Castlevania Anniversary Collection Launch Trailer, My Thoughts

Konami has been rereleasing some of their old games to the Nintendo Switch in the form of special collection packs to celebrate the company's big 5-0! I looked at their collection of arcade games, and now it's time to check out another collection dedicated to one of their most iconic franchises: Castlevania.

The Castlevania series focused on the adventures of the Belmont family and their allies over the centuries in their eternal battle against the evil King of Vampires: Dracula. They also have to battle the many supernatural forces and monsters at his command. Their weapon of choice: A family heirloom, a magical whip known as the Vampire Killer. The Belmonts have battled Dracula across many a platform since 1986. There's also a really good Netflix animated series based on the games. Its one of Konami's most beloved franchises, and it's turned 33 this year. In fact, Simon Belmont (the protagonist of the first game in the series) has appeared in the Captain N cartoon, and is a playable fighter in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

As a celebration of the company's 50th anniversary, Konami is releasing some of the classic Castlevania games for the Nintendo Switch in a special collection. Let's take a look at the launch trailer!

Wow! Going in hard with the lightning and the awesome rendition of "Vampire Killer". I think that's the Super Smash Bros. rendition. Nice.

Castlevania - The game that started it all. Released in 1986 in Japan, 1987 in North America, and 1988 in Europe. It would get remade for the Sharp X68000 (A computer only released in Japan), which came to the US as the PlayStation in 2001 as Castlevania Chronicles. This game would establish the classic formula with the games: an action-platformer where you have to use various weapons to fight monsters.

Castlevania II: Simon's Quest - Released in Japan in 1987, North America in 1988, and Europe in 1990. It was the first sequel to the original Castlevania. You reprise the role of Simon Belmont, as he learns that after defeating Dracula in the first game, he was cursed by the Vampire Lord. The only way to undo it? Bring the five pieces of Dracula's body to his old castle and finish the monster off. 

This game incorporated a bit of RPG elements, with buyable items, and Simon's health increasing the more experience he gets. He also can interact with villagers, but their words are not always reliable. The game also cycled between night and day, which had an effect on the monsters Simon fought. It also had multiple endings depending on how many in-game days it took the player to beat it.

Despite this, reception to this game was mixed. The American version was heavily criticized for poor translation, and puzzles in the game were found too cryptic. Despite this, the gameplay mechanics would influence future games in the series.

Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse - The third and final game in the NES trilogy. Released in Japan in 1989, North America in 1990, and Europe in 1992. This game is a prequel to the first game. You play as Trevor C. Belmont, an ancestor of Simon. Trevor must stop Dracula from enveloping Europe in darkness.

But he's not alone. Trevor has some friends helping him out, each with special abilities of their own: Sypha Belnades, a powerful sorceress who uses element-based magic. Grant Danasty, a pirate that can climb walls and has great leaping ability. Alucard, the son of Dracula. He can shoot fireballs and become a bat. The ending of the game also changes depending on which combination of these characters are used to beat it.

This game was highly rated, and is considered one of the best of the original NES trilogy. The Castlevania animated miniseries on Netflix was based on this game.

Super Castlevania IV - Despite what the number says, this is not a sequel. It's basically a retelling of the first Castlevania game, taking advantage of the superior power and graphical abilities of the Super Nintendo. It was released in Japan and North America in 1991, and Europe got it in 1992. This game would get critical acclaim and rereleases over the years.

I actually have played this one in the past. I got it on my Wii. It's a hard game. Real hard. Very easy to get frustrated in it.

The Castlevania Adventure - Released in Japan and North America in 1989, and Europe in 1991, this was the first game in the series to be released on Game Boy. It was the first portable Castlevania game. In this game, you play as another ancestor of Simon Belmont: Christopher Belmont. You must help Chris do what Belmonts do best: Make Dracula's unlife miserable. Unlike other games in the series, you can get extra lives by getting enough points, and subweapons were removed. The whip was upgradable, but getting a hit downgraded it.

This game would get mixed reviews in its original Game Boy incarnation. The music was praised, but it would get criticism or its level length and difficulty. In 2009, the game would get remade for the Wii as Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth. It's no longer available as the Wii shop was shut down in 2018. It was still criticized for its difficulty, but it was considered a massive improvement over the original Game Boy version. I thought it was odd that the remake was not included. Why not include that? Maybe in a Volume 2?

Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge - A sequel to Adventure, it was released for the Game Boy in Japan and North America in 1991, and Europe in 1992. Set fifteen years after Adventure, Christopher Belmont must take up the Vampire Killer whip to fight Dracula again. The Vampire King had kidnapped Chris's son Soleiyu (I think it was meant to be Soleil, as in the French word for "sun"), and turned him into a demon. Drac is a bit of a jerk like that.

This game restored sub-weapons (albeit the North American version replaced the cross with an axe), and was praised for its graphics. It was criticized for its short length.

Castlevania: Bloodlines - The only game in the series released for the Sega Genesis, released everywhere in 1994. In Europe and Australia, the game was called Castlevania: The New Generation. Set in 1917, you play as John Morris, a descendant of Simon Belmont. Alongside Eric LeCarde, you pursue the vampire Elizabeth Bartley (A likely nod to Elizabeth Bathory) across World War I-torn Europe in an attempt to prevent her from resurrecting her uncle Dracula.

This game heavily used special effects in its gameplay. It's considered one of the better entries in the series.

Kid Dracula - Released in 1990 for the Game Boy in Japan. This collection is the game's debut in the West. Well, the original version. A remake/sequel to this game was released internationally for the Game Boy in 1993. It was also called Kid Dracula. The game is a bit of a parody of the Castlevania series. You play as a kid version of Dracula, who must get his throne back from a demon named Galamoth. I'm surprised this is the version they're bringing over. You'd think they'd put the international version in this collection.

I will admit, I'm not quite as hyped for this collection as I was for the Arcade Collection. I never really was a fan of the Castlevania series. Nothing against it or anything, it just never clicked with me. I have played Super IV and I have one of the Nintendo DS games. I enjoyed them, though. It's just a series that I never really got into. Still, I hope people enjoy it and it does very well.

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Marvel Super Heroes: Secret Wars #5 (September 1984)

The Secret Wars rage on! Last issue, we saw the heroes get a mountain dropped on them, Thor outsmarting some villains, Wasp and Magneto got weird, and the heroes made a new friend. Also, Ben Grimm suddenly turned human again. So, what new spores of madness will brew out from this event? Let's find out in Secret Wars #5!

The cover is pretty cool! It's a Bob Layton and Bob Wiacek piece. It depicts the X-Men charging into battle, trying to save their superheroic comrades. I also like that the cover is shown from the villain's POV as the X-Men charge in. We get to see the Merry Mutants leap into action. The cover's also cool because we get to see some of the X-Men showing off their powers. It's a cool cover.

"The Battle of the Four Armies!"
Writer: Jim Shooter
Penciler: Bob Layton
Inker: John Beatty
Colorist: Christie Scheele
Letterer: Joe Rosen
Editor: Tom DeFalco
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

The story begins with the heroes staring up at the sky. Galactus has summoned his home!

"Heh. You humans fail at moving."

You know, having the ability to summon your spaceship home from anywhere is pretty handy. The alien healer is clearly frightened, as are her fellow...beings. I have no idea what they're called, and I don't think the miniseries ever explains. Johnny Storm tries to calm her down, but there's a problem: The language barrier. The healer speaks no English, and Johnny doesn't speak...whatever her native tongue is called. She drags the pyrokinetic to her home, where she has what looks like an alien hookah.

Well, when a planet-eater wants to consume your world, may as well get high. Johnny thinks it's a soda fountain, though. It's funny because at this point, he's old enough to drink actual alcoholic beverages, yet Pepsi is his idea of a stiff drink. She opens it, causing some vapors to waft out. The two breathe deeply...and Johnny feels like his mind has become a open book. The vapor evidently has some sort of mindlink effect, causing the healer to learn about Johnny and the whole situation. We also get a recap of the storyline so far, minus the X-Men running off. The mindlink also appears to have other effects, as Johnny and the healer (Whose name we learn is Zsaji), start to make out.

Speaking of romance, we next check in on Colossus. He's been thinking about Kitty Pryde. The two of them have a bit of an attraction...despite the fact that Kitty at the time was supposed to be about 13-14 years old, and he was supposed to be about 19-20. Yeah. Shooter was not a fan of this for obvious and understandable reasons. More on that in the future. Colossus is dragged out of his thoughts by a telepathic summon from Professor Xavier, doing his best Scorpion from Mortal Kombat: "GET OVER HERE!"

And Colossus proceeded to get over there. Alongside the other X-Men. They witness Galactus's ship/home in the sky. They have no idea what is going on...naturally. Magneto orders the group to get a ship, and prepare to act against Galactus. He and Xavier will try another approach to hopefully stopping the World-Eater. Storm bristles at this as she's the leader of the X-Men. Cyclops agrees, although he secretly thinks he should take over due to his greater experience. Xavier tells the X-Men to listen to Magnus on this.

Meanwhile in Doombase, Owen "Molecule Man" Reese and Marsha "Volcana" Rosenberg are walking in a garden area. The Molecule Man is telling her about his life, and Marsha is surprised by this. They pass by the Wrecking Crew, who taunt them a bit. Marsha is angry about it and wants to kick their heads in, but Owen tells her to just keep going by and ignore them. Piledriver calls them nerds, and that word appears to set Owen off.

Marsha slaps Piledriver. Titania watches this, amazed that the Molecule Man, the most powerful villain here...is so meek. Molecule Man turns Piledriver's costume into metal, immobilizing him. He then pushes Piledriver into the ground. Marsha cheers him for standing up for himself while pushing Piledriver's face into the ground. The Wrecking Crew get the hint and backs off. Owen makes a flying chariot for himself and Marsha and they fly away. Titania furiously rips out a tree, screaming the Crew could haven beaten Owen senseless. I'm assuming that Titania is still a bit drunk on her own new power, and it's made her stupid. The Crew free Piledriver, and they notice Galactus's ship.

Doom notices the ship as well...just as he predicted. He has his own plans, and the ship is beneficial. He gets approached by the Enchantress. She points out that she's an immortal Asgardian, and there's nothing for her to participate in this war. She's tried to flee, but there's a barrier keeping her stuck on this world...so, can we assume that her conversation with Thor last issue happened elsewhere on Battleworld?

Enchantress figures, "Hey, Doom's a smart guy! Maybe if he and I put our heads together, we can get off this crazy planet!" She even offers to be Doom's girlfriend. Doom's still not interested. She then offers to magically heal his face.

You see, in Fantastic Four #5 (July 1962), it was revealed that during his time in college, he attempted an experiment to contact the dead. It blew up in his face. Reed Richards was one of his classmates. Reed noticed a flaw in Doom's calculations. He tried to warn Doom, but Doom was like, "Screw you, Richards!". It's why he hates Reed Richards so much. He can't admit that he screwed up, so he convinced himself Reed sabotaged the experiment.

Anyway, the offer for magical plastic surgery is tempting, but Doom still refuses. There's always a price for stuff like this, as far as he's concerned. Enchantress leaves in a huff. She's not used to being turned down. In Magneto's lair, Xavier and Magneto try to telepathically contact Galactus. "But wait!" You may say. "Magneto's not a telepath!" Well, technically he isn't. But in X-Men #4 (March 1964), it was established Magneto, by turning his powers on his own brain, can display limited telepathy. I have no idea how that works. Fun fact, that issue was also the first appearance of Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch.

In Zsaji's village, Reed suggests he try to talk to Galactus. He believes the World-Eater will hear him out, as Reed saved his life in Fantastic Four #244 (July 1982). Cap agrees, but warns Reed to be careful. Mr. Fantastic stretches up and tries to talk to the big G. Magneto and Xavier try to batter through Galactus's psychic defenses, but those defenses are naturally quite strong. Galactus notices this...and wrecks Magneto's magnet-shaped base with psionic force.

Geez, Galactus! You could have just told them to get out of your head!

 He gives Reed the same treatment. This is a problem. Thanks to Xavier and Magneto, Galactus now sees the heroes as pests. Nice job, guys! Thanks a lot! As such, the World-Eater sends an exterminator.

"I think we're in trouble." No, duh. You think so, Hawkeye?! 

This is the only appearance of this robot, as far as I know. Anyway, the robot proves to be quite powerful, tossing the heroes around like they were rolled up pieces of tissue paper. Galactus gets to work, assembling a machine. The robot fires a paralysis goop that takes out Thor and Hawkeye. Cap nails it in the eye with his shield. The Thing is able to pin its arms back, and Johnny Storm fires an intense flame down its throat. It blows out the robot's chest, rendering it useless. The heroes are battered and exhausted from this fight...which makes them easy pickings for Doom's forces.

Wouldn't be villains if they didn't kick you when you're down. Doom is hoping the battle will get Galactus's attention. The heroes are forced into retreat. The situation seems grim, until...

"HERE THEY COME TO SAVE THE DAYYYYYY!" 

The X-Men arrive! They could have been very helpful earlier. The Merry Mutants, being fresh and energized, beat down the villains like a tag team wrestler after a hot tag. During the battle, Storm creates a raging gale, a maelstrom worthy of her namesake. This gets Galactus's attention...for a very brief second. This is Doom's opportunity to strike, making his way into Galactus's ship

The villains are able to injure Colossus...despite his being in his metal form. I guess someone was able to dent him. Despite the injury, the villains are forced to retreat on the Enchantress Teleportation System. The X-Men head back to the ship...leaving Colossus behind. Magneto sees the metal Russian as a burden, best left to his own devices. The X-Men are angry about that because they're a team, and they don't believe in leaving people behind. Magneto argues they are at war. Xavier points out that the village nearby has a healer, and the heroes can be trusted to help and keep Colossus safe. Maybe you guys should stay and tell the heroes Colossus needs help?

Iron Man finds the wounded mutant and tries to get Zsaji to help him with her healing ability. Johnny Storm isn't sure her powers can help him because of his being a mutant. Johnny, she was able to heal your cosmic ray-mutated butt, I think she can handle someone with an X-Gene. Colossus freaks out and refuses help. He watches her heal Spider-Man and then make out with Johnny. It makes Colossus feel rather jealous for some reason.

Captain America asks Mr. Fantastic what Galactus is doing. Reed explains that he's putting together the machinery he uses to convert planets into energy that he consumes. Cap believes that he's going to win the Beyonder's big game for the villains. However, Reed thinks that Galactus has something else in mind. However, unbeknownst to the World-Eater, his ship has a visitor.

Doctor Doom is wandering the ship, gazing at all the advanced technology. The Latverian monarch looks around the craft, and vows to master it. The story ends with him finding something on the ship.

This issue was not bad, but I do feel it's one of those issues that is better enjoyed as part of reading the whole miniseries instead of reading it solo. I've never been a fan of the X-Men going off and doing their own thing in this miniseries, so it's nice seeing them back helping the heroes. Again, I get that they're going for the whole "the X-Men are feared and hated because they're different" thing. As I have said in the past, I felt the X-Men distancing themselves could have been done better. Maybe show that the X-Men are not comfortable working with others because they're so used to being seen as the bad guys, for example.

Another thing I felt was a bit rushed was Colossus's little crush on Zsaji. There is a behind-the-scenes reason for this. You see, Jim Shooter was not a fan of Shadowcat and Colossus's little thing in the X-Men book at the time because of Kitty's age. So, when he wrote this, he saw an opportunity to put an end to it, hence this. I felt it could have been handled better.

As for the positives? I enjoyed the issue touching on Owen and Marsha's growing romance. It was neat seeing Marsha stand up to the Wrecking Crew...and pretty funny seeing her and Owen team up on Piledriver. I also liked seeing Doom plot against the Beyonder. I think it fits his character in a way. I can't see Doom really being the type to take orders, considering his ego. His interplay with Enchantress was pretty good, too. It's nice seeing that like the heroes, the villains have a tough time working together. I imagine it's harder for them because of their nature. Also, Bob Layton on art is always good. Again, I think this issue is better when read as part of the whole Secret Wars miniseries than on its own.

Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you  enjoyed it, spread it around! And if you want to give this blog some additional support, please drop a tip in my Digital Tip Jar! It would be greatly appreciated!  Next time, we join the Incredible Hulk as he comes to San Francisco and gets a shot of poison. No, not poison. A shot...of Venom. See you then!

Konami Arcade Classic Anniversary Collection Launch Trailer, My Thoughts

Once upon a time, Konami was known as one of the great game developers. Starting in 1969, the company started out as a jukebox rental and repair business. Yeah, back in the day, you could rent jukeboxes from them. I wonder if they still do that. They made tons of games that gamers all over the world enjoyed, like the Castlevania and Metal Gear series. In Japan, they're also known for owning gyms. Huh.

Sadly, Konami is more well-known these days for various controversies, like their fallout with Hideo Kojima (the main mind behind the Metal Gear games), and their treatment of their employees.

Konami was sent reeling from these, but it seems they want to rebuild some goodwill with the fans, by releasing some special collections for the Nintendo Switch. The first is the Arcade Classics Collection. So, let's take a look and see what games we're going to get for this.

Partial Nudity? Why would these games have a rating for oh yeah, they were made in Japan.

Heh heh, aren't most of these games shooters? I'm not complaining, I like shoot-em-ups, but still. Maybe that was Konami's forte in the arcades back in the Me Decade?

I also love the 80s aesthetic of the trailer.

Nemesis is Gradius. Yeah. This was what the 1985 Gradius arcade game was originally called when it was released in arcades outside of Japan. This was ported to numerous consoles and computers, including the NES, Game Boy, and even the Commodore 64. It's been one of Konami's longest-lasting series, going all the way to the Seventh Generation of Video Game Consoles with Gradius ReBirth. You pilot the Vic Viper, and it introduced its iconic mechanic: you collect items to pick a certain option from a line of them on a special menu. My first exposure to the series was Gradius Galaxies for the Game Boy Advance.

I first learned of Vulcan Venture thanks to Game Sack. Released in arcades in 1988, this was what Gradius II was called outside of Japan. Like its predecessor, it's seen release on numerous consoles and computers, but not as many as the first Gradius. You know, I'm surprised they're using these names instead of the original Japanese names. Maybe they want to preserve the original 80s experience? It's weird.

Haunted Castle is the only non-shoot-em-up in this collection. Released to arcades in 1988, it is essentially an adaptation of the first Castlevania game. Help Simon Belmont rescue his new missus, Serena Belmont, from Count Dracula! Hopefully he'll teach her some self-defense tips after this whole thing. I wonder what happened to her in the other games?

Thunder Cross was released to arcades in 1988. Man, Konami was really pumping out arcade games in 1988. You pilot the ship called the Thunder through seven levels, defending the space colony world of Haniamu IV from the evil army known as Black Impulse. It used a new 2D graphic technique at the time called "layered scrolling" for the backgrounds.

Life Force (Despite the logo, it's supposed to be two words) was released in arcades in 1986. It's a spinoff of the Gradius series, and one of the more famous games in this collection. Life Force was the American name for the game. In Japan, it was called Salamander. I have to give a shout out to the original arcade flyer...well, the European one, I think.

Look at that! That is awesome! I want this framed and hanging in my room! In this game, you reassume control of the Vic Viper, and a second player can join in the fun as another ship called the Lord British (or Road British, thank you Japanese-to-English Romanization ambiguity), through six stages that alternated between horizontal and vertical side-scrolling levels. The American version explained that the ships were fighting inside a giant lifeform that was infected with monsterous bacteria. The original arcade version didn't use the iconic Gradius power-up menu mechanic, but it was restored for the NES port.

Like the game it spun off from, Life Force was ported to various consoles, computers, and mobile phones. In my experience, the most famous port is the NES one. It used much of the sprites from Salamander, removed some of the bosses and levels from the arcade version in favor of new content, and restored the Gradius-style power-up bar mechanic. It's considered one of the very best shoot-em-up games for the NES. I have this game on my Nintendo 3DS, and it's hard. Real hard. And in my opinion, a bit unfair in places.

Typhoon was released to arcades in December 1987. It's the European name for this game. In Japan, it's called A Jax (later renamed A-Jax). It's set in an alternate 2007 where the Earth was conquered by alien invaders. You must liberate the world as "Tom Tiger" the helicopter and "Jerry Mouse" the fighter jet. You can guess what the names reference. It was released to various computers like the Commodore 64, but I think this is the very first time it officially was ported to a console. I also think this is the first time it was brought to America.

TwinBee was released to arcades in 1985 in Japan. It's considered one of the first "cute-'em-up" games, a subgenre of shoot-'em-ups that often employ colorful graphics and unusual/surreal enemies. The titular TwinBee is an anthropomorphic spaceship that can get various power-ups from collecting different colored bells. Like Gradius, TwinBee would spawn a series that has been released on various consoles, computers, and mobile phones...mostly in Japan. Not many of the games were brought overseas.

This name brought back memories for me. When I was a kid, I spent summers in England with my now late grandmother. I do remember reading about one of the games in a game magazine I somehow got there. Likely this game. I think that was it.

Scramble was released in arcades in 1981. It's a very important game in shoot-'em-up history. It was the first such game to have forced-scrolling levels, and having each of those levels be distinct. Despite its importance, Scramble was never officially ported to any consoles or computers, but clones were made for computers like the VIC-20 and Commodore 64. Fun fact, it was distributed in North America by Stern Electronics. Yeah, the same Stern that put out all those pinball machines back in the day. Neat, huh? Konami has also declared Scramble to be the first game of the Gradius series.

Well, this looks really neat. I love that some of these old arcade games are going to be enjoyed by a new generation of gamers. I also can't wait for the Castlevania and Contra collections. I hope that the WiiWare games get rereleased at some point, too. I would love to give these old games a try.

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Final Fantasy VII Remake Teaser, My Thoughts

In 1997, Square-Enix released Final Fantasy VII, the seventh in their long-running and critically-acclaimed Final Fantasy series on the original PlayStation. It was the first game in the series to not be released on a Nintendo console, the previous six were all exclusive to the NES and SNES. The game told the tale of Cloud Strife, a mercenary who joined up with an eco-terrorist group called AVALANCHE (Yes, it's capitalized) to prevent a superhuman madman named Sephiroth from destroying the world with a giant meteor.

The game sold over two million copies within three days of its release in Japan. It would go on to sell over 9 million copies worldwide. FFVII is the highest selling game in the entire Final Fantasy series, and it's credited for making role-playing video games massively popular in the United States. It's considered one of the greatest video games ever made, and the game spawned its own little franchise which included things like side games and even an animated movie set in that world. It would also go on to be ported to other gaming systems like the PC, mobile phones, and most recently the Nintendo Switch. You can read my thoughts on the Switch launch trailer for FFVII here.

Cloud Strife himself would become one of the most popular protagonists in the series, getting merchandise and appearing in other games like the Super Smash Bros. series. And the game is getting a remake for the PlayStation 4. Known as Final Fantasy VII: Remake, the game was in development for many years. There have been attempts to remake the game in the past, but there were various factors that prevented it, mainly the size of such an undertaking. But they managed to find a way to do it, so let's look at the teaser!

Aerith is so excited to be impaled in HD.

Guys, if a guy with a big sword is drawing it in response to your guns...run.

BOOM.

So, instead of the "Active-Time Battle" system the original used, they're going for more of an action-RPG approach to combat. Makes sense. Makes the combat more fast-paced, which I think would fit more modern gamers these days.

Cloud, it's a free flower. Just shut up and take it.

Man, this game is looking really good.

Learn more in June, huh? At least the wait won't be long, then.

I have to make a confession here. I've ever played FFVII. Really. I never owned the original PlayStation, I had an N64 instead. I loved that N64. Also, I believe I have talked about this in the past, but when it comes to RPGs, I always was more into the Dragon Quest series. Still, I would love to give this game a try when it's out.

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Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day, everyone!

Hope it was a wonderful day! This day is for all the mothers out there, whether they be adopted moms, honorary moms, stepmoms, regardless, happy Mother's Day. And if you don't have a mom to celebrate the day with, you are loved, too.

Aquaman #1 (August 1994)

After the Crisis on Infinite Earths hit, many characters' histories were altered in some form. Some, like Superman and Wonder Woman, had their entire Silver and Bronze Age histories erased. Others, like Batman and Green Lantern, had their storylines continue on as if nothing ever happened. This was not unexpected, as Crisis was not supposed to be a complete reboot of the DCU, just a streamlining of its history.

Aquaman was the latter case. Much of his Silver and Bronze Age history was kept intact, just some adjustments were made. In 1989, the Legend of Aquaman Special retold his origin story for the Post-Crisis DCU. It was written by Robert Loren Fleming and had art by Keith Giffen (who was a regular collaborator with Fleming), and legendary Superman artist Curt Swan. The creators would reunite for a five-issue miniseries starring the King of the Seven Seas in the same year.

In 1990, Peter David would first dip his writing pen into Aquaman's world, writing a miniseries called The Atlantis Chronicles. It's regarded by David himself as one of the works he's proudest of. This miniseries would tell the history of the DCU's version of Atlantis to the day of Aquaman's birth. This miniseries was notable for introducing Atlan, a powerful mage who was also Aquaman's father. If you saw the movie, you my know who he is. David would go on to write the four issue Aquaman: Time and Tide miniseries from 1993-94. This miniseries delved further into Aquaman's origins.

It would be from this point that David would continue Arthur Curry's adventures in an ongoing series, which was Aquaman's fifth. The first issue of it is what we're going to look at here. This ongoing would be one of his longest-lasting, with 75 issues under its belt. David's work would be incredibly influential in Aquaman's portrayals afterwards. Justice League Unlimited paid homage to David's work, for example. So did the DC Cinematic Universe. Even Jason Momoa's Aquaman seems to have some influence from Peter David's work. So, yeah. Peter David did a lot for the Sea King.

So with that out of the way, let's take a look at Aquaman #1!

The cover is pretty cool. It depicts Aquaman defiantly trying to swim his way through an underwater cyclone with teeth at the bottom. I like this cover. The skeletons are a nice touch, gives a horror vibe to the cover.

"Hitting Bottom!"
Writer: Peter David
Artist: Marty Egeland
Inker: Brad Vancata
Colorist: Tom McCraw
Letterer: Dan Nakrosis
Editors: Eddie Berganza, Kevin Dooley

The story begins with Arthur Curry seemingly being trapped in a watery typhoon. Curry is a powerful swimmer naturally, but even he is having trouble getting his bearings. A figure appears, pointing out that Arthur now knows the truth about his parentage. The figure is supposed to be Atlan. He warns Arthur that things are only going to get worse for the King of the Seas. Arthur screams for him to help, and the mage offers a hand.

Arthur reaches for his father's hand, but his hand passes right through him. It's like trying to grab air. Or a ghost. Atlan remarks Arthur is on his own. Atlan seems to fade into the water, as Arthur is pulled deeper. The bottom of the whirlpool revels a terrifying sight.

OM NOM NOM NOM NOM!

That mouth isn't there to give Arthur a big kiss. Aquaman tries to keep the giant jaws open, screaming for help. However, it's all for naught. The jaws close...and Arthur wakes up. Yup, Arthur just had a bad nightmare. Mera always told him eating kelp pizza before bed would do that.

Up on the surface, a pair of young men are doing a bit of jetski racing. Their race is interrupted by what appeared to be a speeding torpedo, leaving one of the men to wonder if they stumbled into The Hunt for Red October. It wouldn't be a Peter David comic book story without a pop culture reference or two. And speaking of submarines...

A fish swims around the submarine, just looking around. It's a fish. It's not going to do much. The fish encounters the floating corpse of a sailor when a hand grabs it. The hand's owner simply kills the fish by...crushing it, I think? The hand's owner believed they gave the fish mercy.

Back to the jetskiers! What was that thing that raced by them? Well, it was not a what, but a who. It was Garth, aka the original Aqualad. He's been searching for Arthur, as he's seemingly vanished right off the face of the earth...several weeks ago. Garth is able to find Arthur in his old Aquacave. The Aquacave, which first appeared in Adventure Comics #270 (March 1960), was once a sort of headquarters for the Aqua-Family. It would be used as a place where Arthur kept momentos of his various adventures and exploits. He stopped using it regularly after he was crowned King of Atlantis, but he would return to it every so often when he needed solace...like now.

Arthur's been spending the past few weeks doing a LOT of brooding. Man, good thing they're underwater, because I can imagine that Arthur would barely have bathed during that time. He'd smell terrible if he was on land. Garth asks what is going on, but Arthur just wants to be left alone. He's working through some stuff. The future Tempest thinks that's garbage. After all, if Arthur really wanted to be left alone...why would he cloister himself in the old Aquacave where Garth could find him? The younger man thinks that Arthur is letting what's bother him eat him up. He doesn't have the guts to get himself out of his emotional muck, so he's waiting for Garth to pull him out. So, the future sorcerer has a way to do it.

Water-dwellers take knocking sense into others very literally.

Yup. When in doubt, apply Mighty Punch. Garth is fed up with Arthur being all brooding and sad. He finds it dull, and Arthur responds with a kick to the gut. Arthur notes that this was the second time Garth punched him to emphasize a point. The first was in Aquaman #8 (July 1992). This was because Arthur took a dying Garth to his home for treatment from injuries he suffered during the Titans Hunt storyline over in the New Titans book at the time. Thing is...Garth's homeland exiled him. It was because he was born with purple eyes, and according to the superstitions of his homeland of Poseidonis, it meant that he was evil. Yeah.

Anyway, Arthur warns Garth not to do it again. The former King of Atlantis notices that his sidekick has a backpack, and opens it up.

"We're not going to some weird party, are we?"

Arthur wants an explanation for the radiation gear. Garth tells him he can explain en route. The potential for an adventure seems to perk Aquaman up a bit. As for what's going down? Well, the United States Navy lost one of its nuclear submarines: the Triton. The sub is leaking radiation, poisoning the ocean. And the sub is too far down for their salvage operations. So naturally, they want Aquaman and Aqualad to check it out. Neither of them are nuclear physicists, so they would have no idea how to shut down the leak. This makes Arthur smell a rat. They surface and find a Navy helicopter waiting for them. One of the occupants offers to drop a ladder, but the Atlanteans are able to literally hop aboard.

Later, the two Atlanteans are at the sub. Aqualad is a bit freaked out by all the floating dead bodies. Considering what he's seen in the past, I doubt this should freak him out so much. The two swim towards the engine room, passing by a dead cook...who grabs a cleaver. A fish warns Aquaman.

He's alive! ALIIIIIIVE!

Aqualad grabs the not-dead cook, whogrowls that this is not the Titan's concern. He slams the Poseidonian-born hero out of the sub, and slashes him open with his cleaver. Aquaman attacks, but the cook sends him flying with a Mighty Backhand. Aquaman tries to fake injury, letting the man come closer. Arthur Curry goes for a kick, but it's blocked and the man starts bashig him around a la Hulk smashing Loki in the first Avengers movie. He explains that the Navy was warned not to alert the Atlanteans about him, or else he'd crack open the engine, which...would be very bad. Remember, this is a nuclear submarine. Yeah. And he plans to do it anyway. This guy is a villain.

Arthur tears his way out of his radiation suit, and manages to get his legs around the mystery villain's neck, threatening to break it. The villain scoffs at this. After all, Aquaman is a member of the Justice League. He's one of the DCU's biggest superheroes. However, Arthur Curry is not Clark Kent or Bruce Wayne. He's got no code against killing. He's not afraid of any legal consequences. Also, they're in the ocean. Arthur could easily hide his body. And the fourth thing...the Aquaman is not in the best of moods today.

In a twist, the villain is not concerned with Arthur's ethical code. Arthur won't kill him...because our mystery man won't let him. The mystery man introduces himself as Charybdis...and creates a whirlpool. Yup, he named himself after Charybdis, the sea monster/whirlpool from Greek mythology. Funny enough, the mythological Charybdis is often referred to as female. He uses the whirlpool to knock Aquaman unconscious. Before he goes under, Arthur whispers for help...but he hears Atlan saying he's on his own. This...is not the end for the King of the Seas, though.

"Hello, class! I'm Professor Charybdis, and we're going to dissect an Atlantean today!"

Arthur is trussed up on some weird device, like he's being placed on display. Charybdis, wearing that outfit...yeah, it was the 90s. It's hilarious! Look at it! Gold armor on the arms and legs, that wacky loincloth, no shirt...just, just look at it. This is the 90s right here. Anyway, Charybdis assures Arthur he won't kill him, as Arthur being alive is beneficial to the both of them. Arthur sees a figure nearby. Thinking it's Aqualad, Arthur asks if he's alright. It's not Garth, though. Charybdis had another DC water dweller in his clutches: Dolphin.

So, if Dolphin is there...where's Aqualad? Well...he's not in the best of shape right now.

There's blood in the water, and the sharks are ready to frenzy. Too bad Garth hasn't become Tempest yet. His magic powers would be very handy right now.

This comic was pretty good. David is clearly setting up a new status quo for Aquaman. He has said that he saw Aquaman as a contemporary for Tarzan. The long hair and beard is a good way to show that Arthur is a bit of a wild man, and it's clear David is sending him more in a savage direction. He's angrier, more embittered, not the goofy superhero with the goofy power that he had been seen as thanks to Superfriends. Charybdis is very 90s in his look, and he seems to be your standard "crazy mysterious villain". That's pretty much all I can say about him, really. Dolphin's appearance was a surprise. I did like the whole bit with Arthur's prophetic dreams. Nice bit of foreshadowing there.

As for the art, well...let's just say that American comics (especially the Big Two) had a rep for terrible artwork in the 90s. Egeland's art is not the worst from the era, but there is a slight "90s-ness" to it, for lack of a better term. But again, it's not as bad as other comics of the 90s when it comes to art.

If you want to read this comic for yourself, I suggest you hunt down the 2018 trade paperback Aquaman by Peter David, Book One. It collects the first eight issues of his run on the Aquaman book, as well as the Time and Tide miniseries. It also has a fun foreward by David himself. I highly recommend it. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you enjoyed it, spread it around! And if you want to give this blog some additional support, please drop a tip in my Digital Tip Jar! It would be greatly appreciated! Next time, the Secret Wars rage on!

Spider-Man: Far From Home Trailer #2, My Thoughts

The Avengers' Endgame had come and gone. Phase Three of the MCU is almost done. There is just...the aftermath. Which is going to be explored a little bit in the upcoming film Spider-Man: Far From Home, the 23rd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Back in January, I gave my thoughts on the first trailer for the movie right here.

Now, I want to warn everyone that an event from Avengers: Endgame will be spoiled in this blog entry, so please see this movie before coming to this blog entry and watching this trailer. If you want, check out my spoiler-free review of Avengers: Endgame right here. Thank you. Now with that out of the way, let's look at this thing!

Heh. I love the irony of Tom Holland warning people about spoilers for Avengers: Endgame, considering his history of leaks. But since I have seen Avengers: Endgame (AND I HOPE YOU ALL DID TOO BEFORE READING THIS), I shall enjoy the trailer.

Tons of MCU fans also see his face everywhere too, Peter. You ain't alone there, pal.

Makes sense Peter would still be using the "Iron Spider" suit.

Heh heh, that was funny.

...is it a good idea for a superhero to announce they're going on vacation? Supervillains would find that information very useful...

Yeah, that's going to bite Petey in the butt.

Welcome to Venice, Pete!

Heh heh, nutshot.

Petey's in love.

And THAT is why you do NOT send Nick Fury to voicemail. He WILL hunt you down, and you WILL talk to him. It's why his relatives hate him.

God, that Mysterio suit looks cool.

You know, I saw everyone on Twitter go bananas Mysterio's claim he's a hero from another universe. It made me rise an eyebrow. Mysterio's whole thing is manipulation and illusion-casting. Yes, Doctor Strange did establish that other universes exist, but that doesn't mean that Mysterio is telling the truth.

I'm guessing the Elemental monsters are special effects tricks. Remember, Mysterio's whole thing is manipulation.

Yeah, I think that water monster is going to be the MCU's Hydro-Man.

Ooh, monster Molten Man!

I like Spidey's stealth suit.

Yeah, you got dusted in space too, Pete. Remember? In Infinity War?

Mysterio has his fishbowl! MYSTERIO HAS HIS FISHBOWL, AND IT'S GLORIOUS!

Heh heh, MJ figured it out early in the comics, too.

Yeah, they're setting up Quentin Beck to be the new mentor to Peter.

Aww, he has Stark's sunglasses.

Oh yeah, Happy is not getting the deposit back on that jet.

I'm excited! I really am! I loved Homecoming, so you bet I would be hyped for a sequel. I get the feeling that Peter is going to be set for more heartbreak in the future, in the typical Parker Luck style. I can't wait to see what Mysterio's ultimate plan is, and how Peter will emotionally deal with a certain event in Endgame. And the wait will be short, bring on July!

Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, spread it around! And if you want to give this blog some additional support, please drop a tip in my Digital Tip Jar! It would be greatly appreciated! See you next time!