All the anticipation I have ever had boiled down to that final moment when I pushed play on my PS3 to watch the recorded first two episodes of the Legend of the Seeker (My area did not carry the show. I acquired it through other means). The sheer awesomeness I was about to witness ran through my head. I had just finished reading all the books and  everything is fresh on my mind. This will be epic.

Now, I’m going to take a time out here and state that yes, I am aware certain deviations were going to take place in the translation to an episodic TV formula. I did read the announcement letter.

Continuing, I watched with a twinkle in my eye as things familiar started happening. Then slowly, my mind started fumbling with pieces of a puzzle that should fit together but were now in the wrong shape. Things were familiar but different. It was like the show was rubbed on cheese grater and instead of using what was left of the block of cheese, they used the scraps. Filaments of the books exists, mostly in names of characters, but these aren’t the same characters. No, no - they are mere shadows of the characters in the book during an eclipse of the sun.

I found myself distracted during the show. Things that I knew held importance in the books were cast aside. I could not stop thinking about them and how the show could even follow the arcs in the books without them. My frame of mind was my prison. Having read the books barred me from watching the show. My fiancee got up and left at the end of the first episode. Her mind wouldn’t even let her get past the first fundamental flaw (all I’m going to say is: Book of Counted Shadows) and she is only on Blood of the Fold.

I really wish I could open my skull take out my knowledge of the books. If I was able, I’m pretty sure this could be one of those awesome shows that I rush home to see in time. Sadly, for me and I suspect many others, this might just be torture.

Lets start of by saying this was the longest series of books I have read. While Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game series is roughly the same number of books, Sword of Truth books seem a lot thicker individually. This series is fantastic. I recommend this to any fantasy or even science-fiction reader because I read more science-fiction then fantasy and I was intrigued. Please, I implore you read the first book, Wizard’s First Rule, at least. If you don’t feel like picking up the second one, fine. But I bet you will

If you don’t want any spoilers, I don’t recommend reading any further as I will be discussing points that I would like to point out in various spots in the series. (more…)

In this issue, we dive into the mind of Kovacs, or Rorschach. Dr. Malcolm thinks he understands this guy. Seriously I think it is the other way around. Rorschach understands Dr. Malcolm.

Best part of this issue was the flashback when Kovacs became Rorschach. He gave that dude a choice. Either he didn’t take the choice or he failed at doing it, I don’t know. What a way to go though. He deserved it though. Bastard.

RAW SHARK DOWN!!! Oh noes! This story is unfolding like a thrown roll of toilet paper over a tree at 2 am. Oh the thrills! I’m picking up chapter 6 as soon as I am done writing this review.

Let me say that I didn’t see that one coming. This are unraveling that I don’t know what part it will play in the future. How will he get out of this situation? What is Jon doing? Who is evil? Who is behind all this? What is going to happen to me when I find out all these answers?

Oh, and I hope that pirate lives. He is badass.

So I was browsing around the internets and I happened (or should I say… “stumbled upon”?) an interesting concept on MahShelf. You remember looking at the Best Buy ad for your area on the internet and flipping through page by page? Well apply that to some popular comic books and manga and you got yourself a nice lunch break. The real kicker is you can also put up your webcomics. I think I saw an archive of CAD on there. I can’t wait for this to get more comics. Maybe then I can read the real rare ones from WAY WAY back.

The interface is set up strikingly similar to YouTube and there are some great finds on there currently. Who knew about some Star Wars Manga? SCHWIING! Anyway, since I am in the middle of reading the Watchmen, maybe I’ll hit up MahShelf site and read the rest?

MahShelf was publicly released to beta June 2008. Recommend you check this out and see what it has to offer.

EDIT: Looks like Watchmen was removed as well as some other prominent comic books. Perhaps some legal issues in the future?

Well, let me begin by saying, overall Warhammer Online was very enjoyable. Most of the issues I have I’m going to present here to be addressed perhaps in hopes of being fixed in the future. Let me start off by saying I’ve played FFXI (2 sad years), WoW (3? or 4? lost years),  some Age of Conan and a tad of Lord of the Rings Online.

Lets start with the little technical things that are quite easily fixed. My fiancee, Meghan, and I have the same computer. Serious. The specifications are:

Intel Core 2 Duo E8500
EVGA 750i FTW motherboard
Corsair 4gb (2g x 2) Duel Channel PC2 8500
BFG 8800 GT 512mb

The only difference is that I run Vista Business and she runs Windows XP. I would periodically crash randomly in scenarios, load screens, or even walking down the road. It happened after at least 2-3 hours of game play. Not a big deal at all, just saying it happened. Also, one time during a Public Quest in the Shadowlands all of a sudden the graphics started tearing, the NPC models disappeared and all I saw was the shields and weapons. Meghan never experienced a single issue. She also loads 3-4 seconds faster then me in all cases.

The level of graphics seemed to be throttled down, imo. I kept looking for a setting to make it a little better, but never found it. It is totally playable though. I think the engine is intentionally built like this to support a large number of people on the same screen, which I totally understand. Then again, I am just coming off from playing Crysis so… I might just be spoiled.

Game play thoughts after the break.

(more…)

Wow, dude really took it personal and GTFO’d… to Mars. At the same time, I later learned that he saw this coming. WTF. I can’t imagine seeing the past and the future as they are happening in real time. I would like to think if I had all that power, I would try to do good with it. I don’t know if I would let the government be my puppet though. That would make me feel obligated to stay because the moment I leave… the peace I hold leaves.

I would have turned the whole planet Mars into a “deathstar” though. He made himself a pansy Sailor Moon castle.