600 Posts, a Retrospective

These looks back over the last hundred or so posts are usually pretty fascinating, but I found this one particularly so. As most blog entries have been written around two whole years in advance of publication, I can see the gradual shift happening in the tone and approach I've been taking beginning to manifest. Where post 501 was is a much different place than where 601 will be, but it's only when I scan back through those 100 posts that I can really see the change happening. So what is the future of Lead Capes? Well, the blog is going to go more into rules, trying out different games, politics and more think-pieces. It may not to be to everyone's tastes, but I go where the writing takes me and I always welcome feedback when I get it. So please enjoy the following images looking back over the last 100 posts with a bit of fun right at the end.

Thank you for reading and I'll see you in another 100!

Superhero Media: Supernatural - Season 1

I really like Supernatural, but to an odd level where I'm not quite as invested as the "typical" fans I meet. We'll get to this later, but I actually stopped watching at the end of Season 5 (though I have seen a few episodes past that point) because the ending was both so conclusive and so satisfying that I felt no desire to continue. I've heard that the series from Season 6 and onward get pretty ridiculous, but in contrast, the first season of Supernatural is fairly grounded. Yes, the brothers Winchester hunt monsters whilst driving around America, but they readily scoff at ideas that are too ridiculous for even their frame of reference, like vampires, until they have the proof of their own eyes. This first season, in being closer to hyperreal than outright fantastic, isn't necessarily excellent fodder for superhero gaming, being a bit tame for even the Nightstalkers, but the characters and setting are still pretty compelling. 

The lives of the Winchester family are shattered when Mary is killed in mysterious circumstances, launching John Winchester on a lifetime crusade against the things that go bump in the night. Years later Sam, the younger of the two brothers, is at college when Dean turns up saying that their father is missing. The brothers start out on an adventure to hunt evil and find their father once Sam's girlfriend is killed by the very same demon that killed their mother. I'm not a fan of dead women motivating the male protagonists, but I do know that this gets walked back a little in later seasons, also when the boys' mum comes back as a righteous ghost to protect a new family in the house. The other big criticism I have of the first season of Supernatural is that it relies too heavily on ghosts as antagonists, which can make episodes formulaic, with the investigation of the mystery taking centre stage. Other monsters, such as the Reapers and Wendigo are really interesting, but don't reappear and feel a little wasted in retrospect. 

Even with the distance of years and access to streaming, Supernatural remains a pretty solid programme and very watchable. Great guest stars like Jeffery Dean Morgan lift it up and as most episodes are stand-alone this early on, the bad ones tend not to linger. There's not much here that really will stand up for gaming, excepting for a roleplaying campaign with a heavy element of the supernatural (no pun intended). Most of the monsters is are pretty low-rent in superhero terms, excepting maybe the wendigo and grim reaper, both of whom already have representations in comics. The magic gun and daemon trap would fit nicely into Hellblazer and Doctor Strange, so can provide ideas for magic-heavy campaigns and heroes. It was fun going back to this programme, I'm looking forward to watching the next few seasons again.

Kill Team Aesir - Finale

For those interested in the continuing adventures of Kill Team Aesir, they will be moving to a new blog that I'm collaborating on with some friends.

Sectorum Ludus Bellorum is a Narrative Wargames blog set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, with a bit of an old-school/Rogue Trader vibe. I'll likely still be showing some of my Deathwatch/Heroclix kitbashes here, but AARs, fluff and narrative prose will be moving to Sectorum Ludus Bellorum. 

Stop by and check it out sometime if Narrative 40K is your bag. :)

Some of my Heretek crew in action during a game of Kill Team. 

Heimdall, Odin and Loki are painted and ready for action! 
 

Lady Sif, Tyr and Snaykar the Skulker (who's been a bit "off" lately).

Superhero Media: Batman Forever

And here is where many see the downwards slide as beginning. I'll not mince words, Batman Forever is pretty gay. I don't use 'gay' as a pejorative, but as a literal descriptor of the subtext of the film, with it's cosmeticised masculinity, camp theatrics and comedic tone, the whole film plays very gay. And that's just fine, really. Superheroes, Batman especially, with his cape, tights and theatrics, play pretty damn camp at the best of times, so exploring that in a feature film does work, if you let it. True, Batman Forever is probably a little too silly, but the strong cast are clearly having fun, which endears the film to me that little bit more. Tommy Lee Jones really never gets to cut loose as an actor, so seeing him chew the scenery as an over-the-top Two-Face is pretty cool, though I wonder how Billy Dee Williams would have done, given he was originally tapped for the role as far back as Batman (1989). It's also worth noting that Two-Face's origin is told in flashback, rather than starting with Harvey Dent, as the film opens with the "Face Gang" robbing a bank; Batman turns up, fights some guys and escapes an elaborate death-trap faster than you can say "Holy unlikely escape, Batman!"

There are actually plenty of references to the Adam West Batman series, beyond the generally camp tone, with Robin dropping "Holy rusted metal, Batman!" in the third act, the sets looking like sets and more than one elaborate death-trap. To contrast this, much of the writing is deep and pretty clever on a number of levels, not least of which being how the film approaches Batman. The Bruce Wayne of Batman Forever has grown as person over the past two films, seeing that his "crusade" is not fulfilling and is looking endless; in a sense, the therapeutic benefit of being Batman has worn off. By working with a psychiatrist, Bruce Wayne reaches the conclusion that he no longer is suffering acute trauma from the death of his parents and can move on with his life without dishonoring their memory. The line "You see, I'm both Bruce Wayne and Batman, not because I have to be, now, because I choose to be." is a powerful moment, rarely seen in any Batman media. This Batman has grown as a person, and is stronger for it. What I wouldn't give to see that a bit more often.

Whilst I think the older take on Robin (college age) is probably not ideal, it does work, with the gap between Bruce and Dick playing more like siblings or student/teacher than parent and child, which adds gravitas to the scenes where they argue over the morality of killing Two-Face in revenge for the death of Dick's family. Before the climatic battle, Bruce and Dick agree that Robin is free to make his own decisions, but Batman still respects the sanctity of life. Batman is proven to be right, but respecting Robin's choice and opinion is also pretty rare for the Caped Crusader. If you are the kind of person to be put off by the high-camp design of Batman Forever, I can't really help you, but there is a lot of great stuff going on in this film when you get to the real content under the surface gloss. It is disappointing that Batman Forever was followed by the universally-maligned Batman & Robin, because I feel that this film really should be more influential with Batman writers, especially around who Bruce Wayne is and what his mental health can be like. Want Batman to be for "grown-ups"? Have the character grow-up, it's really not that hard.

Miniatures Finished: 28/06/19

There's little in the way of theme as to what I'm getting painted currently, as the boxes of unpainted supers have begun to overflow and whatever happened to be on top got attention first. This means I'm painting a bit of a variety, which is fun and keeps me from getting bored. 

Dire Wraith: I had a reason for painting a dire wraith, but I really can't remember what it was. Heroclix. 

The Destroyer (Deathwatch Dreadnought): Of course the Dread for Kill Team Aesir had to be the Destroyer Armour. With the Heresy era dread, it was pretty easy to replace the head. Converted Games Workshop. 

Skrull Commando: Again, I had a plan for the Skrulls, so I painted my last couple up, but whatever it was never eventuated, so here we are. Heroclix. 
 

Red Skull: I had Red Skull painted for years to use in Secrets of the Third Reich, but when I sold off my German army, I touched him up and fixed some mistakes. Heroclix. 

Vampire Batman: I have "that" friend, who likes to find the most ridiculous and "hardcore" varieties of a character, so I had to show him just how hard I deep cut with Vampire Batman. The comic is more interesting than good, but he was fun to paint and may have to appear in a game sometime. Heroclix. 

Sandman: This figure was seeing use in my MI-13 campaign until I converted a new version (as can be seen in the old AARs). This one got a touch-up now that I'm a bit better with highlights and yellow. Heroclix.

Superhero Media: Kirby Triple Deluxe

I decided that something I can do with my 4+ months of unemployment (for the most part) is finish some of the video games cluttering up my cabinets. Longtime readers will likely know two things; one, I'm not really much of a gamer and, two, I love Kirby games. Naturally, I play just about every Kirby game I can get my hands on, even the ones that people tend to say aren't worth the effort. The main thing that people tend to critique about Triple Deluxe (and Star Allies for that matter) is that it isn't Planet Robobot. Whilst I agree that "Robot Mech Suit" is a hard gimmick to top, Triple Deluxe is as charming as most Kirby games, but tops it off with a fairy tale aesthetic and the most powerful form of Kirby that has been seen to date. When a mysterious seed feels to Dream Land, a massive "Dreamstalk" sprouts, carrying Kirby and King Dedede into the sky. When Dedede is kidnapped, Kriby rushes up the Dreamstalk to his rescue. 

Most of Triple Deluxe is pretty standard Kirby fare, the only powers I hadn't played with in the past were Archer, Spear and Circus, which were a bit of fun, but the returning Ninja power was one of the most useful, as being able to cling to walls let me plan out moves in advance. That said, taking Archer into boss fights makes them pretty easy. The new centerpiece however, is Hypernova Kirby, when the consumption of a Miracle Fruit turns the pink puffball into a rainbow vacuum of destruction, capable of swallowing even world bosses whole in a matter of seconds. Is Hypernova Kirby a representation of the character's "Final Form", or perhaps an inversion of his destiny as a Star Warrior? The game doesn't explain any of it, preferring instead to focus on the origin of the villains and the Dreamstalk itself. As is now typical for Kirby games, the villains, Taranza and Queen Sectonia, have a pretty twisted background, with Sectonia being warped by her constant pursuit of perfection and her loyal sister Taranza too loving to disobey or leave. 

Amusingly, the reason Taranza kidnaps Dedede rather than Kirby, is that she mistakes Dedede for the legendary "Hero of Dreamland", because he has a castle and servants. That's pretty funny, but begs the question, why does Kirby live alone in a one-room house whilst Dedede gets to stay king? I'm not saying that Kirby, effectively a toddler, would be a better leader, but when your Superman equivalent routinely dethrones your corrupt king, surely someone would think of putting Bandana Waddle Dee or whomever else in charge? The plot of the first game is that Dedede stole all of the food in Dream Land, that's some major despotism right there, and Kirby tends to fight him in every game since. Am I the only one wasting time considering the internal politics of Dream Land? Do I wish I had something else to do with my time? Does it even matter because there's a 3+ year backlog on articles? Tune in next time to see what I get up to.