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  • I Played Ultimate Alliance 3! (And got some swag!)

    So this past Wednesday, I drove straight to Best Buy right after work and made it there just in time to get my hands on Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order!

    I pulled up at about 7:30 pm, and the demo went to 8:00, so lucky me. When I walk in I’m greeted by a very friendly woman who tells me that they’re demoing UA3. I gleefully tell her that’s why I’m there, and she directs me to the back, where after two people finished up their turn, me and Jake (the guy I was playing with, who introduced himself at the end) got to play!

    So this was my first time playing a Switch, and I kind of got the controls mixed up. The Nintendo Rep told us to go to a S.H.I.E.L.D. command point, very reminiscent if not the exact same thing as the first Ultimate Alliance game. He said to press A to access it, so I looked down at my controller and I pressed A. Then he said to go to the character select and press A. And I, used to PlayStation controls where X is your select button, hit B and backed out. After that I went back in, and wouldn’t you believe it, I pressed B again. I told them I was used to PlayStation controls, but I finally did press A and we got to pick our characters!

    Now they stressed that the game has over 30, but this demo only had 13. I grabbed my boys Spidey and Miles of course. Jake got Deadpool, and Star-Lord was… just there. I didn’t swap him because I figured, well hey, I’ll pick 2, and Jake picks 2, but he just seemed interested in Deadpool. So after that, we were off!

    We met with Jessica Jones (Season 3 was great btw) and she was saying something about Kingpin having an Infinity Stone (bad news!). Jake and I decided to skip the dialogue because they were getting ready to close up shop and there were some little kids behind us that wanted to play. And I’d feel terrible if some little kids couldn’t play because of me, a 26-year-old man. So we began traveling through a Chinese-looking landscape, and were ambushed by scores upon scores of Hand ninjas. They were coming from left, right, all around, and chaos ensued.

    Now, maybe the only complaint I have is that when the action was happening, it got really hard to keep track of my character. I know that single-player has that over the shoulder mode, which I absolutely plan on using. But co-op forces you to use the top-down view, and there were so many ninjas, not to mention that Spider-Man and Deadpool both wear red, like the Hand. The demo TV was also pretty small. Regardless, that was really the only issue I had.

    But it played great. The web-slinging was awesome, even though I was restricted when Jake fell too far behind, but that’s just co-op for you. The swinging was tied to my ability meter, however, which sucked because then when a group of Hand showed up, I was out of abilities! Spider-Man and Miles both have web-balls, but Miles get some venom-blast action (his heavy attack is a venom-blast). Spider-Man also has a web wrecking ball that he slams into the ground, which unlocked when Jake and I leveled up. It seemed like everyone in the party leveled up, I’m interested to explore that more.

    There were some destructible boxes and flaming barrels you could throw. Some gave items, such as ISO-8. I don’t know what ISO-8 is doing in this game, up to this point it’s been relegated to mobile games, and not even recently anymore, but we’ll see. We ran into Jessica again, and she knocked down a bridge, and got into a flirty conversation with Luke Cage over comms, a nice touch. We fought and fought until we got stuck at a big, giant door. The Nintendo Rep then pointed out an objective box in the corner of the screen (that I had failed to noticed before exactly that moment) stating that we had beaten 29/30 Hand ninjas. We found the last one and pummeled him, resulting in a cut scene where Iron Fist proves why he’s the freaking Iron Fist.

    So he then joined our party as an NPC and we fought more Hand. Then Nintendo Rep pointed us to a special meter that was filling up rapidly in this particular room. Jake and I pressed the Switch equivalent of L1 and R1 together (I’m a PlayStation guy! Give me a break!) and all of the heroes unleashed a super whammy! Spider-Man did the yo-yo and started shooting web-balls everywhere! Miles did his ultimate venom-blast! (He got dizzy after it though, poor Miles!) And Deadpool and Star-Lord did… something, I was watching Spider-Man and Miles.

    So that was the end, and the Rep gave us some swag, pens, notepads, Nintendo themed microfiber cloths, and an awesome Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 key chain (seen above)! I had a great time, and I definitely need to buy a Switch. Ultimate Alliance 3 is a game 10 years overdue, and I can’t wait to play it again! Anyways, Face Front True Believers, and I’ll see you in the Multiverse!

  • Ghost-Spider is so Much Better than Spider-Gwen

    Spider-Gwen (2015)

    Spider-Gwen vol. 1 and 2 were weird. Let’s face it, they were. My best friend Eileen told me when she first saw Into the Spider-Verse that she squealed with excitement when Gwen came onto the scene. She said that even though she’d never read a Spider-Gwen comic, she had been aware of her character and aesthetic for years. Upon hearing this, I desperately wanted to suggest some comics to her, but they’re all… just strange.

    Let’s start with the big-bad, Matt Murdock. Why? I get that he’s Earth-67’s version of Kingpin, it’s all flip-flopped, but… why? It was just such a strange choice for her main villain. She was constantly fighting with his army of Hand ninjas, then she was working for him for a bit… It was strange. Not to mention her ongoing feud with Frank Castle. Again, why?

    Then we veered off into super crazy stories, like entire issues centered around two Watchers arguing with each other, and then Gwen going to Madripoor to fight MORE ninjas and Wolverine! It was just so oddball, and strange, and sometimes it didn’t really feel like the writer, Jason Latour, even wanted to write a Gwen Stacy story.

    Spider-Gwen (2015) #21

    It wasn’t all bad. Turning Gwen into the quintessential dimension-hopping Spider led to fun adventures like Sitting in a Tree and the time she hung out with 616 Gwen Stacy, creating the splinter 617 universe. I loved that story. There was also Spider-Women, with Silk and Jessica Drew, where an evil Cindy Moon terrorized Gwen and took her powers! Gripping storytelling!

    The personal, more Gwen-centric issues were the ones I favored. I liked watching her try to save Harry from himself, or struggle to tell Uncle Ben she’s the reason Peter died, or try to keep her dad safe, or come to terms with the Gwenom Symbiote. I have to say though, the Mary Janes were CRIMINALLY underutilized. She was always blowing them off, for something or another. And granted, that’s a classic Spider-Hero staple, but it was just so easy sometimes to forget she’s a drummer in a band. Seriously, the issue with Mysterio and the haunted house was, I honestly think, my favorite of those original volumes.

    And then the whole thing ended with her publicly outing herself and going to jail. Like… What!? I just think that, for my friend Eileen, who can get pretty nerdy but not that nerdy, the original Spider-Gwen comics weren’t very accessible. She’d disconnect when it came to all the Hand and Matt Murdock and freaking Frank Castle stuff. And that was a lot of the stuff.

    This leads us to Spider-Gwen: Ghost-Spider. Seanan McGuire’s so-far 9-issue run has quickly become one of my favorite comic books, and a great, accessible, Spider-Gwen story. Actually, let me back up. From issue 5 and up, because the first 4 were forced to tie into Spider-Geddon, which I do not blame her for. And even those had a cool story arc! (Also, what’s with #1’s launching inside of big events now? I don’t think that’s a great idea, but that’s a topic for another time, as is Spider-Geddon.) But once McGuire was free of the tie-in shackles, she picked up where Latour left off and ran with it!

    Spider-Gwen: Ghost-Spider #1

    These stories are personal. Gwen’s trying to date Harry, and form a better connection with her band. They’re action packed. Her fight with the Man-Wolf in issue #9 was nothing short of epic. They’re heroic! Gwen’s become something of a ‘Hero for Hire’, but when she leapt into that massive fire in issue #7 to save as many people as she could, honestly one of the best sequences I’ve read this year. The Gwenom Symbiote is slowly unraveling, creating challenges for our hero to overcome in and out of battle! She’s getting a better, more relatable relationship with her dad. But most importantly, McGuire is setting up a big-bad who should have been in the Spider-Gwen comics from the start:

    MILES WARREN! You all remember him? Everyone’s favorite pedophile with an obsessive hangup on Gwen Stacy! He’s also known as the freaking Jackal! Okay, hear me out. Go back to vol. 1 and 2, and replace Matt Murdock and the Hand with Miles Warren and a clone army. Replace Frank Castle with an Earth-67 version of Ben Reilly or Kaine. I mean, right? A clone with Peter’s face haunting Gwen for her original sin? The Jackal writes himself as a Spider-Gwen antagonist!

    Spider-Gwen: Ghost-Spider (2018) #5

    Listen, I have nothing against the original Spider-Gwen comics. Without them we wouldn’t even have Spider-Gwen as a character. But we forget that she was meant as a one-off for Edge of Spider-Verse #2, kind of like Peni Parker, help out in the Spider-Verse storyline and never be seen or heard from again until the likes of Spider-Geddon. And maybe stretching a one-off character story into an entire comic series because she took off in popularity may not have been the best idea in hindsight. Of course Spider-Gwen merch was flying off the shelves (like Eileen said, the aesthetic is so unique), but the comics weren’t really representative, I believe, of what a Gwen Stacy with Spider powers story should be. The Ghost-Spider comics, however, are knocking it out of the park. Which begs the question, why are starting at #1 AGAIN in August!?!? Anyways, Face Front True Believers, enjoy the Mary Janes hit single Face it Tiger below, and I’ll see you in the Multiverse.

  • Hot New Endgame Memes!

    I was bored, so… Also, this probably goes without saying, but… SPOILERS!!!! Enjoy!

  • Spider-Man Far From Home #1: A Face Front Comic!

    Hey there True Believers! Here’s a brand new comic for based on the brand new trailer from Spider-Man: Far From Home! Just thought I’d have a little fun with the little emojis I got from the Spider-Man: Homecoming app years ago. You’ve seen I’ve made a bunch of little memes with them, but I wanted to go a step further and make a full(ish) comic! Hope you had fun!

  • Face Front Blog Strike Force Alliance

    Face Front needs you True Believer! If you play Marvel Strike Force and are a Face Front member with an Alliance Ticket then you can join our alliance!

    We’re pretty laid back. No outside app is needed to communicate, though we do have a Discord. We run Ultimus raids every Friday, and S.T.R.I.K.E. raids whenever we’ve got enough keys! We haven’t started Alliance Wars yet, because our alliance is not at level 20 yet, hence why we need you!

    The point to the Face Front Blog Alliance is to have fun! So if you’re dead-set on winning and topping leaderboards, maybe this isn’t the one for you. But if you just want to play some Strike Force at your leisure, be a part of our community, and have a good time, then come on down!

    Remember, all you have to do is be a Registered Member of Face Front, then head to the Token Shop and grab a Face Front Alliance Ticket! It’s 20 Face Front Tokens, and quantity is limited, so get them while you can! (Click here to figure out how to earn Face Front Tokens!)

    Also know that you can become a Captain in the Face Front Alliance, but you will have to pass 10 trials! Good luck, and I’ll see you in the game!

  • Captain Marvel IS the Most Powerful MCU Hero

    SPOILER ALERT!

    So let’s break this down folks: The Tesseract is considered to be a source of UNLIMITED power. Mar-Vell made a light speed engine using the power of the Tesseract. Said engine blew up in Carol’s face! Thus granting her… unlimited power!

    Now other heroes have been infected with Infinity Stones before. Vision’s got one in his head, Dr. Strange wears one on his neck, Scarlet Witch is infused with one, Jane Foster and Malekith were infected by another, and Star-Lord and Ronan held one!

    But the one Carol got laced into her was considered the crown jewel of Odin’s vault. It destroyed the Red Skull and brought Loki’s army to New York. The Tesseract has been the most unpredictable of the Infinity Stones. It’s basically the equivalent to a super star in Mario!

    Now, that’s not to say that she’s going to show up and one-punch Thanos. After all, he did crush the Tesseract with his bare hands, and he’s got it’s power, plus the 5 other stones on his gauntlet. So it’s sure to be a fair fight. Let’s just hope the Avengers can pull it off!

    But until that time, looking at the facts, Captain Marvel is the most powerful her in the MCU!

  • Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite Valentines Day Rematch!

    2 years ago, Ultron Omega took my pride. This Valentines Day, I went on a quest to get it back! In case you missed the live-stream, here’s the Face Front Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite Valentines Day rematch against Ultron Omega!

  • Miles Morales Spider-Man #2

    Y’all reading that new Miles Morales? Yeah, so TL;DR, Miles’s girlfriend’s cousin got roped into a ‘mind controlled kids’ operation that also happened to rope in Rhino’s niece. So Rhino and Miles teamed up to stop it only to find out that Tombstone was behind it! When they couldn’t figure out how to work together properly, Tombstone got away, but none other than… Captain America… showed up to help save the day…

    So I was able to get past Rhino and Spider-Man teaming up. Rhino’s a Spidey villain, and though I found him going a little too soft on Miles, I respected his motivation and I think that a Miles/Rhino duo is a fun situation! And then Tombstone is back in the mix, he’s always underutilized, so why not? But… Captain America shows up out of nowhere to help? Yeah, y’all lost me. But hey, I’ll keep reading! What do you guys think?

  • (Almost) All the Avengers (Maybe) Survived (Possibly)!

    Okay, so this theory actually came from my brother, which is odd because he doesn’t comic book, like at all. I won’t say that, he’s a DC fan that straddles the line between casual and hardcore, he knows his stuff, but if you go too deep, you’ll lose him.

    Anyhow, I noted that the only color in the flashbacks of the decimated Avengers that you could see was red. Then he said that maybe it was because the Reality Stone is red and that they all were transported to a different reality when they blew into dust.

    I was stunned, it’s actually a pretty good guess! I mean, matter can’t be created or destroyed, only transported. So that’s completely plausible! Although poor Vision didn’t get decimated, he just got the Mind Stone pulled right out of his head. So… he might be gone gone. Poor Vision.

  • Where was Her Call?

    You know, if the Avengers Initiative was created to fight the battles that we never could, why wasn’t Captain Marvel Nick Fury’s first call? I mean… when Loki showed up and took the Tesseract Fury said it was a Level 7, and that we were at war, and that we needed a response team. You don’t think that worth a page Nicky boy?

    Then Ultron showed up and literally tore the Avengers apart from the inside. So let’s see here, you could either go to the Barton farm, give the depressed Avengers a pep talk, and hope they can pull themselves together in time to stop Ultron, or just call Captain Marvel to prevent an extinction-level event!!! But hey, if Fury wants to wait until he’s literally fading to dust to call Carol, then I guess that’s his prerogative. ‘Nuff said!