Avengers: Endgame made history one year ago, and I have just the read to celebrate that. This week, I sink my teeth into one of the biggest, most important story arcs of the original Avengers comics. BACKGROUND:
At this point, my love for the Avengers and all things Marvel needs no introduction. I grew up reading about these guys online, spent a childhood watching cartoons featuring them, and spent my adolescence watching them come together in live-action. There really isn't much more I can say about how they've been around for most of my life. While I haven't read this particular story arc until today, I know quite a lot about it because of how much of its elements and fallout have become mainstays in the Marvel Universe since then. For example, my familiarity with the Kree initially came from all the references to the Kree-Skrull War in later comics (or in adaptations). Long story short, this story arc is quite significant, and the fact that we got to see a form of it in live-action (via the Captain Marvel movie) blows my mind. THE WRITING: As the name implies, Avengers: Kree-Skrull War collects the Avengers issues that center around the conflict between the Kree and the Skrull, two highly advanced alien races who have been feuding since time immemorial. Unfortunately, Earth is caught in the crossfire, and it's up to the Avengers to do something about it. Unlike comic book story arcs today, the issues that are part of the Kree-Skrull War aren't so much chapters of a singular narrative, but rather a collection of your usual standalone single-issue stories tied together by overarching events. The issues may feel only tangentially related until the later chapters, where everything comes together. I think the best way to describe it is that you're not so much reading a start-to-end chronicle of the Kree-Skrull War, but rather exploring a bunch of seemingly disconnected stories that eventually come together to paint a picture of the Kree-Skrull War. The first few issues sees the current team of Avengers (Vision, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Goliath, featuring Rick Jones) encounter Captain Marvel (who, at the time, is still the original Mar-Vell, and not Carol Danvers) and deal with Ronan the Accuser, who is enacting a plan to neutralize Earth (who he deems a threat to the Kree). The fallout of these events causes mass hysteria amongst the general public, causing everyone to view the Avengers as sympathizers to the Kree. After all of this, the Skrulls finally come into play, revealing themselves as the ones responsible for the next series of unfortunate events (including, but not limited to: getting Captain Marvel captured for a second time in the arc, nearly destroying Vision, and sowing seeds of discord amongst the Avengers). Plenty more things happen afterwards (like the Maximoffs getting kindapped by Super-Skrull, the Avengers fighting Mandroids, Triton and Black Bolt of the Inhumans get involved), and it all culminates in the Avengers going to space to take the fight to the aliens). There's a LOT of moving pieces in each issue, and while I personally enjoyed going all over the place to see how each story fit, I could see how this could be frustrating to follow for other readers who may be coming in expecting a typical story structure. In terms of lore, there were plenty of things thrown into this story arc that were explored further (or at least touched on) and went on to be staples of the Marvel Universe. First and foremost, the Kree and Skrulls (who were introduced in the Fantastic Four comics) had their places in the universe completely expanded from mere recurring antagonists to proper fixtures of the Marvel cosmos. In fact, many things that debuted in Fantastic Four were revisited (and even fleshed out) in this story arc, such as Annihilus and the Negative Zone, as well as the Inhumans (whose origins are directly tied to the Kree). The Fantastic Four is one of the most significant titles in the entire history of comic books (not just Marvel), and the Kree-Skrull War incorporating so many elements introduced in it is emblematic of that fact. Another significant element this story arc introduces is the romance between Vision and Scarlet Witch. It isn't paid off until much, much later (long after the end of the Kree-Skrull War), but it is here where they first started planting the seeds that Vision isn't as robotic and emotionless as he seems. If your familiarity with Marvel characters is mostly tied to the movies, comics from the same era as the Kree-Skrull War will likely throw you for a loop. During this time, Clint Barton was still Goliath, Hank Pym is still flip-flopping between 700 alter egos (he is both Ant-Man and Yellowjacket in this arc alone), Carol Danvers hasn't even become Ms. Marvel yet (the accident that gives her powers was yet to happen), and there's an awful lot of Rick Jones, who has somehow never been in the MCU despite being a significant character in the history of the Avengers. In this regard, it might be overwhelming to jump in directly into this arc blind, but it's nothing a quick Wikipedia search can't fix. My favorite issue of the bunch, despite being the equivalent of a filler episode to the entire arc, is #93. This issue had a section titled Journey to the Center of the Android, where Ant-Man shrinks down and goes into Vision's android body in an effort to fix him. It's exactly the kind of weird sci-fi shit I'm into. I also really enjoyed the Inhumans-focused issue, as it fleshed out Black Bolt's character a little bit. Like many comics around this time, the dialogue may come off as cheesy and overly expository, and the narration verbose and slightly overbearing. Again, it's another one of those things that may catch you off guard if you haven't read many comics from this era, but I maintain that it still has a certain charm to it, even in 2020. THE ART: Many comics of this time period fell into this one art style with bright colors, clear outlines, wacky proportions, and not-so-complex shading, and this is no exception. There are obvious nuances, of course (like the level of detail varying depending on the artist), but to an uncultured swine such as myself, these all look mostly the same at first glance. Of course, that doesn't mean the art isn't any good; far from it, in fact. In particular, there's one panel in the aforementioned issue #93 that's mostly just a close-up of Vision's face, and it boasts an incredible amount of detail for something that uses mostly basic shading and simple colors with no variation in tint/shade. The art may be "of the time," so to speak, but I feel that it's just as impressive as its modern counterparts. VERDICT: The Kree-Skrull War is regarded as one of the most important events in Marvel canon, and it is with good reason. It sees the Earth's Mightiest Heroes do what they do best against larger-than-life foes that span the cosmos, builds upon previously-established elements from older comics (and even introduces new elements of its own), and presents it with art that's both retro and timeless. It's a classic story arc worth exploring, especially if you're an MCU fan who's curious to see the Avengers as they were long before the days of movie adaptations. However, jumping in may be a bit of an challenge, as a lot of characters and scenarios were introduced/developed in previous issues or other comic series. Read it all over on Comixology: www.comixology.com/Avengers-Kree-Skrull-War/digital-comic/20544?ref=c2VhcmNoL2luZGV4L2Rlc2t0b3Avc2xpZGVyTGlzdC9pdGVtU2xpZGVy - end -
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To be honest, I haven't been in the mood for much reading since lockdown started, but I'm slowly working my way back to it. For this week, I pick out another full graphic novel to sink my teeth into. BACKGROUND:
Like many people, my first introduction to Hellboy wasn't the comics, but rather the Guillermo del Toro movie. I was young when that first came out, though, so I didn't learn that it was an adaptation of a comic until I was a little older. I've since read the odd Hellboy issue here and there, but this is the first time I'm reading a full volume. THE WRITING: Vol. 1 starts out in 1944, at the tail end of WWII. A team of Nazi scientists are in the midst of an occult ritual to summon a destructive force in hopes of turning the tide of war in their favor. Elsewhere, a small team from the British Paranormal Society (aided by Allied soldiers) investigate suspicious activity in England. As the Nazis complete their ritual, the team are blindsided by an explosion, and in its aftermath, there sat a demon boy. Fast forward 35 years, and that demon has grown up to be Hellboy, an investigator for the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense (BPRD). After a paranormal attack kills Hellboy's father figure, he assembles a small team to investigate the source, and during the investigation, they find that the individual behind everything is connected to Hellboy's origin. That same individual also happens to be trying the exact thing the Nazis were in 1944, and is attempting to unleash the apocalyptic force that they couldn't back then. If this synopsis sounds vaguely familiar, that's because the first Hellboy movie adapted part of this storyline. The movie changed some stuff, obviously, but many of its key elements will stand out to any reader who's seen the movie. A key difference between the movie and the original is that the book doesn't spend as much time building its characters (apart from Hellboy himself, who gets to show a lot of his personality). Hellboy's relationship with Bruttenholm is barely explored, you don't learn much about Liz Sherman or Abe Sapien (other than bits and pieces of backstory), and while the villain goes in-depth on his own backstory, all he really does in the present day is ramble about his grand scheme. On the flip side, there's a good amount of world-building in the comic, though it's mostly focused on the main plot, like an elaboration of the Nazi's goals, and how Hellboy is connected to that. However, the more interesting bits, like what Hellboy is exactly, aren't really touched on. The book also briefly hints at an outside civilization that understands what's happening, but they don't play into the story. THE ART: Mike Mignola is one of the most celebrated comic book artists of all time, and it is with good reason. His use of clear black lines, a limited palette, and masterful shading all come together to form a style that is pretty much iconic at this point. I've always thought of Mignola's style as incredibly simple, yet somehow also amazingly detailed (which sounds completely paradoxical, but that's how I make sense of it), and Hellboy books like this one are a great showcase of it. Hellboy's design is equally iconic, and while he's the obvious highlight in terms of character designs in the comic, the other supernatural characters and creatures are just as striking and memorable. VERDICT: Though I found Vol. 1 of Hellboy to be a little sporadic in terms of character development, I still really enjoyed reading about it in terms of the lore and all the mysteries that go along with it. Hellboy himself is entertaining, too, both in terms of kicking ass and his internal dialogue. This book leaves a lot of loose threads, and I definitely look forward to reading more. I would argue that Hellboy is essential reading for anyone looking to explore a world of comics outside of Marvel and DC, doubly so if you're enthusiastic about a who's-who of prominent comic artists. It's also a fantastic place to start if you enjoyed Guillermo del Toro's Hellboy movies, or you're just curious about where the character came from. Here's the book on Comixology: https://www.comixology.com/Hellboy-Vol-1-Seed-of-Destruction/digital-comic/2255?ref=cGFnZS92aWV3L2Rlc2t0b3AvZ3JpZExpc3QvbGlzdDM0MDEx - end - The whole mess the world is in right now has thrown my reading schedule into complete disarray. Today, I take the first step in getting back to my groove and pick out a graphic novel from my ever-growing digital comic backlog. BACKGROUND:
This book is part of the Comixology Originals label, a line of books made by various creators exclusively for the Comixology platform. I've yet to read a Comixology Originals title, so I was pretty excited to have acquired this comic for myself. It's also written by Chip Zdarsky, whom I've mainly seen as an artist, and I'm pretty intrigued to see how he does here. THE WRITING: Afterlift follows the story of Janice Chen, an unassuming ride-share driver with some family issues. Everything changes when she picks up what seemed to be a pair of normal passengers, as they are immediately pursued by demons. As it turns out, Janice has been chosen to transport a soul to the afterlife, and those demons want that soul for themselves. Janice takes it upon herself to save that soul from the powers that be and goes on a wild adventure across every corner of the world beyond. Once the story veers completely into the supernatural, things get more interesting. The book's concept of afterlife is both derivative and meaningful, and it leaves plenty of room for some philosophical ponderings. As the story progresses, Janice goes from limbo, to purgatory, to hell, and to heaven, and as she does, she makes some bold choices and goes through a compelling introspective journey. We learn about her tragic past, see her make selfless choices, and watch her become the best version of herself by the end. I was quite impressed by how they were able to make her such a great character in just this one book. The second most important character in the comic is Suzanna, the soul everyone is fighting over and whom Janice is out to save. Her past is equally tragic and regret-filled as Janice's, with the added wrinkle that she is now dead with seemingly no redemption in sight. I found her journey just as compelling, as she starts out thinking she deserves to rot in hell, and as the story continues, she slowly realizes that even she can get a second chance. I've been in that place before (one could argue that I'm still in that place....), so her arc resonates with me on a very personal level. While the other characters aren't as fleshed out, they are still pretty interesting. Dumu, the main antagonist, is a stylish demon who's both manipulative and desperate for approval. There's Twyzel, an angel who exiled himself in purgatory after going through a tragedy of his own. Even Lucifer himself makes a brief appearance, and the book's take on him (at least in terms of character) is rather unique compared to all the other versions of the devil I've seen. In terms of world-building, Afterlift only goes through the bare minimum, and I wish they could have taken some time to flesh out the lore. The book is paced rather quickly, so there aren't many chances to slow down and learn about the history of each location and character. Some elements (like Lucifer's rebellion against God) are merely alluded to, and others are left completely to the imagination. With that said, I greatly enjoyed the main story regardless, so my desire for a lore-rich world is more of a personal want than a necessity for a good comic. THE ART: Visually, the comic does a lot with a little. The interior art doesn't boast a meticulous amount of detail, and the palette is more on the safe, muted side, but it all looks great regardless. When the opportunity presents itself, however, the art really shines in big moments, such as in impressive vehicular action sequences, or chilling splash pages depicting Hell. In terms of character design, the demons are the standout, looking more like orcs than your typical depictions of demons (though the more stereotypical demon designs do appear in the comic). VERDICT: I went into Afterlift expecting some sort of modernized version of The Divine Comedy, and it ended up being a heartfelt journey following two characters who've been through a lot. While it would have been cool to dwell in and expand upon every location in the afterlife in terms of lore, I was still quite satisfied with the actual story. I'm labeling this one as "highly recommended." Afterlift is exclusive to Comixology. Here's the link: https://www.comixology.com/AFTERLIFT-comiXology-Originals/digital-comic/792718?ref=c2VhcmNoL2luZGV4L2Rlc2t0b3Avc2xpZGVyTGlzdC9pdGVtU2xpZGVy - end - Oh boy, here it is. After a little over two weeks of playing, I'm ready to talk about the biggest game of 2020 so far (next to Doom Eternal). Yes, yes, my Animal Crossing blog post is here. BACKGROUND:
Though I've technically played a bit of Animal Crossing before, and know a fair bit about the game (thanks to secondhand knowledge + Smash), I haven't really gotten into the series in a full capacity (i.e. actually playing the game for a sustained period of time). I was pretty young when I first checked it out, and didn't really understand the appeal of games like it until I was older. I actually wanted to get New Leaf for the 3DS, but I never got around to it. Instead, I held out for the Switch game, and here we are. This franchise is a good example of me getting into a game due to someone else's enthusiasm for it. A good friend of mine (whom I've known since grade school) was super into the Animal Crossing game on the DS, and it was her interest that got me to try out the game initially. Years later, another friend of mine in college (who is part of our little Nintendo fanboy circle of friends) ended up getting New Leaf for the 3DS, and seeing how invested he got really put the game on my radar. I really hope I can recreate a similar effect on other people with these blog entries of mine. PLOT: Your avatar (often known as the Villager) has the wonderful luck of acquiring the Nook Island Getaway Package, the latest in Tom Nook's (notorious raccoon/tanuki business tycoon) moneymaking schemes. You are sent to a deserted island in which you will begin your new life, and with the guidance of Nook himself, turn the island into a wonderful paradise. Most Animal Crossings play out the same way: you're the new fella in town, Tom Nook buries you in debt, you live out your life in the town while trying to pay your loans off, and you meet other animal villagers who move into the village. The only difference now is that you're on an island. It's by no means a particularly captivating story, but given what the game is about, the bare minimum is more than enough. Though there are hundreds of animal characters in the game, only a few prominent NPCs have distinct personalities, while the rest fall into specific archetypes. The villager themselves is a silent protagonist, a mere vessel for you, the player, so you don't get much in the way of compelling characters. That said, what little personalities the NPCs exhibit are more than enough, as every interaction with them (and there are many ways to interact with the animal villagers) was wholesome or silly in a good way. The animal villagers are even interesting to watch even when you're not talking to them, as they enter all sorts of animations when you leave them alone (e.g. they go out fishing, interact with furniture, and even emote when other villagers are present). PRESENTATION: This is the first time a mainline Animal Crossing game has been in HD, and it looks absolutely wonderful. It's got that usual cheery Nintendo vibe: bright colors, cutesy designs, generally pleasant to look at. There are also some elements that lean more into a realistic style (like the insects and fish, or some furniture pieces), but they mesh well with the predominantly cartoony art style of the game. Most of the animal characters have cute/cool designs (I say "most" because there are definitely a few villagers who look like serial killers), and your villager character has more customization options than ever before (though it's nothing on the scale of, say, Sims). The most impressive aspect of the game's visuals lies in the minute details. Stuff like furniture pieces, which are scaled differently from the characters, boast a lot of intricate details in their models, and interacting with some of these objects even leads to unique animations (e.g. interacting with a faucet makes the water run). Even shit that would otherwise go unnoticed was taken into account, like clocks telling the correct time, or house plants shifting when a fan is turned on. It's a ridiculous amount of polish for what pretty much amounts to mere decoration. The effects of the game are nothing to scoff at, either. Aside from the aforementioned wind interactions, there are also well-placed shadows accurate to the sun's position and other light sources, beautiful-looking water, and even impressively polished textures for items like clothing. It's some mind-blowing levels of polish. The game's music is as chill as they come, and though it takes a while to unlock, you get to a point where the track changes every hour, keeping things fresh as you play at different times during your day. The standout tracks are, of course, the ones featuring musician dog K.K. Slider, and those tracks feature amazing variety in terms of musical style. GAMEPLAY: I'm sure, at this point, you've seen a fuckton of Animal Crossing on your social media feeds or elsewhere on the Internet. You're probably wondering, "what the fuck do you do in this game that has millions of people completely enraptured?" Well, the simple answer is: you live out a carefree life on an island. Before you begin, the game sets the stage, as well as throws most of the important customization options out of the way (character name, avatar appearance, etc.), as well as some other options that directly affect gameplay (island layout, the hemisphere you're island is on). Once that's all done, you're spirited away to the deserted island with two other animal villagers (who are randomly selected), where your only shelter is a shitty tent. Once you're there, it's off to the races. The common misconception about games like Animal Crossing is that there is no goal. While it is true that the game is very open-ended and you can play it in pretty much any way you want, to say there isn't a goal isn't entirely accurate. In the early stages of the game, Tom Nook nudges you along by giving you tasks that unlock essential features (such as the shop, or building your house) or help you obtain more shit. Now, you can choose to immediately focus on the tasks the game gives you, or you can go "fuck that" and do something else until you feel like going back to the big objectives. Animal Crossing is incredibly lenient and freeform, which lets you play the game at your own pace, and I understand that doesn't appeal to everybody. If you're the kind of player who is overwhelmed by open-ended games, or dislike figuring out what to do next on your own, you won't like this game very much. In the beginning, the "goal" is to set yourself and your fellow villagers up for your new island life. First, you pitch your tents, then the game teaches you how to pick up items, which allows you to acquire resources. Then, you learn how to craft things using those resources (a new feature in the series), which is how you obtain tools. Those tools allow you to obtain more valuable resources, which can be used to craft better things, as well as acquire all sorts of shit worth selling. You can then use the Bells you earn from selling shit to start paying off your loan, or to buy all sorts of items (like tools, furniture, and more). This is the game boiled down to its bare essentials, and while many other games feature a similar gameplay loop, Animal Crossing handles it quite differently. Whereas the point of crafting, harvesting, and selling shit in similar games is survival (think Minecraft), Animal Crossing leans more towards the scale of expansion and improvement (think Stardew Valley or Harvest Moon). You start out picking up sticks, then once you figure out how to craft tools, you can start catching bugs or fish, or start chopping up trees for wood. You can then sell that shit to pay off your house (which allows you to expand your house later on), or buy furniture to decorate your island with. It's understandably not appealing for some people to grind out what essentially amounts to in-game chores just to make their island pretty, but for the millions of Animal Crossing fans out there, it's quite therapeutic to fish for 30 minutes, sell your haul, then buy a bed that looks awesome in your house. I can certainly say it was therapeutic for me, given how stressful the past two weeks have been. Progress in this game seems like a pretty nebulous (perhaps even nonexistent) concept on paper, but what I'd say is the primary metric for progress is the development of your island. As you keep playing, you eventually unlock important landmarks like the shop and museum, gain the ability to build bridges and inclines (allowing you to reach previously inaccessible areas on your island), recruit more villagers to live on your island, and even become a god and be granted the ability to completely terraform your island to your liking. Working towards each of these long-term goals is always satisfying in the end, as you end up unlocking a feature that expands what you can do in the game. Other long-term goals include paying off multiple house loans, which allows you to expand your home to have multiple rooms, filling the museum with exhibits (i.e. collecting as many unique bugs, fish, and fossils as you can), and improving your island rating (which is a roundabout way of saying "make your island look pretty"). The game doesn't outright force you to do all these tasks (though certain things are locked off in the early game), so it's really up to the player what they want their Animal Crossing experience to be. In my case, my obsession with completing the Pokédex carried over to this game, and I focused on collecting bugs and fish for my first week. Then, once I did what I could on that front, I pivoted away to making my island look nice. The amount of things you can do seems overwhelming, but the thing is, you don't have to do all of them. If you need even more of a guiding hand to help you along on your Animal Crossing journey, New Horizons introduces the Nook Miles Program, which is this game's version of achievements. Accomplishing various tasks will earn you Nook Miles, which can be spent to acquire special items (like exclusive furniture, or important upgrades like expanded inventory space). Later on, you get something called Nook Miles+, which is the game's equivalent of "daily" tasks (like in mobile games), allowing you to earn even more points. While you can play the game however you want, the Nook Miles Program is a fantastic way to incentivize exploring the other facets of the game, as well as keep track of progress on certain things. What's fascinating about Animal Crossing's gameplay is that it operates in real time. That means everything in the game operates on the actual 24-hour clock (e.g. if it's 10pm in real life, it's 10pm in the game). Certain things are only accessible during specific times, such as accessing the shop (which is open only during specific hours). talking to villagers (they go to sleep at night), catching certain bugs or fish, and more. This concept extends further to days (certain NPCs only show up on a specific day of the week) and months (the seasons change according to your set hemisphere, as well as pool of bugs/fish you can catch, and special in-game events become available). It's a mechanic that encourages you to take it one day at a time, almost to a frustrating degree (some things, like building bridges, make you wait until the next day to actually use the damn thing), but it is one you can work around by changing the internal time on your Switch (a process dubbed "time traveling"). I personally am content playing the game as it was intended, though I do understand that some people just want to get to the good part. If your personal island isn't enough, you can visit other islands as well! Your first option is the Mystery Islands, which takes you to one of various pre-designed islands. This is a good place to harvest extra resources, potentially catch rare fish and bugs, and even meet new villager friends who will move to your island. I kinda wish the islands were properly random to make things interesting (it merely selects one out of a small set of possible islands), but I suppose they serve their purpose well enough as a source of extra shit. Your other option is to go visit the islands of other players. Very early on, you unlock the airport, which allows you to fly to player islands online (or the reverse, which is opening your islands to visitors). The game has a smart precaution against online troublemakers, limiting certain tools and the ability to move furniture around when there are visitors, but some restrictions can be lifted if you are Best Friends with the other players. While I have had a blast playing online with my friends and making our own fun (especially in the current status quo of staying home), Animal Crossing's online is far from perfect, with a subpar chat, the constant need to have players be idle when people are entering/leaving the island, and certain functions that don't affect online gameplay at all being inexplicably unavailable when people are over. Hopefully they fix some of these things in future patches. Honestly, it has been quite challenging writing about this game, as there is simply a lot of minutiae you can get into when talking about it. For example, I haven't even gotten into the millions of clothing options you have access to, or elaborated on the terraforming (which allows you to create paths, waterways, and even cliffs), how goddamn annoying crafting can be, or how fucking amazing the museum looks. There's also stuff like how many unique spawn conditions there are for fish and bugs, the variety of fruit trees you can plant, the ability to create your own custom designs for clothing and terrain, the new NPCs who you can sell fish and bugs to, or the wacky Amiibo functionality. There is a shit ton of things to do and see in this game, and I doubt my words can do it justice. VERDICT: Even with my gripes with the online and other things like how crafting is handled, Animal Crossing: New Horizons is still a fantastic experience. There is so much to this game that I couldn't even manage to write about all of it, and it boasts a tremendous amount of polish to boot. With what the world has come to right now, it's no surprise that a happy-place game such as this has taken everyone by storm, and I'd like to think that all that hype is well-deserved. If you're stuck at home and you own a Switch, this is a game worth getting right now. If you don't own a Switch (or you don't really understand the appeal of Animal Crossing), go check out the older Animal Crossing games (like New Leaf for the 3DS, or the original on GameCube; emulate them if you must, I won't judge). Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to my island. - end - |
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