#2018MMM and Angles Preview with Tales to Astonish Review
Daily Ramble 187: #2018MMM and Angles Preview with Tales to Astonish Review
Today I ramble about a couple of previews and a review. The #2018MMM continues with the Sweet Sixteen matchups tonight and there are some nice contests to look forward to. I also look forward to the Angels this season, particularly since they tend to have a good season when the have a difficult Spring. Finally, I took another step in my reading of 1963 Marvel as I see how Ant-Man and The Wasp take on Egghead.
#2018MMM Sweet Sixteen Preview
Tonight is the Sweet Sixteen for the 2018 March Mammal Madness and while my bracket has been decimated I have no fear that there will be some exciting matches.
The matchups tonight Feature the following:
- 1 Deodicurus vs 4 Andrewsarchus
- 3 Dimetrodon vs 2 Amebelodon
- 1 Orinoco Crocodile vs 5 Secretary Bird
- 3 Komodo Dragon vs 1 Anaconda
- 1 Pygmy Hippo vs 4 Tasmanian Devil
- 3 Crabeater Seal vs 2 Cheetah
- 1 Harar Hyena vs 4 Coyote
- 3 Berlin Boar vs 7 Porcupine
I think my most anticipated matchup is the Crocodile and the Secretary Bird since the bird has some strong legs to stomp on the crocodile. I’m also looking for an upset with the Komodo Dragon over the Anaconda. And while I really like the Cheetah, I worry the fat seal might prove too much for the speedster.
I believe the ecosystem of the contests tonight are randomized but I expect that they’ll play a big part of who wins. Getting stuck in a swamp or on ice could really tip the tables in the favor of some of the more specialized combatants.
In all though, I am looking forward to some good battles.
Spring Training
Well the Spring hasn’t been good to my Angels but I actually think that’s a good thing. Typically…at least as far as I remember… when the team puts up a poor Spring Training, they play better during the season. I certainly hope this is the case for 2018 since they ended up with a 13–20 (3rd worst) record in the Cactus League. In contrast, the defending World Champion Astros put up a 21–9 (2nd best) record for the Spring but that was in the Grapefruit League on the East coast.
Tomorrow is Opening Day and it will feature a dramatically new lineup for my team. Sure, Garrett Richards will be on the mound but 2nd base, 3rd base, and Left Field will be brand new…along with the DH who I think will be Ohtani. Richards will look to get things started off right after having injury shortened seasons the past couple of years and with the new faces – Ohtani, Kinsler, Upton, and Cozart – there’s a hope that the offense will put up some significant numbers.
Hopefully this is the start of a great season.
Tales to Astonish #45
The Terrible Traps of Egghead! by Stan Lee, H. E. Huntley, and Don Heck. Published by Marvel Comics in 1963.
This issue continues Ant-Man’s partnership with The Wasp. In it, Henry Pym and Janet Van Dyne take on a bad guy Ant-Man defeated previously, Egghead. This time, Egghead uses an insect exhibit at the zoo to capture the Wasp as bait for Ant-Man. After getting caught and forced to fight a “dragon-sized” iguana and an ant-eater, Ant-Man helps the Wasp find her stinger – the pin Ant-Man used as a lance. Having escaped the traps, the duo take out Egghead’s thugs but he manages to escape again.
In this issue, Janet continues to try to get Henry to realize that she loves him – he’s just clueless though. She also keeps trying to prove that she can fight bad guys just as well as he can but she gets captured instead. Perhaps now that she’s got a “stinger” she might be able to show that she can take care of herself.
You can find first looks at other issues in this title linked in my February Reading List.
I rate this issue a C-.
This comic can be found on Marvel Unlimited, Comixology or at your local comic book shop.