Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Trailer, My Thoughts

Back in 2020, Paramount Pictures released Sonic the Hedgehog, the first live-action feature film starring Sega's iconic blue hedgehog mascot. The film would feature Ben Schwartz voicing the titular character. It would be the sixth-highest grossing film of 2020, making $319.7 million on a $85-90 million dollar budget. The film would get mixed reviews from critics, praised mainly for James Marden and Jim Carrey's performances as Tom Wachowski and Ivo Robotnik, respectively. The film was criticized for its product placements and seeming lack of ambition.

In May 2020, Paramount announced a sequel. Let's look at the trailer!

"*movie trailer voice* In a world where anthropomorphic animals walk amongst men..."

Also, the fact that he is a blue anthropomorphic hedgehog in a world full of humans would mean that maintaining any sort of secret identity would be...a challenge. 

The Blue Hedgehog Returns.

Yeah, that heroic speech is not prophetic of anything.

...okay, how did Robotnik get the materials to build some new robots?

...is that the Master Emerald from Sonic 3?

Even funnier? In Sonic canon, "Tails" is a nickname. His full actual name is Miles "Tails" Prower. Get it? Miles Per Hour? You get it? MPH, a measure of speed?

You think Robotnik has a...bit of an excess of time on his hands?

Ouch.

Yeah...Tails gonna die.

Oh hey, Knuckles.

"BAH GAWD, KING! HE JUST SMASHED THAT HEDGEHOG STRAIGHT TO HELL!"

My guess is the plot of the movie will draw heavily from Sonic 3. Which makes sense. Knuckles debuted in that game, that green gem is likely the Master Emerald, and Knuckles' traditional role in the classic Sonic games was the caretaker/guardian of the Master Emerald. He was a bit...gullible. Basically, Robotnik tricked him into fighting Sonic so the Eggman could make off with the Master Emerald himself. The Sonic Boom series kind of flanderized that to making Knuckles essentially dumb muscle.

I admit, despite my disdain for Paramount bucking to internet complaining, I did enjoy the last Sonic movie. I think it was the last movie I ever saw in theaters before the pandemic hit. And I am excited to see this one. It looks like it will be a ton of fun.

Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves, and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get vaccinated! See you next time!

Peacemaker Trailer, My Thoughts

 Let's look at the trailer!

Well, that's...not unfair that this guy has never heard of Peacemaker. There are so many friggin' superheroes that it's hard to keep track of them all.

(knocked out)

He also has this strange thing about apple pie. I dunno, Peacemaker's weird.

(shrug)

Ah, Peacemaker has a screwed-up dad. Explains a lot.

Oh my God, his trailer! HAHAHAHA!

As someone who has read some of the Adrian Chase Vigilante stuff, it is admittedly strange to see him portrayed as so...goofy. But I guess it can be argued that this is just a different kind of insanity that he would be driven to in the comics.

I think the basic idea here is that Peacemaker is having a bit of a mid-life crisis. And he's questioning a lot of things about himself. That's not a bad thing, giving him some growth

Across the Spider-Verse (Part One) Trailer, My Thoughts

In 2018, Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation released the film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. It told the tale of teenager Miles Morales who gains superpowers and teams up with various versions of the legendary hero Spider-Man to save his home of New York City from the Kingpin. The film was a critical and box office success, even winning an Oscar for Best Animated Feature at the 91st Acadamy Awards. It makes sense that considering this success, a sequel would be on the way. Let's look at the trailer!

Oh God, somebody rebuilt the Collider and the multiverse is about to violently upchuck again.

"Sunflower" could be considered Miles's theme at this point.

Hee hee, the portal scattered stuff everywhere.

Nice landing, Gwen.

It's nice to see that Gwen and Miles are still talking to each other after the events of the last movie. Also, both Gwen and Miles look a little older. Looks like some time has passed since the last movie.

Ha ha, Miles trying to clean his room and Gwen seeing his drawings of her. That's funny.

Gwen's got a point. 

Miles flying through hexagons. Wanda's drunk again.

Hindi onomatopoeia. Does that mean we may see Pavitr Prabhakar? Also, Miles' Spidey suit got a new look!

"HIMILESI'MMIGUELO'HARANICETOMEETYOUIMMABREAKYOUFACE!"

Earth-928! That's the Earth of Marvel 2099! That's awesome! I love this! I've been so excited to see Miguel in action since the last Spider-Verse movie! Also, the music sting when Miguel ambushes Miles reminds me of the Prowler's theme from the last movie.

Miguel got buff!

I can't believe this is just part one!

...Obviously, I'm hyped! I am so hyped for this movie! I cannot wait to watch it! Bring it on! And it's in two parts, which is even better! 

Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves, and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get vaccinated! See you next time!

X-Men #62 (March 1997)

Recently, the Marvel Cinematic Universe had debuted its first film with an East Asian lead: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. In a way, it was appropriate that the Master of Kung Fu was the first East Asian character to get a lead film in the MCU as his comic counterpart was one of the Marvel Universe's first East Asian superheroes.

Over the years, Shang-Chi has had many encounters with various other heroes. And this week, I thought it would be neat to showcase one. Let's join the Master of King Fu as he joins forces with the Marvel Universe's resident Merry Mutants in X-Men #62!

The cover is a Carlos Pacheco, Art Thibert, and Liquid! piece. I like it, even if it is a bit basic. It just depicts Shang-Chi and Wolverine facing off against unseen foes. I like the title "Hellfire in Hong Kong". I think it's a snappier title than the story's actual title.

"Games of Deceit and Death - Part 1 of 3"
Writers: Scott Lobdell (plot) and Ben Raab (script)
Penciler: Carlos Pacheco
Inker: Art Thibert
Colorist: Chris Lichtner, Liquid!
Letterers: Richard Starkings, Comicraft, Albert Deschesne
Editors: Mark Powers, Jason Liebig, Bob Harras
Editor-in-Chief: Bob Harras

Our story begins with our man Shang-Chi heading to Scotland. It's there he's meeting an old friend from his British Intelligence days: A Sir Clive Reston.

Shang-Chi's latest assignment: Beat Up This House.

Fun fact, the comics have implied that he's related to both James Bond and Sherlock Holmes.

Anyway, Shang-Chi senses something in the air, like an ill wind has blown in. The Master of Kung-Fu is ambushed by assassins from the Si-Fan, the organization ran by his evil father, Fu Manchu (Not mentioned by name due to Marvel no longer having the rights to the Fu Manchu novels by 1997). Shang-Chi is confused by this, as the Si-Fan seemingly disbanded after Manchu's supposed death. The martial artist fights them, but they only showed up because they wanted confirmation that Shang-Chi was alive. They try to leave, but they meet a very...nasty roadblock.

"OHMAHGAWD, ARE YOU BATMAN?!"

The Best There Is at What He Does has arrived. Wolverine's claws are bone here as the adamantium that normally lined his bones and claws was ripped out of him by Magneto during the "Fatal Attractions" storyline. It played havoc with his mutation (particularly his healing factor. The trauma to his body was so great that his healing factor was burned out for a time), causing him to take on the more animalistic appearance he has here. Anyway, Shang-Chi and Wolverine end up tussling. 

Wolverine gets the upper hand, thanks to his powers. Storm blasts Wolverine with some lightning, chastising him for picking a fight with Shang-Chi for no reason. The X-Men are here on a mission of their own. You see, Reston had also contacted them. he called them because something was up with one of the X-Men's old enemies: a Mr. Sebastian Shaw. And it involves a crisis that the X-Men had been dealing with at the time: the Legacy Virus, a disease that was fatal to mutants. First appearing in X-Force #18 (January 1993), the Virus was seen as a metaphor for the AIDS crisis. 

Shang-Chi enters Reston's house, and the martial artist gets the feeling that he's being watched. Because, well...he is.

Thanks to her pink telepathic field, Jean Grey got to see the world as Scott saw it: Pink.

By X-Men members Scott "Cyclops" Summers and Jean "Phoenix" Grey. Shang-Chi throws a statue at them, and Clive Reston himself shows up. He's not too happy about Shang-Chi tossing around his statues. They're his prized collectibles, after all.

"I may be disabled, but I still can kill all of you in 15 ways."

Reston explains he summoned Shang-Chi because Shaw's plans involve him as well. Well, a legacy of Shang-Chi's evil old man. A little thing called the Elixir Vitae.

The Elixir Vitae was a mystical substance said to grant immortality, and it was an obsession of Fu Manchu's. Since Manchu seemingly died in Master of Kung Fu #125, the secrets of the Elixir were seemingly lost with him. But desperate men do not care about seemingly dead men's secrets. And Shaw is trying to use Manchu's old organization, the Si-Fan, to get it.

It's not hard to figure out why Shaw wants the Elixir. Its life-extending properties could potentially be a treatment for the Legacy Virus. If that ends up being the case, he could use it to protect himself from Legacy, and being the rich evil businessman he is, hide it behind a paywall from desperate mutants.

In Hong Kong, a figure has learned their expected "guests" have arrived. The X-Men and Shang-Chi have arrived in the territory, but they ended up stuck in traffic. Only to Marvel superheroes does this happen. It's what makes them identifiable. Logan senses something is up, and he's right. Something is up.

Wolverine hates being right.

Luckily, the Jean got Logan's telepathic warning early enough to protect her fellow X-Men and Shang-Chi with a nice pink telekinetic energy bubble. Makes the X-Men look like they were trapped in bubblegum. And as for the perpetrators? Your standard cyborg ninjas. Because it's the Marvel Universe, and cyborg ninjas are a thing in the Marvel Universe.

I did enjoy this issue, but I did have an issue with it. Mainly Shang-Chi acting like he's never heard of the X-Men before. I get that there's drama in superheroes facing each other, but the thing is...it's not like either the X-Men or Shang-Chi were brand-new to the superhero community at this point. The X-Men were one of the first superteams of the modern MU, and Shang-Chi was a long-runner himself. You'd think he'd at least have heard of them. Also, it's kind of weird to me that the X-Men are fighting cyborg ninjas in Hong Kong. I'm just saying, it seems a bit odd that Shaw is using mooks based on ninjas, which are associated with Japan, in a place that, at the time of the comic's publication, was being transitioned to becoming Chinese territory. 

The narration of this comic is somewhat Claremont-esque. Shows what a big mark he left on the franchise even thought he had not been involved with the Merry Mutants for six years at that point. I thought the usage of the Elixir Vitae as a possible treatment/cure for the Legacy Virus is a clever idea. It helps show that the Marvel Universe is interconnected, that something from one hero's mythos can have an effect on another hero. 

The art... well, I am familiar with Mr. Carlos Pacheco's art thanks to my looks at the issues of Avengers Forever this whole year. It has a bit of an... oddly cartoony vibe. That's the best way I can describe it. I don't mind it.

If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2021 trade paperback Shang-Chi: Earth's Mightiest Martial Artist. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get your vaccination and boosters! See you next time!

LEGO Super Mario Question Block Launch Trailer, My Thoughts

Many a franchise has had the honor of being immortalized in LEGO form. One of them was Nintendo's own Super Mario. In recent years, LEGO has made a series of sets based on the classic Mario games. And this new set pays tribute to Mario's first foray into 3D: Super Mario 64. Let's look at the trailer!

Ahhh, the Question Block, aka the ? Block. The fun of these blocks is you never know what is in them. And inside this one is a group of small Lego recreations of worlds from Super Mario 64!

I can't help but feel that maybe this set should have been based on Peach's Castle, as that castle was the hub world from where you accessed the other worlds in the game. You know, you jumped into the paintings.

It makes sense that Bob-Omb Battlefield would be included here. It's the first level in the game, I believe. I am curious as to why they used Cool, Cool, Mountain and Lethal Lava Land for the other two. I do get that some of the worlds in the games would be a little hard to do in LEGO form, like Jolly Roger Bay or Wet-Dry World. Maybe that was the reason, they were simple to recreate in LEGO form?

This does look cool, but it does seem like a set that is bet for display over actual play. It seems like the kind of set you put on your coffee table as a conversation starter, especially if you have nerdy friends. :)

Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves, and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get vaccinated! See you next time!

Quasar #10 (May 1990)

For this review, I thought it would be nice to revisit an old friend of ours. Someone who maybe is not very well known to the mainstream, but who has graced this blog in the past. If you've followed this blog, you may be familiar with a Mr. Wendell Elvis Vaughn, aka Quasar. He last graced this blog in my review of Quasar #1 (October 1989). So, let's join him as he has a bit of a close encounter with a certain pair of Kree. This is Quasar #10!

The cover is a Mike Manley and Danny Bulanadi piece. I think it's really cool. It depicts Dr. Minerva preparing to cut Wendell open like a stuck pig. It has a bit of a horror vibe to it that looks really cool.

"Kree for All!"
Writer: Mark Gruenwald
Penciler: Mike Manley
Inkers: Danny Bulanadi, Tom Morgan
Colorist: Paul Becton
Letterer: Janice Chiang
Editor: Howard Mackie
Editor-in-Chief: Tom DeFalco

The story begins with our man Quasar in New Mexico, where he's catching a lesser-known villain from the Avengers' past.

"Blast it, Quasar! I was just sunbathing!"

Say hello to Banca Rech, aka Halflife. First appearing in West Coast Avengers #12 (September 1986), she's an alien who can decay anything with a touch. She was part of a group of supervillains called the Fundamental Forces, a group of supervillains based on the four fundamental forces of the universe. Halflife represented the "weak force". 

Her decay powers allow her to easily eat through any of Quasar's energy constructs. This is because his powers are part of the electromagnetic spectrum, and her powers work outside of it. In a moment of cleverness, Wendell realizes that her costume is not affected by her powers, and uses her own boots to bind her. Smart man, Wendell.

He delivers her to The Vault, a prison designed to hold superpowered people. Unknown to the man, he's watched by a pair of figures. With his superhero work done for the day, Vaughn heads back to his civilian job: Head of Vaughn Security Consultants, whose offices are located in Four Freedoms Plaza, the then-home of the Fantastic Four.

"Remember Kayla, do not mention the whoopee cushion on his seat..."

He makes some small talk with his co-workers Ken Tanaka and Kayla Ballantine, and then he reports to his boss of sorts, Eon. He reports that Halflife has been captured, and notices that the cosmic muckamuck is rather untalkative. A bit unusual for him.

Quasar searches the Atlantic for one of the alien lifeforms that might be in the area. Six hours later, he's found zip. As such, he's gonna call it a night. As he sleeps, he's put under by an alien with a synpatic disruptor, their version of a tranquilizer gun.

He's then absconded from his home by the aliens. They take him to their ship. Who are these alien kidnappers?

Captain Atlas and Doctor Minerva! You may have met them in the MCU film Captain Marvel, portrayed by Algenis Perez Soto and Gemma Chan, respectively. Minerva wants to study the Quantum Bands, but she's having a tough time getting them off. Minerva is forced to basically cut off Wendell's arm.

No, with a laser. While he's under, Wendell Vaughn dreams he's at the beach, being buried in sand by his co-workers. He's then visited by a crab...well, Eon in the form of a crab. Eon likes wearing costumes in people's dreams. Eon's tells Wendell, "Hey, Wendell! You gotta wake up! This blue chick is gonna cut your arm off!" Wendell then uses his Nega-Bands to blast Minerva away and to free himself. The ship hits the hyperdrive.

Wendell traps Minerva in a bubble, then goes to check out who hit the proverbial gas pedal. And then he gets ambushed by Captain Atlas.

"Gaze into the fist of Att-Lass!"

Atlas tries to give Wendell a laser to the face, but the doofus ends up blowing a hole in the ship's hull and getting sucked into space. Moron.

Quasar goes back to visit Minerva, who pleads with him to let her rescue Atlas. Quasar would rather have some answers. Why did she kidnap him? It's here we learn of her history up this point. She went to Earth for the purpose of mating with Earth's first Captain Marvel, the Kree hero Mar-Vell. 

You see, the Kree are reaching an evolutionary dead end. Minerva had discovered that Mar-Vell had been exposed to various mutagens throughout his life. As such, it altered his DNA. Even though the Kree in general saw him as a traitor, Minerva believed that Mar-Vell's mutated DNA would finally allow the Kree to further evolve. Examining her own DNA, Minn-Erva noticed that her DNA and Mar-Vell's was compatible enough to produce offspring that could achieve her goals. 

She would end up stranded on Earth. She would learn of Mar-Vell's death, and with that, her hopes for the Kree race seemingly died. Until she learned of a Kree gadget left on Earth called the "Psyche-Magnetron". This device allowed her to unlock her own genetic potential, transforming her into a superhuman. Well, a superKree.

With this, Minerva herself could now become the genetic savior of her race. She was able to signal the Kree Empire, and they sent Captain Atlas to pick her up. She found herself taking a liking to the green fin-domed captain. Likely the mustache. They were about to leave when they saw broadcast images of of Quasar and his Nega-Bands.

Atlas had noted that the bands looked like artifacts called the "Power Bands of Rinn". They figured "Hey, if we get those as well, people will hear out Minerva's eugenics program!" 

She reveals that they sent AIM to go after the bands back in the first issue. With that, Wendell agrees to help rescue Atlas on one condition: that Minerva and Atlas never set foot on Earth again. Minerva agrees and they go save Atlas. With that, the two Kree go on their way. After he heads back to Earth, he is told at the office that a woman came by looking for work. 

He visits Eon and goes to thank him for saving his life, and suggests that maybe the Quantum Bands have some sort of anti-tampering system put in. Eon agrees to it. Wendell is left thinking he has a lot to learn as the Protector of the Universe.

I did enjoy this issue, but the ending did leave me a bit...meh. Not the part with Minerva and Atlas, the last scene with Quasar and Eon. You'd think they'd have already put in some kind of anti-tampering thing going on. It gave me the vibe that Eon isn't really being a very good mentor to Quasar. Yeah, he did save Quasar from becoming an amputee, but it gave me the vibe that he basically just tends to leave Quasar to his own devices in the bad way. I like Mike Manley's art. It has that old-school feel to it.

If you want to read this comic for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2018 trade paperback Quasar: Cosmos in Collision. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get vaccinated! See you next time!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

I hope you all have a wonderful day!