Davedevil
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Posts posted by Davedevil
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Yeah, you don't have to wait too long for games to get cheap nowadays. The Avengers seems like a perfect "wait until they've worked out the problems" game. That or just watch the cutscenes.
In the early parts of Dragon Age: Inquisition, and it's such a big leap into next-gen for Dragon Age, while still retaining a good deal of the core of it. In the big picture, it's not far from Origins in how wide open it is, but fun and vibrant in a way closer to DA2. I'm still not finding my Inquisitor's personality the way I did my Hawke, but I think the roleplaying is pretty good (dear God, some dialogue goes on for so long and gives you so many options). There are so many mechanics at play too, it took me quite a few hours before I got into the crafting system.
There's a little too much, honestly. The open world can get mind-numbing like how Mass Effect: Andromeda dumps errands on you (that's even how they're referred to in the quest log) with little meaningful reward or effect. Eventually I found a point where I had enough levels to justify skipping them, hoping I find that soon for this game.
It makes me glad I played Andromeda first (a game I have a lot of affection for), as I'm pretty sure this would've soured me on that title.
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I like horror, but I've rarely enjoyed one from beginning to end nearly as much as I did Jennifer's Body. Glad I finally caught it this year. The reassessment it's been getting is very deserved.
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Fans have found her Letterboxd reviews and they're pretty much perfect. This is her defense for giving Captain Marvel two stars.
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I only thought of this after you made your post, but maybe you should look into the Dishonored series, Mike. You play as various supernatural assassins throughout the games and you can approach a level in so many different ways, from lethal/non-lethal, cruel/kind or superpowered/grounded. Dishonored 2, in particular, has some of the most clever levels I've ever seen, like a mansion that rearranges itself and a place where you can travel between two timelines at will.
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Finished playing Dragon Age II. And despite agreeing with the criticisms, mainly the passage of time feeling like a joke and repetitiveness in the mission structures (and areas, jeez), I really loved the characters and the tone of it. I don't prefer epic scale stories, so having this be mostly driven by the characters is perfectly fine by me. I never thought I'd love Varric to the extent that I do, Isabela is a riot, and Merrill is so adorable despite the absolute buffoonery she gets into.
It's similar to Mass Effect: Andromeda, another flawed but likable game (probably my favorite of that series, and yes I've played the trilogy), in that sense.
I also got into Overland in a big way. I didn't think I'd get into strategy games, or procedurally generated characters, but I've done 7 runs and counting. I've heard it described as a post-apocalyptic Oregon Trail, which I can sorta see. The gameplay is limited enough that it's tense, but varied enough that you can come away with some really neat stories to tell.
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My writing issue with Morrison is that his issues and story arcs felt so disjointed. I enjoyed the characterization in Batman and Son but it felt either like a fever dream or connective tissue was excised from the book. And then I picked up The Black Glove, and later RIP, and it felt like a different series entirely.
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Not the easiest choice for me to see but she definitely made Orphan Black the great show that it was, so I'm looking forward to what she does with it.
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Spectacular Spider-Man by Zdarsky, Kubert, Quinones, et al: I wanted to like this more than I did. Zdarsky clearly has affection for the character, but his style drives me up a wall. It felt like reading a different book from arc to arc, through an occasionally memefied lens. I enjoy weird comics and self-aware writing, and I do like the themes from a macro point of view, but reading it issue to issue felt like a fever dream. Maybe that's part of the intent, but it wasn't an easy read. I love the dinner with Jonah issue, the annual was pretty good, and I liked the final issue. I hardly remember the context of the story with the Batman: Year One homage, but that was still awesome.
Kubert did an excellent job with his issues. I've loved his Spider-Man since Astonishing Spider-Man/Wolverine. (Another batshit crazy Spidey story but one I have more fondness for.) Quinones was a great choice for the Amazing Fantasy arc, I dug the little visual touches the team put in to differentiate the two Spideys. Walsh did a great job with the dinner with Jonah issue, he really captured the emotion of that story.
I might give the series another read through in the future, but for now, Life Story is definitely my preferred Zdarsky Spidey.
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I've only seen bits and pieces of the 2010 Karate Kid movie, but Mr Han smashing that car was immensely saddening. I'm sure part of it was them using Jackie Chan's image as the kindly uncle to shock you, but it worked on me.
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I read Starstruck on Comixology a while ago (probably not the best choice, since it was either on my phone or my computer) and while I couldn't make heads or tails of the story, it definitely had heart. I might be due for a reread, I'd love to take a closer look at the worldbuilding and ideas. I'd probably get the trade or read it on my tablet, Kaluta's art deserves to be seen on a big scale.
And if you have Spotify, the audio drama version is on there. From what I've heard, the voice acting...sure fits the broad style.
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I had the same Joker thought as Don.
And even if everyone joked about it from the teaser photos, this really does read as the Netflix Daredevil, from that beatdown, to the voice. I'm fine with it, though. It still has that early years, Legends of the Dark Knight vibe.
Looking forward to Zoë Kravitz's version of Catwoman. I adore her and I've liked all the movie Catwomen so far, apart from the Obvious, so I'm sure this portrayal will be enjoyable too.
I dig that Batmobile a lot. Best since the Burton movie, not saying much, though I do kinda enjoy the Batfleck Batmobile.
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Something Winter Soldier really does well is integrating multiple characters. Steve and Peggy were the only characters with much of a focus in First Avenger, while Winter Soldier gives everyone significant roles. If the latter didn't have the museum scene or the flashbacks, most people would've forgotten about Bucky. Even First Avenger made Bucky's "death" more about Steve's failure and not his loss.
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I was aware of "Are you prepared for the kind of death you've earned, little man?" through memes, but had no idea it came from TNG or Star Trek in general. Imagine me losing my mind when that scene popped up.
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My main contribution to this discussion.
Winter Soldier is much more substantial, but it personally doesn't appeal to me as much as The First Avenger did. I'm happy with either winning, though I'm fairly sure how this poll will go.
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We might be seeing the current generation of comic fans turning on the monthly format. I've gone to digital and trade in the last couple years, after collecting monthly for almost a decade prior. Everytime I've shared news of upcoming comics with friends who are interested in the medium but aren't regular collectors, they always seem disappointed that they'll either have to pay $3.99 for a sliver of a story, or wait half a year for a collected edition, by which time they might forget.
I can see the episodic format working for stuff like events, you would want there to be time to shock people with reveals, but monthly issues don't carry the same impact anymore. Manga volumes take a couple months to be published, but they give more value and are easier to follow. Of course, color, page size and publication methods are different, but something that would make comics easier to share is needed. I got really excited when I saw Marvel was putting out $12 digests with a full years' worth of Ms Marvel or Miles Morales. I, personally, feel people would be happier walking out of a shop with a whole story/set of stories instead of 3 parts of different stories, for the same price.
Of course, how creators are paid would have to be rethought, but it might just be that desperate.
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I don't know why there's such hate for the DCU service, you don't hear that for Marvel Unlimited, which costs more and has less features. Just odd to me.
I feel really bad for those who've lost their jobs and weren't complicit in harassment in DC, and I'm very curious about where comics are gonna go from here. We are long due for alternative models, and I hope they find the right ones.
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Three episodes into Enterprise, and it's a pretty decent show. Archer doesn't really register with me, Bakula always has that furrowed brow expression and some really odd delivery at times. T'Pol is a much more engaging lead but so far a lot of her good material is reactive. I do appreciate how much she gets to take charge though.
The bickering and anxieties in this show are something else compared to the other Trek I've watched (first season and a couple episodes of TOS, four seasons of TNG). It's hard to take in the first two episodes (counting the pilot as one thing), but I can see where it's coming from. I'm hoping this show is solid enough, even if I have some hesitation.
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Obviously Endgame, but I have a fondness for The Incredible Hulk. I think it's the thing that seeded my appreciation for monster movies.
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GOTG V2 had some very annoying moments that drag on, as Don has said, but the Nebula and Gamora subplot is one of the strongest things the MCU has done, and it really began here. Ant-Man is fun and charming, but is lightweight in retrospect. The sequel has everything already good from the first and more, and less of its problems (namely, Hope being sidelined).
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I still can't decide if Ragnarok's humor gets in the way of the critique of imperialism, or if it enhances the piss-take. Like that bit from Korg at the end saying that Asgard will be rebuilt then saying never mind as it gets wrecked to nothingness, it didn't feel like an accident it came from the director himself. But it still feels so much like the typical Marvel humor.
Either way, it's still Ragnarok that's superior, even if I did enjoy IM2 in the cinema.
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Even if The Dark World wasn't the bottom of the barrel, Ant-Man and the Wasp is one of my favorite MCU movies.
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One of the first trades I got after really getting into superheroes and wanting to read comics was the Birth of Venom. It had the Alien Costume Saga, ASM #300 and the Return of Venom arc. That gave me a good idea of Spidey prior to when I was reading, visually and writing-wise. The two halves of the book felt like a pretty cohesive narrative, despite the years in-between. The DeFalco-Frenz run is still one of my favorites, especially after reading the Epic Collection. I'm sure I would've been okay with older comics anyways, but I'm sure having that book solidified that I would have no problem with classic comics.
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I think I'm letting the later movies cloud my judgement, but I have a hard time being as entertained by or emotionally invested in the Guardians now (that aren't Rocket and Groot or Gamora, respectively) as I did in 2014. I still think Tony's journey in IM3 is phenomenal, plus that plane rescue is a ton of fun. This might also be the last time Don Cheadle got good material.
To be fair, I haven't rewatched lately, but put me on Camp Johnson for this.
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I've been reading through the first Marvel Star Wars Epic Collection. Dan and Mike covering the first six issues was what pushed me to finally read through this, checking it out through Prime Reading. The adaptation of the first movie was really solid, Star Wars really lends itself to the narration and pacing of comics of the time. The art was odd at times, but really striking more often than not.
I'm a few issues into the follow-up arc, and I'm convinced it's a send-up of the whole thing. I know it's uncharted territory and Lucas was very firm on what the comics couldn't do, but it still feels like the total opposite of what a "The day after the big event" story would do, right down to having a parody of Luke. Art is a little less nice with this story, I can understand not doing an exact Harrison Ford likeness but he doesn't give the impression of Han.
Every film you've watched in 2020
in General Discussion
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I really enjoyed Drax in the first Guardians, but he got completely insufferable after that. Not a small factor in why I've kinda turned on the MCU Guardians since.