Welcome to LEVEL 7

Being a comic book geek has its moments. There are times wherein you can't talk to anyone about the awesome book you just read or the super cool movie trailer you just watched. There's just no physical venue wherein one can discuss comic book related things. 

Recently, I got a text from Chef Edward Bugia of PINO Restaurant and he said that Mr. Rick Olivares wanted to discuss a project. It was about comics. So I said I was game. We met up in Katipunan Avenue since that was the middle point for us. Sir Rick wanted to do a Comic Book Podcast. No one was doing it religiously and he said we should do a podcast on all things related to the world of comic books. 

Rick Olivares, Ed Bugia, and yours truly

I was sold! I'm more free these days and I thought it would be a good to do something fresh and new. LEVEL 7! That's the name of the show. This is a S.H.I.E.L.D. reference and basically it's somewhat welcoming you to a level that has clearance and access to all classified information. So I'm quite proud that we finished recording our Pilot episode of Level 7. We really enjoyed doing this and we hope to do this on a weekly basis! 

Please do check it out and tell us what you think! Tweet us up at @jiggycruz, @rickyolivares, and @chefedward

To listen to the first episode of Level 7, copy paste the link below.

https://soundcloud.com/level7rick/level-7-podcast-1-welcome-to

What is the right thing to do?

I sometimes question myself if I'm just too nice. It comes to a point wherein I ask if I'm just too stupid to see the reality or if I'm being a martyr. Do I see that others may be taking me for granted? Do I feel like I'm unappreciated? Do I sometimes sense that what I do will gain me nothing? I actually do feel those often. 

I've been praying a lot recently. I've been praying for guidance. It's been a roller coaster ride this year. A lot of ups and downs. 

At the end of the day, to be the gentleman, to be the nice guy, and to be someone that will do what's right are the things I was raised to do. That's who I am and I cannot let someone change that. I do what I do because I feel it's what's right. 

My Lola always said that if you think it's right and you know it's right, you fight for it no matter what the odds. Even if everyone is against you.

THE BEST DISNEY SHORT EVER

I know a number of people who didn't see Wreck-It Ralph last November. It's a big shame. For me it was Disney's stand alone animated motion picture that really pinched me in the heart. The Pixar ones are those that stand out but Wreck-It Ralph was purely just Disney and no Pixar.

But I'm not gonna talk about Wreck-It Ralph. Apart from missing a great movie, people missed the best short film of Disney.

PAPERMAN.

Enjoy folks!

TOP OF THE LINE COFFEE MACHINE

For those looking for a seriously good cup o joe here in the Philippines, my recommendation is none other than NESCAFE Dolce Gusto. 100% Roast and Ground coffee inside capsules that deliver excellent coffee each and every time. 

For those willing to spend a little extra, the Melody 3 is the top of the line coffee machine of NESCAFE Dolce Gusto. This machine that doesn't look like a coffee machine delivers 15 Bars of pressure that will give high quality coffee every time you brew. Stainless Steel finishes plus 1.3 liter tank to hold the water for more coffee that can be dispensed! Equipped with Flowstop Technology that lets you play and select your desired taste. Just copy what the capsule recommends and program it on the coffee machine with the selection wheel and you're all set!

Be the envy of all your friends and guests at home when you display this awesome machine in your kitchen or even in your room! Coffee Shop Quality coffee you can serve at home! But while you're at it. Settle for the TOP OF THE LINE. The Melody 3 sells for Php 9,999 and you don't need to buy a separate frother! 

You can get this online at http://www.dolce-gusto.com.ph or at S&R

Heartbroken...

No I'm not heartbroken because of a girl.

I'm heartbroken because my team, my boys, my heroes, The Boston Celtics announced that Rajon Rondo (the MVP of the team, obviously) suffered an ACL. To the non sports fans, an ACL is a very serious knee injury and it puts you in the sidelines for a year. That means the Celtics' most valuable player is gone for the remainder of the season and half of next season. 

Mind you that I woke up earlier today to check on the results of the MIAMI-BOSTON game that started at 2:00am in the morning. I woke up to the news that Rondo had an ACL. 

Season over. That's it for him.

What's bothering me more is that this puts Danny Ainge, the Celtics General Manager, into a major dilemma. Will this make Ainge disband my team? Will he trade The Truth and The Big Ticket?

I've said it before and I'll say it again. I LOVE MY CELTICS. I am emotionally attached to this particular era. Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo, Doc Rivers, and yes, even Ray Allen. The 2008 championship was the sweetest and I felt for them in 2010. (Laker fans, that was supposed to be ours)

Every time they win is pure bliss and every time they lose is hell... But today, it's not just about Rondo getting injured. Today might be the beginning of the end of the Paul Pierce-KG era. I told some NBA friends that I'm really gonna tear up when that day comes. I love those guys. I love them Celts...

Being a Celtic fan means you have to accept that Celtic Mystique... It's weird but it's part of the Celtics... Just like what the Red Sox had with the "curse of the bambino". 

I'm still going to cheer for the Celtics this season and the season after and so on. I don't follow players. I stick to my team. CELTICS!!! 

Let's see what happens for the remainder of the season. But my request to Danny Ainge. Please make Paul and KG stay...

TEAM TED

I watched How I Met Your Mother a lot before. Past season 5 or 6, it kinda got boring. The show still didn't reveal "THE MOTHER" and I don't think we'll meet her in Season 8. 

Anyway, I watched another episode today and it's one of those back to back episodes. It was when Barney proposed to Robin. I seriously got pissed. I was affected. Seasons back, when Robin and Barney kissed, it was really a WTF WTH moment in television. Ewwwww. I hated that episode and I never found the tandem of Robin and Barney. I was always a fan of the Ted and Robin tandem. 

How Ted just "let go" of Robin after Marshall told him to be selfish and for once, put himself ahead of others hit me. Nice guys will always be nice guys. I got affected because it's something I'd do since I'm a "nice guy". I'm the type of person who puts others ahead. I was actually compared to a Persian Rug once since I was just too nice. True story. I was also told to think of myself. 

But that's not how nice guys roll. 

I realized that nice guys will be nice guys at the end of the day. Switching to the dark side? Not gonna happen.

TEAM TED. That's the team of all the nice guys in the world. 

Stay nice gentlemen. No matter what happens, stick to being who you are.

Getting back to shape

January is always that time when you need to shave off some of the pounds. All the food you ate during the holidays come to bite you back in the @$$. I hate it. 

What I can say is that I've been doing pretty good so far in 2013. Been eating cereeal, salad and soup. I've also started to jog again. Been using the brand new Adidas Supernovas Misha gave me for Christmas. The NIKE Fuelband on the other hand is also a good motivator to help you be more active. The weekends are pretty hard when you're in the house plus there's a lot of junk food and sweets in the kitchen. Being the weekend warrior is the way to go.

I have to share that I'm using my cousin Josh as source of inspiration and motivation. He really did so well last year. He lost 101 pounds through discipline and by working hard at the gym. Love that boy! So proud.

But the thing that got me was my brother Jonty showing me a picture of myself back in 2009. It was probably the thinnest I've been. I have to say that I really gained a lot of weight in 3 years. I need to get back to that.

I can hear my 2009 self asking "WHAT THE F DID YOU DO!?!? GET BACK INTO SHAPE!" No more stress eating this year. It's all about being fit and healthy. This is a promise I'm keeping.

Shawarma Bros Food Truck

Did you ever watch The Great Food Truck Race on the Food Network? I thought the concept of the food truck was clever. 

Today, I went to the Food Truck Market that opened recently in Glorietta 3 Park. That's across Makati Shang. It's open from Friday to Sunday 4pm to 3am. 

So anyway, I research online and I see Shawarma Bros. Mind you it's not "brothers" it's "BROs". I actually know 3 of the owners of the new food truck and I had to taste their creation. Rammy De Claro and his friends are a batch lower than me and they're actually all pretty cool bros. I asked him what to get and he said to get the Lamb Shawarma. (They serve Lamb, Beef, and Chicken) It comes with rice, tomatoes, onions and their secret Garlic Yogurt sauce and Chili Cheese sauce. I tried it and I had to go back to Rammy to say whole heartedly that it was really really good. LEGIT! I didn't tell him this but it's something The Avengers would go back to all the time. Shawarma? GO TO SHAWARMA BROS.

Photo taken from Shawarma Bros Facebook Page

Rammy serving customers

I read the mission of Shawarma Bros at the side of the truck while waiting and it was actually their love of Shawarma that made them move forward with their concept. They've tried so many already and they got all those learnings and came up with their own. What I liked is that they welcome you to their "broderhood" and everyone who goes to Shawarma Bros will be treated like a Bro.

If you love Shawarma, better go to Cucina Andare, the Food Truck Market and try the food from Shawarma Bros because it's LEGIT! Awesome awesome food!

50 movies in 2013: Here we go again...

Back in 2011, I forgot that I was able to hit the 50 goal. I forgot I saw 10 short films which sort of saved me. I did see 49 without the 10 short ones.

I'm giving some new rules for this year. I should watch in a cinema but I can watch an original DVD/BluRay copy if the movie wasn't shown here. (mind the word original and not pirated)

This month we'll have Life of Pi, Les Mis, Jack Reacher, and hopefully Zero Dark Thirty (?) just need to watch once a week and I'll be ok.

What am I looking forward to this year? These are on top of my list.

Anchorman 2

Jonty is the biggest fan of Anchorman and I'm more of an Elf kind of guy. But with Steve and Paul plus Mr. Whammy in the fold, this should be an instant classic!

Star Trek: Into Darkness

Benedict Cumberbatch is gonna kick the shiz out of this movie! He's so badass in the trailer and I'm mighty excited for this JJ Abrams sequel. Star Trek was the best movie for me back in 2009 so let's wait and see if this one will be better than the first.

Man of Steel

Here I'm a bit pessimistic because I wasn't too happy with Watchmen and Sucker Punch just sucked and punched me in the gut. Zack Snyder 3 for 3? Maybe not. Christopher Nolan producing? That should be awesome. The new trailer looks a lot better than the first and I'm hoping Supes does good here.

The Wolverine

I was surprised that this movie actually happens after X-Men: The Last Stand and not after X-Men Origins: Wolverine. I'm hopeful here because Hugh Jackman really does such an awesome job being Logan. If Downey is Stark, Jackman is Logan. Simple as that. But what I'm excited for is that 20th Century Fox is gonna make their version of the MARVEL Universe with the X-Men and Fantastic Four franchises. Will we see the start of an awesome crossover after The Wolverine?

Iron Man 3

Need I say more? "Nothing's been the same since New York." OK, I'll quote that line but it's true because after The Avengers, nothing's been the same! We want more of the Marvel U! Stark is back and he'll take on the Mandarin! A new director is taking the job so it'll be exciting to see his take on the Armored Avenger!

How about you? What are you looking forward to watch this year? :)

Luck?

Everybody wants to be lucky. Who would like to have bad luck? 

I'm hoping it's a lucky 2013. Really really hoping I don't get any bad luck. 2012 had its fair share of bad luck for me. 

There are some people who don't believe in luck. Wish them good luck and they say that they don't believe in it. I think that there is luck and "malas sa buhay". It can change in a snap. Complete 180 degree turnaround. 

I got this Lego Minifigure of a Leprechaun. My Celtics lost for the fourth straight game today and I haven't seen that before. Need a swing of good luck for the start of the year. Since the Celtics have a Leprechaun in their logo, I got this one for luck in 2013.

Do you believe in luck or do you make your own luck?

Trivia and not really important things

I've been playing this new app called IconPopQuiz and it's pretty addicting. My friends at work have been playing it too apparently and they ask me for the answers. I have this weird talent of remembering lines from movies, knowing logos, basically not really important things. I'm a self-confessed geek and I remember those things. Give me a line from a movie and more or less I'll be able to answer it. It just sticks to me. People find it either weird or cool. It's the former that I think  that is more often.

In teambuildings, when it's trivia time, "Bahala na si Jiggy diyan" is what they say. It's the only time I feel like the go-to guy when it comes to competition. Sports? Never happened. 

I've never joined a Quiz Night before but it would be interesting to test my memory. Movies, Comics, a bit of TV and music, a bit of the NBA/MLB/NFL, I'll be able to manage. But if it were match the movie to the actor and the line, I'm gonna nail that! 

If you know a Quiz Night in Metro Manila, comment here and let me know! I heard of this Geek Fight Night before and I was determined to form the greatest Pinoy geek team ever assembled. Kinda like Scott Summers and the Extinction Team. (That's reference to comics by the way)

So that's 2/2 in January! I'm off to a good start posting huh?

HELLO 2013

Photo taken from the LEGO Facebook Page

Happy New Year!

Personally, I'm very happy. I'm not usually a fan of the new year but this one is different. After a long, trying, and challenging 2012, all I wanted was a fresh start. Here we are. TWENTY. THIRTEEN.

Resolutions? I'm not into those but I do want to shed off some unwanted fat and pounds. Seriously. I also want to write more here. I forgot how relaxing it was!

If I can share something I read earlier today, the article was about 5 easy resolutions and 2 out of those things hit me. 

1. Be a little kinder.

It really doesn't hurt to smile, say please, or say thank you. The world can really use a lot of positivity. We should be happy! The Mayans got it wrong and the world didn't end. This year, why not be kind? Like what Conan O' Brien said, when you work hard and you're kind, amazing things will happen. So I'm asking you guys nicely, please do me the favor of being a little kinder in 2013.

2. Pray more.

I'll admit and won't beat around the bush. I don't pray as often anymore. Most of the time I'm really tired and go straight to sleep. I forget to pray. I realized that I pray when I need something and that's wrong. 2012 made me pray less and I want to change that. Whatever your religion is, it's always good to pray. Like what my Lola stressed all the time, we should pray for the country and one another.

With that, I wish everyone all the best in 2013! Have a great year ahead guys!

- JIGGY

2012 Recap

I'll be honest, it was a hard 2012 for me. I was tired often but that doesn't remove the fact that there were happy and memorable moments during the year. I'll give a rundown in no particular order.

So to cut to the chase...

5 Peat

This one was extra sweet. 2006 was the worst loss for me as a fan and loyalist of the Blue Eagles. It's Ateneo first and the Celtics second for me. Sorry to the UST fans but taking the 5 peat was extra special for me and my batchmates. Coach Norman is the bomb! Kiefer played phenomenally this season and it's worth remembering. This 5 Peat was for JC, Macky, Doug, and the whole graduating batch of 2007. Thanks to Coach Norman and the guys, this made a lot of us very happy!

3 Years

 

I'm not into the whole PDA thing that much honestly. But I have to brag that I have the coolest best friend in my girlfriend. Misha is just awesome. I can't ask for anything more. Really. She's taught me so much but more importantly, she has made me less uptight and more adventurous over the last 3 years. Sweet, Beautiful, Kind, and all the other positive adjectives rolled into one, that's Misha. She knows me too well and that's one of her best talents in our relationship. She's the commander! Haha!

San Diego 2012 

It's still the happiest place on earth for me and I'd go back every time if I can. San Diego is heaven for any fan of Pop Culture. It's just a bit sad that it's more of a Pop Con than a Comic-Con but still, it's a happy place to be in. Ask any comic book fan who has been there, I'm sure they'd say that they'll go back again and again and again. People who ask me "Comic-Con nanaman!?", they'll never understand.

The Avengers / The Dark Knight Rises

Comic fans were treated to fantastic movies in 2012. Marvel's The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises. Seriously, both awesome and I was VERY VERY HAPPY. Both are in different leagues but both were just made of awesome. Though a number weren't too happy with TDKR, I was still very much happy with it. Really loved how Nolan ended it. For the Avengers, it was the movie every geek was waiting for and boy oh boy did it deliver. The movie gave so many geek out moments from the unveiling of the SHIELD Hellicarrier to Loki being tossed around like a pansy by the Hulk. Who can complain?

Meeting awesome comic book people (Millar / Vaughan / Cebulski)

Mark Millar wearing my glasses 

       

Brian K. Vaughan - DAMN.

BEST. GUY. EVER. (CB CEBULSKI)

Now most people aren't comic fans but meeting all these people in one year was insane. Mark Millar wearing your glasses? That doesn't happen every day. Meeting BKV? Once in a blue moon. Meeting CB Cebulski and finding out he's the most awesome guy? Priceless.

It's not every day that you get to talk to your idols and heroes. This year was extra special that I got to meet these guys. I even got a special mention on Millar's blog! Thanks to National Book Store for giving me the opportunity to meet Mr. Millar and Mr. Cebulski! 

A real life Celtic

Now this was made possible thanks to my awesome brother who works for the most awesome magazine. RAJON RONDO. Me and my brother are probably two of the biggest and passionate Celtics fans in the country so this moment was priceless. Jonty had a great interview with the man and I got to shake the hand of a Celtic Legend. Though 2012 hasn't been good for the C's, I know they'll bounce back next year. Watch out haters. Never count out my Celtics!

New York with my bro

Brotherly Bonding. It can be chaotic and fun at the same time. NYC is still the coolest place to be in. Surprisingly, we never fought during this trip and that's what made it memorable for me. "Walang basagan ng trip" was the motto. I don't say shiz, he doesn't say shiz. Finally getting to try Shake Shack just proved that I found the best burger. 

Family Trips

This year was significant in terms of family bonding. A few days ago, the 4 of us Cruzes travelled together that it was just us 4 after so many years. It was fun family time for us. Food tripping, blind leading the blind, and taking so many photos. It was a great end to 2012. Also, it was the first time that me and my mom travelled together that it was just us 2. Mother and Son time in Malaysia. I've travelled with my Dad that it was just us 2. I also travelled with Jonty that it was just us 2. It was fun travelling with my mom plus it was cool since she's never been to Malaysia before. Good times for family time.

Surprise Birthday Party

I got the surprise of my life on the eve of my birthday thanks to Misha. No one has ever given me  a surprise party before and Misha pulled it off! She didn't think I was surprised but I was genuinely happy and surprised that she knocked it out of the park. She even had this amazing cake made. Person making the cake asked how many candles to put. 3? 4? 5? Misha goes "Um... 27?" That's one for the books!

Launching the Genio

I'm extra proud I got to launch the automatic Dolce Gusto machines. I bought a Black Genio for myself and it stands happily on my desk at work. It serves me excellent coffee every time. I usually have 3 a day. Seriously, I talked to people who own this baby and they totally love it! It's just too cool for a coffee machine.

======================================================================

Whatever 2013 has in store, I'm confident it's gonna be better. I'm sorry for not blogging that often in 2012. I was just way too busy. But hey, 2013 is a new chapter! I look forward to posting here more often.

Have a great year ahead guys! All the best to you and your families!

Comic Book ABC's: B is for BATMAN: HUSH

I'm a die hard Spider-Man fan. Peter Parker will always be my favorite in the world of comic books. Yes, I read MARVEL and people get surprised that I read DC. The only DC book I read is BATMAN. When I went back to reading comics in 2002, I read a lot of Wizard Magazine. In a particular issue of Wizard, I saw that Batman had been topping the charts. Batman? Really? I found out that it was because of this particular storyline called HUSH which is written by Jeph Loeb and drawn by none other than Jim Lee!

I still remember going to the mall and getting an issue but it was in Filbar's Katipunan where I got the volume 1 hardcover which you can see below.

BATMAN: HUSH is a story from Batman issues 608-619 and starts with Batman saving a kidnapped child by Killer Croc and then Catwoman steals the ransom money. As Batman chases Catwoman, his line gets cut and falls with  a fractured skull. This now triggers a secret message to Alfred with instructions to summon Bruce's childhood friend and surgeon Dr. Thomas Elliot. Of course, Batman gets well and hunts down Catwoman only to find out that Poison Ivy was the one who stole the money. 

The story goes on and he even confronts a possessed Superman! A lot of important Batman Rogues appear like The Riddler, Harley Quinn, Joker, and Ra's Al Ghul along the way and Batman then finds out that there seems to be a mastermind with all that's happening. A man with a wrapped face also joins in the fun and fights Batman. This is the guy called "Hush". Other than that, you also get to see the famous members of the Bat family like Dick Grayson, Tim Drake, and Jim Gordon. 

What really got me into the story was the mystery of who the hell was messing with Batman. Jeph Loeb presented members of Batman's famous Rogues Gallery and I have to admit that he has the best set of Rogues. (Spider-Man's rogues comes in a very very close second). It may have been a "villain of the month" thing but Loeb wrote this story so well. What contributed to its success was the gorgeous art of Jim Lee. It's just a damn good Batman design. Jim Lee knocked it out of the ballpark. He draws the Dark Knight so well that fans really bought the comics.

The story gets better and better with every chapter and all you'd want to know is who the mastermind is. 

My only concern in the story was that I did not read this particular Batman story called "No Man's  Land" and it's a famous story. There's one reference in the story and had I read "No Man's Land", I would have appreciated it more.

But don't get me wrong, HUSH is an awesome Batman story and to add to the whole Hush success, DC released a book uncolored with just JIM LEE's pencils! It's BATMAN HUSH: UNWRAPPED. Check out the sample interior.

All in all, if you want to start a Batman book. I suggest you start with this. It's a fun read and it has all the twists and turns that's essential in a good Batman story. This is probably one of Loeb's best stories and you can't go wrong with Jim Lee!

You can get BATMAN: HUSH and the UNWRAPPED version in National Book Store (Power Plant, Glorietta 5, Megamall)., Power Books, or Best Sellers Galleria. I got my UNWRAPPED in Galleria. They still have one or two left there. Better get it now because National Book Store has a nationwide sale going on. It's 20% off! You really can't go wrong!

LEGO!

I was a LEGO kid. I remember getting them at Gift Gate. It was my Dad who'd help me build the sets. I remember having the Pirate Ships and Castles. I'd fix the minifigures and leave the rest to him. As time passed, I'd get the generic sets. It was just bricks. That's when I got to really imagine new things. LEGO taught me creativity and I think no other toy can do that for you.

What's cool about LEGO is that it's a way for parents and children to bond and play together too. Besides board games and catch, I don't think any other toy is as emotional as LEGO.

I got inspired to write about LEGO because of a video I watched. It's all about the LEGO story and it's really inspiring to learn how the company started. 

Today, LEGO has been diversifying their range with products like NINJAGO. But what really interests me now are the STAR WARS line, LORD OF THE RINGS line, and most especially the MARVEL and DC Super Heroes line. Collectors of all ages are still buying and playing with LEGO. Believe it or not, some Dads give it as an excuse to the Moms that the sets are for the kids, but in reality, it's for them!

I've been collecting the minifigures and I have a few sets now and I've built a couple. It's nostalgic. What I appreciate now is that the sets are divided into numbered bags. Now, you can first start with Bag #1 which contains the foundation of the set. I remember that it sucked finding the little pieces and you end up not finding it and then it appears for some strange reason. The numbered bags was a great consumer insight! Good job LEGO!

Now, I'm really into the superhero line. I got this hard to find Spider-Man keychain online and a Batman at the LEGO booth from Comic-Con. Where can you find these? For the Spidey, sorry, they're super difficult to find. I talked to a die hard LEGO Collector and he said that Spidey is a diamond in the rough!

But talking about exclusivity, the awesome CB Cebulski of MARVEL gave this to me at Comic-Con. This is extremely limited to 1000 pieces. No way I'm selling it! But it's crazy really, this bad boy is going for $150 on eBay! Can you imagine? For a minifigure? But I'm holding on to it since I'm a Spidey fan plus CB gave it to me. 

On a more serious note, I'm thankful I have like a 5 moms who read my blog. :) So if you want your child to get more creative and be more imaginative, give them LEGO. You won't regret it. You'll make your child super happy. Just be prepared to build it with them.

If you like to buy LEGO here in the Philippines, you can easily get them in Build City (I know they have branches in Power Plant, Shangri-La, and Greenbelt 5) or in Hobbes and Landes.

The best Trilogy since Lord of The Rings

Star Wars episodes IV-VI and the Lord of The Rings Trilogy were great 3's. It's hard to achieve that feat. Back to The Future III was just ok and can't be part of the awesome trilogies. We all know what happened with X-Men and Spider-Man. (Damn that Spider-Man 3...)

In 2005, we got a taste of Nolan's take on the Caped Crusader with Batman Begins and I still think that it was the best among the movies. It had a lot of cool lines also plus it was a great origin story. I'm a sucker for origin stories. 2008 brought The Dark Knight and it was not a superhero movie. It was a serious film! It just so happened that the characters in it were comic book characters. 

Fast forward to 2012, we have the final chapter of The Dark Knight Trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises. Now I wasn't so happy with the choice of villain in Bane since I really wanted to see what Nolan would do for The Riddler. I came into the cinema with great expectations. Mind you that I had just arrived from my trip and was still jet lagged. I took a 30 minute nap and in that theater, not once did I feel sleepy. 

I was at the edge of my seat. The film happens 8 years after the events of The Dark Knight and it was said in the latest movie that it was the last recorded appearance of Batman. Gordon has to live out this lie but feels that he needs to tell the truth. A new threat comes to Gotham in Bane and we see Bruce Wayne having to come out of retirement and wear the cowl and cape again. 

The part where Batman comes back was my favorite part of the movie. The Hans Zimmer music plays and it's just fantastic! I was cheering inside my head! "HELL YEAH! BATMAN IS BACK!" 

Now if you still haven't seen this, that's just such a disappointment. The Dark Knight Rises is such an awesome movie. It sums up the best trilogy since Lord of The Rings and I don't think another superhero movie trilogy can beat it. The Amazing Spider-Man was a downer and Iron Man 2 was just ok. 

Seriously, if this movie doesn't get nominated for Best Picture then there really is no hope for superhero movies to win the Oscar for Best Picture. It's just a shame what happened in Colorado. I think it slowed down the sales of this movie. My thoughts are with the families who got affected. 

As a parting shot, here's the ensemble of the trilogy. It's a great cast. All of them were in character. Props to Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine, JGL and of course, Christian Bale. Marion Cotillard was beautiful in this movie. She still scares me because of Inception. But she was still pretty!

Thank you so much to Christopher Nolan for giving us such a wonderful Trilogy! It's just one of the best! I don't think anyone can top this. Seriously...

Toys for the Big Boys

A couple of weeks ago, I watched the Ateneo-La Salle game in the MOA Arena and I was able to talk to current Alaska Point Guard and Blue Eagle Legend, LA Tenorio. I had just come from Comic-Con and he was telling me he was the biggest Iron Man fan. I had seen his posts on Instagram and he does have this awesome Iron Man collection. For his birthday, he recently got the Hot Toys Iron Man Mark V figure and he was raving about it. But what he asked me was if I saw the Mark VII Avengers edition displayed. I actually saw it! See the picture below.

I asked LA what was so special about the whole Hot Toys craze and he said in 2 words, "Astig siya..." The toys are highly detailed and they can't get any more detailed. They're not the 6 inch figures we normally see. These are the 12 inch doll types but very detailed. 

A couple of days later, I saw an announcement of the Mark VII pre-orders and here were the pictures Hot Toys released.

Robert Downey Jr. in Hot Toys form - can this be any more detailed?

This bad boy was selling for around $240 and it comes out next year during the 1st Quarter. I told LA immediately that the toy was up for pre-order. Should I get into this Hot Toys thing? :/ I think I'll stick to comics for now.

Hot Toys Limited is a Hong Kong based production house for designing and manufacturing super detailed toys. Almost all of their toys are in the 1:6 scale. Hot Toys sell for a lot money and there are just so many collectors here in the Philippines hungry to get these items.

For more info, you can visit the Hot Toys website and see what other cool stuff they sell. You have to see the Batman Line! They have a Batmobile and it is AWESOME! They were selling the Tumbler at ToyCon last year for 80,000 Pesos! http://www.hottoys.com.hk/

Comic Book ABC's: A is for Astonishing X-Men

In order for me to come up with more material for this blog, I've decided to give out my recommendations on what comics to read. From A-Z. Hopefully I've read something with a Q in the beginning. 

Anyway, let's start with A. 

I'm HIGHLY recommending ASTONISHING X-MEN by Joss Whedon and John Cassaday. The run is 24 issues with one Giant-Size Issue in the end. 

The Astonishing X-Men

Astonishing X-Men is probably the definitive run in the new millenium and Whedon selects a unique group of mutants for this specific team. Composed of Cyclops, Wolverine, Beast, Emma Frost aka The White Queen and Kitty Pryde aka Shadowcat. 

I've read the omnibus in a span of 3 days and it was just a joy to read. When I read them monthly, of course it was exciting with all the cliffhangers but I got to appreciate the whole run in a short span of time. I really got to appreciate the whole story. Whedon puts a lot of geek moments, very funny moments, and of course, plenty of holy sh*t moments. The run has 4 arcs, GIFTED, DANGEROUS, TORN, and UNSTOPPABLE. 

Scott Summers / Cyclops

I really can't dwell on the arcs after "Gifted" not to spoil those who haven't read it but basically it starts with the setting that they have found to eliminate the X-GENE. Cyclops then forms a new team to deal with this Mutant Threat. A new villain is introduced in the mix with Ord of the Breakworld giving stress and problems to the X-Men.

Ord of the Breakworld

That's where it all starts. Ord plays a key role throughout the whole run of Whedon and Cassaday. But what's really great about this book is that it will make you love the X-Men. You know how Cyclops is annoying? He's actually pretty bad ass! There's tension between Kitty and Emma since Emma was a former villain and now she's Cyclops' lover. Kitty spent her first day as an X-Man fighting Emma Frost and that's something she will never forget.  

The roster is a unique one but their chemistry is what made me really enjoy the book. Wolverine is an awesome support role in the book and he's doing what he does best. Kitty with her phasing powers/ walking through walls bit may seem lame but Whedon defines Kitty Pryde in the story. She's one tough chick you wouldn't want to mess with. Dr. Hank McCoy aka BEAST is troubled since he feels he's "devolving". He still wants that cure somehow. Emma on the other hand is the mystery character. Is she a good person or not? Of course there are lots of twists and turns in the book but to sum up the arcs, GIFTED brings a key character from the past and it's an awesome return! Jean Grey? Hmm... DANGEROUS reveals a secret from the history of the X-Men. TORN is all about Emma Frost and UNSTOPPABLE rounds up the whole story.

Whedon couldn't have done this without the brilliant John Cassaday. When I read Astonishing X-Men back in 2004, I've never seen comic book art like Cassaday's before. Everything's just gorgeous. He drew the best X-Men costumes for me and the covers are just so damn awesome. 

If you'll read Astonishing X-Men, I suggest you get the Omnibus since you can read it in one go. 

You thought that the Avengers movie was cool? Wait til you read this!