It has arrived, Part 2 of my review of the comic that started the Marvel Age, Fantastic Four #1. If you wish to read part 1 of this review, you can read it here.
This chapter of the issue introduces the first supervillain of the Marvel Age, the Mole Man. If you ask me, the Mole Man never really got the respect he deserved for being the Marvel Age's first villain. As far as I know, he never really got to be involved in any major Marvel or Fantastic Four storylines. He did reform for a while, though. I wish that stuck. That would've been nice.
On to the comic! The comic begins with Reed Richards showing the rest of the Four a picture of what looks like a large hole in the ground. The hole is in the former location of an atomic plant "behind the Iron Curtain" (It was 1961, folks. The Iron Curtain was a thing then). The Four then see other photos indicating that other nuclear plants all over the world are vanishing. Who is taking them, and why? And shouldn't the thief be considering that they may be causing a nuclear disaster? Something tells me a nuclear plant isn't be something you should be just jostling around like it was a Lego model.
The scene then shifts to a pair of guards in "French Africa", which I'm guessing were nations that were at the time still French territories. The two guards feel an earthquake coming on, and then one of them nearly falls in a sinkhole. However, they make it, and witness their base fall into the sinkhole. Then, a big green monster looking like the one on the cover of the issue (YAY for comic cover monster actually appearing in the issue) attacks. It crushes a tank, making the soldiers flee. However, the attack is stopped by his master: The Mole Man.
Reed's equipment detects the seismic activity of the creature's attack, and reveals that by studying the other attacks, he has found that there is a location between all of the attack sites: An island only known as Monster Isle.
The FF travel to Monster Isle, and start scaling the largest peak...Why that peak? And they have no climbing equipment. Why do they have no climbing equipment? I know the FF have superpowers, but you'd think they'd still keep safety in mind. But before they can realize they goofed up, they get attacked by a monster that looks like King Ghidora's goofy cousin. Goof Ghidora is easily beaten by Reed, who again shows superhuman strength by looping his arm around one of Goof Ghidora's necks and tosses it into the ocean. He says he had heard of the creature guarding the Isle...how? If he knew of this creature, why didn't he bring equipment to use in case Goof Ghidora did attack them, but then again, this is the team that wanted to climb a mountain without any proper equipment. However, Reed and Johnny get caught in an avalanche, separating them from Sue and Ben.
The two find themselves in a dark pit, but Johnny discovers a door. He opens it, only for the men to be hit by a bright light. The light is so bright it blinds them and...knocks them unconscious. How did that happen? Can you get knocked out by a bright light? Anyway, they wake up and find themselves clad in special suits that protects them from the bright light.
The Mole Man reveals himself, explaining the suits, and that they are in the Valley of Diamonds, an area covered in precious gems that create a bright glare. Wait...to create a glare, the big diamonds would need a large source of light. If Reed and Johnny were underground, where did the light come from? It can't be from the sun. Does the Mole Man have artificial lighting rigged up there?
Sue wakes up, unaware of another monster behind her. However, she was rescued by the Thing, who pitches it into the ocean. The two then set out to find Reed and Johnny, with Ben being rather unhappy about it, and Sue lamenting that Ben hates Reed for his becoming the Thing. Back to Reed and Johnny! The Mole Man introduces himself to them, and explains his origins to the two.
The Mole Man explains that because of his appearance, he was often taunted and made fun of by other people. Embittered, he decided to set out to find somewhere where he could be king. Yeah, he's a bit crazy. During his travels, he washes up on Monster Isle, where he finds a way to the Earth's center. During his exploration, he gets caught in an avalanche, in which he loses his sight. Despite this handicap, he finds a way to master the monsters that reside in this subterranean world.
He hands a staff to Reed, and commands Reed to attack him. Reed does so, but Mole Man easily beats him, bragging that he has a natural radar sense, in his own words, like a bat. Bats don't have a "radar sense". They use echolocation. After Mole Man thrashes Reed, he tells them of his master plan: To tunnel his way to every major atomic plant on Earth and wreck, so he can conquer the Earth...yeah. That's his plan.
Anyway, Ben and Sue arrive (How did they FIND the Mole Man's home anyway)? Mole Man uses a cord to summon a gigantic monster. Johnny flies around to distract it while Reed grabs the Mole Man. The group race for the surface when the Mole Man summons more monsters. Johnny somehow causes a rockslide to prevent the monsters from catching our heroes, and Reed reveals he dropped the Mole Man. Reed, you HAD the culprit! You had him captured! Why didn't you hang on to him until you could get to the authorities?!
Anyway, the group managed to escape the Island, and the Mole Man somehow self-destructs the island. Reed surmises that he trapped himself underground and he hopes he finds peace. Sue hopes it was the last the gang sees of him. Oh, Sue. If you only knew that Monster Isle and the Mole Man were not going to go away forever...
My critique for this chapter is essentially the same as the last. This was a fun, silly little superhero tale in the tradition of the Silver Age of Comics. I have to admit though, the story really does leave quite a bit unexplained, and Mole Man's plan makes no sense. Ah well, it's a 1960s superhero comic book. Jack Kirby's art is...well, there's a reason why they call him the King of Comics. I don't think I need to say much about it.
Happy Reading!
Friday, January 30, 2015
Friday, January 23, 2015
Adventures in Pokemon Y Part 6: Sycamore's Lab
Time to hit Professor Sycamore's lab! Might as well, really, as there's not a lot to do in Lumiose until the blackout is cleared up.
The lab on the inside is actually quite nice. It kind of reminds me of a writing room at a dentist or a hospital, with the couches, and the front desk. All it needs is a magazine rack full of out-of-date magazines and a television playing a news channel. The walls have photos or paintings of various Pokémon on them, including an Audino and I think is a Parasect. Parasect are creepy Pokémon.
Seriously, Parasect are creepy Pokémon. Look at this thing!
Anyway, Serena says she wants to meet me at Café Soleil, one of the cafes here. I wonder what it is
Pokémon Obtained:
The lab on the inside is actually quite nice. It kind of reminds me of a writing room at a dentist or a hospital, with the couches, and the front desk. All it needs is a magazine rack full of out-of-date magazines and a television playing a news channel. The walls have photos or paintings of various Pokémon on them, including an Audino and I think is a Parasect. Parasect are creepy Pokémon.
Seriously, Parasect are creepy Pokémon. Look at this thing!
\I learned from the receptionist that Sycamore specializes in the study of Pokémon Evolution. Hmm...since X and Y have introduced the concept of Mega Evolution, I'm guessing we may see more of him down the line. A kid there states that Sycamore has taught a lot of people about Pokémon. Well, I'm assuming he taught them about Pokémon Evolution, since that's something that he specializes in.
The second floor of the lab is where the actual research is done. A scientist there gives me some Luxury Balls, special Poké Balls that make Pokémon friendlier. Another scientist mentions Professor Rowan of Sinnoh. This is a nod to Ruby and Sapphire. Appropriate as the next main series games released were Alpha Sapphire and Omega Ruby, the remakes of Ruby and Sapphire. I also noticed that there are also a couple kids in the lab.
Okay...why are children running around in the lab where possibly sensitive research is done? That's just asking for an accident.
Anyway, I come to the third floor. A lady there gives me a TM, False Swipe. It's a useful move for catching Pokémon as it's an attack that reduces a Pokémon's HP to one. Neat. I can use this to make a Pokémon a catching aide. But which one...
When speaking to Sycamore, he explains that he intended to give a Pokémon to a veteran trainer, but then my player character came along. He figured I had potential. That's awful nice. Then, we are joined by Shauna and Serena. Sycamore challenges me to a Pokémon battle.
What Pokémon is he armed with? The original three starter Pokémon from the original Red and Blue: Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander. I was wondering why those three, but then I realized something: The 20th Anniversary of the release of Red and Blue is coming up, and this may have been potential foreshadowing of a future game that returns to Kanto. Maybe another remake of Red and Blue? Or something like Pokémon Black 2 and White 2? Who knows?
Anyway, I was able to dispatch them with my own starters: Fennekin, Chespin, and Froakie. At the end of the battle (it was an easy one, unsurprising that Sycamore admits he's not very tough), he lets me take one with him. Feeling nostalgic, I picked the Bulbasaur.
He also gives me a Mega Stone called Venusaurite. Trevor and Tierno also show up, where the heck have they been? Sycamore then gives your standard Pokémon speech about acceptance, having fun with your Pokémon, all that.
Upon returning to the reception area, I see someone with hair like a red-headed Wolverine talking to the purple-haired female assistant, and she introduces me to him. Turns out his name is Lysandre. He seeks to bring people and Pokémon together to create a better world? Why do I get the feeling he may be the villain of this piece?
Anyway, Serena says she wants to meet me at Café Soleil, one of the cafes here. I wonder what it is
she wants to talk about?
Pokémon Obtained:
Deanna (Ralts)
Florzilla (Bulbasaur)Monday, January 19, 2015
Fantastic Four #1 (November 1961), Part 1
Superheroes are supposed to be perfect. They are supposed to be wonderful, amazing, and absolutely flawless. At least, that was the way it was in general before Stan "The Man" Lee and Jack "King" Kirby put out a little comic in 1961.
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1961 was quite a year. John F. Kennedy became the 35th President of the United States. The Beatles perform for the first time at The Cavern Club in Liverpool, England. Yuri Gagarin became the first human to go to space. It was a year in a decade that brought about major change in various forms of culture. Comic books were no exception.
Martin Goodman had directed one of his writers, Stan Lee, to create a comic featuring a team of superheroes. Goodman had noticed the success of DC's team book, Justice League of America, and wanted a piece of that team book pie. Lee, after years of writing comics, was growing tired of the medium. Inspired by his wife Joan, and wanting to leave comics anyway, Lee decided to write this team book the way he wanted, creating characters that were quite different in attitude from other heroes of the time: They had flaws, they didn't always get along, they had feet of clay, they essentially acted more like real people. Kirby had his own recollection of the creation of the FF, but it's generally considered that the FF were co-created by Lee and Kirby together, details not withstanding.
When the comic was released, it was a hit. The success of the comic convinced Lee to stay with comic books, and he and Jack Kirby would collaborate on the first 102 completed issues of the title, a collaboration record that stood for decades in the comic world.
The cover's image has become iconic. A giant monster erupting from the city street, grabbing the Invisible Woman (Then the Invisible Girl), The Human Torch flying across the monster (He doesn't look like he's actually attacking it, though), Mr. Fantastic struggling out of some bonds with his stretching powers, and the Thing shoving a car out of the way. The cover also shows something we don't see a lot on comic covers any more: Speech balloons. Yup. Many covers these days often show a character or characters posing. This one shows the characters actually doing something, giving the feeling that this is an action-packed story, that it has so much action that the inside of the comic CANNOT CONTAIN IT. The box on the cover announcing the names of the four members of the FF "together for the first time in one mighty magazine" gives it a dynamic touch.
The cover has a lot going on, but it does not feel crowded. All the action is centered on the monster, eye-catching and making the observer wonder what it is, and how our heroes are going to stop it. Shame that the monster is not the major villain of the issue.
The comic opens up with a cloud over a city, the cloud having the words "The Fantastic Four" on it in big red letters, a prototype of another moment known to FF fans, a flare in the sky that would take the shape of a "4". A crowd of people watching the cloud get nervous, wondering if it heralds an alien invasion. Yup, another Marvel tradition starts here: The panicked crowd. A mysterious figure is revealed to be behind the cloud, inside a building and holding a gun. A caption reveals that this man is the leader of the Fantastic Four, and the man himself remarks that this is the first time he has had to use the flare gun to summon the rest of the Four, and he prays it will be the last. Unfortunately for him, over the next fifty years, he'll have to fire the flare a lot more.
We then next focus on Susan "Sue" Storm, who is enjoying tea with a friend. The friend notices the signal and wonders what it is. Sue realizes she is needed, and decides to simply turn invisible and leave the house, leaving her friend confused. Sue doesn't even tell her friend that she had to get going. What she couldn't think of an excuse? Say she wasn't feeling well! Gah!
There is a bit of a funny moment as an invisible Sue runs through town, and uses an unknowing cab driver to take her to where she wants to go. Yup, he has no idea, because she's still invisible.
Next, we switch to a clothing store, where a nebbish-looking clerk is telling a rather bulky-looking man in a trenchcoat, sunglasses, and hat. The clerk tells the bulky man that he has no clothing in his size. Evidently in 1961, there were no Big & Tall Stores. The man sees the signal and removes the clothing, revealing the Thing, who here looks more like a walking lump of clay than the living rockslide we know him as. This is no mistake. Early on, Ben Grimm was meant to have a lumpy hide, but it eventually evolved into the rocky plated hide we know and love today. Ben Grimm, the Thing, bursts his way out of the building, panicking the citizens (Seriously Ben, couldn't you just at least TRY to not make such a scene), and him getting shot at by some cops. However, Ben decides to not pick a fight and flee through the sewers. He ends up riding the sewer water...the filthy, filthy sewer water, to his destination. The cops, who tried to chase Grimm, end up losing him, and they wonder what all the sightings of "monsters" are leading up to. All I know is Ben is going to end up rank after his little sewer swimming session.
We then cut to a garage, in which we see Johnny Storm in a garage, tinkering with a hot rod alongside his friend. He sees the signal and flames on, becoming the Human Torch. The Torch flies out of the garage, and evidently his flying to the FF's meeting place causes a mass panic. The Mayor of the city actually tells a guy to call the governor to get the National Guard. Wow, all of that just for a GUY ON FIRE WHO IS FLYING! The National Guard responds by sending jets after the Torch. Yeah, they really got mobilized quickly. The jets try and engage the Torch. Yup, they don't even give a warning or an opportunity for the Torch to explain himself, they just fire a Hunter Missile at them.
Are Hunter missiles a real missile? Anyway, Johnny exclaims they have a nuclear warhead at him.
Yeah, a nuclear warhead. A nuke. They fired a NUKE at the Human Torch. Oh yeah, that's a weapon you want to use in a CITY full of PEOPLE. Wait, do the National Guard even HAVE that kind of weaponry in real life? Anyway, before the National Guard can end up looking like nuke-happy morons, a pair of stretched out arms grabs the missile, saving Johnny. The arms throw the missile into the ocean, where it harmlessly explodes...yeah, that was a nuke. I can imagine that that thing unleashed a lot of radiation in the water. Not to mention the owner of the arms must have INCREDIBLE strength in order to pull off that feat. I don't know the exact weight of a nuclear missile, but it's not exactly light.
Anyway, the arms are revealed to belong to Reed Richards, who manages to use his stretchiness to get Johnny back inside the building. Once gathered, Reed reveals that the group has a mission. However, before that is revealed, the story cuts to...a telling of the Fantastic Four's origins. Yeah, I feel this should've been done at the very beginning of the comic.
The origin story starts with an angry Ben Grimm as a human confronting Reed, stating that he can get another man to fly a ship into space, since the risks of the cosmic rays out in space are far too unknown, and they might even die from the rays. Sue reminds Ben that they have to take the risk, otherwise the Communists will get to space first (This comic is from 1961, folks), and she calls him a coward. Ben smashes his fist on the desk, saying that he is no coward, and that he will fly the ship. Wow, Ben Grimm. Willing to take risks just to show he's no chicken. Jeez.
The foursome then take a car to the spaceport (evidently the FF were in Cape Canaveral during their origin), and they mange to sneak their way into the spaceport...evidently, the security is lousy in this spaceport. Want further proof? They don't seem to notice when the rocket actually takes off. You'd think they'd at the very least they'd hear the noise of the rocket's jets firing!
Anyway, the crew manages to reach space...only to end up flying right into the heart of the cosmic ray storm. The gang suffer through various ailments thanks to the rays, like Ben feeling heavy and Johnny feeling feverish and burning up, foreshadowing their powers. For some reason, the rocket turns around and roughly lands back on Earth. The future FF emerge from the rocket, concerned about the effects of the rays.
Sue is the first to manifest her powers, briefly turning invisible and back. This triggers an argument between Ben and Reed, in which Ben manifests his powers, transforming into the Thing for the first time. He takes a swing at Reed with a tree (awesome), but Reed is able to restrain him with his newly-manifested stretching abilities. Johnny is the final member of the FF to manifest powers: The ability to transform into a being of flame. Reed convinces the group that they should use their powers to help benefit mankind, and the Fantastic Four is born.
I'll be honest with you all. This first part of the story, by modern standards, can be a bit of a slog to read. Keep in mind, this was made in 1961, and I will admit, it has not aged well in many ways, including dialogue and the reference to the fear of the Communists going to space first. The comic was made to entertain a young audience in 1961, not a thirty-year-old comic reader in 2015.
However, it is still an important story, as it is the story that helped give birth to the Marvel Universe as we know it. The story has been expanded on and retold over the years, but there is something about seeing the origin in its original form. It's neat to see what it was originally like, so the changes and updates can be tracked.
Yes, by today's standards, this story is somewhat stilted and dated, but it's still a neat read, and something that should be read to see the imaginative spirit that both Lee and Kirby had. I do recommend reading this story, just as long as you know what you are getting into. In Part 2 of this review, we'll look at the second chapter in this issue. The Fantastic Four, the first heroes of the Marvel Age, will take on the first supervillain of the Marvel Age...the Mole Man!
1961 was quite a year. John F. Kennedy became the 35th President of the United States. The Beatles perform for the first time at The Cavern Club in Liverpool, England. Yuri Gagarin became the first human to go to space. It was a year in a decade that brought about major change in various forms of culture. Comic books were no exception.
Martin Goodman had directed one of his writers, Stan Lee, to create a comic featuring a team of superheroes. Goodman had noticed the success of DC's team book, Justice League of America, and wanted a piece of that team book pie. Lee, after years of writing comics, was growing tired of the medium. Inspired by his wife Joan, and wanting to leave comics anyway, Lee decided to write this team book the way he wanted, creating characters that were quite different in attitude from other heroes of the time: They had flaws, they didn't always get along, they had feet of clay, they essentially acted more like real people. Kirby had his own recollection of the creation of the FF, but it's generally considered that the FF were co-created by Lee and Kirby together, details not withstanding.
When the comic was released, it was a hit. The success of the comic convinced Lee to stay with comic books, and he and Jack Kirby would collaborate on the first 102 completed issues of the title, a collaboration record that stood for decades in the comic world.
The cover's image has become iconic. A giant monster erupting from the city street, grabbing the Invisible Woman (Then the Invisible Girl), The Human Torch flying across the monster (He doesn't look like he's actually attacking it, though), Mr. Fantastic struggling out of some bonds with his stretching powers, and the Thing shoving a car out of the way. The cover also shows something we don't see a lot on comic covers any more: Speech balloons. Yup. Many covers these days often show a character or characters posing. This one shows the characters actually doing something, giving the feeling that this is an action-packed story, that it has so much action that the inside of the comic CANNOT CONTAIN IT. The box on the cover announcing the names of the four members of the FF "together for the first time in one mighty magazine" gives it a dynamic touch.
The cover has a lot going on, but it does not feel crowded. All the action is centered on the monster, eye-catching and making the observer wonder what it is, and how our heroes are going to stop it. Shame that the monster is not the major villain of the issue.
The comic opens up with a cloud over a city, the cloud having the words "The Fantastic Four" on it in big red letters, a prototype of another moment known to FF fans, a flare in the sky that would take the shape of a "4". A crowd of people watching the cloud get nervous, wondering if it heralds an alien invasion. Yup, another Marvel tradition starts here: The panicked crowd. A mysterious figure is revealed to be behind the cloud, inside a building and holding a gun. A caption reveals that this man is the leader of the Fantastic Four, and the man himself remarks that this is the first time he has had to use the flare gun to summon the rest of the Four, and he prays it will be the last. Unfortunately for him, over the next fifty years, he'll have to fire the flare a lot more.
We then next focus on Susan "Sue" Storm, who is enjoying tea with a friend. The friend notices the signal and wonders what it is. Sue realizes she is needed, and decides to simply turn invisible and leave the house, leaving her friend confused. Sue doesn't even tell her friend that she had to get going. What she couldn't think of an excuse? Say she wasn't feeling well! Gah!
There is a bit of a funny moment as an invisible Sue runs through town, and uses an unknowing cab driver to take her to where she wants to go. Yup, he has no idea, because she's still invisible.
Next, we switch to a clothing store, where a nebbish-looking clerk is telling a rather bulky-looking man in a trenchcoat, sunglasses, and hat. The clerk tells the bulky man that he has no clothing in his size. Evidently in 1961, there were no Big & Tall Stores. The man sees the signal and removes the clothing, revealing the Thing, who here looks more like a walking lump of clay than the living rockslide we know him as. This is no mistake. Early on, Ben Grimm was meant to have a lumpy hide, but it eventually evolved into the rocky plated hide we know and love today. Ben Grimm, the Thing, bursts his way out of the building, panicking the citizens (Seriously Ben, couldn't you just at least TRY to not make such a scene), and him getting shot at by some cops. However, Ben decides to not pick a fight and flee through the sewers. He ends up riding the sewer water...the filthy, filthy sewer water, to his destination. The cops, who tried to chase Grimm, end up losing him, and they wonder what all the sightings of "monsters" are leading up to. All I know is Ben is going to end up rank after his little sewer swimming session.
We then cut to a garage, in which we see Johnny Storm in a garage, tinkering with a hot rod alongside his friend. He sees the signal and flames on, becoming the Human Torch. The Torch flies out of the garage, and evidently his flying to the FF's meeting place causes a mass panic. The Mayor of the city actually tells a guy to call the governor to get the National Guard. Wow, all of that just for a GUY ON FIRE WHO IS FLYING! The National Guard responds by sending jets after the Torch. Yeah, they really got mobilized quickly. The jets try and engage the Torch. Yup, they don't even give a warning or an opportunity for the Torch to explain himself, they just fire a Hunter Missile at them.
Are Hunter missiles a real missile? Anyway, Johnny exclaims they have a nuclear warhead at him.
Yeah, a nuclear warhead. A nuke. They fired a NUKE at the Human Torch. Oh yeah, that's a weapon you want to use in a CITY full of PEOPLE. Wait, do the National Guard even HAVE that kind of weaponry in real life? Anyway, before the National Guard can end up looking like nuke-happy morons, a pair of stretched out arms grabs the missile, saving Johnny. The arms throw the missile into the ocean, where it harmlessly explodes...yeah, that was a nuke. I can imagine that that thing unleashed a lot of radiation in the water. Not to mention the owner of the arms must have INCREDIBLE strength in order to pull off that feat. I don't know the exact weight of a nuclear missile, but it's not exactly light.
Anyway, the arms are revealed to belong to Reed Richards, who manages to use his stretchiness to get Johnny back inside the building. Once gathered, Reed reveals that the group has a mission. However, before that is revealed, the story cuts to...a telling of the Fantastic Four's origins. Yeah, I feel this should've been done at the very beginning of the comic.
The origin story starts with an angry Ben Grimm as a human confronting Reed, stating that he can get another man to fly a ship into space, since the risks of the cosmic rays out in space are far too unknown, and they might even die from the rays. Sue reminds Ben that they have to take the risk, otherwise the Communists will get to space first (This comic is from 1961, folks), and she calls him a coward. Ben smashes his fist on the desk, saying that he is no coward, and that he will fly the ship. Wow, Ben Grimm. Willing to take risks just to show he's no chicken. Jeez.
The foursome then take a car to the spaceport (evidently the FF were in Cape Canaveral during their origin), and they mange to sneak their way into the spaceport...evidently, the security is lousy in this spaceport. Want further proof? They don't seem to notice when the rocket actually takes off. You'd think they'd at the very least they'd hear the noise of the rocket's jets firing!
Anyway, the crew manages to reach space...only to end up flying right into the heart of the cosmic ray storm. The gang suffer through various ailments thanks to the rays, like Ben feeling heavy and Johnny feeling feverish and burning up, foreshadowing their powers. For some reason, the rocket turns around and roughly lands back on Earth. The future FF emerge from the rocket, concerned about the effects of the rays.
Sue is the first to manifest her powers, briefly turning invisible and back. This triggers an argument between Ben and Reed, in which Ben manifests his powers, transforming into the Thing for the first time. He takes a swing at Reed with a tree (awesome), but Reed is able to restrain him with his newly-manifested stretching abilities. Johnny is the final member of the FF to manifest powers: The ability to transform into a being of flame. Reed convinces the group that they should use their powers to help benefit mankind, and the Fantastic Four is born.
I'll be honest with you all. This first part of the story, by modern standards, can be a bit of a slog to read. Keep in mind, this was made in 1961, and I will admit, it has not aged well in many ways, including dialogue and the reference to the fear of the Communists going to space first. The comic was made to entertain a young audience in 1961, not a thirty-year-old comic reader in 2015.
However, it is still an important story, as it is the story that helped give birth to the Marvel Universe as we know it. The story has been expanded on and retold over the years, but there is something about seeing the origin in its original form. It's neat to see what it was originally like, so the changes and updates can be tracked.
Yes, by today's standards, this story is somewhat stilted and dated, but it's still a neat read, and something that should be read to see the imaginative spirit that both Lee and Kirby had. I do recommend reading this story, just as long as you know what you are getting into. In Part 2 of this review, we'll look at the second chapter in this issue. The Fantastic Four, the first heroes of the Marvel Age, will take on the first supervillain of the Marvel Age...the Mole Man!
Thursday, January 8, 2015
Star Wars: The Force Awakens Teaser
After nine years, the Star Wars universe is returning to theaters. J.J. Abrams is heralding its return, and I finally got to see the teaser for the latest film: Episode VII: The Force Awakens.
Before I say anything more, I have to make a little confession. I was always more of a Star Trek fan than Star Wars. I enjoyed the films, but that was really it for me. I never really watched the Clone Wars series, nor did I ever read any of the many Expanded Universe novels and other materials (Did enjoy several Star Trek novels, although unlike Star Wars, which has many levels of canon, Star Trek EU stuff is generally considered non-canon).
However, despite that, I liked this little teaser. It was really nice seeing the Millenium Falcon and the old-school X-Wings fly on film once more. I also had to admit, that little bit with the lightsaber with the side blades was cool, but I can imagine that Sith (If it is a Sith with that thing) would have to be very careful with it. One wrong move, and he or she could end up killing themselves.
All in all, this has me very excited about this film, and I can't wait to see a full-blown trailer.
Before I say anything more, I have to make a little confession. I was always more of a Star Trek fan than Star Wars. I enjoyed the films, but that was really it for me. I never really watched the Clone Wars series, nor did I ever read any of the many Expanded Universe novels and other materials (Did enjoy several Star Trek novels, although unlike Star Wars, which has many levels of canon, Star Trek EU stuff is generally considered non-canon).
However, despite that, I liked this little teaser. It was really nice seeing the Millenium Falcon and the old-school X-Wings fly on film once more. I also had to admit, that little bit with the lightsaber with the side blades was cool, but I can imagine that Sith (If it is a Sith with that thing) would have to be very careful with it. One wrong move, and he or she could end up killing themselves.
All in all, this has me very excited about this film, and I can't wait to see a full-blown trailer.
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