Editors Note: For those interested, CitizenBot reviewed Cabin in the Woods during SxSW as well.

Here’s SithBot:

I’m somewhat scared to write my thoughts about this movie, as I’m afraid that anything I say might run the risk of giving away some plot point or twist (or lack thereof) that would dampen anyone’s enjoyment of discovering these things first hand in a theatre. And yes, I recommend seeing it in a theatre, not just because I think it deserves to make a lot of money before the Avengers comes out and crushes everything, but because horror movies should be a group experience. There’s nothing quite like watching something scary with a group of strangers and finding yourself immersed in the psyche of the crowd and reacting, whether in fear, a laugh, or catharsis, with everyone else. At least, that’s the reason I enjoy seeing horror movies in theatres. If you’re in it just for the blood, guts and torture porn, then I suggest you skip Cabin in the Woods and rewatch Human Centipede for the 100th time, as this movie is something you not only wouldn’t enjoy, but is probably too smart for you. For everyone else who didn’t go to the midnight screening of Saw 525 in 3D, you’ll love the film.

As I stated before, I won’t go into too much detail of the plot aside from what you may have gleaned from the trailers and tv spots. Five good looking and (gasp!) smart 20 something college kids head out for a weekend of fun and some debauchery (even smart kids like to party) out in the woods in a cabin that one of their cousins apparently purchased from the Evil Dead films (I’m seriously doing research to see if it’s from the same set). Once there, the booze and weed are unleashed and then, well, something happens and they start to be stalked by some kind of ancient evil that needs their blood to be spilled to be quelled. Oh, and this is all being controlled by a group of people in a lab/tv station somewhere who are upset with the Japanese and spend time betting on what is going to kill these kids.

Confused? You should be, but don’t worry, as you’ll fully understand everything, and then some, once the credits roll. The easiest way to sum up what is going on is to say Cabin in the Woods is like the Truman Show meets Evil Dead, except ratings aren’t what the producers are going for … It’ something a bit more sinister.

The Cabin in the Woods is the first film since Scream to take the entire horror genre and completely turn it on its ear — not only in pointing out how cliched and predictable they have become, but to prove you can have a smart, fun and gory movie that doesn’t rely on gross out parlor tricks that have become commonplace ever since the first Hostel was released. In fact, had this movie been released back when it was originally finished, the writers of Scream 4 could have taken down a few notes to learn what ‘meta’ really means and how to appropriately include that in your script. I don’t think its a stretch of the imagination in any way to predict that less talented directors and writers will be ‘borrowing’ the tools Whedon and Goddard used to put this thing together.

Speaking of Whedon, I’m pretty sure most everyone who reads this site was at least somewhat on board the moment they learned he was involved in this project. The pedigree he brings to everything he touches almost guarantees high quality and enjoyment; the Avengers is one of the most anticipated movie of the year, and a lot of that is due to who is leading the helm, not just the characters. Goddard was the only one I was worried about. Despite the fact that nearly everyone and their brother was in love with Cloverfield, I really dislike that film based mainly on what I feel to be a contrived script and boring characters. The fact he was not only writing but also directing was my sole sticking point going in, but I can thankfully say my fears were allayed as he proved masterful in both roles. The script is quick, witty, fun and avoids obvious plot twist pitfalls, and the movie drags you in from the first scene and never lets go. There are no lulls of exposition to explain ‘what is going on’, instead allowing the story to unfold organically with no wasted moments. In fact, the one brief scene where ‘all is explained’ just sums up what we have already learned, and exists to allow a very fun cameo and to setup the finale. I really wish more writers and directors would follow suit and allow the audience to discover things for themselves instead of spoon feeding them in one big reveal or trying to be extremely clever and spouting a bunch of nonsense (Matrix Reloaded, I’m talking to you).

My only (little) complaint is that the acting is just ok. You really care about the characters and none devolve into complete horror movie stereotypes, but none really stand out as doing an amazing job, with the exception of Fran Kranz as the resident stoner and comic relief. He really manages to steal the scenes he’s in, doing so with a wide eyed glance or something muttered under his breath. Again, everyone did a good job and run circles around the actors in every other horror movie in recent memory, it’s just everything else in this movie sets the bar exceptionally high, so that’s what I have to grade it by.

So in case you couldn’t tell, I really love this movie, and am incredibly excited for the wide release this weekend so I can run out and see it again, this time hopefully picking up on some of the nuances I know I missed the first time around. I also can’t wait to show it to my circle of friends, and it’s been a long time since a film had me this excited to get others onto the bandwagon. While Whedon and Goddard didn’t exactly reinvent the wheel or anything, they did manage to create a worldview that will have you rewatching your favorite horror movies through a new lens and make you wonder if THAT’S what was going along the whole time. I predict many will imitate what has been accomplished here, but just as people tried with classics like Psycho and Scream (including some of its sequels), few will be able to reach the benchmark set by Cabin in the Woods.

-Sithbot

Marvel sent out a new teaser image that simply says Gambit.

Announcements will be made at C2E2:

From their release:

Find out more Sunday, April 15 at the Next Big Thing panel, 11am Central during C2E2 2012.

 

Can’t make it to the convention? Follow along on the Marvel Events App & events.marvel.com, the best way to get exclusive videos, real-time announcements from the convention floor and up-to-the-minute panel, in-booth, and signing schedules of all your favorite Marvel creators!

The ominous black background and the way the title reads makes it look like they’re going to do a big event with Gambit. And really, the only event I’d care to see is his death. Could we be getting what we’ve all been wishing for? A Death of Gambit miniseries?

That’s pretty much the only way I’d buy a book starring the worst character in the Marvel U.

We’ll find out Sunday if our hopes and dreams come true.

Available on DVD tomorrow is Astonishing X-Men: Dangerous from Marvel Knights Animation.  This is an animated version of the comic of the same name, written by Joss Whedon with art by John Cassaday, and it’s the second story arc of Whedon’s Astonishing X-Men.  Whedon should be a familiar name to you (Buffy, Angel, Firefly), but if those shows don’t ring a bell, then hopefully you know that he is also the guy bringing The Avengers to theaters this summer.  When I saw his name attached to this DVD, I knew I had to seize the opportunity to review it.  Plus, I like X-Men, but while watching this I immediately realized how woefully ignorant I am of what’s been happening in the comic books.

That aside though, I was able to appreciate this as a casual fan.  I generally find Cyclops to be annoying, but he wasn’t the least bit irritating. Shadowcat (Kitty Pryde) was definitely the stand-out in this series, though.  She was both pouty and assertive, childish and strong.  And I felt like more energy was put into drawing her, since the close-ups of her face were rendered so well.

I’m also a complete newbie to the world of motion comics, but I think I will watch more from this point forward.  It was really exciting to see the pages of a comic come to life with sounds and music, even though the animation is a bit jerky.  That took some getting used to, but it didn’t ruin the experience for me.

The storyline is:  “The tragic death of a student at the Xavier Institute reveals that a powerful enemy is working from inside the mansion to destroy the X-Men.  It’s an enemy who knows all their weaknesses and can predict their every move.  This new foe doesn’t want wealth, power or world domination – it only wants them dead.  As the X-Men fight for their lives, they learn they’ve been deceived by one of their own.  Even if they survive, the team will never be the same.”

While the storyline at times felt a bit generic, I enjoyed the series overall (except for the cameos from  members of the Fantastic Four.  That just didn’t make any sense to me).  I think the best line of this arc was when Emma Frost said, “I turn into a diamond sometimes.  Are we really going to discuss impossibility?” A blunt remark, but she has a point.

To say too much more would reveal the true foe of the X-Men, and I’d rather keep that under wraps for those who don’t wish to be spoiled, but the epic battle at the end kept me wondering how the team would get themselves out of this mess.  And in addition to the outside forces bent on destroying them, the X-Men also must confront more personal issues. Loyalties will be tested, and lovers will be torn apart.

I’d recommend this to an X-Men fan, particularly to casual fans like myself.  In short, it was fun to watch.  (I just hope the next X-Men story I read or watch has Mr. Sinister in it.  I think he has great fashion sense).

You can check out some of the videos in Swank-mo-tron’s preview of the DVD here.

We are going to be giving away two copies of The Muppets, which is now available on Blu-ray and DVD!

The version we’re giving away is the Wocka! Wocka! edition. This set includes the movie on Blu-ray high-definition, DVD and Digital Copy (3 discs) plus a download card for the film’s soundtrack from Walt Disney Records.

To enter, all you need to do is comment below about who your favorite Muppet is. If you post about the contest on Twitter or Facebook, make a note of it in your comment.

Winners will be chosen randomly on Friday, April 13th.

This is hands down one of the best movies to come out last year and you should all be leaping at the chance to win a free copy.

If you don’t want to try to win, it’s on sale now!

The latest installment in HBO’s Game of Thrones brought the multitude of characters closer to their various goals, and the episode ended with a cliffhanger.  Sadly, another week must pass before we learn what happens next.

SPOILERS BELOW

Arya Stark continues to travel with the future men of The Wall, maneuvering her ever closer to her home at Winterfell.  But even at such a distance from King’s Landing, she and her companions are not safe from the guards of the city.  Though they are in search of King Robert’s bastard son Gendry, she is all too aware of the precariousness of her situation.  She also discovers that Gendry is not ignorant of the fact that she is a girl, and she admits that she is of House Stark.  It must be a weight off her shoulders to be able to be honest about her identity, and she may have found a friend in Gendry.

Games of a subtle nature continue to be played in King’s Landing.  Tyrion returns to his room to find the Varys flattering Shae, but The Spider mentions to Tyrion that he knows that Tywin Lannister expressly forbade his son from bringing Shae back to the city.  Tyrion will not fall for the veiled threat, telling Varys, “I know how this game is played,” and that he is no Ned Stark, to be manipulated and lied to.  I think we can all agree that one of Ned’s tragic flaws was his belief in the honesty of others.  He was loyal and trusting, and he believed that others would be so, also.

Only a brief glimpse of Daenerys this week, and it is only to reveal that one of the men she sent in search of civilization was beheaded, possibly by a Khal.  Her situation looks ever grimmer, and she and her loyal companions are tired and hungry.  She has fallen a long way from being the beloved Khaleesi of Khal Drogo.  Born in fire, she is now the mother of three dragons, but the Iron Throne is very far away and not the most important of her concerns.

Tyrion continues his own personal game, and he focuses primarily on safeguarding his life.  He dines with Lord Janos, commander of the city watch, and calmly explains that he is sending the unfortunate man to The Wall.  Tyrion explains that he doesn’t feel comfortable with him lurking about, since he gave the order to kill the men of the previous Hand, and he also was responsible for the murder of Robert’s infant child.

Theon Greyjoy returns to the Iron Islands, and his dreams of a happy homecoming are quickly dashed when is father does not welcome him back with open arms, calling him more Stark than Greyjoy.  The Greyjoys still have no love for the Starks, and all signs point towards a battle with the scattered family, even as the Starks fight the Lannisters.  There are so many wars being fought on so many fronts now, it truly is a Game of Thrones.

Within the walls of Dragonstone, the Red Priestess Melisandre tells Stannis, “I have seen the path to victory in flames.” She continues to urge worship of her god, telling Stannis that he must embrace the religion fully. (In other words, she wants him to throw her down on the table and ravish her, which he does.)  She uses his wife’s frail health as an excuse when he reminds her he is married, and she promises him a son.  In my opinion, Stannis shows himself to be easily manipulated and naïve.  His role in the game is not a very strong one at this point, other than having the blood claim of being the eldest Baratheon brother.  If I were his advisor, I would suggest he bide his time and let everyone else kill each other before making a move towards the Iron Throne.

Back at Craster’s home, Sam befriends Gilly, Craster’s pregnant daughter.  She is afraid that she will have a son, and no one has at this point discovered what happens when boys are born to Craster (though we can suspect that it’s bad).  She wants to leave with them when they continue their journey, but Jon refuses to listen.  He knows that to get involved with Craster’s family will only lead to trouble.  However, his own curiosity wins over sound judgment when he sees Craster carry an infant out in the snow and returns with empty arms.   Just as Jon nears the child and the creature that retrieves it from the frozen ground, he is hit over the head by Craster, and the credits roll.

I think my biggest frustration with this show is that there are so many characters, and there is no way to devote enough time to any single one in an episode.  Instead, we are given only tidbits of what is happening in Westeros and beyond its borders.  Though frustrating, this does provide more suspense and a desire to see what will happen next.

And, since I’ve read the books, there are certain scenes I’m waiting to see on screen.  Winter can’t come quickly enough!

It’s been 2 weeks since I put my Vivid down and switched to the Lumia, graciously provided by the kind folks at Nokia. I find myself shocked at what an incredible device this really is. Nokia has been absent from the U.S. for so long, and this phone can truthfully be called a triumphant return. I’ll do my best to differentiate the phone’s features and Windows 7.5 for you, but honestly they integrate so well together that I can’t say enough good things.

First of all let’s discuss price point, it’s a 99 dollar LTE phone with an 8mp camera designed by Carl Zeiss, front facing 1.3mp, 16 gig internal memory, 512 ram, and 1.4 GHz Qualcomm processor. The phone is a steal, packed with features and not mega expensive.

The phone has a sleek unibody design that fits in your palm beautifully. The battery is not removable, which can be considered a con, but it’s easy enough to perform a hard reset on the device, that it isn’t noticeable. It is one of 5 At&t devices using a micro sim, and the charging port is placed on the top instead of the bottom. I thought that would be a bother, but I’ll explain why I love it later on.

This phone integrated itself into my world within minutes, from the fast set up to the ease of use. I barely missed my Android phone, (I had just updated to 4.0 the day I received the Lumia so that’s saying something.) Even though it’s running a single core processor the phone is snappy and responsive and I found data speeds and install times to match my Vivid. App availability has reached a point with WP7 that I found something to cover all of my bases. Metro Radio took care of Pandora, Zune organized my synced music (with WP7 connector for mac which is pretty solid.) And the gaming integrated to my Xbox flawlessly with a simple sign in process. Next Thumba Photo Editor for my instagram needs, FourSquare and Facebook, and finally My Expenses for those pesky travel reports and we’re home free.

For you work junkies out there, let’s talk email. I haven’t found a faster way of managing email, than the one provided by WP7, touching to the left allows you to begin checking messages to be deleted or moved to a different folder, a quick touch on the message pulls it up with all of your items waiting on the bottom. The keyboard is fast and responsive, and the auto correct is incredibly accurate, my typing times are so much better on the WP7 keyboard than on Android. (This is whether I use swift-key x, swype, or the stock keyboard.) My fingers find the keys much easier, and I don’t find myself adding extra spaces or periods when I type fast, (swift key you devil.) For heavy users you’ll find the battery life to be great. I went from 6-8 hours before charging to 10-12, making it through a work day was pretty exciting for me, seeing as most of my devices spend a portion of their day charging at my desk before I return for them.

The top charging port ended up being quite a plus for me, and here’s why. Generally when I’m driving I use my Blue-Tooth, but on days that I’ve forgotten it I leave my phone plugged into the car charger and use it like a normal phone would require, pressed up against my face. The distance is a bit far from my cigarette adapter to where I sit while driving and generally the power gets pulled out of the phone. With the port on top the charger stayed in perfectly, life was that much easier, also, while laying on my seat or desk charging the device is still upright, pretty nice eh?

The phone itself has kept very well, seeing as I’ve been walking around with it before launch cases and screen protectors haven’t been overly abundant, or truthfully at all available. The poly-carbonate body has stayed completely scratch free, and the screen looks as perfect as the day I un-boxed it. However there is a small patch of stainless steel by the camera lens that made it about 30 minutes before getting scratched. If I have to find something to complain about, my stainless piece is scuffed, scratched, and dinged, the rest of the phone looks perfectly fine, When showing others the phone I generally cover the lens in shame.

Windows Phone itself has quite a few inherent features that make the switch almost painless. Again for us business folk, and even students the built in Office integration is a huge win. Quick access to Word docs, Excel, and Power Points makes moving data and editing a breeze, and has shaved hours off of my work day. By default the phone will read text messages to you and allow you to reply through voice with a blue-tooth. No additional app needed, no set up it simply does it. The first time my Jambox yelled at me I was shocked, and my wife thought I was just talking to myself. Being given a truly hands-free experience through the operating system is quite a relief, I realize that Siri does many of these things, but the Windows development made it feel effortless.

I whole heartedly believe that Nokia has made a triumphant return into the marketplace and has given WP7 a huge chance to continue growing. Currently there are few Windows Phones that I would heavily recommend to someone switching operating systems with the Lumia is at the top of that list. When doing a price point comparison, I don’t know why you wouldn’t save $100.00 and go with the gorgeous solid-body Lumia.

With each new television spot, my excitement for the Avengers grows that much more. It’s like pain making the Hulk stronger.

This whole spot just made me happy across the board. I really do feel like Joss Whedon most likely knocked this film out of the park. Each of the Avengers was on base with their own films and Whedon is stepping in to hit a grand slam.

This spot features Captain America giving Hulk some orders and I squeed in delight.

The Avengers hits movie theatres in just under a month.

BioWare has always claimed they listen to fan feedback, and I don’t remember the last time there was as much “fan feedback” about a game than there has been with Mass Effect 3.

By now, I’m sure whether you are a casual or hardcore fan of the Mass Effect series, you’ve heard pretty much all there is to hear about the ending. I shared my personal experience with the ending as well as tried to round up all of the controversy and theories surrounding it in previous posts, so let’s just jump in to what EA had to say about releasing new DLC to expand upon the controversial ending.

“Through additional cinematic sequences and epilogue scenes, the Mass Effect 3: Extended Cut will give fans seeking further clarity to the ending of Mass Effect 3 deeper insights into how their personal journey concludes. Coming this summer, the Mass Effect 3: Extended Cut will be available for download on the Xbox 360 videogame and entertainment system, PlayStation3 computer entertainment system and PC for no extra charge.

“We are all incredibly proud of Mass Effect 3 and the work done by Casey Hudson and team,” said Dr. Ray Muzyka, Co-Founder of BioWare and General Manager of EA’s BioWare Label. “Since launch, we have had time to listen to the feedback from our most passionate fans and we are responding. With the Mass Effect 3: Extended Cut we think we have struck a good balance in delivering the answers players are looking for while maintaining the team’s artistic vision for the end of this story arc in the Mass Effect universe.”

Casey Hudson, Executive Producer of the Mass Effect series added, “We have reprioritized our post-launch development efforts to provide the fans who want more closure with even more context and clarity to the ending of the game, in a way that will feel more personalized for each player.”

[CVG]

As a fan of the Mass Effect series, this comes as very good news. Having now been a few weeks since beating Mass Effect 3, I have come to terms with the ending. I am still massively disappointed by it and think it is filled with plot holes and nonsensical rambling, but the frustration about the situation has worn off knowing that BioWare and EA had already announced there will be some clarifying DLC and that they would make good on their word.

We now have a time line for this DLC and that is a release date some time over the Summer. Having dug a little deeper into the ending, and having spent hours talking to fellow BSR Bot and Mass Effect fan Senador Kooch, it appears less and less like the Indoctrination Theory is true – that BioWare had somehow planned for this ending to not be a “true” ending. After scouring through production notes about cut story lines and tight deadlines and all the pressures that come with them, it appears more like BioWare just dropped the ball with their story telling. There’s probably no higher meaning, no “this is all happening in Shep’s mind”, the ending is just simply poorly scripted – at least in the form it currently holds.

The quote that gives me the most hope is that last line from Casey Hudson, “We have reprioritized our post-launch development efforts to provide the fans who want more closure with even more context and clarity to the ending of the game, in a way that will feel more personalized for each player.” For me, this is exactly what I was hoping for. Clarify for me some of the more major plot holes at the end of the game, and provide some sort of personalization to each players’ ending based on the hundreds of choices we’ve made over the course of 80+ hours of game play. Was that not one of the big selling points of the Mass Effect series? An incredible sci-fi universe and story taking place within it that the player is able to participate in in a big way? It will be nice to hopefully see more personalization added to the ending, and of course some clarification to the many “What the hell?” moments that happen over the course of the last 10 minutes of the game.

In my humble opinion, this is the right move to make. Had this DLC been released and cost already upset video gamers more money to gain additional clarity and personalization that should have already been included in the ending, the proverbial feces would have hit spinning, air-circulating blades. Did BioWare drop the ball with the end of their epically awesome franchise? It kind of looks like that was the case. Are they listening to fan feedback and providing more clarity, closure, context and personalization to their game in a way they feel still maintains their artistic integrity? It certainly appears that way. But let’s face it, BioWare is up against the ropes here and I don’t envy their position, and even after the Mass Effect 3: Extended Cut DLC drops, there will still be unhappy fans out there (hell, I very well could be one of them), but you can’t please everyone. The important thing here, I think, is that a company like EA and BioWare actually listened to the feedback from their fans and are willing to add to their game to improve it.

Just how much of the ending are they going to be able to improve? Well, we will have to wait until Summer to find out.

It’s exciting when a piece of what I consider to be my nerd history is willing to talk about their involvement. If you are a transformers fan, it’d be hard to miss the name Frank Welker. He has been the voice actor behind everything from Scooby-Doo to Megatron. Being a bit of a Transformers fan I focused on the Megatron side of things in this short interview. We here at BigShinyRobot would like to again thank Mr. Welker for his time. Please note that the awesome emanating from the interview is hard to do justice. He signed the email, Megatron leader of the decepticons. Read on folks here is the Interview!

BSR:Thanks again for the opportunity and Frank, thank you for taking the time.

F.W.My Pleasure!

BSR: This isn’t your first gig voicing a Transformer, what is the difference in the voice work you do as Megatron now as opposed to the earlier years?

F.W.: In the G1 shows we didn’t have a lot of time to develop the story and there were so many characters and loads of action that we were driving our characters at top speed all the time. In the new show “Transformers Prime” there is much more focus on individual characters and their stories. Plus threaded shows and episodes devoted to an individual’s problem allows us more time for slow builds and subtle approaches to the dialog. This is an enjoyable area to explore….we don’t have to continually drive over an aggressive action track. Not to say wedon’t have plenty of action, we do..but we are allowed to get there more slowly and I think less characters in each show along with more in depth stories gives me time to play with both the vocal and acting range.

BSR: In my opinion (and I’m sure many of our readers) you voiced the Transformers that I grew up loving, before Michael Bay hurt their purity, what is it like being the voice of some of our favorite characters?

F.W.: It still shocks me to think that I am in the category you mention. It is always a thrill to find out that there are fans out there that like your work and have been so supportive for so many years…it means a lot!

BSR: Do you have a favorite Transformer and why? Also is there a voice you like doing the most either from the current series Prime or from the 80’s?

F.W.: What am I going to say…Optimus Prime!!!!!! (Okay I do love that voice..but don’t tell Peter) Megatron of course! How can you not love doing one of the great villains of all time. So much fun. But I do love Soundwave and I am disappointed that I have not been given the role in “Transformers Prime.” Currently as you know he has no voice…I don’t really get that, I may be a bit prejudice since I have the Soundwave suit in my closet. Also, I would like to see Bumble Bee talk and that would be fun to take a shot at his speaking voice too! I guess for now I should be happy being Megatron, the guy who keeps destroying Optimus Primes dinner parties!

BSR: Thanks again for your time, and I look forward to seeing and hearing more of your work.

F.W.: Thank you Thomas for your interest and support.
Megatron Leader of the Decepticons!

Imagine someone created a fully illustrated history of armed conflict, then formatted it like a roleplaying book and you’d have some idea what the Star Wars: Essential Guide to Warfare is about.

Written by Jason Fry and Paul Urquhart, this 245 page tome covers everything in the Star Wars universe ranging from Before the Republic all the way to the New Jedi Order and beyond. It has historian accounts of most of the major conflicts in the history of the galaxy, bios of major leaders on all sides of the conflicts, and it waxes philosophical about who should have done what differently here and there that makes you feel like it was written by an actual historian.

What’s that? It was? Urquhart is a pseudonym for an actual, anonymous medieval historian? That makes a lot sense.

There are two things that, I think, stand out about this book. The first is the illustrations. A crack team of artists clearly having fun in the Star Wars sandbox provided beautiful artwork for pretty much every page. It’s gorgeous and glossy and I could easily accidentally spend an hour just flipping through it, staring at pictures, and reading the accompanying material. In fact, that’s actually what I did do as soon as the book was handed to me.

The other thing I absolutely love is that characters, situations, and conflicts from The Clone Wars have made their way into this book with the same importance, reverence, and treatment as any other conflict in the galaxy. The movies, books, and comics are always all well-represented in books like this, but it felt like this was the first time The Clone Wars has really gotten its due. And it was great to see new and different artists take on characters from the show. It’s been oddly compartmentalized, only seeing these new characters in the animation and art style of the show, so it was refreshing to see paintings of guys like Admiral Trench.

The writing in the book was very good, too.

My biggest complaint about this book is that it feels like it should have been published by West End Games, just so it could have had all of the RPG material in the back of the book. I’m not an avid roleplayer (in fact, I haven’t in many, many years), but I still love flipping through RPG sourcebooks, both for inspiration and information. Giving characters stat sheets allows you to compare them on a much more objective scale than the words of a history wonk.

All in all, I’d say that’s a pretty minor complaint.

The book came out in the last couple of weeks and you can pick it up on Amazon for less than $20. It’s worth it.