#[ we love the puppet aesthetic with the winter soldier ]

[avelera]

So I never really commented on the "Loki" show on here very much, even though I watched it, for a few reasons.

I found the first season visually beautiful but spiritually hollow and ultimately uninteresting. My connection to Loki was through his story as an Asgardian, his relationship with Thor and Odin and the others. I was prepared for the possibility that the show would focus elsewhere, by necessity, but I was always facing a similar uphill battle to liking it as I did the Winter Soldier show: the relationships I wanted to see more of (Steve/Bucky, Thor & Loki) weren't going to be there in favor of new side characters and my heart just wasn't really in it. But I gave it a chance.

The bigger issue was this: I fucking hate magical policing agencies as a plot point. Corporate organizations tasked to control time, or magic, or stop normal people from learning about magic, blah blah blah, I hate them. I find them immensely boring. Part of it is because I tried to write one once for NaNo in college! I understand the appeal! But they are just deeply, deeply boring to me as a concept. They are overplayed and tired and dull. Loki's TVA would have to have been something truly exceptional to win me over and then it was the whole point of the show and it wasn't exceptional, just the trope played straight and I just... wilted with disinterest.

I also hate mid-20th century aesthetics. Truly despise them. I hate the orange decor and the brown suits and the atomic era gigantic room-sized computers. It's kitchys and awful and I loathe it with my entire being. It repels me. So when the TVA had that aesthetic and the TVA was core to a story about a Norse god, you can perhaps begin to see the problem.

I loved Sylvie's actress. I loved the idea of Sylvie. I loathed the Sylvie plotline. Why don't we know more about what her life was like as a Loki? Did she have a relationship to the Asgardians ever? Why aren't Loki and Sylvie being constantly teased for being narcissists at best and incestuous at worst if they show any interest in each other? I loathed that romance, I found it gross and hollow and uninteresting and cheap. I was so glad when S2 seemed to drop interest in it.

Look, at a certain point, I just accepted that I'm not the target audience. It wasn't the Loki show I was hoping for, something more akin to Journey into Mystery for example. It barely acknowledged Loki's mythological roots, his actual magical abilities which on numerous occasions would have far outclassed the threats they faced with weird TVA technology, and just... look, it wasn't for me, a mythology buff. I just didn't like it or what it was going for.

This isn't to say it was bad! Just that it was absolutely stacked against my personal tastes in its aesthetic and story choices about 3/4 of the time.

But I did watch the whole thing. And I loved the visuals of the ending sequence in S2.

I hope this means if Loki returns, the door is open for a more magical, mythologically informed Loki. I hope he returns! I hope that just being on his magical time throne doesn't mean he's stuck there but that either his variants, or his ghost, or him puppeting his own variants or whatever can continue to interact with the timeline. I think it's such a magical mystical set up that it's very likely to be possible. it's magic! They can do anything!

But for the love of all the Norse gods, if I never see that hideous cliche TVA again it will be too soon. Sorry, Mobius, you were fun and charming and I loved seeing what the Lokius shippers cooked up, but I hate your work place so much it made me want to claw my own eyes out.

[brklynlost]

soldier keep on marching on   head down till the work is done   waiting on the morning sun   soldier keep on marching on   head in the dust, feet in the fire  labour on that midnight wire  listening for that angel choir    you got nowhere to run    you wanna take a drink of that promise land    gotta wipe the dirt off of your hands     careful son you got dreamers plans   but it gets hard to stand    solider keep on marching on  head down till the work is done  waiting on the morning sun     SOLDIER KEEP ON MARCHING ON        .©.

[anonil88]

Wandavision Ep. 9 (series finale) liveblog

Obviously there are spoilers below read at your own wishes im including a gif to give you more time to scroll away

The picture is the family together in fight stance omg omg let me hit play

We back right where we left off.

Yea she wants to absorb your power sis, nah fuck that Agatha you can fuck right off.

I can see the cgi in the window and car.

Oh fuck this white mother fucker. Vision please come save your wife. Ayyy my guy!

I mean is he her ex? Or just her exes body.

Multi boss battle time!

This has to be Peter from X-men just being manipulated.

Wanda really did create an entire man the only thing missing is the body.

Um we are missing a few scenes here. When did they capture Jimmy?

You handcuffed a magician? Stupid.

Cliff? Who's that?

So they are about to have a boss battle amongst civilians lmfao. They probably won't even notice what's happening.

On the nose entry of the Darkhold.

It's not her destiny to destroy the world at all. Even in the comics she fights and fights that destiny time and time again.

Oh no, angry puppets. Run Wanda run!

Mrs? Ralph is that you?

Oh it is Ralph they casted Evan Peters to tease us all about x-men im guessing.

That is fucked up to tease us with that.... I'm just saying that is fucked up.

She doesn't even know how she has done this, she really thought she was doing the right thing.

Ugh this feels like when grief gets overwhelming.

No WANDA NOOO, oh shit she really doesn't know how to control it fully at all.

Get out everyone get out!

Wtf is Agatha planning?

Oh no Vis! His soul, if only he gets closer to her.

No the boys....if only she could find a way to tether them to her and not the world she created.

She is going to try and suck wanda dry oh my lord.

Haha family stance too cute. A family that fights together, stays together? Maybe.

Ooo are together gonna fuse?

She is a hero and learning very very fast.

Ayyy boys

Monica lets goo! Take that Hayward.

Hayward is an entire bitch. Fuck him.

Oh they are gonna have a logic battle or a battle of the brains. Exactly you are both vision now kith.

Who will this new vision be? Not quite how I expected it to happen with an awakening but yay, the rebirth of vision!

But, will he stay alive at the end of this? This new vision not Wanda's remade husband.

Let's go red wiggly woos and nightmares. Destroy you with your worst fears or your regrets.

Dammit.

A witchhunt really?

No wanda not like this. Agatha is a liar and has shown that why would you trust her?

We all thought vision would die but what if it's Wanda? Oh no.

Me to Agatha Harkness:

Oh? Did she unknowingly cast another spell?

Ah ha that's why she was hitting the barrier so wanda is a visual learner.

I hope she gets that Darkhold book and reads it.

She is writing her own damn story. I know that's right.

COME ON CROWN

COME THROUGH OUTFIT

Ngl you can see they ran out if cgi budget this episode BUT I love this cute redone style of the comic book outfit. The new ones not the old ones.

Also she doesn't need you, she has a guy named Dr. Strange that she can call.

Awe this is so sweet but I know that this will end. I love that we see her vision and her boys happy all together because we do not get to see that in the comics really like all at the same time.

They are now friends in the comics that share kids, yaknow divorced parents that stay friends but can't make a relationship work.

At least for a couple moments we get a happy power family in house 2800, that get some last sweet beautiful moments.

They will live forever in her heart.....and cough eventually reincarnated cough. Their sound are very real.

I hope she saves that photo at least.

She healed and found out more about herself and who she loved, thats beautiful.

So he's not gonna tell her that he gave her vision the other back?

Awwww they are so in love and marvel doesn't even let them be happy in the comics.

I mean you literally will say hello again his body with his memories is flying outside right now.

Aww vision.

Emo wanda has returned in aesthetic. Starts playing BMTH or PTV

She's like I'm sorry, oh and she said it.

Oooo with the hood and cape on yesss. She is pretty much a rejected member of society and "herodom" now who runs off to discover herself after a really fucked up situation and then a messy engagement similar to comics. Kind of like how Peter is set up to be in the mid credit scene at the end of far from home.

Wanda really said:

Midcredit scene reaction!!

Is Jimmy gonna be director?

Coronet?

Yes a skrull! Talos heard? How? Yay Monica is going to space like she always wanted!!

AN END CREDIT SCENE!!!!!

Thats the lake from the other movie right? Uh all these wait is Thor around? Oh wonderful I love this oh yes give me Wanda educating herself with this book. And she has learned sustained working projections without creating another hex, I love that for her. Two places at once. WE GOING TO THE MULTIVERSE, which i don't think she will be a villain for.

For a finale this was just okay like not great but good enough to pass because after all this is Marvel not Starz or HBO (GOT aside). I understand now why the executive or was it director said this would be a dissapointment. A lot of people had so many theories running but even with my own theories i haven't been conflating them as definites. The only one i did was Monica's scientist and now Pietro being just Ralph revealed. After seeing last weeks episode I just said imma just fully enjoy this last episode and didn't pay mind to many of the new theories.

Anyways I'm not super disappointed this was just an okay finale. So was Legends of Tomorrow's last season finale which I still found some enjoyment in. But, I'm not as excited for Falcon and the Winter Soldier because I can tell from this episode we are going back into movie marvel action with little depth.

I really enjoy the non-officially but official MCU shows like Jessica Jones or Agents of Shield because they often do both. The depth and the action which this show did with a much larger budget. I get there are probably plot holes in this episode for time or filming restriction reasons but still like dang it. Well this has been fun thanks for whoever reads these haha.

[enkelimagnus]

Grey

Bucky Barnes Gen, 1378 words, rated T for Hydra shit

Jewish Bucky Barnes, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: Episode 3 Power Broker

Bucky, Zemo and Sam are in a car to the airport where Oeznik is. Bucky takes the opportunity to seize an enemy.

TW: death of family?

Read on AO3

Part 19 of Making a Home - the Jewish Bucky series

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

Breaking Zemo out is a death sentence.

Bucky’s aware of that, in the background of his mind. He knows that Zemo wants all supersoldiers wiped out. There’s no reason for him to make an exception for him. Especially considering Bucky’s track record. He’s got more blood on his hands than every other super soldier alive combined.

He doesn’t want to die. But if it happens, it should be fighting for something good, trying to make sure the serum stops being an option people can turn to. Trying to make sure what happened to him won’t happen again to anyone.

And if it takes Zemo… it will take Zemo.

They’re driving towards the airfield now, where Zemo says he’s arranged for transportation. Bucky chooses not to ask questions. The man’s changed from the prison guard outfit he’d stolen into something undoubtedly more expensive. He’s looking through the window, face frozen in thought and Bucky takes the opportunity to give him a once over.

When they’d first met, Zemo had the skittish look of a man running on adrenaline, caffeine, and the need to complete a mission. It was a look Bucky had seen before, before Hydra as well as during. The look of a man on the last rope, desperate and paranoid. There comes a time where the mission takes over the man, and all is left is that look.

It’s been 8 years. Zemo looks like a man again. He’s put on a bit of weight, rounding his cheeks, and a bit of age, with fine lines marking the corner of his eyes and his mouth.

In the reflection of the window, their eyes meet. Bucky’s been caught in his observation, and he doesn’t look away, holding Zemo’s gaze.

His eyes are still wickedly sharp. They aren’t crazed by despair anymore, however. Bucky hates how much he remembers what Zemo looked like, when he took his mind from him.

The corner of the man’s mouth pulls into a smirk and Bucky rolls his eyes and breaks eye contact before the man can make any sort of remark.

There are weapons in his clothes, or at least in his bag. Bucky doesn’t need to see them to know. Zemo’s a commander, a soldier, and he doesn’t have the same scruples against guns as people like Sam or Steve do. He’s armed. For some reason, Bucky’s thankful.

It’s unnerving to be here, in this fancy car, with this man sitting across from him. A vision from his nightmares. Bucky’s paralyzed in his seat, and even if he knows he’s the one in control here, he still feels the small scared and scarred part of him unravel in panic. Handler.

Once upon a time, he would have been expected to break a handler out of prison if he had somehow committed enough mistakes that they were arrested. He’d never had to do it, he’d always been good enough to avoid capture.

This time around, Zemo’s not pretending to be anything different than what he is. His authority is not turned off. It’s in full display, and it has been since Bucky walked into his cell and he decided to taunt him with the words.

Bucky has to admit the white hot fear those words bring into him wasn’t erased by Princess Shuri and her people. He knows Zemo saw it. He’s too sharp not to have noticed it. Bucky’s control over his body isn’t what it used to be when it was his only means of survival.

He’s lost a lot of control in the past decade. It’s for the best, of course. It means he’s healing. But some days, it feels like a malfunction.

At least, he can take solace in the fact that there is no way Zemo is as skillful now than he used to be. Eight years in solitary confinement doesn’t make for the right place to practice combat, or marksmanship. No, Zemo’s softer now. That’s one thing Bucky has going for him in this. He’s stronger, much stronger. But Zemo’s aware of that. He’s too smart not to be aware that Bucky could break his spine without that much of an effort.

He’s read the files. It’s what is the most unnerving about Zemo. He knows him. He knows him in a way that no one else alive does. Not only because he’s read the file, but because he’s the last man alive who had the privilege of controlling him. Bucky was a puppet in his hands, a slave to his will. They both know it. It’s a horrible sort of intimacy.

We have a history together.

Fuck. It’s going to be a lot of mind games in the days to come.

The road to Strausberg Airfield isn’t long, and Bucky lets himself stare at the view outside of the window for a while, mirroring Zemo.

“So what’s it like to see the outside world after a decade?” Sam asks, in an almost taunting manner. Bucky looks back at the new addition to their band of merry vigilantes.

Zemo’s eyes flicker to him for a brief moment before he looks back out. “I had forgotten how grey Berlin was in winter.” There is undeniable fondness in his voice.

He isn’t wrong. Berlin, and especially its formerly Soviet part, is very grey and square. There are pipelines running above ground the way they do in Russia, a lot of the architecture has that muted color-palette that Bucky associates easily with former Soviet Bloc countries. Was Sokovia similarly touched by the Soviet… aesthetic?

What he’d seen of Romania had been half old Kingdom gold and half Soviet steel. It seems to Bucky like it is a recurring theme in Eastern European countries. The bombs of the war left craters that the Soviets filled with grey. Sometimes, he wonders if his parents would have recognized their home city of Iași or if it had changed beyond repair.

He visited Iași when he was staying in Romania and searching for pieces of himself amongst the houses and museums and in the war memorials. Once he remembered his parents were Romanian, he managed to remember that the old country they talked about was Iași.

He had searched for the Barnes name amongst memorials of holocaust atrocities, not yet remembering that that wasn’t their real name. Barnes was the one they’d given at Ellis Island, the American identity, the one they’d chosen to assimilate. When they’d shed their Jewish, Romanian identity for something… more appropriate. Gershom had become Georges and Vina had become Winnifred. The Barasch family was now the Barnes family.

And of the Barnes, in 2024, Bucky is the last. His sisters married and took their husbands’ last name. His parents didn’t bring siblings into the US. Only them.

He’s the last Barnes alive, and he will probably die the last Barnes. He’s not exactly into the idea of having children.

Big families were always highly considered in the culture Bucky grew up in. Many children, good marriages, many descendants. Be fruitful, and multiply. They took that commandment seriously. He’s sure his sisters had plenty of kids. They always seemed to want them.

He wanted them too, back in the day. Marriage hadn’t felt like a terrible thing, even if he couldn’t marry Steve. They’d been aware of that, they’d known they had no real future together. They had an arrangement, the two of them. He’d known he’d eventually find a girl he would love, and that they’d get married and have kids.

One would be named Steve, even if it wasn’t a good Jewish name.

He closes his eyes for a moment. Nowadays… No matter how it hurts sometimes to know he’s the last one, he doesn’t think he could be a father, let alone a good one. It would be cruel for him to try and raise a child. They’re innocent. And he’s far from healthy.

Zemo’s still looking through the window when Bucky blinks his eyes open. Is he the last Zemo too? Does Zemo carry the burden of being the last of his family as heavily as Bucky does?

As the car takes a turn into the airfield and Sam and Zemo find themselves talking about the weather, of all things, Bucky settles into his silence.

[joyful-mollymauk]

Code’s Molly Theories

Molly Theories Index 

1) indicators that Matt & Tal have stuff planned 2) possible ties between Molly's and Clay's backstories/arcs 3) Lucien's ritual: both his intent and the spellslinger's 4) possible NPC activity going on regarding a rez 5) what a returned Molly-Lucien-other might be like 6) the fire bird

Molly Theory part 1 Matt & Tal Indicators Matt’s first objective is to run a fun game for his friends, and his second is to tell an amazing and coherent story. Back in Campaign 1, resurrecting characters was standard practice, starting with Pike’s low-level death pre-stream. So we know Matt is not opposed to making every rez possible. 

Tal has been crafting Molly’s character since way back in Campaign 1 and was itching to play him even back then. And when Molly died, Tal admitted that he cried all night long and didn’t get any sleep. 

The M9 were gearing up to attempt a rez in episode 27 and then inexplicably acted like rez magic didn’t exist in ep 29. No in-game reason was given for this sudden about-face, so we can only conclude it was an out-of-game decision. 

Only Matt and Tal have authority to call a halt on rezzing Molly. Given the rez frequency last campaign, all the loose story threads, and the sheer amount of love Tal poured into Molly, it wouldn’t make sense for him to just move on. So why else call a halt to rez attempts? 

The only explanations I see are to wait and try at higher levels, when the chance of success is higher, let Tal play a different character temporarily, or leave Molly’s fate purely in the hands of the DM. 

Matt has woven something grand into Molly’s backstory, including a whole cult following, a botched (?) ritual, and a mysterious spellslinger of unknown intent. He’s already had Molly rise from the grave once, giving him plenty of leeway (and a narrative drive) to do so again.

Further evidence of this intent is how gleefully smug Tal got whenever Matt made reference to Molly being dead. As if Tal was excited about that but trying not to say anything. Tal also built Clay with an easy way to leave the narrative whenever it suits him. This is very useful when you know a character is temporary. 

Tal has mentioned that he keeps Molly leveled up along with the rest of the M9. He also slips right back into reacting as Molly whenever stuff about him is mentioned. This proves how ready and eager Tal would be to bring Molly back into the game! He’s waiting patiently but is definitely excited, and oh how ecstatic he’ll be at Molly’s return.

Molly Theory part 2 Lucien & Clay Backstories Clay’s family lived in the woods outside SCR. Something has been twisting the things that live there, and the firbolgs who went to investigate never returned. Lucien ran a cult (?) in that same forest. Whatever they were involved in was magical, secretive, and likely not something the public would approve of. What are the chances of these facts being separate when Matt loves to tie things together? 

Lucien apparently died and came back to life, and Clay is a death cleric who opposes undeath vehemently. If Lucien is tied up in something necromantic, Clay is perfectly designed to combat that. 

Given all this, my personal theory is that investigating the forest’s ailment for Clay will lead the party straight into Molly’s backstory. And, quite possibly, something occupying Molly’s body!

Molly Theory part 3 Lucien’s Ritual  Cree’s impression of Lucien’s ritual was that he was trying to reach “The City.” Whatever the ritual entailed was similar enough to death that Lucien instructed them to not do anything right away if he appeared actually dead. 

 Entering a near-death state to travel sounds like astral projection. The lengths they went through and the apparent danger involved suggest The City couldn’t be reached by normal means. Or perhaps he just needed to get there without his body. 

 But! The ritual was being performed by someone outside of the Tomb Takers and did not have the effect Lucien expected. Either the spellslinger genuinely tried and failed or did something else under the guise of the ritual. 

 The ritual, as it was cast, left Lucien’s body as a nearly empty shell, with only fragments of his original self remaining. If this was the spellslinger’s intent, then perhaps she was trying to clear him out completely so something else could move in. This would mean her first attempt failed. But now that his body is truly empty, she might have the opportunity to try again! 

 So. Why Lucien? If we’re going with this theory, there must be something special enough about him to warrant that level of attention. Perhaps she was simply there to get the book and has no further interest. But those red “eye” marks are not mundane, and Matt very likely jumped on that detail and made them significant.

Molly Theory part 4 Possible NPC Involvement There are three NPCs in play who might involve themselves in “Molly rez” shenanigans. First, there’s Cree. She reveres Lucien far more than the Gentleman, knows that he has died “again,” and has people she can contact for help in bringing him back. 

 The most critical person for Cree to contact is that spellslinger from the capital. She both has the book and cast the original ritual that Lucien returned from. But, as mentioned before, this spellslinger may have her own interests with Lucien’s body. 

 And, on the other side of things, is Gustav. He has little in the way of resources, but he has been set loose by Clay to go take responsibility for whatever grievous wrong he’s been punishing himself over. Interestingly enough, Gustav is also from SCR! He somehow found Molly near his gravesite, cared for him patiently, and helped him grow to be a good person. He also somehow knew about those three demigod-like entities, turning their story into a circus performance way back in episode one! (He portrays the phoenix, or “fire fairy,” as a heroic warrior, fighting for the light.) 

 So. What is he guilty for? Is his story connected to Lucien’s as well? If Gustav gets involved in all this, he’s the only NPC who will be trying to recover Molly. 

Tin hat: Once the M9 encounter Not-Molly, Gustav will reappear as an ally to help them get him back.

Molly Theory part 5 Not-Molly My favorite Not-Molly theory is an avatar of that bird creature, but we’ve got other options too. The spellslinger could be working with some other entity, like a powerful Kryn. Perhaps she wants him as her own puppet, winter soldier style. Or she could actually bring Lucien back, with or without Molly in there as well. 

 We’ve got a lot of unknowns, but one thing is certain: it would be silly of Matt and Tal not to do something with this! 

 Personal hope: we get to see Tal play an evil Not-Molly and giddily torment everybody.

Molly Theory part 6 The Fire Bird Matt has presented the M9 with a mural depicting Ukatoa, a fire bird, and a giant worm. And way back in episode one, Gustav told tale of a mystical serpent that gifts abilities, a “fire fairy” that fights for the light, and terrible beasts whose “bellowing roars will quake the lands of Xhorhas and beyond.” 

“But from that night, a burning light doth keep back shadows’ bane. The strength to fight will set alight the morning sun again. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Ornna the fire fairy.” -Gustav, C2E1 

 So what’s the connection to Molly? Lucien’s name ALSO means “light,” and he was a (rare!) purple tiefling with a scattering of red marks and (going by the official art) dark gray horns. Interestingly enough, those are the same colors Matt gave the fire bird! 

 It’s unclear what Lucien’s motivations were, but he led the Tomb Takers to split away from their previous order because he had “a new path” for them. Cree later stated that he was their new path. (He had also adopted the title “The Nonagon,” which sounds connected to his nine red marks that could not be covered with tattoos.) 

 So. A purple-gray tiefling, named after the light, is granted nine magical red marks that bring him in perfect alignment with the fire bird’s aesthetics. He then becomes the new path for a cult. That sounds like a deliberate link to me. 

 Tin hat: Lucien’s body was sanctified to become that bird’s avatar. And when the M9 catch up to these events, they’ll meet The Nonagon instead.

And that’s what she’s got so far! If anyone has questions you’re welcome to send them in to joyful-mollymauk and I’ll send them on to Code! I’ll also update the Code’s Molly Theories tag when any new canon lore comes along to update these theories or spawn some new ones! 

Thank you Code!!!

[rose-lighters]

Time to rank every MCU film

Yes I am doing that oh so original thing of ranking every marvel film from worst to best. Criticisms and debates are welcome. (Disclaimer: I like all these films unless stated otherwise)

X. Incredible Hulk - I haven’t seen it. Sorry.

21. Guardians Of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - I can honestly say I hated this film. The only likeable part of the whole film was the soundtrack and the first few minutes with Groot dancing. Beyond that it was dull, cringy and oh so predictable. The second that Ego (???) appeared and said he was Quill’s dad I was just like “Oh so this guy’s the villain then” and noped out of there. I never saw past that point and don’t intend to.

20. Captain America: The Winter Soldier - People praise this film till kingdom come and I for one do not get it at all. Many say that it is unique in moving away from the typical superhero film and towards the spy genre. Maybe I just don’t like spy films but it is in no means a great Marvel film. I liked it enough but it’s so forgettable I had to google the plot for this review. I liked the characters and all but it just never stuck with me as anything special.

19. Guardians Of the Galaxy -  Maybe I just don’t like the guardians??? I don’t know but this was another film that just didn’t stick with me. I like Rocket and Groot but beyond that the Guardians themselves hold no interest with me. I don’t care for the humor particularly and whilst the music is great that really shouldn’t be the best part of a film unless it’s a musical.

18. Avengers: Age of Ultron - People hate this film, I however do not. It’s an okay Marvel film, I don’t care for it enough to hate it. I like that scene where they’re all trying to lift mjolnir and I think I liked the ending (I watched it like two years ago so I don’t remember that well) but I have to agree with a lot of the criticism of white washing the Maximoffs (despite how much I love Elizabeth Olsen and Aaron Taylor Johnson, it was still shady). I didn’t hate the ‘giving Hawkeye a family’ like a lot of people did because the already made it clear he wasn’t like comic Clint.

17. Thor: The Dark World - Now we’re moving into films I do like (I love Marvel films more than I dislike them, it's literally just GOTG2 that I don’t like). This was a good film from what I can remember (as I said it's been a while since I’ve seen a lot of these films). I liked the story arcs, I liked that it was set in places other than America and space (ok, so I’m from England, sue me), I loved Tom Hiddleston in this film and I like Darcy. All in all it was an enjoyable viewing, a little dull at times but generally harmless.

16. Doctor Strange - This would be further up if it wasn’t for how dull the first half hour or so is. I had to go back and watch this months after I had first tried just because the start was so boring. Once I moved past it however it was a great origin film. I liked the humour in it and I have always had a soft spot for magic so it was a brilliant film. The effects were absolutely stunning and on aesthetics alone it would place as the second or third best marvel film. I loved the good guys and was genuinely rooting for them despite Strange being a bit of a snarky arsehole.

15. Iron Man - Is this a very important film? Yes. Is it a great film? Also yes. Do I remember it? Not at all. Okay, so I remember some stuff and what I do remember was great but to say its a film that sticks out would be a lie. It’s THE origin story in as much as it’s a formulaic one: flawed character is traumatised and realises their flaws in the process, is influenced by important person, becomes a hero and is betrayed. It works though. That’s the thing, it works so damn well that its almost not in the formula. It's a great watch and honestly RDJ looks great in it (so not the point but I digress). That bit with Stane ripping out the arc reactor made me feel betrayed and I kinda knew it was coming. ( https://tonynatashas.tumblr.com/post/184375713429/that-scene-in-iron-man-where-obadiah-stane-is this post explains why this scene is so great important)

14. Captain America: The First Avenger - Another (enjoyable) origin story. If Sebastian Stan wasn’t in it it would probably be three places down but hey I have a type. No but seriously this was a great film because not only did it show off the brilliance of Roger’s transformation and gave us an idea of who he was and what motivates him but it also then gives us details of his waking in the 21st century and begins to expose his issues with this time travel (for want of a better phrase). This film shows you what you’re gonna get whilst still having pretty good effects, a good, solid storyline and a pretty badass comic book villain. The serum guy creeps me out though and there are so many ethical issues of that level of human experimentation on a person whose only friend went off to war, had Steve died they chose someone no one would really miss which is so concerning.

13. Captain Marvel - A lot of people may have a criticism of this film being so far down but for me it needs to be. I like superhero films where the main character overcomes a flaw and amnesia is not a character flaw. This is a good origin story but it is not a great marvel film. I like Carol but I don’t love her. I love the fact that we have a superhero film with a female main character and i liked that scene where she talks with biker guy but it felt like Samuel L Jackson was a more interesting character at times. I often rate characters on humor so there’s that. It was a good film but I’m mostly looking forward to what will be done with the character as she has so much potential. 

12. Spiderman: Homecoming - This is a weird one for me. It’s the only marvel film I own on DVD and it’s the only one I like where I skip scenes. I can not deal with cringy humour so I skip 80% of the jokes and awkward moments in this film however it’s a really good film. It’s funny and the music is great, I love Zendaya and Jacob Batalon probably more than Tom Holland, their roles are great and the film’s emphasis on friendship is one of the elements from the Iron Man and Captain America films that I love just further amplified. The references to Ferris Bueller and the fact that it is, at its core, a teen flick makes it a brilliant film. The vulture twist was also amazing. 

11. Ant-man and the Wasp - I feel like it isn’t talked about enough but I really bloody love Scott Lang. He is one superhero that I can really get behind because above all else he is just the nicest guy. He is probably one of the most human seeming characters in the MCU and it always makes for such an enjoyable viewing. This could probably draw with ant-man in terms of great films. I loved Ava Starr so much and my heart really went out to her and that FBI guy was a total joy to watch. The Ant man films are so funny and light hearted that they don’t have that sort of weariness that other MCU films have. If only Luis told more stories in the MCU.

10. Ant-man - Honestly just look above. Also I love Hank Pym and Hope Van Dyne so much. The villain was kind of eh but I loved the heist aspect.

9. Black Panther - I watched this film for Shuri and to an extent because I felt obligated to so I had low expectations. People were talking about it for the significance of fighting for equality (which I am all for, don’t worry) so I was expecting it to not live up to the hype and it didn’t. That being said it was a bloody great movie. The movie was beautiful, the use of colour and the CGI tech was so damn pretty. The plot was brilliant and for a while I wanted Erik Killmonger to win, he put forward a good argument and I like a ‘baddy’ so to speak. The fights were great and I was so here for their version of going under cover finally not being a hoodie and cap. Was it over hyped? Hell yeah. Was it still a great film? 100%

8. Iron Man 3 - This gets a hell of a load more crap than it deserves, mostly from comic book fans who can’t stand that their precious mandarin was a hoax but honestly I respect the fuck out of marvel for that. Rather than having a stereotypically asian terrorist they turned that stereotype on its head and made the white guy the actual terrorist. Ben Kingsley is one of my favourite actors and he was amazing. I, obviously, also loved the representation of PTSD as a serious issue and how it was displayed in all of its real ugliness. For once it didn’t just show a damaged person who was fixed with romance. So yeah, this film was a masterpiece.

7. Captain America: Civil War - Zemo may just be my favourite MCU villain to date, why? Because he fucking won. This was a film about a man who knew his victims and rather than stupidly trying to attack the big scary strong guys he exposed them and made the best of circumstance. He got under Captain America’s skin and played him like a puppet. This was more than just a villain, this was finally a smart villain. Not to mention that this film had some of the best action sequences and heart breaking moments whilst still having time for a laugh. It’s also the first film (in my opinion) that called out Steve’s morals and his obsession with the past. Bucky was hot used against him and it showed that above all else, even the little people, Steve’s loyalties are with his past.

6. Thor - Most people would disagree and rate this film far lower however for me this was the start. I didn’t grow up watching superhero films because I didn’t like watching TV as a kid so it wasn’t till I was 13 that I saw a superhero film and this was it. I honestly watched it because my friend had it on DVD and I thought Tom Hiddleston looked hot but from what I can remember this was one of the best films I ever saw. I wasn’t too bothered by Jane Foster but I absolutely loved Darcy, Loki and Thor. Whilst I’m not adopted I do know what it is like to be the younger and smarter sibling with an older thuggish brother who is still the favourite so I loved Loki with a passion and was so upset when he fell.

5. Iron Man 2 - This was the film that made me realise that I liked girls, Scarlet Johansson in a black cat suit and red ringlets was an amazing thing to little 13 year old me. Beyond that it was just a solid film, it had spies and daddy issues and sass and Samuel L Jackson. What more can you want?

4. Thor: Ragnarok - This is the peak of Thor, I’m calling it now. Never had a director before been able to capture the absolute chaos of Loki and the sweetheart-ness of Thor so brilliantly. As far as representations of characters this, Captain Marvel and Iron Man 3 may just be the best of all the MCU. This is the full completion of Thor’s arc, this is the film that the first Thor set up. Finally Thor is ready to be King. This film had so much humour but still set it all up so perfectly that it was more than just a comedy. Jeff Goldblum was amazing and honestly Taika Waititi should direct the whole of the MCU. He knows the characters better than anybody.

3. Avengers: Endgame - I cried three times. That scene with the portals was the most beautiful thing I have ever witnessed and whilst many criticize much of the plot I don’t have too much I’d change, though in fairness I did like the cursed child so maybe I just have a soft spot for all things time travel. Dynamic timelines are not used in cinema enough and the three alternate timelines create have all sorts of implications for future films in the MCU. If Thor is not fat in the next film this may go down to 20th though.

2. Avengers Assemble - This is the film that I believe best represents what the MCU has to offer. It’s a light hearted superhero film with all the characters that were needed at this point in time. For its time it was ambitious and honestly it shows. I loved the dynamics between the characters, the plot was engaging and not overly complex and even if you haven’t seen any other MCU films it makes perfect sense. In some respects it probably is the best the MCU has to offer.

1. Avengers: Infinity War - Oh boy do I love this film. This isn’t just a film, this is the film. Did it have the same emotional impact as Endgame? Fuck no but it didn’t need to. It was serious. It was funny. It had just the right amount of just the right characters and may I just say that is the best that Captain America has ever looked in the MCU. I (controversially) really loved Gamora dying and most of the Guardians being dusted. The memes were great.This was the most ambitious cross over event since Wizards of deck with Hannah Montana. One thing that I can’t get out of my head though is Bruce’s comment of “broke up like the beatles?”. Does that make Bucky Yoko Ono?

[recentanimenews]

The Fires of JUSTICE Burn Hellaciously Hot in "Inferno Cop"

  What's “Cruising the Crunchy-Catalog”?

  Crime is a plague on this fair city, and “Cruising the Crunchy-Catalog” is the cure. Oh, sorry. Wrong metaphor. We're not a well-armed and overly-enthusiastic revenant bent on vigilante justice; we just provide additional info and cultural context to help anime fans decide whether or not they'd like to try out an unknown series.

    What's Inferno Cop?

  Inferno Cop is a 2012 – 2013 web anime with direction by Akira Amemiya and animation by Trigger and CoMix Wave. The series was initially streamed on the Anime Bancho Youtube channel, and Crunchyroll describes Inferno Cop in just two pithy lines:

    Inferno Cop vs. THE WORLD. The unholy officer's flame of justice burns!

    For those who need a little more backstory: Inferno Cop is a 21 year old police officer whose family was mercilessly slaughtered by the evil organization, Southern Cross. Now Inferno Cop is back for revenge, and he aims to clean up the mean streets of Jack Knife Edge City one copy-pasted goon at a time.

  Zombie apocalypses, Egyptian pharoahs, time-slips, descents into Hell, wacky races, and the forced trascendence of humanity to a new plane of existence are all in day's work for Inferno Cop.

    Trigger Warning.

  Before Kill la Kill, before Space Patrol Luluco, before Little Witch Academia, there was Inferno Cop. Yes, Inferno Cop was the first “major” project by the newly formed Studio Trigger after key talent (such as Inferno Cop supervisor Hiroyuki Imaishi and Inferno Cop director Akira Amemiya) split off from Studio Gainax.

    As a result, Inferno Cop functions like a Trigger primer. The series contains numerous elements that would over the years become Trigger staples: absurd and often immature humor, bizarre speculative fiction concepts, dynamic visuals, exaggerated action sequences, and oodles of explosions.

  JUSTICE RETURNS http://pic.twitter.com/HoCgxs5khk

— Crunchyroll (@Crunchyroll) June 22, 2017

  The Greatest Animation Ever Witnessed With Human Eyes.

  Scholars may cite Akira, with its color palette of some 327 tints and shades, or Princess Mononoke, with its 144,000 animation cels, as works that define the apex of the art of Japanese animation. These scholars would be wrong, though, since Inferno Cop is clearly, objectively the greatest work of animation ever conceived.

    In all seriousness, the "animation" in Inferno Cop is deliberately, hilariously janky, comprised mostly of 2D cut-outs manipulated like shadow puppets combined with live-action pyrotechnics. According to resident sakuga expert Evan Minto (@VamptVo), Trigger members claim that production meetings for Inferno Cop only lasted 1 hour on average, and most of that time was spent playing with action figures.

    That's Marvel-ous.

  For all its excesses, Inferno Cop is also a loving tribute to American superhero comics, a medium from which the character designs borrow liberally. Roving reporter Ariel Suzuki is clearly a nod to April O'Neil from Teenager Mutant Ninja Turtles, for example, while Mecha Cop mixes visual elements of War Machine, Winter Soldier, and Cable. Inferno Cop himself is a comical mash-up of Ghost Rider's look with the Punisher's back-story, and Hellfire Boy bears a strong resemblance to a certain “Boy Wonder”.

    The Fire Still Burns.

  Crunchyroll currently streams Inferno Cop in 250 territories worldwide. The series is available in the original Japanese language with subtitles in English, Spanish, Latin American Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, and German. The English translation was created in-house by Trigger's Tatsuru Tatemoto, and the results could best be described as “extravagant”.

    With episodes that clock in at about 2 minutes in length on average, Inferno Cop is a great way to kill an afternoon for people who have an off-kilter sense of humor and who desire to see a playful lampooning of the aesthetics of American superhero story-telling. Fans who enjoy Inferno Cop can also sleep soundly knowing that another season is on the way.

    Okay, Twitter, since Crunchyroll is doing a "Hero Week" theme, should I do Inferno Cop for "Cruising the Crunchy-Catalog"?

— Paul Chapman (@Gooberzilla) June 20, 2017

  Special thanks go to all the devotees of BLAZING JUSTICE who voted in this week's Twitter poll (results pictured above). Is there a series in Crunchyroll's catalog that you think needs some more love and attention? Please send in your suggestions via e-mail to cruisingcrunchy@gmail.com or post a Tweet to @gooberzilla. Your pick could inspire the next installment of “Cruising the Crunchy-Catalog”!

  Paul Chapman is the host of The Greatest Movie EVER! Podcast and GME! Anime Fun Time.

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com