#dani fights superman and wins

[basilf1res]

Memento Mori - DPxDC

What was beyond death. Was there anything at all? Was there nothing?

That was what he always wondered.

When Clark was a child, he looked up to his fictional hero: Danny Phantom. A half-dead guy in a comic book series that led to the most bisexual awakenings in the century.

Clark liked to go back and reread the comic books from Issue #1 (they were fairly short, but all parts of an “episode”, almost like those ads on shows, but the wait time was every two weeks). He tended to read them all in one sitting, and yet oddly enough, never disturbed as he murmured the made-up summoning spell under his breath.

He could’ve sworn he had been going through them for over an hour and not twenty minutes.

It was Phantom who inspired him to continue being Superman in his darkest moments. He also considered himself physical proof that Danny’s palette swap was enough to hide his identity.

The glasses ARE enough.

When Clark found out he had a clone, he was ecstatic to be able to teach Conner anything everything, to answer any questions his little brother had.

Danielle “Dani” Phantom and her awaited return in “Issue #46 D-stabilized” caused him to become a mama bear to Conner out of the fear he would melt within a few weeks. But it wasn’t like anyone at the Watchtower had to know that small detail.

Getting married to Lois was the best day of his life, the day of Jon’s birth also fighting for that first place spot in his mind.

He had a clone brother, a wonderful wife, a beautiful son, and an amazing group of friends that work together to protect the planet he calls home.

But everything started to fall apart when a protest against metas took it too far, Jon’s powers started to develop and he was seen accidentally tripping, falling, and catching himself by hovering a few inches above the pavement.

Jon said he considered himself lucky nothing scarred. He laughed everything off when it came to the topic.

But it shook Clark, Lois, and Conner to the core.

Memento mori.

It reminded Superman that despite his impenetrable skin, Death can come at any moment. Even for him.

—————————

When Danny was a little boy, he dreamt of reaching the stars, he wanted to be able to touch the moon, explore Mars, and roam the galaxy he resides in and beyond.

He read these comic books of a league of heroes, a team with space cops, super powered humans, a man dressed in a bat suit that was more effective at capturing rogues and villains than some of the powered members, aliens, and so much more.

He flipped through the weekly published comics, learning to read better than most at a young age. He had two favorites, Superman and Martian Manhunter.

Danny wanted to explore the stars like his heroes. He wanted to be able to fight as well as the big Bat. He wanted superpowers. He wanted to help people. He wanted to fight his own set of supervillains. He wanted to be able to succeed and be loved.

Oh how he got everything he wanted but the last.

Tucker and Sam were the only reason he hadn’t broken yet, the reason he was still standing.

The anti-ecto acts, the GIW, Vlad, Pariah Dark, and his- Jack and Maddie’s sadistic comments about ghosts were the last straw.

The hero always wins… they don’t die to the evil they want to stop… right..?

Right..?

…

The sound of a scraping scalpel, the buzz of the lights, and the squeals of pleasure - as his ghostly heart was found again and again and prodded again and again - filled his ears for an unknown length of time.

His cries for help were never answered until a summoning pulled at his core, it was a personal calling, someone had managed to find his calling card.

The tears of relief stung his eyes as the dissection table with his body strapped down to it was sucked into a summons portal.

He was spat out in front of kids, most likely teenagers, due to the shrieks of horror and surprise.

Oh… oh how he prayed to the Ancients that he’d live to see another day as a tears slipped out of his eyes.

Memento mori.

——————————

Jon found out about his comic book collection and wanted to show Damian.

Clark hummed as he typed up an official report on a rogue attack to send to the Watchtower.

His blood ran cold when he heard his son scream from over in Gotham.

[britcision]

Alright I’m on a Dead On Main kick but I’m also permanently in house “Danny Should Adopt Connor For Proper Clone Parenting”

So let’s combine those for crack purposes!

Timelines are fake and so are trees

Jason and Danny are both technically younger than Connor’s supposed to be, and both actually older than Connor is

There’s some fight in Gotham big enough to justify both Superman and Superboy showing up, Red Hood’s willingly working with the bats, mass hysteria

Jason Todd knows more than enough about forcing a working relationship with shitty parents enough to have Suspicions about how Man and Boy are interacting

He knew them before he died and knew it was a bad relationship then, it’s clearly no better

But it’s shooty shooty guns time so we’ll get to that later

Eventually he has to call in the bf because the JL are getting their asses kicked and Danny shows up and joins the fight

Even he can spot the tension and he and Jason exchange Big Gay Looks

But as the fight goes on, Connor’s pinned

In Big Danger, going down, Superman’s closest and doesn’t even glance twice

Just turns away

In comes Danny with the steel chair and if some flying fragments of goon nearly hit Supes, well, pure coincidence

Danny helps Connor to his feet and they get back into it, Connor gets to be in on the big plan which is Get Danny To The Middle

One ghostly wail later, that’s it that’s the fight

Everyone’s wondering what happened, how all the baddies disappeared, Danny gives Connor a pat on the shoulder

“I’m retired kid, and couldn’t have done it without you, so do me a favour and you take this win”

Danny’s gone, Connor’s confused, Jason INSTANTLY backs him up

If Bats is wondering who the unknown fighting alongside them was, well, Superman’s making his biggest constipated faces about congratulating his clone

Jason promises to explain everything if Connor comes by for coffee, Connor has no social life so post debrief they go and pick up enough for 3

Connor’s a little surprised cuz yeah, Jason’s different from when he was Robin, but way less angry and violent than Dick’s led him to believe

Jason explains it’s because of his new bf Danny, the explainer in this case

They get back to Danny in his human form, he’s all gushy and happy to meet Connor cuz whether he went to space or not Connor is technically an alien

Connor gets very quiet about his dna donors

Danny gets Instantly Suspicious and remembers that moment in the fight

Jason rats out the incidents he knows about where Superman’s been a shit

Connor insists we are Not Talking About This It’s Fine

Danny stares him in the face

“Hey wanna meet my clone? Her name’s Danielle, her creator made her try to murder me to replace me. She’s my sister and best friend and I love her dearly and You’re My Clone Now Too.”

Connor, befuddled, is instantly adopted by Dani as well because Clone Sibling, who cares about genetics

Jason tells Connor they’re always like this, but yeah, if he doesn’t wanna put up with Supes’ shit he can go his own way

He doesn’t even have to go full Red Hood style, but they’ll take care of him if he wants to break off on his own

Connor doesn’t believe Supes would ever allow this and would kill Connor the second he showed any hesitance

Danny goes Full Eldritch Horror

Jason:

“Oh hey I don’t think I formally introduced you, Connor this is my boyfriend Danny, the King of the Infinite Realms, you just watched him melt a guy who was kicking Clark’s ass. What were your concerns again?”

And that’s how Connor ends up adopted by his friend’s baby brother and his eldritch boyfriend, complete with happy family jokes

Jason and Danny both call him their baby incessantly and Connor will never admit he kinda loves it, not least for the faces Dick makes

Superman does predictably kick up a stink about Connor not living on base, Batman can’t control Jason but Jason isn’t a world ending threat

Jason smiles extremely sweetly and demonstrates exactly what a world ending threat looks like by texting Danny, who shows up again in full Eldritch Horror

And then Danny texts JAZZ and the Justice League learn the true meaning of fear from a 6’9 redhead therapist who went to the Harley Quinn school of “Sit Down And Shut Up While I Read You For Filth”

Danny pinky swears not to end the world if the JL leave Jason and Connor alone, they can even still be on call for the league and MAYBE so will Danny

If they’re extremely lucky

Constantine assures them this is The Only Way Fucking Hell Superman What Did You Do

The only hiccup in the happily ever after is Dick deciding this makes him Connor’s uncle and being insufferable about it

Danny agrees and it only makes it worse

[themultiverseheroines]

Fandom Tournament

Okay, so I believe a week ago I mentioned my friend was making a tournament featuring characters from anime, cartoons, etc.? Well, he finished it all, with 256 participants. Yep, not 128 like he told me. Anyways, here are the participants who will be facing off against one another. Also, here’s how this tournament will work.

There will be eight blocks. 32 participants and 16 fights in each block from Block A to Block H. This will go on for five rounds until we get to the quarterfinals, then the semi-finals, and then the finals. The participants fighting one another will be done at random. My friend had to use a number generator to make this easier for him.

Now, who wins will be up to my friend based off how he believes the fights would go. He’ll also take into account the opinions of everyone. The first round will be up tomorrow morning and then the second round on Sunday. Then next Friday to Sunday round 3, 4, and 5. And then the week after that the finals.

My friend understands not everyone will like this due to who they feel should win, but this is based off his knowledge of the characters and what they are capable of. While also believing how they’d fight against one another. Hope you’ll like the fights anyways and take care guys. 

Anime

Dragon Ball

1.     Goku

2.     Vegeta

3.     Gohan

4.     Piccolo

5.     Android 17

6.     Android 18

7.     Krillen

8.     Frieza

Bleach

1.     Ichigo Kurosaki

2.     Byakuya Kuchiki

3.     Kenpachi Zaraki

4.     Renji Abarai

5.     Soifon

6.     Mayuri Kurotsuchi

7.     Tier Harribel

8.     Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez

Shaman King

1.     Yoh Asakura

2.     Tao Ren

3.     Horohoro

4.     Johann Faust VIII

5.     Lyserg Diethel

6.     Ryunosuke Umemiya

7.     Chocolove McDonnell

8.     Hao Asakura

Naruto

1.     Naruto Uzumaki

2.     Sasuke Uchiha

3.     Sakura Haruno

4.     Killer Bee

5.     Rock Lee

6.     Shikimaru Nara

7.     Hinata Hyuga

8.     Gaara

One Piece

1.     Monkey D. Luffy

2.     Roronoa Zoro

3.     Nico Robin

4.     Sanji

5.     Tony Tony Chopper

6.     Franky

7.     Brook

8.     Jimbei

One Punch Man

1.     Saitama

2.     Genos

3.     Tatsumaki

4.     Fubuki

5.     Bang

6.     Blast

7.     Atomic Samurai

8.     King

My Hero Academia

1.     Izuku Midoriya

2.     Katsuki Bakugo

3.     Ochaco Uraraka

4.     Shoto Todoroki

5.     Eijiro Kirishima

6.     Rumi Usagiyama

7.     Yu Takeyama

8.     Ryuko Tatsuma

RWBY

1.     Ruby Rose

2.     Weiss Shnee

3.     Blake Belladonna

4.     Yang Xiao Long

5.     Penny Polendina

6.     Oscar Pine

7.     Qrow Branwen

8.     Raven Branwen

Cartoon

Ben 10/Generator Rex/The Secret Saturdays

1.     Ben Tennyson

2.     Gwen Tennyson

3.     Kevin Levin

4.     Rook Blonko

5.     Rex Salazar

6.     Zak Saturday

7.     Charmcaster

8.     Vilgax

He-Man/She-Ra/Thundercats

1.     Prince Adam/He-Man

2.     Skeletor

3.     Adora/She-Ra

4.     Catra

5.     Glimmer, Princess of Bright Moon

6.     Scorpioa

7.     Lion-O

8.     Mumm-Ra

Steven Universe

1.     Stevonnie

2.     Garnet

3.     Pearl

4.     Amethyst

5.     Bismuth

6.     Lapis

7.     Peridot

8.     Spinel

LOK

1.     Korra

2.     Mako

3.     Bolin

4.     Kuvira

5.     Zaheer

6.     Tenzin

7.     Bumi Jr.

8.     Kya

Danny Phantom

1.     Danny Phantom

2.     Danielle “Dani” Phantom

3.     Vlad Plasmius

4.     Dan Phantom

5.     Wulf

6.     Skulker

7.     Vortex

8.     Ember McLain

Transformers

1.     Optimus Prime

2.     Megatron

3.     Bumblebee

4.     Arcee

5.     Bulkhead

6.     Soundwave

7.     Starscream

8.     Shockwave

Disney

1.     Kim Possible

2.     Jake Long

3.     Goliath

4.     Scrooge McDuck

5.     Darkwing Duck

6.     Luz Noceda

7.     Anne Boonchuy

8.     Star Butterfly

TMNT

1.     Leonardo

2.     Raphael

3.     Donatello

4.     Michelangelo

5.     April O’Neil

6.     Splinter

7.     Karai

8.     Shredder

Comic/Book

Justice League

1.     Superman

2.     Wonder Woman

3.     Batman

4.     The Flash

5.     Green Lantern

6.     Shazam

7.     Martian Manhunter

8.     Doctor Fate

9.     Green Arrow

10.  Black Canary

11.  Black Lightning

12.  Supergirl

13.  Zatanna

14.  Nightwing

15.  Starfire

16.  Cyborg

17.  Raven

18.  Beast Boy

19.  Terra

20.  Static

21.  Bumblebee

22.  Superboy

23.  Red Hood

24.  Blue Beetle

25.  Miss Martian

26.  Deathstroke

27.  Killer Frost

28.  Killer Croc

29.  King Shark

30.  Harley Quinn

31.  Black Adam

32.  Lobo

Marvel

1.     Captain America

2.     Captain Marvel

3.     Hawkeye

4.     Black Widow

5.     Iron Man

6.     Scarlet Witch

7.     Vision

8.     Thor

9.     The Hulk

10.  Spider-Man

11.  Ant-Man

12.  Wasp

13.  Black Panther

14.  She-Hulk

15.  Doctor Strange

16.  Ms. Marvel

17.  Ghost Rider

18.  Ghost Spider

19.  Wolverine

20.  America Chavez

21.  Ironheart

22.  X-23

23.  Emma Frost

24.  Jean Grey

25.  Mister Fantastic

26.  Invisible Woman

27.  Human Torch

28.  The Thing

29.  Doctor Doom

30.  Thanos

31.  Apocalypse

32.  Loki

Video Games

Mortal Kombat

1.     Cassie Cage

2.     Jacqui Briggs

3.     Sheeva

4.     Kitana Khan

5.     Raiden

6.     Liu Kang

7.     Sub-Zero

8.     Scorpion

Street Fighter

1.     Ryu

2.     Ken

3.     Chun-li

4.     Cammy White

5.     Sakura Kasugano

6.     Blanka

7.     M. Bison

8.     Zangief

King of Fighters

1.     Terry Bogard

2.     Geese Howard

3.     Rock Howard

4.     Kyo Kusanagi

5.     Blue Mary

6.     Kula Diamond

7.     Yuri Sakazaki

8.     Mai Shiranui

Tekken

1.     Akuma

2.     Jin Kazama

3.     Ling Xiaoyu

4.     Heihachi Mishima

5.     Kazuya Mishima

6.     Nina Williams

7.     Lei Wulong

8.     King II

Dead or Alive

1.     Ayane

2.     Tina Armstrong

3.     Ryu Hayabusa

4.     Leifang

5.     Kasumi

6.     Jann Lee

7.     Helena Douglas

8.     Ein

BlazBlue

1.     Ragna the Bloodedge

2.     Amane Nishiki

3.     Bang Shishigami

4.     Bullet

5.     Hakumen

6.     Nu-13

7.     Taokaka

8.     Makoto Nanaya

Darkstalkers

1.     Demitri Maximoff

2.     Hsien-Ko

3.     Jedah Dohma

4.     Jon Talbain

5.     Morrigan Aensland

6.     Victor von Gerdenheim

7.     Felicia

8.     Pyron

Soulcalibur

1.     Siegfried

2.     Chai Xianghua

3.     Heishiro Mitsurugi

4.     Ivy Valentine

5.     Strider Hiryu

6.     Astaroth

7.     Cassandra Alexandra

8.     Sophitia Alexandra

[papers4me]

What irritates you so much in narratives when reading stories or watching series or films?

Plot Armour!

Nothing can ruin a story more than warping the protagonists/their friends/ the antagonists with plot armour. When writing a story try to drive the plot around to achieve certain goals regarding your characters whiling maintain readers interest or shocking or manipulating their emotions. Keep in mind that a character escaping death is fascinating device that capture the readers’ emotions in its highest moment & release it with a mixture of relief, happiness & a rush of adrenaline. Fantastic narrative device. However, repeat it few times & the reaction you’ll get from your readers is mockery, disappointment, boring predictability & the most sever one: lack of interest in this character’s fate. Cuz, they’ll always win/live/survive.

Remember: it can only be used once! If a character dies, it should remain dead! only bring it back if it its resurrection itself adds to the story’s lore/world. But don’t repeat it more than once. If your character is chased / in a war/ fight let it escape death once, repeat it & all the fight/war looses its emotional weight. Examples below: ( I’m an anime only/ show only person. I haven’t read mangas/books yet)

1. Attack on titans:

(good example): Eren’s death in Se01,ep. 5 was epic! it shocked the viewers. When he was brought back again to life, it was to reveal that titans can be human & it created the most fascinating aspect of mystery in AOT. Eren’s resurrection in ep 8 unleashed the many questions abt titans’ creation, reason for fighting, & the basement mystery. In short, Eren’s death & resurrection started the world of AOT.

(Bad example): In se03 in the Battle to retake wall Maria. The writer attempted the same technique again with Riener. Levi attacked him as soon as Riener appeared from inside the wall by cutting his nape! (titans’/shifters’ weak spot). Riener nearly died for dew seconds & is back to life revealing new titan’s power on how they can escape near death. sth abt shifting conciseness from head to body. I’ll buy it, it is part of the titan’s lore & body mystery. It worked in creating amazing entrance for Riener in this epic battle. However, within the same battle, the writer goes & repeat Riener escaping death two more times after the first one I mentioned above!!! When his head is blown, he does the same titan’s body trick again... why repeat a cool trick twice within two minutes frm each other... you don’t need it! You could’ve found another way. However, the writer was aiming for the viewers to think that now is the real time Riener died! for us to cry like jean & Co. Then tadaaa~ Riener escapes death & calls Bert...One more time few hours away in the story’s real time, Riener is ready to be killed by hanji, we are desperate like jean, but zeke & cart titan came to rescue.. That’s 3 death escapes for Riener in ONE battle within two/three hours maximum!...

I haven’t seen se04 yet, but I know it is centered around Riener ( a character I love) but I’ll be counting more plot armour now.. I can no longer be worried abt Riener even if I see his body. I’ll wait for him to resurrect or move his consciousness. My biggest fear for that becoming the show’s habit..that non shifters like jean & co. will become in invincible & will cheat death in every epic battle. AOT is a story abt war. It will loose the horrible, destructive & deadly war atmosphere it created for so many eps if only non important characters die & the “ heroes” remain alive in every battle to save humanity. kinda like superman & comic heroes.. Please NO! Plot armour ruins stories! hopefully, the writer is satisfied with se03 plot armours & moves on.

2. Game of thrones:

(good example): Killing Ned stark. se01′s protagonist. It shocked & taught us that in GOT world no one is safe. This is NOT a story abt heroes. It is abt politics & its ugly tactics. Then Se03 The red wedding was so painful cuz we understood that once Robb & his mom are gone, they’ll never be back. We cried & it hurt! it served its purpose. (Yes, Catlyne became a haunting ghost in the books, but she is nowhere near the woman she once was).

(Bad example): When jon, Dany & co went to fight The Night King & tadaa~ the came back nearly untouched minus the missing dragon. In the final war with The Night King, No major character died & no fan favorite died either..... The white walkers killed all the unimportant extra actors. Theon was killed but his arc wouldn’t have been completed without him sacrificing himself to atone for his sins. In a way, his death is his freedom from guilt. Sir jorah mormont died but he too was not needed anymore as Dany (1) has a “true” lover now, (2) is set to became crazy & kill all & Sir Jorah would’ve been in the way of that as he is her most trusted advisor. So those who died really completed their arcs. But Not any of the super hero buddies around jon & dany. Nope! White walkers don’t touch them for plot armour. GOT became a story abt super heroes.

So you see, plot armour ruins epic & breathtaking stories & most importantly reduces what was once a heart stopping, dreadful moments into predictable aimless victory ... like nah~ they’ll escape cuz they’re the heroes/ fans love them/ ratings may fall/ they’re badass. So, be careful & play your cards right. Repeating near death escapes technique is not parallel or serve any narrative purpose.

[thelawyerthatwaspromised]

Why Jon Snow’s Climax Shouldn’t Involve a Battle

How should Jon Snow’s story end? What are we supposed to think about his character this season? Does he deserve to end up on the Throne, perhaps married to Sansa Stark?

To understand my view on Jon’s story and why I don’t hold anything against him so far in Season 8...I think we need to go back to the root of his story. 

Generally speaking, it helps me to analyze a character by asking myself “what’s the ONE THING they want more than anything else?” I’ve come to one big over-arching conclusion: Jon Snow just wants to be loved and “belong” in the context of a family.

That might seem simple but it’s so deeply relatable and complex that I can’t help but feel like it’s been layered many times over within his story.

I’ve written before how Jon Snow shares a ton of similarities to Superman/Clark Kent. A hidden prince from a lost civilization. Raised as a son by a morally upstanding man (the Catelyn issues are a twist on Jon’s upbringing). Confronted by the “last of his kind” and forced to choose between the world he grew up in or the world where he biologically came from. Both Superman and Jon deeply desire to “belong” and it’s something that works in any literary tale.

Superman has every power you can imagine but the second a person feels alone and isolated, they become instantly relatable and sympathetic. 

In a lot of ways, Jon Snow is the same way. He left Winterfell because he just never truly felt he “belonged” though he ached to every day. He joined a sacred order who, no matter their pasts, become his new “family”. Certainly appealing to someone like Jon. He wants to be a Stark, but that seems impossible. So he will remove himself from that environment. 

His most meaningful relationships are formed upon the realization that these different people he meets at the Wall really CAN be like family to him. Sam, Grenn, Pyp, Edd, etc. They all hold a special place in his heart. And yet...Winterfell still calls to him. 

He nearly abandons the Watch on more than one occasion when he gets word of the goings on in the south. And yet he works. And works. And he makes friends of wildlings. He betrays them. He fights them. He makes friends of them again after his brothers elevate him to command.

Then his brothers kill him.

And it’s such a big moment. Jon has only ever wanted to belong to a family. To have true “brothers” and to be accepted. He thought he had that in the Watch. He treated them as a real family. As if he could trust that, even if they disagree, they’re all in it together. 

The place Jon forced himself to go because he never felt he could belong in Winterfell has now rejected him. We saw how rejected he felt. It was about more than being betrayed, it was that he was betrayed by the people he viewed as his FAMILY.

Jon was fully ready to give up. There was seemingly no place for him. Then Sansa road through the gates at Castle Black and put Jon, as Kit Harington puts it, back into a state of action. She reignites him. And he feels that maybe, just maybe, his place is to safeguard Sansa. Maybe he’ll feel he CAN belong, given that purpose. 

They go on to win back Winterfell, together. And yet Jon is thrust into the position as the figurehead of the North when he’s named king. So Jon is meant to rule the place in which he left in the first place because he never really felt like he belonged. Being king doesn’t feel earned to Jon. It’s easy to read in his demeanor. He is good at ruling. He likes helping people. 

But there’s always this same cloud hanging over his reign. 

Worse, in Jon’s mind, is that everyone trusts him for a job that he doesn’t feel he deserves and he doesn’t feel like he’s particularly skilled in performing. He has the trust of all these lords and ladies. He has Sansa’s trust even though he has lingering guilt over the fallout after BotB. And the worst thing imaginable happens; he makes the decision to leave again, this time to try to save the North - and he feels he must betray their trust by surrendering his crown to Daenerys Targaryen.

Jon’s NEVER felt like be belonged in WF. He’s never felt like he deserved to be king. He feels he betrayed their trust. He knows why he did what he did, but it still cuts him every single time he’s reminded of what he did. 

And then Jon is hit with the single hardest thing he’s ever had to deal with: he learns the very essence of his being has always fundamentally been a lie. The one thing Jon has ever held onto about himself..the one thing that ever made him see SOME value in himself was the belief that his father was Eddard Stark. 

Now, that’s gone. Jon, who’s NEVER felt value in himself, who’s NEVER felt like he belonged even as Ned’s son, is plunged into a brand new pit of self-doubt and sense of longing. As Ned’s son? Sure, he could serve some type of role in Winterfell and feel good about it. He could protect Sansa, and then later Bran and Arya. He was forced into a situation where he feels he betrayed them. And now his own identity feels like a betrayal. 

Jon Snow in Episode 4 is in the darkest, deepest state that we’ve ever seen him. He doesn’t feel like he deserves to stay in Winterfell. He doesn’t feel he even deserves to have Ghost. Afterall, the dire wolves were for Ned’s children. Ghost’s physical appearance in Episode 4 is Jon’s inward appearance. He’s mangled. Beaten. Mostly destroyed. 

This is why his status as the “heir” isn’t really changing his course. He has fear of Daenerys and what she might do to his family and that has prevented him from processing one of the most traumatic things an individual can possibly be forced to suffer. 

On top of that, the only way his new “family” will accept him is by REJECTING THAT HE IS A MEMBER OF HER FAMILY. It’s perhaps the most psychologically damaging thing I can imagine. Jon feels lost that he’s not who he thought he was...and the only way he can continue to exist is to lie to himself and the world and pretend it’s still the truth and it’s all because the person who represents his new family is actively preventing him from belonging.

So Jon is aloof. He’s emotionally volatile. He’s clearly depressed. He’s anxious about anyone contesting Daenerys even though he now knows she’s rejecting his Truth. Jon’s given up on belonging. 

It might not be well-liked by some in the fandom...but...

Jon needs rescued

He’s in physical danger, of course. But he’s faced that a million times over. That’s not what is crushing Jon’s spirit. It’s his own self-hatred. 

Depression is beating Jon Snow in Season 8.

This is a fairly profound arc, IMO. It’s subverting expectations, too. Because Jon’s issues aren’t so different from the Hound’s. He’s not that different from Jaime. But Jon’s identity crisis is different because he always WANTED to belong to House Stark contra Jaime or the Hound. Either would likely be relieved to learn they aren’t trueborn sons of their houses. 

Jon is devastated, though. His entire essence was ripped away and now the family he learned he COULD belong to has rejected the very idea that he can ever publicly be acknowledged as a member. 

He’s in a clear spiral. He’s distancing from Sansa and Arya because he feels like he could never deserve the trust they’ve already given him. Their love and support aren’t being accepted - but it’s not because he doesn’t want it, it’s because he hates himself. How could he feel differently? Given his story. There’s a self-hate that CAN’T be resolved (in his mind). He sees no escape. He’s dutiful. He wants to protect the people he loves. And Jon DOES love. But he feels so unworthy of it that he thinks the only option is to disappear and be forgotten by them. 

So why should his climax not involve batte?

Because, in his heart, Jon Snow isn’t just about fighting. He doesn’t enjoy it. He doesn’t want it. Jon wants peace. Jon wants to be loved. Jon wants to feel like belongs. Jon wants to be HOME.

The fact that he still wants what he wanted at the start but he’s constantly sacrificed his own wants for the good of the people he loves makes me confident that the only suitable climax for Jon is a confirmation and realization that he is loved and he belongs. And he needs that as a part of accepting who he really is. Dany can NEVER provide him what he NEEDS because she wants to force him to hide it. The ONLY scenario I see that can fit Jon Snow’s character is being “saved” by Sansa Stark.

And no, I don’t think this has anything to do with the trope of “woman saves man” shit where he’s otherwise destructive and unkind. Jon deserves the love that Sansa would give him. He deserves the home that they could build. He deserves to have the truth of his origins accepted. He deserves to be a Stark, but not based on a lie. He doesn’t see any of this, though. And that’s the great sorrow of his portrayal thus far. I think it’s incredibly accurate and moving, but Jon Snow doesn’t see his own value. He knows Sansa and Arya and Bran and his friends care for him - but he can’t see himself being worthy of it. 

That’s why Sansa working so hard to validate Jon. To crown him. To make him a Stark...it will mean EVERYTHING to Jon. He’s already given more than any reasonable person could be asked to give. He’s accepted that he must, for the protection of his family, go south and just try to keep people alive. He’s given up what he wants. His whole arc since he left for Dragonstone last season has led to him giving up on happiness. Nothing makes this more obvious than the moment Sam and Gilly tell him that they plan to name their baby “Jon” if he’s a boy and all Jon can say in return is that he hopes they have a girl. He can’t imagine a worse fate for their child than to be like him. 

Jon needs saved. Not from physical danger. He needs saved from his demons. He needs home. He needs love. He needs a family. He needs to belong. And most of all, he needs to know that he deserves all of it. 

Jon IS emotionally stunted right now. He IS emotionally closed off. But I’m starting to see that it’s not just poor writing. It’s a function of his state of mind more than anything. His attempted goodbyes tell me as much. Given the chance for positive emotional interactions, Jon chose self-hate. And it made me ache inside.

At the root of it, this is why I can’t see any other end for his character. I truly see Jon’s emotional catharsis as a climactic moment for the series. Much like Frodo turning and smiling to his friends as he prepares to leave Middle Earth was the *actual* climax of the LOTR movies. But here, it’s not Jon finding relief in LEAVING but in STAYING. 

As a Stark. With love, and children, and a home. Even if that home doesn’t end up being Winterfell. And I really truly believe that all of the choices Jon has made this season - including all the things we’d WISH he could say but hasn’t - will culminate in Sansa proving to Jon that he is the man that she knows he is. 

Jon needs his pack.

[f4liveblogarchives]

Fantastic Four Vol 1 #133

Fri Jul 26 2019 [11:31 PM] Wack'd: Anyway it's all guests this month as writer Gerry Conway and penciler Ramona Fradon step in for Thomas and Buscema [11:32 PM] Wack'd: Fradon is the first-ever lady Fantastic Four artist I'm pretty sure. And she'll hold the distinction of only female Fantastic Four artist for a stupid long time [11:32 PM] Wack'd: So, uh, enjoy her one issue while it lasts [11:32 PM] Aleph Null: how many years of timeline drift will it be before johnny was a fortnite teen [11:33 PM] Wack'd: Uh...probably another fifteen [11:33 PM] Aleph Null: franklin will never have the chance to be a fortnite teen F [11:34 PM] Wack'd: At least waitingforthet's prediction that Dani Cage would lap him didn't come true! [11:34 PM] Wack'd: Anyway [11:35 PM] Wack'd: Happy 1973! Have some depression

[11:36 PM] Wack'd: It's actually been 1973 for like four months now but other stuff was happening, just let them have this [11:36 PM] Aleph Null: isn’t “have some depression” always a new years mood [11:36 PM] maxwellelvis: I'm sure it was New Year's time when they first wrote this issue. [11:37 PM] Wack'd: i love these two so much

[11:37 PM] maxwellelvis: Johnny's depressed about Crystal, Reed's depressed about Sue and Franklin, Ben's always depressed, and Alicia's sad for them, I take it Medusa's still shaken about the whole Omega thing? [11:37 PM] Bocaj: Scare quotes [11:38 PM] Wack'd: For all your reaction needs

[11:39 PM] Umbramatic: thanks for the exploitable! [11:39 PM] Wack'd: Reed: Don't try to cheer me up. [11:39 PM] Wack'd: Medusa: Okay, I won't. You're being an immature child and need to get over yourself. [11:40 PM] Umbramatic: vkj;gfbaajgftl'gbvg'snwhb [11:41 PM] Wack'd: 🎶You don't know you're beaut~i~ful🎵

[11:43 PM] Wack'd: 🎵 Broken glass / Is glittering like diamonds / Can't hear yourself / Thinking over the sirens! / Push back the hands of tiiiiiime 🎶

[11:44 PM] maxwellelvis: Thundra, there's gotta be an easier way to get a guy's attention. [11:44 PM] maxwellelvis: Maybe show up with Abomination around your arms or something, eh? [11:45 PM] Wack'd: If Ben wins, it'll be a rare sight--the home team winning on the Mets' turf!

[11:45 PM] maxwellelvis: Zing [11:45 PM] maxwellelvis: Hey, you think if the fight goes badly, he can tag in Mr. Met? [11:47 PM] Wack'd: So Johnny decides to go deal with Thundra and I love this idle background detail of ladies being into Johnny. It serves no narrative purpose besides going "hey, Johnny's hot and women like seeing him undress"

[11:48 PM] Wack'd: Usually, when Johnny has oglers it's a plot point--he's too depressed or busy to give them any mind and the fact that they're so preoccupied with him is played as a joke at their expense [11:49 PM] maxwellelvis: Or they're there to make Spider-Man jealous [11:49 PM] Wack'd: So this is kinda nice. Just letting it happen without it being a Thing [11:49 PM] Wack'd: ...I really can't capitalize that word in this context, can I [11:51 PM] Wack'd: A thing with Thundra so far has been that people keep assuming she's going to use a weapon for blunt force, only for her to prove she's a tactical thinker

[11:51 PM] Wack'd: (Or, at least, it's happened twice) [11:51 PM] Wack'd: I dig the contrast between her overwrought warrior-speak and her, like, actual material intelligence? It's a neat bit of character building [11:51 PM] maxwellelvis: She is seemingly based on Wonder Woman, I'd be disappointed if she didn't fight with her brains. [11:52 PM] Wack'd: I'll admit it, I laughed

[11:53 PM] maxwellelvis: I noticed Medusa doesn't take her mask of even for a night in Time's Square [11:54 PM] maxwellelvis: Nor does she ditch her primary color [11:54 PM] Wack'd: She doesn't! I mean, if you think about it, back home those are just her street clothes [11:54 PM] Wack'd: "They're terribly comfortable. I think everyone will be wearing them in the future." [11:55 PM] Wack'd: Thundra if you wanna keep up your "applying male stereotypes to women and women stereotypes to men" shtick you really shoulda abducted Reed or Johnny

[11:55 PM] Wack'd: This is disappointingly straightforward of you [11:56 PM] Wack'd: Then again, Alicia is the only one in the party without superpowers. Necessity is the mother of shtick-breaking, I suppose [11:56 PM] Wack'd: Sorry, father [11:56 PM] Umbramatic: i continue to appreciate how much ben looks like a Muppet [11:57 PM] Wack'd: He's definitely got kind of a Henson thing going on around the mouth [11:57 PM] maxwellelvis: I'd kill for a Ben Grimm designed by the Creature Shop, honestly. [11:58 PM] maxwellelvis: Carl Ciarfalo's Thing suit could have been, were that movie not just a cheap way to maintain Roger Corman's hold on the property rights [12:00 AM] maxwellelvis: Speaking of which, how sad is it that that's pretty much still the best Fantastic Four movie? [12:00 AM] Wack'd: Ben's physiology continues to astound me

[12:00 AM] maxwellelvis: Oh hey, now I got a better look at Johnny's new duds, I remembered where I've seen them before [12:01 AM] Wack'd: They're patterned off the original Robot Human Torch [12:01 AM] maxwellelvis: They're eventually going to be worn by Jim Hammond, yeah [12:01 AM] Wack'd: It has been pointed out [12:01 AM] maxwellelvis: When he joins the Future Foundation. [12:01 AM] maxwellelvis: and I take it he wore a similar getup when he was fighting the Nazis. [12:03 AM] Wack'd: It's weird that the city government is just cool with this lady not only setting up a wrestling match in a major metropolitan landmark but thousands of people turning up to watch. Is Shea selling *tickets* to this?

[12:04 AM] Wack'd: I think this might be my favorite full page spread so far

[12:04 AM] maxwellelvis: Hey, a show is a show [12:05 AM] maxwellelvis: Are you also just hearing Kimberly Brooks's voice with Thundra's dialogue? [12:07 AM] Wack'd: I'm really getting more of a Sharon Lawrence? [12:07 AM] Wack'd: Maxima from Superman: The Animated Series [12:07 AM] maxwellelvis: Ahh [12:09 AM] Wack'd:

[12:11 AM] Wack'd: “In retrospect, ‘uh-huh’ doesn’t seem nearly profane enough.” [12:11 AM] Wack'd: 🎵 All alone at the 64 World's Fair / Twenty dolls singing "small world after all" / Who was at the DuPont Pavilion? / Why was the bench still warm? Who had been there? 🎶

[12:12 AM] maxwellelvis: "I love paying to see a match on a TV!" -- Nobody in the crowd [12:12 AM] Wack'd: You joke, but we do get a reaction shot of someone complaining he paid 10 bucks for these seats [12:12 AM] maxwellelvis: And somewhere a young Vince McMahon takes notes. [12:13 AM] maxwellelvis: If I were in one of the seats without a good view of the backboard, right about now's when I'd be starting up a "Can't See Shit! Can't See Shit!" chant [12:13 AM] Wack'd: So Ben basically gets his ass handed to him but refuses to tap out [12:14 AM] maxwellelvis: This sounds familiar. [12:14 AM] Wack'd: Reed manages to fire a beam that'll turn Ben human enough *juuuuust* long enough for Thundra to feel cheated and piss off [12:14 AM] maxwellelvis: Way to solve this problem in the worst way possible, Stretcho [12:16 AM] Wack'd: And so the issue ends with Thundra releasing Alicia and the remaining Frightful Four commiserating that their brilliant "kill Ben and Thundra at the same time by blowing up Shea Stadium" plan was a bust [12:20 AM] Wack'd: That was a fun issue! I thoroughly enjoyed it

[judefan838-blog]

aesthetic protest police usually on guard

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[gokinjeespot]

off the rack #1305

Monday, March 16, 2020

 It's official. We have cancelled our tropical vacation plans. We were supposed to fly to Cuba in April for a week but now that Canada has called for the return of any Canadians abroad as soon as possible, we feared that if we went we wouldn't be able to return as scheduled. I'm good with our decision being the reluctant traveller anyways. "Self isolation" and "flattening the curve" are two new terms that have entered the collective consciousness and I wonder how many average citizens understand what these terms mean. A good education has never been more important than during this time of crisis. Learn what's real and protect yourself and your loved ones.

 Catwoman #21 - Joelle Jones (writer) Fernando Blanco (art) FCO Plascencia (colours) Saida Temofonte (letters). Thank Thor that's over with. Selina saves the day after fighting off a zombie horde. The wicked Raina Creel gets what's coming and Catwoman hits the road outta town. I love this character but I didn't like her stay in Villa Hermosa and the art these last few issues wasn't nice to look at. The art in the next issue will decide whether I keep reading this book or not.

 Avengers of the Wastelands #3 - Ed Brisson (writer) Jonas Scharf (art) Neeraj Menon (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). The team is joined by new member Viv Vision as their search for Doctor Doom continues. Their trip across the Wastelands will have an unexpected detour when more super villains get in their way. I like how Ed is using the Wastelands version of Marvel's heroes and villains.

 The Dollhouse Family #5 - M. R. Carey (writer) Peter Gross (layouts) Vince Locke (finishes) Cris Peter (colours) Todd Klein (letters). We find out how the dollhouse was made and it's gross. I hope Alice's inheritance isn't the death of her.

 Punisher Soviet #5 - Garth Ennis (writer) Jacen Burrows (pencils) Guillermo Ortego (inks) Nolan Woodard (colours) Rob Steen (letters). Ah man, Frank's buddy won't make it to next issue's bullet filled conclusion. I liked Valery.

 Young Justice #14 - Brian Michael Bendis & David F. Walker (writers) John Timms & Michael Avon Oeming (art) Gabe Eltaeb (colours) Wes Abbott (letters). Impulse tracks down Sideways, Spoiler, Aqualad and Arrowette to help the team find Conner and give the evil S.T.A.R. Labs scientist what for. Mission accomplished. But wait! There's more. I can't wait to hear what Dr. Glory has to say for herself. I'm not a fan of Michael Avon Oeming's art but I have to say that it's marginally more palatable in colour.

 The Immortal Hulk #32 - Al Ewing (writer) Joe Bennett (pencils main story) Ruy Jose & Belardino Brabo (inks main story) Paul Mounts (colours main story) Javier Rodriguez (pencils & colours Xemnu sequence) Alvaro Lopez (inks Xemnu sequence) VC's Cory Petit (letters). This new version of Xemnu is even freakier than the original. Xemnu has managed to totally change the world's perceptions with the promise from Dario Agger that he will rule the planet once Dario is done with it. Bruce's brain might have been affected, but his alter egos are still their good old green selves. I can't get enough of this Hulk.

 The Batman's Grave #6 - Warren Ellis (writer) Bryan Hitch (art) Alex Sinclair (colours) Richard Starkings (letters). Okay, I'm done with this 12-issue maxi. Just over half of this is Batman and Commissioner Gordon running a gauntlet of criminals to get out of Arkham Asylum. The rest is Batman spouting a running monologue at a crime scene where someone has been murdered. This issue just annoyed me so I'm burying the rest.

 Avengers #32 - Jason Aaron (writer) Ed McGuinness (pencils) Francesco Manna (inks) Jason Keith (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). This issue features Earth's Mightiest Villains and has to be this week's Earth's mightiest scripted comic book. Boy, there is a lot of dialogue. The forces amassing against the Avengers are overwhelming. There's no way the good guys are going to win against these evil allies. You've got bad Namor of Atlantis, Dracula and his vampire army, the Red Widow and her Russian Winter Guard and the turn coat Agent Coulson and his Squadron Supreme of America. Wait until you see the bad guys' ace in the hole. This war on the Avengers is going to be epic.

 Hawkeye: Freefall #4 - Matthew Rosenberg (writer) Otto Schmidt (art) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). I love this convoluted plan to take down the Hood that Clint has concocted. Him hitting the villain's criminal empire as Ronin while joining his super hero buddies in trying to catch Ronin is hilarious. I love all the guest stars. I can't wait to see how everyone reacts when they find out Clint's scheme.

 Jessica Jones: Blind Spot #5 - Kelly Thompson (writer) Mattia De Iulis (art) VC's Cory Petit (letters). A trap is set for the bad guy and Jessica closes a cold case. I thought that this would be the last issue but I see that #6 will hit the racks March 25. Is it an epilogue or a new case?

 The Amazing Spider-Man #41 - Nick Spencer (writer) Ryan Ottley (pencils) Cliff Rathburn (inks) Nathan Fairbairn (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). "True Companions" part 1. Spidey teams up with Boomerang to track down pieces of a powerful mystical tablet to keep it out of the hands of Wilson Fisk. Meanwhile, the Lethal Legion reforms. I don't find this new story intellectually stimulating but I'm a die hard Spider-Man fan so I'll keep reading.

 X-Men #8 - Jonathan Hickman (writer) Mahmud Asrar (art) Sunny Gho (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). The X-Men are fighting battles on multiple fronts and a new one breeds this issue as the Brood land on Krakoa. They're on an egg hunt just in time for Easter. This could have been an issue of New Mutants since Rahne, Dani and Magik play a big part in this story. I'm starting to get overwhelmed by all the plots in these new X-books and am thinking of dropping more titles.

 Decorum #1 - Jonathan Hickman (writer) Mike Huddleston (art) Rus Wooton (letters). Meet Imogen Smith-Morley. She's an assassin who insists on good manners. I like her. What I didn't like was all the rigmarole leading up to her contracted hit. Did we really need all the information about this science fiction universe? I don't think it added anything to the main story. If I read more issues it's because I think Imogen is cool.

 Cable #1 - Gerry Duggan (writer) Phil Noto (art) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). Most of this debut features young Nathan Dayspring Askani'son Summers AKA Cable. For some reason there's a 3-page scene in the back with old man Cable. This issue was nothing to write home about but the art is nice and the kid's got potential. If you're looking to add another X-book to your pile, this one would be okay.

 Superman #21 - Brian Michael Bendis (writer) Ivan Reis (pencils) Joe Prado & Oclair Albert (inks) Alex Sinclair (colours) Dave Sharpe (letters). Oh Mongul, you're such a jerk. Mucho macho punching between Mongul and Superman with the fate of the embryonic United Planets at stake and then Mongul laughs it all off and leaves. Meanwhile, Lois has to deal with fallout from the big secret ID reveal. Things are interesting again in this book.

 Thor #4 - Donny Cates (writer) Nic Klein (art) Matthew Wilson (colours) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). The Black Winter is coming and Galactus is ready to face it with help from King Thor. I really liked the epilogue to Thor's fight with Beta Ray Bill that starts off this issue. The Lady Sif is now the guardian of the Rainbow Bridge and the changes in her character are awesome.

[daniellethamasa]

Hey all, Dani here.

I should probably start this post by saying that it is a great time to be a geek/nerd. There are just so many books, shows, and movies that appeal to what we like being released, and it makes me super happy.

So, today instead of talking about books, I want to talk about superhero movies. Okay, fine, I’ve read some of Marvel’s Captain Marvel graphic novels, and I’ll probably try some of DC’s Captain Marvel/Shazam! ones in the future. But I am only reviewing the films today. Let’s get started.

First of all, before I start talking about the movies themselves, I need to talk just a little bit about the history of both of these characters, because the character of Shazam! used to be called Captain Marvel when he was originally created and with his family they were the Marvel family of superheroes.

Billy Batson/Captain Marvel was created in 1939 and made his first appearance in 1940, published by Fawcett Comics. He was actually a pretty popular superhero back then, even outselling Superman, which I think is pretty cool. Fawcett stopped publishing Captain Marvel in the 50s, mostly due to some copyright infringement suits from DC on account of Captain Marvel being a “copy of Superman.” Eventually in the 70s, Fawcett sold Captain Marvel to DC.

In that time between Fawcett stopping the Captain Marvel comics and then selling the rights to DC, Marvel Comics started publishing their Captain Marvel comics in the 60s, and they trademarked the name. This led to some legal squabbling between Marvel and DC, leading to the end result of DC changing their Captain Marvel’s name to Shazam!, which is what the character says to transform from his juvenile alter ego into his adult superhero form.

Because of this interesting history, I definitely find it intriguing that both the MCU and the DCEU put out movies following Captain Marvel and Shazam! so close together.

Oh, and I should probably also say that if you have not yet seen these movies, you should probably skip the reviews below, because I cannot guarantee that they will be spoiler free. I just have too much gushing to do. So come back and read the rest of this post after you’ve seen them…or hey, read on if you don’t care about being spoiled.

All right, let’s do this.

Captain Marvel (MCU. Theater release date: March 8, 2019)

Rating: 5 stars (Dani) and 5 stars (Damian)

Firstly, I should mention that Damian and I saw this movie twice. Once on opening weekend, and then again a couple weeks later. Online I have seen so many people criticizing this film, especially Brie Larson’s lack of emotional range. I say that is utter bullshit. The whole beginning of the movie Vers was being told that she needed to fight with her head, not her heart, and that emotions could lead to deadly mistakes. With that happening, how can you criticize her for not showing all the emotions? Stop being a jerk fan.

Ahem, anyway, I thought that as she started to get more of her memories back, she did start to show more of her emotional side, but as has been seen in countless hero stories before, it is because of emotions, because of fighting for someone else, that a hero is able to overcome obstacles and win.

Oh, and it is also great that this movie takes place in the 90s, so I did get very nostalgic with some of the songs played, and the appearance of places like Blockbuster. It was also fantastic to see younger Nick Fury and younger Phil Coulson. I think they did a great job making both Samuel L Jackson and Clark Gregg look young again.

Also, can I just say that I liked getting to see Fury and Carol put in sort of a buddy cop sort of role as they tried to figure out this whole Skrull-Kree situation. We got to learn so much more about the man who created the Avengers Initiative to begin with. And the whole “buddy cop” bit added quite a bit of humor to the whole movie. Honestly, I can say this humor is probably needed with the upcoming release of “Avengers: Endgame.”

Captain Marvel is a wonderful addition to the lore of the MCU, even if they changed certain elements from the comics. Was it necessary to change Mar-Vell into a woman? No, probably not, but I don’t think it was a change that affected the actual story.

One of the best parts of this movie is Goose, a cat who was called Chewie in the comics. And okay, so Goose isn’t actually a cat, though that’s what he appears to be. He is actually an alien called a Flerken, and frankly, I want to learn a lot more about Flerkens. He has a set of tentacles that come out of his mouth and he can eat far more than you would expect. This is because his stomach is basically a pocket dimension.

I also enjoyed the plot, because you are led to believe that the Skrull are evil invaders and the Kree are these noble warriors trying to save the universe, but the longer the story progresses, the more you start to learn about all of it, not just because of encountering Skrull, but also because of Carol starting to remember more about the accident that took her memories. You start to see that the Kree are hiding their ambitions behind the guise of being valiant and noble protectors.

I think one of my absolute favorite parts is towards the end, when Carol finally starts to fully own her power. We watch several scenes from Carol’s past where she gets knocked down or falls, and it’s meant to make you (and her) think of all the times she’s failed. But the absolutely beautiful part of it is what happens after. Because it doesn’t matter how many times you fall. What matters is if you decide to stand back up. And that is exactly what young Carol does. Over and over again we watch as she stands up after a fall, looking even more determined than ever. And that was just a badass moment for me.

We also see that the Avengers Initiative was going to be called something entirely different, until Fury looked at a photo of Captain Carol “Avenger” Danvers climbing into the cockpit. The fact that her pilot name was Avenger is an awesome one. I love how each film just adds to the lore of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Shazam! (DCEU. Theater release date: April 5, 2019)

Rating: 5 stars (Dani) and 5 stars (Damian)

We’ve only seen this one in theaters once, but I do kinda want to go see it again. On a pure enjoyment side of things, I think both Damian and I enjoyed this movie better. I legitimately have said multiple times that this is my favorite of the DCEU movies to date–with Aquaman at a close 2nd place.

This movie was utterly hilarious! They did such a good job with casting, especially since they needed to cast a young adult and adult version of many of the cast members. Both Asher Angel and Zachary Levi did spectacular as Billy Batson/Shazam! I could totally believe that they were the same person. Speaking of, I don’t think they could have more perfectly cast Shazam! I have been a huge fan of Zachary Levi since his days of being on the show “Chuck” and I thought he was fantastic in that show, so to see him get to be a superhero was awesome.

I very much enjoyed that this movie explores family, and that sometimes family isn’t determined by blood, but instead by those you choose. Billy’s foster family was so loving and rambunctious and lively. It was so cool to watch, and I think we need to see move movies and shows and books with families like this in them.

Speaking of family, there was also Billy’s foster brother, Freddy, and all the scenes of him trying to help Shazam! figure out what his powers and capabilities are. That would also probably also be my only real complaint about this film. So so much of it was Shazam! kind of goofing off, figuring out powers, and not really doing the whole saving people and all of that. Which means that he is still woefully unprepared when the main villain of the movie drags him into the final fight. At the same time, I guess it is cool that we get more than just a training montage; it is more of a whole film of figuring things out. This is especially true since Billy Batson is only 14, so his morality and his inner fortitude aren’t on the same level as adult superheroes.

Oh, and I definitely enjoyed that we saw glimpses of merchandise for Superman, Batman, Aquaman, etc. It definitely solidifies that this movie is part of the same universe, and I look forward to possibly seeing Shazam! and the rest of his family–though I don’t know what they’re going to call them since they probably can’t be called the Marvel family–in future Shazam! films as well as maybe even big team up movies like Justice League.

All right, well I guess that’s all my commentary on these two superhero movies. If you enjoy this sort of post from me, let me know, and I’ll continue to share my geeky thoughts and opinions on future films.

I’ll be back soon with more bookish content.

Movie Reviews: Captain Marvel and Shazam! Hey all, Dani here. I should probably start this post by saying that it is a great time to be a geek/nerd.

[gokinjeespot]

off the rack #1299

Monday, February 3, 2020

 I had a busy Sunday yesterday with hauling boxes of comic books back and forth from the Walkley Arena where Jee-Riz Comics & Appraisals had another successful day selling old comics. I want to thank my partner Penny for all her help and my other partner Chris for all his hard work organising everything and making my job of manual labourer and security so much easier. Then it was home to rest before a yummy chicken dinner with roasted potatoes and Brussels sprouts while watching the Super Bowl. I stayed up way past my bedtime to see if the Kansas City Chiefs would win (SPOILER ALERT) and they did. I was happy for them as it had been 50 years since they had been to the big game.

Doctor Strange #2 - Mark Waid (writer) Kev Walker (art) Java Tartaglia (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). The Wrecker was introduced last issue and he's joined by his partner in crime Thunderball to battle Doctor Strange. This time Stephen has a surprise up his sleeve to help him defeat the bad guys. It seems that someone is giving super villains magical weapons and Doc is going to find out who. I like this new more assertive Sorcerer Supreme.

 Something is Killing the Children #5 - James Tynion IV (writer) Werther Dell'Edera (art) Miquel Muerto (colours) AndWorld Design (letters). I thought that this was the climax where Erica dispatches the beast. She triumphs but then it's uh-oh. The hunt continues. This new twist will keep me reading.

 Action Comics #1019 - Brian Michael Bendis (writer) John Romita Jr. (pencils) Klaus Janson (inks) Brad Anderson (colours) Dave Sharpe (letters). Lex Luthor and Leviathan (if you haven't been reading all the Event Leviathan books his secret identity is revealed here) team up to kill Superman. Their weapon of Superman destruction is none other than the Red Cloud. The art is really bothering me now. When I can't make out Lex Luthor in some pages that's just bad. John Romita Jr. should not be drawing costumed super hero comic books anymore.

 The Immortal Hulk #30 - Al Ewing (writer) Joe Bennett (pencils) Ruy Jose, Belardino Brabo & Cam Smith (inks) Paul Mounts (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Simple Hulk escapes from the belly of the beast just in time to see Xemnu coming to save the day. Roxxon is framing the Hulk for all the death and destruction so what happens next should be good.

 Jessica Jones: Blind Spot #2 - Kelly Thompson (writer) Mattia De Iulis (art) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Now I'm really hooked. There's a mystery within a mystery what with Jess waking up from a bullet to the head. Add Misty Knight and Elsa Bloodstone into the mix and this story is one I'd pay money to read.

 Avengers #30 - Jason Aaron (writer) Ed McGuinness & Francesco Manna (pencils) Mark Morales & Francesco Manna (inks) Jason Keith (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Yes, the Starbrand is reborn. The big fight is between the Avengers and everyone else that wants the Starbrand to be destroyed. It's a power equal to the Phoenix Force and must not be wielded. But nope, this baby is being delivered no matter what. I rolled my eyes when the three heralds gave gifts to the baby. Way to rip off the Bible Jason. I wonder who's going to raise this kid?

 Fallen Angels #6 - Bryan Hill (writer) Szymon Kudranski (art) Frank D'Armata (colours) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). Psylocke soars for the win. Apoth never had a chance no matter how much the villain gloated. X-23 gets handed the leadership of the team so if they go on another mission I'll be there.

 X-Force #6 - Benjamin Percy (writer) Stephen Segovia (art) Guru-eFX (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). New plant based super villains are introduced this issue so you won't want to miss this exciting development. There will be no more stars and garters as Beast gets super serious. Could be a prelude of Hank becoming a bad guy.

 Amazing Spider-Man: Daily Bugle #1 - Mat Johnson (writer) Mack Chater, Francesco Mobili & Scott Hanna (art) Dono Sanchez-Almara & Protobunker (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). If you're curious about how the good old Daily Bugle is doing this 5-issue mini is for you. Editor-in-Chief Robbie Robertson makes some changes and they include Peter Parker. There are three weird elements in this first issue that intrigued me enough to want to read the second issue. One involves Koi Boy, a friend of Squirrel Girl's. I've never heard of him before. I want to see what other weirdness shows up.

 Ravencroft #1 - Frank Tieri (writer) Angel Unzueta (art) Rachelle Rosenberg & Dono Sanchez-Almara (colours) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). The one-shots leading up to this 5-issue mini were good enough for me to want to read this first issue to find out where they were going with this Institute for the Criminally Insane. The good guys are Mercedes "Misty" Knight and John "Man Wolf" Jameson. The bad guys, well judge for yourself. Would you consider Grizzly to be insane? One of Misty's colleagues is a certifiable homicidal maniac. His alter ego wears green and throws pumpkin bombs. Even his presence didn't turn me off. It wasn't until Mayor Wilson Fisk introduces the rest of the staff that I decided to shut this thing down. Not even the mysterious dweller in the dark is going to get me to read the rest of this.

 Detective Comics Annual #3 - This $4.99 US issue is dedicated to the dearly departed Alfred Pennyworth.

The first story by Peter J. Tomasi (writer) Sumit Kumar (art) Romulo Fajardo Jr. (colours) & Tom Napolitano (letters) has an old MI-6 agent who worked with Alfred asking Bruce for help to bring in a traitor to the British Empire. It must be the week where we find out the real names of beloved characters. I didn't know that Misty Knight's real name was Mercedes and here we find out that it's Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth.

The second story by Peter J. Tomasi (writer) Eduardo Risso (art & colours) & Tom Napolitano (letters) tells the origin story of Batman's costume.

I am really disappointed that there hasn't been a proper funeral issue for Alfred in either Batman or Detective. I think the character deserved to be honoured more.

 Avengers of the Wastelands #1 - Ed Brisson (writer) Jonas Scharf (art) Neeraj Menon (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). This story takes place in the world where Old Man Logan came from. Don't get too excited, he's dead. I'm not familiar with these characters but you don't have to be to understand that they band together to fight Doctor Doom who is running rampant across the land with his army killing anyone who won't submit to his rule. A guy named Dwight has the Ant Man costume. Dani Cage, daughter of Jessica and Luke, has Thor's hammer and there's the son of Bruce Banner who is a Hulk. These Avengers will defy Doctor Doom. I liked the surprise appearance of another hero at the end so I'm going to keep reading this 5-issue mini.

 Deadpool: The End #1 - Joe Kelly (writer) Mike Hawthorne (pencils) Victor Olazaba (inks) Ruth Redmond (colours) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). I read this because Joe Kelly wrote it. I like how he writes Deadpool. This one-shot has many endings and Deadpool doesn't die. I didn't know that Wade has a daughter named Ellie.

 Suicide Squad #2 - Tom Taylor (writer) Bruno Redondo (art) Adriano Lucas (colours) Wes Abbott (letters). This book is about trust. Trust between team members, all of whom are super villains. Some of them hate each other. Trust that the Squad does what their overseers want them to do. All that trust leaves plenty of room for plot twists and I love that. The team goes on a mission to free a politician and one team member is left out of the loop. This issue was a lot of fun.

 Hawkeye: Freefall #2 - Matthew Rosenberg (writer) Otto Schmidt (art) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). There's a Spider-Man cameo here that makes me think Matthew Rosenberg would be a good fit for Amazing. He does snappy banter well. The shocking twist at the end means I have to keep reading this series. I would anyways because I'm having fun too.

 Thor #2 - Donny Cates (writer) Nic Klein (art) Matthew Wilson (colours) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). In order to save the universe, Thor must be Galactus's herald and guide him to worlds that he can feed on. Donny Cates proves he's a worthy writer this issue as Thor and Galactus fight over an inhabited planet before Galactus can eat. The planet eater must have five meals before he's strong enough to stop the coming universal catastrophe. Thor just wants to save any sentient beings before Galactus chows down. The surprise appearance of a friend to Thor and a foe to Galactus has me anticipating the next issue with relish and hot sauce.

 X-Men #5 - Jonathan Hickman (writer) R.B. Silva (art) Marte Gracia (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). Cyclops sends three mutants on a mission into enemy territory and one of them is X-23. I know it's futile but I really hope they change her and Logan's costumes. I hate the pointy flaps on their head gear. The spies are going into The Vault which seems to have appeared out of the blue. I don't remember any reference to this place before. There's a big twist in The Vault as time moves differently there. By the end of this issue X-23, Darwin and Synch have been inside for three months and five days or five hundred and thirty-seven years Vault Time. I don't think they're coming out alive.

 Conan the Barbarian #12 - Jason Aaron (writer) Mahmud Asrar (art) Matthew Wilson (colours) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). The Life and Death of Conan concludes. Does the King of Aquilonia die? Does the evil god Razazel walk the earth again? Read this to find out. I was happy with how this story ended.

[gokinjeespot]

off the rack #1293

Monday, December 23, 2019

 I'll be working at Comet Comics today which is a good thing because I won't be around all the Christmas goodies at home. Home made cookies and party mix won't be tempting me. I wish you all a Very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. I hope you didn't spend too much. Try not to eat too much. Try to over spread the love and joy of the season.

 Batman #85 - Tom King (writer) Mikel Janin (art) Hugo Petrus (art pages 10-12) Jordie Bellaire (colours) Clayton Cowles (letters). A very satisfying end to "City of Bane". I liked how Tom left Bruce and Selina. Gotham Girl also gets a nice boost. The 3-page epilogue by James Tynion IV (writer) Guillem March (art) Tomeu Morey (colours) & Clayton Cowles (letters) made me think that the future of this title is going to be okay after the departure of Tom King.

 Once & Future #5 - Kieron Gillen (writer) Dan Mora (art) Tamra Bonvillain (colours) Ed Dukeshire (letters). Duncan is Percival in this story and he's about to get a very powerful weapon to fight the bad knights. I hope his granny doesn't die.

 Legion of Super-Heroes #2 - Brian Michael Bendis (writer) Ryan Sook (pencils) Wade von Grawbadger (inks) & Ryan Sook (inks pages 11-13) Jordie Bellaire (colours) Dave Sharpe (letters). One reason that I don't read a lot of super hero team books is because some writers make it very difficult to keep track of everybody on the team and what they're doing. I fear this might happen with this book because there are so many Legionnaires. I like the introduction of Jonathan Kent to the team and him getting a new recruit at the end of this issue made me go "yay". I'm going to stick with this for at least another issue.

 Runaways #28 - Rainbow Rowell (writer) Andre Genolet (art) Dee Cunniffe (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). The benevolent Doc Justice isn't as pure goodie two-shoes as he claims. His gnarly plans for the Runaways start to be revealed this issue.

 Batman Superman #5 - Joshua Williamson (writer) David Marquez (art) Alejandro Sanchez (colours) John J. Hill (letters). Can Batman and Superman get past the Secret Six to destroy the tower and satellite that will bring the Dark Multiverse to our world? Hey, they don't call them the World's Finest for nothing. Of course, keeping the Batman Who Laugh's attack secret is going to have consequences. I want to see how Wonder Woman reacts to the boys leaving her in the dark.

 Gwenpool Strikes Back #5 - Leah Williams (writer) David Baldeon (art) Jesus Aburtov & Guru-eFX (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). Leah sold me on this self aware comic book character so the next time she writes a Gwenpool story I'll be there.

 Catwoman #18 - Joelle Jones (writer) Joelle Jones (art pages 1-3, 10-11, 16-20) Fernando Blanco (art pages 4-9, 12-15) Laura Allred (colours pages 1-7, 10-11, 16-20) FCO Plascencia (colours pages 8-9, 12-15) Saida Temofonte (letters). This was fun. I didn't know that Catwoman and Zatanna were such good friends. Selina gets a little magical help to fight the creepy Raina Creel. I can't wait to see how it works.

 King Thor #4 - Jason Aaron (writer) Esad Ribic (main artist) Ive Svorcina (main colour artist) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). That's all he wrote folks. Jason Aaron wraps up his Thor run in this epic $5.99 US issue. I can't think of anyone who's better at chronicling a god's adventures than him. The list of contributing art teams to this mighty tome is too vast to include here. Suffice it to say that everyone did an awesome job illustrating this finale.

 Avengers #28 - Jason Aaron (writer) Ed McGuinness (pencils) Mark Morales (inks) Jason Keith & Erick Arciniega (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Part 2 of "Starbrand Reborn" has Silver Surfer Black, Terrax, and Firelord teaming up to hunt the new Starbrand. The three ex-heralds of Galactus only hang around for 2 pages before Silver Surfer leaves them in his dust to go after Ghost Rider's ride. A lot happens this issue so pay attention. It looks like whoever has the Starbrand might be a bad guy. I hope we don't have to wait too much longer to find out who that is.

 The Amazing Spider-Man #36 - Nick Spencer (writer) Oscar Bazaldua (art) Steve Firchow (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). I didn't read 2099 Omega #1 before this issue so it's very confusing what's happening with Spider-Man and Doctor Doom. I find this kind of tight tie-in very annoying. Bottom line is that Peter doesn't die and Doc Doom goes home to Latveria. The evil Countess's goal of starting a war between Symkaria and Latveria has been achieved. Meanwhile, Chameleon hints at future intrigues. A little incentive to keep reading this title.

 Fallen Angels #4 - Bryan Hill (writer) Szymon Kudranski (art) Frank D'Armata (colours) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). The team's mission to save children succeeds but there are casualties on the good guys' side. We also meet the bad guy and find out what connection it has with Psylocke. This title appeals to me because of the science involved. I think you need at least a university degree to appreciate the whole thing.

 Daredevil #15 - Chip Zdarsky (writer) Marco Checchetto & Francesco Mobili (art) Nolan Woodard & Rachelle Rosenberg (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). I can't believe that Wilson Fisk has finally met his match when it comes to being a ruthless criminal. Seeing the Stromwyn siblings in action during their meeting with the Mayor of New York City made me cheer for poor old Kingpin. Meanwhile Matt and Elektra get hot under the collar on a mission to find out who ordered the police to keep out of Hell's Kitchen. I'm so glad to see Elektra back on the racks.

 2099 Omega #1 - Nick Spencer (writer) Gerardo Sandoval & Ze Carlos (pencils) Gerardo Sandoval, Victor Nava & Ze Carlos (inks) Morry Hollowell, Brian Reber & Andrew Crossley (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). 2099 was the non-event of 2019. You could have skipped this entire story and be none the worse for wear. This issue didn't even answer any of the questions I had from reading The Amazing Spider-Man #36. The only thing this accomplished was possibly to set up the return of Miguel as Spider-Man 2099 somewhere down the line again. This has been the most useless Marvel story that I have ever read. If I was a paying Amazing Spider-Man fan I would be royally pissed.

 Suicide Squad #1 - Tom Taylor (writer) Bruno Redondo (art) Adriano Lucas (colours) Wes Abbott (letters). There's a changing of the guard as the new Squad gets upgraded with new recruits. The team is sent against some Social Justice Warriors called the Revolutionaries and lose some members in the fight. Tom's not messing around with the changes. Amanda Waller may be in this issue but she's only there to pass the reigns to a hard ass named Lok. I like Lok. I'm going to keep reading these.

 The Old Guard: Force Multiplied #1 - Greg Rucka (writer) Leandro Fernandez (art) Daniela Miwa (colours) Jodi Wynne (letters). Andy's back on the racks. I started to read this immortal woman's first story but had to abandon it due to the store only ordering subscription service copies. I should seek out the collected trade paperback and read that. I remember I liked what I read of the first story and I like this first issue. And if I don't get to read the rest, I can look forward to seeing the movie in 2020 with Charlize Theron as Andy. Charlize was terrific in Atomic Blonde.

 Annihilation - Scourge Omega #1 - Matthew Rosenberg (writer) Manuel Garcia (pencils) Rafael Fonteriz, Cam Smith, Wayne Faucher &  Manuel Garcia (inks) Federico Blee, Rachelle Rosenberg & Erick Arciniega (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). This ending was a lot better than 2099 Omega #1. Even though it was your typical "whole bunch of super heroes fighting a cosmic threat and winning because of a huge sacrifice", the story made sense. It still wasn't a story that was worth reading. The only thing I got out of it was seeing characters that I haven't seen on the racks in ages. Hello Speedball. If Marvel keeps shovelling this crap and stinking up the House of Ideas, they're going to lose more readers.

 Year of the Villain: The Infected - The Commissioner #1 - Paul Jenkins (writer) Jack Herbert (art) Adriano Lucas (colours) A Larger World's Troy Peteri (letters). James Gordon is now a minion for the Batman Who Laughs. With Batman helping Superman fight other infected super heroes, Gotham City is vulnerable after the Commissioner releases the inmates of Arkham Asylum. I'm hanging around this story to see how they cure everyone.

 The Low, Low Woods #1 - Carmen Maria Machado (writer) Dani (art) Tamra Bonvillain (colours) Steve Wands (letters). This is the story of Octavia and Eldora, two teenage girlfriends living in a half abandoned coal mining town. The mines are closed and strange things happen. I liked these girls after reading this so I'm going to stick around to see what happens after one of them wakes up next to a dead body.

 Year of the Villain: Hell Arisen #1 - James Tynion IV (writer) Steve Epting (art) Nick Filardi (colours) Travis Lanham (letters). What a poetic title for this 4-issue mini which will end with us finally knowing how the Batman Who Laughs changes the DCU. I'm finding it difficult to get into this story since it doesn't impact a lot of the DC books that I read. I'm curious to see if that changes.

 Klaus and the Life & Times of Joe Christmas #1 - Grant Morrison (writer) Dan Mora (art). I was a little disappointed because this wasn't a traditional story in the sense of having words and pictures. Notice the absence of a letterer in the credits. What we have here are 25 days in December lovingly illustrated. Punch a hole in this issue and you can use it as a calendar.

 Basketful of Heads #3 - Joe Hill (writer) Leomacs (art) Dave Stewart (colours) Deron Bennett (letters). There's only one head in the basket so far but I think another one will join it soon. This is one weird story with a creepy fantasy twist and I like it. I can't wait to see what June does with the axe next.

 Batman Last Knight On Earth #3 - Scott Snyder (writer) Greg Capullo (pencils) Jonathan Glapion (inks) FCO Plascencia (colours) Tom Napolitano (letters). What a terrific finish. I love these kinds of Elseworld stories where the characters are tweaked so that they're new and yet familiar. The Joker's head was the star of this story.

 Marauders #4 - Gerry Duggan (writer) Lucas Werneck (art) Federico Blee (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). I've been undecided about continuing to read this series but the gorgeous Storm cover by Russell Dauterman (art) & Matthew Wilson (colours) made me grab this issue off the racks and now that I've read it I'll add this to my "must read" list. I like the spy element to this title. We've got the Hellfire Trading Company, ex-bad guys now doing good for the mutant community and this issue introduces the White members of the club, who are anti-mutant. Very intriguing.

 Doomsday Clock #12 - Geoff Johns (writer) Gary Frank (art) Brad Anderson (colours) Rob Leigh (letters). The long awaited appearance of Dr. Manhattan happens here. It took two years for this story to be told. A lot of it had me discombobulated because of the mash-up of different universes. This story boils down to Jon/Dr. Manhattan and Superman/Clark Kent figuring out how to save the Multiverse. The cool thing about Dr. Manhattan is that the possibilities are endless. I rarely read a comic book story more than once but I did read The Watchmen three times. The first was when the original 12-issue series came out. The second was when the story was collected in a graphic novel and the third just after Doomsday Clock was announced. I think you get a better appreciation for Doomsday Clock is you're familiar with the Watchmen. I am considering reading Doomsday Clock again when it's collected too mostly because I loved the art.

 Spider-Man #3 - J. J. Abrams & Henry Abrams (writers) Sara Pichelli (art) Elisabetta D'Amico (inking assistant) Dave Stewart (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). With Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man done and The Amazing Spider-Man and Miles Morales: Spider-Man eliciting mehs from me lately, this is now my number one Spider-Man book. I like how they're handling Ben's evolution after discovering his powers. Their use of Tony Stark and Riri Williams made me smile. The new super villain Cadaverous is very cool.

 Harleen #3 - Stjepan Sejic (writer & artist) Gabriela Downie (letters). Wow, what a great origin story for Harley Quinn. This is the best interpretation of the relationship between Harley and the Joker so far. The inclusion of Two-Face was a bonus.

 Wonder Woman: Dead Earth #1 - Daniel Warren Johnson (story & art) Mike Spicer (colours) Rus Wooton (letters). Wonder Woman is awakened in a post-apocalyptic world where the humans have to survive being overrun by monsters. All the super heroes are dead. Well, at least Batman's dead. She saves Camp New Hope (is this a Star Wars swipe?) from the monsters and decides she's going to lead everybody to, you guessed it, a new hope. I liked the surprise appearance of a frenemy and the story is a basic fight for your life journey. I don't think this deserved the larger $5.99 US DC Black format however. It would have sold better in the regular comic book sized format like the DC Black $3.99 US Low, Low Woods.