#Set right after Uncanny Avengers 30.

[positivelybeastly]

Simon says 🎲

7. A romantic kiss.

"So, what's this new form supposed to be?"

Hank blinks, and turns from where he's laying on the Avengers Mansion roof. It's newly completed, and he swears he's just stress testing it, but really he just wanted a moment of respite from the party going on downstairs. It was, as with all things Janet van Dyne, simultaneously very chic, very stylish, and yet all together too much - an excellent time, to be sure, but exhausting.

Hank's spent a lot of the last few years feeling exhausted, if he's honest. Which . . . well. Given the company he's currently keeping, it's hard not to be.

Honest, that is. He was never too exhausted for Simon.

"Simon! I hope I haven't drawn you away from the festivities - there's really no need to concern yourself, I just needed a breath of fresh air."

He's just hovering there, as beautiful as the day Hank first laid eyes on him. Why wouldn't he be? He's ionic. A collection of atoms and molecules so completely and utterly distinct that to call him a Wonder Man is both an absolutely correct appellation and the world's worst misnomer. He'll outlast them all - Hank knows that as surely as he knows the warped, frayed edges of his own genome. They've both been utterly transformed, but while Hank's only made himself look less and less human, Simon just . . . persists. Forever beautiful.

Electrically charged atoms, clustered so tightly and so densely that they form wisps of purple, surround him, and if Hank were feeling more himself, he might tease that there's a charge in the air tonight. Instead, he just smiles. He finds it hard to stop himself from smiling at Simon. He probably looks drunk. He has been drinking a little.

But if Simon thinks so, he doesn't say or show it. Instead, he floats like the proverbial cloud so that he's hovering right above and to the left of Hank, carefully setting himself down by his old buddy, his old pal. A less knowledgeable Simon scholar might think that he'd be easier to read if only he would take off those glasses, but Hank's well aware that if he did, there'd only be the red.

And he's never needed to see his eyes to read Simon.

"Jan's in fine form tonight."

Hank laughs, and immediately the tension he didn't quite realise he was feeling unfurls like a jolly caterpillar. "Isn't she just? I seem to recall the Professor doing something similar, years ago, back after Genosha. A rush of activity, a burst of energy, as if to prove it wasn't all for nothing, that life goes on. Granted, I think we're in a damned better place than we were back then."

Were they? Hank's not so sure. He's teaching at Harvard now, which wouldn't have happened 10 years ago. He knows that from personal, lived experience - after his second successful application to the school, one of the custodians had seen fit to give him his old red maroon suit jacket he'd thrown on the floor of the Dean's office in a fit of pique when his first application had been denied. But for everyone else, well . . .

"Yeah. Yeah, I think we are, actually."

"Optimism, Simon? Your wonders never cease."

Simon sees the punchline coming a mile away, walks into it. They laugh. This is comfortable, isn't it? This is nice.

"I think . . . I think Wanda and I finally broke it off, today. We talked, at the park, and it . . . well, there's more to talk about. But it felt pretty definitive."

Ah. So, that's why Wanda had hugged Hank when she'd seen him.

"I'm truly sorry to hear that. You were good for one another."

Simon snorts. It's a strange noise to hear out of that movie star mouth and filtered through the '40s Transatlantic accent that he always seems to settle on, and it makes Hank start a little.

"No we weren't. She wasn't what I needed, and I wasn't what she wanted. Never has been, and I never have been."

Good use of tenses, Simon. It was all Hank could think as he looks at the other man, rubbing his thumbs together.

". . . Well. Regardless. I always thought you were at least nice together."

"Is that why you turned up on that date all those years back wearing my old safari jacket? Because Wanda and I were nice together?"

Jesus Christ, Simon, go for my damn well jugular, why don't you?! Hank sat up at that, looking momentarily offended, utterly confused, absolutely bamboozled. Now Simon really is unreadable, just sitting there, staring at him. It says a lot about the both of them and the way they've left things, the way they've been skirting around each other's edges, that they both know exactly what Simon's talking about, despite it being one dumb date night Hank had crashed over a decade ago that most people would have just let fade into the annals of forgettable fun.

Well, now. Where in the nine rings of Hell did he go from here?

"It's, ah. It's a combination of a few different simian species - macaque, gorilla, ape, etcetera. The form. My new form. Since you asked. It's a little chimeric, if you want to know the genetic details. It retained my yellow eyes, from my feline mutation, however, I'm not quite sure why."

Simon just looks at him. Hank's answered the question, but not the question.

"It was - funny. I was being funny."

"Like Bugs Bunny."

"Precisely! Precisely like Bugs Bunny."

Simon sighs.

"Look, I know you may have spent a good amount of time dead, Simon, but I know when you were born and I know for fact that you know enough about Bugs Bunny to know that Bugs is - is - "

Where was he going with this?

"Oh, whatever . . ."

He turns away, starting to think that maybe he should head back inside. But . . . that would mean away from Simon, even if that's the reason he thinks maybe he should head back inside. His ears twitch as he hears plastic and metal and glass move, and he realises that Simon's taken off his glasses. The thought doesn't really phase him. All he'd see is the red. And, don't get him wrong, he likes the red, it's a reminder that he's not alone in possessing a body so utterly transformed that the windows to the shreds of his soul are tinted, but, not right now.

"Hank."

Oh, all right, fine, he supposes he'll look at his movie star friend a bit more.

He turns back, and starts a little. Again. How is it that Simon's getting the drop on him so many times tonight? Wasn't that supposed to be his gimmick? But then again, he's one of the few people who knows what it means to glance back at Simon and see his real eyes - or, maybe it was better to say his other eyes. That means he's concentrating, holding back that crackle that usually just comes spilling out of him. That's something he usually only does when he has to do a close-up, or if . . .

If there's something he wants to say but he can't quite say.

What is it that Simon wants to say?

Well.

Quite by instinct, Hank finds himself leaning back towards Simon, and . . . well, yes, that is his hand cupping his jaw a little, and well, maybe that is the tips of his fingers stroking at the immaculately trimmed sideburns that he's certain Simon's had for nigh on 30 years now. And maybe that is his thumb, feeling the cold skin of his best friend's cheek.

It's December in New York, and everyone in the city is cold except for Hank McCoy. It's always the way of things. He's always just that mite uncomfortable every time it's vaguely warm, but touching Simon like that, well . . . it's just nice. Funny, isn't it? Hank's got enough letters after his name to fill several alphabets, but he can't think of a word better than nice right now. It simply is nice. He's cool to the touch. Their temperatures reach a natural equilibrium. He's certain that means something, but what, well . . . it's . . . hard. Don't ask him right now. He's busy.

Busy kissing Simon Williams.

He knows what the man tastes like, of course (oh, hush). He's kissed him before. Bugs Bunny, like he said. But this is . . . undeniably something different. There's a difference between a big, loud, lip smacky, comedy kiss, and . . . this. This, touch, this, embrace, this, this. Hank's kissed a lot of people before, been frankly something of a slut in his time, but this is . . . more, than that. This is . . . charged. The fur on the back of his hand stands on delighted end as he spends just a little more time just, kissing, his best friend, and he can feel the ionic charge rippling along his fur. It's, good. Better than good.

Wonderful, actually.

He opens his eyes, and he realises that Simon's let the crackle flow back out. He's staring into red, pulsating energy again. It's like staring into a supernova, imperious and cold in its power. And he knows his own body well enough to know that Simon's staring into a star of his own, golden yellow, warm and knowing. If he'll allow his inner poet to escape him for a moment, something a little celestial is happening, he thinks.

That's - all, he thinks, actually. His mind's gone a little bit blank. His lips are still tingling with ionic charge as Simon looks at him, clearly expecting him to say something. First thing to come to mind, go.

". . . Better than Bugs Bunny?"

Simon laughs.

"Yeah, better than Bugs Bunny, you goof."

[comicreadingorder]

X-Factor by Louise Simonson Reading Order

When this series started the main X-Men team was full of all new people while Angel, Iceman and Beast had left to bump around between college and groups like the Champions, Defenders and Avengers. Jean was dead, and Cyclops ceded leadership of the team to Storm before retiring to Alaska with his wife and newborn son. ...But fans missed the originals so Marvel jumped through some silly hoops and retconned everyone back to their original versions.

The basis of the team is that X-Factor advertises themselves as humans who hunt down mutants, taking advantage of prejudice to get people to call on anyone they suspect of being a mutant. Once alerted the team would confront the person and, if they actually were a mutant, try to help them by inviting them back to base to stay and learn their powers.

While I wrote lists for other X-Men runs, each is supposed to function by itself rather than part of some master list. I’m sure you could piece them together easily enough if you wanted, but this is made with the mindset of someone only reading X-Factor. Bold=important or official part of the story Italics=optional with a note to let you decide for yourself

Avengers 263, Fantastic Four 286 -- These issues set up the return of the main team and lead into X-Factor 1.

X-Factor (V1) 1-4

XF Annual 1

XF 5-8 -- Louise Simonson takes over with 6 and lasts through 62.

Mutant Massacre

This was the first of the big 3 crossovers uniting the X titles. Despite being the newest, it really thrived during these crossovers, telling such big stories that they almost felt like the main title.

Uncanny X-Men 210, XF 9, UXM 211, XF 10, NM 46, Thor 373, Power Pack (V1) 27, UXM 212, Thor 374, XF 11, UXM 213

XF 12-16

Thor 377, 378 -- A big change to Iceman that lasts through the entire run.

XF 17

XF Annual 2

XF 18-20

Incredible Hulk 336, 337 -- XF 20 leads into these 2 issues. It doesn’t lead back into their title or get mentioned again but they ARE a significant part of the story.

Fall of The Mutants

The second “crossover” of X-titles, except they all pretty much tell their own story in different, unrelated parts of the world so I didn’t include everything. Hulk is just a transition issue for UXM, PP shows an extended XF fight, Cap closes up a loose end, FF is an epilogue. The UXM issues are there because they’re mentioned in Inferno, where the two titles come together.

XF 21-23, UXM 220-224, Incredible Hulk 340, XF 24, 25, PP 35, UXM 225-227, Captain America 339, XF 26, FF 312

XF 27-29

XF Annual 3 -- Part of the Evolutionary War Annuals crossover but each annual’s story is pretty self-contained to their title.

XF 30-34

Inferno

Here the titles cross-pollinate heavily, ending up with some characters jumping over to other books. New Mutants also tells a significant part of Inferno that mostly precedes the XF/UXM issues, but I felt like the X-Terminators miniseries explained enough of that story. Plus there’s already so much convolution in this event that I wanted to narrow the view. UXM 239, X-Terminators 1, XF 35, XT 2-3, XF 36, UXM 240-241, XF 37, XT 4, UXM 242, XF 38, UXM 243, XF 39

XF 40

NM 76

XF 41, 42

XF Annual 4 -- Part of Atlantis Attacks, works as one-shot, follows up on the previous NM issue.

XF 43-58*

Days of Future’s Present: FF Annual 23, NM Annual 6, XF Annual 5, UXM Annual 14

XF 59

XF: Prisoner of Love -- Self contained one-shot about Beast. Mostly just adding to let you know it exists; as far as I know it’s never mentioned again.

X-Tinction Agenda: UXM 270, NM 95, XF 60, UXM 271, NM 96, XF 61, UXM 272, NM 97, XF 62 -- The last big X-over of the three titles during the Claremont era, also the last issues written by Simonson.

XF 63-64**

UXM 273 -- X-Tinction Agenda epilogue by Claremont, also the last issue of his original run where he did both the plot and script.

Kings of Pain: NM Annual 7, New Warriors Annual 1, UXM Annual 15, X-Factor Annual 6 -- Story across annuals about NW and X-Force with backups about Freedom Force. Totally skippable if you’re not reading those. Put here for breathing room between it and the Muir Isle saga.

XF 65-68

Muir Isle Saga: UXM 278-279, XF 69, UXM 280, XF 70

X-Men (V2) 1-3 -- This serves to show all the characters together before they split into teams.

At this point Peter David takes over writing and creates an entirely new team, starting a run that’s popular in its own right.

To follow Cyclops and Beast continue with the Blue team in X-Men (V2) 4.

For Jean Grey, Iceman and Archangel jump to the Gold team starting with Uncanny X-Men 281. See Also:

*X-Men Legends 3, 4 -- X-Men Legends is a 2021 anthology title that had original creators return to tell stories set during their era. The Simsonsons wrote this to take place immediately “before 43″ but like every prequel type thing it spoils later stuff.

**X-Factor Forever 1-5 -- Out of continuity mini from 2010 by Simonson set after her departure in XF 64, it allowed her to show what her future plans for the team were before leaving. Best read after you've finished everything, like a deleted scene or bonus content.

[invisibleanonymousmonsters]

Little Hints

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Fem!Reader

Summary: Y/N has always had a way with people. But Bucky proves there’s a weakness to her observational skills. 

Word Count: 7,200 - One Shot

Y/N’s attention to detail couldn’t be rivaled.

Even Nat said she would be deadlier than the Black Widow herself if she had the combat and field training.

But Y/N was no superhero and she was definitely no Avenger.

Yes, Y/N’s perception skills were uncanny. She remembered almost every personal detail someone shared with her. For most of her life, Y/N didn’t think much of it. Even Fury noted her astute observation, but he would never compliment or acknowledge it openly. Tony argued it was a weird string of genius. But it was Nat who finally said it was because Y/N had high empathy.

Because it wasn’t just numbers and dates.

Y/N noticed people: their quirks, their habits, their personalities.

It were these skills that got her the job as both Tony and Pepper’s personal assistant. What used to be the job of four people, turned into one when the couple met Y/N.

Y/N was working as an gallery assistant when she all but ran into Tony with a tray full of champagne at an opening. In an attempt to calm her down and stop her from apologizing, Tony started asking Y/N questions about her personal life. She was an artist, struggling with making ends meet in the big city. She worked two jobs, since being a gallery assistant gave her a salary that couldn’t even get her an apartment in New York. The rest of her hours were spent bartending and flirting with terrible men in an attempt get higher tips.

The sad thing was that her hustling barely gave her time to do the thing she was hustling for: making art.

Once Pepper overheard Y/N break down the gallery director’s party details and personal schedule, she realized Y/N could be of much more use. And get better compensation for it.

The very next day, Pepper called offering her a job as both her and Tony’s personal assistant. Tony had a personality that most couldn’t handle. Meanwhile, Pepper was in charge of one of the world’s biggest and most advanced companies. They needed someone who knew how to handle a lot and integrate themselves into the crazy lifestyle the two of them shared.

They offered her an obscene amount of money. Pepper even said they’d build a studio space for her in the compound, as well as pay for her to move out of New York City and to an apartment of her choosing near the compound.

Y/N knew it wasn’t just the skills that made the couple want to give her a chance. Tony had a thing for underdogs. He saw Y/N struggling financially, mentally, and creatively. But he also enjoyed seeing her snap at a gallery attendee who tried hitting on her inappropriately.

Two weeks later, Y/N said bye to Manhattan and instantly fell in love with the quiet and the space of Upstate New York.

----

There was a knock and Y/N looked up to see Steve give her a shy smile from the doorway of her office.

“Hey, Y/N. Do you know where Tony is?”

“He had a meeting in the city. His helicopter is set to land in about…” She glanced at her watch, “20 minutes.”

“Thanks. You already eat lunch?” He added.

“Nope!” She jumped up from her seat, happy to have someone to eat with instead of hiding in her office for longer than she needed.

All of the Avengers had somehow become her friends. They practically made her part of the family; the same way they had with Happy. It was something that she had never expected. Out of all the Avengers, Steve and her got along the best. Y/N assumed it had to do with their mutual love of the arts. But Steve would say he liked Y/N for her ability to talk to him like he was just Steve Rogers…and not Captain America.

Just as the two of them wandered into the kitchen, Bucky was grabbing an apple from the fruit basket.

“Hey, Buck.” Steve greeted casually.

His best friend was covered in sweat and his hair was pulled back into a small bun.

He just gave Steve a nod and barely looked at Y/N. Of all the Avengers and workers at the compound, Bucky was the one Y/N interacted with the least. She understood he had a rough past and seemed more out of time than Steve did on most days. But it drove her crazy that he was the only person she couldn’t seem to figure out. Bucky never really talked to her. He wasn’t rude or mean, just passive…always polite and quiet. Y/N tried so hard to discover his personality from subtle observations. But Bucky was a secretive and stoic man.

He only really talked to Steve, Sam, and Natasha. Y/N never took it personally. Instead, she saw it as a secret challenge to try and understand him better.

“Did you ask out that girl from statistics like Nat suggested?” Y/N asked Steve casually, as she pulled out her packed lunch from the fridge.

Steve shrugged. “No. Honestly, I don’t think I’m in an position to be dating anyone right now.” He once admitted that he enjoyed talking to Y/N more about his love life than Natasha. Y/N was patient and understanding, while Nat could be a little pushy.

“Fair enough.” Y/N smiled as she tossed his a banana.

“What about you?” Steve raised an eyebrow.

“You know that answer, Steve.” She laughed. “I don’t date. I prefer to just live vicariously through other people.” Then she playfully tapped his nose. “Like you.”

“You know, Y/N, sometimes I think you were meant to live in my time. All these dating apps and- What did you call it? Hookup culture?” Y/N laughed nodded. “You hate it.”

“I do.” She sighed. “Never thought about that. What was dating like back then? You’ve never really told me.”

Steve chuckled darkly. “You’d have better luck asking Bucky. I didn’t go on dates back then. I was that little punk, remember?”

Y/N nodded even though she knew she’d never ask Bucky about dating culture of the 30s and 40s. They were barely coworkers, let alone friends that had conversations at a level above small talk.

Y/N was tiptoeing around the kitchen, refilling a few mason jars with clean water. It was in the middle of the night. Even though she knew the whole place was extremely sound proofed, Y/N still tried to be as quiet as a mouse. It was normal for her to stay late or even be at the compound on the weekends so she could use her studio.

Y/N drew the line at living in the compound. She did still feel like it was a second home to her, but she wasn’t an Avenger and she also needed her own space away from the world of superheroes and the Stark business.

As she cleaned the dirty paint water in the sink, she heard the footsteps coming into the kitchen. Y/N smirked. She knew Bucky walked louder on purpose. After scaring her a few times with his assassin silence, Y/N noted that he made his steps easier for her to hear.

“Hey, Y/N.” Bucky greeted groggily. He was wearing baggy shorts, but no shirt.

Y/N had become used to seeing all the guys without shirts, either from working out or just waking up. But she couldn’t deny that seeing Bucky’s bare chest got her more bothered than anyone else’s.

“Hi, Bucky.” Y/N said softly back. She didn’t bother making small talk. Bucky’s silence was something she never wanted to disrupt. If he wanted to talk to her, he would make the effort. She let him have the control.

Y/N was heating up an old mug of coffee when she tried to toss her hair up into a messy bun. It was the default style while she was painting or drawing.

Just as she tried to wrap it around for a third time, the hair tie snapped and flew to the floor. Y/N barely had time to swear when she saw Bucky handing her something. He must have saw the whole because he was handing her his own hair tie.

Y/N looked at him slightly surprised for a moment. He patiently waited for her to take it without saying anything.

“Th-thank you.” She stuttered before taking it from him.

Bucky left the kitchen without any other words.

Y/N was so stunned by the interaction that she actually jumped when the microwave beeped with her reheated mug of coffee.

----

“Tony, I don’t need a fucking escort.” Y/N rolled her eyes as she sipped her coffee in the kitchen. It was moments like these where she was glad she didn’t have to filter herself. Y/N swore like a sailor when it was just her, Tony, and Pepper. It was rather freeing.

“Remember that incident in London.” Tony pointed at Y/N aggressively.

“What happened in London?” Steve asked curiously. He had just walked into the kitchen with Sam and Bucky.

“One of our potential partners…umm…” Pepper tried to word it as politely as possible.

“He got a little handsy, okay!” Y/N finished for her, not bothering to hide her frustrations from revisiting the memory. “It’s not that big of a deal.”

“Handsy?” Steve stood straighter and uncrossed his arms. That’s all it took for him to side with Tony and jump on the overprotective bandwagon. But what Y/N missed was Bucky’s hands clenching tightly into fists at his side.

“He was just another rich asshole that thinks personal assistants are women he can objectify and sleep with. I handled it, okay?”

“Needless to say, we decided not to conduct business with him.” Pepper added.

“Happy is busy. So we have to find you some other security.” Tony thought aloud.

“You’re being ridiculous. All I have to do is pick up some important mockups and paperwork in the city.” Y/N scoffed.

“I can go with her.”

Y/N’s eyes flickered to Bucky. Had he really just offered to go with her or was she now hearing things?

“Perfect! Frosty will be your personal bodyguard for the day and I don’t have to worry about you. Especially when you’ve got the Winter Soldier to scare the bejesus out of anyone who looks at you funny.”

Pepper sighed in relief.

As soon as Tony left the room, Y/N’s face softened as she met Bucky’s gaze. “You really don’t have to do that, Bucky. He’s just being ridiculous. You have better things to do than follow me around.” He was Avenger.

“We don’t have a mission. So I really don’t.” Bucky shrugged.

“He’s right.” Steve supported. “Yes, please take him with you. He needs a life.” Sam added brazenly.

Bucky glared at him.

“Well, okay then.” She was still caught off guard by the offer. “I just have to grab my things and then I guess I’ll meet you at the helicopter pad?”

Bucky nodded.

A few minutes later, Y/N found Bucky waited patiently for her.

She was in her usual work attire. Being employed by Stark Industries required a business attire dress code. But working for Tony allowed her a quirkiness that most high-end companies wouldn’t allow. Y/N always had on fun patterns and bright colors. Even now, she was wearing a bright pink pantsuit with black, pointy stilettos.

Meanwhile, Bucky was wearing his civilian clothes. After he got situated in this time period and started to find himself again, Y/N would describe his personal style as a grungy biker. Now he wore a clean white t-shirt underneath his black, leather jacket. Once again, his hair was off his face and pulled into a sloppy bun. He probably knew Y/N didn’t want him to look like her security guard. However it was still obvious that he could kill someone with his bare hands. But maybe that was just…Bucky.

They were halfway through their helicopter ride to New York City when Bucky finally broke the silence.

“Did that guy really touch you?” He asked carefully.

Y/N sighed, but eventually nodded. “He asked me out for drinks. I was just trying to make a client happy. He wanted me to go back to his place, got a little too inappropriate, and basically groped me. I handled it and told Pepper.”

“Handled?” He questioned.

“I kneed him in the balls.” Y/N shrugged as if it was no big deal.

To her surprise, Bucky smirked at her.

But his face quickly returned to his stoicalness. “Does that happen a lot?” Every word was even and purposeful.

She shrugged. “It’s 2018, but the workforce is still not always kind to women. Usually it’s just flirting or an inappropriate comment or two. It’s never gotten worse than that time.”

Y/N studied his face and saw that Bucky looked deep in thought. His lips were turned into a frown.

“I promise I can take care of myself.” She felt like she had to reassure him.

“You shouldn’t have to.” He replied while looking out the window.

They didn’t talk for the rest of the helicopter ride.

It didn’t go past Y/N that this was the longest they’d ever conversed.

When they landed, Y/N felt Bucky walking a few steps behind her. She found it funny that everyone felt like they needed to protect her. Her situational awareness made her more than receptive enough to keep herself safe.

She’d already caught the bulge of a gun on the building’s security guard. Or the tan-line of a recently removed wedding ring on his finger. Y/N even noticed him check her out a split second before he held the door open for her.

However it was impossible for her to catch the death glare Bucky gave him when he saw it too. The security guard quickly looked away.

Bucky stood guard outside the office and listened carefully as Y/N sat in the meeting.

But it only took a few minutes.

“Done already?” He asked quietly when she strutted out of the office with a new briefcase.

“Yeah. I told you I didn’t need an escort.” Before he could answer, her expression changed. “Do you mind if we grab a coffee real quick? I’m running on fumes.”

He nodded and followed her to the elevator.

“You really came all the way to the city for just mockups and paperwork?”

Y/N smirked at his curiosity. “Top priority files. This company doesn’t accept electronic signatures and it’s sensitive information. The mockups are too fragile to be shipped and Tony has trust issues.” She chuckled. “He doesn’t let anyone do these pickups except for me and Happy.”

As soon as they were on the ground and out of the office building, Y/N walked with confidence. She knew the area well and remembered a cute coffee shop a few blocks away.

Bucky still walked a few steps behind her.

Y/N was about to tell him to stop when she noticed a group of men standing in a small circle and talking to each other. She could tell by their clothes and the sound of their murmuring that they were foreign. Y/N also didn’t miss the way their eyes undressed her. It made her feel gross and vulnerable.

One of them decided to be bold and made kissy nosies at her. “Не хочешь зайти ко мне пошалить?”

Another one muttered, “Хорошие ноги, красивые.”

Y/N assumed it was Russian. But she had no idea what it meant. She ignored them and kept walking tall.

The last thing she expected was for Bucky to bark back at them. Growl was actually a better word to describe it.

“Поговорите с ней снова, и я закончу вас.”

Their eyes widened in fear. Bucky was taller than all of them and three times their size in muscle alone. It was clear they hadn’t realized he was with her or they would never have been so brave. They jumped and scurried away like cowards.

Bucky walked alongside Y/N now.

Y/N noted how much closer he was as well. She eyed him carefully. It was obvious that the interaction upset him more than her. Every woman in a big city sadly became accustomed to catcalls and creepy men.

“I’ll have a caramel latte and whatever he’s having…” Y/N said to the barista as she gestured to Bucky, who was standing protectively behind her.

“Oh, you don’t-”

“Bucky, I dragged you all the way out here. Let me buy you a coffee.” She gave him a warning look for him not to try to refuse again.

He chuckled awkwardly and then ordered a black coffee.

As they waited at the bar, Y/N shifted her weight back and forth.

“What did they say?” She finally found the courage to ask.

Bucky’s jaw clenched. “Doesn’t matter.”

She nodded, already expecting that it was too gross or inappropriate for Bucky to ever repeat. “You didn’t have to do that, you know.”

“I know.”

Bucky moved even closer to Y/N as they walked back to the helicopter. But the ride back to the compound was silent. Y/N never minded Bucky’s quietness. For some reason, it relaxed her more than the silence of other people.

-----

Y/N wondered if the interactions between her and Bucky would change after he tagged along.

They didn’t.

Bucky remained his polite and quiet self. They didn’t have conversations; just the usual greetings and nothing more.

Y/N put it all to the back of her brain and continued with her job.

Weeks later, Y/N was in town with her niece. She’d offered to watch over the 5-year-old while her sister and brother-in-law took a weekend trip. They were expecting a newborn in a month or two, and the pregnancy hadn’t been easy for her sister.

Y/N loved being an aunt. A part of her believed she’d been born to be one; not a mom, but just an amazing aunt.

“Auntie Y/N, will Ironman be there when we go?” The little girl asked in between licks of her ice cream cone. It would appear that most of the dessert got over her face, instead of her mouth. Y/N couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight.

“Yeah, Jane, Ironman will be there.”

The little girl’s eyes lit up. “And Captain America…will he be there?”

Y/N laughed and assumed she would just go right down the roster at this rate. “Yep. He’ll be there too. Did you know he’s actually a good friend of mine?”

Jane gasped and nearly dropped her ice cream from the shock. But she recovered and immediately named the rest of the team. Y/N patiently explained that each and everyone of them would be at the compound and they were all very excited to me her.

Once they were done eating ice cream, Jane started climbing all over Y/N as she tried to walk to her car. Roughhousing and play wrestling were a big part of their relationship.

Y/N became used to this, but decided to hook Jane up from behind her legs and carry the child over her shoulder so Jane was hanging upside down against Y/N’s back. Jane was very amused by this and let out the most adorable giggles.

“What’s so funny, monkey?” Y/N played along.

But she stopped walking abruptly when she saw Bucky standing up ahead.

He had a small, but amused, smirk on his lips.

How long had he been watching them?

It was unlike Y/N to be surprised or caught off guard by someone.

“Stark got you stealing kids now, doll?” He asked.

Y/N didn’t overlook the fact that he’d just called her ‘doll’.

She carefully put Jane back down on the ground. Jane quickly looked over to Bucky and her eyes widened, immediately recognized him. She immediately hid behind Y/N’s legs, but continued to peak around to look at him.

Bucky’s face fell a little, believing the small child was scared of him.

Y/N caught it instantly. “It’s not like that.” She said hurriedly. “You’re…You’re just kind of…her favorite Avenger.” Y/N urged quietly, but knew Jane wasn’t paying attention to anything she was saying.

Bucky looked stunned by the possibility. Y/N even nodded slowly to further press that she was telling the truth.

“Jane, do you want to say hi to my friend Bucky?” Y/N called down to her.

The little girl shook her head, becoming far too shy to face her hero.

Bucky’s entire body softened and her crouched down. He leaned his head to the side to get better look at the hiding girl.

“Hi, Jane.” He greeted with the kindest smile Y/N had ever seen. “We all heard you were coming to the compound today. Everyone’s excited to meet you. But I guess I’m lucky that I get to meet you first, huh?”

Jane looked up at her aunt, who nodded encouragingly, before slowly walking to Bucky.

“Hello there.” Bucky smiled. “I’m Bucky.” He held out his hand politely.

Y/N watched him closely and realized this had to be the version of Bucky that Steve only knew, the one that grew up in the 30s and was the star of all Steve’s childhood memories. He was charming and sweet. Y/N had heard the description of this old Bucky before, but she’d never seen remnants of it until now.

“You’re Sergeant Barnes.” Jane whispered in awe as she slowly shook his hand.

Bucky couldn’t help but chuckle at his proper title.

“Your arm is so cool!” Jane added. “Didn’t Princess Shuri make it for you?”

“That’s right, darlin’.” Bucky smiled and nodded.

“Jane, why don’t you tell Bucky who you want to be when you grow up…” Y/N encouraged from behind her niece.

Jane seemed to get shy again and her cheeks blushed in embarrassment.

“It’s okay. You can tell me.” Bucky reassured her gingerly.

“I-I-I want to be like Princess Shuri. I want to be an inventor.” Jane managed to stutter out.

Y/N had never seen Bucky’s blue eyes light up so brightly. She knew that Jane warmed his heart just as much as she warmed up her own.

Bucky looked at Y/N for a split second before turning his attention back to the child. “Maybe one day I can introduce you to Shuri. She’s a dear friend of mine. I think she would love to meet you.”

Jane’s jaw dropped. “Really?” She gasped.

“Really.” He confirmed.

“You should marry Auntie Y/N!” Jane suddenly yelled out. “Then you could be my Uncle!”

Y/N rolled her eyes. “Alright, monkey. That’s enough of that.” She came and picked up Jane in her arms.

“Mommy always says you need a boyfriend!” Jane argued. “Look how handsome he is!” The child pointed out as if it were the most obvious thing in the world and couldn’t understand what Y/N’s problem was.

Bucky was standing up and blushing at the sudden subject twist.

“Yes, yes, yes… Bucky is very handsome.” Y/N admitted without looking at him. “But we gotta go, otherwise we won’t have time to paint before we meet the Avengers.”

“I could be your flower girl!” Jane added.

“Okay. I’ll race you to the car, monkey. I bet I can beat you! Ready, set, go!” Y/N shouted and watched as Jane sprinted to the parked car.

It gave Y/N and Bucky a moment alone.

“I’m sorry. She doesn’t have a filter quite yet.”

“It’s fine.” Bucky assured her. “She’s a great kid.”

Y/n nodded in agreement. “Right? I’m a lucky aunt.” Then her eyes stared into his. “Meeting you just about made her entire life, by the way. I wasn’t kidding when I said that you’re her favorite superhero.”

Bucky blushed and looked at his shoes. He was back to his shy self. “I’m struggling with the why part…”

“She knows a hero when she sees one.” Y/N stated confidently. “I better go… I can’t leave the little monster unattended for too long. I’ll see you at the compound.”

Bucky watched her until the two of them got into the car and drove away.

----

Y/N was glad she had her phone as armor at things like these. Using the excuse of being Pepper and Tony’s assistant was always helpful. In reality, she was basically always on the clock with those two.

She shifted her weight, even though she knew there was no standing comfortably in these high heels.

When Tony threw parties like these, he insisted on getting her the finest dress. He’d have designers send over options and let her pick. That way she’d never know how much he was spending on her. Y/N knew it was all pennies to him. But she didn’t think she’d ever be comfortable with Stark’s wealth.

Fast forward to Y/N, now wearing a Balmain gown that cost more than she’d like to know. It was strapless and navy up top, with the most detailed metallic design on the bottom. She couldn’t deny that it made her feel like a high-fashion model or a movie star.

But the feeling always faded when Y/N was reminded of how out of place she was at these things. Yes, the Avengers treated her like family. If anything, the few of them here felt just as out of place. It was more the military leaders, politicians, and fellow rich people that made Y/N feel like an imposter.

She usually stuck to Steve, Wanda, and Sam’s sides at the parties.

All of the men, even Tony, had already asked her to dance.

Steve fumbled his way, but eventually got his footing.

Sam dramatically did the tango, dipping and spinning Y/N every chance he could. It ended with Y/N in a fit of laughter, ignoring the somewhat annoyed expression of the guests around them.

Sam got Y/N out of her head enough for her to miss Bucky watching her from a dark corner of the party.

He always skipped the parties. He hated being paraded around and surrounded by judgmental strangers. Y/N always got him a suit (on request from Tony), even though she knew he never attended.

But as soon as Bucky caught a glimpse of Y/N entering the compound and heading to the ballroom, he knew he couldn’t miss a second of seeing her in that dress. He begrudgingly put on the suit that he usually ignored and slicked his hair back into a tight bun at the back of his neck.

It was worth it, watching Y/N laugh as Sam twirled her around for a second dance. There was no jealousy in the sight. Bucky simply enjoyed see her smile and hearing her laugh.

Y/N was now standing at the bar all by herself and sipping on another glass of champagne. Her Avenger friends had been pulled away from a senator or someone else important. Y/N was left to fend for herself. She wondered how it was possible to feel alone at such a crowded party.

Suddenly a large man moved just a step or two beside her.

Y/N did a double take when she realized it was Bucky.

“Bucky?” She blurted out. “Sorry. I-I’ve just never seen you at one of these parties before.”

He smiled shyly at her and shrugged. “Not really my scene.”

“Believe me…I totally get it.” Y/N chuckled. “What changed your mind tonight?”

Bucky ignored her question.

“You look really beautiful, Y/N.” The way he said it was so soft and sincere, like they’d known each other forever. What she didn’t realize was his compliment was also the answer to her question.

Y/N was so blindsided by it that she couldn’t say ‘thank you’ or even speak.

Bucky didn’t seem to mind. He smiled at the blush that graced her cheeks.

The music changed to a slow song that Y/N recognized and it made her glance over at the seven piece band. When she turned back, Bucky was looking at her in a way that made her feel exposed.

“Would you like to dance?” Bucky asked with a quiet confidence.

Y/N continued to be taken aback from this version of him that she was so unfamiliar with. But her body took over and Y/N realized she had nodded.

Bucky seemed pleased and gently took her hand, weaving through the crowd as he led her to the center of the dance floor.

He wrapped his flesh hand on her lower back and his metal one gripped her hand delicately.

Y/N instantly noticed Bucky had the confidence and movement that Steve and Sam did not. Then she remembered all the stories Steve had told her of Bucky wooing and dancing with all the pretty girls back in the day.

Was he still that man? Or was he a different person?

“You’re infuriating, you know that?” Y/N finally gasped.

Bucky’s eyes widened at her declaration. But he kept silent and continued swaying.

“I know people…I understand them. In fact, I pride myself on it. I liked to think it’s what makes me a good artist.” Y/N huffed and stared into his eyes as if she was trying to read his mind. “But you, James Buchanan Barnes… I can’t read you.”

“You seem rather frustrated by it.” He chuckled.

“I am!” She sighed dramatically.

Bucky pulled her even closer to his body so his lips were right next to her ear. “I know that you’re unbelievably observant. That’s why I’ve been careful.”

Y/N pulls up to look at his face. “Careful?”

“I have to watch myself around you.” He admitted as if it’s obvious.

Y/N stopped dancing now so she could focus all her attention on him. “Why?”

“Because I didn’t want you to figure me out.”

She was becoming irritated with his cryptic answers. But then she realized this conversation was difficult for him.

“What exactly are you trying to hide, Bucky?”

He looked at the ground and put his hands in the pockets of his pants. “My feelings, Y/N. For you.”

Y/N’s mouth opened slightly.

It wasn’t possible.

There was a reason she was observant: Y/N hated being surprised. She described it more as hating the unknown…or even just the feeling of being unprepared. Now her mind started racing, desperately trying to find the missing pieces of this puzzle.

Bucky looked kind of sad. He wasn’t sure what reaction he expected, but his insecurities and cynicism made him think it would end badly no matter what.

He stepped forward and gripped her hand before dipping his head slightly. “You really do look beautiful, Y/N.” Bucky whispered before placing a whisper of a kiss on her cheek. Then he disappeared through the crowd again and left the party.

“What the actual fuck…” Y/N whispered to herself as she now stood in the middle of the dance floor by herself. 

----

Y/N was painting late at night in her studio.

Sometimes Steve would join her, sketching in a giant pad, when he couldn’t sleep or was jet lagged from a mission.

Tonight was one of those times.

She had been constantly stealing glances at Steve. She was trying to figure out if it was inappropriate to ask about Bucky or if she even wanted to know.

Eventually, she had enough of the inner turmoil and slammed her paintbrush down.

“Do you know?” Y/N practically yelped.

Steve looked at her, utterly confused. “Know what?”

“About…” She took in a deep breath. “About Bucky…ugh…” Even saying the words felt ridiculous. There was no way it could be true.

Steve instantly knew what she was talking about and slowly placed his sketchpad and pencil on the table.

The change in posture answered Y/N’s unasked question. But she still refused to believe it. “Come on, Steve. There’s no way.”

“To be honest, I didn’t think he’d ever say anything. When did he tell you?”

“At the gala over the weekend. He asked me to dance…and…he just said it. Like he was shocked I hadn’t figured it out. Like it was so obvious!”

“Obvious?” Steve let out an amused scoff. “He hasn’t even told me! I had to figure it out on my own. It took me forever just to catch the little hints. And I’ve known the punk his whole life!” He chuckled darkly. “It’s weird seeing Bucky being subtle about a girl. He used to act the complete opposite.”

When Steve was brought out of his own thoughts, he saw how troubled Y/N looked.

“Y/N, why is this so hard for you believe?”

Her brow furrowed. “It…it just doesn’t add up, Steve.”

“Think about it, Y/N. Really think about it.” He encouraged quietly. “Whenever the two of you are in the same room, he’s always watching you. His body’s turned in your direction, even if it’s subtle.”

Then Steve laughed lightly. “There’s a reason a piece of dessert is always left, even when you’re late to dinner.”

Y/N squinted.

“Bucky leaves his. He does it so no one else will eat it all before you get there.” Steve explained. “The last time we all went out to a bar?”

“Yeah?”

“Did any men bother you that night?” Steve quizzed her.

She blinked, realizing there really had been absolutely 0 creepy men trying to hit on her. She’d even remembered going home and thinking about how fun and carefree the night had been with the team.

“Bucky watched over you like a hawk.”

Men caught on to such masculine behavior. Steve was basically telling her that Bucky had unintentionally been her man-repellent that night.

Y/N pinched the bridge of her nose, suddenly overwhelmed with all the new information.

“But why didn’t he just say anything? Why the distance?”

Steve sighed sadly. “He doesn’t think he’s good enough. Or mentally well enough, really. Bucky’s come a long way. But that doesn’t mean he’s stopped hating and doubting himself.”

Y/N slowly stood up and started cleaning up her palette and paintbrushes.

“I…I think I’m going to call it a night.”

Steve gave her a mournful look. He knew she was upset, but mostly confused.

Y/N needed time to think.

-----

Y/N didn’t see Bucky around the compound for almost two weeks. She knew he had to be doing in on purpose. He wasn’t on a mission. Therefore, he was hiding from her. It only confused her more. She didn’t know what to do.

After two weeks, Y/N decided she had enough.

She was rarely in the residential hallways of the compound. Pepper and Tony had their own wing at the compound. Y/N never wanted to intrude on the Avengers’ personal space by being anywhere near their bedrooms.

It just added to her anxiousness as she stared at Bucky’s room.

Hesitating slightly, she knocked on his door.

The door swung open quickly and Bucky didn’t have time to hide his surprise at seeing her.

“Y/N.” He stated more than greeted.

“Hi…” She muttered quickly in return. “Ugh…Can I talk to you for a second?”

Bucky nodded and pulled his door open wider for her to come in.

His bedroom was decorated more than she expected. He had old memorabilia either framed or mounted. Y/N assumed he fought for its return from various museums. There were vintage photographs of him and Steve, or him and his family. She even found a very recent photo of almost a dozen children. The quality gave away that it was modern.

“Those are my grand-nieces and nephews.” Bucky explained shyly without asking. “My little sister, Rebecca, she’s still alive…has a whole family and everything.”

Y/N smiled at the sweetness of it. Maybe Bucky wasn’t as alone in this time as she’d once thought.

She was about to comment on the photo further and ask more questions, but something else in his room caught her eye.

“Is that…?” She pointed to another wall where a painting hung.

It was one of hers.

When she’d first moved into town, she decided to try and sell a bunch of her old paintings at the local coffee shop. They weren’t much to her and she didn’t have the space to house them anymore.

Bucky’s face went bright red and he scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably. He’d completely forgotten that he had it in plain sight.

“I’m sorry.” Bucky quickly said. “I’ve made you uncomfortable. And I shouldn’t have said all those things at the gala. It wasn’t fair to you.”

“I just need to know…” Y/N’s voice shook slightly. “Why didn’t you just say something? Or-or do something? Anything.”

Bucky watched her for a moment, like he was deciding whether he should even talk. “I’m a broken man, Y/N. I can’t give much to anyone. I’ve learned how to find my happiness in this time. But there’s still so much I can’t ever get back. No one should have to deal with everything that comes with me.”

“What? And you think I’m perfect?”

“Yes.” Bucky answered too quickly. His eyes stared at the floor.

It actually made Y/N laugh. “I’m a mess, just like everyone else! Nobody’s perfect, Bucky.  I don’t think anyone’s had to fight like you’ve had to…but that doesn’t mean you’re too much for me to handle.”

The room went silent.

“I’ll never be me again.” Bucky finally whispered. “I’m never going to be the person you deserve.”

Y/N narrowed her gaze. “So, what? You think you have too much baggage?”

“You know it’s not more than that, Y/N.” He scolded.

She ignored him. “You like me.”

Bucky’s jaw clenched…because he knew it was more than like. There was no way he could declare it as love. He’d never been in love before. Sure he was smitten and infatuated with the beautiful dames of the 40s. But he had never loved them.

With Y/N, he looked at her and he knew that one day he would.

He was so beyond liking her.

“And I like you.” Y/N added confidently.

His eyes widened in shock.

“Why do you think I tried so hard to figure you out?” She whispered. “Because the things I did figure out already had me hooked. After the gala, I realized I knew you more than I thought. Just listening to Steve talk about you was enough for me. And I don’t mean the version of you from back in the day. I mean the man you are now, Bucky.”

Y/N took in a deep breath. “You don’t think you’re ready. I get it. That’s why you stayed so far away from me. But I hope one day you love yourself to let someone else love you too. And I’ll wait as long as you need me to, so I can be that someone.”

Bucky’s eyes were filled with tears as he listened to Y/N. He wiped them away roughly as he watched her leave his bedroom.

----

4 MONTHS LATER

It was raining so hard outside that Y/N couldn’t even find the motivation to leave her tiny cottage and drive to the compound to work in her studio.

So she decided to take a night off from painting and ordered takeout.

When her doorbell rang, she all but sprinted for the door from how starving she was.

Her face dropped when the person on the other side of her front door wasn’t the delivery guy.

“Bucky? What are you doing here?”

After their confrontation, Bucky kept his distance from Y/N. But in a different way than before. Now that he knew the feelings were mutual, he didn’t think it was fair to push her limits. Bucky knew Y/N was right: he had to learn to love himself. He didn’t think he could ever grow to be a good enough person to let someone else in. But if Y/N didn’t make him want to try, no one would. So he went to the VA with Sam and Steve, tried every therapist Pepper threw at him, and learned to build a foundation for this new life of his.

Bucky was drenched head to toe. It seemed like he had run from the compound to Y/N’s house. But the car behind him proved that theory wrong.

“Your painting…” He started talking over the rain. “Steve had been talking about you non-stop, telling me how great you were and how close of friends you two had become. Then I started hearing your name from everyone else. I had yet to even see you, but all of them had already fallen in love with you. Then one night I had a nightmare and was on my way to the gym. I saw the light on in your studio. You hadn’t spoke a word to me yet. But as soon as I saw you, I understood. Your hair was pulled back in that messy bun and there was paint covering both your arms. I thought you were beautiful.”

Bucky shook his head and smiled. “I knew you were too good for me. But the more I was around you, the more I wanted to talk to you. One day, Steve took me to a coffee shop in town…just to try and get my ass out of the compound. Some of your paintings were still there. I just figured, if I couldn’t have you…at least I could have just a part.”

Y/N didn’t let him continue. Instead, she grabbed him by his sopping wet jacket and pulled his lips to hers. Her own clothes became damp as their chests pressed together. She didn’t seem to care. Bucky responded, kissing her back just as hard.

“Ugh…should I come back?” A voice said behind Bucky.

They reluctantly pulled apart and both turned around to see a delivery boy staring awkwardly at them.

Y/N grabbed the bag of food, laughing hysterically as she saw the realization hit his face when he recognized Bucky.

As soon as the boy drove away, a somberness returned.

Y/N was basically standing in the rain with Bucky now.

He gripped her chin lightly and stared into her eyes. “Thank you…for waiting.”

It appeared that he was trying to leave, his body beginning to turn away.

“Where do you think you’re going, mister?” Y/N smiled. Bucky looked hesitant. “This Chinese food isn’t going to eat itself.”

She swore his smile beamed through the rain as he walked back to her.

Wow, did this one-shot take on a life of its own lol I love, love, love feedback. It makes me so so happy. 

[intergalactic-zoo]

I decided, apropos of nothing, to put on Joss Whedon's Zack Snyder's "Justice League" while doing some work today. I discussed the movie when it came out eleventy billion years ago, and thought it was fine. It's not good, but grading on the curve of every DCEU movie up to that point, it was a solid B-. Sitting in 2021, I remember bits and pieces of it—Steppenwolf looking like he stepped out of an XBox 360 cutscene, the decent cell phone video of Superman that was marred by the terrible attempt to CGI out Cavill's moustache, all the characters sounding like their rough counterparts in "The Avengers"—but not a lot of details.

Obviously the intervening years have altered my perspective on the film, both through the revelations about the behind-the-scenes racism and abuse and through the fanatical and also frequently abusive behavior of the fans clamoring for this version of the film, which absolutely definitely existed and was finished years ago and also needed an additional $70 million dollars and reshoots to complete. 

That perspective has not been altered for the better. 

Against my better judgment, I'm going to watch the Snyder Cut sometime, probably this weekend, so I figured it'd be good to see how it deviates from the theatrical release, like I did for the Lester and Donner cuts of "Superman II" so very long ago. I don't expect to enjoy either one; my feelings on the superhero movies of Zack Snyder are well-documented, and even under the best circumstances, four hours is too @#%*$! long for a superhero movie. But four hours of nihilistic spite dressed up in cinematic deepities and CGI with a sepia-toned overlay is unlikely to be the best of circumstances. 

Will it be better than two hours of the extremely generic re-skinned "Avengers: Age of Ultron" that got released to theaters? There's only one way to find out!

Boy, the New 52-ass character designs in the DC logo opening sure didn't age well. When was Rebirth, like, the year before?

Pretty neat that it's got Mogo and Jessica Cruz in there, though. 

That cell phone scene was a lot better in my memory. Like, the kids with a podcast are kind of charming, but I remembered it being a good Superman moment, when it's really just kind of nothing. Certainly not enough to justify the extremely bad CGI. And is the negative space on the S-shield supposed to look so gray?

Gotham City looks like the background of a Robert Rodriguez movie, but I actually like it here. It feels grimy and a little uncanny, the way Gotham should. A big building with "JANUS" on it in glowing letters and big coal chimneys out of Victorian London are what I want to see in Gotham, along with copious brooding gargoyles and enormous iron statues of Greek gods that you could drive a car on. 

A building that is continually being robbed by either Two-Face or Maxie Zeus

"Batman Forever," for comparison

Ben Affleck's Batman rasp is at least as silly as Christian Bale's. Batman can just talk in a voice, my dudes. I watched bits of "Batman & Robin" and "Batman Forever" to track down the right screenshots, and it's so much better when Batman is a guy with a deep voice rather than a guy who sounds like he's gargling gravel and sand. 

The crook asking "where does that leave us?" because Superman's dead is a little weird given that Superman was a public figure in this universe for literally a year and a half. In 2021, it's a bit like asking how we could go on if Billie Eilish died, except Billie Eilish hasn't, to my knowledge, ever been involved in a fight that leveled a major city.

The maudlin mourning sequence probably should have come before Batman backflipped over a snarling Kirby monster and "Mindhunter's" Holt McCallany hopped around on a rooftop, because I laughed out loud at the unhoused person's "I Tried" sign and I do not think that was the intended reaction. 

And then the Leonard Cohen cover gives way to the Danny Elfman score, and it sounds like "Batman" '89 again. God, this movie really is a mess. 

I appreciate Wonder Woman explaining her powers like she's in a Chris Claremont comic. How long until we get a superhero movie with a proper reference caption? I just want to see a box in "Into the Spider-Verse 2" that says "*It happened in Spectacular Spider-Man #206, True Believers!"

I really wish superhero movies could stop having the scene where superheroes talk about how stupid superheroes are. It feels so self-conscious. Just embrace the concept without being ashamed of it, please.

I also wish we could have dialogue less on the nose than everything Henry Allen says. He talks exclusively in clichés about movement—"running in circles," "standing still," "find your own path." We get it, he's talking to the Flash.  

I keep forgetting that this movie is a fetch quest. It could have worked if we'd seen more than Themyscira before. This could be like that sequence in "Avengers: Endgame" where we go on a little memory tour of the previous films, but instead it's a return to Paradise Island, our first brief, boring glimpse of Atlantis, and a nuclear plant cooling tower. This is one of the problems with setting the "let's get the team together" movie before you've met most of the team or established most of the set pieces. 

The boom tube effect is pretty good. It's a shame Steppenwolf looks so much like a character from a Zemeckis film. I do appreciate that Joss had enough restraint to avoid dropping "Magic Carpet Ride" or something when he showed up. 

Fus roh dah!

Also, I realize the ship has largely sailed on this, but the Amazons are supposed to be an incredibly advanced society; maybe we could stop depicting them as exclusively armed with bronze-age weaponry. 

You know, it's hard to see Lois Lane so...despondent? Demoralized? Even in the wake of Clark's death. Like, Lois was pretty weepy for a few issues of the comics after Superman died, but within two months she was accosting cops and breaking into Cadmus in a wetsuit and punching dudes in the teeth. Lois Lane is a stone cold badass, and the only film in this erstwhile trilogy that came close to understanding that was "Man of Steel."

The frustrating thing about the dialogue is just how obvious it is that Joss knows how to write exactly as many characters as are on the Avengers. Batman just sounds like Tony Stark, Wonder Woman banters like Black Widow until she needs to exposit like Thor, it's just so lazy. 

And so is the backstory of the Mother Boxes. I actually really like the "all the races of man joined together with the gods and the Green Lanterns to repel Steppenwolf" angle, because it makes this idea of uniting as a League into a theme that you could build a movie around (that movie was "The Fellowship of the Ring"). Unfortunately, they do it by stripping the Mother Boxes of anything that made them interesting as a concept and turning Steppenwolf into a low-rent Thanos. Thanos is supposed to be a low-rent Darkseid, get it right. 

I was going to rag on Bruce for comparing Flash's suit to "the space shuttle" in the present tense, when the space shuttle program ended six years before this movie came out, but I suppose Bruce Wayne is a cranky old guy in this movie, so it kind of works. 

Man, poor Ray Fisher, in addition to everything else, having to read this warmed-over Bruce Banner dialogue. 

Not gonna lie, hearing the Elfman Batman theme is pretty great. It's nice that Batman and Wonder Woman have really solid, recognizable motifs in the score, even if they had to reach back 30 years to find one for Batman. It's a shame the other characters don't get anything so clear and distinctive. 

Casting J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon was a pretty good move.

Our first full glimpse of Cyborg is a bit uncomfortable. Up until this point, we've seen him in sweats, so seeing him without clothes...it's like that bit in "Cats" where Idris Elba takes off his coat and even though he's covered in CGI, you can't help but think "okay, he's naked now," a thought you only have because he was wearing clothes before. 

Batman does his "disappear while Gordon has his back turned" bit, and it becomes a gag because only Flash is left behind. Except that we've seen that Flash perceives things at a higher speed than others, so why would he be caught off-guard? Wouldn't their disappearance have happened in basically slow-motion to him? Why did Wonder Woman and Cyborg disappear when Batman did? How did they know to do that? The only reason Flash is left behind is for the gag, because he's the comic relief character right now, but it would make more sense for literally either of the others to be the one in that position. It feels like a "kill your darlings" moment. Like, they decided that this gag was more important than making sense, when they could easily have done a different gag—like Flash noticing that Batman was leaving and stopping him in the middle. 

The Nightcrawler is a bad idea. It doesn't really make sense as the thing Batman would bring to this fight with Steppenwolf, and it's loaded up with guns, which...come on, guys. It doesn't even get a clear enough spotlight to be properly toyetic. 

If you needed any confirmation that Joss saw how much better Quicksilver was in "X-Men: Days of Future Past" than in "Age of Ultron," the Flash is here in this battle to make it obvious. 

God, the "Flash is awkward about being on top of Wonder Woman" gag feels like it lasts a thousand years. It's like something out of a "Big Bang Theory" episode.

It physically pained me to hear crappy Steppenwolf quoting New Gods #1. 

I know there's pathos to Cyborg's character, but, like, is this really the version that they thought people wanted to see? Is this just the Brooding League? I thought a part of the reason for bumping Cyborg up to the big League was to bring in people who love the version on "Teen Titans," but there's nothing of that character here. 

On the other hand, they've sidestepped the modern problem of making Barry Allen act like Wally West by instead making Barry Allen act like Bart Allen with a head injury. 

I really like Bruce Wayne in a vest. 

There's so many things that would have made this movie better, but honestly? I think Superman should've stayed dead. Obviously I love the character, and I even love Cavill's performance, but a movie about  a superhero community coming together and being inspired by Superman's example to be better—you know, the thing Batman says at the end of "Dawn of Justice"—would have been a lot better than a movie where two characters we just met dig up Superman's grave to MacGuffin him back to life. It still wouldn't make that much sense that Superman would have such a massive impact after just a year and a half of public superheroing (come on, Snyder, if you're going to do the Christ allegory, why not give him three years?), but it would have been a better way to showcase what the character means to this universe and to these characters. 

This runs into something I said way back when I first saw "Man of Steel": You shouldn't make General Zod your first-movie villain. I've been comparing this film to "Age of Ultron" a lot, but I'm starting to realize that the entire DCEU—with the possible exception of "Wonder Woman"—is made up of the second movie in each character's respective franchises. Zod should have been the villain Superman faced after he was established, to raise doubts about the character's allegiances and present him with a seemingly impossible threat. Batman should have fought Superman after a movie where we established what Batman's deal is, how he got to be so angry and bitter. The Justice League should have faced an enemy too big to fight without Superman after the movie where a threat and Superman's legacy inspired them to unite together. Heck, even "Suicide Squad" would've been better if they'd saved the "one of our own is a traitor" plot for a sequel, where we might have some emotional attachment to some of the characters. 

Boy, Barry Allen attempting a fist bump with Cyborg and then laughing off the rejection with the phrase "racially charged" hits real bad in the wake of Ray Fisher's discussion about the environment on-set. 

One thing to appreciate about Cavill's Superman is how much he exemplifies the hairy-chested, dimple-chinned version that Dan Jurgens draws. 

And Elfman works the John Williams theme into the score. The motif works well the first time, less so the second when he's trying to kill the Flash. Hitting it in a more minor key would have been nice. Again, it's a shame they had to go literally forty years back in time to find a recognizable Superman theme when there were two Superman movies leading up to this. 

This fight between Superman and the League is bad and unnecessary, but the bit where Superman reacts to Flash in super-speed is well-done, marred only by the incredibly doofy look on Flash's face. 

God, Cavill doing the gravel-voice, asking "Do you bleed?" might be the worst part of this movie. Although Lois Lane entering the plot for the first time in an hour so she can say "the sun's gettin' real low" to Superman is a close second. Why isn't she involved in the formation of the League? Why wasn't she a major character in this?

Batman's "something's definitely bleeding" comedy bit feels like something out of a View Askew movie, and not only because it's Ben Affleck. 

Clark's discussion with Lois, "it's itchy," it's yet another jarring tone shift from what we saw immediately before. And the greenscreen work on the farm (reshoots, I expect) is somehow worse than the moustache removal. 

The bit with Aquaman baring his soul because he's sitting on the Lasso of Truth is the closest one of the comedy bits in this has come to actually working for me. 

And then, adding to the "Age of Ultron" comparisons, we're back to fighting an enemy in a small Eastern European nation. The red skies are a nice touch. The Batmobile's 50-caliber cannon and chainguns, less so.

Did...did the Flash just say "oh snap"? 

And Aquaman saying "my man" to Cyborg with the exact same inflection as Bradley Cooper in "Get Out" is another one of those real uncomfortable moments. 

And then Batman gets a laser gun, because why not? 

Superman asking "how can I help" and then rushing off to save civilians is maybe the best moment for the character in the entire DCEU. It's also nice that Superman gets a moment to help more or less each character with their individual missions. 

And then Wonder Woman drops the "I work with children" line, which is the best line Black Widow gets in this movie. 

Cyborg gets his "booyah" moment, which feels forced but at least makes some sense with his character arc. Flash gets his fistbump. Not-Sokovia gets to be the setting for a Jeff Vandermeer novel, and the team gets their triumphant moment in the sun. 

We're on to denouement, and Lois gets the closing narration, which is mostly fine. It would work better if she weren't basically a cameo in the movie. I do like that it ends on "look, up in the sky," and that Cavill finally gets a chance to do the shirt pull. 

Except that's not the end. First we get the beginning-of-credits scene with the Superman/Flash race, which is cute but unnecessary. And then a truly awful cover of "Come Together" before the post-credits sequence where Lex Luthor meets up with Deathstroke and his truly ridiculous dye job. 

In summary, Joss Whedon's Zack Snyder's "Justice League" is a bad movie. In fact, it's several bad movies stitched together into a shambling bad movie Frankenstein. And tomorrow I'm going to watch Zack Snyder's Zack Snyder's "Justice League: The Snyder Cut," which is getting surprisingly positive reviews. I do not expect to enjoy it, because I really don't think my problems with this movie will be fixed by making it broodier and longer, and my track record with enjoying Snyder's films is basically nonexistent. But I'm watching it, because I'm a glutton for punishment, and at least if I do it while I'm still on vacation from Twitter, I won't be tempted to join in the undoubtedly toxic discourse. 

[eddycurrents]

For the week of 18 December 2017

Quick Bits:

Accell #6 concludes Danny’s first confrontation with new villain Midnight Blue and it’s interesting to see him still navigating how to be a hero, in this case ultimately failing. Damion Scott’s art is easily worth the price of admission alone.

| Published by Lion Forge / Catalyst Prime

Angelic #4 really starts getting into the happenings behind the scenes and the truth of what humans did before disappearing from the face of the Earth. It also shows that both the monks and the mans have been perpetuating their own ideologies and systems of belief to retain their own power structures. Not surprising, but like Orwell’s Animal Farm it’s a good way to show us some of our own failings through analogy.

| Published by Image

Assassinistas #1 isn’t exactly what I was expecting, but this is better. For whatever reason, I was expecting madcap female assassin action a la Kill Bill. That element is present, but this is really an interesting, humorous, and heartfelt look at three women who were assassins, who have moved on with their lives to create families and different situations. It’s about what happens after the usual exploitation movie, and it’s wonderful. Tini Howard has created some believable and interesting characters that are perfectly suited to Gilbert Hernandez bringing them to life.

| Published by IDW / Black Crown

Backways #1 is off to a good start. Anna’s girlfriend Sylvia goes missing amidst dabbling with magic and the occult, leading to Anna’s quest to find out what happened to her. Justin Jordan and Eleonora Carlini create some interesting characters and setting here, with some great art by Carlini.

| Published by AfterShock

Betty & Veronica: Vixens #2 gets us into the recruitment phase of the gang. I like the two narratives that Jamie Lee Rotante is providing, one of the current day gang and one of their formation. The art from Eva Cabrera fits this story perfectly.

| Published by Archie Comics

Dark Ark #4 gives us the battle between Nex’s vampires and the rest of the ark. It’s not pretty. The art by Juan Doe, though, is glorious.

| Published by AfterShock

Deadpool vs. Old Man Logan #3 manages to make Wade and Logan feel like an old married couple. It’s hilarious.

| Published by Marvel

Evolution #2 makes me sad that this isn’t weekly or released in huge chunks. The story from James Asmus, Joe Keatinge, Christopher Sebela, and Joshua Williamson is great, with each group of characters having their own unique point of view to give a broader picture of the coming epidemic. But the real star remains Joe Infurnari, whose art just pulls the whole thing together and elevates it to what’s looking like a horror masterpiece.

| Published by Image / Skybound

The Family Trade #3 sends Jessa on the run as the intrigue amongst the Family and the Clans begin to reach a boiling point. Morgan Beem’s art again makes this one of the most unique looking books on the shelves, very well done.

| Published by Image

Hellboy: Krampusnacht is a beautiful one-shot illustrated by Adam Hughes showcasing Hellboy vs. Krampus. It’s a fun take on the folklore, changing it up to more suit Hellboy’s world.

| Published by Dark Horse

Jim Henson’s The Storyteller: Fairies #1 kicks off a new anthology mini series with Matt Smith’s interpretation of the Icelandic fairy tale, “The Elf Queen and the Shepherd”. It’s a good story, with a bit of humour about talkative birds, and Smith’s art is beautiful.

| Published by Boom Entertainment / Archaia

Joe Golem: Occult Detective #4: Flesh & Blood #1 starts off a new two-parter with an interesting mystery of either a haunted house or a possessed woman or possibly both. Although the stories by Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden are good, the main draw for this series for me has been Patric Reynolds’ depictions of the Drowning City. New York City recast as a derelict Venice just has something inherently right about it and Reynolds continuously nails the visuals.

| Published by Dark Horse

Kong on the Planet of the Apes #2 continues to feel like a seamless fusion between the two properties. The artwork from Carlos Magno is wonderful as expected, and I really like how Ryan Ferrier has incorporated some of the tropes of Kong stories, even briefly in the explorer’s notes as narration at the beginning of this issue.

| Published by BOOM! Studios

Made Men #4 makes a bit of a mess of their operation regarding the captain who ordered the hit on Jutte and her squad. There are some great comedy moments again this issue with Hadry continuing to adjust to the changes in society. Month in, month out, Paul Tobin and Arjuna Susini continue to make this one of my favourite books on the shelves.

| Published by Oni Press

Marvel Two-in-One #1 finally gets around to dealing with the aftermath of Secret Wars and the disappearance of Reed and Sue. Chip Zdarsky and Jim Cheung manage to create something mournful and beautiful here.

| Published by Marvel

Optimus Prime #14 closes out the “Dead Come Home” arc with more gorgeous artwork from Livio Ramondelli. It’s also interesting as to how many threads John Barber is weaving from to craft this story. There’s bits from various Spotlight issues, the Dinobots trilogy, the recent Shining Armor mini, the First Strike crossover, and more, yet it never seems confusing or busy.

| Published by IDW

Redlands #5 is probably the darkest issue to date. While it focuses a bit on Bridget’s history, with Zuzu and with darker entities further back in time, it also dives deep into different narratives of abuse, “ownership”, and forced prostitution.

| Published by Image

ROM and the Micronauts #1 spins out of the First Strike crossover, but there’s not much continuity there that isn’t repeated in the first couple of pages. The rest of the book is heavier on the previous ROM series continuity, but it shouldn’t really serve as an impediment. Basically, ROM and the Micronauts team up to take on the combined forces of the Dire Wraiths and Baron Karza, then everything goes to hell. Christos Gage sets up an interesting predicament for the heroes and a compelling reason for them to continue together. Paolo Villanelli again proves adept at just about everything the Hasbroverse can throw at him artistically.

| Published by IDW

Sherlock Frankenstein & The Legion of Evil #3 is a turning point in Lucy’s investigation, as she searches out the Metal Minotaur and uncovers some of the secrets of Sherlock Frankenstein’s villainous meeting. The twist is interesting and should lead to a good final confrontation. The art again from David Rubín is truly amazing.

| Published by Dark Horse

Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #15 begins Aphra’s latest mission for the murder bots. The dialogue for this issue from Si Spurrier is just spot on as it punches up some of the more humorous aspects of the series. Emilio Laiso’s art also gets to shine again, with some of the best depictions of various species throughout the Star Wars universe. 

| Published by Marvel

Summit #1, like Noble and KINO, focuses on one of the astronauts who were sent out to stop the asteroid from crashing into Earth. Ostensibly, Valentina Resnick-Baker was the only one to publicly survive, even though we as readers know at least the fates of David Powell and Alistair Meath, which makes Val’s supposed visions of her crew a little more interesting. Amy Chu and Jan Duursema seem to have one of the more central books here to the comics universe’s central plot, with explicit ties to Foresight and following up on the deliberate murders of scientists who knew the truth about the asteroid, so it’s nice to see the story focus on character more than plot. It’s also really nice to see Duursema’s art again. 

| Published by Lion Forge / Catalyst Prime

Tales of Suspense #100 is a great first issue from Matthew Rosenberg and Travel Foreman. Rosenberg’s Hawkeye is very much in the Fraction vein and his interactions throughout the comic are hilarious.

| Published by Marvel

Transformers: Till All Are One Annual 2017 brings both the series and Mairghread Scott’s tenure to a close. This ties up a few loose ends from the series and from the First Strike crossover, while giving Cybertron a new status quo going forward. This change hasn’t been reflected yet in the other Transformers titles yet, but it should be interesting to see a potentially friendlier and more progressive Cybertron. I am hoping that some of the personal revelations about Starscream will be picked up by either Optimus Prime or Lost Light.

| Published by IDW

Unholy Grail #5 brings the series to a close. In order to do so, it jumps over a few things, and pushes forward the timeline, which to me makes it feel a little rushed compared to previous issues. Still, the entire series has been a bleak reinterpretation of the Arthurian myth and that time shift adds to the feeling of emptiness. Wonderful artwork from Mirko Colak.

| Published by AfterShock

Other Highlights: 30 Days of Night #1, America #10, The Beautiful Death #4, Big Trouble in Little China: Old Man Jack #4, Centipede #5, Champions #15, Curse Words Holiday Special, Dark Fang #2, Defenders #8, Doctor Strange 383, Generation X #85, Genius: Cartel #5, Guardians of the Galaxy #149, The Harcourt Legacy #2, The Hard Place #5, Head Lopper #8, Horizon #17, Incredible Hulk #711, Lazaretto #4, Luke Cage #168, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #22, Mighty Thor #702, Monsters Unleashed #9, Ms. Marvel #25, Ninja-K #2, Old Man Logan #32, Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #298, Quantum & Woody! #1, The Realm #4, Rockstars #8, The Shadow #5, Spider-Gwen #27, Star Wars: Poe Dameron #22, TMNT Universe #17, Tomb Raider: Survivor’s Crusade #2, Uncanny Avengers #30, Unholy Grail #5, Vampirella #9, Venom #159, Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse Christmas Special, X-Men: Grand Design #1

Recommended Collections: All New Guardians of the Galaxy - Volume 2: Riders in the Sky, Black Hammer - Volume 2: The Event, Cosmic Scoundrels, Deadly Class - Volume 6, Grrl Scouts: Magic Socks, Hawkeye - Volume 2: Masks, Hillbilly - Volume 2, Monsters Unleashed, Secret Weapons, Superb - Volume 1: Life After the Fallout, The Unbelievable Gwenpool - Volume 4: Beyond the Fourth Wall

d. emerson eddy is going to collapse and go to sleep now.

[immedtech]

The movies and books we'd give as gifts

"Stick to tech," you might be thinking right now. Well, in a way, we are. No, we're not pop culture critics, and hardcover books aren't gadgets. But our gift guide wouldn't be complete without some DVD (OK, fine, Blu-ray) recs, and what is our taste if not nerdy? Because we're Engadget, and covering tech is what we do, we curated a list of books and movies that fall squarely in the sci-fi, gaming, nerd-culture and dystopia buckets. Or, in the case of nonfiction books like Super Pumped, we included media that chronicles and interrogates the tech industry -- for better and worse. Looking for something not too expensive with a bit more warmth than, we don't know, a battery pack? A book or movie relevant to your geeky friend's interests could be just the thing.

Die Hard 4K Blu-ray

Die Hard is a Christmas movie. You know this in your heart to be true. Buy it in 4K and give it to every John, Hans and Holly on your holiday shopping list. -- Andrew Tarantola, Senior Editor

Buy Die Hard 4K on Amazon - $15

Uncanny Valley (Anna Wiener)

A millennial young woman's true coming-of-age story, set in Silicon Valley startups, Uncanny Valley is an incisive peek at tech culture circa 2012 and what it meant to gain access to a system that has now expanded far beyond the Bay Area. Anna Wiener contrasts her twentysomething wandering with the messianic certainty of a hyper-optimistic tech industry. It's a paradox many young adults are encountering -- and perhaps an apt reflection for the entry-level coder on your list. -- Chris Ip, Associate Features Editor

Buy Uncanny Valley on Amazon - $14+

Will Cats Eat My Eyeballs (Caitlin Doughty)

If you have a little one on your holiday shopping list more interested in Jack Skellington than Santa Claus, we have the book for you! In Will Cats Eat My Eyeballs? mortician and best-selling author Caitlin Doughty answers 35 of people's most burning questions about what happens after we kick off with humor, grace and calm candidness. -- A.T.

Buy Will Cats Eat My Eyeballs on Amazon - $13+

Wanderers: A Novel (Chuck Wendig)

For the voracious reader on your list, Wanderers is a must-have. Tipping the scales at 800 pages, this apocalyptic end-of-the-world tale dives into a world bewitched with a mysterious malady that turns its victims into sleepwalkers. Difficult to harm and dangerous to touch, these sleepwalkers do not speak or wake; they just walk toward a singular destination known only to them. Their family and friends serve as shepherds defending these "flocks" as they shamble forward, which quickly becomes a deadly proposition when an ultra-violent militia starts targeting the sleepwalkers.

Teenaged Shana is one such shepherd. Her quest to save her sister hinges on solving the mystery of the sleepwalker sickness, but the secret behind the epidemic could very well tear an already fractured nation far beyond its breaking point. -- A.T.

Buy Wanderers on Amazon - $14+

Avengers Endgame 4K Blu-ray

Avengers: Endgame arrived in theaters earlier this year, but the 4K Blu-ray version only dropped in August. If an avid Marvel film fan on your holiday list hasn't managed to pick up this Blu-ray yet, it's well worth adding to their collection. The film is an epic follow-up to its slightly less acclaimed precursor, Avengers: Infinity War. Heck, if your giftee has been lax about collecting them, you may as well get both. As usual, the package includes both the physical disc and a digital code, so owners can enjoy the uncompressed media experience while also having the freedom to watch on the fly from various digital platforms. It's presented in Dolby Atmos audio and HDR10, so those who've invested in a capable home-theater setup can enjoy a pretty stunning cinematic experience. -- Jon Turi, Homepage Editor

Buy Avengers Endgame on Amazon - $30

Permanent Record (Mary H.K. Choi)

Mary H.K. Choi has emerged as an author who knows how to write about young romance through social media and texts -- which is basically how all romance works now. Her latest is Permanent Record, a young adult novel centered on two protagonists: a bodega worker who dropped out of college and a pop star beloved by her Instagram following. It's one for the teens in your life, or the adults trying to understand them. -- C.I.

Buy Choi - Permanent Record on Amazon - $11+

Permanent Record (Edward Snowden)

Despite sharing a title, this is certainly not the same mood as the young adult romance above. Instead, Edward Snowden's memoir is both a thriller and a reflection on the pervasiveness of big data. It charts his childhood instinct for gaming the system (case in point: changing the time on clocks in the family house to stay up late) as well as his path from the army to the CIA to becoming an NSA contractor. Then, of course, is the the play-by-play of his whistle-blowing. The memoir is a glimpse at what it took to reveal the extent of digital mass surveillance, a phenomenon that six years after Snowden's revelations, we all accept as normal. -- C.I.

Buy Snowden - Permanent Record on Amazon - $15+

The Boys Omnibus Vol. 1-4 / Expanse Series (Garth Ennis)

The Expanse and The Boys have both been breakout hits for Amazon Prime this year. The Expanse follows a ragtag team of antihero spacefarers as they defend the solar system from alien threats and human conspiracies. But the TV series, as great as it is, only explores a sliver of the Expanse universe. If there's a fan of the show on your holiday shopping list, they're going to flip if you get them this eight-story set of Hugo Award-winning novels by James S. A. Corey, ahead of the ninth and final book's release in 2020.

Conversely, if the sci-fi fan on your list is big on antiheroes but not so much space adventures, introduce them to The Boys. This four-volume graphic novel series from Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson tells of a world dominated by corrupt superhuman "heroes" and the corporate powers that control them. The only ones willing and able to stand up in this dystopia are a motley team of special operatives, assassins and one poor schmuck in way over his head. This story is a must-read, but be warned: Things get real bloody, real quick. -- A.T.

Buy The Boys on Amazon - $10+

Buy Expanse Collection on Amazon - $86

Buy Expanse Book 8 on Amazon - $150

Tools for Thought (Howard Rheingold)

For tech enthusiasts who have their eye on the future, there's an easily consumable read on computing's history written by Howard Rheingold called Tools for Thought. He covers some of the key figures in the history of coding and tech going much further back than the 1970s homebrew explosion in Silicon Valley. The book was originally published in 1985, and as a futurist, Rheingold tried to imagine what was coming next. That provides an interesting quirk, reading his predictions and perspective after the fact while he was in the middle of technology's still-emerging story. This updated version, released in 2000, has an afterward with interviews including some of the document's key players, helping to close the circle, at least for now. -- J.T.

Buy Tools for Thought on Amazon - $25+

Cult of the Dead Cow (Joseph Menn)

Hackers of the world unite and give Cult of the Dead Cow to the white hat on your gift list. This is a fantastic oral history of one of the world's most powerful and prolific hacking collectives. You probably haven't heard of it -- because it's that good -- but the cDc has long sought to protect freedom, security and democracy around the globe through its efforts. Author Joseph Menn recounts the rise and diffusion of the world's premiere hacking supergroup. -- A.T.

Buy Cult of the Dead Cow on Amazon - $17+

Murderbot Diaries (Martha Wells)

If you've ever thought your loved ones spend too much time watching Netflix and should really pick up a book once in a while, the Murderbot Diaries might be right up their alley. This series of novellas has plenty of action and existential angst, they read fairly quickly and the titular character is pretty relatable to anyone who'd rather stay in and binge their favorite shows than deal with people, because that's all Murderbot wants to do too. -- Kris Naudus, Buyer's Guide Editor

Buy Murderbot Diaries on Amazon - $4+

The Calculating Stars / The Fated Sky (Mary Robinette Kowal)

The Calculating Stars, Mary Robinette Kowal's fiction debut, is an extraordinary and inspiring tale of one woman's nigh unstoppable quest to achieve her goal of becoming an astronaut -- patriarchal politics and social conventions be damned. Winner of the 2018 Nebulus, 2019 Locus and 2019 Hugo awards for best novel, The Calculating Stars and its newly released sequel, The Fated Sky, will make the perfect gift for any STEM- and space-obsessed teen or adult on your list. -- A.T.

Buy The Calculating Stars on Amazon - $10+

Buy The Fated Sky on Amazon - $8+

Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber (Mike Isaac)

The game-changing transformation of a legacy industry. The pomp and downfall of a billionaire founder. The behind-the-scenes misdeeds and eight-figure party expenditures. Uber embodies much of the tech industry's gargantuan potential as well as its worst impulses, and Mike Isaac, a reporter for The New York Times, chronicles it all. Based on hundreds of interviews, this is both a definitive account and a cautionary tale. -- C.I.

Buy Super Pumped on Amazon - $15+

How To (Randall Munroe)

If Rube Goldberg machines have taught us anything, it's that something worth doing right is worth doing in the most convoluted manner possible. And as author Randall Munroe of XKCD fame shows, the same applies to science. In How To, your inquisitive gift recipient will learn how to predict the weather through pixel analysis of Facebook posts, determine their age by measuring the radioactivity of their teeth and even how to take a selfie from space! -- A.T.

Buy Absurd Scientific Advice on Amazon - $15+

Dr. Stone (Riichiro Inagaki)

Who says manga can't be both entertaining and educational? This series from Riichiro Inagaki (with illustrations by Boichi) follows the efforts of teenage genius Senku Ishigami and his friends as they rebuild civilization after awakening from a mysterious 3,689-year petrified slumber. But fear not, they have science on their side! Filled with lighthearted adventure and laugh-out-loud comedic gags and packed to the rafters with clever explanations of scientific principles, Dr. Stone is the perfect gift for the technologically curious of all ages. -- A.T.

Buy Dr. Stone on Amazon - $6+

How to Invent Everything (Ryan North)

Time travelers are notoriously difficult to shop for. Any clothes you buy them will immediately be out of fashion, and any gadgets you get will become obsolete the moment they step out of the chrono-portal. So this year, give them the gift of knowledge in the form of How to Invent Everything, by Ryan North. This "survival guide for the stranded time traveler" is chock-full of helpful tips and tricks to make the most of one's life should they accidentally jump the wrong direction in time, sideswipe a dinosaur and irreparably break their machine's flux capacitor. -- A.T.

Buy How to Invent Everything on Amazon - $13+

The Bastard Brigade (Sam Kean)

This year, for once, you can get a great gift for the World War II buff on your list without having to endlessly trawl eBay for 80-year-old knickknacks. The Bastard Brigade by Sam Kean recounts the Allies' desperate struggle to keep Nazi Germany and the rest of the Axis powers from developing and deploying a nuclear bomb. From the opening days of the war to the final march on Berlin, Kean's vivid storytelling grabs the reader and doesn't let go until VE Day. -- A.T.

Buy The Bastard Brigade on Amazon - $15+

Spider-Man: Far From Home 4K Blu-ray

Choose the recently released Spider-Man: Far From Home 4K Blu-ray as a gift for someone who enjoys action, humor and awkward teen romance with tons of pixels. It's the second of Spidey's standalone flicks and seems to be positioning him for bigger things. Overall, the film is a wild ride with Mysterio's mind games and immersive Dolby Atmos audio making it a spectacle to behold. Plus, it's a recent Blu-ray release, so there's a strong chance your intended hasn't snagged it for themselves yet. If this film is still missing in your giftee's collection, it's a timely and affordable idea for someone with the home theater system to let it sing. -- J.T.

Buy Far from Home 4K on Amazon - $28

Us 4K Blu-ray

It's a film about a family and a vacation -- perfect for the holidays, right? But truly, Jordan Peele's Us is not only one of the best films of the year but also a chilling reflection on our divided times. Just look at the title: It speaks to an us-and-them mentality and doubles as the acronym for "United States." Consider it a sly present if discussing current affairs head on is the real scare at your holiday get-togethers. -- C.I.

Buy Us 4K on Amazon - $150

Detective Pikachu 4K Blu-ray

There are few things as fun as sitting down to watch a cute family movie that's as entertaining for adults as it is for kids. And there's something for everyone in Pokémon: Detective Pikachu, now available on 4K Blu-ray. For grown-ups, it's a pretty serious film noir about a boy looking for his lost father. For kids, his sidekick is a bright yellow mouse that shoots electricity out of its rear.

The story is interesting enough, but you're really there to be swept away by the charm of Ryan Reynolds. Since you can't play Deadpool in the family room, this will have to do as the next best thing. Plus, there are enough knowing winks and gags to keep everyone entertained between action set pieces. The fact that it's based on a spin-off is a bonus, since showing how Pokémon battles would play out in the real world might look like animal cruelty. -- Daniel Cooper, Senior Editor

Buy Detective Pikachu 4K on Amazon - $27

The 2019 Engadget Holiday Gift Guide

The best gifts for the home

The best audio gifts, from headphones to DJ gear

The media streamers and soundbars to buy this holiday season

The movies and books we'd give as gifts

The best smartphones, tablets and smartwatches to give as gifts

The best gifts and games for console gamers

PC and mobile accessories that'll make great gifts

The best laptops and 2-in-1s to give as gifts

Subscriptions and gift cards that make great last-minute gifts

The best gifts for PC gamers, from laptops to GPUs

The best cameras, accessories and bags to give as gifts

The best fitness gadgets for the athlete on your list

The best tech toys and STEM kits

- Repost from: engadget Post

[ssalefishgso]

Ssalefish GSO First Look #1 for 4.5.16

First, an introduction! My name is Stephen Mayer and I'm one of the managing partners of the new Ssalefish Comics location in Greensboro along with Jay Ewing and Ssalefish Winston owner Bret Parks. It's been a dream of mine to own a store of my own ever since I began helping Bret prep his new comics on Wednesday mornings back in...2005? So welcome to my dream come true 12 years later!

We're not ready to open for regular business hours in the Gate City quite yet, BUT if you'd like to make a special order via the "Shipping Next Week" page or would like to set up your subscription pull list now, we'll be happy to accommodate, and you can come pick up your books during the posted business hours here starting Wednesday, April 5th at 8 AM (for the earliest new releases in the Triad)!

Now the lowdown on this blog! The new "Shipping Next Week" widget doesn't update until Friday morning, but we know what's coming out by Wednesday, and I don't like keeping you guys in the dark, so I'll give you a jump on things every Thursday, right here. This will also help clarify what's going where since both locations won't have all of the same items at the same time (but a special order from W-S or GSO is never a problem and can typically be filled the very next day)!

I embolden the books that I'll be taking home to add to my personal collection, but I still read a breath of other books, so don't be afraid to ask my opinion on anything when you're in the store.

Even though I don't list them individually, we do carry all variants for the DC Rebirth titles as well as many other alternate and limited edition covers, so feel free to inquire.

The following titles are scheduled to ship on Wednesday, April 5th, excluding some re-orders and providing nothing changes by the time the final invoice arrives on Monday:

Adventure Time #63

All-New Wolverine #19

America #2

Amory Wars Good Apollo #1

Animal Noir #3

Aquaman #20

Avengers #6

Batman #20

Baltimore Red Kingdom #3

Batgirl & the Birds of Prey TP #1

Black Cloud #1 - from the mind of Jason Latour, co-creator of Southern Bastards and Spider-Gwen!

Brave Chef Brianna #2

Bullseye #3

Captain America Steve Rogers #15

Champions #7

Colossi #1

Cyborg #11

DC Bombshells #25

Deathstroke #16

Doctor Who Ghost Stories #1

Eleanor & the Egret #1

Everafter From the pages of Fables #8

Extremity #2 - look for the fantastic Green Leader mini comic by Extremity creator Evan Warren Johnson on the shelves of Ssalefish Greensboro when we open up in early April!

Faith #10

Fall & Rise of Captain Atom #4

Flintstones #10

Giant Days #25

Goldie Vance #11

Green Arrow #20

Green Arrow TP #2

Green Lanterns #20

Harley Quinn #17

Hawkeye #5

Injustice Ground Zero #9

Invader Zim #18

Iron Fist #2

James Bond #2

Jem & the Holograms #25

Jessica Jones #7

Jughead #14

Justice League #18

Kill Shakespeare Past is Prologue Juliet #1

Kim Reaper #1

Little Archie one-shot

Love & Rockets #2

Nightwing #18

Nova #5

Paper Girls #13

Penny Dreadful #1

Revolution Aw Yeah #1

Riverdale #1 - one of the great surprises in entertainment for me and my wife Carly in 2017 has been how much we love this show. I know I shouldn't have been shocked after the success of the relaunch in 2015 and Afterlife with Archie writer Roberto Aguirre Sacasa serving as an executive producer, but we're sucked in!

Rock Candy Mountain - my buddy Chris Schweizer is handling the coloring for the hilarious Kyle Starks in this new book from Image Comics that promises the most hobo fights in any 22 page comic you've ever read!

Royals #1

Savage Things #2

Scooby Doo Where Are You #80

Shade the Changing Girl #7

Slapstick #5

Slayer Repentless #2

Sovereigns #0

Spider-man #15

Spider-man/ Deadpool #16

Spider-man Homecoming Prelude #2

SpongeBob Comics TP #1 - FINALLY! My pals Gregg Schigiel & Jacob Chabot have stories in here, and Greensboro's own Brian "Smitty" Smith drew the cover for, I believe, issue #2!

Star Wars #30

Star Wars Rogue One Adaptation #1 - including the John Tyler Christopher Jyn Erso Action Figure and Mike Mayhew Star Wars 40th Anniversary variants!

Sun Bakery #2

Superman #20

Tank Girl World War Tank Girl #1

They're Not Like Us #15

Uncanny Avengers #22

Walking Dead #166

We Stand on Guard TP

Woods #31

X-Men Gold #1

Also shipping next week:

DC Icons Cyborg Deluxe figures

DC Icons Static Milestone figures

DC Icons Swamp Thing figures

DC Icons Wonder Woman figures

[majingojira]

Hi there! I've been following your blog for a while now and i see that you are clearly an expert on the Runaways. As someone who know's the absolute basics of one of those characters, where (what) would you suggest i start reading to get a solid foundation of the group? Any recommendations would be great! Thank you!

I really need to codify my Runaways Recommendation list. 

Thankfully, Runaways is mostly Self-Contained and therefore easy to get into.

Start with Runaways Vol.1 #1-18.  This is collected in the first “Complete Collection” and also available from Comixology.  This is the cast’s first appearance and first major story.  It’s basically the likely blueprint of Runaways Season 1.

Runaways Vol. 2 #1-24 is the second “Season” under its original creative team:  Brian K. Vaughn (Saga, Y: The Last Man), Adrian Alphona and Takeshi Miyazawa (Ms. Marvel’s current artists).  It wraps up many plots, but ends on a cliff hanger.  This leads into:

Vol. 2 #25-30.  This is the one story Joss Whedon wrote for the Runaways.  He’s a big fan of them and he and Brian did a trade where Joss did a Runaways story and Brian did a Buffy story.  The art is great, but delays caused a relaunch and some people don’t like it.  Personally, I think it’s fine.  Not as good as what came before, but not bad at all.

During this run, there are several tie-ins to other stories that were published.  One is Free Comic Book Day 2006.  This takes place between Vol.2 #9 and #14.  It’s the Astonishing X-Men vs. the Runaways because Molly is a mutant and, because of mutant politics at the time, they want her in the school.  violence happens, but the leave peaceably. 

After that, there’s the Civil War crossover (titled: Civil War: Young Avengers/Runaways) which occurs after Vol. 2 #19.  The Young Avengers and the Runaways battle pro-registration forces that use an alien prison and a mind-controlled Noh-Varr to do so. 

If you’ve ever wondered why some people were weirded out by how Kate and Noh just hooked up out of the blue, this will tell you why.  Noh wasn’t always an Earth Hipster.  

The art is pretty gritty, but the story is solid enough. 

In a bit of a flashback, set when Nico was in foster care, there’s a one-shot from the Mystic Arcana miniseries simply focused on Nico. It’s not bad, and has her use the spell “Deflector Shields”.  Which is just great to have.  

Finally, after #30, there’s the second Young Avengers crossover, this one for Secret Invasion.  Titled, Secret Invasion: Runaways/Young Avengers. it’s written by Chris Yost, and drawn by Takeshi Miyazawa.  It’s short but sweet.  The main interaction is between Billy, Teddy, Tommy and the Runaways.  The others show up, but other titles had tighter mits on them at the time.  Sadly.  

This brings us to Runaways Vol. 3 which is . . . not very good.  It was lead in with a catchup book called “Runaways: Saga” which was framed by the gang finding Molly’s diary and reading it.  It’s cute, but superfluous.  There is one bit of need to know info from it (the character of Xavin is forced to leave in . . .a not very good retelling of the third Young Avengers story arc.  I’m not kidding), but it can otherwise be skipped almost completely. 

Almost.

Vol. 3 #10 is absolutely worth reading.  It’s two stories: one by Chris Yost, one by James Asmus.  The former is the better of the two, as Molly battles the now San Francisco based X-Men again.  Lots of cuteness and sadness and Molly finally bonds with Wolverine. 

After decking him through multiple stories three times. 

Following that was the cut off setup for more by Kathryne Immonen.  It ended at #14 on a bizarre cliffhanger.  The original plan basically boils down to “Alternate Universe Shenanigans” but it’s later handwaved away.  

But this is the time that the Runaways entered Limbo.  Comic book limbo, not the place.  They have cameos/guest appearances in several books: 

Breaking into Comics the Marvel Way 2010 - A cute story where Molly and Chase get magically sick.  It’s called “It’s Not Lupus” and set during Volume 3. 

Daken: Dark Wolverine #17-19 - Daken uses the Runaways as soldiers to fight his war.  It’s not worth reading, to be honest other than have Chase answer Daken’s question “Weren’t you hit by a car?” with “I got better.”

Uncanny X-Men: The Heroic Age #1 - Molly vs. the X-Men round 2 in the wake of “No More Mutants”, and before she’s asked to join them in San Fransisco.  This time, she punches Beast in the face.  This was before he became a total tool, but it’s still nice to see.

Ultron AU #1 - In the Age of Ultron Alternate Reality, Victor Mancha tries to save people, and . . . everyone else is dead.  It’s really, really sad and well done.

Avengers Academy #27-28 - The Runaways visit Avengers Academy in order to bring back one of their number.  It’s fun, but a little overstuffed with characters.  I liked it!

What If The Runaways Became the Young Avengers? A What-IF Story that’s pretty fun to read.  It was a backup story in an otherwise lame What If series, but it’s included in the last volume of the Complete Collection (along with most of the other odd one-shots), and worth reading.

After that . . .  we have to deal with the horror that is Avengers Arena and Avengers Undercover. 

These books are flat out terrible.  Racist, sexist, ableist, and misogynist.  The first one is the worst sort of Hunger Games/Battle Royal cash in, mostly because the writer has no idea how the genre works, or the nature of the characters he’s chosen to work with--to the point where some aspects of Nico are diametrically opposed to her prior appearances.  All you need to know about this is that several kids died, Nico died but got better and in the process gained a magical prosthetic. 

I could go on, but that’s another thing.

In this time after Arena/Undercover, some writers like to imply that the Runaways broke up offscreen despite them being more a family than a standard superhero team.  Especially stupid when you remember that they’re all HOMELESS.

Anyway, there are a few cameo's here and there.  But nothing too substantial. The biggest is Avengers A.I. where a later addition to the team, Victor Mancha (a creation of Ultron) is recruited by Hank Pym into a team to battle A.I. Threats and help them out.  It’s not a great book, and Victor’s not quite himself, but there are highlights.  Like a Doombot working for the forces of good but still being a full Doombot.  And Vision, Thor, Victor Mancha, and Captain America in an A.I. landscape forming Not-Voltron!  That series lasted 10 issues. 

After that, Victor was seen looking for an internship with Stark in the 2015 Ant-Man series in a few panel cameo.

After that, we have the Secret Wars event.  Only two things are needed from here: Runaways Vol. 4, and A-Force

The Runaways series has a group of new kids (and Molly) on the run from Doom’s Elite School when they find out that it’s culling anyone who ‘fails’ its exams.  It’s a little sketchy on the art side, but it’s a decent read IMO.  The cast is drawn from all over the teen scene at Marvel. 

A-Force is an Avengers Team set in the near perfect realm of Arcadia.  It’s an all-female team where Nico is a proud member of it along with Medusa, She-Hulk, Dazzler, Captain Marvel and others.  It’s a decent read, though some people were angry that a Loki in it was evil. 

I wish I was kidding.

A-Force got an ongoing series that lasted another 10 issues before Civil War 2 basically wrecked the entire team.  The last story focuses on Nico as she’s targeted by the pre-cog fascists. 

The way it ends leaves me cold because I know that it’s not going to be followed up with despite Carol and Jennifer Walters having ongoings right now dealing with those consequences. 

Finally, there’s Vision (2016).  This is a divisive moment.  For one, it really is a good read, but for another, Victor is killed after being revealed to have developed a ‘Vibranium addiction’ which basically acted like a painkiller addiction.  Some feel that besmirched his character, but it is a very sympathetic death scene for him.  I’m honestly on the fence about it myself.  But it is a good series otherwise and probably worth a read.  There are 12 issues overall.

And that’s is!  That is literally the every Runaways speaking appearance. 

The easiest way to read it would be to get the print “Complete Collections”.  That covers everything from Vol. 1 to the crossovers, the what if, and one-shots, and ends before Vol. 4. 

Then I’d add A-Force, Vol. 4, and the Avengers Academy crossover.  Of the later suff, that’s the best.  It’s in the shadow of the original, but I like ‘em. 

[ges-sa]

More info on Geekdom by Central City Comics

New Post has been published on http://ges-sa.com/more-info-on-geekdom-by-central-city-comics/

More info on Geekdom by Central City Comics

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]On the 29th of July Central City Comics will be hosting their first Geekdom day.

On this day they want to introduce people to hobbies that they wanted to try before or don’t know where or how to start. Below we have some more info on the people who will be hosting some of these hobbies.

Event Link: http://ges-sa.com/event/welcome-to-geekdom-day-an-epic-introduction-to-geeky-hobbies/[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Welcome to Comics – Casual Chats around what makes comics awesome and how to start reading, drawing or writing them. Run by Sean Izaakse, Marvel Artist and Nas Hoosen,one of the founders of SECTOR, a South African comics anthology.

Nas Hoosen is a writer and illustrator. He’s one of the founders of SECTOR, a South African comics anthology. He also co-created Red Air – a psychedelic sci-fi horror about astronauts fighting evil pop music – with artist Ben Rausch. He has written for The Guardian, Dazed And Confused, BBC Online Radio and Huck Magazine in the UK. He dreams of naps.

Sean Izaakse has been working as a freelance illustrator and comic artist for the last 7 years. He has worked on the various Pathfinder series of comics for Dynamite Comics and contributed artwork to various RPG’s like Mutants & Masterminds by Green Ronin Publishing. Izaakse is the artist and co-creator, along with writer Vito Delsante, of the creator-owned series Stray. The 4 issue limited series received massive support on Kickstarter and was picked up by independent US comics publisher, Action Lab Entertainment, in 2015. In 2016 Izaakse got the chance of a lifetime working on Thunderbolts for MARVEL Comics. Since then he has worked on several MARVEL comic titles including Deadpool, The Avengers, Sam Wilson Captain America and is currently one of the artists on The Uncanny Avengers.

Welcome to Cosplay – A demo/discussion around Costume Play aka dressing up as your favorite characters from games,comics, movies and more… basically any character you love and would like to bring to life. Run By Samantha Claire Marais aka Sam Secrets Cosplay

Samsecrets is a Filmmaker, Cosplayer and all round Geek from Johannesburg, South Africa. Her interest in cosplay started when she was living in London and attended the 2007 ‘Star Wars Celebration’ event. This gradually became an obsession, and in 2013, she made her first cosplay – Cassie Hack (Hack/Slash Comic). Since then, she has made over 20 costumes in the genres of anime/manga, comic books, TV Shows and Movies. She is a regular to the competition scene and has been a Cosplay Competition judge for Smallville Comics Cosplay Contest in 2015 and Geekfest 2016 Cosplay Contest.

Carla Harris has trained in the Bardic college of YouTube, starting tabletop roleplaying in earnest for the channel Bacon Battalion, Carla had only been a player for about a year before that. Considering she used to work as a professional actress for 7 years and toured the continent, when Carla decided she needed to make more than two minute noodle money, she went into marketing where initially she earned…. well two minute noodle money, but is now able to afford waffles But she didn’t want her creativity to die a sad day job death and so has been playing more and more tabletop games and LARPS and so is ready to embark as a Game Master in a home brew world of EPICNESS, well at least she thinks so. She is also the marketing goblin for How to be a great game master and has learnt a lot through that channel which has over 30 000 subs. So with the start of the Dum Dum Die podcast, an all female dungeons and dragons game, Carla is setting off on her own Game Mastering journey.

Welcome to TableTop Roleplaying – Dungeons and Dragons adventures. There will be one every hour, first one starts at 10:15 am. Don’t worry it is the same adventure so you can do this adventure and then go explore other Geeky hobbies after! Embark on a quest of might, magic, mystery and hilarity… Play as Goblins who have one Job…To save the GOLD! Run by Carla Harris,GM of the Dum Dum Die Podcast and Marketing Goblin for How to be a Great Game Master.

Welcome to Live Action Roleplaying – Bring your roleplaying characters to life in this live action boffer larp. This means you would get to portray a character in real life (don’t worry we will give you a fun one for the adventure) and hit people with spell packets, pool noodle swords and convince townsfolk of your right as an adventurer to be rewarded with Gold. Run by the amazing LARP, Tales of Teana, go on adventures with Orcs, Undead and use your investigative skills. There will be one every hour, first one starts at 10:15 am.

Tales of Teana is a boffer larp running on the Nero system in Gauteng, South Africa. We grew out of Medieval Adventures South Africa. We focus on embarking on stories that span roleplaying, combat and puzzlesolving. Running for over 5 years we have faced quests spanning Undead, Orcs and the players themselves. Try out LARPing for fun, excitement and above all a chance to go on an Adventure driven by you.

Looks like it will be an epic day, make sure you add it to your diary![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”26090,26089,26088,26087,26086,26085″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text] [/vc_column_text][/vc_column]

[eddycurrents]

For the week of 28 August 2017

Just one comic stood out as a favourite for me this week; Generations: The Archers - Hawkeye & Hawkeye by Kelly Thompson & Stefano Raffaele. Published by Marvel.

Like the previous Generations one-shots, this follows the formula of a modern day hero sent back in time (or wherever) to interact with their predecessor. Also like the previous one-shots, there’s no explanation as to why or how that’s happening, which is a detriment to the overall plot, but here it’s easy to look past.

The main plot of the issue hinges on a straight-forward enough contest of champions to see the “best marksman alive”, with other characters being drawn to a mysterious island...mysteriously. It’s simple, but it allows Kelly Thompson to do what’s best about this issue and that’s character development. It also helps that there’s a good amount of humour throughout the issue that keeps the dialogue zipping along. 

One of the editorial points of the Generations exercise is for modern heroes to learn or be influenced by something from the past (or whenever) heroes and Thompson delivers that in spades with the conversations between Kate and Clint. The mentor/student dynamic is mirrored in the revelation of who’s behind the contest and there’s a nice moment of revelation for Kate.

It’s also really nice to see Stefano Raffaele around again. Especially on a Hawkeye story, since I have fond memories of his art on an earlier Hawkeye series he did with Fabian Nicieza. His work is brighter and cleaner here than then, but it’s no less impressive. There are some very nice panoramas and establishing shots amid strong character work throughout the book, aided by a brighter colour palette from Digikore.

Thompson and Leonardo Romero’s Hawkeye series starring Kate is easily one of my favourite books from Marvel right now, deftly mixing humour, character development, intriguing plotlines, and drop-dead gorgeous artwork and page layouts that remind me of some of the highlights from Matt Fraction and David Aja’s Hawkeye, while still having its own distinct voice and purpose. This Generations one-shot is a natural extension of that, essentially being Hawkeye #9.1, or maybe #12.1 since this story is supposed to continue (kind of) in #13. This one really feels essential if you’re reading the ongoing Hawkeye series.  

Quick Bits:

Black Magick #7 largely keeps the numerous plates spinning, advancing the various bits in smaller degrees. All of it brought together by some truly gorgeous art by Nicola Scott & Chiara Arena.

| Published by Image

Faith & The Future Force #2 ups the stakes a few times as Timewalker, Ank, Faith, and friends continue to travel through time to try to stop an “evil robot”. It’s still not clear exactly when the present of the series takes place (I’m guessing before Harbinger Renegade #5, but definitely after the end of the Faith ongoing series), especially since other characters are plucked out of different time frames, and we’re still not given any exposition on exactly who this evil robot is and what he’s doing other than messing with time (erasing Adolf Hitler was apparently one of the first things, eliminating the Civil War another), but it’s still entertaining to see them continually throw larger and larger groups at it with reckless abandon. It’s a fun way to “kill the Valiant universe” without actually killing the Valiant universe.

| Published by Valiant

Jean Grey #6 is the first of two X-dips into magic and the supernatural this week, with young Jean turning to Doctor Strange for help in her trip of self-discovery and preparation for the oncoming Phoenix. We also get to see which “spirit” has been dogging Jean since the first issue. Maybe. I say “maybe” because since the first issue Dennis Hopeless has largely been setting up the possibility that things might not be 100% real. And maybe Jean is just crazy. That’s unlikely, but it’s still possible. 

This issue also features some excellent guest art from Paul Davidson. His depictions of the astral plane and trips through the life and times of adult Jean Grey are worth the price of the book alone. It would be nice to see him get some regular work again.

| Published by Marvel

Lady Killer 2 #5 is wow. That’s all I can really say. This is one hell of an explosive end to the series. Joëlle Jones delivers another stunning issue. Do yourself a favour and buy both this series and the first volume. You won’t be disappointed.

| Published by Dark Horse

Optimus Prime #10 gets another of IDW’s Hasbroverse titles up to speed for the First Strike “crossover” that is already underway. That several of the other titles are also still out of sync is a similar problem that Revolution had. The stories are usually very good, but shipping late and out of order ruins momentum and important story beats. Read in a vacuum, though, the individual titles are still excellent and this issue of Optimus Prime is no different.

| Published by IDW

Saban’s Go Go Power Rangers #2, like the first issue, is fun. I was never a fan of the TV shows, but have been greatly enjoying what BOOM! has been doing with the license in comics. Ryan Parrott delivers on a mix of humour, character development, and action, all while Dan Mora continues to show that he should really be one of comics’ breakout talents.

| Published by BOOM! Studios

Spawn #277 continues what is shaping up to be one of the most inventive and compelling runs on the title. The team of Darragh Savage and Jason Shawn Alexander have brought an atmosphere of dread and horror to Spawn that I don’t think I’ve seen since the Hellspawn series. I’m really liking this.

| Published by Image

Spider-Gwen #23 is kind of an odd place for a Mary Janes interlude just as the Predators story-arc was hitting a critical point. It’s a decent story by guest creator, Hannah Blumenreich, but it makes me kind of hate MJ. The art is great, though. 

| Published by Marvel

Star Wars: Jedi of the Republic - Mace Windu #1 reminds you that you need more Denys Cowan in your life. His art here is a little more restrained than I’m used to, but it still shines throughout this first issue. There’s also some nice humour peppered throughout the script by Matt Owens that lightens the mood for this otherwise action-packed debut.

| Published by Marvel

Uncanny Avengers #26, excluding the Generations one-shots, is one of the first post-Secret Empire stories without said branding to deal with the fallout. It also gives a first step to an idea as to where Jim Zub may be going with the book as he makes it his own, bringing Scarlet Witch back into the fold for the first time since I think Rick Remender’s run, a kind of redemptive arc, but I had thought that a lot of the animosity between her and Rogue had been stitched up. Apparently not. Like the ruins of Avengers Mansion their still camping out in, it gives a sense of rebuilding for the team.

It’s also nice to see Zub reunited with one of his Thunderbolts compatriots, Sean Izaakse. I liked his art there and thought it was a shame he only did a couple of issues.

| Published by Marvel

Vampirella #6 extends Paul Cornell’s run on the series by the first of a two-issue arc. It also sees Andy Belanger of Southern Cross take over art chores, which in itself should make the comic an instant purchase. It’s an interesting trip through Vampi’s psyche personified through dream with some really, really nice artwork.

| Published by Dynamite

X-Men Blue #10 is the second of the X-dips into magic and the supernatural this week, as Beast hooks up with the Goblin Queen again. It also brings yet another alternate X-Men team to the title, since the original five and dimension-displaced, mind-wiped mutants from the Ultimate universe aren’t enough. To his credit, though, Cullen Bunn is really making this work. I’m not as keen on another rehash of the Jean/Scott romance plot, with an added Wolverine stand-in for a love triangle, for what seems like the millionth time. Bunn is very good with the characterizations, but seriously I think this plot has been done to death.

| Published by Marvel

Other Highlights: Animosity #9, Bankshot #3, Black Panther #17, Black Panther & The Crew #6, BPRD: Devil You Know #2, Crosswind #3, Deadly Class #30, Deadpool #35, Doctor Strange & The Sorcerers Supreme #11, Dungeons & Dragons: Frost Giant’s Fury #5, Ghostbusters 101 #6, GI Joe #8, The Normals #4, Paklis #4, Planetoid: Praxis #6, Rapture #4, Ringside #11, Saga #46, Star Wars #35, Thanos #10, There’s Nothing There #4, TMNT: Dimension X #5, Victor LaValle’s Destroyer #4

Recommend Collections:  Archie - Vol. 4, Bullseye: Colombian Connection, Copperhead - Vol.3, Jupiter’s Legacy - Vol. 2, Magdalena: Reformation, Old Guard - Vol. 1: Opening Fire, The Other Side - Special Edition, Providence - Act 3

d. emerson eddy is unsure what he made anyone do and might like to apologize for it, maybe, but he doesn’t know what it was. Was it the slightly charred red peppers?