1||0|902|0|yes
0|0|0|||||Regarding the recent City of Heroes novels...|O_M||01:20:55|06/07/2006|[updated:LAST EDITED ON Jun-07-06 AT 01:22 AM (EDT)]I just finished up _Freedom Phalanx_ a few days ago%2C and running into Gryph%27s %22I predict a riot%22 thread reminded me of it. Now%2C I%27ve heard quite a few things about some comic series based off of the games%28which%2C apparently%2C is bad. Like...really bad%29%2C but the novels are in fact quite good. The original _Web of Arachnos_ was a look at Statesman and Recluse%27s origins%2C and actually struck a key balance with Statesman specifically. He originally WASN%27T a great guy. Sure%2C he was %28somewhat%29honorable%2C but he wasn%27t a spick and span law-abiding citizen by any stretch of the imagination. Similarly%2C following Recluse%27s rise to power within Arachnos is also interesting%2C but he%27s NOT playing constant nemesis to Statesman throughout it. Rather%2C Statesman%27s career is originally started by facing down the machine legions of another of his later rogues gallery%2C Nemesis. Overall%2C along with introducing the founding members of the Freedom Phalanx and how Statesman brought them together%2C it%27s a great look at what%27s probably legendary history in CoH%27s time setting.%0D%0A%0D%0ASimilarly%2C _Freedom Phalanx_ is set at what I%27m assuming is just before CoH the game%27s story begins. And it%27s a _big_ change. There are still superheroes in Paragon%2C but not that many. Most of the original Phalanx has retired%2C died%2C or disapppeared. Especially in scenes from Statesman%27s perspective%2C you can see how LONG it%27s been since the original novel. Decades...and while Statesman is effectively immortal%28as is Recluse%2C by virtue of their origins%29%2C the rest of the world isn%27t. Between that and a good supporting cast in what will become the new Freedom Phalanx%2C along with a truly eclectic choice of villians for our primary threat%2C the book does a great job of showing the lead up to the %27call for heroes%27 I%27ve heard mentioned in connection to the game.%0D%0A%0D%0AOverall%2C from someone who really doesn%27t have enough time to donate to a MMORPG like CoH or CoV%2C this is exactly what I was looking for%3A a look at the universe as set in prose. And it definitely hit the high notes. Now I%27m hoping they%27ve got more books planned.
1|1|0|||1||RE%3A Regarding the recent City of Heroes novels...|Gryphon||15:29:27|06/07/2006|... and this has what to do with UF and how its source materials relate to it%3F%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0Aoff to private-mail we go%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor-in-Chief%2C %26 Forum Admin%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited  http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0A