Cinematic Vs Comic Universe Part 1 - Fantastic Four

Seeing as how all the best movies these days seem to be comic book movies, I figured I should help you understand why all the fan-boys (and girls) are crying after the newest release.

Hollywood has always confused me.  They have perfectly good source material but often decide to move away from this.  This doesn't just apply to Comics.  In the past everyone always complained how the book was better than the movie, or which version of The Shining was best.  Heck, Hollywood has even taken liberties with stories based on true events.  Then again, I can understand how writers, directors, and producers want to stamp their individuality on what is, to them, a work of art.  As such I will show you some of the differences in the comic book movies, and where I can, explain why these exist.

The Fantastic Four

Because this movie is one of many with a reboot, I will be detailing the differences in 3 parts.  The original movie, the sequel, and the Reboot.  These 3 movies remind me of the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.

The original movie was released in 2005.  With only a few core differences in the movie from the comics, one could almost say this was "the Bad".  Dealing with the origin story of the FF, a few changes were made which mostly made sense and really only affected Doom:

• Victor von Doom was included on the origin
• The FF were no longer accidentally bombarded by cosmic rays whilst flying, but rather went up to purposefully study a cloud of cosmic gas
• Doom was also affected by the cloud.  

In the comics, Doom had nothing to do with the origin story of the FF.  He was only in later years revealed to be a rival to Reed Richards.  This change was a necessary change, as no FF villain is as known as Doctor Doom and I doubt anyone would want to watch them fight Moleman.  Having Doom's powers originate from the cosmic cloud was also a strategic choice by Fox, as very few studios would dare tread in the realm of the Mystic/Supernatural.  Doctor Doom was originally only a threat due to his vast amounts of money and technological progress.  He was however at his best when he started mixing his tech with Mysticism.

"The Good", Rise of the Silver Surfer, managed to keep all the core elements of an important FF storyline.  Once again there were several changes that were likely brought on by the previous movies success (if you can call it that).

• Cloud Galactus
• Inclusion of Doctor Doom
• Destruction of Galactus

In the Comics, Galactus is an enormous human-shaped entity that devours worlds in order to feed his hunger.  The movie... a threatening cloud.  This change was likely done to make the whole scene a little more believable for non-fans (Having a Giant Man would seem a little silly).  The inclusion of Doom again built on the previous story line and allowed for a side story and proper fight scene before the confrontation of the Big Bad Cloud, this would have been seen as wanted by viewers.  Finally in the Comics Galactus was not destroyed, but rather dissuaded by the FF's threat of using an all powerful weapon.

Lastly, we have "The Ugly".  The reboot was universally panned by critics.  Several rewrites and director changes resulted in the movie being almost unwatchable.  The changes in this movie are so numerous that it is almost not even related to the comics (except that the four people gain the respective powers of the FF).  This film changed the origin story, Doctor Doom, the family bond of Johnny and Sue, included the military, changed Ben Grimm's Yancy Street origins, and much more.  If you want to ease into the comics, don't watch this one.

New York vs Boston

So... Guess who get to travel again.  Me!

This time L managed to win an trip through her company for great performance.  Her trip included 3 nights in Boston with some outings and an awards dinner.  However, as I had never been to the States, L decided to treat me with a few extra night in New York New York.

One thing I did pick up is that New York and Boston are two very different places.  The vibes at each area like day and night.  Granted I did not get to see everything and was man down for some of the trip (more on that later), but I did get a fairly good idea of what the towns were like.

New York

When we flew in we flew via Atlanta airport.  I found the Atlanta airport to be interesting and just a little confusing (maybe because I had not come across a sky-train before?).  It was in Atlanta that we came across our first problem. Communication. The attendants couldn't make out if we were saying New York or Newark, and we of course could not hear the difference between the two.  After a slight battle however we did eventually manage to board the correct flight.

View of ESB from the roof

Once in New York, we boarded the sky-train to the train station and took the train through to Penn Station. A brisk walk later we had checked into our hotel - Hotel Metro.  The hotel rooms were simple enough, but included everything a weary traveller needs.  One outstanding feature of the hotel is the great view of the Empire State Building from it's rooftop.  The hotel had easy access to the subway and more than enough places to eat in the area.

Once we had packed out and refreshed ourselved it was time to hit the town.  First stop: Souvenirs!  Being the geeky guy I am, most of our souvenirs involved geeky items we can't find at home.  A quick stop at Think Geek and I was sorted (my typical luck held and most of the items were marked down).

After this a not-so-quick stop at Barcade was needed.  Barcade is one of the must do's for anyone that enjoys a drink and a bit of gaming.  This was one place that, had I stayed in NYC, I would frequent on a regular basis.

Museum of Natural History

Inside the MOMA!

The next few days were jammed with sightseeing.  The impressive St Patricks Cathedral made me nostalgic about my last trip to Portugal, Rockefeller square had me practicing different camera shots, the Natural History Museum was incredible and definitely needs more than the half a day we spent there.  Cental park was filled with hidden and not-so-hidden secrets where one could easily spend days at a time.  The exhibits in the Moma were mind boggling, from the small to the supersized!  I shouldn't forget the Morgan Library and the obvious Empire State Building.

On top of all this, we also managed to arrive during Fleet Week.  Watching the ladies perv over the sailors was amusing, and seeing the different ships and subs was definitely worth it.  We also managed to see one of the memorial day parades and paid a visit to Brooklyn Brewery.

My last day in New York was supposed to be spent going to the Irish hunger memorial, viewing the Statue of Liberty, and having dinner at Ninja New York.  Sadly however I was struck down by a serious bout of the flu.

New York was constantly on the go.  Times square was packed on the night we went out there, and the night life was never ending.  I could spend another week there and still not have seen everything there that I would like to.

With our time in NYC over, we jumped onto the Amtrak to Boston.  The three hour journey was enjoyable with some nice views and a comfortable ride.

The view

We checked in to The Colonnade Hotel, with its magnificent views, and headed off to Massachusetts General Hospital to get my flu sorted.  I remained hotel bound for the first day whilst L enjoyed one of Boston's famous duck tours, and only came out for the evening awards dinner.

Can a library be more awesome?

The next day I was feeling mostly better and joined in on all the other sight-seeing.  A nice river cruise gave us the lay of the land (and my first lobster).  We also managed stops at the New England Aquarium, Boston Library (yes this is worth a visit), the Freedom Trail Tour (a slight letdown since this doesn't continue on the whole trail), and the Cheers Bar. We finished off our brief stay in Boston with a trip out to see the Cirque du Soliel Kurios show.

Boston was much calmer than New York, but with this calmness come a fair amount of friendliness.  Whilst the night life here seems more subdued, there is still just as much to do in the area and more than enough to keep me busy for a long time.

Can I choose between the two? Yes.  Do I want to? No.  I guess you will have to make up your own mind on which is your next destination.

Portugal - The Porto Leg

The Train ride to Porto felt as if it had gone past quickly (this might have been because I was studying on the train) and we arrived at a small station outside of Porto.  We promplty crossed the tracks and grabbed the bus to the hotel: The Yeatman.

The Yeatman has a more classical feel to it.  You feel as if you are surrounded by opulence, and that any person that stays there feels like royalty.  The views from the room are spectacular (especially in the evenings when Porto lights up across the river).

Once we were settled we were treated to a ride along the Douro river which provided great picture opportunities of the 6 bridges, after which dinner was to be had at Graham's Distillery.  The food was divine (slightly salty, but that is my preferred taste).  I also had my first taste of a Port and tonic cocktail (again, not my taste as I don't like tonic water.)

The next day we once again had a choice of activities, of which I decided to try the tuk-tuk, tram, and bike tour.  Our tuk-tuk driver was fantastically friendly, giving us a good run down of the history of the different sites we visited.  The tour took us through most of Porto town as well as some of Villa Nova de Gaia.  Once we were done there we stopped of at Calem Distillery for a Port tasting.  Whist these were nice, they were hardly the best ports I've had.

The next part was the bike tour.  Now I haven't ridden a bike in almost 15 years, so this was quite the scary part for me.  We rode all along the river and stopped off only to hear the leader give some history on the town, river and bridges.  At the turn-around point the organisers decided it would be best if I took a lift with the car back to the tram station.  The Tram was old, but fun to ride.

After a quick eye opening lunch (We are not quite used to being able to see topless sunbathers where we are from), we had the rest of the afternoon off to explore.  We decided to stop in at the Lello Library, a magnificent bookstore that had us hooked the moment we walked through the doors, as well as the Clerigos Tower and some of the churches.

After that it was back to the hotel for a dinner and a rest.  The following morning we decided to head to the beach and were greeted with really dull weather.  We opted to have cocktails at a small beach bar where none of the staff spoke a word of English.  I have never seen a waiter that looked so terrified as they had no idea how to handle the situation.  The afternoon was spent exploring more of Porto's city, churches and shopping areas.  I ended up buying a new shirt for our Final dinner that night and had lunch at the legendary restaurant: The Majestic

For our final dinner we could not have asked for a more awe-inspiring venue.  We were treated to a live show by one of Portugal's top performers in the Arabian room at the Royal Stock Exchange Palace.  The room was gold plated with lighting that made the venue absolutely magical.  Not a single person that walked into that room did not first have to stop and "wow".  I would love to include a picture but not one of my photos give the room justice.  After a wonderful dinner we had a chance to take photos outside on the balcony and finally dance the night away in the entrance hall.  We finished this off with a nightcap at the Yeatman.

On the final morning, my partner was stricken ill, so I had to do the last minute shopping alone and rushed back to pack.  Once this was all done it was back on the plane home.

A wonderful trip that will never be forgotten

Portugal - the Lisbon Leg

It's taken me a while to follow up on the last section (what can I say, life has a way of stopping all the fun things we do) so I hope I managed to remember everything accurately.

Our trip involved two legs, one in Lisbon, and one in Porto.  Below is some of our experiences in Lisbon.

After a many hour flight with Turkish Airlines and a brief layover in Turkey, we had finally arrived in Lisbon.  A quick disembarkation, easy customs pass through, and short wait later we were on our way to the hotel.

On the way to the Hotel we briefly stopped at the Mariners museum for a brief tea and cakes with a wonderful view of the Jeronimo's Monistary.  Our first taste of Pastel de Nada had me hooked.  Once the tea break was done we continued on towards our Hotel, the Penha Longa Resort.

The resort is a magnificent golf estate with many things to see if you take a walk through the premises.  A beautiful chapel, rose gardens, roman bath, and old shrine are just a few of the things that one can see.  The resort also had several great restaurants where almost any kind of food can be eaten.  The poolside bar is a great place to relax with a cocktail or two or one could lounge around at the inside bar where style meets comfort.  The rooms were well designed with a nice balcony overlooking the golf course

Penha Longa Resort

After a quick lunch at Il Mercato, we decided to stroll through the resort before getting ready for a surprise event... A wedding!  One of the couples on the trip with us had decided that this was the perfect opportunity to tie the knot.  Neither of the couple's parents were still with us, and all their friends had managed to make it on the trip.

After the Nuptuals it was on to our first official dinner... and boy was it one hell of a party.  I must say this about Portuguese wine and beer, its extremely light and easy to drink.

I would love to go into detail about each and every day's itenary, but to be honest I just can't remember it all.  However it wouldn't be much of a blog post if I didn't at least share some of the experiences.

One of our first stops was the famous Jeronimo's Monastery, the final resting place of Vasco De Gama.  Before this I had never seen such detail on any church.  Each sculpture was unique and beautifully crafted.  It was truly a blessed experience.

Jeronimo's Monastary

After this we navigated the narrow streets of Lisbon in Tuk-tuks and saw some beautifully tiled houses.  Unfortunately many houses were missing tiles, some buildings were starting to fall to ruin and one could not imagine the amount of grafiti everywhere.  Onwards and Upwards we went until we reached the Castle of St George.  The views over Lisbon were magnificent and well worth a few Selfies (I myself am not a great fan of selfies).

Through the next few days we also managed a trip to the quaint traditional castle town of Obidos (where their cherry liquor had me wanting more), a late night stroll past the Tower of Belem and the Padrão dos Descobrimentos (we almost missed the last train home for this), the Lisbon Dungeon (for which I am still asking L for forgiveness), and the Santa Justa Lift (we never ended up going up due to long queues).



Our last day in Lisbon will be remembered to me for two reasons.  Our engagement and the farewell to Lisbon dinner.

Whilst every woman loves an engagement story, I will spare you the gory details (I never could tell the story well anyway).  I popped the question at the Moorish Castle, and she said yes.  After which we went on to the Penha Palace and then finished off with lunch at a great restaurant in Sintra, Casa Porteguesa (where the owner gave me one of his recipes).  One of my only regrets is that we did not get to Quinta de Regaleira.

The farewell dinner was at Kais Restaurant, which was amazingly decorated and served what I believe to be some of the best food on the trip.


















Finally it was time to depart Lisbon and head on to Porto by train.

Portugal Trip - the Preparation

Yes yes, its been a while.  After reading this post you should know why.

At the beginning of this year my efforts, along with another 114 out of our 11000 staff, was rewarded with an all-expenses paid trip to Portugal.  This for a travel fanatic like me was a dream come true, and to boot I was allowed to bring someone with (my future fiance, but more on that later).

Now Portugal was never tops on either of our lists for places to go, but hey, a free trip changed that.  This post will be about the preparation for this trip, what we did, our frustrations, fun, excitement, and planning.

The announcement was made in February.  After which I let my girlfriend (apparently real names on the internet are bad, so I'll refer to her as L) know.  At first she thought I was playing some sort of prank; then she thought my colleagues were playing a prank; and eventually realised that she is going to Portugal.

The first week was the worst.  I had know I had won, but no communication was sent regarding what was going on, when the trip was, or what was needed from us.  After which I received the first of many emails, which congratulated me on winning the trip and said further information will follow.  This first while I could go nowhere in the building without first being congratulated and asked several stock questions: "where, when, how".  In the following months we received several emails saying what we needed, our dates (the group was split in two and we were between the first group to go), the documents we needed, timelines and finally invites to a formal awards dinner.

Now I won't bore you with every mundane detail and will just skim through the highlights up to where we head to the airport.

The formal awards dinner was a great evening of fun.  This was hosted at Summer Place in Johannesburg.  The venue has the most amazing gardens and fountains where one could relax with a cocktail made by Flair.  Everyone mingled and sipped whilst the sun set and we moved indoors.  The inside hall was decorated like a bright Portuguese cafe, complete with streetlights and banners.  The food was a mix of succulent fillet, chicken, and spicy seafood.  The MC kept us entertained and got the formalities out of the way speedily so that we could enjoy the live entertainment... Mi Casa

If anything the formal awards dinner just made me more excited for the trip, and I decided that this would be the best place to ask the most important question any man will ask a woman.  This of course meant ring shopping.  Now those of you that stay with your significant other know how difficult it is to get away for a day without raising suspicion. Under pretense of a helping a friend out I headed to the mall and tried unsuccessfully to find the perfect ring.  After this I stopped in at my mom's and told her of the predicament and asked her opinion.  She then offered me the perfect ring.

Now we all know that travelling requires a lot of additional admin.  This included trying to get a Shengan Visa.  L managed to submit hers early, whilst I waited to the last minute.  This almost backfired on me as the documents I had to submit were not correct and I had to rush to get the right stuff (I forgot a page of my bank statements and they picked that up).  One week later I managed to get my Visa, but it seemed no one else in the office had theirs, nor did L.  Three days before the trip people started getting edgy.  Turns out the majority of the Visas were only complete on the day before and the day of the trip (the organisers were running like mad to get everyone's passports with Visa's to them).

So with Visa and ring sorted only one last task remained.  Asking the parent's permission.  L's mom didn't quite catch what I was asking at first so I had to explain nicely.  There were tears, there were hugs.  Her dad was easier to ask, but harder to get a hold of. I stopped off at his work and asked him there.

So there we were, packed and ready, at the OR Tambo International airport ready for what would be a great adventure...

Marvel vs DC Characters part 2

The Avengers vs JLA

The Avengers (Marvel)

the Avengers fight "the foes no single superhero can withstand." The team, famous for its battle cry of "Avengers Assemble!", has featured humans, mutants, robots, aliens, supernatural beings, and even former villains.

Members (not complete list)
Iron man
Thor
Captain America
Wasp
Ant man
Hulk
Hawkeye
Black Widow
Hercules
Quicksilver
Beast
Scarlet Witch
Vision
Ms Marvel
Falcon
Captain Marvel
She-Hulk
Wonderman
Quasar
Spiderman
Wolverine
Sentry
Black Panther
Spider-woman
Iron Fist
Luke Cage
Mockingbird

The Justice League of America (DC)

The Justice League of America is the DC Universe's most powerful and premier superhero team, a strike force comprised of the world's mightiest heroes. They act as stalwart protectors of sentient life; Earth's first line of defense against terrestrial, extra-terrestrial, inter-dimensional and supernatural threats.

Members (not complete list)

Batman
Superman
Flash
Wonder Woman
Aquaman
Green Lantern
Martian Manhunter
Green Arrow
Atom
Hawkman
Hawkgirl
Black Canary
Cyborg
Zatanna
Elongated Man
Red Tornado
Firestorm
Fire
Ice
Guy Gardner
Steel
Blue Beetle
Power Girl
Bloodwynd
Jade

The Royal Rumble

This is entirely dependant on the line-up of each team.  However using what I deem as the strongest line-ups of both using their best known members it could end up something like this:

Avengers	JLA
Thor	Superman
Iron-Man	Batman
Captain America	Flash
Hulk	Wonder Woman
Goliath	Aquaman
QuickSilver	Green Lantern
Captain Marvel	Martian Manhunter
Wolverine	Firestorm
Wasp	Atom

Thor would dispose of Superman as his weakness is the Magic of Thor's Hammer.  Batman would hold back to analyse the Avengers.  Flash would outspeed Quicksilver. Aquaman's strength and durability should take down Goliath. Atom could outshrink Wasp where he who ends up smaller would win.  Firestorm would disable Wolverine by transmuting the air around him and knocking him out.  From there Captain Marvel would need to take on Firestorm which could go either way. Iron-man's Blasters could create an artificial fire to ring-fence the manhunter.  Hulk would demolish most of the opposition once Superman is out.

As such my result would be Avengers if Thor takes out Superman first. However if the JLA can keep Thor busy it would go the way of the JLA.

Marvel Vs DC characters part 1

In the next series I will be looking at several Marvel and DC characters that are similar (either in power or origins).  And just for the fun of it, I will pit these two against each other to see who would win in a fight.

 Man-thing (Marvel) vs Swamp Thing (DC)

Man-Thing

Origin

Man-Thing is a former scientist who was transformed into a creature composed of vegetable matter through the synergistic interaction of mystical energy and swamp mutagens. Though the beast now lacks a normal human intellect and has shed any desire to communicate with human society, it nevertheless often becomes an accidental hero as it stumbles upon various crime and horror scenarios

Abilities

• Empathic Senses
• Superhuman strength and durability
• Ability to secrete a powerful corrosive chemical agent and a counter agent
• Ability to teleport himself or others through 'the nexus of all realities'
• speaks the Universal Language

Swamp Thing

Origin

Alec Holland, a scientist working in the Louisiana swamps on a secret bio-restorative formula "that can make forests out of deserts". Holland is killed by a bomb planted by agents of the mysterious Mr. E, who wants the formula. Splashed with burning chemicals in the massive fire, Holland runs from the lab and falls into the muck-filled swamp, after which a creature resembling a humanoid plant appears.

Abilities

• inhabit and animate vegetable matter anywhere, and construct it into a body for himself.
• transport himself across the globe by leaving his current form, transferring his consciousness to a new form.
• superhuman strength.
• Swamp Thing has also mastered the elements of fire, earth, water and air

 

When they take it outside?

This would result in a long protracted battle.  I would probably side with Swamp-Thing winning out in the end due to his intellegence as well as mastery over the other elements.

Namor (Marvel) vs Aquaman (DC)

Namor

Origin

Namor was born in the capital city of the Atlantean empire. His mother was Emperor Thakorr's daughter, Fen, and his father an American sea captain, Leonard McKenzie, of the icebreaker Oracle.  He became the Prince of Atlantis, and a warrior for his people against the "surface-dwellers."  Namor (AKA The Sub-Mariner) has been both a villian and a hero over the years and has been a member of The Invaders, The Defenders, the X-Men, and The Avengers.  It has since come to light that he is in fact a mutant.

Imperius Rex!

Abilities

• Can withstand freezing temperatures
• highly developed vision
• Super human strength, speed and stamina
• Super durability 
• accelerated healing in water
• Aquatic Telepathy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Aquaman

origin

Aquaman was the son of Atlanna, an Atlantean princess banished from Atlantis; and Tom Curry, a surface man and lighthouse keeper. Two years after his birth, young Arthur was found by his father playing underwater after he had apparently been there for an hour without drowning. Several years later, both Tom and Arthur himself would learn the truth about Atlanna's origins, as she would reveal that she came from the lost continent of Atlantis while she lay in her deathbed.Later, after his father's death, Arthur Curry would leave the lighthouse to venture into the oceans and find his true destiny. He would later become the King of Atlantis

Abilities

•  Water adapted physiology grants him superhuman strength, endurance, durability, reflexes, agility, dexterity, healing, and senses
• Enhanced swimming speed
• Marine telepathy that grants the ability to compel and manipulate sea life
• Able to speak and understand any language on Earth thanks to telepathic abilities

New 52 version

 

Aquaman Costumes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Dust-up

Another tight battle with both of their abilities being similar.  Personally I go for Namor due to his extra experience in battle and his cooler battle cry.


So after Part one we stand one all in the battle between Marvel vs DC.  If you were curious who came first:

Swamp Thing - House of Secrets #92 (June-July 1971)
Man-Thing - Savage Tales #1 (May 1971)
Namor - Motion Picture Funnies Weekly (April 1939)Aquaman - More Fun Comics #73 (September 25, 1941)

Review of Gotham up to ep 8 *spoilers*

So I have recently started watching Gotham and thought I would share some of my views. Please note that this post contains spoilers.

First off, the cast. The casting done for this show was top notch. Here's a review of each of the characters as I find them (extracts from imdb):

Cory Michael Smith (Edward Nygma):
Great interpretation of the Riddler.  He's creepy and still uses silly riddles.  The only issue I have is with the character itself.  Using the linear time line for Batman, this would make him significantly older by the time Batman arrives.  I would have preferred it if this character was used as Edward's father with only small references to a son which we then know will grow up to become the riddler.

Ben McKenzie (James Gordon):
A great portrayal of a good cop in a bad city.  The last few episodes have him playing a far darker character, which is understandable considering what has happened to him.  His interaction with Barbara is a little too stereotypical at times and feels like it is used to fill episodes often.

Donal Logue (Harvey Bullock):
A great actor and true to what the character needs.  I know this character as the typical crooked cop.  He is supposed to be the cardboard cut-out for what not to do as a policeman.  The good turn he has had in the last few episodes is unexpected, but I don't think it will last overly long.  I think they are trying to portray him as a good cop doing his job in a bad way, fitting in with the corrupt and doing the job the only way he knows how.

David Mazouz (Bruce Wayne):
He plays the frightened kid and young detective well.  He pulls off the aristocratic manner well and soon has you conflicted on whether you like him or not.

Sean Pertwee (Alfred Pennyworth):
Slightly younger than I would have imagined Alfred, but a great fit none the less.  He gives off that feel of a combat surgeon and butler.  Always looking to mentor Bruce and steer him away from vengeance (with one exception).  I look forward to more of him.

Robin Lord Taylor (Oswald Cobblepot):
Although he starts off seeming a bit useless he get really good later.  The acting is superb and makes the character memorable.  The character that will one day become the Penguin is really a linchpin in this story.  I love the fact that he is not as 'useless' as he seems in the comics.

Jada Pinkett Smith (Fish Mooney):
One of the original characters brought into this story.  I must admit I am a bit disappointed with the acting.  Everyone else seems to love the way Jada brings this character to life, I find her to be repetitive and boring however.  A very one sided character bent on taking over the empire.  I hope to see her made a little more cunning.

John Doman (Carmine Falcone):
The original mob boss.  He reminds me of a real godfather of crime.  John brings this character to life and I enjoy all the scenes he's in.  His presence is dominating and you can feel the power he wields.

Other Cameos / Mentions:
Ivy Pepper/ poison Ivy
Richard Sionis / Black Mask (I'm a bit disappointed in this character, I hope they improve him later in the series)
Selina Kyle / Catwoman
Tommy Eliot / Hush (looking forward to more of this)
Bane (okay, not Bane, but the venom used to give Bane his power)


If you are serious about time-line issues, give this series a skip.  Otherwise, be sure to watch as there is some good intrigue and great acting.

A bushveld weekend

Long time no type hey.  Well, I'm back for a bit after a lovely weekend away, and I'm amped to tell you all about it.  So here goes...

Weekend to Mabula Game Lodge.

This was a great weekend, with plenty of fun, sun and adventure.  I'm going to break it down in the days to as its easier for me to remember that way.

Friday

I took a day's leave the Friday in order to pack and leave early.  This isn't quite how it worked out but hey, just roll with the punches. 

I woke up at around 6 (yes, that's sleeping in for me), where I started getting ready, packing bags etc.  I was probably done at around 8ish and my mom was still busy.  I figured it would be a good idea to get some admin done whilst I wait and ended up having my licence disk renewed for my car.  After a bit of a schlepp to get that done and a quick medical check for our medical aids, myself and my mom headed off.  Mabula Lodge, here we come!

After two hours of driving we stopped off in Bela Bela at a bar/restaurant.  Nguni Jacks was a great place, however that midday sun killed us.  A round of cocktails and a small appetiser later and we were ready for the last leg of the trip.  The last 40km went by quickly, and checking in was quite painless (despite us being early).  We then went on to our chalet, 51a on Sunset Hill.  A great view of the valley and a compact but well laid out chalet awaited us.

But that was not the last surprise they had in store for us.  Included in our stay was one free game drive on each of our days there!  So back to reception to book our three game drives, 8pm Friday, 9am Saturday, and 5:30am Sunday.

We unpacked and just relaxed until our night drive.  Roll around 8pm and we are in the Land Rover with our guide Quinten, a family of 6, and a young couple.  Now this game drive should have been great. Should.  Unfortunately there were a few factors that made it a bit of a downer.  The guy from the drive was not interested and kept nodding off, his girlfriend did not stop talking the whole way through (with the ranger, not the dozing s/o), the kids in the back were playing with their torches (not extremely helpful as they weren't the best quality) and the ranger was too busy making unfunny jokes and stroking his ego ("I can smell it's going to rain tomorrow").  Needless to say we didn't see much, just some zebra and impala.  When we got back to our chalet there was a Kudu, impala and warthogs in the area.

Saturday

Once again I managed to sleep late (yes, 6am).  Woke up and got ready whilst my mom made some breakfast.  Nothing like good old bacon and eggs on the patio to get the right start to the day.  Come around 9am and we were on the Land Rover again.  This time we were taken by George and joined by a family of greeks and a middle-aged couple.  This drive was also significantly longer than the night drive, with a time of two and a half hours in driving time.

This time our guide was quite sure of his facts and we also saw a multitude of animals:  Kudu, Giraffe, Blue Wildebeest, Zebra, Impala, Warthogs, Hippos and a group of barely visible Buffalo. I did get slightly annoyed at the greek family though.  They had a young child with them, probably 4ish, and could not get the child to wear her hat.  They kept nagging at her that she would get burnt (which is all good), but not one of them wore their own hats (not so good).  I believe if you want to say something like that to a child you need to lead by example.  No child will think its that bad if you aren't taking it seriously.

So after a mild amount of sun (and quite the sunburn) we got home.  My mom decided to relax and read, whilst I decided to see if I can try some Archery.  Now this was quite amusing.  After giving me a brief rundown of how to shoot an arrow (not how to aim), I was left to shoot.  Shortly after starting I was joined by a family of Indians that would make the event so much more fun.  After plenty of laughter and shooting I finished off.  I'd managed to hit the target a few times, and even once got a bulls-eye (no, it was more a case of luck.  Or as I put it "more ass than class"). 

After a brief nap at the chalet, my mom and I had a braai.  Add some wine, 'slet-sappies', and beer.  Dinner was a success.  Now I have a tendency to suffer from puppy-dog sickness (stomach full, eyes closed) and decided to call it a night.  Not long after a storm hit. A major one!  Outside looked almost like day with all the lightning (which hit our lightning rod a few times), our outdoor umbrella blew away and our power tripped.  But eventually I managed to fall asleep.

Sunday

Cue 4:30am alarm.  Groggy from the little sleep I stumble through getting ready and packed for the 5:30 game drive.  This time we headed off with our short sighted ranger Johan.  Once again joined by a family with several small children.  The drive was great with lots of shade and a cool breeze.  Much of the same animals were seen as on Saturday, except with the addition of a Rooi Hartebees and a close up Buffalo.  The game ranger also told us more about the habits of the animals, and included a short lesson on the yellow beaked Hornbill.  He also stopped for several of the smaller things, including bullfrogs, spiders and millipedes.  The highlight though was the spotting of a tree with a carcass in it.  Unfortunately the Leopard whose meal this was was nowhere to be found.

After the drive we decided to head to a craft brewery that was advertised nearby.  L'Abrie Fountain Brewery was hard to find and an extremely small place.  There we tasted their Stout and Lager and a Boston Brewery Lager.  Their Stout and Lager tasted disturbingly like those from another brewery in Pretoria (Dreyman's).  We settled for a stout and a lager with a biltong and grape foccacia bread for lunch.  Their prices were great, the food good, service friendly, and the quite atmosphere went down well.

Now after all this it was time to head back home.  A great relaxing weekend in the end.  I look forward to having many more such weekends.

The world of Beer

For a bit of a change in pace I will go on about different kinds of beer, Gauteng Beer fests, and a few of lovely beers I've had.

Beerfests

Admit it, you've either been to one or you're dying to go to one.  Let me start off with the best one:

Octoberfest
No, not the one in Germany, but still a great one.  The Deutsche Schule in Pretoria host this one, usually mid September (yes not in October, but hey, who really cares?)  This festival is great.  One stage for Oompa loompa bands, one for more pop/rock tunes and a stage for your more classical music. Lots of great beer, food and souvenir stores.

If going to Octoberfest for pure drinking purposes, then I would advise the Friday night.  The less popular day, which in turn means shorter queues, plus you can be certain that there will be stock of the mug that you want.

If you would like a family outing, Saturday through the day is a great choice.  There is always something for the kids to do, beer for the adults and not many annoying drunks. 

Saturday nights are the busiest at Octoberfest, this is due to the vibe, the fireworks, and not having work the next day.  This is one huge party and great fun.  Meet new friends and drink cool pints.

Sandton Craft Beer Fest
This sounded like an awesome festival.  Unfortunately for me I went in its first year and have since promised never to go again.  This festival only has craft beers, this year there were 11 breweries with 40 different kinds of beers and ciders.

Probably one of the worst events I've ever been to, and after giving my feedback to the organisers I was treated with disdain as if it were my fault.  The event started late, used a token system (which they didn't advertise at the entrance where you actually had to buy them), and didn't adhere to some of the things they promised.  Their 'big screen' for sports was actually just five 41cm (roughly) TVs, with no sound and big bands playing through the game.  The beer stall closed two hours early, leaving me to use up my tokens at the venue's overpriced champagne bar.

Food-wise you had a very limited choice, pizza, schwarma or gourmet hotdogs.  All the pizzas had Avo on them, all the schwarmas were extremely hot and I wasn't going to pay R40 for a hotdog.

As for parking, what a nightmare.  As it is the streets of Jo'burg don't have much space, but if you had to drive there you might have wanted to pull out your hair.  No dedicated parking area meant you had to park in the street, effectively turning a two lane street into a narrow one lane street.

Beers
Some of the types of beers, a bit about them, and an example of each

Ale
Usually fermented with top-fermenting yeast, meaning the yeast floats on top of the tank during fermentation.  I find this to have a somewhat stronger, more in-your-face beer flavour compared to other beers.
Recommended: Clarens Red

Lager
A Lager is a beer that has been bottom fermented, meaning the yeast lies at the bottom of the tank when it ferments. Probably the easiest to drink and recommended starter beer.
Recommended: Castle Lager

Stout
This one is nice bitter beer.  Usually a nice dark beer with a creamy white head, best served at room temperature (roughly 5-8 degrees, yes measured at european temps)
Recommended: Guinness 

Weiss
This is a bit of an acquired taste, so not really suited for everyone.  Distinguished by it's slightly white look.  This beer is made from wheat.
Recommended: Altstad


Mead
Yes, its not technically a beer, but its awesome.  Made from honey, this is a great sweet drink.

Of course there are many other kinds, such as your pilsners and dunkels, but its up to you to go out and taste them!

Other notable South African beers worth a try:
Jack Black Ale
Copperlake Brewery's light lager
SAB's Black Label
Boston's Pumpkin ale
The maboneng maverick (biere de saison) from Smack! Republic

South African Conventions

Today I'll be talking about some of the conventions I've attended over the years, my ideas of each and some ideas on how to improve them.

UPCon (now the con formerly known as UPCon)

UPCon was the first of my Anime Conventions.  Up to this year it was always hosted in the conference centre at the University of Pretoria.  Run by GGC (with Tukskrygspel being a front to gain access to a free venue), this has been one of my more favourite cons.  Probably because it was my first dip into the Geek.  UPCon hosts several tournaments, including YuGiOh, Magic the Gathering, Warhammer, and Heroclix (All of which I have played at some point or other).  There is usually also boardgame demos in one of the halls. 

On the Anime side of things, there is the famous Cos-play competition, the anime screening, and AMV competition.  Past UPCons have also seen console gaming, fan-art, and a drawing wall.

Shopping is always great, with not too many of the same stores.  Stores include Sin-Bin, Outer Limits, Blox Universe, Plushie Haven and a few others.  The Kitchen is usually fast with service and the food great.  If you don't feel like having kitchen food, you could take a walk to Hatfield where there are a vareity of restaraunts.  The Piazza on campus is also usually open.

Whilst the Con has always been fun, I've gotten the feeling it is slowly dying.  The dissappearance of AWX at this years con was a notable mistake.  Some of the competitions have disappeared and the screening shows episodes that are rarely watched anymore.  Lastly some of the areas are way too small (warhammer, heroclix, boardgaming) and make a person feel as though they are being shunned.

KinCon

Kin-Con is a new con run by Morgue-chan.  I must say, she went through all the right steps to launch the con successfully.  This Con is mainly Anime orientated, with Cosplay being its main pulling factor.  As a Con marketed as a con for geeks, I was surprised by what I found.  Most stalls were cos-play orientated or art-orientated.  The only mainstream stores that I could spot were AWX and Blox Universe.  No stores selling boardgames, comics or geek paraphernalia.

The Heroclix was bunched into a corner, the boardgames hidden away somewhere, a few card games going on here and there. 

I enjoyed the fact that the parking was not too far from the entrance, there was enough space to walk and browse in the hall and a kitchen that wasn't overly busy.   This could become a great con if more anime stores and events were brought in and it marketed as an Anime Con.  That or they would need to be a little more inclusive of other geeky hobbies.

ICon

Another Con I thoroughly enjoy each year.  Usually all the stores one would need at a con, and very inclusive.  I struggle to decide what to do on a day, with role-playing, boardgaming, magic, Heroclix, anime, and shopping all vying for my attention.

The only down side is the small venue.  Browsing the stores is always a nightmare, with no space to move or struggling to get past those standing at stores.  The kitchen service are is way too small causing long queues.  This year's con also saw AWX being missing and an too many gaming stores bunched up.

Geekfest

Another new con hosted by Dark Carnival. Despite my original doubts about the convention it turned out amazing.  A massive attendance, with enough space to walk and chill. The stores were varied (with only the anime side being neglected), a nice beer garden was set up, and enough events to keep you occupied all day.

But as with all events there are down sides. Being an outdoor convention, weather will always affect turnout. The venue has a lack of shade (which my pink face will atest to), and the beer garden ran out of beer at one stage.

Now you know a little more about our local cons, hope to see you at the next one :)

Comic to film conversion

Its been a while, I know.  But I'm back!

This time I will be ranting about how this new comic book movie craze is both a blessing.... and a curse.  How I am happy to be able to finally satiate my inner nerd with comic book movies (that aren't animated).  Sadly though, my inner nerd often RAGES at what they've done to the character.


The worst offenders are the X-Men movies.  The pure amount of inconsistencies between these movies is just plain ridiculous.  Although, if you remove X-Men origins: wolverine, then it gets slightly better. How the newly planned "days of future past" will fit in, has yet to be seen.   I must admit, I was rather surprised by several of the easter eggs in these movie, the chief of which was the reference in X-Men 3 to the original X-Men (this is actually not referring to the line-up in X-Men 1).

Next you have those films that absolutely destroy the origin of the character. Such as Hulk.  It was a FREAKING BOMB! not some medical research where he decides to test on himself.  The fact that they changed the actor each movie didn't help.  Also, look at the 'Amazing' Spiderman (the new one).  There they tried to avoid stepping on anyones toes by changing the events before his uncle's death.

But lets not forget those movies that changed a character to suit them.  I mean where was Spiderman's sense of humor (I refer to the first trilogy this time)?  Why was Bucky Barnes not a young teen?  And what the heck was with Parallax being a cloud?!

Luckily for us though, not all movies are bad.  The latest Batman trilogy was amazing (bar its ending), Thor was full of lovely easter eggs, they nailed Iron Man.  The Avengers was well worth watching several times and has made me believe in superhero movies again.

So let me end off with a list of Comic books that have had movies made of them over the years.

Superman (on its 2nd reboot)
Batman (1 reboot)
Iron Man
Avengers
Hulk (1 reboot/sequel)
Green lantern
Captain America
Flash
Wonder Woman
The Watchmen
Green Hornet
X-Men (1 reboot/sequel)
Fantastic four
Dare-devil
Wolverine
Man-Thing
Tank girl
Kick-ass
Flash Gordon
GI Joe
Ghost rider
Red Sonja
Conan
Blade
Punisher
Priest
The Shadow
Hell Boy
He-Man
Catwoman
V for Vendetta
Spawn
Jonah Hex
John Carter
Jonah Hex
Judge Dredd

Some comic character profiles

I’ve decided to do a bit of a character summary for a few characters.  The first few were suggested by friends on Facebook.  Although I can’t admit to knowing everything about everyone, I did do a moderate amount of research on each of them.

Spawn

Origin:

Born Albert Francis Simmonds (Al Simmonds), he worked in the Marine corp, the secret service and the CIA.  On one of his CIA missions he was betrayed by the then director Jason Wynne.  Due to his career as an assassin he ended up going downstairs (Hell), where he struck a bargain with Malebogia in order to see his wife one last time.

Al is then resurrected as one of the hellspawn, with various powers (see later).  Five years have passed since his death, but he has finally returned.  However the world he is in, no longer has a place for him.  His wife married his best friend and had a child with him.  He is thus left with the choice of whether to fulfil his side of the bargain or not.

Powers:

Spawn’s powers are derived from the necroplasm that makes up his body.  This gives him various abilities such as super strength, teleportation, and regeneration.  He needs to ‘feed’ his necroplasm with evil energy given off by people and certain animals.  Furthermore he wears a sentient symbiotic suit that has shape-shifting powers.

Spawn can be killed by a holy weapon forged in Heaven. He is also rendered powerless in places that are immune to the influence of Hell.

Deadpool

Alter ego:                            Wade Winston Wilson

Aliases:                                 The Merc with a Mouth
First appearance:             New mutants #98

Origin:

Classified.  Okay not really...  Born somewhere in Canada (see why he’s a little funny in the head), Wade lost his mother to cancer at an early age, and his father was killed by a friend when he dared interrupt their night out.  Wade joined the army for a while, before becoming a mercenary assassin.

Wade later contracted cancer and joined Department K as a test subject in the weapon X program.  In the program he was imbued with Wolverine’s healing factor, which stopped his cancer... for a time.  The cancer returned and, supercharged by the healing factor, spread right across his body, leaving him horribly scarred.  Deadpool left the program and started doing mercenary work once more.

Powers:

Deadpool can reattach any part of his body, has advance healing capabilities (he can survive a bullet to the brain), is immune to psychic attacks due to his brain cells that rejuvenate (this is possibly the cause of his mental instability), and at one time had super strength.  His healing powers are mentally driven (if he forgets he can heal he won’t).  He is highly resistant to drugs and alchohol (definitely not a cheap date), and immune to most toxins.  He can speak German, Spanish and Japanese in addition to English, is an expert swordsman and marksman.

Suggested reads:

Deadpool Corps

Dr Fate

List of Doctors:

Kent Nelson
Eric & Linda Strauss
Inza Cramer Nelson
Jared Stevens
Hector Hall
Kent V. Nelson
Khalid Ben-Hassin

Origin:

In 1920, twelve year-old Kent Nelson accompanies his father Sven on an archeological dig in the Valley of Ur.  When Kent opens the tomb of the ancient Egyptian wizard Nabu, he accidently releases a poisonous gas which kills his father. Nabu takes pity on Kent and teaches him wizarding skills before giving him a mystical helmet, amulet and cloak. Nabu merges his spirit with the helmet, which allows him to possess Kent. In 1940, Kent arrives in the United States, and begins a career fighting crime and supernatural evil as Doctor Fate. He later goes on to co-found the Justice Society of America. 

Powers:

The helmet of Nabu grants the wearer various mystical powers including flight, super strength, intangibility, energy and matter manipulation, invisibility, and telekinesis.

The Sentry

Alias:                     Robert Reynolds

Origin:

Only The Sentry knows his true origin, however due to his mental illness he cannot say for certain.  The Sentry was a leader and paternal figure to several superheroes until a mass murder by his greatest nemesis, the Void, caused him to end his career. He later realized that the Void was, in fact, an aspect of his own personality. Since the Void represents the death of all living beings, it was deemed too dangerous to keep unchecked, however short of killing Robert there was no way to do this. With a combination of Reed Richards technology, Doctor Strange magic, and the Sentry's own immeasurable mental abilities, the entire human race was hypnotized to forget the very existence of the Void and the Sentry (this includes Robert himself).

Later Robert’s schizophrenia re-emerged, and caused him to believe that he killed his wife.  He went on to seek help and found Reed Richards.  Robert’s powers started manifesting themselves once more and with it... the Void.

Powers:

The Sentry can fly, produce energy blasts and is practically impervious.  He has been known to teleport, can reconstitute himself when blown up, and has the power of a million exploding suns.  The Sentry has survived a trip to the sun, has fought the hulk to a standstill (when he practically took apart the Marvel universe).  He doesn’t need to shower, eat or sleep.

Hawkeye

Aliases:                 Clint Barton

                                Ronin

                                Goliath

Origin:

Clint Barton was born in Waverly, Iowa and lost both his parents to a car crash at a young age. After six years in an orphanage, Clint and his brother Barney ran away to join the Carson Carnival of Travelling Wonders. He soon caught the eye of the Swordsman, who took the young boy on as his assistant and trained him to become a master archer
Clint adapted his archery skills to become a star carnival attraction, a master archer called “Hawkeye”. After seeing Iron-Man in action, Clint decided to become a costumed crimefighter. However Hawkeye is accused of theft during his first outing and is believed to be a villian. Whilst on the run, he meets the Black Widow, a spy for the Soviet Union, and promptly falls in love. The duo then attempt to steal steal technology developed by Tony Stark, leading to a battle with Iron Man wherein the Black Widow is seriously injured. Hawkeye rescues her and flees the battle, but before Hawkeye can take her to a hospital, the Black Widow disappears. Hawkeye decides to go straight from there on.  Hawkeye later clears his name and is allowed to join the Avengers.  Clint later falls in love with the Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff).
Later he gives up his Hawkeye identity to become the second Goliath for a short time, before resuming the identity of Hawkeye.  He also goes on to quit the Avengers after a rift forms with the Vision over the love of Wanda.
He later falls in love with a former S.H.I.E.L.D agent, known as Mockingbird, and marries her.  This marriage does not last. Hawkeye also goes on to need the use of a hearing aid (there is actually quite a cute story behind this involving a real boy who did not want to use his hearing aid).
In the aftermath of Civil War, Clint gets offered the position of Captain America... which he almost accepts.

Powers:

Hawkeye has no superpowers, but is a an excellent fencer and a grandmaster marksman.  Hawkeye uses a 250 pound force bow with a variety of arrows