RPGaDAY 2017 #30 and #31

From the #RPGaDAY 2017 challenge (information here):

And we've reached the end of these posts...and because I completely spaced that YESTERDAY was the 30th, I will be doing yet another combo-post. Sorry about that (but at least it's over)!


#30 What is an RPG genre-mashup you would most like to see?

This is another fairly easy one to answer: some sort of mash-up of dinosaurs and (modern day) warfare. M16s versus velociraptors. Dudes in a Bradley fighting vehicle being chased by a triceratops herd. That kind of thing.

I love this kind of thing.

This goes back to my longtime interest in "lost patrols" stumbling into some kind of Land of the Lost, prehistoric dimension. Like The War That Time Forgot or my one-time micro-game Out of Time, I just get a thrill off the idea of pitting automatic weapons against gigantic killing machines. I know I'm not the only one who digs on this (Jurassic Park, anyone?) but it seems to be a genre-mash that's gone largely unexplored. Yes, I already have a copy of Hollow Earth Expedition...it's not enough.

And, just in case anyone's interested, I did find my old copy of Cadillacs & Dinosaurs (I was cleaning/organizing my office last week. Fortunately the chewed portion was limited to the back cover and index). Maybe I could adapt the dinosaur stats to Twilight 2000...


#31 What do you anticipate most for gaming in 2018?

This is a tougher question. "Anticipate" means "expect" or "predict," but do they want an answer with regard to my gaming? Or to gaming (the "state of gaming") in general?

I'm not expecting much, truth be told. Regarding my own gaming, I predict more Blood Bowl and Pokemon and the same drought of RPG gaming. With regard to gaming in general? I don't see a 6th edition of D&D yet on the horizon. The indie market seems to be striving right along. FFG will probably roll out a new Star Wars supplement based on Episode 8, hoping to capitalize/cash-in on a tie-in with a popular film. The Old School community will continue as it has.

Yeah, I really don't know. I know that *I* have a LOT on my plate these days, but my hope is I'll be more active in blogging, designing, and publishing than I've been the last couple years. And hopefully (hope-hope!) I will be able to produce some stuff that inspires some folks. Especially around this corner of the blog-o-sphere.

But even if I'm not as active as I hope, I hope other folks will pick up the slack. And while that's for selfish reasons...well, it's my hope.

All right. That's it. Thanks for reading.
: )

RPGaDAY 2017 #25 thru #29

From the #RPGaDAY 2017 challenge (information here):

Wow! I'm nearly a week behind...again! A "quick trip" to Montana (or anywhere, really) can sure set you back when you're trying to do regular blog posts.

Then again, August is a pretty poor month in general to try scheduling regular blog posts...at least if you're a parent of school age children (like Yours Truly). The next few days look to be exceptionally busy as I get unpacked from vacation and ramp up for the coming school year. Plus, I've got coffee and ice cream socials to plan, coach training for soccer, uniforms to patch, and blah, blah, blah. Because go my limited time, I will be combining my delinquent posts into a single missive.

Here we go:

#25 What is the best way to thank your GM?

Beer. A six pack or pitcher is good, but a pint at the local pub is perfectly acceptable. If you're feeling spendy, or can't get together at the bar, a bottle of wine is always a welcome substitution.

If you're too broke to buy and you still want to express your gratitude for a game (whether it be a multi-session campaign or one-off), words of thanks are always appreciated.


#26 Which RPG provides the most useful resources?

Probably Twilight 2000, with its pamphlet reference sheets (included right in the box). The original Marvel Superheroes RPG (and the later Advanced version) had excellent maps, paper figures, and character cards for reference, but fighting over the same few blocks of New York City could get old.


#27 What are your essential tools for good gaming?

Dice. Pencils. Paper. Imagination. Back when I was playing a lot of Vampire: the Masquerade, I made good use of a scientific calculator to run random numbers (since VtM uses D10 dice pools), but these days I do my best not to pull out a calculator (or smart phone) at the table.

A laptop has become essential for ANY gaming recently, as my only gaming has been on-line.


#28 What film or series is the most frequent source of quotes in your group?

I don't have a regular group, but even so, this has always depended on the game being played (as folks tend to reference in-genre films). I mean, at least when I've recognized quotes from players (I would never, for instance, recognize a line from Doctor Who as I've never seen the show).

Personally, I often find myself quoting Star Wars or Blade Runner...usually something like "I have you now," or "Time to die." I try to keep it to a minimum, however.


#29 What has been the best-run RPG Kickstarter you have backed?

I have only ever backed one Kickstarter, ever: Top Secret: New World Order. I talked about this earlier this month. It seems to have been a well run operation; we'll have to wait and see if the goods are delivered by November as promised.
: )

The Defenders (Part 3)

[continued from here; as with that post, this one includes:]

 ***MAJOR SPOILERS***


Just moving right along...

Danny Rand/Iron Fist (Finn Jones): So let's talk about this particular Danny Rand. I'll say it again, I think Finn Jones does an excellent job in the role. Danny Rand isn't a terribly complex character (few superheroes are), but he is a bit of a strange duck as I've written before. Yes, he's the immortal weapon of K'un Lun and he's plenty cocky about his fighting ability. He also prefers not to fight people who he clearly over-matches (like non-powered criminals), often trying to talk them out of it ("You know I was trained in the martial arts for ten years in the mystic dimension of K'un Lun...") which, of course, never works, thus requiring him to lay the beat-down. 

In some ways, he's a stunted man-child, as one might expect from his upbringing. There's a wonderful scene in an early episode when he speaks in Mandarin to the owners of a Chinese restaurant where The Defenders are hiding out, getting them to stay open by offering to float their business for six months (and making the owners throw in dinner as part of the deal). When Luke points out that Danny could be using his money rather than his fists to have real impact on injustice, Danny gives it a try...even after Colleen (rightly) points out to him that he's a warrior, not a businessman. The complexities of living an adult life in a 21st century American city are still things Rand is coming to grips with; for most of us it takes decades to accomplish (I didn't really mature until my late 20s, early 30s), and some of us never make that adjustment (my brother, for instance). Even though Danny can center his focus with meditation and harness his chi, he's only just begun his road to the kind of maturity he needs to survive like a functioning adult in a city like New York.

He's a kid. I imagine that's part of why he's always referred to as "Danny," never Dan or Daniel.

It's the same in the comic books (though, by the time of The Immortal Iron Fist series, he's mostly got his shit together...the character's existed for decades, by now). Mostly. But in the television show we're still watching these characters as they grow into their own, and even though he may feel he's ready to be a hero (or a warrior or whatever), the truth is there're a lot of areas where Danny Rand still has growing to do. And I think Jones is great at portraying that. It's just too bad the writers don't do a better job of showing his goofy, likable side, instead focusing on his frustrations and resentments with the situation of his life. I can understand why some people find the character annoying. 

As for Iron Fist's fighting style, I like the way they've done it. In his comics, especially the more recent Immortal Iron Fist series, he is drawn with an unorthodox style of long sweeping movements, fully extended legs and arms, contorting his body horizontally at times, more like a ballet dancer than a UFC fighter or centerline military HTH. It is distinctly different from other scrappy heroes of the comic universe, and I think Jones is fairly competent in his action. Others look at his wild flailing about and say, "boy, that actor sure sucks at martial arts." To me, it simply appears to be the fight choreographer's attempts to emulate the comics. The proof of course is in the character winning his fights...he must have some preternatural ability to fight like that and get away with it, right?

But that's part of the suspension of disbelief...the same thing that allows us to turn a blind eye on four heroes miraculously NOT catching a bullet when half-a-dozen automatic weapons open up in a cramped restaurant space (despite only one of them being bullet-proof). The same suspension of disbelief that makes us ignore a killer with a sword deciding to execute a kick on an unarmed opponent rather than slashing them dead. This is how Iron Fist fights...yes, even hunching up to deliver a single chi punch when his fist becomes LIKE UNTO A THING OF IRON (thanks, Stan). We've seen fight sequences in cinema, and have an idea of how we think they should look. But Iron Fist's moves aren't based on cinematic fighting alone. Like it or not, there are some comic sensibilities at work here.

[that's not to say that things won't change down the road. Observe the final battle sequence in the first cinematic Avengers film. They have Captain America doing full frontal flips while running along the tops of cars...much as he would in an 80s comic book. Later films have removed these needless, comic book acrobatics from his fight sequences. His fighting style has changed to fit the needs of cinema]

But I'll stop belaboring the point. Me liking a particular quirky show (Twin Peaks, Arrested Development, Firefly, etc.) has never stopped such shows from being cancelled.

Misty Knight (Simone Missick) and Colleen Wing (Jessica Henwick), a.k.a. The Daughters of the Dragon: Also known (in the comics) as Nightwing Restorations detective agency. But I suppose you couldn't do yet another superhero detective agency, seeing as how we already have Jessica Jones. Come to think of it, that may be part of why there's no Heroes for Hire agency either. Ah, well.

I'll talk Colleen first, since hers was the larger part in the series (she was as much one of the "Defenders" as any of the big four). Remember how I praised the Iron Fist series for the way they chose to portray Wing as an interesting, complex person instead of some two-dimensional, cardboard sidekick? Well, The Defenders reduce her to pretty much a two-dimensional sidekick. I'm sure Ms. Henwick was just happy the creators haven't chosen to kill her off like her Game of Thrones character (or like Ben Urich in Daredevil). You know...to give Danny Rand some "extra motivation."

*sigh*

But even so, she must be chomping at the bit for a new run on Iron Fist. There was quite a bit of interesting stuff that was going down with Colleen's character in the first series...her relationship with her students, her relationship with Danny, her relationship with her own martial art (and the best use of that art). Of course, there was also her relationship with The Hand which (I felt) was only poorly explored in Iron Fist and in The Defenders was simply milked for a couple extra fight scenes. I found the entire Bakuto subplot to be a waste of space (and a waste of Ramon Rodriguez's talents). He just wasn't as villainous, or creepy, or scary-deadly as he needed to be. In the end, he was only there to cut Misty's arm off and even that was unnecessary...she could have lost it to the bomb explosion, similar to her comic book canon.

Yes, she finally lost it. Even as they teased us at the end of the Luke Cage series (before confirming that, yes, she would keep her arm), it was clear to me that they were going to take it from her the moment she walked into the Midland Circle building in the final episode. I saw it coming a mile away...I know they're trying to develop these characters along lines similar to their comic counterparts and being a one-armed, ex-cop is part of Misty's whole identity. The faster she gets a bionic replacement from Stark Enterprises (or the Rand Corporation or whoever), the better as far as I'm concerned. Her introduction to Colleen Wing already took waaaay too long.

But though Misty made strides from being a hard-nosed cop to hard-boiled cyborg, she still was left on the sidelines for most of The Defenders, much to my chagrin. Like Colleen, her character and subplots were downplayed (though Simone Missick is such a strong actor, she demands attention even in the few scenes she appeared). But, boy, was she watered down...especially with her being all hunky-dory about Luke's new girlfriend. I realize that the comic book history destines these two for other people (Luke for Jessica and Misty for Danny...well, for about 40 years before she moves on to Sam Wilson) so it's not a huge deal, but she was really crushing on Cage in his series, and I fully expected at least some...I don't know, antipathy? Rivalry? with Claire Temple (Rosario Dawson). 

[perhaps she's too busy to pine over "the Hero of Harlem;" perhaps she gives zero fucks because she is too busy fighting real crime as an officer of the law. That would certainly fit with the character and Missick's portrayal]

And as for The Night Nurse/Claire Temple: we did see Rosario do a lot more medic duty and a lot less ass-kicking in The Defenders...a good thing in my opinion (that whole hippocratic oath thing). But she's still a good fit and nice lynchpin for all these various Defenders of New York, and she was in on plenty of action, as well as providing Luke Cage with a serious, solid love interest.

Now let's be clear here. The Jessica Jones comic book character (to whom comic book Luke is happily married) has only been around since 2001. Luke Cage's character has existed since the 1970s. And for much of those early years, his main girlfriend/romance was with Dr. Claire Temple. She only broke up with him because she got tired of Luke putting himself in danger all the time, even while she knew (and encouraged him) to be a help to people using his abilities. The end of their relationship actually reminds me a bit of Rosario's walking out on Daredevil in his first season; apparently, she has less worries (so far) about a man who's bulletproof (even though she's now had to treat him...what? Three times?...when Luke was comatose and/or seriously injured). 

I only write this for folks who might not know the old Cage stories and who are wondering why he's with Claire when he obviously continues to have feelings for Jessica (and vice versa). This is actually the writers sticking to the character canon. And if they continue to do so, Claire may one day leave Luke and leave the door open for Jessica. So there. 

[still have absolutely no idea how the Danny of the television series will ever end up with Misty]

Anyway, in case you can't tell, I have a soft spot for these particular ladies. I would really, really like to see a Daughters of the Dragon series featuring Colleen and Misty (and Claire) at some point in the future...a little vacation from the men-folk of the Marvel Netflix Universe. However, no such series appears to be scheduled at this point...more's the pity.

Alexandra (Sigourney Weaver): I'm not going to talk about the various Hand villains any more than I already have, and these posts are already super-long and I've got other stuff to do, but I do want to finish up with "the Big Bad" of the series. I love Sigourney Weaver. I've been a fan since the Alien films and Ghostbusters and I've seen quite a few of her films over the years. I could gush over her for a paragraph or so, but most folks are familiar with her work...she's been nominated four times for Academy Awards, and she'll probably pick-up a lifetime achievement Oscar someday.

This was not a good role for Ms. Weaver. It has nothing to do with her acting chops or her ability to appear subtly menacing and powerful while still trembling with desperation at her character's impending demise...she does as much as she can with the role. It's just that the writers don't give very much for her character to do in the series. Mostly she stands around (or sits) talking. Usually quietly. Sometimes just staring, pondering her immanent doom. 

As the head of centuries-old shadow organization called The Hand...which had all sorts of crazy in previous shows that set our superheroes trembling (remember draining people of their fluids and turning them into zombie abominations?)...you'd think she'd have something more interesting to do than snipe and politic with her (suddenly all-too-frail) fellow "masterminds." 

"Alexandra" is weak...the character is weak. The bad guys are all weaksauce. She's put all her chips into Elektra (based on some "prophecy" that we never really hear anything about), clearly a loose cannon with a history of being on the other side and betraying EVERY side for her love of Daredevil. That's just suicidally stupid...and it doesn't make any sense. I'd think some Machiavellian immortal would hedge her bets at least a little...maybe have a Plan B and Plan C? Seems like that would have made more sense. Certainly more sense than turning your back on a malfunctioning weapon and going out like a chump.

I don't know, I guess I've played to much Vampire over the years with Antediluvian machinations manipulating world politics, and exerting influence over the world of darkness.

It's pretty lame. Despite having the biggest name star yet in any of these Netflix series (certainly the biggest star in a Marvel flick since Robert Redford showed up in Captain America), this has got to be the most pathetic excuse for an antagonist yet. And that's saying something when you consider the ones in the Iron Fist series. 

Look...I'm not going to write a whole bunch more on Elektra than what I wrote in my last post, but it seems to me that the showrunner(s) of The Defenders have done a major disservice to these Netflix shows. There's a LOT that could have been done with Elektra...especially given her history as an assassin for the Kingpin and her conflicts with the Hand. Clearly, the creators of the Daredevil series didn't want to retread the same ground as the Affleck film, killing the character off in a rooftop ninja fight (*sigh*). But bringing her back for this? Just to fight a few useless battles, kill Stick, and go all Godfather on the shadow mob? And then die again? What a frigging waste.

But that all goes back to the writing...again. The Defenders had some fun, and it was (mostly) fun to watch, especially as I like the characters (and the actors that portray them) so well. But a lot of the story was pretty crappy, I'm sorry to say. I look forward to better things in new seasons of Jessica Jones 2, Luke Cage 2, and (hopefully) Iron Fist 2.

All right, that's it. I'm out of words.

RPGaDAY 2017 #24

From the #RPGaDAY2017 challenge (info here):

Share a PWYW publisher who should be charging more.

All of them.

Unless you're releasing some sort of "beta test" or art-free sample or promotional product (i.e. things that are usually given away for free), folks should be charging money for their work.

If you've taken the time to create and publish a finished project, you'd best be putting a price tag on it. Doesn't matter what price you decide on...if it looks really sucky, charge a dollar...but put some sort of value on it. Because if you don't value your own work, why should anyone else find value in it? And if you're not sure it's worth anything (because it's incomplete or has gaming flaws/holes), then you should probably polish it up to a point where you find it has value BEFORE you decide to publish it.

I am assuming this question refers to the many self-published independents out there putting electronic PDFs on DriveThruRPG, and similar sites. Those are the folks I'M talking about. I've picked up a couple or five of these "PWYW" products over the years and can you guess how much money I put in that little box?

Zero. Zilch. Nada. Every time.

If you won't value your work, why should I? Truthfully, I usually pass on anything marked PWYW, but sometimes I've heard something, or read some review, that piques my interest, and I'll download it (despite the quickly diminishing storage capacity on my laptop). And I never pay a thin dime. And I usually delete it from my hard drive, following a quick perusal. No skin off my nose, after all...I paid nothing, I lost nothing, and I have nothing invested in holding onto your work.

That's pretty f'ing terrible. If I pay for something, at least I'm likely to use it, to play it, at least once...if only to get my money's worth out of the thing. And don't you want your games to be played? Isn't that why you're writing them? Or is it really just sheer vanity as you live off you trust fund, futzing around on your desktop publishing program?

Because if THAT's the case, why don't you get off your ass and do something useful...like publish a newsletter organizing a grassroots movement to combat the bigotry and intolerance that exists in every American community, even now, in the 21st century.

Assuming you're NOT just writing "for shits & giggles," assuming you design games and game products because of a deep personal need to do so, and that you're publishing independently because you can't afford to not keep your "day job" due to having a mortgage or family or pet that needs supporting...then you should put a frigging value on your work. How long did it take you to write? A couple months? A couple years? How many hours of your precious, valuable time (remember, your days on this planet are numbered, you WILL die eventually, and every moment you're alive is a blessing)...how many hours did you put into your project? How much is your life, your creativity, worth on an hourly rate?

At least minimum wage for your locale, I'd hope.

Of course, I'm as guilty of undervaluing myself as anyone. My Five Ancient Kingdoms has only netted my about $1700 in net profit (since 2013)...it is, by far, my poorest selling product. In Washington State, at the time I wrote it, minimum wage was $9.19 per hour, but my own employer paid me substantially more than that. Did I work less than 184 hours on the thing? Probably...probably more like 100-120 hours. But there was more to it than just writing: researching (Middle East myth, folklore, history, and culture), play-testing, layout, finding (public domain) art, driving places (printers, shops), packaging the thing (a couple hours figuring out the shrink-wrap machine), marketing it (minimally...mainly blog posts), dealing with the post office...all those things take time. Plus all the stress, arguments, and headaches such a project can cause with the non-gamer spouse. All that adds up....and the $1700 profit I've made over costs (and that's a high estimate) has been recouped over four and a half years. Most businesses, I believe, would want to get paid within two years of an investment...but, for me, this is still more of a hobby than a business. As a hobby, I don't mind the trickle of sales that come over time.

But only about 45% of my money has come from PDF sales...if I'd made those e-books "PWYW" how far away from $1700 would I be? That $750 in e-sales is the price of a new, small print run for my B/X Companion. I lose that money and all of a sudden it's taking me a lot longer to bring my next "hobby project" to light.

So my answer to the question of the day is, "all of them;" if it's a sample or promo project, then offer it for free. If you need funding for your project, start a kickstarter. If the project is already complete: charge money. Something, anything. If no one buys it (because your price is too high) than reduce the price...but give your work some value.

It has value to you, doesn't it?

RPGaDAY 2017 #23

From the #RPGaDAY2017 challenge (info here):

Which RPG has the most jaw-dropping layout?

Layout, huh? I can only interpret this question as meaning "jaw-droppingly bad," as there are only two kinds of layout: functional and dysfunctional. There's no such thing as mind-blowingly great layout. It's either adequate for conveying the game, or it's poor at doing so.

There are actually a few I can think of that had some poor layout. I didn't think much of HOL (Human Occupied Landfill), though I "get" that the RPG was supposed to be some kind of "joke." The Malkavian Clanbook for Vampire: The Masquerade was designed with a similar "joke" in mind (and was similarly un-funny)...but as it is only a splatbook, I don't think I can count it as bonafide RPG.

I don't own World of Synnibar anymore, but while I seem to recall it being a trainwreck in the layout department, I can't verify that's actually the case without looking at it (Synnibar had a LOT of design flaws already, so I don't want to "pile on" based on a memory from two decades back). Palladium games (Rifts, Heroes Unlimited, TMNT, Beyond the Supernatural, etc.) aren't any great shakes in the layout department; however, they are consistent in the way their books are laid out, so once you've figured out one, you've pretty much got them all. First edition Chivalry & Sorcery has fairly adequate layout, but the font for the text is sooooo small (they really wanted to save on page count, I guess), it's really challenging to read.

No, I think the game who's layout was the worst in my mind (that stand out, anyway) is the original Villains & Vigilantes RPG. I didn't actually acquire the game until a few years ago (long after V&V had gone out of print and then revived), so I was probably biased by 21st century sensibilities; still, I can remember opening the cover and being disappoint and slightly distressed at the haphazard layout of the game, the lack of (to my mind) adequate information, and the overall poor presentation of the rules (despite fine artwork).

Sorry to single you out, Jeff Dee.

The Defenders (Part 2)

I was listening to the Alexis Smolensk podcast on the Point of Insanity Network and, as usual, he had a lot of good things to say, not the least of which was a bit of insight into how journalists (and other writers) write stories: the subject has a carrot (they chase) and a tiger (that chases) that helps steer the course of the story based on the various complexities inherent in these elements how they interact with the subject.

This may be "no duh" stuff to folks who've actually studied writing or journalism but, of course, I'm not one of those. I studied acting at university, with a minor in partying. Is it any wonder than my blogging is mainly hack-work and stream of conscious babbling (and often booze-fueled)? Probably not. 

*ahem* AS SUCH, my "reviews" aren't much like how a real journalist would write. At least, if there is a carrot or tiger involved, they're not something I'm putting there consciously. Instead, I'm simply sharing my thoughts and opinions and (sometimes) critique. Often aimlessly, perhaps not in an entirely fair-minded manner...but then, this is a blog, not a newspaper. Maybe I'm the tiger in these reviews.

Anyhoo, if you gathered enough willpower to stomach through the entirety of my prior post on The Defenders television series (from Netflix). You'll have seen that I praised the actors and their portrayal-interpretation of these various characters despite some issues I had with the writing of the series. This post is going to be less of a "review" and more commentary on the individual characters and the actors that embody them. It will probably be long, and will certainly have *SPOILERS*.

Wait, one more time: there will be **MAJOR SPOILERS** here. Got it?

You've been warned.

Matt Murdoch/Daredevil (Charlie Cox): when writing the series, the show creators needed to find a way to bring the various "Defenders" together, and their choice for this was to use Daredevil's longtime foes, The Hand, and his dead-resurrected love interest, Elektra Natchios (Elodie Yung). This is not the road I would have taken...but then, I don't work for these people and they're not asking me to consult in their writing room. If they were, I would have said, "ah, crap." This is a crap idea. Elektra is very specific to Daredevil...is this a Daredevil story? It should be in a Daredevil series. Can't we take a break from the ninjas? But, of course, they already made The Hand the enemy of K'un-Lun (in the Iron Fist series) so, like, fuck it, we've got to work with it now.

Cox is an excellent casting choice (all apologies to Ben Affleck...you're a great Bruce Wayne/Batman!) for Daredevil. His "polished-up" NY accent is so subtle, his physicality so excellent, his "blindness" pretty believable (gets better with every series). Yung is, pardon me, exquisitely beautiful and delightfully wicked...in Daredevil she gave such a "playful" interpretation of the rather stoic assassin found in the comic books. Here, she does a fantastic job as a zombie coming back to her old personality with "something wrong" in the noggin. I'm not saying I don't like Yung/Elektra...damn it, Cox and Yung are so adorable in their roles that I really wish they could run off together and live happily ever after. Of course, they can't (that's one of the tragedies of Daredevil, made even more so by Yung's inherent charisma and likability)...but it's a damn Daredevil story. It pulls the character away from the rest of the group causing a bunch of extra friction that isn't needed (they already have plenty of that without adding Elektra). It sets DD apart from the team, and this particular series was supposed to be about a group of diverse (if not outright dysfunctional) individuals coming together. 

And, oh boy is Murdoch dysfunctional. I already mentioned the poor writing that lacks consistency. In the two Daredevil series, Matt seemed to have come to a point of acceptance with his double life and role as vigilante hero, even coming clean to both Karen and Foggy. Here we have a 180 reversal, he's "quit" the vigilante thing, but he wants to get back into it like some recovering addict jonesing for a fix. Another pointless distraction from what could have been a tighter storyline; there's far more drama than THAT angst in DD's life. How about the fall out of his busted partnership? The fall out with Karen? His floundering "law practice" (he's working out of his apartment). Daredevil is all about how shit continues to pile up on a guy who insists on living a double-life and the way he deals with it. In The Defenders, all he's doing is NOT dealing with it and all the shit is just bullshit in his own mind. And it doesn't help that there's the resurrected love of his life butchering people with a sword (of course)...but that shouldn't be his SUBPLOT for the series. It's too big. It washes out everything else...even his role in the group dynamic of team. Almost makes you glad he dies in the end.

Of course, he doesn't. Crap. Now what? I don't know where the Daredevil writers have to go with this, when everyone's basically buried Murdoch (including and especially Karen and Foggy).

Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter): Man, I did not know how much I missed Jessica Jones until I saw her in The Defenders. I don't think she was in either Luke Cage or Iron Fist (if she was, it must have been a "blink and miss her" moment). Ritter's portrayal of Jones is quickly becoming iconic...in her Alias comic books, she is nothing like the train wreck of a person she is on the show. She is a serious antihero: yes, she accomplishes good things for good reasons, but there's not much role-model to look up to here. If she didn't have super powers where would she be? I mean, I've known some serious alcoholics in my time (not just family members), including ones with PTSD, and they had a real hard time finding a place to live or work, let alone holding down their own business. 

Of course, it's already been established Jones is financially assisted by her adoptive sister, Trish Walker (Rachael Taylor), who appears here again, for the first time since Jessica Jones. Her role is minor, though important, and again it makes me want another season of Jessica Jones. I have a feeling she will not be morphing into her comic book alter-ego Hell Cat (how could she compete with the Daredevils of this world), but she's helps provide the Yang to Jones's darkness. Come to think of it, so does Malcolm (Eka Darville) who is so goofy and almost exhibits the same hero worship of Jessica that his comic book character does (even more funny, given that Mr. Darville's an adult...but since Jones saved him from Kilgrave's influence, I suppose he's entitled to be forever in her debt). 

Anyway, Ritter is redefining a character who outside of her original series (and until recently) made most of her comic book appearance's as the wife of Luke Cage. In the comics, she's opted out of the hero biz because her powers are dwarfed by those of The Avengers, Spider-Man, etc. Here, at the street level, she holds her own just fine. The fight scenes that mix in her brawling with Daredevil's parkour with Rand's mixed-martial arts are pretty cool. It makes me almost wonder if they had multiple fight choreographer's working together on the action sequences. 

However, her whole relationship with Luke Cage? That's going nowhere fast. I already commented how, in her series, things ended on a particularly sour note between the two. Going back and re-watching the last episode I see that's not exactly true. Yes, the last time they spoke face-to-face (without Kilgrave's influence) Luke was ready to do some violence. But once he comes out of his coma (after having experienced Kilgrave) his attitude seems a little softer. But his interactions with Jessica in The Defenders seem almost forced...especially given the relationship between him and Claire (Rosario Dawson). In the comics, they are the loves of each others' lives (more or less)...here they seem fairly star-crossed considering the relationship Claire has built up with Luke through two-and-a-half series. The whole wife-mother thing seems pretty much off-the-table for Jessica at this point...just adding a whole extra layer of misery to her character.

But I love her. She is so dependable in her undependability. She is a rock.

Luke Cage (Mike Colter): Which brings me to Power Man. Colter is so good in this role. I mean, the casting is fantastic anyway, all of them. But having watched Colter in Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and now The Defenders, he's becoming the only "Luke Cage" in my mind. And like Ritter, his interpretation of the character is so different...he's no mercenary, "hero for hire," simply concerned with "getting paid." He's a REAL (street level) hero: concerned with the community, the neighborhood, being a model citizen, doing the right thing. When The Defenders have an argument over blowing up The Hand's headquarters, dramatically it feels like a real waste of time...in the end, they're going to do it (and, yes, they all agree to it and Luke doesn't walk off the site). It's a stupid argument that doesn't actually move the plot forward. But it illustrates something about Luke's character for him to disagree...it's a character development moment for Cage to make a stand about hurting innocent people, even though the others are more than willing to do the "expedient thing."

[it's just that it's not done very artfully. Again, just poor writing, really. Daredevil, Mr. I-Don't-Kill-Ever-Ever, seems to have no qualms about dropping a building on people in the scene. *sigh*]

I love how they film Colter's action scenes. I love that he moves methodically through a hail of bullets, gauging his strength when he smashes someone (probably so as not to kill them). I love how he's become adept at shielding others...he's a real "tank" in every sense of the term. The action sequences, for me, are the most fun when he's involved.

But what I really wanted to see was Luke's interaction with Danny Rand. Power Man and Iron Fist were a power couple in the Marvel universe for nearly a decade (1978-1986) and so firmly established as team that they often crop up in each other's solo titles. In fact, in the comic books, Luke Cage's daughter (with Jessica Jones) is named Danielle in honor of Cage's best friend, Danny Rand. What I wanted to know was how these two would interact, how they would work together, how they would resolve their different backgrounds to become partners and (hopefully) friends.

And, it was okay. There are some good scenes between the two: Cage telling Rand he's a privileged asshole who should be using his money to help people instead of his fists (great), Cage trying to be nice with Danny (who was tied up at the time), humoring him by asking about his "fight with the dragon" (which Luke clearly has difficulty believing). And, of course, the mandatory First Meeting Fight where Danny just about knocks Luke out (in the comics, they fought the first time they met as well). Yeah, some good stuff...but lukewarm and tentative. Too hesitant, too reserved at times.

But that's part of the reinterpretation. I've been re-reading old Power Man & Iron Fist comics (I have a collection of some 20 or so from the early 80s, bound in a trade paperback). The pair worked well together because they had a certain balance: Cage was bold and brash, but shrewd while Danny was reserved and calm, but naive. When Luke is pounding the bejesus out of someone, Danny will remind him to keep his cool. When Danny bites off more than he can chew, Luke is there to pull his fat out of the fire. They have a lot of mutual respect for each other, they're "comrades in arms," but they don't always understand one another (Cage always gets a bit hinky about Danny's monkish habits and zen weirdness). 

Here's the thing, though: Colter's Luke Cage isn't the big ball of raging stereotype found in the old Marvel comics. He's as cool as a cucumber...and so what does that lead Finn Jones to play off of as Danny Rand? They can make him the angry guy who's likely to go off half-cocked (and sometimes, the show does just this), but A) that makes him an unlikable jerk-wad, and B) seems at odds with the rest of his character. The fun parts.

[man, this is getting long...going to have to break it into a new post; sorry!]

The Defenders (Part 1)

The last 24 hours have been pretty shitty by my standards. Yes, I managed to get my huge yard project done, but then I had to deal with my brother's jackassery. Having an alcoholic friend or family member can be rough for anyone, but when "alcoholic" meets "asshole-ness" (as it so often does), it can be a real shit-show to deal with.

So it was that I had to show my brother the door this morning at around 10am. I've been decompressing ever since.

[I say this not to elicit sighs or sympathy or well-wishes, by the way. I'm just trying to explain the space where my head is, at the moment, and a little bit of the why]

The best Marvel casting since Iron Man.

ANYway, one thing about being awakened in the middle of the night and being unable to find sleep due to mental stress (or whatever), I finally had the chance to finish watching the last couple episodes of The Defenders series on Netflix. I wanted to finish it, before writing about it. What I want to write, what I hope to write may take me a little while to get off my chest...I've got more than a few things to say, even (possibly) tying it back to earlier series in this Marvel NY Universe. However, I'll give you the short version for those who hate reading through those "wall of text" posts I've been known to write:

The best thing about The Defenders is the cast. The worst thing about The Defenders is the writing. If you are a fan of these characters' comics, it is fun to watch. If you are a fan of the previous Netflix Marvel series, it is fun to watch. Judged by the cast, it might be (might) the best of the Netflix Marvel series so far. Judged by the writing, it is certainly one of the worst...if not THE worst.

That's the TL;DR, spoiler free version. I'd recommend the series; it's only eight episodes. However, I understand a lot of people have a lot more important stuff to do with eight hours of their time. Like running a marathon D&D session. Like watching 2 to 3 MLB games of their local team (assuming that, unlike Seattle, you've got an MLB team with a snowball's chance in hell of making the post-season). Like getting a good night's sleep (or two night's sleep if you are the parent of a new baby or infant child). Or like streaming the entire season of Game of Thrones, back-to-back, once the season finale airs this Sunday.

But if you do want to make the time for the show, I'll be happy. After all, I'm a fan and I'm looking forward to new seasons of ALL these Marvel shows with the hope-hope-hope that they'll so a better job with them...and the more people that watch The Defenders, the more likely said shows will get made.

[okay...thus ends the short version of my commentary; here comes the looooong version. And, yes, there will be **SPOILERS**]

I am a fan of the "Defenders." Not the actual, comic book Defenders mind you...the super group led by Doctor Strange, and often featuring similar "heavy hitters" of the Marvel universe (the Silver Surfer, the Hulk, and Prince Namor were all regular team members). No, I was never a big fan of the comic. But I am a fan of these Defenders, the Netflix television heroes based on a certain group of street level superheroes.

And when I say I'm a fan of these Defenders, I am talking specifically about the characters...not the series (The Defenders television series). I'm only watching The Defenders (TV series) because I'm a fan of the Defenders (characters). The series itself hasn't yet convinced me. In other words, it's not the plot or story arc of the show that's causing me to watch the next episode...it's the heroes and the actors who are heroically portraying them.

And I really do mean heroic. As far as I'm concerned, there's some really careless writing going on in this show, and the actors are selling it as hard as they can. I'm not talking about poor dialogue, I'm talking about poor characterization. Like Misty Knight carrying a torch for Luke Cage since his season ending, and when the first place she finds him (after he gets out of prison) is in the arms of Claire Temple and she's just like, hey, it's all good, nonchalant. Like Luke Cage being all buddy-buddy with Jessica Jones when the last time he saw her (in her series) he was basically like, "Bitch, I hate you and I would punch a hole in your head if I didn't have some code of honor." Like Matt Murdoch basically falling apart as a vigilante hero after he had (finally) seemed to come to grips with his secret identity, even revealing it to Karen Paige, accepting his role in his city's superhero fabric.

Jesus H. Just some real fucking continuity issues.

And yet I have such high praise for the actors playing these roles. They are giving their hearts and souls here...almost like they're desperate to hold onto a lucrative gig. And perhaps they are...the title roles aren't being played by big name movie stars. It's like watching the rookies try to make teams during the NFL preseason...these actors are leaving it all out on the field, even when the writers are fucking all their shit up.

Oh, boy...the writing. Fucking ninjas. Again.

At least this season there was no one dressed like an actual, stereotype black-cowled ninja (unlike the first two seasons of Daredevil and...probably, I can't remember...Iron Fist). Maybe one of the producers is reading my blog, as I know I've written this before: in comics, ninjas are cool; not so much (rather, not at all) in live-action television. I think people have been aware of this since the 1984 television series The Master (starring not-really-Asian-looking Lee Van Cleef). Man, I remember watching that show. And I remember thinking, why is this old geezer dressing up like a ninja and kicking ass? He's so old!

So, yeah, fucking ninjas. Again. I don't know why they decided to mine this particular vein of villainy to bring the Defenders together. There were plenty of interesting story arcs to pursue from the other Netflix series. The mysterious shadow corporation responsible (apparently) for both Jessica Jones and Luke Cage's powers. Daredevil's acceptance of his role as NY's Batman and the Kingpin's desire for revenge. Davos and the Meachum's machinations on Danny Rand. Colleen's newfound love of Fight Club. Etc. Yeah, I could rant for a while on this subject, and it's probably best to address it all in individual character notes.

[wait, what, JB?]

Despite all this...the poor writing, poor plotting, poor continuity, and all the fucking ninjas...despite of these many and varied complaints, it is still a real joy and pleasure to watch this cast work their craft (i.e. "acting") and interpret these characters. And it may be even more fun for me, because I'm a big fan of these street-level superheroes.

Daredevil, of course, I've been a fan of from way back. Well, since the 1980s, which is way back for a lot of folks (30+ years!). I was always fascinated with anything vaguely satanic, and a dude in a devil costume fit the bill (I was also a huge fan of Ghost Rider, back in the day).

The stuff with DD and Electra and The Hand (the ninjas) was great...the best of his comics. But the stuff with him and the Kingpin (and Typhoid Mary and all that) was great, too. And it was actually because of Daredevil that I first became interested in the likes of Iron Fist, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, and the Daughters of the Dragon.

See, while I always liked the swashbuckler look of Iron Fist, his character died long before I ever picked up a Power Man & Iron Fist comic. However, a while back (circa 2006) there was a Daredevil/Iron Fist crossover (yes, turns out Danny wasn't really dead. Duh, comics) where they switched costumed identities, in order to prove Murdoch wasn't really Daredevil. It made perfect sense, really...both characters are about the same height and build, both are caucasian, both have a similar "power suite" (superior martial arts ability; one due to enhanced senses, the other due to mystical, other-dimensional training and chi mastery). While Danny acted as Daredevil (and covered up that glowing fist), Murdoch was off in Kun-Lun fighting some other-worldly martial arts tournament for the Iron Fist.

Okay, it wasn't ALWAYS
covered up...

It was a pretty cool idea and one that made me dive headfirst into the Immortal Iron Fist, and his history...which, of course, led me to the Daughters of the Dragon (Misty and Colleen) and Luke Cage, as well as Luke's on-going family life and relationship with Jessica Jones and her whole story (Alias Investigations, the Purple Man, etc.). These days, I know more about these street level superheroes than the X-Men (have the X-Men done anything new these days?).

And why O why is that? What kept me digging into their backstories (and back issues)? Nothing more than the fact that they are a super cool and under-appreciated bunch of heroes with some very good story writing (at times) and some very interesting conflicts that work well on a small scale...none of this saving the world (or universe) shtick, we've got problems right here in the 'hood, y'all. And that's different, and that's interesting, and in some ways it's important.

Life is built on the "small-scale." Individual relationships matter. Family matters. Friends matter. These things shape us...our perceptions, our opinions. And our perceptions and opinions shape our decisions and our actions. No matter what our sphere of influence.

Why does Donald Trump behave as he does? Think about that for a moment. Consider his upbringing. Consider his young adulthood. Consider his life to this point. How have those things gone into making this man the person...the president...he is today? When you think about his origins (and I'm not just talking about his parents or elementary school...I'm talking about everything that led him to this point, including more than a decade as a popular television celebrity), is it very strange that he acts in the disconcerting manner that he does? Sure, it's strange that people voted for him to run the most powerful nation in the world. But when you consider the building blocks of his life's experiences, you can see how he was shaped into the man he is.

Small things impact us and influence us.

And so I am a fan of small-scale superheroes and their stories: Matt, Jessica, Luke, Danny, and their various associates. I should say I was already a fan of them in comic books...but I am becoming more and more of a fan of them in these Netflix shows. And that is despite the writing which -- perhaps because of the need to bring these four together for The Defenders crossover series -- seems to have gotten worse and worse. No, it is entirely due to this magnificent ensemble cast, and the way they embody their characters.

But I'll talk about them individually in a follow-up post (this one is getting huge). My last thought (for now), is that The Defenders is like a limited issue comic run written by people who may not have the best grasp of the characters they're using...people willing to sacrifice nuance for the sake of a cash-grab crossover event that will see fans of different titles all pony up the dough to make sure they're collection of [insert favorite hero] is complete.  It's like that...but it's different. Because those limited issue micro-series in comics are notorious for having lesser art (after all, a character's normal illustrator isn't necessarily working on the crossover title)...whereas here we have the exact same actors breathing life into these characters. That helps me forgive a lot of the bad in The Defenders.

All right. More later.