All posts by Noob of All Trades

Shawn Lucas is the self identified "Noob of All Trades". He is married and the father of three boys, two of whom help with their own podcast every couple of months. Raised on Atari, Nintendo, and Sega, he enjoys all games and will play all of them to the best of his ability, which is often average at best. Currently, he is most interested in Magic, Heroclix, and other games that he can play with Chris and his sons.
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Betting the Bowl LIX

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Introduction

I started this article two Super Bowls ago as a fun way to interact with the “Big Game”. Every year, I get inspired to write articles about the league again. Every year, I lose that motivation very quickly. However, over the last few years, Chris, Jason, and I text semi-regularly about the league, especially in the playoffs. Yesterday, I listened to Simmons and Sal’s pod about the prop bets, so I figured I’d drop Betting the Bowl LIX (know every time you read that I’m pronouncing it phonetically as “licks”) and keep the tradition alive.

Preposterous Prop Promos

These are the bets that I used to diagnose people with a betting problem if they bet them. I still contend that betting the coin toss is a ridiculous proposition and any statistical analysis is wasted on such an outcome. However, Gatorade color actually gained some merit. Sal spent a good couple of minutes talking about it. I even wrote about it at some length last year.

Coin Toss: George says tails, 55-45.

Gatorade: The favorite is purple (KC’s color the last couple of wins), so if you think they’ll win, parlay that with this for 4 to one odds.

Scoragami again pays out 25 to 1.

Flea Flicker: 2.5 to 1. Does that include a Philly special type play?

Single Dollar Picks

Stealing the idea from Simmons, I came up with my own twist. Instead of million dollar picks, I went with a single dollar. The first year, I won 0.94 cents on the picks. Last year, I won 7 cents as the only bet that paid was my KC/Mahomes MVP pick. So, I have 2.07 this year to bet. Still overall up money, but I want to get that to 3 or 3.50 his year. In real betting, when I saw the AFC Championship devolve into no defense, I doubled my balance on FanDuel.

First Touchdown: I rarely hit this one, but the Super Bowl often goes more to script than other games. I put 0.10 on Saquon (pays 0.42), Hurts (0.55), Hunt (0.95), and Mahomes (2.10). I took Kelce last year which didn’t hit. So fade me for a chance at 10 to one odds. Note: Real time change here. I took a dime from the Saquon bet and put it on Kelce (1.00).

Saquon Over 169 yards: This seems like a sure thing. Never mind. I looked at his splits and he feasted on the Rams twice, but only hit over 150 four other times this year. I’ll still put a nickel on it for a possible return of 21 cents.

They Called this the “Sal Special”: He became famous picking this one with my Steelers. But, Phi for the 1st half and KC for the game is +241. My 0.25 cent bet pays a potential. 60 cent return.

Favorites All Around: KC to win, Mahomes for MVP, and purple Gatorade is +953. I’ll put a dime on it to win 0.95 cents.

Run it back: Philly and Hurts MVP. 0.10 cents pays out 0.85.

Perplexing Penny Parlay/The Verdict

Okay, this one took me some time to build. I wanted to make it more realistic than last year, where I just threw it together without much thought. This single penny pays out 136.82 if it hits.

Chiefs to win (-120)

Mahomes MVP (+105)

Saquon first TD (+425)

2-point conversion (+180)

Game into overtime (+1200)

Both teams over 29.5 points (+220/+210)

Game over 48.5 (-110)

Come back in a couple of days for the Betting the Bowl LIX Post Mortem. I feel good about the bets this year, which usually means that I’m going to be way off. Enjoy the game, the snacks, and for some reason, the commercials. As a rule, I hate advertisements and I don’t understand this capitalist worship of such things.

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DC Comics February 2025

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Introduction

Ever since my decision to break Marvel into two articles, my titles from the other publishers grew. For DC Comics February 2025, I just counted nine books to read and review. In the interest of time, I think I need to bring back the old format of categories instead of reviewing each issue. As an aside, Aiden got back into posting videos on YouTube. I think I might try to start a series of my own to cover all of the books in a more efficient manner. Be on the lookout for that next month.

Decent

Writer: John Ridley, Artist: Inaki Miransa
Writer: Tom Taylor, Mikal Janin

Both anthology books land back here. After some good stories, I just didn’t care all that much about either of these books this month. I enjoyed the main titles much more and think they have a more promising future overall right now. Granted, I’ve been wrong about these things in the past. And, I hope I am this time.

Good

Writer: Chip Zdarsky, Artist: Jorge Fornes
Writer: Chip Zdarsky, Artist: Tony S. Daniel
Writer: Simon Spurrier, Artist: Vasco Gorgiev

It took a while for me to get on board with Zdarsky’s Batman. I loved his Spider-Man, but this title was hit or miss for a long time. Some great issues and then, mind bogglingly a very much not great one or two. Recently, though, this current story hooked me and I enjoyed the ride. Now that it’s over, hopefully he can keep things going. I added The Flash years ago because Aiden liked the character. Then, Joshua Williamson wrote some of the best Flash stories in my opinion. I liked Si Spurrier’s introduction, but felt like the quality fell off quickly. However, this current story is awesome and I’m fully invested.

Great

Writer: Jeremy Adams, Artist: John Timms
Writer: Torunn Gronbekk, Artist: Marianna Ignazzi
Writer: Joshua Williamson, Artist: Dan Mora
Writer: Tom Kin, Artist: Daniel Sampere

Aquaman returns in a big way. Wow, what a debut for the man “who talks to fish”. Glad they brought him back and gave him a good team to work with. Can’t wait to see where it goes. I never liked Gronbekk’s Venom or Thor much. But, I feel like she nailed Catwoman and brings the title back to the fun restart by Joelle Jones. Williamson’s Superman continues to amaze and Tom King finally figured out Wonder Woman a few issues ago and that understanding brings with it the Tom King I loved on Batman.

The Verdict

Like Marvel, DC Comics February 2025 continues a strong run. They put writers who understand the characters (imagine that!) and artists who complement the story well. I look forward to every new shipment of books. Plus, this year, we have some other media like the new Superman movie and Creature Commandos to enjoy.

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Marvel Comics February 2025

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Introduction

Well, it took a snow day and a sick day from work to finally sit down and write Marvel Comics February 2025. As I wrote last time, I need to figure out a way to maintain the holiday momentum into January. Otherwise, things go stagnant for January and then it takes some time to regain the momentum in February. Sometimes, the lag lasts until March. I hope to avoid that this year, but much of my life get put on hold periodically, so stay tuned and send some positive mojo if you can spare.

Amazing Spider-Man 66 (Legacy 960)

Writer: Justina Ireland, Artist: Adrea Broccardo

Quick Synopsis and Thoughts : Spider-Man defeated, broken, and no more? It’s all hands on deck as first Spider-Boy and then Black Cat and finally the X-Men heed the call after Spider-Man’s defeat and the looming end of the world. I fell like the new team is trying to write the former storyline, but in a much better way. So far, I enjoy this story so much more than that and it more or less follows the same pattern of fighting a literal god. Hope they keep the momentum. My verdict: Good.

The Avengers 21 (Legacy 787)

Writer: Jed MacKay, Artist: Valerio Schiti

Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: The Avengers face off against the X-Men in what Marvel promises to have far reaching implications for the future. Some fans called this one as soon as MacKay took over both titles. I never saw the first Avengers vs. X-Men story, so I welcome the chance to see the two mega teams in a battle. My verdict: Decent.

Fantastic Four 28 (Legacy 721)

Writer: Ryan North, Artist: Steven Cummings

Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: Official prologue to One World Under Doom. After failing to properly understand Magic in order to stop Doom, Sorcerer Supreme, Sue suggests that Reed can meet with The Black Knight. The Knight sends them back int time to search for a relic that they can use to help stop Doom. However, of course, not all is as it seems. I’m still pretty geeked over the trailer for the new movie, so that might color my thoughts on this one a bit. Then again, this alone remains from my favorite books since the latest reboot, so maybe I just love what they’ve done with Marvel’s first family. My verdict: Great.

The Immortal Thor 19 (Legacy 780)

Writer: Al Ewing, Artist: Many, so many

Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: While the All-Father is away, the Asgardians will…well, not quite play. There’s quite a serious storm brewing and this tells the tales of those who must respond to help fend it off. These are the kinds of stories that I love from Al Ewing. When he brings in the secondary and tertiary characters to give them a chance to shine. My verdict: Great.

The Incredible Hulk 21 (Legacy 802)

Writer: Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Artist: Danny Earls

Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: Hulk defeated the Skinwalker cult, which awakened some of the most ancient and powerful evils on the planet. Joined by Werewolf at Night, they fight against a demonic wolf. In Charlie news, she gains strength and comes closer to being a super hero. However, other changes make her wonder if she’s a hero after all. Always worried about a letdown after they finish a big story like the previous one. However, PKJ kept things going with this one. I may have lost Guardians and She Hulk, but they gave me Hulk (and hopefully Spider-Man) back. My verdict: Great

The Verdict

With the decision to write separate articles for the X-Books, Marvel Comics February 2025 is only 5 titles. But, they are some of the core titles and some of the best they’ve been in decades. Additionally, unlike some recent events, I look forward to One World Under Doom.

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Spawniverse and TMNT February 2025

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Introduction

After recommitting to the page in December, we went radio silent again last month. I think going forward, I might use January as a month to rest and recharge after the busy holiday season. But, no need to make that decision for another year or so. And, let’s jump start this month with Spawniverse and TMNT February 2025.

King Spawn 40

Writer: Rory McConville with additional script from Uncle Todd, Artist: Yildiray Cinar

Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: Spawn’s war reaches a near conclusion. While on the cusp of that conclusion, however, he gets lured into a trap. A trap that may cost him dearly due to his current lack of powers. This story initially turned me off, but I like the current angle that McConville brought over the last few issues. Bringing back Sam and Twitch and putting Spawn in mortal danger gives the story some extra oomph. My verdict: Good.

The Scorched 36

Writer: Layman with Uncle Todd on Additional Script, Artist: Steven Segovia

Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: The Scorched and The Agency square off in the hunt for Medieval Spawn. Both teams pull out all of their tricks in an attempt to best the other. Their battles level part of The Vatican. My favorite Spawniverse book and one of my favorite writers. Two great tastes that taste great together. After lagging for a few months, this one gradually regained steam to get back to that former glory. My verdict: Great.

Spawn 360

Writer: Rory McConville with Uncle Todd on Additional Script. Artist: Brett Booth.

Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: After some back story, partly to build suspense, Spawn goes to face off against Bludd. Jessica tries to talk sense into him by pointing out that it’s an obvious trap and that he needs to chill out. I mean, telling someone to calm down always works, right? Yeah, it doesn’t here, either, and Bludd absolutely demolishes a powerless Spawn. Putting McConville in charge of both main titles was a smart move. It brings a cohesiveness to the story that was missing for a while. Now, we see how Spawn survives this deadly attack. My verdict: Good.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 5

Writer: Jason Aaron, Artist: Darick Robertson

Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: Hale runs, unchecked, through New York. He lies, cheats, and steals with abandon and seemingly no repercussions. Casey Jones hopes to change that. He confronts Hale and his cronies. Hale arrests him. Casey tries to escape, but Hale shoots him and again declares himself the King of New York. No turtles this time stunts the story some. Props to Aaron for bringing Casey into the book so quickly, but is he gone just as quickly? Yikes! My verdict: Good.

Bonus: Ultimate Spider-Man 13

Writer: Jonathon HIckman, Artist: Marco Checchetto

Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: The hunt is on for Spider-Man and Green Goblin. Now, Kraven’s involved. That ups everything, in a nod to Spinal Tap, to 11. Our protagonists survive and Spidey ends up back in New York where he runs into Black Cat. As Chris says, DCBS doing DCBS things and I only received this one from my Ultimate pull list. Who the heck knows. Nevertheless, a fun story and I can’t wait to see what comes next. My verdict: Decent.

The Verdict

Overall, a good collection of books in Spawniverse and TMNT February 2025 (with an added bonus!). I didn’t care for the lack of turtles and missed some of the other Spawn books (mostly Rat City). Plus, Ultimate Spider-Man isn’t quite catching for me yet. But, there’s always time for things to improve.

On the Tabletop

Annual Game Night 2025 ?

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Introduction

Theater brought some amazing people into our lives. Unfortunately, it took us a few years to realize just how amazing. But, we made up for it over the last few years. Two years in a row, we met them for trick or treating. Last year, we hung out with them for a Halloween party, too. Then, this year, early on during break Christine invited them over to our place for what we hope to be the start of a new tradition. I’m calling it Annual Game Night 2025.

They brought snacks; crackers and cheese, spinach dip, veggies, etc. We provided our own dip (buffalo chicken) and I made chicken sliders and beef sliders. Great food, good discussion, Some controversy when the topic of musicals came up. But, I left the room and came into the living room to hang with some of the kids. One worked on a puzzle while another commented how cool the corner of our couch was. Kids find joy in the simplest things sometimes.

Blockbuster (The Game)

We finally settled enough for several people to suggest starting a game. We offered about a dozen different games and our guests brought a dozen of their own. Ambitious, to be sure. Initially, we tried to play a phone game that supposedly could be cast to the television, but that technology failed. Then someone saw the Blockbuster game and suggested we play that.

Those that know me know my love for the old video store. I watched the documentary about the last store. It almost inspired me to drive to Oregon to visit them. Instead, as Christine mentioned a couple of times during the game, I paid $10 to walk through the Blockbuster Experience at comic con. Everyone else asked me how I liked it. I said, I’d do it again without hesitation. Cool experience and the right kind of nostalgia.

We played two teams of 8, which went surprisingly well. The only snags came when some of the kids didn’t know some of the movies. But, we helped them through and it made the game even more fun in my opinion. Oh, also, the games took so long that we didn’t have time enough for any of the other games. Hence, my “ambitious” comment earlier.

The Verdict

Every January, we try to highlight new games. While I haven’t updated the header yet, I want to keep things going on the page after all the momentum I built during break. Also, I wanted to talk about how much fun the Annual Game Night 2025 was and how much we want to do it again. Stay tuned for more thought on the actual game this weekend.

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A Trip to That’s E (December 2024)

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Introduction

As we drove home from the Lego Fan Fest in Worcester, I noticed we were close to That’s Entertainment. I asked the boys if they wanted to stop. They sure did. And this is about a trip That’s E (December 2024). Well, mostly. I picked up a couple of other books to fill in recent runs. I also left far too much on the shelves. Post Christmas budgeting and all. But, I haven’t posted in almost a week and I want to keep my momentum going. Enjoy my thoughts on these two books.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Nation 1 and 2

Writer: Tom Waltz, Artist: Vincenzo Frederici

Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: This series features Raph’s journey in the fallout after issue 150. As to be expected, he hops on his motorcycle and just goes. However, something from his past detours him to Area 51. As usual, he’s faced with the possibility that he bit off more than he can chew in his life away from the turtles. They also check in with Casey Jones in another story.

A few months ago I wrote about a third TMNT comic after the reboot. While I couldn’t find it at the time, I found it during a trip to That’s E (December 2024). I’m glad that I did. I read recently that someone thinks the turtles can challenge some of the big boys for readers. I agree that, so far, they’ve done a good job with the new books. My verdict: Good.

Violator 1 – 4 (of 6)

Writer: Marc Andreyko, Artist: Various.

Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: The true (?) story of the Violator’s origins from the birth in hell through various historical tragedies on earth.

Overall, a fun take on the character that I normally don’t give a second chance in the main title. I like the unreliable narrator angle and that it ties into actual events in history. I hope we get more titles like this in the new year. My verdict: Good

The Verdict

Two decent comics that I’m glad I chose. I wasn’t expecting much from Violator, but it pleasantly surprised me. And, TMNT seems to be taking a page from Uncle Todd’s book. They expanded the “universe” so to speak, but they’re taking it piece by piece.

Violator covers taken from Image.

Digital Playground, On the Tabletop

2024 Gamer Resolutions

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Introduction

This article might be a little half baked. I just came up with the idea a couple of days ago. Also, I generally don’t do resolutions as a rule. But I threw it on the calendar to keep me updating the page on a regular basis. The momentum of the new year always carries me to at least April, so hopefully that happens again. Now, finally sitting down to write it, I came up with a couple of things to discuss. So, in no particular order, I present my 2024 gamer resolutions.

Resolution 1 – Clear the Backlog (Some)

As I understand, resolutions need to be realistic and attainable in order to be effective. Since I only have one year and my backlog consists of a pile of shame for ever console as well as buy and forget purchases on Steam, I want to set the goal at five games taken off the list. Top of this list is Hades. I’ve been slowly working my way through this game for the better part of 4 years. I now have new found inspiration from the fact that I started and finished the story of Pikmin 3 in less than a week. Having my own Switch definitely helps with this one. While a recent addition, I think that I can finish Spider-Man no problem because I’m obsessed. It just becomes a race if I can do it before Aiden. Probably not. Lastly, I don’t think I ever finished Diablo III and I know for a fact I never finished any of the Fallout series.

Chris recommended you. Liam bought you for Christmas. I owe it to them both to finally finish you.
Is a game really part of your backlog if you just bought it? Philosophical questions like this are part of the reason I never finish a game.
Oh, Skyrim. You were there for me when I was an unemployed stay at home dad. Now that I’m working, I let you sit on the shelf and collect dust. Oh, cruel fates for us both.

2 – Stream or Share Gaming Content

This one keeps coming up every so often. As part of my desire to try to build a community around the page, I want to stream and make the YouTube page more active. Every now and then, I find ways to accomplish this for a time, but it always falls to the wayside as one of the first things to go when things get busy. Maybe with this resolution guiding me, I can actually make it happen this year.

3 – Support Indie Developers

This one wont’ be a problem. I love exploring new games by smaller companies. Initially it started from the games that Humble Bundle provided. However, I like the games so much that I often search for them first on Steam when I need something new to play. A game for two to five dollars that brings me hours or days of entertainment is worth the price every single time.

4 – Explore Gaming History

While we love our history here at 2 Generations Gaming, we rarely focus exclusively on that. Maybe in August, our anniversary, we can set aside some time to look at the history of all different types of games. The Retroid Pocket makes that easy for video games. Reddit and other search engines can bring me back to the golden ages of different tabletop games as well.

5 – Introduce Friends and Family to Games

I make no secret about my desire to introduce my family to Dungeons and Dragons. I tried once, but failed miserable. Then I tried to come up with ways to make it better, but the interest waned. Quinn and I played a couple of sessions and that was fun. But, I really just want to have a monthly session with them for an ongoing campaign.

I also wrote recently that both Chris and Christine showed interest in Warhammer. I need more experience with that to show anyone else how to play. But, I suppose we could play through the tutorials together and learn at the same time. The family that plays together stays together.

The Verdict

I think I have a good list to 2024 gamer resolutions here. Something for every aspect of my gaming life. What about all of you out there? Do you have any 2024 gamer resolutions to take into the new year?

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X-Books December 2024

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Introduction

Having missed out on the Krakoa era, I went overboard on the Marvel mutants. I have 7 different titles for X-Books December 2024. And, when I went to That’s Entertainment after the Lego Fest in Worcester, I looked at 3 or 4 other titles and considered picking them up. I might have even pulled the trigger on Psylocke. She was always my favorite growing up. What can I tell you? I have a soft spot for the B-listers that fight their way to the A-list.

Exceptional X-Men 3

Writer: Eve Ewing, Artist: Carmen Carnero

Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: Kitty wants nothing to do with the X-Men. Nope, not at all. She needs a break after all that went down. Please, stop trying to rope her into forming a new X-Team with brand new mutants. Especially you, Emma Frost. Do you need some discouragement from my fists? Emma and Kitty face off and Kitty ends up as foster Mom to Axo, Bronze, and Melee. But, what’s this? At the end, an Ice Man appears as the cavalry. I wonder what his name is.

This book is tons of fun right now. It reads very much like Rainbow Rowell’s She Hulk. Can a big city X-girl really have it all? Probably not, but it’s fun to watch her try. If they’re thinking about rebooting the title, either Ewing or Gronbekk should be on the short list. My verdict: Good.

Nyx 4 and 5

Writers: Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing, Artists: Enid Balam, Francesco Mortarino

Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: The Nyxers work hard to find their places in the post Krakoa mutant landscape. This is made more complicated by The Quiet Council and the Peacekeepers. Also, just the hustle and bustle of New York City. If they can make it there, they can make it anywhere.

Kelly and Lanzing breathe life into a new band of misfits that become a family. While this one doesn’t deal with an intergalactic threat that was once part of the family, they still have quite a bit that keeps them on their toes. Like Exceptional, I like the personal touches on this title. Let the other X-Men fight the Avengers. Some of us need to help less fortunate mutants. My verdict: Good.

Phoenix 5

Writer: Stephanie Philips, Artist: Alessandro Miracolo

Quick Synposis and Thoughts: Phoenix continues to deal with the fallout and the assassins sent after her. All while contending with her role as the Phoenix and what that means to her and others. On the last page, the big man himself reveals that he wants to take over the council and then, of course, all of creation.

Of the new X-Books, this isn’t one of my favorites. Having already told you that I like the personal stories in NYX and Exceptional, this one spans the galaxy and galactic threats. I guess I’m in my “relatable comic book heroes” era. My verdict: Decent.

Psylocke 1 and 2

Writer: Alyssa Wong, Artist: Vincenzo Carratu

Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: Psylocke brings her brutal energy and assassin training to the X-Men. They decide that those methods are too extreme and kick her off the team. With no support, she finds herself in a familiar position. She will need to survive on her own. No problem there.

I don’t know how I feel about this new iteration of Psylocke. She feels a little too much like Wolverine in her mannerisms and attitude. But, I’ll give the book a chance. Because I like the writing and art. More often than not, things tend to work out. My verdict: Decent

The Uncanny X-Men 5 and 6 (Legacy 705 and 706)

Writer: Gail Simone, Artist: Javier Garron

Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: The finale to the Red Wave story where they face a supernatural threat that reveals a secret that threatens to tear the young team apart. But, Rogue manages to keep them together and starts a new school in her home state. That leads to a whole slew of other potential problems.

Gail Simone nicely balances the human and superhuman in her characters. Where I normally might not enjoy this title because of the huge paranormal threat, she follows it up with a story that we can all relate to. School sucks. I know. My verdict: Great

X-Force 5 (Legacy 295)

Writer: Geoffrey Thorne, Artist: Marcus To

Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: All hell breaks loose in this one. The Avengers show up to deal with the Nuklo threat. That leads to an all out melee that is then broken up by The Phoenix. A team member dies and another quits the team, questioning Forge’s humanity and leadership. To be fair, it deserves questioning.

All I have to say is, “Wow.” And, I’ll add a “Holy shit.” So much went down in this book. But, Thorne handled it all well. I never cared all that much for X-Force growing up, but I like this team. The dynamic between the characters is phenomenal. The story felt disjointed at first, but all came together in this issue. Plus, Forge is just so brutally efficient as a leader. Harsh. My verdict: Great.

X-Men 7 (Legacy 307)

Writer: Jed MacKay, Artist: Netho Diaz

Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: We open on Scott’s Alaska camp during the Iron Night. He mopes as only Scott can while discussing recent events with Magneto. A Sentinel descends on the town and they fight it together. Magneto gets in the killing blow. The issue ends with Beat getting abducted during a phone call.

MacKay’s X-Men is taking some time to get going. I suppose it makes sense give the massive aftermath they are dealing with. But, it’s still a little frustrating that the main title lags behind all of the others when it comes to story and character development. Oh well, I have a feeling he will turn it around sooner rather than later. My verdict: Decent.

The Verdict (X-Books December 2024)

So many books to read and review. As you saw, I picked up Psylocke at the comic book store. a pleasant surprise to go with some other great books from my DCBS order of X-Books December 2024. Strange that the main title is probably the slowest right now, but that won’t be true for long.

Images taken from Marvel.com

Digital Playground

Gaming Gifts 2024

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Introduction

As often happens in the family, many of the gifts this year involved games and gaming. I purchased an Atari 7800+ for myself that Christine suggested that I put aside for Christmas. I wondered if the boys would even care about it. Surprisingly, they all said, “Cool!” when they saw it. However, it remains in the box. That’s because Aiden went above and beyond this Christmas. He bought us all a PS5 with the Spider-Man games and Minecraft. While we start there, those aren’t the only gaming gifts 2024.

Atari 7800+

I finally caved to the pressure and nostalgia a few months ago. I saw that Atari advertised the 7800+ with a new game and controllers for a good price. I thought, why the hell not? I bought all those cartridges when I bought the Retron emulator. Plus, the 2600 and 7800 have a robust homebrew scene. And, we all know how I feel about the guys over at Audacity games. It felt like a no brainer. I played some of the Bentley’s game to test it out but, like I said, it remains in the box for now still under the tree.

Sony Playstation 5

I wanted to play these games since they released 6 years ago. Then, Insomniac came out with a second one and that reignited the fire. I guess it finally registered with Aiden because he purchased a Playstation 5 for all of us for Christmas with these games. We have all been taking turns playing through the game and watching each other play the game. Numerous times, we’ve said, I love playing this game. Aiden, the other day, said, I’m obsessed with this game. It truly is remarkable. The same way that the Arkham games made you feel like Batman, this one puts you in the Spider Suit and that’s something I’ve wanted my whole life. This one is going to get a ton of play. Hell, I even invited Chris over for some Madden or NHL soon.

Retroid Pocket

I can’t remember how I discovered this little gem. But, it immediately caught my eye and I ordered one. I played it a few times, even using it to capture game play footage for the YouTube channel and some articles. Then, I showed Liam that it emulated GameCube games. He more or less commandeered it. But, that’s okay. Because I have a problem, I just ordered another one for myself that should be arriving sometime this week. I also, for some reason, threw in one of the minis to my order. Hey, I told you. I have a problem.

Nintendo Switch Lite

Probably the console that received the most play from me during this vacation is my Switch. I swapped out Hades a couple of weeks ago for Pikmin 3. I played that up to the final level in the game this week and hope to beat it in the next day or two. After that, I plan to focus on Hades to finish that one out.

The Verdict

Some great gaming gifts 2024 for the 2 Generations Gaming family. Plenty to take me into January and the “New Year, New Games” theme. I hope you all received the gifts you wanted this year and that they bring much joy in the year to come. We will be here multiple times a week to talk about the games we enjoy.

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Marvel Comics December 2024

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Introduction

Thanks to the number of X-Books I ordered, The Incredible Hulk reaching a milestone issue, and writing a separate article for the two Ultimate titles that arrived, I only have 4 titles to review for Marvel Comics December 2024. Two of them have two issues each, though, so a total of six books in the queue. A far cry from a few months ago, but much more manageable as a group.

Amazing Spider-Man 61 and 62 (Legacy 955 and 956)

Writer: Joe Kelly, Artist: Ed McGuinness.

Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: Strange surrendered the power of the Sorcerer Supreme to Doom in an attempt to save the world. He uses that power to pick Spidey as his champion in a fight against supernatural enemies. This results in a new magical suit and powers plus eight lives with which to accomplish the task. As the title of the arc suggests, he’s two for two on using up those lives in the battles. Pretty gruesome deaths, too.

You all know that I took a long hiatus from ASM. I just couldn’t do it anymore. I hated everything that Zeb Wells did with the character. They made up for it by bringing Kelly on to right the ship with classic Spidey artist, Ed McGuinness. So far, the pace and tone of the title is much better and I think I’m going to be okay with Spidey going forward. My verdict: Good

The Avengers 20 (Legacy 786)

Writer: Jed MacKay, Artist: Farid Karami

Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: This issue follows up on the story of Black Panther in the alternate dimension. He fights to free the prisoners from that prison as the rest of the team works on the outside to keep Doom at bay. This issue focuses completely on his story and ends with a question from T’Challa about his potential future.

I enjoyed this issue quite a bit. I think it’s my favorite Avengers issue since the first story line. What’s funny is that it’s essentially a Black Panther solo story. But, it’s the kind of Panther story that I prefer. On the ground (admittedly in an alternate dimension) fighting for the liberation of others. My verdict: Good

Captain America 14 and 15 (Legacy 764 and 765)

Writer: JMS, Artists: Carlos Magno and Jesus Sais

Quick Thoughts and Synopsis: In the shadow of the madness of his previous adventure, Cap teams up with two other former Avengers for this next one. They embark on the mission that, as others have promised (or threatened) will bring them together or tear them apart. The first stop is a small town in Oklahoma where they learn of Thor’s shame experienced there. They fight against Dark Asgard to save the soul of the town and it may prove to be too much after all.

I wrote that the previous adventure felt too supernatural for a Captain America story. This one continues that trend, so I guess JMS is just bringing that corner of the Marvel Comics into Captain America. It makes more sense with Thor on his side, but still feels a little weird. Normally I like weird. I just think the imbalance of real life tempers my enjoyment some. My verdict: Decent.

The Immortal Thor 17 (Legacy 778)

Writer: Al Ewing, Artist: Jan Bazaldua

Quick Synopsis and Thoughts: The past again catches up with the Thunder God. Four gods, called into being by his enemies, stalk Thor. While he could defeat them individually, their mutual hatred and ability to work together might finally do him in and end his reign already. However, he defeats them. Enchantress comes to him and they go back to meet his son, Magni.

I normally love everything Ewing does. His Hulk remains my favorite version of the character ever. Then, he brought Venom some semblance of sanity before the whole Knull nonsense. His Thor, though, confuses me. I never entirely understood the Roxxon beginning of the story, then things started to come together and now he throws us another curveball with Magni. I hold out hope that he’ll bring all these threads together. Right now, though, I’m confused. My verdict: Decent.

The Verdict

Marvel Comics December 2024 is a mixed bag. I’m glad Spidey’s back. The Avengers Black Panther story was great. Cap and Thor feel like both writers are taking too many liberties right now with the characters and stories. But, they’re still mostly enjoyable, so I’ll forgive them for now.

Pictures taken from Marvel.