In connection with the New Year 2025 and the uncertainties that lie ahead, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) reiterated its commitment to defending the nation, 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 Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) reiterated its commitment to defending the country and the people in welcoming the New Year.
“This New Year is an opportunity to renew our commitment to our shared goals and aspirations as an organization. Let us move forward with unity and determination, embracing innovation, strengthening partnerships, and remaining steadfast in our resolve to protect the Filipino people and our nation’s future,” AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said in his New Year’s message.
Brawner also added that 2024 has proven the AFP’s collective strength, resilience, and professionalism as it faced numerous challenges.
“Together, we have faced challenges with courage, fulfilled our missions with excellence, and made significant strides in safeguarding our sovereignty and promoting peace and security,” he stressed.
Brawner also thanked military personnel for their dedication and tireless service to the nation.
“To the AFP family and our fellow Filipinos, I wish you all a prosperous and peaceful New Year. May 2025 bring us closer to our vision of a strong, secure, and progressive Philippines,” he added.
The Philippine Army (PA) also recognized the hard work of its personnel, which led to numerous gains in 2024.
“What we achieved this 2024 was not born out of ease but of effort. It came from steadfast dedication, strong collaboration, and from the unwavering support of those who believe in our mission,” PA chief Lt. Gen. Roy Galido said in his New Year’s message.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think the AFP today is more capable of defending the nation from enemies both foreign and domestic? Do you think the AFP has better technologies and military hardware needed for its operations?
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.
#1A look at Donald Trump’s amazing comeback as US President – I already blogged about the amazing comeback of Donald Trump who won the 2024 US Presidential Election decisively. While that blog post had lots of videos about the victory, I added some more below for your enlightenment.
#2 The engineering of the F-117 Nighthawk – Do you still remember the F-117 Nighthawk? It was the sophisticated stealth fighter America used against Iraq during the Gulf War in 1991. I personally could not forget the first time I ever saw it on TV (news broadcast of the 1991 war) as a teenager. The F-117 is no longer in use but its engineering and the history of its development should be seen in the video below. Watch and learn!
#3 Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s wokeness – It is a sad fact that very similar with Communist-filled Hollywood (Commiewood), wokeness and identity politics are ruining video games. Recently, EA released Dragon Age: The Veilguard which was the first new Dragon Age game they released in ten long years. The big problem here is that woke activists at BioWare inserted their poison into the game. Watch RK Outpost’s videos below.
#4 The blunders of Kamala Harris, her allies and the Democrats – Kamala Harris, who has been US Vice President for almost four years now, lost the US Presidential Election to Donald Trump convincingly. She led a campaign that was dishonest, pretentious and even turned to hatred by comparing Trump with Adolf Hitler. No matter Kamala did, she and her woke allies failed miserably to connect with voters. Instead of discussing policies and plans to serve the people in the near future, Kamala emphasized identity politics and vibes. Is it any wonder why she lost and why are the Democrats so unpopular? Watch the selected videos to find out why and how she lost.
#5 Kamala Harris supporters freaking out – Losing an election is always painful and embarrassing. So much so, there were supporters of Kamala Harris who could do nothing but record/stream themselves freaking out. Some supporters working in the media or in government just keep on spreading their distorted views and lies to as many people as possible. They also had trouble containing their emotions. I can only wonder if the Democrats themselves care to calm down their devastated supporters. Watch and learn from these videos.
As some of you are already aware, I fully stand with Israel which is very connected with my uncompromising faith in the Lord. I keep on praying to Him for Israel to overwhelm its enemies, rescue the hostages and recover from the effects of the October 7, 2023 terrorist attacks committed by the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas which is sponsored by terrorist state Iran. I can assure all of you that nobody from the evil Islamo-Leftist mob, nobody from the pro-Palestine radicals and nobody from any evil society would stop me from supporting and loving Israel.
Now, on with the news…
Recently it was announced that two Israeli-produced Fast Attack Interdiction Crafts (FAICs) were received by the Philippines which raises the current number of Philippine Navy (PN) FAICs to eight, according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) new article.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…
The Philippine Fleet (PF) on Monday announced that two more fast attack interdiction craft (FAIC), also known as the Acero-class patrol vessels, were delivered to the country.
In a message to reporters, PF spokesperson Lt. Giovanni Badidles said the two FAICs were delivered at the Pier 15 of the Manila South Harbor on Sept. 17.
“These two FAICs, to be designated with bow numbers PG-908 and PG-909, will be the seventh and the eighth fast boats under the Acero-class patrol vessels,” PF spokesperson Lt. Giovanni Badidles said in a message to reporters.
Once commissioned into service, the number of FAICs in the Philippine Navy (PN) will rise to eight, leaving only one to be delivered by contractor Israeli Shipyards Ltd.
“Similar with their predecessors, the newly delivered platforms are designed for high-speed operations, featuring advanced missile systems and sophisticated onboard technology, which enhances the PN’s capability to conduct rapid and effective maritime interdiction operations,” Badidles said.
He also said the arrival of these vessels underscores the continued modernization of the PN and represents a crucial step toward bolstering Manila’s Self-Reliant Defense Posture (SRDP) program.
On May 22 this year, the PN formally commissioned into service the fifth and sixth FAICs and named them BRP Herminigildo Yurong (PG-906) and BRP Laurence Narag (PG-907). These two FAICs are equipped with the Spike NLOS (non-line of sight) missile systems.
The PN received the two gunboats from Israel Shipyards Ltd. on Nov. 18, 2023.
The vessels were named after two Medal of Valor awardees, the late Marine Staff Sgt. Herminigildo Yurong and Marine Cpl. Laurence Narag, who perished in the line of duty during the Philippine government’s campaign against Moro rebels in Mindanao in 2000.
This latest development shows the continuing growth of Israel-Philippines ties through defense and military technology. The Philippine Navy needs the best technology they could get to help them in their operations as well as securing the nation.
To my fellow Filipinos reading this, I encourage you to accept the truth that Israel is the land God designated specifically for the Jewish people (read Genesis 35:10-12) and His command must be followed without hesitation. If you want to be blessed further by the Lord, do so by loving and blessing the Jewish people (Genesis 12:1-3). I did my part when I was in Israel. Also, let me remind you all that the ties between the Jews and Christians are truly biblical!
We live in a very divided world. Around the world, Leftist forces have been supporting evil forces like the current regime of Iran which is known for supplying and arming the Palestinian terrorists, Hezbollah and other terrorist groups around the Middle East. The Leftists and terrorists always go together and their anti-Semitism is clearly obvious. Overseas, Israel recently intensified its fight against the Iran-sponsored terrorist group Hezbollah. Israel made it clear that they are at war with Hezbollah, not the people of Lebanon.
With all that said, I encourage you all to pray to the Lord God in support of Israel and believe that He will guide the Israeli forces to another victory which means finishing off Hamas, crushing Hezbollah and forcing Iran and its terror proxies to fall down. Read Joshua 11:1-20 in the Holy Bible for relevance and truth. Pray to the Lord to support Israel, its government officials, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the citizens and other stakeholders.
Welcome back readers, fellow geeks and electronic gaming fans!
In this edition of the Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) series, we will examine print ads from the 1980s and the 1990s that caught my attention and I will explain why they are worth look back at.
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.
With those details laid down, here is the newest batch of retro gaming print ads for you to see and enjoy…
1. Operation Wolf print ad
Even though there were screenshots from the game, this was still an eye-catching print promoting Operation Wolf for the Nintendo Entertainment System.
Looking back at the history of pop culture, the 1980s saw the surge of Hollywood action movies that emphasized or even glorified militarism. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone and Tom Cruise were just a few Hollywood stars who found success playing military figures. It was not surprising that there were game developers in Japan who noticed the Hollywood military trend and were inspired to make games that had similar themes. The Japan-based company Taito developed and released the light gun shooter arcade game Operation Wolf which became a huge commercial success worldwide. Unsurprisingly, versions of Operation Wolf were eventually made for the existing home computers and game consoles of the time.
The above print ad of the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) version of Operation Wolf only showed the official artwork, descriptive text and noticeably no gameplay screenshots. While the ad made the NES version of the game look exciting to look forward to, the actual game looked and felt nothing like the arcade version as the console’s limitations resulted in really small 2D sprites (which made shooting tough) and the 2D art used were rather ugly to see. I can only speculate that the people at Taito knew their product for the NES had sub-par quality and only hoped for the best trying to fool gamers to buy it.
2. Foreman For Real print ad
Apart from boxing and endorsing grills, are you aware that George Foreman is also a worship leader and preacher of God’s Word?
In late-1994, George Foreman knocked out Michael Moorer to reclaim the heavyweight boxing title and the last time he had it was way back in 1974. For the newcomers reading this, Foreman halted his professional boxing in 1977, established his connection with God, preached His Word, opened a youth center and became a major product endorser. Foreman came back into fighting in 1987 and stunned everyone when he became heavyweight champion seven years later.
That being said, it was no surprise that game publisher Acclaim (which already released a video game with the boxer in 1992) quickly returned to Foreman to get him as the titular endorser in the 1995 video game Foreman For Real which was released on multiple gaming platforms less than a year after his championship victory. Apart from showing Foreman’s dominating image and screenshots from the game, the ad even had a promo of a free 2-week membership with Gold’s Gym. This ad was a lively reminder of the significance of Foreman’s presence in professional sports and it was instantly eye-catching.
3. BurgerTime print ad
Arcade hits like BurgerTime also made it into personal computers.
Previously, I showed an eye-catching print ad of the arcade classic BurgerTime. This time, the BurgerTime print ad shown here focused more on the IBM and Apple computer versions. This print ad had a photograph of an actor playing chef Peter Pepper carrying a huge burger bun running away two eggs and a hotdog, and near them were the respective boxes of BurgerTime for IBM and Apple. This is a sharp change of visual style away from the comic book-style art used in the other BurgerTime print ad. I can only imagine how excited IBM and Apple computer users became after seeing this ad back in the 1980s.
4. Shining Wisdom print ad
Even though this was a very eye-catching ad that appeared in several publications, Shining Wisdom went on to become a forgotten game after receiving mixed reviews from game review writers.
Here is another print ad of Working Designs from the 1990s. Released only on the Sega Saturn in 1996, Shining Wisdom was a fantasy action-adventure game from Japan that publisher Working Designs localized with North Americans in mind. This meant taking lots of creative liberties with the story, name changes, insertions of pop culture jokes and even altered the personalities of the characters. Developed by Sonic Software Planning and Camelot Software Planning, Shining Wisdom started as a project for the 16-bit console Mega Drive (Sega Genesis in America) that was revised for the more powerful Saturn console. While this print ad caught the attention of gamers and readers, Shining Wisdom received mixed reviews from critics upon release. Sadly, not too many gamers talk about this game anymore.
5. Cabal print ad
Military action and shooting strongly emphasized in this print ad for the Nintendo Entertainment System version of the arcade smash Cabal.
Like many games released in the 1980s, Cabal had a strong military theme and allowed players to engage in bouts of shooting playing soldiers who have to fight entire armies of bad guys. This print ad about the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) version of the game had really nice art dominating the page, the packaging of the game plus three screenshots showing what gamers could expect. This was a very eye-catching print ad that made Cabal look both exciting and enticing.
6. Metal Gear print ad
Wow! So many weapons and pieces of equipment displayed in this Metal Gear (NES version) ad.
Back in the late 1980s, the NES port of Metal Gear had a notable promotion in America thanks to this cleverly designed print ad. When it comes to emphasizing “gear” from the title, the marketing team emphasized the words “Gear up” and literally filled the ad spaces with lots of pieces of equipment that was not only eye-catching but also gave readers the idea that a huge adventure awaits them in Metal Gear. As for the game box on the lower left corner of the print, the cover art highlighting the character Snake was an artistic copy of a still image of actor Michael Biehn as Kyle Reese in The Terminator (1984). This print ad was both entertaining and intriguing to look at.
7. Dino Crisis print ad
For many gamers, Dino Crisis was like a combination of Resident Evil and Jurassic Park and this visceral looking print ad really got lots of people interested in the game.
In 1999, Capcom released Dino Crisis for PlayStation in America and the timing was almost perfect as millions of gamers who owned the console enjoyed the releases of Resident Evil and Resident Evil 2 (both games from Capcom) firmly establishing the survival horror genre as a popular one. That being said, a lot of RE fans anticipated the release of Dino Crisis due to the fact that the game shared several elements with Resident Evil games in terms of exploration, survival, control and shooting. Not only that, Resident Evil creator and original game director Shinji Mikami was in charge of the making of Dino Crisis. Mikami pointed to the films The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) and Aliens (1986) as influences on making the game which for most gamers was perceived as “Resident Evil filled with dinosaurs.”
The print ad above had a very engaging visual design that symbolized action, horror and tension well. Mikami clearly wanted gamers to experience the intense violence of encountering dinosaurs and this ad gave viewers a small sample of that. It’s safe to say that this print ad was effective as Dino Crisis went on to sell millions of copies and established Regina (the red-haired lady in the ad) as another memorable character from Capcom.
8. Airwolf/Knight Rider games print ad
Very clearly, the advertiser focused on the cool look to sell the games of Airwolf and Knight Rider.
Back in the 1980s, Airwolf and Knight Rider were wildly popular TV series that each had winning formulas to entertain millions of viewers with action, suspense and storytelling. It was not surprising that video game adaptations of them were produced on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). This particular print ad was an efficient way of promoting the Airwolf and Knight Rider games which featured two players looking cool with jackets and sunglasses. Acclaim clearly aimed for the TV series’ fans and slightly older players among the NES owners/users.
Balikatan, the annual joint military exercise of the Philippines and the United States of America, will officially begin on April 22 and last until May 10, 2024 with the participation of at least sixteen thousand troops, according to a Manila Bulletin news report. This year’s edition of Balikatan includes activities that will take place outside of the territorial waters of the Philippines.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
The 39th iteration of “Balikatan” Exercise (BK39-2024), an annual military drill between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and United States Armed Forces, will be held on April 22 to May 10 and at least 16,000 troops from both countries are expected to take part in it.
Col. Michael G. Logico, the exercise executive agent for BK39-2024, said that American troops and their support groups have already started arriving in the country for the war games.
For this year’s Balikatan Exercise, there will be 11,000 American troops and 5,000 Filipino personnel that will be joining in an array of military drills.
“Starting April 1, we will begin with our information warfare exercise that will be held here in Camp Aguinaldo. Officially, that is still part of Balikatan but it will happen before the opening ceremony. The reason why is because we will use the venue for the information warfare exercise for other events in Balikatan,” Logico said on Wednesday, March 20.
Contingents from other countries will also be joining including 150 troops from Australia, and an undetermined number of military personnel and a frigate from France. Fourteen nations will also deploy contingents as observers to the exercise, including 150 personnel from Japan.
A sinking exercise will also be conducted where participants will have to coordinate their movements to test the interoperability of their weapons systems in sinking a mock enemy ship.
For this exercise, the AFP and US Armed Forces will try to send the former BRP Caliraya (AF-81) to the bottom of the ocean off the coast of Laoag, Ilocos Norte.
BRP Caliraya, a Philippine Navy ship that was decommissioned in 2020, was supposed to be sunk in a sinking exercise during the Marine Aviation Support Activity (Masa) 2023 between the Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) and US Marine Corps off San Antonio, Zambales in July 2023 but it ran aground off Morong, Bataan while being towed.
Group Sail – Aside from that, Logico said that for the first time, there will be activities that will be held outside the country’s territorial waters, including a group sail with the participating countries in the West Philippine Sea and its nearby maritime area.
“They will be moving from Point A to Point B. We will be utilizing the western side of Palawan , extending beyond our 12 nautical miles so this is also a new thing that we are [doing]. We’ve done group sails before but this time, we will [be] going beyond our 12 nautical mile limitation. In previous exercises, we’ve been limited to just 12 nautical miles, now we are encouraging or we are venturing outwards, beyond that,” Logico explained.
The participants for the group sail include the Philippine Navy, US Navy, Philippine Coast Guard, US Coast Guard, and French Navy. The participants will conduct a combination of division tactics to test their interoperability at sea including search and rescue; visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) exercises; gunnery exercises, and well deck operations among others.
“When you are talking beyond 12 nautical miles, that is already international waters so France’s presence is easily justified. They are exercising FONOPS [freedom of navigation operations] but they are incorporating themselves into the group sail and then it just so happened that they are performing communications exercises, division tactics exercises,” Logico added.
The group sail between the Philippines, United States, and France is expected to raise the eyebrow of China, which has maintained a strong presence in the South China Sea to protect its claims.
However, Logico said the exercise is part of the Philippines’ right and the AFP is unfazed by any challenges that would be posed by China. He said the AFP wants to send a message through the group sail that it is serious about defending the Philippines’ territory and it has allies to help them achieve their goals.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction about this recent development? Do you think the war games between the Philippines and the US will inspire Filipinos to defend their nation? What kind of reaction do you think China will come up with towards the US-Philippines war games?
Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.
Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1990s culture enthusiasts and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the early 1990s and explore a part of the Valiant Comics shared universe through the Armorines monthly series.
During the said decade, Valiant Comics was notable for having crossovers that some readers found to be tightly executed in relation to continuity. The armored U.S. Marines (Armorines) and the powerful individual X-O Manowar have the spider aliens as a common enemy.
With those details laid down, here is a look back at Armorines #6, published in 1994 by Valiant Comics with a story written by Jorge Gonzalez and drawn by Jim Calafiore.
The cover.
Early story
The story begins in space when the spider aliens (located inside a huge space ship) are organizing themselves to get back to their home world.
Meanwhile above the Earth, X-O Manowar significantly helps the Armorines with repairing their space shuttle. It turns out that they have been spending a long time in space and the crew has gotten exhausted after the big battle with the spider aliens. Going back home was their next objective.
Just as the crew prepares to return to Earth, the same huge space ship of the spider aliens suddenly approaches them…
Quality
The spider aliens.
Set after the crossover tale about the humans’ battle with the spider aliens in space, this tale served as a creative extension of those events utilizing space travel and sci-fi action concepts. The Armorines once again fight the spider aliens and X-O Manowar (a major Valiant character) gets heavily involved as he has a personal grudge against them. Without spoiling the plot, I can say that themes of freeing yourself from the enemy and getting back home are evident.
There is plenty of action to enjoy here and the sci-fi settings (including the interiors of the spider aliens ship) are nicely presented. I also like the fact that the tension gradually built-up as the story went on. Still, at this particular stage of this series, I could not help but feel that the Armorines have been in conflict with the spider aliens for too long.
Conclusion
There is a lot of sci-fi action to enjoy here.
Armorines #6 (1994) is a pretty good read but I was getting tired of seeing the Armorines remaining in conflict with the spider aliens. What added strong value to the comic book was the heavy involvement (and crossover) of X-O Manowar and his interactions with the Armorines was well executed. To be clear, the story was not conclusive and at this stage, I still am interested to see what would happen next. Here is hoping that the Armorines conflict with the spider aliens will improve somehow.
Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.
Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1990s arts and culture enthusiasts, and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the mid-1990s to explore the comic book launch of a notable fictional team co-created by the Whilce Portacio and Brandon Choi…Wetworks.
For the newcomers reading this, Whilce Portacio was one of the highly talented illustrators who left Marvel Comics and co-founded Image Comics in the early 1990s. While his fellow co-founders Todd McFarlane, Jim Lee, Rob Liefeld, Marc Silvestri, Jim Valentino and Erik Larsen were able to launch their respective dream projects (creator-owned properties) during Image’s first year of publishing, the launch of Wetworks was delayed by two years due to a death in Portacio’s family.
As a very young comic book reader in those days, I remember hearing rumors about Wetworks inside comic book stores I visited. There were rumors of business negotiations, solicitations and scheduled launches (ranging from October 1993 to January 1994). I also noticed some comic book enthusiasts who bought old copies of X-Factor and Uncanny X-Men that Portacio illustrated while waiting for Wetworks to debut.
In the middle of 1994, Wetworks was finally launched under the Image Comics label and I still remember the day when I saw lots of copies of issue #1 displayed on the shelves and windows of comic book stores.
With those details laid down, here is a look back at Wetworks #1, published in 1994 by Image Comics with a story written by Whilce Portacio and Brandon Choi. The art was done by Portacio with ink work by Scott Williams.
The cover.
Early story
The story begins when a covert operations team working under International Operations (IO) travels to eastern Europe to infiltrate and destroy the base of operations of a certain warring faction and retrieve a biological agent (highly contagious) no matter what the cost. As it turns out, this new mission for the team (led by Colonel Jackson Dane, one of the pioneers of Team 7) started less than twenty four houses after their previous mission and their female member Pilgrim (reconnaissance specialist) pointed out that the demolition charges they are carrying are strong enough to wipe out an entire city block. Another teammate called Grail (the Filipino named Salvador Joel Alonday) stated that they are supposed to be a hostage rescue team.
Meanwhile deep inside the command center of IO in Washington, D.C., Admiral Halsey tells Miles Craven that Team 7 (the team led by Dane) are under his command and states that his sources tell him that there is more to the mission than just a group of ethnic nationalists obsessed on a biological terror campaign. It turns out, Craven sent the team to eastern Europe without fully informing them of what they are going up against. Craven insists that Team 7 are paid to put their lives on the line and to die if necessary just to get the job done. Craven then reveals to Halsey the true nature of the mission. The admiral then realizes Craven is right and certain sacrifices must be made for the greater good.
Craven and his team arrived at the location in Transylvania. They started seeing signs that someone else arrived ahead of them…
Quality
One of the team members looks at a symbiote.
I’ll start first with the fantasy concept and the storytelling. Whilce Portacio and Brandon Choi’s joint creation of Wetworks is indeed an inspired move with connections to real-life military influences the creators had. The Wetworks team – initially referred to as Team 7 – started looking and acting like typical military squad in the world of fiction but the major twist that happened drastically redefined and refined them into the most unique military team in the world of superhero comics. It’s the closest thing to seeing G.I. Joe fused with living symbiotes (another inspired move most likely influenced by a certain Marvel murderer with a symbiote whose origin is linked with one of the most iconic superheroes ever) there is and I can say Wetworks remains relevant and stands out nicely among superhero comic book teams to this day.
With regards to the plot, it looks cliched on face value. I’m talking about the trope in which a team is sent by their powerful superiors on a mission without knowing all the crucial details needed (because the superiors hid it from them) and they eventually encounter immense danger. As mentioned earlier, the major twist in the plot not only completed a major transformation of Dane and his teammates but also ramped up the fantasy aspect of the tale to much higher levels.
Still on the plot, Portacio and Choi came up with a solid structure for the narrative. The build-up of details and tension was very good and the pay-offs (lots of spectacle plus twists) were great. As the story moved on, the suspense grew stronger and the narrative succeeded in making me care about the team led by Dane.
Meet the team members who would later become Wetworks.
When it comes to the art, Portacio’s work here (with ink by Scott Williams) still looks great and, more notably, it is a fine departure from the superhero visuals he worked in years prior. As with his past works, you will see the artist’s stylized approach on visualizing the narrative related to how he implements the panels per page.
Portacio did a very good job with the military look of Wetworks and he drew their guns with a high amount of detail that should be seen (you should try using a magnifying glass on this comic book). Not only that, his art on military hardware such as the gunships, the interiors plus equipment all have that detailed appearance. When it comes to action, I believe that Portacio took a lot inspiration from Hollywood action flicks (most notably Predator) on portraying Wetworks members using their guns and positioning during battle.
Of course, the spectacle is not totally limited to military stuff. There is a touch of fantasy and horror visuals involved which is directly related to what was set-up for Wetworks to encounter in the near future. To realize what I am saying here, you must read this comic book until the intense end.
I can say without a doubt that Wetworks #1 (1994) remains as gripping and as entertaining as when I first read it decades ago. In short, it has aged well and reading it all over again today is compelling and a lot of fun to do. If you ask me, this is one of the finest works ever by Whilce Portacio in terms of art and storytelling. As one of the many comic books Image published during its first few years in the industry, Wetworks #1 (1994) clearly stands out with its military theme and fantasy concept. Lastly, Wetworks is set within the WildStorm universe as dramatically symbolized with the presence of International Operations (the team’s superiors).
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 early 1980s to explore Marvel Comics’ launch of a comic book series based on the wildly popular military-themed franchise of toys – G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero.
For the newcomers reading this, Hasbro launched the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline in 1982 which was actually a revival of the original G.I. Joe series of toys (sized 12 inches) in the 1960s and 1970s. G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toys had a new format for its action figures influenced by the success of the Micronauts and Star Wars toys. Veteran writer Larry Hama (the same guy behind the memorable Wolverine #75 of 1993) was already working for Marvel and was developing the concept of a new comic book about elite commandos fighting terrorists. Such development happened before the 1982 relaunch of G.I. Joe, and eventually Marvel’s editor-in-chief Jim Shooter approached Hama for a new comic book project based on Hasbro’s military toyline. Eventually a series of developments followed that saw the creation of the evil organization Cobra, the core villain Cobra Commander and more.
The impact of G.I. Joe as a licensed comic book series turned out positively as it helped attract new readers at the newsstands and it developed a strong following with young readers who were not highly interested with superheroes.
With those details laid down, here is a look back at G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #1 published in 1982 by Marvel Comics with the main story written by Larry Hama and drawn by Herb Trimpe.
The cover.
Early story
The story begins with an Amtrak train traveling between New York City and Washington, D.C. Inside the nuclear physicist Dr. Adele Burkhart who previously served as one of the brains behind the Doomsday Project. It turns out, Burkhart was declared a traitor for denouncing the military claiming that she was misled by them to work on the said project. Inside the train, she has several security personnel guarding her as she is on her way to testify in front of a certain congressional committee.
As she speaks during a press conference inside one of the train’s cars, several flying soldiers of Cobra attacked the exterior of the train. In front of Burkhart, a few of the journalists turned out to be elements of Cobra led by the Baroness. The Baroness and her companions succeed in defeating the bodyguards and kidnapped Burkhart by means of flight.
At the Pentagon, the kidnapping of Burkhart compels the military to call in their special counter-terrorist group called G.I. Joe for a rescue operation. The stakes are high as they know that they cannot let Cobra keep Burkhart long enough to use her and they cannot let her die as the whole world is aware that they considered her an embarrassment. They ordered Colonel Clayton Abernathy (code name: Hawk) to assemble the Joe Team composed of Clutch, Flash, Breaker, Rock ‘n Roll, Scarlett, Stalker, Short-Fuse and Snake-Eyes…
Quality
Dr. Burkhart held hostage by Cobra and in the presence of Cobra Commander, the Baroness and many terrorists.
To get straight to the point, the main story (Operation: Lady Doomsday) was carefully structured by Hama to tell a story engagingly while also functioning to introduce readers to the characters and immersing them into the illustrated literary universe of G.I. Joe that is noticeably separated from the popular cartoon series. It is a classic portrayal of good versus evil laced with militarism and espionage.
The story moved at a medium pace and the approach on build-up and pay-off was executed carefully. There were scenes that had a sufficient amount of details regarding the plot or character moments (as opposed to development) that made the reading experience immersive. In short, there was no rush in the narrative while the pace never slowed down to a halt (no boring moments).
That being said, you will get to see lots of scenes that focus on the side of G.I. Joe as well as on the side of Cobra which is led by Cobra Commander (who is obsessed and scheming) followed by the Baroness (who is more focused on achieving goals but cannot do so without authority). You will see a certain gap between Cobra Commander and the Baroness which shows something seems off within their terrorist organization. This served as a creative contrast with G.I. Joe being more straightforward with the way they organize themselves.
The only weakness this comic book has is the fact that with so many characters from both the good and the bad sides, identifying them was pretty challenging especially when their military uniforms obscured their looks. Characters like Cobra Commander, Snake-Eyes, Scarlett, Rock ‘n Roll, Stalker and the Baroness are instantly recognizable.
As the main story remains a really good read, the 2nd story (Hot Potato) also written by Hama but drawn by Perlin served as a nice additive to this comic book.
Conclusion
G.I. Joe starts getting ready for the high-stakes rescue mission.
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #1(1982) is indeed a very solid reading experience. This is a strong introduction of the literary version of G.I. Joe and its portrayal of good versus evil remains believable and compelling. I also enjoyed the way the creators balanced the build-up of tension, plot and character moments with spectacle or twists utilized as pay-off. Lastly, I should say that this comic book has lots of action for you to enjoy and the execution of the action scenes made sense within the context of the stories. Remember that this marked the beginning of a memorable long run of G.I. Joe comics that reached into the 1990s. This one is a true classic and it should remind you that there was a time when political correctness and wokeness did not get in America’s way of fighting terrorists.
Overall, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #1(1982) is highly recommended!
Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.
Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1990s culture enthusiasts and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the early 1990s and explore a part of the Valiant Comics shared universe through the Armorines monthly series.
In my previous retro review, the comic book introduced us to the armored U.S. Marines (composed of members who go out on the field with armored suits and other members who serve as co-pilots via virtual reality) and their superiors. Their mission took them very deep down the ocean where they have to enter a sunken nuclear-powered submarine not knowing that something dangerous lurks there.
With those details laid down, here is a look back at Armorines #2, published in 1994 by Valiant Comics with a story written by Jorge Gonzalez and drawn by Jim Calafiore.
The cover.
Early story
The story begins five hundred kilometers off the coast of Australia. Gunny, his armored teammates and the Navy SEALs are deep underwater on a mission at the sunken nuclear-powered submarine. They are being attacked by several large sharks that all have freakish and ruined surfaces. While the sharks don’t have any exceptional intelligence, they have lateralis systems that alert them to low-frequency vibrations and are able to detect the minute electric fields generated by the prey.
While the Armorines have energy weapons that can easily cut through flesh and hard objects, the sharks remained challenging to hit. They and the Navy SEALs struggle to keep together and focus on their mission…
Quality
Can you just imagine yourself working on a mission deep under the sea with lots of sharks swimming nearby?
As a direct follow-up to issue #1, this comic book shows more of what the Armorines can do on a mission even though their spotlight had to be shared with the Navy SEALs who are their partners on the mission involving the sunken submarine. The spectacle readers can look forward to here are the action scenes of the Armorines using their high-tech weapons against sharks that are many times larger than each of them. The focus of the story, unsurprisingly, is the mission inside the sunken submarine and the coordination between the armored US marines with the Navy SEALs. While there is no clear villain yet, this comic book’s script has effective writing behind it and the result is a plot that turned out to be engaging enough. If you are looking for character development, you won’t find it here.
Meanwhile, Jim Calafiore’s art really shines as he successfully implemented enough visual details on the characters, the sharks, the underwater environment and the interiors of the submarine. His art on the sharks are really monstrous to look at!
Conclusion
While the Armorines did not have to worry about being shot back, the huge size, speed and the unrelenting aggression by the freaking sharks still proved to be big challenges for them.
Armorines #2 (1994) is indeed a solid continuation and progression to what came before it. While issue #1 was mainly a build-up and introductory story, this one shows the Armorines in action on the line of duty while working in tandem with their Navy SEAL brothers. While the mission is the main subject of the story leaving no real room left for any character development, there were two twists (note: science fiction in nature) that added to the depth of the story. Safe to say, I am motivated enough to look forward to the next issue.
The Philippine Navy (PN) is looking towards Israel with regards to their plan to acquire several more missile boats, according to a news article by the Philippine News Agency (PNA). To be specific, they are looking for Israel-produced Shaldag Mark V missile boats. Thank note that Philippine Navy recently received two new missile boats made in Israel.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA article. Some parts in boldface…
The Philippine Navy (PN) is planning to acquire at least 15 more Israel-made Shaldag Mark V missile boats, which are the basis of its Acero-class patrol gunboats.
“We are planning to get 15 additional ‘Acero’-class gunboats (to augment the) nine (now on the pipeline),” Navy chief Rear Adm. Toribio Adaci Jr. told reporters on the sidelines of the commissioning and send-off ceremony for the fast attack interdiction craft missiles (FAIC-Ms) BRP Nestor Acero (PG-901) and BRP Lolinato To-Ong (PG-902) Monday.
Adaci said the additional “Acero”-class gunboats would help them to meet their requirements in “patrolling the seas of the country”. He also said the FAIC-Ms will be assigned to the Littoral Combat Force.
He said four more FAIC-Ms, the other name of the “Acero” class in the PN service, will be delivered sometime in 2023.
“I don’t know the exact delivery dates next year but this shall be throughout (next year),” the PN chief added.
The last batch of three, which will be built at the PN shipyard in the Naval Station Pascual Ledesma in Cavite, is scheduled for 2024.
Adaci said Israel Shipyard Limited will help the PN rehabilitate the old shipyard and make it more modern and allow it to build these types of ships.
“In that way, our people can learn how to do it, maintain these ‘Acero’ class boats and that will be the start of the transfer of technology,” he said.
These 32-meter high-speed vessels are equipped with quick intercept ability, remote stabilized weapons, and short-range missiles that are capable of delivering precision strikes against larger hostiles and high-value targets on land and sea.
Four of the FAIC-Ms will be armed with non-line-of-sight (NLOS) missiles with pinpoint accuracy and a range of 25 kilometers while the other five will be armed with Typhoon-mounted 30mm main cannons and .50 caliber heavy machine guns.
The acquisition of these FAIC-Ms is among the 2019 projects approved by former President Rodrigo Duterte under the Horizon 2 List of the AFP Modernization Program.
The notice of award for the FAIC-M project, worth around PHP10 billion, was issued on January 5 last year. These are expected to replace the force of patrol killer medium or medium-sized patrol craft.
For the newcomers reading this, Israel is a military super power as well as a provider of advanced technologies which authorities here in the Philippines are realizing even more in relation to their military needs and objectives. For far too long have locals been obsessed with Silicon Valley (California, the United States) for just about anything related to technology. Many do not realize it but Israel is a major player in technology. As such, we should be thankful to the Lord that the Philippine Navy continues to look at Israel for new military hardware which is surely beneficial.
Author Carlo Carrasco 