Super Duper Gamer Team Entertainment: Comics

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The Universe surrounding Unknown 9: Awakening

Unknown 9: Awakening | $49.99 | PC & Console

Unknown 9: Awakening is an interesting video game that immerses players in a rich and mysterious universe. But did you know that it's not the first installment in the Unknown 9's universe? The game is part of a larger narrative that includes a comic book, a scripted podcast, and more. Before we dive deeper, here's a dose of gameplay:

The Expanding Universe

The Unknown 9 universe is vast and filled with lore. To help you navigate this intricate world, we've compiled some foundational elements you'll encounter in the game and other related media.

Am

Am, synonymous with Umbric energy, is the substance that makes up the Fold. It's the single ingredient that fuels Haroona's Umbric abilities. In Awakening, you need Am to Push and Pull enemies, Crush explosives, engage in Umbric attacks, or Heal yourself. Every Umbric ability drains your reserves, which you can replenish through melee combat or unlocking specific skills.

The Ascendants

A breakaway faction of the Leap Year Society, the Ascendants believe in obtaining enlightenment at all costs. Since cutting ties in 1908, they've skirmished with the LYS over powerful knowledge. Vincent Lichter, their ruthless leader, continues to influence the Unknown 9 universe.

Echoes

Echoes are vivid renderings of the past accessed through the Fold. In Awakening, Haroona recalls critical moments of her past, tuning into the Fold, which plays back Echoes of her time in specific locations. These manifestations can unearth suppressed knowledge but can also wreak havoc on one's mind.

The Fold

The Fold is a shadowy dimension that overlaps our own, accessible through deep meditation or by those born with the ability. It contains the sum of all human knowledge, with both wisdom and threatening secrets.

The Leap Year Society

Established in 1888, the LYS is an international secret society of truth-seekers aiming to bring enlightenment to humankind. Some of Haroona's closest allies are LYS members, who play crucial roles in the game's narrative.

The Sahin

The Sahin are the ancient civilization that spawned the Unknown 9. Technologically advanced, they knew much about the Fold and used this knowledge to reach great heights before succumbing to the forces that fueled their progress.

Quaestor

A Quaestor is anyone brave enough to seek out hidden wisdom. They play integral roles in every Unknown 9 story, including Haroona, Passage's Emilia, Torment's Jaden, and others.

Terminals

Terminals are geographic locations where the partition between our reality and the Fold is thinnest. Players encounter these in various locations throughout the game and other media.

The Unknown 9

These mysterious figures have long watched over humanity, intervening to influence the course of history. Immortal guardians of ancient knowledge, they see civilizations rise and fall in an endless cycle of progress, destruction, and rebirth.

Unknown 9: Awakening was the gateway for me. Dive into the Unknown 9: Torment comic book, the Unknown 9: Out of Sight podcast, Unknown 9: Genesis Novel Trilogy, and Unknown 9: Passage Web Series to uncover more of this thrilling world if immersive experiences are your thing.

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Doom Patrol: The Complete Second Season... Reviewed!

Before I get started, shout out to Warner Bros for supplying a copy of Doom Patrol... Season 2 for this review. Now... let's get weird!

Story: Season 2 starts out with a little of Dorthy's backstory. She came to be because of the interesting relationship Dr. Niles had with a primitive woman named Slava, introduced in season 1's Doom Patrol: Hair Patrol episode. I'd call her Beast Woman.

Needless to say... it wasn't love at first sight, they sort of grew on each other... like a beard. They're secret... hairy... love affair remained in secrecy thanks to Dr. Niles making the wise decision not to give her up, so now we have Dorthy today.

I'm still scratching my head about Dorthy's look though, but... I guess she could look like that as a result of having a prehistoric mom. Anyway, we got a glimpse of her (from behind) as season 1 closed out, which worked as far as hooking viewers for the second season.

That glimpse into Dorthy's backstory made me just want to give her a big hug and take her out for the best day ever (in a covid-free world), full of fun + shopping to update her look + new types of food... and even introduce her to gaming (because... it's awesome). She was a member of the circus forced to be a sideshow act (as the Ape Faced Girl) and was treated harshly by the ring leader because of her look & the same amazingly deadly abilities her mother had. The audience wasn't exactly the nicest group of onlookers either.

After a little justice took place, dear old daddy stepped in and took her home with him where she belonged. It's still a jacked-up relationship though because he feels that it's safer to keep her locked up... but it's a toss-up as far as agreeing or disagreeing with that. It protects her, but it also protects humanity.

One thing I liked seeing was Dorthy come out of her shell (to an extent) once she was with her daddy and the ever dysfunctional Doom Patrol. She was smiling, vibrant, and speaks a bit more when she feels comfortable. Her interaction with Cliff definitely has some comedic charm to it. Cliff Steele swears like he's trying to break a world record for most F-Bombs used in life, and you have Dorthy... this sweet little girl who tries to interact with him and join in on his activities. It's a funny dynamic.

Cliff was working on his car one day, swearing as usual... and in comes Dorthy saying she's never ridden in a car before. Clearly, he was annoyed, and she stood there with this smile on her face that he reluctantly gave in to (with an F-Bomb). It was just hilarious and delivered some much-needed comedy that shined through the clouds.

Season 2 continues to maintain the interesting titles for episodes that I like. Each episode has the main focus of the episode in the name... followed by Patrol (i.e. Fun Size Patrol). There aren't as many episodes in Season 2 as there were in Season 1, but I think they had to do that for the first season in order to introduce all the cards. Nevertheless... they could have found a cool way to keep the episode count somewhat consistent. We're talking 9 episodes compared to 15 in the first season. They had a few creative pieces tucked in there pairing Cliff Steele & Cyborg, and another with Rita Farr & Cyborg... which could have been extra added in to make up for it. It would've been great to see them create some standalone extras around these concepts, that would've made my day.

Beekeeper & Borg (by the way, does anyone else sense a bit of chemistry between these two?)

In season two, the Doom Patrol continues to battle their own demons while trying to figure things out to avoid pending... Doom (again... and again). So I guess the "Doom Patrol" is quite fitting. Dangers continue to pop up episode after episode (including the ongoing threat of Dorthy's demons), but I won't spoil it for you.

Oh... maybe one spoiler (minus details). The superhuman fight between Jane and Dorthy was pretty cool, and it was a breath of fresh air to see more action.

For the most part... even with the team taking on baddies, I can't say that I saw a lot of crime-fighting action going on. You might see a punch here or there, but... for the most part, I was left yearning for more. Season two for me... still feels like the team is dealing with growing pains. I'm not familiar with the Comic's storyline but... I look forward to the team coming into their own.

Here are a few of the baddies you will see this season:

Red Jack is freaking... brutal.

The person that caught my attention more so in Season 2 was... Rita Farr. You can see Rita Farr (aka Elasti-Woman) progressing as she begins to embrace her abilities more so than treating them like flaws... in part because of Cyborg training her. I didn't really see it from anyone else, Rita's on the road to being a true superhero. She's saying, she's training, and... she's taking action. I love that.

You see a glimpse of what could be as far as the other is concerned, but... it's not on that level. I know that they were working through things mentally and emotionally, but I'm talking about superhero training. So I appreciate the fact that they wrote this in, and I want to see more from the others in season 3... which includes Cyborg. I don't just want to hear about Cyborg's greatness... I want to see what makes him great. I want to see the Cyborg opening cans of whip ass left and right, the Cyborg that pulls off the W with a second left on the clock.

The writers are able to deliver, they just have to do it. It's not like he's just a new hero on the block, and the baddies are there... so I'd like to see more fighting. They could have stretched some of the situations out with the villains and not only showcased his abilities but also gave him a chance to work with the rest of the team on fine-tuning their own more. I wish they gave Red Jack at least 3 episodes, it was like... dang, this guy is brutal and he had personality.

Anyway, regardless of not training to be superheroes (apart from Rita Farr), the Doom Patrol gets some training in the field. As far as the story goes... Dorthy was the main focus of the season, even when her story was on the backburner... she remained in their mentions. Ultimately the season is wrapped up with Dorthy as things come to a head with her mother, father, and her most deadly demon. I don't know what they plan on doing in Season 3 but my fingers are crossed that it starts with a bang stemming from the end of Season 2... there should be a huge battle because all of the heroes were in situations with a baddie.

Update: It dawned on me, we're in the middle of a pandemic. So after doing a little digging, I found out that actress Abigail Shapiro reported that the season is an episode shorter because of Covid-19. Makes sense, so season 3 should start with a battle... I assume.

Visuals: Visually speaking, Doom Patrol Season 2 delivers episode after episode. The costumes are solid (even if I wish they would adjust Cyborg's eye up just a little to make it even). From Red Jack to Dorthy's demons... the designers did a solid job. Crazy Jane's transformation was even awesome when she went supernatural and flamed on (I was like... wow). The thing I appreciate most about most of the visual effects... is that they didn't look cheesy. It doesn't have to be over the top to look good, it just has to look believable and I feel like they nailed that.

The camera angles were solid too, unusual angles were thrown in there when needed for those trippy scenes. Although a film enthusiast may focus on specific angle types more than I would, I did notice the low angles + bird's eye view to give off the impression that some of Dorthy's demons were huge (that's just the name I call them).

Audio + Extras: As far as audio goes... I know (I know... I know) the show's theme music is fitting, I'm just not crazy about it. Other than the theme music, I loved the sound effects from the misadventures + the show concepts like Steele & Stone. You get 5.1 surround sound which delivered... but nothing really jumped out to me outside of when the action was high + explosions.

The extras include Doom Patrol: The Magic of Makeup... which was pretty cool, and I think is a feature that would actually appeal to the cosplay fans in the house + those of you into costume and make-up in general. Dorthy's stunt double looks just like her once all the makeup is on. Seriously... just like her. It's an interesting segment, which also showcases some of the other characters like... Larry (unbandaged).

This segment of the show lets me know that Cliff wants to fight crime, and he does at one point... in a very awkward messed-up way that ended with someone giving him... the finger.

I kid you not... Cliff Steele reminds me of my Brother-In-Law to an extent.

Doom Patrol 2: Come Visit Georgia PSA... is pretty much what you'd expect.

Price: Pricewise, Doom Patrol: The Complete Second Season, comes in at $29.98 for DVD and... $39.99 for Blu-ray. I don't know about this one, I'd price it at about $30 to $35 tops for Blu-Ray and $25 for DVD. It didn't end bad, it definitely makes you want to find out what the freak is going to happen in season 3... but they have to remember that the pandemic robbed the fans of an episode.

You can get it at the WB Shop for the MSRP or Walmart which prices it at my ideal price. Your call.

Overall, Doom Patrol: The Complete Second Season isn't bad... but I really want to see them do more. Rita is moving forward, I really liked that... but they really have to get their act together and bring it in season three. Maybe I'm speaking from an action movie junkie's perspective... but I want more episodes where butts are handed to them with a 48-Pack of whoop-ass and a double order of knuckle sandwiches.

Story 4

Visuals 5

Audio + Extras 5

Price 3

4.25 out of 5 Cool Points