Miniatures Finished: Marvel Crisis Protocol

Since I've been back working at my Friendly Local Gaming Store, it's been part of my role to help improve the wargames selection and to paint up the shop copies of various things. To whit, I've been working on the starter set of Marvel Crisis Protocol.

Red Skull, Ultron and Iron Man

The miniatures are reasonable, the detail is pretty shallow and the build quality is not really comparable to other other miniatures in the same price range. I haven't gotten a game in yet, but think I will after the COVID-19 lockdown is lifted.

Superhero Media: Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn

I waited a while for the price to come down on this one, and I'm glad I did, because as good as Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn is, it's pretty short, I cleared the main adventure in a few hours. When the fiendish sorcerer, Yin-Yarn, escapes from his own universe into Dream Land, he begins to turn everyone and everything into yarn in a bid to conquer the world. Naturally, Kirby steps in to aid the situation, but once his is also turned into yarn, Kirby is unable to use his inhale ability and is quickly defeated. Now in the textile-themed "Patch Land", Kirby befriends Prince Fluff, the displaced ruler and the pair embark upon an adventure of freeing Patch Land from evil and collecting furniture. Yes, the collectable element of the game is furniture, with which Kirby can decorate his Patch Land apartment, a part of the game I didn't really care for, though that may have something to do with the touch-interface of the 3DS not being something I like using for precision work. 

The aesthetics of Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn (yarn instead of wool for the pun value) are probably the best part of the experience, with everything looking like an arts and crafts project, complete with bottle caps, paper clips and the collectable being beads rather than stars. Instead of inhaling opponents, Kirby lassos them with some of the yarn he's made up of, which makes for rather unique game-play in the series, but there are still powers, most of which are reminiscent of previous entries. Probably my favourite little flourish of Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn is the new dash mechanic, in which Kirby transforms into a little car, beeps twice, and is harder to steer; it's cute and exactly the kind of detail that makes a Kirby game endearing. Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn is among the easiest Kirby games I've played, with the challenge being pretty flat except for a few massive spikes, which kind of bugged me as I was playing the game pretty casually and wasn't expecting them. The bonus "Devilish" levels vary in difficulty from absurdly easy to brutally punishing with no real indication or reason, so I haven't played a lot of them. 

So why isn't Prince Fluff in Kirby Star Allies or Smash Bros Ultimate even? He's got an interesting set of moves and transformations, the big mech would work as a Final Smash really well and at least it wouldn't be another JRPG or Mario character on the roster. Is it to do with rendering the whole Yarn thing? This game was pretty popular, but aside from demands for more knitted Amiibos, I don't really see a call for Patch Land to return in any fashion, which is a shame, at least the progression of the game wasn't the typical Dream Land fare that has become pretty familiar to fans of the series. I'd still say I was disappointed overall with Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn, but there is stuff there that I want to see more of in later Kirby games, and not just a setting that I'm not already familiar with. I don't know, I get the feeling that the Kirby franchise has all of the pieces for an amazing "Triple A" style game that is engaging and story-driven whilst still being approachable for younger players, if Nintendo and Hal really committed to it, but only time will tell if that's one dream that can come true.

Crafting a Hellboy Cinematic Universe

In another episode of the strange places my brain likes to go when I'm tired and bored, I struck upon the idea of building a "Cinematic Universe" where there previously was none. This isn't a new idea, look up the "Val Verde Cinematic Universe" if you're keen for some hardcore film-nerding, but why bother doing this at all, other than boredom? Well, for the same reasons I tend to run superhero RPGs in either my homebrew "Equalisers" setting or the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Building the Equalisers setting took a long time, a great deal of effort and plenty of false-starts and retcons. I love my little homebrew setting, with its growing multiverse and generations of heroes and villains, but now it's getting to the point where if I want anyone to come play in my sandbox, I have to give them a heck of a lot of reading and even talk about the bits that only exist in my head. When I, instead, decided to run my MI-13 game in the MCU, all I had to do was say what film was our starting place, and we were in business. Of course, the ubiquity of the MCU was of great help there, but this isn't the only case where I've used multimedia to "prime" players for a game. 

One of my favourite roleplaying games is White Wolf's Hunter: The Reckoning, an oft-maligned side game in the World of Darkness setting, I love the struggle of humanity against much more powerful foes that already run the world behind the scenes. Unlike other World of Darkness games like Vampire, there isn't a great deal of popular media that informs Hunter, so I had to find some for myself. Getting players to read an entire book about their character's "Creed" is not always an easy task, but telling a potential Martyr to watch Fallen? Easy in. For me, unless my player group are all big comic nerds, choosing to set a Marvel game in the MCU is pretty easy, and if I were inclined to do a DC game, I'd be looking at the animated "Timmverse" for my setting. However, what if I want to go a little bit darker? Look, I like Hellboy comics, but their episodic and mood-focused nature means that there isn't a great deal of character development, something I live for in my media. That's why I'm such a fan of the films, they take the unique aesthetic and build more rounded characters to populate the world, and it's a shame that we never got more in the same series. But could there be more films out there that fit the setting? Is there an undiscovered "Hellboy Cinematic Universe"? 

Ok, first two are easy, Hellboy and Hellboy II The Golden Army form the core of our franchise, introducing that the setting is open to all sorts of fun stuff like Pulp Nazis, magic, hell, heaven, Lovecraft mythos, fae, super-science, ghosts, cryptids, psychic powers and more. Throwing in some of Guillermo del Toro's other works, like Pan's Labyrinth and The Shape of Water is pretty easy, with fae being established already and surely the FBI (or whoever) are jealous enough of the BPRD to capture their own version of Abe Sapien. Now let's have some fun with an obscure Michael Mann gem from 1983, The Keep; in which Nazi soldiers accidentally awaken an ancient monster hidden in cyclopian architecture. Keeping on that theme, Dagon (2001) is patchy in quality, but is one of the better adaptations of the Lovecraft mythos with a modern twist. There aren't a lot of great fae films out there, but doesn't Firestarter (1984) read like an origin for Liz Sherman? Sure, it's not a brilliant film, but might be worth a look anyway. Last one is another obscure gem, Below (2002) features a WWII submarine crew dealing with a haunting and the paranoia that an enclosed space can bring. 

Is this an exhaustive list? Hell no. For starters, there were animated shorts that came out with the Hellboy film and used the same actors for the voices, but how about viewing Nicholas and Alexandra (1971) as an origin film for Rasputin, especially with the brilliant performance of Tom Baker as the Mad Monk. At a certain point, presenting your players with a stack of DVDs is going to be just as daunting as a stack of books, but having a grounding to work from can really help, and is a great excuse to check out new films and television. I also run the Doctor Who RPG and there's so much content there that I know I'll never get through it all, so why not chuck a few extra films at your players? I still wish there was more Hellboy, but when I watch The Keep and Below and wonder what else could have been, it dulls that want a little. Just the exercise of seeing how unrelated media can fit together can be fun as well, looking for connective tissue, characters and even actors that cross over if you squint at it just right.

Superhero Media: Jessica Jones - Season 3

Once the Marvel Netflix experiment was wound up, it took me a little while to get back into it, with aborted attempts at watching Luke Cage and Iron Fist before I was once again lured into the postmodern noir of Jessica Jones. Following on directly from the conclusion of the previous season, Jessica and Trish are at odds over the death of Jessica's birth mother and Jeri faces down her own mortality as her ALS advances and she contemplates suicide. Death is the overriding theme of the third season, with Gregory Sallinger, a serial killer and very loose take on Foolkiller from Marvel Comics, being the primary antagonist of the series. Whilst, yet again, not as impactful or resonant as the first season, Jessica Jones remains a thrilling and engrossing character piece, with no one emerging unchanged from their starting place in the first episode. Whilst there is a feeling of "wrapping up" for many characters, Jessica herself is left unfettered at the close of the story, ready to move on to the next adventure, whatever that may be. 

At the time of writing (June 2020), there is no word on the possible return of the Netflix heroes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, be it through film or Disney+, though the pervading rumour is that Daredevil will return in the next Spider-Man outing. I really hope that we get to see Krysten Ritter fill the hoodie and fingerless gloves of Jessica Jones again, she brings a lot to the character, embodying the pathos and trauma that she is built on and managing to pull off the super-strength sequences with a casual detachment that few other heroes display. I'm not necessarily sold on the idea of Jessica joining the Avengers, but having her as a supporting character in another film would be ideal, especially if that film had a mystery element to it. I'd also be sad to be losing the supporting cast from Jessica Jones, but by the close of the third season, only Jeri and Malcolm are around in any capacity, though I would be down for seeing Hellcat join a Thunderbolts team if that ever happens. 

Why am I not talking so much about the story of the third season? Well, it's a fun ride, but not all that memorable compared to what has come before, especially as David Tennant was too busy voicing Scrooge McDuck to do more than a one-line cameo. As odd as it is to write this knowing no one will see this article for a few years, I really don't want to spoil what happens in this series. Hell, I came to this a year late and I know plenty of other people who have given up on Marvel Netflix already. If you're languishing for something to watch and haven't given this a go yet, it is well worth a binge, even just to see where the characters end up. Though, again, hopefully we haven't seen the last of all of them. 

Miniatures Finished: 01/04/20

Three heroes and three villains finished means my painting must be going alright, a good balance, you know? These were finished during the COVID-19 Pandemic, a period in which I was pretty prolific at the painting table, but not so much for superheroes.

Demogorgon: This bendy-plastic figure came with a Stranger Things themed D&D starter set I brought for work, but never used, and even after undercoat, varnish and hairspray, still flexes easily when held. Hopefully someone gives us a good version in whitemetal or resin at some stage. D&D Miniatures. 

Solomon Grundy: I've had this figure painted for years, but when I dug it out for my "From the Archives" articles, I wasn't happy with it, so he got a repaint. Heroclix. 

The Untitled Goose: After playing Untitled Goose Game, I knew I had to get a version of the protagonist in miniature. In games, the Goose won't so much be a playable character as it will be a GM or AI controlled piece that harries anything near it, maybe makes off with objectives. Converted Eureka. 

Rash: I'm steadily adding more video game characters to my roster thanks to the efforts of people online and friends with 3D printers. Whilst Rash and Battletoads weren't high on my list of stuff to add, I kind of didn't want to pass it over. 3D Print 

The Shadow: I told you he'd be back, cape now fixed. Reaper Bones 

Human Torch: After putting this figure up in my "From the Archives" entries, I decided a 20-odd year old paint job needed updating. Heroclix.

Superhero Media: Annihilation

One of the biggest events to ever hit Marvel Comics, at least in term of impact, is one that many have never heard of, Annihilation. When Annihilus and his army punch into the 616 Universe, the Nova Corps, Skrull Empire and Omega Corps are wiped out immediately, and only a handful of Cosmic heroes remain to fight back against an endless wave of death. Published at the same time as Civil War, Annihilation never garnered as much interest, but as an event, would have a much longer legacy; namely, the rebirth of "Marvel Cosmic". Birthed through the tireless work of Jim Starlin in the 1970s and 80s, Marvel Cosmic is the expansive 616 universe beyond the confines of Earth, and brings us characters as vital to the Marvel brand as Thanos, Captain Marvel and the Guardians of the Galaxy. Until the publication of Annihilation, most of these characters had languished in obscurity for years, but with sharp writing and a universe-upending story, Nova, Drax the Destroyer, Thanos, Starlord, Gamora and others were thrust back into relevance. 

Across three volumes, a cosmic war of epic scale is fought, with the narrative woven around Nova (Richard Rider), Silver Surfer, Ronan the Accuser and Super-Skrull, with a massive supporting cast of old classics and new characters, with some really deep cuts; Stellaris and Morg, anyone? Like most event comics, Annihilation varies in quality depending on the artists and writers working on each issue, but the main comics, as well as the lead-in stories dealing with Nova and Drax, are excellent. I could honestly use up the rest of my space just listing the awesome moments in the series, like Galactus screaming for blood and he wipes out an Annihilation fleet, Ronan smashing the Universal Weapon over Ravenous' head and Starlord lamenting not having any super-powers in the middle of a fight, but I'd quickly stray into spoiler territory and you really should read this one for yourself. Few superhero stories I've read really manage to parse the difference in power between characters as well as Annihilation, with Drax and Gamora being incredibly deadly when compared to a human, but not being able to hold a candle to the Heralds or Seekers. 

Of course, Annihilation is a major inspiration for my own games, with my eventual goal to run a, very long, series of games telling the story, but including all of the non-Marvel heroes I have along the way. In fact, I'm only waiting on a handful of minis to get the ball rolling, but finding some of the characters is a major pain. Chasing down 3D prints and commissioning sculpts is time-consuming and expensive, but hopefully, I'll be there one day soon. The follow-ons to Annihilation vary in quality, from the excellent Conquest to the lazy Thanos Imperative, but the original remains excellent and one of the best introductions to Marvel Cosmic out there. The best known legacy of Annihilation, of course, is The Guardians of the Galaxy film series, which is based on a reboot of that comic which spun out of this event, with the new version of Drax being born in the run-up to the coming of the Wave. Hopefully, there will be a version of Annihilation in the Marvel Cinematic Universe at some point, but if it will have all of the lore and references of the original, only time will tell. Until then, grab yourself a copy of this and get reading.

Ultimate Alliance: China - Part III

Stuck for hours in an overly-stuffed chair in, yet another, board meeting, Chen Zhen subconsciously engaged in the simultaneous, yet contradictory, actions of tensing his legs, and rubbing the fused portion of his wrist. Edging ever closer to his sixtieth birthday, Chen found himself more and more haunted by the spectre of youth; be it in the business world or in his own reflected face. As a young man, Chen's world ended at the city limits of Shanghai, it was his birthplace, his patch and his charge, handed down from his father. For generations, his family had protected Shanghai through their influence, business and through the identity of the Masked Warrior, a dynastic vigilante persona who had stood against corruption and violence in the streets since the 1930s. Chen had given much of his twenties, thirties and even a hefty proportion of his forties over to the duty of protecting the city. Finally, age and injury had forced Chen to retire the Masked Warrior until his son was ready to take on the role.

On the eve of Chen's fiftieth birthday, a major dip in share price due to a weak US market caused him to work late, not a big deal as the exclusive steak restaurant his son demanded that they go to would hold the table until they arrived, but it did mean that the family town-car was idling outside corporate headquarters for longer than expected. Chen exited his building into the autumn rain, prepared for the good-natured chiding his wife and son would give him, finding instead a gang of youths tearing through his car, taking anything of value they could lay their hands on, down to tearing out the walnut panels from the doors. Leaping into action with no care for his secret identity, Chen battered the youths with a lifetime of martial skill and experience, driving most away and rendering several unconscious. Too late, Chen discovered that his wife and child had already borne the brunt of the attack, his wife throttled during the act of her necklace being stolen and his son with a split head on the curb. 

Chen would only remember the remainder of that night in fragments of blood and bone, but his wealth and a team of lawyers kept any legal repercussions at bay whilst he found his way far enough out of his grief for the rage to clear. The scum that attacked his family were starving street kids, all underage and desperate for any food or money they could find. Those that survived his initial wrath avoided any serious gaol time due to their youth and circumstances, leaving Chen with a blazing desire for revenge. Throwing himself into his Masked Warrior identity, Chen began a crackdown on street crime in Shanghai like hadn't been seen since the days of the revolution. Orgainsed crime was running scared for months before a plan was hatched to bring the Masked Warrior down permanently. Lured into an ambush, Chen barely escaped with his life, but was too badly injured to continue on in his vigilante identity. Years past and things calmed down, but it seemed that the days of the Masked Warrior were done.

Melancholic and weary, Chen retired to his private office to reflect and enjoy a quiet drink before calling the car to take him home. The evening skyline of Shanghai always had a calming effect on Chen, and when combined with $500 whiskey, it could numb the pain of regret and years. Tonight, however, Chen was not destined to find respite, instead, a rising plume of black smoke broke the skyline and any reverie that may have been due faded quickly into cold reality. Several large screens in Chen's office constantly steamed the local and international Markets, but a secret switch in a draw would flip to news networks and police scanners, a remnant from the days of the Masked Warrior. The major networks were already carrying reports of a fire burning at the Baoshan Campus of Shanghai University, started when a student-led protest turned violent. People were hurt, students and police, and footage of black-masked, anti-government protesters throwing Molotov cocktails at police and into buildings made Chen's blood boil. 

Scarcely aware of his actions and blinded by visions of trouble-making youths assaulting his family, Chen found himself pulling on the spare Masked Warrior costume he had habitually kept in his office, even all these years later. The costume was tight in places, and the leather gloves cracked and flaking from age, but once the mask and hat were on, Chen felt the weight of years lifted; The Masked Warrior had returned, and trouble-makers should beware.

Superhero Media: Turtles Forever

What happens when the 1988 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles meet the 2003 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? One shell of a film! An accident with the Technodrome's inter-dimensional portal ends up with the classic Turtles and their main enemies crossing paths with their newer incarnation, all shell breaking loose when the Classic Shredder resurrects his newer counterpart. Oh sorry, you getting sick of the puns? Well Turtles Forever doesn't let up with them and neither will I. Despite being billed as a crossover, Turtles Forever mostly utilises the 2003 characters and settings, with anything outside the core cast of the 1988 version rendered background cameos. Whilst this doesn't really please me all that much, it's an understandable choice, given that the 2003 run was still in production at the time and, well, the 1988 version was a bit shallow. Don't get me wrong, I grew up with the 1988 version of the Turtles and still enjoy the better episodes now, but it was a product of its time and a lot of it has aged poorly. Of course, Turtles Forever understands this and plays it for laughs, but don't go in expecting to see Leatherhead, Fugitoid or the Triceratons.

As the action ramps up, new Shredder discovers that all versions of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles stem from a single universe, which he dubs "Turtles Prime", the key to destroying all Ninja Turtles everywhere. When the teams arrive at Turtles Prime, they discover a black and white world drawn from the original Mirage comics, complete with internal narration and way too serious dialogue. It's a great moment, especially after the "multiverse" sequence which dives as deep as Out of their Shells and Turtle Maki. I think people can forget that the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles started as a pitch-dark pastiche of 1980s Marvel Comics, as well as forgetting that later versions have tended to improve that original concept. Yes, as an adult, you may find the Mirage Comics more appealing, but the best versions of this franchise have been built on the success on the 1988 version, which added diversity, characters and a heck of a lot more fun to the proceedings. Turtles Forever celebrates all of that, albeit briefly, uniting all off the various Ninja Turtles that have ever been or will ever be as part of a whole growing from the original centre. 

Turtles Forever isn't quite as good as hardcore fans may want it to be, but it is clearly made with a love and reverence for the material, which makes it endearing even if it feels rushed in places. Not having watched much of the 2003 version, I was a bit lost with some of the characters and references, but I never felt that I was missing too much. Like, ok, this Shredder is an alien? But with a human daughter? I can deal with that, I read comics, but a minute of exposition would have been good. Krang and classic Shredder get an introduction, even the Technodrome is briefly explained, but who is this woman and how is she the daughter of an alien octopus? As I've said, Turtles Forever is far from perfect, but it is a great watch for fans of the Turtles, even not these specific versions thereof. I picked up my copy cheap on DVD, but I'm pretty sure you can stream this in a few places if you look for it.