Cody Rhodes as Black Bolt?!

November comes to a close. What better way to mark the occasion than a possibility for the role of Black Bolt. Oh and to write this post via smartphone! 

So whose the latest possibility for the role of Black Bolt according to the interwebs? Why, wrestler Cody Rhodes!

Say what?! You may ask. Well, Marvel hasn't said a thing but apparently Cody is a big and would love to play him in the upcoming eight episode (?!) first season. Sorry, no links. I , er, don't know how to include links on Blogger via smartphone...

Honestly, I think the former Stardust could do a decent job. His recent appearance on Arrow wasn't half bad. Heck, I would love it if he reprised the character later on. Cody has the charisma and build to pull off the role of Black Bolt. Years of wrestling experience required conveying oneself nonverbally. Something that's a must playing the king of the Inhumans. The only catch is would his television spark translate to the Big Screen? Sure, Cody dazzles on the silver screen but could he do so in cinemas worldwide as the Inhumans film has not been scrapped? 

I don't know the answer to that. Cody left the WWE because of glass ceilings. So he hasn't demonstrated if he can shine up at the top. So while I think Cody could do a stellar job as young Black Bolt on the television, how well he can carry a movie as the silent regal monarch eludes me. 

Then again, if such non A-lists stars such as Robert Downey Jr and Chris Pratt can not only carry a Marvel movie while becoming A-list, Cody has a good shot at the role as anyone else. Certainly not deserving of a Michael Keaton-like reaction. Last I recall that Batman wasn't considered a dud

As for my first experience blogging via smartphone? It was... an experience. Not bad. I kept it very simple. More familiarity is a must! Needless to say, I prefer blogging using my PC in the meantime.

Till next time whether it be by phone or PC.

Agents of SHIELD "Deals with Our Devils" Highlights

Gosh, time sure flies! Seems like just yesterday I began the month of November with Halloween-related posts followed up by a celebration of D&D's induction into a toy hall of fame. Now, November ends tomorrow. Quite fitting then on this penultimate evening, my (hope to squeeze one more post in tomorrow) penultimate November post be about highlight post about the latest episode of Marvel's Agents of SHIELD. After all, I did begin the month commenting on the episode that revealed Ghost Rider's origins. Timing is quite impeccable to. The very night of!


Well, here goes. For the curious, each bullet point represents segments between commercial breaks.




I apologize. While writing my Halloween-related posts I goofed and bumped AoS up a season. Probably got confused by my marathon viewing of the fifth season of the Walking Dead. It is actually in its fourth season.




Spoilers










EP 4 - 7 Deals with Our Devils

• Eli creating four separate spear shafts of carbon, killing four agents, and then creating a wall of carbon did an excellent job demonstrating the power Eli now wields. Director Mace agrees with Daisy? What is he up to? The Senator's brother has been locked into the cocoon phase of terragenesis for 7 months! Yep, that's where Simmons is. Meanwhile, Mac goes rogue and rides off on a motorcycle.
• 'Do we look that silly when we are on the comms?' Phil, Fitz, and Robbie have apparently been knocked out of phase into another dimension. They are much further within the other dimension than the ghosts were! Guess, Mace isn't doing a run around by referencing Simmons... although he is trying to save face. 'May, Mac is Ghost Rider now. But you can't hear us.' 'Don't let your brother know...' 'Too late. Sorry, Coulson but if I am to have my vengeance on Eli...'
• Hey Radcliffe turned down reading the Darkhold! Quite a shocker actually... Apparently, the final stage of terragenesis required was a but a touch as Simmons touches the cocoon. Got a hoot out of that. Aida using the Darkhold. Yeah, don't think this will end well... Daisy discovers Mac is now Ghost Rider!
• Ah, Robbie and his car do have a connection! For the first time, Robbie and Ghost Rider have a nice face-to-face conversation. Ah. Aida builds a Darkhold dimensional portal of which only Fitz and Coulson can see the progress. Phil begins to be sucked into the other dimension!
• Finally, Simmons helps the Senator's brother complete the process and begin emerging from cocoon, while saying Gemma's name. She's removed before the process is completed. Aida's portal brings Fitz and Phil back. Robbie makes a new deal with Ghost Rider, which is more favorable to GR, which pulls it out of Mac. Later on, Mac waits for Robbie to emerge from the portal. He agrees to help Robbie-GR exact vengeance on Eli.
• Aida is Darkhold creating a human brain. This can't be good.

Another excellent episode! A strong fall season indeed.


Till next time.

D&D - A 2016 Toy Hall of Fame Inductee...

After my Halloween extended blogging session, I took a little hiatus from blogging. Partially to recharge. Partially because of more serious distractions, ie politics. But I am back to the blogosphere. Quite a bit I want to cover before 2017. What better way to resume than with importance of what one could call an important honorific.


Dungeons & Dragons has been inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame class of 2016! You can read more HERE.


Frankly, while I am ecstatic about the induction, I don't actually consider D&D a toy per se. Honestly, if anything Transformers would have been a more worthy induction in my eyes. A generational thing, probably. While I grew up during the eighties, I also grew up during the nineties. So while I saw advertisements for the D&D game being available in toy shops, I was either too young when the red box was available or the game had been chased out. Supposed satanic influences and all that. My exposure to D&D was within hobby shops and such. Perhaps I am being to close-minded when it comes a Toy Hall of Fame? Perhaps one day, more adult games such as Cards Against Humanity will be inducted? Either that I am just bummed that a toy that played a huge part during my childhood, ie Transformers, didn't make the cut. Oh well, I suppose there's plenty of time for Transformers to be inducted. After all, the kids who were gifted with the Red Box of Dungeons & Dragons are probably in their forties now. So D&D's inclusion is probably a generational thing from those that could find it in a toy aisle to those that had to tromp into the unknown realm of the hobby shop.


Not saying, I didn't encounter D&D in toy form. Or figurine form is more like it. Back when the Dungeons & Dragons cartoon was reaching its nadir, I came across what I thought were D&D figures. I did buy one. Okay, it was bought for me. Don't remember what it was. It was monstrous looking creature wielding what I suppose was a sling. To my consternation, the limbs were not interposable like other action figures. Never saw them again. That was the only time I recall seeing Dungeons & Dragons in a toy aisle. Perhaps the red box was there too.


So Happy Induction into the Toy Hall of Fame D&D! If I am not whole-heartedly embracing the induction, it's due more to awkwardness than anything else.


Happy Gaming.

Halloween '16: MAoS Ghost Rider's Origin and Life Imitates Art

All Souls' Day marks my final official Halloween '16 blog post. As its All Souls' Day and the end of Mexican celebration of the Day of the Dead what better topics than origin Marvel's Agents of SHIELD's Ghost Rider and how a James Bond movie influenced the custom of the Day of the Dead?


Note: I had wanted to squeeze in some more comic book reviews of the comics I picked up Monday as well as Disney's Giant Halloween Hex #1. Alas, that wasn't meant to be as I wasn't quite in the right frame of mind for comic book reading and Giant Halloween Hex is a massive comic! Just flipping through the pages I can definitely tell that I will get my money's worth when I finally read it. So next Halloween?


While I am familiar with the Mexican celebration of the Day of the Dead, which spans from October 31st to November 2nd, I didn't know there is no Mardi Gras-like parade. Those who've seen the most recent James Bond movie, heck if you've seen the trailers, then you've seen the gigantic parade that 007 navigates through during the opening segment of Spectre. So yeah, cultural literacy fail on my part believing that such a spectacle was a normal practice. However, turns out the tourism authorities felt that they were missing out and such a parade was something they should have. So this very year, 2016, marks the very first, Spectre-like, Day of the Dead parade. Talk about life imitating art! As longtime James Bond fan that's simply amazing. You can check out some photos and read more about this amazing, if controversial, development on a Mexican Halloween-ish tradition HERE.




Now for the highlights from the episode that provides the origin for Marvel's Agents of SHIELD Robbie Reyes Ghost Rider:






Spoilers




S5-6 The Good Samaritan

• Show opens with a flashback during which the reactor (really a quantum matter device) creates a piece of carbon out of nothing! During celebrations a tipsy Lucy accidentally mentions a book to Eli. Modern day: Eli says the experiment was a failure as there wasn't enough power. Lucy responds that plenty of power is available at the new site. Eli voices concern that many lives could be at stake.
• Director sends Simmons, blind-folded, on a mission. No one can reach her throughout the episode.
• Gabe is led to believe Robbie is a secret agent...
• Director tell Coulson to prepare to be boarded as he plans to take Quake and Ghost Rider into custody.
• Fitz figures out that the device requires a massive amount of power.
• Han Solo and Admiral Ackbar references!
• Gabe is no slouch. He quickly realizes that the secret agent part is nonsense.
• Origin story time: Robbie was car racing with Uncle Eli's car when he allows Gabe to come along. The car is the same as the Ghost Rider car. They both discuss Uncle Eli not acting like himself, when all of a sudden a Molotov cocktail is thrown onto the hood! A car chase ensues when another car forces Robbie to do a rollover. Gabe's version of events was that while he was paralyzed he knew Robbie was okay when a good Samaritan came along and pulled him out and tended to Robbie. Robbie corrects him. Says that he blamed himself for the mess and that as he was thrown from the car he called out to anyone that he would do anything for his brother to be safe. Then he died. Yep, died. Yeah, pretty sure we can tell a Faustian bargain is coming...
• Origin continued: A classic deal with unsavory forces commences when a voice ask Robbie if he'll do anything to exact to vengeance. Robbie says yes. Then he sees classic Ghost Rider ride up to him on a motorcycle! Er, don't know if this is the demon or Johnny Blaze... Power is granted to him and Robbie becomes the Spirit of Vengeance!
• Director Mace figures out the containment unit is hidden.
• Ghost Rider busts out of the containment unit!
• At first there's a tussle, but Ghost Rider overcomes Director Mace beating him senselessly until Gabe stops him. I admit I marked out.
• Fitz deduces that the only place that could provide enough power was an old Isodyne facility. References to Peggy Carter, SSR, and the Darkforce from season two of Agent Carter!
• 'Must of predated the internet. How'd you ever get things done before then?'
• Flashback: Lucy talks about the book making them like gods while Eli mentions that he knew that attack was meant for him hired by Lucy's husband.
• Lucy - Robbie confrontation which ends rather badly for Ghost Lucy.
• However, before dying we learn that it was Eli that trapped the ghosts inside the chests! That he wanted the Darkhold for the power it could grant him. He actually beat Joseph in order to attain the book.
• May retrieves the Darkhold.
• Meanwhile, the power can't be turned. So while Mac is retrieving one of the perpetual EMP devices that the Watch Dogs used, Phil starts pulling tubing as Eli uses the Quantum Matter Device.
• There's a big wave. Eli emerges able to create a piece of carbon out of nothing!

Have to say the Ghost Rider origin didn't disappoint and for an episode that aired during the Halloween-All Saints' Day-All Souls' Day trifecta it didn't disappoint in terms of supernatural thrills and deals with the devil.  Plus in true Whedon-esque fashion, the Big Bad of the Ghost Rider arc is revealed after a classic betrayal! All in all, a fantastic episode!


With that is my All Souls' Day post and my last Halloween entry until next year. Although I may review Disney's Giant Halloween Hex #1 before next Halloween it'll be just a normal review.


Till next time.

Halloween '16: Samhain/All Saints' Day Reading

After last night's blogging, I spent the rest of Samhain/All Saint's Day reading. In addition to a couple comics, a Punisher story and a manga story, I read a bunch of nonfiction on Halloween, All Saints' Day, All Souls' Day, and archaeology related to them. Alas, I didn't finish reading all the comics I wanted to but tomorrow, which is All Souls' Day - and the final Day of the Dead in Mexico - is another day. Bear with me, the comic reviews are saved of last!


From archaeological perspective, there are studies examing the roots of Halloween in Ireland. In the November/December 2016 issues of Archaeology magazine, there's an excellent article by Erin Mullally called Samhain Revival. Starting in 2014, there have digs in the Hill of Ward, once known as Tlachtga, where there is evidence that ancient Samhain festivals may have been held there for centuries. More of primer article but if one can find it, I heavily recommend reading it. Further studies await and we may even learn Halloween traditions may date back as far as the Neolithic Age at the Hill of Ward! Okay, that last part is pure conjecture at this point but there's evidence of feasting, burning, and one or two burials already. Samhain Revival covers it much, much better than I can. I'd provide the link but I own a deadtree version of the issue in question.


On the topic of links, I did do a little research on All Saints' Day, All Souls' Day, and relation to Halloween. So for those interested in more reference material here they are: (Note: some of them contain video clips for the data-conscious...) A primer on All Souls' Day can found HERE. An excellent primer on All Saints' Day can be found HERE. A third piece from the same Catholic Online site does a great job distinguishing between Halloween, All Saints' Day, and All Souls' Day. You can read it HERE. Turns out there's quite a difference... Finally, I came upon a source discussing how All Saints' Day is celebrated Poland HERE rather interesting particularly with the candles and how similar it is to Mexico's Day of the Dead celebration. There was talk about how nice weather on All Saints' Day serving as an excellent omen for the upcoming year. Speaking of nice weather, the excellent weather today played a significant role in impending my planned comic book reading for the day. Even saw a flock of turkeys!


Speaking of comic reviews here they are:


I am going to only provide a vague outline but some may still consider them Spoilers.








Punisher Annual #1
Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: Feliz Ruiz
Color Artist: Lee Loughride
Cover Artist: I'm assuming its not the variant - Rahzzah. An excellent cover that drew me in of a scarecrow with jack o'lantern for a head wearing a punisher shirt!


Story: One of the Punisher's creators (!) Gerry Conway wrote this story that occurs on Halloween. The Punisher is more a force of nature in this story as the narrator is the lens in which this story of revenge unfolds. Absolutely loved the Halloween nods such as street punks wearing masks, a Masked Ball conducted by the gentry, and some good old-fashioned trick or treating. Alas, the kids trick or treating were tricked! A very topical story includes references to police behavior, racial purity groups, and refugees/cultural inclusion. One could even say it's a story of moral identity!


Overall: One of the Punisher's creators helped craft an excellent Halloween story that is so much more than that as well as a Punisher story that is much, much more than that. 5 out of 5 stars.


Tomie (Halloween Comicfest edition)
by Junji Ito
"Mansion"


Story: A girl is lured to a mansion where all is not what is supposed to be, discovers horror Japanese-style, and manages to escape. I'd explain more but that would ruin it! Let's just say there's some... unexpected disguises and the female demon has very unusual way of projecting some of her abilities...


Overall: An excellent done-in-one, which I am sure will collected in manga format at some point, that does a stellar job in presenting the manga horror series Tomie. Can't say that it was an excellent horror manga enough 5 out of 5 stars.


With that is my All Saints' Day entry.