Thinking Out Loud: The Slizer Project - Part I

In the distant future, the most valued resource is access to the time continuum, the key to time travel. Controlled by a consortium of powerful races, the technology is protected by an elite force of warriors chosen from across time and space, who pilot the most advanced weapons systems in the universe, the Slizers!

This entry is going to be a little different to my typical fare. Much like my previous "Danton" series, in that I've dug out something from my teens (and this time childhood) and am seeing if there's anything there worth keeping. The Slizer story goes back about as far as I can remember, as it is what the overarching narrative of the games I played with my Lego became. Yes, I was one of those kids who had a story to go with certain toys they owned. Because this narrative spanned years of collecting and little games played by myself, it's pretty muddled, but thankfully, I tried to get it all sorted out at some stage in high school and somehow still have that ancient Word document kicking around my hard drive.

It all begins with a group of academics at a university, one of whom, a Postdoctoral Theoretical Physicist, manages to crack the holy grail of Science Fiction, Time Travel. Taking his friends along with him on the maiden flight (an archeologist, a classicist, a geologist and a physiologist), the team go on adventures throughout history and the near future, meeting famous people, getting into trouble and just having a whole Doctor Who meets Sliders vibe. Throughout their journey, something is stalking the team, something alien. Over time, the stress of the situation wears on the friends, with many wanting to go home, events coming to a head when they're attacked by their pursuer and the Physicist reveals he knows more than he's been letting on and attempts to dump all of his friends in the wastes of history.

We follow the archeologist, our protagonist, by the by, as he is stuck for a while in the Old West, think tail end of the American Civil War. For a few years, he hangs out on the edge of society, trying to preserve history and fix his time travel device with the available technology, ala Back to the Future - Part III, and occasionally dealing with something strange. When the local town becomes the target of an alien with powerful weaponry, our protagonist uses his 21st Century knowledge to rally the town and bring the creature down, though reveals his secrets as he does and decides to leave before his goodwill evaporates in the harsh light of day. Thankfully, the alien craft is able to access the timestream, so we're off again.

Any freedom our protagonist enjoys is short-lived, as he is arrested by the Slizer Force, essentially a militarised "Time Police", as a rogue time traveler, revealing that the defeated alien was there to arrest him and that they've been hunting him and his friends since they first started their journey. Offered the choice to be erased or join, our hero signs up, only to find that his surviving friends, excluding the physicist of course, are alive and working for Slizer Force. Within the broader policing structure of future humans and aliens, there is a team of time travel veterans who act with a little more autonomy and attempt to curb rouge elements without lethal force. As well as the Geologist and Archeologist, the team features characters we have encountered before, and a few new ones. But more on that next time, as this is a pretty good breaking point.

Superhero Media: Daredevil - Born Again

Frank Miller is, to not mince words, a pretty appalling human being. His views on women, queer persons and Islam are backwards and highly offensive, and it would be a good thing for the world at large were he to drift out of the spotlight. However, much of Miller's work as an author remains excellent, and I highly recommend his tenure on Daredevil, if you are of a kind to be able to separate your distaste for Miller's views from the comics themselves. Born Again is about the pinnacle of Miller's work with Daredevil, slightly edged out by The Man Without Fear in my personal estimation, but still a bonafide classic for the character. Some elements of the story do still stray into Miller's particular "views" such as Karen Page's work as a adult film actor and the entire character of Nuke, but both serve the story well and have excellent resolutions to make up for it. Having nothing left to her name, Karen Page, addicted to heroin and stranded in Central America, sells the one thing she has kept back for one last fix, the true identity of the Man Without Fear; Matt Murdock. 

Once this information finds its way to The Kingpin of Crime, Matt soon finds his life being stripped away by inches; his accounts are frozen, he is framed for embezzlement and his friends abandon him, but it's only the beginning. Like a cat with an injured mouse, Kingpin toys with Matt as his life collapses, his sanity flees and the final confrontation looms. Even out of his mind, Daredevil gives Kingpin the fight of his life, but it is all to naught and Matt finds himself in a cab at the bottom of a river. Bleeding, broken, but alive, Matt awakens at the church where he grew up, where he must put himself back together, with the aid of Sister Maggie, his long-lost mother. Yes, I decided to give Born Again another read after finishing the third season of Netflix Daredevil, which lifted some elements from this famous story, though I felt pretty poorly. The narrative culminates with Matt and Karen building a new life and exposing Kingpin enough to force him back into the shadows for a time, though not before we meet Nuke, a new character created by Miller especially for this story. 

That Nuke is intended as a critique on American military colonialism is obvious, but what point, exactly, Miller may be try to make is somewhat unclear. Nuke is obsessed with the (now debunked) Vietnam "Lost POWs" conspiracy like a refugee from Rambo II and is easily taken in by Kingpin's false patriotism, and must be "put right" by Captain America, who roots out the corruption within the military. It's another play on the idea of Cap being a symbol that is corrupted for political gain, but it almost seems out of place in a Daredevil story in which another antagonist probably would have made more sense. Minor quibbles aside, Born Again is a classic Daredevil story and belongs in any decent collection of such, even if Miller's work may not be to your particular taste. For those more familiar with the Netflix series, Born Again is an excellent place to begin reading the comics, as it features characters and stories you would already be familiar with, albeit in a slightly different form. 

Drokk the Law!! - Part XX

A small amount of progress on my Judge Dredd Miniatures Game stuff, a new gang and some play aids. 

My Vatican City Judges are ready to dispense some holy justice! The centre model is a Mongoose Vatican City Judge that I came into by sheer luck, who serves as my Psi-Judge, the others are modified Games Workshop minis. I had these painted a while back, but was aiming for a BritCit team before I realised they worked fine as proxies for regular Mega City One Judges. This is a full starter team at 485 Credits, so I'll be giving them a go next day I game with Andy. I already have a couple more in the build queue, so expect this team to expand a little. 

I've never been a huge fan of paper tokens or beads or whatever on the table when gaming. For me, it distracts from the look of the table and spoils pictures that people tend to take of an otherwise great looking game. I found these 3D Printed garbage bags and painted them up to act as Activation Markers when playing JDMG as they're distinct but also look like they fit on the table. Hopefully they help lift the look of the next set of games, and maybe I can find some more that are a little different, for variety. 

Superhero Media: Arsene Lupin (2004)

For fans of Krrish 3 (an excellent Superman film) and Nightbreed (a great X-Men film), get ready for Arsene Lupin and brilliant Batman Origin film and also a much-needed entry in the LXG cinematic universe (I need to write that up at some stage). Born into a rich family, Arsene's father is a master of Savate and a reformed thief who's past catches up with him in the opening and we swiftly jump a dozen years to find Arsene as a Gentleman Thief working the Paris social circles. Arsene Lupin is, of course, a famous French literary character, adapted as broadly as into the Lupin the 3rd Anime and a member of Les Hommes Mysterieux in Alan Moore's The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen series. Much like his British contemporary, AJ Raffles, Arsene is a little "generic" by today's standards, but this film is an excellent version of the story, with good pacing and fun action. 

But where do the "Batman" elements come in, I hear you ask? Well, how does a protagonist with disguise, espionage and martial arts training, unhealthy relationships with women, a fixation on a dead father and a lost state of innocence sound? Also there's a conspiracy to return a dynastic ruler to power, an immortal wizard and anachronistic weapons technology so all we're really missing is capes, angst and too many Joker appearances. Sure, Arsene is a thief, but Batman is a Billionaire, so who is the real villain? Arsene also foils a plot to reinstall a monarchy in France and helps out some Anarchists, so go you good thing. Being a French film, there is plenty of romance and intrigue, all shot in lavish period locations and with impeccable costuming; it's a joy to watch, even in the quiet stretches. 

Arsene Lupin manages what many films aspire to, but which few ever deliver on, a story in which the characters are sketched in shades of grey and no one is wholly altruistic, but in which some are still heroic. Arsene would rather live a life of pleasure and risk, stealing from the wealthy and never planning ahead, but once he is caught in the machinations of the Royalists and Cagliostro's daughter, he plays both sides against the middle to save France; and maybe make a little cash on the side. Arsene is a true antihero, and he does it all without wanton murder of more than the reasonable amount of brooding one may expect upon discovering that one's lover is an immortal alchemist. Man, this is so much a superhero film without trying to be, all it's missing is a post-credits scene where Jean Robur comes to recruit him to fight the Germans, I love it. Formidable! 

The Pitch: James Bond

Recently I went back over my James Bond collection, both the films that I have on DVD from when the collections where cheap and the novels I have found here and there over the years. Reading or watching the classic Bonds in the 2020s is an experience in ambivalence; the stories and writing are excellent, the films are classics and well put together, but they have aged in unfortunate ways. To me, Bond is best as a period character, inhabiting the 1950s and '60s with his retro-cool clothing, chain-smoking and early Cold War nonsense. Whilst the newer films (and I'm talking Dalton and onward here) are fun and can occasionally be great, to me they're a different beast, more of a riff on the concept than truly Bond.

At the time of writing, Daniel Craig has hung up the martini glass and the future of the franchise is nebulous at best, though we can all be sure that more Bond will come at some point. With where my head is at the moment, I have an idea that I'd like to put out there; James Bond should stay in the era in which he works best, 1953-1966, the time in which the Flemming novels were written. So yes, the future of Bond is the past, and I actually have some good reasoning behind this it's not just a nostalgia bent or me still having weird feelings over Connery being dead. Really.

Ian Flemming's James Bond - 007

For this 'reboot' (because that's what it is, let's not beat about the bush) the overarching mission statement is "do the books". Yes, the early films focused on the Flemming novels as well, but we're going to do them both closely and in order. Why? Well the stories kind of flow well as they're written, for the most part, and when done in the reading order, characters like Felix Lighter and Quarrel get their own arcs and it's not just about Bond. Also, fun fact, the 'Bond girls' usually get follow-up in the next novel, like Honey[chile] Rider being set up in America by Bond as thanks and Tatiana Romanova sadly dying saving Bond's life against Rosa Klebb. Plus, following the books closely is a version of this that hasn't been done yet.

For those who have never read the novels, they're more... low rent, than the films? Fewer crazy gadgets, a lot more actual spycraft from Bond and long stretches of Bond just living, drinking and smoking. The Connery films do cover the lifestyle stuff early on, but it's such a major feature of the books. Other notable changes are things like Doctor No just being a sociopathic rich guy (but I repeat myself) and The Big Man being a spy for the Soviets; lower rent, as I said. Of course the novels are typically even more racist and often just as sexist, but the plan here is to almost make that a point. Remember, we're sticking to the books as much as possible.

In fact, I thinking it would be good to keep the bigoted language in cases where Bond and other white characters use it. Bond is an instrument of Empire, albeit a fading one, so when we view him though a lens of 21st century sensibilities, the antihero elements that already define the character in the novels become even more stark. Even to Flemming, it would seem, Bond is not a hero. He is the protagonist, but rarely are his actions altruistic or heroic in any real way. Also, having highly offensive language and the visceral violence on the screen will push the rating up to R, so angry boys on the internet will defend and promote it without understanding it, which will be personally hilarious to me.

These adaptations shouldn't even be that expensive, as the hard part is finding era appropriate sets, locations and props, but they could be reused if needed. Think Mad Men, but a decade earlier and traveling across the entire world. Style would be the substance in many ways, like the gorgeous long shots of Connery clearing rooms or lighting a cigarette in the early films, before things got a little more silly. Thinking along the lines of the grounded nature of the Craig era with the style of the Connery era and we're pretty much getting there. Would this all be popular with the general audience? I really don't know, but I think it would be an interesting choice for a franchise that has long since gotten stale.

Superhero Media: We Can Be Heroes

At last! The long-awaited sequel to The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl, kind of. In a world where Sharkboy and Lavagirl are real superheroes, as opposed to being part of a child's imagination, all of the world's heroes are taken out in an alien invasion, and their children are the next target. Make no mistake, We Can Be Heroes is a film for children, mostly starring children with few moments really targeted at adults, which can make it a dull watch for those just wanting some superhero action, but much like its predecessor, We Can Be Heroes is well made and tries hard to deliver where lesser films may choose to slack off. The world may be silly and more than a little camp, but the setting is internally consistent, characters have understandable (if basic) motivations and no one really pulls new powers out of nowhere. I'm disappointed that Sharkboy and Lavagirl don't have much to do, as I wanted to see what they were like as adults, and for some reason there is no Machete cameo, but I enjoyed the film overall. 

Remember how one of my major complaints about My Hero Academia is that it fails to deliver on the premise of a character with a solid base of knowledge keeping pace with people with actual powers? Well, our protagonist, Missy, despite being the daughter of one of the most respected heroes on the planet, has no powers of her own, and must rely on her brain to become the leader of the other young heroes and save the world. And there isn't even an eleventh-hour "oh wait, turns out I had powers all along" moment to ruin when Missy steps up and puts herself in the firing-line when there is no other option. The cast of kids is wonderfully diverse, and no attention is drawn to it, because it's just normal for the kids, so why would they discuss it? It's one of those things I miss about working with kids, where they don't have any inbuilt prejudice and just accept trans, queer and foreign peers because why be mean to a potential new friend? The kids in We Can Be Heroes do fight, of course, but over kid stuff, not the presence of a disabled child and a non-binary kid. 

The overall message of We Can Be Heroes is that each new generation needs to do better than the last, and that the young should take on leadership roles as soon as possible. And... yes. 100% we should be empowering the youth to facilitate lasting change in the world, rather than rich old men who will be dead before the problems they've created come home to roost. If you have kids and you want an excuse to sit through a superhero film, you can do a lot worse than We Can Be Heroes, which is twee and camp, but never stupid or pandering. At the very least, we get a quick look at adult versions of Sharkboy and Lavagirl, a liquid metal shark in the finale and a cool-looking alien menace to drag into your own games when you need them. I feel like We Can Be Heroes really needed a bigger budget and some more stars, Missy's dad is two steps away from being Ryan Reynolds and, again, where is my Machete cameo? 

Cars I would like (On the table)

One of the elements of my superhero table I think that really works is my collection of die cast cars and other vehicles. They're pretty cheap, add some colour and can be thrown around in games for a fun time. However, pretty much my entire collection is just things I happened to find when out and about, I've even had to get rid of a few here and there, because my eye was off in the shop and they were just too small on the table. Now that 3D printing is a far more viable option, I have been tempted to expand my motor pool, as it were, though I know they just won't look right next to all my die cast, so I'm leaving it for the moment.

Honestly, I really don't need more vehicles, barring a few things that would be nice, like a bus and a couple of matching Police cars, but that doesn't mean I don't grab something suitable when I see it, especially if it's not black or silver, the most common colours in my collection. That doesn't mean, of course, that there aren't things I would like to find; certain vehicles that tickle my fancy or I just kind of vibe with that I'd love to have sitting on the table as a nice little "Easter Egg" of my own personal tastes and preferences. So here's a list of a few cars that I like for various reasons, though I'm not a car guy, so expect some odd choices.


Honda City AA

I honestly cannot explain my love for the Honda City, but there's just something endlessly charming about it. Maybe it's the fold-up motorcycle, maybe it's the cute rear-view mirrors that make it look like a bug, but the whole effect is just delightful. Despite being a budget option for the young professional when released, the AA is now something of a collector's piece, especially if the motorcycle is still intact and functional, so I'll never own a real one. At the very least, having one on the gaming table would be an interesting talking piece for my big display games, whenever I get back to doing them.


Police WRX

Look, fuck the police, defund them into irrelevance and replace them with something actually humane and effective, but until that happens, they're a part of superhero games. In the early 2000s, Victoria Police trialed the Subaru Impreza WRX as a pursuit car, which I remember being a different colour from above, but this is the image I could find. As I was into the World Rally Championship at the time, I thought that was pretty cool. Really I would just like 3-6 cop cars of the same design for my games and this is a car I really liked at one stage, so it would be a good compromise.

Concept Cars

Is it just me, or would a line of die cast "Concept Cars" be just awesome for tabletop wargames? I'm more thinking of Cyberpunk games here, but for supers as well they'd be perfect for Wakanda, alien planets and space stations. They're sleek, but often goofy, reconisable but a little uncanny, and really seem like they'd sit well on the table just long enough to become another weapon to be thrown and wielded.

A Decent Bus

Why is it so hard to find a good bus in 28mm scale? Seriously, I've been looking for over a decade and the best I found was a tour bus that wasn't anything like a public transport vehicle. Pictured here is the current (at the time) Melbourne bus, but anything suitably mundane and workaday would be fine, if I could ever find one. What's more baffling is that I can think of at least four companies making lasercut bus stops and shelters, so where is the damn vehicle to sit there? Bleh.