With 2016 fast approaching, I thought it would be nice to write down my thoughts on the year that has passed. This is my first time doing this kind of thing, so I may not have much to say. Please bear with me on this.
It has been quite a year, hasn't it? Lots of triumphs and tragedies. We managed to survive another year, which really amazes me. Sometimes, to be totally honest, the insanity of humanity really makes my head spin. Insanity of humanity. Heh heh, I was a poet and did not know it.
It's amazing how a whole year can pass by seemingly so quickly. Why is that? Is it what really happens, or is it a trick in our minds? Is it how we remember things? ...yeah, I'm trying to be philosophical here. I suck.
Despite suffering some family tragedy, I have had a pretty good year. I've been feeling really revitalized to write for this blog lately, and there's a lot of fantastic things to look forward to for a geek like me in the upcoming year. More episodes of Agents of SHIELD, more MCU and another TMNT film, and hopefully, I'll be writing more comic book reviews.
I am also thinking of changing my blog's name. The original name of my blog, Random Rockin' Blog, really just came about at random...because I could not come up with another one. I'm thinking of calling it something like "Classic Comic Showcase" or something like that. After all, this blog was originally created to do exactly that, give my thoughts on old comics.
Well, here's hoping 2016 will be a great year. Hope yours will be, too. Thanks for reading!
Thursday, December 31, 2015
Friday, December 25, 2015
Star Trek Beyond Trailer: My Thoughts.
I am a Star Trek fan. Been one my whole life. Growing up, I would watch TNG and DS9 with my dad, and I also grew up watching the original movies. When the franchise was going to be given a new film, with new actors playing the crew of the original Enterprise, I was excited, and the eleventh film lived up to my expectations. My dad loved it so much, that ever since we would go into theaters and watch a movie, if he liked it, he still would say it was not as good as Star Trek.
Into Darkness would then hit, and I admit, I enjoyed it. Thought it was an odd choice to have Benedict Cumberbatch play Khan, but I still thought it was a good film.
And now, a third film is coming: Star Trek Beyond. And the trailer is here.
I really don't get why people complained about the use of Beastie Boys's "Sabotage" in the trailer. Do people not remember the scene in the eleventh Trek film where a young Kirk was driving around wildly in the old car? That was the exact song that was playing! It was a callback! I thought it was really cool! And the Starfleet jackets we see Spock and Chekov wear in the beginning? They look snazzy.
And the bit with Spock and McCoy and the transporter was hilarious. I laughed at that.
I have to admit, seeing the Enterprise crew being marooned on a strange new planet is an interesting idea. The closest I am aware of something like that happening was Chakotay and Janeway being stuck on a planet on an episode of Star Trek: Voyager. And that was because they were being quarantined.
The new villain looks neat. He reminds me of a Gorn, almost. But I don't think the villain is a Gorn, though. Similar, but not really a Gorn. Maybe a species related to the Gorn. Now I want to watch that fight between Kirk and the Gorn from the old series.
This looks like it'll be at the very least a fun action flick. Not much else to say about this. I liked the last two new Trek films, so hopefully, it'll be a hat trick.
Into Darkness would then hit, and I admit, I enjoyed it. Thought it was an odd choice to have Benedict Cumberbatch play Khan, but I still thought it was a good film.
And now, a third film is coming: Star Trek Beyond. And the trailer is here.
I really don't get why people complained about the use of Beastie Boys's "Sabotage" in the trailer. Do people not remember the scene in the eleventh Trek film where a young Kirk was driving around wildly in the old car? That was the exact song that was playing! It was a callback! I thought it was really cool! And the Starfleet jackets we see Spock and Chekov wear in the beginning? They look snazzy.
And the bit with Spock and McCoy and the transporter was hilarious. I laughed at that.
I have to admit, seeing the Enterprise crew being marooned on a strange new planet is an interesting idea. The closest I am aware of something like that happening was Chakotay and Janeway being stuck on a planet on an episode of Star Trek: Voyager. And that was because they were being quarantined.
The new villain looks neat. He reminds me of a Gorn, almost. But I don't think the villain is a Gorn, though. Similar, but not really a Gorn. Maybe a species related to the Gorn. Now I want to watch that fight between Kirk and the Gorn from the old series.
This looks like it'll be at the very least a fun action flick. Not much else to say about this. I liked the last two new Trek films, so hopefully, it'll be a hat trick.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
Hello, readers! It's Christmas Day!
Wow. It comes so fast, doesn't it? It seems like only yesterday we were welcoming 2015, and now we're preparing to say goodbye to it.
2015 has been one heck of a year, both good and bad. I'm hoping 2016 will be a great year, with more of the good and less of the bad. I plan to spend my Christmas at home with my family, enjoying my gifts and having some Christmas turkey. My cats just might get some as a treat, too. I also plan to watch a couple movies today. A Christmas Story is playing all day on TV, and I also have some appropriate films for the season in my collection. I have made a list of recommendations here: http://randomrockinblog.blogspot.com/2014/12/my-favorite-christmas-movies.html
Weather-wise, it was a surprisingly warm Christmas Eve. We have had rain and clouds, but not an inch of snow...at least where I live. It's weird. Winters in upstate New York tend to be rather...brutal when it comes to cold and snow. But this year, it's been...very mild. Weird.
Anyway, I can't wait to open my presents. I hope I got that Wii U I've asked for. And also Ant-Man on DVD.
Whatever holiday you celebrate, from Christmas to Kwanzaa to Hanukkah, from Festivus to Saturnalia to Hogswatch, I hope it was a wonderful one for you!
Wow. It comes so fast, doesn't it? It seems like only yesterday we were welcoming 2015, and now we're preparing to say goodbye to it.
2015 has been one heck of a year, both good and bad. I'm hoping 2016 will be a great year, with more of the good and less of the bad. I plan to spend my Christmas at home with my family, enjoying my gifts and having some Christmas turkey. My cats just might get some as a treat, too. I also plan to watch a couple movies today. A Christmas Story is playing all day on TV, and I also have some appropriate films for the season in my collection. I have made a list of recommendations here: http://randomrockinblog.blogspot.com/2014/12/my-favorite-christmas-movies.html
Weather-wise, it was a surprisingly warm Christmas Eve. We have had rain and clouds, but not an inch of snow...at least where I live. It's weird. Winters in upstate New York tend to be rather...brutal when it comes to cold and snow. But this year, it's been...very mild. Weird.
Anyway, I can't wait to open my presents. I hope I got that Wii U I've asked for. And also Ant-Man on DVD.
Whatever holiday you celebrate, from Christmas to Kwanzaa to Hanukkah, from Festivus to Saturnalia to Hogswatch, I hope it was a wonderful one for you!
Saturday, December 19, 2015
Action Comics #644 (August 1989) - Review
I love 80s comics. I don't know why, but I do. However, the majority of 80s stuff I have read from comics' Big Two I have never read in actual floppy form. I have a massive trade paperback collection, where I have gotten to read many of the Big Two's 80s output from that time.
I struggled to find a comic to review for this blog when I saw my copy of Superman in the Eighties, a trade collecting a sample of the Man of Steel's adventures during the time of neon, jazzercise, and glam metal. I leafed through it when I read quickly through the last story in the book, and I decided, "Hey, I'll review this one!"
The scans come from said trade paperback. It's a good trade if you can find it, collecting some of the best Superman tales from the Me Decade. It also contains a great introduction by the legendary Jerry Ordway, who worked on Superman back in those days. There are only two issues I have with this trade: the pages are printed on what seems to be the same paper regular comics were printed on. Also, the trade has a cover gallery, but they are not of the comics collected in the trade. I had to go to Google to find the cover of this comic. You may have to go online to find a copy as it is from 2006. I was lucky to find this on the shelf of a comic store at a local mall.
The late 80s, much like the last couple years, were a fresh start for the Man of Steel. When Crisis on Infinite Earths hit, Superman was given a reboot. Many elements of the mythos were removed for various reasons, like his teenage career as Superboy (as a consequence, his adventures teaming up with the Legion of Super-Heroes were considered non-canon), and the removal of Supergirl and many of the Kryptonians he encountered over the years (It was felt that they were redundant). History repeats itself, indeed. So, let's look at Action Comics #644!
"Doppelganger"
Plot: George Perez and Roger Stern
Script: Roger Stern
Pencils: George Perez
Inks: Brett Breeding
Letters: Bill Oakley
Colors: Glenn Whitmore
I love the cover. It grabs the eye by showing what looks like Superman, yet not. The costume is all wrong color-wise. He looks menacing, with a shadowed face except for evil-looking white eyes and standing in rubble. I think it was drawn by George Perez, so that has cool points already for me. I know there is an accent mark over the first e in Perez, but I have no idea how to type it, so my apologies for that.
This comic starts with Superman flying back to his boyhood home of Smallville, Kansas. He was called there by Lana Lang, saying someone called "Matrix" was becoming a handful.
He discovers that Murry's Place, a small business in Smallville, I'm assuming, was wrecked. And nothing else was. The cops and building inspector explain that it happened at night, and one deputy was said to have joked that only Superman himself could've caused such destruction, but he was in Metropolis, so he couldn't have been responsible. The Man of Steel figures Matrix was behind it...and for some reason, he also deduces that Matrix was posing as him.
We also get a bit of a recap of who Matrix is and how...Matrix came to Smallville.
Yeah, the Superman creative team really liked Supergirl, and wanted to revive the character (Kara Zor-El was killed in Crisis on Infinite Earths). However, the higher-ups did not want her to be a Kryptonian, because at the time, they felt having her be a Kryptonian would hurt Superman's branding as "The Last Son of Krypton". Personally, I would've just said she was the "Last Daughter", but that's just me. I'm silly like that.
So, to get around it, they came up with this origin for the Post-Crisis Supergirl. Essentially, she was a shapeshifting artificial lifeform created by an alternate world's Lex Luthor to help liberate said alternate world from three tyrannical Kryptonians. She used psychokinetic abilities to mimic Superman's powers. Yeah, comics are weird.
She ended up the only survivor of that world, and as such, Superman decided to take her to his so she wouldn't be alone. He also left her in the care of his parents because he figured, "Hey, they raised me, they won't have any problems raising another being from another world." Then, Superman was having some personal troubles and needed to leave Earth for a while, so he asked Matrix to keep an eye on his parents for him. No pressure.
Based on that panel, one can assume Matrix has been hanging out with Walter White. Anyway, Superman also reveals that Matrix has been living as Clark Kent (evidently as a strange way of doing what Superman asked him/her to do), and somehow blew up his apartment...which was not mentioned earlier in the comic. Okay. How did he learn this?
Lana tells Superman that Matrix has come back to the Kent farm, and Ma and Pa Kent are trying to calm him down.
Matrix rants about staying on the farm and helping Ma and Pa work on it, Superman observing from outside. He tries to think of a way to convince Matrix that he is not Clark Kent, but Matrix suddenly starts saying what Clark is thinking. Matrix panics and sees Supes out the window, then blasts him.
Superman recovers and finds Matrix has taken Lana and the Kents away. It's revealed he has taken them to an abandoned quarry. The three try to convince Matrix he isn't Superman, but Matrix is too confused, even changing his tattered clothes into a darker take on Superman's classic costume.
Using his visual powers, Superman follows Matrix's heat trail to the quarry. Matrix rants about a recent kidnapping she was a victim of thanks to Lex Luthor, which he could not know about because the Kents never told him about it. Superman realizes that somehow his and Matrix's minds have linked up, which explains how Matrix can remember things and was able to say what was on his mind earlier. Despite this, Superman is able to ambush the crazed Matrix.
Superman checks on his parents and Lana. He then tries to get Matrix back to his senses, but Matrix is too convinced he is the real Superman, and they start to fight. The fight uses some of the trademark Perez tricks, including the usage of panels to help move the action.
We briefly cut back to Metropolis, where Karen Faulkner at S.T.A.R. Labs is trying to contact Superman. The reason, the Will Payton Starman needs his help.
Back in Smallville, Superman and Matrix's brawl take them back to the building the Kents and Lana were hiding in. They try to flee the collapsing building, but Lana is injured by rubble. The Kents try to get her out of there, but the fight is causing the building to collapse.
Superman hears Ma Kent's cries for help, and saves them from the falling building.
Superman confronts Matrix, explaining that during a self-imposed exile in space (long story), he had been given a Kryptonian artifact called the Eradicator. Matrix had accidentally activated it somehow, and it caused their minds to be linked. Matrix hallucinates that Superman is a Silver Age-styled General Zod, threatening to find a way to destroy his new world. Matrix completely flips out and blasts Superman with psychokinetic energy. In an AWESOME sequence, Superman takes the blast, and just marches right up to Matrix and talks him down.
Matrix realizes how much he has screwed up, and decides to leave Earth to find himself, and as penance for disgracing the name of Superman.
This comic isn't a bad story. It has an epic fight scene and we get to see Superman go back to his boyhood home. Its big weakness is that it has trouble standing on its own. You really are going to have to have read previous comics to have a full idea of the story. The fact that I did not see any editor's notes about what issues previous events happened in does not help.
As for the art? It's George friggin' Perez! What more do you want?! His art is incredible here! It's wonderful to look at! It's actually one of the highlights of this book, it's very pretty to look at. His layouts are really neat, too.
Do I recommend this book? Again, it's not a bad story, but it does have a bit of trouble standing on its own. As for the trade I got this issue's scans from, Superman in the Eighties, pick it up if you find it. It's got some neat stories in it. For my next review, I want to take a slight jump forward to 1991 with Captain America as he takes his first steps into the Streets of Poison...
I struggled to find a comic to review for this blog when I saw my copy of Superman in the Eighties, a trade collecting a sample of the Man of Steel's adventures during the time of neon, jazzercise, and glam metal. I leafed through it when I read quickly through the last story in the book, and I decided, "Hey, I'll review this one!"
The scans come from said trade paperback. It's a good trade if you can find it, collecting some of the best Superman tales from the Me Decade. It also contains a great introduction by the legendary Jerry Ordway, who worked on Superman back in those days. There are only two issues I have with this trade: the pages are printed on what seems to be the same paper regular comics were printed on. Also, the trade has a cover gallery, but they are not of the comics collected in the trade. I had to go to Google to find the cover of this comic. You may have to go online to find a copy as it is from 2006. I was lucky to find this on the shelf of a comic store at a local mall.
The late 80s, much like the last couple years, were a fresh start for the Man of Steel. When Crisis on Infinite Earths hit, Superman was given a reboot. Many elements of the mythos were removed for various reasons, like his teenage career as Superboy (as a consequence, his adventures teaming up with the Legion of Super-Heroes were considered non-canon), and the removal of Supergirl and many of the Kryptonians he encountered over the years (It was felt that they were redundant). History repeats itself, indeed. So, let's look at Action Comics #644!
"Doppelganger"
Plot: George Perez and Roger Stern
Script: Roger Stern
Pencils: George Perez
Inks: Brett Breeding
Letters: Bill Oakley
Colors: Glenn Whitmore
I love the cover. It grabs the eye by showing what looks like Superman, yet not. The costume is all wrong color-wise. He looks menacing, with a shadowed face except for evil-looking white eyes and standing in rubble. I think it was drawn by George Perez, so that has cool points already for me. I know there is an accent mark over the first e in Perez, but I have no idea how to type it, so my apologies for that.
This comic starts with Superman flying back to his boyhood home of Smallville, Kansas. He was called there by Lana Lang, saying someone called "Matrix" was becoming a handful.
 |
| "Did I leave the super-oven on in the Fortress of Solitude? Ah, that's gonna bother me all day..." |
We also get a bit of a recap of who Matrix is and how...Matrix came to Smallville.
 |
| Your new Supergirl for the upcoming 1990s! Enjoy, fans! |
So, to get around it, they came up with this origin for the Post-Crisis Supergirl. Essentially, she was a shapeshifting artificial lifeform created by an alternate world's Lex Luthor to help liberate said alternate world from three tyrannical Kryptonians. She used psychokinetic abilities to mimic Superman's powers. Yeah, comics are weird.
She ended up the only survivor of that world, and as such, Superman decided to take her to his so she wouldn't be alone. He also left her in the care of his parents because he figured, "Hey, they raised me, they won't have any problems raising another being from another world." Then, Superman was having some personal troubles and needed to leave Earth for a while, so he asked Matrix to keep an eye on his parents for him. No pressure.
 |
| "You want me to what? What's going on?" |
Lana tells Superman that Matrix has come back to the Kent farm, and Ma and Pa Kent are trying to calm him down.
 |
| "After breakfast, I'm going to the Robinson Crusoe shipwreck cosplay party!" |
 |
| "Oh, my God! That man's got my face! And a much nicer outfit!" |
 |
| "Please tell me I got Superman's costume right...Oh. I am NOT good with colors." |
 |
| "*Kool-Aid Man crashing noise* OH YEAH!" |
 |
| "WHY YOU LITTLE-!" |
 |
| "That's okay, I can wait. I'll just stand here with my hands behind my back..." |
Superman hears Ma Kent's cries for help, and saves them from the falling building.
 |
| "Man, if I wasn't Kryptonian, this would hurt." |
 |
| "IMMA BLAST YOU Ah, crud." |
 |
| "Did I leave the oven on in Smallville? Ah, that's gonna bother me all day..." |
As for the art? It's George friggin' Perez! What more do you want?! His art is incredible here! It's wonderful to look at! It's actually one of the highlights of this book, it's very pretty to look at. His layouts are really neat, too.
Do I recommend this book? Again, it's not a bad story, but it does have a bit of trouble standing on its own. As for the trade I got this issue's scans from, Superman in the Eighties, pick it up if you find it. It's got some neat stories in it. For my next review, I want to take a slight jump forward to 1991 with Captain America as he takes his first steps into the Streets of Poison...
Friday, December 18, 2015
Final Smash DLC Thoughts.
Recently, Nintendo did a special broadcast on their social media about what is to be the last DLC for the latest Super Smash Bros. game. A couple of new fighters, and the winner of the Smash Ballot was revealed! No, it was not Cloud. Did download Cloud for the 3DS version, and he is a blast to play as.
The reveal of Corrin from the newest Fire Emblem game: Fire Emblem: Fates, just made me shrug. I never had any issue with the Fire Emblem series, to be honest. I did play Fire Emblem for the GBA. It was a good game, but it wasn't for me. Tactical RPGs aren't really my thing. I have heard some outcry about his inclusion, as it was felt his inclusion was purely for promotion. It also increases the number of Fire Emblem characters to six. It wasn't a problem for me, really. After all, the Mario series has quite a lot of representation in the game (Mario, Luigi, Bowser, Peach, Baby Bowser. Technically, twelve if you count all seven of the Koopalings).
The creators did want to include him, and I'm sure the game's makers consider Corrin being in Smash a great promotion. After all, Shulk was included to promote Xenoblade Chronicles.
However, I did find his dragon-based attacks pretty cool. I imagine he'll be fun to play as at the very least.
I liked the explanation of Cloud's moves. It's really cool to see that he gets Limit Breaks for all his moves. It really goes to show the work these people put in to make the character feel like they stepped right out of their games. This is the most wonderful form of video game fanservice. It really shows the team's passion for gaming and gaming history. The Smash series has really become a tribute to gaming, and it's so awesome seeing Cloud. It's fun playing as him, too. I've never played Final Fantasy VII, but I would love to now.
The Midgar stage is really cool. It's really neat that you can summon monsters from the various games, and they have some really cool effects on the stage...if you can get the Materia! I imagine Midgar will be a favorite stage to smash on, for sheer unpredictability alone.
I never really was into Mii costumes, but this game has some cool ones, paying homage to Splatoon, and even Tekken and Virtua Fighter. They have announced a Geno costume for Mii Gunners, as well as Tails and Knuckles costumes. I'm sure Mii costume collectors will love them. And in a way, Geno does get into Smash after all.
Bayonetta coming to Smash was a surprise to say the least. Her reveal trailer was really cool. I have to admit, I was a bit saddened to see that Solid Snake wasn't coming back, nor would Simon Belmont join, but Nintendo and Konami probably couldn't come to a deal. And in the case of Snake, Konami and Kojima being on the outs didn't help much. Ah, well. Can't be helped. Still, Bayonetta is a good choice. I haven't played either of her games, but I have heard they were good. She's a combo fighter, so I can imagine match-ups with Ryu will be quite interesting.
Her Witch Time attack looks awesome. I like that there is something to prevent it from being spammed. And I LOVE her Final Smash. The big demon Gomorrah just comes in and chows down on every other opponent Bayonetta is facing! That is cool, man! Just awesome!
These characters will also get amiibo. That's also neat, and makes sense. Every other Smash fighter has gotten amiibo, only fair Cloud, Corrin, and Bayonetta get them.
Do I think this will be truly the last DLC? Maybe. You never know. But if this truly is the last DLC, then it ended with a big bang! Thank you, Mr. Sakurai. Your hard work is truly appreciated by millions of gamers everywhere.
The reveal of Corrin from the newest Fire Emblem game: Fire Emblem: Fates, just made me shrug. I never had any issue with the Fire Emblem series, to be honest. I did play Fire Emblem for the GBA. It was a good game, but it wasn't for me. Tactical RPGs aren't really my thing. I have heard some outcry about his inclusion, as it was felt his inclusion was purely for promotion. It also increases the number of Fire Emblem characters to six. It wasn't a problem for me, really. After all, the Mario series has quite a lot of representation in the game (Mario, Luigi, Bowser, Peach, Baby Bowser. Technically, twelve if you count all seven of the Koopalings).
The creators did want to include him, and I'm sure the game's makers consider Corrin being in Smash a great promotion. After all, Shulk was included to promote Xenoblade Chronicles.
However, I did find his dragon-based attacks pretty cool. I imagine he'll be fun to play as at the very least.
I liked the explanation of Cloud's moves. It's really cool to see that he gets Limit Breaks for all his moves. It really goes to show the work these people put in to make the character feel like they stepped right out of their games. This is the most wonderful form of video game fanservice. It really shows the team's passion for gaming and gaming history. The Smash series has really become a tribute to gaming, and it's so awesome seeing Cloud. It's fun playing as him, too. I've never played Final Fantasy VII, but I would love to now.
The Midgar stage is really cool. It's really neat that you can summon monsters from the various games, and they have some really cool effects on the stage...if you can get the Materia! I imagine Midgar will be a favorite stage to smash on, for sheer unpredictability alone.
I never really was into Mii costumes, but this game has some cool ones, paying homage to Splatoon, and even Tekken and Virtua Fighter. They have announced a Geno costume for Mii Gunners, as well as Tails and Knuckles costumes. I'm sure Mii costume collectors will love them. And in a way, Geno does get into Smash after all.
Bayonetta coming to Smash was a surprise to say the least. Her reveal trailer was really cool. I have to admit, I was a bit saddened to see that Solid Snake wasn't coming back, nor would Simon Belmont join, but Nintendo and Konami probably couldn't come to a deal. And in the case of Snake, Konami and Kojima being on the outs didn't help much. Ah, well. Can't be helped. Still, Bayonetta is a good choice. I haven't played either of her games, but I have heard they were good. She's a combo fighter, so I can imagine match-ups with Ryu will be quite interesting.
Her Witch Time attack looks awesome. I like that there is something to prevent it from being spammed. And I LOVE her Final Smash. The big demon Gomorrah just comes in and chows down on every other opponent Bayonetta is facing! That is cool, man! Just awesome!
These characters will also get amiibo. That's also neat, and makes sense. Every other Smash fighter has gotten amiibo, only fair Cloud, Corrin, and Bayonetta get them.
Do I think this will be truly the last DLC? Maybe. You never know. But if this truly is the last DLC, then it ended with a big bang! Thank you, Mr. Sakurai. Your hard work is truly appreciated by millions of gamers everywhere.
Sunday, December 13, 2015
X-Men: Apocalypse Trailer: My Thoughts
We've known that the X-Men have had a new film coming for some time: X-Men: Apocalypse. I will be honest. The only X-Men films I ever really watched were the very first one and X-Men Origins: Wolverine. The first X-Men film was awesome, and I felt Origins could've been better. I did get excited about Days of Future Past, but I still haven't seen it. In essence, the X-Films have never really gotten me really excited. I had been hearing about Apocalypse, but it generally made me shrug.
The trailer had dropped, and I figure, hey why not watch it? Might be worth a chuckle, heh heh.
I will admit, it does look cool. The trailer does look cool. And one thing I really think is great is that this trailer is not spoiling the whole thing like the latest Batman v Superman trailer seemed to do. Although I think this is only the first trailer.
People have made their fair share of jokes regarding Apocalypse resembling Ivan Ooze, but based on this trailer, he looks pretty darn cool. And I do like that they are making an effort to have him resemble his comic self, which is awesome. The X-Films are growing less afraid of growing a little more colorful.
Speaking of colorful, I'm not too fond of the X-Men's uniforms. They seem a bit drab to me. Would be nice for them to have some color. It's also funny to see Mystique not being a red-haired blue woman. Meh, probably the studio wanting to make sure we recognize Jennifer Lawrence. You know, because movie watchers are dumb.
Jubilee looks adorable, that is all.
And there are explosions, lots of explosions. And Apocalypse had picked some unique Horsemen. And it's also nice to see some RED and PURPLE in Magneto's costume.
This does look like an interesting film. I think I'll have some fun watching this.
The trailer had dropped, and I figure, hey why not watch it? Might be worth a chuckle, heh heh.
I will admit, it does look cool. The trailer does look cool. And one thing I really think is great is that this trailer is not spoiling the whole thing like the latest Batman v Superman trailer seemed to do. Although I think this is only the first trailer.
People have made their fair share of jokes regarding Apocalypse resembling Ivan Ooze, but based on this trailer, he looks pretty darn cool. And I do like that they are making an effort to have him resemble his comic self, which is awesome. The X-Films are growing less afraid of growing a little more colorful.
Speaking of colorful, I'm not too fond of the X-Men's uniforms. They seem a bit drab to me. Would be nice for them to have some color. It's also funny to see Mystique not being a red-haired blue woman. Meh, probably the studio wanting to make sure we recognize Jennifer Lawrence. You know, because movie watchers are dumb.
Jubilee looks adorable, that is all.
And there are explosions, lots of explosions. And Apocalypse had picked some unique Horsemen. And it's also nice to see some RED and PURPLE in Magneto's costume.
This does look like an interesting film. I think I'll have some fun watching this.
Thursday, December 10, 2015
TMNT: Out of the Shadows Trailer: My Thoughts
In 2014, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles returned to live-action film, and the reaction was mixed. Many hated it, but it still did well enough to warrant a coming sequel, Out of the Shadows.
As for my personal experiences with this film, I have to admit, I never watched it, although I have been meaning to. It wasn't because I thought the film would be bad or anything, I just never got around to it. The bad reviews didn't drive me away from seeing it, nor did the trailer. I just shrugged and went on to do other things. It wasn't like the trailers to the last Fantastic Four movie. When I saw those, I thought. "Thing looks alright. Everything else looks dull and bleak, though."
Anyway, as for the coming TMNT sequel, the first trailer just dropped.
I have to admit, this trailer got me excited. I am eager to see this. The Turtles look bright and colorful. As someone who also has seen the original TMNT cartoon as a kid, it's really great seeing Bebop and Rocksteady finally make their live-action debut.
Seriously, the two mutants look amazing on film. The effects team deserves kudos for that. And Bebop's line to the Turtles made me laugh. Also, as a wrestling fan, it's really neat seeing Sheamus as Rocksteady. I hope we get to see the Turtles get a Brogue Kick.
It feels like the film is drawing heavily from the 1980s-1990s Turtles cartoon, with Bebop and Rocksteady, Vernon returning, the portal possibly indicating Krang, and the Turtle Van. Yup, the Turtle Van. Which is awesome. It shoots MANHOLE COVERS out of its front. I think that's it's pretty cool.
The trailer really gives a feeling of fun throughout it. You really get the impression the people making this film were really enjoying themselves, and that helps contribute to the general...aura of a film, you could call it.
In all, this trailer was exciting, and I want to see this movie.
As for my personal experiences with this film, I have to admit, I never watched it, although I have been meaning to. It wasn't because I thought the film would be bad or anything, I just never got around to it. The bad reviews didn't drive me away from seeing it, nor did the trailer. I just shrugged and went on to do other things. It wasn't like the trailers to the last Fantastic Four movie. When I saw those, I thought. "Thing looks alright. Everything else looks dull and bleak, though."
Anyway, as for the coming TMNT sequel, the first trailer just dropped.
I have to admit, this trailer got me excited. I am eager to see this. The Turtles look bright and colorful. As someone who also has seen the original TMNT cartoon as a kid, it's really great seeing Bebop and Rocksteady finally make their live-action debut.
Seriously, the two mutants look amazing on film. The effects team deserves kudos for that. And Bebop's line to the Turtles made me laugh. Also, as a wrestling fan, it's really neat seeing Sheamus as Rocksteady. I hope we get to see the Turtles get a Brogue Kick.
It feels like the film is drawing heavily from the 1980s-1990s Turtles cartoon, with Bebop and Rocksteady, Vernon returning, the portal possibly indicating Krang, and the Turtle Van. Yup, the Turtle Van. Which is awesome. It shoots MANHOLE COVERS out of its front. I think that's it's pretty cool.
The trailer really gives a feeling of fun throughout it. You really get the impression the people making this film were really enjoying themselves, and that helps contribute to the general...aura of a film, you could call it.
In all, this trailer was exciting, and I want to see this movie.
Thursday, December 3, 2015
Batman v Superman Trailer, My Thoughts
Marvel Comics is not the only comic book company that has a big film coming out. DC Comics is also putting out something huge: Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. The film essentially promises the first-ever meeting between The Dark Knight and the Man of Steel in a live-action film. It's also supposed to be the kickoff point for their own DC Cinematic Universe, much like Iron Man was for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
We've seen teasers, and now a new trailer has dropped.
I do have a lot to say about this trailer. It's an action-packed trailer, I'll give it that. Big explosions, mainly. Another thing I have noticed is that everything seems really...drab. Much like Man of Steel, everything seems so grey and drab. It's like bright colors are unwelcome in this world. One could argue that may seem true of Civil War, but to me personally, that trailer seemed...brighter, if that makes sense. Or maybe it's just because much of the action in the trailer is shown at night, whereas in Civil War, we saw the heroes fighting each other during the day.
Another thing that stood out to me was seeing Henry Cavill as Clark Kent. I think he does look like Clark Kent. I will admit, to me, you'll never be able to beat the late Christopher Reeve as Clark Kent or Superman, but Henry Cavill, looks wise, he does well in his own right. As for Ben Affleck, I will admit, he's not bad as an older Bruce Wayne, looks-wise. But we'll have to wait for the movie to see if he can truly pull it off.
One thing that made me tilt my head was Jesse Eisenberg's scenes as Lex Luthor. It may just be me, but his Lex, from what little we see, seems...really goofy. Like, Eisenberg was thinking he was supposed to be the Joker goofy. I mean, I know back in the goofy wacky Silver Age, Lex Luthor was a mad scientist, but I doubt he was this wacky back in those days. Yeah. I mean, he didn't commit crimes on Einstein's birthday in those days, but that was really it for wacky stuff...as far as I know.
One cool thing about the trailer...Wonder Woman's entrance. That was awesome. Gal Godot looked really great as the Amazing Amazon.
Doomsday is...meh. Yeah, I think I'm more excited about Civil War. This might sound like an...okay flick, but I'm more excited about Civil War, to be honest.
Both this film and Civil War will feature heroes in conflict with one another, so why am I more excited for Civil War? Well, mainly...because when it comes to that film, there has been a feeling that this has been coming for a long time. There's a sense of buildup for it. Think about it. In the two Avengers films, we've seen Steve and Tony disagree on things. Age of Ultron, The Winter Soldier, and Agents of SHIELD have all helped with the buildup to Civil War in their own ways.
With BvS, there's no feeling of buildup. This feels rushed. When it came to the MCU, we got a sense of something bigger coming up. Iron Man, Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger, Iron Man 2, they all told stories of their own, but also built up to the formation of the Avengers. With this, there's a general feeling of desperately trying to catch up. DC shouldn't worry about catching up. They should take their time, and improve on the flaws. DC is the company that created the superhero, they should be the company that perfected the cinematic universe. A shame, really. I want to see the Justice League in a big epic film, because I like DC and the JLA, too. However, I should be excited because I know it will be awesome, not shrugging because it will just be merely average. It's kind of sad.
We've seen teasers, and now a new trailer has dropped.
I do have a lot to say about this trailer. It's an action-packed trailer, I'll give it that. Big explosions, mainly. Another thing I have noticed is that everything seems really...drab. Much like Man of Steel, everything seems so grey and drab. It's like bright colors are unwelcome in this world. One could argue that may seem true of Civil War, but to me personally, that trailer seemed...brighter, if that makes sense. Or maybe it's just because much of the action in the trailer is shown at night, whereas in Civil War, we saw the heroes fighting each other during the day.
Another thing that stood out to me was seeing Henry Cavill as Clark Kent. I think he does look like Clark Kent. I will admit, to me, you'll never be able to beat the late Christopher Reeve as Clark Kent or Superman, but Henry Cavill, looks wise, he does well in his own right. As for Ben Affleck, I will admit, he's not bad as an older Bruce Wayne, looks-wise. But we'll have to wait for the movie to see if he can truly pull it off.
One thing that made me tilt my head was Jesse Eisenberg's scenes as Lex Luthor. It may just be me, but his Lex, from what little we see, seems...really goofy. Like, Eisenberg was thinking he was supposed to be the Joker goofy. I mean, I know back in the goofy wacky Silver Age, Lex Luthor was a mad scientist, but I doubt he was this wacky back in those days. Yeah. I mean, he didn't commit crimes on Einstein's birthday in those days, but that was really it for wacky stuff...as far as I know.
One cool thing about the trailer...Wonder Woman's entrance. That was awesome. Gal Godot looked really great as the Amazing Amazon.
Doomsday is...meh. Yeah, I think I'm more excited about Civil War. This might sound like an...okay flick, but I'm more excited about Civil War, to be honest.
Both this film and Civil War will feature heroes in conflict with one another, so why am I more excited for Civil War? Well, mainly...because when it comes to that film, there has been a feeling that this has been coming for a long time. There's a sense of buildup for it. Think about it. In the two Avengers films, we've seen Steve and Tony disagree on things. Age of Ultron, The Winter Soldier, and Agents of SHIELD have all helped with the buildup to Civil War in their own ways.
With BvS, there's no feeling of buildup. This feels rushed. When it came to the MCU, we got a sense of something bigger coming up. Iron Man, Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger, Iron Man 2, they all told stories of their own, but also built up to the formation of the Avengers. With this, there's a general feeling of desperately trying to catch up. DC shouldn't worry about catching up. They should take their time, and improve on the flaws. DC is the company that created the superhero, they should be the company that perfected the cinematic universe. A shame, really. I want to see the Justice League in a big epic film, because I like DC and the JLA, too. However, I should be excited because I know it will be awesome, not shrugging because it will just be merely average. It's kind of sad.
Monday, November 30, 2015
Captain America: Civil War Trailer, My Thoughts
Well, after a long time (and a lot of screaming from fans), the trailer to the latest MCU flick: Captain America: Civil War...has dropped.
...And it is glorious.
One of the big moments of this trailer is that we finally get the first glimpse of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's newest member: The Black Panther.
I have to admit, I like costume. My only nitpick is that I feel the silver claw things on the Panther's chest and the arms should be gold instead of silver. But as I said, it's merely a nitpick. I generally love the suit, and I'm sure it'll look even better in motion in the actual movie.
I have to admit, when I first heard about this new film, I was unsure. I wasn't a fan of the Civil War story in the comics, so I asked myself, "Really? That story? There was a lot more story options they could've used." Personally, I would've loved them to tackle Mark Gruenwald's "Captain America No More" story. It's one of my personal favorite epic Cap stories.
I also had concerns when it was announced many of the actors would reappear in the film, reprising their roles from the Avengers films, I was additionally nervous. I felt that this was simply Avengers 3 rebranded as a new Cap film.
However, when I got to see the trailer...my fears were, for all intents and purposes, ended. I feel this film will focus on Cap and Bucky, which is very good. I also feel that this story will be better handled than the actual comic. I have some actual faith in this film, and that is good. I am very excited for this movie. I can't wait to see it. I also want to see Spectre.
...And it is glorious.
One of the big moments of this trailer is that we finally get the first glimpse of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's newest member: The Black Panther.
I have to admit, I like costume. My only nitpick is that I feel the silver claw things on the Panther's chest and the arms should be gold instead of silver. But as I said, it's merely a nitpick. I generally love the suit, and I'm sure it'll look even better in motion in the actual movie.
I have to admit, when I first heard about this new film, I was unsure. I wasn't a fan of the Civil War story in the comics, so I asked myself, "Really? That story? There was a lot more story options they could've used." Personally, I would've loved them to tackle Mark Gruenwald's "Captain America No More" story. It's one of my personal favorite epic Cap stories.
I also had concerns when it was announced many of the actors would reappear in the film, reprising their roles from the Avengers films, I was additionally nervous. I felt that this was simply Avengers 3 rebranded as a new Cap film.
However, when I got to see the trailer...my fears were, for all intents and purposes, ended. I feel this film will focus on Cap and Bucky, which is very good. I also feel that this story will be better handled than the actual comic. I have some actual faith in this film, and that is good. I am very excited for this movie. I can't wait to see it. I also want to see Spectre.
Thursday, November 26, 2015
Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone out there! I hope you all get to enjoy some delicious food! If you're a football fan, I hope you got to enjoy a fun game, and I hope you take some time to take stock of what you have and what you are thankful for.
As for me, well, I'm thankful for a lot of the things many people are thankful for. I'm thankful I have a wonderful family that I love, I have good health, a good job, and friends. I am thankful for my cats, whom I love. I am thankful for many things. I am a lucky guy, and I am thankful for it.
Not much else I can say, actually. I enjoyed a great meal today, earned some holiday pay, and I'm going to watch some wrestling. Thanksgiving is a wonderful time of year, one I think doesn't get as much attention as I think it should.
As for me, well, I'm thankful for a lot of the things many people are thankful for. I'm thankful I have a wonderful family that I love, I have good health, a good job, and friends. I am thankful for my cats, whom I love. I am thankful for many things. I am a lucky guy, and I am thankful for it.
Not much else I can say, actually. I enjoyed a great meal today, earned some holiday pay, and I'm going to watch some wrestling. Thanksgiving is a wonderful time of year, one I think doesn't get as much attention as I think it should.
Monday, November 23, 2015
The Punisher Annual #4 (1991) - Review
The Punisher. While not one of my absolute favorite Marvel characters, I will admit, he's had some good stories here and there, and I did enjoy the Thomas Jane movie.
The Punisher Annual #4...is...not what I'd consider one of his classic tales. It's no Circle of Blood or Welcome Back, Frank.
I will admit, though, I don't think the main story of the Annual is actually that bad, to be honest. It's just...it's part of a multi-annual story. Back in the 1980s, Marvel would use their Annual issues of their comics to tell a big-time story, like Atlantis Attacks, or The Evolutionary War. However, as Marvel transitioned into the 1990s, they started taking a different approach.
They would tell stories using two or three annuals instead of one big story using all the titles' annual issues. Stories such as Lifeform, Kings of Pain, and The System Bytes came from this. This Annual was part of a three-Annual story called The Von Strucker Gambit. It crossed over with the 1991 Captain America and Daredevil annuals. I don't have the Daredevil Annual for that year, but I do have the 1991 Captain America annual, thanks to my owning the Epic Collection Streets of Poison.
Comic book companies don't really do Annual issues much anymore, due to the speculator collapse. They do them on occasion, but hardly yearly.
First, the cover. The cover doesn't tie into any of the stories inside the comic, it just shows Captain America, Daredevil, and Punisher posing. However, there is one thing on the cover I do find a little clever: The captions. The captions do hint at the order of the stories, starting in the Daredevil Annual, continuing in the Punisher Annual, and concluding in the Captain America Annual.
Since this is an Annual, there are multiple stories, but the bulk of this review will concentrate on the main story. I will talk about the other stories, though.
The first story is a retelling of Punisher's origin tale, by Mike Baron and featuring art by Tom Morgan, does its job. It's a simple couple-page retelling of the Punisher's origin, and the art also does its job. Not much else to say about it, really. On to the main story! And please forgive the quality of the scans. I'm using a scanner app on my iPad on a over twenty-year-old comic book.
"The Cutting Edge"
Writers: Greg Wright, Dan Chichester
Penciler: John Hebert
Inkers: Jimmy Palmiotti, Don Hudson, Jim Reddington
Letterer: Jade Moede
Colorists: Greg Wright, Ed Lazellari, Sarra Mossoff
This story is...okay. It's not a classic, iconic Punisher story. It's the story of a disgraced Yakuza boss who seeks to take over the entire heroin trade of New York City so he can show his bosses in Tokyo that he is not a failure.
The boss, Nori Okun, has a bit of a secret weapon in taking over the trade: a superpowered enforcer...who is awesome. I love this guy. If I ever get to write a story for Marvel, I will use this guy. He is called...Guillotine.
He is really cool. I love this guy. He can sprout blades from his body, he looks like an evil Beldar Conehead, and he calls his boss "Mr. O." He is awesome.
Guillotine slaughters the rival gangsters for Okun. Meanwhile, two Hydra assassins known as Takimoto and Dakini are tracking Guillotine, revealing he is an escaped Hydra experiment like two others they were huntering, which led to a previous encounter with Daredevil.
Takimoto, who looks like he could be the evil relative of the GI Joe Quick-Kick...
...yeah. Anyway, he suggests the two work together to find the other experiments, especially with SHIELD looking for them. Dakini decides to instead track down one on her own, which I think will lead up to the Captain America annual.
Meanwhile, we cut to the Punisher, who is doing what he does best: making criminals' lives miserable and short, while wrecking everything in the process.
Frank continues to be the Implacable Man, the criminal he's chasing trying to shoot the big skull on his costume. Frank explains the costume's skull is a bit of psychology usage, tricking crooks into shooting that instead of his unprotected head.
Frank pins the crook to the table with a pair of big knives, and demands to know who is in charge of the heroin coming into the streets. Frank explains that the morgue has been filling up with corpses of the previous distributors, but the hustler is defiant, saying he'll die whether he talks or not.
Frank explains that he's going to burn the place down, and offers to give the crook a mercy bullet. The crook explains the he only knows the next step up, a hotel called the Sloat Plaza. Satisfied with the info he has, Frank reassures the thug that he is a man of his word, and administers his mercy bullet.
Page 14, Panels 4-7
The Punisher makes his way into the hotel, somehow avoiding any security systems this place may have. He decides to burst into a room with his gun a-blazin', because how cool is that entrance? When he discovers his targets are already dead. And their killer is chillin' relaxin' all cool at the table.
Takimoto killed those men because he wanted to show the Punisher they were on the same side. He explains that all the deaths Frank is investigating are caused by Guillotine. How did he know Frank was looking into those deaths? I guess it could be surmised that Frank had a well-known rep by that point. Other superheroes certainly were aware of him. Anyway, Quick-Kick, I mean, Takimoto explains that he is after Guillotine, too. He offers an alliance, stating that working together, the two men could find Guillotine much faster, and prevent more bloodshed. Frank explains that he's only after justice, not bloodshed for its own sake. But then, Nick Fury shows up. Alongside Alexander Pierce and some other guy.
Fury explains that Takimoto is a HYDRA man, and has managed to somehow kill 1500 SHIELD agents...SHIELD has a lot of people.
Meanwhile, back in a warehouse, Okun is berating Guillotine for messing with his heroin business behind his back, and Beldar Conehead, I mean, Guillotine, is telling him he needs to switch to decaf.
Not finding Guillotine funny, which shows that Okun has no sense of humor, nor any appreciation for Guillotine's awesomeness, orders his men to kill him. However, in a twist, Okun's men all side with Guillotine! Guillotine slashes off a bunch of his remaining fingers, and his new men all kill him, Guillotine explaining that he offered the men a bigger piece of the pie, as it were.
Back with Frank, SHIELD explains they were tracking Takimoto thanks to a bug in his neck, and want to know who is running HYDRA now. Takimoto doesn't answer, and he and Punisher make their escape.
Guillotine and his men are loading a chopper, ready to deliver some heroin to a customer, when Punsher's Battle Van drives up, but his men manage to destroy it. However, it's a trick! Frank and Taki used it to distract Guillotine and his men, and they make their ambush!
The two split up, Punisher going after Guillotine himself, and Takimoto taking on the other men. Guillotine makes an offer to Frank to join him, but the Punisher can't be bought. Frank tries to blast Guillotine, but further showing how awesome he is, goes Wonder Woman on Frank's bullets, showing how fast he is, and how strong his blades are.
Guillotine tries to finish Frank off, after cutting up his guns, and slashing open his chest (His Kevlar saves him, but he is still wounded), Takimoto attacks Guillotine. Taki is DESTROYED by Guillotine, though.
With his dying words, Takimoto explains that he is a man of his word, much like the Punisher himself. He also admits he is a HYDRA agent, and tries to explain that Frank was being tested, but he dies before he can say what the test was for. I want to say it was potential recruitment for HYDRA, but you'd think they'd know that Frank Castle can't be bought at this point.
Frank vows to make Guillotine pay for Takimoto's death. He notices that Guillotine is trying to get away by helicopter, so Frank does a Tarzan homage by swinging onto the helicopter's struts by crane.
Despite being injured, Frank hangs on to the helicopter, determined to get his hands on Guillotine. The ex-HYDRA agent climbs out (being careful to engage the autopilot), and tells Frank they an make a deal. But Frank doesn't make deals with criminals, and the two have their final battle on the helicopter's landing struts.
Guillotine tries to slash at Frank, but Frank is able to trick him into slicing his own arm off, which makes me wonder. You'd think HYDRA's genetic manipulation of the man would allow him to sprout blades from his body, but also make him be unable to be cut by those same blades. Ah well, comics.
Guillotine hits the water hard, and doesn't come back up. Punisher is satisfied, thinking he is dead. Fury tries to find him, but is unaware that HYDRA has rescued Guillotine.
He finds himself in front of Baron Von Strucker himself, who compliments Guillotine on his escape and his taking over a large area of the drug trade in New York, and is confident he can do it again for HYDRA. Guillotine is left to sulk about the whole thing.
The big strength of this story? Well, there's Guillotine, and the fact is the Punisher is in his element: dealing with the gangster scum of New York City. Honestly, I love Guillotine. He's someone I want to see brought back. He's got a recognizable look, and his powers are cool. He survived Frank Castle, his blades can do the Wonder Woman deflecting bullets thing, I want to see this guy fight Spider-Man or Daredevil one day. And I want him to get a new bionic arm that can sprout blades and spin around like a drill. That would be so cool. If I ever got to write for Marvel, I will bring this guy back.
The one major weakness for this story is that I feel the Von Strucker storyline kind of feels tacked on to me. Guillotine could've just been an independent guy doing his own thing. On the other hand, the tie-in to a HYDRA storyline does allow it some significance beyond it being just a typical Punisher tale. The art is serviceable and does its job. It's perfectly fine.
There are two other stories in this annual that I may look at in closer detail in the future. One is "Fat Farm", a story focusing on the original Microchip, Linus Lieberman Sr. In an attempt to get his weight under control, Linus goes to a weight loss clinic but stumbles into a drug-smuggling operation. It's a bit of a lighter story by Mike Baron with art by Tom Morgan. It's a neat little story, Morgan's art being slightly cartoonier for the story, which I think fits.
The last story is called "A Public Service Message, written by George Caragonne and drawn by Mike Harris. It's what the title says, a Punisher-style PSA. Basically, Frank Castle illustrates the importance of buckling up...by causing a car accident that makes a criminal fly through the windshield. Nothing worth taking about much, really.
It's not a critical Punisher story, but it's not a really bad story, if you can get past the Hydra parts. If you can find the Annual for cheap, pick it up. I got it for a dollar at an antique fair, so money well spent. Guillotine was a pretty cool supervillain, though. I'd love to see someone like Al Ewing bring him back for a story.
The Punisher Annual #4...is...not what I'd consider one of his classic tales. It's no Circle of Blood or Welcome Back, Frank.
I will admit, though, I don't think the main story of the Annual is actually that bad, to be honest. It's just...it's part of a multi-annual story. Back in the 1980s, Marvel would use their Annual issues of their comics to tell a big-time story, like Atlantis Attacks, or The Evolutionary War. However, as Marvel transitioned into the 1990s, they started taking a different approach.
They would tell stories using two or three annuals instead of one big story using all the titles' annual issues. Stories such as Lifeform, Kings of Pain, and The System Bytes came from this. This Annual was part of a three-Annual story called The Von Strucker Gambit. It crossed over with the 1991 Captain America and Daredevil annuals. I don't have the Daredevil Annual for that year, but I do have the 1991 Captain America annual, thanks to my owning the Epic Collection Streets of Poison.
Comic book companies don't really do Annual issues much anymore, due to the speculator collapse. They do them on occasion, but hardly yearly.
First, the cover. The cover doesn't tie into any of the stories inside the comic, it just shows Captain America, Daredevil, and Punisher posing. However, there is one thing on the cover I do find a little clever: The captions. The captions do hint at the order of the stories, starting in the Daredevil Annual, continuing in the Punisher Annual, and concluding in the Captain America Annual.
Since this is an Annual, there are multiple stories, but the bulk of this review will concentrate on the main story. I will talk about the other stories, though.
The first story is a retelling of Punisher's origin tale, by Mike Baron and featuring art by Tom Morgan, does its job. It's a simple couple-page retelling of the Punisher's origin, and the art also does its job. Not much else to say about it, really. On to the main story! And please forgive the quality of the scans. I'm using a scanner app on my iPad on a over twenty-year-old comic book.
"The Cutting Edge"
Writers: Greg Wright, Dan Chichester
Penciler: John Hebert
Inkers: Jimmy Palmiotti, Don Hudson, Jim Reddington
Letterer: Jade Moede
Colorists: Greg Wright, Ed Lazellari, Sarra Mossoff
This story is...okay. It's not a classic, iconic Punisher story. It's the story of a disgraced Yakuza boss who seeks to take over the entire heroin trade of New York City so he can show his bosses in Tokyo that he is not a failure.
The boss, Nori Okun, has a bit of a secret weapon in taking over the trade: a superpowered enforcer...who is awesome. I love this guy. If I ever get to write a story for Marvel, I will use this guy. He is called...Guillotine.
 |
| "Surprise, Mothertruckers!" |
 |
| "Gonna take the boys out drinking to celebrate, Mr. O!" |
 |
| "Are you pondering what I'm pondering, Dakini?" "I think so, Takimoto. But where are we going to find 50 pigs for Von Strucker's birthday celebration to slaughter in the Arctic?" |
...yeah. Anyway, he suggests the two work together to find the other experiments, especially with SHIELD looking for them. Dakini decides to instead track down one on her own, which I think will lead up to the Captain America annual.
Meanwhile, we cut to the Punisher, who is doing what he does best: making criminals' lives miserable and short, while wrecking everything in the process.
 |
"You maniac! You blew it up! Damn you! Damn you all to hell!" |
 |
| Frank's skull symbol really hates him because he makes it take all the bullets for him. |
Frank explains that he's going to burn the place down, and offers to give the crook a mercy bullet. The crook explains the he only knows the next step up, a hotel called the Sloat Plaza. Satisfied with the info he has, Frank reassures the thug that he is a man of his word, and administers his mercy bullet.
Page 14, Panels 4-7
The Punisher makes his way into the hotel, somehow avoiding any security systems this place may have. He decides to burst into a room with his gun a-blazin', because how cool is that entrance? When he discovers his targets are already dead. And their killer is chillin' relaxin' all cool at the table.
 |
| "Nyeaaaah, what's up Frank?" |
Fury explains that Takimoto is a HYDRA man, and has managed to somehow kill 1500 SHIELD agents...SHIELD has a lot of people.
 |
| "Hey, Frank! What do you think of our new funny-looking guns?" |
 |
| "Remember what the doctor said, Mr. O? All that Jolt Cola is going to destroy your heart. Also, I came from France. To KILL YOU." |
 |
| "Nori Okun, YOUUUUUUUU'RE FIRRRRRED!" |
 |
| "Aw, crud! I forgot I can't fly!" |
 |
| "WOLVERINES!" |
 |
| "Why do I hear bongos and trumpets and a choir singing about Wonder Woman?" |
 |
| "Slice and dice! Slice and Dice!" |
Frank vows to make Guillotine pay for Takimoto's death. He notices that Guillotine is trying to get away by helicopter, so Frank does a Tarzan homage by swinging onto the helicopter's struts by crane.
 |
| "Obligatory Tarzan. Airwolf." |
Guillotine tries to slash at Frank, but Frank is able to trick him into slicing his own arm off, which makes me wonder. You'd think HYDRA's genetic manipulation of the man would allow him to sprout blades from his body, but also make him be unable to be cut by those same blades. Ah well, comics.
 |
| "WHY CAN I BE CUT BY MY OWN BLAAAAAAAADES?!" |
He finds himself in front of Baron Von Strucker himself, who compliments Guillotine on his escape and his taking over a large area of the drug trade in New York, and is confident he can do it again for HYDRA. Guillotine is left to sulk about the whole thing.
 |
| "Say Baron, what'll we do tonight? Same thing we do every night, Guillotine. Try to take over the world!" |
The one major weakness for this story is that I feel the Von Strucker storyline kind of feels tacked on to me. Guillotine could've just been an independent guy doing his own thing. On the other hand, the tie-in to a HYDRA storyline does allow it some significance beyond it being just a typical Punisher tale. The art is serviceable and does its job. It's perfectly fine.
There are two other stories in this annual that I may look at in closer detail in the future. One is "Fat Farm", a story focusing on the original Microchip, Linus Lieberman Sr. In an attempt to get his weight under control, Linus goes to a weight loss clinic but stumbles into a drug-smuggling operation. It's a bit of a lighter story by Mike Baron with art by Tom Morgan. It's a neat little story, Morgan's art being slightly cartoonier for the story, which I think fits.
The last story is called "A Public Service Message, written by George Caragonne and drawn by Mike Harris. It's what the title says, a Punisher-style PSA. Basically, Frank Castle illustrates the importance of buckling up...by causing a car accident that makes a criminal fly through the windshield. Nothing worth taking about much, really.
It's not a critical Punisher story, but it's not a really bad story, if you can get past the Hydra parts. If you can find the Annual for cheap, pick it up. I got it for a dollar at an antique fair, so money well spent. Guillotine was a pretty cool supervillain, though. I'd love to see someone like Al Ewing bring him back for a story.
Saturday, November 14, 2015
Cloud Strife Storms into Smash!
Recently, Nintendo has shown off a trailer, revealing that yet another new fighter is joining the wonderous world of Smash Bros. Who could it be? We've seen Roy from the Fire Emblem series return from Melee, and Lucas from the Mother series make his return from Brawl, and we even have seen Ryu from the Street Fighter series make his debut. So, who would come to Smash...
Yes, Cloud Strife! Cloud Strife, one of the protagonists from Final Fantasy VII, is coming to Smash, and he's bringing his Buster Sword to raise some hell, and he even has brought a stage with him. I'm assuming that's Midgar, and you can even bring in summons from the game to mess with the stage.
I thought this was quite a surprise, and it was pretty cool, too. I admit, I never played Final Fantasy VII (Pokémon was the series that got me into RPGs), but I am aware that it was the game that made RPGs popular in America.
I have heard complaints about Cloud being in the game, because he was another swordsman, and also because his debut game was never released on a Nintendo console. He has appeared in games that have been on Nintendo products since then, though. Like the Kingdom Hearts series. However, I do get why he was included, when you think about it.
Final Fantasy VII is one of the most iconic games in the series, and Cloud himself is one of the protagonists in the game. FFVII was the game that made RPGs popular in America. And Cloud himself has become one of the most iconic protagonists in the series. Why not use one of the most memorable characters from one of the most popular and successful games in the series to represent it?
Also, on a personal note, I honestly think Sakurai just wanted to break the Internet again.
Sakurai: Hey guys, remember when we broke the Internet by including Mega Man?
Programmers: Yeah...
Sakurai: Well, I want to do it again, only a thousand times bigger.
Programmer: Well, there was the Smash Ballot...
Sakurai: This is outside the Ballot! We'll still do the Ballot! I'm thinking...Cloud Strife.
Programmer: Wait, Cloud?! Sakurai, you're insane. Cloud first appeared on the PlayStation! And...I don't think the Internet will be able to handle the fan reaction!
Sakurai: Trust me, fellas. They will love it. Call Square-Enix.
The addition of Cloud has shown me one thing: the Smash series really has grown beyond its roots. When it started, it was a fun fighting game featuring Nintendo characters and paying homage to the company's history. But over the years, we've seen the series grow and include characters like Sonic and Pac-Man. To me, the Smash Bros. series has become almost a tribute to video game history in general. Many of the greatest video game series ever have either been created by Nintendo or appeared on Nintendo consoles, so it's neat that Final Fantasy is getting love, too.
Hmm, with Cloud, maybe Tifa and Barrett could join in, too. Think about it. They fit the three main categories of fighters in Smash. Cloud is the swordsman, Tifa is a brawler, and Barrett is a gunner. That would be cool. And many series have more than one fighter in Smash, so why not Final Fantasy, too?
Now hopefully, Simon Belmont is one of the winning characters in the Smash Ballot. As well as Solid Snake, too. I would love to play as Snake again, and I would love it if Konami also let Smash give Castlevania some love.
Yes, Cloud Strife! Cloud Strife, one of the protagonists from Final Fantasy VII, is coming to Smash, and he's bringing his Buster Sword to raise some hell, and he even has brought a stage with him. I'm assuming that's Midgar, and you can even bring in summons from the game to mess with the stage.
I thought this was quite a surprise, and it was pretty cool, too. I admit, I never played Final Fantasy VII (Pokémon was the series that got me into RPGs), but I am aware that it was the game that made RPGs popular in America.
I have heard complaints about Cloud being in the game, because he was another swordsman, and also because his debut game was never released on a Nintendo console. He has appeared in games that have been on Nintendo products since then, though. Like the Kingdom Hearts series. However, I do get why he was included, when you think about it.
Final Fantasy VII is one of the most iconic games in the series, and Cloud himself is one of the protagonists in the game. FFVII was the game that made RPGs popular in America. And Cloud himself has become one of the most iconic protagonists in the series. Why not use one of the most memorable characters from one of the most popular and successful games in the series to represent it?
Also, on a personal note, I honestly think Sakurai just wanted to break the Internet again.
Sakurai: Hey guys, remember when we broke the Internet by including Mega Man?
Programmers: Yeah...
Sakurai: Well, I want to do it again, only a thousand times bigger.
Programmer: Well, there was the Smash Ballot...
Sakurai: This is outside the Ballot! We'll still do the Ballot! I'm thinking...Cloud Strife.
Programmer: Wait, Cloud?! Sakurai, you're insane. Cloud first appeared on the PlayStation! And...I don't think the Internet will be able to handle the fan reaction!
Sakurai: Trust me, fellas. They will love it. Call Square-Enix.
The addition of Cloud has shown me one thing: the Smash series really has grown beyond its roots. When it started, it was a fun fighting game featuring Nintendo characters and paying homage to the company's history. But over the years, we've seen the series grow and include characters like Sonic and Pac-Man. To me, the Smash Bros. series has become almost a tribute to video game history in general. Many of the greatest video game series ever have either been created by Nintendo or appeared on Nintendo consoles, so it's neat that Final Fantasy is getting love, too.
Hmm, with Cloud, maybe Tifa and Barrett could join in, too. Think about it. They fit the three main categories of fighters in Smash. Cloud is the swordsman, Tifa is a brawler, and Barrett is a gunner. That would be cool. And many series have more than one fighter in Smash, so why not Final Fantasy, too?
Now hopefully, Simon Belmont is one of the winning characters in the Smash Ballot. As well as Solid Snake, too. I would love to play as Snake again, and I would love it if Konami also let Smash give Castlevania some love.
Friday, November 6, 2015
New Star Trek series is coming!
I love Star Trek. Ever since I was a kid, I was a Trekkie. I watched the Next Generation as a kid with my dad, loved Deep Space Nine, watched Voyager, but never really caught Enterprise.
However, the main expression of my fandom was the movies. I loved the original Star Trek movies with the original cast, especially Wrath of Khan. I even bought the novelization when I encountered a copy at a local consignment store. Still haven't gotten around to reading it, though.
Anyway, it had been far too long since Star Trek graced our televisions, literally over ten years. Sure, the older series get reruns, but it has been too long since we've seen new adventures on the small screen.
In 2017, that will change. CBS is going to bring Star Trek back to television.
When I first heard this, I was psyched. Yes, the series wouldn't focus on the Enterprise crew, but hey it would be a great way to expand the new Star Trek timeline established by the reboot film. And hey, if the characters and stories were good, people will like it.
However, then came the kick in the head. It was announced that it would exclusively appear on CBS All-Access, CBS's own video-on-demand service.
That made my jaw drop. You're going to launch the series on TV...but you're doing the rest of it on your VOD SERVICE?!
I get it. I do get it. Binge-watching and video-on-demand is the thing. Heck, I have Netflix, and I do watch things on it quite a bit. Been enjoying Daredevil on it lately, actually. But there are still a lot of people watching regular TV. Wouldn't it have made more sense for them to broadcast it on TV, and then put it on their own VOD service? Or even put it on one of the bigger VODs like Netflix or Hulu?
Oh, well. Hopefully, as time goes on, we'll learn more about this new series and its characters. All I can say about it right now is that I am happy it's coming back to the small screen...in some form.
However, the main expression of my fandom was the movies. I loved the original Star Trek movies with the original cast, especially Wrath of Khan. I even bought the novelization when I encountered a copy at a local consignment store. Still haven't gotten around to reading it, though.
Anyway, it had been far too long since Star Trek graced our televisions, literally over ten years. Sure, the older series get reruns, but it has been too long since we've seen new adventures on the small screen.
In 2017, that will change. CBS is going to bring Star Trek back to television.
When I first heard this, I was psyched. Yes, the series wouldn't focus on the Enterprise crew, but hey it would be a great way to expand the new Star Trek timeline established by the reboot film. And hey, if the characters and stories were good, people will like it.
However, then came the kick in the head. It was announced that it would exclusively appear on CBS All-Access, CBS's own video-on-demand service.
That made my jaw drop. You're going to launch the series on TV...but you're doing the rest of it on your VOD SERVICE?!
I get it. I do get it. Binge-watching and video-on-demand is the thing. Heck, I have Netflix, and I do watch things on it quite a bit. Been enjoying Daredevil on it lately, actually. But there are still a lot of people watching regular TV. Wouldn't it have made more sense for them to broadcast it on TV, and then put it on their own VOD service? Or even put it on one of the bigger VODs like Netflix or Hulu?
Oh, well. Hopefully, as time goes on, we'll learn more about this new series and its characters. All I can say about it right now is that I am happy it's coming back to the small screen...in some form.
Sunday, November 1, 2015
November is here!
Man, I can't believe it's November already! The temperature is cooling, the leaves are changing color are falling off, and Thanksgiving is coming.
I just wish that they didn't start selling Christmas stuff already. It's almost like they have forgotten there was another holiday between Halloween and Christmas. Sheesh.
I just wish that they didn't start selling Christmas stuff already. It's almost like they have forgotten there was another holiday between Halloween and Christmas. Sheesh.
Saturday, October 31, 2015
Happy Halloween!
Happy Halloween, everyone! Hope you got lots of treats and few tricks, and you got to wear your favorite costume!
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Star Wars: The Force Awakens Trailer, My Thoughts
Before we begin, I have to make a confession.
As a kid, I was always more of a fan of Star Trek than I was of Star Wars. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the movies. Yes, including the prequels. Maybe someday I'll give my own thoughts on them. I also admit I enjoyed playing some of the games. I've never read a Star Wars novel. But I have read several Star Trek novels.
For some reason, the Star Wars universe never captured my imagination like the Star Trek world did. I never could explain or understand why. Despite this, I found myself being very interested in a new trailer that just dropped.
I have to admit, I do want to see this movie. This trailer was a blast to watch. This film felt like Star Wars...on steroids.
My favorite bits of the trailer were seeing the battles between the X-Wings and the TIE fighters (loving the look of those ships, by the way). I imagine this must've been what George Lucas saw in his mind's eye when he was creating this universe all the way back in the 1970s. It's amazing.
It was also neat seeing Han, Leia, and Chewbacca back. Never thought I'd see them in a new Star Wars movie. Although I can't help but wonder where Luke is. I have heard various theories, but I guess we'll know for sure when the movie finally hits this Christmas.
Based on what this trailer shows, the Empire is making a comeback. I'm guessing they'll be back leaner and meaner than ever, which may lead to some epic dogfights and laser fights. The villain, whom I understand is called Kylo Ren, is going to finish what Vader started. The Jedi purge, maybe?
Based on the title of the film, the Force is making a comeback, so the Jedi will also be returning to sling some lightsabers. Maybe Ren wants to prevent a new Jedi Order from rising. Hmm...Lot to think about with this trailer.
So much awesome stuff in this trailer, the villain standing with troopers in the rain, a faceoff, dogfights, I can't wait to see this movie! This is going to be a blast! It'll likely be a little bit after Christmas, so as to get a good seat.
As a kid, I was always more of a fan of Star Trek than I was of Star Wars. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the movies. Yes, including the prequels. Maybe someday I'll give my own thoughts on them. I also admit I enjoyed playing some of the games. I've never read a Star Wars novel. But I have read several Star Trek novels.
For some reason, the Star Wars universe never captured my imagination like the Star Trek world did. I never could explain or understand why. Despite this, I found myself being very interested in a new trailer that just dropped.
I have to admit, I do want to see this movie. This trailer was a blast to watch. This film felt like Star Wars...on steroids.
My favorite bits of the trailer were seeing the battles between the X-Wings and the TIE fighters (loving the look of those ships, by the way). I imagine this must've been what George Lucas saw in his mind's eye when he was creating this universe all the way back in the 1970s. It's amazing.
It was also neat seeing Han, Leia, and Chewbacca back. Never thought I'd see them in a new Star Wars movie. Although I can't help but wonder where Luke is. I have heard various theories, but I guess we'll know for sure when the movie finally hits this Christmas.
Based on what this trailer shows, the Empire is making a comeback. I'm guessing they'll be back leaner and meaner than ever, which may lead to some epic dogfights and laser fights. The villain, whom I understand is called Kylo Ren, is going to finish what Vader started. The Jedi purge, maybe?
Based on the title of the film, the Force is making a comeback, so the Jedi will also be returning to sling some lightsabers. Maybe Ren wants to prevent a new Jedi Order from rising. Hmm...Lot to think about with this trailer.
So much awesome stuff in this trailer, the villain standing with troopers in the rain, a faceoff, dogfights, I can't wait to see this movie! This is going to be a blast! It'll likely be a little bit after Christmas, so as to get a good seat.
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Happy Back to the Future Day!
 |
| Time circuits on... |
Yup! It's Back to the Future Day! A day of celebration for BTTF fans, and fans of pop culture in general. The time-jumping saga is on the mind of every film buff and pop-culture geek today!
In Back to the Future Part II, Marty McFly, Jennifer Parker, and Emmett Brown travel to the year 2015, in an attempt to prevent Marty and Jennifer's future son, Marty Jr., from getting involved with a criminal gang and ruining his life. Mayhem ensues.
The 2015 in that film was portrayed as almost like a colorful wonderland, with flying clouds racing across the skies, Pepsi provided in odd bottles, self-lacing shoes, the Cubs winning the World Series, and perhaps the coolest thing to ever be seen in that possible future: The hoverboard.
Fans of the films have watched and noted over the years how the world has changed, observing how the real life 2015 has come to resemble the film 2015. In many ways, it has been similar, but very different. The film predicted the idea of real-life video conferencing thanks to things like Skype. Flat-screen TVs with high-definition picture are now a part of many homes. Florida has baseball teams. And it even looks like the Cubs may clinch the World Series this year. Life imitates art, indeed.
Sadly, life hasn't managed to pull off the perfect imitation of art. I have never seen a real-life Café 80s. The hoverboard has become a reality, but nothing like the pink Mattel toy that Marty uses to escape Griff's gang. However, forces have seemingly come together to help life imitate the art a little more.
Nike has created a limited run of shoes based on the Nike MAGs that Marty wore in the films, auctioning them off to raise money for the Michael J. Fox Foundation, which is dedicated to Parkinson's research. The shoes had lights, but no power-lacing feature. They are working on a version that fixes that little issue.
Pepsi is also releasing a limited run of bottles based on the Pepsi Perfect bottle Marty tries to use early in the film.
For me, Back to the Future Day is an exciting day, and I just might get me a Pepsi Perfect to celebrate (And I'm not a Pepsi guy!). As much as real life has imitated the fictional 2015 of the film, I do hope one thing from that film never comes to life: Bionically-enhanced street punks.
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| "Hoverboards don't work on water!" "Unless you got POWER!" |
Saturday, October 17, 2015
Ratchet and Clank, the Movie
One of the video game series I was a big fan of was the Ratchet and Clank series. The cool weapons, the bright, colorful, and varied worlds, the cool weapons, the humor...the cool weapons. Yeah, humor and cool weapons. The games were a lot of fun to play. Then, I learned about this.
Yup. Of all things, the Ratchet and Clank game series is getting a film. It also has a trailer, which is how I honestly learned of the movie.
At first sight, I was very impressed with the animation. It looked like it came straight out of the games, which is not surprising as Insomniac Games helped with the production. It brought back memories of playing Going Commando, Up Your Arsenal and Deadlocked on my PS2. They were among my favorite games on that console. I was never a big Sony guy, I don't own a PS3 or PS4, but I enjoyed the Ratchet and Clank series.
Based on what I can find out, the film looks to be a retelling of the first game, with some elements of the other games. I recognized Dr. Nefarious from Up Your Arsenal, for example.
It also has quite the cast. John Goodman, Paul Giamatti, Rosario Dawson, and...Sylvester Stallone. Yup. Sly Stallone. The man who brought Rocky Balboa to life is one of the voice actors in this movie. That is awesome.
I have to admit, the trailer put a smile on my face, and it made me want to dust off my old PS2 (my old blocky one not the sleeker later model), and play the games again for old times' sake. I can't wait to see this movie. Sounds like a lot of fun!
Yup. Of all things, the Ratchet and Clank game series is getting a film. It also has a trailer, which is how I honestly learned of the movie.
At first sight, I was very impressed with the animation. It looked like it came straight out of the games, which is not surprising as Insomniac Games helped with the production. It brought back memories of playing Going Commando, Up Your Arsenal and Deadlocked on my PS2. They were among my favorite games on that console. I was never a big Sony guy, I don't own a PS3 or PS4, but I enjoyed the Ratchet and Clank series.
Based on what I can find out, the film looks to be a retelling of the first game, with some elements of the other games. I recognized Dr. Nefarious from Up Your Arsenal, for example.
It also has quite the cast. John Goodman, Paul Giamatti, Rosario Dawson, and...Sylvester Stallone. Yup. Sly Stallone. The man who brought Rocky Balboa to life is one of the voice actors in this movie. That is awesome.
I have to admit, the trailer put a smile on my face, and it made me want to dust off my old PS2 (my old blocky one not the sleeker later model), and play the games again for old times' sake. I can't wait to see this movie. Sounds like a lot of fun!
Thursday, October 8, 2015
Adventures in Pokemon Y Part 12: Route 7 and the Battle Chateau
Hello, everyone! Sorry I have not been doing any updates on my adventures in Pokémon Y, but my struggles with Snorlax made me give up on the game for a while, life got in the way, and my grandmother sadly passed away.
On the way home from the funeral, during the long car ride, I decided to take a shot at catching Snorlax again, and...
...I did it.
I did it.
I...did...it.
...I DID IT! I FINALLY CAUGHT THAT FREAKIN' SNORLAX!
I tried using Ultra Balls and Luxury Balls, but they failed every single time. A level 14 Snorlax with its life meter in the red, and an Ultra Ball, the second-best Poké Ball in the game, under the MASTER Ball, can't hold it...but a regular Poké Ball can. Unbelievable.
Well, with that big source of stress aside, I can finally go forward with this game. After finally catching the Snorlax, I decided to hit the next Route, Route 7 and see what there is to see there.
The Route revealed some new Pokémon to add to my collection. While there, I also ran into Trevor and Tierno, and they introduced the Pokémon Day Care Center. Yup, this is the place to go when you want to breed some Pokémon. It looks like a friendly little place. The backyard even showed some Pokémon playing in the area's yard. I easily identified a Litleo and a Marrill. Really shows how the series has grown over the years graphically.
Tierno was impressed that I caught a Dunsparce. I can see that. Dunsparce was a nightmare to find.
Anyway, going over the route, I battled a couple trainers (mostly artists), and then found Trevor standing in front of a massive building. According to him, this was the Battle Chateau. The Battle Chateau was a place where Trainers gather to battle each other. I like this idea. If you can battle Trainers over and over, you really do increase the replayability of this game.
The Battle Chateau was a really cool place. When I was there, I encountered Viola. It's neat seeing Gym Leaders after they're beaten. It gives a sense that they're real people and that they're doing other things than just being obstacles or bosses, whatever you wish to call them. She was talking to an older gentleman when she spots me. She asks me what my title is, but then is surprised to learn I don't have one. She also remarks that a Trainer as strong as me doesn't have one.
...She was the first Gym Leader of Kalos. I beat her not with strength, but with smarts. I took advantage of Bug's weakness to Fire to beat her. It's strange that she thinks I'm so strong when I am still working towards getting my second badge.
She explains that titles indicate your strength in the Chateau. Only a small group of Trainers get these titles which allow them to join the nobility. The older gentleman notices I have the Bug Badge, and introduces himself as Hennessy. Viola recommends me to the Chateau and asks Hennessy to grant me a beginner's title. Evidently during our battle for the Bug Badge, Viola saw potential for great strength in me, and thinks I can contribute to the Chateau. Hennessy agrees and grants me the title of Baron.
As a Baron, I can battle other Trainers in the Battle Chateau's nobility. Baron is the lowest rank. I battle here and score victories, I can earn a higher rank. After this, Hennessy leaves. Viola explains she is also a member of the nobility, and she'd love to have a rematch with me.
This is neat. I like the idea of having fun rematches with Gym Leaders you already have beaten, especially if they bring out stronger Pokémon.
A butler there tells me more about the Chateau: A special club I have been made a member of. Trainers battle here for a variety of reasons, and the more I battle here, the more Trainer members I'll meet as my rank grows. Cool! For his trouble, I give the butler a little tip, which he appreciates. Hey, he earned it.
The maid there tells me about writs. Writs are essentially letters I can send to Trainers to invite them to battle. I gave her a tip, too. After healing up my Pokémon, I decided to give the Chateau and fight a trainer or two there. I fought a fellow Baron and got 3000...Pokedollars (What IS the currency of the Pokémon world called, anyway?) Wow. I think I'm going to like the Chateau. I did battle some other Trainers in the Chateau, and I got quite a bit of money already. I am definitely going to like the Chateau.
At the end of the route, I found myself reuniting with Serena again (Where's she been up to since Lumiose City?). Trevor and Tierno also made it, and we decide to hold a double battle: Serena and me vs. Tierno and Trevor.
Tierno has still only got his Corphish. You'd think he'd catch some other Pokémon by this point. Ah, well. Amperage the Pikachu is easily able to take care of him. Trevor's Pikachu also fell to Amperage and Chestnut, and Vulcan dispatched Trevor's Flabebe. although Serena's Fletchling didn't make it through the fight due to Trevor's Pikachu. Serena announces she's heading to Ambrette Town, so I'd better head up there, too.
That was a fun battle! Can't wait to see what awaits next!
Pokémon Obtained:
Breakout - Snorlax (Considering my troubles catching this thing, it was the perfect nickname for him)
Daisy - Ducklett
Beacona - Illumise
Florus - Roselia
Coco - Spritzee
Wildwing - Pidgeotto (Evolved from Pidgey)
Kahlo - Smeargle
Brock - Croagunk
Hershey - Swirlix (Obtained by trade)
Buoy - Volbeat
Flutter - Hoppip
On the way home from the funeral, during the long car ride, I decided to take a shot at catching Snorlax again, and...
...I did it.
I did it.
I...did...it.
...I DID IT! I FINALLY CAUGHT THAT FREAKIN' SNORLAX!
I tried using Ultra Balls and Luxury Balls, but they failed every single time. A level 14 Snorlax with its life meter in the red, and an Ultra Ball, the second-best Poké Ball in the game, under the MASTER Ball, can't hold it...but a regular Poké Ball can. Unbelievable.
Well, with that big source of stress aside, I can finally go forward with this game. After finally catching the Snorlax, I decided to hit the next Route, Route 7 and see what there is to see there.
The Route revealed some new Pokémon to add to my collection. While there, I also ran into Trevor and Tierno, and they introduced the Pokémon Day Care Center. Yup, this is the place to go when you want to breed some Pokémon. It looks like a friendly little place. The backyard even showed some Pokémon playing in the area's yard. I easily identified a Litleo and a Marrill. Really shows how the series has grown over the years graphically.
Tierno was impressed that I caught a Dunsparce. I can see that. Dunsparce was a nightmare to find.
Anyway, going over the route, I battled a couple trainers (mostly artists), and then found Trevor standing in front of a massive building. According to him, this was the Battle Chateau. The Battle Chateau was a place where Trainers gather to battle each other. I like this idea. If you can battle Trainers over and over, you really do increase the replayability of this game.
The Battle Chateau was a really cool place. When I was there, I encountered Viola. It's neat seeing Gym Leaders after they're beaten. It gives a sense that they're real people and that they're doing other things than just being obstacles or bosses, whatever you wish to call them. She was talking to an older gentleman when she spots me. She asks me what my title is, but then is surprised to learn I don't have one. She also remarks that a Trainer as strong as me doesn't have one.
...She was the first Gym Leader of Kalos. I beat her not with strength, but with smarts. I took advantage of Bug's weakness to Fire to beat her. It's strange that she thinks I'm so strong when I am still working towards getting my second badge.
She explains that titles indicate your strength in the Chateau. Only a small group of Trainers get these titles which allow them to join the nobility. The older gentleman notices I have the Bug Badge, and introduces himself as Hennessy. Viola recommends me to the Chateau and asks Hennessy to grant me a beginner's title. Evidently during our battle for the Bug Badge, Viola saw potential for great strength in me, and thinks I can contribute to the Chateau. Hennessy agrees and grants me the title of Baron.
As a Baron, I can battle other Trainers in the Battle Chateau's nobility. Baron is the lowest rank. I battle here and score victories, I can earn a higher rank. After this, Hennessy leaves. Viola explains she is also a member of the nobility, and she'd love to have a rematch with me.
This is neat. I like the idea of having fun rematches with Gym Leaders you already have beaten, especially if they bring out stronger Pokémon.
A butler there tells me more about the Chateau: A special club I have been made a member of. Trainers battle here for a variety of reasons, and the more I battle here, the more Trainer members I'll meet as my rank grows. Cool! For his trouble, I give the butler a little tip, which he appreciates. Hey, he earned it.
The maid there tells me about writs. Writs are essentially letters I can send to Trainers to invite them to battle. I gave her a tip, too. After healing up my Pokémon, I decided to give the Chateau and fight a trainer or two there. I fought a fellow Baron and got 3000...Pokedollars (What IS the currency of the Pokémon world called, anyway?) Wow. I think I'm going to like the Chateau. I did battle some other Trainers in the Chateau, and I got quite a bit of money already. I am definitely going to like the Chateau.
At the end of the route, I found myself reuniting with Serena again (Where's she been up to since Lumiose City?). Trevor and Tierno also made it, and we decide to hold a double battle: Serena and me vs. Tierno and Trevor.
Tierno has still only got his Corphish. You'd think he'd catch some other Pokémon by this point. Ah, well. Amperage the Pikachu is easily able to take care of him. Trevor's Pikachu also fell to Amperage and Chestnut, and Vulcan dispatched Trevor's Flabebe. although Serena's Fletchling didn't make it through the fight due to Trevor's Pikachu. Serena announces she's heading to Ambrette Town, so I'd better head up there, too.
That was a fun battle! Can't wait to see what awaits next!
Pokémon Obtained:
Breakout - Snorlax (Considering my troubles catching this thing, it was the perfect nickname for him)
Daisy - Ducklett
Beacona - Illumise
Florus - Roselia
Coco - Spritzee
Wildwing - Pidgeotto (Evolved from Pidgey)
Kahlo - Smeargle
Brock - Croagunk
Hershey - Swirlix (Obtained by trade)
Buoy - Volbeat
Flutter - Hoppip
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