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[In his latest column for GameSetWatch, UK writer and journalist Fraser
McMillan discusses Valve's seminal first-person action title Half-Life 2, examining and revisiting the
smart design decisions behind the classic game.]
I've just finished Half-Life 2 for the first time. It has taken me three attempts - once on Xbox
360 and twice on PC - to see Valve's defining game to its conclusion. That this relatively minor
feat took so long is entirely my fault, ironically a product of the impatient wish to blast
through as quickly as possible.
Two and a half years after I initially booted it up, the end credits rolled. The final, completed
playthrough attempt lasted less than a week, and I'm glad I bit the bullet and experienced it
this way.
Not that it was anything like a chore; by taking things at my own, or, more accurately, Valve's
pace, I had time to absorb the world and explore its nooks and crannies, my eyeline expertly
guided by the seemingly omnipotent hand of City 17's creators.
I finally understand why everyone has waxed lyrical about Gordon Freeman's second adventure for
the last half-decade or more. Conducive to this is the fact that my tastes have matured, and my
thoughts on games delved into deeper, more analytical territory. Articulating why I liked X and
disliked Y is no longer particularly hard in most cases.
When I can't explain these, it's usually because I was baffled by just how terrible each element
of the design was. On a handful of occasions, though, it's a sign that what I played was so
confoundingly fantastic that my critical brain didn't even attempt to kick in. This is the
position I'm in now. Deconstructing Half-Life 2 feels wrong in a way, like teasing a dog with
some food only to scoff it yourself. It shouldn't really be done because it's against the nature
of the beast and could cheapen the experiences of all involved. It's not even entertaining; just
perversely, cruelly compelling.
Half-Life 2 is designed so as to not appear designed. That's ostensibly odd, but makes a
surprising amount of sense. A lot of effort has been poured in to create the impression of
effortlessness. Most of what we do, see or hear in Half-Life 2 feels distinctly of our own
volition. If not in the act itself, the mere observation of incidental detail off the critical
path is a component of the illusion of presence and agency, even though each individual's journey
will, in the end, be effectively identical to other players'.
This facet of its design makes itself known from the instant the G-Man's face fades out to reveal
an unexceptional train car. As well as evoking the timeless introduction to its predecessor, this
scene serves to create the illusion of reality; of an ambient world that exists beyond just our
interfacing with it.
Airborne robots which we'll later come to despise fly by the carriage, inspiring curiosity. A
fairly normal looking landscape passes increasingly slowly as the vehicle comes to a halt. Our
two co-passengers occupy themselves, one waiting eagerly for the doors to open as the other sits
opposite, dejectedly staring into nothingness. We can talk to the latter or leave him be. As
we're let off, the former sighs; "Well, end of the line."
With this sequence, Valve instantly and very tangibly contend that though this remains a
Half-Life game, it's one of an evolved character. They turned the first-person-shooter on its
head with that first title, Citizen Kane-ing the genre to an extreme degree, but the setting
allowed the team to concentrate on a specific goal without concerning themselves much with the
outside world.
Forced to emerge from the secluded comfort zone of Black Mesa, the sequel establishes itself as
both successor and pioneer from the off, and continues in this mould for much of its duration. It
should be noted at this point that it's not perfect but - Freeman's basking in the adulation of
every NPC notwithstanding - Half-Life 2's universe is absolutely convincing.
Not through the kind of emergent systems that make Far Cry 2's war-torn state so wonderfully
plausible, but in an entirely different and equally valid manner, one that single-handedly
authored a rigorous and, ultimately, highly successful template for linear video games that is
still being ignored to this day.
It's all in creating an illusion of substance and openness and propelling the player through it
at whatever pace is required. A lot of elements of Half-Life 2 feel dynamic in nature despite
being at least somewhat intended or even heavily scripted.
The odd set-piece is obnoxiously predictable, but in a franchise that lives and breathes on these
cues it's astounding how sparse these are. Allow yourself to be engulfed in the sly deception and
these fade into such insignificance it's laughable. Many modern releases remain patronisingly
transparent without anything close to such a sustained barrage of both subtle and overwhelming
instances.
It's equally incredible when you realise just how paper thin the mirage is. Hang around too long
in one spot or put on the blinkers and dash through and it's all too easy to break, but even when
compelled to do so it's tough not to be rapidly, subconsciously re-immersed. We're the hapless
cobras rising from the basket as Valve expertly play their tune, transitioning from staccato to
legato when appropriate.
The reminders that this is a fully realised world continuously flow towards us, and by
alternately sticking to convention and craftily subverting our expectations of what video games
are, Half-Life 2 capitalises on our gullibility to this effect. How clever I thought I was by
navigating over to the beach hut using painstakingly arranged miscellany and my trusty old
gravity gun. Empty, besides some assorted junk and a small item crate. The ammunition it
contained was already maxed out in my inventory.
At first I was scandalized; how dare you, Valve, how dare you so gratuitously undermine my
efforts? Then I realized that my impression of this place as a cohesive, unified land that simply
exists had been augmented. My irritation morphed into unabated admiration. Why does there have to
be an explicit reward for venturing into a hidden or ostensibly unreachable spot? My prize was
much more interesting.
Merely paying attention also pays dividends both in terms of the strength of the universe and the
narrative. Peering through the view-box in the door you'll see something that often leads to far
more questions than answers, but which also fleshes out the core experience. Keeping your eyes
peeled means you can witness things that have the capacity to alter your perception of the City
and its inhabitants or prepare you for a challenge ahead.
It's unlikely that many players have seen all of these, but both static and active environmental
incidentals can frighten, inform, bait or warn. Some allow us to begin filling in the gaps
ourselves in imagined ways. We begin to construct an image of who lived in this cell by its
contents, what prompted that piece of graffiti or what unspeakable things must have befallen that
rotting corpse in the viaduct. It happens infrequently enough to make the player feel special, as
if they're the only one to have observed such details. Again, these can prompt the same reaction
as a totally unscripted emergent event, but within a much more solid framing than any games of
that particular propensity are likely to achieve any time soon.
I've noticed that actual examples of the virtues I've cited are somewhat lacking from this
article. Perhaps, though, this stems from the broader effect of believability that Half-Life 2 so
decisively realises. It already presents the most attractive science fiction setting yet seen in
our medium, but the manner in which it shapes our experiences in such gentle and minor ways is
its crowning achievement.
My failure to cherry pick the most impressive of these idiosyncrasies is indicative only of its
intransigent formula. Memories of my time with the game are not necessarily of these individual
pieces, but of the great chunks of the puzzle they gelled into. Firm authorial control in games,
Valve have proven, can also relax when properly timed. The most important lesson we can
extrapolate from Half-Life 2 is that if you're going to force us down a linear path, you should
do your utmost to make it feel as far away from this reality as possible. Maybe it's obvious
advice, but it's one that far too few have taken onboard over the years.
In the midst of some confusing turn of events, the Peruvian government reversed its decision to
grant a pardon to former television businessman José Enrique Crousillat. This led to
Crousillat to go into hiding, and some speculate that he may have fled the country. Crousillat,
along with his son, were shareholders and on the board of directors of América TV television
station in the 1990s.
However, during the scandal involving the videos that showed
former head of Peru's intelligence service Vladmiro Montesinos giving bribes for favorable
media coverage, Crousillat and his station were implicated for receiving payment for favorable
coverage for the campaign of former President Alberto Fujimori. He fled the country, but was
later captured and extradited back to Peru, where he was tried and sentenced to prison.
Peruvian government palace by martintoy and used under a Creative Commons license.
He was scheduled to have completed his sentence in 2014, but in November 2009, there were
discussions that he would be pardoned for humanitarian reasons because he had complained of heart
problems. On December 11, Crousillat was pardoned by President Alan García and was released
the same day. This led to a wave of reactions, some in favor and others against the decision.
Following his release, Crousillat stated his intention to retake control of his former television
station. However, what turned public opinion against him were the photographs that showed him
first at an exclusive resort, and later at a café in the upscale neighborhood of
Miraflores. This showed that Crousillat was not on the verge of death as had been alleged.
Due to the media pressure and citizen outrage, President García called for a review of the
pardon. However, it was the role of Justice Minister Aurelio Pastor, who was fired by
García, for allegedly providing unreliable evidence that led to Crousillat's pardon, which
has now been revoked and which led to his going into hiding. He was the first political victim in
this case was the Justice Minister Pastor, who before being fired or “resigned” as
the government states, said
that an economic group wanted to “crucify” him [es]. After his resignation, he
left a message for his Facebook contacts.
These events bring back memories for some citizens, such as the blogger from Plan H
[es],
who comments sarcastically:
Esta historia me parece haberla escuchado antes. Un presidente que sale ante cámaras,
proclama ante el país que el otro hombre es un peligro nacional y que ha dañado la
imagen del país, además de ser un corrupto. El presidente lo declara enemigo numero
1 y posteriormente se lanza en su captura,.. esto se repite en las mismas circunstancias que hace
9 años, cuando Fujimori, aterrado por los reveladores vladivideos, salió a la
“caza” de Montesinos en una patético demostración de la poca dignidad
que le quedaba a ese gobierno. Ahora, reemplaza la palabra Fujimori por Alan y Montesinos por
Crousillat y tenemos lo mismo.
I think I have heard this story before. A president goes in front of cameras and declares in
front of the nation that the other person is a national danger and that he has damaged the
country's image, in addition to being corrupt. The president declares him enemy number 1 and later
goes after him to capture him,… this is repeated with the same circumstances 9 years ago,
when Fujimori, shaken by the revelations from the vladivideos (videos showing Montesinos giving
bribes), went on the hunt for Montesinos in a pathetic demonstration with little dignity that the
government remained. Now, replace the name Fujimori with Alan (García) and Montesinos with
Crousillat and we have the same story.
El monto de reparacion civil que debe al estado quedo “sin efecto”. Después el
estado se queja de que no hay dinero para pagar las reparaciones de derechos humanos. ... A este
paso sólo falta indultar a Fujimori. La puntada es con hilo: García prepara indulto
a ex dictador Fujimori.
The amount of civil reparation that he owes the state now remains “void.” After the
state complained that there is no money to pay human rights reparations … At this rate,
all that is left is to pardon Fujimori. The stitching is with thread: García prepares to
pardon former dictator Fujimori.
Todo esto transcurrió en una semana que acaso, en opinión del que suscribe, es la
más vergonzosa que ha vivido este régimen. Incluso más que cuando ocurrieron
hechos como los “petroaudios” y el “baguazo”. Porque estas idas y venidas
reflejan algo más que sentirse “burlado”, además de una tremenda
descoordinación. Reflejan, sin duda alguna, que el gobierno buscaba algo más, y que
esta rectificación tardía es una vergüenza para el país. Es un
pésimo precedente, tanto en materia jurídica como la política.
All this happened in a week where in a week perhaps, in my opinion, is the most embarrassing that
this government has experienced. It is even more embarrassing than the “petroaudio”
and “baguazo” scandals. All of these comings and goings reflect something more than
feeling “tricked,” as well as a tremendous dis-coordination. It reflects, without a
doubt, that the government loked for something more, and that this late correction is an
embarrassment for the country. It is a terrible precedent, both legal and political.
El doctor Alan García ¿habría procedido a revocar el indulto sin la
presión e indignación ciudadana? No, por supuesto que no. A pesar de que sus
compañeros de partido afirmen que ha sido “sorprendido” yo pienso que no es
así. Si se indultó a José Enrique Crousillat fue porque había una
decisión política en ese sentido, y el hasta ahora ministro Aurelio Pastor fue un
eficiente operador.... los esfuerzos de dos gobiernos anteriores, el de Valentín Paniagua
y de Alejandro Toledo, en materia de lucha contra la corrupción, han involucionado. Hoy se
hace lo posible por deteriorar la institucionalidad y ser permisivo con la corrupción.
Would President Alan García have revoked the pardon without all of the pressure and public
outrage? No, of course not. Even though his fellow party members claim that they were
“surprised” I don't think that was the case. If José Enrique Crousillat was
pardoned it was because it was a political decision in this regard, and until now Minister
Aurelio Pastor was an efficient operator …the efforts of the two previous governments,
that of (former Presidents) Valentín Paniagua and Alejandro Toledo, in the fight against
corruption, have digressed. Today it is possible to damage the institutions and be tolerant of
corruption.
Cuando el Grupo Plural (El Comercio y La República) sintió que sus intereses eran
amenazados, soltaron los “perros de presa” o “seudos” investigadores
periodísticos para husmear, perseguir, ubicar, fotografiar, filmar o seguirle los pasos a
José Enrique Crousillat , personaje que cometió el error de sentirse invencible,
intocable, soberbio, tal vez, confiaba en que nunca iba a ser tocado porque el indulto es
irrevocable o se sentía seguro y confiado porque cuenta con grabaciones sobre la
negociación del indulto ... porque existe la sospecha que el indulto no cayó por
gracia del Espíritu Santo que se apiadó de un septuagenario próximo a morir
y que debía pasar sus últimos días en compañía de sus seres
queridos. Desde ese momento, dos grupos económicos se han declarado la guerra y los
ciudadanos miran impávidos como se destrozan o atacan los dueños del país
para hacerse dueño de América TV. Por un lado está el Grupo Plural, por otro
lado, el grupo económico que representa José Enrique Crousillat
When the Plural Group (El Comercio and La Republica) felt that their interests were threatened,
they released the “attack dogs” or “pseudo” journalistic investigators to
snoop, pursue, locate, photograph, video, or follow the steps of Jose Enrique Crousillat, a
person who made the mistake of feeling invincible, untouchable, arrogant, and perhaps, was
confident that he would never be touched because the pardon is irrevocable or felt secure and
confident because it had recordings of the negotiation of the pardon … because it is
suspected that the pardon did not fall by the grace of the Holy Spirit which took pity on a
septuagenarian near death and that he should spend his last days with loved ones. Since then, two
economic groups have declared war and the citizens are watching impassively as they destroy or
attack the owners of the country to become master of América TV. On one side is the Plural
Group, on the other side, the economic group that represents José Enrique Crousillat
The case is still under development with the results being awaited of the lawsuit filed by
Crousillat, even thought it was declared
inadmissible [es] in an injunction filed in the northern city of Motupe, which was based on a
irregular housing certificate. Crousillat's lawyer
has been denounced for concealment of his client [es]. That while there is a warning that
Crousillat could request via a habeas corpus to request the restitution of his pardon. There is
also a Facebook group called “Wanted: Crousillat
[es]” which already has more than 1,300 members.
Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland had a second week at the top with a total to date of $209
million nationwide. Green Zone showed once again that war movies aren't making big box
office. Last week's other new releases She's Out of My League, Remember Me and Our
Family Wedding did ho-hum numbers with the latter debuting at sixth. Here's the top five:
1.Alice in Wonderland:
$62.7 million
2. Green Zone: $14.3
million
3. She's Out of My League: $9.8
million
4. Shutter Island: $8.1
million
5. Remember Me: $8.09
million
We've got three new ones this week:
The
Bounty Hunter What's It All About: A bounty hunter thinks he's hit the jackpot when he gets an
assignment to bring in his ex-wife after she jumps bail. Why It Might Do Well: Looks like a kind of romantic action flick that hopes to
appeal to both genders. Why It Might Not Do Well: While I liked Aniston on Friends, I've never
cared for her work on the big screen. Number of Theaters: 3,000 Prediction: $22
Diary of
a Wimpy Kid What's It All About: Family comedy in which a young boy must face the greatest
challenge of his life: middle school. Why It Might Do Well: Awkward adolescence is something just about everyone can
identify with, and the movie is based on a book that has sold 24 million copies. Why It Might Not Do Well: All those wedgies and swirlies may bring back painful
memories for some. Number of Theaters: 3,100 Prediction: $18 million
There are many video games from our youth that we as gamers may introduce to our children. Few of
them will be 3D titles from the Nintendo 64 era. While games like Mario 64 still stand
up, trying to suffer through Goldeneye or Perfect Dark on the original hardware
these days is a painful lesson in just how much nostalgia can distort our memories. The re-release of Perfect
Dark on the Xbox 360 Live Arcade wants to fix that, and by updating some aspects of the
game and leaving others alone the $10 title becomes a fun, if sometimes frustrating, look back at
an earlier time in console first-person shooter history.
So what's better, and why is it hard to look back? Let's dig in.
There are many video games from our youth that we as gamers may introduce to our children. Few of
them will be 3D titles from the Nintendo 64 era. While games like Mario 64 still stand
up, trying to suffer through Goldeneye or Perfect Dark on the original hardware
these days is a painful lesson in just how much nostalgia can distort our memories. The re-release of Perfect
Dark on the Xbox 360 Live Arcade wants to fix that, and by updating some aspects of the
game and leaving others alone the $10 title becomes a fun, if sometimes frustrating, look back at
an earlier time in console first-person shooter history.
So what's better, and why is it hard to look back? Let's dig in.
Au cours des deux derniers épisodes de la série, le charme de Silent Hill s'est
désagrégé. A force de vouloir greffer le mythe révisé par
Christophe Gans, ce sont des pans entiers de mystère et d'ésotérisme qui se
sont affaissés. Une impasse cr... Lire la suite | commentaire
Le studio britannique de Climax nous livre en ce début d'année 2010 un remake de
Silent Hill (sorti sur Playstation en 1999). Assez inattendue, cette refonte tente de nous faire
revivre une aventure mythique, qui le méritait grandement, tant au niveau de son gameplay
entachée de quelques lourdeurs que les années ont amplifiées, qu'au niveau de
sa technique. Car avant d'être une licence phare du su...
This is my review video of the Panasonic
LUMIX GF1 [affiliate], easily the most unique camera I've ever had the opportunity to look
at. It's similar to a DSLR in that you can change lenses, but the micro four-thirds system
doesn't use a pentaprism or mirror, so it's not a DSLR. Panasonic calls it a DILC: Digital
Interchangeable Lens Camera. I don't see "DILC" taking off as a term, but this camera is hot
stuff. And I'll state right up front that I'm an unabashed fan of the Panasonic GF1. As I explain
in the video, there's something magical about getting DSLR-like performance and image quality
from a camera that's not much bigger than a point and shoot camera. Panasonic is on to something
really special with the GF1, and I'm glad that I purchased this camera - I've used it to capture
some really special memories already, and that's what I want from every camera I buy.
The GF1 has a 12.1 megapixel Live MOS sensor (17.3 x 13.0mm in size), capturing JPEG or raw
images at a maximum resolution of 4000 x 3000 pixels. It's also capable of 720p video capture
(1280 x 720) in either AVCHD Lite or MJPEG formats. It can shoot in burst mode, up to three
frames per second.
If I could influence the feature list for a GF2, I'd ask Panasonic to add image stabilization in
the body of the camera - to me, the mystique of this camera is greatly lessened with any lens
other than the 20mm f/1.7, and because that lens lacks image stabilization, I want it in the
body. I'd also like to see 1080p video at 60fps, and better ISO performance at 800 and above.
All in all, I'm thrilled with the performance and features of the GF1, and if you're in the
market for something that takes vastly better pictures than any point and shoot camera, but is
much smaller than even the smaller DSLR, the Panasonic Lumix GF1 is worth a serious look. If
there was a Digital Home Thoughts camera award, the GF1 would win it.
Jason Dunn owns and operates Thoughts
Media Inc., a company dedicated to creating the best in online communities. He enjoys
photography, mobile devices, blogging, digital media content creation/editing,
and pretty much all technology. He lives in Calgary, Alberta, Canada with his lovely wife, his
son Logan, and his sometimes obedient dog. He likes buying digital cameras and lenses...perhaps a
little too much!
Do you enjoy using new hardware, software and accessories, then sharing your experience with others? Then join
us on the Thoughts Media
Review Team! We're looking for individuals who find it fun to test new gear and give their
honest opinions about the experience. It's a volunteer role with some great perks. Interested?
Then click here for more
information.
Random Thought! I'm oddly comforted by the thought that, if I lived in Russia,
comics would be reviewing me... (Taken from my Twitter feed on Sunday.)
Random Thought! I have no interest in that Young Allies book beyond how
awesome the name Bastards of Evil is. That's not just a good bad guy team name, it's a Joe
Casey-esque bad guy team name, and no one does supervillains who revel in their villainy as well
as Casey these days, so nicely done, Mr. McKeever.
Random Thought! Because it gives me focus, the rest of the column will be my
"I'ds of March" to follow-up on Brian's annual posting. Sure, that was yesterday, but I don't
want to step on his toes, let him do his thing and I'll keep mine in this column. If I remember
next year, the 15th will be on a Tuesday and mine will actually go up on the day. I did this
previously, on my blog, two years ago. (Linking to that so I won't repeat myself...)
I'd... have ended Secret Invasion with Noh-Varr helping to turn the
tide against the Skrulls and, then, turning on the heroes, because he intends to take over the
planet himself and remake it in Hala's image. Not taking over then, Norman Osborn could still be
in charge and Dark Reign happens mostly as planned, but Noh-Varr is set up as a threat, someone
who isn't working for the same goals as anyone.
I'd... have brought Steve Rogers back in Captain America as a regular
arc with Butch Guice as the artist, kicking off his run on the book. Not necessarily as smart a
sales/business move, but I think it would have worked artistically better.
I'd... have not marketed Joe Casey's tenure on Superman/Batman as a
follow-up to "Our Worlds at War" and would have also let people know that was writing the book
when the first issue came out in October and made it clear what was going on.
I'd... hire Jim Starlin to take over one of the Marvel cosmic books. With Thanos
coming back, all we need is Starlin. It would lighten the load for Abnett and Lanning a bit and
also give the line a little bit more diversity in writing. I've enjoyed the unified vision, but,
come on, DnA and Starlin writing those characters? That would be amazing.
I'd... have hired J.M. DeMatteis to write Spider-Man: The Clone Saga.
Or, at least, a back-up strip to give the series a little more flavour and breathing room. I'd
have also included some extra material like one-page interviews on the story throughout the
series. Small things to make it a better experience.
I'd... have not made Wednesday Comics exclusively 12-part serialised
stories. Do some one-offs and short serials, mix things up a bit, play with the newspaper format.
I'd... have released the "Final Crisis Aftermath" book in a different manner,
maybe not all at the same time nor with such similar titles. They all sort of blended together
that way when they might have done better by making their differences more obvious and trying to
target each book's specific audience more directly.
I'd... release Paul Jenkins's Hellblazer run in trades. Plus, I do a
trade or two of the remaining uncollected issues from that series. The one- and two-parters that
popped up over the years.
I'd... have hired almost any other artist than Philip Tan for the second
Batman & Robin arc. That arc sticks out like a sore thumb and DC could have found
someone much better suited to Morrison's writing -- and someone whose work doesn't look ten times
worse in the middle of Frank Quitely- and Cameron Stewart-drawn arcs.
I'd... have hounded Chip Zdarsky to contribute to Strange Tales...
because he's great.
I'd... hire Paul Cornell and Leonard Kirk to do a second Dark X-Men mini-series
later in 2010 to explore what happens to the characters without Norman Osborn in charge. That
could be very interesting and act as a nice sequel to the recently-concluded mini.
I'd... have hired a writer with sensibilities much more in common with Grant
Morrison than Keith Giffen to write The Authority: The Lost Year. A cool idea for a book
that went wrong by hiring the wrong writer to do it. That needed someone much more in tune with
the way Morrison writes.
I'd... have chosen more Spider-Woman over the motion comics animated
thing.
I'd... have made those Dark Reign: The List issues actually... you
know... mean something...? Like, made them count for something lasting and important within the
"Dark Reign" story rather than just coming out and... not really doing much of anything.
I'd... hound and pester Craig Ferguson until he agrees to write an Aquaman
comic, dammit!
Random Thought! That was fun.
***
Random Comments! Your comments. My replies. Rather obvious. Trying something new
by replying to portions of comments directly. If it's confusing or people don't like it, let me
know.
Bill Reed said: People actually watched Corner Gas? Really? Did they enjoy
it? Does one have to be Canadian to enjoy it? Some station or another here in God's United States
aired it for a bit there, and I stumbled upon it one day... it's like some kind of terrifying
black hole of quality.
Corner Gas is a decent, middle-of-the-road sitcom. It only produces a couple of chuckles
in an episode, but gets the odd big laugh. Or, it did when it was on. I don't think it's a
uniquely Canadian thing, but who knows with you Americans?
I'm tired of this shtick already. Deadpool isn't that overexposed. I proved it with maths.
Still, he does have a surprising amount of solo titles, more than I think the market will be able
to support. In a year's time, he'll probably be back to one, unless the movie comes out.
Just because other characters appear in more books, doesn't mean Deadpool isn't overexposed.
Something like that is relative to the character and how much exposure is too much. Spider-Man
and Batman appear in more books? Fine, but we're also used to them appearing in a lot of books.
There's a longtime demand for them to appear in numerous books. As of yet, there's an apparent
shortterm demand for Deadpool that could easily turn against the character like happened to
Punisher and Ghost Rider. Your math, while interesting, doesn't tell the whole story.
CW said: The whole 'Deadpool overexposure' thing is really weird for me. Not
because I hate the character, or I'm offended by the character being rammed down my throat, but I
guess I'm from the time when Joe Kelly and Ed McGuness couldn't buy readers for his solo series.
I grew up with Deadpool as a third-rate Wolverine knock-off (violent guy with an attitude)
fighting second-rate characters (Black Tom?) from a second rate X-book (Leifeld-era X-Force, you
suck!). That Joe Kelly was able to take the character and make something truely moving and
halarious is nothing short of miraculous. The book was constantly fighting cancelation, and
although it never really recovered after McGuness left the book, it was still one of the best
books Marvel was publishing at the time.
Everything being published today featuring the character is a pale shadow of what was done in
that first series. I don't believe that later work of any creator or of any character can
diminish the original work, but what's being published as Deadpool comics these days makes me
almost say he's been ruined. As it is, I see those books as being the one shining gem in a big
pile of turd. And it makes me realize just how funny and vindictive the fates must be to make
*now* be when Deadpool is at his most popular among the hoi poi. It's almost like something...
Deadpool would come up with.
Agreed. Having read Deadpool books for reviewing purposes at CBR, I can vouch for the
lack of funny. They're cute. There's maybe one funny moment per issue. Then again, humour is
relative, so maybe lots of people are finding the current books very funny. I did enjoy
Deadpool's recent guest-spot in Amazing Spider-Man by Joe Kelly and Eric Canete. That
was great.
Mecha-Shiva said: Frisky Dingo, man... what a great show. I ran into Adam
Reed at my mechanic's (I had no idea what he looked like, but he started talking to someone at
the counter and I'm wondering why this guy sounds like Xander Crews then he said his name and it
made sense) but lacked the balls to say hello or anything. I don't understand why Frisky Dingo
(or the all-too-brief Xtacles spinoff) never got the same kind of attention as the Venture Bros.
Not to take anything away from the Venture Bros., which is great, but... other than the crappy
animation, I see nothing not to like about Frisky Dingo. Ka-kow.
I can understand why: The Venture Bros. do self-contained episodes. Frisky
Dingo opted for episodes that told one big story, much like a comics storyarc written for
the trade. That doesn't make it less good, it just makes it harder for people to get into it.
That, and The Venture Bros. is better. Sorry.
Mario said: People who don't like Deadpool or constantly whine about his
overexposure are simply in denial of their desire to read a comic that will have no "serious"
long term effect. Deadpool comics are all about enjoyment (in the best and worse ways
possible).
No, I'm all for those books. I've read recent Deadpool books and they're just not good.
Not funny or entertaining.
Jason Arron's Wolvering doesn't suck.
No, Jason Aaron's Wolverine book doesn't suck. That's what made me realise that I just don't care
for the character. I'd read an issue here and there and enjoy what I've read, and, yet, I felt no
desire to read another issue.
FunkyGreenJerusalem said: That's because it's by an Australian director
Gregor Jordan, who makes the most empty and souless films of all time. He won a big short film
competition in Australia with a clever short... although apparently it's VERY similar to another
short, or scene from an old film. He then made a crime film which wouldn't have gone anywhere,
except it had Bryan Brown swearing a lot, and was the breakthrough (in Australia, which led to US
work) of Heath Ledger. That got him signed up to a five picture film, and it's been a slow and
steady output of dribble ever since. (I know his career because I keep thinking every film will
be his last, and am just shocked at watching his mediocrity continue to live). Having seen The
Informers the other week, don't stress Chad, just about every character in it will die of AIDS
soon after the credits. (Although I think we're supposed to ignore that by combining the stories,
and making them all happen at once, nearly every character had, presumably, unprotected sex with
someone who had slept with another character, all leading back to the girl who dies of AIDS at
the end... AIDS of course being added in, as it's not in the novel, to give the film some kind of
ending).
I haven't read the collection in a while, but, yeah, I don't remember AIDS being in any of the
stories. Hell, the girl doesn't even die necessarily in the book. Thanks for the background info.
From what I read, the director really fucked with the script and cut it down considerably.
I loved when that book hinted that Xavier was in their heads and manipulating the X-Men the
whole time. That never went anywhere.
That was very frustrating. Xavier was perfectly happy to alter Magneto's memories and mind, but
wouldn't act on a larger scale to solve the problems with mutants and humanity -- or, at least,
influence the minds of the right people to move things along. Again, small-scale, status
quo-feeding bullshit.
So you're praising Ellis for writing a nice outline of a story, and then publishing it as a
story? From memory, the book has a scene where the main characters - all of whom have nothing
original or distinguishing about them - are standing in a warehouse. The police are intercut with
the heroes talking, surrounding a warehouse, and they kick down the door... but they have the
wrong warehouse. That's Chuck Austen level of writing.
No, Ellis wrote a conclusion to his story, but part of it was introducing ideas that could be
more fully explored in the future. And that scene happened, but it, you know, made sense in
context and wasn't bad. But, I'm not going to change your mind.
Willie Everstop said: Random Thought! What the hell is up with comic
characters leaving the word what out of the phrase "What the hell" lately? Is it a creator quirk
or just some weird way to avoid censorship? It always seems out of place to me.
I say 'the hell?' or 'the fuck?' Just a variation on the phrase that some people use.
TimCallahan said: Hey, I was an English major and I read ALL the assigned
books. (Problem was: I usually didn't read them until the day before the final, and Chaucer isn't
really all that great when you read him like that. He may not be great for other reasons -- the
jury is still out on that.)
I did that with Moby-Dick since it was the one book in my American lit class in
undergrad that we had to discuss in an essay on the final exam. By the halfway mark, I
was skipping the chapters on whales, sticking to the narrative. Good times.
Rome said: BTW, did you like the new Iron Man 2 trailer? Any thoughts on the
Suitcase Armor?
Looks decent. No real thoughts or judgements since the first movie was good enough to earn the
sequel a viewing. So, I'm trying not to care too much, preferring to leave my thoughts until I
see the finished product with everything in its proper context.
Jack Norris said: As soon as the words "hero's journey" pop up in an
argument, I automatically feel less obligated to read on in a respectful manner. It's become the
fans & critics (oh, and let's not forget some creators as well) version of "because, uh...
because Jesus, God and the Bible, that's why!" in the way that it's just an empty appeal to
authority.
Agreed. But, the endpoint of Peter's progression into adulthood is leaving Spider-Man behind and
learning about real responsibility. Just the way it is.
Mike Loughlin said: My problem with JMS' better comics (Midnight Nation,
Rising Stars, Supreme Power) is that he spent an awful lot of time on set-up, and very little on
delivery. I read all 18 issues of Supreme Power, but got the impression that the story JMS wanted
to tell would have taken at least 50 more. Rising Stars started out great (although the art was
sub-par), but ended limply. Midnight Nation is a self-contained story, at least, but they seemed
to spend most of the issues lurching toward a rather predictable conclusion (I liked it, despite
its flaws). I think JMS is good at world-building, but falters when it comes to structuring.
Yeah, that's why Babylon 5 was so great: he had the room to set up plots and characters
and world build without it cutting short the eventual payoffs. Comics are limited by page-count
and the speed at which they come out and JMS seems to need more room to work. He hasn't adapted
to the medium as much as he should have by this point.
SuperGlued is a music lover's dream. It's a one-stop shop for
people who go to shows and gigs regularly, offering schedules, tickets, social networking and
sharing tools. For instance, you could see who is playing locally, buy a ticket, meet people who
are going to the show, later share your pics of the show and ultimately brag about (or remember)
all the shows you went to and logged on SuperGlued. It's one of those sites you can use as a casual
user or a superfan, and I think it's going to be a big hit with artists and fans.
SuperGlued is limited to a few cities for now, but Rush Doshi, the co-founder, said they are
dedicated to hooking in as many cities as possible. Why the name, by the way? The site isn't like
Facebook, who wishes you to use all their
crappy tools (hello, photo uploader of doom!) to curate your world. No, SuperGlued is an aggregator
of sorts, allowing you to use Flickr,
Foursquare, Blogger, WordPress, etc. -- all the services you probably
already use -- to build your musical memories. Powerful and fun stuff!
A website that sorts everyday the most relevant information to you.
Vote for the news and Matoumba will learn your tastes and the information that you like the most.
It is all FREE!
Find here the history of the stories you found interesting.
Show this to people who share the same interests as you,
and if they use Matoumba, their own votes will fine recommandations to you.
[In his latest column for GameSetWatch, UK writer and journalist Fraser
McMillan discusses Valve's seminal first-person action title 
The
Bounty Hunter
Diary of
a Wimpy Kid
Recommandations
)
and reject those that you are not interested in
(
)
