Alternate Universe

Fashion Feminism Fandom

Costume Inspiration Hayley Atwell - Agent Carter Lara Croft - The Princess Profiles

Issue 1 April 15

CONTENTS April 2015

Regulars Alternate Universe’s Top 5 Mario Kart Tracks

4 6 8

Woman of the Month: Hayley Atwell Get The Look: Costume Inspired Clothing

Features The Evolution Of Lara Croft Spiderman Returns The Dark Knight: Revisited

Reviews Big Hero 6 Review Comic Book Reviews TV Reviews

10 15 33

17 19 23

Feminism #Gamergate The Princess Profiles

27 29 31

The Portrayal Of Women In Anime

(right) Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter in Captain America: The First Avenger

Top 5:

Mario Kart Tracks Alternate Universe take a look at some of our favourite Mario Kart Tracks, from Super Mario Kart in 1992 to 2014’s Mario Kart 8

#5. Music Park - 3DS

The course takes place in the middle of the jungle, with most the track running along two volcanoes.

The centerpiece of the track is a giant Barrel Cannon that shoots racers to the upper part of an active volcano – mind the lava! If getting fired to the top of a huge volcano isn’t dangerous enough for you, the cliff-side drops and ramshackle bridges might increase the fear factor as you race around DK Mountain.

Words by Megan White

Most of this course takes place on musical instruments, including pianos and drums. Near the end of the course are jumping music notes that shake the area surrounding them and let the player trick off the ground, so don’t miss your chance to grab some air! The course returns in Mario Kart 8 as a retro track, with the only change being a darker course with bright lights to create a stunning glow from the path.

#4 DK Mountain - GameCube

Princess Peach’s home course is set around a huge pink castle – it even has pink sky in the original verson!

The big jump after the dash zone is very dramatic. Without guardrails along the lake, it can be very easy to overshoot the corner and fall in! The Award Ceremony also takes place in this racetrack at the end of the cup, where the top three receive trophies, and confetti for the big winner along with the gold trophy.

#3. Royal Raceway - N64 www.alternateuniverse.co.uk

#2. Coconut Mall - Mario Kart Wii

And the winner is... #1. Rainbow Road - N64 The longest course in the game, the last course of the Special Cup is notoriously tough. Set in outer space, be careful – there’s no safety barriers. That’s not the only hazard though – the rainbow Thwomps cause racers to spin out upon contact instead of being squished. A clever Redditer also created a verson of the track for Assetto Corsa, an incredibly realistic PC game by Kunos Simulazioni which uses a complex physics technology to recreate real-world race tracks. Though it features in most every version of the game, the N64 version is still the most revered.

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Escalators, fountains and shops make for lots of fun in this course set in, you guessed it, a shopping mall. Look out for the shortcuts! There’s also a garden where there are Boost Pads and small patches of grass and an Item Box filled fountain where aerial tricks can be done, so grab some air and impress your friends. Darting cars in the parking lot lead to major road rage, so mind the Miis, who are sure to trip you up. This track was given a fresh new look for Mario Kart 7. Why can’t normal trips to the mall be this exciting?

Meet Hayley Atwell: Marvel’s No Nonsense Agent Peggy Carter Marvel’s leading lady explodes onto our screens, and into our hearts British actress Hayley Atwell, the star of Marvel Cinematic Universe’s new short series Agent Carter, stands unchallenged as AU’s most influential woman in geekdom of the month. The series which premiered on ABC last month is a spin-off to Captain America and features Atwell at her finest as TV’s newest crime fighter.

The London-born actress, 32, began her on-screen career in 2006 playing the manic-depressive daughter

Words by Josephine Platt

of a Tory MP in the BBC drama The Line Of Beauty, only eight months after leaving the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. She took her first film role in Woody Allen’s 2007 film Cassandra’s Dream alongside Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell.

Conquering Hollywood in 2011, with her breakthrough performance in the blockbuster film Captain America: The First Avenger, she won the Scream Award for Best Science Fiction Actress. The English rose has since reprised the role of Agent Peggy Carter in numerous films and television shows. www.alternateuniverse.co.uk

Agent Carter shares a drink with the deadly Dottie

The Strategic Science Reserve

Peggy remembers her beloved, and gives us all feels

Fact

File

• She has had two articles published in Vogue • She turned down the chance to study theology and philosophy at Oxford • She’s an ambassador for Christian Aid • Her father is an American shaman and her mother is an English motivational speaker

Agent Carter first came to life in 1966 in the comic Tales of Suspense #77, has appeared in the short film Marvel One-Shot: Agent Carter (2013), as well as the television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2014), the follow-up the film sequel Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ (2014) and the film Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015).

Her character indeed emulates all that one would expect from a secret agent. In an interview with Hero Complex at the LA Times in January 2015, Atwell revealed playing Agent Carter in the new series differed to her previous role in the film as it felt like “the beginning of discovering who she was as a character, and creating that character from scratch.” The series explores Agent Carter’s own journey and her social life and personal obstacles for the first time. For her performance, Atwell drew inspiration from Ginger Rogers saying: “She can do everything Captain America can do, but backwards and in heels.”

Working closely with the director of the series, Louis D’Esposito, Atwell contributed greatly to the shaping and depiction of her character to create a feminist icon of our time.

Speaking with Digital Spy in 2013 on the topic of the lack of female superheroes Atwell said: “Where are the women? Where are the women who are leading and not just the hot sex symbol in the tight outfits, or the aggressive ones with their sexy action sequences? Where are the ones that are battling with their own identity like Iron Man is? Or trying to make a difference in the forefront?”

Atwell has certainly paved the way since to create a great role model for women and young girls. For her role in the new adventure series, she wanted the audience to connect and relate to the depth behind the character through the ever complex modern day challenges she faces, and recognise that there is more to her character than red lipstick and high heels. www.alternateuniverse.co.uk

In the new adventure series, we see the agent’s complex double life, living every day with a purpose as a strong minded, independent woman in war torn New York in 1946. Carter deals with working in a male-dominated world and faces the contemporary issues of gender inequality and living a double life as a secret agent - a life which restricts her from building relationships and getting close to anyone.

Not only this, but she also has to cope with the psychological costs of losing Steve Rogers (Captain America). Atwell portrays a woman we find deeply interesting and fascinating.

From the first episode, we see Agent Carter’s male-counterparts subjecting her to demeaning duties despite her background in the British Armed Forces. Through researching the role, Atwell has taken her own personal journey to understand the challenges faced by women, enabling her to speak with an in-depth authority on real issues.

Speaking in an interview in January 2015 with MTV she said: “We’ve come a lot further than Peggy in 1946, but we’ve still got a long way to go. In terms of equality in the workplace, equal pay for women, we’re still struggling in the Western world.

“We’re still struggling for women, not to mention globally. With the tremendous insight we’ve had over the past few years, the actual brutal suffering of women all over the world, there’s an actual need for women’s education, and women’s rights.

Those things that make Peggy relatable give her entertainment value, but also make her have a little bit more depth.”

Atwell continues to inspire a generation of women with her openness and liberation. As Marvel prepares for phase three, with the release of Captain America: Civil War (2016), Atwell reinforces her arrival as a true women of geekdom, continuing to blur the lines between femininity and power.

Costume Inspiration

Get The Look

From conventions to parties, make your fashion statement with the help of AU. See here how to dress like Batgirl, Wonder Woman and Harley Quinn, with the ultimate character costume suggestions to inspire your own. Words by Josephine Platt.

House of Fraser Morgan Leather-look jacket with quilted detail: £79

River Island black Batman mask: £4

OPI Nails Lady In Black: £12 Topshop V Bralet: £10 Maybelline The Colossal Volum' Express Mascara Smokey Black: £7.99 Seventeen Make Your Mark Soft Eyeliner Pen: £3.99

Reclaimed fire hose Mango Gloves: £25 Monsoon Shoreditch Leather yellow belt by Elvis & Cutwork Satchel: £81 Kresse:£24

Urban Outfitters Leggings: £35

Dr. Martens Drench Rain Boot: £100 www.alternateuniverse.co.uk

The costume that took her from hero to Tumblr darling, this Babs Tarrdesigned costume also pushed the functionality and brought Batgirl’s New 52 look into the 21st Century in Batgirl #35.We especially love the bright yellow Doc Martens.

Miss Selfridge Jet Black Stone Choker: £7.50

Miss Selfridge Gold Head Chain: £8.50

Gorgeous Cosmetics Lipstick, Gothic Park: £16

Topshop Velvet Tuxe Jacket: £40

OPI Nail Polish An Affair in Red Square: £7.95 H&M Bell-shaped top: £15 The Disco Pant American Apparel: £74 Topshop Cut-Out Combat Boots: £60

Women's Fossil Print Bifold Wallet: £15

From Clown Princess of Crime to comics superstar, this Bruce Timm-designed costume has been with Harley Quinn since she first debuted in 1992, in the Batman: The Animated Series episode ‘“The Joker’s Favor”.

Though she’s since eskewed it in favour of racier numbers, many die-hard fans still believe this to be the absolute pinnacle of the character, and it stayed with her all the way through her first solo series, and right up until her appearance in the 2009 videogame Batman: Arkham Asylum

First debuting in Wonder Woman #600 prior to New 52, this Jim Lee-designed costume took Diana from unitard princess to badass super heroine with its more functional, modern look, and sweet nostalgic elements.

John Lewis Cotton Dress Gloves: £20 Topshop Long Sleeve Skinny Rib Crop Top: £10.00

Bisou Bijoux Ariela Velvet Cameo Choker: £17 Romwe Black And Red Poker Pattern Leggings: £18 Timberland Women’s Stratham Heights Tall Lace Waterproof Boot: £114 Harlequin Fancy Dress Venice Joker Mask: £19.99 www.alternateuniverse.co.uk

MAC Red Lipstick: £15.50

The Evolution of Lara Croft From ‘big-breasted bimbo’ to ‘hard-hitting heroine’ Over the past 18 years, Lara Croft has become one of the best-selling video game franchises of all time. Alternate Universe takes a look back over the history franchise in anticipation for Rise of the Tomb Raider, out later this year Words by Megan White

www.alternateuniverse.co.uk

T

he idea for the Tomb Raider series began in 1995. Whilst working at Core Design, designer Toby Gard envisaged a 3D action-adventure game featuring an “Indiana Jones clone.” The Core Design team wanted to avoid comparisons with the franchise so made the protagonist female – a groundbreaking move in gaming. They changed her name from Laura Cruz to Lara Croft to reflect Core Design’s English roots.

Work on the series began, with Gard taking all creative control. However, “while making test adjustments to her girlish figure, a slip of Gard’s mouse turned an intended 50% increase to her breast size into a 150% gain. It met with instant approval from the team before he could correct it.”

The game was initially rejected by Sony, who asked for “more material and a better game”.

Ambitious designer Gavin Rummery, who had only just finished school, recoded most of the game, creating a “groundbreaking and innovative system of grids and complex levels.”

After

much hard work, the game was finally accepted onto the Playstation. It went on to be largely responsible for the console’s success, becoming one of its bestselling games of all time and helping to sell over 100 million Playstation consoles.

The Tomb Raider series made its debut on the Sega Saturn, PlayStation, and PC in 1996, and was hugely successful, selling over 7 million copies worldwide. The game was one of the first ever 3D action-adventure games, and was hugely influential on all that followed. Lara was an instant pop-culture icon, starring on the covers of Time magazine and Newsweek, and became the most successful videogame heroine of all time.

Gard left Core shortly after the release of Tomb Raider I in 1997 – he had pictured Lara “as a tough-as-nails, aristocratic heroine who would never agree to lend her image to energy drink advertisements or pose in a skimpy bikini” and didn’t feel the games were true to his vision.

Sony secured exclusivity

for games two and three.

The second instalment was even bigger than the first, selling over 8 million copies. However, the third chapter marked downturn in sales, and by The Last Revelation, the games were receiving mixed receptions. The pressure on Core to repeatedly release ground-breaking games was taking its toll, and the games were becoming repetitive.

Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation took almost four years to make.

Gamers criticised the lack of countries to play – Lara’s usually global adventures were hugely scaled back, with 33 of the 35 levels taking place in Egypt. With desperate times came desperate measures. Core Design decided to kill Lara Croft off at the end of the game, co-written by Hope Caton, who was called in to rescue the game when Sony requested huge changes to the game’s script.

However, a fifth game was released in December 2000 - Tomb Raider Chronicles - which consisted of a series of flashbacks with Lara Croft’s funeral serving as a framing story for the various tales. Chronicles became the second least-successful game in the franchise after the critically successful Tomb Raider Anniversary.

Core Design struggled with with the move from Playstation to PS2 - it took them almost three years. When Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness was finally released on 20th June 2003, it was heavily criticised for being rushed out and its lack of continuity.

Fans also claimed that the game was “virtually unplayable” – the controls and camera were unmanageable at best and the story was lacklustre.

However, the game still sold 2.5million units worldwide.

The failure of Angel of Darkness

Lara aims to misbehave in Guardian of Light

led to the franchise being sold to Crystal Dynamics. Known for their work on the Legacy of Kain series, Crystal re-launched the series with Tomb Raider: Legend, which brought the character back to its tomb raiding roots. It was the first time since the original Tomb Raider that Lara Croft’s original creator, Toby Gard returned to work on a sequel, and there was a complete overhaul of both Lara and the game mechanics. The game was hugely successful, selling in excess of 4.5 million units, figures not seen since the release of the third game in 1998.

This was followed by a revamp of first game called Tomb Raider: Anniversary. It was critically successful but the least successful of the entire series commercially, selling just 1.3 million units.

Tomb Raider returned in November 2008 with Tomb Raider: Underworld – the darkest game yet. It was the first game in the series to appear on

the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360, selling 2.6 million units and garnering largely positive reviews, particularly for Lara’s appearance – designers at Crystal Dynamics had the new Lara fully motion-captured by Olympic gymnast and NCAA Women’s Gymnastics champion Heidi Moneymaker.

With 32,816 rendered polygons forming her figure in Tomb Raider: Underworld, she was the most detailed video game character ever created at the time.

A spin-off game entitled Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light was announced at E3 2010. The game was the first not to carry the Tomb Raider brand name, and was to be a digital-only release on Windows, PS3, Xbox 360 and iOS, with emphasis on cooperative gameplay. The game, released on 18th August 2010, was well received by critics, with a score of 85/100 on Metacritic, and was commercially successful, selling more than 1 million copies digitally across www.alternateuniverse.co.uk

multiple consoles and platforms.

Brand director Karl Stewart said of the game: “Guardian of Light is not part of the main Tomb Raider brand; instead it is intended to start a new series simply titled, ‘Lara Croft’.

“When Underworld was finished, that was the end to the trilogy, and kind of the end of a whole era for us.

We took a step back as a studio and spent a couple of months experimenting, trying to make a decision on how to go forward.”

Stewart also said that “everyone who worked on Guardian of Light also worked on the previous three games (Tomb Raider: Legend, Tomb Raider: Anniversary, and Tomb Raider: Underworld). Guardian of Light uses the same game engine as Tomb Raider: Underworld and features real-time lighting effects, realistic shadows and tons of physicsbased objects. Vegetation sways in the wind and react when the player walks through it. The environments have a

nice sense of scale.”

A sequel to Guardian of Light, entitled Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris, was released on 9th December 2014, but was less successful than the first game, with players suggesting that the sequel was much too short and easy to complete.

The 2013 reboot was a new chapter in the story of Lara Croft. Eidos was absorbed into Square Enix, who were Designers finally perfected the game’s combat sequences and included a multiplayer mode. The game was hugely successful, receiving a 9.1 rating from IGN. Tomb Raider sold one million copies within 48 hours of its release, and has sold more than 6.5 million copies to date worldwide, making it the most successful Tomb Raider game since the second instalment in the original Playstation One-era series.

There was some controversy surrounding a scene in the game in which many claimed Lara was the victim of an attempted rape by scavengers on the island. The scene did not depict sexual assault – The event in question was during a cut-scene, and was a quick-time event, and if you failed the level then Lara was simply strangled to death by her attacker.

Studio manager Darrell Gallagher

denied the ‘attempted rape’ suggestions, stating that “sexual assault of any kind is categorically not a theme that we cover in this game.”

In an interview with story writer Rhianna Pratchett, she explained that the scene wanted to show Lara’s reactions, rather than her attackers’ actions. Pratchett was critical of the way the game’s trailer cut out Lara’s reactions to focus on the attack rather than the aftermath, and that when seen out of context; the scene took on an entirely different meaning than was originally intended. Pratchett also expressed dismay that, as a female protagonist, Lara had been misrepresented as a victim of a sexual assault.

An updated version, Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition was released in North America on 28th January 2014 and in Europe on 31st January 2014 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One containing all the game’s original features, as well as all of the downloadable content previously released.

Re-releasing the game so soon after the reboot was criticised by many

www.alternateuniverse.co.uk

fans. In a Q&A session with Crystal Dynamics executive producer Scot Amos, one fan criticised the £49.99 price tag, and claimed that the definitive edition was simply a “facelifted version of the same game”.

Amos stood by the release, saying: “If it was ‘only a facelift’ AND we were only reselling it on the same platforms we’d already shipped it on, I would see your point. But as we’re selling it on a new platform, with a lot of development work put in to custom craft it for the new platforms; with the new additions for the aesthetic, the physics, the particles, the lighting - taking advantage of next-gen features - so I absolutely stand by our decision to offer up Definitive Edition the way we are.”

The second game in the reboot, Rise of the Tomb Raider, is out later this year, and is part of an exclusive partnership between Square Enix and Microsoft, which will see the game launch as a timed exclusive on Xbox, with releases on PS4 and PC following soon after. Here at Alternate Universe, we can’t wait for Lara to be back on our screens!

Welcome Home,

Web-Head!

Words by Calvin Prickett

As Marvel Studios finally gains creative control over everyone’s friendly neighbourhood superhero, we take a look at what that means for Spidey and the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a whole...

I

t was a press conference that fans had been waiting to see for a long, long time, and in California this month Marvel Studios and Sony Entertainment Pictures finally hashed out the deal many believed would never happen. If there’s but one good thing to come out of the enormous 2014 Sony hacking scandal, it’s this; yes, finally, Spider-Man is back in the hands of Marvel, and is set to be integrated into the Marvel Cinematic Universe as an Avenger.

During the leak of several thousand personal emails of Sony employees, it was revealed that – as many had suspected – Sony had no idea what they were doing with the character of Spider-Man: a character they had held the rights to since the early noughties Marvel sell-off of rights. The sequel to 2012’s Amazing Spider-Man released in April 2014, and though it was commercially successful (raking in a staggering $70million, worldwide) it received a mixed reception from fans, and a critical slaughtering.

Indeed, TIME magazine described the film as “not so much a movie as a business proposition, less an event than a seat-filler,” and argued that it “lacks the clarity and emotion of its predecessor”. Meanwhile, Rolling Stone summed up the affair by calling ASM2 “over-long, underwhelming, and unnecessary”. Ouch.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 had been the basket in which Sony had placed all of it’s super-eggs. Over-

stuffing the film with what were intended to be tantalising teases of the franchise’s future, the sequel felt stretched thin with dangling plotlines and an impressive attempt to squeeze in as many villains and references to future characters as humanly possible (Electro, Rhino, Venom, Dr. Octopus, Green Goblin, Black Cat, J. Jonah Jameson, and Mary Jane Watson all either showed up or were nodded to in some form or another).

After the critical hammering, even the franchise’s own star Andrew Garfield came out and admitted they had “got it wrong”, and almost immediately began to distance himself from the sequel. All in all, things were looking pretty shaky for a franchise that already had a further sequel and three spin-offs planned (Sinister Six, Venom, and a yet-to-be-revealed female hero).

Enter the maestro; Kevin Feige.

It’s no secret that the head of Marvel Studios has had his heart set on regaining the rights to their comic-book golden boy for years, and had even attempted to buy back the character in 2010 for a billion dollars (prior to the first Amazing Spider-Man going into production). His attempts fell through, naturally, as Sony was determined to hold on to a character that had earned them a combined total of $2.5billion in his initial trilogy.

Mr. Feige was undeterred; this was, after all, the man who had pioneered the idea of a shared cinematic uniwww.alternateuniverse.co.uk

verse in an age when such a thing was considered not merely a gamble, but an insane one that audiences couldn’t get on board with (a gamble that paid off in The Avengers, which became the third-highest grossing movie of all time). As Amazing Spider-Man 2 died its critical death, emails showed that Marvel Studios reached out once more, and were again turned down. Curiously though, this time Marvel has apparently suggested a compromise; Sony would retain the legal rights to the character ,and as such would still be able to make its own Spider-Man movies and profit wholly off of them, but Marvel would retain complete creative control of the web-head. No

What we know so far

We lay out the facts on the MCU’s Spider-Man. -It's definitely Peter Parker under the mask With two actors already having portrayed the character in under a decade, many suggested we could be in line to see another hero under the mask this time around, with plenty pointing to the Ultimate Comics' Spider-Man, Miles Morales (left) as a potential replacement. However, Sony were quick to point out in the conference that it will, indeed, be Peter donning the spandex.

-It's likely his movie won't be an origin story After two tellings of Spidey's now famous 'kid bitten by genetically-altered spider' origin story so close together, though this hasn't been confirmed, it's a pretty safe bet Marvel will want to avoid retreading old ground. Expect to see a Spidey early into his career as a crime-fighter.

-He'll be a part of the Infinity War This seems to be a given. Yes, Marvel's golden boy will indeed be teaming up with The Avengers (and, potentially, the Guardians of the Galaxy) in the multi-movie Infinity War, as the MCU heads towards Thanos' acquisition of the Infinity Stones.

money would change hands.

No mess.

No fuss.

Fans soon heard whispers and rumours surrounding the proposed deal, and practically signed the death warrant for the ASM franchise. They made their voices heard loud and clear: They did not want another Spider-Man movie unless Marvel was in control. Following alleged pressure from investors, Sony finally gave in on February the 9th, 2015, announcing that the previous deal had gone through. Andrew Garfield was out. The dawn of a new, avenging Spider-Man had begun.

But what does this mean for the Marvel Cinematic Universe? The

-Those Sony spinoffs? They're still planned The weirdest news to come out of the announcement is that Sony is still intending to go ahead with it's planned Spidey-Spinoffs. Marvel will have no official creative control, but will likely be consulted on a basic continuity level. Word is that too much work has already gone in to the pre-production to just be scrapped.

most obvious changes are release dates. Four release dates shifted back following the announcement (Thor: Ragnarok, Black Panther, Captain Marvel, and Inhumans), with all four movies shifting around the two-part epic Avengers: Infinity War. It’s an awful lot of moving about, but it’s all to incorporate a brand new reboot for Spider-Man set in the MCU, and due to be released on July 28th 2017.

This news was greeted with rapturous applause, and the kind of online reaction usually reserved for the anwww.alternateuniverse.co.uk

nouncement of a new Star Wars film.

Garnering even more excitement was the announcement that Spidey would first be seen, prior to his own movie, in an MCU movie – likely to be Captain America: Civil War (given the character’s involvement in the comic book run of the same name), though many theorise that it could be as early as this summer’s blockbuster, Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Either way, one thing’s for certain: the future’s bright for our friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man.

Big Hero 6

Words by Calvin Prickett

CERTIFICATE: PG DIRECTORS: Don Hall, Chris Williams RUNNING TIME: 102 minutes RELEASE DATE: 30th January 2015

B

ig Hero 6 is Disney Animation's first stab at the Marvel Universe since the House of Mouse bought the company in 2009. Prior to the success of more obscure properties like Guardians of the Galaxy, a film based on a barely-known comic book team from the 90's could have seemed like somewhat of a risk.

However, clearly, the Marvel movie magic rubs off.

The movie follows Hiro Hamada (Ryan Potter), fourteen-yearold robotics genius and slacker, as he overcomes a personal tragedy with the help of a portly, inflatable robotic nurse named Baymax (Scott Adsit). Along the way Hiro will clash with a mysterious masked villain name Yokai, a man who seems to have stolen technology from him in order to enact revenge, and together with his science-nerd friends Hiro will form a team of superheroes like no other: Big Hero 6.

The plot's pretty by-the-numbers in terms of a comic book movie, and anyone with even a basic level of cineliteracy will see the main twist coming, but the narrative itself is more of a framework to allow the incredibly likeable cast and surprisingly poignant tale of overcoming grief to truly

shine. Coming off as one part Harry Potter to two parts teenage-Tony Stark, Hiro himself starts as a cocky and unmotivated young teenager, unsure of what he wants to really do in life, until he attends the local university – in turn introducing us to the rest of the soon-to-be-heroes.

The supporting cast are a treat, and though we unfortunately don't get to see the rest of the team themselves for all that long, it's a welcome delight that when they do show up they make an impression. All attending the local “nerd school” - Hiro's nickname for the University of Science - chemistry whiz Honey Lemon (Genesis Rodriguez), speed-demon Go Go Tomago (Jamie Chung), neat-freak Wasabi (Damon Wayans Jr.) and comic-book fanboy Fred (T.J. Miller), all simultaneously manage to endear, entertain, and make science cool.

But whilst the rest of the six all excel in their roles, the true star of the film is, undoubtedly, Baymax: the soft-vinyl, plus-size bundle of android love that's at the heart of the narrative.

Superbly voiced by Scott Adsit, it's he who steals the movie in every scene he's in - providing the majority of the plentiful laughs.

Designed to be a “huggable” nurse, Baymax manages to avoid clichés by being sweetly naïve, yet not simplewww.alternateuniverse.co.uk

Heroes assemble: The full team in action.

minded or ignorant. His programming only prepares him for the one singular task, and that's to care for those that need him.

It's tunnel vision, not a defect, that makes him so unbelievably likeable and that in itself makes for a refreshing change, and an intensely interesting conflict when he's inevitably 'armoured up' into a make-shift superhero (above).

Visually, Big Hero 6 yet again proves that whilst Dreamworks Studios may have caught up in terms of storytelling, they still have a vast distance to travel yet in terms of animation.

Big Hero 6 is, in a word, gorgeous.

Based in San Fransokyo (a hybrid mash-up of Tokyo and San Francis-

co), the cityscape looks tremendous.

A blurring mass of colours and skyscrapers in the downtown area give way to dark, seedy back-alleys littered with Mandarin signage and illegal botfights, and then to suburbs of narrow houses and hanging lanterns. True artistry has gone into the creation of the setting, and it sings.

The characters themselves all have that trademark, Post-Tangled, exaggerated quality about them that Disney has been implementing for a while now, though it works far better in motion that it does still. An intense amount of intelligence has also gone into the realisation of Baymax also, in particular, the way light sifts gently through his just-barely lumi-

nescent 'skin' with an algorithm that almost certainly makes the word “complicated” look trite.

It's ironic then, that a film so innately and narratively obsessed with technology manages to find more emotion in it's swift 102 minutes than most franchises aimed at children find in an entire trilogy. This isn't a cheap, throwaway, “let's shut Timmy up for an hour and a half”-film. Here we have a film that conquers and deals with the effects of death, and how it can affect you, in an incredibly profound way.

All, amazingly, happening in the background of an action-packed and genuinely hilarious superhero tale.

If there’s one flaw, it's unequivocally the length. The pace hurtles along www.alternateuniverse.co.uk

once the film gets going, and never really gives the team (or the audience) all that much time to breathe. An extra fifteen/twenty minutes could have elevated proceedings immeasurably, and the lack of such time shows a startling dichotomy in the way the film trusts its target audience enough to be able to deal with the few moments of true heartache and grief, but not enough to sit still for a little while longer.

All in all, though, Big Hero 6 is a triumph, and is something completely new from Disney. Destined to become a staple in the Blu-Ray collection of every nerdy child in the world – no matter their age – Hiro's journey of sheer comic book joy deserves your attention.

Comic Book Reviews Comic of the Month

Words by Calvin Prickett

STAR WARS # 1

By Jason Aaron and John Cassaday Following Disney’s acquisition of Marvel and Lucasarts, this is the first in a new line of canonical Star Wars comic books published by the House of Ideas. And if this is the sign of things to come, then we’re in for a hell of a ride.

Star

Wars #1 opens with ten of the most iconic words in cinema, and then presents it’s own version of the famous opening credits crawl, swiftly explaining that this series takes place in the period between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. We then join our

intrepid heroes Luke, Han and Leia as they infiltrate an Imperial weapons factory and attempt to press the advantage of the conquered Death Star. To put it frankly, Star Wars #1 exemplifies why comic books are such a tremendously enjoyable experience.

It honestly feels like reading deleted scenes, such is the handle that writer Jason Aaron has on these characters.

It’s almost impossible not to hum the John William’s score as you sink back into this world, greeting the rebels like old friends. The story is unmistakeably Star Wars, and manages to feel fresh, whilst also hitting all of those tingly nostalgia beats with recognisable characters, ships, design elements, and catchphrases.

John Cassaday’s artwork also exceptionally captures the feel of the world – not easy for somewhere so singularly familiar that any irksome mistakes would feel like glaring grievances. His facial work also manages to imitate the actors they’re based upon, and makes all instantly identifiable, even if there’s some slight misshapenness in certain panels. His sense of motion makes things suffer somewhat, lightsaber movement looking ever-soslightly stilted, but the fantastic panel work, story-flow, and eye for humour is enough to make up for it. Star Wars #1 lays the foundation for not only a phenomenal run, but a fantastic new line of comics. I have a good feeling about this one.

Hawkeye # 21

By Matt Fraction and David Aja Oh Hawkeye, I’m sorry I ever doubted you. Between a truly distressing shipping schedule (the previous issue released last year in November) and a shifted rotation of artists and story, it could have been easy to assume that the book was just about to lose its way at the finish line. Thankfully, I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Hawkeye #21 is a divine comic book, and as the penultimate issue manages to bring the converging plot points together into a blisteringly good siege narrative that acts as a springboard for the reinvigorated character of Clint Barton. This comic has been something of a renaissance for the avenging archer, and having seen him be a colossal screw-up for twenty issues now (even losing his hearing –

Ms. Marvel # 11

By G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona Kamala Khan is the break-out character of 2014, that much is undeniable.

A Peter Parker for the Tumblr generation, #11 brings to a close the second arc with style. Having developed her powers, we’ve seen her trying out super-heroics for the first time, and taking on her first mission: saving enslaved children from the madcap birdfaced inven-

tor known as... er, The Inventor. The highlight of G. Willow Wilson’s script is still Kamala herself – her every line endlessly rebloggable, and her design now elegantly iconic. She’s the ultimate fangirl fantasy. Adrian Alphona’s art is on precisely the right side of cartoony, his line work soft and lucid with Ms. Marvel’s embiggening powers, with enough solidity and control to give each character a clearly defined model. This issue is a nigh-on perfect end to the arc, with only slight pacing issues and some awkward plotting keeping it from being as good as it can be.

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which is still affecting him in deceptively clever ways), it’s tremendously rewarding to see Clint finally take control of his life, and his home, and prepare for one last fight against the track-suited ‘bro’ thugs. Though not all of the book is such a joyous occasion, and the final pages hit like gutpunches. Fraction’s script is a searing triumph, and simmers with wit, heart and character. Similarly Aja’s art is, as it always has been, worth the wait; endearing pop-art with one of the greatest understandings of layout, motion, and experimentation in the business. This is a master-class in sequential art, and the final issue can’t come soon enough.

Batgirl # 38

By Cameron Stewart, Brenden Fletcher and Babs Tarr ‘Likeable’ continues the current fresh direction for the new ‘Batgirl of Burnside’, as Barbara Gordon continues to make a name for herself.

Stewart and Fletcher’s more modern approach has been setting social media alight – ironic considering the book’s phenomenal incorporation of it into the story – and rightly so. This issue looks to highlight and explain the more out-there characterisation of Barbara that many long-time fans have criticised (her party-girl attitude, and new-found appreciation for

fame, etc). All this, whilst presenting a morally-complex and thoroughly’now’ tale of celebrity-privilege gone wrong. Babs Tarr’s pencils also continue to impress, lending the book a Scott Pilgrim-esque quality that looks vibrant and unique in comparison to other Bat-comics, and his sense of motion lends to a genuinely exciting car-chase. If the creators continue this momentum, then the ‘Batgirl of Burnside’ could very well define the character for a generation.

Wonder Woman # 38

By Meredith and David Finch The leading lady of the DC Universe’s comic continues its plummeting descent into disaster, as the married creative team of Meredith and David Finch show a staggering lack of understanding on what makes Wonder Woman such a compelling figure.

This issue sees Diana’s new petulant characterisation still rubbing her supporting cast up the wrong way, and causing a rift between the new queen and her subjects. Meredith Finch is seemingly determined to present her version of Wonder Woman as flawed, but instead fails to capture the correct level of nuance and leaves her seeming weak, reactionary, and overly-aggressive. As a writer, Meredith also shows a staggering lack of understanding as to what makes an www.alternateuniverse.co.uk

interesting narrative, flashing back and forth between Themyscira and the rest of the Earth with enough frequency to give the reader whiplash. This is also the worst David Finch’s artwork has seemed in a long time. Whilst his lines are clean, and his panels flow with tremendous style, he’s still rendering every single Amazon with the same identi-kit supermodel physique; something that causes a problem when the grand reveal of a returning character is lost on the reader as she looks precisely like everyone else. Coming off the absolutely tremendous Azzarello and Chiang arc, this isn’t just disappointing, it’s unacceptable.

Harley Quinn # 14

By Amanda Palmiotti, Jimmy Palmiotti and Chad Hardin

At this point in the Clown Princess of Crime’s new solo run, you’re either in or you’re out. Harley Quinn’s more humorous, anti-heroic tone generally suits the character’s current status quo down to the ground.

And whilst it has naturally been divisive (there’s plenty of die-hard fans who won’t be happy until Ms. Quinzel has her famous cowl back), as a book Harley Quinn routinely justifies its madcap existence month-

in and month-out. Coming off of the sublime Power Girl arc, the Palmiotti’s take this issue as a chance to take a breather and set-up coming plot points, also bringing all of the spinning plates Harley has had in her life (the cabaret club, her roller derby team, her job as a psychiatrist, and her tumultuous love life) together and to a head. It’s a fairly amusing, if mixed, issue - though the humour carries it through successfully with plenty of gags, visual and written, bringing the belly laughs. Whilst it does feel a tad rushed (the collapse of Harley’s life happens a little too quickly, even if it suits her Looney Tunes-esque luck), it is still an enjoyable experience. Chad Hardin, meanwhile, is still one of the best artists working at DC, and his exaggerated expression work and eye for slapstick humour carry the otherwise middling narrative developments through to what has the potential to be another frenetic and enjoyable arc.

Though not in any way a magnificent single issue, Harley Quinn #14 still continues this comic’s track-record of being consistently entertaining, which is more than can be said for a large majority of DC’s books these days.

AGEN CART Premiere

A

gent Carter is Marvel Studios’ second foray into the world of television and is, quite simply, a masterclass in both the introduction of a new series, the the writing of a strong female character, and how to have a damn good time while you’re at it.

Airing back-to-back in one double-sized premiere, the initial two episodes see Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell, reprising her role from the

Captain America movies, and a wellreceived one-shot on the Iron Man 3 Blu-Ray), working in 1946 for the Strategic Science Reserve - the Marvel Universe’s precursor to SHIELD - as an undervalued agent whose male colleagues treat her as little more than a glorified secretary. She’s approached by old-friend Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper, showing up for a brilliantly charismatic cameo), who calls on Peggy’s aid to clear his name www.alternateuniverse.co.uk

Ep1 - “Now Is Not The End” Ep2 - “Bridge and Tunnel” CERTIFICATE: 12A CAST: Hayley Atwell, Dominic Cooper, James D’Arcy, Chad Michael Murry, Enver Gjokaj, Shea Wigham, Lindsay Fonseca.

DIRECTORS: Louis D’Esposito (Episode 1) and Joe Russo (Episode 2) RUNNING TIME: 82mins

Words by Calvin Prickett

when he’s accused of selling weapons to enemies of the US. In doing so, she’ll team up with Stark’s faithful butler Edwin Jarvis (James D’Arcy) to prove his innocence.

It’s a remarkably efficient set-up that lays out the foundation for the mini-series’ entire run; Stark’s weapons (his “bad babies”) are being sold on the black market, and Peggy will need to retrieve them under the nose of an SSR determined to see Howard

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with brilliant, original ideas. At this point, the only truly terrible idea the show has had is to be merely eight episodes long.

It also looks incredible. On a TV budget, Agent Carter accomplishes an astounding amount of pizzazz; recreating 40’s New York in a way that feels frothy - mostly through exemplary costuming, set design, and subtle CGI - but doesn’t go so far as to romanticise the uglier social aspects of the era. Bonus points should also be awarded for managing to pull off a great deal of action that wouldn’t look out of place on the bigscreen.

Indeed, the first two episodes don’t scrimp on the excitement front.

Perhaps taking cues from the lacklustre reception to Marvel Studios’s other televisual excursion, Agents of SHIELD and it’s relatively slow-paced and talky beginnings, Agent Carter manages to squeeze in several (beautifully-choreographed) fight sequences, a heist, multiple explosions and a car chase into it’s brisk runtime.

Worth mentioning; though this series does technically take place before the ‘Agent Carter’ one-shot, there are some minor continuity foibles due to non-returning actors (most obviously, where the one-shot had Bradley Jarvis maintained Alfred Pennyworth had copied him

NT TER Review

go down for his supposed crimes.

The first episode opens with a montage of flashbacks from Captain America: The First Avenger, intercut with Peggy in her apartment in 1946, preparing for work – handgun and all, in an exemplary sequence purely included to catch up the uninitiated in a way that seems impressively unforced and natural.

The stand-out of the premiere is, truly, Atwell herself. It’s hard to imagine many other actresses being able to pull off her unique combination of vintage screen-siren, badass action hero, and sympathetic protagonist with quite such effortless ease. As Peggy wrestles with a seeming lack of purpose in a post-War world, it’s immensely satisfying that the breakneck pace of the pilot calls her into duty in under fifteen minutes. And it’s especially so that Atwell handles it with such aplomb. She’s on tremendous form, quippy and professional when the action calls for it, yet genuine and human in the slower scenes (a display of grief in the second episode is particularly powerful and resonant).

Though Ms. Atwell naturally steals the show - pun very much intended - the pilot’s ace in the hole, however, is Edwin Jarvis (left). The namesake of Iron Man’s AI is here played much closer to his original incarnation in the Avengers comic books – a wry, English butler (hopefully Batman’s too busy to sue), whose witty rapport with Peggy is the unexpected highlight in a series shaping up to be overflowing

Changing Carter

Whitford as the boss of the SSR, the series here has the stellar Shea WhighHow does the Agent Carter cast differ from their comic am), and a different set for the Strategic Reserve’s book counterparts? headquarters. It’s all completely understandable, what with one being [Howard Stark] a micro-budget short film The Howard Stark of the comics is largely and the other being a full the same as that of the show, still the foundseries, and is somewhat er of Stark Industries, and one of the foundof a negligble point for ing members of SHIELD. In the comics, he the average viewer, but it might irk some of the is also the creator of the robot Arsenal, and Marvel Cinematic Unisuffers from alcoholism. verse’s more obsessive continuity experts.

In short, within the [Peggy Carter] first five minutes of the premiere there is a scene Aside from being blonde, the Peggy of the comic varies wildly from the one found in in which Peggy Carter, resplendent in a long blue the MCU. In the comics, Peggy was born in coat and striking red hat, saunters through a crowd the US, and joined the French Resistance of samey-looking men all (as opposed to being born British, and joinclad in the same dreary ing the American Resistance) as a freedom clothing. It is that imagery that perfectly encapsulates fighter early during the war, earning the nickname ‘Madamoiselle’ and later the heart the show itself. Agent Carter stands out in a sea of one Captain America. She is a member of of TV shows desperately the OSS (not the SSR) and is not a founding vying for your attention member of SHIELD (though she has worked with another straight white male concealing a with them on several occasions). chequered past. Not con[Edwin Jarvis] tent with simply being a The Edwin Jarvis of the comic books was born in success, like the lady herself, it does it with style.

Brooklyn, New York, and during WWII he fought Agent Carter airs every Wednesday on NBC in the States. A UK air date is TBC.

with the British Army, gaining a British accent in the process. After Howard Stark passed away, he later worked for Tony Stark and worked to keep the Avengers mansion in ship-shape whilst it’s inhabitants fought to keep the world safe. Due to the sliding timeline of the Marvel comic books, it is now assumed that he served less of a role with the Avengers, and more as the inspiration for JARVIS, Tony Stark’s artificial intelligence program in charge of his armoured Iron Man suits.

www.alternateuniverse.co.uk

The Flash

Season 1, Episode 10 After an electrifying mid-season finale, in which the identity of the mysterious Reverse Flash was seemingly revealed, The Flash returned with somewhat more of a fizzle than a bang this episode.

Whilst it’s undoubtedly cool to see Flash’s team of rogues slowly begin

Arrow

Season 3, Episode 10 As enjoyable as The Flash is, Arrow still likes to remind everyone who’s The Daddy. After one of, if not the, most shocking mid-season finales of the show’s run (this from a show that revealed the still-living and backfor-revenge Slade Wilson last year), Arrow was back with a vengeance this time around. All involved decided to show off too, with some of the best action sequences they’ve ever attempted, more than a few incredible performances, and all whilst dealing with the emotional aftermath of one very simple fact; Oliver Queen is dead.

First of all, it was great to see Roy in action again. Arsenal had been somewhat side-lined this season, and aside from being accused (and then acquitted) of Sara’s murder, he hasn’t truly

to form, the execution was a smidge off, with both Captain Cold (Wentworth Miller), and in particular Heat Wave (Dominic Purcell), chewing the scenery in their every scene together – though it is immensely satisfying to see Cold being the first to name Flash the “Scarlet Speedster”.

Carrying this episode was undoubtedly the emotional drama playing out between Barry and Iris, as she comes to terms with the revelations last episode of Barry’s true feelings.

Handled with a surprising amount of maturity from all involved, the show is truly excelling itself in learning from Arrow’s mistakes (Season 1 Ollie and Laurel, anyone?), and to do so without sacrificing any of Iris’ like-

ability or strength is just a bonus.

Aside from Barry, both Joe and Cisco got some great moments this episode, with Joe dealing with Iris’ departure from the family home, and Cisco regaining the trust of the Central City police force (and getting in a Ghostbusters reference to boot).

In a slightly out of place scene, we also saw Caitlin come closer to finding the truth about her husband (though why an experienced academic like Caitlin needed Barry’s help to guess that FIRESTORM was an acronym is beyond me).

Finally, the episode capped off with a great little scene of Barry moving back into Joe’s house, and the (offscreen) introduction of another rogue – Captain Cold’s metahuman sister, Whirlwind. And with previews for next week showing the Pied Piper in action (and Trickster allegedly down the road) it looks like the fastest man alive could be set for one hell of a rogues beat down.

been an integral part of the main storyline.

Not so this episode, as he was forced to step up and fill the role of Starling City’s protector – though not without a little help from Mr. John Diggle. Both Colton Hayes and David Ramsey put in some incredible stunt-work this episode, in two incredibly directed shoot-outs between Team Arrow and the army of thugs being amassed by new villain Brick (the inimitable Vinnie Jones, putting in a gleefully menacing turn as a ruthless and seemingly bulletproof mob boss).

Also fantastic: Felicity Smoak.

Emily Bett Rickards has long been the show’s emotional core, but she utterly brought it this episode. From denial, to anger, to heartbreak, to defiance,

her reaction to Oliver’s disappearance was genuine and powerful, and seeing her stand up to the men in her life was intensely gratifying.

And at the end of it all Laurel finally, finally, became the hero she’s always been destined to become.

Black Canary has arrived, and she’s freaking awesome. “I’m the justice you can’t run from,” indeed. Oh, and it seems Oliver Queen is alive…

Wait, what?!

www.alternateuniverse.co.uk

Feminist blogger, idol, gamer, and queen: Anita Sarkeesian

Anita Sarkeesian: The Subject of a Culture War

Words by Josephine Platt

Misogyny in Gaming and #gamergate

F

eminist pop culture critic and founder of ‘Feminist Frequency,’ Anita Sarkeesian, reveals the chilling extent of inherent misogyny and ‘terrorism’ on women that is infiltrating through an insular subculture of men in the gaming world.

Terror, death and rape threats are all part of the daily reality for the 31-year-old Canadian-American media critic and blogger, who has been at the centre of an online harassment campaign since daring to challenge the sexist status quo with her series of YouTube videos titled ‘Tropes vs.

Women in Video Games’ in 2012.

As one of the most vocal opposers of sexism in the gaming industry, Sarkeesian’s outspoken criticism has made her the target of countless misogynistic attacks by cyber-hate mobs who fight to oppose efforts to diversify the gaming world. Dissecting scenes from various game franchises and analysing the portrayal of women, from the cliché ‘Damsel in Distress’, to the role of women as mere ‘Background Decoration,’ Sarkeesian takes sexual discrimination extremely seriously.

Having to contend with an overwhelming backlash of harassment, her case represents all that is corrupt within the industry and the oppression of women.

The gargantuan level of abuse suffered by Sarkeesian and her peers highlights the antiquated mentality of the gaming sphere, which fosters an unwillingness to create a more inclusive social gamer identity. The feminist critic has been subjected to abuse from trolls which encompasses everything from leaked information and ad-

dresses, to graphic sexual harassment images and illustrations populating her emails. The cyber bullying fully peaked in 2012 when an appalling online game shocked the world, inviting users to ‘Beat up Anita Sarkeesian.’

Last August, Sarkeesian also made headlines when she was driven to cancel a speaking appearance at Utah State University (USU) following anonymous harrowing threats to the university of a “Montreal Massacrestyle attack”, if she went ahead with the engagement.

Speaking to Mother Jones, Sarkeesian said: “Some male gamers with a deep sense of entitlement are terrified of change. They believe games should continue to cater exclusively to young heterosexual men with ever more extreme virtual power fantasies.”

“Beat up

Anita Sarkeesian” She is part of a group of women including game developers Zoe Quinn and Brianna Wu who are fighting to make this cultural shift to change their industry. The woman are all repeatedly noted as coming under attack with the twitter hashtag gamergate - the catch-all term for the ongoing debate surrounding the relevancy of so-called ‘social-justice’ and artistic criticism with respect to video games.

Last month, Wu posted an article on bustle.com entitled “I’m Brianna Wu, And I’m Risking My Life Standing Up To Gamergate. ” As games further continue their aswww.alternateuniverse.co.uk

cent from children’s toy to art form, these kinds of discussions are invaluable surrounding the medium. It’s clear that such reactionary and violent vitriol from the so-called #gamergateprotesters - those that send rape and death threats - are a painful, but expected, hurdle. It’s up to the rest of us to back-up the figure-heads of Sarkeesian, Wu, et al. as videogames edge ever-closer to being as good as they truly can be. That’s what #gamergate has truly achieved; not a disenfranchisement with games journalism or criticism, but a unification of those who understand the importance of change.

And in the end, that’s all that will be remembered.

Objectification since the beginning 1982 Custer’s Revenge – For the Atari, one of the first home videogame consoles ever made.

Whole ‘game’ boiled down to a naked cowboy dodging arrows for the reward of raping a Native American wowman.

2003 Dead or Alive: Xtreme Beach Volleyball – The fighter that invented ‘jiggle physics’, had a spin-off where the females of the series played volleyball in bikinis.

2013 Dead Island Riptide: Collector’s Edition – Disembodied female torso in a bikini was the disc case.

2014 Assassin’s Creed Unity Four playable characters. All four are white males. Ubisoft’s excuse was that it would be “too much work to create a female character model.”

The Princess Profiles:

Princess Peach Words by Josh O’Neill

A look at gaming’s most honoured Princess as she approaches the age of 30

U

ndoubtedly, Mario is one of the most famous video game characters of all time. It goes without saying that he is Nintendo’s most admired and celebrated hero.

However, let’s not forget the main reason behind the majority of Mario’s quests and adventures – the royal and loyal Princess Peach.

Yes, Mario did in fact do all of the hard work and risk his life, game in game out. But, without our treasured ‘damsel in distress’ requiring rescue, Mario would have lacked inspiration for his adventures. Instead of whirling through warp zones, collecting coins and battling his arch-rival Bowser all in a day’s work, Mario would still be leading his mundane life as a plumber, where the highlight of his day is feasting on pizza whilst watching TV with his brother, Luigi.

Throughout the 80s and 90s, girls were not the conventional demographic for video games, and they were certainly not

catered to at all as players until much later.

The gamer girls back then were not only dedicated, they were hard-core; it took a serious amount of skill to make it through to World 8 and rescue Peach using only 6 buttons and no save file.

When Nintendo began to build their vast empire of platform games in the 1980s, Princess Peach (aka Princess Toadstool back in the day) made her first appearance in the 1985 game Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). The villain of the game, Bowser, initially kidnapped our beloved Princess 30 years ago with the hope that he could manipulate her into casting a spell on all of the Mushroom Kingdom’s residents. Fortunately for us, Mario stepped in to save the day and Peach rewarded him with a gracious peck on the cheek.

Some say that Peach’s affection towards Mario may have made Bowser’s blood boil, who supposedly has a crush on the beautiful blonde bombshell.

Peach debuted as a playable character for the first time in the 1988 NES game, Super Mario Bros. 2. One of her most advantageous traits in this game was the flutter jump. When the army of gruelling Goombas began to charge, they were no match against Peach’s buoyancy, making her one of the more competent characters on the game.

To date, she has made

“

more appearances than any other female in the history of gaming She has made

more appearances than any other female character in the history of gaming with a grand total of 73.

Designed by Shigeru Miyamoto, Peach’s initial appearance was said to reflect her stubborn, yet cute, demeanor.

Coinciding with her pleasing aesthetics, her elegant name is derived from the tree that sprouts pink blossoms and succulent fruit. As we know all too well, Peach has an affinity for pink – everything that she wears oozes the flamboyant colour. It perfectly accentuates her feminine personality and loving temperament, whilst also complimenting her piercing blue eyes and blonde locks. (In the original NES game, her hair was actually a reddish tone due to the primitive colour palettes on 8-bit games.) Perched on top of her dainty head is a golden crown that’s pebble-dashed with crimson and sapphire coloured jewels. Peach’s long, white gloves conceal both of her slender arms from fingertip to shoulder, creating a bold contrast against the sky blue brooch she wears pinned to her torso. Her glamorous ball gown tightly grips her narrow waistline, emphasising her hourglass

figure, moulding her into the pristine Princess that we know today.

In addition to her prepossessing design, Nintendo gifted Peach with the personality to match. In every game that Peach features in, she is portrayed as a compassionate lady who always puts others before herself. Far-from pretentious, Princess Peach’s sweet, hospitable nature is shown through her endearing acts of kindness.

For example, she often bakes cakes for Mario. Occasionally, she even takes pity on her kidnapper, Bowser. (If Peach can take pity on the bullying beast that has kidnapped her over 10 times, then she is a better person than I could ever hope to be!) Her selfless and noble spirit is truly bona fide, and no one can argue with that. Peach’s perpetual politeness can also never be faulted – she is a genuine lady with not a bad bone in her body. Nintendo combined class, kindness and courage to an ideal ratio when developing Peach’s enchanting persona that we continue to cherish, year after year.

Make no mistake however, Peach is not just a pretty face; she is a certified bad ass.

Although Nintendo may have painted her as the clichéd ‘damsel in distress’ over the past few decades, in more recent years, Peach has shown us that she is not what first meets the eye. Our perky Princess possesses www.alternateuniverse.co.uk

”

more power than you could imagine.

Not only is she the ruler of the powerful Mushroom Kingdom, she is also the sole possessor of a power which enables her to reverse the black magic of the Koopa clan. Coupled with her magical abilities, Peach is also able to heal herself and others around her, making her a formidable addition to any team on Nintendo’s array of platform games.

In Peach’s most prominent appearance to date, she plays the role of the heroine in Super Princess Peach for the Nintendo DS. Released back in 2005, the game featured major role reversals when the notorious Bowser kidnapped Mario, Luigi and Toad, leaving our hearty heroine to tend to their rescue. The once helpless and vulnerable Peach turned the tables and kicked Bowser’s ass in what was the first – and hopefully not last – instalment in which Peach performed exclusively as a playable character.

In a sense, Nintendo have provided Princess Peach with more power in the past decade than ever before, and rightly so.

It is long overdue that this persecuted maiden gains the recognition she deserves as a central character.

Is Peach really as much of a burden as Nintendo initially made her out to be? In an age where a Princess is no longer perceived as being a helpless, umbrellawielding presence, perhaps the title ‘damsel in success’ would be more suited.

The

Portrayal

Of

Women

In

Anime:

Bulma Words by Josh O’Neill

An alternate perception of Bulma Brief’s character

O

ne common misconception in the mainstream world is that the only people who enjoy watching anime are nothing more than geeky sleaze-balls, who relish the thought of over-exposure, whether it is in the form of cleavage or an ass shot. However, we know this is not the case and that normal human beings, of both genders, do in fact take innocent pleasure in watching these Japanese gems unfold.

With all jokes pushed aside, along with the army of greasy perverts, we can focus on the deep-rooted issue that is perhaps fuelling a lot of this unjust stigma.

The issue at hand is that the female sex’s social status is being reflected, accurately or not, through the way in which women are depicted in anime. After all, pop culture is more often than not a mirror image of the material world in which we live.

Throughout many anime series, women are undervalued and regularly showcased as insignificant beings when compared to the male protagonists. It could be said that this echoes the oppression that women experience in the real world, and it is our duty as anime fans to explore this concept and challenge the mainstream, sexist viewpoints. If we don’t, then these attitudes will only be reproduced over time.

Although there are several examples I could have used, for the sake of brevity I am going to look at Bulma Brief, the lead female protagonist throughout the Dragon Ball, Z and GT manga and anime series.

Even though I am an avid fan of the Dragon Ball franchise, this particular anime damaged its credibility by creating a misogynistic world in

which only 4 of the lead characters are female. In a storyline dominated by masculinity, even considering them to be main characters is questionable, to say the very least.

Arguably, Bulma had two key roles.

First of all, she provided the writers with a feasible explanation for the Dragon Ball radar; a crucial device invented solely by her that features in almost every episode. Secondly, she enabled Vegeta, another main character, to pass on his Saiyan seed by having a son. Strictly speaking, one of the only reasons for women’s existence in this anime is to provide the male protagonists with the means to reproduce. Sexism at its finest.

Ever since the pilot episode of Dragon Ball, Bulma has been portrayed as a sex symbol. From the moment we meet her, she is presented as an overly sexualised, shallow being who is not afraid to use her erotic mannerisms and sex appeal in order to manipulate men. Granted, she is gifted with extreme intellect, but this is merely overshadowed by her vanity and self-indulgence throughout every saga.

When we are first introduced to Bulma, it is apparent that she is a stereotypical, westernised girl. She happens to be the first female that the main character, Goku, has ever laid eyes on. Sporting a bright pink dress that resides so high above the knees it makes your toes curl, Bulma’s attire does not leave much to the imagination. Later in the episode, she proceeds to hoist up her dress in an attempt to seduce the prepubescent Goku, offering him a ‘peek’ at her underwear in exchange for a Dragon Ball.

In another scene, Bulma is placed in a scenario that results in her unwillingly being dressed in a bunny costume that even Hugh Hefner would be proud of. Later in the episode, she then reveals her bare breasts to the lecherous old creep, Master Roshi, and allows him to touch them. Explicit content like this was very common and the line between over-sexualisation and softcore pornography was often crossed.

Scenes of this nature show total disregard to female characters from every aspect and really hinder the anime’s potential.

By allowing her to become the subject of incessant, perverted intentions like these, creator Akira Toriyama intentionally suffocated Bulma’s potential to play any sort of intrinsic role from the outset of the series, and this is a genuine shame.

The entire dynamic of the show could have been far

more appealing to both genders if the female characters were treated with more respect and integrity.

In the early days of Dragon Ball, Bulma’s persona was far more sexualised than it has been in the past decade. Even she is no exception to the aging process and as she ages, her sex appeal diminishes.

Ironically, the Saiyan race of men in the anime do not show any signs of aging, once again highlighting the superiority of men, a theme that is sadly consistent throughout.

Despite being a central character initially, Bulma’s role was rapidly downplayed as the series unfolded, which led to her essentially becoming a background character. When she entered motherhood, she started to become more irrelevant and effectively held the role of ‘stay at home mum’, whilst her Super Saiyan husband Vegeta was out saving the world. Admittedly, modern attitudes towards women’s role in society differ massively from those in 1986. With this being said, this is no excuse for broadcasting such sexist profanities to children all over the world.

I feel sorry for Bulma, as do I feel sorry for any female who has to feature in this morally corrupt franchise.

Although it pains me to say it, when I examine the ways www.alternateuniverse.co.uk

in which the writers objectify Bulma, I only lose respect for the anime as a whole. Toriyama has failed to challenge stereotypes and gender norms year after year, providing Bulma with no idiosyncrasies or real depth of personality, rendering her as a bystander to the big conflicts throughout every saga. A character that could have easily played a crucial role in the central plot was unfortunately degraded and given a subordinate status.

It is dishonorable that such misogynistic and perverted attitudes tainted Toriyama’s brush when he initially painted the Dragon Ball cast. If only Bulma had been freed from his grasp decades ago, then the blue-haired beauty we know today could have been destined for greatness and glory.

Instead, she is regrettably perceived as nothing more than an aesthetically pleasing airhead, who is continually burdened by the choking chains of womanhood. The harsh reality is that, as anime fans, if we fail to challenge these prejudices, then Bulma and her other female counterparts will simply remain trapped in the confines of Toriyama’s chauvinistic realm forever.

Revisiting

The Dark Knight Words by Josh O’Neill

It has been seven years since the release of Christopher Nolan’s masterpiece, The Dark Knight, but the impact it had on the world of super hero movies is still prominent today.

Currently ranked as the 4th greatest film of all time on IMDB.com, The Dark Knight generated over $1 billion in worldwide box-office sales.

A

lthough the numbers are astonishing, what is even more impressive is the way in which Nolan captivated a global audience with a film that is so eminently dark and unique to the genre.

In this article, we are going to revisit what is perhaps the most crucial and pivotal scene of the entire movie, the enthralling interrogation sequence, involving Batman (Christian

Bale) and the Joker (the late, great Heath Ledger). Unassisted by special effects, Nolan, alongside director of photography, Wally Pfister, managed to create a raw scene that made an indelible impression on every member of the audience.

In the opening of the scene, our ears are immediately flooded by the sound of the Joker’s raspy, coarse voice, as he attempts to play mind www.alternateuniverse.co.uk

games with Commissioner James Gordon. Played by Gary Oldman, Gordon sits opposite the handcuffed menace, staring at him intently, hoping he will reveal the whereabouts of Harvey Dent and his bride-to-be. The set, illuminated only by the bleak bulb of a desk lamp, is shrouded by an overwhelming darkness that contrasts harshly against the Joker’s face. Coupled with the desolate lighting, the tight close-ups of the Joker’s uncomfortable body language adds a further sense of strangeness to his character, whilst creating an ominous feeling in the viewer’s mind.

As Commissioner Gordon proceeds to exit the barren room, the lights turn on and Batman is revealed. A dark mass shadows over the Joker’s frame, and before the audience’s eyes

The scene reaches its focal point when the caped crusader’s rage eventually climaxes, spilling into ferocious physicality. Tired of the Joker’s sarcastic utterances, Batman explodes, dragging his rival across the table then slamming him mercilessly against the stained wall. It is at this point that the most intrinsic element of the film becomes apparent to us. Unlike the first movie, Batman Begins, which focuses on Batman’s fear, The Dark Knight centers around his anger, and the chaos brought on

by Ledger’s antagonist. The once calm, collected and composed hero eventually snaps under the Joker’s manipulative force and this is a side to Batman that, prior to this scene, was never revealed to us in film.

At first, Batman’s rage is balanced by the Commissioner’s presence as he observes the ordeal calmly from behind the two-way mirror. However, as the Joker begins to tear apart Batman’s morals, he crosses the line and draws out the Dark Knight’s inner demons. Fuelled by fury and vengeance, Batman responds to the Joker’s taunts with pure violence like a man possessed, slamming him into the glass, causing it to splinter.

As the make up on his face deteriorates further, so does Batman’s composure. Despite being effectively tortured, the Joker laughs like

a hyena in the face of Batman as he receives several barbaric blows to the face. Unfortunately for the infuriated Batman, the Joker is fascinated by violence and relishes pain, allowing him to act as a catalyst for the dark avenger’s wrath.

At this point, the Joker exploits all of Batman’s personal weaknesses, with his beloved Rachel Dawes acting as his Achilles heel. Feeding on Batman’s indignation, undertones of impotence ooze from the Herculean hero as the Joker diminishes him using mere words, and forces him to realise the futility of his actions: “You have nothing. Nothing to do with all your strength.”

This, here, is the true genius of The Dark Knight. Using the Joker as a tool, a scalpel with which to pick apart the psyche of a man who dresses up as a bat and punches people for a living, Christopher Nolan finally gave us not the Batman we deserved, but the one we needed.

The Joker is such a compelling antagonist because, finally, we see someone who cannot be beaten with fists. How can you fight a figure that thrives on conflict? And what would that do to your state of mind? These are the questions that Nolan delves headfirst into, giving us not only a fully realised hero, but also one of the greatest movies ever made.

Heath Ledger as the Joker

even have time to adjust to the unforgiving light, Batman smashes his skull against the cold, steel desk. For the first time, the set is exhibited to us in all its understated glory. The long, unrefined room, lined floor to ceiling with yellowed, tarnished bricks, could be likened to a slaughterhouse.

In addition to exposing the set itself, the harsh overhead lighting highlights the Joker’s decaying makeup whilst showcasing the flawlessly redesigned Batsuit. Production designer, Nathan Crowley, did a fantastic job when compiling all of these elements that contribute to the overall brutality of the scene.

Preceding his conversation with the sadistic villain, Batman delivers a bone-shattering blow to the Joker’s hand. His stern demeanor juxtaposes that of the shifty Joker as he sits opposite, unwillingly listening to his tormenting words. While conversing with his enemy, the Joker’s serpentlike tongue flickers and slides against his crusted lips, as if drooling at the thought of Batman’s anguish. As the discussion unfolds, it is evident that the Joker’s words are delving under Batman’s skin and testing his patience. By constantly comparing Batman to himself and suggesting the pair coexist, the Joker riles up his nemesis, leeching on his ever increasing anger.

Batman and Joker’s rehearsal for Strictly Come Dancing wasn’t going quite to plan... www.alternateuniverse.co.uk