Saturday, July 30, 2011

Will the real Captain America please stand up?


Jack Kirby (& heirs) Vs. Marvel Comics
Yes, I am going there. But for all the right reasons. For a little while now, a court case has been under way to get back the rights or at least get royalties from Marvel Comics for the late Jack 'King' Kirby and his heirs from the 100s of millions made from creations which without Kirby would not exist, such as Hulk, Fantastic Four, and oh, that money spinner, X-Men. Every comic fan/reader must know about Kirby for it goes without saying, that he is as important to American/Western comics as Leonardo Da Vinci is to modern art and as Anant Pai was to Indian comics.

Batman: The Killing Joke Deluxe Edition Hardcover



Writer: Alan Moore, Brian Bolland (2nd story)
Artist: Brian Bolland
Collects: Batman: The Killing joke, with a short story by Brian Bolland from Batman: Black and White Vol 1


Apologies to all for axing my previously planned post concerning Shade, The Changing Man, Vol 2. The single issues of Shade are too hard to read....psychologically. They are almost one & done stories, but take too much effort, I'm halfway through the trade, and hopefully you will see a review next week. In the interim, I read through one of my recent buys this week, and it was a doozy!

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Raj Comics Exclusive Preview: 72 Ghante


Comic Addicts is proud to present yet another exclusive preview of the upcoming spectacular from Raj Comics - 72 Ghantre, featuring Raat Ka Rakshak DOGA!


The upcoming set includes a thrilling and spine chilling script, with none other than Mr. Sanjay Gupta featuring as the co-writer along with inimitable Tarun Kumar Vahi!


Credits
Imagination Vivek Mohan and Anuragh
Script Sanjay Gupta and Tarun Kumar Vahi
Art Image Studios
Inking Sagar Thapa
Calligraphy Harish Sharma
Effects Shadab
Editor Manish Gupta

Here are 5 preview pages for your viewing pleasure!

xxxHolic


xxxHolic: Review by Seema Kakade

There are some Manga that are so popular, that they don’t even need an introduction, let alone a review. Yet, I've seen a lot of people shunning away from these amazing pieces of works either due to a misleading title or a shoujo-ish outer appearance. Case in point - xxxHolic.
So for all those who are lingering around this manga without enough confidence to start reading it, I’m here to give you a brief overview of this cult classic.

xxxHolic, also simply known as Holic, is a fantasy, psychological and philosophical story by the famous group of manga artists CLAMP. Since the story happens to be a crossover series of Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle and Card Captor Sakura, many incidents in the story might throw you off the course, but I assure you, that you can totally understand the story even if you don’t know squat about the aforementioned stories. So, without further ado, let me give you a brief introduction of the story.
Plot – The story opens with a young high school boy, Watanuki Kimihiro, who has supernatural powers to see demons and spirits (no, it’s not the usual cliché story of saving the world; there’s much more to it in this one!) being, as usual, followed, trapped and tormented by a bunch of spirits, while he does everything in is power, which is next to nothing, to get rid of them. While he is busy performing this feat, he ends up landing in front of a strange, old styled building that is squeezed between two modern sky scrapers.
xxxHolic 1 Cover
Click on the image to view full size

Monday, July 25, 2011

Monday Manga Madness: The Bare Neccesities - II

All hail the Samurai, for his sword is swift and true. Countless tales have been written about the precision of the way of the sword. Countless romantic sagas, recording the brave deeds and the ideals of the Samurai. Tales abound of Bushido, the warrior's way. The code of conduct and chivalry by which ancient Japanese swordsmen lived, and died. But they are all tales, stories, fables...untrue.


Pick up any one of them, give it a long hard stare with a questioning eye and you will see it as a story and little more. Fitting and perhaps even grand to read, but in no way possible in the realities of life. And then there is Shigurui. Literal meaning Death throes. This aptly titled manga is truly one of the most underrated works out there. Not many know of it, even amongst those who do know of it, not many have managed to finish it. It takes a strong stomach to read through this manga. Surely not for the faint of heart.

Captain America: The First Avenger Review

What can be said about the latest addition to the Avengers team and the most recent incarnation of Captain America? How about… AWESOME! 

Don't worry, we here at Comic Addicts understand your concern. Right about now you’re probably asking yourselves questions like, “How do we know this isn’t a re-hash of everything that’s been done before?” or “Does Chris Evans really make a good Captain America?” or “Did they cop out and make it a superhero love story?” The quick short answers to those questions are, “Trust us it’s not. Yes he really does. And no, they did not.”
Chris Evans as The Cap
Click on the image to view full size

So what makes this Captain America different? Well there are three things done in Captain America: First Avenger that help to make the story more concrete and real. Steve Rogers wasn’t picked for the experiment simply because he was willing and because he was weak. Rogers was chosen for his heart, mind, and the drive to do good. The next element is that after Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci) was killed it was Colonel Chester Phillips’ (Tommy Lee Jones) inclination to send Rogers to the lab to be studied so that perhaps the process and formula could be recreated. It wasn’t the same old, “Well we at least got you, so we’ll put you out on the front lines!” No, Rogers had to earn his due. The other element is that Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) isn’t the plucky Robin-esque sidekick this time. He is Rogers’ friend and the same age. They grew up together and in fact Bucky was the one who bailed Rogers out of fights in back-alleys.

The Adventures of Karen Ross (Part 10)

Something told me to move very quickly because my life depended on it. Without thinking I rolled off the stone table onto the ground. There was adrenaline pumping through my system as I heard the clang of metal on stone just behind my head. Still trying to catch my breath I peered over the top of the table. There stood Ares with his blade resting where I had been not two seconds before. Ares smiled as he pulled his sword back and I got to my feet.
"I would ask what is wrong with you, but all I need to tell myself is that you're the God of War and that pretty much sums it up." I said angry and scared.
"Your instincts and reflexes seem to be working fine." he said flatly.

"Here's a tip for you: mortals are accustomed to a greeting other than trying to be killed first thing in the morning." I said leaning on the table.

"Well you aren't mortal anymore." he leaned in towards me with a mischievous grin.

"A fact that I'm still getting used to, sorry I haven't had time to read the manual yet."

"Your training starts now." he said sheathing his sword.




"Really? Cause I thought it started about thirty seconds ago." I said still miffed.

"Hey Karen!" James said, suddenly coming up the hill with Jeff beside him.
"I was beginning to wonder where you disappeared to," I said looking at James.

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Shade, The Changing Man Vol 1: The American Scream

Writer: Peter Milligan

Artist: Chris Bachalo

Collects: Shade, the Changing Man issues 1-6

Review by Aalok Joshi

Welcome back to another edition of Deciphering DC. Right now, we’re moving out to the fringes of the DC Universe. In the late 80s/early 90s, there were a lot of experimental titles, most of them treading new genres (remember, Vertigo as an imprint wasn’t around back then) like The Question, Suicide Squad, The Spectre, Green Arrow, Skreemer, Time Masters, Doc Savage, Sandman, Hellblazer, The Books of Magic among others.

Friday, July 22, 2011

STEWART'S SLATE: REVIEW OF SECRET AVENGERS Volume 1 MISSION TO MARS


MARVEL CATCH UP - SECRRET AVENGERS Volume 1: MISSION TO MARS premier edition hardback

Collects Secret Avengers #1-5

Writer: Ed Brubaker

Art: Mike Deodato, Will Conrad, David Aja, Michael Lark and Stefano Guadiano

Published by Marvel Worldwide

Review by Stewart Loud

Okey Dokey! With Fear Itself in full swing now, I'm going to be collecting together and writing about some complete runs of Marvel comics released between the end of the Siege and now to recap on what's been going on in the Marvel 616 Universe in an effort to bring you all up to date and maybe give you some ideas of what you might want to read before I write about the Fear Itself storyline (all spoiler free I promise). Not going to be scoring any of them, just saying weather or not I enjoyed them and giving you a brief idea of what to expect.

A Hell(Blazer) of a week.


I have been reading comics as mentioned the other week for close to 30yrs. And a small portion of that time I have spent a small fortune buying, selling and re-collecting, after my first collection was burnt in a fire. Amongst those were the Uncanny X-men run from #180-295. Some of the greatest X-Men stories told were written during those years. But I am digressing. Anyway, I restarting collecting 10yrs ago and haven't stopped since. As well as you know writing and creating my own. 

Hellblazer Pandemonium Jami Delano is a Must Read.



Thursday, July 21, 2011

Rajat Reviews Alibaba and the Forty Thieves - Reloaded


Imagine the old country of Arabia with sand dunes, camels, blood thirsty thieves, a treasure cave, probably the first ever use of encrypted password in recorded history, theft, murder, trickery, dance, seduction, cleverness, victory and happily ever after and you will have the image of a story that everyone must have heard at some point or the other in their lives, in some form or the other.

I am, of course, talking about Alibaba and the Forty Thieves. It is a tale which has been passed down since time immemorial by word of mouth, from father to son, mother to daughter, from teacher to student until someone printed it and spread like wildfire all across the world. No one knows when or where did it originate, nor the actual author of the story, but it is as familiar to all of us as Aladdin, Cinderella, Snow White, Superman, Batman and the likes.

Alibaba and the Forty Thieves Reloaded cover
Click on the image to view full size

Now image the busy streets of Mumbai with crowded roads, cars-bikes-auto rickshaws, blood thirst politicians-businessmen-criminals, a business-rich sea port, technologically advanced security vaults, theft, murder, trickery, dance, seduction, cleverness, victory and happily ever after and you will probably have just a little idea of what’s in store for you in this Classic: Reloaded by Campfire!

I am, obviously, talking about Alibaba and the Forty Thieves – Reloaded.
 
Written by: Poulomi Mukherjee
Art by: Amit Tayal
Published by: Campfire

La Mangafique: Anime species: Part I

Anime species: Part I


Yep. This Kind of species.
Click on the image to view full size

So last time was a tentative toe dip into the anime world, and today I’m going to keep myself from shoving you right in. I’ll allow you to test the waters. In a different spot though. Today I will point you newcomers to this fascinating land in the direction of the different genres found within anime.

In addition to the traditional categories found in media: Romance, Historical, Sci-fi, Adventure, comedy etc. there are genres that are unique to anime. Detailing on those genres, I will be educating you all on a few anime that fall into those categories. Hopefully you will learn something. Keep in mind, anime always fall into more than one category. For instance, an anime may fall into the romance, historical, and comedy genres simultaneously.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Exclusive Raj Preview: Mrityujivi


Comic Addicts is proud to present yet another exclusive preview of the upcoming spectacular from Raj Comics - Mrityujivi, featuring none other than Narak Naashak Nagraj!!!

The upcoming set includes this blockbuster the concluding sequel to the spine chilling Infected

Credits 
ScriptNitin Mishra
ArtHemant
InkingAmit
CalligraphyHarish Sharma
EffectsShadab
EditorManish Gupta

Here are 5 preview pages for your viewing pleasure!

Give heed to The Marvel Cosmic! (Part 2)


Welcome back folks to our final round-up of all things Marvel Cosmic! It's been great fun for me to dig back into my archives and my brain and reminisce about all the fun I had the first time around reading these comics.
So without any further rambling, lets get down to business and pick up where we left off, for anyone that missed the last one click HERE and check it out - the rest of you follow me:

(and as always the images I've used are as high-res as I could find so click to enjoy or download!)

6) GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (ongoing 2008-2010)
Guardian Time b****es!!
With Nova over not too long after A:C and the events over and all, there was a void within with the lack of beautiful story-telling and artwork... but then DnA came to the rescue again! Picking up after the end of Conquest, Peter Quill - the man known as Star-Lord - brought together a most unlikely team: Rocket Raccoon, Mantis, Groot, Drax the Destroyer, Phyla-Vell (the new Quasar) and Gamora.
Together this rag-tag bunch were what he called The Guardians of the Galaxy and Star-Lords intention was to have a team that would be proactive in helping people and saving the galaxy instead of waiting for something like the Annihilation Wars to happen and simply reacting defensively. Its like they say: a good offense is the best defense!
They take up residence in a place called Knowhere which is (and I quote): "Located within what appears to be a severed head of a Celestial floating along The Rip (the extreme outer edge of all Spacetime with no specific physical location), Knowhere acts as a make-shift port of call and observatory of the End of the Universe for intergalactic travelers of all species and from all times." And the stations head of security is another new addition to the character list who has become a fast-favourite not just for me but for fans around the globe - Cosmo the Russian space-dog. Don't ask his back-story, he's a dog in a space suit but has power that I would say is approaching Jean-Grey and Cable's in some regards - he's a powerful telepath and and even more powerful telekinetic capable of knocking out two, count em TWO superteams with a single TK blast. Plus a whole load of other stuff, trust me - not a canine to mess with.
You go Cosmo!

Auckland Zinefest 2011 part 2



So, as I mentioned the other day, I was quiet sick and wasn't feeling too good having spent the previous day locked up in my hotel room with the blanket over my head coughing and blowing my nose every ten minutes. But I made it up to the event after being dropped off by my father who had driven me down.


I was really interested to see what the turn out for this event would be like, since it was my first ever Zinefest. All day there was an even amount of people flowing through the tables, looking and buying books and items on display. I bought a ton of items myself.


But being my first Zinefest, I wasn't aware of the difference between a comic book and a zine. So, I sat in on a panel, which was being held below the event at an adjacent room to a wine bar.

Monday, July 18, 2011

Monday Manga Madness: The Bare Neccesities - I

I have been talking about a wide variety of manga in this little writing space. We have ranged from swords to fantasy and onward to more diverse topics. Most of the recommendations have been generic and I am certain an avid manga reader would have managed to recognize more than a title or two. In addition I try and stay away from grading a manga on any scale, for simplicity's sake. Considering how subjective the very idea of manga and it's appreciation is, grading stuff would lead me down a sticky slope I am not very keen on sliding. However this one time I will be breaking from convention, no not by grading anything. But instead by recommending manga that should absolutely, most definitely, under no circumstances be missed by any fan of manga anywhere.

And yes, when I say anywhere I mean the realm of the Elder Gods too.

Right, so here it is. This isn't my list of favorite manga mind you. I'm not sure I like them too much. I prefer my manga more light hearted and funny, and these are pretty serious in both content and delivery. But these manga, have surpassed the norms and cliches that hold down other more commercially viable manga out there. These works have transcended into a realm where they are now truly without exception masterpieces of fiction. Each series presented here is a hallmark blend of brilliant story writing and excellent artwork. They are surreal, and moving to such a degree that I assure you....go through this list of manga and you will not come away unmoved.

Let us begin.

Oh yeah, I went there.
Click on the image to view full size

Auckland Zinefest 2011 (Saturday pics)


I was pretty sick leading up to the Fest and also during the Fest on Saturday. The article about the day will be up on Thursday, while I wait for the anti-biotics to clean out my system,  but in the meantime here are some pics.


Sorry about no captions. More pics with all juicy details to be added soon... Stay tuned.



Transformers: Dark of the Moon Review




Alright, so this exactly new news, but late is better than never right? So here it is, a review of Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Besides, think of it as a nice break in all of this Harry Potter madness.
So lets start with the obvious; Megan Fox isn't in it. So how does her replacement Rosie Huntington-Whiteley do? Well in the first half of the movie she does well; however, once the action really kicks in she seems very lost. Perhaps she would do well in romantic comedies, but Ms. Huntington-Whiteley should refrain from action films. Overall though, very attractive and the accent is also nice, but when it all hits the fan she really doesn't have much of an effect at all.

The Adventures of Karen Ross (Part 9)





I nodded before leaving the hut. Going up the hill I could see the remains of the sunset. The sky was streaked with orange, red, and purple. There was just enough light remaining when I reached the table to see what I was doing. Taking the wet piece of tunic I began wiping one of the blood stains. I was actually amazed at how easily it came off. Then the thought crossed my mind that it was done fairly recent. I moved on to another one only to have the same result. Perhaps these were here for show just to psyche me out. After I was done cleaning the table I could see all of the carvings more vividly. The moon had come out and was shining full and bright making it easy for me to see. I saw the signs of the zodiac as well as symbols for the four elements. There was a lot of Greek writing that I couldn't make out, but whatever it said must have been important to have been carved into a sacrificial alter. I also saw the symbol for Mount Olympus several times. Suddenly I saw something strange in the upper right corner. There was a compass rose and where there should have been the symbol for north was a bizarre sign of an infinity loop. In the left loop was tiger and in the other was a griffin. I had never seen anything like it before.




I turned my attention from the table to the night sky. The stars shone brightly here and it put my troubled mind at some ease. I had always thought of myself as an amateur astrologist and loved looking for the various constellations. Sliding up and sitting onto the table I felt the coolness of the stone on my bare legs which sent chills up my spine. The breeze picked up bringing with it the smells from the ocean and various flowers on the island. Just then there was a blanket draped over my shoulders from behind. I jumped as I turned around to look. There was Jeff giving me a concerned look as he set a pillow on the slab.



Saturday, July 16, 2011

A DCnU view - Deciphering DC

by Aalok Joshi

Hey, Welcome back to another edition of deciphering DC. Today, I try to make sense of the reboot and actually tell you why the DC reboot is good for you. Yes, you heard that right. And I also stress on the parts that might go awry, or just be bad.

Friday, July 15, 2011

STEWARTS SLATE: REVIEW OF CROSSED 3D GRAPHIC NOVEL


CROSSED 3D Volume 1 hard back graphic novel

Writer: David Lapham

Art: Gianluca Pagliarani

Published by Avatar Press

Review by Stewart Loud

A stand alone short story graphic novel released after the original 6 issue Crossed mini series by Garth Ennis telling the story of a small group of grizzled, well armed fighters on a suicide mission to rescue a medical team and their supplies who've become trapped in a skyscraper in the centre of New York, a city completely over run by the Crossed. There's heaps of graphic violence, guys getting their cocks out, a scene where dozens of lunatics pelt the stories main characters with handfuls of their own poop and the whole thing is presented in stunning 3D. Greatest comic ever printed then? Well it's not bad.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Give heed to The Marvel Cosmic! (Part 1)


Welcome back one and all to another edition of the Wayfarer - and this week Im going to have to get right to it as we're going to be covering some titles and events that have been requested by many readers and comic-fans out there looking for guidance. And we are ready to provide it!

CLICK TO ENLARGE!!
Today's extra-special post covers the amazing and highly successful (unexpected for Marvel in fact at the time) world(s) of cosmic adventure and intergalactic action that exploded onto the comic world with the Annihilation event and began a true renaissance of space-based science fiction in comics.
For a science fiction fan such as myself it was an absolute blessing because (and I say this to in the spirit of honesty) while DC's work on the space books with the GL titles has been great, its basically Lantern-centric space opera - more Star Wars then Star Trek if you will. And maybe its just me but as much as a good dramatic space opera can be fun, there's nothing quite like the mind-bending awesomeness, the creativity, the blurring of lines and unavoidable tight-rope walk of disbelief and clear understanding and the familiar.

In this Marvel in my opinion has actually crafted a far superior mythos through the able and masterful craftsmanship of the legendary team of Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning - lovingly known to fans as DnA because of their long history of excellent work together in comics across the industry.

Building on a base set up over the years by Jim Starlin, Keith Giffen and other legendary story-tellers this new set of Cosmic tales are a pleasure for readers both old and new - if you like me have read all the old books like The Infinity Gauntlet then its brilliant, but in a twist on tradition, if you've never read anything of them before you can still jump right back into the middle of things here with no trouble!

What Im going to try and do is break it down for you into the basic bits and order so that you can be caught up in no time and today like me be hankering and waiting Gollum-like for more tales of space adventure and entertainment with some of the more compelling and well crafted characters and stories from The Big Two comic publishers in quite a while.
So come, sit back and let your eyes wander over this quick little burst of the Power Cosmic (as the Silver Surfer puts it) and maybe if I can do this just right you might find yourself compelled to get past that little hesitation that always comes when trying a new book.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

La Mangafique




Anime: The who, the what, and the where (and other nitty-gritty’s)




It's out there and it's coming to get you.
Click on the image to view full size

So, sometime in the past 10 years or so, you must have noticed this craze going about infecting young and old people alike, called “Pokemon”, which seems to consist of absurd fantastic creatures, a parallel reality and the ability to capture said creatures and battle with them. (If you really still don’t know what I’m talking about, you’ve been living under a rock). Ever scratched your head and wondered just what it is and why people are crazy about it? Some if not all of those questions, can be answered if you delve into the world of anime.


Out of pets to collect? Start collecting these.
Click on the image to view full size

Who is Aru, anyway?



A little History… 

Archie Comics, Walt Disney, and 2000AD


The first memory of ever seeing or reading a comic book was in, Nacovi, Nadi Town in Fiji. It was two different ones, an Archie and a Walt Disney Comics, with Goofy etc. Its reading these comics at the age of 7 or 8yrs old that has become the focal point in my life. 

The second memory is, when having moved to New Zealand with my mother in 1981.  A tent created with my knees under blanket at night, a small torch lighting the 2000AD comics, my friend had lent me.

Who would have thought that the from the age of 17 to 21yrs old would see myself spending thousands of dollars on comics and then losing then to the fire in 1999. And then I didn’t pick up a comic again till I began my studies for a Bachelors Degree in Digital Filmmaking in 2003. I got back into the comics as a way of meeting/making news friends in a city, Invercargill, New Zealand. I also started trading in them and also collecting as an investment. And have continued that trend up till now 8yrs later.  

A Writer is Born

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Exclusive Raj Preview: Alter Ego - The return of Super Commando Dhruv!!!



Great news for all your Dhruv fans out there!


Super Commando Dhruv is back with a bang with a new kickass look and a story which looks dark, dangerous and like a perfect platform for a comeback for our favorite Commando!


Credits


Script        Abhishek Sagar

Support     Mandar Gangele
Art           Hemant
Inking       Amit
Effects      Rasheed
Caligraphy Harish Sharma
Editor       Manish Gupta


Check out the exclusive preview of the upcoming Dhruv issue - Alter Ego!








Monday Manga Madness Redux: Aishiteruze Baby



- A review by Seema Kakade

Genre: Shojo Manga

Aishiteruze Baby, a.k.a. I love you, baby is one of those rare manga you come across that manages to portray the beauty of the father and child relationship perfectly. As misleading as the title maybe, which, I believe, is the reason why half of the shonen manga lovers might have shunned away from it, the manga isn’t much about what it appears from the title.

Manga Madness: On Dinosaurs...


Today on Manga Madness, I would like to invite you all to the Jurassic era. A time when Dinosaurs roamed the earth. A time when ferocious monsters ruled this very land. A harsh time. And unfortunately a time of which we know little. All denizens of that age perished in some unknown doom that visited Earth all those years ago. But wait, what if one survived? What havoc would it unleash upon the unsuspecting next age of the Earth.

As it turns out, it can unleash quite a lot of havoc. Welcome to the world of Gon. The pint sized dinosaur who has a big attitude. And a bite to match. A hilarious manga based around the adventures of said dinosaur. Each chapter delves into the exploits of Gon. As he interacts with the paleolithic world around him. A new world, a changed world. Interactions wary from villainous predators who underestimate Gon at their own peril, to even newly made friends, and even an adopted family. A rich beautiful world ripe for exploration is explored. As Gon can be spotted in a myriad of places, the setting continually changes. One can expect a tropical rainforest in one chapter, and a savannah in the next. But Gon's role itself surprisingly keeps changing. From tormentor of lions, to forming a posse of abandoned cubs who have lost their mothers. The manga is mature in content. For Mother Nature is cruel if impartial. Many times the outcomes are gory, and death is pretty graphic when touched upon. But that should not keep you away from the manga. For their is comedy too.

The comedy in the manga is exceptional, with some scenes so good that you will be in splits. And that's not the only great thing about this manga. Gon has absolutely no dialogues. Since for obvious reasons, a manga dealing with a dinosaur's interaction with different animals would have no need for dialogue. Such a simple implementation of basic fact renders infinite beauty and depth to this manga. I know I hanker on about depth to no end. But depth is important to a manga. For now without dialogue, the artist has to work that extra mile to convey emotions. And boy does the artwork deliver. It is a treat, a unique visual experience which feels very fresh as opposed to traditional manga art. A lost world unfolds before the reader. A world where man has no place. A world of animals and an age of nature. Now gone forever.

Gon is almost an experimental read of a manga. And perhaps the fanatical manga reader will not enjoy it. But if you like comic books, then you will fall in love with the adorable dinosaur. But dont be fooled, step on his tiny toes even a moment and he will take a BITE out of you.

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