Captain America/ Ironman: Casualties of War (Arts)

I hate it everytime Defensedefumer forces me to review comics. Afterall, ALL my book reviews are comics! So it was natural that I was particularly reluctant to read this one.

The story takes place halfway through Marvel's biggest event of the year so far: Civil War. If you are in the dark so far, basically the American government had required all metahumans to register with the state. Feeling that it oppresses human rights, Captain America leads a team to oppose the law. Ironman, on the other hand, is on the side of the government.

So the book begins with Ironman, aka Tony Stark, waiting patiently for Captain America, aka Steve Rogers, to appear. It is soon revealed that the two had been meeting frequently to resolve their problems diplomatically. To summarise, the comic is full of dialougue, with an unexpected sparring match in the end.

It may sound boring, but I would not be lying if I said this is the best comic I ever read so far! This comic clearly summarises the events of Civil War. For one, it states the main beliefs of both sides. Tony is focused on accountability, while Steve is more concerned about personal liberty. In the end, both sides are unable to persuade the other to change his stand.

A great deal of history is also brought up in the story, such as the Armour Wars, the death of Gwen Stacy and the Kree-Skrull War. Then it gets personal; Ironman accuses Steve of misusing his iconic image for his own interests and oversimplifying morality, while Captain America labels Tony as a government stooge and betraying Spiderman.

The story is aptly named "Rubicon", as the two sides leave, knowing that they will never see each other in the same light ever again.

In conclusion, this comic is a must-buy! Although the fight scene was a little irrelevant in the end, it is a generally good story with fantastic plot development.

Overall: 98/100

Nurlisa

Ghost Rider Review (Entertainment)

Superhero films are getting bigger and more frequent, but unfortunately not neccessary better. Afterall, we seen few movies of this genre that are actually worth watching (Spiderman, Batman Begins), but many that are terrible (X-Men 3, Hulk, Catwoman, Elektra). This film falls in latter level.

The movie starts of with Johnny Blaze (Nicolas Cage) selling his soul to a demon called Mephisto in exhange for his father's health. Even though Mephisto basically shortchanges him, Blaze has to serve Mephisto as a bounty hunter, or a "Rider".

While the story features great graphics and funny one-liners, the plot was hair-thin and felt disconnected at times. This was particularly disappointing as it had the potential to do well. For instance, the fight between Ghost Rider and Blackheart's lackeys felt rushed and uncompleted. Eva Mendes's character Roxanne Simpson had as much depth being Blaze's ex-girlfriend as a teaspoon.

In conclusion, like many action films nowadays, Ghost Rider features fantastic visuals, but poor storylines.

Overall: 39/100

Torch;d

Patriotism: Valueless? (Philosophy)

Patriotism is not "cool". That's the message driven into the minds of our youths today.

I recently met a teacher who complained that her upper secondary students did not know the meaning of "patriotism". It seems as if it is an outdated belief, applicable only in the horrors of the World Wars, or the revolutions of the Cold War. Afterall, all those who love their country are brain-washed, government stooges, right?

However, that is a misinterpretation. Patriotism is not love for the government, but rather, love for the nation. Currently, it is widely believed that it is cool to oppose authority. Think DX in WWE, or Prison Break. Those who value the individual's rights over the country are deep thinkers, and usually right. Please take a step back and think about it -- not all patriots work for the government. Think Nelson Mandela -- he suffered as a convict because he believed hs country could be cured of racism!

Another important think to note is that we must have a reason to love the nation. In other words, this love is conditional. It is not uncommon to hear statements such as "I love Singapore because it is a safe country", "Australia is the best place due to it's cool weather" and "I ashamed to be French as they did not win the World Cup". Whatever happened to unconditional love? Everyone seems to expect something in order to love it. As Zubir Said, the man behind Singapore's National Anthem, once said (ignore the pun), "We should uphold the land we live on."

What I am saying here, is that each of us should be responsible to the country. Although it may look as if it is limiting patriotism to a single, untangible principle, we have to recognise it for what it is -- an ideal. Those who believe in it are not brain-washed stooges, but instead mature, and convicted individuals.

The 198