THE GREATEST AMERICAN HERO

I have been a big fan of comic books since I was in high school. I can always remember the 1990's when I decided to collect and read them as a hobby. They became a source of entertainment and learning for me.
For some kids, it's TV or computer games, but for me, it's comic books.

The hobby was an on/off hobby for me due to financial and personal reasons. My collection and accumulation amassed and there are stuff that I like and don't like. There are also characters that I felt stood out and those that are lame ducks. Which now leads me to writing this article.

Though I have been a Marvel fan, Batman has to be the most popular comic book character of all time. I myself fell in love with the character after I bought what is considered his best work, "The Dark Knight Returns" by Frank Miller. This story, though not in continuity, made me fall in love with the character. I bought other Batman comics at that time. At the same period in the 1990's, the same author teamed up with then superstar artist John Romita Jr. to work on Daredevil: The Man Without Fear. The mini-series chronicles a rewriting of Daredevil's origin by Miller and Romita Jr. I considered this one of the best comics I've read and became a very big fan of the character until now.But he's not the one I have in mind.

Most of us will have to say that the greatest American hero will be from the dawn of the heroes, mainly the Golden Age of comics:Superman, Batman, Captain America, and maybe even Wonder Woman. But none of them compares with the hero I consider to be the greatest:SPIDER-MAN.

Yup, ol' webhead. see, I didn't own a lot of Spider-man comics. The only time this character got into my radar was when he was drawn by a guy by the name of Todd McFarlane. He was considered as one of the best artists in Spider-man history, as well as my favorite artists at that time. He breathed new life into this character. When he left, other artists like Erik Larsen and Mark Bagley followed, but they never captured the magic that McFarlane made of the character. But as I matured in my comic book reading, Spider-man came off the radar. The only time he became relevant again was the set of Spider-Man movies by director Sam Raimi and lead actor Tobey Maguire in the early 2000's. Then he went into limbo again, only resurfacing just recently. But what makes him the greatest, better than the Man of Steel or the Dark Knight, two icons that define American superhero comics?

1.) "People don't like spiders"-That's what Publisher Martin Goodman told then writer Stan Lee about his concept. I mean, imagine a superhero named after an insect? Imagine spiders creeping up and down the ceiling. Gives you the chills right? At that time Goodman thinks that Stan lost his marbles.

2.) He's a teenager-Come on, a teenager? Really? Ain't teenagers supposed to be sidekicks? I mean like Robin, Bucky and Toro? Ok, Johnny Storm (The Human Torch of the Fantastic Four) wasn't one, but he was in fact part of a larger group. I mean, he goes solo. A sixteen year old? and Spider-man? How about Spider-boy? That's also one of the reasons why he wears a full mask.It hides his boyish features, and also it muffled his voice so he's not easily recognized.

3.) The comic issue where he made his debut was about to be axed- As crazy a concept is Spider-man, Publisher Martin Goodman gave a green light to have the story published in the final issue of Amazing Fantasy#15. Even if the fans didn't like it, it was just fine since the magazine is going to be axed anyway. So, there's no problem there. He gave it a go. And we know the rest is history.

4.)"With great power comes great responsibility"-Having let the burglar escape when he would have stopped him, this same man killed his Uncle Ben. It was then that young Peter Parker knew what he would have to do with his new found powers. Instead of using it to gain wealth, he used these powers to help those people who can't defend themselves. He knew this at a tender age of sixteen. This has been the reason why he wore the mask until now.         

Also, for longtime readers of Spider-man's adventures, you probably know about the villains, supporting casts, loves of his life, his titanic team-ups with other great heroes as well as the wealth of stories famous creators like Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, John Romita Sr., Gerry Conway, Gil Kane, Roger Stern, John Romita Jr., and others wrote about him. Right now, we can read them in trade paperbacks that collect all that wealth of stories for him.

He still remained the best character ever created for pop culture. It is not to say that he has his share of bad stories and all, but at the core of him is a hero that defied certain expectations, and gave us a hero of whom we call as an "ordinary guy". We are Spider-man.

BRIAN LUCIANO
AUGUST 7,2019                           

HOW BRIGHTBURN SHOWS US A DIFFERENT VIEW ON SUPERHEROES

The year 2019 is again taken by storm by superhero movies, Captain Marvel (March), Shazam (April 5) and and the Big Daddy of them all, Avengers:Endgame (April 29). These big movies gave us a view that these beings of great power have come to save the world from big threats. They can range from power hungry aliens to mad scientists. But what would happen if these so called heroes of ours use their powers instead on us? Enter this movie: BRIGHTBURN

The movie produced by James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy), and tells of a Superman like story of a young boy named Brandon Breyer. He was adopted by a loving couple that raised him as their own child. However, as he grows up, he notices that he is special and different from other people. He now learns the secret: he came from another planet. With this knowledge however, he does not use his abilities to help mankind, but to suppress them. He knows that he is superior to them. He also has voices in his head saying, "TAKE THE WORLD". Then he turns on the people that raised him, and begins his plans for world conquest.

This movie offers us an opposite view of the heroes that we love. Instead of the loving and caring heroes that are willing to sacrifice their lives for a common good, they are not hesitant in actually taking lives. I also forgot to state that the antagonist/protagonist of the film is a 12 year old boy.
He's almost the same age as the character in the movie Shazam (Billy Batson) and a little younger than Peter Parker (MCU Spider-man). But while these characters act their age, Brandon is different. He already has a view of what he wants. In one scene, his mother found softcore porn pictures and clippings on human anatomy. Because of his intelligence, he already knows and studies as even at that age. Another thing is that he is not hesitant to take the lives of people. There are very grotesque deaths that occurred in the movie. As movie ends, he ends up killing more people than he ever could. This maybe just the beginning.

Brightburn deconstructs the way we view our beloved heroes. This is considered possibly a hate letter to Superman, a beloved comic book character. But the thing is, there is more of an underlying tone in here. Some people see Superman as a hero, a model of heroism. But the truth is, this movie just exposes who he really is.Note that unless you are living under a rock, we are now living in the Last Days. Movies like this would tell much more about the man of sin, of the great wonders and signs that he would do. He will deceive many people, and will go on to make war with the saints. This movie exposes and gives us a view of this great and powerful being which will be Satan's masterpiece o the Earth. The concept of a Superman has been around since olden times. And yes, Superman is not a being of heroism, but of evil. This movie just lifts the veil of who he really is.

In closing, this movie strips away the tropes that inhabit our current comic book heroes. Bright costumes, great smiles, stories of sacrifice, destroying evil, saving lives. Here, even if the main character was raised in love and kindness, he still embraced what he is: A conqueror and a taker of life. I hope this will reveal more about the heroes that we all love and adore, and not everyone makes a sacrifice, but sacrifices the lives of innocent people.

BRIAN LUCIANO
MAY 30, 2019 

THE TV IS TURNED OFF AGAIN

It was last June 5, 2018 that I last watched TV. The last program I watched was Season 6 of Arrow on 2nd Ave. I thought that this was a very good series, only it was just a so-so one for me. I would not anticipate to go back and watch the next season. This was also the time that 2nd Ave. closed.

TV has lost it's appeal. Before when you have a bunch of variety of programs now boils down to only one genre:SOAPS. When before you spend almost the whole day watching different programs, now they only cater to one audience. You have to look for other channels to find other source of different programs. I was asking myself how it all came to this.

The so called BIG TWO is the one responsible. They have brainwashed the minds of the masses to just churn out this kind of programming. Why? Because they were just after the money. They stuck their programs with a lot of advertisements that a 45 minute show becomes an hour long thanks to ads. Not to mention only one content. It's not that I hate dramas, but these two only thought of two particular audiences: maids and stay home moms (not that I am against any of these, My wife is a stay home mom, BTW). Yup, I can't take all that screaming, slapping and whatever things they throw at each other. Same plot, same story, almost the same cast. Just young pretty faces with no acting talent. Just because they wanted more money. Great.

I am sorry if I'm going on a rant here. See, I have a 3 year old daughter who may not watch any good program on TV. Where are all the educational and funny cartoons that I grew up with? Kinda makes me miss Sesame Street and Batibot. Not to mention the constant immorality they are showing nowadays.

R.I.P TV

BRIAN LUCIANO

AUGUST 28,2018       

ROAD TO THE NBA FINALS

I haven't watched the NBA games since 2015 when the Golden State Warriors won their fourth NBA Championship. Now the stage is set, as four teams, all NBA champions will face each other for the most coveted NBA Championship. Overall, these four teams have combined for 25 championships. They are the Boston Celtics (17), the Golden State Warriors (5), the Houston Rockets (2) and the Cleveland Cavaliers (1). Three also of these four teams have met before in the NBA Championship, with just one possible match-up being the first time. Without much ado, let's analyze each match up, and rank each one according to it's merits and also pick who would win.

1.) HOUSTON ROCKETS VS BOSTON CELTICS
They met in the 1981 and 1986 NBA Finals with the Celtics winning both meetings. It was the time that the Bird-Magic rivalry was in full swing. However, the shoe is on the other foot now. The Rockets have gained the best record in the NBA, and will have homecourt advantage throughout the series. With Harden and Paul, the hungry Rockets can easily dispatch the Celtics which are without all star Kyrie Irving. MY PICK- HOUSTON IN 5 GAMES OR SIX.

2.) GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS VS BOSTON CELTICS
They met in the 1964 NBA Finals which was won by the Celtics. It was at this period that the Celtics were at their stunning eight consecutive championship run. They were unstoppable at that time. Almost 54 years later, the ball's on the other side of the court. The Celtics last won in 2008, while the Warriors have won 2 of 3 consecutive NBA Finals appearnces, in 2015 and 2017 respectively. The Warriors are showing no signs of slowing down, and even if their superstars are there, it's going to be very hard to defeat the Warriors at this point. MY PICK-GOLDEN STATE IN SIX GAMES.

3.) HOUSTON ROCKETS VS CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
These teams will meet for the first time. It is an exciting match up since there will be all stars involved here. LeBron James has appeared in the NBA Finals since 2011, becoming a finals veteran at that. He has also won 3 NBA Championships but only 1 with the Cavaliers. He will need a lot of support since Houston will be a team that will be hungry and the team with the NBA best record. With the superstar tandem of Harden and Paul, we don't know how the Cavaliers will be able to stop them. But they have been there for the past 3 years, so their championship experience will kick in.
MY PICK-HOUSTON IN 5 GAMES.

4.) GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS VS CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
They met since 2015 and 2 championships were won by the Warriors and 1 by the Cavaliers. I honestly don't want to see them anymore. Even if the Cavaliers were to split the series, I couldn't care less. For me, this is the least NBA Finals I want to watch. Actually, if they make it again, I won't watch the NBA anymore. MY PICK-SAME AS LAST YEARS RESULT.     
   
Anyway, these are just my thoughts.Again, I based it on my analysis of each teams performance. So, how are yours? Who do you pick?  Please comment and have a nice day!!!

BRIAN LUCIANO

05/11/18

IN DEFENSE OF THE BIBLE

Lately, I have read an article in GQ.COM (GQ magazine) which published an article regarding 21 BOOKS YOU DON'T HAVE TO READ. While some of them that made the list are really good books, I am really just amazed and angry at Number 12: THE BIBLE.  According to the article, this is the reason why it made the list:

"The Holy Bible is rated very highly by all the people who supposedly live by it but who in actuality have not read it. Those who have read it know there are some good parts, but overall it is certainly not the finest thing that man has ever produced. It is repetitive, self-contradictory, sententious, foolish, and even at times ill-intentioned."

Hmmmm........not the finest thing man as ever produced. Possibly this guy may nit have read the entire bible, or possibly didn't fully understand what it means. In  Paul's letter to Timothy, he states that "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:" (2 Timothy 3:16).  See, the Holy Bible is God's inspired word to us. God used man to write his words by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is written by men, but the inspiration is the Holy Spirit. I should know this because I am also a writer. I write my ideas based upon things I know or experienced. I am a wide reader and I also have a very big imagination, thus I can write about topics I like. But not so with the bible. God himself is the author. He puts his words using people to spread his promise to us. It is the only book we need about living. Can we use Harry Potter or any other book in application of our daily lives? Guess not. To call it not the finest book is a lie, since if the author is an all powerful God, then it is finest thing and the best book ever produced.

It is repetitive, self-contradictory, sententious, foolish, and even at times ill-intentioned. Guess who ever wrote this article was reading the bible in perspective of the world. The bible is repetitive because it is also a book of instruction. It means that for the Christians to grasp the messages of the bible it has to be repeated. But the repetition is not in the same context but a different one. Let us look at the Gospels in the New Testament. Some of the parables and events repeat in other authors simple because they are an account of them that wrote the bible. But if we can comprehend, each Gospel is unique of it's own. With repetition, we are able to put the message of the gospel and not forget it. Now is it self contradictory. Hmm....I never encountered any book in the holy bible that contradicts. Instead of contradicting, it enforces each other. Each book in the bible is giving the readers one common theme...that is that there is an all powerful God that we should love and fear. It also tells that we have a savior, and that he will save and protect us from harms. Now the other words, as the bible being sententious, foolish and at times ill-intentioned. These are very harsh words for the bible. Sententious (moralistic), foolish and ill intentioned (having malicious intentions). In my two years of reading the bible, I have never encountered these descriptions. The bible teaches us how to live our lives in way that the Creator (God ) wants us to live. He gave us laws for us to follow, so that we don't live like heathens. In truth, most of the laws that we have right now were actually based upon the bible. Where is the malice in that? Or when is that foolish? Is the bible too moralistic, or we just like to do what we want?

In closing, I pray that whoever is the person that wrote this find the love and grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ, that he will be inspired of what the bible wants to tell us. The Bible is not just a book of stories, poems, prophecies and teachings. It is the book of life, specially one that leads to life eternal.

MAY OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST BLESS YOU

BRIAN LUCIANO

MAY 9,2018                             

P.S. Here's the link to the article: https://www.gq.com/story/21-books-you-dont-have-to-read

MISSING ALL OF YOU

It was around April 16,2008 that a 35 year old and 4 month married man entered the 28th floor of the IBM Plaza Building in Eastwood City in Quezon City, one of the largest cities in Metro Manila. He was met a group of people who told him about his job. The president of the company greeted him with a smile and told him about his job. He told him about how he should love his students, and how they rely on them for their education. He told him about his role in changing their life. A fire was lit under his belly, determined to do his job no matter what. Life was good.

It's now almost ten years, and he is still working in the same company. He's now in a different shift, already a father and worked the same job as he had before. However, many things happened in the course of those years. He experienced ups and downs. But before was quite different. Now, he is again all alone. A lone wolf as they would say. How did it came about to this?

See, he loved his co-workers before like family. When one of them was abducted, he always prayed that she would be released. And she did. There was also his boss that made him laugh when when things are hard. He himself also became a supervisor, even for a short period of time. Things changed, but never for the better. As the years passed, his family went away one by one, leaving him alone.

He really misses them, and there are times that he just cries. He can't leave his current job though he knows that he needs it now. He's just become a father, and he has a loving three year old daughter, of whom only in Facebook pictures does his old friends see. He is also an old worn out teacher who thrives like a mouse on a wheel. He is a but a shadow of his former self, trapped in a prison of loneliness and pain. He wishes that he could be let out.

This goes out to all my friends here in YBM PNT that have left and moved on. I cherish each and every time that I was with all of you. Life was not easy here. Hope we can talk sometime. Until then.

BRIAN LUCIANO

MARCH 23,2018         

WHAT I HATE ABOUT FANATICS

There seems to be a revival of the rivalry between the top two comic publishers in the US today: and I am not talking about the comics that they produce. When before they will only talk about which produces much better comics now comes, they now fight in another grand arena: The Movies.

Yup, the movies. With DC Comics having their own cinematic universe, it's no wonder why DC fans are suddenly up in arms and are going crazy as their favorite heroes are getting the cinematic treatment. When before they were a series of movies focusing only on a few heroes, this time they gave them more than what they wanted. They just brought their big guns to the screen. They wanted a movie about their heroes, and they are not content with the movies of their rivals. The movies then came, and though they were successful financially, most of them were panned by critics.   

This is where the fanaticism happened. DC Comics fans were suddenly up in arms defending their heroes. They would say that it was unfair that review sites like rotten tomatoes gave very low scores thus it didn't achieve it's target box office marks. They blame Marvel fans, movie critics for the failure of the films. For them, there is nothing wrong with the films.

My beef with these people is that if you liked it, then it's fine. Honestly, I only watched one of these films, and never watched the others because I have given being a fan of this thing a long time ago. I have more things to do than to see two fans from both sides bicker who is much better among these two. Both are good, and they both have their redeeming qualities. They are really a case of "apples and oranges". Here's my take, and read carefully of you've made it this far before you comment. Else, stop reading and quit!

Still with me? Good. When I was still a fan, I only read Marvel Comics. I started out with them. I liked the stories and the artwork. For me Marvel was supreme. However,as my tastes for comics matured, I tried and read from different publishers. There was even a point that I only read DC Comics. As a Marvel fan, I also enjoyed their stories. I never made comparisons of their works. A friend of mine said that this particular creator was much better at DC  than Marvel without actually reading about his work at Marvel (note he is a DC guy). So read it first before you compare!!!  Another one said that Spider-man sucks as a character, even comparing him to Batman, which again are "apples and oranges".  See, they are all different. There are both good and bad works. Let's just learn to accept that. Problem is, we always want that our choice is the best one and the others are lesser. That's what I hate about fanaticism.

I am not just hitting on the DC fans, but even Marvel fans as well. Grow-up. Do you think that I even care if my college men's basketball team wins a championship or not? What if I also tell you that we are just given an illusion of choice just because we are in a capitalist state? Ok, that's a topic for the next blog. As a former Marvel fan, I watch Lucifer Season 1 and Arrow Season 6 on tv, whcih are by the way, DC properties. I am also anticipating Avengers: Infinity War next year. Stop being a fan of just one thing, and try to be diverse.
Who knows what you will discover?

JUST SAYING

BRIAN LUCIANO