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#might adapt this into a comic at some point
thankskenpenders · 16 hours
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The Knuckles show
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The announcement of a live action Knuckles streaming miniseries was surprising, to say the least. I mean, what would such a show even be about in a version of the Sonic universe with no Angel Island and barely any characters from the games around? Is he gonna go treasure hunting with the gang from Montana or something? Would a streaming miniseries have the CGI budget to squeeze in any new game characters, even briefly? Rouge? Amy? At least one member of Team Chaotix? Anyone?
Now the show is finally out, and it turns out what they actually made was a comedy show about bumbling deputy sheriff Wade Whipple, the minor comic relief character played by Adam Pally who you might not even remember all that well from the first two movies, with Knuckles as his sidekick. While, yes, Knuckles does get a decent amount of screentime and opportunities to punch bad guys and do cool moves from the games, large stretches of this show focus on Wade's personal life, to the point that a couple times I almost forgot I was watching a Sonic-related show. If you're judging it purely by the metric of how well it adapts and engages with its source material, this surely must be one of the worst adaptations the Sonic franchise has ever seen.
So then, despite some huge complaints... why do I kinda like it?
(This will contain full spoilers for the Knuckles show.)
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A brief summary of what the show is actually about because I know half of you aren't going to watch it
The show picks up not too long after the end of the second movie. Knuckles is now living in Montana with Sonic, Tails, and the Wachowskis out of a sense of debt to them, though he doesn't really see it as his home. He doesn't feel like he belongs on Earth, and his life currently lacks direction. After communing with the ghost of Pachacamac, though, Knuckles is instructed to keep his culture alive by teaching "the ways of the echidna warrior" to a new apprentice: deputy sheriff Wade Whipple, who's currently more concerned about winning a bowling tournament in Reno than anything else.
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Things are complicated by the interference of two rogue GUN agents - Agent Willoughby, played by Ellie Taylor in a bad wig, and Agent Mason, played by Kid Cudi. (Yes, the artist behind the second movie's credits song is one of the bad guys in this.) They want to steal Knuckles' power and sell it to a former associate of Robotnik's played by Rory McCann (The Hound from Game of Thrones), who now works as a black market arms dealer. Yes, they're still doing the thing where Sonic and friends' quills radiate some kind of super-energy that the bad guys all want. No, I don't particularly love this element of the Paramount Sonic continuity. Anyway, they go after Knuckles and Wade, complicating their straightforward road trip to Reno. Antics ensue.
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The Wade show
So here's the thing. While the first episode focuses largely on Knuckles, the entire rest of the show is very much the story of Wade, and by extension the other original human characters invented for this miniseries.
Episode 2 is about Wade having to rescue Knuckles from captivity after the GUN agents get him. Knuckles spends most of the episode in a cage.
Episode 3 is about introducing Wade's Jewish family, including his slightly overbearing mother and weird sister, so that Knuckles can learn about their family traditions and have Shabbat dinner with them (and then save them from bounty hunters that the GUN agents hired).
Episode 4 only features Knuckles at the very beginning and very end of the episode, probably for less than a minute total. Wade is captured by a bounty hunter he personally knows, and Knuckles decides to let that be a trial for Wade to overcome on his own.
The last two episodes feature the climactic showdowns with the GUN agents and their arms-dealing ally, who comes in with a mech for the obligatory final boss fight. You'd think this would be Knuckles' time to shine, but really, these episodes are mostly about the bowling tournament in Reno where Wade encounters his estranged father, wrapping up his own personal arc. While Knuckles does get some fights, a lot of the finale is spent on lengthy bowling scenes where Knuckles isn't in the room or even mentioned. It frequently feels more like a spiritual successor to '00s sports comedy movies like Dodgeball, Talladega Nights, or Blades of Glory than it does a part of the Sonic franchise, and the presence of ESPN 8: The Ocho commentary in the finale only drives those Dodgeball comparisons home. They get so immersed in the bowling stuff that it's genuinely hilarious when the show suddenly pivots and remembers "oh shit we still need to do the final boss fight"
Throughout all this, Wade is the protagonist. He's the character we spend more time with, he's the character who drives most of the major events, he's the character who gets more of an arc. The emotional core is Wade's journey. Knuckles is still present - sometimes, at least - but he's there as Wade's wingman, and also just as the excuse for there to be some fight scenes.
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How much Sonic stuff is actually in this show?
Honestly? Not much.
Sonic and Tails are only in the first episode. Sonic gets some good scenes, but Tails gets a grand total of five lines. I counted. Unsurprisingly, Jim Carrey is absent as Robotnik, though he does get mentioned a fair bit. (For that matter, basically the entire established human cast beyond Wade is absent, even including Tom, though Maddie is there in episode one.)
GUN is involved in the story, which helps it feel slightly more connected to Sonic, but it kind of feels like it's GUN in name only. They don't use any recognizable GUN tech, and they don't call in the military. It's just two agents in suits. They might as well be the Men in Black.
The Master Emerald is mentioned as something Knuckles has to guard, but it's never seen. Angel Island is pictured as a drawing during the show's intro, appearing exactly how it does in Sonic 3, but it's never referenced at all beyond that.
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I guess the climax taking place in and around a Reno casino is a reference to Sonic's many casino-themed levels. That's something. I'll give them that.
Oh, and if you're wondering if this is the point where we finally start to get actual music from the games: no, it's not. The soundtrack consists of a lot of '80s needle drops, many of which are generic Hollywood picks like "Holding Out for a Hero" for the billionth time, thought it at least has some slightly less obvious picks than the Mario movie. The theme song is '80s rock song "The Warrior" by Scandal. You'll hear it many times. You'll hear the Adventure era Knuckles raps zero times in this. You'll briefly hear classic A Tribe Called Quest song "Can I Kick It?" before Knuckles takes the question too literally and breaks the radio in Wade's car.
Beyond a handful of surface level references for nerds (one of which is admittedly wild - we'll get to that), this is probably the least an officially licensed adaptation of Sonic the Hedgehog has ever tried to actually engage with its source material. I struggle to think of another Sonic adaptation that has less to do with Sonic. For as much shit as I and countless others have given Penders for seemingly ignoring the content of the games in favor of building his own convoluted mythos, his Knuckles comics honestly included way more elements from the games than this show does.
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Somehow, the one new(-ish) Sonic character introduced in this is the ghost of Pachacamac of all characters. Not even Tikal! Pachacamac! A very minor character nobody has particularly strong feelings about! You can't even use the excuse that they already had the character model, because they completely redesigned him compared to his cameo in the first movie to better match his Sonic Adventure design. And he's voiced by Christopher Lloyd! Honestly, so many of his lines are strained that it sounds like he's on death's door here, but then he'll surprise you with a more casual line like "just do it, man" and it catches me so off guard that I can't help but laugh.
Pachacamac here has basically nothing to do with the game character he takes his name and appearance from. Where the game character was a cruel warlord who kicked off a 3000 year cycle of violence, Paramount Pachacamac is now just this chill old man who gives Knuckles (and later Wade) advice in two episodes of the show. Hell, he also feels completely disconnected from his established role in the movies, where he's literally the guy who shot Longclaw. The show will not grapple with this contradiction at all. He's just here to be a thing fans like me will recognize from the games. Again, if that's all they wanted, it's kind of baffling that they didn't just use Tikal.
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I don't love Knuckles in this
But what about Knuckles himself? Well, he doesn't feel all that much like Knuckles to me. Ironically, he sometimes feels like one of the weaker elements in his own show.
Back when the second movie came out, I noted that Knuckles' characterization seemed to be pulling heavily from MCU Thor as a gallant warrior from an archaic alien culture who doesn't really understand modern day Earth stuff. That worked for me in that movie. It was just there for spice. Just a little extra flavor for the character in what was otherwise a very faithful adaptation of Knuckles' storyline in Sonic 3 & Knuckles. Without those familiar elements grounding him and with a much higher reliance on comedy, Idris Elba's Knuckles becomes a pretty one-note character in this.
In damn near every scene with Knuckles, he's going to say something about being a proud, honorable echidna warrior, or brag about his glorious feats of strength, or be confused about some Earth thing and call it sorcery, or act like every other character is also a member of some noble warrior clan. He still has his moments for sure, but this schtick kinda gets old fast, and it just doesn't feel like Knuckles to me. His entire character feels derived from the scene in the diner where Thor smashes the cup on the ground and goes "Another!" Sure, I can picture game Knuckles smashing a radio to turn it off and being a little too gung-ho about busting holes through walls. That's Knuckles behavior. But building a barbarian combat pit in the living room so the Wachowski family dog can fight the mailman? Nope. That's some other guy now. It really does just feel like them taking a broad character archetype from something popular that kinda sorta fits Knuckles and just running with that, rather than trying to actually adapt the character.
Oh, but don't worry, he wears the OVA hat for like two minutes! AND he loves grapes! See, Sonic nerds? We read the wiki! That's his favorite food! Grapes! This is gonna come up like five times!
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Knuckles kind of gets an arc here, but not as much as Wade does. I think the stuff about him starting to feel at home on Earth thanks to Wade's mom and the way he connects with their Jewish family traditions is oddly sweet. This arc is kind of let down, though, by the fact that Knuckles' heritage is treated as a complete joke. He's a cartoonish pastiche of various historical warrior cultures stuck together in a blender and used mostly for comedic effect. When Pachacamac's ghost appears, he's reading a newspaper and bemoaning the fact that the Mets lost again. This is not the place for a serious examination of Knuckles' feelings on being the last of his kind.
This is far from the only time the show undercuts itself with its jokes and attempts at self-parody. In the first episode, for instance, Knuckles clashes with GUN Agent Mason and his tech-enhanced punches, leading to an extremely on-the-nose inversion of the "Do I look like I need your power?" scene showcased in the trailer for the second movie. Except this time, Agent Willoughby butts in and points out how stupid that line is in this new context, since they're literally trying to steal Knuckles' power. The fight can't just be cool, they have to get cute with it. A lot of stuff like that happens in this show.
Given all these complaints, the first two episodes left me thinking I'd be fairly negative on this show overall. This seemed like the version of the show from the fandom's collective nightmares, one that undoes all of the progress the movie series seemed to have been making towards faithfulness to the games. Like, just look at these cast posters. Is this what you want out of Sonic? Do these excite you?
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But then, something strange happened. Over time, I just kind of let the jokes and shenanigans wash over me and basked in how fucking weird this show is.
And I started to actually enjoy it.
Look. The Wade & Knuckles Show was never going to be peak Sonic. But that sure as hell doesn't mean it can't be entertaining.
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This show is so fucking goofy
Here's the thing.
The show is funny.
Unlike a lot of other people, I didn't hate all the wedding stuff in Hawaii in Sonic 2, because I thought a lot of it was funny, both in its actual jokes and in the ways in which they tied everything back to Sonic. Tom looking wistfully at some bodybuilders doing Top Gun shit and spraying each other with beer and being like "I wish Sonic had that" is weirdly funny. The twist that those muscle bros are all agents of the newly formed GUN, who orchestrated the wedding as an elaborate scheme to catch Sonic, is funny. Mr. Olive Garden becoming the fucking GUN Commander is VERY funny. Are any of these elements of my dream Sonic movie? No, of course not. But my dream Sonic movie was never gonna happen in live action.
The Knuckles show follows up on the comedy of the previous films by being probably the funniest live action Sonic release yet. Did every joke land for me? God no. There are some stinkers in there that made me roll my eyes. But enough of them landed that it worked out for me overall. A big part of this is the fact that they've got a good cast of actors and/or comedians here.
Adam Pally is funny as Wade, and I found myself liking him more and more as a character as the show went on. He becomes an oddly endearing loser, with some sweet moments in his personal arc that made me feel for the guy. I like Wade more than Tom now, thanks to this show. I will now be happier to see Wade in Sonic 3 than I would have been previously.
The supporting cast is frequently great, too, many of whom are playing completely cartoonish, over-the-top characters. They took a cue from how exaggerated Carrey's performance was as Robotnik and decided to just abandon all pretense that this is the real world. Stockard Channing as Wade's mom is funny, and carries some of the more sincere parts of the show. Cary Elwes as Wade's very British dad who abandoned him as a child to run off and be the world's most egotistical professional bowler is funny. Edi Patterson as Wade's sister Wanda is... well, she's kinda trying too hard, but she has her moments. The Mighty Boosh co-creator Julian Barratt(!!) as a scenery-chewing bounty hunter, who was also somehow Wade's former best friend and bowling partner, is VERY funny. I love this guy.
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(Honestly, they should let more people who were on Garth Marenghi's Darkplace be in Sonic stuff. Where's Matt Berry)
This is kind of a stacked cast for a bunch of stupid side characters in a live action Knuckles show! And honestly, that just makes it funnier to me. Even when they're not funny, the fact that this exists makes it funny. They somehow convinced Paramount to give them a bunch of money to make a spiritual successor to Dodgeball about a schlubby guy who wants to beat his dad at a bowling tournament... except also Knuckles the fucking Echidna is there as his personal life coach. My life is richer for the fact that I can say that sentence. I think about all the little kids who are probably watching this show this weekend, going in expecting a show about Knuckles the Echidna and having to sit through extensive bowling scenes and lore about Wade's family, and sorry kids, but I just have to laugh. Wade isn't even on the poster! The poster is just a picture of Knuckles!! They punked those kids!!!
In a franchise where every single aspect is so carefully micromanaged these days, it feels truly special to get an adaptation this bonkers. It frequently appeals to the same part of me that enjoys the fact that there's an officially licensed Knuckles comic in which Charmy Bee's best friend (also a bee) dies of an accidental LSD overdose from a drug-laced chili dog. Or like, everything about the original 1993 Super Mario Bros. movie. Or the fact that they made seven direct-to-DVD sequels to Alpha and Omega, one of which is half a retread of the adventure from the first movie (with more annoying supporting characters in tow this time) and half a literal clip show of the first movie. The sheer absurdity of the fact that these things exist is charming to me. Except, with the Knuckles show, it has the added benefit of frequently being funny on purpose! This is why I'm not sure I'd call it "so bad it's good." Like, it's not amazing, but there were a lot of parts that I enjoyed in the exact way I was supposed to enjoy them.
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Look. Here's a list of real lines of dialogue from the Sega-approved Knuckles the Echidna streaming show that they're billing as a pillar of the Paramount+ lineup, to drive this point home. Let these marinate for a minute:
"I only eat grapes, and Cool Ranch Doritos™."
"Annihilate this little girl, Wade. Crush her spirit. Humiliate her so badly her parents won't even look at her again." "Doesn't that seem like we're going a bit far?" "Not far enough."
"So is he Jewish?" "Half, I think."
"I had a friend who when he listened to Alien Ant Farm he could lift a Toyota Corolla over his head."
"I'm in dire financial straits. Due to my lawsuit against an unnamed rainforest-themed restaurant franchise, I don't have two pennies to my name."
"We're here in sunny Reno, Nevada, which is so close to Hell you can smell the sparks."
"You can't threaten me with your Jewish karate chops because I am a federal agent."
"I will say, regardless of how you feel about child abandonment - and I'm against it! - the deals at TJ Maxx can't be beat."
This is a Sonic show in which they got Paul Scheer and Rob Huebel to appear as ESPN 8: The Ocho commentators.
This is a show where Wade's mom insists upon pronouncing "Knuckles" with the throaty Hebrew "ch" sound, and declares that Knuckles is basically Jewish. Later, they watch Pretty Woman together while enjoying a nice slice of key lime pie. Knuckles comments: "I don't understand. This young streetwalker with a heart made of gold, why do the others treat her with such disdain? Is it so wrong to walk the streets?"
This is a show where the fourth episode is directed by one of the guys from The Lonely Island and features a hallucinatory low budget rock opera stage musical put on by the ghost of Pachacamac. It recounts Knuckles' life story, with Wade playing Knuckles and the "evil" Longclaw played by the bounty hunter guy who's played by the Mighty Boosh guy.
Look at this.
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And also, Knuckles' singing voice is provided by Michael Bolton, which they proudly announce in the middle of the musical.
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And also...
Also...???
IBLIS IS IN IT????????????
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Yes, Iblis!
From Sonic '06!!
Knuckles is said to have looked for a mythical power called the "Flames of Disaster" to avenge his clan, which ended up being the power that was within him all along that lets him do fire punches yadda yadda yadda. As part of this, he apparently fought Iblis off-screen at some point, as conveyed with the giant singing papier-mâché Iblis in the musical.
...Then Iblis sings about hitting up Facebook Marketplace
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How? How does any of this exist? Why reference '06 of all games? How did Iblis get into the live action Sonic movie universe before Amy and Metal Sonic? Why are they using Iblis and the term "Flames of Disaster" in such a goofy way that completely disregards their original context?
I don't know. I don't know how any of this happened. But I love it. We got a Knuckles miniseries in which Michael Bolton sings the phrase "the Flames of Disaster." The world is a beautiful place sometimes.
Some people will tell you to skip episode four. "Knuckles is barely even in it," they say. "It's dumb and pointless," they say. "They clearly just ran out of special effects budget," they say. These are people whose opinions you should disregard. The episode with the least Knuckles in it is somehow the most entertaining episode of the show. I would, in fact, go as far as to say that if you only decide to watch one episode of the Knuckles show to see what goofy bullshit they get up to, it should be this one.
I cannot be mad at this show. It's so dumb, but it completely owns the fact that it's a dumb and unnecessary spinoff. Inferiority is baked into its very DNA. It's very self-consciously redoing the premise of the first movie, but stupider. It's about The Other Cop from the movies, instead of the competent one. Instead of being into a "cooler" sport, his life revolves around professional bowling. Instead of going to Vegas, he goes to Reno. Even his tragic backstory that shaped his entire life sucks. He was abandoned by his pro bowler dad in a TJ Maxx. Not even a nicer department store. A fucking TJ Maxx. This whole show is a Dril tweet.
They put a ton of effort into making it dumb in an occasionally spectacular way. So much effort was put into that joke rock opera that fans will just write off as stupid filler. They put their whole pussies into it. This is not a poorly made show. This has better production values than half the shit made for Disney+. This was made with love. Maybe not as much love for the Sonic the Hedgehog series of video games as we'd like, but it's love nonetheless.
Maybe this show broke me and these are the ramblings of a madwoman. Maybe I'm just really nostalgic for the '90s and '00s comedy movies all the Wade stuff is modeled after. Maybe the Alan Wake fan in me just really loves it when a story pivots to a silly rock opera for no real reason. I won't discount any of these possibilities. This isn't high art. This isn't something I would recommend to anyone with zero interest in Sonic, and it also isn't going to sway Sonic fans who hate the Paramount universe. I really can't blame them for being bewildered by this show. But for a specific type of person, this is the absurd three-star Sonic-adjacent comedy miniseries of your dreams. It's a mid masterpiece.
Again, I just have to step back, realize the fact that this shouldn't exist, and smile. Sega's too afraid to do stupid bullshit with the franchise like this these days. And I can't blame them, after years of Sonic being a treated as a laughingstock. But part of me misses some of the goofy shit. No matter how much I tore some of the Archie comics apart as I was reading them for this blog, I just look back on stuff like Cal and Al or the Many Hands issues and laugh. And that same part of me looks at this show about Knuckles being the sidekick to this fucking guy, and just goes...
"We're so back."
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In conclusion, I genuinely think this was a more enjoyable TV show than Sonic Prime.
I wouldn't go back and rewatch Sonic Prime anytime soon, aside from maybe, like, a couple of the Shadow-heavy episodes. Huge stretches of that show bored me to tears. The writers squandered all of that show's potential. But I would rewatch the Knuckles show, which takes a terrible premise and has a lot of fun with it, in a heartbeat. Even the bowling parts. The bowling scenes in the Knuckles show are more engaging than 70% of the fights in Sonic Prime. I am not trolling. I mean that sincerely, with all my heart. Don't @ me.
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Stray observations
There is effectively zero meaningful setup for the third movie in this, unless Wade's family or the two GUN agents come back or something. Project Shadow is not mentioned in this. There is no secret post-credits scene with Gerald
The CGI in this is pretty good. Not quite on par with the movies, but pretty good. Sonic's weird forehead wrinkles are distracting in his scenes though. Please fix that
I wouldn't say I liked this as much as the second movie, which obviously gets a ton of points for, you know. The Cool Sonic Shit. But I had more fun with it than the first movie, which I still feel is a painfully generic family movie that was only saved by Tyson's redesign
"Grapes are an interesting choice for someone who doesn't use his individual fingers."
Agent Willoughby was apparently the one at GUN who had to buy the Olive Garden gift cards and set up the fake wedding. Her origin story is that she hated doing shit like that and wanted to go fight aliens
This miniseries contains another Keanu namedrop because Wade's childhood bedroom has a Speed poster on the wall. I swear, if Sonic doesn't say Shadow sounds just like Keanu...
Knuckles is familiar with Paul Blart Mall Cop
Near the end the ESPN 8: The Ocho commentators say that the 1974 Reno bowling championship was also interrupted by an extraterrestrial, and given that was exactly 50 years ago I can't write off the possibility that that was Shadow. Please for the love of god give us a sequel series after the third movie where Wade takes Shadow the Hedgehog bowling. I need this more than I need air
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adaptationsvs-polls · 18 days
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Which version of this do you prefer?
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age-of-moonknight · 2 years
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“The Empty Tomb,” Moon Knight: Black, White & Blood (Vol. 1/2022), #2.
Writer: Benjamin Percy; Artist: Vanesa Del Rey; Letterer: Cory Petit
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fuckyeahgoodomens · 9 months
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Good Omens Graphic Novel Masterpost ❤ 🐍😊
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(you know how I like doing masterposts :)🥰 - I will update the masterpost as the kicstarter updates ❤)
What is Good Omens: the Official (and Ineffable) Graphic Novel?
The Good Omens: the Official (and Ineffable) Graphic Novel is the upcoming adaptation of the glorious 1990 Good Omens novel by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman in a graphic novel form. The adaptation is done by the talented Colleen Doran who worked with Neil on several other of his projects such as Chivalry, The Sandman, or Snow, Glass, Apples. The adaptation done under the gentle eyes of both Neil Gaiman and the Terry Pratchett Estate so don't worry that it will be unfaithful <3.
How can I help/join/pre-order?
The project is done on Kickstarter to keep the creative control with Neil, the Terry Pratchett's Estate and Colleen. If you're not familiar with Kickstarter it is a place where you pledge money and in return you get the product plus possible bonuses.
The Kickstarter Tiers
There are many tiers and options! WAHOO! ❤ (note that the shipping will be extra)
The Nighttingale Tier - £20 - GONE
This is only available for the first 24 hours.
You get the copy of the Graphic Novel :).
Also available to add a mug, another copy and bookshop bundle. :) (these options are available to add with every other tier)
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The Human Tier - £25
You get the copy of the Graphic Novel :).
Also available to add a mug, aziraphale and crowley pins, another copy and bookshop bundle. :) (these options are available to add with every other tier)
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The Serpent Tier - £40
Copy of the Graphic Novel
Variant Frank Quitely cover dust jacket (Frank Quitely is a Scottish comic book artist who worked with Marvel, DC and more).
Loot Pack #1: 2 x A4 prints of Colleen Doran artwork from the graphic novel, a glossy postcard and bookmark. Stretch goals will unlock more artists and artwork towards this box.
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The Hellhound Tier - £120
Copy of the Graphic Novel
Variant Frank Quitely cover dust jacket (Frank Quitely is a Scottish comic book artist who worked with Marvel, DC and more).
Loot Pack #1: 2 x A4 prints of Colleen Doran artwork from the graphic novel, a glossy postcard and bookmark. Anna Morozova, Frank Quitely, Alice Oseman, Paul Kidby, David Aja, Mark Buckingham, Tanya Roberts, Sarah Graley & Rachael Stott and colouring page prints. Stretch goals will unlock more artists and artwork towards this box.
Loot Pack #2: 4 x A4 Good Omens prints from Colleen Doran, Crowley and Aziraphale enamel pins, a punchy sticker set, and the brand new Good Omens trading cards. These cards will be playable and collectable and as a special treat for Kickstarter backers we will be sprinkling some rarer cards in with these packages at random so you might just unlock something very special.
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The Witchfinder Tier - £200
Copy of the Graphic Novel
Variant Frank Quitely cover dust jacket (Frank Quitely is a Scottish comic book artist who worked with Marvel, DC and more).
Loot Pack #1: 2 x A4 prints of Colleen Doran artwork from the graphic novel, a glossy postcard and bookmark.  Anna Morozova, Frank Quitely, Alice Oseman, Paul Kidby, David Aja, Mark Buckingham, Tanya Roberts, Sarah Graley & Rachael Stott and colouring page prints. Stretch goals will unlock more artists and artwork towards this box.
Loot Pack #2: 4 x A4 Good Omens prints from Colleen Doran, Crowley and Aziraphale enamel pins, a punchy sticker set, and the brand new Good Omens trading cards. These cards will be playable and collectable and as a special treat for Kickstarter backers we will be sprinkling some rarer cards in with these packages at random so you might just unlock something very special.
New largescale map of Tadfield (and the rest of the planet), designed by Julien Labit. Capturing the mysteries and oddities of the picturesque town in all its glory this map will make any wall an instant talking point. Dimensions approximately 594 x 841 mm.
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The Demon Tier - £320
Copy of the Graphic Novel
Variant Frank Quitely cover dust jacket (Frank Quitely is a Scottish comic book artist who worked with Marvel, DC and more).
Loot Pack #1: 2 x A4 prints of Colleen Doran artwork from the graphic novel, a glossy postcard and bookmark. Anna Morozova, Frank Quitely, Alice Oseman, Paul Kidby, David Aja, Mark Buckingham, Tanya Roberts, Sarah Graley & Rachael Stott and colouring page prints. Stretch goals will unlock more artists and artwork towards this box.
Loot Pack #2: 4 x A4 Good Omens prints from Colleen Doran, Crowley and Aziraphale enamel pins, a punchy sticker set, and the brand new Good Omens trading cards. These cards will be playable and collectable and as a special treat for Kickstarter backers we will be sprinkling some rarer cards in with these packages at random so you might just unlock something very special.
New largescale map of Tadfield (and the rest of the planet), designed by Julien Labit. Capturing the mysteries and oddities of the picturesque town in all its glory this map will make any wall an instant talking point. Dimensions approximately 594 x 841 mm.
Creator-themed notebooks; 1 x Neil Gaiman, 1 x Terry Pratchett
Crowley & Aziraphale socks
5 x Good Omens enamel pins
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The Horsemen Tier - £500
Copy of the Graphic Novel
Variant Frank Quitely cover dust jacket (Frank Quitely is a Scottish comic book artist who worked with Marvel, DC and more).
Loot Pack #1: 2 x A4 prints of Colleen Doran artwork from the graphic novel, a glossy postcard and bookmark. Anna Morozova, Frank Quitely, Alice Oseman, Paul Kidby, David Aja, Mark Buckingham, Tanya Roberts, Sarah Graley & Rachael Stott and colouring page prints. Stretch goals will unlock more artists and artwork towards this box.
Loot Pack #2: 4 x A4 Good Omens prints from Colleen Doran, Crowley and Aziraphale enamel pins, a punchy sticker set, and the brand new Good Omens trading cards. These cards will be playable and collectable and as a special treat for Kickstarter backers we will be sprinkling some rarer cards in with these packages at random so you might just unlock something very special.
New largescale map of Tadfield (and the rest of the planet), designed by Julien Labit. Capturing the mysteries and oddities of the picturesque town in all its glory this map will make any wall an instant talking point. Dimensions approximately 594 x 841 mm.
Creator-themed notebooks; 1 x Neil Gaiman, 1 x Terry Pratchett
Crowley & Aziraphale socks
5 x Good Omens enamel pins
A3 Giclee Print from the novel (signed by Colleen)
New Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett collector's enamel pin set
Exclusive enamel pin of Beelzebub himself on a Hell card
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The Beelzebub Tier - £666 - GONE
Limited to: 50. Note: the contents of this tier are not included in the higher levels.
Copy of the Graphic Novel
A mystery to be revealed. - Make a deal with the devil for this mystery tier at £666. It includes the Good Omens graphic novel, and– *demonic gurgling noises*
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The Archangel Tier - £800
Limited to: 100. 
Copy of the Graphic Novel
Variant Frank Quitely cover dust jacket (Frank Quitely is a Scottish comic book artist who worked with Marvel, DC and more).
Loot Pack #1: 2 x A4 prints of Colleen Doran artwork from the graphic novel, a glossy postcard and bookmark. Anna Morozova, Frank Quitely, Alice Oseman, Paul Kidby, David Aja, Mark Buckingham, Tanya Roberts, Sarah Graley & Rachael Stott and colouring page prints. Stretch goals will unlock more artists and artwork towards this box.
Loot Pack #2: 4 x A4 Good Omens prints from Colleen Doran, Crowley and Aziraphale enamel pins, a punchy sticker set, and the brand new Good Omens trading cards. These cards will be playable and collectable and as a special treat for Kickstarter backers we will be sprinkling some rarer cards in with these packages at random so you might just unlock something very special.
New largescale map of Tadfield (and the rest of the planet), designed by Julien Labit. Capturing the mysteries and oddities of the picturesque town in all its glory this map will make any wall an instant talking point. Dimensions approximately 594 x 841 mm.
Creator-themed notebooks; 1 x Neil Gaiman, 1 x Terry Pratchett
Crowley & Aziraphale socks
5 x Good Omens enamel pins
A3 Giclee Print from the novel (signed by Colleen)
New Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett collector's enamel pin set
Exclusive enamel pin of Beelzebub himself on a Hell card
The Floppy Disk “Keeper of the Official Master”
Exclusive Metatron enamel pin on a heaven card
Unnamed character cameo in double page spread - Fancy being immortalised in the Good Omens graphic novel universe? Then get yourself painted into the crowd scenes! There will be an accompanying postcard with a full list of who's who, so you'll know who you're galivanting around Tadfield and beyond with.
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The Antichrist Tier - £800
Limited to: 100. 
Copy of the Graphic Novel
Variant Frank Quitely cover dust jacket (Frank Quitely is a Scottish comic book artist who worked with Marvel, DC and more).
Loot Pack #1: 2 x A4 prints of Colleen Doran artwork from the graphic novel, a glossy postcard and bookmark. Anna Morozova, Frank Quitely, Alice Oseman, Paul Kidby, David Aja, Mark Buckingham, Tanya Roberts, Sarah Graley & Rachael Stott and colouring page prints. Stretch goals will unlock more artists and artwork towards this box.
Loot Pack #2: 4 x A4 Good Omens prints from Colleen Doran, Crowley and Aziraphale enamel pins, a punchy sticker set, and the brand new Good Omens trading cards. These cards will be playable and collectable and as a special treat for Kickstarter backers we will be sprinkling some rarer cards in with these packages at random so you might just unlock something very special.
New largescale map of Tadfield (and the rest of the planet), designed by Julien Labit. Capturing the mysteries and oddities of the picturesque town in all its glory this map will make any wall an instant talking point. Dimensions approximately 594 x 841 mm.
Creator-themed notebooks; 1 x Neil Gaiman, 1 x Terry Pratchett
Crowley & Aziraphale socks
5 x Good Omens enamel pins
A3 Giclee Print from the novel (signed by Colleen)
New Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett collector's enamel pin set
Exclusive enamel pin of Beelzebub himself on a Hell card
The Floppy Disk “Keeper of the Official Master”
Exclusive Metatron enamel pin on a heaven card
William the Antichrist (hardcover) signed by Neil -  limited copy of the original short story that evolved into the tale we know and love today.
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The Prophecy Tier - £1,000 - GONE
Limited to: 50. 
Copy of the Graphic Novel
Variant Frank Quitely cover dust jacket (Frank Quitely is a Scottish comic book artist who worked with Marvel, DC and more).
Loot Pack #1: 2 x A4 prints of Colleen Doran artwork from the graphic novel, a glossy postcard and bookmark. Anna Morozova, Frank Quitely, Alice Oseman, Paul Kidby, David Aja, Mark Buckingham, Tanya Roberts, Sarah Graley & Rachael Stott and colouring page prints. Stretch goals will unlock more artists and artwork towards this box.
Loot Pack #2: 4 x A4 Good Omens prints from Colleen Doran, Crowley and Aziraphale enamel pins, a punchy sticker set, and the brand new Good Omens trading cards. These cards will be playable and collectable and as a special treat for Kickstarter backers we will be sprinkling some rarer cards in with these packages at random so you might just unlock something very special.
New largescale map of Tadfield (and the rest of the planet), designed by Julien Labit. Capturing the mysteries and oddities of the picturesque town in all its glory this map will make any wall an instant talking point. Dimensions approximately 594 x 841 mm.
Creator-themed notebooks; 1 x Neil Gaiman, 1 x Terry Pratchett
Crowley & Aziraphale socks
5 x Good Omens enamel pins
A3 Giclee Print from the novel (signed by Colleen)
New Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett collector's enamel pin set
Exclusive enamel pin of Beelzebub himself on a Hell card
The Floppy Disk “Keeper of the Official Master”
Exclusive Metatron enamel pin on a heaven card
William the Antichrist (hardcover) signed by Neil -  limited copy of the original short story that evolved into the tale we know and love today.
Signed (another) copy of the Good Omens graphic novel both Neil and Colleen
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The God Tier - £2,750 - GONE
Limited to: 10. 
Copy of the Graphic Novel
Variant Frank Quitely cover dust jacket (Frank Quitely is a Scottish comic book artist who worked with Marvel, DC and more).
Loot Pack #1: 2 x A4 prints of Colleen Doran artwork from the graphic novel, a glossy postcard and bookmark. Anna Morozova, Frank Quitely, Alice Oseman, Paul Kidby, David Aja, Mark Buckingham, Tanya Roberts, Sarah Graley & Rachael Stott and colouring page prints. Stretch goals will unlock more artists and artwork towards this box.
Loot Pack #2: 4 x A4 Good Omens prints from Colleen Doran, Crowley and Aziraphale enamel pins, a punchy sticker set, and the brand new Good Omens trading cards. These cards will be playable and collectable and as a special treat for Kickstarter backers we will be sprinkling some rarer cards in with these packages at random so you might just unlock something very special.
New largescale map of Tadfield (and the rest of the planet), designed by Julien Labit. Capturing the mysteries and oddities of the picturesque town in all its glory this map will make any wall an instant talking point. Dimensions approximately 594 x 841 mm.
Creator-themed notebooks; 1 x Neil Gaiman, 1 x Terry Pratchett
Crowley & Aziraphale socks
5 x Good Omens enamel pins
A3 Giclee Print from the novel (signed by Colleen)
New Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett collector's enamel pin set
Exclusive enamel pin of Beelzebub himself on a Hell card
The Floppy Disk “Keeper of the Official Master”
Exclusive Metatron enamel pin on a heaven card
William the Antichrist (hardcover) signed by Neil -  limited copy of the original short story that evolved into the tale we know and love today.
Signed (another) copy of the Good Omens graphic novel both Neil and Colleen
Individual character cameo - You can feature prominently within the pages of the graphic novel itself. Maybe you're there while Crowley and Aziraphale feed some ducks; maybe you're there for something a bit more high octane; or maybe you're just stuck on the M25. What you'll be up to will be at the discretion of Colleen, but there are plenty of places in the journey towards the Apocalypse and we can’t wait to see where you will turn up. 
Print of your cameo, signed by Colleen
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The Apocalypse Tier - £8,000 - GONE
Limited to: 1 - this option was gone within the first hour of the launch. Except for the previous goodies up to the William it offered the last copy of the Celestial Edition (!!!), Foreground named character cameo, orint of cameo signed by Colleen and Neil and original sketch by Neil Gaiman.
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 The Bookshop Tier - £250
The option for bookshops.
20 x Good Omens graphic novel (bookstores only)
We've got batches of 20 copies of the hardback graphic novel for retailers at a 50% trade discount. We love bookshops as much as Aziraphale does and want YOU to be part of Good Omens with us. To celebrate the graphic novel's release into the world, we will have point-of-sale material on request nearer to release. If you have any queries, get in touch. Terms: These are for retailers only. Packs must be delivered to a verified bookshop address. You can buy additional packs as an add-on.
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The Small Bookshop Tier - £125
The smalle option for bookshops.
10 x Good Omens graphic novel (bookstores only)
The batch of 10 copies for retailers at a 50% trade discount. Terms: These are for retailers only. Packs must be delivered to a verified bookshop address. You can buy additional packs as an add-on.
When it will come out?
It should come out in Summer 2024 :).
Enhancing the tiers
Unlocked so far (All unlocked prints are in Loot Box #1 :)):
Gold foiled cover - Every copy of the book will be finished with gold detailing.
Sarah Graley & Rachael Stott prints - Rachael Stott, award-winning comic book artist behind works such as Doctor Who and Star Trek, and Sarah Graley of Our Super Adventure and Invader Zim farne, are ready and waiting to put their own spin on the world of Good Omens for your prints collection.
Endpapers - Beautiful artwork on the front cover and on every page in between is just not enough. '150,000 unlocks beautiful endpapers that will be heavenly(or hellish„. that is still to be seen).
David Aja, Mark Buckingham & Tanya Roberts prints / Colleen Loot Pack #2 prints for lower box - David Aja, known for the award-winning Hawkeye, Daredevil and Seeds Mark Buckingham, known for Marvelman an Fables—and Tanya Roberts, whose work includes Too Story and Star Wars Clone Wars comics to name but two, will join our ineffable artist tearh. More so, Colleen's prints from Loot Pack #2 will be included in Loot Pack #1. Art aplenty
Alice Oseman & Paul Kidby prints - A special duo of Heartstoppers Alice Oseman prints first, her drawing of Aziraphale while watching S 1 of Good Omens and a newly commissioned companion piece for Crowley. AIso, Discworld and the Illustrated edition of Good Omens' Paul Kidby's out-of-this-world alien artwork can be yours.
Colouring page prints - Want to add your own colour to the world of Good Omens? We have some exclusive illustrations for you relax to.
Ribbons - We said in the campaign that we were talking silk ribbons for stretch goals, and we are angels (or demons, depending who you're talking to) of our word. Well upgrade the hardback to have this addition.
Anna Morozova & Frank Quitely prints - Unlock a sumptious print by Anna Morozova. known for 2000 AD &Judge Dredd. Plus receive a print of Frank Quitely's alternate Good Omens graphic novel cover.
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Money raised will go towards the costs of bringing this project and its many tendrils to the most vibrant life possible, ranging from creative fees to production and beyond. Our stretch goals therefore bring more of that ineffable joy into the project: we'll (hopefully) be unlocking various finishes on the graphic novel, expansions on the loot packs, and some - if we're lucky - backer exclusives further down the road, but these are to be revealed...
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You will be able to unlock artists including Alice Oseman (Heartstopper), Rachael Stott (Fantastic Four, Doctor Who), and David Aja (Hawkeye), with more to be announced.
(I will update the masterpost as the kicstarter updates ;))
Video by Neil, Colleen and Rob :)
Rob Wilkins: Judgment day is almost upon us. One angel, one demon want to do something about it, but there's the small problem of the missing Antichrist.
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Neil Gaiman: The good Omens Kickstarter - we've got a fabulous, glorious, amazing adaptation of Good Omens waiting for you in graphic novel form.
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Rob: Neil Gaiman was the first person, the first journalist to interview Terry after the publication of The Colour of Magic. They stayed friends and Neil met Terry again and discussed the idea of this novel that he had that he really ought to get written down and he sent the idea through to Terry and a little while later Terry called him back and said: you bastard I want that idea for myself, and Terry offered to either buy the idea or to work with Neil on the project, and as Neil said at the time it would be like Michelangelo calling saying: here give me a hand to paint this ceiling, so of course Neil and Terry worked on it together.
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Colleen Doran: Hi and welcome to my studio. I am pleased and excited beyond words to talk to you tonight about Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman's good Omens the graphic novel adaptation. You have no idea how happy I am to be working on this aside from the fact that I get to sit around and draw Azirphale and Crowley all day and who wouldn't want that - oh this is fun this is pure candy and I'm working very very hard to bring you a faithful adaptation. I love this book I love this project and bringing it to you is pure joy. Thanks a lot for your support. Thank you.
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What now :)
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So... head to the kickstarter, choose a Tier and Fall for it like Crowley :)❤
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Who to follow for updates? :)
Tumblr: (me :D),  @goodomenshq, @neil-gaiman, @colleendoran
Twitter: @FYeahGoodOmens, @GoodOmensHQ, @neilhimself, @pratchettonline, @ColleenDoran, @terryandrob, @kickstarter.
Instagram: @fuckyeahgoodomens, @goodomens_hq,  @neilhimself,,  @pratchettonline,  @doran.colleen
Update 6.8.2023
Now as an add on you can add also new Aziraphale and Crowley pins 👀❤.
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How to add if you already pledged:
Click one the Manage your pledge green button
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Click on the Change your pledge violet button
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Then again a green button with your pledge and you get to a page with:
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wher you can add the pins and more :)
2K notes · View notes
colleendoran · 1 year
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Neil Gaiman's CHIVALRY: From Illuminated Manuscripts to Comics
One of the many reasons I wanted to adapt Neil Gaiman's Chivalry into graphic novel form was to create a comic as a bridge and commentary re: comics and illuminated manuscripts.
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We're often told that the first comic book was Action Comics #1 featuring Superman, a collection of Superman comic strips that morphed into comic books as an art form.
Sequential art predates Action Comics #1.
Action Comics popularized sequential art book storytelling that had already appeared in other forms in fits and starts throughout history. Comic books didn't take off as a popular medium for several reasons, not least of which was the necessary printing process hadn't been invented yet and it's hard to popularize - and commercialize - something most people can never see. 
You find sequential art in cave paintings and in Egyptian hieroglyphics. I've read that comics (manga) were invented by the Japanese in 12th century scrolls.
And sequential art appears over and over again in Western art going back well over 1000 years, and in book form at least 1100 years ago.
The most obvious example of early sequential art in Western art - as a complete narrative in sequence - is the Bayeux Tapestry. 
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At 230 feet long, this embroidered length of cloth was likely commissioned around the year 1070 by Bishop Odo, brother of William the Conqueror. It depicts the Battle of Hastings in 1066 and the invasion of England by the Normans. (The tapestry was made in England, not in France, but it is called the Bayeux tapestry because that's where it is now.)
Imagine what a task it was to embroider this thing. Whew. And you thought it was hard learning Photoshop.
This work of art is important in the history of sequential narrative, but the Norman invasion is also important to the legend of King Arthur - and another important English legend - for reasons we'll get into later. 
It's complicated.
All this is why you see this art in the background of this page of Chivalry.
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Using the Romanesque art style of the tapestry in panel 1, I've added the Latin phrase "Rex Quondom, Rexque Futurus" - "The Once and Future King", the final words of Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur as inscribed on King Arthur's tomb, and the title of T.H. White's famous Arthurian novel.  (EDIT) and it has been kindly pointed out to me that QUONDOM should be QUONDAM, which is hilarious and annoying and this is how history gets rewritten by accident.
My original intention was to draw this Bayeux Tapestry scene out and juxtapose it with shots of Galaad interacting with the children, but the two page sequence I imagined didn't really work as well in reality as it did in my head. 
Foremost among my concerns was that the tapestry reference might be too obscure for most readers. I wanted to weave the visual meta-text of Chivalry into the story (For further reading on this project and my use of visual meta-text, symbolism, and history in Neil Gaiman's Chivalry, go HERE. And HERE. And HERE. And Yet again HERE.) in such a way as it would enhance the experience for people who "got" the visual meaning, while not dragging things down for people who didn't. So I cut this scene down to one panel.
The tapestry is a complete, long form comic strip created over 1100 years before some people claim comics were invented. So, I loved being able to reference it here.
But even more interesting to me are the sequential art sequences that appear in illuminated manuscripts - comics in book form.
I once got into a rather vicious argument with an academic who insisted illuminated manuscripts were comics. I said no. She said yes. Then she insulted the lowly comic artist and blocked me on Facebook.
Whatever.
My point was not that you can't find sequential art in illuminated manuscripts. My point is that an illustrated book isn't de facto a comic. Most illuminated manuscripts are illustrated books. Some illuminated manuscripts contain sequential art.
Just because opera is music, that doesn't mean all music is opera.
Just because comics books are books that doesn't mean all books are comic books.
And just because some illuminated manuscripts contain sequential art, that doesn't mean all illuminated manuscripts are sequential art.
But one is.
Let me show you it.
One of the earliest examples of an illuminated manuscript with comic art is The Bible d'Etienne Harding which you can see in this really bad jpg here, sorry, best I could find.
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Created around the year 1109, property of a French Cistercian monk, it combines sequences like this with pages of text and illustration.
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Not a comic book IMHO, but an illuminated manuscript with sequences of text, illustration and sequential narrative.
It's no more a "comic book" than a newspaper is for having text, illustration, and comic strips in it.
IMHO, academic lady.
And here's a look at the Old English Hexateuch (hexateuch refers to the first 6 books of the Bible) which I think is far more visually complex and interesting work, and comes much closer to the illuminated manuscript as comic, but still intersperses large sequences of text and illustration with sequential storytelling sequences. So I don't consider it a comic, but a book with sequential work in it.
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Now this work below is a different matter. This is from the Holkham Bible Picture Book, circa about 1330.
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This thing is genius. It measures a little larger than a modern comic, around 8"x11", and almost every page of it is like this spread here. 231 pages of beautifully rendered art, with repeated use of banderoles - "speech scrolls"  (basically word balloons) -  and captions, and (mostly) real sequential art. I've never seen anything else that comes even close to it, and by all accounts, neither has anyone else. 
It may not be a modern comic book - but it's a comic book as far as I can tell. I don't think there's any other illuminated manuscript that is as complete, sophisticated, and innovative a sequential storytelling work.
If this were printed and seen by more people, the comic book medium would have taken off centuries earlier, IMHO. But it wasn't. It was tucked away in a monastery somewhere and few people ever saw it. It ended up being forgotten for centuries until it popped up again around 1816 when a banker sold it to an avid book collector, Thomas Coke, Earl of Leicester, who inherited Holkham Hall and its library and set about restoring and expanding it. 
The banker wrote, “a very curious MS. just brought here from the Continent. . . which I think one of the greatest curiosities I ever saw”.
Sequential art got invented over and over and over by one artist after another until one day centuries later, some teenaged boys found their newspaper strips gathered together in a cheap format, and suddenly comic books were popular and like new.
And then a lot of people who didn't seem to realize that books had had pictures in them for centuries got all up in arms about the harms of books with pictures in them.
I think it's funny that it is called the Holkham Bible Picture Book. There really was no "comic" art language when this work was created or when academics began to catalogue this sort of thing. Will they change the name now?
Who can say.
Anyway, another Holkham Bible Picture Book reference for you.
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Look familiar?
I referenced it in this scene in Chivalry.
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One of the fun things about the Holkham is that it opens with a discussion between a friar who has commissioned the work and the artist. The friar admonishes the artist to do a good job on the project because it will be shown to important people. And the artist responds, "Indeed, I certainly will and, if God lets me live, never will you see another such book."
He wasn't kidding.
You can see the entire manuscript HERE. 
Sponsored by my Patreon. Thank you.
2K notes · View notes
likeabxrdinflight · 2 months
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I want to talk more about the way the characters have been adapted for the live action adaptation, because character writing is the thing I care about the most and as a psychologist it's probably the aspect of any story that I'm most invested in. I can get around pretty much any plot contrivance or weird maguffin or even shitty pacing if the characters of a story are engaging enough. This is my bread and butter, so to speak.
And I want to start with Iroh, because I think he is by far the best adapted character from the original. But I suspect I think this for different reasons than other people might, because the beloved Saint Iroh from the animated show this man is not.
See the thing with animated Iroh is that he's just...a bit too perfect. We know he's been complicit in the war in the past. We know he laid siege to Ba Sing Se, we know he had a complicated past. But we never really see it, we only barely hear about it, and more often than not there are other aspects of Iroh's past that serve to further deify him. He was a general in the war, but then he goes on to protect the last dragons and learn the true meaning of firebending. He led a 600-day siege and lost his son but he came out of that experience Enlightened, having journeyed to and from the spirit world. He joins up with the White Lotus (at some point) and becomes the wise old sage we know and love.
Except most of that is revealed in later seasons and is inconsistent with his actions alongside Zuko in season one. Season one animated Iroh is kind of a passive character, largely existing for comic relief and as a support to Zuko. But there's very little to suggest he's disloyal to the Fire Nation or their cause. He says it himself- "I'm no traitor, Zhao!" Now you can certainly interpret that line in several different ways, but I suppose that's the point- there's a lot left up to interpretation with animated Iroh. We get a sense of who he is in relation to Zuko, but his own development largely happens off-screen. And because to Zuko he's a wise, caring uncle and mentor, that's largely how we, the audience, see Iroh. We love him because Zuko loves him. And that's fine for what it is, and clearly it was effective- Uncle Iroh is almost universally beloved. But it does leave a lot of questions about him up in the air.
Live action Iroh is a very different character. This Iroh is a deeply broken man who was been profoundly impacted by the war and what he has lost because of it. I do not get the sense that the loss of Lu Ten has led to any spiritual enlightenment for this Iroh- there's no indication that he can see spirits, for example, or that he has ever traveled to the spirit world himself (he does still oppose the killing the moon thing, though.)
Right out the gate, we get the sense that this Iroh has lost faith in what the Fire Nation is trying to achieve with the war. He explains to Aang fairly early on what the Fire Nation's goal and perspective is, and can rattle off this dogma quite easily. But when questioned by Aang if these beliefs are also his beliefs, he dodges them rather un-deftly. So you know immediately that this Iroh doesn't really support the war. Later you see him somewhat bluntly telling Zuko that the throne may not be all it's cracked up to be, and he's fairly openly critical of Ozai in other moments. So you know from the jump that Iroh's not really on Team Fire Nation.
And yet this is also not a truly repentant man. When he is captured in Omashu, Iroh gets another brief scene with Aang while they are both imprisoned there (this is before Aang meets with Bumi). And in this scene, Aang tries to convince Iroh to help Zuko stop being The Bad Guy. And Iroh defends Zuko to Aang and stresses the point that it is not Zuko who owes him any great debt, but he who owes Zuko. Later, when he is confronted (and hit several times) by an Earth Kingdom soldier who lost his brother during the siege, Iroh does not apologize. He does not flinch at the man's accusations, nor does he deny them. He defends himself, albeit weakly, by stating he was a soldier, and it was a war. He has the audacity to accuse this soldier (somewhat obliquely) of having been made dishonorable by the effects of war. It's kinda messed up, honestly.
But then this man accuses Iroh of knowing nothing of loss. He leaves the shot, and we saw Iroh's face just crumble, and the scene cuts directly to Lu Ten's funeral, where Zuko chooses to sit with his uncle and support him through what must have been the darkest moment of his life. Back in the present, it is only later, after Zuko has come to rescue Iroh, that he speaks more honestly to the Earth Kingdom soldier- he shows mercy and states that they've all "seen enough death."
So what we have here is an Iroh who is deeply disenchanted by the war and does not support it or the goals of the Fire Nation, but who has continued to stand alongside Zuko and support him in his goals. We have a man who doesn't necessarily regret his actions as a soldier in the war but who very much does regret what those actions have cost. We see a man who is profoundly impacted by loss and grief and has become emotionally reliant on his nephew as a source of support. Not that he's parentifying Zuko or anything, he's very much not, but he is rather obviously channeling all the love he once felt for his son into Zuko instead. Zuko is his lifeline, he needs Zuko and you get the sense that without him, Iroh would truly fall apart. I mean the man is on the verge of tears more often than not when Zuko is in even the slightest bit of danger in a way that animated Iroh was not.
This is what I think is different here. Animated Iroh seemed to turn against the war because it was morally wrong, it had thrown the world out of balance, and imperialism is bad. Live action Iroh seems against the war because it wasn't worth it. It wasn't worth the cost, or the death, or the grief. He couldn't see that until he lost Lu Ten, but now he sees it everywhere. I get the sense that this Iroh just wants it all to stop, and I'm not sure he cares how that happens.
The White Lotus is definitely hinted at, but I suspect that was his motivation for joining it. It's not about restoring balance to the world for this Iroh. It's about restoring peace, so that he won't have to lose Zuko like he lost Lu Ten. So that the death and destruction stops. So he can just live a quiet life and put the past behind him.
It's a different take. And it's not that he doesn't still have a lot of wisdom to him, that he's not still a gentle, caring person. But he's a much sadder person, and he's lost that sense of "enlightenment" that his animated counterpart had. There's a selfishness you can read into to this version of his character that's much more apparent than the animated version.
I think a lot of people are gonna hate this, because it's a darker take on a much loved character. But I love it. This Iroh is human, this Iroh is flawed, and this Iroh has a lot more growing left to do. And that's awesome. If we get to actually see more of a character arc for him too, if we get to see him also growing and changing alongside Zuko? Please. It's not like he needs a total redemption arc, per se, but if in his journey with Zuko throughout the Earth Kingdom we can see Iroh gain some of his fortitude back, we can see when he decides he needs to push Zuko down a certain path, to take a side in the war, to see that it's not just the death and destruction that makes it wrong? God there's so much potential with that.
Now, maybe this isn't what will happen with seasons two and three. Maybe they'll back track and try to make him more similar to the animated version. I don't know. But for now? Live action Iroh is fantastic, and Paul Sun-Hyung Lee is giving a hell of a performance. He's warm and tender when he needs to be, fierce when he has to, and just profoundly sad throughout it all. And I love him so much more for that.
I'll be controversial here and say it. So far, live action Iroh is a better character than animated Iroh.
187 notes · View notes
sunny-rants · 2 years
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I haven’t even seen it yet but Thor: Love & Thunder might be the most comic accurate marvel movie yet. you know why? because it’s ridiculous.
I will never shut up about the fact that comics are just…absolutely ridiculous! they’re colourful and weird and imaginative and so so random. your favourite character has almost definitely been gay and/or a woman at some point in time. and if they haven’t, they’ve at least slept with an alien. they are stories told through silly little drawings that have been adapted by hundreds of different authors and artists, each with their own interpretations and agendas. they are supposed to fun and unrealistic and weird as fuck, and their film adaptations should be too.
edit: I saw it. just as weird and random and colourful and fun and funny as I’d hoped. Valkyrie pls step on me
7K notes · View notes
konggodzuko · 3 months
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Y'know, I find it really funny how much people point to Bryke leaving the live-action ATLA and releasing letter about how "it's not the show [we] intended to make" as some sort of damning fact.
Meanwhile, these are the same guys who stayed on as producers for the M Night movie, lmao. Did casting 3 white people as the leads not go against their creative vision?
Then there's far more objective stuff about the course they took the main continuity on, from LOK to the comics, which IMO shows that their creative vision kinda blows, and I'm glad that we won't be seeing their re-do of ATLA. (For instance, Zuko and Katara weren't allowed to be on screen together in LOK, and barely allowed to be in the same panel in the comics. Would they have interacted at all in Bryke's live action?)
Anyway, despite what one might think from this, I actually don't have super high hopes for the live action, only because live action adaptations are incredibly tricky and prone to failure. I don't really think it will be bad either, though, I think it's going to be just fine. But I am very interested to see the changes they might make, as that is far more interesting than a 1:1 recreation. And if it is bad, it's not going to be because the two guys who decided that Aang would be more willing to kill Zuko than Ozai left the project.
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tarjapearce · 2 months
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How can you describe miguel mentally and emotionally ?
Oh man... This is a tough one. I'll start by saying that, even though we saw a glimpse of his mindset on ATSV, we still have sooo much to learn and know about him. (We just had it for 15 mins. jsksk)
I did this thing a while ago, focusing mostly on his grieving that addressed the rest just superficially.
I won't say I know him better than anyone cause
1. No. Characters evolve and I feel it'd be disrespectful af to just reduce him to a couple of traits or claim that I know him better than I know my nipple jsksk.
2. He's a complex character that is so well written that makes us all go psychoanalysing his behavior 🤭. (And love me a man that puts me to think)
But jokes aside.
He's emotionally unavailable. Simple as that. And though it might sound obvious to some, (And our savior complex kicks in and tell us to fix him 👀 yeah, I'm talking to us jsksk) there's no way we can do that, cause that's up to him ~. (And you can't help someone that doesn't wants to be helped.)
Healing takes time. And guess who overworks himself to the point of having his cortisol running 24/7 through his body? Miguel. He doesn't have time for therapy. His fear of watching it all go to hell once more is a too fresh wound. Some traumas last decades, and naturally people find ways around it without interacting with it directly to avoid reliving such impairment.
(I do appreciate the fact that in the new comic book, we see him trying to make amends with Conchata though. He's trying!!! :D.)
2. He's a patient man. I mean, he recruited after all versions of Spiderman that have this trait in common: They're perceived as friendly. And they're mostly young adults and teens. (Both are a handful btw. And most stories and comics Peter Parker is depicted as a 18-23 year old)
But they like pushing his buttons, (cracking a joke every 5 minutes, doing whatever they want even when specific orders were given) however. He doesn't strike me as someone that is mean on purpose, he's just wary but not totally closed off towards people. Wich is kinda contradictory on its own since:
You don't go around trusting people first hand upon just knowing them, right? 👀. But at the same time he showed Miles his own canon event, trying to empathise with him before dropping the bomb. (He was mentally preparing him, something he wasn't able to get but to experience the worst way)
A hypocrite truly. And not in the bad bad way (He calls a nerd the NWH Peter yet he is one) , cynic to an extent (Since he keeps repeating he's been the only one trying to keep it all together, meaning he still doesn't fully trusts the people around him.) A showoff (Did you see the way he turns towards Gwen when he first appears? Or the way he says "I was gonna do that") , arrogant to also an extent. ("It's much more cooler than a watch").
He took the job as a leader cause he knew none else was gonna, and if there was another one willing to assume the role, I'm sure he'd be dissatisfied with it's development cause our man likes to feel safe in when he's in control. (A trait often met in people with generalized anxiety)
And when he's not, his brain immediately goes into threat mode, but even so is able to adapt. (I have a theory he learned this the bad way. We've still got to see the origins of his Rapture intake though 🤔)
Now, we know this man is emotionally unavailable, through and through. His love is work. And married to it.
Now, I might get a bit controversial after this and some might not like it, but I don't think he wants another family after that. (We don't know much about this Miguel's background or family except that he was looking for things, and he found Gabi's universe. And for you to look into another universe in need to be happy says enough to imagine his family or is non existent or is really messed up.)
I know we want him to be happy, (And the producers better give him some healing and closure or else.) Cause he deserves everything. But grieving doesn't work like that. A loss like that is unmeasurable, it changes literally your brain chemistry forever. The least appropriate thing you'd do is have another kid or someone after such event.
(I've seen what that is an it's not nice. Specially for the involved kid)
But we're all ill here so Thank goodness fanfics exist ❤️
He allowed himself to be selfish enough to be happy, had his fun but consequences caught up to him. Consequences that he didn't know and now has him perpetuating his guilt and mind berating.
Hence the workaholic attitude, the coldness. He's done with establishing something with people in general, not just someone special. He's done of getting trampled by life, so he sticks with something he knows he can do very well and pours into it. The Multiverse is his hyperfixation.
Keeps him busy, keeps him on control but curiously and contradictory again, it keeps him needed and useful.
He's a walking contradiction. He doesn't need people to watch over him, not cause he doesn't deserves it. He knows that people worry about him, that's why he just minds his own thing to not be a burden.
Self-Sufficient, over achiever (Alchemax CEO & Spiderman, a genius, bilingual, probably more languages on his list cause he leads a multicultural and multidimensional task force babes ~)
He's not bad, he just doesn't know how to direct his anger or allows himself to feel properly and often rationalises his feelings. (Another coping mechanism where you're tired of feeling stuff and justify difficult or negative with logical thoughts)
But again, curiously knows how to communicate. I know it's fucked to say when he threw a trash bin to Miles before that. But! Hear me out.
Retaking the previous point, he was preparing Miles to give him the talk. After he throws the trash bin, he knows that anger won't solve things (Even though he wanted to give some chancla spanks to Miles for being an anomaly) So he chills, and you can see the transition between being completely furious to a more emotional approach. (Parenting surge there.)
He starts explaining everything from scratch, (literally with drawings and stuff) so Miles wouldn't be lost on what he was on about. Then they moved to the canon events, and shows his major trauma to him as a sign of empathy and an invitation to honest talk.
He admits he doesn't like what he does, and if you look closer his face is so damn distressed when locking Miles in the trap. It pains him, but again, someone has to do it, yet none is scarred enough to bear the burden.
I just want to hug him and send him to therapy. Cause he needs it. (Pretty sure he gave up on that too cause it was too time consuming.)
I'd be satisfied if the writers gave him that ❤️. But yeah. That's one of my many takes on him. Hope it helps c:
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7077070707 · 9 months
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best friend
feat — gojo satoru
contents & warnings — not proofread because im fucking lazy, mutual pining, friends to lovers, suggestive content, gojo being a dork as per usual
a/n — guys i’m sorry for writing ANOTHER gojo fic but he’s just so fun to write. this is slowly turning into a gojo blog (i hate him). ALSO, im actually a dc girl so i’m with my pookie on this one,,, but like at the same time i might prefer starwars… it’s hard out here, they’re both so peak. um!!! as you can tell i’m oddly passionate about all this comic and movie shit from my stupid rambling so im just gonna stop!!!
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you and your best friend satoru trek indoors, both sweaty and fatigued from the blazing summer heat. you’re still finishing off the popsicle that gojo generously bought for you from the convenience store, for the whopping price of ¥180 (a true gentleman, he is). he claimed to be donating to charity, with you being a charity case – so in response you simply kicked him in the back of his knees which resulted him folding like a foldable chair. 
gojo was mindlessly chewing on the remains of his popsicle – that being the stick – and shoves his hands into his pockets. you were both passionately arguing over which franchise was better, and it was quickly becoming more and more heated. 
“dc is soo much better than marvel! what are you talking about?” he whines, pulling his hands out of his pockets and positioning them in a questioning, exasperated manner for the sake of exaggeration and his strong opinion. 
“no! no! no! marvel is cooler, and the movies are top tier. are dc movies as successful as marvel movies? no, i don’t think so.” you defend yourself, pointing an accusatory finger at gojo with some swagger. 
“well yeah, marvel movies are generally better but we’re talking about EVERYTHING, and everyone knows dc comics are superior. ‘cause, you know, the storylines are deeper and over all more interesting. and have you seen some of the art? arkham asylum’s art is insane! ALSO, CAN WE TALK ABOUT HOW ICONIC BATMAN IS?” 
“i could say the same about spiderman. and iron man–” 
he cuts you off, “okay then, joker too!” 
“shut up! alright, fine… one point to marvel for movies, and one point to dc for comics.” you announce, albeit begrudgingly. 
“hold on, y/n.” leaning forward and wagging his finger stupidly, “there’s still more to it! what about games? or merch? lego adaptations? or even cartoons! maybe we could even add star wars to the mi–” 
“enough! it’s too hot for this, satoru! we can settle this later, and maybe even bring suguru as well, to defend his case for star wars.” 
a flash of disappointment shines upon his face at the mention of suguru, but maybe you were just seeing things. could it be that he was possibly saddened at the thought of his close friend being here? but why? maybe it’s because he wants to be alone with yo– 
‘no, shut up y/n!’ you think to yourself, ‘that’s obviously not the case…’ a small, sad after thought. you blame it on the lingering crush you had on your bestfriend and inwardly sigh. 
after the disappointed face that you claimed to notice, he flashes you a dopey grin and leans back. “alright, fine! you’re on! and damn, it is getting hot. i mean, even hotter. hotter than it was before, like previously–” he stops, “am i.. am i rambling?” 
“well, no. i mean, er– yes, yes you are. but it’s–” you giggle, “it’s cool, satoru. don’t sweat it!” your chest suddenly fills with a warmth, a different kind of warmth to the one the surface of your skin was feeling. 
he recovers and starts, “well, anyway…” he then abruptly takes his shirt off and throws it over his shoulder, his chiselled torso being revealed to you which raises heat to your face.
inside, you're panicking, ‘ohmygod.. what is happening? why is he stripping? huuuh..?’ 
he retrieves a wet rag and drags it across his body, creating wet droplets on his skin which was way more erotic than it should’ve been. the cool rag relieves him of the uncomfortable heat and he groans lowly, tilting his head up.
at the sound, you flush an even deeper red and panic even more, ‘oh my god! why? why is he so casual about this? i mean, how would he feel if i were to suddenly strip and wash myself with a wet towel? and make erotic noises as well! or am i making this an even bigger deal than it is? curse me and my brain…’ 
you stare shamefully at him, averting your eyes every now and then as an attempt to protect your wavering dignity. 
he catches your eye, and a shit eating grin presents itself on his face, “y/n? you alriiight? why is your face so red?” he teases, elongating his words and taking the piss out of you. 
you position yourself into a fighting stance, and retort defensively, “what? my face isn’t red! what are you talking about?” 
“why are you getting so riled up then? i’m only pulling your tail, ya know! unless you're actually flustered?” he quipped, inching closer to you. 
“go to hell gojo!” 
“why are you so flustered anyway?” he inquired, as if he wasn’t displaying his god-like body in front of you like a piece of exquisite art, “wait!” he lets out an exaggerated gasp, raising his hand to his mouth and you prepare yourself for the ‘shocking’ revelation his stupid little head cooked up, “you’re staring at my body! heeeey!” 
you grind your teeth, about to swing your fist at him. 
“i mean, i don’t blame you. girls are crazy over me.” he boasts, making you feel even more idiotic, “but hey, i’m crazy over you too!” you halt your actions and pause. 
“wait… what?” you croak out.
“you best believe it, pretty!” 
“you… you like me?” stunned by this unexpected declaration, “you like me, too?”
the boy smiles fondly at you, “of course. i just didn’t know how to confess… so i simply decided to do it on a whim, ya know – when my heart felt the fullest and all that cheesy crap.” 
“awww. gojo, you like me! that’s so cute!” 
his face gains an adorable pink flush, uncharacteristically flustered from your comment, and he sputters out, “wait what? why are the tables turning? when did the tables turn? how are the tables turning?!” 
giggling behind your hands, you assured him good naturedly, “well, just so you know. i like you too.” 
deadpanning at you, “i figured.” 
giggling once more, you twirl towards him and place a sweet kiss on the cheek of your now ex-best friend.
(bonus)
satoru smiles at the contact, but a burning question arrises, “so wait, does this mean we’re boyfriend and girlfriend now?”
you ponder for a moment, scrunching your face — gojo copying your expression, “err yeah, i think so! is that how it works?”
“how about i take you out on a date, pretty?” he suggests, finger gunning at you and flashing his signature goofy grin.
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genericpuff · 7 months
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I’ve seen some people try and defend Lore Olympus by saying that movies like Hercules and such aren’t accurate to Greek myth, yet they’re still loved. And I somewhat get where they’re coming from, i really do.
BUT- I feel like part of the problem with LO is the fact that if you replace the names, you’d almost be right to assume it takes place in a completely different setting. Meanwhile, if you take away the names from the Hercules movie, you can still tell where it’s supposed to take place. (And who’s who, if you know your myths). Plus the writing of Hercules is 100% better than LO.
The difference between LO and Hercules is that Hercules clearly has respect for the source material put into it. It might not be accurate to the source material - because it's being retooled as a Disney movie for children - but you can tell there's still a lot of thought, love, and effort put into it. The team behind that movie did research on the art and culture of Greece, and adapted it into a movie that was entertaining and recognizable as a Greek myth adaption.
They put our home boy Heracles/Hercules in a tunic! Do you know how shocking that must have looked to American viewers who didn't know a shred of Greek myth and wondered why the big buff hero was being drawn in a skirt? Still accurate though!
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LO, meanwhile, writes Greek myth as if it hates Greek myth for existing. It comes across more as a white woman using these stories purely for profit and colonizing it with American-esque culture. The outfits have become noticeably less Greek since the beginning, the characters never eat Greek food anymore, and the locations are left as vague as solid color backdrops to indicate "The Underworld" and "Olympus" without actually showing any set pieces or understanding of how these locations would look and feel in a modern setting.
All of these examples I gave are things we saw a decent amount of in S1. But since then it's just become talking heads on top of flat color backgrounds, eating Chinese food and dressing in American-style clothing. When was the last time we saw a mortal? There's just nothing Greek about the comic anymore because either Rachel has gotten so complacent that she just defaults to what she knows without any research (so what she watches on TV and in movies) or she only bothered with her research in the beginning to get people hooked and convinced that she's a "folklorist" so that they'd keep reading the series and giving her money on good will alone.
Using Hercules as an example of "well it's not accurate to Greek myth either!" completely misses the point of what people are getting at when they say that LO is a bad Greek myth retelling. Guess what else isn't completely accurate to Greek myth? Hadestown. Hades (the game). God of War. Stray Gods. They all take creative liberties with the source material in order to adjust it to the medium and audience they're creating it for, but none of those adaptions are quite as disrespectful as LO's. And God of War literally has little angry man going around and brutally murdering the gods. It still respects the setting of Greek myth more than LO, but unlike LO, it doesn't try to constantly sound smart with its inaccuracies, it knows fully well that it's a video game first and foremost.
And that's the beauty of myths. They can be adapted across generations and used to tell new versions of the same stories. So it begs the question, why bother writing a Greek myth retelling if you're going to make it so non-Greek that you could have just as well just written a normal soap drama and have it still be virtually the same?
Compared to all of the other examples, LO is the definition of confidently incorrect. It should have stuck to just being Greek myth inspired, not a retelling.
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adobe-outdesign · 9 days
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For pokemon reviews, maybe the spidops or lokix lines?
(Already did the Nymble line here, but as for Tarountula:)
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Tarountula is a really good Pokemon, both in terms of concept and execution. A spider that covers its abdomen with silk in a manner representative of a yarn ball works perfectly, and the design gets the point across immediately. This ball protectors them from their natural predators, which is a nice touch. Oddly enough, the yarn ball is actually removable, revealing a small structure at the end of its body that ties it more into its evo.
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Visually, Tarountula's stylized eyes and almost sad-looking pupils make it extremely cute, which is compounded by its stylized pedipalps and simplistic legs (so simple it actually has eight of them, a rarity in Pokemon designs). White was an obvious choice for the silk, but this is accented by some green spots on the legs and a complimentary yellow color. Good stuff all around.
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You'd expect something as round as Tarountula to evolve into an even rounder, larger spider, but it instead goes into a completely different direction by becoming an ogre spider, well known for looking like you took a jpg of a normal spider and stretched it out lengthwise. Ironically, some of Spidop's features that you would probably assume are inventions by GameFreak are actually just what ogre spiders are like, such as the paired limbs and spinning net traps to catch prey in.
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While it might seem like it's lost the ball of yarn theme, it's actually just expanded on it by looking like a spool of thread. The resemblance between the two is more obvious without Tarountula's web ball, but some features remain the same, such as the green-tipped limbs, stylized pedipalps, and four pairs of eyes that wrap around the head. The black color of the eyes specifically resemble an ogre spider's comically large eyes, which are so adapted for night vision that they get destroyed by the sun each day and heal again by night. No, I am not making that part up.
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In addition, Spidops also has a special ops kind of thing going for it, with a kind of bullet-proof vest on its chest, goggles, and a stealth-based operatus morandi. It would almost be too much, but it's subtle enough in the design that it thankfully doesn't feel too busy.
My only issues with Spidops are that the limbs feel weirdly flat at the ends, considering it uses them to hold web and snag prey—it might've been nice if they tapered into points, at least with the front ones. I also feel like the brown-on-green palette is muddied and bit low-contrast. Even just a lighter shade of brown/tan would've helped with this while still keeping it camouflaged.
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So overall, these are some really good spiders. The sewing theme is integrated into both in two unique ways, they have distinct body types, and Spidops keeps all the best attributes of the insect its based off of and adds an extra special ops theme for good measure. Tarountula also has a bangin' shiny, which doesn't hurt anything either.
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Guys. Scrooge McDuck already traveled the multiverse in 1995
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Hey look, it’s the doors from doctor strange
-my dad
This year will mark a historical moment in Disney comics history. The first Marvel-made Scrooge McDuck comic. Uncle Scrooge and the Infinity Dime coming up in June will have Scrooge travel through the multiverse to defeat an evil AU version of himself.
To some unfamiliar with Disney comics, this might sound like a lame idea in the trend of many multiverse stories that we are seeing in the cinemas today.
To some familiar with Disney comics, this sounded exactly like the plot of Zio Paperone e il predone dimensionale.
Truth is, the multiverse has always been a part of… just comic books. It’s now starting to slip into other mediums because of the many, many comic book adaptations just getting to that point of the lore, but the comic books themselves have had it for a long time now. Including Disney comics.
Though for Disney it’s less a case of: we wanted to explain continuity errors and then went a bit too far, and more a case of: if you have comics coming out literally every single day of the week then at some point you just get to the multiverse.
There are many of these to be found in Disney comics, which we might talk about later if someone is interested or I feel like it, but today we are going to go over the one most similar in premise to the upcoming Marvel release.
Because I just think it’s really funny how similar they are. Like at this point I would call it a reboot.
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Oh oh, Scrooge and multiverse, look at this. I’m pretty sure the Loki tv series just copied their time doors from this comic.
Federico Povoleri wrote a pretty simple story. Someone is stealing from Scrooge again, and this time, the culprit turns out to be… himself!
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‘Our’ Scrooge is signified by the red coat (and later the multiverse hopping suit). All the alternates will be clad in blue. DT87 Scrooge is just another AU that no one cares about confirmed
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This stealing Scrooge is our ‘Scrooge above all’. He wants to be richer than all his other variants and steals from them for that or something. I don’t remember very well but why he does it doesn’t matter. It’s evil Scrooge and he steals that’s all we need to know.
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As we have seen already, he escapes with an universe hopping door. As he always does within these kinds of situations, Scrooge calls Gyro who finds some kind of dimensional energy lingering around where the door used to be. He does the usual explain the multiverse bit.
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Then Gyro does in a few hours/days/wedontactuallyknow what Red Raider has been trying for years. There’s a reason they kicked him out of PKNA he would be too overpowered.
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Yeah altronave my nose.
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Scrooge arrives in the bin of another him, and explains as well as he can. This repeats a few times and I would love to show it but there is a 10 image limit on tumblr mobile for some reason.
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Finally he arrives at the bin of the Scrooge who steals and they have a little typical multiverse discussion (I am the real one. No bitch I am. But which one are you. A real me would never do this. That kind of stuff)
But he gets defeated by bad Scrooge. Oh no the only one who could defeat Scrooge has defeated him. What will happen now?
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Exactly what you think happens. prime!Scrooge never closed the AU doors and so everyone he visited could just hop through and arrive at Scrooge above all’s office. Yay.
It is not a bad comic. It has the single idea, it sticks to it, it executes it well. The interactions with AU Scrooge’s are just plain fun. At the time of writing the story has place 6020 on inducks which is pretty dang high for such a silly comic.
It’s very much a multiverse story in a classic Disney comics way. It’s not used to bring multiple continuities together. No storia e gloria Scrooge VS life and times Scrooge. Nothing dramatic happening or high stakes. Just Scrooge going on another adventure, and for being one of the first multiverse comics involving Scrooge that didn’t pull random bullshit, it’s considered good by most of the fandom it seems. That the Comicup artists was pretty decent helped as well.
But now, what can we expect from what is totally gonna be a remake of this?
Infinity Dime is Marvel. It’s gonna take a Marvel approach. Assuming it’s not gonna be parody (which i kind of really hope it isn’t), then what will it be? Are we gonna see something similar to this, where Scrooge will just meet different versions of himself or will we see established AU’s? Both Ducktales and all his other animated counterparts (i heard the americans like christmas carol scrooge) seem like easy picks. Will they fight? Will it be Secret Wars? Or will they work together like in this comic?
Marvel has still given out zero information about the story (hell, they haven’t even made clear which artists aside from a few are drawing. “celebrated Scrooge artists” does NOT narrow it down) except for that super vague premise. So the best we can do is imagine this story but with the Marvel flavor. Not that I have read enough Marvel comics to properly understand what that means but ive seen some movies okay.
We can probably imagine there will be more ‘evil’ Scrooges. Some Scroogehenchmen. And they will fight. We gotta have action scenes. Which I trust will look good because Mangiatordi I believe his connection to the project alone will secure that the art department will be amazing. His existence is enough.
I’m also expecting DT17 Scrooge to at least cameo. He’s the perfect character for this type of story, fits way better than any other non comic variant. DT87 Scrooge could work as maybe a younger version? Who is not sure what he got caught up in. But then we would need emotional scenes between Scrooge and Scrooge and that’s probably asking too much from Jason Aaron.
Oh hmm actually. I can see when good Scrooge fights bad Scrooge in the climax he will do a big speech that will last a good 4 pages and will teach bad Scrooge what it takes to be a real Scrooge. That sounds stupid enough to be a Marvel thing but not so stupid as to become completely ridiculous.
I’m not expecting actual references to other established comic Scrooge AU’s. We will probably have Barks and Rosa references and that’s it. I’m not even expecting a Van Horn reference tbh. It’s all Barks and Rosa we gotta keep it beginner friendly. It might even just be Rosa. Which indirectly will result in a Barks reference because every Rosa reference is just a Barks reference but with extra steps.
I’m trying to make predictions okay? So I can go I SAID SO when it comes out. It’ll be really funny for me and annoying for you guys. You don’t even have to read this (yet). This is just for in the future so I can look like a wizard.
The scene where Gyro explains the multiverse might just get copied one on one. Maybe Gyro will be replaced by Ludwig? At least I don’t think they will have Scrooge just go: oh yeah ive seen this before. Maybe another Scrooge will explain it to him/secretly the reader. It WILL involve a big cosmic looking image that will represent the multiverse. It just has to. Even if just to show the Marvel audience how good these Italian Scrooge artists are.
I don’t think Donald or the nephews are gonna play a big role. Maybe at the beginning and end, maybe they will somehow stay in contact with Scrooge or he thinks about them a few times to remind us of hey this is Donald Duck. But I think most is gonna be a solo Scrooge adventure just like we have already seen.
Idk. I really want to talk more about Infinity Dime because it’s the most exciting US made Disney comic in ages. Idk why no one else seems to be hyped. Where is all the rambling and speculation guys?? Not about the covers, but about the actual story!
Anyways now we get to the most important question: do i think it will feature Magica?
Maybe. (Definitely not gonna play a big role if she even appears. Maybe a cameo when at some point there will be a dramatic flashback… Or she could show up in one of the AU’s. Maybe just a short scene in the beginning showing his usual life but that sounds lame. Probably not gonna have a role in the story at least, and I kinda hope it won’t have any Magica at all because I’m scared that they will go of off Rosa’s characterization lol.)
Ok Remember to infinity your dimes and uncle your scrooges gby
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catladywriter · 2 months
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Inotan Fan Comic: Stares in this Town - Tanjirou's Tempura Therapy
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Context: The above work is a comic adaptation of a scene from my Inotan fic Stares in this Town, illustrated by the talented ReName_重名君. It's set 2 years after the main story ends. Tanjirou and Inosuke are 17 years old. Their hair has grown a little longer, they're a little taller with less roundish faces. They work in the Wisteria Garden, an eatery that the Kamados have just inherited from their neighbour. Tanjirou is the head chef, assisted by Nezuko, while Inosuke and Zenitsu work in the front of house. Inosuke doesn't wear his boar mask but he still tugs at Tanjirou's clothes when he's stressed.
If you read Stares in this Town, this scene comes after the point where Inosuke, initially reluctant to take up his new role, starts his first work day proper after mistakenly believing that Tanjirou has challenged him to do so.
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Author's Notes I'm absolutely thrilled to share this collaboration with the incredibly talented ReName_重名君, whose fantastic works you might have come across in my tumblr (ahem, I promise I haven't forgotten about this translation project, life's just been a whirlwind lately, but I'll definitely get around to it soon!). I'll spare you from my gushing (I already left ReName_重名君 a semi-essay about how incredible I thought her work was), but let me just say that seeing one of my favorite scenes brought to life in her art style and interpretation truly brought tears to my eyes. Inosuke's shirt-pulling and the feeding trope are some things I really enjoy, so I'm over the moon to see them visualized here. I barely provided any art direction beyond using my fic as a reference, so I was absolutely astounded by how seamlessly ReName_重名君 incorporated elements from canon (like the chibis and that first frame on the second page from the famous "you make me feel secure" scene) with her own interpretation of my story. Also, can we take a moment to appreciate how handsome and grown-up our boys look in her style? And Tanjirou's gentle and domestic demeanor is just too adorable - they look like such a cute newly-married couple! (though, in these scenes, they haven't actually gotten together yet). Okay, I'm getting carried away with excitement, so I'll stop gushing now. I hope you enjoy this comic as much as I do, and while this collaboration was definitely initiated for my own enjoyment, it would mean the world to me if you let me know that you're also enjoying it. And if you haven't checked out the fic yet, please give it a read here. Additionally, if there are any scenes from my other works that you’d like to see a visual interpretation of, feel free to let me know in the work’s comments. I cannot promise that it’ll happen, but I’ll certainly consider it if ReName_重名君’s schedule allows! Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed this, it’d really make my day if you could drop a like, reblog, and/or comment to let me know! This comic is also published on AO3 where you can comment anonymously! Although I mostly create for myself, your encouragement keeps me motivated to post and share my work.
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are you tired of how many character tournaments just become a popularity contest?
how regardless of seeding, even high contenders can almost arbitrarily be knocked out early on, leaving you with nothing to root for?
if you're feeling that, and if you like any webcomics, you should participate in the webcomic character tournament!
the primary goals of this tournament are:
to celebrate the medium of webcomics as a whole
to find new webcomics to read, and to recommend your own favorites
to highlight indie creators and help them build a wider audience
to have fun rooting for and celebrating your favorite characters!
in order to accomplish these goals, instead of a single elimination bracket, i will be using a mcmahon system inspired tournament structure!
this means that no character will be eliminated, and you can participate in polls rooting for your favorite character throughout all the rounds. characters will also be roughly matched up based on a system that determines how well known their work is, so most rounds should be relatively evenly matched, allowing people to fight for their favorites on their own merits
more details about how the mcmahon tournament will work can be found under the cut!
submit as many characters as you would like to here! the deadline is tentatively next saturday, june 3rd, at 4pm EDT
tagging some other tournaments i like whose participants i think might be interested :) @wlw-webcomic-bracket @obscurewebcomictournament @gaywebcomicsshowdown @autisticgirliesbracket @yuribracket @secretthirdthingtournament @nonyanderepoll @funkylittlebaldcharapoll @divorced-tournament
no submission is specifically banned, but try to keep in mind the spirit of this tournament when deciding what to submit.
under the cut after my more detailed description of the tournament structure, i also ramble in a lot more detail about my philosophy regarding submission eligibility, but it's not necessary to read all that before submitting characters
mcmahon tournament details:
matchups will be decided based off of a survey sent out after submissions are over gauging participants' familiarity with all of the competing characters' source materials. each character will be assigned points based off of how known their source material is, and each character will go up against a character with a similar popularity score for the first round
characters will be awarded points based off of if they lose, win, or tie their match and have that added to their total score, and then they will again be paired against a character with a similar updated score
depending on how many characters are participating, this process can continue either until there is a definitive ranking of all characters, or until just a few top winners are clear
i haven't entirely decided on specifics such as whether points will be awarded by a simple 0 for a loss, 0.5 for a tie, 1 for a win or by percentage of the vote, and if initial popularity points will be counted in the final ranking, or if i will try to rank winners from within their initial popularity categories, but i hope that won't matter too much, because in my opinion the main fun of this isn't the final results, it's for people to have fun in the individual rounds seeing their favorite character's points go up!
submission guidelines:
if you are submitting characters from extremely popular webcomics, try to limit yourself to just characters that are among your top favorites of all time, and maybe try to submit stuff from lesser known works as well
similar goes for webcomics that are more widely known for adaptations into other media forms (one punch man, tower of god, heartstopper, etc.)
i'm not specifically banning any comic for having bigoted content or its creator being a bad person, there's a wide scale of stuff i could decide to include in that definition or not. in the goal of celebrating favorite characters, obviously a lot of people love characters despite flaws in the work they're from, but also keep in mind the goals of recommending works to other people, and helping uplift and promote creators you like, and try to find a reasonable balance from there
what counts as a webcomic:
physically published works that you can find pirated or scanlated online probably don't count
comics whose publication is centered around physical releases, who also have simultaneous online releases by their publishers (comics on manga plus or comixology, newspaper strips with online sites, etc.) probably don't count
comics published through traditional publishers that are exclusively online (such as shōnen jump+ comics) still probably don't count
comics published online through companies that exclusively publish online (such as lezhin) are still discouraged
stuff like line webtoon or tapas official comics are more acceptable, as there are a lot of free comics from independent creators around them and many of these comics started out that way themselves, so they exist within a culture of webcomics more so than the aforementioned comic categories
stuff that is paywalled beyond just having an early release system is discouraged
comics that are no longer online but accessible through archives are fine though, especially in the wake of sites like smackjeeves being deleted there's a lot of stuff in webcomic history that can only be found that way now!
webtoon style comics absolutely count as webcomics, they're an exciting way of fully making use of webcomics' digital format! simultaneously however, i feel like with the rise of mobile webtoon apps, there are many people who read webtoon style comics but who dont further engage with webcomics, so i'd definitely encourage submitting a variety of styles of webcomic!
none of these rules are set! feel free to submit whatever you want, i just list them so you can try to find a balance between the different goals of this tournament when submitting stuff.
anyone can submit as many characters as you want, but just maybe if you find that a lot of your submission ideas are from comics in some of the more discouraged categories, limit yourself in how many you submit from those categories and only submit characters if they're absolute favorites of yours you want the opportunity to celebrate, and maybe try to also submit a character from something that isn't in a discouraged category too!
theres no penalty for not going with this, but i think because choosing characters by number of nominees doesn't really align with my intentions for this, depending on how easy it is to sort submissions i might just go off of vibes, so you might just be less likely to have a character make it to the tournament if their comic is in more heavily discouraged categories is all
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transguygardner · 9 months
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Taylor’s Guide for Getting into DC Comics
decided to make an official post for my method on getting into DC Comics
I don’t know anything about DC Comics and comics continuity scares me
if you’re intimidated by how many comics there are and all the different timelines and continuities and oh my god there’s so many characters then i suggest starting with watching Batman the Brave and the Bold
what it is: it’s a three season 22 minute cartoon from 2008. it focuses on Batman teaming up with a bunch of different heroes and is generally episodic in nature
why i recommend it as a starting point: at this point pretty much everyone has heard of batman in some shape or form. so this gives you a familiar character while being exposed to an enormous cast of different characters. it doesn’t give you the origins or much explanation for many of the characters or how they all know each other which is much like reading modern comics! so it helps you get used to not knowing who everyone is and not getting an origin story every time someone shows up. it also shows you pretty much every corner of the dc universe so you gain some passing familiarity with someone from every niche even if its by name only
some of its flaws: since its an adaptation there are things (many things) that don’t line up with how things are (or ever were) in the comics. which brings me to my next step
READ THE WIKIPEDIA PAGES OF CHARACTERS YOU’RE INTERESTED IN
i’m not talking about the wiki/fandom pages. i’m talking about wikipedia. this will give you some broader context for the characters both in universe and in the cultural landscape. also if you don’t feel ready to read the comics yet/don’t know where to get those comics it will give you other adaptations of that character if there are any. it could also mention another character that you also think is interesting and then you can read their pages
when you’ve done that then you can move onto
I know what character I want to read but how do I know what to read?
your two best friends are going to be googling “[character name] comic vine” and “[character name] dc wiki”
both comic vine and the dc wiki keep lists of character appearances. the dc wiki has them linked at the bottom of each character page while comic vine has them linked at the top
whats the difference between them?
comic vine keeps every appearance of the character under the same list even if its from a different continuity. they also list trade paperbacks and other language reprints under the same page. comic vine sorts it by series so you will see the series that your chosen character has the most appearances in first. which might not always be issues about them
the dc wiki separates out the character appearances based on which continuity its under. so characters will have multiple appearance lists depending on when it was published and if it was for an au or not. for example: bruce wayne (new earth) and bruce wayne (prime earth) are two of the MANY different pages with appearance lists for batman on the dc wiki. vs comic vine where they’re all under bruce wayne. the dc wiki does not include reprints and trade paperbacks under the appearance lists and sorts it alphabetically
so which one do i use?
personally i’d start with the comic vine list. its easier to get the relevant info from and then use it to answer these questions
does your character have a solo series?
a solo series is anything that’s named after that character. sometimes they’re duo series (batman & superman, blue & gold, fire & ice: smallville etc). if yes start with one of those. if you plan on reading everything and don’t mind older writing styles pick the oldest one and move through the list of solo series. if you are turned off by the older writing styles start with the oldest one published in or after 1986. if you just want to read more modern/current stuff start with one labeled “rebirth” at the top
is your character on a team book?
if your character doesn’t have a solo or you read the solos and want to read something else see if they’re on a team book! team books are just what they sound like. books that focus on a bunch of characters that are operating under the same team name. if you read their wikipedia page it probably mentions if theyre on a team. you can also double check with the dc wiki (check the [character name] new earth and [character name] prime earth pages to see if they’re affiliated with anyone)
if they’re in multiple volumes of the same title team book i would generally start with the oldest. again skip any from before 1986 if you can’t handle the older writing styles. and if you only want the really new stuff start with ones with the rebirth label on them
my character doesn’t have a solo or a team book!
so you’ve got a few options.
look up a reading guide (which honestly you couldve done for the other characters too but i think it’s better to learn how to choose which ones to read yourself since they don’t always have reading guides)
start at their first appearance then go from there (if comic vine has your character listed with 250 or less appearances this is a decent choice especially since anywhere from 10 to 25% of those will be reprints)
choose based on the artwork (good art/art you like can get you through a lot of bad writing)
generally all of these are good options to take. with option three just be wary if the writer is tom king since he is known to take extreme liberties with characteristics
tips and tricks
if you really like the writing or the art on a book take note of who wrote it or who drew it. if you search “[creator name] comic vine” it will pull up a page similar to the character ones and you can check what other stuff they made. following a creator’s career is a good way to branch out your reading list and helps you identify what you do and don’t like
if there’s a specific kind of character you want to read (divorced, fire powers, alien, etc) you can check the category pages on the dc wiki. just find the page of a character you know fits that category (maxwell lord for divorced for example) scroll to the bottom. expand the categories and click on the one you’re looking for. you’ll find a list of characters with that tag on them
some characters are just confusing so don’t worry about it. hawkman, hawkgirl/woman, and supergirl have three of the most confusing continuities in dc comics. so if it seems confusing don’t let it stop you
you really don’t have to understand the nuances of continuity in order to enjoy comics. that has never stopped a writer before. so it shouldn’t stop you!
you can read comics with the dc universe subscription or comixology or going to your local comic shop. some used bookstores also have comic bins. if you google “read comic online” you should probably find something. make sure you have a good adblock though
thats basically it. just rinse and repeat with however many characters you want!
final notes
personally i think reading stuff from oldest to newest is the most interesting way to read comics because then you can see how the character has evolved over the years and find out which writers like to collaborate with previous ideas and which ones like to bulldoze it all down
1986 is chosen as a dividing point because that is when DC’s first MAJOR continuity reboot happens. it’s Crisis On Infinite Earths and basically just combines all the different DC earths into one. so there’s a lot of explaining whats going on in those earlier books. you CAN start with the 70s stuff if you want but generally its easier to start with the late 80s if you don’t want to go all the way back
books labeled rebirth are chosen for the people who want to start with the now because that is the start of the last major reboot and will introduce you to the modern interpretation of the character. which imo isnt always the best since a lot of the modern interpretations are more shallow. but to each their own
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