West Point Historic Gaming Weekend

The United States Military Academy at West Point has a fantastic museum that has started to offer historic game days at their location. We participated with this event in the Fall and they asked us to come down again in the Spring. If you are interested in historic games, then you should check out this event and have some fun.  To recap some of the events for the weekend:

Axis and Allies (massive Europe and Pacific double map) 
Conquest of the Empire
Wings of War (Even had Snoopy vs the Red Baron)
Battle Cry

We will be helping out again in the Fall, so you should come down to West Point and play some great historic games!

Sean "Striderlotr" Banks

Nightfall by AEG

So Dave and I just completed our first game of Nightfall by AEG.  The game is real cool with plenty of interaction between the players.  Nightfall is the newest Deck Building game to come out and as this genre of games continues to grow, it is fantastic to see a new game concept!  Here are a few highlights that we saw as we played, and a few questions that maybe we missed as we played. 

First, the cards look spectacular! The art is dark and really gives you the feel of a world full of Vampires, Werewolves, Ghouls, and Hunters. There appear to be more vampires in the starter set, and I hope to see some more of the rest as expansions come out. Oh wait... and I did not see a single sparkle on any of the vampires!

Second, the game flows in a very straight forward manner. To give a very simplified quick review: Combat Phase, Chain Phase, Claim Phase, and Cleanup Phase. Combat is very easy at first glace... all minions must attack other players. The Chain Phase is the most interesting as it allows you to play multiple cards, and to allow other players to play cards as well. The Chain Phase allows for players to also access a "kicker" effect, this allows players to really look/think about what cards they have in their deck as well as what other players have.  The Chain Phase mechanic really increases the interaction between players as they play cards not only on their turn but also on your opponents turn as well.  Additionally, most card games that involve playing cards when it is not your turn focus on prevent or blocking what your opponent does.  Nightfall instead allows you to benefit from playing the right cards during the Chain Phase, be it your turn or not!  Claim Phase lets you acquire more cards for your deck.  The last phase is Cleanup. This phase a chance to draw more cards, up to 5, and to take care of wounds.

One point to think about, and this goes for all Deck Building games, sleeve your cards! As you continue to play the game and shuffle the cards, you will begin to wear they out.  There are many different companies that make sleeves, but Mayday Games and Fantasy Flight Games make a clear back sleeve that is less expensive then most of the other companies.  The basic box that Nightfall comes in has several different foam spacers as well as indexed dividers with plenty of room left over for many future expansions.

Questions:

Well the game designer, David Gregg, got back to us on Twitter. He was able to answer some of our questions... which was so COOL that he read the blog and gave us an answer. He created a great game and we are having some fun trying it out in the store.

1. What happens when you need to draw more wounds then there are left in the wound pile?

Answer: As per game designer David Gregg: The wound stack should have all 60 wounds. Once face up run out, use face down. After that, exiled then pen/paper.

2.  When you discard a starting minion after the end of the Combat Phase, are they exiled?

Answer: As per game designer David Gregg:  YES!

3. How do we get the promo cards for our players?

4. Will AEG be running events, or organized play?

5. Are the Starter Minions Exiled if you discard them to gain additional influence?

Answer: As per game designer David Gregg: no, the starters are only exiled if discarded or destroyed while in play.

Sean "Striderlotr" Banks

The Ants Go Marching...

...and so do the Spiders, Crabs, Inchworms and Nanos.

What are Nanos you ask? The smallest robotic insect available from Hexbugs, of course! Created by Innovation First International, the Hexbug line is a great look at the hobby-robotics section of the toy industry. Easily affordable, battery powered and numerous unique designs make this relatively new product a great toy for an child who likes technology. It's little wonder that the Hexbugs Habitat won the 2011 Specialty Toy of the Year Award by the Toy Industry Association!

With 6 different designs available, and numerous tracks/habitats, we've decided to create a review of all the various Hexbugs on the market today, including the Glow-In-The-Dark sets that only small box stores like ourselves can carry this year!

Original Hexbug 
This little six-legged robot has wiry antennas that, when touched, will cause it to change direction. It also reacts to loud sounds and vibrations, such as clapping or certain music. It comes in Purple, Black, Orange, Blue and Green and has 5 shell different designs, too! (Batteries Included, MSRP $11.99)

Inchworm Hexbug 
The first full-range insect, this one comes with a remote control. All 4 legs will walk in whatever direction you wish, and can spin on the single 'pedestal leg' for even more maneuverability. Unlike other toys, these operate on a dual-band controller, so 2 can be used at once with no mistakes! Comes in Red, Green, Indigo, Pink and Orange, all with the same design. (Batteries Included, MSRP $19.99)

Crab Hexbug 
Much like actual crabs, this particular Hexbug loves to hide in the dark. Their 8 legs will bring them to any shaded place, and will stay there till light or loud noises 'scare' them from hiding! When scurrying around, the it will change direction according to pre-programmed intervals, or will run from a flashlight/clapping. Comes in Red, Indigo, Turquoise, Green, and Black, all with the same design. (Batteries Included, MSRP $14.99)

Ant Hexbug 
Perfect for those who love racing, the ant will run as long as you let it. Equipped with 6 'propeller' legs, it can easily move over most carpets/flooring. Ever the busy-bug, it will run till it hits an obstacle then bounce back using the touch-sensitive antennas on its back and head. Comes in Green, Pink, Orange, Blue and Red, all with the same design. (Batteries Included, MSRP $11.99)

Spider Hexbug
Easily the largest of all, this newest Hexbug has full-range actions that you control. Use the enclosed remote to determine where it moves, and it will continue in that direction until it sees there is an obstacle in the way. How? It has a bright-red sensor 'eye' that allows it to notice things in its path! Comes in Teal, Orange, Red, Blue and Green, all with the same design. (Batteries Included, MSRP $24.99)

Nano Hexbug 
Quite possibly the most well-known of all, these Hexbugs, love running everywhere. Only about 2 inches long, they move by vibration on their numerous rubbery legs. While they don't have light, noise or touch sensitivity, they do have numerous colors available, and are considered collectible! Very hardy, they will scurry over any hard horizontal surface and flip themselves over if they fall. Can be played with separately, or with any of the below Hexbug Habitats. (Batteries Included, MSRP $9.99)

Hexbug Habitats 
Made specifically for the Nanos, these tracks come in many varieties. Choose from the Raceway Set, Normal Set, Elevation Set, Spiral Set, Starter Set and our store's favorite, the Bridge Battle Set. Can be used alone, or combine different sets to let your Nanos run for hours! (MSRP $14.99-$49.99)


Glow-In-The Dark Nano Hexbug and Habitats
Exactly the same as the other Nanos, these are made far cooler by the fact that they glow (quite brightly) in the dark. Just leave the Nanos and their Habitats in bright light for an hour or two, then set them up in a dark room and watch the resulting 'light show'! Currently, the Habitats available for these are the Starter Set and Normal Set. **Our store was very excited about this particular product because big-box stores can't even carry it til 2012. Thank you, Hexbug creators, for supporting the local gaming stores!**

Batteries
Each of these designs runs on a standard battery, available in packs of 2 wherever Hexbugs are sold. The batteries are easily changeable, and only require an eyeglass screwdriver to open.  (MSRP $4.99)

As you can see, Hexbugs has made something for everyone, or at least everyone who enjoys technology and insects! My personal favorite is the Crab, but any of them are great fun. Now it's up to you to find your favorite Hexbug, too! 

Stasi King

GAMA Updates: Wednesday!

So if you are not lucky enough to work in the gaming industry or able to make it to GAMA to see and hear all the news about the Gaming/Hobbies industry, I'll continue to compile the posts from Dave who is sending us some small Tweets about the show. Yesterday we had some info from Wizards of the Coast and AEG, today we have some more from Wizards.

We will have a whole collection of posts to add on tomorrow about Yu-Gi-Oh and what Konami has to say about up and coming releases!

Wizards of the Coast:

D&D minis LE Set this year DRAGONS!


Conquest of Nerath 2-4 players large scale "Risk" style board game coming in June.

D&D New in Sept. Lair Assault A scenario that has high level of difficulty and can be played until "solved" 3- 4 hours of play.

Legend of Drizzt board game is part of the Neverwinter 2011 theme

D&D Encounters 9/10 starts The Lost Crown of Neverwinter right after D&D Game Day where you will build PCs for Encounters

Sean "Striderlotr" Banks

GAMA Updates Tuesday!

So we have several employees at GAMA in Los Vegas! They are posting updates as to cool new games and information that they see. If you are following us on Twitter or Facebook you may have seen some of these posts, but I thought it would be great to have them all in one place... and posted per day of the show (as it runs all week)!

Wizards of the Coast:

October's MtG name is Innistrad and will be previewed in From the Vault Legends.

Innistrad poster child is Lillian-expect a dark tone to set with"resonant fantasy theme"


New Program: Magic Celebration on September 10, 2011 aimed at newer players.

Magic 2012 will launch on 360/PS3/PC at same time as paper cards with Garruk like promo card redemption 7/11!

AEG:


War of Honor is a board game based version of L5R and great intro to new L5R arc.

Nightfall from AEG is a new deck building card game that promotes interaction between players set in a Blade or Underworld world. 

We will have a demo copy of Nightfall on Saturday, 3/19.


Thanks Dave for keeping us all in the loop as to what you see and what is going on at GAMA!

Sean "Striderlotr" Banks

COMICS: A Conversation with Matt Fraction

The following features quotes and excerpts from a conversation I had with Matt Fraction, writer of Uncanny X-men, Invincible Iron Man, Thor, and the upcoming mega-event, FEAR ITSELF.

I got a phone call from Hawaii over the weekend. Matt Fraction, writer of the huge Marvel event, FEAR ITSELF was calling as part of a promotion with comic book stores, to answer questions and stir interest in the book.

"It's about something you've never seen before. It's a new story." - MF

"[Fear Itself's] about something you've never seen before. It's a new story." Matt told me.  "It's a war of the gods, that the heroes are [caught between]." Originally, he and Ed Brubaker were asked to do a Captain America/Thor mini-series to coincide with the movies this summer. The story quickly grew until it became something much bigger, "like Civil War", Fraction said.

"The new Red Skull [Sin] discovers that Odin is not the All-Father, as previously thought." He said. "She frees an ancient evil, who grants her god-like powers as thanks. This leads to Captan America and Thor's worst nightmare: For Cap, an ultra-powerful Red Skull with the power of a god; for Thor, it's the knowledge that everything he knew and believed is based on a lie. He [no longer] knows who he is."

"He is forced to choose between standing with men, or standing with gods."

I asked Matt about whether readers are going to be forced to buy the spin-offs and one-shots, and also about how hard it was going to be for new readers to jump into the event.

"You don't need a PhD in Marvel to read the books." He said. One of Marvel's goals was to make the book as "clean and accessible as possible, without writing down to older readers."

As for all the extra mini-series and one-shots, Fraction put it simply. "The spin-off's are all stand alone. If you love the character, you'll love the spin-off." At the same time, "You don't need to buy the extras to enjoy the whole event."

He implied that each issue of the main issue comes with something big happening, or an event. "I want there to be something big in every issue," he said, "We hear from readers that [they want] events that matter." He let slip that something huge happens in issue 3 that will bring about a lot of mainstream media.

(Don't tell anyone I said that.  :) )

"There is something to keep people excited in every issue," he continued. "We want this to work as a mini-series where you can't wait until the next issue."

Since Civil War was brought up as a comparison, I pointed out that Civil War shipped behind schedule for the last couple issues, due to medical issues involved with some of the creative talent. I asked how far they are in the process of putting the book together.

He admitted that they've already dealt with behind-the-scenes issues, but it hasn't affected production. He also pointed out none of the talent involved are known for falling behind. "We can't predict anything, but we're doing our best and [we're] not known for not producing." He told me that they're already into issue #4 of the main series, which puts them about 2-3 months ahead of where they should be at this point in the solicitation cycle.

Like Civil War, Fear Itself will have resounding effects on the Marvel Universe. "This book sets the tone for the MU for the next two years."

We'd like to thank Matt from taking time away from his vacation to call and chat.

--

Follow-up notes: I'm a big fan of Fraction's work on Uncanny X-men, Iron Man and Thor. Based on the way sale have gone on these books the last 6 months, many of you agree. He's done a great job putting out quality material, and getting it out on time.


In other interviews, the entire creative team has stressed how important this event is to Marvel and it's future, and how they didn't want the spin-off books to be absolutely necessary to enjoy the story. I believe that they're telling the truth, and believe that the event is going to be worth the money.


Fear Itself: Book of the Skull comes out this week.


We'll have copies.

-Scott.

Magic Commander Format

So WotC has been giving out information at PAX East tonight.  I know not everyone can make it out there, so I thought I'd take a minute and compile some of the tweets that they have posted about this newish format. If you did not know, Commander is a twist on EDH (Elder Dragon Highlander) which is a casual format that is played with a 99 card deck and 1 legendary creature that is your commander; making a 100 card deck.

Got the answers for the questions here that we asked and that we gathered from Twitter. This will release soon, and we will have some events for it in the store.

Q: Will the commander cards be over sized?
A: Yes.

Q: Can you use other Legendary Creatures as commanders or only the over sized cards?
A: Yes you can. The over sized cards are just a neat extra.

Q: What happens when an over sized card gets condemned?
A: There will be standard sized commander cards so that if they get shuffled into the deck you will be able to use them in EDH.

Q: How many Commander Decks can we expect?
A: 5 Decks. Each deck will be 100 cards, have around 18 rares, and 51 unique cards.

Q: When will the decks be available?
A: They will be in stores in June.

 

Sean "Striderlotr" Banks

Magic Players at the Den

Many people have asked us about the players here at the Dragon's Den for Magic. We have had many players who have come in and played some games of Magic at the store. We wanted to give future players an idea of what you can expect and who you might play against.

1. We have players from all walks of life, elementary school kids, teachers, lawyers, computer techs, high school students, college students, restaurant works, retail works, warehouse workers, and so much more.

2. We have had many female players as well. I've had several new players comment that we have had events with as many as 8 ladies playing.  So although we have many male players at any given event, we also almost always have at least one female player!

3. The level of play ranges from very new to pro!

4. DCI Numbers can tell you how long a player has been playing the game. We have many players who have DCI #s that are 10 digits long, which is the current length, but we have had many small numbers as well.  The shortest number is only 4 digits long!

Last Week in Comics

Very happy to see more Peanuts material hit the market.

Boom! has only been producing comics for a handful of years, but between AMORY WARS, INCORRUPTIBLE, IRREDEEMABLE, FARSCAPE, the Stan Lee books, the MUPPET SHOW, and all their other titles, they've made a name for themselves as publishers of quality comics. There's a lot of enthusiasm and experience behind-the-scenes there. Stan Lee doesn't work with just anybody, y'know?

When Boom! first teased the possibility of doing a Peanuts book, I was caught off-guard. Fantagraphics has been doing the hardcover reprints of Peanuts for several years, and they're clearly not giving up that license.

And then.. boom, we find out what Boom! has in-mind for their re-branded kids line, Kaboom!:

Kaboom! announces new Happiness is a Warm Blanket Peanuts graphic novel 

From the press release:

This March, join Charlie Brown, Linus, Snoopy and all your favorite PEANUTS characters as Happiness is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown, the very first PEANUTS graphic novel ever published, is released by newly-launched all-ages imprint kaboom! Based on the work by PEANUTS creator Charles M. Schulz himself, this graphic novel is sure to delight a whole new generation of PEANUTS fans!

This is a pretty cool idea. There's been a number of new animated Peanuts specials over the years (Although the Christmas one is far-and-away the best), and by adapting Happiness is Warm Blanket, they're adding more great content to all the good all-ages material currently available.

--

Annihilators #1 arrived last week. I mentioned this a couple weeks back, and it was worth the wait.The first half of the book detailed the new team that Quasar put together, dealing with the Spaceknights and their enemies, The Dire Wraiths.The 2nd half was a story about Rocket Raccoon and his new job at an interstellar corporation. His job? He delivers the mail.

No. Really. Ton of fun, as he deals with the guilt of losing the Guardians and his friends.

Speaking of Abnett and Lanning, they've been knocking it out of the park with their work on Heroes for Hire. They've also made me like long-time C-lister, Paladin. That last sentence was a group of words I never thought I'd put together in that particular order.

This is why I love DnA so much; they do a great job of taking characters that often come off as boring and or plain, and spice them up. Which is why I was stoked to see that..

They're the new writers on New Mutants.

More at the link, but the first story arc has them tracking down one of the most enigmatic mutants, ever.

--

I've written recently about my love for the 100 Bullets story, and it's creative team of Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso. I should also point out the covers, done by Dave Johnson, are extraordinary.

I've also mentioned that I'm not quite certain what to think of DC's newest event, FLASHPOINT.

Funny how things turn out.

Looks like someone at DC likes me:

The 100 Bullets/Spaceman creative team are writing a Batman tie-in for Flashpoint. Crazy.

Half the Flashpoint books/tie-in's have been announced.

More titles at the DCU blog

--

Couple quick links I posted on Facebook:


- Google changed their font on Sunday to recognize the late, great Will Eisner. Mark Evanier (he of Groo and Garfield fame) has a great blog post talking about Eisner's achievements. Evanier's blog is a must-read in my book. He talks film, animation, Hollywood, a smattering of politics, and lots of comics. Great stuff.

Link here for his thoughts on Eisner.

- Winter is Coming:

 - No, really... WINTER IS COMING.

As in the next book.


Yes, it's really coming. In July.

--

That's it for today. Back later in the week, as I peruse Previews.

-S.

Comics at the Den

If you're reading this, then we got through a pretty important step in our comic inventory process last week. I'll spare you the details, only to say that it's something I've been working towards since Day One last April and is a biiiiiiiig check-off on the 'ol to-do-list. Glad that one's done, and thanks to all the employees who helped last Sunday.

I'm in the middle of planning at least 3 different comic- and pop-culture-related events for the 2nd quarter of 2011. I know David and Sean are working on some fun stuff, too, it's really a great time to be working and/or shopping at the store. It's all things we've wanted to do for awhile, but haven't really had the resources to properly dedicate to seeing them done. My hope is that all three of these events are completely locked-in by mid-March, at which point I can finally get the other Big Monster on my To-Do list checked off: the back issues. If those are done by April 1st... Scott will be a happy man. No, really, I know how to be happy. (Quiet, Alex.)

And in the midst of all this, comes one of my favorite times of year: Spring Training. All the baseball players are reporting to camp, which means it's time for me to start drafting my fantasy baseball leagues. Crazy time right now, but I love it, I really do.

Also, we just moved the store around. Heh.

Moving on.

--

New Thor Trailer out last week, and this movie is looking better and better each time I see a new trailer. Which reminds me, we're out of Thor hammers.

I say thee, Nay! Or Yay. Whichever you like, really.

--

I am a huge, huge 100 Bullets fan, and if you've never read this modern noir/conspiracy classic, then you're really missing out. The writing is tight, and the art is luscious. There's something about the Vertigo brand that brings out One Great Work, from every writer who's written for the imprint. Warren Ellis had Transmetropolitan, Garth Ennis had Preacher, Grant Morrisson had.. jeez, Invisible, Doom Patrol, We3, Alan Moore had Swamp Thing. And that doesn't even include the current generation of writers: Jason Aaron is knocking it out of the park on Scalped, Brian Wood has DMZ and Northlanders, Bill Willingham is at issue #102 of Fables... the list goes on and on.

But seeing that Azzarello and Eduard Risso are teaming up for what looks to be a sci-fi series called SPACEMAN? Yeah, my inner sci-fi nerd just went ballistic.

I. Cannot. Wait.

--

So, Nathan Fillion comes out and says that if he won the lottery, he'd buy back the rights to Firefly and create new episodes on the Internet. If you're a fan of Firefly, you can only imagine how absolutely crazy people went. Facebook pages, pledge drives, twitter feeds, the whole nine yards. And we're not done yet. Browncoats know the truth:

No power in the 'verse can stop us.

We're (doing) the impossible, and that makes us mighty.

Go. Click. Now.

--

I love these Marvel teasers. Colossus is one of my all-time favorite characters, so any face-time for that character makes me a happy man. Anyone recognize what he's holding above his head? Here's a hint: "Nothing can stop..."

--

I recently sat down and read the entirety of Red Robin. If you can get past the weak title and the costume, this is a really, really good book.

Tim has always been one of the stronger members of the Bat-family. His introductory story - the classic Lonely Place of Dying - introduced the idea that Batman needed (a) Robin to keep Batman from going "too far", or getting "too dark". It was a simple concept, and 20+ years later, it still holds true.

The premise of Red Robin is that Tim Drake doesn't believe that Bruce is truly dead, and begins a worldwide search to find proof. See, noone else (Dick, Alfred, Babs) believes him, so he strikes out on his own. With the financial resources of Bruce Wayne's fortune at his disposal, his quest takes him to Europe, where he immediately runs into one of Batman's oldest and deadliest villains.

If there's one flaw in the first twelve issues, it's the overuse of flashbacks. Reading this comic month-to-month can't compare to reading it in one chunk. Fortunately, the new creative team at issue #13 minimizes the flashbacks, and continues the solid work done by JT Krul & co.

One of the strengths of the book is the great supporting cast. Fabian Nicieza builds on the work done by the original writers, and continues the great character work on favorites both old and new. Some of my favorite scenes came between Tim and Damien. Their mutual loathing and disgust is a lot of fun, and it was nice to see two heroes who honestly dislike each other.

If you've ever liked Tim Drake, Red Robin's the book for you. It's fun, it's dense, it ties in to the Bat mythology very well, and it's a solid read. Recommended.

--

Okay, I wasn't going to show this, but remember when I said I'm working on a couple popculture-related projects? Here's a hint about one of them:

See you next week.

-S.

Deck Building Games:

Deck Building games are one of the newer genres for gaming. The concept of a deck building game is not that you have to go out and purchase additional product to build and play, but you buy the game and during the game you acquire more cards to build a deck. Now, almost every one of the games has an expansion or two, but you do not have to purchase them unless you really want to.

Several different companies have now made their own Deck Building game, and each one has a slightly different twist and allows players to enjoy different options. Here is a brief list if you are interested in checking out a new game:

Dominion: Rio Grande Games
     Intrigue
     Alchemy
     Seaside
     Prosperity
Thunderstone: AEG
     Wrath of the Elements
     Doomgate Legion
     Dragonspire
Ascension: Gary Games
Goblin Supremacy (GOSU): Moonster Games
Resident Evil: Ban Dai
     New Expansion Coming Soon
Nightfall: AEG (Releasing Soon)

We are hoping that one day we will get some advanced copies of release so we can test them out and post some more information, but for now we will post what we can and hopefully get some more players excited to try a new game!

Sean "Striderlotr" Banks

Dwayne McDuffie February 20, 1962 – February 21, 2011

(I had a post queued up for this week, but somethings things change. -Scott)

One day after turning 49, industry icon Dwayne McDuffie passed away due to complications during surgery.

Known for his work in comics, tv, and animation, McDuffie was a long-time advocate for better representation of minorities. His work on the Justice League cartoon is beloved by fans of both tv and comics, and heralded as one of the great JLA stories of all time. The success of the cartoon is such that an entire generation of fans thinks of John Stewart as Green Lantern, not Hal or Kyle.

His influence in comics was equally profound. As one of the founders of Milestone Comics, McDuffie was instrumental in creating the character Static, who later got his own tv show, Static Shock.Through Milestone and Static, McDuffie used his career to introduce more diversity into comics; more people of color, more stories involving them, and better stories with them. This was a theme of McDuffie's work: diversity.

Besides his work on tv and with Milestone, McDuffie also wrote for Marvel and DC Comics, including the fan-favorite Damage Control.

Stories being told today speak of his generosity towards fans who'd approach him at con's, and the up-and-coming pro's who would reach out to him for advice. He was a creative icon with a passion and love of the characters that have entertained generations of comic fans. He leaves behind an industry full of those who'd benefited from his advice and his drive, and will be forever remembered as a trailblazer, in an industry that never has enough of them.

Last Week in Comics

Make with the clickies, people. Last week was chock-full of comic and pop-culture-related goodness.

MOVIES: Want a cast picture of the "oh my god, it really is going to start filming, isn't it" The Hobbit? Don't say I don't love you:

The Fellowship of the Hobbit

COMICS: Once upon a time, two guys by the name of Kurt and Alex created a comic called MARVELS. That was in 1993, and it still holds up as a great story, and an example of the power of the medium. Reuniting again for the first time, Busiek and Ross get their hands on a number of Jack Kirby's public-domain super-hero creations and are going to have a blast in KIRBY:GENESIS, published by Dynamite.

Kirby+ Busiek + Ross = Genius



COMICS: Brian Bendis has announced he doesn't think he writes enough monthly comics! Just-kidding-but-not-really. Re-uniting with DAREDEVIL artist Alex Maleev, the duo are re-launching Moon Knight. Moon Knight is one of my favorite B-list/C-list heroes, and it sounds like Bendis is going to be ignoring MK's history with Khonshu, and spending more time on the split-personality aspects of the beleaguered hero. Not sure how I feel about that yet, I always liked the tortured Egyptian hero storylines. Either way, I'll definitely be giving the first issue a read to see how it comes off!

Moon Knight moves to LA. No, really.

TOYS: McFarlane Toys makes Walking Dead figures. What, you don't think that's cool? Communists, all of you.

You know you want to see what they look like

COMICS: The solicitous solicitation for Flashpoint #1 has been released. I'm not concretely certain what the plan for this series is; it feels like AGE OF APOCALYPSE for the DC Universe. And let's be honest, AoA was absolutely awesome, so if you're going to sensuously steal someone else's idea that's a good place to start.

I love alliteration.




INTERVIEW: I love Joe Casey. One of my favorite writers, he has a distinct voice and vision. He's written all the major characters at one point or another, from Uncanny X-Men to his sublime Superman run. He's one of the writers behind the uber-popular Ben 10 tv show, so any comic writing he does now is out of love, not financial necessity; those Ben 10 guys are all  swimming in vaults of gold coins like Uncle Scrooge. He pops his head out of Hollywood once or twice a year to do an interview in which he usually says something completely outrageous, and then disappears again. He's like Alan Moore, but younger, less bitter, and without the beard. Casey's new series, BUTCHER BAKER, looks completely deranged and I can't wait to read it.

Go. Read.

COMICS & ART: X-men fans, go to town with this one.

Can you name them all?

COMICS: Four weeks to go. Find out how it all begins.

REMINDER: The Dragon's Den is on Facebook  and on Twitter, too.

Looking Ahead: April Comics

[Looking Ahead is a monthly column where Scott scours Previews and highlights new and upcoming comics]

Greetings, earthlings! Lots of great stuff coming out, so let's get into it.

- The Fear Itself Prologue kicks off in March, followed by the first issue in April. This is Marvel's first major event since Secret Invasion, and they've put together a stellar creative team in Matt Fraction and Stuart Immonen. The storyline features the Red Skull's daughter, Sin, and the ancient Norse God of Evil. I'm happy that Fraction, who's become one of Marvel's go-to guys, and Immonen who is a workhorse and knows how to get product out on time, are working together. This is most likely going to be one of the two biggest events of the year.

Other Marvel Titles:

- Speaking of Matt Fraction, Thor relaunches with a new #1. I can imagine a couple people rolling their eyes right now, saying "Another #1 from Marvel? What a surprise." I can't lie, I feel the same way sometimes, but this is a book where you want to jump-on, not jump-off. The fact that Oliver Copiel is returning to Thor after a prolonged absence makes me very happy. His work with JMS for the first two years was stellar, and he's come a very long way since his Legion work for DC (see below).

- One of my favorite parts of the MU over the last couple years has been the Cosmic books. Annihilation, Annihlation Conquest, War of Kings and the recently-ended and supremely-awesome Thanos Imperative. Now, the writing team of Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning (aka DnA) are back with The Annihilators. Think of it as a group of ultra-powerful Cosmic Avengers, taking on the Dire Wraiths from the old Rom and the Spaceknights books. Yes, it is going to be that cool.

- Another book that may have dropped under your radar is the 5-issue Silver Surfer mini-series. While the Surfer has never been the most popular of characters or considered an "A-lister", he's the Herald of Galactus and that makes him a force to be reckoned with. Greg Pak is writing this series, and Pak is responsible for two of the best Hulk stories in years: Planet Hulk and World War Hulk.

Some very cool Marvel graphic novels being solicited:

- Thor: For Asgard is a treasure. Written by Robert Rodi and drawn by Simone Bianchi, this Thor mini-series flew under the radar due to all the other Thor products being released. Don't miss out! Robert Rodi also wrote the wonderful Loki story that's being re-printed in February as Thor & Loki: Blood Brothers. 

- Thunderbolts Classics Volume 1 was a great series written by Kurt Busiek about a group of super-villains masquerading to the world as super-heroes. I'm psyched to see this back in-print.

- Marvel goes old-school with X-Men Lifedeath and Spider-man The Death of Jean DeWolff, both published in their Hardcover Premiere Format.

Diving deeper into Previews, I found some real gems.:

- From Dark Horse Comics, Dark Horse Presents returns! The legendary anthology is back, with a sneak peek of Frank Miller's prequel to 300, Xerxes.

- Alan Moore: Storyteller features interviews, art, photos, and an audio cd by the legendary writer.

- There is a plethora of all-ages material being published every month. From Fraggle Rock Volume 2 to Boom! Studio's numerous Mickey Mouse softcovers to all the Archie material, there's a tremendous amount of great product available.

- Speaking of Mickey Mouse, long-time independent publisher Fantagraphics has acquired the license to some of the Mouse's earliest works. Published in a similar format as The Complete Peanuts, Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse Volume 1: "Race to Death Valley" is going to be the first of many reprints of this great material.

- In the mid-80's, Berkeley Breathed created a talking penguin named Opus and somehow turned his strip Bloom County into one of the great political newspaper comics of all time. Volume 4 of the Bloom County Complete Library has Steve Dallas getting his back broken by Actor Sean Penn. Ah, the 80's. Ack! Pthpw!

- Finally.  I have waited an eternity for these Legion stories to come out. A little back-story first: I was never a big Legion of Super-heroes fan (sorry, diehards); The large cast of characters, the epic back-story, it was all too intimidating. My personal tastes also veered towards stories that had a little edge to them, and the Legion always seemed bright and happy and cheerful.

Around ten years ago, DC decided that the Legion needed a shake-up, so they hired DnA and Oliver Copiel to wreak havoc on the LSH. Reprinted under the DC Comics Presents format, we see the first arc of their tremendous Legion run, Legion of the Damned, brought back in-print. When a Borg-like menace from deep space takes control of most of Earth and most of the Legion, the few remaining Legionairres are pushed to their limits in an effort to free their friends and everyone on earth from captivity. Featuring some of the first Big-Two work by Oliver Copiel.

The Legion of the Damned arc continues in one of my all-time favorite stories, Legion Lost. A group of Legion members are separated from their home galaxy in a freak accident. Lost, alone, and despondent, they're forced to find their way in alien space. As the 12-issue mini-series progresses, the team falls apart until the very end, when they're forced to face their very worst nightmare... and I'm not going to tell you what that is, because that'd just be cheating. You don't need to be a Legion fan to enjoy these stories.  Legion Lost will be published as a hardcover and comes with my highest "if you like science-fiction, the Legion, a great story, or any combination of the three" recommendation.

Free Events at the Dragon's Den

So we run several different FREE events at the Dragon's Den. Several of these events are run every week and can be found on our calendar of events, but others events run once a year and fall about the same time every year.  Here are some of the BIG once a year FREE events we host here at the Dragon's Den:


FREE Comic Book Day: Diamond comics offers to stores a chances to be a part of FREE Comic Book Day. We can offer many different comic books for FREE that day including Mavel, DC, Dark Horse, and many of the other independent publishers.  There are also some other give aways that stores can get including Heroclix minis, grading guides, and so much more.  We have also had several different artists and authors who have come in to do signings during the event.  This lists includes:
Herb Trimpe - Artist for the Hulk, and many more Marvel Comics
Mark Texeria - Artist for Ghost Rider, Moon Knight, and more
JM Dematteis - comic book and TV writer (Kraven's Last Hunt!) 
Nick Tapalansky - Writer Awakening
Alex Eckman-Lawn - Artist Awakening 

We are hoping to make this years FREE Comic Book Day even better then ever! We have a few great ideas to make this year memorable and exciting... but I'm not going to ruin the surprise and tell you about them now! You will need to come back in the future and read the blog or check our website!

FREE RPG Day: Impressions Advertising and Marketing has created this fantastic event and gets some of the best FREE RPGs for players to check out and play.  We used to just have some of the RPGs for handing out, but last year we started running some of the adventures during the event for players to try a new game! Over the past several years Pathfinder (Piazo), and Dungeons & Dragons (Wizards of the Coast) have offered up some fantastic FREE suppliments or adventures. Here is a list of some of the fantastic games or companies that had product for FREE RPG Day:
Dungeons & Dragons (Wizards of the Coast)
Pathfinder (Piazo)
Hollow Earth
Call of Cthulhu
Chessex

This years sponsors for the event are:

• BlackWyrm Games
  Sample HERO Adventure
• Blue Panther
  Sample Card Tower
• Eden Studios
  Silver, All Flesh Quickstart & Adventure
• Fantasy Flight Games
  Gold, TBA
• Goodman Games
  Silver, DCC RPG Quickstart
• Green Ronin
  TBD, DragonAge Quickstart
• Guild of Blades Publishing
• Paizo Platinum
  TBA
• Pelgrane Press
  TBD, Trail of Cthulhu Adventure
• Pinnacle
  TBD, TBA
• Troll Lord Games
  Bronze, C&C Quickstart and Adventure
• Valkyrie Games
  Sample, Stellar Horizons Quickstart
• White Wolf Publishing
  Gold (10 per box), TBA
• Wizards of the Coast
  Platinum (15 per box), D&D Adventure 

 Sean "Striderlotr" Banks

Signings at the Dragon's Den

We have a lovely lady coming in to do a signing here at the Dragon's Den, Christy Hemme. She is a model, singer, and former professional WWE wrestler.  She currently conducts backstage interviews for TNA’s television program, iMPACT!  Her professional wrestling career began after winning the 2004 Diva Search competition held by WWE. She subsequently wrestled for TNA Wrestling, retiring at the end of 2009. As a model, she has been the cover girl for Maxim, Playboy, and Rolling Stone. She has appeared in commercials for AT&T, TrimSpa, and was a spokesmodel for Hawaiian Tropic.

Christy Hemme is in Pougkeepsie for an event at the Hudson Valley Civic Center. Hemme will be at the Dragon’s Den to give autographs, pose with fans for pictures, and answer questions about her career.  Photos of Hemme and other merchandise will be available for purchase in-store. We welcome fans and customers alike to come on in during the appearance of Christy Hemme at our store!

Over the past few years we have gotten several people in to do some signings, as well as drawing some on the spot art. Here is a list of the past artists, writings, and actors we have had in the store for visits.  Some of these visits have been for specific events such as Free Comic Book Day (the first Saturday in May each year) while others have been set up because of events in the area.

Herb Trimpe - Artist for the Hulk, and many more Marvel Comics
Mark Texeria - Artist for Ghost Rider, Moon Knight, and more
JM Dematteis - comic book and TV writer (Kraven's Last Hunt!) 
R.A. Salvatore - Author... do we need to list all his books???
Kris Williams - Ghost Hunters
Ami Bruni - Ghost Hunters
Brandon DiCamillo  - Jack Ass, Cattle Bag
Nick Tapalansky - Writer Awakening
Alex Eckman-Lawn - Artist Awakening