Super Mario RPG Remake Trailer, My Thoughts

In 1996, Nintendo published the Square-Enix-developed game Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The game told the tale of Mario and his allies (and in a first for the Mario series, teaming up with Bowser) taking on the alien robot blacksmith Smithy to save the Mushroom Kingdom. The game would be a best-seller. In Japan, it sold 1.47 million copies, making it the third-best selling game of the year there. In the United States, the game would be the sixth-best selling game of the year.

The game would also receive much critical praise, mainly focusing on its graphics and humor. It had been given criticism for seeming a bit too "childish" for older RPG fans. Despite this, the game has made many gaming critics and fans' "best games of all time lists" and is beloved by gamers. The game has never gotten a direct sequel, but it has had spiritual successors in the Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi series. In the latest Nintendo Direct, it has been announced that a remake is in the works for Nintendo Switch. Let's look at the trailer! 

"La la la, look at the butterflies...oh, I'm getting kidnapped again, aren't I?" Not this time!

I like the new look. I especially like that they kept it colorful. A Mario game should be colorful.

Running around the Overworld is always fun. 

Ooh, that'll hurt!

"You're paying for that door, Bowser!"

I love that this game managed to somehow make a reference to the Rainbow Road. 

...oh, I just learned that was something already in the original game. The Star Road. Right. Wait, it can't be the same Star Road in Super Mario World because that Star Road was in Dinosaur Land, and this game is set in the Mushroom Kingdom...

Oh, right. Yeah, I didn't get that far in the original game.

Well, this looks like a ton of fun. I have played a little bit of the original version and I remember enjoying it quite a bit. I wish I was able to finish it. I have a bad habit of leaving games unfinished. But this still looks like it will be a wonderful remake. Hopefully, it'll be a remake that includes more stuff than just a graphical upgrade. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show if off! Take care of yourselves, and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get your vaccine/booster! See you next time!

Summer Solstice

Happy Summer Solstice, everyone!

What is the Summer Solstice? Well, basically on this day, one of Earth's poles is tilting the furthest towards the sun. The summer solstice happens every year. From the perspective of those on Earth, the Sun is in the highest position possible in the sky. In the Northern Hemisphere, where I live at, the Earth's maximum tilt happens towards the sun, as shown here.

In the Southern Hemisphere (think places like Australia and New Zealand), their summer solstice will come in December. Now, I know what you're thinking. "Wait, tilting towards the Sun?" Well, yes. You see, as the Earth orbits the sun, the planet itself spins around at a slight angle. This angle is known as axial tilt, or obliquity. 

This tilt can change as the Earth undergoes its orbit. It's why, from the perspective of the Northern Hemisphere, days get longer in summer, and the nights get longer in winter. the tilt causes different parts of the earth to get less or more sunlight at different times. 

Many cultures all over the world see these solstices as significant. For example, in Sweden, this is considered a major holiday and the country closes down, like on Christmas.

So, yeah. The summer solstice is pretty cool. Hope it was a good day for you!

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day, everyone!

Hope you have a wonderful day!

Deathstroke the Terminator #1 (August 1991)

It has been a while since I looked at a DC book here, so I figured for this week's review, I'd look at a rather unusual choice to give a comic too: Slade Wilson, aka Deathstroke the Terminator.

Created by Marv Wolfman and the late great George Perez, he first appeared in The New Teen Titans #2 (December 1980). A mercenary by trade, Slade was formerly of the United States Army. A secret experiment made him into a superhuman. He was stronger, faster, smarter. He was the Six Million Dollar Man...only without the pricey bionics. He would eventually become a mercenary, one of the deadliest assassins in the world. He would cross paths with the New Teen Titans after the death of his first son Grant, and his second son Jericho would become a member of the group himself. 

Eventually, he would solidify himself as one of the Titans' greatest villains with The Judas Contract storyline. Despite that, Slade's relationship with the Titans would grow more complex over the years, and he would even act as an ally to them on occasion. Of course, considering the numerous reboots of the DCU over the years, his current status and relationship with the Titans is as muddled and incomprehensible as everything else.

The comic we're looking at this week is the first issue of his first ongoing series. Yes, the character would become a big hit with fans, so much so that DC gave him his own comic. This series started in 1991, and would last for 60 issues (as well as four Annuals and a #0 issue) before its cancellation. So, does the first issue do a good job of setting up Slade's then-new status quo? Or is it simply a botched job? Let's find out in Deathstroke the Terminator #1!

The cover is a Mike Zeck piece. It's well-drawn, but it's basically just a pin-up. Our man standing in one of those "macho hunter" poses with his gun slung over his back. Not much to say about it, really.

"Full Cycle - Chapter One: Assault!" 
Writer: Marv Wolfman
Penciler: Steve Erwin
Inker: Will Blyberg
Colorist: Tom McCraw
Letterer: John Costanza
Editor: Jonathan Peterson
Executive Editor: Dick Giordano

The story begins with a prologue, set in the snowy mountains of Germany. A strange one-seated helicopter heads towards a train.

"Throw me off the train for drunkenness, eh?! I'll show 'em!"

The helicopter manages to evade two other helicopters that were defending the train. The helicopter's pilot manages to make their way on board the train. The pilot shoots some guards and makes off with an object.

"Finally, the Thermos of Power is mine!"

The pilot then manages to make their way to the locomotive. The pilot shoots the engineer and a woman. The woman is Adeline Kane. The pilot tells her to say hello to Slade...in Hell. As they toss her out of the train. 

The pilot gets back to the helicopter and takes off as the train goes off the bridge and crashes into the ground in a ball of fire.

Now, I know what you're thinking. Wait, isn't this Deathstroke's comic? Where is he? Well, don't you worry. We do focus on him now. Our man Slade is in Kenya, doing a bit of hunting. Using his superior reflexes, he's able to get in front of a bull elephant he is after. He then takes down the elephant with one shot to the head.

"God, I hated that elephant." 

A Kenyan villager drives up to him, asking if he's alright. Slade is fine. he wasn't hunting this elephant just to brag about it. It was a job. He was hired by the villagers to kill the elephant as it destroyed their homes and crops. The elephant's meat will be able to help keep the village fed, and the tusks can be sold. The money can be used to help rebuild the villagers' homes. An eye for an eye. 

Slade returned to his home, which he shares with his old friend, a former British Army man named H.R. Wintergreen. Wintergreen gets a call from a man in "Searchers, Inc." He informs Slade of Adeline's being shot. And she's in critical condition.

The two prepare to head to the train station in Kisumu. It'll take them to the Nairobi Airport. The pilot and their mysterious helicopter then attacks. Slade tries to blast the flying machine with his staff, demanding to know who the pilot is. The pilot just tells him they're Slade's past, coming back to haunt him. The pilot leaves a parting gift: The destruction of Slade's home. 

"My house! MY COMIC BOOK COLLECTION! NOOOOOO!"

There's only one thing Slade and Wintergreen can do. Since their jeep also got wrecked, they'll have to walk to Kisumu. It's thirty miles, so they'd better get going.

Despite the long trek, the two manage to make their way to the hospital in Stuttgart where Adeline is recovering. It's here that in the form of Wintergreen's journal, we get a recap of Slade's origins. How he first met Adeline Kane back when he was a regular soldier, and she was a trainer for an elite branch of Special Forces. She helped make him into one of the very best soldiers in the United States armed forces, and the two got married. He went off to fight in a war, and she stayed behind due to being pregnant with their first child: Grant. 

Back to the present! Adeline briefly wakes up, telling Slade her attacker knew who she was, before slipping back into unconsciousness. Slade leaves, realizing her attacker stole something from the train her group was protecting. Wintergreen points out that they don't know what was stolen, nor do they know who even hired Kane in the first place. Slade believes the attack is personal, intent on drawing him out, and he wants some answers.

The two head out to a nearby castle. 

"Blimey, I think I saw this place in Castlevania!"

It's here that we get a further recap of how Slade became the man he is today. When the military wanted to test out a substance that promised to help resist truth serums, he volunteered. The experiment caused Slade to become incredibly strong, ripping his way out of his restraints like they were made of tissue paper. The doctors managed to take him down with a sedative. Adeline and Wintergreen fought their way through a lot of red tape to see him. Slade ended up in a coma for weeks but would recover. Over the next few months, he alternated between being incredibly fatigued and being just as incredibly strong. Despite that, he would continue to be a husband and father. 

At the age of 17, his first son Grant ran away to New York City. Angry and sullen, he got involved with gangs. The alien princess Starfire crashed into his apartment, and it led to him meeting the Teen Titans. This encounter left him angrier than ever, and he agreed to undergo experiments to become the first Ravager. He and Slade fought together, Grant never knowing Slade was Deathstroke. Grant died from the experiments' side effects, and Slade swore revenge. 

In the present, Slade puts a gun to the head of the castle's owner: a man named Waller. 

"Slade, you know her rules. No wearing shoes in the castle."

The merc demands to know what Addie was doing when she was shot. Waller refuses to divulge anything, saying that Slade is not supposed to be in on Addie's work. He tells him to leave.

Slade ties him up and looks it up himself. He and Wintergreen drive to Baden, Germany. According to Waller's records, Adeline received payments from an address there. It's the home of a man named Willem Neustadt. He owns a company called Neustadt Chemicals. Slade notes that a lot of men were killed in the train attack, which leads Slade to wonder what exactly what was being transported that need that much security.

Wintergreen tries to get Slade to relax, while flirting with the waitress. Slade points out that there is no way the person who killed those men could go to Kenya from Germany in under an hour. Well, not either having a very advanced form of transport or superpowers. I mean, any of the Flashes could make it from Kenya to Germany in under an hour. Or Superman. Or Supergirl. Or Wonder Woman. 

Wintergreen fears that Slade's letting his emotions affect him on this little adventure, but it's tabled when Slade spots Neustadt's missus entering the house. The chauffeur with her is also holding a concealed firearm. He's a guard. Slade enters the house. Mrs. Neustadt is outraged. She says she gave him what he wanted, and he swore he'd return her son Peter to her.

Yeah. Slade is just as confused. He asks her to explain, and she tells him she told him the route for the train so he could get the plutonium on board. Which means, Dr. Brown, plutonium still was not something available in every corner drug store. Even in the 90s. Unseen by Slade, some men prepare an ambush...

We then switch scene to the country of Qurac. The man who attacked the train gives the plutonium to some Quraci army men. The story ends with the man putting on a familiar mask...

...revealing himself to be the new Ravager.

This comic was pretty good, in my opinion. We get an interesting mystery set up with Deathstroke and Wintergreen trying to find the identity of the new Ravager. I also got a bit of a chuckle from Wintergreen flirting with the waitress. What I find the most interesting about this comic is how different Slade is here. You see, my first exposure to the character was from the Teen Titans animated series. In the cartoon, Slade was much more...pure evil, for lack of a better term. He did lack the complexity of his comic counterpart. 

Steve Erwin turns in some fine pencils for this issue. His pencil work is competent, and it does the job. It's good to look at. this is the first I remember ever seeing him credited on a book. His art reminds me of Neal Adams, which makes sense as Adams was one of Erwin's inspirations as an artist. His work is good stuff. I don't think it's flashy, but it does the job.

If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2015 trade paperback Deathstroke the Terminator Vol. 1: Assassins. I think it's a surprising hidden gem of early 90s DC. 

Elemental Trailer, My Thoughts

The love story is a well-trod bit of fiction. They can be tragic, they can be hilarious. They can fit in a wide variety of genres, from fantasy to science fiction. And they're still told because...people still do fall in love. And one subtrope of the love story is the two people from "different worlds" falling in love. It can apply to different classes, different races...or in the case of Pixar's latest film, a man of water, and a woman of fire. Let's look at the trailer for Pixar's 27th film (27?! Good God!): Elemental!

Welcome to Element City, home of the hot football team making their way to the Super Bowl, the  Elemental Classicals! 

Yeah, I know. Gimme a break. I'm not a comedian.

Air having their head in the clouds. And people say I'm a bad comedian.

I would make a "blown away" joke, but I don't think it would work here.

With the Earth folks, you'll never have any problem finding food. I actually want to try one of those apples. Mmm, apples...

Those fire folks really know how to party. No bigger party animals in the Pixar Universe.

"We just want you to finish graduating business school first, Ember. You need to have some idea what you're doing when it comes to running a business."

WATER SLIDE!

There is a reason why elements don't mix. To paraphrase Thorton Melon, "I was an earth sign, she was a water sign. Together we made mud!" 

"You know, this water kid's alright!"

I admit, that part with Ember's old man and Wade was pretty funny.

This looks like a fun movie! I do enjoy Pixar's movies, and this looks like it will be another winner. Sure, the story may seem a bit cliche, but I have no issue with that. As long as it's told well. And this looks like it will be one of those. 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 vaccine/booster! See you next time!

Superman Day!

Today is Superman Day!

What is Superman Day, you ask? Well, today is a day to celebrate a certain Man of Steel, the Metropolis Marvel, the Man of Tomorrow. 

Why on this day? Well, this day was originally created by DC Entertainment themselves as part of the lead-up to the release of the film "Man of Steel". Comic book retailers celebrated by giving out free copies of All-Star Superman Special Edition #1. In the years since, fans have continued to celebrate Superman and his nearly 90 years of existence now.

As such, I'd want to shout out some of my favorite Superman stories:

All-Star Superman (2005-2008)
- Grant Morrison (writer), Frank Quitely (artist)
This non-canon 12 issue maxi-series draws heavily on the Silver Age/Bronze Age take on Superman and his mythos. This series tells the tale of a dying Superman attempting to achieve his Twelve Labors. Morrison clearly had a ton of fun with the character, and although Quitely's art isn't quite my personal cup of tea, it's still required reading that really gets the Man of Steel.

Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes (2007-2008)
- Geoff Johns (writer), Gary Frank (artist)
This story helps restore the connections between Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes that were erased by the Crisis on Infinite Earths and John Byrne's Man of Steel. It tells of the Man of Tomorrow and the Legion joining forces to help stop a group known as the Justice League of Earth from causing a war between Earth and the United Planets. A criminally underrated story in my opinion.

Last Son (2006-2008)
- Geoff Johns and Richard Donner (writers), Adam Kubert (artist)
Before he wrote comics, Geoff Johns was an assistant to Richard Donner, so it seemed appropriate for the two to collaborate on a Superman story. Clark Kent stops a pod from crashing down in Metropolis. The pod contains a young Kryptonian boy, with a shocking parentage. This is another criminally underrated story in my opinion, and I want it to get some more love, hence my shouting it out here.

What's So Funny About Truth, Justice, and the American Way (2001)
- Joe Kelly (writer), Doug Mahnke and Lee Bermejo (artists)
This one-shot story was written in response to the rise and growing popularity of more violent and "adult" anti-heroic characters like The Authority. In this one-shot, a group of such "heroes" known as The Elite impose their own brand of "superheroics", seemingly making the more classic heroism of Superman obsolete. In the end, Superman is able to show that his way of heroics still matters, and in fact, is more needed than ever.

And those are some of my favorite Superman stories. I hope you give them a read and enjoy them as much as I do. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked them, show them off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get your vaccine/booster! See you next time!

Captain America #107 (November 1968)

One of the appeals of Marvel's superheroes was what Stan Lee called "feet of clay". What he meant by that was for all the heroism, the heroes also were very human. They had flaws. They had issues. They had problems that putting on a colorful costume and punching someone else in another colorful costume could not magically fix. Among those heroes was one Steve Rogers, the original Captain America. Well, at least in publication order.

Steve Rogers was part of would be dubbed the "Greatest Generation", a veteran of World War II. After being revived from the ice by the Avengers, Captain America found himself in what seemed like a whole other universe. His partner Bucky Barnes was seemingly dead, leaving Cap haunted by what he felt was the greatest failure of his costumed career. And a brand-new villain would use that to try and bring down the Star-Spangled Man with a Plan. Let's take a look at Captain America #107!

The cover is a Jack Kirby and Frank Giacoia piece. 

"If the Past Be Not Dead--"
Writer: Stan Lee
Penciler: Jack Kirby
Inker: Syd Shores
Colorist: Artie Simek
Editor: Stan Lee
Editor-in-Chief: Stan Lee

The story begins with Captain America in action. He's fighting strangely-garbed soldiers in an equally-bizarre-looking place, his mission unknown. The soldiers' firepower manages to overwhelm the good captain, his costume torn and body exhausted. He peeks up and sees a shocking sight, a sight that would send chills down any man's spine. 

His old partner, James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes, seemingly alive and crouched over his tombstone. Keep in mind, at this point, Steve Rogers believed his Nazi-punching partner was dead. He would not know for years that Bucky was actually alive all along and operating as the Winter Soldier. Anyway, "Bucky" here demands to know why Cap didn't save him. Over the years during and post-World War II, Cap had been able to save many lives, but not his. Steve then wakes up, screaming about how he has to suffer for it. Yup, our man Cap had a nightmare.

Cap fears he's losing his mind, and decides to talk to his new psychiatrist, an Austrian man named Johann Fennhoff, aka Dr. Faustus. He calls him, and the Doctor tells him to come visit him at his office that afternoon for a session.

In his office, Faustus uses a hidden control panel to reveal an equally hidden panel. A man dressed as a bellhop named Ferret appears. The two men are conspiring to literally drive the Star-Spangled Avenger insane. Ferret has been giving Cap special pills to make Cap have nightmares, under the guise of delivering a prescription. 

On the way to Faustus's office, Steve Rogers thinks about how he feels like a relic thanks to his being in the ice for so long. He spots a blonde woman he believes is his main squeeze Sharon. He runs after her only to see that it's not. 

A cop tries to help out, but Steve freaks out. He's convinced he's going mad. But the cop and the girl have a secret of their own.

Yeah, they're working for Faustus as part of his plan to drive Cap crazy. Cap arrives at Faustus's office. The not-so-good doctor tells Cap to talk about his nightmares. In one of them, he's back in WWII, and he's been captured by the Nazis. They want to know when the big D-Day invasion is going to hit. One of the Nazis taunts him by telling him they killed Bucky. Cap is horrified, and the nightmare ends with a Nazi unloading a gun in Cap's face. Faustus writes a prescription for some new meds for Cap. After the Star-Spangled Man with a Plan leaves, Faustus reveals a secret.

Yep, that was all set up by him, too. One of the actors he pays wonders why he doesn't just put a bullet in Rogers and end it there. That seems like the most practical way to get rid of the man. After all, Rogers is hardly bulletproof.

That's not Faustus's way, though. He likes messing with Rogers' head. And most of all, plausible deniability. People wouldn't assume that the man trying to help him with his mental issues is also the one who exacerbated them and pushed Cap to the breaking point. Later, Rogers is training with a fighting robot called a "Plastoid". His fighting skills are weakened because of his problems. Despite that, he's able to beat the robot. Ferret arrives with Faustus's new pills. Cap takes the new meds and retires for the night. The next day, he wakes up and makes a shocking discovery.

Yup, he seemingly has aged 50 years overnight. He turns around and also sees Bucky, telling him they got a mission. Cap comes along, despite his being now frail and elderly. Faustus and his men prepare a duplicate of the rocket that was believed to have killed Bucky back in the war. Cap tries to get himself and Bucky off the motorcycle to prevent history from repeating itself. But the rocket explodes, seemingly killing Bucky again.

Cap is left an incoherent babbling mess. Faustus and his men emerge, basking in their seeming triumph. It's also revealed Ferret was the one dressed up as Bucky. But then, Captain America has a surprise for the psycho psychologist.

Cap was faking it. He manages to deal with Faustus's men. Turns out Rogers was suspicious of Faustus's meds and sent them to SHIELD for analysis. Smart man. He also used some Hollywood make-up tricks to fool Ferret into thinking he had aged. A group of SHIELD men appear and put Faustus at gunpoint. And Cap finishes him off with a Mighty Punch.  

I liked this issue, despite my feeling that it didn't quite live up to its potential. Dr. Faustus is an interesting villain, and for the time, his way of attacking Captain America was rather unique. I can't help but feel if this story was done today, you could get some real psychological horror out of it. Having fought in World War II, it does make sense that Cap would have some residual trauma and issues from it. As such, it does make logical sense a psycho psychiatrist like Dr. Faustus to use those issues in an attempt to drive Cap to madness. 

I will admit, I did find it funny that Dr. Faustus went to such insane lengths to drive Cap crazy. Hiring actors, creating sets, it's almost as if Faustus secretly dreamed of being a film director, ha ha. While the writing I felt did not quite reach the potential the story had, Kirby's art is always welcome. It's dynamic, and my favorite sequence in the comic is the first nightmare, the one that starts the story. 

Dr. Faustus would make his debut here. While he himself is not a major Cap villain, he would have a major impact on the Marvel Universe in the future. He would use his knowledge of mind manipulation to turn William Burnside, aka the 1950s Captain America into a Neo-Nazi villain called the Grand Director. And most notably, for a time, he had an assistant named Karla Sofen, who would eventually become the villainess known as Moonstone, and the Thunderbolt called Meteorite. 

If you want to read this comic for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2016 trade paperback Captain America Epic Collection Vol. 2: The Coming of...The Falcon. 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 vaccine/booster! See you next time!