The much hyped Captain America #600 has come and gone. As a ‘trade waiter’ for Ed Brubaker’s Captain America run, I normally don’t pick up individual issues, but like a good little consumer I took the bait to see what the big deal was about. Hyped by Marvel beyond logic and reason, I found time to sneak a trip to my local comic shop to see if they had bothered getting the issue on it’s early Monday release.
They did not. After all, why pay an extra shipping fee for the twelve issues they would stock?
Still, I found the oversized issue waiting for me in my pile when I returned on Wednesday and happily paid the $4 just to see what startling revelation about the future of the character held.
After all, I’m a comic book fan. I’ve certainly made less worthwhile purchases.
Not surprisingly, this book that was sold on hype and hype alone, did not shake the very foundations of my world. The ‘big reveal’ was not surprising and flies did not take up residence in my opened mouth. Just another chapter in an excellent story.
What was shocking though is that the book kept going after the ‘big reveal’. By about page 50 I’d all but forgotten about it, instead I was enjoying a trip through Captain America’s history. Some of it I was familiar with. A lot of it I wasn’t. Not all the vignettes were great, but $4 for 100 pages it was still the best value for an individual comic purchase I’d made in a long time.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Friday, June 12, 2009
Random Encounters
While driving home from work the other night, I happened across a number of deer. Deer crossing the roads isn’t exactly an uncommon sight in my neck of the woods, in fact if you see one deer on the road it’s more than likely that others are near-by, but this particular night it was the distance between them that caught my attention.
I cross two county lines during my hour long commute across sparsely used highways and while seeing a whole herd of deer crossing isn’t surprising, three different deer crossings miles apart was noticeable.
With lives, and more importantly my car, at stake I slowed down each time, because as I said, where you see one there is a good chance there are others you don’t see. By the third time this happened, I was struck by an oddly familiar sensation.
Maybe it was because I recently started a new game of Golden Sun in celebration of the announcement of the long awaited third installment of the series, but I could almost hear battle music playing as I again went through the motions of breaking and examining the fields to either side in search of potential threats.
Like virtually every enemy in every RPG ever made, these deer broke up the tedium of an otherwise eventless drive between Point A and Point B. But with such excessive numbers the solution to one problem becomes another problem and you just wish they’d stop bothering you.
Especially since the deer usually run away before combat even begins, denying you even the chance to defeat them and loot their bodies of gold and items.
I cross two county lines during my hour long commute across sparsely used highways and while seeing a whole herd of deer crossing isn’t surprising, three different deer crossings miles apart was noticeable.
With lives, and more importantly my car, at stake I slowed down each time, because as I said, where you see one there is a good chance there are others you don’t see. By the third time this happened, I was struck by an oddly familiar sensation.
Maybe it was because I recently started a new game of Golden Sun in celebration of the announcement of the long awaited third installment of the series, but I could almost hear battle music playing as I again went through the motions of breaking and examining the fields to either side in search of potential threats.
Like virtually every enemy in every RPG ever made, these deer broke up the tedium of an otherwise eventless drive between Point A and Point B. But with such excessive numbers the solution to one problem becomes another problem and you just wish they’d stop bothering you.
Especially since the deer usually run away before combat even begins, denying you even the chance to defeat them and loot their bodies of gold and items.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
The Future Of MMOs...
In the last several years, MMOs have become an essential part of the rural geek’s lifestyle. When ten miles separate you from the next gaming enthusiast, on-line play becomes a vital feature. And while these soul absorbing, social life crushing, monstrosities can be a tiny bit addictive, the alternative is a life of solitude. There is a misconception that on-line games hinder social interaction. This theory, however, assumes that social interaction would have occurred otherwise. And really, when it comes down to choosing between talking about the weather with a live person you share nothing in common with or comparing stats and strategies over vent with a person who has a shared interest, the choice is easy.
For a long time now, World of Warcraft has dominated the MMO market. In fact, its reign is so spectacular that dominated doesn’t seem an apt enough word to describe it. So while I’ve been able to break away from the siren’s call of epic loot and PvP contests, (my last escape was inspired by a return to an older on-line stomping ground, City of Heroes) I always manage to find my way back.
In theory, I suppose I could quit WoW for good, but that would likely require a newer MMO with sufficient enough pull to get me away and keep me there. With WoW having such a firm stranglehold on the market, could such a creature even exist?
Champions Online has me very excited about a great many things. Like City of Heroes before it, the biggest draw comes from the ability to customize your own spandex-clad super guy with an unprecedented level of options. I have no doubt that I will spend almost equal amounts of time creating characters and actually playing them.
But will it be enough? My return to City of Heroes was enjoyable but brief, and while it was fascinating to see what changes had come to the game over the years, it wasn’t enough to hold my attention for long. I suspect it will at best be a welcome distraction. A modern alternative to the classic fantasy setting of Azaroth.
But could an MMO beat WoW at their own game? Is there somebody out there that could make a fantasy MMO that can hold its own against Blizzard’s juggernaut? Warhammer tried, and for a while it looked like they had a shot. Fresh ideas, a popular license, and newer technology. They seemed like a good candidate to split the market and provide a viable and equal second option.
It didn’t quite pan out that way and while I’m sure somebody out there is playing Warhammer online, WoW’s status remains. So who’s next to enter the ring?
Surprisingly enough, it seems that and old MMO contender will be stepping up to the challenge. During this year’s E3, Square-Enix announced that their fourteenth installment in the Final Fantasy series will be a multi-platform MMORPG. The potential for greatness here is exciting. Final Fantasy XI was released seven years ago in a pre-WoW world and though I’ve never been a fan of the game I do have to commend Square-Enix for their continued support of the title.
With FFXIV, the company has a brand new blank slate to put those years of experience to use. With WoW reaching an impressive age of its own, FFXIV may end up in a position to slay the titan once and for all.
For a long time now, World of Warcraft has dominated the MMO market. In fact, its reign is so spectacular that dominated doesn’t seem an apt enough word to describe it. So while I’ve been able to break away from the siren’s call of epic loot and PvP contests, (my last escape was inspired by a return to an older on-line stomping ground, City of Heroes) I always manage to find my way back.
In theory, I suppose I could quit WoW for good, but that would likely require a newer MMO with sufficient enough pull to get me away and keep me there. With WoW having such a firm stranglehold on the market, could such a creature even exist?
Champions Online has me very excited about a great many things. Like City of Heroes before it, the biggest draw comes from the ability to customize your own spandex-clad super guy with an unprecedented level of options. I have no doubt that I will spend almost equal amounts of time creating characters and actually playing them.
But will it be enough? My return to City of Heroes was enjoyable but brief, and while it was fascinating to see what changes had come to the game over the years, it wasn’t enough to hold my attention for long. I suspect it will at best be a welcome distraction. A modern alternative to the classic fantasy setting of Azaroth.
But could an MMO beat WoW at their own game? Is there somebody out there that could make a fantasy MMO that can hold its own against Blizzard’s juggernaut? Warhammer tried, and for a while it looked like they had a shot. Fresh ideas, a popular license, and newer technology. They seemed like a good candidate to split the market and provide a viable and equal second option.
It didn’t quite pan out that way and while I’m sure somebody out there is playing Warhammer online, WoW’s status remains. So who’s next to enter the ring?
Surprisingly enough, it seems that and old MMO contender will be stepping up to the challenge. During this year’s E3, Square-Enix announced that their fourteenth installment in the Final Fantasy series will be a multi-platform MMORPG. The potential for greatness here is exciting. Final Fantasy XI was released seven years ago in a pre-WoW world and though I’ve never been a fan of the game I do have to commend Square-Enix for their continued support of the title.
With FFXIV, the company has a brand new blank slate to put those years of experience to use. With WoW reaching an impressive age of its own, FFXIV may end up in a position to slay the titan once and for all.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Farscape Returns!
If your heart just skipped a beat at that title, then you probably watched Sci-Fi's masterpiece (back when Sci-Fi was still interested in science fiction) and lamented its early demise. If so, I apologize for the flash of false hope that you almost certainly experienced as you considered the joyous possibility of Farscape's return to television. Five years after the show said farewell, that irrational hope lives on.
Sadly, while Farscape will likely never return to the screen, big or small, there is still the wonderful world of print media to keep the franchise... alive, lacking for a better word.
In the land of comics, where there's no need to worry about expensive set design and special effect costs, Farscape can live on, unrestrained by the chains of live-action film. And since last December, it's been doing just that.
I haven't been picking up the monthly book, part of my effort to dwindle down my pull list due in favor of trade paperbacks, so when I discovered the collected collection of the first story arc this week, my anticipation for the series was relatively high. Having run out of Green Lantern and Nova trades to feed my recent space adventure addiction, the sight of John Crichton was a welcome one indeed.
Even though it was in hardcover version, something I normally avoid, I picked it up without hesitation.
I won't go into the details of the story other than to tell you that this is book was not made for people unfamiliar with the show. In fact, it's quite the opposite. Forgoing the usual philosophy of appealing to the lowest common denominator, the Farscape comic is almost shamelessly self-referential. A gutsy move for a book continuing a story that ended in 2005, but then again Farscape was never one to do something halfway.
For myself, the book itself was almost painful to read. Not because it was bad, but because it was a cruel reminder of what might have been. In spite of its benefits, the shift of live action to print also has its costs. One can almost hear Ben Browder speaking the words on the page, but almost hearing something is a far cry from actually hearing something.
The Farscape comic is in many ways the ghost of Farscape. The spirit of the show, risen from the dead without body to finish unfinished business.
Will I keep reading it? Of course I will. Good sci-fi is good sci-fi no matter where it comes from and one thing Farscape has always been in any medium is good sci-fi.
Sadly, while Farscape will likely never return to the screen, big or small, there is still the wonderful world of print media to keep the franchise... alive, lacking for a better word.
In the land of comics, where there's no need to worry about expensive set design and special effect costs, Farscape can live on, unrestrained by the chains of live-action film. And since last December, it's been doing just that.
I haven't been picking up the monthly book, part of my effort to dwindle down my pull list due in favor of trade paperbacks, so when I discovered the collected collection of the first story arc this week, my anticipation for the series was relatively high. Having run out of Green Lantern and Nova trades to feed my recent space adventure addiction, the sight of John Crichton was a welcome one indeed.
Even though it was in hardcover version, something I normally avoid, I picked it up without hesitation.
I won't go into the details of the story other than to tell you that this is book was not made for people unfamiliar with the show. In fact, it's quite the opposite. Forgoing the usual philosophy of appealing to the lowest common denominator, the Farscape comic is almost shamelessly self-referential. A gutsy move for a book continuing a story that ended in 2005, but then again Farscape was never one to do something halfway.
For myself, the book itself was almost painful to read. Not because it was bad, but because it was a cruel reminder of what might have been. In spite of its benefits, the shift of live action to print also has its costs. One can almost hear Ben Browder speaking the words on the page, but almost hearing something is a far cry from actually hearing something.
The Farscape comic is in many ways the ghost of Farscape. The spirit of the show, risen from the dead without body to finish unfinished business.
Will I keep reading it? Of course I will. Good sci-fi is good sci-fi no matter where it comes from and one thing Farscape has always been in any medium is good sci-fi.
Welcome Back To Rural Geeking
I gave this blog a try a couple years ago and couldn't keep it updated for the life of me. Will this time be any different...
probably not.
But it's worth a shot.
probably not.
But it's worth a shot.
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