Fire up Immigrant Song on your music players, folks, because this week's rewatch is Thor: Ragnarok. And while you're at it, listen to more Led Zeppelin stuff, like Kashmir. I like that song. BACKGROUND:
A little after Thor: The Dark World came out, I wondered where a third Thor movie would go. Naturally, my first thought was that they tackle Ragnarok and the end of Asgard. Still a bit disappointed over Malekith, I also hoped for Surtur, the last high-profile Thor villain, to be the big bad. The following year, the title of the third Thor movie was confirmed to be Ragnarok (to nobody's surprise). After that, we got teases of a bleak future in Thor's visions during Age of Ultron. Because of this, most people were expecting a grim tone for this third movie, and these expectations remained for a couple of years. Then, we saw the first trailer, and all those expectations were promptly kicked to the curb. At this point, Thor still hasn't won me over the way Cap has with his solo movies, so I was cautiously optimistic that the drastically different tone would provide me the "yeah, I like this character now" that Winter Soldier was able to pull off. Fun fact: this was the first MCU movie since Thor: The Dark World that I didn't watch alone the first time. By this point, most of my trips to the cinema were solo flights (aside from the infrequent occasion that I tagged along with people to watch a movie again). Some friends made plans way ahead of time, so I decided, you know what, I'm gonna watch it blind with other people for once, and experience the movie with them. COMICS TO READ:
MY FAVORITE MOMENTS:
THE EASTER EGGS:
THE HEROES: After two solo movies where he's good but not great, and two Avengers appearances where he's mostly there to say "you Earthlings should not meddle with these higher forces", we finally got a Thor that's fantastic across the board. From his journey of unlocking his true potential, his continued arc of selflessness and duty towards his people, and his fantastic humor, it's a far cry from the guy who was stuck with a subpar romance with Jane Foster. Valkyrie makes her long overdue debut in the MCU, and she's equal parts drunken master and tragic backstory. At first, I thought, all right, she's pretty cool, but her flashback showing all she's lost absolutely made me want to see more of her from a character standpoint. I hope we get more of that in the future. We get to see even more Hulk than just "I'm gonna wreck your shit" Hulk. Not only does he talk a lot, he displays a wider range of emotions than ever before. We see him laugh, throw a tantrum, get mildly annoyed, and more. I appreciate this depth to the usually one-note Goliath. It's also interesting to see his conflict with Banner slowly come to a head, with Banner in particular starting to get sick of Hulk being used as a trump card, as well as being worried that he may finally lose control. Loki gets to be on this section now. He's earned it. Sure, you still get his trademark duplicity in full force, but you can see as the movie went along and we got more of those amazing Thor/Loki banter that he's grown. His act of selflessness in the third act cemented his hero's journey. THE VILLAINS: At first, I was annoyed that Surtur went down like a total bitch at the beginning, but a) I'll allow the excuse that he wasn't at full power, and b) the way he was used as a Chekhov's gun/plot device was a cool idea. Maybe he can come back someday, though that raises the question: is he just floating in space now? Where does he go from, you know, doing his one thing? On the surface, Hela (who I like to call The Goddess of Pointy Objects) is "bloodthirsty warmonger #108", but if you look at her next to the established characters, she's quite interesting. She's what could have been if Odin hadn't set Thor straight in the first movie, and her ways add more depth to Odin's character, paying off all those hints of Odin not being the benevolent king we thought he was. She looked completely unstoppable (none of the heroes technically beat her, and it's up in the air if she even died at the hands of Surtur), and her demeanor was strangely alluring. Hela's a win in Skurge was an interesting one. He's clearly meant to be the enforcer-type character, but it's quite evident that he's conflicted about doing Hela's dirty work. We don't get much of him, but he does get his one moment where he goes Rambo on the undead. OTHER THINGS:
THE AFTER-CREDITS: We get the usual two after-credits scenes. The mid-credits is the big one, as it leads directly into Infinity War. While trying to figure out whether moving the Asgardians to Earth is a good idea, a much larger ship approaches the Asgardian vessel. You just knew shit was about to go down. The post-credits scene is another one of those stingers that's less on lore and more on humor. The Grandmaster's taking his loss in stride, but it looks like he's about to get his just desserts after his shenanigans running Sakaar. He's probably dead, right? VERDICT: I believe the saying goes "third time's the charm." Although some may criticize this movie for being "too funny" (Jesus, have some fun for once, will you?), I would argue that, despite the mile-a-minute laughs, Thor: Ragnarok still has wonderful, poignant character moments. Thor in a (mostly) completely different setting, with a revitalized personality, combined with a fresh hybrid of two seemingly disjoint comic storylines was a complete breath of fresh air. Of course, there were still a ton of missed opportunities, but I'd chalk that up as more of an issue with the previous movies than as an issue with this one. So, the first MCU Rewatch I did leading up to Infinity War ended with this movie. As of next week, I'm diving headfirst into uncharted rewatch territory. Settle in, folks — next Friday, we're going to Wakanda. - end -
0 Comments
I picked up a new graphic novel to read a little while back, and I'm reading it now before I end up putting it off for many months like I used to do. BACKGROUND:
Until a few weeks ago, I didn't know this comic existed. I was just looking around the bargain bin one random day when the striking, yellow Icon logo on this book's spine caught my eye. Icon Comics, for the unfamiliar, is Marvel's label for creator-owned comics. It's the same idea as Image Comics; you own the copyright to the comics you write/draw, but the twist is that, technically, Marvel is publishing your work. A notable comic from the label is Kick-Ass by Mark Millar (great read, by the way). Icon tangent aside, the second thing that caught my eye about the book was the fact that it was hardbound. Unless it's a special collector's edition, or one of those omnibus/"Essentials"-type collections, hardbound graphic novels/collected editions aren't all that common (they're called "trade paperbacks" for a reason). It blew my mind that a book like this was going for less that Php200 at some random-ass store when its original retail value (at least according to the back cover) is $25. I thought, what a steal, and bought it. Of course, it wasn't just the prospect of a great deal that prompted me to buy the book. The last (and perhaps most important) thing I noticed about the book is the name beside the title: Brian Michael Bendis. Yes, the acclaimed writer of Powers, Scarlet, and Brilliant (plus several more comics), co-creator of now-mainstream Marvel characters like Miles Morales and Jessica Jones, and current writer at DC Comics (I think he's writing Superman at the moment). That Brian Michael Bendis. I enjoyed a lot of his work, so it made sense to me to give Goldfish a shot. THE WRITING: If you were hoping that this was a tale about a house pet, or perhaps a comic about a delicious snack, I'm sorry to disappoint. In this case, Goldfish is an alias a con man named David Gold is known by. Dave's spent the better part of a decade away from his old city, but now he's come back to take home his son. The only problem? His son's with his ex-girlfriend, and that ex-girlfriend happens to be the cutthroat kingpin of the entire city. Everything about his old home has changed, and he must come to grips with that on top of his mission. This comic is pretty much a film noir in comic form. Everything's in black and white, the story has a prevalent crime element in it... all it's missing is some sweet voiceover narration. Most of the story is set in the present day, and you start off not really knowing what's going on. As you go along, there are a few flashback scenes that flesh out the main characters, show a bit of their past, and add context to their strained relationships. There aren't a lot of these flashbacks, and a lot of the connections are established implicitly, but strangely enough, I felt like they were sufficient. Other people may not feel the same. A lot of the characters seem cut and dry until you get further into the book. Goldfish just seems like some deceptive asshole until it's revealed why he's come back to his old stomping grounds. His old partner (now police detective) Izzy seems like "generic cop" until you get to the end and discover that he's not as minor a character that the book made him appear to be. Only a handful of characters end up taking center stage, but barring a few exceptions, even the most minor of characters had something interesting to bring to the table. Much like the characters, the story feels like another one-and-done crime story until later on in the book. It seems like another "I gotta take down the kingpin" plot, but then they introduce the kid, tie in the (mostly implicit) pasts between the characters, and set up a few Chekhov's guns that pay off magnificently in the finale. In particular, I thought the finale was brilliant, as not only does a setup from earlier on pay off well, it also blindsided me with a twist I didn't see coming. It helps that the finale was told in a non-linear fashion, which made the twist more impactful. Bendis uses an interesting approach in this comic where he switches from normal comic book storytelling (caption boxes, speech bubbles) to an almost prose-like wall of dialogue. He does this when there are two characters having a long discussion, with the speaker alternating per line. You still get art interspersed between the words, but you'll mostly be reading text. This approach got me to focus more on what was being discussed, which I suppose was the intent. In the bonus content, there's a Goldfish sneak preview comic you can read. On its own, that doesn't sound too mind-blowing, but the real highlight of the bonus content is that Bendis wrote a prose version of said sneak preview. I've seen novelists make the jump from prose to comics before, but I've never seen the reverse. Aside from a few grammatical hiccups, he's not bad at the job. I'm quite curious to see how he'd fare if he wrote a full-length novel. THE ART: I mostly know Brian Michael Bendis as a writer, so imagine my surprise when I discover that he drew this entire comic, too. Well, he drew most of it. The art for this comic is a fascinating blend of normal drawings (Bendis isn't half bad at this, either, though I'd like to see what he could do with a full palette) and black-and-white photos. I didn't see it at first, but after a while, I started noticing that some panels had unusually more detail than others. Bendis goes as far as to embed these photos into drawn sections of the comic; stuff like posters, playing cards, and money look almost jarring next to the decidedly less detailed people and backgrounds they're in. Again, it's an interesting approach, and it's a good way to get a reader to pay attention, or to take a second look. I want to highlight the lettering in this comic, because it is fantastic. For the most part, it's normal lettering (with the occasional size variations and boldface), but at certain moments (e.g. a singer is singing, someone lets out a yell), speech bubbles get infinitely more exciting and use more visually striking fonts. The written sound effects are just as exciting to look at, taking on all sorts of wacky fonts that complement the effects they're depicting. VERDICT: Compared to the likes of Powers or Scarlet, Goldfish doesn't seem to be one of Bendis's most well-known works, and I'd like to change that. Though black-and-white isn't the most dazzling palette out there, Bendis's use of both drawings and photos led to a nonetheless nice-looking comic. And the story, while derivative at the surface, offers a decent amount of nuance and a few surprises of its own. I wouldn't say that this is my favorite Brian Michael Bendis comic (I think that distinction still goes to Scarlet), but I will say that this is one of his more unique offerings. You can read Goldfish on Comixology: https://www.comixology.com/Goldfish/digital-comic/739603?ref=c2VhcmNoL2luZGV4L2Rlc2t0b3Avc2xpZGVyTGlzdC9pdGVtU2xpZGVy - end - We're in the home stretch of the Rewatch, and that means Avengers: Endgame is on the horizon. Let's push forward by celebrating Spidey's glorious return to Marvel Studios with Spider-Man: Homecoming. BACKGROUND:
Remember when they announced that Sony would be sharing the rights to Spider-Man with Marvel Studios, and everyone freaked the fuck out? How about that first look at the web-slinger in the second Civil War trailer? Well, somewhere along that hype train, they announced that Spidey was getting yet another solo movie, but this time, it's set in the MCU. Now, the batting average for Spider-Man movies during this time wasn't great. The Amazing Spider-Man reboot (for as much as I liked Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone in their respective roles) didn't quite live up to the adjective, and like many, I felt like it was too soon for yet another reboot. This skepticism was balanced out by the fact that, this time, the character is in the loving hands of the Marvel Studios folks. Waiting to see this movie was both an exciting and slightly scary time. COMICS TO READ:
MY FAVORITE MOMENTS:
THE EASTER EGGS:
THE HERO: Peter Parker is back, and we get him in all his awkward, teenage glory. We see him in his usual "juggle two identities" antics, sacrificing parts of Peter Parker's life in order to do some good as Spider-Man. He's trying hard to become an Avenger, and his eagerness to please causes him to make mistakes. After Tony takes away his suit, he goes through the very same "it's not the suit that makes the man" epiphany that Tony goes through. Sure, you could make the nitpick that he's a little reliant on Stark tech early on, and that he's missing his trademark "Parker Luck" (he doesn't get into much trouble as he usually does here), but nonetheless, I found his growth as a character enjoyable to watch. Speaking of Tony, his mentor-mentee relationship with Peter was wonderful. It builds on his previous journey of rectifying past mistakes, from small things (Peter's suit has a parachute, for example; don't want a repeat of Rhodey's accident) to the big (encouraging Peter to be better than he ever was). I was initially worried that this movie would become Iron Man 4 and that he'd overshadow Spider-Man, but thankfully, that wasn't the case. THE VILLAIN: In another one of those "the movie does this so much better than the comics", we got the best version of Vulture that I've ever seen. He's no longer a weird old dude with a silly-looking bird costume; he's now a working-class dad who feels slighted by the 1%, looking to provide for his family by any means necessary, and he's got a badass pair of wings on him. It's a backstory that resonates with a lot of people, and it's backed up with the reserved menace that he has about him. Even though his wings give him limited combat capabilities (Falcon could easily smoke him in a fight), he felt like a formidable threat to Spider-Man (formidable enough to beat him, in fact). I don't know who pointed this out to me, but someone made the connection that the "Vulture" moniker works on another level. That is, Vulture lives up to his name as he picks up the scraps of the aftermath of superhero conflicts. This blew my mind the first time I heard it. OTHER THINGS:
THE AFTER-CREDITS: Two stingers, per usual. The first is a scene in prison with Toomes, and, what luck, we run into Mac Gargan again. Toomes shows a bit of character by not selling Spider-Man out, and we get an ominous setup for Scorpion. The second scene is a spin on those Captain America instructional videos we've been seeing throughout the film, and this one's teaching us about patience. It's a brilliant and hilarious dig at the loyal fans who wait until the very end of the credits. The first time I saw this, I can't help but laugh and go, ha ha, you sly motherfuckers. The MCU may not have Deadpool (yet), but it looks like meta humor is alive and well in it. VERDICT: Although one could argue that there are some elements here that are a departure from the Peter Parker we all know and love, Spider-Man: Homecoming is still a magnificent return to form for the character after a few misfires from Sony. I couldn't be happier that he's (sort of) back where he belongs; now, if only we could get Sony to fully relinquish the rights... Next week, we'll be — get this — one month away from Avengers: Endgame. Can you believe it? Also next week: the rewatch nears its end with Thor: Ragnarok. I hope you like Immigrant Song... - end - Unlike most other entries in this series, this blog post isn't tied to any recent builds that I've worked on. However, like most of my build ideas, it came from a random and spontaneous thought. Nearly all of my builds were something I myself thought of building. Whether I was inspired by another build I saw or some form of media I consumed, or I came about a design by experimenting with pieces, or I got a bizarre eureka moment at times when I should really be doing something else (usually sleeping), many of my builds were born inside my shitstorm of a brain. However, there are a few rare exceptions to this fact. The first instance I built something based on someone else's suggestion was around 2014. My build-focused Instagram page was just in its infancy then, but I had been slowly gaining the odd follow here and there, mostly from fellow Lego/Bionicle builders. One of these followers (I don't remember the username anymore; they changed their handle constantly and eventually deactivated, and that was four years ago) ended up taking a liking to my work, going as far as to leave nice comments on my posts (which blew my mind at the time). During my hot streak of building wearable masks, they floated a suggestion towards me: "why not build Master Chief from Halo?" No one's ever really suggested a build to me at this point (other than perhaps the Hidden Blade), so I was kind of taken aback. I've never been told what to build before, and I felt like I had to oblige because this person was uncharacteristically (by Internet standards) nice. I figured, Master Chief's cool, so fuck it, let's try building it. I'm all too familiar with the pressure of having to not disappoint someone (what, too real?), so working on this build was a little more intense than what I was used to. To make things more interesting, I threw in a scaled-down Energy Sword to complement the mask. The kind follower ended up liking the build, and I enjoyed the end result, so I guess it all worked out. As a bonus, my best friend (a huge Halo fan) liked it, too. Other than this one moment, I never really made it my business to take on other people's suggestions. After this one-off, I got exactly two comments from other Instagram followers suggesting their own builds, but I ended up not working on them. It's not because I don't give a shit; I definitely do, because the instant I got those suggestions, I immediately looked up reference photos. It just so happens that the suggestions seem to be beyond what I could pull off with my resources, so I deemed it better to keep the ideas on the backburner than to half-ass an attempt just to pander to people. I still clearly remember those two suggestions after all these years, and I occasionally think about how to go about assembling them (usually to no success). Inspired by those improv drawing shows on YouTube (Drawfee being my favorite of the bunch), I often pondered on the idea of taking build suggestions as a sort of "training" exercise. I enjoyed the spontaneous creativity spurred on by improv comedy, and the fact that the concept could be extended to art (in my case, building) fascinated me. Recalling the earlier incidents of me not being able to execute on a suggestion, actually moving forward with the idea terrified me. What if I can't do it? What if they don't like it? Hell, what if no one humors me? Around mid- to late 2016, some friends of mine set up a Discord server for our circle. We usually spent our time there chatting about whatever, using it to talk when in multiplayer games, and generally just fucking around. At some point, I thought, this is the perfect environment to test out the improv build idea. I went and set up a text channel within the server dedicated to build prompts. They shot an idea, I respond with a picture of the build. Simple enough. Thankfully, my friends didn't think this was dumb as shit, and I got a good number of suggestions. The above images are a few of my favorite builds that came from their suggestions. Considering that these are my friends we're talking about, I got a few suggestions deliberately designed to fuck with me. I also got some super challenging suggestions, some of which still haunt me to this day. Whatever suggestion it ended up being, I had a lot of fun working on all of their suggestions, because a) I get to make something for someone else, b) I invited the challenge of figuring out alternate means to make a suggestion work (e.g. I'm not great at building people, so how do I get around that?) and c) I get to fuck with them back (in build form) if they give me a silly suggestion (my favorite example of this was when someone suggested a John Cena build and I promptly replied with a picture of nothing). The builds, though varying in quality, mean a lot compared to many of my other work, and that's because my friends got to be part of the creative process. It also helps that they all thoroughly enjoyed what I put out. The fun I had tying in my friends to my builds was my primary motivation for starting out the Brickheadz project. I'm hoping to figure out more projects that involve my friends at some point. Unfortunately, we're rarely on the aforementioned Discord server anymore, save for the odd occasion. By extension, the build prompt train is decommissioned. I've been thinking of reviving it in some other form so that it reaches a larger audience of friends (the server rarely had more than six people at a time), but the usual fears of maybe fucking shit up still plague me. In the event that I overcome my dread and follow through with the idea again, I've played around with a couple of ideas to change things up. One idea I'd really like to try out is that instead of suggesting a specific thing, people suggest a theme (e.g. everyday objects, characters, etc.) instead. I'm also toying with the idea of making the entire thing a video series, but that's probably not gonna happen unless I happen upon good recording equipment, and I stop hating the sound of my own voice. Opening build suggestions to strangers is absolutely off the table; I can predict (and am amused by) the fuckery of my friends, but I don't think I can handle anyone outside that. Most strangers who comment on my work are nice, but I'm not taking any chances. I usually build for me, but let it be known that I have built, and do build stuff for other people. I'll also make it clear that in the event that you throw a suggestion my way that I do keep it in mind, even if it ends up seemingly unheeded. Sometimes it just takes a bit of time, brainstorming, and the right pieces to make a build work (the previously mentioned Hidden Blade being a prime example). I appreciate that you have confidence in my ability to make a build happen that you make suggestions; it means a lot more than I make it known.
Even if you aren't in the business of making suggestions, I appreciate you all the same. Whether you like my shit on Instagram, leave a nice comment, read these build-focused blog posts, or even silently scroll past my latest build photo after looking at it for two seconds, the fact that my work means something (even if that something is momentary, or possibly negative) to someone other than myself motivates me to keep building, and heaven knows I need motivation. Lastly, shoutout to the Block 12 Discord. You know who you are. - end - I'm overcome by an indescribable happiness at the moment (a rare feeling for me these days), and it's largely because of a few announcements in Nintendo's latest Nindies Showcase. If you haven't watched it yet, do so below. I'm gonna break it down the usual way:
Overall, I was quite satisfied with this showcase. It helps that it was bookended by two blockbuster announcements in Cuphead and Cadence of Hyrule, but there's certainly stuff in between that piqued my interest (like The Red Lantern and My Friend Pedro). Boy, my wallet's not looking too hot right now...
- end - I told myself that I'd spread out my playtime for this game across the week. I ended up beating it 100% across two days. Why are games so fun? BACKGROUND:
Guacamelee's been on my radar for a long time, which makes sense; it's been around since 2013. I saw its initial release on the PS3, and watched as it got ported (and enhanced) to other shit as the years went on. Despite this, I never really looked into the game, and it took me a while to even find out that it was a Metroidvania. I'm a little ashamed that it took me this long to pull the trigger on it. PLOT: Juan is a simple agave farmer living in Mexico. One day, he heads into town to help out with a festival, and runs into childhood friend/potential love interest Lupita (referred to as "El Presidente's Daughter). Shit immediately goes sideways, as an evil skeleton horseman named Carlos Calaca kidnaps Lupita for some evil ritual. Juan perishes in an attempt to save her, and ends up in the Land of the Dead. There, he meets a mysterious luchadora called Tostada, who grants him a magical luchador mask that grants him powers and essentially resurrects him. From there, he's off to rescue Lupita, and stop Carlos Calaca's bullshit. Ah, the "rescue the damsel" angle. Tale as old as time. The story didn't do anything for me until shit got more over-the-top and silly, and I started encountering more characters. You only get brief glimpses of character from most of the cast throughout the game, but what I saw was enough for me to be, at the very least, charmed by them. The endings are wonderful considering the basic plot, with the "normal" ending feeling somber and bittersweet, while the "true" ending is a typical, but still delightful fairytale ending. The normal ending caught me by total surprise; it's a brilliant subversion of the tired "guy rescues the girl" bullshit. The plot may not be anything new, but what this game excels in is its humor. You've got meta jokes, running gags, visual pop culture/gaming references, punny wordplay, and, best of all, bilingual humor. I know a good amount of Spanish, which allowed me to appreciate a lot of the Easter eggs and some of the wordplay. Of course, it also helps that I was already bilingual to begin with, and have had my fair share of laughs at lost-in-translation humor. PRESENTATION: It's likely that the first thing that grabs your attention about this game is its lovely, very distinct art style. It's got bright, exciting colors, a noticeable lack of black outlines, and an overall angular approach to designs. I can't think of many games that boast such a style. Apart from the obvious Día de los Muertos aesthetic (the serious aspects of which the game isn't shy about diving into), you can really tell how much of this game is inspired by Mexican culture, both old and new. From the overt references to Aztec culture, to the immediately obvious lucha libre theme, to even something minor like referencing how big football is in Mexico, the game feels like a love letter to the rich and colorful history of Mexican culture. As a pro wrestling fan myself, I deeply enjoyed the minor tributes to all things lucha libre, from the graphics at the start of the boss battle (which look like old-timey wrestling posters that have the main event advertised) to the very El Santo/Blue Demon-esque luchador mask Juan wears. There's even a move you can do that's essentially the Frog Splash. ¡Viva la raza! The music is this fascinating blend of mariachi, chiptune, and techno. I don't quite know how that all meshes well, but it does. You even get slight remixes of tracks whenever you're in the Land of the Dead, which was a nice touch. GAMEPLAY: As mentioned before, Guacamelee is a Metroidvania. That means big levels, exploration, backtracking, traversal upgrades, the works. Games under this sub-genre of platformer live and die by these gameplay aspects, and it's safe to say Guacamelee does these things well. Let me elaborate... First off, while the levels aren't quite in the realm of, say, Hollow Knight's colossal "oh god, where do I go?" scale, they are sufficiently expansive. There's a good amount of nooks and crannies that'll have you going "huh, I wonder how you get over there", which is often a sign of a good Metroidvania. Don't worry about missing anything, though, because chests and locked areas will be displayed on the map once you spot them. Collectibles come in the form of health upgrades, stamina upgrades, special currency, and all sorts of abilities. Standard stuff, for the most part. There is a set of six special collectibles you can acquire by taking on some tough challenges and finding some sneaky secrets. I'll get into what the reward for collecting those is in a little bit. There's a good amount of level variety, both in terms of aesthetic and mechanics. You've got rising lava in the volcano level, painful spikes, weird green goop that doesn't damage you but sends you back to the beginning of a room, and more. On their own, the mechanics aren't anything revolutionary in the platformer genre, but one of Guacamelee's signature mechanics helps spice things up. One of the abilities you acquire during your playthrough is the Dimension Swap: it's the ability to instantly travel between the Land of the Living and the Land of the Dead. This adds a sort of Link to the Past vibe to levels, where they each have a "Light World" and "Dark World" equivalent. Not only does this change the aesthetic of the levels, it also changes the layout of some rooms. Platforms or walls that may not exist in the Land of the Living may manifest if you travel to the Land of the Dead, and vice versa. A lot of the technically-demanding platforming sections will require you to switch between the two realms multiple times, often in extenuating circumstances (e.g. in mid-air, or while wall jumping). The Messenger does something similar with the ability to switch between the past and the future, but you could only do it in certain places, unlike here, where you have full control regardless of location. More on The Messenger in a previous blog entry. Just like how Super Metroid has the Space Jump, or how Hollow Knight has the Crystal Dash, you're gonna need some sweet abilities to help you on your platforming journey. You've got wall jumps, double jumps, wall runs, and a super dash. Again, nothing too revolutionary, but in addition to these, you've also got Special Moves. It works a lot like Smash Bros., where you input the button + a specific direction. For example, Up Special is called the Rooster Uppercut, which works like typical Smash up-b moves in that it's essentially an extra jump. In terms of exploration and platforming, these Special Moves are mostly needed to break colored blocks that are obstructing your path. They are colored based on the Special Move you need to use to break them (e.g. Rooster Uppercut breaks red blocks). It's Guacamelee's version of how, in Metroid, you need missiles to open pink doors, Power Bombs to open orange doors, etc. It's important to remember that Special Moves can't be used infinitely; you only have a set number of uses depending on how much Stamina you have. Apart from certain situations, not having enough Stamina won't get you into too much trouble, but it's often a good idea to hold off on using Special Moves unless you really have to. Once you get into the more execution-heavy areas of the game, the way all these mechanics come together make for a satisfying platforming experience. There are a number of particularly challenging levels in the game that is exemplary of this fact; there's one that required me to use multiple Special Moves in quick succession, and another that required perfectly timed Dimension Swaps in addition to perfectly spaced wall jumps. The game never reaches Celeste levels of "Jesus Christ, you have to be a fucking supercomputer to beat this level", but Guacamelee presents a decent amount of challenge. You also have the ability to turn into a chicken, which a) is hilarious, and b) is the equivalent of Metroid's Morph Ball, allowing you to squeeze through small spaces and get around. And yes, you lay exploding eggs. Flying is unfortunately not in the chicken's repertoire, unless you acquire the aforementioned special collectibles, in which case you can say "fuck you" to the game and just fly through all the difficult parts. Guacamelee does platforming well, but it isn't the only thing it does well. The combat in this game is pretty solid. If you've played beat-'em-ups like Double Dragon or Streets of Rage, Guacamelee's combat works much like that. You walk up to an enemy, and you beat the shit out of them. At the start, you have a basic, three-hit standing combo, a similar aerial combo, an uppercut that launches enemies in the air (not unlike Mortal Kombat), and a downward strike you can perform if you're in the air. Yet again, it's basic stuff, but shit will get exciting soon, I promise. In addition to strikes, you can also throw enemies. Once you hit them a certain amount of times, a prompt will appear that'll allow you to pick them up. From there, you have two options: hold a direction and throw them that way, or hold a direction + a button, and perform a powerful wrestling move on them. I mostly used the wrestling move option, as landing suplexes and piledrivers, in addition to dishing out massive damage, has an area of effect that helps deal with multiple enemies. It's also just fun to piledriver a motherfucker into the ground. Remember those Special Moves I talked about? You can use them in combat, too! They are what really spice up the combat, because you can pull off some fighting game-ass combos if you chain a bunch of them together. And not only are they flashy and powerful, you also need to use them judiciously in the late game, as enemies start to have color-coded shields (not unlike the barriers you encounter when exploring) you have to break with the corresponding Special Move before you can start damaging them. You also have access to a dodge roll, which allows you to tank a couple of hits, move a little quicker (usually for the purpose of extending your combo) and even help in certain platforming sections. This dodge can also be used in the air, though this is more useful in the platforming aspect in situations where you need to cross walls of thorns. Enemies come in varying degrees of bullshit. You've got basic fodder, enemies with projectiles (important to note: you have no projectile attacks), enemies that fly (often out of reach), giant enemies with a sweetspot you need to hit in order to damage them, enemies with "unblockable" attacks (i.e. you can't dodge roll out of them), and more. On their own, you'll kick the shit out of them just fine, but it gets challenging when you're trapped in a battle arena, and you have to think about which enemy to kill first before you get swarmed. Shit gets even more serious when enemy shields come into the picture, especially when enemies have different colored shields. When things get tough, though, you've got an equalizer mechanic in the form of Intenso. In addition to health and Stamina, you also have an Intenso meter on your HUD. To fill it up, you beat up enemies, and once it's full enough, you can unleash Intenso, which supercharges your attacks and allows you to rip through hordes of enemies with ease. If you keep landing hits, the Intenso meter refills, allowing you to keep the onslaught going until everyone is dead. It's a great desperation tool, plus it's got the added bonus in that you can switch on and off Intenso mode at will, so that you can conserve meter until you absolutely need it. Throughout your journey, you'll acquire two types of currency: gold and silver. You primarily get gold by killing enemies, and gold is used to buy passive upgrades (health, Stamina, buffs to Intenso, buffs to your wrestling moves, etc.). Unfortunately, gold is easy to come by, and you'll soon find yourself completely upgraded, with nothing else to spend the gold on. Silver, on the other hand, is used to buy costumes. Other than being cool to look at, these costumes have special abilities, but at the cost of certain stats. For example, the Piñata costume gives you the neat bonus of collecting more gold, but in exchange, you take significantly more damage. They're great if you want an extra challenge, or need a certain buff, but otherwise, you'll beat the game just fine without them. Other than the main story, there's not much else to do other than to 100% the game. This means collecting all the shit, doing all the sidequests (of which there are few, but are nevertheless funny and entertaining), and completing all the challenge levels in El Infierno (AKA Hell). According to my in-game time, doing all of this took a little over 11 hours, which is a bit on the short side. Beating the game once unlocks Hard Mode, so if you're into that, well, there you go. VERDICT: What it may lack in content, length, or a substantial, non-cliché story, Guacamelee more than makes up for with pretty much everything else. It's a successful marriage of both the Metroidvania and the beat-'em-up genres, providing both great platforming and fun combat. Combined with a striking art style, unique music, mile-a-minute humor, and an overall reverence to Mexican culture, it's a fantastic package of a game. I can't believe it took me about six years to finally get around to playing it. Now, you may have noticed the "Super Turbo Championship Edition" subtitle. I have no idea what the difference is between this and the original game, but all I know is that this version comes with the previously released DLC. If you're looking to get the game, the STCE is probably the way to go. Speaking of getting the game, here it is on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/275390/Guacamelee_Super_Turbo_Championship_Edition/ If you want to listen to the soundtrack, here's the album on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6ZCBOGwzBVN5l9xoX12j32 - end - Barring some stupid shit, I had a pretty good week last week (a painfully rare occurrence), and it so happened that something unbelievably hype also dropped during said week. I'll be reading five comics again today, and the theme ties into that hype. THE THEME: A few days ago, the second trailer for Avengers: Endgame dropped (from outta nowhere, no less). I've already spent my share combing through the video frame by frame as if it's the goddamn Zapruder film, so I thought it'd be better to keep the hype going by reading five Avengers titles this week. As for the theme title, it's the iconic battle cry of the Avengers! So iconic, in fact, that it hasn't been uttered once in the MCU (and no, Age of Ultron doesn't count). I'm hoping we hear Cap yell it in Endgame, and if he does, I'll yell so loud in the cinema that I'll get kicked out. THE COMICS: ![]() AVENGERS (1998–2004) #1 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Kurt Busiek Artists: George Perez, Al Vey - In the aftermath of the Onslaught comic event of the mid-'90s, many Marvel heroes were killed off. This issue comes a little while after that, with a massive (and I mean massive) roster of Avengers coming together after a series of attacks break out across the world. The imminent threat may be gravely serious, because as it turns out, Asgard's been decimated, and the Twilight Sword is missing. Quite eventful for a first issue. - Comixology link ![]() AVENGERS STANDOFF: ASSAULT ON PLEASANT HILL ALPHA #1 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Nick Spencer Artist: Jesus Saiz - The Avengers aren't quite here in this one, but this comic is still a good read on its own. It's about a little town called Pleasant Hills, and how it's not as it seems. Features Maria Hill being a jerk, a very old Steve Rogers, and a few plot points that are vital to a certain controversial storyline from a few years ago. Not only is this comic a setup to the larger Avengers: Standoff! event, it's also a good jumping-in point if you're interested in reading Secret Empire or exploring the divisive rabbit hole that is Cap as a HYDRA agent. - Comixology link ![]() AVENGERS/INVADERS (2008–2009) #1 Publisher: Marvel Writers: Jim Krueger, Alex Ross Artist: Steve Sadowski - The Invaders, Marvel's heroes from World War II, find themselves transported to present day. Everyone is understandably confused. Features amazing Alex Ross cover art (which is redundant; any cover art by Alex Ross should be understood as amazing). - Comixology link ![]() AVENGERS/CAPTAIN AMERICA (FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2018) Publisher: Marvel Writers: Jason Aaron (Avengers), Ta-Nehisi Coates (Captain America) Artists: Sara Pichelli (Avengers), Leinil Francis Yu (Captain America) - Like most FCBD titles, this is a preview for a couple of upcoming comics for the year. The Avengers preview was neat, as it uses the threads established in the Avengers 1,000,000 BC storyline to set up a new story for the present day. The Captain America preview sets up a new enemy for Cap to face, after the whole Secret Empire brouhaha. - FREE on Comixology ![]() I AM AN AVENGER (2010–2011) #1 Publisher: Marvel Writers: various Artists: various - A collection of short stories featuring Earth's Mightiest Heroes. This particular issue features the Young Avengers heading to the Avengers mansion, Misty Knight and Iron Fist in a kinda sad story (which is par for the course for the pair), a super short Squirrel Girl comic, and a hilarious Pet Avengers strip. - Comixology link Even with this and the weekly MCU rewatch, it's becoming increasingly difficult to whet my appetite for Avengers: Endgame. April can't come fast enough! PANEL(s) OF THE WEEK: - end -
I'm back from the Captain Marvel hype train, and with that, the Rewatch must return. And what an opportune time to come back as well, with the second Avengers: Endgame trailer having just dropped yesterday. If I wasn't hyped before (note: I very much was), I'm certainly hyped now. Can you believe we're only six weeks away from Endgame? I couldn't believe it either. That also means we're six rewatches until the Rewatch is complete. Let's start the countdown with the second Guardians of the Galaxy movie. BACKGROUND:
To this day, I am still in awe at the breakout success of Guardians of the Galaxy at the box office. These characters went from virtually unknown to household names in record time. Now that they were established in the mainstream, I was personally excited to see how they'd go in the sequel. How many more obscure characters and concepts from the cosmic side of the MCU are they gonna throw in? Will there ever be a reference to the original Guardians apart from Yondu? The comic book regions of my brain raced with possibilities. Another thing I (and many other people, I'm sure) was excited for was the prospect of these characters crossing over with the greater MCU. Apart from the obvious Thanos and Infinity Gem connections, the first GotG was mostly a standalone affair, so the hopes that there are gonna be more substantial tie-ins to the Earth side of things were quite high, if a bit farfetched. COMICS TO READ:
MY FAVORITE MOMENTS:
THE EASTER EGGS:
THE HEROES: While some of the cast get individual character moments, the primary focus of the movie seems to be on family, and the bonds between the Guardians. Between Quill and Gamora's blossoming relationship, Nebula and Gamora's sisterhood, Drax and Mantis's bond, and more, you get moments big and small to highlight how much these guys have grown to care for each other. Quill gets a lot to work with, between coming to grips with who his father is, his Celestial heritage (which is promptly removed so he doesn't kick Thanos's ass), and how all of that comes between his newfound family in the Guardians. Again, we don't see much of Rocket's backstory, but how he grows as a character here is great enough that I don't really mind. Seeing him go from general dickishness to having a moment of introspection and realizing that he's not as heartless as he plays himself off to be was fascinating to watch. Groot gets to be a lovable oaf again, except he's tiny and cute. Neat. Drax sadly gets the short end of the stick and is relegated to comic relief, but he does get a brief moment where you see a hint of the tragedy that befell him and his family. Not that I don't appreciate Batista's knack for humor, but I really wish they'd explore that more instead of lame sex jokes. Mantis makes her debut in this movie, and she's this cute, innocent, and silly minor character that I quickly took a liking to. At first, I was concerned at how she had no combat prowess (she knows martial arts in the comics), but seeing how they managed to use her powers in a combat situation quickly alleviated my concerns. I'm happy she's here, and I hope to see her grow more as a character. However, I think the star of the show is Yondu. We finally get some context as to why he takes Quill in GotG 1, and we get a substantial payoff for his throwaway line on how Quill's dad is an asshole. Turns out Yondu had a heart of gold after all, and his decision to keep Quill for himself wasn't an act of selfishness. We see him gradually come to terms with his many mistakes (even drawing an interesting parallel between himself and Rocket) and redeeming himself at the very end with his sacrifice. As much as I would've liked to see more of him, the funeral scene is a testament to how his arc in this movie is near perfect, and I wouldn't change a thing. THE VILLAINS: Though it's very clear that Ego is the main villain of the movie, the slow burn from "he's kind of a cool dude" to "oh god, no" was quite enjoyable. The chilling shot of the bones of all his children, to the reveal of the hand he had in the death of Quill's mother gave the pretty telegraphed twist more impact than it should have. Sure, his endgame wasn't too compelling (an obsession with becoming the only thing in the universe, hence the name), but other than that, I enjoyed the character. There was also the typical, not-like-the-comics brouhaha of why Ego wasn't a talking planet (he's literally a planet with a face in the comics), but having a sort of human avatar for Ego to talk through made things a bit more personal and helped me connect more with the character. I don't think learning that Ego killed Quill's mom would've had the same emotional impact if it had been a giant planet with a face telling Quill that instead of Kurt Russell. Nebula gets the character development she sorely lacked in the first movie. Between fleshing out her relationship with Gamora and making clear her feelings towards Thanos, she got plenty to work with. She even gets a few heroic moments by the end, cementing a face turn once the movie reaches it denouement. It got me really excited to see what role she'd play in Infinity War. The Sovereign served nothing more than to be nuisances in this movie, which is kinda lame. Maybe they'll get their day in the sun in the sequel (that may or may not happen). OTHER THINGS:
THE AFTER-CREDITS: We get not one, not two, but five short stingers strewn about the credits. Settle in, folks; I'm talking about all of them. The first sees Kraglin screwing around with Yondu's arrow. It ends well as you'd expect. I found it hilarious. Second, we see some of the Ravager captains reunite as a team. As I've said before, these guys are the Guardians of the Galaxy team that predated Quill and co. in the comics. This had me excited at the prospect of seeing them again in a sequel in some capacity. I was most excited for the third scene. It features Ayesha decidedly miffed with her encounters with the Guardians. We then see a cocoon of sorts (at this point, I was already suspicious of what this reveal might be), and to put the nail in the coffin, she drops a name for whatever (or whoever) is meant to come out of the cocoon: Adam. No doubt, this was a setup to Adam Warlock, a character who is notably absent in the build to the Infinity War movie (he's a pivotal character in the Infinity Gauntlet, Infinity Crusade, and Infinity War comics). In the fourth scene, Quill deals with being a parent to a moody teenage Groot. Cute. The fifth and final scene shows us a continuation of the Stan Lee cameo. I love this cameo a lot. It's the perfect blend of tongue in cheek and paying reverence to the source material. VERDICT: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is as sequel as a sequel can get. It doubles down on what made the first one so great, so it ends up feeling more of the same, with the added bane of some of the jokes not quite sticking the landing, and a pretty standard third act. Nevertheless, the variety of character moments (especially for Gamora and Nebula, who I thought didn't get much in GotG 1) made this movie more than worth the trouble. There's some neat superhero action in there, but what I love most about this one is all the character stuff, hands down. We're back in the full swing of rewatches! Speaking of "swing", tune in next week for Spider-Man: Homecoming! - end - I almost forgot that this was coming today, but I fortunately saw the update notification on my Switch. We've got all-new games in the NES Online library to play! THE GAMES: ![]() KID ICARUS - If you don't know what game Pit and Palutena in Smash Bros. came from, this is their game of origin. It's a little different from typical platformers, as most of its levels are more vertical than horizontal. It also features a more RPG-esque element in that you can use the hearts that enemies drop as currency to buy things. The game's quite challenging, and the controls aren't the best, but it's worth checking out on the merit of its cult classic status. ![]() STARTROPICS - StarTropics is much like the first Zelda in many respects; it's a top-down adventure game where you traverse through dungeons, solve puzzles, and defeat enemies. It's also got elements of Zelda II, as it has an overworld you navigate from level to level. I'd only seen very little of this game until today, and having played it now, I'm kinda miffed I didn't discover it sooner. The story is simple, but the gameplay is fantastic. Hell, it looks great for an NES game. Per usual, we get two new SP games on top of the new additions: ![]() KIRBY'S ADVENTURE SP - Unlocks the Extra Mode off the bat, which is essentially hard mode. It's a quick way to play the mode without having to beat the main game 100% (it's more challenging than it sounds), which is nice. Extra Mode itself is no joke; having only 3HP instead of the usual 6 doesn't sound as bad until you get your ass rocked. ![]() ZELDA II: THE ADVENTURE OF LINK SP - The same game, except all your stats are fully upgraded, you have every spell unlocked, and you can do the up-air and down-air attack right off the bat. Unlocking all that shit normally is pretty hard, so having it in the early game and destroying the first few palaces was quite cathartic. March brought us a solid pair of new games, and two SP games that I actually appreciate, but I'm starting to feel that NES Online's about to reach the bottom of the barrel. We're only missing a few well-known NES games at this point (Contra and Punch-Out come to mind), but I think those games are coming sooner than later. After that, what then? More SP games?
I also wish they would localize some of the Japan-exclusive shit (Switch Online users in Japan can play the first Fire Emblem right now) so I don't have to make an alt account just to download the region-exclusive Famicom Online. If they really want to continue expanding the NES Online library, this idea may be worth considering, but I wouldn't hold my breath. - end - It's a brand new week, and my quest to clear my backlogs pushes forward. This week, I have five more comics to share with you. Today's theme may not be too obvious at first glance, but rest assured it will all make sense. THE THEME: A couple of weeks ago, the Oscars took place. Normally, I don't give a shit about it, but there's one category that does interest me: the award for Best Animated Film. This year, the award went to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which was absolutely well-deserved, considering how amazing that movie was. I already talked about Into the Spider-Verse in a previous blog post, so I'm going to spare you the pain of reading through my ramblings on it a second time. To tie into this momentous occasion, this week's collection of comics feature Marvel's other web-slingers. Peter Parker will have his day in the sun again in the future, but for today, the other Spideys get to enjoy the spotlight. THE COMICS: ![]() BEN REILLY: THE SCARLET SPIDER (2017–2018) #1 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Peter David Artist: Mark Bagley - The Clone Saga is probably the most controversial Spider-Man storyline ever, and Ben Reilly, the man who is known as the Scarlet Spider, is one of the big reasons behind the controversy. He's not causing too much drama in this comic, though, as he's mostly starting a new adventure in Las Vegas after the events of The Clone Conspiracy. - Comixology link ![]() SILK (2015–2017) #1 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Robbie Thompson Artist: Stacey Lee - Along with the likes of Ghost-Spider/Spider-Gwen and Kamala Khan, Silk is one of my favorite comic characters to make a debut within the past five years, and it's not just because she has a badass-looking costume. In this comic, she does some undercover work while trying to figure out a mystery involving her brother. I liked the interior art, but the cover art stood out to me more. - Comixology link ![]() SPIDER-GIRL (1998–2006) #1 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Tom DeFalco Artist: Pat Oliffe - In an alternate universe, Peter and MJ have a teenage daughter named May, and she inherited her father's powers. She goes through the same power/responsibility struggle as Peter here, debating whether to not use her powers as her parents wish, or to embrace her capacity for good and become a hero. - Comixology link ![]() ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN (2009–2012) Publisher: Marvel Writer: Brian Michael Bendis Artist: David Lafuente - OK, so technically, this Spidey is Peter Parker, but the key difference is that he's the Spider-Man of the Ultimates Universe, the very same universe where this very Spider-Man dies and Miles Morales takes his place. This comic is sort of a retrospective on Spidey's career long before he dies in this universe. - Comixology link ![]() WEB WARRIORS (2015–2016) #1 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Mike Costa Artist: David Baldeon - If you liked the Spider-Verse movie, you might like this one. It features a team of Spider-folks traveling to and from dimensions, defending those without a Spider-person. They visit a particularly fun dimension in this issue. - Comixology link Thus concludes my look into a selection of Marvel's many Spider-people. There's a shit ton more of Spideys that aren't covered here (Spider-Man 2099, SP//dr, to name just a few), so if you want to see more alternate Spider-heroes, your journey's just begun! PANEL OF THE WEEK: - end -
Card games are fun. From the traditional games you can play with a deck of 52, to stuff like Yu-Gi-Oh!, I'll give any of them a chance. Today, I gave another card game a chance, but the twist is that it's on a game console. BACKGROUND: I saw the game on sale for a hefty markdown on the Switch eShop. I thought it looked interesting, so I bought it with the extra Gold Points I had on my account. Other than that, I don't know shit about this game. PLOT: The game is set in a wasteland constantly ravaged by the Frost, an unstoppable snowstorm. People have learned to adapt to the harsh environment, but their end goal is to reach the Refuge, a promised land where the Frost is said to never go. There's nothing else in terms of story aside from the setting, which mostly exists to add context to what you're playing. You do get a few characters here and there who have a smidge of personality, but there isn't really much to go on to really endear you to them. PRESENTATION: The first thing that struck my fancy with this game was its art style. It's sort of this rough sketch style with minimal use of color, against a snowy white background. It's no Sistine Chapel, but there's a certain charm and beauty to the conservative style. You won't get in the much of music other than ambient tracks and eerie sound effects. The reserved soundtrack helps hammer in the loneliness (and the terror) of the wastelands you're navigating. Now, you may be thinking that this game would be unpleasant to play at night with its bright-ass background. Worry not, there's a night mode that inverts the colors so your eyes aren't incinerated when you're playing it in bed. GAMEPLAY: If my opening paragraph doesn't already give it away, Frost is a card game. More specifically, it's a deck-building card game. As the name implies, the key to success is, well, building your deck. "But Derryck", you may ask, "don't most card games already have decks set up before the game?" That, curious reader, is the key difference: in deck-building card games, constructing your deck is something you do during the game, not before it. I recognize that this distinction may not make sense, but I'll do my best to explain it. Also, if I've piqued your interest in deck-building card games, I've written a bonus section at the end to help you get your journey started. Anyway, let's continue. As established in the premise, the goal of the game is to escape the Frost and reach the Refuge. To help accomplish this goal, you'll have access to an assortment of cards that'll aid you in your journey. Like any deck-building card game, the most important cards at the beginning are the resource cards. These are divided into Food, Materials (I call it wood because the symbol is a log), and Survivors. You have a starting deck with a few of these resources to get your game started, and if you want to survive, you'll have to, well, build your deck and acquire more resource cards. The primary function of the resource cards is to get you past Regions. Every turn, you'll arrive at a Region, and to progress to the next one, you must meet the resource requirements to get out of said Region. For example, you may need to play 2 Food, 3 Materials, and 1 Survivor cards to exit the first Region. Getting past Regions is the key to winning the game; there's a counter labeled "Distance Left" on the left side of the screen, which is essentially the number of Regions remaining before you reach the Refuge. Get that counter to zero and you'll have completed a run of the game. As I said, you only have a limited amount of cards to start with, so what happens if you don't have enough resources to make it past a Region? That's where the Survivor cards come in. While their primary purpose is that of a resource, Survivors have the added ability to scavenge for resources; scavenging allows you to acquire more resource cards to expand your deck. Be wary, however; scavenging won't always end in success. Sometimes, you'll get a Fatigue card, which is completely useless and only serves to limit your options if you have them in your hand. Worse, your Survivor may straight up die, which means you're one Survivor short. In addition to progressing the game, resources can be used to buy Idea cards. Idea cards are like the special action cards of this game, and they allow you to perform all sorts of unique actions (e.g. draw x amount of cards, x% chance of acquiring this resource if played, etc.). While some Idea cards can be played right out of your hand, others require an activation cost. What this means is that you have to spend a resource (on top of what you paid to put the card in your deck) in order to actually perform the card's action. There are even some cards that do different things whether or not you pay the activation cost. It may be tempting to hoard all the resources, but these Idea cards may spell the difference between life or death for you in a game, so it's not a bad idea to take these cards into consideration. You have a choice of two Idea cards each time you enter a new Region, and this count is added by one for each turn you spend in said Region (up to a maximum of five). In addition to Idea cards, there are also Event cards, which are events that occur every time you enter a new Region. Some of these events are good, like Events that allow you to trade for resources. Others are bad, like wolves or cannibals, and you need to pay certain resources to get past them. If you don't handle these bad events, you will either take damage (and if you take enough hits, it's game over), or you'll have to sacrifice one of your Survivors. The game will not show you mercy if you've gotten your ass beat by back-to-back shitty events, so you'll have to factor in potential dangers in future turns when playing cards or spending resources. Bad Event cards aren't the only threat you'll encounter in the game. You also have to worry about the eponymous Frost, which is a constant danger that you need to outrun. There's a Frost counter in the corner of the screen, functioning like a countdown timer that tells you how close the end is. Progressing through Regions pushes that counter up by one, giving you some time to breathe. However, if you aren't able to play enough resources to move past your current Region, you'll have to end your turn, and that counter goes down one tick. You better hope you get the cards you need on your next draw, because if you hit zero, you'll meet a chilling end. Unlike Event card threats or resource droughts, there is no stopping the Frost. There's no Swords of Revealing Light to slow it down, or a Mirror Force to send it back. It is the one threat above all that you need to escape, and there's no card to stop it. You'll often find yourself in do-or-die situations where the Frost is one turn away from reaching you, and you have to make a hard choice of, say, playing your last Food card to escape the danger. There are also other mechanics to take into account, like the Rest option (skip a turn and discard your cards in order to get rid of Fatigue cards), Terror cards (a special type of Fatigue card that instantly kills you if you get three of them), special resources (like weapons, which allow you to kill hostile Events), and temperature (each Region has a certain "temperature", which affects how many cards you have in your hand while in that Region). Does all this seem like a lot? It does, doesn't it? Despite this overwhelming amount of information, the game has an effective tutorial, uses intuitive symbols and card layouts to communicate stuff like cost or function, and you can always view card information on the fly, so even if the game throws something at you that you've never seen before, you can probably figure it out in a matter of seconds. You have access to a variety of difficulties: Easy, Medium, and Hard. Easy comes with a nifty resource counter that helps you manage your resources, but you don't have access to this in higher difficulties. I haven't unlocked Hard mode yet, but it's probably safe to assume that it would take longer to beat (i.e. you need to travel a greater distance than easier difficulties). In addition to these, there's also an Endless mode, which is mostly for high score runs. In addition to the regular game, you can also play Scenarios. Scenarios are the same game, but with slightly altered rulesets. For example, the Meditator scenario gets rid of the Frost mechanic, and the objective is to merely get past 50 Regions. Not only do these Scenarios feature unique, challenging gameplay rules that make an already engaging game even more interesting, they also feature different character abilities based on whose Scenario you're playing. To use the same example, the Meditator character has access to an ability which allows you to get rid of Fatigue cards in exchange for food. Beating these Scenarios unlocks the character in the regular game, which means you can use their abilities for normal runs. VERDICT: Though decidedly minimalist when it comes to sounds and visuals, Frost's depth is found in its challenging card-based gameplay. There are a plethora of cards and mechanics to figure out, and I was completely engrossed with exploring turn-by-turn tactics and overall strategies. The replay value is fantastic, between the variety of difficulty options, a selection of clever alternate rulesets, and the innate randomness that all card games provide. I don't think I'm gonna be quitting this game anytime soon. Frost is available on every current-gen console, but you can also pick it up in the following: DECK-BUILDING CARD GAMES:
Frost isn't the first deck-building card game I've played. That honor goes to Dominion, the game that is credited for starting the genre. My uncle owned a box set (with a couple of expansions to boot), and I had a blast playing it with him and my brother. I haven't seen one in stores yet, but it's probably a safe bet to say they're sold wherever trading cards and/or board games are sold. I'm thinking of picking up a set of my own. If you want to get into deck-building card games, what better place to start than the progenitor of the genre? So Frost isn't my first game, but is it my second? Nope. The second deck-building card game I ever played was Ascension: Chronicle of the Godslayer. I discovered it shortly after my uncle introduced me to Dominion, which is a testament to how quickly and effectively the idea of deck builders captivated me. My search to find a game similar to Dominion led me to Ascension, and boy did I play the shit out of it. I even got a friend to play it, and he was hooked. Unlike Dominion, Ascension is a little easier to get a hold of. It's free to play on mobile, and it's a little easier to figure out. Go play if you want to have a proper understanding of how a deck-building card game. Who knows, maybe you'll enjoy it as much as I did? Here are links to download Ascension: Chronicle of the Godslayer based on your platform: - end - Whereas most of the builds I've covered here have either been builds of a certain type or ideas I have iterated and improved on over the years, today's topic will be slightly different. The build I'll be discussing today was a one-and-done project I worked on almost five years ago that I never thought of revisiting until very recently. Before I proceed, here's a reference image of what Unown's many forms look like, in case you are not well-versed in the world of Pokémon. Have fun comparing and contrasting the official artwork with my builds. The Unown Alphabet was the first proper instance of me taking on a massive build project focused around a theme. Most of the time, my builds are one-offs; they're not related to anything else I've worked on in a thematic sense, and are made independent of previous build ideas (barring taking inspiration from older builds from a design/assembly standpoint). While I have done an occasional series of builds that fit a singular theme (e.g. a claw build to complement my Black Panther mask build, or a series of pixel art mosaics I made of all the items in Super Mario Bros.), or builds of the same nature (wearable masks or pixel art mosaics, for instance), none were on the scale of "I'm gonna build 20+ things all fitting the same theme back to back." Apart from the Brickheadz project (which you can now view in its entirety here, or by clicking on Project Voodoo in the navigation bar), I've never subjected myself to a building gauntlet of this magnitude ever since. I'm a huge Pokémon fan, and I've always wanted to work on a Pokémon build. Other than the occasional pixel art and two major, yet unrefined attempts, I could never quite capture the signature designs of the damn things. I often found myself going through the PokéDex, looking for a Pokémon design that I could maybe pull off with Lego bricks. I eventually got a eureka moment while playing around with some pieces; I had constructed something that felt very reminiscent of Unown's single eye. With that as a base, I got right to work. As you can see in the above image, I did the best I could to capture the designs of each Unown form. I used a wide variety of black pieces to achieve all the shapes, but due to the nature of some of the pieces I used, a few Unown ended up looking less refined than others. The Z, for example, looks wonderfully clean, as opposed to, say, the H, which very clearly looks like a disjointed amalgam of pieces. I also had issues with building curves (a common Lego problem), and capturing a proper sense of scale (e.g. the G looks comically large compared to the other Unown) and proportion (the O's form doesn't have a uniform width throughout). Despite these problems I encountered, I was still mostly satisfied with the end result. This project also took several hours (taking into account idle time where I was brainstorming designs), so I didn't feel a strong desire to change shit around or completely rebuild something from scratch by the end of the build session. Unlike other projects, like the Infinity Gauntlet or the Cyclops visor, this wasn't one of those build ideas I ever felt compelled to revisit for whatever reason. Perhaps I felt like I couldn't improve upon the builds with the pieces I had? I'm not quite sure. In any case, the desire to revisit the idea came about somewhat recently, when I was looking through photos of old builds. I had resolved to check out builds from years ago in hopes of creating improved versions based on the initial concept, and I thought that the Unown Alphabet was a great place to start. The first thing I did was improve the design of the eye. Now, I recognize how stupid that sounds, but as good as the first eye looked, I wasn't quite satisfied with the pieces I used to construct it. I used the exact same white piece for the sclera, but I used all-new pieces for the pupil and the eye socket. Compared to the original eye, it doesn't look all that different, but it feels a lot more polished. The main challenge of the build, like last time, was to capture the shape of each Unown. My use of different black pieces led to clunky, jagged appearances for some of the Unown, so I decided to use a single piece type across all the builds: the beam piece. These are Lego Technic pieces that have pin holes all over them, and they come in all sorts of lengths. Although curves were still a little tough to pull off with these beams (some of the Unown look a tad more angular than I would've wanted), the overall result looked much cleaner. Using a specific, limited set of pieces was very challenging, but in my doing so, the Unown all have a sort of homogeneous aesthetic, making them really appear like they are of the same species. In addition, using/reusing the same set of pieces helped me get a handle of the scale of each Unown, and I no longer had to worry about uneven proportions throughout each of their designs. I still think I may have missed the mark a little with some of the sizes here and there, but there's nothing that looks completely off. I did have to use pieces other than beams to achieve the look I wanted in a few of the Unown, but these instances were rare, and I made it a point to at least use pieces that had about the same width as the beams, as to not interfere with the overall aesthetic. For the first Unown Alphabet, I simply took pictures of them resting on the floor against a white background. I decided to change that as well in this iteration by displaying them upright against a wall. This was a challenge in itself, because majority of the Unown designs couldn't stand on their own, or even lean against the wall in a stable fashion. My solution was to build a sort of display stand, and for most of the Unown, this was sufficient. For others, I had to attach an extra beam piece to the entire build and simply hold the Unown up while I take the picture. This was a less elegant solution, and you'll likely notice that extra beam jutting out of the main build. A few letters, like the A or the Y, only needed minimal assistance to stand upright. If you know your Pokémon, you'll notice that my first go at the Unown Alphabet isn't 100% complete. That's because I deliberately decided to skip the ! and ? forms of Unown. Unlike the letters, these Unown have half-closed (or half-open, if you're an optimist) eyes, and at the time, I didn't know how to pull off this look. It took me a fair bit of experimentation, but I managed to figure that mystery out, so Mk. 2 of the Unown Alphabet features the entire Unown family! In case you want to view the Unown individually, I've set up a story highlight on my Instagram. You can take a look at that here. Revisiting the Unown Alphabet ended up being a ton of fun, especially with the added challenge of using only one type of piece (for the most part) to form the body. I'm not sure if I'll ever do a Mk. 3, but if I do, I'll try going about it by using an entirely different piece type, and see if I get better results. Maybe I'll experiment with scale as well, and try to go bigger/smaller. As always, there'll be more builds to come, and you know where to see them. I'm thinking of revisiting more of my old builds; maybe there's something on there you want to see me try again? Before I go, I'll leave you with a few bonus images. These were the two previous attempts at building other Pokémon that I mentioned earlier. Take a guess as to who they are. - end -
I've been debating for the past week and a half on whether or not to write this. On one hand, it might help ease my grief, so I don't spend this day moping around like I usually do. On the other, it may prove too much for me. Guess we'll find out, right? My dad died of cancer ten years ago on this day. Now, this is something my friends know about me at this point, but it isn't something I bring up in conversation often, if at all ("hey, my dad is dead" isn't exactly an effective icebreaker). Understandably, my friends are reluctant to ask about it. I figured, it's been ten years, fuck it. I've never been the most forthcoming when it came to deeply personal matters (for various reasons), and I feel like I owe something to these people who (for some twisted reason) still give a shit about me. So, uh, here goes... I looked up to my dad. To me, he's the smartest person I've ever known (probably still is, honestly). He was a wizard with tech and electronics, had an impressive mind for business (mostly with respect to investing in stocks), had a knack for handyman shit, and was always three steps ahead with a lot of things. He also incredibly hardworking, diligent, excited to learn new things, and always approached things with a logical eye, which was probably one of the most important things he ever taught me. I've always tried to emulate him in many of these respects. Clearly, I'm not even close. He's also largely responsible for a lot of the interests I have today. He bought me most of my Lego sets (usually when he came home from an overseas business trip or something). The science books I read when I was little were his. I marathoned Star Wars and Lord of the Rings with him (OK, I fell asleep during the latter, but it counts). I watched plenty of TV with him, too (most notably, the Justice League cartoons, Mythbusters, and CSI). He introduced me to comics (via adaptations, mostly). He got me into gaming by picking up the PS2 and a Nintendo DS (among other things). I wouldn't be the fucking loser geek I am today without him, and I'll always be grateful for all the cool shit he's exposed me to. He's even partly responsible for my taste in music. He loved rock of all kinds, though he leaned more towards thrash metal territory (Anthrax was his favorite band). He'd play everything from Red Hot Chili Peppers to Metallica (shit I listen to now) whenever I was in the car with him. Most notably, he introduced me to Linkin Park (one of my all-time favorites). I used to ask him to put on In the End when I was five. While we shared a lot of interests, not all of them carried over to me. For instance, he was a big car guy. He wasn't a mechanic or anything like that, but he played a lot of Gran Turismo and watched a ton of Formula 1. He was also huge on tech, almost to a hipster-like degree. He had a Palm Pilot when I was super young. He's the reason all our PCs and shit are Apple. He bought an iPhone the year it came out. The man was always on the cutting edge of tech. He'd probably think my Switch is cool (hell, he might have bought his own Switch). More than anything, though, he was a good dad in many ways. He was stern, and wasn't much for talking (something I got from him, probably), but he expressed how much he cared in ways I would've never expected. The most amazing instance of this was when I found out, years after he died, that he had set up a trust fund to put me and my brother through college. He cared enough to think of how to keep us going even long after he was gone, and he did it in his signature, galaxy brain method of thinking three steps ahead. Though he was usually preoccupied with work, he'd usually have time to do shit with the family. We'd go out and eat, or watch movies, or play Wii Sports with us. One of his aspirations in life was to travel with the entire family, and I'm glad we got to do that once before he was gone. We went to Singapore in 2007 (about a year before his cancer really started to take over), which was great. The year/year and a half leading up to his passing was rough. I started seeing him less, largely because he was in and out of the hospital. Whenever he was home, he was in a bad way, needing help with things most of the day. I knew then that it was bad, and in the few instances I felt pure, debilitating fear, I dreaded the day when I'd lose him. Eventually, that day came. He died shortly after I was supposed to go to bed. The last thing I ever said to him was "good night." I didn't sleep at all afterwards. I cried, though I spent the first few hours mostly silent. The rest of us spent most of the following day at Manila Memorial. While my mom took care of the arrangements, I sat there, playing Mario Kart DS (great game, by the way), trying my damnedest to ignore the dozens of eyes looking at me with pity, and holding back every tear. Later that day, my mom had set up this lunch thing, where friends and family came together to celebrate my dad's memory (and eat food). By the end, my mom played this slideshow featuring pictures of my dad (as well as pictures he himself took, because he also happened to be a photography wizard). It was set to really sad music. It was at that exact moment the floodgate of emotions opened, and the pain of the loss finally set in. I broke down in tears. In front of everyone. I was inconsolable for a good five minutes. The fact that all anybody in that room could do was try and comfort me (and not succeed) made the moment feel even worse. I was never Captain Emotional before this, but after this moment, I became more reserved when it came to my emotions. It's easy to shame somebody for being afraid to cry, but I don't think people who say shit like that have ever had a complete and utter breakdown surrounded by people who can do nothing to ease the pain. It was not a fear of judgment, a sense of fragile masculinity, or a need to obfuscate weakness that led me to this choice. I absolutely hated the feeling of pity that enveloped that room during that moment. It was just a room full of people looking at me, thinking, oh, you poor thing, and they couldn't do anything to make it right. It made me feel more powerless than I already did. I don't want to feel that again. I don't care if that makes me weak. Much like the poem, my dad died on a Saturday, and was buried (well, cremated) on a Sunday. I went to school that Monday after. I went on with my day like normal. I didn't say a goddamn thing, not even to my closest friends. They only found out days later. To this day, I don't even know who told them. They extended their condolences, which I really appreciated. There's a reason I'm still friends with those guys after all this time. The years after weren't any easier. Mom had to get a job, and I felt the burden of being an eldest child in a family missing a parent. Whether I wanted to or not, I was needed, and I hated the feeling of it. If I fucked up, it was on me. If someone else fucked up, it was still on me. If I did well, it felt hollow, and it felt like I was there only because I had to be, and not because anyone wanted me there. I do care for my family, but to this day, that feeling of being needed but not wanted still weighs heavily on me, and it's led me to become more distant. I already kept to myself even before my dad passed, but this feeling, among other things, compelled me to be alone more frequently. With mom mostly out of the house now, there needed to be another helping hand within the house to get shit done/keep my brother and me out of trouble. I consider this the most painful consequence of losing my dad, and it fills me with so much deep-seated anger that I'm gonna stop talking about it before I put a fist through my monitor. Maybe another time. My dad never got to see me graduate, or pass the UPCAT. He had always encouraged me to do my best in everything (mostly in academics, but I'm sure his advice was meant to apply elsewhere), so I tried to do just that throughout high school and college. I had my moments, but overall, I don't think I succeeded. In fact, taking into account the last six years, "I fucked up" is an understatement. I shudder at the thought of what he'd think of me if he ever saw me like this. I always feel like I've dishonored his memory in this aspect of my life. My dad also never got to see Apple's new iBullshit, or watch the Avengers movies (Iron Man 1 was one of the last movies I watched with him), or even see what a 3DS is. Because of this, I have a special attachment to stuff like Star Wars, the MCU, and Nintendo. For me, pursuing these interests isn't just for my own gratification; I often think about how my dad would've enjoyed these things with me. If I could tell him that there's gonna be a seventh Star Wars movie, I think he'd be excited. It's a bittersweet sentiment to hold onto. This all isn't to say there aren't happy moments. I still go out with my family. I still have friends who I don't deserve. I still have all my bullshit hobbies that take me back to happier times and keep me occupied. But on bad days, the loss (and every bad thing that came after) gets to me, especially today. I guess that's all I have to say. I could bore you with more stories of my dad (like that one time he took me to Intramuros and Ayala Museum, or when he gifted me, an eight-year-old child, a Mortal Kombat game for my birthday), but you and I would be here all day. I never really talk about him (not even among family), so it feels rather liberating to write about it. Forgive the scatterbrained structure, though I guess if you're here, you already have a worrying disregard for proper writing.
Soon, the time I've spent without my dad will soon eclipse the number of years I've spent with him. I fear that I may forget him completely as the years go by. More than anything, this post is an effort to preserve those memories. Don't worry, I won't make a habit of bringing the mood down on this blog. I'm currently working on something I can't wait to talk about, so look forward to that. - end - It's been about seven months since the last MCU movie (the longest gap we've had in a while), so I've been chomping at the bit to watch its latest entry. The painful wait is over, because Captain Marvel is here! I went to see it at the earliest screening I could, and I spent the commute home itching to talk/write about it. Without further ado, here are my spoiler-free thoughts. We first meet Carol as member of Starforce, the sort of Navy SEAL equivalent for the Kree Empire. She starts out not able to recall her past on Earth, but as the events of the movie go by, she (and the audience) piece it together. It's not a revolutionary story by any means, but the non-linear manner in which it's told is at least different (though this comes at the cost of more focused storytelling). Once Carol ends up on Earth, she stumbles upon Nick Fury, who is still a normal SHIELD agent at this point in time. Between Carol's snarky demeanor and Fury being, well, Fury, they make for an entertaining duo. We also get a sense of who Fury used to be before he became the more cynical Fury we've become accustomed to, and we see how his encounter with Carol changes his outlook on SHIELD's role in protecting the world. Aside from Fury, other returning characters from previous movies like Agent Coulson, Korath (a member of Starforce here), and Ronan (who is an Accuser like he usually is, plus he sports his classic look) also make appearances, helping connect this film to the greater MCU. Unfortunately, they weren't as fleshed out as much as I would have liked, but they're not the focus of this movie, so it's not that big of a deal. The members of Starforce likewise don't get much in the way of character moments, other than Minn-Erva (who gets to be cool, but otherwise doesn't do much), Korath (who gets to be funny once, and that's it), and the commander (Jude Law's character), who is integral to Carol's story. The commander in particular (whose name I can't divulge in the off chance a fellow comic fan is reading this) doesn't quite hit the mark for me as a character, but I've yet to figure out why. Perhaps when I watch this movie again, I'll have answered this question. You also get other characters such as Maria Rambeau (Carol's best friend in the Air Force), who's awesome in her own right, Maria's daughter Monica, who is both wonderful and a possible setup for a future MCU hero, and Annette Bening's mysterious mentor character whose name I also cannot divulge, because who she turns out to be blew my fucking comic fan mind. In terms of characters, the biggest highlight for me were the Skrulls (in particular, their leader Talos). I had been waiting a long time to see these guys in the movies, and holy shit, they did an amazing job with them. Not only do they get to do a bit of Secret Invasion bullshit (nothing too major, though), they actually end up being compelling characters (as opposed to being "evil alien race #256"). I think I like the MCU Skrulls better than the comic ones, honestly. The events of the movie have the Kree-Skrull war (classic comic event right there) as their backdrop, and while you don't see how far-reaching and vast it is, you get more than enough to know what each race's deal is. They even do an amazing job subverting expectations, to the point that I (a big comic reader) was immensely surprised at certain points. The time period between the end of WWII and the events of Iron Man is uncharted territory for the MCU, with minor world-building strewn about sporadically across multiple movies (e.g. Hank Pym's time as Ant-Man, the Stark assassination, etc.), so I was happy to have a movie set somewhere in that Goldilocks zone of storytelling potential. There are tie-ins like the aforementioned returning characters, which are minor but appreciated, but there are a lot of connections, big and small alike, that go all the way back to Phase 1 and end up being major to the overarching MCU narrative. Apart from maybe one thing that I predict will be a polarizing development, I think longtime followers of the MCU will enjoy these world-building nuggets. Sadly, there's no references to the Agents of SHIELD TV show, but I knew it was wishful thinking to hope for anything. Maybe someday.... I was curious as to how they'd tackle Carol's origin and the Kree and Skrull at large, and I was quite pleased to see all sorts of comic references covering these aspects throughout the movie. There's one in particular that I really want to scream about, but it's a huge spoiler, so I must refrain from doing so. Speaking of references, Carol's cat (named Goose here) steals the goddamn show in more ways than one. Look out for the guy. Every time Carol used her powers, I couldn't help but smile, nod, and say "hell yeah". Even before she took on the Captain Marvel name in the comics, I thought she was awesome, and I couldn't be happier to finally see her badassery on the big screen. The action's solid for most of the movie, but it's easily at its best near the end. The last, big action set piece alone is worth the price of admission. All I'm gonna say about that is: Captain Marvel is gonna tear Thanos's asshole into a million fucking pieces. Holy shit. If you listened to a lot of '90s songs (like I do) or grew up in the '90s, you may get a kick out of the song selection in this movie. I caught myself singing at least twice (if you've already watched the movie, take a few guesses as to which two songs I'm talking about). This movie's got two after-credits stingers. The first (which comes at the middle) is a must-see and got me even more fucking hyped to see Avengers: Endgame next month (for reference, I'm already unbelievably hyped for that movie, and this scene pushed that hype up to an uncountable infinity). The second one comes all the way at the end, and it's more a cheeky scene that'll get a chuckle or two than something ridiculously important. Lastly, there's an amazing tribute to Stan Lee somewhere in the movie. You can't miss it. I almost felt like giving a standing ovation because of how great it was (it would've been discourteous to do that in a movie theater, so I didn't do it). Is Captain Marvel a perfect movie? I don't think so; there are some things here and there I felt could've been done better (mostly with some storytelling aspects and character stuff). That said, this movie does a lot right, and it does it quite well. Between good to great characters, clever misdirection, amazing references and MCU world-building, and sick as fuck Carol Danvers bullshit, I found more than enough to enjoy. It's not quite on the level of some Phase 3 favorites, but it doesn't have to be; Captain Marvel is a more than worthy inclusion into the already-massive MCU pantheon on its own merit. P.S. (because this is starting to piss me off):
Ignore the review bombers and other such online abominations. Forget about "owning" those people with unproductive name-calling (and justifying it with sanctimonious diatribes). Don't worry about what critics have to say (good or bad, doesn't matter; be better than giving into confirmation bias). Hell, don't even think about what I'm saying here now. Go out there, watch Captain Marvel for yourself, make your own judgment (free of any influence from preconceived notions, hopefully). Not before watching. After. Don't be that guy. More importantly, have some goddamn fun while you're at it. Are you seriously paying out of your pocket looking to get mad at what's on the screen, or what anybody else has to say about it (again, good or bad)? It's a fucking movie. Jesus Christ. And they tell me I'm the angry one. - end - I'm going the Five Comics route again for my weekly read. It's been a little challenging planning themes in advance (grouping hundreds of comics into themes that make sense is harder than it looks), but I have a bunch ready to go for the coming weeks, so look forward to that. THE THEME: This week, we'll both be seeing the premiere of Captain Marvel (I can't wait to talk about that) and celebrating International Women's Day (which coincides with the US premiere of the movie). As such, I picked out five comics starring heroines in the Marvel pantheon. I made it a point to pick out lesser-known characters— with the exception of one or two, majority of these heroines are mostly unknown in the mainstream. THE COMICS: ![]() ANGELA: QUEEN OF HEL #1 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Marguerite Bennett Artists: Stephanie Hans, Kim Jacinto - Angela's history is a pretty interesting one. She started out as a character in the Spawn comics, and, after legal battles over creator rights to her character, ends up in the Marvel Universe years later. She's revealed to be Odin's long-lost daughter, kidnapped by the people of the previously-forgotten Tenth Realm, Heven. In this comic, she ventures to the realm of Hel to rescue her friend and lover Sera. Also features nice art. - Comixology link ![]() AVENGERS ICONS: TIGRA #1 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Christina Z. Artist: Mike Deodato Jr. - Of the many cat-themed superheroes/villains there are in comics (I can think of at least 5 at Marvel alone), Tigra's probably the least known of them all. She may draw comparisons to Cheetah (famed Wonder Woman nemesis) due to her cat person nature. In this comic, she tackles a case connected to the death of her husband. Features Captain America being a motivational speaker. - Comixology link ![]() PATSY WALKER, AKA HELLCAT (2015–2017) #1 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Kate Leth Artist: Brittney Williams - A more light-hearted affair featuring one of my favorite not-so-popular heroines. Here, she's trying to deal with unemployment and moving on with her past. Has cheery, simple art to complement a simple but wholesome story. Fun fact: the costume Hellcat wears is the one Tigra used to wear before she went by Tigra. - Comixology link ![]() SHE-HULK (2004–2005) #1 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Dan Slott Art: Juan Bobillo - Features everyone's favorite lawyer/Avenger dealing with the highs and lows of being She-Hulk. From saving the world, to the courtroom, and even her dating life, you see how good she has it (and how badly it could go). - Comixology link ![]() SHURI (2018– ) #1 Publisher: Marvel Writer: Nnedi Okorafor Artist: Leonardo Romero - You loved her in the movie, and now she's got an all-new solo series! T'Challa's gone missing, and the mantle of Black Panther falls to Shuri once again. How will she deal with having to step up to the throne a second time? This Shuri feels more in line with the MCU iteration (albeit much older), who is more tech-oriented than a straight up fighter. - Comixology link I hope this week's Five Comics encourage you, almighty reader, to check out more of these wonderful characters. And I also hope you're as excited for Captain Marvel as I am! PANEL(s) OF THE WEEK: - end -
|
Categories
All
Archives
June 2024
Derryck
|