Is your home secure and are your valuables safe? I had to ask that question because of a recent robbery that happened in the city of Parañaque. According to Manila Bulletin news report, three people were arrested for robbing a home. Over P1 million worth of cash and jewelry were missing, and only a minority of that was recovered.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
Members of the Parañaque police arrested three robbery suspects who are said to be members of the “Akyat Bahay” gang on Tuesday, Nov. 8.
Col. Renato Ocampo, city police chief, identified the suspects as Laz Vincent Santos, 21, a fish dealer; Tom Ryuji, 21; and Bernard Valerio, 21.
Ocampo said the suspects are now detained at the police custodial facility and were charged for robbery before the Parañaque City Prosecutor’s Office.
Ocampo said Ednalyn Agbayani, 40, businesswoman, reported to the police that around 2 a.m., she heard a noise from the gate of their house at Ilaya Extension corner Pascor Drive, Barangay Sto, Nino, Parañaque City.
Agbayani told the police that she also heard the suspects trying to open their room. This prompted her to immediately call her parents who were staying in Cavite.
She said when her parents arrived home, they discovered the ceiling of their house was destroyed and their cash amounting to P700,000 and jewelry worth P400,000 were missing.
Ocampo said that during follow-up operation conducted by members of the Sto. Nino police sub-station, Santos was apprehended through the information given to the police by witness Edrian Galario,30, a delivery helper, who claimed that he saw the suspects coming out of the house of the victim.
The city police chief said the two other suspects were identified after waving at the CCTV camera of one of the houses near the victim’s house leading to the arrest of Valerio and the identification of Gabriel as a suspect in the robbery incident.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think Parañaque is still a hot spot for trespassing and robbery? Do you think the suspects could be working for a crime syndicate?
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, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
The State of Israel formally turned over the Ground Based Air Defense System (GBADS) to the Philippines in a special ceremony held in Pampanga with the presence of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. (also Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines), and Israeli Ambassador Ilan Flus, the Embassy announced via their official Facebook page.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the social media post. Some parts in boldface…
President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr., Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and Israeli Ambassador Ilan Fluss led the turnover ceremony of Israel’s Ground Based Air Defense System (GBADS) to the Philippines on November 8 in Pampanga.
GBADS is a mobile land-based medium range air defense missile system. It is projected to protect vital military installations, critical government facilities, and the cities and towns of the Philippines.
In his turnover speech, Ambassador Fluss said that GBADS is among the finest and most advanced air defense systems in the world, which only a few countries were able to procure. He added that he is proud that Israel is supplying technologies and systems that make a difference in the fight against terror and in stabilizing peace and security in the Philippines.
The turnover of the GBADS systems proves that Israel is a reliable and intimate ally of the Philippines by supplying quality strategic defense systems to the Philippines.
“Mr. President, before I end my message, let me express again the friendship, commitment, and willingness of myself and the Israeli government to continue and expand even more this very close and intimate collaboration between our two countries. Not only in the defense sector but also in areas such as food security, innovation, digitalization, disaster preparedness and other efforts of your administrations. This is what good friends are all about,” Ambassador Fluss emphasized in his speech.
For the newcomers reading this, this latest development is connected with the contract for acquisition signed by the Department of National Defense (DND) in 2019 with the Israel Ministry of Defense (Israel-IMOD) and the manufacturer, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems (RADS). We Filipinos should be thankful to the Lord that Israel-Philippines ties continue to grow and result in cooperation and understanding with each other. The Philippines itself played a major role decades ago by providing safe haven for Jewish refugees. The GBADS from Israel will improve the nation’s defense for sure. That being said, we are grateful to Israel and its people. In addition, we who follow Jesus must always bless the Jewish people in accordance to what God declared in Genesis 12:1-3in the Holy Bible. Posted below for you are scriptures from the New King James Version (NKJV) and The Message (MSG) translation.
Now the Lord had said to Abram:
“Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you.
I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Genesis 12:1-3 (NKJV)
God told Abram: “Leave your country, your family, and your father’s home for a land that I will show you.
I’ll make you a great nation and bless you. I’ll make you famous; you’ll be a blessing. I’ll bless those who bless you; those who curse you I’ll curse. All the families of the Earth will be blessed through you.”
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.
Welcome back superhero enthusiasts and comic book collectors! Today we explore a key chapter in the post-Crisis era of DC Comics through a Superman comic book. This time, however, we go revisit a comic book that literally served as a bridge between the Funeral for a Friend storyline and the eventual Reign of the Superman storyline. I am talking about the 500th issue of the Adventures of Superman monthly series.
To put things in perspective, the Funeral for a Friend storyline dramatized the immediate aftermath of Superman’s sudden death which paved the way for comic book creators to develop not only DC superheroes (affiliated with Superman specifically) but also the supporting characters linked with the Man of Steel in new and creative ways. Not only that, there was even a months-long hiatus on all Superman-related comics before Adventures of Superman #500 was released. Back in the old days when Internet connection and online news were not yet common, I heard lots of buzz about DC resurrecting Superman from the dead which added to the anticipation of the 500th issue of Adventures of Superman.
With those details laid down, here is a look back at Adventures of Superman #500, published in 1993 by DC Comics with a story written by Jerry Ordway and drawn by Tom Grummett.
The cover of the premium version of this comic book.
Early story
The story begins inside a Kansas hospital where medical professionals are trying to revive Jonathan Kent who lost consciousness. Martha Kent is present witnessing the efforts happen. As his physical body is being worked on, Jonathan Kent finds himself in a dream-like realm and to his shock, he meets his dead son Clark who finds himself being pulled into the bright light in the distance. Refusing to let go, Jonathan Kent accidentally tears off Clark’s clothes which reveal him as Superman in his iconic outfit. Superman tells his adoptive father to rejoin the living.
Suddenly two wraiths appeared and escorted Superman into the light. Still defiant, Jonathan then flies himself into the light to follow his son.
Back in the real world, Martha carefully monitors her husband’s health reading. After being assured by the medical staff that they won’t give up on her husband, Martha is surprised to see Lois Lane who arrived all the way from Metropolis…
Quality
Lois Lane with Martha Kent and the recovering Jonathan Kent.
Let me get straight to the point about this Superman story…this is a very dramatized approach on bringing back Superman from the dead without necessarily going all-out. As we comic book geeks know by now, the Reign of the Superman events launched with this comic book serving as a launch pad and that meant that people had to go through many comic books before finally getting to see Superman himself in resurrected form.
More on the story itself, the main feature here is Jonathan Kent’s struggle to follow Superman in the dream-like realm (note: DC’s version of the afterlife which is clearly not spiritual) as he was motivated by his love for him as well as his belief that the world still needs the Man of Steel as their beacon of hope. To be very clear, Jerry Ordway and Tom Grummet nicely executed their presentation of Jonathan Kent and his uncompromising effort to get his son back. The creative team’s imagination really was set into high gear which resulted in Jonathan revisiting a familiar place from his old days as a soldier, getting himself into a lair of demons, flying deep into space and visiting the realm’s own version of Krypton. Very truly, this comic book’s protagonist is Jonathan Kent and the iconic Superman was more of a supporting figure.
While the Jonathan Kent tale is good to read, Superman’s return from the dead here ended up more as a teaser of things to come (note: the Reign of the Supermen). Considering the big promise that came with this comic book, it is indeed a disappointing pay-off towards all the build-up. Not only that, the side stories are a mixed back. The respective scenes of Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen added weight to the narrative while the scenes of Gangbuster were pointless and looked more like hollow script filler. As for Cat Grant’s scene, it was designed to make readers feel sorry for her.
As for the scenes – each done by different creative teams – showing the new Superboy, the Eradicator, the black Man of Steel and the Cyborg Superman, these revelations really did not work to recover from the disappointing conclusion of the main story. They were more like creative distractions designed to promote what was coming in the other Superman monthly series of the time.
Conclusion
In the dreamy realm, Jonathan Kent pursues his adopted son Superman who gets treated like a living idol. The father-and-son dynamic is the most entertaining part of this tale.
Even back in the old days, Adventures of Superman #500 (1993) was a disappointing read and it was a highly dramatized effort by DC Comics cautiously expressing that Superman’s death was nothing more than a highly deceptive publicity stunt with Dollar signs in mind.
Within the context of this comic book, the resurrection of Superman was essentially a half-step and his eventual full return in comics did not happen until months later (note: after many Reign of the Supermen stories were published). More on the resurrection aspect of this comic book, I can clearly say that Superman – no matter how iconic he is and no matter what comic book creators tried – will never ever become a beacon of hope nor a true savior for people in real life. It really does not matter that many people bought copies of Superman #75 (the death) believing truly that they would witness the end of the American icon and witness a Superman-less future. What mattered here were the deception and the irresponsible use of a pop culture icon committed by DC Comics. Superman #75 (1993) was the gigantic deception that sold millions while Adventures of Superman #500 (1993) was the big follow-up deception.
The resurrection of Superman in this story does NOT make him a more significant DC Comics icon at all. I know that there are die-hard fans out there who love to compare the Man of Steel with Jesus Christ but such comparisons and forced attempts to link them together are pathetic and worthless. Superman is not real and even if he was, he could never overcome death nor could he save people. The resurrection of Lord Jesus can never be matched and only He saved people and led them to salvation in the presence of His Father, the Lord God.
By today’s standard, this comic book is much more disappointing and even worth less as a piece of American comic book history. While the work done by the Ordway-Grummett team here was not really terrible, it was the dishonesty and deception of DC Comics that led to this. In fairness to the creators, bringing back Superman after all the hype and belief invested related to his death was indeed a major obstacle for them. You could feel sorry for Ordway-Grummett.
Overall, Adventures of Superman #500 (1993) should be avoided. If you really want to read it, try borrowing a copy. Just don’t spend anything on it.
The City Government of Muntinlupa scored another achievement, this time it is achieving the highest “Beyond Compliant” award (related to disaster risk and management) at the prestigious Gawad Kalasag Seal for Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils and Offices (LDRRMCOs), according to a Manila Bulletin news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
The Muntinlupa City government received the highest “Beyond Compliant” award at the 22nd Gawad Kalasag Seal for Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils and Offices (LDRRMCOs) organized by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) through the Office of Civil Defense (OCD).
According to the OCD, there are 135 Beyond Compliant and 436 Fully Compliant awardees this year among local government units (LGUs) nationwide. The assessment covered 1,715 LGUs in the country.
The Muntinlupa City government, through the Muntinlupa City Department of Disaster Resilience and Management (MCDDRM) and Local Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (LDRRMC), got the Beyond Compliant seal, one of the five LGUs in the National Capital Region recognized in the 22nd Gawad Kalasag.
Based on the guidelines, Beyond Compliant LGUs are those that get an assessment rating of 2.5 to 3 while Fully Compliant LGUs are those that receive a rating of 1.5 to 2.49.
Mayor Ruffy Biazon hailed the new achievement of the Muntinlupa City government.
“Congratulations, Muntinlupa City! We are recognized as Beyond Compliant LGU in the 22nd Gawad KALASAG Seal for Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils and Offices (LDRRMCOs), by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), through the Office of Civil Defense (OCD),” he posted on Facebook.
He said the Beyond Compliance Assessment or Gawad Kalasag Seal is the highest award given to an LGU in disaster resiliency.
The above article ended stating that the mayor thanked the MCDDRM and LDRRMC for their efforts, and cited former mayor and now Muntinlupa Rep. Jaime Fresnedi
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Muntinlupa City resident, what is your reaction to this recent development? Are you happy with the newest award the City Government achieved with regards to disaster risk and management?
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, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
As the Philippines continues to keep on recovering from the damage of COVID-19, the national authorities reported that unemployment in the country fell down further achieving a 2-year low, according to a news article published by the Philippine News Agency (PNA). This is really good news because economic growth and continued employment are very essential right now. It should also be stated that immunity from COVID-19 is better now that many millions of Filipinos have gotten vaccinated and/or boosted.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…
Unemployment rate in September 2022 stood at 5 percent, the lowest in more than two years, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported Tuesday.
In a press conference, PSA chief and national statistician Undersecretary Dennis Mapa said the number of unemployed Filipinos in September fell to 2.5 million, or 183,000 lower than the 2.68 million citizens with no jobs the previous month.
The number of jobless Filipinos during the month was also lower by 1.78 million from 4.28 million unemployed a year ago.
“This means 50 out of 1,000 individuals in the labor force have no job,” Mapa said in Filipino.
On the other hand, employment rate in September 2022 was at 95 percent, which translates to 47.58 million Filipinos who have jobs.
This is higher than the August 2022 employment rate of 94.7 percent, and also higher than the September 2021 rate of 91.1 percent.
He identified sectors with largest month-on-month increase in employment. These include manufacturing, up by 780,000 jobs; education, up by 159,000 jobs; public administration and defense, compulsory social security, up by 128,000 jobs; transportation and storage, up by 56,000 jobs; and real estate activities, up by 13,000 jobs.
Meanwhile, underemployment rate also increased to 15.4 percent in September this year from 14.7 percent in its previous month. This means 296,000 more employed Filipinos want to have additional hours of work in their present job or an additional job.
Despite challenges concerning inflation, Mapa is optimistic that the country will sustain unemployment rate near the 5-percent level for the remaining months of the year.
He added the average unemployment rate for this year is close to the pre-pandemic level, which is at 5.1 percent in 2019.
Mapa said the average unemployment rate for the first nine months of the year stood at 5.8 percent.
The above article ended stating that the Philippines had an unemployment rate of 17.6% in April 2020 or shortly after the first COVID-19 lockdown. For the year 2020, the average unemployment rate was at 10.4%
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent announcement about the state of unemployment in the country? Do you feel confident that 2023 will be a better economic year and that more of the unemployed will be able to find new jobs?
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, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
In celebration of this year’s edition of Boys and Girls Week, the “Little Officials” composed of students from public and private schools temporarily had a touch of practicing public service at Muntinlupa City Hall, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
Little officials have assumed office at the Muntinlupa City hall in celebration of the 2022 Boys and Girls Week.
The week-long event, from Nov. 7 to 11, will have 204 students from public and private elementary and secondary schools, who will act as little mayors, vice mayors, councilors and department heads.
This year marked the 30th year of Boys and Girls Week celebration at the Muntinlupa City government, a hands-on training and exposure program for kids to experience being public servants.
One of them is Ysabella Renee Rudas, a Grade 6 student from Itaas Elementary School, who became the little mayor.
Mayor Ruffy Biazon said he showed and explained to her the duties of a local chief executive.
“Isa sa mga programa ng Pamahalaang Lungsod ang pagkakaroon ng Little Officials kung saan ini-immerse natin ang mga kabataan sa trabaho sa gobyerno (One of the programs of the city government is to have Little Officials wherein we immerse the youth in government work),” said Biazon.
The Boys and Girls Week offers students the chance to experience being a government official for a day and learn the duties and responsibilities of each office. They are assigned to different offices at the Muntinlupa City hall.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Muntinlupa City resident, what is your reaction to this recent development? Do you find the Boys and Girls Week celebration in Muntinlupa an educational activity?
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, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
As the nation continues to recover from the COVID-19 crisis, pre-Christmas shopping in the Alabang area of Muntinlupa City will become much more livelier this year as the famous Noel Bazaar will return on November 18 to 20 and December 16 to 18 at the Filinvest Tent in Filinvest City, according to an Inquirer.net article.
For the newcomers reading this, the Noel Bazaar has an established history as a long-running and popular holiday bazaar and also “features the best of entrepreneurs carrying the latest crafts and merchandise from clothing, Christmas and home decors, fashion accessories, novelty and gift items to food and drinks.”
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Inquirer.net article. Some parts in boldface…
With a wide array of merchants selling specially curated items and unique gift finds, every shopper will find what they need at Noel Bazaar: from novelty items, stylish apparel, Christmas decors and home furnishings, body and beauty products, to fashion accessories, shoes, and bags. The best part? Shoppers get to see, touch, feel, smell, and even taste all the products in person! Indulge in a variety of sumptuous and festive food choices that await visitors of Noel Bazaar so you don’t have to go shopping on an empty stomach.
Get your hands on your favorite gifts while giving back and enjoying the festivities with ease. Have a merry and extra meaningful Christmas as a portion of the bazaar’s proceeds will go to the GMA Kapuso Foundation and Inquirer Foundation. Health protocols will be strictly implemented throughout the duration of the event ensuring that merchants and shoppers can look forward to a better and safer Noel Bazaar comeback this 2022.
The Noel Bazaar 2022 series is in partnership with GMA Network, Inquirer Group of Companies, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inquirer.Net, Pop!, Inquirer Mobile, UnionBank, and Okada Manila. Other media partners include WhenInManila.com, DiscoverMNL, Village Pipol, Buzzsetter, Our Awesome Planet, Travelokaloka, Your Tita Ja, Chinese Commercial News, and Digiboards, Inc.
If you are interested to attend the Noel Bazaar in Alabang soon, visit the Filinvest Tent along Spectrum Midway in Filinvest City. The commercial or business joints located close to the Filinvest Tent are South Supermarket Alabang, Acacia Hotel Manila, Commercenter Mall, BDO Filinvest Spectrum Midway Branch and 7-Eleven along Spectrum Midway. Considering the popularity of Noel Bazaar, do not be surprised to find a huge amount of people present as well as lines of cars at the nearest parking areas. If you want covered parking, Commercenter Mall and South Supermarket Alabang have it. Better start planning where to park and how to make it to Filinvest Tent.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: Are you excited about the return of Noel Bazaar in Alabang? If you shopped at a Noel Bazaar before, when and where was the last time you did? What are you looking for at Noel Bazaar this time around?
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, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
There is simply no stopping the improvement and expansion of infrastructure here in the Philippines. Infrastructure is indeed essential not only for the travel-related purposes of people but also for the growth of the national economy. In a recent development, the construction of the New Manila International Airport located in Bulacan province is now in full swing, according to a news article published by the Philippine News Agency (PNA).
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…
The construction of the New Manila International Airport in Bulacan, some 35 kilometers north of Metro Manila, is in full swing, with Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jaime Bautista leading the inspection over the weekend.
In a news release issued Monday, the DOTr said Bautista was joined by San Miguel Corporation (SMC) president and CEO Ramon Ang and other transport officials during the inspection in the town of Bulakan.
Bautista assured stakeholders of the new international airport that the gateway will soon be open for business. Operations at the new gateway are targeted to start in 2027.
Land development works are now being done at the airport’s 1,693-hectare site.
Works on the PHP735-billion airport officially started on Sept. 18, 2019, when the government, through the DOTr, signed a concession agreement with San Miguel Aerocity Inc. (SMAI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of San Miguel Holdings Corp., and the infrastructure arm of SMC.
The DOTr and the SMAI are working together to make sure that the project complies with environmental protection requirements, particularly flood mitigation, considering the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) which was conducted prior to the commencement of works at the airport site.
Once built, the new international airport will be fully owned by the government under a “build-operate-transfer” program.
Once operational, the new gateway will not only help decongest the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) as the capital’s main gateway, but will also be a “game changer” and catalyst of economic growth in Central Luzon. Phase 1 of the airport will have a capacity of 35 million passengers per annum, is expected generate more than 1 million jobs, and rake-in increased foreign direct investments and higher exports.
Under the 50-year concession agreement, SMAI will undertake the financing, design, construction, supply, completion, testing, commissioning, and operation and maintenance of the new international gateway.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to the ongoing construction of the New Manila International Airport? Do you believe that such an ambitious project will benefit Bulacan province economically? Do you think the upcoming airport will succeed in decongesting the current airports in Metro Manila? Can you imagine yourself traveling all the way from Muntinlupa City to the New Manila International Airport in Bulacan to catch a flight or pick up someone who is arriving?
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, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?
I recommend you watch the following videos below…
#1 Ashleigh Burton’s Friday The 13th Part 2 movie reaction video – I have seen many movie reaction videos about the Friday The 13th film franchise and among the many YouTubers who published such videos, it is Ashleigh Burton (AKA Awkward Ashleigh) who stands out the most as she is the most entertaining to watch. To find out why, I recommend you watch her video reaction of Friday The 13th Part 2 below from start to finish. Tell me what you think of the video and the presentation by Burton.
#2 Starbucks’ failure in Australia – Starbucks may be the leading coffee shop chain in the world but there are certain markets where they failed and/or have been struggling in. One notable market they could not make a big impact on is Australia. To find out why Starbucks’ reception among the many coffee-loving Australians did not turn out positively, watch the video below.
#3KFC’s struggle in Israel – Still on food business, KFC’s struggle in Israel is quite notable and even educational to learn from. Their problem in that nation goes beyond competition. Watch this video and pay close attention to the details.
#4 The 2008 Financial Crisis and its long-lasting effects – It has been almost fifteen years since the financial meltdown of 2008 happened. Back during that time, a lot of people were worried that their savings and investments would simply vanish. While the said crisis has ended, its effects are still felt to this day in more ways than one.
#5 Unsolved Mysteries with the late Robert Stack – Unsolved Mysteries is one of my all-time favorite TV shows of all time and I am very happy to see that many episodes hosted by the late Robert Stack have been made available for free, full-length viewing on YouTube. As such, posted below are the first five episodes from Season 1 of Unsolved Mysteries for your discovery and enjoyment.
#6 The Death of Superman’s impact on comics – It has been almost thirty long years since DC Comics published the Death of Superman storyline (note: read my retro comic book reviews here and here) with the comic book Superman #75 as the climax. I remember back in late 1992, a lot of people really thought that DC Comics would not only kill the iconic superhero but also go on to publish superhero comics without his presence at all. Unsurprisingly, a lot of readers who spent so much money on the death of Superman got pissed off when DC revived the Man of Steel (preceded by the Reign of the Supermen storyline) in 1993. Superman’s death was more than just a commercial success…it had major ramifications on superhero comic book publishing in America. Watch and learn from the video below.
#7 Twitter’s history – Chances are, you must have heard about the news of Elon Musk’s takeover of social media giant Twitter as well as the changes that took effect since. There is a lot more to the history of Twitter and why Musk pushed through with taking it over. Watch and learn from the two ColdFusion videos below. By the way, how is the Twitter experience for you right now?
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.
Welcome back, superheo enthusiasts, 1990s culture enthusiasts, X-Men fans and comic book collectors! Today we revisit the X-Men Adventures monthly series which was the literary adaptation of the popular X-Men animated series of the 1990s.
In my previous retro review, the X-Men encountered Magneto for the first time and things turned out for the worse for Charles Xavier’s team.
With those details laid down, here is a look back at X-Men Adventures #4, published by Marvel Comics in 1993 with a story written by Ralph Macchio and drawn by Andrew Wildman.
The cover.
Early story
The story begins in a ruined place where Magneto floats in the air and below him are Cyclops, Storm and Rogue who are down and looked knocked out. It turns out Rogue is still conscious and as Magneto remains unaware of her state, she makes her moves to get Storm and Cyclops back up.
Knowing the risk of absorbing another mutant’s power by touching, Rogue executes CPR to revive Cyclops. Just moments after Cyclops gets revived, powerful beams of laser suddenly come out of Rogue’s eyes. As soon as the problem eased, Rogue then flies off towards Magneto in a mad attempt to tackle him…
Quality
The encounter between Wolverine and Sabretooth is a must-read!
To get straight to the point here, this comic book tells two succeeding events starting with the encounter between Magneto and the X-Men. In reflecting Magneto’s first appearance in the animated series, this adaptation emphasizes the first time the X-Men encountered the master of magnetism but with the contemporary character designs and visual aesthetics of the era. On face value, the encounter here looks inspired by the X-Men Blue Team’s encounter with Magneto in 1991’s X-Men #1 but in reality this one was designed in accordance to the animated series creators’ way of establishing the start of the X-Men-Magneto rivalry. There is a good amount of superhero spectacle as Storm, Rogue, Cyclops and Charles Xavier each take turns on bringing down Magneto in their own unique methods. Of course, these developments helped emphasize how powerful Magneto really is.
The other half of this comic book tale focuses more on the presence of Sabretooth as a captive of the X-Men at their headquarters, as well as the eventual rivalry between him and Wolverine. It is during the heat of Wolverine’s encounter with Sabretooth that the dialogue became very rich and engaging to read as elements of their past together got raised, and Sabretooth’s observations on how the X-Men handled things became philosophical. I also enjoyed how the philosophical writing continued within Charles Xavier’s dialogue as he attempts to nullify the rage between Wolverine and Sabretooth.
As with his past works, the art here drawn by Andrew Wildman is very good and he even pushed the limits of on-page superhero violence during two key moments of the physical struggle between Wolverine and Sabretooth (which resulted in altered colors to avoid graphic violence).
Conclusion
The encounter between Magneto and the X-Men was pretty engaging to read.
X-Men Adventures #4 (1993) is a solid read from start to finish. By the time I reached the final page, the comic book clearly marked the beginning of the rivalry between the X-Men and Magneto (in accordance to what was set up in the animated series). This comic book emphasized the rivalry further with the clever use of dialogue and visuals (complete with the strategic use of panels on the final pages), so much so there was this genuine feel of the start of a new age.
Overall, X-Men Adventures #4 (1993) is highly recommended.
Author Carlo Carrasco 