Miniatures Finished: Dinoborgs of the world, unite!

Given I was so close to getting all my Bot War stuff done, I just pushed through. I'm also trying to get a Learn to Play night going at work, but that's had to be rescheduled a few times, so these are kind of just done for the sake of it. Much as the Bot War miniatures are really nice, I have gone with some 3D prints here for some of the range that isn't as nice, or just didn't fit with what I was going for.

The mighty Dinoborgs of the Red Star Nations march to war!

The Brontoborg is a transport and mobile fortress, the model has been modified with some Battlefield Accessories ruins and some 3D printed dinosaur infantry to replace the cyborg humans of the official range.

Tricera-Borg is one of the strongest models in the army currently, fast and deadly with some of the best attacks Red Star have access to.

The Raptorborgs are a little disappointing as models, but new ones should be out pretty soon. The design is nice, but they're oddly thin and flat looking.

Superhero Media: Batman Mask of the Phantasm

Generally regarded by fans to be the best Batman film ever made, Mask of the Phantasm was put together by the Batman The Animated Series [BTAS] team, including Bruce Timm, Paul Dini and Kevin Conroy. Something of an origin story, Batman must chase down the enigmatic Phantasm, clear his own name and wrestle with his past as mobsters are killed of in revenge slayings. The mystery elements of Mask of the Phantasm are pretty basic and rather obvious, but the tone, narrative and script make the journey engaging, certainly more so than most Batman films, animated or live-action. In terms of retelling the "origin" of Batman, Mask of the Phantasm focuses on a Bruce Wayne recently returned to Gotham after having trained around the world and, as yet, unsure as to how to proceed. Meeting Andrea, a carefree heiress with a wild streak, Bruce is torn between a path of revenge and one of happiness, which comes to a head when Andrea and her father flee America to escape the wrath of the Gotham crime families. 

Spotted the murderer yet? As I said, it's pretty obvious, but the film is enjoyable nonetheless and, in moments, is positively breath-taking. The reveal of the Batman costume stuns Alfred into silence in what is a brilliant animated sequence and probably one of the best attempts to make a bat costume intimidating for an audience at home. Mostly focused on mobster villains, Mask of the Phantasm also features The Joker, of course, this version given a Jack Napier style origin which is actually pretty neat, if you're going to go and give a cypher a distinct genesis, though you really still shouldn't. Like many of these animated Batman films, the Joker feels like an unnecessary element there because he'll draw more eyeballs more than being needed for the story. This feels especially like a token cast in Mask of the Phantasm, where there are plenty of other mafia-adjacent villains (like Scarface and Tallyman) who would probably fit better. 

All-in, Mask of the Phantasm is probably the best Batman film to date, even with the limitations of animation and a short run time. The action is well-paced and exciting without needing to resort to gore and killing, one of the best scenes involving Joker beating someone with deli meat, just going to prove that "make it R rated" is not the solution to improving the live-action Batman films. As I've said for years, good stories make good films, and Mask of the Phantasm keeps the myth and pace of Batman but also injects humanity and pathos that is much-needed, and the result is practically a masterpiece. I'm not sure that I'd put Mask of the Phantasm on any list of the best superhero films ever made, as whilst it is an excellent Batman film, it doesn't tell a grander story about the human condition like Black Panther or The Incredibles, but it remains brilliant nonetheless. Sadly, Mask of the Phantasm is getting harder to find, but it does come around on Netflix every so often if you want to check it out. 

Drokk the Law!! - Part XVIII

Following on from our last entry, here are all three Kleggs painted! 

Yes, still using the Necromunda tile, that should be remedied soonish if everything goes according to plan, anyway. I'm still lukewarm on the now-defunct Warlord 2000AD line, but these Kleggs are quite nice and even the nasty siocast mold-lines don't show up too badly with Contrast paints and wetbrushing. I also got a set of Fatties that I'll get onto when I can. These models are also huge, bigger than a GW Ogryn, they tower over even my GW kitbash Punks and other more recent models, not to mention Andy's classic GW Dredd range. I like it for the visual impact, though it can make for some comical pictures of games. 

I have also finally started painting my Mercenaries with a view to eventually playing a campaign either at NWA or Across the Board. Here is an old Void civilian that I gave a new base to better suit my JDMG stuff. He can be either a Punk or Juve with handgun (armour optional) making him a 30-40 Credit Mercenary, a good basic inclusion for campaign games. The Kleggs themselves can be Mercenaries, though more in the 200 credit range, so probably not going to see the table all that often. 

Speaking of Mercenaries, until my terrain arrives, they're coming more into my focus for JDMG, as I've painted most of my gangs now and am simply expanding when I get the chance. Although most of them need painting, I can cross a few off the list I posted a few months ago;

Bat Burglar (80)
Fattie (60-100)
Futsie (10ish)
Juve (10-60)
Juve Jimp (90)
Klegg (190+)
Klegghounds (100)
Lone Vigilante (500)
Punk (~95)
Pyrokinetic (225)
Robodoc (50)
Robodog (30)
Sky Surfer (100)
Vid Reporter (25)
Agent (95-300)
Combat Droid (~500)
Gorilla Gangster (125)
Street Judge (150-300)
Chimp (50-75)
Citi-Def Soldier (100-200)
Mutant (20-110)
Wally Squad Judge (100-200)
Assassination Droid (195) 

A few of these options, like the Punks, Juves and Vigilantes, I'll make a several at different credit values just to have a variety, and this gives me expansions for existing gangs as well. So even though I've crossed them off, expect to see a few more pop up as this project progresses. There are also some Chimps, Fusties and a Sky Surfer or two on the work bench on in transit via post, but I won't be counting those until they're here and at least able to be put on a table. 

I don't want to give too much about my terrain away (though observant readers may have spotted a trash pile in the last part of this series), but I have some ideas and some kits en route, so we should see some progress soon. What I do want to do is get some 2000AD-specific imaging and references in there if I can, which at this stage is likely going to be in the form of 3D printed vehicles, graffiti and hopefully some Boing if my plans for realising it work out. Hopefully some more gangs on the way too, if I can find the models I'm looking for. 

Superhero Media: Daredevil - Season 3

It took a while to get here, but mark another Marvel Netflix series as done. All-in, I feel that Daredevil was the strongest of the Netflix series, The Defenders notwithstanding, in that all three Seasons even out better, even if technically Jessica Jones had better individual Seasons. Rounding out the story of Kingpin, the third season sees a conclusion to long-running elements of the programme and introduces a version of Bullseye to the story. Despite all the positives to be had, I was pretty worn out on Daredevil by the end, as it was clear that the writing team actually wanted to be working on a cable crime procedural rather than a superhero series. For example, Dex (Bullseye) spends several episodes in a copy of the Daredevil costume, murdering people (taken from the comics), but at no stage does Matt don the horns again. Look, I know lots of people preferred the black burglar outfit, but he has an iconic costume and if he's not wearing it, that's just kind of stupid.

Fisk being back is a heck of a lot of fun, but his subtle menace and far reach is replaced with an unbelievable level of infiltration of the FBI and plans working so far in advance even Doctor Doom would be rolling his eyes. When the action ramps up, Daredevil shines, especially when Matt goes up against Dex and the pair use everything at hand to deal damage to each other, with the visceral and bloody combat hearkening back to the best fight scenes in the first season. A little too much time is spent on setting up and justifying Dex as a character, which is a waste as Bullseye is always better as cypher, I honestly feel that a version of the "Kingpin's Fist" idea from Ultimate Spider-Man would have made for a better story. The best part of the third season is Foggy, who insists on taking Kingpin down through the courts, almost ending up as District Attorney of New York in the process, giving him the most growth and bringing together his character beats from previous seasons nicely. 

Unlike most of the "last" Marvel Netflix series, there is no crossover episode of Daredevil, which feels like a missed opportunity, especially with a focus around the legal process, Gerry Hogarth would have made sense, if not Jessica Jones being around at some point. In terms of the season being a crime programme, Daredevil is pretty good, but I wanted superheroes when I tuned in, so all-in I found this last entry lackluster. Charlie Cox was a really good Matt Murdock, and the supporting cast was always strong, but this being where it ends makes me feel like the journey wasn't really worth my time. Of course we'll see Matt and Daredevil again as our journey with the MCU continues, but to my mind none of it really matters to the broader plot of this season, if that's what you were watching for. I think it will be a long time before I go back to the Netflix series, but there is still an appeal there.

Superhero Media: Marvels

Probably one of the best Marvel comics ever written, drawn and poured over, Marvels is a must-have in any comics collection, even if the Golden and Silver Ages of Marvel comics isn't typically your thing. Telling the story of the 616 Marvel Universe itself, through the eyes of photographer Phil Sheldon, who undergoes his own personal journey with what superheroes, "Marvels", as he calls them, mean to him and the broader world. Every panel of Marvels is hand-painted by Alex Ross, and could well be his best work ever, even if the subject matter is sometimes as mundane as Gwen Stacy walking down a street. Written by Kurt Buisek, Marvels can be read as just an exercise in classic Marvel trainspotting, and my version does come with a list of references at the back, but the story is more about how what came to be known as the Marvel Universe came together out of a bunch of comics written by different people over a series of years. And if Marvels was just a nostalgia trip, it wouldn't be as great as it is. 

Broken into four issues, Marvels uses specific moments of Marvel history to tell its broader narrative, The Human Torch Vs Namor, the first appearance of Galactus on Earth, the wedding of Reed and Sue and the death of Gwen Stacy. Within these larger events, other things are happening, and not just on the scale of the big superhero fights; Phil has doubts about his marriage, works too hard and finally prioritises his family above his obsession with the Marvels, often providing excellent contrast with the world-shaping events happening around him. Readers of Marvel comics "know" plenty of ordinary people, like J Jonah Jameson, Mary Jane Watson and Willie Lumpkin, but Phil Sheldon is different, because whilst his profession often engages with the Marvels, he himself doesn't know any or really have much to do with them. Though a few small moments with Peter Parker and Danny Keltch are fun for that little twist of the fantastic.

Since appearing in Marvels, Phil has popped up here and there in broader Marvel media, from mentions in the Ultimate Alliance games through to a cameo in The Superhero Squad Show, of all things. Marvels started as an analysis and celebration of the history of the Marvel Universe, but has become an integral part of it as fans have embraced Phil Sheldon and his world and enshrined them alongside the very events he chronicles. I don't honestly expect to see Phil in the Marvel Cinematic Universe anytime soon, but once you know about him, he does pop up here and there, just keep an eye out. Various attempts have been made to recapture the brilliance of Marvels, some of which we'll go on to explore soon, but most of which don't really come close. Rather than decry these efforts though, I welcome any attempt to get back to this place, to take another swing at recapturing the unparalleled magic of Marvels.

Superhero Media: Upgrage

I've heard Upgrade referred to as "the good Venom movie", or at least "a good Venom" movie, and whilst I'll admit that it is a much better film than Venom; there is a lot more going on here than that one notion. Set in a near-future where automation and surveillance are so ubiquitous that criminals are forced to pay hackers to scramble their online identities, most Police are drone pilots and most people have chips in their bodies, Upgrade is strictly more of a Horror film than Superheroes, but it may be worth the watch anyway. Grey Trace is a motor mechanic specialising in old cars who refuses to upgrade to any cyberwear, married to a successful tech professional, when tragedy strikes and he is paralysed in a violent assault. Offered a way to walk again by reclusive tech billionaire, Eron Keen, Grey soon finds himself host to "STEM", a learning AI that can take over his body to do awesome fight scenes and basically just be better than the symbiote in Venom in every way. 

Logan Marshall-Green does a brilliant job of moving like a puppet cadaver in many scenes of Upgrade, and that tends to be the end of most reviews, but as the film was shot in my home town of Melbourne, it actually means a lot more to me than just being cool and fun to watch. You see, part of my Undergraduate Major in Film Studies was focused on Australian Cinema, so I've watched quite a few films made in Melbourne and they always feature two locations, the National Gallery of Victoria and the carpark at Melbourne University. You see, the carpark was the set of the "Last of the V8s" scene from Mad Max, so it's iconic and a bit of a film nerd reference. The Gallery is just a beautiful building, so that's no shocker. Upgrade uses neither building, but opts for some out-of-the-way locations and sections of industrial land that really sell the burgeoning dystopia of the setting, which is fantastic. 

As much as Upgrade is reminiscent of Venom, I got more of a Punisher and Ghost in the Shell vibe from it myself, with revenge not being something Grey wants to do, but feels driven to and the not-quite-cyberpunk-yet milieu of the entire film. Alought much better, Upgrade makes an excellent companion to films like Code 8 and Night Watch, which provide a "darker" setting, but still sit adjacent to the superhero genre in many ways, and could work together along their shared themes of dehumanisation and the entropy of progress. Would STEM be a villain in this world, or is the dial already so far against humanism that wholesale murder doesn't invalidate the possibility of heroic motives? I don't think I'll be going back to Upgrade all that often, other than just to show people something cool that they have not seen, as I did have fun, but there's not a lot to dig down into beyond that. Still, I'll be watching this before I watch Venom again. 

Drokk the Law!! - Part XVII

Game day with Andy rolled around again, and we got another three quick games in. We actually could have managed another one or two games in all likelihood, but Andy was feeling poorly after a flu shot, so we were lucky to get to play at all. As I recently picked up some Warlord Kleggs, I rushed to get them done for the day, and I have to say, for Contrast Paints and a little overbrushing, they look pretty damn good. 

Now, when Andy and I started playing the Mongoose Judge Dredd Miniatures Game, we said that we would stay away from Gangs that were built around characters, like The Angel Gang, or Chief Judge Kal's Retinue, which is where the Klegg rules lay. After looking these rules over though, there was the option to have a Klegg hero, so the list can be used as the basis for a Klegg gang. A little discussion with Andy and we decided to give them a try. With only 3 Kleggs in my collection and no Klegg Hounds as of yet, it's a pretty limited gang, but it is somewhere to start with yet another gang. I'll have to amend the Mercenary list in my next one of these. 

We put together a fairly basic setup with Andy's buildings and some of my vehicles for cover. I do have some Dredd terrain in the works, but it'll be a while before it's really table-ready. Until then, this table works alright so long as both Andy and I play reasonably fair, as a heavy weapon in one of the buildings can quickly dominate the table, as we'll find out in the second game for the day. 

For the first game, my Kleggs had to break through a blockade set up by Andy's Sky Surfers and escape. With such a stark difference between our gangs, Andy had a speed advantage but the Surfers are far more fragile, any hit from a Klegg would be lethal, selecting the right mission is paramount to having a fun game. Neither Andy nor I are super competitive when it comes to JDMG, though I do tend to win more games as I'm a tad more aggressive, but it is never really fun to start a game that one has no hope of winning. 

As regular readers will know, one of the changes we've made to JDMG is shrinking the table down to 3x3', which has mostly been good, but we also haven't tried everything in the rulebook yet. Turns out the Power Boards used by Sky Surfers can move most of the length of the table and back in a single turn, which wasn't a problem for this mission, but could be pretty brutal for others. My Kleggs pushed up the centre of the table, taking what cover they could, but the simple fact was, the surfers could get a line on me no matter where I was thanks to their huge movement. The Kleggs had to rely on their general toughness and heavy armour to stay alive. 

My return fire, basically machine guns on both models, was almost always deadly when it hit the unarmoured Surfers, so for me, it was a matter of time before I drove the surfers off. Admittedly, Andy wasn't rolling the best, but he still only managed to take half the Hits off my leader and the other Klegg was untouched. Part of the issue was the small amount of gear Sky Surfers can carry, meaning most high-damage options are eschewed. They're just not very killy, at the end of the day, which is a problem in a miniature wargame. 

After a few turns, I drove the Surfers off and it was fun, we even got a close combat to see how brutal the Kleggs can be up-close. From this game we suspected that maybe the Sky Surfers needed some tweaks to the rules, but that would get solidified with another game later in the day, so I'll discuss it below. 

Game two was a more straightforward punch-up between our two Street Gangs, with my Miameg Porpoises being outnumbered and outgunned by the Brian Ansell Blockers, but I was relying on my heavy Sports Armour to keep me safe as I picked off the enemy. 

So an issue with our current terrain set (belonging mostly to Andy) is that the big buildings are great sniper spots and the roads are too open to cover the distance most of the time. In the first two turns of this game, the only important interactions where mine and Andy's heavy weapons blasting across the street between two buildings until I came out on top. Whilst, as you'll see below, it didn't win me the game, I would like to not have this be the case when we play. Hopefully, with some stuff that I'm working on, we'll have a better terrain density and reduce the lines of sight somewhat. 

After the heavy weapon shoot-out, this was a really fun game, with both gangs pushing to occupy the centre of the table. I do try and build my gangs with an eventual campaign in mind, meaning some of the Porpoises are really under equipped and I have to get pretty close to do much damage. I have one Punk with just a hammer and he and my leader with chainsaw crept up through cover to get to Any's pistol toting Punks. 

I got my bloody close combat against a Punk and things were looking up for me, but a lucky shot from Manimal's spit gun took out my Leader and my entire gang's morale collapsed within a turn after that. This is JDMG at its strongest and why I really hope to get a campaign running someday, as my team decided that seeing their leader shot down was enough and called it a day, turning Andy's probable defeat into a victory. That makes for a fun game and drives narrative for campaigns nicely. 

Final game of the day saw Andy's Sky Surfers return against my Lone Vigilante, Bubba Feet. This turned out to be another great match-up as Bubba's jet pack gave him a decent amount of movement to keep up somewhat with the powerboards. 

It was in this game that the Surfers really showed how they don't quite work with the rules as written. I'll expand on this in a future article, but the Surfers move like infantry that can just ignore terrain, which makes sense, but makes them play like Jump Pack infantry rather than guys on flying surfboards. Shooting and charging them is pretty normal, but they can't fight melee at all unless charged and have to take a whole action to shoot. Being able to turn 360 degrees at any time during movement also makes them not quite "feel" right when being played. As much as we don't enjoy re-writing the rules or adding complexity where it's not needed, we have been going back and forth on email over how to get the Powerboards closer to how we want them to run, so keep an eye out for that getting worked out here as we move forward. 

In better news, this was Bubba's first win in a game, thanks again to the Surfers not being able to pack high damage or AP weapons. Also a first, the Concussion Grenades, wielded by the Surfers, came into the fore. When successful, the Concussion Grenades rob targets of Actions, which can really shut down more elite teams and models. We'll be experimenting with this as we build new gangs, and I can see the right combination being pretty nasty. Until the next game session rolls around though, I'm back to painting and should even have some terrain happening soon. 

Superhero Media: Swamp Thing (1982)

After watching the disappointing Swamp Thing television programme, I went through what other Swamp Thing media I had access to, to get a better feel for the character. Mostly comics, and mostly guest spots at that, I did find that I had a digital copy of the 1982 film adaptation on my hard drive from somewhere, so I checked that out. Swamp Thing is amazing! A prime slice of direct-to-video, 1980s cheese, complete with exactly the kind of cast and crew that makes you want to go back to this again and again, despite the dodgy costume and cookie-cutter story. Directed by Wes Craven, only his sixth time in the chair, and starring Ray Wise and Adrienne Barbeau in the leads, this could almost be an alt-universe prequel to Twin Peaks, if that's the kind of odd mental gymnastics you're into. Following basically the same story as the series, science goes wrong, Swamp Thing is born from an accident and then we chase a monster around for about sixty minutes. 

Look, I, and pretty much any other fan of Swamp Thing, really prefer when the comics are about comparative mythology, spiritualism and postmodernist philosophy, but that's not really going to make a good film; or at least a film most audiences would want to watch. Once you strip away everything that makes Swamp Thing unique, you're left with a monster in a swamp and yet another retread of Frankenstein. With that being the case, I'd much rather sit through a quickie monster movie than a ponderous series that fails to capitalise on the premise in any significant way. Plus this version ends with a a sword fight with a pig man rather than a spoiler for a terrible villain, so what more could you ask for, really? I think the only real missed opportunity, other than a gloss coat on the Swamp Thing costume to make it look wet, is that Jeffery Combs isn't playing the villain, who is seeking a lurid green goo to make himself immortal. 

Also, a young Reggie Batts, of absolutely nothing else, plays Jude, the best "sassy black kid" in any film you will ever see. I was really disappointed to discover that Swamp Thing was his only appearance, he was the best part of many scenes. Despite the director, cast and material, Swamp Thing doesn't tend to enjoy the cult status of, say, Spawn or The Maxx, which I would say is due more to the overall blandness of the picture than any individual blemish. Individual parts of the film are fine, even great for moments, but it never coalesces into anything more than a mildly interesting watch. I seem to remember reading that there are a number of films in this series, but the internet was a bit light-on for information with just a quick search. If there's more, you can be I'll track them down at some stage, but for now I'm thinking maybe some Troma to keep the schlock vibe going? Also some other oddities in the pipeline, but time will tell.

Miniatures Finished: Twin Moons

Been a little while thanks to getting Nocturnal together, but finally finished up a few more minis. Nothing in particular, other than finally getting to my own MCP collection, just what came to hand after moving house.

The Leader: A little odd that I hadn't yet got to this iconic Hulk villain yet, especially because I go through big Silver Age patches in my painting. Orange and blue is always fun to paint though. Heroclix

Moon Knight: I wasn't happy with my old one, so I got a new Moon Knight, really happy with how the white turned out on this one, wish I could get results this good consistently. Heroclix

Paralax: It may be telling that I read comics in the '90s, as this is probably my favourite costume for Hal Jordan. It just oozes power and strength and I'd love to see it return when Hal wasn't possessed by a fear parasite. Heroclix

Moon Knight: My first MCP model, obtained when a friend wanted to split the Blade out of the box. A lot nicer than the starter box ones I did for work, but the white isn't as nice as my Heroclix version. Atomic Mass Games

Zubatman: In an alternate reality, Bruce Wayne defends Fuchsia City from Team Rocket as the Dark Knight, Zubatman! This was a joke I made once on Facebook and could never get out of my head, because it just gets better the deeper you dive. Typically used as a Daredevil stand-in for MCP. Converted Heroclix

Yamcha: Ordered this thinking it was 28mm, but turns out it was scaled for MCP, so he got done up as a proxy, usually Iron Fist or Wong for my Defenders. Fantastic model to paint and really happy with the result, big recommend for their service and STLs. damange83

Superhero Media: Dragon Ball Super - Broly

Finally, a genuinely good film with Broly in it! Well, the second half is really good, at least. And the version of Broly presented is different in a lot of ways from the previous incarnation, so it's almost a new character; but Broly is still amazing, right? Well... Look, if the Dragon Ball Super version of Broly had been the first one, I'd probably be fine with the character, but having lived with the Broly fanboys since the late 1990s, I'm kind of just done, sorry. Recasting Broly as a childlike innocent forced by his father's hubris to live on a nightmare world for most of his life before happenstance improves his lot is at least more interesting than having him hate Goku because he cried a lot that one time they were babies. The thing is though, Broly is still pretty shallow, even for a DB character; he gets mad and loses control and is really powerful for unclear reasons. Once the fight starts, it's great, on the best looking fights in DB history, hands down, and it manages to stay engaging for most of it, but the time to get there isn't all that great. 

What Broly does have is some interesting world-building that I really enjoyed, like having characters who joined Freiza's army for a diversity of reasons and Bulma using the Dragon Balls to keep herself young. That is so bang on for who Bulma was back in the Dragon Ball days, it's nice to see character continuity over such a distance of time. Bra is born, so hopefully we'll have some more of her down the track if we get more DBS at some point, I like that a Sayian character exists who isn't into fighting and would rather spend time at the mall. It makes a nice contrast to Goku and Vegeta, whilst also showing more of the slow integration into humanity that started with Gohan. I think I've asked this before, but why are fans so hyped for Gogeta, but less so for Vegito? I really cannot tell the difference between the two other than the cosmetic and method of fusion. Super Sayian God fusion is pretty fun though, especially with the return of failed fused forms, which was always a nice touch, given how ridiculous the power levels are at that point. 

I know a fair few people are big on the Broly soundtrack as well, but I really don't get it. It's just anime music with the characters' names being chanted, nothing special as far as I can tell. I do enjoy getting to see a more devious side of Frieza, who plans and schemes a lot more than he has in the past; making smart choices for the most part and making use of what advantages he has over Goku and Vegeta. The real star of Broly however, is the animation, which seems to draw as much from Into the Spider-Verse and psychedelia as it does traditional Shonen anime, with a fluidity of motion unlike essentially anything that has appeared in DB before. With the continued addition of cell-shaded CGI to help flesh-out the fight scenes, Broly is a visual delight, even if much of it is two or more burly men without shirts punching each other and yelling. Broly probably isn't a good jumping-on point for the broader DB franchise, but I really hope it does indicate what's in the future. More experimental animation, revising Movie characters into better versions and building the setting apart from the Sayians.

Team Finished: Elements

Although the Equalisers are one of the largest and most enduring superhero teams in the world, and the European Super Soldiers are perhaps the best funded and merchandised, neither are regarded as the greatest or strongest team on the planet. That honour tends to fall to Elements, a quartet of powerful super-beings that are not so much a traditional team, as a collective that works to their own agenda, most often falling in favour of defending humanity. Assembled by Der Flieger, only one member of the team has not spent time in prison previously and each is remarkably powerful in their own right. Combined, Elements may represent the greatest concentration of superhuman power on the planet.

To pose Elements as the rivals to The Equalisers would be somewhat legitimate, though also a gross oversimplification. There are grievences between both teams, that have spilled into violence in the past, but there are far more instances of the two cooperating when the chips are down. Elements have the raw power on their side, but often the sheer number the Equilsers can deploy can carry the day against the existential threats. On those rare occasions that all four Elements are gathered, it can be a dark day for the planet, but if any collective can save humanity, it is they.

Helia, Der Flieger, Sharkman and Tempest, The Elements.

Tempest (Heroclix) and Helia (Reaper)

Tempest (Michael Loeb): Perhaps the most famous mutant terrorist in the world (prior to both Athena and The Mutant Scion emerging), Tempest is an Australian First-Peoples man who originally worked for Alpha Section in ARMOUR prior to the founding of the Equalisers. Working as a Metahuman asset for the Australian Defense Force, Tempest found himself most often deployed against other Mutants and soon chafed at the role, feeling that he was betraying his people. Being under Wildcat (Edward Caan) also caused friction and soon the two came to loggerheads, resulting in widespread destruction in Melbourne from a superhero fight that killed several members of Alpha Section and resulted in the public revelation of Metahumans for the first time since the Second World War. After the "Tempest Event", Loeb was imprisoned in the Boomerang Facility, ARMOUR Headquarters, for several years until the Pendragon attack on the facility, where he was freed. Rather than taking part in the ensuing battle, Loeb fled and avoided interacting with Superhumans for several years until the Blackwing Assault drew him into the open once more. Approached by Der Flieger, Loeb agreed to help form a team free from national alignment or corporate oversight to help defend the world against larger threats.

Helia: With her true origins shrouded in mystery, the woman known only as Helia first emerged shortly after the Pendragon attack on the Equalisers and appeared to already be working with Der Flieger at the time. Current consensus puts Helia as a mutant, though her demonstrated level of power is significantly higher than most observed mutants, Tempest, Athena, The Mutant Scion and Wildfire being the notable exceptions. Able to generate extreme levels of heat within her body at no harm to herself, Helia can literally melt or burn her way through any barrier or foe. More so than any other member of Elements, Helia is rarely seen in the field, as her powers can cause a great deal of unintentional damage, but when she does appear, the effect can be devastating to friend and foe alike.

Sharkman (reaper) and Der Flieger (converted Heroclix)

Sharkman: The enigmatic Sharkman has a chequred history, first being sighted attacking fishing vessels and oil platforms, but then becoming instrumental in the Equalisers' defeat of the Black Wave. In fact, Sharkman's being a member of Elements was not confirmed for years after he first appeared, with many labeling him a villain because of his anti-capitalist actions, especially against the fossil fuel industry. Many have softened on Sharkman's radical politics due to his work with the Elements, though he has not truly slowed in his attacks on whaling vessels and oil platforms. Sharkman has never spoken on any record, though Der Flieger and Wildcat assert that he can talk in a fashion, just chooses to remain taciturn much of the time.

Der Flieger: Once a living symbol of Aryan supremacy, then branded a war criminal, the man known as Der Flieger (the Flyer) has ever struggled to forge his own identity. Famously defeated by Red Tide and WRN during the battle of Berlin in the closing days of the European war, Flieger was unable to be executed after the Nuremberg trials so was incarcerated and forgotten about for decades, until a private equity firm began to advocate for his release. After being freed, Flieger found himself working for Morgane le Fey as a member of Pendragon Security for an attack on the Equalisers. Defeated again, this time by Colonel Quantum, Flieger surrendered to custody, but was soon released. Allowed his own choices for the first time in his long life, Flieger was drawn to the superhero lifestyle, attempting to repent for his time with the Nazi Party by using his strength, invulnerability and flight to help people in need. Forming Elements was something of an organic process, with the team just coming together as Flieger met other metahumans with dark pasts, though as time went on, the team gelled and became one of the most powerful superhuman forces on the planet.

Superhero Media: Infamous Iron Man

In a world were Tony Stark has sacrificed himself to save the Earth from an alien menace, who will fill the role of Iron Man? The answer is, of course, Victor Von Doom. After the events of Secret War (the other one), Doom is returned to Earth, Latveria is in ruins and he has had the epiphany that being a "villain" has not turned out they way he wanted. The natural conclusion that Doom reaches? Become the new Iron Man. As a big fan of Doom, I like seeing him in the hero role, even if the concept is a little trite. Doom 2099 was great, and I should probably read it again at some stage, but Infamous Iron Man hits all of the right notes and goes about as far as you can in the 616 continuity. Seeing Doom work through his emotional baggage, and struggle to interact like a human sometimes makes from some great quiet moments, and some exceptional character scenes when other characters interact with the "new" Doom. 

The artwork, by Alex Maleev, has an impressionistic look, which suits the theme of Doom's disassociation from his former self, but the action scenes are pretty ugly and hard to follow as a result. And that's when the art doesn't cop-out by cutting away, or just not really showing the climatic fight, a magical battle between Doom and Mephisto with Doctor Strange helping out Doom. That could have been really visually interesting in the hands of a better artist, but really lets down the epic conclusion of the mini-series. Of course, it doesn't help that Brian Michael Bendis barely writes a finale, but I'm willing to cut him a little more slack given how many comics Marvel has him writing every month. Again, the smaller moments, like Doom talking to Ben Grimm or exchanges with Ironheart, are where Infamous Iron Man is strongest, as Doom is one of the smartest people on the planet, making excellent points, while all anyone can remember is the several times he nearly destroyed the planet and/or killed a bunch of people. 

Although this is just a mini-series, Victor Von Doom, the Iron Man, continues on in some Avengers comics, but all things being as they are in comics, by the time you're reading this, Doom has likely long-since returned to his old ways. As much as retcons and reboots are something comics fans like to complain about, returns to the status quo are how we get fun little diversions like Infamous Iron Man. Of course Stark will return to the suit at some point, but the comics where Doctor Doom is a hero and everyone is blindsided will sit on my shelves for years to come. Currently there isn't a Heroclix version of the character, but as soon as one isn't a silly price on the secondary market, I'll be sure to be grabbing one for my collection of Dooms. Also certainly a consideration for my "AvengerZ" articles down the track, if I ever get back to them.

Soopha Dewper Super Sayians - Part 7

In attempting to get more of my friends to play the Dragon Ball Z Collectable Card Game (FuZion Format), I've had to start approaching it from a more Magic the Gathering-based perspective. You see, most of the people I play cards with only play Commander, a MtG multiplayer variant, so framing FuZion through that lens could well help me bring some of them across. Something card players like pretty much more than anything else is shiny cards with nice art, especially foiled versions if they can get them. So if I were to make a deck that was full of foiled cards that had a play-style analogous to a popular Magic deck, well maybe that'd give me a way in, right? So anyway, that's why I built Blue Ginyu.

For those that never played the Dragon Ball Z games, especially the Panini version, and are only familiar with the anime, building Captain Ginyu may seem like an odd choice, however, Ginyu was once the best decks going around. Each turn in FuZion, you start by powering up and then drawing three cards, with some clever deck building, you can probably get more cards in your hand, but having more than three attacks and/or blocks is pretty rare. What makes Ginyu different is that he can pull out his Allies (the rest of the Ginyu force) and they can do the fighting for him. When the format had a limited card pool, Allies could be very deadly, and there's still room there for good decks. In fact, I had a Ginyu Force Orange Allies deck before FuZion came along and have considered bringing it back as Freestlye Beats.

I also decided to jump in on the My Hero Academia CCG, because a few people at work were giving it a go and it looked cool. I've only played with the intro decks so far, but the mechanics are fun and there are almost no dead cards in the entire game. I'm going to start building an All Might deck, mostly because I pulled good cards for him and he looks easy to play, but also because my other option is the short guy who throws his balls at people. Not going to cover everything about the game and my deck building here like FuZion unless I start playing it a lot, but it's another Superhero card game, so of course I had to take a look, even if I'm not a huge fan of the programme. Interestingly, this game is based on the UniVerses system by Jasco, so, in theory, I could play my My Hero Academia characters against the old Megaman card game characters? I'll look more into that, even if I'm also not a big Megaman fan.