Author: Matthew Grau, Harold Johnson, Stephen Kemson, Bill Omesdahl and Mike Selinker
Category: game
Company/Publisher: WotC / TSR
Line: Marvel Super Heroes Adventure Game
Cost: $15.95
ISBN: 0-7869-1230-8
SKU: 06929
Capsule Review by Pete Darby on 11/20/99.
Genre tags: Fantasy Science_fiction Modern_day Espionage Conspiracy Superhero Diceless

Okay, so I felt I had to buy this to get some of the bits I felt should have been in the Fantastic Four Roster Book. But I'm so glad I got it, I should have bought it anyway.

What's it all about?

It's pretty much "does what it says on the tin..." Kinda. It's really a guide to some of the more interesting places on Marvel Earth, rather than a whole world book. Hey, it's close enough to our own world that if you want the basics, go to an encyclopaedia.

The conceit of the book is that it's a SHIELD briefing on the state of play around the world (but mostly in Manhattan, natch) post Heroes Return / Thunderbolts crisis. This neatly allows the near omniscient level of detail to have a rationale... and allow enough ambiguity for a whole horde of stories.

The Good

This book is gorgeous. All places get at least one graphic, be it a comic frame, or an "overhead view," on which more later. The margins have iconic "screens", giving further flavour to the SHIELD computer dossier feel. Where maps and plans are supposed to be useful, they are, and are otherwise sufficiently vague to allow players to browse the book at will.

The text has got the best balance of information and atmosphere I have ever encountered in a game book. Of course, the fact that it's supposed to be an info-dumping excercise helps, but looking between the information shows that SHIELD is definitely "ends justifies the means" organisation. Just look at the entries on Matt Murdocks' brownstone or the New Warriors crashpad if you don't believe me...

The bad

I feel ike Mr Nitpick here, but some, well, most of the overhead views are useless. And unattractive. I mean, a view of a section of Morlock Tunnels from overhead? Like, I didn't know what a tunnel looks like? For that matter, what about the overhead view of the Reavers base in the Australian outback; a fork in a riverbed in the desert, with a couple of trees. Wow.

For that matter, what's the description of Matt Murdock's brownstone doing here? It's an ordinary house, apart from a secret gym, and it's been blown up! Okay, it sets up some nice comments from SHIELD about DareDevil, but hardly enough to justify the entry. There's a couple of entries that give this "What the...?" factor.

And I'll whinge about it again; some of this information would go nicely in roster books for the appropriate organisations. But then we'd lose the presentation, the SHIELD flavour.... swings & roundabouts, eh?

... and the Odd

Each person referred to in the book has a SHIELD identifier after their name. For example, Dardevil is designated H/MTDD224/B, while Mole Man is V/FFMM232.

I think I've worked their system out... mostly.

The prefixes seem to be H-Hero, V-Villain, N-neutral or Not certain, M-Mercenary, D-Diplomatic (?), C-Commercial, companion (?), A-Agent, S-?, M-Military, X-Unknown, or being of immense power.

The next two letters refer to the roster book where the character either is or should be according to original appearance, power level, etc, to wit: AV-Avengers, XM-X-men, FF-Fantastic Four, MT-Marvel Team-Up, ST-Strange Tales (?), HK-Hulk, SH-SuperHeroes (?...I know, I'm losing credibility now), CV-curriculum vitae?

The next two letters are the characters main identifier, (DD for daredevil, IW for sue richards, invisible woman, etc.) and I've no idea what the numbers mean.

My point (and do I have one?)

This is a darn good role play supplement, maybe in my all time top 20, probably just outside my top 10. Even if you're playing "old skool" marvel, this book is worth it, with saga specific stats being pretty opaque and inobtrusive.

Style: 5 (Excellent!)
Substance: 4 (Meaty)