Book Review 128 // Angel Exterminatus by Graham McNeill

Feels good to get back into the Horus Heresy after a little break and what a book to come back to. Angel Exterminatus was written by Graham McNeill. This 416-page novel follows the two Primarchs Fulgrim and Perturabo. Here is the official write-up.

Perturabo – master of siegecraft, and executioner of Olympia. Long has he lived in the shadow of his more favored Primarch brothers, frustrated by the mundane and ignominious duties which regularly fall to his Legion. When Fulgrim offers him the chance to lead an expedition in search of an ancient and destructive Xenos weapon, the Iron Warriors and the Emperor’s Children unite and venture deep into the heart of the great warp-rift known only as ‘the Eye’. Pursued by a ragged band of survivors from Isstvan V and the revenants of a dead Eldar world, they must work quickly if they are to unleash the devastating power of the Angel Exterminatus!

I have to admit the villains in the Horus Heresy series have actually been the highlight characters of the series. I can only assume it is because of the very human flaws, that make them so enjoyable. It feels almost heartbreaking, to see how impressive they could have been if they had remained uncorrupted. It also highlights how childhood affects adult life and the need to be wanted by a parental figure so dangerous.

In this novel the focus is Perturabo, so far only mentioned in passing or as a side character. Meaning we are treated to some real insight into the character for once. Always portrayed as a moody, siegecraft specialist, we finally get to start experiencing the creator, the builder, the want a be statesman. He has a lot of depth which could rival the other Primarch's if he wasn't always underestimated (a role I believe he plays up to). In this novel, we also discover his sons follow their father's lead and downplay their skills and abilities, as they seem to be a far match for most other legions.

The way the story is written it would seem Perturabo is the "Good Guy" of the tale, facing off against his brother Fulgrim. Once close brothers and allies, we now see a rift forming between the brothers. Fulgrim falls further into the worship of Slannesh, whilst Perturabo wishes to be no man's or God's tool. These differing viewpoints are played out through the story, which sees the brothers traveling into the Eye of Terror to discover a weapon known as the Angel Exterminatus.

This is a solid story and a great introduction to the Iron Warriors. It also did a great job of expanding the Emperor's Children's arc. We also get to visit a Crone World and experience a bucket load of Eldar! But it is not all wonderful. I found the inclusion of the loyalists a bit too forced, I know it's great to see some Iron Hands, Raven Guard, and Salamanders, but they didn't really add much to the story. If you cut out their chapters, the story runs the same at a third of the size. But that is really just me knit-picking at an otherwise great story. The epilogue for me also seemed forced, I know the author is just trying to link his stories together but it was needed.

Would love to hear your thoughts. As always thanks for stopping by. Please use the following links to support the blog.

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Beer Review 139 // Lil' Guy by Beyond the Pale Brewing Company Ottawa

Damn! Sometimes you just try a beer and it hits the right spot. Today's beer did just that. I enjoyed this beer about a week ago with the wife. It's been an interesting time here as Ontario entered another lockdown. Meaning no real changes for me. I have mostly worked all of the COVID period. Luckily for me, Beyond the Pale Brewing Company came to the rescue with a new brew titled Lil' Guy.

Now some of you may not know this, but I actually work for BTP. Does that mean I'm biased? Sure. I wouldn't work for someone I don't like, I do honestly believe they brew some killer beer. This one surprised me, at 3.6% it has a lot of flavours. Poured exactly how I expected for a NEPA, it was a bright hazy yellow with a lovely white fluffy head that hung around. The aroma was bold with big citrus notes from the beautiful fresh hops. On taste, it was like tangerine and lime and went down way too easy. I know it is only 3.6% but I was left satisfied after a can. These would please the most hardened drinker. The taste lingered in a mouthwatering way and I am left wanting more so I feel this is a win.

Have you tried this one? Let me know in the comments below, I would love to hear your thoughts? As always thanks for stopping by and I hope you will give me follow on either here or one of the many social media platforms I hide out on.

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Comic Review 134 // Strontium Dogs: Blood Moon

When I started my adventures into Strontium Dog, I didn't appreciate how much I was going to enjoy it. I am now on book 8 of 12 tracebacks that I know off and I haven't lost my interest (thought the Final Solution came close). On top of this, I have been really inspired by the games and have completed the first round of figures, meaning I can play a game soon. But back to the comic.

Strontium Dogs: Blood Moon

Writer: John Wagner

Artist: Carlos Ezquerra

Pages: 192

Colonel Blood Moon was one of the most feared mutant figures operating during the war. Driven by his hatred for norms and desire to destroy their leader Nelson Kreelman, Moon would sacrifice anything and anyone for victory. That ruthlessness led to an event that would earn him the ire of a young Johnny Alpha, and leave the legendary Strontium Dog with a thirst for revenge!

Written by John Wagner (Button Man, A History Of Violence) and with art by Carlos Ezquerra (Judge Dredd) this is an unmissable action-packed epic!

Collects:

• Blood Moon (Prog #2009, progs #1617–#1628))
• The Mork Whisperer (Progs #1651–#1660))

Unsurprisingly this tale follows on after last week's title of Traitor to His Kind. Now if you aren't reading the titles in the order it doesn't matter, this is very much a stand-alone tale and can be read on its own. As mentioned above it contains two stories the first Blood Moon, appeared in 2009.

Blood Moon

Set during the mutant/norm wars we join a young Johnny Alpha on a high-priority mission. Alpha isn't aiding General Armz this time, instead, he is seconded to Willian Blood Moon, a rather angry mutant with half his face covered in metal. Alpha's mission is to confirm the presence of his father Nelson Kreelman at a rally. If confirmed Moon's forces with assault the city in an attempt to claim his life and end the war. Unfortunately, Moon's tactics are too extreme for Alpha and they become bitter rivals.

Jump forward in time and a bounty has been issued for Moon and Alpha is out to collect!

Overall a strong and heartfelt story. Wagner makes Moon a very believable character, full of charisma and love for his people, but at the same time completely ruthless and does not care about the costs of victory. With the passing of time, it would seem Wagner developed the Moon character to become darker and darker, believing that terrorism is the answer, rather than working with the new goverment. A great mix of personal and political arguments is brought up throughout the story, with a huge amount of black and white arguments becoming grey. How long can you fight for, before you become the monster you thought you were fighting? 

This is the main story and for good reason. Worth the cover price alone.

The Mork Whisperer

A more straightforward Strontium Dog tale, as we join Johnny Alpha aboard a luxury spaceship. Here we billionaire Igor Galactic (such a bad name lol). We discover that Galactic's children have been kidnapped by their mother. Alpha is tasked to bring back Kevin, who Galatic wishes to become his heir and take over the company. Alpha agrees to a pricy sum of 10 Million credits!

To aid him in the search Alpha recruits, Middenface McNulty, Blubberlips, Turvey, Evans the Fist and the Torso of Newcastle and together they head off to investigate the last location of the family.

This is a more by the numbers story, with a powerful character using Alpha for his own gains, before becoming undone by Alpha's high moral ground. It is an eventful story and a fun read, definitely filler but worth the read.

Let me know in the comments what you want me to read next. Until then thank you for reading and use some of these links to help support the blog.

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Miniature Monday // Judge Dredd - Uglies in Mega-City One.

It's miniature Monday. Today, I am showcasing a quick and easy paint job. I spent at best 30 minutes on each miniature, so it was really quick and easy. To speed up the painting process I used a lot of contrast paints over a grey primer with white highlighting. The models are from the 1985 Games Workshop miniature line. My goal for these models is to create some sort of citizen crowd to act as cannon fodder or as hindering random terrain features. 

The models are pretty comical, one has a Cube head, one has Pig-like features and the third has pimples. All three are part of the ugly trend started by Otto Sump and they are some of the most unusual citizens of Mega-City One.

The Uglies are citizens who wish to artificially uglify themselves to achieve a unique appearance. Followers use uglification products or body modification to enhance their ugliness or negate their attractiveness.

Origin

Otto Sump, a hideously unattractive person, was chosen to tell his pitiful life story on a talk show. He made such an impression on the viewers that he received a huge cash prize. He used his winnings to found a cosmetics company. However, his skewed sense of beauty meant that he made products that made the user ugly. Sump's celebrity, however, made him a fashion plate. His customers sought to emulate his ugliness, making Sump very wealthy.

Sump Products

Bulgetrex: Makes eyes redden and swell.

Bogle Drops: Nose drops that induce runny nose and snot production.

Flabbon: Adds layers of cellulite.

Fuzz: Grows body hair.

KwikLime Shampoo: Burns off the hair at the roots.

Lip Chapper: Chaps lips.

Pimplex: Pimple-inducing cream.

Sump Paste: Creates cavities in teeth.

Wart-On: Wart-inducing cream.

Well, that's it for today. I hope you enjoyed this quick and dirty miniature post. Drop me a comment and let me know your thoughts, what company miniatures do you use to represent standard citizens in sci-fi games?

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Judge Dredd: Complete Case Files 03: Stars Otto Sump

The Game: I AM THE LAW by Warlord Games

Audio Review 30 // Garro: Burden of Duty

Today marks the end of the Garro audio dramas I currently own. It's been a fun series; I am now eying up the next two stories; Shield of Lies and Ashes of Fealty. I'm pretty sure I am all in now. I want to listen to all of the Garro tales. It also has also conveniently allowed me to complete the Garro novel, book number 43 in the Horus Heresy series (there is one short novella I will need to purchase). But I am rambling, let us get into this audio drama.

Garro: Burden of Duty

As the renegade forces of the Warmaster storm across the galaxy, a very different kind of war rages in the shadows of the Imperium – the Knights Errant, chosen of Malcador himself, move quietly in the dark places where others cannot.

Written by: James Swallow

Time: 35 minutes

Performed by: John Banks, Toby Longworth and Ramon Tikaram.

As we join Garro the forces of the Warmaster rage across the galaxy. But not all threats from the traitor's forces. It would seem to me that Malcador is playing some dangerous games within the ranks of the loyal forces as he sends Garro on a stealth mission inside the Phalanx home of the loyal Imperial Fists and of Rogal Dorn. Garro's goal, to seek out and recruit another Space Marine into the ranks of his elite group. The focus of Garro's mission is a member of the Imperial Fists' Librarium, who following the edict of Nikaea is now secluded away in what could be classed as a prison cell.

As it always seems to happen with Garro, nothing goes to plan and soon he is actually captured by Dorn and held for interrogation. How many times can Garro piss off Dorn before this Primarch kills him?

Overall a fun listen. At 35 minutes the pacing is fast and still actioned filled, I would have loved for an extra 30 minutes to truly get more info into the story, it left me feeling it was a little rushed. It also left out information like where this sits in the Garro timeline? Definitely, after Oath of Moment as we know Rubio is his first mission but is it set before Sword of Truth and Legion of One? This annoys me a little but truly a nice listen as I walked to work. I just can't tell if Malcador is manipulating everyone like Emperor Palpatine in Stars Wars, is he the Sith Lord they are all looking for?

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Book Review 127 // The Emperor's Legion by Chris Wraight

Hello and welcome back for a book review. I'm still not fully feeling a Horus Heresy Novel yet, which meant I got to tip my toe into a series I have been recommended but had yet to start (yes another series, I have bad reading habits ok). Titled The Emperor's Legion (Watcher's of the Throne #1) by Chris Wraight. At only 288 pages it is a little shorter than most BL books which isn't a bad thing. So before we get on with the review here is the official write-up.

The Adeptus Custodes are the Emperor's praetorian guard, the defenders of Terra and watchers over the Golden Throne. But when a threat arises, they and their Sisters of Silence allies may find themselves pressed almost beyond endurance…

READ IT BECAUSE

Never before have the Adeptus Custodes, the guardians of the Emperor himself, been the stars of a Warhammer 40,000 novel. This is your chance to find out all about how they work in the dark millennium.

THE STORY

The Custodian Guard has stood watch over the Emperor's Palace on Terra since the foundation of the Imperium. Charged with protecting the Master of Mankind from all threats, within and without, their fearsome resolve is renowned throughout the galaxy, and their golden armour is the last thing that a would-be assassin or saboteur will ever see. Alongside the Null-maidens of the Sisters of Silence, who are anathema to psykers and sorcerers alike, there is no threat to the Golden Throne that they alone cannot vanquish... until now.

This was an intriguing title, the only Custodians I have read about so far were in the Horus Heresy Series. It will be interesting to see how they faired in the 40K verse.

The story itself focuses on a select few characters and is set on Holy Terra, in the heart of the Imperium. Now, if you are up to date with the 40K story/timeline. You will know this story is set in the current timeline and this is the ripping of the galaxy in two. The plot throughout the story is straightforward and very engaging. It gives some great insight into the unique secretive elements of the Imperium. We learn a huge amount about the mysterious Sisters of Silence. A group of all-female null Psykers, which are humans with no souls and thus impervious to the temptations of the warp. This elite group of women are trained to an extremely high level and given some of the best equipment in the Imperium. Their role is to seek out and destroy corruption wherever it takes root. They are kick-ass as one on one killers but definitely are not invincible. A very believable source of character in a galaxy full of superheroes.

Opposite from the Sisters of Silence comes the Custodian Guards - the Ultimate elite force of the Imperium. Quoted as being as close to an Astartes (aka Space Marine) as an Astartes is to a human! They stand about a foot or two taller than an Astartes and wear armour on par to a Terminator. For such a large posthuman warrior they move with speed and are trained to expect attack plans and stay ahead of the attacker with almost preternatural skill.

The final group is the High Lords of Terra. Made up of 12 men and women, who have been attempting to run the Imperium in the name of the Emperor. This group of 12 is definitely a group of classic politicians, attempting to manipulate each other to secure themselves and their faction more strength within the Imperium.

With these three factions, we live out the story. We hear the rumours of the Cadia Gate falling and towards the end, Terra itself becomes engulfed in a warp tear, allowing Terra to be attacked by Daemons and chaos warriors! All this combining with the characters makes for an amazing story. But wait there is more! Into this mix, we have Grey Knights, a Primarch and the breakout of Abbadon from the Eye of Terror. This book has opened the doors to kick-ass series!

Great book, great start to a series and excited for where it is going. As always, cheers for checking in and feel free to sign up to get notifications and use any of these links to support me (any amazon link gives me a kickback...Thank you).

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Youtube // Strontium Dog - The Good, The Bad and The Mutie

It's happened I have completed the starter set from Warlord Games. The Good, The Bad and The Mutie is set within the 2000 AD comic series called Strontium Dog and follows one of the saddest tales in the series. The game comes with 8 characters. Three are Strontium Dog agents - Johnny Alpha, The Gronk and Wulf Sternhammer and they face off against five villains of the Max Bubba Gang - Max Bubba, Brute Mosely, Lowdown O'Phee, Skull and Impetigo Jones. Here is a quick video to see the final results.

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Comic: Strontium Dog: Traitor to his Kind

Beer Review 138 // Nebuchadnezzar by Omnipollo

There are some special beers in the world that when I drink them I am taken back to a moment in time. Today's beer does just that. Whenever I drink a Nebuchadnezzar, I am transported back to London UK and working one of my first shifts at Craft Beer Co. Clerkenwell, where one of my co-workers introduced me to Omnipollo and changed my life forever. With this in mind let us enjoy a Nebuchadnezzar together.

“Neb” is a homebrew recipe that has been scaled up with no consideration to economies of scale. Some say idiotic, and as an economist, I would have to agree. Get fresh or die trying.

Awards: Gold medal and "Best of Show" at the Stockholm Beer & Whisky Festival 2012. Best Swedish Beer 2013 according to Ratebeer. Best Swedish Beer 2012 according to the readers of Allt om Öl. Best Swedish Beer according to beersweden.forum. On the list of 30 great IPAs to drink before you die at http://firstwefeast.com/drink/30-great-ipas-to-drink-before-you-die/

Henok

This version of the beer was brewed in Canada near Toronto and was sold through the Craft Brand Co. team. The pour is a beautiful hazy orange colour, with a beautiful thick white head. The aromas coming off the beer are strong on the malt front, with some bold fruity hops, a big hit of juicy mango. Not going to lie this is also giving off a boozy note, but damn does it all smell delicious. The taste is bold west coast styling, it's bitter and sweet, the fruits are in your face, lots of grapefruit pith, passionfruit and some sticky pine notes. This is a big beer that has a lingering bitterness, coating the mouth in the wonderful hoppy taste. The booziness hits and it is such a wonderful beer, I can't wait to crack the can that is in front of me.

Have you tried this one? Let me know in the comments below, I would love to hear your thoughts? As always thanks for stopping by and I hope you will give me follow on either here or one of the many social media platforms I hideout on.

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Comic Review 133 // Strontium Dog: Traitor to his Kind

Well, I had a lot of fun with Glimmer Rats last week. I found myself missing Strontium Dog, and I felt I had to get back to it. I have completed the official Johnny Alpha arc, but the creative team Wagner and Ezquerra felt like they still had stories to tell. So they managed to squeeze out a few more for us fans. This leads us nicely to the first novel Strontium Dog: Traitor to his kind.

Johnny Alpha – the mutant bounty hunter with the X-ray eyes – has been given his toughest job to date. The mutant underground has kidnapped King Clarkie The Second and the British government want Alpha to secure his release.

Finding himself working for the norms, Johnny must venture deep into the mutant ghetto and deep into his own past. As Johnny unravels a plot to start a new war with the mutants he must ask himself the toughest question. In order to save his own kind can Johnny Alpha betray them?

Written by John Wagner (A History of Violence) with art by Carlos Ezquerra (Preacher), this Thrill-packed tome brings you 2000 AD at its very best!

Right where to begin? The action in this graphic novel seems to take place after The Kreeler Conspiracy. These comics were published between 2000 and 2009 and lucky for us are all written by John Wagner and drawn by the talented but sadly past Carlos Ezquerra. Also with it being a modern piece, it is all fully coloured and a real treat to the eyes.

There are a lot of tales and characters to take in with this book, but rather than break down every story I am just going to go over the highlights. The first tale starred Kid Knee. This is a model I have been eyeing up from Warlord Games, so to read his story was a true highlight for me if a little sad and you can't help but feel a little down after this story. Good opening piece and a telling example of how the theme of this book will go.

The next tale is a prison break job, with our duo coming to the aid of Headly Foot, an ex- SD agent with an ankle and foot on his head. Having been found guilty of crimes he faces prison time until Johnny and Wulf rescue him. But are they being honourable or do they have other motives. Solid enough tale but nothing that really gripped me or inspired me.

Then we hit the title tale - Traitor to his Kind. In this story, King Clarkie has been kidnapped by a group of mutant terrorists. Due to his connection to the English government, Alpha is called in to assist in finding the missing king. This is such an enjoyable read with Johnny Alpha placed in a no-win scenario. If he helps the government he will be forever titled a traitor by his own kind, whilst if he chooses to not help he will have to watch another mutant vs norm war take place. Unsurprisingly Johnny chooses to save the king and become branded a traitor. There are a lot of twists in this comic that I won't reveal, but it is hard to watch it all happen, at times you find yourself wanting to slap people and wake them up to the tragic happenings around them. Amazing story and well worth the price of the issue alone.

We are treated to a fallout story, showcasing how Johnny is treated in the aftermath of the main story, it is a sad state of affairs, to be honest. It didn't really add much and felt a filler piece, but at the same time felt very Strontium Dog. With the duo heading off to claim a bounty with no epicness about. It is a very straightforward bounty job that gets messed up along the way.

The last story; The Glum Affair. Actually feels like a true follow-up to the Traitor to his kind story. As we revisit Glum, who is now in prison awaiting to be executed for killing a policeman. In an attempt to speak to his old friend, Johnny is meet with poisonous contempt and is forced to rescue/kidnap Glum to help prove his innocence. During their time on the run, Glum begins to realize his error and by the end of the story is praising Johnny Alpha once more. The true highlight of the story is the trio visiting a space station that is built as a Las Vegas in space, lots of gambling and criminals are aboard here and the bounty hunting fun soon takes over again, with plenty of twists and turns to keep you interested. This was a very strong ending for the comic and second only to the main story.

Overall the comic made a good job of showcasing Johnny Alpha as a stand-alone character, even when around his own kind. It comes across as aloof and arrogant but is in fact just a lonely lifestyle for the bounty hunter. We then watch what little life he has crumbled away, before getting the redemption tale that was needed. It is a great reworking of the Strontium timeline and I am excited to dive into the Blood Moon graphic novel next.

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Strontium Dog: Traitor to his Kind

Miniature Monday // Warlord Games Judge Dredd

Hey, time for a Judge Dredd miniature post. This model is from Warlord Games and was a great miniature to paint. For this post, I am going to start by showing the unboxing video.

If you are still watching I thank you for your viewing. Now into Judge Dredd. You all know his story we all love the legend and it was such a joy to paint. As you would have seen I based with grey primer, then extreme highlighted with white. Then I worked through a load of contrast paints, to achieved what I feel is a great look on the model. It feels very comic book style and was a blast to paint. I hope you all agree with me and I am excited to get more miniatures painted up soon.

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Audio Review 29 // Garro: Sword of Truth by James Swallow

Racing through the Garro adventures with us now on story number three. Garro: Sword of Truth.

Nathaniel Garro, knight errant and agent of the Sigillite, returns from the battlefields of Calth to find a new mission already waiting for him – a ragged fleet of Space Marines from several Legions lingers at the edge of the Terran system. With the presence of World Eaters and Emperor’s Children causing concern among the loyalist defenders and drawing a grim parallel with his own frantic flight, Garro must look beneath the obvious if he is to determine friend from foe...

This tale sits between Oath of Moment and Legion of One so I have listened to them out of order, which for me led to spoilers. There is a lot to enjoy with this tale, up first it is a longer tale (over two hours) giving Swallow more time to build out the story. The characters are a lot more varied in backgrounds and legions, with us seeing Deathguard, World Eaters, Ultramarines, Emperor Children and White Scars.

This is a very character-driven story. With Garro having freshly returned to Luna with Rubio, they are both soon called back into action. In the outskirts of the Solar System, a fleet of ships has appeared seeking refuge in the wake of the civil war. The only problem is the ships are made up of the traitorous legions, it is up to Garro and his friends to decide if they are loyal to traitors.

Overall a great story, full of action, intrigue and twists. The whole who you can trust narrative is greatly acted out by the writing of Swallow and I highly recommend purchasing it. If you are new to the series go back and listen to Oath of Moment first.

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Book Review 126 // Azrael by Gav Thorpe

Welcome back to another Dark Angel novel. This time we delve into the Chapter Master himself and his rise into the role of Chapter Master. Azrael is 192 pages long and written by a favourite author of mine by Gav Thorpe.

The Dark Angels Chapter sprang from the First Legion of Space Marines to fight and die at the Emperor's side. But over ten thousand years, even the most staunchly loyal warriors of the Imperium can fall from grace, and the Dark Angels guard their own murky secrets most carefully - only Supreme Grand Master Azrael knows them all. A legend among Space Marines, he has fought for centuries and ever at the forefront of battle. Now, with the enigmatically alien eldar as his uneasy and unlikely allies, he must tread the fine line once more between the pursuit of victory, and keeping the Chapter's past safely buried...

Author: Gav Thorpe

Page Count: 192

Publisher: Black Library

Unsurprisingly Azrael is all about the Chapter Master of the Dark Angels. We go back in time to watch him be promoted into the position of Chapter Master. During this time we will see him as the leader of the First Company aka the Deathwing. In this opening act, we have the Dark Angels facing off against a traitorous World, corrupted by the Night Lords. In this action, the previous Grandmaster is slain and Azrael steps forwards as his replacement. He is then put to the test within the Rock to see if he is worthy enough to lead.

There is plenty of action, which I have come to expect of any Space Marine novel. A surprise twist for me is the inclusion of Eldar in the final battle, but it would seem they had a common enemy in the form of the Painted Count. But overall this book should be viewed as a lore filler, it shows how the new commanders are chosen and the role the Watchers in the Dark still play within the chapter. I do find it intriguing that they should show Azrael his past as a way for himself to decide if he deserves to lead or not.

Overall a solid read and I enjoyed it, so it's a win for me. Let me know in the comments if you enjoyed it and use the links provided to support me and the blog.

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Youtube // Batch painting video

A bit more shameless promotion of my youtube channel Adventures with Peps. My little hobby corner is slowly building up some traction as I close in on 50 followers. If you haven't ready go check out and give me a follow, every little bit help.

Today's post is a Youtube video of me painting a few figures, I have in no particular order I paint Warlord Games Judge Dredd and a Strontium Dog: Lowdown McPhee, a Mongoose Games Perp and two uglies. Enough of the writing here's the video:

Hope you enjoy it and want to give me a follow. Here are some finished photos. As always like, comment, subscribe and see you tomorrow.

Beer Review 137 // Maz by Omnipollo

Got to love a beer by Omnipollo and recently Craft Brand Co. from Toronto made a new to Canada brew. Title Maz this beer used to be called Mazarin, the original brewer Henok calls this the thinker's beer. He wanted to produce a beer that is not over the top complex, and instead is a calm hop palette that doesn't confuse the mind too much. Sitting at 5.6% this Pale Ale is hopefully going to become a good to brew for the summer.

Let us dive into the beer. The beer pours a beautiful bright orange colour, that is stunning in its hazy appearance and has a lively, white bubbly head. The beer is aromatic with a hit of classic citrus notes, gentle melon and a malty caramel backbone. The taste matches the aroma, with a bit more of a hit of tropical fruits and a slightly grassy finish. The lingering finish is mouthwatering and slightly bitter. Overall a great Pale Ale, would definitely buy it again!

Have you tried this one? Let me know in the comments below, I would love to hear your thoughts? As always thanks for stopping by and I hope you will give me follow on either here or one of the many social media platforms I hide out on.

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Comic Review 132 // Glimmer Rats by Gordon Rennie

Last week when I completed Strontium Dog: The Keeler Conspiracy, I posted on Instagram and offered up three opinions of what to read next and it seemed like the vote sung slightly to Glimmer Rats. With this in mind let us dive into this one-shot comic.

Glimmer Rats

Author: Gordon Rennie

Artist: Mark Harrison

Commercial Fluff: Under the autocratic rule of a federal Europe, all prisoners are press-ganged into the military to fight an incredible war against an unbelievable enemy: unearthly monsters from another dimension known as the "Glimmer." As the reluctant troopers soon learn, the Glimmer is ruled by the "Geist" -- the malevolent spawn of hell that can rend, kill, and destroy humans in a thousand different ways. The only way to survive is to be meaner, fight dirtier, and kill faster than the Geist...

Page Count: 64 Pages

Review

A crazy sci-fi horror, which is brought to life by the artwork of Mark Harrison. This story captured my imagination like the Alien movie and Warhammer 40,000. Gordon Rennie really produced a mind-bending tale, full of action, horror and otherworld terror.

Within the tale you are introduced to only a few main characters, I really like the fact that the cast list is pretty small. Each character is someone you don't want to like, murders, rapists, traitors and terrorists, but you can't full for them and even care for the odd character. The plot is straightforward - a terrorist/freedom fighter is arrested and shot into a dimensional rift to fight other-dimensional monsters. Here we discover a broken and defeated team that is seeking redemption. Whilst the newbie is learning the ropes we find out about a possible way to escape the rift, but can the exit be truly real?

It is one of the best comics I've read in 2021, enjoyable, short and has left me inspired. I highly recommend it to anyone in the sci-fi hobby, if you can't find inspiration in it then you should unfollow me. In all seriousness give me a follow or comment below I would love to hear your thoughts.

Let me know in the comments what you want me to read next. Until then thank you for reading and use some of these links to help support the blog.

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2000 AD Link: Glimmer Rat

Aeldari Craftworlds // Arach-Qin

This week I am working on the next Craftworld Project. Craftworld, Arach-Qin has very little info on it and seems to just be a random snippet in a codex paint guide. Now there seems to be a lot of homebrewed lore, which though interesting seems to lean too heavily on Dark Elf lore from AOS/Warhammer, which though fun, doesn't seem to really fit. With this in mind here is all that is known.

Arach-Qin is an Eldar Craftworld. Little is known about Arach-Qin, other than its existence. It is most likely an extremely minor Craftworld.

Main colours: Black body armour. Red faceplate, beige details.

Got to be honest a very dull paint scheme, didn't enjoy this, but glad I got it done. I would love to hear your thoughts. Let me know in the comments and if you wish to support the blog hit subscribe or use one of the following links:

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Start your own army of Aeldari: Farseer

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Audio Review 28 // Garro: Legion of One by James Swallow

Look at me, I managed to continue a series for once. If you didn't see last week's review click here. Let's do a quick refresh. In story one: we joined Garro as he travelled to Calth in search of an Ultramarine, whilst searching Garro ends up assisting in a battle against the traitorous Word Bearers. This was a great intro and I am hoping the stories continue to be of this high quality. Let us dive in and see what the commercial fluff has to say.

Nathaniel Garro continues his mysterious mission in the latest Horus Heresy audio drama.

Nathaniel Garro, loyalist Death Guard, and hero of The Flight of the Eisenstein has found a new calling in his service to the Emperor. Surrounded by a cloak of secrecy, Garro travels the galaxy in pursuit of his new goal. His quest will lead him to the heart of the most destructive warzones and reveal a secret that will change the course of the Horus Heresy itself.

Legion of One was once again read and acted by Toby Longsworth and was so enthralling. We join Garro and Rubio from the first tale, Oath of Moment, travelling with Macer Varren of the World Eaters. The trio is travelling to the Istavaan system in search of another Space Marine, one who has fallen far and taken on the name Cerebrus. Throughout the story, we get to experience some of Garro's own ghosts of the past and his regrets of the Istavaan massacre. As the trio searches through the ruins of a gutted city, the trio is surprised to discover humans have somehow survived the battle and fallout. The ragtag survivors inform Garro of a Beast that hunts them at night and wishing to protect the people Garro and team go off to confront the Beast.

Comically Garro chooses to leave Varren defending the survivors (a task not suited to a World Eater), whilst he and Rubio explore the Beast's lair. Soon the pair are ambushed by the beast and in the following combat, a krak grenade is used to collapse a building upon them. Varren in a state of shock is left alone to face the creature and is only saved when a remerging Rubio drives off Cerberus with a psi-attack. With Garro recovered the trio realizes that Cerberus is the goal of their mission and though in the grip of madness it is plain to see he is still loyal to the Emperor.

Then the story takes a bit of a plot twist, the dead refugees rise as plague zombies of Nurgle each marked with a triple pox mark. With the trap sprung, Garro now understands why Cerberus was killing the refugees. Soon the Marines are outnumbered and fighting for their lives, it is only by the timely reappearance of Cerberus that they are saved. But the action doesn't end there, with the last zombie dead Cerberus turns on Garro and blades clash once more. It is during this battle that the big reveal happens but no spoilers of that, you will have to listen for yourself.

The new character Varren is really interesting, he comes across as an intelligent and likeable World Eater rather than just a blood-thirsty killer. It's like the early versions of Kharn, a warrior with noble attributes and controlled restraint. This is how I would have liked the World Eaters to have been portrayed in general, only becoming blood-thirsty once combat is joined. A claim outer shell with an inner boiling rage.

This was a great follow-up tale, well written and amazingly read/performed and it helps move along the story in an interesting way. I can't wait to get into the next story Sword of Truth soon. As always cheers for checking in and feel free to sign up to get notifications and use any of these links to support me.

Kindle Edition: Garro

Audible: Garro: Legion of One by James Swallow

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Book Review 125 // Angels of Darkness by Gav Thorpe

Continuing on from The Purging of Kadillus, comes Angels of Darkness, by Gav Thorpe. We are reintroduced to Interrogator-Chaplain Boreas once more and delve into the Dark Angels' murky past.

Commercial Fluff:

The Angels of Darkness, the God-Emperor's most dedicated servants, harbour a dark secret that stretches back to the great Horus Heresy, a time when humanity was torn apart by intergalactic civil war Now the horrific events from this era threaten to be unleashed as Interrogator-Chaplain Boreas gets caught up in the murderous plots of an enemy from the Chapter's shadowy past...

Author: Gav Thorpe

Page Count: 256

Review

As with most Black Library stories it helps to know a little Warhammer 40k lore. It's not needed knowledge but is definitely helpful. The story follows two characters and jumps back and forth between the two. The first is Interrogator-Chaplain Boreas, a Space Marine of the Dark Angels Chapter. Whilst the second character is Merir Astelan aka one of the Fallen, aka a member of the Dark Angel Legion, circa Horus Heresy era. This group of Fallen is a renegade group of Dark Angels who turned on their Primarch during the Horus Heresy which happened 10,000 years prior.

The chapters jump back and forth between these two, but it is Boreas's piece that you need to pay attention to, set in the current-ish timeline. In this arc, a small garrison lead by Boreas discovers a plot by the Fallen and must decide what action to take. Do they chase their traitorous past or defend the world on which they garrison? While this story is happening, the Astelan chapters help to explain the decision-making that is taking place in the Boreas arc. As the story progresses you are left wondering who is right and who is wrong, do both marines have a valid viewpoint? This story really helps build up the grey areas of right and wrong and we are left wondering how far from the original path has the Imperium fallen. This seems to be the focus of the story, who is truly following their duty, who is lost to lore and stories and is Astelan actually a sane voice in a galaxy gone mad? As Boreas's tale nears completion he seems to start seeing the error in his Judgement and is left wondering who's goals is was actually following and was it for the good of the Imperium?

Overall an enjoyable read and it created a ton of questions for me to think over which is great. It has also sparked interest in the Dark Angels once more, though I feel like I want to collect a more standard Chapter rather than that of the Dark Angels.

As always cheers for checking in and feel free to sign up to get notifications and use any of these links to support me.

Kindle Edition: Angels of Darkness by Gav Thorpe

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Youtube // Impetigo Jones

Welcome back for another shameless plug of my Youtube channel; Adventures with Peps. It's all rather new to me, as I learn how to talk to myself, whilst attempting to make something people will enjoy and follow. I feel I am getting better with my video making, which is great to feel, I am also starting to see my analytics agreeing with me. As of writing, I am on 47 followers and 25 hours of view time (YAY!).

For this week's video, we have my latest Warlord Games Strontium Dog Character - Impetigo Jones. Remember if you are reading the email version you won't see the video so please visit the actual blog.

As always please drop me a follow or use the following links to support the blog.

Get the Comic: Amazon Link

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Beer Review 136 // Bianca Blueberry Maple Pancake by Omnipollo

Excited to be drinking some Omnipollo once again. This time it is a brew I have never had before - Bianca, Blueberry, Maple Pancake. This has been brewed under contract here in Ontario and sold via the Craft Brand Co. in Toronto. Here is their write-up.

An insane amount of wild blueberries balanced by lots of maple with some lactose sugar and rock salt. Also, dry-hopped with mosaic. It is a must-try. ⁣

First up look at the god damn colour on this beer! It is epic. A rich reddish, purple, capped by a pink thick lively head. It looks stunning and so tasty I can't wait to drink it as I attempt to take a picture. The aromas are intense, sugary maple notes with a slight sourness of blueberries. In the taste the maple sweetness hits first covering the mouth in a delightful flavour, this is then quickly cut by a sour hit of blueberry backed up by the salty mouth-drying salt. You can't help but want more and soon it is gone, though seriously delicious this is a beer you can only have one of. Any more of this and I fear your teeth would fall out lol.

Have you tried this one? Let me know in the comments below, I would love to hear your thoughts? As always thanks for stopping by and I hope you will give me follow on either here or one of the many social media platforms I hideout on.

Learn more about beer with this: The Oxford Companion to Beer (I get an Amazon kickback)

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Comic Review 131 // Strontium Dog: The Kreeler Conspiracy

It is with happiness that I announce no Dark Horse Comic this week. I needed to ensure I read something I knew I would enjoy, so I turned to the trusted warm embrace of 2000 AD. Now it's been a few weeks since I finished the original series of Strontium Dog, but with completing the final figure from the game, I felt it was only right to read some more of the series. This book sees the return of John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra as they explore more of Johnny Alpha's past. Here is the official write-up for Strontium Dog: The Kreeler Conspiracy.

Ex-Earth President Nelson Kreelman is imprisoned on the planet Rodos for his crimes against mutant-kind. But even behind bars, Kreelman is a dangerous man, for his allies are on their way to break him out. Johnny Alpha uncovers the conspiracy to unleash this genocidal dictator and, with the help of some unlikely companions, he plans to put a stop to Kreelman’s ruthless regime once and for all!

Written by John Wagner (Judge Dredd) and with art by Carlos Ezquerra (Bloody Mary), this Thrill-packed collection continues the adventures of everybody’s favourite bounty hunter.

Stories include:

Kreeler Conspiracy Part 1

Kreeler Conspiracy Part 2

Roadhouse

The Tax Dodge

As I mentioned in the opener this graphic novel does not follow from The Final Solution, instead, these take us back to some of Johnny and Wulf's earlier adventures. This was due to the creative pair not liking the fact that Johnny had been killed off in the main arc, so they had no choice but to go back and make more backstories for them instead.

The main story of the novel is the title piece Kreeler Conspiracy. It has Johnny once again facing off against his father Nelson Kreelman. If you haven't read my reviews of the series, Nelson Kreelman was once the President of Earth, who attempted to wipe all mutants out. He was ultimately stopped by a group of mutants lead by Johnny Alpha and imprisoned for life on some far-flung planet. Unfortunately for Johnny Alpha, the shadow of his father is never far away and soon Alpha is facing off against a group of fanatics seeking to free Kreelman from prison.

A very solid opening tale, with beautiful and fully coloured artwork. It is a true treat for the eyes. Feels like the old Strontium Dog tales of the earlier volumes.

This is then followed up by Roadhouse. Summoned to an artist colony world, our bounty-hunting duo is soon drawn into the mysterious tale of the worlds missing artists, whilst they chase some wanted criminals. At a much-needed rest point, Johnny and Wulf enter a roadhouse, hoping for room and board. Inside they find the building in disrepair and dusty, but they follow some footprints to discover 10 doors leading to some strange sub-dimensions. Here they discover what has become to the missing artists and will need all the help they can get if they plan to escape.

Interesting story that makes me think of some sort of twilight zone episode, which is great. This is what I love about 2000 AD stories. They are willing to have fun and not worry about the high sci-fi story arc.

The final tale is The Tax Dodge. A perfect story for this time of the year as I have just finished my own taxes. The tale is full-on silly and comical, with Johnny Alpha attempting to avoid a tax collector, who Alpha owes about two million unpaid back taxes too. But as Johnny and Wulf attempt to dodge this low life they end up discovering the whereabouts of the Unrighteous Brothers, a gang hell-bent on causing crime but without causing death (they also look very similar to the Stix Brothers). Soon full-on chaotic gunfight ensues and the Tax Man is there throughout.

This was a perfect little bundle of stories and it felt great to be reading these again. It really is great to read a comic that is definitely enjoying itself but doing in such a great and enjoyable way. Now the real question is what to read next my options are:

1. Judge Dredd: Complete Case Files 15
2. Strontium Dog: Traitor to his kind.
3. Glimmer Rats

Let me know in the comments what you want me to read next. Until then thank you for reading and use some of these links to help support the blog.

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Strontium Dog: The Kreeler Conspiracy

Miniature Monday // Lowdown O'Phee

It finally happened. I've finished the whole set! That's right I've completed The Good, The Bad and The Mutie, by Warlord Games. Meaning I can now start moving onto some basic terrain so I can start playing some games. But before any of that happen let's deep dive into the character Lowdown O'Phee.

Real name: Lowdown O'Phee

Affiliation: Max Bubba

Unusual features: No body

Occupation: Gang member

Origin: Mutated by strontium-90

Place of death: Lapland

History

Lowdown McPhee was a mutant born without a body who was a member of Max Bubba's gang. He took part in Bubba's plot to destroy humanity by going back in time to Viking Scandinavia and randomly killing people. Lowdown died after being shot several times in a final confrontation between Bubba and a group led by Johnny Alpha.

Transportation: Electric car; time machine.

Weapons: Blaster.

This was a hard model to paint. It's strange not having the body aspect of a model and the casting on the face was a little misshapen. But I am happy to have him finished and with the set complete The Good, The Bad and The Mutie is now finished. With this opening set complete, I am now ready to continue building up some terrain and attempt some solo games. Wish me luck with this.

As always, I thank you for stopping by, I hope you will leave a comment or give me a follow. If you are interested in starting your own Strontium Dog Adventures I will leave some Amazon links below. Cheers!

Amazon Links:

• Photographed on an A5100
• Strontium Dog Rulebook
• Strontium Dog: Search/Destroy Agency Files 01

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Audio Review 27 // Garro: Oath of Moment by James Swallow

I must have been a good person in a previous life! As Ontario ends another lockdown I have been gifted with some short audio dramas from Black Library. Amongst the collection, there seem to be a few Garro stories. So I am thinking this should keep me blogging for a bit.

Up first Garro: Oath of Moment by James Swallow.

In surviving the horrors onboard the Eisenstein, Nathaniel Garro proved his courage and absolute loyalty to the Emperor. On his return to Terra, Garro is despatched on a mission of even greater importance – a mission given to him by Malcador the Sigillite himself. He soon finds himself back amongst the stars and on the fields of battle, thrust into a warzone where the Ultramarines are purported to be battling a greenskin invasion. Once again Garro must fight for survival, but now he also fights to achieve a higher purpose...

Here we are the first in a series of Garro spin-offs. The series has actually been collected into a novel, but getting to listen to it as an audio drama seems so much more fun. I've seen a few reviews before of this title and it is described by many as the prologue to the series. Let's be clear it is only an hour-long so I don't expect world-building within this title.

The story drops us into the aftermath of the Battle for Calth. The surviving Ultramarines are attempting to regroup and hold Calth following a devastating assault by the traitorous Word Bearers. We join a group of Ultramarines who are holding the main route to one of the cities, they are horrendously outnumbered and on the verge of being overrun. Into this fatalist scenario, drops Garro, his mission to recruit an ex-librarian space marine.

The story has to move quickly due to the lack of time given to it and I feel they do well within this. The entire story is action-packed from the get-go, with great sound effects and dialogue throughout. You can't help but be drawn in, now at least by the end of this novel Garro is no longer alone. I am excited to see where the stories go.

As always thanks for reading and let me know your thoughts on the series. I hope you will use the links below to Amazon.ca any purchases made will support the blog. Thanks in advance.

Garro: Oath of Moment: Audible

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Book Review 124 // Fabius Bile: Primogenitor by Joshua Reynolds

You know what Adventures with Peps should do? He should start another book series! It not like he has 5 or is 6 currently unfinished series on the go (Horus Heresy, Sharpe, Discworld, Eisenhorn, Judge Dredd and Gotrek & Felix), staring at me from the shelf.....

Welcome to this week's Book Review. I have been enjoying the Horus Heresy series a lot of late and sometimes I fear burning out. So I am making sure to take breaks in the reading and to tip my toe elsewhere to refresh myself, even if it is still along the same theme. This book is a perfect example of that, as it involves a key character from the 30k verse, but places him squarely in the 40k verse.

Fabius Bile: Primogenitor (Book 1)

Exiled into the depths of the Eye of Terror for his dark deeds, former Emperor's Children Apothecary Fabius is drawn back to the Imperium in search of a secret that could be the key to saving his misbegotten life…

THE STORY

He is known by many names - Clonelord, Manflayer, Primogenitor. He is the epitome of deceit and perversion and feared by man and monster alike. Once the Chief Apothecary of the Emperor's Children, the madman knew as Fabius Bile possesses a knowledge of genetic manipulation second to none. Now a renegade among renegades, he is loathed by those he once called brother, and even the most degraded of Chaos Space Marines fear his name. Exiled for his dark experiments, Bile has retreated deep into the Eye of Terror, leaving a trail of twisted abominations in his wake. But when a former student brings word of the ultimate prize for the taking, Bile is unable to resist being drawn once more into the cauldron of war. For in seizing this prize, Fabius Bile might yet discover the one secret he has been unable to unlock... the secret which will prevent his inevitable doom.

Page Count: 320

Author: Josh Reynolds

Review

As strongly hinted at during my opening, Fabius Bile: Primogenitor is the first in series of books by Joshua Reynolds. With it being the first novel, I knew this would be a lot introducing characters and world-building. But I did not expect it to be so good, whilst doing it!

The cast working alongside Fabius Bile is great. They each have their own intriguing backstories, leaving you wondering if they are slaves, equals or wannabe usurpers. It is once again interesting to be rooting for the bad guys, something Reynolds seems good at. The early tale introduces plenty of violence and action that has you wondering what is going to happen next and kept me hooked chapter after chapter. Whilst the invasion of a Craftworld ignited my imagination to another level!

Overall a great start to a new series, I am excited to see where Fabius and his crew will go now. I love the fact that Fabius isn't a thrall to the dark gods and holds onto the belief that they are still a Xeno force to be overcome. It is also intriguing how some of the characters believe that Fabius could help resurrect the fractional 3rd Legion, which would be crazy to see happen.

Overall one of my favourite reads in a long time, even if he does attack an Aeldari Craftworld. Have you read this book?  Let me know in the comments, then use the following links to help support the blog. Thanks in advance as always for stopping by.

Kindle Edition: Primogenitor

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