Ken Aldred

Started Nier Automata. I was concerned about the much-hyped difficulty of the first section, which requires over an hour of play before you can save - die and you're back to the beginning - but with lots of variety throughout, such as 3D arcade-type shooter sections, reminding me a bit of Galaxian, that kind of thing, platform-like sections, robots shooting copious pink energy balls, and intimidating giant buzzsaws and giant robots. So, pretty much what you'd expect from a sci-fi JRPG. In fact, it's not bad at all on normal difficulty, plenty of health replenishment, and really all it takes to survive the seemingly-daunting giant obstacles, in particular, is an understanding of the evade function. In the end, one of the best and most varied start sections I've ever played.

You might find that Jimmy Olsen runs out of steam a bit after a while. For me, the weakest Fourth World title.

Or a prime example from the Abattoir Pedigree Collection.

Let's not jump to conclusions. It could just be an example of poorly-applied distributor spray. (Hopefully.)

No. You genuinely want the best image quality, delivered by that option. With streaming instability and compromised bit rate, and good system upscaling compensation, it’s often hard to detect that much difference between standard HD and UHD.

It’s surprising how much better old movies can present in high definition. I should look into the technicalities of that. True for streaming, even more so for rate-stable physical versions. Even on U.K. Freeview, via aerial, I’ll always consider watching an old film again when it’s broadcast in HD, just for the obvious boost - even with that.

Don’t have Disney, but I’ve seen a few mocking YouTube videos about a particular fight scene.

Yup. Absolutely no evidence of that kind of misbehaviour here.

Yup. I've met more than a few in the hobby who can hold petty grudges like this.

Has manga ever been sold this way in Japan? Use of such vending machines is far more diverse there.

The next issue is my favourite, introducing Doctor Bedlam. All of Darkseid's Elites are appalling, sadistic individuals, but there's something especially soulless about him.

That's a potential problem. There's already a collected edition of the Machine Man series, and I wondered if the 2001 issues would be kept as a separate and very thin volume.

A particularly bad example of Howard Chaykin artwork.

Likewise. I'm already bored and completely disinterested, so a threat of discomfort's already irrelevant to the situation, speaking as the owner of a Y chromosome as well.

As much as he's a classic Judge Dredd artist, I have to agree he's done better.

Which doesn't really matter. It's about what appeals to you and what you find most fulfilling about the pastime. Congrats.

Sounds similar to the way Conan gets bounced around from one publisher to another. Copyrights and trademarks and licensing. It'd be good to have a complete Machine Man Omnibus including the early 2001 stories, regardless of who does it.

Currently reading a couple of fairly long runs.

He was a law unto himself.

Took me a good half minute to decipher this as ‘Masters of the Universe’.

Been a bit down in the weeks leading up to Christmas, and I loaded up Wolfenstein 1 : The New Order, and Wolfenstein 2 : The New Colossus, for some hardcore, therapeutic Nazi Smashing, which never gets old. Just finished them both on “I am Death Incarnate” difficulty level, with the second game being much tougher, but, with a bit of strategising, quite doable. I’m simply not good enough to take on the “Mein Leben” setting, where one death erases your save and you’re back to the beginning - always avoid these.

Let's not forget all of those signature "air quotes" as well.

Not my favourite character, but one of my favourite alternate universe versions...

It’s a brilliant RPG. Eventually I’ll get Dead Space PS5 myself. Haven’t started it yet, but I just bought the Capcom Resident Evil 4 PS5 remake, which, likewise, is supposed to be quite superb.

Probably not worth my while going ad-free, as with attention deficit I can barely go 20 minutes without breaking off onto something else.