Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.
Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1980s arts and culture enthusiasts, Marvel Comics fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1984 to examine a small part of the Marvel Comics universe through a tale of the Amazing Spider-Man monthly series.
In my previous retro review, additional stress in Peter Parker’s life was realized when Mary Jane revealed to him that she knows he and Spider-Man are one and the same. Some time later when things calmed down, Spider-Man went to the headquarters of the Fantastic Four eventually finding out the shocking truth about the alien costume he has been wearing since the events of Secret Wars.
With those details laid down, here is a look back at Amazing Spider-Man #259, published in 1984 by Marvel Comics with a story written by Tom DeFalco, and drawn by Ron Frenz.
The cover.
Early story
The story begins in New York City where Peter Parker and Mary Jane casually spend time walking within a large park. Knowing that Peter is already feeling uneasy about her knowing his secret identity as Spider-Man, Mary Jane reveals to him stories of her past and the domestic challenges that she, her sister and their parents went through.
Elsewhere in the city, the Hobgoblin makes his moves expressing his intention to engage with the business side of crime…
Quality
Mary Jane Watson and Peter Parker spending a lot of quality time together at the park.
When it comes to developing a supporting character with sheer depth, this comic book really stands out as Spider-Man literally got pushed to the side. The main story here focuses closely on Mary Jane whose experiences with her family from the past got dramatized big time. You will see flashbacks of her youth, her closeness with her sister and mother, and tension she went through when her father became stressed and resentful. The DeFalco-Frenz duo really set up the blocks of past developments that built up Mary Jane’s personality and her portrayal here is clearly a major character turning point in Spider-Man’s corner of the Marvel Comics shared universe of the time.
As for her relationship with Peter Parker/Spider-Man, Mary Jane here is less of a romantic partner and more of a friend looking for a shoulder to cry on. While it is a fact that several comic books in the 1970s showed Mary Jane and Peter romantically linked, her portrayal in this comic book marked a major turning point of her personal development and her destiny with the webslinger. The writing by DeFalco here is very rich with drama and believability.
Conclusion
Flashbacks from Mary Jane’s past with her family.
Amazing Spider-Man #259 (1984) is still significant to read after all these decades. Mary Jane, who eventually got married to Peter Parker, has been redefined very heavily in this tale and she eventually became one of the most essential Spider-Man-related characters in the years that followed. Looking back at this old story (which happened shortly after Spider-Man separated from the alien costume), it was clear that Marvel Comics decided Mary Jane would be the definitive leading lady of Spider-Man.
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.
#1Gus Abelgas Forensics features Antonio P. Antonio justice story – Last March, the surviving family of the late Antonio P. Antonio (APA) rejoiced when the Parañaque Regional Trial Court found suspect Nelson Antonio guilty of murdering his father (legal term: parricide) in 2013. It was a quest for justice that got fulfilled after more than a decade and along the way the family endured lots of challenges as they adjusted to life without their father (read my previous blog posts by clicking here and here). Recently, the local TV show Gus Abelgas Forensics produced an episode (note: Tagalog language) focused on the story of the late Antonio P. Antonio with special attention paid to the details of the investigation, the analysis of the evidence and information revealed by family members who were interviewed. The episode was released in full on YouTube and I recommend you watch it right now.
#2 Critical Drinker’s videos about Apocalypse Now and Fitzcarraldo – Critical Drinker is one of the most notable and more engaging YouTubers when it comes to entertainment. Apart from doing reviews or commentaries about movies and shows, he has a series of videos that closely examine the troubled entertainment productions. Posted below are his videos about Apocalypse Now (which was filmed here in the Philippines) and Fitzarraldo (notorious for manually hauling a 320-ton steamship up a steep hill as well as cases of deaths and plane crashes).
#3 Ashleigh Burton’s reaction video of Air Force One – If you are a Harrison Ford fan who ended up being depressed over his work in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, then it is time to look back at the actor’s more exciting works from long ago apart from the Star Wars and Indiana Jones movies. Recently, YouTuber Ashleigh Burton released her reaction video of the 1997 blockbuster film Air Force One which had Ford play a brave and fighting US President. Her reaction video is entertaining to watch and you can see it below.
#4 Reggie Miller’s memorable play on May 25, 1998 – Way back in 1998 here in the Philippines, I saw live on cable TV Game 4 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals series between the Chicago Bulls and the Indiana Pacers. I was rooting for the Pacers as my all-time favorite NBA legend Larry Bird was the coach and they had a very solid team with Reggie Miller, Rik Smits, Mark Jackson and others. The game is best remembered for Reggie Miller’s stunning 3-point shot which involved pushing Michael Jordan out of the way to get the ball. Not only that, Miller had a sprained left ankle to do it all. Take note that the Pacers was one of very few times to push Jordan and the Bulls into a full seven games in a best-of-seven series. Watch the video below and enjoy.
#5 X-Men: Apocalypse movie reaction videos – As X-Men: Days of Future Past was such a great film to watch, there was hope that follow-up X-Men movies starring James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Nicholas Hoult and Jennifer Lawrence will turn out great and offer moviegoers fine alternatives to the many superhero movies being released by Marvel Studios, Sony Pictures and Warner Bros. Then X-Men: Apocalypse was released in 2016 and I saw it on opening day inside a local IMAX cinema here in the Philippines. I left the cinema feeling entertained but the overall fun factor of the movie paled in comparison with its 2014 predecessor. If you want to see the YouTubers’ opinions of X-Men: Apocalypse, watch the videos below.
#6 Top Hat Gaming Man’s Double Dragon history videos – Top Hat Gaming Man is an engaging YouTuber to follow when it comes to retro gaming. Among his many videos that examined the history of video games, he published videos focused on the Double Dragon game series which used to be wildly popular. If you are a Double Dragon fan or if you are simply interested to discover how was Double Dragon first created, watch the selected videos below.
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 or informative 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.
#1Germany is suffering from the acceptance of so many so-called refugees – I want to make clear to all of you that I personally reject illegal immigration and mass migration as I truly believe that nations should always secure their borders, prioritize their citizens, protect their national sovereignty and deport all foreigners who committed crime in their country. That being said, there are lots of YouTube videos about Germany’s suffering which is the result of the huge acceptance (open-borders approach) of so many foreigners in 2015 perceived by the administration of then Chancellor Angela Merkel as so-called refugees. Merkel eventually expressed regret about the big move.
To be clear, allowing so many foreigners to enter your country as migrants or asylum seekers often leads to new waves of crime, cultural tensions and a tremendous drain of taxpayer-funded resources. Also, think carefully about how many asylum seekers lied to German immigration officials about their backgrounds and situations just to enter? Is each and every asylum seeker a genuine victim of war, poverty and crime in their home country? How many people among the asylum seekers are actually terrorists and crooks? Do these asylum seekers seriously believe in reshaping Germany based on their selfish interests and impulses? How many of these migrants are willing to integrate themselves into German society and norms? For your enlightenment, posted below is a video from The Journeyman Pictures about what happened in Germany when the specially treated migrants were already in.
#2 Sega Saturn vs. Arcade videos by Sega Lord X – I never owned a Sega Saturn console. There were times when I wish I owned one as I was fond of arcade games and wanted to play them in the comfort of home. For your retro gaming interest, the Sega Saturn had ports of arcade games and there were some that were released only in Japan. Watch the selected videos of Sega Lord X below.
#3 Ashleigh Burton’s Sean Connery James Bond videos – If you are a fan of Sean Connery and his James Bond movies, then you would be interested to see Asheigh Burton’s movie reaction videos of Dr. No, From Russia with Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, and Diamonds Are Forever. Each of her videos are entertaining to watch.
#4 A look back at Asteroids – Way back in the early 1980s, I played the classic video game Asteroids on the Atari 2600 a lot. I never got to play it in the arcades but I played the arcade version on my Xbox Series X using the Atari 50 Collection software. If you want to know the history and impact of Asteroids, watch this video by PatmanQC.
#5 A look back at Konami Wai Wai World – Way back in 1988, my friends and I played Konami Wai Wai World (called Konami World for short) on the Family Computer (Famicom) and no matter how challenging it was to write down and input Japanese text for the passwords, we persevered to play and complete it. Konami Wai Wai World was a 2D, side-scrolling adventure game that had this ambitious concept of a crossover gathering of playable original Konami characters plus the characters from licensed games – Mikey Walsh (The Goonies and The Goonies II) and the iconic King Kong (King Kong 2: Ikari no Megaton Punch). The video by RetroGamingKnight is a must-watch for those who intend to really learn a lot about Konami Wai Wai World.
#6 You, Me and the Movies’ Creepshow reaction video – The 1982 film Creepshow is one of those horror movies made to provide viewers horror and fun. It was a film that featured the combined talents of author Stephen King and director George A. Romero. This reaction video by You, Me and the Movies is a must-watch.
#7 Minty Comedic Arts’ X2: X-Men United trivia video – I saw X2: X-Men United in the cinema here in the Philippines on its opening day on April 30, 2003. Sometimes referred to as X-Men 2, the movie was clearly an improvement over its predecessor and the filmmakers took inspiration from a very notable sci-fi movie for its storytelling and character development. This and a lot more await you all in Minty Comedic Arts’ trivia video of X2: X-Men United.
Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.
Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1980s arts and culture enthusiasts, Marvel Comics fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1984 to examine a small part of the Marvel Comics universe through a tale of the Amazing Spider-Man monthly series.
In my previous retro review, Puma had encountered Spider-Man not once but twice. During the first encounter, Black Cat got in the way to defend her beloved webslinger. A short time later, Mary Jane Watson gets involved unexpectedly and the story ended with something that struck Peter Parker very deep inside.
With those details laid down, here is a look back at Amazing Spider-Man #258, published in 1984 by Marvel Comics with a story written by Tom DeFalco and drawn by Ron Frenz.
The cover.
Early story
The story begins inside Peter Parker’s apartment in New York City. He is struggling deep inside as he is shocked by Mary Jane’s revelation that she knows he and Spider-Man are one and the same person. She tells him that she knew his secret for years. Peter then begins to think that this is all Puma’s fault.
As Mary Jane begins to leave, Peter tries to talk with her. She tells him that he will deny everything and that she cares about him. She added that knowing his secret identity is why she originally left New York. She had to get away from him (and Spider-Man).
Suddenly, Black Cat arrives through the window. Her presence causes Mary Jane to realize something about them…
Quality
Very clearly the alien costume has its own intelligence and is the main reason why Peter Parker remained exhausted and sleeping too long.
I really like the writing of this comic book. Tom DeFalco showed strong consistency with developing the newcomer (and a formidable foe) Puma and his rivalry with Spider-Man, while also leaving sufficient room to develop Peter Parker who is now in deeper stress dealing with the complexities of his connections with Mary Jane and Black Cat.
What is most notable about the plot is the finally crafted resolution to Peter Parker’s use of the alien costume (the symbiote from Secret Wars that would later bond with Eddie Brock to form the murderous Venom) by having the Reed Richards and Johnny Storm of the Fantastic Four involved in a captivating manner. I won’t reveal what happened but I can assure you readers that this particular plot element alone makes this comic book very worthy of your time and attention. That being said, Spider-Man’s saga took a serious turn from here.
As with the previous issues, Ron Frenz’s fine art really brought DeFalco’s script into life here and this includes Spider-Man’s crossover with the mentioned Fantastic Four members, dynamic shots of the webslinger and fine dramatic expressions on characters’ faces.
Conclusion
With Black Cat and Mary Jane both present with Peter Parker, the tension and uncertainty grew only stronger.
Amazing Spider-Man #258 (1984) is yet another great read from the DeFalco-Frenz duo. The stakes were raised higher and the pay-offs were really solid in this comic book. As mentioned earlier, this story marked the resolution of Spider-Man’s bond with the alien costume, and also paved a new path for future tales of the webslinger. Spider-Man’s crossover with Reed Richards and the Human Torch (which lasted several pages) is easily one of most crucial scenes of entire Marvel Comics stories of the year 1984 and its significance would be realized in relation to the origin and further tales of Venom.
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.
#1Woke Disney’s discriminatory practices confirmed and caught on camera – Being woke means being foolish and wicked. What was discussed before about the woke Disney Company’s distorted approach on hiring workers as well as promoting their current workers was confirmed to be true as a Disney executive confirmed it openly on camera. A lot of footage has been recorded of him talking about Disney’s discrimination against white males as they empower people of minorities (colored people, the under-represented ethnic groups, etc.). You should watch the two videos I selected from Midnight’s Edge ad RK Outpost. Woke Disney should be brought to justice!
#2 Video documentary about Sega’s Streets of Rage franchise – YouTuber PatmanQC recently published another informative and entertaining look at the history of Sega’s popular Streets of Rage game franchise. This includes the behind-the-scenes development of the first game that hit the arcades, as well as the different versions that appeared on multiple platforms.
#3 Somewhere in Time videos – Somewhere in Time (1980) was a film that starred the late Christopher Reeve, Jane Seymour and Christopher Plummer. While it was never successful in movie theaters, it became a big hit on cable TV, public TV and home video. As its legacy lived on, it is not surprising that there are several movie reaction videos, video reviews and other features about it on YouTube. Posted below are some selected videos for those of you who wish to discover more of Somewhere in Time.
#4 A look at the rise and fall of the Orlando Magic – Back in the mid-1990s, a lot of my friends (who love basketball) became fans of the Orlando Magic which had Shaquille O’Neal, Penny Hardaway, Nick Anderson (the guy who missed 4 crucial free throws in specific NBA Finals game), Horace Grant and Dennis Scott. Their excitement really went overboard when the Magic of 1994-95 successfully won the Eastern Conference Finals and entered the NBA Finals to face off with the defending champion Houston Rockets. Of course, as recorded by history, the Magic got swept away by the Rockets even though they had the home court advantage. If you are nostalgic about 1990s NBA action or if you want to see how different the Orlando Magic was back in the 1990s, then you should watch the video below.
#5 Stockton to Malone (but still no NBA championship) – Still on the topic of basketball, do you remember the so-called golden age of the Utah Jazz when they had Karl Malone and John Stockton who together were among the very best players in the NBA back then? For the newcomers reading this, the Utah Jazz made it to the NBA Finals of 1997 and 1998 but lost each time to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. Long before those championship series happened, the Utah Jazz became a serious playoff contender in 1988 (pushing the LA Lakers to seven games in the Western Conference Semifinals) and went on to struggle in the years that followed. As for Stockton and Malone, they each had great basketball achievements but never won a championship. To learn more with a lot of details plus in-depth analysis, watch the video below.
#6 Heart of Darkness retrospective video – Way back in 1998, I played the video game Heart of Darkness on the PlayStation console but never got to finish it. While the cinematic cutscenes are not outstanding, the graphics used for gameplay was eye-catching thanks to the developers’ artistic and technical approach. This should not be surprising as the game was supervised by Eric Chahi who was best known for Another World. To learn more about Heart of Darkness’ production history, watch the video below.
#7 A look at Salamander (AKA Life Force) – Still on the topic of retro gaming, I had fun memories playing Salamander (titled Life Force in North America) on the Family Computer (Famicom) back in the late-1980s. It was a sci-fi 2D scrolling shooter that not only featured side-scrolling levels but also vertical levels. Developed and published by Konami, Salamander was a spin-off of Gradius (an acclaimed 2D side-scrolling shooter on its own) but it became successful in entertaining players with the two-player mode, unique challenges, fine gameplay features and outstanding visuals. To learn more about Salamander, watch the selected videos below.
#8 Friday The 13th Part 3 videos – If there is anything significant about Friday The 13th Part 3 (1982) other than being filmed in 3D, it is the fact that it marked a creative turning point for the franchise. It was in this movie that the film series really started to take shape with Jason Voorhees as its feature antagonist. That being said, it is not surprising that there are lots of retro reviews/reactions and feature videos about it. Watch the selected videos below.
Welcome back readers, fellow geeks and electronic gaming fans!
In this edition of the Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) series, we will take a look at another batch of retro gaming print ads from the 1980s and 1990s. In addition, there will be a few flyers of arcade games.
For the newcomers reading this, Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) looks back at the many print ads of games (console, arcade, computer and handheld) that were published in comic books, magazines, flyers and newspapers long before smartphones, social media, the worldwide web and streaming became popular. To put things in perspective, people back in the 1980s and 1990s were more trusting of print media for information and images about electronic games and related products.
With those details laid down, here is the newest batch of retro gaming print ads for you to see and enjoy…
1. Contra arcade flyer
A clever visual concept by Konami towards gamers and arcade operators.
Details on the other side of the flyer.
Before it established itself as a popular gaming franchise with console gamers, Contra truly started in the arcades in 1987. First released in Japan on February 1987, Konami went on to release the game in arcades in the United States a month later and the flyer you see here was the Americanized promotion they came up with. Instead of hiring male actors or models to play soldiers, they hired a slim lady to appear with a female Rambo look standing in front of a Contra arcade machine. On the other side of the flyer are details that players and arcade operators can learn from. By today’s standards, this arcade flyer of Contra is still eye-catching and even amusing to look at.
2. College Football’s National Championship print ad
This ad has a strong visual appeal to gamers who like football.
This is another one of those video game ads I saw while reading comic books in the 1990s. College Football’s National Championship was a Sega Genesis-exclusive American football video game published by Sega (with the Sega Sports brand) to capitalize on gamers who want college football to play with at home. This print ad has a nice visual presentation of the college teams’ logos, screenshots and details of what gamers could expect when they buy and play the game. College Football’s National Championship received mostly positive reviews and it must have sold well because Sega went on to release a sequel to this game.
3. Robotron X print ad
This Robotron game was made at a time when 3D polygons became common for making video games.
Having played the classic game Robotron: 2084 on PC back in the 1980s, I was very surprised to see this print ad in 1996 promoting a brand new Robotron game for PlayStation as well as Windows PC. For the newcomers reading this, Robotron: 2084 was a classic which heavily influenced game designers who went on make other fan-favorite games like Smash TV and Llamatron. What makes Robotron X notable apart from being an official follow-up to the classic game was the fact that it was made at a time when game developers did their stuff to modernize gaming with 3D polygons for visuals while trying to come up with gameplay inspired by the classics. While Robotron X did not make a major impact on gaming, the classic Robotron: 2084 went on to be released in several multi-platform compilations such as Williams Arcade’s Greatest Hits, Midway’s Greatest Arcade Hits, and Midway Arcade Treasures.
4. Space Jam game print ad
If you saw the movie in 1996, were you able to play this video game adaptation?
What makes 1996 a memorable year for basketball fans was the Michael Jordan’s return to prominence (having previously retired for less than two years before returning to the NBA in 1995) and leading a very powerful Chicago Bulls team to what was their 4th NBA championship title. In that same year, Jordan starred in the live-action/animated movie Space Jam which grossed an impressive $250 million worldwide. On the same month the movie came out, the Space Jam video game adaptation was also released on PlayStation and Sega Saturn. This print ad was part of the multimedia hype of the movie and the game itself had a very similar design and visuals concept with NBA Jam but ultimately it failed to become a hit with critics and gamers. Not even the combined visual might of Jordan and Warner Bros. characters could achieve success.
5. Magic Johnson’s Fast Break print ad
Still on basketball video gaming, the side-scrolling Magic Johnson’s Fast Break game was released on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) for console gamers to enjoy. Unsurprisingly, this ad had nice black-and-white art work of Magic Johnson as the dominant figure while leaving little space left to show the game box and only one screenshot. The real meat of this print ad are the details laid down in text description.
6. Virtua Fighter 2 for Sega Genesis print ad
Clearly a late effort by Sega to sell something to its many Genesis owners/fans in America at a time when PlayStation and Nintendo 64 started dominating 5th console generation sales.
In the history of arcade gaming and fighting games, Virtua Fighter 2 was a worthy follow-up to its groundbreaking predecessor. VF2 also made its way on the Sega Saturn which essentially maintained the great gameplay and 60 frames-per-second animation even though the 3D polygonal graphics were noticeably lower in quality compared to its arcade version. With VF2 in the arcades and on Saturn selling well, I was surprised to see this print ad of Sega releasing a totally different version of the game on the aging Sega Genesis console. Virtua Fighter 2 on Genesis had 2D graphics, sprites for the characters and a side-scrolling visual design. In fairness, the game developers exerted effort to recapture some of the gameplay elements within the Genesis limitations and 2D graphics. This print ad is a reminder of Sega’s American division selling a product to the remaining active Genesis owners.
7. Ring King print ad
Ring King itself clearly lacked promotional space in this ad.
In 1987, Data East released their arcade hit game Ring King on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and prepared this print ad involving Ray Leonard, Jr. (on the foreground in boxing gear) and conveniently with the famous Sugar Ray Leonard and Thomas Hearns (with the promo of their first fight together in the background). Also conveniently, the company inserted their other games on the lowest part of the ad. Ultimately, the presence of Ring King itself was minimized only showing the game cover and two screenshots. This is clearly an eye-catching ad but there was not enough emphasis on the game itself.
8. Super Spacefortress Macross arcade flyer
The arcade flyer released only in Japan.
Have you ever seen the classic anime movie Macross: Do You Remember Love? I really love watching that movie and I played and finished the video game adaptation on PlayStation in 1999. What I never got to play was the arcade game adaptation of it which was released by Banpresto in Japan in 1992. This flyer promoting the game has a strong visual presentation thanks to the artwork made for it. Only one screenshot was shown as well as a clip from 1984 the animated movie (note: the arcade game itself has some images directly from the film plus some newly created ones added) but this ad still had what it takes to capture the attention of the many Macross fans in Japan. This arcade game was eventually released with an English translation in America and Australia.
9. 2-in-1 print ad featuring Super C and Snake’s Revenge
A memorable and intriguing print ad from Konami promoting sequels.
This is one of the ads that Konami came up with to promote at least two games using a single-page ad format. I saw this ad in many comic books I read decades ago and its visual concept always caught my attention especially since I played the console game Contra a lot. At the high end of the ad were two fictional newspaper headlines highlighting the respective conflicts of Snake’s Revenge (with a nuclear danger concept) and Super C (with emphasis on alien invaders). These two games were sequels to the classics Metal Gear and Contra, and Konami clearly knew how to take advantage of the older games’ success and do their best to sell the sequels to gamers who love action-packed gaming as well as fantasized armed conflicts. Like the 2-in-1 ad showcasing Contra and Jackal, this was Konami’s aggressive move to sell war-inspired games to the NES userbase which was mostly composed of children and teenagers.
10. True Lies game print ad
There is nothing like taking advantage of the imagery of a Hollywood superstar to promote a video game based on the related movie.
Here is a video game ad I saw in many comic books I read in 1994-1995. True Lies (starring Arnold Schwarzenegger) was one of the big summer season movie hits of 1994 and the video game was part of the business tie-ins with the film. The people who made this print ad made the smart moves of showing not just one but three images of Schwarzenegger to promote the game while leaving some space to show what the game looked like. The True Lies game even had stills from the movie to emphasize the flow of the plot.
Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.
Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1980s arts and culture enthusiasts, Marvel Comics fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1984 to examine a small part of the Marvel Comics universe through a tale of the Wolverine monthly series.
This particular tale shows were Wolverine went and what he has been doing since he decided to leave the X-Men in Wolverine #75 (1993). Since Magneto removed the Adamantium out of him in X-Men #25 (1993) and Wolverine discovered that his claws were made of pure bones (part of him all along), he has been very determine to search for answers and the truth about himself.
With those details laid down, here is a look back at Wolverine #87, published in 1994 by Marvel Comics with a story written by Larry Hama and drawn by Adam Kubert.
The cover.
Early story
The story begins in the Southeast Asian city of Madripoor (fictional) where Wolverine and his former teammate Gambit are reunited. As they walk, Gambit tells him that Sabretooth (Wolverine’s long-time rival) is staying in Charles Xavier’s mansion (refer to X-Men #28 and #29). As they talk, Wolverine notices something odd at the Princess Bar which he previously visited and there seems to be something wrong. The two decided to break in, causing damage and expecting the worst. It turns out, a lot of people are inside (including those who became friends of Logan) who prepared a surprise celebration for Wolverine.
As the celebration goes on, ninjas at the top of the building watch Wolverine carefully as they prepare to go down and kill him…
Quality
Amazingly, Wolverine managed to slash the two falling guys with his bone claws and impressed Gambit.
If you are familiar with Team X (revealed in flashbacks in X-Men #5 and X-Men #6) composed of Wolverine, Sabretooth and Maverick as black ops operatives, then the story of this comic book will really become relevant with you. In fact, reading the mentioned comic books is a must.
Without spoiling the plot, I can say that creative duo of Hama and Kubert came up with their own contribution to the Team X mythos (with flashbacks visualized in similar style to those in the above-mentioned X-Men comic books of 1992) while emphasizing how the past affects Wolverine, Sabretooth and Maverick in the present day.
What Hama-Kubert came up with was not the typical good-versus-evil superhero tale but rather a believable expansion of the Team X legacy, what the three former members have in common, and what uncertainties are they dealing with as surviving mutants. In the case of Wolverine, this tale adds depth to his solo exploits since leaving his team behind in search for answers.
Conclusion
Wolverine dancing with a pretty lady while two guys above watch them.
Wolverine #87 (1994) is a fine character exploration and also a nice revelation about Team X. Considering how good the contributions from Hama and Kubert are, they would not be so relevant if you have never read Team X’s flashbacks in the two specific X-Men comic books published in 1992 and that alone makes this one a tricky read.
It has been months since I finished my first playthrough of Starfield on my Xbox Series X. I really enjoyed the massive sci-fi role-playing game (developed by Bethesda Game Studios) but I should say that there were technical glitches and some creative shortcomings that got in the way. While it is indeed a really good game, I have not replayed it ever since.
In fact, I have been waiting for the developers to keep on patching and refining Starfieldas much as possible, plus I have been anticipating the release of the promised expansion Shattered Space.
During the recent 2024 Xbox Games Showcase (also referred to as Xbox Showcase), Bethesda and Team Xbox released the official trailer of Starfield: Shattered Space and also went the extra mile announcing new stuff for Starfield players to check out. Watch the trailer as well as the June 2024 video below…
The home planet of House Va’ruun remains a mystery to the vast majority of the citizens of the Settled Systems. The religious zealots that make up this clandestine faction are known only by their dangerous reputation. When a distress signal originating from a derelict star station leads you on a path to Va’ruun’kai, you’ll begin to uncover the secrets surrounding the followers of the Great Serpent. Explore a new location, take on new enemies and experience the story of House Va’ruun when Shattered Space launches later this year.
A lot of mystery await gamers in the Shattered Space expansion for Starfield.
I can say that the concept of exploring the home world of House Va’ruun is not only intriguing but clearly the next creative step for Starfield. House Va’ruun’s troops and agents are indeed formidable foes to fight and I have been eager to find out more of them in the game. I can only hope that apart from refining the game, Todd Howard and his team will come up with a rock-solid story, more engaging gameplay experiences and maybe a few new characters to introduce as they focus on House Va’ruun.
Don’t forget that there is a huge fanbase of Starfield gamers who are literally hungry for more content that is no less fun and captivating. Perhaps the Shattered Space expansion will reinvigorate both fans and new gamers’ interest in Starfield.
If there is anything lacking with the Shattered Space part of the 2024 Xbox Games Showcase, it is the lack of a firm release date. For me, “coming in 2024” is unsatisfying and uncertain. It should be noted that other games at the showcase had no firm release dates. Perhaps Bethesda and Team Xbox will release Starfield: Shattered Space during the first or second week of September 2024 (note: Starfield itself was released on September 6, 2023).
Watch out for Starfield: Shattered Space on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and Windows PC.
Welcome back, fellow geeks, Blu-ray collectors and movie buffs!
Decades ago, I saw on home video Cloak & Dagger (1984) which turned out to be an entertaining film to watch as I was already playing games on Atari 2600 and the arcades. After replaying by chance on cable TV years later, I finally bought myself the 4K Blu-ray and it sure was fun to watch it all over again. Check out my retro movie review of it by clicking here.
The front of my copy of Cloak & Dagger (1984) 4K Blu-ray.
The rear with the details that can be read.
For the newcomers reading this, Cloak & Dagger (1984) is a movie that involved then video game giant Atari in the creative process. The movie’s plot is not based on Atari’s arcade game of the same name (previously titled as Agent X).
Cloak & Dagger (1984) its own original plot of espionage about a young boy Davey (played by Henry Thomas, the star of Steven Spielberg’s E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial) who witnesses a murder and receives an Atari 5200 cartridge of the game Cloak & Dagger that contains something very important. This in turn makes him a target of armed henchmen who won’t stop until they get him. Due to his reputation of being too playful and living with his wild imagination as a spy, people don’t believe Davey’s claim of witnessing a murder. This film happens to be inspired by the short story “The Boy Cried Murder” written by Cornell Woolrich.
Cloak & Dagger in arcade form. Atari released it in the form of an arcade conversion kit aimed at arcade machines of certain games of its competitors.
The Cloak & Dagger arcade game can be played on your game console with the Atari 50 collection software (over 100 games). This screenshot I captured while playing it on my Xbox Series X console running Atari 50.
A few weeks ago, my copy of the Cloak & Dagger 4K Blu-ray arrived and it came with two discs: One 4K Blu-ray disc which contained the movie in native 4K (scanned in UHD from the 35mm film) resolution of 3840 x 2160p. The other disc has the same movie in HD (1920 x 1080p) plus the extra stuff which can provide viewers and Cloak & Dagger fans a good amount of important content which will help them learn what the video game elements in the film are, what inspired its creative process and why the film is very unique by today’s standards. There is also an informative new interview with Henry Thomas.
Since then, I saw Cloak & Dagger in 4K twice on my Xbox Series X and its 1080p version on a standalone Blu-ray disc player. Cloak & Dagger in 4K looks better than ever as the picture quality is better, images look sharper and clearer, the colors are vibrant, the small visual details (which were not visible in lower resolution before) are more noticeable now, and film grain structure has been preserved intact!
The two discs. The one on the right is Cloak & Dagger in 4K.
As for the story itself, I still find it engaging and enjoyable to watch from start to finish. Cloak & Dagger is clearly a production of its time as it carries clear Cold War references – the Soviet Union and Iran are the evil forces told in very subtle fashion – as well as video game elements and brands (note: ColecoVision even appeared in this Atari-influenced movie) that dominated America’s console gaming market long before PlayStation, Nintendo and Xbox arrived. For a movie aimed at parents and children, this one has really intense violence as it involves shooting and even some elements of terrorism.
Ultimately, I got a lot of enjoyment from my Cloak & Dagger (1984) 4K Blu-ray and I highly recommend it to Cloak & Dagger fans, gamers, physical media collectors and anyone who loves watching movies in the comfort of home. Cloak & Dagger (1984) is a very unique and fun movie that Hollywood does not make anymore. You really should see it.
In case you are interested or if you have made up your mind, you can order a copy of Cloak & Dagger (1984) 4K Blu-ray by clicking here.
Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.
Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1980s arts and culture enthusiasts, Marvel Comics fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1984 to examine a small part of the Marvel Comics universe through a tale of the Amazing Spider-Man monthly series.
In my previous retro review, Puma was introduced and quickly made an impact on the plot that connects the Rose with Spider-Man (who foiled the Rose’s criminal operation with the help of Black Cat). Puma is not a one-dimensional villain as he is quite principled. Ultimately, issue #256 served as an entertaining build-up of the conflict between Spider-Man and Puma.
With those details laid down, here is a look back at Amazing Spider-Man #257, published in 1984 by Marvel Comics with a story written by Tom DeFalco and drawn by Ron Frenz.
The cover.
Early story
The story begins on top of a building in New York City. Puma grabs the head of the helpless Spider-Man (who just suffered the dislocation of his arm and endured the pain of shoving it back into place before eventually succumbing to the intense pain). He does not strike immediately as he finds the act of eliminating the webslinger almost too easy and he remembers the Rose promised him of a worthy foe.
Just as Puma starts his move to kill Spidey, Black Cat suddenly strikes him out of nowhere. Puma quickly recovers his balance and tells Black Cat to go away. Suddenly, Puma notices something in her. Using his heightened senses, he sees Black Cat’s aura then jumps at her. He quickly realizes he miscalculated with his movement and finds himself overshooting her. In a desperate attempt, Puma grabs a pipe but it quickly broke and causes him to slide on the rooftop and hit the edge.
As Puma picks himself up, the roof beneath him gives in and he falls down…
Quality
Spider-Man’s 2nd encounter with Puma is action-packed and fun to read. Pay close attention to the details.
There is no doubt that the story of this comic book is pretty much a big pay-off to the build-up of the previous issue. Not only that, the creative team continued to gradually develop Puma not only as a formidable foe of Spider-Man but also as a sensible and believable new addition to the Marvel Comics universe of the time.
Here, you will see Spider-Man in a truly vulnerable state which symbolically shows that wearing the alien costume has its limits when it comes to protecting and enhancing him. As seen in the final pages of issue #256, Spider-Man struggles a lot physically and, for the first time ever, struggles to command the symbiote (not realizing it is organic and has its own intelligence). With Spidey in a serious physical disadvantage, you will see Black Cat getting a nice share of the spotlight. Not only does she bravely face off with Puma, her concern for Spidey (note: she knows he is Peter Parker) intensifies in a very believable way. She still loves him but could not figure out why Peter prefers to live like a normal person when he could dedicate himself on being a hero every day as Spider-Man.
As for Puma, the creative team developed him even further both in his animalistic form and in his civilian identity as the head of Fireheart Enterprises. As the man Thomas Fireheart, he is a really intelligent man who analyzes a lot of details before making his next move. You will see more of his intellectual side as he deals with both his corporate affairs as well as his contracted service for the Rose (who in turn is serving the Kingpin).
The plot in this comic book is deeper and more elaborate. Without spoiling much, you will get to see the Puma-Rose-Kingpin connection and, more notably, you will see how complex and intense the situation becomes for Peter Parker when he encounters Puma for the 2nd time. The story is very good, you just have to read it.
Conclusion
Spider-Man, Black Cat and the alien costume.
Like the previous issue, Amazing Spider-Man #257 (1984) is a great read but in the form of a great pay-off to the build-up that preceded it. The DeFalco-Frenz duo succeeded in developing the newcomer Puma into a significant Marvel Comics universe addition and their portrayal of an injured Spider-Man is very captivating. That being said, I encourage you all to pay close attention to the literary details revealed during the banter between Spidey and Puma which will resonate with you when you read the next issue.
Author Carlo Carrasco 