A Look Back at Wonder Woman #5 (1987)

May 20, 2020May 19, 2020carlocarrasco

Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.

There is nothing like witnessing the development of a pop culture icon like Wonder Woman with modern society in mind. After completing Crisis on Infinite Earths in the mid-1980s, DC Comics restarted their entire superhero universe opening lots of opportunities to reintroduce their superheroes, super villains and other characters to readers updated with the times. The Post-Crisis Wonder Woman involving the legendary George Perez and other creators saw the Queen of Superheroes updated with the 1980s in mind.

Even though Princess Diana and her fellow Amazons clearly expressed themselves in English to use readers, it turned out within the comic series that English was not their native language. In fact, Wonder Woman and her Amazon sisters all spoke Themysciran which is derived from Greek. Fortunately for Diana, she met someone who could understand her and communicate well. The language barrier is just one of the challenges Diana had to go through as she discovers man’s world.

We can now rejoin Wonder Woman and her journey of discovery in man’s world with this look back at Wonder Woman #5, published by DC Comics in 1987 with a story co-written by George Perez and Len Wein. Perez’s art was inked by Bruce D. Patterson.

Early story

The story begins in Themyscira where the Amazons wait as Menalippe (their oracle) tries communion with their deities. One of the women expressed worry that the god of War – Ares – continues to gain power across the world. Even as she tries, Menalippe could not figure out the signs from their gods and Queen Hippolyte is eager to find out something about her daughter Diana.

Beneath Mount Olympus, Apollo remains in dreamless sleep. The women, in the presence of Hermes, remain uncertain about what has been going on. An ancient is near them.

In man’s world, war and chaos spreads. Steve Trevor appears in the television news as a rumored spy of the Soviet Union. At the same time, Wonder Woman makes waves in the news as a result of her battle with Decay…

Quality

*Wonder Woman and the supporting players.*

Unsurprisingly, the very high quality of art, storytelling and characterization that started since issue #1 is well maintained by the creators in this comic book. What I love in Wonder Woman #5 aside from her continued journey of discovering more of man’s world and interacting with more with Steve Trevor (plus Etta Candy and other supporting characters) is the strong shift into the realm of fantasy which is full of action and other forms of spectacle!

For the plot, George Perez and Len Wein made a fascinating story that had a nice mix of Greek culture, fantasy and contemporary military battles. There were layers of intrigue as the creators made clear how Ares and his minions from the spiritual realm (related to Olympus and their deities) influenced mortals to fight each other so fiercely without even pausing to be clam and reasonable. This raises the stakes for Wonder Woman who is still adjusting to man’s world.

On characterization, each character here is well-written and clearly defined as believable individuals. The interactions between Wonder Woman and the others (plus their interactions in between themselves) are very rich to read and analyze.

When it comes to spectacle, this one is really loaded and, at the same time, much more imaginative! The shift from man’s world into the realm of fantasy (specifically a location often inaccessible to mortals) gave this comic book a fantastic atmosphere! There is a lot to enjoy here.

While it is not surprising that George Perez excellently illustrated this comic book, I should mention that his use of multiple panels per page here is quite clever. While using more than five panels per page is considered excessive by today’s standards, Perez managed to tell clearly the story and took time to control the pace. The spectacle scenes are fast but never disorienting. The character development and worldview scenes are never boring to look at.

Conclusion

*One of Ares’ sons influencing the world into war.*

Undoubtedly, Wonder Woman #5 is a great comic book. Elements of militarism, fantasy and Greek mythology were excellently blended here and ultimately it presented Wonder Woman’s personal development and interaction with the supporting players with a lot of depth. At this stage, her interaction with Steve Trevor as well as Julia Kapatelis really blossomed here.

If you are seriously planning to buy an existing hard copy of Wonder Woman #5 (1987), be aware that as of this writing, MileHighComics.com shows that the near-mint copy of the regular edition and the newsstand edition costs $26 and $51 respectively.

Overall, Wonder Woman #5 (1987) is highly recommended!

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com

A Look Back at The Solution #6 (1994)

May 20, 2020March 3, 2022carlocarrasco

As this is another retro review of another Ultraverse comic book written by the late James Hudnall, I encourage you to take time to check out his background and other works via Comic Book Resource’s report of his death on April 2019.

In memory of James Hudnall, here are his words published near the end of The Solution #7:

The Solution is a dream team for me. I’ve been wanting to mix the genres of fantasy and cyberpunk science fiction with the super-hero genre for some time. Add my love of Japanese animation and Hong Kong cinema and you can see where I’m coming from here. This series is designed to show us some of the more bizarre and dark sectors of the Ultraverse without, hopefully, falling into the trap many similar books do where they lay it on too thick. The Ultraverse is a complex and multi-faceted universe and our books explore different sides. Here I want to delve deep into the criminal and espionage arenas as well as the magic sub-cultures that exist.

The characters themselves have a rich and interesting history that I plan to slowly unveil as the series progresses. When you first meet someone, you usually don’t know that much about the person. The characters are rather deep, as we will discover, and their personalities and more complex than you’re probably used to seeing in comics.

Now we can start this look back at The Solution #6, the Ultraverse comic book published in 1994 by Malibu Comics with a story written by James Hudnall and illustrated by John Statema (with ink work by Dennis Jensen and Mark Stegbauer).

Early story

The story begins with Lela Cho (Tech) alone paying respect to her father at his grave. She tearfully recalls what happened right after he died.

The narrative then shifts to 1993, specifically the day her father was about to get buried with many guests involved. Even though she is mourning, a man with blonde hair approaches her. His name is Kyle Sanders and he tells her she wants to talk to her about the corporation called Hypersonic. After receiving his business card, Lela feels a strange sense of dread creeping up on her.

A few days later, Lela attends a Board of Directors meeting at the headquarters of Hypersonic. She reminds them that she inherited all of her father’s shares in the company that makes her a majority stockholder and it was written in his will that she will assume his post as Chairman of the Board. Even though she already earned her Master’s Degree in Business at Harvard, the BOD members rejected her on the grounds that she’s too young and has no previous practical experience. They expressed that it would be better for her to work within the company and climb her way up.

Even though she got rejected and found herself alone, she decided not to give up and move forward by visiting NuWare, a corporation in San Francisco, California, that specializes on bio-tech implants (Wetware) that can make a person an Ultra…

Quality

This is a very compelling, character-driven comic book, one of the best of the Ultraverse I read as of this writing. Clearly the late Hudnall achieved his goal of not only developing Lela Cho/Tech, but also defining her as a living part within the Ultraverse. Speaking of the Ultraverse, there is this nice and subtle connection with certain people regarding The Strangers.

Back to Lela Cho, her personality was very deeply defined by Hudnall. By the time you reach the end of this comic book, you should at least be caring about her even though her status as a super-rich lady trying to make her way up in business (while protecting herself) puts her on a different class. Ultimately her transformation into an Ultra is special to read and examine, even worthy of a cinematic adaptation.

Regarding the visuals, John Statema pulled of a great job. I love how the facial expressions he illustrated brought out the ranging emotions of the characters, specifically with Lela. When she’s mad, she really looks mad. When she is sad, you will see the sadness. Regarding action, Statema’s effort was decent.

Conclusion

*Really nice art and good choice with the colors for the light effect.*

I really liked The Solution #6. From start to finish, it kept me very engaged and ultimately it made me understand Lela Cho/Tech much better, which also made me go back to re-reading the first issue.

If you are seriously planning to buy an existing hard copy of The Solution #6, be aware that as of this writing, MileHighComics.com shows that the near-mint copy of the regular edition costs $4.

Overall, The Solution #6 is highly recommended.

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio . Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/

COVID-19 Crisis: Muntinlupa Mayor Fresnedi urges residents not to be complacent amid MECQ, improvement in COVID-19 cases

May 19, 2020carlocarrasco

COVID-19 Crisis: Muntinlupa Mayor Fresnedi urges residents not to be complacent amid MECQ, improvement in COVID-19 cases

Muntinlupa Mayor Jaime Fresnedi has warned residents of another spike in COVID-19 cases upon complacency in observing quarantine protocols amid the modified enhanced community quarantine and improvement of COVID-19 cases in the city.

The local exec reminded Muntinlupa residents that the implementation of MECQ and positive results in the local government’s efforts in curbing COVID-19 do not give the public a license to roam freely in malls and other public areas.

He urged city residents to continue to follow preventive measures such as physical distancing and stringent personal hygiene.

Quarantine measures such as curfew, quarantine pass system, and liquor ban are still in effect in Muntinlupa despite the shift from ECQ to MECQ. The public’s movement is still limited and there are modified measures in place in the city’s checkpoints.

Only those who have essential tasks like purchasing food or medicine are allowed by the police to pass at checkpoints, including those who will report to work. Non-Muntinlupa residents who are working in the city are allowed to cross borders provided they present a valid ID and certificate of employment.

Muntinlupa Traffic Management Bureau says public transportation remains disallowed in MECQ and tricycles are not allowed to operate.

The City Government is set to establish a task force to monitor the compliance of business establishments on guidelines for MECQ as provided by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Muntinlupa City Disaster Risk Reduction Office has started to inspect malls and other business establishments to ensure that health protocols and safe physical distancing are observed.

In a public briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said areas where quarantine restrictions have been eased may be placed again under ECQ if the number of infections increases.

Muntinlupa City records the highest COVID-19 recovery rate in Metro Manila at 56.85% as of May 16. The local health office says that COVID-19 transmission in the city is slowing down with a doubling time of eight days.

Doubling time refers to the number of days for local coronavirus cases to double in number. The standard rate of transmission should be at 7-30 days to be considered decelerating.

Muntinlupa City has 198 confirmed cases with 114 recoveries, 56 active cases, 28 reported deaths, 12 suspect cases, and 192 probable cases as of May 18.

This is an official Press Release issued by the City Government of Muntinlupa. Some parts were edited for this website.

For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments.

COVID-19 Crisis: Muntinlupa records highest COVID-19 recovery rate in NCR, urges residents to continue following quarantine protocols

May 19, 2020May 18, 2020carlocarrasco

COVID-19 Crisis: Muntinlupa records highest COVID-19 recovery rate in NCR, urges residents to continue following quarantine protocols

Following the slowing down of COVID-19 transmission in the city, Muntinlupa now records the highest COVID-19 recovered rate in Metro Manila.

City Health Officer Dra. Tet Tuliao reports that Muntinlupa’s recovery rate at 56.85% as of May 16 is the highest among NCR local government units.

Tuliao said the improvement can be accounted to the city’s intensified targeted mass testing, including contract tracing, isolation strategies, and treatment of confirmed and suspect individuals to have contracted the virus.

Muntinlupa City has an ongoing “express mass testing” for city residents who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. PCR Testing administered to residents is for free.

As of May 16, the local health office has tested 2,005 residents and frontliners. Confirmed patients are immediately referred to quarantine facilities while close contacts and their families are isolated.

Recently, Muntinlupa City Health Office reported that COVID-19 transmission in the city is slowing down based on “doubling time” data of confirmed cases over the past days.

COVID-19 doubling time in Muntinlupa has further improved to eight (8) days as of May 18.

Doubling time refers to the number of days for local coronavirus cases to double in number. The standard rate of transmission should be at 7-30 days to be considered decelerating.

Mayor Jaime Fresnedi welcomes the improvement of COVID-19 situation in the city as it will boost the morale of the frontliners. Fresnedi noted that while the city receives positive results in the fight against COVID-19, the public should not be complacent and relax with quarantine protocols. He urged city residents to follow preventive measures such as physical distancing and stringent personal hygiene.

Quarantine measures such as curfew, quarantine pass system, and liquor ban are still in effect in Muntinlupa despite the implementation of modified enhanced community quarantine.

Muntinlupa City has 197 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 113 recoveries, 56 active cases, 28 reported deaths, 16 suspect cases, and 187 probable cases as of May 17.

This is an official Press Release issued by the City Government of Muntinlupa. Some parts were edited for this website.

A Look Back at The Strangers #4 (1993)

May 18, 2020May 15, 2020carlocarrasco

Previously, I took a look back at Hardcase #4 which marked the crossover between Hardcase and The Strangers. It was a fulfilling read in the sense that it built-up the initial connections between the Hollywood ultra (with Choice on his side) and the team. The crossover however continued in the other Ultraverse series titled The Strangers.

Join me on this look back at The Strangers #4, published in 1993 by Malibu Comics with a story written by Steve Englehart and illustrated by Rick Hoberg.

Early story

The story begins deep inside a secret facility with Hardcase and the Strangers already caught by Aladdin. Grenade tries his to break through the pink energy field separating them from Aladdin personnel but fails. The group is told that Aladdin has been watching ultras for some time and has developed was to neutralize anything ultras could do. It has been made clear to them that nobody will enter the pen until they all agree to join Aladdin.

After much talk, Hardcase and the Strangers managed to bring the energy field down and free themselves…

Quality

*Hardcase, Choice and the Strangers inside Aladdin’s facility.*

While Hardcase #4 served mainly as the build-up, this comic book serves as the big pay-off completely loaded with spectacle and fun! The creative team of Steve Englehart and Rick Hoberg, in coordination with the creative team of Hardcase, crafted this very memorable conclusion to the 2-part crossover of Hardcase and The Strangers.

Crossing over aside, this comic book provides readers a nice look at Aladdin, a secret society run by the American government focused on ultras (people with extraordinary abilities). Ultras who won’t help the government are put under lock-and-key mainly for the protection of society. Ultras who agreed to work for the government are authorized and supplied to help in the so-called grand scale.

The interactions between Hardcase (and Choice) with the Strangers that started in Hardcase #4 continued nicely in this comic book. The interactions went on to evolve into great team work in this misadventure. When it comes to superhero action, Rick Hoberg’s illustration is very wonderful to look at. Hoberg’s visual presentation on Hardcase and Choice was no less excellent, plus his art on the opposing ultras (working for Aladdin) was nicely done.

On the aspect of characterization, I liked how Yrial (the African lady who often reminds me of X-Men’s Storm) reacted so bluntly after admitting she had previous knowledge about Aladdin. There was also that nice exchange between Atom Bob and Choice, which made the guy feel idiotic and like a commercial. The exchange was noticed by Grenade and Electrocute which resulted some clever dialogue.

Conclusion

*This page added more to Hardcase’s character. Nicely drawn by Rick Hoberg.*

The Strangers #4 is excellent and worthy of being part of your collection of comic books. It is compelling and fun to read from start to finish. By the time the story ends, this comic book should make you care more about Hardcase and the Strangers.

If you are seriously planning to buy an existing hard copy of The Strangers #4, be aware that as of this writing, MileHighComics.com shows that the near-mint copy of the regular edition costs $4. The near-mint copy of the newsstand edition is priced at $13.

Overall, The Strangers #4 is highly recommended.

A Look Back at X-Men 2099 #32

May 18, 2020May 15, 2020carlocarrasco

If you were one of the early fans of X-Men 2099 and you admire Xi’an a lot, then this next comic book I’m about review may interest you. For one thing, a whole lot has changed during the first year of the X-Men 2099 when demons from Xi’an’s past caught up with him. Since issue #25, he became much less prominent until something started building up in issue #31.

That being said, here is a look back at X-Men 2099 #32 published by Marvel Comics in 1996 with a story written by John Francis Moore and illustrated by Jan Duursema (replacing Ron Lim).

Early story

The comic book opens with a flashback set sometime in the year 2094. There on the streets of New Hope, Texas, was the gang called the Lawless led by Xi’an accompanied by his teammates including Junkpile and Ten Eagles. As a badly wounded man points his gun at him, Xi’an strikes him hard boasting supremacy.

In the present day over at Halo City, members of X-Nation spend time at a bar called The Negative Zone. They turn away a drunk blonde guy (a mutant actually) who tried to meddle with them. As the said guy leaves the bar, he bumps into a large guy who reacts by striking him. Elsewhere in the city, a large man-like beast arrives to meet Maim, Xi’an and Ten Eagles…

Quality

*Jan Duursema’s quite good on flashy action as well as capturing the look of Meanstreak.*

While the writing remains engaging and balanced with spectacle, be aware that this comic book is essentially more about the Lawless than the X-Men themselves. On face value, it looked like this was a clever set-up for a potential project featuring the Lawless complete with a villain called Foolkiller who was portrayed to be very menacing and has a major plan of his own.

Those who are followers of Xi’an will have a lot to enjoy as he slowly starts regaining the spotlight but with his old gangmates. Quite symbolically in this comic book, Xi’an even said: “It seems I cannot escape the violence of my past.”

Regarding the X-Men of 2099, their presence in this comic book is pretty short but there is a very nice reunion (note: the cover of issue #31 was technically a giveaway) that makes this story worth reading. As the reunion connected to the past, there is something brewing that would impact their future.

When it comes to the artwork, I find Jan Duursema’s work here quite good to look at. Her take on the existing X-Men members like Meanstreak, Krystalin, Metalhead, Luna and Bloodhawk was solid, and I easily recognized them. Like Ron Lim, Duursema is quite capable of visualizing action scenes. Finally, her drawing of a very angry Xi’an at the end of the story is eye-catching.

Conclusion

*That blue-skinned beast is NOT Hank McCoy/Beast!*

Given the fact that this is a story more focused on Xi’an and the return of his old gang, it’s clear that X-Men 2099 #32 will satisfy fans of the character Xi’an as well as those who want to take a short break from the main X-Men team. The short appearance of X-Nation members should delight followers of the X-Nation series.

If you are seriously planning to buy an existing hard copy of X-Men 2099 #32, be aware that as of this writing, MileHighComics.com shows that the near-mint copy of the regular edition and the newsstand edition cost $9 and $11 respectively.

Overall, X-Men 2099 #32 is satisfactory. It is enjoyable to a certain extent but don’t pay too much for this comic book.

A Look Back at Wonder Woman #4 (1987)

May 16, 2020May 14, 2020carlocarrasco

There is no doubt that George Perez’s famous handling of Wonder Woman (that became a key part of the Post-Crisis era of DC Comics) is influential for other creators. Over at Comic Book Resources, I read a 2017 article in which Wonder Woman movie director Patty Jenkins confirmed that Perez’s work on the Queen of Superheroes helped influence the movie.

Below is what Jenkins said in response to CBR’s question involving George Perez:

I think it was the fact that he expanded the role of the gods. It was always there — nothing he did contradicted what William Marston did and created, I think it only expanded upon and fleshed out who the gods are. What that relationship is, and how that works. What was a wonderful thing for us to take from.

I personally love the Wonder Woman movie and truly Gal Gadot IS Wonder Woman! As George Perez’s work on the Queen of Superheroes was influential to the director, it is clear that he set the standard on presenting Wonder Woman to the world.

With the movie and history talk over, we can now proceed on revisiting the Post-Crisis era of DC Comics with this look back at Wonder Woman #4, published in 1987 by DC Comics with a story by George Perez and Len Wein (script) and art by Perez (inked by Bruce D. Patterson).

Early story

The story begins with Wonder Woman carrying Julia Kapatelis and her daughter Vanessa moving away from the villainess Decay (daughter of Medusa) as a huge portion of the Kapatelis home collapses. As expected, the next-door neighbors got disturbed and went out of their homes to see what’s going on.

While taking a break just out of the rubble, Julia checks on Vanessa and asks: “What has that monster done to her?”

Suddenly, Decay rises from the rubble and answers Julia’s question directly stating she will do the same thing to her and Wonder Woman. Decay has Wonder Woman’s tiara with her.

Decay’s appearance scares many onlookers. Wonder Woman tells Julia to keep the neighbors back. Decay says that she came only for the symbol of Wonder Woman’s power (the tiara specifically) which she will use to symbolize her power. Decay then flies away.

Before flying off, Wonder Woman tells Julia that she will return with a cure for her teenage daughter whose body got heavily wrinkled by Decay…

Quality

*I hope Wonder Woman 1984 and future Wonder Woman live-action movies will have more hard-hitting action scenes like this.*

Once again, George Perez and Len Wein crafted another excellent Wonder Woman comic book that is timeless and symbolic. While Wonder Woman #3 marked Princess Diana’s arrival in man’s world, this comic book marked her first-ever battle in the same world complete with disturbance on the local society. Take note that at this point, Wonder Woman still has yet to understand and speak English and she has not fully adjusted to the local culture and society. She also just befriended Julia, the university professor and only person who could communicate with her by talking in Greek. Even with all the trouble caused by Decay, Wonder Woman’s heroism laced with love and compassion backed by her Amazon values remains intact and this aspect alone makes this comic book worth reading.

Apart from focusing on Wonder Woman and the supporting players, the comic book gives a close look at what has been happening at Mount Olympus where the Greek gods and goddesses discuss the situation of Princess Diana. There are also a few scenes set in the American military base wherein Lieutenant Etta Candy secretly does detective work to find out what caused the anomaly that led the higher-ups to suspect Steve Trevor of wrongdoing.

As for the artwork, George Perez’s work here is excellent as expected. When destruction is shown, there is a strong sense of danger. When hard superhero action occurs, there is a lot of impact shown! I just love looking at scenes showing Wonder Woman saving people from certain death. Also there were some really powerful executions of action here (involving Wonder Woman) that I wish future Wonder Woman movies will someday replicate.

Conclusion

*Wonder Woman striving hard to go after Decay, the monster responsible for the destruction seen here.*

Wonder Woman #4 of 1987 is excellent! Apart showing the first time ever that Wonder Woman engaged in battle in man’s world, this comic book also has an intimate look on how Princess Diana struggles with focusing on her mission while adjusting to the local culture and making sure that evil beings from her culture would not succeed in destroying the people of man’s world.

If you are seriously planning to buy an existing hard copy of Wonder Woman #4, be aware that as of this writing, MileHighComics.com shows that the near-mint copy of the regular edition and the newsstand edition cost $25 and $51 respectively.

Overall, Wonder Woman #4 (1987) is highly recommended!

COVID-19 Crisis: 164 Displaced Seamstresses Hired By Muntinlupa City Government for Face Mask Production

May 15, 2020May 15, 2020carlocarrasco

COVID-19 Crisis: 164 Displaced Seamstresses Hired By Muntinlupa City Government

The City Government of Muntinlupa announced that it has hired one hundred and sixty-four (164) seamstresses under the Tulong Pangkabuhayan Para sa mga Displaced Workers (TUPAD).

ContributedpicMay2K20 — *Photo contributed by the City Government of Muntinlupa – Public Information Office.*

The hired seamstresses will work to produce face masks primarily for frontliners as well as city residents. TUPAD beneficiaries will render fifteen working days in the program and each will receive a salary of P537 per day.

Muntinlupa Gender and Development Office head Trina Biazon and Public Employment Service Officer Glenda Aniñon turned-over fabric materials to beneficiaries on Tuesday.

This new development in Muntinlupa resembles that of nearby Las Piñas City wherein a group called KALIPI (Kalipunan ng Liping Pilipina) and its practitioners got involved in the production of face masks. This is also the City Government’s latest move on helping local workers who lost their jobs because of the community quarantine. This past April, close to 1,200 displaced workers were hired.

For inspiration on helping frontliners during this time of crisis, read my special feature.

Latest City Government of Muntinlupa details sourced from their official photo release.

A Look Back at Warriors of Plasm #3

May 15, 2020May 13, 2020carlocarrasco

After going through the first two issues of Warriors of Plasm, I really find the sci-fi concept of Jim Shooter and David Lapham very compelling, intriguing, unique and enjoyable. There’s nothing like witnessing an empire of a race of people living not only within a really organic world but also use living things (even creatures) as a means of technology that does not involve metal, plastic and computers. And then there were people from Earth who survived the trip to the world of Plasm and got enhanced.

Excited? Let’s now take a look a look back at Warriors of Plasm #3 published by Defiant Comics in 1993 with a story written by Jim Shooter and drawn by David Lapham.

Early story

The story begins inside Plasm where Lorca, Sueraceen and their troops just arrived from planet Earth. Sueraceen expressed to her lover that she found it doubly infuriating that they were trashed by the five survivors (of Earth) who, ironically, were geneti-morphed (enhanced) by him. Lorca replied that he simply experimented on them and never suspected how dangerous they might be. Sueraceen suspects treason behind Lorca’s motives.

Suddenly the five earthlings – Cookie, Rick, Louise, Martin and Elvis – arrived in Plasm flying in an organic craft, completely surprising everyone. Even though they were outnumbered, the five survivors attacked Lorca’s people with the craft and bravely went down to do battle on foot. The military officer Elvis tries to hit Lorca up-close but failed.

As Lorca’s troops continue to get pummeled by the brave earthlings, hundreds of reinforcements from Thoraxolic’s legion arrive. Instead of being encouraged, Sueraceen only gets disturbed given her grudge against Thoraxolic. The reinforcements then gang up on the five survivors…

Quality

*Highly imaginative character designs and environment in the Org of Plasm.*

Unsurprisingly, Jim Shooter and David Lapham delivered yet another high-quality comic book and there never was a moment when the storytelling quality went down. Great dialogue, strong plot twists, in-depth characterization, spectacle and a strong sense of discovery…it’s all here!

What I like best in this comic book is the further and deep exploration of the organic world of Plasm which was done through the eyes of the five earthlings who have gotten more daring in taking on Lorca and his troops (who in issue #2 visited the Earth for a while). Let me confirm that the deeper the earthlings get into the Org of Plasm, the weirder and the more imaginative the place gets for us readers to see!

Speaking of characters, Jim Shooter’s approach on developing the five earthlings into braver, more capable people was nicely executed. By this time, Cookie, Rick, Louise, Martin and Elvis now have a more inspired, superhero team-style bond together. They are now worth caring for. Not to be outdone is the continuing intrigue on the side of Lorca.

Conclusion

Warriors of Plasm #3 is, unsurprisingly, another excellent comic book to read and have as part of your personal comic book collection.

If you are seriously planning to buy an existing hard copy of Warriors of Plasm #3, be aware that as of this writing, MileHighComics.com shows that the near-mint copy of the regular edition costs $4. The near-mint copy of the comic book signed by Jim Shooter is worth $7.

Overall, Warriors of Plasm #3 is highly recommended!

A Look Back at X-Men 2099 #31

May 14, 2020May 12, 2020carlocarrasco

As mentioned before, much of the stories of X-Men 2099 were set in the southwestern region of the United States which gave the team’s adventures and misadventures a unique setting completely different from what was shown in the stories of Spider-Man 2099 and Punisher 2099. Along the way, John Francis Moore and Ron Lim crafted stories that made the mutants of the far future unique when compared to the X-Men of the 20^th century. Stories were, for the most part, original.

Historically speaking, the X-Men 2099 monthly series ended with a total of thirty-five issues. As such we are gradually nearing the end as we take a close look back at X-Men 2099 #31 published in 1996 by Marvel Comics with a story written by John Francis Moore and drawn by Ron Lim.

Early story

The story begins in Mexico. There a Metro Express train moves on its track smoothly until it comes close to hitting Skullfire who was just standing in front of it. Suddenly, Meanstreak grabs Skullfire moving him out of the path of the train and on to a safe spot where Luna is. Luna reminds Meanstreak that Skullfire has not been himself since their team took out the Graverobber. Meanstreak is not convinced that Tim/Skullfire has returned to normal, and he stressed that their team almost fell apart only because one leader fell off the deep end.

*Meanstreak, Skullfire and Luna on a mission in Mexico.*

As it turns out, the three of them are on a mission searching for a mutant who sent them a message claiming he was being held against his will. They start moving towards to the headquarters of the Quetzalcoatl Corporation and their mission is to raid it.

Meanwhile at another location in Mexico, a gray, rock-like mutant is held prisoner in the dark. Chairman Belize contacts him via live video asking for the market overviews he requested. The imprisoned mutant does not want to cooperate.

Back at Halo City, former X-Men leader Xi’an talks with Ten Eagles (note: Krystalin met him in the wasteland some time ago) who now has a brand new cybernetic arm…

Quality

There was no surprise that John Francis Moore confidently crafted another story showing members of the X-Men separated and placed in different situations far away from each other. As such, the characters got developed more while the plot (or in this comic book, tales of each group of X-Men) thickened.

Without spoiling too much, it was refreshing to see renewed spotlight on Xi’an and Ten Eagles, which helped flesh out the personality of Krystalin. As for the mission of Meanstreak, Skullfire and Luna, it’s nice to see them out of Halo City and take things seriously to accomplish something very important.

Regarding the mysterious mutant imprisoned by a corporation’s leader, the story emphasized once again the theme of the state of mutants in 2099 – mutants are of a lower social class disregarded or exploited by the people who have more money and power (try comparing this to the classic mutants-and-humans conflict of the classic X-Men). To analyze things a bit, there is a bit of Political Leftist influence in the presentation. Come to think of it, the concept of so-called progressive diversity within the X-Men of 2099 had started since the beginning of this monthly series. I’m confident that today’s self-proclaimed socialists, social justice warriors (SJWs) and liberals will find something to relate with in this comic book.

Regarding the art of Ron Lim, he delivered solid visuals as expected. He also exerted effort on visualizing futuristic technology that made sense within Marvel 2099’s fantasy.

Conclusion

X-Men 2099 #31 is fun and worth spending time to read. Just don’t let the cover art mislead you on what to expect with the story.

If you are seriously planning to buy an existing hard copy of X-Men 2099 #31, be aware that as of this writing, MileHighComics.com shows that the near-mint copy of the regular edition costs $7 while the newsstand edition’s near-mint copy costs $21.

Overall, X-Men 2099 #31 is recommended.

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