Marvel Evolution: Preview Thoughts

Ok well this isn't so much about what I think of the individual cards we've seen previewed on various spots online, but an overall impression so far. Maybe.

First and foremost, I am sad that with Evolutions being a direct follow-up to Universe we see an end to the previous Marvel / DC alternating release schedule. I know that many other players share my fear that DC may no longer be represented in the game. I admit to leaning more towards the DC camp when it comes to what characters I enjoy more, but this really isn't about personal preference. The fear for my player group is that over time, we will lose players who play more DC cards, or DC exclusively. That's not a good thing, and I hope it won't happen should DC sets truly be out of the picture.

So along comes Marvel Evolutions, the first time ever that we've had two Marvel expansions released back to back. Unfortunately, I feel there are a lot of things going against this set. I can't really prioritize them so here's my list in no particular order. Keep in mind this is all my opinion, based on my local group and news online. Feel free to disagree. That's what your blog and the realms are for.

- It's another Marvel set: A lot of players are disappointed that we didn't get another DC set, and fear that the DC cards can no longer compete with the Marvel teams. I think this is a valid concern, based on the sheer number of great cards and effects we saw in Universe.

- It's coming after Universe: While I initially thought that Universe was too big as an expansion, I've obviously been playing with cards from it for the past 6 months or more. I can't deny just how freaking GOOD the set is. I've incorporated cards from it into probably every deck I've built since it was released. It's going to be hard to top or even match.

- It's X-Men: Ok, so this will likely get me a lot of flack, but I'm fucking tired of X-people. I admit, I used to be a long term reader back in the 90s, but haven't read much of anything in around 10 years. The simple fact is that I just don't care anymore. There are what seems like 8 billion mutants, even after the House of M was supposed to clear them all away, and they all seem stupefyingly powerful yet completely uninteresting. It's hard for me to get excited about the set when I don't care for the 90% of the characters.

- The packaging: Who the hell thought that putting a dude holding a baby on the box and wrapper are was a good idea? No really! I want to know so that I can congratulate them on getting that turd of an idea past Marvel and their own marketing departments and stamped with an "Approved". I've never met a female that plays this game, and maybe only 10 or 15 females ever who even read comics. While I'm not saying that guys don't like babies, it just seems so ridiculous. The game is based on comic characters beating the crap out of each other so seriously, WTF?

- The legend characters: Cyclops, Madrox, Gambit...ugh. Ok yeah, Cyclops has been around for EVER, but he's still boring as hell.

Ok now that I've effectively pissed of everyone who's ever liked X-Men or me, I do have a few hopes for this set.

1. It will have good cards that I can use. I know this will be true, because every set there seems to be at least 4 or 5 cards that make me go "Holy crap, this is awesome!"
2. It might have some original Alpha Flight members in it. The AF characters in Universe were actually Omega Flight, yet that was their version. This gives me hope that I'll see some of my favorites in there. If there are...this set will automatically get my gold-seal of approval.
3. I used to like X-Factor. Yes, the old one, which was basically the original X-Men in new outfits. I'm hoping to see some of those, which might make me smile and have fun.
4. It's a new VS set. That is ace in my book no matter what universe it's set in or what characters are in it. I'll keep buying and playing as long they keep making cards. Hell, I'll probably keep playing as long as I can find people to play against.