Superhero Media: The Venture Bros. - Season 3

I was watching season three of The Venture Bros. and I caught myself having to pause the playback occasionally because I was laughing so much and I realised, this may be the start of the series being truly great. Fresh from the conclusion of the previous season, The Monarch and Doctor Mrs My Wife (later Doctor Mrs The Monarch) must face the mysterious Council of Thirteen, leaders of the Guild of Calamitous Intent, fight for their future together and bring the new tone and status quo to the programme. The Venture Bros. has a habit of reshaping itself somewhat with each new season, as the cast is shuffled around and new things are tried, which not only sets it apart from almost every other animated television programme, but makes re-watching it feel like going back to a classic Cable or Netflix series. The word I would use to best describe the third season of The Venture Bros. is "memorable", as every episode is endlessly quotable, new characters are anything but dull and background is added to more of the supporting cast. 

The world that the titular family inhabits broadens in this third season, with the Office of Secret Intelligence [OSI] becoming a fully-fledged organisation, the Guild coming out of the shadows and more of a look at how the broader world reacts to the fact that Dr Venture was the star of a children's cartoon series sometime in the 1960s. The first of the big narrative shake-ups come in the two-part season closer, "The Family that Slays Together, Stays Together", with the death of Henchman 23 and the departure of Brock Sampson from the role of Venture bodyguard; both of which will be major features for the next season. I must have watched most of The Venture Bros. at least a half dozen times, but I'm still struck every time with just how good it can be, from little quips about Jefferson Twilight's absurdly specific power set (hunting Blackulas), from layers of conspiracy being planted in one or two lines that will come to the fore years later (ORB). It's an easy programme to fall into accidentally, with the layers of meaning never quite being obvious as to just how meaningful they will be down the track. 

In case you can't tell, I still love The Venture Bros.; I feel that it may well be one of the best written continuing series being put out, or at least, pretends to be very well. It's a masterclass in writing and world-building for those who love that sort of thing, as well as a great example of how characters can grow and change over time, even in an animated or illustrated medium. Hell, it makes taking a look at older pulpy programmes like Johnny Quest worthwhile, not only as a deconstruction, but with new stories like Future Quest. Some streaming services are now offering The Venture Bros., but you most often have to dig for it, so take a look next time you're browsing for something to binge, you could start a life-long addiction. Again, if anyone knows someone that works on the programme, drop me a line so that I can try and sell my game idea to them, you know you'd buy it, at least to get a 28mm Sky Pilot and Holy Diver.

EDF Special Forces

When normal troops, tanks and planes aren't enough to battle the Kaiju and Invaders that threaten the Earth, humanity calls on unique and deadly weapons to defend the planet.

Rick Dom, Magella Attack Tank, Titan-Slayer Missile and the Hateful Flesh. 

 

1/400 Vending machine toys for Gundam, Kaiju and Sci-fi gaming. 

 

Repainted Dreamblade miniatures, the Titan-Killer is a one-shot, tungsten-headed missile intended to penetrate Kaiju hide and detonate inside the monsters, shredding their organs. The Hateful Flesh is a block of somehow still-living Kaiju bio-matter, kept alive and in pain constantly; the psychic distress this causes can distract Kaiju and drive away their spawn. 

 

Although massive compared to human-made mechs, the Invader "Drone" is on the smaller side of Kaiju. Made to provide command and control functions to the smaller Invader forces, the Drone strikes quickly and moves on, providing an elusive target. 

Superhero Media: The Incredible Hulk Returns

I've never seen much of the classic, Bill Bixby, The Incredible Hulk television series, but thanks to trolling through DVD clearance bins at dodgy shops, I have seen both attempts at launching a spin-off, Trial of the Incredible Hulk and The Incredible Hulk Returns. Six years after the end of the classic series, David Bruce Banner is happy, successful and evidently hasn't had a Hulk incident in a decade, somehow, whilst working for a major science company and dating a coworker. When a mysterious figure from Banner's past, Dr Donald Blake, tracks him down and inadvertently releases the Hulk once more, Banner and Blake, along with Blake's new charge, the Mighty Thor, must avoid detection, save the girl and stop the bad people from stealing the science machine. Did I mention Thor? Yes, well, The Incredible Hulk Returns is not only a "soft reboot" for The Incredible Hulk television series, but is a backdoor pilot for a Thor television series. FYI, Stan Lee purportedly hated this idea, despite his support and love for The Incredible Hulk series. 

Rather than the exiled prince of Asgard, the Thor of The Incredible Hulk Returns is a Viking warrior denied access to Valhalla, brought back to life when Donald Blake holds his hammer and shouts the name "Odin". Unlike the comics, Blake doesn't trade places with Thor, he just hangs around and tries to tell Thor what to do in any given circumstance. Although this is something of a poor choice, it does make for some fun moments, like Thor and Blake bonding at a Biker Bar and Blake and Banner using Thor to distract a journalist. For all the crummy parts that make up The Incredible Hulk Returns, as a whole, it's really not all that bad a watch, if incredibly silly. It's a bit like watching some Knight Rider or The A-Team, you know it's going to be bad going in, so you can enjoy what's good; and if Lou Ferigno painted green is a deal breaker for you, how did you even get this far, seriously? 

I'm hoping that Disney+ secures the rights to The Incredible Hulk at some point, because I've heard the series, if not the "movies", is pretty good most of the time. There's some inspiration there for a "low-rent" takes on superheroes, which I've seen a few people actually game over the years with systems like Pulp Alley and 7TV, Golglo Island Miniatures even do a pretty decent approximation of this version of Hulk in their range. Of course, I have considered making an "Avengers" team of the television versions of Hulk, Thor, Daredevil, Captain America and Spider-Man, but aside from Hulk and Thor, the rest aren't too different from their comic counterparts, and I'm guessing most people would mistake the Daredevil as being from the Netflix series. If you're young enough to have never seen any of The Incredible Hulk, The Incredible Hulk Returns can be worth tracking down for a look, as it's pretty short, and hits most of the beats of the series, but with the added hilarity of Thor and Donald Blake's perm.

Fantasy Football III

Remember that I said I wanted these lists to have more Indy characters? Well, I guess Anime will have to suffice, as that's what I've been watching of late. I've never really been one of those guys (and it's pretty much always guys) that is into "Anime" as a genre; I watch what looks interesting to me, or what is considered influential, but that's about it, much the same way I treat all other media. Whilst I'll admit that there is an element of cultural difference that can stymie my enjoyment of Anime, a lot of it is just the domination of "Shonen" style storytelling, like, I'm sure One Piece is really good once you get into it, but I don't feel like committing the time to it when other things are gaining my interest. Enough about me though, let's get to another of these stupid lists my friends keep asking about!


Carter Greyson 

Whilst I wasn't taken enough with Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue to want to watch a lot more Power Rangers, Carter Greyson was a sight to behold. An experienced Firefighter with a proclivity for gun-play, Carter is best known for charging in head-first to dangerous situations and somehow coming out on top. Carter is truly heroic, in or out of the red spandex, ending the series running off to the next disaster, even without his powers, though he seems to still have them in Forever Red. I don't so much see Carter as a great leader, but an excellent NCO, at the head of a strike or response team that needs to get the job done, more of a Captain America type than a mastermind like Nick Fury.


Eraser Head

No, not the excellent David Lynch film, but a semi-retired superhero turned teacher from My Hero Academia, Shota Aizawa is a great team pick not so much for his power, which is middling, but for how well he can use it. Eraser Head can "switch off" the powers of anyone in his line of sight, so long as they stay within his visual range and he doesn't blink; just how much powers can be turned off is nebulous, but still pretty useful. To make the most of his power, Eraser Head has trained himself to not blink and has costume elements that enable him to entangle depowered foes, as well as wearing goggles that made it hard for opponents to see where his gaze is at. In addition to his own skills, Eraser Head has an excellent lateral intelligence, able to help others find new and different ways to use their powers as well.


Kaoru Hanayama 

Whilst it would be a stretch to cover Baki in a "Superhero Media" article, the fighters portrayed therein are certainly near-superhuman in their strength and endurance. Although a member of the Yakusa and a criminal, Kaoru Hanayama is possessed of a rigid code of conduct that sees him defend police against the onslaught of mass-murderer Spec, even at the cost of his own face. Unlike many of the fighters in Baki, Hanayama is untrained, a brawler who relies on his incredible strength and high pain tolerance to win through against more skilled opponents. I'm not the kind of person that thinks a team really needs a "brutal" character like Wolverine or Peacemaker, but Hanayama would certainly be an excellent pick for that kind of role.


Qubit

A super-genius with an affinity for machines, Qubit is perhaps the most interesting character of BOOM! series Irredeemable, able to turn any device into anything else with only his mind. A pacifist who wields world-ending power through his "tele-portals", Qubit's optimism hides a viscous streak that few will push him far enough to see, let alone survive. Qubit is something of a chess player, working ahead of those around him with the end, not the means, foremost in his mind, always trying hard to make the best outcome happen, whilst planning contingencies. In the end, Qubit saves his world, getting a better outcome than any could have hoped for, and he walks away without the credit, because all he's done is his job; be a hero. Qubit doesn't just bring his prodigious intellect to a team, but also mobility through his tele-portals and a solid morality that some heroes lack.


Ultraman (Shinjiro)

Ok, yes, I'm sold on Ultraman now, and Shinjiro is a solid character with a lot to admire. Thrust into the role of planetary defender by destiny, this young man is learning as he goes, rather than being the best from the start. Not wanting to kill where he doesn't have to, Shinjiro's natural talents in the armour make him more "powerful" than the other Ultramen, but we see that power doesn't necessarily translate to efficacy. Much like Supergirl being more engaging than Superman because she has to struggle, Shinjiro is on the way to becoming an excellent hero, which means growing not only in power, but in maturity and wisdom. One of the greats in the making. 

Superhero Media: X-Men

Man, remember when this was one of the best superhero films ever made? Fuck, I'm old. In a bleak time before media streaming and Cinematic Universes, teenage runaway Rogue runs into Wolverine in an Alaskan bar and the pair are soon quickly embroiled in a secret war between two rival camps of mutants, Professor X and his X-Men and Magneto and his... Brotherhood? Are they actually called that? Magneto uses the term a couple of times, but with Ian McKellen's Shakespearean delivery, it always comes across a little ironic. Uncomfortable as it is to admit with the benefit of hindsight, Bryan Singer does an excellent job directing this first outing for what turned out to be the long-running X-Men series of films, with a sanded-down version of the most iconic characters from the comics pitched at a consumer mindset that wasn't ready for the heady days of colourful costumes and fourth-wall breaks. Despite their differences, Wolverine and the X-Men come together to defeat Magneto and save the delegates from his mutant-ray, before zipping off the the next film. 

Ok, first of all, do you remember that Magneto has a DNA-manipulating science device powered by magnetism and that's it's the main MacGuffin of the film? I mean, I remember it, but I didn't remember how utterly absurd the whole thing is in light of all the other shortcuts made with the material to make it less "silly". The sleek designs of the technology, black leather costumes and lots of biomedical techno-bable to disguise the comic book origins of the content and characters are almost laughable now, but were necessary to sell the idea to a broader audience who was expecting something more like Blade or The Matrix than Guardians of the Galaxy. As I hinted above, it's the cast and crew that make X-Men, with everybody turning in solid performances, even when, like Halle Berry, they don't have a lot to work with. I think centering Wolverine and Rogue for this film works, but as we move through the series, the lack of other X-Men getting to do things will soon become tiresome. 

Aside from the really good ones, I don't find that the X-men series has a lot of value other than being a fun binge watch, even the bad ones. I know there are fans of this series, but I really don't see a miniature project of black-leather clad mutants being all that fun to put together, or even why one might choose to start their RPG in this setting, perhaps as a "lite" version of Academy X? An X-Men setting without the baggage of the other Marvel heroes does appeal, if only to avoid all of the crossover events that clog up ongoing stories. Of course, the setting of X-Men already has branching timelines, alternate universes and retcons, so maybe it's not so simple after all? I have to say that I'm looking forward to going over these films again, even just to reappraise them all these years later. Also excited to see when the mutants hit the Marvel Cinematic Universe and how that all turns out.

Miniature Finished: Solaris

An evil solar computer from the far future, Solaris is an obscure Superman antagonist I first came across in All Star Superman and just had to have one. Thankfully, Heroclix do this great version just swimming in detail and character.

I used a mix of GW Contrast Paints and Glazes to get the effect I wanted, but I'm really happy with the eye, some of my best freehand to date. 

Superhero Media: Captain America - Civil War

Is it me, or does Captain America Civil War mark a turning-point for the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Before now, the idea of crossing over characters was reserved for Avengers outings and cameos, but ten superheroes beating the tar out of each other isn't even the finale of Civil War. The cynical may call it a cash-in, but Captain America has always been associated with the rest of the Avengers more so than any family or friends, given that most people he knew are dead, except, of course, Bucky. Speaking of the Winter Soldier, Bucky is trying to piece his life together in the backwaters of Europe, not knowing that Helmut Zemo, sadly not a Baron, nor wearing a purple balaclava (yet), is hunting him down on a mission to break up the Avengers forever. Which is not inspired by Avengers Disassembled nor Civil War, somehow. But who cares about adaptations when the best Captain America film also introduces Black Panther, Spider-Man and has some of the best Hawkeye moments until Avengers Endgame. 

And how good are the Spider-Man scenes? Seriously, within a couple of lines, the best live-action Spidey comes into the fore without even putting on the costume. What makes Civil War great is the interplay between characters, from Peter Parker hero worshiping Tony Stark, Cap and Bucky reminiscing about Coney Island in the '30s and Ant-Man just being super enthused to be with all the other heroes. We get to see all of our favouite heroes, and a couple new to the MCU, fight it out in classic Silver Age style before Tony Stark has two drastic changes of heart in the final act and The Avengers are split at their core over the course of a fist fight between two best friends. The image of Captain America's shield, damaged and broken will set the tone for the team for years to come, pretty much until Avengers Endgame. In the same film in which Hawkeye fires Ant Man on an arrow like some Lee/Kirby Avengers, Steve and Tony have a personal emotional battle better than any part of Dawn of Justice; exactly the kind of heady mix that makes the MCU great. 

Rather than being lost, the big cast works for Civil War because we get to see the Avengers being domestic, much like in Age of Ultron, with Vision attempting to cook, the team tackling Hydra offshoots and Tony Stark running the behind the scenes. Thunderbolt Ross returns for the first time since The Incredible Hulk, and Everett Ross makes his debut before he returns in Black Panther. Fanboys take note, Wakanda just having always been around but not mentioned is pretty much how Latveria and mutants should be handled in the MCU when their time comes around. No one really wants a long-winded explanation on how all the minutia works, it distracts from the story and the characters. All these years later, Civil War still remains one of the best films in the MCU stable, with some of the best character work and world-building in a great superhero adventure. That's the secret of the MCU, make good films, people already love these characters, just do the work and the rewards will follow.

Ultimate Alliance Rulebook - Part V

So that last example game certainly broke down the Ultimate Alliance rules pretty well, but it was an unsatisfying game; why was that? First up, when running a Super System Ultimate Alliance game, I'm typically "Game Mastering" which means I can change things on the fly, and I also tend to play-test the scenario, neither of which was happening this time around. For example, the zombies were a last-minute addition, which didn't really work, they slowed the heroes down too much and gave the Dark Judges too much of an advantage. Without an internal points balance, the guesswork can be a bit tricky sometimes, and it's been a couple of years since I ran my last SSUA game; my Civil War game was play-tested at least three or four times before the final scenario was ready. Where I to play this scenario again, I'd add or swap-out another hero, probably a more powerful one, drop the zombies in favour of a less durable Henchman team, or maybe even a solo Villain. 

In many of my games, I try and make sure I have at least one or two characters that are pretty well known (have had their own recent film or television run) and some that are more obscure. The obscure characters have the advantage of introducing interesting heroes and villains to potential new fans but are also great for attracting some of their existing fans to play. As an example, I had a dad join in with his son once at Little Wars Melbourne because he found I had a playable Vision, his favourite character. Similarly, I pushed Booster Gold on a friend once, who now has followed some of the character's comics and checks in on the odd game to play him again. I also like to have a good mix of characters, both in terms of powers (so that everyone can have a go) and who would be fun to see together. Again, I think ideas like "X-Men Vs Doom Patrol" should be avoided, but that leaves plenty of scope for fun team-ups like Constantine and the Ghostbusters, Daredevil and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Masked Warrior and Green Hornet and many, many more. Ever wondered how Lex Luthor would fare against Tony Stark? What about Public Security Section 9 hunting down a "Secret Invasion" of Phalanx? The possibilities are endless, do don't get hung up on "who would win" scenarios. 

Sad to say, this is likely to be the last of my Rulebook articles for a while, as pretty much all I have left to do is post character cards for the game, which is something I'm still working on doing nice versions of them. I could just post up the raw stats, but I'd rather give you something ready to go, as I know there are a few of my readers who want to get these games going with their children or play groups that aren't really into tabletop miniature wargames just yet. I'm writing this during July 2020, so I'm not sure when I'll get to do more wargames again, but as soon as I can, I'll try and get some more SSUA games in and do some AARs for those of you starving for this particular kind of content.

Superhero Media: Supernatural - Season 4

With Dean having been literally dragged to Hell at the end of the previous season, how will Supernatural continue? Well, with Dean being pulled out of Hell by an angel, of course. Yes, despite having fought demons since season one, the Biblical god of Yahweh and his associated mythology has only ever been hinted at until Castiel joins the regular cast and the battle to stop the Apocalypse begins. Though I'm never a huge fan of when media which has drawn upon as diverse mythologies as Ancient India, Tibetan Shamanism and Native American legends for it's monsters just resorts to Jesus to fill the gaps, Supernatural draws upon Gnostic and Apocryphal sources as well as the more "colourful" books of the Bible. I'm especially fond of one angel describing his divine appearance along the lines of the Book of Revelation, complete with multiple faces. The race is on to stop last season's antagonist, Lilith, from breaking the "66 Seals" required to free Lucifer from the pit and begin the end of days. 

Given the television budget, the end of the world is pretty low-key, involving a lot of fistfights in dusty factories, but to quote Ultimate Quicksilver, "Sometimes it's just a bunch of maniacs punching and kicking each other". Sam is still working his demon psychic powers, which form the main point of contention between the brothers this season, with Dean going from a strict utilitarian approach to the issue to a complete falling-out by the closing episodes. As a fan of the White Wolf Hunter The Reckoning role playing game, I like the approach of running close to the line of evil in order to take out a bigger evil, and Sam's journey is well paced throughout the season. The writers of the programme are clearly having more fun, with time-travel and alternate reality episodes, along with Universal Monster Movie themes and introducing "Chuck, Prophet of the Lord", who writes the "Supernatural" novels, featuring Sam and Dean. Is this a little too meta for my tastes? Sure, but it's well handled and makes for some interesting storytelling in the next season. 

As season four of Supernatural progresses, it becomes more a kind of programme that could be adapted into a heroic ensemble, with demons, angles and different factions broadening the core team a little. There are still no decent "team fights", but if a more horror/divine oriented set of characters are your bag, there's plenty here to choose from. Angels, Demons and the Biblical Apocalypse are all great fodder for your supers games; how do the heroes react? What do villains do? Most interpretations of Angles don't make them out to be all that magnanimous and humanist, so heroes that want to save people may come to loggerheads with them pretty quick. There are plenty of non-Abrahamic, not to mention non-Christian, superheroes out there, how do they react to what's happening? An atheist hero may even try and prove a more grounded version of events, that is, grounded in terms of alternate universes and aliens, it's still comics, after all. I've really enjoyed going back over Supernatural, but the broadcast-length seasons are starting to wear me down, I'm glad I only have the one left. Join me next time for one of the greatest finales in television history.