comic book – Author Carlo Carrasco

A Look Back at Street Fighter #1 (1993)

May 22, 2026May 18, 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 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/.

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

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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What To Watch On YouTube Right Now – Part 135

April 29, 2026April 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 The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear Reaction Videos – What can be said about the 1991 comedy film The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear? As a sequel to 1988’s The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, the movie has this weird and sudden change of setting from Los Angeles to Washington, DC, without any explanation at all. At the time of its release, the United States President was George Bush and the movie had a funny portrayal of him complete with an actress who looks so much like then First Lady Barbara Bush. More notably, the movie has its funny portrayal of energy politics and there is bias against fossil fuel. How it entertained YouTubers is a must see with their reaction videos posted below for your enjoyment.

#2 How Pre-Rendered Backgrounds Defined Early 3D Gaming – Remember back in the 1990s when pre-rendered backgrounds were used a lot in video games? The first three Resident Evil main video games were popular examples of pre-rendered backgrounds which came with high levels of detail and immersed gamers who played. Behind the scenes, pre-rendered visuals for backgrounds became the norm both artistically and with regards to game production. By today, such visuals became a forgotten artform and you revisit its legacy by watching the video below.

#3 Vending Machines In Japan Disappearing? – During my two tours of Japan in the 1990s, I noticed there were lots of vending machines present. When compared to my visits to the United States during that same decade, the number of vending machines in Japan were not only higher but were also present in more strategic locations targeting both tourists and locals. As technology evolved, there were consequences realized as the number of vending machines in the land of the rising sun has gone down. Could it really be a growing disappearance? Watch and learn from the video below.

#4 Ashleigh Burton Reacts To The Mask – Were you old enough to have seen The Mask (starring Jim Carrey) in the movie theater when it was released in 1994? I saw it in the cinema with my friends and it turned out to be very surprisingly entertaining. Carrey’s very comedic performance really brought the character to life complete with a nice variety of computer-generated effects that added a lot of punch to entertain viewers. As the movie (loosely based on a comic book series of the early 1990s) is more than thirty years old now, one has to wonder if it still has what it takes to entertain viewers who were born during or after its theatrical run. Watch and learn from Ashleigh Burton’s reaction video below.

#5 You, Me And the Movies Reacts To King Kong (1976) – You might have heard the news that the 1976 King Kong movie (starring Jeff Bridges and Jessica Lange) is coming out on 4K Blu-ray format this June. I first saw that movie on local TV in the early 1980s and saw it again on cable TV a long time later. As it was a remake of the 1933 classic film, King Kong’s story was relevant to those who experienced the oil crisis of the 1970s. It’s relevance and overall fun factor got tested in the reaction video of You, Me and the Movies, which you can watch below.

#6 John Byrne’s The Man Of Steel Revisited – What is there to say about John Byrne’s reboot of Superman in the 1986 limited series The Man of Steel? A lot! Byrne, who made a lot of great works with Marvel Comics’ X-Men and Fantastic Four some years prior, was hired by DC Comics to reboot Superman for the post-Crisis age and he was granted creative freedom to not only modernize the American icon but also make him relevant and essential. Can you just imagine experiencing the tremendous pressure of the task if you were Byrne himself? To see why The Man of Steel comic book limited series and Byrne’s rebooting of Superman are very important, I encourage you all to watch the video below.

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A Look Back at Gen13 #1 (1994)

April 27, 2026April 24, 2026carlocarrasco

There is a lot to enjoy in the WildStorm comic book universe of the 1990s with such titles like WildCATS: Covert Action Teams, Team 7, StormWatch, Grifter, Backlash and Wetworks to name some. The WildStorm depicts the world as chaotic filled with strong paramilitary concepts, conspiracies and even aliens from deep space.

Along the way, WildStorm has its own take on the sub-genre of super-powered teenagers which was realized as Gen13 (stylized as Gen¹³). Strangely enough, the team – which actually first appeared in the Deathmate Black crossover comic book in 1993 – was originally titled as Gen X but WildStorm had to rebrand it into Gen13 as Marvel Comics already trademarked the name Generation X for an X-Men-related comic book project. To learn more about production history and background of Gen13, click here.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Gen13 #1, published by Image Comics in 1994 with a story written by Jim Lee and Brandon Choi with artwork done by Jeffrey Scott Campbell (ink work by Alex Garner). This is the first issue of the mini-series.

Early story

The story begins sometime in 1979 when a married couple (Stephen and Rachel Callahan) desperate runs away with their two little children. A team of armored troops (the Black Razors) riding two hovering vehicles catches up with them and hit Rachel with bullets passing through her body. Stephen, who is carrying his son Matthew, uses his power to destroy one of the hovering vehicles. One of the Black Razors realized that the husband is gen-active and nobody informed their team that he was with Gen12.

Agonizing with severe head pain, Stephen tells Matthew to take his little sister Nicole with him and run to the trees. As far as Stephen is concerned, he is finished and all he can do is buy time for the two little children to escape. He tells Matthew to protect his sister. Suddenly, the Black Razors killed Stephen right in front of Matthew and Nicole.

Fifteen years later, a young, nerdy college student named Caitlin Fairchild makes her way through the college campus in Princeton. She is a gifted student who has been focused on maintaining a high grade and graduate with her advanced degree in computer science in the near future.

Upon arriving at the dormitory, she meets her promiscuous roommate Alexa who informs her that some guys arrived earlier looking for her. The guys were described as middle-aged suits and they wanted to talk to Caitlin about some internship program. Alexa then leaves.

A few hours later, Caitlin wakes up as the door gets knocked. Special agent baker of the National Security Committee tells her that she has been accepted into the Gen13 program and her presence is immediately required in order to process her into the program before it begins the next day…

Quality

*Roxy, Burnout, Grunge and Caitlin Fairchild together for the first time at the secret facility of the Gen13 program. One other member – Rainmaker – has yet to appear.*

I enjoyed this comic book the first time I had it in 1994. I can clearly say that it is still fun and engaging to read again today.

This comic book was written with the intention to introduce super-powered teenagers as a new and really distinctive team in one corner of the original WildStorm universe while also expanding the lore by focusing more on International Operations’ unethical covert operations which will easily remind people about government conspiracies, top secret missions and the like. The story has really strong elements about conspiracies, unethical scientific experiments and even human rights violations. The story by Jim Lee and Brandon Choi has a strong structure but what stood out to me was the really creative writing done to bring the characters to life complete with a touch of the 1990s vibe (in reference to comic book trends and real-life society).

John Lynch, a former member of Team 7 and also one of the high-ranking officials of IO who occasionally appeared in prior WildStorm comic books, gets a nice share of the spotlight in the story and indeed he is not full control of his organization. In fact, IO’s execution of a new program about developing people with special abilities or powers (without their knowledge) raises Lynch’s concerns as he himself was a victim of betrayal and exposure to an experimental gas during his time with Team 7. Lynch also appeared in The Kindred mini-series (read my reviews by clicking here, here and here).

When it comes to the characters, Gen13’s members here are introduced with notable differences in terms of personality. The nerdy Caitlin Fairchild is the very promising smart young lady who has the potential to succeed. Bobby (Burnout) is the quiet guy who quickly realizes that true unity is needed in order for a group to succeed under the program they are in. Roxy is the undisciplined and rebellious young lady while Grunge is the loose cannon and has trouble with authorities. While it is clear you won’t see much of their powers yet in this comic book, they turned out to be interesting enough to follow thanks to the strong creative writing by Lee and Choi.

When it comes to the visuals, Jeffrey Scott Campbell’s artworks really stood out mainly due to his distinctive style. If you look closely at how he draws the faces of women – particularly the ones who are young and fit – you will realize the exaggerated look complete with the big eyes and curves seen on females in anime or even manga (Japanese comics). If you are looking visual realism on the characters, you won’t find it here at all. Campbell’s style truly defined the look of the characters and yet he was able to draw armored troops (Black Razors and the armed security guard) with a really high level of details (including their weapons) which really stood out visually. Campbell is also good with superhero spectacle and hard action. Last but not least, there is a deliberate amount of erotic imagery in this comic book which serves as a reminder that this is a story aimed at young adult and adult readers.

Conclusion

John Lynch and Ivana having a confidential talk about International Operations and its current project about super-powered beings. Even though he is a very high officer at IO, Lynch was kept in the dark about something crucial.

Indeed, Gen13 #1 (1994) remains entertaining to read mainly because of the strong writing. The story moved at a smooth pace, the exposition was done cleverly, and the characters ended up being worthy enough to pay attention to. By the time I reached the end, I am convinced to go on to the next issue and rediscover not only more of the mini-series but also the way it expanded the lore of the WildStorm universe of the 1990s. This comic book alone strongly emphasized the connections with other elements of the WildStorm universe, particularly with Team 7 (its mini-series launched months after this one) and the dark legacy of IO. It is an adulterated superhero comic book that really offered readers something new and intriguing.

Overall, Gen13 #1 (1994) is recommended.

+++++

A Look Back at X-O Manowar #1 (1992)

April 24, 2026April 17, 2026carlocarrasco

Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1990s arts and culture enthusiasts, Valiant Comics fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the early 1990s to examine a key part of the Valiant Comics universe through a tale of X-O Manowar.

Valiant – under the banner of Voyager Communications – was established in 1989 by former Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Jim Shooter and Steven Massarsky. This happened following their failed attempt to acquire Marvel Comics. Early on, Valiant hired several creators from Marvel and together they brainstormed to create an all-new shared superhero comics universe which will have varied characters of originally creations as well as some licensed creations. In 1991, the company officially launched with titles of Magnus: Robot Fighter and Solar: Man of the Atom.

In 1992, the first wave of Valiant’s original intellectual properties were launched starting with Harbinger in January followed by X-O Manowar in February.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at X-O Manowar #1, published in 1992 by Valiant Comics with a story written by the late Jim Shooter and Steve Englehart with art by Barry Windsor-Smith.

Early story

The story begins inside an alien space ship traveling through deep space. A brave Visigoth warrior named Aric fights hard against Spider Aliens which he referred to as hard-skins. Even though he is naked and surrounded, he is determined to kill the aliens which have kept him as their slave and prisoner for many years.

Using the makeshift map marked by blood on his right palm, Aric makes his way through the ship until he finds a futuristic, metallic armor which puzzles him as he anticipated something useful in his desperate fight against the aliens. As a Spider Alien approaches him, Aric remembered the map giver advised him to take the ring which he does.

Suddenly, the armor moves to fit into him. Aric calls the armor a good skin and he realizes that it is stronger than fire-light. By instinct, Aric fires a powerful energy blast which not only kills two Spider Aliens but also damaged the hull of the space ship leading him into outer space.

When the space ship blows up near him, the armored Aric is pushed down into Earth’s atmosphere landing him on a snowy hill. He takes the armor off, leaves it behind and walks away fully naked. He still has the ring with him…

Quality

*Even though he clearly has yet to fully master the use of the X-O armor, Aric is able to learn and adjust fast in a dangerous situation like this one.*

Reading this Valiant comic book is indeed a great experience and it has indeed aged well. Right from the start, Aric is the protagonist designed to lead readers to get immersed into the story, follow his experiences, learn from his views and discoveries, and experience his development.

The story Jim Shooter and Steve Englehart came up with had a really strong structure and the narrative moved at a consistent medium-pace which allowed readers to follow the developments and learn the details.

As the titular hero, Aric here is a man from the distant past of Earth who got abducted by aliens and spent time as a prisoner and a slave in space for a number of years (note: time on Earth moved faster due to time dilation) before finally being able to free himself using his bravery and the armor.

Aric was written to be a man out of time and in this comic book, you will see how he struggles to not only survive but also adjust to life in 20^th century Earth. He no longer has his tribe and the ancient world he lived in has long passed away. With the ring still with him, Aric holds the key and the ability to control the armor, and this makes the people of Orb Industries (a company serving as a front of the Spider Aliens who turned out to be operating in Earth for centuries) bothered. As such, Orb sees Aric as prey (who tasted power with the armor) and they have so much resources to commit mass murder and destruction just to get to him.

The build-up of the tale gradually intensified as the narrative moved on. The good news here is that the pay-offs are very rewarding to see. The spectacle is a mix of explosive scenes, shooting and superhero action with a strong science fiction flavor.

Conclusion

*Orb Industries has the armor and they know Aric has the ring.*

X-O Manowar #1 (1992) is absolutely a great comic to read and also one of the very best superhero introduction ever told. It has an adulterated tale that is believable and compelling to follow. By the time I reached the end of the story, Aric became a more relatable protagonist and I am convinced to follow the next issue. The story Shooter and Englehart came up with is indeed immersive and there Valiant shared universe itself became even more attractive to discover. There is no surprise that this comic book is one of the most significant comic book launches of Valiant.

Overall, X-O Manowar #1 (1992) is highly recommended!

+++++

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What To Watch On YouTube Right Now – Part 134

April 22, 2026April 15, 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 Resident Evil: Apocalypse Reviews, Retrospective And Reaction Videos – After watching the 2002 live-action Resident Evil movie, I left the cinema feeling unsatisfied as it did not have much related to the popular video game series. That film succeeded enough to justify the production of the sequel Resident Evil: Apocalypse, and the first reveal of Sienna Guillory as Jill Valentine (based on her appearance in Resident Evil 3: Nemesis) caught my attention. The reveal of Raccoon City getting hit by the zombie apocalypse and the casting of Oded Fehr as Carlos Oliviera (another RE3 character) interested me. In September 2004, I saw Resident Evil: Apocalypse on opening day in the local cinema and I was entertained for the most part. The Milla Jovovich-led film was indeed flawed, but it was an enjoyable improvement over its 2002 predecessor. How Resident Evil: Apocalypse fares with the YouTubers is something you must see.

#2 The Planned California City That Failed – Have you ever heard of Salton City? It was a planned city in the state of California located along the Salton Sea. It was designed as a resort community capable of supporting forty thousand residents, and it was to have the complete systems of water, roads, sewer and energy. Salton City is a ghost town and the in-depth YouTube video I found will help you realize its history and why development failed.

#3 Star Wars: Shadows Of The Empire Game Revisited – Back in the mid-1990s, George Lucas’ entertainment group launched the Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire multi-media project which told what happened between the movies The Empire Strike Back and Return of the Jedi. The said project was huge even though there was no live action Star Wars movie involved. A Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire novel was released which became the foundation of a comic book adaptation (read my retro reviews here and here), a video game, toys, action figures and merchandise. The video game of Shadows of the Empire was a joint project between LucasArts and Nintendo and its release on Nintendo 64 drew a lot of attention back then. The game itself made gamers – both Star Wars fans and casual gamers – want to get an N64 to play the game. I recently found two in-depth retrospective videos about Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire on N64 and I encourage you all to watch them.

#4 The Embarrassing Woke NDP Of Canada – Have you ever heard about the New Democratic Party? Referred to as NDP for short, New Democratic Party is a very leftist and woke political party in Canada and it had a really bad result in the 2025 federal election. Recently, the NDP had its leadership election and what happened in late March saw a series of awkward and embarrassing moments during their big event. In the videos below, you will see why political correctness, identity politics and wokeness are bad to have, and they made the internal processes of the NDP hard to pull off. In fact, diversity and inclusion zealotry have caused divisions within the NDP’s convention. What happened was funny to watch and it was not a comedy at all.

#5 Elderly Japanese Women And Their Beloved Restaurants – In Japan, many Japanese people live really long lives. Among them are elderly people who are active and managed to make an impact on others. That said, there are two elderly Japanese women who excelled in cooking meals and managing restaurants, and what they offer will impress you. I urge you all to watch the Nippon TV feature below.

+++++

A Look Back at Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire #3 (1996)

April 20, 2026April 15, 2026carlocarrasco

Welcome back science fiction enthusiasts, 20^th century pop culture enthusiasts, Star Wars fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1996 to examine the 3^rd chapter of a very notable Star Wars storyline that took place between the films The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi…Shadows of the Empire!

With the first two issues of Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire released (click here and here), the overall concept of the storyline has firmly been set and with sub-plots moving. This includes characters and developments that were not reflected nor referenced at in Return of the Jedi. At this stage, there is both excitement and suspense to look forward to.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire #3, published in 1996 by Dark Horse Comics with a story written by John Wagner and drawn by Kilian Plunkett. This is the 3^rd chapter of the 6-issue mini-series.

Early story

The story begins with the gang of Gizman – including the newcomer Jix – who visit Jabba The Hutt in his palace for an important meeting. After expressing doubt about Jix, Jabba tells the gang that he is aware of Luke Skywalker’s presence in Tatooine and he has been signed near the former dwelling of Ben Kenobi. Jabba finds Skywalker more valuable to him dead. A short time later, Jix asked why does Jabba want Skywalker dead when Darth Vader will on pay for him to be living. This causes a bit of tension within the gang.

With R2D2 present with him at Obi-Wan’s old place, Luke Skywalker completed his brand-new lightsaber. Suddenly a laser blast almost hits them both and Luke realizes that the gang (which just met Jabba) is fast approaching them. The laser blast came from Jix who was told to hold his fire. Moments later, Luke takes down the first gang member who arrived using his new lightsaber…

Quality

*Having the frozen Han Solo makes Boba Fett a target of those who want the prize.*

Like issue #2, the intrigue and twists kept on happening as the pay-offs to the previous issue’s build-up got executed. Indeed, the story here moved Shadows of the Empire’s concept forward gradually and what was shown is both entertaining and engaging.

You will see here Luke Skywalker’s first-ever use of his then new green-colored lightsaber (the same one in Return of the Jedi) as he becomes a target of Jabba The Hutt who has a violent gang targeting him. Dash Rendar, arguably a creative stand-in for Han Solo in this storyline and also the playable protagonist in the Nintendo 64 video game, becomes even more important as he took the risk of involving himself with Luke as the gang attacked. The interaction between Dash and Luke here is believable to follow and makes a lot of sense within the context of this storyline.

What I found captivating here was the scene in which Darth Vader actually (and bravely) objected to Emperor Palpatine’s plan. The scene was pretty short but it was a powerful display of tension and even division between them. Along the way, Prince Xizor remains relevant with regards to the potential events waiting to happen while more of Boba Fett’s struggle being targeted (as the frozen body of Han Solo is a very valuable prize for other bounty hunters) by others was dramatized nicely.

Conclusion

Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire #3 (1996) succeeded in moving the story developments forward while ending up being entertaining enough. The speed bike chase in Beggar’s Canyon along was exhilarating to see and the dramatic moments of the sub-plots had impact. Right now, I am convinced to keep on reading more of Shadows of the Empire.

Overall, Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire #3 (1996) is recommended.

+++++

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