#I hate starlins writing style

[twistpixel]

Bruce doing a great job keeping his temper in check and treating Jason like a kid by fisting his collar and yelling at him. Kind of funny tbh. Deep breaths Bruce. Find your serenity. Now speak

WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!

[beevean]

You make a good point on the lack of a clear intended target demographic for IDW Sonic. Personally, I get the impression that many people working on IDW beyond just Ian Flynn never fully got over the abrupt cancellation of Archie, and want to keep it alive in some way through IDW in any legal way possible. Which is kind of annoying because they had a chance to start over with a clean slate after Archie was cancelled. Which is why I think it was kind of a mistake to almost immediately develop and start up a new comic series, with the same staff from Archie, without letting there be a good long "mourning period" as melodramatic as that sounds.

It also feels like the writers and artist have either just gotten too comfortable and complacent, or that burn out is starting to set in. I wouldn't be surprised if it turned out they didn't really have a long term plan of where to take the comic's stories and characters, with how seemingly fast IDW appeared to have been developed after Archie's cancellation.

This will never not be funny to me

You have a chunk of anti IDW people who started to dislike IDW once it became clear that its writers did not want to let go of Archie, its style, the concept of Freedom Fighters and so on

and then you have another chunk of anti IDW people who are diehard Archie fans, who themselves did not get over the cancellation of their favorite series, and who hate IDW because it's not like Archie enough, because it doesn't have the actual Freedom Fighters, because it's too similar to the games

the bruh cannot be contained

(it's also why anti IDW fans are usually stereotyped as disgruntled Archie stans, even worse Penders stans, which irritates me because I barely read a handful of Archie issues and I have zero attachment to it. don't conflate me with people who still cry for Sally pls)

But it's yet another way the target audience of IDW isn't clear. Is it children or young adults? Newcomers or old Sonic fans? Game fans or Archie fans? It tries to appeal to everyone, and it fails miserabily because now it's just... nothing.

Funnily enough, this was one of the criticisms moved against Forces, that it tried to satisfy every kind of Sonic fan (Classic, Adventure, Modern) :)

Anyway, yeah, they're all burned out. The MV arc was meant to appear in Archie, meaning that the first arcs of the comics were basically "testing the waters". We know that Surge and Kit were meant to appear much earlier than they did, and Starline was meant to be a different character, which explains his inconsistent writing and anti-climatic ending. The Eggperial City arc was completely forgettable if not for the Whispangle drama. Issues #62-#67 were an absolute nothing, with the exception of the Lanolin controversy. Yes, I fully believe they don't know what to do anymore.

[boyfridged]

Do you agree that Jason, as written by Winnick in UTRH and Lost Days, acts out of character post-resurrection if we take into account his post-crisis robin days? If yes, how would you have him act/react to stuff after he comes back from the dead?

tldr: i definitely agree. moreover, classism plays a huge role in it, and i don’t think that at this point the storyline could lose these implications, which makes trying to conceive what an “in character” (for robin jay) version of these events would be quite difficult. 

let’s just start from saying that i don't think it's a secret that i don't really like winick in general. despite his work being mad interesting on a conceptual level (and style-wise, genuinely well written!), he has no love for the characters he writes about. 

imo utrh shouldn't even ever make it into the mainstream batman timeline. i am aware that this is a radical opinion, but my take is that it would do best as an elseworld story (and in this version too it would need some tweaks here and there), because it made damage both to the mythos of batman and jason's legacy that can never be undone. the very premise of the story is so deeply disconnected from jay's original place in the narrative, and so classist at its roots, that there's not much room to truly fix it. 

(i want to say, preemptively, that i am aware that there are people who read utrh as a story of a revolutionary and a victim – and they have the right to do so, but ngl, my view has always been that it was never written as that. utrh reinforces so many stereotypes that it overshadows the revenge tragedy spirit of it all.) 

another disclaimer is that, to be honest, jay doesn't have a very consistent characterization even in his 80s run, and it also has some classist implications that ideally should be either erased or addressed in the text (that winick instead exaggerated and put at the very front of his storytelling.) starlin's writing is, at the end of the day and very much ironically, more sympathetic and gentler in evaluating jay (simply because at the time he would not get away with changes too blatant) but details such as jay saying that "all life is game" and his random nonchalant behaviour that has its origin in the very beginning of starlin’s run are already signs of it. some readers will trace jason's arrogance prevalent in his red hood era to these issues and say that his actions post-res are therefore a logical extension of his robin days, but i don't buy it. even if you want to lean into starlin-esque characterisation, if you consider the core problem of the garzonas plotline – which is power, jay shouldn’t look into the solution of anything in climbing to the top. and if he did, it would have to be written as a “becoming what you feared/hated most” kind of story, which i can see a certain appeal in (and which would at least acknowledge that it was not his initial personality), but which would go back to its classist assumption of cycles of violence and doomed fates.

so – how to make his post-res era more accurate to his post-crisis robin days (and least classist in the process)?

if we were to follow my fav iterations of his characterisation (barr’s detective comics and the ntt appearances) tbh I don’t think a lot would happen, because his personality is quite mild, and just so hopeful there that i wouldn’t expect any extreme actions from him – but then again, the circumstances that he finds himself in post-res, the trauma, and his sensitivity do warrant grief that should become a driving force in his life from now on. the question is, what to do with this grief as a plot device?

i know that plenty of jason fans hate this take but I actually think the concept of jason trying to be detached and cruel but being bad at it might be one of the least offensive to his 80s characterisation. it’s def not accurate to pre-52 canon (apart from countdown perhaps) but imo for jay to be authentic and nuanced he should be conflicted about his own actions. his overconfident behaviour should be a pose – just as his frantic acts in his origin story as robin were. (again, something that many readers don't take notice of – but reading the rest of collins' writing wherein jay quickly settles into being easy-going and even a bit shy is proof of it.)

these two points lead to the “no good deed” narrative that I often talk about - the reading that jason saw his intuitive and self-sacrificial kind tendencies as something that brought him pain and that never was quite efficient, and that post-res he intentionally tried training himself out of. there are some flashes of it here and there throughout the years of the red hood publishing history, but it never got a true spotlight. and if i were to write lost days, jason flinching at his own violence would be a focal point of the story. 

moving on to utrh; i have spoken about it at length before but I think if he were written 1. with more political sensitivity 2. to have retained the same maturity re: the social order 3. to have the same idea of morality, he should have followed more of actual revolutionary tracks and the whole “drug lord” authoritarian figure schtick along with the idiotic idea of “controlling crime” would have to be thrown out of the window. 

and, later on, forgiveness should play a big role in his story. he's so quick to forgive and justify everyone in his robin run – this is also why i reckon his team up with harvey in tfz was a wasted opportunity.

so, in conclusion – perhaps not that much would have to change re: his actions but definitely a lot should change regarding his emotional journey and his position. i would def throw out a lot of mindless violence and power posturing out of it though. and perhaps make him a bit more polite just for the sake of more consistency (this is not me taking a moral stance btw nor tone policing a fictional character. i just think it would be more faithful to his 80s writing unless you want to make him explicitly scared. and it would be funnier tbh.)

[wanderingmind867]

I don't hate Jack Kirby by any extent. I can understand his anger about not being paid well or with being treated well by society. I still really relate to Stan Lee, but I don't hate Jack Kirby. But i think the problem is just that Jack Kirby's writing style doesn't always appeal to me. It can appeal, but it's hit or miss. Also, sometimes I don't like how he draws faces. But Jack Kirby's work on Thor and the Fantastic Four and stuff is really good.

I personally don't feel much of any interest in his Fourth World saga. I also dislike OMAC, Kamandi and Devil Dinosaur. The only solo work of his I definitely like is Etrigan (although the challengers of the unknown aren't bad either). But really, I can ignore his superman stories, because Darkseid and the New Gods and Project Cadmus and all this stuff don't hold too much interest too me. And Mister Miracle isn't great, because I heard he took shots at Stan Lee and Roy Thomas (two writers whom I like). I don't even remember what Project Cadmus was anymore. But on a funnier note: I think I somehow dislike both Thanos and Darkseid. But I think I find Jim Starlin worse than Jack Kirby, on the whole. Jack Kirby is still better than a lot of other people, though.

[estellardreams]

Sometimes I have random plot thoughts on stories that I like reading or am writing and I just wanna talk about a few that keep squirming around in my mind.

Tachophobia AU: Random Idea... In an attempt to stop his friends from reverting Niko back to Sonic, Starline secretly takes them into the facility and starts manipulating them in similar but also different ways. They could interact if he wanted, but it'd be a "Psych Ward" situation.

Imprisonment/Cybernetic AU: I have done a lot of messed up shit to characters before, and this isn't any different. Just look at my Cybernetic AU because jeez Issue 4 went hard on Sonic's trauma. It was actually my favorite to write and draw. I also got all of the work done in FOUR DAYS. (strange record. Was going to see a friend soon and I cranked out 11 pages and finished right before midnight the day before)

I actually wing a ton of my writing, and many plots don't get off the ground unfortunately because of it. So to shoutout some of those abandoned comics... "Not So Different" (A short mini between Canon!Shadow and Cybernetic!Sonic bc I noticed how similar they were), that one mlp x sonic pony comic I only got one page done for and don't have a name for, another mlp x sonic crossover comic featuring the Paradox Prism I only got to the cover art for, and that Imprisonment AU comic I completely forgot about and... Unfortunately abandoned but idk might come back to it.

Shadow Prime AU: I've always wanted to make a comic adaptation of the fic, and I might come around to it eventually once I decide what I wanna do. The main issue is the art style... Do I want it fully colored, black and white, or selective coloring? Not too sure but I'm kinda leaning on fully colored. But I still gotta finish Cybernetic but it's on hiatus due to burnout.

Sonic Cybernetic AU: I've actually wished for a game adaptation of the comic. Or at least... Working models people could use for other games to add them. I just think that'd be neat, but I can't code or model for anything.

Sometimes I accidentally enforce personal headcanons or personal experience to my writing... This happened recently with the "Rollercoaster" fic from the Tachophobia AU (reminder: I just like it. I did not create it. That belongs to @boom-fanfic-a-latta and @the-sky-queen.) Because I unintentionally drew from my own experiences from an amusement park. Although they were exaggerated a bit, they're still oddly close to my original memories. When I was younger, I liked going to the County Fair, and for the longest time I hated fast rides. I'd always panic on them, and my favorite ride was this caterpillar one (it was also slow paced and kinda bumpy). And Niko's experience, albeit shifted to be more like his character, was exactly how I felt on my first fast ride... Absolutely fucking terrified. I also sometimes have a nervous stammer and suffer from anxiety issues, so... I might've unintentionally written Niko to feel similarly to me at amusement parks when I was younger.

Anyway, just some random stuff, wanted to info-dump too. Cool? Okay, bye!

[scrunkore]

Scrunkore Media "Thread" 2023: Part 5

I got burnout and never got back into it so I'm hella simplifying it lol shit happens

the scrunko core has burned out, rebooting

50) Wendell & Wild (Movie, 2022)

A lovingly crafted stop-motion animated movie with some good old kid-friendly horror vibes and a punky attitude, even starring a pretty nice transmasc character that I'm super happy to see. It's a nice story with a good visual style and a lot of heart, and I think Key and Peele being involved is pretty funny honestly. [4★]

51) Murder by Numbers (Switch, 2020)

Decent enough Picross game with a basic detective narrative stringing it together that I'm not really a huge fan of, but it does its job and I appreciate the adorable robot as well as some of its representation. And no idea how they got the composer from Ace Attorney and Ghost Trick, lmao [3★]

52) Pokémon Picross (GBC, Unreleased)

Yeah, this was better than the 3DS one, it's just basic Picross that doesn't do much (only real mechanic it adds is being able to change the music) but that's still better than the shitty mobile game model. They really should have just released this, it was straight-up finished and I even got a cart that works on original hardware because I think that's neat. [3.5★]

53) Paper Mario: The Origami King (Switch, 2020)

Going to be killed for playing this as my first Paper Mario but who cares, this game is cool in spite of its awkward battle system (which DOES kinda suck). Just a fun adventure with typical quirky writing and some surprisingly powerful moments, plus an excellent soundtrack, I'm sure some of the earlier games are better but I did play this one and did enjoy it. [4★]

54/55) Knives Out/Glass Onion (Movies, 2019/2022)

Incredible pair of detective movies, both full of really engaging writing and directing work that keeps you invested and never stops being entertaining to watch, surely still really good on a rewatch too. They also really fuckin' hate rich people, especially the second one which is woke as hell and has one of my favourite endings in anything, so that's what some might call "based". I can't wait to see what Rian Johnson does for the third Benoit Blanc movie, which is apparently meant to be a 2024 release. [5★]

56) Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW Comics, 2018-Present)

These are some damn enjoyable comics, telling some fun and generally quite well-written stories set after the events of Sonic Forces with a cast of really cool characters. Honestly kind of ride or die for Tangle and Whisper, but original villains like Dr Starline are great to read too. Early highlight is definitely the Metal Virus arc, but the more recent stuff with Surge was excellent too. Safe to say the team behind these stories know their shit. [4.5★]

57) Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Movie, 2023)

They really did it, they went out of their way to make a bigger and better sequel to one of the greatest animated movies I've seen, and it's very possible that they succeeded... but we won't know until the second part comes out, which looks unfortunately unlikely to be any time soon because production sucked. Still, what we did get is yet another gorgeously animated spectacle with a cool storyline, everyone knows that. [4.5★]

58) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (Movie, 2023)

One of the only parts of the MCU that I cared about more or less concluded with this movie, and fuck it might be the best one in the trilogy. Rocket's harrowing backstory really hits out with that theme of some jerkass playing god, and the core adventure of the film is pretty engaging too, just as cool as ever. Plus it's now confirmed Vocaloid exists in the MCU lol [4.5★]

59) The Suicide Squad (Movie, 2021)

Another instance of James Gunn making an actual good superhero movie, this time making a good adaptation of something that previously had a bit of a shit one. I appreciate the kinda edgy nature of the titular squad that was handled solidly here, and their antics are honestly pretty funny. Fun action sequences too, and it's honestly really cool how much the movie thinks rats are awesome (they kind of are tbh). Peter Capaldi, the best version of Doctor Who, playing a mad scientist role is also just... really good. [4★]

60) Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (Movie, 2022)

Man fuck Disney, this is obviously the best version of the Pinocchio story and their attempt to overshadow it was lame as hell. I quite like the darker take on the story with themes of death and war around Italy's rise of fascism (Tom Kenny Mussolini is crazy btw), and of course the stop-motion animation is really quite excellent. Always love to see movies made in such a way. [4★]

61/62) Sonic and the Secret Rings/Black Knight (Games, 2007/2009)

Yeah, I get why the storybook duo of games have a bad reputation, because the motion control gimmicks kinda suck, but Secret Rings suffers from it far more than Black Knight, and that still has the cool ideas and solid writing combined with a great soundtrack (both games have this). Maybe the mission-based level structure isn't great, but there's some fun stuff to be found in these. Wish they were better though. [2.5★/3.5★]

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[crusherthedoctor]

6, 12, 22, 23 :P

6. Has fandom ever made you enjoy a pairing you previously hated?

Not really.

…Yep, that was a quick one.

12. Is there an unpopular arc that you like that the fandom doesn't? Why?

If we're talking characters specifically, then I support Sonic and Tails having a disagreement that furthers the plot, as attempted in Lost World. Obviously it wasn't handled as well as it could have been there, but the idea on its own is reasonable to me, particularly if both sides have a point rather than it being purely in Sonic's favor just because he's Sonic, and as long as it's not wildly exaggerated to the point of a House of Cards-style affair where they're both acting like dickheads.

If we're talking story concepts in general, then I really like the idea of Solaris, since whether it was intentional or no, it sets itself up well as a unique parallel to Chaos in more ways than one. Unfortunately, they had to separate it into two less interesting halves with shittier designs, and gave them the lion's share of plot focus.

22. Popular character you hate?

*rolls out the list*

Let's see… Scourge, Surge, Kit, Mephiles, Mimic, Clutch, Rough and Tumble, Belle, Chip, Eggman Nega, Eclipse, most of the Archie cast in general, post-Flynning Starline… is it too early to add Eggette Sage?

For the longest time, I used to heavily dislike Sonic himself, because for all the praise he received for being the most awesome guy ever until Big Bad Pontaff came along and allegedly ruined him, he ALWAYS came off to me as obnoxious a lot more times than intended. While I've warmed up to him since then, in part due to portrayals like IDW, SatAM and Fleetway making me appreciate how better off Game Sonic is by comparison, and in part due to figuratively spending so much time in his head via the fanfic writing process, I'll admit that he still annoys me on occasion, like in Frontiers.

I also used to not care all that much for Shadow, since the dark rival archetype normally fails to interest me, combined with the preferential treatment he received in the mid-00s. Nowadays, while he's still not one of my favourites per say, I like him a lot more after taking note of how he manages to avoid most of the cliches that I associate with said archetype. (For just one example, Shadow is mostly reserved and polite, whereas other such characters tend to be overly hot-blooded and full of unwarranted bluster.) And the memes involving him are always fun too.

Then there's Silver. Hate is too strong a word in this case, but out of all the main recurring cast members, he's the one I'm the most utterly apathetic to, whether it's his Shadow Lite portrayal in most of the games, or his Steven Universe-itis portrayal everywhere else. His gimmick of saving the future from Cataclysmic Event #47 has also gotten old, and we all know how I feel about Blaze being reduced to his sidekick for most of her post-Rush screentime. If they stopped using Silver for whatever reason, I'd feel bad for his fans, but I wouldn't exactly be shedding tears personally.

And finally, while I normally try my best to not have my opinion on a character be influenced too much by fandom perception of them alone, since I realise it's not entirely fair… I must admit that I have grown completely sick of the Freedom Fighters after all the overblown fandom wanking they've received since Archie got bumped. Over the last couple of years, it's proven impossible to go a month without something like #Rally4Sally rearing its head, or another attempt by Flynn to directly or indirectly shoehorn them into everything he touches ("REMARKABLE RESEMBLANCE TO DULCY"). By the time it became clear just how much of IDW was already recycled from Archie, my patience reached its absolute limit.

The Freedom Fighters themselves may not be the worst characters ever (well, most of them), but I will never understand what makes them so special. And half of them were redundant from the very beginning anyway.

23. Unpopular character you love?

Eggman when he's in-character.

Rouge when she's in-character.

Amy when she's… alright, you get the joke, I'll come up with a serious answer.

Do the Hard-Boiled Heavies count? Sure, they got a lot of praise and fanart when Mania was new, but it feels like they've been left in the dust since then, and outside of that one IDW comic that I'd like to forget, they've barely been used for anything… Well, I always appreciate a quirky miniboss squad when the personalities involved are properly endearing instead of annoying, so I'll always love these guys, and despite all of them being roly-poly Egg Robos, their animations in Mania managed to convey a lot of character, without dialogue, that some characters in this franchise have struggled to match with dialogue.

Another one is Marine. It's mostly calmed down now, but back when Rush Adventure came out, everyone seemed to have a rabid hateboner for her, to the point where it felt like her only purpose in Archie was to be treated like shit. And for what? For overestimating her capabilities? She's still young, and she clearly developed some maturity and genuine skills towards the end anyway. Because she supposedly didn't do anything? That's not even true, but whatever. Because of her stereotypical Australian lingo? As someone who grew up listening to Dingodile and the entire cast of TY the Tasmanian Tiger, this had absolutely no effect on me. I already developed an immunity. All I thought when I read her dialogue was "Ha ha, just like one of my favourite Crash characters. B)"

How about Erazor Djinn? He's another one that's less hated and more just ignored period. Even among fans who love Secret Rings, only some of them like @greenyvertekins bother to actually acknowledge him. As someone who is not exactly a Secret Rings connoisseur, I nonetheless declare that Erazor is without question one of the best non-Eggman villains we've ever had… the hairdo's a bit goofy though, but genies do tend to have them like that, so touche.

Black Doom is the Best Bad Villain. Whereas other villains like him have made me nothing but grumpy, Doom's combination of Dr. Claw voice, Chinese bootleg Wizeman design, cartoonish levels of in-game contradictions (how the fuck can I progress if I DON'T kill your troops?), and even some genuinely intriguing quirks here and there (like not knowing what lightning is), has made it simply impossible for me to hate him. It helps that he never gained a disproportionate fandom like Mephiles did, as unlike Mephiles, Doom tends to be rightly acknowledged as the unintentional comedy goldmine that he is.

[catboybatman]

The miagani: a guide by me

The miagani is a fictional native american tribe from which batman is part off. This tribe was introduced in Batman: the Cult by Jim Starlin.

Location & history

The miagani are located in Gotham, in a cave now known as the batcave.

(Batman: The Cult turned out to be pretty racist, not surprised but if you want to read it its a heads up) (i literally cannot shorten this comic into something comprehensable so i'll only do some important stuff)

In this comic its confirmed that the Miagani are a NA tribe, altough called "indians"

Shaman Blackfire is an important character with too much to write down but in short: he was a self appointed shaman, wanted to lead the tribe to a "righteous path", got buried heavely wounded by the tribe, got found in 1906 by the dutch who opened his grave, killed the dutch and is now leading a christian (?) cult. (Yea i know, i recommend reading his wiki)

In this comic the miagani are slaughtered by another tribe but are later revived by Grant Morrison in the return of Bruce Wayne

During (the later stages of) the colonization of America part of the cave was used as a sewer, children being forced to work in it. These children died in the cave and it was blamed on the Miagani. This was (sorta) resolved by Jonah Hex in All-Star western #3,5&6.

The miagani have been in Gotham from 17000-16000 BC.

It is said that the tribe doesnt exist anymore since the creation of modern Gotham and that Catherine van Derm was the last confirmed member, but that is bullshit since Thomas Wayne is seen still practicing certain traditions (more on that later).

Religion

For as far as i know the religion consist of 1 god, Barbatos (batman: the lost), altough i suspect there are way more, just unnamed. During Batman: the lost it turns out that Barbatos wasnt that great of a guy, and created the tribe to do what he wanted, using Bruce as a vessel in Batman: the return of Bruce Wayne (im doing my best tying comics together ok pls)

We also know how they pray due to this page:

(Batman: the return of Bruce Wayne by Grant Morrison)

The black circle makes me believe that Barbatos is seen as a god of the moon/night, altough this is just speculation. This is also why i think there are more gods/dieties since most religions either have 1 who created all or multiple for different subjects.

What also makes me believe there are more gods/dieties is that in Batman: the Cult, the miagani are called "indians" confirming they are NA and most (idk too much about NA tribes, of you are please correct me) NA tribes are polytheist

Clothing

There are these: from Batman: the return of Bruce Wayne:

They style the hair to match bats and they have pockets based on batmans belt. Ngl these outfits slap

And these from all star western:

Here they use giant bat skulls as masks. I also presume that the grass are supposed to represend feathers like in RL NA tribes. There is also tribal patterns on the skull

Here are some fight (?) Clothes:

Batman: the return of Bruce Wayne & Batman: The lost

The giant bat is seen often, here is it alive:

Yeah, me too Jonah

Jewelry

In the upper right corner you have the pearl necklace, it is tradition to hand it down to your loved ones, mostly family members. (Thomas gave this to Martha)

The black blotch is most likely a crow. Im assuming this is done to show hate to one of their fellow fictional tribes, the bird tribe (batman: the lost)

In the first pic you can see that the jaw of the giant bat is used as a necklace and accesiores on the skirt. There also seems to be a tribal pattern on the skirt. And then there is the green necklace, cant really place what this except a green stone so yeah.

In the last pic there is the teeth necklace most like the teeth of the giant bat.

Weapons

I tried my best with a collage since you can only have few pics

They primerally use spears but the cave is also full of boobytraps, for axample the middle pic and far right pic. The far right shows darts activated to a whistle.

They also use swords and shields i guess? Its only shown here.

Language

In All-Star Western they have their own language, i cant recognise it and i cant add more pics but in the "Clothes" paragraph you can see some in the pics.

[mastcrplanncr-a]

issue #23 made me really heccin’ emo over eggman and sonic. i was prepared for it, but also ?? not prepared??? holy frick im just gonna ramble under the cut.

first of all, i’m just gonna’ idly ramble about some things i noticed.

Eggman, literally 11 issues ago:

he makes these off remarks and then changes his mind whenever it’s convenient for him smh. that or hes a freaking liar and. WELL THAT’S PRETTY TRUE HONESTLY.

i’ma be honest fam starline is a freaking mood rn. it’s ?? so dumb?? LIKE EGGMAN WHERE IS YOUR FUCKING FAILSAFE UR SOLUTION WAS “not touching the robots hurr durr” PL EASE.

In retrospect, though, this is an interesting parallel to Forces because he’d apparently learned from his mistakes. TBF, and it has been brought up elsewhere on tumblr, this is a man recovering from amnesia. He must’ve just not gotten to that part. OR HE’S JUST. DUMB AND ARROGANT. Like, yeah, sure, there’s no vaccine - lol the heroes can’t fix anything & it also means you’re valuable because you’re the one person who can. BUT COME ON EGGMAN.

my friend actually predicted this holy shit. i was rambling abt a discussion we had in the egg cult, where we were talking about the possibility of sonic infecting eggman to blackmail him into getting the cure because he’s reached the point?? hes so done with eggman’s shit??? all his friends are in danger and hes backed into a wall what else is he to do than do the one thing he doesn’t want to: use eggman’s tactics against him?

and my friend was like:

LIKE. IT IS A HUGE RISK, and Sonic went FOR IT. I’M SCREAMING TBH.

THIS CONFRONTATION WAS SO FUCKING RAW YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND. I thought I was ready for it but I really, REALLY wasn’t. I love the little details of Starline bein’ like: “oh fuck” - usually he’s pretty cocky around Sonic but uh. HE’S INFECTED NOW. And the zero remark - idk if that’s intentional on the writer’s part but ZERO TO HERO anyone?

anyway toxi broke down crying at this point. you have no idea how much i was sobbing over my blue son just. pouring out his heart to his nemesis. that’s top tier tearjerking material.  also starline passive aggressively readjusting his outfit lmfao. BITCH IM FABULOUS. but man the usage of ‘ BE’ and ‘LIKE’ - Sonic knows who Eggman is; he’d never ask him to be something he’s not. but it’s also a reiteration of sonic’s want to see good in him; being LIKE tinker is a statement in that he wanted eggman to be who he was, but NOT to go back. to do good for the world. have it be his own decision, because deep deep down:

isn’t that what he really wants?

Also, although there are those sickly sweet descriptions, the usage of ellipses in this narrative really fucks me up because you can practially hear the gradual realization in eggman’s voice. his mockery starts out so !!! but it just eventually gets straight to the point, as a list. as a routine. because he was used to it. and because, some part of him misses it. notice the usage of ‘need’ and ‘use’. they needed him, and yet he used the people that appreciated him sm like puppets.

some nice guilt there, huh, doc?

ALSO I SPENT LIKE, HOURS TRYING TO FIND THIS EXACT DIALOGUE, but Eggman has a conversation in Dark Brotherhood with Sonic and makes this remark:

LIKE??? this isn’t new to his character, actually? Ignoring the ken penders thing bc smh. Going by this game he’s actually kind of okay with that set up. And he just works so well with the others too??? this isn’t even taking into account the other games he’s teamed up with them. I’m sorry but my head just goes back to this line so many times; it’s one of the ones that stick with me, along with ‘complicated guy’ from lost world. HE COULD!! legitimately do good. and he actually doesn’t find it too bad??? IM EMO MAN...

and IMAGINE making super cool things that people genuinely like... eggman has a HUGE ego, that much is very apparent; he’s super big on appreciation as comes with. and with tinker? he had that - he felt appreciated and loved. people LIKED what he made, and he didn’t have to bend over backwards to have that. his work felt included and he didn’t have to take that appreciation by force like he did with his lackeys (which half the time was fake anyway) .

first and foremost - WE SEE THAT OPEN YOUR HEART REFERENCE, IDW. also sonic’s frustration here, in comparison to the lil smile the panel before - he’s just!! “WHY CANT YOU WAKE THE FRICK UP OLD MAN”. the justification here seems a tad bit like DENIAL to me. and the justification seems... kind of odd from him? since when does EGGMAN justify anything he does? He does what he wants and when he wants, because he’s the E.G.G.M.A.N. he doesn’t care what anyone thinks... right?

it’s because - especially with the usage of better - he didn’t like where that train of thought was going. for once, he’s justifying himself - because the alternative is admitting sonic is right. that he did like that life. that he’d want to go back. throw it in a hierachy and it’s all so simple, right?

also the inclusion of open your heart lyrics here. the incident with chaos was just as catastrophic. and these lyrics in context of the previous panel, highlights how sonic and eggman both seek unity and peace but in their own ways; eggman’s is just evil. it seems a little bit of a diversion to me - to antagonise sonic and make him forget about it. what better way to do that than to relate to him? ‘own styles that we won’t change’ highlights a stubbornness in ways, too, especially with the current context of eggman denying his old life. ALSO IT IS LITERALLY TELLING EGGMAN TO OPEN HIS HEART.

and ngl this seems like idle banter to hide the fact he genuinely felt remorse for his actions for a second. because lbr he has a habit of being all talk when a plan goes wrong or suffering inside,

which starline does quite pointedly explain.

As I was saying above, Sonic has no choice in what to do now - he’s reaching his limit. OR ELSE. hes pondering doing the thing he doesnt want to do. and honestly, ‘you can’t stop me. no one can,’ is so hardhitting not just because of its looming threat, but because of how much it solidifies for sonic that he can’t take the chance anymore. if anyone is going to change eggman, it has to be himself.

also can i just cry over how much sonic trusts tails. im getting sa2 flashbacks.

also man i’d like to point out the specific use of ‘lock you away forever’. it coooould be a reference to sonic’s time imprisoned during the events of sonic forces. bitterness?

NOT SAYING I CALLED IT, BUT I CALLED IT. it still hurts though. and wow, it really is horrifying when eggman fears his own heccin’ creation, huh?

i live for sonic being passive aggressive with eggman. give me more please.

im immensely concerned the direction starline is going, honestly. but it does say a lot about eggman; how he’ll keep trying the same things expecting different results, but failing and never seeing that. because he’s EGGMAN; every plan is brilliant by default!

i love how sonic just !!! SHOT... THE MOMENT HE WAS REMINDED WHAT WAS AT STAKE. son i love you so much you’re doing great sweetie

also, man, can we talk about eggman avoiding his blatant faults, and shoving his failures onto someone else? because this little scene here - eggman ur literally the one who crashed the thing. it had absolutely nothing to do with sonic. i feel as though this is symbolism of his self-destructive nature, honestly. hes always gotta make things harder for himself. (also starline’s face is killing me)

Eggman does what he has to, but technology won’t work every time you kick it. he thinks he can get everything through force but we have several instances in idw where force did NOT work out; you’re not gonna get far, egghead.

MHM, and just who does that sound like, Eggman? honestly the mirrors between these two are seriously destroying me. although sonic is in a horrible position, so is eggman; he likes to think he’s won the war, but hes surpassed his own expectations, and that’s going to backfire on him eventually. hes stubborn to admit he has NO REIGN over this and they’re all doomed, so he’s pinning his failures / loss on Sonic.

is that the amnesia kicking ya in the shin, eggman? or sonic’s reality check? either way, the doc hates emotions. dammit man why you gotta make him emo

future eggman is going to kick past eggman in the kneecaps. it’s times like this ur reminded how much of a kid he is. eugh but that’s work i want my victory and senseless destruction now. honestly if the doc is after success, he is certainly not getting it this way and I AM FEARING FOR EVERYONE’S LIVES. he’ll probably have to work with what’s left of the resistance like the back end of most games at some point.

I’m getting a little burnt out but i can’t forget my son and how much he hurts me.

first of all that third panel terrifies me. the fact it GOT that far does me great concern. the RED EYES? that’s pushing it fam i dont like that. the expressions are also just freaking destroying me; they’ve been PERFECT this issue. and the fact sonic is at his weakest when he feels like he’s failed everyone hurts me deeply. he has SO much on his shoulders and its getting too overwhelming for him.

also man... the whole thing with eggman... just stuff me man. but it hurts all the more because it’s so glaringly clear that there is?? some good in eggman??? he just. doesn’t want to admit it. and unfortunately these aren’t good circumstances to debate on that.

ANYWAY, THAT ISSUE WAS AGONY AND IM STILL REELING AND HAVENT EVEN. TALKED ALL THAT MUCH ABOUT SONIC HERE (on account of this being eggman’s blog) but idk if i’ll write anything on that.

gonna go cry about an egg now brb

[soartfullydone]

"Puppy love is hard to ignore" for you and Shigure. "Are you still there?" you and Thrawn. "Just take my hand" you and Silver.

WEH

*

The blue smoke dissipated in the air almost as quickly as it appeared. A breeze wafted into the Sohma house through the open shoji door where, just inside, Melody sat at the kotatsu, though it wasn’t yet cold enough for blankets to be added to the table.

That was fine. The big, black dog she was now hugging was warm enough.

“Oops,” she simpered, her smile widening into a smirk at the end of the word.

The dog gave a very human sigh. His tale did not wag. His snout didn’t move, but he spoke anyway.

“I knew it’d be a bad idea, not having your memories suppressed.”

“What? You’re not having a good time?”

“This is the fifth time you’ve hugged me today alone, and it’s not even past noon.”

“I can’t help it,” Melody replied, snuggling into his fur. “I love puppies!”

Shigure craned his head to get a better look at her, but it was no use. She was latched on and not going anywhere. “I’m hardly a puppy,” he said, managing to make it threatening and playful all at once.

“All dogs are puppers, some are just bigger,” she argued. “You’re a cute breed I like, too. Maybe if you turned into a chihuahua, I wouldn’t feel the urge to hug you as much.”

“And here I thought it was my manly physique that did it for you,” he said dryly. 

“Eh.” She shrugged. “Maybe it would, if you wore anything but your pajamas all—”

“Kimono. It’s a kimono.” Shigure stressed the clothing, as if he hadn’t explained this to her a hundred times, and a hundred times she’d ignored him.

“Okay, yeah, but it’s all you wear. It’s practically a glorified bathrobe at this point.”

“You have no appreciation for culture,” he intoned mock-mournfully before asking in a slightly more serious tone, “Does this hug have an expiration date, by the way?”

“Listen. I’m making up for lost time.”

“Oh, believe me, I’m not complaining. I’m well aware that a pretty girl is hugging me.”

Melody was glad that her face was turned away from Shigure’s so hers could go stupidly red in semi-privacy. 

“It’s just that,” Shigure was saying, “dear Mitchan will be cross with you if you keep me from finishing my manuscript.”

“I doubt it.” Was Melody scratching Shigure’s head now or giving him a noogie? Yes. “I’m not the one with a looming deadline. Which one is it, anyway?”

“Oh, you know,” he said innocently. “My other thing.”

“Your filthy, filthy smut, you mean.”

“It’s cute when you pretend you’re not just as depraved.”

“That’s not it.” She poked him in the side but smoothed the fur afterward. “It’s not your take on sex that terrifies me about reading it. It’s your take on female characters.”

“What?” His tone was sharp with offense. “You don’t think I can write women?”

“Oh,” Melody drawled with a slow smile, “absolutely not.”

“I’m so hurt,” he responded, “and I will relish proving you wrong.”

“Don’t worry, Shigure. Sometimes, a paycheck and a fooled audience is enough.” She laughed as he nipped her arm.  

“Yes, well, if I don’t get the next volume out soon, that Hana girl might kill me before Mitchan does.”

As if speaking of her had summoned her, Shigure’s editor came pealing around the house, only to freeze at seeing Melody. Mitchan was professionally dressed in a suit jacket, pencil skirt, and heels, but she somehow looked all the more shabby for it, probably because the strain was so stark on her face. Melody felt a wave of pity for her.

“Where—is—he?” Mitchan wailed, close to crying once a sweep of the room revealed that Shigure was nowhere to be found.

“I think he went to the store,” Melody told her. One of Shigure’s ears twitched.

“Oh, kill me. Just kill me.” Mitchan buried her face in her hands. Then, she transformed, grimly determined as she searched her jacket. She pulled out a business card and extended it to Melody. “If he comes back, please call me.”

Melody lifted an arm only long enough to accept the card before returning to drape over Shigure. “Sure.”

Mitchan turned to leave but did a double-take. “Since when did Shigure get a dog?”

“Oh, he’s mine,” Melody replied. “The Sohmas just let Tohru dog-sit for me sometimes.”

Mitchan probably accepted that answer. By the way she was muttering to herself and running frantic hands through her hair, she might not have heard it at all. 

Neither of them spoke until they heard the echo of her car door slamming and the engine start. Then, Shigure’s cold nose pressed against her shoulder. “I’m yours, hm?” His voice, so close to her ear, was low and silky.

“Well, I couldn’t tell her the truth, could I?” Melody said a little more defensively than she’d meant to.     

Shigure was silent for a beat. “Definitely should’ve suppressed your memories. You’re nothing like Tohru.”

“Not true. She likes dogs, too.”

 “Aside from that, the two of you are like night and day.”

“How so?” Melody challenged in a “choose your words carefully” tone. Shigure utterly ignored it.

“Well, unlike you, Tohru is incredibly sweet—”

“I’m sweet!” Melody declared vehemently, snapping her head around to glare at him.  

Shigure practically doubled over laughing, his tail finally wagging behind him. “And for another thing,” he attempted, recovering, “Tohru doesn’t have a single devious bone in her body.”

“It’s an art, not a science, so I don’t hold it against her,” Melody said, ending the hug at last. “Especially since it means you and I get along so well.” 

*

Force-sensitive Chiss children. Almost always female. Naturally. 

Here was the secret to the Chiss and their seemingly-superior navigational enterprises. The answer was so deliciously ironic, the Sith part of her wanted to kick herself for not realizing it sooner. The rest of her marveled at the possibilities.

Just how advanced with the Force were these children? Thrawn had said the only ability they possessed was precognition, but she had enough experience with the Force to know that it was never that simple. Besides, he didn’t understand the Force—none of the Chiss seemed to—so what did they know, really? Perhaps their Force users were capable of more than they thought. 

How did their training differ, anyway, from what she’d received at the Jedi Temple so long ago, when she was just a Padawan and willing to give up her life for corrupt ideals? Were they even trained at all?

But the question truly burning a hole in her mind was this: what made these children lose their Force connection? What little she knew of their culture provided no answer, but she likely wouldn’t have a concrete idea unless she was immersed in it. 

If she could just talk to one of these kids, though… If she could just teach them and learn from them in turn…

if she could just take one apart and figure out how they tick—

“Are you still there?” Thrawn’s cultured voice cut through the dark thought that sounded so much like Plagueis in her head, she was shaken by it. Had it been him, reaching her through the Force—or was that the part of her he’d left behind in his wake?

“I’m here,” she responded over the comm. “So when do I get to meet them?”

“You don’t.”

She must have misheard. “What? Thrawn—you don’t dangle power like that in front of a Sith and then yank it back.”

“And when I’m confident that I’m not talking to Lady Inferna, I’ll reopen the issue,” he replied coolly.

Melody emitted a frustrated sigh, glaring at the starlines flying past her ship’s viewport. “Fine. But don’t you want to know why none of them remains a Force user into adulthood?”

“Of course. However, we have more pressing problems to address first, one in particular you could help solve.”

“Oh, I see.” She laughed without mirth. “So you think I’ll be your personal star chart into the Unknown Regions whenever you ask, hm?”

“I think,” Thrawn said smoothly, “you’ll want to challenge yourself.”

“And what? I’m just supposed to close my eyes and ask the Force for precognition powerful enough to compete with hyperspace travel and hope we don’t all die crashing into a star on the way?” She leaned back in her chair, stomping her foot on top of the console. “It doesn’t work that way, Thrawn.” 

Melody stewed in the silence, but she was confident that she had him. He couldn’t refute her claims, so the only way he was going to get what he wanted out of her was to give into her own demands.

She was going to meet those—

“Lord Vader could do it.”

Slowly, every move deliberate, Melody placed her foot back on the floor, leaned forward, and brought the comm as close to her mouth as she could.

Softly, she said, “You little bastard.”

He had her.

*

Growing up, Melody had always hated dresses. Not because she had anything against the article of clothing itself but because wearing one had never been on her own terms. When you were part of a family whose members were on fast-tracks toward political power and military advancement, you beat to the drum of maintaining public image and you didn’t complain about it. 

The scene currently happening on the deck of the R.L.S. Legacy was so far removed from the life she’d left behind, she had trouble believing it was real. Especially because it was familiar. 

Melody didn’t know how it had started. She’d come up from the galley to find that a couple kegs had been brought out and the beer was flowing. Someone—perhaps George Merry—had even brought out a fiddle, and most of the crew were engaged in various styles of dancing. Legs kicking out, arms flailing, but no swishing skirts to be found, even among the female crew members. 

Everything was loud and chaotic and messy, and she knew members of the gentry who would faint at seeing their beloved, traditional dances… refashioned like this.

Had there been a mutiny or something?

But no—Captain Amelia was watching the crew’s shenanigans from the quarterdeck, an amused smile softening her feline features. Mr. Arrow was next to her, frowning acutely in displeasure.

That frown was replaced with a hint of mild shock as the ship’s doctor approached, and Melody watched with fascination as Elizabeth talked him into dancing. But then the doctor, she’d noticed, was the type who was determined to include everyone and make sure they had a good time, or else.

“Don’t believe you’ll have much luck swabbin’ the deck through this lot, lad,” John Silver said, somehow appearing next to her without her noticing. “Doubt they’d appreciate you bein’ underfoot.”

“Ah… Yeah.” She shouldered the mop, bucket swinging against the handle like a cradle. “Guess I’ll just see what I can get into below deck.”

“You most certainly will not!” Silver declared. “It’s a party, lad.” 

She couldn’t quite keep the surprise off her face. “I thought you were supposed to keep us working until we couldn’t think.”

“Clearly, I’m doing a poor job of it, seeing the thoughts you’re still havin’,” Silver noted. “But I’d be considered poorer still if I let you and Jimbo carry on, miserable, while the rest of us get up to mischief. T’aint no way to inspire loyalty in a crew, you can be sure of that.”

Jim crossed her line of vision then. He wasn’t dancing, but he was smirking knowingly at a furiously-gesticulating Doctor Doppler, many of his violent hand gestures directed in Captain Amelia’s general direction.

Oh, no, Silver was right. She absolutely couldn’t sit this one out downstairs. 

“Sounds fair to me, sir,” she said brightly—then had a mild panic because that tone always made her voice go higher, and she always, always forgot that. Hoping he hadn’t noticed, she slung the mop and broom in an out-of-the-way spot by the railing, intending to find it again later.

“Good of you to see reason, my boy.” Silver’s mechanical eye whirled as he took her in. “‘Sides, I have you pegged as a fine dancer, so fine I’ll practically be robbin’ poor George Merry blind tonight.”

“You took a bet on whether I could dance?” Her face turned hot.

“Well, sure, it panned out with the cards, didn’t it?” Silver said with a secret smile that told her all she needed to know about whether she’d gotten completely away with cheating or not. “On a voyage this long, you have to find innocent ways to amuse yourself or you’ll be looking for some not-so-innocent ways, make no mistake.”

“Sorry to tell you, then, that I can’t dance,” she lied, but she could not dance among this crew while she was still trying to hold her cover. She had no idea how to lead a dance like a man, for one thing, and their steps were always different because there were always fewer. Women, as usual, did all the work and flourishes. Plus, alcohol-induced states or not, if anyone got too close to her—

Silver clasped his mechanical hand to his heart. “Are you tryin’ to put this old man into an early grave, lad? Wreakin’ havoc on my constitution, you are.”

“It’s just dancing!” Melody felt like she had to be glowing in the dark, she was blushing so hard. “It’s not like it’s a useful skill.”

“But of course it is, lad! Good practice for footwork, for one thing. For another, how do you ever expect to woo a nice lass if you can’t even dance with her?”

“I told you, I’m becoming a hermit,” she said through gritted teeth.

“Not under my watch, no sir!” With mounting dread, Melody watched as Silver extended his good hand to her. “Take my hand, Mel. I’ll learn you some basic steps by t’under, or else I have no business callin’ myself your commanding officer.”

Melody was begging the stars to send someone to come save her. The Captain, Jim, hell, she’d even take Cutter or Scroop at this point. But none of those sorry bastards came around, and she couldn’t think of any other way out of this.

So she looked everywhere except at Silver because she did not want to know how much her hand was dwarfed by his, and even though there was still space between their bodies, it didn’t matter. Not when she could feel every inch of that mechanical hand against her waist and lower back. Somehow, this was even worse than his usual affectionate touches, probably because she’d learned to expect those.

This… made her light-headed just thinking about, so feeling it… She needed to get this over with, now.

“First, move your left foot—”

“Got it,” she said, already following Silver as he started the basic steps for a waltz. Her right foot was in position before Silver could say anything.

“Well, now!” Silver commended, his eyes twinkling. “A fast learner even in this, eh?”

“Mhmm,” Melody replied. “You can stop worrying about the nice lasses now. I got it.”

“I should say not! How is any lass going to feel comfortable, dancing with a lad who’s rigid as a board and won’t so much as look at her? Why, if I were in her shoes now, I’d be off, cryin’ into my skirts.” 

Melody was absolutely going to remember this, and she was absolutely going to pay Silver back for this ten-fold someday.

But right now, this was just like any role she’d played back home. That’s all she had to do, and this could end.

So she loosened the stiffness in her shoulders, practically melting against Silver’s touch. Her movements became smoother, polished. When she raised her head to meet his eyes, it was with a cool, appraising stare but a smile that said she liked what she saw—a deadly combination she’d seen used by the officers at her father’s functions. It had worked for her to see it then, and it would work for her to use now. 

“Well?” she asked with a tilt of her head. “How’s this, sir?”

“I think,” Silver said, his voice low, “you’re going to break hearts, lad.” A cheery smile crossed his face and he called louder, “And I think George Merry owes me twenty gold pieces!”

The fiddle screeched to a stop, replaced with George Merry’s loud cursing and the crew’s laughter.      

[rococoulpa]

Inazuma meme thing

Wasn’t tagged, stolen from @terestolue​.

Heya what’s your name:

Matilda, Marty for short. Some people call me Oud.

Favorite character(s):

Desarm, Kageyama Reiji, Ray Rukh, Bitway Ozrock, and Shindou Takuto are my main five.

Favorite arc:

The Aliea arc because even though the ending disappointed me, it was a unique and fun story and I have a lot of fun with headcanons for the alien characters. I’m developing a whole AU fic of this series told from Ulvida’s point of view, and I’m super proud of it because I love aliens so much.

OTP:

I would probably get hanged if I mentioned my OTPs anywhere on this website. But, SomeFubu is pretty solid.

BroTP:

I don’t care lmao everyone is friends

Any ships that everyone ships but you surprisingly don’t:

EnNatsu, GouFubu, Hiroto/anyone, and most especially RanTaku. Honestly some of MY OTPs are pretty unacceptable by Tumblr standards but it blows me out of the water how many people ship RanTaku given that Kirino basically stalks Shindou and Shindou’s never been shown to actually like him, even as a friend.

Favorite hissatsu:

Shoot Pocket, Gungnir, Stargazer, Space-Time Wall, Ryuusei Blade, probably more I can’t really think of.

What about combination hissatsu:

Idk fam

Favorite Keishin:

Sousha Maestro

Favorite Mixi-max:

Ugh

Favorite Soul:

Ixaal and Redio.

Favorite forward:

Hiroto Kiyama, Mac Roniejo, Bitway Ozrock

Favorite mid-fielder:

Rhionne, Ray Rukh, Shindou Takuto

Favorite defender:

Edit: Accidentally left TF’s answer here, too lazy to fix it. 

Favorite goalkeeper:

As TF put it, all the best characters are objectively the goalkeepers. However, Desarm, Rococo Ulpa, Sugimori Takeshi, Tachimukai Yuuki, Sangoku Taichi, and Rau Sem are the best of the best in my book.

Favorite manager/girl player (actually, all girls in general):

Rhionne, Ulvida, Beta, and Konoha Morimura are best girls.

Favorite team:

Mikage Sennou, Epsilon, Little Gigant, Perfect Cascade, Ixal Fleet

Favorite team uniform:

Frankly the Ixal Fleet uniform really gets me going but I love Gemini Storm, Epsilon, and Gaia’s a lot too.

Which movie is the best:

I’ve only seen the Ogre and the Go movie and they were about equally enjoyable in my opinion.

Prettiest character:

Rhionne, my snow goddess <3

Most handsome:

Desarm and Bitway <33333

Best hairstyle:

Rococo Ulpa, no questions about it.

Do you think it takes more hairgel to style Tenma’s, Alpha’s, or Tobitaka’s hair:

Easily Tobitaka, his hair is longer/has more mass whereas Tenten and Alpha have shorter hair.

Whose hair takes the most time to manage:

Edit: Accidentally left TF’s answer here, too lazy to fix it. Part 2

Who would you most want to see with their hair down :

None of Desarm’s three incarnations include his hair down so I am always up to see that.

That OP/ED that keeps replaying over and over again in your mind:

*loud horns blaring* *kicks door down* TSUYOKU NARETA ZE

That character song that is way too catchy for its own good:

I am 100% always thinking about either Starline or Mabushii Mirai Yeah(?).

Raimon or Teikoku:

Does Teikoku have my sons Tachimukai or Kageno? No? Okay.

Ultimate Shining or Ancient Dark:

Dunno

IE or IE GO:

The original Inazuma is really way better.

Taiyou or Taiyou (hint: The answer is Taiyou):

I mean, I was pretty indifferent to him, but sure.

Fubuki post-personality-disorder or merged:

Implying he wasn’t wonderful despite the disability? All Fubuki is good and must be supported, thanks. (Honestly leaving TF’s answer as it was)

Hang out with Rika or Touko:

Both honestly but if I really had to choose I’d pick Rika. 

Yank Tsurugi’s ponytail or Fei’s:

In a friendly way? Fei’s. In an unfriendly way? Kirino’s.

Kageyama Tobio Reiji or Kuroiwa Ryuusei:

I want Kageyama Reiji to fucking murder me

Quick! Kiss Cliff Marry. Shindou, Kariya, Kinako:

I don’t know what cliff means, but: kiss Shindou, marry Shindou.

Which is more amazing, the fact that the ball doesn’t pop or the goal doesn’t get torn through:

Pretty sure both happen a few times in different points of the series.

Why don’t they ever get yellow/red cards?????:

Because then the overall plot never would’ve moved on.

Eat a soda popsicle with Suzuno or plant a tulip with Nagumo:

Write excessively long letters with Saginuma.

Be a forward with a defense technique or a defender with a shooting technique:

I just wanna be a goalkeeper...

Who do you think Endou should really end up with:

I’m not really one for ace headcanons, but Endou is so ace it hurts.

Yes or No, Afuro Terumi:

Yes in seasons 1 and 2, no in 3 and GO.

Sacca yarouze?:

*Sakka. But sure.

Anything you wanna praise the series for:

Wide variety of races and body types, general positivity.

Anything you wanna complain about the series (don’t worry we all know it’s not real hate here) :

Bad pacing from FFI onwards, GO was a complete mess and lacked a lot of what made the original series likable. Chrono Stone was even more of a wreck and killed the series before Galaxy came about and was actually decent.

Got any IE merch (yes I’m offering you bragging rights):

LOL

A few hundred dollars’ worth of books, games, figures, plushes, bags, towels, keychains, buttons, pogs, bracelets, a hat, a coin bank, etc.

What do you think about Ares no Tenbin:

I want so bad to care about it but the fandom makes me less and less excited and I’m at a point in my life where sadly I’ve outgrown the want to watch new cartoons, so all I do is sit on my 85 year old ass and watch Andy Griffith show and old game shows.

3 things you love about the IE fandom:

I’ve made a few good friends because of it and that’s about it. Running i11screencaps has been a fun experience, too.

1 thing you would like to say to the IE community (fandom,producers,etc.):

@ the fandom: Please have some chill. That is all. @ the producers: I mean thanks for the aliens at least.

What do you think about the creator of this whole post (I know. I’m lame. I’m sorry.) :

I don’t even know who created this post, fam

[gokinjeespot]

off the rack #1200

Monday, February 12, 2018

 My old partner and dearly departed friend Ron Norton came up with the title of these weekly musings. I seem to remember that it was after I left Vancouver and The Comicshop and moved to Ottawa to manage The Silver Snail in 1990. I can't remember when I started numbering them but I was commenting on the comic books that I read for The Comicshpper, The Comicshop's monthly newsletter way before off the rack #1. This is some time during the 1980s so who knows what this latest off the rack should be numbered at. I've thought about quitting many times but a handful of people who read them every week keep me going. I'm grateful for their feedback and encouragement. Thanks to Chris R, Charles dL, Doug S, Tom Mc, and Ryan J. It looks like I'll stop when I'm no longer working.

 X-Men Red #1 - Tom Taylor (writer) Mahmud Asrar (art) Ive Svorcina (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). If you read the 5-issue mini Phoenix Resurrection you'll not be surprised that the original Jean Grey is back on the racks. If you didn't, you should read it to find out how she comes back from the dead, or you can just accept the fact that she's back. This debut opens with a familiar situation where the X-Men rescue a young mutant from a mob of anti-mutant non-mutants. This leads to a flashback to another mutant rescue and the scary notion fostered by the general population that all mutants must be eliminated. That's the cue for Jean to gather her Red Team: Nightcrawler, Namor, Wolverine/Laura and Honey Badger/Gabby. Including Namor was a surprise to me. I can see where Jean and the King of Atlantis will butt heads later. Most of this issue seemed like the same old mutants trying to live in a world that fears and hates them and it is, but then the villain is revealed and I want to see what the bad guy wants.

 Superman #40 - James Robinson (writer) Doug Mahnke (pencils) Jaime Mendoza & Scott Hanna (inks) Wil Quintana (colours) Rob Leigh (letters). The Last Days part 1. Mark your calendars, February 8 is the day that Krypton exploded. It's true. It says so in this comic book. This is a Superman and son story where Jon tags along to help save another planet on the verge of exploding. They run into a problem when they get there as the natives are not amenable to being saved. Me, I would have said suit yourselves, see you never and left them to their fate but not Superman. I would be a lousy super hero. I may mock this story but I really like Doug's art so I will keep reading.

 VS #1 - Ivan Brandon (writer) Esad Ribic (art) Nic Klein (colours) Aditya Bidikar (letters). That's Versus in case you're old like me and don't get what the title stands for. I pulled this off the rack for the visual feast that is any comic book with art by Esad Ribic. The story is similar to The Hunger Games but with teams of soldiers fighting each other for fame and glory. I suppose video gamers would enjoy this but I'm reading this one because of the art.

 Runaways #6 - Rainbow Rowell (writer) Kris Anka (art) Matthew Wilson (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). Find Your Way Home part 6. This relaunch is starting out similarly to the original but instead of fighting evil parents they're fighting an evil grandparent. The Runaway that saves the day surprised me. I can't wait for Victor to get a body.

 Swamp Thing Winter Special #1 - There are two stories in this 80-page giant. The Talk of the Saints by Tom King (writer) Jason Fabok (art) Brad Anderson (colours) & Deron Bennett (letters) is swamp monster versus snow monster but not what you may think. It was actually a really cool story. The second story is a first issue of a new Swamp Thing series by Len Wein (writer) Kelley Jones (art) Michelle Madsen (colours) that was supposed to be the sequel to Swamp Thing: The Dead Don't Sleep the 6-issue mini that hit the racks in the spring of 2016. There is no letterer credit because the story is presented without words. Len had not completed a lettering script before he passed away. It is the power of his writing and Kelley's art that makes what you see a understandable story even without any words. Len's story pages are provided to fill things out for us and it's cool to see how Kelley brings the story to the pages of the comic book. The Swamp Thing is my favourite occult character because of all the creators that have told his stories.

 Avengers #679 - Al Ewing, Jim Zub & Mark Waid (writers) Kim Jacinto (art) David Curiel (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). No Surrender part 5. This issue clears up two mysteries. Who is the Grandmaster's opponent and why they are playing this game. The change in art styles was made less annoying because of the consistent colouring of David Curiel. I also noticed a difference in the writing too and you can see that Al Ewing is listed first in the writing credits this issue after Mark Waid had been during the first four. It's interesting to me that I noticed these differences.

 Infinity Countdown Adam Warlock #1 - Gerry Duggan (writer) Michael Allred (art) Laura Allred (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). I've know Adam Warlock since he went by just plain Him. My favourite run of stories was when Jim Starlin drew Adam and all the weird and wonderful alien cast like Pip the Troll and Gamora. The character is tied to the soul gems and with the new Avengers movie focusing on Thanos and the soul gems in the Infinity Gauntlet it's time to exploit the heightened interest by putting a bunch of Infinity Countdown books on the racks. This one teams Warlock with Kang and when Kang is involved time travel is sure to follow. Ugh. If you're nostalgic for the comic books that were written in the late sixties you'll like this. I'm going to read the next part in Infinity Countdown Prime, which hits the racks on February 21, but if it's as stilted as this book I won't be impressed enough to read the rest unless they have creative teams that interest me.

 Daredevil #598 - Charles Soule (writer) Ron Garney (art) Matt Milla (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). Ron Garney is not a flashy artist like Jim Lee but his gritty style really fits the urban setting of this book. Now that Wilson Fisk is the mayor of New York City he will be appointing various commissioners to help him run the place. It's very interesting to see who the big man is inviting to the table. Meanwhile the artist villain Muse is getting under the mayor's skin but it looks like the Kingpin has plans to deal with him that are sure to make things deadly for Daredevil. I love all the shenanigans.

 She-Hulk #162 - Mariko Tamaki (writer) Jahnoy Lindsay (art) Frederico Blee (colours) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). The banner across the top of the cover says "Jen Walters Must Die". That's pretty ominous. What we have this issue is a psychotherapy session where we get to see where Jen's head is at. It results in a minor transformation that will change the character. I look forward to seeing what's next.

 Amazing Spider-Man #795 - Dan Slott & Christos Gage (writers) Mike Hawthorne (pencils) Terry Pallot (inks) Marte Gracia (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). Threat Level: Red part 2. What the hey? Loki is Sorcerer Supreme now? Then what is Doctor Strange up to? We find out what kind of red threat Spidey will be facing soon but the ads for Amazing Spider-Man #797 seems to indicate that it's only temporary. That kind of downplays the threat don't you think?

 Spider-Man #237 - Brian Michael Bendis (writer) Oscar Bazaldua (art) Brian Reber (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). This issue is all about the difficulties with family ties. Miles and his evil uncle and Lana and her evil mother Bombshell don't see eye to eye but the adults are in control. You won't get Spider-Man fighting the Hobgoblin like it shows on the cover but Hobbie is in this issue at least.

 Motor Girl Volumes 1 & 2 - Terry Moore (story & art). I started reading the story of Samantha Locklear as floppies but had to stop partway through because the store could only order the few subscription service copies that was needed and not even an extra rack copy or else we would not make a profit. I'm glad that the whole thing was collected quickly and made available in these two trade paperbacks so that I could finish reading. Sam is a marine vet who served in Iraq and came home scarred both physically and emotionally. It's a story of her struggle to heal. It's got apes and aliens and is a whole lot of fun. One of the perks of working in a comic book store is that I can read them without having to pay for them. I bought Terry's Rachel Rising omnibus soft cover when that was available and I bought these too. He is one of the very few comic book creators that I will spend my hard earned money on.