#Starline is terrible but i still want a better ending for him

[theramblingsofadork]

SPOILERS IN TEXT POST BELOW FOR SONIC IDW ISSUE #50!

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So, this is super out of chronological order in my OCs’ canon, so it might not make much sense, but this picture is so wholesome that I can’t resist sharing it now. 😭

“Why are you helping me..? After everything I did to you and the others..”

“Because.. when I found you there in the midst of the wreckage.. I couldn’t just leave you to die..”

This is part of an AU I have where Rivet’s present at the battle with Sonic and the others and learns of Dr. Starline’s fate from Belle.

The two of them were extremely close before Starline became a full on villain, so she goes to find him and locates him amidst the rubble, still alive and barely clinging to life. And despite everything he’s done, she can’t bring herself to let him die. (More under the cut)

So, she takes him back to an old base of his, and pours all of her energy into using her powers to try and mend his broken body and heal him over the scope of several long weeks.

When he finally does awake, he spirals into depression, mentally broken from his loss against Eggman, and unbelieving that she should have saved him or be helping him, especially considering he hurt her and their once-shared friends.

But Rivet is stubborn, and unwilling to give up on him, believing he can still turn over a new leaf, so she stays by his side through recovery to help support and rebuild his confidence.

—

I’m just so soft for these two. I just.. they. TT~TT

[omegafan101]

You know what? It’s been a while since I shared my thoughts on the IDW comics, and I wanna get back into that. Let’s talk about Issue 55!

Right away this cover art is fucking GREAT! Might be some of the best in the series. I’m a big fan.

First off, the Egg Walkers back! Cool! The Egg Mobile is nice and all back Eggman tromping around in a big legged version of the thing has always been fun.

Secondly, love that Metal just rushed in to attack Sonic immediately without Eggman’s orders. Weather it’s just Metal’s prime programming to kill Sonic, or his own free will beginning to creep through is up in the air. And I like that.

Really faked me out here, thought for sure we’d have the classic horror trope with Surge jumping down right before Eggman fully realizes where she is. But Eggman being quick witted enough to realize where she is and shooting that close to her is way better!

Also Eggman having a gun will never not be funny to me. Sure it just shoots lasers but god the image of Eggman holding a pistol is metal and hilarious at the same time.

I’m so god damn happy with what Ian and Evan have been doing with Eggman this arc. The fact that this is the second time in 6 issues that he has grabbed and attacked a character with his bare hands is amazing and really paints him as the threat he’s meant to be. Eggman being physically stronger than he looks, while still needing to rely more on his machines, is just a fantasic bit of characterization.

God I love the way the ENTIRE panel is washed in color whenever Surge uses the wisp powers. It’s absolutely stunning and is a FANTASTIC showcase of her power.

HOT DAMN CHAOS DRIVES ARE BEING ACKNOWLEDGED!

You know after two mini-series of “Starline manipulates people for his plan, they find out, he almost dies, Starline manipulates people for his plan, they found out, he DOES die,” it’s great to be reminded, post-mortem, Starline is an absolute genius and could have been a genuine terrible threat to the world had he not been so focused on one upping Eggman.

I love how Sonic and Eggman aren’t working together yet here, but are smart enough to know that both of them are enemies to Surge and coming at her from both sides like this before confronting each other is a good play. Also Metal looks AWESOME!

I continue to feel so bad for Surge it hurts. The crippling paranoia and anxiety over both her own safety and Kit’s is heart breaking and really makes me want to see her come out okay in the end, which unfortunately I don’t think will happen at this point.

I have nothing of value to say here i just like the image of Eggman drinking water like a professional athlete.

I gotta say it’s a little jarring to see Eggman so quickly accept Sonic’s help after he was so stubbornly against it in Sonic Frontiers, but I guess he just knows that he’s in a completely modified base that he’s unfamiliar with, has no form of transport anymore, and his only form of defense is Metal Sonic who would probably struggle against Sonic and Tails at the same time.

Plus I really can’t blame the writing team for it since they were almost certainly writing this before Frontiers came out and only Ian knew what was going on in that story and he didn’t work on this issue.

And there it is folks, that sweet, horrid realization that Surge isn’t just some brute who Starline hired, but a horrific creation of Starline who doesn’t know anything else than to hate Sonic. God this arc is creepy.

And once again a reminder that Starline is an evil genius on the same level as Eggman, just blinded by his own ego. Eggman admitting himself that Starline was brilliant but only AFTER he’s dead is great to see. I adore a villain who respects their enemies abilities and Eggman is prime for that.

Kit continues to look creepy and Sure is doing the Vegeta pose.

But enough about that I wanna talk about how calm Surge looks in those first couple panels. Or at the very least not angry like she usually is. Surge has been fighting running around and fighting non stop since Issue 50 and she’s clearly scared of the fact that Sonic and Eggman are working together. She’s tired, she’s scared, and she doesn’t know what else to do but to fight Sonic.

And oh BOY this last page is pretty!!! I cannot stress enough how amazing the art of this series is, it’s astounding!

Conclusion

Surge and Kit continue to be really fun and compelling villains and I’m so glad they’ve been added. Feels like we’re getting close to the end of this first major arc involving them, but whatever happens next issue I hope that the two of them can continue to appear in later comics down the line. Giving Sonic more of a rogues gallery is always neat to me, even if Eggman deserves more of the spotlight.

8/10

[jaydonsjam]

Defenders IV

Defenders #12

Defenders #12 written by Len Wein | pencilled by Sal Buscema | inked by Jack Abel

We start off with the return of Xemnu the Titan ruining a perfect Hulk moment in nature. I gotta say that Hulk in this book is growing on me. As I’ve said in the past, Hulk is not a character I really care much about. I love how childlike he can be and he just has so many great moments of funny dialogue especially in relation to dumb magician or Doctor Strange as everyone else knows him. Xemnu here is way more powerful than before being able to control inanimate objects instead of just living beings. I liked the development of Hulk finally considering Dr. Strange a friend along with Val. That was a great moment. The fight between the Defenders and Xemnu was okay. You can tell that he’s a very powerful villain and it’s a balancing act with trying to make him not too strong. I liked the ending where Hulk is so angry that he just throws Xemnu’s rocket ship at him, killing him? Maybe? I’m still waiting for the breakout arc for Xemnu. So far he’s been a little forgettable. Funny moments with Hulk and a great development at the end with the team made this an enjoyable read.

Giant-Size Defenders #1

Giant-Size Defenders #1 written by Tony Isabella, Bill Everett and Dennis O’Neil | pencilled by Jim Starlin, Jack Kirby, Bill Everett and Steve Ditko | inked by Al Milgrom and Dick Ayers

This was mostly a reprint which kinda made me a little sad. Clea (who continues to be one of my favorite characters) accidentally does a spell where she sends Namor, Hulk and Doctor Strange back in time to relive events so that she can help Valkyrie get a different look at the other Defenders. I should add that Clea doesn’t know she’s actually forcing the Defenders to be sent back in time to relive past events. She just thinks it’s a recap for Val. There’s some great trippy Doctor Strange art when they are stuck in between dimensions and time. Besides Val ending the issue having a better hold on her idea of the other three Defenders there’s not much that happens here. Unless you haven’t read these old reprinted stories.

Defenders #13-14

Defenders #13-14 written by Len Wein and pencilled by Sal Buscema #13 inked by Klaus Janson #14 inked by Dan Green

This story arc was great! I loved seeing the Squadron Sinister and Nebulon was a really interesting cosmic villain.

I didn’t see the true form of Nebulon being what it turned out to be. That was cool. The Squadron Sinister from Hyperion, Whizzer, Doctor Spectrum to Nighthawk were all cool and had unique personalities and powers with the obvious counterparts to Justice League being Superman, Flash, Green Lantern and Batman, respectively.

Hyperion looks rough and I hated his design here. The costume keeps that look into the modern age with some color changes but the problem here is his god-awful hair. Nighthawk is the member who betrays the other members to tell the Defenders about their plan to flood the Earth. His design was also terrible, he literally has a tiny beak covering his nose and I just couldn’t take him seriously so I’m glad that his costume was trashed at the end and he’s going to get a new one soon.

Then Namor leaves the Defenders cause they got him to join against his will and Nighthawk becomes his replacement! I was excited to see them accept him as a member because he’s a new character for me to experience and learn more about! By the way, my previous reading of Squadron is from the recentish Heroes Reborn event from a year or two ago. I loved the fight between the Defenders and the Squadron and it was cool to see a Hulk and “Superman” fight. Doctor Spectrum remains my favorite member of the Squadron and that’s probably because GL is one of my favorite comic book characters of all time. He has the best costume out of all of the Squadron and I really want more of him. Yeah this was a high point to end my reading of Defenders on and I’m really interested to see what’s up with Nighthawk cause he gives the readers a look like he might have something up his sleeve and might still be a villain. Great art and writing here. This was really fun! Next up is some more Brother Voodoo! Thanks for reading my moronic thoughts!

[tessatechaitea]

The Extremist #4

Extremist is an anagram of Mister Tex.

[readordiebyemilyt]

Comics! 

Guardians of the Galaxy Mother Entropy #1: I’m glad I picked up this series: it’s written by Jim Starlin, who’s been writing cosmic Marvel stories since the 70s, and the art is by Alan Davis, who drew two volumes of a Wolverine book that I really enjoyed a few years ago. Basically, Mother Entropy has consumed a bunch of universes, and now she wants ours. Meanwhile, the Guardians get paid by the Knowhere cops (one of whom looks a lot like Dey from the first GotG movie) to transport a priest carrying a priceless artifact. Then the priest dies, and Pip the troll tries to steal the artifact. I guess there are trolls in space? Who knew! Anyway, then things get weird.

The Unbelievable Gwenpool #6: Okay Gwen, so you wanted to hang out with Spider-Man. And it was really cool...until you tried to shoot a bad guy. Because yeah, the bad guy tried to blow up Miles’ school (and did succeed in setting it on fire), but he was only a kid! So Miles had you arrested. Dang. Luckily, Batroc busted you out of jail, but your mysterious client isn’t happy with you for skipping out on your meeting with him. Who is the mysterious client, and will Gwen and her pals ever make money again?! 

Hawkeye #1-2: Now that I’ve finally started this series, I’m really enjoying it, and I’m glad that Kate’s on her own, trying to figure out what’s up with her evil dad and working as an unlicensed PI. (I mean, I love you Hawkguy, but Kate is great and so is her comic.) See above for Kate almost crushing a couple making out--she’s sneaking around, trying to figure out what’s up with all the Madame Masque cosplay going on in California. (Okay, so Madame Masque hasn’t been mentioned yet, but given the masks and stickers we’ve seen so far, I’m 99% sure she’s involved.) 

I Hate Image: In this FCBD issue, Gert from I Hate Fairyland is still trying to get home, and what better way to do that than to kill her way through the entire Image Universe! Thrill as she fights (and usually kills) all your favorite characters from other Image series! Of course, her plan to get home won’t work if she kills everyone who might be able to tell her how to escape Fairyland...oops.

Lumberjanes: Faire & Square #1: Our heroes are enjoying a rainy day inside their cabin when April appears with a flyer about a Renaissance Festival! When they go to the festival the next day, Jen is relieved to find that, for once, nothing supernatural is going on! Oh wait, there’s a dinosaur. Never mind! Plus, it’s time for a telenovela reenactment with Ripley!

Patsy Walker AKA Hellcat #15-17: SWEET MERCIFUL FURIOSA! I’m sad that this series is over, but wow, Kate Leth and Brittany Williams really ended things on a high note. See above for tfw you’re trying to fight a villain but she keeps complimenting you. Also, Tom and Ian are adorable, Patsy gets real about the state of the world, and she and Hedy mend fences over a terrible pun. Also, Jubilee gets shrunk down to kid size and becomes the most adorable vampire ever. Goodbye and good luck, Patsy and friends. 

Rogue One #2: This issue takes us up to the Death Star firing on Jedha City. If you liked the movie, read the comic--it’s a fun adaptation of a movie that I loved/broke my heart.

Starfire #9: I’m finally going to finish this series! It really is fun--Kori is a bit like Thor is some ways, marveling at aspects of our world that we take for granted while also having awesome superpowers. The art is fun and colorful, and overall, I’m glad I read this comic. (Conner and Palmiotti do write a fun series, even if I am kinda burned out on Harley Quinn at the moment...)

Wonder Woman Annual: Dang, this comic is fun! Follow Diana on several different adventures, drawn by several excellent artists, and enjoy the kind of great energy that made her movie so fantastic. (See above for Wonder Woman hanging out with a cute baby kaiju. Good times.) 

[argocitycosplay]

I’ll say this for Great Lakes Comic Con, I never fail to have a good time there – it’s always been a good show all the way back to that first year that Maddie and I discovered it when we were looking for an alternative to Wizard World Cleveland. I skipped this one last year mostly because there were no guests that I was interested in and as such, it fell prey to the streamlining of my schedule. This time around however, not only were they bringing in the actors from the old Shazam series, but they were also bringing in one of my bucket list writers – Jim Starlin. His run on Batman is transformative, and the combination of him, Mike DeCarlo and Jim Aparo are my definitive creative team for that book.

Nevertheless, I woke up that morning with a distinct lack of enthusiasm. It was an early departure, primarily because Starlin had capped his signing line to 25 people per hour, due to a hand injury. I know from experience that means you better get over to that table and grab a line ticket as soon as the show opens or you may not get to meet the guest – I’ve been burned on Bruce Campbell this way and almost lost my opportunity to get George Perez to sign my stuff. On the other hand, I would’ve preferred to have shown up around Noon and wasn’t sure if I’d have enough to d all day. Still, I have faith in Great Lakes and so I drug myself out of bed and made the long, arduous journey to Deee-troit!

I was pleased to discover that the line wasn’t as long as it had been on my previous trip, and I managed to make it over to Jim’s table just after 10:30. I was able to secure a place in line between 2 o’clock and 3 o’clock – that was going to make things difficult with the costume, I’d probably have to get in and out of it a couple of times but at least I was going to get my books signed! Ticket secured, I made my way over to the Shazam booth where the guys were friendly and happy to see me. Bringing in superheroes from these old 70s shows reminds me a lot of Akron Comicon’s old philosophy and I’ve always enjoyed the selection that Great Lakes brings in. Across the sprawling, massive dealers room floor I found some fun blind boxes of Ghostbuster stuff as well as one dealer unloading a ton of Walking Dead swag for a buck apiece. I grabbed Lucille pens for Amy and Lydia, as well as a pack of Pokémon cards for Maddie. At the door, the freebie station was set up and people were handing out promotional items for the Harley Quinn movie – tiny hammer and bat keychains as well as posters and enamel pins. I’m not proud. I loaded up. Lydia would be delighted with the tiny Harley hammer that I brought her home. Right near the entrance I spied a vendor selling Spider-man Essentials volumes for two dollars apiece and picked up two of the huge trades and headed back to the car. It was time for a swag dump and a change of outfit.

Fortunately for me, Michigan was having a mild winter so it wasn’t too terrible as I lugged the Skeksis costume in, wearing only the sweatpants and shirt that went underneath it. I geared up and took a look at the clock – I’d have to get back into civvies in two hours, but that would allow me plenty of time to make a couple of rounds through the floor.

In the week between Zip Con and Great Lakes, I had completely reworked the left arm so that it now held a staff. The hand, staff, and arm were all one piece, repainted and sculpted out of Great Stuff and PVC but this would be my first time walking around with it. I’d also drilled a hole in the neck connector so that I could drop a nail through the joint, securing the head to keep it from falling off again. There in the front hall, I had people coming up to me for photos before I had even completely suited up. After my experience at Zip Con and with the addition of the staff I was feeling much better about this costume and was happy to see how well received it was at the show. One young man in his twenties came up to me and told me he recognized it – not from the new Netflix series, but because his parents used to play the movie for him all the time on VHS! Another person confided in me that The Dark Crystal was one of the few films that genuinely scared him as a kid and gave him nightmares. I smiled and told him I was glad to have contributed to his psychosis.

As I made my way to the back of the convention floor, the people over at Guy Gilchrist’s table spotted me. Gilchrist is a Henson alumni, and bills himself as Jim Henson’s cartoonist. His assistant jabbed at his arm, drawing his attention up and away from the piece he was working on. His eyes widened in amazement and he exhaled deeply in wonder. He invited me over to get photos and showed me a photo of him with Jim Henson “This was taken right around the time he was creating you!”. It meant a lot to hear how impressed he was with the costume, he insisted on signing a Dark Crystal print for me and told me to come pick it up once I was out of costume.

I checked the time, Tom DeFalco‘s panel was about to start and I figured I’d be able to make it through about half of it at least before I have to shuffle out of the suit. Some of the con staff were nice enough to open the door to the panel room for me and I slipped into the back corner. DeFalco was just beginning his talk and had been handing out notes. He grabbed the moderator and handed a stack f papers to him and then pointed to the back.

“…and let’s get one of these over to the… Creature… In the back.”

I enjoyed DeFalco’s talk about his approach to creating comics. This is another one of those things that great Lakes does really well, and I remember having a similar reaction when they brought Jim Shooter in for a talk much like this. I was disappointed when I had to slip out, but time is ticking away and I wanted to be in normal clothes to meet Jim Starlin.

I carried my bundle out to the car and decided it would be too much trouble to get the lizard feet off (they are the hardest part of the costume, and it always takes me forever to wriggle out of them. I usually don’t take them off until I get home actually) and decided to just put my jeans back on over top of them. It had warmed up enough that I left my leather jacket in the car and just wore my sweater, topping it off with a hat to cover my hair, mussed from the costume.

Starlin himself was warm and congenial.

“Batman was always my hero,” he told me. “ I mean back then, it was either superman Batman or wonder woman – and then maybe a little bit later the fly or the Jaguar, but it was really mostly Superman Batman and Wonder Woman”

He looked at my copy of Death in the Family as he was signing it.

“It was a shame, after we killed off Robin, somebody in merchandising realized it was a problem, and all of a sudden I was kind of persona non grata at DC. Work just dried up. Fortunately, there were some openings over at Marvel and I ended up working on a little thing call the Infinity Gauntlet – so I can’t complain too much!”

Before I got back into the costume, where I would stay for the remainder of the show, I managed to swing through and do a bit more shopping. No quarter bins, but plenty of 50 Cent bins and I managed to score some Punisher and Green Hornet. I was shocked when I discovered a bunch of Hulk and Star Trek issues in one those 50 Cent bins, all signed by writer Peter David. David is one of my favorite writers and I actually go out of my way to meet him at Hall of Fame Comicon a couple of years ago. I can’t for the life of me understand why these are in the discount boxes, but I wasn’t complaining. I grabbed as many as I could find and came home with a stack of new stuff to read.

I spent the last two hours of the show back in the Skeksis outfit. I hadn’t realized how much muscle it would take to carry around the staff. It’s not that it was heavy, just that used muscles in my forearm that I’m not used to flexing all the time! About an hour before the costume contest, I saw a familiar costume style walk in, a cosplayer I’d seen around Michigan a few times – he’d spent most of the day in a diffrent costume, but now was in his new hydra suit which managed to place during the costume contest. Backstage and waiting for the contest to proceed, I had fun fooling around with some of the other contestants – hypnotizing one of them with my staff and joking with some of the others. This time with the other cosplayers is consistently my favorite part about doing costume contests – it’s not about whether you win or lose, it’s about who you get to know!

As the show drew to a close, I slunk out quickly and quietly- exhausted and ready to hit the nearest McDonald’s for some hydration on the way home. Still, despite my fatigue, I had fun and can’t wait to come back.

Great Lakes Comic Con 2020 I’ll say this for Great Lakes Comic Con, I never fail to have a good time there – it’s always been a good show all the way back to…