2024, The Positives

2024 was a...rather rough year for many. However, there were some good things coming out of it. Here are some examples, courtesy of the Good News Network:

- At the University of Arizona's Heart Center, a team of physician-scientists led a coalition to investigate whether the heart muscles can recover. Turns it, there's evidence it can. This means that it may be possible to cure heart failure, one of the deadliest non-communicable diseases on Earth in the future.

- Australia is launching their very first lunar rover. Known as the "Roo-ver" (Get it? Roo? Kangaroo?), this rover was created thanks to the efforts of 21 private firms, start-ups, and universities in the country. Its mission will be to collect samples of Lunar soil for signs of water and air in the hopes it will lead one day to colonization of the Moon. NASA will be providing the transportation.

- A seal rookery in California has produced a record number of fur seal pups for the first time in 150 years. The seal rookery in the Farallon Islands near San Francisco nearly had their population of fur seals wiped out during the 18th century. In 1915, the US, Canada, and Russia signed a treaty banned hunting the fur seals, and in 1972, legislation was passed making the area a protected wilderness. A record 1.276 pups were born in the rookery in the last year, showing the importance of natural conservation.

- In New Zealand, an eco-startup is creating bio-degradable plant pots. These special pots are made of a 'bio-plastic' that is made from crops like cassava and corn. These plants can last a year before degrading. When soil is added to them and they are buried, the pots help provide fertilizer for the plants. They also leave no toxins or micro-plastics in the soil when they decompose.

Text Play: Pokémon Xenoverse #36

Hello, and welcome back to the Eldiw region! This is entry #36 in my Text Play of Pokémon Xenoverse!

I do have a bit of an announcement to make. It has been three years since I have started this here Text Play journey when it comes to this game. I want to thank everyone who has followed me on this journey through this fangame so far, and I hope you continue to join me every month as I go through the Eldiw region. And now, on with the show!

Last time, we started to make our way through the Dance Room of Wallace Daddy's gym in Hypelion City. We did some exploring, and we did a bit of battling, naturally. There is still one area of the Room we should look at: This corner here.

And it turns out we're not a VIP here, so we have to leave. I'm wondering if our role in helping to wreck the Quasar Express had something to do with it. 😬

(wince)

Is it just me, or do the dudes in orange hoodies resemble Scraggy to a degree? I mean, seriously! Look! This is a Scraggy! 

I can't be the only one who noticed this. Anyway, let's head back to the dance floor. Once we get there, we should battle this dude here. 

(Hip Hop) Sean
1st Pokémon: Smeargle (Lv. 38) - Defeated by Trishout
2nd Pokémon: Vroombug (Lv. 40) - Defeated by Trishout
3rd Pokemon: Loudred (Lv. 41) - Started with Palossand. Loudred used Roar, which caused it to be switched for Avalugg. Defeated by Avalugg with Ice Fang.

You may notice after you defeat him, the tile you're standing on (if you're standing in front of him) is starting to flash. Remember that photograph that was shown to us by Rika in the last entry?

Yeah, that one! We have to walk this path and make these tiles glow. As you walk the path on the photo, the tiles will flash. On the way, we can fight this girl here.

Let's do this.

(Breaker) Kate
1st Pokémon: Lopunny (Lv. 43) - Defeated by Trishout. With her defeat, I got the "Champion" achievement!

(woo-hoo)

Once you complete the path, the DJ calls for us.

He asks us to come to his DJ booth, which is in the lower left corner of the room. He wants to see if we're ready to head to the Golden Studio. And naturally, he does it with a Pokémon battle.

(DJ) Jade
1st Pokémon: Bremand (Electric variant, Lv. 43) - Defeated by Palossand
2nd Pokémon: Loudred (Lv. 43) - Started with Harrowk. Loudred used Roar, which forced a switch to Swirlix. Loudred defeated by Avalugg.

Jade thinks we rule on the dance floor and the battlefield. Is there anything we can't do? Well, we can't calculate pi to the 600th integer, ha ha. With that, he gives us the Studio Ticket and wishes us luck. He also warns that ol' Wallce Daddy is a tough trainer underneath the good-guy persona. Well, yeah. He's a gym leader. I doubt he'd be one if he wasn't. 

Before we head up to the Golden Studio and face Wally himself, we should go get our Pokémon healed up at the Pokémon Center. Now, you may be thinking, "Oh no, do we have to do the puzzles again?!"

(headdesk)

Actually, no. We do not. Yeah, one good thing about this gym? If you have solved all the puzzles already, you can just take the elevator to and from the various floors, including the lobby. That's nice. 

(nice)

Sebastian's remark implies that not many Trainers manage to reach this level often. I can imagine it's the puzzles of this Gym. I mean, the Rock Room alone probably has driven a few trainers to say "The heck with this! I'm going home!" Anyway, there's a friend of ours waiting for us in the Studio.

Yup, it's Wally's assistant/manager Sebastian. Naturally, like many of the NPCs you meet in a Pokémon game, he is a trainer. He tells us Wally is right behind the door he is standing in front of. And he just has one simple question for us: 

"What is the title of his first album that was certified as a gold record?"

The answer is "Rags to Riches". It's pretty obvious. If you answer with that, he praises us as a long-time fan. But he will still have to battle us. So, let's do this.

(Manager) Sebastian
1st Pokemon: Hystearic (Lv. 42) - Defeated by Trishout.
2nd Pokemon: Wigglytuff (Lv. 42) - Defeated by Palossand.
3rd Pokemon: Kricketune (Lv. 42) - Defeated by Trishout.

After the battle, Sebastian is satisfied. As far as he's concerned, we've proven ourselves a worthy opponent for Wally. He's kind enough to heal our Pokémon up for us afterwards so we are ready. Thanks, man!

(Terminator thumbs up)

And I'm afraid that's where we have to stop for the month. 

(whoo-hoo)

To be honest, I just guessed based on the title.

Sebastian'll ask you which of Wallce Daddy's albums first went gold. The answer is "Rags to Riches". 

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound Announcement Trailer, My Thoughts.

Don't you just hate it when you travel to a foreign land to honor your father's wishes, and then demons decide to go bonkers and attack the place? Well, for Ryu Hayabusa in 1988, that is what exactly happened. However, this game...is not about him. This is Ninja Gaiden Ragebound. A side story to the original Ninja Gaiden NES trilogy, this game 

Ahhhh, Dotemu. I enjoy their games. Shredder's Revenge, Streets of Rage 4, their port of Windjammers, they do quality work.

"Is that the best you can do?" is one of the phrases someone says before they end up experiencing new levels...of pain.

I like the nod to one of the original game's cutscenes. 

Ryu: Okay Kenji, I'm going to America because my dad wants me to in his will. Meet up with a bud of his. Hopefully, there won't be a buttload of demons causing problems. Watch the village. Don't screw it up.
Kenji: I got this! No problem! 👍

Aaaaaand Kenji just realized that Ryu is going to kill him when he comes back.

(d'oh)

Frickin' demons, man. You kill one, and then six more show up! Sheesh!

I'd so watch a Ninja Gaiden animated series like this.

Ooh, gameplay footage! It's nice seeing the series return to its 2D action-platformer roots. And the looks amazing.

(wow)

Well, this game looks like it will be a lot of fun. 

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Trailer, My Thoughts

The Mighty Marvel Cinematic Universe marches on! Well, sort of. Created by head writer Jeff Tramell, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man was originally meant to be set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, telling the tales of the MCU's Peter Parker early on his career before the events of Captain America: Civil War, with the series being originally titled Spider-Man: Freshman Year. 

During production, it was decided to go in a different direction, setting it in an alternate timeline. I personally felt it was a smart move. They can do their own thing, and with the Multiverse in play, it's still indirectly connected to the MCU. Let's look at the trailer!

Love the little bit of the 1960s Spider-Man theme. It's an iconic tune for a reason.

Ooooooh, that'll hurt! 😬

Ron Howard: He actually suffered six broken ribs.

Heh heh, Peter is a dork. 

Yeah. Sorry, Pete. Your costume...could use some work. I do know a good tailor who could help you...

Oooooh! Yeah, that dude has a concussion. Good thing this is a cartoon! 

Heh heh, I can see a modern teenage Peter being a bit of a troll in costume.

Web-swinging is also a great way to beat the traffic.

Wait, was that Scorcher?! I know the costume isn't quite right, but this could be a prototype. And as a fan of Untold Tales of Spider-Man, I'm all for Scorcher appearing in other media.

I have to admit, I love the animation style here. It gives the vibe of an old comic book. Fits for a young super-hero on the rise. 

I like the idea of Norman Osborn being Peter's mentor here. It's a unique twist on their relationship. And if Osborn does fall to evil, it will add a bit of tragedy. 

THE FUTURE FOUNDATION SUIT! THE FUTURE FOUNDATION SUIT! 

I have to admit, I am excited for this. Peter attending school with other superheroes (Nico Minoru and Pearl "Wave" Pangan are among the cast) kind of reminds me of the Ultimate Spider-Man series, making me wonder if we'll see this Peter form a group like he led in that series. I can't wait to see what adventures this new version of Peter undergoes. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! See you next time!

Wolfpack #12

It's that time again! It's time to join the Wolfpack in their greatest battle against the Nine for one final time. Last time, we saw the Pack make a new ally in the Missionary, a face from their past. He helped train them to face the Nine. 

The story begins, naturally, back in the Bronx. A group of hoods are robbing a bakery. The two aren't too worried about reprisals from anyone. Cops are useless, and the Wolfpack have been missing for the last month. Until one of them spots said Wolfpack on a nearby street. The hoods decide that maybe they should put the money back and vamoose.

(run away)

That night (6:55 PM, to be exact), the Pack discuss the plan to take down the Nine. Slag is not so sure that they can trust the ex-assassin. However, Rafael points out that they kind of have to. He saved their butts from getting some unwanted lead in their diet in the last issue, and he helped further their training. Wheels is in agreement with it. The argument is tabled when said Missionary arrives in a black van, and also bringing some heat.

Page 356, Panel 4

The group then head towards the Phoenix Club, the Nine's base of operations in the South Bronx. 

Page 357, Panel 2

The time is now 6:57 PM. Man, the group got there quick. Anyway, the gang get into position. Wheels flattens the tires of the Nine's cars, so escape will be made a bit more difficult. Slag and Sharon make their way to the Club's roof with a net. Wheels and Malcolm are at the exits, with some explosives. Rafael is up on the roof of a building across from the Club, rifle in hand. The time is now 7:00 PM. It's time for the Pack to go into action.

(It's time)

Rafael fires at the building's back door. The idea is that this will force the Nine's assassins there to try other ways of fleeing, ways the rest of the Pack has covered. Wheels and Malcolm have the sides covered with some special molotov cocktails. Two Nine assassins get out the front, only to be captures by Slag and Sharon's net. There are still five left, and the group has to act quickly, as the cops will come. Wheels throws a smoke bomb into the building, forcing the remainder of the assassins to flee...and to get KO'd by the Pack. They tie up the un-netted assassins. Rafael heads out back, presumably because he spotted Terrance, the blond man we met last issue. As the rest of the Pack prepare to take the captured assassins to the cops, it's shown one has a knife on them. And they're cutting their way free of the net.

(uh oh)

Meanwhile, Rafael follows Terrence, thinking he'll lead the young martial artist right to the Nine's HQ in the city. As this is going down, the Pack have taken the captured assassins to a nearby park, presumably waiting for the police to come collect them. Malcolm suggests that they just kill the assassins. After all, they have no qualms about killing the Pack. Wheels argues that the Wolfpack are not assassins. They do not kill in cold blood. Malcolm thinks that attitude got Slippery killed and allows the Nine to keep coming back. However, the argument is stopped by the knife-holding Nine assassin getting free of the net. Their comrades are also free.

Page 362, Panel 1

Wheels tells Malcolm to put the piece (his gun) away. This will be a fair fight. Just martial arts skills. No weapons, no tricks.

(fight fight fight)

The Missionary evidently is one heck of a good trainer, as the young Wolfpack are able to give these elite assassins quite the beatdown. One grabs Malcolm's gun, but gets her back blown out by the Missionary. As in, he shoots her in the back. 

We next go to the 666 Building, aka Bedlam Co., the legit face of the Nine. At least here in New York City. Rafael Vega has followed Terrence here. Rafael sees an elevator that will go straight to the building's penthouse. Thing is, Rafael should have kept something in mind: Just because something seems like the easy route, does not mean it is. Which he discovers when he finds himself surrounded by Terrence and a bunch of Nine goons.

(D'oh)

Now, Rafael is a good martial artist. Real good. But even he can't beat all these guys at once. And he knows it. Shouldn't have charged into that elevator, buddy. Terrence takes him to a special chamber in the building.

Page 365, Panel 5

This room holds a special supercomputer that is the "brain" of the Nine's activities. Well, I can imagine this computer helps monitor their activities in New York. More on this later. One of the Nine's heads appears on a screen, complimenting Terrence for his work. After all, the blond man did his daddy proud. Yeah, like Rafael, Terrence is a son of the Nine. He tells Rafael to look at a globe in the room. This orb shows the Nine's activities throughout the world. He asks the young Puerto Rican to come home, to his blood family. However, Rafael is not interested. He expresses this by spitting on the screen. Terrence puts a gun to his head.

Page 367, Panel 6

However, Rafael's got backup.

Page 368, Panel 2

Terrence calls for the guards, and a fight breaks out.

(fight fight fight)

The Pack deal with the guards with the help of a globe. Malcolm collects the guards' guns. Terrence and Rafael brawl, and the South Bronx boy gets the W. Terrence grabs a gun and shoots Rafael in the chest.

(ouch)

Well, he is hurting, but not thanks to a bullet in the heart. That's because Rafael was wearing a bulletproof vest.

(phew)

The Pack has Terrence at gunpoint. They don't want to shoot him, but they will if they have to. Terrence wants to decide his own fate. Earlier, when Rafael beat Terrence, the blond's old man called him a disgrace. The old man tries to convince Terrence to stop, but he's not hearing it. Terrence takes his gun...and blows his own brains out. 

(wince)

The old man vows to kill the Pack for this, but they're like "bring it on" and shoot the place up. Wheels blows up the room with a grenade. And that seems to be the end of the Nine in New York City. For now, at least.

That night, the gang meet up on the roof of Rafael's home. Missionary says what the group did today was a good start. They'll need to recruit and expand for the next battle. He plans to go to Detroit to start finding and training others to face the Nine. He asks the pack to come along. However, they choose to stay. This is their home, and there's still a lot of problems here. Missionary understands, warning them the Nine will seek revenge. He and the Pack wish each other well, and they part ways. The story ends with the group going to get some pizza. Mmm...pizza...

(Homer drool)

The story ends with a promise. The Wolfpack will continue the fight, and they will win, because they must.

I admit, the ending does feel a bit rushed to me. I do like the Wolfpack, and I do wish that we could have seen more of them. I would have loved to have seen them team-up with street-level superheroes like Daredevil or Spider-Man. 

So, whatever happened to the Wolfpack? Well, generally, they've languished in obscurity since the maxiseries ended. One member did briefly reemerge into the spotlight: Wheels. An adult Wheels would go on to appear in the Occupy Avengers series in 2016, implying that he and the Clint Barton Hawkeye had crossed paths at some point in the past. Rafael Vega was mentioned to be a potential Initiative recruit by Tony Stark, but that's really about it.

I would have had Terrence appear earlier, and set him up as sort of a dark mirror of Rafael myself.

Happy Hanukkah

 Happy Hanukkah to all my Jewish readers!

In honor of such, I recommend you read my old review of All New Batman: The Brave and the Bold #14 (February 2012)! It's a wonderful little one-shot Hanukkah tale that gives focus to a lesser-known DC character!

Merry Christmas!

 Merry Christmas, everyone!

I hope this day brings you joy, cheer, and good tidings. However you choose to celebrate this day (if you choose to at all), I hope you find some happiness and some peace.

Superman Trailer, My Thoughts

Let's look at the teaser!

That's a good way to start a trailer you're releasing in winter. With snow! 😖

(too cold)

Oh my God, Superman is Yamcha.

(Yamcha)

Superman is wondering "What did I DO last night?!" Turns out Thanagarian beer can even knock Kryptonians for a drunken loop.

(drunk)

Gotta hand it to Corenswet. He manages to look endearingly dorky in the Clark Kent guise.

Awww, Clark and his dad. 

(happy cry)

KRYPTO THE SUPER-DOG! 

(woo-hoo)

"Superman gave me the FINGER! I'LL KILL HIM!" 

(shake fist)

That bit with the guy throwing things at Superman makes me think this film will tackle the whole "Does the world need a Superman" question like Man of Steel supposedly did, but it will actually answer it.

Nathan Fillion's hair as Guy Gardner is hilarious. Thing is, I think it's funny because it reminds me of Guy's 1980s bowl cut. I saw people on the Internet saying it looks "too goofy", but I think it works. 

The bit with Superman holding the robot's hand was nice. Superman cares about everyone. Even robots.

Was that Metamorpho?

TIMBERRRRRRRRRRRR!

Superman fighting a giant monster. That rules. Now that would be a job for the Metropolis Marvel. 

Lex is really fed up with Guy Gardner yelling "BALD!" every time he sees him. 

Marvel Team-Up #21 (May 1974)

Back in October 2017, I took a look at the main story of Amazing Spider-Man Annual #2 (December 1965). It depicted the first battle between the tag team of Doctor Strange and Spider-Man battling the rogue sorcerer Xandu. In that blog entry, I pointed out that this story would be followed up on over the years, the stories creating a decades long-spanning saga that turned Xandu from a one-off cosmos conqueror into a more tragic villain. 

I thought it would be fun to take a look at one of the follow-ups to the Annual. As such, the comic we're looking at here is the first of the follow-up stories. This is Marvel Team-Up #21!

The cover is a Gil Kane, Frank Giacoia, Mike Espocito, and Danny Crespi piece. I love this cover. This is what the Amazing Spider-Man Annual I looked at in 2017 should have been more like! You have Xandu looming over a starscape, puppeteering Spider-Man and Doctor Strange into fighting each other. It's an exciting-looking cover.

"The Spider and the Sorcerer!"
Writer: Len Wein
Penciler: Sal Buscema
Inkers: Frank Giacoia, Dave Hunt
Colorist: Glynis Wein
Letterer: Dave Hunt
Editor: Roy Thomas
Editor-in-Chief: Roy Thomas 

The story begins in New York City, the city so nice they named it twice.

Peter Parker, the Original Spider-Man, is swinging on patrol when he sees a group of men about to accost and rob a man in a suit. He manages to send the robbers running. The would-be thieves make a run for it.

The mysterious suit-wearing man is very grateful to our hero. In fact, he wants to do the Wall-Crawler a favor. All Petey has to do is look into his eyes...

“He also owes me twenty bucks!”

Yup, it's Xandu, having somehow regained his memories after Strange erased them. Now that he has the Webhead under his hypnotic power, he gives the Wisecraking Wall-Crawler a mission: Retrieve the Crystal of Kadavus, a jewel that looks like a skull. Doctor Strange has the Crystal in his possession in his Sanctum Sanctorum. Huh. So, the Crystal of Kadavus is a jewel that looks like a skull. Maybe they should go bother Indiana Jones. He has experience with crystal skulls.

He hypnotically convinces Spider-Man that Strange is one of his most vicious enemies and then sends him off to Strange's home. Speaking of Strange, what's he doing right now? Well, he's enjoying a good book.

“Ahhh, I do enjoy a good Clive Cussler yarn…”

He then decides to meditate on what he has read. After all, he needs to put plenty of thought into his review of the book on his blog. I'm joking. The book was written by the Ancient One, Strange's old mentor, and he needs to meditate on what he has learned from it. As he does so, the hypnotized Spider-Man arrives. He carefully sneaks his way through the Sanctum Santorum. However, even though Spider-Man's powerset would make him an excellent ninja, he is not a ninja. As shown when he accidentally knocks over an urn. 

This gets Strange's attention, and he goes to check it out.

He is happy when he sees it is just Spidey. After all, he considers our man a friend. This is clearly just a nice social visit to hang out and talk shop, right?

Exactly. Strange is unaware Spider-Man is under Xandu's power. The two end up fighting in the Sanctorum. Unlike Strange, who is only trying to subdue the Wall-Crawler so he can figure out what is going on, Spider-Man is fighting harder. He managed to KO the Sorcerer Supreme with the move known as Stone Statue to the Head.

With that, Spider-Man is able to retrieve the Crystal of Kadavus and get it to Xandu. So, why did he need the Crystal? Well, it allowed him to restore the Wand of Watoomb.

“Magic. Better than Gorilla Glue!”

So, the Crystal of Kadavus is something for fixing mystical items? Does that mean Kadavus was some kind of mystical repairman?

Anyway, there still is one question: How did Xandu get his memories back after the events of Amazing Spider-Man Annual #2? Well, luckily in the tradition of villains talking a lot, Xandu is happy to explain how.

It turns out just before Strange cast his memory-erasing spell on Xandu in the Annual, Xandu sent his memories into the ether, causing them to erase the spell. And since he still ended up as an amnesiac anyway, Strange thought his spell worked. 

Xandu wandered around as a catatonic homeless man, until his floating memories returned to him. He then reveals to Spider-Man that he isn't just after the Wand to conquer the world: He wants to save a life.

Yeah, there is someone he wants to save.

Using magic to make boobs bigger was not the best idea.

Her name was Melinda Morrison. Xandu met her when he was a younger man, new to the mystic arts. He adored Melinda very much, and presumably she felt the same way towards him. One day, the two attempted a magical ritual. Said ritual went awry, causing a bolt of mystical energy to hit Melinda. She ended up in a trance resembling death. Try as he might, Xandu could not wake her. He put her in a special chamber to protect her body while he searched for a cure. For years he looked, desperately trying to find anything, but he had no such luck.

He then learned of the Wand of Watoomb. He thought the artifact could wake Melinda up. And now he plans to kill Spider-Man. The Webhead helped foil him in the past, and Xandu will not let that happen again. Thankfully for Marvel's mascot, Doctor Strange arrives. Xandu, realizing that Strange has the "home field advantage" in this dimension (being the Sorcerer Supreme of it and all), transports them to another dimension. 

Here, Xandu is almighty. He's also gotten much bigger and has a black beard. Strange and Spidey try to take on the mad magician, but Xandu shows himself capable of shrugging off Stephen's magics and Peter's webs. To show off his power, Xandu makes them into literal puppets.

“Dance, puppets! Dance for the crowd!”

Strange has one last trump card. He casts a spell that he may not be able to reverse, but it's the only shot he's got. While plays around with the two heroes, Xandu causes Spider-Man's arms to be pointed at his face. Seeing an opportunity, Peter takes it.

Peter Parker found himself wondering what was in those brownies he ate…

Somebody gave Peter a magic stat. Yup, Strange caused himself and Peter to switch powers. Spider-Man is now a magician! Strange gives Xandu a blast of webbing to the face...which really makes no sense. At this time, Peter's webs were artificial, fired from mechanical web-shooters. He did briefly get organic webshooters for a while, but that would be in the future. I guess you could say the same for Peter being able to use Strange's magics, but I think in the Marvel Universe, anyone can use magic with time and training. Peter winds up a ball of mystical force...and the pitch...

“UP YOURS, NOLAN RYAN!”

AND IT'S GOOD! XANDU GETS A MAGIC BALL TO THE FACE!

This causes Xandu to drop the Wand of Watoomb, and he shrinks down to his normal size. Not so big now, ain't you buddy? Strange then gives him a spider-powered Mighty Punch, and then tosses the Wand deep into the dimension, where not even Xandu could find it. The three return to their home dimension (and Strange undoes the power-swap). Xandu laments that now that the Wand is lost, he can't wake Melinda. Strange offers to take a look at Melinda and see if he can help. Xandu takes the two heroes to Melinda's chamber. Strange looks Melinda's body over...and he has some bad news.

Melinda is dead. She's not in a trance, she is just...dead. Yeah. Melinda Morrison is no more. She has ceased to be. She has joined the choir invisible. She is an ex-Melinda. Strange can do many things, but even he can't bring the dead back to life. Xandu...takes it well.

“Man, Xandu sounds weird when he cries…”

The story ends with Strange and Spidey leaving Xandu at Melinda's chamber, the crying sorcerer babbling that what Strange said can't be true. Melinda can't be dead. There has to be a way to wake her...

I admit, I enjoyed this little comic. It was a fun little team-up adventure. I did think the power-swap was a bit goofy, mainly because of Strange suddenly being able to use Spidey's webbing. I would have thought it neat for Strange to demonstrate his other powers, like his Spider-Sense. And I admit, Spidey being able to use magic was kind of cool.    

The only real criticism I have of Sal Buscema's art here is that his take on Xandu's dimension didn't have that psychedelic feel that Steve Ditko would have provided.   

If you want to read this story for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2017 trade paperback Spider-Man/Doctor Strange: The Way to Dusty Death. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! See you next time!

Winter Solstice

 Happy Winter Solstice, everyone!

Well, Happy Winter Solstice to everyone in the Northern Hemisphere. What is the Winter Solstice, you may ask? Well, think of it as the opposite of the summer solstice. Whereas during the summer solstice, a place on Earth is tilted the furthest towards the sun, the winter solstice has a place on Earth tilted the furthest away from the sun. As a result, the winter solstice is the shortest day of the year. December 21-22 is usually the date this happens in the Northern Hemisphere. 

This is because of a phenomenon known as axial tilt, or obliquity. It's because of this phenomenon that days are longer in the summers, and shorter in the winters. 

It's believed that humanity has been aware of the winter solstice as far back as the Neolithic era. The solstice is celebrated by various cultures all over the world. In China, it's celebrated as one of the Twenty-Four Solar Terms. In India, the festival Makar Sankranti, held in January, celebrates the beginning of longer days after the winter solstice. Countries in the Middle East like Iran and Iraq hold a Yalda Night, in which families gather together (usually at the homes of elders) and enjoy things like watermelons, pomegranates, and nuts. 

So, yeah. The winter solstice is quite a big deal. Hope yours was a good one. 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 your vaccine/booster! See you next time!

Wright Brothers Day

Happy Wright Brothers Day, everyone!

You may be thinking, what is Wright Brothers Day, you may ask? Well, it's the day that we honor aviation pioneers Orville and Wilbur Wright. Two of seven children (five survived), the Wright Brothers' skills with mechanics and engineering were encouraged by their mother Susan, who herself had skills in mechanics and carpentry. 

Born in Dayton, Ohio, the Wright boys moved frequently due their father Milton's work as a clergyman. Capitalizing on the bike boom of the 1890s thanks to the invention of the "safety bicycle", the Wrights started their own bicycle repair shop in 1892. In 1896, they started manufacturing their own brand of bicycles. These business ventures allowed the Wrights to do research on a dream they had: a dream...of flying.

Their dream was inspired by a few events in 1896: French-American civil engineer Octave Chanute helped test various gliders along the shores of Lake Michigan. Samuel Langley had managed to successfully fly a fixed-wing aircraft that was powered by steam. However, that craft was unmanned. And also, German engineer Otto Lilienthal was killed when his glider crashed. Drawing upon the work and discoveries these precursors made, the Wrights began their own experimentation. 

The brothers knew that a reliable method of control was needed to truly master flight. Lilienthal's method was to shift his body around. The Wrights realized that a better method was needed. They drew from how birds controlled their direction in flight, as well as how bicyclists changed direction.

In 1900, the Wrights made their way to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina to begin experimenting with manned gliders. 

Green Lantern #162 (March 1983) (Deeter's Story)

The Green Lantern Corps is an organization with lots of members. And every member of them has a story. An origin. How they came to be a Green Lantern.

The cover is a Keith Pollard piece.

"Apprentice"
Writer: Todd Klein
Penciler: Dave Gibbons
Inker: Dave Gibbons
Colorists: Nansi Hoolahan
Letterer: Todd Klein
Editor: Ernie Colon
Executive Editor: Joe Orlando

The story beings late at night. Multiple moons are shining down on an old house with a castle-like tower, showing this story is not set on Earth. A boy with orange skin, hair, and solid black eyes sneaks into a room, where he spies a man enjoying a good night's sleep.

(sleep)

This boy's name is Deeter. He's the young apprentice of the sleeping man. The man's name is Okonoko, and he is a member of the Green Lantern Corps. He's enjoying some rest after a day of ringslinging and protecting his sector: 1110. And his Corps-issued power ring lies on a table next to him as he slumbers. 

Deeter had worked a long time as Okonoko's apprentice. He cooked, he cleaned, and he learned from his master. But what he wanted was the ring. He had seen Okonoko use the ring of the Green Lanterns, and he wanted to use it. To be a Green Lantern in his own right. And on this night, he finally has an opportunity to be the Green Lantern of Sector 1110, even if only for a couple hours.

(smirk)

Deeter does intend to return the ring before his master wakes. He puts it on and tries to make it work. 

Page 89, Panels 2-4

Deeter practices with his master's ring, showing that he has the will to make the ring work. However, he's still new to it. He continues practicing with the ring, his skill growing to the point that he can at the very least create the GL uniform for himself. Unfortunately for little Deeter, Okonoko's home gets a surprise, and a very unwelcome visitor.

Page 90, Panel 3

"CANDYGRAM!"

This big fellow is in the mood for some murdering, and there's a terrified little boy here who will be an excellent victim. Deeter is scared, but the boy is no coward. He tries to use his ring to blast the intruder, but it's not working, presumably due to his fear affecting his will.

(d'oh)

The intruder grabs Deeter and tries to bear hug him to death. the apprentice can't scream, but he finds the strength to remove the ring and toss it away. An explosion erupts.

(explosion)

And another hand picks up the ring. 

Page 92, Panels 3-4

Okonoko is awake, and he is not happy. Deeter ruined his beauty sleep. The apprentice tries to make an excuse, but the Lantern is in no mood to hear it.

(shut up)

His apprentice was a moron, and his place is wrecked. He tells Deeter to grab a mop and clean the mess up. As Deeter gets to work, Okonoko allows himself a small smile, satisfied that the boy learned a lesson. He holds the head of the intruder behind his back, showing the explosion killed him. The narrator implies that he is an older Deeter.

I enjoyed this little story, despite it having a couple of flaws. Mainly, Green Lantern rings really should have security features to prevent people stealing and using them, like a biorhythm reader or something like that. And I thought at that time, Green Lanterns weren't allowed to use lethal force. This was a pre-Sinestro Corps War story, after all. But then again, maybe the intruder was killed from the shrapnel of the explosion, not directly by the ring itself. 

Dave Gibbons' art is spectacular. It's clean and detailed. I think he also has a strong sense of storytelling. 

If you want to read this story for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2008 trade paperback Green Lantern: In Brightest Day. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other!  

Captain America: Brave New World Trailer, My Thoughts

The Mighty Marvel Cinematic Universe marches on, and we're not entering a Brave New World! That's right! After Sam Wilson fully took up the mantle of Captain America in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, he;s heading for his latest high-flying adventure! Let's look at the trailer!

Oh God, why is Isaish Brdley in jail?! He wasn't even at that party! Friggin' cops!

(seriously)

God, I'd rather have Thaddeus Ross as President right now. He'd be a lot better than...what is coming next.

(shudder)

Yeah, it's pretty clear that Isaiah was brainwashed. Or a certain Miss Harkness was in the mood to be a jerk...

I wouldn't have called the Chitauri invasion a war, per se. Unless Ross was referring to Afghanistan. 

Sam Wilson may not be Steve Rogers, but he is Captain America.

(salute)

Oh ho, superhero landing! That ruled!

(thumbs up)

Weaponizing the shockwave! That was awesome!

(woo-hoo)

I love that dual-shot of Ross and Cap. 

I think we just saw the Leader. 

Oh my God, Tiamat from Eternals! 

You know, in the comics, Sidewinder (who Giancarlo Esposito is playing in this movie), has a teleporting cloak. Basically, the cloak has gadgetry in it that allows him to teleport anything he wraps in it away. I wish they let him have that here. That would rule. Maybe they can make it into a coat here. A stylish coat. Even give it the high collar like in the comics.

That's what happens when Ross doesn't get his coffee. Or when someone asks Harrison Ford about Star Wars lore.

DUDE, HE JUST CUT THROUGH THE CAR WITH HIS WINGS! THAT WAS AWESOME! 

Poinsettia Day

 Happy Poinsettia Day!

What is "Poinsettia Day", you may ask yourself. Well, a poinsettia is a species of flowering plant native to Mexico and Central America. In the wild, poinsettias have a range from Mexico to Guatemala, growing in tropical dry forests. Sadly, their homes have been threatened by unregulated deforestations. 

German scientist Johann Friedrich Klotzsch was the first European to describe the flower in 1834, when it was known as the "Mexican flame flower" or the "painted leaf". However, the poinsettia was actually first cultivated long beforehand by the Aztecs. The Aztecs would use the plant to make red dye for clothing as well as an antipyretic (fever-reducing) medicine. In fact, King Montezuma would adorn his palace with poinsettias, seeing them as a gift from the gods. 

So, where does the name "poinsettia" come from? Well, it came from Joel Roberts Poinsett, who was the United States' first ambassador to Mexico. A botanist, he introduced the flower to the United States in the 1820s. 

An urban legend regarding poinsettias is that they are very toxic flowers. Yes, exposure to the plant can cause some to develop skin rashes, and ingestion can cause diarrhea and nausea, but poinsettias are not remotely as dangerous as believed.  

Poinsettias are a flower associated with Christmas. When did this start? In 16th century Mexico. Legend goes there was this young girl named Pepita or Maria. She wanted to provide a gift to celebrate the birth of Jesus. However, she was very poor, and could not buy a gift. An angel inspired her to basically gather some flowers and put them on the church altar. Those weeds would sprout poinsettias. In the 17th century, Franciscan friars in the country would use poinsettias in their Christmas celebrations, the star-shaped flowers seen as a symbol of the Star of Bethlehem, and the red coloring symbolizing Jesus's crucifixion. 

In the United States, Paul Ecke Junior would be responsible for the association between poinsettias and Christmas. The grandson of a German immigrant named Albert Ecke, the Ecke family were in the business of selling poinsettias. Ecke Junior would send poinsettias to various TV stations across the country to display from Thanksgiving to Christmas as a way to promote his family's business. He himself would even appear on The Tonight Show. 

In 2002, Congress passed a resolution recognizing this day as National Poinsettia Day. This day also honors Joel Poinsett, who died on this day in 1851. 

So, yeah. This day actually has a very fascinating history. I hope you had some fun learning it. 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 your vaccine/booster! See you next time! 

International Mountain Day

Happy International Mountain Day!

This day is about celebrating the mountain. Now you may be thinking "Why celebrate mountains? What's the big deal about mountains?" Well, for one...mountains are neat. You ever seen a mountain? Mountains are pretty cool. 

Mountains are believed to be formed by tectonic forces, or eruptions. Like volcanic ones. Mountains can have a variety of ecosystems on them because they're so big that different elevations can have different climates. A famous example, the tops of mountains can be pretty cold.

The tallest land-based mountain on Earth is Mount Everest, located in the Himalayas. Its summit is over 29,000 feet above sea level. However, the biggest mountain on Earth is actually Mauna Kea, a dormant volcano in Hawaii. The reason why Everest seems taller is because most of Mauna Kea is underwater. From its base to the top, it's believed to be over 30,610 feet tall.  

This day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2003. Mountains cover about 30% of the Earth's surface, and they are very sensitive to climate change.

Rita's Rewind Launch Trailer, My Thoughts

 If you were a kid growing up in the 1990s, you may have been caught up in a little TV show called Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers. An edited adaptation of the Japanese tokusatsu show Kyorou Sentai Zyuranger (Basically they shot new footage around the scenes of the costumed fighting and the giant robots), the series was a massive hit. It told the tale of a group of "teenagers with attitude", given the ability to transform into powerful warriors in colorful costumes that could also summon powerful robotic dinosaurs that can combine into a giant humanoid robot and all for the purpose of fighting monsters sent by the evil witch Rita Repulsa (Bandora in the original Japanese) for the purpose of conquering the Earth. 

MMPR was a massive hit, spawning a franchise that continued on today. Naturally, a long-running franchise like this would touch on other forms of media, including video games. The first Power Rangers games came out during the 16-bit era, and games have been made based on various incarnations of the Rangers ever since. 

The Joker #1 (May 1975)

Batman is one of DC Comics' oldest and most iconic superheroes. Naturally, considering his significance to the DC Universe, it makes sense that many of his supporting cast would also become household names, both heroic and villainous. And arguable one of Batman's most iconic villains is the Ace of Knaves, the Clown Prince of Crime, the Harlequin of Hate, the Joker.

Created by Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson (although their accounts differed on how he came to be), and first appearing in Batman #1 (Spring 1940), the Joker and the Dark Knight have been clashing since nearly the beginning. Much like Batman himself, the Joker has undergone many changes over the years, from criminal mastermind to childish prankster to crazed psycho killer.

The Joker would become one of Batman's most popular villains, and he would even face other superheroes like Superman. He and Batman are often seen as two sides of the same coin in a way, Batman seeking to create order out of a chaotic world, and the Joker wanting to turn an orderly world into a chaotic mess.

The Joker is also unique as he's one of the few American comic book villains to have never been given a definitive origin. The closest to one was provided in The Killing Joke, but considering that came from the Joker himself, it can be seen as unreliable. 

The comic we're looking at here is the first issue of his first ever on-going series. thanks to DC feeling rather experimental in the 1970s. It lasted for nine issues, with a tenth not getting published due to the series' cancellation. It would finally be published in the 2019 omnibus The Joker: The Bronze Age Omnibus. This is Joker #1!

The cover is a Dick Giordano piece. It's really cool. It depicts our man tearing a poster of Batman off the wall in front of his fellow Batman rogues, proclaiming that this magazine belongs to him, and he is Batman's number one foe! I love this cover. It fits the character of the Joker perfectly, his showmanship and his ego. 

"The Joker's Double Jeopardy!" 
Writer: Dennis O'Neil
Penciler: Irv Novick
Inker: Dick Giordano
Letterer: Unknown
Colorist: Unknown
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Executive Editor: Julius Schwartz

The story begins in Arkham Asylum, the mental hospital/jail that many of the Dark Knight's rogues gallery end up in when they're not performing their criminal activities fueled by their own madness. The Joker is there, when he spots his fellow Gotham rogue Harvey "Two-Face" Dent run by, accompanied by an accomplice of his: a man dressed like a stereotypical matador named Alvarez.

Two-Face is making his escape from Arkham, thanks to gas being slipped into the ventilation system. During the escape, the Joker asked if he could be broken out as well, but Alvarez said no. After all, he considers Two-Face a greater criminal mastermind than the Clown Prince of Crime. Having a very large, yet fragile ego, the Joker felt extremely insulted by this. The next day, the inmates are having some outside exercise time in the Asylum's courtyard. The Joker had found a way to occupy himself. 

Thing is, these aren't ordinary balloons. The Harlequin of Hate uses one to float away to freedom. One of the guards tries to shoot him down, but the Joker somehow switched out his pistol for a gag toy. The escaped criminal floats to suburban Gotham. Thanks to a newspaper, he learns Batman is in Paris at the moment. As such, he doesn't need to worry about the Dark Knight bothering him right now.

Later on, the Joker heads out to his hideout, where he meets up with a couple of his men. The Joker is still stinging over Alvarez's remark that Two-Face is a better criminal than him, and he wants to show the ex-district attorney up. 

One of the Joker's men points out that Dent and Alvarez have rented out the top two floors of a hotel, and they have gunmen posted at all the doors. And it can be assumed they would have no qualms giving the Joker a deadly lead injection. But the Joker is not worried. Heck, the man loves a challenge!

Over at the hotel, Alvarez explains why he helped free Two-Face. You see, a great treasure from his home country has been brought over to the United States. The story never quite goes into reasons why, but Alvarez wants this treasure back in his home. Two-Face isn't interested, until he learns exactly what this "treasure" is: a set of rare gold doubloons, with a face on each side. Two-faced coins. This gets the ex-DA's attention, so he lets his trademark double-sided coin decide to go through with it with a flip. Unscarred face wins, he backs out. Scarred side wins, he goes through with it.

Looks like Alvarez has his services, after all. A knock is heard at the door. Alvarez isn't worried, he just ordered a meal from room service. After all, this hotel has excellent ham. Mmm, ham...

However, it's not ham that arrives, it's the Joker. He hits Alvarez and a bodyguard with acid pies, but Two-Face manages to get away, thanks to his clocking the Joker with a bowl of pears. Get it? Pears? Pronounced the same as "pairs". It's no matter. Joker overheard them planning to get the doubloons. So, he has a new plan. 

He's going to steal them himself, humiliating Two-Face. That night, Joker breaks into the museum where the doubloons are being held. He knows Two-Face will strike tomorrow as that's the second day of the month and considering his whole "obsession with two" gimmick, that's likely when he'll go after the coins. Of course, there's also the 12th and 22nd. He would likely strike on those days, too.

Anyway, the Joker just has to wait for Harvey to show up. And when he does, POW! Right in the kisser! Thing is, Two-Face managed to outsmart the Joker.

The Joker is naturally caught off-guard. This wasn't the 2nd yet! Thing is, it technically is. Time has passed while the Joker waited, and the time is now 2 AM on the 2nd day of the month. So, yeah. Anyway, Harvey Dent ties Joker to a power saw.

He flips his coin. Good head wins, the Joker is spared. Scarred head wins, the Joker dies. The scarred head won, so Two-Face turns the saw on. The Joker wonders how this deathtrap relates to the number two. After all, that's his gimmick. The answer is simple. The saw will cut Joker in two. 

Instead of staying and making sure that the Joker does indeed get cut in half, Two-Face leaves. After all, he has a robbery to get to, and time is short.

Thing is, the Joker has tussled with the Dark Knight many times over the years. As such, he's learned one lesson from all of his brawls with the Batman:

Exactly. He uses his acid-squirting flower to free himself. Back in the museum's main hall, Commissioner Gordon is trying to assure a Mr. Kemp, presumably a higher-up at the museum, that the doubloons are perfectly safe. He has his best men guarding them. Kemp is...understandably concerned. After all, this is Gotham. Kemp's fears are seemingly realized when the lights go out. Gordon tells his men to stay alert.

The lights then come back on, and the doubloons are still there. They are safe. Or are they?

Yeah, turns out that blackout wasn't a random short circuit. Two-Face caused it so he could sneak a magnet in to lift out the real loot and leave some fake doubloons in its place so no one would be the wiser. 

Two-Face finds himself confronted by the now-free Joker. The two fight, but the Clown Prince of Crime gets the better of the former DA with some fake hair and his lapels being covered in glue. The two are found by the cops, and we get another twist: The doubloons that Two-Face stole...were also fake.

Yeah, it turns out the ex-DA's buddy Alvarez had already pulled the "steal the doubloons and leave fakes in their place trick" before they left his homeland. The Batman discovered this previously. Alvarez had been using Two-Face to cover his tracks. As for Alvarez himself? It turns out he survived the Joker's acid facial and is recovering from the burns in a jail hospital. The story ends with the Joker having a laugh about the whole thing. 

I thought this comic was...okay. The idea of a comic focusing on a supervillain is indeed an interesting one. I think it's a neat idea to see a supervillain's encounters with superheroes and other supervillains through their perspective. However, due to the Comics Code at the time, I can imagine that writing such a series would be rather difficult, as the stories had to end with the villain being caught. Not to mention having to show the villains' schemes failing all the time. But in this particular story's case, I wish that the final twist was foreshadowed more. It came completely out of nowhere. It felt like that twist was thrown in just to give Joker a "victory" that he had no hand in, and we were already stretching things with the Joker magically replacing that guard's gun when he escaped. 

There is one thing I do like about this comic is that it helps show one big thing about the Joker: His ego. The Joker's ego is massive, yet it's fragile. He cannot stand being passed over. Also, the art is pretty nifty. Irv Novick is a great artist.

If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2013 trade paperback The Joker: The Clown Prince of Crime. Thanks for reading this blog entry! Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! See you next time!