Memorial Day

Today is Memorial Day.

On this day, we think about and mourn those who served our country who never got to return home. Their sacrifices will not be forgotten.

Text Play: Pokémon Zeta #21

Hello, and welcome back to the Vesryn region! This is the 21st entry in my Text Play of Pokémon Zeta!

Now, as usual, I want to warn you. I will be spoiling the whole game.

So, if you want to play this game for yourself, I recommend downloading it at the game's wiki here. And with that out of the way, let's go!

I have to admit, I am rather nervous about this whole thing. I have never felt nervous before a big battle against anyone before. I have no idea why. Maybe it was because of the amount of grinding I've had to do in this game so far? I mean, I get the point of grinding. I understand it, I don't mind it. But it does mess with your head when you need to do a ton of grinding just so you can feel confident enough to face an upcoming threat.

As intimidating as this is, we can't put it off forever. We have to face Zeus to go ahead in this game. Although I will admit, I find it interesting that we're facing the big boss of the bad guy team here instead of...say, around the time we have to go up against this team's Elite Four. It does kind of feel like the game wants to try and get the Team Olympus storyline out of the way. 

Despite this, I doubt that beating Zeus here will mean that it will be the end of our troubles with them. I highly doubt that my beating Zeus will stop them from trying to collect legendary Pokémon so they can take over the world. After all, they managed to get Shaymin. And I doubt he's the only legendary Pokémon in this game. 

Anyway, we last left off meeting up with a second nurse. 

Jokes about her not having any sort of station aside, I do like that this mountain does have a couple of nurses here. Mt. Press is quite a long journey, and having a couple of nurses around like this really is a helpful anti-frustration feature. Saves on buying and using healing items.

In the screenshot, you may have noticed the bunch of Team Olympus goons near the nurse. Don't worry about them, you don't have to battle them. In fact, they allow you to pass by them because they want to see Zeus clobber us.

They're going to regret that. I hope. Anyway, we head past them, and we meet Team Olympus's resident twin terrors: Apollo and Artemis.

I think we've met these two clowns before. But from where? *snaps fingers* Oh, yeah! Now I remember! Back at the Ladoga Shrine! We encountered them in entry #12! They were trying to summon something called "Divaevus". Naturally, since their mythological counterparts were twins, it was a double battle. In the Shrine, we had gotten a surprise tag partner in Morgan, one of the game's Elite Four. Unfortunately, she's...not here with us right now. 

Presumably she's out doing...some Elite Four stuff. What do the Elite Four do when they are not fighting off future champions? Do they have side businesses? I mean, I can imagine they get government funding. But do they also have side gigs? For example, does one of the Elite Four run a restaurant? Does one of them also run a dance studio? 

Yeah, I get that gameplay-wise, the Elite Four are basically meant to be more obstacles. I just think it would be really neat to see a Pokemon game explore them a bit more, make them come off more as actual characters. Do a bit more worldbuilding with them. Just a thought.

It seems that their boss has lost a bit of faith in them. After all, it's not hard to see why. They don't exactly have the best of track records against us. 

But, back to the task at hand. I'm going to need a partner to fight Apollo and Artemis. Who's going to back me up?

Oh, great. Him.

Ohhhhhh, I am screwed. I am so screwed. Jake is an overcompensating jackwagon, and you can bet he's here because he only cares about showing how "great" he is. Did I do something to royally anger Arceus to get stuck with this royal clown? *sigh* Well, I do need a partner, and I guess I have to work with what I got. Apollo and Artemis have claimed that they had trouble against him, too. So maybe it won't be all bad.

...and then Jake has to be the overcompensating dimwit he is and say we're "Team Yoloswag". ...you are so lucky that we have bigger fish to fry here, Jake. Because you need your nose broken for that. It's here that we get a twist. Zeus expects Apollo and Artemis to lose. He basically wants them to soften up our Pokemon so he can have an easier time finishing them off. ...I take it he is completely unaware that there's a Nurse Joy hanging around nearby. 

Being the overcompensating jerk he is, Jake decides to call our team "Team Yoloswag". Team Yoloswag. Screw you, Jake. 

1st Pokemon: Electivire (Apollo) and Sableye (Artemis). Jake sends out Charizard and I sent out Moguera the Garchomp. Charizard and Garchomp easily defeated Electivire. 
2nd Pokemon: Sharpedo (Apollo). Artemis's Sableye turned out to be a Zoroark casting an illusion. Sharpedo defeated Charizard with Surf, forcing jake to bring out Scrafty. Zoroark was defeated by Sharpedo's Surf attack.
3rd Pokemon: Banette (Artemis). Luxray defeats Sharpedo.
4th Pokemon: Luxray (Apollo). Artemis withdrew Banette and brought in her (presuambly real) Sableye. Moguera defeated Apollo's Luxray. This Pokemon is such a beast here.
5th Pokemon: Tyranitar (Apollo). This Pokemon has the ability Sand Stream, which causes a sandstorm that hurts your Pokemon a little every turn. I switched out for Victreebel. Tyrnaitar defeated Scrafty, and Jake brought out Lairon. Victreebel defeated Tyranitar. Lairon defeated Sableye. Artemis brought out her Bannette. I brought out Butterfree. Bannette was able to paralyze Lairon with Thunder Wave. Butterfree put Banette to sleep with Sleep Powder, and Lairon was able to finish it with Iron Tail. 

And with that, Apollo and Artemis are beaten. They tell us that only one of us can ascend to the top. Jake decides that he'll let me do it because he's got "too much swag" for that. Jackoff, Team Olympus is trying to capture Legendary Pokemon so they can conquer the world. That's more important that your stupid "swag"! And the boss only wants to talk to me anyway. Ha ha, you suck, Jake.

After this battle, the game automatically heals up your Pokémon for you. You do not have to go and face Zeus right away. I saved the game here because, well...for obvious reasons. I don't want to face the big boss here unless I am absolutely ready to face him. After all, his Pokémon are nearly at level 60. I want to be ready for him.

I STRONGLY URGE you to save the game here if you make it to this point. This is the last chance you have to do some more grinding before you face Zeus.

And here is where I think we'll stop for this month. Next time, hopefully we'll get to face Zeus and hand him a whuppin'. Wish me luck! Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves, and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get vaccinated! See you next time!

Eternals #1 (July 1976)

The Marvel Universe is full of wonders. Mystical beings, gods, superhumans, the works. Thus, 

In 1970, Jack Kirby had departed from DC Comics, where he had been working on the New Gods saga. He had been planning for the New Gods to be a high-concept science fiction epic with a definitive ending. Sadly, the New Gods books were all cancelled. Kirby continued playing with those ideas when he returned to Marvel. He also drew inspiration from Arthur C. Clarke's 1953 book Childhood's End and Erich von Daniken's 1968 book Chariots of the Gods. Childhood's End contributed the idea of "Overlords" controlling Earth's fate, and Chariots of the Gods helped popularize the idea of "ancient astronauts" influencing ancient civilizations. 

Like the New Gods, the Eternals' saga was cancelled before the story could be completed. Roy Thomas and Mark Gruenwald would tie up the loose ends in Thor's comic, also bringing the Eternals into the Marvel Universe proper. The group would continue to appear in various comics over the years (Sersi became an Avenger in the 90s for a while), and most recently, got their own book again. So, let's take a look at how it all started with Eternals #1! 

The cover is a Jack Kirby and Frank Giacoia piece. It's really good. The statue does look a bit derpy, though. Maybe it's the angle. 

"The Day of the Gods"
Writer: Jack Kirby
Penciler: Jack Kirby
Inker: John Verpoorten
Colorist: Glynis Wein
Letterer: Gaspar Saladino
Editors: Jack Kirby, Marv Wolfman
Editor-in-Chief: Marv Wolfman

The story beings with a group of people making...one incredible discovery.

Page 5, Full Page

The group had been exploring the Andes Mountains, hoping to find some interesting ruins. And boy, did they. They discovered that these ruins seem to depict some from of alien technology. The party's cameraman, an Ike Harris, claims these ruins prove that humanity is sharing the world with another species. The other two members of this party, a Doctor Damian and his daughter Margo, think he's a bit...bananas.

In the Pacific Ocean near South America, a plane flies by, its pilot confused and lost. The plane encounters a wall of energy. The pilot tries to eject, but the wall of energy consumes pilot and plane alike. The source was a disrupter device deployed in the style of a submarine's periscope. And who is behind this deadly device?

Page 11, Panel 6

Meet Warlord Kro. And his awesome shades. I like his shades. I want those shades. His mission? To find a beacon before a mysterious group known as the "Eternals" do and make sure it's never activated. Back at the temple, Margo admits to her father that she finds this "Ike Harris" fellow rather creepy.

He explores these ruins like he's been there before. Dr. Damian and Margo have had enough of this, and demand to know who their guide really is. He...actually agrees to explain. You see, "Ike Harris" is a bit of world play on his part. His real name is simply Ikaris. He is not strictly "human" per se, but his kind is sort of a relative of humans. 

Millions of years ago, a spacecraft came to Earth, attracted by the growing life on the world. The beings on these ships discovered ape-like creatures that would eventually become man. The inhabitants of the craft captured one of these beings and experimented on it. That being would become the common ancestor of three branching evolutionary paths.

Page 15, Panel 3

The genetically unstable Deviants would go underground and create weapons to wage endless wars. The Eternals would isolate themselves, devoting themselves to mental enlightenment and developing powers that were unto gods. Man would continue on its way, its genetic cousins seen as myths. These ruins indicate that the creators of the Eternals and Deviants had come to basically check on the results of their genetic meddling during the time of the Incas. According to Ikaris, the Incans are not the only ancient people to have encountered the Eternals. 

One of the ruins is an ancient monitor, which shows a ship is on the way. Kro is on his way to the ruins as well. He and his Deviant forces arrive at the ruins, but hear a noise. The cosmic beacon has been activated. They are seemingly too late. But Kro is a determined Deviant. He and his forces attack the beacon, but Ikaris is able to fight them off.

Page 20, Panel 1

REKT. One of the Deviants is able to disable Ikaris with a shroud. Despite the Deviants' efforts, a large ship appears in the sky over the ruins.

Page 21, Panel 1.

The gods are here. 

Wave Break Release Date Trailer, My Thoughts

Sometimes, you play a video game to go on an epic journey. Sometimes, you play a video game for the thrill of sport victory. And sometimes, you just want to be an anthropomorphic bear on a motorboat. And if that's what you want, then Wave Break is for you. Let's look at the trailer! 

Man, this new DLC for Animal Crossing is WEEEEEIRD...

This reminds me of my time playing Vice City on my PS2 back in the day. I love that game. I would love to see an enhanced remake of it, be given the whole GTA V treatment. That would be epic.

Otters tend to be cowboy cops. They get the job done. They crush crime like a shellfish on their tummies!

TANK TOP CROCODILE! NOOOOOOOO!

HOW COULD YOU?! HE HAD A FAMILY!

Silly Bear Mob Boss, motorboats don't work on land.

...never mind.

Oh, this looks FUN.

Ooh, customization of characters and making your own motorboat parks. Nice. 

Hey, you get points for doing tricks?! Takes me back to Tony Hawk's American Wasteland.

This looks like a very fun game. It reminds me of so many other games I enjoyed. I think I will pick this up! 

Eternals Teaser, My Thoughts

The Mighty Marvel Cinematic Universe marches on! In April 2018, it was announced that the Eternals would get their own film, which would be the MCU's 26th movie. Created by Jack Kirby and first appearing in Eternals #1 (July 1976), the Eternals are an offshoot of humanity given godlike power to protect the Earth. 

Written by Ryan and Matthew K. Firpo, and directed by Chloe Zhao (Zhao and Patrick Burleigh had re-written the script), the film was originally intended to have released in November 2020, but got delayed to this upcoming November due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, we finally got the long-anticipated teaser for this movie. Let's take a look! 

A good day for a bit of spear fishin'.

Man, the prototype for the B-2 Bomber was weird.

"...Sersi, there's sand here!"

I like that shot of the hand in the plants. It's paralleling the shot of Thanos's hand in the farm. Also, the water coming from that hand looks like beer. I'm gonna pretend it's beer. The Eternals are DRINKING TONIGHT!

From what I understand, that dagger in that shot is meant to resemble the Ceremonial Golden Dagger, an artifact that was found in the tombs of royalty in the ancient city of Ur. Ur is, I think, one of the world's first ever major cities, so it's a nice nod here. 

That city...could it be Atlantis, pre-sinking? People have joked about the narration saying the Eternals "never interfering", but a shot showing one handing someone a knife. Maybe they did try to guide humanity more directly in the past, but it led to disaster. As such, they decided to be "hands off". Would also help explain why they weren't around to help deal with Thanos. Heck, maybe this is the reason why Atlantis is underwater in the MCU. 

Also, I would not be surprised if this film draws on the 2006 Eternals miniseries written by Neil Gaiman and drawn by John Romita Jr to help explain why the Eternals are emerging now. In that miniseries, they were rendered amnesiac and believed that they were regular people. 

There's a new Fastest Woman Alive in the MCU!

I will laugh so hard if we get a full-on Bollywood musical number in this flick.

Sprite is legendary at karaoke. And the old Captain America shield in the background!

I think a certain man named Sam and a certain woman named Carol would disagree with you there, Ikaris.

This teaser doesn't really reveal much, but...I kind of liked that. I like the mystery of what this film is about. We know the Deviants will be involved. After all, can't have the Eternals without Deviants for them to fight. I admit, the film looks rather unique compared to the rest of the MCU. Likely due to Zhao using more naturalistic lighting. It's an MCU film, so you bet I want to see this. 

Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get vaccinated! See you next time!

Psi-Force #1 (November 1986)

Welcome to the New Universe! We've visited this 80s imprint in the past with a look at D.P. 7 #1. Now, we're going to look at another one of the imprint's launch titles, Psi-Force.

Psi-Force told the tale of a group of teenagers given psychic abilities thanks to the "White Event", the mass-empowering event that created most of the superhuman characters in the New Universe. Psi-Force was one of the longer lasting and more popular series, lasting 32 issues and getting one Annual. It also debuted the work of writer Fabian Nicieza and artist Ron Lim. 

The cover is a Mark Texiera piece, and it's pretty good. It's a bit basic, but it works for a first issue. You basically get to meet the members of the Psi-Force, and it also give a hint of their powers. High in the back is the Psi-Hawk itself. It looks neat, but it is a bit...stereotypical.

"Hour of the Wolf!"
Writer: Steve Perry 
Penciler: Mark Texiera
Inker: Kyle Baker
Colorist: Bob Sharen
Letterer: Jim Novak
Editor: Bob Budiansky
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

The story begins on a dark night in Mendocino, California. A pair of agents are pursuing a man and a teenage girl.

Page 3, Full Page.

They are pursing a Native American CIA man named Emmett Proudhawk and a Soviet girl named Anastasia Inyushin. This is a comic from the 80s, after all. Why are they after these two? Well, you see, our little Miss Inyushin has...a gift.

Page 4, Panels 4-5

She has the power to heal with a touch. However, it can be draining on her to do it repeatedly. The two get cornered, and it's revealed that Proudhawk had smuggled Inyushin into the United States from her native USSR. And naturally, considering her powers, the USSR wants her back. The agents are presumably KGB men. The lead of this group, a Sergei Vladmiroff, implores Proudhawk to give Inyushin up. After all, the US has disavowed his actions, so it won't be like they'll help him.

Inyushin suggests that they surrender, but Proudhawk refuses. After all, if the cops get involved, the Soviets will have to use official channels to get Inyushin back. And bureaucracy being what it is, that could take years. They'd rather just snatch her up, as it would be quicker.

Proudhawk then reveals that like Inyushin, he himself has a gift. He takes a medallion he wore under his shirt. Using it to focus his own mental powers, he tries to get Vladmiroff to back off. But his powers are not at full strength, and Vladmiroff is able to shake it off. The two get caught under fire, and this is witnessed by what looks like a ghost who heads for a nearby boat.

Page 7, Panels 1-2

Meet Tyrone Jessup and Kathy Ling. Like Proudhawk and Inyushin, these two have psychic abilities of their own. Tyrone has astral projection, and Kathy has telekinesis. Ling has some issues with Tyrone's powers, calling them "gross". She uses her own telekinesis to break up the dock the KGB men are on, leaving them sputtering and hoping they were trained in the fine art of swimming. 

(smirk)

It's here we get a bit of detail on Inyushin and Proudhawk's backstories. Growing up in the USSR, Inyushin was shown to have a bit of a "green thumb", an almost superhuman ability to tend plants. Fearing that she had an actual superpower, her parents sent her to live in Kansas with her Uncle Yakob and Aunt Masha. Things were fine for a while, until a car accident killed her aunt and uncle, forcing her to return home. There, she was met by Sergei Vladmiroff, who informed her that her parents are also dead.

(Coincidence? I think not)

Anyway, she ended up in a lab where her abilities were tested. Thanks to (presumably) the White Event, her powers grew to the point where she could heal, and Sergei felt she suddenly became a great asset to the state...

(shudder)

No wonder Proudhawk grabbed her. As for our man himself, well...growing up, his Apache grandmother was the first to notice his psychic gifts. She saw it as his being able to channel spirits, but he thought it was nonsense. His assignment at the CIA was to find and catalogue people with potential psychic abilities. One day, he discovered that someone had leaked his list of potential psychics...and was hunting them down. He went rogue to find them and gather the remaining ones, fearing for their lives. One he could not find, two were dead already. 

He did manage to find four of them, though. And he brought them to this little house.

Page 13, Panel 2

This is Sanctuary, a little hostel and safe space for runaway teenagers. And considering that the psychics that Proudhawk found were teenagers...yeah. Inyushin is introduced to Colby Shaw, the woman who runs the place. Shaw is having a bit of trouble wrangling one of Proudhawk's psychics. And here he is now.

Page 14, Panel 3

Meet Wayne Tucker, the resident calm optimistic happy guy of this little Psi-Force. I kid, he's the resident angry kid of the bunch. He angrily rants and says he's leaving. We also meet Michael "Creepy" Crawley. The youngest of the bunch, he can make things explode with his mind. 

(explosion)

Hawk gathers the five kids and explains why he brought them together. A year ago, he had a dream. The dream was of a bright white light, and then five rabbits being menaced by a pack of wolves. A hawk swooped down to protect the rabbits, but the wolves took down the hawk. The rabbits then seemingly merged into a larger, stronger, more powerful hawk, able to easily fight the wolves off. Proudhawk is convinced that the dream was a vision, especially when the White Event hit. The five teenagers can't survive on their own. There are powerful forces after them. But if they stay together, they can handle anything. 

The kids...find it rather silly. That night, Stasia makes a phone call, fearing that she'll put the others in danger thanks to the KGB pursuing her. She calls Vladmiroff, saying she wants to meet with him. Proudhawk and the other psychics discover the meeting. 

The Native American agent has a mental faceoff with Mindwolf, a psychic KGB agent. The battle does not end well for Proudhawk.

Page 22, Panel 1

Tucker grabs Proudhawk's medallion. He, Jessup, Ling, and Crawley put their hands on it...and a miracle seemingly occurs.

Page 24, Full Page.

The Psi-Hawk is the full totality of all the kids' psychic power. It engages Mindwolf, but the Russian is able to get the upper hand. The others realize that Inyushin is not grabbing the medallion with them. Remember, the dream had five rabbits making one hawk. The Russian girl puts her hand on the medallion. And like Popeye eating spinach, the Psi-Hawk suddenly gets a massive boost in power, and is able to wreck Mindwolf. 

Tucker wants to split, but Crawley's like "No way! You gotta help us take Hawk's corpse back to Sanctuary!" And that's where our story ends.

I enjoyed the comic, but I admit something. I did think it dragged a bit at times. I also think it would have been nice to have Proudhawk stick around a little longer. I would have liked to have seen him play mentor to the kids, considering their situation. We do get some basic ideas of the kids' personalities. Like with the New Mutants, their characters at this point are a bit basic. Tucker's the angry kid, Inyushin is the shy girl, Ling is the bratty rich girl, Jessup is the team player, and Crawley is the little brother. However, it's only the first issue, and we can give them character development over time.

I 

Zombies Ate My Neighbors/Ghoul Patrol Announcement Trailer, My Thoughts

Let's look at the trailer!

Normally, when a dead hand bursts out of the ground and shoves a screen of video game footage in your face, that's something to be very nervous about. Regular zombies are bad enough. Ad zombies? Those are the stuff of nightmares.

You know, I never knew ZamN had a sequel. Learn something new every day.

(The more you know)

I know I have played Zombies ate my Neighbors in the past, and I do remember enjoying it. I especially liked the look of the game.

Got a friend you want to beat up zombies with? Well, now you can! Although I think it might be local play only, not online.

(shame)

Achievements, huh? I wonder what achievements could you get in this game? Bounce a certain number of times on a trampoline? Getting through a level without dying?

(Hmmm)

Game saves are convenient, though. I hope you can save anywhere.

Space Jam: A New Legacy Trailer, My Thoughts

In 1996, the film Space Jam hit theaters. Directed by Joe Pytka, it starred NBA legend Michael Jordan. Set after his first retirement from the NBA in 1993, Jordan is called upon by the Looney Tunes gang to help them win a basketball game to keep a team of aliens from enslaving them as attractions for their theme park. The film received mixed reviews on release. However, the film was given praise for its blending of live-action and animation, as well as for the Looney Tunes' comedic timing. 

The film would be a box office success, and it retains a cult following to this day. The film is also notable for introducing Lola Bunny to the Looney Tunes canon. It also was one of the first productions to be made on a virtual studio, and was one of the first animated films to use digital technology. It's quite ahead of its time in some ways. 

A sequel had been planned as far back as 1996, and went through various evolutions, but it never came to be. Until now. It was announced in 2014 that a sequel was greenlit, with NBA player LeBron James now being the basketball star meeting the Looney Tunes gang. It's kind of appropriate that he be in the sequel. LeBron James is considered one of the greatest basketball players of his generation, if not all time...he's often compared to Michael Jordan when it comes to his impact on the hardwood. So, does A New Legacy look like a fun ride? Let's look at the trailer!

Man, that's a big house. 

Is he playing a Nintendo Switch?! I love the Switch!

Ah, so this is the classic "father tries to connect with son" story. Simple, but effective at the heartstring-tugging.

Eh, I bet Will Smith's family is...a bit weirder.

Evidently, these servers have some Tron tech in them.

Oh, it's not so bad. Don Cheadle is in charge...I spoke too soon.

This is Don Cheadle's world, LeBron. You might need to tread carefully here, my friend.

Hey, be glad you got to be a cartoon, LeBron. You would be dead if you were still flesh after that fall.

I wonder if this'll call back to the original Space Jam in the story.

...why would LeBron have Yosemite Sam on his team if he can have friggin' Superman?!

Get it? He shot the ball.

This film is just Warner Bros. saying "LOOK AT ALL THE STUFF WE OWN, FOLKS! AND YOU ALL ARE AFRAID OF THE MOUSE?!"

Wait...was that BlackArachnia?!

Ooh, that'll hurt!

Heh. Senior discount.

Well, this looks like it'll be a fun ride, especially for kids. I remember really wanting to see the original as a kid, and thinking it was the coolest thing ever. I hope today's kids get that feeling from this movie. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get vaccinated! See you next time!

Saga of the Swamp Thing #21 (February 1984)

Before I begin this blog entry, I do have to apologize. Last week, I said I was going to talk about a comic story focused on Northstar for Pride Month. However, I made a goofup. I thought May was Pride Month, that was actually in June. I do apologize for this error, but I will look at that story next month, so that's something to look forward to. As such, this week, I thought it would be nice to focus on a character that's never really appeared in this blog before, and I wanted to review more DC stuff, anyway. Enjoy! 

Once upon a time, there was a man named Alec Holland. He was a brilliant doctor, working on a formula to help promote crop growth alongside his beloved wife Linda. The two hoped their formula would basically be a panacea for starvation. But this endeavor would end in tragedy. The two would end up getting attacked by agents of the criminal organization known as the Conclave. The Conclave blew up his lab, saturating Alec with the bio-restorative formula and knocking him into the swamps. He would emerge transformed into a living hybrid of man and plant. He would be known from then on...as the Swamp Thing. At least, that's what seemed to have happened...

Created by the both sadly missed Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson, the Swamp Thing first appeared in House of Secrets #92 (July 1971). Wein came up with the original idea for the Swamp Thing while riding on a subway train in Queens, New York. His basic sketch of the character would be refined by Wrightson, leading to the monster we know today.

The Swamp Thing would become quite popular in the 70s through the 90s, appearing in a cartoon, a couple of movies, and a live-action TV show in 1990. The character would get another short-lived show in 2019. He's also gotten numerous series over the years. 

The comic we're looking at this week is from the Swamp Thing's second series, which had started in 1982. Issue #19 saw the beginning of the character's adventures being chronicled by British writer Alan Moore. Moore was not the famous figure in comics he is now back at this time. Having been given free rein to do as he saw fit with the book, Moore took the book in a more mythic and monstrous direction. He wanted to make the Swamp Thing a true monster, and this issue would seal that fate for Mr. Holland. Let's look at Saga of the Swamp Thing #21!

The cover is a Tom Yeates piece, and it's pretty awesome, depicting the Swamp Thing menacingly walking towards a man. My only complaint about it is that the building doesn't quite match the building in the actual story. But maybe the change was done for atmospheric purposes. It does a good job selling the idea of the Swamp Thing as a horrific monster.

"The Anatomy Lesson"
Writer: Alan Moore
Penciler: Steve Bissette
Inker: John Totleben
Colorist: Tatjana Wood
Letterer: John Costanza
Editor: Len Wein
Executive Editor: Dick Giordano

The story begins with a man standing in a building, staring out in the sky on a dark and stormy night. He's enjoying a little wine, and contemplating some things. Life, the universe, that kind of thing. This man is Jason Woodrue, aka the supervillain known as the Floronic Man. And what he is actually contemplating? He's thinking about an old man. An old man who will be calling for help soon. And there will be blood. Lots of blood, likely. 

So, how did the Floronic Man end up here? Well, we've got to go back a bit. The Old Man, a General Sutherland, had hired him for a task, releasing him from jail in the process. The Old Man had shown Jason around his building. The half-man half-plant noticed that the building was empty, but that's because everything here is automated. Sutherland shows him a special surprise.

"We told him to chill out, but this is ridiculous!"

 Our man Swamp Thing, frozen and seemingly dead. Yeah, he got shot up in the last issue. And now that the Swamp Thing has joined the choir invisible, Sutherland wants an autopsy done on him. Why's that, you ask? Well, it's here we get a bit of a recap of Swamp Thing's origins.   

Sutherland explains that his men had exhumed Linda Holland's corpse. She was the only other person in the world that was exposed to the formula as much as Alec Holland was. The corpse was examined, and nothing was found. That was expected. It was in her tissues, but it wasn't supposed to have done anything to her. The formula was supposed to work only on plants. So, if that was the case...why was Alec transformed?

That's where Woodrue comes in. Being basically a human-plant hybrid himself, it's hoped he could provide some insight into Alec's transformation. Woodrue agrees to examine the body of the Swamp Thing. After all, he's got a "Get out of Jail Free" card out of this. The next day, the Floronic Man gets to work on the Autopsy of the Swamp Thing.

Page 43, Panels 4-6

Woodrue admits that he was excited to examine our hero's body. It's not often that the plant-powered villain gets to examine another being like himself. Maybe it will allow him to undergo a bit of self-discovery of his own. 

Weeks pass. Woodrue discovers that Swamp Thing does contain organs, but they seemingly are made of vegetable manner...and don't work at all. The next few weeks are rough ones for the Floronic Man. He has made no headway in solving the mystery of the Swamp Thing's body. His employer is growing dissatisfied with his lack of progress. The Floronic Man won't be stumped for long, though. One night, while tired, he read an essay on planarian worms...and it hits him.

Meanwhile, the Swamp Thing is regrowing.

Page 46, Panel 7

You see, there was an experiment done with planarian worms. One worm was taught to run a maze. It was then chopped up and fed to other worms...that were able to run the maze. Somehow, the worms were able to obtain the knowledge of how to run the maze from their comrade after eating him.

Yeah, it disturbs me, too. Evidently, this was a real experiment done by James V. McConnell in the 60s. The results he found were considered the product of observer bias. But this is the DCU. And this is the big answer to how Alec Holland was transformed into the Swamp Thing. His body was saturated with the bio-chemical compound he was working on. The compound couldn't have transformed him on its own. If that were the case, Linda would be a She-Swamp Thing. Huh. Imagine that. Somewhere out there in the DC Multiverse, Linda became the Swamp Thing. Anyway, what if the explosion had already killed Holland, and sent his corpse into the swamp?

The plants there get altered by the biochemical formula in Holland's body. They consume his corpse, getting Alec's conciousness, much like the planarian worms inheriting the knowledge of running a maze. They form themselves into a body, trying to imitate his old organs. A new being is born out of this, unware that he is no longer even human...and can never be again. Sutherland finds this...ridiculous. ...Dude, you are literally talking to a plant-man!

Anyway, because the old man is a dope, he fires Woodrue. Thing is, Woodrue is a supervillain, and supervillains do not like being slighted. Using the knowledge of the building (Sutherland had showed him the automated defenses while he was working on Swamp Thing), the Floronic Man unfreezes the Swamp Thing, allowing him to complete growing back from his old body. 

Sutherland comes down to look at the frozen body, and discovers that ol' Mr. Holland has managed to finish regrowing himself. He flees back to his office, and finds ol' Alec waiting for him.

Page 54, Panel 7

The files on Alec are on the man's desk, and our man/plant has had the opportunity to read through them. Further showing how dumb he is, Sutherland asks if Alec likes what he read. Woodrue predicted as he told this story that Alec would...not take the revelation well. The Swamp Thing pursues Sutherland all over the building. He tries to flee, but Woodrue messed with the security system. Again, the general slighted a supervillain. An it allows Swamp Thing to catch up to him and basically give the old man the Hug of Death.

The story ends with Woodrue sitting back in his apartment, having some wine...and plotting. Doing lots and lots of plotting.

Apologies for the lack of pictures, it's been a busy week for me, and I had no chance to get scans done. I'll have to get on that...and last week's, too. Sigh... 

This story is a classic for a reason. It's the story that blew up everything we thought we knew about our swampy hero, turning him from a tragic man into a tragic monster. In the 80s, Alan Moore was in a bit of a mood to deconstruct and blow up the superhero genre, for better and for worse. We see a bit of that here, taking a bit of plot hole in Swamp Thing's origin and turning it into something that utterly redefined that character. Bissette and Totleben's work on art is moody and helps give the comic the vibe of a horror film. It's really good.

Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, get vaccinated, and wear a mask! Join me next time, when we return to the New Universe and meet a new generation of heroes, harnessing the power...of psi... 

Happy Mother's Day!

 Happy Mother's Day, everyone!

I hope this day was a wonderful one for you!

Avengers Forever #5 (April 1999)

It's that time again! It's time to join the Avengers in their epic battle against Immortus, the Master of Time! And funky headgear! Last time, our heroes went to three different points in time to investigate a series of anomalies: The year of 1959, the Old West, and a possible future featuring a rag-tag group of Avengers desperately fighting to save a devastated Earth from the Martians. All three groups ran into trouble, so how did it work out for them? Let's take a look at Avengers Forever #5!

The cover is a Carlos Pacheco piece, and it's pretty neat. It depicts the members of both the "present" and "1950s Avengers" reacting to what is clearly Immortus's hand. He just did a magic trick involving a bunch of calendars, and our heroes are far from impressed. Come on, Immortus! Where's the "A" material? Where's the rabbit from a hat? The "saw-in-half" trick? Make an effort, man! You're better than this!

"Past Imperfect...Future Tense"
Writers: Kurt Busiek and Roger Stern
Penciler: Carlos Pachego
Inker: Jesus Merino
Colorist: Steve Oliff
Letterers: Richard Starkings, Albert Deschesne
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras

The story begins with Rick Jones basically watching Temporal TV.

Page 1, Panel 2

The long-time sidekick is feeling a bit of frustration. Thanks to the Destiny Force within him, he's gotten back his ability to walk. He wants to help out. He does understand why he has to stay in the big ol' Time Sphinx. Immortus wants to kill him. And since the Time Sphinx is currently outside the timestream, the temporal tyrant can't touch him. But still, he does want some action. 

From here, we join Captain America and Hank Pym in the future where the "Martians" invaded the Earth. The two have joined up with this time's version of the Avengers, presumably the last remaining superheroes in the world. Pym points out that one of their members, a future version of Jocasta (who appears to have the powers of the Vision), is rather pregnant. 

Page 3, Panel 3

Thing is, she's chosen to fight since her husband Machine Man had been killed. Hank Pym's curiosity has been piqued by the idea of two artificial sentient mechanical beings were able to reproduce like humans, but there's tripods to take down. So, that's the priority for now. 

(priorities)

The heroes have gotten the Skorpsmen on the run. The retreating alien cyborgs flee to their spaceship, and fly off. The Black Panther is infuriated, because he wants to end this war. And the only way to do so is to bring an end to the Skorpsmen and their Martian Masters. Rick decides to check in on Genis and Jan in 1959. It's not going well.

page 7, panel 4

Wasp and Genis try to explain to the 1959 Avengers why they're there, but the group is convinced they want to kidnap Nixon for the Chinese. They fight, but Venus ends it with the power of love. Huey Lewis would be proud. It allows Wasp to explain why they're there, with Marvel Boy confirming it with a telepathic probe. Could have done that in the first place, Bobby Grayson.

Let's check in on 1873, shall we? It's revealed that Kang took Clint, Melissa, and Yellowjacket's time sphere. Since this is Kang from before this story, he has no idea how they got one of his time-spheres, or even who they are. You'd think a master of time would be aware of this stuff. Either way, he blows the mountain, seemingly trapping our heroes. However, much like the supervillain Klaw, Songbird can create constructs of sonic energy, which gives the group a way out.

Page 13, Panel 7

Yellowjacket tries to flirt with Songbird, but Hawkeye puts a stop to that. After all, he's Hank Pym and he's from a point in time when he's about to get married. It's here that we get a visit from some more heroes of the Marvel Universe's Old West era.

Page 15, Panels 1-2.

Meet the Matthew Masters, the Black Rider! Reno Jones and Kid Cassidy, the Gunhawks! The Black Rider first appeared in All Winners #2 (December 1948), created by Syd Shores. The Gunhawks first appeared in Gunhawks #1 (October 1972), created by Syd Shores and Gary Friedrich.

However, Hawkeye is able to convince the gunslingers they're the good guys, too. That night, the six hang out over a roaring fire. Clint is all too eager to jump into the fight against Kang. Songbird tries to talk him out of it out of fear of altering the timeline. Yellowjacket points out that that's impossible without the Heart of Forever.

You see, imagine the Marvel Universe's history is like a river. When a time traveler tries to force it to go in an different direction, all they'll end up doing is creating a tributary to that river. In the MU, trying to alter the past just creates an alternate timeline, basically.

Ultimately, what our three time-tossed Avengers need is Kang's chronosphere back, and Kid Cassidy has a plan for that. The Black Rider and Reno Jones can distract Kang. Cassidy wants to come along with the three Avengers, make sure everything's on the up-and-up. Hawkeye is honored to have him come along. There's just one thing. You see, they're in the year of 1873. Kid Cassidy should be dead now. Kid Cassidy had been killed in Gunhawks #6. The next and final issue of their series would be titled Reno Jones, Gunhawk. Because of this, Reno became the second Black character to have a self-titled series (The first was Luke Cage). 

The Avengers ambush the three cowboys and tie them up. Hawkeye figures that they couldn't have known this much about Kang...unless Two-Gun Kid spent a lot of money on telegrams. It's then we make another discovery.

Page 17, Panel 5

They're Space Phantoms! One of these guys first appeared in Avengers # (). It's especially odd to this trio as, well, as far as they know, there was only one Space Phantom. Back in the 1950s, a pair of FBI agents arrive to alert the agents they are aware that Richard Nixon is not really Tricky Dick. They want to confer with the 50s Avengers on how to handle this quietly. Gotta avoid alerting the public, after all. 

The group goes to a tent, but then Genis-Vell's Cosmic Awareness goes nuts. The son of Mar-Vell...blasts the G-Men with sparkles, I think. And they turn into Space Phantoms. The 50s Avengers brawl with the impersonators, while Rick Jones warned Wasp and Genis that a crazy time . Meanwhile, Immortus, disguised as a 50s-era US Army General, he shakes his hand with "Richard Nixon", and exposes that he is a Skrull. He then wipes out the timeline with the Forever Crystal.

(Page 21, Panels 3-4) 

I can't help but observe a bit of a Crisis on Infinite Earths homage with that imagery. Everything fading to white and all that. The story ends with Genis-Vell and Wasp trying to escape in their chronosphere as the wall of white bears down upon them...

This was a rather enjoyable issue, in my opinion. I can see why it would come off as a bit slow to others. It can't be helped in a miniseries this long. I enjoyed the character stuff here. Hawkeye fanboying over the Western heroes, Cap and Giant-Man fighting a more ruthless makeshift Avengers in a dark future, Wasp and Genis trying to get through to the 50s Avengers that they weren't Communist agents. It's neat stuff. 

I wish I was any good about talking about art, because I have so much trouble talking about Carlos Pacheco's. It's very good, but I wish I could go into more details into why I like it.

Sorry about the lack of scans here. I never had a chance to make them. Hopefully, I'll be able to fit them in in the future. If you want to read this story for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2011 trade paperback Avengers Forever. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves, and each other. Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get vaccinated! Join me next time, when in honor of Pride Month, we look at a major moment in the life of Northstar... 

Cinco de Mayo

Two years ago, I explained the holiday known as Cinco de Mayo. Since it's that day again, I figured it was time for a refresher as to what Cinco de Mayo is. As such, please forgive the copy and paste from then.

You're probably asking yourself, what is Cinco de Mayo? Well, it's a holiday celebrated in both the United States and in Mexico on May 5, Cinco de Mayo literally meaning "May 5th" in Spanish.

Both countries celebrate the holiday rather differently. In the US, the day is seen as a celebration of Mexican-American culture. In fact, it's often mistakenly seen as the Mexican Independence Day, but that's not accurate. The actual Mexican Independence Day is September 16th, which celebrates the Cry of Dolores, the event that triggered Mexico's fight for independence from Spain.

The American version of Cinco de Mayo is believed to have started in 1863, among Mexican miners in California. They were overjoyed that their home nation was standing up to the French Empire, that they broke into spontaneous celebration. The American Cinco de Mayo would mainly be celebrated in California up into the 1940s, when the rising Chicano Movement would help spread it to the rest of the United States. In the 1980s, many marketing firms, especially beer companies, sensed the celebratory nature of the holiday and used it to promote various products. This would help make the holiday much more popular in the US, and further evolve it into the modern celebration of Mexican-American culture it is.

In Mexico, it's a minor holiday. There, it's the day where the Mexican Army, led by Ignacio Zaragoza, defeated the French Army at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. In 1860, the Mexican Civil War, aka the Reform War, had ended. The war had wrecked Mexico economically. As a result, then-President Benito Juarez had been forced to suspend payments of interest on foreign debts for a couple of years, which angered Spain, Great Britain, and France. The three countries formed the Tripartite Alliance, the goal to basically invade Mexico and force them to make the payments.

The three nations would invade in 1861, occupying the port city of Veracruz, and marching to the city of Orizaba. Mexico was able to negotiate with Britain and Spain, and the two countries withdrew from Mexico. But France, under Napoleon III at the time, wanted a war. France wanted to rule Mexico. France wanted to make Mexico part of its empire.

At the Battle of Puebla, 4,000 Mexican Army soldiers stood up against 6,500 Frenchmen. The French were much better-equipped than the Mexicans, but the Mexicans managed to defeat the French. 87 Mexicans died in the battle, 131 got wounded, and 12 went missing. They managed to capture 35 Frenchmen, wound 304, and kill 476. The Battle was a big political victory for Mexico. It was a big morale boost for the people and defenders of Mexico.

In 1862, Juarez had declared May 5th a national holiday in Mexico, where it's called "Battle of Puebla Day" or "The Battle of Cinco de Mayo". It's mainly celebrated in Puebla City, where the battle occurred, with limited celebrations throughout the rest of Mexico.

And that is Cinco de Mayo. I hope you have a wonderful day!

May the Fourth be With You!

 As it says on the header.

I hope your May 4th was a good day!

War of the Realms: Journey into Mystery #1 (April 2019)

When the War of the Realms hit the Marvel Universe, it naturally would involve every major Marvel character active in the universe at the time. Thor needed all the help he could get to stop Malekith, after all. However, despite the chaos, even Thor still had to deal with family drama. To protect his newest sibling, the God of Thunder's close ally, friend, and half-brother Balder the Brave had to assemble a crack team of heroes and take them...on a Journey to Mystery.

Journey to Mystery is a title long associated with the Thor mythos. Journey into Mystery started in 1952 as a horror anthology. As the 1950s went on, it would start telling science fiction and monster stories. But with issue #83 (August 1962), Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby would introduce the Marvel Universe's take on Thor, the Norse god of thunder. The title would be Thor's regular home. When #166 (March 1966) hit, The book would be renamed for its superhero star.

The title would be used again a couple of times over the years. The 1970s would see a brief revival, going back to its roots as a horror anthology. In the 1990s and the 2010s, the Thor title would be given back on its old name when it focused on characters from Thor's mythos.

So, it's rather appropriate that the name be used again with a Thor-centered event. This Journey to Mystery is a five-issue miniseries. Did it start strong? Let's find out by looking at War of the Realms: Journey into Mystery #1!

The cover is a Valerio Schiti and David Curiel piece, and it's pretty cool. You got the heroes of this story doing poses on the Bifrost, the Rainbow Bridge between Asgard and Midgard, aka Earth.

"Chapter One: With the Will to Protect"
Writers: Clint, Griffin, Justin, and Travis McElroy
Penciler: Andre Lima Araujo
Inker: Andre Lima Araujo
Colorist: Chris O'Halloran
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Editors: Will Moss, Sarah Brunstad, Tom Brevoort
Editor-in-Chief: C.B. Cebulski

The story begins with what looks like a not-Winnebago racing down a highway with explosions erupting around it.

So, how did this end up happening? Well, we first have to go back about a month earlier. Balder the Brave has learned that he has got himself a new sister who is in the care of Gaia, Thor's mother. Balder's missed a lot, since he became King of Hel in Angela: Queen of Hel #5 (February 2016). As such, he's not been able to keep up with things on Midgard. But enough about that, let's meet Laussa Odinsdottir!

Look at little Laussa. Ain't she cute? Balder swears to protect his new little sister with his new life if he has to. A month later, the War of the Realms hits. The Queen of Cinders (this is before she battled the New Agents of Atlas) is after little Laussa. And the Queen of Cinders knows where she is. After all, having a big ol' Asgardian castle in Oklahoma is...kind of an obvious hiding place.

Lady Freyja basically tells Balder and Thori to get their butts to Oklahoma and protect Laussa. Thori, who first appeared in Journey into Mystery #632 (December 2011), is a Hel-Hound. He originally belonged to Loki, but was hanging around with Thor at this time. Loki gave him the name Thori. It's here we join the Miles Morales Spider-Man, who is trying to fight off some monsters in Times Square. Balder saves the young hero's life and introduces himself.

Thing is, he thinks Miles is the Peter Parker Spider-Man, just with a new suit. Again, Balder as been trapped in Hel for a long time. He's missed a lot. A SHIELD agent named Roz Solomon takes them to Oklahoma. They arrive as Thor's castle is about to be attacked. Upon their arrival, Balder and Miles meet Skuld, the Silent Norn.

Skuld has to do the talking now as her sisters aren't around to interpret her visions. Gaia entrusts baby Laussa to Balder. Skuld then tells Balder that fate will provide him with a party of companions to aid him on his journey. 

The Man of Spiders and the Dog of Gods is here, but that's not all: He'll be aided by a Brave Archer that Never Misses, He Who Would Be Sorcerer Supreme, The Half-Machine Warrior, and the One of Wonders. 

We check in on a certain archer in action in Amarillo, Texas.

Not Clint Barton, but the Kate Bishop Hawkeye. The Young Avenger, private investigator, and future Marvel Cinematic Universe star (Hailee Steinfeld will be portraying her in the upcoming Disney+ series Hawkeye) is after a mercenary called Slaughter-Man. It's a play on "manslaughter". Get it? 

Anyway, she easily subdues the merc and serves him some divorce papers from the future former Mrs. Slaughter-Man. Miles and Balder pick her up there. Next, we travel to Alberquerque, New Mexico. It's here that Death Locket is seemingly holding a party. Death Locket, aka Rebecca "Becca" Ryker, first appeared in Avengers Arena #1 (December 2012). She is the daughter of Harlan Ryker, the lead of the Deathlok program. Deathlok's history in the Marvel Universe is rather complicated, and worth a blog examination of its own. Basically, a Deathlok from the future exploded in an attempt to kill Harlan, and left her in need of cybernetic reconstruction. Her name comes from her being referred to as a "Deathlok-ette", and she misheard it as "Death Locket". 

Anyway, the young cyborg is actually partying with a bunch of Life Model Decoys. Life Model Decoys, LMDs for short, are a type of advanced android often used by the spy agency SHIELD for purposes of infiltration and subterfuge. Balder tells her he seeks Deathlok, but she's just as good. Next, we head to Flagstaff, Arizona. It's here we join another member of this party.

Meet Sebastian Druid. First appearing in Mighty Avengers #13 (July 2008), he's the son of the late ex-Avenger and mystic Doctor Anthony Druid. He's found himself a job as a nanny since the disbanding of his Secret Warriors team in Secret Warriors #28 (July 2011). He tries to get his wallet out of his magic coat to pay for his crying charge's candy, but accidentally pulls out a wild magic wand that blasts the shop. He ends up in jail and fired. Balder and Thori get him out, and he eagerly is up for whatever they're doing. Next, we head to Los Angeles, California.

It's here we meet up with Simon Williams, aka Wonder Man. The veteran Avenger and Hollywood hero is being pitched a TV show to star in, but he's taken up pacifism since the events of Uncanny Avengers #7 (April 2013). As such, he does not feel comfortable doing a series in which he'd have to fight. Uh, Simon? You can still be a pacifist and play a character that fights.

Anyway, this is where Balder and his party come to pick him up. It's here we come to the present. Balder and Simon argue over Simon's refusal to fight the truck. Simon, it's a demon truck. I don't think anyone will think you're being a hypocrite for protecting your teammates from a demon truck. Kate Bishop convinces him he can stop the truck without fighting...by wrecking the bridge they're on so the truck can't pursue them. Simon does so, and the plan works.

Death Locket wants to take the fight to the truck's driver, but Simon reminds her their mission is to keep Laussa safe away from the war. And it would not be a good idea to pick a fight with the truck's driver anyway.

Especially if that driver is one Ares, the God of War. He invented it, and perfected it in the field of battle!

I really liked this comic. You could tell that the McElroys were having a blast writing this. I did also like that a couple of lesser-known characters (Sebastian Druid and Death Locket) get to majorly shine here. I also appreciated the 'thrown-together' nature of this group. These are a group of heroes that normally don't get to interact very much, so there's a lot of wonderful potential here. The comic has plenty of hilarious moments, you have to read this for yourself.

When it comes to the art, I have to say this. Andre Lima Araujo's art has this vibe to me. It has this vibe of European comic books. I think it does a fine job carrying the comedy of this issue.

If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the trade paperback War of the Realms: Journey into Mystery. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get vaccinated! Join me next time when the Avengers continue their battle against Immortus...