After a conversation with my roommate, I decided to work out how Legendary could be made to work as a legacy game. If you're unfamiliar with the game, Legendary is a deckbuilding game where players take on the role of shield recruiters who are assembling superhero teams to face off against villainous masterminds.
Legendary can be bought here.
A great Let's Play can be watched here.
From here on out, I'll be continuing this post from the assumption that the readers are familiar with the game.
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The goal I've got is to create a comic book story arc. In service of this goal, I've come to a few basic conclusions about what will need to happen in Legacy play.
1. Heroes can die. (the best comic books keep characters dead until at least the end of the story arc).
2. No single scheme occurs twice. Even if the villains win, the scheme is completed.
3. The schemes will be sequenced according to strong narrative design.
Set-up
Set Aside:
Skrulls: The skrulls do not enter play until the Secret Invasion of the Skrull Shapeshifters event.
Nick Fury: Nick Fury does not enter play until all other heroes have already been added to the hero deck.
Doombot Legion: The Doombot legion do not enter play until Dr. Doom's first time as the mastermind.
Enemies of Asgard and Thor: These are added to the first game where Loki is present.
Changes to standard rules
K.O. Aside from Shield Troopers and Shield Agents, cards in the K.O. remain in the K.O. from game to game.
Heroes: Every time fourteen non-shield hero cards have been K.O.ed, a new hero may be immediately shuffled into the Hero deck. Whichever player K.O.ed hero number 14 may choose the hero to add. A player may also spend fourteen recruit in a single turn to immediately add a hero to the hero deck.
Whenever a player defeats a mastermind, they may choose one hero card used in the attack and give it +1 attack or +1 recruit.
-If Spiderman is added, add Spider-Foes to the Villain Deck if not already added
-If Hulk is added, add Radiation to the Villain Deck is not already added
If a Villain Escapes: That villain card gains one additional point, plus an extra point for each bystander it escaped with.
Villain Team ups:
Shuffle together two random cards from each Mastermind. These two are
working together on this scheme. Whichever master strike is on top of
the pile when a master strike occurs, that is the mastermind whose
master strike ability takes effect.
Option 1: Red Skull and Magneto
Option 2: Magneto and Dr. Doom
Option 3: Red Skull and Dr. Doom
Note, the decks are not sorted back out between games in Legacy play.
The hero deck and villain deck remain as they are at the end of one
game into the beginning of the next. Only the player's individual decks
are reset each game.
Ending the Game
If the Mastermind wins: The Mastermind's point value increases by one and they run the next scheme. Each player, starting with the player whose turn the game ended on, K.O.s one hero from their hand.
Villains play in the following order: Magneto, Red Skull, Dr. Doom, Loki. Beyond this, special rules for each unique scheme apply.
If the Heroes win: The Mastermind is added to the K.O. Each player adds one villain card and one henchman card to the K.O. If eight villains have been K.O.ed the player who K.O.ed villain number eight adds another villain group to the deck.
The Sequence of Games
Game 1: Unleash the Power of the Cosmic Cube
Mastermind: Magneto
Heroes: Choose from: Emma Frost, Storm, Rogue, Gambit, Wolverine, or Cyclops
Henchmen: Sentinel + as many more as necessary for number of players
Villains: Hydra, Brotherhood + as many more as necessary for number of players
Game 2: Midtown Bank Robbery
Game 3: Replace Earth's Leaders with Killbots
Special Rules: Escaping Killbots do not get the Legacy play advantages for escaping.
Game 4: Portals to the Dark Dimension
Game 5: Negative Zone Prison Breakout
Special Rules: All K.O.ed villains are returned to the Villain deck. All K.O.ed masterminds return as playable options. Any Masterminds not K.O.ed by this point gain 1 point. Follow the rule on the card about adding an extra henchman group.
Villain Team-up: Choose one of the villain team-up options.
Game 6: Secret Invasion of the Skrull Shapeshifters
Special Rules: Add the Skrull, in addition to what's already in the villain deck.
Villain Team-up: Choose a villain team-up option not already used.
Game 7: Super Hero Civil War
Special Rules: Add Iron Man and Captain America, choosing replacements for either which are already in play.
Villain Team-up: Choose the last villain team-up option not yet used.
Game 8: The Legacy Virus
Villain Team-up: Mix three random Loki tactics, one Red Skull tactic, one Dr. Doom Tactic, and one Magneto tactic. Otherwise, play as a normal villain team-up.
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So, that's it. Bear in mind, this is a first draft, still untested, and I'm still looking for ways to try out the changing card values without risking ruining my copy of the game on what might be a failed proof of concept. If you've got testing ideas, tweaks to the rule set, or anything else that you think a concept like this might benefit from, please join the conversation in the comments below.
Happy gaming, all.
Monday, September 12, 2016
Wednesday, September 7, 2016
Video Bump: Design Club
Hey all,
Recently did a trip to Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs, which ate my blogging time in massive bites, but will probably provide a few reviews in the near future. Until then, I thought I'd use this week's Wednesday post to bump a series that Extra Credits is running this week in their Design Club playlist. They're doing a five day dungeon analysis of Durlag's Tower from Baldur's Gate.
Extra Credits is, in my experience, unique. Many gaming enthusiasts are willing to insist that games are art, but Extra Credits is the most visible group I know of that actually treat the games as art. That is: they put in the effort to create a school of academic criticism. Their analysis is always rich and well thought out, and so far, this series has upped the already high bar set in the series.
It's only Wednesday, so I can't speak for where the series is going, but given Extra Credits' history of strong content, and the quality of this series so far, I feel completely comfortable recommending this series.
Here's the link to the beginning of the series. Happy watching, all.
Recently did a trip to Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs, which ate my blogging time in massive bites, but will probably provide a few reviews in the near future. Until then, I thought I'd use this week's Wednesday post to bump a series that Extra Credits is running this week in their Design Club playlist. They're doing a five day dungeon analysis of Durlag's Tower from Baldur's Gate.
Extra Credits is, in my experience, unique. Many gaming enthusiasts are willing to insist that games are art, but Extra Credits is the most visible group I know of that actually treat the games as art. That is: they put in the effort to create a school of academic criticism. Their analysis is always rich and well thought out, and so far, this series has upped the already high bar set in the series.
It's only Wednesday, so I can't speak for where the series is going, but given Extra Credits' history of strong content, and the quality of this series so far, I feel completely comfortable recommending this series.
Here's the link to the beginning of the series. Happy watching, all.
Monday, September 5, 2016
Review the World: HOOK
HOOK
Developed by: Maciej Targoni and Wojciech Wasiak
Developed by: Maciej Targoni and Wojciech Wasiak
Gameplay Genre: Puzzle
Narrative Genre: Abstract
Subjective Length: An hour or so
Overall: 8/10 If you have a PC, it's
worth getting this game.
Hook is a fantastic little puzzle game.
The most interesting part, from a design perspective, is that all
tutorial instruction is done by intuitive design. The title screen
says “HOOK” at the top, and that is literally the only reading
you will do in this entire game. The difficulty escalates smoothly,
with no sudden spikes or long plateaus.
All that for $0.99 makes this a fantastic game for a good price. If I
have any complaint, it's that I've had some difficulty getting the
file to download correctly from Steam recently when I decided to
replay the game. I haven't heard much of similar issues, so there's a
chance it's my worn out, old computer causing problems.
Buy HOOK online. Happy gaming, all.
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Book Review: Icerigger by Alan Dean Foster
Icerigger
Author: Alan Dean Foster
Publishing Date: 1974
Setting Genre: Alien Worlds Sci-fi
Narrative Genre: War, Shipwreck, Survival
Themes: "Manning Up", Camaraderie, Unrequited Love
Series Information: The Icerigger Series: book I || Part of the Humanx Commonwealth shared universe
Subjective Length: 3-5 days
Overall 5/10. Enjoyable, but more worth picking up if you come across it than worth hunting the bookstores for. The story and the action in isolation would probably bring this up to a six; however, something in the writing style makes following the dialogue tricky. At several points, I had to go back and work out who said certain lines. In full disclosure, some of these were spacing issues so it's possible some were printer error, and a different printing may give better results. Still, for the version I read, it was an enjoyable book that I don't regret reading, but which still fell directly into "take it or leave it" territory.
Controversial Themes:
Sex: There is a coerced examination of a topless woman by aliens. The act is mentioned, but not described in graphic detail. There is also a scene in which an alien seeks to seduce the main character in his bedroom, and is rebuffed.
Violence: This falls more into intense excitement territory and really, if Jules Verne is clean enough violence for you, then Icerigger shouldn't bring any surprises to the table.
Language: Very mild, but at least one found use of the word "whore".
**SPOILERS AHEAD***SPOILERS AHEAD***SPOILERS AHEAD***SPOILERS AHEAD**
The story follows a man named Ethan Fortune and the people who crash with him onto the alien world of Tran-ky-ky. Ethan witnesses a kidnapping, before being taken along in it to keep him from reporting it. The Targets are the du Kanes, Hellespont, and his daughter Colette. Also taken as a quieted witness is schoolteacher Milliken Williams. The kidnappers also unknowingly bring along September Skua, a violent man who'd been thrown into the lifeboat by the crew while he sobered up and slept off his hangover. In their escape, Skua kills one of the kidnappers, and makes enough struggle that the ship crashes down onto the frozen world below.
The five captives and the remaining kidnapper then strive to survive on the ice while they make a plan to strike out for the only known settlement of the Humanx Commonwealth on the planet. The commonwealth colonizes worlds, and their ship had been heading for the commonwealth outpost before they were taken from it. Before they can make good any of their plans, they are found by a search party of Tran, local life-forms indigenous to Tran-ky-ky. They resemble large cats with flying squirrel-like "wings" and razor sharp claws which they use to propel themselves across the ice like kite-wearing ice-skaters. The humans give away the shattered remnants of their ship, a fortune in metals to the local economy and begin to forge a relationship with the Tran present.
They are taken to the home of these Tran, a place called Wannome, on Sofold Island. There, they use Williams' advanced knowledge, September's superior fighting experience, and Ethan's diplomatic abilities to aid in organizing and pulling off a resistance to a marauding band of piratical Tran who anchor ice boats and ravage towns for tribute, or, when towns will not pay tribute, for spoils of war. After the resistance, they work with the locals to build a substantial ice boat to finally voyage to the commonwealth settlement.
They are waylaid by a monastic order that seeks to kill them as demons, and stop briefly at a volcano, where the true mineral wealth of Tran-ky-ky is discovered in the magma fissures before continuing on toward the settlement. In the final scene of the story, two guards make mention of the ship barreling across the ice into the settlement and speculate about what it could all mean.
The story is fast paced, and if you're looking for a pulpy, sci-fi, action adventure with a straightforward plot, and fun heroes, then Icerigger might be a good pick for you. Also, to be clear, a lot of what Alan Dean Foster has written in the Humanx universe is really interesting, and the Humanx Commonwealth itself is a really cool idea. His work is worth checking out, and, on some level, this isn't so much weak in its own right, as it is the weakest of a strong series. No series will see every book tied in the number one slot, and this book is quality enough that it's low-watermark place speaks to the generally high quality of Foster's writing.
Happy reading, all.
Author: Alan Dean Foster
Publishing Date: 1974
Setting Genre: Alien Worlds Sci-fi
Narrative Genre: War, Shipwreck, Survival
Themes: "Manning Up", Camaraderie, Unrequited Love
Series Information: The Icerigger Series: book I || Part of the Humanx Commonwealth shared universe
Subjective Length: 3-5 days
Overall 5/10. Enjoyable, but more worth picking up if you come across it than worth hunting the bookstores for. The story and the action in isolation would probably bring this up to a six; however, something in the writing style makes following the dialogue tricky. At several points, I had to go back and work out who said certain lines. In full disclosure, some of these were spacing issues so it's possible some were printer error, and a different printing may give better results. Still, for the version I read, it was an enjoyable book that I don't regret reading, but which still fell directly into "take it or leave it" territory.
Controversial Themes:
Sex: There is a coerced examination of a topless woman by aliens. The act is mentioned, but not described in graphic detail. There is also a scene in which an alien seeks to seduce the main character in his bedroom, and is rebuffed.
Violence: This falls more into intense excitement territory and really, if Jules Verne is clean enough violence for you, then Icerigger shouldn't bring any surprises to the table.
Language: Very mild, but at least one found use of the word "whore".
**SPOILERS AHEAD***SPOILERS AHEAD***SPOILERS AHEAD***SPOILERS AHEAD**
The story follows a man named Ethan Fortune and the people who crash with him onto the alien world of Tran-ky-ky. Ethan witnesses a kidnapping, before being taken along in it to keep him from reporting it. The Targets are the du Kanes, Hellespont, and his daughter Colette. Also taken as a quieted witness is schoolteacher Milliken Williams. The kidnappers also unknowingly bring along September Skua, a violent man who'd been thrown into the lifeboat by the crew while he sobered up and slept off his hangover. In their escape, Skua kills one of the kidnappers, and makes enough struggle that the ship crashes down onto the frozen world below.
The five captives and the remaining kidnapper then strive to survive on the ice while they make a plan to strike out for the only known settlement of the Humanx Commonwealth on the planet. The commonwealth colonizes worlds, and their ship had been heading for the commonwealth outpost before they were taken from it. Before they can make good any of their plans, they are found by a search party of Tran, local life-forms indigenous to Tran-ky-ky. They resemble large cats with flying squirrel-like "wings" and razor sharp claws which they use to propel themselves across the ice like kite-wearing ice-skaters. The humans give away the shattered remnants of their ship, a fortune in metals to the local economy and begin to forge a relationship with the Tran present.
They are taken to the home of these Tran, a place called Wannome, on Sofold Island. There, they use Williams' advanced knowledge, September's superior fighting experience, and Ethan's diplomatic abilities to aid in organizing and pulling off a resistance to a marauding band of piratical Tran who anchor ice boats and ravage towns for tribute, or, when towns will not pay tribute, for spoils of war. After the resistance, they work with the locals to build a substantial ice boat to finally voyage to the commonwealth settlement.
They are waylaid by a monastic order that seeks to kill them as demons, and stop briefly at a volcano, where the true mineral wealth of Tran-ky-ky is discovered in the magma fissures before continuing on toward the settlement. In the final scene of the story, two guards make mention of the ship barreling across the ice into the settlement and speculate about what it could all mean.
The story is fast paced, and if you're looking for a pulpy, sci-fi, action adventure with a straightforward plot, and fun heroes, then Icerigger might be a good pick for you. Also, to be clear, a lot of what Alan Dean Foster has written in the Humanx universe is really interesting, and the Humanx Commonwealth itself is a really cool idea. His work is worth checking out, and, on some level, this isn't so much weak in its own right, as it is the weakest of a strong series. No series will see every book tied in the number one slot, and this book is quality enough that it's low-watermark place speaks to the generally high quality of Foster's writing.
Happy reading, all.
Monday, August 29, 2016
Top 5: Hot Sauces
Hey all, thought tonight might be a good time to count down my top five favorite hot sauces of all time. I'll also be categorizing them, because three great sauces that all do the same thing are not as good, in my opinion, as one good one of each of three different kinds of sauces. But, that's just me, I like variety in the heat options. I've also not tried all or even most of the hot sauces out there.
Those caveats on record, let's get started.
#5 Tapatio
Category: Cheap, Good Sauce
Tapatio is just another hot sauce that wouldn't be surprising on any table in any greasy spoon diner in America. Ask for hot sauce, and they'll bring you Tapatio, Tabasco, or Cholula. They're all perfectly good sauces, but Tapatio stands out in that, if you're buying your own sauces for home, it is less than half the price of it's competitors. Even the link I've included is a little pricier than what I get at my local grocery store. If you're starting your hot sauce collection, this is a great one to pick up first.
#4 Sriracha
Category: Asian Sauce
Sriracha is a great hot sauce that makes any Asian dish and many non-Asian dishes amazing. This is a hot sauce so good that the name of the hot sauce shows up on the names of restaurant entrees. The heat is there, the flavor is strong, and if you've never mixed in some ginger, or tried a sriracha-based spicy mayonaise, do yourself a favor.
#3 Melinda's XXXX Reserve
Category: Heat for Heat's Sake
Melinda's XXXX Reserve is a very hot sauce. It's not flavorless heat, but the heat to flavor ratio is probably the highest of anything on this list. So, why include it? This is a great hot sauce for when the flavor is right where you want it, but the heat could stand to go up a few clicks. While Melinda's makes some hotter sauces, this is about the high end of where my preferences land. If you try it, and want something more, Melinda makes some hotter ones that, while I haven't tried them, are probably great, I've really enjoyed Melinda's products.
#2 Melinda's Fire Roasted Habanero & Garlic
Category: Garlic Hot Sauce
Yep, Melinda's makes the list twice. This was actually the first Melinda's sauce I ever tried, and while it doesn't have the heat of the XXXX, the flavor is something truly amazing. There's enough heat, plus a great flavor for fans of garlic. This isn't a "Say is that garlic I taste?" hot sauce. You will know there's garlic here, and in the best way.
#1 Pain is Good: Louisiana Style
Category: All Around Excellent: Tops of the Tops
This is my favorite hot sauce ever. It goes on or in any dish, but the best I've found so far is to use this as a dipping sauce for fast food fries. If not for the lawsuit-happy, take out places would do well to start stocking this among their condiments. It has a slightly sweet flavor, with a lingering burn. It's a thicker sauce, so spreading it evenly over a breakfast dish isn't as easy as with the others on this list, but still, I recommend no hot sauce as highly as Pain is Good: Louisiana Style.
There's the list, then. Happy eating, all.
Those caveats on record, let's get started.
#5 Tapatio
Category: Cheap, Good Sauce
Tapatio is just another hot sauce that wouldn't be surprising on any table in any greasy spoon diner in America. Ask for hot sauce, and they'll bring you Tapatio, Tabasco, or Cholula. They're all perfectly good sauces, but Tapatio stands out in that, if you're buying your own sauces for home, it is less than half the price of it's competitors. Even the link I've included is a little pricier than what I get at my local grocery store. If you're starting your hot sauce collection, this is a great one to pick up first.
#4 Sriracha
Category: Asian Sauce
Sriracha is a great hot sauce that makes any Asian dish and many non-Asian dishes amazing. This is a hot sauce so good that the name of the hot sauce shows up on the names of restaurant entrees. The heat is there, the flavor is strong, and if you've never mixed in some ginger, or tried a sriracha-based spicy mayonaise, do yourself a favor.
#3 Melinda's XXXX Reserve
Category: Heat for Heat's Sake
Melinda's XXXX Reserve is a very hot sauce. It's not flavorless heat, but the heat to flavor ratio is probably the highest of anything on this list. So, why include it? This is a great hot sauce for when the flavor is right where you want it, but the heat could stand to go up a few clicks. While Melinda's makes some hotter sauces, this is about the high end of where my preferences land. If you try it, and want something more, Melinda makes some hotter ones that, while I haven't tried them, are probably great, I've really enjoyed Melinda's products.
#2 Melinda's Fire Roasted Habanero & Garlic
Category: Garlic Hot Sauce
Yep, Melinda's makes the list twice. This was actually the first Melinda's sauce I ever tried, and while it doesn't have the heat of the XXXX, the flavor is something truly amazing. There's enough heat, plus a great flavor for fans of garlic. This isn't a "Say is that garlic I taste?" hot sauce. You will know there's garlic here, and in the best way.
#1 Pain is Good: Louisiana Style
Category: All Around Excellent: Tops of the Tops
This is my favorite hot sauce ever. It goes on or in any dish, but the best I've found so far is to use this as a dipping sauce for fast food fries. If not for the lawsuit-happy, take out places would do well to start stocking this among their condiments. It has a slightly sweet flavor, with a lingering burn. It's a thicker sauce, so spreading it evenly over a breakfast dish isn't as easy as with the others on this list, but still, I recommend no hot sauce as highly as Pain is Good: Louisiana Style.
There's the list, then. Happy eating, all.
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
Bad Casting: Superman
Worst possible casting options for movies. Let's try superman.
Some ground rules: the actor cannot just be a bad actor, that's too easy. They need to be good actors, who do well in some roles, but for one reason or another, would just be a terrible pick for this particular role. We're also not going way off reservation with this, none of this: "Wanda Sykes as Emperor Hirohito!" nonsense. The actor needs to superficially "right" for the role, but be viscerally wrong.
Clark Kent/Superman: Will Arnett
Will Arnett is one of my personal favorite actors. He does a lot of things incredibly well. Most of those things are snarky, smarmy, character pieces. This man gives off an aura of used car salesman in most of his best roles. From Arrested Development to 30 Rock, he is a master of portraying everything Superman isn't. The upside, this would be the least suspiciously Superman-esque version of Clark Kent ever seen.
Lex Luthor: Vin Diesel
If you've seen the Justice League cartoon from 2001, you'll know that, visually, Vin Diesel works well as that version of Lex Luthor. This makes it all the more disappointing that this fantastic actor from movies like The Chronicles of Riddick and Guardians of the Galaxy would be a poor casting for the calm, deliberate mastermind that is Lex Luthor. With his acting chops, I wouldn't even predict him to do poorly, I just think his reputation for more action oriented roles would mar the audience's suspension of disbelief to accept him as the corporate king champion of what passes for humanism in the DC universe.
Jimmy Olsen: Jack Gleeson
What would a Superman misstep be without the ill-formed decision to include Jimmy Olsen, the poster child of everything comic books left behind with the decline of the comics code. Then, once you've decided to ruin your movie with the inclusion of one of DC's most hated characters, what's next but to give him a punch-able face that audiences are well-accustomed to loathing. In all seriousness, it's a testament to Gleeson's acting ability that he could become so well despised. He was supposed to be hated, and he pulled it off like a pro. He's mostly got the look of the character, and yet, there's something just a little too dark and intense in his bearing to carry off the character so wide eyed and innocent that he makes DC's "Boy Scout" look like a hardened criminal.
Lois Lane: Zooey Deschanel
It seems like any pick for Lois Lane is going to be controversial to one camp or another. Staying true to the origins of the character is to be insulting to women, and portraying a positive example of a female character brings her so far from her comic book origins as to alienate the fan base. Still, if any skilled actress is nevertheless ill-equipped to portray either a serious journalist or a female door mat, it's the living avatar of the manic pixie dream girl. Imagine a Superman story about him learning to take things less seriously and be more of a free spirit and you've got an inkling of what this casting could do to this movie.
Bizzaro: Gary Busey
Some ground rules: the actor cannot just be a bad actor, that's too easy. They need to be good actors, who do well in some roles, but for one reason or another, would just be a terrible pick for this particular role. We're also not going way off reservation with this, none of this: "Wanda Sykes as Emperor Hirohito!" nonsense. The actor needs to superficially "right" for the role, but be viscerally wrong.
Clark Kent/Superman: Will Arnett
Will Arnett is one of my personal favorite actors. He does a lot of things incredibly well. Most of those things are snarky, smarmy, character pieces. This man gives off an aura of used car salesman in most of his best roles. From Arrested Development to 30 Rock, he is a master of portraying everything Superman isn't. The upside, this would be the least suspiciously Superman-esque version of Clark Kent ever seen.
Lex Luthor: Vin Diesel
If you've seen the Justice League cartoon from 2001, you'll know that, visually, Vin Diesel works well as that version of Lex Luthor. This makes it all the more disappointing that this fantastic actor from movies like The Chronicles of Riddick and Guardians of the Galaxy would be a poor casting for the calm, deliberate mastermind that is Lex Luthor. With his acting chops, I wouldn't even predict him to do poorly, I just think his reputation for more action oriented roles would mar the audience's suspension of disbelief to accept him as the corporate king champion of what passes for humanism in the DC universe.
Jimmy Olsen: Jack Gleeson
What would a Superman misstep be without the ill-formed decision to include Jimmy Olsen, the poster child of everything comic books left behind with the decline of the comics code. Then, once you've decided to ruin your movie with the inclusion of one of DC's most hated characters, what's next but to give him a punch-able face that audiences are well-accustomed to loathing. In all seriousness, it's a testament to Gleeson's acting ability that he could become so well despised. He was supposed to be hated, and he pulled it off like a pro. He's mostly got the look of the character, and yet, there's something just a little too dark and intense in his bearing to carry off the character so wide eyed and innocent that he makes DC's "Boy Scout" look like a hardened criminal.
Lois Lane: Zooey Deschanel
It seems like any pick for Lois Lane is going to be controversial to one camp or another. Staying true to the origins of the character is to be insulting to women, and portraying a positive example of a female character brings her so far from her comic book origins as to alienate the fan base. Still, if any skilled actress is nevertheless ill-equipped to portray either a serious journalist or a female door mat, it's the living avatar of the manic pixie dream girl. Imagine a Superman story about him learning to take things less seriously and be more of a free spirit and you've got an inkling of what this casting could do to this movie.
Bizzaro: Gary Busey
Of course, if Superman's facing off against Lex Luthor, we'll need another villain in here for him to throw a solid punch at. Luthor might be an intellectual giant, whose schemes can sidetrack the man of steel right out of the fight, but there's something satisfying about seeing our hero pull back and deck a dude. For that, let's again make another poor script decision, and, in addition to Jimmy Olsen, we'll throw Bizarro into the mix. He's a less popular superman foe, with a limited vocabulary, and not much to add to the story beside his ability to take and administer a punch. For this villain, we'll go with Gary Busey. The man's outtakes alone would establish a new and interesting take on the character; as he becomes much more verbose, though no more comprehensible.
Monday, August 22, 2016
Book Review: The Color of Magic by Sir Terry Pratchett
The Color of Magic (alternate title: The Colour of Magic)
-Author: Sir Terry Pratchett
-Publishing Date: 1983
-Setting Genre: Fantasy, on the back of a giant turtle in space
-Narrative Genre: Satire, Travelogue, Picaresque
-Themes: Frustration of living in a world not based on logic, The put-upon tour guide,
Subjective Length: A day or two
Overall 7/10. I'm tempted to drop this to a six, solely for a lack of inter-genre appeal. However, its length makes it a little more palatable to readers who are not already fans of the fantasy genre, and the humor is all at once over the top, absurd, and understated in a classically British way. Pratchett is sometimes called the Douglas Adams of the fantasy genre, and I think the term fits admirably.
Controversial Themes:
Nudity: Characters are often nude, little is made of it except to mention the fact.
**SPOILERS AHEAD***SPOILERS AHEAD***SPOILERS AHEAD***SPOILERS AHEAD**
The main premise of the story is that the world is flat and is held on the backs of four elephants who are, themselves, standing on a turtle, which is flying through space. This volume contains four vignettes of life on this world, which follow Rincewind the wizard, and Twoflower: a tourist from a wealthy continent across the sea. What follows is a comedy of errors, made more poignant by the fact that Rincewind is under orders of the Patrician to keep Twoflower safe. Shortly after giving these orders, the Patrician received new instruction to have Twoflower killed. This information never makes it to Rincewind who continues through the story, following instructions he never knew had been countermanded. The two escape a burning building, an eldritch horror, a city populated by imaginary dragons (and the real men and women who ride them), a brief blip across dimensions to our own world, a current that threatens to drop them over the edge, a city bent on sacrificing them to their gods, and the story ends with Rincewind falling from the edge of the world, while watching a ship containing Twoflower as it circles the turtle in a scientific foray to learn the great turtle's gender.
There's not much I can add to a simple retelling of the preposterous events of the story, the humor's the thing, here. It's not so much what happens as it is the clever way a reader is told about what happens. If you enjoy humorous novels with a strong narrative voice, and an eclectic collection of characters, events, and places, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of The Color of Magic. I also have it on good authority that the rest of the discworld novels are worth a look as well. Happy reading, all.
-Author: Sir Terry Pratchett
-Publishing Date: 1983
-Setting Genre: Fantasy, on the back of a giant turtle in space
-Narrative Genre: Satire, Travelogue, Picaresque
-Themes: Frustration of living in a world not based on logic, The put-upon tour guide,
Subjective Length: A day or two
Overall 7/10. I'm tempted to drop this to a six, solely for a lack of inter-genre appeal. However, its length makes it a little more palatable to readers who are not already fans of the fantasy genre, and the humor is all at once over the top, absurd, and understated in a classically British way. Pratchett is sometimes called the Douglas Adams of the fantasy genre, and I think the term fits admirably.
Controversial Themes:
Nudity: Characters are often nude, little is made of it except to mention the fact.
**SPOILERS AHEAD***SPOILERS AHEAD***SPOILERS AHEAD***SPOILERS AHEAD**
The main premise of the story is that the world is flat and is held on the backs of four elephants who are, themselves, standing on a turtle, which is flying through space. This volume contains four vignettes of life on this world, which follow Rincewind the wizard, and Twoflower: a tourist from a wealthy continent across the sea. What follows is a comedy of errors, made more poignant by the fact that Rincewind is under orders of the Patrician to keep Twoflower safe. Shortly after giving these orders, the Patrician received new instruction to have Twoflower killed. This information never makes it to Rincewind who continues through the story, following instructions he never knew had been countermanded. The two escape a burning building, an eldritch horror, a city populated by imaginary dragons (and the real men and women who ride them), a brief blip across dimensions to our own world, a current that threatens to drop them over the edge, a city bent on sacrificing them to their gods, and the story ends with Rincewind falling from the edge of the world, while watching a ship containing Twoflower as it circles the turtle in a scientific foray to learn the great turtle's gender.
There's not much I can add to a simple retelling of the preposterous events of the story, the humor's the thing, here. It's not so much what happens as it is the clever way a reader is told about what happens. If you enjoy humorous novels with a strong narrative voice, and an eclectic collection of characters, events, and places, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of The Color of Magic. I also have it on good authority that the rest of the discworld novels are worth a look as well. Happy reading, all.
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