Western Stars Trailer, My Thoughts

In June of this year, American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen released his nineteenth album, Western Stars. Influenced by the sounds of the California pop scene of the 1970s, the album was highly acclaimed. The next month, it was announced that a documentary based on the recording of the album was in the works, co-directed by Springsteen himself and longtime collaborator Thom Zimny. Here's the trailer for it!

How do you change yourself? That is a good question. I personally imagine it takes time and introspection. That's a question I think war should tackle. It never changes.

Considering that it's a barn, I can imagine those ghosts are cows, horses, and other farm animals. They probably are nicer to have around than human ghosts.

The Boss still sounds great. Hard to believe the man is in his 70s now.

When you're a legendary singer and you need some inspiration, just go hang out in a desert and wear a cowboy hat. Works for Bruce!

The Boss has evolved into the The Philosopher.

I'm guessing that the documentary will also examine Bruce's life and how things have evolved for him over the years.

I admit, I would attend a Bruce Springsteen show in a barn.

Well, this seems like it will be an interesting little film. I do enjoy the music of The Boss, and I like what I heard in this trailer. It's nice to see he's still making music after all these years. I want to watch this movie. It seems like a good time.

Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, spread it around! See you next time!

Avengers #223 (September 1982)

A superhero's life is always in upheaval. It always seems like that no matter what a superhero does, they always have to end up taking down bad guys. It doesn't matter if the superhero is a veteran at the game, or a neophyte. It always seems that a superhero never can take a break. The case is especially true for one Clinton "Clint" Barton, aka the Avengers' resident Avenging Archer Hawkeye. As a member of Earth's Mightiest, it can be imagined that he can be considered 'always on duty' in some way. And sometimes, that even involves working with a newbie to the world of costumed heroing.

In this case, that newbie was one Scott Lang, aka the second Ant-Man. First appearing in Avengers #181 (March 1979), he was an ex-con and electronics expert. To save the life of his daughter Cassie, Lang was forced to take up thievery once again, stealing the Ant-Man suit from the previous user, Henry Pym. When Pym learned of the circumstances, he allowed Scott to keep the suit. In the years since, Scott has served as a member of the Avengers, Fantastic Four, and in recent years, even been a Guardian of the Galaxy.

Lang has appeared in various animated series, but his biggest spotlight has been in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Portrayed by Paul Rudd, Lang has appeared in 2015's Ant-Man, 2016's Captain America: Civil War, 2018's Ant-Man and the Wasp, and 2019's Avengers: Endgame. At this point, he has teamed up with the Avengers, Spider-Man, and the Thing, but this will be his first time battling evil with Hawkeye. So, how did it go? Did they get along smoothly, or did they end up brawling with each other as much as a common foe? Let's find out in my look at Avengers #223!

The cover is awesome. An Ed Hannigan and Klaus Janson piece, it has become rather iconic, showing Ant-Man lying on one of Hawkeye's arrows as he's about to fire it. The stark white background keeps the eye's attention on the two heroes. The saying on the cover is cliché, but accurate. Somebody gonna get it! This cover actually has been homaged in other media. Nods are paid to it in the video game Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, and in the big airport battle scene in Captain America: Civil War.

"Of Robin Hoods and Roustabouts"
Writer: David Michelinie
Penciler: Greg LaRocque
Inkers: Brett Breeding, Joe Rubinstein
Colorist: Christie Scheele
Letterer: Rick Parker
Editors: Mark Gruenwald, Michael Carlin
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

The story begins with a certain archer returning home.

"Comin' home! Comin' home! Tell the world he's comin' home!"

Look at that smirk. Ol' Clint Barton is up to some trouble. Well, not really. You see, since he left the circus, the old owner retired and turned it over to his daughter Marcella Carson. She had sent him a flyer, seemingly inviting him for a show, but it was really a call for some help. Clint heads towards her trailer, but the burly guards sends him out on his butt.

"All I wanted was directions to the bathroom!"

Clint is ready for a fistfight, but one of the men whips out an oddly futuristic-looking gun, convincing the archer that a tactical retreat is the best option. This whole thing gets the former carny suspicious. Luckily, he packed his Hawkeye duds in his bag. However, he's going to have some backup. Elsewhere at the circus, one Scott Lang, aka the then-new Ant-Man, is buying some cotton candy for his daughter (And future superheroine herself) Cassie. He notices Hawkeye race by in costume, and decides to give him a hand. But one problem: He has Cassie with him. Hey, there's a solution!

She always did want to go on that rollercoaster... Scott gives the attendant a bit of money and tells him to let her ride the rollercoaster as long as it lasts. Scott Lang, Father of the Year. Hawkeye makes his way to the office, and finds that it's deserted. But he's able to track Marcella and the goons down relatively quickly. He's able to rescue the circus owner and get her to seeming safety in another tent. It's at this time that he's finally noticed that Marcella's grown up since they last crossed paths.

Marcella isn't Hawkeye's type. He likes women that can beat him up.

She explains that some crazy superhuman has taken over her circus, and she was lucky she was able to slip a call for help to Hawkeye thanks to his being on the circus's mailing list. Scott Lang has a bit of trouble suiting up. He kept his suit in his pocket in shrunken form. But back to the tent! Who was that nut who took over Marcella Carson's circus?

"Anyone who calls me Skeletor gets a sword in the face!"

Yup, future MCU villain (of Black Widow's upcoming solo movie) Taskmaster! Hawkeye remembers reading about him in the Avengers files. You see, the Taskmaster considers himself a teacher. He helps train the goons supervillains use in their schemes. He ran a bunch of these "academies" all over the country. So, why use Marcella's circus? He's expanding his business. Circuses travel around, so he wants to see if he can use one to disguise a mobile supervillain goon academy. And the type of people he looks for tend to hang around carnies, so it works out.

Hawkeye doesn't take too kindly to this, and tries to give the super-trainer some Arrow to the Head. But Taskmaster blocks it with his shield. You see, Taskmaster has this thing called "photographic reflexes". If he sees someone doing a physical feat, he can imitate it perfectly. For example, if he sees a gymnast do a routine on a pommel horse, he can then do a perfect duplication of the routine. It's allowed him to imitate the various fighting techniques of heroes like Captain America, Daredevil, and even Iron Fist. He can't duplicate superpowers, though. For example, he can imitate Wolverine's fighting style, but he can't imitate the man's claws, super senses, or healing factor.

He uses this ability to make short work of Hawkeye, and forces him to drop the bow by taking Marcella hostage. However, this was watched by some ants, who report this back to Scott. Taskmaster arranges the classic supervillain death trap for Hawkeye.

It's the early 80s, death traps were still cool.

Hawkeye is trapped in an electrified cage with a hungry lion. If he tries to escape, the cage will shock him enough to send the World's Mightiest Archer to dreamland. Either way, Clint Barton is lion food...or not. Thanks to his ability to shrink, Ant-Man is able to get through the bars harmlessly, and tosses the lion into them. Don't worry folks, no lions were harmed in the making of this comic. Leo there is just sleeping.

Hawkeye's luck is also improving as Ant-Man had encountered Taskmaster before. He was there when Taskmaster first appeared in Avengers #195 (May 1980), and they battled in Marvel Team-Up #103 (March 1981). Said villain is threatening Marcella, but Hawkeye and Ant-Man are able to get to her before he can do anything. He tries to flee using a magnesium flare to cover his tracks, but Hawkeye stops it with a well-placed arrow.

The supergoon teacher orders his goon students to swarm the two heroes. But this heroic tag-team turns out to gel really well.

"BAH GAWD ALMIGHTY, KING! THOSE AVENGERS ON THE RAMPAGE!"

Even Marcella gets in on the action, clobbering one of the goons with a wooden club. Hawkeye and Ant-Man chase after the Taskmaster, but the man has an insurance policy.

Yup. There's a dummy in that cannon. Once it hits the net, the explosives in it will be triggered, blowing the tent (and everyone in it), sky-high. Hawkeye orders Ant-Man to take care of that while he pursues Taskmaster. However, Ant-Man points out that it may take both of them to stop that dummy. Hawkeye reluctantly agrees. The Avenging Archer uses a bolo arrow to restrain the man at the cannon, but the man's fall ends up hitting the switch, activating the cannon...and firing it.

There's one chance left. Ant-Man shrinks down and climbs on one of Hawkeye's arrows. The archer fires it at the cannon.

As the dummy falls, Ant-Man desperately crawls towards the explosive's detonator. The dummy falls back in the tent...








...and does not explode. Hawkeye fears his new insect-theme got comrade got squashed, but he's okay. He managed to jump on a winged ant before the impact, thanks to his watching "Raiders of the Lost Ark" 27 times. Yeah, Scott is a bit of a film buff. Unfortunately, the Taskmaster managed to get away. Ah, well. We'll see him again. As Hawkeye brings in the rest of the Avengers to clear up, Ant-Man realizes something.

He left Cassie on the roller coaster! He rushes back to see her, but she's just tired. She's okay, and wants to ride it again tomorrow! The story ends with Scott Lang being amused by this. Kids, am I right?

This was a very fun story! I really enjoyed the interaction between Clint and Scott Lang. I'm kind of surprised that this wasn't used as a foundation for an eventual friendship between them. I also always did like the concept of Taskmaster. It's a great way to explain how supervillains often can get goons to do tasks for them. I'm surprised that Taskmaster is the only such character in this superhero universe. Well, only one that we know of, anyway. I know that it may be odd for a book called "Avengers" to focus on only one member here, but it's nice to show that each of the members are people with lives outside the costumes.

This issue was also great because it was a nice glimpse into Clint's past and pre-Hawkeye days. It's neat to see characters' pasts, what molded them and made them into what they are. Greg LaRocque also turns in some good artwork for this.

If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2015 trade paperback Ant-Man: Scott Lang. It collects his early appearances. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you enjoyed it, spread it around! Join me next time, as we join the Fantastic Four on an viewing of "things" to come....

Text Play: Pokemon Zeta #1

Hello, everybody! As you all know, I've been doing a Text Play of the Pokémon fan game known as Pokémon Mega Adventure.

For a while, it seemed like that Text Play had hit an impassible roadblock in the form of a certain mountain that I hate. It seemed that I would not be able to get through it. As such, I decided to take a break from that game and start a Text Play of the next Pokémon fan game I intended to do: Pokémon Zeta. However, I managed to get through Mt. Snarlet in Mega Adventure.

But then again, I hit another roadblock. Turns out the game had a very nasty surprise for me after beating the Elite Four in that game. Yup, I beat the Elite Four in that game. They are no joke. But as for the nasty surprise? Well, no spoilers, but I have to prepare. That's why I haven't put up another entry in the Text Play for such a long time. I am sorry about that.

When I took a break from Mega Adventure as a result of Mt. Snarlet, I had started work on another Text Play of another Pokémon fan game, I'm a fan of: Pokémon Zeta. As I have said in the past, one of my big inspirations for that Text Play was Linkara's own Let's Play of Pokémon Omicron. You know how Pokémon games tend to come in pairs, like Red and Blue, or Gold and Silver? Well, Zeta is the twin of Omicron. I had originally intended to start this one after completing Mega Adventure, but the post-game surprise in Mega Adventure made me change my plans. I need a break. I do promise, I will get back to it one day...I hope.

But for right now, all I have to say is...Welcome to the Vesryn region! Vesryn is a nice little region. The sun shines, the Pidgeys sing, the air is clean. Yup, it's the perfect little region...well, expect for the Team Olympus infestation bothering it lately. As such, let's begin our journey through the Aroma region! This is the first entry in my Text Play of Pokémon Zeta!

I love that when you boot the game up, there's a nice take on the Pokémon theme. Before I begin, I want to warn you all that I am going to spoil the heck out of this game. You have been warned. So, with that, let's get this adventure started!

And of course, you get the classic start of meeting Professor Oak. Although in this case, it's a prerecorded message. There's a bit of a twist to it this time around. You can look at the basic controls, which are shown here.

Then there's "Adventure", which basically plays a prerecorded message from Oak about the standard Pokémon stuff: Entering a wondrous world, etc. You have to select "No info needed" to properly start the game. There have been jokes about Oak being unable to tell the difference between a boy and a girl because of how his intros go in Pokémon games. Here, having it be a recording makes...some sense.

Another neat feature is that the game asks if I want to do a challenge run. Basically, playing the game with certain extra rules tacked on. The most famous of these is the "Nuzlocke". I'm just going to do the standard game with standard rules here. Those extra challenges never really appealed to me.

The game starts with the standard spiel from Oak about how Pokémon and people live together, with a bit of a twist. The recording remarks that some people use Pokémon to get power for themselves, ...and that's why you're here.

After you reveal your gender and name, the game reveals that your rival will have "swag". So you'll have a reason to hate them. Okay. We then get some somber news. Team Olympus has attacked Nyasa Town, the home of your avatar. There were few survivors. The town has an Escape Route, so they've been shuffled off to Zarivar Town. If you want to help stop Team Olympus, there are some emergency Pokémon available for use.

The game starts inside the Escape Route, a sort of underground cave system. I'm getting flashbacks to Mega Adventure already. A woman appears and brings out her Lucario.

Hmmm, I wonder who this Wilson guy is? The neighbor from Home Improvement? Anyway, she tells Lucario to send a message: The time for cowardice is over, and that he should redeem himself. He heads off to deliver the message, using ExtremeSpeed. Huh. I wonder what this "Wilson" guy did? The woman, Aria, tells me that I'm ready for my first Pokémon, and there is some down here. The woman hopes that I surpass her as a great trainer.

A man (who suspiciously resembles Professor Oak) runs in with some news: Team Olympus found the cave! Aria needs to help fight them off. She tells Oak to take me to his lab in Zarivar Town. Oh so it is Professor Oak. The man really gets around a lot, doesn't he? Before she goes to engage in battle, she tells me she loves me and to be safe. Oak reveals Aria is my mom, and is one of the best trainers in the entire Aroma region. He asks me to follow him, and I do so. And here, we see that this fangame stays true to classic Pokémon formula in another aspect.

There are three starter Pokémon to choose from, in the standard Grass-Fire-Water trio. However, what's unusual is the game's choices in starter Pokémon. The starters in this game are Bellsprout, Horsea, and Magby. Now, I'm not sure about how rare Magby is in , but I do know that Bellsprout and Horsea are pretty common Pokémon in Kanto. It's kind of interesting that here, they're rare enough to be starters.

I decided to go with Magby. Fire starters are ones I rarely collect right off the bat (I always try to get all three, but I rarely start with the Fire ones), so I thought it would be nice to shake things up a bit. After I pick my Magby, which I named Vulcan, Oak tells me to meet him in Zarivar Town. Just continue through the cave. Hey jerkoff, my mom told you to take me there! You just going to leave me here?!

Ah, well. At least I got Vulcan backing me up, right buddy?

Thanks. Thanks a lot. Well, to be fair, we did just meet. I'm sure our bond will grow over time. I went on my way, and wanted to explore this cave a little bit. I ended up encountering a man named Jeremy, who interns at Oak's lab. He gives me some Pokéballs, and goes through the basics of playing the game. We also end up having a battle. It was an easy battle, his Level 5 Snubbull against Vulcan, who is at level 7. He invites me to meet him in the Lab when I get to Zarivar Town. The town is named after Zarivar Lake. Yeah, towns in Pokémon games tend to have a theme to their naming. Here in Vesryn, it's lakes.

I decided to explore the cave a bit. There's not a lot of people here. There's Jeremy, a young girl with a shiny Mudkip, and an old man that gives me a Potion. There's also an item here.

It's a pair of Running Shoes! These will come in handy. Once I leave the cave, I'm right in Zarivar Town. It's a small little town, with a couple houses, a Poké Mart, a Pokémon Center, and Professor Oak's lab. I imagine he has labs all over the Pokémon world at this point. There's also a small school with a couple unruly students (At least, according to the teacher) and a lonely child prodigy. The Pokémon Center has an actual police officer in there. He's taking a coffee and donut break after fighting Team Olympus.

With my exploring done, I went to the Lab. Professor Oak plans to meet up with my mother later. She's out getting some allies to take on Team Olympus. He has a favor to ask of me. One of the students in the school is starting an internship with the Professor. I've been given a simple fetch quest: Go get him.

I talked to the man in the lab...and he gave me a Horsea! Hey, got two of the starters already! Awesome! I named her Tula.

Time to go on the fetch quest! It should be simple, right? Don't even have to leave town. I arrive at the school, and the kid, named Jake, gets belligerent. He drops the act right quick when I tell him Oak wants to see him. He gets all fanboy, and even remarks he wants to meet Aria, my character's mother...who is also the Champion of the region. Neat. That's going to make the final battle...awkward.

Jake announces that he's going to be my rival. Because he has "swag". Yeah, that's hilarious. If he's got so much "swag", why am I already ahead of him on Pokémon? I got two already! And they're both starter Pokémon! Who's got the "swag" now, Jakey-boy?! He meets me at the Lab...seriously, how did he get there so fast? Oak lets him choose a Pokémon, and he picks a Horsea. Makes sense, picks the one that's strong against your choice. Joke's on him, I got a Horsea, too. And I KNOW I can also get a Bellsprout in this game. Heh. Jake got no "swag".

After this, Oak gives me a Pokédex. He tells me to go to Superior Town next. It's got a Gym, but there's also Team Olympus lurking around. Because in the Pokémon world, only kids can save the world. Adults are rather useless here. One thing, though. Oak tells me that his intern in the lab, the man who gave me a Horsea, should have given me some Pokéballs. This confused me, as there was no indication he gave me any. I checked my inventory, and there were five Pokéballs there. That's good of him, but he should have said so. Okay, then! I'm ready to go! Got a Gym to conquer, and some Team Olympus butts to kick!

I went down south to Route 301. I immediately ended up battling a trainer armed with a Wurmple and Pidgey. Vulcan easily took care of Wurmple. His Pidgey defeated Tula, but she was able to weaken it enough for Vulcan to finish off. Poor Tula. I'll train her up a bit. Route 301 is a good place to do so, as well as add some Pokémon to my team. I do want to take the opportunity to go on a bit of a rant here.

Basically, I hate Wurmple. Why do I hate Wurmple? Well, Wurmple is one of those Pokémon that has two possible evolved forms: Cascoon and Silcoon. It can evolve into either of those forms if it reaches level 7. How is it determined which of them the Wurmple you have evolves into? Personality values. But basically, it's random. Yeah. If you want both, you may have to catch a lot of Wurmple, and that can be annoying.

During the grinding process, I discovered something. There are wild double battles here!

That's pretty neat! I know they're in the "official" games, but it's cool to see that fan games can pull the feature off, too. Time to travel through Nagarex Forest. I wonder how it got that name?

There's more Pokémon to catch here, mainly Grass and Bug types. I'll have to go through it later to get every Pokémon. Traveling through the Forest, I found a berry patch, with some blossoming berries in it.

In case you're wondering, the left tree has Oran Berries, and the right tree has Pecha Berries. I do hope I get some Berry Pots in this game. Those were very useful in Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver. Further on in the Forest, I found this Hypno wandering around.

What's it doing there? I approached it carefully,  and it turns out it's very sad. It seems...lonely. Like it was looking for someone. Near the Hypno, I found this...treehouse thing?

It turns out to be a shrine. Probably to a Legendary Pokémon of some sort. The exit of the forest is right nearby, and it leads to the first major city in the game: Superior City. Named after Lake Superior, of course. Right near the entrance is an item.

It's a Dusk Ball! It's a special Poké Ball that is more effective at catching Pokémon at night. That could come in handy when hunting for nocturnal Pokémon. And with that, I think we'll stop here for now. So far, I have to admit, this game already feels a lot more polished than Mega Adventure did. It feels more like a real Pokémon game. I encountered practically no glitching like I did with Mega Adventure. There was also a great variety of Pokémon here to get. I already got over ten Pokémon in my Pokédex, and I still haven't got all the Pokémon in Nagarex yet.

I do like that the story does appear be to be trying to do something a bit different than the official games are, what with the bad guys having destroyed a town already. Gives the game a bit more maturity. If you want to play it yourself, the game has a wiki with links to download it. No emulator needed. Just download and play! So far, I recommend it!

Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, spread it around! See you next time!

Pokémon Obtained:
(Zarivar Town)
- Horsea

(Route 301)
- Wurmple
- Caterpie
- Rattata
- Starly
- Pidgey (I named her Katie, after Katie Holt, Voltron: Legendary Defender's version of Pidge Gunderson)
- Cascoon (evolved from Wurmple)
- Metapod (evolved from Caterpie)

(Nagarex Forest)
- Petilil
- Hoothoot
- Paras

Star Wars Pinball Launch Trailer, My Thoughts

Back in April, I gave my thoughts on the announcement of Star Wars Pinball. I remember looking forward to this game, as I like pinball and I'm a casual fan of Star Wars. But now the game has arrived! Let's take a look at the launch trailer!

The tables look really awesome!

Hey, a Rogue One table! I enjoyed that movie. I also own the novelization. I'll have to read through it again sometime.

And then Boba Fett took a laser to the knee. Yeah, I know. Old meme is old.

It would be awesome if one of these tables had an FPS mini-game in them. Take advantage of the video game medium! Do things you can't do with real-life tables! Go nuts!

19 tables, huh? Well, for the amount of money GameStop charges for this game, I'd better get a lot of tables!

I think that's a Return of the Jedi-themed table. I recognize the Endor battle.

...Play in Vertical Mode, huh? That's neat. Wait, do you have to turn the Switch on its side to play it in this mode?!

Choose a side, huh? I get that the whole Light Side/Dark Side thing is a part of the Star Wars mythos, but what is this for? Does this game have some sort of Story Mode?

Hey, a Star Wars Rebels table!

And of course, in a Star Wars game, you can use the Force. I can imagine it would go towards helping aim the ball for better shots, or saving yourself from losing your ball.

I'm guessing that these are tables based on A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back.

Well, I am sold! As I said, I love pinball, and I enjoy Star Wars, so I think I'll get this game at some point in the future.

Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, spread it around! See you next time!

Ninja Saviors Trailer, My Thoughts

In 1994, Natsume released the game The Ninja Warriors for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (Known as Ninja Warriors Again in Japan). It had been described as a remake/sequel to the 1987 arcade game of the same name. The game had gotten praise for its graphics, controls, and characters, but it was criticized for its short length and lack of a 2-player cooperative mode. Despite this, the game would go on to be hailed as one of the very best beat-em-up games for the Super Nintendo, and original cartridges would go on to be collectors' items.

In the game, you play as one of three robotic warriors: The balanced dagger-using Kunoichi, the strong-but-slow nunchuck-wielding Ninja, or the fast-but-fragile chained sickle-using Kamaitachi. As one of these robots, you fight to free the world from a tyrant known as Banglar.

The developers of the game were the very same men who would later go on to develop the other iconic Natsume SNES gem Wild Guns: artist/designer Shunichi Taniguchi, composer Hiroyuki Iwatsuki, and programmer Toshyiasu Miyabe. Also like Wild Guns, it's got an enhanced remake.

Yes, like Wild Guns Reloaded, Taniguchi, Iwatsuki, and Miyabe also created a new version of The Ninja Warriors called Ninja Warriors Once Again. It was released in Japan in July, and it's coming to the West as Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors. Let's take a look at the trailer!

I really like the tunes here.

Kunoichi is the well-balanced one. She's not the strongest, nor the fastest, but she does well. She's also arguably the most popular character in the game. I wonder why.

I absolutely love the graphics, that classic 16-bit style.

I get the idea that Kunoichi is the character that's good for new players of the game. You can use her to figure out your playing style, then switch to the other two.

Heh heh, stage hazards are fun!

As I said earlier, Ninja is the powerhouse. He's not quick, but he hits hard.

Computer console to the face! That will hurt!

You know, Ninja would make a great pro wrestler.

BACKBREAKER, BAH GAWD ALIMGHTY!

BAH GAWD, NINJA! THESE PEOPLE HAVE FAMILIES!

And we have the final classic character: Kamaitachi!

Kamaitachi looks like the makers couldn't decide whether he should be a ninja or a biker and decided to compromise. Ninja biker!

I think I'd like Kamaitachi. I am a bit of a sucker for speedy characters.

And yup! We got two new characters!

Say hello to Yaksha! I'm not sure what she's modeled on.

I think she's going to get a lot of fanart.

The extending arms are neat. I think her specialty is fighting at a distance. Would make sense with the extending arms.

Heh heh, puny guards.

Slingshot maneuver!

And here's the second new character: Raiden!

Oh my Lord, look at the size of him! You thought Ninja was the "big guy" of the bunch?! Raiden makes him look puny.

Only way Raiden could be any more awesome was if he was also a Transformer. I think a tank mode would fit him.

HE IS A TRANSFORMER!

I love how he just casually throws dudes around! I think I will love playing as him!

Hey cool, the original music is in the game! I'm sure the people who played the original SNES version will love that!

And there's also local co-op! Hey, you can smash robots with a buddy! That's great! A game like this should be enjoyed with a friend.

Red Special Effects. Basically, blood. Yeah, you can have blood in this game. This wasn't possible in the SNES version because back in the day, Nintendo of America had very strict regulations on certain content. This was before game rating systems were a thing.

I believe the throwing stars attack was from the original arcade. Great to see they're going out with this.

Bring on October, baby! I cannot wait for this game! I loved the remake of Wild Guns, so I'm so happy this game also got that remake treatment! I've never played the original, so I am especially excited for this. It looks like a must-have if you love beat-em-ups. And I love old games, so I will get this!

Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, spread it around! See you next time!

Marvel Super Heroes: Secret Wars #9 (January 1985)

The Secret Wars rage on! Last time, the miniseries said goodbye to 1984 as we saw She-Hulk take a superhuman beatdown, the heroes and villains had an epic brawl. The Wasp got deus ex machina'd back to life. Also, Spider-Man got a sleek new suit, one that totally will not cause him any troubles in the future. It's just a suit. It's totally not some alien symbiote or anything. It's just a suit. And nothing else.

But now, the heroes have another big problem. Galactus is hungry. Galactus eats planets. And Battleworld is presumably the only planet around. Yup. That's a problem. That is a problem right there. So, how will the heroes deal with this? Let's find out in Marvel Super Heroes: Secret Wars #9!

The cover is pretty awesome. It's a Mike Zeck and Bob McLeod piece that depicts the heroes jumping into battle against Galactus. The angle really gives the impression that this is going to be an epic battle. Which does make sense. Galactus is one of the most powerful beings in the Marvel Universe, and we're seeing some of the Marvel Universe's greatest heroes taking him on. Galactus's pose there is kind of funny. I get it would not be in character for him to do a "Bring it" pose, so I can see why they'd go for a more Kirby-esque one there. It's still kind of funny.

"Assault on Galactus!"
Writer: Jim Shooter
Penciler: Mike Zeck
Inker: John Beatty
Colorist: Christie Scheele
Letterer: Joe Rosen
Editor: Tom DeFalco
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

The story begins with a recovering Piotr "Colossus" Rasputin witnessing what the narrator describes as the "beginning of the end"...

"...what is he saying?! SPEAK UP, MAN!"

The steel-skinned powerhouse checks on the comatose Zsaji, lamenting that she seems to be in love with the Human Torch and not him. In a nice showing of maturity, he does say he accepts that as long as she's happy. Determined, he armors up and heads to battle.

Storm of the X-Men flies towards Galactus's machine, and tries to fry it like an egg with some lightning. It has no effect. In fact, Galactus seems to not even be the least bit bothered. The X-Men try another attack, but there are defenses ready for them. In the alien village, Hawkeye, the newly-back Wasp, and Monica Rambeau watch the battle, and a mushroom cloud erupts.

"Oh, that is going to suck..."

The other heroes fly off in an aircraft to give the X-Men some much-needed backup. We get another character moment here with Thor and Hulk. The God of Thunder tries to cheer the glum Green Goliath up by telling him that this battle is going to be epic. But Hulk's not feeling up to brawl. He fears he's losing his intellect. Ben Grimm has the opposite problem. He needs the power of the Thing, but he's stuck in his human form. He slams a console in frustration...and changes back into the Thing. Iron Man is a bit suspicious of the mysterious new Spider-Woman who has joined their ranks.

The Man in the Iron Suit does admit that he and Spider-Woman have one thing in common: They are both strangers in a strange land. James Rhodes is suspicious about people realizing that he's not Tony Stark, but it only makes him determined to prove that he's the Iron Man now. His reverie is interrupted by Spider-Man enjoying his new black duds he got in the last issue.

Reed Richards is puzzling over why these Secret Wars were started. What's in it for the Beyonder? Why this particular group of heroes and villains? However, Reed should have remembered to focus on piloting as the ship is hit by a strange tendril of energy.

"BULLSEYE! That's 500 points!"

The ship is about to crash, but someone manages to stop it.

Colossus isn't in pain from grabbing the jet, he's just REALLY hungover.

Colossus was able to pull off saving the heroes. But he paid for his awesomeness by aggravating his wounds. The heroes discover the energy tendril that hit them came from Galactus. He's using his machine to break down Battleworld into energy he can consume. The heroes engage Galactus, but Reed Richards ends up having a bit of a brainstorm. He's realized why this whole thing has gone down, and tries to get the other heroes to stop fighting Galactus.

You see, this is a chance to rid the universe of the World-Eater. If he wins these Secret Wars, then the Beyonder will grant him his fondest wish: A final end to his unceasing hunger. If that happens, Galactus will be at peace, and the universe will be safe. Yeah, one problem, Reed: EVERYONE ON BATTLEWORLD WILL BE DEAD. Before he can say much more, the stretchy scientist vanishes. And so has Galactus and his machine. So, where did they go?

"Hello, Reed. I have beer in the fridge. Help yourself."

Welcome to Galactus's humble home. Three bedrooms, two bathrooms, indoor Jacuzzi and pool, even has a mancave. Or cosmic being cave. Galactus breaks the ice with Reed by showing him an image of Sue and Franklin Richards on Earth. So, why did Galactus being Reed to his home? Well, it wasn't because he wanted to show off his new minibar. But before we can learn what the Big G has to say, the scene shifts to the former Doombase.

There, Doctor Doom sits still as a statue, but then...he has a Eureka Moment. He realizes he has to return to Galactus's ship. He activates a hidden backup battery in his armor, and uses it to blast his way out of his cell. The other villains call for him to free them, but Doom refuses. There is only one other person here he needs: Klaw. Klaw spent time as energy coursing through the walls of Galactus's ship, so Doom is going to dissect him. Like a frog.

Colossus is nearby, digging for the other X-Men, but he didn't need to worry.

"Oh thank goodness, I think I have full-on internal bleeding now."

They're alright. Banged up, but alright. Magneto created a thick layer of Earth to protect them from the explosion. Huh, didn't know Magneto was a geokinetic. With that, the X-Men rejoin the other heroes at Zsaji's village. And on happier news, Zsaji herself has woke up, and ran to Johnny. The heroes debate about what to do next about Galactus. Reed Richards returns and explains what Galactus told him.

Evidently, according to the World-Eater, Reed Richards is a "force of the universe" much like Galactus is. In fact, the two are sort of opposites. Reed is a champion of life, whereas Galactus is an instrument of death. Yeah...Reed is one of the Marvel Universe's premier minds, and he is the member of the team that ushered in the Modern Age of Heroes in the Marvel Universe...but I would not be that quick to say he's some important cosmic being. Anyway, this has convinced Reed that the heroes should let Galactus just eat Battleworld. Sure, everyone on it will die, but Galactus may get his wish for his hunger to end, and trillions more lives will be saved.

Naturally, this causes some dissent among the heroes as Galactus returns to the mountain with his machine. Captain America decides that he's going to take on the Eater of Worlds, and if anyone wants to join him, they're welcome to help.

Back in Doombase, Doom himself is playing observer. He notices the Beyonder has activated a portal in space, right near Galactus's ship. He sees his opportunity, but must work fast. He had been dissecting Klaw to learn more about Galactus's ship. And since Klaw is a being of solid sound, instead of looking like a gory mess, he looks like sliced up bread or deli meat.

"Welcome to Doom's Deli! We have a special on Klaw Bologna this week!"

Now I want a sandwich. Mmm, sandwich...

Where was I? Oh, yeah. The heroes are taking the fight to the World-Eater. He's a bit low on energy, as it took a lot out of him to bring his ship here, and he likely hasn't eaten a planet in months. Despite that, Galactus is still incredibly powerful, and is able to take everything the heroes throw at him...and hurl it right back at them. Reed joins the battle. The stretchy scientist is still unsure that what he's doing is right...but he has a family back home, and he wants to see them.

The heroes eventually turn the tables on Galactus and trash his machine. Reed tells them to get Galactus himself, as his machine is unimportant. The Big G manages to get away, much to Reed's frustration. You see, the machine isn't the thing that allows Galactus to eat planets. It just allows him to eat them more efficiently. Instead, he turns on eating his own ship for power. This is Doom's turn to strike. He has fashioned some lenses from Klaw's body. The story ends with Doom preparing to use those lenses to channel the power of Galactus's ship directly into Doom himself.

This was...not the best issue of the miniseries. I felt the whole thing with Galactus and Reed was pretty pointless. This would have made a lot more sense if Galactus did this in an attempt to keep the heroes off-center so he could eat Battleworld in peace, but...yeah. I did get a good chuckle out of Doom making Klaw into sliced sonic bread. It's so bizarre. I also wish we got to learn a little more about the new Spider-Woman. The scene in the  I can't really think of anything to say about the art, I think it's alright.

Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, spread it around! Join me next time, as we check out a fun little team-up between an Avengers stalwart, and a newbie superhero...

Knives Out Trailer, My Thoughts

After directing the film The Last Jedi, Rian Johnson has turned his camera to something a bit more...earthbound: The murder mystery! Yup, Johnson has announced his next film is called "Knives Out", what he calls a modern take on the classic murder mystery...with a bit of comedy to it. He's assembled quite an impressive cast, too: Don Johnson, Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, Christopher Plummer, Michael Shannon. I admit, this got me curious, as I loved Clue.

Before we begin, I want to warn you that there is one moment of adult language in the trailer, so please keep that in mind when starting this. So, let's look at this trailer!

Aww, happy times! Family gatherings can be fun. Meet Christopher Plummer's Harlan Thrombrey, crime novelist. He's celebrating his 85th birthday, and he's brought his family together to celebrate. Thing is, his family is...a bit dysfunctional. So, nothing is totally going to go wrong here.

Yeah, family member dying on a birthday would absolutely suck. I don't wish that on anyone. Luckily, Daniel Craig's Detective Benoit Blanc is on the case!

Oh my God, I just noticed all those knives behind Jamie Lee Curtis. Who guesses they'll be the murder weapon?

Yeah, I thought so.

Somebody get those dogs a bone! Show some respect! That's Captain America!

In case you're wondering, that's a game called Go. It's a Chinese board game that was created over 2500 years ago. It's considered the oldest board game ever created that still is played today. It's predominantly popular in East Asia.

Oh, Det. Blanc is going to have some headaches trying to solve this mystery...

That's a lot of pills.

Is it just me, or is it with that hairstyle and beard, Michael Shannon bears a slight resemblance to Mark Hamill?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAA!

"Oh my God! This carpet's pattern is plans for an alien city!"

Suspects foul play? Oh, really?! Can't have a murder mystery without someone getting murdered!

I'd just say they all did it and get it over with.

Again, an amazing cast here.

Well, this sounds like a fun movie. As I said earlier, it does remind me slightly of Clue, but mixed a bit with Hercule Poirot. I think this movie looks like it will be a nice way to kill a couple of hours. I definitely want to watch it.

Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, please spread it around! See you next time!

Cat Quest II Announcement Trailer, My Thoughts

Recently, I got into this little indie action-RPG game called Cat Quest. The game was developed by Singaporean team Gentlebros and published by PQube. It's a cute little game. It was released in 2017 for computers, mobile devices, PS4, and Nintendo Switch. You play as a cat who travels the world of Felingard in a quest to rescue his kidnapped sister.

The game would be given rather favorable reviews, and was nominated for a couple of awards. I have the game on my Switch, and it is a wonderful game. I highly recommend it. It's so cute. And now we're going to return to the world of Felingard for a new adventure! That's right! Cat Quest is getting a sequel! Let's take a look at the announcement trailer!

Hey, looks like you get to travel with a friend in this one!

A "tail" of cats and dogs. Heh. Yeah, we got dogs in this game. Particularly, the Lupus Empire. Get it? Yup, we're doing some world expansion here! The Lupus Empire is at war with Felingrad, and it looks like a cat and dog are going to have to team up to save the day.

Looks like the dog packs magic compared to the cat's swordplay. I wonder if you can switch characters in single player.

Hey, you can bring a friend! Awesome! Looks like the second player is automatically the dog. I wonder if the players can choose.

I have to say, I like the music in this trailer. Has that "grand adventure" vibe.

Looks like we'll get to explore the Lupus Empire, too.

The game looks just as beautiful as the first. Seriously, play Cat Quest. It's great.

Whoa. Is that the villain? Who is that? I bet this character is the reason Felingrad and the Lupus Empire are at it.

I loved the first Cat Quest, so I am so happy and excited to see that it's getting a sequel! It looks like it will be a ton of fun, and I can't wait to play it! Bring it on! Play Cat Quest!

Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you enjoyed it, spread it around! See you next time!

Avengers #167 (January 1978)

When you have a whole bunch of characters that are supposedly set in a shared universe, it makes sense that they would eventually meet and team up. And some times, some of those characters would form teams and some of those teams will join forces. The Avengers is one of those teams. The group has had their adventures chronicled for the past 50 years, but it's only in recent years that the group has gained mainstream prominence thanks to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Another Marvel super-team that has gained prominence thanks to the Marvel Cinematic Universe is the Guardians of the Galaxy. Like the Avengers, the Guardians have been around for decades as well, first appearing in Marvel Super-Heroes #18 (January 1969). However, the Guardians that people may know of today...were not the original team in the comics. In fact, the original team was quite different in roster and concept. Yes, like the more famous modern team, they were a group of space-based heroes, but they hailed from an alternate future of the Marvel Universe.

In the 1970s, Marvel was going cosmic. Marvel's original Captain Marvel, Mar-Vell, was having his own adventures, and the Avengers were dealing with the long-running war between the Kree and the Skrulls. Later in the decade, the X-Men would start having adventures in the stars as well.

This story I'm going to look at here is the first part of a story that has become known as The Korvac Saga. It's, in my opinion, a very underrated story. A tale of cosmic scope. A tale of a man who wanted to become a god. And the only thing that could stop him was a titanic team-up between Earth's Mightiest Heroes, and the Galaxy's Greatest Guardians. So, with that out of the way, let's take a look at Avengers #167!

The cover is awesome, a George Perez piece. It's intricate and detailed. You got the Beast nailing Charlie-27 right in his big Jovian chin, and the members of their respective teams preparing for a fight.

"Tomorrow Dies Today!"
Writers: Jim Shooter and Roger Stern (Stern credited as "Sterno")
Penciler: George Perez
Inker: Pablo Marcos
Colorist: Phil Rache
Letterer: Joe Rosen
Editor: Archie Goodwin
Editor-in-Chief: Archie Goodwin

The story begins with three of the members of the Avengers at the time (Wanda "Scarlet Witch" Maximoff, Hank "Beast" McCoy, and Steve "Captain America" Rogers) leaping into action.

I wonder how many of those consoles Beast wrecked with his bouncing.

I love Beast's Avengers portrayal. It seemed among Earth's Mightiest, he was able to actually have some fun and let loose a bit, unlike the X-Men. The three Avengers arrive at the communications center, which is being manned by the Vision. Nick Fury is on the horn. It seems that SHIELD's space station has gotten itself a new neighbor.

"HOLY SHEEP! WHO GAVE THE ISS STEROIDS?!"

A very BIG new neighbor. And it literally just popped out of nowhere. Fury is worried that this big station is going to crash into SHIELD's space station, and he wants Earth's Mightiest to check it out. Luckily, the Avengers have a bit of a head start. You see, Tony Stark is on the station doing a bit of consulting. Fury evacuates him (Remember, Fury is unaware Stark is Iron Man here). We next go to a diner, where Simon "Wonder Man" Williams and Thor are having lunch.

"Trust me, Thor! The Mjolnir Mashed Potatoes are delicious!"

Yeah, they're just sitting having lunch in a diner. I don't know why, but I love it. I love it so much. Thor has a bit of an issue. You see, a strange force has been summoning the God of Thunder to help the Avengers in their recent fights with Graviton, Ultron, and Count Nefaria (In issues #159, #162, and #165), and he's confused about it. Simon is admittedly not much of a help on that subject, as temporal physics are not his specialty. The superhuman stuntman/actor figures as long as Thor is here, maybe he can ask for some advice.

You see, Simon is one of the most powerful Avengers the team has ever had at this point, but he's struggling with feelings of inadequacy. It's been a thing for Simon for decades. But it has to be tabled as they're summoned for Avenger duties. Tony Stark also arrives, finally able to suit up. With the team together, let's go investigate that space station!

"Uh...anyone know where the bathroom is on this thing?"

It's pretty clear that this station was built with some pretty advanced technology. Far more advanced than anything even SHIELD has got. The Avengers split into teams for exploration purposes: Thor and Iron Man, Cap and Wonder Man, Vision and Scarlet Witch, and Beast on his own. Beast sneaks around, and is grabbed by an orange-gloved hand.

"Boy, this is one ugly cat."

Meet Mercurian super-agile sharpshooter Nikki Gold and Jovian military powerhouse Charlie-27, two members of the original Guardians of the Galaxy. Yes, I said original Guardians of the Galaxy. As I said, the original Guardians first appeared in Marvel Super-Heroes #18 (January 1969), co-created by Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, and Arnold Drake. Well technically, Nikki there is not an original member either. She first appeared in Marvel Presents #4 (April 1976), created by Steve Gerber and Mary Skerenes. They look at Beast like he's some kind of exotic creature, and naturally, the blue-furred brainiac doesn't take kindly to it. Beast and the Nikki/Charlie-27 tag team get into a brawl, but it's broken up.

"Who are you? Are you selling Space Scout Cookies?"

Meet the other members of the original Guardians: the crystalline fire-and-ice-wielding Martinex T'Naga, space archer Yondu Udonta, cosmic seer Starhawk, and time-tossed astronaut Vance Astro. Beast is still angry, but Thor is able to keep him from doing something stupid. Captain America recognizes the Guardians, having met them in Marvel Two-in-One #5 (September 1974). The Guardians are able to reassure the Avengers that the SHIELD station is in no danger from theirs. The two teams get to know each other, with Thor recalling a team-up with them against the menace of Michael Korvac in Thor Annual #6 (1977).

The events of that annual is why they're here. You see, Vance Astro was originally from the then-present, but is currently still a young boy. Korvac has gone back to the time of the Avengers to kill the younger Vance. If he succeeds, Vance won't grow up to become an astronaut, and eventually form the Guardians in the future. Which would allow him to rule the future unopposed. Basically, Korvac is the T-1000, and young Vance is John Connor.

"Why are their heads floating around me?! CURSE YOU GUARDIAAAAANS!"

At this point, it was assumed that the Guardians' future was the future of the Marvel Universe. Eventually, it would be shown that the Guardians are actually from an alternate timeline. In their timeline, the world was conquered by Martians...who killed off most of the active superheroes and villains around at the time. So let's have a little fun, huh? In Park Avenue, something way the opposite of a potential temporal crisis is going down: A fashion show! Yes, one Janet Van Dyne-Pym, aka the Winsome Wasp, is holding a fashion show! Among the attendees, besides her husband Hank of course, is one Kyle Richmond (aka Nighthawk). The rich superhero notices a quiet blond man sitting next to him, wearing a tux.

One of the models, a blonde bombshell named Carina Walters, struts down the catwalk wearing a jumpsuit. She seems to get the blond man's attention, although Kyle thinks she may not be into him. The show seems to go well, until naturally, a supervillain shows up.

Meet Alexander Gentry, aka the Porcupine! He was planning to get himself some free cash and valuables from the hotel safe, but also figured "Hey, there's a fashion show with a bunch of rich people here, that means they got jewelry! And money!" He proceeds to rob the rich people there, but runs into three problems: Yellowjacket, the Wasp, and Nighthawk. The three heroes take care of Porcupine and his goons.

Meanwhile, the mysterious blond man approaches Carina while she's helping out a woman who fainted. The two look into each other's eyes, and something happens. The two feel an instant connection. She takes his hands, and the two vanish. Meanwhile, the three heroes took care of the Porcupine and his goons. The trio are told about Carina's vanishing, but they think she'll turn up. Nighthawk compliments Jan for the exciting fashion show, and the story ends with her basically telling Nighthawk to shut his piehole.

I am a sucker for this era of Avengers. The Korvac Saga is one of my favorite Avengers storylines, and this issue is a great start for it. It sets up the eventual battle with Korvac. We have the classic cliché of Beast picking a fight with the Guardians as soon as he meets them, but this story at least tries to give him a good reason, considering their mocking his appearance and all that. The story is basically set up, but it's some enjoyable set-up. There's a ton of story packed in this issue. A little mystery, a surprise guest appearance, usage of continuity, and plenty of action. I love it!

If you've read my blog, then you know I love George Perez. I love his artwork. I could look at it all day long. And it's only appropriate that he get to be the artist of a comic that features lots of characters. There is quite a lot of well-done detail in panels, and some strong storytelling.

If you want to read this for yourself, I got it from the 2003 trade paperback Avengers Legends Vol. 2: The Korvac Saga. The saga was also released in trade in 1991. The 1991 trade included an epilogue written by Mark Gruenwald and with art by Tom Morgan. The 2003 trade does not have this epilogue. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you enjoyed it, spread it around! See you next time, when the Secret Wars rage on...

Happy Friday the 13th!

Once again, it's Friday the 13th! I hope everyone had a great day today! ...and I also hope people managed to steer clear of this guy again.

This guy always shows up around this this time for some reason. Weirdo hockey mask-wearing machete-wielding freak. GO TO A PSYCHATRIST, JASON.