November 2016 New Comics To Watch For

November seems to be a massive month for Marvel in case of new starts, but for the rest it is kinda meh.

AD:AFTER DEATH #1
Written by Scott Snyder
Art and Cover by Jeff Lemire
What if we found a cure for death?
Two of comics’ most acclaimed creators, SCOTT SNYDER (WYTCHES, Batman, American Vampire) and JEFF LEMIRE (DESCENDER, Moon Knight, Sweet Tooth) unite to create a three-part epic like no other, set in a future where a genetic cure for death has been found. Years after the discovery, one man starts to question everything, leading him on a mind-bending journey that will bring him face-to-face with his past and his own mortality. A unique combination of comics, prose, and illustration, A.D.: AFTER DEATH will be serialized monthly as three oversized prestige format books written by SNYDER and fully painted by LEMIRE.

MOTHER PANIC #1
Written by Jody Houser
Art and Cover by Tommy Lee Edwards
Meet Violet Paige, a celebutante with a bad attitude and a temper to match, who no one suspects of having anything lying beneath the surface of her outrageous exploits. But Violet isn’t just another bored heiress in the upper echelons of Gotham City’s elite. Motivated by her traumatic youth, Violet seeks to exact vengeance on her privileged peers as the terrifying new vigilante known only as Mother Panic.

HARBINGER RENEGADE #1
Written by Rafer Roberts
Art and Cover by Darick Robertson
Anyone you know could become a psionically powered “harbinger” with the potential to reshape the course of human history. Your neighbor. Your boss. Your best friend. Your kids.
Six months ago, a secret team of renegade whistleblowers leaked the existence of these extraordinarily dangerous individuals to a stunned world. Today, all across the country, crude, DIY psiot activation attempts have left hundreds brain damaged…or worse. The emergence of a new psiot in a community often leads to riots and mass violence. Gun sales are through the roof.
America is terrified of what could happen next.
With this revolutionary upheaval now in motion, Kris Hathaway, John “Torque” Torkelson, Faith “Zephyr” Herbert, and Peter Stanchek are about to discover their calling. Together, the HARBINGER RENEGADES are moving from town to town, building their ranks, and subverting authority one mind at a time…and setting out to prove once and for all that behind their power, there has always been a purpose.
This November, the most fearless superteam in comics is going underground for AN ALL-NEW ONGOING SERIES from Harvey Award nominated writer Rafer Roberts (A&A: THE ADVENTURES OF ARCHER & ARMSTRONG) and superstar artist Darick Robertson (Happy!,The Boys)!

INHUMANS VS. AVENGERS #0
Written by Charles Soule
Art and Cover by Kenneth Rocafort
This issue sets the stage for the upcoming Inhumans vs. X-Men mega-event! Learn who the major players will be, plus the seeds of the incredible plan that will unfold in IVX #1. Beast and Iso travel the world to learn a desperate truth, the X-Men assemble their ranks and the Inhumans prepare for the war to come. It all begins with one choice — see it here.

AVENGERS #1
Written by Mark Waid
Art by Mike Del Mundo
The time has come! Their ranks shattered by Civil War, their spirits weighted down by
a toll both personal and spiritual, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes must find the resolve to stand united one final time against their greatest foe! Captain America! Thor! The Vision! The Wasp! Spider-Man! Hercules! When the dust settles, not a one of these valiant heroes will make it to the final page alive! This is KANG WAR ONE!

INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #1
Written by Brain Michael Bendis
Art and Cover by Stefano Caselli
From the violent streets of Chicago, a new armored hero rises! Clad in her very own Iron Man armor, Riri Williams is ready to show the Marvel Universe what she can do as the self-made hero of tomorrow. But is she ready for all the problems that come with stepping into Iron Man’s jet boots? Where’s a genius billionaire playboy philanthropist when you need one?

THE UNWORTHY THOR #1
Written by Jason Aaron
Art and Cover by Olivier Coipel
Odinson’s desperate search to regain his worthiness has taken him out into the cosmos, where he’s learned of the existence of a mysterious other Mjolnir. This weapon of unimaginable power, a relic from a dead universe, is the key to Odinson’s redemption — but some of the greatest villains of the Marvel Universe are now anxious to get their hands on it as well. Can The Odinson reclaim his honor, or will the power of thunder be wielded for evil? The quest for the hammer begins here.

THANOS #1
Written by Jeff Lemire
Art and Cover by Mike Deodato
EVIL HAS BEEN UNLEASHED ON THE UNIVERSE.
Thanos, possibly the most evil individual in the Marvel Universe, is back…and he’s out for vengeance on all who would oppose him. Unfortunately for the Mad Titan, he’s also heading for an unexpected reckoning…with his family. Take an ongoing walk on the dark side of the galaxy, following the deadly trail of destruction left in the wake of…THANOS!

OCCUPY AVENGERS #1
Written by David F. Walker
Art by Carlos Pacheco
Super heroes – they’re a privileged class. Doing what they want, when they want and suffering no consequences. They have no regard for the ordinary people who are left behind to suffer in their wake. Who will stand up for the little guy? There is a man. If you can find him, and if he believes in your story, he and his friends will put things right. Some call them outlaws, rebels, Robin Hoods. To others, they are heroes. No powers to speak of – just skills, smarts and a burning drive to do the right thing. His name is Hawkeye. Occupy Avengers: It’s time to “Take Back Justice”!

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: RENEW YOUR VOWS #1
Written by Gerry Conway
Art and Cover by Ryan Stegman
The Parker family is web-slinging and wall-crawling their way into your hearts and into comic shops later this year! Life is good for Peter Parker and Mary Jane; their daughter Annie is their pride and joy, they’re both working and (barely) making ends meet, they’re keeping the streets of New York City safe from super villains…you know, normal family stuff. Oh, did we mention MJ and Annie have Spider-Powers — just like Peter?! Being Spider-Man just became a family affair…

Mini-Comic-Review - Thanos #1

Name - Thanos #1
Published by - Marvel Comics
Written by - Jeff Lemire
Art by - Mike Deodato
Coloring by - Frank Martin
Letters by - Clayton Cowles

Well, the first issue of this new Thanos series is as was expected. If you are getting here knowing nothing about him except from the cameos from MCU movies, your curiosity will increase even more and you will begin to love him. And if you are already familiar and already love Thanos, well, you will buy this series no matter what I say. In reality, this first issue is mostly introductory, setting the stage for the next Thanos epic, which is inevitable to come.

Yay, The Moon in my hands

Yes, it has finally arrived. After pre-ordering from Amazon.com through Shopr (a 3rd party service, cause amazon isn't available from Bangladesh by any other means) and waiting for more than a month "POKEMON MOON" is finally in my hands.

It wasn't really a hard decision to choose Moon over Sun as I fell in love with Lunala from the get go. I didn't even bother checking out the other version exclusive pokemons.

Now comes something even harder, which starter to choose?

Any recommendations, friends?

Guest Post - Jen Williams

Sing a Song of Skyrim
by Jen Williams

I’ve written before about how the video game Dragon Age inspired a love of old-school fantasy in me, which in turn led me to write the Copper Cat trilogy. What I haven’t spoken about really was how much influence Skyrim had – possibly because I didn’t fully realize the extent of its impact until after I’d written the books.

The truth is, I was playing Skyrim all through the writing process for The Copper Promise, and I’m certain now that my decision to open the book with one very dangerous dungeon crawl was directly inspired by all those draugr-haunted caverns and icy tunnels of death. The fact that my main character, Wydrin of Crosshaven, wears an awful lot of boiled leather could be traced back to my efforts to craft some decent hide armour, and as for her affection for mead… well to be fair, I suspect that does come directly from me.

Dragon Age might have planted the idea of complex sword and sorcery characters, but Skyrim taught me a lesson in atmosphere. I’ve never played another game like it in that sense; whether you’re hiking up the side of a mountain in a blizzard, unexpectedly rounding a fort to catch a spectacular view of the riverlands below, or just sitting in a tavern listening to a bard sing, Skyrim has an enormous, and almost magical, sense of freedom.

Part of this, I think, is that you are never really nailed down to the central narrative. You go where you want, do the quests you fancy, or just set out to see what’s at the bottom of that cave (usually something dreadful yet profitable). You meet other characters along the way, but mostly you move in and out of their lives – you take them or leave them, or leave them in pieces on the road. Skyrim, for my money, gives you the clearest sense of what it would really be like to be a lone adventurer in a dangerous fantasy world.

A lot of this is down to the many ways you can spend your time. You can set yourself up as an alchemist, collecting ingredients and selling your potions on; you can become a skilled blacksmith and armourer, making your own weaponry and trying it out on hapless cave bears; or you can make jewellery, and learn to enchant your pieces. You can even spend vast amounts of time hunting the best cuts of meat, or harvesting clams, and then learn how to make fortifying dinners. Why is this so satisfying? There is an odd feeling of self-sufficiency to Skyrim, – a sense that you are making it on your own, with hard won skills. My elf-mage has recently enrolled in the mage college, and spent some time investigating the ruins of Saarthal at the instruction of her tutors. We’ve learnt a lot that may advance the cause of magic, but in reality my elf was checking inside every burial urn for coins, because that kitchen extension won’t pay for itself, damn it.

It might sound a little odd, but I think this training in ‘living’ in a fantasy world was invaluable to The Copper Promise and The Iron Ghost – Skyrim gave these stories of wild magic and dragons a light sprinkling of blood and mud. That, and I got to play one of the best games ever made.

About Jen:

Jen Williams lives in London with her partner and their cat. She started writing about pirates and dragons as a young girl and has never stopped. Her short stories have featured in numerous anthologies and she was nominated for Best Newcomer in the 2015 British Fantasy Awards.



You can find Jen online at her website: sennydreadful.co.uk, on Twitter @sennydreadful and on Facebook.







 

About The Iron Ghost (most recently released, second-in-series 'The Copper Cat')

Beware the dawning of a new mage…

Wydrin of Crosshaven, Sir Sebastian and Lord Aaron Frith are experienced in the perils of stirring up the old gods. They are also familiar with defeating them, and the heroes of Baneswatch are now enjoying the perks of suddenly being very much in demand for their services.

When a job comes up in the distant city of Skaldshollow, it looks like easy coin – retrieve a stolen item, admire the views, get paid. But in a place twisted and haunted by ancient magic, with the most infamous mage of them all, Joah Demonsworn, making a reappearance, our heroes soon find themselves threatened by enemies on all sides, old and new. And in the frozen mountains, the stones are walking…

Release date: Jan 3 2017 (US/Can) / Jan 5 2017 (UK/Commonwealth)

 

About The Copper Promise (first-in-series 'The Copper Cat')

There are some tall stories about the caverns beneath the Citadel – about magic and mages and monsters and gods.

Wydrin of Crosshaven has heard them all, but she’s spent long enough trawling caverns and taverns with her companion Sir Sebastian to learn that there’s no money to be made in chasing rumours.

But then a crippled nobleman with a dead man’s name offers them a job: exploring the Citadel’s darkest depths. It sounds like just another quest with gold and adventure … if they’re lucky, they might even have a tale of their own to tell once it’s over.

These reckless adventurers will soon learn that sometimes there is truth in rumour. Sometimes a story can save your life.
 

November 2016 New PC Games To Watch For

Hmm, another month with some promising releases. Damn, I really need to make time to play some of these.

Owlboy
Owlboy is a platform-adventure video game created by independent developer D-Pad Studio.The player controls Otus, who is capable of flying and carrying objects during flight that he can use to throw at enemies. As the game progresses, Otus gains allies that accompany him during his journey, each having their own weapon with exclusive properties. The game is notable for its long development cycle, which began in 2007, and was released in November 1, 2016.

Beholder
Beholder is a video game about a life in a totalitarian State. The game is developed by Warm Lamp Games and published by Alawar Entertainment. Beholder is inspired by dystopian works of George Orwell, Aldous Huxley and Ray Bradbury. The game offers a player a chance to either follow the commands of the Government or to side with the people who suffer from the oppressive directives. Each game character has their own personality, circumstances and issues. Every decision that a player makes affects the way the story unfolds. The game has multiple endings each of them being a sum of the decisions made by a player. Beholder is released on Steam on November 9, 2016 and supports Windows, macOS and Linux.

Tyranny
Tyranny is a role-playing video game developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Paradox Interactive. While not a sequel, Tyranny builds upon the gameplay and engine used in Obsidian's previous title Pillars of Eternity, allowing the developers to spend more time on crafting a game where player choices have a more meaningful effect on the game's story. The game starts after the evil overlord Kyros has already conquered the world, and where the player-character, a Fatebinder, is one of the higher-ranked members in Kyros' power structure. As a Fatebinder, the player must travel the world to help restore order after Kyros' victory, and make decisions on how to handle the various factions of survivors, which can affect what companions, spells, and abilities the player may select from. The game was released for Microsoft Windows, OS X, and Linux on November 10, 2016.

Dishonored 2
Dishonored 2 is an action-adventure stealth video game developed by Arkane Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. The series takes place in the fictional Empire of the Isles with the majority of Dishonored 2 set in the coastal city of Karnaca and is set fifteen years after the events of the first game. After Empress Emily Kaldwin is deposed by an "otherworldly usurper", the player may choose between playing as either Emily or her bodyguard and father Corvo Attano as they attempt to reclaim the throne. Both Emily and Corvo employ their own array of supernatural abilities. They can alternatively decide to forfeit them altogether. There are a multitude of ways to succeed in each given mission, from stealth to purposeful violent conflict. The sequel to 2012's Dishonored, the game was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on November 11, 2016.

Watch Dogs 2
Watch Dogs 2 (stylized as WATCH_DOGS2) is an open world action-adventure video game developed and published by Ubisoft. Set within a fictionalized version of the San Francisco Bay Area, the game is played from a third-person perspective and its world is navigated on-foot or by vehicle. Players control Marcus Holloway, a hacker who works with the hacking group DedSec to take down the city's advanced surveillance system. There are multiple ways to complete missions, and each successful assignment increases the follower count of DedSec. Cooperative multiplayer allows for competitive one-on-one combat and connecting with other players in order to neutralize a player who is actively causing havoc. The sequel to 2014's Watch Dogs, it was released worldwide for Microsoft Windows in November 29, 2016.

Killing Floor 2
Killing Floor 2 is a first-person shooter video game developed and published by Tripwire Interactive. It is a sequel to the 2009's Killing Floor. The game utilizes a heavily modified version of Epic Games' Unreal Engine 3. An early access version of the game was released for Microsoft Windows in April 2015, and the game was officially released in November 18, 2016 for Windows, and PlayStation 4.

[ Among these I am really interested in 'Beholder' and 'Dishonored 2'. ]

Promising Sci-fi, horror & Fantasy - October 2016

Again so late, will I ever have enough free time?

"The Rise of Io" by Wesley Chu
Ella Patel – thief, con-artist and smuggler – is in the wrong place at the wrong time. One night, on the border of a demilitarized zone run by the body-swapping alien invaders, she happens upon a man and woman being chased by a group of assailants. The man freezes, leaving the woman to fight off five attackers at once, before succumbing. As she dies, to both Ella and the man’s surprise, the sparkling light that rises from the woman enters Ella, instead of the man. She soon realizes she’s been inhabited by Io, a low-ranking Quasing who was involved in some of the worst decisions in history. Now Ella must now help the alien presence to complete her mission and investigate a rash of murders in the border states that maintain the frail peace.
With the Prophus assigned to help her seemingly wanting to stab her in the back, and the enemy Genjix hunting her, Ella must also deal with Io’s annoying inferiority complex. To top it all off, Ella thinks the damn alien voice in her head is trying to get her killed. And if you can’t trust the voices in your head, who can you trust?

[ Wesley Chu once again writing in the Tao Universe setting, enough said I think. ]

"Everything Belongs to the Future" by Laurie Penny
Time is a weapon wielded by the rich, who have excess of it, against the rest, who must trade every breath of it against the promise of another day's food and shelter. What kind of world have we made, where human beings can live centuries if only they can afford the fix? What kind of creatures have we become? The same as we always were, but keener.
In the ancient heart of Oxford University, the ultra-rich celebrate their vastly extended lifespans. But a few surprises are in store for them. From Nina and Alex, Margo and Fidget, scruffy anarchists sharing living space with an ever-shifting cast of crusty punks and lost kids. And also from the scientist who invented the longevity treatment in the first place.
Everything Belongs to the Future is a bloody-minded tale of time, betrayal, desperation, and hope that could only have been told by the inimitable Laurie Penny.



[ Hmm, another Tor.com novella, another interesting concept. ]

"The Wall of Storms" by Ken Liu
In the much-anticipated sequel to the “magnificent fantasy epic” (NPR) Grace of Kings, Emperor Kuni Garu is faced with the invasion of an invincible army in his kingdom and must quickly find a way to defeat the intruders.
Kuni Garu, now known as Emperor Ragin, runs the archipelago kingdom of Dara, but struggles to maintain progress while serving the demands of the people and his vision. Then an unexpected invading force from the Lyucu empire in the far distant west comes to the shores of Dara—and chaos results.
But Emperor Kuni cannot go and lead his kingdom against the threat himself with his recently healed empire fraying at the seams, so he sends the only people he trusts to be Dara’s savvy and cunning hopes against the invincible invaders: his children, now grown and ready to make their mark on history.

[ Yet to read the first book in the series, know I need to jump in to it soon. ]

"Hammers on Bone" by Cassandra Khaw
John Persons is a private investigator with a distasteful job from an unlikely client. He’s been hired by a ten-year-old to kill the kid’s stepdad, McKinsey. The man in question is abusive, abrasive, and abominable.
He’s also a monster, which makes Persons the perfect thing to hunt him. Over the course of his ancient, arcane existence, he’s hunted gods and demons, and broken them in his teeth.
As Persons investigates the horrible McKinsey, he realizes that he carries something far darker than the expected social evils. He’s infected with an alien presence, and he’s spreading that monstrosity far and wide. Luckily Persons is no stranger to the occult, being an ancient and magical intelligence himself. The question is whether the private dick can take down the abusive stepdad without releasing the holds on his own horrifying potential. 



[ Lovecraftian Noir in novella format, I can't pass this one no matter what I guess. ]

"Pathfinder Tales: Shy Knives" by Sam Sykes
Shaia “Shy” Ratani is a clever rogue who makes her living outside of strictly legal methods. While hiding out in the frontier city of Yanmass, she accepts a job solving a nobleman’s murder, only to find herself sucked into a plot involving an invading centaur army that could see the whole city burned to the ground. Shy could stop that from happening, but doing so would involve revealing herself to the former friends who now want her dead. Add in an aristocratic partner with the literal blood of angels in her veins, and Shy quickly remembers why she swore off doing good deeds in the first place.
Based on the award-winning world of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. 

 [ One word, 'Sam Sykes'. Well, that was two words actually, but whatever, you get the point. ]

"The Blood Mirror" by Brent Weeks
Stripped of both magical and political power, the people he once ruled told he's dead, and now imprisoned in his own magical dungeon, former Emperor Gavin Guile has no prospect of escape. But the world faces a calamity greater than the Seven Satrapies has ever seen... and only he can save it.
As the armies of the White King defeat the Chromeria and old gods are born anew, the fate of worlds will come down to one question: Who is the Lightbringer?

[ To be honest, the one book I read by Brent Weeks (The Way of Shadows) didn't really impress me much, but the internet is quite impressed by him. So I think I should give him another chance. ]

"Lost Gods" by Brom
A young man descends into Purgatory to save his wife and unborn child in this gorgeous, illustrated tale of wonder and terror from the mind of master storyteller and acclaimed artist Brom
Fresh out of jail and eager to start a new life, Chet Moran and his pregnant wife, Trish, leave town to begin again. But an ancient evil is looming, and what seems like a safe haven may not be all it appears . . .
Snared and murdered by a vile, arcane horror, Chet quickly learns that pain and death are not unique to the living. Now the lives and very souls of his wife and unborn child are at stake. To save them, he must journey into the bowels of purgatory in search of a sacred key promised to restore the natural order of life and death. Alone, confused, and damned, Chet steels himself against the unfathomable terrors awaiting him as he descends into death’s stygian blackness.
With Lost Gods, Brom’s gritty and visceral prose takes us on a haunting, harrowing journey into the depths of the underworld. Thrust into a realm of madness and chaos, where ancient gods and demons battle over the dead, and where cabals of souls conspire to overthrow their masters, Chet plays a dangerous game, risking eternal damnation to save his family.  

[ Intriguing concept, somehow I think I will really like this one. ]

"Leman Russ: The Great Wolf" by Chris Wraight
At the the height of the Great Crusade, Leman Russ and his Dark Angel brother, Lion El'Jonson, come into conflict as they pacify the world of Dulan.
Many are the sagas of Leman Russ, Lord of Winter and War, most fearsome of the Emperor’s primarch sons. At the height of the Great Crusade, his Space Wolves fight to bring the rebel world of Dulan to compliance. Enraged by the defiance of the tyrant Durath, Russ has pledged to strike him down personally – but his brother Lion El’Jonson of the Dark Angels advises more caution. With the might of two Legions arrayed against Durath, tensions nevertheless run high, and the rivalry between the Wolf and the Lion threatens to engulf them all.
It's one of the definitive events from Warhammer 40,000 lore, the origins of the ten-millennium-long enmity between the Space Wolves and the Dark Angels. It's a tale that fans have been waiting to read for decades… and now you can. 


[ Second book of the Primarchs series, damn I need these faster. ]