amusement – Author Carlo Carrasco

A Look Back at Team 7 #3 (1994)

May 29, 2026May 22, 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 superhero enthusiasts, 1990s arts and culture enthusiasts, Image Comics fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1995 to take a close look at one of the many tales of the original WildStorm universe through one of the comic books of the first mini-series of Team 7.

For the newcomers reading this, Team 7 is set in the past within the original WildStorm universe. This is the special forces team that had major WildStorm heroes – Grifter (WildCATS: Covert Action Teams), Backlash, Jackson Dane (Wetworks), John Lynch (Gen13) and Michael Cray (Deathblow) – who were younger, were proficient with combat and gained special abilities as a result of a sinister move by their superiors. Issue #2 took place after the team got exposed to something they never anticipated and their superiors knew it.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Team 7 #3, published in 1994 by Image Comics with a story written by Chuck Dixon and drawn by Aron Wiesenfeld. This is the 3rd chapter of a 4-issue mini-series.

Early story

Set in the 1970s, the surviving Team 7 members (already exposed to the chemical agent) are in the middle of a new mission somewhere in East Africa. Because their teammate Johnson abused his new power to manipulate a black general to kill himself against his own will, Cole Cash eliminates Johnson causing John Lynch to be outraged. Cash tells Lynch that Johnson lost himself completely. He also tells him to list Johnson as MIA (missing-in-action) and turn a blind eye as before.

Lynch points his gun at Cash’s head believing he is standing for the mission and rules. After Cash tells him that they are monsters and that the world is better off without them, Lynch relents and shoots the wall instead. The mission concludes and Team 7 goes home by helicopter.

As the ride goes on, John Lynch thinks very deeply about everything that happened since they got exposed to the chemical agent. He realizes that they were exposed to genetic altering elements and wonders if he and his teammates were nothing more than lab rats for International Operations (IO)…

Quality

*John Lynch in the presence of his traitorous superiors following the East African operation.*

If there is anything notable here apart from the continued dark and gritty tone, the plot really thickened clearly. At this stage, it is more obvious that the superiors have indeed something more sinister planned for Team 7 to endure. They know that the infected team members are closing ranks to protect itself which means they are ready for the so-called final test.

Along the way, John Lynch gradually realizes the evil of his superiors and being the field leader, he begins to analyze what is best for him and his teammates and which options to take knowing the betrayal from above. Quitting is simply not an option for Lynch and the pressure builds up as the story went on. Cole Cash here sees things very clearly and he easily became the pathfinder among Team 7 members. When he scolds his teammate Fairchild (father of Gen13’s Caitlin Fairchild) for abusing his power in a public place while off-duty, it is clear that Cash wants to keep the team together by means of keeping together while maintaining sanity.

As for Team 7 itself, there is something intriguing that awaits readers once they start their new mission here. I won’t spoil it and it has to be seen. Simply grab a copy of this comic book, read it and pay attention to the details. It’s strong stuff from the creative team.

Conclusion

*Cole Cash (Grifter) talks sense into John Lynch about what has really been going on and why they have become monsters.*

Team 7 #3 (1994) has a lot of intrigue as the plot thickened. At this stage, it is clear that IO is really up to no good and Team 7 is symbolically their scientific and military experiment. Fortunately for the team, they have John Lynch and Cole Cash as the reasonable members who are able to cut through the noise and became aware of what IO has been executing. The stage is set for the concluding issue and this comic book is indeed a solid build-up and also an engaging WildStorm read.

Overall, Team 7 #3 (1994) is recommended.

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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 @CarloCarrascoPH as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

What To Watch On YouTube Right Now – Part 139

May 27, 2026May 26, 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 Maximum Carnage Revisited – With Spider-Man, Venom and Carnage all in high demand in 1993, Marvel Comics launched the 14-part Maximum Carnage storyline published on the four Spider-Man monthly comic book series and the quarterly Spider-Man Unlimited series. Carnage back then was a still new super villain who is more insane and more bloodthirsty than even Venom. Maximum Carnage has a divisive reception among fans and comic book collectors. Some called it the worst Spider-Man storyline while others found it exceptional as the chaos in New York City attracted other Marvel superheroes – notably Captain America – to help Spider-Man solve the crisis. Regardless of opinion, Maximum Carnage made an impact on pop culture and it got its own official video game adaptation. To discover more about Maximum Carnage in comics and in video game form, watch and learn from the videos below.

#2 The World’s Largest Truck Stop Diner – While I have visited the United States a number of times since 1989, I never had the opportunity to spend time at a truck stop diner nor have I ever experienced traveling long distances in a truck. Having seen truck stop diners (or rest places for truckers) on videos and on TV, I noticed those places have a unique vibe, its own culture and assorted meals customers can enjoy. As such, I urge you to watch the video below and pay attention to the details.

#3 You, Me And The Movies React To Scary Movie (2000) – In November of 2000, I saw Scary Movie in the local cinema here in the Philippines and almost all the seats were filled. That film was released in America in July that same year and it became a surprise box office hit. Even though it was not heavily promoted here in the Philippines, it still attracted a lot of local moviegoers upon opening. Regardless, the Keenen Ivory Wayans-directed movie was a mature parody of varied horror movies (notably the Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer movies) and its success made Anna Faris popular. Local moviegoers who enjoyed American Pie had their enjoyment watching Shannon Elizabeth again. Now that the movie is over a quarter-century old, one has to wonder if it still has the power to entertain viewers, especially those who missed out on it. That said, you should watch the reaction video of You, Me and the Movies below.

#4 Ashleigh Burton Reacts To Patriot Games – Recently, Ashleigh Burton posted her reaction video of the 1992 movie Patriot Games starring Harrison Ford as Jack Ryan. For context, Patriot Games was the cinematic sequel to The Hunt For Red October and both were based on novels by Tom Clancy. At the time of Patriot Games’ release, there was some buzz and even debates about Harrison Ford’s portrayal of Jack Ryan, especially when compared to Alec Baldwin’s take on the same character in the 1990 film. How Ashleigh Burton reacts to Patriot Games is a must-see.

#5 Bears Cause Trouble In Japan Again – Recently in Japan, bears are causing trouble once again and there was one person who got attacked. As there is still a lot of forests and untouched land in Japan, bears are present and arguably multiplying. From time to time, bears come out of the woods and appear in places where people dwell. As such, there is a lot for you to learn about them and you can stay safe in Japan by watching the Nippon TV video below.

#6 Why Gamers Stopped Buying Games At Full Price – Are you a hardcore gamer who got so disappointed with the current state of gaming that you decided to refrain from buying video games at full price? You definitely are not alone. In my experience as an Xbox gamer, I got very turned off by the changes made by Team Xbox as well as the quality of their high-profile first-party games of the past two years, I decided to go for bargains and retro gaming. I also extended my patience for brand new games to drop their prices first before I could even consider buying them. The video posted below explains in detail how the gaming landscape shifted and how the behaviors of gamers have changed which should concern every video game company that invested so much on making new video games. Watch it and pay attention to the details.

#7 Minty Comedic Arts’ Revenge Of The Nerds Trivia Video – During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, Minty Comedic Arts posted his trivia video about the 1984 raunchy comedy classic Revenge of the Nerds. Directed by Jeff Kanew and starring the late Robert Carradine, Anthony Edwards, Ted McGinley and Julia Montgomery, the movie follows a group of socially awkward students who are compelled to form their own fraternity after getting harassed and bullied by a dominant fraternity. Filled with adulterated gags, funny dialogue and memorable character moments, Revenge of the Nerds was a commercial success and it spawned three sequels. The story behind the movie’s production is filled lots of details that are worth exploring and you can learn all about those by watching Minty Comedic Arts’ trivia video below.

#8 The Forgotten Cartoons Based On Video Games – You may have played the video games of Tomb Raider, Darkstalkers, Wing Commander, Mutant League and Bubsy. But have you seen the cartoon shows based on them? Indeed, there were animated adaptation of the said games and not too many gamers remember them. That said, you have to see GoodBadFlicks’ video about them now.

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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 @CarloCarrascoPH as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

A Look Back at Amazing Spider-Man #361 (1992)

May 25, 2026May 19, 2026carlocarrasco

Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1990s arts and culture enthusiasts, Marvel Comics fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the early 1990s to examine a small part of the Marvel Comics shared universe through a tale of the Amazing Spider-Man monthly series.

When it comes to the argument as to who is the most evil or the deadliest foe Spider-Man ever has, many point towards Venom (Eddie Brock and the alien costume from Secret Wars) who is murderous, filled with revenge against Spider-Man, is physically formidable and knows Peter Parker and his family members. In the early 1990s, the creative guys behind the Amazing Spider-Man series made the key decision to create another symbiote-wearing super villain like Venom but much more violent, more murderous and truly insane.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Amazing Spider-Man #361, published in 1992 by Marvel Comics with a story written by David Michelinie and drawn by Mark Bagley.

Early story

The story begins inside the agro-lab of the Empire State University where an awful figure in black-and-blood intimidates a male worker. The awful figure is Carnage and he decides to play with the worker a bit before fulfilling his intention to kill him. The worker tries to escape but ends up failing as Carnage throws a huge piece of hardware at the door. Carnage grabs the man, slams him on the wall and uses sharp makeshift blades that suddenly stretched to murder the him.

At the a certain home in Forest Hills, Peter Parker spends quality time his aunt May Parker as he repairs an important machine in the basement. Moments later, the phone rings and May goes up to answer it. Peter follows and learns that the call was meant for him.

Upon using the phone, Peter learns the tragic news that his friend Chip at the university was murdered. He excuses himself from May to go outside to secretly change into Spider-Man and make his way to Empire State University. Struck by the tragic news, Spider-Man is aware that there have been a dozen brutal murders in New York City over the last week. He is also aware that a message was written in blood by someone called Carnage…

Quality

*The first-ever battle between Spider-Man and Carnage is very intense to look at.*

To make things very clear, this comic book has the first full appearance of Carnage which is Cletus Kasady with a living costume spawned from Venom’s symbiote. Kasady himself first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man #344 in 1991, and it is very clear that the creators deliberately modeled him after DC Comics’ super villain the Joker to have the psychopath appearance (distinctive messy hair, crazed facial expressions, slim body frames and the unusual jawline). Kasady and the Joker also have a nihilistic view of the world focused on spreading chaos while enjoying unrestrained violence.

David Michelinie was really methodical when it came to build-up the tension, presenting key details and pacing the narrative when showing Carnage (who actually appears on the first page) and emphasizing the details about him (including Kasady’s background history and personality as observed by the witnesses who knew him). The appearance of Carnage in the first half was deliberately limited to ten panels and as the story moved on, details of him were revealed especially when Peter Parker did his own detective work. By the time Spider-Man and Carnage finally faced off with each other, the spectacle (action scenes) really ramped up high and the Michelinie-Bagley duo succeeded in showing Carnage being deadlier and unrelenting towards the webslinger.

*Spider-Man doing detective work in costume and in civilian form as Peter Parker. This is also one of the finest pieces of Spider-Man art done by Mark Bagley.*

More on the iconic hero, Peter Parker here was portrayed as being highly disturbed by the recent murders of the city and the loss of his friend which compelled him to do very serious detective work leading up to his discovering of Kasady (and the eventual face-off in a ruined property where Carnage took refuge in). Parker also felt uneasy about remembering his recent encounter with Venom and the details of the murder reminded him of the old nemesis. The pacing here is excellent and as the narrative went on, the tension really intensified.

Spider-Man’s encounter with Carnage – which the cover art obviously emphasized without restraint – is really intense to look at. As he is completely unprepared as to what Carnage was capable of doing, the webslinger really struggled and was in danger in key moments. Carnage also has unique capabilities using the symbiote such as forming sharp blades and shooting small but sharp projectiles. If you want super villain-led moments of action that really challenged the superhero, you will find a good amount of that here. Also, I can say that Mark Bagley is very good in presenting the action scenes with dynamism, danger and intensity mixed together well.

Conclusion

*The news image of Cletus Kasady on the lower-right corner is obviously patterned after Batman’s nemesis the Joker. That image really looks like it was ripped out of a Batman comic book.*

Amazing Spider-Man #361 (1992) marks the very intense debut of Carnage and the way he was presented as the newest super villain for Spider-Man to deal with, he is nastier and deadlier than Venom (who would eventually have the delusion of protecting the innocent while remaining murderous). In fact, the way the battle between the two was executed here made me forget about Venom temporarily which shows the Michelinie-Bagley duo pulled the right moves in making this comic book. To be clear, Carnage is pure evil laced with insanity and with absolute disregard towards people. Both Carnage and Venom are murderers and they should be condemned always. It happens that Carnage is more disastrous and has no regard for human life, which ironically makes Venom looking a bit less evil by comparison.

As for Spider-Man, his portrayal here is really dramatic and his superhero pursuits only added to the trouble of his marriage with Mary Jane. As such, you could end up feeling sorry for MJ even though Peter Parker himself wants to solve problems while protecting not only their lives but also the lives of the innocent.

Overall, Amazing Spider-Man #361 (1992) is highly recommended.

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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 at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

A Look Back at Street Fighter #1 (1993)

May 22, 2026May 18, 2026carlocarrasco

Welcome back, superhero fans, 1990s arts and culture enthusiasts, Street Fighter fans, retro gamers, Malibu Comics enthusiasts and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1993 to examine the official comic book adaptation of the wildly popular video game Street Fighter II.

While the original Street Fighter game of 1987 did not achieve huge success in the arcades and on consoles, it literally started the ball rolling for Capcom as the game itself influence other arcade game developers to focus more on making beat-them-up games and the use of special moves appealed to others. Capcom went on to release Street Fighter II in the arcades and it came with a dedicated fighting game design that strongly lured in gamers to play it in huge numbers. After selling 200,000 arcade cabinets, SFII went on to become a huge seller on game consoles. Capcom even went on to produce new versions of the game – popularly referred to as upgrades – culminating with Super Street Fighter II Turbo in 1994.

As Street Fighter II kept on attracting countless players into the arcades worldwide, Capcom approached Malibu Comics (publisher of the Ultraverse).

“Capcom came to Malibu because we know how to do it—we’ve handled licensed properties before and done very well,” said Tom Mason in the opening message of the first issue of the Street Fighter comic book adaptation.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Street Fighter 1, published by Malibu Comics in 1993 with a story written by the late Len Strazewski and drawn by Don Hillsman. This was the first issue of a planned mini-series.

Early story

The story begins some time in the past when Ryu permanently scars Sagat on the chest with his Dragon Punch during street fight in front of many. Enraged, Sagat tries hard to retaliate against Ryu who happens to be the champion among street fighters. The Japanese fighter hits the tall Thai kickboxer with a barrage of kicks.

The past fight was played on home video and viewed by Sagat and Balrog. Embarrassed by the video, Sagat destroys the TV and asked his companion why must he be humiliated. After Balrog tells him not to talk that tone with their superior Bison, Sagat hits the American boxer. As the fight between the two intensifies, Bison arrives and stops the violence. He tells Sagat that he is an embarrassment to his organization.

Bison reminds them that he took them into his criminal network and still have not redeemed themselves in front of him. He tells the two that they must beat Ryu and regain the street fighter championship.

As Balrog and Sagat express difficulty in finding and fighting Ryu, Bison tells them the Japanese fighter’s friends are Chun Li and Ken…

Quality

*Once a dedicated, well-trained martial arts competitor, Ken Masters has been doing his moves in productions of commercials. He does not enjoy the product he endorsed.*

Back in 1993, I even contemplated buying a copy of this comic book locally when it was brand new. I’m glad I chose not to buy it back then as this one has bad quality in its presentation from start to finish. Dedicated Street Fighter II fans should be warned.

For starters, the storytelling is not faithful to the lore of Street Fighter II even though the creators derived key elements of characters from the game itself. That said, it looks like liberties were taken in order to form a narrative that can be told in comic book format.

Chun Li here is correctly described as an agent of Interpol and is motivated by revenge over the loss of her father who was killed by M. Bison. And yet, she is portrayed here as having a romantic relationship with Ryu and has been training with him along with Ken in the past. The romantic relationship between the two never existed in the popular video game and it is established in Street Fighter II lore that Chun Li came from a different martial arts background while Ken and Ryu trained together under the same master.

*Contrary to what was established in Street Fighter II lore, Ken and Chun Li were portrayed as having trained together and have romance with each other.*

Ryu in this comic book is the defending street fighter champion (reflecting the canonical story of Street Fighter and Street Fighter II) who is responsible for the huge scar on Sagat’s chest. While Ryu is the wandering warrior who travels around the world with only a duffel bag as he seeks the true way of the fighter, in this adaptation he is a reigning champion who starts having doubts when Chun Li lectures him over his devotion to fighting as life changes for others around him.

While the liberties are notable and could be insulting to dedicated Street Fighter II fans, the story of this comic book is surprisingly readable. As Ryu is the target of Bison and his criminal network, it made sense for dangerous pawns Sagat and Balrog to go after Ken to get to the Japanese fighter. There definitely is a plot here and if readers can ignore the actual lore of Street Fighter II, it can be followed and the classic concept of good versus evil will be realized.

As for the art, the work done by Don Hillsman is lackluster. While he excelled in making Balrog look scary early in the story, his visual takes on the other Street Fighter II characters range from bad to passable. Ken, Ryu, Sagat, Bison, Vega and Chun Li all have that rough look on their faces and bodies. Hillsman even tried to emulate special moves from the game but ended up looking sub-par. Lackluster artworks like these only add to the perception of the fans and other people obsessed with Japanese culture and the arts that Western illustrators should not draw Street Fighter characters.

Conclusion

I am glad that I never bought Street Fighter #1 (1993) brand new decades ago. Its quality is really bad and clearly it has not aged well. Street Fighter fans – especially those obsessed with Street Fighter II games – should look elsewhere to enjoy the tale and concepts of Street Fighter II. This comic book from Malibu Comics is a creative failure and was the start of the eventual collapse of the publishing deal made with Capcom. Can you just imagine the shock the Capcom executives had when they first read this comic book? Ultimately, this comic book adaption was creative catastrophe which is a shame because Malibu Comics had a good record of licensed projects and the late Strazewski (died on April 27, 2026) was one of the finest writers and creators on the Ultraverse line of comic books.

*The first half of the message about the Street Fighter II adaptation and the deal between Capcom and Malibu Comics.*

*The 2nd half of the message. The Capcom-Malibu deal and the production of this adaptation started in mid-1992. Street Fighter II was already dominating the arcades at the time.*

Overall, Street Fighter #1 (1993) should be avoided.

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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 @CarloCarrascoPH as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco/.

What To Watch On YouTube Right Now – Part 138

May 20, 2026May 20, 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 How To Get The Strongest And Most Optimized Spaceship Crew In Starfield – This year, Bethesda launched several important updates to make their 2023 science fiction role-playing game Starfield better and they also offered new DLC for those who crave for new content. One of the more defining aspects of the game is space travel and this includes setting up your own crew for your spaceship and there is impact on its functions and capabilities. If you want to learn how to get the stronger and most optimized crew for your ship, I encourage you watch the video below.

#2 Mari Iijima And The Defining Song of Macross: Do You Remember Love? – I really love watching the 1984 anime feature film Macross: Do You Remember Love? Apart from the great animation, the spectacle, the memorable characters and the solid storytelling, the movie also has a great soundtrack made to delight the long-time Macross fans. Still, the movie has its very own song performed by none other than Mari Iijima (Minmay) and it is a classic among Macross fans. In the videos below, you will see Mari Iijima perform the song live in a 1980s TV broadcast and the song playing with selected footage of Macross: Do You Remember Love? Enjoy these!

#3 The Tuna City In Japan Is Changing With Tourism In Mind – If you plan to visit Japan at all, you might want to discover Miura City located in Kanagawa Prefecture. Miura City is famous for its fresh tuna and in recent times there has been a series of changes as several room-only hotels and new trends have sprouted as the locality is finding new ways to turn visitors into overnight guests. This is a place I would like to visit someday if ever I get the opportunity to return to Japan. Watch and learn from the Nippon TV video below.

#4 Women’s Rights Activist Marries Islamist And Things Went Wrong – Did you notice that there is a gradual rising number of feminists and women’s rights activists who not embrace Islam (wicked and ugly) but also marry Islamists believing that things will be alright and they can just continue their activism. Of course, many of them activists and feminists do not fully understand Islam nor the full content of the Quran. As such, when things go very wrong, they are get into deep trouble. Watch and learn from the video below.

#5 Islamists Violate Hindu Women In India And Get Arrested – Let’s be very clear here. Islamists are oriented to conquer others even though they may not be numerous within a locality. Believe it or not, a group of such people who wielded power inside a business violated the Hindu women (plus at least one male employee) with regards to cultural norms and doing things that go against their faith. Even forced religious conversion happened. Watch and learn from the video below.

#6 Meatballs Reaction And Retrospective – When it comes to cinematic comedy, Bill Murray is iconic and his early work in 1979’s Meatballs already involved the late Harold Ramis and the late director Ivan Reitman. That said, there is something about Meatballs – produced for less than $2 million – that helped it achieve tremendous commercial success with ticket sales of $70 million. Remember, three of the creative minds behind the classic Ghostbusters are involved in this old movie and you will see how You, Me and The Movies react to it in the video below. Be aware that as of this writing, there are not too many movie reaction videos about Meatballs on YouTube. Also posted below is an in-depth retrospective about Meatballs by GoodBadFlicks.

#7 Ashleigh Burton Reacts To The Thin Man – Have you ever heard of The Thin Man? It’s not a UFO reference. It’s the 1934 American pre-Code comedy-mystery movie that was eventually named to the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress having been deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” in 1997. Apart from its reputation in American film history, The Thin Man also resulted in five sequels. If you want to discover the 1934 movie but you don’t have the time nor resources to watch the movie, watch Ashleigh Burton’s reaction video and see how it impacts her.

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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 @CarloCarrascoPH as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

A Look Back at The Kindred #4 (1994)

May 15, 2026May 12, 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.

After reading the first three issues of this WildStorm mini-series, Grifter and Backlash were well defined as two former teammates of Team 7 who are at great odds with each other. Adding more emphasis to the Team 7 legacy and the dirty history of International Operations (IO) was IO officer John Lynch (who became a captive in this mini-series) and the revealed leader of the Kindred. The stage is set for the conclusion of this mini-series.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at The Kindred #4, published by Image Comics in 1994 with a story written by Jim Lee, Brandon Choi, Sean Ruffner and the illustrator himself, Brett Booth.

Early story

The story begins some time after the leader of the Kindred revealed himself to Lynch, Grifter, Backlash and Alicia Turner. It has been former IO operative and Team 7 member Roberto Diaz all along and he blamed Backlash for leaving him for dead more than twenty years prior during a desperate situation in South America.

On the orders of Diaz, a few of the beastly Kindred servants carried the severely damaged body of Backlash to a waterfall and threw him down. Elsewhere, Grifter is naked and contained in a water container with oxygen and a communication device attached to him. Roberto Diaz watches and communicates with him. Diaz tells Grifter that the his old identity is no more and the only thing he requires from him are gen samples which are crucial to better understand the genesis drug.

Diaz reveals to him that duplicating the genesis drug is crucial for the Kindred to create more life and be able to overwhelm the world and force it to recognize the might of the Kindred society. Grifter tries to reason with his former teammate by telling him that the genesis serum is something that is not meant to be tampered as it will lead to destruction…

Quality

This early, I can say that Jim Lee, Brandon Choi, Sean Ruffner and Brett Booth gave their best effort to make this final chapter very intriguing, dramatic and explosive to read at the same time. Along the way, they expanded the lore of the original WildStorm universe while building up anticipation for the Team 7 original mini-series (released in the 4^th quarter of 1994).

The writing got even stronger in this final issue in terms of storytelling and character development. Roberto Diaz is not a one-dimensional super villain. In fact, he strongly believes that he was betrayed not only by Team 7 and IO, but by humanity in general. As such, he found purpose with the Kindred during his survival days and injected himself with the genesis drug which enhanced him but also turned him into an addict (this alone added drug addiction as a key theme). As far as Roberto Diaz is concerned, he is on a path of no return and his obsession with vengeance against humanity justifies his leadership of the Kindred and the master plan to overwhelm humanity someday. In terms of geopolitics, this reminds me a lot about Islamic terrorists going up against Western civilization using violence while having their fellow Islamists migrate into different nations worldwide to overwhelm those societies from within. Of course, the concept of Diaz and the Kindred plotting against many billions of humans here is high fantasy mixed with unethical science, terrorism, infiltration and terrorism.

The creators managed to develop Grifter, Backlash and John Lynch even more. Lynch here is portrayed as very stressed and struggling with being responsible over the deaths of many men IO sent to rescue him. He even believed for a while that Backlash is dead and he knows fully well that the Kindred are not crazy but rather intelligent and are obsessed with seeking justice. In some ways, Lynch is also responsible for the Kindred and he reflects on what he did for decades for IO while serving as a Team 7 member with a leadership role.

*John Lynch in the prison cell with Colby.*

Grifter and Backlash, who are often visually featured in the promos of this mini-series, also have their fair share of the spotlight. Both heroes are severely beaten and not even their special talents or powers were enough to overcome the violent opposition of the Kindred. I like the way the creators emphasized Grifter’s (civilian identity: Cole Cash) personality as he got into the same prison cell with Alicia Turner who turned out to be involved with him several years prior. Grifter here is uneasy about the past not only as member of Team 7 but also as a person. As for Backlash, I’ll say that he has the classic heroic comeback in this issue and things got really tense between him and Roberto Diaz.

When it comes to superhero spectacle, this one is really packed with action and Brett Booth delivered some dynamic artworks to make the story look entertaining. When he draws the Kindred – those animalistic loyalists of Roberto Diaz – he makes them look horrific and intimidating from time to time. When it comes to drawing Backlash and Grifter, Booth’s take has some rough edges as this mini-series was produced before the start of the Backlash series.

Conclusion

*A dynamic action shot of a battered Grifter with Alicia Turner.*

I can say that The Kindred #4 (1994) is a worthy end to the mini-series. By the time the plot concluded, the lore and the paramilitary concepts of the original WildStorm universe got expanded a lot with emphasis on the legacy left behind by Team 7 and IO. Grifter, Backlash and John Lynch – all former teammates of Team 7 – got nicely developed here and their significance within the WildStorm universe got stronger. This comic book delivered intrigue, surprises and a good amount of spectacle from start to finish. It also succeeded in setting the stage for the late-1994 launch of Team 7.

Overall, The Kindred #4 (1994) is recommended.

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What To Watch On YouTube Right Now – Part 137

May 13, 2026May 9, 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 You, Me and The Movies React To Lone Wolf McQuade – It has been a few months since the movie legend Chuck Norris passed away at age 86. He left behind a legacy of action movies and even played Bruce Lee’s tough opponent in The Way of the Dragon. Norris also had action movies filmed on location here in my native Philippines. In the 1980s, Norris appeared in a lot movies that involved guns and hard action, and one of his more notable films of the time was 1983’s Lone Wolf McQuade in which he faced off with fellow action star David Carradine. Recently, You, Me and the Movies posted their reaction video of Lone Wolf McQuade and it is entertaining to watch. I urge you to watch it now.

#2 Minty Comedic Arts’ Invasion U.S.A. Video – Still focused on the late Chuck Norris, his 1985 action movie Invasion U.S.A. was not merely made to entertain moviegoers with lots of explosions, dangerous stunts and hard action. Norris read an article in Reader’s Digest about the presence of hundreds of terrorists running loose in the United States which impacted him as he care about his country and his fellow Americans. This eventually led to the making of Invasion U.S.A. which succeeded commercially as it spread awareness to the American people as to how they can defend themselves in the event foreign terrorists invade their country. Today, Islamic terrorism as well as the entrance of Islamo-Leftist foreigners into America made this 1985 more socially relevant. The story behind the production of Invasion U.S.A. is pretty fascinating, and you can learn more about by watch Minty Comedic Arts’ video below.

#3 Signature Bowls of Happiness in Japan – Do you eat meals served in bowls often? Meals in bowls are common in Japan where rice and noodles are eaten by people daily. Among the many food joints in Japan that offer meals in bowls to customers are a few standouts visited by Nippon TV. What they discovered are very enticing, attractive and delicious to look at. Watch and learn from their video below.

#4 Ranting For Vengeance Slams CBR And Others Who Hate 1980s Anime – I grew up watching lots of anime shows and feature films early in life and the 1980s is a memorable decade. It was during the 1980s when I saw anime productions from the 1970s and the newest ones of the decade. To name some, I saw the 1980s Astro Boy series, Galaxy Express 999, Captain Future, Super Dimension Fortress Macross, Voltes V, Daimos, Mazinger Z and others. While such old anime productions proved to be entertaining, there are still some people out there who bashed them because those productions (and their stories) did not align with their modern day woke agenda. The popular geek entertainment portal CBR published lots of articles saying that the old anime productions did not age well and a lot of readers and netizens followed suit. As such, Ranting for Vengeance slammed them and stood up for 1980s anime backed with detailed explanations. If you are a true fan of anime, watch the video below.

#5 Western Women Who Embraced Islam End Up Wrong – Did you notice that there is a growing number of women in the West who embraced Islam believing the fantasies that it is a religion of peace and is feminist? Indeed, there are these modern-day feminists who considered themselves Islamic without even fully knowing what Islam truly is, why Sharia Law is wicked and what was recorded in the Quran. SaharTV posted several videos about these newcomers to Islam (including one new Muslim woman who was Catholic) who ended up being very wrong and embarrassed. Watch the SaharTV videos below.

#6 The Significance Of Spider-Man 2099 Explained – In late 1992, Marvel Comics launched Spider-Man 2099 #1 which also marked the start of their 2099 franchise of comic books. Under the direction of writer Peter David with artworks done mainly by Rick Leonardi, the futuristic Spider-Man really stood out differently from the classic Spider-Man (Peter Parker) and his own place under Marvel Comics’ banner was established well. Spider-Man 2099 is clearly the most popular of all the Marvel 2099 titles. That said, I found this YouTube video that examines the significance of Spider-Man of 2099. I encourage you to watch it.

#7 Ashleigh Burton’s Reaction To Witness – The 1980s will always be a memorable decade of Harrison Ford’s cinematic performances. During that decade, he appeared in two Star Wars movies and he was the center of attraction in the original Indiana Jones trilogy. Along the way, he appeared in the 1985 crime thriller film Witness in which he played a police detective protecting an Amish woman and her son. The movie earned several Academy Award nominations including Best Picture and even Best Actor for Harrison Ford. Lately, Ashleigh Burton posted her reaction video of Witness and I encourage you to watch it.

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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 @CarloCarrascoPH as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

Better than Streaming: Fire and Ice 4K Blu-ray Coming Out On June 30

May 11, 2026May 6, 2026carlocarrasco

Welcome back fellow geeks, Blu-ray collectors and movie buffs!

If you love the animated works of director Ralph Bakshi (American Pop, The Lord of The Rings) and the artworks of Frank Frazetta (Conan The Barbarian, Vampirella), then you should watch out for their memorable collaboration in ultra high-definition as the 1983 animated movie Fire and Ice will be released on 4K Blu-ray format on June 30, 2026, exclusively via MVDshop.

*Fire and Ice 4K Blu-ray cover has the same classic artwork of the official movie poster.*

With a story co-written by Bakshi and Frazetta and the screenplay done by comic book legends Gerry Conway and Roy Thomas, Fire and Ice is the story of a young warrior named Larn who wants revenge against the evil queen Juliana and her son Nekron. Larn also has the task to rescue their kidnapped princess Teegra. For your interest and reference, watch the classic movie trailer below.

Fire and Ice 4K Blu-ray will be in a Steelbook form containing the 4K Blu-ray disc and the Blu-ray disc. For the 4K enthusiasts reading this, the classic animated film has been restored in 4K and the visuals are rendered in native 4K.

Posted below are the technical details from Fire and Ice’s Blu-ray.com page.

Video

Codec: HEVC / H.265

Resolution: Native 4K (2160p)

HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR10

Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1

Audio

English: Dolby Atmos

English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0

Subtitles – English, English SDH, French, Spanish

Discs – 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray Disc, Three-disc set (2 BD, 1 CD)

Packaging – SteelBook

Playback – 4K Blu-ray: Region free, 2K Blu-ray: Region A

I personally am interested in replaying Fire and Ice in 4K Blu-ray format. I saw Fire and Ice a few times a very long time ago on a rented video tape and on cable TV (randomly viewed it) but I never actually got to watch it entirely. Fire and Ice 4K Blu-ray is on my list of 4K Blu-ray releases of this year. I can only wonder when it would get offered via Amazon.

As for Ralph Bakshi, I admire his works on rotoscoped animation and how he visualized his concepts. His work on The Lord of the Rings animated film of 1978 was ambitious and he made the most out of their limited resources. I own a Blu-ray copy of his animated film American Pop and watching rotoscoped animated scenes and characters move in high-definition is enjoyable.

Fire and Ice, to the best of my memory, has a fantasy concept that reminds me somewhat of Conan The Barbarian (and the sword-and-sandals fantasy elements) and it also the traditional concept of the heroic man who risks his life to save an important woman from the forces of evil. To replay Fire and Ice in 4K is something I desire as a 4K Blu-ray collector and enthusiast of traditional animation.

Not to be outdone is the vocal cast that has William Ostrander, Maggie Roswell, Steve Sandor, Stephen Mendel and Susan Tyrell. The performances in Fire and Ice were strong.

*Larn and the Princess. (source: IMDB.com)*

*Director Ralph Bakshi (covered in the background) with performers Cynthia Leake as the princess and Randy Norton as Larn during production. (source – IMDB.com)*

*The classic movie poster of Fire and Ice. (source – IMDB.com)*

To order a copy of Fire and Ice 4K Blu-ray now, click https://mvdshop.com/products/fire-and-ice-steelbook-4k-uhd-exclusive

If you wish to join a group of movie enthusiasts and talk about cinema, cinematic trends, Blu-ray releases and more relevant stuff, visit the Movie Fans Worldwide Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/322857711779576

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A Look Back at Gen13 #2 (1994)

May 8, 2026May 3, 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 Jim Lee’s original WildStorm universe through the original Gen13 mini-series.

Historically, Gen13 (stylized as Gen13) was launched at a time when Jim Lee’s company was establishing and expanding the original WildStorm shared universe with such comic book titles like WildCATS: Covert Action Teams, StormWatch, Backlash, Wetworks and the prequel title Team 7. When compared to those mentioned titles that had strong paramilitary elements combined with conspiracy and intrigue, Gen13 stood out with its concept of super-powered teenagers who don’t realize they are subjects of International Operations (IO) which has a long history of abuse, corruption and human rights violations. Gen13 #1 started strongly thanks to the solid writing of Jim Lee and Brandon Choi who challenged themselves to expand the WildStorm lore differently.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Gen13 #2, published by Image Comics in 1994 with a story written by Jim Lee and Brandon Choi with artwork done by Jeffrey Scott Campbell. This is the second issue of the mini-series.

Early story

The story begins with Caitlin Fairchild, Grunge, Roxy, Bobby, Rainmaker and Tom Hallinan in the middle of a desert running away from the floating troopers of Project Genesis. They just escaped from the top-secret facility.

Tom Hallinan suddenly uses his power to shock three troopers on a floating craft (gunship) and brings them down to an explosive end. As Caitlin has trouble accepting the fact that the troopers were killed, Tom emphasizes that they can fight back using their super powers and Bobby (Burnout) agrees by utilizing his own powers of flight and flame to confront even more troopers on their gunships.

As the conflict escalates, Fairchild begins to use her super strength to tear off a huge rock and successfully destroys one of the gunships with it. Nearby, Roxy, Rainmaker and Grunge find themselves cornered by armed troopers. Roxy gets hit by the tangler from the troopers…

Quality

*Roxy, Grunge and Rainmaker cornered by the armed troopers.*

Similar to the first issue, this comic book has a solid plot structure and the writers took their time to emphasize the tale, develop the characters within their limits, and doing both build-ups and pay-offs.

Following the events of issue #1, Fairchild and her eventual Gen13 teammates here are only discovering their respective super capabilities at a time of confusion and desperation. They still have yet to form the rock-solid bond as a team and they are still struggling with the new situation they found themselves in. The tale opened with a desperate escape from the Project Genesis facility (with a clever flashback used to explain what happened) putting themselves into a series of unfortunate events with no guarantee of survival ahead.

While this comic book featured the eventual core Gen13 characters, the tale is still pretty much focused on Caitlin Fairchild and the writers did a really good job developing her with not just the present-day events but also with her own perception of how her life turned out. Apart from being a very smart college student, Fairchild is also very observant and does her best when dealing with the challenges in new situations. At this stage, she has yet to realize her true goals as she deals with the sudden changes and dangers that came with being a super-powered teenager under the grasp of IO.

Grunge, Roxy, Burnout and Rainmaker also got their own shares of the spotlight but nowhere as great as Fairchild which is understandable. At this stage, it clear that the writers had something planned for them for further parts of the story.

More on the story itself, the plot really moved forward without being rushed. The pace moved from medium to fast, and as generous pay-offs to previous build-up’s took place, more plot elements were being built-up. In line with the greater lore of WildStorm, the concept of the government testing drugs on people for decades is raised and it makes the sinister moves of IO on human subjects really believable. Symbolically, the government and IO have affected generations of people with mad science and experimentation, and these are reflected well on the characters.

The plot indeed has intrigue and strong dramatic moments to back it up. However, the storytelling got weakened with the way one of the new characters here expressed himself which made the late-story twist predictable and unsurprising. Along the way, the visual eroticism ramped up here as Jeffrery Scott Campbell went on to visualize the script. The said visual eroticism (perhaps eye candy to those who enjoyed it) is unnecessary in my opinion and they took away from the written dialogue. The sexy imagery is a reminder of the 1990s comic book trends.

Conclusion

*For the first time ever, Bobby becomes Burnout.*

With the exception of the mentioned storytelling weakness and the unnecessary erotic visuals, Gen13 #2 (1994) managed to be a solid follow-up to its predecessor and is also an entertaining read. The continued strong writing by Lee and Choi ensured strong engagement, suspense and spectacle throughout. Revisiting this old comic book resulted in a fun read in my experience and I am convinced to keep going on with this WildStorm mini-series.

Overall, Gen13 #2 (1994) is recommended.

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What To Watch On YouTube Right Now – Part 136

May 6, 2026May 5, 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 Parasite Eve Revisited– If you were fortunate enough to have played the horror-themed Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) Parasite Eve on PlayStation in 1998, be thankful you did because there is no certainty that the Parasite Eve franchise of games will be revived anytime soon due to legal obstacles and disagreements between Square Enix and PE’s creator Hideaki Sena. That said, I found this in-depth and extensive retrospective video about the 1998 game and I encourage you all to watch it.

#2 Food Courts In Japan Getting Fancy – Have you ever tried eating in a food court while visiting Japan? While food courts in many countries have the typical set-up of chairs and tables with many food/beverage joints present and ready to sell something affordable to customers, there are a few food courts of Japan getting fancier and more unique. Watch and learn from the Nippon TV video below.

#3 The 1995 Mortal Kombat Animated Feature Revisited – In the mid-1990s, live-action film adaptations of popular fighting games were released in cinemas. While the movies of Street Fighter and Double Dragon failed in the cinemas, the live-action Mortal Kombat movie of 1995 succeeded commercially and was mostly approved by the fans. But before the MK film was released, there was actually a prequel animated movie titled Mortal Kombat: The Journey Legends released straight to video in April 1995. If you want to discover the animated Mortal Kombat without having to invest anything on it, go watch the GoodBadFlicks retrospective video of it below. It’s an entertaining watch!

#4 Another Batman Returns Retrospective By Minty Comedic Arts – Minty Comedic Arts made another retrospective video about a version of Batman Returns that most people have not seen. This one covers the original plans of having Robin in the 1992 movie, the casting shifts and scenes that were edited or removed entirely from the film’s theatrical release. If you are a fan of the movie, or a Batman fan or you simply enjoy superhero movies, then this video is a must-see!

#5 Assorted Blade Runner Reaction Videos – Have you ever seen the 1982 science fiction detective movie Blade Runner starring Harrison Ford? I did and it definitely is not the thrilling adventure that the movie’s official poster made people think it would be. It’s more of suspense, intrigue and atmosphere, and the movie was deliberately paced between slow and medium speed to effectively tell its story. For some people, it is a futuristic-looking crawler while others admired it. Not only that, there are multiple versions of the movie released. Considering its reputation, it is not surprising that Blade Runner was featured in many movie reaction videos and I found the ones that are entertaining to watch. Watch the videos below.

#6 Ranting For Vengeance Slams Upcoming Resident Evil Movie – Let us be very clear here. Resident Evil is one of the most popular video game franchises of all time with many of its games ending up as commercial and critical blockbusters. When it comes to live-action movie adaptations of Resident Evil, those films ended up as action-packed vehicles of Milla Jovovich with selected Resident Evil characters like Jill Valentine, Claire Redfield, Chris Redfield and Leon Kennedy ending up as token characters on the big screen. Now there is a new Resident Evil live-action movie coming up and it clearly is not faithful to the games and its bad quality production values are dead giveaways. Recently Ranting For Vengeance posted a video slamming the new RE movie and I encourage you to watch it now.

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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 @CarloCarrascoPH as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

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