Despite their flaws (in particular, the “Massively Multiplayer” feature), I rather enjoy MMORPGs. I treat them, largely, like I do any other game — a fun time with people I already know and already enjoy gaming with. (Why someone can’t come up with a good RPG I can play online with a few friends without having to put up with the rude idiots that make up 90% of the human race, I have no idea.)

I’m also a huge fan of comic books, as anyone who reads this blog is probably aware.

With those two items combined, you’d think that City of Heroes would be a perfect game for me, but sadly, the best feature of the game is one that you’re pretty much done with by the time you start playing — the character design tool.

I have to say, the idea of an MMORPG based on the DCU sounds like a great one. The problem, as many people (not least the guys over at Penny Arcade (Read the comic, too)) have pointed out, is that SOE hasn’t been known for being particularly good to gamers, especially with their Star Wars MMORPG. (Not to mention that plague on the gaming industry called the Playstation, though that’s not really Sony Online.)

I’m not as excited as other people seem to be about Jim Lee’s involvement either. I like Lee’s art, insofar as I think he can draw individual panels beautifully, but somehow, that beautiful art never quite lives up to its full potential when it’s a series of panels that’s designed to tell a story. I know that makes no sense, and that a lot of people like his work in comics, and that’s fine. It just doesn’t do it for me. Still, as an executive creative director or whatever his title is, he might do really, really well. We’ll just have to wait and see.