Tag: wokeness is foolishness

A Look Back at Hulk 2099 #1 (1994)

A Look Back at Hulk 2099 #1 (1994)

carlocarrasco

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, Marvel Comics fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the wild 1990s by examining one of the many tales of Marvel Comics’ 2099 line of franchises, specifically through the Hulk 2099 monthly series.

For the newcomers reading this, Hulk 2099 first appeared in 2099 Unlimited #1 (1993) which also had his origin story told. Hulk 2099 was not a mere version of the classic Incredible Hulk with a futuristic touch. In fact, the futuristic green creature highlighted the protagonist John Eisenhart as a very selfish and obsessed Hollywood studio executive who happens to stumble upon the idolaters/worshipers of the classic Hulk Bruce Banner because he was searching for new properties and stories for his studio. Hulk 2099’s origin has notable similarities to that of the classic Hulk and gamma radiation exposure is one of them. As tales of the futuristic Hulk were told through the quarterly releases of 2099 Unlimited, Marvel decided it was time to give the green creature his own monthly series.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Hulk 2099 #1 published in 1994 by Marvel Comics with a story written by Gerard Jones and drawn by Malcolm Davis.

The cover.

Early story

The story begins with the Hulk of 2099 destroying security droids and verbally attacking civilization. As he retains the intellect of John Eisenhart, he expresses his opposition against civilization for keeping people out of the water reclamation zone.

The story then shifts to California where Lotus Entertainment (Eisenhart’s employer) and its crew work on producing a film which is a dishonest telling of Eisenhart’s dealings with the Knights of Banner (already eliminated in 2099 Unlimited #1). During the production, one of the executives notices the absence of Eisenhart.

Elsewhere, John Eisenhart drives his flying car with Knights of Banner youth survivor Gawain as his passenger. Already struggling with the guilt over the deaths of all the adult Knights of Banner members, Eisenhart intends to end his employment and cash out of his contract. Gawain remains hostile towards Eisenhart.

Quality

The creative team used flashback images that look really similar to what was told in 2099 Unlimited #1.

If there is anything that is very obvious to talk about, it is the fact that this tale shows a radically different John Eisenhart who wants to get out of Hollywood’s multiple mazes of crookedness as he feels very guilty over what happened to the Knights of Banner. This happens just as a new entity took corporate control of Eisenhart’s employer before he could leave the company. In many ways, Eisenhart’s distress and struggle with being guilty reminds me a lot about Hardcase of the Ultraverse and the way the creative dramatized him was engaging.

For the story, there is a lot of corporate intrigue going on and Eisenhart’s failure to quit quickly was inevitable because the new enemy he faces here has a lot to do with the sudden takeover of Lotus Entertainment. At least on face value, this looks like an attempt by the creative team to change the status quo and move Hulk 2099 to a new creative direction away from what was established in 2099 Unlimited. Without spoiling the details, I can say that something very significant happened before the comic book’s ending and it will impact readers who followed the futuristic Hulk’s stories closely in the 2099 Unlimited series.

Along the way, there is a lot of action and unfortunate physical happenings which symbolize the chaos concept of the script. The notable thing here is that you won’t see very much of Hulk 2099’s monstrous form as the script was specifically written to tell a tale that went beyond one issue. Clearly, the creative team were sparing Hulk 2099 for a conflict in the next issue.

Malcolm Davis’ art has that visceral aesthetic that fits the established look of Marvel’s 2099 universe of the time but there were instances when he showed so much happening, the visuals looked chaotic and even disorienting. In fairness, his take on Eisenhart, Quirk, Gawain and others made them looked recognizable.

Conclusion

The future of Commiewood, wokeness, and dishonesty.

While its story has little of the green monster in it, Hulk 2099 #1 (1994) does a decent job building up the tension on top of the guilt-filled Eisenhart while setting up events that looked like a bold new creative direction was coming. By the time this comic book was published, several Hulk 2099 tales were already published in the quarterly 2099 series. On its own, this comic book lightly builds up the lore of the 2099 universe as it was clearly focused on Hulk 2099’s creative concept and characters.

While Eisenhart was indeed determined to change, it is a turnoff to see him lie and exaggerate details to protect himself from a certain corporate psychologist who is after the truth. There is also a lot of anti-corporate expressions here which seems to suggest that someone within the creative team had been thinking with socialist concepts and decided to use the script as an outlet of expression. The weird but true thing is that by today’s standards, Hollywood is filled with Commies/socialists/Marxists/liberals/woke nuts from the film crew up to the executives that run studios and produce films or shows that are dumb, lies about reality, self-centered and extensions of their ideologies. This showed that this comic book was prophetic in some ways.

Overall, Hulk 2099 #1 (1994) is satisfactory.

+++++

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 Spider-Man 2099 #8 (1993)

A Look Back at Spider-Man 2099 #8 (1993)

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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, Marvel Comics fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the wild 1990s and explore the far future of 2099 within the Marvel Comics shared universe through one of the tales of Spider-Man 2099.

In my previous retro review, the futuristic Spider-Man got involved with his era’s version of Vulture (Vulture 2099 to us readers). It turns out, Vulture 2099 is not your typical evil supervillain but the leader of a group of violent radical people who are willing to dominate society with a destructive mindset even though there are other opposing groups around them. And then Spidey 2099 realized something very wrong about the Vulture which leads to a big battle between them.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Spider-Man 2099 #8, published in 1993 by Marvel Comics with a story written by Peter David and drawn by Rick Leonardi.

The cover.

Early story

The story begins with Spider-Man 2099 and Vulture 2099 crashing into the interiors of the ancient St. Patrick’s Cathedral located in old New York City (underneath the modern city). Unsurprisingly, the people inside the cathedral got very surprised about the unexpected entry of the two fighters.

Elsewhere, Miguel O’Hara’s brother Gabriel helps Kasey with her head. She tells him that she saw Miguel but Gabriel does not believe her. Suddenly, members of a gang knock on the door and Kasey opens it.

Inside St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the fight between Spider-Man and Vulture continues. Spider-Man remembers that he has lapsed as a Catholic and he feels very uneasy about the trouble he and his enemy are causing inside the old church structure. Vulture suddenly throws a wooden bench at Spidey but breaks open a glass window and then goes outside. Upon looking outside, Spider-Man notices a group of Vulture’s gang…the Freakers.

Quality

The battle between Spider-Man 2099 and Vulture 2099 is intense and very compelling to read.

Here is the good news about this comic book…the story here is a fitting conclusion to what happened in issue #7. The conflict between Spider-Man and Vulture here was carefully crafted and there were several key moments or scenes the provided readers some breathing room to grasp and understand the society of 2099 New York as well as the conflict between the downtown social groups who are deprived of the higher standard of living many miles above them. In some ways, the social divisions portrayed in this comic book is a sad reminder about modern day America and the many radical groups or gangs of people who divide society on race, ethnicity, social class, gender and ideology.

As expected, there is a lot of action executed in the fight between Spider-Man and Vulture of 2099 but there were pauses in between. This is not surprising considering how Peter David crafted the action-packed battles Spidey 2099 had with other enemies in the comic books released before this one. Without spoiling what happened, I can say that the battle between the two was nicely built-up and the conclusion turned out very satisfying to see.

Still on the story, Peter David added some layers of complexity into the conflict that easily made things much more difficult for Spider-Man 2099 on a personal level. I’m talking about his brother Gabriel and Kasey getting involved in the gang war against the Freakers.

Vulture 2099 is once again a standout opposition figure here. Not only is his ability to fly and cause chaos above his obsessed Freakers below is symbolic, his distorted, hardcore beliefs are reflected with his unrelenting use of violence as he fights Spider-Man. Not only that, he turns out to be very philosophical thanks to the rich dialogue Peter David came up with. It is also here that the futuristic Vulture is opposed to God and being the socialist-indoctrinated person he is, he easily blames Alchemax for God’s absence. This should remind you that through Vulture 2099, evil comes with fatal attraction that people could not realize until it is too late. The futuristic Vulture has a lot of common with the evil leaders of Black Lives Matter, Antifa, the Democratic Socialists of America and the long-time regime of Iran. Lastly, I should state that radical socialists are always wrong about God and they often live with distorted perceptions about Him. Vulture 2099 qualifies as a woke figure of 2099 and ultimately wokeness is foolishness.

Speaking of sub-plots, this comic book emphasizes Tyler Stone on how he handles ambitious projects of Alchemax that he believes will benefit people. His interactions with Dana here also sheds light about his very own obsession about the future of humanity.

Conclusion

Spider-Man in trouble with the Vulture’s gang members.

With rich writing, notable in-story details and a very well designed conflict between the futuristic Spider-Man and Vulture, Spider-Man 2099 #8 (1993) is both very engaging and entertainting to read from start to finish. It is a great pay-off to what was built-up in issue #7. Very notably, the conflict between Vulture 2099 and the protagonist is great to see and it is clear that Vulture is not a disposable supervillain but one of the most definitive forces of opposition against Spider-Man 2099. Of course, as comic book history turned out, Vulture 2099 made it in the crossover comic book event between classic Spider-Man and Spidey of 2099. Along the way, the creative team succeeded with expanding the lore of 2099 and the social underclass of New York.

Overall, Spider-Man 2099 #8 (1993) 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 Venom: Funeral Pyre #1 (1993)

A Look Back at Venom: Funeral Pyre #1 (1993)

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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, Marvel Comics fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1993 and explore a part of Marvel Comics’ universe through the first-ever limited comic book series featuring one of Marvel’s most iconic supervillains – Venom.

Previously, I wrote about Venom with his appearances in What If comic books (click here and here) as well as in issues of Venom: Lethal Protector (click here and here). Venom also appeared in the disappointing crossover comic book Spider-Man Meets Spider-Man 2099.

Moving back to the year 1993, the Venom: Lethal Protector limited series ended and Marvel went on to release a 2nd limited series composed of three issues complete with an all-new creative team. That series was Venom: Funeral Pyre and the most notable thing is that Venom gets to be with the Punisher (read my other retro reviews that include the character here, here, here and here).

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Venom: Funeral Pyre #1 published in 1993 by Marvel Comics with a story written by Carl Potts and drawn by the late Tom Lyle.

The cover.

Early story

The story begins on the streets of Oakland, California. There, a young guy named Gray Russell watches gang members severely beat up another guy which disturbs him deeply. He is part of the gang. A short time later, he rides with the gang in a car which hits a man (who managed to have his young nephew move out of harm’s way).

Somehow the man survived and moves to another direction deliberately to lure the gang away from his nephew. As the gangsters move towards a local building, Gray separates from his harsh companions to find a phone booth. Gray finds Calvin (the nephew of the man who got hit) nearby and decides to comfort him. From a distance, they heard the gangsters beat Calvin’s uncle to death.

The next day in the underground city beneath San Francisco, Calvin meets Eddie Brock and hands him a note meant for the police. As Calvin reveals more details, Eddie gradually turns into Venom with his alien costume covering up his body. After learning of the death of Calvin’s uncle and hearing the young boy’s plea for help for Gray (an investigative reporter in secret within the gang), Venom agrees to help him as it is their mission to save the innocent and destroy the guilty…

Quality

Punisher and Venom’s first-ever encounter with each other.

I want to start first the with the overall presentation crafted by the Potts-Lyle creative duo. In terms of story and setting, this comic book has a very strong urban crime vibe which is not a surprise given the fact that Carl Potts wrote lots of stories of the Punisher and his personal war against criminals. That being said, the tone is very different compared to what was shown in Venom: Lethal Protector and other Venom tales that got published before this comic book. Very clearly, this story is dark, gritty and even disturbing to read due to the subject matter of crime and senseless violence caused by people who are obsessed with violence. The fantasy elements of Venom: Lethal Protector are unsurprisingly absent here.

Carl Potts’ take on Venom’s personality is technically an extension of what was established previously. Venom, who is truly a murderer on the loose, continues to live with his very distorted code by helping the innocent by means of using violence and death on others he personally views as guilty. His getting involved in the turf of crime here is, however, a fresh approach on the super villain now acting “heroic” helping Calvin who lost his uncle. Being a former journalist himself, Eddie Brock “relates” with the investigative journalist involved with the gang.

The other major character – the Punisher – is his typical self in this story. He gets involved in the conflict in Oakland not purposely but accidentally as he was just passing by in his weapons-filled van as he heard the local police communication on local crime. The only thing notable about the way the Punisher is portrayed here is his first-ever interactions with Venom which is a crossover scene filled with a decent amount of hard action.  

Gray, the investigative journalist, is presented here as technically the third major character of the story. In some ways, he even overshadows Venom and the Punisher in key parts of this comic book. He is not really an interesting character himself but there are some interesting Marvel universe details shown from his personal memories. What is clear about this uninteresting character is that the creative team planned something with him in a key role within the core concept of this mini-series.

As for the plot itself, it clearly has a dark and gritty concept of street crime in 1990s Oakland which itself plays a big part of the build-up of the story and the eventual crossover between Venom and the Punisher. The problem is that the build-up has an uninteresting character with Gray involved and there is a lot of exposition to go through before the Venom-Punisher encounter.

The encounter between Venom and the Punisher here came with the superhero comics crossover trope of the players misunderstanding the situation and each other, and getting into a conflict very early on. Both characters have their respective obsessions and so-called codes of purposes, which predictably leads them into conflict as they stayed hard-headed towards each other. While it is flawed, the Venom-Punisher crossover here is the highlight as well as the relief from having to read all the exposition and build-up.

Conclusion

A scene like this could inspire Black Lives Matter terrorists, SJWs, woke activists and North American socialists to become violent and cause havoc around America.

Venom: Funeral Pyre #1 (1993) is a flawed comic book that happens to highlight the Punisher and Spider-Man’s greatest nemesis of the time. It delivered on its promise of showcasing the two characters – a cold-hearted anti-crime vigilante and an alien costume-equipped murderer – in a crossover but the pay-off was barely enough when you take into account the build-up, the exposition and the involvement of the uninteresting third player named Gray. Compared to what was shown in Venom: Lethal Protector, this comic book clearly has an urban crime flavor which Carl Potts strongly implemented. As for the art, Tom Lyle showed he is really good in visualizing Venom, the Punisher and street gang wars.

Overall, Venom: Funeral Pyre #1 (1993) is serviceable. Definitely this is not the fabulous 1st issue described on the foil cover.

+++++

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

Christian Music Appreciation: Lord Your Goodness

Christian Music Appreciation: Lord Your Goodness

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Welcome back, my readers and fellow Christians! In this newest edition of my Christian Music Appreciation (CMA) series, we will focus on Lord Your Goodness, an original worship song of Hillsong Worship with lyrics written by Reuben Morgan.

If you want to discover and learn more about Hillsong Worship, I encourage you to click here (Facebook page), here (Instagram) and here (YouTube). 

Before getting into the analysis of the Biblical relevance of Lord Your Goodness, posted below for your reference are the lyrics composed by Reuben Morgan.

I will come to You with an open heart

And bring a sacrifice of praise

I have seen Your power in the holy place

And I have known Your mighty ways

–

I will remember Your mercy

And Lord Your faithfulness

–

Lord Your goodness and Your love will follow me

All the days of my life

I’m surrounded with the favour of the Lord

Always and forever

To begin with, let’s take a close look at the first section of the lyrics above: I will come to You with an open heart, And bring a sacrifice of praise, I have seen Your power in the holy place.

The above lines emphasize that we the faithful children must always come to Him with open hearts and that means being completely transparent and honest with Him as there is simply no hiding of darkness nor sin deep within. To be born again in Christ means having His Spirit – the Holy Spirit – in the heart and always prioritizing the Lord with complete honor and obedience towards Him. Remember when you were still living your old sinful life? You not only had a closed heart hardened by sin, you also had a heart that did not have the Holy Spirit which clearly means it was not a heart of worship. For the lost and unsaved souls thinking about coming to God, always open your heart first before coming to His Jesus for repentance and getting born again. If you are an unsaved or lost soul who still has unholy elements in your heart (note: homosexuality, political correctness, wokeness, idolatry, religion, Marxism, socialism, Communism, atheism, agnosticism, transgender obsession, terrorism, fascism and others), you must get rid of them all and you must reject Satan before you come to the Lord for salvation. Be ready to repent to Him. Once you have a fully opened, worship-oriented heart, praise is inevitable for everyone to do to realize the Lord’s power and holiness. Learn from the scriptures below…

But the moment one turns to the Lord with an open heart, the veil is lifted and they see. Now, the “Lord” I’m referring to is the Holy Spirit, and wherever he is Lord, there is freedom. We can all draw close to him with the veil removed from our faces. And with no veil we all become like mirrors who brightly reflect the glory of the Lord Jesus. We are being transfigured into his very image as we move from one brighter level of glory to another. And this glorious transfiguration comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 3:16-18 (TPT)

And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

Ezekiel 36:26-27 (ESV)

Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (MSG)

What joy overwhelms everyone who keeps the ways of God, those who seek him as their heart’s passion!

Psalms 119:2 (TPT)

Through Him, therefore, let us constantly and at all times offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, which is the fruit of lips that thankfully acknowledge and confess and glorify His name.

Hebrews 13:15 (AMPC)

Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and the earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and Yours it is to be exalted as Head over all.

Both riches and honor come from You, and You reign over all. In Your hands are power and might; in Your hands it is to make great and to give strength to all.

Now therefore, our God, we thank You and praise Your glorious name and those attributes which that name denotes.

1 Chronicles 29:11-13 (AMPC)

Next, take a close look at the following lines of lyrics: I will remember Your mercy, And Lord Your faithfulness.

The mercy and faithfulness of the Lord are undeniably true and real. While there are still lots of religious people who believe the falsehood that the Lord is always very strict and rarely grants mercy, His mercy is actually great and He is compassionate as well. The Lord is faithful (lasting loyalty and trustworthiness in relationships) and His love for His faithful children is connected with faithfulness, mercy and compassion. Lord Jesus proved it all to be true and real. Learn from the holy scriptures below…

And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.”

Exodus 34:6-7 (NKJV)

It is because of the Lord’s mercy and loving-kindness that we are not consumed, because His [tender] compassions fail not.

They are new every morning; great and abundant is Your stability and faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23 (AMPC)

The Rock, his work is perfect,

    for all his ways are justice.

A God of faithfulness and without iniquity,

    just and upright is he.

Deuteronomy 32:4 (ESV)

For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.

John 3:16 (AMPC)

By the time Jesus came ashore, a massive crowd was waiting. At the sight of them, his heart was filled with compassion, because they seemed like wandering sheep who had no shepherd. So he taught them many wonderful things.

Mark 6:34 (TPT)

There failed no part of any good thing which the Lord had promised to the house of Israel; all came to pass.

Joshua 21:45 (AMPC)

This is why he had to be a man and take hold of our humanity in every way. He made us his brothers and sisters and became our merciful and faithful King-Priest before God; as the One who removed our sins to make us one with him. He suffered and endured every test and temptation, so that he can help us every time we pass through the ordeals of life.

Hebrews 2:17-18 (TPT)

For God’s Word is something to sing about! He is true to his promises, his word can be trusted, and everything he does is reliable and right.

Psalms 33:4 (TPT)

The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and abounding in mercy and loving-kindness.

The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works [the entirety of things created].

Psalm 145:8-9 (AMPC)

Celebrate with praises the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has shown us his extravagant mercy. For his fountain of mercy has given us a new life—we are reborn to experience a living, energetic hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

1 Peter 1:3 (TPT)

Next, take a close look at the following lines of lyrics:Lord Your goodness and Your love will follow me, All the days of my life, I’m surrounded with the favour of the Lord, Always and forever.

As the faithful children of God, we have His favor, His love, His goodness and much more. To be faithful to Him and living by His Word (and spreading it) are our responsibilities as Christians. Our faith in Him must always be unbreakable and unwavering. We reject idols and reject unholiness because we are meant to be with the Lord and follow His ways in accordance to His Word. Never forget our union with Lord Jesus, the Heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit. Learn from the holy scriptures below…

Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear, revere, and worship You, goodness which You have wrought for those who trust and take refuge in You before the sons of men!

In the secret place of Your presence You hide them from the plots of men; You keep them secretly in Your pavilion from the strife of tongues.

Psalm 31:19-20 (AMPC)

For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].

Ephesians 2:10 (AMPC)

Oh, thank God—he’s so good!

    His love never runs out.

All of you set free by God, tell the world!

    Tell how he freed you from oppression,

Then rounded you up from all over the place,

    from the four winds, from the seven seas.

Psalm 107:1-3 (MSG)

Give thanks to God—he is good

    and his love never quits.

Say, “Save us, Savior God,

    round us up and get us out of these godless places,

So we can give thanks to your holy Name,

    and bask in your life of praise.”

Blessed be God, the God of Israel,

    from everlasting to everlasting.

Then everybody said, “Yes! Amen!” and “Praise God!”

1 Chronicles 16:34-36 (MSG)

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Romans 12:2 (NKJV)

God, everyone sees your goodness, for your tender love is blended into everything you do.

Psalms 145:9 (TPT)

Jesus explained, “I am the Way, I am the Truth, and I am the Life. No one comes next to the Father except through union with me. To know me is to know my Father too.”

John 14:6 (TPT)

No one is holy like the Lord,

For there is none besides You,

Nor is there any rock like our God.

1 Samuel 2:2 (NKJV)

Jesus commented, “Even more blessed are those who hear God’s Word and guard it with their lives!”

Luke 11:28 (MSG)

It is confirmed and obvious that Lord Your Goodness is a very holy worship song as the Lord anointed Reuben Morgan on writing the lyrics. The same can be said about others at Hillsong Worship who worked behind the scenes on making Lord Your Goodness. The evidence of holiness is spread all over the lyrics and brought to life even more musically.

As it is holy and captures the biblical messages about the goodness of our Lord, I strongly recommend the use of Lord Your Goodness for your local church’s Sunday worship service as well as in praise-and-worship events that involve the church’s music team. Lord Your Goodness is a lively reminder of not only of His goodness, but also of the love, blessings, care, attention and compassion towards each and every faithful child of His with established personal relationships with Him.

In conclusion, posted below is the official Hillsong Worship YouTube video of Lord Your Goodness for your faith and viewing pleasure. While watching it and listening to the music, remember to be faithful and thankful to the Lord. Always remember to realize the good life from the Lord, love on knowing you are loved by Him, practice Christian habits (click here and here for reference), have private time with God and pray in tongues to Him, get yourself planted in a local church (allow the Holy Spirit to guide you) and remember the truth that He rewards the faithful abundantly and He established plans for you before you were even created! Continue to live with God’s Word, seek God through His son Jesus, follow the light of Jesus, and keep on being the fearless and aggressive church of Lord Jesus!

+++++

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. Sharing this Christian piece means spreading the good news of the Lord to others. It can help you save the unsaved and the lost souls out there. Also please consider making a donation to support my publishing of faith articles and CMAs.

If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco/

A Look Back at What If #10 (1990)

A Look Back at What If #10 (1990)

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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, Marvel Comics fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1993 and explore a part of Marvel Comics’ universe through the reimagined tales emphasized in the What If monthly series.

For those of you who have gotten very familiar with Marvel Comics’ vast lineup of superheroes, anti-heroes, super villains and supporting characters, the Punisher is one of the most notable characters as he is the most definitive vigilante the publisher ever has in its shared superhero universe. As a comic book protagonist, the Punisher does “good” in fighting crime but he sure is as bad as the bad guys as he commits torture, issued threats of violence, kidnapping, extortion, coercion and even murder towards them. A major factor in the Punisher’s origin (as Frank Castle) was the killing of his family (wife and two kids) committed by a mob as they witnessed acts of killing in Central Park in New York City. The tragic deaths led Castle to become the Punisher who not only relentlessly waged a personal war against criminals but also often wore dark clothes with a large white skull design on the front of his body. The skull symbolized punishment and death to his enemies.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at What If #10, published in 1990 by Marvel Comics with a story written by Doug Murray and drawn by Rik Levins.

The cover.

Early story

The story begins with the Watcher recalling the time Frank Castle spent with his wife and the two kids at New York City’s Central Park. There, they have fun with their picnic. At this point in time, Frank Castle had previously served his country in the Vietnam War and he carries within him bravery, the experience of violence and vast skills to use weapons.

The weather suddenly worsens as rain starts to fall down causing some inconvenience on the Castle family. Frank’s son struggles as his kite got caught by the large plant nearby. On the other side of the said plant, four armed men and their captive (hanging upside down by the tree) are startled and prepare themselves to shoot anyone who appears.

Frank, who does not realize the mob on the other side of the plant, helps his son get the kite back. The Castle family then decide to go back home not realizing that they came close to discovering and witnessing the illegal activity of the armed men. As the family kept on moving, Frank hears gunfire from a distance…

Quality

Frank Castle the family man.

To get straight to the point about this comic book, it’s story is really engaging and it has noticeable amounts of darkness and grittiness without going overboard. While exploring what would happen had Frank Castle’s family not been killed, the comic book shows the Punisher getting involved in public safety as a New York patrolman which puts him in a unique position facing crime in radically different ways from what we comic book readers have been used to seeing. The story also explores corruption within the police and the justice system as well.

The way the events and action turned out showed the creative team focused on realism while also establishing the Punisher’s own place within the comic book’s alternate portrayal of the shared superhero universe. More on the subject matter of this comic book, there is a twist that surprised me a lot and it is something that you readers should see for yourselves.

Going back to Frank Castle, it is indeed very captivating to see him portrayed a lot more as a family man who really strives to support his wife and kids no matter how dangerous his occupation really is. The aspect of family in this comic book is very significant as it will make you realize that the definition of family in America in the 21st century has been distorted as a result of laws or court decisions that reflected wokeness, homosexuality and unrestrained feminism. In short, woke America’s believers reject the concept of the traditional family and the concept of a father leading the family is considered taboo because it goes against LGBT’s so-called values and principles.

Conclusion

Frank Castle as the police officer.

When you think about the legacy of the Punisher not only on comics but also in movies and other forms of entertainment media, you will often remember a one-man-army against criminals. What If #10 (1990) has is a really unique take on the Punisher and I can say it has a very captivating script brought to life with really good artwork. Not only does this alternate version of the Punisher shows how he affects criminals, but also how he impacts other parts of the fictional New York society within the shared universe of Marvel Comics (note: characters connected to Spider-Man and Daredevil are here). From start to finish, this Punisher tale by the Murray-Levins team turned out to be very engaging to read.

Overall, What If #10 (1990) is highly recommended!

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

A Look Back at On Deadly Ground

A Look Back at On Deadly Ground

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Way back in 1994, Warner Bros. released the action movie On Deadly Ground which marked the directorial debut of its star Steven Seagal. The movie had a poster that easily attracted the attention of avid Steven Seagal fans and eventually the film lured quite a lot of moviegoers to the cinemas.

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Even though it had a boring design, this image at cinemas excited Steven Seagal fans and moviegoers craving for action.

I never saw it in the cinemas due to a lack of time and money. Instead I saw On Deadly Ground on VHS format (and later on cable TV) in the comfort of home. That comfort however turned into disappointment after watching it.

For starters it’s a Steven Seagal movie which guarantees lots of hard-hitting action with lots of swearing. What makes it feel unique was its focus of the environment and its very forced concept about a very greedy top executive of an oil company is creating danger towards the environment as his team rushes to complete an oil rig called Aegis One in Alaska.

The execution of the movie, to say the least, is rather poor. Just about every character in the movie is one-dimensional. When it comes to action, it is typical (and very predictable) Seagal as the star gets to fight lots of bad guys without ever being hurt by them! Ironically Seagal in the film expresses pain over the treatment of his wounds.

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Star-director Steven Seagal and the film crew working on an action sequence.

And then there is the emphasis on the environment. The movie narrowly portrays the fictional oil company as the force of danger to nature and threat to indigenous people of Alaska because it is led by Michael Jennings (played by Michael Caine) who is too greedy and desperate to beat a deadline  and prevent the oil rights from reverting back to native Alaskans.

That’s right! Jenning’s Aegis had the oil rights for twenty years and all they could do is try to launch an oil refinery so near the end of the time period. Does it really take that long to construct an oil rig? What exactly did Jennings do during those twenty years? I mean, he acquired the oil rights from the natives and I could speculate he did not prioritize the construction of any oil-related business project using those same rights. Perhaps Jennings spent years touring the world, suddenly was advised that his corporation has financial trouble and only then did he go to work to make oil rig.

More on the environment, Steven Seagal plays Forrest Taft who initially serves Jennings. He eventually checks the computers of the company to find out that faulty equipment has been used and the delivery of better and more reliable equipment is coming in way too late. Taft even asked Jennings (who eventually learned about Taft’s unauthorized computer access) how much money is enough and this predictably leads to a scene in which Taft gets set up to die in an explosion.

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Michael Caine and Steven Seagal.

Unfortunately for Jennings and the other bad guys, Taft survived and got assistance from native Alaskans. Very predictably, he makes a comeback, collects weapons, performed a few destructive operations before proceeding to Aegis Oil’s rig to cause further destruction and kill bad guys!

Then the film ends with Taft giving a speech at the Alaska State Capitol focused on uncontrolled pollution, environmental destruction and big businesses’ contribution to environmental decline.

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Chinese actress Joan Chen pretending to be a native tribe member.

It’s funny how Taft got to deliver his speech. He was not arrested for causing the oil rig’s devastation nor was held accountable for killing other people. Where were the local authorities who could have initiated an investigation? Even without Michael Jennings, the oil company could have gone to the local authorities or the federal government to accuse Forrest Taft for murder and even acts of terrorism! Also where in the world are those staunch, loudmouth environmental activists, SJWs and climate change activists? The damage caused by Taft on the oil rig clearly caused damage to the natural environment with those toxic fumes from the explosions! Logic was clearly thrown out for the sake of senseless violence.

When it comes to performances, this movie is a showcase of shallow acting and cinematic expressions. Not only are the characters one-dimensional and the script really had no character development, the actors really had no where to go as far as acting is concerned. Chinese actress Joan Chen plays Masu who only serves as the English-speaking expository dialogue delivery person to help the audience understand the norms and concerns of a native tribe. Shari Shattuck  (who is an author and has her own Facebook page) played the pretty, bland and straight-forward special assistant to Michael Jennings. R. Lee Ermey, who is best known for playing military officers, plays the leader of a group of mercenaries who got defeated too easily by Seagal.

In terms of directing and overall presentation, this movie is clearly nothing more than a vanity project of Steven Seagal. There were many moments in the film that looked like it suggested viewers to worship and idolize Seagal. The pacing of the film is very lackluster overall.

Poorly directed scenes? One of them is the excessively violent torture scene of Hugh Palmer (played by a then 73-year-old Richard Hamilton) which showed no restraint on the part of filmmakers. The scene, which was clearly designed to make moviegoers see the evil of Michael Jennings through the acts of his henchmen, would have worked better had the on-screen torture been reduced and shortened.

More on the movie’s violence, the scene showing Forrest Taft easily beating up multiple oil workers in response to the mistreatment towards a native man was unnecessary and overly long. Taft looked more like a senseless superhero who does not care about humanity and laws. And then there was that hand-slap game between him and “the man’s man” Big Mike (Mike Starr). The presentation of violence and bloodily injuring a man as means of enlightenment is senseless.

Ultimately On Deadly Ground is a worthless action to film to watch and I believe only die-hard Steven Seagal fans will love it. It was a very bad movie back in 1994, it’s even worse by today’s standards. On Deadly Ground is filled with bad ideas turned into film. A pro-environment concept presented as a senseless action film is a big waste. And then there is the old stereotype that a giant corporation’s head is unabashedly evil, inhuman and greedy (note: not all corporate heads of billion-dollar corporations are like that).

As such, I should say that you should never waste your time nor your money on this piece of crap.

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Note: This retro movie review was originally published at my old blog Geeks and Villagers. What you just read was the updated and expanded version. As such, this retro movie review is the most definitive version.

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. Also my fantasy book The World of Havenor is still available in paperback and e-book format. 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 as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com