At Nerdarchy.com: Disagreements at the gaming table

When you're playing a tabletop role-playing game, when is it okay to voice a disagreement, or even argue, with the game master? Find out in my weekly article at Nerdarchy.com.

At Nerdarchy.com: Gaming at the library

This week my Nerdarchy.com article suggests tabletop rpg gamers check with their local libraries for D&D sessions. More and more libraries are offering games of Dungeons & Dragons.

Books read in 2016: No. 25 -- Red Sonja #0

art by Mel Rubi

writing by Michael Avon Oeming and Mike Carey

Started: June 14
Finished: June 14

Notes: As I'm on a bit of a comic books binge of late, I thought I'd try something new. Boy, was I glad to see Dynamite Entertainment has brought back the Red Sonja character! I figure the best place to start is with Issue 0.

Mini review: A fairly straight-forward short story here, not bad but not great, but the artwork impressed me quite a bit. Old-school Sword & Sorcery fans will find something here to like. Those with a more modern bent might scoff at the slinky scales that are supposed to pass for armor, but at least there's a fair amount of action to be found.

Books read in 2016: No. 24 -- Kingdom Come

by Mark Waid and Alex Ross

Started: June 13
Finished: June 14

Notes: Like many a graphic novel, this one was originally a limited-run series back in the mid-90s. The old school DC heroes have been sort of retired for a while, but a new crop of super beings have cropped up to take their place. These new folks aren't so nice, though most of them are not out-and-out villains. Still, these newer "heroes" often walk a fine line between good and bad, and eventually the older heroes decide they need to step in to set things right. Only chaos can ensue. One of the better comics stories ever written, in my opinion, and the artwork of Alex Ross is always some of the best around. I've read Kingdom Come a few times over the years, but it has been a while and I thought it was time again.

Mini review: Glad I got back to this one. I've always felt a little iffy about the ending, but to be fair, I'm not sure what other ending could have been used which would have made the story better. Superman fans should definitely check this one out as it's about as definitive a portrayal as one can get, though Supes is a bit old here. Wonder Woman really shines as a character, as does Batman, though in his old age he's quite a bit different from the Batman most of us are used to. Other familiar heroes abound, and plenty of newer names and faces.

Books read in 2016: No. 23 -- Astro City #1/2

by Kurt Busiek

art by Brent Anderson and Alex Ross

Started: June 13
Finished: June 13

Notes: I read much of the original run of Astro City back in the mid-90s and I enjoyed it quite a bit, but only now am I getting around to reading the prequel issue, issue #1/2. Should have read this years ago.

Mini review: There's no super hero action here, but it is a touching tale of a man who dreams about a wife he never had. Sort of. Kind of. As a widower, yes, I found this one moving. The writing is solid and the artwork is impeccable, as was always the case with Astro City, but this is a stand-alone tale and not necessary for the enjoyment of the overall series.

Books read in 2016: No. 22 -- Marvels

by Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross

Started: June 12
Finished: June 13

Notes: 20 years or older now, this graphic novel (originally a four-part limited comic books series) has been one of my favorites. With some of the best artwork to ever grace the illustrated story format, it also includes a fantastic tale of nostalgia covering the early days of Marvel super heroes from the point of view of an aging photojournalist. I've been meaning to read this one again for some time, and now I'm glad to do so.

Mini review: Yes, this is still some of the best artwork to grace comics pages. Art alone isn't enough for me, however, as I want a quality story, too, and that also is to be found here. The first issue takes place in the late 1930s when the photojournalist sees his first super being, the original Human Torch, and the rest of the stories take place in what I can only assume are the 1960s and the 1970s because of the styles and the events that occur, events surrounding Marvel heroes from comic books that came out in the 1960s and 1970s. There are tons upon tons of easter eggs here, just about in every frame that includes more than a close-up or a single person, and these can be fun to look for, though I doubt I'd ever catch many of them. Really, this is mainly a trip down nostalgia lane for long-time Marvel fans, and it introduces to younger fans some of the early events and feelings concerning Marvel heroes and villains. Comics have changed a lot since then, maybe for the better but maybe not, but it's also nice to look back from time to time.

Books read in 2016: No. 21 -- Plague Zone

by David Wellington

Started: June 7
Finished: June 12

Notes: About 15 or so years ago, this author was one of a handful who kicked off the zombie craze. Since then he has gone on to other monsters and other stories, but a few years back he penned another zombie tale, this one, so I thought I'd check him out again as it had been a while.

Mini review: A librarian watches on TV as his wife and child are killed by a zombie, then he decides to seek revenge by entering Seattle, an area that has been closed off by the military due to the zombie infestation there, and to hunt down and kill the one zombie out of thousands, maybe millions. It's not a bad plot, but the characters didn't do much for me, often seeming quite unbelievable in their actions and responses. However, I kept thinking while I was reading this that it could make a decent movie, just that it would take good acting to pull it through. Not bad, not great. This author has done better, and this wasn't awful, so I'll likely give him another shot at some point.