Nice nerdy day today! Comics, Pinball and pre-ordering Bioshock Infinite :)

Batman #18: This was top of the pile this week. It's the first "Batman" since DotF so I was expecting it to tackle some of that. Obviously with Requiem wedged between issue 17 and 18, there was no closure of DotF to be found. There was, however, a lot of Requiem to be dealt with. This issue shown a certain character coming in and offering some advice to the bats. It was ok, and it complimented this weeks B&R this week. But B&R was without a doubt the lead-story. 3/5

Batman and Robin #18: This was such a great book. If you bought/buy Batman, pick this up. I'd say this added to Batman #18...but it actually felt the other way round. This book calls the shots on how Batman is handling his loss, and it isn't pretty. A lot of well executed heartbreak in this book. It perfectly shows what Batman (and separately, Wayne) is going through. Be sure to read the note from Robin on one of the later pages. It sets the scene for things to come. 5/5

The Rocketeer: Hollywood Horror #2: It's nice to see a detective-comic back on the shelves. The CV community don't seem to like this one, but I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a nice, lighthearted mystery. More hints at something Lovecraftian coming up, and some more great 1940 writing. As tongue-in-cheek as this book is, you still fear for the characters in it as they run razor's-edged alongside their enemies. 4/5

The Walking Dead #108: If you're watching the TV series at the moment, this has been a very plot-ty week. Battle plans being made for uprisings on both sides. In this book, it's handling a lot of the politics of post-apocalyptic war. Something big is coming, but this was very much a foundation-issue. One great thing in this issue was seeing "The Kingdom" and Ezekiel properly for the first time. Hoping to see more of the kingdom in the future. 4/5

Thor: God of Thunder #6: This was mostly about the rise of Gorr and the reasons behind his actions. I didn't feel an origin story was really needed in this series, and in some ways, it was kind of disappointing to find out what the possible source for Gorr's power is (although this power had a previous "owner" which could be a redeeming factor). The art, too was weaker than I've come to expect in these books. Back to the main plot next month! 3.5/5

Pick of the week: Batman and Robin #18

I'd recommend this to anyone following Requiem, Batman, fans of Damian, or gloomy folks that love an emo comic. This book was dark, and shown alot of elements of Batman's grief. It was entirely art-driven. Seriously. Not a speech bubble in sight; just action and reaction. For this issue, it was perfect; allowing for some huge, spacious panels and really getting across how alone Bruce is in all of this. I'll be writing a bigger review on this book later on. It's an issue that can't be missed.

'spensive week!

A+X #5: Not great. Very much an in-betweener issue. I usually really like A+X too! Just hope this isn't a sign that they're running out of ideas... 2/5

All-New X-Men #8: Pure entertainment from start to finish. Awesome action scenes, hilarious dialogue, not alot happens, but it doesn't have to, this book is a great all-rounder. 5/5

Avengers #7: Keeping with the cosmic side of things, this is another great issue of Avengers. Most of the issue is spent (kind of) showing the inner workings of the universe-verse and the role that out mysterious new character plays in it. Like the book for the most part, really nice to see a serious Tony Stark doing his job. Kind of rushed to a conclusion? 4/5

Daredevil: End of Days #6: Another awesome creepy Donnie Darko style Mack variant :) This is always top of the pile for me, I wish the main DD run was written like this! As much as I'm a fan of David Mack and love his influence in this book, his art pages in this issue were a little jarring, although they did also break up the book nicely so it wasn't just investigation to investigation to investigation. I implore any DD fans to get this series, it's been great. 4/5

Detective Comics #18: Bought this like a sucker to see how Batman was coping with the fallout from Batman, Incorporated #8. If this is your sole reason for buying this, you're wasting your time. It was, however, a great book that carried on the almost-forgotten Emperor Penguin story from the early DotF back-ups. Really liked it, like the reappearance of a certain villain, and might stick around reading Detective for a few months now :) 4/5

Great Pacific #5: New Texas definitely has a long way to go, but it's population is pretty interesting. Nothing special about this issue, things are looking up though. 3/5

Hellboy in Hell #4: Such a creepy book. Mignola throws so much into these books, you come out the other side, genuinely feeling like you've learned something. There are references historical and literal galore in this issue. I think to fully get the feel of his books, you'd have to read 5-6 complementing novels per issue. It's certainly a spectator sport, but a fantastic one to be part of. 4/5

Lost Vegas #1: Interesting new world to explore, shame I couldn't see more of it. I'm not sure if this book is for me; the art isn't a style I enjoy and combined with the writing, the whole thing comes off a little underwhelming and underdeveloped. I get the feeling you'd like this if you're the kind of person that can easily jump onto unorthodox sci-fi concepts (thinking Dr Who fans?) Early days, but might leave this series alone. Something positive: the variant cover. 1/5

Snapshot #2: Simple and elegant. This black and white mini is so effective, with so little. Jock's art is amazing, he goes from details to sketchy...to pure effects in the same page and at no point do you feel like you've missed something. The story itself continues to twist and turn, can't imagine how far apart issues 1 and 4 will appear. Really nice script layout for issue 3 on the last page not to be missed! 4/5

Superior Spider-Man #5: Favorite cover of the week and one with more meaning after you're read the book. Stuff happens, big stuff. I like Sp-Ock, I say it every time. In this issue, I like how he adapts and criticizes himself to improve, and at times, even Parker has to agree with him. The final few pages show that there's a downside to all of that too though. I hope more people can embrace this series, because it has some great talking points. 5/5

Superman #17: Conclusion to H'el on Earth! An epic crescendo to end this crossover. The artwork in this issue really made up for the previous Supergirl issue; everyone looked incredible. Everybody had their chance to shine in this issue. Really enjoyed it. Shame to see it end! 5/5

Back issues

Joe Kubert Presents #5: This is just great on the eyes. 5/5

Nightwing #17: Missed this somehow! Some DotF fallout. Grayson is certainly suffering from the event, and seeing how he, and his environment, cope with the aftermath is a pretty tough pill. Also, if you were rocked by Batman, Incorporated #8, this was a nice testament to Damian at his finest. 5/5

Teen Titans #17: Was pretty interesting! Little bits of DotF fallout. Nice ending. TT seems to yo-yo between good and bad for me, but I'll be picking up the next ones too, just incase they hit 2 in a row :) 4/5

Hiya! Nice week for comics, new beginnings, last goodbyes, end of Punisher and Rucka for the foreseeable future, start of a new Rocketeer series, exciting stuff!

Aquaman #17: Epilogue to Throne of Atlantis; this issue doesn't just describe the fallout from ToA, it goes much deeper, showing the hardships that come with Aquaman going it alone. It appears that nobody's on his side anymore and you really get a feel for how lonely he is in his new role. I can see a heavy few issues in Aquaman's future...4/5

Batman, Incorporated #8: Well, this has been "leaked" so much it's hard not to know about it, but I won't spoil it...just incase. So this has been set up to be a key moment in New 52 history...it didn't feel all that spectacular. I really like Grant Morrison but he get's overly keen and rushes things at times. This issue means a lot to some, and more care could have been taken in making it a grander gesture. 3/5

Injustice: Gods Among Us #2: I think once you get over how out-of-character some of your favorite superheroes are in this series, it's actually a good read. I'd only recommend it to somebody who plans on buying the game though; Tom Taylor's understanding of DC superheroes and their personalities and abilities could be...primitive...frustrating to battle-fans and purists. Don't take it seriously though, and you'll like it. 3/5

Deadpool Killustrated #2: I have to give it to Cullen Bunn and the DKTMU team...I actually enjoyed this issue! Really glad I gave this a second chance. With all of the foundations set in #1 the not-so-serious business of violently dismembering classic literature. The art and direction in this book does a great job of showing there's more to meets the eye in this series. Hoping they keep this pace up. 4/5

Journey into Mystery #649: This was a weird one...it was entertaining to see Sif's team interact with Spider-Man (or in particular, new yorkers)...it was just a little too much like an unofficial A+X issue. A little too tongue in cheek at times. I enjoy JiM for the sense of adventure, and it was kind of missing from this issue, but a fun read is still a good read. 3/5

Punisher: War Zone #5: Bittersweet. This series has been fantastic, but to see the last Greg Rucka and the last Punisher hit the shelves is a huge shame. This issue was great. Rucka writes for the fans; he portrays Punisher, Spider-Man, Iron Man etc so well. In this issue we see Punisher make his stand against the Avengers and it's done with spectacular ceremony and gives every character their chance to show their colours. 5/5

The Rocketeer: Hollywood Horror #1: Been looking forward to this for a while and wasn't disappointed! The narrative in this is great, the artwork is perfectly kitsch, the 1930s dialogue and references were fluent and natural. Really nice, lighthearted read. 5/5

Picks of the week:

Punisher and Rocketeer are both worth picking up this week. Even if you haven't been following War Zone, this issue stands alone as a great stand-off between Punisher and the Avengers, and fans of either will appreciate the writing here. Also if, like me, you didn't like the previous Killustrated, it's worth giving the series a second chance.

Books to Miss:

Like I said, if you're not picking up Injustice as a game, the comic will probably grate on you a little. The characters and their actions are written in a way that's purely to fuel the upcoming game, so don't be surprised if you're uncomfortable/unsure with some of the behavior.

Avengers #6: This book is engaging! You finally see the builder machine code being broken, and with that there is some audience participation! Really like the code element of this book. The story is great and getting bigger by the issue. There's been repetition and flashbacks since issue 1 and they're starting to get a little laborious, but I'm sure we'll see reason for them soon enough. 5/5

Justice League #17: The Throne of Atlantis concludes! A very ominous cover here, so I'll tread lightly...As with all the Throne issues, there are some incredible full page and double page splashes here showing the enormity of the war and it's soldiers. It's been a short-lived, but very enjoyable crossover. It ends with a very big question on the table though, and I'm interested to see the logic in the JL's final decision here...4/5

Red Hood and the Outlaws #17: Firstly, this is my favorite cover art of this week...this month...this year? Stunning. Secondly, if you followed DotF, even just the Batman side don't miss this! Great, heartwarming roundup to the DotF, with a heart-stopping ending. It's not over. Get it. Get it now! 5/5

Superior Spider-Man #4 It's undeniable that Superior Spider-Man, as purely a crime fighter, is better at his job than Amazing Spider-Man. In this issue, the tears in the fabric start to appear though, and you realize that there's more to being spider-man than catching criminals, and I think we're going to see Superior falling short of his duty soon enough. As much as this was lacking Stegman, the art was still impeccable. 4/5

Supergirl #17 Supergirl vs Wonder Woman. Great battle, great conclusion. Supergirl and H'el's relationship has been one of the main aspects of this crossover, and every time Supergirl questions him, it's glossed over. I hope to get answers soon, if not, there's been some huge opportunities missed to add a lot more to this series. Artwork not too solid on Superman in this book either, but the writing holds it together. 3/5

Thor: God of Thunder #5 Thor's fearlessness and the spirit of his Viking followers has been put across so well in these books, and to see it frustrating Gorr was rewarding. There were hints in this book that it may take more than Thor alone to end this war against the Gods. Even though you see quite far into the future in the first issue, it's still hard to believe how successful Gorr has been! The last few pages were unexpected. 5/5

And that's that! All in all a great week for comics for me! I didn't pick up Captain America this week, I just wasn't jelling with the last couple of issues, and it had started out so promising!

Been looking forward to this week for a while! The Walking Dead #107 and Batman #17 2 comics both set to shake up 2013...we'll see if they do!

Batman #17 I couldn't possibly say anything about this book, for fear of affecting your own view on it. It has to be read. DotF has been a really well made, well thought out crossover. I've loved reading it, and hope everybody else has too. ?/?

Batman and Robin #17 I must admit, I only picked this up in the hope that it might feature some DotF extras...You could argue it does, but I didn't think it was made to complement the series. A nice enough read and different direction...a little confusing at times, but I think it was deliberately leaving things open to question. 3/5

Fury Max #9 I need a dose of Punisher every so often, and there's sadly not enough to go round at the moment! Seeing him and Fury fight side to side is mind-blowing. Showing Punisher as a "good-guy" actually works really well too. My only downside would be how similarly Castle and Fury are written, although, at times, it's part of the charm. 4/5

Superboy #17 Starting to feel the gravity of the whole "H'el on Earth" situation in this book. It started out pretty slow and, but is appearing more and more legitimate as the story goes on. We see Kon finally come into his own a bit and start to act like a hero in this issue. This could well be his definitive coming-of-age story unraveling before us...and MAN do they beat it out of him! 4/5

The Walking Dead #107 Sometimes I wonder if I just read this for the letters section. One of my favorite things about this book is you can tell Kirkman and co. enjoy making it so much. Especially when it comes to writing Negan, there are so man "WTF!?" moments with him, and they should take away any realism from the book...but they're so damn good you just don't care. 4/5

Back issues. Due to it being a quieter week for my pull-list, I picked up a couple of things I've missed over the past month:

Deathmatch #1 Bought this out of interest, to see how it fared against Avengers Arena. It has some advantages, a "bracket" layout that could prove interesting as the game progresses, and the fact that these characters have no prior investment, so you won't miss them if/when they die...still not sure if I like that...is that weird? I think my deathmatches need higher stakes...3/5

Snapshot #1 Cant work out how something by Jock and Diggle got under my radar last week...I love this book already! It's fresh and artistic and instantly engaging. It's a shame it's going to be such a short run. I hope for sequels in the future :) 5/5

Dropped Comics

2 titles I didn't pick up this week:

Batgirl #17 As much as I wanted to pick this up, and as promising as it looked, I had to make a vote with my wallet on this one. Although it was only for a mere hiccup, DC needs to learn that many Batgirl fans are reading it for Gail Simone. Their strategy with throwing around their creators, and in this instance dishonorably trying to sack them without explanation is not the way to create good comics. They need to learn to respect their writers, and hopefully, enough people will be skipping the non-simone issues to make that clear to them.

Clone #4 I gave clone a go for 3 issues. It's pretty good, but just doesn't size up with the other image titles that I'm reading. It's just not enough for me to keep reading it, so I'd rather spend that money on another indie elsewhere, and hopefully find something better.

I have a problem with people pirating comics. Not in the same way that I have a problem with people pirating tv or movies; generally, they do their thing and shut up about it. People pirating comics don't only spoil them by stealing from the creators, they steal from the entire community by instantly tweeting, and tumblring and threading; infecting the internet with everything they've just seen and preventing everybody else from enjoying it in the way it was intended.

This makes it near impossible for the real, honest, contributing fans to take part in their community in the run up to any major event. The comic-reading community is unique, in that one of the fundamental things that has been with all of us, since we first started reading, is themes of justice, and community, and right over wrong, and destroying the things that attempt to harm what we care about. It's in nearly every story we read, yet here you are, doing the opposite.

I don't blame the websites and moderators for allowing these things to be published, I don't blame the shop owners for double shipping or the publishers for the price of comics, I blame you, the pirates.

So just like before ASM700, I'll be taking another internet blackout; to allow for the few that are too tight to give up their time or their pennies...for something that they feel they have the right to spoil.

If you really cared about it as much as you claim to, when you try to justify stealing it, you wouldn't.

With DC's current business model of "drop the lowest selling 4-6 comics in DC every 6 months or so, and replace them with brand-new/obscure titles and see how they fair..." I can't help but wonder, would some of these books have a better chance for survival on DC's sister-ship Vertigo?

Vertigo currently puts out around 6 comics a month, while DC handles around 18 per week. That's 12 times the output of Vertigo!

Vertigo is well known for publishing DC's more obscure side, and also bringing it success. Swamp Thing is always the first that springs to mind, followed by Hellblazer, Fables and, more recently, Animal Man and 100 Bullets.

I've always thought Dial-H would fit neatly in amongst those, not to mention Insurgent, Human Bomb, Team 7, hell, even Deathstroke! Those latter 2, which are being cancelled for being in the "relegation zone" of DC's charts (selling between 13k and 16k in Dec 2012), would actually be in Vertigo's upper half for sales, and since they're technically the same company, doesn't that mean their sales weren't all that bad?

It seems to me like DC are wasting an opportunity with Vertigo; they could give smaller/weaker books a chance to nurture there, give the work to a cheaper writing pool, who'd surely welcome the titles. A lot would also gain from having the "indie" label of Vertigo above their titles. People reading titles like Deathstroke are already fans of an underdog, and it'd only add to his credibility, much like it did with Swamp Thing and Hellblazer, by placing him under an underdog publisher.

When I see announcements for the likes of Vibe, The Green Team and The Movement, I can't help but think "cancelled in 8 issues time, just like the others, who's going to buy an 8 issue ongoing..." and before you know it every jaded, comic reader, like myself, is picking up issue 1 of it (just to be sure) and then slowly dropping it over the months, to save the inevitable disappointment of DC doing it for us.

If I saw the same book under Vertigo however? Granted, it wont carry the same hype, Vibe alone is sailing on the coat tails of so many other DC books and creative teams with the subtitle of "coming soon...the character from that team you kind of liked...that are a bit like that other team...and written by that guy you like...well not WRITTEN by him...but he assisted...probably read it a couple of times before it went to print...might have changed a line or 2...comes VIBE!!!"

But maybe the book could do without all that, it might sucker us in for a couple of issues "the DC way" but shortly after, it fades back into the background. Selling comics based on hype is a very short game, and although it works initially, it damages that titles reputation...and even sometimes it's creators...and soon enough, you're looking for another low-level character to strap to a big title in the hope of selling lots of issue #1's again. With Vertigo, a writer would have more creative freedom, wouldn't be tied to the new 52 continuity, wouldn't have the constant fear of DC's relegation zone and would have the indie label, showing that although it's something a little different, care's been made to make it special...and it's not being diluted by everyone else's input. This means potentially deeper story's, written by somebody who cares about the book and, you guessed it, longer, more spread out, ongoing runs. Maybe not 16000 sales a month for 8 months like DC can rustle up, but 10000 sales a month over 36 months and more sounds a lot better to me.

Once a title has enough wind behind it; sure, throw it in with the DC heavyweights and see what happens, but brand new books like this are otherwise destined to fail.

Inspired by @V_Scarlotte_Rose 's thread here: "are we in the UK being overcharged for comics?"

I'm trying to look around on the net...can't find what I'm looking for, but presumably, ALL Marvel comics, or DC comics or whatever, are printed in a single place in the middle of the US, and then shipped out all over the world. If this is correct...surely it'd be more cost effective to print at key global emporiums ie Johannesburg, Hong Kong, Amsterdam, Sydney and ship locally from there?

Is it simply because the US controls the "GlobalComiConamy" and there's no formidable rival publishers in the rest of the world to push them into being competitive? The mark up on American published comics is getting larger and larger, and distribution of local and indie titles is typically poor or limited to a handful of local, often non-chain, comic stores, proving little in the way of competition.

Is it time that a more solid, independent "Marvel Europe/DC Europe/Image Europe" etc was set up? Or will publishers just take the easy way out, and slowly pressure the oconus into becoming an either expensive, or purely digital past-time?

£40 on comics today! Ouch! Maybe because it's a shorter month...maybe because of a couple of impulse buys. I've been trying to cut my weekly budget, but the opposite seems to have happened haha.

I'd like to start by saying this is my first time, in a long time, that I've not picked up Iron Man...I enjoyed The Invincible Iron Man, for the most part, and did my best to enjoy it's Marvel NOW! counterpart...but the combination of regressing the character, flanderizing (look it up)Tony Starks personality and commissioning Greg Land's shamelessly poor artwork have driven me away from this title. I finished the first arc, just out of sheer stubborn-ness, but have to leave it at that, even if it means missing out on what's happening with one of my favourite characters. The Iron Man 3 Prelude and Ultimate stories will have to keep me going for now...anyway! onto comics!

All-New X-Men #7 This book always has an awesome last couple page. Not only does this series feature the original 5...it feel's like it was written like the original too. This issue feature lots of young Cyclops contemplation, and some great lines. Since it's on the cover, I'm sure it's no spoiler to say Mystique is in this book, doing what she does best, to the point that even I as the reader fell for her tricks at one point. Filler episode, but good. 4/5

Avengers #5 Marvel NOW! Avengers have gone from one, universe expanding storyline to another. I really like how they're pushing boundaries in this series, but this episode just seemed a little rushed, and the back and forths weren't very smooth. Looking forward to seeing more of this though, and hopefully seeing more on how "the old man" ties in to it. 3/5

Daredevil: End of Days #5 This book just keeps on giving. It always feels like I'm waiting forever for this book, but every time I pick it up I'm rewarded with a well drawn, well thought out story with ANOTHER cliffhanger! not sure I like the direction it's heading in, but with what they've done so far, I have full faith in it. 4/5

Detective Comics #17 Pretty slow. Featured very little...very little anything really. A whole lot of narrative; I can only assume it's a set-up-issue. News 52 at the end was really good though! 2/5

Dia de los Muertos #1 Ever since Grim Fandango, I've loved the Dia de los Muertos theme. This is a great first issue and shows an awesome world on the other side, with vibrant colourful artwork. No idea where this is going to go, but it looks really promising. Also, I don't know the name for the printing style...but it's beautiful...and smells great? Style and colours reminiscent of Supermarket.. 4/5

Great Pacific #4 One of my favourites this week. Discusses some really interesting topics, and fights from both sides of the argument really well. I first picked up this series because I liked the idea of a book based on somebody alone (like Kabuki: The Alchemy). Every issue, you find out that he's less and less alone, and it's a brilliant theme. Keeps on getting better. 4/5

Hellboy in Hell #3 There's so many revelations in this book, it's hard to believe how much Mignola has managed to keep secret. I love how extra mini panels are places around the page with features of whatever environment Hellboy is in; it really adds to the eerie atmosphere. This is going to make a great trade, for anyone waiting. 4/5

Iron Man 3 Prelude #2 Mostly, this series has been less and Iron Man Prelude and more an Avengers epi-lude. It's ties in perfectly though and the tiny hints it leaves for Iron Man 3 are appetizing. It also confirms a rumour that I'm pretty excited for! I could really do with a #3 for this but I guess I'll just have to wait for the movie now!

Mr Toast Comics #4 "Ninja School" Bought for my girlfriend, couldn't help but read...freaking adorable. Love little titles like this. 4/5

Superior Spider-Man #3 These are really well written by an obvious Spider-fan. So many tiny references, with each character, that verify's how well Dan Slott knows the characters. It was interesting to see a couple of new directions for the "phantom-parker" mechanics...I just hope it doesn't become over complicated. Although the issue is tiring, it's still fun to read the The Amazing Spider-Man #700 hate-mail in the back. 4/5

Young Romance: A New 52 Valentine's Day Special #1 Yeah...I bought it. Surprisingly good for something I thought would be just a gimmick. They manage to balance it nicely between serious and light-hearted. The Aquaman and Nightwing stories were my two favorites...Catwoman was a little corny, and maybe shouldn't have been the opening story. I'd have given it a 5/5 if it wasn't for the price! Wasn't quite justified. 4/5

Lastly...

Marvel Now Previews #3: Features pages from Guardians of the Galaxy #0.1, Uncanny X-Men #1, Nova #1, Wolverine #1, Uncanny X-force #1, The Fearless Defenders #1 and Secret Avengers #1. Think I'll be picking up Uncanny X-Force, Maybe Nova, but nothing here that really got me keen on picking up a new title.

Thought I'd blog a build of one of the latest Avengers models: The Iron Man Mark VII 1:9 scale model by Dragon.

The Mark VII is the Armour used by Stark in the later parts of the 2012 Avengers movie. Looks like this:

I picked up the Dragon Model Kit for this today at ModelZone for £29.99 (Roughly $45). Couldn't find a difficulty written for it anywhere on the box; I'd say beginner/intermediate looking at it. You'll need the basic-ish equipment to put it together (listed below), not too much patience, and not too much time required. I plan on spending an hour a day on it and having it done, painted, and finished in under 2 weeks. We'll find out if I can do it!

Also available are:

• War Machine
• Nick Fury
• Black Widow
• Thor
• Hulk
• Hawkeye
• Captain America

The Kit:

The kit consists of 8 moulded, studded, plastic and rubber sheets of average quality; I've noticed a couple of minor defects in my kit, but nothing that can't be worked around or covered up. It also comes with a stand and some clear instructions for assembly and painting. Most of the plastic pieces are of quite a thick gauge and with rubber pieces for the more delicate/moveable parts, so it'll be pretty robust when finished.

Judging by the pieces; the shoulders, thighs and head will be pose-able (provided you're careful with the glue). For added fan-boy-ness, you get two choices of arc reactor; the triangle faceted Mark VI and the round Mark VII, and clear lenses for the chest and hand apertures (this may lead to another modification to it in the future...shhh!).

All in all, for £30 it's pretty good value for your own Iron Man :)

Stuff you'll need (minimum):

• An exacto-knife or mini side-cutters
• A fine file (2nd cut or smoother)
• Modelling glue, preferably with a needle-tip
• #8 Silver paint
• #9 Gold paint
• #30/#46 Clear Gloss
• #90/#47 Clear Red paint

I'm planning on tweaking the paint a little on mine, but hopefully it'll eventually look something like this: