REVIEW: End of Month Reviews #87 - March 2011 [spoilers]

[Andrew Perron]

On Fri, 13 May 2011 04:32:00 +0000 (UTC), Saxon Brenton wrote:

>      The theme for the 18th High Concept Challenge was 'The unicorn vs. 
> sasquatch war'.  Which I think was pretty cool.  I mean, you wouldn't 
> want to have overly complex concepts for every round, but every so often 
> a nice batsh!t insane notion helps stretch the mental muscles.  Why, yes, 
> I do remember fondly the 'When the Earth becomes infested with hardwired 
> aliens, one Earthling and his/her chocolate respond by swimming' back 
> in round 6.

I thought this was more accessible yet equally as likely to spawn weirdness
as that one.  The Silver Skull Machine was a bit too specific, tho, IMHO.

> GODLING #21

<snip>
> In fact, most 
> of the dramatic tension in this issue is not so much in whether or how 
> Master Destiny will be defeated, but in the brief scene where Godling 
> struggles to resist the corrupting effects of the Spear.

Indeed, and as I said, I liked the reasons they eventually came up with.

> RACCCafe: The Biggest War Ever!

<snip>
>      Well, that's amusing, even if it is a bait and switch.

Note that it wasn't really meant to *trick* the reader, so much as barrel
along with weird and awesome fast enough that you wouldn't question what
was happening.

> The Super Wizard From Space #1-2
> A Marlo Vivo [MV] series  {high concept 18}
> by Wil Alambre
>      
>      Hurm.  I was going to begin by saying that this is the first time 
> that the High Concept Challenge has spawned an ongoing series... but 
> technically that's not true.  The first issue is indeed a High Concept 
> Challenge 18 tie-in, but it only acts as a starting point for a much 
> wider tale of cosmic battles centred on the Super Wizard.  The ruthless 
> suppression of unicorn/sasquatch war (as in: 'You haven't playing nice 
> with each other, so now I'm going to blow up your planet and kill you 
> all') only serves as the specific event that triggers the alliance of 
> advanced alien races to defeat the Super Wizard, not as the ongoing 
> focus of the series.

I dunno, I'd say this still totally counts as spawning an ongoing series,
much like series spin out of crossovers even if whatever the crossover was
about doesn't drive the series.

> My favourites were still the undead Mummy Machines of Planet M and their 
> rather distinctive speech pattern.

The Mummy Machines are great!

> SW10/HCC: March 2011: The Perils of the Wolf-Woman!

<snip>
> But if 'protecting a source' is the case, then the line about 
> Jo, the Super Wolf, "kept the sasquatch secret" sticks out like a sore 
> thumb.  She may have successfully kept them secret up until now, but their 
> cover has been blown by the World Journal Monthly!  Whose side is this 
> guy on, anyway?  Or is it that the sasquatch have decided to reveal 
> themselves to the world?

I think it'd make sense for them to do so, considering what's happening to
said world.  Not much use staying hidden in a time when everyone needs to
band together to survive.

Andrew "NO .SIG MAN" "Juan" Perron, a jackalope and a bunny.