Three Comics Reviews (New Batman-related)

Over the course of the last four days, I have read three more comics. Somewhat on purpose all three include the new Batman. Only two are part of the Batman Reborn sales stunt. Yes, I have fallen victim to the Batman Reborn stunt. The first couple of issues anyway.



My review format changes this time around. They'll be shorter, disclose few spoilers, and include a cost analysis of sorts.



Batman 687

This marks the first issue of the new Batman's solo adventures whom I don't plan on disclosing the identity of. I also did not read Battle of the Cowl nor Batman: RIP although I bought the latter.



The Bad: I am not a fan of Ed Benes art. As far as I know, its for this arc only. Also this fills in the gaps so if one is all caught up on the various Bat-happenings this issue may feel redundant.


Good: Batman 687 sets up the new Batman's status quo nicely. It also does good job of explaining why both Batman and Robin and this title exist. The issue also provides a decent emotional journey for the man who assumes the mantle of the Bat. In addition the issue is accessible for the casual reader and has a nice Batman Begins vibe to it.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars. Overall, I liked the issue. I am a fan of who currently wears the cowl. A solid effort. I felt it was worth the four dollars.

Red Robin #1
I actually do plan on spoiling the identity of Red Robin. So don't read this review if you don't want that spoiler.

Bad: I knew after I pre-order this issue that if there was Batman Reborn title I'd likely drop this would be it. The premise of the series is too limited. It doesn't help that biggest justification to Red Robin's mission will probably shake out of the events of Blackest Night. Not this title. Another problem I have is that this title has Tim become a much darker character. Its not a direction I prefer for that character. As for the issue itself, a lot happened such that some scenes lost impact due to space limitations.

Good: On the other hand, a lot happened in this issue. As a first issue should, the issue sets up the status quo and proceeds at a brisk pace. Tim's motives and methods make sense. Not only that but the issue includes a lot of international travel. A nice change from hanging out in Gotham.

Rating: 2 and half stars. A serviceable first issue. I felt that I got my money's worth. However, I didn't feel that the issue did a good enough job convincing me to buy this title instead of another.

Booster Gold 21
The new Batman is central to this issue; and the (new) Blue Beetle second feature starts.

Bad: Didn't follow Blue Beetle's series. Familiar with the character due to Batman: Brave and the Bold cartoon. Have all 21 issues of this title. First issue I read cover-to-cover. This was the make or break issue. Didn't care for how quickly Booster deduced the new Batman's ID.

Good: Both features were accessible and served as good starts to their separate stories. I'm impressed by Matthew Sturgess's range as I laughed throughout the Blue Beetle story. Got a kick out of the giant robot story which was told well with the ten pages alloted. Both art teams were fantastic with clear storytelling. Got my money's worth even with the increased price tag.

Rating 2 and half stars. A good issue. The Blue Beetle backup saved this issue and title. While the main feature was good, it wasn't as good as the backup. In a sense its like a new beginning, I will continue reading. But...

Serenity RPG: Missed something in char gen

Just recently, I poured through most of PC's character sheets when I noticed something. Granted I didn't notice it right away. When I read the Athletics asset description, I realized two things. One, the asset requires the player to pick a specialization. Two, the description of the major version requires a GM adjudication.

Murphy's Law being what it is I didn't realize during character creation that the two players who chose the Athletics asset didn't pick a specialty. So those two will have to do so. The real problem is that I didn't make judgement call on the major version. That's one of the problems that stem from the fact that the game is still new to me. One of the players did in fact buy the major version. Hence, I need to make a ruling. Fortunately, such a ruling is simple. I am ruling that the major version applies only to the chosen skill specialty. Why? Cause otherwise it becomes a very powerful asset. Otherwise, why pick the minor version?

Pathfinder RPG PDF is at a reasonable price

Over at Grognardia, James Maliszewski mentions that the price of Paizo's Pathfinder RPG in PDF form will cost $9.99. I have to say that is awesome. Kudos to Paizo for offering the PDF of the core book at such a low cost. Not going to lie before I learned this I was perfectly content with the Beta version. I wasn't interested in purchasing a copy of the main book. Since the PDF cost is so cheap, I might actually purchase a copy.

In closing I do have to admit that I my thoughts aren't completely glowing about this news. However, I probably won't share those thoughts until sometime in August. If I do share them anyway. Right now, I am content to further spread the news. The gaming industry needs all the positivity it can get at the moment.

Doctor Who: David Tennant interview

Yep, another Doctor Who-related post. This particular post links to an interview. What makes this one noteworthy is that its an interview of David Tennant conducted by the Chicago Tribune. Normally, I don't encounter mainstream news articles, albeit online, about Doctor Who originating from the United States. So here's the link for the curious.

Can't view all blogs that I want to

Originally, I was going to lament how hard it is to read every blog that I want to. Ok, I guess I just did. What I really want to complain about right now is that apparently my browser doesn't want to keep the page open. The window quickly changes to a window that says internet disconnected. Funny thing is I am viewing a different page in a different window at the same time. Guess one of these days I'll have to use a new browser.

Sigh.

Doctor Who RPG - I want it!

Here's another Doctor Who post, except this one is gaming related. Cubicle 7 is releasing a Doctor Who RPG in October. Once again, I got the news from the Tardis. Here's a link for the curious.

As I said in the title, I definately want a copy. Admittedly, the price is a bit steep. However, its a boxed set of Doctor Who game so...

If, and probably will budget permitting, I pick this up, my expectations are this is another game that I bought to own and read. Like many RPGs I own, I don't think I'll actually play or run it. Could be wrong though...

Possible Doctor Who movie starring Tennant

Over at the Tardis, there is a rumor that David Tennant, the 10th Doctor, may star in a possible Doctor Who movie. Since movies aren't as demanding as the television show is, its possible that the 10th doctor could appear in films. Kind of like the original crew appearing in film while Next Generation was on-air. I know I wouldn't mind more appearances by the 10th doctor in a visual medium.

If not, there's always the possibility of audio stories in the vein of Doctors 5 through 8. That won't be any time soon though.

Short Review: Batman: Streets of Gotham #1

Picked up a copy of Batman: Streets of Gotham #1 on Tuesday and in a surprising turn of events had actually read it that day. Much like my review of an issue of House of Mystery, here's my quick take on BSoG #1.

Rating 4 out of 5 stars.

Why four stars? Streets of Gotham opens right out of the gate with not only the main plotline but two subplots. Why is this significant? Because as far as I know, Paul Dini has rarely included subplots in his previous stories. Previous stories have been either done-in-one, two-parters, or trade fodder. Needless to say, I am excited. Another reason for my rating is that I like the disembodied feeling of the story. Its not just a Batman story. Its an ensemble piece with the streets of Gotham as its focus. The narrative changes between characters and scenes at a rapid pace. I also liked how Dini handles Firefly. Honestly, I am not too familiar with Firefly so this is a nice change of pace from the usual villains. Furthermore, Firefly comes across as a significant threat in this issue. Looking forward to reading how the crisis is resolved.

Now, this isn't just a Batman book. There is a co-feature starring Manhunter. The Manhunter co-feature meshes well with the street vibe of the main feature. I am looking forward to Kate Spencer being the DA of Gotham. Ought to be interesting in the long run as she, as Manhunter, takes a more final approach to criminals than Batman does. Overall, I have to say that this particular 10-page backup was worth the extra dollar.

The Bad: Like most comics these days, the art doesn't wow me. That's not say it isn't good. It just doesn't fit my tastes completely. Also, if you didn't read the Detective Comics RIP tie-in, collected as Heart of Hush, one thing may catch you off guard. I also think there may be some overlap with Gotham City Sirens in regards to Hush. So I'm hoping the reader doesn't have to read both titles in order understand things.

Serenity character gen was today

Today, mostly everone made characters for my Serenity game. I'll provide details slowly between now and the first session in July (first Tuesday).

Why?

Cause its cooler that way.

Annoying thing about published Serenity Modules

I've flipped through Out in the Black and Serenity Adventures; and I have noticed an annoying trend in the published modules so far. Unless the module is written with the Serenity crew in mind, the module doesn't seem to take companions and readers into account. The modules don't acknowledge what would happen if a player desires playing one of the two unique concepts that the setting contains. Makes me one very frustrated gamemaster. What makes it worse is that the module I want to run first is the worst offender.

Sigh.

Doctor Who: They're Back...

Hey folks, another Doctor Who-related post.

The Eleventh Doctor, Matt Smith, starts his tenure with a bang. Just like Patrick Troughton, Doctor #11's first antagonist is the one - the only- the Daleks. One can read read a news report on it over HERE.

Honestly, I am disappointed by this news. At one time I was huge fan of the Daleks. Unfortunately, the new era of Who keeps insisting on using them to the point of overuse.

I was looking forward to newer, or less used, threats. Sigh.

A Torchwood related link or should I say - blog

I am a big fan of Torchwood. So one blog I have been meaning to visit is Torchwood.tv. Not only does it contain info on Torchwood it also includes some neat links.

While I don't know whether or not I'll add it to my blog roll, I figured I'd provide a link for the curious.

Here it is: the link

Wrestling: Extreme Rules PPV

While I didn't watch the PPV, Extreme Rules, live, I did read a detailed report of the PPV. I have to say it seems that it was a pretty good PPV that had a lot title changes including a "surprise" title change at the end. So I might actually pick up a copy of the DVD when it comes out. Normally, I don't the generic monthly PPV DVDs but I might make an exception for Extreme Rules.

Although, I must admit part of that is because some of my favorites such as Jericho and Punk received titles.

Donald Duck is 75 years old

Over at Newsarama, there's a nice little article commemorating Donald Duck's 75th anniversary. I have been a fan of Donald Duck since childhood. So I figured I would give mention it here. It also fits the general topic of this blog as Carl Barks' Donald Duck comics are an influential work that is revered to this day.

Serenity RPG Char Gen date correction

In an earlier post, I said that character creation for my Serenity game would be on the 22nd. I errored. I mistakenly thought that was a Tuesday. There are no plans to create characters on Monday. Character creation will occur on Tuesday, June 23rd. After all, the game will played by the Tuesday Night Game Group.

My response to "S&S vs HF" Part 1

Read James Mishler's comments pertaining to an essay about the impact of Sword & Sorcery and High Fantasy on D&D by Santiago. I will comment on Santiago's post once I have time to digest it. Instead I will focus on James Mishler's, because that's where I read it first.

James argues that the classic S&S character wasn't fated to become a hero like those in high fantasy and 'new school' gaming. Characters such as Conan and Elric were self-made and not destined. Problem is that we first meet Conan as king of Aquilonia. Conan is already at the top. Only two Conan stories, written by Howard, occur after the first story chronologically. Narratively, Conan is predestined to become Aquilonia's king because the reader is first introduced to him as king. As for Elric, fate plays a hand throughout all the early stories. Heck, Elric inadvertently ushers in the new world, aka ours, because that is his purpose. So I wouldn't say that Sword and Sorcery characters achieved their success entirely on their own.

I do agree that fate plays a much stronger role in High Fantasy. That's because High Fantasy is about Good versus Evil. In contrast Sword and Sorcery is not about good versus evil nor does it try to prove a point. Unlike S&S, the protagonists face circumstances that may require sacrifice or result in tragedy. Honestly, Elric would also qualify as a High Fantasy character. Just not within traditional definitions. Hence, the creation of Dark Fantasy genre.

Honestly, I don't really think High Fantasy gaming truly exists, at least not in D&D. Sure a game may try to emulate LotR. Problem is its only an emulation not a true representation of high fantasy. Few game systems, D&D included, can accomodate the genre trappings.

Likewise, true S&S style games don't exist either. Sword and Sorcery stories show snapshots of their protagonists lives. S&S does not occur in a day-to-day manner for it is more episodic. After all, many S&S stories weren't published, much less written, in chronological order. So how is a campaign that proceeds in a continuous, day-to-day fashion a true Swords and Sorcery campaign.

The final contention is that modern gaming, particular D&D 4E, follows High Fantasy literaturewhere characters cannot fail or are meant to. There's problems in that assertion. One, fourth edition is more gamist than any previous edition. Two, the game and its players have more than just literary influences. Third, Sword and Sorcery characters have the same success rate as their High Fantasy counterparts. Its all predetermined. Fourth, characters tend to start out as experienced novices in RPGs. They rarely do in fiction, S&S or High Fantasy. The Conan in Tower of the Elephant is inexperienced as a thief but he is an experienced fighter.

If there is one thing that fourth edition, and gaming in general, can be accused of is that is has de-emphasized its Sword and Sorcery roots.

Serenity RPG: Starting in July

Found out on Tuesday that James Mishler is putting his AD&D 1E game on hiatus until at least after Gen Con. Now I have been meaning to start my Serenity game in July and this fits my plans perfectly. In the meantime, this Tuesday is going to be a board game day since I am not ready yet. During this week, I decided I didn't want to do character creation in July. So I have decided that we shall do character creation on the 22nd of June.

Speaking of character creation it is very important that I decided what experience level they'll be. For awhile I have been leaning towards a Veteran crew. However, I changed my mind this evening. All along I wanted the players to have a say on whether they'd be greenhorns or a bit more heroic. Until now, no one had cared one way or another. This evening a potential new player suggested that the group be a bunch of inexperienced greenhorns trying to make their way through the 'Verse. I am perfectly fine with that. Greenhorn it is.

Hulu and Wrestling

I have mentioned in a previous entry that I am taking a sabbatical from watching wrestling. Recently, I have discovered that Hulu has episodes of both ECW and Smackdown available. Smackdown is a show I have been meaning to watch for awhile. Even more since the draft. So I am delighted that I can now watch it. Hopefully I can watch the entire program. The first time I tried watching an episode it stopped playing after the first half hour.