Deadpool 2

In this sequel to Deadpool, "Merc with a Mouth" Wade Wilson is doing what he does (killing bad guys with amazing skills and snarky comments) while also looking to settle down and start a family. When his girlfriend is killed, though, he is determined to join her in death, but his superhero 'curse' (accelerated healing) makes that difficult. A vision shows him that he remains for a purpose, and he makes it his mission to help the X-men with a misguided mutant, Firefist, who is terrorizing his abusive orphanage overseers and placed under arrest. But things get complicated fast . . . Cable, a mutant from the future, arrives and claims that Firefist becomes a monster and must be killed. Fighting both his nature and Cable, Deadpool is forced to figure out fast what it means to be a part of that dreaded 'f' word . . . family.

This movie is like the first one: a snarky, unfiltered, break-the-fourth wall hero whose pop-culture-laden wit is in turn hilarious and inappropriate. The movie can be violent and gross, too. And yet . . . the message (self-sacrifice, seen in several ways) is weirdly good, and the overall experience aligns with the original film: "I enjoyed that, but should I have?" Don't let your kids see it, but you might want to check it out.

Rating: A-

Amulet Volume 9: Waverider (Kazu Kibuishi)

Concluding the Amulet series and picking up from last time . . .

Emily has regained control after losing it, and Vigo finds an old friend, Ronin, who is teaching young stonekeepers to do the same. Now, instead of treating 'fallen' stonekeepers as cursed, they allow them to find their way back. These stonekeepers can help break the shadow curse that has fallen on others . . . and they'll need all the help they can get to take down the shadows engulfing the worlds. Along the way, they'll learn the importance of forgiveness and trust.

The series concludes with remarkable consistency. Here and throughout, I enjoyed the outstanding art. The Story was confusing at times and predictable at others; some things were rushed or given no explanation. The messages were mixed; I oscillated between enjoying the 'echoes of Eden' (lessons reflecting Jesus) and groaning at the poor teachings ("I must remember to . . . follow my own compass"). Some other themes:

- technology can be put to bad purposes. It seemed presented here as almost 'mindless', with no discussion on how people influence that.

- there are ramifications to actions: "What we do here resonates far beyond our reach or vision"

- finding your 'center' and 'letting go' [very Star Wars-like]

- human nature can be destructive [which is why the message to 'follow your own compass' seems odd]

- there is a curse—a shadow—that can be removed, restoring things to their former state

From this list, you might be able to detect good and profound messages right alongside wrong ones. It was definitely a mixed bag.

Overall, I enjoyed the conclusion (and the series), but pay attention to the messages.

Rating: A-

The Fall of Arthur (JRR Tolkien)

The Fall of Arthur presents and discusses J.R.R. Tolkien's unfinished and unpublished manuscript recalling the legendary king's last days. He writes in the ancient northern alliterative verse style. Example:

Arthur eastward   in arms purposed

his war to wage   on the wild marches,

over seas sailing   to Saxon lands,

from the Roman realm   ruin defending.

The events of this work roughly correspond to the end of classic Medieval accounts. It starts after Lancelot's & Guinevere's betrayal: Arthur is convinced to leave England for battle (in this case, against Saxons on the continent), Mordred revolts in his absence, and Arthur returns for the final battle, but it ends before any conclusion to that conflict.

Tolkien's son, Christopher, presents the last edition of the poem and proceeds to discuss:

- the poem compared to Arthurian tradition (focusing on Geoffrey of Monmouth's account, as well as the late Medieval alliterative and stanzaic Morte Arthure versions). He mentions Malory, too, who (apparently) based his version on the alliterative. 

- the unwritten poem (further scraps found in drafts) and the comparisons to it and The Silmarillion.

- the evolution of the poem (presenting variations found in drafts).

Combining Tolkien and King Arthur . . . what could be better? I enjoyed this work. I was previously unaware of alliterative verse, and though it seemed choppy to me (I prefer stanzaic rhyme), I enjoyed the poem itself. The Arthurian tradition discussion was interesting, as was the comparison to concepts in Middle Earth. I now recognize how some concepts in The Lord of the Rings reflect Arthurian literature. I could have done without the evolution of the poem section . . . especially as it was abandoned, that didn't interest me much. Like Tolkien's other unfinished works, I was both intrigued and annoyed that he would come so far and then move on. But this is a worthwhile read overall.

Rating: B+

Star Wars Unlimited

Today's review is of the 2024 release, Star Wars Unlimited. This collectible card game is for 2 (or more) players and takes 30 minutes.

Overview

You are a leader in the Star Wars galaxy, determined to be victorious by destroying your opponent's base first. To do so, you will use your deck (with cards that are units, events, or upgrades) to battle in two arenas (ground and space).

the starter decks

Setup is straightforward. Each player takes their leader and base and places it before them. Shuffle your deck, draw 6 cards, and put 2 of them face-down in your resource row. It will look like the below image:

The game after setup

Gameplay happens over a series of rounds, each with two phases: action and regroup.

- Action phase: you can play a card, attack with a unit, use an ability, take the initiative, or pass

- Regroup phase: each player draws 2 cards, resources a card, and ready all cards.

The player who has the initiative goes first in the next round, taking the first action. 

Action phase explanations: Playing a card means paying its resource cost and putting it (exhausted, or turned sideways) into the appropriate arena (space or ground). Attacking with a unit means taking a ready (non-exhausted) unit in an arena and attacking an opponent's unit in that same arena OR attacking the opponent's base. (Exhaust it to attack.) Using an ability is just that: some units, leaders, or bases have abilities that have a prescribed cost for a certain effect. Taking the initiative means you are done for the turn, but gives you the right to go first in the next round. And passing is an action you take when you are done all other actions.

The key to this game is understanding that you alternate actions with your opponent. You might (for example) attack with a unit, then they play a card, then you play a card, then they use an ability, then you attack with a unit, then they attack with a unit, and so on. It's deliberately "back and forth," so proper sequencing is important to strategy.

A unit can attack by exhausting and dealing its damage (value in red, see below) to its target. Damage is dealt in counters, so your target might survive to live another day, but still be damaged. A unit's defense value is in blue; when that is met or exceeded, the card is defeated and discarded. If attacking a unit, both cards deal damage to each other. If attacking a base, only the base takes damage.

Rounds and phases continue until one player destroys the other's base. They win!

For those interested in more information, here is the quickstart rules, a card database, and how to play video.

Review

This game is very similar to Star Wars Destiny. And that was a great game, so it makes sense why its parent company would produce a card-focused spinoff. Star Wars Unlimited is fast-paced, easy to learn, and full of meaningful decisions. Game-wise, it is excellent. 

Theme-wise, I wasn't as thrilled. I love Star Wars, so no problem there. But I'm not a fan of the overly cartoony art (which was a deliberate style choice; Fantasy Flight Games could have re-used art from its prior Star Wars ventures but chose not to). And I didn't feel like it captured the epic grandeur of the movies . . . this is a tactically-focused conflict. Both of these are personal preferences, so it doesn't affect my overall rating, but it does mean I won't seek to collect this.

Rating: A

Once & Future, Vol. 5: Wasteland

Continuing from last time and finishing the series . . .

With (at least) three Arthurs now vying for dominance, Britain (still in the Otherworld) reels from it all. Bridgette, Duncan, and Rose enlist help from a surprising quarter to buy time, but this cannot last forever. Then, Excalibur appears in a stone . . . will the rightful king step forward? And what happens when he does? Will Britain be forever in this nightmare, or can something wipe it all away?

This conclusion was better than the previous volume, which muddied things a good deal. It was mostly satisfying, with interesting twists and good dialogue/art . . . but not entirely great. Reflecting on the series, I enjoyed:

• a unique take on the Arthurian legend ("what if Arthur did return . . . but he wasn't the good guy?")
• fun characters, occasional great dialogue, and solid art
• dabbling in the ramifications of the stories we tell ourselves and how we (perhaps unknowingly) live them out, over and over again

But the things I didn't care for:

• a mystifying volume 4 that introduced (and never answered) a host of questions and characters, ultimately adding chaos and making it hard to tie up loose ends
• the occult elements (though admittedly necessary for some aspects of the story)
• a shift in focus. From the author himself: "Family, the secrets they hold and the damage that causes was always in Once & Future, but the further I got in, the more that became central." I saw some of this early on, but the shift away from 'the power of story' to 'family/secrets can be deadly' was disappointing
• the conclusion was underwhelming. I don't want to spoil it here. It wasn't terrible, but disappointing.

Ultimately, I'm glad I read this, and happy to add it to my collection. It didn't end up being as stellar as its initial promise, but it is solid nontheless.

Rating: B+ (for this volume and the series)

Amulet Volume 8: Supernova (Kazu Kibuishi)

Continuing from last time . . .

As Navin and his friends take the fight to the shadow from Lighthouse One, a Resistance base orbiting the planet Typhon. As they do, Trellis and company are still on Alledia, bracing for an Elf invasion . . . but things take an unexpected turn. And Emily seeks to escape what she has become to save it all. But is it too late?

Though still a bit confusing, things are starting to clear up as the story heads to a conclusion, while the art remains stellar.

Rating: A

The Story of the Grail and the Passing of Arthur (Howard Pyle)

The Story of the Grail and the Passing of Arthur is the fourth and final book of an Arthurian quadrilogy by American author and illustrator Howard Pyle (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3). Written in 1910, this volume covers:

• The story of Sir Geraint 
• How he overcame the knight of the Sparrow-Hawk, married Enid, and how they had a difficult relationship
• The story of Sir Galahad
• How he was made a knight, achieved the grail (with Bors and Percival), and was taken up from this world
• The Passing of Arthur
• How the saga of Launcelot and Guinevere divided the realm; how the queen was framed and Launcelot rescured her; how Arthur and Gawaine pursued Launcelot to France; how Mordred siezed power; how they all met their end

So ends Pyle's version of the Arthurian saga. It was heartbreaking to see the end of that age, but also a poignant reminder of reality: things fall apart. Overall, I enjoyed the work for what it was. Pyle did scale down the Guinevere/Launcelot angle, claiming they weren't lovers but still inappropriately focused on each other. And the theology therein can be terrible (very works-based and mistakenly thinks humans can be pure on their own), but it was a solid story otherwise.

Stepping back to look at the whole series: Pyle's Arthur is more enjoyable than I expected. It is repetitive, certainly, but it gets better towards the end, and fleshes out the Medieval versions in satisfying ways. I wish the theology was better.

Rating: A

Cox & Kelce

I don't often blog about sports, but two Eagles greats announced their retirement in the past week, so it is time to celebrate the careers of Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox. They were the (literal) centerpieces of the offense and defense, respectively. 

Jason Kelce

Drafted in 2011, sixth round. Spent all 13 seasons on the Eagles as their starting center. 7x Pro Bowl, 6x All Pro, 1x Super Bowl champion.

Fletcher Cox

Drafted in 2012, first round. Spent all 12 seasons on the Eagles as their starting defensive tackle. 6x Pro Bowl, 1x All Pro, 1x Super Bowl champion.

Though their football skill is what gave them prominence, what I like best about both of them is their leadership/character traits. How they encouraged teammates and fans. How Jason Kelce dressed as a mummer for the championship parade (I was there!), or how Fletcher Cox smack-talked a Cowboys fan (who was also President).

I don't know what life holds for them in this next phase, but I suspect they will both be involved with the Eagles in some capacity. And their influence will long outlast them, whether they are physically present or not. Thank you both. Fly Eagles Fly!

Amulet Volume 7: Firelight (Kazu Kibuishi)

Continuing from last time . . .

Navin and his friends try to get to Valcor to reunite with the Resistance, as Emily, Trellis, and Vigo search for an island Max promised would reveal much. Both parties will encounter considerable surprises about the past, the peril of the present, and the possibilities of the future. And Emily in particular will wrestle with the reality of weakness.

This series, always enjoyable for its art, is starting to cook story-wise. I liked it. It does get confusing keeping track of various aspects, but the revelations in this volume were intriguing and point to an exciting finish (two volumes remain).

Rating: A

Once & Future, Vol. 4: Monarchies in the U.K.

Continuing from last time . . .

With Britain now in the Otherworld, chaos reigns and monsters from a few new stories enter the fray. As Arthur seeks to bring the land under his control, another Arthur arises to challenge him, making for civil war. And no matter what happens, it seems Bridgette, Duncan, and Rose are in the middle of it all—and trying desperately to get out of it.

This volume was confusing. More characters come in, muddling an increasingly hard-to-follow story. And I had no idea how or why a second Arthur enters the picture. Still intriguing, but hoping for more in the next volume.

Rating: B-

The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions (Howard Pyle)

The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions is the third of an Arthurian quadrilogy by American author and illustrator Howard Pyle (Part 1 and Part 2). Written in 1907, it covers: Sir Launcelot, Sir Tristram, and Sir Percival. In this third volume, we have the following stories:

• The Chevalier of the Cart
• How Sir Launcelot rescued Queen Guinevere from the castle of Sir Mellegrans
• The Story of Sir Gareth of Orkney
• How Gareth lived anonymously in Arthur's court and took up an adventure, humbly traveling with Lynette and proving his worth as the Lady Layonesse's champion
• The Story of Sir Launcelot and Elaine the Fair
• How Launcelot defeated the Worm of Corbin, fought in the tournament at Astalot, and met the Lady Elaine
• The Madness of Sir Launcelot
• How Guinevere's jealousy drove Launcelot away from court and to madness
• How he was restored and married Elaine, living at the Joyous Isle
• The Story of Sir Ewaine and the Lady of the Fountain
• How the knights quested to find Lancelot
• How Ewaine served the Lady Lesolie of the Fountain, was enchanted by the Sorceress Vivien, and restored 
• The Return of Sir Launcelot
• How Percival and Ector found Launcelot, and how Launcelot and Elaine returned to Arthur's court
• How Elaine was driven away by Guinevere's jealousy, and her health declined
• The Nativity of Galahad
• How Bors and Gawaine searched for Launcelot (before his return); how Gawaine was enchanted by Vivien and later restored
• How Galahad was born and to be raised; how Elaine met her end, and that affected Launcelot

This book focuses on Launcelot, excepting the parts on Sirs Gareth and Ewaine. As with the first two volumes, there is a good deal of adventuring and repetition, but this time, there is more purpose (finding Launcelot), coupled with a foreboding sense of sadness and decay. Pyle's version is still idyllic and off theologically, but less so than his earlier works: Guinevere in particular comes off as the villain, mildly aware of (but helpless to resist) her envy of Launcelot's attention, even though she is married to Arthur. And Launcelot has genuine remorse and confusion as he seeks to be loyal to both women. It was sad in places, but the best of the bunch so far.

Rating: A

Illiterati

Today's review is of the 2023 release, Illiterati. For 2-5 players, it takes 30 minutes.

Overview

In this cooperative game, you and your friends are librarians trying to save the world from ignorance. Your job is to 'bind books' and outrun those villainous illiterati, who are out to stop you. Can you prevail in time, or is this your final chapter?

game components/example; image from here

To start, everyone draws a red or blue book. This lays out criteria they must meet, making words to do so with the letters they have. Everyone starts with 5 letters each, and there are 3 letters in a common library.

A key point: this is cooperative, and everyone can share letters with each other or take/give them in the library. 

This real-time (everyone plays at once) game has three phases:

1. Word Building Phase: each player draws 7 letters and has to spell words matching criteria on their active book . . . but you only have 3 minutes to do so! If you can't spell words matching your book, you can spell other words (and should) . . . because these letters you get to keep for the next round, and letters nobody uses can bring penalties (see next phase). Remember, you can share letters with others!

2. Book Binding Phase: the players collect unused letters from the prior phase and 'burn' them if they exceed the library limit (put one in the tracker and discard down to the library limit). They then 'bind books' (any player who has completed their book's criteria turns in the words they used to do so and flips the book over, showing it is complete). Keep letters from words you made that do not meet your book's criteria. Anyone who binds books then draws a book card of the opposite color, and looks to satisfy that book's criteria in the next round.

3. Illiterati Attack Phase: Draw an Illiterati card and do what it says.

The above phases continue until everyone has completed both a red and blue book. Then, a final round: one player chooses a new book (red or blue), and the "final chapter" condition on it must be met by all players in that round, or the Illiterati win. Do you have what it takes?

Review

This is a fun game. You'd think the sharing letter aspect would make it easy, but each person has their own goals to meet, so there is some tension there. In addition, it is impressive how quickly one's brain freezes when asked to think of words that match basic criteria. (One criteria yesterday was "foods"; I had a hard time thinking of any.)

One aspect that can make it hard is "deliberate inefficiency." You need to complete words that *don't* match your criteria, as those letters get saved for the next round. If you are efficient and use all your letters to bind your books, you will have no 'starting pool' for the final chapter round (that bit us). There is an interesting aspect that I should explore more . . . after one playthrough, I would rate this game as decent, but need more playthroughs to better gauge it.

Rating: B