August 2017 New Comics To Watch For

I know I am always behind on my comics list, but I have got to catch up now as the year is ending soon.

INHUMANS: ONCE AND FUTURE KINGS #1 (of 5)
Written by Christopher Priest & Ryan North
Art by Phil Noto & Gustavo Duarte

SOMEDAY, ALL OF THIS WILL BE YOURS!
A king in training. A brother destined for madness. These are the early days of the Boltagon legacy. When the king of the Inhumans is attacked, Black Bolt and Maximus spring into action to save their leader! But when Black Bolt loses control, what are the consequences for his future kingdom – or his own family? Plus: A two-page backup (in every issue!) starring Lockjaw, as told by UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL writer Ryan North and artist supreme Gustavo Duarte!

DARK KNIGHTS: METAL #1 (of 6)
Written by Scott Snyder
Art & Cover by Greg Capullo & Jonathan Glapion

The superstar BATMAN team of writer Scott Snyder and artist Greg Capullo reunite for a massive, universe-spanning event!
DARK NIGHTS: THE FORGE and THE CASTING hinted at dark corners of reality that have never been seen till now! Now, as DARK NIGHTS: METAL begins, the Dark Multiverse is revealed in all its devastating danger—and the threats it contains are coming for the DC Universe!
DARK NIGHTS: METAL is a DC event unlike any other—one that will push Batman, Superman and heroes of the Justice League beyond their limits to take on threats unlike any our world has ever seen! It will take the combined might of the World’s Greatest Heroes as you’ve never seen them before to face what’s coming their way!

MISTER MIRACLE #1 (of 12)
Written by Tom King
Art & Cover by Mitch Gerads

From the team behind THE SHERIFF OF BABYLON and the Hugo Award-nominated writer of Vision comes a unique new take on one of Jack Kirby’s most beloved New Gods.
Scott Free is the greatest escape artist that ever lived. So great that he escaped Granny Goodness’ gruesome orphanage and the dangers of Apokolips to travel across galaxies and set up a new life on Earth with his wife, the former female fury known as Big Barda. Using the stage alter ego of Mister Miracle, he has made a career for himself showing off his acrobatic escape techniques. He even caught the attention of the Justice League, which counted him among its ranks.
You might say Scott Free has everything...so why isn’t it enough? Mister Miracle has mastered every illusion, achieved every stunt, pulled off every trick—except one. He has never escaped death. Is it even possible? Our hero is going to have to kill himself if he wants to find out.
Written by Tom King (BATMAN) and illustrated by Mitch Gerads (The Punisher), this is a MISTER MIRACLE unlike any you’ve read before.

NIGHTWING: THE NEW ORDER #1 (of 6)
Written by Kyle Higgins
Art & Cover by Trevor McCarthy

NIGHTWING: THE NEW ORDER is the story of a future world without “weapons”—where superpowers have been eliminated and outlawed. The man responsible? None other than Dick Grayson, a.k.a. Nightwing, now leader of a government task force called the Crusaders who are charged with hunting the remaining Supers. But when events transpire which turn the Crusaders’ aim toward Grayson’s own family, the former Boy Wonder must turn against the very system he helped create, with help from the very people he’s been hunting for years—the last metahumans of the DC Universe. Don’t miss this bold new vision from the team behind the New York Times bestseller BATMAN: GATES OF GOTHAM!

REDLANDS #1
Story & Art by Jordie Bellaire, Venesa R. Del Rey

A brand-new horror book from the minds of Eisner Award-winner JORDIE BELLAIRE (PRETTY DEADLY, Vision, Batman) and critically acclaimed artist VANESA R. DEL REY (ZERO, Scarlet
Witch, Constantine) brings you to the sleepy, sunny town of Redlands, Florida. The police are failing to maintain control of their old-fashioned town, and a coven of killer witches plan to take everything from them. This summer, hide your bibles.

ELSWHERE #1
Written by Jay Faerber
Art & Cover by Sumeyye Kesgin & Ron Riley

COPPERHEAD WRITER JAY FAERBER TEAMS WITH RISING STAR SUMEYYE KESGIN TO UNVEIL ELSEWHERE: THE FANTASTIC STORY OF WHAT REALLY HAPPENED TO AMELIA EARHART!
Mysteriously transported to a strange new world filled with flying beasts and alien civilizations, Amelia desperately struggles to return home. Along the way, she forges alliances and makes enemies as she goes from aviator to freedom fighter in a rebellion against a merciless warlord!
"Get lost in this other world and you'll be in the best company." - KIERON GILLEN (THE WICKED + THE DIVINE)

FIRST STRIKE #1 (of 6)
Written by Mairghread Scott & David Rodriguez
Art & Cover by Max Dunbar

A Hasbro comic book event! A new era of peace is dawning as Earth formally joins the Cybertronian Council of Worlds. That is… until Baron Ironblood joins Destro, Storm Shadow and other nefarious villains in a terrorist attack on Iacon! As chaos takes hold on Cybertron, it will be left to Scarlett and the rest of G.I. Joe on Earth to discover the true purpose behind the attack before both worlds descend into all-out-war!

MECH CADET YU #1 (of 4)
Written by Greg Pack
Art & Cover by Takeshi Miyazawa

Once a year, giant robots from outer space come to Earth and bond with young cadets from the elite Sky Corps Academy to defend the world from the terrifying aliens known as the Sharg. It’s a great honor to be chosen, but this year...well, the wrong kid was picked.
Greg Pak (Totally Awesome Hulk) and Takeshi Miyazawa (Ms. Marvel) team up for an action-packed adventure perfect for fans of Amadeus Cho and Pacific Rim!

WAR MOTHER #1 (of 4)
Written by Fred Van Lente
Art by Stephen Segovia

BECAUSE YOU DEMANDED IT — WAR MOTHER RETURNS IN A RIVETING NEW SERIES! Out of the pages of 4001 A.D., the breakout hero of 41st century charges onward in an high-powered tale of tomorrow from New York Times best-selling writer Fred Van Lente (ARCHER & ARMSTRONG) and high-octane artist Stephen Segovia (NINJAK, Action Comics)!
Two millennia from today, Earth is not the hospitable home we once we knew. Ravaged by an endless onslaught of war, disaster, and time, the world is littered with desolate badlands, fortified kingdoms, and secretive enclaves where humanity still clings to life… Enclaves like The Grove – Earth’s last known repository of scientific knowledge and bioengineered prosperity. Now, under the leadership of the lone protector called WAR MOTHER and her sentient sniper rifle, the denizens of The Grove face a critical choice: remain where they are and die, or find a new land and flourish. Can War Mother lead her people out of isolation and reignite the fires of a dying planet? And even if she can locate the distant citadel she seeks, can she fight back the horrors and perverse monstrosities that lurk just beyond her doorstep?
In the footsteps of RAI and BOOK OF DEATH, raw power meets tribal warfare as Fred Van Lente & Stephen Segovia forge a modern myth of the near future through the fire-tempered frontier of 41st century Earth for Valiant’s next stunning science-fiction showdown!

[ Quite a few good releases from DC as well as some very interesting stuff from other small publishers. August is quite a strong month for comics. ]

New Book review - The Last Sacrifice

Book - The Last Sacrifice   
Writer - James A. Moore   
Series - Tides of War #1    
Published By - Angry Robots
 
Grim dark as a genre has become quite predictable now a days. There is some quality writing by quality authors yet it is becoming more and more difficult to find original works. We all love some gore and name calling and graphic sex yet it does get tiring at times as the storyline keeps getting similar. But ‘James A Moore’ did dive into the new series with his unique sense of characters & built up the story to achieve new concepts while taking elements from some other subgenres to enrich the experience for his readers.

Book Review - Tome of the Undergates

Book - Tome of the Undergates
Writer - Sam Sykes  
Series - Aeons' Gate #1 
Published By - Gollancz / Pyr
 
Let me begin this review with a fair warning, this one is not something everyone will enjoy. If you are a fan of epic fantasy with a sprawling world and lots of interesting races and characters this book is not for you. If you are fan of grimdark fantasy with tragic heroes and super serious, gritty fight scenes please look elsewhere. If you like the author to hold your hand while he introduces the world and its inhabitants and has a delicate prose style that will relax you, no chance, turn away please.

September 2017 New PC Games To Watch For

September really is quite a strong month for PC games with some high quality releases a few among which might be in most end-of-the-year lists for sure.

Tooth and Tail

Tooth and Tail is a real-time strategy game released in 2017 by Pocketwatch Games for Windows, MacOS, Linux and PlayStation 4. Production on Tooth and Tail began in 2014. Tooth and Tail (originally named Armada and later Lead to Fire) was envisioned by Pocketwatch Games as "popcorn" or "RTS distilled" that would be accessible to genre newcomers. In an interview with Polygon, the game's design was described as "one button" RTS that would make playing with a controller manageable. Tom Marks of PC Gamer described the single player campaign as being "like a bite-sized StarCraft campaign." The game was released on 12 September 2017.

Divinity: Original Sin II

Divinity: Original Sin II is a role-playing video game developed and published by Larian Studios for Microsoft Windows. The sequel to 2014's Divinity: Original Sin.As with Divinity: Original Sin, players can play fully solo with only one character in their party, or with up to three others. Several pre-made characters with backstories are available to the player. Players are also able to create a custom character, and choose their stats, race, gender, and origin story at the start of the game. They can recruit up to three companions to assist them although mods in the Steam Workshop exist which increase the maximum number of party companions. A skill crafting system allows players to mix and change their skills. The game also features a competitive multiplayer mode, where players are divided into two different teams and fight against each other in an arena map. It was released worldwide on 14 September 2017.

Dishonored: Death of the Outsider

Dishonored: Death of the Outsider is an action-adventure stealth video game developed by Arkane Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. It is the third game in the Dishonored series, following Dishonored 2, and was released 15 September 2017 on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. It follows former-assassin Billie Lurk as she finds her mentor Daud and aids in his quest to kill the Outsider, a supernatural being who bestows magical powers on a select few.

Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite

Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite is a fighting video game developed and published by Capcom. It is the sixth main entry in the Marvel vs. Capcom series of crossover games. Like previous installments, players control characters from both the Marvel Comics and Capcom universes to compete in tag team battles. Infinite features two-on-two fights, as opposed to the three-on-three format used in its preceding titles. The series' traditional character assists have been removed; instead, the game incorporates a tag-based combo system, which allows players to instantly switch between their two characters to form continuous combos. It also introduces a new gameplay mechanic in the form of the Infinity Stones, which temporarily bestow players with unique abilities and stat boosts depending on the type of stone selected. Infinite was released in September 19, 2017 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows.

SteamWorld Dig 2

SteamWorld Dig 2 is a 2D platform action-adventure video game developed and published by Image & Form. It is the fourth installment in the SteamWorld series of games and the direct sequel to 2013's SteamWorld Dig. Just like its predecessor, SteamWorld Dig 2 revolves around mining. The main character of the game is Dorothy, a steam-driven robot who also appeared in SteamWorld Dig as an ally. Like Rusty, the protagonist of SteamWorld Dig, Dorothy uses a pickaxe to create paths through an underground world by mining cubes of ground away. Besides mining resources and orbs, players will also fight enemy creatures that come on their path. Compared to its predecessor, SteamWorld Dig 2 features an increased focus on platform elements and a Metroidvania-style underground world. It was released on Steam for Microsoft Windows on September 22, 2017.

Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony

Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony is a visual novel adventure game developed by Spike Chunsoft for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita and Microsoft Windows. It is the third main title in the Danganronpa series and the first in the franchise to be developed for home consoles. Danganronpa V3 continues the same style of gameplay as the first two Danganronpa games, which is split into School Life and Class Trial segments. During School Life, players interact with other characters and progress through the story until coming across a murder, after which they must gather evidence for use in the Class Trial. The game was released on September 26, 2017 on Steam.

Total War: Warhammer II

Total War: Warhammer II is a turn-based strategy and real-time tactics video game developed by Creative Assembly and published by Sega. It is part of the Total War series and the sequel to 2016's Total War: Warhammer. The game is set in Games Workshop's Warhammer Fantasy fictional universe. The game was released for Microsoft Windows-based PCs on 28 September 2017.

[ While not overly packed with games this just might be the best of this year in terms of quality. Except the first one (which is a cute little piece)  the rest of this list is all packed with big names or sequels of popular franchises. ]

New Book Review - The Vagrant

Book - The Vagrant
Writer - Peter Newman  
Series - The Vagrant #1 
Published By - HarperVoyager

Never did I think a book with such sparse dialogue could have the ability to establish such a detailed world and portray such fascinating characters. 'The Vagrant' does the unthinkable with its mute protagonist wandering through a vivid and weird post apocalyptic landscape while trying to reach the Shining City with his unlikely companions and the reader is literally enthralled throughout his unorthodox yet engrossing journey.

Android Game Review - Postknight

Game Name - Postknight
Publisher & Developer - Kurechii
Platform - Android, iOS
Genre - RPG, Adventure
 
Postknight is a RPG for mobile devices, and that is what he tries to be wholeheartedly. The gameplay is designed specifically to cater to the taste of mobile gamers while tried to infuse various elements of RPG's to add depth and keep it engrossing for a longer period of time to its players. In a platform severely lacking in original RPG's (most good ones on mobile are ports) Postknight is almost a breath of fresh air.