Tales Of Suspense #82-Who Is The Real Captain America?

Captain America takes on the Adaptoid.  In Marvel Comics Tales Of Suspense #82 the shape shifting, power-copying Adaptoid is introduced.  

In the story Captain America is suddenly jumping through time and facing past foes in rapid succession only to have them disappear. Disoriented, dazed and exhausted Cap passes out in the arms of The Avengers’ butler, Jarvis.

Only it’s not Jarvis but an android that had recently escaped from a secret scientific compound operated by A.I.M.

The android, known as an Adaptoid, disguises itself as Jarvis and as Cap sleeps it assumes his form and takes over his identity.

The Adaptoid would later become a deadly foe of The Avengers and assume the identify of The Super-Adaptoid.

In the second part of an Ironman tale, ol’ Shellhead battles The Titanium Man who not only is stronger but faster as well.  All looks lost as The Titanium Man threatens to electrocute Pepper Potts unless Ironman surrenders.

I love these old Silver Age issues.  They always managed to pack a lot of story into each issue.  Not only were the stories and art awesome but the advertisements, letters pages and sneak peeks were just a much fun to read and look at.  Make Mine Marvel!

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NKJV) “Rejoice always,  pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Character Montage

 Here's montage sketch of my various
characters I made this morning.

 

Tides

Ada Hughes worked at the docks cleaning fish and as a waitress to make ends meet.

After her mother passed away her fisherman father became despondent.

He began to drink, was unable to find work and became angry, often taking his rage out on his kids: Ada and her two brothers.

One day, after Ada took the blows from her dad meant for her brother, she visited a high school friend. He and his girlfriend offered some comfort.

After his last fit her father stormed out, got drunk and was missing. Coincidentally children were missing in Ada’s sleepy fishing village. Also two strangers appeared in town.

Ada’s friend offered to help her find her dad. They found him. He was at the beach and he was terrified. He claimed he spotted a monster from the sea.

And so it began.

Tides is a short novella but packs quite a punch. After only a few pages I felt like I knew the characters. With only a few phrases author Patricia Morais drew me into the story. I was hooked.

What started out as a story about a troubled family escalated into much more.

Ada found a strength within herself she never knew she possessed. After the horror she experienced she discovered a new purpose for her life.

I’m excited to see where her newfound destiny will take her.

Black Canary #1-Who Is Sin?

She’s been around since the 1940s (or at least a version of her).  Black Canary is a superb fighter and possesses the ability to shatter eardrums and other objects with her sonic scream.

2007's Issue #1 from DC Comics starts out when Black Canary and Green Arrow first started working together as a team while members of The Justice League of America.

The lady in black leather and fishnet stockings was not impressed with Green Arrow’s bravado and blatant sexism.  Things changed over the next 10 years.

Dinah (Black Canary) and Oliver (Green Arrow) are about to be married.

Dinah sits in a cafe with a young girl named Sin whom she rescued from being a trained assassin.

When one of the kids bullies Sin she retaliates.  The restaurant’s play area (and the restaurant for that matter) will never be the same.

Dinah takes Sin to a hotel.  Sin goes to get ice and meets a man who seems overly friendly.  Dinah clobbers him only to realize that he is her ex-husband.

A smooth talker he convinces Dinah to agree to help him with some ‘trouble’ he has gotten into-the taking a loan from bad guys kind of trouble.

Dinah reluctantly shows up and saves him.

Later he arrives at a swanky office of his ‘employer’--someone who has a beef with Green Arrow.  Any guesses as to whom it is?

Things are get interesting and as the 4-part mini-series continues Dinah, Ollie and Sin find themselves in some pretty precarious situations.

What makes this mini-series so important is that it delves into both Dinah’s and Ollie’s pasts and sets up their wedding.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NKJV) “To everything there is a season,A time for every purpose under heaven:..”

Adrian Turner On Goldfinger-The Best Bond Film?

Of all the James Bond films Goldfinger is the ‘gold’ standard by which all other Bond films are measured.

Goldfinger firmly established the ‘formula’ for Bond films for decades to come.

Goldfinger is by far my favorite James Bond film with Skyfall close behind it.

Sean Connery will always be the ultimate James Bond.  After all he set the pace and the look of the character.

Goldfinger set the precedent for all Bond movies that followed.  Key elements were introduced or played up from previous films.  They included:

• A separate introductory mission completely separate from the main movie plot.  In this instance Bond destroying a cocaine operation.
• The trademark gun barrel opening graphic leading into a film theme song (Goldfinger by Shirley Easton is still considered one of the best).
• An opening title sequence with lots of scantily clad women.
• Tongue-in-cheek humor.
• Bond’s banter with Q, Moneypenny and M.
• Gadgets of all sorts-including a customized gadget laden car.  The Aston Martin in the film is now the most famous car in the world.
• A maniacal, genius and ego-driven madman villain bent on world domination of one sort of another.
• His formidable head henchmen.  In Goldfinger Oddjob set the tone for all the following bad guy henchmen.
• A car chase.
• A bad girl who goes good after being seduced by James Bond (Pussy Galore).
• A elaborate high-tech villain lair.
• An army of trained killers financed by the villain.
• Lots of explosions and fights.
• The final confrontation between Bond and the villain, who is always killed.
• Bond getting the girl at the end of the film.

In Adrian Turner On Goldfinger Bloomsbury Movie Guide No. 2  the Goldfinger film is examined from head to toe.

Cast, crew, locations, gadget, villains, women, fashion, production, location scouting and other production tidbits fill the book.

Readers learn little known facts about the film from in back and in front of the camera and so much more.

It’s an extremely comprehensive book about what many consider the best James Bond film ever made.  Throw in archival photos and the book deliver like a martini “shaken not stirred”.

Philippians 4:19 (NKJV) “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

The First Avenger? Captain America : Avenger-Hero-Icon

He’s known by many names: The First Avenger, The Star-Spangled Super Soldier, The Sentinel of Liberty and Ol’ Shield Slinger.

Regardless of his moniker Captain America is America’s premiere patriot hero and he’s been around since just before World War II.

Joe Simon and Jack Kirby created Cap and his sidekick Bucky. After the war ended both Captain America and Bucky disappeared for awhile.

In the early 1950s they resurfaced as warriors against communism but after too short a time they disappeared once again.

In the mid-1960s Stan Lee and Jack Kirby brought Captain America back and he has been a key character in the Marvel Comics Universe ever since then starring not only in his own titles, but as Avenger and even in his own Marvel movies.

Captain America: Avenger-Hero-Icon, by Rich Johnson and published by Universe, and Marvel examines and chronicles the long and illustrious life of the First Avenger.

There have been books written about Captain America before but this book is unique in its approach.

Starting with Cap’s WWII exploits when he had a posited shield an dis face mask only cover the upper part of his face, the book then jumps a year or so forward depicting the introduction of Bucky Barnes.

Cleverly broken down by military rank the book starts out with private, to corporal to sergeant to captain. Along the way the book chronicles cap’s career over the decades using different Captain America mini-series and storylines as reference.

This is a truly gorgeous book with its striking Captain America throwning his shield cover to the various full color comic book covers and interiors art.

Look for notable artists like Alex Ross, John Byrne, John Romita, Jr. Michael turner, Sal Buscema, Jim Steranko, Jack Kirby and other top talent contributing art.

The deluxe hardbound book is brimming with page-after-page of beautiful full color art, in-depth and informative text and key moments from Cap’s long career.

It is the ultimate Captain America book lovingly compiled and chronicled.

1 Corinthians 13:13 (NIV) ^“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.“

The Magnificent '60s

The 1960s witnessed big changes in the United States (and the world for that matter). The race riots, assassinations of three key political figures, the war in Vietnam, the counter-culture movement, women’s rights-the list goes on and on.

One of the key proponents of change was the type of movies made. Social and political changes, advances in visual and physical effects, the deterioration of the studio systems and the unrest of the American culture and questioning of societal norms all came into play at the movies.

The 1960s were a time when movie-makers embraced change. No longer did they produce films that were ‘safe’. Often the movies filmed were shocking, revolutionary, daring and controversial.

A new generation of movie stars emerged-all with a revolutionary, anti-establishment slant such as Steve McQueen, Dustin Hoffman, Barbara Streisand, Sean Connery and others.

Subject matters in films tackled previously hush hush subjects and did so openly and with bravado.

The times they were a changing and The Magnificent ’60’s, written by Brian Hannan and published by McFarland & Company Inc., Publishers, goes into great details about the 100 most popular films of a revolutionary decade.

From comedies, to dramas, science fiction and every other genre imaginable the book examines them all and also includes and extensive Notes section.

Isaiah 41:10 (NKJV) “Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’”

Spy Vs Spy The Complete Casebook-Is Cuba Responsible?

What happens when political cartoonist Antonio Prohias flees Cuban when it fell to Fidel Castro and the Communists?  Why he moves to the United States of course and joins MAD Magazine’s usual bunch of idiots.

He created Spy Vs. Spy the hilarious illustrated  hi-jinx of two spies: one dress all n white an done in all black, who were constantly trying to outwit, eliminate and one-up each other.

It was never clear as to what countries they represented-but it really didn’t matter.

I vividly remember the Cuban Missile conflict, The cold War and the imminent threat of nuclear annihilation.

It seemed like spies and international espionage was everywhere.

Practically you heard or read about Russia or foreign agents spies being discovered, covert activities uncovered and the tension between the United states, the U.S.S.R. and Cuba at the breaking point.

It was a scary time to be alive because you never knew when your next day might be your last.

That’s why Spy Vs. Spy was a welcome humorous relief.

The Spy Vs. Spy The Complete Casebook, published by Watson-Guptill,  opens with a lengthy piece about the artist's life and some personal memories from his son.

From there the book introduces readers to Prohias’s pre-MAD artwork and then transitions into his early work for MAD.

The oversize softbound book contains dozens of Spy Vs. Spy black and white strips through the decades.

It also includes the artist’s non-Spy work as well as his color work when MAD magazine began printing in full color.

It’s an impressive collection of work crated by a man who suffered personal loss, witnessed the takeover of his country and still managed to find humor despite his hardships.

With the current tension in politics and the international stage Spy Vs. Spy is as relevant today as it was when it was first introduced.

Spy Vs. Spy was one of my favorite MAD strips as I grew up reading the magazine.  It amazed me then and now how with such a simple premise the artist was about to come up with new and unique scenarios that still seemed fresh and contemporary.

2 Corinthians 10:4 (KJV) “(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)”

Star Trek Lower Decks Season 2-The Best Trek?

Just when you thought it was safe to travel to the stars the crew of the U.S.S. Cerritos is back and the Federation of Planets will never be the same.

The animated series finds it’s lower deck personal and officers in their usual state of confusion, insubordination and trouble.

The animated series looks at the funnier side of Starfleet yet still manages to address some current social ills albeit disguised as sci-fi.

Here’s just a few things to look for in the Star Trek Lower Decks Season 2 Blu-ray ten-episode collection from CBS/Paramount:

• An ancient defense system. 
• A crew member with god-like powered.
• Unexpected cloning.
• Mugatos and Ferengi.
• An out of control duplicating alien.
• A ritual loss of virginity.
• A spacewalk repair mission.
• An emotional Vulcan.
• An unwanted promotion.
• A suspicious cybernetic implant and much more.

Get ready to beam up, put your Phaser on stun, break out your Tricorder and open all hailing frequencies as you explore space with the crew of the U.S.S Cerritos.

Blu-ray extras include of one hour of special features such as featurattes, a Decktionary, Eater Eggs and Animatics.

Matthew 24:42 (NKJV) “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.”

 

Who Will Survive The Nightmare?

 

Once in a while a story title comes along that perfectly describes the subject matter written about.

That’s just the case with the title ‘Nightmare’ as written for the classic science fiction anthology TV series The Outer Limits.

The story concerns six U.S. military personnel who are captured by an alien invading force called The Ebonites.

The horrifying winged bat like creatures subject the Earthmen to horrible experiments and torture-but are The Ebonites the real villains or is there a more sinister forces at play?

The Ebonite figure comes packaged in Sideshow Collectible’s flip lid display box with duo-tone photos of the creature decorating all sides.

On the inside flip lid is a description of The Outer Limits Nightmare storyline and opposite of it is The Ebonite figure with accessories snug in their form fitting plastic cocoon and covered by a clear sheet of plastic for protective and viewing.

The figure comes dressed in a full body black leotard including stockings and black cuffs.

Its hands look like black metal with silver highlights around the joints.

Around The Ebonite’s neck is a large and wide necklace with spaced raised areas.

It’s face is extremely angular with a pointed chin, pronounced cheek bones, a heavy brow with sunken eye sockets and a bald head with a ridge running from its brow to the back of its head.

Small deep-set eyes look even more intimidating because the white of the eyes seems pronounced because of the creature's black features.

Light gray bat wings attach to the Ebonites arms, run down its torso on the sides and culminate and its ankles.

Included with the figure are a base and stand for posing, a wand and a small electronic device with a dial and light.

Both the wand and device fit easily into The Ebonite’s pre-positioned hands.

Clothing is form fitted but moves easily with the figure without bunching or binding.

Color application is clean, smooth, has no rough edges or smears and captures the highlights and dark areas of the creature’s face and hands.

Isaiah 55:10-11 (KJV) “For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”

Stream This Next 1,000 TV Shows To Suit Your Mood-What's Your Choice?

Have you ever caught yourself sitting around your house flipping through various TV shows or staring at your computer screen trying to decide what to watch streaming?

We’ve all been there. There are literally thousands of TV shows, documentaries, movies and other video streaming specials to choose from. How do you pick the ones you want to watch?

Westerns, mysteries, crime, drama, comedies, horror, science fiction, fantasy, reality, documentaries--how do you choose?

Here’s a suggestion-watch something that suits your mood.

The new book from Universe (edited by Liane Bonin Starr): Stream This Next 1,000 TV Shows To Suit Your Mood offers the perfect choices for you to select.

What I have discovered that was so intriguing and beneficial about the book is the way it is laid out.

TV genres are organized by type from classic TV shows to new shows. Each description is short and precise and inspires you to look for other shows of similar type.

Whether you’re looking to kill a few hours alone, binge watch with friends or try something new this book is an invaluable guide to the best-of-the-best TV series.

There are not enough hours in the day to peruse every TV show ever shown. Just researching each show could take weeks or months. Who has that much time to spare?

This book makes it easy. Photos are included in the book and short little suggestions listed with each show helps you choose the right ones for the particular mood you are in.

It’s a wonderful guide to classic and new TV shows with just enough information to prompt you to explore shows you may have never seen before.

1 Corinthians 13:4 (NIV) “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.”

Darkstar #1

DC Comics Darkstar characters always seemed to me to be second tier Green Lanterns.  Issue #1 delves more into the mission and operations of the Darkstars.

What makes the series especially interesting is that after the series began a new, young artist took over the pencils.  That artist, Travis Charest, would soon blossom into one of the most accomplished illustrators in the industry.

In the first issue Darkstar, Sata-breath is starting to find his occupation a bore.

He’s dispatched to a distant planet to thwart a pack of alien thugs from committing a kidnapping.

He returns home to his base and is reprimanded by his superior for his lackluster performance.

His next assignment takes him to Earth. He discovers a certain criminal organization is in cahoots with a nasty alien crime lord.

While investigating the criminal activities the Darkstar reluctantly takes on a human partner to aid him in his assignment to stop the human/alien drug cartel.

It’s a pretty cut and dry story-at first.  Things get interesting in the last two pages when the police come face to face with a giant alien killer.

Darkstar had a lot of potential but never really caught on with readers.  It struggled in its print run eventually disappearing from shelves.

2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV) “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

Spectres #1s

The Spectre has changed little over the decades since he was first created back in the Golden Age of comic books.  

DC Comics Spectre’s powers have grown over the years, as has his mission

Today he is one of the most powerful supernatural beings in the DC Universe.  That was not always the case.

In 1987 The Spectre returns to earth for vengeance as drawn by Gene Colan.  This version is the Spectre at his most powerful and most fantastic.

In 2002 The Spectre gets a little more down to earth and returns to his original purpose-the punishment of criminals in the most horrific means possible.

Things get shook up as a new human host is chosen for the Spectre and he’s not happy about it in 2006.

Despite what version of The Spectre you choose DC Comics has a knack for never quite knowing what to do with him and that’s a shame.

Considering he is one of the most powerful beings in the DC Universe and the master of the supernatural you would think he would be used more.

The only writer (in my opinion) who really hit the nail on the head as far as The Spectre goes was Alan Moore  The man understood the nether realm and used The Spectre to his full potential.

Join him up with The Phantom Stranger, Etrigan The Demon, Deadman, The Swamp Thing, Animal Man, Zatanna, Cain and Abel, The Three Witches, John Constantine and other classic supernatural beings and The Spectre could be the central character guiding the others to their various adventures.  Throw in Eclipso and other supernatural baddies and the series could be a hit.

DC has sort of approached that angle with its Justice League Dark.

Let’s hope The Spectre soon receives the attention he is due and deserves.

Deuteronomy 6:5 (NIV) “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”

The Making Of The Empire Strikes Back

By far my favorite Star Wars film is Chapter 5: The Empire Strikes Back.

Everything clicked in the film: the acting, special effects, soundtrack, practical effects, sets, costumes, direction--everything.  Most Star Wars fans agree.

A have large number of books about Star Wars are in my collection.  Of those there are about a half dozen that I consider the cream of the crop.  This book is one of them.

The Empire Strikes back was the second Star Wars movie released.

What makes Empire so unusual and special is that it was completely different in tone from the first film.  Empire is considered the ‘dark’ film of the original Trilogy.

George Lucas handed off the direction of the movie to Irwin Kirshner (a brillaint move on his part) and it shows.

Character development is much more insightful, the action sequences bigger in scale and the overall look of the film much more epic.

What impresses me most about the The Making Of The Empire Strikes Back book is the sheer volume of information and photos contained. Both publicity and behind-the-scenes photos (some never seen before) along with exhaustive and highly descriptive text make the book both a visual and reading treasure.

The huge oversize hardbound book with a dust jacket is written and compiled by J.W. Rinzler and published by Ballantine Books.

Alien director Ridley Scott provides the foreword.

The book is the most comprehensive examination of the film ever published in my opinion.

Page after page contains photos of pre-post and final production of actors, action sequences, lighting setups, set prep, deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes and more.

Comprehensive text delves into every aspect of making the film from designs of the sets, costumes, etc, to script rewrites, direction, music, practical and visual effects--the entire gamut of producing a block buster film.

This is a book that you can spend literally hours looking over the art and photos, delving into the text and immersing yourself into the sheer volume of work that went into making the film.

A New Hope and Return Of The Jedi also have similar books.

Isaiah 41:10 (NIV) "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Upcoming!! Diamond Previews, July 2022