TEX'S BACK-ISSUE QUEST EPISODE #54 (Místico)

Hey! Hey! Hey!!!

    Twice in one week! It must be Christmas in April! Nah. I just had a bit of extra time this week and I have missed spending time with my fellow QUESTERS, so, I figured that I'd do it one more time just to blow your minds! 

    Last time we traveled to Nigeria in lovely Africa, now we return to the East, and head south of the border, down Mexico way!!


   Here, we have "Místico: El Príncipe de Plata y Oro" #1, featuring the first appearance of the storied Mexican luchador (professional wrestler), Místico, in comics!! In English, the title translates to "Mystic: Prince of Silver and Gold." Beginning with the legendary Santo, Mexico has a long tradition of turning their greatest luchadors into superheroes in comic books and films - as a lucha libre (Mexican pro-wrestling) aficionado, it is a tradition that I greatly enjoy.






















     
Místico's true name is Luis Ignacio Urive Alvirde, and he has been wrestling for nearly twenty years. He comes from a family fully immersed in lucha libre: his father, brothers and even one of his cousins are all luchadors. While his real life is very interesting, his kayfabe (staged, fictional) origin story is pretty awesome. It all starts with the VERY TRUE story of this man:

Photo courtesy of The Mex Files

   Pictured above is a luchador named Fray Tormenta, which translates to Friar Storm. His real name is Sergio Gutiérrez Benítez, a one-time alcoholic and drug addict who, through finding faith in God, was not only able to kick his self-destructive habits, but he also became a philosopher, university professor, and priest, teaching and sharing his faith in Rome, Spain, and Mexico. Later, he founded an orphanage in Mexcio, and finding that he got insufficient support from the Catholic Church, Fray Tormenta worked as a luchador in order to provide for the children in his orphanage, feeding, clothing, and raising over 250 children by subjecting his body to the brutality of lucha libre night after night for over twenty-three years. Jack Black's comedy classic, Nacho Libre, was inspired by Fray Tormenta's story. 

  So what does Místico's kayfabe origin have to do with Fray Tormenta's real-life story? Well, Místico's character is a based in religion, so he was billed as being one of the orphans that Fray Tormenta raised. It worked like a charm, and because of the religious undertones of his character, his link to a beloved and respected luchador, and his high-risk, high-flying, high-skill maneuvers in the wrestling ring, Místico soon became one of the most beloved luchadors in the last thirty years. His character began to take on mythic proportions, and soon, he joined the ranks of the best luchadors in the pages of Mexican comic books! Being that Místico's character has such a strong base in religion, it's only right that he take on malevolent, supernatural threats as a superhero. And that's just what he does:

"Místico: El Príncipe de Plata y Oro" #2

"Místico: El Príncipe de Plata y Oro" #3

   These fun, but dark stories highlight faith, hard work, sacrifice, courage, honor, and loyalty. Not to mention, that the interior art is cool, but the classic Mexican painted comic covers are MIND-BLOWING. WOW!

On to the fun facts!!

FUN FACT 1: Each comic comes with a cool poster of Místico on the back:

FUN FACT 2 - Místico was recruited by the WWE several years ago and made his debut as the high-flying, rapid-fire first Sin Cara: 

FUN FACT 3 - Eventually, Místico left WWE and returned to Mexico, leaving another wrestler to play the role of Sin Cara. However, when he returned to Mexico, he could no longer be Místico, as his outfit and name were given to another talented wrestler, Místico II, who still plays the role until now. Místico I, first took the name, Mysteziz, but upon leaving the Mexican wrestling federation AAA, he returned home to CMLL, and took the name Carístico. 

   Well, that's it for today. I think I'll leave you with a cool little highlight reel of some of Místico's greatest matches:

Happy Trails, pardners!!

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TEX'S BACK-ISSUE QUEST EPISODE #53 (Powerman / Powerbolt)

Howdy fellow QUESTERS!!

     It's me, good ol' TEX, coming to fill you heads with that groovy comic book knowledge that you can't get in any college!

     So without any further ado, TEX'll spin the globe, and head to AFRICA just for you!!

   It's "Power Comics" #1, published in partnership by Eclipse and Acme Press in 1988. "Power Comics" #1 features the Nigerian superhero, Powerbolt, as he fights for truth and justice. He takes on dinosaurs, robots, evil land developers, giants, the Snake King, and his arch-nemesis, Dr. Crime, all to keep the citizens safe, and free from harm. No job is too big, no villain too tough for POWERBOLT!!

   But wait. There's more. You see, Powerbolt was originally called Powerman. Back in 1975, a Nigerian advertising agency called Pikin partnered with British art agency, Bardon Press Features, to create a black African superhero to help fight illiteracy in Nigeria. In the past, Africa's comics were populated by white superheroes and white protagonists. This new black hero's stories would be published bi-weekly and feature simple superhero stories of derring-do promoting public safety and morality. The result was a comics magazine entitled, "Powerman" with a protagonist of the same name, endowed with super-strength, the ability to fly...And make the ladies swoon. The series was helmed by writers Don Avenall and Norman Worker, along with two artists who would one day become legends: Dave Gibbons and Brian Bolland. The comic ran for two years, dropping from seeing print bi-weekly to monthly in 1977, then finally disappearing from print altogether - but not from the minds and hearts of comics fans. On to the fun facts!!

FUN FACT 1 - "Powerman" was Brian Bolland's first professional comics work.

FUN FACT 2 - In 1988, Acme Press reprinted "Powerman" as a four-issue limited series called "Power Comics" in order to capitalize on the fame the both Gibbons and Bolland had realized since their obscure early days working on this series. Eclipse distributed it in the USA.

FUN FACT 3 - Powerman only has one weakness: snakebites. And no, I am not kidding. Why? Simple. Snakebites occur often in Nigeria. It was easily relatable to the populace.

FUN FACT 4 - Gibbons advocated for African writers and artist to work on the strip, but was told that due the fact that the comic book wasn't yet popular in Africa, there wasn't much talent available to make use of.

FUN FACT 5 - Gibbons and Bolland had to have a crash course in Nigerian culture because some of the visual cues that worked for the British and American eye had different meanings to the Nigerian eye. For example, where we might see a huge belly as a sign of laziness, greed or sloth, Gibbons and Bolland were told that in Nigeria, it signified wealth, power and success.

FUN FACT 6 - Powerman's name was changed to Powerbolt to avoid confusion with the American Marvel superhero, Luke Cage.

FUN FACT 7 - The original series, "Powerman," had a  back-up story about a black lawman named, Jango.

FUN FACT 7: I own every issue of the four-issue limited series, but I have never been able to find "Powerman" #1 because it's distribution was limited to Nigeria only in 1975. I sure would love to have one. Here are the other issue. Enjoy the great covers by Bolland and Gibbons!

"Power Comics" Issue #2

"Power Comics" Issue #3

and

"Power Comics" Issue #4

    You won't find earth-shattering, complex stories in the pages of these books, but you will find pure, simple superhero fun, with a glimpse into the inner-workings of another culture and place. 100% Coolness. 

HAPPY TRAILS, PARDNERS!!

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Extremity #1 Review

"Extremity" #1 from Image Comics -

      The Roto are beaten, but unbroken. Thea is the daughter of the Abba (leader), the mighty Jerome. Before the vile Paznina people attacked, she was her clan's greatest artist. Her hand could translate onto paper whatever her mind could imagine. Now, after the merciless Paznina raid, her hand is gone, and her imagination only brings her images of the horror of that fateful and day...And images of her coming day of vengeance. Under the watchful eye and fearful leadership of Jerome, the Roto have hatched a brutal plan to take revenge upon the Paznina, and it all hinges upon Thea's courage and thirst for blood. They killed her mother. They took her hand. They took her ability to create art, to express the inner beauty of her soul. They raped her people. If Thea gets her way, Paznina blood will flow - rivers of it.

      Daniel Warren Johnson pulls triple duty (creator, writer, artist) on this post-apocalyptic sci-fi- gore-fest, "Extremity" #1. In "Extremity," Johnson is doing what all great artists do, exploring his deepest fears through his art, and examining some tough and very interesting questions. The title, "Extremity" not only alludes to the part of the body that Thea has lost, but it also foreshadows to the lengths that she will go to in order to recover her personal power, to reclaim that which was taken from her, to restore a perceived balance that the Paznina destroyed when they killed her mother and took her hand. Like Johnson, the protagonist, Thea, is an amazing artist. Johnson explores his fears of losing that part of his identity through Thea's loss of her hand, and he creates a world in which his fear can grow into an anger, a thirst for vengeance that forms a huge part of Thea's character. And in Johnson's world, someone is responsible for Thea's/Johnson's loss - there is someone who has to pay. What happens when someone loses that which is a defining part of their identity? They become someone, or something else. We associate artists with beauty, liberality - in our society, if we are honest, we associate creativity with sensitivity, softness, what we perceive to be the feminine side of our human nature. When Thea's hand is taken, a part of her dies, and she takes on a new identity, one with very few of those artistic, feminine attributes. It seems that Johnson is posing the question, "Is our identity intrinsic, or is it shaped by environmental causes?" - nature vs. nurture. How can Thea restore balance through vengeance? After all is said and done, she will never have her hand, nor her mother, ever again. Can the void inside Thea be filled with retribution? I cannot wait to see how Johnson handles these questions. Besides this, Johnson's art is amazing - his pencils have shades of the intricacy of Moebius' and Darrow's. Every panel is maximized, busy, full and totally dynamic. Every character is distinct, every face is expressive, every bit of battle is superbly, gorily and explosively rendered. In short, Johnson' got skills. REAL skills. Extremity" is a winner. I dig it.

RATING: 9.5 out of 10. Love it.

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I.T. - The Secret World of Modern Banking #1 Review

"I.T." #1 from BlackBox Comics - 

    Evan Adonis is one of the top young I.T. and Operations experts that no one's ever heard of. Evan spends his days protecting the fat cats that run People's Trust Bank of N.Y.. He's so good, so fast, and so dedicated that he's earned the playful name, "Red Eye," because he's always on the move and barely has time to sleep. But while Evan burns his life away stopping malevolent malware from hijacking the bank's servers, his boss steals all the credit, and poor Evan gets to be the butt of everyone's jokes. But, maybe that is all about to change. When a top National Security Agency I.T. Specialist is murdered in a botched black ops mission at the United Nations Headquarters, Evan might just hear his nation's call of duty...If his shady bosses don't get Evan killed first. You see, Evan's bosses are in bed with one of the most dangerous crime families in America and poor Evan just got caught with his ear at the wrong door. Welcome to the secret, corrupt and often DEADLY world of modern banking. 

   Created by Dimitrios Zaharakis, "I.T." is a fast-paced, action-packed, tension-filled adventure/intrigue story written and penciled by DC Comics veteran, Scott McDaniel. ".I.T." is captivating right from the first page, giving the reader a glimpse of the darker world of international banking, and the dangers that face the I.T. experts that protect the banks, highlighting the constant threat of hackers trying to breach the banks' firewalls for their own purposes...Or for the purposes of those who hired them. Banking is all about competition and the competition is RUTHLESS, playing out both in the real world and in cyberspace. Evan Adonis is the perfect protagonist: loyal, put-upon, unappreciated, hard-working, a real wizard with a computer, and an absolute ingenue. That is a recipe for disaster, especially when the fat cats he's protecting have no interest in protecting him. I really liked Evan as a person - he was so well written that I cared about him, which is a big reason why I'm signing up for this series. I'd like to continue this dangerous journey along with Evan Adonis - I'll be rooting for him. Scott McDaniel is in top form here - he is a master at penciling action, the designs for his characters are distinct, and the busyness of his panels make this book a classicly fun comic to enjoy. I don't know where BlackBox Comics came from, but if they keep cranking out great stuff like this, one thing is for sure: BlackBox will be here to stay. 

RATING: 10 out of 10. "I.T." is fascinating, has a great protagonist, and is a LOT of fun. This comic is perfect for translation to the big or small screen. 

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Street Tiger #1 Review

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"Street Tiger" #1 from Amigo -


       You gotta be tough to survive in Nam City. Tough as nails. The city is plagued by crime, organized and otherwise, along with an unhealthy dose of corruption. Lately, however, someone has been evening the odds. Some of the city's lowest lowlifes have been turning up dead. Way dead. As in, brutalized beyond belief. Who, or what is bringing Nam City's crime problem to its knees, one smashed-head at a time? There' a whisper, a rumor of a lone, vicious vigilante wearing a leather jacket with the image of a tiger emblazoned on the back...


    Ertito Montana is a one-man gang, creating, writing and doing all the artistic duties in this violent crime-thriller, "Street Tiger." "Street Tiger" is a hodge-podge of a genre-bender: it is all at once a hard-boiled crime thriller, a mystery and an homage to the gory grindhouse films of yesteryear and those cool Hong Kong-made action films of the 1970s and 80s. So far, we know more about the bad guys that are trying to kill him (?), and the cops that are trying to stop him (?) than we know about the protagonist. All we know is that this vigilante is a one-person wrecking crew, with a tongue for tough-talk and a love for bashing in heads with his baseball bat...Negan-style. Actually, gun, bat or fists, it's all in a day's work for this heartless vigilante. While the premise is scintillating, the execution is about as lackluster as it can get. Heavy on the dialogue, which at times seems to be talking for the sake of talking, "Street Tiger" wastes a lot of space in the calm before the storm, using long set ups to accentuate the sudden and brutal violence. It's a strategy that Tarantino likes to use a lot in his films; however, in the comics medium, it's got to be done just right, or it becomes a bit boring. And "Street Tiger" #1 has a lot of lag time before the action pops off exactly twice in the book, but when the action starts, Ertito does indeed turn up the violence volume to "11." I wish that were all, but the art is VERY quirky. Ertito walks the line between amateurish and bizarre...It's an interesting technique that the eye both rejects and enjoys at the same time. While Amigo, headed up by the VERY gifted, El Torres, is an up and coming company that has given us a string of GREAT comics so far, unfortunately, "Street Tiger" doesn't look to be one of them.

RATING: 5.5 out of 10.

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TEX'S BACK-ISSUE QUEST EPISODE #52 (Officer Downe)

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Hey there, again, fellow Questers!!

     It's T to the E to the X, back again to fill your noggin with all that comic book knowledge that you can't get in any college! 

    Today we ride on the wild side with a Frankenstein's Monster-type cop who can't be stopped. This cop is an over-the-top offering from the crazy, creative minds of Joe Casey and Chris Burnham. Here he is: 

It's my copy of "Officer Downe" #1, printed by Image Comics in 2010. It features the first appearance of LAPD Officer, Terrence "Terry" Downe. Officer Downe was a straight-edge, top-flight, law enforcement machine of mayhem who died in the line of duty, only to be resurrected by a secret program. He is the LAPD's secret weapon of mass destruction, the cop they send in to do the jobs no one else can, jobs that will kill other officers. Well...the fact is that sometimes these jobs kill Terry too. But no worries...they just resurrect him once more and put him back on the streets to send the worst criminals six feet under, or blow them sky-high. Whatever it takes to enforce the law, and maintain order - by any means necessary. 

Imagine my surprise when I was scanning through Netflix today and found that "Officer Downe" had been adapted to film by none other than Joe Casey himself? RIGHTEOUS! Check out the trailer (caution: neither the comic, nor the film are for children, or those with tender sensibilities):

Directed by M. Shawn Crahan, one of Slipknot's  insane percussionists, "Officer Downe" is pretty much like the comic, ultra-violent, campy and wildly over-the-top. It's like Judge Dredd, and Maniac Cop had a child that reminded everyone a lot of Officer Tackleberry of those nutty "Police Academy" films. This movie won't be winning any Oscars for sure, but if you take it for what it is, just a bit of a throwback to that old Grindhouse fare, with gratutious sex (two scenes, iirc), an overly-righteous hero (that may just be a bit of a psycho sadist), and some exaggerated, weirdly cool bad guys, like the animal-headed Fortune 500, or my fave, Zen Master Flash, a teleporting techno-ninja assassin, who happens to be a Chinese-speaking black guy, complete with horrible dubbing out of sync with his lips - just like out of an old kung-fu flick. This one has just enough camp, gore, and wild action to become a cult favorite. I dug it. But again, the movie, like the comic IS NOT FOR CHILDREN, nor THOSE WITH TENDER SENSIBILITIES. Okay? Okay. Rock on. Check it out is you have the time, or are so inclined. Drop some comments below about how you felt about the film, the article, or the comic. Be breezy, dudes!

That's all for today! Happy trails!!

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