Better actual play blogs than mine and other inspiration

I labor away here, and I put up records of the 13th Age games we have been playing.  If people enjoy them, that's great, but really they become my notes and records for my campaign.  They are in no way polished.

If I had more time (and perhaps more talent), I would do something sophisticated, because I admire the heck out of people who elevate write-ups through multiple character perspectives, add illustrations, and generally do way better than me.

A couple that I have really enjoyed include:

Brooklyn Encounters: Murder in Baldur's Gate
This blog captures the 13 sessions it took to play through this adventure.  It is beautiful to look at and a pleasure to read.

Eberron: The Winter Coalition
This is the chronicle of an epic ongoing campaign.  I think it has been going about three years.  The write-ups are sometimes from a third person narrator (presumably the Dungeon Master), but most entries are character entries, narrating what happened from a particular character's perspective.  I love reading the write-ups.  I never knew much about Eberron (it came into being during a long interregnum when I was not playing or paying much attention to D&D), but man, I would love to play in Eberron in this campaign.  There are hundreds of ideas to steal from the write-ups, and it is inspiring from a player/character develpment point of view, as well as from a Dungeon Master/campaign creation point of view.  There is quite a back catalogue of entries, but it is well worth reading!



Other Stuff

So, I think I have sung the praises of Hunter Black before as a source of inspiration.  I continue to be a big fan.  If you are not reading this web comic, why not!?  The team that writes, draws and letters the comic is outstanding, and the writer draws from his long experience with Dungeons & Dragons to inform his Fantasy Noir setting and characters (in the best way). 

This too has an extensive back catalogue of panels to read, but every one is worth it.

Finally, yesterday I somehow managed to stumble onto Skullkickers.  I may be the last guy to know about this low fantasy web comic, but it is gorgeous, action packed and funny.  So far (because, again, huge back catalogue) two no-name, amoral mercenaries, a big human with knives and six shooters, and a stocky red-bearded dward with twin hand-axes generally kick butt, take names, and win and lose fortunes as monster killers.  Their (mis)adventures have been very entertaining.  Apparently, later in the series there is a bit more gender balance in the storylines, but I can't eveluate that yet.

What I can say is that Skullkickers is very entertaining, and again full of interesting ideas to plunder.  If I am not the last person to hear of this comic, go and do yourself a favor and take a look!

That's all for now.  Go play games and have fun!

A brief shout out

Let me just say that writer Justin Peniston and artist William Orr are really great creative minds and really nice people.

Justin writes web comics (among other things) both Hunter Black and Planet Pantheon.  Hunter Black is hard boiled fantasy, basically taking some of the tropes of the American Noir tradition and placing them in a fantasy setting that any reader of George R.R. Martin or player of Dungeons and Dragons will immediately recognize.  William is the artist for Hunter Black.  I love his style.  He is highly influenced by the seminal Samurai Jack animated show, but he totally owns his version of the style that shows up.  I love Hunter Black.  Planet Pantheon is still growing on me.  It is a blend of science fiction, mythology and heroic journey which has been a slower build out of the gate.  I recommend it and am sticking with it because there is clear quality involved, and I believe it is going to pay off.

Anyone out there, definitely read these web comics, and if you are lucky enough to get to a con where these guys have a table, say "hi", buy some of their awesome posters, and help them make their work pay.  These guys need to eat to be able to create, y'know!

Punisher Issue #8 Review: Blue on Blue

Total credit to the folks at the Gaithersburg Beyond Comics.  They ran out of Punisher #8, but had a fresh copy for me the next day from another of their stores.  Great service.  Thanks folks.

And what an issue. 

Spoiler alert Spoiler alert Spoiler alert etc.

This was an issue dominated by the tour de force storytelling of the creative team.  Greg Rucka, in the lead as writer, has control in every panel, despite many being without dialog.  Some will say Rucka did not work so much this issue because there are relatively few verbal exchanges. 

They are so very wrong.  All you have to do is look at the twice a week draft scripts that go up on www.ineffableaether.com for the web comic Rucka writes and publishes with two collaborators twice a week, and you will see how much thought and detail goes into the writing that is purely visual.  This is not to slight the amazing work of his artistic team.  Rucka candidly admits he can't draw worth a damn.  However, as a "director" he tells his artists his vision in detail.  The results are then a dialog and synthesis of Rucka's vision merged with the artist and the colorist.  Checchetto and Hollingsworth turn in terrific work that provides excellent visual storytelling which only happens in this way in this art form. 

What results is the latest chapter in the compelling opening Punisher storyline for this run of the character.

The Punisher and Sgt. Cole-Alves (survivor of a mindless massacre at her own wedding which killed her husband and her family and friends) start out weapons drawn and pointed, in the midst of a slaughter each has wrought.  The Punisher is working his way through The Exchange, an organized crime group made up of henchmen from other "Super" criminal organizations in the Marvel Universe (Hydra, AIM, etc.) as part of his latest offensive in his never-ending war on organized crime.  Cole-Alves has started her path of vengeance, with a certain sense that the Punisher is doing work she should be doing.  While this is just another offensive in his war, this is her vengeance.

Still, each recognizes that the other is not the enemy and with a declaration of "Blue on blue", they call a truce and each look to capture intelligence and leave the scene of their latest fight.  The Punisher warns Cole-Alves "Stay out of my way."  They may both be marines, but when it comes to the vengeance business, he is the professional and she is the amateur.

Next, there is a somewhat parallel story of The Exchange leadership.  It turns out that one of the directors is an ex-SHIELD agent, who has left back doors into SHIELD technology caches around New York.  The deaths of 18 Exchange operatives was a gambit by him to draw out the Punisher and set him up.  He promises his partner results.

The rest of the issue follows first detectives Clemons and Bolt as they follow up Clemons determination that there were two shooters at the scene of the latest bloodletting for the exchange.  Clemons guesses that Cole-Alves is the second shooter.  Cole-Alves sets him up to test how far he is willing to go to try to get evidence of that.  By the end of the scene we know that he knows that she knows that he knows, but there is no evidence for an arrest.

Finally, we get to The Exchange's trap.  I won't spoil the end, but there are some twists and turns.  The theme of the issue is misdirection and deception; getting information by laying traps and stalking horses (Blue on blue indeed).  It is a great next chapter in this building story.  All the creators are to be commended.

I highly recommend it.

Something cool

I have not been much into web-comics.  My consumption of media is sporadic and ecclectic due to being busy and possibly a bit unfocussed.  However, this: Lady Sabre & The Pirates of the Ineffable Aether is going to rock.

Not much art has leaked out, but the beautiful drawing of a sabre promises much, and I have seen samples of other work by this artist, Rick Burchett, and it is wonderful.  The writer is none other than Greg Rucka, known for writing mainstream comic characters like Batman, Batwoman, Wonder Woman, Superman, Daredevil and Punisher, as well as his independent comic work, Whiteout, Queen & Country and Stumptown.  Also, he has a long resume of excellent suspense novels. 

Disclaimer, I have known Greg since we were both in high school, so I am totally biased, but I promise, if you read his work, you will not be disappointed.  He knows how to build a character, set a scene and he writes action like nobody's business.  He has been nominated and won multiple comic book and writer's awards, so he is a good bet.

Lady Sabre is going to be a new venture with elements of fantasy, science fiction, swashbuckling action and that ineffable aesthetic, Steampunk. 

I think it will be all good, because, even though there has not been much of a medium for Greg to write in this mode before, he knows it, loves it and will do right by it.

I can't wait for release day, July 11.  It is going to rock!