Movie Monday - Amazing Spider-man 2: Rise of Electro

No DC movie this week since Amazing Spider-man 2 opened on Thursday and much like Captain America: The Winter Soldier, this is big comics news. I wanted to give you my thoughts and feels on it. Here's a big warning – THERE WILL BE SPOILERS, so if you want to go in unprepared, wait to read this review until after you've seen the film. As a sweetener, there will be a STACK of Emma Stone gifs too.

Sunday Spotlight - Secret Origins #1

Something a little different this week for Sunday Spotlight – we'll look at a new release from DC that has only had one issue. I know I normally discuss new release trade paperbacks, but here's a chance for you to get in at the ground floor of a new series! It's also a great spot for new readers to start with familiar characters. Today, we'll be looking at Secret Origins #1.

This issue is divided into three sections, each focussing on the origin or early life of a character who has already appeared in the New 52. These are stories that may already been known or shown in previous iterations of the character, but always will deal with either the character's first foray as a superhero or how they came by their powers. This isn't the first time there has been a series such as this – however, the original Secret Origins series was basically just reprints of the first issues or first appearances of iconic characters. It was a great way of keeping the origin stories fresh in people's minds without constantly referring to them in the main comic. The original run was usually done in short bursts, with the reprints covering a small group of characters, and then stopping. These were later developed into collections that are still available today.

After the success of Batman: Year One, there was a flurry of imitators in other titles which pretty much ended the need for Secret Origins as anything beyond a nostalgic look at the beginnings of characters. For this New 52 version, there's a chance to tell origin stories that haven't had a chance to be told in the regular books.

In the first section, we see the events that led to baby Kal-El being placed in the spaceship that took him to Earth, as well as the Kents finding him. It's told from the point of view of both his mothers – Lara-El and Martha Kent. Written by Greg Pak and drawn by Lee Wilks, this is by far the strongest story of the three, as is befitting a flagship character for DC and one of the three pillars the DC universe rests on. There are some great, single page moments for the characters that describe everything you need to know about them. The story is succinct and shows important moments without dwelling on them too much. In something this brief, there's no time to draw the story out, so it doesn't – the pictures accompany the narration but save for one page, there's very little essential dialogue. The one flaw was that it made me really interested in the two narrators, especially Lara-El, who unfortunately doesn't have her own series, when I should have been more focussed on Superman.

The second section, written by Kyle Higgins and drawn by Doug Mahnke, follows a young Dick Grayson and the tragedy that took his parents from him, as well as the quest for vengeance that led to him apprenticing to Batman. This story is paced a little slower than the previous one, but still shows the most important parts. It reads as a short story around events that you already know. Grayson's parents are murdered by a gangster who was pressuring the circus for money. Dick swears vengeance and meets Batman. Batman reveals his identity and offers to help. The parts that get the most attention are Dick's relationship with his parents, and his response to their death. It has a message of hope and love that would be absent in a Batman origin story, so I can see why Robin was the second character chosen. (Of course, Scott Snyder retelling the Batman origin story in the regular book probably helped too.) As an overview of Dick Grayson's character, this works well – I particularly thought the art matched how young Dick should appear.

The last section is about Kara Zor-El (Supergirl). It shows Kara's life on Krypton and the actions of her parents that caused her to be sent to Earth as well. It also tells of her struggle to adjust to Earth customs. Written by Tony Bedard and drawn by Paulo Siqueira, I really enjoyed about half of this part. I love the concept of Supergirl in all her iterations, and often recommend the New 52 Supergirl series to new readers. While this story basically repeats the events of the first few issues, it does give a good idea of what Kara is all about and how she's trying to find her place in the world. It gives her back story in a little more depth, and shows what life on Krypton was like. The middle of the story (the part that gets explored more in the main comics) is where it sags, but picks up at the end by showing what it's like for Kara on Earth, dealing with things like international relations that she doesn't understand but still trying to do the right thing. As an introduction to the character, I think it's really well done. After reading this, you can either start at the beginning of the New 52 Supergirl, or pick up the latest issue without any worry. Yes, I know she's a Red Lantern at the moment, but the point I'm trying to make is that you'll get a sense of who the character is and will be able to understand her immediately thanks to this story.

Overall, I really liked this issue and am looking forward to the rest each month. There's a lot of characters to get through, after all! If you're interested in something similar, as usual see below for more recommendations.

DC Universe: Secret Origins – 9781401234034 - $49.99 – 328 pages

Batman: Year One – 9781401207526 – Frank Miller - $27.99 – 144 pages

Green Arrow: Year One – 9781401217433 – Andy Diggle - $27.99 – 160 pages

Batgirl/Robin: Year One – 9781401240332 – Chuck Dixon & Scott Beatty - $34.99 – 424 pages

Sunday Spotlight - Coffin Hill

Eve Coffin – of the Coffin Hill Coffins – just got out of hospital after being shot in the line of duty. She knows that there's darkness in the world, and it's not always natural. Ten years ago, she performed a magic ritual with two friends on the night of Halloween. When she woke up, one of her best friends had vanished and the other had to be committed to a mental institute. Returning to Coffin Hill, Eve must face the demons of her past – both figurative and literal. But the darkness has been waiting for Eve and it's had years to prepare...

Written by Caitlin Kittredge for Vertigo comics, Coffin Hill is a new dark fantasy series that reads like FOX's Sleepy Hollow. Kittredge is the author of a number of fantasy and young adult novels but this is a little bit different (although to be fair, I haven't read Kittredge's dark fantasy stuff). Most urban fantasy you find is pretty dark, like The Dresden Files and Rachel Caine's Weather Warden stuff – the less said about Anita Blake the better – but there's always hints of levity and a hint of eroticism. Coffin Hill doesn't really have these. This is grim stuff, more about passion than sex. The evil isn't something from a fairytale or folklore – it's just Evil. It's the thing that makes people commit bad acts, the horror that lurks inside us all. It's different and incredibly creepy.

I have to say that what kept me reading was the character of Eve. She's not a good person, never was, never will be. In fact, for most of the book she's a jerk. It makes sense in story why she's a jerk, but it's also really fun to read. There are a lot of jerk-y male characters that it's good to see a well-written female one. Eve has her reasons for being a jerk – everyone around her doesn't believe her, or won't do as she says and she's clearly the only one that knows best. What starts as teenage rebellion becomes a natural state of mind. It's perfect because Eve never says anything jerk-y to be funny or cool (unlike other anti-heroes I could mention) but because she's irritated or can't be bothered taking things seriously or just doesn't have time for other people.

With all this to recommend it, the book does have a couple of downsides. The pacing is a little slow – the first volume is seven issues and the plot didn't go far beyond getting Eve to town and revealing some of her past. There's some epic magic sequences that look fantastic, as well as a great suspenseful atmosphere, but it takes a while to get to those. The flashbacks don't precisely pad out the book – they're more akin to the one's on CW's Arrow but seeing the same events from different angles to understand more about the characters.

If you're into good horror stories, or creepy dark fantasy, Coffin Hill is definitely one to pick up.

Coffin Hill vol. 1: Forest of the Night – 9781401248871 – Caitlin Kittredge - $16.99 – 168 pages

**EDIT - it turns out that Coffin Hill isn’t actually going to be released as a bind up until June. My bad! However, you can still buy the individual issues or place an order for the book at your comic bookstore or bookshop.**

Movie Monday - Captain America: the Winter Soldier

 I know I usually only review films relating to DC Comics, but honestly, how can I NOT talk about Captain America: The Winter Soldier? It’s made nearly $300 million worldwide since it opened on Thursday. If you’re into comics, you’re seeing this movie. So let’s get to the low down on Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

WARNING!! THERE WILL BE SPOILERS BELOW THE TAG!!!

 

Sunday Spotlight - Pick of the Month: Hinterkind

I think that given the massive success of The Hunger Games franchise, we can assume that the Young Adult dystopia genre is here to stay. Comics have jumped on this trend with titles like Avengers Arena and Attack on Titan (although that's a little different) but there's a new series out from Vertigo that I think suits the concept a really well. It's my Pick of the Month – Hinterkind!

Humanity has lost. After a plague wiped out most of humankind, nature reclaimed the land. The few humans that had not died were forced to re-learn survival skills in this new wilderness, where cities had been overgrown and wild beasts run wild. But not just beasts lurk in the dark places of the world. The Hinterkind have returned – the elves, the satyrs, the goblins, the ogres; all the things that humans had forgotten ever existed. Now their oppressors are dead, they have come back to claim the world that once drove them out.

Prosper Monday, teenage girl and one of the few pure human survivors living in what was once Central Park, sets out from the safety of her village in search of her grandfather. He left to find and give aid to another pocket of survivors but even if she finds him, there are other things afoot. The Hinterkind have their own intrigues in the works, and there's a price on the head of any pure human found. Prosper discovers quickly that she is the one being hunted and must face some of the harsh realities about what humans must do to survive in this brave new world.

The best way to describe this series by Ian Edginton is a mix of survival/adventure and fantasy. Much like 'Revolution' from NBC, technology for most humans is at a pre-industrial level. This follows the standard fantasy formula, but seeing an elf bounty hunter draw her sawn-off shotgun gives the series a whole new look. Edginton has written a few steampunk and alternate history comics before like Victorian Undead, that combined Sherlock Holmes and zombies because why not? The concept that Edginton has developed is a solid one – there are a number of urban fantasy series that use the idea that magic and fairies never really went away. Jim Butcher's Dresden Files and Charlaine Harris's 'True Blood' are probably the best known, but Edginton took it a step further. Instead of 'peaceful' coexistence in the everyday world, Hinterkind takes place in the ruins of our civilization, and makes us question what actually gives humans the right to rule the world in the first place.

Like many of the other series being released from Vertigo this year, Hinterkind has a strong premise which should appeal to a wide group. Like fantasy? It's got that. Like action? There's loads. A strong female protagonist who must make tough decision and stay true to herself? Check. Intrigue and mysteries? Yup, that too. It's a fantastic book for people who might feel daunted (or just plain not interested) in the superhero comics – and I can understand why. Superhero comics are the most common out there (although that's starting to change) but they certainly aren't for everyone. Hinterkind could easily have been written as a novel instead, but making it a comic gives an opportunity to showcase some amazing art and introduce comics to a whole new readership. With memorable characters (that can easily die at the drop of a hat), you'll really get invested in Hinterkind's story.

Volume 1 is available now.

Hinterkind vol. 1: The Waking World – 9781401245184 – Ian Edginton, Fransesco Trifogli - $19.99 – 144 pages