#I mean I LIKE the comics but I liked the first couple of arcs best

[stagefoureddiediaz]

Initial thoughts on that article - I’m excited! I mean the journalist needs to do a bit more homework (I’m looking at you sentence about Eddie kissing Kim!) and I’m always going to take anything Tim says in an article with a giant handful of salt, but by and large all he said is telling me that the arcs for all our characters seem to be interesting and varied.

This got so very long so it’s going below the cut - but if you only want to read the buddie stuff then start reading where I’ve changed the text colour (so you can find it easily - because I’m nice like that!) 🐝🐝🐝

I love that Tim described madney and henren as being a family unit outside of the firehouse and I’m really excited to see that built upon - I loved that we got more hen and Maddie interactions last season and I want more of it. So I’m looking forward to seeing that dynamic develop as part of the Mara arc.

Ortiz hs so much potential to be a truly great villain - with a more sustained arc - something the show hasn’t ever really done and I’d like them to. Ortiz v Hen as a half season or more plotline would be so good and exploring corruption in politics and how it corrupts other public systems and services would be such a great thing to explore (and Aisha would knock it out of the park)

I’m going to say here that season 8 is very much screaming season 3 redux at me - all of the things we know thus far all seem to parallel season 3 events, even down to the bee-nado - which is starting to sound more and more like a mirror of the tsunami - in that the tsunami wave itself was only a brief thing, but the aftermath was where the major incidents and action was for all the various characters and the set up of their arcs. And Tim saying the bees set up I’m super excited for that as a concept.

Since we first saw them filming on a plane I’ve been wondering if we were going to be seen if another 70’s disaster movie homage and it seems I was right - my money is on Airport 77 being the movie in question

And I’m really interested in who it’s going to showcase and what part of her history were exploring. I would really love to see them exploring the Jeffery arc and her trauma from that, but I’m not sure that’s what we’ll be getting (Jeffery being dead doesn’t negate this exploring that part of her story I just don’t think it’s where we’re going)

My feeling is it’s connected into Emmett in some way. It was ‘resolved’ in Athena begins and then never really spoken of again, so maybe we’ll be seeing Dennis Jenkins (the guy who shot Emmett) as one of the prisoners on the plane and Athena will have to confront her remaining trauma there and possibly the damage arresting DJ has had after all that time he passed.

On to Bobby - what can I say technical consultant bobby is going to be perfection. Bobby has had some heavy arcs over the past couple of seasons so it’s pretty obvious he’s got the comic relief arc for at least 8a. I’m really looking forward to seeing Bobby being done with Hollywood etc. And I’m really excited to see how they get him back to the 118 where he belongs.

Onto the bit I know most of you are reading this for!!

The Buck arc is screaming lawsuit redux at me and that ties in nicely to Bobbys arc. Instead of Buck being stopped from returning to the 118, this time it’s Bobby. Gerrard is the Chase Matthew’s of this situation and so I remain convinced of my assertion that buck (having learnt from the lawsuit arc) is going to initially fail against Gerrard before he figures out getting close to him and therefore being able to figure out his weaknesses is the best way to get rid of him and get Bobby back.

The Buck T*mmy section in the article of it all has me laughing so very hard I nearly fell off my chair.

Look, this ‘relationship’ is still fairly new and they are still in the ‘getting to know each other’ phase, so I wouldn’t be expecting Tim to start waxing lyrical about them as a couple, but saying this;

To describe the first queer relationship of one of your mains, whose entire storyline last season was his bi awakening, when it’s at the point when everything should still be new and exciting isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement of said relationship.

It’s entirely possible to gush about a relationship - especially one that is essentially groundbreaking on your show - without giving any plot away or making it seem like they’re endgame.

More comfortable together is the only thing you could come up with to describe them as a couple? - what does that really mean? Comfortable is how you describe a pair of slippers or an old hoodie that’s all worn in and soft. If you’re using more comfortable as one descriptor in a longer sentence with other descriptors that shows the development of said relationship then that’s totally acceptable. But to use it as the only one (aside from saying they’re a couple), well that screams of a relationship that is a plot device.

And you know what else backs that up as a concept - Tim proceeds to use the rest of his answer to the question about Buck and T*mmy’s relationship to talk about Eddie and Eddie and Buck and their relationship. So what I’m getting is that Eddie is still at the centre of things within that relationship - just as he has been throughout the entirety of s7 - where Buck and Tommy managed to have a grand total of 3 scenes out of nearly 20 together where Eddie wasn’t either present or spoken about at length (and one of those was literally just a scene of them kissing!)

Even using the word comfortable again to describe Buck, Tommy and Eddie hanging out together (anticipating some sort of scene that echoes the karaoke bar scene - where we get petty jealous Eddie and I can’t wait!). Which means comfortable is a very intentional word choice - not one that bodes well for the longevity of the reltionship.

So what I’m getting from that. Is that ‘more comfortable together’ means boring and that Tim is using the relationship to create the same distance we saw between Buck and Eddie in season 3 during the lawsuit arc - the distance that ultimately brought them even closer together and led to Eddie changing his will.

Season 3 was when the show really established buddie as a thing - they lay the foundations in s2, but s3 was when they tested and then built the walls of that dynamic ready for the pieces to be put into place over seasons 4 & 5 so they could make buddie canon.

This BT relationship is literally being used to put Eddie in the same space he was in in s3 - isolated (thank you Ryan for that word choice!) because Buck is not available to him as much (or at all in the case of s3) so he spiralled out in his grief over Shannon’s death and joined a fight club.

All this to say that the chess pieces are being manoeuvred in a really positive direction on the buddie front and I expect to see 8a following a somewhat similar pattern as 3a did - big opening disaster which sets up the various arcs, which includes being shown buck and Eddie’s closeness initially, only to separate them off for a bit so Eddie can have his gay awakening (fight club minus the fight club) and Buck can do some more figuring out about what he actually wants of his own (lawsuit without the law suit) and then bring them back together in time for Christmas - which they will spend together with a newly returned Christopher (mirroring s3 Christmas perfectly) and the rest of the firefam.

Even the Eddie question backs up this as a theory;

I’m fully expecting to get Eddie having conversations with his parents - via call and FaceTime - but not with Chris because he still won’t talk to his dad. The choice to say everything has been stripped away from him except his job is also giving some echoes of s5 - juxtaposing when Eddie essentially had everything else except his job which lead to his breakdown. Tim is a master of deploying subterfuge whilst also using very intentional words - so this comment is making me excited. It’s (to me at least) saying that Eddie is secure in his job and there is not really going to be any drama on the job front. That in the past eddie connected his worth to whatever job he was doing (army, his three jobs in El Paso firefighter) so when the job was taken away he had no worth and that therefore meant he was a failure as a father and a husband - so he spiralled out. Now he has his job and he’s in a good place with that and knowing how his worth as a person isn’t tied into that job. Now instead he has nothing else - all the things he’d tied his worth onto away from his job are suddenly gone so he has to go back to the drawing board and this time look at himself and who he actually is and why he wants.

The choice of the word ‘hell’ is also a choice - ‘who the hell he is’ - season 7 laid the groundwork for edddies reckoning with the catholic faith (former nun Marisol, Eddie talking about being a lapsed catholic and catholic guilt and bobby giving Eddie the bible etc) and we know they’ve been filming in a church. Hell as a word choice is just backing that up and hinting at the idea that Eddie figuring out who he is and choosing living his life as his true self would damn him to hell in the eyes of his religion. So gay Eddie here we go!!

This was supposed to be a quick ‘ooh I’m excited everything is being perfectly set up’ post and then I did my usual thing and write a mammoth essay 🤣 so if you’ve read all of this - thank you and I love you and I hope you enjoyed it - can’t wait to hear your thoughts!

[zeroducks-2]

Do you have an essential Dick Grayson comics reading list?? Especially sladick related 👉👈 I feel like I’m always hearing about fun interactions between them, but no one ever lists from what comics 😭🥺

Of course!

You can find lots of good stuff in Devin Grayson's Nightwing 1996. I suggest taking a look at #80 to #83, Dick and Slade have iconic interactions in those issues. Like this one!

(from #82 specifically)

There's also the whole "renegade arc" which spans from #110 to #115, and it has stuff like the Message Received in Dick's bathroom, and "Nightstroke". I feel we don't talk enough about Nightstroke lol.

I really recommend Nightwing 1996 in general anyway. Not all of it is good (we could really do without the racism), but it does have some of the most Iconic Dick Grayson Moments, and it's really fun and engaging. The whole Tarantula thing happens in that one btw.

For some of the more Old School flavor of both characters, I suggest reading some New Teen Titans issues from the 80s, especially The Judas Contract (yep the one with Tara), since it has Slade's first apparition and some really badass moments.

I personally am a big fan of that brief but memorable time where Dick was Batman and Damian Robin - I feel Dick's storyline really peaked with that arc and we never got even close to that ever again (it would be Batman & Robin by Grant Morrison, and I also HIGHLY RECOMMEND Black Mirror by Scott Snyder). Slade and Dick have a couple of memorable interactions during that run but nothing too significant.

For something with a more modern flavor, unfortunately there isn't much except Dark Crisis. You know, from where the whole "You were always the trophy, Grayson. Why would I waste my time with anyone else?" gayass speech comes from.

(this one, from Dark Crisis #2 specifically)

And then there's also that whole part with Dick and Slade fighting as their selves from pre-N52 and all that. I mean I'm not a fan of Dark Crisis, but at least Joshua made it gay and I love him for it.

I wouldn't be able to tell you with absolute certainty what are the "essential" Dick Grayson comics to read though, because unlike characters such as Barry or Clark, Dick has changed SO MUCH post reboot, especially when it comes to Tom Taylor's run. And as much as I tend to shit on Taylor's run and many more modern comics, I can't in good conscience call out of character the past 15 years of Nightwing/Dick Grayson. I recognize that Dick is sadly not the same character he used to be preboot, so most of what you read from before the N52 is essentially obsolete when it comes to Dick's personality (also his competence and the respect the superheroes community had for him tend to be spotty at best).

But yeah my point is that my "Dick Grayson essentials" are oldies, but they're still some of my favorite stories and I would highly recommend reading those over the modern slop that has been the Nightwing comics for a while now.

So to make a quick recap, for any Dick Grayson fan I would suggest reading Devin Grayson's 1996 run, The New Teen Titans by Wolfman and Perez, and Batman & Robin by Grant Morrison. Black Mirror by Scott Snyder is my all time favorite Dick Grayson comic.

[dokidokitsuna]

Magical Girl #1

So I realize I haven’t been posting a lot here lately…there are several reasons.

Most of it was just a garden-variety depressive episode, which was unfortunately extended after I had to go on antibiotics for a couple weeks. It got to a point where I considered canceling a bunch of projects because I just didn’t like to draw anymore. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (Still recovering from that, tbh…)

After a while I decided to focus on my writing instead, at least to take my mind off that frightening thought. ^^; I got pretty far into a new novel (which I’ll probably talk about later) but more importantly, I managed to complete a 19-page script for ^this concept, the first new original comic idea I’ve had in years.

It’s basically my take on the idea of a solitary magical girl, which you don’t see so much of nowadays…I think the most famous is Cardcaptor Sakura, and even she had some magical sidekicks (iirc, they just had different sources of power, something like that). I’m not familiar with any examples in the genre where it’s literally just her, ala typical Western superhero…

But that’s not really the reason I wanted to write this story– I developed it mainly to explore the idea of a solitary protagonist, someone who doesn’t have any conventional social relationships outside of their family, AND doesn’t use the story to form any. How could I develop an entertaining story around such a person; what sort of character arc would they go through? Might this character realize, to some degree, that they’re not a ‘traditional’ protagonist, and have some thoughts about this…?

For a while I toyed with the idea of applying this framework to an existing idea, but then I figured it’d be easier (and shorter) to write a completely new self-contained story. Which led to the creation of Anno the magical girl, and her partner Armitage. ^^

My #1 rule was ‘no crutches’: No making her (2) family members stick to her like glue and take the place of the usual friendgroup, for instance. This rule also forced me to change the usual characterization of the helpful fairy sidekick to that of an abusive parasite…which ended up being one of the best writing decisions I ever made. ^^ I love Armitage; not only are he and Anno a great comedy duo, but I think his meanness makes Anno a stronger character.

His worst ‘friendless loser’ insults towards her are just simple statements based (oddly enough) on things I’ve heard people express about themselves. So his dialogue becomes almost cathartic, and Anno’s reactions to it become more realistic as a result. She can’t just brush off his comments as meaningless hate; she kinda has to internalize them whether she wants to or not…if she were just a little more sensitive, this story would probably have a very unhappy ending. ^^;;; But as it is, it’s just an introspective comedy about a neurodivergent girl learning to love and trust herself.

I’m not 100% sure what I’m going to do with the script now that it’s done…mostly I’ve just been using it as motivation to draw for fun again, and to continue developing a manga style (I think I’m getting close to something solid).  But will I actually attempt to draw the manga? Will I try that thing I always wanted to try where I commission some artists to draw it with me…? Or will I just hang onto it and start writing a sequel in my spare time, like I usually do? ^^; Only time will tell…

[virtual-winter]

It's been 10 years since I first watched Frozen!🌻❄️⛏️☃️🦌

(Swedish DVD-copy of Frozen)

November 20th, 2014. It seems like forever ago. I remember watching this movie through my desktop ASUS PC (remember when computers used to have actual DVD-drives?) on a by today's standards pretty crappy Philips monitor. It didn't matter. The movie was like nothing else I had seen before. Even though I don't even have a sibling and can't fully relate to the conflict, Anna and Elsa's adventure is IMO one of the best stories ever told💕

I was 22 back then. A young man and totally in love with this Disney movie. Now I'm 32 and it continues to be among my favourite movies of all time. Even now, ten years later, I still live and breathe Frozen every day! It is a part of who I became and it is the way I wish to remain 😄

I have become a devoted fan of all things Frozen and I'm trying my best to be a part-time Frozen-analyst, mapmaker, worldbuilder and collector. I'm also known for using too many emotes and exclamation marks!

Below, I have tried to summarise some important and meaningful keepsakes and events from the past ten years. I hope you enjoy scrolling!✨✨✨

I believe this was the first ever Frozen-related pic that I saved (it's the oldest in my album) (April 2015)

I was equally in love with the OUAT Frozen arc and no one can tell me Georgina and Elizabeth were anything but perfect for their roles (April 2015)

🥹🥹🥹

(March 2015)

In just a couple of years we saw the franchise grow (did anyone else prefer the original logo for the musical?) (February 2016)

The official announcement we'd all been waiting for (April 2017)

The architect in me loved the castle! (2017)

I mean, who could ever forget this moment? (December 2018)

AJHFSJASJFKAGKJFGSKFDSGSJF!?!?!?!?!?!? (February 2019)

What are those????? (February 2019)

My first piece of "big" Frozen merch (April 2019)

I made a custom calendar just to count down the remaining days to Frozen II (I also avoided spoilers for the last 6 1/2 months) (December 2019)

🥹🥰😭

(December 2019)

Perfectly balanced, as it should be (February 2020)

Me collecting stuff! (February 2020)

Me going crazy saving as much Frozen content as possible 😅 (August 2020)

I joined r/Frozen (June 2021)

I started my deep-dive into Arendelle's geography in 2021 which ultimately lead to "An odyssey through Frozen geography", the first of many fandom projects! (July 2021)

Together with a group of equally dedicated Frozen nerds fans, I helped building the @arendelle-archives server and later tumblr-blog! (2021)

Collecting more things! (October 2021)

A Frozen comic writer responded to my reddit post?😲(December 2021)

I started developing ideas for a Frozen fanfic (2022)

Frozen III-announcement! Finally! (February 2023)

My Norway-trip of 2023. Without a doubt one of the most beautiful destinations on Earth and a must-go for anyone who wants to visit the real Arendelle!!! (July 2023)

I continue to delve into more map-related stuff in Wonderdraft (May 2024)

Together with the rest of the wonderful folks over at @frozen10fanzine, I helped create and design a fanzine summarising the memories of Frozen fans from the past decade! (July 2024)

A slice of my current Frozen collection! Some figures were very kindly donated to me by @yumeka-sxf 🙌 (July 2024)

And lastly, from today: the first snow of the season❄️🩵

If you made it this far, thank you for scrolling😅

Finally, a little shout-out to friends and acquaintances I've made through the likes of reddit, discord and tumblr in the past few years:

@bigfrozenfan @yumeka-sxf @greatqueenanna @queenritaofarendelle @saiten-gefroren @snowflaketale12 @cloudberriesforaqueen @theartoffrozen @secretsofthestorymakers

A big thank you also to the whole @arendelle-archives and @frozen10fanzine - teams! Y'all continue to inspire me!

[rifari2037]

10. Do you have any other A:TLA ships?

Yes, I have another ships. Is not like I ship them like I ship Zutara, but they are my favourite. It would be long answer, but here my thought about them.

Sokka and Suki (Sukka)

In my opinion, Sukka is the best written canon couple. They have conflicts in their journey and resolved all of those very well.

When they met at the first time, Sokka was misogynistic and Suki taught him a lesson. Sokka finally understood his mistakes, learned from it, and throwed away his ego. After judging women badly, he humbly asked to be taught by a woman.

In the end, Sokka also said sorry after thinking she was 'just a woman'. Then she told him that she was a warrior but also a woman. It was very good way to resolve their conflict.

I'm not sure who Sokka's first love was, Suki or Yue? But, it doesn't matter, because Suki and Yue were important characters for Sokka.

When Sokka and Suki met again in The Serpent's Pass episode, Sokka still felt guilty and lost over Yue's sacrifice. Sokka became overprotective to Suki because of his guilt.

When they almost kissed in front of the moon, Sokka stopped it. That's as it should be because you shouldn't kiss someone when you're thinking about someone else. And again, in the end they resolve their conflict and kissed. Sokka could finally move on.

They not only looked good together, but also accept each other. Sokka was so funny that he could always cheer up Suki. Sokka always did efforts to Suki too - even it turned out very ugly - and Suki appreciated him. They show a healthy relationship more than other canon couples.

It really disappointed me that I didn't see Suki and Sokka together in TLOK. I read a headcanon that Suyin was Sokka's daughter, but then what happened with Sukka? Because, I really hope Sokka and Suki were actually happily together.

Also, even though I don't considering the comic ever exist, but I do know some people ship Suki with Zuko based on it. I got some of their moments, maybe there are more.

I don't mind with the shipper, but I don't understand the writers. Like why? I know the writers hate how well-written Zutara than their canon ship and they ruined Zutara potential in ATLA. But why the writers had to bother Sukka in the comic, the only well-written canon couple, to gave another love potential to Zuko?

But, well, whatever their relationship was, I don't read the comic anyway.

Toph and Aang (Taang)

Yes, I love Zutara, but it doesn't mean I hate Aang. I just don't think he's a good match for Katara for many reasons, there's a lot of meta and analysis about it - and it makes sense to me.

Meanwhile, Toph and Aang have more potential than canon. Their arc is actually interesting if only the author would dig deeper and not be too obsessed with 'the hero gets the girl'.

Just like fire and water, air and earth are the opposite element. They are different, but they need each other.

Air is the element of freedom. In fact, Aang was Toph's first friend and he was also the one who offered her freedom, something she really wanted and needed.

Earth people are persistent. Aang wasn't weak, he was strong, but he was too soft. While Katara kept Aang in his comfort zone, Toph was the one who taught him to be tougher and stand his ground.

Aang has a connection with Toph, because he saw a vision of her before they met in person. While Sokka and Katara saw visions of their past, Aang saw visions of his future.

What if at that time Aang was actually seeing a vision of his future and his past?

Because in his dream, he saw Toph had no face, it parallels with his past life (Avatar Kuruk) that lost his lover when Koh stole her face.

It wasn't my original thought, I read this meta from a fanfic and I was stunned with this potential!

I learned that earth was an element that Aang often used in battle after mastering it, even though it was a difficult element for him at first.

Not only that, earth was the element that re-opened his chakra and made him enter the Avatar State. Maybe it's a coincidence, but it still shows that Aang has a connection with his opposite element.

But I think I know why they didn't plan on making Aang and Toph canon even though it would've been a great arc.

Like, no way the writer's inserting-self end up with character who originally a muscular sixteen-years-old boy.

Zuko and Katara (Zutara forever)

I know the question is about ships other than Zutara, but I couldn't help myself to include them on the list.😅 Zutara is too addictive to be missed. 💙❤️

[fabuloustrash05]

Some of My TMNT Hot Takes (PART 2) 🔥

Warning: More Opinions

Part 1 Here

I don’t like that in Mutant Mayhem Donnie is not a “science guy” but instead is more of an anime and pop culture geek. I’m not against him being an anime fan (I love anime too) but I wish we saw more of his science and being a tech genius side instead of him just liking stereotypical “nerdy stuff”. If that makes sense.

I don’t like the Punk Frogs (any version).

The 87 crossover episodes in the 2012 series (as much as I did enjoy them & are great episodes) should not have happened. They leave no real impact or development to 2012’s overarching story and just waste time. These episodes could’ve covered more important things that 202 was desperately lacking like like character exploration and character dynamic development. It was just nostalgic fanservice. The arc in S5 specifically would’ve work better as a movie instead of a 3-4 episode arc in the (most likely non canon) final season.

Shinigami being Mikey’s second love interests ruins her character a bit (for me personally). That was a pointless decision that did NOT need to happen. She would’ve been our first recurring female character to not be a love interest, but nope!

People are allowed to like/ship Donnie x April in ROTTMNT (this is coming from someone who’s not crazy about April being shipped with the Turtles).

I ship Yuichi with 2012 Leo more than Rise Leo (still ship Rise Leoichi, but I just think 2012 Leoichi is way more interesting, plus 2012 Leo deserves a good love interest).

The humans in Mutant Mayhem look ugly af (I know that was probably an intentional design choice but still. It looks bad.)

I hate Raph x Casey (any ver). I’ve stated in part one that I don’t like Raph (any version) being in a romantic relationship with human characters and yes, that meant him with Casey. Not only that but Raph and Casey being a couple ruins their whole dynamic and iconic friendship I love so much. I’m all for friends to lovers but they are a line that should not be crossed. Not every friendship needs to turn romantic.

2012 Karai’s hair looks bad.

Fans often over exaggerate Rise Donnie’s character and badly mischaracterize him in fanfics and fan comics to the point it makes him feel like he’s an entirely different character.

Shinigami should have been revealed to be a villain.

Rise Donnie was just as mean to his brother as fans claim 2012 Raph was to his. Yes, they both do love their families and I’m NOT saying either of them are abus!ce (they’re not), but fans praising Rise Donnie for doing similar things fans criticize/hate 2012 Raph for doing just makes them hypocrites.

Venus does NOT need to be in every iteration of TMNT. It gets kind of annoying when fans keep on saying that she should be in all the other iterations when in truth her presence would not make sense based on the already established canon story. The only (recent) version of TMNT where I think her being included would’ve fit the best and deserved to make her comeback in is ROTTMNT.

The side plot of 2012 Karai being mutated and later getting brainwashed by Shredder was a waste of time and the most boring arc in the series.

2012 April, Donnie and Casey being in a poly relationship does not fix anything with their problematic dynamic and massive flaws with one another. I'm not saying you can't ship all three of them together, you do you! Idc But in reality their relationship would be a train wreck, that's why I personally don't ship 2012 Capriltello.

Renet is probably one of the most powerful allies the Turtles have in the 2012 series.

Rise Donnie would NOT hate 2012 April. He’d go crazy over her psychic powers and want to study them to help her explore them more.

From what I've seen so far, Leo x Usagi seems like the only GOOD ship in the 2003 series (this hot take might change tho).

Raph had the best character arc and development in the 2012 series and changed the most out of the four brothers. Next would be Leo. With Mikey and Donnie have little development (or none at all sadly).

[willow-of-themyscira]

Willow Reviews: Creature Commandos - Season 1

While many were initially surprised and confused at the announcement that the rebooted cinematic DCU would begin with an animated series about the Creature Commandos prior to the more expected Superman film, I was nothing short of thrilled. I knew nothing of the team outside of its base concept, having only experienced the original incarnation of the Commandos via the DC Showcase: Sgt. Rock animated short. But the Universal Monsters were a staple of my childhood and James Gunn's whacky and raunchy but emotionally sincere style makes him my most trusted comic book filmmaker. So I was more than ready for a 7-episode animated series that promised to be “Suicide Squad but with monsters”. What I wasn't ready for was the ultimate culmination of all of Gunn's previous work with comic book characters and my personal favorite piece of DC animation since Batman: The Animated Series, only kept from being its equal in my eyes by one significant flaw that I hope future seasons address.

The Characters

Without a shadow of a doubt, what makes Creature Commandos work so brilliantly is the characters. The character work on display here is James Gunn's finest outside his take on Rocket Raccoon for the MCU's Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, with some already rivaling Rocket with just this first season and having the potential to surpass him if future seasons and concluded character arcs prove effective and strongly-written enough. Were it not for one particularly disappointing misfire, this would be the James Gunn superhero cast I consider perfect.

The strongest characters are thankfully the five titular Creature Commandos. Everything that works about Gunn's takes on the Guardians of the Galaxy and the Suicide Squad is on full display here with no weak links. The Bride especially stands out as a haunted and cold-hearted badass who borrows much more from Krysten Ritter's Jessica Jones and Clint Eastwood’s Man with No Name than the four-armed alien-abducted incarnation of her seen in Grant Morrison's Seven Soldiers run. Her brilliant backstory melds the best Frankenstein elements from Mary Shelley's novel and James Whale's films together, and coupled with Indira Varma's vocal performance made this my definitive take on the “Bride of Frankenstein” character concept across all of fiction. G.I. Robot fares just as well, with Sean Gunn's adorably whimsical performance turning what could have been an annoying one-note character into a lovable presence that lightens up an otherwise grim and cynical story whenever he is on screen.

Sean's additional character Weasel, returning from the previous DCEU canon, is held back from being quite as strong a character as the others by his inability to verbalize and thus became the pick for least favorite of the Commandos. However, he remains an endearing and weirdly cute comic relief layered by a heart-wrenching backstory that completely recontextualizes how he was presented in The Suicide Squad. Though I'll admit, I was able to predict it six months in advance when watching the teaser trailer. Ultimately however, Weasel being my least favorite is like being forced to rank my favorite ice cream flavors; they're all great, but someone HAS to be at the bottom. Zoë Chao's Nina Mazursky has similar setbacks initially, but only from how long it takes to learn anything about her beyond being the token nice character in this ensemble of monstrous killers and supervillains. In this sense she can at times feel like a copy-and-paste of Pom Klementieff's Mantis from Gunn's latter two Guardians of the Galaxy films and the holiday special. But her interactions with G.I. and especially the Bride keep her from ever becoming boring, and the similarities to Mantis just mean that she is effortlessly adorable and endearing while you wait for the narrative to give the answers to your questions about her. And said answers being given when they do works to make finally learning what brought her to Belle Reve and Task Force M all the more tragic.

On the other side of the coin, a character who is immediately a blast to experience before you dig under the layers is Alan Tudyk’s Doctor Phosphorus (Tudyk also provides his voice to Dr. Will Magnus in G.I.’s flashbacks and does Clayface's wicked chuckles in the main plot). His sarcastic delivery of every breath he takes, near-total nihilism with a hidden soft side, and his being the center of the show's best action scenes make for such an instantly hilarious, badass, and fascinating character that if it weren't for the Bride, he would be at the center of my fandom brainrot toward this show.

The supporting cast does its job well enough, with Viola Davis and Steve Agee doing what they did best in their returning DCEU roles of Amanda Waller and John “Dye-Beard” Economos, respectively. But the real standout is Frank Grillo, a welcome addition as Rick Flag Sr., the father of Joel Kinnaman’s Flag Jr. who was last seen in previous canon's The Suicide Squad. He has a surprisingly friendlier tone with the Commandos than his son had with the Squad, and this makes for an interesting change of pace when he’s alongside them. It's unfortunate the plot decides to brush him aside in the latter half, seemingly just to prepare him for whatever roles he will play in Superman and the second season of Peacemaker. At the same time, it allows for the Bride's elevation to team leader that sparks what will clearly be her series-long arc of eventually letting her walls down and opening herself up to literally any form of relationship or attachment. So I suppose I can let it slide, even if I did enjoy Flag Sr.'s presence as the token human and want him to stick around.

But despite a magnum opus’s worth of protagonists and a solid supporting cast, this season’s ensemble does noticeably suffer in one place, and that is in its trio of antagonists. Initial big bad Circe is a fun and flashy menace for the first three episodes, but disappears from the narrative altogether after episode 4. And with so little of how she's written having anything to do with how DC depicts Circe anywhere else, it makes you wonder (ha ha) why one of Wonder Woman's greatest villains was used at all. It might as well have been a one-off original character for how disposable and non-Circe she is. The ultimate antagonist, who will not be spoiled here, is afflicted with what I call “Prince Hans Syndrome”. There are almost no clues to their true nature until it is revealed toward the end of the season and thus we have little time to know and appreciate them as a villain. But at the same time, their impact is harrowing and undeniable once their villainy goes mask-off. Their actions are bound to forever haunt the show.

But most frustrating of all is David Harbour's Eric Frankenstein, a well-acted but often annoying case of missed opportunity and wasted potential. I admittedly feel this way partially due to my personal life experiences and how strongly I identified with the Bride and her story. Being a transgender woman who was raised by an emotionally immature father with temper problems, and who has also been a victim of stalking and harassment, I was all too familiar with the experience of Bride being told she is meant to be a certain something when that is not the life she wants for herself and having to constantly be on the run after Eric asserts his sense of entitlement to her and her “purpose”. 

What Eric did to the Bride in those flashbacks and the subsequent threat he poses to her struck me personally as an ultimate irredeemable evil that perfectly embodied the horror of modern misogyny and incel behavior. Keeping with my comparisons of the Bride to Jessica Jones, I felt he was effectively set up to be a more childish and brutal answer to David Tennant’s Kilgrave. So I could not help feeling frustrated and a little insulted when he reappears in the modern day plotline with his sinister vibes from episode 2 mostly gone in favor of dopey delusions of undying romance that reminds one of Pepé Le Pew. These more comedic moments are much too frequent and at times seem like they're actively trying to undermine the inherent horror of the character.

I think perhaps this attempt to have it both ways with Eric being hilarious and horrifying could have been more effective if he was a more present threat to the Commandos and fought them to get to the Bride on a regular basis over the course of the story. Instead he is given his own mostly-solo side quest and only interacts with the Commandos for, and I don't think this is inaccurate, less than one second before he is instantly removed from the narrative altogether. I hope future seasons and storylines place him more actively in conflict with the Bride and the Commandos, because what season 1 goes for does not work and made me hope he is never seen or even mentioned again.

But even with all those frustrations in the villains and especially Eric, Creature Commandos bears a strong enough main cast that they just barely deter the overall quality of the season. Were it not for the extremely adult nature of this series, I could see the Commandos becoming a staple of goth childhoods worldwide. I hope DC editorial takes note of the reaction to these characters and brings the Commandos back into the current post-Rebirth comics continuity with more or less the same roster as this show, because they're just that pitch perfect a group. So long as the writers make sure to give them better villains, that is.

The Story

Reminiscent of shows like Lost, Once Upon a Time, and Arrow, Creature Commandos splits its episode lengths evenly between the actual plot and episode-specific flashback stories that for the most part reveal a certain monster's origin and what brought them to Waller's custody in Belle Reve Penitentiary. After the first episode that's entirely main plot setup, it's made easy to identify the remaining six by who their flashbacks are dedicated to; “the Bride one”, “the Weasel one”, etc. It would take too long to review each episode one by one so I will specifically talk about my picks for the best and worst of the bunch. But for the sake of satisfying curiosity I would rank my preference from best to worst as: 3, 2, 6, 7 and 4 tied, then 1, and finally 5. Ironically, almost identical to how I rank their central monsters as well.

Episode 3, the one centered on G.I. Robot, is a brilliant metaphor for veterans who lose their sense of purpose after being relieved of duty. It is not difficult to count it among my favorite episodes of animated television and just needs to be experienced. 2, as I mentioned when talking about the Bride's character, contains an exceptional alternative take on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein novel, exploring a What If…?- like scenario where Victor Frankenstein fully gave in to the creature's blackmail and actually completed the construction of a female counterpart. It becomes a heartbreaking story of a woman born from male entitlement, and her life on the run in an endless search for identity beyond her “purpose”. Episode 5 on the other hand, while far from bad contains a flashback story for Eric Frankenstein that doesn't tell us anything we don't already know or could infer about the character from what we had seen before, ultimately feeling redundant and like a waste of time. Combined with the least amount of main plot progression in the series, this episode was the one and only time I asked myself “That's it?” once the credits rolled.

The big picture plot ultimately amounts to an amalgamation of both DCEU Suicide Squad films with a coat of monster-colored paint. It feels appropriate however because unlike the comics' Project M army squad from WWII or modern day S.H.A.D.E. agents, Gunn's Commandos are quite literally an in-canon Suicide Squad replacement. After events nearly identical to what we saw in The Suicide Squad and season 1 of Peacemaker (but not close enough for those to count as official canon), Congress has voted Task Force X/the Suicide Squad out of existence, prompting Amanda Waller to exploit a loophole in forbidding the use of human operatives by assembling a team of monsters instead, “Task Force M”. This task force, given the nickname of Creature Commandos by Waller herself, must carry out a glorified escort mission to save the ruler of a potential US trade partner from a murderous witch, only for it to transform into an assassination mission with the breakout of World War 3 on the line. It is solid enough, but can feel unevenly paced at times, like Gunn's scripts enjoyed the flashbacks and character moments so much that he looked at the actual plot and went “Oh yeah I gotta put something here”. This is especially true in episodes 5 and 6, and stems from how much of the plot is reliant on conflicting sources of information and how long it takes to clear it up and set the mission straight.

In terms of the lore, it is undeniable as a DC fan that the environmental storytelling and use of cameos and name drops in this season to paint a picture of how this new continuity works makes the future beyond exciting. Even better is how these moments never feel like they are awkwardly nudged in to announce an upcoming movie to you, as often happens with Marvel’s projects. There is an effort to establish a rich lore and history so that Gunn and DC Studios can explore the past in equal measure to the present. It is like if the patrons of the Mos Eisley Cantina from A New Hope were obscure but recognizable names you could tell stories about if you wanted, but serve equally well as the background decoration or pieces of the Commandos’ past they are presented as.

But this story is not really about a task force mission or a peek into the lore of a rebooted franchise. The story of this first season instead truly lies in the Commandos’ internal journeys processing their own trauma and searching for connection that they lost, never had, or denied themselves. In this way, the flashbacks are the bread and butter of the show and what makes this first season's storytelling truly exceptional. They are designed not to tie back to the events of the mission or to be dramatic reveals that each monster narrates to their comrades in arms. They are to show us in the audience what drives each characters’ choices and interactions while thematically exploring all the different definitions of a monster. Those definitions are then pitted against the monsters of the real world: in this particular case war, misinformation, and misogyny. Without the flashbacks, the story would lose its substance and this would be nothing more than what one would probably describe the show as to convince non-comic readers to watch it: “Suicide Squad but with monsters”.

The Style

As with all of James Gunn's comic book projects so far, this season has a bit of a jukebox soundtrack where action sequences and montages are amplified by a song handpicked by Gunn during the writing process. Due to my unfamiliarity with most of the tracks, it largely became just a vibe I came to identify simply as “Creature Commandos music”. A lot of solid rock tracks with Eastern European polka flair sprinkled in, carried most of the time by the works of Gogol Bordello. The band's “Start Wearing Purple” especially stood out as the track for a kickass Bride vs Circe fight in episode 2 that carried a “let’s fucking go” hype energy I would compare to the “Come a Little Bit Closer” scene from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2. It quickly became my favorite song of the bunch and is destined to be on my Spotify Wrapped at the end of the year. But the best use of pop music comes in the next episode, when G.I. Robot mows through Circe’s forces like grass in a euphoric massacre set to The Dresden Dolls’ “Coin-Operated Boy”. This scene was so perfectly done that every single song used after it felt inferior and most failed to capture my attention as the season went on. But I never outright disliked a musical moment on the show, so they clearly did their job setting the mood at the very least. I suspect a rewatch focused on the music will bring more of the songs to my attention and change my mind, but at the moment I am convinced Gunn’s signature use of music peaked early when it came to season 1 of Creature Commandos.

The Verdict

As the first official entry in the DCU, season 1 of Creature Commandos is a promising introduction to this updated timeline that's elevated to greatness by James Gunn’s best band of superpowered misfits yet. It’s only held from perfection by its trio of mediocre villains and a wee pacing problem as the finish line approached. But what works about Creature Commandos works so exceptionally well that those problems mostly feel negligible and can be forgotten as you enjoy the monsters rampaging through Pokolistan and weep over (most of) their backstories.

I’m almost sad the next project is Superman and not a second season of this series. I can only hope the Commandos are set to be the third most prominent team behind the Justice League and the Teen Titans in this new universe. Because otherwise I may have to march to DC Studios and ask to play in their sandbox myself just so I can get more of the Bride and G.I. Robot.

9/10, strongly recommend as long as you are okay with intense gore and potentially distressing subject matter such as depictions of stalking, a threat of sexual violence, and child death.

[the-badger-mole]

Love how you shamelessly hate Aang—I mean this totally as a compliment by the way! I’m so tired of seeing “I ship Zutara but I LOOOOVE Aang he’s a cinnamon roll baby!!!” and “you can like Zutara and also like Aang” and “it’s the WRITING that’s bad not Aang!” takes…ugh. Please. He’s a cartoon character and I don’t like him. That isn’t a crime. He’s boring at best and an entitled borderline abusive little shit at worst. I don’t like him! It’s so refreshing to read your blog, I don’t understand this fandom’s obsession with acting like he’s a real child we have to coddle

I don't understand it either. Then again, I will go to the mat to defend some pretty controversial characters, so who am I to judge (justice for Mr. Collins!) ? I don't mind that other people like him -some of my favorite people in the fandom like him- as long as they don't come after me for not liking him.

But yeah, the defense of him boiling down to "bad writing" always felt off. To me, bad writing is when the character suddenly takes actions that seem to come out of nowhere. Aang's actions in the back half of ATLA and into the comics and LoK track. They track very well with who he was even in the first season. Yes, he got worse as the series progressed, but the seeds were always there. I guess, if you want to make an argument for it being bad writing, you could talk about how his bad traits in the first half seemed to be setting up a growth arc that was abandoned in the second half. There's an argument to be made there, but it's not an argument that Aang's worst traits were OOC for him. I am not shocked at the kind of family Aang ended up having. I'm not shocked at how Kataang the couple turned out. I'm only shocked that Bryke managed to be that honest about Aang without realizing how awful he was.

[bishopony]

Ohhh buddy I have THOUGHTS (This is so long, I'm so sorry)

1. I actually like Twilight better as a unicorn, she should never have became an Alicorn. (And that's coming from someone who first started watching around S5)

2. However, if Twilight becomes an Alicorn then all the Mane 6 should have been Alicorns. Rainbow, Fluttershy, Pinkie, Applejack, and Rarity did just as much as Twilight! Where are their wings/horns?

(That would have been awesome for the rest of the series!)

3. You are 100% right the tree castle is horrible. It's so barren and empty and so clearly made to sell toys. The library was nice and cozy and fit Twilight perfectly.

4. I absolutely hate redeemed Starlight Glimmer. Words cannot describe how much I despise this mare. You mean to tell me Twilight would throw a child into hell but let Starlight I-broke-space-time Glimmer go?? Absolutely not.

(Sunset Shimmer is a thousand times better and everything Starlight wishes she could be)

5. I actually like that Cozy Glow doesn’t have a backstory. Sometimes villains are just evil to be evil.

That being said, they should have at least tried to reform Cozy Glow. At the bare minimum put her somewhere other than (I can't stress this enough) PONY HELL!! She's like 12 Twilight holy shit-

6. Not enough people read the G4 comics. In fact, you should stop reading this ask and go read the comics instead. Most of them are online for free. I recommend The Return of Queen Chrysalis (1-4), Reflections (17-20), and Siege of the Crystal Empire (31-34).

7. MLP G5 isn't actually that bad, but it took too long to get off the ground. By the time it went from mediocre to good, most people didn't care. (Also Hasbro got greedy and G5 paid the price, but that's a rant for another day)

Also G5 should have been it's own thing, with no ties to G4.

8. Celestia and Luna should not have retired. Celestia I can understand, but Luna? Poor Luna just got back to Earth (or whatever the planet's called), no way is she retiring like 5 years in.

9. The CMC all having the same cutie mark was dumb. (And felt like a cop-out. Let my girls be unique!) Also the cutie mark designs themselves are just the ugliest things ever. Did no one teach that designer color theory??

10. King Sombra is best villain. However they should have picked literally anyone else to voice him in Season 9. Or even have the VA do a different voice! It's not even a bad voice, it's just not King Sombra's voice.

11. The Apples and the Pies are not related. Let me ship Marble Pie and Big Mac in peace. Let people ship Applejack and Pinkie Pie in peace.

12. Sugar Belle and Big Mac are a terrible couple. Maybe they were fine off-screen, but all we see is miscommunication. The only way that marriage is ending is in divorce.

13. I actually like that EQG used pony skin tones instead of human ones. That being said, there was way too much whitewashing—just use the pony's actual coat colors. I promise you can give Luna dark blue skin and it'll be fine. (How the fuck did Habro make the character with literally white skin even whiter?? HOW?? WHY???)

14. And finally (holds up megaphone): Just because Applejack and Rainbow Dash were seen together in the end, that doesn’t automatically mean they’re a couple!!!! —Sincerely, someone who thinks AJ and Rainbow are too similar to be a couple.

Ooooo ok cool I also have some thoughts LMAO. long post so read under the cut

I also like Twilight as a unicorn more than an alicorn but I do think it was right for her to become one since it was the climax of her character arc. The problem is that the show was meant to end after she became an alicorn and it went on for several more season :,) I think she was an alicorn for far too long

Not really sure I agree with this since it was only Twilight's destiny to become an alicorn. While it would've been cool to see them as alicorns and the whole mane 6 put forth equal effort to saving equestria, it just wasn't meant to be lol.

i saw someone's AU where the castle looked more like the student 6's tree of harmony and I like that a lot more, THAT'S how you design a crystal tree house ^^'

I like Starlight Glimmer and her unconventional approaches to problem solving, but man she did get off way easy for nearly destroying the world. I mean, idk, community service or something? Also why is Cozy Glow, a child, in pony hell? Why was she trapped in stone? How did the writers think that was an appropriate punishment but other characters like Starlight and Discord get redemptions? ToT

agreeing, no extra notes lol

I have a few of them! I've read the Nightmare Rarity and mirrorverse ones, I really love the comics

Agree with this one as well. G5's issues all come from Hasbro wanting to make even more money off of G4 and not allowing G5 to be its own thing like it should have. Hasbro, a toy company, should have made way more collectible G5 merch instead of the same cheap brushables of the same 4 characters over and over. I also saw someone on twitter make a good point that the G5 show should've aired on disney+ instead of netflix since that's what most families have nowadays. truly, G5 is just a victim of corporate greed

Yeah I always felt bad for Luna for that lol. If Celestia wants to retire good for her, but at least Luna should've have stuck around and helped Twilight. Can't image Ruler of Equestria is something you just get used to immediately, esp as one person instead of two like before

Totally agree, no extra notes

He's not my favorite villain, but he is fun, and they could've gotten a better VA for him lol. Or at least changed the direction for his voice? The VA is skilled and sounds good but the voice was a little too smooth IMO.

Yeah it was never actually confirmed so it's not canon. I wouldn't worry about shipping them cause the show writers clearly don't care lol

It's kind of forced imo. They're two random characters and I think they just wanted to use Sugar Belle again. I don't remember that episode well but ig discord was stopping them from seeing each other? idk they should've just gone straight to each other. just not anything I'm invested in

Agreed, they should've had their actual pony colors if they're not gonna have realistic skin. It was weird that rarity became pure white and luna was lightened so heavily. and why is celestia pink. if they were trying to avoid racially coding the characters they certainly failed that cause it just implies that they're all white

I think some of the writers said it was canon? Or at least implied since hasbro wouldn't let them confirm it outright. I don't like appledash either way, and can just pretend it isn't real lol.

[stormdash2]

If the Freedom Fighters were in IDW Sonic.

One thing I like to wonder is what it would be like if The Freedom Fighters were in IDW Sonic. While the IDW comics are meant to be more in line with the games, that doesn't mean that the Freedom Fighters can't find their place.

Honestly, if the Diamond Cutters can be featured in IDW, I see no reason why the Freedom Fighters can't be as well.

Sally Acorn. She won't be a Princess like Archie, but she can be introduced as the daughter of Knothole's Mayor, giving her political ties. Knothole would be less of a hiding place and more where Sally grew up.

She'd have martial arts capabilities and be handy with tech. She could even use her ring blades from the Reboot to help her in battle.

Just to get this out of the way. Sonally may not be a thing in IDW like it was in Archie. At most I can see Sally having a one-sided crush. It probably won't go anywhere, it'd just be a neat callback, but their friendship would remain just that, unless Sega ever okays the couple.

Sonic won't be a Freedom Fighter, and neither would Tails for that matter. He may not be childhood friends with Sally either. They'd meet as teens and build a friendship from there. Sally could have heard of Sonic at least, or maybe she saw him in passing, but that's it.

Nicole wouldn't be an AI, she'd be fully Lynx. I can see her being a tech assistant though, or even a master hacker. Maybe even a teleportation device to have her transported anywhere to pay homage to her old abilities.

She and Sally could be childhood friends. But I'd go a step further and make them stepsisters. This takes inspiration from used SatAM concepts.

There Sally and Nicole were childhood friends until Nicole's brain was transplanted into the computer. When she got her body back, she was a kid, so Sally became like a mother to her. So Sally being the protective big sister works for her character.

We can go further and have her be rather introverted, and more likely to communicate through radio or a hologram than in person.

Bunnie Rabbot wouldn't be a cyborg. I can see her going the Iron Man route and just using mechanical limbs to fight. It'd be both arms and legs. She'd also be a childhood of Sally, and the first to want to go on an adventure with Sonic and Friends.

The cyborg thing is cool and all, but that would require a whole new backstory since roboticization isn't a thing this time around. It can be done, but I am sticking to this route.

If anything, you can say she needed the robotic limbs because she was paralyzed, so she can still be flesh and blood, but still not fully functional.

I can see her potentially bonding with Tails, as he may take a liking to her robotics, and she'd find his genius mind charming. He might even put his own spin on things and build a close bond with one another.

Antoine would be a guard working for Sally's father. He might be updated to having a Wispon, but still with sword like abilities.

Honestly I'd rather he just have the sword but in this type of world, he'd likely be armed with a Wispon, so it'd be the best of both worlds.

I can see him dating Bunnie, or at least flirting with her, but not actually married to her yet. He'd be between comedic coward and brave fighter.

Rotor would be a mechanist, and likely the one arming everyone. Sally's Ring Blades, Bunnie's Robotic Suit and maybe even working on custom Wispons.

He would likely build his own weapons to fight, if need be, but also much more comfortable as the support guy than a fighter.

I imagine he could have some natural strength, so he'd be able to destroy a badnik if need be, without tools.

As a whole, the Freedom Fighters concept comes from their introductory arc where it's revealed they fought together during the Phantom Ruby Incident to liberate Knothole.

They probably didn't really do much damage to Infinite, and most likely just played defense to keep people safe. But they were determined to keep their home free from Eggman's rule.

In this continuity, they'd be more side characters though, and not in every arc afterwards. They could have cameos like appearing in the Restoration, maybe even befriending Tangle, Whisper, Lanolin and Jewel, but that's it.

Like The Chaotix, the Freedom Fighters will appear when needed, and would likely not recruit any game characters.

Bonus character, one of two. If Fiona Fox were to return, she'd have her original role as a medic like she did in the old Archie days.

She could be sassier, akin to her Destructix Days, but this time around, Fiona's purely on the good side. Any sassy remarks could be her either playful, or she just gets annoyed and is more likely to tell you off.

No bad history with Sonic, and her interactions with him and Tails are sassy but respectful. She has no feelings for Sonic, and she's kind to Tails but may be the first to call him nerdy if he acts in such a way.

Any trauma she had could have been due to what Infinite did to Knothole, but this time around, she works on it and doesn't let it consume her like the old Archie days. It'd be her personal character arc.

Bonus character, two of two. If Mina Mongoose returned, she would be more of an aspiring Pop Idol, and working with the FF to achieve that goal to spread Kindness in the world with her music.

She could provide some meta regarding official Sonic songs, it'd be a better way to work them in than just having characters quote them and potentially ruining a mood.

Also, no drama with Sonic either. She never had a major crush on him, she just finds him cool and appreciates him as a Symbol for Freedom.

She probably won't have her super speed this time around, but she'd be fine regardless. If anything, she can fight with a Wispon.

So yeah, this is how I would bring the Freedom Fighters back to IDW. Not to turn Sonic into an Avengers Comic, or to put him and Tails in an official team, but to just add a little bit of depth to their world.

It's still Sonic's story, the Freedom Fighters are just playing their part in it, just like any other character. It'd be a fun addition to the comics, so long as it's done right. Maybe one day.

[cryptocism]

I love the comic book writing sensibility that Frequency has, like how Three and Five's ending is great for the story being told but if it were a published comic it would still leave them on the table for if a future writer wanted to use them.

whats funny is that despite doing my best to keep in line with dc comics/comic writing sensibilities throughout the fic (staying as comics-accurate as possible in terms of continuity/tone/characterization/story elements etc) that particular comic writing reality was one that was like. kind of a genuine anxiety that i didn't know i had until i started writing this thing.

ive said before that in the original concept for Frequency all of the clones (besides Thad) were going to end up dead. whether it was via killing each other or unintentionally being the instrument of their own demise (disney villain style). obviously it changed because creating an entire narrative about this one character's redemption arc and then not allowing any of the other villains to have a shot at redemption felt hypocritical and like. mean. not to mention antithetical to the whole ethos of the story.

but the reason why killing off all the other clones was my first instinct is partially because i had this kinda subconscious recoil to the idea that any of them would actually continue on after the story was over.

like, because i was trying to stick to canon so much, while figuring out the story a thought came up a couple times that basically went like, "okay, well, if this was a real comic, then...". and inevitably i had a realization that if this WAS a real comic, my original clone characters would be canonized, and therefore available to any future writer who wanted to yank them out of their respective endgames and inject them into other stories. which i Did Not Like the Idea Of.

classic "making up a guy to get mad at" except it was more "making up a reality to get anxious about". because obviously no matter how much it sticks to canon, Frequency still exists in a fan-created space.

but! i'd never made up original characters to put in my own fanmade stuff before and was definitely feeling protective. because all those original clones i made had yknow: a story purpose and narrative function to facilitate the actual key characters, Thad and Bart. the idea of them being removed from that context in any capacity, even if it was in the hands of a good writer, made me have this gut "no STOP you're ruining it!!!!" reaction.

they were all made for Frequency, and to foil Thad as a character, i didnt like the idea of Three being brought back as a one-note villain or Jude and Nathaniel getting folded into the wider Flash cast of allies. and none of them were made to be main character material. plus the character roster at DC is already uhh Extremely Stacked i genuinely did not want the takeaway to be "and here's the nEW ADDITIONS TO THE FLASH FAMILY!" because that wasnt the intention

anyway i got over it lol. i still did my best not to leave any loose ends, and have each ending be wholly satisfying on its own, and ideally the oc clones basically continue on offscreen while the true adventures are based around Thad and Bart. but yeah it felt right to leave off on that note (and served the story much better than killing everybody off)

[flameswallower]

THE BEST FICTION I ENCOUNTERED IN THE FIRST HALF OF 2024!!

Due to what I feel is the most in my wheelhouse re: ability to give a critical defense or determine artistic quality, and also so I won't be here ALL DAY, this list will include books, comics, interactive fiction, and one short video webseries I really liked. It will not include movies, TV shows, non-IF games, or nonfiction, although I do also enjoy/partake in those things.

Everything on this list was new to me this year with the exception of the comic strip Junk World; however, Junk World released as a zine fairly recently, and I forgot to mention it on my end of 2023 list, so I feel fine putting it here. "New to me" does not mean something necessarily released this year, so I have put the year of release in parentheses next to the work where I know the year of release. A couple of these books haven't actually come out yet (I read ARCs); I've noted that when describing them and they will also be on the end-of-year list so people don't forget about them. : )

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

Novels and Novellas!

Cuckoo, by Gretchen Felker-Martin (2024): This is a blisteringly angry book: a constantly burning blow torch pointed at homophobia, transphobia, and, especially, the pervasive scourge of hidden, ignored, and socially approved child abuse. Yet Cuckoo has great tenderness for its immensely damaged protagonists, and also takes the time to flesh out and empathize with some of its odious antagonists. This nuanced characterization provides a necessary counterpoint to the rage that fuels the novel, and makes it more moving and memorable than most other politically charged, hyper-violent works of fiction. There are quiet moments of connection and sorrow that are going to stay with me far longer than the scenes of dynamite explosions and shoot outs with shrieking, starfish-faced cops.

Failure To Comply, by Cavar (comes out in August 2024): Reading Cavar’s Failure to Comply, I couldn’t help but think of the recent David Cronenberg movie Crimes of the Future. Both deal with dystopias in which bodies and their modification are strictly regulated, and people with unauthorized bodies form a vibrant, perpetually imperiled subculture on the margins. Both use this conceit to speak metaphorically about the plights of trans and disabled people, although Failure to Comply’s characters are also presented as literally, textually disabled and trans. But, although Crimes of the Future is often accused of being a “weird movie,” Failure to Comply is undeniably much, much weirder. Cronenberg is super normal compared to this.

Maej, by Dale Stromberg (comes out in September 2024): a doorstopper I found difficult to put down and finished inside a week; a work of very unapologetic genre fiction that’s equally unapologetic in its intelligence and dedication to doing strange, creative things with language; a high fantasy story I actually liked. The setting is the city of Sforre-Yomn, in the country of Hwoama, whose culture combines elements from across the continents of Asia and Europe. But Hwoama is matriarchal: men are subordinate to women, who dominate politics, business, the military, and nearly all other professions. As a result of this fact, almost all the major characters in the novel are female. By turns this presents a fun, simple, mischievous inversion of maleness as the unmarked default state for fictional characters, and meaty commentary on the social construction of sex, sexuality, and gender. Stromberg has cited Le Guin as an influence on Maej and, in the most complimentary way possible, this influence is evident.

Wrath Goddess Sing, by Maya Deane (2022): I listened to the audiobook version, read by the lovely voice of Katherine Pucciarello, so I can't vouch for whether I would have enjoyed the novel (as much) in text form. However, the audiobook was an engrossing tale of bronze age sandal, sword, and sorcery. Although it is based on the story of Achilles, readers who want a very po-faced historically or mythologically faithful retelling would be wise to look elsewhere; that said, I for one have little interest in retellings that do not bring a lot of new stuff to the table, so I was happy with all of the strange, interesting, surprising directions this one went. I loved the bizarre, often horrific depictions of the gods; this book really captured the feverish, molten, giddy, and terrifying feeling that accompanies magic and spiritual encounters in real life. Like I said, this is essentially a lavish work of epic sword and sorcery, and I think it is best to set one's expectations through that lens.

More Bugs, by Em Reed (2024): A slow-paced existentialist character study/slice of life about a cynical, depressed butch woman going through a quarter-life crisis after circumstances force her to move back to her sleepy central Pennsylvania hometown and back in with her disapproving mother. Also a f/f age gap romance. Also a magical realist/sci-fi story about shapeshifting alien beings. It's unique, and I connected with it a lot.

Read and Then Burn This, by Rysz Merey (2024): Ah, young love! Have you ever been nineteen, shallow, insecure in your art, inexperienced in the world, and making poor sexual decisions? Haven't we all. This is a book about that. I find the relatively small scale of the proceedings, and the emotional numbness/constipation of the characters, makes this feel all the more sordid.

The Woods All Black, by Lee Mandelo (2024): This one has a couple flaws that bugged me while I was reading, but it's a revenge-horror romance story about two trans guys (or arguably: a trans guy and a butch) in 1920s Appalachia and it has blisteringly hot, graphic sex scenes of both the "regular" and the "monsterfucking" variety, so-- pretty much impossible for me not to enjoy overall! I thought the depiction of how 1.) people in the past conceived of transness differently than most people do today, and 2.) different trans people often conceive of their own transness differently, even if their embodiment is very similar, was nuanced and quite well done.

Short Story Collections!

Grime Time, by Ivy Grimes (2023): Some of the oddest short fiction I've read in ages! Grimes' surreal stories tend to be very brief, and they're almost always impossible to categorize. They deal heavily with ambivalence and ambiguity, two of my favorite things, and often end up unsettling the reader not because of anything particularly ominous or awful that happens in the narrative, but because it's very unclear what actually has happened, how the protagonist feels about it, and how the reader ought to feel about it. The definition of "really makes you think!" Grimes' prose is simple and clear, with minimal description, yet very distinctive. Often reminds me of Leonora Carrington.

White Cat, Black Dog, by Kelly Link (2023): Predictably enough, another all-bangers instant classic from Link. These stories are all based on fairy tales, with some following the original fairy tale quite closely and others taking very loose inspiration from the fairy tale or mixing and matching with elements from different tales. My personal favorite, the standout in an excellent collection, was "Prince Hat Underground," which is a really beautiful story about being in a long term relationship with someone you love but don't always get along with or understand, about accepting the inevitability of death and loss, and about what a fairy tale romance looks like when the people in the fairy tale romance are middle aged men on the cusp of old age, rather than wide-eyed young people.

Individual Short Stories!

"The Earth and Everything Under," by K.M. Ferebee (2014) is a slightly grotesque, surreal, fairy tale-like novelette about grief and witchcraft. I strongly suggest you read it at the link.

"The Clown Watches the Clown," by Sara S. Messenger (2024) is also slightly grotesque, surreal, and melancholic; it's about a young person in a space opera cyberpunk future who's caught in a rut. Again, you can and should read it at the link.

"The Evening and the Morning and the Night," by Octavia Butler (1987) has been anthologized in a few places and shouldn't be too difficult to track down, but I'd never read it before. It's an incredible work of sci-fi that deals with mad liberation/disability justice and also with (as in much of Butler's work) the idea of biology as destiny: to what extent are we at the mercy of our bodies and instinctual drives, and to what extent do we have the power to decide what we'll do with them? How do the stories we tell about certain kinds of bodies and medical conditions affect our ability to see that potential for choice, for agency, or just for things to turn out in a different and better way?

Comics!

Kiara's Junk World rules. I love the skillful inking, the cute animal characters, the playful and sardonic wit, the erudite references.

Interactive Fiction!

In a.c.d's The Beach That Makes You Old, you have to help a patient trapped in an evil hospice/psychiatric facility. (2024)

In K.A. Tan's Labyrinth, you play as the Minotaur, on the last day of his life. (2024)

Both games are free to play, with a play time of about forty-five minutes to an hour if you want to get all the endings/explore every aspect of the narrative. If you've never experienced interactive fiction before, it takes no special gaming skill: you just click through different links!

Video!

Mr. Samuel's Teatime Stories, dir. Yara Asmar (2024) is a distorted, Lynchian faux-children's show. Unlike, say, Don't Hug Me, I'm Scared, the tone is much more eerie, elegiac, and somber-- or, occasionally, surprisingly sweet-- than darkly comedic and satirical (which isn't to say there are no jokes or funny moments). I found it really moving by the end.

[mishalikessoundsandcolours]

Finally watched the third season of Heartstopper and man, I kinda forgot how much I loved this story. To be honest I didn't love the series when I first watched seasons 1 and 2, I mean it was cute but it just didn't hit as much as the comics. But season three did hit, a lot. Even though I do miss Aled in the series because he's one of my favourite characters ever (even if he's just a side character in the Heartstopper comics) I do like Isaac and his character arc too because DAMN. WE. NEED. AROACE. REPRESENTATION. I need that now more than ever (especially since my best friend and another friend of ours have come out as a couple and have apparently been dating for five months a few days ago which has jumbled me up a bit) (I do hope that we get a Loveless adaptation someday too though because that's probably my favourite novel from the Osemanverse and it's helped me realising that I'm aroace). I also love me more nonbinary rep with Darcy even if it isn't something that was featured in the comics because really, I don't think that not fully fitting into the gender binary is that uncommon. Tao and Elle have my heart as well!!! And I'm really praying for a Solitaire adaptation too because Michael is really well cast in my opinion, even if he only appeared a few times. Everyone in the cast is great, really. Overall, the thing I love the most about it in comparison to the novels is that we get much more focus on the characters other than Nick and Charlie and ultimately understand them all better. And it's really impressive how they covered the span of about a year in eight episodes and it still felt natural and not forced somehow. I know that the reality shown in Heartstopper is a bit too pure to be realistic, but it still does teach many important things and anyways, we queers deserve to have such full, multidimensional stories written about us. And honestly, it's not like the writing in many of the shows about straight relationships feels realistic either. Anyways, it's late, I just felt like rambling for a bit, thank you for everything Alice :)

[mann-walter]

Thomas Cromwell’s Lack of Wife Problem

I just finished episodes 2 and 3 and was going back and forth on whether to make the reviews joint or not. Eventually, I opted to not combine the reviews because I wanted to focus on different things. Matter of fact, I think I will not be writing strictly about the whole of each episode, but rather zooming in on things I find interesting in each. For example, the aftermath of Cromwell’s wife's, Liz, death in episode two.

I will say without shame that to me, episode 2 is entirely about two things: the increasing hopelessness of Wolsey’s case and Cromwell’s lack of a wife. The latter took so much room it felt funny at times. This was of course where we get first glimpses of Jane Seymour and that one grey velvet stroking scene with Mary Boleyn, but also that funny conversation he had with Alice who just asked bluntly why he doesn’t remarry, and with Gardiner about the latter’s love-life.

I see now what y’all have been saying about their chemistry. Sometimes it’s so… comically tense.

But of course, this is also the episode where we get the Cromwell-Johanne arc. There had been hints of it in episode 1 but the tension was much heightened here. Whenever they are together there’s always an air of “would they, won’t they”. It’s sweet, it’s sad, and to an extent, it’s awkward (‘cause, you know, she’s his sister-in-law). That is why, and also because the episode does a good job making us empathetic toward Cromwell—his frustration, his discomfort, his sadness—that the kiss was glorious.

I do not kid when I write I nearly did a victory slide in my room when that came up (I ended up only pausing the episode and blasted “Samba de Janeiro”). It has now entered my book of “Most Glorious and Best Anticipated Kiss Scenes”, standing a little bit lower than that kiss scene at the end of The Rise of Skywalker—I mean, by quality, it should be ranked equally if not higher, but hey, I waited for that damn kiss scene for four years.

A theory though. I think it wasn’t simply put at the end of the episode just to conclude the romantic crescendo. I think it parallels Henry’s dream about his dead brother. Henry was afraid he had done wrong marrying Catherine and being king, he felt like taking what was supposed to be his brother’s. Cromwell later calmed him down and convinced him that Arthur was there to strengthen him in his rule, not convict him. I think that interpretation also works at Cromwell’s home afterward.

There are a couple of things I noticed about this relationship. Both of them obviously had had feelings for one another for some time, Johanne more open about it than Thomas with her halfway kiss on the cheek. But, that one line about her feeling insecure about their wealth (she fears that the prosperous life now will be taken suddenly away, that there will be a “reckoning”), she said “…the things we have now”, made me feel they already had a thing for some time. Maybe I misread it, maybe it was just her depicting how her family’s life is now much better in general and not a specific sense of joint entitlement to wealth and property as in a marriage.

Another thing I’ve noticed about the relationship is how Thomas seems to refer to his sister-in-law as “Liz” later in episode 3 where they’ve kind of settled. Maybe I misheard, it was a very brief moment after all. I doubt people on the production made a mistake. I haven’t read the books so maybe it means something or makes sense because of something, but to me, watching the show, it was kind of strange. Maybe it was to say Thomas hasn’t been over his wife’s death (obviously) and has now picked up this weird coping mechanism.

[celaenaeiln]

Im sorry, but what is this obsession with turning robin Dick into a angry monster? He wanted to kill the guy who killed his parents and that makes him bad? Because I’ve wanted to kill people for a lot less so *wipes sweat from brow* oh no.

Was Robin Dick deranged? Yes. Psychotic, bonkers, had a couple dozen loose screws? ABSOLUTELY YES!

But was he also sweet, awe-inspiring, caring, and happy? Duh!! He was the first child hero bro! Ofcourse he was. He had to be because he was a child hero born in the 40s and they might’ve been depressed as hell but they sure ain’t gonna show that on the outside!

Late teens Dick was a dangerous, flaming hot, fashion designer bag of rage and stress and he’s fucking valid for that because Bruce kicked him out because he was worried and jealous. I wouldn’t know where to throw that all rage either if that was me. Certainly not running a team of the best child heroes, unlike him- the crazy asshole.

And why. Why. WHYWHYWHWYHWYWHYYYYY ARE PEOPLE ALWAYS COMPARING JASON AND DICK?! If one exists the other cannot. Bro, they’re not a fucking coin. So WHY?!

Ok. Okay. Lets say that Dick had anger issues because he wanted to kill his parents’ killer. Then did Jason not have anger issues because he threw a drug dealer that had nothing to do with him off a roof to the man’s death thus leading to a fraught relationship between him and Batman until he died? No? Then fuck off!

Why does one have to be boxed into a category so the other can look better. Dick and Jason both developed anger issues but at two different times. Dick’s started when he and Bruce began feuding at 17. Jason started when he came back with a vengeance at 19. Oh. Would you look at that. They both got angry because of Batman at around the same age! What a coincidence. Perhaps writers did that because they needed them to move into a new story arc in their lives like what actual people do at 18.

And here’s the main thing. If Jason was a cute, innocent angel that became angry and temperamental after coming back from the dead, then why can’t you grant the same olive branch to Dick? How can you say that Jason had the capability of changing from robin to Redhood while Dick could not do the same for his Robin to Nightwing? Looking at the comics, Dick was super sweet (“Holy Batman!”) so why is it so hard to believe he changed too when Bruce ripped his family colors from him and threw him out on the streets because of his own jealousy and love.

So can we please, please change the fucking narrative here? The Golden Boy grew into a multifaceted single parent who has too many kids and is in charge of the whole world and The Cool Kid became an incredible crime fighting warlord who fights for Justice even in outer space. They’re both equally cool, right?

Now back to what I was saying -THEY ARE NOT WHO YOU THINK. The real angry kid here is Damian so why are you pushing that brand onto both of these two when they were nothing like that?!

That label-making factory should be shut down and sued for fraud because here’s how it is:

Dick - deranged, happy robin. The one you whip your head over your shoulder at to make sure you heard him correctly because he says the craziest shit in the most chirpiest of tones. He’ll set fire to a bad guy’s pants and walk back whistling to a secretly approving Batman (canon btw).

Jason - rational, boastful kid. The one you smirk at because the both of you saw someone egg a house who you know is owned by an asshole. He goes into battle fists first or he’ll hold back Batman when he’s gone too far (canon btw).

Tim - bruh no labels because what the fuck is he even. He’s a combo of Jason and Dick. He’ll say something that’s crazy but in a completely calm voice so you dismiss it or think he’s joking (canon btw).

Damian - rational, angry kid. The one where he’s angry but he’s cute and he means the best so you wanna wrap him in a blanket and throw him up in the air and laugh as he shrieks angrily on his way down. He’ll steal the bat sign and run around with it until Batman makes him put it back (canon btw).

So, in conclusion, because my English teachers taught me to end any essay with a concluding paragraph even though this sounds less like an essay and more like a stream of words from my consciousness - Jason and Dick were happy kids. Yes, Dick grew angry at 17 because Bruce wouldn’t let him stay with the titans and he fired him over a bullet wound but no, you cannot use Tony Zucco as his defining point.

Because, to be fair, you are not your past. Your past can shape you but it does not define you. Where you come from does not dictate who you will be. That depends on you and what you believe is right. And neither Dick nor Jason let their pasts define them. So don’t call either of them angry robins when they were both happy as possible.

Please give this some thought because having either one of them angry so young isn’t fun for anyone. Love to see them raging though. Give me wild, powerful Dick Grayson effortlessly whirling down dozens of enemies in a storm of electrical fury. Give me crazy, badass Jason Todd taking down men in a fiery blaze of a tornado given form. Give me that anger. Just not at fucking 8.

[good-wine-and-cheese]

HNY!! ^^ For the artist/fic writer ask: 2, 12, 14, 23/24!

Yay yay thank you!!! Happy new year ^^

Artist/fic writer ask

2. A piece you're proud of and why

It's gotta be this piece for the Vaesen crew!

Normally it's hard enough for me to draw ONE character in a fully rendered scene but now it's 3 and only one of them have I ever consistently drawn. But, I pulled it off! I had a good time trying to really capture the mood of the scene. It was definitely my most daunting piece drawn this year and the fact that I finished it all the way makes me happy.

Writing wise I would say the as of yet unfinished longfic I've been writing, the indomitable human soul. It started out with a simple AU concept that takes place post-Astro Boy that was maybe going to be 20k words or so, but it has since ballooned into a tense character dissection of Umataro Tenma that has been a wonderful experience to write. It's been a journey to write and I've been having a great time with it.

12. A concept you'd like to develop next year

I have a comic idea that I sort of left on the floor when I got swallowed up in a bunch of other stuff and the idea of writing a comic felt like it was too much. Without spoiling PLUTO too much, the idea would be that it follows Hoffman after the events of the story as he goes off on his own, unable to continue his work with Europol. I really adore his character and think there's a very interesting rich plot potential for him that just escapes the scope of Pluto's narrative (his would-be 'arc' taking place just after the end) so I want to really explore that.

14. Something new you tried this year

Single layer shading! I normally have like 5 different shading layers; one for skin, one (or two) for clothes, one for hair, and then one or two "fuckin around for fun" layers. I started doing a couple pieces where all of my shading was done on a single layer. I found, when it was all on one layer, I was able to be more loose with my shading and not feel as constrained with it. Basically the entire thing became "fuckin around for fun" shading which I think is the best kind of shading.

23. Rec another creator's fic you wish more people would read

I would have to say this fic here by @soleilenchaine about Helena and Gesicht from PLUTO. It is explicit mind you, so bare that in mind, but it's a wonderful study of character for two robots as lovers and what that means for them. And I won't say too much else but the way that formatting is used really compliments this fic well in a heartbreaking way. It's so so good. If you've read or watched Pluto it's so so excellent.

24. Rec another creator's artwork you wish more people would see

I'm gonna rec @felis-rach! I found them first through their Astro Boy art, but everything else they draw is so lovely. There's so much personality and their colours are always so nice to look at. There's a ton of variety in their style and subject matter and I think more people should look at their stuff<3