Also this, from our friends at BOOM!: “Magic: Ajani Goldmane is a special one-shot issue from Hugo Award-nominated writer Seanan McGuire (Spider-Gwen: Ghost-Spider), featuring the courageous and noble fan favorite Ajani Goldmane! Meet the fiercely loyal and steadfast planeswalker… Delve into his past adventures and uncover shocking revelations about the brave healer you never knew! And discover what happens when the valiant protector faces threats far beyond his capabilities.” The Lady McGuire, by the way, also happens to be a talented filk singer/songwriter. The more you know.
Games
They Do Anything. Really.
We stumbled across an ad for Lee’s Detective Agency, a new anime mini-series that’s a spinoff of the popular Arknights smart-phone game and anime series. Set in the same multi-species dystopian world, if follows the exploits of “…an odd jobs business in guise of a private investigation firm based in [the city of] Lungmen that is run by the namesake Mr. Lee and his personal, close-knit ‘family’.” We’re not sure how it works either, but it’s coming soon (December 23rd) on Crunchyroll, and they’ve got the trailer up for you to see.
The Cards… The Cards!
Recently we learned about Disney Lorcana, a new card-collecting game set to be released in the fall of 2023. According to The Gamer, “Disney Lorcana is a trading card game (TCG) by Disney and tabletop games publisher Ravensburger. Like other games, such as Magic: The Gathering and the Pokemon TCG, you’ll collect cards in booster packs and create decks with the aim of defeating your opponent. It is being developed and published by Ravensburger, who previously worked with Disney on the Villainous series of tabletop games. It’s also known for other board games like Dingbats, Escape, Labyrinth, and El Dorado, however this will be its first-ever trading card game.” While Disney’s Twitter feed says “In Disney Lorcana, you’ll wield magic inks and the power of Lorcana to assemble your team of Disney characters. Some characters will be familiar friends. Others will be fantastically re-imagined.” More info to come, needless to say.
Be a Cat in Cat-Town
Over on Twitter we stumbled across a new interactive game project called Paw Borough. The creators were talking up the success of their recent Kickstarter campaign. We’ll let them explain it: “Hello everyone! We want to introduce Paw Borough, an online feline-themed roleplay game made by creatives for creatives! Paw Borough incorporates nostalgic elements of early internet pet simulators while introducing fresh mechanics and cultivating a unique player experience. The game will feature new, complex breeding mechanics, item collection, scene decoration, extensive roleplay tools with socialized gameplay, site-guided community storytelling, and immense creative freedom never before seen in a game of this genre!” You can check out their game demo online as well.
Warrens and Warriors
Speaking of bunnies… Quite a while ago (in the pre-COVID Before Times even) we told you about a Kickstarter campaign to bring back one of the original role-playing games, Bunnies & Burrows. Well now it finally looks as if that goal is coming to fruition: “Frog God Games has partnered with Dr. B. Dennis Sustare and Dr. Scott R. Robinson to return a venerable and influential piece of tabletop role-playing games to print… Bunnies & Burrows (B&B) is a role-playing game (RPG) that features animal characters contending with enemies and hazards in a world of nature. Published by Fantasy Games Unlimited in 1976, the game centered on intelligent rabbits. It introduced several innovations to role-playing game design, being the very first game to allow players to have non-humanoid roles, and the first to have detailed martial arts and skill systems. FGU published a second edition of the game in 1982, and the game was modified and republished by Steve Jackson Games as an official GURPS supplement in 1992. As rabbits, player characters are faced with dangers mirroring those in the real world. The only true ‘monsters’ in the game are humans, but there are many predators, traps, and natural hazards. The characters’ position in the food chain promotes an emphasis on role-playing and problem solving over combat.” Frog God has lots more information — and supplements too!
Fast and Furry, Us
Right before the release of the second Sonic the Hedgehog movie next month, IDW Publishing have gathered together some fan-favorite comic book stories of Sonic and his pal Tails the double-bushy fox in a new compilation, Sonic & Tails: Best Buds Forever. “Sonic the Hedgehog and Miles ‘Tails’ Prower. Best friends through thick and thin, they’ve always got each other’s backs. Celebrate the terrific twosome with these three high-speed, high-flying tales full of action and adrenaline. First, Dr. Eggman is missing, but his rogue robots are still running amok, and only Sonic can stop them. But he can’t do it without Tails! Then, the best buds are trying to take a break, but something stinks. Looks like baddies can have best friends too! And finally, Tails and Sonic explore an abandoned Dr. Eggman base, but they’re not alone! Can they trust the intruder? No worries. If thirty years of friendship has proven anything, it’s that they’ll be fine as long as they’ve got each other!” Available now in trade paperback.
And Then A Cat NOT About The House
This one we stumbled across on Twitter, of all places! Little Kitty, Big City is a new on-line game created by Wholesome Games. “You’re a curious little kitty with a big personality, on an adventure to find your way back home. Explore the city, make new friends, wear delightful hats, and leave more than a little chaos in your wake. After all, isn’t that what cats do best?” Ours certainly do. The official web site has a preview video and lots more information too.
So, What’s Up On YOUR Island?
You might have caught wind of the fact that the game Animal Crossing: New Horizons has become rather popular with Furry Fandom — and with game fans in general. Yes? Well given all that, it’s inevitable that soon there would be a manga to go along with it — and now here it is! Animal Crossing: New Horizons Volume 1 — Deserted Island Diary is a new black & white manga by Kokonasu Rumba. Here’s a review from Women Write About Comics: “Tom Nook and other fan favorites are introduced through the medium of manga, bringing the same charm and quirks you know and love from the video game. Venture out on hilarious antics and adventures with an abundance of fan-favorite villagers and new human villagers. Sit by the camp fire with Gulliver, help Blathers expand the museum, try on countless outfits with the Able Sisters, or have a night party with Wisp!” It’s all available now from Viz Media.
Sneak Pika
The Internet has been going crazy now that the news has been released that a new Pokemon live action TV series is in early development at Netflix. Here’s what Variety had to say: “As the project is still in its early days, no details are available about the plot. However, sources say that Joe Henderson is attached to write and executive produce. Henderson currently serves as co-showrunner and executive producer on the popular Netflix series Lucifer… Sources also say that the project would be a live-action series akin to the Detective Pikachu film starring Ryan Reynolds and Justice Smith that was released in 2019… The move to develop an original Netflix Pokemon series comes as the streamer has made itself the home to multiple existing Pokemon shows, including Pokemon: Indigo League and Pokemon Journeys among others… Netflix has been moving into more live-action adaptations of anime titles as well, including the upcoming Cowboy Bebop and One Piece live-action shows.” Hope we find out more soon!