BATMAN IS AN OVERRATED SUPERHERO

It has been along time since I gave up reading superhero comics. A true conversion in our Lord Jesus Christ and some Christian channels on youtube helped me kick the habit. I am writing this one last time to just address this issue. Again, welcome to my world.

Batman has been one of the most iconic characters in American comic books. A tragedy left young Bruce Wayne to pursue a life of fighting crime in the streets of Gotham City. He cloaks under a shadow, uses a suit modeled after a bat, a night creature, and strikes fear in the heart of criminals. There is nothing vert special about him, other than he has a very good fighting skill and wit. He also has an array of weapons and vehicles at his disposal. He likes to operate alone, and in the night. There's Batman in a nutshell.

But what really made him very popular? It's actually the wealth of stories that stream from his character. Yes, you guessed it- his creators. Batman was hyped up by a group of people who gave him his dark, menacing and cold personality. Comic book writers and artists like Alan Moore, Frank Miller, Grant Morrison, Brian Bolland, Neal Adams to name a few all gave Batman the hero he really is. Outside of comics, Paul Dini and Bruce Timm, Kevin Conroy, Tim Burton, Michael Keaton, Christian Bale and Chris Nolan gave us popular cinematic and animated versions of him. From fighting Dracula to opponents like the Joker, Batman has it all. They say that he can even defeat Gods?

I am one of those people that admired him. I have his best stories, watched his great animated series and movies and really enjoyed the last Batman trilogy by Nolan and Bale. But as the years passed, I noticed something from fans of the series. It's like Batman became a god incarnate for them. Most of them are literally worshiping him. Like if it's not a Batman story, it sucks. I was even outraged at one youtube video that attacked another superhero, calling him sucky because he didn't have many stories to tell. If I wouldn't be banned from the channel I would've given them a piece of my mind.

Here's my beef with the so called CULT OF BATMAN (what I call obsessed fans). He is nothing more than a guy in a batsuit, that's it. Let's be clear on that. Yes, he is master martial artist, great detective, etc., but he is just a normal person like me and you. He does not have super strength, flying, shooting laser beams or webs, climbing ability, healing factor, etc. HE'S JUST A GUY IN A BATSUIT. There's nothing special about him.
It's your creators that made him great. You treat him like he can save the world by himself. He can be taken down in a close quarter combat by any person possessing extra ordinary powers. Your creators just won't let him because it will piss the cult followers thus translating low sales for the comics. So stop obsessing. It's only you fans that made him that. Other than that, he's just a regular guy.

I don't hate the character, but I'm well annoyed by fans who thinks he's the best out there. His stories are made by people to entertain you, bit make him a God. As for me, my Batman comics and other superhero comics are where they are: in storage. I never read them anymore.

Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day!!!

BRIAN LUCIANO

FEBRUARY 2, 2017

WHO IS THE REAL VICTOR IN THE EDSA REVOLUTION

The EDSA Revolution of 1986 has made a mark in history as a bloodless revolution that toppled a dictator of almost 25 years. The Filipino people were placed in the map, and the world began to recognize us again. But looking back, did we really achieve something in EDSA? And more important, whose victory was it?

Most of us are taught about EDSA and how it made the Marcoses the bad guys in the story. There were stories about various human rights violations, illegal executions and imprisonment of political opponents, mounting insurgency and extreme poverty in the country. We can say that the country is really in a bad shape. Thus, like the French Revolution, this was ripe. Sides were chosen, and democracy was restored.

Monuments were erected in the places where it all happened. imagine that the monument that was erected where the revolution happened is a very big statue of the Virgin Mary. When I was still a Catholic this was just fine, even though I don't approve of the revolution. Heck, I even hear mass in the chapel in that place if we have the time. The monument symbolized the role of he Virgin Mary in the EDSA Revolution. According to them, the priests and the nuns prayed the rosary and held vigils thus the soldiers didn't fire upon the people. So to put it, the Catholic church made a key role in the revolution.

I left the Catholic religion last year with my wife. I also read the holy bible faithfully and followed the teachings of Jesus Christ. Then I stumbled upon a youtube video. The video is about the false practices of the Catholic and Orthodox religion. The video was divided into three parts. The last part was the one that caught my attention. It has something to do with the worship of the Queen of Heaven.

The opening part of that chapter if from the book of the prophet Jeremiah 7:18 " The children gather the wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings to other gods, that they may provoke me to anger".     

Now any Catholic would know that Mary is called the queen of heaven. Coincidences, or is this a different one? The Catholic priests will argue that it's not her, and that this pertains to Diana, Semiramis or any of the pagan goddesses that the Kingdom of Judah worshiped. But here's where wisdom comes in. If that were the case, then why call Mary, Jesus' earthy mother, the queen of heaven? More importantly, where in the bible is it found or written?

And if that is the case, then the EDSA Revolution was not won by the people, but by the Catholic church. And if the monument to the revolution if the statue of Mary, then it was not god that granted us the victory in EDSA, but a pagan goddess. Sure some people will say there is a real monument to EDSA, and it's a bit further than where it stands. Still, here's my main point. Please, I urge you to listen to the voices in your hearts.   

The EDSA Revolution was spearheaded by the Catholic Church. As we all know, from the Spanish era down to the current era, the Catholic Church is known to have meddled in the affairs of state. They are more powerful than the wold rulers. They manipulated the masses (majority of which are Catholics) to revolt against the government. Also, if it's really the people's victory, then what is that gigantic statue of a pagan goddess doing in there. It just showed us that the victory belonged to her, and her church. We also would have to note that the government at that time was besieged by coup-de-etats. Down the line, the country still struggled to move unto this day.

The words of the prophet Jeremiah still rings in my head until now. It showed that the real victor is the queen of heaven. They say that we are the only christian nation in Asia, but that's not the case. We have incurred God's anger, so we must put and end to it.We must at least take down that idolatrous statue, destroy it like how Moses destroyed the Golden Calf, and pray back to God.

In closing, EDSA didn't accomplish what it meant for the Filipino people. It is a revolution used by the Catholic church to strengthen it's hold on the country, and to put a monument of their goddess in us. People still offer prayers to her even though she does not warrant it. And again, instead of us getting god's favor, we just proved him to anger. 

I pray that we go back to our lord Jesus Christ, and I also pray for the conversion of the entire country. Again, these are my thoughts. Each of us has a voice in this world, these are mine. Feel free to read and discuss them with me.

May our Lord Jesus Christ bless you,