New Nintendo 2DS XL Reveal Trailer, My Thoughts

Nintendo is at it again! They've released the Nintendo Switch, and now...a new addition to the 3DS portable gaming family. Say hello to the New Nintendo 2DS XL!

First thing is first, what is a New Nintendo 2DS XL? Well, like the original 2DS, it's essentially a New Nintendo 3DS with a slimmer build and lacking the 3D capacity. It's meant to be for those who wanted a New Nintendo 3DS, but were turned off by the price (It was pretty expensive). It's essentially a more affordable model.

As for me, I wanted to get one because I wanted to play Xenoblade Chronicles 3D for it. However, I was turned away by the price. It was REALLY expensive. So, I was forced to wait.

First of all, I love that it folds up, keeps the clamshell design. I own a 2DS, and my only real complaint about it is that it didn't fold up, so I couldn't put it in my pocket and walk around. Keeping the clamshell design was really smart.

The Amiibo functionality didn't really get much out of me. I only have one of them, and I got it because I got a Wii U with Super Mario Maker pre-loaded in it. It's a nice-looking Amiibo though.

I can imagine it would have backwards compatibility with DS games. The original NN3DS has it, so I can't see this version not having that.

I have heard that the original NN3DS had some criticism for the placement of its SD Card slot placement. It would be nice if Nintendo took the opportunity to address those criticisms.

I also have heard some people have said the black-and-blue color scheme makes it look a little ugly. I don't mind it. Besides, probably by the time this thing comes out, there probably will be other color choices.

This thing looks pretty cool. I'll have to save up some money for it.

Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #64 (March 1982)

Cloak and Dagger. Born from the mind of Bill Mantlo and the pencils of Ed Hannigan, the two vigilantes were inspired by a visit Mantlo made to Ellis Island. According to Mantlo himself, they first appeared in his head practically fully formed in his head as he was haunted by the misery and loneliness of the island.

So, who are Cloak and Dagger? Well, you know the Runaways? Cloak and Dagger were the original Runaways, in a sense. A pair of teenagers who fled rough lives. Cloak was once Tyrone "Ty" Johnson, an African-American youth from Boston. Dagger was once Tandy Bowen, a ballet dancer from upper-class roots from Shaker Heights, Ohio. They came to New York, only to run into trouble. They ended up being test subjects for an experimental new drug being developed for the Mob.

The drug ended up giving them strange new powers. Johnson's body was transformed into a living portal into a dimension of endless darkness, and Bowen became a generator of light, which she can throw in the form of small dagger-like projectiles that can paralyze and kill people, and even cure drug addiction. Their new powers came with a caveat, however. Cloak's darkness had a hunger for people's "light", whatever that meant. Dagger's body could only hold so much light before becoming overcharged. Dagger's light powers could relieve Cloak's hunger, as well as keep her from overloading. As a result, the two of them were basically stuck together.

Over the past three decades, Cloak and Dagger have had mini-series, their own series, and many guest appearances in other titles. They've also gone through many a crazy change in their careers, with Cloak losing his powers for a while, Dagger going blind for a while, and even the two of them recently getting their powers switched. Despite this, Cloak and Dagger have maintained a presence in the MU, so much so, they have appeared in cartoons, and are getting a live-action TV series.

The cover is actually pretty neat, it has that Eisner Spirit-esque feel to it, thanks to the words on the buildings. There is one thing about the cover that does bother me, though...but it's not the cover's fault. It's the title of the comic itself. Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man. The title does come off as a bit overly long. And why mention that Peter Parker is Spider-Man here? At the time, he was the only active Spider-Man. This was many years before Miguel O'Hara and Miles Morales came into existence, and shared the Spider-Man identity with Peter.

"Cloak and Dagger"
Writer: Bill Mantlo
Penciller: Ed Hannigan
Inker: Al Milgrom (The issue mistakenly credits Jim Mooney)
Letterer: Joe Rosen
Colorist: Bob Sharen
Editor: Tom DeFalco
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

The story begins with Spider-Man swinging through the city.

He hears a cry for help, and decides to investigate it. He finds a man, who is terrified for his life. Spidey jokes that if the man needs change, he himself is a bit short. The man explains that money's not his problem.

The man's problem is drugs. You see, the man used to be a pharmacist, but he fell into some bad debt. However, he was offered some debt relief by some people performing experiments. What they needed was for him to procure some substances that were...not exactly liked by the law, let's just say. He pleads with Spidey to take him to the District Attorney so he can confess. Spidey's Spider-Sense goes into overdrive, and the man's pursuers make themselves known.

The man, Simon Marshall, tries to flee. Spider-Man tries to protect him, but Cloak traps him in his...well, cloak. The cloak contains an endless dimension of darkness that Spidey can't seem to find a way out of. Worse, it somehow weakens his Spider-Sense. Marshall flees for his life, but Dagger, using some acrobatics, manages to catch up to him. Marshall pleads for his life, even saying he's going to turn himself in, and even apologizes to her. Dagger is hearing none of it.

Her light daggers cause a shock to Marshall's system, and the dying man falls into a pigeon cage. Spider-Man is able to escape Cloak by punching him in his still-solid jaw. Spider-Man discovers Marshall's body, and Dagger states that she did kill him. Yeah, in their early appearances, Cloak and Dagger had no issue using lethal force, especially against people involved in the drug industry.

Spider-Man is furious with them, stating that they had no right to execute Marshall, but Cloak and Dagger thinks otherwise, and Dagger throws her light daggers at Spidey. However, unlike Marshall, Spidey is in better shape, and has spider-like speed and agility.

However, Dagger can mentally control her light projectiles, and as a result, they can follow Spidey around. Spidey is able to neutralize two of them by making them hit a water tower, but he's still got two after him.

Spidey gets ambushed by Cloak, who immobilizes him long enough for Dagger's light daggers to hit him. Spidey's body is wracked by pain, but he sees the two superpowered Punishers. He tries to leap at them, but Cloak wraps Dagger in his namesake, and they vanish. The Webhead is left curled up on the roof in pain, and he is found by a couple of cops.

The cops find the deceased Simon Marshall and want Spidey to come in for questioning. They've been looking for Marshall for some time, and the Wall-Crawler takes his leave, still feeling the effects of Dagger's light projectiles. He's actually so messed up by them, he had to take the subway home.

The next day, Peter Parker goes to the Daily Bugle to find out more information about Simon Marshall, hoping to learn more about Cloak and Dagger. Peter learns that Marshall was developing some new drugs, so new that medical journals didn't know about them. The police discovered him working out of Ellis Island. When they launched a raid on the place, they found bodies.

Marshall had used many young people as test subjects for his new creations. The test subjects were runaways, whom the Mob would meet and make lofty promises to them before taking them to Ellis Island.

Spidey goes down to Ellis Island, wondering about Cloak and Dagger's connection to the place. He wonders if maybe they were hired by the Mob to silence Marshall, or could they have a connection to the lost runaways. Creating a glider out of webs, Spidey floats down to Ellis Island itself.

This is an aspect of Spidey's webbing we hardly ever see nowadays. I love it when Spidey makes things out of webs. Yeah, it doesn't make a ton of sense, but it's still cool. Peter floats down to the island and starts getting a chill down his spine.

These panels are great. You almost get the feeling that Spidey is being haunted by the ghosts of those who came through the island in an attempt to make a new life for themselves in America, and considering this is the Marvel Universe, which houses heroes like Doctor Strange and Blade, who deal with the supernatural...who's to say there aren't any there? Also, considering how Bill Mantlo got inspired to create Cloak and Dagger, I think this scene may have been a nod to the visit that led to their appearing in his head, almost like he is giving thanks to Ellis Island for inspiration.

Spidey's imagination haunting him comes to an end when he hears a scream. The Wall-Crawler follows it and finds that one of the windows in the buildings is lit up. Parker deduces that Cloak and Dagger must be in the area, and he checks his webshooters. Inside the building, Cloak and Dagger have gotten a group of men all rolled up in one room. One of the men, Joey Tartaglione, realizes that the two vigilantes are one of "the kids". But he states that's impossible, because they're all dead.

From here, we get to learn about Cloak and Dagger's origins. Basically, they were a pair of runaways who were used as test subjects for a new drug developed by Simon Marshall.

Is it just me, or does Marshall look different here than earlier in the comic? I'm not sure, the face feels...off. The mob men notice that two of the runaways, despite being injected with the new drug, manage to escape. Marshall's drug killed all the other runaways, so the Mob consider it a bust. Marshall suggests they wash their hands of the whole thing, as the drug will kill the escaped runaways anyway.

Thing is, earlier in the story, Peter found out from the Bugle's researcher that the cops know about the new drug. Which basically means that when they found the runaways' bodies, they were given autopsies, which is how the cops likely discovered it. Marshall couldn't cover it up. It never occurred to the mob to...you know, destroy the bodies somehow?

Anyway, the two survivors didn't only just live, they were changed. Ty Johnson and Tandy Bowen were transformed into Cloak and Dagger. The comics have wavered back and forth over the years on whether the two were mutants whose powers were activated by the drug, or enhanced humans, but it was recently established that they were humans that were enhanced.

Spider-Man bursts in, screaming that if they had told him why they were doing what they were doing, he would have helped them stop the dealers and bring them to justice. Cloak and Dagger are more interested in getting revenge, and Spider tries to convince them to abandon that mission, as it'll make them no better than the drug dealers that killed their fellow runaways. The three scuffle, which allows one of the bound mob men to free himself with a glass shard. The mob man then ambushes Dagger, knocking her out.

He takes her hostage, and the Mob men try to flee. Spider-Man tries to pursue them, but Cloak teleports ahead. He uses his powers to surround the men in darkness, so thick they can barely see each other. Spider-Man comes out of nowhere, and is able to free Dagger unharmed. The Mob men run for it...into Cloak's...well, cloak. The men panic, but find a light and flee towards it.

However, the light was the moon shining through the window. The men fall through it, five stories they plunge, and they splat on the ground.

Cloak and Dagger, satisfied with what they have done, teleport away, leaving the Web-Head alone in the dark building. The Wall-Crawler is left confused, dazzled, and perhaps...a little frightened.

This was a pretty enjoyable comic. We get a good idea of Cloak and Dagger's motivations and origins, which would get expanded further in future appearances and their first mini-series later on. It's a standard revenge story, and Cloak and Dagger do come off as a bit one-dimensional, but the two characters do get expanded further upon, so it's forgivable. If you're a fan of the characters, this comic is a must-get.

If the upcoming TV show has got you interested in the characters, I recommend picking up the trade paperback Shadows and Light. It collects their early appearances, including this comic, and their first mini-series, which did expand further on their origin. They also encounter the likes of the Kingpin, Silvermane, the Punisher, and even the New Mutants.

Next time, in honor of a certain Marvel movie featuring a certain Thunder God, we'll take a look at an issue of Thor...

Marvel vs. Capcom Story Trailer, My Thoughts

Well, a little treat has come today! It's been a while since we heard anything about Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite, the latest in the classic Marvel vs. Capcom series. And the game is going to have a campaign mode! Here's the trailer for it!

The trailer begins with Ultron and Sigma facing off. Ultron states that all organic life must be exterminated. Based on the next combined narration, I think we can guess the plot here: Ultron and Sigma somehow get the Infinity Gems, which causes them to merge into a new form that actually looks pretty cool. I think they intend to use the gems to create a new universe.

We next then see what looks like Asgard, with the combined Ultron/Sigma being sitting on Odin's throne, the Asgardians under his control. They look like they're partially roboticized. I'm guessing Sigma got the tech from Dr. Robotnik/Eggman somehow.

We then see some heroes fighting Ultron drones. There's Strider, the Hulk, Chris Redfield, Thor, Captain America, Mega Man X, the Carol Danvers Captain Marvel, Chun-Li with the kicks, Hawkeye shooting arrows...the bit with Hawkeye shooting arrows at Ultron Sigma has to be a nod to the first Avengers movie, the bit with Hawkeye firing an arrow at Loki during the final battle.

It's neat to see some characters returning from the last game, but I have to admit, I was kind of hoping to see more new characters in this scene. Yeah, Captain Marvel and Mega Man X are new, but I was hoping to see a couple more. I do hope the roster is massive, though. Marvel and Capcom got big character libraries, dig deep, guys! Go big!

There's a nice scene with Rocket and Mega Man X, that gave me a chuckle. I noticed he has his MCU appearance. That actually makes a lot of sense. That's the look the mainstream will be familiar with thanks to the Guardians of the Galaxy movie.

Evidently there's a Deluxe Edition that can be pre-ordered. Comes with six all-new DLC characters, probably three Marvel and three Capcom, and six premium costumes. Maybe they're more...old-school outfits? It says Sigma is featured. Is he one of the six DLC characters, or is he separate? The Deluxe Edition comes with some NICE-looking statues, too.

This game looks like it'll be a LOT of fun! I hope they bring it to the Switch!

Squadron Supreme #4 (December 1985)

Welcome back to Earth-712! That's right, we're now going to take a look at another issue of Squadron Supreme's 1980s mini-series. This month, we'll take a look at issue number four. Dark times are coming ahead for the Squadron Supreme, if they aren't here already. Let's take a look.

Previously on Squadron Supreme: Doctor Spectrum played a bad prank on Power Princess, and got warned he'd get what was coming to him. Arcanna, Amphibian, and Whizzer dealt with an armed insurrection, who acted out of fear of the Squadron's tyranny. Doctor Spectrum went to investigate where the missing Nuke went off to, only to end up battling him after the radioactive young man went insane with rage and grief. During the battle, Doctor Spectrum went to form an energy bubble around Nuke in an attempt to stop him, but accidentally suffocates and kills him.

The cover is definitely an attention-grabber. It depicts Lady Lark sitting limply in a B-Mod machine, and the rest of the Squadron being shocked and horrified about it...except for one. Yeah, the cover does make it slightly obvious who did it. As for why...well, that's what the book will explain.

"Change of Heart"
Writer: Mark Gruenwald
Penciller: Bob Hall
Inker: Sam De La Rosa
Letterer: Janice Chiang
Colorist: Mark Phillips
Editor: Ralph Macchio
Editor-In-Chief: Jim Shooter

This issue begins with a bang.

Yup, Blue Eagle literally crashes a party held by a bunch of gunmen in pink berets...it was 1985, folks. He's got a new suit, a new codename, and a fancy new shield. The Pink Beret Militiamen shoot at Eagle's shield, but it's bulletproof. One of the men notes that Blue Eagle is carrying an odd device, possibly a bomb.

A door blasts open, revealing Lady Lark. The men shoot at her, too, but...

It turns out the lady's packing a personal protective forcefield, generated by a special belt invented by Tom Thumb. You know, I can't help but wonder why he didn't come up with something like this earlier. It would be such a useful tool for a superhero.

Anyway, while Lark is thrashing the men with her sonics, Blue Eagle is placing his gadget on the ground. He gives the signal, and Lady Lark screams into the gadget.

The gadget, the Ultravox Modulator, takes the sounic screams she puts out and turns it into a special tone to stimulate the sleep centers of the men's brains. Lark and Eagle are able to fly out before it could affect them. Eagle has to fetch his shield, and Lark chastises herself for not doing a good job hiding her growing crush on the Blue Eagle. Ooh, superhero soap opera intrigue.

She notices a yellow blur on the ground, and it's the Whizzer, taking care of his share of commandos. Power Princess and Amphibian engage a tank. The tank blasts Princess, but her shield saves her. I think I can assume that Eagle had shield envy. She then tosses her shield and uses it to plug up the tank's cannon. Amphibian is then able to bend the tank's cannon in an angle, rendering it useless. He and Power Princess are then able to flip the tank on its side.

Power Princess and Amphibian then next go to the main armory.

We then next switch to Arcanna and Golden Archer. The two are facing some men on a rooftop. Archer gripes that they're being attacked by men who want to kill them in cold blood, but they can only, in his own words, "send 'em to Dreamland!". Arcanna teases the Archer by stating that he's enjoying the target practice. One of the men has a bazooka, and uses it to shoot them down.

Arcanna is able to save herself with her magic, but barely manages to save Archer. She takes down the men with her magic, and Archer tumbles to the ground. Archer grumbles that Tom Thumb needed to make the forcefields a bit hardier. Can't blame him, you'd think Tom Thumb would think of something like this. Archer notes people are firing on him, but he feels the impacts of the bullets. Fearing that the forcefield is on the fritz, he fires a smoke arrow to cover an escape. He notes his back is hurting, and he will take sick leave after this.

He runs into one of the soldiers, losing his bow in the process. The gunman has the Golden Archer dead to rights, and to Archer's horror, the forcefield belt's completely busted, meaning he's unprotected. The gunman lets rip.

Whizzer to the rescue! Yup, the Whizzer managed to rip the bullets out of the air and the gun out of the soldier's hands. Archer finishes the man with a punch to the jaw. In the base's command center, Power Princess manages to reach the base's commander and tries to get him to order the men to surrender. However, he states that his men will fight to the bitter end, regardless of his order. The rebellion is finally put down by Hyperion himself making a big entrance.

 Hyperion apologizes for the delay, as he was escorting some foreign spyplanes back to their homeland. Power Princess explains that the ringleader, General Chapman, and his men were not too fond of the idea of disarming the military. Yeah, this is an indication of the creeping tyranny the Squadron were putting the country under with their programs. After the Squadron gather up the men's weapons, Whizzer states he wants to visit Dr. Spectrum, and Hyperion gives the okay.

Hyperion and Archer fly off in an air car, and Archer thanks Whizzer for saving his life. The two arrive as at what I think is a factory or a foundry of some kind. There, Dr. Spectrum is using his Power Prism to help melt down the confiscated guns. Archer remarks that Spectrum's powers would have been really helpful in the battle earlier, but Spectrum is still struggling over accidentally killing Nuke, and feels too uncomfortable using his prism for anything beyond minor stuff again. Spectrum and Archer go visit Nuke's grave, and we get a glimpse into Spectrum's origin story.

Appropriate that the Hal Jordan Green Lantern ersatz has a Hal Jordan-esque origin. Before becoming Dr. Spectrum, Joseph "Joe" Ledger was a fearless astronaut, a man who lived for danger and excitement. He never considered something going wrong in his years of fighting super-crime, and Nuke was the first time some died in his attempt to stop them, and it's hit him hard. Archer reassures him that he'll get over this, and wherever Nuke is, he understands and wants him to forgive himself.

Archer tells Spectrum that his brush with death has got him realizing something. He's not going to be around forever, and he has decided to ask his beloved Lady Lark to marry him. Spectrum is overjoyed to hear this, and eagerly accepts Archer's offer to be his best man.

That night, the Squadron holds a meeting. They discuss the gun confiscation programs, stating that the local and state police forces will have more of a problem with giving up the guns than the military. Tom Thumb then reveals a new invention he had been working on.

It's called the Behavior Modification Device, or B-Mod for short. When a person is put under the machine, it alters their brain cells, replacing negative tendencies with positive ones. In a bit of a funny moment, Tom admits he used it on himself to cure his nail-biting habit. Hyperion is happy about this, but Amphibian objects to the device. He's concerned about whether such a device is ethical to use.

Amphibian feels such a device is wrong to use, as it alters a person's mind and a part of who they are. Taking guns is fine to him, as they are chunks of metal designed to only kill. But to him, this is too far. Tom argues that the B-Mod machine doesn't alter the mind, just adds the desire to be a good person to it. Amphibian states that still is altering a person's mind.  Blue Eagle stands by Tom Thumb, stating that to him, a convicted criminal has lost the right to their mind's sanctity.

Amphibian states that the B-Mod could be abused by using it to mess with the minds of people who commit minor crimes like being a litterbug. Arcanna agrees, stating it's unnatural. She also fears these questions surrounding the B-Mod could hurt their credibility. Power Princess argues the B-Mod is a humane way to help the criminals. Spectrum suggests a compromise, making it voluntary and offering immediate parole to those who go under it. Archer stays out of it, his mind consumed by his plans to propose. The Squadron votes, favoring the use of the machine. Amphibian angrily storms off, reconsidering his membership in the Squadron.

Archer then well, proposes to her as he can.

Lady Lark is clearly surprised by this. Archer tells her he didn't expect an immediate answer, and to think about it. Lark decides she has to go, and Archer is overjoyed, shooting some firework arrows into the air to celebrate. Lark passes by Tom Thumb, who is talking about the B-Mod device to Hyperion. Interestingly, Tom remarks that he wished he came up with it a month earlier, as such a device could've saved Nuke. I like to think that Nuke's death was partial inspiration for the B-Mod, perhaps Tom feeling guilty about Nuke's death and wanting to prevent it from happening again.

Lark passes by Blue Eagle and Dr. Spectrum, who are watching TV, and Whizzer, who is talking to his daughter.

Lark finds Arcanna, who was asleep. Lark explains to Arcanna that she's in a bit of a predicament. You see...Lark's kind of moved on from the Golden Archer, as it were. She no longer has the feelings for him that she once had, and his sudden proposal has her flummoxed. Arcanna has a sympathetic ear, advising her that she should tell him how she feels gently, but firmly. Also, not to take too long on it. Lark thanks her for the advice. Arcanna wants to tell her something, but decides it can wait.

Yup, Arcanna's pregnant again! Keep in mind she already had three kids. It's pretty clear that she and her husband Phillip really enjoy their intimate time, and do not believe in birth control.

Lark waits outside, and an overjoyed Archer greets her, awaiting her answer.

Look at this sequence here. You can actually see the Golden Archer going through the shock and heartbreak of his proposal being turned down. Lark says her piece, and Archer...he takes it well.

We do see Lark and Eagle working together a couple times in the series, and based on the timeframes these issues cover, it can be implied the two of them have worked together quite a bit over the past couple of months. It was hinted earlier that Lark may be developing feelings for Eagle, so that would also further explain why she turned down Archer's proposal.

A saddened Lark goes back into the headquarters, and a heartbroken and enraged Archer breaks his bow. Spectrum notices Archer marching angrily into the HQ. Archer is convinced that Lark has been seeing Blue Eagle (We had seen them work together previously in Issue #2, and considering the length of time these issues cover, we can assume they have spent quite a bit of time together), and he wants to give Eagle a jaw adjustment. You know, back in the day with the JLA, Green Arrow and Hawkman didn't get along very well, either.

Spectrum tries to convince Archer that punching Eagle won't help, and they should go for a walk together and talk it out. Spectrum tell him that if he wants to hit someone so bad, Archer can punch him, as he won't fight back. Archer initially agrees, but stops himself. He doesn't want to punch his friend, as Spectrum didn't deserve it, and he's just letting his anger overcome him. Spectrum takes Archer out for a walk so Archer can talk and vent.

A couple hours later, Archer thanks Spectrum for letting him vent and talking to him about it. Spectrum plans to turn in for the night, as they have an early morning coming. Archer says he just has to get something to eat. But filling an empty stomach is not something he has in mind.

Instead, he goes to Tom Thumb's lab, curious about how the B-Mod machine works.

Yup, nothing good is going to come of this. Anyway, Archer waits until the rest of the Squadron are asleep, and then goes to visit Lady Lark while she is slumbering. He cracks a capsule open, which contains a gas that keeps her in dreamland. Archer then takes Lark to Thumb's B-Mod machine, and...

Yup. Golden Archer uses the B-Mod to make Lady Lark fall in love with him again. He justifies it as since their love in the past was a good thing, there's nothing wrong with bringing it back. Yup, this is something that Amphibian and Arcanna feared. The next morning, a bouncy and bushy-tailed Lady Lark runs up to Archer and gives him a big ol' kiss.

I love the details in this panel. Spectrum is...happy? Arcanna is shocked, and Blue Eagle is suspicious.

This issue was really good. The B-Mod machine and Archer's actions really show the problems with the Squadron taking over the world like this, the misusing of the power that the Squadron has in their hands. It always starts off rather small. The B-Mod device grants extraordinary power, and in this series, it was only a matter of time before it got misused. I'm sure some would wonder why Tom Thumb didn't put in better security in case of something like this, but I like to think it was because he probably never imagined a fellow Squadron member would use his invention in such a terrible manner.

Bob Hall really has upped his art game for this issue, and I do kind of wish his art looked like this throughout his whole run on the series.

Next time, I originally intended to look at an underrated Captain America story, but since their TV show trailer has dropped, I decided instead we should look at the first appearance of Cloak and Dagger...

Cloak and Dagger Trailer, My Thoughts

It has been known for a while that a television series based on the adventures of Marvel's original Runaways, Cloak and Dagger, was in the works. And in a pleasant surprise, a trailer has been revealed. And here it is!

The trailer begins with a pair of people running, only to encounter a pair of cops. A brief shot of a young boy in a black hoodie, which then transitions to a young man looking at his face. I think this young man is our Tyrone Johnson.

Then there's a ship, I think. A truck, and then a shot of a young girl in ballet class. I think this is our Tandy Bowen.

Based on what we see in these shots, I'm guessing that Tyrone rescues Tandy from drowning in a car, and they probably start their friendship then, or maybe it's just the first time they encounter each other.

The scene with Tandy and Tyrone meeting each other was sweet. My only complaint was that Tyrone didn't have his stutter. You see, in the comics, before he became Cloak, Tyrone Johnson had a very bad stutter. It's what prevented him from speaking up and saving a friend from being killed, which made him run away in the first place.

It is neat to see that this series remembers that Tandy Bowen was a ballet dancer. That's good.

We do get to see brief glimpses of Dagger using her powers, including one of her light daggers. It looks like a crystal. I don't think we really see Cloak's powers in action, just some darkness around his hand in one scene. In a clever nod, we do see that Tyrone does wrap himself in a black cloak. There is a shot of him on a roof, which has a Roxxon sign on it. Could Roxxon be the ones behind Cloak and Dagger getting their powers here? They have empowered people in the comics.

This looks really interesting. I'll give it a looksee when it comes out.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter, everyone!

Easter is a day that in Christianity, is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Here in the US, it's not a federal holiday, but it is a public one in some states. And some parades are held in major cities, including New York City, of course. And you can find more information about the holiday here.

Easter is a holiday celebrated around the world. Ever heard of Faberge eggs? They were created as Easter gifts to the Russian royals. And in Australia, they don't have the Easter Bunny handing out colored eggs. Bunnies are not very liked down there, so they have an Easter Bilby instead. And their Easter is associated with harvests, as it's the fall down there.

But whether you celebrate it or not, I hope you all have a great day today!

Mega Man #1 (April 2011)

Mega Man. The Blue Bomber. One of video gaming's most beloved characters. Back in the days of the original Nintendo Entertainment System, the original Mega Man series was considered one of the very best series of games ever put on the system, right up there with Nintendo's own Super Mario Bros. and Legend of Zelda series.

Sadly, the series seems to have fallen by the wayside. Several new Mega Man games got cancelled, and poor ol' Rock Light hasn't gotten much action in recent years, except or a couple classic-style games (Mega Man 9 and 10), and appearing in Super Smash Bros. At least he still got better than some franchises have.

So, when Capcom decided to bring Mega Man to comics, who better than Archie? The company had been churning out comics based on Sonic the Hedgehog for over twenty years, and the two characters would even cross over a couple of times.

So, with that, let's dig into the first issue of Mega Man's Archie series!

The first issue's cover is a bit basic, but it's well-drawn, and it's rather bright and colorful. It depicts Mega Man striking a "Gonna Blast Ya!" pose, with a flash of light behind him, and it also shows his "Father" Dr. Thomas Light, his sister Roll, dog Rush, and the main villain Dr. Wily. It counts on the recognizability factor. Gamers know who these characters are, so the comic shows you'll see them here.

"Trouble Get!"
Writer: Ian Flynn
Penciller: Patrick Spaziante
Inker: Patrick Spaziante
Colorist: Matt Herms
Letterer: John Workman
Editor: Paul Kaminski

The comic begins with the Blue Bomber facing off against some robots in front of Wily's Skull Castle, the mad doctor's main headquarters.

Mega Man is able to get past the robots, and reach the castle, but discovers there's no door. Despite this, the Blue Bomber is undeterred. He uses Guts Man's Super Arm to make a door, and force his way in.

Mega Man switches back to his Mega Buster, and he notes that Wily's castle is rather gloomy place. Well, yeah. It's Dr. Wily's Castle, and it has a big ol' skull on the front of it. One would not expect it to be a place filled with sunshine and rainbows.

A door closes, and Mega Man finds himself face to face...with the infamous Yellow Devil.

The comic then flashes back to a few days earlier in the year 200X. A place called Titanium Park is hosting a big event. It's the unveiling of Light Labs, and Dr. Thomas Light is preparing a speech. His robotic "children", Rock and Roll, are fussing over him, helping him get ready.

Poor Thomas is struggling with the speech, as he feels he is no good at public speaking. The scientist then hears a cough, and Dr. Light is happy that his guest has arrived. Who is it? One Dr. Albert Wily. You know, with a name like Dr. Albert Wily, you'd think that Dr. Light would wonder why he befriended this guy? Rock and Roll offer to help him out, but Wily finds them rather annoying.

Wily wants to discuss something with Dr. Light. He feels that since he helped design and build the original Robot Master line, he should be on stage with Light during the announcement. Light reminds Wily that because of his past with unethical experimentation, it would be too risky to have him on stage, as his presence could give Light Labs a negative reputation it can't afford now.

Wily is angry about this, but Light reassures him that they're still equal partners in Light Labs. You see, Light hasn't forgotten the work they did in university (Yeah, this makes me think that in the comic, Dr. Light is British. If he were American, he'd say "the work he did in college". Light is using the British variant of the phrase), and he believes that Wily can make up for his mistakes. The thing is, Dr. Light...does Wily want to make up for his past? Wily shakes his hand and tells him not to flub his lines. Dr. Light then goes to speak to the crowd.

Dr. Light does a speech about how robotics have helped create a better world, but they can go further. As such, he announces a new line of Robot Masters designed to aid humanity.

Yup, they're the first six Robot Masters from the original Mega Man game. It's explained that these Robot Masters are called that because they have advanced AI that allows them to command other robots...how does that make their AI more "advanced"? Dr. Light takes some questions, and one of the reporters, a green helicopter-like robot, asks about Light's involvement in the Sniper Joe development for the military in his younger years. The robot reporter expresses concern that these Robot Masters have a more sinister purpose, mainly covet war operations. The question seems to fluster Dr. Light a bit, who answers that that part of his life is in the past, and he is only interested in building robots with constructive purposes nowadays.

That night, at Light Labs, Rock and Roll express concern about that question. Dr. Light confesses that he did work for the military back in his younger years, but he's not proud of it. He only did it because he really needed the money. As he gets ready for bed, Dr. Wily sneaks into the Labs and reprograms the Robot Masters, except for Rock and Roll.

The next morning, the two robots wake up Dr. Light, because something is wrong. The Robot Masters are gone. Rock tells Dr. Light to turn on the news.

Dr. Wily hacks the broadcast and announces himself as the true creator of the Robot Masters, and he demands that the world's governments surrender to him and acknowledge him as the greatest genius ever. Dr. Light falls into his chair, falling into depression. Roll tries to reassure him that Wily can be stopped, but Light says he can't be stopped. The Robot Masters are too powerful. What did they make the Robot Masters out of? It would make sense if Wily modified them after he reprogrammed and made off with them, but did Light intentionally build them to be nearly indestructible? Rock offers to take on the Robot Masters himself.

I love this sequence. Roll thinks Rock is crazy, and wonders if he is even scared that he will be destroyed by them. Rock admits that he is scared and doesn't really want to fight. However, someone has to stand up to Wily and stop the reprogrammed Robot Masters. He does get that Light has no desire to make combat robots anymore, but again, someone has to stand up to Wily, and Light has the knowledge to modify Rock to fight them.

Light agrees and makes the modifications, giving Rock his blue armor, Mega Buster, and a copy chip, allowing him to use the abilities of the six Robot Masters. Reading this montage makes me think that there needs to be an awesome 80s song backing this up. Inspired by the Mega Buster's name, Rock takes up the codename Mega Man.

I loved this comic. The Archie Mega Man series was really good. I was really sad when it ended. This first issue did a great job setting up the world of Mega Man, especially for those who are unfamiliar with the games. I would have liked a little more about Wily's turn to evil, but that can be expanded on in further issues. And honestly, I think this comic expanded on Wily's turn more than the original game did, anyway. The art is very well done as well. It's very nice to look at. It's got a cartoony vibe, and it's very expressive.

I highly recommend this comic. If you find it, or any of the Archie Mega Man run in the back issue bins, buy it. Great comics right there. Next time, we travel back to Earth-712, and check back in with the Squadron Supreme! Things are not getting better for them...

The Last Jedi Trailer, My Thoughts

Disney has been bringing the hype like crazy when it comes to their trailers. Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2, then Thor: Ragnarok, and now, as if things haven't gone crazy enough, they've released a trailer for the next Star Wars film, The Last Jedi! And here it is!

The trailer begins with Rey on what I presume is the planet she found Luke on at the end of The Force Awakens. She looks like she went through what TV Tropes would call Training From Hell.

The trailer then goes into Luke Skywalker saying the word "Breathe", while the camera pans to an island with the sun rising behind it. I think that's the same island Rey ended up in when the last movie ended. I think Luke's dialogue here may be his training Rey. She may have managed to convince him to take her on as his padawan. Makes sense, she did show potential in Force usage in the last movie.

There's this really cool shot. It's a close-up of Rey's hand, and we see the little rocks floating in the air and spinning in the air around it. This is the kind of stuff I imagine was in George Lucas's head when he was creating the Star Wars universe. Really cool how film technology has advanced since the 1970s.

 We next see Luke asking "What do you see"? It has to be to Rey, because we next hear her voiceover. We see a glimpse of what appears to be the back of Princess Leia's head over a display of a star system, with Rey saying "Light". I hope this film has a nice dedication to Carrie Fisher. Next comes a shot of Darth Vader's shattered helmet, surrounded by broken glass. Rey utters "Darkness". And then a trembling hand over a symbol of some kind, with Rey saying "The Balance." I wonder what that symbol is. I'm not too up on the Star Wars mythos.

There's another cool shot of Rey practicing with the lightsaber, and Luke watching her. It's a really distant shot, and they're hard to see, but they're there.

There's a bunch of ships...painting red on the ground?  What're they doing? We also get a brief glimpse of Finn lying in a hospital bed. I wonder how much of the film he'll be out of action. I hope it's not too long. I also am hoping we get a fight between him and Captain Phasma. We next see Poe Dameron and BB8 running down a hallway, and they nearly run into an explosion.

The Millennium Falcon is racing through the sky. With TIE fighters firing at it. I think Rey may be flying it. I think she was the one who ended up with it at the end of the last movie. Speaking of Rey, there she is! And her lightsaber is blue. We get a glimpse of Kylo Ren with his three-bladed lightsaber. Seriously, the crossblades make that thing dangerous. Activate them in the wrong place, and...some painful injuries could result.

We next see a hooded figure with R2-D2 facing a burning structure. And there are troopers in that fire. Yeah, the First Order has their own Stormtooper Firefighting Brigade. They're not very good at fighting fires. Can't aim the hoses.

And there's some space dogfighting. Space dogfighting is always good.

Over all of this, where was a rather...ominous voiceover from Luke: "I only know one truth...It's time for the Jedi to end." I have a bed feeling about that...

I can't wait for this film to come out. Christmas is going to be AWESOME. It's gonna be great! This film is going to be great! I am so excited for it!

RPG Maker Fes Trailer, My Thoughts

Role-playing games. One of the most popular forms of gaming around the world. For decades, gamers everywhere have spent countless hours grinding many different kinds of characters up in level to fight various monsters, aliens, and madmen alike. Some RPG series have become beloved franchises, like Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Pokémon, etc.

As long as RPGs have existed, people have also found ways to make their own, fangames and romhacks alike. One program used to create such games was called RPG Maker. Since 1992, the RPG Maker games have allowed users to create their own role-playing adventures, and even create unofficial sequels and sidestories to their favorite games.

The RPG Maker series was mostly in Japan, although some version have come to the United States, whether by official release, or fan translations. And now, Kadokawa Games and NIS America are bringing RPG Maker Fes (Don't ask me what 'Fes' means, I have no clue), to the 3DS! And here's the trailer!

Not much to say about it, I'm afraid, as it's a short trailer. It just basically saying this application allows you to make your own RPG games, and then share them with people, which is really cool.

I do hope you can make a variety of RPGs with different themes and mechanics. I'd love to make a science-fiction-themed RPG with this. I wonder what kind of tools it has more making sprites and the like. I think Ill give this game a try.

Thor: Ragnarok Trailer, My Thoughts

I don't think a trailer has ever gotten me so hyped in my life. I literally screamed a little bit when I saw it. That trailer? The first one for Thor: Ragnarok. If you haven't seen it yet...first, have you been living under a rock? Second, here it is!

The trailer begins with Thor dangling over lava in chains. His narration reminds me of that "Yeah, that's me." meme. We then get a brief glimpse of Cate Blanchett as Hela, the Norse Goddess of Death, and the ruler of Hel, the Norse Underworld.

Thor tosses Mjolnir at her, and she catches it. She shoots a little smirk, it widens a bit, and...KABOOM.

She blows it up. Yup. Mjolnir exploded. And I think it took a city block with it. I also love the choice of music with this trailer. "Immigrant Song" by Led Zeppelin is such a perfect choice for a film about Thor, as it's a song about Vikings, and it makes references to Valhalla and Mjolnir.

HOLY COW, THE HEADDRESS! HELA HAS HER HEADDRESS FROM THE COMICS! HOLY COW! IT'S GLORIOUS!

And next ,we see Hela wrecking Asgard. Odin is not going to be happy. But then, the film is called Thor: RAGNAROK, so it would make sense Asgard would get destroyed. My guess is Thor ends up wherever the film takes place in an attempt to save Asgard from Hela.

The bit with Thor and the net is funny. And I liked the introduction of Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie. Although I do wish her costume was blue leather with silver armor pieces, not a generic black bodysuit. And Jeff Goldblum looks funky as the Grandmaster. And I think we got an idea of how Thor lost his long locks, which caused a bit of an uproar.

We get a brief glimpse of Idris Elba as Heimdall, and SKURGE WITH MACHINE GUNS! SKURGE WITH MACHINE GUNS! THAT'S FROM THE COMICS! THAT'S FROM THE COMICS! I KNOW THAT STORY!

You know, we're getting Skurge, but we've yet to see Amora the Enchantress in the MCU. Her sister Lorelei appeared in Agents of SHIELD, but not Amora herself. It was thought for a while that Cate Blanchett would play her, but that turned out to not be the case. That's kind of a shame. I do hope we do get her and Balder in the MCU.

Thor walks into an arena. It's a gladiator arena. I wonder if the Collector will be entertained.

And just who is Thor's opponent and current Universal Gladiotorial Combat Heavyweight Champion?

The Incredible Hulk, decked out in his armor that's rather Planet Hulk-esque. I heard elements of that story will be used here. Nice. And Thor is overjoyed to meet him. He shared that "YES" with me when I saw this trailer. Hulk's his friend from work.

We get a brief glimpse of Loki in the Grandmaster's skybox. I wonder if he's having flashbacks of the time Hulk nearly pulverized him in the first Avengers movie.

And speaking of the first Avengers movie, I bet Hulk had been itching for a rematch against Thor since their little brou-ha-ha on the Helicarrier. Would explain why he's so eager to get himself another piece of the God of Thunder.

I LOVED THIS TRAILER. I watched it a LOT of times today. I cannot WAIT for November so I can see this movie! It was so much fun to watch! This movie is going to be great!

Superman Annual #1 (1987)

Giant Apes. Giant apes have been a part of the human imagination for decades, if not even longer than that. The most iconic giant ape in pop culture is, of course, King Kong, who has a brand new film out: Kong: Skull Island, and there's even plans for him to have a rematch of sorts with Godzilla, the two titans last facing off in the 1962 Toho film King Kong vs. Godzilla.

What does this have to do with the Man of Steel? Well, apes (giant and otherwise) have found themselves a little bit of a niche in the comic book medium, especially in the DC Universe. Thanks to the Flash television series, I'm sure a lot more people are familiar with the character of Gorilla Grodd, the super-ape who wants to take over the world because he is a gorilla supremacist. Yeah.

But we're not here to talk about Grodd. Instead, I want to give some spotlight to a lesser-known giant ape character: Titano the Super-Ape. Titano's history is very wild, mainly because of the DC Universe's penchant for reboots.

The original Silver Age version of Titano first appeared in Superman #127 (February 1959), created by Otto Binder and Curt Swan. This Titano was a chimpanzee who was rocketed into space. In space, the chimp got exposed to radiation that grew him to giant size and gave him the power to shoot Kryptonite energy beams from his eyes. He would reappear again in Superman #324 (June 1978).

When the Crisis on Infinite Earths hit, Superman's entire mythos was rebooted. And despite Titano being a rather obscure character, Titano was revived, albeit with a much darker and more tragic origin. With that, let's take a look at this story.

The cover is awesome! Superman is trying to lift up the foot of Titano, who is trying to stomp on him. The angle really helps show just how big and powerful Titano truly is.

"Tears for Titano"
Writer: John Byrne (Script/Co-plotter)
Penciller: Ron Frenz (Co-plotter)
Inker: Brett Breeding (Credited as "Embellisher")
Colorist: Tom Ziuko
Editor: Mike Carlin

The story begins with a chimpanzee undergoing experimentation.

You may notice the captions on this page look a bit...odd. Like they were typed out on a typewriter. Well, that's because the captions are telling the story from Lois Lane's perspective. You'll see what I mean. Lois refers to the chimpanzee as "Titano", the name the scientists gave him as a bit of a joke.

The lead scientist is a man named Thomas Moyers, a man who had caused problems before for Superman when his work accidentally led to the creation of the supervillain Rampage. Lane despises Moyers, especially since he has no concern for the comfort or suffering of Titano. Lane threatens to reveal that these experiments are being done in the middle of Metropolis, but Moyers counters that he's not trying to hide what he's doing at all.

The scientists remove Titano from a chamber, and Moyers remarks that Titano looks fine, Lois countering that she had seen boxers after twelve-round fights that looked better than him. A terrified Titano manages to escape from the assistant, said man noting that Titano should be zonked out, but seems faster than ever. One of the assistants manages to catch him, but Titano bites him in the hand...a hand covered by a reinforced glove.

Titano runs into the arms of Lois Lane. Moyers and the assistants panic, thinking the chimp with rip Lois's head off. However, Lois insists she's alright, and Titano ran to her because she was the only one in the room who wasn't chasing after him.

The assistants rip the chimp out of Lois's arms, Dr. Moyers intending to continue the experiments. Dr. Moyers asks Amanda Waller to 'escort' Lois out.

The scene switches to Superman, flying over Metropolis. For him, it's a slow day today, the only real crime going on today being an old lady jaywalking. Soon, he hears some trouble...after talking to the old lady about jaywalking, I'll bet. He flies down and sees a group of men robbing a bank...with a tank.

Yup. A tank.

Thankfully for the Man of Steel, this tank has no Kryptonite, so Superman engages it, and gets the wind knocked out of him. Yeah, during this time, there was an attempt to make Superman's power levels more...realistic? I'm not sure what the term to use here is, but yeah, the post-Crisis Superman was initially far lower in power level than his Silver Age incarnation.

Anyway, Superman gets blasted into a traffic light, giving the men an opportunity to get into an armored truck and attempt a getaway. Attempt. Superman kicks the truck into the tank, destroying both vehicles. Superman checks the robbers, and they're a bit banged up, but otherwise alright. The Metropolis Marvel then goes to see about the downed power lines. Turns out the downed wires are causing short circuits all over the nearby area...including the lab Titano is being experimented on in.

Superman checks it out and tries to rescue Titano, and the traumatized ape lashes out.

Superman notes that Titano was practically able to bite into his skin. One of the lab techs tells Superman that they need to flip the circuit breaker switch, as he can get through all the electricity to reach it. Superman is easily able to do it, but he wonder if his being zapped by electricity when he got blasted into the traffic light was responsible for him feeling that bite of Titano.

Back at the Daily Planet, Lois Lane is trying to convince Perry White to make her story on Titano front page news, but Perry shoots it down. He considers it a human interest story at best. He tells her that he does sympathize with her, but Moyers will counter that the experiments on Titano would prove beneficial on mankind in the long run. Not to mention that there would be people who would side Moyers on the debate, stating Titano's suffering would be ultimately worth it if it humans benefited. Lois decides that she'll find another way to help Titano.

Superman is helping with the evacuation of the lab, and Moyers is grumbling about the disaster when Titano lunges at him.

Titano is stopped by the shatterproof glass, but Moyers notes that Titano has seemingly grown in size. And with that size comes a new rage and ferocity. Titano busts his way through the glass, and attacks Moyers, but Superman is able to save him. Moyers screams that Titano is a mad monster. Superman tries to calm the transformed chimpanzee, but Titano isn't hearing anything of it, tackling the Man of Steel and sending them out of the building and crashing to the ground. After they land, Superman notes that Titano is growing larger.

Meanwhile, Lois is at the Metropolis Humane Society, where they tell her that they do sympathize with her, they can't do anything about it because what Moyers is doing is perfectly legal. A frustrated Lois goes to her car. In a nice touch, her narration compares her plight over helping Titano to Don Quixote fighting the windmills. Her car's radio picks up the police band, and she races off, realizing it has to be Titano.

Back to Superman. As he engages the growing ape, Moyers remarks that there may be no limit to Titano's growth. Amanda Waller tells him that there's no way to hide this now, and to report it in. Moyers does so, and reports to a group called Section Seven in the Capitol. The man who answers has his face in shadow, but we can see that one of his hands is made of metal.

In case you're wondering, this is Sarge Steel. He was a spy/private detective character from the 1960s who would become a government official. He warns Moyers that he was to develop a super-agent, and Moyers promised that, not King Kong. Because of Titano's rampage, Moyers will be held accountable for this.

As Sarge gives his warning, Superman engages Titano, but the chimp proves to not be a chump, as is able to take what the Man of Tomorrow can throw at him...and throw it right back with change. All the battling is causing Titano to grow even larger.

The Army comes in to engage Titano, but their weapons only enrage him.

Superman flies in and convinces the man in charge to give him three minutes to try another tactic to stop Titano, and Lois Lane arrives, only to be ordered back. She spots Moyers, and figures he's the reason why she's being denied access. Superman flies at great speed into Titano's chest, winding him, I think. With great effort, the Man of Steel lifts Titano into the air, and flies him into the water. While the giant ape thrashes about in the water, Superman rips a power cable from the bridge, and tricks Titano into grabbing it. The giant chimp screams.

Lois's narration does a great job delivering the horror of hearing a scream that she described as being able to be heard ten miles away. Horrified by what she heard, she pours on the speed. Lois arrives as Superman gets Titano out of the water. Lois thinks he's dead, but Superman assures her he's only stunned. He explained he hoped the massive electrical shock would drive the energies in his body out of him. He notes that Titano's heart is slowing around Lois.

Unknown to them, Moyers and another man are preparing a futuristic bazooka-like cannon to fire. Superman notices that Titano has really calmed down, an amazing change from the enraged engine of destruction that wrecked his way through Metropolis. Lois explains it's because Titano knows he trusts her, and that this is who Titano really is, a scared chimp who sees her as his only real friend. Moyers orders the man to fire the cannon, despite the operator stating that Titano's now being docile. The cannon fires and hits the giant ape right in the chest.

Lois is horrified as Superman flies her away, Superman explaining the cannon's energy blast caused a chain reaction in Titano's body, turning it into an atomic furnace...and Titano won't be able to survive it. The chimp shrinks down to normal size.

Lois runs over to Titano, but the chimp reacts to her in fear. Lois is heartbroken by this, deducing that Titano believes he betrayed her. Superman comforts her, and reassures her it's not her fault. Moyers, ever the sensitive type, mocks the whole thing, stating it's pathetic Lois feels any pity for a creature that caused as much destruction as Titano did. Superman tells Moyers it was his fault that Titano rampaged in the first place.

Moyers is infuriated by the accusation. He states that Superman is a hypocrite, because he wrecks the city fighting supervillains, so he has no right to preach. Superman clenches his fist angrily, but Lois backs him up with a sock to the jaw that would have made Muhammad Ali proud.

Lois hears Titano call out for her, and Superman tells her he saw what she did. Moyers writes it off as Lois being crazy, stating that Titano has no feelings and can't comprehend anything because he's a chimp. Moyers clearly is no expert on these animals. Chimpanzees are actually rather intelligent. Titano dies in Lois's arms, and the comic ends with her weeping over Titano's body, holding him close. Her narration remarks that other papers talked about a monster that rampaged through Metropolis. Lois agrees, but the monster wasn't Titano. The monster was the beast that created Titano. The monster...was Man.

This story...is fantastic. "Tears for Titano" is a tragic, heartbreaking tale of exploitation and inhumanity. It's the classic "Man is the real monster" story, but it's very well done here. The art is very well-made, I have no real complaints about it. Some may poke a little fun at the outfit Lois wears, but keep in mind, this comic came out in 1987. Moyers is a bit one-dimensional, but it works here. I highly recommend getting this annual if you come across it in the back-issue bins. It can also be found in the trade paperback Superman: The Man of Steel Vol. 6.

Next time, I feel we should look at something a little more fun. So, in the spirit of that, I say we take a look at Archie Comics' take on a certain Blue Bomber...