How-to paint 2000 AD Luxor Street Judge with Army Painter Speed Paints.

How-to paint 2000 AD Luxor Street Judge with Army Painter Speed Paints.

Here's a quick, straightforward how-to video showing how I painted a Mongoose Games Luxor Street Judge for use in any 2000 AD Judge Dredd game. The technique is clear, and a big pro for me is its quickness. This is not technical; this is designed to get paint on models and looks good from 3FT.

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Comic Review 244 // Rocket Raccoon and Groot - Tall Tails

Diving into a new book for me. I truly know very little about Groot and Rocket, I haven't watched a Guardian of the Galaxy film either, so I am going in completely blind. Wish me luck!

Title: Rocket Raccoon & Groot: Tall Tails

Writing Team: Skottie Young & Nick Kocher

Illustrator: Filipe Andrade

Blurb: There’s a new criminal mastermind in the galaxy, and it’s - Rocket Raccoon?! How did this happen? Groot knows, but he’s not talking! Well, he is talking, but all he’s saying is - Oh, you know. Diabolical danger, madcap mysteries and astonishing adventure abound in tall tales of everyone’s favorite cosmic double act! Then, Rocket and Groot put the “fun” in “funeral” — but any mirth is only hiding a certain raccoon-like critter’s grief at the death of his mentor in con-artistry. And when Captain Marvel enlists her Guardians of the Galaxy pals to fight in CIVIL WAR II, surely it won’t divide these BFFs. After all, they are Groot, right? All that, plus the unbelievable Gwenpool! If you love adventure, animals, outer space and just about anything in between, this is the book for you!

COLLECTING: ROCKET RACCOON & GROOT (2016) #1-10

Format: 232 pages, Paperback

Buy Online: Amazon Affiliate Link

Review

Well, I am surprised. I enjoyed this book more than expected which surprised me. The comic is split into two parts by the author, the first is written by Skottie Young, whilst the second is by Nick Kocher.

The Skottie half was light-hearted, cartoon focused. The jokes landed well enough but overall were average. I definitely preferred the Nick Kocher three-issue run. The artwork was more detailed and the story arc was a lot more interesting for me.

I am left interested in learning more, but it hasn't helped push the duo higher into my to-be-read list.

If you are Rocket and Groot fan let me know what I should read, to really get me hooked.

Book Review 193 // Secrets of the Tau by Cavan Scott

Delving back into the Warped Galaxies title with Secrets of the Tau. So far, the titles have been enjoyable to read through. Obviously aimed at a younger audience, we are still treated to a thrilling read. I am hoping Cavan Scott can continue this trend with the Tau.

Title: Secrets of the Tau (Warped Galaxies #3)

Buy now via Amazon: LINK

Author: Cavan Scott

Fluff: The third book in the Warped Galaxies series. An exciting new series of sci-fi books for middle-grade readers from Black Library. Brave champions and the forces of the Imperium battle alien beasts and mechanical tyrants across the gulf of space.

Journeying to the bustling spaceport of Hinterland after being saved from certain death by a dubious Rogue Trader, Zelia, Talen and Mekki continue their quest to reach the Emperor's Seat. But much here is not what it seems. Alone in a strange place surrounded by aliens, who can they really trust and what are the secrets of the Tau?  

Review

Having been rescued from the clutches of the Genestealers, our young group starts to experience the wider galaxy and where they are within it. It also allows new characters and locations to be explored now we are thoroughly familiar with the main cast. The first new character is the Rogue Trader, who I feel isn't all they seem. Hardly no crew to speak off or with, and the behaviour patterns of an Inquisitor, I think they can't yet be fully trusted.

But with the aid of the Captain, our team made it to the Hinterland, a Space Station located painfully close to the Tau empire and awkwardly too far away from the watchful eyes of the Imperium. This has led to the place becoming the den of the illegal, be it trade, aliens, gambling or drugs. This setting can be well used to start the discussion of Xenophobia with a child and how the Imperium is not the series' goodies. This may be a complicated conversation, but it seems to be an important one to discuss.

As with previous titles, we see the characters clashing as they discover themselves and grow into adults, but we also see bonds strengthening and some real character growth. The Tau in the novel comes across as almost a mobster group which was fun to see. Also very understandable with the amount of High Tech equipment they have. And with a classic explosive ending, we head off into space on to the next adventure, which, based on the title, involves everyone's favourite - ORKS!!

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Comic Review 182 // 2000 AD Prog 1335

Oooooo excited for this epic double Judge Dredd alien feature. With two cover options! The main cover is by Jock and is the blog post's main image above. It features Judge Dredd shouting while an alien Queen roars in the background. This is portrayed in a stunning orange pallet and really stands out. Then the follow-up image below is by Chris Blythe and shows Dredd about to be swarmed by xenomorphs in a more relaxed colour scheme. Both are very visually striking, and I think Jock's piece takes the win just. I am honestly hoping for an epic finish to the tale.

Okay, straight into the thick of it with Judge Dredd vs. Aliens: Incubus Part 15. It has been a wild ride, lots of action to the series, and this issue does not let up. We get a great scene where Dredd has accepted his fate and gunslinger-style attacks the Queen Alien. This, of course, pisses off the entire nest, it is at this point Judge Giants' team arrives, and we get a Mechanismo vs Queen punch up! The droid loses big time, losing the Nuke it was carrying. With little choice left, Dredd attempts to purge the nest with lava, and it is at this point that I will stop with spoilers. Go read it yourself! It is an excellent ending to great series, and I really hope the follow-up stories stay strong as this was an epic way to reintroduce myself to the prog formats.

Unfortunately, we follow up this incredible story with V.C.s Charon. I can't get into this series! Luckily this is also the last tale for them and has the team attempting to slingshot the Gravity of Pluto's Moon Charon. Unfortunately for the team, their ship is hit, and they plunge into the planet's gravity before disappearing. I assume there is book three, but I am not sad to this end. It is a definite miss for me.

Atavar II Part 7. After attempting to find the Wosk, Atavar and Worldbeaker are left playing chase as they seek out the Wosk who believe their God has arrived to save them. Turns out the giant mass at the core of Rim space is anything but Godly! Turns out the Wosk has invited the bringer of death to all things organic! Great way to end this series. We have gone from searching for an ally to discovering the end of all! After a rough start with this series, I ultimately have grown to enjoy this. Hopefully, Book 3 isn't too far away.

And just like that, we reach an end. A solid book; sad to see the end of the Alien crossover and Atavar but delighted to say farewell to the V.C.s. Let me know what you think of the comic. I love hearing your thoughts.

Until next time cheers for reading!

Road to Necromunda - Lasgun Ganger

I am really digging these Necromunda models, having so much fun thinking up combos and how to build them. For this build, I knew I wanted an all Las-weapon ganger. Take a watch of the video, and if you enjoy it, please follow for more content.

Link to the actual youtube video: https://youtu.be/lt7MoG8eYXw

Would people be interested in a more in-depth look at house delaque? Maybe even some list writing? Let me know in the comments below or comment on the youtube video.

As always, I truly appreciate you reading and stopping by. I welcome input, so please make a comment below.

Book Review 140 // Bug Hunt: Zero to Hero by Weston Ochse / Dark Mother by David Farland / Episode 22 by Larry Correia

Okay, I want to start speeding up the Alien short story reviews. This seemed like a good time as the tales get a bit quicker and harder to write a full post about without giving you a blow-by-blow of the plot.

The first tale this week is Zero to Hero by Weston Ochse. Got to be honest it is a strange one, the main character Corporal Franklin Sykes, is slimy. Having bribed he is way to a remote station, far away from any real action, all he does is play computer games. That is until an issue arises at the mine! Fearing Xenomorphs we discover a true coward until he is pushed into action. Unfortunately for Skyes, the issue seems to stem from Weyland Yutani testing out some bioweapon, and accidentally turning the miners into zombies!

It was a slow-building story but ended surprisingly strongly.

The next tale is Dark Mother by David Farland and follows the company man, Carter Burke. Set in his final hours inside Hadley's Hope, we discover his fate which was not disclosed in the film. We discover Burke was captured by a xenomorph and moved into the nest area. Hear he drifts between the current setting and flashbacks of his childhood. It ultimately explains a lot about Burke and why he behaves the way he does. This story is a true origin piece. I also find the ending to be very satisfying as Burke finally gets his deserved ending.

Pretty good, lacking action but great origin piece.

The final tale this week is Episode 22 by Larry Correia. Going to be upfront and honest, this was not for me and found the story a bit dull. It is a written version of a documentary show discussing the creation of the Pulse Rifle. I get how the right fan would get a kick out of this piece but for me this was a hard miss.

Oh well, can't win them all...right?

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Miniature Monday // Durham Red by Warlord Games and 2000 AD

Welcome back Stront heads! As I am sure you may have guessed we are back with another Strontium Dog paint job. This Durham Red! Here is her back story.

As a result of radioactive fallout (strontium-90) from a nuclear war in 2150, Durham Red was born with a mutation that made her resemble a vampire in appearance and behaviour, although she had no supernatural attributes. Shunned by other mutants, she joined the Search / Destroy agency at a young age, becoming a bounty hunter, or "strontium dog." Whilst working for the agency, she met Johnny Alpha (the lead character in the Strontium Dog series) and they were briefly romantically involved, but he was unable to trust her, and this lead to their relationship ending.

At some unspecified time after Alpha's death, Red became tired of her life and entered suspended animation. She only intended to do this for a couple of years, but she was not awoken until 1,272 years later. She discovered that the human race had spread throughout the galaxy on her revival but was still divided between pure-blood humans and mutants. As a mutant who drank the blood of normal humans, she had become a mythical figure to the mutants, who revered her as a saint ("Saint Scarlet"). Her efforts to end the conflict backfired and only made things much worse, costing the lives of billions. However, she lived for another ten thousand years, and eventually witnessed a renaissance of human civilization. In the last episode of Dan Abnett's stories, it is implied that she became an empress and was responsible for a new golden age of humanity, before faking her death and withdrawing from public life. Stories published since then are set before she entered suspended animation.

As far as my scheme went I kept it simple with her classic comic strip look. Black mohawk, red hair, yellow straps, orange suit, chainmail parts and black boats. Hope you enjoy! I am working on a painting video as you read this. If finished in the time it will be here below.

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Book Review 139 // Exterminators by Matt Forbeck - No Good Deed by Ray Garton

I'm still on these Alien shorts. This time the story is by Matt Forbeck and is titled, Exterminators. The story is a dual cast of Dietrich and Frost, and it helps to explain why they love a flamethrower.

Set on Sullivan 9, Dietrich and Frost slip away for some private R & R. Escaping the watch of their squad, they find a remote dive bar that is definitely illegal and slip in to have a drink. Inside they find a rough crowd, but are ultimately served a drink and left alone. Soon they start to hear tales of insects that are terrorizing the locals, and after some chat, discover one patron is actually inflicted by a bug. Looking at the victim, they discover a bug attached to the man's chest, that is making him sick. When asked why they haven't requested assistance, they are told due to the illegal nature of the bar/area they can't rely on company help.

As the marines are about to head off to get a doctor, it is noted that the insects are forming once more outside. We then have full-blown bug/body horror happening, which ultimately ends with a blown-up bar and a lot of dead locals. Dietrich and Frost survive (though hospitalized), and the story basically ends with Dietrich declaring next bug nest they find, she'll be bringing a flamethrower.

Overall, a bit of a silly story, but a fun quick read, so no issues there.

With that being such a straightforward tale, I am going to dive into the next story. Double feature Thursday!

No Good Deed by Rob Garton is set very early on in the Alien infestation of Hadley's Hope. We join a Bounty Hunter and synthetic, as they track down two escaped Convicts, who had hoped to hide out in Hadley's Hope.

I wasn't really a fan of this one. There was a couple of reasons. 1 - Though the base was suffering from an attack, the locals seemed very indifferent about using the bounty hunter's ship to escape. They instead lock the new arrivals outside. Very noble, and unrealistic in my opinion. 2 - One of the convicts had been genetically tested on and basically rages out into a red hulk. Never heard of this before in the stories, seems to marvel and out there for me. 3) Having seen what is happening the bounty hunter basically goes meh and flies away. Cold, real cold.

Overall unimpressed. The first bad story in the book for me.

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Book Review 137 // Reclamation by Yvonne Navarro

Continuing my run of Alien short stories. I've been enjoying these a lot, so I am going to keep going. Reclamation, a short tale following Corporal Hicks and his career before the film Aliens.

The story begins as one of happiness, with Hicks getting married to Private Rachel Miller. As with most Marine marriages, their time together is cut short, with her unit being sent off-world on a search mission. Through recorded messages, he watches as his wife and her unit deals with the discovery of an alien spaceship. Her final message declares the unit is under attack by "some kind of alien" and then there are no more transmissions.

The mission is sealed away from further mention, and Hick is forced to give up chasing for answers under the fear of court-martial. But he has a plan. It takes five years, but Hick ends up joining a recovery team searching the wreckage of his late wife's ship. Unable to continue the lie, he comes clean to the squad about the ship and his dead wife. Unfortunately for all involved, the aliens on board the ship aren't dead, and soon only Hick's is left alive (plot armour). Sealing the doomed ship, Hick leaves the planet and vows to have his revenge on the strange aliens.

Overall a solid read that gave some real depth to the character Hicks. As a fan of the novel series that followed Aliens, I was always disappointed how they just killed him and Newt off in the third film. I feel this short story justifies my feelings, and how Hick's could have easily been a joint lead in a third film.

As always, I thank you for reading. I hope you will take a moment to use one of the links, and help support the blog. Thank you.

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Audio Review 38 // Asurmen: The Darker Road by Gav Thorpe

Hitting you with more Aeldari audiobooks this week. Sticking with Gav Thorpe, we delve into his Phoenix Lord with a short tale following Asurmen. Let's get the details before we dive in.

Author: Gav Thorpe

Performed by: Gareth Armstrong, John Banks, Steve Conlin, Toby Longworth, Penelope Rawlins, and Genevieve Swallow.

Running time: 71 minutes

Details: It is said the Phoenix Lords arrive on the eve of great moments... Guided by fate, Asurmen the Hand of Asuryan comes to the Craftworld of Ulthwé. At the behest of the head of the seer council, he joins the warriors of Ulthwé and the young seer Eldrad on a quest to the Crone Worlds in search of the oracle Hiron-athela. It is believed that this being, holds an artifact that could safeguard Ulthwé's future, but to obtain it, the Eldar must travel a dark road...

Review

This is a follow-up tale from the Phoenix Lord novel Asurmen. With this novel, we join Asurmen as he travels to the Craftworld Ulthwe. Here he joins forces with the Black Guardians led by Eldard Ulthran and together they travel to a Crone World. Their goal is to claim an artifact that once belonged to the Exodites. The Oracle was created by the Exodites and was then locked away behind some mysterious traps.

Of course, the main characters are Asurmen and a Dire Avenger Exarch who between the pair take charge and lead the Aeldari to their goal. Now like all good novels there is a twist that I will not ruin. But for a 1 hour listen this was great, it had the classic high production values of Black Library and a strong cast of actors killing it. The music was interesting at times but mostly lent to the atmosphere of the tale. I really hope we get more of these in the future. I need more than Asurmen and Jain Zar.

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Comic Review 141 // Durham Red: Empty Suns by Dan Abnett

Just like that, I am on the final 162 pages of Durham Red! It's been a blast and I know there are some e-books for me to enjoy, but I am going to miss Red. Here are the details of the final comic of Durham Red:

Title: Durham Red - Empty Suns

Page Count: 162

Write up: Awakening after 1200 years in suspended animation Durham Red found herself worshipped by the mutants as Saint Scarlet. Persecuted by the human iconoclasts, the mutants entreated her to lead them in a galaxy-spanning holy war against mankind, but Red refused the responsibility.

Collects:

- The Empty Suns Book I (Prog #1362-#1368)
- The Empty Suns Book II (Prog #1382-#1386)
- Necrocultura (Meg #4.12)
- Semblance (Meg #4.13)
- The Spirit and the Gaki (Meg #4.14)
- Children of the Night 1 episode (Meg #4.15)
- Genegun SD (Meg #4.16)
- Red Menace (Meg #4.17)
- In the Flesh (Meg #4.18)

Review

The final chapter has come. Set further into the future the galaxy has now gone to pieces. After being tricked by the super mutant Offspring, Red watched as he used his powers to make the human race sterile. Now, only a few pockets of humanity survive, and where they no longer live, mutants now reign. Sadly now these planets seem to be falling into disrepair or entered weird feudal law systems. Watching the galaxy fall to pieces Matteus Godolkin and a group of the last humans seek out Durham Red in hopes of rescuing the human race.

Of course shit doesn't go to plan. They discover a crazy, feral Durham Red, who with Godolkin has had a son! After restoring her sanity they start tracking down the Offspring's chosen and killing them forcing the Offspring to hunt them down. Then Durham using a Time distortion faces off against the Offspring killing it, but not before the Humans completely die out. Now the galaxy belongs to the mutant!

A great final entry for Durham, it finished off everything very satisfactory, though it felt a little rushed. The artwork was stunning and I enjoyed the story for the space opera it was. Well worth reading if you can find it.

After this, we get seven one-shot stories of Durham Red throughout time. Some are great, some good and some miss the mark for me. But they all add in their unique ways and I hope there will be Durham Red from 2000 AD soon. A great spin-off series.

But what is next? I feel it is time to ease back into Judge Dredd or possibly Anderson. Who knows?

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Miniature Monday // Unboxing Strontium Dog - SD Agents by Warlord Games

Hey, welcome to some more Warlord Games Strontium Dog content. This time it is a simple Youtube unboxing of the SD Agent Set. More of my content can be found at Adventures with Peps, I would love it if you stopped by to say hi.

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Strontium Dog: Repo Men

The Game: The Good, the Bad and the Mutie - Worth it for the miniatures alone.

Audio Review 37 // Hand of Darkness by Gav Thorpe

I'm rather happy to announce that I got my hands on some Aeldari short stories by the one and only Gav Thorpe. I've read rather a few of his stories, and I know he can spin a good one, so let us dive on in.

Title: Hand of Darkness

Author: Gav Thorpe

Actors: Gareth Armstrong, Cliff Chapman, Steve Conlin, Emma Gregory, Matt Hunt, Jonathan Keeble, Toby Longworth, Penelope Rawlins, Melvyn Rawlinson.

Run time: 61 minutes

THE STORY:

Fell is the Hand of Darkness, a relic of great evil. Seeking to rob the powers of Chaos of this relic and bend fate to the favor of order, Yvraine of the Ynnari and the mysterious yet deadly Visarch lead a host of Aeldari on a quest to steal it. To reach it, however, they must first beseech the aid of the Black Library. Only then will Yvraine and her warriors have even the slightest chance to slip through the Garden of Nurgle and from there to the Plague Planet and the Whispering Tower of Mortarion, where the Hand of Darkness surely resides.

Before diving in deep, this title was well acted and absorbed me into the story. This is what I've come to expect from Black Library titles. Set in the aftermath of the galaxy ripping apart, we join the Ynnari on a quest to recover an old artifact. The story is broken into three parts.

Part 1

We are informed what the Hand of Darkness actually is; basically, a world-destroying device that should never see the light of day. We then also listen in as Primarch Guilliman, speaks with Eldard of Ulthwe and Yvraine of the Ynnari, about the object. He sets the Aeldari the task of hunting out the relic, which seems to be hidden away on the Plague Planet.

Review

Good opening - slightly annoys me that old Guilliman is bossing everyone around these days.

Part 2

With a trip to the Black Library in search of a way to get to the plague planet. The Aeldari host discovers the ancient Library besieged by Ahriman and his forces. The Ynnari fight their way in and are greeted by the White Seers. The object they need unfortunately lies behind a sealed door that leads to a zone ruled by the Chaos God Slaanesh. As a small force explores this region the rest of the forces join the battle against Ahriman.

Review

Deserved a full book for this section. It is such an amazing story that could have been so much more! Stepping into the Black Library alone was amazing!

Part 3

Now the real action. Happens pretty quickly son hang on! Yvraine having escaped Slaanesh with her prize, leads the Ynnari against Ahriman. Rapidly crushing their attack and routing the invaders. Using the foul Sorcerer's escape route the Ynnari main characters and some Harliquinns infiltrate the Garden of Nurgle, using it as a shortcut to the Plague planet. From here it is a quick jump to the Hand and the completion of the mission.

Review

Completely rushed and deserved a better ending. Left a little disappointed. Would love for Thorpe to do a rewrite and make a proper novel out of this story as it deserves it.

Overall a solid story but definitely could be better! As always thanks for stopping by and reading. Use any of these links to help support the blog and thank you.

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WIP Wednesday // Aeldari Bonesinger Part 2

Welcome back to a follow-up edition of WIP Wednesday. A couple of weeks back I introduced my Aeldari Bonesinger (follow the link), along with stating I was going to paint it up as Iyanden. Now of course the world never goes smoothly, so I didn't complete the model yet. I did however get the basecoat on. So that is your lot.

As you may be able to see, I started with a black prime and a classic Zenithal Highlight. From here I started applying contrast paints using brown, yellow, and blue shades. Overall rather happy with this quick paint job. My next step will be some highlights to make things pop and then hopefully get the base sorted.

Well, it was a quick check-in and I hope you enjoyed it. As always thanks for stopping by and reading. 

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Comic Review 140 // Durham Red: The Vermin Stars

Continuing the Durham Red fun with The Vermin Stars. Set five years after the first comic Scarlet Cantos, Durham Red, and her crew have arrived back in normal space and are starting to cause trouble again. Here are the official details: 

Title: Durham Red: The Vermin Stars

Author: Dan Abnett

Illustrator: Mark Harrison

Starring vampire mutant Durham Red, this science fiction graphic novel from the pen of "Sinister Dexter" author, Dan Abnett, features a bold mixture of painted and computer-assisted artwork by Mark Harrison.

As far as the story goes, it is very similar to Cantos, in the idea of Mutant vs Mankind. This time though after her five-year adventure in the Vermin Stars, Red seems pro-fighting. She is seeking out mutant terrorist groups to team up with, she is also assassinating high-ranking humans. In her quest to reignite the war, she is destabilizing the galaxy and seems to be getting a following of enemies eager to take her out. But what has caused the change of heart? Well, it would seem that Red has discovered Earth, the original Earth that for some reason was moved and hidden away to be forgotten about during the Dark Age. She also seems to have picked up a new sidekick/mentor but who is this being?

 It is a very good sequel, it keeps up the grim, darkness of the first collection, but manages to keep itself entertaining. The ending to this tale is slightly depressing you have been warned. It shows just how willing Abnett is to sacrifice parts/characters/species to push the story in a new and exciting direction. I am excited to start book three to see where we go next.

Unsurprisingly Harrison continues the beautiful computer-assisted artwork, which is just inspiring. I just love how he makes realistic mutants. They aren't comical looking, they are just mutants, plain and simple, no heads of ducks or eyes from a fly, they are just straight up down on their luck mutants.

Well worth the read!

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Durham Red: The Vermin Stars - but shop around as this is not cheap. This is like gold dust!

Book Review 133 // Chance Encounter by Paul Kupperberg

I felt like I needed a refresher from the Horus Heresy after weeks novel (left a bad taste in my mouth). With this in mind, I treated myself to a $10 kindle Alien book titled: Aliens: Bug Hunt (Amazon Link). Filled with 18 short stories, I felt at 56 cents a story I couldn't go wrong.

The first is called Chance Encounter and is by Paul Kupperberg.

A bit of a classic story arc. The USCSS Typhoon is forced to land on a previously uncharted planet for repairs. They are surprised to find a living biosphere here with low gravity. There are even these weird floating jellyfish that get originally called "Floaters". It is at this stage that the two main characters: London and Warrant Officer Gilmore, discover their first Xenomorph. Which they call a "Leaper". Of course, once reports are filed with Weyland-Yutani, the company demands that the team investigates further and gather samples. Worst yet for the team is when the term "at any cost" is used, causing me some stress, as I know what they mean is: the crew is expendable if a sample can be caught.

It is at this point that the tension goes through the roof. As these un-trained space travelers arm themselves and then head off into the forest in search of Leapers. Of course, our ragtag team is soon ambushed by multiple Leapers. London is captured before being dragged away to a nearby nest. Whilst his future is uncertain, the rest of the team fights off the Leapers, clearing a path out to the somewhat safety of the ship. Forced to leave London behind, the team fights to secure the ship but soon finds themselves besieged by the aliens. As things look most bleak, we discover London still alive in the nest. Rigging his last oxygen tank, London creates an explosion, setting fire to the main nest. With the hive fully alight, the Leapers stop their attack on the ship, before rushing back to rescue their burning nest. During this confusion, the team recovers London and flees the planet. They believe they are empty-handed but safe. Unknown to the rest of the crew though, London had recovered an Egg from the hive, and now dreams of the "bonus money" he will get as he stores the egg in his locker.

Now, of course, this is an Alien story so it needs a twist at the end. But I won't spoil it for you, it is a great classic ending mind.

As always, thanks for checking in and I hope you enjoyed my review?

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WIP // Wednesday Eldar Guardian (or Aeldari) Aringhe Craftworld

Feel like I have fallen behind on my Eldar Craftworld Project. I got heavily distracted by the Strontium Dogs. So here I am declaring that I am going to paint an Aringhe Craftworld guardian. 'Aringhe?' you say. Who the hell are they? This is a very good question. When I googled Aringhe all I got was the word Herring, it is Italian for Herring. Turns out it appeared once in the colours of the Craftworlds article back in 2007, since then it has never had any additional background entered. All that is known is they are red and silver in colour. An interesting choice as you rarely if ever see metallic Eldar. Anyways, with it being a lesser Craftworld I thought I would keep it simple and just go straight up guardian model. There isn't anything that jumps out at me so I don't wish to use a fancier model on this project.

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Comic Review 137 // Strontium Dog: The Life and Death of Johnny Alpha: War Dogs

Speeding through the series now! Strontium Dog: The Life and Death of Johnny Alpha: War Dogs picks up from where the last graphic novel finished. At 144 pages a lot has to get into this story. The story begins with Johnny Alpha captured in a mutant ghetto and being lead away in custody. As discovered in the last story a group of rich "Norms" have taken it upon themselves to sterilize the mutant population and it is up to Alpha to rally the mutant troops and start another war, but not for equality this time, this time it is pure revenge.

I enjoyed a sneak peek into the mutant ghettos of New Britain and the fact that it was mostly set in Norfolk brought a smile to me, as that's where I grew up. The story is full of Wagner's political views based on modern Britain and of course the stunning artwork, we should have a compelling story. Sadly though it doesn't seem to ever hit its stride. Johnny Alpha isn't his normal well-written self, he seems colder, duller and very two-dimensional, whilst different aspects of the story seem painfully rushed. Wagner's writing for this story seems off and missing the mark, maybe he needed more pages to complete a fuller story, whilst Ezquerra seems to get bored of drawing explosion after the first couple which is a shame as it adds to the rushed feeling of the story.

Overall I want to score this high and say go get it, but I can only give it an average at best review. I am left a little disappointed, to be honest. Going to be starting Repo tonight which sees us heading back into Bounty Hunting stories and I hope we can leave the political epics behind us for now.

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Comic Review 133 // Strontium Dog: Traitor to his Kind

Well, I had a lot of fun with Glimmer Rats last week. I found myself missing Strontium Dog, and I felt I had to get back to it. I have completed the official Johnny Alpha arc, but the creative team Wagner and Ezquerra felt like they still had stories to tell. So they managed to squeeze out a few more for us fans. This leads us nicely to the first novel Strontium Dog: Traitor to his kind.

Johnny Alpha – the mutant bounty hunter with the X-ray eyes – has been given his toughest job to date. The mutant underground has kidnapped King Clarkie The Second and the British government want Alpha to secure his release.

Finding himself working for the norms, Johnny must venture deep into the mutant ghetto and deep into his own past. As Johnny unravels a plot to start a new war with the mutants he must ask himself the toughest question. In order to save his own kind can Johnny Alpha betray them?

Written by John Wagner (A History of Violence) with art by Carlos Ezquerra (Preacher), this Thrill-packed tome brings you 2000 AD at its very best!

Right where to begin? The action in this graphic novel seems to take place after The Kreeler Conspiracy. These comics were published between 2000 and 2009 and lucky for us are all written by John Wagner and drawn by the talented but sadly past Carlos Ezquerra. Also with it being a modern piece, it is all fully coloured and a real treat to the eyes.

There are a lot of tales and characters to take in with this book, but rather than break down every story I am just going to go over the highlights. The first tale starred Kid Knee. This is a model I have been eyeing up from Warlord Games, so to read his story was a true highlight for me if a little sad and you can't help but feel a little down after this story. Good opening piece and a telling example of how the theme of this book will go.

The next tale is a prison break job, with our duo coming to the aid of Headly Foot, an ex- SD agent with an ankle and foot on his head. Having been found guilty of crimes he faces prison time until Johnny and Wulf rescue him. But are they being honourable or do they have other motives. Solid enough tale but nothing that really gripped me or inspired me.

Then we hit the title tale - Traitor to his Kind. In this story, King Clarkie has been kidnapped by a group of mutant terrorists. Due to his connection to the English government, Alpha is called in to assist in finding the missing king. This is such an enjoyable read with Johnny Alpha placed in a no-win scenario. If he helps the government he will be forever titled a traitor by his own kind, whilst if he chooses to not help he will have to watch another mutant vs norm war take place. Unsurprisingly Johnny chooses to save the king and become branded a traitor. There are a lot of twists in this comic that I won't reveal, but it is hard to watch it all happen, at times you find yourself wanting to slap people and wake them up to the tragic happenings around them. Amazing story and well worth the price of the issue alone.

We are treated to a fallout story, showcasing how Johnny is treated in the aftermath of the main story, it is a sad state of affairs, to be honest. It didn't really add much and felt a filler piece, but at the same time felt very Strontium Dog. With the duo heading off to claim a bounty with no epicness about. It is a very straightforward bounty job that gets messed up along the way.

The last story; The Glum Affair. Actually feels like a true follow-up to the Traitor to his kind story. As we revisit Glum, who is now in prison awaiting to be executed for killing a policeman. In an attempt to speak to his old friend, Johnny is meet with poisonous contempt and is forced to rescue/kidnap Glum to help prove his innocence. During their time on the run, Glum begins to realize his error and by the end of the story is praising Johnny Alpha once more. The true highlight of the story is the trio visiting a space station that is built as a Las Vegas in space, lots of gambling and criminals are aboard here and the bounty hunting fun soon takes over again, with plenty of twists and turns to keep you interested. This was a very strong ending for the comic and second only to the main story.

Overall the comic made a good job of showcasing Johnny Alpha as a stand-alone character, even when around his own kind. It comes across as aloof and arrogant but is in fact just a lonely lifestyle for the bounty hunter. We then watch what little life he has crumbled away, before getting the redemption tale that was needed. It is a great reworking of the Strontium timeline and I am excited to dive into the Blood Moon graphic novel next.

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Strontium Dog: Traitor to his Kind

Aeldari Craftworlds // Arach-Qin

This week I am working on the next Craftworld Project. Craftworld, Arach-Qin has very little info on it and seems to just be a random snippet in a codex paint guide. Now there seems to be a lot of homebrewed lore, which though interesting seems to lean too heavily on Dark Elf lore from AOS/Warhammer, which though fun, doesn't seem to really fit. With this in mind here is all that is known.

Arach-Qin is an Eldar Craftworld. Little is known about Arach-Qin, other than its existence. It is most likely an extremely minor Craftworld.

Main colours: Black body armour. Red faceplate, beige details.

Got to be honest a very dull paint scheme, didn't enjoy this, but glad I got it done. I would love to hear your thoughts. Let me know in the comments and if you wish to support the blog hit subscribe or use one of the following links:

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