Miniatures Finished: String and Sticky-back Plastic

I was preparing for a demonstration game at the Australian Plastic Model Expo, looking at a Doctor Who scenario, but I changed last minute to Empire of the Dead. Still, I got some stuff painted for eventual Doctor Who games.

Tetraps, from Mark of the Rani, a terrible story, but these were on sale and I have a soft spot for dodgy looking monsters. Warlord.

 

 Rutans, seen only in the story Horror of Fang Rock, but referenced repeatedly as the enemies of the Sontarans. Games Workshop. 

Superhero Media: The Incredible Hulk (2008)

My memory isn't perfect, but I'm pretty sure I had no idea that The Incredible Hulk was part of the same continuity as Iron Man when I saw it until Tony Stark walked in to admonish General Ross. I could be wrong about that, as I was studying Film and Television at the time and kept up pretty well with film press, but I did dedicate less of my mental energy to superheroes and more to student politics, so there you go. The Incredible Hulk tends to be forgotten in any discussion of the MCU, as William Hurt's General Ross is the only character to return thus far, but really nothing in the film contradicts any later film to any real degree, even Bruce Banner and how the Hulk actually functions. As I've mentioned before, I'd really like to see Abomination and The Leader make a significant return at some point, but I doubt too many people have felt that the lack of Betty Ross and Doc Sampson have really been such a drag on the series. Seemingly wanting to differentiate itself as much as possible from the previous Hulk, The Incredible Hulk is more action-focused, and even used the fact that the last 30 minutes of the film is almost entirely a big monster fight as part of its marketing campaign. 

The focus on action does detract a little from the rest of the story, with Hulk's origin being glossed-over in the credits and explained in exposition later, and a lot of visual shorthand taken from The Incredible Hulk television programme. Bruce Banner is on the run in Brazil when an accident involving his blood leads Ross to his door and the chase back to America begins. The scenes shot in Brazil are brilliant, especially the foot chase across favelas, and demonstrate why you should think about setting your superhero games somewhere other than the USA every now and again. As well as General Ross, Bruce and Hulk have to content with Emil Blonski, re-imagined here as a British Commando coming to the end of his career but still keen on getting into the fight. I love Tim Roth as Blonski/Abomination, especially before his transformation, he is brilliantly sinister and the scene where he is hopped-up on super soldier serum and goes toe-to-toe with Jade Jaws is one of the best superhero fights ever put to cinema and also how I imagine my Equalisers character, Wildcat, would look and move. 

The big fight at the end of The Incredible Hulk, between Hulk and Abomination is actually a pretty decent watch for a CGI slugfest, with the battle moving around Brooklyn and taking place on different terrain. Also, the battle starts with Banner taking a dive from a helicopter to transform, in a great nod to The Ultimates, and providing a good gag years later in Thor Ragnarok. Ross and Tony Stark trading barbs in the bar at the end is done brilliantly, especially because it was apparently one take and mostly improvised by Hurt and RDJ. I think a lot of MCU fans kind of wrote The Incredible Hulk off after the recasting of Banner for The Avengers, but when Hurt returned as Ross in Captain America Civil War, that kind of opened things up again. As mentioned above, I'd love a return of Blonski and maybe The Leader, not so much a fan of any ideas about Red Hulk though. If you haven't revisited The Incredible Hulk for a while, or just skipped it in your run through the MCU, it is worth the watch, through probably isn't strictly as good a film as Hulk, if you're more into quality than continuity. 

Kill Team Aesir - Part V

I don't think I've painted a Space Marine for nearly a decade, but once I got the hang of it, they came together pretty quick. Thankfully the Deathwatch have enough detail to keep my interest.

Hogun the Grim, Fandral the Dashing and Volstagg the Bold, all Deathwatch Veterans. 

 

Beta Ray Bill, Thor Odinson and Thunderstrike, also Veterans, though Thor gets run as a Blackshield in Kill Team and a Veteran Sergeant in 40K. 

 

Superhero Media: Underworld Evolution

Is it ok to say that I just don't "get" the Underworld films? Is it just about Kate Beckinsale looking good in a corset and latex pants? Is it the "depth" of the lore? Is it the joy of watching something mindless? Please, let me know. The story picks up with Selene and Michael on the run from the remaining Vampires, hoping to get far enough away so that when the ancient Marcus awakens, they aren't caught and killed immediately. Much of the film is told in flashback and exposition, as Selene and Michael learn the true history of the Vampire and Werewolf clans, with both being descended from warring brothers. There's something of the descent of Cain and Abel in that which I'm assuming isn't intended to ape the White Supremacist interpretation, as these films seem to miss "the ruling classes are monsters" aspect of Vampire fiction to begin with. Selene still gets a chance to prove what a special little Mary Sue she is between long sections of exposition detailing Len Wiseman's homebrew setting for his Vampire: The Masquerade game. 

Yeah, I kind of lost patience with this one, the constant exposition was a bit much, especially because a lot of great British actors I really enjoy have to spout it from scene to scene. Seriously, how much money was thrown at Tony Curran, Bill Nighy, Steven Mackintosh and Derek Jacobi to get them to say shit like "For centuries I've stood back and watched the havoc my sons have wrought on each other, and on humanity - not the legacy I prayed for the morning I watched them enter this world... And it's been a tiresome duty - keeping the war contained, cleaning up the mess, hiding my family's unfortunate history?" Ugh. Jacobi was Cadfael and Emperor Claudius for Thor's sake! The fight scenes of Underworld Evolution are pretty good again, with the gulf between character power levels illustrated well visually and there's a pretty cool Vampire kill with a helicopter in the climax. 

As bad as Blade Trinity was, I can't help feeling, again, that the Underworld series is a pale imitator of the Daywalker, or, as alluded to above, Wiseman's fan-fiction wrote large on the big screen. As far as intersecting Vampires and superheroes, the Blade series sets it up better, with Vampires being hidden behind human society, rather than kept apart and obfuscated by a benevolent immortal. I'm honestly considering not bothering with the rest of the series (there are how many of these?) as whatever charm is supposed to be there just fails to land on me. Then again, I've stuck with the Gamera series through some garbage, so I may as well give another one or two a go. If you're not already a fan of this series, I can't say I recommend it, but hey, I'm a bit jaded on the "Vampire Mafia" thing from too many years of White Wolf roleplaying games anyway. 

Terrain Finished: Concrete Barriers

A while back, I had to order some items from Secret Weapon Bases for my Warhammer 40K/Kill Team stuff and had the usual space in the basket before the shipping jumped up. These Jersey Barriers were sold to me as "plastic", but are PVC resin, rather than unexpanded polystyrene that may be expected from that description. Still, they came together nicely with a little drybrushing and a couple of coats of varnish.

Five barriers isn't a huge amount, but should be enough for my 6'x4' table. 

 

A couple of Primaris Space Marines for scale because they were what I had laying around at the time. 

 

 If the grim dark future or post-apocalypse is more your jam, these would take some wear and bullet holes nicely. 

Superhero Media: Batman & Robin

Zach Snyder apologists, bite on a belt or something, because Batman & Robin is actually a lot of fun to watch now that I'm an adult and don't care how other people perceive my sexuality. What's that, you think Batman & Robin is pretty "gay"? Well it is, though not in the pejorative term, but it is colourful, camp and very musical, all things that we've been conditioned to think Batman "shouldn't" be, and that's a damn shame. This film pays homage to the classic Adam West programme, complete with puns, team-ups, vehicles and gadgets and really deserves more credit and some positive attention once in a while. Do you have to enjoy it? No, if it's not your bag, no harm done. However, if the "gay" elements put you off, check your damn privilege and try to remember that Uma Therman spends most of the film in states of undress. Yes, parts like the nipples on the costumes and Bat-credit card are silly, but they actually pay off for great jokes in the moment. Also, if I can put my nerd hat on, Batman typically carries cash in his utility belt, why not an untraceable EFTPOS card? He has a robot T-rex after all. 

Once the puns start flying and Batman and Robin are fighting an ice hockey team, I'm charmed and much of the film was an enjoyable ride. The change in Bane bugs me, but honestly not as much as in The Dark Knight Rises, at least they kept the Luchidor mask and Venom, and didn't make him the most British Middle Easterner since Prince Faisal in Lawrence of Arabia. I honestly feel Batman & Robin would have been better received if it was a bit shorter, it really does drag on in places, especially with the rivalry between the titular characters, which flares up every few scenes. Robin, now clearly in his twenties, is chafing at being treated as the "Boy Wonder" and wants equal billing with the Dark Knight, who is being overprotective for fear of losing anyone else. It takes the near-death of Alfred for Bruce to realise that he needs partners, not subordinates and he allows Robin and Batgirl to take on more responsibility in the battle with Mister Freeze. There's a scene where Ivy and Bane take on a street gang in neon, day-glo warpaint which I love and would like to reproduce in miniature, if I could find the right paints. 

Batman & Robin isn't a particularly good film, but I do believe it is better than people give it credit for. Much as with the classic Adam West programme, this film provides a contrast to the prevailing image of Batman that really needs more attention. The next Batman film being close in tone to Batman & Robin would probably be pretty bad, but one in which Batman has partners, cracks jokes and smiles occasionally would be a welcome sight. I've said it before, but Batman is much better when he has a team around him, at least Robin, but please feel free to throw in Batgirl, Oracle, Nightwing, Batwoman, Spoiler and more. I have to say that I am now quite sick of Batman films and need to take a break. I think I'll load up on some more Marvel and international films for a little while.

Miniatures Finished - 19/05/19

Feels like my heroes got pushed to the back-burner for my Deathwatch, so I'm glad that I'm able to get some up here again. Even if there are two more Deathwatch in this lot.

Balder the Brave: Just a simple head-swap on this one, Balder comes into the 40k universe as a Deathwatch Veteran with shotgun. Converted Games Workshop. 

Kirby on Warp Star: My packet of Kirbys had more than a few spares in it, so naturally I had to make a Maximilian 1934 version to go with my Ghost Rider and Yamcha. The base is from an old Warhammer giant and it was in my box of spares. Toy. 

Thor (Jane Foster): Just another Heroclix head on a Space Marine, but I've developed a fondness for female Marines and the rage they induce in idiots on the internet. Naturally, Jane gets a hammer and a shield. Converted Games Workshop. 
 

Skrull Infiltrator: As I mentioned way back in my first Superhero Wargames Armies Ideas, making Skrulls is pretty fun and easy, so I've been working on a few to break up other projects. This one is Damien Wayne. Converted Heroclix. 

Juggernaut: After seeing Deadpool 2, I decided I needed a bigger version of Cain Marko. Until a version in prison fatigues is available, this one is pretty impressive. Heroclix. 

Skrull Infiltrator: It looks as if  the skrulls have agents even in the mysterious Foot Clan! Most of my Skrull conversions are based on whatever I have spare in my Heroclix, so there's no real plan, other than to avoid any major characters and avoid too much Marvel stuff. Heroclix. 

Superhero Media: End of Evangelion

One of the worst achievements of the internet is amplifying the voice of small and toxic elements of communities, particularly fanbases of niche genre work. Due to the unique and compelling elements of Neon Genesis Evangelion (NGE), it quickly developed a huge following, both in Japan and internationally, being one of the major features of early internet "Fandom" websites. As discussed in the NGE review, quite a large proportion of the fanbase was disappointed with the final episodes of the programme focusing on Shinji's internal struggle against his own depression and anxiety, rather than delivering on a final battle against the angels. Part of the reason behind the lower-energy episodes was a lack of budget and a need to recycle footage, but, as interviews with Hideaki Anno reveal, the end result was pretty close to how he had pictured it initially. With the negative reaction from the fans came not only complaints and online ire, but actual death-threats sent to Anno and the team that worked on NGE. With the demand for more NGE and a more satisfying ending, Anno and crew produced End of Evangelion, a massive "fuck off" to the angry fans and reinforcement for the original ending of the progamme. 

End of Evangelion is more heavy on the action, with one of the best fight scenes in the series as Asuka takes on the horrific Units 5 through 13, powered to full by her mother's unconditional love. Meanwhile, Shinji is curled into a ball, crying and waiting to die. In fact, nothing good really happens to Shinji for the entire film, he cries and refuses to help as the women that care about him fight and die; that is what Anno thinks about you, entitled fanboys. Whilst Shinji was never the best person, and more than a little selfish, in End of Evangelion he attempts to murder Asuka three times, commits sexual assault and presents as suicidal to get attention. I honestly can't think of a bigger authorial backlash against the fandom until The Last Jedi. I do believe that works belong to the author more so than the audience, so when there is a violent backlash against an author, I'm usually in their corner. That said, is taking shots at any part of the fandom ever really justified? Well, I believe so, but I'm getting less tolerant of arseholes as I get older, and the kind of person that insists that Shinji, the Joker, Travis Bickle and/or Tyler Durden are their hero[es], tend to be the biggest, nastiest arseholes. 

End of Evangelion is not a replacement to the finale of NGE, but is a compliment for Shinji's internal struggle as depicted in those episodes, showing the external behavior driven by the internal strife. Probably my favourite element of End of Evangelion is that everyone gets closure, but not what they want. Gendo completes his plan, only to not get his wife back and be killed by Rei. Risuko reconciles with her mother before Gendo kills her. Askua finds out that her mother loved her all along just before she is hacked apart brutally. Shinji no longer has to be alone, but the only other person in his world is the person who hates him the most. There's a They Might Be Giants song called "Don't Let's Start" which has the line "No one in the world ever gets what they want, and that is beautiful/Everybody dies frustrated inside and that is beautiful", and it is that sentiment which best sums up End of Evangelion for me. Everybody gets a bad ending and there is a beauty to that. Go, live you life and don't put so much emphasis on anime and the pop culture you use to define yourself.