civilwar - io9

posts about #civilwar more →
Steampunk Zombies of the Seattle Apocalypse
Marvel's New Game Looks Better Than Many Superhero Movies
Marvel Plans To Take Pity On Your Pocketbook
Where Does It Take Place?
How the South Won the American Civil War
The Alternate History Theme Park Where Dinosaurs Fought in the Civil War
RIP Michael Turner
Learn the Rules of Crossover Comic Perfection
Must See: Babylon 5

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Klebert L. Hall
10/13/09

In reply to Steampunk Zombies of the Seattle Apocalypse
Sounds pretty good!

This bit, though:
"Stonewall Jackson fails to die as a result of his injuries at Chancellorsville, a turn of events that has left the Civil War raging back East some fifteen years."

Shows a dreadfully poor conception of ACW history, though. You could stretch possibility to say that Jackson's survival allows Lee to win at Gettysburg and he then takes D.C, leading to a settlement and cold war, but the idea that one crazy general could hold off the Union's disproportionate strength in a 15 year stalemate just won't fly.
-Kle.
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janai
10/12/09

In reply to Steampunk Zombies of the Seattle Apocalypse
Any novel that bends history in order to make a plot point out of my former office building (the Smith Tower, which in reality went up a few years after it's depicted in the book) gets a gold star from me.

I miss working in my little antique skyscraper. *nostalgic sniffle* ;)
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Eldritch
10/12/09

In reply to Steampunk Zombies of the Seattle Apocalypse
I was very interested in this book, I love the idea of it, but when I went to pick it up, the print is all in sepia! My eyes would be bleeding after that! Gah! ::shakes fist at the heavens::
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Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H. promoted this comment Eldritch was starred Eldritch was unstarred

Jeriba
10/12/09

In reply to Steampunk Zombies of the Seattle Apocalypse
Alt history or no, Washington State in the 1860s would have been so sparely populated it hardly makes sense that people would choose to remain in a zombie-infested, poison gas-filled walled city. Most likely, they would move 5 miles down the road and start again. (Of course, I haven't read the book--there may be a very good explanation for this.)

On the other hand, I love the author's use of the word blight, the term usually invoked in eminent domain cases when a city want to demolish someone's neighborhood to build a freeway or a shopping mall.
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Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H. promoted this comment Jeriba was starred Jeriba was unstarred

CmdrHunt (aka Clarence Colton)
10/12/09

In reply to Steampunk Zombies of the Seattle Apocalypse
Thanks Lauren! Alt. history is always an interesting read, especially if it involves 19th century America!
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Spaceboy
10/12/09

In reply to Steampunk Zombies of the Seattle Apocalypse
Awww, not available on the Kindle.
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enderwiggin13 promoted this comment Spaceboy was starred Spaceboy was unstarred

Spaceboy
10/12/09

Oh, I see why, it's a TOR book.
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enderwiggin13
10/12/09

@Spaceboy: I'm having bad luck lately with new sci-fi and fantasy books...very few of the ones I want to read are coming in ebook format. I use Mobipocket on my smartphone and it's a pain to find new sci-fi for it. Guess I'll swing by the bookstore tomorrow and grab this and The Quiet War.

One would assume that sci-fi authors would generally be more tech savvy and more open to publishing their stuff in ebook format. Maybe it's just the opposite and they know how frequently they're pirated or maybe the publisher has the final word. :shrug:
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Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L.
10/12/09

In reply to Steampunk Zombies of the Seattle Apocalypse
That cover art reminds me of the style of Warren Ellis' Ignition City - although the goggles are a slightly more understandable prop in his work.
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CmdrHunt (aka Clarence Colton)
10/12/09

@Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L.: Good call.
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thefirstbardo
10/12/09

In reply to Steampunk Zombies of the Seattle Apocalypse
This book was fantastic. My vote for an io9 Book Club discussion. Plus, Cherie is internet-savvy and sociable, maybe she would be down for a Q&A session.
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Jenn2D2
10/12/09

@thefirstbardo: hear, hear! Just finished this weeked - what a great read. I'd definitely be interested to hear more from the author about this world.
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Guang
10/12/09

@thefirstbardo: I agree, could be an interesting choice - I probably wouldn't get around to reading it otherwise, but sounds like a fun book to have discussions on.
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Grey_Area promoted this comment Guang was starred Guang was unstarred

Grey_Area
10/12/09

In reply to Steampunk Zombies of the Seattle Apocalypse
Sounds better than the last steampunk zombie novel I read.
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grkpektis
09/12/09

In reply to Marvel's New Game Looks Better Than Many Superhero Movies
I hope the story for the next one is "annihilation" or "war of kings"
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OW-Holmes--Upset with Polling promoted this comment grkpektis was starred grkpektis was unstarred

Belabras: now with Kung Fu grip!
09/13/09

@grkpektis:
Seconded. That would be AWESOME.
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OthelloLlamapants
09/12/09

In reply to Marvel's New Game Looks Better Than Many Superhero Movies
I thought Civil War was great. It started to tackle a big "what if" in comics that was never really answered. What if a superhero screwed up and not only got themselves killed but a bunch of those around them. That's the spark. The fire is the reactions of the different heroes as to how to fix the problem. I thought it was interesting to see Captain America become an outlaw because he believed that registering was unconstitutional and he stood up for that belief.
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braak approved this comment OthelloLlamapants was starred

braak: You are, as usual, completely correct.
09/13/09

@OthelloLlamapants: Well, actually the registration-controversy was central to the Powers storyline of the year before, and I think the Civil War theme was awfully similar to the Identity Crisis/OMAC storyline that DC had just finished.

The whole thing, to be honest, seemed like a ham-handed allegory. Iron Man represents Industry, who gets carried away in pursuit of his goals, commandeering Science (Reed Richards), which lobotomizes and seizes control of Religion (Thor), and drives the American Spirit (Captain America) into hiding along with Black People (Luke Cage) and the Gays (Mutants).

Spider-Man, as the audience surrogate, represents the impressionable Youth within ourselves, and slowly realizes the moral qualms he has about siding with Industry.
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♠ Final ♠
09/12/09

In reply to Marvel's New Game Looks Better Than Many Superhero Movies
Not that I was going to buy it but half the character's I'd want to play as are NPCs unless they do a big DLC later. Cloak and Dagger, War Machine, Bishop, Black Panther, Herc, Cable, Colossus, Bullseye.

But Thor and Hulk are playable in a Civil war game?
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ElectroJones
09/12/09

In reply to Marvel's New Game Looks Better Than Many Superhero Movies
Michael Bay's Marvel Alliance.

And why do all of the characters look pearlescent? Looks bad.
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AngriestGeek
09/12/09

In reply to Marvel's New Game Looks Better Than Many Superhero Movies
There's never a good argument for the sheer idiocy that was Civil War to ever be forced onto another human by any other medium.
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92BuickLeSabre promoted this comment AngriestGeek was starred AngriestGeek was unstarred

92BuickLeSabre
09/12/09

@AngriestGeek: Mind filling a no-nothing in on why? I don't really read comics, but always thought the concept sounded interesting.
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AngriestGeek
09/12/09

@92BuickLeSabre: Because it's one of the most cynical creations in the history of comics. Nothing sells more than heroes fighting each other, so let's have a gigantic, utterly illogical story where they all fight though it violates their characters on every single page from beginning to end. It's just too dumb and dripping with avarice from every page to be fun.
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Trystero
09/12/09

@AngriestGeek: You certainly live up to your screen name, sir. I'm not saying I disagree. On the plus side, we have MightyGodKing's Civil War.

[mightygodking.com]
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AngriestGeek
09/13/09

@Trystero: Those were the best thing about that mess. And I've got nothing against a dumb superhero punchout, but that was offensive in its naked, money-grubbing stupidity.
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OW-Holmes:Bringer of Fear
09/13/09

@AngriestGeek: I was really hoping the registration act would be met with passionate speeches and heartfelt, McGlaughlin group style debates.

Did they say later that it was all the Skrull's fault they were fighting?
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Edited by OW-Holmes:Bringer of Fear at 09/13/09 6:33 AM

CoffinDodger (If the typos crap. Blame my keyboard)
09/12/09

In reply to Marvel's New Game Looks Better Than Many Superhero Movies
The first was bad. This no doubt is going to be just as bad. For a next gen console..thats bad CGI. If its comic book hero CGI you want. Wolverine Origins the game had unbelievable CGI and it was ironic that the CGI and game played out a hundred times better than the film.
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Paul_Is_Drunk
09/12/09

@CoffinDodger (If the typos crap. Blame my keyboard): The first was pretty bad.

I could make it all the way through the two X-Men Legends games, though never a second play through. (So boring and repetitive).

Never made it through Marvel's Ultimate Alliance. I tried. I really did. Same as the other games, but so much more safe and boring.

I have honestly no idea why people are so pumped for this game.
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CoffinDodger (If the typos crap. Blame my keyboard)
09/12/09

@Paul_Is_Drunk: I think its because of all those good lookin superheroes. But quantity doesnt always mean quality!!
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artiofab
09/12/09

@CoffinDodger (If the typos crap. Blame my keyboard): I'm not saying that the Marvel brawlers/beat-em-ups/whatever-you wanna-call-ems are good games with intriguing plotlines. But for a multiplayer game they're quick dumb fun. As a single player experience ...no. No no no. No.

...plus it may be the only game where I can play as Green Goblin? Which I think is an experience I need at least once in life.
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CoffinDodger (If the typos crap. Blame my keyboard)
09/12/09

@artiofab: Buy a Green Goblin mask and tape cardboard wings on a skateboard. More fun and much cheaper!!!!
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wanion
09/12/09

@CoffinDodger (If the typos crap. Blame my keyboard): ...and less likely to end in tears.
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artiofab
09/12/09

@CoffinDodger (If the typos crap. Blame my keyboard): I think you just figured out what I should be for Halloween.
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