Kel's Takeaways - @forgottenrunes Comic, No. 0 👀
We're going to take a look inside the first ever Forgotten Runes Wizard's Cult comic book! We'll dive into the featured wizards, cameos, and other goodies found inside!
twitter.com/forgottenrunes/status/1540760710870884352?s=20&t=ieQ-3rJ5IgztSTw2l019jQ
As you may have seen in the last tweet, a digital copy of the comic book is available through Amazon - or you can view/download it online @ forgottenrunes.com/comic
I recommend reading through the comic yourself to get the pure experience before proceeding - spoiler warning!
We have to start with the covers! The primary cover was created by @Reilly_Brown, and is what you see on the digital & physical comic books. Composition, inks, colors...everything about this looks great, in my opinion. Showing the featured wizards' pixel heads is a nice touch.
However, more covers were created! The 5 cover variants are each wonderful in their own way. These are free mints that are currently available. Although sponsored by Coinbase NFT, you can mint them to your self-custody wallet.
twitter.com/forgottenrunes/status/1542663826491023362?s=20&t=ieQ-3rJ5IgztSTw2l019jQ
On the inside of the cover, we have the credits and an illustration of The Secret Tower. The design of the Tower is similar to what was seen at the Runiverse party. Just like on the website, there is a sense that the tower is amongst the clouds, embedded in a stone pillar.
The regular pages of the physical book feel solid & sturdy - no worries about accidental ripping like with some comics (shoutout to @wizardbottle for paper selection). The first page plugs the TV trailer - if you haven't watched, please go do it now!!!
twitter.com/forgottenrunes/status/1521842176589660162?s=20&t=ieQ-3rJ5IgztSTw2l019jQ
Before we get to the story, there is an explanation about FRWC. As a free comic with a big printing (225K copies), Magic Machine is using this as 1 way to get the Runes into the wider world. These are already turning up in places like doctor's offices!
twitter.com/GunnarMagnusArt/status/1541130832299151367?s=20&t=ieQ-3rJ5IgztSTw2l019jQ
Next is the classic "Anatomy of a Wizard" poster. These were also seen around the City(along with Soul and Warrior versions) during the NFT NYC event.
twitter.com/Kel_1of1/status/1538881281798606851?s=20&t=ieQ-3rJ5IgztSTw2l019jQ
Turn the page again, and it's a 2-page spread of the expanded Runiverse map! I think there could be a whole thread just about the map. For now, I'll just say that it rewards "zooming in" and looking at all the details, and it's called "The charted lands of the Runiverse"...
And then we begin the story. The narration goes the "middle-school essay" route (I kid, I kid!) by asking the reader "What is a story?" and then giving their answer.
During this introductory sequence, we are presented with multiple images, that, as we find out later, are connected to the various "story crumbs" we will receive later on.
As the exposition continues, we encounter our first featured wizard - Adept Hadrien of the Rock! Owned by FRWC mainstay @ToBeIsToBreathe (O).
The portrayal of Hadrien's familiar is delightful! In O's own lore, The Hare does not speak directly to Hadrien, as he does in the comic. This type of divergence is one of the delightful challenges of a decentralized storytelling multiverse.
twitter.com/ToBeIsToBreathe/status/1541543722172784643?s=20&t=ieQ-3rJ5IgztSTw2l019jQ
Hadrien answers an ancient riddle. A Soul, huh? Probably nothing...
Hadrien's "story crumb" ends with a long-awaited discovery. But, what exactly is this thing that he found? I'm not the writer, but I do recall some orbs being among the Forgotten Soul "undesirables". Fun fact - one of these orbs sold for 33 ETH in January (when ETH was 3K+).
An interlude - this delightful collage of cult creations & commissions! I was very happy to see some of the works I've commissioned among them. But the wild part is that this is only a miniscule portion of all the Cult content out there!
We arrive at story crumb 2 - featuring none other than Mystic Willow of the Brambles! (currently owned by @ChuckCharger).
Among the wizards featured in Issue 0, Willow is unique in that she was the only wizard to get a solo appearance on one of the alternative covers.
Piercing cries for help interrupt Willow's meditation session. The bat familiar's comments are funny to me, not sure why. It might be the juxtaposition to how the bat is portrayed in Chuck's original lore.
forgottenrunes.com/lore/wizards/9323/0
The bat is merciless though! Idiot humans...
Does Willow save the hunter? You'll have to read Issue 1 to find out (maybe...)
The next interlude features the an ad for the @RuniverseGame by Bisonic! I think a lot of people outside "the bubble" will be shocked at how much this "NFT project" has already built, and what's in the works. Artwork is by @rare_labs.
Crumb No. 3 is for Archmagus Alizam of the Heath! There is actually no wizard with that exact name, but based on the traits, this is likely Magus Alizam of the Heath in the collection - this is owned by the "ForgottenRunesDeployer" (eg. Magic Machine)
Alizam has found himself in a predicament. Given that his prop is "Egg of Unknown Beast", I wonder if this cockatrice has sensed that he has one her kind's young with him...
This is Issue 0's premier action sequence. Some have speculated that this is THE triple-crowned cockatrice (one of the Forgotten Beasts owned by @ibroughtcake).
Really cool depiction of a Rune in action. See, even if your wizard has a big dumb stick, if they have a good Rune, they can still go on the offensive!
Very cool "fire sword" fighting sequence here. Recommended viewing, as I'm not showing all the panels.
Unfortunately, we don't leave Alizam and his wolf n a good spot. Maybe he shoulda brought a warrior or two along...
Speculation: This is a MM-owned wizard because a holder might have gotten upset about how this fight went down.
Next, we have one of the highlights of the issue (in my opinion), the classic comic book ad page. Done up to evoke times of old. Let's dig into these a bit, shall we?
Quantum Shadow Putty. It's funny to think about some Red Hat Wizards deciding to monetize the Quantum Shadow phenomenon. Typical.
For those who are new, the Quantum Shadow refers to a mysterious dark mass that swallowed up a central portion of the Runiverse map.
Magic Crystal Ball. Pretty much a direct descendant of the Magic 8 Ball (never owned one, but enjoyed playing with them at friend's houses).
There are wizards with Crystal Balls out there, if this interests you.
Everlite Sacred Flame. Another reference to the Forgotten Souls and the Sacred Flames (ongoing burn event!)
If you don't know what I'm talking about, check this out: forgottenrunes.com/posts/forgotten-souls-collectors-guide
Another one taken pretty much straight from a 50's comic book. The reference to Electromancers is a nice touch.
Kobald Stink Bomb. They used @dotta's spelling of "Kobold" for this one, hehe. The only product that actually tells the reader to "Be careful"!
Here's a Kobald eating a cucumdog to help make more stink bombs..
Warrior Gauntlet Replica. Nice to have a Warriors reference in Issue 0 - I'm sure Warriors will feature prominently in some future issues. No doubt many warriors use power gauntlets in their offense.
Mini Gross Eyeball. This is a real wizard prop folks (called the Gorgon's Eye)! They are highly prized, and not frequently available at reasonable prices.
Pony Sneezing Power. Not sure what ponies have to do with it, but still appreciate a reference to arguably the cutest of all the current Forgotten Runes collections (some might argue Beast Spawn).
Lore Lust Juice. I wouldn't buy it for my kid...but maybe they wanted to have an item for the adult readers!
May also be an indirect reference to the Passion Potion.
Exploding Toad Timer. What happens when the timer hits zero? I guess you'd have to purchase to find out.
Jelly Donut Whoopee Cushion. Use with the Kobald Stink Bomb for a deadly combo!
"Well ACKSHULLY, that's not what a jelly donut looks like!"
At the bottom of the page. Probably somebody already tried to send something...
On the next page, we learn about the wonderful Kelpie Pups! Of course, this is a play on the Sea Monkeys that looked so wonderful in the ad, but when you actually them, they were tiny shrimps that didn't look monkeys at all!
Well, that was fun, but onto more stories! The next snippet features Alchemist Danny of the Fey. This wizard is also owned by Magic Machine.
"Why another Magic Machine-owned wizard?" you might ask. Well, in this case it might be because, Danny is KIND OF AN A-HOLE...
The little mouse is cute and sweet though.
Who was at the door? Another cliff-hanger, it's time to move on...
We switch to another building - this one is by a harbor. Archmagus Crowley of Atlantis (another MM wizard) is doing a bit of unauthorized searching...
Later, Crowley uses some of his ill-gotten gains to finagle some ale. I'm unsure whether the bartender is a Forgotten Runes character - it's possible. Let me know if you think it's your wizard (possibly one with a Mug of Ale, or a Coven Sister head).
On the final story page, we get a glimpse of our final featured wizard. However, in the dialogue we have an Easter Egg - @MagusTumbaj receives a mention as someone who's cornered the market on "those mushrooms"...
The "hooded figure" who watches it all is the only featured wizard who is not identified by name in Issue 0. I know what you may be thinking - is that's Kel's main wizard, Druid Faiz of Arcadia?
(If you weren't wondering that, I certainly was!)
The head and body match, but the staff is different. And the most tell-tale discrepancy - this Dark Arcanist has a slime familiar. A quick search of the collection reveals it can only be Magus Kazem of the Steppe (owned by Magic Machine)!
We have a few more interesting pages to close out the issue. First is an ad for the "Billy's Gonna Get Ya" action figure series! This is @bitvargen's creation, and it looks legit! As in, that appears to be a real PO Box you can mail that slip of paper!
Next is an ad for Forgotten Worlds, a real Forgotten Runes-themed @nftworldsNFT founded by @Merlin_FRWC. If you like Minecraft and Forgotten Runes, you should check this out.
This is followed by more "Anatomy" posters (gotta remind the casual reader where to go for more info about this awesome franchise).
I like the plug for the Forgotten Market that comes afterward. How many of the ultra-hyped vaporware PFP collections can claim the same?
Also, how does Archmagus Soran get these choice placements? I feel like I've seen him before...
twitter.com/Chaos_Mage_Miyo/status/1446267707784052737?s=20&t=TmLM7vS9a0DOjISLk-OEyg
What doesn't this comic book have? There is a black-and-white page where you can color your version of Sacred Key Master (owned by Dialectic/@1of1_eth).
Show them your Quantum Style!
We have a page showing off the alternate covers + instructions on mining (I covered this at the beginning) and then the back cover is a plug for Coinbase Wallet.
You or I might not care much about Coinbase Wallet, but it will help the normies reading in the doctor's office.
And that's Issue 0! Really well done, big ups to Magic Machine and the writer/artists. My only requests are - we need to see how all these stories turn out! And I want to see even more community-owned wizards appear (visually or mentions). Thanks as always for reading!
You can read the unrolled version of this thread here: typefully.com/Kel_1of1/scN0IYR