Comics this week

Bloodshot #7- This is a strange issue. Just when the attack on Project Rising Spirit comes near a close last week, suddenly we are pulled into a flashback issue. The issue is well-written by Duane Swierczynski but the timing of this flashback issue is very strange. We were already at the basement of the Project Rising Spirit compound, Bloodshot already found the harbingers kids…and this issue is a flashback? Like I said earlier, this is a well-written issue, just very strange timing for it.

Demon Knights #16- My God, it's a time jump! A time jump in an American comic? I read a lot of manga and manhwa so it’s common for it but it’s practically unheard of in an American comic! I mean Reed Richards’ son has been seven for close to 40 years but new writer Robert Venditti push forward the time line by 30 years. This issue starts 30 years after the battle of Avalon as The Horsewoman is being hunted down by bounty hunters. After a short and slightly strange explanation on how she managed to keep her youth after 30 years, she is thrown into a dungeon where she met Exoristos and the Shining Knight (both of whom are still young). They soon meet the man who put the bounty on them, Al Jabr. Now a grumpy old man and the leader of Moorish Spain, their former teammate had gathered the Knights back together as the vampire Cain is currently ravaging Europe and he need their help to stop the vampire (though as a man of science he refused to admit there is such a thing as a vampire). Now taking over from Paul Cornell and Diogenes Neves is no easy task, but I have to say this opening issue from Venditti and artist Bernard Chang leave me hopeful. Venditti’s story is almost a continuation of Cornell’s despite a 30 year time difference and Chang’s lighter lines looks suitable for the story. His work during the scenes in Moorish Spain was especially good. Also the main overall story of Cain tied in nicely (for once) with DC desire to put Demon Knights, Stormwatch, JL Dark and I, Vampire into one production house. It seems our worries are for nothing; there’s life for the Demon Knights after Cornell and Neves. 

Threshold #1- Threshold is going to be a new anthology series by DC that focused on space adventures. Considering the vast amount of space/cosmic characters in DC, this series is long overdue. Picking up from last week’s Green Lantern: The New Guardians Annual (which really is Threshold #0), undercover Green Lantern agent Jediah Caul is fighting for his life after being left behind by Arkillo, Carol Ferris and Saint Walker. The back-up story is on Larfleeze who has been robbed by someone insane enough to try it. Now I won’t say this issue is great but it does serve its purpose; which is to deliver stories and characters of the wider cosmic stage to the readers. And that is something I look forward to. 

Win-Win For The SDP

With the withdrawal by the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) from the by-election of Punggol East SMC, the by-election will now be a four-way contest. Dr Koh Poh Koon from the People's Action Party (PAP), Lee Li Lian from the Workers' Party (WP), Desmond Lim from the Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA) and Kenneth Jeyaretnam from the Reform Party will all contest in Punggol East by-election after successfully filing their nominations this morning.

Frankly, I can't see anyone winning except for the PAP so the pullout from the race by the SDP is not going to effect the results but what the pullout did proof is the growing political maturity of SDP chief Chee Soon Juan. When he first burst onto the political stage, the man was a firebrand but just like last year when he did a deft job organizing the SDP General Election campaign, Dr. Chee has again prove to be a good administrator with a good handling of the news of the pullout.

By stating that the SDP is pulling out after heeding the people's voice that they do not want a multi-corner fight in Punggol East, Dr. Chee had cleverly placed the SDP in a win-win situation. If the PAP wins (as expected), the SDP can say that they are not the cause of a spilt in the opposition vote. If an opposition party wins (miracles do happens), the SDP can say it is only possible because the SDP sacrificed themselves for the greater good.

The PAP may win the seat next week, but there will be two other winners in this by-election. That is the SDP and Dr. Chee Soon Juan.

Advantage PAP

Nomination Day is tomorrow, and the twists and turns just keep on coming. The latest twist came with the surprise withdrawal by the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) from the by-election of Punggol East SMC.

With the withdrawal of the SDP, and with the Workers' Party (WP) already unveiling Ms. Lee Li Lian as their candidate, there is now pressure for other opposition parties to withdraw and clear the field for a straight fight between the WP and the ruling People’s Action Part (PAP). The thinking is that if the opposition unite behind one candidate, he or she would have a good chance against the PAP candidate, Dr Koh Poh Koon.

Sorry but that’s dreaming.

I’m sorry but I feel the opposition is counting their chicks before they hatch. No matter how many candidates there are in the by-election, whether or not there is a multi-corner fight in the by-election, Dr Koh is going to be the favorite. Punggol East voters will most likely vote for the PAP candidate no matter who the opposition parties fielded.

I mean it’s Punggol! The opposition has an uphill climb in that ward and the PAP has a massive advantage there. Sorry but I just can’t see the opposition winning the seat.

Li Jiawei's retirement

Table tennis star Li Jiawei brought the curtains down to her competitive career last week when she announced her retirement from international table tennis. Along with the announcement, she also confirmed reports that she will be returning to China where her husband, Mr Li Chao, and their three-year-old son Terry are living.

Since the announcement, some Singaporeans have been complaining about Li’s decision not to stay in Singapore and claim that she is just another mercenary who came to Singapore for the money. My reactions to all these whining is, “yes, so what?”

Li has represented Singapore since 1996. She flew Singapore colors at four Olympic Games and won a silver and bronze medal in the women's team event at the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Games. Outside the two Olympic medals, she also won 14 South-east Asia Games and seven Commonwealth Games gold medals. She has been without question one of the more successful sporting foreign talent we had imported into Singapore.

But seriously does anyone truly believe she would stay in Singapore after retirement?

Even though she received citizenship in 1999, she like most foreign talents in Singapore was always going to return to her home country once her “work” here is done. It is expected and I for one do not understand why there are any Singaporeans who can criticize Li for doing something so obvious. Sure there are some like Alexandra Duric who fully intend to stay in Singapore after retirement but they are the exceptions, not the rule. The vast majority of the foreign talents in Singapore fully intend to return to their countries. Li is just one of them and this is something Singaporeans already know and realized long ago. So why all this complaining? This is one thing I don’t understand about Singaporeans. Why in the world do we complain about things we already expect?

Li came to Singapore in 1996 after being talent-scouted in China and received citizenship in 1999 for the sole purpose of representing Singapore internationally. She has done that, even once reaching No.3 in the world ranking. Take comfort and joy in an athlete that has served Singapore with distinction for 17 years. Staying in Singapore long-term? Don’t ask for something that wasn’t ever going to happen. 

Comics this week

Earth 2 #8- Ambition is a strange thing in comics. You need it for the series to succeed but too much of it, and it become a problem. Writer James Robinson has been very ambitious with Earth 2 thus far, and if this issue is anything to go by, he's not finish with his grand vision yet. #8 showcase another villain, Steppenwolf, the man who led the Apokolips forces. In short order, the infamous warrior has taken over a country with help from Wonder Woman's daughter, Fury. Although this issue was well-written, I questioned the Robinson's wandering eye in the series. A few issue ago we had an issue focusing on Sloan, now one with Steppenwolf. Not a bad idea but right now we hardly know the heroes like Flash and Hawkgirl, so I don't know about these issues that highlight the villains. A good issue but going forward, I have to wonder about the future of the series.

Green Lantern: New Guardians Annual #1- Ever since the first story arc finished, Green Lantern: New Guardians has been listless. This annual did not improve anything. The annual is basically a long advertisement for the upcoming Threshold title. In fact, I will go so far as to say this should be titled Threshold #0! As Threshold #0, this issue would be fine. As Green Lantern: New Guardians Annual #1, it is terrible because...well, the issue got almost nothing to do with the team.

Monopoly Horror

The Boot, The Iron, The Car, The Dog, The Ship; all beloved pieces…of Monopoly! Not anymore because the makers of Monopoly, Hasbro, has decided to get rid of these iconic game pieces and replace them with new figurines after a vote on Facebook.

Really? I’m not a great fan of Monopoly (I have played the game before of course) but why in the world would Hasbro want to replace these iconic figures? The pieces are part of the game, a well-loved tradition of the game; why mess with it? Worse the replacement pieces up for vote include a helicopter and a cat!

Imagine replacing the dog with the cat or worse; if both get into the new version! Since this will be an Internet vote, it might come down to whether there are more dog-lovers or cat-lovers in the world and if both get in; then Monopoly might turn into a battle between dog-lovers against cat-lovers! Oh, the horror!

A What Index?

When I read that the non-profit organization Centre for Fathering has come up with a "Better Fathering Index" aimed at benchmarking the father's involvement in bringing up children, I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. Now I decided I have to laugh about it.

You see, it seems that The Index will be the first in the world first, and will be ready after a comprehensive survey of dads in Singapore. Chairman of Centre for Fathering and National Family Council Lim Soon Hock have even publicly said that “there must be a set of criteria to produce this index”.

I have to laugh because I cannot begin to comprehend how in the world does one quantify the “goodness” of a father? Seriously, I know in Singapore we love to put numbers and set criteria on everything but a “Better Fathering Index”?

What? Are fathers supposed to measure how much time they spent with their kids and have a report card for it? That is just stupid! There’re no report cards or numbers in love. You can’t put a number on the love a parent has for their children. I’m not a father and even I know that.

You know why The Index will be the first in the world first? Because no one else in the world is stupid enough to try it before! A “Better Fathering Index”? What’s next? A “Better Mothering Index”? A "Better Grandparent Index"? It is so ridiculous I just have to laugh about it.