Happy Saturday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with this week’s Daredevil: Born Again review/reaction. This week’s episode, “Requiem,” breaks away from the show’s recent trend of focusing on a few specific characters. “Requiem” also showed how too many characters can cause problems with building a compelling story.
Honestly, I forgot just how many characters Daredevil: Born Again attempts to juggle. “Requiem” even added Jessica Jones to the mix. I doubt Jones will show up again until the final, final battle. Yes. Daredevil and Kingpin square off near the end of this episode. I doubt that’s the final, final fight between the two this season. I don’t know where to begin. I started with Jessica Jones, and she does show up at the beginning of “Requiem,” so she may be as good a place to begin as any.
Jessica Jones has a child, presumably with Luke Cage. When she speaks with Daredevil, Jones mentions that her powers have become unstable after giving birth (that shows up later in this episode) and that “some of their kind were willing to comply with Kingpin.” Does that mean Luke Cage surrendered himself to the Anti-Vigilante Task Force (AVTF)? Maybe. Charlie Cox (Daredevil) has expressed interest in Mike Colter returning to his role of Luke Cage. This could open the door for that. I wouldn’t say no to Colter making another run as Cage. But Cage–and Jessica Jones–deserve their own show or shows.
Jessica Jones doesn’t have much to do in “Requiem.” We catch glimpses of her taking out the AVTF at her house, she shares a rooftop conversation with Daredevil, and helps Daredevil crush the AVTF at the Red Hook docks, but not before showing her powers being flaky. It was fun seeing Ritter return as Jessica Jones. It will be fun if Mike Colter reprises his role as Luke Cage. But it’ll be less fun if Jones and Cage play second fiddle to Daredevil in a show. This is Daredevil: Born Again. The show bears Daredevil’s name and has introduced its fair share of new vigilantes. There’s a reason the AVTF exists.
While there are rumors of a Defenders revival, I’d like to see Jones and Cage in their own show together, or at least give the two a special presentation like the one The Punisher will get in the middle of next month. I can’t wait for The Punisher Special. I believe Marvel plans to give Jones/Cage a show or special, but they’ll needto convince Colter to return to the Luke Cage role. Charlie Cox has been on record, saying he wants Colter as Cage. Colter hasn’t yet shared that sentiment.
With Jones out of the way, let’s get back to Daredevil: Born Again’s core characters. Or at least who I think should be Daredevil: Born Again’s core characters. Kingpin doesn’t take his wife’s death well. Gasp! JK. That didn’t surprise me. It also didn’t surprise me when Kingpin murdered the doctor who failed to save his wife, even though the doctor undoubtedly did everything he could to save Venessa. Kingpin attends Venessa’s funeral, and then we don’t see him until his fight with Daredevil. The fight leans into Kingpin’s loss. We even get a moment when Kingpin laments destroying the painting her purchased from Venessa (also signifying the day they first met). It was done well enough, but it felt forced. “Requiem” had too many other characters and story threads to tackle.
Ironically, Daredevil also had little screen time. Sure. He and Jones took down the AVTF (as I mentioned above), he shares a tense moment between Bullseye and Karen Page (but Daredevil served as a sounding board for Karen Page, sharing her motivation to kill Bullseye), and he fights Kingpin, but even this fight gets interrupted by Page spurring the resistance (NYC) to fight back against Kingpin and Kingpin even gets a moment to mourn the loss of his painting (his greatest connection with Venessa). I know I said Jessica Jones had little to do in “Requiem.” The same may be true of Daredevil. And this is his show.
It took the second or third viewing of “Requiem” for me to remember that Daredevil: Born Again had paired Heather Glenn (Daredevil’s ex) and Buck Cashman (Kingpin’s right-hand assassin). Heck, Vanessa set the two together at a formal dinner a few episodes ago. Please forgive me. I tried not to pay attention to the scene Glenn and Cashman shared. Buck asks Heather to choke him like Muse choked her. Yikes! I couldn’t tell if the showrunners wanted this scene to read like someone dealing with trauma (Glenn facing her fears) or Glenn and Cashman getting kinky. Maybe it’s both. If it’s both, yuck. I wanted to skip this scene the second and third time. Was Daredevil: Born Again going for uncomfortable? If so, mission accomplished. I felt uncomfortable.
Moving to another would-be romantic pairing, BB Ulrich celebrates Deputy Mayor Blake’s birthday at his mom’s house. Blake takes Buck’s advice and feeds BB–that’s a lot of “B” names–fake information about Kingpin. BB almost takes the bait, but she melts when she scans Blake’s childhood bedroom. Aw! She genuinely cares for him, and Blake cares for him because he’s been protecting BB from Buck for several episodes by this point. He can no longer protect her from Buck. This could lead to an interesting couple of episodes for Blake. Does he choose Buck, and by extension, Kingpin? Does he choose BB? Does he play both sides? This scene doesn’t take too much of “Requiem,” but it’s strong.
And that brings us back to Page and Daredevil. I don’t know if their relationship will last. We see plenty of cracks when Page threatens to kill Bullseye. Page and Murdock don’t see eye-to-eye with how to continue the rebellion. For now, it looks as if Daredevil’s methods govern the movement, but Page gets abducted in “Requiem’s” closing moments. While Kingpin murdering the doctor was a gimmie, I don’t know how he’ll deal with Page. She wants Bullseye dead. Kingpin definitely wants Bullseye dead. The two may have a shared goal.
“Requiem” tries its best to juggle all of Daredevil: Born Again’s characters, but the show has too many characters. I didn’t even mention White Tiger. She didn’t have much to do either and quickly vanished. There’s only so much screen time for all of these characters. Wait! Doesn’t Matt Murdock have a legal partner? What has McDuffie been up to these past two episodes? Oh. And I didn’t mention the brief moment we had of Matthew Lillard’s Mr. Charles. So…many…characters. But I am interested in what a Page/Kingpin exchange will look like. Next episode’s title, “The Hateful Darkness,” may hold a clue to the next show’s motif.
But what do you think? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.
Happy Friday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here. I’ve been silent on the board game design brain dumps over the past several weeks. It’s been busy. Earlier this month, I attended the Great Plains Gaming Festival (GPGF). We’ll discuss soon, but before we get into that, I’m getting to the fun part: Submitting.
Sell Sheet
Almost every publisher requires a sell sheet, so I guess I’ll kick off this game design dump with sell sheets. Sell sheets remind the publisher what your game is all about. Below is a sell sheet for Spill the Beans (I omitted my contact information).
This sell sheet could use some more work. I always second-guess my pictures and layout. But this sell sheet contains what it needs: the name of the game, contact info, the hook (what makes the game unique), demographics (age, player count, and time), a list of components, a brief overview, and quick rundown (with visuals) of how the game is played during a turn.
The background picture (of jellybeans) is obscured by a white backdrop, making the text and pictures on top of the white backdrop legible. You don’t need a fancy background or a colored backdrop. I did so here to add a little extra color. Frankly, I may have overdone it a little. Legible text and images (of the game) are key. I like having a logo, but you don’t need one. And the tagline does enough to let publishers know what kind of game Spill the Beans is.
Next, we have an overview picture of the game. Always a plus to have in a sell sheet. Publishers need to see all–or at least most of–the game’s components. Demographics are shown to the left of the overview pic. Again, publishers need to know who the game is for, how many players the game accommodates, and how long the game takes to play. I settled on 15-25 minutes because I noticed some players strategize more than others (sending the game to 25 minutes), but I didn’t include plays of first-time gamers. The time on the sell sheet should reflect the average time it takes to play a game, not teaching the game to new players. So, of course, Spill the Beans will take a few extra minutes when someone first learns the rules. It really doesn’t take long to learn this game.
Under the overview and demographics, we find a brief (three to four sentence) description of the game, and beneath that we find what players will do (mostly) on their turns, giving publishers an idea of the game’s flow. Each turn action has a header, a picture, and a very brief explanation of each action underneath the pics. Do not include too many of the rules. That’s for the rulebook.
Finally, we get components, features, and contact info. Typically, the components section doesn’t need a detailed breakdown of each item. For instance, if your game includes 110 standard cards, potential publishers don’t need to know that half the cards are of one type and the other half is a different type. Publishers are only interested total number of cards and size. In Spill the Beans, I mention 18 Tarot-sized cards. I don’t say that eight of them are player reference cards and the other 10 are jar cards. That’s for the rulebook to explain further. Features are what make your game standout, and contact info should include your name, e-mail address, and phone number. You can see why I didn’t share that here. Lol
Sometimes, the things that aren’t included are just as important as the ones you do include. I don’t include a thorough rules explanation. I’ve seen game designers try to squeeze in their entire rulebook on a sell sheet. No! Don’t do that. Consequently, you don’t want walls of text. They’re intimidating. I don’t believe I included any flowery market language or buzz words in this sell sheet, words like unique, fun, exciting, or sustainigizing.
Wait. That last one wasn’t a word. And I didn’t mention how long I’ve been working on this game. First off, publishers don’t need to know that. It may even hurt your pitch if a publisher finds out you’ve been working on a game for years. Second, I share those details on this blog. If a publisher wants to know the story behind some of these games, they could look them up on this website. Eek!
Overview Video
Years ago, overview videos were nice to have. They are now–almost–industry standard. You can still get away with only have a sell sheet. But even the publishers who don’t require an overview video highly recommend one.
Above is Spill the Beans’ Overview Video. It’s bare bones, but I believe it’s effective. One of our writers, Season, narrates, and you’ll see similarities between the Overview Video and Sell Sheet. Sure, Season goes into the rules in a little more detail, but she really only adds what triggers the end of the game and scoring. Honestly, overview videos help folks who may be more visual learners. A Sell Sheet can only do so much. Overview Videos take the concept further.
A special shoutout to Kenneth Turner at Nerds Making Nerdy Things. Kenneth made the physical design for Spill the Beans’ spilling cup. Nerds Making Nerdy Things takes special orders. If you have an idea for a board game peripheral or even an art project like a shadowbox, feel free to contact Nerds.
I thought of Kenneth while looking at Season handling the Spill the Beans cup. Getting back to the Overview Video, you’ll need several of the same elements you’ll find in a Sell Sheet: the name of your game, the player count and approximate length (like you’ll find in demographics), the theme, the roles players take (if any), the objective, and what players do on their turn and throughout the game, which can include what triggers the end of the game and scoring. Again, we don’t include the full rules. For the fourth or fifth time, that’s why we have a rulebook. You don’t need to include fancy animations or cut-ins. The video above is simple. You also don’t want to talk too much. Show, don’t tell. Season did a good job of avoiding wordiness.
I’ve submitted Spill the Beans to board game publishers. I don’t know if I can share the names of those publishers here yet or not, so they’ll remain anonymous–for now. I’d prefer a program for board game submission that’s similar to Duotrope in the literary world, where submitters share their experiences with publishers (how long the publisher took to give a response, if they ever gave a response) in an attempt to catalogue publishers and their tendencies. I may just create one. But that’s a problem for future Kyra.
Great Plains Gaming Festival
I was triple-booked the weekend of Great Plains Gaming Festival (GPGF), so I didn’t show up for much of the convention. Friday was my big day. But my games attended GPGF all three days as part of the Playtest to Win event. In short, I was a little disappointed. My games didn’t get checked out as much as I would’ve liked. But I can honestly say Spill the Beans, Whirligig Pets, and No Kings were blind playtested. Gamers played these games by reading the rules.
I wasn’t there to explain anything. Heck! I couldn’t be there to explain anything. Spill the Beans and Whirligig Pets are ready for publication. Will they see tweaks in the future? Sure, but the core games are solid. And except for No Kings, the rulebooks make sense. No Kings needs some work to put it mildly. But yay! I can submit the other two with confidence.
My Future Events
I have so many upcoming gaming events in the coming months. You can stop by at any of these and say hi or convince me to play a game or a dozen.
Nuke-Con’s Aftershock Event: May 16, 2026 (I’ll be working one of the tables) Omaha Gaming Convention: July 10-12, 2026 (I won’t be working this one, but I will be in attendance; let’s get our game on) Omaha Pride: July 17, 2026 (I’ll be running games for Pride) O-Con: July 17-19, 2026 (at the Extra Life table; I double-booked myself again, oops–I can’t calendar)
And I think that’s it for the coming months. It’s a little early to advertise Nuke-Con in October. But that’s all I have for today’s Board Game Design Brain Dump. Hopefully, this means I’m back to doing these on a more regular basis. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.
Happy Wednesday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here. Today, our writers share what they’ve been listening to over the past month. Feel free to share what you’ve been listening to as well, because we’re all part of the Geekly Gang. I’ll kick off this post with what I’ve been listening to over the past month. It’s time for Geekly Tunes!
Kyra’s Tunes
Recently, my spouse stated that Bruno Mars seldom releases a bad track. I think she’s on to something. While I may not love every track Bruno Mars releases, most of them are catchy. “Risk It All” is another in a long line of good–maybe not the best–Bruno Mars tunes. I do like the inclusion of horns. And “I Just Might,” from Bruno Mars’s fourth solo studio album The Romantic, is a bop. Sure, I already shared that I’ve been listening to Junior Senior’s “Move Your Feet” and that song inspires “I Just Might,” but Mars has a way of making something retro cool. I change the station a lot with modern radio. I don’t tend to change the station when Bruno Mars plays.
I’ll be going a little faster with my write-ups for this month’s tunes. I have a lot of artists to get through. While one could call me a Bruno Mars fan, I wouldn’t fit the mold of an Olivia Dean fan. “The Man I Need” is the kind of safe British Soul song that has stayed in rotation for decades. Only, Dean’s “The Man I Need” sounds artificial. Maybe I’m spoiled by Adele’s voice. She has dominated British Soul for over a decade and a half; Adele’s a tough act to follow. Computerized background musack doesn’t help. Why does “The Man I Need’s” background music sound like AI Slop? Anyway, I do like Dean’s follow-up, “So Easy (To Fall In Love).” The background music is more interesting. That helps. Dean still gives a staid vocal performance, so the Bossa Nova beat delivers a lot of the track’s personality. When did the Bossa Nova become popular again? This isn’t the only new song to use the Bossa Nova.
Speaking of British Soul, I’ve been listening to Leona Lewis’ “Bleeding Love” a lot, mostly on the radio, but still. “Bleeding Love” proves British Soul’s endurance. This one came out almost two decades ago. Yikes! Lewis’s voice has more texture than Dean’s. And don’t even get me started on Des’ree’s “You Gotta Be” (1994). Ugh! I’m old, but British Soul can have personality. I hope Dean starts testing her range. She has talent.
Season and Skye have both mentioned K-Pop Demon Hunters. I won’t go into too much detail here. Fun fact: I have yet to watch K-Pop Demon Hunters all the way through. It plays constantly in my house, so I’ve seen the movie through all the clips I’ve caught in passing. In short, K-Pop Demon Hunters has catchy music. “Golden” may be my least favorite track. I’m a huge soda drinker, so I give the edge to “Soda Pop.” I may even pull out some “Soda Pop” dance moves.
I’ll spend more time on the Barenaked Ladies. I’ve listened to Maroon, pictured above, several times this past month. It may be my favorite Barenaked Ladies’ album. Sure, “Pinch Me,” “Too Little Too Late,” and “Falling for the First Time” are phenomenal, but I like a lot of the Maroon deep cuts. “Conventioneers,” “Sell, Sell, Sell,” “The Humour of the Situation,” and “Baby Seat” are fantastic tracks in the middle of the album. The next two aren’t quite my style, but Maroon finishes strong with “Tonight Is the Night I Fell Asleep at the Wheel.” I’ll listen to that one on repeat. It almost gives me a Jake Skellington origin story vibe. And the way the line “You’re the Last Thing On My Mind” changes from the track’s beginning and end is fabulous.
I’ve also been listening to the Barenaked Ladies’ Greatest Hits (technically, it’s titled Disc One: All Their Greatest Hits {1991-2001}). Again, the big hits are fantastic. Who doesn’t like “One Week” or “If I Had A Million Dollars?” But I like a lot of the lesser-known tracks on this album, too. “Get In Line” has some genuinely laugh-out-loud moments. “It’s Only Me (The Wizard of Magicland)” may be my favorite. This lost track found a home in the Barenaked Ladies’ Greatest Hits, and thank goodness. If you’re in need of self-love, throw on “It’s Only Me (The Wizard of Magicland).” It puts the “Me” in monogamy. And while you check out this collection, give “Brian Wilson” a listen. The Beach Boys legend said he loved this tribute song. Brian Wilson even sang “Brian Wilson” in concerts. The Barenaked Ladies must’ve done something right.
While we’re on the topic of bands that don’t take themselves too seriously, I’ve been listening to a lot of They Might Be Giants. “Birdhouse In Your Soul” lives rent-free in my head. The lyrics may make little sense, but they may also hold the world’s wisdom. “Blue canary in the outlet by the light switch, who watches over you? Make a little birdhouse in your soul. Not to put too fine a point on it. Say, ‘I’m the only bee in your bonnet.’ Make a little birdhouse in your soul.” And now, I’m singing “Birdhouse In Your Soul” again. At least I’m not doing They Might Be Giants’ bizarre jumping dance. Wait. Don’t look through my window.
The first two Weezer albums are all-time greats. In fact, Weezer is actually two bands. The band with Matt Sharp on bass, and the band after Pinkterton (Weezer’s second album), following Sharp’s exit from the band. Sharp served as the perfect counterbalance to Rivers Cuomo. Cuomo was the tortured artist who mined his personal life for gripping music. Sharp added levity and injected Weezer with its early pop sensibilities. Heck! Matt Sharp was the one who sang harmony on most of Weezer’s greatest tracks: “Say It Ain’t So,” “Buddy Holly,” “Undone (The Sweater Song),” and even “El Scorchio.”
Pinkerton marked Cuomo vanishing from the public eye. He didn’t care to be a rock star, and the second album reflects that. Sharp found less space for his pop stylings or even the occasional harmonizing voice. But he found a way with “El Scorchio.” Sharp’s bass fights against the rest of the song. I can hear the bass wants to add a dance to this otherwise melancholy track. As far as the Blue Album (Weezer’s first release) is concerned, I love the hits, but there are some other great deep cuts. “Surf Wax America” gives 90s alternative music a surfer makeover. Cuomo spills his soul with “The World Has Turned and Left Me Here”; this is a perfect example of Sharp smoothing out some of Cuomo’s darker edges. And “Holiday” is just good fun.
Kyra’s Podcast
I don’t know if this counts as a podcast. The Board Game Design Course (by Joe Slack) functions more like a webinar. But the visuals are mostly PowerPoint slides, so usually, I listen to The Board Game Design Course while I work. I feel like I’ve learned a lot from this course. Specifically, I’ve been taking the “Creation to Publication Program.” Let’s just say that I’m armed with the means to submit my board games to various board game companies. Tee hee!
Well, it looks like I’m on my own again this week. Hopefully, we’ll hear from Season and Skye next week for our personal updates. They should have a lot to share. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.
Marvel United: Fantastic Four – The Coming of Galactus was one of the main reasons I backed Marvel United Multiverse (the third wave of Marvel United), and it’s one of the better Marvel United expansions. It offers a ton of variable play options. With last summer’s Fantastic Four: First Steps featuring Galactus, I jumped the line of Marvel United reviews to cover this specific expansion from the third wave. I mean, it’s Galactus. He’s kind of a big deal.
We’ll get to Marvel’s planet-eater in a minute, but first, let’s take a look at Marvel United: Fantastic Four – The Coming of Galactus’s less cosmic details.
The Fiddly Bits
Designer: Andrea Chiarvesio and Eric M. Lang Publisher: CMON Global Limited and Spin Master Ltd. Date Released: 2024 Number of Players: 1-5 Age Range: 8 and up Setup Time: 5-10 minutes Play Time: 30-40 minutes
We already covered the Game Setup and Game Flow in our original Marvel United review (here’s a link to that review), so we’ll go over the basics in the following two sections. Let’s cover an abbreviated review of the game setup and rules.
Marvel United: Fantastic Four – The Coming of Galactus’s setup can change depending on which Villain(s) and Heroes you choose to play. Each game consists of six locations. Unlike most other expansions, Marvel United: Fantastic Four – The Coming of Galactus includes six locations, but they’re built specifically for battling Galactus. If you choose to fight Galactus’s heralds one on one or as a group, you may want to pick six locations from a different box. You may choose your locations or shuffle them and choose six at random. Each Location card has spaces at the top for civilians and thugs, and a rectangle with a block of text that will state “End of Turn” at the top of the box.
Place civilian/thug tokens on their matching spaces. Shuffle the Villain’s Threat deck and deal out each Threat face-up so that it covers the rectangle at the bottom of each location. You must clear this threat before gaining the “End of Turn” effect printed on a Location. Place health tokens where signified on threat cards and on the Villain dashboard. Place the three mission cards (Defeat Thugs, Rescue Civilians, and Clear Threats) face up under the villain dashboard where the text reads “Unlocked.”
Each player shuffles their hero decks and then draws three cards to form their hands. Shuffle the Villain’s Master Plan deck. Leave the Master Plan deck face down. This will be the villain’s draw pile.
Players place their miniatures on one of the six location cards, usually the centralmost location for each player (easy access). Then, they place the villain on the location card opposing the heroes.
If one player chooses to play as the villain, hand the Super Villain cards to them, and the Heroes gain access to Super Hero cards. These new card times can be played if the game state triggers their use (for example, “You play a Master Plan card” or “Any Hero has 4 or more cards in their hand at the end of the Hero turn.” Timing is key.
Special Galactus Setup Rules
Follow the rules on the back of Galactus’s hexagon-shaped dashboard to build the Stop Galactus Missions deck. “Convince Galactus to Spare Earth” will always be the bottom card. And then reveal the top Mission.
Shuffle the Master Plan deck and remove 6 random cards from the game.
Heroes start in the Location corresponding to the continent where they are playing.
Set aside the 2 New Herald Threat cards, placing the others as usual.
Place Galactus on the back of his dashboard in the middle of the 6 Locations, facing the Heroes’ starting Location.
Split the printed action tokens among the players in any fashion.
Heralds of Galactus Setup Rules
Place the 4 Heralds’ Villain (individual) Dashboards nearby the group’s dashboard, each with Health depending on the number of players.
Randomly place the 4 Herald tokens faceup, each in a different slot on the Herald Group Dashboard.
The Heroes start the game in any 2 opposite Locations (splitting as they wish). Then, randomly place 1 Herald in each other Location.
Create a Crisis token pool within reach of the players. The number of Crisis tokens will be dictated by how difficult the players want the game. Players will then split a total of 2 wild action tokens, however they see fit.
Game Flow
The villain(s) play first. Draw the top card of their master plan deck. The villain moves the number of spaces indicated. Resolve any BAM! Effects and these effects will be printed on a space within the villain’s dashboard. Then, place the civilian/thug tokens (if any) indicated at the bottom of the card. If a player has taken the role of the villain, they get a hand of cards and can choose which card they play. The heroes get their turn after all the villain’s effects are resolved.
Heroes pick which player goes first, and hero turns will continue around the table clockwise. At the beginning of each game, Heroes will get three turns before the villain receives another turn. During their turn, heroes play one card from their hand.
Resolve actions and the symbols printed at the bottom of the hero’s card in any order. The symbols at the bottom of a hero’s card will be shared with the next player, but any printed action will not be shared. Heroes will use these actions to complete missions. The game begins with three missions in play: Defeat Thugs, Rescue Civilians, and Clear Threats. Each mission card will have spaces for the tokens they require to complete. As soon as these spaces are filled, the card is discarded, and the mission is considered complete. Mission cards can be completed in any order.
After the heroes complete the first mission, the villain panics and will act (play a card) every two hero cards instead of every three hero cards. After the heroes complete the second mission, the villain becomes vulnerable to damage. The heroes can complete the third mission, but it isn’t necessary. If the heroes do complete the third mission, each hero immediately draws 1 card, increasing each player’s hand size by one.
Play continues back and forth until either the villain wins (by completing their unique master plan or anyone, heroes or villains, runs out of cards) or the heroes win by dealing enough damage to the villain after the villain becomes vulnerable to damage.
Review
Like its predecessor, Marvel United: Fantastic Four, Marvel United: Fantastic Four – The Coming of Galactus lives up to the hype. I seriously considered not backing any part of Marvel United Multiverse, but a few highlights from the stretch goals, a couple of other expansions, and, first and foremost, The Coming of Galactus, made Marvel United’s third wave fun and exciting.
Let’s begin with the big man himself. Galactus’s scale is intimidating and thematic. Despite multiple Sentinels in the X-Men (second wave of Marvel United), Galactus is by far the largest miniature for the game. He should be. At first, when I heard that Galactus would begin the game on the same space as the Heroes, and the Heroes begin the game on the continent where the gamers are playing, I rolled my eyes. That’s silly. But watching the big purple guy staring at my home continent when the game began made it more real. It’s weird. It was creepy, bizarre, thematic, and loads of fun.
Galactus never becomes Under Pressure, so Heroes don’t need to worry about speeding up Galactus’s clock, but Galactus cannot be damaged. You’re not defeating Galactus. You’re convincing him not to devour Earth. To do that, you need to complete nine—that’s nine—missions instead of the usual two, plus dealing damage to the main villain. This makes the lack of speeding up Galactus’s clock moot. You’ll need every card and round you can to tackle his hunger.
The Missions vary with each element Marvel United offers: Heroics, Movement, Damage, Rescuing Civilians, Defeating Thugs and Henchmen. You’ll need a well-balanced group of Heroes to consider taking on Galactus. Fortunately, the Fantastic Four fit that bill, and they’re the classic Galactus opponent.
I like how Marvel United: Fantastic Four – The Coming of Galactus includes a Silver Surfer Herald Threat Card, so you can use Silver Surfer as one of Galactus’s heralds. That’s awesome and a great touch. Galactus adds a heap of Civilians and Thugs to the board each one of his turns; he adds one or the other to each Location he’s not facing. This applies plenty of pressure. At first, I wondered why the Heroes were given six action tokens to split among themselves. Yeah, you’ll need every last one to defeat Galactus. The few Master Plan cards that don’t add copious tokens shake up the game by bringing back defeated threats of a certain type or adding brand new Heralds. Yay!
I could go on about Galactus for another 400 words or so. He alone makes The Coming of Galactus worth it as an expansion, but this expansion ups the ante of variable playstyles. You can battle the Heralds of Galactus without including the big man himself. What? Marvel United adds an extra dash of spice anytime it includes a villain team. The Heralds of Galactus are no different. The Herald tokens dictate which villain does what during the villain’s turn. The first spot is the Villain who acts as if they played the Master Plan card for the turn. The other three Heralds add tokens: a Thug, a Civilian, and a Crisis Token. Players lose if they gain too many Crisis tokens, so you’re already at a huge disadvantage.
I love how Marvel United’s game system allows for simple but elegant solutions to potential problems. It could be boring if the Heralds did the same things each turn, but the Herald tokens shift positions after each Villain turn, so each Herald will have a chance to perform the four actions.
I’ll be honest. I haven’t played nearly as many games of Heralds of Galactus as I have The Coming of Galactus—for obvious reasons—but don’t sleep on this game mode. The Heralds of Galactus team adds a heap of extra value to The Coming of Galactus expansion.
Before we get into the individual Heralds as solo villains, let’s take a quick look at the six unique Locations and the lone hero in The Coming of Galactus. I’ll start with the western hemisphere and work my way east. Each one of these continent Locations has a ridiculous “End of Turn” ability. I advise only playing with these Locations if you intend to take on Galactus, his Heralds as a team, or another crazy strong opponent. But the choice is yours. Ultimately, you do you. Just know these abilities are crazy strong.
We begin with North America, and this Location may have the tamest ability of the six. North America allows you to swap a card from your hand with one of your faceup cards in the Storyline. This is good, but other Locations and character abilities have done something similar in the past. South America allows you to discard a card, gain 1 Wild token, and Action tokens equal to the symbols of the card you discarded. Now we’re talking.
Europe allows you to draw a new hand. Simple but great. Africa’s ability to discard a card to the bottom of your deck to defeat 1 Thug and rescue 1 Civilian anywhere is one of the best ways to prevent overflow, a common issue. Asia adds multiple Thugs and/or Civilians to itself, but Asia can house a game-high six tokens. Yikes! Sometimes you need extra Tokens to accomplish goals. And Oceania may have the single most broken ability. You may KO your Hero to remove them from the game (discarding any Action tokens you have) and choose a different Hero. What? Oceania may be the only way you can keep a game with Galactus going. Oh, I’m almost out of cards. KO. New hero. Talk about an insane power.
Nova (Frankie Raye), one of Galactus’s Heralds, can also be played as a hero. She offers a bunch of move, a large amount of damage, and little Heroics. Her special abilities can be great in certain situations. “Nova Flame” deals one damage to Everything at her Location, while also discarding (not rescuing) Civilians. This is a good way to clear a Location. But her starting card “Pyrokinesis” begs to be played first. As long as “Pyrokinesis” is faceup in the Storyline, at the beginning of your turn, you may place 1 Crisis token in an adjacent Location to deal an extra damage there. If the villain(s) you’re facing don’t use Crisis tokens, no problem. If they do use Crisis tokens, you could be in trouble.
The Coming of Galactus features two new major shakeups to gameplay: Galactus and his Heralds as a team. But the Heralds can be played as solo villains, and there are some more interesting gameplay mechanisms to be found with each. Terrax takes an interesting approach to a progression track. His gameplay centers around causing numerous overflows, and he can even slow down by adding Movement tokens in between Locations. Air-Walker wins by adding Crisis tokens to Heroes. He can be annoying because each one of his Threats allows him to move away from Heroes, making extra Movement a necessity. And Nova wins by adding Crisis tokens to each Location. She does this in multiple ways; however, she may deal the most damage to Heroes by causing damage if a Hero lands in a Location with a Crisis token. Uh oh!
But Firelord is the most interesting of all the Heralds as villains. The Heroes are trying to rescue Firelord. Like Galactus, Firelord can’t receive damage. In specific cases, Firelord’s BAM ability can actually help the heroes, furthering the idea that Firelord doesn’t want to harm humanity. This is a nice touch. As you can see, The Coming of Galactus offers a bunch of replay value to Marvel United in a relatively small box. Honestly, the box is that big to accommodate the Galactus mini. That box’s size is a hundred percent the big purple guy.
Too Long; Didn’t Read
As of the writing of the review, Marvel United: Fantastic Four – The Coming of Galactus replaced Marvel United: Fantastic Four as the highest-rated Marvel United expansion on BoardGameGeek and for good reason. This expansion adds more game modes than any other single expansion of Marvel United. And Galactus is terrifying and hoot to play against.
Happy Saturday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another review/reaction of this week’s Daredevil: Born Again episode, “The Grand Design.” Today’s post will resemble last week’s in that it’ll be more of a reaction than a full review. Again, I only watched “The Grand Design” a single time (not my typical two or three), but again, this week’s episode remained focused on its principal characters–maybe even more so than last week–and that’s a great development.
I may have been too hasty to pronounce Venessa Fisk deceased last week. But spoilers, she perishes “for real” at the end of “The Grand Design.” This delay gave Daredevil: Born Again the chance to give Venessa the send-off she deserved, and it managed to still lead to a great shock. Perhaps others felt otherwise, but “The Grand Design” lulled me into a false sense of security. Venessa pulled through. I began to think she’s going to make it, and some other event will need to occur to fully unleash The Kingpin. Not so fast.
Venessa’s passing away this way may invoke more trauma within Wilson. The acting was brilliant. The moments between Wilson and Venessa show why they’re a great couple. While I’ll be sad to see her go, I can’t wait to see Kingpin channel his rage toward Bullseye and Daredevil. Oh. There will be a reckoning.
Daredevil and Bullseye share several heart-to-heart talks. These scenes very much remind me of the ones between The Punisher and Daredevil in the original Netflix Daredevil. I mentioned that last week, but it bears repeating. And yet, “The Grand Design’s” emotional center plays out through Daredevil, or rather Matt Murdock, flashbacks with Foggy Nelson. Typically, I don’t care for an abundance of flashback scenes, but they work in “The Grand Design.” Daredevil’s remembering Foggy parallels Kingpin’s journey with Venessa. And like Wilson and Venessa’s flashbacks informing the present-day action, Foggy’s moral code informs Matt’s actions.
Honestly, “The Grand Design” is the farewell I wanted for Foggy over a year ago. I’ve said this before, too, but again, it bears repeating. It’s not that Daredevil: Born Again can’t kill off popular characters; it matters how the show does the deed. Fans got to say goodbye to Foggy. Finally! Matt was forced to reflect on WWFD. What Would Foggy Do? Foggy’s influence caused Daredevil to return for Bullseye. Foggy was the one who preached mercy. Sure. At times, Daredevil: Born Again delivers this message in a ham-fisted way, but the message was important. These scenes showed why Foggy was important.
Returning to the here and now, Blake and Buck make an unconventional tandem. It’s clear the two actors portraying these characters have chemistry. And yes, we receive Buck flashbacks during “The Grand Design.” Like I said, this episode leaned heavily on flashbacks. Anyway, I’ve praised Gandolfini’s (Daniel Blake) performance in the past, and he brought it again this week. Gandolfini’s acting sold the rising tension. Sorry. Gandolfini and Arty Froushan (Buck) sold this rising tension. It’s a joy watching these two switch from a cat-and-mouse game of intentions to mutual respect and friendship. Heck. They manage to portray both facets of these relationship at the same time.
And that brings me back to Daredevil: Born Again’s acting. With a handful of exceptions, it’s superb. The actors care about their characters. They understand what makes them tick. From an action standpoint, very little happens during “The Grand Design’s” runtime, but it doesn’t matter. This episode is the calm before the Kingpin storm. Daredevil: Born Again is about to get loud. My only concern is that the show may begin to lose focus. These past two weeks were great, but I know Jessica Jones is about to make her MCU debut. While I can’t wait to see Ritter reprise the role, I wonder how Daredevil: Born Again will fit in Jones. She’ll need more than the cameo The Punisher received last year. The Punisher is getting his own special in a month. Correct me if I’m wrong, but The Punisher appeared before Daredevil: Born Again season one’s midway point last year. Can the show squeeze in Jones, especially since we’ll be seeing full-throated Kingpin?
Daredevil: Born Again also sidelined multiple characters like BB, Kingpin’s staff, and even Karen Page the past couple of episodes. Kingpin may not be the only one making noise in the season’s final three episodes. But what do you think? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.
Happy Wednesday, Geekly Gang! Today, our writers share what they’ve been watching over the past month. Feel free to share what you’ve been watching, too, because we’re all part of the Geekly Gang. I’ll get things started with what I’ve been watching over the past month.
Kyra’s Movies
I haven’t watched too many movies over the past month, and I’m unsure if Untold: The Death and Life of Lamar Odom counts as a film. But I’m counting it. I’ve watched less and less of sports and sports-related content in the past dozen years. Netflix’s Untold series has a tendency to mischaracterize events (at best) or outright lie about details, so I watched The Death and Life of Lamar Odom with some level of skepticism. Typically, the Netflix Untold series paints its subjects in a glowing–or at least positive–light. The Death and Life of Lamar Odom bears many of Lamar’s secrets.
Let me count the ways. Lamar admits he didn’t invite his family to his and Khloe’s wedding. He confessed that he married Khloe, in part, because he wanted the Kardashian lifestyle. The reality show, Khloe & Lamar, was his idea; Khloe didn’t want cameras capturing the couple’s private life. Lamar initiated his and Khloe’s divorce; Khloe put together an intervention, stating they should separate if he didn’t get clean, and he chose drugs. And we watch candid videos of Khloe nursing Lamar back to health. The two may have even reconciled if Lamar hadn’t relapsed shortly after physical therapy.
Untold: The Death and Life of Lamar Odom holds back few of Lamar’s flaws. I actually felt sorry for Khloe Kardashian. Provided that Lamar Odom endorsed this short documentary, I believe it to be an earnest attempt by Lamar to make amends. The Death and Life of Lamar Odom may not be a hopeful story through most of its runtime, but the ending offers levity. This is one of the better Untold documentaries.
I may have mentioned Woman of the Hour in a previous Whatcha, so I’ll keep this brief. While Anna Kendrick’s debut directorial debut may have received modest reviews, I saw real potential. Kendrick showcases a keen cinematic eye in Woman of the Hour. Ironically, Kendrick doesn’t quite deliver as the title character, Sheryl, but most of the cast nail their portrayals. Zovatto’s Alcala strikes the appropriate balance of fear and unease. Tony Hale’s Dating Game host Ed and Pete Holmes, the creeper acting coach, effectively portray toxic masculinity circa 1970s. Max Lloyd-Jones’ Ken even illustrates how women can be silenced and why they may not come forward after an assault.
There’s so much to love about the characters in Woman of the Hour. The story’s a little clunky. But again, the cinematography is fantastic. The opening and closing sequences will leave one gasping. Is it weird that I put on true crime shows and movies as a comfort? Don’t answer that.
Kyra’s Shows
I may have watched Aunty Donna’s Big Ol’ House of Fun this past month. It was a blur. Or I could’ve been so high, I was on the show. I love watching Aunty Donna sketches on YouTube, so I decided to give their Netflix show a try. Aunty Donna’s Big Ol’ House of Fun plays out like a raunchier and updated Monty Python with an Australian twist. In short, it’s bizarre.
At one point, Broden Kelly dressed as Ellen DeGeneres talks Zachary Ruane through an intergalactic voyage in his “brand new car.” This one scene made me question what was happening. It went on for a good ten minutes. Zach picks up more than one new car on his voyage, and he turns blue. Everyone who passes through a black hole turns blue. You didn’t know that? Aunty Donna’s Big Ol’ House of Fun had plenty of laughs, but there were plenty of head-scratching moments, too. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Each episode’s theme allows the Aunty Donna gang to tie in some callbacks to previous moments. If you’re cleaning up for the Queen visiting your flat, of course, you’re going to sweep up the little man who lives in the corner of the kitchen. We need to hear his story of owning shoes made of buttons and his bubble gum pillow. That’s a taste of what you can expect in Aunty Donna’s Big Ol’ House of Fun. Expect the unexpected.
And I’ve been watching the latest season of Daredevil: Born Again. I review most episodes each Saturday and hope to continue throughout the show’s second season. I’ve enjoyed what I’ve seen of Daredevil: Born Again Season Two. The show does suffer from an abundance of characters, so the episodes that focus on Daredevil: Born Again‘s central cast are typically its strongest. As I write this entry, I have yet to watch this week’s episode, but I’m certain that will soon change.
That’s all I have for what I’ve been watching this past month. Let’s check in with Season.
Season’s Movie
I haven’t watched much recently, but I did rewatch The Devil Wears Prada in preparation for the upcoming sequel. I watched it for the first time when I landed in Japan for foreign exchange and rewatched it several times in my dorm room. At first, I watched The Devil Wears Prada for its story. The subsequent views were for the clothes. The Devil Wears Prada may have come out in 2006, but a lot of those clothes still look fashionable today. With a runtime of 109 minutes, The Devil Wears Prada doesn’t take long, and it’s an easy watch.
The trailer for The Devil Wears Prada 2 features Simone Ashley (Kate Sharma in Bridgerton) as one of Miranda Priestly’s (Meryl Streep) new assistants. I’m unsure about the story, but I’m liking the new (and old) cast.
Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle again. Our movie geek Skye has a hectic work schedule. Hopefully, she’ll be back for next week’s post. But what have you been watching over the past month. Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.
Dorfromantik: The Board Game is the rare exception where a video game (that was inspired by board games) made it big, so then a board game version of the video game is made, and that board game becomes an award darling. Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here. Today’s board game review is for Dorfromantik: The Board Game. We covered the original Dorfromantik video game a few months ago (just in time for Christmas), so it’s only fair to review Dorfromantik: The Board Game. We’ll get to the game in a bit, but first, we’ll review Dorfromantik: The Board Game’s credits.
The Fiddly Bits
Designer: Michael Palm and Lukas Zach Publisher: Berry Games; Pegasus Spiele Date Released: 2022 Number of Players: 1-6 Age Range: 6 and up Setup Time: 5-10 minutes Play Time: 30-60 minutes
Game Mechanisms
Area Majority Campaign Cooperative Game Hexagon Grid Modular Board Tile Placement Variable Set-Up
Game Setup
While Dorfromantik: The Board Game offers concise rules, BoardGameGeek user lenlindsay made a Dorfromantik: The Board Game full rules on 1 page, where they did the work we typically do here and paraphrased the rulebook to give you a glimpse of Dorfromantik. Thank you, lenlindsay.
1) If playing a campaign game, check-off on the Score Sheet all the components you have unlocked (to remind you that these will be scored at the game’s end).
2) Shuffle and place the Landscape Tiles, Task Tiles, and Task Markers (separated by color) in facedown stacks on the table in easy reach of players.
3) Put 3 Landscape Tiles back into the box (they won’t be used)
–In a campaign, do not mix in Special Tiles till removing 3.
4) Do NOT open any of the boxes until told to do so.
Game Flow
1) Choose a starting player. Then take turns clockwise.
2) One at a time, take 3 Task Tiles with a matching Task Marker and place them adjacent to each other on the table however seems best to your group. (Players take turns doing this.)
3) On their turn a player checks to see if there still are 3 tasks on the playing board. –If not, they take a Task Tile and a matching Task Marker and decide where to place it on the board. –Otherwise take a Landscape Tile and place it on the board.
General Placement Rules
1) Tiles must be placed adjacent to at least one tile on the board.
2) Train tracks and streams must match on the adjacent tile.
3) Other terrain types need not match (but there are advantages to matching areas of the same terrain type).
Game End
* The game ends immediately when there are no further Landscape Tiles left to place.
* If you place the last Landscape Tile so that it completes a task(s), you may place a new Task Tile(s) until there are again 3 available tasks on the board (at which point the game ends).
We won’t go into detail the endgame scoring rules. Dorfromantik: The Board Game (and lenlindsay) does a great job of explaining this. Dorfromantik: The Board Game is also cooperative, so scoring knowing how to score isn’t cutthroat, but knowing how to score in the game will inform where you’ll place your tiles. We only wanted to share how to play and what you’re doing during a turn.
Review
At first, Dorfromantik: The Board Game plays like a group activity rather than a game. I noticed this when I was first playing Dorfromantik and when I taught Dorfromantik to other new players. But as soon as I busted out the endgame scoring and applied our results to Dorfromantik’s campaign sheet perception of the game flipped.
Dorfromantik: The Board Game may be the first board game I’ve played where the campaign makes the game. Don’t get me wrong, the group activity that is Dorfromantik without the campaign is a lot of fun. Dorfromantik: The Board Game may be the first cozy board game I’ve covered. That sets it apart. I haven’t found too many games where I can board game and chill.
The only tension you’ll find with Dorfromantik: The Board Game is by adding the campaign. Fortunately, the game includes a massive pad of campaign sheets, so one copy of Dorfromantik can accommodate multiple gaming groups. Believe me, I’ve played Dorfromantik with multiple gaming groups. Each time, it’s the same. We’re chilling, making the best city we can from the tiles we draw, and then the endgame scoring occurs. We watch as the score climbs higher and higher. The more points we earn, the more of the campaign track we can unlock. That’s Dorfromantik’s challenge.
After a path or two, your gaming group will unlock one of Dorfromantik’s campaign boxes with new rules and tiles. The campaign will eventually branch, and you can then choose the path you want to take. Each of these paths will include different boxes, rules, and scoring conditions. The campaign’s branching path gives Dorformantik’s its replay factor. And I’ve played a lot of this 2023 Spiel des Jahres (German Game of the Year) winner.
Dorfromantik: The Board Game won’t be for everyone. In fact, I see it as an excellent gateway game (a game for people new to the board game hobby). Dorfromantik includes numerous game mechanisms you may find in competitive games, but since it’s a cooperative game, and a super chill cooperative game at that, Dorfromantik acts like a soft pat on the back for newcomers.
Too Long; Didn’t Read
Dorfromantik: The Board Game is an excellent gateway game (a game for people new to the hobby) because it’s a super chill cooperative game. This game’s campaign is stellar; without the campaign, Dorfromantik plays more like a group activity.
Happy Saturday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another reaction/review of a Daredevil: Born Again episode. This one may be more of a reaction than previous installments in this series. I only had time to watch “Gloves Off” once (getting ready for this weekend’s convention and sprucing up my board games for the Great Plains Gaming Festival’s gaming library has taken a lot of my time this week). As a result, I didn’t give “Gloves Off” my usual two or three viewings before posting a reaction/review. But I don’t think “Gloves Off” needed a second viewing. It was pretty straightforward, and that may be for the best.
I’m sensing a trend with Daredevil: Born Again. The show uses Bullseye as a catalyst for major change: Foggy’s death at the beginning of season one and Dex shooting Matt at the end of season one. We’ll get the spoiler part out of the way real quick. And just in case you have yet to watch “Gloves Off,” consider this a spoiler warning. Bullseye kills Kingpin’s wife, Vanessa, at the end of the episode. Again, Daredevil: Born Again choreographed this development before it happened. And again, I think this was the right move. “Gloves Off” may have other players sprinkled throughout its runtime, but the bulk of this episode focuses on the main cast. Another great development that I don’t think will continue in future episodes. Getting back to Venessa, her meeting with New York’s governor served as a farewell and foreshadowing.
As soon as Governor Marge McCaffrey said, “I can’t put my faith in Mayor Wilson Fisk…but I can put my faith in Mayor and Mrs. Fisk,” she signed Venessa’s death certificate. I knew immediately Venessa would perish. Daredevil: Born Again needed the tension an unleashed Kingpin would provide, and we saw Kingpin’s rage throughout “Gloves Off’s” runtime. The episode literally ends with Wilson Fisk boxing and killing (?) his opponent. Kingpin looked every part the role of someone who could challenge Daredevil to a physical confrontation. And Bullseye also gets portrayed as a competent killer. Most scenes with Bullseye are fun.
Daredevil: Born Again “Gloves Off” has plenty of dynamite scenes. The Bullseye scene at the beginning, where he takes down an entire squad of AVTF (Anti-Vigilante Task Force) members, was epic. I love it when Bullseye gets to cut loose. After watching this, I did question how Fisk could recruit so many people to the AVTF. Bullseye has been systematically killing off AVTF like they’re nameless Stormtroopers. I can’t imagine too many people wanting to sign up for AVTF duty when the survival rate is so low.
But moving on, Bullseye’s current storyline mirrors The Punisher’s from the original Netflix Daredevil. Bullseye is taking an extreme view, going further than Daredevil would ever consider, and the two (Daredevil and Bullseye) share a debate while they fight. Honestly, I think Daredevil: Born Again did a better job of integrating this debate (of killing versus non-lethal means of subduing enemies) in an action sequence than the original Daredevil. If I remember correctly, the bulk of The Punisher and Daredevil’s debate in Netflix’s Daredevil took place with Daredevil tied to a chimney. I much prefer Daredevil: Born Again’s presentation of this debate. At least, so far.
“Gloves Off” did a great job of tying up some loose ends, like the Northern Star’s first mate. It further develops Angela del Toro (soon to be White Tiger) as a member of the resistance, and Daredevil as the resistance’s symbol. “Gloves Off” does a fantastic job of setting up the idea of Kingpin without his wife, showing him to be a formidable foe (from a physical standpoint), and ending with what should be the catalyst for Fisk embracing the Kingpin moniker again. Daredevil: Born Again even did a good job of showing Wilson Fisk’s disdain for New York, calling him Mayor Kingpin through BB’s underground videos. “Gloves Off” is a great example of a standalone Daredevil: Born Again episode.
I do wonder if Daredevil: Born Again intends to continue using Bullseye as a narrative crutch. The show may be training viewers to perceive Daredevil: Born Again episodes that include Bullseye as more consequential. And Bullseye gets injured at the end of “Gloves Off.” We may not see him again until closer to Daredevil: Born Again’s season finale. You can’t see it, but I’m stroking my chin. Hmm. Bullseye may return closer to Daredevil: Born Again’s season finale. Coincidence?
But what do you think about Daredevil: Born Again “Gloves Off?” Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.
Happy Wednesday, Geekly Gang! Today, our writers share what they’ve been reading over the past month. Feel free to share what you’ve been reading. We’re all part of the Geekly Gang. I’ll get things started with sharing what I’ve been reading over the past month.
Kyra’s Nonfiction
Shocker! I play roleplaying games, and I tend to serve as a game master. Recently, I’ve been leveling up my game mastering. No. Not exactly leveling up my game mastering. The two books I read this month, both written by Jonah and Tristan Fishel, allow game masters to offload some of their responsibilities and cause players to become active participants in tabletop roleplaying games. I love the ideas presented in both of these books. The Game Master’s Handbook of Proactive Roleplaying flips the usual tabletop roleplaying game (like Dungeons & Dragons) script. Instead of player characters reacting to plotlines the game master presents, player characters co-write what happens during play.
Typically, players wait for non-player characters (usually the big bad villain) to do something, and their heroes react. With The Game Master’s Handbook of Proactive Roleplaying, the players set out for specific goals (for their characters), and the game master then builds scenarios from the players’ goals. This offloads some of the game master’s duties. You don’t need to come up with world-shaking events alone. The players are sharing that responsibility. This grounds player characters in the world the game master has built. And it keeps players engaged.
But Jonah and Tristan Fishel weren’t done. They’ve recently added a companion book to this series, The Game Master’s Handbook of Collaborative Campaign Design. I haven’t had a chance to finish this volume yet, but from what I’ve seen, it expands on The Game Master’s Handbook of Proactive Roleplaying by extending many of the concepts into campaign-length games. I’m sure I’ll find plenty of twists and turns with The Game Master’s Handbook of Collaborative Campaign Design. The Fishels have done a great job of shaking up the roleplaying status quo. If interested in ordering the second book, here’s a link to purchase The Game Master’s Handbook of Collaborative Campaign Design.
And I’m still reading through The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures. This book is loaded with fantasy/magical creatures from various points of origin. I’ve enjoyed my time with it. But I don’t know if the writers or publisher expected someone to read it from front cover to back cover. I will finish The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures.
Shakes fist at the sky.
Kyra’s Fiction
I just started reading The House in the Cerulean Sea, like a day ago, reading almost half of the novel in one sitting. That’s saying a lot for me. While I read a lot, I don’t read particularly fast. I agree with the dust cover. The House in the Cerulean Sea does feel like a warm queer hug. If you’re looking for a replacement for the Harry Potter franchise, The House in the Cerulean Sea is a great choice. Too bad it’s a standalone novel. I haven’t yet finished the novel–I just started reading it–but I can already tell I’ll want more time with Linus, Arthur, and the six kids on Marysas Island. TJ Klune’s writing oozes charm. He makes it look effortless to create likeable characters readers will care about deeply. With the world charging headlong into countless conflicts, it’s nice to read a book that offers hope. Sometimes, you just need a hug.
That’s all I have for this month. Let’s check in with Season.
Season’s Fiction
Hey, Geekly Gang! I know what you’re thinking. I’m totally doing a Whatcha Reading this time around. I have a huge reading list I need to get through and I just hit up Barnes & Noble for more books to add to the list. This month’s title is the first volume of The Husky & His White Cat Shizun by Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou. Trigger warning: There are mentions of suicide and sexual encounters. Reader discretion is advised.
The Husky & His White Cat Shizun is a light novel series. If you’re unfamiliar with light novels, they’re chapter books with manga pictures scattered throughout. They tend to be YA novels, but genres can vary. The Husky & His White Cat Shizun is an xianxia novel, which is a genre of Chinese fantasy that incorporates a lot of Chinese mythology. It also falls under BL (Boys’ Love).
The Husky & His White Cat Shizun follows Mo Ran (previously known as Taxian-jun) after he takes his own life by poisoning himself. Taxian-jun was a tyrant who took countless lives and committed atrocities that are briefly mentioned in the beginning of the story, but get revealed bit by bit as the story progresses. Mo Ran wakes up in the bed of Rong Jiu (a male sex worker), during a time before he became a tyrant. He gets angry with Rong Jiu, steals his valuables, and cuts his face. Mo Ran mentions he wants to redeem himself and live a less destructive life. So, you know, he’s off to an amazing start.
Mo Ran runs into his “shizun” (mentor) Chu Wanning, who strikes fear and hatred into Mo Ran. Chu Wanning is the only person who doesn’t coddle Mo Ran, and Mo Ran killed Chu Wanning in his previous life. Mo Ran is determined to kill Chu Wanning again. So far, all he’s managed to do is irritate the snot out of his mentor. I haven’t gotten too far into The Husky & His White Cat Shizun, but I’m enjoying the Chinese mythology aspect of it. The footnotes are hilarious since there are many Mandarin words that have double entendres. If you’re interested in Chinese mythology but don’t know where to start, The Husky & His White Cat Shizun is a digestible jumping-off point.
That’s all I’ve got for this week. What have you been reading, Geekly Gang? Let us know in the comments.
Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle again. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.
Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here. I’m continuing to write far in advance. Who knows if Lanterns is still releasing new episodes? I’m writing so far in advance that Lanterns’ schedule hasn’t yet been released. Even though we don’t know Lanterns’ schedule, let alone which stories the show pulls from, that doesn’t prevent us from discussing Guy Gardner starter stories.
Guy Gardner has a crazy history in the DC Comics universe. Gardner may be the one Lantern who’s represented more shades of the emotional spectrum than any other Lantern. Gardner’s varied past means we’ll have plenty of single-issue comics and longer storylines from multiple eras of comic book history. Guy Gardner’s past is not for the faint of heart. Buckle up.
Single Issues
“Earth’s Other Green Lantern!” (Green Lantern Vol 2 #59; written by John Broome/art by Gil Kane; March 1968)
Hal Jordan was one of several people Abin Sur’s ring could’ve bestowed its power. The power ring chose Hal because he was geographically the closest to Abin Sur. In “Earth’s Other Green Lantern!” Hal Jordan uses a machine named the Memory Machine to watch one of these alternate worlds. In this world, a man named Guy Gardner became Earth’s Green Lantern.
We gain some insight into why Guy Gardner is typically angry. A few issues later, Guy suffered a head trauma that led to a drastic change in demeanor fans saw after he woke up. In his prime, Guy’s a friendly teacher and occasionally worked as a prison counselor. This story shows how much the Green Lanterns and the Guardians torpedoed Guy’s life. They stole his future to make him a backup for one of the Lantern Corps’ least reliable members.
“4” (Green Lantern Vol 2 #195; written by Steve Englehart/art by Joe Staton; December 1985)
The events of Crisis on Infinite Earths made John Stewart disposed, fighting alongside the Monitor across the universe. Guy Gardner is selected as John’s replacement on Earth. During this event, in “4,” Guy is selected to join the Guardians’ newer, smaller Green Lantern Corps. “4” elevates Guy to official Green Lantern status, bringing the number of official Sector 2814 (which includes Earth) Green Lanterns up to three.
“Red Badge of Rage” (Green Lantern Corps Vol 2 #43; written by Peter Tomasi/art by Patrick Gleason; February 2010)
At least one issue of the massive Blackest Night crossover made each of the Green Lantern starter story lists. Long-dead superheroes sprang from their graves, powered by Black Lantern rings. Heroes from every color in DC’s emotional spectrum united to push back the dead. “Red Badge of Rage” was the first time Guy dabbled with another color in the emotional spectrum. He became pure rage.
After Kyle Rayner fell to the Black Lanterns, Guy tapped into his anger. Instead of expressing grief, Guy’s bravado transformed his sadness into rage, making him a potent Red Lantern. Guy punched his way through dozens of Black Lanterns, smashing them into bits, and then he vomited energy-blood over the rest. Guy became a one-man army. He finished the Black Lantern Corps, teasing Guy’s tenure with the Red Lantern Corps.
“Blood Debts” (Red Lanterns: Futures End Vol 1 #1; written by Charles Soule/art by Jim Calafiore; November 2014)
“Blood Debts” does a great job of showing Guy Gardner’s heroic journey. Red Lanterns gives Guy a new purpose as Earth’s primary Red Lantern, but Red Lanterns: Futures End shows a far future Guy who turned his rage into a Blue Lantern for Hope. Guy kept a huge secret from his ally, Bleez. As the pair dispatch the last Red Lantern from the universe, Bleez asks how Guy’s blue ring can be so powerful, as blue rings need proximity to green rings to create constructs. Guy reveals a string of rings around his neck. He had mastered the entire emotional spectrum.
“High Noon” (Hal Jordan and theGreen Lantern Corps Vol 1 #16; written by Robert Venditti/art by Rafa Sandoval; May 2017)
“High Noon” is a window into an odd era of Green Lantern history. After Hal Jordan seemingly sacrificed himself to stop Sinestro, the Sinestro Corps fell under the leadership of Sinestro’s daughter, Soranik Natu. Soranik took the Sinestro Corps in a different direction. She turned away from fear and proposed a Sinestro Corps alliance with the Green Lanterns. Many people on both sides weren’t happy with the alliance, especially Guy Gardner.
Guy Gardner challenges the massive alien Yellow Lantern Arkillo to a fistfight with no power rings. Guy holds his own, and after the fight, Arkillo and Guy become the closest allies between the two Corps of Lanterns.
Storylines
“Justice League International” (Justice League Vol 1 #1-6) written by Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis; art by Kevin Maguire; 1987)
Whenever I think of Guy Gardner, I think of the iconic punch Batman gives Guy in the kisser. Justice League Vol 1 #5 holds that iconic scene (turned meme).
Guy isn’t always a great teammate, which makes him the perfect addition for the Justice League International (subsequent series after the Justice League mini-series), led by Maxwell Lord and sometimes Batman. Justice League International showcases how annoying and powerful Guy Gardner can be. Batman’s iconic punch earned a smile from Martian Manhunter and cheers from Blue Beetle and Black Canary, but what folks tend to forget is how wildly Guy’s mood swung after getting punched.
Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner borrows the most from the Guy Gardner we see in Justice League International. The team (The Justice Gang in Superman) is even funded by Maxwell Lord. I’d love to see a live-action version of this iconic moment.
“Guy Gardner Reborn” (Guy Gardner Reborn Vol 1 #1-3) written by Gerard Jones; art by Joe Staton; June 1992)
Guy Gardner Reborn occurs immediately after Hal Jordan fought Guy for his ring. Guy contemplates his choice to honorably resolve his dispute with Hal for two days before he decides to escape toward Qward and steal Sinestro’s yellow ring. The resulting space opera shows how mean Guy Gardner can get. Add in the Main Man (Lobo), and Guy Gardner Reborn becomes a buddy-cop story fueled by mutual disrespect and vengeance. Guy Gardner Reborn heralded one of Guy Gardner’s best eras.
“Guy Gardner: Year One” (Guy Gardner Vol 1 #11-14; written by Chuck Dixon; art by Joe Staton; 1993)
Through the power of an odd suction-cup creature named the Xanoglpyh, Guy Gardner is forced to relive his traumatic past. Guy always had a deep-seated need for approval. This same need drove him to find a yellow power ring. Ringless Green Lanterns treat Guy like a brute. By the end of this arc, the other Lanterns offer to help Guy retrieve his yellow ring, despite knowing Guy shouldn’t have the ring. The short-lived series gives a lot of Guy Gardner’s heroic past some much-needed context.
“Guy Gardner: Warrior” (Guy Gardner: Warrior #17-44; written by Chuck Dixon and Beau Smith/art by Mitch Byrd, Brad Gorby, Phil Jimenez, Howard Porter, Mike Parobeck, Jackson Guice, J.H. Williams III, Rick Mays, Dan Jurgens, Joyce Chin, Mike Wieringo, Marc Campos, Tom Grindberg, Aaron Lopresti, and Joe Staton; February 1994-July 1996)
Who needs a power ring? Everyone’s least favorite Green Lantern goes through another space odyssey in the wild ride that is Guy Gardner: Warrior. Guy used a yellow Qwardian power ring until Hal Jordan became Parallax and destroyed it. Ordinarily, this would mean Guy Gardner wouldn’t have powers. But Guy Gardner: Warrior reveals Guy’s Vuldarian heritage. His new alien powers allow him to construct weapons and armor from his body, no power ring required.
Guy turns into his wackiest best self with powers similar to but distinctly different from the Lanterns. During this series, Guy battles a clone of himself, goes to hell, and learns his importance to the War of Light.
Those are the Guy Gardner Green Lantern stories that made our list. We covered Hal Jordan and John Stewart starter stories the past two months. Are there any Guy Gardner Green Lantern stories you would add to this list? Let us know in the comments, Geekly Gang. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.
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