Saturday 15 August 2015

All New, All Different Marvel! - order form and more

by Ben Fardon

"When Everything Ends, There Is Only Secret Wars..."

These ominous words have dominated the Marvel Universe over the past few months. Thanks to shipping delays Secret Wars is set to rage on into October, but the same week that Secret Wars #8 ships, Marvel also begins it's much hyped All New, All Different relaunch!

Starting with the new Invincible Iron Man #1 by Brian Michael Bendis and David Marquez, Doctor Strange #1 by Jason Aaron and Chris Bachalo, the globetrotting new Amazing Spider-Man #1 by returning Dan Slott and Giuseppe Camuncoli, Avengers #0 (an anthology one-shot featuring All-New, All-Different Avengers, Squadron Supreme, A-Force, New Avengers, Ultimates and Uncanny Avengers) and several more, Marvel have cannily spread their relaunch across two months making it slightly more affordable than the onslaught that was the New 52.

In order to help a little bit more, we're offering the following price promotions to all customers (subject to change and whilst stocks last):

  • Avengers #0 - only £3.00
  • Doctor Strange #1 - only £2.50
  • Invincible Iron Man #1 - only £2.00
  • Amazing Spider-Man #1 - only £3.00

Purchase all four of these together and pay only £10!
(saving you an extra 50p on top of these already discounted prices)

Once again we are matching a few titles to previous orders on Reservation Service pull lists. This is primarily where the creative team remains the same (or at least the writer), ensuring that customers who only come in every couple of months will not suddenly find they've missed the next chapter of an ongoing saga like Jason Aaron's run on Thor.

Here's the full list of what we've matched - if you had the former, we've automatically added the latter on to your pull list:

Old Title New Title (All New, All Different)
All-New Hawkeye Hawkeye
Amazing Spider-Man (Marvel Now) Amazing Spider-Man
Ant-Man Astonishing Ant-Man
Deadpool (Marvel Now) Deadpool
Guardians Of The Galaxy (Marvel Now) Guardians Of The Galaxy
Howard The Duck Howard The Duck
Legendary Star-Lord Star-Lord
Miles Morales Ultimate Spider-Man Spider-Man (Miles Morales)
Ms Marvel (Marvel Now) Ms Marvel
Nova Nova
Silk Silk
Spider-Gwen (Gwen Stacy: Spider-Woman) Spider-Gwen
Spider-Man 2099 Spider-Man 2099
Spider-Woman (Marvel Now) Spider-Woman
Thor (Avengers Now) Mighty Thor
Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Unbeatable Squirrel Girl


If you're unsure, please email me to request a copy of your pull list and I'll send over a pdf copy. You are welcome to instantly remove any title we've automatically added to you up until you've purchased the first issue, then you are bound by our usual terms and conditions regarding notice periods for removing a title from your order.

Please remember that the FCBD All New, All Different Avengers showed that while there will be some significant changes (like the introduction of Miles Morales and Old Man Logan into the main Marvel Universe), the majority of Marvel continuity remains intact. This is not a major reboot akin to DC's New 52. For example, Bendis has stated his run on Iron Man will build on Kieron Gillen, Greg Land and Dale Eaglesham's Secret Origin of Tony Stark from Marvel Now.

You can view the full All New, All Different Marvel range in the free All New, All Different Preview magazine, available free from Proud Lion or digitally here.

If you'd like to order anything from the upcoming Marvel relaunch, please use the following order form:

Create your own user feedback survey

Orders made via this form must be submitted by midday on Friday 11th September. Orders after that can be placed by emailing shop@proudlion.co.uk.

Ben is really looking forward to seeing how this new chapter of the Marvel Universe will unfold!

Tuesday 11 August 2015

Big Game Hunting: Beta Games Night!

by Rae

Last year we invited local tabletop enthusiasts to bring their own ideas to the table and introduce us to their very own games. We had a selection of unreleased games in various stages of development available to play on the night, giving players a rare opportunity to be beta testers for these brand new ideas.

We're pleased to say that, one year later, we are repeating this fantastic opportunity! Proud Lion will once again be hosting a Beta Games Night for local tabletop designers to test out their ideas, get some feedback, and network with other tabletop creators and players. This will take place at our normal board games evening event on Saturday 12 September at Boston Tea Party from 6:30pm until 9pm.



To make this possible, we do ask a few things of our creators and players. For those of you interested in playing these games, we will ask you to sign a basic non-disclosure agreement (NDA) when you arrive at the event. This is purely in the interest of protecting the designers' creations and prevent them from becoming publicised. Please note this is only required if you wish to take part in the beta evening. (Creators please be aware you will also be asked to sign the NDA.)

If you want to showcase your game, we have a few rules that must be followed to ensure the event goes as smoothly as possible. We ask that you email rae@proudlion.co.uk with the following information about your game: title (working title is fine), brief description of the gameplay, current state of your game (alpha stage, beta stage, working prototype, professional prototype, etc.), and how many players it can hold. We have no problem with people having only initial paper prototypes, but please ensure your game is fully playable. Furthermore, all games must be your own creation, and must have been tested by yourself prior to attending the event.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at rae@proudlion.co.uk.

Rae has too many games in her head this week, so naturally wants to add a few more...

Monday 3 August 2015

New staff appointments!

by Ben Fardon

As many of you will already be aware, Proud Lion recently began looking for a part-time staff member. I am happy to announce this position has now been filled. Maya Rose has joined the team as our new Retail Assistant. Please give her a warm welcome whilst we proceed with her training.

I would also like to announce that our resident game guru Rae Hurley has become our Assistant Manager. In addition to her full time employment elsewhere, she will be available at the shop on a part-time basis, and will continue to run our schedule of Proud Lion events. She will also be managing many aspects of the website, which will be relaunching very soon.

The team is growing, and we're excited to see where the next chapter of Proud Lion takes us. Stay tuned for more details about the new Click-And-Collect webstore coming soon.

Ben Fardon is getting caught up on emails after a welcome couple of half days off last week! A rare treat!


Saturday 1 August 2015

Big Game Hunting - AvP: The Hunt Begins

by Rae

It's time for Big Game Hunting! This is a monthly gaming event that takes place on the second Saturday of every month. Players will get a chance to learn and play featured games all day long. Each month one or two different games are selected, and all participating players will also receive a voucher for 10% off the featured game(s). This month we're featuring AvP: The Hunt Begins!



AvP: The Hunt Begins is a tabletop skirmish game where one or more players can play as Aliens, Predators, or Marines from the popular Alien and Predator franchises. Each game comes with highly detailed models of all three factions, dozens of room tiles to make multiple configurations, and a rule book packed with scenarios to play.

The scenarios in the book can be played in order to create a narrative, allowing players to build the characters in the factions they play. This enables each faction to gain new skills as they progress through the storyline.

For those who would rather play a straight-up skirmish, that's fine - there's a free-for-all mode that allows players to do away with the scenarios and simply play a head-to-head game. These modes include Last Man Standing, Capture the Flag, Defend the Post, and more.

During the day, we will be running open demos from 11am to 5pm. Feel free to drop in at any time, we're happy to teach you how to play! We will make every effort to have two game sets available, with two small demo games ready to play, to give as many people as possible a chance to give it a go.


Rae discovered the game Acquire this week, thanks to Ben, who may be regretting that decision!