Falcon #4 (February 1984)

Ahh, finally! Finally we are going to finish looking at the 1980s Falcon miniseries. I had originally intended to review this miniseries in honor of Black History Month back in February and because Falcon was a character in the then-upcoming Captain America: Civil War. However, life and laziness got in the way, and it resulted in the mini taking a LOT longer to review than I thought.

For the sake of catching up, here are the links for the previous issue: Issue 1, Issue 2, Issue 3. I suggest you read those first before this one.

Caught up? Good! Then let's begin our look at Falcon #4!

The cover of the issue is one that I think is really nice. We see Electro grabbing a beaten Captain America, bragging and running his mouth about how tough he is and how no one con stop him. However, someone is tapping his shoulder, and it's the Falcon. It's a pretty neat cover, and it shows that basically Electro is going o have his happy little lightning-throwing butt handed to him. Let's get to the story itself!

"Resurrection"
Writer: Jim Owsley
Pencils: Mark Bright
Inks: Mike Gustovich
Colorist: Stephen Mellor
Letterer: Clem Robins
Editor: Larry Hama

The story begins with Electro on a rampage, blasting into the Legion's headquarters, demanding the President.

The Legion decide to be idiots here and get all "We ain't gonna tell you squat, man!". Surely you'd think that in the Marvel Universe, street gangs would be aware of who Electro is. I'm sure he was on the news in full costume at this point. He's one of Spider-Man's regular punching bags. Geez. Electro is none too happy with the Legion's mockery, and zaps one of the members to make his point.

"Do I LOOK like a cosplayer to you?"

Meanwhile, Tork and Captain America are getting ready to raid a garage, that was meant to be a trap for Falcon. Tork comes off as an arrogant moron in this moment. He seems to have NO IDEA who Captain America is, and acts like he's just some wannabe in a clown costume. This is CAPTAIN AMERICA, Tork! What's wrong with you?! Or maybe he's trying to come off as "too cool to hang around Cap". Either way, he's a moron here.

Tork and Cap manage to beat the ambush, simply because they're punks and he's Cap.

"Boys, I've fought tougher than you! Ever met Doughboy?!"

They move on. Falcon finally wakes up himself, and asks the gang members Electro attacked. Still angry at Sam over the march disaster, the Legion tells him nothing. Luckily, Redwing had tailed Electro, so Sam is still able to find him. Electro finds his way to the garage that Cap and Tork are rampaging through, needing a recharge. The battle with Falcon drained much of his electrical power supply, so he needs some juice. He rips a wire and absorbs the power.

"By the power of Grayskull, I HAVE THE POWERRRRRRR!"

Cap and Tork notice the lights dimming, and get surrounded by the Legion. Cap easily dispatches the Legion, to find one Legionnaire holding a gun to the President's head, the President tied up to a chair and a bag over his head. Hope that thing is at least thin enough to let him BREATHE through. Electro manages to get recharged, then melts his way through the garage roof, ambushes Cap and takes him out, and then turns towards the President. I can't help but wonder what Electro's plan here is. He wants the give the Falcon some payback for the last time they fought, but what does he want with the President? Huh. Anyway, Falcon flies in and wallops Electro real good.

"Here I come to save the dayyyyyy!"

Electro is furious, and zaps Tork, who has him at shotgun point. He then pursues Sam to a parking garage, where he continues trying to fry our avian-themed hero. Electro then stumbles on an idea, hearing the machinery of Falcon's wings. He realizes that Falcon's wings are mechanical (The flight harness he was using at the time was created by Black Panther for him), and he can control the electricity making the harness work. Fun fact, readers: Before he became the villainous Electro, Maxwell Dillon was an electrical engineer and a lineman. I actually liked this part, as it showed that Electro is smarter than he often gets credit for, and even though he is a villain, he still would find a use for his knowledge.

Thanks to this, Falcon is forced to ditch his wings, and use his acrobatic skills to evade Electro. Redwing distracts Electro by using his talons to slice his back. This allows Falcon to blast him with a water hose, shorting out his powers.

"Hey Electro! Have a drink on me!"

Despite his loss of powers, Electro still thinks he can take Sam on. Throughout their encounters, Electro has constantly called Falcon an "amateur". However, Sam fixes that perception.

"Hope you like my knuckle sandwich! Special family recipe!"

Sam carries off a tied-up Electro (presumably tied up with the fire hose), encountering a recovering Cap and Tork. Cap reveals he was up for a bit, and Tork is coming around. Sam wonders why Cap didn't help him, and Cap explains that he didn't think Sam needed his help. Thanks, Steve.

The three then walk into the room where Xeon, the Legion's leader, has the President at gunpoint. Sam convinces Cap to let him talk to him. Sam convinces Xeon to simply talk to the President and tell him about the issues of the streets. He removes the hood, revealing Ronald Reagan, who was President at the time.

"Son, The Viper will turn me into a snake man and I will fight Cap in a future comic. You don't scare me."

Don't laugh. That really happened. That comic exists. Captain America #344, look it up.

Xeon tells the President about some of his fellow Legionnaires and how they had to struggle in the streets of New York City, and how Falcon has helped them out. The cops burst in, and Reagan tells the cops he's in a conference. Thing is, Xeon may have been able to get an audience with the President, but he kidnapped him and put a gun to his head. Unless Reagan pardons him and the Legion, I think their future is going to be mighty bleak.

We then end this on Cap, Falcon, and Tork watching TV, Reagan saying he promises to sponsor sone new legislation presumably inspired by his talking with the Legion. Hopefully, he also plans to issue a pardon for them, too. Cap leaves, and Falcon gets a visitor: Rachel, the woman he saved in Issue 2.

"Thought I'd just be forgotten, huh?"

In a funny moment, Tork is left pouting as Sam and Rachel go out.

"Bah! Screw Sam and Steve! I still have my TV!"

Sam then invites Tork, and the three leave to probably have some laughs.

This issue wasn't bad. It tied up all the loose ends, and the end with Sam and Tork was funny.

I felt this mini-series had two big flaws. One was that the mini didn't have an over-arcing story. It just felt like three stories were slapped together and passed off as a mini. The other was a lack of a consistent artist for all four issues. Don't get me wrong, the mini did have some good artists on it, but the changing artists did hurt the mini's consistency. If you do find the Falcon trade, pick it up. It also includes the Falcon's origin story and some backup tales. It also has a really good cover by Frank Miller, believe it or not. Don't worry, it was from when he was still good.

You know, I had a thought. Spider-Man is in the MCU. So is Falcon. If Marvel Studios and Sony were able to make a deal to bring Spidey into the MCU, that means Marvel may also get to use his villains...including Electro. It could be possible to see Falcon and Electro duke it out in the MCU. They could use this mini-series as a basis for a Falcon solo film, with Electro as the main villain. I'd love to see that.

Moana Teaser Trailer, My Thoughts.

Disney is at it again! They have released a teaser trailer for their newest animated feature. This new film will be the 56th film in the Disney Animated Canon. This film's name? Say hello to Moana!

As a wrestling fan, I had to admit, I thought it was really cool seeing Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson doing a voice in a Disney film. His character is named Maui, a demi-god who is part of several Pacific Island mythologies. A rather appropriate role for someone so larger-than-life. I imagine he does own an actual giant magic fishhook. Why not? He owns the BFGs from the DOOM movie!

Moana tells the tale of the title princess from ancient Oceania, who sets off on a journey to a fabled island, teaming up with Maui in the process.

Speaking of Maui, the trailer starts with Maui talking about how awesome he is, and doing a really cool dance. I hope to God Maui announces he will layeth a smacketh down on somebody. I've heard that Maui's elaborate tattoos are traditionally-animated, and I think that is really cool. I think it's a great nod to Disney's roots in traditional animation, and that bit with the tat still going was funny.

Anyway, we get to see Moana and her pet pig...who are not impressed by this. Moana, come on. You just got to see a demigod with Dwayne Johnson's voice doing a cool dance with a magic giant fishhook. BE IMPRESSED, KID!

We then cut to some of the film proper, with some very nice music. Also, we got see Maui do the People's Eyebrow. That was cool.

The teaser doesn't reveal much about the movie itself, but it did provide some AMAZING visuals. The water moving away from what I am assuming is a baby Moana, the ship going over the wave, and the dolphins. Also, Maui turns into what I think is a giant owl. That's neat. And there's a chicken. The chicken is random. I don't get the chicken.

It was a very nice little teaser, and I can't wait for the full trailer. It was a really nice visual feast ,very bright and colorful. This film sounds like it'll be another big hit. I just wish we had heard something from Moana herself besides just an "Um..." But otherwise, this was a nice teaser. I think Moana is going to be great.

Warcraft Review

Warcraft. One of the world's most famous MMORPG franchises, it has millions of players from all over the world and all walks of life. The most well-known game in the franchise is World of Warcraft. First released for PCs in 2004, the game has gone through five expansions, with a sixth called Legion on the way. I admit, I've never played it myself, but I have a memory of watching someone play it in college.

The franchise has created a massive, complex world that has been further expanded upon by novels and comic books. Most recently, a film was released, based on this world.

The film portrays how humans and orcs first met in the Warcraft universe, which I think is the events of the very first Warcraft game, Orcs and Humans. The Orcs' world is dying, and they need somewhere need a new home. Gul'Dan, the leader of the orcs, unites the orc clans into an army known as the Horde, and uses a portal that is powered by dark magic that uses the life force of other beings.

Orcs arrive in the world of Azeroth, and go on the rampage. As a result, King Llane Wrynn of the kingdom of Stormwind must unite the lands of Azeroth in an Alliance to repel the Orc invasion. In the process, one of the orcs, Durotan, has his doubts about this invasion and seeks to stop Gul'Dan.

The story has a rather bittersweet ending, and it was actually surprising. One gripe I did have was with how the dialogue was delivered in the film. It felt...off in some way. I'm not exactly sure how to describe it, to be honest. It just felt really off in some way.

Another thing about this movie is...well, I've never played the Warcraft games before. But I did get a code for a free game when I went to the theater, so I do want to give it a try at some point in the future. I did feel a bit lost, but it wasn't major. If you are a fan of Warcraft and know the mythos like the back of your hand, you may get more enjoyment out of this.

So, what did I like about this film? Well, I liked the characters. Some may complain about the number of characters in the film, but I had no issue following what was going on with them. I also did like that there were some subtle funny moments in the movie. And I loved the general look of the film. It was colorful and amazing to look at. Also, I thought the film's ending was surprisingly bittersweet. I had to admit, I didn't see it coming. Maybe those who know the Warcraft mythos would, but I personally was surprised by it. The final battle was amazing. Definitely awesome to watch. It was the coolest part of the whole movie. I was also impressed with the special effects. This film really was a feast for the eyes. The film also has a theme of parents and children running through it as well, which I thought was neat.

Should you watch Warcraft? Well, if you are a fan, I'm sure you've seen it already, and you may enjoy it. Non-fans should give it a watch if they aren't expecting a Lord of the Rings-level epic tale. Just keep in mind the stilted dialogue delivery, but the final battle is epic. If you can watch it at your theater for cheap, it's a decent popcorn flick. Regular players and fans of Warcraft would probably appreciate it more, though.

Now, if you will excuse me, the theater gave me a code to try out World of Warcraft for free, I want to see what the hubbub is about it for myself...

Agents of Mayhem Trailer, My Thoughts

I love the Saints Row series. Over the four games, things went more insane and over-the-top, but it only made each game more fun than the last. Amazingly, I still have to get Gat out of Hell. I thought it looked so awesome based on the trailers, and I was so eager to get it when it came out.

The people behind them, Deep Silver and Volition, have come out with a new game, Agents of Mayhem. And they have released a trailer for it!

According to the Wikipedia page on the Saints Row series, this game is part of the Saints Row universe, as the trailer does show a character that appeared in Gat out of Hell.

The first character we meet is Doctor Babylon. I am assuming he is the villain or antagonist or whatever you want to call it of this game. His design kind of reminds me of a mix of Lex Luthor and Locutus of Borg with a Lord Zedd-esque staff. He's pretty awesome, especially when displaying his techno-manipulation powers. I hope the giant robot he makes is a boss in this game!

Next we meet Fortune, a cute Latina with guns and a combat drone. She also had some friends: Hardtack the sailor (whose intro made me chuckle and kind of reminds me of the GI Joe Shipwreck), and Hollywood the actor, who can summon a stunt double to do deadly stunts in his place. Each of the characters look really cool. Hollywood is a pretty boy, Fortune is a scrapper, and Hardtack looks like a rough-and-tumble brawler.

I also like their varied attack styles. It gives players a chance to look for the characters whose style they are most comfortable with. I'll be giving all three of these a try if possible.

The thing I love about this trailer is that it gives little glimpses of the characters and what they can do. That to me is one of the strongest points of this trailer. I hope we do meet more characters with various attack styles and cool weapons.

I did read it was connected to the Saints Row series, but I found it hard to believe at first. The game seemed so...different. These characters weren't using purple as their primary color. They weren't an over-the-top street gang. They were mercs. Until the very end, when I saw the mercs' boss in front of a big glowing purple futuristic fleur-de-lis. That was the symbol of the 3rd Street Saints. These guys were the Saints! That blew my mind.

Based on what I have heard, these guys are the future legacy of the 3rd Street Saints. Not bad for a small gang that started out to protect their little part of Stilwater and ended up running the world.

This trailer was a lot of fun to watch, and the game will hopefully be a lot of fun to play. I can't wait!

Pokemon Sun/Moon Legendary Reveal Trailer, My Thoughts

A new trailer has come out for Pokémon Sun and Moon! This one focuses on the Legendary Pokémon of the games and gives a little information about a couple of the characters you will encounter in your journey. We did get brief glimpses of the Legendaries in the starter reveal trailer, but a new one has come out, telling us more about them:

The first Legendary revealed was one for Sun, called Solgaleo. It's really cool. It's a gigantic lion, and lions are awesome. Surprisingly, it's Psychic/Steel. I assumed Solgaleo would at least have Fire as one of its types, as part of the Pokémon's name references the sun, which can be described as great big ball of fire.

Solgaleo has an ability called Full Metal Body. I nearly ended up typing Full Metal Jacket by mistake. That actually would've been very clever on the part of Game Freak if that was the name of the ability. Based on the battle footage we see, Full Metal Body seems to prevent Solgaleo from being affected by attacks that cause changes in stats, like Leer and Tail Whip. That doesn't bother me very much personally, as I don't really use those in battle very much.

We also got to see what looks like Solgaleo's signature attack, Sunsteel Strike. It's an awesome attack. It's like Solgaleo is channeling the power of the Sun itself to defeat its opponent. Heck, it looks like Solgaleo is coming down from the Sun. It's an incredible visual.

Moon's legendary is a giant bat-like Pokémon called Lunala. It's a Psychic/Ghost type Pokémon. I don't think we have ever seen that type combination very often. It has an ability called Shadow Shield.

One thing I love about the Legendaries is that they incorporate the sun and moon into their designs. Solgaleo has the sun in its mane, and Lunala has the moon in its wings and head shape.

Back to Lunala, we see it has a signature attack of its own: Moongeist Beam. It's an awesome visual, points of light appear on the Pokémon and lines come from them, meeting in the center. And then...BOOM! MEGA-LASER! It's kind of like the Death Star's superlaser. Really cool.

We get a brief glimpse of Alola, and the Hawaii inspiration is clear, as it does appear to be a group of islands. Surf is going to be VERY useful here.

Next, we see the default male and female trainers, and some ability to customize is shown. We just may get to customize trainer's clothing, too. I can't see them dropping that feature.

Also, we see the characters of the game. First is Professor Kukui. He's got an unusual design, more like a surfer bum than a professor. It does seem to fit the vibe of the game, though. I can imagine this guy hitting some waves when not researching. Second is Lillie, Professor Kukui's assistant. She's described as mysterious, but I can see her being the "rival Trainer". How? Maybe Kukui sends her to check up on you every so often and she battles you as her way of seeing how strong you become over the journey. Third, is Hau, the best friend. I imagine like X and Y, or Black and White, he'll probably also go on his own journey and cross paths with you on occasion. I hope so. I liked that having two rivals idea, one friendly, one not so much.

The most surprising reveal of the trailer was the new Pokédex in the game will incorporate a Rotom. A Rotom will be using it as a body, which the trailer says will allow communication between trainer and Pokémon to go to a whole new level. I wonder what that could mean. Could that mean that with this Rotom-dex, a Trainer could literally TALK to their Pokémon? That would make for some interesting possibilities...

This new trailer has made me more excited for these games. I can't wait to play them!

First Day of June and FFVI

It's the first day of June! Summer is here, and with it comes sunny days, ice cream shops are opening up...and for me, seasonal allergies and humidity are making their comeback. Yay.

Anyway, I hope to do more comic reviews in the coming months, as well as transcribe my thoughts on various things, like trailers and such. I also hope I remember to take my allergy medicine as I hate having a blocked up nose and sneezing like crazy during the summers.

On a more positive note, I have been playing some Final Fantasy VI lately. I have owned the GBA version for some time, but I never really had the chance to actually sit down and play it lately. I got the original SNES version (back when it was called Final Fantasy III in the US, remember those days?) on my Wii thanks to the Virtual Console service, but I could never get past the part where Locke and the Moogles had to fight off the Magitek guards early on in the game, so I gave up on it. However, I found an online guide, and used it to help me get through that part on the GBA remake. After that part, I found myself really enjoying the game.

I had a dentist appointment today, so I took my DS with me and played it some more. I'm getting ready to tackle Mt. Kolts. The theme of Mt. Kolts is really nice. It makes me bob my head a bit when I listen to it. Here, take a listen!

Neat, huh? But then again, FFVI was known for its soundtrack. If I could record footage off my GBA cartridge, I could do a playthrough. Ah, well. Have a happy June, everyone!

Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day, everyone!

Memorial Day can be traced back to the end of the Civil War, in which a group of veterans of the Union Army established a Decoration Day to honor those who died in said war. The former Confederate States had their own day to honor their dead. By the 20th Century, the two days had merged to form the modern Memorial Day, celebrated on the last Monday of every May. It's also considered the beginning of summer. This is admittedly an abridged version of the history of said day, more can be found here.

On this day, we take a moment to remember those men and women who gave their lives in war to serve this nation and help maintain our freedom.

As we whip out the grills and enjoy our cold drinks, hot barbecued food, and enjoy the summer day, let's all take time to remember those brave souls who made the ultimate sacrifice so we can enjoy this day.