#it really doesn't hold the depth of color or have that STRIKING appearance that the watercolor paper has

[kifu]

When the Clock Strikes Midnight AKA Tick Tock. Actually almost exactly the Tick Tock I wanted to draw back in 2020. Note: cardstock less vibrant than watercolor paper. :(

[that-angry-noldo]

I Watched the Rings Of Power so Here is My Absolutely Important Opinion™ on It

(that was sarcasm by the way! this post is just me spilling all of my thoughts in clear words because I Just Might To Explode if i don't share them!!)

Okay so I watched a final episode of RoP and I Have Thoughts. The thoughts can be summed up as,

"This show is so cool when showing big picture but it becomes Absolutely Surreal if you focus on the small details"

before you sink your teeth into my skin, let me explain: the show has both positive and negative sides, and I will go through all of them.

Positive sides

The visuals

Okay, I'm gonna say this: the visuals are cool. It's just - I love it! I love the colors, and the lights, and special effects too! I'm not sure about all the "bringing back the middle earth thing" but i don't really care about it. I enjoyed both LoTR and Hobbit, and I don't really remember any visuals that would strike in me that special nostalgic feeling. I loved all the city designes, Numenor & Lindon especially (even though Lindon, at times, really appeared as if the creators were like "look! this is elven! we use so much -traditionally- elven motives!! elves here elves there and some over that hill too!!!" but i'm not complaining).

The story as a whole

I'm gonna go more in depth with this one in the negative section, but if we're looking solely from narrative side, then yes. It's written fine. It has a clear start, culmination, and an end (of sorts); all of the threads are neatly tied and are opening possibilities for the next season. That, I think, is good.

The (somewhat) exploration of war

That really got me, honestly, due to current events. The way the Numenorians never were at war before and their first battle was so devastating. The way they walked in in search for honor and glory and walked out questioning whether they really needed honor and glory. The way weapons show no mercy to civilians; the way hope is quietly snatched away.

(I saw someone saying RoP forgot that Tolkien's message was "war bad". I'd like to argue: war is clearly not shown as something funky here.)

ABSOLUTE POWER CORRUPTS ABSOLUTELY

Okay I might be a bit biased here but look. i love that trope. i love characters knowing that too much power can bring them to a deep dark. i love characters getting a hold on that power and rarely putting it away. i love the "free or conquer? - i don't see a difference." characters!! this sgow had delivered me few of those lines and i picked them up gratefully.

Negative sides

Lore.

Lore as a whole.

This show absolutely cannot do lore.

The whole "First age explained in the 2 minutes" thing. The whole "Finrod has died hunting Sauron" thing. The whole "FOR SOME REASON A TREE CAN NOW FIGHT A BALROG (rip laurelin and telperion but it's built different)" thing. ABSOLUTELY THE WORST "Elves need a permission to sail to Valinor" thing. The short hair thing. The things that make my silm heart bleed. The smallest little things that make you cry and wail under the table.

Lore changes

Celeborn being absent so Celebrian not even being even in plan yet (Elrond is supposed to marry her, by the way)

Elves being absolutely not aware that Sauron's a maia and physically can't die.

The elves being suddenly dependant on the Light of the Valar?? Like?? Since when?... Y'all were literally born in the night! The light of the valar is like a bonus! It's not vital??

I can go on and on and on.

Mischaracterisations

I know Galadriel was already picked apart and sewn back together - there really isn't much need to tell something about her, so let's take a look:

Celebrimbor and Gil-Galad.

Not only was Celebrimbor done dirty (he does not look like a 25-yo, whatever you might think) (why doesn't he have DARK HAIR), but his entire character was butched.

They made Celebrimbor a Feanor fanboy.

Celebrimbor, a man who rejected his father after realising the horrible things he's done, was anything but Feanor's fanboy. That's much I know, that much will I say.

Gil-Galad-

Look, looking at rop!Gilgalad, i don't really think anyone would write a gil-galad was an elven king, of him the harpers sadly sing poem. He was... reduced to... being an obstacle. Constantly pushing other characters around. Demanding something of them, noone knows what. Dismissing them. Not being able to listen. (In a way, he suffered the same way as Galadriel).

The creators better give him the character growth or else.

-

Before someone comes at me with "well, they did changes to the lotr trilogy too, i don't see anyone complaining," i want to say:

i know!! i don't care!!!

lotr, sadly or not, never was as big of a part of me as silmarillion is. i grew to love the silm. i grew to love the characters. i grew to love the lore. i grew to love the little silly discusions about elven hair color or the manner of speech.

so really, the mischaracterisation of gil-galad bugs me more than the absence of glorfindel

-

thanks for coming to my ted talk! see you around!!

[gaoau]

It tears you apart, doesn't it, when your talent strides forwards, but your insecurities crawl backwards, and you hold onto both so tight

Raison d'Être warnings — none. word count — 1.2k

prev. — next.

[Name] knew art was an inconsistent feeling. She could agree with the famous statement to give artists an excuse to apply to their work. Art isn't meant to look good; it's supposed to make you feel something. And although she hid behind it just as much as anyone else, she could barely stand to even glance at some of her own pieces. They didn't look good and they made her want to burst into tears with how terrible they were. The feelings were there, like any artist would argue.

But then again, she wasn't strictly an artist.

As she stared at the cat in front of her, the lights and shadows, the blacks and greys and hints of white, she knew it had been fun. Sketching in the shapes and giving dimension to its features and bringing a cute, black cat to life—it really had been fun. She had enjoyed it. Painting and drawing and art, it had always been fun, and she did it all because it was fun. [Name] never cared much about the technicalities—even when she had used composition as an excuse to prevent Chifuyu from keeping her fish sketches. Art was creation, it was entertainment, it was productivity in the form of self-indulgence. She could put her hands to good use and power her brain off for a few hours.

As much as she struggled to admit, [Name] was fairly talented, managing to produce illustrations she could stare at for days on end while being filled with pride. But only when she worked with black and white, light and shadow and no saturation, never an in-between among the striking pitch darkness and the jarring, blinding brightness. When it came to colors, she never knew why her mind refused to wrap around the idea of hues.

Stepping out of the comforting, familiar black and white was absolutely terrifying. Composition never mattered because it came naturally, rhythm always appeared on its own, and the contrast was as simple as adding more black to a drop of grey. Art was fun. Black and white was fun. So why would she ever torture herself with mixing ultramarine blue and titanium white together to make the perfect shade fitting of a cat's eyes?

A flash of lightning flickering on her open window snapped her out of her pitiful woes. She considered, only for a second, flinging her brushes and canvas and paint water at the wall. But art supplies cost so unbelievably much and she didn't have the heart. Instead, she set the brushes down and sprang from her seat.

"Fuck!" she cursed against the few droplets of rain starting to pitter-patter on the window. Her glare burned through the flat cerulean plastered among the black fur. Thunder rumbled so far off in the distance that she almost didn't catch it. The more she glowered, the worse it looked. "Fucking hell! Why can't I do this one thing?!"

Her feet instinctively dragged her away from the canvas. She scanned the painted cat from afar. Squinted eyes, tilted head, frowning lips. She did not like it one bit. A growl of infuriation slipped from the back of her throat as she grasped her hair in distress. In and out, she tried to regulate her breathing.

Lightning struck once more. She felt it running through her veins in a fit of rage. "What the fuck is going on?! The contrast is good, the composition is good, it looks like a stupid cat! Why is the color so bad?!" Her eyes traveled like a wildfire towards her palette. Thunder rumbled again, this time closer. She held her breath for a few moments. Then, she slapped her palm on the table. "Seriously, why can't I—?!" Azure, cyan, blue, cerulean, navy. All the shades to give depth to a pair of eyes. "What on Earth am I even looking at here?!"

A knot formed in her throat as the rain hammered on the window, slamming down onto the balcony. She failed to understand why, with her artist eyes, she couldn't see color at all. It wasn't bad, she never thought it was bad to see the world in black and white, to find contrast without relying on an array of hues. It was just the way she saw things. It was why when Kazutora showed up in front of her, she didn't need the colors in him to see something interesting. There was so much to play with in his appearance without the need to slap on a yellow. It worked.

[Name] spared another scorching glance at the disarray of blues on the canvas. It wasn't flat. It had depth. It did. It really did. She was looking at it. She gave herself a moment, breathing in deeply to settle down. "It's okay," she exhaled, "it's okay, it's fine, it's good, it's… It looks like… It… It looks." She nodded to herself. "Why am I getting so—? So in over my head, yeah. No point. It looks. Come on, Ai, tell me it looks."

The instant she turned towards Ai by the couch, she managed to break herself out of her own bubble. The white noise of the rain pouring outside wrapped around her ears. Her body shivered on instinct at the chill slipping in through her open window. She didn't even know it was open. She found she could breathe a little easier.

As she moved to shut the window, a flash of lightning greeted her right above her head. The sky seemed indigo when she gazed at the clouds. Then thunder boomed, loosening her shoulders as it rumbled in her chest. Her eyes fluttered closed to welcome the droplets of rain splitting the Earth in half just to bring her solace. But although peaceful for her, such deafening screams of nature startled Ai out of his dreams.

He sprang onto his feet, claws tapping frantically on the floor in a fit of fear. Whines of sheer fright darted from his lungs as he scrambled towards [Name]. Trembling, he lay down by her feet, peeking up at her despite the rain because she still hadn't closed the window.

"Oh, Ai, baby!" she cooed, muffling a chuckle. With the window finally shut, [Name] crouched to his level. "You don't like thunder, do you?" The touch of her hand worked like a charm, helping him calm down. He knew he was safe with [Name]. He trusted she would always care for him.

She picked him up in her arms and ran her fingers through his fur to flick the water away. The pouring rain outside and the growing puppy in her embrace reminded her of a different night. It seemed so distant. Her softened gaze traveled back to the drying canvas she had abandoned. The blue, that intense blue, it looked like Chifuyu's eyes. Lackluster at best, but it did.

She pressed a kiss to the dog's head as she returned to work with a sigh. There was a particular place in her insecurities that Ai fit right into while she hugged him close to her chest.

[ty-talks-comics]

Best of DC: Week of August 7th, 2019

Best of this Week: DCeased #4 - Tom Taylor, Trevor Hairsine, Stefano Gaudiano, Rain Beredo and Saida Temofonte

This book went out with a bang and it’s only been four issues of the six!

Captain Atom is one of the strongest heroes of the DC Universe. He’s right on par with Superman and under the reigns of the government, he’s an asset that they have complete authority over. The Atom, likely Ray Palmer, has dived into the body of an infected girl to see if there were a way to solve the crisis before it gets any worse, but then he goes dark. Captain Atom tells Amanda Waller to just way for The Atom to chime back in, but she orders him to go outside and clean the mess up. 

He does so, but soon realizes that something is horribly wrong. The next thing we see is The Atom tearing his way through Captain Atom's body, infecting him with the Anti-Life Virus.

We cut to the aftermath of the last issue with Clark bringing Martha Kent to the Daily Planet, crying about Jonathan as the entire Kent Family embraces each other over the loss. One of the big themes of this issue is the loss of family as there will he two big examples later on, each feeling more devastating than the last. 

Soon after Superman returns, he's ready to go back out there and rescue more people, but Dinah reminds him of the danger everyone could be in if he were to become infected. He counters that with the fact that he's been using x-ray vision to counter the effects of the virus as it's transmitted through screens. Lois makes a transmission to any hero or villain still alive and tells them to all come to the Daily Planet building. 

It's one of the few bits of hope that we get in this issue as we see that some people have boarded up their homes, some of the Titans are still alive and even Lex Luthor is listening in. Best of all, the transmission makes it to Themyscira and Wonder Woman makes her presence felt as she tells her mother and an arriving Mera that she's going to Metropolis. 

In Keystone City, Superman and Green Lantern Canary find Flash and Kid Flash who are doing their best to stay down as them becoming infected would be a nightmare for the world. In Gotham, Harley is being rescued by Ivy, who kills the infected versions of Catwoman, Huntress, Batwoman and Batgirl. I really liked this because, on top of finally getting one over on the Joker, Harley is saved by the true love of her life, albeit in a gory and bloody manner that I'd hoped I'd never have to see for some of my other favorite characters. But they do make for a really adorable couple. 

Back in Metropolis, however, things have taken a horrible turn for the worse. Hairsine struts his stuff in an amazing double page spread that shows an infected Giganta tearing her way through the city like a Kaiju. She looks absolutely monstrous with a giant scar running down her face, eyes and clothes caked with the blood of untold tens or hundreds of people that she's likely killed or eaten. With only Black Lightning, his daughters, Green Arrow, Robin and Superboy to defend the Planet, things look incredibly dire.

That is, until a surprise Batwing appears and distracts her… only to get knocked out of the sky, but saved by a returning Canary, Superman and the two Flashes. Wonder Woman also appears and prepares to cut the head off of the infected Giganta as she is knocked over by Superman. However, he stops her, pleading that there may still be something left there.

The little bit of hope that he may have had is crushed as Cyborg reappears and blows a hole straight through her head, explaining that none of them are alive anymore. While it's a mostly clean shot, the few bits and blood that do fall out feel gnarly as hell and her dead eyed expression is enough to send chills down the spine. 

While the other heroes are talking, the Batwing's hatch opens and Damian somehow expects it to be Batman only to be met by Alfred. He hugs his grandson and tells him Bruce's last words before his untimely passing and we're brought back to another tearful embrace.

*HEAVY SPOILERS AHEAD*

But this somber moment doesn't last as Hawkgirl appears, crashing down into Diana's arms, telling everyone that Captain Atom is infected and that he's about to explode. Superman and Wonder Woman do their best to contain it, but the sheer power of Captain Atom proves too much as his eruption destroyed Washington DC, then Baltimore and eventually...Metropolis where Black Lightning tells his daughters to close their eyes as he embraces them, the bright light engulfing them all.

*SPOILERS OVER: PRESS ON*

DCeased has gone way beyond the gimmick that a lot of us thought it might have been. Exploring themes like the loss of family, love and hope versus hopelessness, we see these characters placed in a new light where they have to adapt to a harrowing situation that no one was prepared for. Black Canary taking over as Green Lantern after Hal gets infected is a new and fresh take for her and she absolutely fits the role like a glove. Superman having to dissociate in order to keep himself focused on saving people gives him more depth as it clashes with who he is as a hero. Diana is far more willing to cut the head off of Giganta where normally she would try to talk her down or knock her out, she’s ready for the high stake over the situation. Also seeing Damian actually show his feelings, crying as Alfred hands him the briefcase of Batman’s gear, gives a lot more humanity as he’s been showing a lot of it because this is legit one of the first times he’s been truly afraid and didn’t have a plan. 

Trevor Hairsine’s art by itself is enough to sell the book on. It has a flavor of horror that hearkens back to some of DCs Vertigo stories, but also has the color and flair of normal superhero stories. The feelings of despair are very clearly shown and the gore, for how little there is in this issue is still unsettling to see. It’s all very high quality and appropriate for the story. Unlike most Marvel Zombies books, I’m actually scared for everyone here and I love it. High recommend. 

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

Jarro is the best new member of the Justice League and I will not be persuaded of the otherwise. 

Runner Up: Justice League #29 - Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, Bruno Redondo, Hi-Fi and Tom Napolitano

Since the events of No Justice (2018), the Universe has been without Starro, the sentient and powerful telepathic starfish that served as the Justice League's first ever villain. In an uncharacteristic act of heroism, the conqueror sacrificed his life in an effort to save the universe from being destroyed. All that was left a small part of him that was kept in a jar and maintained his sense of heroism, becoming Batman's newest son, Jarro.

Jarro is the epitome of "doing his best" as this book involves him single handedly taking on the Legion of Doom. 

Lurking in the shadows of the Hall of Doom, listening to their top secret plans, lies Jarro dressed as Robin! He waits for the perfect moment and strikes at Lex and the others! They're all stunned that someone had the knowledge of their location and the gall to attack them. They all think that they can overpower him, but forget that Jarro still has all of the memories of his former self and creates an energy weapon that knocks them all back, including Sinestro and his constructs.

Though things take a turn, even after Jarro manages to take control of Braniac for a moment, and Lex gains the upper hand, pinning Jarro to a wall. As he's about to lay the final blow, the Justice League arrives to save their companion!

Throughout the book, however, there are numerous questionable things that makes it seem like it's just too good to be true. Jarro is referred to as Batman's favorite Robin by Sinestro. How did Jarro even find the Hall of Doom and how did the League track him? Hell, when Batman sees Jarro, he SMILES. That's a huge red flag. 

When Jarro begins to spawn more stars and takes over the minds of the Legion, Batman chides him for his actions and eventually realizes that he's had a star on his face the whole time. Jarro had been showing the good guys a vision where the League wins after deciding that control is the only path to victory after the shared vision he had with Starman in the last issue. 

It's all very reminiscent of any time that the Black Mercy plant is used and while what Jarro did was horrible, Batman manages to convince him that everything will be okay. So he releases the hold on everyone, jumps on Batman's shoulder and tells the others to prepare for war. 

What this book does best is simply allude to the idea that not everything is as it seems. It has little hints planted with things that only a could would say about themselves or their parents thoughts. Told through Jarro's perspective, it's good to see that Batman has raised him to be a being of hope and a cute one at that. Even his little Robin costume made me absolutely giddy and excited for the little guy.

Once again, it's Batman that has to save the day because he's always the most sound of mind. Though what this story does is shine a light on just how powerful Jarro could be. He managed to take over the minds of the Justice League without anyone being the wiser and shows just what an asset he is. It's even implied that he has a potential that even he can't see yet and I'm excited for his future.