Nerdalert 01

/1

nerdalert

November 2014

THE EVERYNERD MAGAZINE

ARE WE BURNED OUT ON CROSSOVERS? WHAT IS WUXIA?

PAGE 13

PAGE 20

SHOWDOWN: D&D 3.X VS. PATHFINDER PAGE 4

TRENDS IN CRIME DRAMA PAGE 10

NEW COMIC & MOVIE REVIEWS PAGE 17, PAGE 23, PAGE 26

Index / 2

INDEX 3

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

4

ROLL OF THE DICE D&D 3.X Vs. Pathfinder: the good, the bad, and the streamlined

7

EAST ASIAN DRAMAS An Introduction

10 NEW CRIME DRAMAS The Rise of True Detective & Fargo 13

CROSSED OUT

17

AT THE MOVIES Lucy

20 WUXIA [武侠] 23 PULL LIST Black Market 26 PULL LIST Weapon Brown 28 GEEK CULTURE Don’t talk to me about Gamergate.

Letter from the Editor / 3

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

by Juan Dougnac

According to Ernest Hemingway, writing is a simple process: all you do is sit in front of a typewriter and bleed.

While it sounds a bit dramatic, it’s true that writing means taking a part of yourself and splattering it on the paper or screen. When we write—no matter how trivial the subject—we put forward part of ourselves for everyone to see.

It is for this reason, and many others, that I am thankful to those who decided to join this project. Whether writing, drawing or designing, all of them took time out of their lives to create something new. It has been a blast, taking all these pearls of nerdy knowledge and help their creators turn them into as much as they can be.

We want to be as diverse as possible, and I think this first issue is a good start: we have a few comic book reviews, along a comment on Pathfinder and a review on Fargo and True Detective, as well as a few other surprises.

Since this is only the first issue, there will undoubtedly be plenty of mistakes to be fixed. Rest assured that those are due to lack of experience rather than lack of effort. With your help and continued support, I’m sure this magazine can become all it can be as well.

Thanks for taking the time to read this humble piece of text and images. If in doing so you enjoy it even half as much as we did creating the magazine, we will be happy.

Regards, Juan Dougnac, editor.

EXECUTIVE EDITOR: JUAN DOUGNAC

HTTPS://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/NERDALERTMAGAZINE

COVER ARTIST: BERNADETTA PASTUSZKA

NERD.ALERT@GMX.COM

CREATIVE DIRECTOR: RAE YUNG WRITERS: DYAN BERMEO

MIGUEL SANZ

JUAN DOUGNAC

REN VAN DER TANG

API NGO

IAN YARINGTON

ANNIE ONG

TODD ZVERLOFF

DESIE RICKMAN

Roll of the Dice: D&D 3.X vs. Pathfinder / 4

ROLL OF THE DICE

by Ren van der Tang

THE WAR CRY OF MANY A PC: “LOOT OR DEATH!’

Recently, Wizards of the Coast released the fifth edition of their flagship roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons.

A little before that they printed revised versions of the Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and Monster Manual from third edition (which was collectively known as 3.5). Along with that, we also have Paizo’s Pathfinder game, known for some as “D&D 3.75”.

With all those products on the market, it can be hard for a newbie to figure out where to start, and even veterans can get confused at the tangle of products offered.

In this review, I’ll highlight some of the main differences between D&D 3.X and Pathfinder, the two most similar products.

PATHFINDER’S BACKSTORY Pathfinder is a role-playing game

by Paizo, a company with intimate ties to D&D through its having published the Dragon and Dungeon mag-

D&D 3.X Vs. Pathfinder: the good, the bad, and the streamlined azines for Wizards of the Coast.

After deciding not to renew the license for these magazines, Wizards of the Coast published the fourth edition of D&D, which many fans felt was alienating to the original fanbase, as well as a cynical attempt to appeal to console gamers. To fill the gap left after 3.X was no longer supported, Paizo created Pathfinder. Making use of the socalled Open Gaming License—which allows any company to use and publish material

Roll of the Dice: D&D 3.X vs. Pathfinder / 5

for D&D so long as it’s also for open use— Paizo made several changes, while keeping the core experience and principles intact.

A lot of the changes Pathfinder makes to the basic 3.X formula make the game more interesting. Feats now come in at every other level, instead of every third, and even the standard classes such as fight-

cept and then represent them accurately in the rules. You don’t have to start at level ten or higher to get the elbow room you need.

It’s not just character-building that has been diversified and made more fun. Special combat tricks like tripping and disarming your opponent have been made easier and more straighforward through the

PATHFINDER SHOWS A STUNNING VISUAL QUALITY IN ALL ITS SPLATBOOKS

er and rogue get unique features and mechanics. If you buy material beyond the core rulebook you also get access to things like archetypes, which modify the core classes, and alternative racial traits.

All this tallies up to a game where it’s easy to come up with a specific character con-

new Combat Maneuver Bonus and Combat Maneuver Defense mechanics (CMB and CMD for short). Rather than having a different formula for each trick, you simply roll a D20 and add your CMB. You then compare the result against the target’s CMD, which is a static value, and determine whether you succeeded or failed. It’s an elegant mechanic that streamlines the system by using the basic D20 system you’re already using for most other things you do.

“ ” It’s not all frolicking in

sunshine with butterflies.

CONCERNS & DRAWBACKS It’s not all frolicking in sunshine with butterflies, however, as some of the changes range from the odd to the downright jarring. Two stand out specifically as examples of the things I think went wrong: First of all, the change to skills, which makes it so that class skills simply receive a flat +3 if you’ve put even one point in it, rather than the 3.X version in which non-class skill levels took double points to buy. I liked that 3.X moved away from AS WITH THE ORIGINAL D&D, PATHFINDER’S SUPPLEMENTS GREATLY EXPAND THE CLASSES AVAILABLE TO YOUR CHARACTER

Roll of the Dice: D&D 3.X vs. Pathfinder / 6

second edition’s ideas about cross-class skills, because I think it’s fun to have diversity in your character building options.

But this goes a bit too far out the other end, since a +3 can become rather trivial once you go much past level ten.

The second is a change to the cleric’s class ability Turn Undead, which has been renamed “Channeling”. It is now a burst of positive or negative energy that heals or damages the living and the undead as appropriate for an amount of damage determined by level. There is a bit of saving grace there, in that you can pick an alternate energy type that gives some minor bonus besides the healing, but it never gets quite as exciting or dynamic as Turn Undead.

SHOULD YOU TRY PATHFINDER? The great thing about Pathfinder is, however, that it’s so similar to 3.X you can simply splice whichever parts of it you like better back into the mix. Prefer the old way? Simply use that then, it’s nearly always seamless.

PREVIOUS STORY

BEING A REINVENTION OF D&D, IT SHOULDN’T SURPRISE US TO FIND MOST OF ITS TYPICAL ELEMENTS: ELVES, DWARVES… AND, OF COURSE, DRAGONS

And of course, another big advantage is that Pathfinder is available entirely online, entirely for free, and all of that entirely legally. Paizo maintains a wiki-format website with all of the game’s information only a search away, and they even include errata, designers’ notes, and third party material.

For people who are looking for an entry point into Dungeons and Dragons, Pathfinder is great because it’s accessible and streamlined. If you’re an experience player setting up a game for some newbies. The only real rival it has right now is fifth edition D&D, which I’ll be taking a look at in a future issue.

BACK TO THE INDEX

NEXT STORY

About the Author Ren van der Tang is a queer voice actor and writer of science fictive fantasy, aiming to soon move to New Zealand, but in the meantime you can find him in the Netherlands.

He’s on twitter as @cynicuswrites and occasionally even tweets, or you can find him on tumblr as steelbark, where you can see stuff he reblogs.

East Asian Dramas: An Introduction / 7

EAST ASIAN DRAMAS

An Introduction

by Desie Rickman J-DRAMAS LIKE ‘LOVE AFFAIRS IN THE AFTERNOON’ ARE USUALLY MORE DARING THAN THOSE FROM KOREA OR TAIWAN

Living in the United States, it can be pretty easy to forget that it is not the only country producing movies and entertainment for the world.

Considering the fact that the U.S. has Hollywood, Disney, Universal Studios and a long list of entertainment companies making movies and shows, an individual would have to take a step away from the oversaturation of American media to recognize the phenomenal productions being made in other countries.

Thanks to film festivals, independent movie theaters, and streaming sites like Netflix and Hulu, people now have access to excellent productions from other countries. Bollywood—the Indian film industry—has a history filled with excellent movies and notable actors, France is the birthplace of cinema and Great Britain continues to produce highly rated television shows.

However, in comparison to Western countries and India, it seems that the excellent productions being created in China, Taiwan, Korea and Japan are still flying under the radar. I didn’t even watch my first East Asian drama until 2012, so even though their productions are slowly gaining momentum in Western markets, it won’t be easy to break down those cultural barriers.

This is where I come in. As an aspiring journalist interested in the study of East Asia, it’s important for me to use my skills to serve as a gateway for those individuals who want to learn more about this part of the world. I will review some East Asian dramas and movies that I think are worth checking out, as well as those not-sogood productions you may want to avoid.

COMMON TERMS In preparation for my first official review, there are some terms I will frequently use that you may need to know.

T-Drama: Taiwanese Drama. Taiwan is a small island off the coast of southeast China. Most of the people speak Mandarin, so through these shows you’ll learn

East Asian Dramas: An Introduction / 8

more about Chinese culture and, more specifically, the Taiwanese people.

J-Drama: Japanese Drama. Many of our readers will probably be most familiar with Japan because of the anime, manga and video games that are being consumed around the world.

As with the adult content of those media, J-Dramas are MY LOVE FROM ANOTHER STAR. VOTED KOREA’S FAVORITE PROGRAM IN 2014 arguably the most risqué of the East Asian dramas that I’ve seen. dialogues about the similarities and K-Drama: (South) Korean Drama. As far differences of customs displayed in as I know, North Korea doesn’t have any each country’s respective media. cinema outside of propaganda, so unforA lot of first time viewers will recogtunately I won’t be able to cover all of the nize trends and formulas of certain dradramas coming from the Korean peninsumas and movies, such as sex or sexual la. Most of the dramas that I’ve currently situations being toned down or nearseen have been from South Korea, so exly nonexistent—except Japan... Japan pect a lot of reviews from this category. is almost always the exception. Love stories are usually the central plot to WHAT TO EXPECT many of the dramas, so questions will These are the three main categories be raised about how the writers and that I will be addressing in my reviews. producers of those shows get around And, once I have a more extensive library, that important part of a relationship.

I will also do reviews for East Asian movSome of the best East Asian dramas ies. To keep things simple, I will be using a have also been picked up for Western five-star system to rate each drama. adaptations. The South Korean drama The goal is to increase awareness “My Love from Another Star” is an excelabout the cinematic industries of East lent example, with a remake under deAsia while spreading the culture, fun facts velopment at the broadcasting company and the languages. I am aiming to start ABC. Asian actors and actresses have

“

I am aiming to start

dialogues about the

similarities and differences of customs displayed in each country’s respective media.

THE FIERCE WIFE. TAIWANESE DRAMA. A HAPPY MARRIAGE TURNS INTO A BATTLE WHEN THE HUSBAND CHEATS ON HIS WIFE WITH HER COUSIN

East Asian Dramas: An Introduction / 9

also been making a splash in Hollywood, such as Korean recording artist Rain (비) having a lead role in the 2009 movie “Ninja Assassin” and starring alongside Bruce Willis and John Cusack in 2014’s “The Prince.”

The examples above also reflect the phenomenon known as the Hallyu Wave or Craze, which is the rapid rise of interest in the cinema, music and culture of South Korea. All of this and more will be discussed in detail in later articles.

As a disclaimer, I am not an East Asian expert. I have a high interest in their culture, cinema and music, but there may be times when I am wrong. I will do my best to be as accurate as possible, but mistakes can happen. As I do these reviews, I hope to use this as a learning experience as well.

Also, while I have a rather large library for my reviews, I have not seen every show released by Taiwan, Korea and Japan. If there are any readers that may have suggestions, feel free to send them in and I will do my

PREVIOUS STORY

JUNG JI-HOON. ACTOR, MUSICIAN, MODEL AND OVERALL KOREAN CELEBRITY

best to watch them. And if there are any Chinese dramas (Mandarin or Cantonese) that I should look into, feel free to let me know. I don’t know much about C-Dramas, but that can change if the demand is there.

This has been a rather short introduction to East Asian dramas and my upcoming reviews, but I’m looking forward to giving my opinion on some of the best and cringe-worthy dramas I have watched so far.

BACK TO THE INDEX

NEXT STORY

About the Author Desie Rickman is a young and aspiring writer who prefers writing that conversates rather than writing that lectures. This budding author plans on writing a novel with new strong, female characters for girls and women around the world. Until then, she loves curling up with a good book, anime or foreign drama for her stay-in nights (which is basically every night). You can catch her writing about arts and entertainment for The Ohio State University’s The Lantern, singing K-Pop and trying to show off her novice Korean-speaking skills.

New Crime Dramas: The Rise of True Detective & Fargo / 10

NEW CRIME DRAMAS

The Rise of True Detective & Fargo

By Miguel Sanz Jiménez

Crime dramas are a key genre in the new golden age of television fiction we are TRUE DETECTIVE DEALS WITH THE LIMITLESS DARK SIDE OF HUMANKIND enjoying, but they main characters will face and close a new have been there for a while. case. Examples of this are current shows As it happens with dramas featuring lawyers and doctors, crime shows focus on the moral side of the job, the chase of the suspects and the investigations of clues and evidence, leaving aside tedious paperwork and legal procedures. They usually take place on megalopolis like New York City, LA or Chicago, which become another character in the story. Crime dramas have a predilection for procedural structures, which means that every week our

such as CSI, Castle and Hawaii Five-O. This trend of police shows has changed in 2014. It still goes on but, thanks to shows like The Sopranos, The Wire, or Boardwalk Empire, the writer is now the core of the show.

These shows introduced more mature, elaborated plots, and also inherited movies’ production process and narrative resources.

This is what has happened in True Detective and Fargo: they both present independent, self-contained seasons that will not share actors, locations or characters with the upcoming installments. Instead, their only constant element will be a single writer: Nic Pizzolatto and Noah Hawley, respectively.

SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES Pizzolatto’s crime drama was released at the start of 2014 on HBO. True Detective is set in an uncommon location: the

LESTER NYGAARD (MARTIN FREEMAN) IS AN INSURANCE SALESMAN WHO GETS INFLUENCED BY THE VIOLENT LORNE MALVO (BILLY BOB THORNTON).

New Crime Dramas: The Rise of True Detective & Fargo / 11

swamps of Louisiana, the eerie and magical bayou that echoes Alan Moore’s run on Swamp Thing. Literary references do not stop here: as the police work goes on, audiences will witness breathtaking allusions to H.P. Lovecraft’s cosmic horror gods as well as to Ambrose Bierce’s “An Inhabitant of Carcosa”. Yet deep within True Detective we have a crime story rooted on the conventions of police investigation fiction and buddy movies. The relationship between Rustin Cohle and Martin Hart is enriched by the examination of the limitless dark side of humankind, capable of monstrous atrocities. There is also the presence of nobility, of those who fight darkness with light, embodied by our two main characters.

Fargo shares some of True Detective’s topics, but instead of being filled with literary references, Noah Hawley’s show follows the pattern of the 1996 Coen brothers’ movie of the same name, paying tribute to it every other episode. Aired in spring 2014 by FX, Fargo goes to the opposite setting of crime dramas and moves the action to a remote town in rural Minnesota. Savagery and heinous crimes can take place in a frozen land as well. Snowed plains are transformed into

“

TITLE CARDS FROM TRUE DETECTIVE AND FARGO

There is also the presence of nobility, of those who fight darkness with light, embodied by our two main characters.

”

New Crime Dramas: The Rise of True Detective & Fargo / 12

a jungle where predators as mysterious and sadistic as Lorne Malvo and the ambitious Lester Nygaard hunt for their next prey. Their inner darkness is only matched by the values embodied by a kind-hearted police officer and a determined sheriff’s deputy, thus portraying a clash of opposites similar to True Detective’s.

NEXT FOR CRIME DRAMA New life has been brought to the repetitive and decaying TV crime dramas.

Stereotypical mysteries, such as kidnappings, crimes of passion and money laundering, have been replaced by gruesome killings in gloomy atmospheres. Stock characters, small-time crooks and self-righ-

PREVIOUS STORY

teous detectives have moved on. Their spots have been taken by those who embody true evil and the flawed law-enforcers determined to chase them. The relatively civilized world of New York City and Los Angeles is nowhere to be found in the southern swamps or in the northern plains, where nefarious outsiders lurk.

Crime drama has experienced a change in 2014, both in its structure and approach to fictional police investigation. Shows like Fargo and True Detective stand out for their own merits thanks to their self-contained, carefully-planned first seasons. We will be on the lookout for whatever changes their sequels bring about to crime fiction.

BACK TO THE INDEX

NEXT STORY

Miguel Sanz Jiménez

About the Author Bio

Miguel Sanz Jiménez studied English Linguistics & Literature in Madrid, Spain, and Contemporary American Literature in Chicago. An avid reader, he has written several short stories that show his interest in the conventions of genres like crime, horror and sci-fi. He has his own blog, What’s the Rumpus?, where he posts articles about comic books, movies and TV shows. He has collaborated with different blogs and has interviewed entertainment figures like director Rian Johnson.

Feature: Crossed Out / 13

CROSSED OUT

By Todd Zverloff

The Kree have invaded New York City. There’s chaos and destruction everywhere.

But don’t worry! Spiderman, the Avengers and all of the other heroes in NYC will take care of it. That’s how we want it to go, right? We want to see our heroes team up to take down the collective evils of the world, don’t we? Of course we do, that’s why we read comics month after month.

Unfortunately, as of late, the concept of moderation has become lost on the two

major comic publishers. Both DC and Marvel comics have had universe-wide crossovers going on in some form for the better part of two years now. While we love to see our heroes team up with one another, there has to come a point where it ends.

Of course, I need to preface all of this by noting my concern for continuity.

None of my arguments from here on mean much if you aren’t looking at these worlds as dynamic places, where the actions of the characters and the outcomes of the stories have lasting effects. I am looking

Feature: Crossed Out / 14

at everything in terms of individual character and universe-wide continuity: both Marvel and DC are very concerned about the continuity of their characters and their worlds and, in general, readers are too.

WHAT MAKES CROSSOVERS WORK I think the key to a good crossover is the aftermath. You can have a story where everyone comes together and rights wrongs and whatnot, but unless something has a lasting effect on a character or two, it’s just another Avengers or Justice Leaguetype story. The crossover is meant to be more epic and have repercussions that ripple throughout the universe. If not, why else pull everyone out of their own individual worlds? I don’t mean that someone has to die (though Marvel and DC seem to think that’s the only way to be epic in scope), but at least one character needs to be changed in some way. They need to come out of it with a different outlook on things, for better or worse. That dynamic nature is what makes these characters fun. After all, you can’t have a character around for fifty plus years without some life-changing tribulations along the way.

The dark secret to all of this is that the story doesn’t even have to be particularly good. The crossover can work, even

“ ” The dark secret to all of this is that the story doesn’t even have to be particularly good.

if it’s less than stellar, in its ability to play out over a longer period of time in the individual books of some of its characters.

The Secret Wars was a major event for Marvel in the 80s and, while successful at the time, it was honestly pretty cheesy.

The plot revolved around a cosmic be-

ing called the Beyonder who transported Earth’s mightiest heroes and villains to his Battleworld to fight against each other to the death. In spite of that, it gave us Spiderman’s black costume—a plot thread that played out for years—becoming a defining moment in his history. What made that crossover memorable wasn’t its cheesy battle royale plot device; it was the lasting effect that it had on the characters in it.

CURRENT AND PAST CROSSOVERS Both DC and Marvel have done crossovers very well in the past. They haven’t gotten bad per se, only a bit redundant.

DC led us through the Trinity War (where the Justice League comes across Pandora’s Box) straight into Forever Evil (where Pandora’s Box has been opened, letting in another dimension’s evil version of the Justice League), which has now brought us to Futures End (where Batman Beyond comes from the future to help fend off a pending disaster that will result in the destruction of all superheroes). When Future’s End reaches its ridiculous forty-eight straight weeks series, DC will start another crossover event that is rumored to be similar to the 1985 classic Crisis on Infinite Earths. When all of that is done, it will be over two years of continuous universe-wide crossover. That feels like overkill and a shameless money grab. When are we supposed to take the time to bask in the revelations of the Trinity War or Forever Evil? Somewhere in all of this, Lex Luthor became a hero and we have barely had time to digest it as he continues to race into action each month. More importantly, we haven’t had enough time for the other characters to react to it, either.

Marvel is in a similar boat, though their crossovers haven’t been as directly related. Still, since 2012, we have gone from Avengers vs. X-Men (The Avengers fighting the X-men over how to handle a newly returned Phoenix Force), to Age of Ultron (where the Avengers must battle the evil

Feature: Crossed Out / 15

CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS: A CLASSIC, AND AN EXAMPLE OF A CROSSOVER DONE RIGHT

AGE OF ULTRON. HOW MANY CROSSOVERS ARE TOO MANY?

robot Ultron one more time) to Infinity to Original Sin (where the cosmic being known as The Watcher is killed) and now into AXIS (The Avengers and the X-men must team up to take down the Red Skull, who has taken the brain of Professor X and gained his abilities). But wait, Marvel isn’t done yet.

They have already announced their next crossover event coming in early 2015 called Time Runs Out. Somewhere in all of that, Captain America needs a little downtime.

With all of that going on, it is hard to see why I should care about the next crossover.

to drive those elements over the ensuing months or years to really make the crossover matter, to make it part of that character’s history. When you just follow the crossover with another one, that character doesn’t get to grow and the audience doesn’t get to see the real payoff of the events that they just went through.

The universe-wide crossover is an appealing option to a comic publisher. It offers an opportunity to create an extra book for everyone to buy each month, along with something to hype as being world changing. Surely no one will be the same after fighting Ultron for twelve months, right?

Then they can also tie in all of the heroes’ individual books with it and then completists out there also have to buy extra books just to make sure they get the whole story. It’s a formula Marvel and DC have

CROSSOVER OVERKILL The fallout from the crossover is what really shapes the characters, and in that aftermath, the character needs time for everything to process. You need the monthly book to use those plot threads

Feature: Crossed Out / 16

been following for years and, in moderation, it works. Once in a while we can handle something like this, but nonstop for several years is a different story. It’s hard to get excited for the next crossover when we are still processing the two before it.

The impact of a crossover needs to be felt for it to have any gravity or lasting importance. Marvel and DC are pushing things to a point where many of their characters don’t have time to take a breath and reflect on the things they have been through.

In so many of the classic crossovers of the past, that post-event reflection and growth

PREVIOUS STORY

has been character defining for many of our favorite heroes. If we just continue to jump from crossover to crossover, those moments will become fewer and fewer. The epic scale and grandness of the crossover will become the status quo and we will lose our appreciation for the smaller, more character driven stories. The expectation that should go along with a large scale crossover will get lower and it will stop producing the hype it’s supposed to. I hope it doesn’t happen, but Marvel and DC seem more than happy to keep heading down that road.

BACK TO THE INDEX

NEXT STORY

About the Author Todd Zverloff is a high school English teacher from Ohio.

He recently published his first book, Super Steph: Beginnings and Bullies with his daughter. He is currently working on several exciting projects for the coming year. You can keep up with his exploits and ramblings at www.toddzverloff.com.

At the Movies: Lucy / 17

AT THE MOVIES

by Juan Dougnac

Lucy One of the things people first notice in me—unless I make an effort to act otherwise—is that I am…odd.

I can sometimes pay too much attention to the smallest detail, and tirelessly argue over it, no matter how minute it may seem. I sometimes have trouble with taking words in anything other than their literal meaning. Non-verbal language, irony and metaphors have been a headache for a long time. To this day, when people speak to me (including people who don’t know each other), they tend to be reminded of The Big Bang Theory’s Sheldon Cooper.

Long story short, I’ve got Asperger’s.

I’ve never been much of a movie fan.

However, when a group of friends asked me to join them in a trip to see Lucy—with Scarlett Johansson and Morgan Freeman, di-

rected by Luc Besson- I accepted, intrigued with how they’d handle a trope as old as science fiction itself: the myth that we humans use only ten percent of our brains, and that strange things might happen should we gain access to the other ninety percent.

The story starts with Lucy (Scarlet Johansson) being convinced to deliver a package in a hotel. Unfortunately, it turns out to be a new drug, which is surgically implanted in her stomach by orders of a Korean drug lord, who then forces her to serve as a mule, under threat of killing her loved ones. The bag containing the drug breaks and, in a rather predictable turn of events, gives her access the untapped sections of her mind, instead of killing her. It’s at this point that things get interesting.

As Lucy taps into more and more of her brain’s capacity, she starts to develop superpowers, starting with an absolute awareness of everything surrounding her—including cellphone signals—and going upwards from there.

Unlike our classic “thanks-to-the-badguys-I-have-superpowers” movies, however, Lucy doesn’t go in a roaring rampage of

At the Movies: Lucy / 18

revenge. Instead, she tries to get the most out of her newfound potential. She has reached a new level of awareness, where human concerns become irrelevant.

It is here that Asperger’s or autism comes in. After reaching a certain point in her evolution, Lucy becomes disconnected from reality, paying attention to it only when relevant to her goals or interests. Perhaps unsurprisingly, I was the only member of the group of friends who appreciated how plausible that was (the others complained about having a character they had absolutely no way of relating to). Despite the glaring differences (like the fact that I’m male and Scarlett Johansson is not), she AS SHE DEVELOPS HER POWERS, LUCY BECOMES MORE became a person so enAND MORE IMMERSED INTO HER OWN MIND thralled by her own search for knowledge that everything unrelated to that bejust like Lucy, it’s really easy for us to came mere decoration, a pesky distraction in her become lost in our own inner world. search for transcendence.

This, to a greater or lesser extent, is what happens to people in the autistic spectrum. spite its large budget (49 million euros), the Our capacity for focusing becomes so director has the courage to do things in an sharp, that we shut the world out, caught absolutely non-standard way. The first one up in facts, figures, anecdotes, etc. is, of course, having a female lead, whom As I see it, the film can be a way to betearly in the film starts behaving like an auter understand people in the autistic spectistic person. The second is a very weltrum. If we seem disconnected or aloof come lack of romance. While I acknowledge is not because we have some intellectuthat love and sex are important aspects al disability or want to be rude. Instead, of life, the constant bombardment with it it’s that, just like Lucy, it’s really easy for us in films (like the atrocious addenda at the to become lost in our own inner world. end of the otherwise enjoyable film adapUndoubtedly, there are many criticisms tation of V for Vendetta) is one of the reathat could be done about the movie. Desons I stopped paying attention to them.

“

”

At the Movies: Lucy / 19

Also, in a very smart move, the physical attractiveness of Scarlett Johansson, while not hidden by any means, is not exaggerated or given a main focus in the story (unlike, for example, what happens in Angelina Jolie’s Tomb Raider). Lucy may be an attractive young woman, but that’s just a small detail in her passage from mere mortal to nearly omnipotent goddess, not the whole point of the movie. This might be one of the reasons why, according to Wikipedia, nearly half of those who watched the movie were women. This is nothing to scoff at, considering that it’s considered an action film.

The movie has spawned all kind of reviews, from those who hail it as brilliant to the ones who think it’s an absolute waste of time. While I personally enjoyed it, it’s one of those films for which there can hardly be any middle ground. With a little luck, however, even those who hate the film will learn to be a little more understanding with those of us who fall into the autistic spectrum. If nothing else, this could really make a positive change.

PREVIOUS STORY

BACK TO THE INDEX

NEXT STORY

About the Author Juan Dougnac’s main activities are teaching martial arts, writing novels and shamelessly lying in his biography. Scared out of his mind at the prospect of a career in law, he decided to switch continents and start a new life. Through some convoluted reasoning, it turned out that starting a magazine was crucial to that purpose. Since getting to his new town—Wellington—he has developed a crippling addiction to barista coffee, public libraries and World of Warcraft.

Wuxia / 20

WUXIA [武侠]

by Api ‘Atrocious’ Ngo

HERO, NOMINATED FOR AN OSCAR AT THE 2003 ACADEMY AWARDS

1950s onwards, with the advent of the ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden golden age of the genre in literature, Wu Xia has been an escape for its multiDragon, ‘Hero’, ‘House tude of readers. It also served to remind of Flying Daggers’… the readers of the concepts of integMany of the readers would be farity, honor and respect during a turbumiliar with those Wu Xia titles. lent time in the Chinese speaking world.

Wu Xia is a literary genre with an imI still remember the day I picked up agery of flying swordsmen, semi-godlike the four massive volumes of ‘The Conmartial prowess, and complex fight sedor Heroes’ at the age of 13, excited at quences that has enthralled viewers and the prospect of being transported into the readers for decades. It is to the eastern semi-mythical China of the late Song dyaudience what the Super-Hero genre is to nasty. I was not disappointed as I followed the western audience. Like the adventures of Guo Jing all things nowadays, there and Huang Rong as they has been a wave of crosstravelled across the landover in recent years, influscape so richly penned by encing works of such a high the expert hand of legendprofile as Kung Fu Panda ary author Dr. Louis Cha. or the animated series AvBut there was more. atar (both Last AirbendThrough the volumes I er and Legend of Korra). learned about the history But Wu Xia is more of the period, the culture than just a popular litof the different peoples erature genre. From the of China and the politiWU XIA’S INFLUENCE HAS BEEN STEADILY SPREADING TO WESTERN CREATIONS

Wuxia / 21

cal intrigues of the Song and Mongolian courts. It sparked an interest in history in me that has lasted to this day. Dr. Cha is well known for inter-weaving the fantastical Wu Xia world into a dramatized historical setting. While the facts might have been modified slightly to suit the storyline in his works, it serves as a perfect gateway for one to delve into the rich history of China.

WU XIA NARRATIVES A typical Wu Xia saga will usually move along a rough outline. The examples come from the ‘Legend of the Condor Heroes’ trilogy, one of Dr. Cha’s most famous works: A young protagonist will experience a tragedy [Guo Jing lost his father to Jurchen Assassins].

He goes through various trials and tribulations as he grows up [Guo Jing grew up in Mongolia during the rise of Genghis Khan].

The protagonist goes on to meet legendary figures or have an unusual experience that results in him picking up various powerful martial skills [Guo Jing met the ‘Northern Beggar’ and was taught the ’18 Dragon Subduing Palms’].

Through sheer grit, luck, character traits or other amazing experiences, the protagonist will rise in power to a level that few can match [Guo Jing was deemed too dim-witted to amount to anything, but he became a hero through sheer hard work and his humble and unassuming character].

While most readers are drawn in by the

WU XIA IS MUCH MORE THAN JUST BOOKS AND FILMS

fantastical descriptions of martial prowess and fight sequences, the underlying message of Wu Xia has always been about values. The most common values that are espoused in Wu Xia through various media are namely the following: Loyalty Righteousness Courage Justice Benevolence Honesty On top of the six qualities listed above, the heroes are usually portrayed as disregarding of material wealth and in pursuit of higher ideals like honor, glory or betterment of the commoner’s lives.

Semi-religious values and philosophies are also frequently inter-woven into the storylines or character traits. Buddhist ideals of forgiveness and compassion are, serving as a counterpoint to the idea of revenge on which the sagas are usually built. Taoists ideals of being one with nature and being distant observers of the world can usually be seen in the legendary hermits that litter the Wu Xia universe. Feng Qing Yang of ‘The Smiling, Proud Wanderer’ -also penned by Dr Cha- is a prime example of such a character. The most powerful swordsman in the story, Feng lives the life of a hermit for decades, preferring to lead a solitary existence than be involved in the endless cycle of vengeance and retribution of the martial world.

The martial skills within these stories, though based on real martial arts for the most part, are often exaggerated and blown to superhuman levels. Much like the super abilities of the western Super-Hero genre, this is usually Wu Xia’s most visible draw.

These skills can be broadly classified into a few categories: Physical Martial Arts: Sets of striking and defensive moves used in fights, usually based on real life martial arts moves.

Internal Energy: Depending on the au-

Wuxia / 22

thor, this can range from boosting the power of the strikes, to having the character shoot beams of energy out of their fingers or palms for range attacks. It is also common to see Internal energy being deployed as a super healing mechanism for seriously wounded characters.

Accupoint strikes: A direct strike on various accupoints on the body, results may vary from being immobilized, immediate death or even death after a preset period of time. Other effects may include striking accupoints that causes the victim to laugh uncontrollably or suffer from unbearable itch, pain or numbness.

Skills of speed and agility: While there are various real life martial skills that train one to be speedy and agile, these are exaggerated in the stories. Thus, a character might be able to cover hundreds of miles in a day, jump on rooftops or scale smooth cliff sides at running speed. You

PREVIOUS STORY

can think of it as parkour on steroids.

With the advent of the film media, these skills are further exaggerated to enable the characters to even be able to fly!

THE VALUE OF WU XIA While the readers are mostly drawn to the genre by these super human feats, it is usually the values and characters that the readers ultimately aspire to. They aspire to the forthrightness of Guo Jing, the un-restrained demeanor of Linghu Chong, the dedication and single mindedness of Yang Guo. We root for them when they are the underdogs, we cheer for them when they taste victory and we cry with them when they suffer setbacks. And along the journey, we learn about the history, the values and the ideals espoused.

Yes, Wu Xia may be an escape for many readers and viewers. But it is definitely much more than that.

BACK TO THE INDEX

NEXT STORY

About the Author Amateur Chinese Historian, Wing Chun Practitioner and Online Entrepreneur. Api is a Thinker, Writer and Translator on topics ranging from Leadership, Online Business to Martial Arts and Ancient Chinese Philosophy. He is currently a Guest Writer for Channel NewsAsia and Nerd Alert Magazine as well as working on the 2nd English translation of the ancient Chinese Legalist manuscript ‘Book of Lord Shang’ and adapting it for the modern day business environment. https://www.facebook.com/TheAtrociousOne

Pull List: Black Market / 23

PULL LIST Black Market

by Ian Yarington

In the last couple of years comic books and super heroes have finally started to receive the recognition they deserve in the mainstream media of movies and television.

Marvel has made a killing with all of their properties, while DC has been very successful in TV. What all of them have in common is how the protagonists possess super powers and abilities far beyond the grasp of a normal person. Not that I have anything against reading about super heroes with god like powers that can crush buildings with their bare hands or use cars as baseball bats, but sometimes while I read I wonder where the room is for normal people.

I recently started reading a comic book from Boom Studios called Black Market. It’s a four part miniseries created and written by Frank J. Barbiere and illustrated by Victor Santos that follows the misadventures of a couple of normal guys trying to navigate their way through a world that has been taken over by supers. I have always wondered what it would be like to look up and see a super powered hero flying through the sky. I have also wondered what sort of impact it would have on the world and normal people if there were real supers fighting crime, and I commend Mr. Barbiere for diving head first into the idea.

Black Market starts as many other comics would, with a superhero flying down

to save the day. Hotspot, a Johnny Stormlike character, flies down into a burning building only to be weakened by chemicals in the fire that he should be immune to, and there is a running commentary on what it means to be a superhero. While Hotspot struggles to keep it together, a normal firefighter helps him stay alive and pulls him out of the building. As the mysterious firefighter pulls the superhero out of the building there are a couple of shady looking characters waiting for them near an ambulance‌ And they don’t seem to be public servants. One

Pull List: Black Market / 24

is wearing a leather jacket and the other is in a side to side white and black striped shirt that makes him look somewhat criminal.

Even though the two characters near the ambulance don’t look completely wholesome I held out hope that maybe they were Wolverine type characters, hardcore but with a heart of gold, fueled when the firefighter took off his mask to reveal a pretty normal red haired guy wearing glasses. After seeing the normal, sort of nerdy, main character I still thought they could be good, though he clearly states that he has done things he isn’t proud of and even states “I’m no hero.”

After the reveal of the main character and a small glimpse into his thoughts Black Market picks up the story with Ray, the nerdy red haired man, and shows some of his struggles with work and taking care of

his wife with Multiple Sclerosis. I really enjoy the way Mr. Barbiere sets up Ray as a normal guy with normal struggles: everyone can relate to having issues with a job, lack of money, and more than most can sympathize with having a sick loved one.

During the small look into Ray and his struggles Mr. Barbiere reveals that the leather jacket wearing partner in the super kidnapping is actually Ray’s estranged brother, Denny. Black Market flashes back and forth between the beginning where they kidnap the superhero and the first meeting between brothers in what I can only assume was after a long time. Mr. Barbiere writes a wonderful exchange between them where Ray’s struggles are brought to light by the fact that he is roped into a shady superhero DNA extraction program.

As the real life storyline continues Denny gives Ray a big bag of money as he explains that the DNA extraction is being pioneered by a pharmaceutical company, Biochem, that helped Denny get out of prison.

Denny goes on a little rant about the DNA and supers holding back their help, but tries to wrap it in a nice package to sell to Ray. After Denny is done with his convincing little speech Ray looks at the bag full of money and asks the all-important question, “And we wouldn’t be hurting anyone?”, to which Denny replies something about having safe ways of extracting blood that doesn’t hurt anyone. Cut to the final page where Hotspot is tied up while another man holds a saw and Denny puts on gloves. Clearly someone was about to get hurt, and Ray ends the comic by saying “My name is Raymond Willis…

And I kill superheroes. This is my story.”

I appreciate the dual storyline aspect of Black Market and the way it intertwines the front and back stories. It gives me a feel for what they’re doing while providing the much needed character background. It wouldn’t be the same comic without knowing

DENNY AND BRUISER WAITING FOR RAY TO DELIVER THEIR LATEST SUPERHERO VICTIM.

Pull List: Black Market / 25

a bit about the struggles Ray goes through and the strained relationship with Denny.

The backstory reveals the true nature of the brothers and sets up the present storyline in a way that works really well: neither storyline eclipses the other, and they both convey much needed information.

Mr. Santos does a magnificent job of showing the characters’ feelings. During the exchange between brothers it becomes clear through expression that Denny is a criminal that is only out to make a dollar, while Ray is a good guy that has struggles so severe that he is drawn to anything in the hopes it can help. I feel like Mr. Santos expresses the characters and their mannerisms really well: Denny always seem to have a scheming look, expressing anger and strong feelings in nearly every one of his panels, while Ray always has a contrasted look of worry or just being completely overwhelmed.

Overall I find the ideas behind Black Market refreshing and inventive. Finally a new

PREVIOUS STORY

take on the superhero genre that is long overdue. Mr. Barbiere does a great job with dialog and story arc. Ray draws me in with his real world struggles and desperation to make things right. Mr. Santos has a very rich drawing style that contrasts the big and mean characters like Denny and the superheroes with those smaller in stature, like Ray. Mr. Barbiere helps keep his characters in check with the artistry of Mr. Santos, the characters expressions and mannerisms are so on par with the writing that you would swear Mr. Barbiere and Mr. Santos were twins.

I give two thumbs up to this book and have only one bad thing to say about it. I wish it was more than a four part series. I could see this becoming an ongoing series or at least being more than a four part, but so far I have to trust these artists to finish the story they started, because the first issue had me hooked immediately.

BACK TO THE INDEX

NEXT STORY

About the Author My name is Ian Yarington, I’m a 33 year old writer and comic book fan from the greater Seattle-Tacoma area. I was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest and proud of my area’s diversity. As of right now I only have one article published in the LA Free Press and have just finished the first draft of a book. I hope to become a published author and continue to blog reviews and talk about comic books. I have been a comic book fan since I was a kid, reading books and watching the X-Men cartoon Saturday mornings, only to grow up and not change much. I still watch cartoons and I still read comics, in between grown up activities like working and paying bills. I love the big two comic companies but have been drawn to lesser known comics and publishers. I enjoy reading and supporting men and woman that are lesser known and need the exposure, not only because they need it but also because some of the books are incredible reads.

PULL LIST

Pull List: Weapon Brown / 26

Weapon Brown Reviewer: Dyan Bermeo Issue: A Peanut Scorned Writter & Penciller: Jason Yungbluth Inks: Emil Novak & Gerry Coffey Publisher: Death Ray Graphics

Jason Yungbluth has written articles and drawn for humor magazine Mad. Jason gives us his dark humor and artistic skills with a parody of Charlie Brown.

Weapon Brown is an extension of Charlie’s life beyond Charles M. Schulz Peanuts comic strip. The story opens up with a teenage version of Charlie Brown failing at life. Events unfold in the Cold War that alters the Peanuts world.

Due to the copyright of Charlie Brown, Jason decided to call his character Chuck Brown. This is the first issue of Weapon Brown “A Peanut Scorned”. The story starts with the origins of Chuck, to his cybernetically-enhanced supersoldier transformation. He is involved in a science experiment following the fallout of a nuclear war. Before this event, Chuck was a weak beta male failing at life. Now Chuck is an Alpha Male looking for payback from the people that tortured him into failure.

Chuck has gone from a depressed juvenile into a freelance killing machine.

The environment surrounding Chuck is wholesome of dead life an unexpected radioactive creatures. Tree’s were altered from the radiation. They’ve become carnivores strangling their victims with their

branches. The world created by Jason has you enticed and looking for interesting character interactions .It is interesting to see who Chuck meets in the bar or in a brothel. You don’t know what will happen. When Chuck is on his way to meet Linus, a dead corpse has a short dialogue warning him.

Characters from Peanuts appear in the story. Lucy Van Pelt in the Peanuts world was Charlie Brown’s bully. Doctor Van Pelt is a scientist involved in unconventional experiments. She tortures Chuck with a football in similar fashion to Charlie Brown.

Pull List: Weapon Brown / 27

Doctor Van Pelt’s brother Linus is in the story as a Christian Fundamentalist extremist. In Charlie Brown, Linus is his best friend and is portrayed as a Theologian. In Peanuts, Linus believes in a super power called “The Great Pumpkin” during Halloween. Linus brings to life a monster pumpkin do defeat his old friend Chuck. Chuck’s sister Sally is in the Weapon Brown universe as Linus’s sacrifice. There is a looming villain group on the horizon. Sally remains a gullible character maintaining the key traits from the original comic strips.

The dark humor in Weapon Brown is expressed in brilliant ways. Chuck employs cruel and morbid methods to accomplish his goal. The humor maybe offensive or graphic in nature yet, still funny. A homeless piano

PREVIOUS STORY

player, for example, requests a dirty favor from Chuck. Chuck had met this homeless person in a bar to get information about his past. Chuck uses force to complete his mission. There is small nudity and foul language. This comic book is not for the kids.

The only small critique to this comic book is that it is missing color. There is a panel where we see Chuck describing a nuclear event with color descriptions. The black and white complements the time period. Most Independent comic creators avoid colors for costs. Weapon Brown is about Chuck going after his failures and triumphing. This is not the same Charlie Brown that we see failing in school and failing at sports. This is by far the best humor comic that I have read in a while.

BACK TO THE INDEX

NEXT STORY

About the Author Dyan Bermeo is a modern Renaissance man. He is prolific as a comic book colorist, artist, writer and entrepreneur. Dyan started his own web comic series LFC Comics based on a football team from Liverpool, England. His first written comic script called Liverpool: Days of Future Past is an X-Men parody. He is currently working on project collaborations- Ed Cotugno’s Doc Void, Osiris and Jimmy Horner’s The Gull. He is passionate about expressing ourselves through art and writing. https://twitter.com/DyanBermeo http://dyanbermeo.deviantart.com

Geek Culture: Don't Talk to Me About Gamergate / 28

GEEK CULTURE

Don’t talk to me about Gamergate.

by Annie Ong

Okay, here’s the thing.

I am profoundly uninterested in talking about whether Sarkeesian is ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ in her critiques of specific games, or if Quinn actually did start a relationship with a reviewer to improve her game’s ratings.

I’m pulling the plug on that discussion, because I’m done acting as if it can be separated out from its context, and I’m done trying to talk about it without mentioning the threats of violence and sexual assault received by women who dared to suggest that misogyny is a problem in the gaming industry.

In fact, I’m opting out of all conversations that try to justify Gamergate. I don’t care if you think any particular game is ‘inherently sexist.’ I don’t care about your arguments or excuses for why they’re wrong and you’re right. I just don’t.

I don’t even care about expressing my opinions on Gamergate. Others, in a better position to give an opinion, have already said plenty; I don’t feel duty-bound to weigh in.

What I do care about is that I’ve been dragged into this argument way too many times against my will, inevitably by a group of well-meaning men who think that just because I play video games, I want to talk about this.

I don’t feel safe when I have this conversation. Time and again, I’m on one side, and everyone else in the room is on the other;. I don’t feel safe because that oth-

Don’t know what Gamergate is?

Lucky you. Here are some highlights: Zoe Quinn, creator of critically acclaimed game Depression Quest, broke up with her boyfriend.

Said ex-boyfriend made an incendiary post in August accusing Quinn of forming a romantic/sexual relationship with a game reviewer from Kotaku in order to gain a favorable review. It should be noted that Kotaku never actually reviewed Quinn’s game.

Immediately, members of sites such as Reddit and 4chan threatened death, sexual assault, and extreme violence against Quinn in the name of ethical journalism.

Anita Sarkeesian, creator of a video series critiquing gender politics in games, posted a new video in her series a few days later. The same people attacking Quinn began to include her in their vitriol.

Game developer Brianna Wu posted a mildly derisive tweet about the newly-christened Gamergate. She received a flood of death threats so graphic and specific that she and her husband had to flee their home under police escort. Quinn and Sarkeesian had already left their homes due to similar threats.

In October, Sarkeesian canceled a speaking engagement at Utah State University because the university received an email promising the “deadliest school shooting in American history” if Sarkeesian spoke, listing specific weapons the email writer owned and his plans to use them. The school refused to ban firearms from the premises because of Utah’s ‘open carry’ laws.

“ ” Geek Culture: Don't Talk to Me About Gamergate / 29

er side justifies violence and harassment.

I don’t want any part of this. I’ve done it before; I’ve stood in the line of fire and fielded question after question from men who are ‘just playing devil’s advocate,’ who have tried to convince me that it is my obligation to look at things ‘objectively’ and ‘from all sides.’

This is my life, not an intellectual exercise, and I am tired ofexhausted from talking about it.

I’ve always known that I’m at risk as an openly queer brown woman activist. I’ve been very lucky so far; I’ve never had to deal with physical violence or fullblown stalking. Physical intimidation, verbal and sexual harassment, threats of violence—absolutely. But I’ve never had anyone follow through on those threats.

I don’t take any of that for granted.

I’ve seen what can happen, because it’s happened to people I know and love.

I’m trying to explain what’s going on in my head when topics like these are brought up; I’m trying to explain what it means to live like me. It’s a full-time thing.

It’s not something that happens once in a while, or a job I can clock out of.

PREVIOUS STORY

All I can say is that yeah, it is personal.

Talking about this stuff with men, especially straight white men, is extremely difficult. It’s nerve-wracking and stressful from the start;. I have learned the hard way that if a guy is really determined to argue with me, there’s no such thing as a win condition.

I’ve lost count of how often I’ve been told that I’m being oversensitive or taking it too personally. All I can say is that yeah, it is personal.

When I say that Gamergate is personal for me, I mean that it is painful and scary.

I don’t have the luxury of viewing this abstractly or as a theoretical issue. Some of the threats made against Sarkeesian, Quinn, and Wu are terrifyingly familiar—and every time I talk about Gamergate, every time I hear about Gamergate, I know it could be me next, if I’m too strident. If I’m a feminazi. If I’m a bitch., iIf I’m a fake geek girl., iIf I’m a Social Justice Warrior. If I argue too much. If I use words that are too long.

It could be me next if I say anything at all.

BACK TO THE INDEX

About the Author Annie Ong is a pseudonym for (hopefully) obvious reasons.

Annie has a MA in digital media anthropology and a deep aversion to keeping a personal blog. She’s an artist, musician, front-end programmer, and activist. In her spare time, she’s usually volunteering for LGBTQ and women’s organisations, reading comics, and playing video games and interactive fiction.