Marvel's Post-Secret Wars Teasers.

As you know, Marvel is doing a big event known as Secret Wars...well, technically, this is the third Secret Wars. Marvel has done two previous Secret Wars miniseries.

The first Secret Wars was in 1984, a twelve-issue miniseries written by Jim Shooter and drawn by Mike Zeck. The mini was intended to tie-in to a Marvel Super Heroes toyline that Mattel was releasing at the time.

In the mini, the Beyonder, a mighty cosmic being, gathers up the major Marvel superheroes and villains and takes them to an artificial planet known as Battleworld. He basically tells the heroes and villains to fight each other, stating the victors get their hearts' desires.

It was one of the first major comic book crossovers, and like DC's Crisis on Infinite Earths a year later, it did have consequences for the MU, albeit not as epic. The miniseries saw the first appearance of the black Spider-Man costume that would eventually become part of the supervillain Venom. It also featured the first appearances of the supervillainesses Titania and Volcana, and the second Spider-Woman, Julia Carpenter. The Thing would stay on Battleworld for a while afterwards, and the She-Hulk would join the Fantastic Four in his place.

Secret Wars would spawn a sequel, Secret Wars II, in 1985. In the sequel, the Beyonder decides to search for enlightenment, and he believes he can find it on Earth. The story tells of his misadventures figuring out human life and his encounters with the superheroes and villains of the Marvel Universe.

The story crossed over with almost every title Marvel had published at the time, and it is considered somewhat inferior to the first, quality wise.

Thirty years later, Marvel has revisited the concept with a new Secret Wars miniseries, written by Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribic.

I'll admit, I like the cover. I'm a sucker for Alex Ross artwork.

This Secret Wars seems to also pay homage to Crisis on Infinite Earths, a story involving the various incarnations and alternate takes on the Marvel Universe, including the Ultimate Universe, being destroyed and melded together into a new Battleworld. With this series, Marvel has promised an "All-New" and "All-Different" Marvel Universe, launching with 60 #1 issues. With this, they released two teaser images. Here's the first one:

At least we now get the idea that the MU is not getting rebooted. Some of the stuff from the current MU is being carried on, which I think is very nice. We still have elderly Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson as Captain America and Jane Foster as Thor, which is great. This is pretty much how I felt that the MU would be after Secret Wars, still chugging along with some slight changes and new additions from other universes.

Phil Coulson - I admit, I like Phil. I'm glad he's sticking around. His presence may indicate that the SHIELD title will be one of the relaunched titles.

Spider-Gwen - Not surprising Marvel will want to keep her around, as she has become quite a popular character. Maybe her world will survive Secret Wars. I hope so, as she may be superfluous in an MU that already has a bunch of Spider-Man-connected characters.

Black Panther - I imagine he'll get his own title again due to him having a movie coming up.

Iron Man - Hopefully, Secret Wars will undo the damage the character had taken due to Civil War and Superior Iron Man. He's now one of Marvel's most popular characters, so I want an Iron Man that has an altruistic streak again. I have heard rumors that it may not be Tony in the suit. If that's the case, I'd be neat to see Jim Rhodes in the suit again...

Vision - Considering the Vision's big role in the latest Avengers movie, it's not surprising he will get a bigger role in the All-New Marvel Universe, as he will be joining the Avengers post-Secret Wars. Don't like the new look, though. I think it's a bit too busy.

Spider-Man (Peter Parker) - Marvel's not ditching this guy, not with his MCU debut coming thanks to the deal with Sony. Makes me wonder why they can't cut a deal with Fox to do X-Men and Fantastic Four in the MCU.

Spider-Man (Miles Morales) - He will be in the Avengers post-Secret Wars. I hope we get to see him interacting with Peter Parker.

Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan) - I'm happy she'll still be around, and an Avenger post-Secret Wars. Girl is hitting the big time. In wrestling parlance, she's getting pushed to the moon. I hope she can handle being one of Earth's Mightiest.

Ant-Man (Scott Lang) - he's got a movie coming up, hopefully he'll get a series.

Red Wolf (Unknown) - At first, when I saw this, I had no idea who he was, didn't recognize him. A guy I knew on Twitter surmised it was Ka-Zar, but I said it wasn't as Ka-Zar was more like Tarzan than Turok. Only later did I realize it was Red Wolf, a Native American western character. There have been a couple of Red Wolves over the years, but this one is believed to be the original Wild West Red Wolf (Wildrun) instead of the modern one (William Talltrees). I wonder what his status will be.

And here's the second image:

Doctor Spectrum - Doctor Spectrum was originally created as an analogue to DC's Green Lantern. This was one that appeared in a Jonathan Hickman story he wrote earlier. I'm guessing Marvel wants a Green Lantern.

Citizen V - This one genuinely surprised me, as this was a disguise of Baron Zemo. This was the same costume he wore. Could this signal the return of the Thunderbolts?

The Thing (Benjamin Grimm) - So much for the rumors that Marvel is burying the Fantastic Four. Based on Ben's outfit, looks like the Thing is going to Guard the Galaxy. Why not, he was in the West Coast Avengers and New Avengers for a while. Seems to me they're just going to have the Fantastic Four break up and have the heroes join new teams, based on this...and I have been hearing Johnny Storm is hanging out with the Inhumans for reasons.

Karnak - The weakness-finding Inhuman has a new look...but wasn't he dead?

Rocket Raccoon - The raccoon is back! Enough said!

Inferno - An Inhuman. Don't know much about him.

Medusa - The Queen of the Inhumans. Considering that the Inhumans are getting a bigger role in the MU, and that they are getting a film. I think they're getting a title.

Daredevil - The Man Without Fear is getting a new look! My guess is it's a nod to the plain black sweats look he had in the Netflix series. I've liked Mark Waid's work on him, so hopefully we'll see more of that.

Wolverine (X-23/Laura Kinney) - You know, DC used to be the company that was about legacy, passing mantles and identities. Now in recent years, Marvel has become the legacy company, what with Laura taking up her father's mantle as Wolverine, it seems. Hopefully, things'll work out for her.

Starlord (Peter Jason Quill) - I expect the Guardians of the Galaxy to have plenty of spotlight in the New MU, mainly due to their popularity from the film. I wonder how his team is going to be shaken up..and what rockin' tunes will he be listening to for the whole thing.

Doctor Strange (Stephen Strange) - Hopefully, we'll see Doctor Strange retake his rightful place as the Sorcerer Supreme, the main mystical defender of the world against all supernatural threats. Wouldn't mind seeing him have a big ol' magic brawl with Shuma-Gorath. Come on! The big ol' tentacled eyeball needs love! He's been in video games! And Strange has an axe. Neat.

Old Man Logan - My guess is this is their compromise between having Logan around, and keeping classic Logan dead. I want to see this guy running a bar the heroes frequent after battles to drink, rest, and have some laughs in. I also hope we get some nice interactions between him and X-23.

It seems the New MU wants to celebrate their universe of old, while embracing the new additions and the newfound legacies they created. That's good. I didn't want a full-on reboot because I felt Marvel didn't need it. I am quite excited for this, unlike DC's New 52, and I can't wait to see the New MU unfold!

First Day of June

Today was the first day of June. You'd think on that day, there would be warmth and lots of sunshine (and in the case of where I live, humidity), right?

Nope.

It was surprisingly chilly today. And the sky was full of clouds. And it rained. Actual rain. How about that? Never thought you'd expect that. Man, what a way for June to start.

Ah, well. At least it wasn't insanely hot today.

Adventures in Pokemon Y Part 11: I Hate Snorlax

Okay, it's time to wake up and try to catch that Snorlax. After buying some Poké Balls, I went to Route 7. Sure enough, the two men that were there earlier were still there, waiting to wake the Snorlax. Shauna had caught up with me, I guess she had wanted to see more of the Parfum Palace. We explored the Palace together, what the heck was there she wanted to see?! Maybe she wanted to see more of the gardens. We didn't spend a lot of time there...

Anyway, we arrive at the bridge, and that Snorlax is still there. It's like the thing is going for the Guiness World Record for Longest Nap. According to Bulbapedia, Snorlax is known for its massive appetite, you think it'd get up to eat the near half-ton of food it needs to satisfy its appetite for a couple hours.

I wonder what would happen if someone tried to put Snorlax on a diet? Maybe it would go on a hunger-induced raging rampage. I imagine in the Pokémon universe, there have been known cases of diet-induced Snorlax stampedes. You don't tug on Superman's cape, you don't put Snorlax on a diet.

I imagine that in-universe, Snorlax is one of those Pokémon that is only caught for zoos, or preserves. I can't imagine the average Trainer being able to handle Snorlax's dietary needs.

Anyway, I hand back the flute to the original owner, and he warned me to get ready. When Snorlax wakes up...it can get grumpy. The flute gets played, and the Snorlax attacks!

I hate battling this Snorlax. Every time I faced it, it ended up fainting. I even used an Ultra Ball I had on it after bringing its life bar to the red. It managed to break out of THAT. I saved before I faced it, so it wasn't so bad. I really want to catch that blasted thing. It drove me crazy!

Ugh, I hate Snorlax. But I will not give up. I will NOT give that fat blue blob the satisfaction of seeing me give up. I will not let it beat me! I will not let it get the last laugh! I WILL CATCH IT!

Age of Ultron Review

I finally got to see a film I have been wanting to see for quite some time: Age of Ultron. I figured that the film had to be better than the mini-series it got its name from. The mini-series never appealed to me, nor did it make me want to buy it. But the film...I wanted to see it. I wanted to see this movie, and now I got to. So, I decided to write down my thoughts on it.

I have to say, I really enjoyed this film. I think it was just as good as the original, if not better. The original cast of the Avengers returns, along with some new faces, and a couple actors reprising their roles from other Marvel films.

James Spader takes up the voice of the mechanical maniac known as Ultron. His Ultron really runs the gamut of emotions, choosing to portray the robot menace as a mix of megalomaniac and a little kid throwing an epic tantrum. He has some great moments in this film. The only thing that I didn't really like was that due to the changes in Ultron's origins for this film, I felt his motivation to wipe out humanity was a bit weak...or at least the film didn't really communicate it to me that well. To me, Ultron's hatred for humanity should've come from his hatred for his father, but I felt this version was a bit lacking in that motivation. Ah, well. Spader's performance more than made up for it.

Alongside a new villain, we get some new heroes fighting alongside the Avengers: The superfast Quicksilver (played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson), and the hexcasting Scarlet Witch (played by Elizabeth Olsen). I loved the Maximoff twins' arc in this film, and it was more like the comics than one would think. I especially liked the scenes with their interactions with Hawkeye.

Speaking of Hawkeye, I'm very glad this film gave him some more spotlight, as the last film didn't really give him much. Jeremy Renner really took advantage of it, and Clint felt like a much richer character and more three-dimensional. I also loved that he got to crack wise just like in the comics.

The final battle was epic in every sense of the word. One detail I really loved was that the Avengers put priority in protecting and saving civilians. These guys are heroes, and it's nice to see them acting like heroes should. I only wish that there was an opportunity for Thor to spit out one famous line when it came to Ultron.

My only real complaint with the film is, as I said earlier, I felt Ultron's motivations were a bit weak. Ultron's one of the Avengers' greatest nemeses, and I would've like a much more personal connection between Ultron and his creators. His altered origins could've still allowed for such a connection, so I felt it was a bit of a waste.

I do highly recommend this film, especially if you liked the first Avengers film and/or action movies. It's got some nice funny bits, some sweet moments, and a lot of heroes being heroes. It's a worthy sequel, and it's got me eagerly awaiting Avengers: Infinity War.

Star Fox 64 3D Review

Lately, I had an opportunity to sit down and play one of my 3DS Games: Star Fox 64 3D.

Star Fox 64 was one of my absolute favorite games for the Nintendo 64. I had beaten it several times, and I even spent the points to download it onto my Wii when it was available on its Virtual Console service. It was fun to play on a Gamecube controller, and it brought back some happy memories of this game on the N64.

So, when I heard that this enhanced remake was available for the 3DS, this was one of the games I picked up for the system. However, life (and Pokémon) got in the way, so I couldn't devote a lot of time to this game. However, I got some time, so I decided to play it.

If you have played the original Star Fox 64, you'll know that on the title screen, you can use the Control Stick to move the "64" in the game title around. The 3DS version one ups it by using the 2DS/3DS's gyroscope to move away and around Fox's Arwing. Neat little nod there.

One feature I really appreciated about the game was that it had two options for controls, 3DS and Nintendo 64 controls. With the 3DS control scheme, you can use the gyros in the 3DS/2DS to move the Arwing around. I chose to use the Nintendo 64 control scheme, because I didn't feel comfortable moving around my 2DS just to move the Arwing around. Kudos to the developers for doing this.

The training menu was nice, just like in the original Star Fox 64. It was very helpful learning how to control this game on the new system. My only complaint was that to answer Rob's supply call, you had to use the touch screen. It was a bit unwieldy to pull out my stylus every so often and tap the touch screen in the middle of space combat. It's a minor complaint, as I could use my finger, but I wish that you could also use the select button.

It was a lot of fun seeing the enhanced graphics of the game. Wow, the graphics. Everything is so much brighter and more colorful and more detailed. I still enjoy playing the original version today, but the new version blows it away graphics wise. It was especially cool playing one of my favorite levels, Macbeth. Yup, the Landmaster. I still remembered where all the switches were, ha ha.

A common complaint I have heard about this game is that it lacks online multiplayer. This didn't bother me that much, but another common complaint I have heard is that there really isn't anything new brought in. I have to agree with this. They essentially took Star Fox 64 and updated the graphics. It's still fun, but it has brought nothing new to the table.

All in all, if you want to play Star Fox 64 on a handheld, pick this up.

Spring is Here!

Spring has finally come at last! The trees are getting green again, the weather is getting warmer, the sun is out more (and longer), and people with seasonal allergies are stocking up on the allergy meds of their choice.

I do enjoy the spring. I like seeing the trees grow new leaves, and considering how cold the winters get up where I live (not to mention snowy), it's very nice to see the temperature going up and the sun shining for longer periods. I also will admit, I do like seeing the trees grow new leaves, and even the flowers coming back, even though I know it means my seasonal allergies will make a comeback.

Hopefully, the upcoming summer will be very nice.

I hope everybody had a wonderful May Day today!