Biting the Bullet 1/16/10

I know it has been a little bit since the last column. With the holidays and work on the podcast, I had to take a little break. I wanted to kick 2010 off with a game that I am really enjoying on the cheap .

I have a Steam account and recently purchased Assassin’s Creed: The Director’s Cut for my PC. I am a big fan of games sent in some form of historical past. Actually this applies to comics and television as well. This is one of the sandbox games similar to some of the Spiderman, GTA, and Infamous games that have been released in recent years. Basically, that means there is a living world with a main quest. You can choose to follow the main story or go on side adventures along the way. There are also tasks to complete to give you more bang for the buck.

It’s set in 1191 AD during the third crusade. You play Altair, an assassin who is part of a guild. The problem is you start off as the black sheep of the guild who is demoted for not following the main rules of the guild. This serves as an excellent way to give the character a history as an assassin but also to explain the need to go through a tutorial to “prove” you belong.

During the game, you discover that you aren’t actually Altair but actually a distant ancestor from our present day who is part of a complex science experiment. The technology in the present day is being used to manipulate a person’s DNA to unlock past lives of their ancestral line. It’s a cool concept. It also opens up the opportunity to play as different characters in different eras. I haven’t played Assassin’s Creed II yet but know that this is the premise.

I like the concept that there is a code you have to abide by. You can’t kill innocents or you violate the rules of the guild. There is a stealth component where you need to blend in. The object isn’t to “run and gun” or kill everything in sight. The object is to infiltrate, eavesdrop, pick pocket and kill when directed.

Exploration is necessary to open up memories and unlock the game’s world, the premise of you leaping into a past of an ancestor serves as a great tool to explain why you can’t go everywhere at first. You get to new places by remembering those places. The deeper your connection to your ancestor, the more of that ancestor’s memories you unlock. It makes the world feel alive vs being unable to explore for a nonstory related reason.

Overall the world is very rich and for $19.90. It has been well worth the purchase. Thanks for your patience. I plan to get this more regular now that we are past the holiday season.

Biting the Bullet: Justice Society of America 80 Page Giant

Warning: This is a spoiler filled commentary on the 80 Page Giant.

When I originally read that Geoff Johns was leaving the book, I was really worried. JSA has been, in my eyes, one of the flagship superhero team books since it’s launch with James Robinson as writer. When Goyer and Johns took over, they continued to make this book a must read title. The book was eventually relaunched with Johns once again at the helm of a much larger cast and really was engaging. This book has been essential reading since the launch of both of the most recent series. Needless to say the key writer of the series leaving was not something that made me happy.

I am also a huge Fables fan. When I heard that Willingham and Sturgis were taking over, my worries started to shrink. Here are two authors very familiar with dealing with a large cast and making sure characters have arcs that spotlight them. They are also excellent at creating huge overarching stories that build over time. Once I had their first Justice Society of America issues in hand, I have been thrilled with the results. I am once again JSA happy.

DC has been publishing more of these 80 Page Giants recently. I had a ton of fun with the Justice League of America offering and am pleased to say the JSA one has put a similar smile on my face.

This book is a collection of interlocking short stories, each with their own beginning, middle and ending. Yet they are interconnected to a larger overarching story effecting the Brownstone. The premise is that former Dr. Fate, Hector Hall, was working on a spell to warn and deal with attacks on the headquarters. Because it hasn’t been perfected, when it issues it’s warning, it has unexpected results that take the team through time.

This works out really well. Different creative teams get a chance to do some serious character exploration with the various members of the JSA. It’s also our first chance to see (aside from the preview pages already published) to see Sturgis and Williams II work their magic on the team. They will be working together on the upcoming JSA All Stars and the presentation in the 80 page giant really has me stoked. The creative team really worked extremely well together on Final Crisis Aftermath: Run and it’s fantastic news that we are getting them on a monthly.

“Memory Lane” is the opening arc by James Robinson and it features Cyclone and Mr. America. I loved this story because it deals with the real problem when you adopt a legacy identity, you have to live up to it. Can you fit into the costume? This story is a great balance of humor with Maxine forgetting much of the concrete events of the story due to not always listening 100%. That being said, she always captures the big picture. It is not the clothes that make the hero. She is not afraid to be vulnerable and when she opens up, she shows she is so much more than the scatterbrain that she often appears to be. I love this duality of the character. Mr. America reminds me of a golden age style concept and it’s great to see a man come to terms with adding to that legacy.

The art shifts between the All Stars team and each of the features works really well for this story. It gives you the feeling that illusion and magic are involved and this adds to the story. All of the teams really put together some fantastic material so it’s a wonderful book to admire artistically. It’s a $5.99 book but with 80 pages of content, the story feels very large and gives any JSA fan a ton of value.

“Heart of Steel” reminds us that sometimes having super powers can be terrifying. Imagine if your actions and events around you could make you less human? If you would change at a molecular level? Would you continue to try and be a hero? Would you spend more time trying to find a cure? Citizen Steel has been a great character with a ton of room to explore further.

Members of his family have been victims of a villain attack that turned them into Steel statues. They try to warn him of upcoming dangers, due to a newfound ability to connect with them, due to his own affliction. Somehow it feels all the more heroic that he continues fighting in spite of all this.

“Amazing Grace” shows us Amazing Man, gaining a new ability. He starts off a bit misguided and even seems to lose his powers for a bit but learns that all people are worth saving. He gains some true revelations about what being a true hero is all about.

Each of these arcs seems to build to the coming storm for the JSA. I loved Freddie Williams take on Dr. Fate and the new Wildcat. It’s no secret that I am a fan of his artwork but he’s really stepping up his game with this book. Each of the members of the team look fantastic in this annual.

The remaining arcs focus on Wildcat, Damage, Power Girl, Cyclone and more. There are many young heroes on this team and they have their own emotional and physical difficulties to overcome. There is a ton of variety to this team which offers up some unique storytelling opportunities. If you dismissed this 80-Page monster, do yourself a favor and pick it up. It’s a nice, self contained read that is satisfying but yet still hints at some major turmoil for the team’s future.

Biting the Bullet November 16, 2009

Gaming has been a hobby of mine since the days of the Atari 2600. There’s a ton of really enjoyable games on the market but I am a sucker for a game with a great story and good solid game mechanics.

I recently purchased Dragon Age Origins for my PS3. I have really enjoyed Bioware’s past offering but this one is really a step up. It has a terrific balance of strategy, a solid graphic engine, and a story that pulls you in to the world.

Any good role playing game offers a wealth of customization options. Dragon Age is no exception. From the start, you create your character from a variety of classes and races. The nice thing about this is that many of the options influence the “Origin” story that you go through during the game. It also influences the conversations with characters throughout the game. It’s a small detail but something that really pulls you into the game.

Combat is very well handled. You can choose to have characters operation on their own to preset instructions or flip between characters during combat, as needed, to make adjustments. This is a game where it benefits to know the characters in your party and to utilize the varied skill sets to make your party stronger. This is crucial because you want the class system to have a purpose. It also increases your strategic options. If you are failing to handle the problems in a certain town or with a certain boss, return to camp and change up your team.

Each of your companions, which you pick up along the way, has their own story. It pays to get to know them as they often open up interesting quests that increase the strength of your party. I also like that conversation choices and actions you take throughout the game influences their feelings and overall respect of you. It pays to consider which party member as best to travel with based on their overall morals. If they share similar beliefs to you, they will appreciate the way you handle situations and those relationships will grow stronger.

The world in Dragon Age is being overrun by a group of evil demons called Darkspawn. These creatures are taking over the world in a way that feels very Lord of the Rings. You do head off on a quest to build an army to defeat them but it isn’t that simple. The world is currently in a state of political turmoil as some questionable figures are taking advantage of this situation for their own political gain. They make your task much harder. This adds a reality to the world. It feels alive.

Overall, this is a game that I have not been able to put down. I have 20 hours in so far and with all of the side quests and downloadable stories, I am just getting started. This adds a ton of value to the purchase. If you are a role playing game fan on any level, don’t miss this one. It’s incredible.

One of the reasons I decided to write a column was to have a chance to talk about some things outside the show but that also fit into geek culture. I’ve been really thrilled with the fall season so far. There have been a couple of interesting new shows but an old favorite is really stepping up this season, in a way it hasn’t since season 1.

Warning: Spoilers on Heroes, FlashForward, and V through November 5, 2009.

HEROES

This week’s Heroes was my favorite episode of this season so far. I loved seeing Hiro get a chance to shine. Sure, he makes for excellent comic relief but there is a ton of heart in the character when he is written at his best. I think what works for him is that he is a vulnerable character. He is not afraid to show realistic fear and yet tries to find a way past it to fulfill what he perceives is his destiny. While I can’t imagine them killing him off, I do like the sense of disbelief that I genuinely feel concern for him.

Journeying to the past to once again attempt to correct his failure in saving Charlie was awesome. At first, I wasn’t sure about how I’d feel with revisiting this but it truly paid off. Hiro is desperate to save her. This is in his eyes “love at first sight” he really connected with her. I also really enjoyed the tiny details in place to try and make sure that changing her death didn’t alter events we have already seen. I am a huge fan of time travel material and appreciated the steps taken to focus on this.

Hiro vs. Sylar is a race against time. Hiro is already at a disadvantage because of his medical condition but we see him really push himself to the limits of exhaustion to counter Sylar. This “white hat” cowboy vs “black hat” cowboy scenario was well developed with Hiro showing us initially how scared he was of Sylar. In spite of this, he kept stopping time and used some very cool chess moves to show he has been heavily influenced by events he has witnessed and been a part of. He has to cross some lines he normally wouldn’t for love. Sappy? Definitely. Darn cool? You bet.

The additional step of getting Sylar to cure Charlie was a nice twist. His pushing that Sylar would die “alone” adds an interesting motivation for Sylar to possibly stick with Sullivan and the carnival later. Although I still think all bets are off when he finally gets his memory back. I wonder if on some subconscious level he is currently reacting to that? I am not sure how much of him is currently in his body if at all so we’ll see.

The cliffhanger with Mohinder and Sullivan was cool because I was really starting to wonder when we’d see him enter into this season. Suresh is a character that needs to get back to his roots this season. He became really unlikable for awhile there and I am looking forward to seeing him in a new story line.

This season overall has made me a believer again with Heroes. While I have enjoyed the past seasons, they lacked the “punch” of the first season. They really seem to be getting the show back on track. If you jumped off, check out the episodes at nbc.com and feel free to email me with your thoughts either way.

FlashForward

I am going to go with a pretty general overview here of the concept of FlashForward. I am loving this show and just want to rant and rave about it.

If you don’t know the concept, all around the world people fell asleep at the same time for a couple of minutes. During that time, they all dream of April 29th or 30th depending on the time zone.

Over the course of time, they start to realize that people that saw each other in their dreams, had the same dream. These weren’t just random visions. They are seeing the future. For some, this is a blessing. For others, this is a curse.

Imagine seeing an important relationship end. What would you do? Would you try to prevent it? How?

What if you didn’t have a vision? Would you assume you were dead? Sleeping?

What if something good happens? For instance, a loved one that you buried is somehow back with you in a vision.

The engaging part of the show is not only the wide variety of visions, but the reactions and motivations that come from them. Can you beat destiny? Is foreknowledge enough to change to future or does it ultimately cause the future? I am curious to see where this goes.

The show is slowly unfolding the mystery of why this happened. There are definitely villains in this series but we don’t have a clear picture yet of what is driving these events. How much of this was calculated and how much an “accident”? This keeps us connected with the main characters who are racing to solve the mystery in hopes of changing elements of the future before they happen.

It’s pretty engaging. If you are watching it or decide to check it out, I’d love your comments.

ABC.com does have all the episodes so far. I highly recommend watching it from the beginning.

V

This was a series I had a mixed reaction to when I heard about it. Don’t get me wrong, I was a huge fan of the previous series. I loved both miniseries, the television series, books, comic, etc. The concept was very cool to me. I wasn’t sure if there was a need or reason to redo it.

The pilot episode aired this week and I was pleasantly surprised. On the surface, the concept looks very similar. The” Visitors” come to Earth under the banner of peace and they are looking for our help. These aliens present themselves and trying to save their dying planet with resources that we have in abundance. In exchange, they will assist us with technology that will improve our lives.

It all seems great right? They offer universal health care stations. They have the ability to cure most diseases. (Although I have my own theories that not all of the “cured” are actually the same people any more. I think they are being replaced by visitors, but that isn’t revealed in the show. I am just speculating.)

Not all people agree that these are saviors. A resistance is starting to form of people who are convinced this isn’t the first appearance of the aliens. They believe the Visitors are playing off of our current economic turmoil and there are clues that seem to hint at them causing many of the problems within the world to all them to swoop in and “fix” the situation. They have evidence that there have been Visitor sleeper cells operating of Earth for quite some time. They set up current world problems for the purpose of creating mass loyalty from the people of Earth so they can ultimately use their position to wipe out our race.

The twist is that not all Visitors agree with this. They are politically and morally divided just like humans are.

Concepts of greed and self advancement are a center piece of this show. Would you sell out your soul to advance your career? Would you sell out your family, friends, or race to be a part of a socially popular Visitor initiative?

The first episode introduced a great deal. Yes, it plays off of the overall concept from before but adds enough modern drama and current political topics to really make it contemporary. I am curious to see what the overall long term plan is for this series. So far, the first show has me excited for next week. I hope it maintains this interesting start. We’ll see.

Sean “DocNorge” Whelan

Warning: Spoilers on Batman Unseen #1

Batman Unseen #1 is the new limited series from Doug Moench and Kelley Jones. I was a fan of their collaboration on the main title years ago so really enjoy seeing them back together for these offerings. The first issue kicked off great. We get to see a classic Bruce Wayne story, complete with Black Mask and a scientist driven mad by his desire to solve the problem of invisibility.

The hook in this series is Batman’s personal dilemma. He’s work hard to create this supernatural image to scare his opponents but what happens when word starts to get out that he might be just a man. What happens when even just one villain starts to stand up to him?

Part of the joy of reading a good, solid, Batman story is seeing this man find ways to do the impossible. He uses not only strong physical training and combat skills to overcome his opponents, but he also incorporates a psychological element to give him an edge. If that isn’t working to the same level, it makes his job harder. He has to fight more that he used to. He starts to get worn out. This initial issue shows his physical and mental frustration over this. His discussions with Alfred show us that his goal isn’t always to fight and often having to fight at all is a loss. He wants to use the Batman as a image to strike fear and to decrease incidents. What happens when that seems to be losing it’s punch?

The scientist, Dr. Glass, gets hooked up with Black Mask. Although he doesn’t know that is who his benefactor is. He is working on a serum to turn a person invisible. This would obviously be of interest to any crime organization.

Dr. Glass doesn’t have time to gather any willing test subjects so he tests the serum on himself. Initial treatments take away the visibility of his skin. Later treatments take away the muscle tissue. As you can guess, this begins to play with his mind and we get the horror movie scenario where he begins to commit murders. It is interesting to see how the need for vindication and acceptance as a valid scientist does seem to work and make sense in these scenarios. He was turned down for funding every time so he takes this opportunity to make use of the serum.

It’s clear Glass doesn’t feel the need to answer to his “unknown” benefactor. Also, Black Mask doesn’t trust him so is having him followed. What does Black mask want with the serum? What are Glass’ ultimate goals? How will all of this drive Batman to the next stage in his development?

I know somehow this will lead to Bruce upping his game and becoming more effective as the caped crusader. The timing of this story is perfect. We have the old Black Mask here and a new Black Mask in the current books. We have Bruce Wayne trying to make his role as Batman something larger and see Dick Grayson facing similar issues. I find seeing Bruce Wayne’s humanity in this very engaging and hope the series can keep up this character driven exploration. Issue 1 felt very classic.

What happens when villains recognize that a man in a cowl is just a man in a cowl? We’ll see.