#Superhero Comic Con 2023

[frimoussette88]

Kit & Emilia at Superhero Comic Con (x) - Favorite moments Part 1/?

[youwerenevermine]

EMILIA CLARKE & KIT HARINGTON || Some things never change ♥️ 2018 vs 2023

[amomentoftimeandword]

Finally gave this one a chance...🫣

For my DC fans.. I'm *very* aware Ezra Miller was/is currently? controversial. BEFORE you come at me, I am a huge Batman nerd and that's really the only reason I watched this movie! 🫣

Pros:

1. Michael Keaton reprising his role as Batman 🦇🙌🏼 . 2. Batman being Batman. 3. George Clooney showing up at the end as Bruce Wayne (solid ending). 4. Gal Gadot 🤩👏🏼 That's it 🤷🏼‍♀️

Cons:

** I hate saying this as a DC fan, but DC just CANNOT do live action movies well at ALL (The Dark Knight trilogy aside)!! I feel like they've never learned from their mistakes?? Have they never analyzed what is wrong and why their movies tank more often than not?? Sorry not sorry 🤷🏼‍♀️ I'll stick to the animated movies/shows which they excel at!! **

1. Ezra Miller's Flash. Can you say cringy?? (Not the whole time honestly, but majority, yes) 😬 seriously my least favorite version. Might be biased because I don't particularly care for Miller as a person... (Grant Gustin will always be my Flash) 2. The cameos of both George and Christopher Reeves and Adam West's Batman, felt weird. They don't appeal to a younger generation. The only reason I know about them is because my owner parents were around during that time and educated me on them. I think this film had plenty of missed opportunities to have current cameos of the same heroes. Especially since the CW's Crisis on Infinite Earths pulled in Miller's Flash. Could have returned the favor?? 3. Nicholas Cage Superman?? Hated that. No no no. Honestly not a huge Superman to begin with, but I respect a good portrayal of him when it happenes. But that was just bad. 4. Supergirl/Kara.. eh. 5. The Jason Momoa cameo in the post credits... Come on 🤦🏼‍♀️ Aquaman could have been so much better. 6. I love The Flash, as much as the next person, but there seems to always be a recurring theme with this character and it lacks uniqueness. Which theme? The one where Barry tries to go back in time to save his mom and inevitably f*cks up the timeline, creating a paradox. It is an overused plot to say the least. There's GOT to be more out there on him besides that?? I wanna see more of him taking on his enemies, his known ones from the Rogues gallery!!

[gokired]

MCM through the Years!

I enjoy going to MCM ever since my first one in 2016. The joy of going to London’s convention at the ExCel never stops me from having some fun. Plus it was great to meet interesting new people and guests who I adore all through my life.

[rubbish78]

The “no touching” policy doesn’t apply to me, doesn’t it Batman!? 🤡👉🦇

[pastelmuppet]

I was at Animarathon comic con 3/25/23 @ Bowling Green University in my state. It was so much fun and I got recognized so much people wanted photos with me! It was one of the best cons I’ve been to! Hopefully next con tho I’ll cosplay someone wearing pants lol

It was too fucking cold…😅😅

[redsnerdden]

With San Diego Comic-Con going on, and DC Comics teasing their new Animated Projects, I wonder when they'll update us on the Milestone Media Animated film that was teased during their DC Fandome Event from 2021.

[signalwatch]

Keith Giffen Merges With the Infinite Comics legend Keith Giffen has passed.   I can't begin to quantify how much an impact Giffen had on the industry and on me as a reader. I knew Giffen first as one of the talents on the famed mid-80's Justice League America and I am the guy who still thinks we all dropped the ball not making The Heckler a top seller.   He's responsible for so, so many characters and stories that make up the DCU, with amazing runs on Legion of Super-Heroes and innumerable other titles.  If Giffen's name was on it, it was worth checking out.  Just last week I was pricing a collection of his Doom Patrol on eBay.  I'll just drop this wikipedia link here, because it's just way too much for me to repeat here.  The man was a giant, and responsible for countless ideas, many of which are the best at multiple comics publishers.  He gave us worlds upon worlds.   I'm finding myself surprisingly shaken by Giffen's passing. He was one of the pros I always wanted to meet, and he was just in Austin, but I didn't make it to the Con.  I am sure the industry is going to be in deep mourning this week as folks say goodbye to their friend and inspiration. Y'all take a minute to remember Mr. Giffen and all he brought to these worlds and this medium we love.   https://ift.tt/r1hUnvX via The Signal Watch https://ift.tt/SDbULfV October 11, 2023 at 09:19PM

[lokiondisneyplus]

Marvel Studios has reshuffled the release dates for its slate of television shows.

What If…? Echo, and Agatha: Coven of Chaos, now titled Agatha: Darkhold Diaries, are among the titles receiving new dates. The move comes amid Hollywood’s strikes as well as a general pullback at Disney+.

The writers strike began May 2 while the actors went on strike July 14, significantly impacting production and development. At the same time, sources say Marvel wants to focus its efforts to make each title an event for fans and audiences. The studio has decided that spreading out its content is a more prudent strategy.

It’s a far cry from last year’s San Diego Comic-Con, when Marvel unveiled plans for Phase 5 and Phase 6 of its movies and television shows. 2023 particularly heavy with shows, with five planned. (Only the spring’s Secret Invasion, October’s Loki and as The Hollywood Reporter can reveal, What If…? season two remain of that plan for this year.)

THR poked around the Marvel scheduling changes and here’s what sources say is the new rundown:

As previously announced, Loki season two will be the only show to hit this fall, debuting on Disney+ on Oct. 6. Despite what some call superhero fatigue, expectations remain high for the Tom Hiddleston-Owen Wilson-fronted series that centers on alternate timelines. The season two trailer had the biggest digital debut of a trailer for any Disney+ series, and season one remains the most-watched Marvel series on Disney+.

The second season of Emmy-winning animated series What If…? will debut around Christmas Day, although it should be noted the animated show is not a holiday-themed series. Like the namesake comic on which its premise is based, What If…? is an anthology series that looks at key moments in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and how they would look in different timelines. Jeffrey Wright returns as the voice of the Watcher, the alien narrator. What If…? was originally slated for an early 2023 release.  

Echo, a spin-off from last year’s hit Hawkeye, was originally announced for Nov. 29 but has now shifted to January 2024. The series stars Alaqua Cox as a one-time head of a criminal organization who returns to her hometown in Oklahoma to come to terms with her past. The series, which centers on a character who is deaf and of Native American descent, is described as having a grittier and more grounded tone than some of the other Marvel series and will feature appearances by Daredevil and villain The Kingpin. As previously announced, all the episodes will drop at the same time.

Next on the schedule will be X-Men ’97, the animated series that acts as a spiritual and tonal continuation of the classic 1990s series that aired on Fox. The series, first announced in 2021, was originally planned for a fall 2023 debut but will now premiere in early 2024 The show is being described, by sources who have seen it, as retro and a love letter to the original. A season two remains in the works.

Agatha, the WandaVision spinoff starring Kathryn Hahn, was originally announced for a winter 2023 release has been pushed back to early fall 2024, where it will serve as a lead-up to the Halloween holiday. The show, which completed its filming before the strikes, was previously titled Agatha: House of Harkness and then Agatha: Coven of Chaos before falling on its currently name, Agatha: Darkhold Diaries.

Ironheart, a show focused on  genius-inventor Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) first introduced in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, was to have dropped this fall but that is now off the schedule. It finished shooting but its completion is affected by the strikes.

Daredevil: Born Again, a continuation of the Netflix series in the MCU, was expected to debut in spring 2024, paused in mid-production amid the strikes. Wonder Man, starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, was also paused in mid-production.

It is unclear where on the calendar the three series will end up.

[frimoussette88]

Kit & Emilia at Superhero Comic Con (x) - Favorite moments Part 3/?

[youwerenevermine]

EMILIA CLARKE & KIT HARINGTON || Q&A Panel cute moments @ the Superhero Comic Con. San Antonio, Texas. (July 8, 2023)

📸 by Alicia Barr [https://twitter.com/barr_alicia/status/1677911354659807232?s=20]

[richincolor]

YA Romance Reads by Adult Romance Authors

With the popularity and success of Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert, I've been keeping an eye out for Adult Romance authors making the jump to YA Romance. While my main reads tend to be SFF and YA lit, I love picking up a romance book once in a while. Talia Hibbert is one of my favorite authors, so when I heard she was making her YA debut with Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute, I was over the moon. (And ICYMI, we're posting a group discussion of Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute on 3/8 -- hope you'll read along with us!)

I can't help but sit up and take note when I read about Adult Romance authors coming out with YA books. And yes, I've been compiling a list. Here's what I have so far:

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert [Out now!] From the New York Times bestselling author of the Brown Sisters trilogy, comes a laugh-out-loud story about a quirky content creator and a clean-cut athlete testing their abilities to survive the great outdoors--and each other.

Bradley Graeme is pretty much perfect. He's a star football player, manages his OCD well (enough), and comes out on top in all his classes . . . except the ones he shares with his ex-best friend, Celine.

Celine Bangura is conspiracy-theory-obsessed. Social media followers eat up her takes on everything from UFOs to holiday overconsumption--yet, she's still not cool enough for the popular kids' table. Which is why Brad abandoned her for the in-crowd years ago. (At least, that's how Celine sees it.)

These days, there's nothing between them other than petty insults and academic rivalry. So when Celine signs up for a survival course in the woods, she's surprised to find Brad right beside her. Forced to work as a team for the chance to win a grand prize, these two teens must trudge through not just mud and dirt but their messy past. And as this adventure brings them closer together, they begin to remember the good bits of their history. But has too much time passed . . . or just enough to spark a whole new kind of relationship?

While You Were Dreaming by Alisha Rai [Out March 21, 2023] This YA debut from powerhouse romance author Alisha Rai tackles undocumented immigration against the backdrop of viral online fame, fake dating, and a love triangle. A must-read for fans of Nicola Yoon or Sandhya Menon.

If Sonia Patil had her way, she’d be attending her local comic con instead of covering a shift for her boss’s daughter. Since Sonia’s mom was deported and her sister, who never claimed deferred status under DACA, had to forgo college to support them, Sonia’s had her hands full with work, school, and pretending everything is okay at home.

Then Sonia, in homemade superhero cosplay, stumbles into saving her crush James’s life. When a video of the daring rescue goes viral, she—or, rather, a mysterious masked savior—is thrust into the spotlight. Now she’s hiding from TikTok detectives while trying to connect with James. And while she’s drawn to his friendly but oblivious nature, she can’t deny her escalating chemistry with another awkwardly charming boy. Juggling crushes and a secret identity might just take superpowers. Will Sonia be able to hide in plain sight forever?

Her Good Side by Rebekah Weatherspoon [Out May 30, 2023] A swoony, heart-melting YA romance from beloved author Rebekah Weatherspoon about two awkward teens who decide to practice dating in order to be good at the real thing. Perfect for fans of Nicola Yoon and Jenny Han.

Sixteen-year-old Bethany Greene, though confident and self-assured, is what they call a late-bloomer. She's never had a boyfriend, date, or first kiss. She's determined to change that but after her crush turns her down cold for Homecoming--declaring her too inexperienced--and all her back-up ideas fall through, she cautiously agrees to go with her best friend's boyfriend Jacob. A platonic date is better than no date, right? Until Saylor breaks up with said boyfriend.

Dumped twice in just two months, Jacob Yeun wonders if he's the problem. After years hiding behind his camera and a shocking summer glow up, he wasn't quite ready for all the attention or to be someone's boyfriend. There are no guides for his particular circumstances, or for taking your ex's best friend to the dance.

Why not make the best of an awkward situation? Bethany and Jacob decide to fake date for practice, building their confidence in matters of the heart.

And it works--guys are finally noticing Bethany. But things get complicated as their kissing sessions--for research of course!--start to feel real. This arrangement was supposed to help them in dating other people, but what if their perfect match is right in front of them?

And here's a bonus book -- while Olivie Blake is a Fantasy author, not a Romance author, I do think it's notable that Olivie Blake (pen name for Alexene Farol Follmuth) has a really cute YA Romance out right now:

My Mechanical Romance by Alexene Farol Follmuth [Out now!] Opposites attract in this battle-robot-building YA romance from the NYT best-selling author of The Atlas Six.

Bel would rather die than think about the future. College apps? You’re funny. Extracurriculars? Not a chance. But when she accidentally reveals a talent for engineering at school, she’s basically forced into joining the robotics club. Even worse? All the boys ignore Bel—and Neelam, the only other girl on the team, doesn't seem to like her either.

Enter Mateo Luna, captain of the club, who recognizes Bel as a potential asset—until they start butting heads. Bel doesn’t care about Nationals, while Teo cares too much. But as the nights of after-school work grow longer and longer, Bel and Teo realize they've made more than just a combat-ready robot for the championship: they’ve made each other and the team better. Because girls do belong in STEM.

In her YA debut, Alexene Farol Follmuth, author of The Atlas Six (under the penname Olivie Blake), explores both the challenges girls of color face in STEM and the vulnerability of first love with unfailing wit and honesty. With an adorable, opposites-attract romance at its center and lines that beg to be read aloud, My Mechanical Romance is swoonworthy perfection.

[distribuidoraejeo]

¿Te gustan los cómics?, bueno como cada semana les traemos los especiales y semanales de nuestra muy gustada sección de cómics y aquí les dejamos los de editorial Panini.

Ya puedes comenzar a solicitar su o sus ejemplares y llevárselos con sus respectivos descuentos sobre sus precios de portada.

Fecha límite de recolección Miércoles 18 de Octubre de 2023.

#distribuidoraejeo #comics #comic #lectura #leer #read #reading #historietacomica #octubre #october #2023 #superheroes #supervillanos #bien #mal #good #evil #starwars #doctoraaphra #nemesisreloaded

[brielarsonsource]

Brie Larson will be at the Superhero Comic Con & Car Show on July 7 & 8, 2023 at Freeman Expo Halls in San Antonio, Texas [More information here]

[davidmariottecomics]

Week 86 - 8/28/23 - A BLUE BEETLE MOVIE???

Hi there, 

It probably isn't news as it's a pretty popular film in theaters right now, but there's a Blue Beetle movie out! And it's a lot of fun! 

If you didn't know, Ted Kord, the second Blue Beetle, is my favorite superhero. There's a pretty good joke in the new movie about the difference between Ted and Batman, and not to step on the punchline, but it boils down to Ted knows how to laugh. He's a character frequently written to have a sense of humor, to know a good joke, and to be the dramatic superheroic straightman when it counts. He is not exactly an everyman--he's a genius, he dresses up in a silly costume, and he's rich--but in a lot of ways, he's just a guy trying to do the right thing because he can. 

And he casts a long shadow over the new movie, which is about Jaime Reyes--fantastically played by the dreamy Xolo Maridueña--who I don't love quite as much as Ted, but who I think is himself a great and important character. He's a very different hero. He's got a sense of humor, he's got a good heart, but his relationship with his family, with his friends, with the scarab, and with the Blue Beetle legacy allows him to be something totally apart from Ted. The movie takes a lot of liberties--it's part Spider-Man, part Ant-Man, part Green Lantern (though... honestly probably better than the past few recent film adaptations of those characters)--but it doesn't run from the truth of who Jaime is as a character, which I think makes it all the better. The best superhero movie projects don't try to be just an adaptation, but to take what makes the hero great, understand it, and share it in a way that makes them more accessible and loom larger as a hero. 

I don't want to spoil anything, but there was one extremely stupid part that made me tear up (out of just finally getting to see a thing on-screen and knowing there's some practical version of it out there and honestly, a little bit jealousy). If you see me, or want to reach out and ask about it, I'll gladly tell you. 

But there's a Blue Beetle movie. And even though I saw it and really quite liked it... I kinda still can't believe it. 

Next week: No blog on the website/newsletter! There is a Patreon post scheduled if you need your fix, going out to all backers at $5 or more a month! But I'm outta town and will see you when I return. 

What I enjoyed this week: Blank Check (Podcast), Yu-Gi-Oh: Duel Links (Video Game), Craig of the Creek (Cartoon), Honkai Star Rail (Video game), My Adventures with Superman (Cartoon), The Broken Room by Peter Clines (Book), Dumbing of Age (Webcomic), Solve This Murder (Podcast), The Venture Bros: Radiant is the Blood of the Baboon Heart (Movie--which my pal Phil Murphy worked on!), Kaiju No. 8 (Manga), Kaguya-Sama: Love is War (Manga), Blue Beetle (Movie--duh), Oldboy (Movie), Witch Watch (Manga), Becca playing a little more Persona 5, Tangled (Movie), Jurassic Park (Movie), D.E.B.S. (Movie) 

New Releases this week (8/23/2023): Godzilla Monsters & Protectors: All Hail the King TPB (Editor--on the latter half)

Final Order Cut-Off next week (8/28/2023--last day to get your preorders in): Sonic the Hedgehog #65

New Releases next week (8/30/2023): Godzilla Rivals: Vs. SpaceGodzilla (Supervising Editor) Sonic the Hedgehog: Endless Summer (A very silly credit) Sonic the Hedgehog: Scrapnik Island TPB (Editor) 

Announcements: Becca is at Cartoon-a Palooza in Temecula on 9/15 & 9/16. It's a cool free all-ages little con, so come on out and see them!

Wanna support me? Consider joining my Patreon! I've got a bunch of cool stuff coming up and already on there. As well as some silly stuff like a tour of my desk, so you can see where the comics magic happens! I've got a bunch of stuff scheduled for September already and there'll always be more! 

I have a webstore! It does look like I'm going to get a small supplement to my Beast Wars Vol. 3 stock, which is nice, but most everything else, I am not going to have more of anytime soon! Maybe give it a look! 

I've still got a few things on my eBay, if you're looking for stuff! But obviously, anything that would get shipped out won't until I'm back!  Pic of the Week: It was National Cinema Day yesterday, which is why Becca and I went to Blue Beetle ($4 tickets to the movies!). But they had to work, so I went and saw a second film, the 20th anniversary screening of Park Chan-wook's Oldboy. And the theater that was showing Oldboy had a special Cinema Day deal on the Blue Beetle backback popcorn bucket, so I did pick it up because that with a popcorn and a drink was still significantly cheaper than the bucket usually is by itself. So here's a photo of Becca modeling it. 

[quartings]

My favorite shows/movies/comics of 2023!!

What a year! I graduated from college, made a few animated shorts I’m really proud of, and got my first proper internships in the industry! Not to mention a ton of great movies, shows, comics, etc came out- so I decided to use this as a chance to recommend some of my favorites to you if you’ve been looking for something new to check out!

Favorite Movie: Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3

Summary: The third and final entry in the series- and it’s not often you get a proper conclusion in superhero franchises, so that’s already a great sign! If you want to get into the series I’d highly recommend it- and if the whole MCU is too daunting for you, then just watching it in the below order should still suffice:

Guardians of the Galaxy > Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 > Avengers Infinity War > Avengers Endgame> The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special > Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3

Pros: This isn’t much of a surprise if you’ve followed my blog- I absolutely ADORE this series- The combination of both amazing practical and CGI effects. The story full of creative action sequences and sweet found family bonding moments. The well-rounded characters, who grow beyond the usual stereotypes people would assume of them, learning how to process and overcome their trauma. The amazing soundtrack and score. The comedy combined with the surprising dark and emotional moments and characters. And the fact that this was a beautiful conclusion to the story instead of just dragging it out into endless status quo or replacing the main cast 1:1 like other superhero stories makes it an added benefit! My eternal thanks and congratulations to writer-director James Gunn, whom I wish all the best to in his future at DC!

Cons: I really can’t think of anything major! Maybe just that instead of being able to marathon all 3 Guardians movies in a row, you have to watch two Avengers movies in between with their own storylines?

Favorite Western Cartoon(s): My Adventures with Superman

Summary: As I follow James Gunn over to DC I’ve decided to brush up on some DC characters for the first time in a while! A fresh anime-styled look at Superman’s first weeks working at The Daily Planet with a slightly new take on his crush Lois and best friend Jimmy!

Pros: The art style and animation are gorgeous, knowing almost exactly what good influences to take from anime! The new designs and personalities for Lois and Jimmy are fun, and most importantly- Clark Kent aka Superman’s portrayal is fantastic- just the right balance of heroic, kind, and awkward in a way that’s cute but not annoying.

Cons: You may have heard this complaint go around, but I have to echo what some of the fanbase when I agree that most of the villains in this series are a big letdown. A lot of them have the same angular tech aesthetic, not many of them have creative powers, and some of their voice actors I’d even say don’t fit them at all. And a certain pair of them who do have creative designs and likable personalities aren’t even villains in this series despite being villains in the comics and other series. Hopefully this gets amended in season 2, which I’m still excited for!

Honorable mention goes to Hilda!

So far, I’ve just watched the first 2 seasons and the movie but here’s what I have to say!

Summary: A cozy and cute kids cartoon that beautifully captures the spirit of a magical Scandinavian adventure! I put off watching this for years and finally got around to it- it really is as great as everyone says! Though looking at how long the hiatuses were between seasons, I’m actually glad I took this long to start watching- I don’t think I could have survived the wait, haha.

Pros: The art style and animation are GORGEOUS- some of the best ever! The voice acting is great and adorable (It blows my mind that I watched Bella Ramsey as Hilda in this and as Ellie in The Last of Us- the two characters are like night and day, haha) The tone is really sweet and cute while still having enough adventure and hints of good comedy to not make it feel too slow-paced. It may not be my favorite animated show ever, but I can 100% understand if other people want to rank it as their #1!

Cons: I don’t know if anyone will agree with me, but I felt Season 2 was a bit predictable? I still loved the season, don’t get me wrong, but there were moments where they cut from the adventure to focus on two characters disagreeing and it wasn’t really as tense as the show wanted it to feel, because you’d know how things would get resolved. It’s forgivable for a kids show, but it just stands out because of how mature all the other plot points and the tone of the series is overall.

Favorite Anime: Tomo-Chan is a Girl!

Summary: Tomo Aizawa tries to win over her crush and childhood friend Jun, who just sees her as “one of the bros”. To do that, her gloomy friend Misuzu suggests that Tomo act girlier. But as the series goes on and we learn the characters’ backstories, it becomes obvious that things aren’t so simple and gendered (thankfully!)

Pros: Despite starting off on pretty standard shenanigans, I love how much respect is given to both leads in this romance! Usually most love interests in media are just treated as objects to be won regardless of gender, but thankfully the friendship between Tomo and Jun here is treated with a surprising amount of respect and care! Plus if you prefer dubs, this show has a fantastic one! And the supporting cast of Misuzu and Carol are some of the most iconic and hilarious best friend characters in anime ever!

Cons: If you’re not a fan of typical anime romcom shenanigans then this may not be for you- though I will say, like many shows it does get better after Episode 2 (the big reveal at the end should hopefully get you on board!) Also, the subplot for the comic relief character Carol has some problematic undertones which are already dialed down from how they were in the manga- though it’s a pretty minor subplot so it shouldn’t be too bad in my opinion!

Sidenote: I know Frieren is one of the best anime ever made, and I will probably check it out when the season wraps up next year!

Favorite Western Comics: Superman Smashes the Klan!

Summary: More Superman! A period piece about two American-Chinese immigrant siblings trying to fit in their new neighborhood, and Superman trying to protect them from the KKK while struggling with his own heritage as an immigrant.

Pros: I don’t normally like western comic art styles, but this was drawn by GuriHiru (the group who does the ATLA comics) and their style is one of my favorites ever! A nice, self-contained graphic novel, so you don’t have to worry about reading 1000 other side series! This version of Superman and his supporting cast is even more enjoyable than the version in My Adventures with Superman in my opinion- just as much focus on kindness and real heroism! And this has some of the best Asian representation I’ve seen in a long, long, time- actually focusing on how hard it can be for anyone of any heritage to adjust to a new neighborhood and prejudices, instead of how most other Asian-American movies and cartoons these days are like “My parents abuse me but that’s a quirky part of my culture so I should be happy about it!”

Cons: I can’t really think of any! This is an amazing short graphic novel- definitely buy it and read it!

Honorable mention goes to Hooky!

Summary: Magical twins Dorian and Dani find out they have an important and terrifying magical destiny, and in their quest to survive their world and defy fate, they make some great new friends and allies along the way!

Pros: A wonderful and cute art style, great story full of emotional highs and lows, characters with lots of depth and development, and very well-tailored worldbuilding that makes the world feel alive but not too crowded. The stars of the show, Dorian and Danielle, have a great and believable sibling bond, and you get really attached to how their stories progress over the course of the story. I will also add that the endings of each of the three books are some of the most powerful I’ve ever seen!

Cons: This was a webtoon at first, so that may be why the pacing is REALLY fast. Even the slower chapters feel like they move really quickly and are full of dialogue- not a lot of room for slow atmospheric panels. Also this is a con for me but maybe not for others- there are a LOT of romantic subplots in this. Not than any of them are poorly-written, but when they all have to compete with each other and the main plot, it makes the crowded pacing feel even more rough. Also the plot in the third book feels like it’s trying to get to the resolution even faster, which may be a let down from the amazing ending of book 2.

Favorite Live-action Series: The Last of Us

Summary: A zombie apocalypse series about people getting taken over by Cordyceps fungus! Hardened smuggler Joel (Pedro Pascal) has to escort angry teen Ellie (Bella Ramsey) across America on a dangerous mission.

Pros: An amazing adaptation of the games, adding even more intense action and mature themes than before! Gorgeous visuals, superb acting and great pacing! And if it’s your jam, there’s even more well-written LGBT storylines than there were in the games! Not just one of the best live action shows or shows of 2023, but one of the best shows of all time!

Cons: Going to echo another common critique- I don’t mind that there aren’t as many infected in the show compared to the games- for the first 6 episodes or so I think it’s just fine! But when the last 5 episodes of the show don’t have a single infected at all in the present day (there’s like 2 in flashbacks) when it’s a big theme that ties into the stakes of the ending, that’s actually a big problem.

Honorable mention to Prehistoric Planet!

Pros: One of THE BEST prehistoric documentaries of all time! With gorgeous CGI depictions of dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals, and portraying them as real animals, not just man-eating monsters! You will grow attached to the dinosaurs as characters, not just creatures. Actual respect for prehistory is so hard to come by in media, so I value it way more than live-action dramas or even most cartoons!

Cons: All episodes take place in the same time period- essentially the last few years of the dinosaurs in the late Cretaceous. Which means we miss out on a lot of other eras and animals. On top of that, the episodes are composed of many short 3-minute bits rather than full storylines like Walking With Dinosaurs, which is a bit of a letdown.

Favorite Manga Lightning Round!

Somehow, my favorite three manga that I’ve discovered this year are all romcoms!

#1: Pseudo Harem (Completed!)

Despite the name, this is an adorable and wholesome series about a stagehand and an actress in a highschool drama club- they’re friends who pretend to be in all kinds of tropey relationships for fun, and these adorable interactions lead to a really sweet romance between them! Like all good romances, we get to see the quirks and perspectives of both parties! And what’s more it’s even getting an anime adaptation next year!!

#2:  Kimi wa Yakamashi Tojite yo Kuchi o! (You Talk Too Much, So Just Shut It Already!) (Ongoing at 38+ biweekly chapters)

The story of a deaf girl and the extremely cheerful and stupid boy who tries to befriend her! It’s fantastic representation for the deaf community (even having some small sign language lessons in chapters!) Unlike many manga where the nonverbal girl is just a shy cute thing to be pined after, we get to hear the inner monologue of our female lead Tsukino and see her perspective on things as THE protagonist and not just the love interest. The side characters are also hilarious, the story takes some surprisingly wacky turns for your average high school romcom (name another meetcute that involves a feral Komodo dragon, I dare you) and the comedy is surprisingly witty and fanservice-free- very much a style rarely seen in manga and really up my alley!

#3: Mietemasu yo! Aizawa-san (I See You, Aizawa-san!) (Ongoing at 14+ monthly chapters)

You might be surprised to see a Yuri (WLW) romance series on this list, but I’d say I’m more surprised that not more people are talking about this compared to the usual generic Tsundere x Genki Girl stories that dominate this site year-round for some reason.

This series is about an emo highschool girl named Michi who has been plagued by visions of ghosts her whole life. When she finds out her classmate Aizawa who passed recently was an idol, Michi simultaneously becomes a diehard fangirl of Aizawa, but also tries her best to ignore the adorable and goofy ghost of Aizawa because of Michi’s longtime fear of ghosts (honestly one of the best metaphors for gay panic I’ve seen).

I think the reasons I prefer this over most shoujo manga are as follows- First, the art style has a good usage of shading and black colors and not just the usual light airbrushing that is in most of them. Secondly, it’s got a good mix of the typical pretty and detailed shoujo art but also cute silly chibis in comedic moments (very good comedy I might add!). And thirdly, there’s a cool fantasy element that ties into the romance rather than fighting for screentime with it (the ghosts and such)! There also seems to be a deeper mystery to the plot but I don’t think it’ll be addressed anytime soon, which is fine! (Sidenote this isn’t the first WLW series I’ve watched but it might just be my favorite even after just 14 chapters!)

The only con I’d give this series is that it still has one shoujo trope I dislike- where almost all the female characters have to be the same kind of pretty. Thankfully our lead Michi is spared of this and looks like the stressed emo she should be, but there’s a “dumb jock” character later on who looks just as elegant and feminine as the other girls even though the story implies she looks tougher than most, haha.

If you do decide to check out any of these, or have already seen and love them, let me know what you think! I’d love to hear more people gush about stuff I love, and I can’t wait to see what other amazing series I’ll discover in 2024!