---Intro---
For those of you who are unfamiliar with PVP (Player vs. Player). It all started when PVP creator Scott Kurtz began playing online games. Communities where growing round these games with websites and message boards, soon he was meeting these people in real life. It wasn't ... Read review
For those of you who are unfamiliar with PVP (Player vs. Player). It all started when PVP creator Scott Kurtz began playing online games. Communities where growing round these games with websites and message boards, soon he was meeting these people in real life. It wasn't too long before people asked him to draw cartoons of the stuff they got up to online, the cartoons where passed around the Internet. He made his first ... ...a larger site to have his cartoons appear on their website.
PVP came on the web in 1998 and grew from that day from a couple hundred readers, to hundreds of thousands where it is still coming out daily to this day. Image offered him a deal to publish his comic and here we are - now released in 2004 we have a compilation of the first six comics released by Image.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with PVP (Player vs. Player). It all started when PVP creator Scott Kurtz began playing online games. Communities where growing round these games with websites and message boards, soon he was meeting these people in real life. It wasn't too long before people asked him to draw cartoons of the stuff they got up to online, the cartoons where passed around the Internet. He made his first website in 1997 about gaming and was offered money by a larger site to have his cartoons appear on their website. PVP came on the web in 1998 and grew from that day from a couple hundred readers, to hundreds of thousands where it is still coming out daily to this day. Image offered him a deal to publish his comic and here we are - now released in 2004 we have a compilation of the first six comics released by Image.
---Setting---
The setting of PVP is in an office of a gaming magazine; we see the characters in there daily routine at the office (usually having fun and doing very little work of course).
---More Info on the book---
This collects the first six issues that where released under Image Comics. There is no gap so to speak, to tell you where the next issue starts. The comic is printed in black and white, which to me is good and gives the characters a sleek polished style.
The artwork is very basic; you usually see the tops of bodies (though every so often you might see legs). At the start it has the usual opening, print details etc at the bottom. Followed by an Introduction which is written by Michael Jantze who created the syndicated comic 'The Norm' Next page we have -The History of PVP, which basically goes into a bit more detail than my introduction to how PVP came about. It features the original drawing of how all the characters used to be drawn.
---Cast---
Cole Richards - Owner of PVP magazine. He does his best to get the team working. Cole doesn't like modern game releases sticking to classic 80's arcade games
Brent Sienna - Pretentious, Mac loving, caffeine addicted. He's cynical, despite this though he goes out with Jade.
Jade Fontaine - Lady writer at the magazine determined to give women a voice in the gaming world. Has limited expressions.
Francis Ottoman - 16-year-old geek, sort of person who you know online and want to kill. Knows everything about gaming because his life revolves around it.
Skull - Is a troll found in the janitors closet when the staff moved in. He's simple, loveable and childlike.
Robbie and Jase - Two ex-jocks who play sports games all day, drinking beer and eating junk food. They are old college friends of Cole. Cole won't get rid of them despite being no use at all.
Max Powers - Old enemy of Cole and Brent's, yet he doesn't act like it. Sure he can be annoyingly smug, but one would think that made him a bad person.
Marcy Wisniewsky - Girl gamer, who's damn good at any game. Object of Francis's desires.
You'll find the characters in PVP not annoying at all even a character like Francis. You love them all Cole for being the square guy trying to keep things in line, Francis misbehaving and dragging Brent in who is just a big immature kid really. Skull wanting to be a part of the 'gang', generally getting in the way and being a bit of an annoyance to Francis and Brent. Jade who's like a walking billboard for women's lib doesn't even get old?
---Each issue summed up in the book---
1) First issue starts with Francis starting off office Nerf wars. Followed by Brent, Francis and Skull trying to kill a mouse.
This is a nice little introduction to the staff at PVP, getting you hooked by giving you laughs.
2) The gang introduce Francis to the world of Dungeons and Dragons
Might be a bit too geeky for some, however as someone who's never played D & D I enjoyed this strip immensely. It features the characters in fantasy dress, providing laughs with Skull being a dwarf and Jade moaning about how all the women characters have little armour.
3) Skull - fed up of Brent being mean to him runs away. Francis spies on Jade with a portable camera (could be part of the next issue though, not sure as I don't own that).
Cute little story with Skull disappearing hiding in the broom cupboard, you also get used to the panda gags - which is a long running joke in the PVP world.
4) Francis is having trouble, as he is no longer the number 1 'cyber-athlete'. To make matters worse he finds a girl has beaten him to the top spot.
This part introduces us to Marcy and following Francis attempting to beat her so she can kiss him.
5) Cole arranges to meet up with someone he knew at school 'Max Powers', who Brent knows too. Neither of them like him - so what does he want?
Couple of one shots round here, could belong to either 5 or 6. A lot based around Matrix Reloaded (as it was released at the time)
Funny story with Max Powers, as he decides to start his own gaming magazine after being inspired by Cole, this goes onto them playing pranks on each other. You see a bit more of the 'fart' jokes PVP is put down for.
6) Skull draws his own comics and with the help of Brent becomes an 'alternative' comic book artist. Getting him a fanboy on the way. Also Cole gets himself an X-Box.
The final and best one so far. It's probably a bit too sub-culture, but is probably Kurtz poking fun at the alternative comic book industry.
---Layout and design---
The layout has it's own exclusive cover and for those who feel they are missing out on the cover of each release, you only need to go to the back page to have a look at scaled down pictures of all the covers (2 per page). Inside there's a 'Choose your Player' page which is done in the style of a video game, showing you a list of characters featured in the first issue and a little description about them. The characters not in the first issue - Marcy and Max are blacked out saying 'you have not unlocked this character yet. Keep playing!'
It's a hardcover book yet it's quite soft cover too. The paper quality is very thin, meaning if you've got the light on you, you can see the next pages (just).
The back has certain panels from the comic, which will give you an idea if you might like this or not.
Cover 1 & 2 by Frank Cho (Liberty Meadows)
Cover 3, 4 & 5 Scott Kurtz
Cover 6 by indy artist James Kochalka.
---For fans---
For those of you who are fans of the comic, you may be disappointed to find that it's just the stories that we've already seen online, re-drawn and expanded. However if your a big fan of the comic you probably appreciate being able to have your own copy in print rather than having to log on all the time, besides you wouldn't complain about a Calvin and Hobbes collection featuring what you'd already read before in the newspaper.
---For non-fans---
I'm sure your thinking it's not for you because you see comics based off Dungeons and Dragons, Quake references, Alternative comics references and of course gaming references. So many sub cultures may be a little bit off putting, but to me it doesn't ruin the enjoyment at all and I find that there aren't really jokes 'I don't get'. I'm sure we can all laugh at lines about Francis not understanding how you play Dungeons and Dragons thinking he needs his computer to play, with Jade trying to get through that you use your imagination.
---Overall---
Because it is based off the daily comic, pretty much every strip has a gag somewhere in it, so plenty of laughs to cheer even the blackest of hearts up.
If you want to experience all the PVP goodness you might want to consider collecting all the comics separately as there are extra strips (some in colour) that are not in here.
So all the children of the 80's, nerds and gamers, your comic is here.
---Still not sure? ---
Remember you can read PVP everyday for free at www.pvponline.com
