In the far-flung future, the Sun has reached the end of its lifespan. Under an alien sky, strange animals and plants thrive across the world, ruined cities stand in mute testimony to all-conquering Time, squalor and luxury exist side by side in decaying and decadent civilisations, and science and technology have blurred into a unified […]
The Nihilism of The Punisher MAX
The Punisher presents Marvel with a dilemma. A Vietnam veteran who lost his family during a Mafia hit, Frank Castle transformed himself into the vigilante Punisher to wage a one-man war on crime. His defining traits are his ruthless and lethality. Unlike other superheroes, he is perfectly willing to kill everyone who enters his sights. […]
Deadpool 2 Movie Review
In a world filled with increasingly bland superhero reboots and cross-overs and re-reboots, Deadpool promises fun. With its combination of R-rated humor, gratuitous violence, adult situations and a nigh-unkillable character who breaks the fourth wall at every opportunity, Deadpool is a profane yet light-hearted take on the superhero genre. Deadpool 2 offers more of the same. Which is both its strongest […]
Shanghai Bleeding Part 6
Paid in Full Lee had made his choice. Now he had to live with it. The moment the police released him, Lee took a complicated route home, employing aggressive turns, sudden halts and choke points to flush would-be followers. He hadn’t seen any hatchet men in his wake, but in Shanghai, hatchet men were everywhere. […]
Shanghai Bleeding Part 5
Players of the Game In the evening, after a light dinner, Lee took a long and winding path through the streets of Shanghai, avoiding cop and criminal alike. His route took him through shopping districts and wet markets, ending in an apartment block not too dissimilar to his own. On the third floor, Lee followed […]
Shanghai Bleeding Part 4
Unpaid Debts “Hello, Mr Lee,” Tang said. “Hello, Mr Tang,” Lee said. “I see you’ve made yourself comfortable.” “I make my home everywhere I go.” “Of course. I’d offer you a drink, but I’m fresh out.” “That’s fine. I helped myself to your tea earlier.” Lee closed and locked the door behind him, keeping his […]
Shanghai Bleeding Part 3
Two Birds with One Stone Sorting out the shooting took the rest of the night and most of the following morning. Sustaining themselves with coffee and cigarettes, the detectives, police and private, endured interminable interviews and waded through never-ending seas of paperwork until Wong at last pulled strings and expedited their release from the clutches […]
Shanghai Bleeding Part 2
Blood on The Bund The world penetrated China through Shanghai, and in Shanghai the world entered through the Bund. Traditional shophouses surrendered to Western edifices of columns and arches. Peoples of all nations and none walked the streets: prosperous businessmen and Western merchants in fine suits and hats, glamorous Chinese women in cheongsams, coolies and […]
Shanghai Bleeding Part 1
The Last Honest Cops Detective Sergeant Wong Lihan was one of the last honest cops in Shanghai. His home stood in mute testimony to that fact. There was no carpet. The wooden floors were exposed and battered, the varnish long faded to a dull brown, and here and there were small pits and blackened stubs. […]
A High Art
Our art is The rending of flesh; The breaking of bones; The tearing of nerves; The domination of wills. Our art is Steel scribing perfect arcs; Wood smoking on impact; Survival in a lightning shuffle; Strength through motion. Our art is Eight angles of attack; Eight million methods of combat; Infinite ways to wrestle, crush, […]