Might as well get this thing started.
So, where to start...
I grew up with videogames, and so I like to think I'm a good gamer. I've been gaming for literally (and no, I'm not one of those people who uses literally incorrectly, actually mean literally) as long as I can remember. I see gaming as an art form. It can evoke more emotion than any other medium because it is interactive media wherein you experience a character's emotion through changes in gameplay. My favourite franchises (at the moment) are Halo, Mass Effect, the Arkham series, The Witcher and Mirror's Edge (hey, it counts as one now). They have their flaws, but they either have done good things for gaming (Halo and Mass Effect), are just well-structured and well-written (Halo, Mass Effect and The Witcher) or have lots of potential (Mirror's Edge).
I like to play different games. My most memorable gaming experiences over the last few years have been... strange. Journey was just an amazing game which told a good story through music and visuals without any dialogue. Shadow of the Colossus had an epic concept behind it, with a great combat system and, again, minimal dialogue. Mirror's Edge made you really feel immersed in the world, even with its cheesy story, and the movement system was phenomenal. ICO really forged a bond between the player and Yorda. Bioshock Infinite had scenery porn everywhere and had great world design. Mass Effect told a great story with an immersive universe and the story feels personal... don't get me started on the ending. And that's all I'll get into... FOR NOW...
I'm also a comic book reader (which is what this page should really be about...). I started a few years ago with primarily Marvel works, then got into DC, which I admit I like more. My favourite reads so far (just off the top of my head) have been:
- 52 (can't italicise numbers?). Some great stories told in real-time (or something similar) that introduced me to Booster Gold, who has become one of my favourites, Black Adam and The Question.
- Action Comics. Grant Morrison's initial New 52 run. Great way to update Superman, although it does have problems (the confusing part in the middle of his opening storyline where... I don't even know, something happened).
- Aquaman. Geoff Johns' run introduced me to a character I thought was a joke. It got me to love the character, and is my favourite thing to come out of the New 52 reboot. It has great action while also having a lot of heart and an epic feel. It just feels like a grand adventure, and I've yet to be disappointed.
- Batman. Oh where do I begin? Just off the top of my head:
- Year One
- Scott Snyder's New 52 run
- Gates of Gotham
- The Killing Joke
- The Dark Knight Returns
- Batman and Robin (pre-Flashpoint)
- Battle for the Cowl
- Initial Dickbats works
- Booster Gold. It gave me an appreciation for the character and has great action with a lot of heart to it. It has an awesome premise, and has enough fan service (non-sexual) to appeal to me. Also, it avoids being incredibly cheesy in its time travel (no "When are we?" "I think you mean... when are we?" exchange) while still tackling the relevant time travel plots.
- Earth 2. It's like Justice League, but with a much more epic feel. The art is more vibrant, the world is set-up very well (although it can get boring) and the characters are distinct and interesting. And they all feel really heroic, but in a realistic way. Yet you can still admire them. The series just feels like a grand adventure that you really have to read to get why it's awesome.
- The Flash. The New 52 run, which I bought because... 99 cents on Comixology. The story is consistently good, placing importance on the heartwarming elements rather than being overly serious. It has some rocky parts, but the artwork really pulls you through. The recent development of Patty being supportive of Barry feels nice to me, since I like the idea of a supportive family.
- Hawkeye. Matt Fraction's run has been a big hit with me. Hawkeye is just an every day guy with every day problems... Who just happens to be a badass who could kill you and barely break a sweat. I just love the slice of life feel, the relationship between Clint and Kate (one of my favourite characters from Young Avengers) and Clint's characterisation.
- JSA. I can't remember specifically why I got into this series, but it was great all around. I didn't think much of it going in, due to the characters, but it grew on me and has become a fond memory, albeit a hazy one, since I was gaming very hardcore at the time.
- Nightwing. I'm a big fan of the character, and his time in Blüdhaven was great. The point of the character is to not be associated with Batman constantly, so him being stuck in Gotham in the reboot sucks, although thing's are looking up. And regarding is original series, I like to think that the series took a nose dive once they changed the logo. Before that, the series had great energy and was very enjoyable.
- Power Girl. I will openly admit that I didn't think much of the character before reading. But I heard decent things, and I picked up the Jutin Palmiotti run. It is awesome and hilarious. The lampshading of Power Girl's most powerful power, the cool cartoony, epic feel and a character that feels a lot more human than most, while still having a lot going on in her life that feels important, all of it makes for a fantastic series. Karen and Atlee make for a great duo who I really grew attached to after the first trade. I've yet to read the second creative team's run, but I'll get to it.
- Runaways. When written by Brian K. Vaughan. It was just well-written, and lo and behold, did a good job of portraying teenagers. It got some good plot-threads going and developed the characters nicely. The characters felt relateable, but weren't whiny or boring. Then Joss Whedon royally screwed it up (the first of many writers to do so).
- Saga. A funny, heartwarming story of two lovers and their baby, going through the trials of parenthood, with some great humour thrown in for extra measure. Oh, and it's almost on FLCL levels of weird.
- Scarlet Spider. Okay, I get that being heroic is good. But truth be told, I can appreciate that it doesn't come naturally and can be hard for people. That's why I love Scarlet Spider. The character struggles with being heroic, but feels that he just needs to. No "with great power comes great responsibility" (the message is there, but it isn't repeated constantly or used in the titles all the time), just an unshakeable feeling of needing to help people that the character can't resist. A compulsion, if you will. And what if he made a few bucks on the side?
- Young Avengers. For the same reason as Runaways, except the characters feel a lot more heroic, but also have their fair share of angst. I got into them after seeing them in the Civil War crossover with Runaways, so I was a little late, but I love the team. The new run has been... alright. I guess. The fact that the kids can't go home feels forced in there just to add further drama though, and I'm apparently supposed to know who the hell Miss America is. I didn't even read Journey into Mystery, but I read a summary of the story because the idea of Kid Loki was just really interesting (this was before he appeared in Young Avengers). Miss America? Um, can I have Patriot back? Or Stature? Please?
As bad as it sounds, I've never gotten into Wonder Woman. I can appreciate Superman as part of a cast and there are stories which I need to get around to reading (I've heard nothing but good things about All-Star Superman, which I haven't read yet), as is the case with Wonder Woman, but I just never end up doing it. The Martian Manhunter is another hero I should really care about, but just don't.
I'm a fan of teenage superhero teams, since they have a lot of that "just starting out" energy I really like, aren't as adept at using their skills as older heroes and them having to learn to do so is generally interesting, have their own issues that are more easily affected by superpowers, and in general are a lot more charming due to the idea of growing into heroism. For this reason, I refuse to read Avengers Arena. In general, I prefer DC for the idea of sidekicks graduating and it actually sticking (until the New 52, wherein DC decided "f*ck it all"), which they do a lot better than Marvel, who have a habit of C-listing their teenage heroes (or heroes in general) after their initial series is done. Most easily seen in X-Men.
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