military intelligence – Author Carlo Carrasco

A Look Back at Team 7 #2 (1994)

December 13, 2024December 6, 2024carlocarrasco

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, Image Comics fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1995 to take a close look at one of the many tales of the original WildStorm universe through one of the comic books of the first mini-series of Team 7.

For the newcomers reading this, Team 7 is set in the past within the original WildStorm universe. This is the one special forces team that had major WildStorm heroes – Grifter (WildCATS: Covert Action Teams), Backlash, Jackson Dane (Wetworks), John Lynch (Gen13) and Deathblow – who were younger, were proficient with combat and were destined to gain special abilities that later defined them. Issue #1 reviewed last time worked well by efficiently introducing the characters while also building up the plot and there were some nice pay-offs here and there.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Team 7 #2, published in 1994 by Image Comics with a story written by Chuck Dixon and drawn by Aron Wiesenfeld. This is the 2nd chapter of the 4-issue mini-series.

Early story

Set in the 1970s, a team of armed escorts and some personnel wearing protective gear isolate and examine a battlefield full of dead bodies. Miles Craven and Gabriel Newman analyze the evidence around them. Craven states that what they have is too important an operation to be left to underlings and he wants Gabriel to stay with the project which could use his special talents. Shortly after, the bodies of the Team 7 members were retrieved barely alive.

Seven days later, John Lynch wakes up in a hospital bed feeling traumatized over what happened to his team during the last mission. He was told that they were exposed to a chemical agent and he had been in a deep coma for a week.

Craven then enters the room to provide Lynch crucial updates…

Quality

*Do you recognize Deathblow and Dane on this page?*

As expected, the gritty and dark storytelling from the previous issue continued in this story. Without spoiling the plot, I can say that this issue has some handsome pay-offs to what was built-up in issue #1 and there were new build-ups established along the way. Because the script was crafted to build-up the plot and sub-plot, the military action scenes are lessened which is not surprising. I can assure you that Chuck Dixon’s writing here remains pretty strong.

While the previous issue served as an efficient introduction of the younger versions of WildStorm’s heroes who are in the middle of a world full of violence and espionage, this issue shed some light as to how the heroes dealt with their new abilities (in connection with the climax of issue #1) and how International Operations is handling matters behind closed doors. The suspense kept on building up and this made the narrative more intriguing to follow. Expect to see elements of high-level espionage, unethical science and war throughout.

When it comes to the characters, Lynch (being the captain of Team 7) has a huge share of the spotlight followed by Cole Cash (Grifter). The two have different views about their special forces duty – Lynch follows the superiors while Cole realizes something is wrong about their leadership and the intelligence fed to them.

Conclusion

*This scene showing Cole Cash (Grifter) emerging from dark with a defiant tone is a very defining moment of this comic book.*

Team 7 #2 (1994) is clearly a very engaging read. It has the fine mix of war (with uncompromising violence drawn by Wiesenfeld), intrigue and the dark side of global espionage. The science fiction element here worked well in explaining the powers Team 7 members got after what happened in issue #1. This comic book also marks the beginning of showing Lynch and Cole Cash as the co-leads among the teammates. Die-hard fans of Deathblow, Dane and Backlash will have to wait a bit before their favorites get their share of the spotlight. Regardless, this is a very powerful read and a fine example of doing a prequel within the original WildStorm universe.

Overall, Team 7 #2 (1994) is highly recommended.

+++++

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

A Look Back at Team 7 #1 (1994)

November 1, 2024December 5, 2024carlocarrasco

Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1990s arts and culture enthusiasts, Image Comics fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1994 to take a close look at one of the many tales of the original WildStorm universe through one of the comic books of the first mini-series of Team 7.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Team 7 #1, published in 1994 by Image Comics with a story written by Chuck Dixon and drawn by Aron Wiesenfeld. This is the first chapter of a 4-issue mini-series. Also this year marks the 30^th anniversary of this very comic book.

Early story

Set in the 1970s, the story begins when the United States Special Forces Team 7 arrives in Iran with the objective of rescuing hostages. Led by John Lynch, the team encounters several Iranian terrorists along the way and eliminates them as they proceed with their mission. A lot of killings and a few explosions happened as they made their way into the facility.

Eventually, Team 7 discovers that the hostages are gone as they only found stuffed dummies made to look like hostages. As they are so deep within the facility, going outside to survive an incoming powerful bombing was out of the question. They decide to go deeper knowing that the facility has a hardened sub-basement that was designed to absorb a shockwave…

Quality

*See if you could recognize the WildStorm heroes among them.*

I can say out loud that this WildStorm prequel tale by the Dixon-Wiesenfield is a very inspired work of fiction that captures (intentionally or not) the vibe of R-rated Hollywood action and war movies of the 1980s. In my view, the tone and style of this comic book reminds me a lot about Predator (1987), Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) and Full Metal Jacket (1987). Of course, this is a tale about a band of brothers who risk their lives working overseas for their country taking orders from their superiors at International Operations (IO).

As a WildStorm tale, this one efficiently puts up the building blocks needed to define the key characters who would later become major WildStorm figures in what was back then the present day stories (set in the 1990s) told through WildCATS: Covert Action Teams, Kindred, Gen13, Backlash, StormWatch and more. At the same time, readers will get a close look at the developments behind closed doors at IO which itself appeared in WildStorm comic books with a much older Lynch as director. Of course, as this is the first issue the build-up would obviously continue in the succeeding issues of the mini-series.

*The team led by John Lynch fought the Iranian terrorists as they make their way through.*

The story itself has themes of espionage, political intrigue, Islamic terrorism and military conflict. It was made clear here that IO has a wicked director called Craven and the young John Lynch (the protagonist and future IO director) could do nothing but receive intelligence (no matter how limited) and execute orders that put him and his teammates in grave danger.

Along the way, you will see younger versions of WildStorm heroes Grifter (Cole Cash), Jackson Dane, Backlash (Marc Slayton), Deathblow (Michael Cray) as well as a few minor characters whose legacies will be felt in the present day stories (example: Gen13’s Grunge is the son of member Philip Chang). Oh yes, the banter and interactions between Team 7 members were very much inspired by what was portrayed in Predator (1987) and Full Metal Jacket (1987). While Lynch is the protagonist struggling with following orders and leading the team, the young Deathblow here clearly their most natural and aggressive eliminator.

When it comes to the visuals, Aron Wiesenfeld came up with a consistently dark and gritty look backed with uncompromising violence that strongly emphasizes the horror of war. He also has this exquisite approach on displaying the characters and the action portrayed was more of shooting, explosions and hard action. This comic book was released years before Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan (1998) hit the cinemas and caused some controversy with its display of graphical violence. In short, this is a comic book visualized with adults in mind.

Conclusion

*The cover of the variant edition of Team 7 #1 drawn by Whilce Portacio.*

Team 7 #1 (1994) is a very compelling read and it still remains one of the most unique comic books of the original WildStorm universe ever published. It is also one of the most defining war comic books published in the 1990s.

Considering the great work done by the Dixon-Wiesenfield duo, your enjoyment and understanding of this comic book depends a lot on how much you have oriented yourself with the mentioned WildStorm heroes who appeared in the comic books of WildCATS: Covert Action Teams, StormWatch, Wetworks and the like. I enjoyed this comic book a lot because I familiarized myself with Grifter, Backlash, Deathblow, Lynch and Dane before reading it. That being said, I urge you newcomers to get to know the said characters first before reading this comic book.

Overall, Team 7 #1 (1994) is highly recommended.

+++++

Hezbollah’s leader Nasrallah eliminated

September 29, 2024September 28, 2024carlocarrasco

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…

Very recently, Israel launched precise attacks at the headquarters and command center of terrorist group Hezbollah in Lebanon. Yesterday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that Hezbollah’s top leader Hassan Nasrallah got eliminated during the powerful strikes at the terrorists’ headquarters, and there were other top officials who died with him.

For the newcomers reading this, Hassan Nasrallah was a religious murder who led Hezbollah for decades and organized several acts of terrorism against Israel . To learn more about the dead Nasrallah, read The Jerusalem Post’s article by clicking here.

To put things in perspective, posted below are selected YouTube videos for your viewing. Watch and pay close attention to the details.

Hassan Nasrallah had been in power for DECADES committing murders and terrorism. So many men, women and children got killed because of him and Hezbollah’s evil moves. There are so many people who became victims and saw their lives disrupted or ended. Think about that very carefully.

While the people who were brainwashed with political correctness keep on failing to see the evil in Nasrallah and his terrorist group, there is no doubt that the evil is real. Terrorist state Iran’s involvement with Hezbollah only made their evil more real and clearer.

Nasrallah’s elimination was inevitable. Not only that, other top officials of Hezbollah and a few Iranian generals died with him during the precise strike by Israel at the terrorists’ headquarters in Lebanon. Knowing how much Iran-sponsored Hezbollah attacked Israel for so long, the elimination of Nasrallah and his top officials proved that vengeance is the Lord’s (Romans 12:19) and He has always been with Israel’s side. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel is the world leader in the fight against terrorism while the IDF is clearly the most moral army in the whole world. Again, God is with Israel!

Israel’s war is with Hezbollah, not the people of Lebanon. Remember that.

Also be reminded that shortly after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, Hezbollah in Lebanon fired rockets at Israel. Without their top leaders, the remaining Hezbollah terrorists know that their days are numbered and they could lose their grip of Lebanon someday (note: the people of Lebanon who seek freedom from Hezbollah need prayers of support). Those evildoers should realize by now that God truly exists and that Israel’s government and the IDF have God on their side. Islamic terrorists and their useful idiots (Islamo-Leftists) should realize that God is watching them all.

Today, the axis of evil in this world is Iran-Turkey-Russia.

Before ending this post, I want to share with you all the relevant holy scriptures below. These scriptures should remind you that the Lord will never abandon His people and His faithful believers. The Word of God is eternally holy and eternal.

Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.

Deuteronomy 31:6 (NKJV)

Now the Lord had said to Abram:

“Get out of your country,

From your family

And from your father’s house,

To a land that I will show you.

I will make you a great nation;

I will bless you

And make your name great;

And you shall be a blessing.

I will bless those who bless you,

And I will curse him who curses you;

And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Genesis 12:1-3 (NKJV)

Always be the fearless and aggressive church of Lord Jesus! Always stand in support of Israel, love and bless the Jewish people, and pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

+++++

Retro Gaming Ads Blast – Part 11

June 17, 2024May 17, 2024carlocarrasco

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 as well as promotional posters of a notable console game that was released only in Japan.

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. M.I.A.: Missing in Action arcade flyer

*This is an effective way of catching the attention of both players and arcade operators. I can imagine the woke, the SJWs and rabid feminists getting easily offended by this.*

Konami was a very prominent producer of games back in the 1980s. Not only did the company produce high-quality and enjoyable military-themed games on consoles and computers, Konami also made its presence felt in the highly competitive sector of arcade games. In 1989, they released the arcade conversion kit of M.I.A.: Missing in Action and this flyer is the best know promotion of it. M.I.A.: Missing in Action is the follow-up to Konami’s hit game Rush’n Attack.

Visually, the flyer’s display of four screenshots combined with a dominating photographic image of prisoners of war (POWs) getting delightfully released by an attractive female Rambo-type rescuer were designed to catch the attention of young adult and adult gamers. The text descriptions (note: there were more details on the back of the flyer), however, were geared towards arcade operators who were looking for new games to acquire without the hassle of having to buy an entire arcade cabinet. That being said, this flyer was a clever way to appeal to arcade operators and the people who love playing arcade games.

2. Fonz arcade flyer

*Simplistic yet effective to look at. If you are an arcade operator, this flyer conveniently has key information displayed.*

Believe it or not, Sega was already active in arcade games way back in the 1970s. In this particular flyer, Sega’s arcade game Fonz (also called Moto-Cross, Man T.T.) offered players the unique experience of driving a digital vehicle using actual handlebars on the machine that were meant to create an immersive and realistic feel. If you look closely, the flyer has lots of details written with arcade operators and players in mind.

3. Haunted Castle arcade flyer

*Indeed, this game is part of the Castlevania game franchise. It was one of the first Castlevania games released for arcades.*

Arguably, Konami is best known for the Castlevania game series which covered handheld gaming devices, personal computers, video game consoles and even arcades. Haunted Castle (Japanese title: Akumajō Dracula) is the 2^nd arcade game of the Castlevania franchise and it is not a port of any console game. Like the arcade flyer of M.I.A.: Missing in Action, this one was crafted to lure the attention (and money) of arcade operators looking for conversion kits to replace their old games. The visual presentation is eye-catching and even though the Castlevania brand was nowhere to be seen, Castlevania fans could tell this this arcade offering was part of their favorite game franchise.

4. The Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Do You Remember Love? flyer and poster

*The poster promoting the release of the game for Sega Saturn in Japan.*

*The flyer promoting the Sega Saturn game’s 1997 release as well as the 15th anniversary of Macross.*

In 1997, the 15^th anniversary of the Macross multimedia franchise was celebrated in Japan and among the highlights was the release of The Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Do You Remember Love? on the Sega Saturn. To promote the game and the franchise itself, lots of flyers and posters were released in Japan. If you look at the illustrated images on the promotional materials closely, you will realize that they are not from the original 1982-83 Macross anime TV series but rather from the The Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Do You Remember Love? animated movie of 1984 (read my retro movie review by clicking here).

While it might be baffling to some as to why the original anime TV series was not used as the source material for the 15^th anniversary celebration through gaming, the 1984 anime feature film was actually more adaptable for a video game project (read my retro review by clicking here). It is so obvious, you just have to ask yourselves this question – how can the game developers compress the entire concepts of the 36-episode Macross anime series into one game while ensuring fun gameplay? Regardless, the game was a lot of fun to play and I enjoyed playing the PlayStation version in 1999.

5. Venom/Spider-Man: Separation Anxiety print ad

*A clear effort to sell the game to gamers as well as fans of Spider-Man and Venom.*

In 1994, Acclaim released Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage (based on the 1993 comic book storyline Maximum Carnage) on Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and Sega Genesis ultimately becoming popular with comic book fans and gamers who enjoyed sidescrolling beat-them-up games.

Subsequently, Acclaim and develop Software Creations reunited to release the sequel Venom/Spider-Man: Separation Anxiety a year later on the two leading 16-bit consoles as well as on personal computer (PC). If there is anything notable about this eye-catching print ad, it is the fact that its visual presentation (with graphics on-par with the previous year’s game) cleverly hides the fact that it did not have much new to offer gamers with regards to gameplay and story cutscenes (which the previous game prominently had). Eventually, this game attracted weaker reviews from game critics and has since been forgotten.

6. Tecmo Super Bowl SNES print ad

*From the time when Tecmo was still a strong producer of sports video games.*

In 1991, Tecmo Super Bowl was released on the aging Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and because its game design greatly entertained gamers, it became a tremendous commercial success. Not even the very high launch price of $54.99 stopped it from selling a lot.

To keep the commercial success and public interest going, Tecmo announced a new version of the game for the more powerful SNES console with the simple title of Tecmo Super Bowl. If you look closely at the print ad, you will notice that gameplay screenshots were not used at all. Instead, they showed images of the nicely illustrated art works they prepared as eye candy for the game with the intention of making it look cinematic. This is very curious because gameplay itself was the main selling factor of the NES version of Tecmo Super Bowl. I can only guess that Tecmo was not ready to show gameplay images by the time this print ad was made.

7. X-Men 2: Clone Wars print ad

*The art used is too alienating for promoting this game.*

During the age of the 16-bit consoles, there was a variety of X-Men video games released and produced by different companies. In 1993, an X-Men game published by Sega was released exclusively on the Genesis console which turned out to be fun for gamers and received mostly positive reviews from the critics. Sega went on to publish the sequel X-Men 2: Clone Wars and this print ad caught my attention because of how exaggerated the characters looked. It’s so strange, it’s as if the artist took visual reference from a somewhat blocky 3D polygonal portrait then tried to make them look hand-drawn. I wonder if anyone from Sega regretted this.

+++++

Chinese vessels spotted near Balikatan training area off Palawan

May 14, 2024May 1, 2024carlocarrasco

Since it formally started on April 22, Balikatan 2024 resulted in several military exercises and activities involving armed elements of the Philippines, the United States and France. This of course caught the attention of China and according to a recent Philippine News Agency (PNA) news article, several Chinese vessels were spotted near a training area off Palawan.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…

Naval participants in the just concluded multilateral maritime exercise were undaunted by the presence of Chinese vessels near the training area off Palawan province, Balikatan 2024 executive agent Col. Michael Logico said Tuesday.

Around four of China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels were spotted at different times monitoring the flotilla during the training period.

“We went there for the purpose of conducting interoperability exercises, that was our mission and we were able to finish it, they were not able to disturb us in any way nor (were we) intimidated in any way by their presence,” he said during a press briefing.

Logico said the presence of PLAN ships did not disturb the exercise.

Balikatan’s first multilateral maritime exercise was in Palawan waters from April 25 to 29.

Participants include the Philippine Navy’s offshore patrol vessel BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PS-16) and landing dock BRP Davao Del Sur (LD-602), the US Navy’s landing ship dock USS Harpers Ferry (LSD-49), and the French Navy’s FS Vendemiaire (FFH-734), a Floreal-class frigate.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think that China’s navy might someday disrupt the naval activities of Balikatan 2024? Do you think there could be a lot of spies among the Chinese nationals living here in the Philippines?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

+++++

Balikatan (US-Philippines joint military exercise) set to start on April 22, 2024

April 2, 2024April 1, 2024carlocarrasco

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?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

+++++

A Look Back at Armorines #6 (1994)

December 13, 2023December 6, 2023carlocarrasco

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.

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

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.

Overall, Armorines #6 (1994) is recommended.

+++++

A Look Back at G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #23 (1984)

December 6, 2023December 2, 2023carlocarrasco

Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1980s culture enthusiasts and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the mid-1980s to explore Marvel Comics’ extensive publishing of a comic book series based on the wildly popular military-themed franchise of toys – G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero.

Whenever a war between good and evil happens, it is only desirable for people siding with the good guys to score a major breakthrough against the evil ones. Breakthroughs include annihilating the enemy entirely or compelling them to surrender unconditionally, or capturing one of their most powerful leaders alive.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #23 published in 1984 by Marvel Comics with the main story written by Larry Hama and drawn by Mike Vosburg.

Early story

The story begins near the Italian border of Switzerland. GI Joe member Snow Job sits high up on a cliff and monitors an institute from long distance. He carefully sees the Baroness (wearing a white garment) and reports to Duke about it. Duke, who is seated close to Roadblock in public, tells him to maintain passive surveillance as their team is anticipating that the Baroness will lead them to Cobra Commander.

Moments later, Roadblock notices a man across the street coming out from one of the buildings. The man turns out to be Major Bludd, a mercenary working for Cobra. Duke then sends a message to Cover Girl and Clutch (both of them riding a car elsewhere) to follow Major Bludd…

Quality

*Cover Girl and Clutch chase the vehicle that has Major Bludd and Baroness.*

I really like this story. While this is clearly not the bombastic, gun-blazing conflict between G.I. Joe and Cobra, this tale has stronger elements of espionage, suspense and intrigue nicely mixed together. The story moved at a medium pace and there were suitable pay-offs to the build-up that occurred throughout.

While the cover of this comic book is indeed a spoiler, it is within the details of the script and its story structure that justified the capture of one of Cobra’s most notorious figures. How G.I. Joe pulled it off and what obstacles they went through were nicely portrayed by the Hama-Vosburg team.

Not only that, the comic book also shed light on the character moments and story developments told through the side of Cobra which are quite intriguing to read.

Conclusion

*Cobra Commander making his way through in the American town of Springfield which is their front.*

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #23 (1984) is another fun and engaging tale Larry Hama crafted. The creative team succeeded in justifying the capture of Cobra Commander (as seen in the cover) while giving readers some new insights about the characters and how they do their duties. By the time I reached the end of this comic book, I was satisfied and convinced to look forward to what would happen next.

Overall, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #23 (1984) is recommended.

+++++

A Look Back at G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #10 (1983)

December 1, 2023November 30, 2023carlocarrasco

Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1980s culture enthusiasts and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the early 1980s to explore Marvel Comics’ extensive publishing of a comic book series based on the wildly popular military-themed franchise of toys – G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero.

Last time around, G.I. Joe found itself getting attacked within their own base (The Pit) as a result of the robot they brought in from a stronghold of their terrorist rival Cobra. It was a Trojan plan that Cobra Commander and his team organized from far away and they almost succeeded.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #10 published in 1983 by Marvel Comics with the main story written by Larry Hama and drawn by Mike Vosburg.

Early story

The story begins with G.I. Joe members Scarlett, Snake-Eyes and Zap reach the top of a tall New York City building that could be another stronghold of Cobra. On the street just outside of the same building, other Joe members located inside a van on the street and in the sewers carefully make their moves to ensure their operation will succeed.

Behind the scenes inside the building, the Baroness is informed of the Joes’ presence. This causes the top of building’s roof to open causing Snakey-Eyes, Scarlett and Zap to fall down into a room. In response, the Joe members inside the van make their move into the building save Scarlett and her two teammates…

Quality

*A few of the Joes captured by Cobra, and Snake-Eyes got heavily restrained.*

This is another clever story written by Larry Hama highlighting the rivalry between G.I. Joe and Cobra without emphasizing the usual action-packed battles between them. Instead, this tale emphasizes Cobra being more resourceful than meets the eye. What I mean is that the terrorists here are not limited to their military culture and weapons as they also have the means to conduct scientific experimentation, establishing spies among civilians (including minors) and even having American towns as their tactical fronts.

In many ways, this tale shows Cobra being a very diversified terrorist organization that also mastered the uses of disguise and imagery to hide themselves from American authorities right there in America. The town of Springfield symbolizes Cobra’s use of ground level fronts to hide their secret underground stronghold from being spotted which is eerily similar to how Palestinian terrorist group Hamas uses schools, hospitals and other establishments in the Gaza strip to hide their tunnels and operation places deep under. The portrayal of American minors being junior officers of Cobra is really disturbing as it reminds me of the fact that in reality, Palestinian terrorists (note: the Palestinian Authority is corrupted and practices apartheid) have brainwashed their minors to hate and to murder Jews. I should add that the Palestinian terrorists, Hamas, the United Nations (UN), Amnesty International and the many Leftist leaders of nations formed the global axis of evil we know today.

As for the characters, the new kid here is easily the most notable addition and you have to read the comic book to find out why. For the more established characters, you will see Snake-Eyes helpless and Scarlett being really vulnerable in the dream world. On the side of Cobra, Dr. Venom has really fascinating interpretations and observations about the readings of the scientific operations.

Conclusion

*The other G.I. Joe members scramble to rescue their teammates.*

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #10 (1983) is very engaging and intriguing to read from start to finish. This comic book, which is clearly a piece of fantasy, also served as an intriguing reminder that terrorists in the real world (read: Iran, Palestinian terrorists, Hamas, Hezbollah, ISIS and others) are capable of securing or stealing large financial resources for themselves and expand their operations to infiltrate societies and take advantage of the ignorant and helpless members to be part of their wicked causes. There were indeed lots of parallels between Cobra and the Palestinian terrorists.

Overall, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #10 (1983) is recommended.

+++++

A Look Back at Wetworks #1 (1994)

November 29, 2023November 26, 2023carlocarrasco

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.

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.

Conclusion

*Wetworks #1 from 1994 is still great to read!*

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).

Overall, Wetworks #1 (1994) is highly recommended!

+++++

	Shaman Tiers on A Look Back at Fatale #1 …
	Luke on Trump Administration Weighs Hi…
	Instapundit »… on Trump Administration Weighs Hi…
	Roaming Rhonda on Christian Music Appreciation:…
	Instapundit »… on Trump Administration Rescued O…

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: