Sunday Trade: KODT Bundle of Trouble

Knights of the Dinner Table Bundle of Trouble Vol. 1 by Jolly Blackburn

Ah KoDT. THE gamer's gamer comic. For years now its embraced, mocked and encouraged us in our mad, expensive hobby. Not just role-playing games. But board games. And video games. And card games. All games. There are few others that tread the same ground (Kovalic's Dork Tower or Kurtz's PvP). But none truly capture the madness of the hard-core gamer so well...

The Bundles of Trouble are 3-issue (later ones jump up to four issues) collections of the comic (really more comic/gaming magazine) Knights of the Dinner Table. Just the KoDT strips, with the normal articles, secondary comics and reviews removed. Which (though they only get put out as back-stock of single issues dries up) makes them a good way for people who don't WANT those extra bits clogging up the comics...

And Volume One introduces the core cast of the Knights. B.A. and the Untouchable Trio +1. And the basic set-up of Gamemaster vs. Player in an endless cycle of one-upmanship. This first volume also gives game store owner and old-school gamer Weird Pete, former Knight Johnny Kizinski and game company owner and designer Gary Jackson. But its mostly the Knights. Gamemaster B.A. Felton, often harried and stunned by his players actions. Bob, working out his frustrations and lack of "real" life at the game table. Dave, the reckless fool. Brian, the damn near autistic number cruncher and rules lawyer. And Sara, the girl. The one who wants social interaction and to move the story along. Except of course when she doesn't. It is a rare gamer indeed who doesn't look at the Knight's table and recognize someone they've gamed with. Or a few of them. Or all of them. Or even looks at their weekend game and thought, "Damn, this is us."

The Dark Knight

Easily as good as the hype has made it. Though the one complaint I occasionally saw does seem valid. Bale doesn't do the best Batman voice. I also think Eckheart gets overlooked a lot, because Ledger was just that good in this. And I have to wonder if the Lau's character's use of the word "calculations" was intentional. A nod to the DCU anti-Oracle the Calculator...