Starbolts 2018 Preview of Coming Attractions

 Hail!

I had a bit of trouble coming up with an idea for this year's New Year's comic. Originally I was going to have Stan Whitefox take a tour of the station so he can see the students and everything. Sort of a calm before the storm. I then thought of a better idea. I was gonna have Crystal be interviewed by Crimson Justice and at the end show what her brother is up to.

Looks like he's in a bit of a pickle since he's held captive by his own kind. I hope the Inobe take heed of the warning. Earth is defended. We shall see what happens next year. It's been a while since I made a space epic. I'm going to make one now. We may even see an old villain return. Who will it be? Here's a hint. CJ mentions them in the comic. It's been a while since we've seen them and they have undergone a dramatic transformation.

The Starbolts will have their work cut out for themselves in the coming year. Stick around! 

Starbolts #374: 'Twas the Distraction before Christmas

Hail!

This year's Christmas comic was fun to do. I like rhyming to a point. Some of the words I needed to look up rhymes to. I'm not ashamed to admit it. Still, it was nice. And it's good to see the Setleth every once in a while. Those crazy lizards are always up to something. Originally I was going to have them replace Santa's elves and have Santa deal with the giant Robo-Santa they created. Haha. Maybe next year.

Anyway, Merry Christmas to all. And of course Happy Holidays to those who don't celebrate Christmas. Keep the good cheer year round and have a great time with family and friends. I'll be sure to do the same. The new year is coming and I can't wait to work on videos and more comics of course.

 Have a great holiday! See you soon with a New Years comic!

Starbolts #373: Requiem for a Witch

Hail!

Is this the final fate of Zarantha? Will she be back to plague our heroes again and again? You know you can't keep a good baddie down. At least this week we delved a little into her origin. She is tied to Ethan Knight as both had the same master. You know the story. One chooses the side of good and another chooses the side of evil. Now both are locked in what looks like an immortal struggle between light and dark. Neither can rest. That's why Ethan is lonely as Ice Phoenix put it.

Well, this chapter of the story has been put to bed. I hope to put up a Christmas comic soon. My computer has been having issues. It may need new memory for Christmas. We'll see.  I will try to get something posted. Here's hoping nothing serious is wrong with my rig.

See you all next time!

Movie Thoughts: Star Wars: The Last Jedi

A little while ago I got back from seeing the second movie in the new main series Star Wars movies, Star Wars: The Last Jedi. I can honestly say I liked it. There was plenty of action, good story moments and a few twists that kept you wondering what was going on. Thankfully, I avoided spoilers for this one. I love Star Wars as much as the next guy and I wanted to be surprised.

It was good seeing Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker once again. I grew up with him as Luke Skywalker and he was a great childhood hero. Mark was also good as the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series and of course his role in the Wing Commander games were great. He did a fantastic job here.

Seeing Carrie Fisher as Leia was a bit bittersweet as it was her last role. It makes me wonder what they are going to do with her character in episode 9. She definitely had a screen presence in the movie and it was a nice touch to have the film dedicated to her memory. That's the only spoiler I am going to give. Then again, that was sort of a given. It's a non spoiler. It's something you knew was going to happen if you were a fan of the franchise or not.

Of the new characters, I think I like Rey and Poe the most. Poe is impulsive. I do wish we knew more of his backstory. Rey is also great this time around. She's given a little bit more character than in the first one.

Overall I'd give Star Wars: The Last Jedi 4/5 stars because it's fun to be back in that galaxy far, far away and have a new adventure with heroes from the past and heroes of today. It's a good story and it has a decent moral. For that, I am afraid I'd have to spoil things.

I had a good time watching it and I suggest you go with friends or have a crowd. It definitely makes it a great theater going experience.

Looking forward to episode 9. May the Force be with you.

P.S. How about that Avengers: Infinity War trailer? THAT I can't wait to see. Expect a blog about that!

See you next time!

Starbolts #372: Lights and Shadows

Hail!

Whew! Looks like we're heading into a major confrontation with Zarantha next week! After that we'll have the annual Christmas comic. I decided to save the Darkhawk review for January because Christmas time is always busy for me here. I did read it, though. I loved it and I'll explain more in the video.

Back to this week's comic. I figured I'd have a romantic payoff with these two. It was a long time coming. But, it looks like Zarantha wants to ruin things. Of course. She has issues with Crystal and I'll explain why next time. For now she saw what an angry person Crystal was. That's how she got infected. Crystal has finally learned to let go of her past and now wants to go toward the future. Honestly, can you blame her? She has gone through a lot.

1. Final confrontation with her parents.
2. Finding out her adoptive brother was an alien and seeing him off on a journey of his own.
3. Zarantha poking around her brain.

She's finally at a place where she can be happy. She doesn't want to get philosophical. She wants to celebrate. I think she earned it. =)

See you all next time!

Starbolts #371: The Balance of Good and Evil

 Hail!

Wow! How is Crystal going to get out of this one? Will "Dark Crystal" win? Where is Marcus in this mindscape. He DID go in with her. We'll find out next week. Crystal hopes to be free of Zarantha's hold on her so she can have some happiness. It seems unhappiness drives the infection. How will she stop it? Can she? We'll find out!

In other news, I got my hands on Darkhawk #51 and I will definitely be reviewing it in the near future. Right now I want to focus on this story and a Christmas comic. The Christmas comic may serve as a romantic payoff for Marcus and Crystal. We'll see. We still have a ways to go and I have a few ideas for what's going to happen. Right now things don't look good for our heroine.

Here's hoping she survives the experience! See ya next time!

Starbolts #370: To Protect the Green Monster

Hail!

This week's comic comes with a little bit of a twist. It seems something sinister is still within Crystal. We can thank Zarantha for that. I wonder if it's still in Dennis. Hmm. Time will tell. Here's hoping our green cat-like friend can help her out. I had a few ideas for the look of the Green Monster. I was thinking this round fuzzy thing. But, it ended up looking like one of the friguys from McDonalds. Eh, I didn't think that was a good idea. So, I decided to run with a cat-like creature.

It is kinda cute. Friendly and a bit eccentric. Speaking of eccentric. It seems Relic Hunter is going to be lost for a while. Here's hoping he STAYS lost. We know he won't. But, we can dream. Here's hoping Greenie can help out Crystal, though!

See ya next time!

Comic Showcase #51: Len Wein Tribute

Starbolts #369: Creatures of the Night

Happy Halloween! This year's Halloween comic has Mateo and Aquita take their son Sirak trick-or-treating for the first time. As you might expect hilarity ensued. Kid's got candy on his mind. He also seems to have an strange sense of timing as he walks in on his parents in the last panel! Haha. The kid's okay, though. I'm sure Uncle Richie will be taking care of him while the adults have some downtime.

I wanted to do this comic for a while because I haven't focused on Mateo and Aquita in a while. It's nice to focus on them and the last few weeks have been stressful for our heroes. Nothing like a good amount of humor. I wasn't going to have Rich who you know is Centurion be anything really scary. Nah. Just using his powers like that was enough. I'm sure the Guardians of the Universe don't mind that misuse of powers. =)

Hope you all enjoy this week's comic! See you next time!

Starbolts #368: Gotta Catch 'Em All

Hail!

The next stage of the adventure continues with Relic Hunter basically trying to catch them all. We won't see the attempt next week because I'll be making my annual Halloween comic. It's going to be a good one! I have a pretty cool idea for it!

 In early November, we will see R.H. trying to catch the Green Monster. I had to laugh when I made that a thing because the Boston Red Sox have a mascot called the Green Monster and there's a wall at Fenway Park with the same name. In hindsight, I wonder if I should have made a beast based on Lucky the Leprechaun. Or the Bruins Bear.....

I was going to make a joke saying Talinn was the Green Monster but nah. That wouldn't have been cool.

Look for the Halloween comic next week. I'm gonna work on designs for this green monster.  I'm picturing something much smaller than Roc for some reason. Maybe because I want to keep it simple.

In other news, I have the next few video reviews planned out. I'll be making a tribute to Len Wein and following that I will be working on Marvel Generations videos and after that? Well, Darkhawk IS returning to the spotlight....

Should be an interesting few videos! See ya next time!

Starbolts #367: Herculean Failure

Hail!

Today's comic has a blend of action and humor. Relic Hunter is admittedly very new to this supervillain like Nautilus was. The only difference here is that Nautilus is well....competent. Yeah. That's the word I am looking for. That man at least built a suit to fight people with. Relic Hunter just gets super strength and suddenly thinks he is the greatest thing since sliced bread. Chances are the two will be sharing a cell together.

Poor Aquita has to deal with the guy literally falling over her. Speaking of. I miss writing her and Mateo. I feel like I haven't used them much. I will rectify that sooner or later.

In other news, the technical issue I had when it comes to vids has been resolved. So, I am back in black! Look for a new video from me soon! It won't be next week as I'll be attending to some family stuff.  But, I will have it up. It's going to be a tribute to the late, great Len Wein. I hope you all enjoy it!

See you next time!

Starbolts #366: A Sudden Turn of Events

Hail!

Well, that certainly escalated hasn't it? Looks like Aristotle got himself a wee bit of an upgrade. I haven't decided what kind of powers he will have. I have a week to figure it out. I'm thinking something related to ancient Greek myths. Haven't really decided, yet. I had debated turning him into a Minotaur or something. That would be a wee bit too cliche.  I mean, yeah he's Greek but there's no need to turn him into a Greek monster.

His powers need to suit the name "Relic Hunter" though. We'll see. But, ya this is his villain origin story. Will work on his gimmick. Right now it's "Eccentric billionaire nutcase".

In other news, I have scripted parts of my next video. It's been delayed due to technical issues. Not camera or anything like that. I'll leave it at that. I will have it up soon. It's going to be a tribute to the late great Len Wein and it should be good! Stay tuned!

See ya next time!

Starbolts #365: Earning Your Wings

Hail!

Today's comic took a while to produce because of a death in the family. I'm doing better today. It's probably going to take some time before I really get back into the swing of things. This month hasn't really been that good personally. There have been some bright spots here and there. But, I hope October fairs better than September did.

Anyway, we get to see modern day Sari this time around. I had a lot of options when designing the city, but, I went with an alley. There is this structure in the real city that is very elaborate and really cool looking to be honest. It's in the Saal square. I wanted to make this tower, but, it's kind of complicated.

It is what it is. I should also note that Idrak was speaking Mazandarani when talking to Amsha. In fact, Amsha is most likely a descendant of Idrak. How is this possible you ask? Well, she most likely had several brothers and the last name got passed down through the centiries down to Amsha.  Sure the odds are great that Icy would meet the woman but if there's one thing I learned this week it's...

Never tell me the odds!

See you next time!

Starbolts #364: Phoenix Rising

Hail!

Today the Ice Phoenix has reclaimed her birthright and place among Earth's mightiest. Where will she go from here? We'll find out next comic. Sufficed it to say, she is going to fit in really well with the ranks of Earth's mightiest. Well, once she control her powers a bit and doesn't renders baddies to mounds of snow. That was just rude right there. Oh well.

In other news, I am planning my next video and it will be a Len Wein tribute. Should be an interesting video about the comic creator's greatest creations. Some I talked about on the show before. Some I haven't. Anyway, keep an eye out of it! It should be on its way soon!

As for me I am going to work on some more comic stuff. Ice Phoenix has arrived and I am pretty sure the world will never again be the same!

Starbolts #363: A Roc in a Hard Place

Hail!

This week we're introducing a brand new villain to the Starbolts universe! His name is Relic Hunter. And it looks like he's one of those eccentric billionaires who has to have the rarest of the rare. He's one of those hyper collectors. We'll learn more about him in the coming comics. It looks as though our bird friend is in trouble. Let's hope the Starbolts can get the Roc out of there. It sucks that the cannon was destroyed. I'd have liked to have drawn it. =)

Oh well. It looks like Jack is in his old armor for the time being. He'll be getting a newer uniform sooner or later. The armor does well in a punch and there wasn't enough time to make a new one. So, why not go for the classic look?

As far as Ice Phoenix goes, it looks like she isn't one to suffer fools or threats. Poor terrorist never saw what was coming.

See you next time for more action on Mount Damavand!

Fifth Anniversary of Half the Battle!

Starbolts #362: Culture Shock

Hail!

Sorry this week's comic was a little late. Had some real life things to take care of. But, hey. It's better to be a day late than a dollar short. Or something like that. I don't know. Well, now we know that Jack and co are back at the station after that crazy adventure in the Outlands. But, it looks like Roc may be facing problems of his own!

It's going to be interesting to see how Idrak interacts with modern day Iran. She's gonna be getting a crash course in Middle East Affairs nest comic. That's for sure! At least she won't be alone. Next week, Jack, Knight and Idrak go check out Iran. But, the ice bird here is gonna have his hands full. What's going on? Eh, it's probably some jerks mining or something. We'll see soon enough.

In the mean time, I think I am going to take a look at Secret Empire #10 soon. If only for that panel where good Cap beats up bad Cap. Freud would have a field day in the Marvel Universe. I'm telling ya. After that, we'll see.

See ya next time!

Starbolts #361: Demon's Run

Hail!

Wow! It looks like Talinn, Ice and Jack barely got out of there! Purple fire is not something you want to mess with. Or any kind of fire for that matter. I'm actually thinking of having Talinn be the Starbolts' strong guy until Firaxil returns. Sounds like it might be a good idea. Poor guy's been through a lot this adventure. Let's hope he wants to join when he comes back.

As far as Ice goes, I think she's gonna be a little shocked when she sees Earth again for the first time since the fourteenth century. Never mind how Persia now is (Persia is now Iran.) Everything is gonna be different and she'll need time to adjust to it all. Especially with aliens running around, too.

In other news, I have plans for Marvel's newest event! For those who don't know it's called "Generations" and a follow up called Marvel Legacy where every title goes back to their original numbering. About time, too. In it, Darkhawk is getting a #51. If only New Warriors were getting a comic, too. THAT would be awesome. So, look for reviews based on that event. I'm skipping Secret Empire because it's kinda a mess. Okay. Scratch that. It's a HUGE mess. At least Cap will be back to his old self at the end of it.

Enjoy this week's comic!

Starbolts #360: Hacking the Firewall

Hail!

This week Talinn Bandjora from Nightstrike lends Jack and Ice Phoenix a hand after hacking the proverbial firewall between realms.  I added a little bit of a character moment for Kaori since we don't really have a lot on her. She's a young Japanese witch who is slowly learning the ropes. She's got a lot to learn and hopefully her friends in Nightstrike can help her out! We also see the spirits of Soldier Six still lingering about. Those ghosts are gonna be haunting Snake forever. Good. He deserves to be haunted!

Talinn and the rest of Nightstrike for those who don't know was originally created by my dearly departed friend Mike. Here's hoping I am doing him justice! The character is a demon bounty hunter and he's been in the comic before. I just revised his look several times. A long time ago he looked like a green Garazo. I had to change that fast!

Anyway, enjoy this week's comic! More action is coming soon!

Starbolts #359: Call of the Ice Phoenix

 Hail!

This week we have the origin of the Ice Phoenix! Icey was a member of a Persian caravan in the 15th century. This means she is of Middle Eastern descent. I wonder what she'll make of the modern world when/if she makes it to Jack's time. We'll find out soon enough. We'll also find out if Roc is still hanging around after so many centuries. Chances are it is. However, getting to Persia, now modern Iran, may be a wee bit tricky. If the Starbolts help her, she'll get there with relative ease I am sure. International laws? What's that? Take a shuttlecraft right to the mountain!

Icey's bird form went through a few design changes and I'm not completely sold on the form in the last two panels. I may alter it in the future. I have a good reason why it's like this right now, though. Being cut off from Earth has weakened the Ice Phoenix's power. She's still strong. However, to reach her full potential, she must get back to Earth. She never got the full training Roc could have given her.

Just think. Ice Phoenix could have been the Starboltsverse's first superhero. The world sadly had to wait until the onset of World War II before the supers emerged again.  Or did it? =P

I liken Icey's bird transformation sequence to that of the Sorceress's transformation in He-Man back in the day. I always thought that was cool. Sure the bird form was a lot smaller, but, the homage is here. Here's hoping she'll fit in with Earth's mighitiest!
 

Enjoy the comic! See ya next time! 

Starbolts #358: Enter the Ice Phoenix

 
Hail!

This is the first of two comics this week! I wanted to show what Jack has been up to since he went after Cobra and Zarantha not too long ago. It seems he got amnesia and has met a friend named Ice Phoenix. I should talk a little about her.

Ice Phoenix was the screen name of a friend of mine from way back in the day. Like back when modems still had dial ups. THAT far back. We met at a comic message board and eventually someone got the bright idea to put us all in a huge fanfic. Icey's character was a blue haired woman who obviously controlled ice.  That character went by the wayside when Icey created someone similar for her own stories involving the world of Pokemon. Her name was Arti Cuno. Eventually, Icey changed her screen name to Faeore and well, the rest is history. In fact, she has even continued the adventures of Arti Cuno and her friends in several new stories. She does art from time to time and I've posted them on my facebook page which you can see here:

https://www.facebook.com/Starbolt-Productions-109799699073466/

Fae's work can also be seen here:

https://faeore.deviantart.com/

I went to Fae and asked her if I could bring Ice Phoenix into the world of the Starbolts. I gave her a concept art of the sprite and said it was a thank you for all the art she did for me over the years. This Ice Phoenix, though, has a totally different origin than the one she made and we will see that, soon. I ran it by her and she accepted and here she is. She likes the idea of Ice Phoenix being practically reborn eighteen years since her debut in a long forgotten story. I barely remember the details of it because it was so long ago!

Now the Ice Phoenix has been reborn! What does it mean for our heroes? What is her connection to Zarantha? Find out this weekend!

Oh and I really like the jab I had at creating a monster which was a recolor of the Aquan War God. That was cool.

And before I go, be sure to check out my fiftieth episode of Comic Showcase! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzgCAe7CULs
 

Comic Showcase #50: Star Wars #1

Edit on 4/15/18: With regards to the information that has come to light regarding Justin "JewWario" Carmical, views about him have been changed. His dedication should not be construed as an endorsement of his illicit behavior. This video remains in place for historical purposes. Had I known the facts before this video was produced, there would certainly be no dedication.

Starbolts #357: Farewell, Titanus

Hail!

Its finally here! Dennis has said his goodbyes to the Starbolts and is off to find the Inobe. Wherever they are. Will he find them? Time will tell. It is a long shot. I had fun doing this week's comic. I kind of wish I put a Leonid in there with Crystal's parents. That would be a FUN interrogation scene! At least we have an Aquan and a Setleth being the good cop/bad cop routine. We may see those two again, too. It depends, really. There's probably gonna be a hearing and Crystal will have to take part in it.

As one Starbolt leaves, two get really close together in light of everything that's gone on. Marcus and Crystal have professed their love for each other after this harrowing adventure. Drama like this tends to bring people together. In this case, Marcus has had an attraction to Crystal from almost the beginning. She, too. Events were then put into motion and here they are. What will become of this? Stay tuned!

More Starbolts action is coming soon!

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Homecoming Review

Hey, everyone!

I just got back from seeing what I think is the second best Spider-Man movie of all time. That isn't to say Spider-Man Homecoming is bad. No, no. Far from it! It's amazing, spectacular and all that fun stuff. I just liked Spider-Man 2 a bit more than this one. I know several people feel the same way I do. And if you know me, you know how huge a fan I am of the webhead. Spider-Man 2 is my favorite of the Sam Raimi movies and Homecoming is on par with being almost as good. I never really liked the Mark Webb movies as that Spidey came off more like a jerk than anything else and that's not who Spider-Man is.

Here's what I liked about the movie. I liked how the suit was a clear reference to the Steve Ditko era of Spider-Man complete with the webbing under his arms. The eyes, too, hearkened back to that era. It makes sense because this Spidey is just starting out. He's had his powers for a few months and is slowly learning the ropes so to speak.

A lot of people were also worried about how much Tony Stark was in the movie. I'm glad he was kept to a minimum. At the same time, I see why they had him in there as well as a certain star spangled Avenger. They wanted to show that Spidey is in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the rest of them. And now he joins the ranks of the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, Defenders, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the new Freeform shows in one cohesive universe. Even if he's on loan from Sony as part of the deal. It's good to see him here and I can't wait to see him in Avengers: Infinity War.

What I didn't like about the movie was how it dragged on a little. I mean some of the stuff could have been cut down. But, it was okay. They wanted to show a side of the Spider-Man universe we didn't get to see much of in previous movies. We saw Peter in high school. He was in high school for like ten minutes in the Sam Raimi movies and not long in Mark Webb. It's good to see that aspect of his life as we see where he came from.

I also didn't mind that we didn't get an uncle Ben mention. I mean saying "Aunt May had a rough year" was enough to make you say "Ohh". And we do get a mention of the spider bite. Just never shown. It's good that they skipped the origin as we have seen it many times before.

Michael Keaton was amazing as the Vulture and in a way I'm glad they made us almost feel sorry for the guy.  I don't want to spoil anything, but, he really tried to help his family. Sure he went about it the wrong way. The motivation was clear at least.

The rest of the cast did an amazing job. Marissa Tormei's Aunt May was nurturing like in the comics. Her being younger is fine by me as long as she can act. The rest of cast did a great job and played well like Peter/Spidey's supporting cast usually does in the comics. Great stuff from them and I'm glad Flash was more a rival than Peter's bully. I wonder if he'll become Agent Venom some day. Time will tell.

As for our main character? I love this iteration of Spider-Man! Holland nails the perfect combination of Peter's nerdiness, shyness and stuff. At the same time, he seems to get that Spidey jokes a joke a minute and comments on stuff with a wisecrack or two. This, I feel, was sorely missing in the Raimi movies. In Webb's version they tried. But, he came off so much like a jerk to me that I was turned off. You need to find the right balance and here we actually have it. For me it's like Spidey leaped from the pages of the comic and onto the screen flawlessly.

This is where the MCU shines. I know I am kissing up to them, but, Marvel Studios gets the characters. They do them justice. They try and give everyone a great project and nine times out of ten they give us something solid. They give us an action adventure and a story with a moral. That's really what made the comics so endearing and stand the test of time. It's why everyone has loved Spidey and the rest of Marvel's heroes, villians, mutants, monsters and Marvels.
 
Spider-Man Homecoming is a great dive back into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. You won't need to watch all the MCU movies to get what's happening. Just know that your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is back home and will be there for some time to come if these box office numbers keep rising.  It's good to see you in the MCU, Spidey! Keep swinging!

Oh and I loved the Spider-Man '67 intro with the Marvel logo! That was classy!

Starbolts #356: The Bowling Green Massacre

Hail!

This week's comic took a while as I had family up. Still, you gotta love how timely the comic's title is. I know there isn't a real massacre here, but, spoilers...The fake one wasn't a massacre, either! SHH! So, it works on both levels. Anyway, Firaxil is rightfully annoyed at humans and now that he's back at the house things could go two ways.

1. He leaves without incident.

2. The Arronfelds open their big yaps and cause a scene.

I'm thinking the second one will happen! Things never go smoothly in this line of work. Poor guy needs a break. We shall see what happens next time!

I still haven't seen Spider-Man: Homecoming. I shall plan on doing so and then make a blog post about it. Heard good things! I hope it's...AMAZING! =P

Comic Showcase #49: A+A Archer and Armstrong #5

Starbolts #355: The Secret Origin of Titanus

Hail!

I hope you all brought tissues for this one because this is definitely a tearjerker. Imagine an alien family trying to find a new home for their people only to be flung halfway across the galaxy and land on a farm where the most uncouth people you'd ever meet lived. That's the story of Dennis. Er...I mean...Firaxil.  You might be wondering how he got super strength from all of this. Well, the beatings never really stopped. His Inobe abilities were still dormant but managed to give him superhuman strength and invulnerability. He adapted to some seriously tough situations.

When "Dennis" got older, he would revert back to his natural state by accident and would still be beaten more by the Arronfelds. The mutation basically turned off his adaptation abilities.  He's no longer able to do what Inobe can. Now what is he going to do with this information? Well, he is most likely going to search the stars for his people.

As far as Crystal goes, she was unaware of everything. She was most likely asleep when the ship landed and the Arronfelds kept the boy in the cave....near his parents' bodies. That was until the time was right and he forgot that he was an alien. Poor guy.

Next time we will have a video with Harmonica Jay on drums! 

Spook Factor: Buffy the Animated Series

Starbolts #354: Prodigal Daughter

 Hail!

Wow! There's a lot of family drama this week. About half of the comic could be an episode of Maury. Hell, maybe even Jerry Springer. There's no shortage of it this week, huh? I do have to admit writing Jed Arronfeld makes me want to punch him. I said on twitter how you know you are a decent writer when you really want to punch the guy who is not really a supervillain, but, a ignorant farmer from Kentucky who is bigoted. I should have Marcus superspeed punch him. Nah. That isn't the Starbolts way. Something'll happen to him, I think. And I don't mean that broken tractor. Broken nothing. That thing's sitting under a rock!

Sufficed it to say, we have surprises coming  next comic. I may do a video this week if the weather gets better. We shall see. I may flip a coin and figure things out. In the mean time, there are definitely some strange things in this cave and we're about to find out what it is. Questions will be answered so stay tuned!

Starbolts #353: The Next Chapter

Hail!

As one chapter ends another begins! This week is a jumping on for new readers as I give everyone a quick glimpse as to what the 'Bolts is all about.  I originally had a long, long testimony by Whitefox and co and it seemed kind of boring. So, I spiced it up by having Marcus narrating everything. So, everything is in Marcus's point of view. Once that was over it was time to move onto the next chapter. We now will find out what Dennis's story is and judging by the signal they others in the cockpit discovered, it seems the file Clive had on her was accurate!

At least the team is getting back to business as usual. Their relationship with the government is still a little frosty. In time, it'll get better. Right now, the Starbolts have two objectives:

1. Find their missing friend.
2. Explore Dennis's background.

It's going to be an interesting summer! Welcome to the madness, new readers! I hope you enjoy the experience!

Starbolts #352: Magic vs Technology

 Hail!

Yes, Norad. You did miss something. Quite a few things to be exact. Still, we have quite a bittersweet ending here don't we? Jack went off to stop Cobra and Zarantha from bringing Soldier Six back to life and now Syntax is disabled! Well, Syntax is still technically in Norad's brain. It's gonna take a bit to get him/her/it out. There's still quite a bit of consequences for the 'Bolts to deal with. We still have:

1. The vacancy at the Department of Metahuman Affairs.
2. The whole "Is Dennis an alien?" thing.
3. Gladstone's secret.
4. The team being on the outs with the US government.

There's a lot more to explore in the coming weeks. So be sure to stick around. Jack will return some day. The 'bolts will definitely be going after him. Count on it!

See ya next week for a special jumping on point comic. I figure we are about due for one!

Starbolts #351: Fox on the Run

 Hail!

There's a lot of things going on this week! Jack and Cobra seem to be heading for a final showdown! Jack won't kill Cobra. He isn't like him. Besides, you don't kill off a great super-villain. That's just storytelling 101 right there. Jack wants to do it, but, he has to stand for something. Something WILL happen between them next week! You'll just have to wait and see what it is!

Next up is Crystal and the Whitefoxes. They have quite a happy reunion here. Andrea, though, is missing Jack. So in a way it is bittersweet. They are happy Crystal is okay, sure. But, Jack is still missing and is now facing danger at the bottom of the station.

At least the Legion has been caught for the most part! Just got two more rats to evict. That will happen in part three of this storyline's finale! Stay tuned for the epic conclusion! You don't wanna miss it!

Starbolts #350: Strange Bedfellows

Hail!

Here's part one of the finale to the current storyline! I was going to have it be 60 panels, but, I wanted to add a few more bits to the second half before I do anything else. So what better way to end this part than on a cliffhanger!  How will Syntax beat Zarantha? Why is he/she being all nice? Will Jack and Cobra have their fight to the death? So many questions and they will be answered soon! Wait and see!

In other news, I am thinking up ideas for my 50th Comic Showcase. Plans are slowly coming into view.  I still have my 49th vid and that will be a review of an issue of Archer and Armstrong. Harmonica Jay will be helping out with that one! =D

Gonna be a busy couple of weeks! Stay tuned for more excitement!

Starbolts #349: Slaves to Emotion

Hail!

We are one comic away from the exciting conclusion to this storyline! Lives will be changed forever in the grand finale of this epic event! Right now it looks like Norad is going through a bit of a problem. Syntax is really a fembot that wants to procreate with Norad. Strange notion considering she basically abused him several times throughout her appearances. I know love hurts but this is ridiculous!

I enjoyed making the background for inside the computer. I was thinking of the movie Tron and thought that would be a cool thing to make. Now I wish I had one of those light cycles from the original movie. I had one of those as a toy a long, long time ago. It's somewhere in the attic now I believe along with a great many things.

It also seems like Val and Simon do not exactly have a healthy relationship. Not when she's constantly using her pheromones on him. She's gonna have to stop at some point. I do like Crystal giving her a WTF look. For her love is work. Valentina here makes it too easy and that's the big difference with those two. Methinks Val needs to see a psychiatrist.

See you next time for the exciting conclusion!

Comic Showcase #48: X-Men Blue #1

Starbolts #348: Epic Betrayal

Hail!

It was only a matter of time before Valentina had a face turn. Over the last few comic arcs with her, she's been getting less and less "evil" and more disillusioned with the whole villain thing. The same goes for Simon and it remains to be seen if she will also change sides. Note: This doesn't mean she will be joining the Starbolts. Far from it. If anything she and Simon will want to be left alone. Cobra is so not happy with this turn of events. We'll hear from him soon enough.

I'm not sure she changed her views on Crystal, though. She probably still thinks she is a slut and a dangerous person. Then again, she did just witness her saving Marcus's life. So, it remains to be seen how much of an impact this whole thing has had on her. Speaking of impacts. Did you notice Manta's eyes when he came out of the cargo bay? He's gonna want words with Zarantha after what she just put him and Aquita through.

In other news, I'll be working on a review of X-Men Blue and then Harmonica Jay and I will be teaming up for a review of another Archer and Armstrong comic! I was hoping for X-O Manowar, but, we couldn't find a single issue to talk about. Just trades. Still. Archer and Armstrong is fun. Not sure what to expect. I hope it's a good comic!

See ya next time!

Starbolts #347: Rude Awakening

Hail!

It looks like someone is definitely gonna get it in the next comic. I can see it now.

Tornado: Babe, you're okay!
Crystal: *STABS Tornado.*

I think that would be the rated R version of what will happen. Right now she has more important things on her mind. She has to free her friends from the pods somehow. Meanwhile the others are fighting the Legion just outside the cargo bay. Crystal doesn't know that of course.

Speaking of Crystal, I'll explain her fantasy a bit. The way I see it is that all she wanted in life was a life with the first person who actually saw her. That was Marcus way back when. That's her greatest wish. She was able to break free of the fantasy because that's what she now has in the real world. She has Marcus, friends and two people who might as well be her real parents. The spell didn't work on someone who is already content with their life. Did she have drama? Yes. She's working through it. I didn't have time to show it, but, in her fantasy Dennis wouldn't have been mutated.

What ended up tipping her off was the sight of her dad in an Agents uniform. That wouldn't sit right with her. In the end, Zarantha miscalculated what Crystal really wanted in life. The others, though, may have trouble waking up. Though, this begs the question. What is Marcus dreaming of? We'll find out soon enough. They were sharing the same fantasy up to a certain point. Where? Who can say?

See ya next time!

Starbolts #346: The New Kids on the Block

Hail!

This week the New Starbolts take center stage! Plenty of action from almost the entire team here. I didn't showcase Carra that much, but, she'll have more to do next week. Until then we have the newbies taking point against several of the Starbolts' deadly foes. And hey, they are doing a pretty good job here!

In other news, I'll be reviewing X-Men Blue soon so keep a look out for that. As far as X-Men Gold goes, the story is decent and everything. I'm admittedly hesitant over how I'll cover the controversy. I may say a couple things and just keep going. The controversy is still fresh in everyone's minds so I'll be covering Blue for now. And hey it's pretty fun!

So stay tuned for that and of course more Starbolts action. Had fun making sprites for Avian and a couple others. They were long overdue! Anyway, see ya next time! We're almost to the end of this storyline! And what an ending it will be! See ya!

Starbolts #345: Storming the Castle

Hail!

If only the Starbolts had a wheelbarrow. That would be something! This week we have the newbies, Warrior and Avian arriving at the station! Will they be enough to stop the Legion? We'll see soon enough. Now we know where all the Starbolts are stored. Once they are freed, I am sure they'll be able to take back the castle. Er...I mean space station.

I kind of feel bad for Tornado. Kind of. But, not quite. He's a hopeless romantic. Emphasis on hopeless. And he thinks with other parts of his anatomy. Not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed, either since he doesn't know when to quit. I'm thinking of having Marcus and Tommy here have a confrontation soon.

Right now we have the New Starbolts here to share the spotlight! I need to round out that team a bit more. Sooner or later another young teenage hero will join the ranks and bring the team total to six. I'm going for this New Warriors style vibe for the newbies. I have a couple ideas. We shall see what happens.

In the mean time, the 'Bolts are storming the castle. Think it'll work? It'll take a miracle.

Starbolts #344: World of Illusions

Hail!

That ending, man. That ending! It was actually one of the first panels I put in when I did the comic as the illusions went through a couple drafts. I initially had a mishmash of various things confusing Crystal. Instead, I opted to go with something a bit more simple while still keeping the basic premise in there. I wanted Zarantha to egg her on about the life she could have had if Clive had his way and had her be a Terra Nova operative. That obviously didn't happen.

I also had the choice in making this comic an April Fool's Day comic because that's what today is. I put a poll up on my twitter and people were adamant that I didn't do one. A friend of mine said it is probably because my day is Saturday and it's a day I normally put stuff up. Except if it's a video. Then those go up when I finish. Truthfully, I couldn't think of a comic for the day and I didn't want to break where the story was.

I also took the time to upgrade some backgrounds. See the walls of the station and a few other areas? I decided I needed to make them more spacey and high tech looking. It worked out pretty well.  It's just various little details and I'll definitely be adding more for future backgrounds.

In the meantime, we got this week's comic and wow...someone's gonna get punched. Or sliced. If Crystal wakes up in time. See ya next time!

Comic Showcase #47: Top Ten X-Men

Starbolts #343: Big Bad Luck

Hail!

There's a LOT of stuff going on this week. First we have Crystal getting the best of Cobra and sneaking around him, Dennis getting beaten up by a smart Granite, Ariel and Warrior returning and coming to save the day, Gladstone being a jerk and finally Norad getting blown out of an airlock. It's a crazy week to be sure. Well, it's gonna get even crazier soon!

Next week, I'll have a video out. I'm thinking it will be a preview of things to come since X-Men Prime isn't out, yet.  Or it will be a top five X-Men stories. We shall see.  Still thinking about what I want to do.

In the mean time, enjoy this week's comic! Things are gonna get even crazier. And really what exactly does Zarantha WANT with Crystal? Weirdo.

See ya soon!

Starbolts #342: Rise of the Machine

Hail!

It turns out that Clive has been a robot all along! Or has he? The first rule of villains is to never kill off a main one. Bring them back to torture the hero again and again. Especially if they are pretty damn awesome. Clive is that. Where is he the real one, though? We'll find out sooner or later. Right now our heroes are still in a bit of a jam. It doesn't help that Tornado still seems to have the hots for Crystal. Man, is he in for a rude awakening. As my editor said, he needs to get punched. A LOT! I think Bluestreak'll do it eventually.

You may also have been wondering where Syntax has been during all this. Well, he was living in a hard drive all this time. Now he's back and is in control of the station. What does he have planned? Who knows. I'm so tempted to make some references to Skynet and Hal 9000.

In other news, I am planning out my next reviews. They will be for X-Men Prime, X-Men Gold, X-Men Blue and this new mysterious X-Men book coming out. Gotta make up for the lack of X-Men books I've covered. I read Extraordinary X-Men, sure. But, it will be nice to see the X-Men back on track for once in the wake of the Inhumans vs X-Men event comic.

Until then enjoy the comic! Someone's gonna get punched! =D

Starbolts #341: Evil's Many Forms

Hail!

Looks like Clive has met his maker this week! Or did he? No spoilers from me. You'll just have to wait and see what happens next week. Still, I really like what I did in that last panel and of course Angela lighting up the cargo bay. She didn't have much to say as she was concentrating on that one energy form and of course brightening up the room.

Well, even if the Starbolts escape, they gotta deal with the Legion now usurping their role as Earth's greatest heroes. Well, we shall see what happens as the drama continues to unfold!

In other news, I am looking forward to reading X-Men Blue and Gold. Expect video reviews of both comics in the not too distant future!

Enjoy this week's comic. Man, that is no way to get ahead in life....

Starbolts #340: Nature's Fury

Hail!

This week special thanks go out to Rob Walker and Kaylyn "MarzGurl" Saucedo for a quick lesson in Japanese. What happened was I initially had Takashi say "Seiko!" in panel 28. It turned out that the more logical word should have been "yatta!". Let this be a lesson for you, everyone. Google translate doesn't always give you the best translations. It does however allow one to look up dirty words. That was a perfect use of my time! =D

Anyway, it's clear that Jack Lantern and Spectra's powers have been amped up a thousand fold. Jack's vines can move about as if they have a mind of their own and Spectra's light now has been forced into some kind of heat ray. Crazy stuff is going on with the 'Bolts. All hope isn't lost as Dennis has entered the fray. That means next comic is going to have a lot of people getting broken. =D

See ya next time!

Starbolts #339: No Rest for the Wicked

Hail!

There's quite a bit to talk about in this week's comic! First, we have the origin of Crystal's uniform. It looks like Mrs Johnson has gone the Edna Mode route in her retirement. Don't be surprised if she doesn't include capes in her designs. No capes! Why? Well, we all know why.  With Crystal back at home, it seems more likely that Zarantha would be discovered. That's why she decided to have those four Legionnaires try to take over the station. Will they succeed? Who knows?

We'll find out soon enough. In the mean time, check out my friend Bradley Nephilum's video spotlight of Comic Showcase and the Starbolts webcomic. He posted a video about his top five favorite creators! You can watch it here:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sqyC6QBxG8

Good stuff! Perhaps he'll appear on Comic Showcase some day.

Starbolts #338: Dawn of the Wildcat

Hail!

This week Crystal gets a long overdue promotion! After all she has had to deal with, she was about due for one. She would have had a higher rank if it weren't for the years of insubordination. Those days and her days as "Wraith" are behind her. She is now known as Wildcat and it seems her new look has the ability to turn some heads.

It should be noted that the costume is similar to the one she wore in the Christmas comic. But, there's a few slight variations. The major one being that it turns invisible when she does. There are other differences to be sure. Marcus in the mean time can't seem to pick his jaw up off the floor. Hahaha!

But, wait! There's more! Andrea and Stan are making plans to give Crystal and Dennis one last surprise! It seems they are going to take the two into their family. How will Crystal react? We'll see soon enough.

I originally had Crystal talk to them about bringing her in. But, I think going about it this way would be better. I didn't want to clog the comic up with too much going on. So, one thing at a time. The new suit comes first!

I also liked writing that bit with Aquita and Mateo's son. That was fun and showed that Crystal has indeed come home. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to reattach Marcus's jaw in time for next week.

See ya then!

Starbolts #337: Friends in High Places

Hail!

I look at that Hulk smash scene in panel 26 and just smile. That took some time to do and it came out good. I was obviously inspired by the scene in Avengers when Loki was *ahem* smashed around by the Hulk like a rag doll. Good stuff. I don't think Backdraft will be getting up any time soon. It looks like Dennis had more fun than anything. Don't mess with his sister, man. You'd get broken. Quickly.

Next week, we're going to have a bit of downtime so our heroes can catch their breath. Marcus and Crystal are home and the Starbolts still have to contend with the Legion, the resurrected Cobra and of course Crystal's nightmares. All of that will be wrapped up soon. That along with Dennis's own mystery. The story isn't over yet. More is coming! MUCH more!

Stay tuned!

Comic Showcase #46: Nova #1 (2016)

Starbolts #336: And Into the Fire

Hail!

This week's comic had a few rough drafts before I settled on this one. The first rough draft had forty panels and had Backdraft burning down or attempting to burn down the Johnsons' house. I didn't like where that one was going so I decided to change it up with what we got here. The scene in the bedroom is from the first draft. I wanted to keep that in because I wanted to show that Zarantha is still putting the screws into her as it were. One of these days Crystal is gonna have it out with that wich. Perhaps sooner than you think.

I wanted to keep the scene with Marcus in as it shows where the relationship is at this point. Crystal's still scared. They've been on the run for a week now in comic time. They both want to come home. Hopefully some help will come in the next comic. They do have friends in high places and are on the outs with the DMA as well.

I also haven't decided what Backdraft is. Is he a guy in a suit? A metahuman? A demon? Who can say? I'll have to think on it. It's obvious that he doesn't like the city of Boston. Then again residents of Boston don't like the city of Boston! More of him next time. Next week we're gonna have a review of Nova #1. So, stay tuned!

See ya next time!

Starbolts #335: Out of the Frying Pan

Hail!

 Jack, Jack, Jack. You've been going through a lot the last couple comics haven't you? Well, it's the life of a superhero.  I had fun making the conversation between father and son. I feel like I haven't had many scenes with Jack and his dad. This week presented a good opportunity to bring it to the forefront. I also referenced the last time he saw Scarlett. Well, a clone of her anyway. This was way back in the 120s of this comic. Long time ago and a bit of a different art style, too. The sprites have come a long way since then. Jack, I think, doesn't want to lose Scarlett for a third time. He's trying to move on. But, I guess the snake is still trying to dig the knife deeper. It's going to come to a head sooner or later.

Next week, we are going to see what Cobra and Zarantha have planned. Who is this "he" they are talking about in the last couple panels? What could "he" be doing? And what is the bait for our heroes? The story continues and more excitement is on the way.

Stay tuned!

Starbolts #334: Flight of the Snake

 Hail!

The new year in Starbolts action starts off with the hunter chasing the snake and the snake offering the hunter a prize. He didn't take it, but, his choice could have some lasting ramifications. Good lord I wrote Cobra as a jerk this week. Well, it fits his character. He would twist the knife a bit. Jack probably shouldn't have allowed him to monologue as much as he did. I guess maybe he was just looking for something of his old friend. Anything. Could he have been that desperate? Possibly. Either way, we know why Anya hasn't been in the comic recently. She'll be back sooner or later, I think. We'll see.

We'll also see if Cobra revives Soldier Six or not. Again. They were cloned before.....

Anyway, this comic takes place at the same time as Crystal's run in with that gang. We should be realigned next week. Lots of stuff is gonna happen so stay tuned for more Starbolts excitement!