The Cebu-based Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) medalists Andrew Kim Remolino and Raven Fatih Alcoseba outclassed their rivals to win the Sprint Elite titles during the Subic Bay Freeport Zone leg of the 2024 National Age Group Triathlon (NAGT) series which was held at the Boardwalk area.
Remolino, who won a silver medal during the 2022 Vietnam SEA Games, won the 750 meter swim – 20 kilometer bike – 5 kilometer run contest in 56 minutes and 56 seconds followed by fellow Cebuano Matthew Justine Hermosa, (56:57) and Joshua Ramos of Baguio Benguet Triathlon (57:31).
“I had a good preparation for this tournament, so I am happy with my performance,” said the 23-year-old Remolino, who placed third behind Fil-Spanish Fernando Casares and Hermosa last year.
Despite his runner-up finish again, Hermosa managed to improve his 57:34 performance last year.
“I’m glad that I was able to set a personal best time. It’s a very close race and I know that Kim is my biggest challenge,” said the 5-foot-11 Hermosa, who together with Kira Ellis, Erika Nicole Burgos and Iñaki Lorbes, won the relay gold medal in aquathlon (500m swim and 2.5km run) at the 2023 Cambodia SEA Games.
Hermosa, Dayshaun Ramos, Sam Corpuz and Kira Ellis also attended a 26-day training camp at the Rio Maior Sports Center in Portugal last year.
Alcoseba, a 2022 SEA Games medalist, clocked 1:03:55 to secure her third straight women’s title in the tournament organized by Triathlon Philippines headed by Ramon Marchan in cooperation with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA).
Erika Nicole Burgos submitted 1:05:39 to capture the silver medal while Kira Ellis took the bronze medal in 1:06:16.
”I tried to keep a positive attitude throughout the race. I’m happy to win again,” said the 21-year-old Alcoseba, a 3rd year civil engineering student at the De La Salle University.
Meanwhile, Dayshaun Ramos clocked 58 minutes and 44 seconds to pocket the gold medal in the men’s junior elite category. Darell Johnson Bada got the silver medal in 1:00:11 and Juan Miguel Tayag secured the bronze medal in 1:01:14.
Singaporean Janelle Susatra (1:07:17) won the women’s title over Erin Denise Burgos (1:16:33) and Adrian Ungos (1:19:53).
The winners in the standard distance age group were as follows: (Men’s 18-24) – George Vincent Alcido of Baguio Benguet Triathlon (2:16:30), Mark Joshua Perez of Gas Coaching (2:17:35) and Derek Jacob Villa of CM Riptide (2:32:52); (Men’s 25-29) – Edward Macalalad of Royal MNL/UPLB Tranrados (2:05:39), Jigo Libiran of The Usuals (2:33:37) and Carlos Daniel Dungao of Triclark Volvo Triathlon Team (2:36:43); (Men’s 30-34) – Reynante Briones of TRISNDBARRACUDA (2:33:55), Juan Gabriel Peña of Subic Bay Multisports (2:34:26) and Tristan Santos (2:34:59); (Men’s 35-39) – Benjamin Ramirez (2:27:40), Arnold Hoyo-A of Tri Vatan/BRC (2:35:21) and Iggy Hizon of Baguio Benguet Triathlon (2:47:41);
(Men’s 40-44) – Stanley Ng of Baguio Benguet Triathlon (2:28:56), Jason Santos of Team Megawide (2:36:25) and Stephen Corpus of Century Trihard (2:49:49); (Men’s 45-49) – Robert Jonah Rivera (2:49:41), Greg Bravo of Tri Busko (2:53:25) and Mickael Bouffaut of Sante Barley Tri Team (2:57:18); (Men’s 50-54) – Rene Ricardo Tayag of Tri Clark Triathlon Team (2:19:23), Hiroshi Takei of Team Honu (2:25:34) and Alexander Isip of Team Megawide (2:34:00); (Men’s 55-59) – Emmanuel Mondero of Team Megawide (2:37:25), Ronald Allan Ginez of Paynet-Amigo Tri (2:48:11) and Jonathan Tansengco (2:56:37); and (Men’s 60 and over) – Ed Francisco of Polo Tri (2:59:50) and Josef Gueta (3:21:53).
The podium finishers in the women’s division were as follows: (18-34) – Shamira Habie of Tri-Generals (3:04:49) and Daryl Mooney of Team Mooney (3:28:45); (35-49) – Maryfel Aumentado of Cheryauto PH Tri Team (2:48:42) and Kristine Mae Tan of The Next Step Tri (3:10:00); and (50 and over) – Ivy Mendoza of Poveda Tri Team (3:19:55) and Ratna Dimaporo of Tri SND Barracuda (3:25:10).
The NAGT, organized by Triathlon Philippines headed by Ramon Marchan in cooperation with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), was supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, Asian Center for Insulation, Standard Insurance and Gatorade, the official drink.
Did you notice electronic/electric bikes (e-bikes) traveling a lot on major roads in cities and causing traffic congestion (due to slow speed and weak acceleration) or even road accidents? Was there an e-bike that sparked a fire in your residential community? Things might change a lot for owners/users of e-bikes as the Land Transportation Office (LTO) announced that it is considering mandatory registration of all e-bikes, according to a GMA Network news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the GMA news report. Some parts in boldface…
The Land Transportation Office (LTO) is considering the mandatory registration of all kinds of electronic bikes or e-bikes, according to Katrina Son’s report on State of the Nation on Monday.
The report said this was due to the high number of accidents involving e-bikes.
From January to November last year, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) recorded 556 accidents related to e-bikes in the National Capital Region (NCR).
At present, e-bike drivers are not required to have a license.
“Pag tumatakbo ‘yan ng less than 25 kilometers per hour, hindi kailangan i-rehistro sa (if the vehicle is running less than 25 kilometers per hour, you don’t have to register it with the) LTO although we’d like to deviate from that thinking,” said Assistant Secretary Vigor Mendoza, LTO chief.
“So we’re coming up with a proposal, regardless of the speed of the vehicle… kelangan rehistrado sa (it must be registered to the) LTO,” he added.
E-bikes are popular mode of transportation for both commuters and delivery riders for practical reasons.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think it is high time to implement the mandatory registration of all e-bikes nationwide as well as the requirement for e-bike drivers to have driver’s licenses? Considering the slow speed and weak acceleration of e-bikes, do you think they should be banned from traveling on major roads?
This past Saturday, triathletes Euan Arrow Ramos and Christy Ann Perez won the Super Sprint category of the National Age Group Triathlon (NAGT) tournament which was held at the Boardwalk in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.
Ramos from Baguio Benguet Triathlon Team finished the 500 meter swim – 10 kilometer bike – 2 kilometer run race in 33 minutes and 24 seconds in the boys’ 13-15 years old division. Peter Sancho Del Rosario (Getcoach’d Academy) finished 2nd place in 35:19 followed by teammate Diego Jose Dimayuga (35:37).
Christy Ann Perez, a member of Go For Gold TLTG Cebu, registered the best time of 38:06 in the girls division, while teammate Yvaine Osias checked in third (39:00). Maria Zabelle Eugenio (Baguio Benguet Triathlon Team) ranked second (38:43).
Meanwhile, Hans Nathan Samputon (Ormoc Aquatic Edge) bagged the gold medal in the Super Kids boys 11-12 years old (400m swim, 8km bike and 2km run) category with a time of 34:28. Earl Pearson Jr. (Go For Gold TLTG Cebu) took the silver medal in 35.05 while Bricen Lukas Platz (Get Coach’D Academy clocked 38:26 to settle for the bronze medal.
In the girls division, the Top 3 finishers were Lauren Lee Tan of Ormoc Aquatic Edge (34:27), Henia Ethana Go of Gold TLTG Cebu (35:51) and Ava Victoria Banal of Baguio Benget Triathlon (38:48).
The Top 3 finishers in the boys division of the 9-10 years old (200m swim, 6km bike and 1km run) category, were Chris Donovan Lacuna (25:40), Matteo Carino (27:17) and Jon David Julian (27:19), while Pia Gito (28:13) got the gold and Juriel Brooke Julian (31:24) the silver in the girls division.
In the 7-8 years old (100m swim, 2km bike and 800m run), the winners in Ray Vincent Marchan (17:41) and Zavier Prequenza (21:35) in the boys division and Stacey Ailia Aisha (29:13) in the girls division.
Suchen Mooney (13:21) pocketed the gold and Dylan Shyam Bayarong (21:00) secured the silver medal in the boys 6 and under (50m swim, 1km bike and 400m run) category.
The NAGT, organized by Triathlon Philippines headed by Ramon Marchan in cooperation with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), was supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, Asian Centre for Insulation, Standard Insurance and Gatorade, the official drink.
Recently the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) posted an update on their official page about their coin deposit machine (CoDM) project revealing that almost P400 million worth of coins got deposited by customers as of January 15, 2024.
Based on the latest statistics, a total of P399,081,734.54 in coins got deposited into BSP machines on 110,910 transactions from customers. In terms of physical quantity, 117,120,209 coins were deposited. All these numbers are accurate as of January 15, 2024.
Doing the math on the latest statistics, customers averaged P3,598.25 per transaction (depositing of coins) at the machines. As for the grand total Peso amount divided by the number of coins deposited, the average is P3.40745 per coin deposited.
In my personal experience, it’s gotten more challenging to deposit my coins into the BSP machine located inside Festival Mall in Filinvest City, Alabang. Locally, a lot more people became aware of the machine which resulted in longer lines as well as families or business managers/owners bringing huge volumes of their coins contained in bottles or bags. There were also times when the BSP machine inside the mall got filled to its limit during the day and it could not function until the BSP’s own collectors gather all the coins.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Were you able to deposit your excess coins into a BSP coin deposit machine in your locality in recent times? Do you think the BSP should put up more coin deposit machines to keep up with consumer demand? How long normally is the line at the BSP coin deposit machine in your locality each time you visit?
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 engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from watching the film 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, movie buffs, science fiction fans and geeks! When it comes to making remakes or reimagined versions of established movies from previous decades, the 1980s was indeed a special time to watch them. In 1986, The Fly (directed by David Cronenberg) was released and it made a tremendous impact on moviegoers in ways that the original 1958 movie did not.
Remember when The Blob was first released in 1958? That classic film (read my retro review by clicking here) went on to have a forgettable sequel released in the 1970s but got remade big time with a new version in 1988 simply titled The Blob.
The story begins in the town of Arborville where many locals attend an exciting football game. High school player Paul (Donovan Leitch, Jr.) asks cheerleader Meg (Shawnee Smith) to a date. Elsewhere, the troubled guy Briann Flagg (Kevin Dillon) fails with his attempted stunt as a result of his flawed motorcycle which was witnessed by an elderly vagabond. Flagg goes back to town and encounters the local sheriff (Jeffrey DeMunn) who warns him about trouble.
That evening at the outskirts of town, a meteorite crashes within the forest which the elderly vagabond pursues. With strong curiosity in his mind, the old man uses a stick on a sizable body of slime mold substance (the blob itself) that came out of the crashed meteor. Suddenly, the substance moves and sticks to the elderly vagabond’s hand causing him great pain.
A short time later in the forest, Brian Flagg got surprised by the sudden appearance of the vagabond who desperately tries cutting off his own hand. The blob, which Brian saw for the first time ever, attaches itself even more on the old man causing him to run away until he gets hit by a car (with Meg and Paul inside)…
Quality
The blob in this movie looks more menacing as it has a tumor look and the special effect work remains excellent to look at. You should also see the blob move and what it sounds like.
This late-1980s remake of The Blob is not only more engaging and more entertaining than its 1958 predecessor…it is easily on of the best sci-fi horror movies of the 1980s thanks to a very talented creative team led by Chuck Russell.
To begin with, Russell and Darabont (this is the same great director behind The Shawshank Redemption), crafted a very solid screenplay that used key story elements from the 1958 classic while successfully updating everything else with 1980s America (or Ronald Reagan’s America) in mind. For this version, the three leading teenagers played by Shawnee Smith, Kevin Dillon and Donovan Leitch, Jr. were relatable and clearly worth following.
(From left to right) Shawnee Smith, Kevin Dillon and Candy Clark in an early encounter with the blob.
While the 1958 movie emphasized American teenagers being disadvantaged as local adults don’t take them seriously (even though the youth knew the problem and intend to solve it), this remake moved away from the generational gap as it strongly focused more on the crisis of a fast-growing blob that simply won’t stop killing people and destroying things. In other words, this is a crisis-focused monster story that is more violent, more horrific, more action-packed and more graphic than its predecessor.
I should also state that Russell and his team established a solid structure for storytelling and the narrative flowed on a medium-to-fast pace. As this movie has more spectacle in terms of action, monster moments and the like, the creative team carefully balanced the fun stuff with the dramatic and exposition scenes smoothly.
If you see people wearing protective suits arriving in your community and implementing a lockdown, you know a crisis is in effect.
The cast here is solid! Shawnee Smith’s Meg is the sweet, young good-natured high school girl who is willing to not only survive but also take part in solving the crisis situation not for herself but for her family and the entire Arborville community. Meg has some common elements with that of the character Sarah Connor from The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day. I also love the fact that there is NO WOKENESS and NO RABID FEMINIST VALUES in Meg. Kevin Dillon’s Brian – the troubled youth – is clearly the 2nd lead and he does a good job dramatizing how his character changes from a guy of uncertainty into an actual doer whose efforts proved to be valuable. There definitely is a non-romantic chemistry between Meg and Brian as the crisis situation really brought out solid transformations from them respectively.
The supporting cast is really good too. Candy Clark’s Fran is the relatable community diner owner/manager who contributed nicely to the plot as well as the early showdown of the blob. Jeffrey DeMunn’s sheriff is the local law enforcer who has to deal with the local situations while tackling the challenges of his leadership post. Paul McCrane here plays a local cop who is tough but not necessarily abusive, and this is the same guy who played a very vicious bad guy in 1987’s RoboCop! Joe Seneca is the government scientist who has charisma and deception carefully blended together which added to the plot. You will even see Erika Eleniak in a very small and yet notable appearance that happens to involve the blob. This film has a really interesting cast and I encourage you to research the names mentioned here.
This remake is loaded with action scenes, stunts and incredible visual effects!
On the technical side of things, I really like the cinematography done by Mark Irwin as the visuals captured looked really detailed and clear even during the dark or night-time scenes. The music by Michael Hoenig was pretty good too and his tunes ranged nicely from creepy to sentimental and energetic which reflected the scenes. As for the design of the blob, Lyle Conway deserves the credit for making it very monstrous. As for the physical environment of the movie, the state of Louisiana turned out to be a great location and the real-life Louisiana town Abbeville added strongly to the small town concept of the story.
As mentioned earlier, this version has a lot more spectacle to enjoy. For one thing, there is a good amount of hard action, gunfire and stunts which really added to the excitement (on top of the suspense and horror scenes already implemented). Rest assured, you will not get bored at all when watching this.
Shawnee Smith is the protagonist in this movie and her performance is very memorable.
The highlight of the spectacle is the very blob itself which looks so much like a tumor (instead of the jello form in the 1958 version) and the credit goes to the visual effects, sound effects and the animation team behind it all. Compared to its counterpart in the 1958 film, the blob here is very monstrous and horrifying to watch and the way it got animated is excellent. Apart from being unrelenting, this blob is deadlier and even intelligent. Not only does the blob devour the living which adds to its tremendous growth of size and mass, it also has the ability to extend tentacles which added more to the danger. Thanks to the sound effects, the blob is believably animalistic.
Through the blob’s on-screen presence, you can see the hard work implemented by the special effects crew when showing the monster entirely move and devour people, when showing its flexibility on adjusting its size (or its parts) when entering new places through tight spots, and most notably, how the blob alters the flesh of the victims it touches which resulted in very horrifying visuals. The special effects team really excelled with the use of practical effects (read: no computer-generated images) on presenting the titular monster. This is indeed a special effects extravaganza that a lot of people are missing out on.
Conclusion
The Blob (1988) looks and sounds better than ever in 4K Blu-ray format. I highly recommend this version as it is so much better than streaming.
There is no doubt in my mind that The Blob (1988) is a great sci-fi horror film that has a more menacing monster complete with sufficient action, great visual effects and a pretty solid cast! This is indeed a great example of a how a remake of an established film from the past should be done and this also includes raising the stakes within the story, modernizing past cinematic elements and ensuring high entertainment value. What director Russell, his team and the cast collectively achieved is indeed a creative success and this is the kind of film that Commie-filled Hollywood (Commiewood) today does not want to make.
As a companion piece to The Blob (1958), this remake has the good stuff that people who love horror, science fiction, action and monsters will enjoy.
Of all the many movies I have seen, The Blob (1988) stands out as one of the best remakes ever made as well as one of the best mixed-genre movies of its decade as well as of all time. That being said, today is a great time to watch this movie with better-than-ever visuals and sounds through its 4K Blu-ray release (pictured above) which is now available (you can order it online now). There is also a lot of features and extra stuff with the 4K Blu-ray. Make no mistake, The Blob (1988) is great to watch and its replay value is pretty high.
During the Developer_Direct video presentation, the Xbox-exclusive fantasy role-playing game (RPG) Avowed was highlighted with updates from developer Obsidian Entertainment followed by the announcement that the game will be released on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Windows PC and Xbox Game Pass (XGP) in late-2024 (most likely October to December). The final release date will be announced some time later.
For the newcomers reading this, I blogged about Avowed previously and you can read them by clicking here, here, and here. First unveiled in the Xbox games showcase of 2020, Avowed is Obsidian’s latest attempt on the fantasy RPG genre with notable similarities to Bethesda’s The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011) that include the first-person view, melee combat, magic, and the exploration of a vast fantasy setting. Avowed is set within Obsidian’s established Pillars of Eternity fantasy universe with Eora as the world.
Avowed is set in the established world of Eora. The game developers promised a flexible approach on combat covering melee, magic and shooting forms of attacks during battle.
Of course, there are notable gameplay and technical differences that set Avowed apart from Bethesda’s mega blockbuster fantasy RPG. To get to know the game better, watch Obsidian’s segment of the 2024 Developer_Direct event as well as the extended gameplay breakdown below…
For more information, posted below is the excerpt from the Xbox.com article regarding Obsidian’s fantasy RPG. Some parts in boldface…
Avowed Game Director Carrie Patel gave us a first deep-dive into the gameplay in Obsidian’s upcoming fantasy action RPG, from its dynamic combat, to its thoughtful reactivity, to its “colorful, vibrant, strange” world set in the Living Lands. Avowed continues Obsidian’s signature style of creating games with deep themes and player choice at the forefront.
Here is an example of a decision-making moment in Avowed. Before making a decision, you must pay attention to the details on what the other characters said.
Not only will you make narrative decisions that can impact changes in the game down the line, but Avowed is also looking to offer choice in combat. Gameplay Director Gabe Paramo discussed not only how varied your weaponry will be – with melee weapons, ranged guns and bows, and magic-based wands (even dual-wielded wands!) to name a few – but how flexible combat can be, allowing you to quickly change loadouts for enemy encounters. Swappable loadouts mean you can approach combat however feels right to you.
Art Director Matt Hansen then explained how the Living Lands is a mysterious island made up of wildly varied regions offering visually diverse backdrops and intriguing settings to explore. With secrets hidden throughout the regions, you’ll take in barren deserts, verdant forests, blighted wastes, volcanic biomes, and more.
A special attack performed.
Ever since it was first unveiled in 2020, I have been anticipating Avowed for a long time as I myself enjoyed the fantasy RPGs of Bethesda (specifically The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and Skyrim) as well as Obsidian’s work in The Outer Worlds (2019) and Falllout: New Vegas (2010). I should also state that the first-person view makes exploration and combat in RPGs truly immersive and this alone makes Avowed very appealing to me. In relation to the first-person view, I am eager to find out how playable combat will be specifically on the part of the player and what interactive options will be made available. In a recent Xbox.com article, the developers confirmed there will be a variety of ways for players to tackle combat.
I am also excited to see how Obsidian will implement their clever and creative writing skills into the narrative and branching options within their upcoming fantasy RPG. Anyone who has played The Outer Worlds will know how the decisions you made in the game – even during side quests – affected the ending as well as the respective outcomes of your party members. That is something I hope to see again in Avowed, even though it is likely that Obsidian could adjust their methods on establishing the new game’s narrative as well as the outcomes.
When exploring the many fantasy environments, always pay attention to details as you might find useful items, weapons, money or even details about quests.
Even though there are still uncertainties ahead, the national authorities here in the Philippines forecast economic growth of 6.5% to 7.5% this year, according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) news article.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news article of the PNA. Some parts in boldface…
The government is sticking to its gross domestic product (GDP) target of 6.5 to 7.5 percent for 2024 despite many organizations forecasting the economic expansion this year will miss the administration’s goal.
National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Undersecretary Rosemarie Edillon on Wednesday said the government has remained optimistic about achieving its target GDP growth for 2024.
“Of course, it’s a target. So, theirs is a forecast, meaning they are looking at what has been the trajectory before. But in our case, we have drivers for growth that we are pushing for,” Edillon told reporters on the sidelines of a joint economic briefing of foreign chambers in Makati City.
Among these sectors that would support economic expansion are international tourism, the Build Better More program of the administration, and the mass housing projects under the Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino or the 4PH Program.
“Then that will be a big factor actually in accelerating the growth,” she said.
Most of the forecasts of multilateral organizations and banks on Philippine GDP this year were below the government’s target.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think that the economy of the Philippines has enough momentum to grow at least 6.5% this year? What do you think will become the biggest obstacle for the Philippine economy with regards to external or overseas developments?
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 culture enthusiasts and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the late 1980s to explore a part of the DC Comics shared universe through a tale of the iconic Superman.
After DC Comics published the maxi-series Crisis on Infinite Earths, the publisher rebooted their entire comic book universe and that meant reintroducing their superheroes, villains and supporting characters with a touch of 1980s modernization. To reboot and modernize Superman, John Byrne was hired and he was granted a lot of creative freedom for production.
With those details laid down, here is a look back at The Man of Steel #1, published in 1986 by DC Comics with a story written and illustrated by John Byrne with ink work by Dick Giordano.
The cover.
Early story
The story begins sometime in the past in Krypton (Superman’s home world), a world about to meet its doom. Jor-El (Superman’s father) arrives home feeling deeply troubled and he wastes no time to execute an important plan he prepared. He examines his unborn Kal-El inside the birthing matrix which turned to have been removed by one of the servants from the gestation chambers of the planet. Lara confronts her husband over what was committed and asked him why he endangers the life of their unborn child.
Jor-El tells her that he plans for their son to be spared from the pending doom of Krypton (a chain reaction from the planet’s core caused vast pressures to build within the crust, fusing native elements into a new metal – Kryptonite) by sending him far away deep into space with planet Earth as the final destination. Jor-El has done extensive research of Earth and is convinced that their son will not only survive there but also become a supreme being among the inhabitants…
Quality
Clark’s earthly parents were indeed involved in his development becoming Superman.
There is no doubt that this John Byrne-led comic book remains great to read and highly significant with anything about Superman. Instead of telling one single extensive story, Byrne created a series of connected short tales that dramatized the icon’s post-Crisis origin and how the Krypton-born American Clark Kent became Superman for the first time ever.
While the prologue set in Krypton was quite heavy with expository dialogue, each subsequent short story was carefully structured and moved at a medium pace gradually emphasizing Clark Kent’s transformation into the Man of Steel. Along the way, there were lots of story details not only about the titular character but also about the Kent couple (Clark’s adoptive parents), what they went through, what secrets had to be kept and more. Very symbolically, this is a tale about an alien human being from space who grew up with traditional American culture and US heartland values while being raised by very loving American parents who previously could not produce children of their own. Through Clark, you will see that he is a blessing for Jonathan and Martha Kent and it is up to the couple to sow good values in him which are essential to his becoming not only a super being among mortals but also his emergence as a hero.
Conclusion
The origin of the post-Crisis Superman is great to read!
The Man of Steel #1 (1986) is indeed a great, character-focused comic book that emphasized the origin and debut of the post-Crisis Superman. John Byrne modernized Superman while still maintaining the classic superhero elements from the icon’s past versions as well as the American identity and ways (none of those woke and internationalist nonsense). This is also the optimistic Superman that is very inspirational which the recent DC cinematic universe (referred to as “DCEU”) of Warner Bros. terribly lacked. This illustrated literature work is also a major cornerstone of the post-Crisis era of DC Comics and John Byrne’s take on Superman is very defining and iconic.
If you are the kind of reader who views Superman widely through pop culture, you will notice specific elements from this comic book that made it into other forms of entertainment media such as Man of Steel (2013), the Christopher ReeveSuperman movies, the animated movies, the Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman TV series (starring Dean Cain as the Man of Steel) and more. Those multimedia productions showed how influential this comic book became as a major reference for other creators.
Overall, The Man of Steel #1 (1986) is highly recommended!
Recently in the City of Las Piñas, it has been announced that locals can avail of free diagnostic testing currently being offered at the Las Piñas Diagnostic Center which is located at the compound of City Hall, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
Las Piñas City Mayor Imelda Aguilar announced that the city government is offering free diagnostic testing in its first-ever diagnostic center.
Aguilar said the Las Piñas Diagnostic Center, located at the ground floor of the City Health Office (CHO) at the Las Piñas City Hall compound, is open to city residents from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from Monday to Friday.
She said the city-run diagnostic center offers basic blood chemistry, ECG (electrocardiogram), blood typing, urinalysis, and fecalysis (stool analysis).
The mayor said those who want to avail of the free diagnostic testing services must be a registered voter, must show an identification card (ID) showing the patients is a resident of the city, and must present a request coming from the CHO.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a resident of Las Piñas City, what is your reaction to this development? Are there many members of your local community who intend to avail of the free diagnostic testing?
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 engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
Welcome back, fellow gamers, geeks, and Xbox fans!
Recently Team Xbox had its promised Developer_Direct video presentation which emphasized Xbox-exclusive games, a certain upcoming game from Square Enix (a special guest participant in the presentation) and a PC game.
One of the highlighted exclusive games was Indiana Jones and the Great Circle which is being made by MachineGames (a Bethesda game studio) for release on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Windows PC and Xbox Game Pass (XGP) in the later part of 2024. The final release date will be announced some time later.
For starters, watch the official gameplay reveal trailer of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle as well as the Developer_Direct presentation of the game by MachineGames below…
Now, you can read more information about the game straight from Bethesda.net with the selected excerpt below. Some parts in boldface…
Set between “Raiders of the Lost Ark™” and “The Last Crusade™”, Indiana Jones and The Great Circle is a first-person, single-player adventure that will take you all over the world, uncovering clues and solving an ancient mystery. Become the adventurer in a race against sinister forces. Your journeys will take you from the hallowed halls of the Vatican and the arid deserts of Egypt to the lush and sunken temples of Sukhothai and the frigid peaks of the Himalayas.
“Our game is about putting you in the shoes of an iconic hero,” says Design Director Jens Andersson. “Since we are doing this mostly in first-person, you have the chance to truly become Indy. First-person makes you part of this world – allowing you to explore and experience things more intimately. What will you do when you’re dropped into this adventure with your wits and your whip? The world of Indiana Jones is a world with mysteries around every corner, where you’re racing against the clock and outsmarting your enemies as you hunt down artifacts.”
From their approach to crafting unique and believable stories and characters, to their over-the-top and unforgettable set pieces, MachineGames is the perfect studio to bring Indiana Jones to modern gaming.
“It’s like two pieces of a puzzle that just fit so well together,” says Senior Animator Rebecca Elfstrӧm Hidén. “We have big, sometimes crazy ideas that seem insane on paper, but they meshed really well with the franchise. You’ve got this amazing adventure that digs into the heart of the character and shines a light on all the things that made people fall in love with him in the first place, and then you’ve got these big, complex set pieces that just fit really well in there. Our DNA and the pillars of Indiana Jones just came together so naturally.”
Indiana Jones and his companion Gina travel to a new destination. MachineGames confirmed that there will be a variety of locations in the game set in different parts of the world.
I also like the fact that the developers implemented the likeness of Harrison Ford for Indiana Jones as well as that of the late actor Denholm Elliott as Marcus Brody. These visual presentations seem to show that MachineGames decided to move closer to the way George Lucas and Steven Spielberg presented the cinematic icon decades ago.
The first-person action scenes as well as puzzle solving are impressive to look at. We will find out soon enough how fun and immersive the first-person view experience will be.
As for the gameplay footage shown, I am very impressed seeing how playable the game is looking with the first-person view implemented within the concept of Indiana Jones adventuring. The whip action shown looks really creative and the game also allowed for stealth gameplay and puzzle solving with the immersive first-person view (which alternates with third-person view for sequences that allowed gamers to see Indiana Jones in full form). For the newcomers reading this, MachineGames is responsible for several Wolfenstein and Quake games over the years and this Indiana Jones game clearly compelled them to be creative with the first-person view and game functions.
Watch out for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Windows PC and Xbox Game Pass later this year.
Author Carlo Carrasco 