In Which The Warlock Rattles Off Reviews...

With the massive "30 Days of Gamemastering" behind us, I feel like I've somewhat fallen behind on my geekly duty of reviewing the assorted nerdity that's come out in the last few weeks.  It's time we remedied that!  So, let's take a quick, encapsulated view of some of the comics-based items that have been out in the past few months:

Better than the first one, but not flawless.
I'm holding out more hope for Captain America 2.

Thor: The Dark World:  While I enjoyed the first Thor movie, it played something of a weak sister to Iron Man and Captain America: The First Avenger, settling on a bog-standard "hero learns humility" arc.  The movie was serviceable, but the sequel's promotion promised raised stakes and a more nuanced plot.  Really, Thor: The Dark World didn't disappoint.  While Chris Hemworth's Thor is solid, Tom Hiddleston's Loki is the again the real star, chewing the scenery with aplomb.  Unfortunate, Christopher Eccleston is utterly wasted as dark elf villain Malekith the Accursed, whose motivations are enigmatic at best and whose lines are few and far between.  Seriously.  Darth Maul got more face time than Malekith

Overall, I really enjoyed Thor: The Dark World, but I left the movie feeling that certain character beats were just missing.  I really look forward to seeing the Blu-ray/DVD release, as I wouldn't be surprised to see extended versions of certain dialogue scenes, particularly between Thor and Loki.  It's not a perfect movie, but it's a great addition to the Marvel Cinematic stable.

Give it time.  It's getting better.
Plus, Tahiti is a magical place...

Marvel's Agents of SHIELD:  I've really had high hopes for this show, hoping that it'd provide the "connective tissue" linking some of the Marvel movies and hinting towards an ever-expanding universe.  So far?  Ehhh.  Individual episodes have been somewhat hit or miss, with real winners like "The Girl in the Flower Dress" and "F.Z.Z.T." but also several mediocre filler episodes.  While Clark Gregg's Phil Coulson is still an inspiration--particularly as he slowly uncovers what really happened to him following his "death" in The Avengers--the remainder of the characters feel like they've been ripped straight from TVTropes.

But, there's promise.  Victoria Hand, played by an inspired Saffron Burrows, provides a unique glimpse at a darker, more covert SHIELD, seeming to point to the turmoil upcoming in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.  An upcoming episode features the Extremis-enhanced Mike Peterson (J. August Richards) joining the core group, implying a greater focus on the superheroic universe.  This is a show that, more than many others, has been suffering from "First Season Syndrome".  Once it finds its niche?  It's going to roll on all cylinders.  I'll keep watching.

Poor animation, a middling plot, and
unnecessary gore keep this one under par.

Justice League:  The Flashpoint Paradox:  Ouch.  Just ouch.  While the DC Animated Universe has trounced Marvel's handily for the past decade--probably the only multimedia arena that DC has unequivocally won--this one left me utterly disappointed.  Based on a Geoff Johns plotline which led into the "New 52", the Flash's nemesis, Professor Zoom, alters the timeline such that the world sits on the brink of war between Atlantis and Themyscira.  Thomas Wayne has become Batman, following the death of his wife and son.  The Flash is left to navigate the chaos, track down Zoom, and find a way to restore the original timeline.

While the voice acting in Flashpoint Paradox is quality, the character designs and animations are clunky and ill-formed.  Many of the masculine characters are overly muscled and veiny; Aquaman, at times, appears to have no neck whatsoever.  Female characters, notably Wonder Woman and Lois Lane, are given "anime eyes" that look almost detached from the rest of the character model.  The art here simply is not of the same high quality that the DC Animated Universe has established thusfar.

Worse, though?  The level of violence in The Flashpoint Paradox is utterly deplorable, particularly for a film rated PG-13.  While I'm not averse to violent comics or the like--I enjoy Sin City, The Boys, and pretty much anything else by Frank Miller or Garth Ennis--this film is marketed to a younger audience, for whom it is utterly inappropriate.  Aquaman flat-out executes individuals on screen.  Dismemberment is rife.  Justice League mainstay Cyborg is literally ripped apart in one of the final fight scenes, while another scene shows Batman use a pistol to shoot another character...through the bloody hole in that character's skull.  The violence in The Flashpoint Paradox is gratuitous, distracting, needlessly gory, and totally unnecessary for the plot.  I can't recommend it.

Mechanics and theme clash drastically
in this disappointing board game.

City of Remnants:  I had high hopes for this game, after being given the elevator pitch by Sean while we were up in Columbus for a game night.  Imprisoned by an oppressive alien force, players took on the role of gang leaders, attempting to carve out a niche for themselves beneath the noses of their alien overlords.  The game promised cutthroat conflict, conniving, backstabbing, and underworld dealings.

What I got?  A Euro-style worker placement game with elements of "Dominion"-style deckbuilding.  Unless the players actively engage one another in player-vs-player combat--generally a bad idea for both factions involved, due to the clunky mechanics of combat--there are few ways to even influence another player's actions, much less backstab or even interact with other players.  After losing a key piece of territory--I made a calculated risk that didn't work out--my influence on the game was utterly nullified.  The game went on for over an hour more, with no meaningful contributions on my part.

City of Remnants could have been a tactical, backstabbing good time, but its Eurogame elements really hold it back.  Rather than achieving victory by accumulating wealth or territory--items that would thematically be fitting for an organized crime game--the game insists on using a nebulous victory point system.  Instead of being able to interfere with others' operations--shaking down a casino, tipping off cops to others' activities--players have no real interaction unless they directly confront one another, which is almost universally a bad proposition.  The theme and mechanics of City of Remnants are utterly dissonant, leading to a misshapen, poorly designed game.  Give this one a pass.

In Which The Warlock Objects to a Lack of Marriage...

It figures.

No sooner do I offer some praise to DC comics (in my immediately previous post, a look back at the timeless Justice League/Justice League Unlimited), they go ahead and do something profoundly stupid.

Despite my love of superhero comics and superhero gaming, I've been fairly critical of DC Comics' design choices since their inception of the "New 52" initiative, which rebooted their entire universe and discarded decades of classic comics storylines.  However, the minds behind the New 52 made a poor choice worse through sexist depictions of female characters, its ill treatment of legendary comics writers, and its retraction of numerous important comics events, not the least of which were the events of Alan Moore's The Killing Joke, in which Barbara Gordon was paralyzed by the Joker, leading her to later re-invent herself as Oracle.

I've expounded on my feelings on the New 52 before.  My opinions since that post really haven't changed; even the PlatinumChick--a DC girl through-and-through--has all but given up hope that DC might turn things around.  Our pull file just keeps growing smaller and smaller.

But, this time around?  There are bigger issues to deal with, this time with Batwoman.

No, not Batgirl (Barbara Gordon).  Batwoman--Kate Kane.

Batwoman was given the spotlight by stored scribe Greg Rucka during the fantastic 52 event, where she was introduced as a potential love interest for Renee Montoya, a former Gotham city police detective who took up the mantle of The Question following the death of Vic Sage.  Yes, Batwoman is a lesbian.  She's also a kick-ass crimefighter with tons of great symbolic ties throughout Gotham City.  After the New 52 reboot, Montoya was nowhere to be seen, though Batwoman remained.

Rucka parted ways with DC over creative differences (notice a pattern here?), after which the book was assigned to the writer/artist combo of JH Williams and W. Haden Blackman.  Williams and Blackman's work on Batwoman was stellar, winning several Harvey awards and even the GLAAD award for Outstanding Comic Book.  Batwoman represented a jump forward for LGBT representation in comics...and has now been cut off at the knees.

From Batwoman #17:
Kathy Kane's proposal to Maggie Sawyer.

Long story short?  Williams and Blackman's plot involved Kane proposing to current girlfriend Maggie Sawyer with the intent of having the pair marry.  DC editorial outright forbade this, despite allowing Williams and Blackman to build to this point over the past year's worth of issues.  Williams and Blackman were "crushed", ultimately deciding to leave DC Comics due to the editorial interference.

DC Comics claims that homophobia has no place in this decision, stating that "the editorial differences with the writers of Batwoman had nothing to do with the sexual orientation of the character."  Rather, Dan Didio explained that the anti-marriage edict extended to all their characters--not just the solitary lesbian hero with her own book--and that marriage simply has no place in the lives of a masked vigilante:

"They shouldn't have happy personal lives…They put on a cape and a cowl for a reason, They’re committed to being that person, they’re committed to defending others—at the sacrifice of all their own personal instincts….That’s something we reinforce. If you look at every one of the characters in the Batman family, their personal lives kind of suck." --Dan Didio

As you well know if you've read this blog at all, I love dark, tortured anti-heroes.  All the best heroes require motivation and pathos, to say nothing of a great villain to fight against.  But here?  There's a problem.

First, there's the issue of perception.  While you may state that forbidding the only lesbian heroine's marriage isn't homophobic, it still looks homophobic.  And, as a member of the LGBT community myself?  It sure feels homophobic!  When you an issue a statement like this, you forfeit the ability to tell the reader/listener how they feel about it.  That's our decision, individually, as readers.  You might not have intended to be a bigot, but you sure did it anyway, Mr. Didio.

There aren't exactly a lot of LGBT heroes in comics today.  Batwoman was certainly the most celebrated, most visible of those heroes.  Preventing her from engaging in a healthy, monogamous relationship makes for a slap in the face of the LGBT community who fight every day for the right to marry, even if it's not what you intended.  When you're on the stage, you don't just get to step back because you think "its not right for any character".

Secondly, there's the issue of the creators.  Williams and Blackman are among the most celebrated writers in comics today.  Batwoman, under these two, has been among the most celebrated books on an underwhelming DC slate.  Mr. Didio, can you really afford to anger these two?  Bruce Timm and Paul Dini are now at Marvel Animation, alongside Jeph Loeb.  Mark Waid is writing on Daredevil and Greg Rucka just wrapped up a run on Punisher.  Can you really afford to keep handing storied writers and artists to your competition?  They're leaving in droves, because of your continual interference.

Finally, let's talk a little about tragedy.  Let's take you at your word and assume that there's no anti-LGBT bias in this decision; that, instead, you really believe that marriage has no place in comics.  I decry that point utterly.  The best sorts of characterization come from interpersonal drama, not the least of which comes directly from marriage, which we've seen in comics over and over again for the past 50 years.  To say that "marriage has no place in comics" ignores countless decades of committed relationships throughout comics!

Reed Richards and Sue Storm:
married for all these years, and there's
still tension!  That's good storytelling.

Reed Richards and Sue Storm represent the pinnacle of this point, weathering not just cosmic invaders but also the stresses of family life.  Namor, for instance, becomes much less interesting as a Fantastic Four foe without the sexual tension between himself and Sue.  Peter Parker's entire characterization centers around his ability to juggle the responsibilities of being Spider-Man with the obligations of his family and social life, not the least of which is his faltering relationships with Mary Jane Watson, Felicia Hardy, Gwen Stacy, and others.

Brooding, dark, tormented heroes are all well and good, but they only get that way if they have something to torment them!  While I'm not advocating the "fridging" of characters simply for the sake of drama, a compelling superhero--especially of the low-powered, vigilante style--struggles with the issues of maintaining a double life.  Part of that double life has to be a realistic, nuanced view of romantic relationships.  Marriage raises the stakes in those relationships, representing a monogamous commitment that carries difficulty, ardor, and struggles all its own.

Are you really so naive, Mr. Didio, as to assume that when a hero gets married that their problems end?  That their life is forever happy and carefree?  Marriage takes work, compromise, and continual communication.  In all actuality, a married hero likely faces more trial and tribulation than their single counterparts!  That hero could face the struggles of maintaining their "secret life" behind the mask, while their partner grows closer to the truth.  Or, a hero might share their secret with their partner, leading to even more tension.  To discard all of this literally throws away entire story arcs worth of possibilities!

You know what speaks most highly to this phenomenon?  The below image:


That's Northstar--a C-list X-Men character, getting married to his boyfriend.  Ever since Chris Claremont, the X-Men series has thrived on character drama, not the least of which has come from romantic relationships:  the Cyclops-Jean Grey-Wolverine love triangle alone filled tons of books!  And now, Marvel took pride in letting two LGBT characters marry, on a front cover even.

And DC?  They'd sooner let two fantastic authors walk than let those authors write a lesbian heroine in a realistic manner.

In Which The Warlock Re-Watches a Classic Series...and Names a Winner!

As I've been gearing up for Cold Steel Wardens' official debut, I've found myself going back through and reading through many of the comics and graphic novels that inspired me to write the game in the first place:  Watchmen, obviously, but also Denny O'Neil's run on The Question, Alan Moore's Batman: The Killing Joke, and tons of the other compilations on our bowing bookshelves.

A must-own for any comics fan!

Truly, as much as these comics have influenced me, there's a huge influence out there that's absolutely influenced nearly every comics game since its inception.  I speak, of course, of the DC Comics Animated series Justice League, and its successor, Justice League Unlimited.  I've been watching the series again in my spare time and find that it really holds up spectacularly.

For those who haven't seen it, Justice League started as a spiritual successor to two series:  Batman: The Animated Series (later known as (The New Adventures of Batman and Robin) and Superman: The Animated Series, both of which were helmed by executive producer Paul Dini and animator Bruce Timm.  The pair also collaborated on the underrated (but excellent!) Batman Beyond, which catapulted into the future of a cyberpunk-styled Gotham City.  The pair's signature style permeated the series, with Justice League serving as an extension of Superman and Batman's story, extending out into the wider DC animated world.  Characters from Superman: TAS such as Emil Hamilton and events such as Darkseid's invasion of Earth had effects lasting well into Justice League Unlimited.

While the storylines presented in Justice League/JLU were often riffs on classic storylines, the interplay between characters often overshadows even the most interesting plotlines.  Phil LaMarr's Green Lantern (John Stewart) and Maria Canals' Hawkgirl bear special mention here, as their on-again, off-again romantic interest carries through the whole of the series.  The characters feel authentic, not relying on "easy" answers or the typical "damsel in distress" tropes so common to comic book romances.

JLU was actually my first introduction to The Question.
Jeffrey Combs' interplay with Amy Ackers'
Huntress was exceptional!

It's those sorts of relationships that make JL/JLU's action seem so captivating.  Much of JLU's first (26 episode) season dealt with the shadowy organization known as Project Cadmus spearheading a governmental counter to the ever-expanding Justice League roster.  When Jeffrey Combs' The Question confronts Superman about details found in a Cadmus database, his rage and frustration are palpable.  Kin Shriner's portrayal of Green Arrow particularly stands out as an "everyman" trapped between his liberal sensibilities, his burgeoning relationship with Black Canary, and his duties to the League itself.

Those interpersonal relationships come from spectacular writing from creators who truly know and care about these characters.  I was astounded to see exactly how many current comics writers actually wrote on episodes of JL/JLU.  While the spectacular Dwayne McDuffie helmed a majority of the episodes--especially on JLU--comics luminaries like Warren Ellis, Gail Simone, and Geoff Johns grace several episodes' credits.  These creators made viewers feel and empathize with B- and C-list characters, most of whom wouldn't have gotten a second glance, much less top billing in animation.

If you have a chance, I heartily recommend picking these up or catching them online.  The writing's spectacular, the art holds up beautifully, and the characterizations of these classic DC characters is simply unmatched.  If you like superheroes, you owe it to yourself to watch this classic series.

Oh!  One last thing!  We have a contest winner!

We received quite a few entries for our 400th Entry contest, but the (randomly determined) winner of the PDF prize pack is...

Ben Merrill--our first respondent!  Ben, I'll be in touch in the coming days with your first PDF, with a copy of Cold Steel Wardens for you waiting in the wings.  Congratulations!