Scribblenauts Unmasked: A Crisis of Imagination

Last updated
Scribblenauts Unmasked: A Crisis of Imagination
Scribblenauts Unmasked A Crisis of Imagination collection.jpeg
Cover art of Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure, a collection featuring all 9 issues from A Crisis of Imagination.
Publication information
Publisher DC Comics
ScheduleMonthly
Format Limited series
Genre Adventure
Publication dateDecember 2013 – September 2014
No. of issues9 [lower-alpha 1]
Creative team
Written by Josh Elder
Artist(s)Adam Archer
Ben Bates
Letterer(s) Saida Temofonte
Colorist(s) Ian Herring

Scribblenauts Unmasked: A Crisis of Imagination is a limited comic book series written by Josh Elder and illustrated by Adam Archer and Ben Bates. The limited series is based on the fifth installment in 5th Cell's Scribblenauts video game series, Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure . [1] Starting in December 2013 and ending in September 2014, 9 issues of the series were released. [2] [3]

Contents

A one-shot comic was also bundled with Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure, titled Scribblenauts Unmasked: A Battle Most Bizarre. The one-shot was also written by Elder and illustrated by Archer. [4]

Plot summary

The series takes place in the DC Universe and follows Scribblenauts characters Maxwell and Lily, and features numerous DC Comics characters. [5] The series' main antagonist is Madame Xanadu, who's plotted a plan to "demise" the Justice League. [2] Throughout the series, Maxwell and Lily travel to multiple locations in the DC Universe, including Metropolis, [6] Watchtower, [7] and the Phantom Zone. [8]

History

Writer Josh Elder at the Cusp Conference in 2010. Josh Elder Cusp Conference 2010.2.jpg
Writer Josh Elder at the Cusp Conference in 2010.

After Elder sold the script of the Adventures of Superman anthology to script editor Alex Antone, Antone told Elder to pitch a one-shot comic that was to be bundled with Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure, titled Scribblenauts Unmasked: A Battle Most Bizarre. [5] [9] Prior to the one-shot's pitch, Elder had never played a Scribblenauts game. After installing and playing Scribblenauts Remix on his iPad, Elder "fell in love [with the game] pretty much immediately". [5] Following A Battle Most Bizarre's release, some of DC Comics' other comic titles received alternate cover art featuring Scribblenauts characters. [10] Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure was first released on September 23, 2013, and, as planned, was bundled with A Battle Most Bizarre. [11]

After the one-shot's pitch, Antone told Elder to pitch a limited comic series also based on Scribblenauts, which became A Crisis of Imagination. [5] Elder told American news website IGN that due to his prior work on StarCraft: Frontline and Mail Order Ninja , A Crisis of Imagination was in his "comfort zone". Elder also stated that the biggest issue with writing the comic was trying to "balanc[e] the different tones and 'reality rules'" of Scribblenauts and DC Comics. [5] In 2013, Elder told the Canadian comic book-focused website Comic Book Resources that he actively plays Remix and Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure to keep himself "immersed in the unique feel of [the game's] world". [12]

Release timeline
2013
  • A Battle Most Bizarre (September)
  • Issue #1 (December)
2014
  • Issue #2 (February)
  • Issue #3 (March)
  • Issue #4 (April)
  • Issue #5 (May)
  • Issue #6 (June)
  • Issue #7 (July)
  • Issue #8 (August)
  • Issue #9 (September)
2015Collection (February)

The first issue of A Crisis of Imagination released in early December 2013 [2] and the last was released in mid-September 2014. [3] A collection featuring all 9 issues was released in February 2015. [13]

Reception

Doug Zawisza of Comic Book Resources described A Crisis of Imagination's art style as being "akin to Fisher Price Little People and Art Baltazar drawings, but with a little bit more fluidity to their movements and gestures". Zawisza also noted that the series' first issue was a "nice addition to [that] week's comic book offerings". [2] Brigid Alverson, also writing for Comic Book Resources, compared the Scribblenauts series to comic books and, as such, thought it was logical, although "circular", for a comic book spin-off of the series to be launched. [12] Jesse Schedeen, writing for IGN, described the series' world as "cutesy". [14]

Jay Yaws of Batman-News gave the comic's 9th issue a score of 5/10. Yaws described the issue's comedy as being "corny, cliche", and, at times, "almost lazy". Yaws was happy that the comic ended on a "note of finality", as it did not "leave any threads open" for a potential sequel. Yaws, although not a fan of Elder's writing, commended and respected him for "containing [the] miniseries to itself". Yaws found the art style "serviceable", but not amazing; he stated that the easter eggs hidden in the comics could make him occasionally "chuckle". Ultimately, Yaws described the 9th issue as a "cash-in" with a "definitive ending". [15]

Notes

  1. ↑ 10, if counting the Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure collection. 11, if also counting Scribblenauts Unmasked: A Battle Most Bizarre.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Granny Goodness</span> DC Comics character

Granny Goodness is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Bee (character)</span> Comics character

Red Bee is the name of two fictional superheroes appearing in American comic books.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kamandi</span> Fictional character

Kamandi is a fictional comic book character created by artist Jack Kirby and published by DC Comics. The bulk of Kamandi's appearances occurred in the comic series Kamandi: The Last Boy on Earth, which ran from 1972 to 1978. He is a young hero living in a post-apocalyptic future. Following the Great Disaster, humans have backslid to savagery in a world ruled by intelligent, highly evolved animals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doctor Occult</span> Fictional character

Doctor Occult is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Doctor Occult is an occult detective, private investigator and magic user who specializes in cases involving the supernatural. Doctor Occult first appeared in 1935 during the Platinum Age of Comic Books. He was published by National Comics Publications and Centaur Publications within anthology titles. He is the earliest recurring, originally featured fictional character still used in the DC Universe. He is sometimes affiliated with the All-Star Squadron and has appeared in paranormal-related stories by DC and Vertigo Comics titles. Doctor Occult also has appeared in one DC-based video game set within DC's multiverse canon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Turpin</span> Comics character

Daniel "Terrible" Turpin is a character published by DC Comics. He first appeared as Brooklyn in Detective Comics #64, and first appeared as Dan Turpin in New Gods #5.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bat-Mite</span> Fictional comic book character

Bat-Mite is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Bat-Mite is an imp similar to the Superman villain Mister Mxyzptlk. Depicted as a small, childlike man in an ill-fitting copy of Batman's costume, Bat-Mite possesses what appear to be near-infinite magical powers which could be considered nigh-omnipotence, but he actually uses highly advanced technology from the fifth dimension that cannot be understood by humans' limited three-dimensional views. Unlike Mxyzptlk, Bat-Mite idolizes his superhero target and thus he has visited Batman on various occasions, often setting up strange and ridiculous events so that he could see his hero in action. Bat-Mite is more of a nuisance than a supervillain, and often departs of his own accord upon realizing that he has angered his idol.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White Witch (DC Comics)</span> DC Comics character

White Witch is a fictional character appearing in media published by DC Comics. Created by E. Nelson Bridwell and Curt Swan, she is usually depicted as a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th and 31st centuries. She is the sister of fellow Legionnaire Dream Girl and daughter of Kiwa Nal, the former High Seer of Naltor. Like Dream Girl, she is a native of the planet Naltor, but lacks the precognitive abilities of her species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laurel Gand</span> Fictional DC Comics superheroine

Laurel Gand is a superheroine appearing in DC Comics, primarily as a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th and 31st centuries under the name Andromeda. She was created as a replacement for Supergirl in post-Crisis on Infinite Earths Legion continuity. She was also inspired by elements of Superman's supposed descendant Laurel Kent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inferior Five</span> DC Comics parody superhero team

The Inferior Five are a parody superhero team appearing in books by the American publisher DC Comics. Created by writer E. Nelson Bridwell and artist Joe Orlando, the team premiered in the DC Comics title Showcase #62.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld</span> Fictional DC Comics character

Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld is a superhero published in American comic books created by DC Comics. Created by writers Dan Mishkin, Gary Cohn and artist Ernie Colón, she debuted in The Legion of Superheroes #298 in April 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beppo (comics)</span> Comics character

Beppo is a monkey superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, primarily those featuring Superman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Comet (DC Comics)</span> DC Comics character

Comet is the name of two fictional comic book characters owned by DC Comics whose adventures have been published by that same company. The first character was a sapient horse with magical powers who was once a centaur in ancient Greece. The second character is a shapeshifter with three forms. Both characters are connected to the Superman family of titles.

Bushido is a DC Comics superhero who was a short-lived member of the Teen Titans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stuart Immonen</span> Canadian comics artist

Stuart Immonen is a Canadian comics artist. He is best known for his work on the Marvel Comics series Nextwave, Ultimate X-Men, The New Avengers, The Amazing Spider-Man, and Ultimate Spider-Man, the DC Comics series Action Comics and The Adventures of Superman, as well as for the original Millarworld series Empress, co-created with Mark Millar. His pencils are usually inked by Wade Von Grawbadger.

<i>Comic Book Resources</i> Pop culture website

CBR, formerly Comic Book Resources, is a news website covering movies, television, anime, video games and comic book–related news and discussion. It is owned by Valnet Inc., parent of publications including Screenrant, Collider, MovieWeb and XDA Developers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jemm</span> Comics character

Jemm is a fictional alien character appearing in various comic book series published by DC Comics. He is an analogue of and occasional ally of Martian Manhunter.

<i>Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure</i> 2013 puzzle sandbox video game

Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure is a 2013 puzzle sandbox video game developed by 5th Cell and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for the Wii U, Nintendo 3DS and Microsoft Windows. It is the fifth game in the Scribblenauts series of games, the first based on a licensed property as well as the final released Scribblenauts game to be developed by 5th Cell. The game combines the series' traditional gameplay of bringing up words and objects in order to solve puzzles with characters and settings from the DC Comics universe. It was later re-released with its predecessor as part of Scribblenauts Mega Pack in September 2018 with extra content.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hermes (DC Comics)</span> DC Comics character

Hermes is a character in DC Comics. He is based on the Greek god of the same name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scarecrow in other media</span> DC character Scarecrow in other media

The Scarecrow, a supervillain in DC Comics and an adversary of the superhero Batman, has been adapted in various forms of media, including films, television series, and video games. The character has been portrayed in film by Cillian Murphy in The Dark Knight Trilogy, and in television by Charlie Tahan and David W. Thompson in the Fox series Gotham, and Vincent Kartheiser in the HBO Max streaming series Titans. Henry Polic II, Jeffrey Combs, Dino Andrade, John Noble, Robert Englund, and others have provided the Scarecrow's voice in animation and video games.

Scribblenauts is a series of action puzzle video games primarily developed by independent studio 5th Cell. The series is owned and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. The first game in the series was titled Scribblenauts and was first released on September 15, 2009, in North America, exclusively on the Nintendo DS. Since the release of the first game, five other Scribblenauts games have been released, in addition to two compilations and two comic adaptations.

References

  1. ↑ Perry, Isaac (December 4, 2013). "Return To Scribblenauts Unmasked With Crisis Of Imagination". Game Informer . GameStop. Archived from the original on December 7, 2013. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Zawisza, Doug (December 5, 2013). "Scribblenauts Unmasked: A Crisis of Imagination #1". Comic Book Resources . Valnet. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  3. 1 2 CBR Staff (September 15, 2014). "Scribblenauts Unmasked: A Crisis of Imagination #9". Comic Book Resources . Valnet. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  4. ↑ Langshaw, Mark (August 30, 2013). "'Scribblenauts Unmasked' gets free companion comic". Digital Spy . Hearst Magazines UK . Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Carle, Chris (August 9, 2018). "DC Comics to Launch Scribblenauts Unmasked Digital-First Comic". IGN . Ziff Davis . Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  6. ↑ CBR Staff (February 18, 2014). "Scribblenauts Unmasked: A Crisis of Imagination #2". Comic Book Resources . Valnet. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  7. ↑ CBR Staff (March 18, 2014). "Scribblenauts Unmasked: A Crisis of Imagination #3". Comic Book Resources . Valnet. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  8. ↑ CBR Staff (May 20, 2014). "Scribblenauts Unmasked: A Crisis of Imagination #5". Comic Book Resources . Valnet. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  9. ↑ Burlingame, Russ (September 6, 2017). "Scribblenauts Unmasked Comic Coming From DC Comics, Josh Elder and Adam Archer". Comic Book. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  10. ↑ Langshaw, Mark (October 10, 2013). "DC Comics titles get 'Scribblenauts' variant covers". Digital Spy . Hearst Magazines UK . Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  11. ↑ Campbell, Colin (August 29, 2013). "DC digital comic offer for Scribblenauts Unmasked". Polygon . Vox Media . Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  12. 1 2 Alverson, Brigid (December 4, 2013). "Elder on "Scribblenauts Unmasked: A Crisis of Imagination"". Comic Book Resources . Valnet. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  13. ↑ "Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure". DC Comics . Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  14. ↑ Schedeen, Jesse (August 9, 2018). "Scribblenauts Unmasked: A Crisis of Imagination #7 Preview". IGN . Ziff Davis . Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  15. ↑ Yaws, Jay (September 18, 2014). "Scribblenauts Unmasked: A Crisis of Imagination #9 review". Batman-News. Fun Jug Media. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.