One of the downsides of gaming is relying on other people to show up at a game on time. While CCGs are good for filling in the waiting time, Battlebooks INc., has brought back the one-on-one duels that made Ace of Aces so much fun. Instead of a fantasy flavor, however, the new Battlebooks are based on popular comicbook characters.

The mechanics in the Battlebooks system are simple and smooth. Each turn you pick a maneuver, turn to the appropriate page, cross-reference with your opponent and go to the resolution page. If damage is done it gives you a score which your opponent subtracts from his character's body points. Battles can last as little as a few turns or can get dragged out if both characters play defensively.

The artwork is high quality with suitable flavor text. The books themselves are printed in standard comicbook size and probably won't take much wear and tear. However, shelling out four bucks a book isn't bad at all and if you are into collecting you can always buy two copies and set one aside for storage.

Along with Shi and Witchblade, comic fans can expect to see Battlebooks for popular Marvel characters such as Spiderman, Iron Man and others.

All in all this is a simple and very fun system to fill in dead-time with. Carrying two books in your backpack at a con can pretty much guarantee some fun while waiting for a game to start.

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