X-Sender: mgerber@ao.net X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Pro Version 2.2 (32) Date: Sun, 10 Mar 1996 20:06:00 -0500 To: superchat@awenet.com Reply-To: superchat@awenet.com Errors-To: postmaster@awenet.com Precedence: bulk From: Matthew Gerber Subject: 000REVIEWS 3/1/96-3/4/96 SPOILER WARNING: Complete spoilers for episodes posted from 3/1/96 to 3/4/96. 000REVIEWS is a review column for all Superguy Digest story subtopics. The reviewers are Chris Angelini, Matthew Gerber, Mason Kramer, Jonathan Lennox, Chris Meadows and Rick Rechowicz. Except as otherwise noted, I (Matt) write the capsule reviews. Episodes are rated on a scale of 0 to 10 as follows: 0: Abysmal (No merit whatsoever.) 1: Very Bad (Thoroughly wretched.) 2: Bad (Still wretched. May have life signs.) 3: Very Poor (May have potential, but needs work badly.) 4: Poor (Has potential, but needs work.) 5: Mediocre (Not good, but not bad.) 6: Good (Good read. Low to average for Superguy.) 7: Very Good (Average to high for Superguy.) 8: Excellent (Very high quality writing.) 9: Exceptional (VERY good. No serious flaws.) 10: Perfect (Very, very, very rare.) The "type" scale is a measure of how serious or humorous the story is; it is not an evaluation of quality. Type 1 indicates a full-tilt wacko story. Type 5 indicates a lethal serious piece with only flashes of humor. /// Superguy: CalForce #143 (Gary W. Olsen) /// Synopsis Basically, things are building up everywhere. Dark Wader picks up what he presumes is Dana's forces transporting her in, and orders an attack. CalForce is captured by Neil Connery (Sean's brother) in control of the Video Arcadia, but rescued by Hardeharharlock (who can't see to be hypnotized, of course), and they plot to take back the ship. Rad is still trapped inside his own brain, all contact with Galaxy Hunter is still lost, Karina and Max Vax have a brief conversation before Max Vax is led out of the room, and in her quarters, Ekilo makes a call.... Evaluation "Mommy.... Mr. Gary's scaring me agaaaaaaaaain...." Radian and Shadebeam hasn't been finished for six months and Gary's back at it, this time with galactic intrigue. Characterization is rock-solid, as usual. We have absolutely no idea what the heck is going on half the time, but in an Olsen series, that's normal and desired. It's nice to see CalForce get back into space--Gary's old spacefaring cast is as fun to read about as ever. CalForce #143: Type 3, Matt: 8 ChrisA: 8 Mason: 8 Jon: 7 ChrisM: 9 /// Superguy: Adjusted League Unimpeachable #100 (Eric Alfred Burns) /// Synopsis Please note that this synopsis is _very_ condensed. Much more happens in this episode than this, and even more than usual I suggest you read the episode before you read this review. The ULA and Awe-Inspiring Force fight among themselves after two attempts with the NuberMachine fail--and Mensch is transformed into Lady Awe-Inspiring, possibly the most powerful villain now on the List. The ALU gets free, we find out Barry Manilow is actually Q (the guy from AIF, not the entity from Star Trek or MI-6's research guy), Mighty Guy shows up, much butt is kicked, but the ULA gets away with the NuberMachine. Evaluation This episode is easily longer than any episode in Superguy history. It's longer than most _arcs_ in Superguy history. The length isn't wasted at all--there's so much going on here at once that it simply couldn't have happened in a shorter episode. (For example, there's a whole other subplot involving the ALUA kids that isn't even mentioned above....) Eric's characterization is always good, but in this episode it's truly exceptional. For a moment, Kid Solipsism is actually a likeable character. (Well, at least not a character you want to see get annihilated painfully.) Dangerousgirl also gets some development.... as does Trudy, in a satisfying yet very disturbing manner. The action sequences, for all Eric's disclaimers about them, are well done. Eric hasn't lost the ability to write the Man of Petrified Wood, either; Mighty Guy's scenes are hilarious. Lady Awe-Inspiring is a _terrifying_ new villain. We've got Andy Awesome's competence and ubertech with first-class indestructibility leading one of the most powerful teams on the planet. Be afraid, folks. Three surprises out of nowhere, too--Barry Manilow, Ratman, and the new ALUA student. All three hit out of nowhere, and you feel like you should have guessed at least the first two. Finally, the opening sequence is absolutely beautiful, parodying every TV opener in sight. In sum, the conclusion to _Fallout_ is a terrific episode all around. Adjusted League Unimpeachable #100: Type 5, Matt: 9 ChrisA: 9 Mason: 9 Jon: 9 ChrisM: 10 /// Superguy: Errands #1 (Eric Sturgeon) /// Synopsis Errand Boy, a Legion of Net.Heroes character, finds himself in 000SUPERGUY. A mysterious character identifying himself as Whirlpool offers to send him back to his home if he'll deliver a message for him; he accepts, is transported to 483CGW, and immediately meets someone who decides to kill him.... Evaluation Having the character or characters' origin, or reason for being here, told outside a story in a note rather than in the story itself usually weakens the origin.... and, unfortunately, this is no exception, although it can be partially overlooked since, in this case, the Author can't really do anything about it. (Continuity's a pain, isn't it?) Overlooking as much as possible the fact that we're jumping in in the middle, it's a fairly solid episode. Characterization of EB himself is decent, and the viewpoint of someone "not from around here" is handled well. At some points the series seems to be following LNH conventions as much as Superguy conventions (random appearances by mysterious dimension-travelling entities?), but in context it works well. Hopefully things will be a bit more coherent in the next few episodes and after the Grand Tour concludes. For now, Errands is a decent light read. Errands #1: Type 3, Matt: 7 ChrisA: 7 Jon: 7 ChrisM: 7 /// Superguy/LNH: Team M.E.C.H.A. #75 (Meadows/Van Domelen/Brown) /// Synopsis Team M.E.C.H.A., finally in the Looniverse, survives the explosion of their logo and starts to make plans with Dvandom Force to attack DeFacto. Wayne, meanwhile, tells Spectrum about Marie and Marcus. Spectrum angsts. A lot. The team then attacks at DeFacto's base, where Skysabre, Kopikat and FireTsar get beat on by Hercules and the Roadkill Destructoid for awhile while Team M.E.C.H.A. goes to find the Grangers. The latter succeed, and pick up the two Dr. Zwarghoffs while they're at it; back outside, Skysabre gets tired of the fight, forms Super Sabre, and skewers Hercules while the FireTsar grabs the Destructoid and cuts loose with the Flame of the FireTsar. Large boom. Evaluation The first half of this episode is well-done character byplay, though a little heavy on the angst. Spectrum finding out about Marcus is way, way overdue, and it's actually kind of nice to see Wayne get to do something other than stand around and look stupid. The second half is basically a single fight scene, and as long as you keep in mind that the Dvandom Force members are parodies--and therefore _supposed_ to be over the top--it works well. Team M.E.C.H.A. usually has good characterization, and this issue isn't an exception. Good overall, the exploding logo bit was truly beautiful, and it looks like the Grand Tour is going to conclude well. Team M.E.C.H.A. #75: Type 3, Matt: 7 ChrisA: 7 Jon: 7 /// Superguy: Stix's Pointless Adventures #2 (Chris Woods) /// Synopsis Stix returns home from the fight with Ecnoy, avoids having his secret identity found out by his mom, goes to eat at Greasy George's Grill, and goes to get his friend Nick and talk to the all-knowing Universe Master. Evaluation Some of the elements are here for an amusing series, but it needs work--particularly in dialogue, characterization and plot. The author may also want to check the settings on his reader to see if he can post in larger chunks. Pointless #2: Type 2, Matt: 4 Mason: 4 Jon: 4 /// Superguy Academy: How To Write Superguy Good (Roger Christman) /// Synopsis Roger borrows the Superguy Academy imprint from Rob Furr to deliver a short series of suggestions on writing Superguy. Evaluation Aside from the fact that we're all going to Nerf Roger into oblivion for the Pentad joke, he suggests what is at least one sound way to write a story. There are other general methods for new Authors to go by, but they could do a lot worse than to use this one. SGA #???: How To Write Superguy Good: Type N/A, Matt: 7 Rick: 7 ChrisA: 7 Mason: 7 Jon: 7 ChrisM: 6 /// LNH/Superguy: Dvandom Force #60 (Dave van Domelen) /// Synopsis With Hercules and the Roadkill Destructoid history, Adam Douglas contacts Lord MUDD to save the Grangers from imminent death at the cost of Sally's powers. ATV Frank and DeFacto show up, and the good guys get beat on severely until Spectrum blows a hole in DeFacto's head and Kopikat, Summer and Skysabre enter to take him on in cyberspace. A copy of Summer Daye helps Summer actually get into the fight--then gets one-punched then destroyed by DeFacto. Kopikat throws Summer and Skysabre out of the link and cuts loose a cybernetic doomsday weapon, obliterating DeFacto, and apparently herself. Meanwhile, Acton Lord uses the battle as a distraction to ascend to the Sourcecode.... Evaluation Except for the Acton Lord and Granger bits, the issue is basically a single, well-handled fight scene. This means characterization is limited, but what there is is well handled. Lord MUDD is amusing, and the final attack on DeFacto is suitably dramatic (Summer Daye's clone's death is particularly well done). The Grand Tour _is_ concluding with style, although there are a lot of questions that still need to be answered.... Dvandom Force #60: Type 4, Matt: 7 ChrisA: 7 Jon: 7 -- Matthew Gerber mgerber@ao.net (preferred) mgerber@eyrie.org mbg84022@pegasus.cc.ucf.edu