#doug sawyer

[black-brained]

Dream blunt rotation Fr

[superman86to99]

The Return of Superman 30th Anniversary Special (November 2023)

Whoa! Some sort of chronal disturbance has thrown us from 1994 to the futuristic year 2023, just in time to cover this new special by the entire creative team behind "Reign of the Supermen"... minus Roger Stern and Dennis Janke, but PLUS Jerry Ordway (who left right before "Reign" started in '93). This is a lot like the Death of Superman special released last year, except that instead of featuring four standalone stories, this one has a framing device uniting all the tales.

In the framing story (written by Dan Jurgens and drawn by Travis Moore), the Cyborg Superman comes back to Metropolis and starts attacking S.T.A.R. Labs installations, as if those places haven't been blown up enough times already. Since Perry White is currently in a coma (from, as far as I can tell, not knowing Superman is Clark Kent), it's up to current Daily Planet editor Lois Lane to put together a story on the Cyborg without her mentor's help. Or with a little bit of her mentor's help, since Ron Troupe conveniently pulls out Perry's old journal from the "Reign of the Supermen" days, including his thoughts about the Cyborg.

So, Lois and Ron start reading Perry's notes about the four Supermen who popped up in Metropolis after Superman's death, which leads us to...

"Speed" (by Louise Simonson and Jon Bogdanove)

Despite the "Perry's notes" framing device, this story is actually told by Ron as he remembers the first time he saw Steel. Ron is leaving for work one morning and everyone in his neighborhood is talking about which of the four Supermen is the real deal. A lady called Mama Bess (who I initially mistook for Myra the Orphanage Lady because she's also big and black and surrounded by little kids) says they're all posers, including Steel, because none of them are around when you need them. Then some gangbangers drive by the neighborhood with a Toastmaster gun, and guess who drops by to save everyone's asses? Not Batman.

Mama Bess recognizes Steel's voice ("rich an' dark as Memphis honey") as belonging to that guy who was running around Metropolis helping people in crumbling buildings while Superman and Doomsday were tearing up the town, as seen in the Death special. While Steel fights the gangbangers, Ron calls Perry, who tells him to keep that lady talking so they can learn as much as possible about the mysterious armored Superman. Hey, is that Mike Carlin in the Planet offices below, to the left of adorably skinny Jimmy Olsen?

Steel prevails over the evildoers and the neighborhood kids rush in to proclaim him as the one true Superman. The best part of the story, for me, is when a little kid picks up a Toastmaster laying on the street and says he can use it to stop the bad guys, but Steel says that's a weapon for bad guys (he'd know, he designed them). Then he replaces it with an old school Game Boy and breaks the gun, Dark Knight Returns-style.

Steel tells everyone he's not Superman, he's just a dude trying to help, but Mama Bess still insists on making him a new cape to replace the one that got torn up in the fight. Ron concludes his report saying that this guy isn't the real Superman, "but maybe he was the next best thing."

"He Had Me Thinking He Was Superman" (by Jerry Ordway)

Jerry Ordway fills in for Roger Stern and Jackson Guice (who at least has a pin-up in this issue) and, man, I never knew how much I needed to see Ordway draw the Eradicator until now. In this story, Perry stumbles upon a standoff between Maggie Sawyer's Special Crimes Unit and the most violent yet Spock-like of the four Supermen, who's holding an armored goon hostage as he interrogates him.

Maggie kindly kicks Perry out of the active crime scene, but he sticks around and decides to solve this situation via the power of journalism. First, Perry talks to a warehouse worker (who kinda looks like an Amalgam of High Pockets and Lamarr) and learns about a nearby entrance to a rumored Intergang hideout. Then, he uses a radio scanner to find the frequency the goons' friends are using to communicate. He tries to tell Maggie about this, but the Superman Formerly Known As The Eradicator grabs Perry and flies off with him to find out what he knows. Perry says he'll tell him if he promises to stop being such a psychopath for a moment.

Thanks to Perry's information, the Eradicator finds the other armored goons, who are moving weapons from an abandoned Intergang cache. The Eradicator violently (but non-lethally, as promised) encourages the goons to renounce their criminal ways, and then locates the mastermind behind this operation, who turns out to be... no, not freakin' Psi-Phon and Dreadnaught, but close enough: Professor Killgrave! You know, that little twerp with the Moe haircut who once trapped Superman in an amusement park full of killer robots. Having seen how the Eradicator dealt with his hired goons, Killgrave eagerly gives himself up to the authorities.

As the Eradicator flies away from the underground base, he carelessly sends some debris flying off which almost hits some bystanders and ruins Perry's car. So, the Eradicator fulfills his promise to Perry that he wouldn't kill anyone, but Perry decides he can't keep his side of the deal, which was to tell the Planet's readers that "they have nothing to fear" from this dangerous maniac.

"The Metropolis Kid" (by Karl Kesel, Tom Grummett, and Doug Hazlewood)

This story provides the secret origin for several Superboy-related elements: the name "The Metropolis Kid" (which never made a lot of sense to me), that iconic pinup of Superboy saving a lady in a bath towel, and Mack Harlin, a recurring character who first appeared in the Superboy series in 1995. Turns out he was a Metropolis cabbie before he somehow became a truant officer in Hawaii. Note that Mack also counts as the second Mike Carlin cameo in this issue.

(Wonder if the ride was $6,50?)

In the story, Perry witnesses the moment when Don't Call Me Superboy saves that towel lady from a building fire (which she didn't notice due to her love of '90s rock, waterproof earbuds, and long, hot showers). Tana Moon's photo of that moment goes viral on Tweeter, FaceSpace, and, yes, even Insta-image, turning Not-Superboy into a social media sensation. The official story is that the Kid is Superman's clone, but Perry doesn't seem convinced. He uses his journalistic powers to find Not-Superboy at a local skate park where he hangs out. Interestingly, Perry briefly wonders if the Kid reminds him of his late son, Jerry, before dismissing the idea. I wonder if that's Kesel commenting on a certain 2000s retcon that made Superboy and Jerry biological half-brothers...

While Perry watches the Kid being a kid, he's suddenly attacked by Bloodsport -- the original one from John Byrne's Superman #4, who just busted out of jail, and not the racist wannabe. Instead of teleporting guns into his hands, this time Bloodsport is wearing a "weapons suit" that allows him to quickly assemble them on the fly. One of the guns hits Not-Superboy pretty hard, but the persistent little bugger gets up and somehow manages to disassemble Bloodsport's suit just by touching it.

As Perry later determines, Bloodsport thought the bullets would kill Not-Superboy because they were coated with a tiny bit of kryptonite, but it didn't seem to have an effect on him. That's when Perry realizes who the Kid reminds him of, with his brash attitude, big heart, endless energy, and massive potential: not Jerry (ouch), but Metropolis itself. Hence, the Metropolis Kid. Eh, I'll take it.

"Betrayal" (by Dan Jurgens and Brett Breeding)

This one begins between the pages of Superman #79, after the Cyborg Superman saves the President from terrorists but before the Planet publishes Ron's soon-to-be-infamous front page proclaiming "SUPERMAN IS BACK!" How could Perry let that story through? As it turns out, at first he didn't wanna. Perry tells Ron he needs way more proof that the Cyborg is the real Superman. That proof sorta falls on his lap when the train Perry is riding gets derailed and the Cyborg heroically saves everyone. That, plus the Secret Service vouching for this guy, are enough to convince Perry that he's definitely Superman and not an evil impostor or something.

(Note that the story makes sure to mention the "living former presidents" happened to be at the White House when the Cyborg dropped by, explaining why the Planet's front page shows Bill Clinton and not, uh, whoever was President in the DCU "a few years ago.")

So, Perry goes ahead with Ron's front page story... only for the Superman he endorsed to turn around and murder 7 million people in Coast City. Whoops. Continuity quibble: this story makes it sound like the Cyborg was immediately revealed as Coast City's murderer, when in fact he fooled everyone into thinking it was the Eradicator for several days, but maybe Perry saw through it right away because he's just THAT good of a journalist.

Perry feels awful about that front page, especially when it emerges that the Cyborg and some big yellow guy called Mongul are turning Coast City's crater into a giant engine to turn Earth into a sort of Death Star. Just when Perry is at his lowest point, Lois tells him that another Superman showed up in a Kryptonian battle armor, and this time she just knows he's the real deal (because she made out with him, but she doesn't mention that).

We see the rest of the storyline (the assault on Engine City, the Cyborg's defeat) from Perry's perspective, and once Superman is back in Metropolis, Perry tells him how sorry he is for that headline. Superman's like "nah, don't sweat it, honest mistake" and actually thanks Perry for always reporting on him with honesty over the years. Moral of the story: trust Lois, double-check Ron.

"Legacy" (by Dan Jurgens, Travis Moore, and briefly all the others)

Meanwhile, in the framing story, Superboy, Steel, and a recently-rebooted, non-evil Eradicator (or his Phantom Zone ghost, anyway) show up to stop their old pal the Cyborg, since Superman is currently in space. We learn that the Cyborg has been hitting S.T.A.R. facilities because he wants to retrieve the DNA of his three astronaut friends who were mutated into freaks during the fantastic incident that gave him his powers, so he can bring them all back to life. The Supermen understandably assume that he's building some sort of weapon and try to stop him, but he's defeated all of them before and does it again.

Royally pissed that these meddling Supermen messed with his plans, the Cyborg notices their fight left some exposed gas lines in the middle of Metropolis and is about to use them to indulge in his favorite hobby: blowing up entire cities. Luckily, the Eradicator uses some of Steel's tech to make his hologram self solid enough to whip out a Phantom Zone projector and suck the Cyborg into his ghostly prison.

As soon as the day is saved, Superman flies down and reveals that he'd been watching all along but didn't intervene because he had confidence in his boys. Everyone shares a nice little moment, until the Eradicator makes it awkward with his talk of "Kryptonian purity."

The issue ends with Lois reading a passage from Perry's journal about how Superman inspired others to be better, even in his absence. She hopes she's able to tell Perry that the same thing is true about him, because "you are our Superman." Well, their other Superman.

Like the Death special, this is an excellent excuse for these legendary creators to play with their most famous toys again, and I wouldn't mind seeing one of these a year (Battle for Metropolis 30th Anniversary Special, anyone?). I kinda wish the Supermen had been introduced more gradually/dramatically in the framing story, building up to a grand reunion, instead of being like "oh hey, there they are," but that's a minor complaint and doesn't detract much from this massive labor of love. However, there's one thing I can't forgive: still no Bibbo. -1/10.

Fun fact, my co-host Don Sparrow and I agreed we'd make this post much shorter than the insanely long one we did for the previous special, and it ended up being... about 10% shorter. Woo! We did it! See Don's take after the jump:

Art-Watch (by @donsparrow):

We begin with the cover, and it’s a great piece from the formidable team of Jurgens and Breeding. We’ve mentioned in the past the rumour that there had been a falling out between this pencil and ink team in years past, so seeing their layouts and finishes together sure feels like a treat.  The composition is reminiscent of the image we used to have as the background on this very blog.  I must say, I’m not a fan of the colouring technique employed here by Elizabeth Breitweister, which looks a little flat and scribbly for my tastes.  The sky in particular just looks like a photograph with the contrast turned way up, and then colour filled, and doesn’t really work for me.  But that’s just my opinion, I’m sure the colouring approach to this cover has many modern fans.

Inside the main through-line story is by Travis Moore, and it’s mostly quite well done, if a little stiff in places.  He has a great handle on Lois Lane, and the "Reign of the Supermen" splash on page 5 is a particular highlight.  I’m less enchanted with the modern-day Cyborg Superman, particularly the torn sleeve on his right arm, and the missing belt buckle.  There’s generally a simplicity to the complex robotic parts that doesn’t work as well as other incarnations we’ve seen of the Cyborg Superman.

The next sequence, a reminiscence of Steel’s early days is a great showcase of Jon Bogdanove’s late style, some of which we saw in the “Retroactive” throwbacks of 2011.  While Bog still employs his cartoonish rendering, the figures are generally tighter and smaller on the page than his '90s work.  Fittingly, given the extra attention paid to Metropolis’ diversity in the pages of Superman: The Man of Steel, this story makes good use of a predominantly black Metropolis neighbourhood.  While I’ve never fully warmed to Ron Troupe as a character, this story does give him some background, showing his neighbourhood and living situation in a way that wasn’t covered by his appearances in the '90s. (As Ron is heading to work, he’s wearing a suit and tie, though I would have loved a callback to his famed JAM sweatshirt, first appearing in the story that THIS story refers to, where Ron is involved in the verification of the Cyborg Superman as the “one true Superman”).  There’s a terrific image of John Henry Irons flying at the camera on Page 11...

...and another of him destroying a toastmaster weapon on page 16 that is a standout, featuring Bog’s unique method of hatching to denote the shine of chrome.  Including something like a smartphone, as they do on page 16, is an effective way of moving the story up in time, so that Lois Lane isn’t in (at least) her fifties, having covered Superman’s return in 1994.  The involvement of specific Presidents later in the book hamper that slightly, but overall they do a good job of keeping it nebulous.

It was difficult to pick a favourite sequence, but I have to give it to the Jerry Ordway Eradicator story.  It’s interesting to see a story by Jerry with this character, who was mostly covered by other writers (indeed, Jerry was off the books immediately after Adventures #500) and artists.  Ordway hasn’t lost much zip on his fastball, as the entire story employs the usual dynamic realism and well-observed textures that we’ve come to appreciate in his work.  Perry looks like himself throughout, though he reminds me of Rodney Dangerfield in the one panel of him playing with his analog walky-talky.  The Eradicator’s costume has always been a terrific design, and he looks so cool as he searches for the rest of the baddies in an underground lair. 

Later in the story, the image of the Last Son melting through the getaway car is an extremely tall order art-wise, and again Jerry doesn’t disappoint.  As one of the two biggest fans of the triangle era, I was overjoyed to see an old-school villain like Killgrave in these pages as well.

We’re similarly treated to another original triangle era villain in the Kesel-Grummett-Hazlewood section, where Kon-El throws down with Bloodsport.  While it may feel like rehash to some readers of this blog, it’s been decades since readers have seen “The Metropolis Kid” rescue Ms. Sheenan, so it’s an appreciated callback.  Lots of great stuff here, but none I like more than Superboy shredding on a skateboard—a TOTALLY RAD moment, if ever.

The next section, like the cover, is something of a missed opportunity.  Again, we have a stellar pairing of Jurgens and Breeding, but the art is let down by what I would say is incompatible colouring.  Most of the tones are good, but the details begin to compete with the linework underneath, especially as the digital brushstrokes get scribbly, as they are on the arm of the Cyborg Superman on the title page, or perhaps worst of all, the should-be-impactful moment of the one true Kal-El emerging on Metropolis harbour.  Superman is depicted red-nosed throughout, and the rendering is sketchy, where even flat colour might have given us a better look at the inks below.  I get the feeling it’s all intentional—an attempt at a more painterly style, perhaps to denote that it’s a flashback.  But it was a miss for me—even though I always love seeing Mongul kissing the Cyborg’s hand. [Max: He does have a very handsome hand.]

Next to Ordway’s chapter, the high point of the book is where the triangle era super-team switch, page to page, in order to tell the story.  First with Jurgens and Breeding (with a less distracting colouring job), then Bogdanove, then Ordway, and finally Grummett and Hazelwood.  Interestingly, the classic Superman plays no role in the fight, showing up only at the end, in an echo of the original storyline. 

Finally, there’s a pin-up section, with some real standouts.  While the Stern/Guice team didn’t get their own chapter in the book, that title is represented with a great image of the survival suit Superman taking flight in front of the Daily Planet.  The comics logic part of my brain can’t help but notice he’s NOT wearing the Lexcorp flight boots in this image, and wasn’t able to fly under his own power in this suit, but I’m resisting pointing that out.  The Daniel Sampere pinup is another nice, simple image but again I quibble, as the survival suit Superman had no cape.  Is that maybe the Cyborg’s cape?  It was also deeply cool to see all the trade dress and character logos at the back of that section. [Max: And the Kerry Gammill/José Luis García López promo image! Been a while since we've seen Gammill in this blog so that was a nice surprise for me.]

SPEEDING BULLETS:

I love that this story showcases Perry White’s regret about running Ron’s story that lent credibility to the murderous Cyborg Superman.  They never really dealt with the journalistic repercussions of that within the story, so I love seeing an added dimension through this new narrative.  They also absolve the Clintons more specifically, as the Cyborg notes that all Presidents vouched for his veracity, so it wasn’t just slick Willie who got it wrong.

I realize the Travis Moore pages are mainly a narrative device to set up the flashbacks, but there’s something off about someone as deadly as the Cyborg just aimlessly shooting up the city.  As we saw when he took Doomsday’s body in Superman #78, with his power set, and technological ability, Henshaw can get in and out of a very secure place with speed and stealth, none of which do we see here.  The dissonance isn’t helped by the art, which shows very empty streets for a usually crowded literal Metropolis. 

The use of Perry White’s diaries as a framework for the flashbacks is a super idea, and puts a beloved character at the center of the issue, even if he’s physically absent in current day comics.  (Having dropped the super-books during the Bendis run, I confess I was a little lost on that score.)

Not familiar with the skateboard term “Grommet” but it pays off on the last page of the section as Superboy gives a skateboard to “Tommy the Grommet” in a shoutout to artist Tom Grummett.

The idea of the Cyborg resurrecting the rest of his crew is an intriguing one, and it does make me wonder what an insane mirror image Fantastic Four would be like as opponents of Superman.  Certainly it would even up the odds a little, as the Super squad we see in these pages had no trouble handling Henshaw on his own. [Max: I like that idea. Call them the Tragic Four.]

Overall I think I liked the Death anniversary issue a little more, as the story felt a bit more urgent than just window-dressing for flashbacks.  But both are like meeting an old friend after a long time.  This really was a high-water mark for Superman stories, and for comics in general.

[hannahhook7744]

Descendants Background Characters Names (Redone) Part 1;

Judy the guidance counselor.

Nessie, daughter of Marlon (Ariel's cousin).

Elle Athanasiou of Tirulia, Eric and Ariel's adoptive daughter.

Christopher 'Topher' Thompson, great nephew of Smee.

Hershel Fenner, son of Harvey Fenner.

Tsunami, niece of Ariel.

Cascade daughter of Ariel's friend, Coral.

Harmony, youngest daughter of Ariel.

Jamilah, daughter of Jasmine and Aladdin ( @cleverqueencommander 's oc).

Hilda Bjorgman, daughter of Kristoff Bjorgman and Anna.

Jacoba/Coba, daughter of Bernadette.

Nora Nattura, daughter of Honerymaren and Elsa.

Catharina/Cato Bones, daughter of Katrina and Brom Bones.

Addy Colyar, is the daughter of Buford (from Princess and the Frog).

Demurra Foxworth, daughter of Nibs and Jenny Foxworth.

Genie (in human form).

Coach Reese Jenkins.

Inspired by this fic.

Girls in the back:

Chi Fu's daughter, Min.

Roger and Anita's daughter, Amy.

Chien-po and Su's daughter, Chao.

Girls in the front:

Jehan Frollo's daughter, Jeanette Frollo.

Prince Lars Westergaard and Charlotte La Bouf's daughter, Princess Carolina Westergaard la Bouf of the Southern Isles.

Ling and Ting-Ting's daughter, Tyra.

First girl is Naveen and Tiana's daughter, Nina. Twin of Tyrone. @cleverqueenchild 's oc.

Girl behind Chad is Chi-fu's daughter, Min.

Girl behind Doug is Prince Lars Westergaard and Charlotte La Bouf's daughter, Princess Aloisia Westergaard la Bouf of the Southern Isles.

Guy behind Doug is Prince Lars Westergaard and Charlotte La Bouf's son, Prince Brendan Westergaard La Bouf of the Southern Isles.

Guy next to Doug is Naveen and Tiana's son, Tyrone. Twin of Nina.

Girl behind Audrey is Ling and Ting-Ting's daughter, Lian.

Demurra Foxworth is the daughter of Nibs (From Peter Pan) and Jenny Foxworth (Oliver & Company).

Princess Aloisia Westergaard-La Bouf is the daughter of Lars Westergaard (Prince Hans' brother) and Charlotte La Bouf (from Princess and the Frog).

*Chow is the daughter of the Matchmaker (from Mulan).

Becca Colyar is the daughter of Buford (from Princess and the Frog).

Princess Reyna Olympian-Westergaard is the daughter of Alana Olympian (Ariel's sister) and Maximilian Westergaard (Hans' brother).

Princess Shi is the daughter of Prince Jeeki.

(I only named the ones who faces you can kind of see).

Sheldon is the son of Mole.

Ronan is the son of Maudie (Brave).

Zoey Marquez-Madrigal is the daughter of Isabella Madrigal and Bubo Marquez.

Inaya is the daughter of Prince Achmed.

Mary-Grace is the daughter of Vladimir.

Mary-Ellen is the daughter of Phil.

Macarla is the daughter of Megara and Hercules.

Ronnie is the son of Phlegmenkoff.

Kaiyah is the daughter of Raya.

Kaida is the daughter of Raya.

Cesar is the son of Malina and Kuzco.

Spencer is the son of Mole.

Sawyer is the son of Mole.

Shen is the son of Mole.

Tanya is the daughter of Colette Tatou and Alfredo Linguini Gusteau.

Braxton is the son of Joshua Sweets.

Robbie is the son of Audrey Ramirez.

Gabe is the son of Vinny.

Fatima is the daughter of Kida and Milo.

Agatha is the daughter of Vidia.

Zara is the daughter of Maui.

Topher Thompson is the Great Nephew of Smee.

Cassius 'Cash' Clayton, son of William Clayton.

Shan Deja, daughter of Shan Yu.

Gemma LeGume, daughter of Gaston LeGume and the Enchantress.

Raymonda Snoops, daughter of Madame Medusa and Mr. Melvin Snoops (who is under Harriet's care).

Kathleen 'Cat' Bimbette, daughter of Claudette Bimbette.

Top Row:

Claire Bimbette, daughter of Claudette Bimbette.

Domonic Salt, son of Damien Salt.

2nd Row:

Wilson 'Will' Clayton, son of William Clayton.

Chantelle and Imani; they are the children of petty criminals.

3rd Row:

Hassan, bio son of Mozenrath and Sadira, and adopted brother of Reza.

Axel Huntsman, son of the huntsman.

Lamar, son of one of the Jolly Roger's Crew.

Last Row:

Alya and Omar, adopted children of Mozenrath and Sadira, and adopted siblings of Reza.

Top Row:

Henry McLeach, son of Percival McLeach.

Edith Olympian, daughter of Eris.

Mako, son of Sharky.

Middle Row:

Nova, orphan girl under Harriet's care.

Lin, Su, and Fen; daughters of the Huns.

Sean, son of the Sheriff of Nottingham.

Anais, orphan under Harriet's care.

Last Row:

Wolfrick Wolfe, son of Big Bad Wolf and enemy of Harriet Hook.

Jia, orphaned daughter of one of the Huns.

Top Row:

Raven Bog, daughter of Chernabog and enemy of Harriet Hook.

Na’vi, orphan boy under Harriet's care.

Middle Row:

Kingsley King, son of the Horned king and enemy of Harriet Hook.

Queenie Bog, daughter of Chernabog and enemy of Harriet Hook.

Last Row:

Holiday 'Holly' Sinclair, daughter of Helga Sinclair.

Donnie Salt, son of Damien Salt.

Rory Ratcliffe, son of Governor Ratcliffe.

Top Row:

'Mark' and 'Misha' Mullins, twin sons of Mullins from Hook’s crew and member of Uma’s crew.

Steward Starkey, son of Mr. Starkey from Hook's crew.

Middle Row:

Annalise, orphan girl who is Rachel's bestie.

Rachel Ratcliffe, daughter of Governor Ratcliffe.

Last Row:

Brigitta, Annalisa’s sister.

Alvar, son of Vor.

Raina, daughter of Prisma.

Aj Slade, daughter of Amos Slade.

Wilson 'Will' Clayton, son of William Clayton.

Magnus, son of King Magnifico.

------------------------------------------------------------

More will be added later as I come up with them, as will ages.

Feel free to suggest ages for any of the characters or potential parents.

Thanks for the help @casinotrio1965 .

[lulu2992]

A few of Far Cry 5’s characters’ former names (according to the files)

Did you know that some characters used to have different names? Here’s what I found:

Adelaide Drubman - Penny Johnson (I’m not sure; it’s unclear)

Casey Fixman - Casey Seagal or Casey Storm

Chad Wolanski - Chad Gardetto

Faith Seed - Selena Seed

George Wilson - George Beel

Guy Marvel - Guy Martel (headcanon: it’s still his name but he thought Marvel was a cooler name for a movie director)

Hurk Drubman Senior - Wayne Senior

Joseph Seed - Daniel Seed

Merle Briggs - Merle Clinton

Wilhelmina Mable - Wilhelmina Maybelline

Tammy Barnes - Tammy Palmer (was she supposed to be Eli’s wife? Maybe!)

Tracey Lader - Traci West

Virgil Minkler - Virgil Knutsen

Wendell Redler - Wendell Darrah

Xander Flynn - Bob Johnson (again, like for Adelaide, not sure)

Also, I’ve said this before but Deputy Pratt’s first name is actually Stacy and not Staci. In the files, it’s only not spelled Stacy once, in the end credits... which is also, unfortunately, the only time players had a chance to see it written.

According to the files, Larry Parker’s first name is Laurence, the man we meet near Arcade machines is Morris Aubrey, and the fisherman is Coyote Nelson… but his description in the unreleased in-game encyclopedia also implies he died, so that might be inaccurate.

Below are the names of other Hope County residents (and where they live(d) and/or work(ed)) found in the deleted in-game encyclopedia:

Daniel Holmes — Holmes Residence

Doug and Debbie Hadler — Gardenview Orchards, Ciderworks, and Packing Facility

Rae-Rae Bouthillier — Rae-Rae's Pumpkin Farm

Niesha Howard — Howard Cabin

Emmet Reaves (in the late 1800s) — Copperhead Rail Yard & Prosperity

Will Boyd (from Far Cry: Absolution; his full name is William) — Boyd Residence

Les Doverspike — Doverspike Compound

Mike and Deb Harris — Harris Residence

Wolfgang Dodd — Dodd’s Dumps

Colin Dodd (Nadine Abercrombie’s grandfather) — Dodd Residence

Joe Roberts — Roberts Cabin

Dr. Kim Patterson — Hope County Clinic

Bobby Budell (in 1946) — Flatiron Stockyards

Doug Fillmore — Fillmore Residence

Orville Fall (found gold in 1865) — Catamount Mines

Mike and Chandra Dunagan — Sunrise Farm

The Redler family (Wendell’s) — Red’s Farm Supply

Andrew and Frances Woodson — Woodson Pig Farm

Don Sawyer — Sawyer Residence

Kay Wheeler — Kay-Nine Kennels

Jules Adams (and an unnamed husband) — Adams Ranch

Jerry Miller (and his family) — Miller Residence

Rick Elliot (his full name is Richard according to a message left by Eli) — Elliot Residence

Jay Loresca — Loresca Residence

"Lonely Frank" — Frank’s Cabin

Dicky Dansky — Dansky Cabin

Roy Tanami — Tanami Residence

Mr. Vasquez — Vasquez Residence

Mr. McDevitt — Misty River Gas

Darby McCoy — McCoy Cabin

Dr. Phil Barlow — Barlow Residence

Travis McClean (and his husband Brent) — McClean Residence

Jasmine Chan — Chan Residence

Jerrod Wilson (in the 1800s) — Throne of Mercy Church

Frankie Sinclair — Sinclair Residence

Lydia (in 1912) — Lydia’s Cave

Dwight Feeney (the chemist who worked with Eden’s Gate and dies in the mission “Sins of the Father”) — Feeney Residence

Lorna Rawlings — Lorna’s Truck Stop

Edward O'Hara — O’Hara’s Haunted House

Kanti Jones — Jones Residence

Coyote Nelson — Nelson Residence

Holly Pepper (and her girlfriend Charlie) — Pepper Residence

Nolan Pettis — Nolan’s Fly Shop

Bob and Penny Johnson — Johnson Residence

Melvin Adams Abercrombie — Abercrombie Residence

Steve McCallough — McCallough’s Garage

Dr. Rachel Jessop (who, and I’ll keep saying this every time I can, was never Faith and always another, entirely different person) — Jessop Conservatory

Dwight Seeley — Seeley’s Cabin

[onenicebugperday]

@totallyllatot submitted: We found this buddy in a mostly Doug fir Forest in southern Washington state, near the Columbia Gorge. My insect field guide made us think an Asian long-horned beetle (very distinctive white and black stripes on the antenna), which would be invasive in my area and we should probably report seeing him. Thoughts?

Asian longhorned beetles are luckily not found in your area yet. So far they've only been found in the eastern US. Insect guides are more helpful if they're very local to where you live. Lots of longhorn beetles have stripey antennae, so it's not a great indicator for species. Your friend here is a white-spotted sawyer beetle, which is native :)

[misscammiedawn]

Would you like to share any opinions on RUSH? You get extra points if they’re hot takes.

*HIGH PITCHED SQUEEEEEEEEEEE*!!!

Penny? I love you! Thank you for unleashing my thoughts!

VERY WELL! Let us begin!

I'm gonna list them in random order

- Time Stand Still is best music video and anyone who disagrees is being a grinch!

- Our favorite album is Roll the Bones and our favorite Live CD is A Show of Hands! I think Rush in Rio and Permanent Waves are the *best* though!

- They should just release the Different Stages live recording. It's pretty much out there as extra features on the other DVDs!

- The Clockwork Angels book and graphic novel are pretty average but are worth it for making Seven Cities of Gold not suck. The worst song is the best chapter of the novel

- I would buy a Blu-Ray that is just the backing videos for the live videos and I hate that the only backing vid that exists in full form is By-Tor from Rush in Rio (as an Easter Egg)

- Emotion Detector is the most underrated Rush song and I would have preferred Tom Sawyer or YYZ not get played in one of the tours to accommodate it in a concert! Only 44 songs have never been played live before and of them the only one that I think deserved to be played more is Vapor Trail because it is the ONLY title song of an album never played live (after Presto was pulled out for Time Machine)

- It is pronounced Why-Why-Zed. It is spelt Vapor Trails. The American spelling of Vapor is essential to the song's message

- Analog Kid is Alex's best song, Ghost of a Chance and Between The Wheels are second and third-- though live versions of Working Man are up there

- Geddy's solo at the end of Leave That Thing Alone (Time Machine Tour) is the exact peak of Rush, that was their highest point as a band!

- SARS Fest concert kinda sucked? Spirit of Radio with Paint It Black intro was amazing but the equipment was shot and they gave Alex a hot microphone. They also cut off the "encore" which just sucked. I am also a little salty that Rush were an opening band for the Stones *in Canada*.

- Tom Sawyer is overrated and they're not even Peart lyrics. Limelight and YYZ off of the same album are better.

- Neil's Ayn Rand period is a valid part of Rush history and provides so much extra context to The Garden. The same pen that wrote "begging hands and bleeding hearts will only cry out for more" ended his life with "the measure of a life is a measure of love and respect, the way you live and the gifts that you give, in the fullness of time it's the only return you can expect" - a man with a storied life as Neil with as much tragedy as he endured ended with him completely giving and loving in his heart when 35-40 years prior he wrote empathetically that "you don't get something for nothing"

- La Villa Strangiato is in my opinion not just the best instrumental but it is in contention for best Rush song period. I would never give it that title because it lacks Peart's lyrics and I find that people who say that have an irrational dislike of Geddy's voice... but it's still a valid take. Natural Science would get my all around best song badge. But best and favorite are not the same in my world and even still I mean *technically proficient* mixed with lyrics. I'll change my mind, likely. But that's my feeling right now.

- Geddy didn't get vocal training until before My Favorite Headache (2000) and Neil didn't get jazz drumming instruction until Burning For Buddy (1994). Both artists were just fine as they were but they perfected their arts and I prefer late era Rush because of that. The band never stopped evolving.

- I would have liked to have heard one of the solo album songs live (I Am The Spirit, Promise or My Favorite Headache) or have Bob and Doug do Take Off for a charity event like the South Park or Hawkings concerts last year. I *still* want that. Neil wasn't involved in the solo albums. It could still happen.

- I want a Jukebox Musical of Rush music so that The Body Electric isn't the only piece of fiction scored to Rush.

- Alex Lifeson could have been a comedian. He's one of the funniest humans on the planet.

- Peaceable Kingdom is better for having been the only song where lyrics were written after the music. Vapor Trail has amazing lyrics in general but I feel the limitation had positive impact and I wish Neil and the band did this practice more than once.

- Rush's improvised and last minute songs when they are running out of studio time are the best. Malignant Narcissism was the result of the album director seeing Geddy warming up with a vintage fretless bass and said "put that on the album" so they composed around the improvised riff, Force Ten was literally a last minute addition to Hold Your Fire. La Villa is said to have been recorded in a single take (I do not believe that legend as it wasn't in any of the biographies I have read). Rush just work best with limitations. They're a bunch of goofs and giving them a time limit makes them go into a Saitama style serious mode.

---

I could write tons more. But I'll call it there.

I like Rush.

A lot.

More than you think I do.

[xtruss]

(Left to right) Deborah Blohm, Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell and Gwendolyn Beck at a party at the Mar-a-Lago club, Palm Beach, Florida, 1995. The names of former associates and victims of deceased sex offender Epstein have been released. AFP/Getty Images

Nearly 90 Names Were Included In The Documents, With Four Redacted.

Ghislaine Maxwell

Virginia Lee Roberts Giuffre

Kathy Alexander

Miles Alexander

James Michael Austrich

Philip Barden

REDACTED

Cate Blanchett

David Boies

Laura Boothe

Evelyn Boulet

Rebecca Boylan

Joshua Bunner

Naomi Campbell

Carolyn Casey

Paul Cassell

Sharon Churcher

Bill Clinton

David Copperfield

Alexandra Cousteau

Cameron Diaz

Leonardo DiCaprio

Alan Dershowitz

Dr. Mona Devanesan

REDACTED

Bradley Edwards

Amanda Ellison

Cimberly Espinosa

Jeffrey Epstein

Annie Farmer

Marie Farmer

Alexandra Fekkai

Crystal Figueroa

Anthony Figueroa

Louis Freeh

Eric Gany

Meg Garvin

Sheridan Gibson-Butte

Robert Giuffre

Al Gore

Ross Gow

Fred Graff

Philip Guderyon

REDACTED

Shannon Harrison

Stephen Hawking

Victoria Hazel

Brittany Henderson

Brett Jaffe

Michael Jackson

Carol Roberts Kess

Dr. Karen Kutikoff

Peter Listerman

George Lucas

Tony Lyons

Bob Meister

Jamie A. Melanson

Lynn Miller

Marvin Minsky

REDACTED

David Mullen

Joe Pagano

Mary Paluga

J. Stanley Pottinger

Joseph Recarey

Michael Reiter

Jason Richards

Bill Richardson

Sky Roberts

Scott Rothstein

Forest Sawyer

Doug Schoetlle

Kevin Spacey

Cecilia Stein

Mark Tafoya

Brent Tindall

Kevin Thompson

Donald Trump

Ed Tuttle

Emma Vaghan

Kimberly Vaughan-Edwards

Cresenda Valdes

Anthony Valladares

Maritza Vazquez

Vicky Ward

Jarred Weisfeld

Courtney Wild

Bruce Willis

Daniel Wilson

Andrew Albert Christian Edwards, Duke of York

[nwonitro]

Wrestling has had a tough year, here is who we lost in 2023...

Terry Funk, Bray Wyatt, Joyce Grable, Killer Khan, Jim Breaks, Doug McLeod, Kurtis Chapman, Brett Wayne-Sawyer, Emile Dupree, Bart Sawyer, Curtis Smith, Randy Johnson, Bill Howard, Count Drummer, Pat Blake, Sheik Adnan El-Kaissey, Darren Drozdov, Mantaur Mike Halac, Iron Sheik, Tommy Siegler, Tony Peters, Exotic Adrian Street, Superstar Billy Graham, Butch Miller, Rod Bell, Peggy Lee Leather, Abe Jacobs, Rich Landrum, Ed Garea, Brian Dixon, Tim Lyle...

...Beverly Shade, Don Luce, Bill Robinette, JR Bundy, Jerry Jarrett, Jason Silver, Jeff Gaylord, Lanny Poffo, Kenny Jay, Eric Froelich, Jay Briscoe, Johnny Powers, Karl Von Steiger, Mike Pappas, Don West, Sean Patrick O’Brien, Jimmy The Jester, Terry Machalek Sr, Brian Bukantis, Matt Mann, Billy Two Rivers, Rockin' Randy Rhodes, Charlie Norris, Terri Shane and Ed Cheslock.

[rewritethisstxry]

Hello and welcome to my mixed mosh little corner of tumblr. Here I write for a variety of fandoms and characters. Primarily will be featuring drabbles with the occasional longer piece. Headcanons will feature from time to time.

At the time I do NOT consent for my work to be translated or posted anywhere else.

Below you will find some more information on who and what I write.

MINORS DNI. Due to the nature of potential content, only 18 and older are allowed.

Characters || Rules || Masterlist || Slasher/horror writing blog : @slxsherwriter

What I will write:

Angst

Fluff

Smut

Platonic relationships

Alpha/Omega dynamics

What I won’t write:

Snuff

Rape, rape play, non con

Underage

Inc*st

Real person fic

Marvel: Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, Alexei Shostakov, Peter Parker, Victor Creed, Deacon Frost, Peter Quinn, Frank Castle, Matt Murdock, Foggy Nelson, Bruce Banner, Brock Rumlow, Nathan Summers, Eddie Brock, Cletus Kasady, Otto Octavius

DC Universe: Bruce Wayne, Harvey Bullock, Jim Gordon, Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Jonathan Crane, Clark Kent, Arthur Curry

Stranger Things: James Hopper, Steve Harrington, Jonathan Byers

Stargate Atlantis: Rodney McKay, John Sheppard, Ronan Dex, Carson Beckett

Sons of Anarchy: Jackson “Jax” Teller, Harry “Opie” Winston, Filip “Chibs” Telford, Juan Carlos “Juice” Ortiz, Lincoln Potter, Galen O'Shay

The Walking Dead: Rick Grimes, Shane Walsh, Negan Smith

What We Do in the Shadows: Nandor the Relentless, Guillermo de la Cruz, Laszlo Cravensworth

Resident Evil: Karl Heisenberg, Albert Wesker, Chris Redfield

Ted Lasso: Ted Lasso, Coach Beard, Jamie Tartt, Roy Kent

Good Omens: Gabriel, Aziraphale, Crowley

Video Games: Connor RK800, CaptainJonathan Price, Simon Ghost Riley, Sniper

Movies: Finn Brody (Godzilla), Raleigh Becket (Pacific Rim), Terry Malone (Black and Blue), Abe Guevara (Point Blank), Bobby O’Neill (The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard), Guy Clifton (The Crash), Roy Pulver (Boss Level), Sloan (Into the Ashes) Braxton Wolff (The Accountant), Ethan Sawyer (Those Who Wish Me Dead), Bradley James (Grudge Match), Sam Rossi (Sweet Virginia), Mr. McCarthy (Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl), Grady Travis (Fury), Griff (Baby Driver), Adam Frawley (The Town), Buddy (Baby Driver), Clyde Brenek (The Posession), Patrick Sullivan (The Accidental Husband), Harvey Russell (Rampage), Jude Fisher (Peace, Love, and Misunderstanding), Luke Vaughn (Heist), Franklin Clay (The Losers), Max (The Resident), Nicomund the Red/Santa Claus (Violent Night), Doug Dennison (Sleepless), Frank Masters (The Equalizer), Hellboy (2019), Alex Baldr (Max Payne), Matt Graver (Sicario), Douglas Hunsiker (The Rise of the Planet of the Apes), Steve Emmett (Boa vs Python), Joe Braven (Braven), Lee Christmas (The Expendables), Deckard Shaw (Fast & Furious)

Musicals: Jack Kelly (Newsies), Dewey Finn (School of Rock), Hades (Hadestown)

Tv shows: Ike Evans (Magic City), Jason Crouse (The Good Wife), John Winchester (Supernatural), Mason Baldwin (Elementary), Colton Fisk (The Equalizer), Kevin Tidwell (Life), Declan Murphy (Law & Order: SVU), Eugene McGillicutty (Royal Pains), Chuck Martin (ER), Dickie Flood (Th Practice), Malcolm Bright (Prodigal Son)

Tolkien: Boromir, Faramir, Eomer

[devoted-horror]

THE RULES.

◇ given the nature of this blog, there will be graphic content that some people may be uncomfortable with, like unhealthy relationships, murder, and the sort. if that sort of stuff makes you uncomfortable, i ask that you do not read any content on this blog.

◇ i will very rarely write smut, but you are free to request it. just know it will only be written when i'm in the mood for it. please keep in mind that i will not write non-con, so do not request that.

◇ do not rush me to write your request, and do not send your request multiple times in hopes i'll get to it faster because i won't. i will actively avoid doing your request, actually, if you do this.

◇ you can request platonic things if you don't want anything romantic.

◇ this blog is a safe space, so any sort of bigotry will not be welcomed here.

◇ seeing as there will be very little nsfw content on this blog, i don't mind if minors interact or read my stuff. however, if i specify on a post for minors to not interact, then i would hope that that gets respected.

◇ my inbox is always open if you want to chat, but i am not your therapist, so do not vent in it.

WHAT I WRITE.

◇ horror movie characters [slashers & victims]

ㅤslashers — michael myers, jason voorhees, bubba sawyer, thomas hewitt, billy loomis, stu macher, ethan landry, quinn bailey, corey cunningham, mark hoffman, amanda young, brahms heelshire, tiffany valentine, jennifer check, charles lee ray, bo sinclair, vincent sinclair, lester sinclair, billy lenz, asa emory, jesse cromeans, xenomorphs, candyman, mary mason, baby firefly, otis driftwood, pinhead.

ㅤvictims — sidney prescott, tatum riley, adam stanheight, lawrence gordon, jill tuck, peter strahm, ellen ripley, erin harson, kirby reed, grace le domas, samantha carpenter, colin gray, tara carpenter, anita lesnicki, arkin o’brien, carly jones, nick jones, lindsey perez, allison kerry.

◇ dead by daylight

ㅤ— every killer excluding the nightmare and every survivor.

ㅤ— this includes the casting of frank stone characters. minus stan.

◇ lollipop chainsaw

ㅤ— everyone excluding rosalind.

◇ the walking dead

ㅤtv series — rick grimes, lori grimes, morgan jones, glenn rhee, theodore douglas, carol peletier, daryl dixon, andrea harrison, maggie rhee, beth greene, michonne grimes, sasha williams, tyreese williams, tara chambler, eugene porter, rosita espinosa, abraham ford, gabriel stokes, enid, aaron, negan smith, paul rovia, ezekiel sutton, magna, yumiko okumura, luke abrams, connie, kelly, juanita 'princess' sanchez, maxxine porter, michael mercer.

ㅤgame series — lee everett, kenny, katjaa, doug, carley, lilly, ben paul, christa, omid, molly, luke, carlos, nick, sarita, jane, javier garcía, kate garcía, violet, louis, marlon, minerva, james.

please note that everything above is subject to change in the future.

[superman86to99]

The Death of Superman 30th Anniversary Special (November 2022)

We take another chronal jump to the future because we CAN'T not talk about this special, which reads like it was specifically made for us. This 80-page book is made out of four stories by each of the creative teams who worked in the original "Death of Superman" saga back in '92 (minus editor Mike Carlin, inkers Denis Rodier and Dennis Janke, letterer John Costanza, and uhhh whoever did the lettercol back then). The stories are:

"The Life of Superman" (by Dan Jurgens and Brett Breeding)

The first official Jurgens/Breeding joint since... 1999, I think? I didn't realize how much I missed seeing their combined signature in that little circle; you know the one. This is by far the longest story in the book and, while I enjoyed it a lot, I kinda wish they'd made it shorter so that the others could have more breathing space (especially since the plot will continue in an upcoming miniseries written by Jurgens).

This one is set during the ??th anniversary of Superman's death, when a now adult Mitch Anderson (you know, the asshole teen who thought Superman was lame until a monster came crashing into his house and he needed someone to save him) visits little Jon Kent's school to talk about that historic day. This is a cool starting point because it parallels Mitch's first appearance being forced to sit through a televised Superman interview during class at the start of the "Death" storyline. The main differences are that these kids are much more polite than he was and TVs are way bigger now.

Anyway, Mitch's story is a huge shock to Jon, since the fact that his dad died and came back to life just never came up at home. Jon is upset with Lois for not telling him, so she spends a few pages recapping the entire "Death" storyline while walking Jon through Centennial Park, where Superman's empty (or is it????) (yes it is) tomb still stands.

Meanwhile, a mysterious creature has managed to demolish a whole building in Metropolis without anyone seeing it clearly, but reports indicate that it kinda looked like Doomsday. The Kents eventually come face to face with the creature right in front of the Daily Planet building, and it does look a whole lot like Doomsday, only with four arms... and, later on, wings. Jon names it "dOOmbreaker" (that's how they keep spelling it) but I kinda like his earlier suggestion of "Doomerang" better.

Superman is having a pretty tough time facing Doomerang, since not only is it as strong as Doomsday but it can also evolve and adapt while fighting, instead of having to die first like the original. While Superman fights the monster in front of a crowd of people who are standing way too close (do they want to get good phone pics if he dies again?), Lois goes off to use her journalism powers to find out where the hell it came from. She finds out Doomerang is actually a city worker who helped clean the debris left by the original Doomsday and then took one of his broken spiky bones home as a souvenir. Somehow, the bone has been mutating the guy into another Doomsday for years and conveniently finished the job on the day of Superman's deathiversary.

Lois brings the bone over to Superman, who decides to destroy it to prevent Doomerang from mutating even further. Blasting the bone with heat vision doesn't destroy it, but it does turn Doomerang back into a regular person, meaning that Superman manages to end this particular fight without killing the monster OR dying himself. The end! Until that mini I mentioned comes out, I guess, since it'll probably involve the magic Doomsday-duplicating bone wreaking even more havoc.

"Above and Beyond" (by Jerry Ordway, Tom Grummett, and Doug Hazlewood)

The sweetest story in the bunch, which is no surprise given that Ordway was always the best at pulling on our heartstrings. This is about Ma and Pa Kent having an understandably tough time watching their son getting pummeled to death on live TV. In order to take Ma's mind off the Doomsday fight, Pa pulls out her old scrapbook of Clark's exploits (which dates back to John Byrne's Man of Steel #1 in 1986) and they go over some other tough fights Superman has managed to survive. These include his tussle with Metallo in Superman #1...

...and the time he brought down Mongul in Warworld during his exile in space. Yes, THE BEARD IS BACK (along with the skimpy space gladiator outfit).

Superman leading a bunch of DC heroes to fight off Brainiac's invasion in "Panic in the Sky" also warrants a mention, which leads to has to be the first Agent Liberty cameo in decades. Side note: all due respect to Brad Anderson, who did a great job coloring the first story, but seeing Glenn Whitmore's colors in this one immediately makes it "feel" more like an authentic '86-'99 comic. (Note: see Don’s section below for a different take on Anderson vs. Whitmore.)

Back to the story, Ma reveals that she had a second, secret stash of Superman-related news clippings where she keeps track of the hundreds lives Clark has saved by quietly transporting donated organs across the country (without even charging for it! Hear that, Flash?). The point is that they reflect on how life can come out of death, unaware that that's literally what's going to happen to their son pretty soon. A beautiful observation illustrated via pictures of Superman punching villains. What more we possibly could ask for in a Superman story? (Other than it lasting more than 10 pages.)

"Standing Guard" (by Roger Stern and Butch Guice)

The Superman/Doomsday fight retold from the perspective of Project Cadmus' Guardian, filling in some of the gaps in the story and answering some questions only a massive Superman nerd could have, like "How long did it take Guardian to drop off Maxima at the hospital?" or "When exactly did he pick up Dubbilex?" Luckily, I am a massive Superman nerd, so I loved it.

So, we see Guardian learning about Doomsday's cross-country rampage and helping Superman in that small town that gets blown up, then in the tree city of Habitat, and then being too late to help him in Metropolis (not that he would have made that much of a difference). The story ends at the morgue where Superman is pronounced dead, when Dubbilex alerts Maggie Sawyer and Dan Turpin that Cadmus' Director Westfield is coming in to take the body for his experiments and Guardian says he's not letting that happen.

It didn't "end there," as you know (or Superboy wouldn't exist), but it's a nice moment. It's cool that, despite how much Guice's artwork has changed, this still feels like an Action issue from back in the day. Part of that is that Stern reuses a lot of old dialogue, but it's also due to his careful attention to detail when it comes to continuity and his knack for keeping characterization consistent -- Guardian, Dubbilex, Maggie, and Turpin are straight out of the '90s. Again: I wish this was longer.

"Time" (by Louise Simonson and Jon Bogdanove)

Finally, this story shows us what John Henry Irons was doing right before and right after Superman's death. This one takes the opposite approach as the previous story: if Stern and Guice made sure to meticulously dovetail their scenes into existing continuity, Simonson and Bog play fast and loose with it to tell the story they wanna tell. In the old comics, we were told that John was buried under a building while trying to help Superman against Doomsday. This one retcons his origin so that John actually gets to see Superman's corpse.

This contradicts John's first appearance in Adventures #500, when he comes out of the rubble days later still thinking he can help Superman stop Doomsday (though he could be excused for being a little confused under the circumstances). However, this retcon provides a pretty strong ending for the story, which is mostly about John trying to reach Doomsday in his single-minded obsession with helping Superman, only to get sidetracked helping people trapped by the destruction in Metropolis. By the time he reaches the front of the Planet building, Superman and Doomsday are already dead. John is devastated, but then he gets up to continue "making a difference" and helping people, setting up the moment when he gets trapped under that rubble.

Yep, that's the psychic lady who later comes up with the whole "Superman's spirit possessed John" story; haven't seen HER in a while. This issue features other long-neglected characters like Keith the unlucky orphan, Myra the orphanage lady, and even Zoid, the kid with the glasses and the camo jacket who gets smoked by a Toastmaster��� in Steel's debut issue.

Overall, this special is like hanging out with old friends, and I love that it doesn't shy away from some aspects of the "Death of Superman" saga that usually get retconned away in all the retellings and adaptations. For instance, when Lois tells little Jon that Doomsday defeated the Justice League, we see the actual 1993 JLA including Bloodwynd, Booster Gold, and yellow ring era Guy Gardner, as opposed to Batman and Wonder Woman or something. One of the pinups even shows up long-haired Aussie Lex Luthor Jr., who is not a character DC seems eager to revisit (just because of how confusing he would be to casual readers, I guess).

This is a great labor of love by all involved and I'm glad it exists. However, I do have one major complaint: no Bibbo. 0/10.

And now, WAY more commentary from the great Don Sparrow after the jump!

Art-Watch (by @donsparrow):

We start with the cover, and while I grabbed a few different covers, I think the most standard cover was the one with Jonathan Kent gripping Superman’s old cape with an image of Superman grappling with Doomsday set behind him (with further callback scenes on the foldout image).  This centre image is a callback to a couple of famous images—of course, this scene is the very first image in the original Superman #75, but also reminded me of the (excessively airbrushed) cover of the Wizard Magazine Tribute Edition.  Speaking of colouring, the colour throughout this issue is absolutely stunning, and the combination of the 90s style of art with the three-dimensionality of Brent Anderson’s colour is really really appealing.

THE LIFE OF SUPERMAN:

As we move into the story itself, I’m struck with how well the Jurgens/Breeding team can draw these kids looking like actual kids.  We’ve covered it quite a bit in the Byrne era that comic artists can drawn young people as tiny adults, but here, all the students’ dimensions and faces seem accurate.  There’s also a quiet effort at greater diversity among the Metropolis classmates, which is nice to see.

A few pages on, we see the modern Superman for the first time, and it’s wild seeing the Super-team of the 90s drawing the costume of the present age.  Granted, the changes are small, just the movie-style cuffs, the three-dimensional s-shield, and slightly more angular belt-loops, but it’s interesting how familiar and new it feels.  I also think Jurgens is drawing Superman to look a little bit older now that he’s a father.

A few pages after that, we see Lois for the first time, and unsurprisingly, Dan and Brett draw a great looking Lois Lane.  Her outfit in particular says “urban working mom” in a stylish way, and I dig it.  I’ve already mentioned Anderson’s colouring, but I can’t praise it enough—he treads a fine line, by ameliorating the underlying inks, without over-rendering.  He uses largely flat planes of colour, rather than airbrushing every curve, and it’s a really nice marriage, the panel of Lois’ stray hairs leaving a shadow on her cheek is a great example.

As we intercut between Lois’ retelling of the Doomsday storyline, and Superman investigating the new “monster”, the fear in Superman’s eyes as he recognizes his assailant is really well done.  So too is the emotion on Lois’ face as she retells the iconic “cape at half-mast” moment.

It’s a small thing, but I also like the sartorial choices they make for Clark, when he meets up with his family after Doomsday (somehow) scampers away off camera.  Our first glimpse at Doombreaker is a very close recall of a drawing from this same team in the Superman/Doomsday mini (that we should be getting to soon on this very blog!).  Superman taking flight to battle Doombreaker is a poster-worthy image (hurt a little bit in my opinion by the random Superman logo dropped in behind him for no reason).  There’s not a wrong note in this entire portion of the story, so it’s hard—I want to highlight all the art!  But the final panel of Superman flying away is an all-time great.

And to analyze the story a bit—it’s everything I was hoping for.  I was surprised to see the young Jonathan in this book, as the near-adult Jonathan has been so front and centre in the modern stories.  I’ll admit, I missed the dynamic between he and his parents that was done so well by Jurgens, and later Patrick Gleason, so to show this story as a flashback to when Jon learned about what happened to his dad was a really smart way to go.  It also seemed like an antidote to the 1990s that brought us the Death storyline.  This wasn’t a mindless slugfest, and despite the 90s-ness of the name “Doombreaker”, Superman didn’t solve this fight with brute strength.  It took compassion, and investigative reporting on the part of Lois to solve that day’s dilemma.  Right down to the title, it was an uplifting and hopeful story.

ABOVE AND BEYOND:

We are instantly transported back to the original 1993 story as we see the Kents holding each other in front of the television set.  Grummett and Hazlewood certainly have not lost a step, as their art looks as crisp and detailed as all those decades ago.  Glenn Whitmore’s colours are a bit of a comedown after the Brent Anderson chapter, but not distractingly so.  It’s fascinating to see Tom’s interpretation of so many iconic moments of Superman’s career (the Gladiator costume is always a particular highlight because it was such a departure at the time!).

It’s a testament to both Jerry Ordway’s writing, and Tom Grummett’s rendering that this story featuring an elderly couple, and very little non-flashback action threatens to steal the whole book.  The performances on the Kents faces tell a story as compelling as any action-adventure yarn, and it’s wonderful to read, and a very nice little PSA for organ donation, which is a legitimate way we can save lives through our own death, as Superman did.

STANDING GUARD:

Jackson “Butch” Guice inking himself here, and it’s a little scratchier and more textured than we’re used to seeing.  Still has the long limbed, leanly muscled figures we know from his work, but it’s perhaps not as sharp as the work he did on Action Comics, or more recently when he teamed up with Bryan Hitch on a Captain American mini-series, which was some of the best work I’ve ever seen of his.  The faces in particular seem under-drawn a bit, apart from the clearly-based-on-Tommy-Lee-Jones drawing of Dan Turpin.

And as Max pointed out, it seems like an odd choice to leave Bibbo out of a story in which he originally appeared.

TIME:

In a way, this was one of the most essential stories of the book, chronicling the exact first moments after Steel burst out of the ground in the wake of Doomsday’s rampage.  I had always thought he was under the rubble for days, and only emerged after Superman was already dead, but this new story reveals his full actions that day.

The art is a bit inconsistent, but very Bogdanove.  He copies older panels directly, which is effective, but sometimes jarring when they come before and after panels which are inked very differently than Dennis Janke’s hatching would have done.

The linework here reminded me of Kyle Baker, with its thin, precise minimalist line.  As usual with Simonson and Bogdanove, it’s a more ethnically diverse corner of Metropolis, and Bogdanove excels at drawing a variety of facial types.  At times the hulking John Henry looks a little wan, which again can be jarring with what we know of Bog’s version of the character. 

STRAY OBSERVATIONS:

Jurgens’ story is just about perfect, in the way that it calls back almost every element of the original Doomsday storyline, starting—as it did in the 90s—with a classroom setting, and students arguing about who’s the greatest hero.  And how much do you love that Jon isn’t embarrassed of his dad, but rather argues he’s the greatest?  What a kid.

I love Jurgens’ writing of Superman and Lois as parents.  It’s a great moment when Jon voices his displeasure of having to learn about his own father’s death, even temporarily, in a classroom.  To her credit, Lois immediately cops to the fact that they didn’t handle that properly, and apologizes.  It’s the right move, and it’s great to see.

If I have one quibble about the art in the Jurgens’ story, it would be the lettering.  I found the clearly-computerized font for the word “Doombreaker” to not look great in the panel, especially how often it was repeated, and some sound effects are handled better than others.  The “Brakka-chak!” when Doombreaker shoves Superman into a building looks ok, but the “swit swit swit” earlier in the story where Doombreaker spins Superman by his cape just looks so computer-y and tacked on (besides being an odd transliteration—I kinda want to believe that it’s an excited USO show awaiting MASH star Loretta, chanting in anticipation).  But seriously, I do miss the feel of hand-lettered sound effects.

My personal favourite moment is perhaps a weird one, but I’ll explain!  My son’s name is Donovan, and since he was a little tyke, we have always called him “Dono” for short.  So it was very cool to see Jimmy Olsen calling Jonathan Kent “Jonno” for short.

Not to nerd out, but honestly, what do you expect at this point?—there are a couple factual errors within this issue.  One is in the first story, where Superman says it’s new for Doomsday to “speed-evolve” as Doombreaker does.  But Doomsday did the exact same thing in 1994’s Hunter/Prey mini-series, as he speed-grew new bones to cover his ear canals, and also his knuckle bone spurs became weird ropes at one point.  What gives, man?  Also, in the John Henry Irons story, they erroneously have John giving Lois credit for naming Doomsday. But the first person to call him Doomsday was Booster Gold.  Maybe John means she first used it in print?  [Max: I took it as John simply not knowing Booster used the name first... though, if Lois used it in print and didn’t specifically credit its creator, knowing Booster, she’s got a lawsuit in her hands.]

GODWATCH: Been a while since I’ve focused on the faith elements in these stories, but this issue has plenty.  First, when Lois tries to warn Superman, she invokes prayer.  Then in the story with the Kents, their mention of sacrificial love read to me like a Christian concept, and Lee Weeks pinup literally references the cross.

CLAY MANN PINUP:

Anyone who reads this blog even semi-regularly knows I’m something of a connoisseur of “Lois-looking-great” art.  As he showed in the Tom King Batman run, when Superman and Lois went on a double date with Catwoman and Batman (one of the best comics of the last ten years, if you haven’t read it!), Clay Mann draws a stunning, but realistically proportioned, Lois Lane.  Clark’s tailoring is decidedly 90s, but it’s a corker of an image, and my second favourite of the bunch.

LEE WEEKS PINUP:

An absolute stunner from one of my favourite artists and comic people.   The big red cape reminds me of a Bill Sienkiewicz piece, but it has that naturalistic, brushy feel of all of Lee Weeks work.  Great concept, great layout and great drawing.  My favourite of the bunch, actually.

WALT SIMONSON PINUP:

Unmistakably Simonson’s linework, with Laura Martin’s colours just lending a little bit of extra texture.  While Simonson’s looking a bit looser than other days, it’s still a strong piece, even if I’ve never liked the ram-horned look on Doomsday.

FABIO MOON PINUP:

Naturally, Moon’s quirky style is going to be a departure from the dynamic realism we expect from Superman comics, but the style matches the mood very well, here.  The concept of Jimmy using his signal watch for a Superman who will never come is a great and sad idea.  I do find the unidentified extra Planet staffers a bit distracting, though.  That might be Ron Troupe with his blazer over his shoulder (I guess his ”JAM” sweatshirt was in the laundry), and the mustachioed fellow could be Steve Lombard, as drawn in Superman stories from much later than the death storyline.  The other two ladies?  Not sure.  Maybe Alice and Cat Grant?  Or is it Daphne and Velma.  But the fact that I’m debating about it shows that maybe they could have been left out.  [Max: That’s definitely Alice for me, and therefore Cat next to hear because it’s just be weird to have an extra random person.]

BILL SEINKIWEICZ PINUP:

There’s Bill himself! He is such a master of energetic and photorealistic artwork that I have to wonder if he had someone dress up as Doomsday for this shot. Another interesting artistic take.

GABRIEL RODRIGUEZ PINUP:

A great circular layout, bringing the eye into the centre (and Superman’s face) both with the framing of Doomsday, and also the muted colours at the edges. Managing to include Jimmy and Lois is just the icing on the cake.  Great.

JAMAL CAMPBELL PINUP:

Another powerful, if simple image, with Lois’ grief front and centre, and the “Reign” storyline that followed behind her.  My only quibble is I prefer drawn lettering rather than computer fonts, but that’s a minor one.

CARMINE DI GIANDOMENICO PINUP:

I quite like the Superman movie inspired crystals as a motif, and the layout is well designed.  Doomsday looks frightening, which is a strange contrast from the placid expression on Superman’s face.  Buuuuuut, I have a few issues here.  Generally, I think computer artwork can make an artist a bit lazier, and we see that here.  The arms are literal mirrors of each other, which just feels a bit unnecessarily hurried. And one of my major pet peeves of the modern era is artists refusing to draw the actual Superman logo onto the figure.  Here it is slapped on (with at least some colouring to denote his chest muscles) in my opinion too high onto the uniform.  Lastly the planet Earth behind him (another thing modern artists often skip drawing) is not even a high-resolution image, and you can see the jagginess even in print.  

CULLY HAMNER PINUP:

In my top three of these pinups easily, it’s exactly what I want from a pinup—seeing familiar and beloved characters from the story, looking as they did in the original story, but interpreted in the signature style of the artist.  Terrific sense of motion here with unique, blocky colours in that Hamner style.  Love it. On the whole, I was surprised and pleased with how worthwhile the issue was.

[intomybubble]

Yesss its on sale what perfect timing lol

I got back to using my switch, and I’ve been trying to clear all (regular) events for Damien (my dumb spicy red baby lol) in Monster Camp and I want to change things up before I get burnt out

Random fun facts: of the OGs playable characters, I usually go with Brian. Of the DLC characters, I really like Sawyer (I love their design). I also like Abdu and Mamimi.

I want to use Doug and Susanne more when I get focus more on Aaravi, Joy, and Dahlia.

[maslows-pyramid-scheme]

After weeks of speculation and anticipation, many of the names of former associates, employees, friends and victims of deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have been released. ... Many of those whose names appear in the documents released Wednesday aren't accused of wrongdoing or have been mentioned previously in legal proceedings or news accounts. The documents released Wednesday are not an Epstein "client list." ... Nearly 90 names were included in the documents, with four redacted: 1. Ghislaine Maxwell 2. Virginia Lee Roberts Giuffre 3. Kathy Alexander 4. Miles Alexander 5. James Michael Austrich 6. Philip Barden 7. REDACTED 8. Cate Blanchett 9. David Boies 10. Laura Boothe 11. Evelyn Boulet 12. Rebecca Boylan 13. Joshua Bunner 14. Naomi Campbell 15. Carolyn Casey 16. Paul Cassell 17. Sharon Churcher 18. Bill Clinton 19. David Copperfield 20. Alexandra Cousteau 21. Cameron Diaz 22. Leonardo DiCaprio 23. Alan Dershowitz 24. Dr. Mona Devanesan 25. REDACTED 26. Bradley Edwards 27. Amanda Ellison 28. Cimberly Espinosa 29. Jeffrey Epstein 30. Annie Farmer 31. Marie Farmer 32. Alexandra Fekkai 33. Crystal Figueroa 34. Anthony Figueroa 35. Louis Freeh 36. Eric Gany 37. Meg Garvin 38. Sheridan Gibson-Butte 39. Robert Giuffre 40. Al Gore 41. Ross Gow 42. Fred Graff 43. Philip Guderyon 44. REDACTED 45. Shannon Harrison 46. Stephen Hawking 47. Victoria Hazel 48. Brittany Henderson 49. Brett Jaffe 50. Michael Jackson 51. Carol Roberts Kess 52. Dr. Karen Kutikoff 53. Peter Listerman 54. George Lucas 55. Tony Lyons 56. Bob Meister 57. Jamie A. Melanson 58. Lynn Miller 59. Marvin Minsky 60. REDACTED 61. David Mullen 62. Joe Pagano 63. Mary Paluga 64. J. Stanley Pottinger 65. Joseph Recarey 66. Michael Reiter 67. Jason Richards 68. Bill Richardson 69. Sky Roberts 70. Scott Rothstein 71. Forest Sawyer 72. Doug Schoetlle 73. Kevin Spacey 74. Cecilia Stein 75. Mark Tafoya 76. Brent Tindall 77. Kevin Thompson 78. Donald Trump 79. Ed Tuttle 80. Emma Vaghan 81. Kimberly Vaughan-Edwards 82. Cresenda Valdes 83. Anthony Valladares 84. Maritza Vazquez 85. Vicky Ward 86. Jarred Weisfeld 87. Courtney Wild 88. Bruce Willis 89. Daniel Wilson 90. Andrew Albert Christian Edwards, Duke of York

[siberian-xanadu]

5, 29, 30, 31 for the asks :>

5. Is there anyone that can always make you smile?: Yeah, my best friend! Whenever I'm talking to him, I can't help but to smile. 29. Favorite Film(s): Both Monty Python's The Holy Grail and Life of Brian, I'm also a sucker for The Breakfast Club and Fast Times at Ridgemont High lol. 30. Favorite TV show(s): I don't watch a lot of TV tbh, but I love It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia rn! 31. Three random facts (about prog lol) a. The term "progressive rock" dates to 1969 and was included on a Caravan (? either them or Camel) album which described their music. It wasn't until the 1980s that the abbreviation "prog" started becoming more popular with the neo-prog movement. Also, a lot of the time the genre that would become known as Prog Rock was referred to as "classical rock", "symphonic rock", or sometimes simply "progressive music". b. (this one is also iirc) Tales from Topographic Oceans and Brain Salad Surgery were released on the same day in November 1973, and were the number 1 and number 2 album that Christmas. c. The highest charting song Geddy Lee ever sang on wasn't a Rush song at all--- it was Bob and Doug Mackenzie's "Take Off"! The highest charting Rush song also isn't Tom Sawyer--- it's New World Man.