Flash & Green Lantern: The Brave and the Bold #2 (November 1999)

The Brave and the Bold. To DC Comics fans, the name holds a great significance. The original Brave and the Bold was a long-running comic series that lasted 200 issues, from 1955 to 1983.

Originally, The Brave and the Bold started out as an anthology series that told tales of adventure set in the past. These stories would focus on characters like the Viking Prince and the Silent Knight (Hooooly niiiiiight...). With issue #25 (which introduced the Suicide Squad), the title would be retooled into what was essentially a "tryout" comic for new characters and ideas. It was during this time that the title would really become known for introducing some DC Comics institutions that still exist today:
- Issue #28: Justice League debut
- Issue #34: Silver Age Hawkman debuts
- Issue #54: Robin, Aqualad, and Kid Flash team-up, setting up the Teen Titans
- Issue #57: Metamorpho debuts
- Issue #60: Wonder Girl (Donna Troy) debuts
- Issue #79: Neal Adams' first work on Batman
- Issue #85: Neal Adams redesigns Green Arrow
- Issue #166: Nemesis (Tom Tresser) debuts

Indeed, the title was very important to the DC Universe. As such, even though the original series ended in 1983, the name never really went away. In 1991-1992, DC released a Brave and the Bold miniseries by Mike Grell and Mike Baron. It focused on Green Arrow and the Question. In 2007, another ongoing series of the same title was released. It lasted 35 issues. And then, there was the animated series Batman: Brave and the Bold, which had Batman team-up with various heroes around the DC Universe. It was a fun cartoon. It deserved more seasons. That cartoon also had a tie-in comic, which I looked at a couple issues of here and here.

The comic we're going to look at her is the second issue issue of the 1999-2000 miniseries, which focused on the Flash and Green Lantern. In particular, the Barry Allen Flash and the Hal Jordan Green Lantern. Each issue was set at different points in DC continuity, and it explored the friendship between the two men. So, with that intro out of the way, let's take a look at Flash and Green Lantern: The Brave and the Bold #2!

The cover is pretty awesome. It's a Barry Kitson piece. I love the reflective effect on Hal Jordan and Barry Allen in the mirror traps. I also like that the mirror motif is repeated with the villains in their pose as they blast the pyramid. It's really cool. Also, the text "Introducing: Kid Lantern" and the font of it helps give the cover the feel that this is a comic that you could find on a newsstand back in the swinging Silver Age sixties. I love this cover.

"Lightspeed"
Writers: Mark Waid, Tom Peyer
Penciler: Barry Kitson
Inker: Barry Kitson
Colorist: Lovern Kindzierski
Letterer: Ken Lopez
Editors: Peter Tomasi, L.A. Williams
Executive Editor: Mike Carlin

The story begins with a dinner date. Former hotshot test pilot Hal Jordan is at a restaurant with his latest galpal, Eve Doremus. The two dated between the events of Green Lantern #58 (January 1968) and #68 (April 1969). Iris West is there, and she brought along her young nephew Wally.

Hal is visiting Central City, so he thought he'd come play catch up with Barry and Iris...even though Barry isn't here yet. Late as usual, our Mr. Allen. Hal mentions that Barry can't stop talking about becoming an uncle, thanks to his marrying Iris in The Flash #165 (November 1966). Wally was looking forward to meeting Hal, as he's never met an actual test pilot before. However, Hal has given that up, and is now an insurance claims adjuster.

Hal tries to explain the job to Wally, but the redhead is bored by it. Barry finally arrives...in time to pay the check. He wants to pay, but Hal insists on doing so. However...he doesn't have the cash on him, so he asks Barry to loan him some money. Hal needing to borrow some money from Barry was a bit of a running gag throughout this miniseries. Barry explains that the reason he was late was because he ran into something that he, Hal...and Wally need to look into.

The three drive away into an alley and suit up.

"You're darn right I'm Green Lantern, son!"

Yeah, this is evidently where Hal and Wally first learn the other is a superhero. There was a bank robbery earlier this morning. The vault was cut open, and the responsible party used some kind of energy weapon to do it. It left behind energy residue...that matches Green Lantern's ring. What could duplicate that energy so perfectly. Flash and GL get zapped before they can make any theories, and the responsible parties make themselves known.

"I was thinking of calling our team Mirrorhand, but Mirror Master threatened to punch me."

Meet Sam Scudder, the Mirror Master! You may know him from my Crisis on Infinite Earths reviews, in which he died. Scottish mercenary Evan McCulloch would end up taking up the mantle. And who's his partner? Meet William Derek Hand, the Black Hand! Hand has an energy device that can absorb Green Lantern's ring power and use it for his own purposes. Hal thought the device was drained. So did Hand. But Mirror Master had discovered that there was still some residual ring-power left in the device, so he used his mirrors to...enhance it somehow. I dunno. Silver Age science. Hand admits he did not expect to see the Emerald Gladiator in town. Kid Flash charges in, but Mirror Master creates a bunch of images of himself and Black Hand to throw the teenage hero off. Black Hand fires his power-draining beam at Hal, but Wally takes the energy bullet.

"AW GAWD THIS HURTS! WHY DID I DO THIS?!"

The two villains take advantage of the confusion to flee. Hal and Barry pursue them...but Wally can't keep up. It seems the young speedster has lost his speed powers. Barry then realized something. Why did Black Hand come to Central City? Green Lantern mainly operated in Coast City. It turns out he wasn't there for Green Lantern's power...he was there for Flash's power. Wally is scared, as he fears that his powers are gone for good. Barry assures him that they'll find a way to get his speed back, but he has to sit this out for now. Wally eagerly wants to help, so Hal gives him a way.

"Finally, I get to have a sidekick!"

Meet Wallace West, Kid Lantern! Black Hand and Mirror Master are flying on a giant mirror. The heroes chase after him, Wally enjoying being able to fly thanks to his new ring. To get the heroes off his and Mirror Master's trail, Hand zaps a police car with Wally's speed, causing it to careen out of control. Hal and Barry make a plan to stop the car, but Wally grabs the car in a construct of a racetrack. However, that doesn't slow it down. Barry takes apart the car's wheels, and the vehicle is able to stop.

Mirror Master fires at Hal and Wally with a mirror beam. The beam bounces off a building's window, and hits a pair of helicopters. Wally tries to catch one with a net construct, but the helicopter is yellow...and Green Lantern rings at the time were useless against anything yellow. Wally is able to quickly recover from his goof by using a piece of gray concrete to catch it. Hal and Wally are celebrating while Barry is helping the cops out of the car. The forensic scientist has concerns about their working together, but a call on the police car's radio forces him to table them.

Hal and Wally fly off, eager to kick some butt and save the day. Barry...is not feeling this right now. Meanwhile, what's happening with the girls? Well, they're hanging out in Iris's apartment. Eve just finished telling one of her stories about her misadventures in the high life, when she remarks that she finds it funny Barry and Hal are good friends, considering how different they are. Iris wonders what Hal sees in Eve...while wondering what she sees in Barry.

Barry fears Hal is being a bad influence on him. You see, he thinks that Hal is a bit jealous of Barry's having a rather stable life, and he's using this whole thing with Wally to try and mess that up a bit. Hal thinks Barry is letting his ego talk for him. However, it's broken up by Wally, who points out something's going down at the Central City Stadium. And no, it's not your typical hockey fight.

"This is pucked up!"

Wally goes to find the villains, much to Hal and Barry's consternation. The hockey players have been affected by Wally's stolen speed powers, so making sure they don't end up killing each other or themselves is the priority. Barry's having trouble running on the ice, but Hal can't help him because of yellow boots. Thanks, Parallax. The tension between them starts to rise until...

"Huh. So that's what it's like to see other people get concussions."

Ouch. Normally Hal is the one who gets brained by things. Mirror Master sends out a mirrored pyramid-like device that traps the two heroes. Hal tries to blast his way out, but it's no good. Barry is still a bit dazed...and likely has a concussion. Mirror Master and Black Hand gloat over their victory...but Wally is still free. He tries to engage them, but his ring putters out. With Green Lantern trapped, Wally is cut off. Black Hand prepares to use his gun/wand/cigar-shaped weapon to speed up Wally's heart until it explodes...but the weapon is empty. Wally somehow drained its energy...restoring his powers.

"Room-a-zoom-zoom!"

Kid Flash is back! Black Hand tries to shoot him again, but can't get a bead on him. Mirror Master flees with a mirror, but GL stops him. He traps the two villains in a cage construct. Barry is wondering one thing...how did Wally beat these guys? Well, Wally explains it. He had caught up with the villains. But before they spotted him, he used his ring to get Black Hand's power-absorbing weapon, and them replace it with a fake. He then fired the weapon at himself...and Kid Flash was back!

As the cops take the two villains away, Hal notes that they did all this havoc for seemingly nothing. It's like they cared more about feeding their egos than getting rich. Barry's hoping it stays that way. Otherwise, Wally's going to have his hands full in the future when he retires. After all, who else is going to fill Barry's boots when he's in a nursing home HAHAHAHAHAHAHA, Barry won't get to retire.

As Kid Flash signs some autographs, Barry and Hal apologize to each other. Barry should have given the benefit of the doubt, and Hal cut Barry off at the knees in front of Wally. Hal wonders why he didn't use his ring to stop the trap before it caught him and Barry. The Flash believes that he wanted to save them with his speed to show that at heart, he's a Flash.

That night, the three go to a diner for dinner, alongside Iris and Eve. Iris points out that they didn't take Wally home. The three try to make an excuse, but they're saved by Eve. She spits out her coffee and complains about the diner being a pigsty. The comic ends with Barry and Hal sharing a laugh, while Iris is just confused about the whole thing.

This comic was rather fun. I highly recommend it. The story had a real Silver Age feel to it, which is rather appropriate for this story. I loved that Waid and Peyer remembered that back in the Silver Age days, Black Hand was fond of spouting clichés. Nice attention to detail there. Also, I have to give props to Barry Kitson's art. I love his art here. It's very clean and expressive. I also liked seeing Mirror Master and Black Hand team-up. It's really cool seeing supervillains we don't often see joining forces doing so.

Another nice touch is the tension between Barry and Hal. Barry had just become a part of the West family at this point, so it makes sense he'd want to be a positive influence on his new nephew Wally. It is understandable why he would be concerned about Hal suddenly, and unintentionally, undercutting him by giving Wally Lantern powers for a while. I also have to give a shout-out to Barry Kitson's art. It's wonderful to look at. It does not outright imitate the art of Carmine Infantino or Gil Kane, it does have an appropriate feel for a more lighthearted Silver Age-style story like this.

I only have a couple of complaints about the story. One is how Kid Flash got his powers back. Black Hand's power-absorbing weapon is yellow. At the time this story was set in, Green Lanterns' power rings were ineffectual against anything that was yellow. Heck, the story showed that. So, how did Kid Flash lift the weapon with his ring? He should not have been able to do that. Also, Iris's wondering about her relationship with Barry goes nowhere.

There is also a bit of a timeline goof-up here. You see, Hal states in the story that he's been dating Eve for 2 months, one week, and 3 days. If we went by comic publishing dates, the story should also be set between The Flash #176 (February 1968) and #187 (May 1969). However, Barry and Iris are married, but she seems to be unaware of his being the Flash. So, that means it's also set between The Flash #165 (November 1966) and #174 (November 1967). Whoops. It's just something that I felt I had to point out. It doesn't hurt the story in any way, so it's not a big deal.

If you want to read this story for yourself, I got it from the 2006 trade paperback Green Lantern: The Greatest Stories Ever Told. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you enjoyed it, spread it around! And if you want to give this blog some additional support, please drop a tip in my Digital Tip Jar! Next time, we take a look at the formation of a unique new Justice League team...

Yoshi's Crafted World Launch Trailer, My Thoughts

Back in January, I looked at the story trailer for the Switch game, Yoshi's Crafted World. Since then, I had downloaded and played thorough the demo. I found it to be a lot of fun. Well, the launch trailer is here, so let's take a look!

I love the whole look of the game, like everything is crafted of cardboard, paper, and markers. It's like a diorama a kid would make for school.

The music is nice, too.

Everything just looks so adorable! This appears to be a great game for younger children. Of course, adults can enjoy it, too.

I like the mechanic of flipping the world over. Makes for some interesting possibilities when it comes to exploration.

It's a very short trailer, so there's not a lot for me to talk about here. I enjoyed the demo, so I think this game will be a great addition to the Switch library. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, please spread it around! And if you want to give this blog some additional support, please drop a tip in my Digital Tip Jar!

Final Fantasy X/X-2 "Your Story Begins" Trailer, My Thoughts

Recently, it seems like the Final Fantasy series has been getting itself reacquainted with being on Nintendo systems again. True, Final Fantasy and Nintendo used to go hand-in-hand back in the day, but after VII, it seemed like newer FF games would never come to anything the big N made. Sure, remakes of older FF games came to the handhelds, but that seemed to be it.

However, with the Nintendo Switch, Square Enix has decided to port some of the Final Fantasy games to it, games that have never been on a Nintendo console before. We've seen the announcements for VII and IX, and as we'll see here, X and X-2. As for why XIII isn't among this group...funny story there. From what I heard...they lost the source code for it. Yup. Square Enix literally lost the source code for a game in one of their main and most popular franchises. How do you DO THAT?!

Back on topic. Let's talk about Final Fantasy X a bit. Originally released in 2001 for the PlayStation 2, the game has gone on to be ported to the PS3 and 4, the Vita, and Windows. It was the first game in the series to use full voice acting. It was also the first game in the series whose music was not solely composed by Nobuo Uematsu. Junya Nakano and Masashi Hamauzu were brought in to help. It also was the first game to get itself a sequel. Yeah, the Final Fantasy games tend to tell a new story with different characters in each game.

Much like a couple of its predecessors, FFX was heavily praised and is considered one of the greatest games of all time. X-2 has been highly praised as well, but it's not considered as iconic as the first one.

Well, now they can be played on the go for the...second time. The PlayStation Vita was a handheld. Anyway, for my 650th blog entry...yeah, 650. I can't believe it, either. Let's look at this trailer!

Be entranced by Yuna's mystical dance!

"So...does anybody know any scary stories?"

There s no way that big red island is natural.

You can bet someone is going to make a drunken nuisance of themselves at this wedding.

Ride the rails, baby!

THAR SHE BLOWS!

That's a lot of gameplay time.

That's what a Venusaur's flower bud becomes if it's not planted on the Bulbasaur.

I don't think it's a good idea to feed the monster that big glowing orb thing.

These games look rather nuts.

I have to admit, I do have an odd interest in FFX. I saw the Completionist's video on the game, and he made it seem like it was a lot of fun...but not one to complete. I think I may give it a shot. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, spread it around! And if you want to give this blog some additional support, please drop a tip in my Digital Tip Jar! See you next time!

Final Fantasy VII Launch Trailer, My Thoughts

In 1997, the video game company Square (now known as Square Enix), released the seventh game in their Final Fantasy series: Final Fantasy VII. Originally, it was intended to be developed for the Super Nintendo Entertainment system, like the three previous games in the series before it: IV, V, and VI. However, the technical advantages of CD-ROM technology intrigued the developers, so it went to the Sony PlayStation.

This game does have some major firsts. It was the first game in the Final Fantasy series to be released in PAL regions like Europe. It was the first game in the series to not be released on a Nintendo console at launch. It was the first game in the series to use 3D computer graphics. It also is credited as the game that managed to make RPGs popular in the West.

The game is very-highly acclaimed for its gameplay, graphics, music, and its cyberpunk story which dealt with themes of life (Series creator Hironobu Sakaguchi chose this theme after his mother died during development of FFVI). It's regarded as one of the greatest video games of all time. And naturally, this game would be released on various other platforms over the years, like on various PlayStation consoles thanks to the PlayStation Network, and on PC. There's even a remake coming for the PS4.

The main character of the game, one Cloud Strife, would become one of video games' most recognizable characters, right up there with Mario and Sonic. He's even appeared in the Kingdom Hearts and Super Smash Bros. series. I enjoyed playing as him in the 3DS Smash game.

The original version has added two new consoles to its travelogue: The Xbox One...and the Nintendo Switch. Let's take a look at the Switch launch trailer!

I wonder if the remake will come to Switch as well?

The Lifestream looks really neat.

Yeah, you can tell this game is over twenty years old. I'm not knocking it, I'm just pointing it out.

For God's sake Cloud, ask Tifa out!

See, everyone else wants you to do it already!

Uh, Cloud? You may want to wake up, buddy.

That monster is big, ugly, and we're going to have to fight that thing, aren't we?

Aerith, I don't get what you're praying for. I think it will be a given that Avengers: Endgame will break some box office records.

And there's Sephiroth standing in a fire. This is proof he's a crazy man, as noncrazy men would not stand around in a fire like that.

Is it weird I want to see Sephiroth fight Terminators?

Cloud saw an action movie, and it gave him ideas.

BOOM.

Well, I have to make a confession here. I never played this game before. I never even owned the original PlayStation. I am well aware of this game's legacy, though. As such, I am happy that this game is able to reach a new audience thanks to the Switch and Xbox One. Heck, I may give this game a try myself. And I'm honestly more of a Dragon Quest guy over a Final Fantasy guy.

Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, please spread it around! And if you want to give this blog some additional support, please drop a tip in my Digital Tip Jar!

Toy Story 4 Trailer

The Toy Story franchise is arguably one of Disney-Pixar's most successful, with it covering everything from movies to video games, to cartoons, and even shorts. The original film trilogy is regarded as the most highly-acclaimed trilogies of all time...according to Rotten Tomatoes. Back in November of last year, I looked at the teaser for the upcoming fourth Toy Story movie.

Well, now a full trailer is out, so let's take a look!

Hey, it's the origin of Forky! You remember Forky, right? The spork that freaked out in the teaser? That was funny.

Forky needs to switch to decaf. And to take some Prozac.

The losing his eyes is going to be a running gag, isn't it?

To be fair, a imaginative little kid can make just about anything into a toy.

Yeah, that's going to be Forky's arc in this movie. Accepting that he's a toy now, not a food delivery system.

Poor Woody. I bet he's getting flashbacks of having to show Buzz Lightyear he was a toy in the first movie.

Those dolls are totally not creepy. Totally not creepy at all...*shudders*

Hey, Bo Peep is back! Where's she been?

Whoa...what is that? A hidden room? Another dimension? Whatever it is, it's impressive. It's like an idyllic Wild West town meeting a county fair. All the cotton candy and hot dogs you can eat!

Is Woody...having a mid-life crisis in this movie?

There's something rather...heartwarming and hilarious about the crazy Forky telling Woody everything will be alright.

Well, this sounds like it will be a fun movie. I have seen the first two Toy Story movies, heard the third was really good, so I got to catch up on that. I can't wait to see what new adventures Woody and the gang have! Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, spread it around! And if you want to give this blog some extra support, please drop a tip in my Digital Tip Jar! See you next time!

Wonder Woman #20 (September 1988)

The tribute to George Perez continues! I figured the last comic we should do for this should be a more human tale, one from his classic Wonder Woman run. We've visited his run several times on this blog in the past. We've looked at issues #15, #58, and #62, all from George Perez's run on the character, so I figured, why not go there again? Pretty much any time I cover Wonder Woman in the comics on my blog, I keep coming back to Perez's run. Weird.

After the Crisis on Infinite Earths hit, Wonder Woman was one of the characters whose history got restarted over again. With that, she was recast as a new arrival to the world, an innocent babe in the woods. With a new history came a new supporting cast. One such member of it was one Myndi Mayer. A publicist from Diana's new stomping grounds of Boston, Massachusetts, Mayer was a vivacious woman with a keen business sense, and set out to make Wonder Woman an international sensation.

The comic we're going to look at here is the tale of how this pugnacious publicist...met her end. This is Wonder Woman #20.

The cover is really awesome, because it's so unique. A Perez piece, it basically resembles that of a newspaper front page, announcing the death of Myndi Mayer. You got Wonder Woman and her friend Julia Kapatelis with police officers Indelicato and Shands on it, like they had just emerged from a police station to a crowd of reporters. The bottom shows the suspects in the crime. Miss Mayer made her fair share of enemies in her time, and any one of them had to motive to take her out.

"Who Killed Myndi Mayer?"
Writer: George Perez
Penciler: George Perez
Inker: Bob McLeod
Colorist: Carl Gafford
Letterer: John Costanza
Editor: Karen Berger
Executive Editor: Dick Giordano

The story begins with a trio of Chinese men running for their lives in the streets of Boston. Someone, or something is in hot pursuit of these men. They run into the someone chasing them. They fire at their pursuer, but the bullets bounce off silver shining bracelets. The figure's hands crush their guns like they're tissue paper. And the men themselves get tossed into garbage cans.

One of the men comes at the figure with a pair of sai. But this man is no Raphael. Another one of the men tries to flee, but gets caught by a golden lasso. The man begs the figure not to hurt him, he'll squeal. An angry Wonder Woman demands answers from him.

Officers Ed Indelicato and Mike Shands are in an office, which has become a crime scene. The two men look over a corpse. Who was that corpse? One Myndi Mayer, publicist to the stars. She was also Wonder Woman's publicist. Now, she's missing her face, splattered all over by someone's gun.

Indelicato is snapped out of his reverie. Mayer didn't go without a fight. Her letter opener had blood in it, and her purse was empty. Robbery gone wrong? Maybe not. There's traces of cocaine on her desk. It was called in by a cleaning lady. She saw a bearded white guy wearing a jacket with the words "Common Sense" written on it enter the building after hours. He seemed really upset about something.

Indelicato and Shands visit Mayer's secretary, Christine Fenton. The blonde isn't surprised Meyer's dead. She figured it was only a matter of time before Mayer got herself killed. Shands produces a police sketch.

Fenton recognizes the sketch: One Steve London, former art director. He had been fired a week earlier. They found the man at St. Eligius Hospital, as he was being treated for a knife wound. Naturally, they take him in for questioning. He also appeared to be a bit hungover. London admits he was there, but he just wanted to talk to her. He didn't even own a gun. Besides, killing her wouldn't have gotten him his job back.

He then tells the cops about a board meeting that Mayer had called. The cops had the official minutes, but London was able to flesh things out. Mayer looked burned out. Her coffee was clearly liquored up, and her nose was red. He brings up Skeeter La Rue, a man who many at Mayer's firm hated.

Look at that face. That's a face you just want to punch. Mayer's publicist firm was going through some troubles. They lost a bunch of accounts and they were the target of 153 lawsuits. Just about everything, from embezzlement to reckless endangerment. Heck, I would not be surprised if indecent exposure was among the lawsuits, too. Also, I can imagine the disaster that was the Wonder Woman fair in Wonder Woman #15 (April 1988) did not help things very much. Anyway, Myndi is not the forgiving type. She wanted heads. And Steve London was one of those heads she collected. Since then, he'd just been reeling from the shock of it. He does point out another victim of Mayer's head-collecting: Deni Hayes, London's assistant. She wasn't a member of the Myndi Mayer fan club, either. She also shared London's hatred of Skeeter.

Last night, the two of them decided to do something about their troubles: Get good and drunk. And get drunk they did. They got so drunk they blacked out. All London remembers is hearing Deni say something about Mayer and Skeeter that enraged him. London then breaks down and starts sobbing, saying he couldn't have killed Mayer.

In Chinatown, Diana pays a visit to To-Choi Industries. She asks Mr. Choi about the whereabouts of Skeeter La Rue, as he works for him. However, Choi denies that La Rue is in his employ. Diana presses, but Choi just tells her to leave, or he'll have her arrested for trespassing. Choi's bodyguard, a big hulk of a man, tries to escort Diana out. It goes as well as you think.

Choi moves to call the cops, but Wonder Woman catches the man with her lasso. Since Choi won't give her the truth voluntarily, she'll use the lasso to cajole it out of him. He tells her he's in a small warehouse in Bedford and gives her the address. She then uses an Amazon nerve technique to send the crime boss to Dreamland. With that, she flies off.

Ed Indelicato is typing into a typewriter. Yeah, the narration of this story is done in the vein of a book that the inspector is writing. London's goose is seemingly cooked. The murder weapon was found, and London's fingerprints were on it. It seems like an open-and-shut case. But Indelicato's instincts say otherwise. Nothing's ever that neat. There's something more to this...

However, Deni Hayes's testimony is not helping much. Hayes found something out about La Rue. She had broken into his office, and gone through his files. There were some oddities in the records, and she discovered that La Rue has been using Mayer's firm to peddle cocaine. Mayer herself is one of the customers. In fact, ol' Skeet has been using his cocaine connections to take over Mayer's firm. Some of the clients found out, and that's when everything went nuts.

London insists that it's the cocaine messing with Mayer's head, but it's more than that. It was the disaster that was the Wonder Woman fair in Wonder Woman #15-16 (April-May 1988). During that mess, the police managed to capture some masked crooks, but they were simply a distraction so that the Silver Swan could make off with the real target: A sack of computer chips. Prototype custom chips worth a fortune. It was a part of a big smuggling scheme to raise money for a new cocaine shipment. Deni told Meyer about it, but Mayer saw it as an attempt at blackmail.

Deni told London that Myndi was laughing about it. This sets the man off, so he stormed out of the bar. However, Deni just said that in a drunken stupor, and wasn't able to stop him. She was left at the bar to puke on the bartender.

And with that, it seems they found their man. Steve London killed Myndi Mayer in a drunken rage. But there still was some pieces missing to this puzzle, so Indelicato and Shands decide to do a check on Skeeter La Rue. Turns out the Southerner was really a New Jersey man named Michael Boyd, lifelong criminal. Indelicato then gets a visitor.

The inspector is spellbound at the sight of the beautiful Amazon, accompanied by her friend Julia Kapatelis and Christine Fenton. She had just come back from an adventure in Greece when she got the news. But this is no waking dream. Diana wants some answers about Myndi's death. We then switch scenes to Bedford at night, focusing in on the warehouse. Skeeter La Rue, or should I say Michael Boyd, is feeling a bit paranoid. He's convinced someone's in the warehouse. His guards think he's crazy as they checked around and found no one. He orders them to check around again, so they follow orders...and run into an ambush from Diana. Boyd tries to flee, but Wonder Woman is able to catch up to him.

Earlier, Diana wants to know who killed Myndi. Indelicato tells her about the case, feeling that he couldn't say "no" to her. He notes that Diana was the only one who showed any sort of actual sadness about it. Christine Fenton finds it hard to believe Mayer was a drug smuggler, as well as London being a killer. However, Captain Ablamsky and the DA believe it. Fenton and Kapatelis suggest another way to get the truth: Diana's magic lasso.

Captain Ablamsky is understandably disbelieving about it. A magic lasso that can make people tell the truth? Come on! I mean, Ablamsky can believe a speedster, a flying super-strong man, a space cop with a powerful ring, but a magic lasso that can make people tell the truth?! That's for fairy tales!

There's also another problem: A legal problem. You see, a DA could argue that London is trying to save his own skin by using the lasso as a ruse to suddenly "remember the truth". Not to mention...no defense attorney with an ounce of competence would allow someone to just wrap a rope around someone because they claim it can magically reveal the truth. Diana implores Ablamsky to let London make the choice for justice. However, Ablamsky is not talking about justice, he's talking about the law.

Ultimately, Ablamsky does relent. However, the public attorney talks London out of it, just like Ablamsky predicted. Deni Hayes goes to speak to the Amazing Amazon. However, Indelicato still has one lead left: Mr. Michael Boyd. But Boyd up and fled the coop. He also got a visit from a rep for the coroner. They found something in Myndi's autopsy...

Indelicato is typing about this case (He's working on a book) on his typewriter when he gets a call from Shands. They found Boyd. And he's dead.

Wonder Woman is in the warehouse with Shands, where she explains how she got here. Deni Hayes had given her some names from Skeeter/Michael's files. She tracked them down and her search led to Boyd. Using the lasso, she found the truth: Boyd killed Mayer. He said that he had to, because she would ruin his drug-pushing operation.

Mayer had confronted the man in her office, furious her agency was being used as a smuggling front. Boyd asks her if she's been drinking again. She is heartbroken about this, as she loved him. Boyd pulls a small bag of cocaine out of his pocket and remarks that she loved his product, not him. He tosses it on her desk, taunting her. Her cocaine habit is the reason she won't turn him in.

She screams she is done with the junk, and demands he get out. If he returns, she'll raise all kinds of Cain on him. Boyd wasn't worried. She needed him, and he knew it. Choi, thought, was not so confident. He thought Mayer was out of control, and Boyd was tasked to, as the old Mob saying goes, rub her out.

That night, Boyd went to Mayer's office after hours, armed with a shotgun. Mayer was sitting at her desk, just staring at nothing. Her eyes were red and glassy. It was like she was catatonic. Boyd shot her in the face with his gun. He then ransacked the office to make it look like a robbery. It was at that time an angry and drunk Steve London stormed in.

Boyd grabbed Mayer's letter opener and stabbed London after the two struggled. This explains London's injury. Indelicato can guess the rest. London made the perfect patsy. Boyd wiped his fingerprints from the letter opener and put it in Mayer's hand. He did the same thing with the gun so London's prints would be on it, then tossed the gun in a dumpster. Nice and neat. Mayer's dead, London gets pinned, and Boyd would be brought somewhere safe. Or maybe taken to be eliminated himself.

But there's still one question. How did Boyd end up dead on an electric fence. After all, it's not Wonder Woman's style to throw people into electric fences. Diana admitted she let her guard down over her being upset about Myndi. Two guards rushed in as she was untying Skeeter. While she was occupied, Boyd tried to flee. He ended up running into the fence before Diana could catch up to him.

Wonder Woman laments about Myndi's death, how she believed the publicist could have beaten her demons, but Boyd stopped that from happening. However, there's one last sad twist. Shands and Indelicato got the coroner's report, and...

Boyd's gun didn't kill Myndi Mayer. She actually died from a cerebral hemorrhage...caused by the alcohol and cocaine in her system. Yeah. Evidently, the bag of coke was too much temptation for her, and she was already dead before Boyd shot her. Diana is understandably shocked, and wonders why this happened. Sadly, no easy answers could be given. Keep in mind, Diana at this point was still relatively new to Man's World, and something like suicide (well, accidental in Myndi's case) could have never occurred to her. She still was rather innocent, after all. All Ed Indelicato can do is stare at a picture of Meyer, comparing her to, as he writes himself, "...a beautiful bird that just wanted to keep flying higher. Until she ran out of sky."

This comic is really good. The mystery seems open-and-shut, but it does provide some good twists. It's a tragic tale of a woman who is brought down by her own fallibility. I liked that the narration was done in the style of Ed Indelicato's writing a book. It helped give an almost noir feel to the story. Bittersweet ending, Indelicato's descriptions of Wonder Woman, it does all contribute to the noir-esque feel of it all. Myndi Meyer had her fair share of enemies, but she was the ultimate instrument of her destruction. The irony of it all. I love that. This was a tale that showed that even in a world of heroes, tragedies like this can still happen.

I think it may have been the inking, but I admit, when I read this book for this review...I thought another artist did it for a while there. It did feel a bit...off. It still was good, it just felt a bit...off. That's the best way I can think of to describe it.

This issue would not be the end of Myndi's story, though. Wonder Woman Annual #1 (1988) would give us more details about Myndi's life in the form of her recounting her life in a video will, showing there was a lot more to the flamboyant businesswoman than many realized. This tale was Perez's favorite work on Wonder Woman.

This story is really great. If you want to read it, I recommend hunting down the trade paperback Wonder Woman by George Perez Vol. 2. Thanks for reading this review! If you liked it, please spread it around! And if you want to give some additional support to this blog, please drop a tip in my Digital Tip Jar! Any amount is appreciated! Next time, I'm still in a bit of a DC mood, so we will take a look at a tale focusing on a pair of Brave and Bold Silver Age superheroes. See you next time!

Cuphead Announcement Trailer, My Thoughts

In 2017, StudioMDHR developed and released a run-and-gun game called Cuphead. Inspired by 1930s cartoons like the ones produced by Fleischer Studios and Walt Disney Animation, the game told the tale of two brothers named Cuphead and Mugman as they fought to collect on the debts of those who sold their souls to the Devil in an attempt to keep theirs.

Originally released for the PC and Xbox One, the game would then go on to be released on Mac computers as well. The game was highly praised for its art style, gameplay, and music, but its difficulty did get mixed reviews. The game would go on to be nominated and won various awards.

In recent years, Microsoft and Nintendo have been getting rather buddy-buddy as of late. They have allowed cross-play support for Minecraft, for example. And in another showing, Cuphead is coming to the Nintendo Switch! Let's take a look a the announcement trailer!

Well, I have to admit, this is a refreshing take on a video game trailer.

Good Morning!

Ministry of Drink and Health Regulation. Studio M-D-H-R. Get it?

I keep getting the feeling I saw this dude in something before, but I can't put my finger on it.

I like to start my day with some tea myself. I'm not a coffee drinker.

Not really. Just clean up the milk. Its not hard. And be careful when pouring it.

Heh heh, that clear mask makes him look like False Face from the 60s Batman show.

Dancing Cupheads!

The music is really good!

I have wanted to play this game, but I heard it was really difficult.

The bosses look really cool. They remind me of old Looney Tunes cartoons in a way.

That guy dances like a robot. I could have sworn I have seen him somewhere.

Cuphead coming to Switch is really cool! If you love the game, you can now play it on the go! I just may give it a try myself. Hope they release a demo! Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, please spread it around! And if you want to give my blog some extra support, please drop a tip in my Digital Tip Jar! See you next time!

Blaster Master Zero II Launch Trailer, My Thoughts

Back in 2017, Inti Creates developed and released a game called Blaster Master Zero for the Nintendo 3DS. The game was a remake of the 1988 NES Sunsoft game Blaster Master. Like the original version, Zero was highly praised, but it did get criticism for its seemingly low difficulty and lack of improvements over the NES version. The game also sold well, and got ported to the Nintendo Switch. It would also get DLC that allowed the game to be played as various other characters, like Shovel Knight, Shantae, and even Gunvolt and Ekoro from two other Inti Creates games: Azure Striker Gunvolt and Gal*Gun.

I have the 3DS version of the game, and I quite enjoy it. I never did get the criticism about the low difficulty. Yeah, it was challenging, but the bosses are hard to me. I suck at the bosses. Inti Creates made a very fun game, and here's some great news! There's a sequel out! Yes! Let's take a look at the Launch Trailer for Blaster Master Zero 2!

I have to admit, I was surprised to see this drop. As I said, I loved the original Blaster Master Zero, and I do recommend it if you like retro games.

Game looks really good. Maintains the 8-bit vibe, and the music is pretty cool, too.

Jason's got a new tank! And it's got some nice new features!

Interesting feature, building up SP power from hits or falls from high places. I wonder what it's used for.

Is it for building the sub-weapons' power? That would be a good way to ensure they're always energized.

And since Jason's got a new tank, Jason himself has got some new tricks!

The Blast Counter would have been real handy in the last game.

MAN, I wish I had this attack in the last game!

Taaaanks in Spaaaaaace!

Oh, traveling to other worlds. A nice way to show a variety of levels for Jason and the Sophia to fight monsters in. Can also show a variety of monsters.

I like the idea of getting power-ups that make SOPHIA and Jason stronger. Makes all the exploring worth it.

Hey, that's neat! Meeting other SOPHIA tank drivers! A great way to expand the game's universe. If each of the tanks have unique abilities, that could be a fun way to change up gameplay...if they can be played, after all.

I want to play this game! I loved the original Blaster Master Zero, and this sequel looks like a ton of fun! I do hope we also get the DLC playable characters from the last game. I just want to have Shovel Knight travel through space...

Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, please spread it around! And if you want to give this blog some extra support, please drop a tip in my Digital Tip Jar! See you next time!

Text Play: Pokemon Mega Adventure #20

Hello, everybody! Welcome back to the Akiba Region! This is a special occasion, as it's the 20th entry in my Text Play of Pokémon Mega Adventure!

Yeah. 20 entries. I can't believe it. This is the furthest I have ever gone in a Pokémon fan game. And it's all thanks to everyone who read and enjoyed this Text Play journey. Your support helps keep me going. Thank you all so much, and I hope you continue to enjoy my journey through this game. And I want to do more Text Plays like this in the future. I have my next two Pokémon fan games already in mind for the future. But for now, let's continue on with our travels through the Akiba Region, shall we?

With the sixth badge collected, it's time for me to move on. Got a Pokémon League to get to, after all. Not to mention Team Prime is still out there, and I'll have to help take care of them, too. So, time to hit Route 13! I may come back here to try out the Safari Zone a third time.

There, I found an Ultra Ball, as well as some berries in that berry patch. Cheri Berries on the left, and Chesto Berries on the right. Cheri Berries can heal paralysis, and Chesto Berries can wake up Pokémon that have been put to sleep in battle. I have been wanting to grow more berries, as they're just as good as using the various cures you can get in the Poké Marts. Cheaper, too. Thing is, I don't have anything like Berry Pots from HeartGold/SoulSilver. If I grow Berries in a patch like this one in the screenshot, I'll end up forgetting about them. Having the Pots allowed me to keep an eye on my planted Berries. Also, see that rock next to the water in the screenshot? There's a Big Nugget hidden there. You can sell that for big money.

Anyway, I moved on ahead, and I found this girl here, with her Braixen.

It's our old friend Serena. I wonder what she's been up to? Anyway, she's pretty impressed with our badge count, and cannot wait to battle us. Hey, I'll take her on, if she wants to give her Pokémon a workout. However, she can't right now. Her Braixen is not doing so hot, and it needs some rest. This is unusual. Generally, in Pokémon games, if trainers challenge you, you cannot refuse. It's generally considered rude in-universe. However, I think it would be fair to say there can be exceptions in the case of emergencies, like if a Pokémon is injured and needs medical help badly. So, it's fine.

I want to face Serena at her best. As such, she offers to meet me in front of the Gym at Synchrone City. She gives me HM02: Fly. Hey, that will be pretty handy. As shown in the screenshot, I could go straight ahead, or to the left. Being a bit of an explorer at heart, I went to the left. I encountered a wild Floette and Flabebe. I also found another Mega Stone.

It's a Lucarionite. The path led to this little grotto here.

At least, I think it's a grotto. I'm going to need a Pokémon that knows Surf to cross. This is why I like the Ride Pokémon in Sun and Moon. I have really grown to dislike the HMs, so I was so happy that they were finally ditched in that game. Anyway, I went back to the Pokémon Center, got my Poliwag (which knows Surf), and surfed to the center and found this.

Yeah. There's nothing here. No fishing, no nothing. I get the feeling there was originally something intended to be here, but the developers changed their minds. It's really odd. It kind of discourages exploration a bit as what's the point? If there's no reward, there's no reason to explore.

With that a bust, I went upwards. Fought a trainer, and found a Rare Candy near an entranceway. Upon entering the entranceway, a police officer wished me a nice day! That's nice! And he encouraged me to visit Synchrone Cave. And with that, I arrive at Synchrone City. The first thing I see when I'm there?

A frickin' Team Prime grunt. And he has a Goodra. He's feeling a bit down because someone kicked his butt. I'm guessing Ash, Looker, or someone else whupped him. I'm not going to be lifting this grunt's mood. He brought out an Aerodactyl, but Thundra the Luxray was able to handle it. Got wrecked by Goodra, though. However, Butterfree and Venusaur were able to take it down. The grunt taunts me childishly (He literally says he'll tell his boss on me), and he...walks away. He doesn't run, he walks. He's in no rush to tell his boss on me. After this, I ventured into the city. After all, it seems like there's plenty to do here. Maybe there's more minigames. But it looks like the search for minigames will have to go on the back burner for a while, as this town has some unwanted guests.

Yeah, this place is evidently crawling with Team Prime. Didn't that guard at the entranceway notice this?! I'm guessing that he's on the take, if you know what I mean. I highly doubt a world-conquering organization would be above bribing people. With another grunt defeated, I was able to explore further into the city. Right here, I found the Move Deleter's house.

Got a move you regret teaching your Pokémon? This guy will fix that for you! I also found the Synchrone Cave the guard told me about.

Evidently, that's also the Gym. And that is not Serena. So...where did she go? Also, I have to say, it's so weird going back to having separate buildings for the Pokémon Centers and shops. I'm just really used to having them in the same building. Much more convenient. One of the people in the Mart is just hanging out and enjoying the cool breeze of the air conditioner. I'm guessing this place has a hot and humid climate. So, it's like Upstate New York in the summer.

At the Pokémon Center here, I learned the Gym Leader was named Irina, and she is gone at the moment. So, based on last time, I think we can assume that Irina was actually a guy named Ted.

The Grunt guarding the cave entrance had a Dragonite. The combo of Luxray and Primarina took it down. Her Kokomo-o was a nightmare, though. Its Dragon Claw attack gave my team quite the beating. Thanks to Primarina's Moonblast, I finally beat it. Once inside, I noticed I'm going to need a Pokémon that knew Rock Smash.

Time to bring Moguera back on the team! He also knows Strength, so I'm not worried about boulders. And just my luck, there are boulders in this cave. There's one near the entrance. You have to move it carefully, as it's easy to end up blocking the path. But it is worth it, when you do.

Another Mega Stone for the collection. This one is an Alakazite. I now have seven Mega Stones in my little collection. Now if only I had an Alakazam... Anyway, the cave is crawling with Team Prime grunts. What're they doing here? It does seem that they're not too worried at the moment, as they have problems of their own.

I have to give this game credit for something. I like that it shows other Trainers fighting Team Prime. Especially when they take over somewhere. It gives the idea that you're not alone in dealing with these guys. It also makes sense that when Team Prime take over something, trainers there would rise up and try to drive them out. It does make me think that there should be cops dealing with this. After all, Team Prime are criminals. By the way, that item up there? That's a Max Potion. Get it. It can come in handy.

Funny enough, there's a Grunt guarding a ladder nearby. Before we battle, she screams at me to stop following her. She can't be the same Grunt that I encountered when I entered the town. That Grunt was male, and had different Pokémon. She was armed with a pair of Dragonite, but my Primarina easily took care of them. With that, the ladder was usable. But before I went down, I wanted to explore this floor some more. I found another item here.

It's a Revive. That'll come in handy. I am curious as to what is at the other end of that ladder in the screenshot, but there's a battle blocking it, so I'm a bit stuck here. I'll have to wait to check out that ladder for now. Time to go down! Once I did, I encountered Looker. He's explaining that the Boss of Team Prime is battling Sabrina. Yes, Sabrina from Pokémon Red and Blue. You'd think the Gym Leader of this town would be helping out, too. Where is Irina, taking a coffee break?! Looker is trying to help her, but Team Prime has a bunch of Aces, and they're pretty powerful. He's hoping I'll help him. Since they need a whuppin', I agree to help...but then the screen shook, like someone set off an explosion.

Looker believes it's Mewtwo and Rayquaza. Wait, Mewtwo is here, too?! Yup! Turns out Sabrina has Mewtwonite, and they want it from her. They also want to capture Mewtwo. Makes sense. They are interested in powerful Pokémon. And Mewtwo is a powerful Pokémon. Anyone who's seen Pokémon: The First Movie would know this.

I just had a realization. I'm going to have to fight the Boss and Rayquaza again, aren't it? His Mega Rayquaza was no joke. It wrecked one third of my team last time I fought it! I should know. But I'm not as worried as I was before. I still have a Primarina that still knows Moonblast. Bring it on, Boss. The floor has a couple of Noivern flying around here. They take a bit of skill to avoid.

On this floor I found a Burn Heal and a Hyper Potion. Those could come in handy. I'm thinking maybe I should do a bit of grinding before I go ahead. Just in case. This game can be a bit grindy. Makes me think of Dragon Quest IX. Fun game, but insanely grindy. I know I've complained about this before, but I'll do it again: I wish the EXP Share item in this game was like the one in Sun and Moon. It was something I loved about Sun and Moon. It made building new teams to take on the trials that much easier as it cut down the grinding time significantly.

And it's time to take on the Aces! The Aces are named Henri and Amanda, and they are recolored Team Rocket sprites. It's a double battle, and each of the Aces has a Mega Pokémon. Henri has a Mega Sceptile, the Amanda has a Mega Ampharos. Lovely. Thankfully, my Garchomp and Venusaur were able to take care of them. Venusaur wore them down with Poison Powder and Leech Seed, and Garchomp wrecks them with Dig. I have really grown to love Garchomp. And it's funny hearing the two "Aces" whine about how they still lost despite Mega Evolution. It's not the Evolution, it's the Trainer. And you two were found wanting.

Going further ahead, I found our old friend from Descent Tower, the Team Prime Boss with his Mega Rayquaza. He's trying to recruit Sabrina...who has Mewtwo on her team. Wait...how did this woman get that Pokémon on her team? Yeah, Mewtwo is a Psychic-type Pokémon, and that is Sabrina's specialty and all (not to mention she does have psychic powers), but...Mewtwo is not a normal Pokémon. Anyone who has watched the first Pokémon movie would know what kind of character Mewtwo is. I cannot see him letting himself be part of anyone's Pokémon team.

Yeah, their dialogue could have used some proofreading. That's a regular problem with this game. The two battle, but the artificial Pokémon is having some troubles against the big green dragon. Red shows up and brings out his Charizard for backup. Evidently, the Boss doesn't like the idea of two-on-one battles, so he retreats. Coward.

Also, Sabrina is the Gym Leader here? I thought it was someone named Irina! Was that an alias? And isn't this some kind of conflict of interest? I mean, Sabrina is already a Kanto gym leader, and she's also one here in Akiba? Must be one heck of a commute. You know, this reminds me of something. I have said in the past that I think this game was originally intended to be a remake or maybe a sequel to Red and Blue, and Sabrina's presence here really helps contribute to the theory.

She tells me that she'll be waiting for me in her Gym. I head out, and I notice that the wild Noivern that flew around here are gone. I think I caught one of them, so I'm not too worried. Team Prime cleared out after the Boss fled, so the path through town is cleared. At the end is Looker.

How ya doing, pal? He wants me to stay and challenge Sabrina. He also hints that that he wants to battle me himself. Don't you have something better to do, like I don't know, go after Team Prime?! The Boss is still out there! Did you just let him run by you or something?!

You may be wondering, if the Synchrone Gym is in the Cave, how do we get there? Well, remember that ladder that was blocked off by the Team Prime trainer's battle? With them gone, the way is clear. That is our way in.

Kudos to Sabrina for uniqueness. Thing is, you may need the HM Flash to get through the Gym. The cave being dark also makes a bizarre form of sense. Sabrina is a Gym Leader who specializes in Psychic-type Pokémon. Why need eyes when you got the power of the mind at your command?

Awww, to heck with Flash. Flash is stupid. It's a useless waste of an HM. The Gym is a maze where you have to find your way through, while fighting her mini-boss Trainers. Your standard stuff in a Pokémon gym.

As usual, it's time for me to reevaluate my Pokémon team for taking on the Gym. It was tough to do here. My Butterfree knows Poison Powder and Bug Buzz. Bug Buzz is a great move to hurt Psychic-type Pokémon. Butterfree is also a Bug-type Pokémon, the attack will have a little extra kick. This is known among Pokémon fans as STAB (Special Type Attack Bonus). That'll be helpful. My Incineroar also knows a couple Dark-type attacks (including its signature move: Darkest Lariat). It also is a Dark-type, so it has STAB. My Luxray knows a Dark-type attack, but it tends to get its butt whipped a lot. Maybe some grinding will help?

Maybe I can bring my Deino out again. It's a Dark/Dragon, It does know a couple Dark-type attacks, and Dark is good against Psychic...but I would have to grind to build it up. God, I wish the EXP share in this game was like Sun and Moon's. Would really cut down on the grinding. Luckily, it's surprisingly not so bad here. Battling the Trainers at the Gym helped out majorly. My Garchomp is only a couple levels below the others, so I can grind him regularly, and give Deino the EXP share.

Sabrina has her own room in the Gym, and unlike the previous level of the cave, it's brightly lit, despite there being no visible light sources.

As shown in the screenshot, there's an Abra in the room, and another ladder. The Abra is there to teleport you out of the cave if you feel that you're not ready to face Sabrina yet. The ladder leads into another room. This room is one that you can use Flash, but you don't really need it. I found my way around it fine without it. You can find a Twisted Spoon and PP Max in there. And with that, time to face Sabrina! I hope that she's not as OP as she was in Red and Blue. She was a monster in those games. Blasted balance issues that made Psychic overpowered.

She claims that she was watching me when I battled the other trainers in her Gym. I can presume she uses her psychic powers to do it. Interestingly, she describes Mewtwo as her partner. Ah, I think that explains how she got Mewtwo on her team.

She starts with a shiny Gardevoir. Wow. I think in all my years of playing Pokémon, this is the first time I ever encountered a Gym Leader who had a shiny Pokémon. Butterfree and Incineroar took it down with a mix of Sleep Powder and Darkest Lariat. She next brought out Mewtwo, who had Mewtonite Y. It wrecked Incineroar, but it was able to weaken it enough for Primarina to finish it off. Sabrina brought out Gothitelle next. It beat Primarina, but she was able to bring down its energy bar about half down. Butterfree was able to finish her off with a Sleep Powder/Bug Buzz combo.

Then my game froze, and I had to start again...with the damage my team already took. Luckily, I was able to Revive Incineroar, and it dominated. Arceus was smiling at me this day. And it turns out I didn't really need my Deino after all. Sorry, pal.

And with that, I win. Sabrina was impressed, saying Mewtwo enjoyed the battle. With that, I got the Calm Badge and TM03 (Psyshock). Sabrina says she cannot wait to meet me at the Pokémon League. Seven badges down, one to go.

Looker is outside of town, and as he foreshadowed earlier, he and I have battle. He brings out his only Pokémon, a level 65 Croagunk. You'd think he'd have more Pokémon than that. I think Arcanine and Machamp would be good Pokémon for Looker. Arcanine tracks suspects, and Machamp restrains them. Despite it being stronger than my Butterfree by nine levels, Butterfree is able to take it down with a Sleep Powder/Psybeam combo. He gives me a gift: TM06 (Toxic).

And with that, I'll end this entry here. Again, I want to thank everyone who has enjoyed this Text Play journey. It has been a ton of fun to do, and I can't wait to put up the next one! Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, please spread it around! And if you want to give this blog some additional support, please drop a tip in my Digital Tip Jar! See you next time!

Pokémon Obtained:
Route 13
- Floette
- Gothorita
- Duosion
- Espurr
- Garchomp (evolved from Gabite)
- Spiritomb
Synchrone Cave
- Noivern

Movie Review: Captain Marvel (2019)

The Mighty Marvel Cinematic Universe marches on, true believers! Their 21st offering has arrived: Captain Marvel! That's right, Carol Danvers has made her mark! Did her cinematic debut fly high, or did it crash and burn? Let's find out as we take a look at the MCU's first female-led film: Captain Marvel!

Carol Danvers is an amnesiac member of a Kree strike team known as the Starforce. They're some of the Kree's most elite soldiers, fighting on the front lines against the menace of the shapeshifting aliens known as the Skrulls. However, a routing mission turns into an ambush, which causes Carol to discover that not everything is as it seems.

Directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, the film is a science fiction adventure mixed with human drama. Carol's journey to discover her past and the true nature of the war she has spent years fighting is rather well-done, with a nice human touch. The interplay between Brie Larson's Carol Danvers and Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury was so much fun to watch. The scene where she learned the truth about the Kree-Skrull War was a powerful one.

The big thing I really liked about the film was the twists regarding Jude Law's character and the nature of the Kree-Skrull War itself. I expected Law to be playing another character. Also, the de-aging tech used on Samuel L. Jackson and Clark Gregg to have them play younger versions of Nick Fury and Phil Coulson was incredible. The CGI used looked so realistic. It was like they literally managed to find a fountain of youth. Ben Mendelson's Talos is a fun character.

There was one minor bit of CGI during the final battle I did find a bit wonky, but it was far from an experience-ruiner for me. Also, I did feel Fury and Monica kind of accepted Carol's situation rather quickly, but considering the runtime, it was not a bother. Also, Coulson didn't really do much.

The post-credits scene was utterly hilarious.

All in all, I highly recommend this movie. It's funny, action-packed, and got some wonderful human moments, all with the message that just because someone seems good, doesn't mean they are. And also, the reverse is true. It's well-paced, and the Marvel Studios intro they did with this movie is really heartwarming. Go see this movie. It's awesome!