Friday, December 30, 2016

One-Shot Wonders: SANTA CLAUS GANG

When a gang of armed robbers spread some holiday fear, they end up on Santa's naughty list.  And he doesn't play nice.

From Super Action Komiks #176 (December 27, 1988), written by Arnold Mercado Pajaron and illustrated by Angelo Ty Dazo.





Saturday, December 17, 2016

SANKARSAN: Return of the Super Jedi

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, comics cost 1 peso and 50 centavos.

When last we left Sankarsan the Super Jedi, his mother Rukmini was abducted by the galactic emperor Hiranyaksa, who had declared Order 66 on all Jedi in the galaxy.  In episode 2: The Encounter! (Speed Komiks #56, August 30, 1986), Sankarsan heads to the imperial planet of Patalaloka to rescue his mother, but finds that the emperor is a lot more powerful than he expected.




But before Hiranyaksa could finish off our hero, Rukmini steps forward with a startling revelation: "Hiranyaksa, YOU are the father!"

"Search your feelings, you know it to be true!"



In spite of this, Sankarsan resolves to defeat his father for the sake of the universe.  In preparation, he trains to further develop his Jedi powers, losing an eye in the process.  Father and son have their Final Encounter in Speed Komiks #59 (September 20, 1986), engaging in a climactic cosmic duel that seems more Dr. Strange than Star Wars, though perhaps a bit more gruesome and apocalyptic than either.




Saturday, November 19, 2016

TSUPERMAN vs THE WOMAN IN BLACK

So, here's another Tsuperman post (what can I say, I like the guy).  Most of his stories are usually done-in-one 2-pagers, but he did have the occasional multi-part adventure.  This first one, from Pilipino Funny Komiks #385-88 (November 1-22, 1985), pits the dynamic driver against a shape-shifting vampiress-witch.









Monday, October 31, 2016

DEATHSTORM


Created by writer/artist Gilbert Monsanto, Deathstorm appeared in all 24 issues of Wrestle Warriors Komiks (published by Infinity Publishing Inc.) in 1993.  Like the other mainstays of that magazine, the character was based on a popular pro-wrestler of the time, namely, WWE Superstar The Undertaker.



DEATH IS ONLY THE BEGINNING


Outworld is an afterlife dimension where the spirits of slain warriors convene to engage in never ending battle with each other.  It is also here where the celestial being known as Deathstorm stands guard over the Sphere of Infinity, which maintains the balance between good and evil throughout the universe.


When Deathstorm's power-hungry brother Zafla attempts to steal the Sphere, it breaks into several fragments which are then scattered across the Earth.  Deathstorm travels to the world of the living, inhabiting the body of a human named Jonathan, in order to recover the lost pieces and make the Sphere whole again.













DEATH
The physical embodiment of death itself, who guides Deathstorm in his quest.





















DEWINA
Deathstorm's gypsy ally and keeper of Pandora's Box.








HATE
Skull-faced, axe-wielding vigilante who possesses a fragment of the Sphere.

















DOCTOR VOODOO
Deathstorm's evil brother Zafla, who has taken the human form of a voodoo sorcerer.
 

























RESURRECTION

Deathstorm rises once again, alongside other Monsanto creations, in the 4th issue of Metropolitan, currently running online via the Rambol Komiks Magazine Facebook page.


Saturday, October 8, 2016

ANAK NI BOOMA


Created by the "Giant of Komiks" himself, Mars Ravelo, and illustrated by Edison Capili, Anak ni Booma  ("Child of Booma") first appeared in Junggaro (Wild Jungle Man) Pocketkomiks #12 (April 28, 1986) published by Atlas Publishing Co., Inc.  It is the sequel to Ravelo's 1961-62 serial Booma, about a mighty elephant in the jungles of Burma.  The new series relocates the setting to the African jungle, where Booma has become the mother of a cute white baby elephant.






Sunday, September 18, 2016

ALYAS: COMBAT


Alyas: Combat appeared in the short-lived Combat Action Komiks (published by Sonic Triangle Publishing, Inc.) from July to September 1993.  Written and illustrated by Gilbert Monsanto, the man known as Combat was a former soldier turned professional wrestler.



HEELS

MAJOR FLORENZKOTT

A disgraced military officer discharged for atrocities during Desert Storm, Florenzkott plots revenge against Combat.






BLITZKRIEG
Florenzkott's android enforcer.
 




















BLACK MAMBA
A mysterious masked villain who runs an illegal street fight.
 




















DOC VICIOUS

Combat's rival for the world championship belt.




















ROYAL RAMBOL ENTRY

In 2007, an older version of the character, now known as Lt. Combat, came out of retirement for the Metropolitan segment of Rambol Komiks, published by Monsanto's Sacred Mountain Publications.