Tabletop Game Review: Marvel United, Enter the Spider-Verse

Published on March 8, 2025March 23, 2025 by KyraLeave a comment

Marvel United has copious amounts of expansions. It’s a CMON Games Kickstarter using the Marvel intellectual property. That’s bound to happen. Geekly won’t be covering every Marvel United expansion, but we will review the ones worth your time or the ones we believe people will most likely purchase. So, you could consider the Marvel United expansions we cover as ones you may want on your radar.

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here. In Marvel United, players act as iconic Marvel heroes who work together to stop the master plan of a powerful villain controlled by the game. Each villain has a unique master plan, cards that trigger various effects, and threats that make clearing locations difficult. Heroes clear missions, making the villain vulnerable, and finally take on the big bad villain before they complete their dastardly plan. Can you save the day in time? Enter the Spider-Verse puts players in the spandex of famous characters of the Spider-Man universe.

Before we get any further, we’ll take a side quest and discuss Enter the Spider-Verse’s less heroic details.

The Fiddly Bits

Designer: Andrea Chiarvesio and Eric M. Lang
Publisher: CMON Global Limited and Spin Master Ltd.
Date Released: 2021
Number of Players: 1-4
Age Range: 8 and up
Setup Time: 5-10 minutes
Play Time: 30-40 minutes

Game Mechanisms

Cooperative Play
Hand Management
Modular Board
Solo / Solitaire Game
Variable Player Powers

Game Setup

We already covered the Game Setup and Game Flow in our 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’s setup can change depending on which Villain and Heroes you choose to play. Each game consists of six locations. Typically, core sets have eight locations. Since Enter the Spider-Verse is an expansion, it only has six. 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.

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. After all these effects are resolved, the heroes get their turn.

Heroes pick who 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

Enter the Spider-Verse features a lot of fan-favorite characters (Spider-Man, Green Goblin, and Miles Morales). Since that’s the case, it’ll be one of the first expansions players will purchase. And it’s a great choice.

Let’s begin with the heroes. Spider-Man has a lot of potential token gain. I don’t know how many times I saved the day by playing Spider-Man. Seriously, I may have completed most of the games in my guides (here’s a link to Geekly’s Marvel United guides) with Spider-Man. Frankly, he’s a broken character. Broken in the best possible way. I’ve easily played Spider-Man more than any other character in Marvel United. He’s Spider-Man. It’s great that Marvel United made him a character you can return to again and again.

Ghost-Spider and Miles Morales may have more niche abilities, but given the right circumstances, they can be deadly. Ghost-Spider can swap in-play Threat cards (which could be nice for an ongoing ability), and she can defeat all Thugs in her location. Miles Morales’ strongest ability “Web” allows him to delay the Villain Turn by one card. “Web” is a more universal use. Miles may be my second-most played character. Then, there’s Spider-Ham. He’s a Kickstarter Exclusive and that’s okay. He stinks. Good news though. It’s okay if you purchase the retail version over the Kickstarter version. Spider-Ham’s inclusion is the only difference between the two versions, and you’re not missing much with Spider-Ham. Unless you’re a completist or you like Spider-Ham, buy the retail version of Enter the Spider-Verse.

Enter the Spider-Verse’s sole villain Green Goblin is notoriously difficult to beat. I’ve only ever beaten Green Goblin by playing heroes and locations from the Enter the Spider-Verse expansion. Green Goblin has a special setup than the one above. Players don’t begin the game with threat cards in play on locations. Green Goblin will add them as he goes along, and he wins if each location has a threat card. This can lead to players clearing a particularly nasty threat card, like “Electro” or “Using Civilians as Shield,” and Green Goblin putting those cards back in play.

Even though Green Goblin wants to flood the field with threats, he’s just as comfortable throwing obstacles in the way to wait out the clock. “Using Civilians as Shield’s” ability is that Green Goblin will not take any damage as long as there are any Civilians at its location. “Corporate Thugs” make thugs more difficult to defeat. Green Goblin is a classic case of a villain who has multiple ways to defeat his enemies. The best way to stop Green Goblin is to load up on tokens, manipulate the villain deck, and delay the villain’s turn if you can. Fortunately, there are two heroes, and one location included in Enter the Spider-Verse expansion that do just that. Green Goblin earns his reputation as one of the initial Marvel United’s most difficult villains.

The new locations are classic Marvel New York ones. Brooklyn Bridge, Queens, the Daily Bugle, Oscorp Tower. These locations focus on extra tokens. This can be crucial in defeating certain Marvel United villains. Enter the Spider-Verse’s Green Goblin is one of these villains. The other three locations have healing (always appreciated), potentially rescuing a Civilian for free (always good for completing mission cards), and manipulating the villain deck. Couple these abilities with the heroes included in Enter the Spider-Verse, and you can see why this expansion tilts the playing field toward the heroes.

Each expansion adds a challenge card. Challenge cards add an extra layer of complexity to the game. Challenge cards may be small additions, but they can keep the game fresh with an extra rule or two added to the base game. Enter the Spider-Verse introduces the “Secret Identity Challenge.” This is a classic challenge to add to any Marvel United game. Players must balance their crime-fighting life with their lives spent outside of spandex. This challenge is thematic, easy to understand, and adds just enough additional difficulty.

Verdict

Even though I wouldn’t bother with finding the Kickstarter version unless you’re a completionist or a Spider-Ham fan, Enter the Spider-Verse is worth including in your Marvel United collection. The heroes and villain are some of the most powerful. The locations are iconic and pack a punch. And the Challenge Card adds a much-needed twist.

Harley Quinn: “Family Feud” Review

Published on March 7, 2025March 7, 2025 by SeasonLeave a comment

Kyra’s Thoughts

Harley Quinn races toward its season finale with its latest episode “Family Feud.” Offline, Season mentioned that Harley and Ivy made up too quickly for her liking. I agreed but then I looked up Harley Quinn’s remaining episodes. “Family Feud” is the eighth of ten scheduled episodes for this season. We only have two episodes remaining. What? While I would’ve liked to have seen the tension between Harley and Ivy last another episode, there aren’t that many episodes remaining. Harley Quinn needed to set up the final stakes in this episode, hint at how the gang plans to overcome the stakes, and then spend another episode assembling the supporting cast (King Shark, Clayface, Bane, and Lex Luthor) so they’re ready to enter the fray before launching into the season finale.

Yes! We have a Lex Luthor sighting. It’s always fun when Giancarlo Esposito joins the cast. He didn’t have much to do in “Family Feud” because the gals broke him out of jail, and he was incapacitated in a patented way only Harley Quinn could pull off. Harley’s mom runs him over with Harley’s car.

Harley’s family is where the episode’s title “Family Feud” derives. Truth time. I forgot about Harley’s piece of crap father until he showed up in this episode. It took me a while to remember Harley’s past with him (we haven’t seen him since season 1–four seasons ago), but Harley’s family past came screaming back as soon as Mr. Quinzel double-crossed Harley for money. That rang a bell. Nick Quinzel dies for real in this episode, and Harley doesn’t get the closure she wants.

Meanwhile, Ivy sneaks into Lena’s apartment to figure out a way to infiltrate Brainiac’s lair and free Frankette. I never thought that Harley and Ivy would stay at odds for long, but “Family Feud” may have been better served if the exploits of Harley and Ivy were reversed. I may have believed Ivy forgiving Harley as quickly as she did if she had to deal with Floronic Man or someone else from her past and learn the lesson that Harley did during this episode about being there for someone you love even after they screw up. Heck. Being there for someone after they screw up may be the most important time for someone to show their love. This was a missed opportunity.

This small gripe doesn’t detract from an otherwise fun episode. “Family Feud” balances its three threads well (Harley and her family, Ivy infiltrating Lena’s apartment, and Lena’s master plan) and the episode sets up Harley Quinn for what should be a hilarious season finale.

Season’s Thoughts

The pacing of Harley and Ivy patching things up was too fast for my liking. It shouldn’t have been set up if it was going to be a rush job. I get that relationship drama pulls in an audience, but they didn’t give themselves the space to work with it. I agree with Kyra that this small thing doesn’t detract from the rest of the setup “Family Feud” provides for the season finale.

Even though I also forgot about Nick Quinzel, I enjoyed the moments between him and Harley, even though they hated each other. I think Harley and Ivy grow more as characters when they’re apart than when they’re together. Sure. Their relationship with one another and how they love each other matures throughout the series. But they tend to face their pasts alone and then confide in one another after the fact. Harley did help Ivy with Floronic Man, but Ivy tried to deal with him herself first. I think Harley Quinn does a good job of showing Harley and Ivy as individuals, and I definitely got that from “Family Feud.”

I found it amusing that Lena didn’t have any plans to harm Frankette. She waved her hand and was like, “Get out of here.” This makes me wonder if Frankette will pull off some inside work for the season finale and save Metropolis. That would be a fun twist.

Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Daredevil: Born Again, “Optics”

Published on March 6, 2025March 6, 2025 by KyraLeave a comment

Daredevil: Born Again blessed us with two episodes on opening night. We covered the first episode “Heaven’s Half Hour” in our previous post. In this post, we’ll share our thoughts about Daredevil: Born Again’s second episode “Optics.”

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here. I spoke at length about my thoughts on Matt Murdock’s character journey and the camera work in our previous post. If you missed our review of Daredevil: Born Again’s first episode “Heaven’s Half Hour,” here’s a link to that post. Daredevil: Born Again’s first two episodes debuted at the same time. I’ll try to touch on things I didn’t mention in our previous post in this one. Let’s get started with Kingpin’s wife Vanessa.

I should’ve mentioned Vanessa and the fact that Kingpin became mayor of New York City in the previous post. Yikes! Those are some big omissions, but I will say that “Optics” builds on those two points more than “Heaven’s Half Hour.” Again, I’ll preface this section with a spoiler warning. At first, it looked as if Daredevil: Born Again planned for Vanessa to exit the show. Kingpin finds out that she’s cheating on him, and she begs him not to kill her lover. It doesn’t surprise me that Kingpin agrees. This shows that he loves her. I’m also not that surprised that Vanessa cheats on Kingpin. He’s been away, and she’s been left to her own devices. Like most things, “Heaven’s Half Hour” rushes these devolopments.

“Optics” takes a breath. The audience has time to absorb that Kingpin not only ran for mayor of New York City, but the city elected him mayor. We watch as Kingpin settles in as a politician. Pawns like the police commissioner, news outlets, and Fisk’s cabinet take shape. Honestly, the pacing of “Optics” reminds me a lot of the original series. We even have a chance to find more out about Matt Murdock’s supporting cast.

Truth time. I forgot the investigator who works with Murdock was the same former cop who learned Murdock’s identity as Daredevil during his rooftop fight with Bullseye. It took me his second scene as Murdock’s investigator for me to put those two things together. “Heaven’s Half Hour” flew by so fast. We needed a slower-paced episode like “Optics.”

This episode does a great job of weaving Murdock’s and Fisk’s new personal lives. “Optics” presents a lot of future tension that could bear fruit as the season progresses. Fisk functions like a man of the people mayor. This is a facade. He and Vanessa enter couples counseling. This serves double duty but in a good way. Kingpin needs to show his voters that he and his wife are on good terms. Does he go to counseling because he wants to save his marriage or is it “Optics?” Does Fisk want to rehabilitate his reputation and serve as an honest mayor and he kept his distance from Vanessa because she’s running his criminal empire? “Optics” presents a lot of interesting questions.

The episode’s title works for Murdock as well. He encounters White Tiger, another vigilante. His investigator friend warns him about stepping into the life of Daredevil. White Tiger’s case also seems unwinnable. Is Murdock taking on the case because White Tiger reminds him of Daredevil? Daredevil: Born Again skates lightly over White Tiger’s abilities. He doesn’t don his outfit when he helps a helpless person from a set of crooked cops. White Tiger’s inclusion is to set up an interesting court drama that should parallel Kingpin’s desire to rid New York of all its vigilantes. That’s not at all self-serving. Wink.

Murdock tries to be a lawyer and only a lawyer. This plays as his way of honoring Foggy’s death. But “Optics” ends with Murdock getting jumped by another set of crooked cops. Reluctantly, Matt fights back and we’re left with a classic Daredevil fight scene (close quarters and in your face), albeit one with Matt dressed in a suit and tie. It shouldn’t be long before we see Daredevil’s rebirth.

I mentioned this in the previous post, but the combination of watching “Heaven’s Half Hour” and “Optics” made the Daredevil: Born Again premiere a success. I commend Marvel’s foresight for releasing the first two episodes on the same night. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Daredevil: Born Again, Heaven’s Half Hour

Published on March 6, 2025March 6, 2025 by Kyra1 Comment

Daredevil: Born Again is one of Geekly’s most anticipated Marvel releases this year. Heck. Most people couldn’t wait for season one of Daredevil: Born Again to release. I’ve even said that Daredevil: Born Again must succeed. So, how did the show measure up to this anticip-ation?

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here. I’m a little late with Geekly’s review of Daredevil: Born Again’s first two episodes but that’s because the first two episodes didn’t hit as well at first for me as it has with most people. Daredevil: Born Again’s first two episodes rate highly on Rotten Tomatoes, IMDB, and several other media outlets, so I’m in the minority. I watched these two episodes twice to find out why they didn’t land as well for me. I’ll start with the first episode, “Heaven’s Half Hour.” Hint: the second episode “Optics” showed promise and has me pumped for the third episode. Sigh of relief. Daredevil: Born Again is a great series.

But Daredevil: Born Again isn’t a great continuation of the original Netflix Daredevil. Full disclosure: after learning that Marvel wanted to continue where the original Daredevil left off, I watched the third season last week to prepare. Daredevil: Born Again doesn’t completely pick up where the previous show left off. It weaves in elements of the previous series. The two are different enough and Daredevil: Born Again takes some liberties.

I love that Marvel brought back Charlie Cox (Daredevil) and Vincent D’Onofrio (Kingpin). Those two actors embody those two characters. I’m never going to say no to Cox and D’Onofrio in a Daredevil project. I also love that Daredevil: Born Again brings back most of the original cast, even if it’s for a moment. Daredevil: Born Again does a fine job of capturing the original show’s veneer.

I say veneer instead of aesthetic because the external look of Daredevil: Born Again matches the original series, but the finer points differ–at least for the first episode. Several things felt off, but the most jarring change comes from Daredevil: Born Again’s camera work. A vlogger reports on the state of New York City. While this does an adequate job of letting the audience know the passage of time and the state of the city, it feels more at home in a Spider-Man project. Honestly, I expected to see someone play an acoustic guitar and sing about Spider-Man.

The non-vlogging camera work on “Heaven’s Half Hour” has more zoomed-out scenes. It felt out-of-place. In particular, the fight scene between Daredevil and Dex (who finally wears Bullseye garb, even if it’s just his gloves) feels different because the audience gets a bird’s eye view of the fight. The original series prided itself on up close and personal fights. One could feel each punch and kick.

The real kicker was how Daredevil: Born Again treated the former show’s cast. We’re getting into spoiler territory here. You’ve been warned. Foggy’s death (in the first ten minutes) gave the scene weight. That’s good and in keeping with the original show. Daredevil never shied away from killing off popular characters. Dex needed to pay for his crimes and for killing Foggy. Daredevil: Born Again suggests why Dex changed targets from Karen to Foggy, but it felt rushed.

Daredevil’s third season shows Karen staying in New York despite how bad things got, with people she cared about dying around her, and at the risk of her life. Karen’s actions felt off. While I could buy her leaving the city over grief (this could echo her leaving her family) Karen’s absence played more like Daredevil: Born Again wanting to start a new law office for Matt Murdock by any means necessary. And again, this development felt rushed.

“Heaven’s Half Hour” bogs down because it pulls double duty. It sheds the previous Daredevil series while trying to set up a new series. Like I said, I wouldn’t watch the original series right before watching Daredevil: Born Again. It colored my enjoyment of the show. Daredevil: Born Again is excellent separated from the original series. It’s easily one of Marvel’s best.

That brings me back to more praise for Daredevil: Born Again. While at first jarring, the camera work is deliberate. “Heaven’s Half Hour” zooms out from the action to give the audience detachment. Sure, this marks the end of the original Daredevil and the beginning of a new show, but it also mirrors Matt Murdock’s mental and emotional state. He becomes detached. The audience won’t see those in-your-face fights until the end of the second episode “Optics.” Disney+ released the first two episodes on the same night because they wanted the audience to see Matt Murdock’s change.

If I had only seen “Heaven’s Half Hour” this week, I may have been disappointed. Watched together, the first two episodes make for an interesting character study for Matt Murdock, and that was a big strength of the original series. So, perhaps the two shows aren’t that far apart. Thank you for reading. We’ll be back in an hour or so with our take on Daredevil: Born Again’s second episode “Optics.”

Getting Started With Comics: Daredevil Starter Stories

Published on March 3, 2025December 24, 2024 by KyraLeave a comment

Daredevil: Born Again begins its run tomorrow, and Geekly is celebrating with another comic book starter stories list. Today may be the best day to begin reading Daredevil comics. We hope this list will help you decide where to begin your journey with the Man Without Fear.

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here. Daredevil has been around for a long time and has had plenty of brilliant runs throughout his time in Marvel comics. We’ll have a mix of story arcs (stories composed of multiple comic book issues) and single-issue stories (which will only have one comic book to the story). Daredevil has a nice split between single-issue stories and story arcs. We’ll begin with the story arcs. Enjoy!

Story Arcs

Punisher Versus Daredevil (Daredevil #183-184; written by Frank Miller and Roger McKenzie/art by Frank Miller and Klaus Janson 1982)

This is the first of several Frank Miller entries. Miller made his name writing for Daredevil, so it’s inevitable. This two-issue story called “Child’s Play” shows the difference between Daredevil and the Punisher. While Daredevil refuses to kill, the Punisher has no problem killing.

The pair team-up after a young girl on drugs takes a dive out of her school window and dies. Yeah. Miller’s Daredevil pushed the envelope of what the Comics Code Authority would allow in a story. Getting back to this story, with the help of the dead girl’s brother, Daredevil and Punisher track down the dealer responsible for selling her drugs. Daredevil and Punisher get into a fight over how they’ll handle the dealer after they find him. Daredevil #183’s cover showcases this fight; it’s iconic.

Born Again (Daredevil #227-233; written by Frank Miller/art by Frank Miller and David Mazzuchelli 1986)

The Disney+ series Daredevil: Born Again gets its name from a Frank Miller-penned comic book story arc, and the final season of the Netflix Daredevil series borrows a lot from Daredevil Born Again. It’s a classic.

Daredevil Born Again follows Daredevil’s descent into insanity and destitution at the Kingpin’s hands. Daredevil’s ex-girlfriend Karen Page becomes a heroin addict. Strapped for cash, she sells the information that Matt Murdock is Daredevil for a shot of heroin. This information is then sold to the Kingpin, and the Kingpin does all manner of things to destroy Daredevil’s personal life. Matt’s life becomes hell.

I hope the Disney+ series goes further than the Netflix series and dives deeper into Born Again’s storyline.

Last Rites (Daredevil #283-300; written by Ann Nocenti and Dan G. Chichester/art by Mark Bagley, Lee Weeks Greg Capullo, Kieron Dwyer, Ron Garney, Butch (Jackson) Guice, Don Hudson, Larry Alexander, June Brigman, Al Williamson, Doug Hazlewood, Fred Fredericks, Tom Morgan, and Roy Richardson; 1990-1992)

Last Rites is the longest story arc included on this list, but it’s a Daredevil essential. This storyline concludes Ann Nocenti’s epic run on the character (we’ll see more of Nocenti’s work later). Last Rites is a whirlwind. The Kingpin falls. An amnesiac Matt Murdock is no longer Daredevil. Instead, another person swings around New York wearing a red jumpsuit, committing surgically precise crimes.

Matt thinks he’s the boxer Jack Murdock, while Kingpin builds a media empire. Eventually, a reborn Daredevil is determined to deliver the last rites to Kingpin’s reign of terror. There are a heap of guest stars in this massive Daredevil story: Captain America, Taskmaster, Tombstone, Baron Strucker, The Punisher, and Ghost Rider. But at its heart, Last Rites is Daredevil and Kingpin battling to the death.

Daredevil: Man Without Fear (Daredevil: Man Without Fear #1-5; written by Frank Miller/art by John Romita 1993-1994)

If you can’t tell, Frank Miller will dominate this list. I tried to keep Miller’s number of stories at a minimum, but he will repeatedly show up. Daredevil: Man Without Fear was a miniseries from the early Nineties. The series explores Matt Murdock’s childhood, the accident that caused his blindness and powers, as well as his father’s death. The series features pivotal scenes that have become staples in the Daredevil mythos: Matt’s mentor Stick, his college flame Elektra, his best friend Foggy Nelson, and his primary nemesis Kingpin. Fans of the Netflix Daredevil show will see plenty of familiar scenes. Daredevil: Man Without Fear is a must-read.

Return of the King (Daredevil #116-119; written by Ed Brubaker/art by Michael Lark and David Aja 2009)

A story arc from Ed Brubaker’s historic run on Daredevil had to appear on this list. I chose Return of the King because it shows Kingpin—easily Daredevil’s greatest villain—at his backstabbing and conniving best. Wilson Fisk (Kingpin) flees to Europe to escape his life of crime, where he meets a woman and befriends her children. Fisk views this family as his own until they are killed by the Hand. Lady Bullseye, one of the Hand assassins, claims Daredevil sent her. And all hell breaks loose with Kingpin reclaiming his reign as king of the criminal underworld.

The Omega Effect (Avenging Spider-Man #6, Punisher #10, and Daredevil #11; written by Greg Rucka and Mark Waid/art by Marco Checchetto 2012)

Mark Waid’s run on Daredevil could be summed up in one word: fun. The Omega Effect joins this list because it features Daredevil teaming up with two of his most common allies: Spider-Man and Punisher. But you don’t get one Punisher. Frank Castle trains a second Punisher, Rachel Cole-Alves. This makeshift team crumbles when one of the members turns backstabber.

Single Issues

“Last Hand” (Daredevil #181; written by Frank Miller/art by Frank Miller and Klaus Janson; 1982)

“Last Hand” is another classic Frank Miller comic. It’s a simple concept. Bullseye escapes from prison and plots his revenge against Daredevil. But Bullseye also discovers Daredevil’s secret identity and figures the only way to hurt Daredevil worse than killing him is to go after his lover Elektra. “Last Hand” ends with Elektra’s iconic death.

“Roulette” (Daredevil #191; written by Frank Miller/art by Frank Miller and Terry Austin; 1983)

The title “Roulette” may come from Daredevil playing Russian Roulette with a helpless Bullseye (he’s paralyzed from their previous battle), but the reason for Matt Murdock playing Russian Roulette stems from another encounter. “Roulette” uses Daredevil torturing a hospitalized Bullseye with an empty gun as bread in a narrative sandwich. This narrative’s filling comes from Daredevil’s interactions with a father and son.

The father is bullied at work just as the son is bullied at school. There’s a hint that the father may be abusing his child at home, too. The kid idolizes Daredevil, even pretending that he is Daredevil at school, but he becomes disillusioned when his father pulls a gun on a coworker who’s blackmailing him, and Daredevil beats up the kid’s dad before he can shoot. This traumatizes the kid. Later, the kid brings his father’s gun to school and when he gets picked on again, he shoots the kid who’s bullying him. “Roulette” is a bleak story. But it’s a story that may have even more relevance today than it did when it was first published.

“A Beer with the Devil” (Daredevil #266; written by Ann Nocenti and John Romita Jr./art by John Romita Jr.; 1989)

“A Beer with the Devil” is easily the oddest entry on this list. Ann Nocenti’s run on Daredevil is one of the most daring. Pun intended. She takes plenty of risks and takes Daredevil to some bizarre places. She’s the one who introduced the antagonist Typhoid Mary (Daredevil #254, which almost made this list) and the demon Blackheart (Daredevil #270, which is another standout issue). But we’re going with “A Beer with the Devil.” It puts the devil in Daredevil. Matt Murdock spends Christmas in a seedy bar with Satan’s cousin Mephisto.

The stories on this list are just the tip of the iceberg. Daredevil has seen so many reboots and stellar story arcs that we’re bound to miss one or two of five hundred. Let us know which Daredevil stories you’d add to this list in the comments. And wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Geekly News: March 2, 2025, Marvel Picks Television Series Direction

Published on March 2, 2025March 2, 2025 by Kyra2 Comments

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here, and we’re back with some Geekly News. We don’t have as many stories to cover this week as we did the week before and we’re still figuring out how to present Geekly News. Let’s start with a standby.

Marvel Picks Television Series Direction

Marvel picked a new direction with their Disney+ shows. After the abject failure of Secret Invasion, rumors flew around Marvel’s television projects. Television shows like the upcoming Okoye (from the Black Panther franchise) series and the Nova series got canceled. Even some movies like Armor Wars got nixed. Marvel announced these cancelations in a whirlwind, leaving fans wondering why some shows got canceled and others didn’t. We’ve gotten some clarification. The following is a quick overview of the situation.

Overview of Marvel Reorganization

First, Marvel used to film an entire television series and drop it on the Disney+ platform with little outside input. There are a few shows that follow this method that have yet to be released, specifically Ironheart. But all future shows will film shorter pilots and test screen the pilot to gauge audience interest before filming the series in its entirety.

Second, Marvel pivoted to television shows featuring street-level heroes like Daredevil and Punisher, while making Marvel films larger spectacles, to reduce cost. The studio has confirmed that they want to bring back the rest of the Defenders (Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, and Iron Fist), but only after Daredevil: Born Again releases and they can see how the show is received. No pressure, Daredevil. If all goes well, these street-level heroes will need a Thanos-type big bad that they must collectively overcome. Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin should fit that bill.

Third, Marvel does plan on starting a Marvel Animated Universe (an MAU). Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man will serve as a jumping-off point if they do plan on an MAU. Keep an eye on any upcoming Marvel animated projects.

Cancelled Marvel Projects

Getting back to what I said about Okoye’s show getting canned. That’s disappointing, but Marvel will release a Black Panther-themed animated show later this year. She could feature in that show (Marvel often uses their live-action actors as voice actors in their animated content) or a future Black Panther animated show, since Black Panther isn’t exactly a street-level hero. Okoye will undoubtedly return in the next Black Panther movie, which will include Denzel Washington in its cast. We still don’t know who Washington will play but here are a few options.

Achebe is a brilliant and unhinged adversary from the Black Panther comics. The First Black Panther Bashenga could explore Wakanda’s lore. Or perhaps the Shadow King. Amahl Farouk (Shadow King) is a powerful telepathic mutant who’s been a frequent Wakdandan antagonist and could bridge the gap with the X-Men. Could we get a Storm sighting in Black Panther 3?

The rest of Marvel’s cancellations include Armor Wars (film) and Nova (television show. Armor Wars’s plot was tied too closely to the failed Secret Invasion. War Machine will have to wait for his first solo movie after Marvel brass reworks the plotlines. It doesn’t look good, but a revamped Rhodie story could still happen. Robert Downey Jr. could don Iron Man’s armor during the Mutant Saga in Iron Man 4. Why couldn’t Don Cheadle do the same? While Armor Wars’s cancellation upset me, Nova stung a little more. The show doesn’t fit Marvel’s new roadmap. Okoye may or may not be a street-level hero. Nova is by no means a street-level hero. The Nova television show planned to introduce Annihilus, ruler of the Negative Zone with aspirations to control every known galaxy. We may have to wait until the Fantastic Four’s second film before meeting the villains, but there have been rumors that he could sneak into a project before Fantastic Four 2.

Final Thoughts on Marvel (for this week)

Daredevil: Born Again needs to succeed. Marvel’s roadmap makes more sense, and it’s a good thing when studios are transparent with their plans. I would’ve liked to have seen the three projects I listed that got canceled, but Marvel made their cancellation make sense.

Wonder Woman Game Canceled, Studios Closing

Speaking of a project getting cancelled and not making any sense, we have Warner Brothers’ video game branch. Warner Bros. hasn’t made too many sound decisions with their video game projects in years. They produced Multiversus, making the game stand out from Smash Bros. by making speed its core tenant, only to suspend the game for over a year and then rerelease it as a slower, more of a Smash Bros. clone game. Great. Then, there was whatever Suicide Squad: The Justice League Must Die was. Suicide Squad was meant to play as a multiplayer, online version of the Arkham series because “gamers want live service games” and failed. Okay. And then Warner Brothers refused to see Hogwarts Legacy as the smash hit it was because it wasn’t a live service game. What?

At least Avalanche Software (the developer of Hogwarts Legacy) got to keep their jobs. Player First Games (Multiversus) closed as well as Warner Bros. Games San Diego, which planned more online games. Monolith Productions who made the well-received Shadows of Mordor games and who were working on Wonder Woman also got shuttered this past week. Warner Brothers states that they’re keeping their focus on Harry Potter, Mortal Kombat, Game of Thrones, and DC Comics. That’s funny. Didn’t they just cancel Wonder Woman? Wonder Woman wasn’t a free-to-play online-only game. Maybe that was why, but then the publisher also canned Player First Games and Warner Bros. Games San Diego. Warner Bros. could take a page from Marvel Studios and produce a roadmap. Make it make sense.

Monster Hunter Wilds Released

The wait is over. Monster Hunter Wilds is out. I haven’t had a chance to play yet, but the game has received overall ratings of 90/100 from critics. Monster Hunter Wilds features a shorter main campaign than the last two Monster Hunter games. I don’t mind that. One seldom plays Monster Hunter for the main storyline. There’s also a major update coming in April. Capcom hasn’t said what the update will include, but I agree with waiting a month before a major update. Players will have a chance to play the game for a month before adding more fun.

World’s Largest Dungeon Returns

Have you ever wanted to play the largest Dungeons & Dragons dungeon? You’ll soon get your chance when The World’s Largest Dungeon returns with its 20^th Anniversary Platinum Edition for 5^th Edition. The crowdfunding campaign launches on May 13^th. (Here’s a link to the BackerKit.)

Originally published in 2004 by Alderac Entertainment Group (AEG), The World’s Largest Dungeon earned a Guinness World Record for its size and scope. The campaign was designed to take players from level 1 to 20, feature every monster from the System Reference Document (SRD), and offers an interconnected, inescapable dungeon experience.

The World’s Largest Dungeon’s updated edition will include 16 new boss miniatures, curated miniature sets from Reaper Miniatures, and 16 poster-sized maps with new detailed maps. Over 1,600 original encounters have been fine-tuned for 5^th edition, and the new dungeon will feature exclusive Fanroll dice, an audiobook by AudioRPG, and stretch goals of course.

Aspiring RPG designers may submit their own dungeon encounters, with fan-voted winners earning a spot in the Secret Doors book which will be alongside the core books. The Platinum Edition will be released as a four-book set. Each book will feature fantasy artwork, immersive page layouts, and rich world-building details, making it easier for game master to navigate this massive dungeon’s encounters and secrets.

Ernie Gygax Has Passed Away

Ernest “Ernie” Gygax Jr, son of Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) co-creator Gary Gygax, passed away this week. Ernie was one of D&D’s earliest playtesters. The Gygax family confirmed the news via Gary Con’s website on Friday (February 28). His cause of death was not given, but Gygax had been hospitalized several times in recent years. Gygax is best known for creating Tenser, the first magic-user character in D&D. Tenser’s name appears on several D&D spells in D&D’s current editions.

Our condolences to the Gygax family.

Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Top 5 Tabletop Games from 1990-1991

Published on March 1, 2025March 23, 2025 by Kyra15 Comments

Plenty of top-notch board games were released in the nineties. This decade is the first where I could list a Top 5 Board Games for each year, and that will happen—closer to 1992 or 1994. But we will keep to 1990 and 1991 for this list of Top Tabletop Games.

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here. Back with another Top 5 Tabletop Games. Board games begin heating up in 1990 and 1991. We’ll talk about board games soon, but first, if you’ve forgotten our criteria for the Top 5 Tabletop Games, let’s reiterate the ground rules before we start.

1: Cultural relevance plays as much of a factor as overall quality. A game might make a list that doesn’t hold up to others of its type, but you must admit the game is everywhere.

2: Only one game from a franchise makes the list. This will become more of an issue the closer we get to games with expansions.

3: Longevity plays a role, too. A game doesn’t have to fly off the shelves today, but it had to have some widespread appeal for a decent time.

**5: Crocodile Dentist (1990)**

Crocodile Dentist was on and off this list. Ultimately, it makes this list of top board games of 1990 and 1991 because it was the best-selling toy of the 1991 Christmas season. Not just a bestselling game, but a bestselling toy. The toy factor for Crocodile Dentist is overwhelming.

The toy factor makes sense. Crocodile Dentist is a children’s game. In early versions of Crocodile Dentist, players take turns removing a crocodile’s teeth and eventually, the crocodile would snap its jaw shut. Whoever made the titular crocodile shut its jaw was the loser. Crocodile Dentist has a simple premise that makes serious adults groan or guffaw. The York Daily Record’s Mike Argento included Crocodile Dentist in his 1992 Bizarre Toy Awards. However, twelve years later, Argento admitted that the game had “passed into classic status.” And that’s what Crocodile Dentist is, a classic.

**4: Tichu (1991)**

Real talk. I’ve never played Tichu. It’s the one game on this last that I’ve never played. I would like to; Tichu makes this list because so many board gamers swear by this game. Tichu has a cult following if you will. What I know of Tichu is that it’s a shedding game, meaning that you’re trying to rid your hand of its cards. But Tichu is also a team-based game, so you and your partner are trying to shed your hands before your opponents.

I’ve never had the chance to play Tichu. Tichu is a four-player-only game. If you don’t have four players, you can’t play. And from what I’ve heard, a veteran Tichu player will destroy a noob, and since Tichu is a cult card game, it becomes one of those games where people either don’t play or they’ll only find enjoyment with other accomplished Tichu players. Still, Tichu remains one of the most endearing games on this list, and this list has nothing but endearing games. I’d like to play at least one game of Tichu before long. If anyone plays and you’re going to a board game convention that I’m going to, I’d be happy to learn Tichu.

**3: Vampire: The Masquerade (1991)**

I can’t remember if I included Dungeons & Dragons in an earlier list. If I didn’t, that was an oversight. But while D&D dominated early tabletop roleplaying games (and still does), the Nineties saw a ton of worthy competitors. Tabletop Roleplaying games saw a boom in the Nineties. The early Nineties only had ten major TTRPG releases. Vampire: The Masquerade is the most famed of these Dungeons & Dragons competitors. In short, Vampire: The Masquerade simulates the afterlife of a vampire.

The developers deliberately didn’t read Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles until late in their development process but admit that Rice most likely influenced the vampire films that inspire the game. Rice’s Vampire Chronicles and Vampire: The Masquerade ushered in a new era for vampire fiction and the vampire mythos. The Underworld film series borrows a lot from Vampire: The Masquerade. And the game’s influence was felt in the Nineties. The Goth underground scene flourished with the help of Vampire: The Masquerade and Rice’s Vampire Chronicles.

I still have my original copy and will often pour over the full-page artwork. Artist Tim Bradstreet’s artwork from Vampire: The Masquerade was the concept art for the Blade film series. Vampire: The Masquerade was the height of cool in the early Nineties.

**2: Formula D (1991)**

Formula D is a strong second on this list. Until some recent games (games from the 2010s and 2020), Formula D does the best job of simulating a race. Heck, Formula D measures up well against newer racing games. It uses specialized dice (d4, d6, d8, d12, d20, and d30) that represent different gears of a vehicle. Formula D uses an additional d20 for collisions and other course events (like weather). With each turn, players must roll a die that simulates which gear their car is in and must move the number of spaces they roll on that die. The core concept is simple. You’re trying to reach the finish line before anyone else. It would make sense to stay in the highest gear you can. The problem comes when calculating car damage.

Each player takes a “dashboard” for their car. This dashboard will track damage to the various parts of their car. Each track—and there are plenty of bonus tracks you can use for Formula D—will have twists and turns that you must navigate. Taking a turn at a higher speed will most likely cause players to accept damage. A little damage is no big deal. But you could take so much damage that your vehicle crashes.

I like Formula D’s addition of “Rules for Beginners.” It allows players to learn the basics of the game and only when they get accustomed to the base rules, can they then take on more complex rules. Formula D—like the game that claims our top spot—continues to see play, even though it’s over thirty years old.

**1: Hoity Toity (1990)**

Hoity Toity has gone by several names. Originally, it was released in Germany by the name Adel Verpflichtet or Noblesse Oblige. It was distributed in the United Kingdom under the name Fair Means or Foul and in the United States as By Hook or Crook. It wasn’t until its 2008 reprint that it became Hoity Toity. I’ll refer to it as Hoity Toity from this point forward. Hoity Toity tasks players as members of a pretentious Antique Club who wager which one of them can acquire—by purchase or theft—the most expensive collection of objets d’art in one day.

Hoity Toity deploys a nice combination of bluffing and silent auction. The game’s movement (there is a track players must navigate) feels unique, especially for the time it was released. There shouldn’t be any wonder that Hoity Toity won the 1990 Spiel des Jahres. Klaus Teuber had a dominant early Nineties. I earned another Spiel des Jahres in 1991—back-to-back awards—for Drunter und Drüber, which just missed this list and another Spiel des Jahres in 1995 for Catan. We haven’t gotten to 1995’s list yet, but Catan will make that list. Hoity Toity gets the nod over Drunter und Drüber because it stands the test of time. Most gamers would place Hoity Toity as the second-best board game of Teuber’s career. Hoity Toity earns that distinction.

Did we get the list right, for the most part? Let us know which games you’d add in the comments. And wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Check out the other lists in this series:
Top 5 Tabletop Games Prior to the 1930s
Top 5 Tabletop Games of the 1930s
Top 5 Tabletop Games of the 1940s-50s
Top 5 Tabletop Games from the Early 1960s
Top 5 Tabletop Games from the Late 1960s
Top 5 Tabletop Games from the Early 1970s
Top 5 Tabletop Games from 1980-1981
Top 5 Tabletop Games from 1982-1983
Top 5 Tabletop Games from 1984-1985
Top 5 Tabletop Games from 1986-1987
Top 5 Tabletop Games from 1988-1989

Harley Quinn: “Frankette” Review

Published on February 28, 2025February 27, 2025 by SeasonLeave a comment

Season’s Thoughts

I’m going to preface “Frankette” by saying I was a bit shocked by the ending. Not entirely, but the buildup to Brainiac being the season finale villain was being hammered home so much that I wasn’t expecting him to fizzle out this episode.

I enjoyed the dynamic between Harley and Ivy this episode. We got to see a volatile argument play out due to extenuating circumstances. Both of them wanted to honor Frank in their own way and butted heads (to put it mildly). It was nice to take a break from the lovey-dovey stuff they’ve been doing in previous episodes. That said, I think Ivy’s normally the one who expresses extreme anger when she’s upset. Harley’s been more of the pushy one between the two of them. I think their fallout at the end of “Frankette” is reparable. If it isn’t, that’d make for an interesting story.

On to Frankette herself. Her birth was hilarious. Frank giving a sermon at his own funeral just so she could pop out of the soil over his grave was done in a way I’d only expect from Harley Quinn. I’m not entirely convinced Ivy genuinely cares for Frankette outside of Frank telling her to rescue Frankette. Their moment at the end of “Frankette” was heartwarming, but I think Ivy is still seeing Frank, despite her initial rejection of Frankette. I think she’s getting there, but “Frankette” happened over the course of a day.

I enjoy Lena being the main villain of Season 5. Her taking over Brainiac’s ship at the end of “Frankette” for her own best interest was very much in character. I’m excited to see where else Harley Quinn is going to take her.

Side note: Bane is the best babysitter.

Kyra’s Take

Season did a great job covering “Frankette’s” plot points, so I won’t get into too much detail. Harley Quinn has a knack for heel and face turns. These turns happen numerous times during a season, but the showrunners find ways to keep them fresh and unexpected.

Parenthood has been a not-so-hidden theme for Harley Quinn’s fifth season. The show took a detour a few weeks ago when it explored Bruce’s relationships with Dick Grayson and Damien and the Joker with his stepdaughter. Harley Quinn followed that episode with one of Brainiac’s family and loss. It was only a matter of time before Harley and Ivy would be thrust into parenthood. Heck. Harley babysat Shaun the Shark a few times before Frankette made her debut. Even Bane makes his return with his adopted daughter Goldilocks in this episode. Despite her shocking origin, Harley Quinn’s creative team built up Frankette. Those “detours” that I mentioned before weren’t detours at all.

Harley Quinn’s creators do a fabulous job of world and character-building. Lena stays true to herself. Perhaps, we should’ve seen that she would become Season 5’s main villain. But are we sure Harley Quinn doesn’t have another turn or two for the balance of power to shift again? A lot can happen in three Harley Quinn episodes. I could see another tectonic shift. Superman and Lois Lane are still in play. Harley and Ivy’s relationship is on the rocks again, and that tends to add a little spice.

Harley Quinn needed to inject some turmoil into Harley and Ivy’s relationship. I agree with Season that the fallout at the end of this episode should be reparable. Harley and Ivy working through their problems is a strength of this show. It shouldn’t be easy for the power to make amends. Only time will tell. My biggest gripe is that this season of Harley Quinn only has three more episodes.

Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

5 Movies for Black History Month

Published on February 24, 2025February 22, 2025 by SkyeLeave a comment

Hello, one and all! First of all, I love you. I’m sorry I missed you on Valentine’s last week, I promise to buy you something next year, babe. In the meantime, let’s talk about something different. What else is February known for? Black History Month.

I usually make “Top” lists for the posts I make on this site, but I won’t be doing that here. Since I’m as White as an albino moth in a snowstorm, I don’t think it’s my place to judge the “Top” 5 Black History Month Movies. Instead, I made a list of 5 movies about Black experiences that I watched and enjoyed this month. I hope you understand.

Without further delay, let’s discuss some movies about one of America’s most commonly misrepresented, underappreciated, and deeply resilient minority communities.

These films aren’t in any particular order. All are worth a watch, I promise

Marshall

Starring everyone’s favorite Black Panther, Chadwick Boseman (R.I.P., legend), Marshall is a story about America’s first Black Supreme Court Justice: Thurgood Marshall. While not the story of how he became a Supreme Court Justice, it goes into detail about one of the landmark cases he oversaw: The State of Connecticut vs. Joseph Spell.

Featuring fantastic acting while outlining Marshall’s quick wit and ability to navigate a system that’s stacked against him, it really kept me invested. The courtroom drama aspect was compelling. Granted, one of my favorite movies is 12 Angry Men, so take that for what it’s worth. This film will keep you on the edge of your seat, just don’t Google anything. Spoilers!

12 Years a Slave

Y’all knew this was gonna get heavy at some point. While not for the faint of heart, 12 Years a Slave is certainly a gripping story that makes you want to see the main character escape with his life. Detailing the real-life experiences of a man named Solomon Northup (played by Chiwetel Ejiofor), he was originally free until he was sold back into slavery for, you guessed it, 12 Years.

Going through different masters with varying levels of cruelty on his quest for freedom, Northup can never be safe until he makes it back to his family in the North. If you’re up for the brutality portrayed in the film, I’d say this is a great one to watch detailing both Black struggles and Black triumphs. Also, be prepared for an incredibly racist song to be stuck in your head until you die. I said that and now it’s back in my head. Frick.

13th

I wanted to put one documentary on this list. I was torn between this film and I Am Not Your Negro for the longest time, but I went with 13th because it details problems that actively face the Black community today and outlines ways we should approach fixing them. If you have the time, I still recommend I Am Not Your Negro, but for now, let’s talk about 13th.

As the title suggests, this film documents the impact the 13th Amendment to the Constitution has had on our society. The same Amendment that banned slavery in this country is the same that made it okay as punishment for a crime. And we wonder why there are so many Black people incarcerated. This film explains it far better than I could, and the facts it contains are far beyond what any White person is prepared to face. I know I wasn’t, but that’s why I’m recommending it.

Malcolm X

In case you couldn’t tell, I’m a big fan of provocative films that challenge the way I see the world. What better way to do that than with one of the most controversial Civil Rights Leaders in history? Spike Lee’s 1992 biopic about the life and times of Malcolm X is an emotional powerhouse. Denzel Washington gives a career-defining performance as the titular historical figure, and it’s just as epic as it sounds.

You’re gonna need a huge chunk of time to watch this one, but I promise it’s worth it. Despite being 3 and a half hours long, Malcolm X never left me bored. This film has everything including the good, the bad, and the ugly of a great orator’s life. My favorite part is how the film portrays him as an imperfect human who managed to make a huge impact on society through his experiences. If you like that kind of stuff, I bet you’ll love Malcolm X.

Shaft

I know I exude a distinguished film historian demeanor. At least I think I do. I’m cool, right? That doesn’t mean I don’t like to have fun. That’s what Shaft is to me. Fun. Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty of racial themes in this film as well, but it mostly focuses on the star power of everyone’s favorite NYC Private Investigator from the early 70’s, John Shaft. I’m tellin’ y’all, this cat, Shaft, is a bad mother–

This month, revisit the awesomeness of Gordon Parks’ cinematic adaptation of Shaft. Bumpy Jonas’ daughter has been kidnapped and it’s up to John Shaft to find her. Will he be able to do it? Is it possible Ben Buford was behind it? And how many women will John have sex with? All these questions and more in Shaft. You’re with Shaft every step of the way, and it’s an unforgettable ride. I love this movie, and if you haven’t seen it, I hope you’ll dig it, too.

With that said, those are my 5 movies for Black History Month. Are there any I missed? Absolutely. If I were to list each of my favorite Black films here, this post would be essay-length. If there are any y’all would like to discuss, let us know your favorites in the comments. We’d love to hear from you! Or if you’d just like to discuss movies, I’d be more than happy to oblige. Have a great rest of your Black History Month and always keep an open mind. 😉

Geekly News: February 23, 2025, Spider-Gwen Joins Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Season Two

Published on February 23, 2025February 22, 2025 by Kyra1 Comment

We didn’t release a news post last week. Kyra was sick with the flu. That’s also why our coverage of Captain America: Brave New World has been lacking. We’ll get to it as soon as possible and figure out this news thing quickly.

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here, and we’re back with some Geekly News. We have several stories to get through, so let’s get started.

**Spider-Gwen Joins Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Season Two**

Season and Skye wrapped up their coverage of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man’s first season, and the final episode had plenty of easter eggs and loose story threads for the next season. You should check out their reviews if you haven’t yet. Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man’s creative team dropped a bombshell the day after the final episodes hit Disney+, Gwen Stacy/Spider-Gwen joins the Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man mayhem in season two.

We don’t yet know if Gwen will be a transplant from another dimension like she was in the Spider-Verse series or if she already exists in Peter’s universe. The spider that bit Peter and gave him his powers crawls into another student’s backpack. Perhaps that student is Gwen.

Who knows? Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man injected some life in the MCU, even if it is an alternate reality and I can’t wait for the second season. Spider-Gwen or Ghost-Spider would be a fantastic sprinkle on top of this sundae.

**New Avatar: The Last Airbender Series (Avatar: Seven Havens)**

A new Avatar cartoon is coming to Nickelodeon and Avatar Studios. Avatar: The Last Airbender creators Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko celebrated Avatar’s 20^th anniversary with the announcement of this new series. Avatar: Seven Havens will be a 26-episode, 2D animated series following a young Earthbender who is the next Avatar following Avatar Korra.

Avatar: Seven Havens will be split into two seasons. Both seasons will consist of 13 episodes and be called “books.” No cast has been announced yet. This is the first mainline TV series from Avatar Studios who are also developing a full-length animated movie based on an adult Aang on a new adventure and set to premiere in theaters on January 30, 2026.

Elon: Make Video Games Great Again

Elon Musk has been busy tinkering with the United States government and tweets hundreds of times daily, but he’s found the time to circle back around to his idea about making an AI-based video game studio. Musk confirmed this past week that he still plans to make an xAI game studio, tweeting, “It’s got to be done. Make video games great again!”

There’s a lot to cover about Musk’s motivations and how he intends to run this new video game studio. Frankly, there’s too much to cover, so I’ll be brief and try to stay neutral. Spoiler alert: I’ll fail. The politics behind Musk starting a completely Artificial Intelligence video game studio stems from an ideology of anti-diversity, anti-equity, and anti-inclusion. I failed already. I wanted to spell out what DEI stands for because it’s easy to dismiss an acronym. The Musk superfan who tweeted his support for an xAI game studio stated that diversity, equity, and inclusion ruined video games. The world’s richest man doesn’t need a reason or encouragement to not pay employees and use artificial intelligence for all aspects of a video game.

I’m done ragging on Musk and his superfan, for the most part. The topic of AI in video games has been hotly debated. Some AI processes that don’t involve GenAI have been deemed useful enough to be used with little controversy. However, that is not true for GenAI being used in artwork, cinematics, script writing, and so on with most developers and studios. If Musk’s idea is to make an entire game based around xAI tech, that raises many questions about how that would work and what the program would produce.

Perhaps this is a coincidence, but video game developers have increased their use of artificial intelligence during the current downturn in video game quality. If anything, AI could be one of the factors in poor video game quality. But it’s not the only one. Work environments have come under fire in recent years. A lack of diversity, equity, and inclusion in video game workspaces has led to hostile work environments. Crunch culture has crushed numerous video game releases. Every studio wanting their share of the live service model has also hurt; not every studio has what it takes or needs to make a live service game. In the current environment, video game publishers have fired talented developers with a smash hit.

In short, video game companies need to show more humanity.

Marvel Rivals Lays Off Seattle Development Team

I may not have given Marvel Rivals the highest marks in my review a month ago (you can check out that review by following this link if you want), but the game is a smash hit. The only game that compares to Marvel Rivals’ hundreds of thousands of concurrent Steam players is Fortnite. Marvel Rivals is that popular. And Marvel Rivals’ developer NetEase laid off their entire Seattle office.

NetEase released a statement earlier this week, explaining the layoffs were made as part of “organizational reasons” and to “optimize development efficiency for the game.” This doesn’t make a lot of sense. While developers often bring in extra talent to release a game and then cut ties with contractors after the game releases, Marvel Rivals has the most aggressive release schedule for new characters in a hero shooter. Season 1 has seen the release of the entire Fantastic Four. Overwatch, which Marvel Rivals often gets compared to, releases one character during the same period. Marvel Rivals releases four times as many new characters. Yikes! The video game industry has experienced numerous layoffs in recent years. Even the biggest studios cut the size of their teams or close entirely, but these studios often do that when a game isn’t successful, or the company makes a blunder. NetEase has a runaway hit on their hands and to the best of my knowledge hasn’t made a huge mistake with another title or financial decision, and this still happened. Success doesn’t make one immune from getting fired.

Note: NetEase is a Chinese-owned company. Firing their United States branch may make financial sense if the company worries about international trade uncertainty. Ahem. Tariffs.

Retailers Help Dutch Tabletop Game Publisher Splotter After Tariff Uncertainty

Video games aren’t the only entertainment industry that may be affected by new tariffs. Tabletop games have had their issues, too. Food Chain Magnate publisher Splotter says, United States distributor GTS canceled a “large order” for its game Indonesia on short notice, citing uncertainty over further charges to import tariffs in the United States.

US President Donald Trump hiked tariffs on imports from China (where the majority of board games are manufactured) by 10% at the start of February, and last November threatened Chinese goods with 80% tariffs, in addition to a blanket 20% on all imports to the United States. China has responded with a tit-for-tat tariff increase for several types of US products, and Trump’s subsequent threats of further hikes for sectors such as automobiles have made international trade unpredictable.

Splotter, a small Dutch tabletop publisher, said on February 17 that almost all the United States retailers who offered pre-orders for the third edition of Indonesia were having their supplies met through GTS, meaning United States customers would not receive their copies. Designer duo Doumen and Wirsinga (of Splotter) said that a string of United States and Canadian retailers have reached out to secure direct orders from the company, while other distributors and publishers have aided the small business.

Founded in 1997, Splotter specializes in heavy—and I mean heavy—strategy games. Indonesia was first released in 2005 and is the second-highest-rated Splotter game on BoardGameGeek. Second only to Food Chain Magnate.

Elden Ring: The Board Game Coming to Retail Soon

In 2022, Steamforged Games successfully funded a board game based on the smash video game Elden Ring. For years Elden Ring: The Board Game was only available through Gamefound and secondary markets (resale), but the game will become available at most game shops next month. Steamforged Games has a long history of adapting popular video game franchises to board games: Dark Souls, Horizon Zero Dawn, Monster Hunter World, and Resident Evil.

Real talk. I’ve never played a Steamforged Games adaptation of a video game. Their games tend to have high production values and a price tag to match. Many of their base games (specifically the ones I mentioned above) are at least $100. The Realm of the Grafted King is Elden Ring’s official core box. It’s priced at $200. Two expansions function as standalone games. Presumably, one can play the game with either of them. Weeping Penisula costs $120, while Stormveil Castle costs $130. These prices don’t include optional upgrades. So, yes. Steamforged Games can get expensive, extremely expensive, but if you have the money and the inclination, Elden Ring: The Board Game will be available at game stores in March 2025 or on their website https://steamforged.com/collections/elden-ring-board-game.

MetaZoo TCG Returns with Richard Garfield and Skaff Elias

The original MetaZoo TCG was launched in 2020. Despite the pandemic, MetaZoo found moderate success until the original publisher MetaZoo Games had to file for bankruptcy last year. The card game centers around creatures known as “Beasties” which are inspired by cryptids and other figures from mythology and folklore like Bigfoot, Mothman, and the Jersey Devil. The game’s art style resembled the Pokémon TCG, while its play style felt like Magic: The Gathering. Another company took over the MetaZoo IP and intends to relaunch the game this year. All this is standard fare, but the names involved in MetaZoo’s relaunch have caused the TCG world to buzz.

Rick and Emily Arons, prominent former members of the Pokémon Company, are joining forces with Richard Garfield (creator of Magic: The Gathering) and Skaff Elias (former Senior VP of R&D at Magic: The Gathering). I’m intrigued by these names. But MetaZoo showed promise without these new names. The game had some interesting mechanisms. MetaZoo’s standout feature is its fourth-wall mechanism, where real-world elements, like a player’s seat at the table, can directly influence gameplay and outcomes. I hope MetaZoo brings back some of its original creative team while adding trading card game royalty.

Phew! That was a lot. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.