The Spectacular Spider-Man

I remember seeing the previews for this show back in 2008, and I wasn't as impressed as I should be--as a huge fan of Spider-Man, a new cartoon should have me feeling excited-- for the sole reason that I wasn't too big on the animation. My first exposure to Spider-Man was the cartoon from the 90's (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider-Man_(1994_TV_series) and I feel it spoiled me a little bit, as that show had really good animation, and it set the bar high in terms of that.

I did the right thing when I gave this new show a fair chance. After all, it's a new cartoon based on one of my favorite superheroes, so I feel that I should give it a chance. And I'm really glad I did. The show ended up being one of the best superhero cartoons that I have ever seen.

The Spectacular Spider-Man does a lot of different things with the hero, and I really do respect and appreciate that kind of boldness and that kind of effort.

Peter Parker (voiced by Josh Keaton) is a good kid and has a close relationship with both Gwen Stacy and Harry Osborn.

Peter and Gwen are both very intelligent and get offered an internship at Empire State University, and that's the place that Eddie Brock works at. It's a nice setup for several things in the future.

I love the way that they did Harry Osborn in this series, and I love the way that they did the Norman/Harry relationship. I felt bad for the way that Harry was neglected by his own dad. He's a good kid and has good intentions, and that's what makes the bad stuff that happens to him even worse.

The show features several different Spider-Man enemies such as: The Shocker, The Vulture, The Lizard, Electro, The Sandman, Hammerhead, Doctor Octopus, The Green Goblin, Tombstone, Rhino, and the list goes on. Overall, I think the villains are done exceptionally well. And I also like the fact that several different people get the chance to shine as the bad guy. We even see a version of the Sinister Six.

The fight scenes are well done. They remind me of the fight scenes from the movies by Sam Raimi. Really creative choreography that gets done with the acrobatics and with the environment. Definitely one of my favorite parts of the show, and that's saying a lot.

One of the parts I loved was the way that they did Eddie Brock and the relationship that he had with Peter in particular. Eddie was a good man, and a man with a bright future. He was Peter's friend, and I felt that that made the whole thing more tragic and more personal. Eddie Brock slowly turns to the dark side and eventually becomes Venom. And when he becomes Venom, the whole Spider-Man vs Venom thing felt better and more personal. I also love the fact that Venom was treated as a big deal. He was a threat to Spider-Man in every way.

J. Jonah Jameson is once again a highlight. Seriously, the guy is just entertaining whenever he's on the screen. Daran Norris (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daran_Norris) did an amazing job as the publisher/editor-in-chief of the Daily Bugle. He's so much fun to watch, and while he does have his bad points, he does have a good heart deep down. There was a scene in which Robbie told Jonah that an elderly woman had a heart attack. And when he reveals who it is, Jonah shows a human side and tells Betty (who was going to call Peter on the phone) that he'll call Peter himself. The way that he said it made me appreciate the character even more.

The show was well done, and it is an absolute treat to watch from start to finish. My only complaint is that this show was cancelled before a third season could begin, and that is an absolute shame because I would have loved to see a third season.

I recommend buying the blu-ray release of this show.

Closure (Video Games, Movies/TV Shows)

I did a video last night about this (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XaKjIt6eo8), and it's been a while in the making. I've thought about this for a while now, and it has been bugging me for that long. See, when I play a video game, when I watch a movie or TV show, I get invested in it. And I want a good ending to the product that I feel satisfied with. I want to have that feeling of watching something, or playing something epic. And with my list, I didn't get that type of ending.

Family Matters (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_Matters) was a sitcom that starred the Winslow Family, and it was a spin-off of the show Perfect Strangers. During the 1st season, we're introduced to this rather clumsy individual who went by the name of Steve Urkel, who would go on to become a fan favorite and the main focus of the TV show. The show was 9 seasons long, and I remember watching them all when I was a kid. I saw Steve Urkel go through so much pain and struggle to get the girl of his dreams, Laura Winslow. In the final season, he finally gets the girl. He finally wins, and it's a great moment--one of my favorite moments of the entire 9 seasons. Then in the final episode, they kiss, and...that's it. It's not a bad ending, but it's not the ending that I would have wanted for them and for the show as a whole. As a fan, I would have liked to see them get married. Maybe have kids in the future. I would want them to make an hour-long episode in which it's a wedding and also a reunion of sorts.

Spider-Man Unlimited (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider-Man_Unlimited) was a series that I never watched as a kid, which is weird since I loved Spider-Man back then, and I even watched the cartoon that came before it, and I also played the games. I watched it on Netflix in 2011, and it started off really good. Mary Jane Watson came back somehow. Spider-Man ends up going to counter-earth to help John Jameson. The show unfortunately ended on a cliff-hanger. What makes things worse is that the show was getting really good. I would have liked to see our hero save the day and then go back to Earth to spend more time with Mary Jane Watson.

Last but not least, we have Mega Man Legends 3. I talked about this one in one of my earlier blogs, and I know it's a touchy subject of sorts because I know that the fans, myself included, really want the third installment in the trilogy. Mega Man Legends 2 was the only one that I played, and I liked it a lot. I would love to have the sequel. That way, not only can we play a great game, but we can also get the conclusion to the story--as the ending left room for said sequel. I'm hoping that Capcom will end up releasing the 3rd game down the road.

Youtube, Comics, Facebook Fan Page, Twitter

I have a lot to say, and all of it will be going in different directions. And that's why I titled my blog entry the way that I did.

I love to entertain. I remember being a little kid and I absolutely loved to make my fellow class-mates laugh. It's something that brought me joy. I also love to get my opinion out, and that's why I started doing videos for my Youtube channel. It's also why I love to do said Youtube videos. (https://www.youtube.com/user/Gambit190). I have a passion for the things that I review, and I think that makes it better in the long run. It's good for me to enjoy what I do because I think it comes across on the screen. I also have a ton of things to review and do videos on--including videos on nostalgia. I'll be on Youtube for a long time to come, and I'm excited for my future in regards to everything.

I love comic books, and I have for a few years now. I love the battle of good vs evil. This is no secret, and it never has been. I'm proud of my hobby. In fact, not only do I enjoy reading them and admiring the art, but I also enjoy collecting them--namely Spider-Man, Batman, The Avengers, Legion of Superheroes, and X-Men. I like browsing through the selection on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and also on ebay.

Speaking of which, I also like browsing through the collection on an ebay store that is managed by my cousin, Arturo. He has a great selection of comic books and other collectibles such as models. He's a great man and is great with the customers. http://www.ebay.com/usr/at-comics

I'm all over the place, including on Facebook. I have a fan-page on there that is ran by me so that I can interact with the people that support me. It also gives me another platform to express my opinions on the types of things that I review. https://www.facebook.com/Gambit190

Last, but certainly not least, I'm also on Twitter. I love being on Twitter, and that's something I thought I would never say. It's something that I heard about for a while. And to be honest, it didn't sound appealing to me. Then one day, I decided to join to support a Youtuber. I'm really glad that I joined. Because of it I can tweet with my fellow gamers and comic lovers, celebrities, and also interact with my supporters/fellow Youtubers. It's a great platform to do business, as well. I discovered Twitter in September of 2011. I'm active on there. https://twitter.com/gambit190.

I want to end this blog by addressing one more thing, and it's something that's really important to me. I've had this goal on Youtube to get 200 subscribers. Last night, I finally achieved my goal, and I am very happy about it. I am very appreciative to all the people that have supported me and helped me with any questions that I have had. I also am grateful for the likes, comments, shares, and anything else that you guys do to help me.

Thank you for the support. I never forget it.

Spider-Man (Raimi Trilogy)

I've been a fan of Spider-Man ever since I was a child. So when I found out that a Spider-Man movie was coming to the theaters, I was excited. The little kid in me, the fanboy in me was amped up. One of my all-time favorite Superheroes was coming to the big screen. I couldn't wait.

I remember seeing the movie, and I remember like it being yesterday. We got there late--not late enough to miss any of the movie, but late enough to get good seats-- and I remember sitting close to screen, which is a horrible seat because you either can't see everything, or you can but can't see it well, which defeats the purpose of going. Still, despite all that, I enjoyed the movie. I loved it!

The movie, directed by Sam Raimi (Spider-Man: The High Definition Trilogy (Spider-Man / Spider-Man 2 / Spider-Man 3) [Blu-ray])was faithful to the comics to a good degree. It tells the story of Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire). He's a friendly, intelligent guy that loves photography. He lives with his Aunt May and Uncle Ben, an elderly couple that has cared for Peter and are basically his parents. Things are not going well for him as he gets picked on, and isn't able to fight back. That all changes the day that he's bitten by a radioactive spider while on a class trip to Oscorp.

I feel that this movie is about changing and personal responsibility. Peter changes when he gets his powers. He went from a normal guy to one that has super strength, the ability to stick to walls, and also the ability to sense incoming danger--known as the Spider Sense. He struggles with these powers, and I like that they added that in. Him not knowing how to fire his web was a nice, comedic touch.

On the other end, you have Norman Osborn. He's a charming man, but not a very good father to his son, Harry Osborn. Norman ends up experimenting with a performance-enhancing vapor that increases his speed, stamina, and strength--the side-effect being that it drives him insane.

Peter ends up using these powers to become a pro wrestler and earn some money, money he plans to use to buy a car to impress the girl of his dreams, Mary Jane Watson. Before he goes on to wrestle, he has a heart-to-heart conversation with Uncle Ben. That conversation, while good, was also tragic. It was tragic because I know what happens to Uncle Ben. It was a well-acted scene by both actors. The scene was memorable for two things: Uncle Ben's famous line (with great power comes great responsibility) and also the exchange below:

Uncle Ben: I don't mean to lecture, and I don't mean to preach. And I know I'm not your father--
Peter: Then stop pretending to be!

The reaction of Uncle Ben felt real. He looked like he was about to cry. Peter ends up beating Bone Saw (played by the late, great "Macho Man" Randy Savage). The promoter ends up cheating Peter out of the money. The promoter, rightfully so, gets robbed by a robber. Peter has the chance to stop the crook, but chooses not to. That choice comes back to haunt Peter as the guy that got away was the guy that killed Uncle Ben.

The fight scenes throughout the trilogy are nicely done. They were very creative with what they were able to do. As a huge fan of Spider-Man, I was in awe at what they were able to come up with for the fight scenes. That awe was also there as I saw Spider-Man swing through New York as one would expect. He did acrobatics while in the air, running up walls, etc. It's a marvel to behold on the big screen or elsewhere.

I feel all the actors did a good job, but my three favorites would be Rosemary Harris (Aunt May), Cliff Robertson (Uncle Ben), and J.K Simmons (J. Jonah Jameson).

Before the ending to the first movie, Peter talks about the fact that he will never forget the words: with great power comes great responsibility. It's a nice way to remember his Uncle Ben. That, and it's something that I think could keep him on the right track.

Spider-Man 2 is a great movie, and one that I feel is an improvement on the 1st. Now, I'm not here to spoil and talk about everything, but what I am here to do is tell you why I feel this trilogy is a must-have.

This movie delves into both Peter Parker and Spider-Man. He has a strong moral duty to himself and to the city of New York, so he can't stop being Spider-Man. But that duty comes into strong conflict with Peter and his life. He struggles with his job as a pizza delivery boy, and even loses his job. He struggles to pay rent. He struggles in school. His relationships with Mary Jane, Harry, and Aunt May are strained not just by his double life, but also for different reasons. He can't be there for Mary Jane since he's too busy to watch her plays. Harry Osborn is angry at Spider-Man for "killing" his father, and he's bitter at the world. As for Aunt May, Peter was more or less responsible for Uncle Ben getting killed. Her reaction later on in the movie to Peter was a thing of beauty, and that's all I'm going to say about that.

Aunt May was a great character to watch. Her speech about a hero was something that I feel should definitely be watched and listened to closely. She's also a character that is easy to sympathize with. Not only did she lose the love of her life, but she's also facing foreclosure and struggles in her own right.

J.K. Simmons returns and nails J. Jonah Jameson to perfection--in all 3 movies to be exact. Watching this guy is an absolute treat.

The villain for this movie is Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina). He starts off as a good man named Otto Octavius. He's a brilliant man, and even shares that kind of connection with Peter. His dream is to perfect sustained fusion power. His dream turns into tragedy, but I won't spoil that either.

The movie features several great moments, several great fights, and a great ending that I won't spoil. However, I do want to talk about a certain part of the movie that I feel was done exceptionally well. Peter Parker gets a point in his life that he's fed up with being Spider-Man as it brings him nothing but trouble with his grades, his jobs, and his loved ones. He gives up being Spider-Man. It goes well for him at first. He does better in school. He's able to be there for the people that matter.

But one thing that I loved is that bad things happened during this part. Peter, at first, didn't do anything, but was visibly troubled by it--signaling, to me anyway, that his desire to be Spider-Man was still there. Later one, Peter is walking through town at night when he overhears a commotion. He sees that a fire in going on and jumps into action, or at least tries to, but stops when he notices that he doesn't have him costume underneath his clothes. He hesitates at first, but still goes to save the day.

What I love about this part was that despite things going good for Peter, he notices that the city needs Spider-Man. He also notices that he can't stop being Spider-Man

Things take a turn for the worse in the final entry of the trilogy. Now, while this movie isn't bad, it does pale into comparison to the ones that came before it.

This movie tries, but it tries too hard. There are villains crammed into one movie. The first two movies had only one villain, and I think that worked much better. Quality over quantity.

Flint Marko (Thomas Hayden Church) has a sick daughter and turns to crime out of desperation. He's supposed to be a sympathetic villain, and I think it worked rather well. His life of crime turns into tragedy as he ends up becoming The Sandman. While not a big fan of the villain, I will say that the CGI for him was amazing.

Harry ends up becoming The New Goblin, which I thought was disappointing. I would have rather he become The Green Goblin (with an altered suit) like he did in the cartoons and comics. His suit was alright, but his glider was pretty cool as it was able to use fire as a weapon.

The last villain is Eddie Brock/Venom (Topher Grace). I thought this was really disappointing. He wasn't sympathetic like he was in the 90's cartoon. Instead he lives in his own little world. He fakes a picture of Spider-Man robbing a bank (and gets fired) and "loses" Gwen Stacy to Peter Parker. His motivation for wanting revenge wasn't as strong as it was in that cartoon. In that cartoon, Spider-Man, in a way, ruined his life. They could have done so much more with Eddie, but they chose not to, and that disappointed me.

Eddie ends up becoming Venom. Venom looks amazing, and I was happy to see him. Unfortunately, Venom was tacked on, and it really felt like it. He never referred to himself as "we," which is something he is known for. He's not in the movie for that long either before the symbiote dies, along with Eddie Brock who can't live without it apparently.

Harry learns about what really happened to his father. This leads to his redemption. He fights alongside Spider-Man, who are now best buddies, against The Sandman and Venom.

I have no complaints about the fight scenes. They're good as they always have been.

I have more problems with this movie. The relationship between Peter and MJ is not cute, or even enjoyable to watch. When I saw their relationship in that cartoon, I enjoyed it because they were a couple in love and it looked like it. In this movie, they have petty issues that make it feel like a soap opera on the big screen. Mary Jane is upset at Peter because, apparently, she's not as famous as Spider-Man. Gwen Stacy is added as nothing more than "the other woman," and I think that's a shame because she deserves better.

Last but not least: they changed the killer of Uncle Ben. It's not the guy that we thought it was It was Flint Marko, and I thought that was really stupid.

The performances are great as always. J.K. Simmons plays a perfect J. Jonah Jameson. Rosemari Harris is very enjoyable as Aunt May. The fight scenes are an absolute treat to watch. I love the scenes in which Spider-Man is swinging around. The suits look great.

The movies are filled with bonus features, which adds a nice amount of replay value to this movie All in all, while not a perfect trilogy, it's very enjoyable and has a ton of great moments.

Kraven's Last Hunt

I got this, along with Batman: Year One and Death of the Stacys, for my birthday in 2012. I browsed through Amazon, looking for the perfect choices--or as perfect as can be. I wanted to have a happy purchase, and the way I do that is by looking at the star rating and the reviews that accompany it.

I wanted to find graphic novels that have a sense of importance, such as an origin, or a death. I was in a frame of mind where I didn't just want, I needed to find it.

That is what led me to Kraven's Last Hunt. Now, what does this mean? I won't spoil it for you, but I will say that it is a great book. You have a beautiful, really cool-looking image on the front cover that has Spider-Man coming out of a grave. Now, that immediately catches my attention--and I'm sure the attention of several others. The back cover has Kraven The Hunter, who looks deranged. I love it!

The story tackles so many different things, and I like that a lot. One thing it tackles is a person's own mortality. It's a real issue, and I do give them props for tackling something like that.

Expanding

I think it's important to expand my blog in terms of the things that I talk about. It gives me more room to diverse, and it also gives me more things to write about, which is always great. I'll be talking about toys because while I no longer buy them for myself, I still do see some cool-looking ones at the store. When I see them, it reminds me of why I liked them to begin with: because they looked awesome. They were fun to play with, especially if you have a good imagination like I did. I also plan to talk about books. I see some books that I think would be interesting. Some are autobiographies on Pro Wrestlers. Other books are about video games--the history of them, for example. I originally saw this as a motion comic on Youtube, and I absolutely loved it. Then months later, I read the entire thing at Barnes and Noble. From the moment I picked it up, I was hooked. The front cover is powerful. You see Peter Parker along with Uncle Ben, who he loved dearly and saw as a father figure walking together into the after-life. Everything about this book was great. The story was perfect. I won't spoil it, but I do like how the Green Goblin was portrayed. He proves why he is one of Spider-Man's greatest foes.

I also like that you get to see several different Spider-Man foes in action. You also get to see The Human Torch and Ice Man in action.

The ending for this graphic novel was perfect.