Starbolts #159: The Dark Starbolts

Bad day is right. M'anta is having a really rough day. First: He finds himself on a team where everyone was a baddie the last time he checked. Then, he finds out Aquarius is gone. (Or is it?) THEN he gets jumped by Dark Mateo. AND FINALLY he finds out his wife is with Dark Mateo. That's enough to stress anyone out.

Dark Mateo's design is similar to that of Archangel when he first appeared. He had metal wings and a dark personality. As you can imagine, Dark Jenna is going to be a bit of a pyromaniac. Hence the codename "Firestarter". Good movie from the '80s, by the way. Probably one of the few really good Stephen King adaptations.

So, what's going to happen next? Why is M'anta unaffected by all of this? We'll see next comic. I made some more tweaks to Manta's sprites. I like it a lot. In fact, I also like Dark Mateo's wings. I wonder how they'd look on regular Mateo. Hmmm...

(Yes, I've already used those wings on regular Mateo.) More Dark Starbolts goodness next time!

The Legion #158: Brave New World

I really hope that the "The Legion" title doesn't throw people off. I'm just referencing that time in the '90s when the X-Men books changed titles when the Age of Apocalypse happened. Good series, by the way. Check it out. Marvel renamed books like Uncanny X-Men to Amazing X-Men. Good thing this doesn't happen today, right? *Sees that Thunderbolts is being renamed Dark Avengers* Well, crap.

Thunderbolts does change their title every few years or so, doesn't it? Anyway, back to the topic at hand. Today's comic sees the debut of a new sprite for Manta. It's a little altered. I think I can tweak it. Also, in a shadow is Mateo's new sprite. Well, new wings anyway. I'm always looking to improve the sprites I make. I have a guide that helps and sometimes I feel like changing things a bit.

So, yea, things are heating up this week. M'anta's in a brave new world. Are we going to see these Dark Starbolts? Is this a parody of AOA? Is what Robkas saying true? Find out next time!

Comic Showcase #7: Bat-Hombre

Starbolts #157: No More Heroes

All I can say about this week's comic is...DAMN. I know the arc is supposed to be light hearted and it is. When the opportunity presents itself. A joke a minute can ruin a comic. Today, I've revealed just why Demonstorm does what he does. He feels he can save Earth from itself by making it part of his empire. He feels he has saved Demonsk when in reality it's like Apokilips on a good day. I wanted to avoid his apparent lust for Angela this week because that'll come into play soon.

I actually attempted to try and reference several Marvel crossovers in this comic. House of M and Age of Apocalypse. But, the problem is I don't know how to create a crystal effect for them. Speaking of Crystal, she was the one who made the call to the 'Bolts in the warroom. She and Kaori are actually inside Nor-Mad, btw.

So, stuff is happening like Delclina, the Aquan God of the Sky swooping in to save M'anta at the last second. What could he want? What's happening? Find out in the next comic!

Starbolts #156: Villain Roll Call

Your life sucks, Tanis? Well, you made your bed and now you have to lay in it. Seriously, this group of baddies IS a bit insane. I was going to have the Aquita droid be naked and have censor bars over the naughty bits. But, I think that's too creepy. Even for Robkas. Nah, having her clothed is somehow much better, right? Hmm...I don't know if I'd go that far. Robkas is still going after a robot Aquita. That's a reference to an anime, btw. Friend of mine introduced me to an animé called Chobits and there are robot women built for sex in that animé. Ahh, Japan. Keeping it classy! It's not the craziest animé I've ever seen. That award goes to FLCL. Robot teddy bears with machine guns, guys. ROBOT TEDDY BEARS WITH MACHINE GUNS!

I upgraded Braun's robot a bit. Now it's fully sentient. I may change the chest piece because I am not a fan of it. It seems kind of lackluster when compared to the rest of the robot's features. And yes, that is a Doctor Who reference.

Speaking of the Doctor, I am trying to find Dr. Who/Star Trek: The Next Generation so I can read it. I heard mixed things about it and I want to judge for myself. Anyway, now we know a little more about the villains. The question is...what is Demonstorm planning? Tune in next time, true believers!