Comic Review - NorthStars Volume 1

With the holiday season in full swing and everyone gearing up for Christmas and other winter holidays, lots of people are in the mood for some good holiday specials. While Christmas themed comics are rather rare, some options can be found. One such story is the light fantasy adventure comic NorthStars. Can this book put you in the holiday spirit?

Let’s look at NorthStars.

STORY

The story takes place in the magical region of Polaris, located in the area around Earth’s North Pole, and the residents of the town of Snowville, where Santa Claus lives, are getting ready for Christmas. Our two protagonists are Holly Claus, Santa’s daughter, and Frostina, the princess of the yetis, while the dark Christmas demon Krampus appears as our main villain. When Krampus steals a magical artifact that Santa needs for his Christmas deliveries, Holly and Frostina take it upon themselves to get it back and save the holiday.

The story is a nice little adventure. The girls do come across some genuine threats and switch between either fighting through them (with Frostina doing most of the fighting) or solving them with some creative thinking. There are also some good jokes peppered throughout the story, reminiscent of Adventure Time. While there isn’t any deeper story going on, at least in this volume, traveling with these characters and learning more about the world they inhabit and the kinds of other creatures and characters that live in it is itself engaging.

CHARACTERS

The characters that get the most exploration in this story are Holly, Frostina, and Krampus, as we see how they behave around others and what their motivations are. Sorry if you expect to see Santa appear throughout, but he only appears briefly at the start and in flashbacks. There isn’t much character development in the protagonists, as Holly and Frostina aren’t challenged in any big way, but since there are other comics in this series, this can be seen as more of an introduction to the characters and the world. We learn a few small things about the characters, like Holly being able to jump higher than a normal person and Frostina being very strong, and we are sure to learn more about them as the series progresses.

We also learn a fair bit about Krampus as portrayed in this story. While Santa’s job is to reward nice people with presents (or coal if they’re not so nice), Krampus goes out to punish the naughty, though sometimes he goes too far with his punishments. Also, it’s said he wants to take over control of Christmas from Santa and that’s why he goes through with his plan in this story. He also has powerful magic at his disposal and can even summon creatures to do his bidding. His basic motivations are laid out and he has room in the series to grow into a threatening villain.

VISUALS

This comic has a colorful and cheerful art style, fitting seeing the holiday it draws its inspiration from. A lot of characters and parts of the setting make use of white, reds, and greens, which set in the Christmas theme nicely. The characters look vibrant and interesting with a lot of variation while still fitting in with the world of the story. Even some of the elves in Santa’s workshop have distinct looks. Settings range from the quaint snowy town of Snowville to the subterranean mushroom village of Undertown and there are creatures from soldiers made of straw to ice dragons. It wants readers to go further to explore more of this world.

FINAL THOUGHTS

NorthStars is a fun and entertaining comic that presents itself as a Christmas-themed Adventure Time style story. There is a large world to explore with interesting characters to lead you through it. While the plot isn’t that deep, there is plenty of humor and clever scenes to keep you moving through the story that will hopefully be expanded on in future issues.

SCORE: 4/5

 REREAD VALUE: MODERATE

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What did you think of this review? Does this comic sound like something you want to check out? Make your voice heard in the comments below. Thanks for coming!

Comic Review - Street Fighter vs. Darkstalkers

As can probably be figured out from some of my other articles, I’m a bit of a fan when it comes to fighting games, crossovers, and Capcom. Even further, one of my favorite Capcom series is the monster-centric fighter Darkstalkers. So, when a comic was announced focusing on a crossover between Capcom’s biggest fighting series and my personal favorite Capcom series, this was definitely going to be something to look for. Street Fighter vs. Darkstalkers, created by Udon Comics, was released over eight issues, which was later compiled into two graphic novels, covering a main story and a few small bonus stories. We’ll be covering the two graphic novels, to get an impression of the mini-series as a whole.

Let’s look at Street Fighter vs. Darkstalkers.

STORY

The story seems to take place during the events of Street Fighter V, with the presence of characters like Rashid and Laura, and bit after Darkstalkers 3, with characters like Jedah and Lilith present, and it seems like both series share the same universe. I like this element because you can reasonably think that characters from either series could potentially bump into each other. We've seen something similar with Street Fighter, Final Fight, and Rival Schools.

The main story seems to take place in the Makai Realm, the home world of monsters from Darkstalkers. Powerful demon Jedah and leader of the Illuminati Gill have joined forces and have come up with a plan to harvest fighting energy to power up an ultimate weapon. To this end, they have taken several strong fighters from Earth into this other dimension to fight against the monsters there and absorb the energy generated from their battles. Our protagonists here are a group of 3 Street Fighter characters (Ken, Chun-Li, and Sagat) and 2 Darkstalkers characters (Felicia and Jon Talbain) who are now trapped in this alternate dimension and trying to find their way back to Earth, with more fighters joining them later in the story.

The main villains’ plan sounds really supernatural and grandiose, but that should be par for the course given the two series involved. The story is fast-paced and action packed, but still easy to keep up with. As the heroes travel together and talk with each other, themes come through about overcoming prejudice, particularly with Felicia and Jon who are “monsters” who choose to make their home on Earth among humans, and overcoming one’s inner struggles, particularly Sagat, a former criminal, though circumstances see Ken and Chun-Li dealing with their own inner struggles as well.

Aside from that, there are also a bunch of different side stories about the characters meeting each other and what interactions result from them, like B.B. Hood trying to hunt Blanka, Rashid exploring Anakaris’s tomb, or Hsien-Ko and her sister Lei Lei trying to exorcise Gen’s spirit. Most of these don’t add anything to the main story, but they’re nice to see how other characters are handling this collision of worlds.

CHARACTERS

Several characters appear in this comic from both games, from central characters like Ryu and Morrigan to more obscure characters like Nash and Rikou, and from the protagonists of the comic down to even one-panel cameos. They all look and act how they feel in the source material and they even use some of their special moves in combat. The references to the games even pull in some alternate forms of different characters at certain points. The comic lets readers explore more of these fighters’ personalities more than in the game because you get to see them do more than exchange a couple of lines of banter before Round 1 of a match begins. You get to see more about their drives and motivations, their likes and dislikes.

The downside however, is that the comic assumes that readers have at least some level of knowledge of these series beforehand. It does a very basic job of explaining who these characters are and why they do what they do. While some may see it as a good thing, laying down the basics for each major player then diving straight into the plot, some people who don’t know much about Street Fighter or Darkstalkers and are just looking for a good action comic might find it more convenient to know why the Muay Thai fighter is throwing fireballs.

VISUALS

The comic features anime-style art that is consistent with the looks of the games. The characters and environments are colorful and vibrant, even in the monster world, where one might expect things to look a little more gothic and somber. The designs of original characters and creatures not from the games (who are limited to side roles) are also creative and, while they don’t stand out compared to the game canon fighters, they still fulfill their roles well enough.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Street Fighter vs. Darkstalkers is a good action-adventure comic that offers stylish fight scenes, vibrant art, and a good epic story for the number of issues this mini-series has. While readers who are fans of both video game series will have the most to gain from these comics, they are still a fun read for those looking for a good story with a supernatural spin.

FINAL SCORE: 4/5

 REREAD VALUE: MODERATELY HIGH

The Arsenal: Batman (DC Comics)

Welcome to The Arsenal, where we look at the best weapons and items used by different characters in media. In this entry, we’re looking at the best equipment used by Gotham’s dark knight, one of the members of the DC power trio, the Batman. Batman has had a lot of gadgets over his long history in comic books, but for this list, we’re focusing on items that he is likely to carry on him regularly.

What are the best items in this iconic hero's utility belt? Let's find out.

Here is the Arsenal of Batman.

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Best Mobility Item - Grapple Gun
One of the most well-known pieces of Batman's inventory, the Grapple Gun has seen a lot of use over the years, which just proves how effective of a tool it is. Batman uses this to reach high areas he is unable to climb to, use the rafters of a building to flank an enemy, recover from a fall, and more. 

Best Infiltration Item - Lock Pick
It may not be the flashiest thing that Batman carries with him, but when he is trying to take the subtle approach when sneaking around a villain's lair, trying to kick down a locked door just won't do. That's where the lock pick comes in handy. Just a little work with this little tool and Batman can make his way through a locked door, chest, or explosive locked with key no problem.

Best Environmental Item - Gas Mask
Considering how many of Batman's rogues gallery utilize airborne toxins in their schemes, from the Joker to Scarecrow to Poison Ivy, a good gas mask is invaluable when facing down these villains. Putting this on allows Batman to fight unhindered even if a room is flooded with mutant plant spores, fear toxin, Joker venom, or whatever else the villains decide to blow his way. Fighting bad guys is a lot easier when you don't have to worry about poison gas throwing you off.

Best Surveillance Item - Mask Visor
Part of the package of being Batman is being an incredible investigator and detective, so it goes without saying that any tools that can help that only make his job go smoother. Built into the lenses of the cowl of the Batsuit, this visor can switch settings to infrared, ultraviolet, and night vision, and some depictions of it can even identify the weak points of an enemy. So, not only can it identify threats and allow him to avoid detection, but it can even aid in combat.

Best Batarang - Explosive Batarang
The Batarang is such an iconic part of this hero's inventory, it warrants having its own category. Apart from his own two fists, this bat-shaped shuriken is Batman's go-to offensive weapon. It even has different varieties that produce different effects upon hitting a target, from producing gas to a simple tracking device. The one highlighted here however is the Explosive Batarang. Mostly used against destructible enemies, like robots, or powerful villains where the normal Batarangs just won't do, the explosive variety packs a bit more wallop, either blowing up on contact or on a time-delay.

Best Other Weapon - Freeze Blast
First seen in the video game Batman: Arkham City, the Freeze Blast is an ice grenade created by Mr. Freeze that can encase whatever it hits in ice, be they enemies that need to be immobilized or obstacles that can be shattered after being frozen. They become very useful when Batman really wants to get the drop on a bunch of thugs; he could freeze some of them and fight the rest without having to worry too much.

Best Escape Tool - Smoke Pellets
Simple smoke bombs may not be as impressive as some of the other pieces of Batman's equipment, but their usefulness shouldn't be underestimated. Whenever Batman needs to make a quick getaway from a place without being seen or an effective entrance into a place swarming with thugs, a good cover of smoke can mask his entrance so people can't see him coming or going.

Best Vehicle - The Batmobile
While vehicles like the Batplane have other features that the land-based Batmobile doesn't have (not the least of which includes being able to fly), as stated a few times before here, Batman thrives on stealth and surprise and a plane is a little less stealthy than a car. On top of being Batman's primary method of transportation, the Batmobile is an armored vehicle loaded with its own arsenal of gadgets that allows batman to quickly get to where he needs to go and can even be remotely summoned when he needs it.

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What did you think of these picks? What's your favorite Batman gadget? Who else do you think has an arsenal worth observing? Make your voice heard in the comments below. Thanks for coming!