Finale: Arrow's "Schism" and Flash's "Race of his Life"

Earlier this week, the seasons finales of Arrow's Season Four and Flash Season Two aired. Since I enjoyed writing my personal highlights of Legend's of Tomorrow's finale, I figured I'd so again.


Warning: Here spoilers lay.




Arrow Season 4: Schism
Compared to the Flash finale I was a tad underwhelmed. May have been the plot holes. May have been how the show resolved the underdog situation Ollie was in. May have been that I have yet to watch three recorded episodes so didn't have the full narrative cohesion going for me. Kind of funny though since I still have yet to watch 5 Flash episodes and didn't experience that with the Flash finale. Perhaps I'll appreciate the finale more once the season is out on DVD or when season 5 airs.


Highlights:

• Either I missed the episode where Ollie repelled Dahrk's magic using other's support or I just wasn't paying attention. So I missed the narrative connection and was wondering how Green Arrow channeled the support of Star City residents to nullify Dahrk's magic. In some ways, its evocative of how Captain America defeated Nightmare during Waid's and Kubert's Heroes Return run when he channeled the power of the American Dream. Still it led to an awesome scene where GA and Star City took on Dahrk and Ghosts.
• Ollie rallying and inspiring the crowd.
• While it really pushed my suspension of disbelief, I did find Holt and Felicity hacking the nuclear warhead rather cool.
• After four seasons of 'Star City is dying!', Season 5 may mark the beginning of its rebirth (not a shout out to the comics event).
• Oliver Queen becoming mayor.
• The end of Damian Dahrk. Normally, I am a huge fan of returning bad guys. However, Dahrk is much, much too powerful for the DC-CW-U as it currently stands.
• Felicity and Oliver are back together. Okay, I may not necessarily be a fan of Olicity. I dislike the CW's idea of romantic tension. Oliver and Felicity could remain just friends and I would have been fine with that.

Flash Season Two: "Race of His Life"
What an spectacular episode with an unbelievable finish!


Highlights:

• Cisco vibing in such a manner that he contacted Earth-2!
• Watching the non-powered, support characters take on Zoom.
• Zoom creating a time remnant.
• Wally serving as emotional center who convinces the rest of the group to go along with Barry's plan.
• Caitlyn projection.
• Zoom's master plan to cause the rest of the multiverse to collide except Earth-One. Reminded me of Crisis of Infinite Earths. One scene was especially evocative of a key moment for the Flash during that maxi-series.
• Black Flash appeared!
• Flash using Zoom's own advice to beat Zoom.
• Return of the time wraiths.
• Black Flash!
• When it was revealed that 'Jay' was Zoom, I suspected that the Man in the Iron Mask was the real Jay Garrick. I was right! However, the best part of the revelation...
• The real Jay Garrick is Henry Allen's counterpart in a different Earth! Was a huge fan of the Flash show back in the 90's when John Wesley-Shipp portrayed the Flash so this was huge bonus for me. Absolutely loved it when Jay wears the traditional Jay garb at the end.
• Barry travelling back in time to save his mother from Reverse-Flash was absolutely staggering! The ramifications for the show and the rest of the CW-DC-U are absolutely mind-boggling! Needless to say, the 2016-2017 season has my attention.
•  

Finale: DC's Legends of Tomorrow "Legendary"

On Thursday, freshman show "DC's Legends of Tomorrow" wrapped up its first season with the aptly named title, "Legendary". While there's five episodes that I have yet to watch, due to convenience of DVR, the season finale was both accessible and easily the best episode of the entire season.


Spoilers....






I won't bore you with a long-winded review. The Internet is replete with reviews that provide a comprehensive breakdown already. Instead here's what I consider highlights:

• Heatwave's arc - Heatwave went from being the dumb, pyromaniac muscle to a gruff, salt-of-earth guy whose not afraid to get his hands dirty (not to mention burn things!). Mic went from being the odd man out to being a core member of the team. That's saying something. Honestly, don't think any character experienced as much development this season.
• The acknowledgement that events in Arrow are of upmost importance and fixed in time. Rip revealing that the Lance tragedy would have been worse if Sara was there.
• Watching the three different groups of characters (Heatwave/Atom, Firestorm/White Canary, and Hawks/Rip) defeat Vandal Savage in three different time periods.
• Let me reiterate: I absolutely loved the plot point where three different groups of time travelers defeat an immortal during three different time periods!
• How close one of those time periods was to the events of a prior episode.
• With the Time Masters are unable to use their device to scan the time-stream and enforce order as they like, I'm looking forward to the Wild West feeling of the Legends travelling through time trying to maintain temporal stability. Even Rip will be out of his element!
• Atom shrinking something!
• Firestorm transmuting objects for the first and second time!
• The Ray-Heatwave duo. Was not expecting that buddy pairing. Should be interesting to watch it unfold.
• Rex Tyler, aka Hourman, appearing at the end! While mentioning the Justice Society of America! Could the JSA be the 'Justice' that the Flash co-founds?
• More hints of Thanagar. Love the interplay between the meteors, Savage, and the Hawks. Looking forward to the enfolding saga of the Thanagarian Invasion plotline.

Needless to say, I eagerly await the fall premeire!

July 2016 Previews Solicitations Highlights

Months ago, I declared that I would no longer produce blog entries highlight new issue one's for Marvel's All-New, All-Different line. Instead, I would cover whatever new comic or trade that struck my fancy from any publisher. Well, the former I accomplished quite masterfully as that was my last all #1's. Unfortunately, true to form, I never did the latter... until now. So here's my two cents on various titles from the May - July 2016 Previews catalog that caught my eye from several publishers. Just in time too as local comic shops will probably finalize their orders in a week or two. So not quite fashionably late, eh?


For each of reference, I provide links to a given company's solicitation.


From IDW's July 2016 solicitation:

• Rom #1 - Let's start with the title that I am eagerly anticipating the most. The return of Rom to comics. Years ago as a kid, I received a long box of assorted back issues. Among those comics were several issues of Rom. Been a fan ever since and occasionally add to my collection whenever I can. I am glad that the Spaceknight is finally returning to comics to fight the Dire Wraiths. Hmm, I suspect a reading binge is in order...
• Deviations... In a World Where Everything Changed TP - IDW's What if? event that explores what would happen if a different corner was taken in the worlds of the TMNT, Ghostbusters, GI Joe, Transformers, and X-Files. Back when the one-shots were solicited, I decided to wait for the trade. Here it is. A strong possibility.
• Jem and the Holograms Outrageous Oversized Hardcover - Okay, I admit it. Back in the day, I watched the original cartoon when it aired on the TV. So out of sheer nostalgia this collection of the first ten issues pique my interest. Nostalgia goggles aside, I am not all that interested. Just pumped from 80's/90's cartoon fandom perspective.
• Mickey's Craziest Adventure - a French (or is it Italian?) Disney story told as if it's an archival story from the 60's in which Mickey and Donald embark on a psychedelic adventure. Been an avid collector of IDW's Disney relaunch so I relish a chance to sample a different country's approach to these Disney icons.

From Marvel's July 2016 solicitation:

• Civil War II - When the first Civil War raged across the Marvel titles, I had already excused myself from following it. Civil War part two may be a different story as I am leaning toward an impulse buy of the main title. I probably won't buy many of the spin-offs though. DC Rebirth ensures I won't be as Civil War II happy as I was ANAD happy.
• Uncanny Avengers 11 - here's a book that was so popular that my 'buy off-the-rack' approach led to me falling off the title after issue 4 or 5. The return of Hank Pym Post-Rage of Ultron OGN fills me with excitement for this issue. We'll see, We'll see.
• Guardians of the Galaxy 10 - Hey, Angela (of Spawn fame) is back! Cool! Remember, when I thought this title would be on my pull? Guess, I was wrong...  Barring too many missing issues, I may have to add it just in time...
• Silver Surfer 6 - 200 issues of the Silver Surfer. That's how many Silver Surfer comics there will have been as of this issue. That's pretty neat.
• Ms Marvel Omnibus vol 1 HC - a collection of the 'first' season of Kamala Khan stories in a nice shiny hardcover? Now, that is cool. Expensive too. But it's one hefty tome for anyone who hasn't read this new character's stories yet.
• Deadly Hands of Kung-Fu Omnibus vol 1 HC - a massive tome that collects the 70's mag of Marvel's Kung-Fu heroes. Some Kung-fu Marvel action is always cool. Much like the Ms Marvel Omnibus it falls more along the line 'hey, look this is cool!' than 'guess what I'm buying'.
• Star Wars: Heroes for A New Hope HC - While I collected the two main Star Wars titles, I didn't purchase the Princess Leia, Lando, and Chewbacca minis as I decided to wait for the trade. Here's all three stories combined into one massive hardcover. Gulp.

From Boom's July 2016 solicitation:

• Garfield 2016 Summer Special #1 - when the dailies and Sunday's aren't enough, here's a one-shot Garfield pamphlet for you! Maybe.
• Peanuts: Friend Forever 2016 Special #1 - Guess, this is the end of Boom's Peanuts comics. While I always meant to read more of these Peanuts comics, I never did. Just wasn't meant to be, I guess.

From Dark Horse July 2016 solicitations:

• Conan the Slayer 1 - By Crom, a new Conan series. I haven't read DH's Conan since Tim Truman was on the book. Maybe.
• Predators vs Judge Dredd vs Aliens 1 - Awesome! A crossover where the Predators, Aliens, and Judges of Judge Dredd face each other. Impulse or trade.

Of course, there's more comics that I think are cool enough to deserve a shout out. Not enough time in the day to go over everything though. Perhaps next month, I'll split coverage into more manageable chunks.

A Glass Walker Calls Out a Black Dragon...

Three years. That's how many years have passed since I last LARP'd (Live Action Role-Play). For over half a decade, LARPing was among my regular activities. The setting of choice was White Wolf's Old World of Darkness. Vampire, Mage, Changeling, and Werewolf were the settings of choice. While Vampire was the first setting that I LARP'd, Werewolf has become the dominant setting and the one that I have now played the longest. Werewolf via interconnected chronicle (the WOD term for campaign) networks and the lack of rebooting is also the setting for my longest played character. A Glass Walker Theurge is my longest played character in both LARP and entirety of gaming experience. Said Glass Walker has been played on and off sporadically since 2004...


Until about three years ago, I'd occasionally play that Glass Walker at the very least once a year. So for three years, I didn't play that character,  didn't LARP, nor read/played/thought about the Old World of Darkness.


Yep, real life does intrude on one's gaming life.


Recently, my schedule and circumstances enable me to revisit that Glass Walker Theurge, my longest played character. I'm emphasizing that latter point precisely because that realization just hit as I type!


In any case, I was LARP and OWOD (oh wait, NWOD is referred to as Chronicles of Darkness so I can use the old acronym!) rusty. Fortunately, the session was light on improvisational theater and character quest was more along the lines of follow-the-leader. Besides, one quirk of the character was that he never achieved a rank above foster (rank 2) so the character didn't have too much power or responsibility that my rustiness was too much of an issue.


The pack's goal was to defeat an evil spirit within an umbral (spirit) realm. Within that specific realm, the pack discovered that the spirit had taken the form of a black dragon. The 'black dragon' despite being within line of sight was too far away for the characters to engage. Didn't help that was in the middle of a lake. As a Theurge, the character can command spirits. So ala Scorpion from Mortal Kombat, the Glass Walker Theurge commanded the spirit in the form of black dragon to 'get over here!'. He succeeded. The spirit than used a power that effectively removed my character from the fight. Fortunately, the PC's not so nullified were able to defeat the spirit/black dragon.


Thus, a glass walker called out a black dragon. One of the unique perks of Werewolf: the Apocalypse that I missed indeed. Hopefully, this session marks my return to LARPing and playing in the World of Darkness. If not regularly, I hope the forays are at least annually. Not an island within a sea of years.

Achieved 5th level in D&D 5E/Adventurer's League for the First Time!

I have played Living Greyhawk (LG) and Living Forgotten Realms (LFR) for years. One accomplishment I never achieved in organized play was a character reaching fifth level. Fifth level holds a special place in Adventurer's League - the organized play (OP) opportunity for the fifth edition of Dungeons and Dragons. As D&D is a level-based game and OP can lead to a diverse assortment of levels, Adventurer's League splits characters into groups of levels. Those categories are 1 - 4, 5 - 10, and up. Thus fifth level means a character can participate within the next category of modules. For a host of reasons, my local group refers to levels five through ten as high level.


So I am exuberant to state that my Dragonborn Paladin, Ser Rhogar, has achieved level 5!


After ten play sessions, my paladin has finally reached fifth level. Now, I can play in what currently constitutes high level play at my local OP group. As I stated earlier, a 5th-level character is the highest level any PC of mine has reached in either LG, LFR, or AL. For that reason, I am excited most of all.


Just in time too as today I start playing season 4 modules, the Ravenloft/Barovia arc which virtually requires me to create a new character. Really didn't want three characters within the 1 - 4 range.

A Druid Clad in Plate Mail?!

One striking feature of the fifth edition of Dungeons and Dragons is that rules prohibiting spell-casting while wearing armor are far, far less restrictive than previous editions - including those not counted among the numbering. The only requirement is that a PC must be proficient in said armor type. Then that character may cast spells while that armor type is donned.


Previous iterations of D&D forbade druids from wearing metal armor stating that metal armor interfered with the druid's magic. Not so with D&D 5E. The only limitations are proficiencies and flavor text stating that druid's disdain metal armor. So reading the Player's Handbook, a druid PC could conceivably wear Plate Mail and cast spells provided the character followed a feat progession or multi-classed with the a class that granted proficiency with Heavy Armor.


So is that right? Why, yes it is. With this week's release of the latest installment of Sage Advice, WOTC confirmed that the druid prohibition against wearing metal armor is a component of proficiencies and story. Druids don't wear metal armor because they simply don't have the training and because story/setting elements dictate that you can't. Hence, it is official that if a player builds/advances their character just right, a druid PC can wear metal armor. Even plate mail!


Astonishing isn't it? I know I am amazed! A part of me almost considers it to be on par with wizards wearing godplate. However, I don't think it'll be that common. One, the game must allow feats if no multi-classing is involved. Two, even if multi-classing is involved, either the PC started with a class that granted heavy armor proficiency or multi-classed into cleric and selected a domain that grants heavy armor proficiency. The former may hinder the character from having enough traditional druid skills. Both options mean the PC's druid level won't match character level so would experience all hindrances that that means. Three, a high Strength score is a must or else the PC will suffer other penalties. The druid class doesn't prize Strength so that's a significant investment into an ability score that does not mean as much for the class. Four, unless found, plate mail is expensive! Plus where is the druid storing all that money? Heck, there are spells that a druid could conceivably cast instead of socking it away for plate mail. Five, wild shape. While metal armor doesn't interfere with spell-casting, a DM is certainly within rights to impose some kind of penalty for wild shaping while wearing metal armor. A druid could easily lose their precious plate mail should the druid transform into small animal. Six, social barriers. In real life, people face consequences for bucking social norms such as ostracism and notoriety.


Admittedly, a metal armor wearing druid - even a plate mail-wearing one - strikes my fancy as a neat oddball character. I'd probably make a human that starts a fighter with the AC option. Since the character is already wacko, I'd select heavy armor master feat if feats are allowed. Then at second level the character would multi-class into druid for unknown duration. Would be a neat concept. I'd probably do so in a one-off game or to really mess with people.

Open Source Animation Dawns and RIP DC You, Meet DC Rebirth

Within the last couple months, two major announcements were made in the comics and animation industry. One, Studio Ghibli's animation software will become open source. The other is that DC's DC You initiative ends to be replaced by Rebirth. Just recently, DC released some teasers pertaining to its Rebirth event.


The announcement that Studio Ghibli's animation software becoming open source is major news. You can read an article discussing the news announcement here. Granted, there a premium version of Toonz will be marketed towards professionals. However, I believe an open source version of Toonz will be great for animation, animation studios, and aspiring animators. More people will be able try their hands at animation and develop their craft. Small studios can operate on lower overhead. More animators and more studios equates to more creators producing more animation. A brand new era of animation may be upon us.


Meanwhile a month ago, DC announced that it is ending its DC You publishing initiative and replaces it with the line-wide Rebirth. You can read the initial coverage here. I absolutely love that the price point will once again be $2.99. Lack of consistency in price points did cause headaches from a sticker shock point of view. Plus is a Superman comic really worth a dollar more than a Hellblazer comic?


While we don't know who the creators will be, the diverse nature of the Rebirth line pales in comparison of DC You. Heck, the New 52 line wide event blows the offerings of Rebirth out of the water. Rebirth seems confined to the Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Justice League, and Titans mythos. Earth 2, Blue Beetle, Suicide Squad and John Constantine are the only titles that break that hold. Perhaps only Justice League and Titans titles made DC's market requirements? I don't know. I am reminded of the DC Explosion and DC Implosion market occurrence. So I am saddened by that. I certainly have plenty of fodder for my Cancelled/On the Bubble feature as every title but Action Comics and Detective Comics is being restarted - and thus ending. I do like how both Action and Detective resume their original numbering. That tickles my nostalgia and historic fancy.


The Rebirth one-shot debuting in May reminds me of the Countdown one shot that pre-saged Infinite Crisis. Remains to be seen whether Rebirth will match that endeavor. Will certainly purchase that along with each of the Rebirth one-shots. I hope that the creative teams match with the creative teams of the respective on-goings. One reason I jumped on the DC You bandwagon was the 8-pages stories that provided a sample of the feel of the new offerings. Would be nice if the Rebirth one-shots matches that endeavor. Speaking of the DC You sample stories, I never got around to reviewing them as I simply couldn't match the pace. By the time I was ready to review the sample stories, the actual comics had hit the stands! So that's something I may remedy in the future.


I'm rather lukewarm to twice-a-month shipping titles. Monthly titles are almost too frequent for me to keep up with. By the time DC You ended, I had started collecting all the New 52 Justice Leaguer solo titles sans Cyborg. Since all of those titles will now ship two times a month, I may end that collecting endeavor. I will probably gravitate towards the once-a-month books. Then again, who knows? I bought much more Marvel ANAD titles than I thought I would.


Recently, DC released nine-second teaser trailers for Rebirth - go here if you want to watch them and read the explanations. Not going to lie if CBR hadn't provided stills the trailer moves too fast for me to see the characters. I am rather excited that DC found a way to incorporate the Bob Haney Super-Sons concept into mainstream continuity. Haven't kept up with Johns's Justice League so the Power Ring revelation as a GL doesn't excite me one or the other. With the upcoming Suicide Squad movie, the Harley Quinn and Killer Croc teaser seems a given. So one 'yay', a maybe, and a 'meh'.

Marvel Digitial Comics pt. 2

Years ago, I believe way back during 2009, in fact, I wrote an entry called Marvel Digital Comics pt. 1. I won't provide a link because... that's what this entry is for and I'll sum it up. After briefly sampling Marvel Digital Unlimited (MDU), neither single issue purchase nor same-day digital were available at the time, I decided that MDU would enable to cut back on all the Marvel titles and trades that I bought at the time. I figured the six month delay back in that day would still be adequate enough for me to remain in the loop while buffering myself against developments that I knew I would disdain. Furthermore, I mentioned that I would provide a follow-up describing my thoughts on my experience.


To quote a meme that occasionally circulates on social media: Never have I been so wrong in all my life.


For starters, that part two only materialized now after 5-6 years. If it posted sooner, I would have complained that the interface was clunky, the website was difficult to manage and changes weren't necessarily improvements, and the accounts were buggy at times. Fortunately those scathing comments never materialized at that time because Blogger was being buggy and difficult to use during that time. Now, I like the interface and how the digital comics are presented. I am quite sure most of the kinks have been worked out although that leads to me to my next complaint...


I rarely used MDU. If my calculations are correct, I may have read maybe twenty comics over that five or six year period. Those are some pretty expensive comics... Which is funny because one of my later reasons was that I wouldn't need trades or back issues because I had an MDU subscription. Yeah, I still bought trades. The back issues weren't Marvel though.


Anyone whose read my All-New, All-Different (ANAD) is aware that my Marvel Universe was way out-dated. So I certainly didn't remain in the loop.


A six month delay didn't faze me because my reading habits were more along the line of waiting for the trade - and that was no guarantee. Turns out a six month delay is enough to dampen my enthusiasm and interest in a product. Probably a reason why many of trades remain on my reading list too...


I decided to revisit my MDU criticism because I finally hit a wall with ANAD. My enthusiasm got the better of me as I was purchasing more titles than I could read nor track which issues I had. That reminded me that I never provided a follow-up review and check out my oft-used MDU account. Not only did I rarely visit the site but I forgot that I opted out of auto-review. Needless to say, it forced me to give a hard look an MDU subscription. To celebrate Daredevil Season Two on Netflix, Marvel is offering MDU subscriptions at a reduced rate (there's an asterisk so there is probably a catch) plus some Daredevil wallpapers for mobile devices that I could care less for. That deal ends on April 3rd. I'm tempted to resume a subscription for all the old reason (the cost and storage to be a Marvel Zombie is incredibly high). Would very much be able to provide a more accurate review of the service. However, all the cons that emerged from experience cited above remain. Hard copies are incredibly important to maintain my interest. The MDU subscription is pointless if I don't read any of those comics. There's already stacks of comics and trades awaiting my perusal. Is there time to read comics only available on the cloud. So who knows? If I resume a subscription, a third installment of my review may come soon. That'll be the only indication.

Great Caesar's Ghost! Superman is a Leap Year Baby!

You can thank social media for this discovery but I never that Superman's declared birthday is February 29th. This article here includes background details of the event as well as sample pages from the Alan Moore/Dave Gibbons story, "For the Man Who has Everything" and John Byrne page from an uncredited story. A link for 40% discount on select Superman e-books for is also included. However, I have discovered that other e-book retailers are participating in the sale as well so one has options for where one can purchase the little over a handful of trades being offered for discount for today. Keep in mind, the sale is only for 2/29/2016 only.


Why does Superman declare his birthday is on a leap year? From a publication standpoint, I conjecture its because editors Mort Weisinger and Julius Schwartz did not have to contend with publishing content on an annual basis nor have to address thousands of annual correspondence from Superman's young fans on Superman's birthday. Superman probably uses February 29th as a birthday to both distract others from his secret identity as Clark Kent, who has a different birthday, and so that he would not have to bother with it every year. Furthermore, the post-Crisis and pre-New 52 Superman utilized a PO Box and would collect his mail once every year. Not celebrating a birthday every year probably cuts down on birthday cards.


As for the ebooks themselves, several attract my eye particular the trades collecting the Curt Swan and George Perez stories. The New Krypton and Grounded stories were stories that I decided to wait for the trade but never purchased. Well, I believe anyway. I already own Power Couple and, I believe, Escape from Bizarro World. Digital Comics are still hit and miss for me as I still prefer dead-tree copies. So I may range from buying a couple to all but a couple to none at all. Perhaps I'll reference the story as Superman Birthday Review when I finally review it?


In any case, Happy Birthday Superman! Until next time in 2020.

WWE Royal Rumble 2016 - Yep, Just Recently Saw It

WWE FastLane 2016 happened recently. However, I'm not going to discuss that PPV. Instead, Royal Rumble 2016 is the object of my focus. Due to the WWE Network, I finally saw it... about two days after FastLane. So should I comment on FastLane that should be about mid or late-March, right? For the newcomers wondering why I am discussing a wrestling PPV on comics and games blog, the answer is quite simple. Back in 2009, I decided to occasionally discuss sports entertainment via this blog in lieu of starting another. Just haven't discussed wrestling for pretty much the same reason that I took more than a month to discuss the 2016 Rumble. Just have not watched much of the current stuff since resuming my blog.


You may ask, why watch Royal Rumble 2016 especially since FastLane 2016 was in the books two days prior? One, outcomes aside, the Rumble match usually is enjoyable. Two, the Royal Rumble always gets me in the mood for WrestleMania. Quite simply, it's part of my 'Mania tradition. I may not always watch the PPV that comes between but I usually try to watch the Royal Rumble itself. Three, ever since I first became of the Royal Rumble match I have always wanted to see the champion defend his championship in that match itself. For the first time ever, the reigning champion, Roman Reigns defended his belt in the Royal Rumble match. Must see.


Here's the breakdown of what I thought:


IC Title Match: Dean Ambrose vs Kevin Owens: Easily among the best last man standing matches that I have ever seen. I've seen a couple stinkers so I was glad this match did not disappoint. The double table spot was amazing. Both Owens (whom I am familiar with as Steene) and Ambrose have quite a hardcore legacy ahead. Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.


Tag Title Match: The New Day vs The Usos: Solid match. New Day is absolutely hilarious. Quite an entertaining gimmick. As I recently saw the Deadpool movie, Kofi Kingston possessing a unicorn horn was probably far more funny than it otherwise would have been. Rating 3 out of 5 stars


US Title Match: Alberto Del Rio vs Kallisto: Another decent match. My first time watching Kallisto work. Would loved to have seen more but Alberto Del Rio was wrestling his heel-quash-the-luchador style. Find it rather amusing that, what I believe are, two Mexicans are competing for the US Title. Kind of like the European belt being defended within North America between people from NA... Rating: 3 out of 5 stars


Divas Title Match: Charlotte vs Becky Lynch: Never seen either of these women wrestle before. Quite an impressive athletic women's match that portends good things for women wrestling within the WWE. Loved how Charlotte channeled the heel mannerisms of her father. Ric Flair's presence was a nice treat. Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.


Rather impressed with the quality of the matches. The fact all of them were championship matches was nice touch.


Royal Rumble Match
The storytelling was decent during the match although I could have done without all the out of the ring shenanigans. Not to mention what I felt was cheap way for Roman Reigns to go the distance.


Loved AJ Styles first appearance in WWE. Impressed that he lasted as long.


Chris Jericho was the workhorse he ran the distance and served as the glue for most of the match.


Bran Strowman is quite the giant. During any other era I'd see a championship match in his future.


Kofi Kingston was usually a highlight for the match. There was a cute segment but it's a far cry from the Kofi of old.


R Truth thinking it was a Ladder Match was hilarious.


First time seeing the stable that is the League of Nations together in operation. Decent heel showing and received their storyline comeuppance.


Never thought I would cheer so much for Brock Lesnar.


The Wyatt family looked formidable. One would think a feud between them and Lesnar as inevitable after watching this match.


So if the eliminated Wyatts came back in to eliminate Brock, why not eliminate everyone else?


If the Authority truly wanted Reigns out, why not toss him back in and then eliminate him?


Reigns receiving the level of boos is troubling considering he's supposed to be the hero. Cena is cheered more.


Triple H  winning the Rumble and becoming champion wasn't so bad. I am ready for the storyline loss to Reigns at WrestleMania.


Rating: 3 out of 5 stars


Overall: Royal Rumble 2016 was a decent PPV (3 out of 5 stars) especially for the cost of the WWE Network. Loved that all the belts were defended in solid matches. Eagerly looking forward to WrestleMania. My only quibble is that Roman Reigns may not be, and probably should not be, the hero of the story.

A new category for my blog: Cancelled/On the Bubble Comics

Alas, I knew it was going to happen and it did. When Marvel released its All-New All-Different (ANAD) initiative, sixty new titles seemed way too much in too small a time-frame. The market and publisher would not support all those titles. Cancellations would occur.


One cancellation has.


Recently, I discovered to my chagrin that Marvel is cancelling Black Knight as of issue five. Way back when I was to doing my 'buy, maybe, pass' bit on new ANAD titles, Black Knight was among the definite 'buy' list. Needless to say, I am disappointed by this news. I learned about the cancellation as the preface of a list of titles that are on the bubble, thus in danger of cancellation.


An occasional feature that appeared it the now defunct Comic's Buyer's Guide was Cancelled Comics Cavalcade. CCC would as the title suggests discuss several recently cancelled comics and their respective strengths, weaknesses, and reason for cancellation. As luck would have it, many titles that I read or collect are comics that get cancelled. Devoting a section of my blog towards cancelled comics is neat from a historical perspective. Many of my favorite comics were those that were cut short. However, advocating titles that others may gloss over is also a desire. One of the reasons I hyped the ANAD titles was so that titles that may not receive attention had some attention directed their way. So instead of just discussing cancelled comics, titles that hover on the bubble will receive some extra attention. Thus, a new category: Cancelled/On the Bubble.


In the wake of Black Knight issue 4 debuting this week, I'll wait until issue five arrives before featuring my discussion on Black Knight.

TV Round Up 2/2 - 2/8

Welcome to another edition of my commentary on week's worth of television. Not surprisingly given the nature of this blog, most of television shows are based on comic book properties. Others have had comics based upon them. There's also shows that I think may be of interest to gamers as well. So here's my arbitrary thoughts on week of February 2nd through February 8th. Spoilers


Flash - As far as lingering plotlines, that was fast. The Wells betrayal plotline wrapped up with this episode. Thought they would prolong it more. Oh well, it sets of Earth-2 exploration so that's a good thing. We also see further progress in the West family dynamic. In fact, much of the episode derives from it. Wally is obsessed with speed. Gee, I wonder what ever will the show do with that... As for the villain-of-the-week Tar Pit, he has potential. However, Tar Pit served more as a plot device to further the Harry and Wally stories than as the actual subject of the episode. Suppose, Tar Pit could serve as antagonist in future episodes as his work is only one-third finished. An enjoyable episode that leads me eagerly anticipating next week's.


Agent Carter - Much like the Mage: the Ascension background Arcane, I can't seem to recall the name of elite club that's the source of much of the grief on Agent Carter. A simple name too! Parallel flashbacks for both Peggy Carter and Whitney Frost dot the episode serving as background origin stories for the duo. Tranquilizer darts are used to hilarious effect. There's also an interrogation scene that leads to a revelation pertaining to the power that the elite club wields. Although not how our heroes wanted. Once again, I love how Agent Carter uses strong female leads that would befit a more modern setting, while acknowledging the difficulties that women experience during its time period. Oh, more characters learn that something is up with Whitney Frost. Directly or indirectly. Another solid episode.


DC's Legends of Tomorrow - Attention! Want to know how to do a proper team comic book-based television show? Thursday's episode is how! A madcap crazy adventure in which the team splits into three directions only learn episode's lesson at the end. Yep, there's a moral of the story! Let's just say the team learns that it should not be quite so schismatic. What I especially loved was how the trailer only accounted for maybe five or ten minutes and not the theme. So what crazy stuff happened? One occurs entirely off-screen as a Jax fixes something far more advanced than what he's familiar with. If the Palladium Megaversal Role-Playing system was used that's quite the penalty! Vampires! Okay, not exactly but that's the first thought that popped into my head. Journey through a bloodstream! Atom fans should be pleased. Professor Martin Stein is the ultimate troll. However, unlike most trolls he manages to spin it in such a fashion in order to provide quite a pep-talk! A Carter Hall appearance! A burglary! Come on, a team that includes Captain Cold and Heat Wave a burglary was inevitable. White Canary kicking ass and armed with enough concealed blades that would brighten any gamers day. While last week we discovered the time-stream could be altered for members of the team, some members learn that some events from their past is indeed a fixed point. I suspect another character will discover that towards the end...
Arrow - Regular readers know that I didn't watch Arrow during its second and third seasons. Heck, I still have yet to watch the final five episodes of season one. Fittingly, this week's episode was the most continuity-heavy on developments from that era. So if like me you didn't watch any of those episodes, the Calculator's first appearance was fairly accessible. Oops, I spoiled it. That's right, the Calculator makes his first appearance in CWDCU. Quite the first too! Aboslutely love who he related too. Hint: its the character that the Calculator feuds with the most during the episode. Katanna had a nice cameo. Roy Harper/Red Arrow guest stars. Wondered if he would lose his arm and become Arsenal but that did not occur. So Brad Meltzer should be happy... Best scene was when Curtis Holt took one more step towards becoming Mr. Terrific. Talk about a slow burn...


Elementary - Knew about the big arc of the season involving Sherlock's father Morland. Since I still have yet to watch the first four episodes, I didn't know the Joan Watson has a nemesis in the form of a female police officer. She entreats Joan to help with some off-the-clock vigilante shenanigans, while providing the insight that both Sherlock and Watson already balance on the edge. I suspect this plotline will rear its head later this season. As for the mystery itself, it fit the classical definition of a mystery and Sherlock was actually in true Sherlock form by rapidly solving it with barest of clues. Probably the most circular reasoning to bomb a morgue...
Grimm - Yep, if I didn't know better, I swear the writing staff of this season of Grimm played Vampire LARPs as the season has the same tone. Does the Grimm crew join the faction directly opposed to Black Claw or does it not? Okay, the question is only posed this episode. Eve claims she's no longer the Juliette that Nick knew. Does a good job too. Factions aside, there actually is a monster of the week. Admittedly, I did go 'holy camp crystal lake!' a couple times. The central thrust was a lake monster terrorizing tourists... Or is it? Don't remember the last time Nick let his status as a police officer get in his way of being a Grimm but that's what Trubel is for. Right?
Sleepy Hollow - Sleepy Hollow returns! The hunt for Abby begins. Would appear the rest of the season with be Crane and the gang rescuing her from the dimension she finds herself in. What will Crane do without a partner? Fear not. Crane's new partner is the undercover FBI agent we met earlier this season. Apparently, her parents fan afoul of demonic forces while on an archaeological dig. She finally gets her first taste when a locator spell cast by Crane goes awry. Meanwhile, the other duo retrieves a map after some struggle that may prove far more productive. I really should learn more characters names... At episodes end, we discover that Pandora created a beacon drawing monsters from all over the world toward Sleepy Hollow.


X-Files - Last week was the humorous monster-of-the-week, this week's episode was the more serious kind. A mysterious boogeyman who employs a garbage truck kills and dismembers those that profit off of the poor and treat them as trash. Afterwards, some of grisly remains are tossed into a garbage truck. Also strange street art by a 'Trashman' appears nearby. Some nice political commentary without the episode being preachy. Scully experiences a loss. Very dramatic. Scully and Mulder's son is once again referenced and tied thematically into the story. Another solid episode. I've also realized how much I miss show's opening montages. My X-Files fandom has been re-awakened.
Lucifer - my one grief with episode is more a beef with television shows in general. There's way too many police procedurals on television these days. Never read the Lucifer comics so I don't know if the show mirrors the comics. That said, another splendid episode. Lucifer is downright hilarious; and it is amusing watching him run around aiding Detective Decker (hey, I remember a name!) catch (and thus punish) evil-doers. A minor sub-plot where someone decided to impersonate Lucifer dovetails into the main plot and was pretty neat. For a show that veers more towards subtle displays of power, the final scene where Lucifer propels the perpetrator through the glass was eye-catching.

TV Round Up 1/26 - 2/1

How about another round of what I thought of several shows that aired from January 26th through February 1st.


Spoilers ahead.




Flash - RIP Turtle. I know I should be so hard on the show but the Flash's second season has been murder on its new crop of villains. Literally. Cisco receives his Vibe goggles! He's now one step closer to becoming the hero Vibe. If he becomes Vibe... As the trailers hinted at, this is how the Reverse-Flash learns what he knows that he uses to plague Barry & Co. during season one. Thought the episode provided a fairly decent explanation as to why the ending of the first season isn't a permanent as one would think. Rather neat spin that Barry's largest triumph against his greatest nemesis occurred during the earliest portions of his career. Gives new insight into Thawne/Wells comment that Barry would never be truly happy. Well, Patty leaves this very episode. In a way I am reminded of the time Betty Brant left Peter Parker during the early days of Amazing. Furthermore, we finally meet Hunter Zolomon! There goes the suspicion that Zoom is Earth-2 Barry as Zolomon was Zoom in the comics...




Agent Carter - The plot thickens. Peggy Carter and the gang infiltrate the all-white, gentlemen's club (no women!) that's behind the conspiracy. Now this is spy-related espionage that I wish was more prevalent in Agents of SHIELD! While I understand Howard Stark is a product of his time, he's quite a hoot because of it. We also meet the super-powered individual of the season. The heroes are definitely the underdogs...




Arrow - The show takes a break from HIVE as a criminal organization that poses as a mercenary organization is the central threat. Hey, Felicity finally receives a codename! Alas, its not Oracle but Overmind. Apparently there's already an Oracle... Andy Diggle's arc appears to reach its zenith... for now. And a member of Argus dies. A major character too.


DC's Legends of Tomorrow - The second part of the pilot was just a phenomenal as the first! The team continues their quest during the 70's and confront their nemesis Vandal Savage. Nice cameo by Damian Dahrk. The action sequences were great and several shots capture the entire team. Firestorm and nuclear bomb! Atom, Captain Cold, and Heatwave go on a burglary! Professor Martin Stein (one half of Firestorm) and White Canary flirt! Wait, what? More time-space shenanigans ensue! Legends of Tomorrow certainly lives up to roller coaster plug that its producers attributed to it. Oh by the way, a major character dies. Turns out that character's death serves as unifying force and motivation for our motley band to combat Vandal Savage and save the future.


Elementary - Since Elementary is a murder mystery show obviously someone, or two, dies. The actual mystery is more connect the dots instead of a mystery to be solved. Sherlock's attention is focused more on why his father Morlund is in town and the concealed assassination attempt. A pivotal episode more in terms the season's arc than in terms of the episode's quality.


Grimm - At last Grimm returns... and Juliette's alive! But don't fret, plenty of characters die this episode. I was reminded of several Vampire LARPs that I played in over the years as I watched this episode. The Big Bad, which we learn is called the Black Claw, of the season kicks its operations in motion. Let's just say their network is quite extensive... A pivotal episode that drastically changes the show.


X-Files - A monster-of-the-week episode. Even more, it's the tongue-in-cheek kind. My favorite. Loved the journey of Mulder from skeptic to sort-of-believer by the end of the episode. Nice twist on the classical werewolf myth. Excellent satire on modern society. Episodes such as this is why I was a fan of the X-Files in the first place.


Lucifer - Another solid episode. Lucifer displays his mojo quite a bit in this episode. There's an attempt at ironic punishment towards the end. The female lead (my apologies I'm not as good with character names as I used to be) begins to learn that there's more to Lucifer than what she believes. Ironically, Lucifer is not shy at all about revealing what he is. As a player of the World of Darkness RPGs, its a refreshing change of pace from quest to keep the supernatural secret. However, the best moment is at the end when the child mentions that with advent of the Internet that embarrassing moments aren't as secret as they once were. Absolutely hilarious.

Status of New Year's Resolution

Around the New Year, I made a resolution to blog more and, by extension, do more of the stuff that concerns my blog. So as a lark, how did I do?

Blogging

Not counting this entry, I posted four separate entries during the month of January. Not as many as I hoped. However, I average four blog entries per month. Well, at least since I resumed blogging anyway. If I maintain this pace, I'll produce 48 entries for the year 2016. That's more than 2010 and 2011 combined! Furthermore, if I hadn't set my television week from Tuesday through Monday, another television round up would have been posted. So once, the next episodes of X-Files and Lucifer air, expect another entry. Verdict: C - I am keeping pace at least.

Comics

Honestly, my activity has not changed at all. I haven't even read the Christmas comics that I meaning to. Verdict: F

Gaming

I played a session of Dungeons & Dragons. A session that I wasn't planning on playing. Was going to play a second session but opted to watch Star Wars: The Force Awakens for a second time as well as the second episode of X-Files and the Lucifer pilot instead. Verdict: A - realistically, this is what I expect by gaming more. My schedule is not gaming friendly. That aside, playing a session won't pass muster a month or two from now.

Television/Movies/Wrestling

While I haven't watched as many movies or as much wrestling as I would like, January is a dry month for me when it comes to movies. Frankly, I don't think many would care what my revised opinion of Star Wars The Force Awakens is more than a month after the movie's debut. As for wrestling, okay, that's a work in progress. However, I don't have access to weekly shows nor am I regularly PPV viewer. So my expectations are low. As for television, I wrote, or will write, two weeks of shows that include comic book-based shows. Verdict: A - sure my expectations are low right now but my output far exceeds my previous output so far.

Overall Verdict

I am going to give myself a C. For the most part, I think I have met my New Year's resolution for the month of January. I am not quite throwing up posts just to add them. There's a germ of plan, which I am following. Due to time constraints, I am realistically pursuing my blog-related hobbies. We'll see how I do in February.

TV Round Up 1/19 - 1/25

Rather than write several individual blog entries on several different television programs, here's a roundup of the television week spanning from Tuesday, January 19 2016 until Monday, January 25th. Warning some Spoilers ahead:

Captain America: Celebrating 75 Heroic Years - Twenty-five years is a long time so I don't recall how much of splash Cap's 50th anniversary made. As avid Marvel Zombie at the time, I fondly remember reading and re-reading an issue of Marvel Age devoted to Captain America's fiftieth. There certainly wasn't a television special. Even a decade ago, I could never imagine a slot of prime-time devoted to Captain America. Needless to say, I marked out big-time when ABC aired an hour special on 75 years of Captain America. If you have not seen it, I heartily recommend tracking it down. Captain America: Celebrating 75 Heroic Years provides an excellent summary of Captain America over the years from inception to modern day. Creators Jack Kirby and Joe Simon receive proper credit and due. Was a nice touch. I did feel the closing moments went by quite fast; but I am glad that Steve Rogers will be returning to the role soon. Absolutely love that he'll be wielding the triangular shield once more! Do think there will be room for both Sam Wilson and Steve Rogers to each be Captain America as long as the stories have a different tone.

Agent Carter - Buffy the Vampire Slayer's spiritual successor has made her triumphant return with the sophomore season premiere! So yes, Agent Carter is off to a strong start. Mrs. Jarvis wasn't what I expecting an excellent surprise. Look forward to the rest of the season.

Flash - The winter premiere was fairly solid. Turtle made a formidable foe and should lead to an interesting development down the road in the fight against Zoom. Wally West should make things interesting for the rest of the West family. Wonder how long the cast member that leaves at episode's end will be gone? Looking forward to Eobard Thawne's appearance tonight.

Sneak Peak Legends of Tomorrow - informative special however now that Legends of Tomorrow has aired, I wouldn't consider it necessary viewing.

DC Cinematic Universe Special - Okay, I don't remember the exact title. Was surprised by the unveiling of the Wonder Woman footage. Promising. Loved the Suicide Squad trailer. The Justice League line-up is the New 52 roster. Since all that can be gleaned from the Internet, the only reason to watch the special now would be for Kevin Smith. I felt Smith was constrained and not fully himself. He clearly geeked out but it seemed that he had to follow guidelines.

Arrow - Two surprises contained in the winter premiere. Things aren't what they seem in the Damian Dahrk family. The unfolding family dynamic should prove interesting. The other surprise is that Felicity is not the deceased upon whose grave Oliver swears vengeance. My prediction is that Felicity's mother dies. Wonder how long Felicity be wheelchair-bound? An episode? Most of the season? Will she be Arrow's version of Oracle? Okay, Felicity becoming Oracle would indeed be awesome. Diggle and his brother play a card game that leads to more development on that front. Finally, Anarky's origin is complete as the character come into his own. A solid episode.

DC's Legends of Tomorrow - Part one of the pilot is off to a rollicking good start! Absolutely loved it! Wait, one apostrophe isn't enough. !!!!! Ok. Better now. Legends of Tomorrow does a great job combining a group that ranges from the heroic quasi-LG type to the less than heroic, ne'er do well CN, LE type. If you're a D&D player this show would serve as an excellent example of how a party of wildly different alignments could co-exist. Yep, my latest experience playing a paladin with a party that included three Zhentarim agents greatly influenced my perception here. I suppose that leads to the next question that no television show has yet to answer. Can a television show exist in which a team of super-powered characters actually work together, do it well, and execute such a team-oriented nature well? Legends of Tomorrow answers that with an emphatic yes. Which leads me to the next show...

Heroes Reborn - One central facet of Heroes was that the characters would never become the Justice League. Heck, the characters of Heroes make the non-team Defenders resemble a professional hero team by comparison. My one fault with the Heroes Reborn finale is that not only does HR continue its disdain toward a hero concept but most of its ensemble cast are reduced to afterthoughts. That aside, I felt greatly satisfied after watching the finale. The Petrelli/HRG/Hiro torch was successfully handed off. HRG's, and lesser extent Zach Levi's character's, sacrifice was incredibly touching. Heroes Reborn ends on a note promising that there's still more stories left to tell. I, for one, hope they are told.

X-Files - One television series mini-series ends, another begins. Much like Heroes Reborn, X-Files seems to unfold in real-time. Therefore, while the premiere unfolding at very slow pace, I appreciated the chance to become reacquainted with the setting and characters along with the new world those characters find themselves in. Exposition that  Heroes Reborn took half its run to explain. I was an avid fan of X-Files until around the fifth season when I lost interest. By the premiere's end, 'I wanted to believe' once more. I have come to realize that while the charm that the mythology episodes used to have still doesn't have the same sparkle, the monster of the week episodes still do. The second episode that aired on the 25th was exactly the type of episode that drew me to The X-Files. Actually, it's more of a hybrid mythology-monster episode but that's okay. X-Files always shone when the conspiracy was background fodder.

Lucifer - Based on the Vertigo property much of my experience stems from the story in The Sandman in which Lucifer abdicates Hell. Lucifer pushes the boundaries of network television in tone, subject matter, and language (well, kind of to the last part). Regardless, not a show for small children. Should be interesting how much of a veiled police procedural show it'll be compared to a supernatural drama. Greatly enjoyed it.

Elementary - A rather topical episode that delves into hackable cars and the conflict in the Ukraine. Like all good mysteries, the mystery lies in a matter of perspective. Episode ends with the revelation that Sherlock's father was in all likelihood the target of a failed assassination plot. Hmm, should probably catch up on the early episodes of the season in preparation for the next episode...

Mercy Street - Is a PBS original series about a medical, historical drama set during the Civil War. The characters cover the gamut of what you'd expect. If you ever want to see how grisly medicine was during this time period, Mercy Street paints quite a picture. The show does not seem like it'll last long but I thought the same about Once Upon a Time and that show has endured three seasons longer than I expected. Definitely will see the next episode.

Three Zhents and a Paladin Go on an Adventure Together...

Last night, I was able to participate in a D&D Adventurer's League Game Night at my local gaming store. My first time playing Dragonborn Paladin, Ser Rhogar, since November. Needless to say I was quite excited. The latest module was an older one from the first year, 'Outlaws of the Iron Route'. In light of the announcement of the DM's Guild, a subject for a future blog post, a brief review will follow.


Ah, but what's this about 'three Zhents and a paladin' that the title refers to you may ask? We had a very strong table of seven players last night. Three players played characters that are members of the Zhentarim faction. For those unaware, the Adventurer's League allows player characters (PCs) to join five factions, including the Zhentarim. One catch about faction membership is that players can't allow their faction membership to cause outright inter-party conflict. As the non-Zhentarim players chose to take a more neutral stance towards the antics of the Zhentarim players, I was placed into a difficult position as player of a paladin. Rather than impair other players fun or leave, I chose to play my Ser Rhogar in a more passive aggressive manner. Probably the first time since I started playing him that his love of dragon chess was mentioned let alone played. There were also jokes about the paladin sitting around re-thinking his life and decisions. Difficult play environment for me aside, the evil PCs really shook things up and made for an engaging session.


Outlaws of the Iron Route is a much more open-ended module than many of the modules that comprise the Adventurer's League. The PC's had several avenues to pursue and there was little hand holding. In fact, several players chose routes that not only did the DM not expect nor did the mod anticipate. So there was quite a bit of improvisation! Warning: because of the free-form nature of Outlaws of the Iron Route the mod may require quite a bit of play-time commitment and preparation. My particular play group chose to help an NPC out that mod intended for us to stop. We also at one point split the party into four or five groups. For groups that use factions, there's something for every faction although only the Order of the Gauntlet's task was discovered during the course of game play. Combat in the mod is deceptively tough. While I enjoyed Ser Rhogar's Heavy Armor Master feat being used to excellent effect, our exceptionally strong party found the final combat particularly nail-biting.


Rating: 4 out of 5 stars. Probably one of the better mods I played. Very sandbox in feel. The combats are challenging. Story is quite good. My only complaint is that mod is too huge so a completest may feel disappointed. Some groups may find the mod too difficult.

Look what's coming out for ANAD Marvel in March!

Mid-January approaches, which means comics shops once again start their orders for comics shipping two months in advance, ie March. My original intent was to highlight whatever cool new comic was solicited within the January previews regardless if it was of Marvel's ANAD initiative. However, time wasn't on my side simply because I now have to focus on my own personal order to submit to my FLCS (favorite local comics shop). So without further ado, here's my final new #1's for ANAD titles. Come February I hope to provide shout outs, or sarcastic quips, towards new comics from more than just Marvel.

• International Iron Man - I bought more Iron Man comics in the last couple months than I ever expected to. Heck, Iron Man has not been on my buy list for years. While I still guffaw at Tony's adopted status, a more introspective title appeals to me. Doctor Doom as supporting cast member helps too! Heard great things about the Bendis/Maleev team on Daredevil so that foretells good things ahead. I'll probably give this a try.
• Hyperion - Not sure how this squares with Squadron Supreme. Hmm. Probably should read Squadron Supreme as that will hopefully answers that question. So Hyperion is in cognito. While ANAD craze consumes me, I think I'll stick with the original, ie Superman, whose maintaining a low profile.
• X-men '92 - Absolutely loved the 90's Fox Kids show! This will be an impulse if nothing else.
• Black Widow - If any character represents Marvel's publishing approach with ANAD, one could not find a better candidate than Black Widow. To anyone who only knows Marvel through its cinematic universe, a Black Widow title would seem a no-brainer. In fact, several different Black Widow were published over the years. Note: I said several. Since ANAD admits that books are maxi-series of undefined length, Black Widow fits. Mark Waid helms the latest Black Widow book combined with the latest concept is that she is on the run and what secrets will be released next promise a thrilling book. May give it a go.
• Mockingbird - With Mockingbirds involvement in Agents of SHIELD, a solo on-going is a given. Not sure how long this will last what with an already crowded marketplace and published the same time as the big Avengers event, Standoff. Positive fan support will be needed.

A New Year's Eve Filled with Board and Party Games

Rather fitting that my first blog entry of the year concerns my final activity of 2015. What was that final activity you may ask? Why as title states: playing board and party games! With the exception of two games, I had never played any of them before. So did beginner's luck win out? Read on to find out as I present the highlights of each game.


Pretense - throughout the course of the evening this meta-game was playing in the background. My task was to convince someone to take my picture. Since I don't usually ask people to take my picture that wasn't going to happen given the games parameters. Was quite happy when I unwittingly succumbed to some other person's task and had to surrender my card to them. I could see Pretense working in a more focused gaming session, in which the participants are committed to playing two games at once.


Tsuro - Longest a single game lasted was, maybe, ten minutes, tops. Fairly easy game that I didn't fully-grasp until I was eliminated. It's like Poker and a board game had a love child.


g54 - Think Pictionary or charades except replace drawings or miming by selecting concepts with varying degrees of complexity. If I knew, we could un-select a concept much headache would have been avoided. Who knew Johnny Cash could be confused with a rich, black rapper? I did love how I spontaneously grasped that 'bayonet' was one group's choice. One of those quick deductions that afterword I can't explain how I arrived to that conclusion.


Resistance - a fun game that requires much observation. Also had no idea what I was doing so I accepted everything. Guess, that threw some people off.


Two Rooms and a Bomb - How much fun you have depends on how much you bring to it. As I was lucky, or unlucky depending on one's point of view, to be the President twice (and thus the target for bomb), I played it coy both times. Got blown up both times too. Think the game is more fun with the expansions thrown in. Played the drunk who was selected to be the leader only to discover he was the President the entire time. That game I didn't get blown up. Quite a rush.


At some point, we split into two groups.


Money - a fairly easy game. Also a game that I didn't discover how poorly I understood it until I lost. A quick game to play in-between more demanding ones.


Legendary Villains - Legendary is a subject for a future entry as I want to play at least one more game. Yep, Legendary is one of the two games I played previous. Some mechanics notwithstanding, Villains is much like the main game. Probably the biggest hassle was setting up the game as it was the first time that that specific set was used. The shuffling was not in our favor. The Heroes rescued the Bystanders and won. Have to say the Villains recommended starting game plays more difficult than the recommended starting scenario in the original.


Coup Rebellion - I played Coup once so I am not sure how much Coup differs from Coup Rebellion. Played three games. Some of the options greatly change the dynamics of the game. Won two of them because people thought I was bluffing when I wasn't. Would be interested to see how it plays in larger groups.