War of the Realms #1 - “The Last Realm Standing” (2019) pencils by Russell Dauterman

much love for y'all

Age of Conan: Valeria #2 (2019)
pencil & ink by Aneke
color by Andy Troy

As the coronavirus continues to keep us locked indoors, it is vital to find ways to keep your sanity while doing your part to “flatten the curve.” Black Mask Studios is offering all of their #1s for free to help out.

For a limited time, you can try out a few new books. Not only does this give you some much-needed entertainment during a crisis, but it will also give the comic industry the support it needs right now. If you like the first issue, the publisher encourages you to order a copy from your local comic shop (mail order or through their website/eBay store). You can also order directly from Black Mask, and if you do they will send 50% to your favorite comic store. Simply list the shop in the “Special Instructions” at checkout.

The company’s entire library can be test-driven. Check out synopses of a few options below and click here for the full list and to begin reading.

BLACK #1
written by Kwanza Osajyefo, designed by Tim Smith 3, illustrated by Jamal Igle, lettered by Dave Sharpe, covers by Khary Randolph, edited by Sarah Litt

In a world that already hates and fears them – what if only Black people had superpowers. After miraculously surviving being gunned down by police, a young man learns that he is part of the biggest lie in history. Now he must decide whether it’s safer to keep it a secret or if the truth will set him free.

CRITICAL HIT #1
written by Matt Miner, illustrated by Jonathan Brandon Sawyer, colored by Doug Garbark, lettered by Jim Campbell

Matt Miner rallies a brand new art team and launches Liberator fan-favorites Jeanette and Sarah in a bold new direction with their own gritty mission to stop a rogue gang of hunters – but the girls learn to their horror that these hunters have developed a new hobby: hunting people… and suddenly the rescuers become the prey.

JADE STREET PROTECTION SERVICES #1
written by Katy Rex, illustrated by Fabian Lelay, colored by Mara Jayne Carpenter, lettered by Taylor Esposito, cover by Annie Wu

In this new series that mashes The Breakfast Club with Sailor Moon, Kai, Saba, Noemi, Divya, and Emma are (bad) students at Matsdotter Academy, an elite private school for magical girls. When they all meet for the first time in a totally unfair detention, these punk rock witch delinquents cut class and discover the fates Matsdotter has in store for them are even more sinister than they suspected. With JSPS, the creative team of writer Katy Rex, penciler/inker Fabian Lelay, colorist Mara Jayne Carpenter, and series cover artists Annie Wu and Kiki Jenkins channel Black Mask’s edgy, subversive sensibility into a whipsmart adventure for delinquents young and old.

NO ANGEL #1
written by Eric & Adrianne Palicki, illustrated by Ari Syahrazad, colored by Jean-Paul Csuka, lettered by Jim Campbell, cover by Amancay Nahuelpan

Religious texts from The Bible to the Sumerian tablets speak of strange creatures descending from the heavens and mating with humans, their children the superhuman heroes of myth. None of this ever meant anything to Iraq War veteran Hannah Gregory, until she found herself in the crosshairs of a dangerous cult convinced that she’s a descendant of these mysterious bloodlines… bloodlines they’re determined to eradicate.

QUANTUM TEENS ARE GO #1
written by Magdalene Visaggio, illustrated by Eryk Donovan, colored by Claudia Aguirre, lettered by Zakk Saam

Mad science is the punkest s*** there is. Teenage sweethearts Nat & Sumesh spend their nights breaking into abandoned superlabs to steal the parts they need to build a time machine – and they’ve just found the most important part. But mysterious entities keep trying to stop them turning it on. Now all they’ve gotta do is hang on long enough to figure out why. Magdalene Visaggio (Kim & Kim) and Eryk Donovan (Memetic) bring you a high-octane adventure full of robots, muscle cars, and queer-a** skater punks.

WE ARE THE DANGER #1
written & illustrated by Fabian Lelay, colored by Claudia Aguirre, lettered by Taylor Esposito, edited by Stephanie Cooke

Starting as the new girl in your senior year of high school is never easy, and Julie Malliari is having a terrible first day- until she meets Tabitha. After a night out at a rock show, their friendship quickly grows and, before they know it, the two form a band with their sights set on a record deal… they just need to win it in a nationwide Battle of the Bands competition.
With Tabitha’s rival keen to take the prize for herself, it’s a battle not to be missed…

THE WILDS #1
written by Vita Ayala, illustrated by Emily Pearson, colored by Marissa Louise, lettered by Jim Campbell

After a cataclysmic plague sweeps across America, survivors come together to form citystate-like communities for safety. Daisy Walker is a Runner for The Compound, a mix of post-apocalyptic postal service and black market salvaging operation. It is a Runner’s job to ferry items and people between settlements, and on occasion scavenge through the ruins of the old world. Daisy is the best there is at what she does. Out beyond the settlement walls are innumerable dangers: feral animals, crumbling structures, and Abominations – those that were touched by the plague and became something other. After a decade of surviving, Daisy isn’t phased by any of it – until her lover, another Runner named Heather, goes missing on a job. Desperate to find her, Daisy begins to see that there may be little difference between the world inside the walls and the horrors beyond.

The post A Year of Free Comics: Need some new comics to read during quarantine? BLACK MASK has you covered appeared first on The Beat.

Aero #5 (2019)
art by Keng

There are a ton of things to do in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The game features things like places to fish, fruit to collect, and items to build. All of these things can be sold for bells, the game’s currency. The object of the game isn’t to make money, but bells make projects and items available for purchase obtainable. It’s no surprise that people will go out of there way to make more money in a game to access more content. It’s the primary function of microtransactions: get people who want items in a game to spend real money. Well, there are no microtransactions in Animal Crossing yet, but a new market is emerging. A number of Animal Crossing items on eBay provide buyers with bells, rare items, and in-game resources for real-life money. 

Why People are Buying Animal Crossing Items on eBay

Image Credit: Nintendo and eBay

It’s sort of funny to cover news about an Animal Crossing black market on eBay. I didn’t necessarily see this coming, especially with the added perks of online play providing players with a space to share resources. I guess the key thing to remember is that people are literally crazy about this game. The history of Animal Crossing is a story of a nearly failed game idea turning into an international phenomenon. For the latest entry, the obsession only seems to grow. In 10 days, Japanese sales of Animal Crossing: New Horizons topped 2.6 million copies. 1.88 million of those copies sold in the first three days after release. Seriously, people love this game.

I love it too, but I don’t know if I would go so far to pay someone on eBay for items. One listing I found sells a bundle of materials for “gold tools” at $4. That’s not some insane price, but still, I’d rather play the game than spend money to get what I need in an instant. 

Could Nintendo Add Microtransactions at a Later Date?

Just using the “gold tools” bundle I mentioned above as an example, Animal Crossing items on eBay sell very well. That single listing sold over 250 materials bundles. The listing is averaging over 55 views an hour. Another listing, in which buyers can purchase five million bells, is posted for $10. The sales numbers don’t lie: 163 sold and over 100 views an hour. Players want these easy-to-obtain items options. So, could Nintendo add microtransactions at a later date?

Early rumors pointed to Nintendo planning for microtransactions. A leak showed the presence of some sort of system for purchasing Nook Miles, an in-game reward system that provides access to items and trips to other islands. For now, there is no microtransaction system in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Could that change with a market developing for Animal Crossing items on eBay? My instinct says yes. If people are paying for these things on eBay, then Nintendo would much rather make that money themselves. 

Do Animal Crossing Items on eBay Ruin the Game?

Image Credit: Nintendo

There are plenty of other ways to cheat in Animal Crossing. For example, plenty of players time jump, manipulating the game’s real-time clock. There are other things, such as using bugs to multiple items and other things that end up patched in updates that people enjoyed in the past games. For the most part, the game is whatever you make it. Others using glitches to make more money doesn’t necessarily affect your game. Still, seeing others build extravagant islands using these manipulation tactics can convince others to do the same.

I don’t time jump in Animal Crossing, no matter how much my wife begs me so we can build up our island quicker. In a lot of ways, it’s an easy way to get more resources and money, so why not do it? I guess I’m a purist. According to some highly successful eBay listings, I guess others agree with my wife. It’s best to play Animal Crossing: New Horizons to your heart’s desire. The game lacks a real purpose for that very reason. Nintendo certainly doesn’t condone black market item sales or time jumping, but they know it happens. 

Do you see a problem with Animal Crossing items on eBay or does it not bother you? Let us know in the comments! If you have other thoughts on the game, then let us know too! Thanks for reading Comic Years for all things gaming, comics, and pop culture.

Featured Image Credit: Nintendo and eBay

Animal Crossing Items on Ebay Become a Secondhand Market
Taylor Bauer