#taylor's corruption scene....

[lohstandfound]

thinking about my graphic novel series again. i have way too many thoughts about it

[got-into-worm-by-mistake]

Okay, I've Read Worm: A Retrospective Part 2: What The Fuck Did I Just Read?

So I don't mean literally 'what did I read'. I know and understand the plot, and while I probably didn't pick up on all the references and cape theme stuff Wildbow was going for, it was established a while ago that I wouldn't. And I may not have understood every scene and character the way may intended, but sincerely, fuck his intent, it sometimes sucks.

What I mean by this is -

I heard a lot about Worm before I read it. "Grimdark" "Depressing" "Optimistic" (Yes, someone actually called Worm an Optimistic Work which is... a take), "Bleak" "A Deconstruction" "A Love Letter To The Superhero Genre" "A Takedown of the Superhero Genre" "Just A Fucking Story" "The Greatest Piece Of Superhero Media Ever" and god knows what else.

I didn't hear anyone call worm a Reconstruction until I was partway into the Work, when I also discovered TV tropes calls it that which is... well, we'll get into that.

And I heard Wildbow called "A Hack" "A Nihilist" "A Guy Who Lets His Problems With Authority Get Ahead Of Him" (Or something to that effect" "An Amazing Writer" "A God Amongst Men" (Okay, not really on that last one, but I have made jokes about Wildbow having cultists or the 'Church of Wildbow' for a reason, because some people are really fucking out here acting like he's just... way better than he is, imo. Like, beyond just the degree of just subjective opinion. Not that I think Wildbow deliberately fostered such a mentality... probably)

So. What the fuck did I just read? What is Worm?

Well I am comfortable in saying that Worm is Grim, Bleak, Depressing. A lot of really bad shit happens without neat narrative resolution, there's a lot of hurt and not a lot of comfort. Taylor's life mostly gets worse, and most other people's lives mostly get worse. There's not a lot of unambiguous victories, even the ones that are straight up victories come at hilariously lopsided costs, the whole damn world is slowly collapsing, and everyone in authority is largely either complicit, incompetent, overwhelmed, corrupt, or useless. Almost nobody is just straight up heroic, and those who are usually die (in often pointless ways) or get treated as incredibly naïve by the narrative. Often both. Worm often feels pretty hopeless, and even the hope is pretty fragile and strained, when it's there.

Is Worm dark? Is it Grimdark? Well... that's trickier. There are a hell of a lot of dark implications of Worm, a lot of dark stuff that is hinted at, or insisted is there by the writer (*cough* *Cough*) but in terms of the actual darkness onscreen... depending on how one defines 'Grimdark' - how reliant are they on the conventional 4chan inspired definition or if they've expanded their understanding of the word and so on - it could qualify, but... *equivocating hand gesture*. I am reasonably comfortable that Worm itself never really quite qualifies as grimdark. The darkness on the screen is not really enough, and really, under the narrowest of 4chan definitions, it probably isn't even grim. Though I would say that there's a point where the 4chan Noble/Grim Bright/Dark four quadrant approach becomes a useless category of analysis.

I think in most cases people who call Worm grimdark are either parroting other people, lack adequate terminology to really describe what they mean (because Worm is rather hard to put a box around) or have very low standards for 'grimdark'. But I don't think everyone is talking out of their ass, because like I said, there's a lot of really dark implications of Worm. Some likely intended by Wildbow, some the result of probably oversights by him or didn't really quite grasp certain things and just kinda... threw stuff out there without following through. (Not that I blame him, Worm was huge and not every single detail needed to be followed through on, but still. Happens). Worm's entire universe and setting runs on people rather consistently making the decisions that make shit worse.

Like in 90% of the cases, each individual person's decision to make shit worse makes sense from their perspective and understanding their psyches, but it does strain credulity a little, and make it hard to say the story isn't kinda grimdark when almost every decision almost everyone makes makes things worse.

But... technically, I think Worm manages to skate by being grimdark. Sometimes just barely, but just barely can be enough.

I don't think it's particularly controversial to call Worm 'A Deconstruction' or to say that Worm deconstructs elements of the superhero genre. Does Worm Reconstruct... well, yes. It does the deconstructing thing (exploring how so many common elements of the superhero genre don't make a lot of sense) and then it does the reconstructing thing (putting them back together and designing the physics and rules of the universe so they kind of do make more sense).

But I would say that calling Worm a 'Reconstruction' is false advertising. Not because it isn't, but when most people hear the word Deconstruction, they expect a kind of depressing, bleak, grim, sometimes dark, etc story. Reconstructions are thus expected to be more upbeat and optimistic and bright. I don't think this is just me. To be fair, this doesn't have to be true. A deconstructed slasher flick would probably be fairly upbeat and bright, and a reconstructed slasher flick would... probably not be those things. But I think the general implications of the words remain true.

Telling someone Worm is a Reconstruction of the Superhero Genre, before they read it, without a lot of qualifiers, would, I think, be pretty deceptive. Accurate, but deceptive. It is possible to be misleading while being totally accurate, after all.

One thing I hear a lot about is how much more 'realistic' Worm is compared to other superhero media. Without being a deep aficionado about superhero media, I honestly can't say if this is true, but I can say that, as of itself, Worm is not what I would call realistic. Leaving aside the way Wildbow puts his thumb on the scale of 'everyone makes decisions that make shit worse' across the board, there's the fact that every element of the underlying rules of the universe are deliberately, and sometimes quite obviously, contrived to create the necessary parameters for the story he wants. Which is fine, that's perfectly fine worldbuilding and writing, but it's not 'realistic'.

He covers his ass with PtV, using it as an excuse for a lot of shit, but uh... that's still covering his ass, it's still obvious plot device is obvious. Not the worst thing the world, and I've seen much worse handlings of obvious plot device is obvious, but... man, sometimes with his worst WoGs, Wildbow really would have benefited from just admitting it was a plot hole and he made a mistake or he didn't consider something or that 'you know what, yes, it's unlikely that no one shot Jack Slash in the face during his entire career pre-Bonesaw's modifications, but it happened' (i.e. the Cauldron gun social engineering WoG is just so goddamn dumb. Less in of itself and more how it fits to everything else. String enough of his WoGs together and the whole damn setting starts to fall apart)

Things like the CUI, and the Gesellschaft and the way Africa and South America are written speak to the profound lack of realism and the contrived way that the Wormverse got constructed. The Gesellschaft is a perfectly fine plot device to have in a story - a reference and use of the way Nazi and Nazi-created and Nazi-descended and Nazi-related villains and villain organizations are a common trope in superhero comics - but it's not really all that realistic as presented. Wildbow has rather repeatedly insisted that it is, but uh... no, he's wrong. (He has admitted that his handling of South America and Africa weren't great, and to be fair, most of what we know of both could just be filtered through Taylor's own distinctly American Teenager view of the world, and to be more fair, developing entire continents that aren't even close to being in-focus for the story is a tall ask for anyone). But like, Worm isn't realistic. The way Shards work was deliberately contrived to have his intended outcome. Endbringers too. Cauldron. The backstories of characters and organizations show the way they were bent that way to achieve the outcome he wanted. And again, I don't really have a problem with elements of a story being constructed to achieve the intended outcome. People who get too focused on the worldbuilding will sometimes write themselves into a hole where the needs of the story and the needs of the Worldbuilding conflict. Wildbow almost always picked the story. It can be frustrating for people trying to isolate the elements of the world to write fanfics or analyze the world for like, versus fights or whatever, but... I don't blame the author for that. (Though his inability to just admit that he picked story over worldbuilding and instead keeps pulling a WoG out of the ether to cover his ass is... not great) To be fair, I don't think Wildbow has ever called his work 'More Realistic than Other Superhero Media'. I don't think he set out to create some hyperrealistic superhero story. And the word 'Realistic' is tossed around a lot without really clarifying what someone means. I honestly don't really call things realistic that often for that reason.

The problem here isn't Worm, or Wildbow, but some of his fans. Like I said, there's a reason why I joke about a 'Church of Wildbow.' There's people who have said that Worm has 'ruined' other superhero media for them and to those people... I mean, ruined is subjective, and like I've said repeatedly, I'm not really into superhero media, but like, deconstructing and even reconstructing the Superhero genre is not new? DC and Marvel and a lot of smaller presses have been doing that since like, the 90s? At least? I've already address how Worm doesn't seem particularly realistic to me. I think in some cases, what they may mean is that Worm is more cohesive. It's one single story told by one guy with one clear vision. Comic books in particular can experience all sorts of tonal and narrative whiplash between runs, as writers change, as artists change, as executive meddling can interfere. And that's pretty true. (*sings* We don't talk about Waaard oh-no-no).

But I also feel like if Worm really did ruin all other superhero media for you... maybe you weren't actually that into superhero media? Even if you've read a lot of it, maybe Superhero media wasn't actually for you? Just maybe?

Now, this all brings us back to the question that started this: What the Fuck did I just Read? And the disappointing answer is that... putting a box around Worm is really fucking hard. It doesn't really fit into a nice, simple, easy, pithy descriptor. Not one that doesn't mislead. I mean, Worm is grim, bleak and depressing, but it is more than that. Worm is... Worm a lot of things.

I think honestly the closest thing to a nice, succicnt, easy way to describe Worm is this one:

I don't know if Wildbow was the one to use this to describe Worm first, or if a Fan did or what, but... yeah. That's Worm.

That's what the fuck I just read.

(I did hope to go into 'Who the Hell is Worm For' question here, but uh... this is pretty long as it is, so we'll leave that off for later.)

[miss-goodie-2shoes]

How do you think Tom from WoL is misunderstood in the fandom? Love ur art! ❤️

Okay let's talk about how misunderstood Tom is in the win or lose fandom

(And tysm! <3)

Personally, I just think he's misunderstood in the fandom because it seems like everyone thinks it's Tom's fault Yuwen and Taylor broke up when that's not the case at all. NO tom was not flirting with Taylor he was simply just asking for help from a friend, and yeah, it may have seemed like that when you watch the scene play out, but a lot of people seem to forget that this show is based on POV. Yuwen saw Taylor being super flirty with tom. But we don't know for sure that's what actually happened, I'm pretty sure yuwen was just over exaggerating some parts because of his insecurities

And it Seems that both Taylor and Tom are really close friends. Even before Tom picked up Taylor's phone he asked her before "Heyy Tay, study after school?" Indicating that they do that often. I honestly just think people keep forgetting that this is about people's perspectives, and some parts are over exaggerated for some people. But this does not mean that Tom is completely innocent. I will say it is wrong that he basically pressured Rochelle into cheating on a test for him so he can pass. And then of course Kai gets involved and she gets in trouble too.

but the reason I think he did that is because from what it seems like, he has a very strict family, and really doesn't want to fail, so he became desperate like really really desperate. (strict parents raise the sneaky kids I've heard someone say once)

But I don't think he really intended for it to affect Rochelle as it did. Like how he says in Vanessa's episode 'pickle' where she confronts him about 'corrupting' Rochelle he says "oh I did?.. OH nooooo...."

Like I think that's the moment he realized he messed up. And yes it's bad what he did. But it just seems people think that one mistake instantly makes Tom a bad person. Which is definitely not the case. Sure, he made ONE bad stupid mistake. It's a mistake he can grow from it, and mind, you he's still in middle school he's bound to make plenty of more stupid mistakes guys, some may be even worse than this one.

In conclusion: Tom did NOT make Yuwen and Taylor break up. It was Yuwen's insecurities,Tom isn't a Bad guy And KIDS are allowed to make mistakes.

[cairavende]

Worm Arc 21 thoughts:

Well that was sure a turn around from last arc's "I'm going to rally the students so I don't get captured."

I know my daughter has made some . . . mistakes, but I'm not a fan of her turning herself into the openly corrupted and also bad at their job parahuman cops.

(Parahuman cops as in "cops who police parahumans" not "cops who are parahumans")

Like look, I get it. A precog told her to cut ties. I can't say it's wrong to follow that advice. But she could do that in a lot of ways that don't involve the PRT.

The second not from Dinah just being "I'm sorry" is brutal.

But before she can turn herself in she has to absolutely fucking crush the PRT/Protectorate for outing her civilian identity.

I love how fucking simple taking out the entire PRT headquarters was for Skitter and her girlfriends!

Who needs anyone else? Bitch brings muscle, Tattletale brings information, Skitter brings battlefield control. Lesbian polycule power activate!

Was it an overboard response? Maybe. Was it badass how she just took out so many heroes and PRT troops with ease? Yes.

Poor Dovetail has one of the most embarrassing introductions ever. First time we see her and Skitter is wiping the floor with her and thinking about her "crummy power".

God I hate Tagg so much that he makes me miss Piggot. Like she was absolutely terrible, but he's worse! And making me miss Piggot makes me hate Tagg even more!

Kindly old cemetery groundskeeper who doesn't pay much attention to the news! Never a bad trope.

They gave Butcher 15 to Cherish???!? Like sure they give all the reasoning for it but like ... it just seems like a really high risk situation. If she ever gets out it's going to suck. A lot.

THE SCENE AT RACHEL'S PLACE OH MY GOD!

SHE IS BUILDING A COMMUNITY! I LOVE HER SO MUCH!

Rachel just over here finding everyone like her and giving them a place. Legit crying. Look at that fucking growth!

(Also shout-out to my wife for having basically done the same thing. It's how I met her. It's how I met one of my girlfriends. And so many other important people. So ya. I fucking love this.)

Also you ever like a girl so much you try to give her an entire planet? Cause Taylor sure has.

"Rachel I don't want you to be sad when I'm gone so you can basically have this whole other planet we found."

GGGGGGGGGGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!

Imp let Regent take control of her . . . welp. Like, I'm not really surprised by this. And in a different situation I wouldn't even really find it that weird. I'd do it with the right person. But combination of age and the situation they are in and Regent being Regent annnnnd ya. Welp.

I did love how much of the interactions between Skitter and Regent/Imp really was just her struggling with parenting two teenage supervillains.

IT'S NOT SO EASY, IS IT CHILD?!? MAYBE YOU'LL CUT ME SOME SLACK AND LISTEN TO MY ADVICE IN THE FUTURE!

(She won't)

I fucking LOVE that she made the bible themed hero kneel. Absolutely fucking amazing.

Oh shiiit, Skitter just flat dropped that guy multiple stories. Is she going to far?

. . . wellll, these guys do literally worship the Endbringers so I guess a little aggression is ok.

Damn, Valefor sure has some fucked up powers, I wonder what they're gonna do abou-

. . .

. . .

. . . . . .

. . . wellll, these guys do literally worship the Endbringers so I guess a little aggression is ok.

. . .

Yep.

. . .

. . . I think I preferred when she just used a knife.

So anyway

Not a fan of Taylor having more alone time with Brian (not because I have any issue with the idea, but because I think she needs to be focusing on her girlfriends), but I am a fan of her using bugs to clean her dress and fix her hair afterwords while Brian just kinda sits there and has to contemplate what he has gotten himself into. Queen shit.

Flechette was SO mad that Parian wasn't "cute" anymore, I couldn't stop laughing. Sure, she said "You had to take the playfulness away? The joy?" but we all know what she meant. Of course, it's won't take very long for the new costume to get Flechette's attention. (I have to mention that this is basically exactly what I said when reading the scene, and the interlude a few chapters later just proved me right.)

Flechette is just so hopelessly gay

Miss Militia is actually getting very mild respect from me right now. Like, she's still working for the cops but she is actually agreeing to silently push against some things. Now, she says she doesn't have more power then that but she is a very well known hero and if she would publicly speak out about certain things there is a decent chance she could do more. That would of course be putting her position at risk though. Which is why she only gets very mild respect right now.

OH MY GOD I DIDN'T JUST GET TO SEE TATTLETALE'S MURDER WALL, I GOT TO SEE HER ENTIRE MURDER ROOM!

Fucking multiple bulletin boards with threads connecting them. Everything color coded. Reference numbers to files with more details. Multiple TV screens, computer with constant information dump. God. It's like a literal representation of the inside of my mind while I read Worm. SO MANY THINGS TO FIGURE OUT!

I love a lot of characters, but Tattletale always stays near the top. She gets me.

And from the fucking joy of getting to see that setup I come crashing the fuck down.

Like, I have completely figured out at this point that Skitter is turning herself in. I know what is coming. She's had her moment with everyone else and Tattletale is the last one.

And then. Then just . .

No goodbyes.

😭😭😭😭😭

HOW DARE THIS BOOK MAKE ME FEEL MY OWN FEELINGS!! I'M TOO GAY FOR THIS!

I do find it hysterical that the PRT officers working the front lobby don't all recognize Skitter on sight. Fucking gas station employees will manage to keep track of people with pictures on the "bad check" board, you'd think the PRT could manage to have their officers keep track of the face of one of the most well know villains in the country, if not the world, who also controls their city. PRT is forever bad at their job.

That one guy did notice her eventually though, so I guess he gets to be employee of the month.

The Number Man interlude thoughts:

The inside of this mans mind is one of the sexiest things I have ever seen and the constant reminder of the horrible things he is helping Cauldron do to all their prisoners was very helpful because it was the only thing keeping me from deciding that The Number Man is a perfect soul that can do no wrong.

I have no illusions here. I am weak. This man is a monster and I should not have any trouble remembering that.

But fuck shit fuck oh god fuck I don't even need him to touch me. I just need him to TALK to me. I just need him to get high with me and let me pick apart how his mind works!

He understood numbers, and through them, he understood everything.

That line. Absolute killer. Fucking take me.

. . . anyway yes it's a very interesting interlude!

Loved seeing more of the inner workings of Cauldron

I very much want to see the final level of their basement that only the Doctor goes into because I said that I thought Cauldron had a dead (for values of dead that are non-definable) higher dimensional being in their basement back during arc 15 and now I know for sure that there is something down there. I wanna know if I was right!

Oh my god he was friends with Jack

"Friends"

Look I make everything gay ok? It's not my choice! Sure it means I get to enjoy every tiny bit of Wolfspider and Chatterbug cause I see all of it. But it also means I see the ships I don't want to think about!

I men what was I supposed to think when Jack said “We can live this. Together. Every waking second…”?

Gay

Parian interlude thoughts:

And speaking of gay!

Fucking Flechette just full blown "Fuck all of this I want you to tell me what to do for the rest of my life!"

Full U-Haul lesbian.

GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!

This is Parian's new costume having an effect.

Just so gay. I love it.

Also Bitch just so fucking ready to break Skitter out. So fucking gay.

And the incredible loyalty, which is gonna hurt if she ends up feeling betrayed by Skitter.

Still gay though.

Tattletale, basically without powers, just completely giving Accord the "fuck off, we're in charge" was amazing. All she had to do was promise to consider his binders and he was all in. This poor man just wants somebody to read his ideas! He's like a aspiring screenwriter just begging people to read his script.

[rockingtheorange]

Aneesh on IG live: (part 3)

Everyone LOVED teasing Nick:

When Comfort came out, they played it all day long, embarrassing him (affectionate)

They had a watch party for Purple hearts' release, teasing him all night

I remind you that Matthew also tricked him into thinking his karaoke scenes were all corrupted and needed to be reshot again (here at 9:45)

Aneesh's first day on set was when they shooted Alex on campaign (the hallway and playing cards)

She refused to say who got in trouble on set the most 👀

To the question "who was your bestie on set?" She didn't even think before saying "Taylor" cause they spent a lot of time together and grew very close

Someone asked: "Is Nick that beautiful in person?" And she replied with "Yes, he is. They're all beautiful in person."

Rachel tripping is something they laugh about and it became kind of their blooper even though she didn't actually trip, it just seems like it

She mentioned that even tho reshootings are stressful, the rwrb one felt more like a family reunion

A lot of Alex is actually also Taylor, like his big heart and being a warm human being

Here for part 1, part 2, part 4

[daresplaining]

any thoughts on matt's appearance in "superior iron man"? i understand why they had to keep his appearance self-contained so as not to interfere with his own book but i always thought it was sad that here was one of the rare times matt got to see foggy's face and he doesn't remember it.

I love that Superior Iron Man cameo. Tom Taylor writes Matt and his power-set really well. It's a fun, twisted little story, a great example of Matt's fearless persistence when confronting enemies who are much more powerful than he is, and a striking addition to the long history of people restoring his vision without his permission.

(For context, for anyone unfamiliar: the Superior Iron Man comic was a tie-in to an event in which a bunch of heroes were hit with a spell that functionally made them evil. Normal Tony would never do this.)

I agree it's a bit sad that Matt forgot about seeing Foggy, and it's a very touching little scene. But for me personally, I liked that memory wipe because of how disturbing it was; just one more violation to emphasize Evil Tony's corruption. Besides, Matt had already seen Foggy several times before that (in the main series, and also in the Captain Universe tie-in), and the more times it happens and he remembers it, the less impactful it gets. We'll always have Daredevil volume 1 #379:

Matt: "He is the best friend I have ever had. This is the first time I've ever seen him. It is a glance that only lasts a moment. Yet...in a way...I know it will last a lifetime." Daredevil vol. 1 #379 by Scott Lobdell, Cully Hamner, Melissa Edwards, Jason Martin, and Liz Agraphiotis

[graysoncritic]

A (Negative) Review of Tom Taylor's Nightwing Run - What Went Wrong? Bludhaven (PART 2)

Introduction Who is Dick Grayson? What Went Wrong? Dick's Characterization What Went Wrong? Barbara Gordon What Went Wrong? Bludhaven (Part 1, Part 2) What Went Wrong? Melinda Lin Grayson What Went Wrong? Bea Bennett What Went Wrong? Villains Conclusion Bibliography

Instead, Taylor readily abandons the statue just as soon as it is introduced. We don’t return to it, we don’t even use it as a set piece that can ground Bludhaven and make it feel like an actual place. It doesn’t make an appearance in any covers, nor in establishing shots. In fact, even its thematic symbolism is forgotten when Alfred’s statue is built. Such a decision is especially infuriating when one considers the fact that not only would Alfred hate having a statue in his honor, but that Alfred means absolutely nothing to the people of Bludhaven. He means something to the reader, but not the citizens of the city that Dick is meant to protect. In this, we see how once more Taylor’s online mindset interferes with his storytelling, replacing a set piece that was tied to the in-universe history of the city he was writing with fanservice.

By contrast, Humphrie’s Bludhaven is filled with specific locations that are unique to, well, Bludhaven. We have the different casinos

(Humphries, Sam. Ruthless, writer. Janson, Klaus; Campbell, Jamal, illustrator. Nightwing: Rebirth no. 37, e-book ed. DC Comics, 2018. pp. 22)

The Tiki District

(Humphries, Sam, writer. Chang, Bernard, illustrator. The Untouchable: Chapter Two: Relentless. Nightwing: Rebirth no. 36, e-book ed. DC Comics, 2018. pp. 13)

Which greatly contrasts the darkness of the docks…

(Humphries, Sam, writer. Chang, Bernard, illustrator. The Untouchable: Chapter One: Hunter. Nightwing: Rebirth no. 35, e-book ed. DC Comics, 2018. pp. 17)

And the melancholy of the sunken city

(Humphries, Sam, writer. Jimenez, Phil; Campbell, Jamal, illustrator. The Untouchable: Chapter Five:Face Off. Nightwing: Rebirth no. 39, e-book  ed. DC Comics, 2018 pp. 05)

All of it is so specific that it makes Bludhaven feel alive. It gives Bludhaven an identity rather than keeping it a generic location.

Let’s take a closer look at the establishing shot of the sunken city and see how the page is laid out to emphasize the storytelling going on in the dialogue and enrich Bludhaven. There's something so visually poetic about that last panel. The intimacy between the Judge and Nightwing, the opulent throne atop a simple boat in a sunken, destroyed home. 

It feels a bit like a visual metaphor for Bludhaven and corruption. Bludhaven is thriving because of the casinos, but they are also corrupt. And yet, despite their rich aesthetic, they are built on top of a tragedy, of a city that was lost and had to rebuild itself, taking advantage of a corrupt system that devastates its citizens while also being the only thing keeping them from drowning. 

The lighting of the page is also so beautiful. Light coming in from above, appearing almost heavenly, and yet it makes the scene so still and lonely

During Dixon and Grayson’s runs, and during Taylor’s run, Bldhaven does not have an identity outside of Gotham and Nightwing. It is difficult to describe it without relying on those two factors. It is not impossible, of course, but those descriptions would be rather bare, relying on what one wishes Bludhaven could be rather than what is actually on the page.

In The Untouchable, however, Bludhaven can be described independent of Gotham and Nightwing. Yes, those elements are still crucial to its depiction, but rather than being all that there is to it, they serve to enhance what is already there. Dick’s interactions with people from Bludhaven further fleshes out the city while also demonstrating that they have their own lives outside of their meetings with Dick or Nightwing. Guppy, Svoboda, Lucy, Dick's clients at his gym... All of them are clear products of Bludhaven, they are affected by what happens in Bludhaven, and they interact with different parts of Bludhaven. Because they are characters with their own interiority, the reader really is able to feel the consequences of the Judge's actions. 

Yet, Taylor and Redondo both refuse to pay Bludhaven any of the attention it deserves. They do not even give it the respect of making it into Gotham-light. Instead, they opt for the generic, lazy, and morally simplistic depiction that is yet more proof of just how little thought they give to anything remotely related to Dick Grayson.

Bludhaven, as it exists in The Untouchable, was built on top of a corrupt foundation, and its systems are so intertwined with the rot that you can't neatly separate them. There's no easy answer to this, no solution without a victim. It adds some nice stakes to the story, creates constraints which Dick must creatively work around, and demonstrates how Nightwing’s fight is far larger than just The Judge. It illustrates how even if Dick catches this one guy, he still has so much more to do, creating a perfect comic status-quo where the hero can progress and make a difference without eliminating conflict sources for future stories.

Through the Judge, we also get to see Bludhaven’s history, and through this evolution, we also get to see just how much Humphrey cares about Bludhaven. I have yet to encounter another writer who has devoted so much care to Dick’s city. I have yet to encounter a writer who put so much effort into making this city feel alive. Gotham is beloved by many writers and fans alike, and The Untouchable showed that Bludhaven has the potential to be just as great if only it was given to a writer who cares enough to develop it. 

Needless to say, Taylor is not that writer.

(Taylor, Tom, writer. Redondo, Bruno, illustrator. Leaping into the Light Part 4. Nightwing: Rebirth. 81, e-book ed. DC Comics, 2021. pp 13)

While this may be wholesome, the truth is that by giving such a triumphant moment early on in the story, Taylor robbed his characters of any opportunity to change, and any opportunity for a well-earned pay off later. In turn, this robbed the story of its ability to engage with its themes by creating a very simple morality. Evil can be manifested in different ways and anyone is capable of it. Perhaps not all of us will be uppercase Evil, but we're all capable of the smallest acts of lowercase evil by letting our anger blind us to what is right, not helping others because we tell ourselves we have to survive, upholding unfair systems because they benefit us.

The city of Gotham does something similar. We have the evil of the rogues, but we also have the crime families, a myriad of corrupt institutions -- from the police department to the justice system to the politicians who are in the pockets of those on the top – and the ordinary citizens who have been disillusioned by the hardship they face. We have greed on a massive scale but also a small and personal one that is far more relatable, we have chaos of the Joker and we have more relatable pettiness, selfishness, apathy, and cruelty. 

Some of these play a larger role than others, their influence has a wider reach, but it is the different layers that makes Gotham feel so difficult to tackle. There’s a reason why Batman's origin story works best when it's just about a mugging gone wrong, and when Joe Chill is just a simple man who fired two shots in a dark alley because he wanted a pearl necklace. There's a reason why Bruce stays in Gotham rather than trying to save the entire world all the time. Batman, after all, is not about fighting the just grander Evil, but about bringing justice to everyone, even in what may be perceived to be a small scale. 

While I do not believe Batman: The Knight was perfect (and, indeed, I have a lot of problems with it and dislike Zdarsky’s current Batman run nearly as much as I dislike Taylor’s Nightwing), I do think that Zdarsky did a good job when having Ra’s Al Ghul confront Bruce on this matter. 

In #09, Ra’s challenges Bruce to work on a macro scale, and Bruce explores that idea before deciding he needs to work on a more personal level.

(Zdarsky, Chip, writer. Di Giandomenico, Carmine. The Knight Part 9. Batman: The Knight. 09, e-book ed. DC Comics, 2022. pp 13)

Bruce’s world did not fall apart because of a war or an alien invasion, but that did not mean his pain is invalid. There might be far more important things than catching a mob boss who orchestrated the murder of two circus acrobats, but that doesn’t mean that their lives did not matter or that their son does not deserve to see justice. One of the beautiful things about the detective stories of Batman and of Nightwing is that they treat everyone’s trauma with equal respect. Batman and Nightwing aren’t just about catching the bad guy, they are about giving the victim a chance to heal by offering them closure. 

You can also observe the dichotomy of these two evils in The Untouchable. The entire plot of The Untouchable is about the Judge using people’s desires to corrupt them, luring them into committing evil deeds. At the same time, the story does not condemn those who fell prey to the Judge’s promises. Instead, it portrays them as complex individuals, and this reaffirms the themes of corruption through desire and the necessity for forgiveness.

Lucy, for example, is not vilified for betraying Dick. She did the Judge’s bidding, but she is not a bad person. She is still Dick’s friend and cares deeply for him. And yet, her choices are not portrayed as excusable. The comic perfectly balanced having Lucy not be a bad guy for what she did while also making it clear that she was still in the wrong for accepting the Judge’s offer. She is not Evil but she made an evil choice and she needs to be held accountable for that. 

This plays into the idea that to Dick, people are not naturally Good nor naturally Evil. They just are who they are, they have the potential for both, and it's their choices that dictate their nature. 

(Humphries, Sam, writer. Chang, Bernard, illustrator. The Untouchable: Chapter Six: Deep Dive. Nightwing: Rebirth no. 40, e-book  ed. DC Comics, 2018. pp. 18)

And as mentioned previously, Grayson also played with such ideas when she introduced the character of Sophia into the story. 

Taylor flirts with similar ideas without ever committing to them. His Bludhaven supposedly has corrupt institutions, big men on top who oppress others in order to stay rich, but to lay every wrong and every sin in the city at Blockbuster’s feet is morally simplistic. It's flattening. Immature. It's, frankly, boring. It just doesn't work on a narrative level. Most importantly, it makes Nightwing's presence superfluous.

Once more, I must emphasize that I do not believe that one must incorporate a social commentary in the themes of one’s story. However, as Taylor's narrative seems to signal he wants to discuss these matters, I think it is only fair to point out how his actual writing is uninterested in examining the complications inherited in these subjects. Taylor wants those big, meaningful moments that claim to say something thematically important, yet he creates easy-to-take down strawman villains who can take the blame for everything while wrapping them in the trappings of social commentary. 

Nothing in Taylor's supporting characters, conflicts, villains, or city were created to challenge Dick in any way. Part of the reason why you can feel Bruce's genuine love for Gotham is that that city is always challenging him, always giving him a reason to give up, but Bruce never does. Again and again, Gotham shows itself as a place that perhaps should not be saved, that is too rotten, literally cursed to bring out the worst of humanity. It would be easier to burn the whole thing down and start new. 

But Bruce doesn’t do that. He still sees something in Gotham worth saving. No matter what he uncovers, Bruce won’t give up, and that makes us, the readers, root for Batman and root for Gotham.

Bludhaven should challenge Dick in a similar way. But in this run, it doesn't. Dick's assertion that the citizens of Bludhaven are good and there are only a few bad apples ruining it for everyone is never challenged. Dick is never asked to question his beliefs. When he decided that the solution to one of Bludhaven's biggest problems (homelessness) was just to create a shelter, Dick is never challenged for his savior mentality, he never faces push back from those above him or below, is never paralyzed by bureaucracy, never has to deal setbacks that force him to re-strategize. He's just... Proved right. And everything goes on smoothly. 

Taylor’s approach gives Dick no room to grow and no room to stand his ground. I can’t help but think how much more powerful Dick’s own belief in Bludhaven and its people would have been if, during that earlier scene when the tent city was in flames, no one came to help. Nightwing and Robin would have had to save everyone on their own, and Dick would be faced with the difficult to swallow possibility that maybe he’s wrong. Maybe the people of Bludhaven are too disillusioned to do good. Maybe Babs and Tim, both characters who are known for being pragmatic, would even tell him so. But he refuses to accept that. As he looks upon the octopus statue, Dick affirms  the resilience of the city and how it does not need to come at the cost of kindness. Bludhaven is worth saving, its people are worth saving, and Dick will continue to believe in them, even though he was just given a reason not to. 

Again, I must emphasize that it is fine if a person is not interested in writing a story about this. Not every superhero story needs to explore these real-world, complex themes. One of my personal favorite Batman stories (and one I believe should be required reading for any Batman fan) is Murderer/Fugitive. While there are certainly themes of forging of identity, the story is far more concerned with what the forging of one’s identity means in the specific context of Batman rather than that of the real world. That is not to say you couldn't do an analysis on identity about Murderer/Fugitive, but the work as a whole serves more as a commentary on Batman, and it is in conversation with the popular idea that "Bruce Wayne is the mask that Batman wears." 

And just because one wishes to engage with themes of class and economic inequality, it does mean one needs to tackle it directly. Again I must bring up the modern masterpiece that is Scott Snyder’s Court of Owls. That story beautifully uses the fantastical and noire elements of the Court and the creation of the Talons to engage with themes of wealth inequality and to explore Bruce’s complex relationship with Gotham. The secret cult, of superhuman assassins, and the murder mystery element provide enough distance between the real world issues and the story itself that Snyder has the creative freedom to play with his characters and narrative while the specificity allows him to dig deeper than he ever could should he have decided on going for a broad approach.

Taylor tries to ground his themes by using real-world issues, but he refuses to engage with what those real-world issues look like in, well, the real-world. He deals with them in the context of his morally simplified, perfect little society. As Braxis perfectly pointed out “When Dick starts a charity to help the homeless he never actually explains how that will be done, what causes homelessness, or what the homeless are asking for support.” (Braxi, Steve, “On Superman, Shootings, and the Reality of Superheroes” Comics Bookcase, September 2021)

Taylor’s Bludhaven demonstrates a frustratingly simplistic view on morality that prevents the story from engaging with these issues with the care they deserve. By not fleshing out the city, by denying Dick’s interactions with other characters, Taylor creates a world of simple morals. This means that rather than engaging with the progressive ideology he claims to care about he is simply creating the appearance  of social commentary and rich themes. This demonstrates that he’s not actually interested in the work required to make that work, only the prestige that comes from it.

[antispopausandstuff]

the c//a // catra // adora editing community is so funny because all of them ( literally all of them ) do at least one of these things:

edit c//a to a song that's either about abusive relationships, broken relationships, nonexistent relationships ( "One Way or Another" is about a stalker, for ex ), or about familial dynamics ( typically siblings, but i've seen c//a being edited to "Mama's Boy" recently ).

the healthy relationship songs they DO use are typically by Taylor Swift and // or are completely tone-deaf to the scenes used.

show adora having a bad time via catra's hands while using some cutesy or romance-angsty lyrics.

edit catra to badass audios, but use scenes where she's clearly NOT having a good time ( i've seen some edits be of her dying or getting beat up ) 🤣.

use 'Toxic' by Britney Spears ironically ( they think this is funny to make fun of antis with, i think??? ).

their edits are so disconnected from everything that it's not even funny, it will just give you an eyesore ( saw an edit with 'Dark Red' by Steve Lacy to an edit that was both badass and romance angst??? ).

if they do show the 'bad side of the relationship', they use songs that typically soften the blow, as if corrupted catra is gonna look any better with Taylor Swift's ricochet song in the background-

if they make a 'badass couple' edit, they use scenes that have one party ( typically catra ) hurting the other instead of standalone scenes or smth.

i noticed that a lot of the 'happy' edits are with a bunch of fanart or of s5. hm. wonder why that is.

use songs for catra edits that really work better with adora ( for ex, "911" by Elise or "Potential Breakup Song" by Aly & AJ ), because the songs would typically be from the victim's POV ( which i find funny in the worst way tbh ).

in the rare case that the stan has awareness of catra's actions, they still edit c//a because they think redeemed catra is fine ( one step forward, five steps back. we sigh. ). or, edit catra because they think she's well-written or smth, idk.

it's just a mess, and it would be even more funny if i didn't feel like a migraine was growing in my brain every time i noticed it.

feel free to mention some others i may have forgotten, 'cause i'm sure i've seen all the types at this point, just don't rmbr them all.

[rickrakontoys]

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)

9/10

Just let George Miller make whatever Mad Max movies he wants. I will witness it.

A very different beast than Fury Road, this is a sweeping, ambitious, character driven story of vengence and violence. Splitting the story into 5 chapters, each having their own narrative goals, makes the film feel very episodic. However, this structure allows each segment to have a distinct feel, while familiarizing us with the key players and the motivating events in young Furiosa's life that lead her on the path to Fury Road. The themes, visual motifs, and symbols woven through the story create a rich tapestry that, like Fury Road, elevates this beyond action spectacle and into something grand and mythic.

Anya Taylor Joy doesn't actually appear as Furiosa until nearly a third into the movie, but once she does, she commands the screen with a nearly wordless performance, glowering with intense resolve and roiling emotions. This gives the few words she does say more importance and weight. Joy has much more to do with the character here than Charlize Theron, and, while evocative of Theron's version, makes it her own. Alyla Brown as young Furiosa is terrific as well in the first two chapters, also saying very little while using only her eyes and body language to convey feelings.

While many of the Wasteland denizens new and old are portrayed impeccably with that signature manic "Mad Max" energy, it is Chris Hemsworth's Dementus that basically steals the show. Equal parts charismatic and menacing, intimidating yet vulnerable, he provides Furiosa with an interesting antagonist whose motivations are as nebulous and volatile as a desert sandstorm. Hemsworth plays Dementus as a true product of the end of the world: a sad, pitiable, broken man acting the part of a cruel, bombastic leader, allowing himself to be corrupted by the unforgiving reality around him, using humor and eccentricity as a thin veneer over his brutal nihilism.

Much has already been discussed about the film's look. While John Seale's cinematography is missed, Furiosa still contains some terrific and creative shots, particularly during its many action scenes. The wasteland is once again presented using a variety of highly-saturated colors, which is always a refreshing deviation from the typical, washed-out appearance of other post-apocalyptic movies. Yet, the compositing, lighting, and computer effects are a step down from Fury Road, and can be distractingly noticeable at times, especially due to the grander scale of the setpieces requiring more CGI effects and background replacements. But these are relatively minor complaints, as the practical effects involving smashing vehicles and flailing stunt persons are still astonishing to behold. Miller's skill in staging action remains some of the best in the business, as even the most chaotic of sequences remain visually coherent.

While not as laser focused as Fury Road, Furiosa is still an incredible achievement in both character and world-building. It is perhaps one of the best prequels made, as it not only expands what was seen before in a satisfying way, but its added context improves its predecessor.

It is rather odd that Miller chose to include a montage of Fury Road scenes in the end credits... This movie would make a perfect double-feature with Fury Road, except it decides to show you "Fury Road: Cliff Notes edition" right at the end...

[nana-71926]

Author's Notes: Nearing the end but of course, the Muse and I can't resist giving Brian and Roger all the fireworks at every available opportunity, ehehehe. Enjoy! XD

Pairing: Brian May x Roger Taylor

Excerpt:

Deacy drew back, eyes wide, as he opened the door. “Sir? What are you doing here?”

“Evening, Deacy,” said Brian as he slid through the narrow crack of the open door. “I used to live here, remember?”

“It wouldn’t do for you to—”

“I want you to take me with you,” said Brian, cutting him short, “to whatever den of iniquity your work will send you tonight.”

“I don’t think that would be wise, sir.”

“I am done,” replied Brian, seething, “with being treated as some sort of virgin, useless Alpha who must be protected from certain scenes and knowledge that might corrupt me. I am through, John.”

Deacy blinked and quickly adjusted himself to the situation. “Very well, sir,” he said. “If you insist.”

Buy the Muse some ko-fi to show her some love (and to make her write faster!) ^_~

[fipindustries]

What makes Worm a better story than its' sequels?

oh boy, time to shit on ward, my favourite thing to do!

in many ways i feel worm is simpler. This might sound weird coming from such a famously big and ambitious story but when you get down to it its incredibly simple. Is the basic underdog anti hero story set in a fairly standard superhero world. A bullied girl tries to be a hero but the world is dark and complicated and heroes are flawed and corrupt so she gets pushed into being a supervillain and yet she is sort of a robin hood type where she does "villanous things" in order to help people.

She gets more and more powerful and eventually she saves the world by beating god who was actually evil all along.

Like this is all standard classic underdog subvertion where dark is not necesarily evil and light is not necesarily good. Megamind does this, despicable me does this. Taylor is an incredibly compelling, hyper pragmatical, utilitarian genius strategist and she is also a nerdy shy socially anxious girl who gets bullied. She meets and befriends a bunch of cool, rebellious edgy teenage friends. It explores classic superheroe tropes by grounding them in reality and showing the dark logical implications of the classic innocent superhero world of comics. Like watchmen did, like the boys did, like top ten did, like astro city did. The list goes on. It has a shitton of fascinating, cool, complex characters, all who slot very easily into some comic book archetype. It has some of the most intricate and well thought out worldbuilding, and a series of really clear and compelling mysteries to solve.

Ward by contrast is... messy. The world was broken and pushed forward into a post apocaliptic setting so it cant be classic superhero fare anymore. But also it never fully commits to really explore the post apocaliptic side of it either so is just kind of a muddled mess. The powers get esoteric and harder to really grasp. The tone and the narration becomes incredibly dour and morose and depressing to wade through. The characters are generally less likeable. It focuses a lot on trauma and recovery and the boring, no fun, tedious work of improving your mental health. The fight scenes get boring and confusing. The pacibg gets really slow, the plot feels aimless at times. Suddenly the tone gets a lot more judgy, when in the past the story seemed to be a lot more interested in exploring and empathizing with its villains in here the bad guys tend to just be evil assholes and that is kind of it. The protagonist is a boring angry humorless self righteous depressed stick in the mud who cant help but think of the world in terms of simple good and evil. Its a trudging tedious plodding crawl to a messy ending that is honestly a retread of the ending of the first book where the guy tries to escalate the stakes to upstage the ending of worm but makes everything feel meaningless and pointless.

Is just not fun to read, it feels like homework. It feels like doing taxes. It feels like its trying to be so adult and mature and dramatic and serious that it lost all entertainment value or joy of experiencing fiction.

[dayofaestheticorsubculture]

Romanticism

Romanticism was a broad and influential cultural, artistic, intellectual, and literary movement that originated in Europe toward the end of the 18th century, reaching its peak during the first half of the 19th century. It emerged as a reaction against the perceived constraints of the Enlightenment's emphasis on reason, order, and rationality, as well as against the industrialization and mechanization of society brought about by the Industrial Revolution. Romanticism placed a premium on emotion, individualism, nature, imagination, the sublime, and the transcendental. While it manifested differently across national and artistic boundaries, the unifying theme of Romanticism was a deep discontent with the rationalist and materialist worldview, and a yearning for authenticity, spiritual depth, and a reconnection with the natural world and inner experience.

The roots of Romanticism can be traced to late 18th-century Germany and Britain, although its antecedents lie in earlier literary and philosophical movements, such as the Sturm und Drang ("Storm and Stress") movement in Germany and the sentimentalism of earlier British and French writers. Romanticism developed in the aftermath of the Enlightenment, a period that celebrated reason, empiricism, and scientific progress, and the French Revolution (1789), which ignited radical political ideals but also resulted in disillusionment due to its violence and aftermath.

In philosophy, Romanticism grew in reaction to Enlightenment thinkers such as Voltaire and Locke. Instead, Romantic thinkers turned to Rousseau’s ideas about the "noble savage," the corruption of civilization, and the essential goodness of human beings in their natural state. The movement also drew on pre-Enlightenment traditions, including medievalism, folk culture, and the sublime aesthetics of Edmund Burke.

Romanticism was influenced by growing nationalism and the rediscovery of medieval literature and mythology. At the same time, it reacted against the rising influence of mechanistic science and rational bureaucracy that began to reshape European societies. The Industrial Revolution, which transformed economies and landscapes, also provoked Romantic critiques of environmental destruction and the dehumanizing effects of urban life.

Key Themes and Concepts:

1. Emotion and Subjectivity

Romanticism emphasized emotion, passion, and personal feeling over the rational and objective. Romantic artists and writers valued intense emotional experiences—grief, ecstasy, awe, terror—as pathways to truth. This emphasis led to an exploration of the darker sides of human nature, including melancholy, madness, and obsession. Subjectivity became central, with the individual artist’s perspective and inner life elevated as the wellspring of creativity.

2. The Sublime

The sublime, a concept popularized by Edmund Burke, became a cornerstone of Romantic aesthetics. The sublime refers to experiences of overwhelming beauty or terror, often associated with nature—towering mountains, storms, vast oceans. These experiences surpassed human understanding and evoked a sense of awe and humility. Romantic artists and writers sought to capture this transcendent quality in their works, seeing the sublime as a portal to the divine or the infinite.

3. Nature and the Pastoral Ideal

Romanticism revered nature as a living, spiritual force and an antidote to industrialization and urban decay. Nature was often depicted as pure and restorative, in contrast to the artificiality and corruption of modern life. Romantic poets like William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge celebrated landscapes and rural life, while also engaging with ecological concerns. In Germany, figures like Caspar David Friedrich painted contemplative scenes that emphasized human insignificance before the natural world.

4. Imagination and Creativity

Imagination was considered superior to reason in Romantic thought. It was the faculty through which individuals accessed truth, beauty, and spiritual insight. Romantic writers viewed the imagination as a creative force capable of reshaping reality, and thus many Romantic works are characterized by fantasy, myth, dream-like imagery, and a fascination with the supernatural. The poet, for Romantics, was often seen as a prophet or visionary.

5. Individualism and the Heroic Self

Romanticism elevated the individual, especially the outsider, the genius, or the tragic hero, as a figure of significance. Romantic literature often focused on characters in isolation—either self-imposed or societal—struggling against conventional norms. The Byronic hero, exemplified by Lord Byron himself, was an iconic Romantic figure: brooding, rebellious, charismatic, and doomed. This emphasis on individuality was also linked to political and artistic freedom.

6. Medievalism and the Gothic

Romanticism revived interest in the Middle Ages, with its chivalry, mystery, and religious symbolism. This fascination manifested in architecture (the Gothic Revival), literature (e.g., Sir Walter Scott’s historical novels), and the visual arts. Gothic fiction, a subset of Romantic literature, emerged with works like Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Bram Stoker’s Dracula, exploring horror, the uncanny, and the limits of human knowledge.

7. Nationalism and Folk Culture

Romanticism played a key role in the formation of national identities. Romantics collected and celebrated folk tales, songs, and oral traditions, which they saw as expressions of a people’s soul. The Brothers Grimm, for example, gathered Germanic folktales as part of a broader cultural revival. In countries such as Poland, Russia, and Finland, Romanticism was intertwined with movements for independence and cultural autonomy.

8. The Supernatural and the Exotic

Romanticism embraced the irrational and mysterious. Ghosts, spirits, and dream worlds populated Romantic literature and art. Writers like Edgar Allan Poe, E.T.A. Hoffmann, and Théophile Gautier explored the uncanny and the metaphysical. At the same time, Romanticism exhibited a fascination with the "exotic"—distant lands, ancient civilizations, and Oriental cultures, albeit often through a Eurocentric or idealized lens.

Romanticism transformed literature across Europe and the Americas. In Britain, the movement is often divided into two generations. The first included William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, whose Lyrical Ballads (1798) marked a turning point in English poetry, emphasizing natural speech, rustic subjects, and emotional sincerity. The second generation, including Percy Bysshe Shelley, Lord Byron, and John Keats, took more radical and passionate approaches to poetic expression, often challenging social and political norms.

In Germany, Romanticism encompassed both early (or "Jena") Romanticism, with figures like Novalis, Friedrich Schlegel, and Ludwig Tieck, and later Romanticism, including E.T.A. Hoffmann and Heinrich Heine. German Romanticism was particularly philosophical, intertwining with Idealist thought and emphasizing the unity of art, nature, and spirit.

French Romanticism was spearheaded by figures like Victor Hugo, whose novels (Les Misérables, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame) and poetry fused social criticism, gothic themes, and emotional grandeur. In Russia, Alexander Pushkin laid the foundation of modern Russian literature, while Mikhail Lermontov and Nikolai Gogol expanded Romanticism's psychological and folkloric dimensions.

In the United States, Romanticism found expression in the American Renaissance, with writers such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau advancing transcendentalist ideas. Edgar Allan Poe brought Gothic Romanticism to new heights, while Walt Whitman celebrated the individual and nature in visionary free verse.

In painting and sculpture, Romanticism diverged from the Neoclassical focus on clarity, symmetry, and idealized form. Romantic artists emphasized color, movement, and emotional intensity. British painters like J.M.W. Turner and John Constable evoked the sublime and the pastoral, respectively. Turner's dramatic landscapes, often portraying storms or fire, pushed the boundaries of abstraction. Constable focused on idyllic English countryside scenes that conveyed a quiet, nostalgic beauty.

In France, Eugène Delacroix’s dynamic and colorful works, such as Liberty Leading the People, epitomized Romantic themes of revolution and human struggle. In Spain, Francisco Goya portrayed the horrors of war and the grotesque aspects of humanity with unflinching realism, particularly in works like The Third of May 1808 and The Disasters of War.

In Germany, Caspar David Friedrich’s meditative landscapes placed solitary figures in vast natural settings, evoking a spiritual connection between humanity and the cosmos. His work encapsulated the Romantic longing for transcendence and the sublime.

Romanticism revolutionized Western classical music by expanding its emotional range, formal innovation, and thematic complexity. Composers such as Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Schubert, and Hector Berlioz pioneered the Romantic style in the early 19th century. Beethoven, a transitional figure, infused Classical forms with personal intensity and dramatic power, particularly in his later symphonies and piano sonatas.

Franz Schubert’s Lieder (art songs) exemplified Romantic lyricism and emotional subtlety, often drawing on poetry by Goethe and other Romantic writers. Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique (1830) introduced programmatic music—compositions that narrate a story or depict a scene—an innovation embraced by later Romantics.

Later Romantic composers such as Johannes Brahms, Richard Wagner, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and Franz Liszt expanded the scope of music both technically and emotionally. Wagner’s concept of the Gesamtkunstwerk (total artwork), combining music, poetry, and stage design, and his use of leitmotifs deeply influenced operatic and cinematic traditions. Nationalist music flourished during this period, with composers like Bedřich Smetana, Antonín Dvořák, and Edvard Grieg drawing on folk traditions to express cultural identity.

Romantic philosophy, particularly in Germany, evolved in conjunction with and sometimes in opposition to German Idealism. Friedrich Schelling advanced a "philosophy of nature" that saw the natural world as a manifestation of the Absolute, a living, dynamic reality. Johann Gottlieb Fichte emphasized the self-positing nature of consciousness, aligning with Romantic notions of the creative individual.

Romantic thinkers like Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, although sometimes critical of extreme Romanticism, integrated scientific, literary, and philosophical concerns in their work. Goethe’s concept of Weltliteratur (world literature) anticipated a cosmopolitan appreciation of global cultures. Meanwhile, Romantic theology, as seen in Friedrich Schleiermacher’s work, sought to reconcile Christian faith with individual feeling and experience.

By the mid-19th century, Romanticism began to wane, giving way to Realism and Naturalism, which emphasized objective observation and social critique. However, many Romantic ideas continued to influence later movements, including Symbolism, Decadence, Expressionism, and even Modernism.

Romanticism left an indelible mark on Western culture, redefining conceptions of art, the artist, nature, and human subjectivity. It established a framework for modern ideas about creativity, authenticity, and emotional depth, and its influence endures in contemporary literature, cinema, philosophy, and environmental thought.

Romanticism was not a singular or unified movement but a constellation of impulses, ideals, and artistic expressions that reshaped the cultural landscape of Europe and the Americas. Its reach extended across disciplines and national borders, articulating a powerful response to the dislocations of modernity. Through its celebration of emotion, nature, individuality, and the imagination, Romanticism opened new avenues of artistic freedom and philosophical inquiry that continue to resonate in the 21st century.

[transbookoftheday]

Never Satisfied by Taylor Robin

The full-color, critically acclaimed graphic novel series that started as a webcomic! In a competition for apprentice magicians and their animal familiars, non-binary Lucy is chasing the reward...and learning the cost.

The competition to become the new city Representative—a magician who serves the magistration and protects the people from monstrous husks—is fierce. Eight young apprentices and their animal familiars are vying for the role, while behind the scenes, corrupt officials work to ensure their favored contestants make it to the next round. Lucy Marlowe wants the job more than anything. A win would show their master that they aren’t a worthless waste of effort. But being Representative isn’t all it’s cracked up to be!

Championed as Best New Webcomic of 2015 on Comics Alliance, this first graphic novel of the acclaimed full-color webcomic by American artist Taylor Robin is bringing its rich magic and character drama to bookstores across the globe. (Collects the first five chapters of the comic originally published online, alongside print-exclusive bonus illustrations.)

[chirpovs]

episode 7 uh…. truly fantastic episode but worst fucking choice made by the writers, I’m so fuckin pissed

The Good

- Annatar the manipulative bastard that you are. like every scene where he’s manipulating reality and fucking with everyone’s head just had me on the edge of my seat

- Elrond and Durin my beloved

- I wasn’t sure about the Sauron’s blood to make the rings thing at first, but I’ve decided I like it and it makes the corruption and Nazgûlification of the nine fun

- okay so like I clocked what Celebrimbor was gonna do the moment he started messing with his chains but oh boy the poeticness of a crafter cutting off a finger to escape is so good (also reference to Maedhros my beloved?)

- for once there was a good speech in this series that was not lifted from the movies (I’m talking about Celebrimbor saying how only light can defeat darkness)

- Adar comparing Elrond to Melian? same bro, same

- I will not wax poetic about how good Elrond was in this episode but I want everyone to know I’m thinking it (also thank u to whoever let his hair go this season, I’m living for it)

- siege of eregion battle overall, no notes tbh. surprisingly only felt a little like the siege of minas tirith and like I mean that in a good way because it didn’t feel like a copy

- yet again, this episode benefits so, so much by there just being effectively one storyline going on. it all ties together much, much more smoothly and it allows you to actually immerse yourself in the story instead of getting taken out of it when the storyline changes

The Bad

- the cut when Gil-galad has just joined up with Elrond to the sunrise was really weird imo because it made it seem like no time had passed and it was just like sudden light change?

- I’m not sure if this is actually bad because it kinda makes sense, but Arondir really made the Eregion archers look pathetic. like maybe it was intentional cause they’re not really supposed to be warriors but it was definitely noticeable if it wasn’t

The Ugly

- as taylor swift said “it was unnecessary, should’ve let it stay buried.” you know what I’m gonna say, you know. the amount of unnecessary it was. the way it makes for weird implications. like yes, it was a distraction, yes Galadriel’s confused af face afterwards matched my confused af face, but also I will personally just be pretending it didn’t happen, because you cannot fucking tell me that they couldn’t think of any other way for the pin to be passed to her. honestly I cannot think of a single reason those writers would have sat in a room, discussed this, and then come to the conclusion that it was the right choice (and I wonder slightly if it reeks of executive meddling to create drama a la the whole Tauriel debacle back during the hobbit)

Other thoughts

- ngl guys I did not think that Mirdania would die like that??? rip to the Mirdania is Celebrian theory but I guess rip to that one anyway given the writers fucking choices

- Rían dead too????

- so I don’t think Arondir is dead at all btw guys, he was still moving and to me that means he’s alive

- I did truly think that the orcs were gonna turn on Adar because he’s leading them to death and they’re not convinced, so was surprised when they all join him at the end of the episode, but maybe that’s leading up to them choosing to join Sauron instead

- Elrond’s really goin through it this episode. like friends are either dead or seemingly abandoned him, ring he’s supposed to keep safe stolen, he had to fight a troll, give my boy a break (the way he will continue to go through it next episode when Celebrimbor gets Celebrimbannered 🥲)

- y’all should have seen my face throughout this episode, I was unwell, there are nail marks on my arm, jesus actual christ

[kimberlyannharts]

misc thoughts on #122 -

= Billy's actions do get framed as wrong I THINK but he still does that awful "yeah I'm sorry I guess but YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY I DID IT YOU'LL UNDERSTAND EVENTUALLY" bullshit that's been so prevalent in these comics and pisses me off every time. Oh was it ~hurtful~ for Aisha to call you a traitor? It probably hurt when Kiya and Alt-Trini kicked her ass and knocked her out because of what YOU told them to do, asshole

= Also if shattering the Grid really gets fixed as easily as "oh well the last remaining Egg will fix it" then Necessary Evil and the Omegas truly were giant wastes of time, weren't they

= Though while we're talking about it I have no idea of what the consequences of Billy shattering the Grid were besides everyone being pissed off at him (and Kiya and Alt-Trini might be out of the picture now; they don't show up in this issue and no one talks about them). Taking what was the foundation of an entire event - really, the foundation of the entire SERIES after Shattered Grid ended - and reducing it to two issues at the end of this one is definitely going to be a major part of my writeup

= We really didn't need the whole "Slayer and Ari fight" thing considering how fast it gets wrapped up

= Where the fuck was Kim. Tommy, Rocky, and Adam get one panel. good god the finale is going to be doing a lot of the heavy lifting of "actually feature the goddamn MMPRs"

= Jason gets weird over seeing Zack/Trini are together now. Make them a polycule you cowards

= Bulk calls Taylor hot??????? why do we need this??????

= obligatory Shattered Grid "everyone is here" scene is finally here but also kind of a shame that the guys they picked up in the montage were apparently the....ONLY guys they picked up lol

= Related to that we got further confirmation of characters who were previously just captured like Shelby and Danny are corrupted so truly what was the point of them just being captured

= Terona gets weirdly angry over Kendall....asking about Grace? "WHO TOLD YOU ABOUT HER??" Is this. like. a problem? That Kendall wants to know about Grace? Grace was the head of Promethea, why WOULDN'T Kendall know about her?

= I did like the memorial for the 1969 Rangers though, that was nice

= Same with how the issue didn't really give us any Salum/Maxie scenes, but them playing with Ari's kid in the bg was cute

= So was the "shocking cliffhanger that will leave you stunned" just......Ari opening the Void? Because that's not shocking. That's just what....needed to be done lol

[streets-in-paradise]

I hope you are well, and have a nice day. ☀️🌻

Hello... I wanted to make a request of you, (fem) Reader X Hector. My general idea is a princess who, although she may be a good queen, and useful to Troy, is rejected by the royal family and generals... Priam, Glaucus, Sarpedon..., except perhaps Paris who is too interested in having his brother Be happy and Briseis. Hector may fall in love with the princess during the girl's visit to Troy for commercial or cultural exchange, and he is not yet engaged to Andromache (Andromache may or may not be in Troy). And you know... Hector suffering in silence, and although he wants to avoid disappointing his father and all that, he loves the (fem) Reader... As an additional (if you consider that it doesn't go with the story, you could adapt it), the princess would remind in some way of Cleopatra (whether or not she is Egyptian) and that she is/was not accepted by Rome, in this case, Troy.

I read your post about what kind of female character would go with the Troy characters and it was great.

Thanks for reading me ✨

(Gif of Cleopatra and Mark Antony from the Rome series, because it's fun to think that all the Trojan nobles would fear that (fem) Reader would corrupt Hector, their future king.)

Hi!

Sorry for this late reply, i have been procrastinating the writing for the last couple of days and I once intended to post the fict within this answer.

Since I haven't been able to finish it yet, because i'm putting tons of research into it, I will answer the ask first to let you know i received it.

The idea sounds fantastic and while starting the writing I am watching a few Cleopatra centered media for inspiration. A few days ago I started the Elizabeth Taylor film ( it's 4 hours long so I am watching it slowly) and maybe after I will check on Rome ( i remember to have watched a few episodes back in the day, but haven't rewatched it since then)

I'm also midway into a re-reading of The Aeneid, to refresh my knowledge of how romans portrayed their mythical filiation with the trojans. Considering how much of it is constantly settling bridges between past an present, the idea of a Cleopatra-like figure in the times of Hector sounds fascinating and accurate for how romans developed mythical explanations for their historical rivalries.

Because in The Aeneid, Aeneas is portrayed as this epic figure who comes to be a superative of Hector as Rome is a superative of Troy. The story repeats over and over how he is supposed to evoke the glory of Augustus at the start of the empire. This is so obvious that the Battle of Actium is represented on the shield Vulcan makes for him ( parallel for the Iliad scene when Hephaestus makes the weapons of Achilles).

I can imagine romans writing stuff like " See? Troy found doom because of this bitch woman corrupting Hector for her gain and that's why Mark Antony was doomed to loose. Rome could only be founded by Aeneas, who reflects the glory of the freshly founded empire." the same way they justified their rivalry with Carthage through the episode with Dido.

The concept works so well considering the evolution of the epic cycle.