Punks and Pixie Dynamos – Boom Bandits Volume 2 Review

A while back I reviewed a copy of Boom Bandits, and really enjoyed it. I’ve finally picked up the next volume, which was released in November 2022, and it’s an absolutely fantastic continuation of the first story.

The imagery is fantastic. The punk rocker aesthetic is dialed up to eleven and we get even more insight into the world that Bruno Stahl has developed. The story moves at breakneck speed, and the characters are unique and interesting. Characters we met in the first issue return, and we’re introduced to a few new faces as well.

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Gramps and Guttersnipes: A Review of Boom Bandits

We’ve all heard the term, OK boomer, used as a pejorative towards someone who is spouting a view that isn’t very progressive. But what would happen if the “boomers” of the world were able to live forever and us young, bloody millennials, were destined to die before the age of 40? This is a world that is explored in the new Indie comic series Boom Bandits.

Written and illustrated by Bruno Stahl, Boom Bandits is a dystopian, cyberpunk, social commentary mash up that takes place in a world after a cult was able to perfect a cure to aging, but it was only available to cult members. From this they built a society built on privilege where people who did not fit into their way of thinking were discarded to the ruins of the old world. These discarded people, labelled Guttersnipes, are made up of free thinking progressives who have no choice but to live in poverty in Scar City.

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I Demand Satisfaction

OR: HOW I LEARNED MY ANGER IS JUSTIFIED.

We have written a few articles on this site about fandom, nerddom and the like, but I feel that we often spend the majority of the time condemning fans for wanting things they love to match their expectations- without ever really trying to think about things from their side.  

I’m going to do something out of character: I’m going to try to see how I’ve been wrong and dive into why the angry fanboy is right- even if what they do with their anger is wrong. No matter how much you hate any piece of media, you can trust that people (not all of them, sure) poured their blood sweat and tears into it and any personal attacks are not only a waste of time, but outright cruel.  To do this, I’m going to be looking at some recent films and TV shows and spoil the hell out of them, so be warned….

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Blood, Grit and Skulls: Garth Ennis’ The Punisher MAX 15 Years Later

Garth Ennis has always been known for more adult comic writing and his series Preacher is a perfect example of this. However, his writing has also always had a sense of humour to it. He had been brought on to re-launch The Punisher with Welcome Back Frank in 2000 and after a successful run under the Marvel Knights imprint, he wanted to try something different. In 2002 Ennis teamed up with Darick Robertson and wrote a proposal for a short run of comics about Frank Castle’s time in Vietnam. This outline would ultimately become The Punisher: Born. This became the framework story for the series, detailing the differences between Castle and another main character in the series, a young Private called Stevie Goodwin.

At this time, the MAX imprint was relatively new. It was created in 2001 when Marvel broke from the Comic Codes Authority to establish their own rating system. The first series in the MAX line was the Jessica Jones Alias series- which served as inspiration for the recent Netflix series. The MAX line allowed artists and writers greater freedom to tackle more adult storylines. It wasn’t just about blood, gore, swearing and nudity- the stories would tackle hard hitting themes such as rape and also give readers the first ever star of their own comic that was openly gay (Rawhide Kid). The MAX imprint was essential for Garth’s Born mini-series. It allowed them the freedom to really drive home the horrors of war. With the success of Born, a new series of The Punisher was greenlit with the first issue premiering in March 2004.

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Why Can’t DC and Marvel Just Be Friends?

“I’m more of a DC guy.  I’m a Marvel girl.”

Everyone I’ve ever known who was into comics has said a version of this at some point in their lives – myself included, and to some extent, I get it. Much like the old Coke vs Pepsi argument, while being essentially the same product, they have a slightly different flavor.  But as I’ve gotten older I’ve sort of started to soften on my edges and ask why? Why, if I love Star Wars is it forbidden to love Star Trek? Xbox vs Playstation? Chicago Hope Vs E.R.? Okay that last one is a bit of a throwback, but you get what I’m saying.

It’s very strange to love something, so much that you’ll fight with your friends and family for hours about it, when from an outside perspective, it’s all basically the same thing! Personally, I think the ultimate argument is DC vs Marvel. It’s a huge rivalry, and it’s entirely stupid.  Throughout the history of both of these companies, they have ripped each other off so many times that the argument of who is better is moot; they are the same. I’m going to go through some of the big arguments and see if I can poke enough holes to try to end this crazy rivalry.

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Comic-Con: A Four-Day Love Affair Spanning Sixteen Years

COMIC-CON is a yearly event that holds a special place in my heart, and I’m here to take you on a four-day journey spanning sixteen years!

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Christopher Ortiz, and I have been going to the San Diego Comic-Con for sixteen years. Sixteen years of delightful nerd memories that have taken me on this mysterious journey we call life.

 

“Theme From Jurassic Park,” by John Williams. That’s the song I hear come July when I arrive at the San Diego Convention Center. You know the tune, and you sure as hell know the scene; Sam Neil, Laura Dern, and – nerd God himself – Jeff Goldblum are all sitting in Jeeps waiting to see just what the hell Richard Attenborough is so enthusiastic about, when out of nowhere a dinosaur emerges. They are speechless, filled with wonder at the sight, and we as an audience are right there with them. Words don’t suffice, hence those stunning visuals, and that soul-stirring music.

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