Project Lore

The manga fans out there probably already own these bad boys, but for us layman, the release of the first two volumes for Warcraft: Legends probably passed us by.  I picked up the original publication during my shopping spree - no, not not that one - but have not had the proper time to digest it.  Fitting all the Warcraft lore in my pea-sized brain is becoming more and more difficult when companies like Tokyopop and Wildstorm are expanding the already massive universe at every opportunity.  But Tokyopop is making it a little easier on our wallets at least. Blizzard Entertainment's manga partner announced a new ploy to suck us in late last week.  In celebration of their upcoming release of Volume 3, the company is posting their previous works for FREE*.  A chapter will be posted each business day until March 17, the day Volume 3 launches at retail.  For those of you who may have missed the managa, or felt it to risky or expensive, you can now join me in reading the colorless stories for a limited time.  Here is the posting schedule as compiled by BlizzPlanet:

Warcraft: Legends Volume 1

• Friday, March 6: Fallen by Richard A. Knaak & Jae-Hwan Kim
• Monday, March 9: The Journey by Troy Lewter, Mike Wellman & Mi-Young No
• Tuesday, March 10: How to Win Friends by Carlos Olivares
• Wednesday, March 11: An Honest Trade by Troy Lewter & Nam Kim

Warcraft: Legends Volume 2

• Thursday, March 12: Fear by Richard A. Knaak & Jae-Hwan Kim
• Friday, March 13: Warrior: Divided by Grace Randolph & Erie
• Monday, March 16: Miles to Go by Dan Jolley & Elisa Kwon
• Tuesday, March 17: Family Values by Aaron Sparrow & In-Bae Kim

Although I have been interested in the Legends franchise since its inception, I never took the plunge until now.  Over the weekend I began reading Volume 1 so I could have it completed by the time Volume 2 begins going online later this week.  I would suggest that we all join the party and catch up on our Legends so we can have a nice book discussion later this month.  Shall I bring tea? For those still on the fence about the time sink, here's the lowdown.  Each volume of Legends adds further backstory to one of the characters from the graphic novel, The Sunwell Trilogy (written by Richard A. Knaak & illustrated by Jae-Hwan Kim).  Outside those chapters, the stories generally focus on unknown characters partaking in their own adventures around Azeroth.  These works tend to focus on the daily lives of our toons, rather than fate of the universe type stuff. Tokyopop's stuff may not sound as exciting as exposing Arthas' childhood, but you'd be surprise how entertaining some of the stories can be.  They aren't all gold, but at the fantastic price of FREE*, can you really complain?  Yes, yes we can, their manga + comic reader is absolutely atrocious.  Unless you are an eagle or possess a gigantic monitor, prepare for eye strain.  I guess there is something to be said for owning the hard copy, outside of collector pride. *Internet connection required.

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Three hours into the fight...

Since day one, I have been trying in earnest to score myself one of the TCG loot cards.  Any of them.  Every time I hit Target or see a pack of cards laying around a random EBGames I snap it up in hopes of scoring something.  To date, I have been enticed by a few dozen packs of cards, covering all the available expansions.  Yet, I have nothing to show for it.  Not a Turtle Mount, Paper Flying Machine, nor even the swanky Fishing Chair.  I can't really complain though, I simply haven't paid my dues.  Even if I had purchased 50 packs of the Fires of Outland set I would only have over a 25% chance to score that chair.  Not what I would call gambling odds. Starting March 24, I will have a new expansion pack to fail at collecting.  Upper Deck Entertainment's Blood of the Gladiators will offer players - or collectors - a new trio of loot cards.  Unlike previous releases, I can't see any of the following cards going for hundreds on eBay, but there is some fun stuff.

• Sandbox Tiger - Remember those old horsie things that sat on a giant spring in the playground?  They were the things you'd jump on, rear back and forth a few times, get bored and head off to the monkey bars till you fell and went crying to Mom.  Well that is what this is, only instead of a horsie, it is a miniature Spectral Tiger.
• Center of Attention - This baby enables players to fill one more slot with a purpal - the shirt slot.  Center of Attention grants players the in-game Epic Purple Shirt they always wanted.  Finally, my character's lust for violet can be completed!
• Foam Sword Rack - Like the Owned! card before it, this one is a gag item.  Players will be able to toss out the aforementioned rack full of s-words and bonk unsuspecting players with their Nerf quality weapons.

Upper Deck Entertainment's announcement of the loot cards did not include their respective rarities this time.  But I don't think that will matter to me.  Thanks to coincidental timing, the cards are available for beta testing on the PTR right now!  Players who wish to battle it out at 1 DPS, get nostalgic about their favorite rocker or implement the digital "Look At ME" saying, can do so via Landro Longshot and the following codes:

• Sandbox Tiger: 1111
• Epic Purple Shirt: 2222
• Foam Sword Rack: 3333

Being able to play with the loot items before they are launched won't stop me from dropping more money on the booster packs though.  I have lived through another Square Root Day, so I am one step closer to my victory over the mathematical world and its bastard child known as probability.

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