STARTER KIT

Looking to get into new things?

Den of Geek has your back with these picks from our in-house experts.

⊲ COMICS FOR FANS OF WEDNESDAY

Tim Burton’s Wednesday is Netflix’s biggest hit since Stranger Things. For those of you who loved the show and are interested in getting into comics, we’ve got five great books to start with.

Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina

(2014)

Wednesday bears a striking resemblance to Netflix’s other tale of teenage occultism, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, which was based on this terrific comic written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and drawn by Robert Hack. The comic, though, was much creepier and followed Sabrina and her family as they dealt with all manner of spooky happenings.

GOTHAM ACADEMY (2014)

Far less chilling was Gotham Academy, a book about a group of Gotham classmates navigating typical school-aged angst with a healthy dose of Arkham Asylum-based ghosts, Gotham City mystery, and the occasional guest star from the Batman family of characters. Becky Cloonan, Brendan Fletcher, and Karl Kerschl’s all-ages comic is beloved for a reason.

EXCELLENCE (2019)

Excellence, by Brandon Thomas and Khary Randolph, is the story of a secret world of Black wizards, replete with family drama and high action. Randolph’s art is stunning: he and Thomas build an amazing, deep world with a rich history that you’ll disappear into immediately.

WITCHES OF BROOKLYN (2020)

Sophie Escabasse’s all-ages original graphic novel is about Effie, a young girl who discovers her magical family lineage and tries to find her way in the normal world with extraordinary powers. It’s charming, smart, and breezy, an easy recommendation for any reader with a proclivity for fantasy.

THE DREAMING: WAKING HOURS (2021)

G. Willow Wilson and Nick Robles take concepts originally laid down in Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman and spin them out in a rich, gorgeous tale of self-discovery and vivid imagination. The book centers on a nightmare trapped in the world of the living and the woman who dreamed of him swapping places in The Dreaming.

— JIM DANDENEAU

⊲ ANIME FOR FANS OF HOUSE OF THE DRAGON

Fans of the fantasy mayhem of House of the Dragon will find a lot to love in these anime, all of which are great gateway series.

Vinland Saga

Vinland Saga digs into Viking warfare with impressive action sequences that present barbarism and brutality with unflinching historical accuracy. It grounds itself in reality and doesn’t feature the fantasy elements of House of the Dragon, but Thorfinn’s blood pact and quest for revenge on his father’s killer would make the Targaryens proud.

Ranking Of Kings

Ranking of Kings is a delightful exploration of legacy and destiny that valiantly highlights how heroes can come from unexpected places. Bojji is heir to a mighty kingdom but is born deaf and exiled because he doesn’t fit the kingly standard. Bojji experiences a beautiful coming-of-age story that juggles action, fantasy, drama, and comedy to craft an approachable modern anime classic.

Berserk

Kentaro Miura’s Berserk is the signature dark fantasy anime series and a must-watch for House of the Dragon lovers. A stoic lone wolf named Guts brandishes a comically huge sword known as the Dragon Slayer as he vanquishes demons and takes on God Hand’s apostles. The brutal action in Berserk is second to none, but it’s also full of heavy betrayals and human drama.

The Vision Of Escaflowne

The Vision of Escaflowne is a standout fantasy anime from the 1990s that’s for all of the House of the Dragon fans that wish Westeros also had giant robots. Hitomi gets whisked away to the world of Gaea and becomes a pivotal player in a grueling war. Escaflowne also fits into the mecha mold, and the titular robot transforms into both a dragon and a giant knight.

Tower Of God

Tower of God follows Bam, a humble hero who bravely pursues the seemingly impossible task of scaling a massive tower, wherein each level carries progressive dangers. Tower of God creates a rich world of eclectic creatures, but it’s the intricate strategies, betrayals, and brutal bids for power where these two fantasy-action series overlap the most.

— DANIEL KURLAND

⊲ HONG KONG MARTIAL ARTS MOVIES

When you’re ready to take the next step beyond Bruce Lee films, here are five pivotal Hong Kong martial arts films worthy of your attention.

THE 36TH CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN A.K.A. THE MASTER KILLER (1978)

The 36th Chamber of Shaolin is the granddaddy of “wax on, wax off”, with Gordon Liu working his way through a wild array of obscure training methods inside the birthplace of Kung Fu, the Shaolin Temple. Considered one of the greatest Kung Fu films ever made, this inspired the title of Wu-Tang Clan’s first album.

FIVE DEADLY VENOMS (1978)

Five warriors secretly train in special Kung Fu skills while masked, so they don’t know each other’s identity. When one betrays them, it’s a hunt to solve who is who. Packed with intrigue, Chang Cheh directs this Shaw Brothers’ Studios classic that launched the Venoms Crew, five martial actors who dominated the genre for years.

ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA (1991)

Jet Li teams with director Tsui Hark for a visionary epic loosely based on real-life folk hero Wong Fei Hung. Credited with revitalizing the Kung Fu genre in the ’90s, Li’s acrobatic fighting style blends with Tsui’s extravagant cinematic sensibilities for a grandiose game changer of martial arts films. Like each of these recommendations, it spearheaded a franchise of sequels.

POLICE STORY 3: SUPERCOP (1992)

The threequel of Jackie Chan’s modern-day cop actioners marks the return of Michelle Yeoh after she quit filmmaking in 1987. Yeoh plays a strict mainland Chinese cop opposite Chan’s risky hero. The finale fight atop a moving train is packed with truly death-defying stunts for both actors, including Yeoh’s legendary motorcycle jump onto a moving train.

IP MAN (2008)

When Donnie Yen stepped into the role of Bruce Lee’s real-life Wing Chun Kung Fu master, his dignified portrayal of the grandmaster catapulted him to the title of Hong Kong’s leading star. Another film that reinvigorated the genre, Yen’s Kung Fu shines under the choreographic direction of Jackie Chan’s elder Kung Fu brother, Sammo Hung.

— GENE CHING

⊲ BRITISH CRIME DRAMAS WITH STAND-OUT LEADS

There are top double-acts on British crime TV, from Sherlock to Broadchurch, and first-rate ensemble shows, from Line of Duty to Life on Mars. But if you want to get hooked on one killer lead performance, here’s where to go.

Cracker

Forget Hagrid. Robbie Coltrane will forever be forensic psychologist Fitz from Jimmy McGovern’s acclaimed 1990s drama. Big man, big brain, big demons, and some of the most brutal crimes and unflinching social commentary TV has ever witnessed. There’s no coziness here. Added bonus: spotting early performances from British acting royalty.

Prime Suspect

There’s nothing like a dame. As DCI Jane Tennison, Dame Helen Mirren is unforgettable. Tennison wades through 1990s sexism with a sardonic mouth and a cigarette in hand, standing her ground in front of bigots and murder suspects both. With only 15 episodes aired between 1991 –2006, it’s a concentrated treat.

Luther

After playing Stringer Bell in The Wire, Idris Elba surprised TV audiences by being English—not just English, but proper Luhn-dun. Maverick genius DCI John Luther’s about as Luhn-dun as it gets: growly, tough, with quick fists and an even quicker mind. He’s the king of this pulpy horror thriller.

Happy Valley

Not a crime show, says its creator, but a drama about a policewoman. What a drama, and what a policewoman. Sarah Lancashire is Sgt. Catherine Cawood, a nononsense Yorkshire cop holding back the tide of crime with one hand while holding up her troubled family with the other. Unmissable.

Unforgotten

Nicola Walker is quietly magnificent as DCI Cassie Stuart —softly spoken but relentless, compassionate but fierce. In Unforgotten, she and her team solve a new cold case per series, digging up the truth about a decades-buried body from a cast of apparently unrelated suspects. Crime drama from the heart.

— LOUISA MELLOR

⊲ QUIRKY TRUE CRIME DOCUMENTARIES NOT ABOUT MURDER

There are a lot of murder shows out there, and we’re not going to judge you if you enjoy a good investigation. But if you fancy getting into some wild true crime that isn’t about killing, here’s where to start.

FINDERS KEEPERS (2015)

A man buys the contents of a storage container, and in it, he finds a human leg. But this is not a murder documentary—in fact, the owner of the leg is still alive, and he wants it back. What follows is a truly bizarre story about fame, addiction, and a legal battle over said leg.

THREE IDENTICAL STRANGERS (2018)

What begins as a remarkable tale about identical triplet brothers separated at birth who randomly find each other at age 19 turns extremely dark before the end. Tim Wardle’s doc quite rightly earned awards attention; it’s an extraordinary story brilliantly told.

THE IMPOSTER (2012)

In 1994, a 13-year-old blond-haired blue-eyed Texan boy went missing. Three years later, a 23-year-old brown-haired, brown-eyed French Algerian man claimed to be the missing boy. And the boy’s family welcomed him in… but why? Just because it’s a documentary doesn’t mean people aren’t lying.

TICKLED (2016)

Accidentally bonkers docs should be a subgenre of their own. In Tickled, journalist David Farrier investigates what he thinks is a slightly weird but ultimately harmless tickling competition and quickly learns that it’s just the tip of the feather. Funny and slightly unsettling at the same time.

CRIME SCENE: THE VANISHING AT THE CECIL HOTEL (2021)

This four-part miniseries isn’t about murder, but it is the most gruesome of these picks. It is also fascinating. This is a look at the historic Cecil Hotel, situated on Los Angeles’ Skid Row, and the disappearance of young guest Elisa Lam in 2013. Lam’s story is a sad one but the hotel’s story is bonkers.

— ROSIE FLETCHER