The Gamer’s Quagmire #19: Golden Age & Golden Anniversary
The Gamer’s Quagmire: 19th Edition
- Jamison DeLorenzo
This week is a special week for gaming. No, it has nothing to do with games that may be coming out. No major tournament is around the bend. This isn’t even an anniversary of a game’s release. This is a special week because in three days I’ll be knee deep in video games along with some friends. Last year I spent vacation in my own personal Mecca- Cooperstown, NY. This year I will be going somewhere that almost undoubtedly close to Nirvana.
Ironically I will be in Seattle (if you don’t follow music at all then that last joke isn’t as clever as it would otherwise seem). For those that love playing video games for days on end without interruption understand that sometimes this is better than any vacation that involves traveling. The only thing that can possibly make these events better is a steady supply of alcohol, food, and friends. This is my A vacation for the year, so rather than sit down this week and ripping studies linking video games to pot smoking or a racy Hitman advertisement I figured I would outline my own gameplan for the week. Not only will I be sharing a can’t-miss video game marathon schedule I’ll also be fleshing out a schedule to abide by for the upcoming week.
Who said I couldn’t be constructive?
Everyone has their favorite games, but those willing to listen to a few suggestions for a great multiplayer gaming week should be ready for some expert advice. You see we already had our first Golden Age of video games and you may not know it. PacMan revolutionized gaming and put it on the map. In that sense the video arcade had its Golden Age, but video games overall didn’t have them at that point. I was lucky to be in college when it happened. Networked gaming was just starting to happen and the most entertaining games were just picking up steam. Here they are in no particular order.
The game that could be the most addictive and provide the most heated and drawn-out battles known to man is Civilization II. It’s true that there are sequels in this franchise that make needed improvements, but this game always afforded the opportunity to make battles last for over 5 hours. No, I don’t mean the game would end. I mean that your attack to conquer one nation’s capital could take 5 hours. Once you hit the modern age and you attack another nation technologically equipped to deal with all of your cruise missiles, battleships, Aegis Cruisers, Mechanized Infantry, and Marines (or, as I called them, kitchen sinks) the battles can become very intense.
The race to build Wonders, create a massive army, colonize a new continent, and get the spaceship launched can cause you to be so strung out on caffeine that people could be yelling in your ear and you wouldn’t hear them. You don’t get the full experience of this game until it takes over an hour to complete one turn to handle all the events from each of your cities. Also, for added fun give a unique them to your Empire so even the simplest of tasks becomes highly entertaining. My own invention is the Weird Al Empire, where every city was an item from one his songs. By the end of the game the most dominant city in the game was a dead heat between Cement Pond (which built the UN in 3 turns) and Jurassic Park, home of the Apollo Project.
Civilization II is more than just a great network game. The long drawn out battles make for great conversation later and creating a strategy in this type of game is much more interesting than strategies in fast-paced games. This isn’t a great game for 4+ people due to its enormity- you need a group of people who love playing the game to fully enjoy it. Plus there’s the added bonus of eliminating the French.
If you are feeling a little more retro you can always fire up GTA. I’m not talking about Vice City or anything recent- I’m talking about the original top-down view GTA. This is one of the best multiplayer games ever made (the tanks in the second game were way too overpowered for multiplayer use). The deathmatches and the cannonball runs are sources of endless fun. Causing and endless chain of exploding cars is always entertaining. Trapping someone next to car and pushing them into a river is high comedy. Taking a superbike over a bridge too fast and exploding when landing is too irresistible to pass up. There’s always something good going on when 4 people are trying to run each other over at the same time.
Next comes the revolutionary shooter Quake. This game provided the opportunity to have a multiplayer deathmatch server running 24 hours a day. It’s true that the only thing more irritating to college network admins was the original Napster, but imagine logging onto the server when someone has over 300 kills. The intimidation factor there is incredibly high. Sure, later on the multiplayer servers became smart enough to recycle the matches every 5 minutes so the maps didn’t become stale but what’s the fun in that?
Besides, first person shooters always seem to bring out the most taunting and trash talking than any other genre in existence. There aren’t a whole lot of insane things to do in this game (like placing proximity mines under armor- always a fan favorite from GoldenEye), but rocket jumping finally became a reality with this game. There were maps where you could crush someone inside a room with a switch. You could force people into lava with a rocket burst effect. Don’t forget the hilarity of hitting someone with a quad-damage rocket in a low gravity map. You could be completely outclassed in a match but if you had the most spectacular kill there is no guilt involved in milking it, and Quake was the first FPS that started allowing this to happen. Certainly not the best of the Quake series but it did open a lot of doors.
Those of you who enjoy the squad-control games fell in love with StarCraft. Honestly I think there is something wrong with you if you didn’t play this game for over 4 months if you liked this style of game. The game was simply too well put together not to enjoy it. I played this game for over 3 years and loved every minute of it. The second WarCraft game was pretty slick but it never was that fast-paced. StarCraft started to enforce the idea of having a quick twitch reflex, and ever since its release fans have been waiting for a sequel to it… and we’re still waiting.
When you start hooking your computer up to a television so you can record and play back your matches you know you have succumbed to your obsessive side, and it’s quite easy to do with this game. If you have ever tried perfecting a defense to the point where you could stop any invasion with a couple well-placed photon cannons, 2 dragoons, 2 templars, and 2 reavers you, well, that probably means you’re just me. My badge of honor was when my two main reavers lasted the entire 3 hour battle and each had over 800 kills. I think it was at this point the idea of veteran units started to cross my mind.
The current crop of multiplayer games are very compelling and some of them capture whole point of good multiplayer action. The graphic power of the XBox 360 is a great draw. PGR 3 and Ghost Recon are jaw-droppingly amazing games. Ghost Recon definitively drives home the point that the 360 is a next-gen game. Sometimes finding an awesome multiplayer game is as simple as digging through your closet for a classic from 5 or even 10 years ago. Sometimes that’s what a perfect gaming week is all about.
At least that’s what I keep telling myself.
This article is written and copyrighted by Jamison DeLorenzo and all thoughts are solely his and do not necessarily represent anyone else’s including anyone else at this site. This is a weekly article which deals with anything and almost everything gaming. Feel free to post comments or e-mail. Thanks for reading.
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April 12, 2006
On The Shelf This Week – 04.12.06
ON THE SHELF THIS WEEK
by Craig Reade
DARK HORSE
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Blade Of The Immortal #112, $2.99. By Hirokai Samura. The artwork on this series is something to behold. Samura has a handle on artistic storytelling that is often lacking in American Super-Hero comics, and it is refreshing to see it done so well on occasion. A good title to check out if you enjoy a good samurai story. 32 Pages.
DC COMICS
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100 Bullets #71, $2.75. Written by Brian Azzarello; Art by Eduardo Risso. The more you hear about this title, the more it seems to be the kind of story that needs to be read an arc at a time. Does this mean you should forgo reading the monthly issues, and just wait for the trade? Of course not. Some do, of course, but very few series can actually survive in a trade-only format, and if people aren’t reading the monthly… well, you know the math. Not that it is an issue with this title, though it is really, really hard for a new reader to jump aboard at this point. 32 Pages.
Albion #4 (Of 6), $2.99. Written by Leah Moore & John Reppion; Art by Shane Oakley & George Freeman. Boy – its been a good six months since the last issue. Is anyone but the die-hard Alan Moore fans even looking for this anymore? Another great example why isn’t such a bad idea to ask for all the issues of a mini to be handed in before you solicit it. In some cases, anyway. 32 Pages.
American Virgin #2, $2.99. Written by Steven T. Seagle, Art by Becky Cloonan. Kind of a creative effort from Vertigo, though possibly one without much hope of long term success. How many times can you have someone be tempted with sex and then not have it, after all? We will have to see how that pans out down the road, but so far this series if off to a decent start. 32 Pages.
Batman Dark Detective TPB, $14.99. Written by Steve Englehart, Art by Marshall Rogers and Terry Austin. This trade collects one of the stranger Batman minis to pop up of late, in which the Joker enters the gubernatorial election. Nevermind the absolute ridiculousness of an insane multiple convicted felon and murderer actually being allowed on the ballot. Naturally you are supposed to maintain a suspension of disbelief when reading any fiction, but sometimes an idea is just too outlandish, and ends up dragging a story down. The trade is worth checking out if you were a fan of this team’s work in the 70s, but you might want to flip through it and see if it interests you first otherwise. 144 Pages.
Batman Legends Of The Dark Knight #203, $2.50. Written by Christos N. Gage, Art by Ron Wagner and Bill Reinhold. Man-o-man, that is one buff Mr. Freeze on the cover. Looks like the skinny Freeze got replaced with Arnold again! This is the conclusion of the three part Cold Case arc featuring one of the writers from Law and Order, SVU. The storyline seems interesting, Batman looking to clear the name of his father who has been implicated in a murder. So far it has been pretty decent. Let’s see if Gage can bring it home. 32 Pages.
Batman Strikes #20, $2.25. Written by Bill Matheny; Art by Christopher Jones and Terry Beatty. Hope you all liked “the” Batgirl, because she is back again. This time, all on her own! Naturally this book is great if you happen to enjoy the cartoon. 32 Pages.
Batman Year One Hundred #3 (Of 4), $5.99. By Paul Pope. This really is the week for you if you are a Batman fan – lots to choose from! Also this week is the continuation of Pope’s Prestige Format mini where in 2039, a mysterious vigilante is believed to be the mythical Batman from a century earlier. So far the series has been very well received, though the price-point is a turn-off for some readers. But it is Pope, and with him you pretty much always get the Prestige format. Kind of par for the course with his work. 48 Pages.
Captain Atom Armageddon #7 (Of 9), $2.99. Written by Will Pfeifer, Art by Giuseppe Camuncoli and Sandra Hope. This series started off as what some thought was the continuation of the positive steps the Wildstorm Universe was taking to modernize and reform in the image of Majestic. Instead, it looks like it will be the catalyst of the opposite – the reversion of the Wildstorm Universe to an earlier state. This is something not sitting well with those new Wildstorm readers that followed Majestic back over to this universe from his foray into the DCU. A real, real shame. 32 Pages.
Crisis Aftermath The Battle For Bludhaven #1 (Of 6), $2.99. Written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray, Art by Dan Jurgens and Palmiotti. You can’t deny there is a story here – you drop the equivalent of a chemical bomb on Bludhaven, and you know there is going to be a story to tell. Though is this mini coming too soon? Or in the wrong format? There is a very real sense of event fatigue amongst readers who are very eager to move on to a status quo – any status quo in the wake of Infinite Crisis. As good as IC has been, and as good as the lead-up was, people are ready to return to a sense of normalcy. “Crisis Aftermath” minis don’t really fit into that mold, especially with the weekly 52 on tap here shortly. This is one a lot of people may wait for the trade to check out. 32 Pages.
DMZ #6, $2.99. Written by Brian Wood, Art by Wood and Riccardo Burchielli. A brand new story arc starts here. It is a real surprise to me how this series has avoided the blatant propaganda at this point. At first glace, you really expected a story about how one party or another today is so evil that they started a civil war. It Wood’s credit, it isn’t like that at all. This is a really promising series for Vertigo, which is in a transition right now. It is a good bet that this series will be around for some time to come. 32 Pages.
Fables #48, $2.75. Written by Bill Willingham, Art by Mark Buckingham and Steve Leialoha. Perhaps an interlude story arc, but a possible answer to a long awaited question. Where is Bigby? This arc features Mowgli, who has been sent to track him down. Expect a lot of other wolf-fables to make appearances in this story. 32 Pages.
Firestorm The Nuclear Man #24, $2.50. Written by Stuart Moore; Art by Jamal Igle and Keith Champagne. One Year Later Firestorm is proving to be just as entertaining as the first two years were. This title’s somewhat rocky start is well in the past, and Moore is chugging right along developing what has become one of the strongest of the latest generation of DC heroes. Still early – and an ok time to jump aboard and give this book a look. 32 Pages.
Green Arrow #61, $2.50. Written by Judd Winick; Art and cover by Scott McDaniel and Andy Owens. A One Year Later/Identity Crisis rematch between Deathstroke and now Mayor Ollie Queen, the Green Arrow. Not sure how long this mayor thing will last. President Luthor lasted a while, but Luthor was hardly a main character in an ongoing series. Winick must have some kind of plan in the works for this, it should be interesting to see how it unfolds. 32 Pages.
Hi Hi Puffy Amiyumi #3 (Of 3), $2.25. Written by Abby Denson, J. Torres, Sean Carolan and Jennifer Moore; Art by Phil Moy, Chris Cook and Mike DeCarlo. What? This is a mini? Say it ain’t so! All kidding aside, usually it is really easy to see the appeal of a title aimed at the younger crowd. What kid wouldn’t like the Powerpuff Girls, after all? This series – I just didn’t get it. Don’t know if that makes me old, or observant. 32 Pages.
Majestic #16, $2.99. Written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, Art and cover by Neil Googe. It is hard to know what to do about this title. On the one hand, it is ending, so you expect Abnett and Lanning to go out with a bang. On the other hand – this title wasn’t supposed to end at 17. It started with promise, this was supposed to be the start of something bigger, not another great title to get the axe in the teens way before its prime. As good a job closing this title out as Abnett and Lanning will no doubt do, there is no way it could compare with the months upon months of outstanding storytelling and growth the fans expected. 32 Pages.
Showcase Presents Teen Titans Vol 1 TPB, $16.99. Written by Bob Haney, Marv Wolfman and Len Wein; Art by Nick Cardy, Bruno Premiani, Bill Molno, Irv Novick, Lee Elias, Bill Draut, Sal Trapani and Jack Abel, We are entering into a new era for the Teen Titans, so why not take this chance to bone up on Teen Titans history? This collection contains Brave and the Bold #54 and 60, Showcase #59, and Teen Titans #1-18, stories featuring the original team of Robin, Wonder Girl, Kid Flash, and Aqualad. As always, these Showcase books are a great resource. 528 Pages.
Superman #651, $2.50. Written by Geoff Johns and Kurt Busiek; Art by Pete Woods. Part three of the eight-part crossover Up, up, and away. Though we all know that a powerless Superman isn’t something that will last forever, it is interesting to ponder the idea of a Superman powered by a Green Lantern ring. This month, we get a hint of that. Hopefully this is a concept the writers take the time to explore in a little more detail. Superman isn’t going anywhere – and we all know his powers will return. Might as well take a chance to explore something a little different with his character. Besides – we all know the man Clark Kent is. This is something he WOULD say yes to. 32 Pages.
Wildcats Nemesis #8 (Of 9), $2.99. Written by Robbie Morrison, Art by Talent Caldwell, Horacio Domingues and Matt Banning. Another Wildstorm penultimate issue this week. This series has been okay… though it is probably something that would appeal to the more hard-core Wildcats fan than the average reader. And with the Wildstorm reboot lurking around the corner, it is tough to say whether this is representative of the Wildcats to come in the new-old Wildstorm Universe. 32 Pages.
MARVEL COMICS
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Annihilation Super Skrull #1 (Of 4), $2.99. Written by Javier Grillo-Marxauch, Art by Greg Titus. If internet buzz is any indication of how well a series is doing (and it only really is sometimes), Annihilation isn’t off to such a good start. Of course, judging by the start Seven Soldiers got over at DC, it is possible to have a horrible prelude issue and still come back with a decent event. Still time for this one to right itself yet. 32 Pages.
Cable/Deadpool #27, $2.99. Written by Fabian Nicieza, Art by Lan Medina. Much like House of M, the tie in to the Blood of Apocalypse for this title is likely to end up being better than the main event itself. Medina is doing a decent job on the art, but I still really miss Patrick Zircher. He really had this title down. 32 Pages.
Exiles #79, $2.99. Written by Tony Bedard, Art by Paul Pelletier. The last of the World Tour mini-arcs starts here, and Bedard’s time is quickly winding down. Of course, the big news out of Marvel is that Claremont’s run on this title is being postponed along with all of Claremont’s other projects while he recovers. So Bedard’s wrap-up will be the last bit of Exiles we get for some time. Best wishes to Chris Claremont for a speedy recovery. 32 Pages.
Fantastic Four First Family #2 (Of 6), $2.99. Written by Joe Casey, Art by Chris Weston. Second part of this look back into the early days of the Fantastic Four. This series seems pretty decent, especially if you are a fan of the First Family. The big Fantastic Four news of the week is the new Cartoon Network Fantastic Four series. Aside from the weirdness of a company which owns Marvel’s main competitor doing a cartoon of one of their main stable teams, if this series follows in the tradition of other Cartoon Network shows like JLU, Teen Titans, and Batman: The Animated Series, it should come out really well. Am looking forward to checking it out. 32 Pages.
Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #7, $2.99. Written by Peter David, Art by Roger Cruz. Seems like with every new issue of Spider-Man, we are growing farther and farther apart from the Spider-Man we all grew up loving. Character development is fine and good, but when every single core element of a character has been wiped out by story in such a short period of time, it really gives you pause. Thankfully there is still Ultimate Spider-Man. Not 100% true to the classic Spider-Man we all grew up with, but much, much closer than the current mainstream version. 32 Pages.
Iron Man Demon In A Bottle TPB, $24.99. Written by David Micheline and Bob Layton, Art by John Romita, Jr., Bob Layton, and Carmine Infantino. A bit of a classic collection here, which is great for newer Iron Man fans. This trade collects Iron Man #120-128, which featured the first appearance of Justin Hammer. 176 Pages.Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four #11, $2.99. Written by Jeff Parker, Art by Manuel Garcia. As usual, the Marvel Adventures titles provide something that is really lacking in comics these days – simple, easy-to-follow stories that are totally unburdened by massive continuity and multi-issue story arcs. This issue pits the FF against Molecule Man. Great for a casual read. 32 Pages.
Marvel Romance Redux Restraining Orders Are For Other Girls, $2.99. Written by Kyle Baker, Fred Van Lente, Keith Giffen, Michael Leib, Robert Fleming, and Kirsten Sinclair, Art by Jack Kirby, Don Heck, and Dick Giordano. The wonders of Photoshop magic, in print! This issue’s premise is a simple and popular one – take an old comic, and redo the script with something funny. Should be a great read. Seeing Kyle Baker’s name on the credits there does illicit some mixed feelings. On the one-hand, it is great to see him out in the mainstream, on the other, wasn’t part of the “official” reason behind the end of Plastic Man was his exclusivity with his own company? 32 Pages.
Ms Marvel #2, $2.99. Written by Brian Reed, Art by Roberto De La Torre. Will it last? That is probably one of the most important questions facing this title just two issues in. In its entire history, Marvel has only had one female character ever solo her own title for over 100 issues, and that was decades ago. She-Hulk recently crossed the 100 issue threshold, a first for a female Marvel super-heroine, but that was by combining the totals of three separate books. And of course there is Spider-Girl, who is about to cross 100 all in one volume, only to be cancelled one she reaches that milestone. Recent criticisms about Marvel’s lack of effort when it comes to female leads has had defenders pointing to this title as a step in the right direction. Only if it lasts… only if it lasts. 32 Pages.
New X-Men #25, $2.99. Written by Craig Kyle and Chris Yost, Art by Mark Brooks. It was a worry that this title would slip in quality with the new creative team and focus, and several issues into it, it is clear that it has. Still a bit better than most of the core X-Men fare, but it is a shame that the old, outstanding New X-Men is well in the past. 32 Pages.
Son Of M #5 (Of 6), $2.99. Written by David Hine, Art by Roy Allan Martinez. You have to hand it to Hine – anyone who makes me care about Quicksilver as a character deserves a lot of credit. And the fact that he is a totally unlikable character, and you still care to see the story unfold says even more. Its been beaten to death at this point, but this follow-up is so much better than the original House of M could even aspire to be. 32 Pages.
Thunderbolts #101, $2.99. Written by Fabian Nicieza, Art by Tom Grummett. The “No Longer New” Thunderbolts. Please, please, let this be only the first of many. 32 Pages.
Ultimate Extinction #4 (Of 5), $2.99. Written by Warren Ellis, Art by Brandon Peterson. This thing is still going – but the end is in sight. This event lost a lot of people along the way, mostly due to lateness and a simply way-to-slow story, but with some luck those that stuck it out will be rewarded with an epic conclusion. 32 Pages.
Ultimate Spider-Man #93, $2.99. Written by Brian Michael Bendis, Art by Mark Bagley. The Ultimate Deadpool arc continues here, and we still don’t have a real clear picture of how Ultimate Deadpool is different than the regular universe one, outside of the still-disconcerting costume. Might be for the best – a shocking “hi-look at me, I am Ultimate Deadpool!” issue might not sit too well. Though it would be in character. Looking forward to seeing more of him this week. 32 Pages.
Uncanny X-Men #472, $2.99. Written by Chris Claremont, Art by Chris Bachalo. Not really sure if the scripts are done on this through June or not, or if Claremont’s health is going to have an impact on the timeliness of the next couple issues of Uncanny. In any case, it is best to prepare for some understandable delays in the months to come here. 32 Pages.
X-23 Innocence Lost TPB, $15.99. Written by Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost, Art by Billy Tan. The untold take behind the origin of X-23, told again! This trade collects X-23 #1-6, a mini that set out to really explore where this character came from.. 144 Pages.
X-Men Complete Age Of Apocalypse Epic Book 3 TPB, $29.99. By Various. Hmm. I missed volume 2 of this. Rats. Though honestly, this collection could have been handled a lot better. It is doing more of the “continuity” style of collecting, by breaking up the series and putting them in-order. Personally when reading AoA, I found reading each mini straight through to be far more enjoyable. It makes sense that this method would have you read the issues kind of “as they came out” (if you ignore the books that came later that were collected earlier, like the totally unrelated Blink series), but still – part of having the trade is getting to avoid the wait. Still – a great trade to buy and an outstanding story to have in your collection in some form. 360 Pages.
X-Men The 198 #4 (Of 5), $2.99. Written by David Hine, Art by Jim Muniz. As good as these follow-ups have been, you have to wonder why David Hine wasn’t tapped to write House of M in the first place? Bendis is kind of the name in Marvel these days, that is clear, but a decompressed story-style just doesn’t work with major summer crossovers. Still, it is nice to have Hine on mop-up here. 32 Pages.
Craig’s Pick of the Week
BPRD Universal Machine #1 (Of 5), $2.99, Dark Horse. Written by John Arcudi, Art by Guy Davis. Sometimes you have to wonder why BPRD isn’t an ongoing already. It seems like there is always a BPRD series ongoing in the gaps between Hellboy books, and the fans clearly eat them up. Well, a constant stream of minis is better than no book at all, so no complaints here. A really good week for Hellboy and BPRD fans. 32 Pages.
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April 10, 2006
The Gamer’s Quagmire #18: Franchise Spring Training
The Gamer’s Quagmire: 18th Edition
- Jamison DeLorenzo
The start of April is an event I look forward to every year. It’s true that the heavy snow is once again 6 months away as opposed to over my head but the main reason is that it is baseball season once again. Baseball’s popularity in America is nowhere near where it used to be and it has definitely been surpassed by football as America’s sport. Being the stubborn person that I am baseball will always be my favorite spectator’s sport. I live and die with my favorite team each year. I feel myself become nervous deep into regular season games. And when the Mets made the World Series in 2000 I fell off the couch crying tears of joy. And, naturally, when they kept losing gut-wrenching games in the World Series I nearly destroyed multiple city blocks. Even though I have favorite teams in other sports the same emotion doesn’t match my emotion for baseball.
If you can imagine a grown man crying about sports it may be a sad picture but I will gladly own up to it. Baseball is more than a game for some, and when you are a big fan you feel the pain of every loss, every injury, and every trade that involves one of “your players.” Some people learn to deal with it and nothing else. Other people love playing the what-if game, and I’m one of them. Video games allow your creative side to thrive as you are allowed to create players, obtain players you’d otherwise kill to have on your team, and see your team hoist the championship trophy at the end of the year.
Incidentally, if you’re a Yankees bandwagon fan (I think 64% of all Yankees fans are bandwagon) can you honestly tell me you’re happy when you win each time? Isn’t winning now just something you expect? Aren’t you simply relieved that the most expensive team ever put together didn’t lose? I can’t take it when you win and I can’t stand it when the Mets lose (and despite what it sounds like I’m not looking for sympathy). All of you are killing me. This especially holds true for the Mets’ bullpen.
At the beginning of every baseball season I find a cheap and recent baseball game that includes a team franchise mode and I play it. The Mets will always become the best run team in the majors with a stellar pitching staff, awesome defense, and young hitters that always includes a phenomenal left-handed rookie first baseman. Baseball fans that enjoy video games on any level can gain a lot of happiness seeing their teams win even if it is a video game because on some level it restores hope that it is possible for your team to succeed in the playoffs.
Just don’t hold your breath for the day that the top franchise mode player for a sport becomes a real life GM. Then again if a reality show comes to fruition with that premise I would not be remotely surprised. Heck, there are teams could not possibly run worse as a result- just ask the 3 Tampa Bay Devil Rays fans. It may bother me if people are taking hints from my columns to start TV shows, but given royalties everything will be fine.
What I find extremely troubling is that football and basketball games are at the point where a lot of the action that you would see in real life you will see in the game. It’s true that you will never be able to truly replicate all of the magic that players like Michael Jordan or Barry Sanders had but the animations, gameplay, and presentation are all great or borderline exceptional for those games. Baseball has somehow been left in the dust. For example, last night after tooling around with NBA2K6 (the best basketball game I have ever seen, bar none) I loaded a game to be played by the CPU and just watched it while I was getting ready for bed. For the most part the game was close to watching a real NBA game. The changing camera angles were good, the court looked real, a decent percentage of the player movements were believable and fluid, the commentary wasn’t horrid (which is an honest upgrade over normal telecasts), and even the final score and stats were passable.
For whatever reason baseball simulations cannot seem to get it right. The pitching animations are almost always clumsy, the AI for baserunning almost always seems flawed (there are always situations where runners never advance when they should without holding up a flashing neon sign and slamming a turbo controller button), and the outfielders almost never field the ball the way I want them to. Either fielders will just run to where a ball will eventually roll to instead of trying to catch it or they will wait for the ball to come to them rather than charge the weakly hit single. There are other fundamental flaws that bear mentioning.
Hitting mechanics have slowly been getting better, but there is still some work to do. There are three modes players get in when at the plate. Obviously there is a default mentality players have when they’re at the plate in non-pressure situations. When video games finally allowed a power swing button that covered a power hitters’ tendency to swing for the fences we got coverage for a second swing mode. The third type of swing I have yet to see anywhere- the defensive swing. Anyone who has seen their pitcher suffer through a 14 pitch at-bat trying to get some annoying batter out on a 3-2 count where the hitter is fouling off every conceivable pitch known to man and looks like he’s swinging an oar should wonder why there is no way to do this in a baseball video game. If video games are going to allow a power swing there should also be a defensive swing.
Another problem I see is that when players slide into bases it is always the same animation. Some players slide head first and some slide feet first. Aside from this not being in a game I’ve seen yet with any consistency (this is never an option for creating a player and it should be) there are other slide situations which need to be handled. Occasionally you will find a game that gives you the chance to barrel over a catcher at the plate trying to tag you out. All games from now on need to have this along with a player trying to slide to one side of the plate. When a throw is offline to the plate the catcher moves to get it (not that many games have inaccurate throws to the plate other than at the plate or way over the catcher’s head) and the player adapts his slide to compensate. Hey, sometimes players decide to try and leap over the catcher when they hunker down to block the plate. The other missing slide animation is players taking out fielders on a double play attempt. I have yet to see this work. Maybe I haven’t tried the right game yet, but it would be nice to see an aggressive slider take out a fielder just because he can- or am I the only Ty Cobb fan still around?
Field conditions should also have an effect, although this usually boils down to nothing more than boning over the Colorado Rockies. It should be more than being able to hit home runs in Coors Field with a soup ladle. Sliders should look like pathetic fastballs, curveballs should hang, and sinkers should arrive at the plate with engraved home run invitations. Oh yeah, and the pitchers throwing them should develop serious control problems, flawed throwing mechanics, and debilitating arm injuries by trying to counter these conditions. This isn’t just because it makes the games trickier and even more believable but because if there are pitchers whose careers I want to ruin I want to be allowed to do a sign-and-trade with them purely out of spite. Every baseball fan has at least one pitcher that is loathed to the point of wanting them to join the Broken Arms Retirement Home (whose most prominent residents include Pedro Astacio and Denny Neagle).
After several years of trying to figure out a way to brush hitters back off the plate, a common tactic for every good power pitcher, we need to see players actually be brushed back. I want to see dirt on their clothing. I want to see them stare down a pitcher after diving out of the way of a tight heater. I even would love to see players charge the mound and start a bench-clearing brawl. Much to my chagrin an inside heater has yet to affect any hitter’s mentality for what pitch is coming let alone where they stand at the plate. If the Rocket or Pedro just gave a hitter some chin music it is going to have an effect on the rest of the at-bat. The heater to the chest followed by a splitter making a hitter’s knees buckle simply doesn’t work at anything other than randomly at an easy difficulty level. There are certain things a higher difficulty level shouldn’t eliminate, and this is one of them.
Player development is another major weakness in baseball games. There should be ways to upgrade your play on the field through training. Locker and weight rooms should be upgradeable. Viewing and analyzing film should have some effect. A luxury team plane worthy of Soul Plane should be available for team travel. Even questionable and possibly illegal modes of training should be allowed. If I want to run the risk of players receiving suspensions that’s my choice. I’m not looking to create Jose Canseco 2.0 but I am looking for some freedoms in improving my roster. I’d also like graduates of the Dusty Baker school of managing to have their pitchers’ arms blow out after three years of being ridden like a championship steed.
(And Cubs fans, despite not being one of you, I highly sympathize).
Finally we have the complex idea of the farming system- another form of player development. No other sport has three different levels of minor league sports. Honestly it would be a major pain to manage players on four different levels of play but that’s what running a baseball franchise includes. This should be an option for fans of franchise mode who revel in having control over as much over their franchise as humanly possible. If I want to demote a player to AA from the bigs because his last 3 pitching performance reminds me of the first 20 minutes of a Bad News Bears film then let me do it. If a hitter’s swing starts to bear a striking resemblance to a rusty gate then off to minors they go. General Managers of a baseball need this level of control over a franchise, and when you can’t scout, develop, and train players the way you would like to a franchise mode becomes a source of frustration and not enjoyment. If I can specify promotional events and define different levels of parking costs and tickets in a gaming football franchise then why not in a gaming baseball franchise?
What I do like is that the commentary has been getting better in these games. Random camera shots of fans, the dugout and bullpen are all well and good. Still, for some reason watching a baseball video game still doesn’t emulate a good baseball experience. Even playing through a baseball franchise doesn’t feel like I’m running a franchise in as much as it feels like managing a fantasy team. In the era of replicated stadiums, facial texture mapping, and ESPN we need to have a good baseball video game experience. It’s time.
This article is written and copyrighted by Jamison DeLorenzo and all thoughts are solely his and do not necessarily represent anyone else’s including anyone else at this site. This is a weekly article which deals with anything and almost everything gaming. Feel free to post comments or e-mail. Thanks for reading.
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April 3, 2006
The Gamer’s Quagmire #17: The Finality of the Playstation
The Gamer’s Quagmire: 17th Edition
- Jamison DeLorenzo
Last week you saw here a nice long talk about a game from the previous generation of gaming. Effectively it was me finding a ton of text written several months ago that I never bothered to finalize and post. What’s troubling me is that this week there was only one topic in the video game world that has inspired me to write anything- the official end of the PlayStation era. Considering this was the first console I ever put down money for there are a ton of fond memories for this hallowed console.
Up to 1998, well after the PS1’s release, the only consoles I ever had were the ones that my parents purchased for me. I had an Atari 2600 and a Super Nintendo. These were fantastic machines and can show gamers today that you don’t need overpowering technology to make a great game. What fans of a previous generation like to say is how there are great games on those consoles and that newer consoles don’t offer anything new. In their defense they have a great point.
Still I never hold hands with them as they cross the tunnel vision line. Games do not have generations in as much as the consoles do. If someone sat down and just started implementing the first Final Fantasy game now it would blow the presentation of the original Fantasy Fantasy as we know it now away. Would the gameplay be any better? It would be silly to attempt that argument but if you want to run with it go right ahead. When I look back at the PS1 era, which is now officially over, I don’t think about all of the bad games that came with it because that’s not how I want to remember the generation.
I remember the generation as the time I was able to start foraging on my own into the gaming universe. The games were now purchased on my own decisions as opposed to begging and pleading from my parents. Oddly they never seemed to object to any of the games I asked for, but with the PS1 things became different for me. This time I could walk into a store, point at a game, and get it. Did the best games on the PS1 stack up against the best on the Super Nintendo? Spending this week going over the merits of Castlevania IV, which I maintain is the peak of the franchise, could be an interesting exercise. I am not even going to spend time talking about my favorite game on the console.
One game typified the console more than any other game- Final Fantasy VII. Its sequel is a much more interesting game and discussion. It’s not because of the story or the characters but because of the mass reaction to the game. VII brought a wealth of popularity to role playing games, to Square, and to video games itself. The graphics in that game, with the exception of those geometric disasters known as the character models, were way beyond anything we had seen in an RPG before. That sold the game more than anything else to people. The story was also exceptional, which obviously helped, but that’s not what drove the sales figures.
Final Fantasy VIII was in every respect a great game for the series. It demonstrated superior graphics, an interesting new battle system, a fresh set of compelling characters, a top rate soundtrack, and, of course, the best card game ever invented- Triple Triad. It also weeded out the bandwagon Final Fantasy VII fans. To this I say good riddance because VIII represented everything right about the franchise in that the sequels are sequels in name only. Final Fantasy VIII very well could be my favorite game for the console, but I still don’t think about VIII when I first think about the first PlayStation.
I like to think about the reason I bought the console in the first place. Final Fantasy VII was the next game in a series I became addicted to on the Super Nintendo. All of the Nintendo fans couldn’t understand why Square decided to jump ship to Sony’s platform. In 1997 the young gamers didn’t understand the power of the CD versus the cartridge (ironically Nintendo didn’t seem to understand it either until 4 years ago). I still remember boycotting the PS1 until Square released the game for a Nintendo console. Aaah, to be young and overpoweringly naïve. Sooner or later I caved.
And not just in the dungeon crawling sense either (sorry, sometimes it’s impossible to resist those jokes), as the day of the console purchase I was in my room playing Final Fantasy VII all weekend. I considered it my own birthday present as it completed my very first makeshift gaming epicenter that I could be proud of. A computer next to the bed, stereo with CD player under the bed, TV at the foot of the bed and then the PS1 on top of the television. It was a work of art I tell you. There’s nothing like being able to listen to music, do homework, watch a ball game and surf the web all from one spot. At the center of it all was still Final Fantast VII.
My first experience with the game was the year before coming in from class and seeing friends huddled around a television arguing about something. I set my bag down, walked into the room and almost began to cry. Somehow my stubbornness had caught up to me. As I sat in awe of the game for the first time rather than just turning a blind eye to it I saw what I was missing. After the first six hours melted by I realized I had to get back to my studying routine. But for 2 months of intermittent playing with my roommates Final Fantasy VII became the game that was more than all of my past role playing experiences. I didn’t just talk with a couple friends at school about the game. Now I was sitting down going through the whole game with a group of friends for hours on end. We steadfastly played during the day, during the weekend, and even while our sink was spitting up sludge.
I guess some memories as just too poignant to forget.
Cloud, Tifa, Barrett, Cid, Red XIII, Aeris, Sepiroth, and all the other characters in the game reminded me so much of Final Fantasy III it scared me. When you can stuff over 10 characters together into a cohesive story it is an amazing sight to behold. Cloud was a hero you could get behind because you felt his pain when he found out what he was- a bio-engineered weapon (and if you didn’t know that by now I’m still not apologizing for telling you now- this game is almost 10 years old). I felt my skin crawl in the darkness every time Sephiroth’s music started playing. All of the characters were bonded together. Cloud and Tifa were friends from childhood. Barrett and Tifa were both involved in Avalanche. Red and Cloud were both products of materia. The list goes on and on, but the point is that you saw how characters with many different backgrounds bonded together and all went after the one man bent on destroying the planet.
Well, everyone except for Yuffie- but nobody else really liked her anyway.
Ooh- if you enjoy what-if exercises here is a fun one to chew on. There was a group of characters in the game who were the ShinRa’s main enforcement body known as the Turks. They were shady, tough, and great with weapons and martial arts. Imagine a game being released today with a group known as the Turks without controversy. Perhaps that is being far too cynical, but it sure is fun to think about.
Final Fantasy VII to this day is one the most universally accepted RPG’s in the history of gaming. In fact the only other game you could mention in the same argument is the one I mentioned last week- Knights of the Old Republic. The Advent Children movie released on UMD last year was a service by Square Enix to the fans of the franchise (because lately there literally has been nothing else). Watching that movie it was hard to explain why I loved it so much. After thinking about it for a long time I began to see that the characters reminded me of how much I loved the game and the game meant a lot more to me than the movie itself. It has been almost nine years since experiencing the game for the first time and I still remember everything about the game down to the Turtle’s Paradise flyers, the golden chocobo breeding mechanism, and the secret of the Underwater Materia. That is staying power… and a dash of insanity.
So was it just the characters and the story that separate this game from the rest of the PlayStation pack? Why think of this game instead of another game when someone mentions a PlayStation? I still hold onto games from the PS1 because there were plenty of good ones worth playing over and over. Playing Final Fantasy VII on the PC even seems like a fresh experience (where else can I play a classic game and get segmentation faults?) after going through the game over five times. I bought the PS1 with the sole purpose of playing that game and not only was I not disappointed but it remained one of the powerhouse games for the console throughout the console’s lifespan.
At the end of the day the PS1 era was more than any one game though. It was the very first console that was truly mine. I grew up as a gamer with that console. Yet somehow when my parents came to see me at college the kid jumped back out and stashed the console with one of my roommates. On the surface college had to be about the studying and the degree, but in the end it was about the gaming and doing it on a student teacher’s salary. At $500 per console today companies may forget that which makes the official end of the PS1 era more significant than it might otherwise seem.
This article is written and copyrighted by Jamison DeLorenzo and all thoughts are solely his and do not necessarily represent anyone else’s including anyone else at this site. This is a weekly article which deals with anything and almost everything gaming. Feel free to post comments or e-mail. Thanks for reading.
Post your comments in the Forum!
On The Shelf In June 2006
ON THE SHELF IN JUNE
by Craig Reade
DARK HORSE
Pre-order any of the below titles by clicking here!
Page 22 – Conan #29, $2.99. Written by Mike Mignola, Art by CaryNord and Dave Stewart. Well, there you have it – the end of Busiek’s run. He will be coming back for one more issue – #32, but after that Tim Truman will take the reigns. Some might recognize Truman from his Eclipse Scout series – but that is about the only thing that would ring any bells. Is this the end of Conan? Busiek’s brilliance made Conan a must-read, now Truman has a heavy task ahead of him keeping up with some very high reader expectations. I wish him the best of luck – he has a real feat ahead of him. 32 Pages.
Page 44 – Star Wars Legacy #1, $2.99. Written by John Ostrander, Art by Jan Duursema and Dan Parsons. Another new Star Wars comic, this one set a century after the events in Return of the Jedi. This is fairly fertile ground, and provided the story is imaginative enough, could spark a very long and successful run. Star Wars needed something a little different in the wake of Revenge of the Sith – this might be just the ticket. 32 Pages.
p>DC COMICS
Pre-order any of the below titles by clicking here!Page 67 – Superman Returns: Krypton to Earth, Ma Kent, Lois Lane, and Lex Luthor, $3.99 (each). By Various. Superman Returns is almost upon us, and with it comes the movie tie-in comics! These four one-shots are meant to bridge the gap between Superman II and Superman Returns. Admittedly, I am light on the specifics, but does this mean Superman III and IV are being ignored? Going to have to do some reading… In any case, these are probably not the only movie-tie ins you will see from the biggest comic movie release of the year. 40 Pages (each).
Page 69 – Superman/Batman #27, $2.99. Written by Mark Verheiden, Art by Kevin Maguire. New writer – tough to tell yet which direction he intends to take the book though. One thing is for certain, with all the changes happening OYL, one can hope that Huntress’s costume on the cover of this issue is little more than a tribute and not an actual, permanent change. It has been the general concensus among readers for the longest time that she does not need to be naked – her more modest costume was perfect for her character. This is the only sighting of this costume still – hopefully it is the last. Some things are better left unchanged. 32 Pages.
Page 77 – DCU: Brave New World, $1.00. By Various. A collection of six previews, all of new series coming out later this year. This is a great idea – a taste of Martian Manhunter, OMAC, Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters, The Creeper, The All-New Atom, and The Trials of Shazam. With a all the new books coming out this year from DC, it is really unreasonable to expect that people will buy all of them in an effort to find the few that they will buy. Most readers don’t pull every title a publisher has to offer, after all. This gives readers a perfect chance to see which stories might work for them, at minimal cost. Great idea – a nice break for the readers. 80 Pages.
Page 78 – The Flash: Fastest Man Alive #1, $2.99. Written by Paul DeMeo and Danny Bilson, Art by Ken Lashley. Looks like the wait wasn’t that long after all. It is good that they are handling this as a tease – just who will the Flash be? Barry? Wally? Someone else? Pick it up to see. Can’t wait myself! 32 Pages.
Page 80 – Green Lantern Corps #1, $2.99. Written by Dave Gibbons, Art by Patrick Gleason and Prentis Rollins. Based on how good Recharge was, this should be the Green Lantern title to get. More importantly, Guy Gardner’s come-back continues! Another exciting return for DC this month, and it is nice to get excited about new ongoings for a change. Mega-event fatigue has settled in now, it is time for some good in-title stories! 32 Pages.
Page 82 – Hard Time Season Two #7, $2.99. Written by Steve Gerber and Mary Skrenes, Art by Brian Hurtt. This – this is upsetting. The original Hard Time launched the failed Focus line, and was probably dragged down by the concept. This was a great story, compelling in the extreme, and it was a sad day to see it go. It’s return elicited hope, but it was almost like no one cared to promote it. This title was a sure fit for Vertigo, and would have done extremely well there. Instead it was tucked away in the DC imprint, buried by Infinite Crisis and One year Later promotion, and it is already done as of this month. Some titles just can’t catch a break. If you want an excellent read, track down the back issues of both volumes of Hard Time. A highly under-rated read. 32 Pages.
Page 91 – Wonder Woman #1, $2.99. Written by Allan Heinberg, Art by Terry Dodson and Rachel Dodson. Another highly anticipated return for DC this month, and one with a lot of promise. Heinberg has done excellent work on Young Avengers over at Marvel, and it is going to be great to see what he can do with a much bigger fish in DC’s Amazon Princess. As acclaimed as Rucka’s run was, Wonder Woman was in dire need of a fresh direction. Hopefully Heinberg can provide that. 32 Pages.
Page 111 – Claw the Unconquered #1, $2.99. Written by Chuck Dixon, Art by Andy Smith. The Red Sonja/Claw crossover wraps up this month, and Wildstorm looks like it will try and keep the character going. Dixon is a good choice for the sword and sorcery barbarian genre, and it will be interesting to see what he can do with this reinvented character. 32 Pages.
Page 120 – Fables #50, $3.99. Written by Bill Willingham, Art by Mark Buckingham. It looks like we will have a wedding in this double-sized landmark issue, but naturally nothing is as it seems. Fables is a title that deserves an event issue like this one, and from the looks of things, Willingham is up for the task. It also looks like Fables will be gaining a spin-off – this issue also contains an 8 page preview of the upcoming Jack of Fables ongoing. Vertigo’s most anticipated issue of the year. 64 Pages.
IMAGE COMICS
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Page 135 – The Walking Dead Book One, $29.99. Written by Robert Kirkman, Art by Charlie Adlard. If you still haven’t sampled Kirkman’s zombie drama The Walking Dead, you won’t have a better chance to get caught up. This volume contains the first twelve issues of the acclaimed series. Usually hardcovers are an iffy proposition for new readers, but in this case, I can say with confidence that it is well worth the cost. One of the best written comic stories in a long time, and certainly tops when it comes to zombie horror. Especially the first arc. 304 pages.
Page 138 – The Cryptics #1, $3.50. Written by Steve Niles, Art by Ben Roman. This almost seems too funny to be Steve Niles, but it is his work all the same. The Cryptics is set in a universe where monsters are essentially regular people – the kids go to school, ride the bus, and generally cause mayhem. Should be good for the Niles fan who is interested in something a little lighter. 32 Pages.
Page 142 – Paul Jenkins’ Sidekick #1 (of 5), $3.50. Written by Paul Jenkins, Art by Chris Moreno. Another bit of humor out of Image this month, Sidkick follows an unassuming, well, sidekick, who takes a job as a paid sidekick to three other heroes to make ends meet. Naturally – hilarity ensues. Could be worth a peak. 32 Pages.
MARVEL COMICS
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Page M25 – Captain America #19. Written by Ed Brubaker, Art by Steve Epting. It seems like ‘perfect jumping on points’ have been happening a lot with this title. Probably a good thing – Captain America has been one of the best books Marvel has going throughout its run. This issue, naturally, is the start of a new story arc which brings Cap to London to team with Union Jack. Naturally, the Winter Soldier looms in the background. Once again – a must read title, and a good issue for new readers. 32 Pages.
Page 26 – Civil War #2 (of 7), $2.99. Written by Mark Millar, Art by Steve McNiven. Ok – it has to be said. Ease up on the hyperbole already! The solicit for this issue, amongst a few other choice lines, contains the following “Miss THIS one and you might just regret it for the rest of your life!” 32 Pages.
Page M29 – Civil War: Front Line #1 (of 10), $2.99. Written by Paul Jenkins, Art by Ramon Bachs and Steve Lieber. Not sure what to make of this series. Looks like a bi-weekly companion, but when it was first announced, it seemed like this was THE mini, not the other Civil War. 32 Pages (no ads).
Page M33 – Eternals #1 (of 6), $3.99. Written by Neil Gaiman, Art by John Romita, Jr. Judging by how well Gaiman did with 1602, this one will be a must read. As the title suggests, this mini focuses on the Eternals, specifically Ikaris. If you are a fan of the Eternals, this does promise to be a great read. Gaiman is also the focus of this month’s Marvel Spotlight, if you are interested in a little more info about him and his work. 48 pages.
Page 96 – Giant-Size Hulk #1, $4.99. Written by Peter David and Greg Pak, Art by Juan Santa Cruz and Aaron Lopresti. This is more like what we all want out of a Giant Size! Sure, there is the reprint of Incredible Hulk: The End, but this issue is MOSTLY new material. 2 new stories that tie into Planet Hulk, and what is to come for the Hulk once Planet Hulk wraps up. A good buy for current Hulk readers, and possibly a good start for anyone looking to give the Hulk a shot. More new material in Giant Size issues makes for happy readers – hopefully Marvel keeps it up. 96 Pages.
Page M46 – Marvel Westerns: The Two-Gun Kid, $3.99. Written by Dan Slott, Art by Eduardo Barreto. It’s Dan Slott. Do you need another reason? The Two-Gun Kid recently made another appearance in Slott’s She-Hulk, so it is fitting that Slott handle this book. Even more exciting is the possibility that maybe Marvel is taking a serious look at Western comics again? That would be fanatastic. In addition to the new story, this issue also contains a classic Kirby Rawhide Kid story. Might seem a little weird for those who were first introduced to that character via the MAX line, but eye-opening to be sure. 48 pages.
Page M32 – She-Hulk #9, $2.99 Written by Dan Slott, Art by Paul Smith. My, my, that is one big diamond on She-Hulk’s finger. Making me a little inpatient to read #8! 32 Pages.
Page M64 – Exiles #83, $2.99. Written by Tony Bedard, Art by Casey Jones. Bedard’s final issue, a stand-alone issue where he will no doubt reflect on the events in his run. Glad to see he is going out in style. Fans are understandable nervous about the new creative team. Claremont is very esteemed for his past work on the X-Men, but his recent work has been less than inspiring. With any luck, a change like this will do him a world of good. In the meantime, this is the month to say farewell to Tony Bedard. Looks like he will wrap things up neatly. 32 Pages.
Page M66 – Genext #1 (of 5), $2.99. The winner of a recent poll on Marvel.com – “What should Chris Claremont’s next project be” looks to be this – the future generation of X-Men. Could be a fun mini, though this isn’t exactly new ground. Some of us would be more interested in an X-People mini though. 32 Pages.
Page 85 – The Eternals, $75.00. By Jack Kirby. Good timing on this hardcover. With the new Eternals mini starting up this month, some people will be interested to read Kirby’s original run need only pick up this collection of Eternals #1-19 and Annual #1. Perhaps heft for the casual reader, this book will be a great addition to the libraries of hardcover collectors. 392 Pages.
Craig’s Top Five of the Month
#5 – Civil War #2 (of 7), $2.99, Marvel. An important event, but Marvel still has a lot to prove before this event is afforded the automatic must-read status that Infinite Crisis earned. I am still really, really leery of certain characters being unceremoniously killed for no apparent reason. Whether or not that happens remains to be seen, though.
#4 – Wonder Woman #1, $2.99, DC Comics. . The return of Wonder Woman. All you need to know.
#3 – Green Lantern Corps #1, $2.99, DC Comics. . With a bit of antipathy settling in about Hal Jordan, it is great to see that the Corps are getting an ongoing all their own.
#2 – Fables #50, $3.99, DC/Vertigo. . A major milestone issue. As good as Willingham is on normal issues, this one should be a pinnacle.
#1 – The Flash: Fastest Man Alive #1, $2.99, DC Comics. Like before, the return of the Flash. Really all you need to know.
Craig’s Collection of the Month
Page 65 – Batman Chronicles Volume 2, $14.99, DC Comics. Written by Bill Finger, Art by Bob Kane and Jerry Robinson. Wow! It was beginning to seem like they abandoned this concept all together. Though at this rate, we won’t live long enough to see them finish this! Batman Chronicles is a chronological reprinting of every Batman comics story ever published. This issue collects stories from Detective Comics #39-45, Batman #2-3, and New Yorks World’s Fair Comics #2. The first volume was a great start – it is gratifying to see that they are continuing the run. Hopefully future volumes will be a little more regular. 224 Pages.
NOTE: Opinions here may not reflect those of X-World Comics LLC or it’s staff and are solely the opinions of the writer.
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