#Chapter One: Gods and Monsters

[chernobog13]

DC STUDIOS ANNOUNCEMENT

James Gunn and Peter Safran, the heads of the new DC Studios, finally announced a small part of their 10-12 year plan for the new DC cinematic universe.

Like the MCU goes in Phases, the DC films will be presented in Chapters.  Chapter One is entitled Gods and Monsters, and includes the following films:

Superman: Legacy - yet another reboot of Superman, scheduled for July 11, 2025.

The Authority - the Windstorm characters getting introduced in =to the mainstream DC Universe.  I think this  is a huge mistake, both in films and in the comics.  The Wildstorm characters work best on their own world, especially as many of them are analogues of already existing DC characters.  And at this point and time, grim and gritty has been done to death.

The Brave and the Bold - Batman (Bruce) and Robin (Damian), supposedly inspired by Grant Morrison’s stories (although Dick Grayson was the original Batman Damian worked with).

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow - a science fiction adventure based on the recent Tom King=written limited series.  While I admire the story King was trying to tell, it wasn’t really my cup of tea.  And he has earned my eternal wrath for what he did to Krypto!

Swamp Thing - a film about Swamp Thing (natch!).

The Batman: Part Two - the continuation of Matt Reeves’ noir Batman, set in its own universe.  Scheduled for October 2025.

Then there are television series:

Creature Commandoes - an animated series Gun wrote featuring Amanda Waller putting together a black ops team consisting of monsters.  This is probably the mysterious unnamed series Gunn stated a few weeks ago that he was working on.

Waller - a series starring Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, and featuring the Peacemaker crew.  Not wild about this as I have always found Waller to be a detestable character, and certainly not one that should be leading a series.  This  also probably means we’re not getting a real second season to Peacemaker, which is a shame.

Booster Gold - Booster being Booster: trying to pass himself off as a great superhero using his future tech.

Lanterns - a series described as “True Detective with space cops,” this is what is replacing the previously announced Green Lantern series at HBO Max.  This series features Hal Jordan and John Stewart.

Paradise Lost - a series set on Themyscira (Paradise Island) focusing on the intrigues and politics on a island of just women.  So, a Wonder Woman series without Wonder Woman.  I absolutely hate these type of series.  I would rather have another Wonder Woman film with Gal Gadot, thank you.

According to Gunn, this list is not all inclusive of everything coming in Chapter One.

Before any of this happens, there are still the upcoming films Shazam! Fury of the Gods, The Flash, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, and Blue Beetle.

Gunn stated that events in The Flash “resets the entire DC Universe” (I guess it’s a version of Flashpoint), and that Aquaman “leads directly” into Chapter One.

I’m not real excited by what I see so far, although The Brave and the Bold could be fun if done right.  And I’m downright not looking forward to a couple of these (The Authority, Waller).  I’m going to go into “wait and see mode” and hope for the best.

That is if my ancient, dilapidated carcass manages to live long enough to see any of these come to pass.

[lbhslefttiddie]

despite his initial rough impression, lqg gets a "fun" rating on the gege scale

[rox-of-iu]

hulloo, i am here once again with cultivate....but not the usual one (~_~;)

so funny thing! i had most of these already done from before, but felt a bit silly so i didnt post them. but then (spoiler) we got Tao Ying in his fresh new look and like.. i had to draw him and post the rest of the gang along with him hksfh. so here, the sillays

🍑Tao Ying

🐉Qing Mushu

🦆 The Empress

🐗The General

aaand more sillies of the goobers

aaaaand thats it hdjhdsjfhds so sorry for the long post lmao

characters yoinked from @neonghostcat cultivate

[cairafea]

"How would we go about defeating a demon?"

"Any flesh that has been eaten and digested by other living things loses any of its individual identity. In this dungeon, where the line between life and death has been blurred... that seems to me to be the only clear and obvious rule."

[velvetjune]

the chapter songs in Alan Wake 2,, flawless

[avaetin]

What I feel for Alabaster is the same as what I feel for Percy and Nico.

I love them. But, before I give them even a scintilla of happiness, I have to subject them to the most excruciating pain I can possibly think of at the time of writing.

The plans I have for Hecate's son - how I plan to hurt him emotionally and scar his very being by making him face the ghosts of his past while dealing with things of the present... 🤌

[astarionsilverbough]

Halstarion with…….astarion crying pls

baby i don’t think i’ve written a single scene of them in tlogm wherein astarion isn’t crying 😭💕

[acourtofquestions]

Golden flame danced between her fingers.

Elide recoiled, and the fire vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

"My name is Essar," the female said softly. "I am a friend--of your friends, I believe."

Elide said nothing.

"Cairn is a monster," Essar said, taking a step closer. "Stay far from him."

"I need to find him."

"You played the part of his mistreated lover well enough. You have to know something about him. What he does."

"If you know where he is, please tell me." She wasn't above begging.

Essar ran an eye over Elide. Then she said, "He was in this city until yesterday. Then he went out to the eastern camp." She pointed with a thumb over a shoulder. "He's there now."

"How do you know?"

"Because he's not terrorizing the patrons of every fine establishment in this town, glutting himself on the coin Maeve gave him when he took the blood oath."

Elide blinked. She had hoped some of the Fae might be opposed to Maeve, especially after the battle in Eyllwe, but to find such outright distaste...

Essar then added, "And because my sister--the soldier you spoke with--told me. She saw him in the camp this morning, smirking like a cat."

"Why should I believe you?"

"Because you are wearing Lorcan's shirt, and Rowan Whitethorn's cloak. If you do not believe me, inform them who told you and they will." Elide cocked her head to the side.

Essar said softly, "Lorcan and I were involved for a time."

They were in the midst of war, and had traveled for thousands of miles to find their queen, and yet the tightness that coiled in Elide's gut at those words somehow found space. Lorcan's lover. This delicate beauty with a bedroom voice had been Lorcan's lover.

"I'll be missed if I'm gone for too long, but tell them who I am. Tell them that I told you. If it's Cairn they seek, that is where he shall be. His precise location, I don't know." Essar backed away a step. "Don't go asking after Cairn at other taverns. He isn't well regarded, even amongst the soldiers. And those who do follow him... You do not wish to attract their interest."

Essar made to turn away, but Elide blurted,

"Where did Maeve go?"

Essar looked over her shoulder. Studied her.

The female's eyes widened. "She has Aelin of the Wildfire," Essar breathed.

Elide said nothing, but Essar murmured, "That was... that was the power we felt the other night." Essar swept back toward Elide. Gripped her hands. "Where Maeve went a few days ago, I don't know. She did not announce it, did not take anyone with her. I often serve her, am asked to... It doesn't matter. What matters is Maeve is not here. But I do not know when she will return."

Relief again threatened to send Elide crumpling to the ground. The gods, it seemed, had not abandoned them just yet.

But if Maeve had taken Aelin to the outpost where they'd lied that the Valg prince had been contained...

Elide gripped Essar's hands, finding them warm and dry. "Does your sister know where Cairn resides in the camp?"

For long minutes, then an hour, they had talked.

Essar left and returned with Dresenda, her sister. And in that alley, they had plotted.

Elide finished telling Rowan, Lorcan, and Gavriel what she'd learned. They sat in stunned silence for a long minute.

"Just before dawn," Elide repeated. "Dresenda said the watch on the eastern camp is weakest at dawn. That she'd find a way for the guards to be occupied. It's our only window."

Rowan was staring into the trees, as if he could see the layout of the camp, as if he were plotting his way in, way out.

"She didn't confirm if Aelin was in Cairn's tent, though," Gavriel cautioned. "Maeve is gone--Aelin might be with her, too."

"It's a risk we take," Rowan said. A risk, perhaps, they should have considered.

Elide glanced to Lorcan, who had been silent throughout. Even though it had been his lover who had helped them, perhaps guided by Anneith herself. Or at least had been tipped off by the scent on Elide's clothes.

"You think we can trust her?" Elide asked Lorcan, though she knew the answer.

Lorcan's dark eyes shifted to her. "Yes, though I don't see why she'd bother."

"She's a good female, that's why," Rowan said.

At Elide's lifted brow, he explained, "Essar visited Mistward this spring. She met Aelin." He cut a glare toward Lorcan. "And asked me to tell you that she sends her best."

Elide hadn't seen anything that came close to pining in Essar's face, but gods, she was beautiful. And smart. And kind. And Lorcan had let her go, somehow.

[rxttenfish]

update on caecilian: if you thought the first chapter was long, you should know that its going to be one of the shorter chapters in this

[gebo4482]

Axis Studios Reveals ‘Gods and Monsters Chapter One: The Death of Victor Frankenstein’ Animated Series (awn.com)

[hershelwidget]

I drew something for TBoCI for the first time in what feels like forever even though it’s only been a month

Something something AU where instead of sending each kid to the Magical Islands FT keeps all them with him and Perry as well so they ALL end up on Cold Island pre-collapse… Alternatively here’s four canon characters and two fanmade characters, guess whos who (all of that was sarcasm)

In other words I decided I will starting this over from the ground-up. It’s been over a year and my motivation is finally, FINALLY back. I will be keeping all of the current stuff on @theballadofcoldisland but that ask blog is officially shut down and is now just an archive.

Instead of being one long and strange story that only focuses on characters that honestly have nothing to do with the title, I will split TBoCI into several smaller stories that give a MUCH better insight on the motivations, groups, and the like. I will inevitably share the original files, drafts, and ideas.

This is the part where I get somewhat emotional and sincere apologies in advance to plushii, who I might mention in there. All good things, my friend. All good things.

I think this is the best course of action. There are a lot of characters in this story that despite being incredibly important, are not addressed properly or not at all until the last chapter that only exists in my notes. I mean… A massive amount of this story has only been discussed in a discord chat with a person I cannot contact anymore. It’s a massive mess of an idea that sounds stupider everytime I think of it.

And then a long while ago now, I was on Pony Town and talking to a friend I has just made. I distinctly remember they were in a Celestial skin. I think at some point they’d asked what “TBoCI” meant in my name, and I explained my story to them. They said they were writing a fanstory for MSM as well. I encouraged them to post it.

Now I daily see wonderful, wonderful content for that story, both from the creator and the fans. I finally understood what I did wrong. TBoCI was incoherent and messy where Fallen Stars was clean and consistent. I had so much in my mind that I had spilled it all out to One Person, and now there exists only two people in the world who know who the hell Kane is (possibly only one person now)!

What I’m trying to say is, in short, thanks @plushii-gutz . There’s a few factors to me being able to write TBoCI again, but you’re definitely the biggest part of that. Our encounter was a blessing.

And to everyone, please look forward to a much smoother ride. This is a fun one.

[idontbeatgames]

I have no idea if this has officially been announced anywhere but apparently, Paul Dini's Zatanna run is finally getting a reprint and it's out April 23, 2024. I wonder if this is happening because of James Gunn bringing Zatanna into the DCU, as the Amazon page is bare enough for it to be updated in the future, or because James Gunn simply wanted Zatanna's run to be back in circulation for the first time in years.

[theclearblue]

I'm still reeling from the the new JJK chapter and I'm supposed to be normal about the new One Piece chapter as well???

[purble-gaymer]

actually having everything i write in one big monster document is great because i can see my improvement so clearly as i go through it

[senselessalchemist]

My horrible bastard brain: haha what if you tried to make the line "time for your medicine" poignant

Me: bet

Me, 80k worth of words later: this was a mistake (tm)

[phoenixiancrystallist]

Month 7 day 27

Did more work on whatever this is XD Finally got smrt and color dropped directly from the bajillion and six screenshots I've taken, so Frey's skin, hair, and eyes are accurate now. Sus's hand still needs work/references. I need to go through and screenshots where I don't adjust the saturation in photo mode >.> I tried using the raw image that I edited yesterday, but that looked too... pale? It didn't look right, either way. So I'll keep playing with his coloration until it looks right.

Also I decided I like his grip better with the thumb up further for some reason ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Thank goodness for my non-destructive editing process; that would have been a paaaaaiiiiiiiiiin to fix otherwise.