Schlock Mercenary

Before I begin my review, a public service announcement: Incredibles 2 may trigger seizures in sufferers of photosensitive epilepsy¹, and may in other ways afflict anyone who is sensitive to flashing lights. Seriously. There’s a fight scene in a room full of patterned strobes, and in the darkened theater there will be no steady-state light source to provide refuge for your eyes. The scene is only a small slice of the movie but it’s enough to absolutely ruin your day if flashing lights can hurt you. And now, the review: I really enjoyed Incredibles 2, but it petered out for me toward the end. My very favorite super-powered engagement took place mid-movie, and while there were plenty of cool heroic bits later, none of them lived up to that level of awesome. Still, it’s a fun film. It suffers mostly in comparison to Incredibles, which is to my mind the best Fantastic Four film we’ve ever had (in the same way that Galaxy Quest is the best Star Trek film we’ve ever had².) Incredibles 2 doesn’t clear my Threshold of Awesome, but I definitely want to see it again. In my own home, where I can fast-foward through the flashing lights, because they triggered a brief migraine, and I already get enough of those. ¹ I’m not a medical professional, nor an expert in epilepsy, but that scene hurt *me* and I’m just a guy who sometimes gets migraines. The picture on the Epilepsy Foundation’s page? Imagine that, strobing, only without the helpful yellow bits.

I posted the inks for the June 6th, 2018 Schlock Mercenary installment over at the Schlock Mercenary Patreon a few weeks ago. Last week I posted the colors, sans dialog, as a work-in-progress treat for patrons. One such patron (who in this case happens to also be a long-time friend) asked for a wallpaper. The image didn’t really lend itself to that, and about two minutes after I posted that it couldn’t really be done I figured out a nice way to do it. Line-art by Howard Tayler, colors by Travis Walton. This is a crop of the June 6, 2018 installment of Schlock Mercenary, found a www.schlockmercenary.comSchlock Mercenary Patreon supporters get things like this from time to time. At the $2.50/month level they also browse the archives a week at a time, and with no ads. If you’d like to browse with similar ease, and get those same digital goodies, head on over and join up!

Deadpool 2 was more fun and less uncomfortable than 2016’s Deadpool. At least for me. YMMV, of course. The film unmistakably earns its R-rating, so it’s not one to bring the kids to. That said, it does clear my Threshold of Awesome, thanks to some final scenes putting it over the top. Yes, there’s a scene interrupting the early credits, and although there’s no after-the-credits scene, stick around for the audio at the very end. In terms of tone, I’d categorize Deadpool 2 as an action-comedy in the same vein as Spy and The Hitman’s Bodyguard (both of which I really enjoyed.) And then there’s the way Wade Wilson breaks the fourth wall¹, allowing him to tell jokes other movies can’t get away with like commenting on the soundtrack². ¹ Deadpool knows that the Marvel Cinematic Universe exists, and that he’s not part of it. If you’re heavily invested in the Avengers films Wade Wilson’s commentary may be very satisfying.

Sins of Empire, by Brian McClellan, is on sale for $2.99, likely as part of a dastardly ploy to lure readers of fine flintlock fantasy into the acquisition of Wrath of Empire when it releases on Tuesday, May 15th¹. The plot is all the more sinister given the likelihood that its victims won’t complain a bit. I’ve been a Brian McClellan fan ever since he debuted with Promise of Blood. That was a darn good book, and I gushed over it unashamedly². He’s gotten better at this novelist thing, however, so Sins of Empire is definitely his best writing. At least to date. I will be completely unsurprised to learn that Wrath of Empire, which I’ve only just begun³, is even better. ¹ By way of public service, the best way to support authors of things you love is to either pre-order their novels, or to purchase them the week they release.