Mortal Kombat 11 Spawn Trailer, My Thoughts

Guest characters have been a recent tradition in the Mortal Kombat franchise. Mortal Kombat 9 had Kratos from the God of War games and horror icon Freddy Krueger among its cast, for example. Mortal Kombat X leaned in on the horror icons with Leatherface and Jason Voorhees showing up, as well as sci-fi icons the Predator and the Xenomorph from the Alien series (Ol' Pred and Longhead have met quite a few times over the years in various media).

The latest game in the fighting series, Mortal Kombat 11, is also no stranger to guest characters. The Usual Gang of Kombatters have gotten to meet the T-800 from the Terminator series, the Joker, and now the Image Comics character Spawn has joined the battle to save Earthrealm! Let's take a look! Oh, it's a Mortal Kombat trailer, so it will get gory.

Is that what Spawn does all day when he's not...doing Spawn things? Just brooding in churches? Man, get a hobby, Al!

In case you're wondering, my first exposure to Spawn was the 1997 film, where he was played by Michael Jai White. I like the movie, bad CGI and all. And Spawn here is voiced by Keith David, who voiced him in the HBO animated series that went from 1997 to 1999. I've never seen it, as I never had HBO.

Yeah, Scorpion...Spawn, from what I understand of him, is one of those guys that kind of likes to do his own thing.

Did he just pull out Scorpion's intestine?!

Ow.

Ow again.

He can go invisible?! That's just unfair!

You think Spawn might be overcompensating for something with all those guns? I mean, he's not even aiming at his target! He's just firing wildly!

Okay, that Fatality is pretty cool...if a bit confusing. What does he do, tear the dude apart with his cape?

It's pretty neat that we're seeing a wide variety of guest characters coming to this game. It's even cooler they got Keith David to reprise the role of Spawn for it. From what I know, he was considered the prefect voice for Spawn, so it's nice of Netherrealm to do that for the fans. Spawn looks fun to play as.

Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, spread it around! See you next time!

Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions #1 (June 1982)

Contest of Champions. The phrase has great significance to the Marvel Universe. The term denotes a battle between great heroes. And in 1982, Marvel would provide such an event with their miniseries Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions.

While not the very first miniseries in comics (DC's World of Krypton in 1979 by Paul Kupperberg and Howard Chaykin would take that honor), Contest of Champions was Marvel's first miniseries. It would also be regarded as the first "event comic": A comic that would be used to tell a massive story that would affect the fictional universe and its characters in a major way. It's why Contest of Champions is regarded as one of the first "event comics". The comics also came with profiles of all the featured heroes, which led to the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe.

So, how did this Contest go down? Who were the contestants? What was the prize? Let's find out as I look at Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions #1!

The cover is pretty good. It's a John Romita Jr. piece, depicting the many heroes of Earth looking at something up in the sky. It gives the impression that something big is coming. Something powerful. Some threat that is so great that we need all these heroes to work together to stop it. We don't see exactly what they're looking at, which allows us to use our imaginations. It's fun coming up with idea to what they're looking at.

"Gathering of Heroes"
Writers: Mark Gruenwald, Steven Grant, Bill Mantlo (story, Mantlo scripted)
Penciler: John Romita Jr., Bob Layton (credited for "additional art)
Inker: Pablo Marcos
Letterer: Joe Rosen
Colorists: Andy Yanchus, Patricia DeFalco
Editors: Mark Gruenwald, Tom DeFalco
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

The story begins with two figures making an agreement. The heroes of Earth, called the greatest collection of super-champions in this star-sector, shall be the pawns in their game. The contest? A game of life and death. Our scene then shifts to Avengers Mansion, where we join Earth's Mightiest Heroes (Wonder Man, Scarlet Witch, Iron Man, Vision, Captain America, and the Wasp) in a workout.

 Beast is thrilled to be back in Avengers Mansion again. At this point, he was in the Defenders, and he's come by for a visit. I love Beast's characterization in the Avengers. Compared to the X-Men where he was angsty about his being a mutant, Avengers Beast was a fun-loving jokester (and quite popular with the ladies). You'd think his Avenger days would have made him more popular among the general public and helped the X-Men with their crusade of human-mutant peace. Just shows how cruddy the X-Men were at it. You suck at PR, X-Men.

Wasp teases that Beast has been a bit rusty since leaving the Avengers' ranks. Hank McCoy laughs it off and says he could take on all the Avengers at once. If he does, they have to party with Hank. Wonder Man tries to catch him, but he's able to dodge him. The Avengers all charge Hank, but they vanish.

The scene shifts to the island of Novaya Zemlya. One of the Fantastic Four's sparring partners, the Red Ghost, is preparing an attack on the then-Soviet Union. However, he gets some visitors who aren't fans of his plan.

They are Russia's premier super-team: The Soviet Super-Soldiers! Twin heroes Vanguard and Darkstar! Crimson Dynamo V (Dmitri Bukharin)! And arguably the most awesome member of the group: future Avenger Ursa Major! He is a man who can turn into a bear. And he likes vodka. The four heroes attack the Red Ghost, but they also vanish.

We jump back to the United States. There, we catch up with Marvel's First Family: The Fantastic Four. They're at a dinner held by the Adventurers Club in their honor. Reed gets up to give his speech, but like the Avengers and the Soviet Super-Soldiers before them, they vanish. It's shown that heroes are vanishing all over the United States. Luke Cage and Iron Fist in Harlem.

Spider-Man in Manhattan. Dazzler, Hellcat, and Valkyrie in SoHo. Daredevil and (future Disney+ star) Moon Knight in Staten Island. Ka-Zar and Shanna in the Savage Land. Doctor Strange and Devil-Slayer in Greenwich Village. The Jessica Drew Spider-Woman in San Francisco. Machine Man at the Hudson River. Quasar and Jack of Hearts at Project Pegasus in upstate New York. Hulk and Doc Samson in the southwestern US.

However, it's also shown that heroes, both famous and obscure, are being taken from all over the world. Future MCU movie stars the Eternals in the Andes Mountains. Sunfire in Japan. Captain Britain and the (future MCU star) Black Knight in the UK. The Peregrine in France. Talisman in Australia. Defensor in Argentina. Shamrock in Northern Ireland. Sabra in Israel. The Collective Man in China. The Arabian Knight in Saudi Arabia. Blitzkrieg in Germany. In fact, many of these international heroes (Peregrine, Talisman, Defensor, Shamrock, Collective Man, and Blitzkrieg) made their first appearance here. Arabian Knight and Sabra were pre-established heroes, the Knight first appearing in Incredible Hulk #257 (March 1982), and Sabra in Incredible Hulk #256 (February 1981), both creations of Bill Mantlo (writer) and respectively Al Milgrom and Sal Buscema.

All the heroes find themselves in a strange room.

I imagine it must be so cramped in there right now. We get to see some character interactions between the various heroes. Beast and Sasquatch have a funny moment. Shamrock and Captain Britain are shown being rather suspicious of each other, considering the history between their homelands. Iceman and Darkstar have a moment, and he compliments her new look. They served in the Champions together. Vision and Machine Man discuss feeling like outcasts even among mutants, monsters, and gods.

Ursa Major tries to convince Colossus to return to the Soviet Union and use his powers to serve the state. Spider-Man and Spider-Woman meet up. Black Knight and Arabian Knight compare their magic swords. Xavier and Moondragon are only able to determine with their mental powers that they're not only in an arena, but it's somewhere out in space.

Welcome to Madison Space Garden. And the owner of the building reveals himself.

Meet the Grandmaster! If you've watched Thor: Ragnarok, you may be familiar with this guy, portrayed by Jeff Goldblum. He is accompanied by a hooded figure, and they want to play a game.

The two have the earth in stasis, and the planet will not be released until the heroes play the game. So, what is this great game? Well, there are four pieces of this item called the Golden Globe of Life. Each of the four pieces have been hidden throughout the Earth. The Grandmaster and his opponent will each form a team of twelve heroes to seek out the pieces. Whoever gets the most pieces wins. For the Grandmaster, a win for him will mean the restoration to life of his brother: The Collector.

The Collector is not an unknown being to the Avengers. He was slain during the events of The Korvac Saga. At the end of that saga, Michael Korvac's actions were all undone...except for the Collector's death. Okay, so what if the Grandmaster's nameless opponent wins? Well, basically...he'll die. Yeah, he loses, he dies. The two then choose their teams.

The Grandmaster's team is: Captain America, Talisman, Wolverine, Captain Britain, Darkstar, Defensor, Sasquatch, She-Hulk, Peregrine, Daredevil, Blitzkrieg, and the Thing.

The Opponent's team is: Iron Man, Vanguard, Shamrock, Iron Fist, Storm, Arabian Knight, Angel, Sabra, Invisible Woman, Angel, Sunfire, Black Panther, and Collective Man.

The teams are chosen, the quarters of the Globe of Life are hidden, and the game has begun. Meanwhile, the remaining heroes of Earth are just left...in the arena hanging out. Hope there's a barcade in that arena, because they will be boooored...

This was a interesting, but rather flawed comic. The big flaw in my mind was the whole gathering thing. If the Grandmaster could pluck any heroes he wanted from Earth, why not just get the ones that they already chose for the Contest? Why grab all of them? I get that the idea  was to show just how expansive Marvel's superhero community was at that time (and it's amazing how many active heroes there were at the time), but it does feel a bit pointless.

If the Grandmaster and his opponent had chosen their champions beforehand, we could have gotten some more focus on the brand new international heroes created for this series. Learn a bit more about their origins, personalities, and the like.

Speaking of these new heroes, I do like them. I will admit, they are rather...stereotypical. The Argentinian Defensor looking like a sci-fi conquistador, the Irish Shamrock having powers based on luck, Arabian Knight...oh GOD, Arabian Knight. He had a magic carpet. I am not joking.

But I do like that the Marvel Universe is continuing to show there are superheroes based outside of the United States. It makes perfect sense, in my opinion. Why would all the superheroes be based in one country? It had already been established beforehand that Great Britain, Russia, Japan, and Canada had superhuman beings, so it would stand to reason that many other countries would have costumed heroes and villains of their own.

I also liked that we got to see little moments of interaction between the heroes, like Beast and Sasquatch. Black Knight and Arabian Knight comparing swords, Captain Britain and Shamrock's hostility towards each other due to their nations' history, Ursa Major talking to Colossus, that kind of thing. It helped show there are people in those costumes.

I also really liked the art in this comic. I admit, I honestly thought that John Byrne had drawn it in places, as the art does look a bit Byrne-esque. Also, it's really neat seeing how his art looked once before his style evolved into the more...angular, for lack of a better term, look it has today. It's somewhat reminiscent of his father, mixing a bit with the Buscemas. It's great art, and it does the job.

The events of this miniseries would be expanded on in West Coast Avengers Annual #2 (1987) and Avengers Annual #16 (1987). They revealed that the Grandmaster used the Contest as a way to steal the powers of the Marvel Universe's embodiment of Death, who was his opponent in the Contest. This would end up with Death banishing the Grandmaster and the rest of the Elders of the Universe from her realm, which made them immortal.

In 1999, Marvel published the miniseries Contest of Champions II. Despite the title, it wasn't really a sequel to this miniseries. Written by Chris Claremont and penciled by Oscar Jiminez and Michael Ryan, it was about having Marvel's heroes battle each other as a ruse by an alien race known as the Brood to use their bodies as a way to invade the Earth. There would be a short-lived comic series in 2015 called Marvel Contest of Champions that adapted the mobile fighting game of the same name that was set in the main Marvel Universe.

If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2012 trade paperback Avengers: The Contest. It collects the Contest of Champions miniseries, as well as the 1987 West Coast Avengers and Avengers Annuals that expanded on it. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, spread it around! See you next time, when we join the Boy of Steel as he hits the sunny beaches of Hawaii...

NWA Powerrr Episode 16, My Thoughts

It's time to check in with the National Wresting Alliance once again as they bring the Powerrr once again! Hard Times have come and gone for the NWA, and how did the landscape change? Let's find out!

Man, NWA traded up when they ditched Cornette for Stu Bennett.

Marty Scurll has made it clear what he wants. He wants that NWA Championship!

Oh neat, Sean Mooney! Talk about a blast from the past!

Sure, Nick. You're not a braggart.

Nicky did rant about "clickbait" in an earlier episode.

Is "The Marathon Man" what Nick thinks Mrs. Aldis calls him?

Hard Times came for the Rock 'n' Roll Express as their ninth NWA Tag Team Championship reign came to an end at the hands of Eli Drake and James Storm! I liked the showing of respect and sportsmanship there. Rather refreshing.

And Sal Rinauro will be joining on commentary for this upcoming match. I get the feeling they're trying to make him a bigger deal on the roster. He has appeared in past episodes, and did put on a good showing at that TV Title gauntlet...

Match #1 - Royce Issacs (with May Valentine) vs. Andre Guhn

I like Royce's boots. And the crowd is really getting behind Guhn, chanting his name.

It does seem like they're trying to set Royce up as a solo star lately. I wonder if this means we'll see a breakup of the Wild Cards in the future? And where will that leave Thom Latimer?

Can Royce hear the commentary? I can't think of why he'd get in Rinauro's face.

Winner: Royce Issacs

This is more of a storyline thing than an actual match. Looks like there's some trouble in paradise for Royce and May...

Hard Times came for Allysin Kay as Thunder Rosa became the new NWA Women's Champion! She's also the very first NWA Women's Champion from Mexico! Congrats, Rosa! You're a pioneer!

I did wish they changed up the set a bit for the PPV. At the very least decorate the ring with a special apron and ring ropes. It makes the whole think look a bit low-budget and cheap, like they couldn't afford to decorate the ring.

Let her talk, Melina!

Next episode will be the rematch! And Thunder Rosa intends to clobber Kay again!

In other news, NWA's third PPV is next month! And it's the 2020 Crockett Cup!

Poor Marty. He just wants to get interviewed and go home.

Hard Times did not come for Ricky Starks, because he became the new NWA TV Champion! Starks is on Powerrr tonight, and he wants a piece of Zicky Dice!

That stuff cannot be that expensive, Zicky.

Match #2 - NWA TV Title Match - Ricky Starks (c) vs. Zicky Dice

I think they're going for that whole "fighting champion" thing with Ricky.

Winner: Ricky Starks

Fun title defense.

Does Aron Stevens and the Question Mark want the tag belts?

Aron Stevens is a coward, ha ha!

I bet Eli and James got real drunk last night.

How is Joe Galli keeping a straight face during this?! This is hilarious!

And Trevor Murdoch wants Stevens' NWA National Championship!

This Aldis/Scurll segment is awesome. Aldis claims that he's the nice guy everyone dumps on, and Scrull wants to finally win the big one and prove he can become a champion.

Scurll has to give every person who attends the Crockett Cup their money back? That's a rather unique stipulation. Kudos.

I miss "Into the Fire".

This was a fun episode! Can't wait for the next one. I wish there was another match, though. Maybe a women's match to build up some new contenders for the Women's Title. My favorite parts were the Eli Drake/James Storm and Aron Stevens/Question Mark segments and the Aldis/Scrull encounter. I also liked the appearance by Sal Rinauro on commentary, as it seems they're giving the guy more spotlight. This episode was more of a storyline one than an action one, so that's fine. I can't wait for the next episode!

Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, spread it around! See you next time! Man, I have to get caught up...

Devil May Cry 3 Secial Edition Launch Trailer, My Thoughts

In 2001, Capcom developed and published the game Devil May Cry for the PlayStation 2. The game told the tale of Dante, a white-haired half-demon half-human pizza-loving loudmouthed mercenary who is brought on a journey by a mysterious woman named Trish, who recruits him to fight a demon named Mundus. The game often alluded to the Italian poem The Divine Comedy in its story.

The game was a big hit, selling over three million copies, and spawning sequels, including a 2013 reboot. Dante himself would appear in other games, including Marvel vs. Capcom 3. The game itself would also revolutionize the action genre, but would get criticized for high difficulty. The game would also get ported to the Nintendo Switch in 2019. The second game would also get ported to the Switch as well.

Now, the third game has arrived! Let's take a look at the launch trailer!

This is another incredibly short trailer, so I may not have a lot to say about it.

I admit, Dante seems like a lot of fun at parties.

What is "Freestyle Mode"?

I can certainly see why people consider this game..."stylish".

I admit, I've never played a DmC game before. I am familiar with hack and slash games, thanks to God of War. The original game, not the reboot one, although I have heard that game was really good. I got a PlayStation 4, and I could use some games for it...been wanting to play that Spider-Man game...

I'm honestly hoping Dante appears in Smash. Considering we are going to get more fighters in the future...

Yeah, I do not have a lot to say about this trailer. It's short, and it's of a game I never played before nor know a lot about. Still, it does sound neat.

Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, spread it around! See you next time!

Marvels: Eye of the Camera #1 (February 2009)

In 1994, Marvel Comics published the miniseries known as Marvels. Written by Kurt Busiek and with painted artwork by Alex Ross, Marvels told the tale of Phil Sheldon, a freelance photographer who witnesses the rise of the superheroes of Marvel's Golden and Silver Ages, ending at the death of Gwen Stacy (the event considered the beginning of the Bronze Age era of comics).

Marvels would be a critical and commercial hit. It would win the 1994 Eisner Awards for Best Finite Series, and Alex Ross would win the Best Painter award. The mini-series would be a boost to Busiek and Ross, skyrocketing them to fame in the comics world. The two of them would continue on the theme of "everyday life in a superhero universe" in the comic Astro City.

In 2004, with Marvels celebrating its tenth anniversary, it was suggested that a sequel be done. That is what led to Marvels: Eye of the Camera. With the original Marvels ending at the dawn of the Bronze Age, it was appropriate that the sequel show Sheldon witnessing the events of the Marvel Universe of the 1970s and 1980s.

Busiek had to do heavy amounts of research for this miniseries. He had made an outline of the six issues he planned the story to be, but he was starting to feel weighed down two issues in. Enter Roger Stern. Stern and Busiek had worked together in the past on Iron Man's book and the 1998-1999 Avengers Forever miniseries. The two would brainstorm, Stern would write a page-by-page outline, and then they'd go back-and-forth on revisions and amending. And from there, this sequel was born. Let's take a look at Marvels: Eye of the Camera #1!

The cover is pretty cool. A Jay Anacleto piece, it depicts a photograph of the Thing in traffic. It allows a reminder that Phil Sheldon is a photographer that caught many of the major moments of the early Marvel moments in the eye of his camera (heh). The photo makes the Thing look frightening instead of heroic, showing the theme of this series: Phil witnessing the Marvel Universe during its darker times of the 1970s and 1980s.

"Chapter One: Just One Little Thing"
Writer: Kurt Busiek
Penciler: Jay Anacleto
Inker: Jay Anacleto
Colorist: Brian Haberlin
Letterer: Richard Starkings
Editors: Tom Brevoort, Jeanine Schaefer
Editor-in-Chief:  Joe Quesada

The story begins with Phil Sheldon and his family (his wife Doris and daughters Jennifer and Beth) having dinner together.

Jen and Beth are fighting at the table, but Phil himself is a bit distracted. His photograph of the President emerging from an airplane to go to a United Nations meeting made the front page. It's a good thing, as front-page photos tend to get more money. However, he feels bored by the world. He puts the paper down, the paper showing a headline of Reed Richards' rocket flight [Fantastic Four #1 (November 1961)].

Doris asks Phil what's up. Phil's been feeling a bit tired lately, and he's got a lot on his mind. He has a family to support, and he's wondering if he should get out of freelance photography. He was happy with the job, but it's a young man's game. He's got an interview lined up to be a member of the New York Bulletin's staff, and he's considering going for it.

Phil heads out to an assignment for the New York Globe. He's photographing a workers' strike at a hotel. Afterwards, Sheldon heads to the Bulletin's offices, where he meets Harry Jager. The Bulletin's walls have framed front pages: "Living Colossus!" [Tales of Suspense #14 (February 1961)], "Gorgilla Sighted!" [Tales of Suspense #18 (June 1961)], "Has Earth Been Conquered?" [Strange Tales #90 (November 1961)], "Is There a Wizard in Greenwich Village?" [Strange Tales #110 (July 1963)].

The Bulletin specializes in "speculative journalism", and they need a photo editor. Jager thinks Phil is perfect for the job as he's seen some rather...Marvelous things during his time covering World War II. Phil got a rep for it, and it's made him trusted by the public.To demonstrate what Jager wants, the man holds up a newspaper showing a photograph of what looks like a group of Chinese mutants [Yellow Claw #2 (December 1956)].

Jager wants to do a scare piece about them. Sheldon is able to get through the interview, but it leaves him lamenting. Sheldon covered the Second World War. The Fall of the Third Reich. Stalin. He also covered the rise of what he called "The Marvels". The Original Human Torch. Namor. Captain America. Is this what is left? Glorified tabloids? He gets a couple of days to think about it. Much to his chagrin, Sheldon found himself considering the job. After all, it paid well, and there were benefits.

As he's considering the job, Doris tells him that Jenny is having trouble in school. She's had issues before, as she's a bit of a fighter, but in this case...it's schoolwork. Jenny won't do her classwork. It's interrupted by a newscaster reporting the events of Fantastic Four #1 (November 1961). Nuclear plants are being dragged underground, and Johnny Storm (the second Human Torch) was spotted flying through the sky. The crisis passes, and things seem quiet for about a day.

Sheldon gets a call from J. Jonah Jameson. There's a press conference in Washington, DC. He wants Sheldon to cover it alongside Ben Urich. The two witness a military helicopter landing near the White House, and its occupants introduce themselves.

The Fantastic Four make their public debut, and the Silver Age of Marvel Super-Heroes has begun. And with that, more heroes seem to rise. Some entertainer named Spider-Man [Amazing Fantasy #15 (August 1962)], and rumors of a big monster stomping around the Southwestern United States [The Incredible Hulk #1 (May 1962)]. Thor appears. It seems like Phil is encountering something new. Namor rampaging up Fifth Avenue [Fantastic Four #6 (September 1962)], Ant-Man making his debut. Later, at an amusement park, Sheldon gets to witness the Human Torch in action [Strange Tales #101 (October 1962)].

Phil is excited by all these new developments. After all, he's busier than ever. One day, he and his daughter Jenny is in his darkroom.

He's hoping that maybe getting her into photography will help her with her troubles in school. The radio in the darkroom mentions that the Fantastic Four are a bit strapped for cash [Fantastic Four #9 (December 1962)]. He asks Jenny to get a bottle of Perceptol for him. She fetches the wrong bottle, and he realizes her problem: She has trouble seeing. Phil himself was about her age now when he started needing glasses, too. Later, Phil and Ben are discussing a new strange phenomenon running around: Mutants.

The photos are of two incidents involving mutants: a kid in Nassau freezing a punk in ice [X-Men #44 (May 1968)], and a kid in Omaha shooting rays out of his eyes [X-Men #38 (November 1967)]. Ben states the theory that these "mutants" may be the next stage in human evolution, and that radiation is causing it. Ben's been asked to look into the idea of some massive mutant conspiracy to take over the world, even though he thinks it's nonsense.

Phil returns home, finding that the idea of mutants...frightens him to a degree...and he's not sure why. He's knocked out of his thoughts by Jenny and Beth asking him if they can join the Ant-Man Fan Club [Tales to Astonish #53 (March 1964)]. All the kids at school are joining it. They watch a news report of the Thing at Muscle Beach. He's there to promote a movie about the FF [Fantastic Four #9 (December 1962)].

That night, Beth has a nightmare. She got scared the Thing was going to get her, because Jenny compared him to the Golem of Jewish mythology. Phil assures Beth that the Thing would never harm her. He's just a man. Yes, he's very strong and tough, and has skin made of rock, but he's still a man.

It leads Phil to wonder...is this why people fear mutants and not other heroes like the Thing and Spider-Man? Those heroes were given powers by external circumstances, but for mutants...it's in their own genetic code. They're literally born with their powers. Mutants are perhaps a sign that humanity is going extinct...or maybe mutants and enhanced humans are two sides of the same coin. "Normal" humanity is going away...scary thoughts to have on a dark night.

A week later, Phil is leaving an optometrist, having gotten a nice new pair of glasses for Jenny.

He's also got a new assignment: An armored figure called "Iron Man" had shown up near the Stark Industries plant in Flushing. The Bugle's also been running pieces about Spider-Man being a menace. As Phil heads for the subway, he hears people debating mutants and heroes. Phil looks up at the sky, and realizes something: The world is changing.

Years later, Phil heads out to the rocket site where the Fantastic Four made their fateful flight, the one that transformed them into Marvel's First Family. The site is abandoned now, cordoned off. Phil had heard that the local government wanted to make it into a tourist attraction. He thinks about how things had changed since then. The rise of the X-Men and the Avengers. Captain America's return [Avengers #4 (March 1964)]. Mr. Fantastic and Invisible Girl's wedding [Fantastic Four Annual #2 (September 1964)]. Galactus's first appearance [Fantastic Four #48 (March 1966)]. Even the time that Phil and his family temporarily took in a mutant girl named Maggie (back in the original Marvels miniseries).

The photographer takes a couple pictures, then heads out. He has something to do. He and Doris arrive at Mercy General Hospital. Sheldon's been feeling ill lately, and the tests are back. Sadly, it's not good. Phil Sheldon has lung cancer.

This comic was pretty good. The best thing about the comic is the paralleling going on here. We see the world changing on both a big and a small scale. The changes in Phil's life parallel with the Marvel Universe. As shown in the original Marvels, his faith in the heroes was shattered with the death of Gwen Stacy, the event that in the real world, is credited with the beginning of the Bronze Age of Comics, a time when comics got more "dark" and "mature", for good and for ill. It's appropriate that in a time when the Marvel Universe witnesses the rise of monsters like Morbius and the Son of Satan, anti-heroes like the Punisher and Wolverine, and the heroes dealing with the consequences of their actions, does Phil Sheldon end up having to deal with a disease that has changed...and taken many lives.

I also have to give a special shoutout to Jay Anacleto for the artwork here. Alex Ross doesn't do the art duties for this sequel, but that's alright. Anacleto is a great artist, and honestly...I think his artwork is a better fit for this miniseries than Alex Ross would be. Ross is very good at making characters look bright and heroic. Anacleto's style is a great fit for this series as the style and muted color palette help push the idea that the world is getting darker.

For me, one of the fun things of this book, like with the original Marvels, is references to the various events going on in Marvel books. I'm a nut for history and continuity, and it's really cool seeing these events from another perspective.

Eye of the Camera is a criminally underrated miniseries, in my opinion. I think it's a very worthy sequel to the original Marvels, and worth checking out. If you want to check it out for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2010 trade paperback Marvels: Eye of the Camera. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, spread it around! See you next time, where we join the heroes of the Marvel Universe as they engage in a Contest of Champions...

NWA Powerrr Episode 15, My Thoughts

It's time once again to feel the powerrr with the National Wrestling Alliance! Last time, we saw some advancement of the NWA TV Title Tournament, and Ricky Morton got a shot at Nick Aldis's NWA Championship! Let's see what happens next in this big show before the next NWA PPV: Hard Times!

Man, Dokken's "Into the Fire" is a great song for this show.

Get some tea, Joe. That might help.

We got a rematch from the Into the Fire PPV!

I like Rosa's purple gear.

Match #1 - Thunder Rosa vs. Tasha Steelz

What a dodge by Thunder Rosa!

Nasty shot to the head by Rosa!

Steelz trying to fight back, by Rosa downs her!

And Rosa plants Steelz like a tree!

Winner: Thunder Rosa

Hmmm, you'd think if Melina has plans for Rosa, she'd let Rosa in on them?

Nick Aldis is out to make a statement, and he's going to do it at Ring of Honor's expense!

Royce Isaacs thinks he's awesome now that he's got himself a girlfriend.

Royce is like, "That is a nice tie, sir. I would like that tie."

The STOCKS are rising!

Joe's got a point there, Royce-y Boy. Mae just may be distracting me...

Uh, nobody is talking about your virginity, Royce...

This commercial was pretty good. I love how they make the effort to make it look cheap.

Match #2 - NWA TV Title Qualifier Match - Thom Latimer vs. Trevor Murdoch

I'm rooting for Trevor!

Sneak attack by Latimer! Latimer trying to beat Murdoch senseless quickly!

Despite the beating, Murdoch's still in this match!

Murdoch with the quick pin! MURDOCH'S GOT IT! MURDOCH QUALIFIES!

Winner: Trevor Murdoch

MURDOCH WON WITHOUT LAYING A SINGLE SHOT! WOW!

Anything can happen in the NWA!

So, Melina thinks Allysin Kay needs her ego balloon punctured, huh? Well, Mel's antics seem to show maybe Allysin isn't the one with an ego issue.

Yeah, Allysin likes to fight, Melina. Letting her get her paws on Marti Belle in a No DQ match? Hope you got Marti's affairs all in order. And Kay vs. Thunder Rosa at Hard Times looks like it will be fun.

Match #3 - Allysin Kay vs. Marti Belle (No DQ match)

Belle TAKING it to Kay!

Leaving the ring will not save you.

There needs to be barricades

Brawling in the crowd!

Kay's got a chair!

Don't fall for it, Kay! Give her the chair!

Ha ha, Belle fell for it.

OUCH! A FACEFUL OF CHAIR! And Kay gets the win!

Winner: Allysin Kay

Huh. This "Power of Self-Hypnosis" stuff totally does not seem like a scam.

And we got Eddie Kingston with Da Pope!

Pope is searching for "superpowers"...has he checked out the Xavier Institute? No shortage of superpowers there.

Hope Homicide is okay, Eddie.

Time for Aron Stevens' Mongrovian Karate demonstration!

They're chanting "Question Mark", you dolt.

Dear God, does the National Championship need a redesign. I get that it's based on the old-school design, but it could use an update.

DA POWAH OF DA QUESTION MARK!

He made that poor Mongrovian masked man cry, brah!

Maybe they should, Aron. Karate is no good against nukes.

Aron can't break that board.

AWW, BOARD TO THE BACK!

Ricky Starks, you clever son of a gun! Got one up on Aron again!

Hey, CW Anderson! I remember that dude!

And Caleb Konley! He's been seen on Powerrr in the past.

Match #4 - Last Chance TV Title Tournament Gauntlet

Anderson and Konley get to be the (lucky?) men to start the gauntlet match! Who will get a chance to win the TV title?

Anderson and Konley seem evenly matched.

Hey, Jocephus! Haven't seen him sice episode one! Bye, Jocephus! Man, he was eliminated quick!

And here comes Colt Cabana! He looks a little nervous about entering the ring!

Entry number five! Dave Dawson! Dawson was eliminated from the tournament by his brother Zane, so you can bet he's itching to get this opportunity!

Entry number six! NWA National Champion Aron Stevens!

What is he doing?

Oh, he's hiding under the ring!

And Zicky Dice is here to get some attention!

Entry number seven! Sal Rinauro! He's racing into the ring like Popeye after a spinach buffet!

Konley nearly got eliminated! And Dawson ends Rinauro's house-clearing!

And everyone pins Dawson! Dawson is out!

Entry number eight! Ken Anderson! And he eliminated Rinauro with a Mic Check!

Caleb misses the moonsault! Konley crashes and burns! And Anderson eliminates him with another Mic Check!

CW is gone! We got Anderson, Cabana and Stevens left! Stevens been hiding under the ring like a coward!

What is Question Mark doing?!

Whoops! And Stevens is gone!

Rollup outta nowhere on Cabana by Anderson! And Anderson gets the winner!

Winner: Ken Anderson

I think was the best match of the episode so far.

(thumbs up)

Aww, a nice friendly hug between tag partners MIC CHECK TO CABANA! That was completely unnecessary! Why, Anderson! Why?!

James Storm giving a shout out to Ricky Morton!

The Cowboy's definitely been drinking.

Eli should have given Ororo Munroe a shout-out!

It's kind of neat to see NWA working with other promotions.

Stevens vs. Steiner? That's...interesting.

Main Event Time! And Billy Corgan himself will be here on commentary! Yeah, he's a big wrestling nut, and he owns the NWA now.

Match #5 - NWA Championship Match - Nick Aldis (c) vs. NWA Tag Team Champion Ricky Morton

And of course, Nick Aldis has his Strictly Business cronies with him.

Count on Stu Bennett to deliver some news! And everyone is banned from ringside!

This has been quite an epic match!

Aldis grabs the tights!

Winner: Nick Aldis (Retains NWA Championship)

Looks like we may get that confrontation between Aldis and Marty Scurll down the line...

This was a fun episode! My favorite part was the Gauntlet match! I can't wait for the next episode!

Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, spread it around! See you next time!

Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time Announcement Trailer, My Thoughts

On August 10, 2001, the animated series Samurai Jack premiered on Cartoon Network. The series told the tale of a feudal Japan-era prince who was brought to a dystopian future by a demon named Aku. Now Jack must travel this future world to stop the demon and return to his native time.

Samurai Jack would last for four seasons. In 2017, a fifth season would arrive. Set 50 years after the past four seasons, this season would allow the series to get a proper conclusion. The series would get critical acclaim and win several awards, including Emmys. Jack's adventures would be chronicled in other media, including comic books from IDW Publishing, and video games. And there's a new announcement trailer for an upcoming game starring Jack: Battle Through Time! Let's take a look!

Run, Jack! Run!

Rated T for Teen. Haven't seen that rating in a while.

I have to admit, this game reminds me of those 3D cel-shaded games from the 2000s.

I wonder if this game will be an adaptation of the show or an original story. I mean, it's not like there wasn't a big gap of time between seasons four and five to explore. Would make for some great comics or even novels?

Combat looks fun. I'm a sucker for some hack-and-slash fun.

Looks like you get Classic!Jack and his 50 years later look as well.

I am wondering if you only use the gun at certain points, or if it's a weapon that can be used at any point in the game.

I also wonder if you can change up Jack's look at various points in the game.

Not a whole lot of things to say, considering that the trailer is so short. But it did get me hyped. I loved the show, so I am excited to play this game.

Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, spread it around! See you next time!