Hurdles of S.H.I.E.L.D.: We're keeping the name

So, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has been getting incrementally better. Last week had an episode with real-life superpowers. Even better, it moved the awful, shallow, irritating Rising Tide story that much closer to completion. Once it safely fades into the background like The Maquis, maybe we can finally focus on major villains like...ugh, "centipede."

The previous week was very good. Quite possibly the best episode of the series yet. Sure, the superpowers were just some advanced technology, but it was played well, the story was clever and it was a joy to watch. I mean, you have to deal with the time that the total badass was having a knock-down drag-out fight and then totally stood there looking around in complete darkness for ten seconds while her opponent causally picked up a gun, but it was a great episode.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier trailer

Yeah, pretty excited.

Zah-ham-baye, zah-ham-baye

So, Terry and I have been playing Magic lately. Amidst a lot of other games, I finally got my zombie deck, "Zompocalypse Now" off:

Click through for the full-size image.

Every D10 represents that many zombies. Because of my Undead Alchemist (blue card on the far right), in lieu of damage my zombies caused Terry to put a card from his library into his graveyard. For every creature card put into his graveyard that way, I got another 2/2 zombie (with +3/+3 from my Zombie lords).

I just want to say that even though Terry was losing, he didn't scoop so I could run up my zombies and win legitimately. He's a good friend.

This Dark Matter Thing Was Handled Poorly

For those of you who don't know, which is everyone because no one cares, there was once this group of guys who were modding an FPS. Anyway, they made a really popular mod and then they made a free-to-play FPS based on that and it was sorta popular in some circles.

They didn't make much money though and they didn't like their publisher. They suspected said publisher was only out to make a quick buck and not concerned with the long-term health of the property. So when those guy began working on their new title, Dark Matter, they didn't bother with a publisher.

Then they ran out of money so they tried a Kickstarter. The Kickstarter failed at around 12%. A few months later, they released Dark Matter on steam. Despite the fact that they clearly detailed the content of the game on the site, it ended abruptly at around four hours in. With a text screen of all fucking things.

Beyond: Two Souls-It Actually Is a Video Game

So, with personal stuff coming up lately, I'm not doing Denver 5 for the forseeable future. I am very sorry.

However, I did get paid to play some Beyond: Two Souls, and it's pretty great. It's the video game that's made by the same guys who made Heavy Rain, and they apparently learned very little since then. Not that Heavy Rain was bad, it just wasn't very good.

Anyway, Ellen Page is Jodie Holmes who has a ghost attached to her (they call it an "entity" because they don't want to sound silly even though the portals to the underworld they create are called fucking "condensers." It's like, what, does the ghost realm have a fucking dewpoint?). So she's raised in a lab since childhood and joins the CIA, but then also runs away. She's a hobo psychic badass as a character class and somehow they manage to make it all work together.

Sorry for the drop-off lately

I've been wrapped up in a job that isn't just about doing the work, but actively fighting over the job itself to get the work done. It's--well, let's just say that I've lost one of my liquor glasses to the shitty website architecture at this fucking place.

I'll blog about it in hateful detail once the job is done, which might be as early as Friday if I can't get this shit worked out.

Yaaaaaaaaay.

Hiddleston as Wilson as Loki

I'm not a Loki fan. I get why the attractive, damaged, emo supervillain could be attractive, but he's still a pissy, self-centered, insecure prick who's willing to decimate Earth because his family loves the shit out of him, but just doesn't express that love enough for Loki's taste.

I've got family like Loki.

None the less, he's a good character and a good villain and Hiddleston plays the shit out of him.

Politics as Candy

One of the things I like to do to keep up with government is to send the incoming vice president a Snickers the day after Inauguration Day. If the president finishes his term, then I'm out the price of a Snickers. If, gods forbid, he doesn't, then I can send the new president a single request, written on the back of a receipt for a Snickers.

That's why Ford pulled out of Vietnam.

Comics Alliance: The Final Word Outtakes

Apparently Some of My Friends Are Philistines

So, I've been reading Gerard Way's The True Lives of Fabulous Killjoys from Dark Horse Comics. It's no Umbrella Academy (few things are), but it's a good follow-on to the last album My Chemical Romance released, Danger Days. I've been shocked (not really) that folks haven't seen the two...plot-important videos for Danger Days.

Hurdles of S.H.I.E.L.D.

So, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (AoS) has had three episodes. I'm liking it, even if it's the reason I'm dreading Tuesdays now. AoS has a lot of hurdles to overcome. It's the bastard  child of a popular king. It exists to make a bit more revenue and add value to the Marvel film franchise. When Thor 2 and Captain America 2 come out, you sure as heck better bet AoS is gonna spend an episode for each one reminding the audience that THIS THING MIGHT BE ADDRESSED BY THOR/CAPTAIN AMERICA IN SOME OTHER NARRATIVE. PERHAPS ONE HAPPENING AT THE NEARBY THEATER ON NOVEMBER 8/APRIL 4.

I'm cool with that, but it's a one-way street; AoS can't have Dr Doom or Power Man or Iron Man because "Fox Studios," "you never know," and "LOL, nope!" The Fury cameo from the second week was nice, but Fury, like Hill, doesn't have an arc or history; he's untethered. If AoS is going to plug into the Marve movie universe or channel the power of the Marvel Comics Universe, it'll have to receive a box of good Marvel stuff, no matter how small. That risks making AoS look tiny next to superheroes/villains but it's got upsides: 1) the point is superheroes 2) it might distract from the premise.

Long Box Goodbye 07

The best thing about splitting the videos up is that I can upload them as I finish them and get something up for the 0100 deadline.

I'll have more up tomorrow. All the shooting is done; it's just editing now. :(

Denver 5 Comics 86-90

Denver 5 is an unillustrated comic strip about a group of dicks that are vaguely acquainted with one another because they are all endowed with metahuman abilities. Character descriptions are here.

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Comic 086
1. THE SPIDER is surrounded by people, many of them in costume. There's an assembled crowd. In the very back, the two uniformed figures from Comic 085 (Guards 85-1 and 85-2) are visible.

CHORUS

"Love your costume!"
"Were you there Friday?"
"Is this your first cosplay?"

THE SPIDER
"Ah, no. I come every year."

2. Same shot, but there's the flash of someone taking a picture and THe Spider squints slightly at it with all of his eyes. In the background, Guards 85-1 and 85-2 are getting closer, plowing through the crowd.

CHORUS

"Look at that articulation on the mouth!"
"I don't think he's tall enough."
"Can I get a picture with you."

3. Same shot, but The Spider is looking back, directly at the approaching security officers.

CHORUS

"Does the real Spider have that accent?"
"You let me take a picture with you last year."
"What's with the jacket?"

The Spider
"Well, you see, I'm ah..."

4. Wider shot. The Spider is moving into the crowd, off of the right side of the panel and handing his jacket back to TYLER FOSS, who was just off of the left side of the panel for the rest of the strip. Tyler is utterly bewildered at this. 

THE SPIDER

"Yes, we take a few pictures."

Kevin Spacey Talks Digital Distribution

Tree Police Special Edition DVD

Denver 5 Comics 81-85

Denver 5 is an unillustrated comic strip about a group of dicks that are vaguely acquainted with one another because they are all endowed with metahuman abilities. Character descriptions are here.

<-Previous           First               Next->

Comic 81
1. TYLER FOSS and THE SPIDER are walking around Cherry Creek Mall. Tan, faux marble floors and facades. Glass dividers and storefronts with bright silver handrails and detailing. In the background, there are some cosplayers. They and others look at the pair of metas as they walk into a clothing store, side by side.

Tyler: "You don't have to watch me; I was just kidding with you about causing trouble."

 
2. The Spider is checking out a rack of coats on a clearance rack.

Tyler: "I just wanted to hang with someone without a lecture on Ehm-theory and responsibility."

3. The Spider has picked out a coat [See reference] and is taking it to check out.

Tyler: "...you notice how we never train to work as a team?"

4. The Spider is offering the coat with a pile of cash to a cashier who is staring, aghast, at his mouth. Tyler looks sad.

The Spider: "We're not a team." "We'll never be a team." "We'll never work together."

Responsibility Wednesday

So this is my "To do" list for blogs. Tentatively. It's not comprehensive. It's not that I don't have anything to blog about it's that the number of things I want to blog about is a bit overwhelming sometimes.

You know what's not on that list? Country music and the sexy lamp test. The sexy lamp test is a media test. If a woman in a piece of media can be replaced with a sexy lamp, it fails the sexy lamp test. Presumably, you can have sex with the lamp. I have to make that last point because I've been wondering lately if some of the country music I like can pass the sexy lamp test.

The album I'm most eager to look over is Trace Adkin's "Chrome." I think I bought "Chrome" in 2001 because of "I'm Tryin'." I've always referred to it as redneck music and I absolutely stand by that. The whole thing is just chock-filled with redneck whining about lost romances and weird cities and cars.

Shatner on Safety