The Dresden Files: Epic Noir in the Windy City

Posted on February 8, 2016 by Matthew Bowman

Sad as it is to know, there are fans of fantasy out there who have not yet read The Dresden Files. This is like being a fan of sci-fi and never having seen Star Wars. Well, young padawans, consider this your crash course.

I first discovered The Dresden Files almost exactly eight years ago, via a pretty cool TV show based on the books. Yes, I’m living proof that coming to the books from that direction won’t necessarily warp your appreciation of the real story, even though pretty much the only thing they got right in that show was that they’re both about Harry Dresden, wizard PI, and set in Chicago.

But I didn’t know that; I thought the show was cool, and was a little disappointed that the show didn’t have much to it. I looked it up online, and got very confused. At first, I thought there must have been some other seasons, and I’d been wrong about it being canceled. But no . . . they were based on books, and apparently there were magic swords with nails of the True Cross and a really cool guy named Michael Carpenter.

I stopped reading that webpage the moment I realized there was an even better story waiting for me beyond the TV show. Shortly after that, my mother asked me what I wanted for my birthday; I of course asked for the books.  Continue reading →

Posted in Fantasy, Fiction | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

Ashe to Ashes (AKA New Blood at the Catholic Geeks!)

Posted on February 4, 2016 by Matthew Bowman

When we started The Catholic Geeks, the intent was always to grow beyond our original seven when we found more people who qualified. I was hoping to recruit from more students and graduates of Christendom College (already disproportionately represented among our number, which helps our world-domination plans), and this is now become a reality. One of the students who attended my creative writing lectures there, who now lives in the greater DC area, decided to audition and was accepted.

(Well, okay. Actually, I tricked her into auditioning, then gave her the offer. It was more of an ambush, really.)

The “About the Catholic Geeks” page has been updated with the following entry: Continue reading →

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The Immorality of Football

Posted on February 3, 2016 by Matthew Bowman

I make no secret of the fact that I have no love for football, or any organized sport. I can’t get into them. Friends have tried. Girlfriends have tried; so for the guys out there, you don’t have a prayer of convincing me. Don’t even bother trying.

But I’m about to look like a fan compared to one Tom Krattenmaker, writing at USA Today about how watching the Super Bowl is immoral. He describes football as equivalent to a tyrannical government forcing children to kill each other as punishment for a previous generation’s rebellion. No, really, he compared it to The Hunger Games.

Fallacy Ref Divine Fallacy

We Catholics get insulted frequently for trying to “impose” our morality on other people. Since all that amounts to is doing what this guy is trying, namely convincing someone of the strength of his position (though, and pardon me for the distinction, he does it badly), I feel quite comfortable in weighing in on this particular argument. After all, as a Catholic, I know all about imposing morality, right? And as a decided non-fan, I can’t be accused of having even a chihuahua in this fight.

This is a full fisk, so you don’t have to read the article first. It’ll all be reproduced here.  Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Fisks, Health | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

The Liturgy Wars: Some Good News

Posted on February 2, 2016 by Lori Janeski

It doesn’t happen very often, but when it does, we need to PARTY!

minions-celebrate-oYeah, go do that.  Because the Most Reverend John F. Doerfler, STD, JCL, Bishop of Marquette did something completely awesome.

He just mandated Gregorian Chant in all parishes in the Diocese of Marquette, established a Diocesan hymnal, and told everyone that yes, you WILL do all of the following things:

Continue reading →

Posted in News, The Church | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Quick Anime Review: One Punch Man

Posted on February 1, 2016 by Andy

Saitama Flying Anime

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s just Saitama, and he’s bored.

One Punch Man is an anime from the Fall 2015 cour based on a webcomic that turned into a manga. It’s a comedy superhero show that comes out and manages to pay tribute to everything we know and love about caped heroes, while also tongue-in-cheek making fun of it at the same time. It’s one of those parodies that only works because the people involved are such fans of the source material to begin with, and that’s good, because otherwise there’s no way the premise should be able to work.

(This will be a spoiler-free review, as usual.)

Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, Superhero | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

LEGO Versatility and Wheelchairs

Posted on January 29, 2016 by Matthew Bowman

I’m on a night schedule right now, and didn’t wake up until the evening. When I did so, I started going through the inevitable barrage of emails, both direct and social media-related, that happens when I neglect my computer for few daylight hours. Last night, I noticed a small yet loud theme: the number of people who wanted to make certain that I knew Lego was producing a wheelchair piece.

Lego wheelchair

If you search for “Lego wheelchair” right now, you’ll find a lot of people celebrating the increase in “diversity” that this brings, as well as a few who can never be satisfied who think this is too little, too late. One of the people who really wanted me to know about this also wanted my opinion on the topic, and not just the piece. Continue reading →

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The Force of Star Wars’ Legacy

Posted on January 26, 2016 by Andy

Star Wars Star Destroyer

Star Wars is a cultural icon, a film with a history spanning decades across the world. Not only did it inspire countless people to explore the world of science fiction, but it also turned into a bedrock for Hollywood screenwriting. It was an unexpected (if sometimes cheesy) sci-fi romp of a scale that was far greater than many of the films of its time, and it’s made a mark in the history books for sure. And now there’s a sequel trilogy coming out in theaters.

Spoilers follow, because this is not a review of The Force Awakens. Instead, I’m going to be talking about a particular aspect of the new Star Wars: the presence of legacy throughout the film. Continue reading →

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Agent Carter Review

Posted on January 25, 2016 by Matthew Bowman

Agent Carter titleIf you’re unfamiliar with the show Agent Carter, it’s a Marvel-based TV show that’s a sequel to the movie Captain America: The First Avenger and a prequel for the show Agents of SHIELD. It follows the eponymous Peggy Carter as she navigates the difficulties of being the only female field agent for the fictional Strategic Scientific Reserve, a joint United States/United Kingdom agency to support the Allied war effort in World War II, and specifically counter Hydra, the Nazi’s own special science division.

Post-WWII, with Hydra supposedly beaten, the SSR is effectively reduced to being “science police,” investigating and containing dangerous advances in technology. In doing so, the show cheerfully borrows from the pulp adventures of that period, mixing historical accuracy with “world of tomorrow” inventions. These devices might seem a bit silly today, but the charm of the setting and the feel of an almost-there history, coupled with how the characters take it all seriously, helps sell the differences. It’s Foyle’s War meets The Avengers* with a dash of James Bond, set in the United States.

(* That’s the British sci-fi/spy thriller show, not the Marvel superhero team.) Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Historical, Reviews, Science Fiction, Superhero, Thriller | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

The “Unnecessary” Miracle

Posted on January 17, 2016 by Ross Windsor

On the third day there was a marriage at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; Jesus also was invited to the marriage, with his disciples. When the wine failed, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “O woman, what have you to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now six stone jars were standing there, for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” (John 2.1-7)

We all know the rest of the story, how Jesus miraculously transforms the water into an excellent batch of wine and saves the newly-wedded couple from social embarrassment. Exegesis of these passages tends to focus around Mary’s words, “Do whatever he tells you,” or how by this miracle Jesus blesses the Sacrament of Marriage, but there is a smaller lesson here that tends to get overlooked.

Continue reading →

Posted in The Church | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Happy Θεοτόκος Day!

Posted on January 1, 2016 by Matthew Bowman

I hope everyone is enjoying the Feast of Mary, Mother of God! Or, as non-Catholics call it, “New Calendar in the Kitchen Day.”

The new year is an arbitrary kind of holiday. It doesn’t commemorate anything other than someone deciding that the next orbit of the planet around the sun will be recorded from today. There’s no grand concept to celebrate beyond that.

That’s not a bad thing, though. We need holidays to blow off steam, take a break, keep things from getting in a rut, and various other common phrases meaning “change things up.” New Year’s is one of those days.

It’s also a good time to stop and reflect on what we’ve done, what has been accomplished, and how things might be made better in the future.  Continue reading →

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The Liturgy Wars: It’s Not About You

Posted on December 30, 2015 by Lori Janeski

I’ve already talked quite extensively on why the music we hear at Mass is more than a matter of personal taste.  I’ve already explained why the “art for art’s sake” at the Mass is just as much a problem as the former, just in the opposite direction.  I’ve also taken the time to address why the obligatory pre-Mass Rosary can be abused, and why things that clutter up the end of Mass, like announcements, “children’s bulletins,” and so on, are just as dangerous to our souls as bad music.

I gave good reasons for all of those things, and I think I made fairly convincing arguments, but there’s so much more to it than people just not knowing the proper forms.

I may have been addressing the wrong problem all this time, and now it’s well past time to fix that.

I saw this on Fox News’s website a few days ago, and was worried after one glance at the picture that this was a Catholic Church.  After a quick read, I was relieved to discover that it was not (I’m not even sure what a Zion Church is, but that’s neither here nor there), but it got me thinking about the source of all the other problems with the Liturgy.

Time to pull the weed up by the root, not just hack at endlessly-regrowing leaves.

Continue reading →

Posted in The Church | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Alone at Christmas

Posted on December 24, 2015 by Matthew Bowman

Christmas has been a bittersweet time for me in the last few years. 2008 was the best one I’ve ever had, and solely due to one wonderful young woman. 2009 was the worst, and that wonderful young woman was the cause of that as well. I’ve been single ever since, because only one other woman I’ve ever met could truly compete.

It took me a long time to get over that. In away, I haven’t; you never fall out of love with anyone you’ve given your heart to, after all. But I’ve made terms with it and moved on. In the process, I discovered the worst-kept secret of romance: it sucks to be alone at Christmas.

This year, I’ve noticed even more people in my circles talking about having lost someone, either to death or dissolution, and the pain that brings with Christmas. It’s difficult to manage, because even over St. Valentine’s day, this is the season you feel the pain of the empty spot at the table, on the couch, or by the fireplace. You start wondering how to fill that emptiness, and it seems like nothing ever will.  Continue reading →

Posted in Health | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Doctor Who Series 9: the Recap

Posted on December 21, 2015 by Andy

The Doctor: Heaven Sent

What a season.

Doctor Who has had its ups and downs, pluses and minuses, but when it pulls through, it really pulls through. Rather than coyly caging my opinion of this season, particularly the finale, I’m just going to say upfront that as a whole, I loved Series 9, and I can only hope that it will cement Peter Capaldi’s place in Doctor Who history. While there were still weak links, as always, I can safely say that by the finale episodes, I was the most satisfied that I’ve been with the show since the excellent 50th Anniversary Special.

Also, I can promise you that spoilers will be safely marked, so if you haven’t seen it yet, you can read on without fear! Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, Science Fiction | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Twitter Twits Theater: Fundamentalist Conspiracy Edition

Posted on December 14, 2015 by Matthew Bowman

Last week, a Fundamentalist, God-doesn’t-like-organized-religion, conspiracy-shouting, and grammatically-incoherent (but no doubt pleasant) man found us on Twitter and decided to try saving our souls.

It was an interesting, if difficult to follow, narrative, wherein we learned that Catholicism was the first heresy, which then sub-contracted Satanism to more heresies like Islam, Mormanism, and Evangelical Christianity (no doubt as cover), and founded both the Illuminati and the Freemasons during World War II (no doubt with the aid of the Nazis). During the debate, if one might charitably call it that, this individual followed us, then told us to shut our mouths, then blocked us.

No, we didn’t.

Still, to immortalize his valiant attempt to convert us from Catholicislamicevangelicalmormansatanism, the Catholic Geeks would like to present you, our audience, with the following Twitter Twits Theater. Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, History, The Church | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Legendary: Dark City Expansion

Posted on December 13, 2015 by Ross Windsor

As fun as the base game of Legendary: A Marvel Deck Building Game is, from the start there was always room for additions and improvements. Those upgrades have come in six expansions since Legendary’s creation in 2012, the most recent one hitting stores only four days ago (Secret Wars – Volume 2) Including even one of these expansions in your set significantly increases the flavor and replayability of the game, adding new heroes, villains, schemes, masterminds, mechanics and keywords, and even brand new elements.

(If you’re unfamiliar with the game, my previous post covers all the mechanics and terminology from the base game.)

 

Dark City

The first expansion to Legendary, Dark City is themed around the underworld (literally) and street-level threats and heroes. It introduces the Marvel Knights team, featuring clandestine or crime-fighting heroes such as Daredevil and Blade, as well as their traditional foes, such as Kingpin and vampires. But Dark City goes beyond its theme, adding six X-Men heroes and five heroes for a brand new X-Force team, as well as major villains like Apocalypse and Mr. Sinister, making this a very X-Men heavy expansion.

 

What’s in this set – 17 heroes with two new teams, 5 Masterminds, 8 Schemes, 6 Villain Groups and 2 Henchmen Villain Groups, and 3 new types of Bystanders.

Continue reading →

Posted in Board Games, Gaming, Reviews, Superhero | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Legends of DC

Posted on December 1, 2015 by Declan Finn

I still hate the title for this mid-season replacement show, but dang, it still looks so, so awesome.

So, a few thoughts along the way.

Continue reading →

Posted in Analysis, Commentary, Fiction, News, Superhero | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Anime 102: What Do I Watch?

Posted on November 30, 2015 by Andy

Paprika Anime Computer Screen

So maybe you’ve seen some of my earlier anime posts, maybe you haven’t. Maybe you’re just curious about this “anime” thing. You might have read my introductory anime post and wondered “okay, so now where do I go?” Now’s when I answer that question, with a guide to some great shows you can check out if you’re at all curious about the medium.

(Quick note in case you’re wondering: many of these shows have “dub” and “sub” options. The “dub” is a version of the show which replaces the original voice acting with English voice actors. The “sub” is a version of the show with all the original audio and English subtitles.) Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

Legendary: A Marvel Deck Building Game

Posted on November 30, 2015 by Ross Windsor

If you’re looking for gifts for your avid gamer friends or family this Christmas, or just interested in adding something to your own collection of tabletop games, I can’t recommend a better choice than Upper Deck’s Legendary: Marvel. Legendary is a deck-building board game set in the Marvel universe. This is, of course, the comic universe rather than the movies (although the movies have certainly inspired aspects of the game), so you can play a game where the Avengers and the X-Men battle Doctor Doom while the Sinister Six attempt to forge the Infinity Gauntlet, and not have to worry about whether you’re violating someone’s film rights all the while. The game supports up to five players, with a wide array of options to customize each game, and to increase or decrease the difficulty of gameplay. There are even rules for solo play, although I personally haven’t tried it yet.

The game sets the players and their chosen group of heroes against an evil Mastermind and groups of villains, who are trying to complete a dastardly Scheme. The players collectively win the game if they defeat the Mastermind, and lose if the Mastermind and villains manage to accomplish their goals. To thwart the bad guys, the players must recruit heroes to their side, and then use them to defeat villains and, ultimately, the Mastermind.

TableTop did a  video review of Legendary a few months ago. I intend to go far more in-depth than they did, but there is a lot of information and complexity to this game (though it’s not difficult to get the hang of), and the video does a good job of presenting that information in a tangible way.

Continue reading →

Posted in Board Games, Gaming, Reviews, Superhero | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Happy New Year! (Wait, What?)

Posted on November 29, 2015 by Matthew Bowman

Happy New Year, everyone! *blows party horn and throws confetti*

happy-new-year-banner-1

Uh . . . wait, what?

Did we just skip December? *checks calendar* Yeah, see? It’s still November! What gives? Why are we skipping ahead?

Answer: we’re not. Longer answer: it actually is the first day of the new year . . . the Roman Catholic new year, anyway.

Hmm. I think I just made a bunch of you a little more confused. Let me back up a bit.  Continue reading →

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In Defense of Black Friday

Posted on November 26, 2015 by Matthew Bowman

In the United States, there’s a love-hate relationship with Black Friday. We love to hate it, and yet we line up in the dark and cold to spend money on more stuff.

Black Friday shopping done right

Well, except for me, and a whole bunch of other people. I think I’ve occasionally grabbed a few things online, but even in my financially worst years I never thought it was worth it to fight the crowds. Why put myself through that to get things, when the things I actually wanted (or even needed) didn’t tend to be the stuff discounted on Black Friday?

But that doesn’t mean I think Black Friday is a horrible day, and we shouldn’t go shopping on the day after Thanksgiving. I’ll even go a step further. I’ll tell you why Black Friday, for all its horrible flaws, is fundamentally a good thing.  Continue reading →

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