Tag: marvel comics

5 Underrated Underused Spider-Man Villains

5 Underrated/Underused Spider-Man Villains

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Happy Monday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with a new entry in an older comic book series: Underrated and/or Underused Villains. Today, we focus on Spider-Man’s overlooked rogues’ gallery. The webhead has plenty of villains to his name, so it makes sense that a handful of villains may qualify. Notice how this list isn’t titled a Top 5. Numerous characters could make this list. If you don’t see your favorite underrated Spider-Man villain on this list, comment who would add.

The characters on this list may lean more toward underrated rather than underused or vice versa. Spidey has a wealth of villains, so we have more than one honorable mention. Let’s get to our list of five underrated/underused Spider-Man Villains.

Honorable Mention: Tombstone

I cheated with Tombstone. He shows up plenty in the comics, receives great adaptations in other media (I can’t wait for Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man’s second season), and seldom gets overlooked as one of Spidey’s better second-tier villains. But I wanted to mention Tombstone. I love this character. One can never have enough Tombstone stories. I can’t wait to see Marvin Jones III (also known as Krondon) portrayal of Tombstone in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Brilliant casting. Krondon also provided Tombstone’s voice in the Spider-Verse series of animated films. I can’t wait.

Honorable Mention: Beetle

Beetle meets the criteria for underrated and underused. His redemption story (told through Thunderbolts) is wildly underrated; I’d love to see a Beetle redemption story in the MCU. Abe Jenkins (the original and most famous Beetle) seldom gets used in media outside comics, and the comics haven’t featured him recently because he’s dead. But no one stays dead in comics forever. Oddly enough, Tombstone’s daughter, Janice Lincoln, has taken the mantle as the new Beetle. So, there’s a chance we could see Janice in the MCU.

No version of Beetle is primarily a Spider-Man villain, and that’s why they make the honorable mention list. Beetle threatens the larger MCU, giving preference to Iron Man and Spider-Man. Abe’s origin story was reworked a bit and used as Mysterio’s backstory in Spider-Man: Far From Home. He craved respect and recognition, so he stole tech, made a super suit, and terrorized the normies. When he joined the Thunderbolts, originally pretending to be a hero, he found the respect and recognition he always craved as a hero, so he became one. Ah! What could’ve been in the MCU? Beetle is certainly one of the most criminally overlooked Marvel villains. But his freelance villainy causes him to just miss the list.

Honorable Mention: Hammerhead

A third honorable mention? Yeah, Spidey has a ton of fantastic villains. We could’ve made a list of 20 underrated/underused Spider-Man villains. Let us know if you’d like to see a second part to this list.

Hammerhead has some of the worst adaptations for a Spider-Man villain. Outside the comics, media portray him as an underling. That isn’t true. Hammerhead is Kingpin’s rival, an equal in every sense. Readers of Spider-Man comics know this, but anyone who only consumes Spidey content outside the comics will wildly underrate Hammerhead as a villain. And Hammerhead has one of the most tragic childhoods among Spidey villains. I won’t spoil it. It’s brutal. There’s a reason Hammerhead’s skull has been replaced with adamantium. Yikes!

Hammerhead just misses our list because he may soon get a good adaptation. Rumors of Hammerhead joining Spider-Man: Brand New Day abound. I’m writing this early and before the second season of Daredevil: Born Again, and there’s a chance Hammerhead could become the Kingpin rival he was always supposed to be. We’ll have to see.

That wraps up our honorable mentions. Let’s see who made the proper list.

5: Doppelganger

Sure, Doppelganger has low intelligence. He barely says more than one word, but Doppelganger has a ton of potential, inside and outside of comics. Doppelganger hails from the dimension of manifestations. The Magus created all of the doppelgangers–they created a doppelganger for everyone in Marvel Comics (kind of like the Bizarros in DC Comics)–to combat their counterparts. Spider-Man’s doppelganger was the only one who made it to Earth 616 (Marvel’s main timeline). Lost, Doppelganger didn’t know what to do and attacked Spider-Man. It was defeated. But Doppelganger was rescued and adopted, in a way, by Shriek. Doppelganger only hates Spider-Man because the one it calls “Mother” (Shriek) hates Spider-Man. Despite its villain status, Doppelganger has conducted heroic deeds, and that’s interesting.

Within Marvel Comics, few creative teams have explored Doppelganger, but when they do, those stories slap. There have been rumblings of a potential Doppelganger sighting in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, but unlike Hammerhead, I doubt Doppelganger will get a good story. Fingers crossed.

4: Hobgoblin

Hobgoblin fits the bill of an underrated Spider-Man villain, but he also poses a good question. Can someone be overused and underused at the same time? When Hobgoblin makes it into a Spider-Man story, he dominates for a few years, and then he disappears for almost a decade. And the pattern repeats. Most creative teams who include Hobgoblin in a story are passionate about the character. That’s why Hobgoblin dominates the storylines. This shields Hobgoblin from a lot of “bad” storylines. In fact, Hobgoblin is one of the few Spider-Man villains on this list, and in the honorable mentions, without an awful story.

One does need to establish a Green Goblin before introducing Hobgoblin. Typically, Hobgoblin “borrows” Green Goblin’s gadgets and rebrands them. The Nineties Spider-Man animated series is the only exception I can think of when Hobgoblin appears before Green Goblin. It helps that Mark Hamill voiced Hobgoblin.

Honestly, I like Hobgoblin’s aesthetic more than Green Goblin’s, and I love the purple and green combination. Heck, those are Geekly’s colors. It must be Hobgoblin’s outfit, his more demonic and unhinged look, and that’s ironic. Green Goblin always has some form of mental illness, but usually, Hobgoblin has full control of his mental faculties. That can give Hobgoblin a more sinister vibe. He knows exactly what he’s doing.

3: Chameleon

Chameleon is Spider-Man’s first villain. In his first tale, Chameleon dresses up as Spider-Man to frame him for stealing government plans. This happens a lot for Chameleon. He frames Spidey for crimes he didn’t commit, but Chameleon is more of an espionage character. He has an awesome backstory. Without Chameleon, we may not get as fleshed out a Kraven the Hunter. The two are half-brothers. But Spider-Man creators miscast Chameleon. So, Chameleon may be more of a misused villain than an underused villain, but he is also underused.

Despite being Spider-Man’s oldest villain, Chameleon rarely shows up in other media, and when he does, it’s usually a cameo. I’m hopeful for Chameleon’s role in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man’s second season. This version of Chameleon has potential. It also helps that Peter Parker’s father (Spoiler: Peter’s dad is alive in this cartoon series) worked as a spy. That could play into Chameleon’s background. We need Spidey to flex his detective muscle. Mysterio triggers Peter’s tingle, forcing him to rely on his Spider Sense. A full-thrust Spider Sense for Mysterio makes sense because Mysterio envelops the area around him with illusions. I could see a low-level twinge with the Chameleon, like Peter knows something’s amiss, but he can’t put his finger on it. Chameleon’s abilities only affect himself. We need better Chameleon stories.

2: Vermin

Before making this list, I knew who would reach the top. One can rearrange or replace any of the previous Spider-Man villains on this list, but the top two are chiseled in stone. You could swap one and two with each other, but we’ll get to number one in a minute. First, we’re talking about Vermin.

Vermin may take the mantle of the most underrated and underused Spider-Man villain. Most Spidey fans (who read the comic book) would say Kraven’s Last Hunt and The Child Within are two of the top three or four stories in Spider-Man history. Vermin features in both stories. Despite those two tales occurring decades ago, Vermin shows up in few other stories. See what I mean about underused? Some Spidey fans may forget Vermin was in Kraven’s Last Hunt. Talk about underrated. Sure, Vermin was Kraven’s pawn, but there’s a killer moment when Spider-Man loses his temper with Vermin. Love this story. We covered it more in a previous post.

And then we get to The Child Within. Ah! So good. A nine or ten-year-old child wanders into the sewers and asks Vermin to accompany him home. Vermin (a rat person) takes the kid to a mansion, but the kid refuses to go inside. By this point, we realize the kid is Vermin’s inner child. The mansion belongs to his parents. At first, Vermin’s parents don’t recognize him. We get Vermin’s tragic backstory, and I’m not going to spoil it here. You should read The Child Within.

Not only does Vermin have few–if any–“bad stories,” he’s featured in two of Spider-Man’s greatest stories. Who could possibly claim the top spot over Vermin?

1: Jackal

If you were to rank Spider-Man’s most important villains (the ones necessary to tell Spider-Man’s story), the list would look like the following:

1) Green Goblin
2) Doctor Octopus
3) Jackal

Spider-Man fans who read the comics know who Jackal is and would agree with this list–for the most part. Spidey fans who don’t read the comics are scratching their heads, wondering who the hell is Jackal? That’s why Jackal is number one on this list. He is one of Spidey’s most important villains, and not enough people know him. Jackal introduced The Punisher, hiring him to take down Spider-Man (during The Punisher’s first appearance), and he’s behind most, if not all, clone storylines. And Spidey has a ton of clone stories. The Clone Saga is the longest storyline in Spider-Man comic book history.

The original Jackal, Miles Warren, was one of Peter Parker’s college professors. Warren, in his mid to late fifties, crushed on Gwen Stacy. Ew. She’s more than half your age, creeper. After Gwen died, Warren blamed Spider-Man for her death. Spidey did web Gwen’s foot, causing her neck to snap. Jackal, pointing out this detail to Spider-Man, poured extra salt into Peter’s guilt. Peter already blamed himself for Gwen’s death. What ensued was a lot of cloning, cloning of Gwen Stacy, Peter Parker, and others. Eventually, Jackal would clone himself in an attempt to achieve immortality.

Jackal’s lack of a good adaptation outside of comics reminds me of Hobgoblin’s issue. Jackal is difficult to explain without a lot of setup, like Hobgoblin needing Green Goblin to exist first. Typically, Jackal needs Gwen Stacy to exist. You may even need her to perish. Often, Miles Warren gets introduced, and we never see his transformation into Jackal. And then there’s Jackal’s age. Since Warren is in his fifties, whenever he gets introduced as a side character in a movie or show, people overlook him. Warren appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man film series and Sony’s Spider-Man adjacent movies. Blink, and you’ll miss him. I hope the MCU takes its time to introduce Jackal in the future. Gwen may soon make her debut in the MCU. Jackal may not be far behind.

That’s our list of five underrated and/or underused Spider-Man Villains. There are plenty more villains who could’ve made this list. Let us know who you would add in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

X-Men ’97 “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 1” Review

Published on by Kyra1 Comment

Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here again with a third post. We’re back for a third installment of X-Men ’97. This post will cover the third episode of X-Men ’97’s second season, “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 1.” If you’d like to see Geekly’s thoughts on X-Men ’97 season two’s previous episodes, you can find them here: “Days of Past Future” and “A Force to Be Reckoned With.” I’ll kick off this post with my thoughts on X-Men ’97 season two, “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 1.”

Kyra’s Take

Oh my! I can see why X-Men ’97 released three episodes during its opening event. Each episode showed what our three sets of intrepid mutants are up to since the end of season one. “Days of Past Future” took us to the future, where Cyclops and Jean Grey reunite with their son, Nathan (Cable). “A Force to Be Reckoned With” brought us back to the present day (the Nineties) and what’s occurred since the X-Men disappeared. But the third episode (“Rise of Apocalypse: Part 1”) delivers on season one’s cliffhanger. And it also ends with yet another cliffhanger, but we’ll get to that in a minute. When I saw X-Men ’97’s release schedule, I originally thought Marvel wanted to drop as many episodes before Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s release date. Spider-Man’s next cinematic installment could’ve played a factor, but X-Men ’97 made the right decision to release the first three episodes of season two. Anything less would’ve felt incomplete.

I’m sure some viewers waited for X-Men ’97 to show the goods, revealing Apocalypse’s origin, and X-Men ’97 sure does deliver. “Rise of Apocalypse” gets its story from the comic book mini-series of the same name. We’re going to Ancient Egypt. I like how Magneto tries to rewrite mutant history by guiding En Sabah Nur (Apocalypse’s original name) toward a path of peace. This continues the dynamic between Magneto and Charles Xavier from the previous season. The two have a tenuous truce. They may both want the same thing (peace between humans and mutants), but they have very different means to accomplish this goal. Classic.

X-Men ’97’s showrunners know their characters. I had my doubts when the show was first announced several years ago, but X-Men ’97 has exceeded my most optimistic expectations. The new series maintains everything the original X-Men: Animated Series built, while working toward something new and exciting. The show has built up characters like Cable and Jubilee. “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 1” does the same for Apocalypse. He was already one of the X-Men’s most impressive foes. X-Men ’97 season two looks to humanize him. And watching Magneto try and teach Apocalypse a path to non-violence showed how much he’s grown. His actions end the way one might think they would (he fails), but I love how Magneto tries to reach Apocalypse. He notices they aren’t that different.

I don’t want to get into too many spoilers with these posts. Needless to say, the X-Men attempt multiple times to find their way to their timeline and fail. Tensions rise. And we’re left with another cliffhanger. Since “Part 1” is included in the episode’s title, “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 1” sets up the following episode, which we’ll cover later today. I’ve been writing these reviews/reactions as soon as I finish one episode. I haven’t yet watched “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 2,” but X-Men ’97 has my full confidence. I love the direction the Marvel Animated Universe has taken. I’ve been more excited about X-Men ’97 and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man’s second seasons than most of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s offerings this year. I can’t wait to watch the next episode.

Those are my thoughts on X-Men ’97 “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 1.” Let’s see what Season thinks.

Season’s Take

As soon as En Sabah Nur said, “He was not fit to live,” I shouted, “You are not worthy.” I really hope En Sabah Nur says that in “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 2.” He has to finish the quote. It’s a requirement. Side note: Apocalypse looks good with long, wavy hair. He should bring that back.

I appreciated the tender moments between Magnus and Charles in “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 1.” Magnus wanting to try things Charles’ way was endearing. Something tells me it won’t last when they inevitably part ways, but I hope we get to see more of these moments in X-Men ’97. “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 1” was very human.

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here again. Those were our thoughts on X-Men ’97: “Rise of Apocalypse: Part 1.” What are yours? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

XMen 97 Season Two Review 01

X-Men ’97 “Days of Past Future” Review

Published on by Kyra2 Comments

Happy Saturday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here. X-Men ’97 returned with the first few episodes of season two last week. We didn’t cover the animated series when it first launched because we were in the middle of writing our Supergirl review. We’ve had time to watch each of these episodes. I may be joined by Season in this post. Woo hoo! I can’t wait to talk about X-Men ’97 Season Two’s first few episodes. We’ll be releasing separate posts for each of the released episodes (four in total), so let’s begin with “Days of Past Future.”

Kyra’s Take

Geekly hadn’t returned when X-Men ’97’s first season originally aired, so I may take a quick moment to discuss the series as a whole. X-Men ’97 is a joy. I love how they brought back most of the cast and the creative team behind the scenes of the original Nineties X-Men Animated Series. This show mainlines Nineties nostalgia. With the exception of a few modifications, like a new voice actor for Rogue, who took some getting used to, X-Men ’97 captured the original’s charm. X-Men’s animation hadn’t aged the best, and while X-Men ’97 updated the animation style, it kept most of the visuals intact. Fantastic.

I also liked how X-Men ’97’s first season picked up right where the original X-Men Animated Series ended. This makes X-Men ’97 a continuation of the original. This is not a reboot. Sort of. And I liked how the showrunners decided to incorporate characters who were introduced (in the comics) during the original show’s run. Mild spoiler ahead. The first season’s main villain, Bastion, wouldn’t have been in the original X-Men Animated Series run because he was too new a character. Still, he fits into the animated series because the X-Men comic book was wildly popular in the early to mid-Nineties. Say what you will about X-Men #1’s role in the comic book collection market’s collapse, but X-Men had the it factor. Including characters and story arcs from the Nineties run of X-Men is a great choice.

Okay. Now, let’s talk about “Days of Past Future.” X-Men ’97 picks up immediately where the first season concludes. Apocalypse returns. Yay! X-Men ’97 continues to include characters from that Nineties run of X-Men comics. Brilliant! We’re going to go into more minor spoilers for “Days of Past Future.” You’ve been warned. Mother Askani (1993-1994) has a deceptive name. She’s actually Rachel Summers, Jean Grey and Cyclops’s daughter, from a different timeline. In fact, she is able to manipulate the timestream, so X-Men ’97’s reveal that Mother Askani was the one who sent the two X-Men teams into the past and future to stop Apocalypse makes sense with the original comic book. The show takes liberties. This isn’t a one-to-one, but I like Mother Askani’s inclusion.

Mother Askani harkens to a 1994 mini-series (The Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix), where Jean and Cyclops bond with a young Nathan Summers (Cable). Even better, the tail end of X-Men ’97 season one foreshadowed that Jean and Cyclops’s relationship with their son would be explored. X-Men ’97 kept its promise in “Days of Past Future.” I can’t say enough great things about this series. I squeed. I did, and we get another season of episodes after this one airs. Yay!

Most of “Days of Past Future” focuses on the X-Men team sent into the future. I’m reviewing these episodes as I watch them, so there may be a few things I don’t notice in one episode that will become more important in the next. I love the direction X-Men ’97 is taking Cyclops, Jean Grey, and Cable (Nathan). X-Men ’97 has done a lot with fleshing out Cable’s backstory. The original X-Men Animated Series showed Cable as a random guy trying to save his future. Heck, Deadpool 2 portrayed Nathan Summers in a similar light. I liked both depictions of Cable. But X-Men ’97 has given Cable depth.

Supposition time: X-Men ’97 season two will build toward the classic X-Men Event, Age of Apocalypse. Sure, X-Men ’97 season two is borrowing elements from Age of Apocalypse, but I believe the animated series will fully embrace Age of Apocalypse with its following season. The post-apocalyptic world where Mother Askani exists paved the way for Age of Apocalypse. Fans and the writers enjoyed a world in the distant future without the X-Men and controlled by Apocalypse, so they wanted a world with the X-Men and controlled by Apocalypse (Age of Apocalypse). We’re only getting a taste of Age of Apocalypse this season. We’ll have to wait until the tail end of season two or next season to meet Sugar Man.

Those are my thoughts on X-Men ’97 “Days of Past Future.” Let’s see what Season thinks.

Season’s Take

I’m also watching these episodes one at a time before reviewing them, so we’ll see what I pick up on in future episodes. I’m a sucker for familial relationships being explored, and “Days of Past Future” did that more than I thought it would. A lot of characters were featured in “Days of Past Future,” but they each got adequate screen time. Actually, it’s more like each character was given plenty of depth despite the episode only being thirty-three minutes. I’ve never read Age of Apocalypse, so I’m unfamiliar with the plot. I know. I need to up my comic book game.

I’m excited to see where X-Men ’97 takes us next. I’m a huge fan of Rogue, so any chance I get to see her in action is amazing. I’m not the biggest fan of her voice in X-Men ’97, though. Girl, cough. Or, like, clear your throat.

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle again. Those are our thoughts on X-Men ’97: Days of Past Future.” Feel free to share yours in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Geekly News 24May2026 Marvel Comics New Leadership

Geekly News: May 24, 2026; Marvel Comics New Leadership

Published on by KyraLeave a comment

Happy Sunday, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another week of Geek News. We’ve been off for a couple of weeks, and the news stories have piled up. We also have a few new releases (board games and video games), but before we dive into them, let’s talk about our first news topic: Marvel Comics. That’s right. Marvel Comics makes our headline today with the announcement of their first new department head in almost thirty years. Let’s meet the new head of Marvel Comics.

Brad Winderbaum, David Abdo, and Dan Buckley (photo from Marvel Entertainment)

Marvel Comics has New Leadership

For the first time in a while, we have some major comic book news. After almost 30 years at Marvel, Dan Buckley, longtime head of Comics & Franchise) plans to depart the company. Buckley will remain at Marvel through mid-2027 to support the leadership transition. And who is Marvel Comics’ new lead? Brad Winderbaum. Yes. Already overseeing Marvel Television and Animation, Brad Winderbaum will add Comics & Franchise to his title. Joining Marvel from Disney, David Abdo will serve as General Manager, Comics & Franchise, and will report to Winderbaum. This change could be seismic.

I’m of two or three minds here. On one hand, Brad Winderbaum has done a fantastic job resurrecting Disney+’s Marvel television shows. Daredevil: Born Again, Wonderman, and The Punisher: The Last Kill occurred under his watch. These were very good to great. Winderbaum also kick-started the fun Marvel Animated Universe with titles like X-Men 97 and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. Winderbaum has a proven track record. Why couldn’t he similarly steward the comics as he did Marvel’s Disney+ shows? On paper, Winderbaum sounds like an excellent candidate for the job.

On the other hand, Winderbaum already has plenty of responsibilities at Marvel. Sure, David Abdo will function as the general manager for Comics & Franchise, but I still wonder if Winderbaum will get stretched too thin. And then there’s the reality that comic books are not television. How much does Winderbaum or Abdo know about the comic book industry? Abdo may have more hands-on responsibilities with the comics, but he’s moving over from Disney and may also have a limited knowledge base of the medium.

And my final question, will this mean that the Marvel comics will only serve the MCU? If so, is that a bad thing? Up to this point, Marvel Comics has done its own thing. If what they write makes it on the big or small screen, great. If not, the comics are the comics and the movies are the movies. No harm, no foul. Will this change mean that Marvel Comics will serve as a testing ground for stories the MCU plans to introduce later? Will Marvel Comics explore stories that differ from the MCU, ensuring more demographics are represented? Who knows? I do know that this is a seismic shift for Marvel Comics. Dan Buckley has been in charge of Marvel Comics since the late 1990s. This marks a new chapter for the House of Spidey.

PlayStation Plus Price Hike…Sort Of

Geekly has covered PlayStation a lot during the first half of this year. Honestly, I’m getting tired of it, but PlayStation has been doing a lot of crazy things in short order. First, they raised the price of the PS5. Second, the price for their upcoming PS6 leaked and could be well over $1000 for the pro version. Earlier this month, PlayStation instituted a one-time DRM check but didn’t clarify anything until after a week had passed and fans freaked. Yeah. Sony PlayStation has had a no-good, very bad five months. And it continues this week. Sony announced a price increase for its subscription service, PlayStation Plus.

Here we go again, again. Beginning now, PlayStation Plus prices for new customers will increase in select regions. Effectively, these price hikes will be about $1 per month, give or take, depending on the region where you live. PlayStation cited “Market Conditions” as the reason for this increase; that excuse is as vague as the no-response about the DRM check earlier this month. But we say it’s sort of a price hike because if your PlayStation Plus account was in good standing and active before this price increase, your price will remain the same. As you can imagine, PlayStation fans have reacted negatively to this news. Many point out that Microsoft cut the price of Xbox Game Pass, while others suggest that a paid subscription shouldn’t be required for online play.

Just a reminder, Grand Theft Auto VI, now a PlayStation-exclusive game, will launch by the end of this year. GTA VI should feature an online mode. Is it a coincidence that the PS5 and the PlayStation Plus subscription received a price hike less than a year before one of the most anticipated, PlayStation-exclusive games in recent memory? I’m not so sure. I also wouldn’t be surprised if the “Market Conditions” change six months or so after GTA VI is released. You know, after PlayStation makes as much money as possible off of GTA VI. That’d be criminal. Downright grand theft.

And speaking of PlayStation-exclusive games, Sony made another announcement that its first-party, predominantly solo player experiences will only be available on PS5. That means Horizon, God of War, The Last of Us, the Marvel video games series (including Spider-Man and the upcoming Wolverine), and potentially Grand Theft Auto VI will only be available on PS5. No PC for you. You know, just in case you needed another reason to spend an extra $100 on a new gaming system.

Let’s Go! To France Launches on KickStarter

You are travelers planning and experiencing your own dream vacations to France.

Explore Paris, soaking up art, history, and delicious food through its many tourist attractions and hidden gems. Using over 100 beautifully illustrated cards, you will discover activities and strategically place them to create your six day itinerary. While puzzling out your optimal activities, you will plan your trip to one of four marvelous regions of France. Will you bask in the sun along the French Riviera or explore the historic castles of the Loire valley?

Play competitively or solo, earning victory points by successfully balancing the two halves of your vacation, making the most out of your interests, and managing your time well. The most points wins, but everyone has the chance to create a memorable vacation.

Thank you, Alderac Entertainment Group, for the description. I’ve been meaning to play Let’s Go! To Japan. I had the first game in this series in my to be played list for years. I even had Let’s Go! To Japan on my Christmas list on two occasions, but for whatever reason, we haven’t gotten around to picking up a copy or playing it at a convention. As soon as a saw Let’s Go! To Japan, my family groaned that this would be another game in the series. I agreed. I also hoped that Let’s Go! To France would be the next game in the series. Yes!

I’ve heard the tableau building in Let’s Go! To France exceeds the original. I hope so. I love a good tableau builder. The theme interests me. I may even use these games to plan my upcoming trips to these countries. You never know. Let’s Go! To France offers several pledge levels, ranging from $50-$160. You’re sure to find a version that scratches your wanderlust. If you’re interested in Let’s Go! To France, check out its KickStarter page.

SHUG Launches on KickStarter

SHUG is set in a mad ol Engoland, where King Charles the Cursed is hellbent on monster-slaying carnage. As a puny peasant, your only chance to spark a revolution is to fulfill a bizarre legend: find the creature Shug, and bring it to the fabled Pub…

A mashup of party game and dungeon-crawler, SHUG is a unique blend of strategy and chaos. Win with clever tactics or by going full fool on ludicrous challenges.

Wander the free roam map. Befriend monsters like Selky with a sea shanty. Slay your friends with Sexy Armour, or killer salsa moves. In SHUG you’ll discover not only a whole world, but also strange sides of yourself.

Thank you, Wandering Games, for the description. Oh, my! I love SHUG’s art. I don’t even care if it’s a standard roll/spin and move game, which I don’t think it is; I would gladly add this game to my collection. It doesn’t take itself too seriously. I’m unsure how a game can be both a party game, a dungeon crawler, and a race, but I want to know how. SHUG does list Take That as one of its game mechanisms. I’m not too crazy about a Take That game that could take an hour and a half, but still, the theme, the art. I’m interested. SHUG’s pledge levels range between $50-$135. If you’re interested in SHUG, check out its KickStarter page.

Hover Launches on KickStarter

Play as hummingbirds thirsty for nectar… and a mate. The first bird to build a nest and perform a successful courting call wins the game.

Will you bully your way to the top? Bluff your way ahead? Or get clever and sneak in a victory?

But watch out! The chatter, competition, and annoying displays from other hummingbirds can easily distract your potential mate from paying attention as you expend precious energy to win their 1,260 bpm heart.

Based on real hummingbird behaviors, Hover is a strategic game featuring high-player interaction, tight action economy, asymmetric abilities, bidding/bluffing, and area control to create a highly immersive and intuitive game.

Be the hummingbird – beautiful and brutal.

Thank you, Ibis Tea, for the description. Hover looks amazing. The picture above is of a prototype, so the quality could be even better than what’s shown. Bird-themed games have dominated the board game market in recent years–here’s looking at you, Wingspan–but the titles that stand out are the ones that mimic bird behavior. Hover does just that with hummingbirds. I like how one reviewer (Tabletop Vibes) described it: Hover is like hummingbird Chess.

I can see that. While there doesn’t appear to be much happening on the board, looks are deceiving. Hover has depth to spare. Pledges range from $40-$90. If you’re interested in Hover, check out its KickStarter page.

Yoshi and the Mysterious Book Releases

I did a double-take when I found Yoshi and the Mysterious Book as one of this week’s new video game releases. I swore this game was supposed to be a Super Mario Galaxy Movie tie-in. That movie was released well over a month ago. Has it been that long? And I thought Nintendo would’ve released a full-fledged Mario title to support the Super Mario Galaxy Movie release. I digress. Yoshi and the Mysterious Book looks to be a return to form for the series. I haven’t played the game yet. I might pick up a Switch 2 before the price hike in September, and you’d best believe Yoshi and the Mysterious Book (along with Pokopia and the new Donkey Kong) will be some of the first games I purchase.

The premise involves Yoshi entering a sentient and mysterious encyclopedia’s (Mr. E’s) pages to search for and interact with various creatures. The gameplay reminds me of Super Mario Odyssey or even A Boy and His Blob. The description of “bitter, soapy, sudsy taste” makes me wonder if Yoshi can eat certain items to gain abilities. At any rate, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book reward exploring ability combos. It has received good to great reviews. And I love the game’s stop-motion animation graphics. Yoshi looks adorable. Squee! Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is available on the Nintendo Switch 2.

Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight Releases

Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is the fourth installment in the Lego Batman franchise. The fourth! This installment looks to incorporate more of the television shows and movies into its narrative. And I’m all for that. Batman trains with Ra’s al Ghul, much like he did in Batman Begins. Several skins mimic Batman movie costumes, like Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman, Danny DeVito’s Penguin, and Heath Ledger’s Joker. We don’t know if the game will follow any more of these movies’ plots or if they’re fun skins. The inclusion of Kite Man has me hoping we’ll see some Harley Quinn: The Animated Series representation. Hell, yeah!

Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight has received very good to great reviews. While the Lego Batman franchise is hit or miss for me, this title looks promising. Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S/X.

Hotel Architect Releases

Step into the shoes of a hotel owner as you design, build, and manage grand hotels around the world. Juggle demanding guests, frantic logistics, and plenty of unexpected surprises in Hotel Architect, the ultimate hotel construction and tycoon management game!

Thank you, Pathos Interactive, for the game description. Hotel Architect has received pretty good Steam reviews. I like the artistic choice to use weeble wooble looking characters. It almost feels like bath time. I had bath time toys that looked much like this game’s animation, and no kidding, I pretended that I was running a restaurant or store on more than one occasion. A hotel is a logical leap. It blends a lot of those aspects and more under one roof. I’ve been tempted to download some mobile games that do a lot of what Hotel Architect sets out to do, so I may give Hotel Architect a shot. Hotel Architect is available on PC.

That’s all the Geek news we have for you this week. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.