Mark's Epic Blog of Randomness

 By Mark Rodriguez As some might or might not know, I lived in Vegas for a few years with my brother Johnny. We got to meet a lot good friends at anime cons and they have been in several of our older VGM episodes. We're planning to visit Vegas and see my brother again as well as the old gang. I haven't been there since 2019, so a lot of it is going to be seeing what has changed over the years. With Wendy coming along, this will be her first time visiting Vegas and seeing the sights and slot machines. In this case, I can see her reaction as a first timer. We'll keep tabs on what we see and what we do. We're not sure if every day will involve seeing the Strip and whatnot since a lot of this trip is more about seeing my brother and friends again than being tourists. I do intend to show the places that we got to see, so stay tuned for updates. I know the comic book reviews have been slow, but we'll get back to those once we return.

 By Mark Rodriguez We're going to be busy in the next few weeks, so we decided to pick up what comics we have in the pullbox before they pile up too much. We got a few interesting pics, and some we might not review.   Superior Avengers # 6 I'll have to catch up with this one. Eddie Brock Carnage # 8 I'll also have to catch up on this one.   The New Avengers # 4 Looks like the New Avengers will be facing off the Illuminati, or rather, corrupted versions of them. Wolverine and Deadpools # 3 Deadpool's daughter targets Wolverine, while Wade and Laura try to break it off.   Batman Dark Patterns # 10 The fourth and final mystery of this mini-series starts here! The Child of Fire part one!  Thundercats# 18  It looks like Cheetara   and Tygra are headed towards a relationship upgrade.   Gargoyles Demona # 3 This was one of Wendy's picks. Demona has her own series (or mini-series) and she might have to hunt down the first tow issues. Red Hood # ...

 By Mark Rodriguez We decided to swing by Third Eye before the pull box got too piled up. I lost track of when Hush 2 ended, but just like I heard a few months back, this would lead to Batman getting a brand new number one issue. Also the comic based on the classic Spider-Man 90's series is here!! Psylocke # 10-  I'll have to catch up to this one Batman # 1 (2025) - Another jumping on point as we get a fresh new number one. Hush 2 might have ended but Batman and Bruce Wayne are going to be challenged like never before!  All-New Venom # 10- Emotions rise as Mary Jane and Venom finally hash it out.   Spider-Man 94 # 1- Spider-Man The Animated Series is back, in comic book form at least. After getting Mary Jane back, what new adventures await them after 5 seasons of villains and adventures? IDW TMNT # 11- The Turtles might be reunited by the city is after them. This is the semi-last issue to wrap up the Jason Aron run. What will happen now as the Turtles are taken ...

 By Mark Rodriguez This tine we swung on by to Alpha Comics to grab two comics and three new ones from Third Eye. I'll be checking on the pullbox later on since this was just a quick run. Let's check out what we got. TMNT Saturday Morning Adventures Continued # 28 The Pantheon members have started a contest to see which one of them can take out the Turtles with the winner taking the leadership from Hob. Drako had tried and failed, so now it's Golgotha's turn.    TMNT Saturday Morning Adventures Continued # 28 Review Mega Man Zero Z Timelines # 1  The Mega Man Timelines one-shots continue, this time dealing with the Mega Man Zero Z series. Black Cat # 1 The Black Cat is back!. Let's see what adventures she runs into as she starts a brand new series.  All-New Spider Gwen Ghost Spider # 1  Ghost Spider starts a new adventure as this time she is permanently in the main 616 Marvel Universe. How will she fit into her new reality? Venom Black, White and Blood # 1 ...

 By Mark Rodriguez Shredder and Krang have allied themselves with the Pantheon who have started to question Old Hob's leadership. Krang suggested that the Pantheon members try to take out the Turtles, and whoever can accomplish this will gain leadership. Drako has tried and failed, now Golgotha will take a crack at it. "Siren Song" opens with the Turtles being driven down the streets as a parade is being thrown in their honor. There's even a sign declaring it to the 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Day' (March 19?). Michealangelo is happy to see how everybody loves them. Raphael says it's about time since his face was made for endorsements.  Master Splinter, now human again, tells the Turtles how proud he is of them. Shredder, in prison gear, is honored to have been defeated by the Turtles and says he learned to use macrame in prison. Donatello says Shredder using macrame is surreal. Leonardo says Shredder being defeated and Splinter being human again is eve...

 By Mark Rodriguez Ultra Humanite has suspended the island of Manhattan above the sky and has also captured Power Girl. He wants to place his brain in the body of Power Girl or he threatens to drop the island, threatening countless lives. With Power Girl strapped down and the surgery about to begin, what will she do???   "Gorilla Warfare" opens with Power Girl strapped down to Ultra-Humanite's machinery. As Power Girl ponders how Humanite assumes she's just all body and no brains, the tubes attached her start to freeze up. Humanite asks how she is doing that and Power Girl breaks free of her restraints, sending a piece of machinery into his shoulder. Humanite asks how she did that and Power Girl says she used her freezing breath. She admits it's one of the most glamorous super power in her move set but the point is Humanite isn't as smart as he thinks he is. She socks the albino gorilla into the machinery. Humanite throws a piece of machinery at her, saying s...

 By Mark Rodriguez Doctor Doom has taken over the world, and to prove his way is the right way, he has brought forth heroes from a future where his reign ended up making humanity flourish. However, these Superior Avengers are not heroes, and the world they came from has been ruined as Doom took all forms of magic down with him. What are they planning during this visit to this past timeline? "Tales of a Scorched Earth" opens in Doomstadt as Killmonger and Kristoff finished their private bedroom encounter. Kristoff asks if he can call her something else besides Killmonger after what they did. She says it's the only name she has left. Kristoff agrees to keep this between them to maintain team unity. Killmonger says she would not want to disappoint Lord Doom after everything he's done for her. She has a flashback in the timeline Anno Doom +116 as Killmonger and her crew arrive at Wakanda, which is still standing. One of her teammates say even if they can get past the kil...

 By Mark Rodriguez This time we got a smaller stash, but we did want to go to Third Eye before we'd rack up half a pullbox worth of comics. I also got a comic in the mail as I continue to recover the comics that were lost during the move.   Spider-Man & Wolverine # 4 The adventure continues... and is that black suit Spider-Man or just variant cover shenanigans??? Eddie Brock- Carnage # 7 This time Carnage is the one being hunted. For some reason the villain looks a lot like the Puppet from FNAF.  Batman Dark Patterns # 9  Part three of Pareidolia as Batman solves another bloody case. Marvel Rivals Hellfire Gala # 1 It seems Marvel Rivals will be an on-going series of different one shots. In this thicker-than-normal sized comic, it looks like Ultron is crashing the party.     We got home just to see that we got mail, laid out on the front porch and everything. I was collecting the missing issues of Power Girl and I was setting aside issue 3 to revie...

 By Mark Rodriguez Doctor Doom set out to bring the Avengers from the future to prove to the world that his current reign was something positive. However he has no ideas that these new Avengers have an agenda of their own. The future versions of Killmonger, Abomination, Ghost, Doctor Octopus, Malekith and Onslaught are actually plotting against Doom. What will happen next? "Heavy Metal Machine" opens with team being on Prison 42 in the Negative Zone. Abomination comments on feeling the magic come off of the object that Ghost acquired, calling it the lifeblood of 'Lord Doom'. Doctor Octopus reminds Abomination that arcane energy existed before Doom existed. She states Doom horded it all to himself which cause the downfall of all of them.  Onslaught uses telepathy to determine that they are the only signs in the prison. Doc Ock asks what Ghost found under the Capitol, their scans show the power level was so minimal, the sensors barely caught it. Ghost shows the item an...

 By Mark Rodriguez So... we've been too busy dealing with getting a new house and getting married (as well as getting a new pullbox over at Alpha Comics for our Ninja Turtles needs) so we haven't been to Third Eye in a while. Now that we found some time to make a visit... we got quite a haul racked up. This might be the biggest haul since Free Comic Book Day. On top of that some comics needed to get re-bought as they were lost in the move. Let's see what we got. DCU X Sonic the Hedgehog # 5 -  The crossover continue was the Justice League team up with Sonic and his buddies to take down Darkseid.  Spider-Man & Wolverine # 3- After the cliffhanger of the last issue.... how exactly is Spider-Man still here? West Coast Avengers # 9 - Based on the cover it looks like Iron Man has seen better days.  Batman # 161 Hush 2- The story continues as Batgirl gets involved. All-New Venom # 9- Venom and friends have to go against S.C.A.R. and Doc Ock. (The Haunting of) Gwenpo...

 By Mark Rodriguez The Marvel Rivals series is a popular team shooter game (or whatever you call this Overwatch/Apex/Fortnite genre) which had already had one comic book about it. However with so many characters on the roster (as well as new DLC ones coming out) that comic scratched the surface. This second book covers a few more characters that only got cameos in the last book. However... this comic takes a very different approach as it seems everyone is in the Feudal Japan era. Let's check it out. "Demon Days: Ko-Sute-Iwa" opens with Psylocke (called Sai in this story) kicking patrons out of her establishment that didn't like that they were serving 'monsters' like Mantis, who they consider a yokai. Mantis offers her some Dango as a token of appreciation. Sai says she could use some information as she looking for the Stone of Abandoned Children, the Ko-Sute-Iwa. Mantis says that is an evil place and she senses that it's more than curiosity that drives he...