Hugh J. O'Donnell

Hugh Likes Comics: Wolverine

October 14, 2014

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Written by Chris Claremont
Drawn by Frank Miller
Published by Marvel Comics

Love him or hate him, Wolverine is one of the most popular and exposed characters in Marvel’s stable of heroes. And with the publisher set to kill him for a while, I thought it was time to take a look at the limited series that really cemented his character.
It’s easy to see why this comic was so groundbreaking. Right off the bat, it establishes Wolverine as a much darker, more badass character than his taciturn, volatile persona on the X-Men. This is Wolverine in his element, and that means hunting bears and fighting hordes of ninja. After spending some time in the deep woods of Canada, Logan discovers that his letters to his girlfriend, Japanese dignitary Mariko Yashida have been returned unopened, and that she has left the US. Wolverine follows her to back to Japan. There, he discovers that her father, a presumed deceased crime lord, has returned, and that Mariko has been married to one of his lieutenants.
After being rolled by Yashida in a fight which would have killed him if not for his mutant powers, Logan is rescued by Yukio, a hedonistic assassin who is playing games of her own.
“Wolverine” is Claremont writing at the peak of his craft. Unrestrained by the team dynamic and superhero tropes of the ongoing X-Men comic, he really digs down into Wolverine’s character. This isn’t just four-color antics, but a rich, pulpy story about honor, appearances, and the nuances of a world shaded in gray. And being drawn by a Frank Miller just coming into his own as an artist elevates the comic to a classic.
Delivering a gritty comic is harder than taking a cape and rolling in the mud for a little bit. It’s something that has to be carefully structured. The pieces all need to support each other in a way that the reader both can believe and doesn’t expect. “Wolverine” delivers by revealing a deeper, darker world in the periphery of one the reader already knows. It shows a midnight underworld hidden behind an upstanding daylight face. And it does it beautifully. Miller’s Japan is a labyrinth of towering yet indistinct skyscrapers, with scores of ninja hiding in every alley. It echoes and reinforces the script beautifully. Miller echoes seminal Japanese artist Goseki Kojima in this story of corruption hiding within the Yashida clan’s adherence to tradition, and one warrior willing to abandon all pretexts to expose the truth.
In graphic story telling, especially when a writer and an artist are both masters of their craft, the finished product can seem at odds with itself. The words can be sharp and engaging. The art can be beautiful, but they need to work together to properly tell a story like this. Here, Claremont and Miller’s efforts are a synthesis that is greater than the whole of its parts.
The Wolverine is available from Amazon, Comixology, or your local comic shop.

The City: 012: Stepan

October 14, 2014

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Stepan watched the girl from his monitoring station at Door 37 of Midas Corp Headquarters. He could have helped her, but that would have meant leaving his post, and he would surely catch hell for it later. She was clearly a Daytripper, and thus below Midas’ notice. She was unsightly, but causing no disturbance. No orders had come down to remove her, so he was content to leave her.
Instead, he monitored his investments on a secure channel. He heard from Gina that The Man Himself had sold his shares. The sale was still secret, but what shockwaves would it release?

The City: 011: Xue

October 13, 2014

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Xue was feeding the ducks when she got Dawn’s message. She liked ducks. They didn’t build, didn’t destroy, didn’t do anything but swim and eat bread crumbs. Feeding the ducks was her favorite thing to do in the City. It was a meditation, a retreat from the pressure and demands of school and family. It was not that she was ungrateful. Her future was being formed like a diamond by that pressure. But too much and she would collapse instead.

She listened to it twice, gave up and ran the translation.
“Please come pick me up? I’m kind of stuck.”

The City: 010: Frank

October 10, 2014

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Frank was a train driver for The City. It was a good job, even if it didn’t pay well. It beat slinging burgers. It beat just about any job he could get Outside. And Frank’s options were very limited.
The crash had been, an accident. But after getting his ‘time to think,’ he understood that accidents weren’t just products of random chance, but bad decisions. One bad decision had cause so much suffering. At least in The City, he could still drive a train. He eased her into Commercial Station.
The woman stepped from the platform just ahead of him.

The City: 009: Sandra

October 9, 2014

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The City’s lifeblood was the Metro. From the Underground to the L-Trains. Elites might be able to afford cars and drivers, but Citizens and and Daytrippers alike had to ride transit. They ran from every corner of The City. Sandra had taken one from her shoebox apartment to her Midas Corp Office every day. Until they unjustly fired her. But what could she do? Midas was a power unto themselves here. She was despondent. Until he appeared. He gave her the key and told her how to fight back. His smile was so understanding. Today, the trains would stop.

Hugh Likes Video Games: Super Smash Bros

October 8, 2014

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Developer: Bandai Namco Games

Nintendo 3DS

Smash Bros. is one of those love it or hate it gaming franchises. Its pick-up-and-play style and four player vs. mode have always made it as much a party game as a serious fighter, and nostalgia has always been baked in. As a fan of Nintendo games, and a much more casual player of fighting games, it is right in my wheelhouse.

Nintendo has certainly delivered another helping for the 3DS, with a huge roster of characters and a slew of new gameplay modes, many of which focus on customization.

In addition to playing with a customizable set of Miis, Players can also tweak any of the characters making them hit harder or move faster, or upgrading special attacks. This gives more traditional fighting and wrestling game fans a chance to balance out a character just the way they want, and build them to fight their friends. But it can be turned off at the flick of a button, which ensures players who aren’t willing to spend a lot of time can still sit down and play.

All-Star Mode, a special battle royale mode where characters are fought in the order they were published, and Smash Run, in which players build up a character by collecting power ups, then fight one on one, are quick and fun diversions. Classic mode also returns, this time with branching paths that let you choose your opponent.

Nintendo seems to have wrung every drop of power they could out of the 3DS, with a huge roster of characters, and a collection of new and returning stages that look great. But the 3DS does present some limitations. The loose analog stick on the original 3DS makes movement a bit muddy and tough to control. The game has trouble differentiating inputs, particularly between up and side attacks. The screen resolution is also a bit lacking, with tiny figures occasionally lost amid the clutter.

If you are a Nintendo fan, you likely already have this one. It is a worthy successor to previous installments, and the sheer variety of gameplay modes and characters ensures there’s something for everybody. Smash Bros is available from Nintendo, Amazon, or your local games shop.

By the way, my Friend Code is 5327-0999-1447.

The City: 008: Norm

October 8, 2014

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Twenty floors below, the Personal Banking Center was opening its doors. People preferred to do their banking in The City. Midas was very proud of the fact that they had never been robbed since they were open. Or so City Records would have you believe.
There’s a first time for everything, Norm thought, adjusting his glasses and hat in a chromed pillar. He waited around the lobby for a cubicle drone, and made a careful catalog of entrances, exits, cameras, and visible security measures. It could be done. He tried not to smirk during the mortgage consultation. It wasn’t easy.

The City: 007: Emily

October 7, 2014

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The City was the center of the world, and Emily sat on the throne. At least, that is how she considered her desk at Midas Bank. The City, and by extension Midas, had become the world’s clearing house. Every day, billions of Dollars, Euros, Yen, Yuan, Pounds, and every other trading currency flowed through her gates, were converted to credits, passed through a few more hands, and left again. She logged the transactions and sped the bundles on their way. She didn’t know much about international finance law, but that wasn’t her department. She was certain everything was completely legal.

The City: 006: The Buyer

October 6, 2014

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Augustus watched the other man over their glasses. He was still smiling that damned Guy Fawkes grin. He’d never seen it falter, no matter how hard he negotiated. And he was just as good. A world champion poker player. And now the game was over. “So now that you’ve got my stake, what will you do with it?”
He set down his glass. “My backers think like you do. The City is an efficient way of concentrating capital. But I see it as so much more than that. There is so much potential here. I’m going to do wonderful things.”

The City: 005: Laura

October 3, 2014

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Laura was the owner at a very exclusive night club. She had a long, lucrative night, but it was morning now. The dance floor was empty, the chairs had been placed on the tables, and the the rest of the staff had gone home. She should be home, too. But you can get anything at any time in The City. Especially if you’re Augustus Sizemore. So she opened up and brought them a bottle of champagne. She poured herself for the CEO and his guest. She marveled at how prettily it sparkled in the new day’s sunlight. They clinked glasses.