Mark's Epic Blog of Randomness

 By Mark Rodriguez While it currently has ended and been replaced by the current IDW run, the Archie Sonic run has been the longest running comic based on a video game. The Sonic comic lasted so long that you had the early game characters, the 90's cartoon characters, new characters during the lack of new Sonic games, and then all the new characters introduced during the Sonic Adventure games. The comic ran so long that the original Dr Robotnik from the Sonic Saturday Morning cartoon show was defeated for good. Eventually they faced an alternate reality version named Robo-Robotnik that would become Eggman based on the Sonic Adventure games and onward. This issue has Eggman meet the original Dr. Robotnik. Let's see what happens. Also it seems at this time Dr. Eggman was still mostly called Robotnik, so to tell them apart I'll still call him Eggman and the classic one Robotnik.   "Robotnik X2 = Trouble!" opens with Eggman and Snively observing Knuckles, who current...

 By Mark Rodriguez Sometimes a cover just grabs you. While purchasing some other comic on Hipcomic, I somehow stumbled onto this one. Sometimes having a kick-ass babe on the cover is all I need to pick up a comic I never heard of, especially if it's from the mid-90's/early 2000's. So let's check out what Silke is all about.   "Act 1- Playing God"  opens with a guy being caught by two agwents in a subway. The agents, Jones and Tobias, call him 'Ms Matthews' and tell them that they know it's her. Geena Matthews shape-shifts into her true form. The agents keep their guns aimed at her and tell her how their woman-hunt for her cost the tax payers six million dollars. One of the Agents says it's time to take her home. Matthews says she can find a faster way home just as a train is coming up. Matthews leaps towards the train tracks as the trains passes by. After the train is gone, the agents are surprised to see no sign of a body or blood across the t...

 By Mark Rodriguez So before we get into this one, I do want to say I haven't seen (nor plan to see) TMNT Mutant Mayhem or the cartoon series Tales of the TMNT. I couldn't get past the overly stylized designs of the characters, their portrayals and the fact that they ended up going to school as if they were regular teenagers. Now there is a new comic book series based on the cartoon, and by extension the movie. Will this comic change my mind on Mutant Mayhem? Doubtful but let's check it out anyway.   The issue opens with the Turtles, Ian and Irma hanging out in a makeshift fort, trading scary stories. Donatello wants to go next and Mikey telling scary stories isn't his strong suit. Donnie insists and says he will tell the story of 'the best week ever'.    Donnie flashbacks to the robotics club where he is trying to fix Metalhead with Ian and Irma. After constant failed test runs, Raph says he should give up and Leo asks why he's so focused on trying to fix M...

 By Mark Rodriguez Before the Avengers movies, I have only heard of the Black Widow in passing. When I first encountered her she was wearing a grey skintight outfit with a big collar and spider logo on her chest and she had shorter hair. While I thought this was her initial look, it seems she bounced back and forth between this and her more iconic all-black outfit back in the day. It seems to be tough to find older comics with this look because even older ones still have her in the all-black outfit. Looks like I finally found one in this classic Marvel Team-Up book. Let's take a look as we go back in time to when comics cost 60 cents. "Where were you when the lights went out?" opens with a city-wide blackout. Hospitals turn on emergency power. Officers are deployed in riot gear as things got crazy the last time there was a blackout. A man's pawn shop is being robbed on the streets, the thieves taking advantage of the darkness. The man yells out that he took their jun...

By Mark Rodriguez One of the favorite animated versions of Spider-Man for many fans was the 90's Animated Series. It gave everyone a look at Spider-Man and his supporting cast while offering condensed versions of classic stories like, The Spider-Slayers, The Sinister Six (called Insidious Six in the cartoon) , his first encounter with the Symbiote and even Secret Wars. Somewhere during the later seasons, Mary Jane fell through a portal in a battle with the Green Goblin (a homage to The Night Gwen Stacy died), and the series ended with Madame Web taking Spider-Man to find her. So now we got a comic that will continue his adventures and be kinda like a season 6 (unless of course, they actually make a season 6 similar to the current X-Men 97 series).  And yes... I know Spider-Man Unlimited was supposed to be the follow up to Spider-Man the Animated Series but let's ignore that... Anyway, let's check it out.   "Chapter One: The Awakening" opens with a mysterious man ...