Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony…SpartanNerd’s Music Review

May 11, 2019 by SpartanNerd

Nothing could taint the experience of finally seeing the Ninth Symphony performed live! The Spartanburg Philharmonic absolutely nailed it…It may be the highest art Spartanburg has ever experienced, and this is an artsy place. Worries about three of my students who didn’t arrive couldn’t scar it. Neither the hazardous weather; neither the annoying synthetic buzz of the speakers in Twitchell Auditorium at Converse College: neither the horrible parking situation or record crowd audience. No. Beethoven’s music transcended it all. This is a piece that I have purchased several times over the years, the first of which when I was sixteen years old and had my family scratching their heads. A piece that I have taught about since my career began with glowing reverence. A piece that I have never seen performed except in odd snips and pieces, and never with singers.

The program started with the unconnected Modern piece, Charles Ives’ “The Unanswered Question,” which provided a point of variety and contrast, and set the stage for conductor Stefan Sanders’ remarks about the nature of life…the What, How, When, Why, and Where of life. This piece has a pretty and controlled strings component, and “questioners” who played from the balcony, disconnected from the rest of the players, and playing with differing keys and tempos. He explained that Beethoven strived to give us the answer that Charles Ives was also looking for with his greatest and final symphony. He described the first movement as having an urgency, the second movement as a type of demonic dance, the third movement a tribute to love, and the fourth movement all about brotherly love. I personally have always given deeper explanations of each movement…more technical ones. But Mr. Sanders let his orchestra do the talking…

As the first movement began, the straight sounds of open violin strings, the droning of the winds, the feeling of the orchestra being tuned, (a revolutionary idea in the great master’s day), the power of it all was too much for me. My heart began to race and, yes, I began to cry. How many times have I just sat and listened to recording of big-name orchestras? How many rides from college back to Pacolet have I let this play? (Yes. Years ago.). I remember listening to this to go and pick up a pet rabbit with one of my sons, and I explained each movement and what was going on to him. All of this crashed down on me at once. To me the Spartanburg Philharmonic’s rendition was devastating, powerful, and unashamed to make statements in every way. And the tempo that they played it in was perfect, not dragging at all. And as annoying as that droning synthetic speaker sound in that room was, It was completely washed away by the raw strength of the orchestra.

During the break between the first and second movements, you could hear a torrential downpour as a storm raged outside. This was God smiling at us as we listened…the second movement evokes a tempest, and this heavy rain made a perfect backdrop. As I listened, I noticed how perfectly balanced this orchestra is. I have a few recordings that sometimes when I listen to, and feel like the recording or the players don’t sound as spot on as they could. We had good seats for this concert…it’s true. But the orchestra itself was pristine. Never all night was there a single time that a horn was too loud, a section overpowering, or even a drum too tight. I mention that I have never seen the Ninth Symphony performed live before, but I HAVE seen this movement performed a few times. But the Spartanburg Philharmonic brought the greatest performance tonight.

As there was another break before the third movement, something odd happened that I didn’t understand until later. Four singers entered the stage and took a seat at the front. For this event, the choir that was to sing the Chorale at the end was seated onstage for everyone to see. But these four entered and took a seat up front, undoubtedly the soloists who would sing in the final movement. And suddenly I had a slight panic. There was to be no singing until the fourth movement? Were they skipping the third movement? (Blasphemy!). No. Nothing like that at all. I felt my tension ease as the orchestra began to play the prettiest part of the the Ninth Symphony, the Pastoral movement. I do enjoy the melody of this part…it reminds me of some of Beethoven’s other work. But I will be the first to tell you as a teacher that this is also the least exciting part of the whole work. After listening to the thing several times, you know the real treat is in the fourth movement, and sometimes it feels like some of the extended phrases and sections of the third movement are hoops Beethoven has you jump through to keep you anxious for the end. The orchestra delivered this movement nicely, and then…

So why did those singers come onstage so early? Mr. Sanders had about a fifteen second break in between the third and fourth movement. I don’t even think the players rested their instrument or turned pages. He froze in place, as many times I have done in conducting different groups…and then, with more electricity than the raging storm outside, the fourth movement began, and I jumped to the edge of my seat! And so the conversation began between the low strings and the rest of the orchestra, and it is like every single note is stamped on my soul. I look over at the cellists and bassists at the right, and then back at the other players on the left, anticipating and reveling in it all. Beethoven wrote this when he was COMPLETELY DEAF! And the classic themes of the three movements before, Orchestra Tuning, Thunderstorm, and Pastoral are all shot down, and then the low players begin to play the hymn of the ages, the Ode to Joy, and the rest of the orchestra follows suit. Then on cue. My kinsmen, the singers, they all stand in one accord at the right moment…the same electric music that made me sit up in my chair had me moving again as they all sprang into action. I was pleasantly surprised to hear that wonderful bass singer singing the classic German text as we hear the conversation yet again, with words. And how did this great chorus sound? I was worried about the balance. But it was sparkling and as pure as the greatest recording I have ever listened to. And did I mention that I was glad to hear them singing in German? My wife, sitting beside me the whole time, elbowed me in the side during the Turkish March and asked me if I was alright, and I realized again that I was crying. The quartet delivered part beautifully, and when It was time for the rest of the chorus to come in with those notes…the ones with the droning trumpet…the notes that let you know a cathartic moment is upon you, it was ecstatic. And the coda section of the piece, (should we really call it that?). This terrific group made it the greatest “mad dash” of all time. Literally, the second that it was over, the audience roared in applause and stood to its feet. The clapping went on for…five minutes? And then it kept going! Of course there wouldn’t be an encore, not after all that. But what a rush!

Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony was the closing performance of the 2018-2019 orchestra season for the Spartanburg Philharmonic. I want more. Our city needs more. Please keep this happening Spartanburg!

Draconic Domination Commander 2017 deck- SpartanNerd Unboxing and Review

October 16, 2017 by SpartanNerd

Extended review…I should say….

I purchased mine at the Tangled Web in Spartanburg three weeks ago, for $39.99. Most places are marking this up now, so I was grateful to see it on the shelf, and not marked up much.

I have played the deck several times…just at home with the SpartanKid as well as at some tournaments. So how good is it? Is it worth the hype? Keep reading!

The front of the box features that window where we can see the oversized foil commander card. “The Ur-Dragon.” Dumb name. Cool concept. Apparently the Ur-Dragon was the original dragon in the multiverse…making him the most powerful.

Here is the back…

We have a contents list and some encouraging information with some pictures of the cards…conspicuously absent is…”Scion of the Ur Dragon.” The Scion is here alright. But I think the Wizards purposely tried to under-hype him. He is a super popular commander, and it is notable that a foil of him wasn’t included as well.

Why? They are working hard to prevent mass sellouts and major markups on the product after market. “True Name Nemesis” was printed back a few years ago, and it became impossible to find that deck. This is also why Stoneforge Mystic wasn’t reprinted in Nahiri the Lithomancer’s deck.

Foiling out the Scion of the Ur Dragon and featuring him on this box would virtually guarantee the same end result. This deck is ALREADY hard to find. (It has been out for less than a month.) While the others in the series warm the shelves. (Vampires, Cats, and Wizards.)

This box opens like all the others…best from the bottom. Here are the contents. The foil Commander “The Ur-Dragon.” The deck. A poster/guide for playing the deck. A nice box (there was originally a plastic liner). And the Magic the Gathering Quick Reference. (It’s not a guide for Commander.)

Let’s spend a second really looking at that big card.

BIG is the keyword here. Not only is it an oversized card, it is also a large creature, costing nine mana all around, and requiring one of each color.

This is why (so far) I haven’t made him my preferred Commander. You’ll never cast him, and they’ll see him coming a mile away.

What else. Well for all that mana, you do get a 10/10 flyer that gets you card draw and board advantage. And he can make your dragon spells cost one less also, which helps this deck a good bit as far as speed is concerned.

This guy is new. Scion of the Ur-Dragon has been around for awhile. Now we know who he is the Scion for!

Notice anything missing…NO DECKLIST. Instead we get the message, “Learn more about this deck at magic.wizards.com/c17 .

I am calling fail on this one. I keep these little posters specifically for the decklists. Sure, I could always look them up on the internet. But I like having the paper item…it helps me with cataloging what I have. Just saying. BOO!

Let’s open some cards…

First, we get the foil legendary creatures on top. And these are all new guys…designed for the game of Commander.

I have preferred O-Kagachi, Vengeful Kami. He is relatively lightweight mana-cost wise. Ramos is lightweight, but the other ability is hard to pull off…(the one that costs ten mana…two of each color.)

O-Kagachi has removal built in. Not only is he huge, with flying and trample, but lets you destroy something else on the field.

Next, the tokens.

Cat Dragons. YES!

As before in my EDH unboxings, this image shows the same token cards, just flipped over. The gold tokens are also notable…King Macaar made these back during the Theros block. This deck makes them another way…(you’ll see.)

Now for some rares…And what an incredible assortment we get! This set of EDH is TRIBAL themed. Meaning that most of the creatures are of the same type. So we get a deck full of DRAGONS!!!

Bladewing the Risen. Crosis the Purger, Dromoka the Eternal. Niv Mizzet. And on and on. Some of these are iconic. Some of them have been staples in the existing Scion of the Ur-Dragon deck. The Wizards opted to go with the “baby” version of the Dragons of Tarkir, I think because the Dragonlords were all mythic rare. The baby ones have been underplayed, so…(Already I have seen builds where these are swapped out for the Dragonlords.)

Wasitora, Nekoru Queen is another new card. This is the one that makes the Cat Dragons.

Taigam isn’t a dragon, but helps you because your dragons get protection from being countered. (He’s really good…more on that later.) There are also some other humans/creatures that help you with the mana costs of dragons.

I’m hoping I’m showing these pictures in the correct order…I took them awhile ago….

Yes. That wierd patch of mountains was in that spot. These cards are some of the staples of Commander. Lightning Greaves, Darksteel Ingot, Sol Ring, and Nihil Spellbomb.

These cards are perfect for this deck! Dragon Tempest…that is a game winner. One of those things that eventually adds up. Palace Siege. Usually use the “dragons” option! Earthquake. Like. almost every creature in this deck flies! Crux of Fate. YES!

Steel Hellkite. This guy makes your opponents think. You can pump him if they don’t block. If they do block, you can pump him and kill their thing. And if he manages to do damage to the opponent, then you can use him to sweep the board.

Fist of Suns. This is a card that I managed to cast early game when I was running slow on mana. Then some jerk destroyed it. I lost that game because of mana problems.

Here are the rest of the lands.

Here are the rest of the lands. Lots of fixing. Tri-Lands. A copy of each Vivid. Make no mistake. This is a slow mana base. It works. But if you get behind, you can be hurting holding useless cards. You do get Command Tower and Opal Palace, and Command Sphere. This deck has Crucible and Haven of the Spirit Dragon, one of which frustratingly mentions Ugin. And there is a new fixer called Path of Ancestry which enters tapped but provides a scry…this land is tribal for a creatures deck.

The Wizards won’t reprint fetches and shocks for Commander, but that is what’s needed here.

HOW DOES THE “DRACONIC DOMINATION” DECK PLAY?

Since my first unboxing, I have played this deck just about exclusively with the stock cards. I wanted to bring a strong review. I have no plans to review the other decks from Commander 2017. Maybe I will…but right now I have to save money…and my Magic budget is going to have to replenish my Standard deck.

I have played this deck casually at home and in “sanctioned tournaments.” I personally have yet to take down a table of four. But this deck rarely comes in last place.

Go back to what I said about the mana base. These lands are too slow to generate the required five colors. You need to get five colors out, and quickly. The best fun I’ve had with this deck is on games where people have slow draws and I have lots of fixing with tap lands to load on the board early game. Then you are just (hopeully) top decking good stuff that you can play. But some of the cards, like Palace Siege, have a double requirement on mana, making those cards even more difficult to play. And you can hang up playing Ramos for his ability.

The dragon tribal theme is very strong. Dragon Tempest makes it out on most every game. And like I said, that is a huge winner. It gives all your flying creatures haste, and deals damage to something equal to the number of dragons on the board. Which if that number is four or five, you can really take out a creature, or send that damage to a player or planeswalker.

Utvara Hellkite makes Dragon tokens. And those trigger Dragon Tempest. You win!

Sometimes it’s a difficult choice for your opponents to figure out what is the worst thing on the board for them to kill. Should they kill the commander or Utvara Hellkite? How about Taigam?

Crux of Fate is incredible. You get to kill everything except for Dragons, leaving you in a board state of total advantage…you are hoping an opponent doesn’t follow up with a sweeper.

I haven’t played Scion of the Ur-Dragon as commander yet. Why? I have been killed by him too many times. This deck didn’t come with it, but Skithiryx (Skittles) is a big black dragon with infect…and people typically make the scion into a copy of Skittles and kill you off quick. I hate infect…and won’t be modding this deck with Skittles. Besides, the Tangled Web league docks you points for using infect. (Yes!)

The dragons are great on the field, but they can also be a liability. People tend to take control of your dragons and use them against you, or reanimate them from the graveyard for the same reason. If they do, though, your games can become super fun!

I like The Ur-Dragon in the graveyard. You can target him with the Scion easily!

Ramos has made it to my hand once. I guess he is slippery with the odds somehow? Someone made me ditch him into the graveyard once. BOO!

MODIFYING THE DECK

So overall, the deck is fun, but needs a few things to make it great. I think Dragonlord Silumgar would be perfect. This deck needs Ugin, the Spirit Dragon and Nicol Bolas. Who would I fire? Originally I thought it would be Taigam. But NO WAY! That guy has protected my dragons so much! Some of those baby dragons can be upgraded or swapped for these. I’m not a big fan of the Bolster mechanic, so probably would get rid of Dromoka the Eternal.

You could add fetches and shocks to this deck! I would probably replace anything that has a double mana requirement. It’s just too hard to reliably pull those cards and abilities off. These have been the cards that sit in my hand the most, waiting on me to get that other black or blue source.

A player could go after Skittles. But most Commander players don’t like infect. It doesn’t feel like a fair way to win the game. The rules committee should consider raising the number of poison counters hare required to kill you from ten to twenty.

SPARTANNERD’S RATING OF “DRACONIC DOMINATION”

Out of the box, this is a playable deck. That is something! In a tournament, it can stand up to other decks. It is a good matchup against Voltron-type decks, and mono-color decks don’t stand a chance. It has taken down Meren of the Nel Toth and Atraxa. People have to pay attention to what you have on the board…big flying monsters with abilities. These are just hard to ignore. Your opponents are probably also playing big hard-to-ignore creatures…so then it comes an evaluation game. What gets killed off first? The fact that the dragons are big flyers make them constant threats. The decks that usually beat this are more control oriented…(This is why Taigam, Ojutai Master is so good…he keeps your dragons from being countered.) Famously, a deck I call, “Force Field” came back from near lethal damage, and locked me down with Sphere of Safety…this person had a TON of enchantments on the battlefield. This deck could remove that with Rain of Thorns or with another “destroy permanent effect.” But I was unable to draw those. This person was extorting every turn as well, so they slowly took me down and dug themselves out.

To make it to the top, this deck will need modifying. Not to complain too much. That mana base needs some speed. My losses have usually come because of mana problems, more than creature or strategy problems.

I wish it had some planeswalkers. Why not Sarkhan Unbroken? Seems like a no-brainer! How about Ugin and Bolas? Here was a chance to reprint creature Bolas. Why didn’t they? Surely not the True-Name Nemesis effect…Bolas as a Commander isn’t really good.(Maybe that’s why…)

As a product, I have to take off for the fact that they didn’t include the decklist. They continue to include the “Quick Reference Guide to Playing Magic” which doesn’t mention the rules of Commander.

But the deck is pretty terrific, loaded up with legendary and excellent dragons. It is fun to play. The mana problems that it has are pretty serious. I am going to mark off there.

So that’s two marks off. The SpartanNerd is going to rate the Commander 2017 “Draconic Domination” deck at 3.75/5. I just want you to see how optimistic I am that this deck could be really great. If you get this, consider upgrading the mana base, and consider other dragons to replace some of the baby Khans dragons.

The SpartanNerd rates “Draconic Domination” at (we’ll say cautious) 4/5. The wizards need to include decklists with every sealed deck. Do you agree or disagree? Let me know in the comments!

Ajani Planeswalker Pack…SpartanNerd Unboxing and Review

January 26, 2017 by SpartanNerd

Ajani, Valiant Protector is the foil for Tezzeret, Master of Metal as far as intro decks go for Aether Revolt. I unboxed Tezzeret, and just felt I needed Ajani to complete the duel.

Ajani’s deck came in the exact same packaging as the other Planeswalker Packs have. It is a printed sleeve, which covers plastic tray with a display window.

All the contents are actually inside a deckbox, (an excellent deckbox, by the way.) The only piece that isn’t is the “splashy” planeswalker card. Environmentally concerned MTG players can feel pretty good about the minimal use of packaging with these decks.

Here is the entire contents. The special Ajani, Valiant Protector card, a guide to playing the deck, a quick reference guide, two Aether Revolt booster packs, the nice deckbox, and the deck wrapped in cellophane.

Let’s have a look at the planeswalker.

Right away I can tell you that this card isn’t as good as Tezzeret’s. Tezzeret can reach ultimate after three turns. It is going to take a lot longer for Ajani. The upside is, getting two +1/+1 counters on a creature is not shabby at all. His +1 ability lets you filter up your creatures. If you do happen to get to ultimate, you probably win.

The guide to playing the deck heavily features pictures of Ajani. You also get a decklist. And something I failed to mention about Tezzeret’s deck. This insert kind of tells players what to purchase next if they really like playing MTG.

The Planeswalker Packs are great entry level products. The only way they could really improve the experience is include sleeves…or even better. Go ahead and sleeve the cards, so a person can crack the box and play in a tournament right away! Pre-shuffle it even.

Here are the cards…

It’s pretty clear that Ajani’s deck is supposed to depend on the Revolt mechanic. Basically something canhappen if a permanent left the battlefield this turn. In other words, the deck wants you to be able to bounce, sacrifice, or give up permanents. But if you study the cards carefully, you will see tbat there aren’t that many ways to trigger revolt outside of losing permanents in combat. There are a few exceptions…but not really enough in my opinion.

But am I getting ahead of myself?

There are a few cards that you can’t get anywhere else besides buying this product. Ajani’s Aid is a big one. And enchantment that lets you tutor Ajani out of the your deck or your graveyard. (Hang onto that thought!) You can sacrifice it to prevent damage from a singular creature. Ajani’s Comrade is another, which gets a counter if you control a planeswalker called Ajani. (Opening this card up to the other versions of Ajani out there. Goldmane, Caller of the Pride, Mentor of Heroes, Steadfast, and Vengeant. Did I miss one?) Inspiring Roar is another card exclusive to this deck. AND that card is indispensible for keeping the power level up against Tezzeret. (Which is why there are four copies I’m sure.) The other card is the white and green tapland.

This deck really only has one removal spell. The classic, “Prey Upon.” Everything you do in the deck depends on combat, pretty much.

How does the deck play? It is a weak white-weenie deck. The creatures are typically slow. While Narnham Renegade could be good in Modern if you cracked a fetchland on turn one, most of them aren’t that great. They want Revolt to trigger, which usually means you have to wait until Main Phase 2 after you lost something in combat. Which is a bad deal, typically for a deck whose card advantage rests almost entirely on the battlefield.

So, nope. This deck isn’t as impressive, or effective as Tezzeret’s.

Planeswalker that isn’t as good. Strategy that isn’t as good. Let’s prove it!

Here is the showdown between the two decks, as promised.

Round one. SpartanKid (Tezzeret) vs. SpartanNerd (Ajani).

(Let’s keep in mind, that Tezzeret’s deck has Fatal Push and Tezzeret the Schemer added to it, which is fair because they were pulled from the boosters that came with the deck. But this also means that his deck is 62 cards. I could have added two cards from Ajani’s boosters, but I thought they were too skunky.)

Basically, Tezzeret only drew Islands for lands, giving Ajani the opportunity to get Narnham Renegade onboard and hit them over and over with Inspiring Roar. Yes. Three copies.

Round two.

This time Ajani’s deck began with three forests and drew into a fixer. So a much slower start, made very clear as Tezzeret began to get things on the board. Ajani loses round two to dumb luck. The same way Tezzeret lost round one. I held Solemn Recruit in my opening hand, who requires two whites to play.

Round three. This is why we play the game of Magic!

Basically, Tezzeret, Master of Metal hit the board right on turn six. It was another three turns before I drew into Ajani. I played my Ajani, to a board where I had three creatures, including Solemn Recruit. I +2 Ajani, knowing that Solemn Recruit has double strike, and would get ANOTHER counter because of revolt triggering. This was my strategy to win!

Unfortunately, the SpartanKid had drawn Tezzeeret the Schemer, and went ahead to ultimate Tezzeret Master of Metal. This meant he took control of all of my artifacts and creatures. And then proceeded to swing at Ajani. Keep in mind that Solemn Recruit still had summoning sickness.

I drew the best card I could have drawn in this situation. Ajani’s aid. I had enough mana to play that card, as well as replay Ajani, who I then +1 into nothing really. (Narnham Renegade) The SpartanKid then unwisely sent all of his creatures at Ajani once again. I chump-blocked the biggest thing I could with my deathtoucher, and Ajani hit the graveyard again. But my next draw was the second copy of Ajani’s aid. Still, there was too much momentum going for the SpartanKid. I sacrificed both of the Ajani’s aid for the prevent combat damage effect on the double striker, but that wan’t enough to stave off a loss.

Just some commentary. Sure, this proves the Tezzeret deck is better. But the way that I was able to get Recurrance out of Ajani, that was fun. And that is why this is a great product for a new player. I failed to mention…Tezzeret also got one tutor back out of the graveyard as well along the course of the matches.

I am going to rate the Ajani Planeswalker Deck from Aether Revolt a 4/5. It is a fun deck to play. You get an almost perfect entry level MTG product. You get exclusive cards. I took the point off because it doesn’t seem to be that balanced against Tezzeret from Aether Revolt. If I had to choose one of these to take to a tournament, it would certainly be Tezzeret.

The SpartanNerd rates Ajani’s Planeswalker Pack 4/5. Do you agree or disagree? Let me know in the comments!

Masters of the Universe Minicomics Collection

July 4, 2016 by SpartanNerd

I reviewed the Masters of the Universe Minicomics Collection back in May, after having a tough time getting my hands on a copy. Since then, I have slowly read through every page, and can give you more of a review of the contents rather than just the product.

VINTAGE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE

First thing first. “Miniternia” is definitely a favorite universe of mine now. I was aware of it, and had read a few books from it. When I was a kid, these books just confused me because they were so different from what I was used to (the Filmation cartoon.) But reading these as an adult, there is a definite vibe to those books not found anywhere else. There are comparisons to Conan the Barbarian, but as a Conan fan, I don’t think so. Miniternia is a great comic story…an innocent story in a way, and in a way more pure of a story from a writers standpoint. Mattel gave the writers carte blanche, as long as they depicted the toys. The barbarian He-Man is awesome, and the miniternia Skeletor is more insane than his other versions.

I remember hearing that there were fundamentalist Christians boycotting and protesting He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. I was vaguely aware of this as a child (I AM a Christian, and was raised in a Christian home.) But as an adult, I heard people talk about it on the Roast Gooble Dinner podcasts. I can see how, after reading over half of the book, I’d bet the word “demon” and “devil” were invoked in almost every single story! Watching the Filmation show, this also comes up…I don’t know if that was daring on the part of the writers, or what?

You can clearly see transitional guidance between Miniternia and the comics that more closely resembled Filmation shows. The stories become even flimsier sometimes, and highlighting of the products becomes central, rather than story and character development. Then one day, out of nowhere, the Evil Horde becomes more prominent. As a kid, the Horde annoyed me because to me, Skeletor was supposed to be the ultimate baddy. And Hordak was apparently his teacher. I came to love the Horde as much as anything else in MOTU, but I can see why I felt that way. Mattel began to push the Horde in the mini comics, and there were more Horde figures on the shelves, and the commercials depicted the Horde more. They were supposed to be another faction…which worked well in a house with three kids. Hordes became She-Ra’s main villain, but I didn’t watch She-Ra…(yeah, right!)

I remember the Snake Men story vibrantly from when I was a child…my oldest brother was very interested in them. My mother (and grandmother) are deathly terrified of snakes, so…I never really thought of them as another faction…just as a side team that worked for Skeletor, which is exactly how the mini comics portray them. Throw in that Kobra Kahn and Tongue Lasher appeared on Skeletor’s team on the Filmation show working with Skeletor, and you can see why. It was the Mike Young 200x show that really highlighted them as another team…an even deadlier team that Skeletor’s bunch.

Of all of the things about He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, I rarely ever complain. But now is my chance. The “Three Towers” really annoy me. It is one of the rarest toys to be found, and is therefore a valuable item. But I don’t care. The whole concept is STUPID.

Lets replace Castle Grayskull and Snake mountain with two smaller versions, and put a stupid lion tower in the middle. We can connect the whole universe together with a roller coaster thingy.

There are SOO many reasons why I dislike the three towers. It is billed as “playset Eternia.” So the whole planet of Eternia can fit into one Playset? This was EXACTLY how it was depicted in the minicomics. I heard someone call it “Grayskull 2.0.” Castle Grayskull was supposed to be this ultimate place of power. But the Three Towers were meant to supplant all of that.

Eternia must be about the size of Spartanburg or upstate South Carolina…It seems it takes King Grayskull in the Mike Young cartoon about three days to cross the whole place. Maybe the three towers fit that scheme? There is a map in the He-Man art book, it came with certain characters if you subscribed to the “Club Grayskull” or whatever. That map shows the towers stretched out across a huge central continent. That MIGHT be plausible. But why would they all connect together by a vehicle? And if “Viper Tower” was meant to be Snake Mountain (It DID more closely resemble the cartoon version), and Grayskull tower was supposed to be the base for the good guys…just why? I believe Mattel sensed that the vintage line was coming to an end, and were getting desperate.

SHE-RA, PRINCESS OF POWER

The She-Ra comics were pretty cute. One of the interviews mentions that there were strict guidelines for drawing female characters. That is apparent…the depictions of all those she-ra women are not sexy at all. Sometimes they are child-like and pretty. The She-Ra comics “de-evolve” from Minicomics format into Storybook format. There is an incorrect footnote in the first She-Ra story, that says the Evil Horde is not mentioned in the comics ever again after the first one. But that was inaccurate as the final two She-Ra stories have Catra mentioning the Horde, and also depict Horde troopers.

These books give you less of a sense of “the great rebellion,” and more just sweet little stories. Catra, “the jealous beauty” is the main villain in these stories, but she can’t really do anything worse than children do to each other, it seems. She steals a treasure box, she crashes a party by spraying everyone with water. She spreads a rumor. SERIOUSLY?

I made it through all of the She-Ra books, and rather enjoyed them. But they are far too shallow. I enjoyed the way they usually depicted She-Ra with the mask and Adora with the headband…A device you never saw on the cartoon. And I thought the story of “Crystal Dimension” was interesting, where Swift Wind was transformed into a crystal version of himself.

I never really got a sense that The Crystal Castle was a She-Ra’s place of power? It seemed to be a place where she and her friends lived instead. The enchanted forest was there. But Catra seemed to be homeless.

THE NEW ADVENTURES OF HE-MAN

As a child, I was just getting “too old” for toys as New Adventures came out. My oldest brother wasted no time in getting a few toys, but I don’t think I ever saw a single episode of the cartoon. I DID remember reading the comic, however.

I wasn’t aware that there were only four comics ever produced for that toy-line. I DID know that it was short lived.

Basically, the vintage He-Man and Skeletor characters translated smoothly over to the futuristic versions, with Skeletor getting burned badly while witnessing Adam transform into He-Man, and having to “fix himself” with bionic parts. The only idiotic thing is that He-Man’s sword is already a “techno sword.” They should have been able to draw the classic sword in those few panels. I always thought it was kind of stupid that the power of Grayskull had to be transferred into that starship…Really? The art and the storytelling in these books is good, but different from the earlier ones. As we read through all of these, we really see Bruce Timm’s art style mature up. Once, He-Man even looks like we would see Batman on the nineties cartoon! (Not in a New Adventures book…one of the final vintage comics.)

200x COMICS

I almost forgot! The singular “pack-in” comic is included here. With Val Staples and Emiliano Santalucia forming the bond that would become MV Creations, (and eventually break apart into the saddest schism maybe in the whole brand.) There are two comics here, one that never made it to print.

These are similar to the 200x comics that Image and Cross Gen would publish, but shorter and having a lot less content. The art is just about exactly the same. Emiliano is great! (The second book was drawn by someone else, who somewhat emulated Emiliano’s style.)

MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE CLASSICS MINI COMICS

Before the collection, I had no opportunities to read these stories. I heard fans complain about them because they leave out a lot of story details that should be filled in. The first one is a modern retelling of the first vintage Preternia book, and the following two pull together the entire story to include even the New Adventures. An interesting detail, this story portrays He-Ro as the originator of the Power of Grayskull when he passes the Sword of He over to King Grayskull in death. Funny how it ended, with a remark about building a castle and naming it after He-Ro. (It would be named Castle Grayskull!)

I also thought the twist where Skeletor gets the techno virus from Bionatops in order to transform into his New Adventures form was also fun! I was confused about King Grayskull, King He-man (he makes an appearance!) and King Miro. What was that all about?

The art on these books are terrifically modern, and yes, they COULD have gave us more story. I see how these serve the same purpose as the earlier mini comics…justify more toys. They even introduced members of He-Ro’s team that have never been produced, simply to spark interest. Ultimately, mini-comics aren’t the best vehicle for telling a grand story…they are a place to jump off and use your imagination. And since Scott Neitlich was the guy in charge of these, that statement sounds exactly like something he would have said.

EXTRAS

The Mini-Comic collection contains lots of interviews…most of them seem to have come directly from Roast Gooble Dinner podcasts. Maybe the DID actually re-interview some of the people…and maybe these are redacted and edited versions of those interviews. I enjoyed reading them all, thought they didn’t teach me much of anything new because I had already heard it from the mouth of the person being interviewed.

So, just when I think James Eatock has astounded me with his intense Fanhood and knowledge of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, he surprises me yet again!

James “Bustatoons” Eatock apparently is the owner of a discarded and never produced mini comic, which is published at the back of this book. It apparently never made it to the coloring stage. I wonder if more stuff like this is out there? And what a find…AND how does someone like him find all this stuff? The comic is apparently the supposed pack-in with Flying Fists He-Man…it has some details issues, which might be why it was scrapped. But it is a terrific read.

And finally we have an outline of a never-produced mini comic, which would have featured Faker prominently. It is cool to read over, and I wonder if any fans who are good artists have made this book as fan art?

I enjoyed reading the Minicomics collection, and recommend it to anyone who is a fan of He-Man…a great value at under $30. Reading this kept me from purchasing other comics for awhile…I always had something new to read, and this will make its way to my office at work to read in my “spare time.”

SpartanNerd Unboxing and Review…Shadows Over Innistrad Holiday Gift Box

June 7, 2016 by SpartanNerd

It was bound to happen…the SpartanNerd has run out of media file space on WordPress…Should I upgrade? Let me know in the comments.

You’ll have to take my word for what I say in the meantime, readers.

Above are the final pictures I could upload.

I have reviewed a few of these MTG gift boxes? Is this one any better, or any worse? Keep reading!

(Links to past reviews of similar products.)

Kahn’s of Tarkir Holiday Gift Box

Battle for Zendikar Gift Box

So this box is roughly the equivalent of those two. But there are a few key differences.

First of all, the Wizards made a good move when they decided to change the name of the product from Holiday Gift Box to just Gift Box. Holiday Gift Box is off-putting if you buy it in October. Or in March. It seems you are Christmas shopping early, or buying something that should have been marked down. The BFZ one was just called Gift Box. And this is great, because you can feel OK giving it as a wedding present. Anniversary present. To your boss on boss’s day. As a birthday present. And so on and so forth.

It is still a great gift for a MTG player, from a non-MTG player. Say, what if my mom walked into a store looking for new Magic cards for me…she wouldn’t know where to start.

But with THE GIFT BOX written across the front, she has a clue what might be a good present.

This time we get one more pack. However, I believe the price was slightly higher this time, an increase of almost four dollars. So, that’s where that value comes in.

We get the stickers and dividers as before.

But this time the box has been made sturdier!

Remember those two reviews from earlier, when the SpartanNerd gave them 5/5? I would have to downgrade that now. (Perhaps I will add a footnote to my previous posts?) Why? Those boxes have NOT withstood the test of time. The Kahns box is “busting out.” It’s not even full! Of course, I have stacked deck boxes, my little catch-all basket, and other things on top of it, and the corners of the lid are tearing up. I saw this around the time I started to fill up the Battle for Zendikar box. So I have been careful to be less careless with that box.

But with the Shadows Over Innistrad Gift Box, the Wizards have doubled up the cardboard on the sides. Now the lid rests properly, and CAN’T buck under reasonable weight. It seems to be like, maybe a centimeter taller as well when I compare it to the other two. (My sense might be skewed, considering the shape of the KTK box.)

So the box is better. And there is an extra pack of cards. This warrants the price increase.

The box also came with a pack of lands, and a special foil Ravenous Bloodseeker. This is a pretty good card in the barely sub-par Black and Red Vampires deck. (I’ve been playing that deck. It is so fun. But just can’t beat Black-Green Cryptolith Collected Company Aristocrats.)

So what did my packs have? I would show you, but the conundrum of not having any more media space.

In short, this was one of the best Gift box openings as far as packs are concerned. Shadows Over Innistrad is different than other sets because you COULD get three rares in a pack. (One regular, one double faced, and one foil.)

I didn’t get all that, but I DID get Westvale Abbey, an incredible land that transforms into a big demon. That same pack came with Duskwatch Recruiter, an uncommon double faced card that is an integral part of the above mentioned Collected Company deck.

I also got Olivia, Mobilized for War. This makes my third copy of Olivia…she’s good in the vampire deck, also described above, though I kind of prefer Drana from BFZ. And I got Avacyn’s Judgement, which is also good in the vampire deck.

The other three packs had Drownyard Temple (land), Nepali Moonndrakes, and Second Harvest, none of which do I know what do do with.

So how am I going to use this more sturdy box? I intend to take it on vacation, and pack all of my dual decks inside. Last year, I took the Dual Deck Anthology box, but I feel kind of creepy taking such a nice box out. I don’t feel as bad about the gift box, because it is sturdy, and more replaceable if damaged. This time, I am keeping the paper sleeve that it comes with to help it stay together during transport.

How could the box be improved? Instead of a singular foil and a copy of each basic land, why not give us another pack. Then a person gifted with the box could make a sealed deck and play right away! (provided they also had lands….)

Still, I am going to rate this 5/5. This box is an improvement over the past boxes, and I feel comfortable storing and transporting my cards in it.

SpartanNerd Review…He-Man and The Masters of the Universe Minicomic Collection

May 15, 2016 by SpartanNerd

Thanks for all the views in my absence! The SpartanNerd has been really busy with his real job. But now, back to blogging.

Masters of the Universe “mini comics” were truly my introduction to comic books. I had no Spider-man, Superman, or Batman comics as a small child. The only comics I specifically remember were those packed with Masters of the Universe figures. Me and my brothers would read these, and they would get stepped on, crumpled, left in the car. Pages torn out. Staples let loose. Crayon marks. Holes. All kinds of abuse. I cringe to think about it now, but I don’t think I would have had it any other way. As a teacher, I know that these experiences led me to a whole-language approach to reading, and it helped my brothers as well, who weren’t as good at reading as me.

The other thing about the mini comics…they told inconsistent stories. I didn’t understand that there were different artists, writers, and publishers with different ideas. The public at large didn’t know all of the details that have been unearthed in recent years about the workings behind the scenes. So when Skeletor says he and his people are from another dimension…that didn’t make sense with my largely Filmation understanding of the story. This didn’t turn me off of the mini comics. But it made me wonder “why?”

The story behind me getting He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Minicomic Collection is sort of a frustrating one…I actually ordered it at The Tangled Web in Spartanburg SC back in November, before it came out. This was supposed to be my anniversary present…It wasn’t a pre-order, so I didn’t pay up front.

But somehow, it didn’t arrive. And so they re-submitted the order for me, at least three times. I heard rumors online that the production run was shorter than expected…that demand couldn’t be met easily. I was tempted to order from Amazon, go to Barnes and Noble maybe. But I am loyal if nothing else, and in time I accepted that rumor as truth, and that the mini comic collection would be another rare thing I wouldn’t have a hold of. I would pick it up eventually…(maybe.)

Apparently, sometime in the last month (While I have been away from the blog) the owner of The Tangled Web came across, and ordered the upcoming art-book thing that is all about the Filiation cartoon…He was telling me about it, and knew I would definitely want a copy. (I DO!) And so I asked him to look again about the mini comic collection. A quick look on his computer and he said. “We’ll have it in a week!” He was right this time. You have to love small business!

Does the mini comic collection deliver up to my expectations? Keep reading!

Here is the front cover…still sealed with cellophane! The Tangled Web sold this to me for a slight discount, considering my situation. I am quite appreciative! Long live small business! Love that store, and any of my readers who ever come through Spartanburg should come by and purchase something. (Would Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Wal-Mart have cared ? Of course not.)

The cover makes it clear what you are getting. It is probably wrong to put She-Ra mini comics (storybooks?) in this and just call it He-man and the Masters of the Universe. But they did. I suppose by now, though most She-Ravers consign themselves to this.

Here’s the back, featuring an image from “The Terror Claws Strike!”

And the spine…showing that this is a Dark Horse product, as well as offering you a glimpse at how very thick this book is! It is in fact 1232 pages long!

A little comparison for you. On the left is the Minicomic collection (now unwrapped.) And on the right is my only extant mini comic. “King of the Snake Men.” A gift from my wife…the italian version no less! But anyway. Look at the size difference!

I found a page from “King of the Snake Men” in the collection, so you can further see the incredible difference “blowing this up” makes! Good thing too. The SpartanNerd’s vision fails him in his old age.

For a book that is thicker than many Bibles, Harry Potter books, and encyclopedia’s…its a good thing they included this ribbon-bookmark! And it is a very handy addition as well. (I am reading the collection straight through. I use this to mark where I left off.)

Now for the contents.

As you read, you get little footnotes. See the bottom here. This information helps you see the mini comics as pieces of Masters of the Universe history. And they appear to be in chronological order, starting with the first “storybooks” given out…drawn by Alfredo Alcala. These show “miniternia.” The first story depicted in media about He-Man. And this story is vastly different from Filmation and later stories. He-Man is a barbarian hero in a post-apocalyptic situation, where technology and magic are lorded over the populace by experts such as Man-At-Arms, The Goddess (Sorceress), and Skeletor.

The book takes some time to share interviews with the artists and writers. Here is a pic of the interview with one of the earliest writers, Gary Cohn.

I haven’t read past “mini-eternia” yet. (Just got to Filmation era.) But I will go ahead and show you what else this book consists of. Here is some of the She-Ra stuff. They seem to have included it all!

Tons of pink and pastels. Not sure what the image below depicts. But there are several pages of this book which I assume is some part of She-Ra lore preserved here. AND, in a similar vein, the “read with me” story with a record about the Talon Fighter is in here too. I remember owning that and reading it as a kid, and being terrified. (A terrified as you can be of a comic book. Hey…I was like six years old…or younger!)

Here is what I considered the sad story from the first New Adventures of He-Man mini comic. Prince Adam is No More! It depicts He-Man transforming in the presence of Skeletor, knocking him down and frying his skull. (Which necessitates the “cyborg” version found throughout that particular incarnation of the story.) All of the New Adventures stories are chronicled here.

The comics by Val Staples and Emiliana Selucia from the 200x series are here. These were the pack-in comics, not the monthly comics. But the art is very much the same. (The second Pack-In was drawn by Enza Fortana)

The rarest of the mini-comics is here. “The Power of the Evil Horde”

And the Masters of the Universe Classics mini comics are here. I haven’t been fortunate enough to own or read any of these. I was very happy to get to see the maps in the Masters of the Universe Art Book. And since I am reading straight through, I am avoiding the temptation to go ahead and read these. (My readers should know…I am also re-reading the recent DC comics again.) I don’t want too much fantasy bouncing around in my head!

And here is what is on the last pages of the book. Not sure what this is about. A book that didn’t make it to print?

Reading what I have read so far has been extremely satisfying. The larger pages lets me have a deeper appreciation for the art. I have no trouble reading the script, either. The colors seem to be “restored.” I love the chronological nature of the collection as well, unfolding a history of the brand. What a great way to pay homage to something so fundamental to He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.

I have read some of the mini comics online over the years. (Is that piracy?) I don’t buy many digital comics…I do use ComiXology and its associated apps, but what I read on that is usually Spawn or Conan the Barbarian books…things I don’t want laying around for my children to read. But there is nothing like having the physical book in your hand.

If I had a choice, own a copy of every single mini comic, OR own this collected edition. I would go for the collection. Simply because of the large size. And they are all collected in one volume, so that is convenient!

If I could rate anything higher than 5/5, then the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Minicomic Collection would be a 6/5. It is perfect! I love the large pages, the chronological order, the interviews…all of it is spectacular!

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