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A Look Back at Resident Evil: The Official Comic Book Magazine #3 (1998)

March 20, 2026March 19, 2026carlocarrasco

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, 1990s arts and culture enthusiasts, video game enthusiasts and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the late-1990s to examine another issue of the magazine-sized comic book series titled Resident Evil: The Official Comic Book Magazine.

By the time WildStorm Productions released the 3^rd issue in 1998, many millions of gamers around the world played Resident Evil 2 on PlayStation. The Resident Evil fanbase expanded dramatically and many of them completed the game’s multiple scenarios. At the same time, Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield became popular characters in gaming.

The 2^nd issue I reviewed had a very bad adaptation of Resident Evil 2’s story. What prevented the comic book from ending up as a complete disaster were the two other short stories which were surprisingly entertaining to read. Still, I wonder if Shinji Mikami and the game developers ever saw the abysmal Resident Evil 2 adaptation in the 2^nd issue.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Resident Evil: The Official Comic Book Magazine #3, published by WildStorm/Image Comics in 1998 with short stories written by Ted Adams and Kris Oprisko, and drawn by Ryan Odagawa, Carlos D’Anda and Lee Bermejo.

Early stories

Wolf Hunt – At Raccoon City College, a few students talk about someone who got killed at school and her body was all torn up. They aware that the authorities are keeping the story out of the papers to avoid causing a panic. In the evening, of the students got harmed by a ferocious monster. The next day at S.T.A.R.S. headquarters, Albert Wesker, Jill Valentine and Barry Burton discuss the killings that happened at the city college. They were asked by the local police to investigate what happened. Jill takes the assignment of going undercover as a student.

Danger Island – A man and a woman arrive at Isla Bonale in Caribbean for a vacation. The island is so exclusive, they only let ten couples on it at a time. After having a romantic night of dinner and dancing, they decide to go snorkeling and rent a boat. Just as they start snorkeling, a plane crashes on the island.

Dead Air – Following the events of Resident Evil (1996) and Resident Evil 2, Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine and Barry Burton start traveling to Europe with the goal of ending Umbrella’s current progress on a new variation of the T-virus even though they have to go undercover. They have the support of a top-secret international agency which already has someone in place to help them. Meanwhile, Umbrella has a spy watching on the three.

Quality

*Imagine being surrounded by the deadly Lickers of Umbrella on an island wearing only swimwear and having no useful pieces of equipment to protect yourself with.*

Similar to issue #2, this comic book has three short stories and some extras.

The short story Wolf Hunt, which took place before the events of the original Resident Evil game of 1996, has the odd concept of having werewolves existing within the RE universe. Werewolves are often super natural and such monsters don’t align with the sci-fi and biological aspects of the Resident Evil games. In fairness, the creative team had this interesting concept of having Jill Valentine going undercover as a student in the city college to find answers and solve the problem. I should state that the artwork by Ryan Odagawa is good overall although his take on Jill Valentine is cartoonish. This story is pretty short and lacked a solid conclusion. It’s really a glorified piece of fan fiction that should interest fans of the 1996 game.

Danger Island, the 2^nd short story, is easily the gem of this comic book. This is a completely original tale that has brand-new lead characters – the couple Stan and Leslie – and an island as the setting. Without spoiling the plot, this is a suspense story with a moderate pace, some dynamic visuals and a good implementation of elements from the lore of Resident Evil. The creative team behind this tale emphasized that as long as Umbrella and is biological experiments exist, danger and death will creep up on people regardless of location. A notable monster species from Resident Evil 2 is included here and the effects the G-virus has on creatures on the island are cleverly presented complete with nice artwork by Lee Bermejo.

Through the couple, readers will feel the danger, desperation and anxiety as the story went on. How the story ended is a must-see and I am confident it will encourage you to revisit Resident Evil 2.

The final tale Dead Air is a daring attempt by WildStorm’s creators to make a sequel to the first two games. As mentioned above, Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine and Barry Burton are together on a high-risk mission to find and stop Umbrella in Europe. The main setting is inside a commercial flight where a zombie outbreak happens. Without their weapons, Chris, Jill and Barry are compelled to use alternative items and ways to overcome the zombies.

While this tale is packed with action and the violence is uncompromised, something is off with the way Jill Valentine is portrayed. She is more violent with action and even expressed sarcasm. This tale is pretty short as the comic book made it clear that the continuation will happen in the next issue. Considering what was told in Resident Evil: Code Veronica (released in 2000 with Chris and Claire Redfield included), Dead Air is clearly a non-canon Resident Evil tale and it is at best a polished piece of fan fiction by WildStorm.

When it comes to the extras, you will find the Readers Art gallery and The Resident Evil Files (featuring Chris Redfield and his sister Claire). The most notable extra stuff here, however, is another interview with Resident Evil creator/producer Shinji Mikami and you will even see a few pictures of not just him but also Hideki Kamiya (the game director of Resident Evil 2 who went on to produce lots of highly entertaining games through the decades) and members of the team behind the RE games of the time. Enjoy the pages of the interview below.

*The members of the development team of Resident Evil games of the time.*

*Very notable details shared by Shinji Mikami.*

*Shinji Mikami with Hideki Kamiya. Mikami directed the original Resident Evil game of 1996 while Kamiya directed Resident Evil 2. The two are still prolific makers of video games today.*

*Shinji Mikami played Space Invaders when he was young.*

Conclusion

*Remember Jill Valentine’s extra costume in the original game of 1996?*

Considering the qualities of the three short stories and the extra stuff, Resident Evil: The Official Comic Book Magazine #3 (1998) is easily a huge improvement over issue #2. The quality and creativity of the short stories are better, the interview with Shinji Mikami was worth reading and the comic book itself is more entertaining. That said, I am convinced to move on to the next Resident Evil comic book.

Overall, Resident Evil: The Official Comic Book Magazine #3 (1998) is recommended.

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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. If you want to support my website, please consider making a donation. 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/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco/.

Israel Eliminates Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmaeil Khatib

March 19, 2026March 18, 2026carlocarrasco

Esmaeil Khatib – the Minister of Intelligence of the Islamic terrorist state of Iran – was eliminated successfully by Israel which severely damaged the regime whose number of officials have been reduced even more, according to a news report by The Jerusalem Post. Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz and the military confirmed the assassination.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from The Jerusalem Post news report. Some parts in boldface…

The IDF has assassinated Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmaeil Khatib, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and the military both confirmed on Wednesday.

Before the assassination was confirmed, two sources gave The Jerusalem Post different indications on the likelihood of the success of the operation, which took place Tuesday night.

Khataib’s death marks the next most significant assassination in Iran since the early days of the war, other than the killing of Ali Larijani and the Basij chief on Monday night.

Khatib has been the intelligence minister since August 2021, when ultra-hardliner and former Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi was elected.

When Raisi was killed in a helicopter crash, and Masoud Pezeshkian succeeded him as Iranian president, he kept Khatib in his role, an unusual move given that traditionally new presidents replace top ministers with their own close associates.

Khatib seen as hardliner close to Khamenei checking Pezeshkian – However, Khatib was close to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and was viewed as a hardliner who could keep Pezeshkian’s more moderate positions in check.

In addition, over the years, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) started to displace aspects of the authorities and power of the intelligence ministry, causing friction and competition between the bodies.

Raisi was closer to the IRGC than former president Hassan Rouhani, and Khatib spent much of his career in the IRGC’s intelligence branch.

When Raisi moved Khatib from the IRGC to run the intelligence ministry, it also cemented some of the IRGC’s new intelligence powers.

Khamenei wanted to keep Khatib in place partially to ensure continued IRGC dominance.

Although the IRGC was viewed by Khamenei as more loyal and ideologically committed to his causes, the Post has reported that the intelligence ministry had been viewed by outside CIA and Mossad officials as far more professional and competent.

If IRGC intelligence officials might sometimes be promoted to their roles due to ideological loyalty, top intelligence ministry officials usually only achieve promotion based on outstanding spycraft.

Indeed, the elimination of Khatib is very significant and it weakens the regime even more. The regime, whose so-called new supreme leader could not even show himself living, will continue to pretend it is functioning even after losing Ali Larijani and the Basij chief prior to Khatib. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel is very capable of tracking and finding Iranian regime leaders for elimination. If the Islamic terrorist proxies realize that Iran – whose entire military has been decimated already by Israel and Trump’s America – has a pretentious and smaller leadership existing, they will feel the pressure knowing they can’t keep on fighting without Iran’s support.

As for the oppressed Iranians who protested against their government, the eliminations of Khatib, Larijani and the Basic commander should embolden them to take action against the wicked regime soon.

For additional insight, watch the YouTube news video below.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? Do you think the Islamic terrorist regime of Iran has much fewer commanders remaining behind the scenes? Do you think their so-called new supreme leader is in a coma behind closed doors? With Khatib dead, do you think the number of Iranian soldiers and police officers will contemplate abandoning their posts to escape overseas?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. 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/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 128

March 18, 2026March 11, 2026carlocarrasco

Welcome back my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching. 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 check out the following videos I found.

#1 Leon Kennedy Is Gaming’s Significant Action Hero – Have you guys played Resident Evil: Requiem? I have not played it but the most notable buzz I heard about it was it emerged as a commercial success, and Leon Kennedy’s significance as a video game action hero is stronger than ever. Having played Resident Evil 2 of 1998 and 2019, plus Resident Evil 6, I can say that Leon Kennedy is a video game icon by today’s standards. In my view, the fictional hero is comparable with Clint Eastwood’s Dirty Harry. To learn more about the significance of Leon Kennedy and the quality of Resident Evil: Requiem, watch the video of Ranting for Vengeance below.

#2 Resident Evil of 1996 Revisited – Thirty years ago this month, Capcom released Resident Evil on PlayStation (followed by the Windows PC and Sega Saturn versions) and it became a big hit with gamers and critics. Since then, the Resident Evil games grew into a popular multimedia entertainment franchise and it is easily one of the most significant game franchises of all time. The 1996 original game was a successful experiment and it had a lot of content that added to its replay value. Times like these, it is important to revisit the first-ever Resident Evil game and I found a very comprehensive video about it which you can watch below.

#3 Fast Food In 1980s America – When I first visited the United States of America in 1989, me and my relatives had lots of fast food stops as we moved from one state to another by car. We had a nice variety of meals from food joints like Carl’s Jr., Burger King, McDonald’s, and Taco Bell to name some. I also had fast food stops when I revisited America in 1997, 2001, 2008 and 2011 but those experiences never matched the food stop experiences I had in 1989. To see what fast food in America was like in the 1980s, watch the video below.

#4 How Las Vegas Joints Scam Customers Without Breaking Laws – When I visited Las Vegas in 2011, I did not enjoy it that much because almost everything around me was too expensive. We stayed at a hotel along the famous Las Vegas strip which meant we were literally trapped by high rates here and there. As it turns out, the businesses there have been scamming customers and tourists without necessarily violating laws. How did they do it and what can you do to avoid such scams? Watch and learn from the video below.

#5 You, Me And The Movies React To The Godfather Trilogy – What is there to say about The Godfather movies of 1972, 1974 and 1990? Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, those movies were the most definitive cinematic portrayals of the mafia as well as the struggles of an Italian-American family. Al Pacino will forever be remembered as Michael Corleone while the late Robert Duvall was very memorable playing the great lawyer Tom Hagen. A few years ago, You, Me and the Movies took the effort to watch and react to The Godfather, The Godfather Part II and The Godfather Part III. I like how each movie – even with the third being the weakest and most disappointing one – drew their reactions. Watch and enjoy their reaction videos below.

#6 Ashleigh Burton Reacts To Annie – I never saw the 1982 musical film Annie in the cinema. As a young boy back then, I do remember the strong marketing and promotion of the movie prior to its release. A short time after its theatrical run, there were people in our local community singing “Tomorrow, Tomorrow, I Love You, Tomorrow, You’re Always A Day Away” and citing lines from the movie. Historically, Annie was not exactly a gigantic hit and it was made with a very large budget of $35 million. If you want to discover what Annie is about, I encourage you all to watch Ashleigh Burton’s entertaining reaction video below.

#7 Affordable Japanese Cruises – Have you thought about visiting Japan and spending time in a cruise ship? Considering the economic developments and trends of recent years, it seems cruises there are becoming more affordable and the great deals are only increasing. Watch and learn from the Nippon TV video below.

#8 The Ticking Structural Disaster Of San Francisco – Do you often spend time in San Francisco? Deep within the city is the high-end Millennium Tower and it is already a ticking disaster that could cause massive damage and deaths. This is because Millennium Tower has been leaning and sinking for many years now, and there is no solid way to solve its problem. If you intend to work and/or live in San Francisco, better stay away from Millennium Tower!

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National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani And Basij Commander Of Iran Eliminated By Israel

March 18, 2026March 20, 2026carlocarrasco

In what can be described as the most significant eliminations since that of the demonic Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) successfully eliminated Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani and Basij Commander Gholamreza Soleimani, according to a news report by The Jerusalem Post.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from The Jerusalem Post news report. Some parts in boldface…

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani was killed in a targeted Israeli airstrike in Iran overnight, the IDF and Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed on Tuesday afternoon.

Israeli confirmation of the assassination came after three separate sources confirmed to The Jerusalem Post he was targeted in what is the single most momentous targeted killing following the death of former supreme leader Ali Khamenei.

The military referred to Larijani as “the de facto leader of the Iranian terror regime.”

Basij commander killed along with ‘majority of leadership’ – The IDF also confirmed it had assassinated the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Basij paramilitary militia, Gholamreza Soleimani, and his deputy, Seyyed Karishi. The two were killed in a makeshift tent area, which had been set up to make it harder to follow them as opposed to in a known headquarters.

An Israeli official also confirmed to The Jerusalem Post that the majority of the Basij leadership was eliminated overnight in the Israeli airstrike.

The military also announced that it killed the IRGC’s Aerospace Force chief.

Larijani was due to give public address in Iran on Tuesday – Iranian authorities stated that Larijani was due to give a public address on Tuesday, but two IDF sources expressed skepticism about his making a statement and expressed stronger optimism that the strike succeeded in killing him, before his death was announced.

After Larijani’s death was confirmed, the Mossad Farsi account posted on X/Twitter, saying “In the end, people without mercy will die.”

The Prime Minister’s Office released an image later on Tuesday, which it said captured the moment in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued the order for the targeted assassinations.

Netanyahu also released a statement via video following confirmation of Larijani’s death, calling him the “boss” of the regime, whom he called a “group of gangsters.”

“We’re undermining the regime, in the hope of giving the Iranian nation the opportunity to get rid of it,” he said. “It won’t happen all at once, it won’t happen easily, but if we commit to it, we’ll be able to give them the chance to take their fates into their own hands.”

Larijani was ‘de-facto leader’ of Iran after Khamenei’s killing – Some have viewed Larijani as the man running the Iranian regime since Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was assassinated by the IDF, along with Iran’s military chief, IRGC chief, defense minister, and around 40 other top officials on February 28.

Larijani has been the Islamic regime’s most public voice, responding directly to threats and comments by US President Donald Trump and others.

Whereas Mojtaba Khamenei has been technically appointed the next supreme leader, IDF and American intelligence have said he is badly wounded, and given a total lack of public appearances, doubts have been expressed about whether he is actually running the country.

Further, Larijani was promoted to run day-to-day operations for the country and all negotiations with the West over the conflict in the weeks before the war started.

Larijani, on March 1, announced that he would be heading an interim committee for running the country, given Khamenei’s death. However, just because Larijani issued such a statement does not mean that he is for sure calling the shots.

The Iranian leader has had ups and downs with Khamenei, having been an IRGC commander, speaker of parliament, and a national security council chief, but then was disqualified from running for Iranian president to pave the way for Ebrahim Raisi’s election in 2021, and was out of favor for a time.

However, in recent months, Larijani made a comeback as one of the older and still living top advisers to Khamenei, following so many top officials being killed in June 2025, and became Khamenei’s number two, running the country’s day-to-day security affairs and nuclear negotiations with the US.

If Larijani has been the number one official in Iran these last two weeks, and even if he is only one of the top few, killing or wounding him could significantly impact the overall strategic picture.

This development is the latest addition to the number of Islamic terrorist leaders Israel eliminated under the leadership of Prime Minister Netanyahu. With Larijani confirmed dead, one has to wonder who exactly are leading the Islamic terrorist regime of Iran and why is it their chosen so-called supreme leader – son of the demon Ali Khamenei – has not physically emerged. For additional insight, watch the YouTube news video below.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? Do you think the significance of the latest Islamic terrorist leaders of Iran will be realized soon as the war in the Middle East goes on? Who do you think is actually leading the evil regime of Iran right now?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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A Look Back at The Kindred #2 (1994)

March 16, 2026March 10, 2026carlocarrasco

Welcome back, superhero fans, 1990s arts and culture enthusiasts, Image Comics and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the mid-1990s to examine one of the many tales of the WildStorm universe through The Kindred mini-series.

The Kindred #1 was an entertaining piece of work by Jim Lee’s team. It was a build-up comic book that smoothly sets the stage for the inevitable reuniting of Grifter and Backlash – two former teammates of Team 7 who are also among the most defining heroes of the WildStorm universe – and the dangerous mission to find and rescue IO director John Lynch (who was also part of Team 7) and his assistant in South America. As the story of issue #1 went on, it was clear that elements from the past are creeping up on the characters and IO itself.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at The Kindred #2, published by Image Comics in 1994 with a story written by Jim Lee, Brandon Choi, Sean Ruffner and Brett Booth. Booth illustrated the comic book.

Early story

The story begins with a high-tech aircraft speeding off the coast of South America. Inside, the temporary leader Backlash (supported by deputy Colby) talks with members of the Black Razor team about what the mission is about and what their objectives are. Their goal is to find IO superior John Lynch and his assistant Alica Turner who have been held captive by a mysterious and dangerous bunch called the Kindred.

Upon arrival at their destination, Backlash, Colby and the Black Razors land to start their operation. Moments later, the stowaway Grifter emerges from inside the aircraft and gets spotted by a corporal. Grifter fires at an ugly, human-like monster of the Kindred saving the corporal’s life. Grifter then descends to follow Backlash and the Black Razors…

Quality

*Backlash and Grifter (Marc Slayton and Cole Cash) together after so many years apart. They are former teammates of Team 7.*

This early, I can say that the entertainment value of this comic book went up really high. It is clearly a nice pay-off to the build-up that happened in issue #1 and it has some notable moments as the storytelling went on.

Without spoiling the plot, the core concept of this series became clearer to me as the story progressed. Apart from the creative idea of having the former Team 7 teammates reunited, there are believable reasons as to why Backlash is leading a team of IO’s armed operative and why Grifter tagged along. Both of them are searching for answers while having different agendas or personal goals. There is also animosity between them which strongly implies something bad happened during their time together with Team 7. John Lynch, who often has been a background or supporting character in previous WildStorm tales (but eventually got a stronger role in Team 7 comics), finds himself cornered by the Kindred whose leader is very aware of what IO has been doing all along. At the same time, IO’s legacy of indiscriminate genetic testing on animal fetuses created a force of not only evil but vengeance. What the Kindred leader mentions effectively blurred the boundary that separates good and evil, and even that of abusers and victims.

By the time I reached the end of the comic book, the stakes and the suspense were raised. The same can be said about the overall fun factor.

Conclusion

*The leader of the Kindred is not only evil. He is driven by vengeance and he knows a lot about IO.*

Thanks to strong creative writing, The Kindred #2 (1994) is indeed a more engaging and more intriguing comic book. It consistently paid off the build-up that happened in the previous issue, and the creative team managed to keep on building up the suspense and tension as the story went on. Those who love spectacle will enjoy the high amount of action here and artist Brett Booth proved himself to be capable of showing dynamic visuals. Booth has an inspired take on showing Backlash and Grifter in action. I am looking forward to the next issue.

Overall, The Kindred #2 (1994) is recommended.

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Philippines Attracted Only $7.79 Billion In Foreign Direct Investment In 2025

March 16, 2026March 12, 2026carlocarrasco

It can be said that 2025 is indeed a very disappointing year for the Philippines as it attracted only $7.79 billion in terms of net inflows of foreign direct investments (FDI), according to a news report by the Manila Bulletin. The said figure is a drop of more than 17% compared with 2024 and it is recalled that the flood control corruption scandal of 2025 negatively affected the nation.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of the Manila Bulletin. Some parts in boldface…

Net inflows of foreign direct investment (FDI) into the Philippines plunged to their lowest level in a decade—excluding the pandemic slump—as investors stepped on the brakes on injecting funds into the country.

The latest data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) released on Tuesday night, March 10, showed net inflows of FDI stood at $7.79 billion for the full year of 2025, dropping 17.1 percent from the $9.4 billion recorded in 2024.

It bears noting that the 2025 performance marks a significant downturn, as full-year FDI was the lowest since the 2020 pandemic level of $6.82 billion.

Excluding the pandemic period, 2025 net FDI represents the lowest level in a decade since the $5.64 billion recorded in 2015. This contraction was a consistent trend throughout 2025, with cumulative annual growth remaining negative every month since January.

On a positive note, the final figure exceeded the country’s $7-billion full-year target.

According to the BSP, the overall decline in investments was largely driven by net debt instruments, or intercompany borrowings, which shrank by 27 percent to $5.27 billion from $7.22 billion in 2024.

Meanwhile, net equity capital, other than reinvestment of earnings, grew by 31.4 percent to $1.32 billion from $1.01 billion the previous year. Reinvestment of earnings also saw a modest expansion of 2.5 percent, reaching $1.2 billion.

For the full year, equity capital placements were primarily sourced from Japan, the United States (US), Singapore, and South Korea.

Investments were largely channeled into financial and insurance activities, manufacturing, and wholesale and retail trade.

In December 2025 alone, net inflows were recorded at $560 million, marking the lowest in three months since September 2025 at $316 million.

Robert Dan Roces, group economist at SM Investments Corp. (SMIC), said investors delayed their investments, particularly in December. He added that softer inflows likely reflect seasonality.

Looking ahead, Roces believes the ongoing military conflict in the Middle East could add a layer of uncertainty, triggering market volatility. Still, he sees a gradual rebound in 2026 on the back of improving global financial conditions.

“While the Iran conflict adds uncertainty through higher oil prices and market volatility, we still expect FDI to gradually recover in 2026, particularly in manufacturing, renewable energy (RE), and logistics, as global financial conditions ease and supply-chain diversification continues,” Roces said.

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think the Philippines will be able to rebound strongly this year with foreign investors?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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A Look Back at The Kindred #1 (1994)

March 13, 2026March 9, 2026carlocarrasco

Welcome back, superhero fans, 1990s arts and culture enthusiasts, Image Comics fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the mid-1990s to examine one of the many tales of the WildStorm universe as published by Image Comics.

To put things in perspective, Jim Lee’s WildStorm universe quickly expanded after launching WildC.A.T.s: Covert Action Teams in 1992. Other WildStorm properties followed such as StormWatch, Gen13, Team 7 and Wetworks. By 1994, things went rolling with the WildStorm projects and the production team of Jim Lee decided to expand the lore by having key characters Grifter (WildCATs) and Backlash involved in a story told in a mini-series. The said characters are actually former teammates of Team 7.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at The Kindred #1, published by Image Comics in 1994 with a story written by Jim Lee, Brandon Choi, Sean Ruffner and Brett Booth. Booth illustrated the comic book.

Early story

The story begins in New York City. Even as darkness envelopes the city that never sleeps, thousands of its denizens walk the streets in relentless pursuit of their hopes and dreams. One man walks alone and his thoughts are not filled with dreams of the future. Instead, he has nightmares from the past.

The man is Marc Slayton and he knocks the door communicating with Jack. He converts himself into vapor and easily enters the building moving towards Jack. He emerges as Backlash and tells Jack that he needs classified information on an alien race known as the Daemonites. It turns out, Backlash needs Jack’s hacking abilities to bypass the government’s bureaucracy and secrecy.

Suddenly, the armored members of Black Razor emerge behind Backlash…

Quality

*Grifter appears in a violent way of helping someone.*

I like this comic book. This is a tale that has strong elements of the 1990s WildStorm universe all over it, specifically paramilitary influence and intrigue. As this was released before Team 7 #1 (a tale set in the past), it was the WildStorm creators’ way of getting former teammates Grifter and Backlash together after being separated for a long time. The result is a dangerous mission launched while bringing key elements from the past back for the two heroes to encounter. Conveniently, this comic book added to the pre-release anticipation of the Team 7 mini-series.

More on the plot itself, Backlash wants crucial information about the Daemonites (monsters from space that are ugly, dangerous and capable of possessing people) and it so happens he has been targeted by IO (International Operations) for the mentioned mission. The way Backlash was portrayed involved his past coming back at him, dealing with IO and having to decide to participate or not. Clearly, Backlash here is cornered more than once and it is a sign that something intriguing and dangerous awaits him.

Grifter’s presence here is directly linked with his exit from WildCATs #8. Similar with Backlash, Grifter is in search for answers and he shows no intention of having a friendly reunion with his former teammate. Along the way, you will see the masked gunslinger being more analytical as the plot went on and his determination to find answers is really strong. Grifter here is also a huge risk-taker which is a nice touch.

Speaking of elements of the past, this comic book has some notable connections with other developments and parts of the WildStorm universe. A certain scene here could convince WildStorm fans to revisit the WildCATs mini-series.

Conclusion

*Backlash hit hard by Black Razor members.*

Considering the way the story was told and the high amount of expository dialogue executed, The Kindred #1 (1994) is clearly a build-up comic book that will eventually lead to the true essence of this mini-series. What I enjoyed the most here was how the creative team portrayed Backlash and Grifter. They are former teammates of Team 7 who each have grudges, personal problems and secrets that could potentially widen the gap between them. At the same time, the creative team succeeded in setting up the threat by showing the violent kidnap of John Lynch (the former leader of Team 7) and the rise of a new enemy who is very driven by revenge. Ultimately, this comic book succeeded in convincing me to read the next issue.

Overall, The Kindred #1 (1994) is recommended.

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Trump’s America To Launch Tariff Investigations On Several Countries

March 13, 2026March 12, 2026carlocarrasco

Even as the United States is busy working alongside Israel on the war against the Islamic terrorist state of Iran, the Trump administration announced that it will launch tariff investigations on several countries including trade partners like Japan, according to a news report by Kyodo News. The probes are meant to find out if unfair trading practices exist.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Kyodo News report. Some parts in boldface…

U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration said Wednesday it will launch tariff investigations into what it sees as unfair practices by China, Japan and over a dozen other American trading partners.

According to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, the move is intended to “uncover a variety of unfair trading practices related to excess capacity in production” in the manufacturing sector, and replace Trump’s sweeping tariff regime that was invalidated by the Supreme Court in February.

“Our view is that key trading partners have developed production capacity that is really untethered from the market incentives of domestic and global demand,” Greer told reporters.

The other trading partners facing the investigations, carried out under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, are the European Union, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam, Greer said.

The statute, which allows the U.S. government to impose tariffs in response to a foreign country’s alleged unfair practices, was a favorite tool of Trump for justifying higher tariffs on Chinese imports when he started a trade war with Beijing during his first term as president.

After the U.S. top court on Feb. 20 struck down a large chunk of Trump’s far-reaching tariff agenda as imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, his administration introduced a new 10 percent global duty.

However, the new 10 percent surcharge, relying on a different legal framework, can only last 150 days unless Congress approves an extension.

Greer said the Trump administration seeks to complete the investigations as quickly as possible and prepare for new Section 301 tariffs within the 150-day period.

The statute requires consultations with the governments of the targeted trading partners before tariffs can be imposed.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? Do you think the United States is doing the right thing with the multiple trade investigations? How do you think the Trump administration will adjust its tariff policy once the 150-day period expires?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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A Look Back at Resident Evil: The Official Comic Book Magazine #2 (1998)

March 11, 2026March 14, 2026carlocarrasco

The launch issue of Resident Evil: The Official Comic Book Magazine was surprisingly entertaining. That’s not to say it was excellent as it had some flaws here and there. It succeeded with creative stuff by WildStorm to give readers and RE fans a wider lore of Resident Evil by reconnecting them with the first video game and slowly connecting them to Resident Evil 2. The interview with RE creator and producer Shinji Mikami (still a prolific video games industry producer) was indeed a good bonus.

As many of us know, Resident Evil 2 was a huge critical and commercial hit in 1998. By the time WildStorm continued publishing another issue of the official comic book magazine, enthusiasm for Resident Evil was intensified and many new gamers who enjoy RE2 on PlayStation became fans.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Resident Evil: The Official Comic Book Magazine #2, published by WildStorm/Image Comics in 1998 with short stories written by Ted Adams and Kris Oprisko, and drawn by Carlos D’Anda and Lee Bermejo.

Early stories

A New Chapter of Evil (Resident Evil 2 adaptation) – Inside a police car moving along the street in the middle of a zombie-fested Raccoon City, Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield tried to figure out what has been happening around them. Leon notices an over-speeding truck is about to hit them from behind. The two managed to get out of the car before it got hit by the truck. From a distance, Leon tells Claire to make her way to the Raccoon City police station where they can meet again.

Mutant Menagerie – After getting left behind by the armed men who shot him, chief researcher William Birkin clutches an overlooked vial of the G-virus and injects himself with it. He soon mutates into a large, deformed monster capable of killing anyone easily. Propelled by sheer willpower to save his life’s work, Birkin simply thinks about infecting many. The next day at the zoo of Raccoon City, a monstrous roar catches the attention of a security guard who rushes outside only to find his two colleagues dead and their bodies torn apart.

Lock Down – Barry Burton, who has been experiencing recurring nightmares since the disastrous mission at the Spencer mansion, visits a facility to seek the help of a psychiatrist. As he approaches the office of the psychiatrist, he noticed someone looking strange.

Quality

*Barry Burton suddenly encounters a Tyrant!*

In this 2^nd issue, the WildStorm team prepared three short stories with the first one serving as the illustrated adaptation of Resident Evil 2’s story (specifically with Leon on Scenario A and Claire on Scenario B).

The RE2 adaptation titled A New Chapter of Evil is very sloppy and so poorly done. The assigned writer and artist forcibly crammed the entire Resident Evil 2 story into a limited number of pages. The result is a very rushed approach on storytelling and the noticeable lack of care on the presentation. Having played RE2 a number of times myself, I can easily say that the order of scenes from the game were sloppily chained together in illustrated format to unbelievably occur next to each other without any proper spacing. That also means leaving no space for the reader to slow down to be able to absorb the details and to understand what has been going on.

Since there were not enough pages allocated, the visual presentation also suffered. Each battle with a monster happened too fast and not enough panels could be made to emphasize clearly what happened. The same thing also happened in key scenes of the story.

In the scene in which Claire Redfield encountered the office of the corrupt chief of police (with the dead body of a blonde woman on his desk), the creative team showed the two having a really short talk quickly followed by Claire meeting Sherry for the first time (without even showing Claire moving out of the chief’s office) followed by showing them descending on a motorized lift and quickly encountering the chief (who somehow teleported ahead of them).

The cramming of scenes, dialogue and bad visualization happened all throughout this Resident Evil 2 adaptation. One has to wonder why WildStorm decided not to use the entire 2^nd issue for the adaptation. This literary adaptation of RE2 is absolutely bad and it is clearly an embarrassing piece of work of WildStorm’s publishing.

The short story Mutant Menagerie is an attempt to connect to the lord of RE2 by having the mutated William Birkin as the monster with the zoo as the environment. The protagonist is the zoo security guard Patrick Brady who is unsurprisingly in a major disadvantage. Creatively, this tale provides readers an interesting look at what would happen had the G-virus infected the animals in the zoo which added a new element of danger in the zombie crisis within the Resident Evil universe. The story has some Rambo-vibes when it came to the protagonist taking extreme measures to deal with the infected zoo animals.

While Mutant Menagerie is clearly non-canon as the presence of Birkin in the zoo made no sense at all in relation to what was shown in Resident Evil 2 (Birkin’s presence was limited to the NEST facility underneath Raccoon City), this short story became more relevant as the Raccoon City Zoo officially appeared in Resident Evil Outbreak: File #2 (released SIX YEARS after this comic book). This short story is an intriguing and satisfying piece of fan fiction.

The third tale Lock Down is a serious attempt to give RE fans a look at what happened to Barry Burton after the events of the 1996 game. This one has some Die Hard vibes as you will see Burton as a desperate action hero who happens to be present during a very unfortunate series of events. You will also see how he strives hard to solve problems without Jill Valentine, Chris Redfield and Rebecca Chambers to assist him. Artist Lee Bermejo did not compromise with the graphic violence and gore, and his approach on visual dynamism was nicely executed. His visualization of Burton is pretty good too.

While the series of unfortunate events here makes the tale believable, there is something weird as the narrative went on. The building itself has secrets of its own and scenes such as Barry Burton suddenly encountering a Tyrant felt like a nightmare from nowhere. It is implied that the laboratory, the postal center, the smelly sub-basement and the penthouse could have all been established by Umbrella within the city. This short story is actually entertaining and surprising.

Conclusion

*Claire Redfield and Leon Kennedy in the Resident Evil 2 adaptation.*

The main feature story of Resident Evil: The Official Comic Book Magazine #2 (1998) – the official adaptation of Resident Evil 2’s story – is clearly the failure and is an obvious waste of time. What prevented this comic book magazine from becoming a total disaster were the short stories Mutant Menagerie and Lock Down which were entertaining and surprising to read. That said, it is mind-boggling that WildStorm did not use this entire issue to properly tell the Resident Evil 2 story and give the creative team enough space to ensure a quality adaptation. I wonder how Capcom and the Resident Evil 2 developers reacted to this issue’s RE2 adaptation.

Overall, Resident Evil: The Official Comic Book Magazine #2 (1998) is serviceable.

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Trump Says War With Iran To End “Very Soon”

March 11, 2026March 10, 2026carlocarrasco

Since the first strikes happened on February 28, the joint military operations of the United States and Israel have heavily damaged the military, energy and government sites of the Islamic terrorist state of Iran. As the war with Iran has impacted the global economy and a new so-called supreme leader of Iran was selected, US President Donald Trump stated that the war is expected to end “very soon” but not at the end of this week, according to a news report by Kyodo News.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Kyodo News report. Some parts in boldface…

U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday the ongoing war with Iran is expected to be over “very soon” but ruled out the possibility of it coming to an end this week.

“We’re winning very decisively. We’re way ahead of schedule,” Trump, who had initially predicted the conflict could last four to five weeks, claimed during a press conference in Florida.

Trump’s remarks came after Iran selected Mojtaba Khamenei as its new supreme leader after his father was killed in the first wave of U.S.-Israeli strikes.

Khamenei, the late leader’s second son, is known for his close ties with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. His rise to power has raised concern among many countries that the war, entering its second week, could further destabilize the Middle East and quickly ripple through the global economy.

While insisting that the United States has achieved an “unprecedented” military success, Trump said he was “disappointed” with Iran’s choice of supreme leader.

“We think it’s going to lead to just more of the same problem for the country,” he said.

Sending conflicting messages, Trump also warned that the United States will aggressively attack Iran if it attempts to block the world’s energy supply.

“We will hit them so hard that it will not be possible for them or anybody else helping them to ever recover that section of the world,” he said.

But he struck an optimistic note on oil prices, saying they would be much lower after the war ends. On disruption to oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said the United States was less affected than China.

It seems that the joint Israel-America operations have achieved more than what was previously expected. The Islamic regime’s navy has been demolished, the air force crushed, and the oil refineries destroyed. It has also been reported that more military personnel of the regime have left their posts and moved out of the country using fake passports. The oppressed Iranians, meanwhile, should get more motivated to go out and protest as the regime’s military and police forces weaken.

Looking at the bigger picture, the massive devastation on the Islamic terrorist state made the leaders of Russia and Communist China worried. China needs oil from Iran while Russia needs Iranian-made weapons. Geopolitically, it’s like Trump’s America stuck two birds with one stone. In the case of Israel, Islamic terrorist groups are weakening now that the Islamic regime of Iran cannot support them. Going back to Iran, there are opportunities for the affected Iranians to move out of the country and enter Armenia as refugees. Already there are groups at the Armenian side of the border who intend to help Iranian refugees.

For more updates about what happened lately, watch the videos below.

Let me ending this post by asking you readers to pray to the Lord for victory, for the protection of the American and Israeli forces, for the safety of civilians everywhere, for the end of the Islamic terrorist regime of Iran to happen soon, and for the liberation of the oppressed Iranian people. Pray to Him to also bless US President Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as their respective administrations. Pray to God for more peace and stability in the Middle East and for the stability of the global economy.

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