Thicker Than Water by Mike Carey

This is the fourth instalment of Carey’s Felix Castor novels, and I can’t give you a non bias review of this book as I am a massive fan of the rest of the series.  Carey presents intelligently written urban fantasy with a dark humour and a plot meaty enough to keep you hooked and on edge waiting for the next instalment. 

At this point in the series we see an established cast of characters headed up by freelance exorcist Felix Castor, backed ably by fellow exorcist and succubus on the wagon Juliet and zombie and techhead Nicky.  My least favourite character in the series is Felix’s landlady Penny, who manages to be less annoying then usual in this novel – which is nice! 

The story blazes to life with the elaborate kidnapping of Fix’s friend from the mental institution he is incarcerated in.  And as the police knock on his door he thinks he has been caught but in fact the shit is only just about to hit the fan! He is taken to a crime scene where the words “F Castor” have been written by the victim in blood. The victim turns out to be a guy that Fix grew up with in Liverpool who had once tried to kill him.  So with the finger pointed well and truly at Fix he begins to investigate.   

He begins his investigation in a run down council estate in London, with disturbing results, the entire populace of the estate is being affected by something, but he doesn’t know what.  As Fix investigates the phenomena it leads him almost to his death and on a trip to his childhood in Liverpool.  Fix has to rely in this book on almost all of his contacts and the results are not all good and are incredibly shocking towards the end. 

This book is a breathless rollercoaster of the sort of gritty realism many so called Urban Fantasy novels are completely missing.  The section of the story dealing with growing up in Liverpool is particularly evocative, and makes you both long for your own childhood and be eternally glad it’s over.   This book raises as many questions as it answers of its own mythology which is both satisfying and gripping and the only criticism I can level at it is that it is not a suitable starting off point for any new readers.  In fact new readers would probably be completely baffled, but then book four isn’t a good joining in point in any series so it isn’t much of a criticism.  I would give this book (and whole series) 5/5 and urge anyone to pick up a copy and fall as madly in love with Fix as I have.

Stacey Whittle

GS Movie Bytes: Quarantine Movie Review

Just finished watching Quarantine and OMG this film is nerve racking. Proper old school horror in the sense that it does what it says on the tin. Scare the shit out of you!!!

Its all shot in a Cloverfield handy cam style and is about a group of people including a cameraman and report that are shadowing a couple of firemen for their night shift for a documentary. I’m glad I didn’t watch this in the cinema as I may have embarrassed myself a few times screaming.

Terrifying – 7.5/10 One of the better Hollywood remake of a recent non US horror. The original is Spanish and is called Rec

GS Reviewer: Soulfinger

GS Movie Bytes: Punisher War Zone Review

Punisher Warzone – 5/10 OK, OK it wasn’t quite as bad as the last one but Dominic West Jigsaw character How they mananged to reduce a good actor like West to playing this pantomine Mafia boss with the worst over the top New York accent is a crime. 20 years, 3 Punisher films and all 3 a load of rubbish. I think it’s time Marvel and Hollywood gave up on this comic character and found a new one. Hell I’ll take another Elekra, Catwoman or Daredevil film before another Punisher.

GS reviewer: Soulfinger

Ashes to Ashes series 2 nearly here!

Although there is no official launch date for series two of Ashes to Ashes I’m hoping it’s not too long away.

The BBC (and to lesser extent ITV) really need to start using the internet the way it should be used to spread information. They need to start doing more than having a press release on their website and some adverts a few days before a new genre show is launched. Sorry, I’ll get off my Soap box now.

I’ve stuck the press release below laying out some info on series two and I like the sound of it so far.

The first half of series one didn’t do a lot for me. Although it was good to see Gene Hunt back I didn’t think the character worked as well in the 80′s as the 70′s and to begin with I really didn’t like the Alex Drake character. She was too in your face, too ‘I know what’s going on’ so it made it difficult so me to sympathise with her situation in the same way I did with Sam Tyler.

Things definitely kicked into high gear with the second half and concluded with an awesome finale that left me wondering just what the hell was going on.

I looking forward to see what they can bring to the table for series two.

Anyway enjoy the press blurb.

New Kudos Projects on the way

At Geek Syndicate we love Kudos. They have given us some ace shows over the year such as Spooks, Life on Mars and Hustle. Over at Variety they’re reporting that the guys have two new shows in the works.

We don’t know much other than the names and that they are going to be aimed at the international market. So we have the eight part historical epic ‘ The Medici’ and the 13-part pirate series ‘The Scrimshaw Pirates’.

It’s early days at the moment so there’s not really anything to go on. My first impressions though just from the title is that I like the sound of a Pirates series (who doesn’t). I need some more info on The Medici before I can start to get excited about that.

Either way with Kudos involved I’ll be expecting big things.

GS Reporter: Nuge

Source: Variety

Xena VS Spartacus!

Lucy  ‘Xena’ Lawless has jkust signed onto star in the new series Spartacus.  Lucy will be playing the owner of a Gladiator school.

Be cool to see her going head to head against Spartacus. Before you say anything no I didn’t mean like that, filthy minded people.

GS Reporter: Nuge

Source: Variety

First guests announced for BICS 2009

Even though the Con isn’t until October the guys over at the British International Comics Show have already started pulling in the big names. Already confirmed for the Con, due to take place October 3rd -4th are HOWARD CHAYKIN, Charlie Adlard, Alan Davis and Duncan Fegredo.

Howard will be attending  all weekend for signings, panels and an exclusive interview

I look forward to hearing who else the guys have signed up for this year’s con.

GS Reporter: Nuge

Source: BICS 2009

The Day the Earth Stood Still – DVD/ Blu Ray info

I’ve still yet to see this movie so I’ll probably be checking out the DVD (or Blu Ray thanks to my trusty PS3). Anyway check out the press release with all the info on what to expect if you decide to pick it up. I have to admit some of the Blu-Ray features look pretty cool (Build my own giant robot…hmm yes please!).

As for the movie I don’t know what to expect as I’ve heard mixed things about it. I do like a good disaster movie so hopefully I’ll get my fill of that kind of stuff.

Look out for a full review once I’ve seen it.

Comic Review : Doctor Who The Whispering Gallery

Doctor Who : The Whispering Gallery
Written by Leah Moore and John Reppion
Art by Ben Templesmith

Story in brief:
The Doctor and Martha arrive on a planet where everyone keeps their emotions repressed. They start in a place called the Whispering Gallery where portraits of the dead hang and murmer their regrets in life, “I never told you I loved you” that kind of thing. The Doctor, as usual, investigates and it turns out that they hide their emotions so as not to awake a monster which feeds on them, and by his previous interaction with one of their people, the creature returned causing the expected death and destruction. The creature goes after Martha, the Doctor lets it feed on him instead and it explodes due to the overload of emotion the Doctor has felt over the years. The End.

Geek Syndicate – Episode 112 BSG Special

Welcome to a slightly longer action packed episode of Geek Syndicate!

News: Meet Anna Mercury, BBC and ITV need to sort out their Advertising on genre shows and the charity premier of Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation.

Week that was: Dollhouse, Class War, Heroes, Doctor Who: The Whispering Gallery.

Main Feature: We take and look back at all four seasons of Battlestar Galactica and give our thoughts on the series finale. MAJOR SPOILERS FOR ALL FOUR SEASONS!!!!

Episode 112

Listen online [Audio http://media.libsyn.com/media/geeksyndicate/GSepisode112.mp3]

Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation Charity Premier coming to UK!

Anyone who’s listened to Geek Syndicate for a while will know that I’m a huge Indiana Jones fan (just look at the web banner).

I was surfing this evening and stumbled across a press release for the Charity Premier of  cult fan film “RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK: THE ADAPTATION”

I’m definitely going to try my best to get along to this as a I remember hearing about this movie several times over the years but never got to see it. In many ways it was as elusive as the Ark or the Holy Grail.

I always had serious respect for the guys that made the movie when they were kids as that was something I always wanted to do. Instead of movie making I went into writing.

Anyway check out the press release for yourself , sounds like a great night is planned.

Blood: The Last Vampire Trailer

Saya has a secret. While she looks like a cute 16 year old, she’s really a 400 year old woman hellbent on destroying vampires. Born a halfbreed, Saya walks alone in the world with only one purpose in mind. To destroy Onigen, Queen of the Vampires. This opportunity finally arises when Onigen is spoted near Yakota Air Force Base in Japan by fellow hunters. Does Saya have what it takes to rid the world of this vermin or will she be the final halfbreed you die at the hands of Vampires?

Blood will be released in Asian theatres around May 29th. People in the UK will have the movie premier in June.

And as always, it’s up in the air in N.America.

Source: Yahoo! Movies Japan

Interview with Sanctuary creator Damian Kindler

Interview with Damian Kindler

In this solo interview Barry chats with Damian Kindler the creator, executive producer, and writer of the TV show Sanctuary.  Damian  reveals  how Sanctuary came to be, spills some info on season2 and the Sanctuary universe.   Damian also explains why he would rather be writing scripts than novels.  The joys of Twitter and the first ever Sanctuary Con is also discussed.

Irritating Archery #7 – Experimental Fun

I love comics.  I think I’ve made that clear.  I love every kind of comic and everything you can do with them.  They are brilliant and the people that make them can be just as amazing.  I would go so far as to say that the only problem with comics is the people that read them… and maybe Jim Balent, I’m not sure on that one as it could just be the fact my vagina is haunted…

New England Webcomics Weekend wrap-up

This past weekend was the first annual New England Webcomics Weekend, a gathering of cartoonists and fans from all over the world that, while initially planned as a smaller, informal gathering, grew to a giant event that still thrilled everyone there and was a success far beyond the expectations of everyone in attendance.

About 500 or so people descended upon Easthampton, MA, for web cartoonists to meet their fans and vice versa. Unlike the usual formality of a convention, this was a much more personal experience for fans and creators alike, allowing people to spend more time talking about comics on a one-on-one level without having to deal with the usual bustle of a con.

I was there for two reasons: to meet my favorite cartoonists and to try and get more people to read my own webcomic, “Moon Freight 3.” I made 100 free sample packets to give to people, and handed out about a third of them. For a guy like me, a web cartoonist just starting out, this was an invaluable opportunity to meet the perfect audience for my work and to get my name out there.

But there were plenty of people who were already well known among the NEWW crowd, and they were more than happy to talk to their fans and give them sketches or autographs. I met Danielle Corsetto of “Girls with Slingshots” for the second time, getting a sketch of her character McPedro the talking cactus. I also met Scott Kurtz of “PVP” for the second time, as well as Dave Kellett of “Sheldon,” Brad Guigar of “Evil Inc.,” and Kris Straub of “Starslip” and “Chainsawsuit.” Straub is my cartooning hero, so getting a sketch from him and having a chance to talk to him was a dream come true. And Guigar is easily one of the nicest guys I have ever met. I mean seriously. He was friendly and approachable and was more than willing to talk shop with a guy he’s never met, like me. Guigar and Kellett both gave me some constructive critiques on my comic, which I have already started implementing in the comics I’ve drawn since then.

I also hung out a lot with Alina Pete, the writer/artist of “Weregeek.” She didn’t have a table, but was still stopped a number of times by fans of her comic who were eager to get sketches or autographs from her. If you haven’t checked out her comic, you really should.

The panels they had were equally entertaining and informative. I attended three of them: a panel on making and selling t-shirts, a live recording of the Webcomics Weekly podcast, and one about the horror stories cartoonists have because of crazy e-mails and the like that they’ve gotten from angry fans.

There was also plenty of time for artists to draw a bit, too, whether they were professionals giving demonstrations on the Cintiq to people like me, who joined little clusters around the show and just sketched.

It’s important to note than I only did a fraction of what there was to do there, because frankly, I couldn’t get to it all. There were so many panels I didn’t have time to see and so many creators – big and small – that I didn’t get a chance to talk to. But that’s not a bad thing. It just goes to show what a massive event this was.

And while 500 people were there this weekend, that number could have been much higher. The NEWW organizers had to have people register beforehand because there were so many people who wanted to come the building and parking lot could not hold any more people.

Also, a big “thank you” needs to go out to Meredith Gran of “Octopus Pie” and all the volunteers who helped put this show together. They did an immense amount of work to make sure everything ran smoothly, and they did it all without making anyone pay a cent. That’s right, admission to Webcomics Weekend was free.

It’s easy to agree that the first New England Webcomics Weekend was a smashing success. I did not talk to a single person who had anything less than an excellent time, and everyone was looking forward to next year’s. And at this point, it’s safe to say the second NEWW will be a “when,” not an “if.”

GS Reporter: Luke