Comics
[Comic Review] “Imperium” #4 – Unsettling And Smart
Reviewed by Brady Steele. Nothing like going to war for resources to keep your fledgling country powered forever, right? What better soldiers to go into battle with than traitors, brainwashed powerful youth, a killer robot, an alien bred assassin and possessed scientists? Imperium #4 epitomizes the height of sophisticated comic book stories readers can enjoy in 2015.
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One of the best parts about this series is that almost no one wants to work with or trust Toyo Harada, the all-powerful psiot in charge of reshaping the world for the better. All of his recruits want him dead, conspire behind his back to break free of his thrall or just want nothing to do with him. The fact that he is succeeding in his mission is almost inconsequential to all of the other plot lines floating around. Thanks to writer Joshua Dysart’s deft and thought stirring ideas, this series is just starting to get all of the players in order and it’s still an absorbing series to read every month.
The final major player (I think) is revealed to readers this issue as Angela Peace Baingana, the chief science officer of Harada’s enemy, Project Rising Spirit. Thanks to dimensional exploring, Angela becomes possessed by a higher intellect alien and unknown species. There is plenty creepy and horrific for artist Doug Braithwaite to show us this outing. The after-effect of her visit makes her look disturbing as well as her detachment to which she once was when The Angela Vessel speaks. It feels like Hannibal Lecter is now an extra-dimensional passenger driving the once benevolent Dr. Baingana.
This book continues to impress me. Not only are the bad guys winning, you as a reader really want them to because it`s such an engaging story. I know there are tried and true archetype characters being shown to us in this book but they look and sound like nothing I`ve read before in comics. Everyone is complex and compelling and it`s all leading towards something bigger and bolder down the line. Imperium #4 is unsettling enough on its own to read. It’s even better when you catch up to this series. Go ahead and get on the winning side and watch what smart storytelling looks like.
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Mr. Steele enjoys all things comics and imagination-based. Using his lifetime of comic-fu-dom for good, he imparts his knowledge for the universe to enjoy and for you, dear readers, to pass it on.
Twitter: @mrbradysteele
The supernatural world of Korean folk horror movie Exhuma grows larger with the arrival of prequel spinoff webtoon Maengjong this weekend, Variety reports today.
Naver Webtoon debuts Maengjong on May 30.
The series hails from Haemuri (Olgami) and will trace the high school origins of how shaman duo Hwarim and Bonggil, played by Kim Go-eun and Lee Do-hyun in the 2024 film, came together to face occultish threats.
The story is set to begin when “Hwarim, who has been concealing her identity following a childhood encounter with a snake spirit called Jin, crosses paths with Bonggil at their school.”
Variety notes that Exhuma director Jang Jae-hyun participated in the project’s early concept stage.
“We are presenting ‘Maengjong,’ a new series capturing the appeal of the horror-occult genre, ahead of the full summer season,” said Lee Jeong-geun, Naver Webtoon’s Korea webtoon content leader. “With the high school story of Hwarim and Bonggil, who left a strong impression in the film ‘Exhuma,’ enhanced by Haemuri’s characteristic tense direction, we expect it will be a welcome work for genre fans.”
“It is meaningful that the spin-off story of ‘Exhuma,’ loved by many audiences, expands by meeting the new grammar of webtoon,” said Lee Hyeon-jeong, managing director of the film business division at Showbox, which distributed the film. “We hope it will be a fresh experience for both film fans and webtoon readers.”
Exhuma was a breakout hit in 2024, becoming the first Korean occult film to surpass 10 million ticket buyers and the country’s highest-grossing film of the year. I wrote in my review that “the intricately woven Exhuma delivers one of the year’s biggest surprises in horror so far.”
The bond between Hwarim and Bonggil was one of the film’s highlights, making this prequel webtoon a must for fans.
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