Happy Halloween!

As the title says, Happy Halloween, everyone!

Ah, Halloween! the time of year when the barrier between the living and the dead is at its weakest. When the monsters and creatures of the night roam amongst the world of men. Nothing is what it seems, and if you do hear a bump in the night... it is something out there. It's the night where your worst fears can come to life.

So sit back, and enjoy the day as the zombies are shuffling, the werewolves are howling, the vampires are partying, and the ghosts are haunting. Enjoy some candy, a good horror movie, and be glad this day only comes once a year. Because you never know what's out there in the shadows this Halloween, and there is no guarantee you may survive to see November...

Injustice 2 Hellboy Trailer, My Thoughts

Injustice 2 is the sequel to the hit fighting game that pitted some of DC Comics's greatest heroes and villains in an epic fighting game. And naturally, its success would spawn a sequel. It brought us new characters, and...a bit of a surprise. A certain half-demon paranormal investigator has arrived in the arena! He's ready, willing, and able to duke it out with some of DC's finest! I'm talking the Right Hand of Doom himself, from the mind of Mike Mignola, please welcome...Hellboy.

I have to say, I was surprised to see Hellboy in the game's roster. Yeah, I heard Raiden and Sub-Zero were also in the roster, but this game is made by Netherrealm Studios. Mortal Kombat is their big cash cow, so it's not surprising they'd bring some MK characters into the game.

In a way, a crossover like this is rather typical of Netherrealm games. After all, the last Mortal Kombat game had the Xenomorph, Leatherface, and the Predator in it. Come to think of it, maybe Hellboy would be a good fit for that game.

I do like the voice they got for Hellboy. I do wish it was Ron Perlman, but from what I hear, Michael-Leon Wooley is doing a good job. I did like his line when facing off against Atrocitus. I also enjoyed watching him bludgeon the bejesus out of everyone with his big ol' Right Hand of Doom.

I loved that bit where Hellboy beat Atrocitus down as they descended into Hell. That was fun to watch.

I have to admit, it's pretty cool seeing Hellboy in this game. Makes me wonder what other crazy characters they're going to bring in. I hope he plays well. He looks like he'll be a blast to play as.

Son of Satan #1 (December 1975)

He is Daimon Hellstrom - spawn of the devil, born of woman - man of God, heir to Hell - and his two natures are at war! For though he carries Satan's mark on his chest, he is sworn to drive his Father's minions from the world of men. Exorcist, psychic, demonologist, wielder of the soulfire - he is all of these, but within him lurks a second self, a savage, satanic side he must constantly fight to control...lest he lose his human heritage forever!

Long sentences with italics - and dashes in them - to quickly explain - who a character is- so a new reader does not feel lost - as they can enjoy the action contained within the issue forever!

My silliness aside, this is the blurb that introduced people to the adventures of Daimon Hellstrom, a literal Son of Satan. He's appeared on the blog before, in Defenders #94 (April 1981). First appearing in Ghost Rider #1 (September 1973), he was created by Roy Thomas and Gary Friedrich. I can't help but wonder if they were somewhat inspired by the interest in the occult in the 1970s. Would make sense.

After the Ghost Rider appearance, he would be spun off in the anthology title Marvel Spotlight for the next twelve issues: #12-24 (October 1973-October 1975). He turned out to be a popular character, and they spun him off into his solo series, the first issue we would look at here. The solo series lasted about eight issues. Despite this, he's remained active in the Marvel Universe, joining an incarnation of the Defenders (He was a favorite character of J.M. DeMatteis), and getting another solo series in the 1990s as Hellstorm, which lasted 21 issues. If you're a fan of Warren Ellis, track down that series. He wrote the last ten issues of it. He would also be a part of an incarnation of the Howling Commandoes, and I believe he's now going to join the Spirits of Vengeance.

I did consider looking at his first appearance, but I felt that should be saved for if I wanted to do something about Ghost Rider. I next considered Marvel Spotlight #12 (October 1973), as it was his first appearance on a comic cover, but I decided to postpone that one for next time as it's a continuation of the Ghost Rider storyline he was debuting in. So, I figured, why not start with the first issue of his solo series? And with that, let's take a look at the cover!

The cover, a Gil Kane piece, is pretty sweet. It's basic, but it looks really awesome. You got Daimon Hellstrom, the Son of Satan, riding on a chariot driven by three demonic horses with manes of fire. It has that feeling of a classical painting. This should have been painted. Also, it does give off the vibe of power and fury. Daimon Hellstrom is coming for his father, for their final confrontation! And one of them will survive. Geez, Satan, just give the twenty bucks you owe to Daimon already. Your team lost the game, handle it with some grace!

"The Homecoming!"
Writer: John Warner
Pencilers: Jim Mooney, Jim Starlin (First page)
Inker: Jim Mooney
Colorist: Diane Buscema
Letterer: Joe Rosen
Editor: Marv Wolfman
Editor in Chief: Marv Wolfman

The story begins with a Jim Starlin-drawn full-page spread of Daimon Hellstrom.

Daimon is riding his Hellhorse-driven chariot towards New England. Particularly, to his old family home there. A storm is raging outside, but he's really too consumed by thoughts of his past to notice. How does he end up not getting soaked riding such an open vehicle. Also, I can't help but wonder how hilarious it would be if he ended up needing a sandwich or something, and he parked that thing at a gas station or something. "I wish to purchase this sandwich, this soda, and do you carry oats for my demonic horses over there?"

He arrives at his old home, but notices something is up. A window is smashed, and the place is ransacked.

Everything's gone, including one of his most prized possessions: A diary belonging to his mother. Despite his being half-Devil, his mother loved him, and it was that that allowed him to defy his demonic half. Hellstrom is enraged, and his anger allows his demonic blood to overtake him briefly, making him blast a wall with his trident. He calms down, realizing that it might be just a bunch of vandals. But then he sees something that makes him realize that ordinary vandals didn't ransack his home.

He realizes his old man, Old Scratch himself, was behind the ransacking. And considering that Daimon isn't exactly the fondest of the old incarnation of evil, you can bet he takes it rather well. He bursts into his basement, and finds that the door to Hell is wide open. Yeah, Daimon Hellstrom keeps a door to Hell in his basement. But then again, that's kind of a standard thing among Satan's kids. Daimon approaches the door, but it shuts itself tight. It's not a problem for the future Hellstorm, though. He's able to find his own way to Hell.

He...goes to Hell somehow. I don't know. Maybe it's the trident, or he knew of a magical back door. He arrives in Hell, and a bunch of demons freak out, thinking he's someone else...I have no idea. But they realize it's Daimon, and they run to him. Daimon is not in the mood to deal with them, so he whacks and blasts at them with his trident. One of the demons begs Daimon to stop, saying he just wants to talk.

Daimon laughs at him, and the demons decide, "You know what, screw it. Let's beat him down." The demons pile on him, threatening to overwhelm the half-demonic anti-hero. However, a flash of light erupts, and Satan himself makes an appearance.

As can be clearly seen, Satan was chilling in his private lava pool with some cute succubi when he learned of the commotion. He asks if Daimon has finally come to stand by his side as father and son. The demons taunt Daimon by saying his mother is down here, too. Satan basically tells his demons to shut up and informs Daimon that he'll find the culprit down at Fire Lake, which is across the way from Tortureland. Hellish fun for the whole family. Satan then explains that he had nothing to do with the ransacking of Daimon's old family home.

Understandably, Daimon doesn't believe his dad, and tries to blast him. Instead of trying to convince Daimon he's telling the truth this time, he goes nuts and banishes Daimon from his realm. No wonder Daimon hates his guts. Satan then grumbles about his being able to break his insolent boy, but decides it's not the time or place. I personally think he just can't be bothered right now. He decides he'd rather take down his son through cunning, not intimidation while he heads back to his lava pool with the cute succubi.

A frustrated Daimon returns home, feeling like he has more questions than ever. He seals the door to Hell, when he hears a scream. The demonologist goes to investigate and finds some footprints.

Considering the comic, I would not be surprised if the source is one rather ugly creature. Daimon follows the footprints to a car outside, and sees something rather horrifying.

Paging Moarte, you got more material for Longbox of the Damned here, buddy. I have heard the phrase "tree-hugger" in the past, but this is ridiculous. The person merged with the tree screams for help, and the three tries to toss around Daimon. The merged man says that since Daimon can't save him, he might as well destroy Daimon. Gone villain rather quick there, huh pal? Daimon's had enough and blasts the man-tree in an attempt to exorcise it...because his trident has an exorcism beam. The man-tree vanishes, but the car is still there. Daimon is left wondering if the car is real.

A voice tells him that the car is an illusion, too. Daimon then finds himself back in his family home, and he sees his mother's diary on the ground. The demonologist wonders how it got there, as he would have seen it earlier. He picks it up and puts it in his belt. The scene shifts again, and the voice taunts him as it shifts the scene. Daimon gets a look at the perpetrator, who introduces himself as the Possessor.

Daimon has no idea what is going on, so he accepts the Possessor's offer to take a seat. Take seat right over there. Possessor states he has something that Daimon wants, and Daimon has something the Possessor wants. A duo of beautiful women appear and try to...comfort Damien. The demonic demonologist realizes they are Hell Sirens, and waves his trident, dispelling the Possessor's illusions.

Hellstrom has had enough of the Possessor's tricks. He then realizes that his mother's diary is still in his belt, which means it was real. The masked illusionist tells him that he knows Daimon is the Son of Satan. One can assume he learned this by reading the diary. Hellstrom demands that the Possessor tell him who he is by...blasting him in the face with hellfire from his trident. Because one is able to talk after getting their face fried.

But instead of getting a fried face, the Possessor just loses his face-concealing hood.

Again. Moarte, cover this on Longbox of the Damned. The demons stuck on the sides of the Possessor's head scream for Daimon to help them, including agreeing to be his servants. Daimon is horrified by this, and is convinced the Possessor is insane. Well, I can't imagine a man who would have demon faces on the sides of his head to be the picture of mental health. Hellstrom wonders how this happened, but the Possessor isn't talking.

He just taunts Daimon instead, saying that this all was just the beginning. He decides to take his leave, but not before saying that there is a battle coming, one that the Son of Satan will not be able to void. And not only will this battle spell doom for Hellstrom, but also subject him to, in his own words, "A curse far greater than that which you already bear!"

The scene next shifts to the rockscape of lovely Arizona. I went to Arizona once. Did you know there are forests there? Yeah. There are. We see a stereotypical Native American youth meditating. Stereotypical Native American kid has been fasting and meditating there for about a week, hoping to find some spiritual enlightenment. He's watched over by a stereotypical Native American shaman. He has senses that the stereotypical Native American kid has a great destiny. The stereotypical shaman hears a noise. He turns to check it out, but gets shot in the heart. He was to blame, he gave love a bad name. Stereotypical Native American kid looks up and sees the Possessor.

Stereotypical Native American kid is also clearly not very bright, as he thinks the Possessor is the spirit guide he has been waiting for. Kid, you don't see the demon faces on the side of the guy's head?! I'm going to assume the fasting is screwing with his brain.

This issue was...rather enjoyable for what it was, and a good choice for Halloween. The dialogue of the issue can be a bit silly, but it comes with the territory of the time. In fact, I kind of find it delightfully hammy in a way. As for the last scene...your mileage may vary. Jim Mooney does some very nice artwork. Jim Starlin's first page spread is neat, but the fingers on the gesturing hand seem a bit wonky to me. As I said, next time, we'll take a look at Daimon Hellstrom's first comic cover appearance...

Namco Museum Reveal Trailer

Namco. One of the great video game developers, it also was regarded as one of the premier developers of games during the 80s Golden Age of Arcades, with games like Dig Dug, Galaga (one of my favorite games), and of course, Pac-Man. They've also been releasing compilations of their arcade games on various consoles since the 90s, and now the Switch is the latest console to receive one of their Namco Museum complains, this coming to the eShop in July. So, in honor of that, let's look at the trailer for it!

The trailer begins with footage of Pac-Man playing. I have to admit, I like Pac-Man. It's an enjoyable game, but it's not my favorite Namco game.

Galaga. Now THAT is my favorite Namco game. If I see the game in an arcade, I have to play it. I recently went up to Lake George and they have an arcade. I was so happy when I saw a Galaga cabinet there. I was also quite overjoyed when the game got a shoutout in The Avengers. I got the NES port of it on my 3DS, and it's the reason why I like shooter games. Why do I like it? Well, I guess I just like the colorful bug enemies. Yeah. I like it because I think it looks cool.

Dig-Dug. I have played the sequel to it: Dig Dug 2. It was on the Namco Museum compilation for the Nintendo DS. Funny enough, it did not have this one. I think I remember playing this on a computer years ago? I'm not sure. But I did enjoy the second one, so I think I'll like this game. It does remind me of Mario 2, the sand levels where the player has to dig through the sand? I think of that when I see this.

Druaga. It looks neat. Running around in a maze and fighting green slime monsters? Reminds me a bit of Dragon Quest.

Rolling Thunder. I have heard of this game, but never have played it. Looking at it, though...it makes me think that this could have been a James Bond game. Seriously, just do some re-skinning and you could have Bond fighting SPECTRE.

I do like that each of the games has a unique border. I wonder if they're based on the art on the sides of their old cabinets? Druaga's is the coolest of the ones shown as it's essentially a comic. Yeah, it's a comic!

The trailer doesn't show footage of all the games included, but we do get a list of the games that will be there. I want to play Galaga '88. I have never really played that one. Same with Splatterhouse. Never saw it in an arcade, and I never owned a TurboGrafx-16 (Heck, as a kid, I never even heard of that console). The collection is ten games. That's a good amount, but hopefully we'll get some more by DLC. Would be nice to play games like Bosconian, Galaxian, and Pole Position on the Switch. Or maybe a Vol. 2.

It's a basic trailer, not much to say about it. We do get a tease of what's to come. Namco Museum does sound like it's a good choice for those who own a Switch and love retrogaming and/or want to bring back some memories of the Golden Age of Arcades.

Squadron Supreme #10 (June 1986)

Welcome back to Earth-712! Over the past nine months, we've paid a visit to the home of the World's Mightiest Heroes. We've seen them attempt to bring back their world from destruction, only for them to unintentionally become tyrants. Now, let's check in to see how they've recovered from their latest set of troubles!

Previously on Squadron Supreme: Hyperion struggles with his injuries after the battle with his Earth-616 counterpart. Nighthawk goes recruiting for more help in taking down the Squadron. Ape-X learns Tom Thumb is dying of cancer, and helps him and Lamprey travel to the Scarlet Centurion's future to find the Panacea Potion, a medicine that can cure any disease. However, upon their return to the present, Thumb discovers the Potion is actually just penicillin and vitamins. The people of the Centurion's time are so advanced, that's all they need if they get sick. Tom returns the Potion, and passes away a week later. 

And with that, let's look at Squadron Supreme #10!

The cover is actually quite cool. It depicts members of the Squadron Supreme in a hospital, struggling with a substance that looks like a mix of tar and quicksand. Must be some tough stuff, as Hyperion can't seem to escape it. I think it might be a bit too late for Blue Eagle, Foxfire, and Doctor Spectrum, though. It's a well-drawn cover, I really like it. It's much better than the cover of the last comic I looked at.

"The Dark From Within"
Writer: Mark Gruenwald
Penciler: Paul Ryan
Inker: Sam De La Rosa
Letterer: Janice Chiang
Colorist: Max Scheele
Editor: Ralph Macchio
Editor-In-Chief: Jim Shooter

The story begins with the Squadron attending the funeral of Tom Thumb.

Via a newscast, we get a look back at the life of Thomas Thompson. We learn that the Diminutive Dynamo was 41 years old when he died. Huh. Younger than he looked. We also learn he was a teenage genius, getting PhDs in math, physics, and electrical engineering by the time he was 17. Wow. He was also an inventor, and desired to find new ways to better fight crime through technology. This was the reason why he became a superhero, fighting such menaces as the Iron Moth.

First, I have to say, I do wish we could have learned more about the Iron Moth. Also, this also is a way of establishing something about Tom's character. Tom had always been looking for ways to use tech to improve the human condition, so it would make sense that if the Squadron attempted to actually solve the world's problems, he'd use tech as a solution, hence the B-Mod device. The newscast also establishes that he built the Squadron's space station headquarters, Rocket Central. It was the big space station that crashed down to Earth in Squadron Supreme #1. Since this series was put out in the mid-80s, can we assume that on Earth-712, Rocket Central predated Salyut 1?

The newscast goes on to reveal that at the time of his death, Thumb was working on a way to defy death itself, which Power Princess points out.

Basically, Tom created a way to preserve people who were dying of various illnesses, like cancer, until a way could be found to cure them. Power Princess also announces that these "hibernacula" are being mass-produced, and they expect ten thousand to be produced in the next month. There are also "life-watches" being produced. At the time of death, the watches would signal a crew of "hibermedics", who would place a wearer in a hibernaculum.

This broadcast is being watched by Nighthawk and his group, who have become known as "the Redeemers". Nighthawk is disgusted by the broadcast, saying that the Squadron have turned Tom Thumb's death into propaganda for selling their new program to the public. The group discuss the changes to the Squadron, like Quagmire's seeming disappearance, and Hyperion's new glasses. Nighthawk tables the discussion and turns it towards something more important: How to take down the Squadron.

In Squadron City, the Squadron have a meeting of their own, giving out their work assignments. After this, Hyperion approaches Ape-X with a bit of a problem. Since he got blinded after the events of Squadron Supreme #8, he's been needing his hi-tech glasses to see, and they're glitching out.

Ape-X goes to fix the glasses, making Hyperion panic as he can't see without them. Zarda and Arcanna reassure him and Arcanna invites him to have some tea. That's nice. Spectrum flies Foxfire to a construction site. Amusingly, Fox wanted to nap on the way there, so the Doc provides her a bed construct to sleep in. It is heavily hinted the two of them are intimate.

The workmen explain that there are a row of buildings that need to be brought down, and it'll take them a few days to level them. Foxfire offers to help out, and she uses her powers to bring them a-tumblin' down.

I love that sound effect choice there. Foxfire is able to level the buildings in minutes, allowing the workmen to get to start work on the foundation for a new building called the Hibernacle. I'm guessing it'll be the place where the Hibernacula will be stored until a way can be found to help the people inside them. Spectrum helps with the cleanup.

Zarda and Arcanna fly to Herculanea, which turns out to he Earth-712's version of the District of Columbia, I think. (Seriously Mark, I love ya, but come on!) You'll see why. Arcanna remarks that Hyperion is having trouble with being blind, but Zarda tells her to look at it like this. Hyperion used to be able to do many things better than anyone else, including see. It raises an interesting point. If Hyperion could do the same things that Superman could at the time, that includes possibly various forms of vision, like microscopic and telescopic. Now he's lost that. Those powers are gone. The glasses he wears work like radar. They let him see where things are, but the images are pretty dismal. Nothing like his old sight.

The two then have a rather...creepy conversation when you really think about it. Arcanna remarks that Hyperion's blindness didn't prevent him from seeing she was the woman for him. Zarda recalls that she practically had to force herself on him to get the hint. Keep in mind, folks, the Hyperion she fell for was a version from another universe. He was not the "native" Hyperion if that makes any sense. Which really makes one wonder. Are her feelings for the "native" Hyperion genuine...or is she just using him as a substitute for the Hyperion she fell in love with?

Arcanna says some men are that thick, and she nearly had to resort to magic to get her husband to notice her. ...Yeah. Think about that. That's is creepy. That is creepy and wrong here. She pays it off as being cute, but...this is just wrong. She basically said she wants to abuse her powers to make someone love her. Yeah. It's creepy and wrong. The two arrive at the White House, Arcanna wondering how Zarda would react if she found out that Arcanna is mystically hiding her pregnancy.

Back in Squadron City, Ape-X adjusts Hyperion's glasses. Hyperion is wondering if his blindness is a bit of karma getting back at him for that destructive battle with his 616-counterpart in issue 8. Ape-X manages to repair her glasses, Hyperion remarking that with his strength combined with his blindness, he's terrified he'll accidentally hurt someone or destroy something. Nice bit of subtle deconstruction there. Ape-X then rides off, thinking that Hyperion doesn't really have it that bad. He's blind, but she's a mutant ape that has no legs. It's revealed that she and Aida are working on another project behind the scenes.

Yup, they're building a robotic simulacrum of Tom Thumb. Ape-X laments how much she misses Tom, and hopes this simulacrum will capture his essence. Geez, this issue should have been titled "The Creepy Romance Special". What is with these people and being creepy when it comes to the heart?!

Sheesh, let's just go to Squadron City Hospital. There, one Dr. Anton Decibel is going on his rounds, thinking that there isn't a ton for him to do considering a thousand people live in Squadron City. He then chides himself, remembering that he became a criminal because he got bored. Yeah, he decided to become a supervillain because he got bored one day. I guess it doesn't take much for some people.

He heads to Quagmire's room when he notices a tar-like substance seeping out from under the door. He looks in and sees this.

Quagmire's power to project the extradimensional tar is active. Dr. Decibel wonders if that means he's coming out of the coma he's been in. In the skies over the Midwest, Blue Eagle and Lamprey are flying with a box. Lamprey remarks that Blue Eagle has been very quiet throughout the whole trip, mainly because Eagle was never really fond of the Institute of Evil members joining the Squadron...despite being B-Modded to be good guys. In his thoughts, Eagle admits that Lamprey is right about this, but his thoughts are over his guilt over the whole thing with Quagmire.

The two arrive at a place called the "National Decriminalization Institute". They're working on building an area which promises to B-Mod a hundred convicts per day. Eagle is relieved by this, because it puts less work on the Squadron. In a nice little moment, Eagle calls Lamprey one of the Squadron's brightest new recruits. That's nice.

The scene then shifts to a building in Cosmopolis, where people are applying for jobs. Some kids are playing with Shape, and Shape feels...rather happy.

The thing about this is, it does give a hint as to why Shape became a supervillain. He said that nobody liked him in the past, and it is clear he does have a mental disability. It still is extremely disturbing to me that he was B-Modded, as it was likely he had no real idea what the Squadron did to him. A new pair make their debut.

Meet Moonglow and Redstone, two metahumans who want to join the Squadron. Good Lord, Redstone is a big dude. Did he eat burgers laced with steroids growing up?! Whizzer asks what they can do. Redstone demonstrates his superhuman strength. Moonglow shows off her ability to fly and gravitokinesis (Basically, she can alter the gravitational pull between people and objects), by making the two Squadron members and Redstone float in the air. Whizzer is impressed, but wonders where they came from. Moonglow explains the two of them only recently got their powers.

It's revealed, though, that Moonglow's actual power is illusion-casting. Her showing of flight and gravity-manipulation is all a trick, making Whizzer and Shape think she has the other powers. The two explain that since they want to use their abilities to do some good, and they're the only superhero game in town. That's a bit of a shame, as it would have been neat to see a team of teenage superheroes that were modeled on the Teen Titans. Gives an idea of a "Next Generation", but considering the way this series is going...maybe it's best there is no such team here. Whizzer agrees to take them to meet the Squadron.

The two are blindfolded (although Moonglow uses her powers to avoid that), and are taken to Squadron City. Back in Nighthawk's home, it's revealed that Moonglow and Redstone are two double agents, actually working for him. Nighthawk also found another who wants to help stop the Squadron: the former Golden Archer, now called the Black Archer.

Archer appreciates that Nighthawk let him join up. He does accept full responsibility for B-Modding Lady Lark, but then goes on to say that if the Squadron hadn't created it, he would not have used it. Uh, no man. They did not force you to use it on Lady Lark. You chose of your own free will to use the B-Mod on Lady Lark because you couldn't handle the fact she wasn't in love with you anymore. Not their fault there, pal. Nighthawk explains he let Archer aboard because he wanted redemption. Also, I like to think that Nighthawk would appreciate have another person helping him out here.  The two men watch the news and see the earlier events of the issue. Archer is thrilled with this and goes to tell the others. Nighthawk gets a call.

It's Master Menace, who tells Nighthawk there is no need for him to obtain a B-Mod machine for him, as he can raid the place himself for one thanks to the new B-Mod facility. Nighthawk insists his double agents can procure one for him. Menace agrees to do it Nighthawk's way, but the Batman analogue has two weeks.

In Squadron City, the group debate adding Moonglow and Redstone to the roster. Whizzer feels that since the Squadron is the only team of superhuman heroes in the country, they have a duty to recruit every superhuman they can find and train to be great heroes. Arcanna agrees, but says they should run background checks on them. Blue Eagle says they should be B-Modded to ensure their loyalty, and it would be the safest and quickest way to being them aboard.

Hyperion objects to this, as the machines are only meant to be used on criminals. Lamprey grumbles they should all go through it if it's so great. Shape is confused. Foxfire has no problem with it. Doc Spectrum feels using the B-Mod on them after they approached the Squadron in good faith is a rather jerky thing to do. They take a vote, and Eagle loses. Redstone and Moonglow are welcomed aboard as provisionary members, and will be made full members after a background check.

Whizzer suggests that there may be other superhumans around that they don't know about, so he suggests that the Squadron start an active superhuman recruitment program to find any and bring them aboard. Power Princess puts it to a vote, but the issue is tabled when they get an emergency call from the hospital. The Squadron rush there to find this.

No, somebody wasn't messing with the soda machine again. The hospital is being overrun with a viscous tar-like substance, which Quagmire can generate. Some of the Squadron try to evacuate the building. Foxfire, Arcanna, and Lamprey try to stop the goop, but their powers are useless. Foxfire's ability to decay things is ineffectual, Arcanna's powers are no good due to the gunk being unnatural, and leeching energy from it hurts Lamprey's stomach.

The Squadron's rescue team is able to get everyone out, but weren't able to get through to Quagmire due to the ooze getting thicker the closer they got to him, and Decibel is still missing. Hyperion and Power Princess realize that Quagmire might still be comatose because his B-Modding would not allow him to release this much muck to menace people intentionally. Quagmire's power works by mentally creating portals to another dimension where the muck originates. Since he's comatose, there must be a portal unleashing the muck inside his brain, which means there's only one way to stop it.

Yup. They're going to have to pull the plug on his life support. In essence, they're going to have to kill Quagmire. Zarda sees no other choice, and Hyperion volunteers to do it. He dives into the muck, and tries to swim through it.

During his trip, Hyperion thinks over the moral obligations of what he is about to do. He wonders if he is doing the right thing...and if he can go through with essentially killing Quagmire to save Squadron City. He reaches Quagmire's room, and finds him lying peacefully in his bed. Hyperion finds the plug to his life support and pulls it, praying that wherever he will go, Quagmire will forgive him. With the plug pulled, the goop vanishes...but so does Quagmire. Spoiler alert: He'll be reappearing in the Quasar title. The story ends with Hyperion bringing out Decibel's body. Whizzer remarks that it was a dirty way for Quagmire to die. Doc Spectrum says they all are.

This issue...was a good one. I love Paul Ryan's art in it, and seeing it made me really sad he didn't do the entire mini-series. It's also awesome to see Nighthawk finally putting his plan to take down the Squadron into action. Although to be fair, considering the nature of the mini-series, it can be assumed he was working "off-screen", but it is great to see it get some more attention. I would have liked to have seen Hyperion struggle with his newfound blindness a bit more, but you have to remember, again, each issue is about a month apart.

It's also interesting to see the Squadron be put into a situation where the only solution is to end someone's life to save the day. You can't help but feel for Hyperion a little as he struggles with the decision to pull the plug on Quagmire's life support. You get the impression that the group has never had to deal with such a situation before.

The fact that the it's revealed that the Squadron Supreme are America's only superhuman team did throw me for a loop a bit. You'd think that in a world based on the DC Universe, this world would have its own pastiche of the Teen Titans or the Outsiders, and maybe even the far future having its own version of the Legion of Super-Heroes. To be fair, though, the Squadron being the only super-team in this world does help the story. There are no other hero teams to actively resist the Squadron, so the story can focus on the Squadron's Utopia collapsing due to their own flaws and foibles.

Next time, it's October, and Halloween is on the horizon! As such, we'll take a look at the early days of the Son of Satan...

Black Panther Trailer #2, My Thoughts

The Black Panther's solo film is coming up fast, and it's got a whole new trailer! Let's take a looksee!

The new trailer begins with what looks like Everett Ross talking about the Avengers...without saying their names, just being oblique. Seriously, is there fear of legal issues or something? Or does Ross think he sounds cool? Anyway, Ross wants to know what else Black Panther is hiding.

He's hiding this. Wakanda looks so cool.

I love the little sibling moment between Shuri and T'Challa. Also, I notice two BP suits there. One is a bit slimmer than the other. Hmm...you know, Shuri has spent time as the Panther in the comics. Maybe that slimmer suit is for her?

Black Panther never freezes. He's too busy being awesome to freeze.

Erik Killmonger looks kind of funny in his disguise in that...museum? My guess is he wants Wakanda to stay isolated from the outside world.

HOLY TOLEDO, KILLMONGER HAS HIS OWN BLACK PANTHER SUIT. Makes sense, he defeated T'Challa to get the mantle of Black Panther and used it for a while in the comics.

T'Challa, that's not how you ride cars.

I have to admit, I was a bit surprised by the new arm Klaue gets. I was kind of hoping it would look more like the comics, with the satellite dish in the end. But hey, it works for the movie.

I think we can safely assume that that hubcap deserved what T'Challa did to it.

This movie looks so cool! I can't wait for it!

Street Fighter V Zeku Reveal Trailer, My Thoughts

Another brand new character has made his debut in Street Fighter V! And this one is not only connected to another character, but he's an homage to a classic Capcom game. Say hello to the 38th Master of the Bushinryu, the man who taught Guy all he knows. Give a warm welcome to Zeku!

The trailer begins with Ibuki in her schoolgirl ninja outfit getting ready to fight. And the man himself arrives, using a carpet like Mario uses a cape in Super Mario World.

Yup, and he's saying it's time to party! His theme music definitely has that party mood, mixing the funky jazz with traditional Japanese instruments. I have read that it's also an homage to Guy's Street Fighter music, which does make thematic sense. Zeku was Guy's sensei, after all. I do like his general look, including the 1970s anime-styled Hot-Blooded Sideburns. Yeah, he is a bit...colorful for a ninja, but this a game universe that has cyborgs, genetically enhanced super-soldiers, and the like. I'm honestly wondering if we'll get an extraterrestrial in the cast soon.

As for the classic game homage, well...Zeku has a rather unique ability in the series. He can switch to a younger form of himself. I have no idea how that works. But look at the costume his younger self is wearing. Seems...familiar, doesn't it? Yup. It's an homage to Strider. In fact, I have heard that it's implied that Zeku goes on to create the Striders.

It's interesting seeing Capcom make subtle crossovers and tying together their franchises like this. Yeah, characters from Street Fighter and Final Fight have crossed over all the time, but involving another franchise? It's interesting to see. Yeah, I wouldn't count the Capcom crossover fighting games like the Marvel vs. Capcom series as part of Capcom's "canon".

I do have many questions about the whole "switching to a younger form" thing. How exactly does that work? Is it a clone or time travel? If he has a younger form, why not just stay in it? Yeah, I get some of the other unique mechanics in this game, but this one is weird.

Zeku seems like a pretty cool looking character. I wonder if we'll get a "Season Three" of DLC characters? And if so, who's next? Will some old favorites return? Will we get more new characters? Let's see what the future holds...

New Mutants Trailer, My Thoughts

20th Century Fox's X-Men film franchise is rolling on! Their latest movie promises to be like any other in the past. They're focusing on the 1980s-era teenage mutant sensations, the New Mutants! And here's the trailer for it!

The trailer begins with what looks like the hallway of a hospital of some kind, a woman asking someone some questions. We then get a shot of a graveyard, but the graves have no names, only numbers. Yeah, I get the feeling this not the kind of hospital that helps people recover from illness.

We get a shot of Alice Braga as Cecilia Reyes talking to who I think is Blu Hunt as Mirage. She's taking a sample of Danielle's blood, while talking about how baby rattlesnakes are more dangerous than adult ones because they can't control how much venom they produce with a bite. We get a glimpse of the other members of the New Mutants: Sunspot, Magik, Wolfsbane, and Cannonball. I have to admit, Rahne and Illyana look dead on. Reyes then explains that the reason that these five young people are in this place is because they are dangerous.

Cannonball doesn't appear to have developed his protective blast field yet. You see, in the comics, when Cannonball uses his human rocket powers, his body generates a practically indestructible "blast field" that protects him from the effects of moving at such great speed. The field allows him to smash into things like his namesake without damaging himself.

Yeah, they should get that washing machine looked at.

And twisted version of Pink Floyd's "The Wall".

You'd think that with all the weirdness and scary stuff in this place, they would be all like, "Yeah screw this stuff, let's go find a non-creepy hospital.

I have to admit, when it comes to this trailer...it comes off really more as a standard horror film trailer. If Reyes didn't mention mutants in that one line, and that the film is titled "New Mutants", you would have no idea that there are superpowered people in this film. We don't really see any powers or costumes, and all that is part of the X-Men/New Mutants' appeal, the colorful costumes and cool powers. This feels like they're trying to lure in people who are not fans of superhero movies to watch this.

I'm not saying you couldn't do a film with these characters that has horror elements. Two words: Demon. Bear. I have heard the Demon Bear is the main antagonist of this movie, but we don't seem to get any hints towards this. It feels like an old-school horror film, which is what they are going for, but it gives the impression that it's going to be exactly that: A 1980s-style horror film with the New Mutants slapped in. This, combined with the whole controversy over Sunspot's casting, and my general apathy towards the X-Films...yeah, I might skip this one.

Amazing Spider-Man Annual #2 (December 1965)

Spider-Man. Doctor Strange. These two heroes, despite their being part of the same Marvel Universe, were about as different as one can be. Peter Parker got his powers from a spider that was enhanced by a scientific accident. Stephen Strange was a crippled surgeon that would go on to learn the ways of magic. Peter's villains, especially in the early days, tended to focus more on the mundane and scientific. Stephen's villains were cosmic and mystical.

Despite this, they did share something in common. They both sprung from the same minds: writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko. Peter first started slinging and swinging on webs in Amazing Fantasy #15 (August 1962), and Stephen starting slinging magic spells in Strange Tales #110 (July 1963). And since they were created by the same men, it made sense that they would eventually meet and have an epic adventure together. And that's what we're going to look at here!

The cover is...I'll be honest. It feels kind of lazy to me. Really. It's just a bunch of Spider-Men crawling around a large Spider-Man head and Spidey next to it. It's weird. Ditko was known for his crazy, practically psychedelic work on Doctor Strange, and the cover would have been a wonderful opportunity to give a tease of it. Show Spidey and Strange in a cosmic landscape while the villain looms over them. This cover feels like it was done at the last minute. "Ehhh, I'll just draw Spidey a bunch of times. Good enough!" Not a fan of the cover.

"The Wondrous World of Doctor Strange!"
Writer: Stan Lee (with Steve Ditko plotting)
Artist: Steve Ditko
Inker: Sam Rosen
Letterer: Sam Rosen
Editor: Stan Lee

Our story begins with Spider-Man patrolling the city.

Seeing no crimes, not even a jaywalker, Spidey decides to web off and call it a night. Sure, Pete. New York City having a night with no crime going on whatsoever. I get proven right here as unbeknownst to the Wall-Crawler, a man is walking towards a pool hall. And just as it goes in stories like these, there's a bar brawl going on. I think there's something in the drinks fictional bars serve that make people want to fight each other.

In the bar, the man finds exactly what he's looking for: two big strong dumb tough guys.

He approaches the dumb tough guys and basically tells them they will work for him. Being dumb, the dumb tough guys laugh at the man and tell him to beat before he gets a fat lip. The man basically tells the dumb tough guys to shut up. His name is Xandu, and he uses a hypnotic voice to make the dumb tough guys fall under his command.

He uses a magic spell to make the dumb tough guys even tougher and be able to feel no pain. He tests this by having one of the dumb tough guys smash an oak table with one Mighty Punch. Satisfied with this, Xandu heads back to his lair, the dumb tough guys obediently following him. It is then that Xandu reveals what he is up to: He wants half of a magic wand known as the Wand of Watoomb.

Yes, the Wand of Watoomb, which made its debut in this very issue. The Wand has appeared in various Marvel publications over the years, and even got an appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Xandu has one half of the mighty magical trinket, and he knows who has the other: one Stephen Strange...the Sorcerer Supreme. He sends the mystically-enhanced dumb tough guys to fight Doctor Strange. You know, I'm gonna give them names. It'll make things much easier. The black-haired one is Bob, and the brown-haired one is George. Those are their names now.

In his Sanctom Santorum, Dr. Strange is examining a scroll, one of the many mystical artifacts stored in his Sanctum. I can't help but wonder, though. Where did he get all those things? Did the Ancient One entrust this stuff to him? Did he go around collecting these things after he was trained?

Bob and George bust in, despite the Sanctum's supposed mystical defenses. Strange tries to use a magic spell to send them packing, but evidently Xandu somehow made them immune to magic. Strange tries to confuse them with an illusion that makes it seem like there's lots of copies of him everywhere. I think this may have been the first time he used the Images of Ikonn spell, even though it was not called that here. That's what I thought of when I saw this.

However, Xandu is mystically watching over Bob and George, and is able to tell them where the real Strange is. The two are able to take down Strange...despite the fact that Strange is also supposedly trained in the martial arts on top of his mystical knowledge. Bob and George search the place, and find the other half of the Wand.

On their way out, they're spotted by Spider-Man. Spidey notes that Bob and George seem to almost be like zombies. He swings down to take a look, and Xandu orders the two hypnotized mooks to take the Webhead out. Spidey tries to fight back, but his punches, despite being quite a bit stronger than a normal human's, don't do very much against the ensorcelled mooks. Spidey tries to web up George, but he's easily able to rip them off him. The two mooks then beat Spider-Man into unconsciousness.

Bob and George go on their way. However, Spidey's not quite out of it yet. He's able to plant one of his Spider-Tracers on one of the mooks' leg. Bob and George return to Xandu's lair and give him the other half of the Wand. Xandu assembles it, and feels the Wand's power coursing through his veins. Showing off its power, Xandu casually opens up a few portals to other dimensions, one of them giving him a view of the still out cold Doctor Strange.

Thanks to the Spider-Tracer on George's leg, Spider-Man is able to follow the mooks to Xandu's lair. Xandu tries to blast Spider-Man with the Wand, but Peter Parker's spider-powered agility allows him to dodge the attack and web up Xandu's face. This makes Xandu drop the Wand. Deciding not to play around, Xandu casts a spell to trap Spidey in another dimension.

However, before he completely fades out, Spider-Man is able to use his webbing to get the Wand of Watoomb in his grasp, taking it with him, to Xandu's rage. He sends Bob and George to the dimension to get the Wand back, knowing they were able to deal with Spider-Man last time. Spidey finds himself in a new place, and rather disoriented.

This panel here? This is a better idea of what the cover of this comic should have looked like. It definitely would have stood out in the newsstands better than other superhero books of the time. I know I would have gotten it if I saw this as a kid in 1965. And hey, look! Saturn can float!

Bob and George follow Spider-Man into the dimension and Spidey engages them, saying that he's ready for them this time. Yeah, I get that Spider-Man would learn from the last time he fought Bob and George, but there's another problem. Spidey is in completely unfamiliar terrain. And since we can assume he was only there for about a minute or so, we can safely assume that he never got any real time to learn about this strange world he's in. He still would have some problems. Despite this, Spidey engages Bob and George, seemingly being able to better fight them off this time.

Back in his Sanctum Santorum, Dr. Strange wakes up, and realizes that Xandu has assembled the Wand of Watoomb. Strange uses the Eye of Agamotto to find Xandu, and grabs his Cloak of Levitation. In the strange dimension, Spidey does his best against Bob and George, but like last time, Spidey's blows have no effect. Xandu presses his two ensorcelled mooks along, saying that even Peter Parker's spider-enhanced stamina can only last so long.

Doctor Strange shows up, and he and Xandu have a magic fight.

Xandu is unable to stand against the Sorcerer Supreme, but then Spidey, Bob, and George return. This distracts Strange, allowing Xandu to get his hands on the Wand of Watoomb.

His power boosted by the Wand, Xandu is able to thrash Strange. Strange realizes he needs to take another approach. He finds somewhere to hide, and uses astral projection to scout around. His spirit sees Xandu using the Wand to try and find him. Strange then spots Spider-Man valiantly fighting Bob and George. Strange telepathically tells Spidey to grab a nearby power line and use it to shock Bob and George. He has no idea if this will stop them, but it's worth a shot. Spidey shocks them and...by the power of plot convenience, it works.

Bob and George wonder what's going on, and why they are so tired. Spidey decides to go after Xandu, as Bob and George are no longer a threat. Strange knows Spidey is in over his head, and rushes back to his body to help. Spidey returns to Xandu's lair. Xandu prepares to blast Spidey with the Wand of Watoomb, but the Webhead is saved by one of Strange's spells. Spidey and Strange use their powers to keep Xandu off-balance.

The plan works. Spidey webs up Xandu's legs, making him stumble and drop the Wand. Before he can retrieve it, Spidey shows off his webshooting skills by webbing up Xandu's hands. Strange then uses the Eye of Agamotto to drain the power from the Wand of Watoomb, turning it into a simple trinket. I did ask myself, why didn't he do this sooner, until I remembered Strange only had one half of it. It could be presumed he had no idea where the other half was, and couldn't drain the power from it until it was whole. Because magic trinket.

Strange then uses his magic to read Xandu's mind to find out why he wanted the Wand.

He learned of the Wand's power and wanted it himself. However, Xandu's future battles with Spidey and Strange would reveal his desire for the Wand's power was for more than just simple power lust. More on that later. Strange uses his magic to make Xandu forget this battle and his evil intentions. Strange then compliments Spidey on his courage and tells him he has a friend in the Sorcerer Supreme. The two heroes part on good terms, Spidey telling him "And may your amulet never tickle!" ...I think Peter Parker said that very line when he and Strange teamed up in the 90s Spider-Man cartoon. Had no idea that was a nod to the comics at the time. Nice.

This issue is...pretty enjoyable, although there are moments that do make me scratch my head. However, there is something that has to be kept in mind here. This was a story that is 50 years old. It's really unfair to try and hold it up to modern storytelling standards. For what it is, it's perfectly fine. The story does have its flaws, including what could be considered moments of lack of genre-savviness from Strange and what could be considered a moment of power abuse from Strange. Otherwise that, I liked this story for what it was. It was not meant to stand up to serious critique, just tell kids a fun story, and I felt it did that. Steve Ditko turns in some good art for this issue, and we do get a hint of the psychedelic, imaginative stuff he regularly did for Strange at the time.

The really cool thing about this story? It ended up becoming a decades-long epic tale of sorts. Yup, over the next few decades, the story would be followed up on a couple of times. Marvel Team-Up #21 (May 1974) would go more into depth as to why Xandu wanted the Wand of Watoomb. Marvel Fanfare #6 (January 1983) would also drag the Scarlet Witch into it, and the saga would reach a climax and ending with the 1992 Graphic Novel Spider-Man/Doctor Strange: The Way to Dusty Death and Secret Defenders #7-8 (September-October 1993). You can find a more detailed write-up of Xandu's history here. Kind of interesting how one Annual can lead to a decades-spanning saga, isn't it?

Next time, we'll come back to Earth-712 and see more into the lives of the Squadron Supreme...

The Last Jedi Trailer, My Thoughts

In December, the Star Wars sequel trilogy will be brining to the world the second installment: The Last Jedi. We're continuing the adventures of a new generation of heroes introduced in The Force Awakens (See my review of that movie here), and they've released a new trailer! Here it is!

The trailer begins with someone looking through a window at what looks like a factory or something like that. And there's a voice-over with what I think is Snoke talking to Kylo Ren.

Ooh, AT-ATs.

Kylo Ren leading some stormtroopers. He likes to make an entrance, even if it's a milk run for Hux and Phasma. He grabs his lightsaber...only to switch to Rey activating hers.

Rey's been spending some time training. Looks like she's improving. Good for her. And Luke is freaking out. He explains that he's only seen power like hers before. I think he's hinting about Kylo Ren. We do see a scene with a hooded figure bursting out of rubble, the robotic hand clearly Luke's. And then we see a hooded figure collapse in front of a building.

That's clearly R2-D2 there, so that has to be Luke. Maybe this building was some kind of facility? We know Luke tried to start a new Jedi Order, but it ended in disaster. Maybe this is a flashback to it? Maybe that building was a training facility/monastery meant to train new padawans.

Kylo Ren is furious. And it's not surprising that he'd have his own cruiser, the big Darth Vader fanboy he is. I am wondering if we'll see some ort of confrontation between Kylo and General Leia. Speaking of those two, I have a bit of a theory as to why Ben Solo fell to the Dark Side. Think about this. Imagine you're a child in the Star Wars universe.

But you're no ordinary child. Your parents were the last of a planet's royalty and a notorious smuggler that became major heroes of an intergalactic rebellion. Your uncle is a man who managed to keep alive an ancient order of space knights/wizards at a time when it was practically extinct. They're regarded as legends. Imagine growing up in their shadow, these three legendary people. It must have been really tough for Kylo to grow up in the shadow of Luke, Han, and Leia.

Maybe that's why he turned to the Dark Side. Growing up in their shadow must've made him feel immense pressure to measure up. This is probably how Snoke was able to get him to fall. By convincing him he could escape their shadow by following him. Just a thought.

And it does look like Kylo has doubts, as he might show some reluctance to attack the ship his mother is on. At least, it appears that way.

Is that penguin-like critter with Chewbacca one of those "porg" things everyone is going nuts over? It's kind of cute.

Oh, I am just HOPING SO MUCH we get a full-on fight between Finn and Phasma. I know Phasma must be itching for a rematch with the former stormtrooper after the events of TFA.

That space wolf thing is awesome. And it's rather...bittersweet seeing Leia in this movie.

And Rey turning to Kylo Ren for help...hmmm...interesting. It could be some creative editing, but it could also make sense. Maybe Luke is reluctant to train her for fear she could become another Kylo Ren.

This was quite an interesting trailer. It raised a ton of questions, and it's gotten me very curious as to how things will go down for our heroes, old and new. Can't wait to see this movie.

Runaways Trailer, My Thoughts

When you're a teenager, life can seem worse than it actually is. And every teenager has had conflict with their parents at some point. Sometimes, the parents feel that the kids are too stubborn for their own good. And sometimes, the teenager feels the parents are an evil force out to ruin their lives because reasons. Well, for six teenagers...their parents are an evil force. And when they discover this, the only thing they can do...is run. Run run run run run-runaway...apologies to Del Shannon.

The Runaways, debuting in 2003 under the pen of Brian K. Vaughan and the pencils of Adrian Alphona, have become a rather popular group of characters. The group has survived death, betrayal, romance, and the perils of living on the streets in a superhero universe. Last month, YA novelist Rainbow Rowell and artist Kris Anka relaunched the series, reuniting much of the original members.

In February 2017, filming started on a television series adaptation of the comic. And now...it's coming to Hulu. And here's the trailer!

The trailer begins with what looks like Alex Wilder looking at a photo of his friends on a phone. His father is telling him no one will know him they way his friends know him again. Considering Alex Wilder's fate in the comics, I can't help but think it might be a bit of foreshadowing...

We next see Alex opening the door to his friends...and their parents getting ready for a ceremony of sorts. Yeah, spoilers if you haven't read the comics, the Runaways' parents are part of an evil occult group known as the Pride. The Runaways witness them sacrifice a girl as part of a ritual, and run away.

And it appears that it will stick to the comic when it comes to the origin of the Runaways here. There's not much else to say about the trailer, really. It's really just a bunch of random scenes all set to music. We do get a brief glimpse of Lucy in the Sky showing her alien nature, that's neat.

It's an interesting trailer, and it does cover the basics of the Runaways' origin. I am kind of sad that it's not going to be on Netflix. I think it would be a surprising fit alongside the other Netflix Marvel shows. I also wonder if this series will be set in Los Angeles, like the comic was. I also wonder how they're going to adapt in Leapfrog, Old Lace, and even Klara Prast. People whine about the Inhumans, I can bet they'll find some way to complain about those.

Retro City Rampage DX Retail Trailer

We're making a return to the 80s/90s-themed city of Theftropolis, baby! I've played and enjoyed this game on the Xbox 360, and it was a ton of fun. And now, those who own the Nintendo Switch...will get to enjoy the crazy retro-style action!

I have to admit, seeing the game on the Switch is awesome. It's a great game, and it deserves a ton of fans and support. It's been a while since I played the game, but it seems to look more...colorful. I'm guess that's the "DX" part of it. It is an enhanced version, after all. I wonder if it has more stuff, like missions and weapons and vehicles. That would be nice.

I loved rampaging with the tank in the game. Blasting everything in my path with shells, it felt like doing one of the Mayhem missions in Saints Row.

I think it's neat that the retail version has a reversible cover. And it pays homage to boxes for Master System games, complete with the grid and picture of "The Player" done in a simple style. I think the font is a bit off, though. I don't remember Master System boxes having that font.

Wait...it'll have an instruction manual?! An honest-to-God instruction manual?! Hey, those bring back memories! I used to read through the instruction manual to Super Mario All-Stars all the time because they had beautiful illustrations. I still have it...although it's a bit beat up. And the cover's a great homage to the American Super Mario Bros. 2.

You also get a CD, which I'm assuming will have the soundtrack. Maybe there'll be a way to download the songs to iTunes or something like that. I also like the keychain.

And the inclusion of 3-D glasses has me curious. I know the game has various filters that allow the game to mimic various consoles, so maybe this version will have one that allows 3-D with the glasses.

This looks awesome. I think I'll have to add this to the list of games I want for the Switch when I do get one...

Pokemon Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon Trailer

As I'm sure my blog readers know, I am a big fan of the Pokémon franchise. I've been a fan of it since they first released the original Red and Blue for the original Game Boy. I still have those cartridges, too. As well as their Game Boy Advance remakes: FireRed and LeafGreen. I admit, I was kind of sad they weren't giving those games another remake for the 20th Anniversary. But we did get Sun and Moon, which are a lot of fun, and really shake up the games' formula, so I can't complain.

Speaking of the latest Pokémon games, they're getting follow-ups...of sorts. Described as "alternate stories" set in Alola, we're going to get Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon! And here's the trailer for it!

The trailer begins with the player character running out of their house. We see Pikachu and the starters...so far, it may start out like the original Sun and Moon. Okay. No need to shake things up right away, ease us into the new stuff. Good idea.

We get a glimpse of what looks like a grotto filled with Pikachu. I wonder what this is about.

Necrozma looks properly frightening here, floating over what I think is the portal to the Ultra Beasts' world. Maybe Necrozma is an Ultra Beast. Like other Ultra Beasts, it has a bizarre design that doesn't seem to quite fit in with the rest of the Pokémon. It's shown grabbing at Solgaleo, the legendary Pokémon and mascot of Pokémon Sun. I'm guessing that it has some plans for the solar-powered lion.

The trailer states Necrozma is the key to these games' story. That makes sense, considering the heavy emphasis the Pokémon gets here. We see what looks like cutscenes of Sun and Moon's legendaries, Solgaleo and Lunala, battling Necrozma. And then we what looks like Necrozma...merging with the legendaries, possibly allowing it to control them. Merged with Solgeleo, it's called Dusk Mane Necrozma. Merged with Lunala, it becomes Dawn Wings Necrozma. Huh. That's a different take on Pokémon forms. We're going to have to fight those things, aren't we?

Alola in these games will have a surf shop. Awesome. And say hello to the Valley of Pikachu! I wonder if that's all you can do there is talk to Pikachu? New clothing options. Nice. And also, they changed up how you choose a starter. Reminds me of Ruby and Sapphire.

Early buying incentive! A Rockruff that can evolve into a new form of Lycanroc: Dusk Form. I have to admit, it looks cool. It has a Z-Move of its own, it seems. I wonder if it has any unique attacks? And also, getting the digital version gets you 12 Quick Balls. It is also neat that Pokémon Gold and Silver are coming to the Virtual Console, but it would also be nice to see Black and White be compatible with Pokémon Bank. I know there's an app for it in Japan, it should be brought to the West. And if you get them, you can pay with Celebi in any of the Sun/Moon series. Cool.

New Ultra Beasts! UB Burst in Sun, and UB Assembly in Moon. Burst makes me chuckle. It looks like a clown crossbred with an ice-cream cone. Assembly is kind of funny, too. It looks like a walking castle tower with eyes. I get the feeling that when it comes to the Ultra Beasts, the designers were allowed to go a little nuts.

And evidently, they're putting out a Pokeball-themed New Nintendo 2DS. I just may pick that up next month.

This was an interesting trailer. Teased some new stuff, but not much revealed. And I am curious about Necrozma's role in these new games. Now, if you'll all excuse me, I gotta go finish Sun...