A Look Back at Action Comics #438 (1974)

Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1970s arts and culture enthusiasts, DC Comics fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1974 to take a close look at a part of the DC Comics universe through a tale of the Action Comics monthly series.

Throughout the superhero comics publishing history of DC Comics, Lois Lane is the definitive leading lady of Superman. Traits of her personality and journalistic work ethic got emphasized through her interactions with fellow reporter Clark Kent (Superman). At times, Lois Lane becomes a rival of Kent’s when it comes to getting the hottest scoop and getting the approval of their boss Perry White for publishing it on the next issue of the Daily Planet. But have ever seen Lane become a monster strong enough to take on Superman?

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Action Comics #438, published in 1974 by DC Comics with a story written by Cary Bates and drawn by Curt Swan.

The cover.

Early story

The story begins on the busy streets of Metropolis with Clark Kent and Lois Lane riding in a taxi. He gives her a very unique looking necklace as an advanced birthday gift which she gladly wears. Lois then kisses Clark on the lips which surprises him. Moments later, the taxi stops on a sidewalk as something inside happened. Seconds later, a monstrous woman emerges from the taxi which turned out to be none other than Lois Lane in a transformed state. The monster Lois gets out of the taxi, throws the necklace away and leaves Clark behind. The incident causes a commotion in the city.

Still inside the taxi, Clark discreetly changes into Superman and flies away to search for Lois Lane…

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As Superman works to find monster Lois Lane, the media buzz about her begins on television. This was the time when social media was decades away from realization.

To begin with, the concept of this comic book is clearly outlandish and the creators decided to make a monster out of Lois Lane and explore what would happen to both the city and Superman. The good news here is that the storytelling has a firm structure and the dialogue – most notably that of Superman – still made sense and was believable to follow. Without spoiling the plot, I can say that Superman is still the main focus of the story and how he made moves to solve problems while still caring for Lois Lane is engaging to read.

In this comic book, you will see some interesting developments that emphasize how Clark Kent works within the limitations of his journalistic career and connections, how Superman takes responsibility things he did before, and how he works to protect his secret identity. The Bates-Swan duo really delivered the goods here.  

Conclusion

Superman has two problems to deal with – finding monster Lois Lane and preventing a train disaster from happening.

Action Comics #438 (1974) is a fun read but it is not a brainless nor a low-intelligence tale. This is a tale about Superman relying less on his powers and using more of skills as civilian Clark Kent to handle the problem of monster Lois Lane. The story lacked the superhero spectacle of action but it still is entertaining to read, and the emphasis on Superman and Lois alone is worth reading. As for The Atom short story included, it is essentially a somewhat fun additive.

Overall, Action Comics #438 (1974) 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  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

A Look Back at Action Comics #436 (1974)

Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1970s arts and culture enthusiasts, DC Comics fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1974 to take a close look at a part of the DC Comics universe through a tale of the Action Comics monthly series.

If you know the Superman lore in comics, you should be aware that Perry White (first appeared in 1940) is the editor-in-chief of the Daily Planet and is the superior of Clark Kent (Superman), Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen. As Perry White got race-swapped (a woke move that’s also idiotic) and presented as a black man in Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel and James Gunn’s Superman (2025), be aware that the long-lasting character originated in the comics as a white man who symbolized dedication and management consistently. I still remember the live-action versions of Perry White played by Jackie Cooper in the 1978 movie and by Lane Smith in the TV series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.

I read a lot of Superman comic books and many times Perry White appeared as a supporting character. He also appeared in the memorable crossover comic book Superman and Spider-Man, interacting with Peter Parker (Spider-Man). As a supporting character in Superman tales, Perry White occasionally provides journalistic direction or a challenge to Clark Kent who in turn tackles problems in his civilian identity or as Superman.

But what if Perry White overshadows Superman himself?

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Action Comics #436, published in 1974 by DC Comics with a story written by Elliot S. Maggin and drawn by Curt Swan.

The cover.

Early story

The story begins deep within Metropolis when the Daily Planet’s editor Perry White enters the Galaxy Building. White does not realize that he is being watched by two adults who turned out to have special abilities and together they levitated a gift for him before he reaches his office. The gift for Perry White was their response to the help he provided to them – the mutants – to escape the influence of Calixto sometime before. The two adults then vanished.

As White arrives in his office, Superman discreetly flies into the Galaxy Building and changed into his civilian form as Clark Kent. With his enhanced hearing, Kent heard the phone in his office ringing and quickly rushes to it. Through the phone, White (who was notified he won the Pulitzer Prize again) tells him that Edge Morgan has something big happening on both TV and on paper, and they should fly out to New York to work together…

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Superman and Perry White fly towards an enemy.

To get straight to the point, this Superman tale shows the wild concept of Perry White overshadowing the Man of Steel in terms of capabilities instead of journalistic power. On paper it sounds crazy but the good news is that the wild concept was told nicely and it is actually fun to follow without ever going over the top.

With witnesses around, Perry White uses his super powers.

Apart from the story’s outlandish idea, the plot shows a new dimension of Perry White transforming from a supporting player (in the form of a newspaper editor) into a more heroic figure. Instead of being a helpless witness of events happening, White becomes more involved and contributes something to the prevention of disaster and even tackling evil head on. That being said, this situation allowed the creative duo to show a new side of White’s personality as he himself realizes the sudden weight and pressure that comes with having super powers, and he still has journalistic standards to live up to.

Conclusion

Superman is surprised to witness Perry White fly and prevent a small plane from crashing.

A product of its time, Action Comics #436 (1974) has a short story that had a zany concept which turned out to be an entertaining read. It is nice to see Perry White actually becoming super while the storytelling done by the Maggin-Swan team never became too outlandish. Think of this comic book – which also has a short story of Green Arrow – as a bout of fun focused on Superman and Perry White. I first read this comic book as a young boy and now as an adult, it is still enjoyable to read again. No woke garbage and no Zack Snyder-style darkness here. This is classic Superman.

Overall, Action Comics #436 (1974) 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  @HavenorFantasy 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 79

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 Night of the Living Dead (1990) – While there are a lot of YouTube videos about the Night of the Living Dead from 1968, there are simply much lesser videos to the 1990 remake by comparison. For the newcomers reading this, the 1990 version of Night of the Living Dead was directed by Tom Savini, presented in color and had its own ways of modernizing the zombie apocalypse genre of film. In my experience, I saw the 1990 remake long before I accidentally discovered on cable TV the 1968 original. If you want to discover the movie and don’t mind spoilers, check out You, Me and the Movies’ entertaining reaction video below.

#2 Unsolved Mysteries Season 3 episodes (hosted by Robert Stack) – If there is any American TV show that made weekday nights entertaining or engaging, it’s none other than Unsolved Mysteries hosted by the late Robert Stack. It’s a good thing for Unsolved Mysteries fans worldwide that episodes hosted by Stack are available for free viewing at YouTube via the FilmRise channel. That being said, posted below are assorted episodes from season 3 of the show for you to discover.

#3 PatmanQC examines the RoboCop arcade game  – In 1988, Data East released their adaptation of RoboCop in the arcades achieving tremendous success around the world. RoboCop is considered by some as an arcade classic and is arguably the best RoboCop game ever made. To find out who were responsible for the arcade game and what made it so enjoyable, watch the in-depth video by PatmanQC below.

#4 Healthy breakfast recipes by Shannon Barker – Shannon Barker is a pretty model who appeared in lots of fashion shows. In my retro comic book review of The Solution #17, I expressed my opinion that Barker would make a very good cosplay photograph model as Shadowmage. Apart from fashion, Barker is also a lifestyle vlogger and if you are interested in health breakfast recipes, watch her video below.

#5 Space Quest revisited – Decades ago, me and my friends were able to play on PC (DOS era) the graphic adventure game Space Quest (full title: Space Quest: Chapter I – The Sarien Encounter). Space Quest was one of my computer games released by Sierra On-Line and it involved being observant, being able to pay attention to the descriptions, and typing the right commands in order to progress. Recently, I saw a retrospective video of Space Quest done by YouTuber Power Pak, and it definitely is both nostalgic and fun to watch.

#6 Ashleigh Burton reacts to Howard the Duck – In 1986, the comedy Howard the Duck was released in cinemas and ended up failing both critically and commercially. While it is considered as one of the worst films ever released, it still has a dedicated following. Believe it or not, the movie was produced by George Lucas and his company Lucasfilm made it. To say that Howard the Duck is cinematic trash is extreme and if you want to see how it impacts Ashleigh Burton, watch her reaction video below.

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

A Look Back at Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire #2 (1996)

Welcome back science fiction enthusiasts, 20th century pop culture enthusiasts, Star Wars fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1996 to examine the 2nd tale of a notable Star Wars storyline that took place between the films The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the JediShadows of the Empire!  

For the newcomers reading this, Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire was a huge multimedia Star Wars event launched in the mid-1990s without a movie. Apart from exploring what happened in between the 1980 and 1983 classic Star Wars movies, Shadows of the Empire expands the lore by introducing new characters, Luke Skywalker’s gradual recovery from what he suffered from in The Empire Strikes Back, and the Galactic Empire’s ties with criminals who turned out to be resourceful. Back then, Star Wars was still fully under the control of George Lucas and his businesses. I already reviewed the first issue and enjoyed it.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire #2, published in 1996 by Dark Horse Comics with a story written by John Wagner and drawn by Kilian Plunkett. This is the 2nd chapter of a 6-issue mini-series.  

The cover.

Early story

The story begins with Darth Vader in the middle of a lightsaber sparring session with a droid. As he makes his fighting moves, he issues instructions to a thug named Jix who was standing and watching. Vader tells him that the bounty hunter Boba Fett still has not yet delivered the captured Han Solo (in carbonite) to Jabba the Hutt in Tatooine, and he anticipates that Luke Skywalker will make an attempt to rescue him. Vader wants Jix to insinuate himself into Jabba’s swoop gang.

On another part of the galaxy, several Rebel X-Wing fighters (led by Luke Skywalker), the Millennium Falcon (with Princess Leia, Chewbacca, C3PO and Lando Calrissian) and the Outrider (Dash Rendar) travel together approaching the planet Gall with different objectives: the Rogue Squadrom will go draw out the imperial fighters while both the Falcon and the Outrider will sneak in to find the damaged Slave-1 (Boba Fett) and rescue Han Solo…

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The Millennium Falcon and Slave-1 in the same encounter.

When compared to its predecessor, this comic book has a lot of plot developments moving forward. It is in this story where you will see Leia, Lando and Chewbacca really pull off their first-ever attempt to rescue Han Solo and the way it was presented by the creative duo Wagner-Plunkett was worth the anticipation. Even though the odds are against them, Prince Leia is clearly determined to get Han back not for her love for him but for the Rebel Alliance’s need.

With Darth Vader having lesser spotlight and none of Emperor Palpatine, the creative team was able to shift more of the spotlight on the galactic criminals. The introduction of Jabba’s Swoop Gang was nicely done and the portrayal of them as a rowdy and very sinister bunch is very notable.

Anyone who enjoyed playing the Shadows of the Empire video game on Nintendo 64 (N64) will be pleased to see Dash Rendar and his Outrider space ship here even though the spotlight lasted only briefly. As expected, Dash is creatively a smuggler-type substitute for Han Solo and I have the feeling that he will re-appear in the remaining issues of this mini-series.

As for the famous hero Luke Skywalker, you won’t see him wielding his lightsaber nor see him using his Jedi powers. Instead, you will see him taking action as an X-Wing Fighter pilot and you will see even more of his ability to lead his Rogue Squadron teammates. The way Luke was portrayed here was pretty accurate compared to his cinematic portrayal which proves the writing done was really solid.

In fact, the writing by Wagner remained consistently high in quality particularly with dramatizing Princess Leia, Lando, C3PO, R2D2 and Darth Vader. It is through Dash Rendar, Jix and the Swoop Gang where you will see Wagner push his creativity as he expands the lore of Star Wars to emphasize the galactic crime world and smugglers.

Lastly, Wagner really went all-in in developing the iconic bad guy Boba Fett in this comic book. You will really see how Boba Fett uses violence not just to overwhelm any opposition but also to protect the high bounty with the frozen Han Solo who is easily wanted by other bounty hunters and scum. When it comes to the visuals, expect to see similar quality Plunkett delivered in the first issue right here. Plunkett is very good with visualizing space ship battles, space travel, machines and locations, but showed weakness on drawing the humans. In fairness, Plunkett came up with very original styles and designs for the Swoop Gang and Jix, making them look really distinct.

Conclusion

Darth Vader and the thug named Jix.

Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire #2 (1996) is a solid follow-up to issue #1 and it managed to have the main plot and sub-plots move forward significantly. The storytelling is consistently good and the engagement was pretty strong. I can say I am convinced to look forward to finding out more in the next issue.

Overall, Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire #2 (1996) 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  @HavenorFantasy 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 74

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 Ashleigh Burton reacts to Top Secret! and The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear – Being a jolly person, YouTuber Ashleigh Burton can be entertaining to watch during her movie reaction videos. This is more evident when she reacts to a comedy film and she has made reaction videos of comedies that involved Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker (ZAZ) in varying ways. I enjoyed watching her reaction videos of Top Secret! (directed by ZAZ) and The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear (directed by David Zucker of ZAZ). Before watching those videos, I encourage you to watch first the two mentioned movies if you still have not seen them. If you have seen them and want to revisit them through Ashleigh Burton, watch the videos below.

#2 You, Me and the Movies reacts to David Lynch’s Dune  – Way back in 1984, the sci-fi movie Dune was released but it never became the big hit the producers hoped it would be. Even though it had a mostly lavish production, director David Lynch’s creative approach on telling the story was found by many as weird or hard to understand. That being said, take a close look at the video below and see how David Lynch’s Dune draws reactions from You, Me and the Movies.

#3 Ranting for Vengeance explains Alan Moore’s Marxism and why the author is not a genius at all – Have you ever read Watchmen, V for Vendetta or The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen? All those were authored by Alan Moore and months ago he was interviewed and he revealed his political thoughts. The interview gave YouTuber Ranting for Vengeance an opportunity to analyze what Moore said, explain the Communism and Marxism of the author, and why he perceives Moore as a writer who sucks. Find out now by watching the video below.

#4 Slope’s Game Room examines BurgerTime games – Recently Slope’s Game Room posted its in-depth video examining the history of the classic game BurgerTime and the many it games it spawned through the decades. Produced by Data East, BurgerTime was first released in arcades in 1982 and it became a big hit with players eventually getting ported to multiple platforms to keep up with demand. I should also state that BurgerTime is one of those games that constantly reminded players about food. Watch the video below.

#5 Minty Comedic Arts presents trivia about Die Hard with a Vengeance – Almost thirty years ago, Die Hard with a Vengeance was released in cinemas around the world and it was even titled as “Die Hard 3” here in the Philippines. The film had Bruce Willis as John McClane and John McTiernan returned as director. This time around, the setting was much more open and massive with New York City and surrounding areas as locations. If you love the movie and you want to know a lot more details about its production, watch the trivia video by Minty Comedic Arts below.

#6 Represent This’ in-depth examination of The Empire Strikes Back – Having seen all the Star Wars movies – including the trash from woke Disney – I can say that the best of them all is still The Empire Strikes Back which itself was not even directed by creator George Lucas. The Star Wars sequel from 1980 stood the test of time and when it came to creative or technical revisions through the decades, it is the one that had the least number of revisions. That being said, if you want to know lots of intricate details about The Empire Strikes Back, I recommend watching the two analytical and explanatory videos by Represent This.

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

A Look Back at Action Comics #689 (1993)

Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 20th century pop culture enthusiasts and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1993 to take a close look at one of the tales of the Reign of the Supermen storyline told through an issue of Action Comics.

When Adventures of Superman #500 (1993) was released, it launched the Reign of the Supermen storyline (which focused on the tales of the Eradicator, Steel, Superboy and Cyborg Superman) and the comic book creators working on Superman comic books came up with lots of new concepts and storytelling ideas to sell to fans of the Man of Steel. Along the way, there was some suspense regarding the state of the supposedly dead Superman.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Action Comics #689, published in 1993 by DC Comics with a story written by Roger Stern and drawn by Jackson Guice.  

The cover.

Early story

The story begins in Metropolis when a major infrastructure of the city got heavily damaged leaving both Supergirl and Superboy (the lone teenager among the Supermen who emerged mysteriously after the death and funeral of Superman) no choice but to prevent the loss of human lives.

As the struggle in Metropolis continues, the Regeneration Matrix inside the Fortress of Solitude suddenly overloads with energy and breaks open. A man in Kryptonian garb wakes up feeling disoriented in the presence of several robots of the fortress. The man commands the robots to tell them what has been going on.

A short time later, the man uses the Kryptonian technologies of the fortress to examine simultaneous videos while receiving verbal updates from one of the robots. He gets informed that all individuals operating under the name of Superman have been monitored before he woke up. Carefully the man the captured footage of Superboy, the Eradicator, Steel and Cyborg Superman.

He is convinced that things have gotten completely out of hand and the name of Superman will not be turned into a franchise. He decides that something must be done and he has to get to Metropolis…

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Steel and the Eradicator fought each other.

This chapter of the Reign of the Supermen storyline has a lot of developments moving simultaneously with the spotlight being shared among Superboy, Supergirl, Lex Luthor, Jonathan Kent, Martha Kent, Steel and the Eradicator plus the traditional supporting characters of Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen. To say the least, it will take an effort for any reader to grasp the many plot developments and all the details crammed into this single comic book.

By looking at the plot developments, Superboy’s plot does not have much depth. Apart from seeing him and Supergirl helping the people affected by the disaster, you will see his interactions with (and his perception of) her and Lex Luthor getting frustrated because Superboy rejected his offer to work for Lexcorp. Superboy is not so interesting here.

The other plots such as Jonathan Kent expressing his strong belief that Clark Kent is the true and the definitive Superman, the conflict between Steel and the Eradicator, and the mysterious man (Superman actually) inside Fortress of Solitude are the more engaging ones to follow. It was only right that the cover of this comic book focused on the newly returned Superman monitoring the other Supermen while inside the fortress.

What made this comic book interesting was the creative team’s exploration of the actual meaning of heroism, people’s fear and confusion while dealing with the existence of four Supermen, and humanity’s exploitation of the presence of powerful beings for financial gain or greater influence over the people.

Conclusion

The mysterious man inside the Fortress of Solitude monitors recent events and who the Supermen are.

Action Comics #689 (1993) is crammed and had a lot of plots dramatized. This was intentionally done because DC Comics at the time had momentum with the Reign of the Supermen storyline and it was inevitable that they started building up for the next stage that eventually became the return of the iconic Superman and re-establishing his prominence within the shared post-Crisis universe.

Overall, Action Comics #689 (1993) is satisfactory.

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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

For burgers and arcade fun in BF Homes, visit Hackensack

Along the stretch of Aguirre Avenue inside BF Homes subdivision, Barangay BF Homes, Parañaque City is the 1950s-inspired diner Hackensack. To be clear, it is the BF Homes branch of the business whose other branch is located in Quezon City.

I had my first-ever visit there this past February for a lunch reunion and meeting with a dear friend of mine. We both had rice meals and drinks, and we had a nice chat while seating comfortably.

Daytime shot of a portion of the interior at Hackensack’s BF Homes branch. Comfortable seats and sufficient space for customers.
Through the window, customers can watch their food getting cooked.

I carefully examined Hackensack as it was my first time back then. I noticed they have sufficient parking spaces – spacious enough to allow double-parking – for motorists outside. Upon entering, the 1950s vibe was clearly present through the interior design and the carefully placed decorations. With the nice interiors, cool aircon system and sufficient walking space between the chairs and tables, Hackensack’s BF Homes branch is nice and comfortable to be in.

Recently, I had a 2nd visit at Hackensack in BF Homes and this time it was dinner with my family.

Food

This is the Deluxe “Smashed” Cheeseburger and Fries Combo. The cheeseburger had two Angus beef patties.

During my 2nd visit, I had the Deluxe “Smashed” Cheeseburger (double-patty) and Fries Combo and a Chocolate Milkshake. The cheeseburger itself came with two Angus beef patties, two wide tomato slices, lettuce and cheese, and it tasted really good. I’m glad I had the cheeseburger as I was getting tired of the cheeseburgers from the more popular burger-and-fries fast food restaurants. Meanwhile, the fries were well cooked and satisfying to eat.

As mentioned above, I had the Chocolate Milkshake although I ordered at least 30 minutes after I finished my cheeseburger and fries combo meal. Hackensack’s milkshake tasted mildly sweet (given the chocolate flavor) but more importantly, it also tasted freshly made.

The chocolate milkshake was tasty and satisfying.

Other food that my family enjoyed include the 1950s Onion-steamed Cheeseburger and Fries Combo, the Fried Onion Strings, Fries, the Philly Cheesesteak, Chicken Wings, and the Classic BLT (Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato). I can clearly say that my family enjoyed the food and what was served exceeded expectations.

The Fried Onion Strings was a delicious appetizer and also ideal when eating with a group of companions.
A standalone service of Fries.
The 1950s Onion-steamed Cheeseburger and Fries Combo.

Hackensack’s menu offers lots of food and drink options that customers can choose from such as the Chicken Salad Sandwich with Chips combo meal, Clubhouse Sandwich with Chips combo meal, Waffle Fries, New York Frank and Fries combo meal, Mom’s Baked Spaghetti, Monty Brewster and Fries combo meal, Homemade Apple Pie, Steak and Eggs rice meal, Rootbeer Float and more.

Arcade games plus notable comic book artworks

While Hackensack has a strong 1950s vibe with its food, interiors and atmosphere, the place with the two arcade cabinets (where players can stand in front of and play games) is something else. If you know your entertainment history, you should be aware already that arcade games in America (electronic games played on machines) did not exist during the 1950s.

That being said, the two arcade cabinets allow users to pick games from a wide selection of titles from the 1970s to the 1990s. The beauty about have these arcade cabinets is that you can play games absolutely free! No need to insert coins or tokens at all!

The two arcade cabinets inside Hackensack. Each machine contains lots of classic arcade games and the great thing is that customers can play those games for free. Simply select the game, press the button and start enjoying retro gaming fun.
A few of the many retro games to choose from.

During my two visits at Hackensack in BF Homes, I had retro gaming fun with Galaga, Elevator Action, X-Men vs. Street Fighter, Pac-Man, the X-Men arcade game from Konami, and Donkey Kong to name some. Other arcade classic available for gamers to choose from include Street Fighter II, Battle City, 1942, Contra, Rambo III and RoboCop to name a few.

In addition to the existing retro gaming vibe the arcade cabinets provided, there were these very notable comic book covers and artworks displayed on the walls near them. Having read and collected superhero comic books in the 1990s, I recognized a lot of notable artworks there such as WetWorks by Whilce Portacio, X-Men by Jim Lee, Youngblood by Rob Liefeld, Spider-Man by Todd McFarlane, and Superman by Dan Jurgens.

Are you a 1990s comic book enthusiast? Check out the selected comic book materials displayed as decorations.

With good food, a comfortable retro place and retro gaming fun, Hackensack really stands out nicely among the many food joints inside BF Homes. As of now, it is the one place in the entire South Metro Manila where you can enjoy meals and arcade games together.

To learn more about Hackensack, visit their Facebook page by clicking https://www.facebook.com/hackensack.ph. To visit their BF Homes branch right now, click the Google Maps location link at https://maps.app.goo.gl/EHAAteZTZXwgeggw9

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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

For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagement, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673

What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 67

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 topics and the related videos I found.

#1 The next Xbox will include Steam and PlayStation? – The vibe of the next-generation of console gaming is only intensifying by the day. When it comes to Xbox itself, there is speculation that the next-generation Xbox will not only be a hybrid PC console but also include access to Steam games and even those of PlayStation. I know it sound crazy but if it is clear that Microsoft is doing its own approach on the next-generation Xbox in radically different way compared with PlayStation and Nintendo. If you want to know more details, watch Colteastwood’s video below.

#2 PatmanQC examines NBA Jam – Were you able to play basketball videos in the arcades way back in the 1990s? Back then, NBA Jam was a massive excess attracting so many players and generating lots of income for arcade operators. The game also sold a lot on many game consoles as well. NBA Jam is a 2-on-2 arcade-style basketball game with emphasis on fast-paced scoring without the hindrance of normal basketball rules. To discover more about the history of NBA Jam and who were the people behind its production, watch the video of PatmanQC.

#3 Slope’s Game Room examines the Strike games franchise – Remember back long ago when Electronic Arts (EA) released a series of military themed shooter games on game consoles? I’m referring to the Strike series of games that include Desert Strike, Jungle Strike, Urban Strike, Soviet Strike and Nuclear Strike. Those games were released across two console generations in the 1990s and the series has not been revived until now. To look back at EA’s Strike games, watch the video by Slope’s Game Room.

#4 VKunia reacts to Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice – I recently browsed through the many videos of YouTuber VKunia and took time to watch her reaction video of Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. The film directed by Zack Snyder is significant not in a positive way but because of its very dark approach on storytelling and spectacle involving DC Comics’ icons Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. The way it was presented, not even the combined talents of Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Ben Affleck and others could spare the film from negative reception. I think by today’s standards, this is a superhero film that can only entertain a limited type of people. Still, I find VKunia’s reactions to it a must-watch.

#5 Woke garbage in comic books exposed and explained – As a geek, I really hate it when these modern day Leftists – Communists, socialists, Marxists, liberals, diversity zealots, inclusion zealots, LGBTQ activists and Islamo-Leftists – ruin movies and video games by emphasizing their radical agenda through them. The same has happened in comic books and it is clear that the Leftists working for the publishers made established superhero icons look terrible. These unfortunate developments will remind you that comic books are meant for escapism and not political agenda which comic book legends Jim Shooter and Stan Lee confirmed long ago. Watch and learn from the video of YouTuber Ranting for Vengeance right now.

#6 The free speech solution against DEI poison – In this John Stossel video I recently saw, the topic of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) was discussed and it turns out there is a free speech solution against the woke virus. This is about the ongoing information war between the Satanic Left and the ones who believe in common sense and reality.

#7 Ashleigh Burton reacts to The Breakfast Club – Were you able to watch any movies written or directed by the late John Hughes? A lot of people considered Hughes’ works collectively defined the cinematic American teenagers of the 1980s. One of the more popular works of Hughes was The Breakfast Club and Ashleigh Burton’s reaction video is a must-see.

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

What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 66

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 topics and the related videos I found.

#1 Modern feminists’ survival weakness exposed – Are you surrounded by the so-called modern feminists who kept boasting they can excel in anything men can do? I was just browsing YouTube until I spotted a video by Christine Grace Smith who shared her own reaction to another video that examined a series of tests of survival for two separate groups – one group of men and the other group of women – on an uninhabited tropical island far away from each other. Smith’s video is a must-watch and I encourage you to pay attention to the details as you view it. Her video and thoughts can change the way you look at survival as well as women empowerment.

#2 The 1993 World Trade Center bombing examined – Fern recently released an in-depth explanatory video about the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center committed by Islamic terrorists. This is an important video to watch given the fact that the 1993 bombing is often forgotten since the WTC twin towers collapsed on September 11, 2001. It will give you some insight on the radicalized evil Islamists live with and how far they are willing to go to commit murder and destruction. The moral lesson here is that being an Islamist means being evil.

#3 Ashleigh Burton reacts to Weird Science – Are you fond of 1980s Hollywood teen comedies or do you prefer 1950s science fiction tales of Weird Science published by EC Comics? Back in 1985, there was a teen comedy and sci-fi film titled Weird Science directed by the late John Hughes. Its concept was actually inspired by the EC Comics-published “Made of the Future” tale from the Weird Science comic book series. YouTuber Ashleigh Burton’s reaction video of the film is enjoyable to watch and I encourage you to see it.

#4 PatmanQC examines Berzerk – I still the old days when I played Berzerk a lot on the Atari 2600 (read my retro gaming review by clicking here). Being so young back then, I was not even aware about the arcade version of Berzerk. That being said, it’s a good thing that YouTuber PatmanQC made a retrospective video about Berzerk. If you are interested to find out what inspired the concept of Berzerk and who exactly created the game, watch the retro gaming video below.

#5 You, Me and the Movies react to 1978’s Piranha –When Steven Spielberg’s Jaws achieved tremendous commercial success in the mid-1970s, there were a lot of creature feature movies approved for production as other producers wanted to cash in on the craze. Among those flicks was 1978’s Piranha directed by Joe Dante and produced by low-budget movie king Roger Corman. You, Me and the Movies’ reaction video of Piranha is a must-see.

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

What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 65

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 topics and the related videos I found.

#1 Popcorn in Bed reacts to The French Connection – The tribute to the late Gene Hackman continues. This time, however, it is the turn of Popcorn in Bed to do so by means of posting a reaction video of the classic film The French Connection. Hackman won the Academy Award for Best Actor as a result of playing Popeye Doyle in the film. If you have not seen The French Connection yet, watch it entirely first. Otherwise, watch Popcorn in Bed’s video.

#2 JFK Assassination records released – Recently the government of the United States officially released tens of thousands of pages of varied documents related to the 1963 assassination of US President John F. Kennedy. Unsurprisingly, the media and legal analysts are highlighting the records released and it is expected that new revelations could alter both public perception and historical recording of the tragedy of November 22, 1963. This development is one of the fulfilled promises of US President Donald Trump whose administration includes JFK’s nephew Robert Kennedy, Jr. Watch and learn from the selected videos below.

#3 Ashleigh Burton reacts to Unforgiven – When was the last time you saw Clint Eastwood in a Western? Eastwood’s last Western was 1992’s Unforgiven which he directed and won big in the Academy Awards in 1993. The movie also had the late Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman and the late Richard Harris. Recently, Asheligh Burton posted her reaction video of the movie and it is entertaining. The late Hackman won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in Eastwood’s movie. Given its high importance, Unforgiven has to been seen first before you (who have not seen it yet) watch the reaction video below.

#4 PatmanQC examines RoboCop versus The Terminator video games – Way back in 1992, I was excited to learn about the comic book crossover mini-series of RoboCop versus The Terminator (read my retro reviews by clicking here, here, here and here). In 1993, my excitement got reignited when the video games featuring the two sci-fi icons in another crossover got released. Unfortunately, I never got to play any of those games. In retrospect, the Terminator-RoboCop crossovers became important pieces of pop culture regardless of entertainment format, and if you want to learn about the history of the video games, watch PatmanQC’s in-depth RoboCop versus The Terminator video below.

#5 Assassin’s Creed Shadows controversies and the criticism against it – By the time you are reading this, Ubisoft’s highly controversial and condemned big-budget video game Assassin’s Creed Shadows is already available, and I have no intention to play it. I already played some games of the long-running Assassin’s Creed series but ultimately I never became a fan of it. For the newcomers reading this, Assassin’s Creed Shadows has been controversial and criticized for some time now due to a variety of reasons such as the game developers’ lack of respect towards the Japanese, the false portrayal of Yasuke as a Samurai (note: the historical Yasuke NEVER became a Samurai), insertions of wokeness (the result of DEI in Ubisoft) and more.

I really don’t like it when Leftist activists working in game companies insert their delusions and toxic values into video games which has been going on for many years now. The Assassin’s Creed Shadows controversies clearly rocked Ubisoft and brought down its credibility a lot. Video games are supposed to be fun, not interactive pieces of Leftist, woke and LGBTQ propaganda. To learn more and find out why, watch the videos below.

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