Okay, this is going to contain spoilers about the Prime MkII fluff.  To fill preview space so non of you are ruined before hand, enjoy this excerpt from Roger Ebert’s review of Jurassic Park:

“But consider what could have been. There is a scene very early in the film where Neill and Dern, who have studied dinosaurs all of their lives, see living ones for the first time. The creatures they see are tall, majestic leaf-eaters, grazing placidly in the treetops. There is a sense of grandeur to them. And that is the sense lacking in the rest of the film, which quickly turns into a standard monster movie, with screaming victims fleeing from roaring dinosaurs.

Think back to another ambitious special effects picture from Spielberg, “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” (1977). That was a movie about the “idea” of visitors from outer space. It inspired us to think what an awesome thing it would be, if earth were visited by living alien beings. You left that movie shaken and a little transformed. It was a movie that had faith in the intelligence and curiosity of its audience.”

Okay?  Okay.

I recall someone saying back when we were giddy with the Mk II announcement that the stories would focus on new characters, and we’d see the Iron Kingdoms from new perspectives.  That this new era would not throw away our old favorites, but have new start of the show.

Instead, I’m told a tale about Stryker and Caine versus the High Reclaimer, and a story about how (in the new NQ) the Butcher survives on pure “Grr” power, aided by deep-seated issues with battered young women.  The closest we’ve seen to new perspectives is in the Retribution book, and that was mostly because of it being a whole new faction, and practically because it actually talked about a new warcaster.

Maybe it’s reactionary of me, but I was hoping for Kara Sloan versus Venithrax, or Sir Whatever That Lanky Menite Guy versus Totally Sweet Assault Kommando Dude.

By the way, Doug Seacat, I can make these names up for any amount of new characters.  You just say the word, bud.

Hell, maybe that’ll all be in the Forces books, and the Prime focuses on Prime characters.  Point is, I got more of what I knew, and less of what I didn’t (and I was really disappointed Jack passed on taking the new Cryx ‘jack in the battle report.)

Otherwise, I really did enjoy myself with Prime Mk II.  Having Rhupert tell the IK history was a nice move.