#roberto poggi

[doctorofmagic]

Final thoughts on a lovely journey

*deep inhale*

Please, come inside and sit with me for a moment while we discuss this final issue.

In all my years as a Stephen stan, I’ve never felt this happy to see HIM happy, cared for, surrounded by such meaningful and deep love. I had many beautiful moments so far *coughcough hellfire gala/savage avengers* but this one means the world to me, mostly because he’s reunited with the love of his life.

Love has always been the fundamental force that drives his very existence. He has never healed from the guilt and sadness for watching Clea leave. He couldn’t forgive himself and fell into self-destructive behavior, which later worsened and culminated in depression in the shape of Mr. Misery.

Stephen hasn’t been happy in a VERY long time by our standards of time. It was never clear that he and Clea were in good terms after Sorcerer Supreme by the end of the 90′s and Defenders v2/The Order, but he did go through A LOT ever since she left to lead the rebel army. After the conclusion of Sorcerer Supreme, he made a few cameos here and there until he was adopted by Bendis in New Avengers v1 and v2. He was loved by his teammates but he also made tons of mistakes due to his actions in the Illuminati. He could never forgive himself after what he did to the Hulk, and abusing dark magic only made him feel even more miserable, turning his back to Wong and Linda and embracing once and for all his self-destructive instincts in order to atone for his sins and mistakes.

Hickman’s New Avengers and Secret Wars were no different. They were a downhill towards his own perdition and posterior tragic death by the hands of one flawed man he loved to a fault.

And then v4 happened, the lowest Stephen has ever faced. Alone, fighting himself to preserve a friendship and struggling with his own flaws: his need to be in control, his insecurity, his white and half lies. He was NOT in a good place.

V5 was an exception because, well, not a good portrayal, let alone when it comes to continuity, although he did severe his relationship with Clea.

And then Jed had all the diligence to fix pretty much 30 years of pain, loneliness and Stephen’s inaptitude to be open about his feelings. In fact, Jed is more than willing to work hard and deep into Clea and Stephen’s marriage, and that’s the most important part of this last issue in my opinion.

Because, you see, it’s not the first time they merged and became one. There was one time when Dormammu and Umar forced them and it was pretty much a nightmare. But aside from that, it has always been consented by bonding their souls (with tons of implied sexual semantics, of course). Still, the point is, they deal with magic. I always mention that the magic community is deeper than any other bond in the Marvel universe, mostly because they tap into the spirit and essence of things. So love here... Sure, it’s demanding and takes lots of work, conversation, understanding, patience. On the other hand, when it comes to magic... It’s hard to explain but it’s pretty much how I personally feel about love. It goes beyond the limitations of the physical instance. It connects you to other person in such overwhelming levels of intimacy and trust. It’s not something that should be taken lightly because it goes DEEP.

And that’s precisely what Clea and Stephen’s relationship is all about. Jed, Ferreira, Poggi, Tartaglia, Petit and Garbett did a wonderful job in portraying the depth of this feeling. And it’s just so amazingly done that even when they merge in the being called Strange, they're not 100% on the same page. And this is literally what a deep and meaningful relationship represents. You’re not one with your S/O. You’re your own person. Your relationship creates a strong bond, but you and your partner(s) will disagree on many issues. You will have to find the balance between your needs and the sacrifices you’ll do along the way. Then again, it’s not just about romance. It’s a never-ending mutual journey of growth.

In short? Stephen and Clea are one, but also different in their own uniqueness. And they’ll have tons of work ahead to find said balance. Which is amazing because you don’t see this kind of approach in comic books very often. It’s mature and it reflects how far they’ve come together.

Strange actually reminds me of Garnet and Rupphire, and all the lessons we learned by watching their journey. Steven says Garnet makes it look so easy, to be in a stable relationship. But only Ruby and Sapphire know the ups and downs of their shared lives. And the struggles can only be overcome through kindness, acceptance, conversation, trust, and so many other details that come along with love.

It’s not supposed to be easy, but it IS rewarding. It IS special. It’s fuel to the soul and dew to the world.

Those were humble words to show my gratitude. It’s not just a reunion, but it’s healthy, mature and deeply meaningful. And it really means the world to me that Stephen is happy. It really does. So thank you. A thousand times thank you.

FIN

[dirtyriver]

Harley Quinn the Animated Series: Legion of Bats #1, written by Tee Franklin, art by Shae Beagle (pencils) and Roberto Poggi & Shae Beagle (inks)

[smillingcartoonist]

Blade 2 #

[longerbox]

Solid. Backgrounds are really nice.

[quirkycatsfatstacks]

Review: Captain Marvel Vol. 10: Revenge of the Brood Part 2

Writer: Kelly ThompsonArtists: Javier Pina, David LopezPencils: Sergio DavilaInkers: Sean Parsons, Roberto PoggiColorists: Arif Prianto, Ceci De La Cruz, Yen NitroLetterer: VC’s Clayton CowlesPublisher: Marvel ComicsReleased: September 5, 2023 Find it on Goodreads Summary: Captain Marvel has faced many enemies over the years. Some of those enemies have left their marks on her. One such enemy…

[graphicpolicy]

Bishop: War College #1 delivers a debut fans of the character will enjoy

Bishop: War College #1 delivers a debut fans of the character will enjoy #comics #comicbooks #xmen

Having watched Black Panther: Wakanda Forever on Disney+ Plus a few days ago, I was blown away by how well the world building was. The death of Chadwick Boseman and the on-screen death of T’Challa, was meant for fans, cast and crew to mourn both. It was cathartic but at the same time, also reopened old wounds of the passing of Boseman. What stood out about the film other than the mourning, was…

[inarteziogio]

[yoshiyoshitaniart]

I got to draw all 6 covers for Harley Quinn the Animated Series: Legion of Bats

(W) Tee Franklin, (A) Shae Beagle, Roberto Poggi, (C) Lee Loughridge, (L)Taylor Esposito Issue 3 is the first time I got to draw Nightwings Butt on a official DC cover! I was so worried the title treatment would cover his precious assets, but luckily the designer saved the goods for all of us

[why-i-love-comics]

Harley Quinn - The Animated Series - Legion of Bats! #2 - "Knocked the Fuck Out" (2022)

written by Tee Franklin art by Shae Beagle, Roberto Poggi, Scot Eaton, & Lee Loughridge

[comicwaren]

From Red Goblin #010

Art by Chris Campana, Roberto Poggi and David Curiel

Written by Alex Paknadel

[doctorofmagic]

There's a corpse in the house. Mine.

Sneak peek from Strange #7 by Jed via twitter. Art by Marcelo Ferreira and ink by Roberto Poggy.

[dirtyriver]

Harley Quinn: Legion of Bats #2, written by Tee Franklin, art by Shae Beagle (pencils) and Roberto Poggi (inks)

[smillingcartoonist]

Strange 10 #

[longerbox]

I’m charmed. I like the part where it’s a Blondie strip.

[quirkycatsfatstacks]

Review: Captain Marvel #47

Writer: Kelly ThompsonArtist: Sergio DavilaInkers: Sean Parsons & Roberto PoggiColorist: Arif PriantoLetterer: VC’s Clayton CowlesPublisher: Marvel ComicsReleased: March 15, 2023 Summary: Despite their best efforts, Binary is still very much trapped by The Brood. Carol Danvers, Jessica Drew, Jennifer Takeda, and several X-Men are on a quest to save her – and Rogue. However, The Brood are…

[graphicpolicy]

Bishop: War College #1 delivers a mixed start

Bishop: War College #1 delivers a mixed start #comics #comicbooks #xmen

Lucas Bishop has been a character I’ve always felt was rather intriguing. His depiction over the years has been mixed but the idea of some attempting to prevent their horrific past is a quandary with a lot of potential. The fact it’s presented in a “police” framing makes it all the more intriguing, even though that aspect is danced around. Bishop: War College #1 opens up with that potential as…