DOME IV- DRAGON SIEGE

Dome IV-Dragon Siege-

Areas of Interest: Central point, of course, is a large castle. With a king, queen, and a very stereotypical princess in it. Around the castle, on all sides, is a village with peasants and markets.

To the north, is a valley with a regiment of soldiers and knights. On the other side of the valley are more knights and soldiers. They are poised for an epic war over the planned marriage of the princess to the other side's prince. Don't worry too much about that. It's mostly for show.

A dark, mysterious forest surrounds the village to the East and South. Within them are highway men a la Robin Hood and the Merry Men.

The west has the highlight. A large, sharp mountain with a dragon in his lair at the top. He is about the size of a T-Rex, with wings. Of course, he breathes fire.

Base Locations:

1) At the foot of Dragon Mountain, in a smaller cave.

2) Deep in the dark forest, not far from the road.

Programmed Hazard: Dragon's Siege of Castle. 'Nuff said.

Arena Descriptions- DOME III- GARDEN PARTY

DOME III- GARDEN PARTY

Areas of Interest: Who has had the displeasure of sitting through Pride and Prejudice? Well, let's allow a battle to happen in that setting! Picture four miles of English countryside, with a beautiful lake, and misty meadows. Centered on this lovely picture is a manor house, and all the guests are arriving for a garden party to take place in the central garden, with a scrumptious dinner to follow. The evening will end with a dance party inside the house.

But let's ignore that. And let our combatants tear... it... up!

Base Locations:

1) In an abandoned farm house, on the lake to the East.

2) In the village, located all the way to the West.

Programmed Hazard: Fog and Rain with very, very strong wind... You know what? Screw it. A meteor shower, with basketball sized meteors. Let's destroy this place.

Arena Descriptions- DOME II- CARIBBEAN COVE

DOME II- CARIBBEAN COVE

Areas of Interest: A village on a Caribbean island. In the style of Port Royal from the Pirates of the Caribbean films. The ports will be dead centered in the arena, with the village behind it and around, with many people going about their everyday business. Above the village on the mountain is a Governor's mansion, filled with treasures and the wealthy family themselves having a dinner party.

Of course, to the East, stretches an Ocean, filled with ships heading into the beautiful port. Some of them are honest traders and others... Well, we'll just have to wait and see.

To the North of the village itself, lies a British fort filled with British soldiers always on the ready for pirates. And they should be, at the Southern most tip of the cove itself, is a pirate ship. The ship is anchored and the crew is burying treasure on shore, while drunk of course.

Base Locations:

1) Located in the British fort.

2) Located on board the pirate ship on the far side of the island.

Programmed Hazard: Pirate invasion that starts in the village. The British will intervene with a counter attack.

HV-II: It's Arena Time! DOME I- SHOWDOWN

Okay! Here we go! Let's get the arena descriptions done so we can get to some good old fashion mayhem.  

Just like last time, six new combat domes have been built for the second Hero/Villain Playoff Challenge. Like before, each dome will be four square miles in area and will have a programmed hazard that will affect our combatants. This time, though, each one will be based on different periods of time. And, for the first time, our combatants will be joined by realistic, robotic beings resembling people and creatures from the time represented. Some will be peaceful and others very, very hostile.

This post will cover the first arena...

DOME I- SHOWDOWN

Areas of Interest: An area resembling the American Southwest during the mid 19^th century. The center is a western town with a saloon, sheriff’s office, and a bank. Toward the northern end of town, is a railroad depot with tracks that run east to west and a train that arrives at 10 am. Within the town are actual townsfolk, doing their everyday business.

To the west is a Cavalry fort with an actual Cavalry regiment. In the east is a mining area in the hills with people desperate to cash in on gold deposits found years ago in the caves.

South sits a large desert area with buttes and mesas. And a cattle ranch with an angry, somewhat insane rancher completes the arena to the north.

Base Locations:

1) The first base is located in a hidden cave near the mining facility.

2) Inside the stockade of the Cavalry fort.

Programmed Hazard: Bandits will rob the bank at noon. This will lead to the sheriff and deputy intervening and, if it lasts long enough, the Cavalry will arrive.   

Intro to Hero/Villain Playoff Challenge- Part II

Its been a while since this...

I love Grudge Matches. I don't know what it is, but I enjoy theoretical fights, or team ups between fictional characters. And since I seemed to find a few kindred spirits on Flickr, in the summer of 2009 I started a massive playoff bracket, as seen below. The rules were simple: A team of a hero and their greatest villain (i.e. Batman and the Joker; Captain Kirk and Khan) were pitted against others to see who would come out number one. (For the record, the winner can be found here. Also, click here if you would like to see the master bracket, with links to all the matches)

Well, its been over two years, and I'm ready for round 2. Its time for "The Hero/Villain Playoff Challenge- Part II (Or, HV-II, as I'll be abbreviating it). As before, four divisions will be represented: Comics, Movies/TV, Video Games, and Animation. Eight teams have been selected, and they will be revealed shortly (Just a few character summaries to write up, then its go time).

Soon, I'll be posting the rules for HV-II, which have been slightly altered. As well as the four new "Domes" (Artificial arenas built on the moon for just such battles) built specifically for this playoff. (Again, to see the old ones, click here, here, here, and here)

Voting will be allowed on this blog, and on the links to the matches from my Facebook account. This will be the first time I'll use another site besides for Flickr for this. Hoping for the best, and I hope you all enjoy.

Review- Justice League #2: Title should have been "Flash VS Superman"

 Welcome to my next review- JUSTICE LEAGUE #2!

My wife, Ashley, as my unwilling model for Justice League #2

First of all, just a small criticism: At the end of issue number one, the comic hyped the upcoming "Superman VS Batman" fight. They really shouldn't have, as the fight was already over as the story picked up. And, Batman was... Losing! Honestly, the Dark Knight's ability to defeat the Man of Steel has been overhyped over the years. Superman moves faster than thought, and Batman is a human.

Now, to be fair, Batman had no prep time for this fight. Superman kind of "Bum-rushed" both him and GL. Add this to the fact that its early in both characters' careers, it makes perfect sense that Bats would not be victorious.

Anywho...

A side story is introduced right off the bat. Police scientist Barry Allen is being pulled off of his usual homicide cases to be put on a task force. The purpose of this task force is to find out who... The.... Flash... IS! (Get the joke, America? Barry is the Flash!)

We cut back to the aforementioned "fight" between Supes and Bats. It culminates with Batman being pinned against a wall, being questioned by the Metropolis Marvel about the alien box, with Superman saying that he had just been attacked by a creature wielding a similar box. He assumes Batman is behind it.

Just as Batman is beginning to realize that they were wrong (He and Hal had assumed that Superman was part of whatever is going on with the boxes), GL rescues him, hitting Superman with weighted ring constructs and wrapping him in chains. Of course, it doesn't work and Supes just flexes and shatters all the constructs, much to GL's dismay.

Now that Superman is enraged, Bats and GL have little choice but to create a protective bubble around the two of them and try to hold out. Batman tries to explain to Lantern that he can't fight Superman. He's both too strong AND too fast. And then, Hal gets an idea.

This is probably my favorite part of this issue- The reveal that Green Lantern and The Flash have already interacted in this universe. And that they are pretty good friends. In a brief conversation, Barry and Hal reveal that they have stopped a "talking gorilla" together in Central City. Flash is shown to be somewhat reluctant to be in the spotlight, and he tries to keep a low profile. Quite the opposite to the Flash we have come to know. But, again, this is early on. All characters need to develop still.

After Superman manages to break GL's bubble construct, Flash arrives right on time.

Remember how I said that the Batman Superman fight should not have been hyped? They should have hyped the Flash Superman fight. Extremely well done. Demonstrates what the Flash is truly capable of. A lot of people just think he runs fast, but the truth is, he's a guy who sees the world in slow motion.

He grabs Superman's arm, spins him around and then palm thrusts (I'm guessing that's what it was) him into a wall. Next, he then evades Superman's grasp, moving around him faster than the Man of Steel himself. At one point, he even throws his cape over his head. That's like slapping him in the face. Granted, Superman finished the fight by flicking Flash like a paper football.

Before Superman can continue fighting GL, Batman intervenes, realizing that everything is a misunderstanding. Immediately, he takes a charge, implying that they need to work together. As the military arrives, the foursome takes off into the sewer.

Next, we return to the story of Vic Stone, the high school football player from issue number one. We meet his father, Silas, who is researching the same box that Superman mentioned earlier. His team is beginning to realize that all the boxes are landing in areas that are known for super-human activity (Specifically New England, Washington DC, Central City and Coast City).

Victor then confronts his father, who admits that he will never go to one of his son's games. His reasoning is that whatever his son is capable of on the field, it pales in comparison to what people are now able to do ("...Fly, tear through buildings, and outrun race cars.")

Meanwhile, in an abandoned printing press, the foursome are now trying to figure out what the box does. Hal recommends to Barry that, since Superman and Batman are useless, they should deal with this on their own. As they all start to describe ways they could learn what the box is (Superman's X-Ray vision is worthless against it, GL's ring can't identify it, Flash isn't willing to take it apart at super-speed since he doesn't know if the inside is safe), it starts flashing and "pinging". Simultaneously, the one at STAR labs, with Silas and Victor, does the same.

Eventually, we discover what the box was. It opens a boomtube at both (and, I have to assume, at many other) locations. Unleashing soldiers of Apokolips on Earth. The device was an Apokoliptic Mother Box.

The Super-heroes brace for impact. And, tragically, Victor stone is severely burned by the energy of the Boomtube. And, as we see poor victor engulfed in flame, we are told that in issue number three we will meet Wonder Woman.

knwon to be the head of Meta-Human Affairs for the government) and Air Force Captain Steve Trevor (Most well-known as the love interest of Wonder Woman). The document discusses that Capt. Trevor failed a rescue attempt, his first failure. His reason is that he was teleported to Paradise Island, home of the Amazon race.

It also reveals that Wonder Woman is incapable of returning home, probably because she can't find it. Also, it reveals Wonder Woman's warrior nature, as she killed a kidnapper. Not a fan of heroes killing, but Wonder Woman is early in her career. So she still needs to understand the concept of "right and wrong" in "Man's World". Also mentioned in the document are Aquaman and Atlantis, though they are merely mentioned, not elaborated on.

Interestingly, Shazam is mentioned as well. As far as I can tell, this is the first mention of him in DC's New Universe. Hmm.

Closing thoughts: Still gripping me. I love the interaction between Flash and GL. Perfect. Though I'm hoping they can do some role reversal in the future, as Lantern seems to joke around a bit too much and Flash seems a tad uptight. Batman and Superman seem to be hitting it off well. ALMOST a little too well, since the two share different ideals (Batman is fear based and Superman tries to work in the public). But, we'll see if they develop it well. Looking forward to number three!  

Justice League Number 1- Nathan's Review

 I am a comic fan. Have been for a while. The problem is I have never actually read or subscribed to any monthly comic. The reasons were two-fold.

One- Practicality. I didn't really want to spend the money on it.

Two- Continuity. I really didn't know where to start. There were so many titles that had been going on for so many years that I was literally lost.

Over the years, I have read compilations and graphic novels. My favorites being the Superman/Batman series, Batman: Hush, Alex Ross's Justice, Just about anything by Tim Sale and Jeph Loeb, Marvel/DC Crossovers volumes 1-4, DC vs Marvel, and JLA/Avengers.

DC Comics recently began a "Relaunch" of their entire line. And, after getting permission from my wife, I decided I would begin subscribing to their central line: Justice League. On September 7, 2011, I picked up my first issue, Justice League: Number One. Here's my thoughts on the issue:

The story begins with the words: "There was a time when the world didn't call them their greatest super-heroes. There was a time when the world didn't know what a super-hero was." Basically, we're looking at a complete reboot on the origin of the League itself. I know people have their issues with reboots, but I like this concept. A fresh take on an old idea, done correctly, can breathe new life into it.

It continues with a rooftop scene in Gotham, five years ago. The police are chasing Batman and "someone" over rooftops. On orders, the helicopters open fire on Bats and the unknown villain. Again, this cements that Batman is an outlaw. This is good in my book. It's better than having Batman be some great, celebrated hero in the city. Why?

Batman operates from the shadows. He is now squeaky clean or kid-friendly. The governments cannot realistically condone a vigilante of that type. Another reason is that Batman needs people to fear him. He really should be thought of as a figure of evil, not a family-friendly, pose for pictures, Santa-esque character. We (The reader) know he's a decent person with an intense mission, but the people of Gotham, especially the criminals need to think he's merciless and dark. So, I say, well done DC.

As Batman chases the villain, despite the police interference, he eventually manages to tackle him. We then get a better look at the character- Definitely alien. Reptilian features with cyborg-like attachments and a tendency to growl rather than talk assist us in drawing that conclusion.

Before Batman gets any answers from the beast, he is overpowered by it's ability to burst into flames or energy or something (I can't really tell from the picture, it's just an orange blast with the word "BWOOOOOOOOSH" on it). As Batman is getting the tar beaten out of him, our next character arrives...

An emerald firetruck hits our villain head on and traps him beneath it. And Batman gets up to face Green Lantern (I assume Hal Jordan. Looks like him, anyway). GL expresses disbelief that Batman is real and Batman just seems generally withdrawn and disinterested in GL. The two of them have a brief discussion over how the governments don't "like" them, even referencing a past skirmish between Green Lantern and the Air Force, while the helicopters begin firing upon them.

The alien creature, which has now sprouted wings, attacks the two and then blasts flame through the police helicopters. As the helicopters begin to crash, GL creates giant bats with his ring and catches them, lowering them safely to the ground.

The alien next transforms itself into a mechanical spider/dog, as Batman instructs GL "Take your flashlight and go home. Gotham's mine. Coast City's yours."

GL then explains to Batman that Gotham, nay, the entire planet is "his beat", and explains the gist of the Green Lantern Corps. He was drawn to Gotham by his ring, which sensed an extra-terrestrial presence in the city. Batman then gives a brief back story- Witnesses say the creature attempting to plant a bomb. When the police tried to stop it, it spewed fire from its mouth.

This is where the character of GL starts to change, in an interesting way. Hal seems cockier than usual. Throughout the whole issue, he tells Batman how he can handle anything, he can create whatever he thinks of. I didn't know how to view this at first, as Hal always seemed to be an honorable character. But, this is early on. He's young and, frankly, being given a ring to create whatever is in your mind would probably get to most people's heads at first. That would make anyone a tool. I'm curious to see how they continue to develop him.

Anyway, as they go through the sewer, searching for the alien, Hal is dismayed to learn that Batman has no powers and is simple "Some guy in a bat costume". True to form, Batman proves his intellect- He removes GL's ring using slight-of-hand, noting that Hal broke his concentration.

As GL retakes his ring via telekinesis, Batman sees the alien again, this time planting a small cube into the wall of the sewer. As Lantern readies himself to attack, the alien bursts into flames, screaming two words that thrill me for buying this comic line: "For Darkseid!".

Batman and GL exit a green bank vault that protected them from the fire, discussing what Darkseid might be. And, since the ring cannot identify the object in the wall (gasp), They decide to go see "That guy in Metropolis" since he is also an alien. Batman notes that he is dangerous, but the cocky Lantern counters with "Won't be a problem for me". With that, they are off to Metropolis to confront Superman.

In an interlude we are introduced to Vic Stone, a high school football star who, after winning an important game, is being courted by several college scouts. We learn, though, that they can't tlak to him without his father present. The problem is that Vic's father, who another student points out works studying the new phenomena of super-heroes, was too busy to make it to the game. Any game, for that matter. Vic Stone, of course, is destined to become Cyborg of the Teen Titans. Can't wait to see this developed fully. The students witness a green jet flying overhead, noting that its "One of them".

Meanwhile, Batman and Green Lantern land in Metropolis, Batman unhappy that GL chose to travel there in a "Big Green target". Lantern travels into a hole, citing that his ring knows Superman is in there. As Batman begins to protest and urges preparation and caution, GL says that he can handle Superman, and plans on restraining him for questioning.

A "red-blue blur" throws GL flying. Batman, dazed, looks up at the imposing figure before him. Superman then asks him, "What can you do?". We end with the narration "Next: Batman VS. Superman". Seems the writers want to get that out of the way early on.

What do I have to say: Well-done. The intro to the characters and universe was superb. Jim Lee's art is always amazing. As far as new costumes go, they're decent. Batman has more armor now, looking a little like the Batman Begins style. Even Green Lantern seems to have armor on his shoulders. Superman's costume, while I don't prefer the trunks be gone, looks good. Mostly since the color scheme is the same.

This seems promising. Look forward to seeing more next month.