Old-School Magic Returns in Mirage 7, A Forgotten Crusade

Mirage 7 may follow a familiar action-adventure path, but its desert setting, survival-lite mechanics, and story-driven mystery give it enough character to stand apart. Its greatest strength so far is not reinvention, but how confidently it guides players through Nadira’s haunting journey.

Mirage 7 Game PosterDrakkar Dev

Within the heart of Mirage 7 lies a familiar game design framework. For this first-person adventure-shooter, the main difference is whether you are slinging rocks at targets or eating scorpions for dinner. Players switch between young Nadira, a desert dweller searching for her missing sister, and Jiji, the pet lizard who protects her while she sleeps. The concept itself is not especially new, but the game still has enough flavour to stand out, especially through its Arabian Nights-inspired setting and its blend of exploration, mystery, and survival.

After spending some time with the Steam version on PC, I was impressed with the story more than the actual gameplay. This game is familiar enough that the muscle memory developed by playing similar games like Tomb Raider quickly returns. The keyboard and mouse controls feel comfortable, and while I did not get a chance to test a controller, the game seems like it would lend itself well to that option too.

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Which Alpha Will Reign The Kingdom of Earth? Only A Dark Horse Knows….

A monster-filled future takes shape in Kingdom of Earth, a new four-issue horror comic from David Dastmalchian, Leah Kilpatrick, and Soo Lee. Set in a brutal world where humans face service or slaughter, the series promises a grim apocalypse packed with creatures fighting for control.

Kingdom of Earth Comic CoverDark Horse Comics

With this latest announcement from the Oregon-based comic book publisher, it seems Earth is no longer just a planet of the apes. Other creatures are ready to seize control. With Kingdom of Earth by David Dastmalchian (Count Crowley, Through) and Leah Kilpatrick (Headless Horseman, DC Horror Presents), along with Bram Stoker Award-winning artist Soo Lee (Carmilla, Minor Threats), this four-issue series looks mighty promising. What the team has teased so far already has me eager to see what arrives when the first issue hits shelves.

From the Press Release:

“It’s tempting to abandon hope when the world is dominated by monsters… right?! But thanks to the incredible passion of my creative partners on this book,” said Dastmalchian, “we created a terrifying world where a small flicker of hope burns amidst an apocalyptic landscape. I love mash-ups and this series is the ultimate mash-up. Every monster you’ve ever seen, read or studied battles for supremacy while a small movement of humans plot survival and rebellion.”

“I love being able to draw monsters and creatures that go bump in the night,” said Lee. “It’s so much more different than what I’ve been working on lately and thanks to my collaborators, I’m able to test myself by making this dark and terrible world beautiful in my own way. I hope everyone is captivated by the world we have developed in Kingdom of Earth.”

In Kingdom of Earth:

2036. Two years ago, hordes of monsters rose from the earth and sea, devouring everything in sight. Much of mankind was massacred before the monsters realized they needed humans. In this new world, humans have two options: service or slaughter. When a young child named Frankie narrowly escapes their fate as livestock, they soon realize that their fight for survival has only just begun.

Kingdom of Earth #1 (of 4) will arrive in comic shops on July 15, 2026.

The Invisible Half Proves There’s Someone There

Rockwell sang about paranoia in the dark, but The Invisible Half flips it, the terror isn’t that someone’s watching, it’s that your device sees what you can’t.

The Invisible Half Movie PosterEST N8

We have all been there at some point in our lives and that imaginary friend was also our bestie. Usually these contacts were harmless and were as innocent as our younger self. But when we grow up, darker impulses can manifest, and the ideas Writer-director Masaki Nishiyama thoughtfully explores in The Invisible Half delivers quite the supernatural scare! Here, Elena (Lisa Siera) becomes a victim, or perhaps is a case study! As a girl of mixed Japanese and British heritage, people ignore her and regularly bully her at school. If that is not enough, something appears that can only be seen through a smartphone camera.

At this point, I could not help but think this movie might have been made for the found footage crowd, except the story unfolds in the third person rather than the first. That would be an original approach, but for now, the film focuses more on a central question: what is reality?

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The Guest Lineup for Island FanCon 2026 is Looking Good!

Island FanCon 2026 is shaping up as a community-focused pop culture event for Langford and the surrounding region, with a guest list that blends film, television, and sports personalities in a way few local conventions attempt.

Island FanCon 2026

Island FanCon 2026 is beginning to take shape with a regular wave of guest announcements, and to their credit, they are doing one thing other shows have not done: to include stars from the sports arena to the pop culture scene. Now in its third year, the convention functions as a hometown, community-focused event for residents of Langford, British Columbia, and surrounding areas. The event is scheduled to take place from June 5 to 7, 2026, at City Centre Park.

Whether the show is worth traveling to depends largely on your interest in the specific talents attending. You won’t find “hard to find” comics or high-end collectibles here, but for those looking to interact with guests or find traditional staples like Harry Potter, Pokémon, Star Wars, and Funko to add to a collection, the show offers a bit of everything. This also includes a selection of vendors who typically market to tourists at local summer events.

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An Italian Kung-Fu Hustle Is Happening In The Forbidden City. Is Yaxi Prepared?

The Forbidden City blends Italian gangster cinema with martial arts action as a woman searches Rome’s Chinatown for her missing sister. Yaxi Liu’s transition from stunt performer to leading actor anchors the film, even if the choreography and story occasionally stumble. Strong cinematography and cultural tension keep the experience visually engaging.

The Forbidden City 4K CoverWell GO USA
Digital Release: March 17, 2026
Home Video: April, 21, 2026 (available to pre-order here)

When filmmaker Gabriele Mainetti mixes high-octane gangster action with martial arts in modern-day Rome’s Chinatown, The Forbidden City becomes a clash of cultures that feels both unusual and ambitious. Whether the conflict comes through fists or gunfire, two very different worlds collide when Mei (Yaxi Liu) arrives searching for her missing sister. The reason for that search becomes clearer in the opening sequence. The siblings were secretly raised during China’s one-child policy era, and although the film never fully reveals when they were separated, the implication is that Mei has spent years searching.

Part of me still feels this story might have worked better as a period piece. That said, what Mainetti presents is effective in its own way. The film offers a glimpse of how Chinatowns exist beyond the usual cinematic settings of North America or Asia. In this case, the story unfolds in Rome. Without the occasional landmark or explicit mention, the location can be easy to miss, but the cinematography and production design give the city a textured, lived-in feel.

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We All Swim With The Pout-Pout Fish in the Deep Blue Sea

It’s worth diving in with a yellow submarine to view the life found underwater in The Pout-Pout Fish. This adaptation of the bestselling series by Deborah Diesen and illustrated by Dan Hanna offers plenty of action, along with a thoughtful look at courage in the face of environmental change.

The Pout-Pout Fish PosterThe Pout-Pout Fish had me wondering if Mr. Fish is somehow a distant cousin of Red from Angry Birds. Their personalities are not quite the same, but both characters exist in worlds that seem determined to tell them to cheer up. Here, the glum Mr. Fish (Nick Offerman) has his solitude interrupted by a very chipper young seadragon named Pip (Nina Oyama), who mistakes his home for a safe refuge. When trouble hits their stretch of reef off the Meanjin coast, located off of Brisban, the two have little choice but to work together.

An overgrowth of seaweed drifts in with the tides, turning the area into a maze of thick kelp that leaves the local marine population struggling to navigate. This spreading plant also creates a darkness that other marine life find unsettling.

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