#with respect to comics. like i already said that’s the most important thing to me and it’s why

[roobylavender]

theres been a discussion of reeves vs nolan take on selina recently. someone said the nolan one was better and theyre currently getting dogpiled.. what is your take on whos better?

nolan unequivocally. i feel like people get caught up in nolan selina’s occasional sexy lines (which are cringe and i do dislike, to be clear) as a means to discredit the character altogether despite the fact that there’s so much emphasis put on selina having agency and liberty to do as she chooses, which is a quintessential aspect of her dynamic with bruce. he disapproves of her actions and methods at times but he respects her personhood and he doesn’t make choices for her bc obv he doesn’t have a right to but she would also never allow him to. their dynamic in the dark knight rises is great bc it is holistically predicated on a respect for her decisions, her bitterness, and her compassion. i do think there are other criticisms you can make as to how nolan selina sort of subtly reinforces the propaganda of the trilogy; i do not have the link at the moment but when reeves’s batman came out there was a youtuber who made a video comparing reeves selina to nolan selina and talked about how the latter’s whiteness did play into her ability to escape confinement and consequences easily, which when you juxtapose against the racism driving nolan’s casting and the recent shift to acknowledge selina as a potentially biracial character, can spark valid concerns as to limiting the potential class commentary she was actually capable of as a character (and i will address this later with respect to reeves selina). but that valid criticism aside my preference for nolan selina has to do with maintaining her character and relationship integrity, which to me is the most impt thing you can do in an adaptation. if the plot and circumstances will change, what you should at least try to do is maintain the core of the character, and nolan does that marvelously with selina and bruce (likely bc dixon, whose work the nolan movies are largely adapted from, actually tended to write these two well)

now, obv with reeves selina a huge reason for supporting her in comparison is the racial visibility, esp when you, again, consider why nolan originally rejected zoe for the role in his movies. and i do think that’s highly valid and frankly i want non-white selina, bc it makes her contentions with and distrust of the state as established in catwoman (1989) that much more palpable and worthwhile to explore. but a racebended casting doesn’t automatically do the work for you and there’s still a character integrity you have to maintain. and i think this is something not only reeves but dc writers at large tend to understand poorly. there’s so much racebending happening in comics these days and i do think it’s a useful vehicle but not as it’s actually used in practice. the changes are superficial rather than going to the root of the character. so i personally find reeves selina to be a huge insult to the character, bc rather than use that racebending as an opportunity to expand on selina and her hardline opposition to bruce and the state, it’s not really used to do much at all (which honestly can likely be attributed to the fact that everyone involved in making this script and plot was white!) and selina is instead regressed from what she was in the comic that reeves’s take on her was based on. catwoman (1989) and catwoman (1993) for that matter are huge novelties in selina’s history bc they are near insularly focused on her. we play by her rules and everyone else in the picture is a reactionary. the reeves movie turns this on its head bc now selina is subservient to bruce’s arc and to his decisions. he dictates what she does until she’s finally fed up with it, which we’re supposed to applaud despite the fact that bruce does nothing short of condescend to her and victim-blame a sex worker, and bc he ultimately saves her from her anger in the end so it’s romantic. the romance is the priority throughout the entire movie. there are brief moments of selina’s rebellion but as a whole she has no control over her arc bc bruce’s arc comes first. i also think the final scene where she says “the bat and the cat. has a nice ring to it” (or whatever it was, close enough) to be a complete misunderstanding of their dynamic at its inception. this movie purportedly based its selina on mindy newell’s work but somehow fails to recognize that mindy newell’s selina expressly disdained the idea of being associated with batman bc her independence and defiance was the entire point. even if you want to argue their dynamic in the movie is a reflection of what it has become in the comics now, those are depicting bruce and selina’s relationship with each other more than twenty years after they first met. it makes no sense to make selina so amenable to bruce in the beginning bc it completely undercuts the fact that she’s right in her class stance from the start. and it also seems to reiterate the prevalent misconception that for a romance to work between bruce and selina she has to soften her edges and anger, despite those being the exact things that made bruce attracted to and sympathetic of her

[lightlycareless]

Okay but im so curious

how would the zenin household react to seeing naoya become affectionate/simp for y/n?????? the thought of it already makes me kick my feet in the air

I will start with the fact that everything Naoya does with you is like a huge shocker to the whole clan.

From him finding a partner that willingly wants to be with him, to demonstrating affection to said partner… yeah, no one believed Naoya could actually care for anyone else but him, at least in a way that doesn’t denote making fun of them or something.

But he does, and when you came along, it brought out that side many wished he would’ve kept hidden.

I never envisioned Naoya to be very fond of PDA, at least not with people he knows, because he gets somewhat embarrassed (lol). Even holding hands with his wife when his relatives are nearby is like a big no-no. He feels like he needs to uphold this untouchable image of heir before them, demand their fear respect and so on.

However, as years go by, he’ll eventually just stop caring, especially if the two get married. He just… doesn’t give a f*ck lol.

And the thing he’ll do though at this point, oh, they’re going to be far from sweet. Let’s say that Naoya is a huge pervert when it comes to you lol. I don’t have any other way to put it, he’s just obsessed with you.

Naoya is the kind of person to slap your butt when passing/approaching you. He doesn’t care if you’re in the company of your staff, or if his uncle/cousins are there, or anyone really—he just had to do it, couldn’t hold himself, and you absolutely hate him for it because it makes you go through embarrassing moments!! Having to apologize in his name in order to do some damage control, people looking at the two and immediately looking away because they can’t remove that mental image!!! Oh boy.

You’ve talked to him about it and agreed to at least… keep it to a minimum, be more discreet if possible. Of course, that only applies in public places. In the bedroom… that’s a completely different story 😏

And let’s not forget he’s known to be a loudmouth, so the things he’ll tell you are not short of indecent either. This is probably the thing you dislike the most out of his affection. The other you could tolerate, act like no one saw anything (even play the fool if someone alleged they saw something) but THIS???? Nah, it’s just too much—and childish too.

“I don’t think it’ll fit, Naoya” you say, probably about something mundane like a new couch you got for the house.

“Really? But I saw how well you fit me yesterday.” And the way your face turns red is almost comical, more so when the mover was right there, listening to everything, Naoya just had to laugh.

“Shut up!!”

“What? I was referring to the conversation about the couch we had last night, pervert.” lies. The sneaky bastard will act like you’re the indecorous one out of the two for having understood his words like that!! As if you hadn’t known him for years now!

It’s safe to say that it’s really hard to have important meetings when the two are present, so his family would often try to get you or Naoya alone.

But… it wasn’t all that bad, because even when Naoya can be mildly infuriating, he’s also capable of being sweet.

That is something that mostly happens when in private, away from the prying eyes of the rest of the world, more so when he’s spent a long time away from you.

Naoya will reach out for you first thing upon arriving back to the estate, gently cup your cheeks and pepper your face with kisses, telling you how much he missed you and your pretty face.

He’d wrap his arms around you, rest his face on the crook of your neck, taking in your scent as he relishes the fact that he’s finally back to your embrace.

Another thing I think he’ll enjoy doing (you as well) is when he rests his head on your lap, telling you of his day as you thread your fingers along his hair.

Bottom line, Naoya is overly shameless confident when in the eyes of others, but vulnerable with you :>

As for the reactions of the Zen’in clan….

Ogi, Naobito, and Jinichi would stare at him in complete silence/shock as Naoya goes on with his supposed displays of affection. I think that out of the three, Ogi would be the one more comfortable when showing his distaste for it, scowling whenever seeing you and Naoya together, quickly leaving the room as soon as he gets the faintest idea Naoya is to do his usual nasty shenanigans. The rest wouldn’t really care that much, asides from a “Really? Naoya? Ooookay” (and they know better not to interfere at this point 🤪 he's crazy protective of you)

Ranta would remain speechless, face completely red as he catches Naoya’s innuendos. He definitely feels a whole lot of empathy (pity) for you. But when his friend isn’t being nasty, he’s happy that he’s found someone to be vulnerable/happy with 😊.

Junko, Mai and Maki’s mother, is just the same as Ogi, only that she’ll openly tell both of you to “stop it”, and to “hold some decorum” for that’s no way the future leader of the clan should behave. Naoya just laughs it off, you apologize to her in private. At the end she knows it’s futile to even hope to change him—the two were young, after all, (IMAGINE IF HE WENT ON LIKE THAT EVEN WHEN OLDER? Hahahahah, Oh poor Junko) and contrary to her marriage, this was one made out of love so… good for them, she guesses.

Naoya’s brothers would be the ones to openly, even more than Ogi, show their disgust whenever catching his PDA. Naohiko would be the one to exclaim “EWWWWWWWWWWWW” as loud as possible when he sees them, maybe do some puking noises too? haha

Naofumi would initially not understand what the hell Naoya is going on about and why you’re so embarrassed all the time, but when he does get it, oof, he’ll disappear as soon as it begins.

And Naoaki… well he’d just try to avoid the two as most as possible in general lol. He never liked seeing people making out anyways... (uh who does???)

At the end, Naoya’s behavior would worsen become more and more obvious, especially when the two have their first kids 😊 He just loves you too much, he needs you to know that—that the others have issues with it he doesn’t care 🥺 all that matters to him his you and his new family.

ajgfakghagk Thank you so much for sending in this ask!! I hope it was to your liking ❤️

[about-faces]

I'm still loving Gotham Nocturne and I wish it was getting the love/respect/attention is deserves. I've spoken several people who haven't been reading the current Detective Comics run because they're Batmanned Out (good lord, do I get it) and they see it as just another attempt at some kind of "ultimate Batman story with Batman fighting the ultimate evil," which I strongly disagree with.

THAT SAID... as time has gone on, and the story seems to be reaching its finale, there are a few things that stand out of me as problems with this epic storyline.

1.) It's one of the most egregious examples of "writing for the trade paperback." This simply isn't a story that's meant to be read month-to-month. It's too slow, with too little "happening," at least on the superficial level. Paradoxically, it's NOT a story that should be binged! The best comparison that comes to mind is Better Call Saul, since that's the only other example of serialized media that's meticulously slow-paced yet INCREDIBLY RICH for those willing to engage with it on its level rather than expecting it to be Breaking Bad (or in Nocturne's case, a typical Batman story.) Ram V is capable of writing super-engaging monthly issues, as the fantastic Rare Flavours proves, but that brings us to...

2.) The story is sprawling. Maybe even TOO sprawling. When it comes to people who are sick of Batman, I try to sell them on the fact that this story is about GOTHAM AS A WHOLE, right down to the villains who call it home, and how everyone there is as intrinsically a part of Gotham as Batman is. But ensemble stories like that are tricky, and it makes the focus feel all over the place at times, with alternately too much and too little attention being paid to the main players, Batman included. It's a balance that was handled beautifully with Batman: The Audio Adventures, but it seems a bit more awkward here. Again, it's hard to pull off!

Like, we have characters pop up and then vanishing without explanation. We got Azrael back in the AzBats armor for the first time in decades, like, holy shit! That should be a HUGE development! And then, poof, he vanished! There's simply no time to explore Jean-Paul's character because there's so many other things the narrative needs to explore.

This feels like it would have really benefited from a companion series, something to focus on the characters the way the backup stories have done, but just more so. I think about how Peter Tomasi would write companion books to the main big storylines written by Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, and Scott Snyder, and how he'd focus on character, which always enriched the greater "big important storyline." Which, in turn, also brings me to...

3.) The backup stories have really lost a lot of their punch since they stopped being written by Si Spurrier and were taken over by Dan Watters. Watters is incredibly capable, make no mistake, and his Cheshire/Lian Harper story is one of my favorite parts of this entire saga. But by and large, his tales focus more on the spooky and weird sides of what's happening with Nocturne, whereas Spurrier's stories were more focused on characters navigating the weirdness of the events. As a result, Spurrier gave us what I consider to be some of the very best stories about Jim Gordon, Harvey Dent, and Victor Fries ever written. I really miss those, and how they enriched Ram V's (possibly overly-ambitious) narrative.

Ultimately, Gotham Nocturne feels like the Batman equivalent to an arthouse film, which means it's going to be appreciated by a handful of nerds while leaving most other fans cold, and I can't really blame them. If anything makes me sad about all this, it's how all this incredible character work with Bruce, Harvey, Victor, Talia, and others is going to be ignored. Hell, it already is, given the complete lack of acknowledgement we've seen in other Bat-books for what's going on in Nocturne.

At this point, I just hope it sticks the landing in the finale, because I want to be able to have a complete, satisfying epic to recommend to people who want something a bit richer than the typical "guy in Bat costume punches clown" stories we usually get.

[el-255]

I’m not sure if this has been said before but I find it very interesting how differently the writers of persona handled Junpei’s character in comparison to Ryuji’s. With the role of the mc’s best friend and mostly comic relief, I find the two of them to be the most similar personality wise compared to either of them with Yosuke so this analysis will only be discussing the parallels and differences in the way the story handles Junpei and Ryuji respectively.

To me, Junpei is handled pretty sensitively by the writers (not as much as he could be or should be, but still a lot more than most would expect given his trope); he’s given a lot of character with the introduction of Chidori and we see how he grows to like her as he gets to know her. I’ll admit it’s been a while since I played 3 so take this with a grain of salt but from what I recall, his and Chidori’s relationship gets quite a bit of screen time and development in the main story in a way that gives us a different perspective of how Junpei normally operates around the other members of SEES. With Chidori, he isn’t the class clown or the idiot of SEES, he’s simply a teenage boy who falls for a teenage girl. To me, there’s not much more humanising than that. After her presumed death, Junpei loses it and sinks into a depression, and when he finds out she’s alive, albeit her memory lost, he does his best to help her recover and grapples with the moral implications of her regaining her memory. (I think at least one can’t really remember).

This relationship is important to the story and gives us another, much more sympathetic view of Junpei’s character who, up to this point in the game, had mostly been kept in a box marked “comic relief pervert”. You root for Junpei and Chidori’s relationship because it is clearly shown how much Junpei adores her and not once after he meets her does he stray from this love for her.

It’s not only Chidori’s character that makes Junpei’s character more sensitive either, I find that his general personality and relationships with other characters to be handled better as well.

We have his friendship with Yukari (aka Yuka-tan) which I’ll begin by saying also isn’t perfect, Junpei oftentimes falls into the perverted trope so many of the male characters fall into (such is life with Atlus) and he definitely makes comments towards her that most friends wouldn’t and yeah that isn’t good, but I think Yukari gives it back just as much as Junpei dishes it out and never takes him too seriously. I get the impression that that’s just how their friendship works, it’s a constant push and pull, a give and take between them, they both take every opportunity they get to tease each other mercilessly and it works. It doesn’t feel one sided in the way that Ryuji’s interactions with other members of the phantom thieves tend to feel but I’ll get more into that later. His friendship with Yukari may not be the most noteworthy part of his character, but it’s something I think deserves a bit of credit all things considered.

He matures so much over the game and generally becomes more serious and methodical as the story progresses but in a way that is still undeniably Junpei. That’s a difficult feat to accomplish when dealing with certain characters and I think Atlus does well to make these changes happen in a pretty organic way.

Junpei isn’t a perfect character, he has his flaws and shortcomings, but out of all the bro characters from 3-5, I think that the writers of 3 deserve more merit for handling Junpei’s character arc in a way that actually feels like he’s grown by the end of the game.

I could not say the same for Ryuji.

I will preface this by saying that I love Ryuji, I think he’s a neat little guy and I think the writers did him so dirty in 5 when they clearly had the capacity to do so much more as we’ve seen already with Junpei.

Ryuji is filled to the brim of wasted potential as a character, his backstory is only barely brushed on with a few throwaway comments about his dad being abusive towards him and his mother, his abuse by Kamoshida who literally breaks his leg is barely brought up after Kamoshida’s arc, and the trauma he suffers from is never the focus of the story compared to how other characters like Yusuke, Futaba, and Ann’s are. Of course, trauma isn’t a competition and all the party members in 5 have dealt with awful shit but the point is that all of them rightfully get the opportunity to be angry about it at some point in the main story or in their social links, Ryuji doesn’t. Ryuji instead gets beat up by pretty much the entire cast of 5, is constantly belittled by the party members, and is basically treated like shit and the butt of the joke throughout the entire game.

I don’t think I even need to bring up that scene because I know everyone feels the same way about it, but I will because it’s a necessary part of this analysis. That scene haunts me, not only is it the unfunniest thing that’s played for jokes I’ve ever seen in a game, but it’s quite possibly the biggest controversy I know of in the persona fandom.

The implications of a teenage boy who was abused by his father and his teacher thinking he’s found a safe haven in the phantom thieves because they all know how shitty adults can be and yeah they insult him but they’d never actually purposefully try and hurt him, right? Only to find that they would hurt him and pretty severely after he risked his life to save theirs because they’re his best friends and he loves them is horrendous and incredibly insensitive to everyone out there who has dealt with similar circumstances. The joke he plays isn’t funny, but I take it as Ryuji trying to lighten the mood the only way he knows how and even if he was insensitive to Ann and the rest of the team who are mourning him, he does not deserve to get beaten to a pulp by the very people he almost killed himself to rescue. They don’t even fucking apologise to him, it’s all just brushed under the rug and never so much as brought up again !!!

The scene didn’t need to make the cut at all, especially with the rerelease in royal, but it did and it’s honestly astonishing that with all the backlash it received, that they didn’t just cut it entirely. And if they really had to keep the scene in the game, let him be angry about it. Let Ryuji go off at the team for beating him up after he saves all of their lives. Let Ryuji tell Joker that he expected more from him as his best friend. Let the team have to jump through hoops to gain Ryuji’s forgiveness because it’s what he deserves.

Not only this, but in comparison to Junpei, Ryuji doesn’t get as much growth in his character arc. Throughout the game, Ryuji largely stays the same which honestly isn’t really an issue, not everyone has to change dramatically and drastically to be a compelling character, but he doesn’t change at all. Honestly, from the start to the end of 5, I could barely tell you a difference between the Ryuji we see. Like I said, I don’t need a drastic change, it doesn’t suit some characters, but Ryuji isn’t given any sort of growth by the writers and any he is given feels forced because he genuinely isn’t given any of the spotlight outside of Kamoshida’s arc unlike with Junpei.

It makes me angry because like I said, the writing was already there with Junpei, they had the capacity to write Ryuji in the same sympathetic way they did with him but they chose not to !! They chose to leave Ryuji as a character who you have no choice but to take at face value because he’s not given any more than that.

In conclusion: the writers dropped the ball with Ryuji and I’m mad about it, Junpei is a good character and I’ll fight anyone who disagrees, and Yosuke is Yosuke and I mourn his cut romance route every day.

[maxwell-grant]

This feels like the kind of ask someone should've gotten around to a million years ago, but it seems it falls to me: The Shadow vs. The Penguin. Is there anything there?

Anonymous asked: How would pulp heroes like the Shadow or Green Hornet respond to The Penguin. Characters like Joker or Ra’s I can see them gunning down but that feels weird to do with Oswald “Pengy For President” Cobblepot

(Penguin by Mike Mignola. The Shadow by Lela Dowling)

It's amazing, really, what you've built here. You had a vision and made it real. Every Batman in existence respects you for it, Oswald. In fact, I'll tell you a secret…people assume that Batman's last enemy on most worlds out there is Joker. Maybe Riddler, or Ra's…but it's you.

See, you grow this crime empire until he has to deal with you. - The Batman Who Laughs #3

What there is here is a bit of an impasse, because yes obviously this is brutally, comically one-sided against The Penguin. Pitting most if not all Batman villains against The Shadow is going to be already one-sided in The Shadow's favor. Pick a Batman villain, even the big ones that make Batman the underdog like Ra's and Bane, and you can name a similar threat that The Shadow already defeated. Even if you don't count superpowered cheating with whatever abilities The Shadow has this moment, he's already dealt with most of everything they can do, he's beaten these strategies and puzzles and countless death traps at their own game, and yeah there's the fact that he's known for the fact his villains don't tend to come back for round two even when they don't die facing him. Villains that he faces tend to die specifically because they try to kill him and he returns their fire (it's important to establish here that, unless his enemies have guns drawn on innocent people, The Shadow rarely shoots first - they always have a chance to lay down their arms and walk away, a chance that most obviously never take), and Penguin's known for his unwillingness to go down without a fight and for his signature move being a concealed sneak attack, which means his odds of dying are near dead certain.

In fact, The Shadow already fought a Penguin-esque guy as one of his few reocurring villains, via The Wasp, Gibson's latter day attempt to make another Voodoo Master/Shiwan Khan. The Wasp is a "Napoleon of crime" whose body and strange buzz voice and antics and operations are themed after his namesake animal/insects, who uses a concealed weapon part of said theme (an electric "sting" on his hand powered by batteries on his belt), who connects Cranston to The Shadow and was also the only villain to figure out that Kent Allard is The Shadow. He was cleverer and more resourceful and harder to defeat than most of the typical Shadow villains, and to his credit he did achieve a thing nobody else really achieved in the run, and it didn't really do him that much (learning the secret identity tends to be a death sentence for vigilantes, but for The Shadow it's really not that big a deal, given how easily he can make new ones) and he still went out like a chump, and he's only really remembered as the less impressive of the reocurring supervillains, lacking the outright superpowers of the others. It seems like a fairly closed case.

Problem is, the more comically one-sided the odds are against Oswald, the more likely he is to actually win or at least survive because of that. Going up against people who should have his goose cooked, getting away with things he absolutely shouldn't, slipping away to survive and put one over Johnny Law, that's his thing, it's been his thing from day one. He is no stranger to dealing with vigilantes or people much bigger and stronger and scarier than him, it wasn't that long ago he was walking off getting shot at point blank and later faking his death. Penguin is no common criminal, and he isn't just a guy who's unusually smart and competent at it enough to waddle among supervillains either. In his narrative domain, The Shadow is unbeatable, but in his narrative home, The Penguin is unkillable, and not just because he's a comic book villain who survives by editorial demand. He has protagonist survival clause now.

In his ups and downs over the years, he survived in large part by becoming a fixture of Gotham, someone impossible to uproot from the setting, with his ignanimous transformation into stool-pigeon and banal crimelord in part a consequence of said survival. After more or less retiring from villainy, the next step was to very gradually join the likes of Catwoman, Azrael, Harley Quinn and Renee Montoya in their careers as independent Gotham-adjacent protagonists, which is why he now gets to have his own tv series (the second one at that, because Gotham exists and if it achieved anything, it was proving that there's an audience for The Penguin Show - and yes it still is very much shitty, but also not remotely surprising, that the instant they made a version of Oswald thin, that guy became a critical and fandom darling overnight). The Penguin wormed his way into becoming irreplaceable and they tried, they tried very hard over the years to replace this guy, and he's taken some brutal lumps and fell off very hard from the Bat-villain totem pole, but even that just enabled him to ascend to a different pole and one that makes it he can't really be just another gangster or supervillain to be knocked around, and one that's almost specifically built to ensure his narrative survival. Someone who serves the story better by being alive.

Has The Shadow ever dealt with a guy like this? Yes, yes he has. The Shadow is no stranger to criminal protagonists, or the concept of nuance, or redemption. He is certainly no stranger to the gentleman of crime who is more than what he seems.

The man who entered was tall and well built. He had the manner of a gentleman. He was attired in a perfectly fitting dress suit, which he wore with the easy air of a man of the world - Kings of Crime

The gentleman of crime arose, picked up his hat and coat and reached for his cane. There, his form obscured, The Shadow stood close enough to overhear what Graham Wellerton was saying. The gentleman of crime was talking to members of his mob.

What was Graham Wellerton's purpose? How and why had the gentleman of crime parted from his men? Why was he no longer engaged in robbery? - Road of Crime

To all appearance, George Ellerby was a gentleman; and he was actually qualified to prove such a claim. But tonight, he was to be a gentleman of crime - Battle of Greed

"I wonder," said Sandersham, slowly, "just how much The Shadow can do, or intends to do. Who is he, Krengle? How powerful is he?"

"No one knows who The Shadow is," replied the lawyer. "But he is death on crooks, they say, and he considers crime to be much broader than its legal implications." - Battle of Greed

There's about 5 Shadow novels that specifically touch on the topic of redemption. There are others where it comes up, plenty of others where The Shadow goes the extra mile in giving criminals a chance, and stories that highlight the lines that The Shadow draws in deciding how to deal with criminals (“To murderers, The Shadow dealt death: to such schemes (robbery, fraud, etc), he dealt ridicule.” - The Third Shadow), but those 5 make a focus of it. In all of those 5, we meet characters that can be called a "gentleman of crime". They are cunning, respectable-looking young men who use their smarts for crime, largely because of social circumstances that force them into using criminal tactics for dealing with life-consuming problems that the law has failed them in, and The Shadow assists them in addressing and rectifying said problems and turning their lives around.

In Kings of Crime, blackmailer and swindler Hubert Carpenter. In Road of Crime, the protagonist Graham Wellerton, "bank robber deluxe". In The Broken Napoleons, engineer Curt Sturley. Battle of Greed opens with George Ellerby, although he's not really the protagonist and is stopped before he commits his first robbery, and that story has two other redemptions that pull more focus. And in House of Shadows, Kid Pell, whose tragic demise opens the story. With the exception of Carpenter, all of these young men are given understandable and even sympathetic reasons for having become criminals, as all of them became criminals specifically because the law failed them profoundly and allowed them to suffer horrible injustice and ruin upon their lives and families, while shielding those that inflicted it upon them and provided no other recourse for them, and The Shadow goes out of his way to directly or indirectly steer them away from the paths they're walking.

Out of these, only Hubert Carpenter had a body count: he is not a murderer outright, but his past deeds had pushed victims to suicide, and The Shadow fully intended to let him serve his sentence in full. It is through the involvement of innocent parties (he took a dive to get the money to his family, he was betrayed, and his wife fell ill, making him break out of jail and desperately try to get the money for her treatment by robbing an old man who turned out to be The Shadow in disguise) and Carpenter’s own serious efforts to reform himself and assist in the downfall of his far crueler former partners that he’s able to redeem himself and face a new life (The Shadow delivers a government pardon so that he serves a month instead of 10 years).

“Somehow, he knew that The Shadow would not see the innocent suffer for the guilty.” - Kings of Crime

Kid Pell, who had already shot at least 6 people and killed 2 before the story began, wasn't quite so lucky. Dying of blood loss after trying to shoot The Shadow, his last words are a plead for him to get the guy who pushed him into this path, and keep an eye on his brother Denry to stop him from going down his path (which ends up happening, but The Shadow is able to save Denry in time).

"They called me a public enemy," declared Pell. "What else could I be, after my first kill? You know what it is to be quick on the trigger. That's the way I am" - he hesitated, his smile dwindling - "or was."

"I tried crime," said the Kid. "It didn't pay. But I was in it - deep. So I stayed. I've got no excuses. I'm not even blaming the fellow that started me in it. What I did was on my own. Understand?"

"Do me a favor," muttered the dying man. "Let me be forgotten - as Kid Pell. I rigged this hideout, so I could close accounts. Let me go through with it the way I want."

The Shadow's whispered tone gave agreement. Pell's face relaxed. In the glow of the lantern, his features lost their forced hardness. It was easy to see why he had been nicknamed the Kid. His age couldn't have been more than twenty-two.

Even his surroundings spoke a pathetic story. The shelves of the trailer were provisioned for a long stay; and among the canned goods were a few jars of homemade jam; probably the very sort that he had swiped from his mother's pantry only a few years ago.

There were books, too, that dated back to boyhood. Even when he had embarked on his career as a public enemy, Kid Pell had taken these along. He was looking at them, eyes open, the jam jars and the books, and he was smiling again, Kid Pell was. But the dampness from his dying eyes was forming into little beads, like raindrops. Suddenly, the Kid's lips stiffened.

A hand was resting on the Kid's shoulder. He could feel the power of its grip: the hand of The Shadow, merciless to men of crime. To this dying youth, murderer though he was, the pressure of that hand had the warmth of friendship.

"Maybe, Shadow" - The Kid was choking the words - "I ought to have met you before. Maybe… if I had-"

The grip tightened. It brought an end to regrets that could not be remedied. It steeled the Kid for what lay ahead - House of Shadows

-the words that The Shadow delivered held Sandersham rigid. Never in his life had the millionaire listened to such pointed accusations; such words that jogged his memory, nor such tokens of prophecy. "Rupert Sandersham," came the voice, "you are a man condemned by your own avarice! You are a master, not of finance, but of greed!"

"While your wealth grows greater," resumed The Shadow's voice, "your life grows shorter. As your schemes expand, your soul shrivels. You have physical comforts, yes"—the tone was mocking—"but who knows how long you shall retain them?"

"Your power, Sandersham, is not equal to the strength of the law. There have been loopholes in your schemes, that certain eyes may discover before your attorneys plug them". - Battle of Greed

Is The Penguin sympathetic? In some ways, yes. Is The Penguin redeemable? Not a question I'm remotely interested in handing a firm "Yes/No" to, because it's kinda both and neither, redemption tends to be conditional and fickle like that, and also irrelevant to the matter here: We've established that The Shadow (again, speaking for the pulp version here, it's what I tend to do) does not go out of his way to execute criminals, but doesn't hesitate to kill them when they try to gun him or others down. Would The Shadow extend The Penguin an olive branch and spare his life in the hopes that he'd come around and use his impressive intellect and resources and drive for the better? No. It would be useless. The Shadow doesn't deal with that kind of "hope", and The Penguin would not be interested in doing so either.

There have been occasions where The Shadow was caught in a bad enough situation that he had to momentarily pause the pursuit of a criminal, but The Shadow does not compromise, nor does he ever really need to, and he knows a true villain when he sees it. He is not keeping Oswald around as a informant, because he doesn't play by Gotham City rules where that seems like a reasonable thing to do. The true villain of most Shadow stories is always the person who stands to profit the most from said calamity, and most of the time they operate beneath suspicion. There is 0% chance of him underestimating Oswald the way Oswald prefers to be underestimated.

There are two ways Oswald Cobblepot would walk away from meeting a quick death at the hands of The Shadow. The first would be if he never killed anyone, or did anything that led to anyone's death ever again. He'd have to commit to undoing the ruin he brought onto people's lives and give back as much to the city and his victims as he possibly could. Such was what The Shadow did in Battle of Greed to Rupert Sandersham, a millionaire who got a kick out of ruining others financially. He is not the villain, nor is he a murderer, but The Shadow manipulated and terrorized him into making amends and repaying all the people he destroyed. These would be the best, most impossibly nice terms The Shadow could offer Oswald, along with him serving time and spend his whole life looking over his shoulder when, and if, he gets out.

"Look at yourself, Sandersham! You are wearing stripes! In front of you are bars! Beyond you, the outside world. Regard it as an omen, and make your choice. Amend the past; rectify the wrongs that you have done—or face the future consequences that your present methods will bring you!"

Rupert Sandersham was staring downward. His startled eyes saw the stripes that The Shadow had mentioned: those alternate ribbons of dark and light, that came from the setting sun. They had turned his gray suit into a convict's garb! Could it be that he, Rupert Sandersham, might find himself within a prison cell?- Battle of Greed

And that is not happening. There is not a single version of The Penguin who would accept these terms or accept this as a thing he's going to do. Short of the most kid-friendly media and even then, much as I argue that he should have rules of conduct, I don't think there is a single version of the Penguin who'd balk at murder or who hasn't committed it with little to no remorse. Oswald Cobblepot may carry much bitterness and heartbreak, but The Penguin loves what he is too much to accept being anything else. He isn't scared of any of these terms and would find them deeply absurd, because who is this, trying to tell The Penguin he isn't allowed to rob this thing, or kill that guy getting on his nerves, or ruin that rich asshole over there. The audacity of this laughing clown! As if he didn't have one too many to deal with!

The other way he lives, at least for a while, is if he turns out to be right about the way Gotham City works, and it turns out that he really cannot be removed from his position without far worse things growing as a result. I don't think The Shadow would have issues with the Batman villains individually, but neither do Batman or most superheroes. It's Gotham City that's the real problem here, and it's a problem that Batman hasn't solved in nearly a hundred years, and neither has Superman or any of the billion superheroes in that universe, a problem that will never be solved so long as there's a profit to be made on Batman. The Shadow can and has cleaned cities of organized crime before, usually by manipulating it's players into destroying each other, but even he has limits and Gotham City is no mere gangster-ridden town, much like how the man who claimed it is no mere crimelord either.

So the final matter at play here is whether The Penguin is right, and if so, whether The Shadow can afford to kill The Penguin, when there are other more pressing matters. Because the biggest reason Penguin's able to position himself where he is, as a necessary evil in-universe and a reocurring side character/even protagonist out of it, is by never being the nastiest or most urgently threatening villain in the room, and therefore always being the one that the heroes have to compromise with or have to defeat quickly to get moving. He has weaponized a Kingpin-esque idea that he is a necessary deterrent, because Gotham can always get worse, and everyone else who can take power in Gotham from him is much worse than him, and therefore you save the most innocent lives by allowing him to do his thing under a leash. Refer that line above, about how The Shadow will not suffer the innocent for the guilty.

There has been at least one Shadow story where he's dealt with this dillemma, in Face of Doom, as I elaborate here. The Shadow defeated the Face through taking the long way around, disarming his individual lieutenants, luring them into traps and disguising himself as The Face and all kinds of strategies necessary to checkmate the guy, but in the process also giving The Face enough time to regroup and strategize and target his agent(s). A similar thing happened when he had to take down Benedict Stark, and had to considerably slow down the operations to rescue Rutledge Mann from kidnapping. Issuing any kind of harm or death to The Shadow's agents guarantees him unleashing carnage on you personally, refer to Gangdom's Doom where he obliterates organized crime in Chicago in response to the death of Claude Fellows, but The Penguin can play smart. He can refrain from doing that, and buy himself more time, as The Shadow goes after those that think they have what it takes.

I think The Shadow vs The Penguin would probably pull elements from all of these stories I'd mentioned. If The Penguin is right, The Shadow would have to defeat, or at minimum stall, crime in Gotham City in a way that could then remove The Penguin from the picture, which means The Shadow would have to go through the rest of Batman's Rogues Gallery. Difference being, he's not going to fight those guys forever, he might not even fight them at all.

For The Shadow, he's up against a particularly smart, resourceful and powerful "gentleman of crime". One with personal tragedies and codes of conduct, one who might have even been like the ones he'd been able to reform if life hadn't twisted him, but who at present poses an active danger to the lives of people of the city, and stopping that is the bigger concern. He's taking down not just one crime king, but an empire that the crime king holds at bay, and god knows how many crime kings in the way, and possibly others who would see the innocent suffer for the guilty and keep this stalemate forever. The Shadow doesn't do stalemates, and Oswald Cobblepot is going to repent for all he's done or die, and nothing in between.

For The Penguin? He might very well be in heaven. He's dealing with death itself arriving from nowhere to give him the greatest challenge of all: surviving. Which just so happens to be the thing he does best and takes the most pride in doing. It might even be the kind of thing that makes him feel alive again. Facing down someone every bit the implacable wall of terror the Bat is, but who is less about the martial arts brute showdowns and more about god knows how many other subtler espionage chessplay and psychological mind tricks, and zero hesitation in putting a bullet in his head.

And possibly taking it's sweet time wiping out all of the competition, going through the long list of wiping out all of Oswald's hated rivals and competitors for him, and possibly a few unfortunate friends. Years, decades of playing the long game, gathering his assets, putting pieces in place, keeping his head low, letting the Bats and the others walk over him and forget he's there, and he's rewarded with the game of a lifetime! To be the arch-criminal who took on The Shadow and won! You'd almost think he'd have planned for The Shadow to come after him, and getting very angry if Batman shows up to get on the case to stop this because huur I'm a big selfish brute who wants to hog all the fun, duuuh Oswald you can do better, we don't kill around these parts Shadow huurgh, god, Batman, *waugh* can you BE any more of a self-important killjoy?

Sure, if no divine intervention comes, he's absolutely going to die, he is not walking out of this confrontation alive even if The Shadow has to go through Gotham ten times to get to him. But, you know, the real problem with Icarus was that idiot drowned when he fell, because he forgot to pack a bathing suit.

And you know what penguins do best, right?

*WAUGH WAUGH WAUGH*

[fireflysummers]

Final Thoughts on GO S2

I'm probably gonna pull back on discussing S2, at least publicly, after this. I did actually like a lot of the season, but it's triggering some of my religious trauma and also the fandom is already stressing me out. So here, let's have some final thoughts.

First and foremost: I am not a Gaiman simp. I've read a decent amount of his work: comics, short stories, essays, and novels. Aside from Good Omens, I've liked Coraline and The Graveyard Book the best by far, whereas American Gods just. Did Not Connect with me, even though it's should have, given the stuff I tend to enjoy.

However. Regardless of whether I like a given work (or even like how he adapted it, a la parts of The Sandman TV series), he is a veteran writer who has proven that he does, actually, know how to write a story with consistent characters.

Beyond that, I do actually believe that he's trying to do right by Pratchett, and loves and respects the story and characters they created together. He's generally shown up as an ally to a variety of social causes, and directly and respectfully responds to fans on Tumblr. While no saint, I feel that there is cause to give the benefit of the doubt that things will resolve satisfyingly in S3, and that there is Intention about some of the things in S2.

This, of course, does not absolve it of being "bad," but even here I think we need to articulate better the different types of "bad" that people are reacting to. There seems to roughly be three camps here: 1) People who thought it was "bad" because of how it ended, with the breakup and a lot of unresolved plot threads; 2) People who thought it was "bad" because it struggled on a technical level with its set, lighting, directorial choices, editing, etc; 3) People who thought it was "bad" because they felt the characterization was significantly off and that the internal logic of the series had been violated.

With regards to Point One, the only solution is to Wait and See. Judgement should be reserved until the story is properly finished--easier said than done, especially considering the current media landscape, and the number of series or franchises that fail to live up to their promises.

Point Two isn't something I understand well enough to contribute meaningfully, except that I suspect the pandemic affected this aspect the most and am willing to give it a bit more mercy. That aside, I for the most part I don't find it bad so much as not as good as S1. Except for the parts with epilepsy warnings, surely there could've been a better way to do that.

Point Three... that's the stumbling block for me, and I find it interesting that most of the folks who struggle with this point in particular are long time fans of the book.

I trust that instinct.

There are two different directions to go from here. The first is the assumption that these problems are a result of ego, carelessness, or lack of skill from the showrunners/writers/director. It's cynical but not unjustified. The second is the belief that the breaks in lore or characterization were intentional, building towards a much grander conspiracy. Of course, even in this case I don't think it forgives the lack of signposting that would indicate that this is a choice rather than an accident. It just makes it feel clumsy and poorly constructed, a major risk on a show that hasn't had its third season confirmed.*

However, regardless, it still feels salvageable. I've enjoyed reading a lot of meta on all this, and I've pulled some things from others (particularly That Theory by @ariaste), but I don't really want to put forth a single, defined theory myself. Instead, here's some questions I've got, why those questions are important (to me, at least). Actual theorizing comes after, and anybody who snidely mentions Sherlock in the comments or tags is going to get auto-blocked. Like seriously, I'm aware that some stuff is a stretch, but it's fun??? To theorize????? And I'm here for me and my peace of mind rather than trying to argue a point.

*I have some suspicions here, particularly with Gaiman stating that the decision from Amazon would come much faster than The Sandman's second season (which was four months). I don't know enough though to say if that's actually significant.

Questions

Who the fuck is telling this story?

This is the most important piece, in my opinion. There's this assumption when reading books (or research papers, newspapers, etc...) that the narrator who is writing the words is a non-presence, Neutral and objective. That's not the case, and an important part of literature critique is figuring out who the narrator is, and what their goals are. Oftentimes, the narrator and the author are the same person, but with Pratchett's work, particularly on Good Omens and Discworld, the Narrator was its own unique character.

This is why people struggle adapting Discworld to live action--that medium requires a Reason for having a Narrator, and especially in the age of method acting that's often considered immersion-breaking. Good Omens worked so well because they not only kept the Narrator, but they made Her God.

This added some really interesting new dimensions, such as the scene where Crowley speaks to God about his fall and the destruction of humanity. He doesn't receive an answer, but we're watching from God's perspective, so we as the audience know that She's listening.

Another advantage of making God the Narrator is that it justifies all the goofy little asides we get into the lives of minor characters (i.e. Leslie the Mailman), without losing focus. It helps the world feel like it’s full of people, rather than characters and plot contrivances, and the theme that individual people and their choices are important. The Narrator is such a central character of Good Omens that without it, the story struggles to stay focused.

It also highlights a key difference in the writing styles of the two authors. Pratchett’s work tends to introduce four or five totally unique plot threads that feel completely disjointed until the last act (if not even later), when it turns into a Chekhov’s Firing Squad. Plot twists around secret identities and backstabbing and schemes are relatively rare, as the omniscient Narrator doesn’t lie about the intentions of people or their actions.

Gaiman’s writing is typically not like that, to my knowledge. He buries characters in misdirection and hints, and you never know the true identity or motives until all the chips are down. It’s a perfectly valid way to approach storytelling, but it makes it jarring to see it in S2. The lack of a Narrator is a huge reason why S2 doesn’t feel like Good Omens to some folks.

My gut feeling is that the decision to shift from the original Narrator was highly intentional. It helps to obscure the thoughts and intentions of people, and it also muddles the insights that we’re supposed to take away. (I would have loved hearing God monologue about what’s going on in Jim’s head. I think it’d do a lot to make him seem less.... obnoxiously stupid.)

More than that, it brings up a reasonable potential plot point of: Where did God go? Why isn’t She present in the story? Even in her early appearance in the Job flashback, she doesn’t sound like the narrator for last season. After the first part of her speech (which Gabriel later quotes), her tone turns casual and condescending, which might line up with her being a bit of an asshole, it doesn’t line up with the whole “dealer of a mysterious card game who is always smiling”).

Also, I don’t think it’s safe to assume that nobody is telling the story either. Just because they’re not making their presence known doesn’t mean they aren’t there, and in a story like Good Omens, that’s concerning.

Wait, where's Satan?

Another person I saw while scrolling the tags pointed out that Satan is nowhere to be seen this season. He's really only mentioned in reference to a bet God made in Job, but then Crowley is the one on the ground causing mischief. There's no Hail Satan among demons (like Hastur and Ligur did at the start of S1).

That's might be because the writers didn't want us to think it was important (a la Hastur), but that feels off. Given that Satan speaks directly through the radio to Crowley in S1, complimenting him on his work, it's safe to say that he was at least aware of and involved in the goings-on in Hell. The fact that he wasn't even an worry for Beelzebub in abandoning their post? Feels weird.

(Also if you know where that post is, I'll happy credit + link)

What is Maggie?

Look, I love cute lesbians in love as much as the next queer, but I don't like Maggie. I don’t think she’s a person. Contextually, she’s a plot device, but I agree with That Essay that she might be an actual Plot Device.

Her characterization is simple and relatively shallow—a bit of an airhead, ray of sunshine that’s supposed to remind you of Aziraphale. When she describes her past to Nina, it’s almost robotic (also, her story implies it was Mr. Fell who first rented to her ancestor, not Mr. Fell’s great-grandfather like Nina implied). Her emotions are over-dramatic and seem to be turned on and off at random (scenes with her crying to Aziraphale about her woes had my “manipulator” senses going off for some reason).

When asked about a song, she not only IDs the song, its singer, and its year, but how and on what it was distributed. (Honestly thought this would’ve been something interesting, because she’s been pretty ditzy so far, it’d be interesting if she had like... an insane memory for music history.) And then she’s the one that sets Aziraphale on his little investigation by giving him the transformed records, while also planting the seed about her love troubles with Nina. Later, her advice to Crowley is... not awful, but feels insincere and a bit too forward, given her own self-proclaimed lack of relationship experience.

I don’t know what she is (a demon, hastur with amnesia in disguise, a literal plot device inserted by the current storyteller, etc...), but there’s something not right with her.

(Also the joke of “who listens to records anymore, it’s so old fashioned” just doesn’t land, lots of people buy records, and I’m saying this as somebody who has worked at a record store before.)

What's going on with Aziraphale?

There’s something Off about Aziraphale, and it’s not his choices at the end of the season. That makes total sense if you read him as somebody with severe religious trauma getting dragged back into the abusive system because other people need him and he’s been promised the ability to change things.

But I do think something is happening to his memory. Nearly all the flashbacks are from Aziraphale’s point of view and retelling, which means that they’re less reliable than God’s version of events in the previous season. Many of them don’t make logistical sense (post-church scene in 1941), depict Crowley as meaner or more sinister than we know he is, or frame events... weirdly. The scene with him trying food for the first time feels Really Bad, especially when the series has previously established that he’s a) prim and proper and b) his interest in food is one of the beautiful things that connect him to humanity, not some kind of gluttonous sin. Also he turns down alcohol.

Their meet-cute at the  start of the universe also doesn’t line up with their reactions to each other in Eden, or the fact that knowing each other Before has never come up or been hinted at anywhere ever. I don’t know what’s causing this to happen, only that Aziraphale repeatedly looks pensive when coming out of flashbacks, and Crowley is never there afterwards to corroborate said memories.

His actions also seem pretty inconsistent with what we know of him—i.e. I refuse to believe he would ever mistreat his books, even if they’re just old encyclopedias. Also, he feels a bit too...forceful in trying to get Nina and Maggie to fall in love? I mean, he didn’t exert that much direct influence on even Warlock, when he was actively hoping that the boy would turn out angelic rather than neutral.

I don’t think this removes his agency in that last decision, so much as explains how he was in such a vulnerable place at all. He still needs to apologize and fix things, because he messed up, and even if he hadn’t he still seriously hurt Crowley.

What's going on with Crowley?

There’s something Off about Crowley. The most obvious thing, of course, is his memories. At multiple points in the present day, characters state that they remember him or have met him before, only to be met with confusion. This is especially concerning given that he has a nigh photographic memory for faces (something mentioned in the book when he immediately IDs Mary Loquacious, 11 years after a 30 second conversation).

Overall, he seems to be better known by other supernatural entities this season, in ways that often tie him back to his angelic identity (i.e. saying they fought together in the war, Aziraphale stating he knew the angel he used to be, etc...). This doesn’t feel right, because S1 we see that Hell is largely apathetic towards his schemes, and definitely does not defer to him at any point in any capacity.

Then there’s the issue of his power level. It’s always been speculated that Crowley was a powerful angel prior to falling, when he mentions in S1 his involvement with star making, his seemingly unique ability to freeze time, and creating a pocket universe for Adam before the confrontation with Satan. He also has a tendency of breathing life into inanimate objects, like his plants or car. He also has the regular demonic skillset: miracles that can adjust physical appearance; the ability to change inanimate objects (like paintball guns into real guns); the ability to manifest clothing and similar items; and summon hellfire to his fingertips. This, plus the way he monologues to God with a degree of familiarity rather than reverence seems to indicate that he was Somebody Powerful and Important Before.

But in S2, his skills are significantly expanded upon. The miracle he and Aziraphale summon sets off alarms in heaven and hell, and it’s powerful enough to mask Gabriel from the Archangels. He summons a miniature sun to rain fire on Job, which is way bigger and flashier than anything we’ve seen him summon in S1. (If he needs fire, he alters the course of a dropping bomb, without creating one himself.)

Yet he’s able to cloak his presence so well he goes wholly unnoticed in heaven, or in front of heavenly agents on earth (i.e. the Job flashback). Muriel can’t clock him as a demon, or even as another supernatural being, despite their auras usually being pretty significant, such Aziraphale immediately sensing the archangels when they arrive.  He’s able to interfere with files that Muriel claimed required clearance (although I feel like that might just be a snark about Obeying Without Thinking? I would really need a Narrator to know.)

I might be misremembering, but I don’t think we’ve seen angels or demons transmogrify living beings before either. In the book, Crowley brings Aziraphale’s dove back to life after the failed magic show, and occasionally sinks ducks, but he doesn’t alter them? Not even Adam demonstrates that skill in S1. But he has no trouble turning Job’s children into lizards, however temporarily. Boy that would’ve been convenient during the flood. Or when the guard stopped then from getting to the air strip.

I might be misremembering, but I don’t think we’ve seen angels or demons transmogrify living beings before either. In the book, Crowley brings Aziraphale’s dove back to life after the failed magic show, and occasionally sinks ducks, but he doesn’t alter them? Not even Adam demonstrates that skill in S1. But he has no trouble turning Job’s children into lizards, however temporarily. Boy that would’ve been convenient during the flood. Or when the guard stopped then from getting to the air strip.

I don’t have any real issues with his characterization in the present day parts of S2, but there’s something weird happening with Crowley.

Where's all the people?

I really like a lot of the new characters, but how were there only like, 2.5 new humans named in the present day? Flashbacks don’t count bc the humans are all dead and can’t affect the story.

As much as I like Nina, she and Maggie don’t drive the story beyond being an occasional and awkwardly inserted plot contrivance? Both are actively robbed of their agency at several points, forced into situations that they could not have avoided or escaped. I’m not really sure what growth they’re expected to experience other than deciding not to date each other after everything. I literally can’t tell you anything about Nina other than that she remembers her regular’s orders, runs a coffee shop, and has a textbook abusive partner we never see. The only meaningful interactions they have are between those two, or in conversation with Aziraphale and Crowley.

Compare that to S1, where Anathema gets hit by Aziraphale and Crowley, but her primary relationships are with Newt, Adam, and Agnes Nutter (I think that counts as a relationship). We know that she’s got a wealthy family back in Puerto Rico, and that she was literally raised to save the world, and that she isn’t happy under all that pressure. Newt on the other hand is connected to not just Anathema, but Shadwell and Madame Tracy. He never even directly interacts with Aziraphale and Crowley. We know about his hobbies, his struggle to hold down a job, and his almost supernatural ability to destroy any electronics he touches. I don’t necessarily like how their relationship came together, but they were both very, very well fleshed out characters with unique backstories and goals. They weren’t just... waiting around to give Aziraphale and Crowley a new questline.

And while there’s no requirement to include a large cast of human characters that are exerting influence over the story, the lack of it is another aspect that makes this season feel not like Good Omens.

Also, it's just. Really weird to me that the events of S1 aren't really referenced at all? Like, Adam isn't mentioned, nor is Warlock. I don't expect them to keep track of the humans they met on the airfield for 20 minutes, but none of it is ever specifically referenced as far as I can tell, beyond Crowley threatening Gabriel. Like, I get that it's been a few years, but the pair caused a big enough disturbance that you'd expect some kind of ripples in their supernatural communities.

Promised by the Narrative (Obvious Chekhov's guns that I will be legitimately upset over if they do not go off)

A sincere apology from Aziraphale to Crowley that doesn't come with the expectation that Crowley will come back to him, but because he deserves an apology, even if the choices Aziraphale made were done with good intentions. Aziraphale does not expect forgiveness, and is shocked when Crowley grants it without hesitation.

A clear declaration of love from Aziraphale, which can't be rationalized away by either of them.

An "I'm Sorry" dance between Aziraphale and Crowley, but with greater sincerity and gravity. The most important piece is that they end up dancing together, which signifies a mutual apology and dedication to come together.

Since kissing is on the table, I expect an actual joyful, mutual kiss between these two assholes.

A shared cottage in South Downs.

Predictions/Theories (just some fun thoughts I've had)

When Adam declared that Satan was not his father, he didn't make himself not the antichrist, but accidentally crowned his human dad the King of Hell. Nobody knows this, because Adam doesn't have a good measure for "normal" supernatural situations, and Mr. Young because he's so "normal" that he explains away all the magical bullshit that's started going down.

When Adam declared that Satan was not his father, he erased Satan altogether. However, this left a vacuum in both power and reality. The defection of both Gabriel and Beelzebub only widens that crack. In an attempt to Fix things, reality is warping the story. Crowley has become leagues more powerful between S1 and S2, as the narrative is trying to force him into the role of his previous boss. Aziraphale is unknowingly being pulled into a similar version on the Other Side, perhaps to replace Gabriel or perhaps to replace God herself, who has been fairly absent in all this. The alterations to their memories or past have come about to keep the narrative running smoothly.

When the Metatron asks Nina whether anybody has ever asked for death, he was actually referring to Death, the sole remaining rider of the apocalypse.

If Maggie is indeed a Plot Device, it would be a fascinating exploration of Free Will to see her become aware of this (cue existential crisis), and then fall in love with Nina on her own terms, rather than because she was written that way.

Hastur will be back. Somehow.

The reason why S2 focuses so much on the supernatural characters is because S3 will be about how the events in S1 have changed the political landscape of heaven and hell. Angels are questioning their roles, demons are yearning for something more. It's scaring upper administration, and then the two most reliable folks in employment run away to alpha centauri. Recruiting Aziraphale and getting him back in line prevents him from becoming a martyr, control the range of his influence. The series reasserts its theme of choice and agency by highlighting that Aziraphale and Crowley aren't that special, they've just had the chance to live and grow, and that the others have free will too, if they want it.

The reason why they wanted to separate Aziraphale and Crowley, is not to get Aziraphale on his own, but to get Crowley on his own. He literally stopped time and made a pocket universe in front of Satan last season. He's powerful and dangerous and somebody wants to see that reigned in.

Wishlist (stuff I desperately want to see)

Crowley getting an audience with God and an opportunity to ask his questions, only to refuse to do so because he's found his own Answers and he no longer needs hers

Aziraphale and Crowley growing more into their book incarnations. Aziraphale becomes confident in his sense of morality, which he developed the hard way through millennia on earth besides humanity. He slowly learns what it means to be loved, unconditionally, but also is better at asserting and maintaining his boundaries. Crowley, still anxious and unwinding, works through his fear of abandonment, providing him opportunities to be kind and gentle and nurturing--all traits that he's aggressively hid since being a demon.

Hand holding. I know that Gaiman was referring to Ineffable Bureaucracy, but I still feel like we'd benefit from meaningful hand holding, especially since that got cut from the adaptation of the book.

Shifted focus away from the supernatural shenanigans, and back onto the humans that actually drive the story.

Cameos from S1 characters (if not a more substantial appearance).

The Four Other Riders of the Apocalypse.

Cursed Thoughts (why I shouldn't be allowed a social platform)

Ineffable Bureaucracy turns up in season 3 because Beelzebub got Gabriel pregnant somehow.

[masquayla-the-splendid]

How Splatoon makes a controversial Fnaf theory work better in their universe, and other parallels. (Really.)

[Side Order spoilers]

I beat Side Order in 3 hours on my 3rd try at 3am. No I am not joking. I used a slosher. I currently have 9 lockers yet to open, so if anything important comes up, I will update.

I couldn't help but notice the parallels right at the beginning, freeing Marina from Order's control. I went neuron activation, VANESSA.

But then they started talking more about Octo Expansion lore, which made me get all giddy, because 14 y/o me had the biggest fascination with the Sanitized Octolings, and how Commander Tartar built up his scheme to the point we encounter him.

They referred something or other about the color chips/pallettes as "souls" which caught my attention. They're like broken soul pieces? Alright. We already know a comically large kitchen utensil blends octopuses into life goop. What exactly happens to the ones that look like this?

Why are you green?

Marina's logs read:

So okay. I, personally, despise Molten MCI. I think it takes away of a ton of character's individuality, and makes more things confusing, all to explain some old man's rambling in a non-canon ending.

It works for Splatoon's case, because we already had no information about any of the octolings before Sanitization. (Aside from Acht.) We didn’t have time to make that up for ourselves, because we never knew about any of this beforehand, like how we filled in the gaps with underwritten characters for fnaf.

However I'll keep reading and see what else can line up here.

This is leaning into TFC territory. So for less Splatoon knowledgeable readers, Marina is trying to take, essentially what is the Freddy amalgam in TFC, and trying to deconstruct it with each animatronic having everything from their respective endoskeletons. That's best way I can explain it. (For a reader more knowledgeable with Steven Universe, she's trying to fix the forced fusions like Yellow.)

Except the difference here is that the products of Kamabo are, well, orderly, and not animalistic.

The logs that sold it for me:

So in fnaf speak: From a Molten MCI perspective, (blech,) melting down the infused metal, transferring it into data, and putting that data gloop into playable avatars in an arcade game where they can choose the bits of remnant that belong to them, putting themselves back together.

However, with my neuron activation Order=Mimic, that would mean Mimic MCI, but WAIT COME BACK. IT DOESNT HAVE TO BE.

I have yet to get the rest of the lore bits, but as far as I know, Order, (I'm not calling him Smollusk,) is an AI with the generalized ideals Kamabo has programming into the Sanitized Octolings. (I swear he's just leftovers of Tartar. I know it in my heart.) Mimic copies everything it sees, and learns incredibly fast. It learned the tragedies and rumors of Fazbear Ent, and according to Tiger Rock, he's running most of the Pizza Plex, which makes profits of said tragedies he's learned. Did Mimic orchestrate everything? No. He probably has no understanding of anything he's doing, he just does it because that's all he knows. The company started it.

Basically,

Kamabo Co.= Sleazy NewGen Fazbear Ent.

Order=Mimic.

How ever this ends, I'm using as evidence for how I predict the SteelWool plot to resolve/hj

Conc1usion: Marina and Henry should meet up. Well maybe not, if Marina wants permanent results.

I find it telling that with a plot so similar to a Fnaf theory that I hate, I actually really like this idea. And I think it's because it's not Fnaf. It's almost the exact same concept, but it makes much more sense and flows better in Splatoon's world. Probably because it was intentionally written that way, and is supposed to be shamelessly absurd and scifi. I like that I'm able to enjoy a concept I hate.

Analogy: Chocolate is good. I like when a pre existing food item I enjoy has an added chocolate exterior. Like strawberries. Sometimes, there are instances where that is not the case, like bacon. It exsists, and you either love it or hate it. I like both base consumables, and I like the additive, but it works better for one than the other.

Literal speak: I like the scifi horror concept of brainwashing with the actual person person being trapped or lost in a specific state, while their body is just another puppet for the main antagonist, and it takes some Cyber Chase shenanigans to free everyone. That's a rad concept. I just like it better when it's applied to a world that is planned for that kind of take, rather than to a world I already enjoyed, but scrambled to cut itself to fit that shape because it almost fit. It works better for a wacky scifi dystopia, not a campy paranormal horror.

Conclu2ion: Some things are best left for other stories.

Oh and both franchises have a known history of bangin soundtrack.

[twistedtummies2]

ReCount: Top 15 Keith David Performances

Earlier this month, one of my favorite actors - Keith David - celebrated 68 years of living on this planet. Mostly known for his work in voice acting, David is a multi-talented performer whom I love for many reasons. One is how prolific his body of work is, in more ways than one, and another is his natural charisma and vocal power…but I think what I admire most about this performer is his dedication and energy. David is one of those actors who subscribes to a philosophy I personally believe in, and which I think ALL good actors SHOULD believe in: “Do your best, and try to have fun doing it, no matter what.” If you’re in a bad production, then be the bright spot that makes it all worth it; and if you’re in a good production - which, hopefully, will be norm - be one of the things that makes it so great. Keith David has been both of these numerous times in his career, and I will always respect that highly. A while back, I made a very brief “description-less” list of my favorite David roles, but since then things have changed: I’ve been introduced to some new performances from the actor, re-evaluated older ones I already enjoyed, and even been reminded of a couple I knew about but had not witnessed in so long, I completely forgot they existed. (My age is catching up to me already, I swear, and I’m only barely thirty.) So, I decided it was time to do a “ReCount” for this performer. And, as I so often do with my ReCounts, I decided to expand the list and go a bit further. So, with that said…here are My Top 15 Keith David Performances!

15. The Narrator, from Comic Book Superheroes Unmasked.

It’s not surprising that, with his impeccable and powerful vocals, Keith David has been the narrator for SEVERAL documentary programs. By far my favorite, however, is this one, released twenty years ago in 2004, as a tie-in with the History Channel to the upcoming film “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.” (Ironically, neither the movie nor the comic ever gets discussed in this documentary…weird.) “Comic Book Superheroes Unmasked” tells the history of superhero comics from the late 1930s all the way into then-modern day. (Obviously, some information here is out of date or just old news, due to the thing being two decades old.) It covers some of the more important comics published, some of the more interesting moments in the history of the medium, and some of the more noteworthy creators who have been responsible for bringing such stories and characters to life. David was a great choice for such a program; as this list will show, he’s actually got a LOT of experience playing comic book characters, both before and since, a couple of which are focused on in the documentary (likely not coincidentally). As a result, there’s a certain authenticity to his presence here. There’s not much to say; the thing about documentary narration is that it’s meant to be kept very neutral in tone, most of the time, and helps to both convey information and help with the mood without being extravagantly produced. It’s more the fact that I love this documentary so much that gives it placement here.

14. The Cheshire Cat, from Once Upon a Time in Wonderland.

This is a role I’m 99% sure NOBODY but myself would place on a countdown of this nature…but that’s the beauty of personal opinions: they belong to the one giving them alone, and that’s really all this list is about. In this spin-off series of “Once Upon a Time,” Alice and the Knave of Hearts go on a quest to stop the Red Queen (not to be confused with the Queen of Hearts), and rescue Alice’s love - a genie called Cyrus - from the Queen’s new ally: Jafar, of all characters. In the first episode, the Cheshire Cat shows up for a brief scene; it’s indicated that he and Alice used to be friends, but the massive, predatory feline has gone madder than ever with hunger. He turns on Alice, attempting to devour her, but is finally stopped by the intervention of the Knave. Upon his defeat, the Cat flees into the forest…and is sadly never seen again. I was rather disappointed the Cheshire Cat showed up for only such a brief time, especially since it would have been easy to bring him back and explore the setup of the character more - a villain who used to be a friend is a powerful concept - but alas, twas not to be. David uses a different sort of voice than he usually has (I’m not sure if it’s by his own work or if the voice was altered after the fact), much more high and “slithery” sounding, which actually works to give the Cat a decided creepiness, while still being silky and dangerous as ever. It also helps to differentiate him from a certain other magical feline in the actor’s resume…but that’s another story.

13. Okkoto, from Princess Mononoke.

It had been so long since I’d seen this movie in-full, I actually completely forgot David was even IN it. The moment I realized this, I made sure to give the entire feature a return visit. This classic anime picture by Studio Ghibli - the work of the great Hayao Miyazaki - focuses on the conflict between humans and various forest-dwelling spirits. Among these Gods of the Mountains is Okkoto: a huge, blind, white boar who leads a tribe of giant pig-beasts to attack Iron Town, a human settlement responsible for causing chaos in the woods by attacking many of these spirits and gods. At first, Okkoto is depicted as a strong but wise leader; powerful, but capable of mercy and understanding. However, his pain and anger ultimately lead to him becoming a demon, at which point he loses all of his intelligence, becoming a mad, mindless beast. While David’s time behind the mic is relatively small, it is memorable: he gives Okkoto a sort of tender but firm quality, and a touch of eternal weariness. It’s an ancient and soothing voice, which makes the change when Okkoto becomes a bloodthirsty, voiceless monster all the more startling.

12. Mr. Simms, from Tales From the Hood II.

This sequel to the 1995 cult classic “Tales From the Hood” is…exceptionally terrible. The first movie presented a series of stories that combined horror with humor and social commentary, particularly focused on the hardships of African Americans. It did so in a way that never felt too preachy, too annoying, or too excessive. Unfortunately, despite being written by the same exact people, the sequel is all of these things: the messages are hamfisted, the attempts at humor are mostly pretty annoying, and it mostly comes across as weird and gross more than it does legitimately scary. If there is one bright spot in the film, however, it is Keith David in the role of our host for the day: Mr. Simms. Like in most horror anthology pieces, there is a framing device that features a specific character who helps guide things along, much like in “Tales From the Crypt.” For these movies, that role goes to Simms: a funeral home director who is (rather transparently, so I don’t think it’s a spoiler) the Devil himself. In the original film, Simms was played by Clarence Williams III; he had retired from acting by the time of the second picture, and David was given the role. It’s honestly hard for me to say which version of the character I like more: Williams played the character with a manic intensity that was equal parts entertaining and extremely creepy. David, however, brings a sense of verbose power and a suave, slick, smooth demeanor, which is different enough while still having the same blend of humorous eccentricity and ominous danger behind his actions and words. He is, by far, the most entertaining part of the movie, and steals the show from the top to bottom. I actually was tempted to place Simms higher, but the rest of the movie is just so utterly appalling I don’t think it’s fair to do so.

11. Despero, from Justice League.

As I said before, Keith David has played many characters in superhero pieces. This is the first of a few to make the list. Despero is a supervillain from DC comics, who has repeatedly been a pain in the capes for the Justice League. When the DCAU made their animated series adaptation of the Justice League, it was only natural Despero would come along to cause trouble at some point or another. In the two-part story “Hearts and Minds,” Despero’s origins are given a tragic leaning, as it’s revealed he was an outcast among his own people on the planet Kalanor due to an alarming deformity: a third eye. Forced to wander through the wastes of the world, he eventually came into contact with a mystical power, which gave him psychic abilities and superhuman strength. Believing he had been chosen to rule Kalanor, Despero used his powers to take over his home planet, taking his revenge by subjugating the rest of his kind, all while claiming to be trying to lead his people to paradise. I don’t know that much about Despero in the comics, but this version of him was a really fun interpretation: like it so often did, the DCAU took a villain who could have just been a pure evil monster, and gave him layers of sympathy and complexity that made him unique. I don’t think I can say this is one of my top ten favorites of David’s roles, but it does come pretty close.

10. Keith the Handyman, from Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood.

For those of you who don’t already know, “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” was a children’s show hosted by the late, great Fred Rogers. It’s…hard to describe what the show was really about. It was a very mellow series focused on the titular Mr. Rogers, as he invited guests over, checked on his mail, taught kids about various jobs, and occasionally presented stories taking place in a fairy-tale world filled with puppets. Still early on in his career, David played a character called “Keith the Handyman,” who was one of Mr. Rogers’ neighbors. He appeared as a carpenter, a tinkerer, and an arcade machine fixer-upper in various episodes. David described the show as “kind of complex, but also simple,” which I think is a great way to put it: the series had a very calm, simple way of talking to its young audience, and presented very simple, loveable characters…but it also dealt with ideas, themes, concepts, and issues that were really complex. David admitted that, at the time, he didn’t fully understand the series, but over time he came to respect both the show and its host a great deal: he liked how neither ever talked down to the audience, and treated complicated concepts in a way small girls and boys could understand. David has never been alone in these feelings, and for good reason.

9. Dr. Tenma, from Pluto.

This, unless I’m mistaken, is David’s first role in an anime since Princess Mononoke. That film came out in 1999; that makes for over two decades between it and “Pluto,” which came out in 2023. “Pluto” is a dark, Alan-Moore-esque reimagining of the famous anime/manga series “Astro Boy.” I should point out that I know…basically nothing ABOUT Astro Boy, in its original form, aside from the fact it’s considered a “classic” and…well…exists. As a result, I was able to go into “Pluto” almost completely blind, with no real preconceptions or biases at all. There are many things to admire about this sci-fi mystery thriller, one of them being the voice cast…and among the most noteworthy of those voices is David as Dr. Tenma. While Tenma doesn’t show up till about halfway through the series, his presence is an important one from that point on. He is the creator of Atom (a.k.a. Astro Boy himself), and is one of the more complicated characters of the show, as well as one of the ones who holds the key to the mystery that unfolds through the series. While Tenma is a protagonist in the series, he’s an extremely complex individual; responsible for some terrible things, and willing to go to some dangerous measures to achieve the results he wants. He’s not evil, but he toes a fine line of ethics and morality almost from start to finish. While at first I found David’s voice slightly distracting, I very quickly bought into his work, and he is one of several highly impressive voice actors in the dub. This is one of those anime where I feel one really should watch the English version, and his appearance in it is part of the reason why.

8. Childs, from The Thing.

This is arguably David’s most famous live-action appearance on this countdown. John Carpenter’s “The Thing” - adapted from a story by John W. Campbell Jr., which in turn was inspired by a story by H.P. Lovecraft - is a classic sci-fi horror movie. Many consider it one of the best ever made. The plot focuses on a group of people working at a research facility in Antarctica, who are put under siege by a shapeshifting extraterrestrial that assimilates and consumes other living creatures. The film is well-renowned partially due to its extremely gory, gruesome, and grotesque special effects, as the Thing changes forms and absorbs its victims, and partially for its deeper subject matter: the alien’s abilities make the “real” enemy of the story the team’s distrust of one another, as they are constantly second-guessing if one of their members is the monster in disguise. One of the most interesting characters in the story is Childs, one of the team’s chief mechanics who is the first to discover the Thing’s chief weakness: fire. Once again, this was fairly early in David’s career, but it’s certainly a landmark for his onscreen appearances, especially given the way the film ends…but I mustn’t say more, or I will ruin the story.

7. Black Panther, from Fantastic Four: The Animated Series.

This was one of several Marvel cartoon shows made in the 1990s, all taking place in the same shared universe, along with “Spider-Man” and “The Incredible Hulk.” I watched all of them growing up, and all of them had their pros and cons. One of the coolest pros in the Fantastic Four series was the episode “Prey of the Black Panther,” in which the titular quartet meet the King of Wakanda. The Panther is something of an anti-hero in this story, as he actually lures the Fantastic Four to his home in the wilds of Africa and battles them as part of an elaborate test. Eventually, the heroes put aside their differences and work together to defeat the evil Klaw…and also a giant gorilla covered in tomato paste. (As you do.) David, of course, was great casting for the role of the Black Panther, and I’m surprised he never played the character again after this, at least to my knowledge, as he plays the role perfectly. My only problem with this appearance, and the main reason why the Panther doesn’t get higher on the list, is that he only shows up in one episode…and, like with a lot of stories in these shows honestly, the episode is sort of rushed for time. It tries to cram a LOT of story into less than half an hour, and so the pacing is a bit off. Still, the actual depiction of the character is a strong one, and probably one of my favorites to date.

6. Imam, from The Chronicles of Riddick.

For those who don’t know, “The Chronicles of Riddick” was a series of sci-fi action/adventure movies, starring Vin Diesel. They were made at an early point in Diesel’s acting career, and - despite gaining only a lukewarm-at-best critical response - gained a cult following with audiences pretty quickly. The series consisted of three live-action movies, an animated short film, a non-canon prequel, and a couple of video games. Imam’s real name is Abu al-Walid; his pseudonym is a reference to the prayer-leaders of Islamism, though whether it’s an actual title or just a nickname is unclear. He is a holy man who seeks to find “New Mecca.” He appears in the first film of the series, “Pitch Black,” wherein Imam ends up being one of the survivors of a crashed ship. Riddick - a mysterious intergalactic criminal - was being transported on the same ship to face trial. When alien lifeforms called Bioraptors begin hunting the survivors, they’re forced to rely on Riddick to lead the way and help them escape. At first, Imam and Riddick don’t exactly get along (for likely obvious reasons), but as the story goes on, not only is the holy man’s faith in God tested, but his faith in Riddick begins to grow at the same time. Eventually, the two characters end up becoming friends. Imam returned in the animated spin-off, “Dark Fury,” and had a small but important role in the sequel, “Chronicles of Riddick.” This was one of the first live-action roles I saw David in (I think prior to this Mr. Rogers was the only other example), and it was interesting to see him play a character like this. In many ways, I think Imam was one of the most complex characters of the series, and I really wish we could have seen even more of him.

5. The Cat, from Coraline.

This is the other cat I mentioned when I spoke of the Cheshire Cat earlier in the list. And to be honest, this character always reminded me of Lewis Carroll’s tricky feline, both in the original Neil Gaiman novel and perhaps especially in the Henry-Selick-made stop-motion movie. This raggedy black cat is a mysterious creature, able to travel between the “real” world and the Other World. While he can only speak in the latter, he seems to be equally intelligent no matter where he goes, and appears to have strange powers: like the Cheshire Cat, he seems able to disappear and reappear entirely at will. The Cat is an ally to Coraline - giving her advice (albeit in the most snarky way possible) and helping to keep her safe during her travels in the Other World - but his motives and origins are very unclear. We don’t really know why he wants to help her, or how he has the powers he has, or even what he really is. It’s indicated that he’s an old enemy of the Other Mother - the main villain of the story - but exactly why they’re enemies is unclear. It’s also indicated he’s fond of Wybie, in both worlds - an eccentric local boy who becomes Coraline’s best friend - but why this is, or if it has any bearing on his reasons for what he does, is anybody’s guess. With so many unanswered questions, he quickly becomes one of the most fascinating characters in the story, and David’s vocals help a good deal. He plays the Cat with a smooth, slightly sinister-sounding charm, which gives the character an unsettling edge despite his apparent good intentions and actions. It helps to keep the viewers guessing the whole while, and the sarcastic, slick feline’s snarky attitude leads to some great bits of dialogue.

4. Husk, from Hazbin Hotel.

Speaking of snarky felines…if you know me well, this guy being so high up won’t be even remotely a surprise. Husk is one of David’s most recent roles, but I’m already convinced he’s one of the best, and a shoe-in for my top five. For those who don’t know, “Hazbin Hotel” is a web series on Amazon Prime (started by a pilot you can find on YouTube, which had a completely different cast), which is a combination of adult humor and animated musical. The story takes place in Hell itself, where Charlie Morningstar - the daughter of Lucifer - decides to try and create a hotel where wayward souls can seek redemption and gain access to the pearly gates. There are lots of reasons for this, but part of the reason is because Heaven has taken to carrying out annual “exorcisms,” sending hordes of angels down to cull some of the population of Hell to keep it from getting overcrowded. Charlie wants these exterminations to end, so - with the (extremely sketchy) help of a demon called Alastor - she begins to work on finding a way to get the hotel working and show Heaven the plan to redeem souls rather than punish them has benefits. Husk, one of the major characters of the series, is the hotel’s grouchy bartender; a former Overlord of Hell who lost a bet with Alastor, and is now forced to do whatever the demon says. Not only is David delightfully funny throughout this comedic series, but there’s also other layers that come out, too. Husk is grumpy, foul-mouthed, and cares a lot more about drinking and gambling than getting into Heaven, but as the show goes, on softer sides to him come to light. What’s interesting is that David is something of an outlier in the cast, to a degree: the creator of the show wanted a “Broadway cast” for the series, and for the most part, that’s exactly the case. Many of the actors in the show are more well-known for their work in musical theatre than film or television. David is the one exception: he’s done his share of theatre, and even a couple of musicals, but he’s much more well-known for his work as a voice actor. Despite this, he fits in like a glove…and hey, he gets the best song of the series, so I’m obviously not going to complain.

3. Spawn.

Of all the comic book characters Keith David has played, none have been more noteworthy in his career than Spawn: the superhero identity of Al Simmons, a police officer with a dark past. After Simmons is brutally betrayed and murdered, he finds himself dragged down to Hell, where the Devil transforms him into “Hellspawn,” forced to do his bidding. Eventually, Spawn escapes the Devil’s clutches, and proceeds to use his demonic powers to punish and hunt down evildoers (think Ghost Rider, but with an arguably even worse film adaptation). David is arguably the definitive voice actor for the character, much in the way the late Kevin Conroy was considered the definitive voice of Batman, or Tim Daly and George Newbern have been considered the definitive voices of Superman. Like them, he first played the character in a 1990s animated TV series; if I’m not mistaken, it was one of the first truly adult animated superhero series ever made, able to capture all the dark elements of the Spawn comics and present characters and stories that were complex, disturbing, and gripping in their intensity. It even won a couple of Emmy Awards! Since then, David has reprised the role two or three times in video games; most notable for me was“Mortal Kombat 11,” where Spawn was one of several characters included in a DLC package. While Spawn isn’t quite as renowned as DC or Marvel’s hordes of heroes, he’s probably one of the more noteworthy characters to come from a company that ISN’T one of the big two, and hearing David play such an iconic character is always a sheer delight.

2. Goliath, from Gargoyles.

On the note of superhero fiction, “Gargoyles” was Disney’s response to the popularity of shows like “Batman: The Animated Series” and “X-Men: The Animated Series.” The series was noticeably darker in tone, and more mature in its character and storytelling complexity, than a lot of other animated Disney shows of the time. A sort of combo of dark fantasy and superhero action, the series focused on a team of living gargoyles in New York City. They work together to protect humanity from mad scientists, ancient gods, mischievous fae, immortal warriors…and, most diabolical of all…corporate businessmen. The leader of the Gargoyles, our main character, is the mighty Goliath. I’m fairly sure this was the first Keith David role I ever saw growing up, before I even knew the man’s name, and it’s still one of the most iconic to me. Having brought up Batman, Goliath actually reminds me a lot of him: strong, somewhat stoic, with a tragic past, a slight leaning to the theatrical at times…and, frankly, just a good ol’ fashioned badass. There’s not a whole lot else to say; this is one of the first roles I think of with Keith David, and it’s probably a favorite for a lot of other people, too.

1. Dr. Facilier, from The Princess and the Frog.

I think this is the role most people nowadays would recognize Keith David for most immediately. (I could be wrong there, but it’s the role I hear more people speak of in connection to his name than any other.) It was definitely the role that introduced me to the actor; yes, I’d seen and heard him in other things before, but it wasn’t till this movie that I recognized the name “Keith David” properly, if that makes any sense. Facilier is one of my favorite Disney Villains - second only to the malevolent Maleficent - and, for a while, he was a pretty big deal. Nowadays he seems to be SLIGHTLY less renowned (though certainly not by a whole lot; he’s still considered pretty popular), but most people agree he’s a lot of fun and arguably the most enjoyable character in the film. David’s voice is a big part of that: Facilier is far from the most complicated character he’s played, but he’s a very entertaining villain. The character is a slippery con artist; succinctly described by David himself as “a schemer,” he’s both constantly in control and constantly trying to gain control, which makes for an interesting contrast to the character throughout the film. He’s also one of the few villains in a Disney movie that succeeds in permanently killing off a major character in the story. David has since joined the ranks of other voice actors who have returned repeatedly to voice their character in spin-off materials for the Parks and TV; there’s no sign of him growing tired of the part, so as long as he’s around, here’s hoping more fun with Facilier and his Friends on the Other Side remains on the horizon. Without a shadow of a doubt, he is my favorite of Keith David’s many marvelous characters and performances.

HONORABLE MENTIONS INCLUDE…

Sergeant Cantrell, from The Quick and the Dead. (An excellent Western, and David is excellent in it, I just liked the fifteen options I picked more.)

The Narrator, for Egypt’s Golden Age. (A three-part documentary series on Ancient Egypt’s most famous pharaohs. Best way to learn Egyptology ever.)

Solovar, from The Flash. (Again, like with Cantrell, I just like the fifteen I chose more.)

Mongul, from Young Justice. (Would have been on the list if it weren’t for the fact I felt other versions of Mongul were even better.)

[chunkymamatam]

Hii Reena here ^^

Thanks again for the reply! I would certainly love to know how to behave in a more masculine way, I think that would certainly help me in my mission! In the case that I do get found out though, I want to know, on your more feminine days, do some people get creepy or weird? I think that's my biggest fear when going to an all boys school :')

Besides that, I came up with more questions! Wanted to ask how the Octavinelle and Scarabia Arc went since you said you already completed them

I assume that most of it was the same, but wanted to know how exactly it went and how the differences were.

My personal favourite Character is Azul, but Jade, Jamil and Kalim are close seconds, so I wanted to know how those Arcs went since they are my favourites :)

Obviously more happened than what was shown in the game, so I would appreciate it if you could tell us a little something about what went on behind the scenes!

Also, a few more specific questions (assuming that the story was similar to the ingame one...): When Ace, Deuce and Grim made a deal with Azul and Jade and Floyd came up to the group, did the interaction go similar to the ingame one? Does Floyd also call you Shrimpy?

Did you immediately agree to help the boys? I mean...it was their own fault lol...

How is Jack? My favourite Savanaclaw student <3

How was working at the lounge like?

Oh and something I've always wondered is how the water-breathing potion tastes like. Is it really that gross? I feel like Azul made it taste bad out of spite.

That brings me to the next point, how is breathing under water like? And what do Jade's and Floyd's real forms look like?

Did Leona also help with the plan? Was it hard to convince him?

What did Azul look like as a kid? I can imagine him being adorable! Also, did he cry? I found it super adorable in the game, but I assume in person it would be much more of a hassle lol.

I saw a few comics about your experiences with Scarabia and I loved them.

How is Jamil? I feel like he would be much more antisocial than ingame...he gives me those vibes.

Special shoutout to Kalim, the ray of sunshine we all love.

Did you escape Scarabia like in the game? What is it like to fly on a carpet lol? And also, did you crash into Octavinelle? I feel like there was some compensation behind the scenes...did he make you work for him?

Okay okay I've noticed that there are a lot of questions so I'll stop here for now. Additionally, if it's too much feel free to skip some or split it up over more posts if that help :)

Thanks in advance! Have a nice day <3

-Reena

Hi again! Sorry it took a little longer than normal. It’s a lot to type and the heat exhaustion hit me like

These tips are gonna be general things that I've observed and heard from trans men, vocal coaches and body language specialists respectively. I'm not an expert and its probably gonna take a bit of practice.

also everything I say as to explain why to do these things isn't to bash men, its all neutral. Men and Women were just raised with different expections and social norms whether people want to admit that or not lol The social context behind the behavior is also important imo

don't be afraid to take up space. Man spreading, wide stances, etc. They were raised and taught the social norm and expectation that they're allowed to take up space with no shame so this is how you're gonna have to naviigate the world too if you wanna pull it off.

Bigger and less words. Men tend to talk less and explain things in bigger words while women tend to explain things in more words (even if we have the vocabulary to shorten it). This is due to the fact they're raised with a "I'm gonna talk how I feel and if you don't understand the language I'm using well then too bad ig" type mentality

They walk like they have something between their legs (cuz they do most of the time lmfao)

Confidence is key honestly. and if they question it gaslight tf out of them

Honestly its mostly just practice. There's more to it vocally but I haven't managed to do that yet so idk how to explain it too well. Its more than deepening your voice tho cuz men do have higher voices sometimes. They speak wider idk how else to explain. It has to do with the way they hold their jaw and move their tongues (Yes they can both affect the way you speak majorly)

Now as for my experience with Octavinelle and Scarabia... Do I hold everything that happened against them? No not at all. Am I still going to heavily fucking bitch about that shit? Absolutely. Lets start with Octavinelle

In my DR is an actual college EVERYONE is 18 and up

Octavinelle

First of we had our first set of finals and the tweels were campaigning Azul's contracts which I expected. What I hadn't expected was for them to start low key stalking me. They approached me one time because I had a bad grade on the pop quiz we had in class that day. Man they’re toweringly tall. They’re not that scary tho. Like intimidating and suspicious sure but like that’s cuz they’re being plotting bastard men lmfao they were like

“I see you’re struggling a bit~”

“We can help you with that~”

“All you need to do is come to our lounge and speak with Azul, he has something that can help”

And I was like “uhm.. no I’m good. I don’t need help and besides. I’ve heard about those deals and I want no part in it.”

And then for the next week up until finals they would watch me. Bro it was so scary just seeing a flash of blue and teeth. I turn around and they’re going around the corner. It definitely wasn’t a coincidence either cuz this wouldn’t just be when I’m going to class. Grim would point them out and start sweating. It was wild 😭

When the time finally comes and the hoard of mfs with anemones start crowding into octavinelle I wanted to mind my business. I checked out what was going on with Jack and then go home and not think about it for a week. Those 3 must do their time. I literally only felt bad for Deuce. I couldn't have it my way tho because of course I couldn't. Crowely comes in and is like,

"Fix this for me. I assume you like the amenities I'm providing.. Housing.. Food.."

So I didn't really have a choice unfortunately. I slept on it and that morning at breakfast the tweels came over and started asking how I was feeling cuz I "Looked extra stressed" and "extra done" with "the anemones." Nah cuz this information is relatively inconsequential cuz Azul was gonna find out anyway so I was like.

"Yeah I have a bitch of a commission from the headmage. So I'll be paying you a visit later at the lounge."

Bruh Floyd was kinda excited in his sly type of way "A visit from shrimpy? That'll be fun"

That was the end of that and I made my way to The Mostro Lounge after classes, ask about talking to Azul and start working a shift while we wait. It was really funny cuz when I'm serving I switch to a customer service voice that sounds significantly different than my normal voice. It almost sounds like Barbie. The way the Tweels, Jack, Ace, Deuce and Grim stopped and stared for a solid 10 seconds cracks me up every time I think about it lol

Eventually I get to go talk to Azul and I sit down in front of his desk. I was like.

"This isn't my usual thing, should I just cut to the chase and say this bluntly or..?"

"My aren't you just straight to business. I like it."

"I guess. This isn't my scene and I'm not exactly here because I want to so I'd just like to get this over with"

"Go on then."

"Sorry. So I'm here because of the whole.. Anemone situation. Is there anyway I could get you to release them from there contracts?"

"Maybe a few.. But all. That's quite the tall order."

"and if it were up to me I would only ask that Ace, Deuce and Grim be released but unfortunately that's not an option at the moment."

"You seem like a relatively reasonable person so I'll cut you a deal" and he explains how the contract works. I get the picture and he lets everyone go.

He asks me if we have a deal and as I open my mouth those 3 fuck heads bust through the door, Jade and Floyd following behind. They start begging and pleading for me to just "sign the contract" and save them. That shit pissed me off because how dare you. I really laid into them I'm ngl. I told them

"You got your damn selves into this situation and if I had half a mind I'd leave you to your contracts. I don’t want to be here and if it were up to me I would leave you here to suffer the consequences of your own actions. So how about instead of begging me to get you out of the hole YOU dug, you take your asses back on the floor and do your damn job that you stupidly signed up for."

Which must’ve been really funny to watch considering Azul, Jade and Floyd were chuckling. After the three were dragged out by the anemones on their heads Azul just starts roasting the fuck out of me with the most matter of fact tone it was genuinely hilarious. He clearly knew nothing about me but like I wasn’t gonna say nothing. He really looked at me and said that a bargaining chip was gonna be tricky because and I quote I’m an “Average student with no exceptional talents” 💀💀💀 did I correct him? No but like damn I think my art is good and according to everyone else I can sing so stfu bitch 😭 Anyway I signed away Ramshackle as collateral because like.. Crowley threatens to take it all the time tf do I care lmfao

I end up sleeping in Savanaclaw for those few nights but whatever. Azul gave me the potion to let me breathe underwater, Thank you oh merciful see witch ig, we try to go to the museum. Now. I’m an epileptic, oxygen deprivation in any capacity is a trigger. I’m not a very fast swimmer and the Tweels are fucking fish. Floyd caught me and the squeeze is basically a choke hold combined with chest compression to stop you from breathing 😭 I had a seizure cuz of it and when I came to him and Jade were mortified, Jack was yelling at them, Deuce and Grim were sobbing, Ace was yelling about how he thought I was joking about having my medical conditions LMFAO

Yeah they generally stopped trying to catch me after that 💀 We ended up using the plan they used in the game and I specifically told Leona “hey, remember how Lilia pushed you into an overblot? If he starts freaking tf out and having a mental breakdown DONT I repeat do NOT start bullying tf out of him.” He didn’t fucking listen to me. Then wanted to look at me like he didn’t know that was gonna happen. Like bitch I warned you tf you looking at me for. In short he tried to snatch my whole life bro 😭 Dealing with over blots is fucking crazy bro cuz they’ll Fr try to kill you and start insulting tf out of you. It was so unserious with Azul tho I’m not even gonna lie to you man.

He said “you have no money and you live in a shit hole. Do you know how much money and energy its gonna take to fix that???? And you live there!!”

I said “take that up with Crowley man!” LMFAO

Afterwards he cried and then when he pulled himself together and we went to the museum I had a little heart to heart with him. I let him know that he was worth more than his appearance and more than his money and he should be proud of his accomplishments and his smarts. He said there’s no need to butter him up but like I don’t do that shit I was just being honest with my feelings.

That’s all I really have the energy for. Again I’m sorry it took so long 😭

[ketchup-monthly]

N for DC

N - Name three things you wish you saw more or in your main fandom (or a fandom of choice)

oh god there are so many more things than 3 that i would like to see in the DC fandom that i dont see. but i'll shave it down to 3

MORE LANTERNFAM -dear god please give me more lanternfam. i want hal! i want guy! i want john! i want kyle! i want kilowog! i want carol! i want razer! i want aya! please god i just want more lanternfam -on that note, i also just want the lanterns to get more respect???? they wield the most powerful weapon in the known universe and are insanely powerful to be able to do so. lets get some respect on their names, please?

midnighter and apollo actually getting the credit they deserve instead of being watered down little bitches -dear god please dc ruined their characters and took away all interesting factors that either of them had and left them soulless shells of the men, nay, gods they used to be. they took away their marriage. they took away their daughter. they took away their beautiful codependency. -instead, midnighter is an edgy batman knockoff and apollo is a superman fanboy -they would not fucking say that -and a lot of fans are seeing their new 52 and rebirth versions and accepting that as who they actually are as characters, and no! they had a rich and vibrant history before the new 52 ruined them -i just want them to go back to who they were, together and apart, before the new 52, where their story actually had meaning and a political message instead of the watered down fanservice "oh look we have gay characters" that their comics are today

more content that separates other characters from the bats so they can get an actual story told -ive complained about this in some of my tags recently, but as someone who is in a lot of other parts of the dc fandom that ISNT the batfam, i'd like to be able to sit down and actually have content for characters, ships, and dynamics between characters that dont involve any of the bats. -im a lantern fan. do you know how hard it is to actually find content for that? there is so little guyhal content, or superlantern, or green lantern the animated series, or hal's relationship with literally any other character when compared to the content for bruce and his kids. -i want to be able to read clark kent content without it being about bruce. i'd like to read superbat where its not about clark being a stepdad to the batkids and completely ignores clarks kids. he has kids and this is as important to his character as bruces are to his. -i want to read flash content without dick in it. i'd like to have comics coming out where i wont have to read about the bats and their misadventure of the year -please stick the bats in an alternate dimension where nothing happens for a year so i can enjoy literally anyone else doing anything else -duke can stay bc he already has literally barely any content for him and i think he deserves to get to grow as his own character for a bit. im putting him in a terrarium with shelter, food, and enrichment and gently misting him with water as we speak. i shall take care of him as he becomes independent and gets to be a kid for a little while. he is being taken care of well -that being said can i please have more fics where we take bruce's kids from him and they actually get to grow a personality other than "gotham vigilante"? let hal steal bruces kids! let clark! let barry! let dinah! please im asking very nicely

[kustas]

i would be interested in hearing your thoughts on gogo monster!

oOoOOhhh man...short and poignant in a most disturbing way. I'd already read some works by the same author where he proved being extremely good at 1) writing realistic children, with deep attention paid to how they see the world and act with each other, and 2) drawing illusions, surrealism and dreamscapes...and that little story is just those two things combined isn't it

I had rather high expectations because several people who's tastes I trust told me it was really good, including that it was better than tekkonkinkreet (my favorite manga! how can you!) and was shocked to see it was so short? Taiyo Matsumoto never writes really long manga and I had read shorter things by him but it was still unexpected. Despite the shortness of it all the pacing is nice and slow and gives off that busy monotony of what school was like...the length is perfect for what it's doing, I couldn't see it done otherwise.

The art itself looks great, technically speaking and according to my subjective tastes. That being said it's extremely similar to the other stuff he was doing at the time style-wise which for an artist who willingly experiments with that was a tiny bit underwhelming? I haven't managed to spot anything unique in it - in the context of the artist's mangas. In the wider context of manga in general, it's still a fresh, original and wonderfully drawn comic.

It's all I love in a plot: show don't tell, a humble scale and a healthy dose of vagueness you may interpret. Added to this comes a sort of...respectful distance? I've felt in a lot of the author's work. Despite a small cast and a lot of solo, almost first person moments, you don't quite feel immersed. You're not part of what's going on, only witnessing it. It adds to the atmosphere.

Yet another outcast child protag, this time (if you compare to tekkon, to sunny, even to the prelude to no.5) a softer little guy. Yet another instance of dealing with undisclosed mental health stuff affecting his everyday life. Still love to see that, the gentle kindness in relation to that subject matter is what made me love this author in the first place. I'm easily attached to characters like that and in this case, his relationship to loneliness and strange lack of care for the treatment given by fellow classmates tugged at my heart strings a whole lot.

Now, for the fucked up stuff. This manga actually scared me! The uh, supernatural? Elements creep slowly. I did not see them coming and their execution was terrific. There's something uniquely scary in showing stuff happening and the rest of the world denying it your face, added to this the point of view of a young child, an age where your opinion on the world isn't one many regard as important, where your perspective gets brushed off ... if I had to give a meaning to the story it'd be that. A sort of personification of the discomfort of childhood, of not being taken seriously but of fearing what's coming next, not yet being old enough to be aware of your own life's past tense but feeling the changes in you as you grow up.

10/10. Reconsidering my stance on those under the bed monsters right now

[moralesmilesanhour]

Thank you for sharing that post on Gwen because I thought it was just me who didn't like that they made her such a big part of Miles story...like this is supposed to be HIS story and HIS journey of being spiderman , he should've been the sole focus and her story should've been it's own seperate thing instead of tying it to his...but it's like you can't say anything because then her stans are gonna come crying about the Gwen hate and her poor white woman pain (and not even focus on what Miles went through or even the hate Margo and Jess get that's far more horrific than what Gwen receives )

Yeah I would've loved a solo Gwen film! I don't hate her, I hate what they chose to do with her story and that's what folks arent getting lol. (long ass post under the cut I tried so hard not to rant but I failed)

The people reducing criticism of the writers' choice to make Gwen SO important on a meta level to "Gwen hate" are honestly missing the point.

Literally everyone in this film has had a rough go at it, but somehow it's always Miles' pain that gets pushed aside whenever it comes to discussions about Gwen or Miguel or whichever nonblack character people have latched onto (I say nonblack bc it's clear people only give a shit about Hobie on a surface level).

Not only does Miles' story suffer (what do we actually know about him and his world beyond "hey look it's Brooklyn" and his issues w his parents?), but hers does too because they shoved all of that information into a series of flashbacks and cuts to her world. As a result, it feels like we don't know enough about either characters' respective relationships.

But the most IMPORTANT part that people like to gloss over is the choice to make a WHITE WOMAN as pivotal to Miles' character development as they did.

Everyone has already said their piece on the betrayal, but I actually want to zoom out a bit.

Like I said before, this movie feels like it wanted to be...something else. From jump, we see that Hobie instantly takes an interest in wanting to protect Miles and steer him away from joining Spider Society because he knows they will not have his best interests in mind.

He is not the only character that goes against Miguel (the FIRST time 🙄) to protect Miles, though.

Margo, the one Black female character in Miles' age group, looks at him while he's running from Miguel and decides to send him home (or what she thought was his home) instead of turning him in.

The movie even tells us that Margo is supposed to be a part of Miles' story too when they first see each other! Why else would she help someone she just met???

What I'm trying to say is, this movie has a ton of racial subtext woven into it. And it CLEARLY wants you to know that. Hobie and Pavitr even share a common hatred for Britain and it's not by accident!

And YET! It's the white characters that get sooo much development and exploration! Even though both Peter B and Gwen end up being the ones that momentarily betray Miles because they have both been convinced that suffering (even preventable suffering) is necessary and central to who Spider-Man is.

Idk my thoughts are so messy lol. I don't hate the movie and i understand that there was a lot of bullshit happening behind the scenes that may have also impacted the story. But there's just so many directions that it could've gone in...? IDK IDK sjfhdksk

My hope for Beyond the Spiderverse is that the movie will take all of these little nuggets that they dropped and give us some pay-off, in order to drive home the idea that:

A) Spider-Man is not defined by his trauma or arbitrary "canon events" (obvious jab at comic book fans lol)

B) Spider-Man is not defined by isolation. He is allowed to have friends and deserves community

Anyways rant over ✌🏾

[ultravioart]

I am assuming you don't wish to be tagged here bc icky topics on my long og post, but this is REAL. REAL REAL.

The ship would be fine if OW writers just made one change time wise???? No idea what they were thinking, it really feels like this was a later addition to Pharah's character rather than inherently planned for Pharah.

Which... okay! Ideas change, so do concepts and characters, but retcon the extra crap then! Augh. I feel bad for fans who are just trying to have a good time in fandom content only to stumble into the thorn nest that is "drastically important ow lore that you need a microscope to find" that completely butchers a ship out of the blue 🤓 like DOOD it is so time consuming to sift through, the only reason I have dove in is because my brain thinks omnics are neat:tm: bc robot media is a special interest. And don't get me started about the ow books... I can't imagine most people have read those, and I am not buying them so lol I am out of the loop there, too.

But to the point: I dislike "airdropping" identities in general, no matter the series. Either have it never matter ('they just are (insert thing)' rep can be good when done right), or have it properly incorporated into the story from the start: Tracer works because of her comic, it felt natural and well intended. aka pre plan it so wack contradictions or implications do not exist.

I understand creators trying to get around censors for LGBT+ rep but Overwatch is like. Already out there. Wayyyy out of the closet by now. No need to hide identities for a big reveal, it feels like trying to hype train the existence of well. Existing. Homo FOMO the corperation yells, hoping for big money from hype trains.... no thanks... I prefer my rep treated with respect. :,)

Fr they can just announce it alongside nationality and age when the character is first announced. Like imagine if they airdropped ethnicity-- Oh wait they did do that with Cole Cassidy confirming he is just a "very tanned Caucasian" LOL too late tho fanon has already adopted BAMF cowboy from Blizz anyhow. And tbf, I agree with common fanon there-- I always interpreted Cole as mixed heritage because of. well. Irl Cowboy history and cowboy movie culture? That's like. His whole THING. BAMF Spaghetti Western Cowboy, living in OW as an actual rootin tootin cowboy running into the sunset. As stated, fanon can be better than canon sometimes. Or fanon can be worse.

Anyways, I AM happy to see more LGBT+ rep, I am just very (side eye) at ActiBlizz because it's well. Actiblizz. No more needs to be said there.

Or... uh, as of recent events.... I guess microsoft-actiblizz??? ActiBlizzSoft??? Corperate titan assimilation does not bode well for authentic art creation imo. :/

[humunanunga]

I’m transcribing what I said on Discord here because I still have a lot of Feelings about this, as That Bitch who fully and unapologetically loves the fourth season the most:

Her: So... why does Atemu want to leave...? Like, genuinely curious as to why he needs to leave, or wants to leave. It is a classic case of I want to move on?

Me: It definitely feels more like something he’s supposed to do more than wants to do. I really think the way it was meant to go was that defeating Zorc and closing off his realm was supposed to incapacitate the Millennium Items from being used to invoke shadow games ever again (and judging by DSoD, it was only a partial success as long as the Items themselves were still intact). It definitely feels like one more kingly duty expected of him overruling his personal desires, hence why there are several postcanon fix-it fics/comics. Everyone understands that the final arc is dubcanon. Some would argue that the fourth season is also dubcanon, since it’s not manga-canon and doesn’t comply with Pegasus being killed off back in the Duelist Kingdom finale, but I stand by the Orichalcos arc.

Her: Yeah cuz like otherwise I didn’t see a reason for him to leave. He was happy, everyone was happy.

Me: The reason was cuz KT was forced to keep fucking producing through a stress ulcer he coulda died from and the subsequent physical recovery and he just needed to wrap it up already to give himself a fucking break!

Like, the fourth season was Technically Filler cuz it doesn’t comply with manga canon in which Pegasus was killed off back in the Duelist Kingdom finale, but each of the musketeers were designed to foil the excaliboys. Rafael was being strangled by what he was told was a destiny he had no right to resist. That would’ve been the perfect build-up to Atemu getting his own autonomy back-- It’d even fit in with his contrast against Seto! It’d put them on more even ground-- Seto could’ve been wrong about the past having no current importance, and Atemu could’ve been wrong about the future being a destiny he had to answer.

Atemu was still trapped in a fragile blood-money vessel that only Yugi could summon him from, Yugi who couldn’t live forever, but being set free from it could’ve been his price for winning the Memory World game, which was supposed to be the final and ultimate shadow game, the one Zorc was going to use to enter their world from the Shadow Realm. Perhaps he wouldn’t get a whole new body, but even just being able to reside with Yugi without the Puzzle, they would’ve been able to pass on together whenever Yugi’s time came!

Yugi didn’t need Atemu anymore, but he still wanted Atemu, and Atemu still wanted to be with Yugi even if he also wanted his memories and identity back, they just-- both of them respected each other enough to help each other get what they wanted, even at their own expense, and they both felt like they didn’t have the right to impose on the other, but they both wanted the same fucking thing! Staying together could’ve been a matter of moving on from the worry that they were only together out of necessity...

Fuck, Horakhty could’ve rewarded Atemu that freedom! Yugi’s implied to be a reincarnation of whatever was left of Atemu that wasn’t sealed away, and I was just reading that to pass on to Duat, all aspects of the soul-- Ba, Jb, Ka, Ren, Shut, they all need to be brought back together to pass on, they coulda stayed together!

[violetsystems]

#personal

Having a weekend contextually beats screaming at the wall indefinitely for the record. It was a short week last week but a bit of a stressful one in terms of a brain dump. I think it helps that I know a lot about IT but that's more for my sanity. My experience if you will at play. Which is to say that I am experienced but not in the Hendrix tradition. I will have a new boss next week but that's for another time. The simple fact that I'm working again and have health benefits that aren't falling apart is a good feeling. I've been mentally, emotionally and physically in a hole for much of COVID. But it's more of shock than actual damage returning to public. I would have liked to see a dermatologist for a less experimental routine. But there's a lot of things I can do right now that I couldn't. I still stay home mostly on the weekends aside from shopping. Socially I don't want to do anything other than hardcore nerd shit. Which is why being next to the comic book store where I played constructed drafts is pretty cool. Hyde Park is a bit of a ride down but the transit is pretty predictable in either way. I like where I live and where I work because door to door is a block either way. The religious atmosphere can be a disorienting at first but it's inter faith so it feels more welcoming than overbearing. I didn't have to be Lutheran to work there. My dad's family comes from that tradition and my uncle Howie is a musician in his own right. He wrote a hymn with a guy from Tanzania and reworked it. The fact that people know who he is there is kind of cool. His daughter is one of the people I visited when I traveled alone to China in Hong Kong. So I'm the kind of person who likes threading the loops in a long elaborate way. I appreciate my isolation a whole lot more when I can come back and be quiet. People still follow me around. It depends on the day. I feel like if you can tell I came home mad then the city could learn something. Everybody is conditioned to be up in everyone's face now. Which isn't very welcoming at all. Which judging from my anarchic disposition, how is it I can get along in a situation where I'm not in control and work diligently but be bothered all day when I step into public. I'm not famous, am I?

Maybe I should be. Maybe I already am or was. Maybe that hadn't had shit to do with why I focus on what I focus on. The world doesn't give a fuck primarily. And thus, I spent a good three years pushing myself to find somewhere where my talents would be appreciated. And get paid for them. After losing a job I worked over twenty years at in a community where I was so in awe but so looked down upon. It's weird to be working now with people I worked with back there. But not in a disturbing way. I felt thrown out. And when you have to tell somebody you had a Korean copy of Neuromancer who is your favorite author and not be able to tell them why. That is what people asked me at the staff meeting. I said William Gibson. That's the kind of matter of fact shit you want your coworkers to want to get to know. But everything I brought to my office to keep me company at the old job just got thrown out. Nobody saved anything. I was lucky they saved my references. But the most important thing was that I got out of a situation I was in. Not having a job sucks. Not being appreciated for being someone talented just to make someone less talented feel better about themselves sucks too. But that's the way shit goes out here. And if you can appreciate one thing about me now it's that when I have problems I try to deal with them. Sometimes yelling at a wall so that my neighbors can hear me is therapeutic. But it doesn't solve the problem of respect. To simply judge someone based on what little you know of them is such a fearful move. I've lived in my apartment now over thirteen years. This is my culture and history. Even waking up on a Saturday and talking shit on Tumblr to the few people I hang out with on a daily basis in my dash. You could have understood I wrote these for years and left treasure troves of personality bits for the AI to scrobble. I had a meeting where the AI included in our synopsis a light hearted anecdote about pizza toppings. I was blown away reading it's impression of what we did for an hour. Why can it see the finer points of my charisma and other people not?

Free will? Such a theological dagger. But the argument for me is the most salient in my life. I know sometimes people say "oh it was fate that everything worked out." God was smiling upon you or some shit. You could have just sat there and basked in the countenance and did nothing. Luck maybe had more to do with it. But luck doesn't push buttons. Poltergeists do. I am still under review for a bunch of positions that trickle in with rejections. I had to send so many resumes out before the right fit. But the choice was put there before me maybe laid out in a dark pattern that defies human logic. I saw the job in my LinkedIn feed. I would have had to stay on LinkedIn for three years to find it. I applied for it after getting angry at my dad projecting I wouldn't ever find a job because of the way I look. Tattoos and all. I would have had to have a resume that competed with other candidates. I would have had to pass a background check where it clears me of being a sex offender or a terrorist. I would have had to take the time to interview and present myself well. In short I had to actively do a lot of things that weren't fun. I had to crawl my way out of a box. And I'm still largely unhappy to a point. This wasn't the life I envisioned for myself. So much of the narrative was hijacked and still disrespected to this day. And the way I look at it. I made a choice that unfolded in very mysterious ways and still does. I have a comparable salary to where I left off. I had to be the person I am to get this and you have people following me around comparing themselves to me. Looking for strength from me by either idolizing me secretly or crucifying me in public like Jesus over some dumb shit they hijacked from my browser history. I'm sure you know how lonely it is for me to just sit out here and hate myself because people don't know how to love themselves. There is still something very much wrong with me for doing things the way I do. For keeping to myself. For defending the freedom that I've inherited by living in this country from the country itself. You have free will to be a op. And the dagger lies in the fact that the choices given to us are defined by the ones we choose however risky or unfathomable that is to other people. And you make the choice to fuck with me. Positively or negatively. I'm going to make the choice to make note of it and act accordingly. <3 Tim

[moonlightperseus]

I believe that you think that but recently I was talking to a coworker and she said "lots of people really like whales." and I said "I don't like whales in a normal person way." And she agreed immediately. We'd worked like one full shift together before, and I don't work around anything to do with marine anything.

I THINK though I could be wrong, you're thinking of the shark episode? There's a case where a shark in an aquarium vomits up an arm and they're like "AHA, foul play afoot! Someone killed this man and fed him to the shark!" I haven't seen the really early seasons though so that could be a different thing. The "Mysterious death" I was referencing really isn't so mysterious, a man broke into seaworld, severely intoxicated, and either climbed into or fell into the orca tank- where at the time, Tilikum was housed. Tilikum who over his life span killed three people (There's only four reported deaths by killer whales in captivity and none in the wild), this man being his second victim, I believe. And look okay that is EXACTLY what I was looking into, I went to the seaworld website to find out the names of the orcas currently held there so I could google them on a third party website to find out if they have histories of aggression or acting out to determine if I'm getting a buddy or a grave stone. None of them had aggressive incidents listed, a couple actively stated that there were none, so that's a good sign. Bad signs, four out of the five are kids of Tilly's and while I love Tilikum and really respect him for what he did for killer whale rights, I am a little hesitant with those genetics. Another bad sign: Free Willy taught me that orcas like their tongues scratched and I'm not quite sure I can trust myself to not give them tongue pets if they come see me. I also I can tell you right now I would NOT get past the orca tank, you and me could be like spies on a super important mission and you'd have to like turn around and be like "What are you doing we need the FILES." And I'd be like "Look this is clearly a girl I think it's Katina isn't she cute? Judging by the eyepatch shape-" And then you'd realize that you should just finish the mission alone honestly, you probably don't have to kill me to keep me quiet, I'm probably dumb enough to let Katina do it. (I'm going to refrain from apologizing for all of *that* and you can just remember that you said I could infodump and didn't specify if there were restrictions)

That makes sense! I did have quite a bit of access just because like my sister was into them, my brother was. So we all watched the movies. I never watched agents of Shield (or even tried) but I DID watch the first season of Agent Carter and I DID find that enjoyable. Granted I will do anything for Peggy Carter on account of she could step on me.

I'm so sorry for you not having a Dollarama and also I know I already just straight up said I was Canadian but I feel a little outed for being Canadian. Anyway yeah it's not like a normal thing but the way Dollarama's work is they just like sell overstock of shit for cheap. I once bought a 24 pack of Prismacolor premier colored pencils WITH a bunch of bonus stuff for less than 4$. I've also, more recently, bought a deluxe hardcover Justice League comic from there for 4$. Prices went up so the comics are all 5$ now but when you compare that to full price (30 if you're lucky closer to 40/50$ for most here) it's banger. And I completely get that, like I said I don't even go alone to the one near me but it terrifies me. Last time I just stayed by my brother (buying pokemon cards) and didn't look at the comics at all, and another time I looked at them briefly because he was taking a long time and felt like everyone knew I don't even LIKE comics or nerd stuff and I was just there as a little sister and I had no right to be there (I quickly took back my place at my brother's side). Hopefully you can swing it sometime <3

Like when they branch off completely? Like big things like Heroes in Crisis (idk how good of a reference that is I think it's like all retconned now but) Where they had the main event in one series but that trickled down into individual comics? Or like zero year? I don't know how much I can elaborate on that one but like I read the batwoman one exclusively because it was in the New 52 run of Batwoman but now I have the volume of all the stories on my shelf?

I DO think that the arrowverse shows are better if you don't know the comics so that makes sense, and trust me I'm so good at attaching myself to things I get it. I LIKED supergirl a) couldn't tell what wasn't real, I've never read a supergirl comic in my life. B) Chyler Leigh- most specfically, Chyler Leigh with short hair, a gun, and a hint of lesbianism. Because I liked Lexi grey in Greys Anatomy but it hits different when they can fight well. But you are allowed to like things! I like my own little parts of it if I learn how to watch TV. That's all completely fair!!

I would like to! I've always liked the way they look! I just need to learn how to be a person again first and I do not know how to be a person at ALL right now. That WOULD be why I said don't/didn't, I assumed you might say that but didn't want to be presumptious.

It depends for me. A) sometimes my hobbies just take a break, like I'll just,,, not like painting anymore and I have to wait for it to wear off before I can paint again. Or writing won't work. Reading will be awful and I have no idea why. B) reading feels like a waste of time? I have three (part time) Jobs so a lot of time if I have downtime my brain is like EW you're gonna waste that on a book? And yes, because I like? Books? I also like reading is such a love/ hate relationship for so many people. Both my mother and sister used to love reading and now they can't pick up a book. And last winter I had this fun little thing called my ocd decided that books were making me sick and I couldn't read them anymore without starting to feel incredibly ill because the brain is a bitch. I can read again though! (Currently reading a 1979 book about a killer killer whale and I am a little bit fact checking it mentally) I hope you can also read again soon and also pick a fucked little Weirdo book!

I have some of the like BOO hollow line they put out but that's it- and the pin.

That's fair that's exactly what my collection looks like you're valid for that.

That's completely fair! And no rush or pressure of course!! And valid, I read the new issue last night, I found out it was out because I routinely just scroll "most recent" in the black canary tag and then proceeded to actually remember I wanted to read it at like 3am and read it then.

One thing about your girl? I love a good shark, so I am ALL for the megalodons that aren't going to get harmed at all they are all good polite little boys they will be fine (I need them to be fine I'm 80 pages into the book I mentioned earlier and 4 orcas have already died the megalodons will behave and leave them alone. I need this). I was a little less intrigued this time but not for like valid reasons- I didn't not enjoy it I think it's just that most off the issue was explaining sci-fi stuff and I was frothing at the mouth in the corner like "Sin sin sin sin sin sin sin sin". I'm definitely excited for the next issue still, I LOVED Sin being a pokemon fan that goes hard. I still don't like the relationship between Harley and Dinah, I know it makes perfect sense and I'm not mad mad about it but I'm just so biased from their injustice relationship (And even the Harley Quinn and the birds of prey comic) It's always a little disappointing when they don't get along perfectly. And it made me want to get back into writing black canary fics/ finish the couple I have in my drafts (I didn't but it DID get me to return to one). Please tell me what YOU thought because it sounds like YOUR brain did more thinking then mine.

I can't actually see the length of this but I know that I can't shut up so sorry about that, don't worry about speedy replies I understand, and uh, goodnight, good morning, bonsoir, bonne nuit, bonne journee. y'know the vibes <<3

okay before i actually respond to the content of this ask i have to say that i cracked open my physical bombshells copies tonight and um boy howdy i am so gay and also i forgot so many details that are just so delightful, such as; barbara!batgirl in bombshells continuity is a full fucking vampire and there is a panel of her giving mouth to mouth to dinah. bombshells has its own suicide squad of sorts thats made up of ravager (rose wilson) who is like a pirate, vampire barbara, enchantress in a cute witch's hat, killer croc and frankie charles who i am not as familiar with outside of bombshells but google says she was barbara's roommate at one point(i think i read the comic its referencing ive just got horrible memory). zatanna and john kind of adopt raven. kara has three moms from krypton and one is kind of evil. superman and power girl become circus performers. mera was diana's first kiss. and oh yeah one detail i think you might especially like. big barda is in this and she is in a wlw relationship with doctor light. anyways i just really love this series sorry i had to ramble for a minute

(here’s a somewhat shitty pic of barda and doctor light as a treat for you)

(also i think i might need to look more into doctor light her powers seem so cool)

you are so valid for being unnormal about whales btw. everyone should be a little over invested in an animal species in my opinion. it should be a universal human experience.

and yeah it WAS the shark episode i was thinking of. i must’ve blended it with memories of when i was learning about the seaworld Horrors (i’ve always found dolphins super cool and whales are adjacent to that. ((i did unfortunately go to seaworld when i was a real little kid BUT i was like. 6. i didn’t know of the atrocities then. and i remember like none of it except for a dog show that we saw there??)) but more recently ((god. fucking seven years ago.)) i went to dolphin research in the florida keys and i gotta say that was SUCH a cool experience. 10/10 would recommend. if i had the money and time i would so go back ((one day i will. on god i will go back one day.))) but yeah i think you are so valid for your love of whales, and frankly if you were to get killed by a whale i would not thinking it was because of stupidity but instead because that’s the literal hill you decided to die on and goddamn you absolutely knew what you were doing. (this is not me encouraging death by whale btw. please do not do that it does sound quite painful and i would miss getting messages from you)

if we were spies on a secret mission and you got distracted by the whales and stray behind i would simply circle back and happily listen to cool whale facts. maybe we should retire from the spy life and instead become animal activists. (there are no limits or restrictions! i love being infodumped at tbh like it’s so cool when people are very passionate about things((esp when it’s animals bc i love animals))and i love being included in that passion!!)

agents of shield was such a mess i wouldn’t recommend it but also i have a special place in my heart for it. much like arrowverse. (though i think about aos WAY less) and god YEAH peggy carter. when she beats people up with everyday objects >>>>>>>>

also jeez is that 30-50 for a single issue of a comic or for like a volume?? that’s so expensive i’m so sorry 😭 i think i got the bombshells volumes i have for like. <15USD each from amazon (i know amazon big corporation and bad however it is so goddamn convenient.) i’m glad you have somewhere where you can find comics for cheaper, even if it is a bit of a toss up on what youll find! i’ll have to keep in mind to check out a dollarama if i ever go to canada.

i’m spending my days off word for the majority of october going back to my parents to help with them moving & for a bachelorette party but i think when i have a day off where i am not making a 3(soon to be 2!) hour drive back to my parents i’ll try to force myself to go check out one of the comic book shops around me.

also idk how to properly describe it but like. hmm lemme see if i can get a screenshot of what i mean. when i was reading batgirl one of the overarching plots was war games which like. spanned over several individual issues of different series, aha this one is a literal check list. but like i’m not going to individually seal out all these individual issues they should just make a war games booklet or smth. (i still probably wouldn’t read war games but it was just an example i had recently from reading batgirl 2000)

yeah i do think supergirl was a lot of fun, especially like season 1 pre the move to the cw (though i do love that s2 embraced lesbian alex so true) but like the s1 supergirl/flash crossover is SOOO dear to me. also much like most of my dc experience i hadnt read any supergirl comics prior to watching the show but i will say i have read some after having seen the show and i did really enjoy them. the red daughter of kyrpton run especially was sooo good. kara becoming a red lantern <33333 i also know i read the supergirl being super run and enjoyed it. honestly supergirl as a character is genuinely pretty fascinating to me and i kinda want to read more of her comics i just cant fully remember which ones i already have read. (also her storyline in bombshells is SOOOOO <333333 shes adoptive sisters with stargirl. she had three moms on krypton. one of said moms turns out to be a little evil..... she kisses girls ((one specifically)) god yeah shes just <33333)

i will try to stop rambling extensively about bombshells (no promises tho) but genuinely if/when you read it PLEASE share your thoughts with me

also okay forgive me if im oversharing here but oh my god i also have ocd and mine also got in the way of my love of reading as it decided that i cannot use libraries or buy used books because they are Contaminated, unfortunately im still struggling with that some, but i made some progress in the last year ive bought my dad & sister some books from a used bookshop (theres this place local to me that lets you shop online and all you have to do is go and pick up the books you bought from their store which helped in making the process easier for me) and i was super proud of myself for being able to do that. having access to the library digitally has been huge for me in terms of reading bc god buying books new is not cheap. but anyways im super happy/proud of you for overcoming and being able to read books again, i know that shit is not easy, so yeah congrats 💕

and yeah i really need to find a good audiobook to listen to especially with how much driving im doing back and forth to my parents this month.

im gonna be honest i dont have a ton of coherent thoughts re the new bop issue other than i thought it was fun. it was cool to see john constantine and his dynamic with dinah was very funny to me. hes not a guy i like seek out but i enjoy seeing him in things when he does pop up (watching legends gave me some love for him). it definitely felt like an issue that was more establishing some stuff which i don’t personally mind but definitely not super noteworthy. though seeing dinah fighting is always a win for me. i’m also a little disappointed by the harley dinah dynamic, i much prefer when their dynamic is more friendly but im gonna hold out hope their dynamic could change in this overtime or at least give us some explanation for why their dynamic is as it is.

okay this reply has taken like. three days so i’m gonna end it here but i think i’m gonna crack open the first injustice issue while i eat my dinner at work so next time i’ll report my thoughts.

hope you are doing well! have a good [insert time of day] as well!