#I cannot wait for beyond the spider verse

[sparksabove]

Can't july end already and let August finally start so it can end too and I can finally watch The Crow? I'm running out of patience

[squonkinaswamp]

okay I just need to get all my thoughts out here because across the spiderverse?? and absolute masterpiece

SPOILERS!!!!!!! for across the spiderverse btw if you didn’t catch that /////

I absolutely loved and am blown away by just how different across the spiderverse is from into the spiderverse. I love both films so so much for very different reasons but it was so much more adult in their struggles and their problems. it wasn’t better, per se, but it was amazing in it’s own way. everything about it was amazing and I can’t even begin to imagine anything of what they’re going through. all of them.

the beginning sequence with gwen was so ANGSTY I loved how she introduced miles it was so good and then the fight with her dad was so bad I actually cried in the theatre it was that good. and then fight between MILES and HIS parents and then we find out he’s only 15?? and he’s already going through so much?? they expect so much from him but he started out as spiderman when he was 14 and he’s been living a double life since like fuck. I thought he was older than that. he’s so precious though and you can tell that the pressure if getting to him in some of the most humane scenes I’ve seen in animated media, which I am absolutely loving.

then when he found out why gwen was actually there and then AGAIN when he found out that she wasn’t trying to protect him but in fact earth-50101 because of the canon events with the cop, just the absolute BETRAYAL that he felt in that moment and how he just needed to get away and cope and deal but he couldn’t, because he was missing and can we just talk about how he found all of this out within a few hours?? like the whole movie took course over a couple of hours and we’re just expected to what. be fine with that? honestly how miles didn’t cry I don’t know. 

then when miles was going through the go home machine I was on the edge of my seat bc 42?? that's not his world huh?? and then he WENT there are rio had weird eyes and then it CLICKED and FUCK it was so good what the hell and THEN when he went upstairs and uncle aaron looked at his phone it was like. shit. oh god. so THATS whats happening. and THEN, PLOT TWIST, since there's no spiderman in that universe jeff died and miles became the PROWLER but it does raise the question  was he ever supposed to be spiderman? in the original universe of 42? or was he always destined to be the prowler but on a chance encounter ended up destroying the lives of so many people by becoming a second spiderman in a completely different universe?? because we KNOW that he's an anomaly and we KNOW that he wasn't meant to become spiderman and because he DID the 1610 peter parker died and he basically replaced him and screwed up 1610 because he inadvertently created the Spot(love what they did with the bagel) so. was he originally supposed to become the prowler??  in universe 1610?

and fuck how is he dealing with the knowledge that HE'S the reason that the universes are so screwed up and he can't fix it no matter how hard he tries. because what does it matter? he can't do anything. and it sucks. and now he’s stuck in another universe that isn’t his and he can’t do anything about it, he can’t even cope with any of the stuff he learnt in the past few hours because he’s got a fight to do, he’s got to fight himself and god what about jeff and rio? they don’t know anything, only that he isn’t safe, only that he’s gone and they have no idea that he’s fighting for his life, for their lives at the moment, after finding out he’s simultaneously destroying everything everywhere else. they just think he’s snuck out, they have no idea what’s going on. and they won’t find out, they can’t, because miles /isn’t there/. It’s messing with me god.

I’m actually crying though across the spiderverse was so good and incredible and I’m screaming throwing a fit throwing up it was so cool and so good and I can’t. I just. woah. holy fuck. 

but also characters I loved them all and the MUSIC was so good and matched the scenes so well and the OST WAS INCREDIBLE thank you daniel pemberton for this masterpiece and the ART. the art was so good. it was incredible and outstanding and amazing and holyyyyy shit so. I loved all the different styles they incorporated and yeah all the easter eggs were so cool but the art style overall was incredible.

cannot wait for beyond the spiderverse and the story they continue to tell.

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

okay okay rapid fire spider-verse thots fresh out of the theater, trying to minimize spoilers but jesus

da Vinci-looking Vulture... very cool

the art on Gwen's earth in general is SO cool

in general the animators were just SHAMELESSLY showing off with this one and it rules so hard

Rio Morales animated milf of all time

truly do not understand what all of you see in Miguel tbh that man suuuuuucks!! kill!!

Peter B is also on my shit list tbh. Gwen going along with this is understandable, she's literally a homeless teenager in a bad position to fight against adult spiders making decisions, but Peter... come on dude...

truly they HAD to leave Pav out of the middle of the movie because he would have sided with Miles (you think he would want Inspector Singh to die!! fuck no!!) and he's perfect so he would have just effortlessly swept the floor with every other spider-person

Gwen is flirtatiously trans coded and responds to Spider-Man at least once, congrats to her on the fun gender

Jessica's design is so cool but they made her such a cop... god I hope she's coming around in the next movie

cannot wait to see gifs of this movie slowing down every frame to point out every individual background spider-person

the fucking. the family of it all. Miles' parents afraid to let him grow up and Gwen's dad unable to accept the truth about his daughter and Miguel trying to raise a daughter who wasn't supposed to be his and Peter B's baby girl and Jessica Drew's visible baby bump and the spiders' collective miserable certainty that they are DEFINED by the trauma of losing someone they love.

something something Miles' parents and the spider society have the same problem - being afraid of change from what they thought was The Right Way To Do Things - but Miles' parents love and trust him to make the right choices beyond their understanding while Miguel and the other spiders are too hurt by their own traumas to imagine someone else thriving without it

also fuck all of them the boy's uncle died in front of him after trying to kill him HAS HE NOT SUFFERED ENOUGH

Hobie's soooo annoying (affectionate) but also right about, like, literally everything AND good with babies to boot

the whole ending is so ‼️‼️‼️‼️

the thing with Miles and Uncle Aaron at the end... you know the thing... DELICIOUS au right there tell me everything about that shit

the fucking end man

I've NEVER been in a theater where everyone collectively screamed @ the end of a movie fuck fuck fuck. there's cliffhangers and then there's THIS

[confuzzled-crow77]

Happy 1 Year Anniversary to Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse!!

here’s to one of my favorite films that owns my favorite song and prompted a handful of Spidey OCs I still have comic ideas for swirling around in my head! I cannot wait for Beyond the Spider-Verse, but if it’s as great as ATSV was, I’ll sit patiently until my hair is gray. 🖤 🕷️ 🕸️

[sir-adamus]

My absolute favorite thing about ATSV is the narrative repetition of not only literal religion but wanting to do both things / two things and the callbacks to walker scenes. Miles trying to catch Gwen after he startles her and the Spot kicks her vs her trying to save him from falling during the chase and he snaps the line on purpose

Miles and his two cakes and Pavitr saying “I can do both!” as we see he cannot hold the bus and save captain singh and the girl (but with help they do indeed save everyone)

Miles literally has DNA from two different dimensions he’s literally always been both since he got bitten!! That’s the point it’s so good!!

Spider-Man doesn’t always win. They don’t always save the day. But with this unique technology they have a chance to learn and make friends and new connections. If the issue was just universe hopping then the whole spider base thing would be a bad idea. I can’t wait for the power of friendship and trying even tho it seems hopeless to kick ass in Beyond it’s gonna be so good.

Gwen also has an "i can do both" thing - trying to keep the canon event happening and save Miles (and thinking she failed when he gets buried under the rubble, which is why she was so panicked in that scene, because she was right back at the night of the dance and seeing Peter crushed under the rubble)

and yeah the thing is it's like

this movie is hanging a lampshade on the idea that Spider-Man needs to have these personal tragedies happen to be a better hero - that these events aren't just unfortunate happenstance but Fated Incidents that have to happen in order for them to be correct in the role (and uh, just a note... doesn't apply to Miguel - literally none of his story lines up with the Peter archetype)

like - the Uncle Ben death is a tragedy because it could have been prevented, it was something Peter could've stopped and didn't because of his pride, and the resulting guilt of that forms his 'with great power must also come great responsibility' thing (which also a note, not originally an Uncle Ben line, it was just a narration bit, only got applied to Ben later) - but the point is it's a code he forms in the wake of tragedy, not a predestined event meant to teach him a lesson

and more importantly Miles in these movies never needed to learn that - because he outright quotes the line to Peter B during the first movie, and of course he did! he's about 13/14 in Into the Spider-Verse, Blond Peter had been Spider-Man for a decade and he marketed the hell out of it; every kid in New York grew up knowing the line (which is actually a factor i don't see people discussing when it comes to the 'Earth 42 Miles and Earth 1610B Miles swapped fates' thing, we don't know what kind of Spider-Man that the Earth 42 Miles would've become, or how our Miles would've ended up if he hadn't been bitten)

Uncle Aaron's death is rather erroneously framed like Ben's by Miguel, but a) it wasn't something Miles could've prevented but didn't, he very nearly died himself, and b) it's reinforced later as 'sometimes you can't always save everyone'

so in terms of 'canon events', Aaron's death fits the George Stacy death more than it does the Uncle Ben death, where it happens in a moment it is impossible for Spider-Man to prevent it as a result of the main villain of the story (Aaron is even trying to save Miles in that moment, who was wearing the red store-bought Spider-Man costume, and pointedly the kids George and Inspector Singh try to save in those moments are also wearing red) - however ultimately it's trying to fit all these personal, different tragedies into a specific box that's the problem, because that's not how life works (nor is it how the multiverse works, but Miguel thinks it does and he's convinced others of the same and refuses to accept any alternatives). Aaron's death isn't a variation on Uncle Ben's death, George Stacy's death or anyone else's death. it's the death of Aaron Davis

also, introducing other Spiders completely changes the surrounding context and the stakes - if Inspector Singh had died there, would Pavitr have come to the conclusion that he couldn't always save everyone? or would he have been angry and resentful that the people he thought were his friends sat there and did nothing when they could have helped? because he wasn't alone in that situation, which completely changes the ballpark even if no one else interferes, it would affect how he responds to it

so it's all questioning why these events need to happen - if we're looking at it in-universe, these things are just unfortunate tragedies. looking at everything bad that happens to you as predetermined fate meant to teach you a lesson is both incredibly unhealthy and fucking dehumanising to your loved ones - a community of Spider-People can help each other and mentor the younger ones to convey the lessons and codes the elders pieced together so they don't have to go through the same shit, be forced through the same pain under the bullshit logic that the suffering will make them 'better'

and from a meta-narrative perspective, the 'canon' is the stakes of the story; Earth-65B continues to run even with George quitting, because dramatically speaking, learning Gwen is Spider-Woman and nearly losing her forever, while Gwen avoids going home because she's terrified that her father hates her and - compounding that - is scared that if she does go home, he'll already have died. that drama is 'good for the story' and can resolve without anyone dying

Peter B literally only has Mayday because of Miles, the 'original anomaly', and yet Earth-616B is perfectly fine with a child who - according to Miguel's logic - should not exist. why? because Peter B has started putting in the effort to make his life work, 'making adjustments at half-time', and earning his happy ending

whereas Miguel deciding to skip all the hard work of trying to make his life better by just inserting himself into a happy life that belongs to someone else, and that reality crumbles apart because he didn't earn it - so the stakes had to be raised, and the resulting guilt is what turns Miguel into the uncompromising anti-hero we have in this film

Spider-people are capable of incredible things, and are capable of even more incredible things when they have each others' backs - they've just gotten too caught up in their guilt complexes to realise that

[gio-scrabbles]

Guys…

Across the Spider-Verse is so good!!! The animation was amazing and I cannot wait for Beyond the Spider-Verse!!

[mtridactyla]

image description: an ask from @netisinfin8ty reading "hey, I know you haven't talked about Spider-Man much, but how do you feel about Across the Spider-Verse coming out soon?" end description.

this took me literal months and for that i am so sorry but i wanted to wait until i'd seen it to give thoughts beyond "looks pretty and miguel is there" so!!! we're doing it now

also before i get into it: in the interest of full disclosure, spiderman 2099 is the only spiderman comics i actually read. my brother hates him so i started reading his comics out of spite at like 14 and then never looked back. so i can't really talk about the changes made to other characters beyond visual choices, because i simply do not know enough!

overall, my feelings are overwhelmingly positive! it's a gorgeous movie, the character design changes are all absolutely wonderful. my two main qualms with the movie are regarding miguel's characterization, and the extended sequences of flashing lights.

extended sequences of flashing lights for obvious reasons. i have photosensitive migraines and although i have mostly managed to keep from triggering one (watching in a brightly lit room with low brightness and a saturation filter on my screen) but like. it's not ideal. and i feel like the movie could still be gorgeous without being dangerously inaccessible.

as for miguel. i have been making stream of consciousness posts about this for the last day but im going to try to get this like. readable. and also all in one place.

justin thompson hates miguel and it shows. i was not expecting a 1:1 adaptation, that's just not realistic, but the way he turned out... is not good. making him both darker skinned and angrier and more violent is just racist. miguel is a victim of abuse and i just cannot believe that he would send gwen back to her dad without a second thought. that + the insistence that miguel isn't a "real" spiderman, with the injection of spider... Something, and the technological webs instead of bio ones is just a lesson in character assassination.

if i don't stop now i will literally never shut up, so i'm stopping now. like i said! mostly good. i've watched it three times i will definitely watch it again. but i'm not happy with the way miguel was treated.

[trckstaer]

𝐓𝐑𝐂𝐊𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐄𝐑 𝐖𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 :

— genuinely one of the longest posts I have ever posted.

A brief note that every single one of my muses has a half-blood verse and a daemon verse that I am always excited to use !

˖ ࣪⭑ . . . Marvel

May Parker's home for injured vigilantes. Head emergency room nurse May who, after realising her nephew is a vigilante adopts a ' as long as you do it under my roof so I can make sure you're safe ' policy, starts having other heroes dropped on her fire escape to patch up. Also, her cancer storyline would be epic to write.

Uncle Ben who lives and loses his arm in the shooting but is around enough to help Peter when he needs it, keep him good and moral without having to die to make sure it happens, makes space so Peter can fix up his suit whilst he works late in the garage.

Peter realises he is very genuinely the lamest Spider-Man in every universe. He has no special talents, cannot do ballet, annoys the fuck out of Miguel and burned all bridges with the billionaire he knew post accords.

Make Matt use his senses, and explore the world around him with them. Very rarely does he get the chance to just sit with them ; during the day he has to act like a regular blind person, and as Daredevil it's all about adrenaline and moving fast. Also, I am a sucker for one-night stand threads with him, because he is a player until he gets his person.

Frank being forced to be soft and gentle with your muse and taking care of them when they're hurt is super important to me however, I also adore the threads where the Punisher just gets to be insane and talented with his weapons in a fight.

Dadpool taking care of his daughter and being responsible and careful and still insane. Wade breaking into the spiderverse and being the fucking worst. Deadpool meets deities when he's waiting for Lady Death to send him back post-mortem.

Someone being kind to Vanessa, treating her gently and asking to see her skin, not the disguise that Copycat and Xavier thought up together for her to wear.

Slice of life in the Hellhouse stuff ! People are confronted with the reality of what Weasel goes through in a day of getting mercenaries weapons and jobs. Weasel vs Spider-Man stuff where he finally gets to confront Peter Parker.

I'd be really into a thread where Hawkeye is forced to drop his dumb guy act and people are reminded that he is a highly competent spy and archer with abilities beyond what is publicly known.

College years Rhodey being the exhausted roommate of one Anthony Stark. Rhodey mourning his sister. Rhodey learning to be a good uncle and primary carer to his niece Lila.

Let Happy Hogan date one of his bosses, boy has never met an authority figure he didn't fall immediately and deeply in love with.

Despite raising his two sons, Vision finally finds people that help him understand and find respite from how alone he so often feels.

After the death of his momma, Harley Keener who is raising his baby sister and selling his inventions on the black market, all while running his family farm alone is suddenly confronted with being moved out to New York for college and someone stepping up to help him finally.

Johnny Storm makes a good, reliable friend who finally helps him shake that horrific loneliness he is constantly plagued with, helps him deal with the trauma and addiction and also is just good at making sure the trouble he gets into is lighthearted.

After being stranded on a planet ( very possibly earth ) Nebula very quickly grows a beautiful and extravagant nursery of plants and tries to ignore how she doesn't really fit in anywhere.

Very tired, very grumpy, teacher Wolverine who honestly doesn’t want to be there but also doesn’t want the grief he’d get from his coworkers if he tried to quit the academy.

Bubbly, over-excited teacher, Kid Omega, who’s on strict probation because of the whole trying to start riots thing, but still won't stop talking to the kids about why policing minorities is a problem. 

˖ ࣪⭑ . . . Mythology

Biblical Mythology

Famously irresponsible Gabriel being the last eligible angel left to take on the role of leader of Heaven, them being forced to go back despite the last time they were there being the day they fled after losing their wife and children in the war. Them having to take care of something even when it's hard.

Imprisoned Uriel having visitors in any form, maybe souls who escaped their Heavens or other angels sneaking in or ! Her escaping and being taken in by the people who find her on earth, being confused and gullible.

Tired of endlessly partying and fighting, Balthazaar finds offers up his services as an archivist for the hunters instead, documenting everything he can remember about Heaven no matter how painful.

Greek Mythology

Ares takes care of something on earth and falls completely in love with a mortal, finding them so beautiful and hiding them away so Aphrodite has no chance of finding them and becoming jealous, living as much of their life with them as he possibly could — going so far as to abandon all of his duties to stay by their side.

Any and all interactions with the other Gods. Persephone who is seen as a child far too often for her liking, instead of the incredibly powerful and dramatic Goddess that she is, proving everyone wrong and being part of the solution.

The other strategic and intelligent Gods taught Phobos about wisdom and war when he was young and him looking up to them and crushing on them for the whole of his life.

After being cursed by the fates for spreading dread to the entire human population instead of just soldiers as he was meant to, I think it would be really cool to do a thread where Deimos first starts losing his mind and gaining his incredibly difficult-to-deal-with amounts of empathy and is found doing not-so-great by another muse.

˖ ࣪⭑ . . . Literature

The Shadowhunter Chronicles

No longer a vampire and only newly a shadowhunter, Simon struggles to find places where he fits in because neither group is warm to him ; the downworlders not trusting him anymore, and the shadowhunters not trusting him yet.

University professor Ragnor Fell being manic and obsessed with how intelligent his students are and unable to stop talking about it to his friends, whether he's working at a mundane school or at the shadowhunter academy.

Your muse opens the door to Catarina who is exhausted, with her little girl ( Madzie ) in tow, who starts her introduction with the sentence ' it has been a week and a half since I have had a conversation with someone who was not a patient in the emergency room or four, please can I come have a coffee ? '

The Riordanverse

A verse to explore what would have happened if Thalia had claimed the prophecy to spare both Percy and Nico a miserable fate once she saw how much it meant to the camp.

Dark Percy. I am desperate to explore a verse in which maybe Percy can’t save his mom and so turns his back on the gods in order to join Luke, especially once he's told about the prophecy and realises Chiron's plan had been to raise him like a lamb to slaughter.

Resurrected as a God in order to be punished for eternity, Luke is sent to Camp Half-Blood to serve his time there as a carer of the half-bloods he would have fought in the war had they been older at the time he brought Kronos back.

The Hunger Games

In a lot of the discussions I have about Cato post the end of the rebellion, I talk about the boy who is barely an adult who sits on his porch and watches the woods all day almost paralysed in fear but I want a thread where someone gets through to him and proves to him that it is worth making amends where he needs to and healing and learning to be a person with the aid of your muse.

More than anything, I want threads where someone is kind to Katniss, and in return, Katniss is kind back. After losing everything, and trying to heal over all of her grief, there is a forceful part of Katniss that wants to learn to be nice and gentle because she doesn't have to be a defence between herself and her people anymore.

˖ ࣪⭑ . . . Television

Stranger Things

Someone notices how Heather is living, how her parents don't talk about her or how she does everything for herself, way sooner. I want a thread where Heather offers support to someone and in return there is another voice ( an actual friend unlike all the people that call her a friend but really just use her for status, sex, or parties ) to fill up the silence she's usually surrounded by.

It would be super exciting to write literally any thread with Jason post-season 4 : his recovery where someone finally forces him to get out of bed and start doing his physical therapy, something during his manic period when he finally tasted freedom in college and goes a little mad with it and then comes back to Hawkins in the holidays covered in tattoos and piercings with hickeys on his neck, kind Jason who is good and worked to make amends in the town before going off to medical school and then starts working at a hospital's pediatric unit where he bumps into a familiar face from his past and their kid.

Vampire Eddie coming back to Hawkins to check on his Uncle after his reputation was saved and he was proven innocent. The government provides him money and coolers of something to make up for the abandonment he faced by them in the Upside Down. Him making it big time with Corroded Coffin. Eddie goes to the gay bar an hour and a half out of town with the handkerchief in his back pocket and runs into a familiar face.

Raised in Hawkins but having fled as soon as she could, Susan moved back with just her daughter Max as soon as she realised the type of man Neil was. She finally claims her dad’s house with the promise to herself that she would get rid of any trace of him in there. It gives her the ability to pay attention to Max the way a mom should.

The way that Benny keeps his diner open late for the truckers that bring him a lot of business, but also because Benji's diner was the only place that was open late enough for Benny to get some rest when his abusive piece of shit dad kicked him out at night, and he wants to be able to offer that respite wherever he can to whoever needs it.

Similarly, the open door policy that Wayne Munson enforces consistently for the sake of other kids like his boy Eddie and his old partner Robbie. Steve needs to escape from that big empty house ? Maxine finding it hard to sleep with her mom on the night shift ? Literally any kid who needs a safe space ? He just wants them to know they can knock on his door and sleep on the pullout sofa bed if they need a place.

Supernatural

Any and all Benny Lafitte being the lord of purgatory threads.

Bobby’s junkyard being operational and a known hunter-safe camp where he ends up being a surrogate dad for most of the time, but also finally having help with the stuff that’s a little more difficult from his chair.

The Last of Us

Maybe a verse where Joel managed to save Sarah but the two grew apart because in a world where she lives, Joel never has to angelify her. They talk and Joel helps with his grandbaby whenever he can but at the end of the day, they are both traumatised and Joel made mistakes as a dad. I want a thread where Joel still goes out to deliver Ellie, but has a reason to go home again after.

Very slowly, Bill relaxes around your muse and starts trusting that things are going to be okay at least for a while and as long as he keeps up his defences around the village. He even goes as far as to let the occasional desperate survivor stay as long as they didn't touch his supplies or arsenal and didn't pose a risk.

The Walking Dead

It would be cool to do a thread where Negan is locked under house arrest and raising Dylan as best he can, taking care of her and only occasionally seeing any other living people. Your muse drops off one of his deliveries of formula or whatever for his baby girl and Negan convinces them to stay for a while.

Any and all threads where Lori proves she is worthwhile : threads where something the kids have learned from her saves the day, threads where she is willing to risk herself to help the babies, threads where her experience as a mother helps the new mothers. Threads where she paints and helps people relax just a little by teaching them to as well.

Doctor Who

The Doctor saving everyone for once and is furious after and having to explain that the reason why is because he couldn't even do that for his own people, not even for his own husband, his own children.

Hannibal

Really really into the idea of Hannibal teaching someone to cook. No matter at what part of the verse — pre-fall, post-fall, in a beach house in another country and your muse knows him by another name — I think the idea is super fun. Whether or not your muse knows he's a cannibal, I think there's room for Hannibal to be charming and seductive and snarky.

FBI agent Jack Crawford getting to show off that he is damned good at his job, no matter what's happening with Riley or Bella, him proving that he was given his role for a reason. Also I have been obsessed with the idea since I read about it but Jack figuring out Will's confliction before it becomes obvious because he was a profiler once and a good enough one to be head of his department.

Sherlock

Any and all explorations of John's past and how it affects his present. His time as a Captain in the army makes up so much of who he is now and how he is even with his daughter Rosie, that it seems strange how little it came up in canon.

Merlin

Being captured and returned to Camelot whilst pregnant with her son, Morgana being held captive because at this point in the story, she is still seen as an easily manipulated girl who fell down the wrong path. Merlin tells her about his magic and the two of them commiserating with each other. Morgana trying to make amends.

Good dad verse where Uther loves his son more than he hates magic, he realises this when he catches Merlin saving Arthur for the first time and captures Merlin secretly. Alongside his paycheck, he gives the sorcerer books on magic that had been long since banned and in return, Merlin is to continue keeping his boy alive — as long as the magic stays a secret.

Just the general adventures of first knight Leon, him trying to decide whether magic is good or evil based on his own experiences with it rather than the fact that Uther helped raise him after his sister died.

Lord Gwaine who has to go home and claim his land and titles once his sister becomes gravely ill or else risks losing his knighthood. I so desperately want to write Gwaine as his intended, bratty self.

˖ ࣪⭑ . . . Original Characters

I think it would be cool to have Elaerea meet someone who, in a better reality, would have been a bigger part of her life such as Sansa when she spent time at the vale or Jon or Ned. Also, maybe threads between her and other Targaryens or even Bran since they both have the power of sight ( even if Elaerea's is so much less broad ).

Any threads where MJ gets to spend time with the rest of the Watson family. Any threads where he gets to interact with the spider-verse. Any future threads where we see MJ in soft domestic situations with their Spider-Man ( maybe even with their own Mayday ).

I want Edie to have friends who can help her be a normal woman who gets to do ordinary young adult things like going to bars and painting her room. Edie needs to be able to make her own choices and prove to herself that she is worth more than who her father or brother was.

Workaholic Melanoë being very gently coaxed into having fun and being reckless. Cautious Noë letting loose and fighting a jerk who tries to push her around. Counselor Noë helping your muse cope a little better after a battle.

I would be really invested in threads where people witness Mercury reading aloud and manifesting things into reality, and them surprising him by not asking anything of him once they know.

Any and all interactions where Mapone gets to talk to other legacy kids, because whilst I love and obsess over the idea of her being a brat to the older trying to help train her, I also like the idea of her making friends and getting into trouble with the others.

Candace Nelson being a general nuisance to herself and others: ditching school and ending up in trouble and needing rescuing, teaching your middle aged blorbo slang, and generally being a teenager.

[kylesvariouslistsandstuff]

The Next Animated Blockbuster Heavies, CONTINUED...

A little while ago, I made this post. A sort of culmination to my retrospective on Top 10 animated features at the box office over the years...

Three of the movies I listed and made predictions for, all 2023 movies, came out...

THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE unsurprisingly put up a hell of a fight, making $1.361 billion at the worldwide box office. This places it, currently, at #3. Behind THE LION KING (2019) and FROZEN II...

SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE opened pretty big, and had some solid legs from there, but that picture was definitely more frontloaded than MARIO was. Overseas, it did okay at best, not matching its domestic total. Still, $690m+, excellent.

WISH is not going to make all that much... Not the heavy it could've been, like director Chris Buck's two FROZEN movies...

So, 2023 is pretty much over, unless MIGRATION really surprises. But I don't see that happening. $500-600m maximum, methinks. Possibly SING numbers. A leggy Christmas season movie, but not among the biggest ever. Why would I expect that out of a modest duck picture?

Some delays happened, too, between back then (early 2023) and now.

KUNG FU PANDA 4, INSIDE OUT 2, and DESPICABLE ME 4 are next, as BEYOND THE SPIDER-VERSE was delayed indefinitely due to it being faaaar from ready for a 3/29/2024 release a little after the release of ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE. Like, it was very clear that the two movies were NOT in production in tandem.

My guess is that the third SPIDER-VERSE movie debuts sometime in 2025. At the earliest... 2026 seems likelier now, which is fair. We waited about 4 1/2 years between INTO and ACROSS, so...

The other 2024 movie that I thought had a shot at getting into the Top 10 is the sequel/prequel to the #1 movie itself, THE LION KING (2019). MUFASA: THE LION KING recently vacated the summer for the holidays, as it now opens December 20, 2024... While I don't really see this movie making anywhere near what the first one did, it's still possible? Maybe? I dunno, I think it performs similarly to ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS and MALEFICENT 2, a follow-up to a remake that I don't think too many folks were clamoring for.

That rounds out 2024... I think INSIDE OUT 2 is the likeliest candidate of those four movies to make the most moolah. Maybe not take home "highest earning animated movie" champion status, but the biggest of the year period... and DESPICABLE ME 4 has a very good shot at it considering how many years it had been since the last mainline movie, and how well MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU did. Heck, the long gap between KUNG FU PANDA 3 and 4 could really boost KUNG FU PANDA 4 as well. Characters/stories people love, long wait for the new one, the kids who loved them being nostalgic, etc.

Who knows, like I said in the earlier piece, maybe there will be some surprises along the way? Watch, THE GARFIELD MOVIE ends up breaking the Top 10... I mean, I don't see why not? Garfield is a god, a titan whose power we just cannot comprehend. This may be to the 2004 live-action/CG GARFIELD movie with Bill Murray what the SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE was to the 1993 SUPER MARIO BROS. film. Certainly having "The Movie" in the title and the picture being all-animated solidifies that! GARFIELD the comic strip debuted in 1978, 45 years ago. That predates Mario's first appearance as "Jumpman" in DONKEY KONG by three years... You could argue Garfield is older than that, even. Jim Davis debuted Garfield in JON, essentially an early version of GARFIELD that run from 1976 to early 1978 in a single Indiana newspaper. Okay, so I'm largely being facetious here, I don't think THE GARFIELD MOVIE cracks a billion... But who the heck knows! A movie like THE WILD ROBOT or the next WDAS movie could do it, haha.

However, I think a lot of the Q3 and Q4 animated films could be up in the air, release date-wise, should the animation strike happen when the Animation Guild contract is up.

2025 is a little spottier. A few movies have concrete release dates, none of them I feel really have a clear shot at the big billion and the Top 10. 2026 is just some dates without titles. Still too early in the game...

So, we do know that the likes of SHREK 5, ZOOTOPIA 2, FROZEN III, and TOY STORY 5 are on the horizon. Entries in beloved franchises, some of which whose movies are on the Top 10 or are very close to the Top 10. It's also obvious that a SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE sequel *will* happen, and possibly just obliterate the first one in sales.

THE LION KING (2019) is at #1, FROZEN II is #2, FROZEN is #4. The first MINIONS is #6, TOY STORY 4 is #7, TOY STORY 3 is #8, DESPICABLE ME 3 is #9, ZOOTOPIA is #11...

FINDING DORY is at #10, and there seem to be no plans for another one of those Pixar fish movies at the moment. Ditto THE INCREDIBLES, as INCREDIBLES 2 is #5... But you just know they'll happen, because Disney likes money, and if TOY STORY 5 can exist despite how both 3 & 4 ended... Yeah, there will be a FINDING Somebody 3 movie and an INCREDIBLES 3, and they're sure to tear up the box office.

But again, something that isn't a sequel to a beloved favorite could make a splash. After all, Walt Disney Animation Studios got the big billion out of FROZEN and ZOOTOPIA individually. Both movies were not expected to do anywhere near as well as they did. I remember, back in mid-to-late 2013, that the scuttlebutt was that FROZEN would be lucky to make TANGLED numbers... And that ZOOTOPIA looked like some "CHICKEN LITTLE/DreamWorks" thing.

Sometimes Pixar got close with a not-sequel. FINDING NEMO back in 2003 - without the aid of 3D/IMAX/premium formats and with much lower tickets prices compared to now and a smaller international market - nearly made $870m on its initial run. INSIDE OUT and COCO were big 800s, too. Most Pixar originals hover around $600-750m on a good day. The likes of THE INCREDIBLES, RATATOUILLE, and UP. You know.

Outside of Disney and Pixar, you've got Illumination, whose biggest original movie was THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS, which made over $800m worldwide. No original since got there, though SING did pretty great for itself. I'm not sure where MIGRATION can land, but who knows. Is the public gung-ho for funny ducks at the moment? You can never guess where the zeitgeist will be. Only when the movie comes out, you find out.

DreamWorks' highest-earning not-sequel movie is KUNG FU PANDA, which made over $630m worldwide back in 2008. No 3D, no IMAX, lower ticket prices, adjusts to something a lot bigger today I reckon. Behind that is THE CROODS, which made $580m+ in 2013, and then MADAGASCAR, which made $530m+ in 2005, and then THE BOSS BABY made $520m+ in 2017. Nothing after BOSS BABY did that kind of money: Not ABOMINABLE, and certainly not the post-Omicron BAD GUYS. Maybe THE WILD ROBOT, from Chris Sanders - who directed THE CROODS and HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON as you likely already know, becomes the studio's next big not-sequel smash hit.

Sony Animation's biggest not-sequel was THE SMURFS with $560m+. INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE, for an all-animated film, is second at $380m+. No original movies are on their theatrical slate at the moment. FIXED is finished and rated by the MPA, but is without a release date nor any indication of where it'll play: Streaming or theaters? K-POP DEMON HUNTERS is to be a Netflix release. Everything else, like BUBBLE, TUT, TAO, etc.? Up in the air.

Paramount Animation, can't say. All of their not-sequels went belly-up or got re-routed to streaming/VOD: THE LITTLE PRINCE got offloaded to Netflix, WONDER PARK bombed hard in 2019, RUMBLE, UNDER THE BOARDWALK and THE TIGER'S APPRENTICE all skipped a wide theatrical release. No not-sequel movie has a release date, the only things close to that are still parts of franchises: TRANSFORMERS ONE, THE SMURF MOVIE, the untitled AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER movie, etc.

So, we gotta see where everything's at by the middle of next year... But I'll be curious to see how KUNG FU PANDA 4, THE GARFIELD MOVIE, INSIDE OUT 2, and DESPICABLE ME 4 - the movies that I think are guaranteed to meet their release dates - will do.

[witch-renna]

Watched Into The Spider-Verse last night and got done with Across The Spider-Verse today. I am a huge fan now and I cannot wait for Beyond. Ughhh, so hyped ;(

[getmemymicroscope]

Oh damn! Oh damn! Oh damn!

After totally fucking up the multiverse with that horrible end-credits stuff in Morbius, Sony absolutely makes up for it with this! Across the Spider-Verse not only quickly becomes my favorite movie of the year (sorry, GotG3; though, it is very close), but it might be right up there with No Way Home as just the best Spider-Man movie we have gotten (Spider-Man 2 as well). I mean, I've liked all of the Spider-Man movies (if there's one oft-rebooted superhero that's been done well every single time, it's Spider-Man), but even with that reality, this one is a class above!

I need to really start creating an at-home DVD library of my favorite movies, and this one definitely will be joining that pile (whenever I start it).

The end of this movie was full of multiple 'twist' reveals - about him and his world's Peter, etc. - but that absolutely brilliant, soul-crushing 'to be continued' ending... they absolutely nailed it, much in the way that Quantumania really had that opportunity and (seemingly) passed over it (Loki, season 1, also sorta took that ending, though I'm not sure if that was a different world or just an altered timeline). Also, Sinister 6 reveal, and Donald Glover, and that image of Andrew Garfield, and the shout-out to No Way Home - there was easter egg after easter egg here, and I'm here for all of it!

And - that ending maybe, just maybe, hints at the fact that we might not only get more of Karan Soni as the Indian Spider-Man (loved it!), but also a return of Spider-Pig and of Nic Cage as Spider-Man Noir!

I CANNOT wait for Beyond the Spider-Verse!!

Also, I need to rewatch both Into the Spider-Verse and this movie. Sony, as much you totally fucked up Morbius, you absolutely nailed this one! <3

[joshslittlemoviereviews]

Spider Man Across the Spider-Verse

The first film in the Spider-Verse franchise, 2018's Into the Spider-Verse, is one of the best superhero movies of all time, up there with the MCU's finest works and the good outings DC occasionally has which all seem to Batman films for some reason. Miles Morales is effortlessly cool, a good kid wearing Jordans and a black-and-red spider suit. Everything was perfect. Across the Spider-Verse is not perfect, and yet it is just as amazing, if not more amazing, than its predecessor.

A lot of what makes Across the Spider-Verse is the fact that it is the second film in the series; the emotional moments become even more emotional since we have a preexisting connection to the characters based of how well Into the Spider-Verse introduced them to us, for instance. This also works to the film's detriment, as this film is Part 1 to the upcoming Beyond the Spider-Verse, essentially being the first half of one larger film. The story is inherently flawed as a standalone in this way since the arc is incomplete, so technically, yes, this film is imperfect. But as a viewer, I didn't feel that way at all because of one major aspect of the film's greatness- the pacing. Somehow, it overcomes the lack of a plot climax or even arc whatsoever with amazing storytelling and separation of individual events. It may have ended on a cliffhanger where it had just reached its technical climax, but in no way did this film feel incomplete. That's a testament to the writers and animators in a way that even the first film didn't reach. Needless to say, I cannot wait for Beyond the Spider-Verse.

10/10

[lawrencegarte]

across the spider-verse is so so so good i cannot. CANNOT. wait for beyond the spider-verse.

[justnitro]

Echoes in the dark uriah heep

Em Em Am Am B7 B7 Em Em (x2) The day of darkness comes to every man And lingers while he reaches out his hand And he cannot know how it will end Till he finds out if he has a friend A frieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeend. Though I'd love to Say hello to you You might have to wait a while to say goodbye For it must end as it began And then start again. Echoes in the dark I have heard the echoes in the dark dim and distant voices of the past and ive seen so far into the night and lingered in the land of no. Em Em Am Am B7 B7 Em Em (x2) Far beyond the shrouded hours of dawn Through the mist of daybreak I was born But the day was clouded still by night Leaving me in the land of no light. Echoes in the Dark is a song by the classic British hard rock band Uriah Heep, originally released on their fifth studio album The Magician’s. Uriah Heep - Silver White Man (Outtake Instrumental Version) 18. Uriah Heep - Echoes In the Dark (Edit) 13. Blind eye -Circle of hands -Easy living -Echoes in the dark -The magicians birthday -Poets justice -The rain -Spider women -Sunrise -Sweet Lorraine. Search for Library Items Search for Lists Search for. Echoes In The Dark Guitar chords by Uriah Heep: Difficulty: 0 Intro: Em D C Bb x4 Em Em Am Am B7 B7 Em Em x2 Verse 1: Em F I have heard the echoes in. Uriah Heep - Proud Words (Alternate Version) 12. Ken Hensley Uriah Heep (Musical group) Home. Uriah Heep: Echoes In The Dark Uriah Heep - The Best Of Uriah Heep (LP, Comp) Philips: PHM - 55002: Bolivia. Em D C Bb (x4) Em Em Am Am B7 B7 Em Em (x2) I have heard the echoes in the dark Dim and distant voices of the past And I've seen so far into the night And lingered in the land of no light. Uriah Heep - Silver White Man (Outtake Vocal Version) 11. Uriah Heep - A Time Of Revelation - 25 Years On.

[sarcasticspiderman]

IT'S HAPPENING!!!!!

We're getting a sequel to Into the Spiderverse!!!

[destiny-smasher]

My personal 2020 GOTYs

1) Hades

This game, dudes. THIS GAME. A fraction of the budget, a fraction of the dev team size, reportedly HEALTHY development schedule and management...and imo it offers at least some of everything I want out of a single player video game. I have poured over 60 hours into this and I see myself putting in some more over time and ALL of the time I have spent has felt rewarding and edifying. Clever design, smart writing, organic voice acting, sharp gameplay, and all done at a fraction of the resources of these big budget, bloated games. You love to see it.

2) Final Fantasy 7 Remake (Part 1?)

I went into this year not caring much about this game at all. FF7 was a game I played as a teen, enjoyed, respected, and moved on from pretty easily. This Remake, so far, has done more than I could’ve expected in terms of actually REMAKING a game. It’s literally a new adaptation, and I as pleasantly surprised at just how hard it went. From realizing the world of Midgar into something so full of detail and plausibility, to reiterating and doubling down on its postmodern anti-corporation themes, to making Barret the character I loved the MOST somehow?? Combining everything I love about real-time RPG action with a tactical strategy element long missing from the genre, reimagining and fleshing out characters and concepts into something deeper and more meaningful...I’ve never considered myself a huge FF7 fan but this game was really something, and I absolutely cannot wait for more (and praying they do my girl Yuffie justice). I’ve been super skeptical of Nomura as a director given...the mess that has become Kingdom Hearts, but as it turns out, when he has others to reign things in, some surprisingly nuanced stuff for an anime game can come out of it. It has its flaws, to be sure, but it’s still the most enjoyable experience I had with a big budget game this year.

3) The Last of Us Part 2

I feel conflicted over this one in particular - I feel Neil is not longer a director I respect the way I did back with the first game. I feel Naughty Dog is falling victim to all of the late capitalist issues plaguing big budget game dev. But I also love this game. It’s much more flawed than the first, but that’s mainly because it’s more ambitious and complicated. It’s THE most flawed game on this game, honestly, but overall as a game I am compelled to respect its writing, its gutsier decisions, its art direction, acting, presentation, etc. It’s an impressive game and the most technically impressive game I played all year if not all generation. Props where they’re due, but at the same time, I think this game was poorly directed and I love it in spite of issues with its production, rather than because of some strong vision. That’s the big Sony bucks, I suppose, matched with a dev team willing and apparently somehow able to fulfil what they want to create. I still get the impression there was a bit of ‘design by committee for a mainstream audience’ kind of shit going on - how could there not with something this big? - and as a result I think the game is a bit bloated. Shave off about 3-5 hours from a few spots and it’d be a more focused game, and maybe I’d feel more edified and satisfied rather than weirdly conflicted. Even so, a huge accomplishment and I hope to see more games tackle premises as ambitious as this down the road.

4) Bug Fables

This game technically launched last year but it debuted on console in 2020, and I didn’t play it until then. This is as close to a follow-up to old school Paper Mario as it gets, while simultaneously doing a lot to forge its own identity and even improve on the formula presented in the previous games. Its rough around the edges but that’s mainly because it’s an independent game, and it’s amazing just how well the dev team was able to reproduce the scope and details of this specific subgenre of RPG, all while continuously implementing new game design elements and multiple features that make it feel more modern in its direction. Fantastic stuff, I’m still not even finished with it because I’ve been taking my sweet time, though I intend to finally finish it this month, and I have to say, it’s quite a special game in my opinion.

5) Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout

Absolute banger of a multiplayer game, really love the presentation, the concept, the overall execution, the way the team has been updating the game every month or so in response to feedback and implementing new content. So good to see the battle royale genre FINALLY pushed beyond just...arena shooting. Can’t wait to see where else this game can go over time.

6) Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Somehow this one slipped my mind when I first wrote this up, despite having poured well over 100 hours into it this year. I think part of it is that New Horizons did a lot of things I’ve wanted the series to do for so long, and yet is still far behind in terms of so many other things I wish they would do. Quality of life things prevent me from really re-investing into it, and yet despite that I have to admit it REALLY sucked me in for a solid few weeks and I continued to play off and on for months. It was the perfect game we collectively needed right when it came out and graphically I can’t think of how to really improve on that style. A really relaxing getaway I needed earlier this year, though like with previous AC games, I don’t find myself going back to it as much as I’d think I would.

7) Going Under

A surprise hit for me, this rogue-like swooped in from ‘heh that looks amusing’ to ‘oh wow this is legit just a great game.’ Its weird visuals, funky 3D gameplay, and surprisingly sharp storytelling make for a rogue-like unlike any other and one totally near the top for me.

8) Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales

Squeezed this in just this past week or so, and this one also satisfied me greatly. I wish we’d see more big budget open-world games like this -- laser focused, not wasting any time, and not being repetitious aside for completionists. So cool to see another team’s take on Miles after how much I fell for Into the Spider-verse, and very glad the team both homages that movie while subverting some expectations fans of the film might have, all while continuing to adapt Insomniac’s take on Spider-Man from a couple years ago.

9) Demon’s Souls (Remake)

As a big fan of FromSoft who never got too far into this one originally, it’s been great to visit it as if it’s a new Souls game with an alternate art style. And a very clean art style it has. This was a good pick to be remastered because many, even FromSoft fans like myself, missed out on it, and it feels unique from its predecessors while still showing a solid foundation they’d go on to build from.

10) Crash Bandicoot 4

An amazingly well done follow-up to the original trilogy, this game GETS what makes old school Crash games good, and it improves upon things in a number of ways, from making Coco the alternate hero, bringing back old faces in new lights, going ham with the visuals both in raw art and unique filters when replaying stages, and giving incentive for completion with so many great costumes. Well done, great old school platforming with modern design sensibilities. 

Honorable Mentions:

CrossCode

This also technically launched before 2020 but I didn’t play it until this year, and I don’t think it hit consoles until this year. I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect going in, just remembering that I had enjoyed the demo well enough. This game delivers in most ways you could want from an indie game, with an expansive world of sidequests and RPG growth, a flexible combat system that can be nailbiting and engaging, and old-school dungeon designs with lots of environmental and elemental puzzles that really ask a lot of you. All of this capped with a surprisingly great narrative with characters I grew to love, including a much needed protagonist with a unique identity unlike any in games that I’ve played, as well as extra bits of detail and production values invested at JUST the right moments where the story needs it the most. It feels a bit tedious at times and part of me wishes more of the sidequest content involved direct interactions with the named, recurring characters, but it’s still one of the most impressive and well-done indie games I’ve ever played.

Katana ZERO

Razor-sharp game design, this one. It’s a brief but intensely focused experience that feels like the video game equivalent of a slick, experimental indie film. Could do with some more replayablity for those who want it but what’s here is just damn good and I gobbled this game down like a fantastic, hand-cooked meal at an atmospheric dive bar barely anyone knows about.

Necrobarista

Haven’t quite finished it yet but this is definitely one of the best visual novels I’ve ever experienced just due to how hard it goes on presentation and pushing for a more cinematic and thoughtful vibe than any other VN I’ve ever experienced. The characters and writing feel ripped out of an early 2000′s webcomic, for better and for worse, but all the same, it’s some fantastic stuff and it’s so refreshing to see a game set in Australia tackling a well-worn genre by giving it a new spin.

Slay the Spire

Another personal pick since this released in 2019, and I’m not quite sure which consoles it hit or when, but I didn’t get into it until early this year, and was totally hooked. Fantastically addictive, probably the most well-design deck-building rogue-like I’ve seen, certainly one of my favorite deck-building games in general. Apparently I’ve sunk 50 hours into it this year, more than most on this list, and I wouldn’t be surprised if that number spikes up again at some point.