Zwackery Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 I finally had a chance to go by my LCS and pick up the set of issue #0. Turns out that one of the writers, Chris Sims, lives in Durham, so the store owners had him autograph several issues and saved one for me. Plus, I got a free Fireworld cart that a local used video game store had donated as part of the writer signing event. Not too shabby! (Turns out that the store also is promoting another video game comic, Little Nightmares, based on the recent PS4 release, specifically the artist Thomas Boatwright and his variant cover versions, and as issue #1 had just come out, he was there to promote the comic and signed my copy for free and gave me a free watercolor he had done of Six, the protagonist in the game. It was a wonderful cross-over day of gaming and comics.) Anyhow, I am curious to see where Swordquest goes as a story. Clearly the creators and Dynamite have a lot of enthusiasm for the project (and Dynamite is still heavily promoting Tim Lapetino's Art of Atari, which is great.) I felt like the setup was a bit better than what I was expecting based on reading a summary. My LCS also has a ton of issue #0 left (at least 50 copies). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari-Collector Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 Are there no comic shops near you in Ontario? If not, a quick google search of Ontario comic shop mail order turns up numerous stores. I just moved, I just made it in to the city and back for the first time today with out using a map or GPS.. I just thought these where a mail order specialty thing.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Tarzilla Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 This store in Chatham Kent is 35 minutes from Ridgetown, contact them and ask them to put them aside. https://thenewgme.popshop.comixology.com Any comic store should have lots, if not it should still be available for the store to reorder from Previews, the distributor, it was not an obscure release by any means. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StanJr Posted June 25, 2017 Share Posted June 25, 2017 Issue #1 hit this week and I'm still not overly impressed. I think my main problem is that I don't particularly like or empathize with the main character. He just kind of feels like a dreadful loser. I don't want him to steal the sword. I'm not cheering for him. I don't get his motivations, beyond the superficial "I want to steal the sword because I'm a pathetic loser and I'm dying" angle. I'm just not sure what I'm looking at and there's not much substance around the character to keep me interested. All the nerdy Atari trappings surrounding the story aren't enough to keep me reading. Also, Yars' Revenge harder than Jr. Pac-man? Who writes this stuff? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whisperingloon Posted June 26, 2017 Share Posted June 26, 2017 My local comic shop did not have any copies left, so they're trying to backorder a copy for me. Issue 0 got my attention and interest. i hope issue 1 doesn't cause me to lose interest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moycon Posted June 26, 2017 Share Posted June 26, 2017 I snagged a couple copies of issue #1 (Couldn't decide on the cover I wanted) Haven't had the chance to read it yet. I did enjoy issue #0 though so looking forward to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whisperingloon Posted June 27, 2017 Share Posted June 27, 2017 When I ordered my copy, I was able to choose my cover -- I went with the game box art. It looked so cool! Can you have nostalgia for something you never owned? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+KaeruYojimbo Posted June 27, 2017 Share Posted June 27, 2017 Also, Yars' Revenge harder than Jr. Pac-man? Who writes this stuff? I think maybe that was the point. The character who said that was supposed to be one of those a-holes who think they know everything but really don't know anything and try to show their superior nerdiness off ("You wouldn't know Surfer's Paradise. It was PAL only."). I was more annoyed than intrigued by the cliffhanger. It ruined everything that happened right before it, which felt like a real moment of someone with a crazy idea realizing it's a crazy, stupid idea. I was really hoping there'd be more detective work in tracking down the sword too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfriendly Posted June 29, 2017 Share Posted June 29, 2017 (edited) First comics I have purchased in over 35 years. At least it was cheap. One of the only times I ever ventured into a comic book store. Felt like the guys from the Big Bang Theory. Edited June 29, 2017 by bigfriendly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfriendly Posted June 29, 2017 Share Posted June 29, 2017 (edited) Sorry, tried to delete but couldn't Edited June 29, 2017 by bigfriendly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whisperingloon Posted June 30, 2017 Share Posted June 30, 2017 Got my copy of issue #1 today. It was good. But I'm still trying to decide how much I like it. I've been planning an Atari comic spin off of my podcast, and thinking I might use Swordquest as a reason to launch. Now? Not so sure. May just start at the beginning now. Positive: It's different -- not what I'd expect for a comic based on a fantasy adventure video game that already had a high fantasy comic tie-in Negative: It's different -- not what I'd expect for a comic based on a fantasy adventure video game that already had a high fantasy comic tie-in I am going to ride this one out. I don't hate it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whisperingloon Posted June 30, 2017 Share Posted June 30, 2017 I was more annoyed than intrigued by the cliffhanger. It ruined everything that happened right before it, which felt like a real moment of someone with a crazy idea realizing it's a crazy, stupid idea. I was really hoping there'd be more detective work in tracking down the sword too. Yeah. I agree. It definitely ruined the moment, although i think that's the point. It's early in the game, though. I have a feeling that like so many other modern comic series, the first couple of issues are set up before we get into things in earnest, and it will read better once it's all done and can be read as a single story instead of waiting a month for the next chapter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
negative1 Posted June 30, 2017 Share Posted June 30, 2017 i'm not interested in swordquest... but i like centipede and will check that out. maybe will start a new thread once it's out. later -1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swordquest plus Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 Looks like I'm a bit late to the party. A new Swordquest comic book series! This will be great! I've longed to see the story get continued from where we left off. Yeah, I know the series will be different from the original comic books, but you know what. I'll be happy with whatever they come up with. Nice to know that they revived the series in a way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StanJr Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 Looks like I'm a bit late to the party. A new Swordquest comic book series! This will be great! I've longed to see the story get continued from where we left off. Yeah, I know the series will be different from the original comic books, but you know what. I'll be happy with whatever they come up with. Nice to know that they revived the series in a way. Oh, I'm so sorry for you. You are going to be beyond disappointed and there's no real way to stop it, because you are so enthusiastic and optimistic. I hope you are able to find something in there you like, but it's going to be a challenge. The comic is absolutely NOTHING like the originals in any way shape or form. I'll give you an EASY OUT button if you want it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moycon Posted October 15, 2017 Share Posted October 15, 2017 Oh, I'm so sorry for you. You are going to be beyond disappointed and there's no real way to stop it I'll have to disagree here. I'll give you that's it much different than many comics out there, but when was different considered a bad thing!? The art work also is a bit strange, but to me adds to its retro feel. Too many comics follow a particular structure which just serves to dumb down and make every story too familiar to the last, and while sometimes it hard to let go of what's familiar and comfortable, it's often necessary to move into new territory. It's a comic that I felt started out decent but gets even better as it moves forward! I'll just leave some other reviews here as well. https://comicbookroundup.com/comic-books/reviews/dynamite-entertainment/swordquest 7.5 lowest average. https://bigcomicpage.com/2017/06/19/review-swordquest-1-dynamite/ 4/5 http://shootthebreezecomics.com/2017/10/14/secret-wizard-past-swordquest-4-comic-review/ 9/10 Just proof that we all have personal preference and beliefs I guess. One mans trash is another mans Talisman of Penultimate Truth! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StanJr Posted October 15, 2017 Share Posted October 15, 2017 Definitely going to have to disagree here. Swordquest is not only a bad video game comic book, it's a bad comic book, it fails at sequential storytelling in the most basic sense. I'm all for trying new things and telling new kinds of stories, but when the kind of story you have decided to tell is one that is boring and is about a loser, you're going to really have to find something to sell me that story with, and Atari-biased revisionist history and 6th grade level art isn't going to cut it. Moycon, you know what I read, you know I'm open to myriad kinds of comics. This one is just a stinker. As for the reviews you linked to, the second review linked starts with "Oh god. A comic book adaptation of an Atari 2600 game. Let me guess, the writers are going to try to flesh out the flimsy backstory for the 8-bit classic, trying to make us care about the little pixelated man walking around, picking up and dropping items?" If the reviewer had any knowledge of the subject matter at hand, he would know that Swordquest has MUCH more than a "flimsy backstory." The review goes on to be impressed by Ghostwriter X's incomprehensible art and the introduction of supporting characters. Standards are pretty low for this reviewer. I would offer that my analysis/review of issue #3 provides sufficient defense of my position and refutes all three of the reviews you linked to. (geez, I'm self promoting so much I feel like Random Terrain over here...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moycon Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 This one is just a stinker. It should be noted some of my favorite movies have titles like... Joysticks, Terror at Tenkiller, They Saved Hitler's Brain, Xanadu and Zaat. You use the word "stinker" like that is a bad thing!! I'll go on to say, that it doesn't matter a person's "standards", it's their personal opinion and it's just as valid as anyone else's. Same goes for the many other reviewers opinion I posted. You can defend your stance, and even back it up on why others might see things your way (I could do the same thing), but it doesn't change the fact that people will have their own sometimes different opinion. To tell someone that they are going to be disappointed seems a tad presumptuous. A closer truth would be someone may, or may not be disappointed, regardless they should definitely give it a go and find out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+KaeruYojimbo Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 I was supportive of Swordquest when it was first announced while others were immediately writing it off because it wasn't a continuation or update of the original series, even offered tempered praise of the first issue, but I have been extremely disappointed with it since. The book genuinely doesn't seem to know where it's going. Instead, it hopes that the mish-mash of real and fictional backstory will leave readers too befuddled to notice the complete lack of intrigue and likable characters. Inconsistent art isn't retro. It's just bad. The art in the old Captain Marvel comics was simplistic, cartoony and decidedly retro, but Captain Marvel looked like Captain Marvel in every panel. The characters in Swordquest are pliable enough to make Plastic Man jealous. Oh, and the comic shop where I bought the first couple of issues of Swordquest and Centipede has stopped carrying both books and another one I checked never carried either of them. I've had to resort to reading issue 3 of each series online. There's one more shop I can check that isn't a hassle to get to, but if they don't carry them, I guess I'm done buying physical copies because while I'm enjoying Centipede, these books aren't worth trekking out to Timbuktu to buy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrBeefy Posted October 19, 2017 Share Posted October 19, 2017 I was supportive of Swordquest when it was first announced while others were immediately writing it off because it wasn't a continuation or update of the original series, even offered tempered praise of the first issue, but I have been extremely disappointed with it since. The book genuinely doesn't seem to know where it's going. Instead, it hopes that the mish-mash of real and fictional backstory will leave readers too befuddled to notice the complete lack of intrigue and likable characters. Inconsistent art isn't retro. It's just bad. The art in the old Captain Marvel comics was simplistic, cartoony and decidedly retro, but Captain Marvel looked like Captain Marvel in every panel. The characters in Swordquest are pliable enough to make Plastic Man jealous. Oh, and the comic shop where I bought the first couple of issues of Swordquest and Centipede has stopped carrying both books and another one I checked never carried either of them. I've had to resort to reading issue 3 of each series online. There's one more shop I can check that isn't a hassle to get to, but if they don't carry them, I guess I'm done buying physical copies because while I'm enjoying Centipede, these books aren't worth trekking out to Timbuktu to buy. They can probably still order them. The problem is they probably werent selling and then cut back on their order. My shop does that since by then people who want it put it on their pull list Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moycon Posted October 19, 2017 Share Posted October 19, 2017 IDW is also releasing games based on Atari games. Unfortunately I haven't heard of one based on Swordquest, which in my opinion could be pretty cool. But I did get this last weekend... https://www.amazon.com/Ataris-Centipede-Board-Game/dp/B0736D8C62/ Says they are also releasing games for Asteroids and Missile Command. Haven't had a chance to play yet. I'm a sucker for video game based board games. I have a mini collection going on with Pac-Man Yahzee, Popeye, Zaxon, Turbo and the old original Centipede board game! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StanJr Posted October 20, 2017 Share Posted October 20, 2017 Yeah, I think Scott posted about this on the FB Homebrew page. Aimee is big into board games so she's going to scope them out. I hope they are good. A really good Swordquest board game would be AWESOME. Could you imagine? A game for each world and then maybe all 4 games can be combined into one HUGE game. If they were good, I'd lose my mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doctorclu Posted October 21, 2017 Share Posted October 21, 2017 Yeah, I think Scott posted about this on the FB Homebrew page. Aimee is big into board games so she's going to scope them out. I hope they are good. A really good Swordquest board game would be AWESOME. Could you imagine? A game for each world and then maybe all 4 games can be combined into one HUGE game. If they were good, I'd lose my mind. Swordquest as a board game would be awesome. recently picked up a Oregon Trail board game. Cool stuff. As for the comic book mentioned at the beginning of this thread, I have long left it behind. But then I have been leaving a lot of fandom behind at this point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfriendly Posted November 3, 2017 Share Posted November 3, 2017 Yeah, I think Scott posted about this on the FB Homebrew page. Aimee is big into board games so she's going to scope them out. I hope they are good. A really good Swordquest board game would be AWESOME. Could you imagine? A game for each world and then maybe all 4 games can be combined into one HUGE game. If they were good, I'd lose my mind. You could have a few of the items from the games as your playing pieces! I call the quiet boots!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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