Analog's pick of the week - The Guild#1 (Spoilers)

Is it possible that someone still doesn’t know who Felicia Day is? I mean I was watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer re-runs on LOGO and spotted her as one of the potentials slayers and I was hey that’s Felicia Day standing around in the background doing nothing. Of course that was back when she was just plain old Felicia Day and before we all wanted to date her avatar, not like now when she’s FELICIA DAY with two million followers on twitter. All because of her being the tragic love interest of Doctor Horrible’s sing along blog and the creator of the hit Web series The Guild. I suppose there are some mundanes out there that are not aware of her yet and some stupid Hollywood executive types that haven’t tapped into her unique talent. It's their loss and our nerd bonus as she has written yet another gem that is Analog’s pick up the week The Guild #1 comic. She smartly turned down offers for others to pen this comic so she could remain in total control of her creation. This is great because who knows Codex better than her creator so let’s log on for some spoilers ahead.

The Guild #1 is the prequel to the web episodes that can be found on x-box live (her sponsor) or watchtheguild.com and begins to fill in the gaps to how Cyd becomes Codex. The issue starts as every webisode does with Cyd talking to her web cam. Cyd is being forced to talk to the web cam by the therapist her dad recommended to her see until she in her words “stops being screwed up.” Cyd has a good job as a violinist in an orchestra but a bad case of depression. I know how you feel Cyd work can’t fix everything. She also has a boyfriend who is in band who treats her like a piece of furniture. Boyfriend Trevor thinks he is going places since he quit the orchestra where me met Cyd to rock and roll. He basically uses Cyd like a gopher wanting her to distribute flyers and tear tickets at his concert. Cyd copes with this by reading her favorite series of fantasy novels called Codex and playing some Tetris.

Cyd discusses how she feels trapped in a life she doesn’t want on her therapist couch. As most therapist do he gives her the solutions in pill form and only prescribes some anti-depressants for her to be filled. On her way home from the pharmacy Cyd reads the long list of possible side effects that include such thrilling things as nausea, mental sluggishness and loose bowel and is horrified. Why every depression pill causes possible diarrhea I’ll never know. Felicia left out dizziness, every pill I am on whether it is for my depression, sleep, or blood pressure has the warning in big bold letter MAY CAUSE DIZZINESS. It’s a wonder I don’t topple over and stay there. Anyway back to Cyd’s problems, she decides to throw out the medicine instead of taking it. As she wanders home she stares longingly at the poster for a video game in the store window of a girl that is scantily clad with a sword in her hand fighting a dragon.

Curious Cyd walks in the store and briefly encounters one of her future Guild mates Tinkerbella arguing the price of trade on videos with the clerk. While Tink tries to use her feminine charms to get her way as usual the clerk isn’t falling for it and she storms out in huff past Cyd. Still on a mission to help her boyfriend Cyd asks the clerk if she can hang flyers in the store and offers to buy something in exchange. The clerk offers her a silly girly game to buy but Cyd is more interested in the one she saw in the window with the girl and the dragon. When given the game, Cyd asks if she can play they girl on the cover of the box and the clerk says the magic words that will change Cyd’s life “That it is an M.M.O.R.P.G. You can make whatever character you want” Cyd happily pays for the game and leaves.

Later at Trevor’s concert the band fails to impress the scouts for the music label causing them to leave early. After the concert Trevor just wants to celebrate and get wasted but Cyd doesn’t want to since not into that and it makes her feel funny. The pair fights and Cyd goes home and throws out the cupcakes she made to congratulate Trevor. Cyd retreats for the first time in her game. We get a look at what she is thinking as she remember various ways she has tried to reinvent herself in the past from Goth girl to Hippie chick. As she scrolls though the various types of character she could be she settles on the female healer but changes the avatar from blonde to her familiar red hair. She still needs a new name and glances at her favorite novel lying by the computer and becomes Codex for the first time.

As Cyd tries to explain her new joy of being Codex to Trevor latter, he attacks her for not telling him the music label people left early. When she tells them they said they weren’t unique enough he goes ballistic on her even though she suggests a few changes to help. Trevor accuses her of being jealous and trying to sabotage his vision and storms off. Cyd is speechless until later when she calls and gives him a piece of her mind but only to his answering machine. Cyd retreats further into her game because she says the graphics are so realistic and cute. She wanders and attempts to pet a squirrel but an arrow suddenly kills it from another player who turns out to be Bladezz from her future Guild. Cyd is shocked by this and doesn’t understand but Bladezz tells her that he needs squirrels eyeballs for a quest. Cyd explains she is new and hasn’t done a quest yet and when Bladezz’ gaming partner decided to log off to do school work, he decides to let the newb tag along if she likes. He needs a healer with him since there is plenty of killing to be done. Cyd can’t believe the more experienced player will allow her to tag along so she eagerly goes.

Cyd’s viewpoint on killing quickly changes as she finds out the rewards for it is the new and fancier clothes. Cyd is relieved no children can be killed but her hunger for killing monsters grows as she and Bladezz work there way up to boss level. When real life classes intrude on there boss fight, Cyd is left to face the monster alone and dies horribly several times but is determined to beat the monster alone. Finally in one last effort to kill the monster, she is joined by an unknown player who gives her the tips to defeat the monster. Cyd is overjoyed to have finally won and thanks the stranger for his help. He introduces himself as Vork a Knight of Good! She meets her future Guild leader for the first time but Trevor intervenes with a knock on her door. He has decided that she is his Yoko to his John Lennon and wants to hear her ideas on improving the band and crashes in and wants to have his way with Cyd who reluctantly takes him back. This leaves Vork alone with the sleeping avatar of Codex in the game and our issue ends.

Felicia has crafted a very realist story of how Cyd gets sucked into the game to escape her life she is unhappy with and becomes Codex. I’m sure as the issues continue there will be more heartache for Cyd ahead that will further immerse her into being Codex 24/7. Although Felicia paints a sad picture of the future Codex’s life, we never feel like she is making fun of her character and she manages to make us like her despite her flaws and somewhat obsessive behavior. After all Codex/Cyd is partially based on the real life Felicia Day’s obsession with on line gaming and by the lingo used here and in the web episodes you can tell she is as gamer and not a poser. Which gives all of us guy nerds out there hope that we might meet such a fabulous geek girl. Or at least fantasize about dating her Avatar. Think I’ll go watch that video again.