I ran through a period of time when I tried my hand at some regular comic book reviews.
Then I ran out of time.
Also, they cancelled Greg Rucka's Punisher and that was the book that pulled me into trying my hand. I kind of lost heart after that.
Still, I continue to read a handful of comics regularly. So, because this is my blog and I can do whatever I want, I thought I would give some quick thoughts to recent issues (and thanks to my local shop, Beyond Comics for pulling my books and especially for Lazarus #1, which due to a miscommunication did not get pulled for me so the owner gave me HIS BOOK; thanks guys! You rock!).
First, Lazarus #1 by Greg Rucka (writer), Michael Lark (artist), & Santi Arcas (colors): GET THIS BOOK. This is the first issue in a planned long (but finite) story set in a dystopian future. Now, from Hunger Games (book and movie) to Elysium (upcoming movie with Matt Damon) and everything and more in between, dystopian future settings are hot, and some may feel saturated. If you were to give Lazarus a pass because of that feeling, it would be a BIG MISTAKE (yes, it's my blog, I can yell if I want to).
Lazarus is the story of a world ruled by powerful families who control almost all wealth. Each family has vast holdings, private armies, scheming members, and at least one champion, who is a bioengineered miracle. The family at the center of the tale is Family Carlyle, and their champion is Forever Carlyle. In the first pages of the first issue she is mortally wounded. Then we get to see why her kind is termed a Lazarus and why she is a bioengineered miracle.
If you want a taste before you buy, there is a free teaser story (complete unto itself and not part of the first issue) here. You should read it, then you should go get issue #1 and you should put the series on your pull list.
RIGHT NOW!
Hawkeye #12 All I have to say is DAMN YOU MATT FRACTION (in the best possible way).
I opened this book, which continues the storyline of the last few issues, and I was just going to look at the first page . . . . and . . . the next thing I knew, I was at the end, and I do not have issue #13 in my hands yet!!
DAMN YOU!
Read this book.
Captain Marvel # 13 In general, I love what Kelly Sue DeConnick has done with Captain Marvel.
I did not love this issue.
Not really even a little bit.
The art was a mess.
The story that had been building within the title got hijack for an "event" across a bunch of other books I don't want to buy.
I got to the last page, and I kinda did not care.
That made me sad.
I hope this mess is over soon and Kelly Sue can get back to her focus on the character driven book of fun and adventure that I so admire.
Sad to say it, but unless you are a completists or collecting all the other books this story got splashed across, you can skip this.
I may not do more reviews, but then again I might. We'll see what next month brings.
Showing posts with label Hunger Games. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hunger Games. Show all posts
Monday, July 22, 2013
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Marvel Heroic Role Playing event chapter seed: Welcome to the Murder Games!
So, I have been thinking about what I could do with a MHRP game if I could sign up some players. As ideas fermented in my brain, the following elements blended: the super villain Arcade (see also here) (and various Murderworld stories, as well as the old MSH module of the same name); several Justice League Unlimited episodes ("The Cat and the Canary", "Grudge Match"), and episode of Wolverine and the X-Men ("Hunting Grounds") and throw in The Hunger Games and what do I come up with?
Welcome to The Murder Games!
The premise:
Arcade, with a cross-dimensional distribution and syndication deal brokered with Mojo, has set up a new environment for the amusement of the masses and the murder of superheroes. This 21st Century Arcade is all about blending the time honored entertainment of built environments designed to kill you with the hot new trend of reality TV. Add to that, the hottest literary property about a dystopian future (now a major motion picture) and you have the ingredients for a show to hit #1 on the Mojo network and be terrifically amusing for the master of deathtraps.
And may the odds be always in HIS favor.
But wait, wouldn't people object to Acade trespessing on this intellectual property? Of course they would, so of course he has thought of that. And that's why he has the author and the main cast of the film detained and awaiting certain death, unless the heroes put on a VERY GOOD SHOW. Heck, he might also even have a few of the books biggest fans on hand, just in case there is one or two of the heroes who get stubborn.
So, what might be the initial set up?
The environment is going to be very manipulable, with Arcade's stats often providing the dice pools, and in other cases provided by the Doom Pool. Of course there are cameras everywhere and trackers on the heroes. Of course, clever heroes may figure out how to fool the cameras, lose the trackers, or turn the technology against the villains.
Of course, maybe Arcade has, for round 1, a set of villains, perhaps some who broke out of the Raft, to compete against the heroes. Whilte the heroes may have no moral problem beating the paste out of the escapees, at some point, Arcade is going to do something like put a gun to the head of a hostage and insist that the hero finish the job.
Now, to really mess with things, some of the hostages and some of the villains are probably Life Model Doubles, Androids, reprogrammed Doombots, or something. However, as soon as a hero feels like it is safe to kill an opponent or to allow a hostage to die, well then that is likely going to be a real person.
Of course the environment will also produce deadly challenges. Arcade has probably, inspired by the movie (he might not do much reading) recreated the Tracker jackers (cause, ya know, they're fun), as well as having things like velociraptors and maybe a T-rex or whatever seems fun to try to mess with the heroes. And Arcade can probably do things to help them on the fly, like make the T-Rex firebreathing or whatnot.
Round 2 may be not against villains, but instead against captured heroes (with a little Mojo brainwashing perhaps), and maybe or maybe not there are some androids, robots, whatnot interspersed, but heroes are going to have to worry not only about surviving and taking out the opposition, but also figuring out if they are fighting a person or a copy. And what to do with the real heroes, and what to do when Arcade demands a death ("or else the sequel won't get made with this actress . . . ")
WIth these first two rounds, heroes may be able to win freedom for hostages or other concessions by winning challenges (arbitrarily made up by Arcade) or perhaps be appealing to sponsors or the audience ("text interdimensional 662 if you want Captain America to get to choose a hostage to free").
Round 3, then is the single elimination round. Time for the heroes to fight each other (or the Girl Scout troop gets it, or some such thing). There the rubber really meets the road. Will Arcade demand death? Will Mojo insist that a contestant needs to be able to return for next season? Can the heroes phone a freind? Lots of possibilities.
Of course, what the players will be trying to figure out is how to get to where Arcade is, so they can beat the paste out of him. They may also want to try inflicting emotional trauma on him by facing him down, acting in a way that thwarts him, but wins audience approval. Etc. This is still unformed, but I would expect the arena is in a bubble in some controlled pocket of a dangerous environment (the deep sea, space, under the earth, in Antarctica, etc.) Breaking out is going to be hard and dangerous and possible fruitless unless the heroes can carefully manage things.
I am opposed to the idea of having the control room right next to the arena, cause that is just to easy. However, there might need to be interdimensional or teleportation portals, and there may by some physical conduit. I would be flexible in letting the heroes try to come up with a way to manage things without it being too silly.
I see this events milestones as something like as follows:
Welcome to the Murder Games
1 xp Inflict trauma on an opponent.
3 xp inflict d12 trauma on an opponent
10 xp agree to kill an opponent or refuse to kill an opponent allowing a hostage to be killed
This is a pretty dark scenario idea (really, I'm a very nice guy), but given the trend in Marvel (Secret Avengers, Dark X-Men, X-Force, etc.) it fits into a corner of that multiverse. The main thing that Arcade and Mojo want is a "good show." While Arcade would love to wipe out some heroes (and may have side contracts to do so), he is not above have subbed in a LMD or clone, or something to torture the heroes into thinking they have killed someone or allowed someone to die, but then, it was all just part of the twisted "fun house" that Arcade loves to create. After all, you have to bring people back to see next season!
Also, further plot hooks would involve tracking down Arcades ties, customers, and bases. Further, doing some dimension hopping after Mojo, his minions and "entertainment" holdings. It is likely that the heroes are but one of many teams being put through this hell. Maybe there are more people or heroes, or even villains to rescue? Maybe Arcade and Mojo are really diversifying. Heck with Sauron gone, maybe it's "And this week on Murder Games - The Savage Land, we have a mutate versus SHIELD grudge match. Who will emerge victorious?" or, "We've always wanted to know, who would win, Iron Fist or 500 Hand Ninjas? Well, this week, we find out on Murdergames, The Amazing Chase!"
Just a few ideas. Hopefully, I get to form them up and run with them. However, I throw them out because I'd be happy if someone beat me to it and got some play in with these ideas as well.
May the odds be ever in your favor.
Welcome to The Murder Games!
The premise:
Arcade, with a cross-dimensional distribution and syndication deal brokered with Mojo, has set up a new environment for the amusement of the masses and the murder of superheroes. This 21st Century Arcade is all about blending the time honored entertainment of built environments designed to kill you with the hot new trend of reality TV. Add to that, the hottest literary property about a dystopian future (now a major motion picture) and you have the ingredients for a show to hit #1 on the Mojo network and be terrifically amusing for the master of deathtraps.
And may the odds be always in HIS favor.
But wait, wouldn't people object to Acade trespessing on this intellectual property? Of course they would, so of course he has thought of that. And that's why he has the author and the main cast of the film detained and awaiting certain death, unless the heroes put on a VERY GOOD SHOW. Heck, he might also even have a few of the books biggest fans on hand, just in case there is one or two of the heroes who get stubborn.
So, what might be the initial set up?
The environment is going to be very manipulable, with Arcade's stats often providing the dice pools, and in other cases provided by the Doom Pool. Of course there are cameras everywhere and trackers on the heroes. Of course, clever heroes may figure out how to fool the cameras, lose the trackers, or turn the technology against the villains.
Of course, maybe Arcade has, for round 1, a set of villains, perhaps some who broke out of the Raft, to compete against the heroes. Whilte the heroes may have no moral problem beating the paste out of the escapees, at some point, Arcade is going to do something like put a gun to the head of a hostage and insist that the hero finish the job.
Now, to really mess with things, some of the hostages and some of the villains are probably Life Model Doubles, Androids, reprogrammed Doombots, or something. However, as soon as a hero feels like it is safe to kill an opponent or to allow a hostage to die, well then that is likely going to be a real person.
Of course the environment will also produce deadly challenges. Arcade has probably, inspired by the movie (he might not do much reading) recreated the Tracker jackers (cause, ya know, they're fun), as well as having things like velociraptors and maybe a T-rex or whatever seems fun to try to mess with the heroes. And Arcade can probably do things to help them on the fly, like make the T-Rex firebreathing or whatnot.
Round 2 may be not against villains, but instead against captured heroes (with a little Mojo brainwashing perhaps), and maybe or maybe not there are some androids, robots, whatnot interspersed, but heroes are going to have to worry not only about surviving and taking out the opposition, but also figuring out if they are fighting a person or a copy. And what to do with the real heroes, and what to do when Arcade demands a death ("or else the sequel won't get made with this actress . . . ")
WIth these first two rounds, heroes may be able to win freedom for hostages or other concessions by winning challenges (arbitrarily made up by Arcade) or perhaps be appealing to sponsors or the audience ("text interdimensional 662 if you want Captain America to get to choose a hostage to free").
Round 3, then is the single elimination round. Time for the heroes to fight each other (or the Girl Scout troop gets it, or some such thing). There the rubber really meets the road. Will Arcade demand death? Will Mojo insist that a contestant needs to be able to return for next season? Can the heroes phone a freind? Lots of possibilities.
Of course, what the players will be trying to figure out is how to get to where Arcade is, so they can beat the paste out of him. They may also want to try inflicting emotional trauma on him by facing him down, acting in a way that thwarts him, but wins audience approval. Etc. This is still unformed, but I would expect the arena is in a bubble in some controlled pocket of a dangerous environment (the deep sea, space, under the earth, in Antarctica, etc.) Breaking out is going to be hard and dangerous and possible fruitless unless the heroes can carefully manage things.
I am opposed to the idea of having the control room right next to the arena, cause that is just to easy. However, there might need to be interdimensional or teleportation portals, and there may by some physical conduit. I would be flexible in letting the heroes try to come up with a way to manage things without it being too silly.
I see this events milestones as something like as follows:
Welcome to the Murder Games
1 xp Inflict trauma on an opponent.
3 xp inflict d12 trauma on an opponent
10 xp agree to kill an opponent or refuse to kill an opponent allowing a hostage to be killed
This is a pretty dark scenario idea (really, I'm a very nice guy), but given the trend in Marvel (Secret Avengers, Dark X-Men, X-Force, etc.) it fits into a corner of that multiverse. The main thing that Arcade and Mojo want is a "good show." While Arcade would love to wipe out some heroes (and may have side contracts to do so), he is not above have subbed in a LMD or clone, or something to torture the heroes into thinking they have killed someone or allowed someone to die, but then, it was all just part of the twisted "fun house" that Arcade loves to create. After all, you have to bring people back to see next season!
Also, further plot hooks would involve tracking down Arcades ties, customers, and bases. Further, doing some dimension hopping after Mojo, his minions and "entertainment" holdings. It is likely that the heroes are but one of many teams being put through this hell. Maybe there are more people or heroes, or even villains to rescue? Maybe Arcade and Mojo are really diversifying. Heck with Sauron gone, maybe it's "And this week on Murder Games - The Savage Land, we have a mutate versus SHIELD grudge match. Who will emerge victorious?" or, "We've always wanted to know, who would win, Iron Fist or 500 Hand Ninjas? Well, this week, we find out on Murdergames, The Amazing Chase!"
Just a few ideas. Hopefully, I get to form them up and run with them. However, I throw them out because I'd be happy if someone beat me to it and got some play in with these ideas as well.
May the odds be ever in your favor.
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