Digital Comics

OK, let me risk the wrath of the "Comics Purists" out there, but I happen to like the idea of being able to purchase my comics digitally. I've seen some of the free content out there and I think the quality is definitely up to snuff. Add that to the fact that I don't have to store the physical copies, along with the cheaper price, and I think we have a winning concept. I recently got rid of a few long boxes of comics, and I still have too many to keep in the house. If I could have all of that content on my laptop or an external drive, I would be ecstatic. 


Of course, I'm not one of those people (any more) that collects comics for their monetary value. I read them for the story and the art, so the lack of resale value doesn't bother me that much. Of course I'm also the guy who waits for collections of comics to come out so that I can save money versus buying each issue individually, so I might not be the most mainstream comics buyer out there.

The New 52

So DC Comics has decided to reboot everything for the second time. The first time, for those not in the know, was after the 1986 Maxi Series "Crisis on Infinite Earths", a move which I have always liked. However, it must be said, that I was only getting into comics at the time, and I was more of a Marvel guy (Hail Thor!). Now they've done gone and did it again. I haven't read any of the new comics, not because I'm not interested but because the disposable income just ain't there. From talking to an expert in the field (Ilan of Fat Moose Comics & Games in Whippany, NJ), I think it was another good move. Yeah, it sucks for the FLCS owner, as now they have fewer titles to sell, but as far as story, characters & continuity it seems to make sense, just like the '86 reboot.

The major problem I have with it, though, is the numbering. Taking Action Comics, for example, a title that has been around since the FIRST APPEARANCE of Superman and starting it over at #1 just seems too gimmicky to me. It's almost like saying that the last ~80 years of DC Comics aren't worth remembering, which I highly disagree with. But, if that is the only criticism, and it seems like it is from the things I have read, then I can deal with it. I might pick up a couple of issues eventually, even if it's just in collection form, but I think that, again, DC has made a bold decision to streamline things and I really hope it works as well as it did 25 years ago.

Why do we play Tabletop RPG’s?

By "we" I mean gamers in general, not just those of my age demographic. Obviously, there isn't any one answer, so I will just break my reasons down for you.

1. To spend time with Friends – This is the penultimate answer for me. There is no other reason to play a tabletop game, IMHO, than to have a good time with others. Even if you play in a pick-up game at a convention, or your FLGS, the goal is to have fun. As we like to say on the USS Justice, "If you're not having fun, you're doing it wrong." There have been many time when an entire 4-5 hour gaming session consisted of nothing but telling stories/jokes, ribbing people or their characters (yes, S.M.U.R.F.E.T.T.E, I'm looking at you), or just generally laughing ourselves silly. (Just check out some of the Greyhawk Campaign Logs over a Greyhawk Grognard to see what I'm talking about.) So what if we got nothing done in game, everyone was able to have fun and that's a successful night in my mind.
2. To try out something new – For example, I was involved in the playtesting for Adventures Dark and Deep up until recently (scheduling issues) and it was a great time. We purposefully tried out wacky things just to see what the rules could do, and that was fun in and of itself. And it's always amusing when your Half Orc Fighter (with 18/63 Strength) rolls a 1 for damage in unarmed combat and nearly rips a guy's arm off. Mongo, you will be missed.
3. It's CHEAP! – Yeah, I know it seems trite, but once you buy the rules, you can play for an unlimited amount of time and you're using the most advanced processor on the planet to run the game (that's your brain, people). I don't know how many hours I played RPG's with my friends growing up, and usually only one person had to lay out the cash for the game for all of us to play. Much better than $40-60 per game that only lasts 20-40 hours of game time, not to mention the system to play them on. Pen and paper games are a bargain at twice price.
4. You just can't do it anywhere else – I run a monthly (usually) game of King Arthur Pendragon for my wife and a few friends, which we always have a good time at. We're using The Great Pendragon Campaign, which takes the players from 10 years before Arthur is born until after his death, which spans 80+ years. How many games, other than a tabletop RPG, will have that scope? Not only do the characters get married, have families and die, but they are succeeded by their offspring to carry on in the game. It's not just that it doesn't happen anywhere else, it CAN'T! Try to get a PS3 or Xbox game with that many facets to it and it would be cost prohibitive. You get close with MMORPG's, but even then the world events and expansions cost a pretty penny. This is an expensive book to buy (luckily, one of my friends, who is a player in the game, owned it already), but you can't beat the experience.

That's my list. Anyone out there on the interwebs have any other reasons?

Luke Skywalker is 60!

Wow! When I read the post over at Grognardia about Mark Hamill turning 60 on September 25^th, I was floored. Now, I am in my mid-thirties, and even though I'm still older than Star Wars (which in itself is a depressing thought), I grew up with Luke Skywalker being a young man, a hero farm boy, and someone Harrison Ford called kid. I guess being a father myself (of a 3 year old girl), celebrating my baby sister's 33^rd and my father's 61^st birthdays this past week, news like this really makes you take stock of where you are in your life. I've been at my job for 10 years (that's a decade folks!) and while I still play games (PS3 and Tabletop RPG being the preferred ways), I know that I'm getting older. I've owned, and had to sell, my own home. I've outlived my first pet (not one my parents took care of, a dog who was really wholly mine & my wife's responsibility). I've got more grey in my hair and more weight than I'd like. Not to mention the migraines and knee/hip problems that seem to pop up at the worst times.

All that being said, I believe there's more good in my life than bad. I've got a great family and set of friends that I get to see often. I may not be able to go out and buy everything I want, but I'm not behind on any bills. My wife just got a job after over a year of unemployment, and my daughter started Pre-School this past month. I have a roof over my head and food in the fridge, so all in all, I'm doing fine. It just takes me a little time to realize that every now and again, just ask my wife when I lose my temper.


Oh, and as for Mark Hamill (who will always be the best Joker; sorry Caesar, Jack and Heath), I'd say he's doing pretty well, too.

Let's try this again

OK, so the regular schedule thing obviously isn’t working for me, so rather than promise what I can’t deliver, I’ll just be posting various things that strike my fancy when they do (should I have time to type them up that is). I would like to thank you all for loyally following me, even though there was nothing to follow.

Content Coming Soon

Sorry for the drought on the content.  I'll be publishing a review of the PS3 version of DC Universe: Online fairly soon.  Watch this space.

Lupine - Level 22 Magic Hero on the Crisis Server

In the mean time, check out the G4 review: http://www.g4tv.com/games/ps3/31933/DC-Universe-Online/review/

An Open Letter to DC Comics

To Whom It May Concern;

I have been a comic book reader for a very good portion of my 35 years and, since some bad editorial decisions at your Marvelous Competition, I have purchased DC comics nearly exclusively.  Now, however, I am finding myself in much the same position regarding your company's products.  I stopped reading my favorite character's books (Superman) when you decided that the Krypton of John Byrne wasn't really the Krypton of the comics.  I have since learned that Lex Luthor grew up in Smalleville, changing the continuity to match the TV Show (which I have nicknamed "Justice League Babies" due to the propensity of heroes that Superman inspired showing up before he did).  Now you have brought back Barry Allen from the dead, which does make some sense given the Blackest Night storyline, which basically said that "the nature of death is back to normal, no more coming back from the dead."

Of course, that was before you decided that Bruce Wayne had to come back from the dead.  You know, one of my favorite things to tell people about why I read DC Comics was that you weren't shy about taking your universe and doing a complete reboot when the whole things didn't work.  (That would be Crisis on Infinite Earths for the uninitiated.)  Now, we we had the bold step of the second side kick taking over for the dead hero, with Dick Grayson becoming Batman, you chose to bring back Bruce Wayne and pull a Tony Stark.
 
I do appreciate the fact that you will be dropping pricing of your books by 25%, as it will help the struggling comic reader in these economic times, but you have to be willing to maintain some kind of story integrity.  Now I'm willing to overlook some things, but I do have some things that I think you should adopt to help you with readers such as myself.

1. Death is Death.  No coming back from the great beyond, no dreamed it happened, no cop-outs.  If you're going to kill a character, make it so that those around them have to deal with it in a realistic way.  This means filling the hero's role, grieving over their death and <gasp> moving on.  While we're on the subject, the same goes for maiming.  One of the greatest characters you have, Oracle, came about because Batgirl was paralyzed and overcame that.  Hel, she was recently voted the 2010 Most Kick Ass DC Woman.  Let's not be too hasty in giving characters a miraculous recovery, OK?

2. History should be adhered to.  The above mentioned Man Of Steel miniseries comes to mind.  There are some of us that can remember these stories, you know.

3. Character should age, especially to the point where they have to retire.  Obviously, this isn't going to keep up with the real world, but one year every three would work out.  That means 10 years every 30, so Dick Grayson would be in his 50's around 2070.  Still plenty of time to get some adventures in.

4. Children of Heroes.  Along with number 3 above, the heroes should get married, have children, pass the torch, etc.  This has been started, with Damien Wayne, but these kids need to grow up.  Dick Grayson (yes, I'm using him as an example a lot) was allowed to grow up, become Nightwing and then take over as Batman.  The. Friggin'. Batman.  Now, would that be possible if he was never allowed to grow up and Bruce Wayne were not allowed to die?

5. Let's treat the women a bit better.  Don't get me wrong, I love me some superheronies in skimpy outfits, but come on.  The new costume for Star Sapphire?  Seriously? When's the last time you put a male hero in something even remotely like this?

Now, obviously I'm writing on a blog with 6 followers, but I'd still love to see even one of these ideas taken into consideration.  Thank you for your time.