12ish Days of Blogging: Lessons from 2016 and 2017 New Year's Resolution

On the 6th day of my 12ish Days of Blogging I give to thee some lessons I learned from 2016 and my 2017 New Year's Resolution. I'm tempted to mimic the classic carol and start counting down, or should I say up, listing each subject. Since my 2016 resolution worked so well and I posted it on the same day, I figured I'd do the same with 2017. As for the lessons, they are more like soundbytes tied to fit in with the blog's usual theme. Nothing too deep.


2016 garnered the reputation as a grim reaper. While my blog's history includes RIP posts, I shied from doing so this year. One, there were some I missed. Two, some who don't quite fit the nature of the blog. Three, there were many and many I considered important. There was one general theme, but, to borrow a Dungeons & Dragons class name, 2016 was the year the bards died and people cared. And cared very much they did. Many entertainers and contributors to the arts and culture passed away. To the chagrin of many. Not because the deceased were famous but because of that individual's contribution to people's cultural and entertainment lives. Something to keep in mind while playing games like D&D and the impact that the Bard class has among the NPCs around them.


Another lesson to borrow a fantasy cliché, people need that new, plucky individual to rise above obscurity and become that twenty-something 20th level character to inspire them. While pop culture grinds out new stars continuously, its also grinding those stars to make new stars. I suspect that's one reason people took the loss of creative famous people so dearly. The lack of the next new entertainer. I'm using entertainer as more of placeholder as I don't want to fall into the trap of referencing politics cause danger lies there. Although that's a realm one could say we need new heroes.


Okay enough with the depressing lessons. More positive ones.


I learned not to anniversary posts in installments as I rarely ever do sequels. Although brief aside, I learned Kimball in yesterday's post about Wonder Woman was played by the same actor as Odo in DS9! On yeah, as a big Aquaman fan, he celebrated his 75 years too. I just never picked up the book. Still haven't finished the 75 years comic of Wonder Woman yet but will. It'll just be next year. Have a 75 years of Lois Lane book and that's more than 75 years...


I learned that I blog more when I have theme to blog and the theme includes frequent blogging. Granted that comes with a period of rest afterwards.


Most importantly, I've learned that I just don't make time to read and I miss it terribly.


So my 2017 New Year's Resolution is to read more. Not just comics. Short stories, novels, and nonfiction as well. If I am not taking time to read a novel, I'm certainly not taking time to read a comic. Reading after all is a habit. A habit I plan on making into a habit once more. Plus, more comic reviews will follow. Duh...


Till 7th installment and may your New Year's celebrations be joyous!

12ish Days of Blogging: Wonder Woman's Brief Brush with Star Wars Fandom

On the fifth day of the 12ish Days of Blogging I give to thee a retroview of a classic episode of Wonder Woman 70's show while celebrating the characters 75th anniversary. Tomorrow may also include a review of a one-shot commemorating said 75th anniversary but seeing how tomorrow's New Year's Eve we'll see how well that goes, right?


2016 is many things to many people. I'm not discussing any of the negatives here. In the world of comics, several characters reached their 75th anniversary this year. Alas, it's too late for me to commemorate such a milestone for every character. As luck would have it, Wonder Woman will receive such an honor. Largely because due to synergy with the debut of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story an episode of Wonder Woman aired in which Wonder Woman attends a sci fi convention.


Yeah, you read that right. I'm partially celebrating Wonder Woman's 75th anniversary because on 1/26/1979 an episode of Wonder Woman called Spaced Out aired involved a science fiction convention which included Star Wars cosplay. Considering my 12ish Days of Blogging has slight undercurrent of Star Wars you could say its more about Wonder Woman meets Star Wars fans.


Yep, the episode rode on the heels of Star Wars fame. Brief spoilers - the Star Wars cosplay was of an X-wing pilot and a tusken raider; and Wonder Woman may not have actually bumped into them. It was just a quick appearance of Star Wars cosplay. Still it was pretty cool. Plus, the robot from Lost In Space, okay the costume, was there so kind of counts... maybe... sort of...


Some highlights:

• Diana Prince, aka Wonder Woman, isn't a fan of the science fiction convention nor the costumes but by episodes end she certainly seems to have warmed up to it!
• Having watched maybe a handful of episodes, apparently there were three characters that appeared previously  but I am not sure...
• Rather surreal watching Wonder Woman get spoofed by cat burglar...
• The Moon rock/Space room of Nausea!
• Kimble the cat burglar's physical comedy reaction upon hearing host of the Moon Rock/Space room of nausea exhibit apparently having a date with Diana.
• The Tusken Raider and X-Wing Pilot.
• Robbie the Robot from Lost in Space... 'Robbie the Robot is a lush!'
• Grappling hook shenanigans.
• 'I thought the crystals were cheap pieces of plastic!'
• When bedlam ensues when a fight occurs because the convention goers believe its an unscripted event is a hoot.
• With the focus on Wonder Woman using a sword and shield in modern media its nice to use her lasso of truth and just subdue people.

Wouldn't be surprised if Mark Hamill wishes he could have appeared in this episode considering he's really into conventions of this sort.


Overall, while its not serious by modern standards as it had its share of good cheeky fun, I wouldn't quite say Spaced Out was out-and-out camp. The science fiction convention stuff had me geeking out. Back in 1979, this is probably the closest Wonder Woman could come to a crossover with Lost In Space and Star Wars. Heck, the same could probably be the same for nowadays... I give it 3 Out of 5 Stars. If you're a fan, the episode is worth it for a hoot.


Till My 6th 12ish Days of Blogging.

12ish Days of Blogging: How I Performed on my 2016 New Year's Resolution

On the fourth day of my 12ish Days of Blogging I give to thee: my summation on how well I followed my New Year's resolution from the beginning of the year. What's that you say? The end of the year isn't for a couple more days? First, most people quit their New Year's resolutions after a month or two. So the mere fact I kept in mind is impressive. Okay, that is impressive.  Guess, I can follow a New Year's resolution for a long period of time. So early spoilers - modesty may elude me. Fair warning. Second, two more days isn't changing the outcome. Suppose that'll happen when only two days remain in a year.


What you never read my 2016 New Year's Resolution? Well, here's the POST.


So how'd I do?


For starters, technically, I certainly blogged more. Only one year did I update my blog more and during that year I'd update occasionally more than once or twice a day. Not blogging twice or more a day was unspoken cardinal rule of mine this year. Admittedly, I skirted the rule a handful of times if you count blogging near midnight and not waiting 24 hours before the next I blogged.


Heck, if you double the number of posts from 2015 (as I resumed blogging in June), 62-and-counting (okay, counting for maybe another two days) is more than 50. So my frequency did increase.


Yeah, here's where the 'but' comes in... all year I planned to blog more. There's much, much more didn't write. Yet. Most of those subjects haven't been lost to the aether. I'll get to them eventually. Just didn't so this year.


So as a perfectionist, I am not 100% happy but as a whole I did blog more.


As I blog more, I did give my two cents a heckuva lot. Other than some episode highlights that were more of recap than a review and the occasional time I hyped something, I gave my opinion. So I'd say it's fair to say that I stated my two cents often enough that met my resolution here.


Reading comics... not so much. Granted, I did read some comics and write some reviews. Nowhere near what I envisioned when I made my resolution.


Gaming on the other hand, I gamed not only far more than I expected but gamed more than I wrote about here! I suffered writer's block figuring which game session report to write when! Know the subject matter that I hadn't written about yet? Most of it is about gaming sessions. While one or two gaming-related posts probably won't occur before 2016 is done, there probably will be one or two as part of my 12ish Days of Blogging.


So overall, despite disappointment with comics reading, I'd have to say I met New Year's Resolution of 2016. I didn't give up on my blog. I gamed. Watched TV shows that fit the blog's parameters. I did read more than one comic book. Heck, I discovered I could blog for five or more days straight. If not for technical difficulties, a fourth 12ish Day would have came yesterday. Although, it would have been about a different subject matter, but I digress.

In fact, I am pleased enough with my success that I'll try my hand at a 2017 New Year's Resolution. I'll let you know if, what, that is on New Year's.


Till my 5th 12ish Days.

12ish Days of Blogging, Dark Horse Digital, Nook Comics, and Earth 2 #1 Review

On the third day of my 12ish Days of Blogging I give to thee my thoughts on Dark Horse Digital (and the delayed 2nd part of my 30 years of Dark Horse Comics) as well as my thoughts on Nook Comics and my first Nook Comic Earth 2 #1. Coincidentally, my Nook commentary has also been delayed as I started blogging about it back in June.


I've used Dark Horse Digital sparingly for a long time now. At first I used it to check out whichever free comics were available. Dark Horse Digital was kind of cool; but I really didn't take the plunge until I bought all the Star Wars comics (hey, another Star Wars reference!) when that license expired and shifted to Marvel. I feared those comics would join the long out-of-print bin. Silly me. Marvel has since aggressively reprinted much of the content, although much hasn't been reprinted, and digital comics of the Dark Horse material is available via Marvel's site. Another fear was the purchase would be all for naught...


Well, so far, all those Star Wars comics are still available on my Dark Horse Digital account so that fear has been... averted... for now. I admit I've only read one comic - the first issue of Marvel's (ironic, isn't it?) mini-series that adapted Star Wars: A New Hope. Very curious issue in light of future movie developments but that's a review for another time. Future plans involve reading those Star Wars digital comics via Dark Horse Digital. It's good to grandfathered in! And if it's gone, well, Marvel has been digitizing those same Star Wars comics; and I have that also woefully used Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited account. Hmm, sensing a trend...


I've purchased other comics too corresponding to any sale that catches my eye so I don't just have languishing Star Wars comics on the account. Okay, Okay, I'll get to the review.


Dark Horse Digital was an On the Cloud service before I knew, and probably before it was defined as, the Cloud existed. The consumer browses the site, which is first-day digital, ie when print hits the stands, and selects a comic. Said consumer "owns" the comic except their copy is stored on Dark Horse Digital's site. The one exception is that I believe copies can be downloaded via its mobile app. As I haven't downloaded the app, I don't know if those comics can be downloaded onto an SD card. I admit I've been leery of embracing the app cause of running out of storage concerns due to my Nook experience. More on that later.


How does the Dark Horse Digital reader work? Pretty well. I admit its probably clunky using it on my desktop compared to a tablet or phone but the reader has the option of viewing it by page or panel. I've found I prefer reading by panel on desktop as I find the reading experience easier.


That brings me to my (quick) Earth 2 #1 and Nook Comics review:


Earth 2 #1 (the one that 'The New 52!' is scrawled across the cover not Earth 2: Society) is a milestone comic for me. One, it hooked me onto the New 52 Earth 2 in the sort that it became an interest although it hadn't officially made my pull list. Two, it was my very first Nook Comic. Earth 2 #1 is what sold in me on Nook Comics. To my mind it is quite fitting to review both at the same time.




Nook Comics


Earth 2 #1 by James Robinson, Nicola Scott, and Trevor Scott.


One advantage of bringing multiple earths back is that DC can now kill its major characters and unlike an Elseworlds such a drastic action matters. Well, Earth 2 #1 is the fall of the DC Trinity (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman) to the forces of Darkseid or more precisely Steppenwolf (the supposed Big Bad of the upcoming Justice League movie too...). The handling of the "Roman Gods" differed from mainstream DC and was a nice touch. Honestly, if one desires a tragic DC epic where the Big 3 fall while saving the Earth you don't get any better than this comic.


Alas, I read the issue back in June so regular readers should know I'm kind of sparring on the details.


Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars


Yeah, I felt Earth 2 #1 was so good that I bought the first trade, would then later pick of bundle of twenty issues which I found in a back issue bin, and have sporadically bought Earth 2 Society. All on the strength of one issue.


As for Nook Comics reader itself, the reader has a Page View and a Panel View. Alright, not the exact definition but its more descriptive than what they give you. I've discovered that if I want to take a gander at greater art detail the Panel View is the best. Honestly, I really like the reader. What I don't like is that while the comics are downloaded, they are best treated as if they are on the cloud. The file size is simply too large where one can't carry them all on one's device. However, a recent upgrade allows Nook Comics to be downloaded to an SD card. Since not all books, and magazines are out of the question, can downloaded to an SD card, as of this moment I don't know if all Nook Comics can be downloaded onto an SD card. So that may be a remedy to my aforementioned storage concerns.


So while I greatly like the Nook for reading comics, it hasn't replaced the pamphlet nor trades. At this point in time its more like a backup for when I can't acquire an issue as well as means of sampling series. Expect some comic reviews that are also Nook reviews in the future as well.


Till Next Time.

12ish Days of Blogging: Several Rogue One-related Links

On the second day of my 12ish Days of Blogging, I give to thee several Rogue One: A Star Wars Story related links. Before I continue further I want to give credit where credit is due. Without writers Paul Cornell (whom I've reviewed his first issue of Stormwatch) and Bill Willingham (don't recall if I've reviewed any of his stuff here...), doing a 12 Days of Blogging and 12 Stories, respectively, I never would have thought to do this. My X-mas related posts would have seemed out of nowhere. Also, I want to think Disney for joining Star Wars with the holiday season for the forseeable future. Now, Star Wars is synonymous with the holidays!


So ergo, it wouldn't be the holidays without some Star Wars related links, right? So here's some links related to Rogue One that I found of interest.


Whitaker reprises role for Rebels - In an awesome bit of synergy, Forest Whitaker reprises his role from Rogue One in the Star Wars animated series Rebels.  Really cool indeed.


Vader Pun Controversy - If you haven't seen Rogue One yet, hereby SPOILERS. Otherwise, there's a bit of controversy about Darth Vader cracking a pun. I admit it caught me off guard and jolted me out of the scene. However, I didn't consider it a scandalous treatment of the character. Certainly, no worse than Vader's comment at the end of Episode 3. Heck, it bothered me less than any of the things Anakin does during the prequels. As the article above points out it is well within character. Which after reading said article I can see the author's point about Vader cracking puns being within character. Guess it all depends on a certain point of view.


Rogue One's Massive Opening Weekend - The Wall Street Journal ran a piece on how well Rogue One performed at the box office during its opening weekend. It performed well. Very well. A high box office speaks favorably towards future Star Wars Anthology movies and Star Wars movies using mostly original characters. Very good news indeed.


Rogue One Cameos - One of the things that I greatly enjoyed about Rogue One was the cameos. As part of the enjoyment was the surprise of those cameos I'll say this link contains massive SPOILERS!


Bold Ending is what the Franchise Needed - Yep, SPOILERS. In hindsight I shouldn't have been surprised by the ending but, yeah, the ending is a huge reason I enjoyed the film.


How Rogue One Changes Perceptions of the Original Trilogy - Once again, another link that one should really see the movie first if you don't any SPOILERS. This piece is a much, much more eloquent piece than when I blogged about how Rogue One greatly improves Rebel Alliance campaigns in Star Wars TRPGs - except applied toward the original trilogy.


A marketing rant - Over at ComicMix, here's what's really a rant over using Rogue One to cater to different markets such as using Chinese actors to appeal to audiences in China. Since I wasn't aware the actors were Chinese I thought they were cast as homages to Lucas receiving inspiration from Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress. The more you know I guess...


Mark Hamill is a Fan - Yep, Luke Skywalker likes it. I concur too.


A New Martial Art Style Created for Rogue One - The actor who played the blind monk apparently created his own style. Now, that's cool.


Till Next Time.

12ish Days of Blogging: Some Yuletide Links I Found of Interest

Since today marks day one of the traditional Twelve Days of Christmas and the march toward year's end, I've decided to do a series of twelve-ish blog posts. Alright, I mean blog twelve days in a row but give or take a couple days. Originally, I planned on Christmas/Holiday content appearing before and including on Christmas itself but the holiday happened. So expect plenty of Christmas-oriented stuff during twelve days of blogging. On the other hand, there may be several entries that aren't Christmas-oriented at all. My review of the Halloween Disney comic and commentary on New Year's Resolutions are among what I want to squeeze in before we're well into 2017.


So to start the 12ish Days of Blogging, I begin light by sharing several seasonal links that I found of interest. Some additional Christmas/Holiday/Yule like content that you may find of interest.


Ostrander on the Doctor Who Christmas Specials - Comics writer John Ostrander, Suicide Squad creator, provides a pretty nice overview of the Doctor Who Christmas Specials on ComicMix. My mileage on his opinions on each of the specials varies although there's some I haven't seen. Didn't realize until Ostrander pointed it out but, yeah, the Tenth Doctor, David Tennant, began and ended his time as the Doctor on Christmas. Rather neat coincidence.


CBR Superman Advent Calender - Leading up to Christmas, as part of Advent, Comic Book Resources had a daily countdown of Superman Christmas Stories and stories that contained elements no matter how minor of Christmas-theme. The screenshots are quite readable so much of each individual story can be read. Well, the nuts and bolts anyway. Some excellent Superman Christmas material here. Heck, I'm only two-thirds through!


Six Christmas Graphic Novels - Want to read some Christmas graphic novels that you can be certain you order from your local comics shop? Well, Diamond Comics Distributors have you covered with this list of six. I'm pretty confident if Diamond is listing these titles they have them in their warehouse. One of the six, Klaus, I hope to include during my 12ish Days of Blogging.


A History of Jingle Bells, Batman Smells - Here's an excellent essay on the origins and evolution of classic children's folksong Jingle Bells, Batman Smells. Seems to date back to the classic Adam West Batman sixties television show. Did you know there once was a line referencing Commissioner Gordon? I certainly wasn't aware of just how many variants there were of the classic children's folksong. Very interesting read.


Till Next Time!

Rogue One: Finally a Star Wars Movie that Lends Legitimacy to Rebel PCs

First things first. I felt Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was fantastic film. If the other anthology films equal Rogue One in quality, Disney's mini-holiday tradition (until 2020 at least) of an annual Star Wars film right around the holiday season will be a good one. However, I'm not going to review the film at this time. One, much of the film's strengths hinge on not being spoiled the first time through. Second, I have only seen the movie once. My mantra of multiple viewings required before a review stands for this film as well. What tonight's blogging spiel is about how excited I am for the ramifications for those that play Star Wars PCs in table-top RPGs particularly Rebellion-era.


There's two things I've always hated about playing Star Wars during the Rebellion-era. The Rebellion, while the underdogs, seemed to put together. Second, the group of Han, Luke, Leia, and Co are the heroes of the Rebellion. No matter how you slice it you can't escape that fact. Your characters are second fiddle; and there's no other examples to prove otherwise.


Rogue One changes all that. Without going into spoilers, the Rebellion-era being the Han, Luke, and Leia show because they're the only  heroes is no longer the case. Now, Star Wars fans have other examples. Furthermore, they know what those characters can be like. They're no longer just outsider types playing a role in a rebellion but actual rebels. The Expanded Universe was great in that it fleshed out the more obscure areas but we never got a full on look what run-of-the-mill rebels were like. Star Wars fans do know. Plus, the obligatory lightsaber-wielding PC is no longer required! You really have to watch the television shows and cartoons to have examples of that gap.


Examples aside. Rogue One demonstrates that the Rebellion needs heroes and such heroics do occur when no Skywalker is mentioned. I'd gloss on more but that breaks my no spoiler rule. But yeah, for the first time, in a long, long time, maybe ever, I feel Rebel PCs that aren't the movie group can play a pivotal role in the Rebellion. Yep, no amount of West End Games source material made me thought otherwise.


So with that, pick up whichever iteration of the Star Wars RPG you have on hand and have your PCs join the Rebellion.


Quick aside: think I got my first hand look at what either a heavy or light repeating blaster rifle looks like cinematically...


Happy Gaming.

We All Shadowrun in a Yellow Submarine

For months I hinted at Shadowrun (5E) Missions play. Finally, I have put fingers to keyboard to blog my very first Shadowrun Missions game session report/review. So which session receives such an honorific to be the very first? Why, the... most recent?! Yep, while I have played all of season 5 (SRM is split into season with Season 5 being the first of the Chicago storyline) except SRM 05-01, my first review will concern the very last module of season 5, SRM 05-06 Take a Chance. The reason is very simple: its the session freshest in my mind and I could reference the Beatles song!


SRM 05-06 Take A Chance


The cast:


Nox - Human Combat Mage - played by yours truly
Umi Love - Elf Face/Adept
"James" - Human Weapons expert/Adept
Night Eyes - Human Decker/Rigger - Security Spider
Snuffleupagus (yes, the character is named after the Sesame Street character - more in a future blog post) - dwarf decker






There are some Spoilers but I'll do my best to avoid plot specifics. While players can replay modules  Shadowrun Missions, I feel its best if some surprises exist. As such as I'll focus more on how our group approached the module and how our group of fledgling Shadowrun 5E gamers are slowly learning the rules. Of note, this was the module that was postponed on Halloween to a month later...




As per the boiler plate of the module, our group of runners went to a meet where other groups of runners were - and our characters learn we're auditioning for a job. Everyone in the group decides not to bring weapons in. We meet a new associate named Night Eyes whose referenced to us by a storyline contact. James buys our table a sample of all the appetizers. Umi buys pork for the table as well. Snuffleupagus also peruses the menu. Nox who spent plenty of downtime Working for the People... uh... mooches... I guess? We notice other groups are watching us but we pay them no mind. Then some dragon-looking dude approaches us whom everyone but Nox (and maybe Night Eyes?) recognizes as Simon from the first module SRM 05-01. Offers a money making opportunity. When we enter into our interview with Sarah Silverleaf (there's frequent Sarah Silverman's interjected into the out-of-game chatter), Night Eyes mentions Simon's job offer...


While waiting on whether or not we're hired, James orders wine for all the other tables. Snuffy and Umi also partake in trash talking the other groups. At some point, one group tries to mess with James, he becomes extra confrontational with them as a result. Believe it or not, combat does not break out.


Long story short. We're hired. Turns out the run is underwater and we'll have to rent a submarine and some underwater gear. Our contact for this winds up being Goober whom we met during a prior module. He sells us some gear, modifies some of our weapons, and pilots our submarine. I joke so is it yellow? Why yes it is! Thus as title states, we embark on a shadowrun within a yellow submarine.


While underwater, we discover that the background count is less than Chicago normal but Noise is so bad that Matrix and Wireless-connected activities are unreliable. Huge, huge change from prior modules. Nox discovers while astrally projecting that two building were enclosed within astral barriers as is one room within a third building.


When we dock with the third building, Night Eyes uses a skill that hasn't really come up to hook up power to some oxygen tanks. He would later use the same skill to recharge some electrical devices...


At this point, I am going to forgo the traditional session write-up as it spoils too much. Instead I'll supply some highlights:

• Nox - honestly doesn't play too much of role other than Stunbolt-ing a character and achieving maximum Force 6 result. His inability to speak a language kind of limited him, kind of didn't. When we entered our final combat, he used a service for his fire elemental. Unfortunately the combat was too hectic that when the fire elemental could have been used, there was too much confusion and we ran out of time for the session. Which kind of sucks...
• There was an underwater shaft filled with perilous obstacles to swim past. The GM skipped this section to save time.
• We also skipped a combat encounter due to lack of time as well.
• Our characters encountered a group of metavariants/metasapients!
• The final combat is complicated by lack of familiarity with the grenade rules and botching the movement rules to catastrophic results! We forgot movement was for the entire Combat Turn and not individual pass and didn't realize grenades explode much, much sooner during a combat turn.
• Yep, the chunky salsa grenade rule applied!
• Before this session, I was lukewarm to full-auto. Afterwards, I am a believer.

Despite the hiccups, the final combat does have some neat moments, so here's how it broke down:
James exercises his small group tactics skill to initiate a group dynamic entrance. Unfortunately, our enemies were lying in wait. Before he sucks up three bursts of full-auto, James fires a gas grenade at two men armed with AKs. He suffers some Stun. Umi grabs a frag grenade off James belt and runs toward moon pool bay door and tosses the grenade. By sheer luck, as she missed, the grenade scatters into the room with the moon pool! She (yeah Umi is a she) runs into a nearby room. Unfortunately, a fourth gunman runs into the room. However, before he can fire Umi performs a melee interrupt as he passes by and incapacitates him with a Nerve Strike! A fifth enters and is Nerve Striked as he passes. Alas, he isn't incapacitated and opens fire. Fortunately, Umi has an ability where she is too pretty to be hit and evades the full auto-fire. Night Eyes covers a side that no enemy approaches from - it was because of the gas grenade? Snuffy full-autos a sixth who enters the room with Umi. Fleeing the moon pool room another enters Umi's room and unleashed full auto-fire upon her. With four assailants within the same room firing full-auto, Umi is stunned a bunch. James runs to her room, fires a flash bang (which scatters to Umi's feet) and runs back. Umi tries to flee the room and the flash bang but is melee intercepted by one of her four assailants (granted one is incapacitated) with a shock glove and is stunned unconscious. Two of her assailants exit and fire at James dropping him. Flash bang goes off. Yeah... All three remaining in the room are declared out for simplicity's sake. Our remaining opponents flee.


Overall: SRM 05- 06 Take a Chance is an excellent module with some off-the-beaten-path situations for the average runner. I'd love to play the mod again when we're more knowledgeable with the rules and less rusty. Still it was quite a memorable session. I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars with a chance at 4 stars.


Till next time,


Happy Gaming

Thoughts on the First Spider-Man: Homecoming Trailer

Tonight, the very first trailer for Spider-Man: Homecoming was released. And it... was... awesome! If you haven't seen it, the trailer should be widely available on the Internet. As such I am not going to include the video or a link to the video. Just going to provide my more than 140 character response that would be far too lengthy for social media.


We didn't get too much of Michael Keaton out of costume in this trailer; but what is there has appropriate amount of menace for a teenage super-hero whose stepping into an adult playground.


Speaking of that adult playground, that appears to be the theme of the trailer. Super-hero work is adult work and not suited for teenagers. While the classic Lee/Ditko stories would have characters admitting their surprise and astonishment that Spider-Man was teenager, it was never front and center. Suppose a pivotal player such as Tony Stark knowing Spider-Man is a teenaged Peter Parker leads to such a change from the comics origin. Should be interesting how much the trailer's theme is a theme of the movie.


Now, I am incredibly glad Tony, Robert Downey Jr, will be serving much more than a cameo role. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is the movie franchise with the individual character(s) movies serving as facets of the franchise. So I like the level of cohesion that Tony Stark brings. Furthermore, I love seeing more of mentor type relationship with the teenaged Peter Parker. In many ways, the ground for a future passing of the torch could be set with this movie. Absolutely love the notion of Iron Man working alongside Spidey! However, the marque is Spider-Man: Homecoming. Not Spider-Man: Marvel Team-up. I'd prefer if Tony's role is much less than it was in Captain America: Civil War.


Loved the crooks wearing classic comic book depictions of Avengers masks.


Would have liked it if the Vulture was closer to his comic book roots but can accept that he's tech'd up because the movie-going audience wouldn't accept him as a major menace in a movie.


The high school scenes remind me of how much the character of Peter Parker benefited from being a high school student. So that will be neat to see. Not a fan of someone knowing his secret identity but in the MCU every hero, except Cap it seems, needs a non-powered, non-skilled person whose a confidante.


Tom Holland may very be the best Peter Parker/Spider-Man actor yet!


Action shots are pretty good. Can't wait to see them on the big screen.


So yeah, I stand by my earlier comment that the first trailer is amazing and spectacular. Look forward to the next!


Till Next Time.

Links about Krampus Night, First Tier 4 Adventurer's League mods, and Update AL Faction Guide

As usual, I'm off to a slow start as far as blogging is concerned. Have quite a number of things I want to blog about during the month of December and before year's end. Been awhile since I had 'link-oriented' post, so here's three links pertaining to Krampus Night, the rest of season 5 mods for Adventurer's League including the very first set of Tier 4 (levels 17 - 20), and an updated faction guide.


Guide to Factions - An updated faction guide for Adventurer's League. A free pdf available on DM's Guild. The Mentor-Apprentice rules are fleshed out more. Honestly, I think this would receive more play at conventions where Epics are played or home games where people play chapters from the adventure books. I do find the massive downtime requirements for some of the options rather curious. Then again, I am not a fan of requiring hundreds of downtime days to train although I suppose that's realistic. Maybe it's because downtime days are chained to playing modules and don't exist separately. As much as Time Units in LG could be frustrating as one's PC could be rendered unplayable for the rest of year, one's PC didn't have to earn that off-time. Some of the tool proficiencies that faction members can learn could be neat although I think the Zhentarim win as far as adventuring related tool proficiencies are considered. I suppose if you have Downtime to burn up... Now, the Item Acquisition is rather cool. I'd have to read it some more as some things aren't as clear. That being said, I've played a number of Adventurer's League modules for quite some time now. Haven't played any chapters from the book adventures yet. Magical armor and weapons are super rare as far rewards go. Thus, I absolutely love that if I want a character to acquire some, there's a means to do so. Plus, faction promotion becomes far more attractive as a consequence. Otherwise, faction promotion is more ho-hum than downtime. Still have no idea what distinguishes a secret mission from a faction assignment...


Rest of Season 5 mods - Here's a list for all the mods of Season 5 Adventurer's mods including the final nine modules that wrap up the tiers 1 - 3 arcs as well as providing the very first tier 4 (levels 17 - 20) mods. Season 4 (Barovia) led me to thinking to story terms such that my Season 5 character was created to fit the theme of Season 5 more. Since I was playing the character in non-Season 5 mods, I was worried that the character would level out of tier 1 (levels 1 - 4) and miss out on story. Perusing the module list, it appears the major arc of tier 1 centers around the village of Parnast. Fortunately, there's only one module that I would really love to play with said PC from tier 1 so if I play the rest of the Parnast arc with a different PC so be it. My first play through of any tier 2 mods will probably be with a different character anyway...


Krampus Night - My goal for this year is to include more holiday (ie, Christmas, Yule, etc.)-related content during December. Here's the first of such. As tonight is December 5th, ie Krampus Night, rather fitting I include a link about how Krampus Night has gained popularity within the United States. Rather cool the phenomena owes a debt to postcards of all things. Heck, I could see Krampus Night being folded within a RPG context. Modern settings could reflect one night only shenanigans on December 5th, while older and more supernatural-inclined settings could actually have an encounter with a Krampus-like figure! Perhaps an exercise for the later this month... or next year...


Well, Till next time. Happy Gaming.

Cody Rhodes as Black Bolt?!

November comes to a close. What better way to mark the occasion than a possibility for the role of Black Bolt. Oh and to write this post via smartphone! 

So whose the latest possibility for the role of Black Bolt according to the interwebs? Why, wrestler Cody Rhodes!

Say what?! You may ask. Well, Marvel hasn't said a thing but apparently Cody is a big and would love to play him in the upcoming eight episode (?!) first season. Sorry, no links. I , er, don't know how to include links on Blogger via smartphone...

Honestly, I think the former Stardust could do a decent job. His recent appearance on Arrow wasn't half bad. Heck, I would love it if he reprised the character later on. Cody has the charisma and build to pull off the role of Black Bolt. Years of wrestling experience required conveying oneself nonverbally. Something that's a must playing the king of the Inhumans. The only catch is would his television spark translate to the Big Screen? Sure, Cody dazzles on the silver screen but could he do so in cinemas worldwide as the Inhumans film has not been scrapped? 

I don't know the answer to that. Cody left the WWE because of glass ceilings. So he hasn't demonstrated if he can shine up at the top. So while I think Cody could do a stellar job as young Black Bolt on the television, how well he can carry a movie as the silent regal monarch eludes me. 

Then again, if such non A-lists stars such as Robert Downey Jr and Chris Pratt can not only carry a Marvel movie while becoming A-list, Cody has a good shot at the role as anyone else. Certainly not deserving of a Michael Keaton-like reaction. Last I recall that Batman wasn't considered a dud

As for my first experience blogging via smartphone? It was... an experience. Not bad. I kept it very simple. More familiarity is a must! Needless to say, I prefer blogging using my PC in the meantime.

Till next time whether it be by phone or PC.

Agents of SHIELD "Deals with Our Devils" Highlights

Gosh, time sure flies! Seems like just yesterday I began the month of November with Halloween-related posts followed up by a celebration of D&D's induction into a toy hall of fame. Now, November ends tomorrow. Quite fitting then on this penultimate evening, my (hope to squeeze one more post in tomorrow) penultimate November post be about highlight post about the latest episode of Marvel's Agents of SHIELD. After all, I did begin the month commenting on the episode that revealed Ghost Rider's origins. Timing is quite impeccable to. The very night of!


Well, here goes. For the curious, each bullet point represents segments between commercial breaks.




I apologize. While writing my Halloween-related posts I goofed and bumped AoS up a season. Probably got confused by my marathon viewing of the fifth season of the Walking Dead. It is actually in its fourth season.




Spoilers










EP 4 - 7 Deals with Our Devils

• Eli creating four separate spear shafts of carbon, killing four agents, and then creating a wall of carbon did an excellent job demonstrating the power Eli now wields. Director Mace agrees with Daisy? What is he up to? The Senator's brother has been locked into the cocoon phase of terragenesis for 7 months! Yep, that's where Simmons is. Meanwhile, Mac goes rogue and rides off on a motorcycle.
• 'Do we look that silly when we are on the comms?' Phil, Fitz, and Robbie have apparently been knocked out of phase into another dimension. They are much further within the other dimension than the ghosts were! Guess, Mace isn't doing a run around by referencing Simmons... although he is trying to save face. 'May, Mac is Ghost Rider now. But you can't hear us.' 'Don't let your brother know...' 'Too late. Sorry, Coulson but if I am to have my vengeance on Eli...'
• Hey Radcliffe turned down reading the Darkhold! Quite a shocker actually... Apparently, the final stage of terragenesis required was a but a touch as Simmons touches the cocoon. Got a hoot out of that. Aida using the Darkhold. Yeah, don't think this will end well... Daisy discovers Mac is now Ghost Rider!
• Ah, Robbie and his car do have a connection! For the first time, Robbie and Ghost Rider have a nice face-to-face conversation. Ah. Aida builds a Darkhold dimensional portal of which only Fitz and Coulson can see the progress. Phil begins to be sucked into the other dimension!
• Finally, Simmons helps the Senator's brother complete the process and begin emerging from cocoon, while saying Gemma's name. She's removed before the process is completed. Aida's portal brings Fitz and Phil back. Robbie makes a new deal with Ghost Rider, which is more favorable to GR, which pulls it out of Mac. Later on, Mac waits for Robbie to emerge from the portal. He agrees to help Robbie-GR exact vengeance on Eli.
• Aida is Darkhold creating a human brain. This can't be good.

Another excellent episode! A strong fall season indeed.


Till next time.

D&D - A 2016 Toy Hall of Fame Inductee...

After my Halloween extended blogging session, I took a little hiatus from blogging. Partially to recharge. Partially because of more serious distractions, ie politics. But I am back to the blogosphere. Quite a bit I want to cover before 2017. What better way to resume than with importance of what one could call an important honorific.


Dungeons & Dragons has been inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame class of 2016! You can read more HERE.


Frankly, while I am ecstatic about the induction, I don't actually consider D&D a toy per se. Honestly, if anything Transformers would have been a more worthy induction in my eyes. A generational thing, probably. While I grew up during the eighties, I also grew up during the nineties. So while I saw advertisements for the D&D game being available in toy shops, I was either too young when the red box was available or the game had been chased out. Supposed satanic influences and all that. My exposure to D&D was within hobby shops and such. Perhaps I am being to close-minded when it comes a Toy Hall of Fame? Perhaps one day, more adult games such as Cards Against Humanity will be inducted? Either that I am just bummed that a toy that played a huge part during my childhood, ie Transformers, didn't make the cut. Oh well, I suppose there's plenty of time for Transformers to be inducted. After all, the kids who were gifted with the Red Box of Dungeons & Dragons are probably in their forties now. So D&D's inclusion is probably a generational thing from those that could find it in a toy aisle to those that had to tromp into the unknown realm of the hobby shop.


Not saying, I didn't encounter D&D in toy form. Or figurine form is more like it. Back when the Dungeons & Dragons cartoon was reaching its nadir, I came across what I thought were D&D figures. I did buy one. Okay, it was bought for me. Don't remember what it was. It was monstrous looking creature wielding what I suppose was a sling. To my consternation, the limbs were not interposable like other action figures. Never saw them again. That was the only time I recall seeing Dungeons & Dragons in a toy aisle. Perhaps the red box was there too.


So Happy Induction into the Toy Hall of Fame D&D! If I am not whole-heartedly embracing the induction, it's due more to awkwardness than anything else.


Happy Gaming.

Halloween '16: MAoS Ghost Rider's Origin and Life Imitates Art

All Souls' Day marks my final official Halloween '16 blog post. As its All Souls' Day and the end of Mexican celebration of the Day of the Dead what better topics than origin Marvel's Agents of SHIELD's Ghost Rider and how a James Bond movie influenced the custom of the Day of the Dead?


Note: I had wanted to squeeze in some more comic book reviews of the comics I picked up Monday as well as Disney's Giant Halloween Hex #1. Alas, that wasn't meant to be as I wasn't quite in the right frame of mind for comic book reading and Giant Halloween Hex is a massive comic! Just flipping through the pages I can definitely tell that I will get my money's worth when I finally read it. So next Halloween?


While I am familiar with the Mexican celebration of the Day of the Dead, which spans from October 31st to November 2nd, I didn't know there is no Mardi Gras-like parade. Those who've seen the most recent James Bond movie, heck if you've seen the trailers, then you've seen the gigantic parade that 007 navigates through during the opening segment of Spectre. So yeah, cultural literacy fail on my part believing that such a spectacle was a normal practice. However, turns out the tourism authorities felt that they were missing out and such a parade was something they should have. So this very year, 2016, marks the very first, Spectre-like, Day of the Dead parade. Talk about life imitating art! As longtime James Bond fan that's simply amazing. You can check out some photos and read more about this amazing, if controversial, development on a Mexican Halloween-ish tradition HERE.




Now for the highlights from the episode that provides the origin for Marvel's Agents of SHIELD Robbie Reyes Ghost Rider:






Spoilers




S5-6 The Good Samaritan

• Show opens with a flashback during which the reactor (really a quantum matter device) creates a piece of carbon out of nothing! During celebrations a tipsy Lucy accidentally mentions a book to Eli. Modern day: Eli says the experiment was a failure as there wasn't enough power. Lucy responds that plenty of power is available at the new site. Eli voices concern that many lives could be at stake.
• Director sends Simmons, blind-folded, on a mission. No one can reach her throughout the episode.
• Gabe is led to believe Robbie is a secret agent...
• Director tell Coulson to prepare to be boarded as he plans to take Quake and Ghost Rider into custody.
• Fitz figures out that the device requires a massive amount of power.
• Han Solo and Admiral Ackbar references!
• Gabe is no slouch. He quickly realizes that the secret agent part is nonsense.
• Origin story time: Robbie was car racing with Uncle Eli's car when he allows Gabe to come along. The car is the same as the Ghost Rider car. They both discuss Uncle Eli not acting like himself, when all of a sudden a Molotov cocktail is thrown onto the hood! A car chase ensues when another car forces Robbie to do a rollover. Gabe's version of events was that while he was paralyzed he knew Robbie was okay when a good Samaritan came along and pulled him out and tended to Robbie. Robbie corrects him. Says that he blamed himself for the mess and that as he was thrown from the car he called out to anyone that he would do anything for his brother to be safe. Then he died. Yep, died. Yeah, pretty sure we can tell a Faustian bargain is coming...
• Origin continued: A classic deal with unsavory forces commences when a voice ask Robbie if he'll do anything to exact to vengeance. Robbie says yes. Then he sees classic Ghost Rider ride up to him on a motorcycle! Er, don't know if this is the demon or Johnny Blaze... Power is granted to him and Robbie becomes the Spirit of Vengeance!
• Director Mace figures out the containment unit is hidden.
• Ghost Rider busts out of the containment unit!
• At first there's a tussle, but Ghost Rider overcomes Director Mace beating him senselessly until Gabe stops him. I admit I marked out.
• Fitz deduces that the only place that could provide enough power was an old Isodyne facility. References to Peggy Carter, SSR, and the Darkforce from season two of Agent Carter!
• 'Must of predated the internet. How'd you ever get things done before then?'
• Flashback: Lucy talks about the book making them like gods while Eli mentions that he knew that attack was meant for him hired by Lucy's husband.
• Lucy - Robbie confrontation which ends rather badly for Ghost Lucy.
• However, before dying we learn that it was Eli that trapped the ghosts inside the chests! That he wanted the Darkhold for the power it could grant him. He actually beat Joseph in order to attain the book.
• May retrieves the Darkhold.
• Meanwhile, the power can't be turned. So while Mac is retrieving one of the perpetual EMP devices that the Watch Dogs used, Phil starts pulling tubing as Eli uses the Quantum Matter Device.
• There's a big wave. Eli emerges able to create a piece of carbon out of nothing!

Have to say the Ghost Rider origin didn't disappoint and for an episode that aired during the Halloween-All Saints' Day-All Souls' Day trifecta it didn't disappoint in terms of supernatural thrills and deals with the devil.  Plus in true Whedon-esque fashion, the Big Bad of the Ghost Rider arc is revealed after a classic betrayal! All in all, a fantastic episode!


With that is my All Souls' Day post and my last Halloween entry until next year. Although I may review Disney's Giant Halloween Hex #1 before next Halloween it'll be just a normal review.


Till next time.

Halloween '16: Samhain/All Saints' Day Reading

After last night's blogging, I spent the rest of Samhain/All Saint's Day reading. In addition to a couple comics, a Punisher story and a manga story, I read a bunch of nonfiction on Halloween, All Saints' Day, All Souls' Day, and archaeology related to them. Alas, I didn't finish reading all the comics I wanted to but tomorrow, which is All Souls' Day - and the final Day of the Dead in Mexico - is another day. Bear with me, the comic reviews are saved of last!


From archaeological perspective, there are studies examing the roots of Halloween in Ireland. In the November/December 2016 issues of Archaeology magazine, there's an excellent article by Erin Mullally called Samhain Revival. Starting in 2014, there have digs in the Hill of Ward, once known as Tlachtga, where there is evidence that ancient Samhain festivals may have been held there for centuries. More of primer article but if one can find it, I heavily recommend reading it. Further studies await and we may even learn Halloween traditions may date back as far as the Neolithic Age at the Hill of Ward! Okay, that last part is pure conjecture at this point but there's evidence of feasting, burning, and one or two burials already. Samhain Revival covers it much, much better than I can. I'd provide the link but I own a deadtree version of the issue in question.


On the topic of links, I did do a little research on All Saints' Day, All Souls' Day, and relation to Halloween. So for those interested in more reference material here they are: (Note: some of them contain video clips for the data-conscious...) A primer on All Souls' Day can found HERE. An excellent primer on All Saints' Day can be found HERE. A third piece from the same Catholic Online site does a great job distinguishing between Halloween, All Saints' Day, and All Souls' Day. You can read it HERE. Turns out there's quite a difference... Finally, I came upon a source discussing how All Saints' Day is celebrated Poland HERE rather interesting particularly with the candles and how similar it is to Mexico's Day of the Dead celebration. There was talk about how nice weather on All Saints' Day serving as an excellent omen for the upcoming year. Speaking of nice weather, the excellent weather today played a significant role in impending my planned comic book reading for the day. Even saw a flock of turkeys!


Speaking of comic reviews here they are:


I am going to only provide a vague outline but some may still consider them Spoilers.








Punisher Annual #1
Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: Feliz Ruiz
Color Artist: Lee Loughride
Cover Artist: I'm assuming its not the variant - Rahzzah. An excellent cover that drew me in of a scarecrow with jack o'lantern for a head wearing a punisher shirt!


Story: One of the Punisher's creators (!) Gerry Conway wrote this story that occurs on Halloween. The Punisher is more a force of nature in this story as the narrator is the lens in which this story of revenge unfolds. Absolutely loved the Halloween nods such as street punks wearing masks, a Masked Ball conducted by the gentry, and some good old-fashioned trick or treating. Alas, the kids trick or treating were tricked! A very topical story includes references to police behavior, racial purity groups, and refugees/cultural inclusion. One could even say it's a story of moral identity!


Overall: One of the Punisher's creators helped craft an excellent Halloween story that is so much more than that as well as a Punisher story that is much, much more than that. 5 out of 5 stars.


Tomie (Halloween Comicfest edition)
by Junji Ito
"Mansion"


Story: A girl is lured to a mansion where all is not what is supposed to be, discovers horror Japanese-style, and manages to escape. I'd explain more but that would ruin it! Let's just say there's some... unexpected disguises and the female demon has very unusual way of projecting some of her abilities...


Overall: An excellent done-in-one, which I am sure will collected in manga format at some point, that does a stellar job in presenting the manga horror series Tomie. Can't say that it was an excellent horror manga enough 5 out of 5 stars.


With that is my All Saints' Day entry.

Halloween '16: Was Game Night at my FLCGS Trick or Treat?

This night on All Hallow's Eve while many went trick or treating, I went to my favorite local comics and games shop to play some Shadowrun (Missions) and pick up some treats in the form free comics courtesy of Halloweenfest (which I was unable to attend Saturday). Other than that I didn't dress up nor expected any candy.


To my surprise, there was indeed candy! So that was nice treat.


I admit I did dread a trick and that there may not have been any leftover comics from Saturday's Halloweenfest. Fortunately, that was not the case, and the Great Comic delivered comics to all the good Matts. Among my haul were: Afterlife with Archie Season Two, The Three Stooges Halloween Hullabaloo, Wraithborn, Harrow County #1 (a Halloween printing of the first issue), Evil Dead 2 Beyond Dead by Dawn #1 (Halloween printing... and didn't I just review a comic that came after this one? One "question" may just be answered), Tomie, Quilte, and Kitaro: Strange Fun for Everyone. Hopefully, if my usual comic book reading pattern doesn't hold up, I may very well have reviews tomorrow as part of my All Saints' Day blog entry! Heck, if I finish soon enough it could still be another Samhain entry as technically the Celtic holiday spanned from dusk to dusk.


So Halloween was all treat, right? Alas, the game I waited an entire month to play, Shadowrun 5E via the Shadowrun Missions organized play, was cancelled due to lack of players. So a bit of a trick. Fortunately, all was not lost as there was an unexpected treat or two. One, we were able to squeeze in a three player table D&D (5E) Adventurer's League with the mod DDEX3-12 Hillsfar Reclaimed. Two, I got to play my level 2 Half-Orc Barbarian again whom I hadn't played since the session during which I quickly created the character. Coincidentally, it's also the second time I played Hillsfar Reclaimed. A review and quasi-game write-ups are forthcoming in future blog post.


Okay, I'll spoil it a little as there two or three treats embedded in the session. One, the session went incredibly well. My character leveled to boot! Two, remember how I said I didn't wear a costume? Well, at some point during the mod, my character got to wear a costume. Not a very imaginative costume; but I went a couple trick or treat sessions with a similar approach. Three, Grogg (now level 3 Half-Orc Barbarian) acquired his first magical item! Although a rather bizarre item for a barbarian... I'll save it for during a review entry complete with plenty of spoiler warnings.


All in all, I had an excellent Halloween during Monday Night Game Night.


Happy Halloween!

Halloween '16: Ash, Cthulhu and Friday the 13th Share a Cover

I don't always buy a comic based on the cover, but when I do it has both Ash from the Evil Dead series and Cthulhu framed in Friday the 13th homage cover. Okay, maybe not Ash exactly. More like some chick holding the Necronomicon by the cabin from the Evil Dead movies. Meanwhile, a figure resembling Cthulhu lurks behind the cabin. All this framed by the outline of a person much like the movie posters from the first three Friday the 13th movies. Friday the 13 has an especially strong appeal for me at the moment because I just recently picked the entire set of the television series, which has absolutely nothing to do with Jason Vorhees. But, I digress.


Back on topic, the cover, and subject of today's Halloween-themed entry, belongs to the very first issue of Evil Dead 2: Dark Ones Rising #1. So yeah, an actual comic book review. So I'm pumped.




Spoilers




Writer: Frank Hannah
Pencilers: Oscar Bazaldua and Raul Valdes
Inker: Carlos Eduardo
Colorist: Chris Summers


Art: The art does an excellent job telling the story, while maintaining a high level of detail. A couple panels are rather murky such that I couldn't tell what the Cthulhu-resembling creature was doing. Thought presenting the creature via silhouette was neat touch as we don't actually get a full on look at it.


Story: First, it seems this story takes place in such a world where either Army of Darkness never occurred or is independent of it. Annie makes a comment about creating Ash, which is rather puzzling until reading the sneak peak in which Ash talks about being cloned from a hand. So second, this isn't independent story where all you've only needed to have watched the Evil Dead movies. A couple stories took place prior to this one. That said, the first issue is fairly accessible. Could be the Friday the 13th homage cover; but it reminds me of the days of horror franchises such as Friday the 13th or Nightmare on Elm Street where while it's a sequel to previous story one doesn't necessarily need familiarity with that story. Like 80's and 90's horror movies, the story really focuses around a heroine, Annie. Annie decides to make peace with her past by burning physical object representing that past such as the dagger and the book, Ex-Mortis (standing in for the Necronomicon). Then, like the heroines from those horror franchises she's pulled back into the fray when she pulls Ash out of the mud. Ash warns of the Dark Ones coming. Alas, the dagger and book were burned. Suffice it to say, one such Dark One, resembling Cthulhu, appears by crawling out of sinkhole that swallowed a town. In true Halloween spirit, the Dark One merges(?) with either the skeletons or souls of a nearby cemetery. Meanwhile, Ash and Annie flee for help hoping that it is just one...


Overall: Horror comics even moreso than movies rely upon mood and ambience with the reader being in the proper frame of mind. In this case, I'd have to say the combination of the cover and a sense of nostalgia for 80's and 90's horror led to me being enthralled with the story. Halloween being a day away probably helps too. If my FLCGS carries a copy of the next issue, I'll pick up the next issue. Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.


Happy Halloween Eve!

Halloween '16: My Walking Dead S5 Marathon

Last Sunday, while other people were watching the premiere of the seventh season of The Walking Dead, I began my marathon viewing of the fifth season. Yes, I hadn't yet seen the fifth season. Don't ask me when I'll catch the sixth and seventh season, I couldn't tell you. Okay, okay, okay. I did see a couple episodes of fifth season prior. So not the entire season but I did binge watch fifteen episodes. So continuing my (hopefully) daily Halloween blog entry here are my thoughts on those 15 episodes of Season 5. For the sake of brevity, I'm only going to list between one to five things that I felt were cool or noteworthy.




Spoilers






Strangers

• Rick and Carol finally coming to terms over him casting her out.
• Father Gabriel's first appearance!
• Alas poor Bob, he's experienced Dale's comic book fate as the Terminus cannibals have started eating him.

Four Walls and a Roof

• Father Gabriel is haunted by the fact that he kept his parishioners locked out as walkers attacked them.
• Baby Judith alerting the Terminus cannibals where people are hiding.
• Rick and Co ambushing the Terminus cannibals whom everyone thought were sneak attacking those in church.
• Tyrese once again finishing of the dying - Alas, poor Bob, I didn't know him well.

Slabtown

• Turns out those who nabbed Beth were a group of cops and they operate out of a hospital.
• Don't improve, you die!
• Walkers are referred to as robbers.
• Seeing Beth's transformation from weak link to bad ass as she helps Noah escape - killing several walkers in the process.

Self Help

• Wait? Eugene says the Human Genome Project may have the cure for zombies?! Clearly none of the rest of the cast were science geeks...
• Abraham beating a person or walker to death with a can of beans.
• Survival 101!
• Using the fire hose atop a fire engine to destroy zombies!
• Yep, Eugene's lying about a cure. So Abraham KO's him after three hits.

Consumed

• I've been wondering if everyone who dies becomes a walker, why are there dead that are inanimate? Shouldn't every encounter with corpse be dangerous?
• Walkers trapped within camping gear.
• Walkers knocking over a van then splattering to their doom following.
• Never really realized that walkers are attracted to fire before...

Crossed

• Father Gabriel's church torn up in order to construct defense.
• Walker utility workers trapped under a utility pole. Walkers that blasted by an aerial bombardment.
• Oh wait, the walkers were referred to as rotters? My bad.

Coda

• 'You've been out here too long.'
• Father Gabriel killing Walkers under his church with a machete is rather cool.
• Alas, I bet they felt the rescue was pointless as poor Beth dies stabbing with head cop with smuggled scissors. But they get Noah...
• Morgan!

What Happened and What's Going On

• I'm familiar with the comic so Glenn holding a bat is some pretty nasty foreshadowing...
• After being bit, Tyrese sacrificing his bit arm to a different walker before bashing its head in! Awesome!
• Seems someone knocked down the wall of the gated community...
• De-limbed walkers with a 'W' on the forehead...
• Alas, poor Tyrese, we knew him well - although probably not as well as we could have like in the comic. I'm starting to suspect that characters that live longer than they did in the comic are on borrowed time. Yes, I spoiled myself about the deaths during the Season 7 premiere...

Them

• Dispatching walkers by knocking them down a hill is an ingenious method.
• Feral dogs would be pretty nasty during a zombie apocalypse...
• Storm knocking down trees dispatching walkers.

The Distance

• This guy Aaron shows the group pictures of a gated community. Seems very calm and friendly.
• He calls walkers roamers.
• A car cutting through swaths of zombies as it plows through!
• Glenn demonstrates his camper know-how that he learned from Dale.

Remember

• Check your guns in!
• 'I like this place but they're weak and I don't want us to become weak.'
• 'Amazing how people from different backgrounds can become a family. Everyone has a job. Guess, the communists won after all.'
• 'We were almost out there too long.'
• 'If they can't make it, we'll take this place.'

Forget

• Another zombie with a 'W' on forehead.
• Poor horse.

Spend

• Rather like how the architect that designed the walls gave Noah his journal so he can jot down notes and record the beginnings of Alexandria.
• A grenade carried on a vest worn by a walker is shot and blows up!
• Oh... about the journal and the building of a great new society... yeah don't think that's happening now. Another one bites the dust.

Try

• A Nine Inch Nails song!
• The girl who came from outside is like a ninja.
• 'It is their world. We are just living in it.'
• Sasha seems to have inherited Andrea's marksmanship from the comics.
• More walkers with 'W' on forehead plus a gutted out woman tied a tree with the same 'W'.

Conquer

• Guess, there are living people with 'W' on foreheads calling themselves wolves. While I am not an avid reader of the comic, I don't recall them...
• Morgan calmly dispatching both wolves with a bo staff. Big change from his last appearance...
• Trailers full of walkers with 'W' on forehead!
• Morgan saves Aaron and Daryl.
• Wolves corralling walkers into semi trailers. Hmm I think these might be the people crashing down gated/walled communities...

Have to say, I liked Season 5 and had no problem with the pacing. I think the Wolves are neat addition to the Walking Dead mythos.


Till next time.

Halloween '16: MAoS: Ghost Rider arc Part Two

Time for the fourth installment of my Halloween-centric blog entries. Here's continuance of my thoughts along with episode rundown of the Ghost Rider arc for Season 4 of Marvel's Agents of SHIELD.


SPOILERS


Stream of conscious notes follow:


S4-3: Uprising

• Show opens with Yo-yo at what I assume is a bachellorete party when what I assume is an EMP knocks out power for a block or more. There's a video feed from a group called the Inhuman Resistance calling for an end to the registration act. Hmm, somehow doubt that group is real... Director sends Phil, Mac, and Fitz to Miami - where Yo-yo is. We learn that May is at a CDC facility as the Chinese guy dies. Cue drumroll. Turns out the EMPs aren't just a Miami thing as GR and Quake experience one too... in CA.
• Hey Aida is walking about... Fitz suspects the EMP can be traced. While riots erupt and cars don't work, Ghost Rider's car isn't affected. We learn that Robbie became Ghost Rider because his brother Gabe was paralyzed. He considers it a curse and figures that if he exacts vengeance on the real villain behind his uncle's imprisonment the curse will be lifted. Gabe is threatened. While Daisy and Robbie fight gangers she quake saves Gabe. Yeah, quake is my shorthand for Daisy using her powers... A posse shows at the bachelorette party seeking an inhuman.
• Posse grabs the magic trick guy as they are led to believe he is whom they seek. Upon examination, we learn that May, and all infected, are being scared to death... The EMP is continuous so Fitz pulls out glow sticks and a slide rule! Daisy's arm is fractured and along a discussion of injuries we learn Ghost Rider doesn't get hurt. We also learned the uncle, named Eli, raised the boys. Bad-ass fight scene with Yo-yo, Mac, Fitz, and Phil! May's treatment requires that they're going to have to technically kill her...
• The posse are part of the Watch Dogs! Fitz uses a makeshift compass to triangulate where the EMP is coming from... Just as they are about to bring back May power goes out!
• There's been 7 outages... Ada's power source saves May... The team stops the EMP... Gabe figures out Daisy is Quake and tells her to leave his brother alone... The Director's name is Jeffrey Mace and he announces SHIELD is back. Ahead of schedule too! Senator Nadir is in league with the Watch Dogs and her brother is inside a terragenesis cocoon. Cue drumroll.

S4-4 Let Me Stand Next To Your Fire

• Simmons is apartment hunting when Fitz meets with Dr. Radcliffe. Ah that's his name! In my defense I still haven't finished watching last season... As it turns out her latest tour is actually lure by Daisy! Whose badly hurt... Coulson meets with Uncle Eli. May meets Aida! Daisy provides a list of Inhumans that were hacked from a SHIELD database. Forces Simmons to hack SHIELD... While Eli reveals nothing, Phil and Mac see Robbie and the chase is on!
• Awesome car chase comes to an unexpected end when GR's car crashes into an invisible quinjet. No damage! To Daisy's surprise Simmons gives someone the flash drive. Responds with 'well, I am her boss.' James aka Torch (? - I'll probably know the name when I finish last season) is next on the list. Now, Simmons insists to go along... Phil decides to let Robbie out of the containment unit.
• After James's bracelet is quaked off they arrange a meeting later. I suspect something will happen... Hey Aida speaks Chinese! Robbie speaks to uncle Eli and learns about work on a quantum matter device and a book... Ghost Lucky finds the guy Eli beat into a coma searching for the book.
• Radcliffe tells Aida that it is okay to lie to save a life such as Fitz lying to May stating Aida is Canadian. Yeah, there goes that bit of LMD's protocol... As it turns out James is allied with Watch Dogs! Okay, it caught me by surprise. James doesn't like being Inhuman, hates Inhumans, wants to help hunt them down, and be the last killed. Sounds like a nice guy. Daisy quake blast everyone down. Just when James finds Daisy and Simmons hiding Ghost Rider saves them. He acquires James's chain. Iconic GR chain! There's a fight which leads to fireworks explosion. As promised Robbie let James live. The guy in the coma is Joseph Baer, Lucy's husband, was behind the group working with the book. It's the Darkhold! Lucy wakes him up... Phil recruits Quake and Ghost Rider to help them... Aida fools everyone except Simmons and she confronts Fitz about that secret. Uh oh, that's one more secret that she has to worry about during her upcoming lie detector test!

S4-5 Lockup

• Awesome Johnny Blaze nod! Leather jacket, motorcycle, chains, and travelling circus posters inside a basement. Lovely tie to Johnny Blaze the original Ghost Rider. Well, of the Flaming Skull variety.
• You don't read the Darkhold. The Darkhold reads you. Alas, ghosts can't glean anything from it's pages.
• The team head to the prison where Uncle Eli is when they discover the ghost are already there!
• Officials have gone nuts from their contact with the ghosts. So we get to see Ghost Rider and Quake in action. Speaking of infection, turns out the cure requires injection into the base of the skull. Sounds... pleasant...
• "We are here to... uh... rescue you?" "We met you half way"
• Ghost Lucy releases the prisoners who were recruited into the watch dogs!
• Ghost Rider using the chain! Okay, it's a different chain but I can't help marking out. He then proceeds to *ahem* ghost-bust a couple ghosts.
• Mac is infected and we see him use the injector.
• More prisoners chase after Quake, Phil, and May as Fitz is forced to release all the prisoners in that section. Once entering the cafeteria, Quake arranges to fight them all solo.
• During a debate with Senator Nadir, Director Jeffery reveals he's an Inhuman to the whole world. Oh yeah, Simmons and most of his staff didn't know...
• Phil and May save Quake who was fighting more like SHIELD-trained Daisy.
• Robbie finds out from the surviving member of the Fifth Street Locos, who attacked both Gabe and him, that it was an organized hit. The survivor doesn't know who ordered it... and a certain guy with a flaming skull kill those who knew. And... there's no more Fifth Street Locos as Ghost Rider kills him. As he walks by in full GR mode, all the other prisoners lock themselves in their cells. I can see why...
• Simmons uses her knowledge of lie detecting to evade further lie detector tests as apparently the Director was lying about being a hero during the blast that killed the Black Panther's father. Guessing, he was doctored into the footage perhaps?
• While Ghost Rider was being a Spirit of Vengeance, Ghost Lucy nabbed Uncle Eli to read the read the Darkhold for her.
• Senator Nadir shows Director Jeffery video of SHIELD working with both Quake and Ghost Rider. Unfortunately the footage of Ghost Rider is of him killing people. Blackmail time!

Must say the Ghost Rider story arc of Season 4 has been one of the stronger arcs of the season. Looking forward to the origin story Tuesday!

H16: Marvel's Agents of Shield Ghost Rider Arc Part One

Yesterday, I covered the latest episode of The Exorcist. My third consecutive Halloween-related blog entry concerns the Ghost Rider Arc for Marvel's Agents of SHIELD's fourth season. I say arc because I wouldn't be surprised if Ghost Rider, and mystical elements, are meant to establish synergy with the upcoming Doctor Strange film while bypassing an quibbles over any actual movie ties. Ties that the MCU has clearly demonstrated to be shown on the television side only. Plus, the current tension over Inhumans leads me to believe that the Ghost Rider arc is more of a Fall Season type of thing.


Wait, why Ghost Rider arc as part of a Halloween-themed blog series, you may ask? Simple. Because, the progenitor of the Ghost Rider that we identify with today, Johnny Blaze, was part of Marvel's attempt to cash in on the monster craze of the 70's. Sure, Marvel had the rights to Dracula at the time; but GR was a means to do a supernatural hero seventies-style. Therefore, I find it quite fitting to do an arc centered on Ghost Rider as part of a Halloween-themed series. The episodes I'll be blogging about span from the premiere to the episode that aired Tuesday. Since Tuesday's episode will provide the TV Robbie Reyes' GR origin, I may do subsequent Review/Thoughts/Highlights entry on that episode as well as part of a Halloween-themed entry as depending on POV the holiday continues into either the first or second of November.


Note: My knowledge of the Robbie Reyes Ghost Rider comes from show. I have not read the comics.


As this will include notes about events from each episode, thereby SPOILERS.


S4-1: The Ghost

• Reminded of action shows from the 90's. The cinematography is less four-color. More risqué.
• I am totally getting Knight Rider vibe from Ghost Rider's car! The brief shot of GR is rather cool.
• The show continues its cloak-and-dagger mood. Daisy, aka Quake, is the subject of a manhunt and appears to be getting the rap for GR's actions.
• Holy matrix/holodeck VR!
• It's classified! The old group is split up. Fitz is back in his Q-like, as in James Bond, role. Speaking of the show being more risqué - the tension between Mac and Yo-yo as well as Fitz (and we) first seeing Aida in the buff.
• Speaking of Aida - the very first LMD on the show! All the interactions remind me of how the cast interacted on the show Heroes. Phil's hand can X-ray vision objects now! Color-coded security clearances - Simmons has a higher clearance than Mae.
• The cast is keeping secrets from each other. We're introduced to what I assume is a magical box which cause people to see horrible things. Robbie works at a salvage yard where both Quake and him fight...
• Image link AR in action! Mae's squad easily defeats a group of Chinese gangsters holding the box. There's a spectral being? GR looks cool.
• After the ghost touches Mae she appears to ensorcelled but is shrugging it off for now.

S4-2: Meet the New Boss

• Ghost woman does her thing on father inside what was apparently once her home. Mac believes the ghost story. After feeling like he's being watched Robbie discovers Daisy posing a high school classmate.
• Daisy clearly has done her homework as she brings up personal details about Robbie that only someone whom went to high school with would know. Mac/Fitz go to CA to check out the father incident while Simmons/Phil help the new director lead a tour to secure funding. Mae seems to succumb momentarily as she perceives the new director as a monster! Robbie tells Quake that he made a deal with devil and vengeance is his purpose. There's more than one ghost!
• GR and Quake fight with GR becoming the victor. Coulson spouts of SSR trivia as Mae continues to see monsters. Okay, I should probably check if it is 'Mae' or 'May'. For ease I'll use 'May'. The Chinese gang leader repeatedly bashes his head against the containment cube's wall when May questions him. Daisy mentions a Chinese-watchdog connection to GR but he's ignorant. He abruptly leaves upon hearing about an energy lab. Daisy quakes free of her bonds and quake leaps onto his car. GR shakes her loose when the car flames.
• New director speaks in a manic fashion. Kind of like the 2nd Doctor. Mac has an axe-gun! All of a sudden the reactor starts to overheat while Fitz and Mac are within the room. A ghost traps Mac within the reactor as May goes beserk on Coulson and her squad.
• After she quickly makes work of them, the new director shrugs off her attacks as if they are nothing and subdues her. GR saves Fitz from the ghost and destroys it while Quake frees Mac and Fitz prevents the reactor from blowing. Mac deduces that Quake has been receiving stolen bone-healing medicine from Yo-yo. After jokingly taking a photo op he tells Phil that his power source origin is classified. Daisy and GR team up at the end.

Wowsers! That took more work than I thought! A second part covering episodes 3 - 5 will come later. For the curious, my goal is to do a daily Halloween-themed blog entry until Halloween/All Saint's Day/All Souls Day. So a new entry should come tomorrow.

Halloween '16: The Exorcist Series Chapter 5

Here's another installment of my Halloween-related entries. This one concerns the most recent episode of The Exorcist television series. I'd wait until this Friday, being as it's closest to Halloween, except there's no new episode this Friday. Since I DVR'd the episode, I'll be blogging my thoughts as the episode runs. The full title is Through My Most Grevious Fault.


Marcus drawing a forest within a bible. Apparently he was born in a forested area where King Lear lost it. Just another example of his unorthodoxy. Meanwhile, the dad learns a secret... I'll really like the opening theme music. Evocative of Sleepy Hollow's.


Devil speaks in different voices including Tomas's grandmother's. Guess the dad's name is Henry and the mom's Angela. Angela may not quite be the believer that she claims to be... Watching Cassie fly around is kind of chilling... Yeah, I didn't reference how the name were spelt or characters as I stated I would.


Henry finds a stashed bible with a red feather within. Marcus using the nun method appears to be working as Cassie fights her possessor. Kat's doubting. Uh Oh, Father Tomas has ensorcelled into thinking Cassie is Jessica whom he had an illicit relationship with. Uhm, yeah... reflect some this in any RPG's where possessions occur.


Well, there goes Marcus using the power of forgiveness. Chastised Father Tomas flees into passionate arms of Jessica, whom isn't a single mother but married. Let's just say he does things that priests really aren't supposed to do. We learn that Marcus's father killed his mom; and his birth is a sore point for him. Oh and just as he's seems to be succeeding the police arrive, after Kat called, to arrest him and presumably take Cassie to the hospital.




Got to say the advertisements for episode of Lucifer that aired Monday have me itching to catch up on that show. A bit of a non sequitar. Uh oh, Kat discovers she was wrong! Talk about carnage within the ambulance. Prelate pays Marcus's bail. So clearly he sees eye-to-eye. Yep, Angela has secret.


Hey Father Tomas is recalcitrant! If it wasn't for the show going to pain-staking lengths to demonstrate how deeply flawed he is, the scene would more power and I'd be more empathic. Lost causes? An omen if there was one. Turns out Angela had an imaginary friend who resembled a red bird and the story echoes what's happening now. Alas, Angela doesn't remember much. As it turns out, she changed her name as we learn he 'real name' as her mother shows up at the end.


So the episode ends with a bit of twist. Wonder if "Angela" is the one that devil/demon is seeking? Pretty good episode.

Halloween '16 OBS Trick or Treat and End of Mongoose 2000AD RPGs

Today's topics have one central tie: OneBookShelf Publishing (ie DriveThru RPG, DriveThru Comics, DriveThru Fiction) and the topics are Halloween-related and the end of a licensing era.


Going to start off with Halloween. Sure, OBS has a sale. I'm not talking about that. No, it's more important than that. The annual Trick or Treat search-a-thon has begun! Okay, like last year, it seems more treat than trick; but I haven't checked any of the offerings. For those not in the know, one searches through the site looking for a Halloween-themed icon. Until this year, it was just jack o' lanterns but they must've decided to spice things up this year. Ghosts, witches hat, candies, and bats are additional icons. As I have participated a number of times, I didn't perform a pain-staking search. Six or seven treats (?) were all I was able to find at each of the storefronts. Yep, each storefront has it's own offering although I'd hazard to guess RPGNow mirrors DriveThru RPG. In years past, there were generally eight goodies but I stopped after the above number. While I plan on providing a list of each the treats*, I won't reveal the location. Why ruin half the fun? It is a scavenger hunt after all! Scavenger hunts do seem odd for Halloween but perhaps that's the trick. Oh, if you find more than what I found, thumbs up!


DriveThru Comics - The Sting of Death: A Savage Worlds Superhero Adventure (yeah, the RPG/Comic/Fiction aren't a hard split), The Mad Mummy #1, The Valiant Volume One (if there was a trick this would be my guess...), Unstoppable Comics Character Guide #1, Think Tank: Fun with PTSD (gallows humor/horror?), and Channel Evil issue 1.


DriveThruFiction - The Ghost Story Megapack: 25 Classic Tales by Masters, Darker Paths 1: The Necromancer, The Black Spot, Predator & Prey Book 1: Vampire , Hard Times in Dragon City, and Apex Magazine -- Issue 25.


DriveThru RPG- Horror at Gravehollow Hill: A Short Adventure Module, vs. Ghosts, ICONS: Devil's Night, Pixel Dungeon: Zombies!, Haunted Locales, Haunted Locales, and Swashbuckling Adventures Core Rulebook (might be a trick...)


Now, for the other topic. Just learned that in a way Halloween marks the end of an era as Mongoose publishing's license for 2000 AD (Judge Dredd, Slaine, Strontium Dog) expires at the end of the month. Mongoose was an important RPG publisher for me back during the days of the OGL heyday. Loved their Conan RPG. Their Mongoose Runequest (now Legend) and Traveller lines intrigued me. The 2000 AD lines called to me, Slaine with its celtic tone particularly. Included a link to Mongoose's home page on this very blog! Unfortunately, my gaming group soon reached its zenith as far as RPGs were concerned so new gaming systems such as Runequest were out. Licenses require some interest on the part of the players and my gaming group weren't huge 2000 AD fans. Well, I didn't know if they were... So... We were going to try Traveller but that simply wasn't meant to be. As a result, I never picked up any of the 2000AD RPG books in physical form and very little reason to pick up digital. Must confess I stopped visiting Mongoose's site years ago. So I didn't know the license was ending until today via an announcement from OBS - along with a 75% discount. Needless to say, I stocked up on all the Strontium Dog and Slaine books available while picking up the majority of the Traveller version of Judge Dredd. I picked up the OGL D20 version of the Judge Dredd core book for curiosity's sake. Perhaps, one day I'll provide a review. Certainly, I can count it as part of my Year of 2000 AD/ celebration of 2000 issues.


well happy gaming

Halloween 2016: Exorcist: The Series - First 4 Episodes Highlights

Time for another installment of TV Round up. Oh wait, I am only discussing one series. In addition, several weeks of the 2016 - 2017 television series passed us by already. Rather than write one massive round up, I'm splitting my coverage, highlights really, into categories. Furthermore, know what's right around the corner? Why, Halloween. Instead of writing about Halloween all the way into November, my Halloween blogging starts now. What new series from the 2016 -  2017 season fits that bill? Why, Exorcist the Series does like a glove. Here's my thoughts on the first four episodes. Er, helps that only four have aired so far...


Each episode will have spoilers. I also provide what my thoughts were at each particular moment. Some episodes have greater detail than others. Unlike last season, I took notes this time around.




Premiere - never did write down the actual title...

• Father Tomas sees someone shouting yet hears no sound...
• It appears Father Tomas has a bit of an, ahem, illicit relationship with a single mother parishioner of his...
• One priest pulls a gun on another priest! Later on Father Tomas witnesses Father Marcus performing an exorcism as if what I'd assume is some form of astral projection or a dream vision.
• The church where Father Tomas works on, and in all likelihood within the main setting of the series, is run down.
• Actress Geena Davis portrays the mother of a family whom appears haunted. I suspect the father has dementia. When he's having one of his spells he mentions a Father Marcus.
• Some nasty bit of fore-boding as a raven crashes through a window part way.
• We learn the priest performing the exorcism that drew a gun is Father Marcus. Once again, Father Tomas has one of his 'trips' and sees the exorcism fail badly as the boy breaks free and snaps his own neck.
• When Father Tomas visits the haunted family, we discover that the possessed daughter isn't the older daughter whom the episode leads us to believe it is. Instead, it's the younger daughter Casey (Cassie? - next review I should probably check out Wikipedia so I get the name right...).

Lupus in Fabula

• Episode opens with a flashback of a young boy performing an exorcism.
• The possessed daughter doesn't seem aware of things... yet her possessor does as it talks about the mom watching them...
• Father Marcus picks a lock!
• This series would be excellent fodder for horror RPG inspiration! World of Darkness with mortal characters as well as Beyond the Supernatural.
• Pope Sebastian a stand in for Pope Francis?
• The family sees a swarm of centipedes under a pillow.
• While playing a sport, Casey sees a strange man. After getting knocked down, she glares at her attacker whose leg snaps!
• Father Marcus meets up with Father Tomas and informs him he should break it off with the single mother whose name is Jessica.
• As it turns out, the dad of the haunted family suffered head trauma not dementia.
• Holy water drinking bottle!
• After a homeless man says Casey is special, Father Marcus experiences a flashback upon touching him. He's the boy from the opening flashback.
• All demons recognize and are aware of Father Marcus. His attempt to compel one possessing an elderly lady only results in him being laughed and shrugged off.
• After Casey drinks the holy water, she vomits foot long centipedes!
• Afterwards, her father sees her talking to herself. She's talking to the strange man from the game...
• A group of nine homeless individuals stab several people and harvest organs.

Let 'em In

• The episode opens with a flashback to when the older daughter Kat is involved in the accident that killed her friend Julia. They were professing their attraction to each other.
• The Pope's prefect is the man Father Marcus drew a gun on in the premiere!
• The strange man/demon urges Casey to steal an expensive dress.
• While the Pope's retinue, or is it advance retinue, meets in an upscale building in a well-to-do neighborhood of Chicago. A man combusts outside.
• When Marcus and Tomas confront Casey, the demon speaks Aramaic!
• Casey burns herself at the demons urging...
• While on a bus her father passes out. A frat boy comes on very aggressively. After the demon/strange man, ahem, interacts with her, she claws at the frat boys chest rending it into a bloody ruin while frightened passengers gaze on.
• Marcus is excommunicated and sent on a bus trip out of Chicago with a list of names on tickets provided by the Prelate. Could it be people who can help?

The Moveable Feast

• Possessed people while in full-on possession kind act like the zombies from The Walking Dead but that could just be me.
• We discover that Casey is now actively resisting the demon.
• One of the names on the back of the ticket leads to a Mother Bernadette at a convent.
• Nun exorcism circle!
• Marcus meets a couple on a haunted bus tour who seem aware of something nasty is coming. They know of the ritual of Ash which uses harvested organs to summon a demon.
• Mother Bernadette states that while Marcus has been using a method that uses compulsion hers uses patience and forgiveness.
• Marcus tries that approach! Appears to work...
• By threatening the life of a nurse at the hospital that Casey is confined to after the attack on the bus, the demon convinces her to consent to control...
• Her family gets her released.
• However, Marcus has returned and both him and Tomas, whose doing so covertly, prepare family's attic for exorcism.

Overall, Exorcist has been a great series so far. The series has provided justification for continuation passed the initial possession as there are more possessed individuals other there as well as strange groups and other dark forebodings. A fairly superb horror series for broadcast network faire.

A Regular, Weekly Game Night is a Positive Thing

My original intention was not to write an essay of sorts. Instead, I was going to write about the latest weekly session that I have been able to squeeze into my schedule. Then, the question on whether I should write such session reports per session or one big chunk since multiple characters for both Shadowrun and D&D 5E Organized Play could comprise multiple blog entries per character.


Then, it hit me. At the start of the year, I resolved to game more. No small feat for someone who hasn't played a regular role-playing game in years. Years. Granted, I'd occasionally game during small stints of time; but a brief window that was. Before my hiatus, I used to game a lot. Gaming was a hobby that at times was more like a lifestyle. However, as much as gaming meant to me, I've never considered gaming to be my life. In fact,  right before my hiatus, I had an epiphany that gaming was most certainly not my life. So I allowed the hiatus and never took steps to remedy it.


Yeah, rather funny for a guy who writes a blog about games, isn't it? Then again, the hiatus mirrored the hiatus from blogging. Really only started gaming semi-regularly, once I started writing my blog again. Sort of Worm Ouroborous (sp?) isn't it? Okay, I may have botched that particular reference. Still haven't read that particular gaming inspiration yet.


A month. Two months ago, I wrote an entry about starting six-plus weeks of regular gaming. Easily, the longest stretch of a weekly game (Shadowrun (5E) Missions, D&D 5E Adventurer's League) in my life in quite some time. Okay, I may be rambling a bit but bear with me. At the time, I thought I'll do this for a bit then go back to the occasional, maybe once a month role-playing game session. However, I near the end of my regular weekly game. Or at least my planned blog.


I have come to the conclusion I missed playing a weekly game. Not in the sense, I must game each week. But the routine is nice. I have become used to the environs. I am used to the other players. The other players are used to me. Lack of continuity and being confined to the module is no longer seen as a minus. Each individual gaming session doesn't bear higher expectations because there'll be another session. More to the point I feel better. A regular role-playing game day/night is something to look forward to. Much more important, it's something to look forward that my participation matters. A role-playing game session is different because I am there than when I am not there. Sure, I could look forward to the next sporting event but whether I watch it, be it on the screen or in person, it is immaterial. Plus, by looking forward to the next game session, it centers me.


So that said, I'm glad I had the chance to game for more than four weeks straight. While I plan to make regular gaming a thing now, I'll accept it if I cannot. Rather glad, I had the experience. Perhaps, I'll have such an experience again, whether it be subtle such as no halts to mentioning gaming sessions or overt such as blog entries proclaiming the fact.


happy gaming