Story time...
During the start of COVID-time, I decided to I wanted to re-collect some comics I had in the early 1990s. I didn't want reprints, I wanted originals.
I wanted to go through Todd McFarlane's Marvel work, starting with Daredevil #241 thru Spider-Man #16 (and then Image's Spawn #1-#25 plus the Violator 3-issue series)... and if you know about his run there, well... there were some pricy titles to collect. However, I wanted to do it, so I did it...
Also, due to COVID-time and my disability, I haven't left the apartment aside from medical appointments, voting and a few random times going out for food and eating outdoors [for the vast majority of the time]. We're both take it quite seriously because I really don't need to get any more sick than I am already. Yes, we're always masking when not in the apartment (and sometimes in the apartment when we have contractors coming in to do work). And we're diligent about as well. We haven't gotten sick yet.
(tldr; I basically haven't left the house unless I had to since Nov. 2020)
Fast forward to 2023 and after some life altering events, we decided to order VIP passes for Calgary Comics+Entertainment Expo, all 4 days. We figured with the early access our odds of not "getting sick" were okay. And also to save my leg from too much stress, we planned to rent a wheelchair.
Fast forward to 2024 and we have our VIP passes to the Calgary Comics+Entertainment Expo... and then McFarlane was announced as a late guest. I thought to myself, sure... I'll get an autograph. I can do that.
But as time ticked on, I felt like naaaah... there are bigger fans who could use waiting in line more than myself. An autograph would be nice but I didn't need one.
Then Fan Expo runs a VIP only context to win free autographs from him. Well then! That I could sign up for. My beloved partner, also a big comics book fan (more on the X-Men side of things [and she was able to get all of the X-Men '97 guests who were here, along with the original animated series Producer and Director autographs... and a selfie with Beast!]), also entered.
We both won (of course I'd get ticket 23... she got 24).
Now I needed to pull some "cool covers" so that we could make some choices (picture 1, above).
She chose Spider-Man #12 (and diligently read that 5-book series to get prepared for the day). I wanted to do Spider-Man #8 (for the very local tie-in) but we didn't exactly need two books signed from that series. So... what to choose, what to choose...
Amazing Spider-Man #311 (and it didn't even make the short list... not in the 1st pic) got the pick. It is a cool cover to be sure but I chose it for the nod to late 1980s Cowboy/Western fashion... and since I've grown up in Calgary, I was very aware of that reference (annual cowboy cosplay celebrations tend to do that... yay Calgary Stampede! [hey, if the comic+entertainment fandom has cosplay for CCEE, why not call the say the same sort of thing for the Stampede... this isn't a negative thing]).
When I told McFarlane why I chose the book I did, I got a chuckle and an "Oh wow!".
The only downside is that due to my disability I'm unable to attend day 4 but my beloved partner gets enjoy a day without pushing me around in a wheelchair (averaging over 9000 steps each of the 3 days)... give her arms and legs a big of a break.
But we did get quite lucky in our timings for things and we appreciated the experiences.
So long as we don't "get sick" and recovery time for this body o'mine doesn't take too long, then I think we can plan to attend again next year.
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Castlevania - Netflix - July 7, 2016 - May 13, 2020
Animated / Supernatural (32 episodes)
Running Time: 30 minutes
Voice Stars:
Richard Armitage as Trevor Belmont
James Callis as Adrian "Alucard" Țepeș
Graham McTavish as Vlad Dracula Țepeș (seasons 1–2, 4)
Alejandra Reynoso as Sypha Belnades
Matt Frewer as The Bishop (seasons 1–2)
Emily Swallow as Lisa Țepeș (seasons 1–2, 4)
Tony Amendola as The Elder (season 1)
Theo James as Hector (seasons 2–4)
Adetokumboh M'Cormack as Isaac (seasons 2–4)
Jaime Murray as Carmilla (seasons 2–4)
Peter Stormare as Godbrand (season 2)
Jessica Brown Findlay as Lenore (seasons 3–4)
Rila Fukushima as Sumi (season 3)
Jason Isaacs as The Judge (season 3)
Yasmine Al Massri as Morana (seasons 3–4)
Ivana Miličević as Striga (seasons 3–4)
Navid Negahban as Sala (season 3)
Bill Nighy as Saint Germain (seasons 3–4)
Toru Uchikado as Taka (season 3)
Gildart Jackson as Flyseyes (seasons 3–4)
Lance Reddick as The Captain (season 3)
Barbara Steele as Miranda (season 3)
Malcolm McDowell as Varney (season 4)
Toks Olagundoye as Zamfir (season 4)
Marsha Thomason as Greta of Danesti (season 4)
Titus Welliver as Ratko (season 4)
Christine Adams as The Alchemist (season 4)
Matthew Waterson as Dragan (season 4)
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Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham will be released on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and Digital on March 28 via Warner Bros. The all-new animated DC animated movie is based on the 2000 comic miniseries by Mike Mignola, Richard Pace, and Troy Nixey.
Christopher Berkeley (Young Justice) and Sam Liu (Batman: The Killing Joke) co-direct from a script by Jase Ricci (Teen Titans Go! & DC Super Hero Girls: Mayhem in the Multiverse).
It stars David Giuntoli as Batman, Tati Gabrielle as Kai Li Cain, Christopher Gorham as Oliver Queen, Patrick Fabian as Harvey Dent, John DiMaggio as James Gordon, and David Dastmalchian as Grendon.
The voice cast also includes Gideon Adlon as Oracle, Karan Brar as Sanjay Tawde, Jeffrey Combs as Kirk Langstrom, Darin De Paul as Thomas Wayne, Brian George as Alfred, Jason Marsden as Dick Grayson & Young Bruce Wayne, Navid Negahban as Ra’s al Ghul, Emily O’Brien as Talia al Ghul & Martha Wayne, Tim Russ as Lucius Fox, William Salyers as Cobbelpot & Professor Manfurd, and Matthew Waterson as Jason Blood/Etrigan.
Read on for the special features, trailer, and synopsis.
Special features:
Audio commentary by director Sam Liu, writer Jase Ricci, and more
Batman: Shadows of Gotham featurette
Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham is a 1920s-based tale that finds explorer Bruce Wayne accidentally unleashing an ancient evil, expediting his return to Gotham City after a two-decade hiatus. The logic/science-driven Batman must battle Lovecraftian supernatural forces threatening the sheer existence of Gotham, along the way being aided and confronted by reimagined versions of his well-known allies and enemies, including Green Arrow, Ra’s al Ghul, Mr. Freeze, Killer Croc, Two-Face, James Gordon and Bruce’s beloved wards. Prepare for a mystical, often terrifying Batman adventure unlike any other.
Pre-order Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham.
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My Thoughts on X-Men 97 Episode 5 Remember It
Wow this was a fucking awesome episode, It was so Intense, shocking and emotional and I still haven't gotten over it, even watching it a few times hasn't helped but I do love it. I'm certainly going to remember this episode for a very, very long time.
I was actually planning to watch it on my break at work, but I forgot my iPad and as I didn't want to look at spoilers, I just watch tv and didn't even look on my phone. It was good thing I did watch it when I got home, otherwise I wouldn't been able to concentrate.
Spoilers
I didn't realise how dark this show was going to become, it took me by surprise. I thought the matureness would be a bit less than Young Justice season 3 and 4, I was totally wrong.
I knew that there were multiple massacre and genocide events in the comics. Watching it on TV, especially an animated show, hits you differently than reading it in comics and it mirrors real life tragic events, it was very shocking.
It was such a brilliant well written episode, it delivered some powerful dialogue. The shift in tone worked brilliantly.
Loved the animation, some of it was breath-taking.
The voice acting was brilliant, A.J. LoCascio, Lenor Zann and Matthew Waterson were amazing. Lenor Zann deserves an award.
The score was breath-taking. I loved the Ace of Base song, Happy Nation, it's now stuck in my head. I never even heard this song before, the only 2 songs I know from Ace of Base is, I Saw the Sign and All That She Wants. I've now downloaded this song.
When I rewatch this episode, it makes me sad seeing all these mutants being so happy and free, not knowing about to turn tragic later.
It was great seeing Nightcrawler again, I also liked seeing cameo's of other mutants. Dazzler, Bomb Bomb, Arc Angel, Marrow, Multiple Man ect, (sorry I'm not clear on other mutant names).
So on the council, is Emma Frost, Shaw, Moria, Banshee, Calisto and Madelyne. I just love Emma's bitchy remarks throughout the episode.
Jean kissing Wolverine didn't feel awkward to me, as it does happen in the comics, so I'm not going to make a big deal about it.
I do hope that Jean and Cyclops do sort there issues out, they are my favourite couple. Scott and Maddy's psychic rapport moment was definitely a reference to Scott and Emma's psychic affair in the comics.
I love Beast's reaction, when Scott and Jean were arguing.
I do love that Scott was concerned for Jean when she had that psychic attack.
I like the flashback, how Rogue met Magneto. Luckily it was confirmed, she met him when she was in her 20s.
I do feel for Rogue and can understand what's she's going through, she wants skin to skin contact but can't do that with Gambit.
I do feel sorry for Gambit but he was mature and respected Rogue's decision to be with Magneto.
I didn't notice The Watcher, on the first watch.
I know a lot of people think that Val Cooper is Mystique but unless Wolverine lost his sense of smell in the 1st two episodes, it can't be her.
Very powerful lines:-
Valerie Cooper "Most other nations don't allow a terrorist become their leader"
Magneto "Yet so many allow their leaders to be terrorists"
I thought Rogue was really pretty in that dress.
Magneto and Rogue steamy dance and kiss did feel awkward at first but I got used to it when I watched the episode multiple times.
Rogue realises she loves Gambit and rejects Magneto and she understands what Gambit said to her that 'Some things are deeper than skin'
Ok this is the moment that I knew something bad was going to happen (I didn't notice the Watcher). Madelyne had her psychic attack causing her nose to bleed (and we see Jean's nose was bleeding too). Maddy's vision in the 1st episode was actually foreshadowing this horrific event.
I thought the music being slowed down was a nice touch and felt very haunting.
Great to see Cable again and voiced by Chris Potter, Gambit's voice actor from the original show.
When he said 'not again' does this mean this wasn't the 1st time he's tried to warn everyone about the upcoming attack.
When Madelyne realised Cable is her son and Cable disappears back to the future, saying he was sorry, that was pretty heart-breaking.
Wow that 1st attack, that blast, poor Maddy, she didn't stand a chance.
That blast caused Rogue and Magneto to be thrown quite far out
I just love the animation and sounds when Rogue was regaining consciousness.
I was bit surprised by the amount of blood and cuts on Rogue. Magneto didn't have any injuries at all, until later.
Rogue's and Magneto's reactions was perfect, they were shocked and confused at what was going on, they just stood there watching, you can even here the fear in Rogue's voice when she sees Banshee being vapourised. Kurt had to risk his life to save them.
OMG!! I actually thought Kurt had died, I was relieved that when Gambit checked his pulse, he was still alive.
Rogue, Gambit and Magneto, were absolutely brilliant, Gambit and Magnet were both badass.
When Rogue and Gambit went to save the Morlocks, the score gave me goosebumps. Seeing them side by side was great.
Magneto starts having these flashbacks of death and destruction, including a flashback of the concentration camp, he then goes on a rampage and attacks the Wild Sentinel using a train as a whip.
Gambit saving the Morlocks, was obviously a reference to the Morlock Massacre when he betrayed them but this time he saved them. The music made me think, everything was going to be ok but it was all false hope.
When the wild sentinel detected a omega threat mutant, was that at Leech?
I just love that Magneto protected Gambit and Rogue, used metal debris to cover them.
I just love the way Rogue and Magneto were looking at each other.
Magneto telling Leech 'don't be afraid' in German, was gut wrenching.
I was in shock when Magneto and the Morlocks were vapourised. But I do have a sliver of hope that they might have survived.
Then I see Rogue that I've never seen before, there is no score, just hear a heartbeat.
She's in tears, full of rage and fury and she wants revenge but she not thinking straight and goes she to attack the Wild Sentinel.
Gambit knows she won't make it and has to save her, he throws his charged up bike into her, to get her out of the way of the Wild Sentinel blast.
The Wild sentinel then targets mutants at the Gardens and Gambit has to save them, so he goes after the wild sentinel but then he's impaled and I almost scream, I was in shock.
What I love about Gambit that he still has his sence of humour and he uses his power to blow up the Wild Sentinel, saving the suvivivors.
Then we cut back to the Mansion with the others watching the events on the news, all in shock.
Then back in Genosha, Rogue is crying and cradling Gambit in her arms, then it fades to black and we hear Rogue say 'I, I can't feel you'. I was in tears.
Even the end credit score was very sombre
What was even more sadder, is that Rogue never got to tell Gambit, she chose him over Magneto.
I love Rogue, she's one of my favourite female characters (next to Jean) so seeing her like this was heart braking. I hope she will be ok, I'm going to be really worried about her.
I know that a lot Marvel characters don't stay dead, so I do have some hope that Gambit and Magneto ect will be alive by the end of the season, keeping my fingers crossed.
So the death list is Maddy, Banshee, Marrow, Shaw, Moira, Dazzler, Callisto, Gambit and possible Magneto and the other Morlocks. I assume Emma survives using her diamond form.
I do have a feeling that Bastion is responsible for the genocide on Genosha.
This was only the 5th episode!!! and apparently just warm up, something even worse is going to happen in the last 3 episodes. What could be worse than a genocide on Genosh and major character deaths??????
The next episode, Lifedeath part 2 won't be much of breather episode either, apparently it's going to be scary and creepy.
I have to say this episode has dethroned The Red Wedding.
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