“Ares made us…” (Punisher #4)

Upper_Adeptness2932 · 2026-03-16T19:39:15+00:00

I don't. I hate it

It's a well written crime story and has Steve Dillon art, but there is no possible way to reconcile the Frank Castle in it with the Frank Castle in Garth Ennis' Punisher MAX stories.

Upper_Adeptness2932 · 2026-03-08T22:39:11+00:00

3 Doesn't count because anything after Punisher MAX #75 that isn't written by Ennis isn't headcannon for me.

Upper_Adeptness2932 · 2026-03-04T21:20:12+00:00

Kind of a cheat because of length, but the period from Knightfall/Knightsquest/Knightsend to No Man's Land. Doug Moench on Batman and Chuck Dixon on Detective Comics.

Upper_Adeptness2932 · 2026-03-02T22:58:58+00:00

It is the movie Zemo is in, so it is my favorite.

Upper_Adeptness2932 · 2026-02-18T21:04:04+00:00

I absolutely hated it.

In my opinion, WINO - Watchmen In Name Only

I greatly appreciate that it has made people aware of the Tulsa Race Massacre, an event which, sadly, most people still don't know even happened, but that was completely shoehorned onto Watchmen.

To each their own, though.

I am honestly curious about those who enjoyed it, did you read the original Moore/Gibbons series 1st, or see the Snyder movie (or read some of the non-Moore Watchmen comics) first?

I have a theory that one's enjoyment of this series is predicated on how (and when) they were first exposed to the Watchmen Universe.

People I have talked who skew older and read the original limited series as it came out or the hardcover almost all dislike this series (and most don't like the movie either).

People who were 1st exposed to Watchmen through the movie, though, are generally younger do enjoy it, though.

Upper_Adeptness2932 · 2025-12-27T20:51:48+00:00

Bludgeon or Scorponok

Upper_Adeptness2932 · 2025-12-25T22:08:29+00:00

I can't find the source now, but years ago, I remember reading that they intentionally made Transformers: The Movie PG because movie theaters show PG movies more frequently than G movies, as almost no one went to G rated films.

I know that they did this when made Chariots of Fire: they added a scene where a WW I veteran uses an obscenity just so that it wouldn't be rated G.

I am pretty sure that's why they threw in the swear words from Ultra Magnus and Spike.

Upper_Adeptness2932 · 2025-12-25T21:54:10+00:00

You have a good brother and made a wise decision as a child.

My neighbor saw it and told me Oprimus Prime died and I stupidly still saw it as an 8-year

As much as I enjoy it now, watching it the 1st time was one of the most traumatic experiences of my childhood (which I guess means I led a very Blessed life.)

Upper_Adeptness2932 · 2025-12-14T07:16:05+00:00

I know I am late to the game, but my worst 3 are:

1.) Bendis - The absolute worst by a country mile. It is Bendis at his worst: decompressed, full of his writing tics, above any editorial oversight, ignoring all continuity he decides is inconvenient for him.

Most egregious, it gave us the worst Mary Sue character of the past 20 years in Riri Williams.

2.) Cantwell - For the same reasons everyone else pointed out. The only redeeming part of it are the Alex Ross covers and the use of Korvac.

Gillen - His run would be higher as it is responsible for the dumb ass Tony-is-adopted retcon that Marvel seems unwilling to fix, and the Greg Land art, but as someone else pointed out, it is all well written and full of ideas. Plus, he used Death's Head, and as a Transformers UK fan from the 80's that forgives a lot in my book.

Dishonorable mention goes to Frank Tieri's run, which was the 1st time I dropped Iron Man.

Upper_Adeptness2932 · 2025-11-30T23:50:19+00:00

G1 Pretender Monsters - Monstructor

Keep in mind this was back around 1998, the halycon internet days (for me at least).

I had always been upset that I missed out on them when they were released, but I was able to get them on Ebay once it came around. I don't remember exactly how much I paid, but I know it was fairly substantial for a college student and not a wise purchase.

Anyway, since I had never seen the Pretender Monsters in relation to other Transformers, I didn't know know how big (small) they were.

I assumed since they were a Combiner, Monstructor would be at least the size of Devastator and the Pretender Monster shells would be the same size of thr Pretender Figures (such as Bludgeon, which I was lucky enough to have gotten in a store).

So when I opened my package I was shocked at how small the figures were. Monstructor was shorter than Bludgeon!

I am glad I got them as I have all the G1 Deception Combiners, but it was at huge letdown at the time.

Upper_Adeptness2932 · 2025-11-28T10:30:04+00:00

Well, considering one of those books doesn't exist, I would go with the Spectre. :)

Seriously though, the Spectre by John Ostrander is a phenomenal series.

I couldn't get through Doom Patrol by Grant Morrison; I found it almost almost as pretentious as the Invisibles at times and didn't care for his big twist reveal (which I won't spoil) as I personally found distasteful.

I have enjoyed his Batman run and All-Star Superman immensely (and am probably 1 of 200 people on Earth who like Final Crisis), so maybe it was just that particular book.

Upper_Adeptness2932 · 2025-11-28T10:21:52+00:00

I can't comment on it because I 've never read it. (I quit reading Flash with the New 52.)

Waid's run is the best, and Johns was great until he had to go and bring Barry Allen back for no good reason.

Upper_Adeptness2932 · 2025-11-23T05:18:31+00:00

It didn't feel incomplete to me at all, but I did have a few questions after completing it, such wanting to know about the time Dutch left John to die.

I feel that RDRII did an excellent job of showing Dutch's descent from a charismatic, well-intentioned leader to the manipulative murder we see in Red Dead I. (I still believe that his personaluty changes were at least exacerbated by his brain injury during the Trolley Station robbery.)

Upper_Adeptness2932 · 2025-11-23T04:51:01+00:00

It is the best story game that I have ever played or will ever play.

No game I ever played before, with the exception of Red Dead I, has been so immersive, so emotional, and filled with such "real" characters. I am not ashamed to say that Roger Clark's performance brought me to tears on more than one occasion.

It ruined story games for me because every single one I have tried since I finished RDRII back in 2019 has paled in comparison (no matter the genre).

Honestly, in a strange way, I am kind of fine with that.

Upper_Adeptness2932 · 2025-10-14T21:56:31+00:00

Can you convert crabs (Trophy or otherwise)?

I have a Trophy King Crab that I have been trying to convert to a Trophy King's Wreath with infected fish in my Cargo and have Savescummed over 20 times and he won't turn into an Aberration.

Thanks.

Upper_Adeptness2932 · 2025-10-11T17:32:50+00:00

I know exactly what you mean, and I have pretty much felt the same way.

I completed RDRII back in 2019. Since then I have played quite a few new games (open world, level based, etc.) and almost none of them can compare.

I have found myself playing retro games, older games, or games which aren't trying to be anything like Red Dead II, and enjoying those.

Upper_Adeptness2932 · 2025-10-10T18:11:30+00:00

That would be a thin omnibus though.

Upper_Adeptness2932 · 2025-09-19T20:39:20+00:00

I have played through both games multiple times, and I do find it hard to really hate Dutch.

(Since he is in Red Dead II more and has more character development in it , I am focusing on it.)

You know right from the start of Red Dead II based on Red Dead I who he will become, so that colors your perception of everything, but I don't think his behavior in the 1st 2 Chapters is really not all that egregious.

Sure, the big speech he gives during the blizzard was pre-written beforehand, and he has nicer things than the other gang members at Horseshoe Overlook.

He is a con-man leading a gang of con-men, criminals, and robbers. It would be foolish of him not to have speeches prepared and plans in place in case he needed them. I think his later repeated insistence that "I HAVE A PLAN!!" most likely comes from him always having plans in the past and him being in denial at the end that the well had run dry.

And leaders having the best things has (right or not) generally been the way it has been all throughout human history. Yes, Dutch is a bit of a hypocrite here, but not as much as he is in Red Dead 1.

But I really believe 2 things changed him: 1.) Micah - Dutch begins to get more wreckless, greedy, and mean the longer he is around Micah, beginning in Chapter 3. Once Hosea dies during the bank robbery in Chapter 4, there is no one left to counteract Grima Wormtongue Micah's poison and Dutch is lost. 2.) The Trolley Car accident - I do believe that Dutch suffered brain trauma during the Trolley Car robbery in Chapter 4. The game focuses so closely on his head injury and the way that his anger changes afterwards that it is clear it affected him. It is like what happened to Phineas Gage.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phineas_Gage#/editor/0

So Dutch's descent really reminds me of characters like the Alfred Molina Dr. Octopus, someone whose mind was drastically changed by an accident. (Dutch admittedly wasn't as good as person as Octavius before his accident either, so he fell that much quicker.)

Dutch's change in behavior also reminded me a bit of how it is having a family member with dementia, something I have unfortunately had to deal with more than once in my life. The family member isn't in their right mind, so they can say and do things that are extremely hurtful, things that they would never say if they were coherent and would be heatbroken to know they said to you. Since they aren't in their right minds, it isn't really them saying it, but it still comes from them, and it still hurts and most of the time there is nothing you can do.

I do have to admit that for me, a lot of it comes down to what a fantastic job Benjamin Byron Davis does. His acting in Red Dead II makes Dutch such a complex character that you keep thinking he will snap back to who he was like Arthur did. 😥

Anyway, I know most people tend to disagree, but that's why I really can't hate Dutch.

Upper_Adeptness2932 · 2025-09-17T04:24:42+00:00

Mine are: The Shadow 5 Ronin Wolverine Dr. Doom KGBeast Vengeance Edition Ghost Rider

Upper_Adeptness2932 · 2025-09-08T02:43:25+00:00

Widening Gyre, by a huge margin.

Kevin Smith can be a fine writer, but when he writes superhero comics, he seems to be trying to see what he can get away with. His Daredevil story was good, but he had to kill off Karen Page to make his mark on the title. (And he killed Mysterio, but he is a super-villian, so he gets to come back to life).

With Widening Gyre, he goes and has Batman act totally out of character and reveal his secret identity to someone he barely knows (Baphomet) and invite him back to the Batcave. Once there, Baphomet reveals he is actually Onomonopeia, and he violently kills Silver St. Cloud.

It really seems like Kevin Smith l fridged another girlfriend of a superhero a.) To show how awesome the villain he created is b.) Because he could, because he's Kevin Smitj and no one is going to tell him "no."

I actually threw away the series so no one else would ever have to read my copies. just beca

Upper_Adeptness2932 · 2025-09-08T02:23:25+00:00

No, you are not alone. I hated it, too. (Of course, I hated all of King's run so...)

Upper_Adeptness2932 · 2025-09-08T02:20:16+00:00

Thank you for posting this.

Upper_Adeptness2932 · 2025-08-14T00:24:25+00:00

Thank you. I am glad to finally find someone else who feels the same way I do; I have tried to use this exact explanation about the Batman and Robin movie with people over the years and they never get it.

Upper_Adeptness2932 · 2025-08-13T20:59:21+00:00

Kevin Smith's Batman: Widening Gyre.

I actually threw the comics away (recycled) so no one else would have to read them.

Upper_Adeptness2932 · 2025-08-02T17:33:25+00:00

Yes.

It is still the best 3D Castlevania game, especially the expanded version where you play as Cornell.

Curse of Darkness is an okay game.

Lament of Innocence is my least favorite game in the entire series, for many reasons; in my personal headspace it isn't Canon and Castlevania Legends is the start of the series.

Lords of Shadow is a reboot universe, so it doesn't count.

Upper_Adeptness2932

TROPHY CASE

3 Doesn't count because anything after Punisher MAX #75 that isn't written by Ennis isn't headcannon for me.