JOBS TO DO THIS WEEK
THE LATEST COMIC NEWS
■ Bring some spring colour to your pots by planting primroses.
■ Order snowdrops in the green for planting now. You can also lift and divide snowdrops after flowering to spread them around the garden.
■ Shrubs grown for their large foliage can be pruned back hard.
Catalpa (Indian bean tree) and Paulownia (foxglove) left alone will grow into large trees but you can keep them manageable by hacking back every spring and enjoying their exotic-looking foliage.
■ Prune early flowering clematis once their flowering has finished.
■ Dead-head winter pansies to keep them producing flowers.
■ Hardy annuals can be sown now indoors for moving outdoors later.
■ Dedicate a small area of the garden to make compost – it’s a great way of managing garden waste such as lawn clippings.
TWO MOONS #1
The horrors of the American Civil War are a backdrop to this spooky new tale from writer John Arcudi. Young Pawnee Virgil Morris, who is also known by his indigenous name, Two Moons, is fighting for the Union.
In the heat of battle, Virgil finds himself on the wrong side of more than just the Confederate Army when he is suddenly confronted with his shamanic roots.
With stunning art by Valerio Giangiordano, Two Moons #1 is out now priced £3.60.
YOUNG HELLBOY: THE HIDDEN LAND #1
Considering he’s a half-demon, the Hellboy universe spans many genres – from ScoobyDoo-esque haunted house-scapades, to much darker, twisted Nazi occult tales.
In Young Hellboy we find Big Red stranded on a strange island with Professor Bruttenholm – and they’re about to be confronted by all manner of monsters. Written by Hellboy creator Mike Mignola, this fun tale brings Hellboy’s childhood to life. Young Hellboy: The Hidden Land #1 is out now priced £3.60.
TOP 10 GAMES
1. Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury
2. FIFA 21
3. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
4. Animal Crossing:
New Horizons
5. Call Of Duty:
Black Ops Cold War
6. Minecraft
7. Grand Theft Auto V
8. Ring Fit Adventure
9. Marvel’s Spider Man: Miles Morales
10. Just Dance 2021
UKIE GAMES CHART (C) COMPILED BY GfK
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room first – yes, Apple’s latest and greatest headphones are very expensive.
But the short version of this review might just point to the fact that, even a few months after the AirPods Max hit the market, they are still pretty hard to get hold of. Someone is buying them. And at £549 a pop, there must be a very good reason for that scarcity in the online shops. Having lived with them for a couple of weeks now, I think there are three reasons people seem to be happy to spend that kind of money on a pair of headphones.
DESIGN
The AirPods Max look and feel fantastic – there’s no branding at all on them, and the over-the-ear design is faultless from the comfort of the mesh-knit headband to the neat telescopic arms that adjust easily to get just the right fit. And despite being quite heavy, the perfect balance makes them really comfortable to wear for long periods.
AUDIO
They sound like £549 headphones. Going from tiny in-ear headphones, or even some of the more expensive over the ear rivals is a sea change. Deep bass, punchy middle and clear tops combine with perfect separation – you can
hear it all.
MAGIC
There are some things these headphones do that I simply don’t understand.
Like the spatial features – when watching compatible TV shows or films via Apple TV these headphones mimic surround sound, so things can sound like they’re coming from behind or in front of you as well
as from left and right. This stays in sync even when you turn your head. How does that work? Another magical touch – the noise cancellation works on three levels – off, on, or ‘transparency’, which allows sound from the outside world into the mix. When on, you really are transported to your own immersive world of music utopia. When in transparency the music still sounds wonderful, but you’ll be able to hear traffic around you. The headphones are easy to pair with any Apple devices, and switching between audio sources is seamless.
At the price they are certainly not for everyone, but if you want the best, you have to pay for it. apple.com/uk/airpods-max