This entry was originally posted on Saturday on my blog/webcomic site at http://www.cockroachman.com/ . Now that power is back in Massachusetts, I can post it here:

The year was 2009, and relatively unknown British game developer Rocksteady Studios was on the verge of releasing Batman: Arkham Asylum. Batman games were nothing new, as the caped crusader had cranked out as many games as any other prolific comic property. But there was something different about this one. It looked like it could be good. Then it came out, and it wasn’t merely good- it was amazing. Like Rare’s Goldeneye twelve years prior, Arkham Asylum had harnessed some dark alchemy to create a licensed title that was actually a contender for the following winter’s Game of the Year discussions. So when a sequel was announced to be in development just a few months later, everyone wondered- could they capture that magic again, or would it fall back into the realm of just another quick cash in comic book game?

In short, it delivers. Just as the title implies, Arkham City is everything Arkham Asylum was, taken to a grander scale.

Arkham City opens six months after the end of Asylum. A section of Gotham City has been condemned and walled off, and the entire populations of Arkham Asylum and Blackgate Penitentiary have been released within it’s borders. Seeing how this could potentially be a bad thing, Bruce Wayne is campaigning for it’s closure before he’s snatched up by soldiers working for Arkham’s warden, Hugo Strange. Inside, he finds a collection of his most notable enemies engaged in a turf war, with leading factions led by the Joker, Two-Face, and Penguin. All the while, the clock is counting down to Strange’s mysterious “Protocol 10,” and Batman has one more potentially lethal shadow hanging over his head thanks to interference from the clown prince of crime.

Arkham City’s story was written by DC animated universe veteran Paul Dini, so it’s no surprise that it comes off stronger than most game writing. Dini brings with him two of the key voice talents from Batman: The Animated Series- Kevin Conroy as Batman and Mark Hamill as the Joker. For those of us who spent any part of our childhood in the nineties, Kevin Conroy is the definitive Batman. He brings that same iconic performance to his role here. Batman newcomer and video game vocal veteran Nolan North, best known as the voice of Uncharted’s Nathan Drake, shows a range that he rarely gets to display in the role of the Penguin. Rather than aping Burgess Meredith’s 1966 version of Batman’s pudgy foe, North pulls together a “high class, no class” cockney accented persona for Cobblepot that makes it one of the standout performances within this title.

Of course, when the subject of voice acting in the Arkham series is brought up, Hamill’s Joker is the true standout. As anyone who has been watching other actors try their hand, especially in Young Justice, can tell you- many have tried to surpass Hamill, all have failed. Hamill brings to the role a sense of glee and creepiness, and his laughter ins so varied and nuanced that it could be a language unto itself. This title was meant to be his exit from the role, and with the material Dini gave him to work with and the performance he handed in, you couldn’t ask for a stronger sendoff.

One of the shining mechanics of the Arkham series is the “Free Flow” combat system. This system based fights around attack and counter buttons, and tasks the player with managing the fight by bouncing from enemy to enemy to rack up giant combos while avoiding taking damage. Playing as Batman, the player feels powerful, but unlike in other games this power does not come from physical superiority. Rather, you get the sense that Batman is simply much more skilled than his foes. The number of gadgets in Batman’s arsenal that can be quick-fired in combat has more than doubled, adding another layer. Finally, there are thugs with shields, blades, and body armor who require special tactics to take down, making sure the battles are never dull and always retain the signature “Batman” feel that pervades this game.

Another area of improvement was Batman’s detective vision. This was a mode that allowed Batman to scan for clues, spot explode-able walls and doors, and track enemies, even through walls and cover. There was certainly a degree of complaint over the fact that detective mode was too useful, causing players to leave it on and not enjoy the game’s stunning visuals. Some changes have been made to make it more of a tradeoff, including limiting Batman’s compass and health meter to normal vision. Also, with the complexity of the outdoor city areas, being able to see through walls while gliding makes navigating the city a little more cumbersome, meaning you will pop into detective mode to check for clues, and then go right back to viewing the sights of the city.

Batman isn’t all about fisticuffs. Unlike his friend in red and blue, Bruce can’t bounce bullets off of his chest. When armed enemies enter the picture, it’s time for a more nuanced approach. Batman must hide in the gutters and the rafters, picking off enemies one by one. The enemies are intelligent, so if you use the same hiding place or tactic, they will find you and mow you down with heavy gunfire. When you’re doing it right, there’s no greater joy than watching henchmen freak out as they find their friends knocked out, until there is only one left.

Gliding from rooftop to rooftop is one of those rare joys where traversal can be a distraction all its own rather than a chore between good parts. The combination of grappling and gliding has a great flow to it, and it only gets better when you unlock the optional Grapnel Boost upgrade.

One of the other interesting new additions is the introduction of a second playable character. Though you only play as her for a short period of the game (and only if you bought the game new or paid extra for the DLC), Catwoman certainly adds a different feel to the game. Though not as developed as Bruce’s areas, Selina’s areas fill in the story nicely and make fans salivate over the prospect of their own favorite side character getting some playtime in a sequel.

For those who like to explore every inch of a game world, Rocksteady has you covered. A disembodied voice over your radio in Asylum, the Riddler returns in Arkham City with an actual physical presence. Once again, he has hidden trophies and riddles for the more obsessive players to track down, this time with bundles and trophies leading up to missions where Batman must rescue hostages from Nigma’s nefarious deathtraps.

It’s a testament to this game’s quality that the graphics are only being brought up over a thousand words into this review. Rocksteady uses Epic’s Unreal engine, which has become sort of the default middleware for this generation. While they certainly make use of the graphics capabilities of their hardware and software tools, it would all be for nothing if the art wasn’t there. Arkham City is a grungy, dirty place filled with costumed maniacs whose individual lairs capture the personas of their madmen perfectly. Joker has carnival memorabilia, Penguin’s trophy collection, Riddler’s question marks, and more touches that would spoil the game to mention here. The rogue’s gallery’s design is oozing with pure character. Mr. Freeze is as cold on the inside as he is on the outside, the pock marks from Joker’s illness really bring forward how sick he actually is, and Penguin’s coke-bottle monocle tells you everything you need to know about who he is.

Batman: Arkham City is an amazing game that combines top notch storytelling and voice talent with excellent art and mechanics that make you feel like you really are the dark knight detective. If you consider yourself a fan of Batman, or simply of good games, you owe it to yourself to take a trip to Arkham City.

FINAL SCORE:

This post was originally written for my personal blog on my webcomic's site, http://www.cockroachman.com/ . Here are my views on how to make a classic villain live up to his true potential.

Sometimes a super villain isn’t being written to their fullest potential. Case in point, this guy:

En Sabah Nur, the X-Men villain known as Apocalypse, was created to give the original X-Factor a primary villain to face. At this time, Magneto was reformed, making it necessary to have a nastier villain filling his old role, who would not be redeemable. Since then, he has become one of the X-Men’s most overused and underutilized enemies. Prolific though he may be, Apocalypse hasn’t really done much in mainstream continuity to separate himself from the herd. He’s had some shining moments in distant futures, or in the Age of Apocalypse reality, but in the present he comes off more imposing by his power level than by his ideology.

So what is the solution? It’s right there in print. Specifically, in X-Factor #24.

Apocalypse has portrayed himself as a god, demanding blood tribute throughout history. Hope Summers has been referred to as the “Mutant Messiah,” but what if she had a challenger to that title? Apocalypse setting himself up as a deity, worshiped by a portion of the frightened and dwindling mutant population. All he would demand of his followers is that they burn away the chaff (Humans), so that the chosen people (Mutants) could inherit the Earth.

The ripple effects would carry throughout the Marvel universe. Any gathering place for mutants, such as Utopia or the Jean Grey School, could be viewed by a paranoid public as potential terrorist training camps. Innocent mutants would be attacked by those who view them as guilty by association. It would certainly lionize the Purifiers.

And there would suddenly be reason for the government to unleash the Sentinels in a manner that could lead to the Days of Future Past reality.

Marvel isn’t afraid to create topical threats to mutantkind, as evidenced by their recent “Proposition X” storyline. The X-Men have always been about protecting a world that hates and fears them. Isn’t it time to show us what that really means?

Just playing around with Photoshop, and what it might look like if DC combined Power Girl and Supergirl into one character rather than being alternate versions of the same Kryptonian.

This blog entry was originally posted on the blog page of my web comic. View the original posting and the comic at http://www.cockroachman.com/

As Marvel draws their “Schism” to a close and begins their restructuring of the mutant books into “Team Cyclops” and “Team Wolverine” camps, a troubling trend seems to be continuing. Amongst those joining the ranks of Marvel’s Merry Mutants are three unexpected members: Sebastian Shaw, Quentin Quire, and Toad.

Shaw, appearing in Generation Hope, has been the long time leader and Black King of the Hellfire Club’s Inner Circle, a secret organization based on gathering more power and influence for its members- most daringly attempting to control the Phoenix. Toad has been a leader of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, but mostly a lackey. He’s primarily characterized by cowardice and sadism. Quentin Quire, also known as Kid Omega, is a hyper-intelligent psychic with a god complex who has attempted to start race wars and very recently manipulated world leaders for his own amusement.

But it’s not like this happens all the time, right? The X-Men’s rogue’s gallery should be plenty stocked with interesting and iconic villains, right? Right?

Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch

The children of Magneto, the super fast Quicksilver and reality warping Scarlet Witch were founding members of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. However, they were never really that into the group’s mutant supremacy agenda. In the biggest shake-up of the then young Marvel Universe, the Avengers changed from Marvel’s all star team to a book about Captain America trying to craft a group of c-list villains into heroes (a concept that would later be mirrored in Thunderbolts) and the Maximoff twins would find a home there.

Where are they now? Pietro is an instructor at the Avengers Academy and Wanda is currently the focus of “Avengers: The Children’s Crusade”

Over time, more foes would join the ranks of the X-men, including Banshee and Sunfire. However, these characters were tricked or coerced into villainous acts. It would be a while before we’d see a villain who had actually carried out some serious wrongdoing join the team.

Rogue

The adopted daughter of Mystique, Rogue was a Brotherhood member with the power to siphon the powers, memories, and life force of any person she touched. She fought the X-Men and Avengers several times, but the breaking point was when she drained Ms. Marvel, permanently taking her powers and memories, leaving the heroine an amnesiac mortal. Unable to deal with the personality of Carol Danvers fighting for control of her mind, Rogue sought help from Charles Xavier.

Where is she now? Rogue has been a mainstay of the X-Men since the eighties, now having control over her abilities and being the central character of X-men: Legacy.

Mystique

Leader of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, Mystique changes loyalties with the wind. Brotherhood to US Government, X-Factor, Brotherhood, Agent of Xavier, X-men, Marauders, Dark X-men… Wherever she feels she can benefit the most is where she casts her loyalty. She never truly reforms, but rather places herself in the most opportune position she can.

Where is she now? After being killed by Wolverine, Raven’s body was bought by the Hand and she was revived. She is now chained to the bed of a Hand financier, but it’s only a matter of time before she breaks free and starts causing trouble again.

Speaking of Mystique…

The Entire Brotherhood of Evil Mutants

When Mystique decided that the Brotherhood’s crusade wasn’t worth being hunted, she offered the team’s services to the government in exchange for full pardons. Temporarily taking on Spider-Woman and permanently taking on Spiral and a trio of WWII heroes named Crimson Commando, Super Sabre, and Stonewall, the team hunted mutants who were in violation of the Mutant Registration Act, as well as many other dubious government assignments.

Where are they now? Destiny and Stonewall died defending Muir Island from the Shadow King, Super Sabre was decapitated during a botched mission in Iraq, and Crimson Commando was wounded to the point of needing to become a cyborg. These days, Blob is a depowered weight loss guru in Japan, while Avalanche runs a bar in San Francisco. Pyro gave his life to save Senator Kelly, but was later resurrected by Selene. It is unclear if this resurrection stuck. Spiral is a member of the Sisterhood of Mutants.

Magneto

Yes, that Magneto. The X-Men’s oldest and deadliest foe. A Holocaust survivor who saw parallels between the treatment of Jewish people in Nazi-occupied Europe leading up to acts of unprecedented genocide and the treatment of mutants, Magneto sought to protect his people by subjugating their oppressors. After realizing that his extreme views made him no different from the Nazis, he attempted to give coexistence a chance, and joined the X-Men. He even led the New Mutants after Charles was forced to leave with Lilandra to recover from otherwise fatal wounds. His original, human hating feelings would eventually resurface, and he would be a foe of the X-Men again.

Where is he now? Back with the X-Men, as a member of Cyclops’ cabinet on Utopia.

But Magneto was an idealogical rival. It’s not like he was murdering psychopath, right?

Sabretooth

Oh. Crap.

Essentially an evil version of Wolverine, Sabretooth embraces the animal within and relishes killing. There is not a redeemable bone in his body, which makes it troubling that he served three times with X-Teams. His first tour of duty included lobotomy from Wolverine. He was able to serve the X-Men as a sane individual before his head wound finished healing and he attempted to escape, nearly killing Psylocke in the process. Not learning anything, the X-men pressed Sabretooth into service with X-Factor. From there, Sabretooth escaped and continued his villainous ways. Some time later, he was made an X-Man again. Once again, he escaped back to a life of murder.

Where is he now? In Hell. After being killed by Wolverine, he was last seen chained to the devil, as his pet.

Emma Frost

A senior ranking member of the Hellfire Club, the White Queen was instrumental in the plan to corrupt Phoenix. She also led the Hellions, a team of teenage mutants loyal to the Hellfire Club who constantly clashed with the X-Men’s trainees, the New Mutants. She was essentially the evil Professor X. After her students were killed by the time traveling serial killer Trevor Fitzroy, she changed allegiance to the X-Men, and was given leadership of Generation X.

Where is she now? A ranking leader of the X-Men, and girlfriend of Cyclops.

Marrow

A survivor of the Mutant Massacre, Marrow grew up in a time-shifted alternate dimension. She would eventually re-emerge, leading a mutant terrorist group known as Gene Nation. She would eventually join the X-men, before leaving the team. She would later appear working for Weapon X.

Where is she now? A member of X-Cell, a terrorist group of mutants who lost their powers during M-Day but not the changes their mutations made to their physical appearances.

Juggernaut

Perhaps the most controversial is Cain Marko, the Unstoppable Juggernaut. Professor X’s mystically empowered step brother, he spent his life attempting to destroy Xavier. He would eventually join the X-Men as a spy for the Brotherhood, but change his loyalties during his time spent there. He would join Excalibur, before realizing that good behavior caused his powers to fade and he returned to a life of crime. He would then be captured and placed on the Thunderbolts team.

Where is he now? During Fear Itself, Cain gained access to one of the hammers of the Serpent, and is now Kuurth, Breaker of Stone. He is a mystically empowered engine of destruction, drawing his powers from a different source.

and the trend continues onward. There are a great deal of X-men who started out on the road of villainy.

But perhaps its not as bad as it looks. After all, as long as creators keep coming up with interesting new villains, the X-men will always have foes to face and challenges to overcome.

OH COME ON! YOU WERE A VILLAIN FOR WHAT? THREE WEEKS?!?!