expecting too much out of a narrative that you should “just go with”, but it feels a little like a cop-out when we don’t get a resolution to this world and its potentially interesting blend of science fiction and mystical elements, or when the female Snake gets vaporized on the back of Dragon Plissken after having five issues hinting at something resembling an arc for the character, or at the very least potential. It feels like something really magical is going to happen by the time that the comic ends, but rather than have something ambiguous and leaving us with an idea that Snake and Jack Burton will adventure through their own multiverse, the comic takes a turn for one last punchline. Admittedly, the tone of the series feels as though a joke is the way it always should have ended, and all good jokes are built on the premise of subverting an expectation, but the expectation that it subverted was just too charming to let go of. 

Big Trouble in Little China / Escape From New York #6
3.5/5