PLDT Sucks

I've been applying for a DSL connection at home for the past three weeks, but still nothing. No wonder, I'm applying with the good ol' PLDT. These guys are probably the most inefficient bastards to run a phone company. Three weeks and still 'no cable' available. FUCK THAT!
If I could, I'd get another DSL connection elsewhere. Already trying. Anyway, I've already heard tons of horror stories about PLDT DSL- long hours of no connection and downtime. Maybe it's a blessing that it's taking forever. Maybe this is a sign I have to get my hi-speed internet somewhere else. FEH.

Tomb Raider Reloaded


Lara Croft returns in a big way this April.

I've been a Tomb Raider fan ever since the first game came out in the mid-nineties. It was a cool game, and the idea of having a female heroine in the driver's seat was pretty revolutionary at the time. Since then, I've played several of the games, seen both of the movies (both of which mostly sucked except for the casting of Angelina Jolie) and generally saw the rise and fall of a videogame icon. Yeah, Lara got her time in the limelight and is the object of admiration, affection and lust of countless gamers, but the games just got blander, the storylines more muddled and she just seemed to drift off into obscurity. The last TR game, Angel of Darkness, didn't do well and the failure of the second movie made plans for the third picture a bit unclear. Lara was on bad times.

But that all may change with the upcoming new game, Tomb Raider Legend. This time being produced by a new gaming developer, Crystal Dynamics, and backed by the original Lara Croft creator Toby Gard (who ironically was shut out of the previous TR games until now). TRL gives Lara a new coat of paint- she looks sexier and finer than ever, yet the designers still made it a point to give her a stylized look to emulate the original design instead of making her too realistic. The increased number of polygons also comes with a lessening of the bumpers- Lara's still hot, but the T&A isn't as blatant this time.
Aside from the cosmetic changes, Lara also comes with a whole new way of playing. Gone are the tank-like controls so Lara can now run, leap, climb, shimmy, swing and sneak with the greatest of ease. The gameplay is also now based on a new physics engine, and puzzles will supposedly be more puzzle solving than switch-finding. Also improved is the combat- Lara's fighting skills are improved with better targetting and even some Matrix-like moves to slow down time and target enemies even better. Slick stuff.

The new game also revitalizes/revamps the Tomb Raider story, starting from Lara's origins and taking the character on from there. The story will reportedly involve Lara's confronting an event in her past that has haunted her to the present day- the death of her mother. She will also cross swords with an old friend-turned enemy, and go across the world in a quest for a mysteirous artifact.
Stages will include actual tombs and ruins in Bolivia and Peru, as well as some urban settings. Aside from her usual Tombraiding get-up, Lara will slip into a sexy black cocktail dress to take on the Yakuza in Tokyo.

Tomb Raider Legend will be coming out early this April for the PS2, Xbox, PSP, Xbox360 and PC. I'll be sure to grab at least two of these versions (I'll try to grab a copy of the 360 game if I can) as soon as they become available. The game's already gotten a couple of top reviews in some game mags recently, so it looks to be a lot of cool gaming this April, and that's no joke. WOOHOO!!!!

Brokeback

WHY is there suddenly a proliferation of cowboy hats on the street these days? Is it all because of Brokeback Mountain? I saw a vendor hawking these black cowboy hats on the road a couple of days ago. This morning, a guy walked past me wearing one. So, is he being a cowboy or is he proclaiming he's gay? Has he even watched the movie and knows the significance of the new headgear? Hmmm.
But then again, it may be all just a coincidence and the appearance of cowboy hats is just a sign of the summer. Maybe. Right.

Victorious


Out of sight but never out of mind. You never see him, but Hugo Weaving is all V.

Last Sunday I got to watch V for Vendetta, the film adaptation of the comics and eventual graphic novel by Alan Moore and David Lloyd. I haven't yet read the actual comics, but I may soon thanks to the film. Set in a near-future England ruled by a fascist, totalitarian government that rules by fear, misinformation and brutality, V for Vendetta centers on two individuals. The first is, obviously, the masked freedom fighter known only as V (Hugo Weaving), a black-garbed avenger who sports a creepily ever-smiling Guy Fawkes mask. The second is Evey Hammond (Natalie Portman), a young woman V saves one night from the secret police. From their first meeting, V and Evey start a relationship that will rock their country and the cruel government that rules it.

This movie, despite being produced by The Wachowski Brothers is not an action-heavy film. There are about two or three scenes of pretty cool swords/knives versus guns action, but for the most part it's a film driven by plot and character. Nevertheless, I was glued to my seat from beginning to satisfying end. Since I haven't seen the graphic novel in its entirety, I can't comment on changes or improvements/faults based on the source material.

Despite this, I found the film to be an excellent watch, from production values to performances all around. Of note of course are Natalie Portman who redeems herself from her horrid Star Wars showings and Hugo Weaving, who seems to be one of my favorite actors now seeing that he's pretty much in most of my fave films. You never see his face, but it IS supposed to be him in the costume, which is odd but pretty cool. Also of note is a Hitler-esque John Hurt as the High Chancellor Sutler, Stephen Rea as the driven Chief Inspector Finch and Stephen Fry as Dietrich, the TV host who sympathizes with V and Evey with tragic results.

But aside from the enjoyment I got watching the film, I have to say that it's also a VERY apt film to watch in this point of our nation's history. Let us hope that we don't have to reach that kind of regime or ever need someone like V.

V for Vendetta is now showing in theaters all around the Metro. Watch it if you can.

Home Theater

The past month had been a storm of construction at the house, but now that was all pretty much over. Our former terrace and outdoor dining area was now an enclosed room and extension of the main house, complete with tiled floor, airconditioning and, ah, big-ass TV with DVD library. Add to that several relaxing chairs, a bed and you've got a pretty slick home theater setup. Once the biggie speakers my brother left with his TV are installed, it'll be a BLAST to watch stuff there. Might be enough to make me actually watch movies there instead of in The Sanctum. Well, as long as the movies are for public viewing. Heh.

Ang Mundo ni Andong Agimat


"Pu(*>#@%!!! Hindi ito Myth Class!!!"

When I was a kid, I remember watching these local shows on TV- movies and sometimes TV series- with some pretty wild shit. There were improbable, impossible stunts like the hero taking out two different targets with his last remaining bullet by placing a knife in front of his gun barrel. Or a guy becoming bulletproof thanks to a magical amulet. Or a gang of martial arts-fighting vigilantes dressed in matching red shirts and leather vests.
Weird funny shit, but also pretty cool in a way (though we'd never admit it). These were cult films, pulp action Filipino-style antics that could be seen as our own local version of Superheroes.

Superheroes and supervillains in denim jeans and jackets, bandannas, puruntong shorts, dusters, kamisetas and tsinelas without any capes, spandex or fancy-slick english code names in sight. Here, a hero can be named Berto and his nemesis could be that drunkard Roy down the block. Aling Nena the old fishball vendor could be a frickin' mangkukulam or sorceress for all you know. Jomar the taho vendor could be a half-demon in disguise. That's how it is here. In a word? Awesome.

But the World of Andong Agimat isn't a pretty, happy place. It's a bleaker, grimier, more seedy version of present-day Metro Manila (not even the flawed but hyper-realistic urban tableau he envisioned in Trip to Tagaytay). There is widespread poverty and garbage littering the streets, creeping about like a weird form of algae. To make matters worse, there's an alarmingly large amount of supernaturally-empowered individuals hovering about. Like gangs of goblin-like hooligans, unnaturally strong and quick gangsters and- most dangerous of all- a growing cult of almost diabolical, bloodthirsty and seemingly unstoppable cultists.



Into this world of super-powered crime and supernatural creatures steps in the titular Andong Agimat. A perpetually frowning protagonist whose eyes seem eternally hidden by his shadowy brows, Andong's quick hands with a gun and his invulnerability to bullets makes him the ideal occasional ally for the embattled police. But Andong is a drifter, a drinker and has his own ghosts to haunt him at night... crimes past and lost love. Obviously, Ando's not the ideal hero to lead a desperate battle to save a person of incalculable value from the stinking forces of evil, but hell, he's all the side of good has. So, he's gonna have to do. Bahala na si Batman.

Arnold Arre's latest graphic novel stands at over 200 pages- a pretty impressive work by any measure, and certainly one of the artist's more impressive showings. As always, Arnold's art is the first thing to notice- page upon page upon page of incredible panels full of bold, black and white lines, movement, action and characters jumping at you or from panel to panel. His art has improved once again (especially in action and fight scenes), though I gather that a lot of Andiong was actually made in the course of the past several years or so. As always, every panel is literally crawling with tons of detail and characters. It's such that you can pretty easily imagine the smell of the garbage and shit on the streets, or imagine the wonderful smell of characters like the pus-filled Big Bad slinking in the shadows. Once again, Arnold's mastery of ink and pen shows and then some.



To populate the metropolis is a cast of Arnold's most interesting character designs yet. Although Andong himself is admittedly just Arnold's own perpetual Hero-type Kubin (Myth Class) on a bad day, I find myself loving wilder, harsher designs like the skull-faced Hari ng Tondo, the malevolent and inaptly-named Jun Pogi and the fiery (literally) Tonyo Baga. Of course, it wouldn't be an Arnold Arre book without the BABES, and Agimat has them in spades, from lead heroine Silang and salamangkera Nara to uber bitch Satina and the incredibly cute speedster from Bicol, Mariang Tinik (Arnold's speedy characters are always damn cute). While Arnold's art is hardly manga, fan service is something I always look forward to and enjoy a lot in this one.



However, along with the welcome titillation is a heightened bit of violence and language, though while not blatantly presented is heavily implied... and this may raise an eyebrow or two among conservatives. I just hope that this doesn't restrict the book (though I dare say that little kids wouldn't get it anyway) or cause an uproar again like Tala's bare boobies in Myth Class.
Still on the topic of language, it cannot be ignored that Andong Agimat is written entirely in TAGALOG. In that, while I understand the story for the most part, some lines of dialogue, particularly the ones heavy with archaic Tagalese leave me bewildered and groping as to what the heck is being said. To be fair though, these lines are probably intentionally vague and you can usually understand through context.

That said, Agimat is not without flaws. While many sequences, particularly the opening scenes and pretty much all of the many action sequences, are brilliantly presented, the movement from one scene or stage to the next is sometimes a bit too leisurely given the urgent manner of the quest. Also, I question Arnold's decision to place the main hero away from all the action during not one but two crucial moments.

Given that there are so many things Arnold wants to show, say, express and explain, it's inevitable that there will be unwieldy moments and spots where the storytelling could have been more efficient, where clarity gets somewhat compromised. But these nitpicks are more than made up for the intricate and minute details poured into the panels, the almost cinematic way pages are presented and the action brought to still, yet moving, life. Yeah, it will take me a couple or may be more read-overs to get the whole thing but damn... this book looks so damn gorgeous that I don't mind.

Andong Agimat is undeniably again another spectacular epic rom Arnold up to the quality we've come to expect from such a passionate, prolific creator. The story is gripping and moves you to move page after page until the end, and even then you're left craving for more. As I've no doubt mentioned, the darn art is incredible and the detail is just crazy. This is also Arnold at his grittiest, which is something new to see, but not entirely off the rack.
It's still an Arnold Arre book, and that means there's still those Arnold Arre-ism that I've come to expect. Things like Good always winning over Evil in the end. Love conquering all. And the most darn awesome car-and-runner chases I've ever seen in comics.

Andong Agimat succeeds with the single act of bringing to life in language, theme, feel and design an incredible new world peopled by a pantheon of heroes and villains that are so visually striking, evocative and most importantly, undeniably Filipino. And it's a world that I definitely want to see more of.

In that, I'd readily say that it's my favorite of his works so far. Easily.

Andong Agimat is now available at comic book stores and good bookstores in Metro Manila (already confirmed to be in stock at Comic Quest Megamall), Tagalog language, Black-and-white art, 220 pages, Php400.00. If you love comics, run over to your comic store for your copy and enter the World of Andong Agimat. Now Na.

My Own Personal Agimat

Today I got my hot copy of Andong Agimat by Arnold Arre straight from the artist/creator himself! I feel very fortunate to be one of the select few to see the latest graphic novel from Arnold in advance, and I am dying to pull open the book and immerse myself in his new epic.
At more than 200 pages, Agimat dwarfs Arnold's Trip to Tagaytay in page count and is on par with After Eden, but short of the mammoth Myth Class volume. The book is also Arnold's first work in tagalog... I rarely hear Arnold TALK in tagalog, let alone write in it, so this will be something. As always though, Arn's distinctive art and character designs already mark this as a must-see for any fan of comics and graphic novels.

Expect a review as soon as I get to read my copy.

Andong Agimat by Arnold Arre will be out early this April at good bookstores and comic shops/stands in the Metro. Something to look out for.

Project Kris

Over the weekend I'll be starting a bit on Project Kris, which is a comics project which I will be writing for. It looks a bit daunting given that the stuff so far I have been given is a bit on the convoluted side- I'll have to do a bit of re-writing and setting down stuff to get everything into order and working as a cohesive and engaging comic book. I don't want to treat this as a job- the trick is to like it and do it like any of my personal titles, so I can get through it without letting details like having to deal with nitty gritties spoil the experience.

The trouble is, for starters, that it isn't a usual comic book that I do. Male hero, no special powers and probably no costume. But there's action aplenty and grittiness which is always interesting. And if all things go well, this job will fund my next book. Maybe I can treat it a bit like Powers. Or something like that. Anyway, more on this as I do it.

Shin Angyo Onshi



The title is surely a mouthful, but Shin Angyo Onshi is an anime movie that otaku would do well to check out. Just like the movie Wonderful Days (which I really haven't seen in its entirety), Shin Angyo Onshi is a Korean-made anime feature film. Based on the manhwa (Korean comics) of the same title, the movie is set in an alternate world in the aftermath of a great empire's collapse due to the death of the Emperor. As chaos and turmoil engulf the land, the only justice now left is in the hands of the Angyo Onshi, or 'Agents of the Empire' who dispense law by the power of their sacred/mystical seals.


Talk to the Badge.

Despite looking quite surly and cold, the wanderer Munsu is actually the titular Shin Angyo Onshi, or New Agent of the Fallen Empire. In fact, he seems to be extremely powerful given that he can use various magical abilities, not the least of which is the summoning of a phantom army to do his bidding.
The film actually has two parts, the first being the introduction of both Munsu and how he first meets his eventual follower/travelling companion/bodyguard Sando, a lovely and silent young woman who just happens to have almost divine skills in laying waste to any enemies stupid or brave enough to challenge her.


Sando AKA Death Incarnate in Bondage Lingerie.

The second part of the film deals with Munsu's and Sando's first adventure, which deals with a mysterious island where evil magic is afoot. The whole film then has the feel of being a pilot for an eventual anime series, not really closing anything but giving the impression of a whole lot of justice-bringing and butt-kicking to come.


These are actually the good guys, believe it or not.

Despite that, the film should satisfy with pretty slick animation, though slightly not the kind of quality you can expect from big budget Japanese anime. There's quite a bit of amazing fight scenes and accompanying fan service with Sando, whose outfit consists basically of skimpy bondage-type leather straps and strips of cloth wraps. Munsu on the other hand fills the bad-ass role as he uses guns (similar to Genjo Sanzo from Gensomaden Saiyuki). Both leads are pretty interesting characters- Munsu has a bit of an anti-hero bent as he can be quite cruel or even heartless with how he deals his justice... while Sando on the other hand despite being an unstoppable slice-and-dice killing machine still has a young girl's innocence and an irrational fear of crossing bridges. Hmm.

I can only hope that an actual anime series or more installments of the movie follow. Shin Angyo Onshi (or "Phantom Master") is not an easy-to-find title; I had to scour the land for weeks before I finally happened upon the source of my copy. Now it's on my phone for anytime viewing. HAHA! For everyone else, if you can, try to check it out if you happen upon it. It looks cool and is pretty good for an independent anime.

Zenzational!



Last Saturday I had the great fortune to be able to watch the second to the last staging of Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah: The Musical at the CCP. Thanks to Carl Vergara, who happened to create, write and draw the awesome comic from which the play is based on, me, Budjette and Cams got to watch what I believe to be one of the best and most inspired comic-to-performance translations ever.
Interestingly enough, me and Cams actually almost came late to the affair thanks to heavy traffic on EDSA. Thankfully we were able to arrive shortly after the theater doors opened, and we were on our great second row seats (right behind actors Roderick Paulate, Cherrie-Pie Picache and screenwriter Ricky Lee as the show started.

The whole theater itself was surprisingly small- I don't know if there could have been more than five hundred people in the whole audience. The stage spilled out into an aisle between the audience and out into the exit area. The stage itself seemed sparse and I wondered how they would be able to visualize and bring to life a superhero comic. Did they succeed?

With effing Flying Colors.

I have to say that I have never, ever been to a play that had me laughing so much and so into the performances. Granted, this has special resonance for me being a beloved comic (I am such a big Zsa Zsa fan), but darn, I have to commend director Chris Millado, Musical composer Vincent de Jesus, comic adapter Chris Martinez and the rest of the play's production staff for such a vibrant, faithful and innovative translation of the original comic... I wholeheartedly believe that Zsa Zsa The Musical is just as viable a comic book-to-movie translation as any of the big budget superhero flicks. No, really. It's that darn good. How else can you describe a play that succceeds in visualizing montage panels, goes so much deeper into characters and actually improves on the already hilarious gags and dialogue from the comic? I found myself seeing comic panels brought to life right before my eyes again and again.

I have to applaude the entire cast, with special mention of Eula Valdez who not only looks SMASHING as Zsa Zsa, but impressed everyone with her POWERful singing voice and total performance. Then there's Agot Isidro as the villainess Femina Varoux who just gets the look down PERFECT, as well as keeping a straight face throughout all her entirely english dialogue... Tuqx Rutaquio as Ada (Zsa Zsa's alter ego) and Ricci Tan for being THE personification of the comic's Didi. Kudos and wholehearted applause to the rest of the cast and the members of the Tanghalang Pilipino Actors Company who brought this perfect play to life. Superheroes, brilliantly campy humor, Matrix martial arts, Giant Frogs, zombies, big hair, skimpy outfits... What's not to love? Abzolutely Amazing!

The only negative is the relative few people who have seen this gem. I know every single staging has been SOLD OUT, yet many many more people have not seen this show. I truly hope ZZTM gets a re-staging, and perhaps in a bigger venue. This play simply has GOT to be seen by more people. If you read comics you absolutely MUST see this play. Carl, congratulations for being the first contemporary comic creator to see your baby realized in perhaps the best way ever. WOOHOO!!!


Cams, Zsa Zsa (Eula Valdez) and one Happy MADman.


Carl and his superheroine with Budjette.

C means Cannon Fodder

It's tough to be a superhero these days. Particularly if you're a 'B' or 'C' Lister. This means you're not one of the big boys (and few girls) who bring in the big bucks for the comic book companies. Recent and upcoming events in the major comic book universes have so far had the alarming penchant for killing off their supporting or not-so-main heroes seemingly for shock value purposes.
I have the bad luck of liking books that feature such kinds of heroes. Take DC's Batgirl, which got cancelled, perhaps not in small part to the events of the current "Infinite Crisis" event. Yeah, Cassandra Cain's still alive but her future is as yet uncertain. In Marvel, it's even worse. In the latest issue of New Avengers, the Canadian super team Alpha Flight is apparently killed OFF PANEL. They don't even get the decency of a real cool final battle or death scene. What an ignoble end to a team that has been around almost as long as I have been into comics.
The New Warriors also seem to be headed for cannon fodder status, as they are apparently the ones who will be involved in the event that will directly cause the upcoming Civil War mini-series in Marvel. I particularly find the way the Warriors have been treated recently as distasteful to the extreme- they've been around as a group since the 90s, and haven't been given decent writing or art which could have made them a more viable team. I hope that they don't go the way of Alpha Flight though- if anything, the preview of Civil War makes me curious, so at least that aspect of the gimmick works. Sucks though if Namorita dies... Grrr.

Bah. Lousy DC and Marvel. At least I myself would NEVER kill off a character just for a cheap gimmick or to sell comics...



Okay, maybe not really NEVER but not often...

Kawaii


Let's do the dance of joy!

Isn't this just the CUTEST animated gif you've ever seen? Darn, it's adorable! I could just sit here and watch this little anime cutie dance on and on and on and on and on. Hehe. Dance! Dance!

Comicking

I know I haven't been able to post much about my comic works lately... the truth is, I've been so busy at work that I almost haven't been able to do much in terms of comics. In fact, I regretfully wasn't able to do a comics entry to the Fully Booked contest. GRRR. Maybe next year, I guess.

But the key word is ALMOST. Comics are what keep me sane, so the day I stop doing comics is the day I need to start looking for a straitjacket. Maybe. Anyway...

I'm still working on the 2nd issue of Kunoichi Boy. It's still in pencilling stage, but I've done more than a dozen pages and so this should be done soon. It's a more action-oriented issue this time, even more so than the first ish, but it should be fun. Hopefully this should be done by the end of March for release in Comic Quest.

I got myself a little comic job I'd like to call 'Project Kris' that I really can't talk about much- suffice to say that it will earn me a bit of cash (that I hopefully will use for a future comic) and it's something very very different from the stuff I usually do. I'll talk more about this when I am able, but suffice to say this is a very interesting project I'm glad to be able to do.

Finally, K.I.A. will finally be getting a bit more distribution thanks to Jamie and Nautilus Comics. Don't be surprised to see my favorite bikini-clad assassin babe elsewhere aside from Comic Quest in the next few weeks. WOOHOO!!!

That's that for now. Still working on the Last Angel Ace Story script. Ideas, ideas. So many ideas. Gotta filter. Hmmm. Moving on. Moving on.

Shakedown

Last night we were all at The Salt Mines when a pretty strong earthquake started. We all stared as the blinds on the windows began shaking, as well as stuff like a wind chime I hung at my workstation. For several moments the shaking continued and we just stared and continued our humorous banter... no doubt to keep ourselves calm. We were all on a high floor so it was only natural that the we'd 'enjoy' a prolonged shake. I wasn't particularly afraid... the building was pretty solid, and the quake not really that strong. But we felt it, and that meant it was significant. Several of the staff called home to ask if everyone was okay. Thankfully, this quake doesn't seem to have caused any damage. Just a bit of the shakes.

Walking in Dreamworld

Perhaps it was because of the fact that last week was particularly tiring, or perhaps it was because of my bad stomach... but I had particularly vivid dreams over the weekend. Two in fact were quite memorable and involved journeys into some weird worlds that could easily fit into some comic book or Sci-Fi show.

The first dream is pretty much a 'Trekkie' episode. I found myself appearing in this odd place which was in some ways primitive (adobe buildings, decadent tribal outfits and feasts) and in some ways modern (I eventually find out they have TV). I came into the place as a guest, with several others (who my companions were escapes me). We were allowed to walk around and stay in one of the adobe buildings as our residence. I found myself a bit depressed that there was no electricity and thinking of what I was to do in the place. Later, during a feast with some weird food, a traitor to the place was caught and executed on TV. Yikes. Luckily, before the inevitable part of such stories where we the visitors would outlast our welcome, I woke up.

The second dream started off normally enough- I was at a kind of photo shoot with my college friend. We were taking photos of several pretty models (yeah, only in my dreams) when I suddenly had the hankering for donuts. So I went out to get a box, with the odd recollection that there was a Donut Shop nearby. I soon found myself walking around in streets that seemed familiar yet alien. Ordinary streets soon became sinister as strangers soon began to give chase. I found myself crossing over into yards, grabbing sticks to ward off pursuers and to try to navigate around dead ends. It all felt like some PC graphic adventure game (those point-and-click puzzlers that I was never good at). At one point, I was even being pursued by Agents... yes, Agent Smith from the Matrix, who appeared strangely enough like 2-D images on a wall. ODD.
Anyway, I eventually find myself opening a door and entering what seemed to be a kind of residence/graphic design office/production house kind of building- very modern and multi-floored. There were people around, but like Solid Snake in Metal Gear I navigated around them to try and get out and continue my search for donuts. Eventually I find my way out but it only leads to more streets and still no sign of the elusive pastries.
Thankfully, my cellphone alarm woke me up soon after, and I was pulled away from Dreamtime back to reality. Darn, those were weird dreams. Weirder than usual.

Gosh, I wonder if I can have some donuts delivered?

RAW Tour

I'm really disappointed that I wasn't able to watch the WWE Raw Tour in Manila. According to some posts online and reports from fans on some popular wrestling sites, the show was a roaring success.
The Filipino crowd lives up to the hospitality of our race, and the audience cheered or gave 'pops' to all the performers, whether they were 'faces' (good guys) or 'heels'(bad guys). The biggest applause of the nights went to current WWE Champion John Cena despite some local boys joining in on the 'Hate Cena' fad going about. Also cheered greatly was funny, bushy-haired heel Carlito and his opponent, returning superstar Rob Van Dam who impressed all with supposedly the best moves of the night.
Another superstar to totally impress was Triple H, who despite being probably the nearest thing to the devil himself among the WWE's heels, made big impressions with his presence and attitude. A pleasant surprise of the tour was that the first night was apparently immortal superstar Rick Flair's birthday, which was celebrated by the audience singing, a cake being brought out by the lovely WWE Divas and a tribute to the 16-time World Champion by his best friend, Triple H.

Darn, I wish I was there. But then, I think that the ones who would really enjoy the show are the ones who could afford the ringside seats (which apparently cost about 10K a seat- YIKES). Still, it would have been great to join in big chants and stuff. Oh well. Anyway, I'll make sure to be present the next time the WWE returns to Manila, whether it's Raw or Smackdown. WOOO!

Rumblings

Since Thursday night, you could tell that there were bad things happening. There were whispers of a coup all week, and it was obviously going to come to a head during this year’s EDSA celebrations.
Even so, I had to go to work extra early on Friday, so I was on the road just after 6AM. By 7:30 AM I was at the office and getting set for the big presentation we had been prepping for all week at the Salt Mines.
The good news is that the presentation went very well. The bad news was that we learned that President GMA had declared a ‘State of Emergency’ by the time we were finished. Despite it all, we all leisurely headed for Greenbelt to have a celebratory lunch and enjoy the quasi-fiesta like atmosphere of a day full of rallies, riot police, coup paranoia and commuting nightmares.
The funny thing about a coup here in the RP is how people react. Often, masses of people gather to watch the soldiers duke it out, no matter the danger getting hit by a stray bullet or shrapnel. This time though there was little to worry about in terms of fighting- apparently the coup had been quashed before it had even begun. Still there was uncertainty and you could tell as everyone who had a mobile phone was texting away like crazy or calling to console their friend or family waiting on the other end of the line. Me? I was worried about how I was going to get home quickly enough to avoid the inevitable crush and gridlock that would clamp down on Ayala Avenue.
So as fast as I could (after lunch and some window-shopping), I hied off to the MRT station and took an extremely crowded train to Cubao and home.

It’s a bit with irony that Friday was the same day that the WWE wrestlers came to Manila, the same time that a political rumble started off in the country. What a great way to welcome the world-famous brawlers. Sigh.

Anyway, I’ll probably be staying home over the weekend thanks to the uncertain climate. Gives me a bit of opportunity to get some rest, do some comic pages and maybe catch up on some reading. Hey, at least that’s one bright side to all this coup nonsense.

Wrasslin'

Jack TV is my friend. Aside from finally giving previously unseen episodes of X-Play finally every weekend, It gives me so much wrestling every week. I get my WWE fix reasonably close to when it happens stateside (about two weeks delay). I've always been a WWE fan, so it is with quite a bit of disappointment that I won't be watching the WWE Raw Tour over the weekend. It would have been great to see old faves (Triple H, Sean Michaels) and new faves (John Cena, Carlito) in action, in the flesh, even thought it kinda sucks that the Smackdown guys won't be around.
But then again, I'd probably have only gotten the less expensive tickets, which would give me a seat that would make the huge wrestlers look like teeny-tiny action figures (videowalls and projection monitors regardless). Anyway, a friend of mine is going so I'll hope to get a review from her. And hopefully there will be reviews or reports on the Philippine shows online soon after the fact.

Hellish Fun


A bloody good manga.

Recently I've gotten myself addicted to the manga version of Hellsing. I've probably mentioned this title in the past- it's a horror-action series set in a dark, gothic England where creatures of the night are beginning to pop up all over the place like bad cavities on British people. To combat the bloodthirsty vampires and their resulting ghouls, the government turns to the mysterious Hellsing Institute. Led by the imposing Sir Integra Van Hellsing, a young but stern woman who inherited the post from her father, the soldiers and agents of the Institute set out to exterminate the undead scourge in the name of god and country.
Of course, a couple of things stand out in Hellsing. One is that the Hellsing Institute's 'trashman', or their most potent weapon against their targets is a vampire himself- Alucard, an awesomely powerful vampire whose terrifying powers are matched only by his loyalty to Integra (the reason for which should be revealed in the manga in time). Aside from Alucard, there's Victoria Celes, a young rookie policewoman and newly-created vampire (she was vampirified by Alucard to save her life from a vampire vicar in the first episode) who tries desperately to hang onto her humanity as well as getting used to her new undead existence. Oh, and there's of Walter, Integra's butler and former Hellsing trashman who's almost as deadly as Alucard despite being a normal human.
The second thing that you'll notice about Hellsing is that they take religion pretty seriously. Hellsing itself is a Protestant-backed organization, and that puts them into competition with the Catholic faith- embodied of course their opposite number on the Vatican's side: The sinister Iscariot Organization whose agents also work to stamp out undead in the name of Christianity. The competition between the two rival organizations makes for some pretty violent action and even some humorous banter (and insults), but you just know that when real evil makes it's appearance, these two parties will have to come together.
And Big Evil WILL indeed make an appearance, in the form of the enigmatic Millennium, a cabal of Nazi Vampires who are out to remake the world in their own fanged image. These are pretty cool villains previously glimpsed only in that awesome Hellsing MTV included in the US-released DVDs (the bespectacled guy in the shadows who mockingly claps Hellsing's efforts is the Big Boss), and includes a female villain named Rip Van Winkle- How cool is that? Heheh. Will there be any good, or at least humanity, left after all is said and done? We'll just have to see.

A cool extra in the manga is a side-story at the end of each book on the adventures of a pair of Iscariot agents: Gun expert Heiffer Wolfe and Yumiko, a shy nun who, when danger calls, unleashes a persona known as Yumie- a 'berserker' like swordswoman who can use a katana like a bloody Stradivarius. Radical.

Hellsing the Manga is a hellishly good read- it's a lot better than the original Hellsing anime (which diverged from the manga's story after the first several episodes) story and gets deeper into the characters. Integra in particular comes off as a bit kinder and more human in the manga than in her first anime appearance. The art is sharp though with parts looking a bit too cartoony particularly when Victoria's case. Still, this is a great manga with both black humor and action satisfying to the extreme. Anyway, I'm two book deep into the series, and three chapters are already lined up for reading (the series so far has 7 installments out).

You can get Hellsing manga graphic novels at Comic Quest or at Fully Booked. Anime enthusiasts can also look forward to a new Hellsing OAV (based on the manga) from Gonzo later this year. Lots of dark, bloody good fun coming very soon. Hoho!

Heroes Farewell


The sun sets on the best superhero animated series ever.

I've been a fan of Justice League Unlimited from the first episode I saw, and it tears my lungs out to know that this groundbreaking and dynamic series is now ending (or ended) with the 13th episode of the show's 3rd Season (as JLU). The third season, which should be known as the 'Legion of Doom' season, ends with a two-part finale that culminated with an invasion of Earth by the forces of the awesomely evil Darkseid and an alliance between the Justice League and their opposite numbers led by Lex Luthor.
It's really sad to see such a quality series go... a title filled with great storylines, outstanding action and fight scenes and tons of great vocal performances that truly succeeded in bringing to life the DC Universe. Easily, I consider Justice League Unlimited as THE Best US Cartoon ever. Kudos to the animators, writers and producers of this great show, and I hope that somehow, someday the JLU will somehow, someday return for more adventures.

Well, for now though, us fans have three great seasons of JLU (and two of the original Justice League cartoon) to always enjoy.

The Adventure Continues!