#Images by Chris Shaw

[kommabortsig]

Pleasington_Priory_-_geograph.org.uk_-_42590.jpg

[ifreakingloveroyals]

2 August 2012 | Chris Bartley, Richard Chambers, Rob Williams and Peter Chambers of Great Britain wait to receive their silver medals from Prince Frederik of Denmark during the medal ceremony for the Lightweight Men's Four final on Day 6 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at Eton Dorney in Windsor, England. (c) Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

[starfleetisapromise]

Going all the way back to Season 2 of Discovery to resurrect early Chris Pike images.

ST:DSC S 2.1 Brother

Shaw is going to have to wait until I get my Picard S3 blu-rays for the hi-res screen cap treatment.

[alexzalben]

Apple TV+'s Monsterverse Series Gets a Title... And Godzilla

Apple TV+'s Monsterverse spinoff series has a title: MONARCH

MONARCH: LEGACY OF MONSTERS

...and some first-look images revealing Godzilla is in the show.

Today, Apple TV+ announced the title of its highly anticipated sci-fi drama based on Legendary’s Monsterverse as “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters,” and unveiled the first images from the 10-episode series starring Kurt Russell, Wyatt Russell, Anna Sawai, Kiersey Clemons, Ren Watabe, Mari Yamamoto, Anders Holm, Joe Tippett and Elisa Lasowski.

Following the thunderous battle between Godzilla and the Titans that leveled San Francisco and the shocking revelation that monsters are real, “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” tracks two siblings following in their father’s footsteps to uncover their family’s connection to the secretive organization known as Monarch. Clues lead them into the world of monsters and ultimately down the rabbit hole to Army officer Lee Shaw (played by Kurt Russell and Wyatt Russell), taking place in the 1950s and half a century later where Monarch is threatened by what Shaw knows. The dramatic saga – spanning three generations – reveals buried secrets and the ways that epic, earth-shattering events can reverberate through our lives.  “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters" is co-developed by Chris Black ("Severance," "Star Trek: Enterprise," "Outcast,") and Matt Fraction ("Hawkeye”). Matt Shakman (“Wandavision”) directs the first two episodes. 

Hailing from Legendary Television, the series is executive produced by Black, Fraction and Shakman alongside Joby Harold (“Obi-Wan Kenobi,” “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts”) and Tory Tunnell  (“Spinning Out,” “Underground”) from Safehouse Pictures, Matt Shakman ("Wandavision"), Andy Goddard ("Carnival Row, "Downton Abbey"), Brad Van Arragon ("Yellowjackets, "Carnival Row"), and Andrew Colville (“Severance,” “Star Trek: Discovery”). Hiro Matsuoka and Takemasa Arita executive produce on behalf of Toho Co., Ltd., the owner of the Godzilla character. Toho licensed the rights to Legendary for “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” as a natural byproduct of their long-term relationship with the film franchise. Legendary Entertainment’s Monsterverse is an epic entertainment universe of interconnected stories that bring together popular culture’s most titanic forces of nature. Witness humanity’s greatest battle for survival as we fight for our world in the face of a catastrophic new reality—the monsters of our myths and legends are real. Beginning in 2014 with Godzilla and continuing with 2017’s “Kong: Skull Island,” 2019’s “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” and 2021’s “Godzilla vs. Kong,” the Monsterverse has accumulated close to two billion dollars globally at the box office and is ever-expanding, with the highly anticipated sequel “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.”

[justthegreat1]

A work of Art: Terrifier 2 Review

Pictured above is the “Terrifier 2 poster”. Image credit: CINEDIGM, iconic events releasing, SCREAMBOX, and BloodyDisgusting

  9 years ago, A soon-to-be horror icon was born, and his name is Art the Clown who was previously played by Mike Gianelli in the film “All Hallows Eve”. Art the Clown is a character I have been wanting to talk about on this blog for a while and I’m so happy to be getting an opportunity to talk about this character who is currently played by David Howard Thornton.  This review is going to be in two sections, my spoiler free thoughts on the movie and my spoiler filled thoughts on it. So, here we go.

Terrifier 2 is a 2022 horror film directed by Damien Leone (All Hallows Eve, All Hallows Eve 2, and Terrifer) who also produced this movie. The cast includes David Howard Thornton as Art the Clown, Lauren LaVera as Sienna Shaw, Elliott Fulham as Jonathan Shaw, Sarah Voigt as Barbara Shaw, Amelie McLain as The Little Pale Girl / Emily Crane, Chris Jericho as Burke, Kailey Hyman as Brooke, Casey Hartnett as Allie, Charlie McElveen as Jeff, Johnnath Davis as Ricky, Amy Russ as Allie’s mother, Cory DuVal as Coroner, Samantha Scaffidi as Victoria “Vicky” Heyes, Griffin Santopietro as Eric, Owen Myre as Sean, Felissa Rose as Ms. Principe, Tamara Glynn as Shopping mother, and Nedim Jahić as Travis Bryant.

The plot:

After being resurrected by a sinister entity, Art the Clown returns to Miles County where he begins to target a teenage girl and her younger brother on Halloween.

Spoiler free section:

Positives- One of the many positives I have about Terrifer 2 is the use of practical effects. I must give props to the makeup department as they did an amazing job with the blood and gore in this movie (That probably makes me sound like a sick person) as there is one scene where I wanted to look away but couldn’t. Don’t worry, we will discuss that scene in the spoiler section of this review. For a movie with a low budget, the practical effects look amazing compared to CGI in other movies…but that is just my opinion.

The second positive I have about Terrifer 2 is that the acting was better than part 1, now don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the first one, hell I own it. But the acting in this movie was a step up. David Howard Thornton is a scene stealer every time he is on screen as Art the Clown. He can make you feel afraid and some scenes he will make you laugh (or cry if you are afraid of clowns…) Lauren LaVera is great in the role of Sienna, her performance makes you root for the character and she makes smart decisions in a world where horror characters rarely do that (unless you’re name isn’t Laurie Strode from “Halloween” or Erin from “You’re Next”).

Pictured above is David Howard Thornton as Art the Clown

The third and final positive I have about Terrifer 2 is that it is entertaining. It is a throwback to super gory horror movies of the 80’s-90’s with it’s use of practical effects and David Howard Thornton’s performance as Art the Clown…you will not be bored. I’m glad that a movie with a budget of $250,000 earned $11.3 million at the box office and is getting plenty of attention from the internet, news channels, and daytime talk shows which is shocking considering the content that is in this movie.

Stay for the post credit scene.

Negatives:

I surprisingly have two negatives for this movie and that is we don’t learn about Art’s backstory and his motivations. We get hints throughout the movie…but it doesn’t pay off. Another negative I have is the lack of character development. With a runtime of 2 hours and 18 minutes, you would expect some character development. But, don’t let these negatives affect your experience of viewing Terrifier 2 as it has rewatch value.

Spoilers

You are now entering the spoiler section of this review if you didn’t see Terrifier 2…avoid this section of this review. If you have seen Terrifer 2 or don’t want to see it, feel free to read this section.

Thank you

So, Earlier I talked briefly about a certain scene in the movie where I wanted to look but couldn’t and that is the bedroom scene. In this scene Art the Clown brutally mutilates Allie to the point of beyond recognition and he pours salt and bleach on her body (ouch). Art the Clown breaks her arms like how I break chicken wings to get the meat (I’m sorry that I put that image in your head dear reader.) There were a lot of crunching noises in that scene. There was a second scene I wanted to look away from the screen and that was the post credit scene and, in this scene, Victoria writes “Vicky + Art” with her blood (I’m not even going to say where the blood comes from). After this she gives birth to Art’s head and my reaction to this was “What the hell?!”.

My overall thoughts:

After watching this movie, I have to say that this movie delivers on the bloody ultraviolence Art the Clown is known for, while giving us likeable characters and great acting from the cast. Also, this might be the scariest movie I have seen all year (so far).

What did you think about Terrifier 2?

Feel free to leave a comment.

Where to watch Terrifer 2?

Terrifer 2 can currently be watched on ScreamBox, Digital Retailers, and the Blu-Ray and DVD coming on December 27th,2022.

Sources of Information:

Terrifer 2-IMDB

ScreamBox: Terrifer 2

 The Numbers.com: Terrifer 2

[ulkaralakbarova]

A former basketball all-star, who has lost his wife and family foundation in a struggle with addiction, attempts to regain his soul and salvation by becoming the coach of a disparate ethnically mixed high school basketball team at his alma mater. Credits: TheMovieDb. Film Cast: Jack Cunningham: Ben Affleck Dan: Al Madrigal Beth: Michaela Watkins Angela: Janina Gavankar Doc: Glynn Turman Marcus Parrish: Melvin Gregg Brandon Durrett: Brandon Wilson Kenny Dawes: Will Ropp Sam Garcia: Fernando Luis Vega Chubbs Hendricks: Charles Lott, Jr. Bobby Freeze: Ben Irving Devon Childress: da’Vinchi Father Edward Devine: John Aylward Russ: T.K. Carter Diane: Rachael Carpani Kurt: Todd Stashwick Anne: Nancy Linehan Charles Gerry Norris: Dan Lauria Sal: Chris Bruno Coach Lombardo: Matthew Glave Matty (Bartender): Jeremy Ratchford Susan Norris: Jayne Taini Father Mark Whelan: Jeremy Radin Ryan: Nico David Sarah: Emelia Golfieri Sarah: Layla Golfieri Miguel: Sal Velez Jr. Sofia: Yeniffer Behrens Sully – Ref #2: Eric Tate Doctor: Christine Horn Construction Worker #1: Josh Latzer Construction Worker #2: Manny Streetz David: Justice Alan Liquor Store Owner: Jay Abdo Lead Referee: Joshua Hubbard Burly Man: James P. Harkins Employee: Mike G. Betty: April Adams Haley: Chieko Hidaka Student: Bronwen O’Connor Student: Charlotte Evelyn Williams Student: Kayla Diaz Trinity Coach: Doc Jacobs Gale: Marlene Forte Ken: Shay Roundtree Pat: Chad Mountain Summit Coach: Sandy Fletcher Opposing Coach: Noah Ballou Female Friend – Nancy: Cynthia Rose Hall Referee: Calvin Barber Fish Scale Operator: Dino Lauro Bishop Bench Player: Roman Mathis Bishop Bench Player: Herbert Morales Bishop Bench Player: Mateo Ortiz Bishop Bench Player: Tyler O’Malley Ethan (uncredited): Tom Archdeacon Basketball Player 7 (uncredited): Brian Nuesi Denise (uncredited): Edelyn Okano Cheerleader (uncredited): Carly Schneider Mike Ball Boy (uncredited): Caleb Thomas Eric (uncredited): Hayes MacArthur Basketball Player: Alexander Tassopoulos Birthday Party Guest (uncredited): Mason Blomberg Film Crew: Producer: Gavin O’Connor Producer: Jennifer Todd Producer: Gordon Gray Sound Mixer: Steven A. Morrow Producer: Ravi D. Mehta Set Decoration Buyer: Ellen Dorros Boom Operator: Craig Dollinger Utility Sound: Bryan Mendoza Art Direction: Bradley Rubin Costume Design: Cindy Evans Director of Photography: Eduard Grau Editor: David Rosenbloom Executive Producer: Brad Ingelsby Executive Producer: Mark Ciardi Unit Production Manager: Bob Dohrmann Executive Producer: Kevin McCormick Executive Producer: Aaron L. Gilbert Executive Producer: Jason Cloth Executive Producer: Kaitlyn Taaffe Cronholm Executive Producer: Madison Ainley Production Design: Keith P. Cunningham Casting: Wendy O’Brien Co-Producer: Brittany Hapner Original Music Composer: Rob Simonsen Music Supervisor: Gabe Hilfer Unit Production Manager: Victor Ho Second Assistant Director: Kevin Lum First Assistant Director: Jamie Marshall Visual Effects Supervisor: Bruce Jones Set Decoration: Douglas A. Mowat Set Designer: Paul Sonski Assistant Art Director: Linia Marie Hardy Assistant Art Director: Brittany Bradford Graphic Designer: Stephanie Charbonneau Graphic Designer: Andrew Campbell Art Department Coordinator: Michael LaCorte Leadman: Fred Haft Set Decoration Buyer: Jane Madden Stunt Coordinator: Tom McComas Stunts: Oliver Keller Stunts: Courtney Farnsworth Stunts: Allan Graf Stunts: Craigory Glen Hunter Stunts: Lauren Shaw Stunts: B R Lamar Stunts: David Rowden II Property Master: J.P. Jones Assistant Property Master: Rick Chavez Script Supervisor: Steve Gehrke “A” Camera Operator: Peter Rosenfeld Still Photographer: Richard Foreman Jr. “B” Camera Operator: Michael Merriman First Assistant “A” Camera: Stephen MacDougall Second Assistant “A” Camera: Jordan Pellegrini First Assistant “B” Camera: Jesse Cain Second Assistant “B” Camera: Seth A. Peschansky Digital Imaging Technician: Jesse Tyler Music Editor: Curt Sobel Assistant Editor: Anna Rottke First Assistant Editor: Joe Rosenbloom Soun...

[msclaritea]

Francois-Henri Pinault nears $7B deal for Hollywood talent agency CAA | Fortune

FINANCE HOLLYWOOD

French luxury billionaire nears $7 billion deal for Hollywood talent giant CAA, home to Brad Pitt

Francois-Henri Pinault is pursuing Creative Artists Agency, which also represents his wife, Salma Hayek.

BY LUCAS SHAW , KAMARON LEACH , AND BLOOMBERG

August 31, 2023 1:09 PM EDT

François-Henri Pinault and Salma Hayek Pinault attend the Kering Women In Motion Awards during the Kering and Cannes Film Festival Official Dinner on May 21, 2023 in Cannes, France. Anthony Ghnassia—Getty Images for Kering

French billionaire Francois-Henri Pinault is close to a $7 billion deal to buy a majority stake in Creative Artists Agency, the Hollywood talent giant that’s home to actor Brad Pitt and basketball’s Chris Paul, according to people familiar with the matter.

Pinault, whose family controls a luxury goods empire, is seeking the majority stake held by private equity firm TPG Inc., said the people, who asked not to be identified because the deal hasn’t been announced. Temasek Holdings Pte, the Singapore government’s investment firm, may also increase its stake in CAA by buying out China’s CMC Capital, the people said. While the deal could fall apart, the parties are expected to conclude negotiations in the next couple weeks.

The $7 billion valuation of CAA marks an increase from the $5.5 billion placed on the business last year when it acquired rival agency ICM Partners. Pinault, 61, is seeking one of Hollywood’s most stable and powerful institutions at a challenging time for media deals. Valuations of most media companies have slipped due to the collapse of pay TV, rising interest rates and strikes by writers and actors.

Yet the Pinault family sees CAA as a way to invest in the value of celebrities, and may be able to use some of those famous faces to bolster its other businesses. The family is the biggest shareholder in Kering SA, the owner of Gucci and other luxury brands. The Pinaults also control the auction house Christie’s and wineries via a holding company. Pinault’s wife, actress Salma Hayek, is represented by CAA.

Founded in 1975 by partners including Michael Ovitz and Ron Meyer, CAA has grown into the largest agency in Hollywood. It’s a top representative of actors, directors, writers, producers, athletes and musicians. Bryan Lourd, Kevin Huvane and Richard Lovett have run the agency since the mid-1990s when they were known as young turks. All three are expected to remain with the company.

Major Hollywood talent agencies have all raised money over the last decade to expand into new businesses. Endeavor Group Holdings Inc. has been the most aggressive, buying Ultimate Fighting Championship, Professional Bull Riders and, most recently, World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. Its talent agency, WME, now accounts for about a third of sales and profit. United Talent Agency, the third-largest firm, sold a stake to Swedish private equity firm EQT AB last year.

Rumors about CAA’s future have swirled for years because private equity firms don’t typically own companies for years and years. TPG first invested in CAA back in 2010 and acquired a majority stake in 2014. CAA hasn’t expanded as aggressively as Endeavor. It has focused on its core talent representation, as well as corporate consulting. It built one of the largest sports agencies in the world.

As part of the deal, the company may give agents with equity the chance to sell a small portion of their shares, according to the people, and will ask a select number to sign new contracts that will keep them at the firm for the next few years.

Ben...JUMP!

[omniversalobservations]

Chris Hemsworth Wants MCU Thor & DCU Aquaman Crossover Fight!

With one studio now being co-run by a vet of the other, Chris Hemsworth is interested in making a Marvel Cinematic Universe Thor and DC Universe Aquaman crossover fight happen. Hemsworth has carried the torch of the MCU's God of Thunder for the better part of a decade now across four solo Thor films, including this year's Thor: Love and Thunder, and all four Avengers movies. With the latter Thor movie scoring generally mixed reviews from critics and audiences alike, Hemsworth's future has been let up in the air, but the star himself has one idea for what could come next.

In a recent interview with The Geek House Show, Chris Hemsworth looked towards his potential future in the MCU. When asked about a crossover between the Disney comic book franchise and the DCU, which is now being co-headed by Guardians of the Galaxy's James Gunn, the actor expressed an interest to see it happen, as well as a Thor and Aquaman crossover fight. See what Hemsworth said below:

"It would be cool. Who would be a fun matchup? Thor and Aquaman, that could be fun – you know Jason is a good friend of mine."

Talks of an MCU and DCU crossover movie have swirled ever since the launch of the latter franchise with Man of Steel, despite the Warner Bros.-owned comic book universe nearly derailing in its efforts to catch up quickly with its competition. The door was seemingly opened for such a crossover with Eternals, as the MCU film made a joking nod to Superman's existence with a comparison to Richard Madden's Ikaris, given their shared powers of laser eyes and flight. Though some have argued this to be a throwaway line without any major connections between the two, the joke and the MCU's recent dive into the multiverse has led some to believe it possible they could cross over.

The biggest key to a potential MCU and DCU crossover is Gunn recently being appointed as the co-Chairman and co-CEO of DC Studios alongside his The Suicide Squad producer Peter Safran, with the two now charting a path forward for the franchise. The two are working on a full 10-year plan for the franchise, with Gunn recently offering an update on their progress in that he and Safran will deliver said plan to Warner Bros. Discovery in two months, with CEO David Zaslav also recently hinting at exciting things to come from the duo. With Gunn having also indicated he and Safran are paying attention to what fans want, it would be interesting to see if a DCU and MCU crossover is in the cards.

Hemsworth isn't the only star of either franchise to express an interest for an MCU and DCU crossover, with Black Adam star Dwayne Johnson frequently stating his belief he can use his pull in Hollywood to make it happen. With Johnson now sharing ties with Marvel star Ryan Reynolds thanks to Hobbs & Shaw and Red Notice, it will be interesting to see if this can come to be in the future. However, with Hemsworth recently hinting at his desire to retire the MCU's Thor with his next appearance, it seems like a crossover fight between his God of Thunder and Momoa's Aquaman may not come to fruition.

Source: Screen Rant

(image via Instagram)

[geekcavepodcast]

Marvel Comics Announces Halloween One-Shot “Crypt of Shadows #1″

Marvel Comics has announced a new giant-sized anthology one-shot for Halloween titled Crypt of Shadows #1. The issue will feature stories about Moon Knight, Wolverine, Elsa Bloodstone, Man-Thing, Werewolf by Night, Morbius, Victoria Montesi, and Bloodline, the daughter of Blade who was introduced in Free Comic Book Bay: Avengers/X-Men #1.

Writers for Crypt of Shadows #1 include Chris Cooper, Al Ewing, Danny Lore, Rebecca Roanhorse, Adam Warren, Chris Condon, and more. Artists for the one-shot include Karen S. Darbow, Geoff Shaw, Adam Warren, Ibrahim Moustafa, and more.

Crypt of Shadows #1, featuring a cover by Leinil Francis Yu, goes on sale October 19, 2022.

(Image via Marvel Comics - Leinil Francis Yu’s Cover of Crypt of Shadows #1)

[robshostak]

Parchment, 2022

An installation of community collected parchment papers exploring the mark made by baking challah bread for Shabbat, leaving an imprint of memory.

Follow @ParchmentProject for more stories and photos behind the parchment prints. 

Challah is often associated with an Ashkenazi egg bread bearing an artfully twisted exterior and a slightly sweet, fluffy interior. But the bread shared at the Shabbat table varies widely from Ethiopian dabo to the slow baked Yemenite kubanah bread to a coiled Sephardic loaf to the pita often enjoyed by artist Rob Shostak’s Syrian-Jewish family. Recently, Shostak took up making the braided loaf weekly. He noticed unusual golden-brown markings left on the parchment paper which revealed the distinctive underbelly of the challah. He set out to gather similar papers to create this installation. Week by week his collection grew as friends and strangers dotingly saved that which is usually discarded. 

Post-bake papers arrived from across Canada and the United States, as well as Israel, England and Germany. Novices and food industry pros, rabbis and artists, Jews and Gentiles, the observant and secular, children and grandparents viewed these accidental prints as snowflakes, finger and footprints, even Rorschach tests. Each sheet is as unique as its baker while retaining a consistency and familiarity akin to the tradition itself, with the oven acting as the serendipitous darkroom “developing” images onto the page. The slow, intentional yet unpredictable manner of assembling these materials mirrors the staggered, capricious nature of making challah. This baking process is, in turn, similar to the adaptability of Jewish life – some push and pull, absorbing local flavours, responding to the surrounding conditions, and experimenting with the ephemeral, essential ingredient of time. 

Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel wrote of Jewish ritual as “an architecture of time” calling Sabbaths “our great cathedrals,” rather than grand sacred monuments. In this exhibition, the fleeting way time is marked by the weekly celebration of Shabbat (the seventh day of rest) is made visible in these parchment papers. Shostak explores the impermanence of memory and Shabbat rituals—candles, wine and bread are all consumed—as these flimsy pages become an archive of that which disappeared months ago.

When the pandemic dashed Shostak’s ambitions to host large Friday night gatherings, baking challah became a small gesture to enliven Shabbat dinners for two with his then-new partner. For FENTSTER, this intimate experience expanded into a collective effort during a period marked by separation. The Hebrew word ‘challah’ stems from an ancient Jewish practice that continues today where a portion of dough is set aside as a sacred offering. Participants in Shostak’s project shared with us the significance of setting aside time to bake challah: reclaiming ritual, tasting nostalgia, marking the ebb and flow of the week, connecting to children, parents, partners and friends. Together, this community of bakers set aside their parchment prints—simple offerings with love and legacy baked in. 

- Evelyn Tauben, Curator

Rob Shostak and FENTSTER thanks Lauren Schreiber-Sasaki, Sabrina Malach, Miles Nadal JCC, Shoresh, Museum of Jewish Montreal, bare market, Chris Rouleau, Noah Gano, and all those who graciously and enthusiastically baked for this exhibition: Eliot Alfi, Jacque Altman, Laura Brandes, Kate Campbell, Vincent Chan, Gigi Cukier Sala, Loren Davidson, Sarah Deshaies, Paul Dotey, Natalie Dubovsaja, Ed Elkin, Katie Fotheringham, Allen Flaming, Kate Goetz, Ellen Greenspan, Shawn Hitchins, Dafna Joy, Britt Jursik, Gracy Kahn, Shari Kasman, Kayla Kaye, Donna Koffman, Noe Koffman, Jürgen Krauss, Rachel Lissner, Miriam Margles, Ilana Martinez, Max McQuinn, Corey Mintz, Alon Nashman, Janet Nezon, Josh Nezon, Lida Nosrati, Elena Polyak-Duke, Hannah Schifman, Lauren Schreiber Sasaki, Tyler Shaw, Rob Shostak, Eve-Lynn Stein, Bonnie Stern, Mindy Stricke, Aliya Tafber, Revital Weiss, Natalie Tarek, Evelyn Tauben, Ariana Tugg, Naomi W., Jason Wong, Shirly Wong, Rob Zimmer.

Press What I Wish I Could Go Back in Time to Tell Pandemic Bakers About Bread    – Corey Mintz, TVO Meet Multidisciplinary Artist Rob Shostak    – Kultura Collective The Stories Behind The Parchments    – Niv Magazine The Unexpected Art of Challah    – Hey Alma

[maritamorgado]

(3) NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 08: Norman Reedus, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Eleanor Matsuura, Scott M. Gimple, Lauren Cohan, Lauren Ridloff, Paola Lazaro, Michael James Shaw and Chris Hardwick pose at The Walking Dead panel during New York Comic Con 2022 on October 08, 2022 in New York City (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for ReedPop)

[bamfdaddio]

X-Men Abridged: 1980 - The Dark Phoenix Saga

The X-Men, those enduring mutants that have sworn to protect a world that hates and fears them, are a cultural juggernaut with a long, tangled history. Want to unravel this tapestry? Then read the Abridged X-Men!

(X-Men 132 - 140, X-Men Annual 4) - by Chris Claremont and John Byrne, John Romita Jr. and Bob McLeod

Go on. Name a more iconic X-Men panel. I’ll wait. (X-Men 134)

If you were born in 1980, you were born under the sign of the Phoenix. This means you will have great hair, but you’ll also be absolutely corrupted by power. Don’t worry, as long as you don’t consume any stars and/or galaxies, you should be fine.

This year hits the ground running, introducing Emma Frost, Kitty Pryde and Dazzler in one fell swoop. The White Queen is the first of the Hellfire Club to make her move, but Phoenix is quickly able to dispatch of her, as you can read here.

Cyclops, worried that the rest of the Inner Circle will soon come in for the kill, decides to abscond to Angel’s Aerie in New Mexico to throw their pursuers off their scent. Jean decides to make the most of it and has sex with Scott on top of mesa. (Kinky!) She also shuts off his uncontrollable destructo-beams, nbd. This somehow inspires Scott to go from reactive to proactive and lead an ill-advised charge straight into the Hellfire Club on the night of their big ball… soirée... thing. Call it a Hellfire Gala-avant-la-lettre.

Fine, he might have been inspired by the raw power of the Phoenix. She’s the biggest gun on their side and, if there's one thing you can be sure of, it´s that reliable powerhouse Jean won´t switch sides in the middle of battle.

Oh wait, that's exactly what she does.

As soon as they enter the Hellfire Club, Jason Wyngarde, who reveals he’s actually Mastermind, takes control of Jean, finally turning her into the Black Queen. With the power of the Phoenix and the patriarchy on their side, the Inner Circle makes short work of the X-Men. They consists of:

Jason Wyngarde, aka Mastermind.

Sebastian Shaw. Often shirtless. The Jeff Bezos of mutantkind. Has the ability to absorb kinetic energy, which means punching him only makes him stronger. (Colossus and Storm figure this out the hard way.)

Harry Leland. Ability of mass manipulation, which has got to be one of the dopest powers ever. Uses it to dunk Wolverine three floors down into the sewer.

Donald Pierce. 25% robot, 100% asshole, 100% useless in taking out X-Men, 225% the worst.

Wolverine is the only one who escapes, resulting in another iconic image:

Apparently, this picture is solely responsible for the fact that Wolverine became the face of the X-Men in the zeroes. It also lit my cigar from the other side of the room. (X-Men 132)

Needless to say, stabbing ensues.

Meanwhile, Shaw pontificates what he wants with the X-Men. He means to use them as guinea pigs to isolate the X-Gene, which he’ll then reverse engineer to give everyone (with money) super powers and all of a sudden, I want Shaw to do a team-up with John Sublime. Jean is not all there, however: she’s trapped in the astral plane, cultivating a cruel streak a mile high.

And suddenly, Jean-turning-evil is not all that funny anymore. (X-Men 133)

Cyclops traverses the mental link he shares with Jean to confront ‘Sir Jason’ and challenge him to a duel. Guy can’t catch a break: in Jean’s mindscape, he is stabbed and he promptly collapses in the real world. Ruh-roh!

Wolverine, meanwhile, has done a passable impression of the Bride against the Crazy 88 in Kill Bill, and he interrupts the Hellfire Club and their gloating. That’s when Jean resurfaces as well, snapping out of her voluptuous Victorian fantasy and, playing a dubious tango with everyone’s trust issues, switching sides once again. The Phoenix is like the golden snitch: as long as your team holds it, it’s enough to win.

Colossus snaps Pierce’s robo-arm, Shaw gets punted through a floor and Leland uses his powers to increase Wolverine’s mass - just when Logan is jumping on top of him. Oops! Should have made him lighter than a feather, Leland.

Jean, meanwhile, is doing her own passable impression of the Bride and goes on what the advertisements would refer to as a ‘Roaring Rampage of Revenge’. (Oh, she roars, and she rampages, and she gets bloody satisfaction.)

This is what happens when you fuck around and find out, Jason. (X-Men 134)

Phoenix makes Mastermind’s mind touch the infinite. His tiny human mind can’t cope. And, just like me when I’m at Pride and surrounded by a bevvy of shirtless gym bunnies, he becomes a dribbling mess. A shell with nothing inside. For those of you paying attention: this is where your Lit teacher would shout “dramatic irony” and underscore Emma Frost vs. Storm on the chalkboard.

This is also the moment where she officially Breaks Bad.

We see powerless people become heroes all the time. The reverse, where the angel falls? That happens far more rarely. I think that is the reason this story was so shockingly effective in the eighties. The reason why it’s still so effective? I think because, like the One Ring, you can read the rise and fall of the Phoenix in a myriad of ways. Is this a victim, reclaiming power? Is this a woman, trying to rise in a man’s world? Is this someone who was always buttoned up, daring to embrace her own power, her sexuality, her dangerous side -- only to get promptly beat down? The ambiguity of the narrative gives it strength, which is why I think it keeps resonating even now. This counts especially in the X-Universe, inherently designed to appeal to the underdog.

Anyway, the X-Men try to flee, but it’s too late. Jean can’t hold it in any more. She explodes in Phoenixesness and vaporizes the X-Men’s aircraft over Central Park. Relishing in her power, Jean easily defeats her friends, before flying off into the galaxy.

In the Avengers mansion, Beast gets the report that the X-Men are trashing the Hellfire Club. Ignoring his duties as an Avenger, Beast chooses his old family and hops off to investigate on his own.

The report, by the way, comes from Shaw, who knows when to turn tail and cut his losses. Among the confused, scared refugees of their party, he begins working a politician on the importance of a Sentinel program. That politician? Senator Kelly. Remember that name.

Jean can’t talk, she’s doing hot girl things. Nomnomnom that star system, sis. (X-Men 135)

Originally, Jean wasn’t meant to die. This one panel, the one showing the inhabited planet, is the reason why she eventually does: Jim Shooter, editor-in-chief, felt Jean shouldn’t be able to get away with a literal genocide. Claremont and Byrne, who had planned to strip Jean of her powers at the end of this, had to change the end of their story within days before it went to print. Additionally, this stoked the adversarial fire between the two: Claremont claims that he hadn’t originally intended there to be an inhabited planet, but felt his hands were tied when Byrne drew one. I wonder how true this is, considering how embedded it is in the narrative, but that’s neither here nor there.

The Phoenix’s genocide alerts the Shi’Ar - and therefore Lilandra - to her presence. Lily says that Galactus is nothing compared to the Phoenix: he merely eats planets, she will consume all that exists.

A hungry Jean, meanwhile returns to Earth, not sure what she’s looking for. She pays a visit to the home of her parents, but when they warily come to greet her, she can’t help but read all the innermost thoughts of her family. Nothing is secret, nothing is sacred. (Imagine knowing all those little thoughts your parents had about you, all those little terrible human things they did in their life. Imagine knowing all their sexual fantasies. Brrr.) It sours the Phoenix against them and she is about to start familicide to her list of sins, when the X-Men attack!

Nightcrawler slaps a psionic scrambler designed by Beast on her, but she’s still too strong. Wolverine tries to end her, but he isn’t ruthless enough to do the deed. When the scrambler overloads, Scott tries reasoning with her, appealing to her love. This causes the Phoenix to waver and Charles Xavier (airdropped in by Warren), bolts Jean telepathically.

Drinking game rule for the Phoenix saga no 6: shout “ca-caw” and take a sip every time the raptor appears. (X-Men 136)

Xavier feels Jean helping him out from within the Phoenix and together, they slowly trap Phoenix in the same sort of energy-matrix as Jean did with the M’Kraan-crystal. The Phoenix finally lays dormant, the X-Men have Jean back and Scott, overwhelmed by emotion, sort of awkwardly proposes to her. Happy Ending! And then, pulling the rug out from under our feet, the X-Men (including Beast and Angel) are whisked away.

They appear in front of Lilandra. The Shi’Ar hold Jean accountable for her planet-killing ways and Lilandra orders her Imperial Guard to take her away! But Charles invokes an ancient law with the same relish of someone who invokes an obscure board game rule against the person who is about to win: he demands a trial by combat.

The rules are easy:

X-Men win: Jean lives

Shi’Ar win: Jean dies.

The trial will be on the dark side of the moon. The Shi’ar are way too strong and, one by one, the X-Men fall, until only Jean and Scott are left. In their last stand, Jean loses control and becomes the Phoenix again, wiping the floor with the Imperial Guard. Technically, they win, but she knows now.

Suicide by abandoned-machine-of-a-long-forgotten-civilization-on-the-dark-side-of-the-moon. (X-Men 137)

She dies. Phoenix dies. The X-Men lose. Scott, bereft, leaves the X-Men.

One detail I love is the holempathic crystal that Lilandra bestows on Jean’s parents.

Without becoming too maudlin, the idea of this is beautiful. A condensed image of a person you love, one you can touch when you feel memories slipping away so you can remember who they were. (X-Men 138)

And with that, season 2 of the X-Men ends. Without Cyclops and Phoenix, the X-Men have to readjust. While Beast returns to the Avengers, Angel takes up residence in the mansion again. He confesses to liking most of the new X-Men, except Wolverine. (To be fair, Wolverine is an acquired taste.) Kitty Pryde also formally starts attending the school and slowly, the Jean-and-Scott-shaped void is filled.

Patriarchal Charles is thrilled to finally have a new teenager in the house who will hang on to his every word. It’ll be like the sixties all over again! (X-Men 139)

There are so many beautiful touches in the few panels:

Wolverine calling Charles ‘Chuck’

Nightcrawler getting drinks (and a beer)

Most amazingly of all, Storm becoming the leader. (I give Chuck a lot of flak, but this decision is Right.) Not just because Storm is the best X-Man for the job, but also because she was a black woman leading one of premier Marvel superhero teams for, what? The better half of a decade? The eighties had barely started, so this was a big fucking deal.

Storm also takes up a motherly role for Kitty, who takes up her suggestion for a codename: Sprite. (This after Kitty rejects Charles’ suggestion of Ariel, which is only fortunate, considering that name would soon be associated with redhaired mermaids.)

The rest of the year is dedicated to two adventures, both of them starring Kurt. The first is depicted in the annual: on Kurt’s birthday, he receives a mysterious package with a mysterious figurine that mysteriously explodes in his face. Professor X calls guest star Dr. Strange for aid, who deduces that his soul has been stolen. What follows is a quest to regain Kurt’s soul in an adventure that feels a little too I just read Dante’s Inferno, check how smart I am.

Hell is a little too pedestrian and boring, though we do get a King Minos hitting on Kurt and Ororo. A man of wealth and taste indeed. Anyway, at the end of this side quest, it turns out all of this was a convoluted revenge scheme concocted by one Margali of the Winding Road. She turns out to be Kurt’s (adoptive) mother, who’s getting revenge for Kurt killing her son.

Kurt, racked with guilt, reveals he had no choice. Stefan had always feared the darkness in his soul and he’d made Kurt pledge to stop him if he should ever succumb to it. After Stefan killed a child or two, Kurt had no choice but to end him. Stefan perished and Kurt was blamed for all of the murders, having to flee an angry mob.

Margali forgives him, with some help from Jimaine, Kurt’s foster sister. In a twist that is a little too soap opera for my tastes (and I watch Riverdale), Jimaine turns out to be Kurt’s squeeze, Amanda Sefton. I’ve always disliked this twist, and not just because of the incesteous vibes: I like the idea of Kurt dating a regular lady who is into him despite his appearance and his being a mutant. Making Amanda Sefton his sorcerous half-sister dilutes that message a lot.

The tail end of 1980 involves Wolverine going to Canada so Wolverine can make amends with Alpha Flight. Kurt joins him, ostensibly to flirt with Aurora, but in fact this shows that Kurt and Wolverine are establishing a rapport. A deeper friendship.

In a pretty paint-by-numbers adventure, Wolverine, Nightcrawler and the worse half of Alpha Flight take down a Wendigo. We don’t get Northstar or Aurora, but we do get more Snowbird, who can change herself into Canadian animals, with the danger of being consumed by her animal side.

We get this delightful panel out of it:

Scared Nightcrawler almost makes me forget how full of shit Jimmy MacDonald is, considering last time Kurt saw them, they tried to kidnap the fuzzy elf. (X-Men 139)

This whole arc is meant to show the softening of Wolverine. Not only does he share his name with Kurt (well, sort of: “Logan, is that your name?” “Yup.” “You never told us.” “You never asked.”), but when they fight the Wendigo and Snowbird turns into a white wolverine to deal the final blow, he talks her out of being consumed by her vicious animal nature.

The year ends with two details worth mentioning:

The Canadian government dissolves Alpha Flight, which I can only find a prescient move that highlights their good taste. A realistic note I like is the minister referring to the mutant problem as ‘an American problem’ even though they employ the Beaubier twins. Wankers.

Fred Dukes escapes prison to join the New Brotherhood of Mutants!

We’re now entering a run of the X-Men which I haven’t read much of yet, but Freddy mentions he was helped by some lady lawyer. That’s gotta be Mystique, right?

I can barely contain my glee.

Ugliest Costume: Despite that godawful hooded thing Kitty wears, I have to give this to Dazzler. There’s no salvaging that costume: I’m sorry, but she’s wearing a disco ball around her neck. It's a boot from me.

Best new character: Emma Frost. Fight me by the bike rack near the parking lot if you disagree.

Turns evil: Jean Grey, famously so.

What to read: X-Men 129 to 137, the Dark Phoenix run.

[rinharu-purple]

Headcanon: MLQC Guys Body Types IRL

Summertime summertime... The fragrant air, the embracing sun, the enticing turquoise waters, nature in full bloom, mesmerizing nights... One can only get rejuvenated, hyped up and loaded with serotonin.

This has got me thinking... How would our guy's bodies look like in the summer?

Warning, this post includes male body!

Kiro

Our sunny boy is the embodiment of summer. His cheerful vibes, his golden hair and azure eyes... Kiro always reminds me of summer.

About his body, Kiro is obliged to stay in shape and keep his weight on a certain level. Which is why he is mostly on a diet and his workout regimen includes a lot of cardio. He might not be the bulkiest, but he's got one hell of a stamina 😏

For me, Kiro would look like Jordan Kale Barrett. The most paid male model in the industry with his extraordinarily good looks, charming aura with a touch of bad boy attitude. He is a perfect example for the slim fit body type.

Editor's note: If MLQC were a live action and Jordan played Kiro, I would definitely fall for him. ❤️

Lucien

Lucien's charming point doesn't lay on his body, nor is he the athletic type. He is the renaissance man, the mastermind, the thinker... Don't let this fool you though, he has one fine body... Effortlessly!

From the first time I've met him, Lucien has always been a dark Korean man in my eyes. Cool, calm, refined, elegant, intellectual and highly intelligent. Probably that's why... Aaaand because of the Goblin series, Lucien is associated with Gong Yoo in my mind. Here are two pics of his body representing the two faces of Lucien 😇😈

Victor

The household sports for Victor is swimming and in the game there are numerous remarks on his broad chest and wide shoulders, which are the most trained areas of professional swimmers. He is the tallest among the LIs with 183 cm and has a longer upper body which allows him to push himself higher above the water surface.

Being a dark, tall man with an elongated face, the world record breaking Michael Phelps fits the bill perfectly.

Gavin

As a Gavin Stan I struggle a lot finding the body and the face in the same person irl. For a possible face I've posted here, but the body... Hmmm...

Gavin is the most athletic one among all of the LIs and due to the various sports he is doing, his body is trained completely. He jogs, surfs, goes boxing, plays basketball, goes skiing and many more.

Even though I was torn between Alexander Skarsgård, Chris Hemsworth and Christian Hogue, it has to be Christian Hogue especially because of his perfect legs and forearms (my newest Gavin fetish). Look at this sculptured body!

Shaw

Our younger Bai brother, our nonchalant rocker boy, our Cola loving, spiky tongued and still warm hearted rebel, my Mr. Precs.

Shaw is a guy continuously on the move, literally between time and space and everything. This guy doesn't even find the time for his studies let alone for gym. Plus gym is for rats. He doesn't need to go there, for he is a natural (and has Bai family genes, so he's covered, I can't blame him;))

For Shaw I can only think of one person irl. Lucky Blue Smith. His devil may care attitude, his slightly ironic gaze, the hair, the body language. And of course, for he is a Rockstar, his images come in BW as default, Non-disputable.

TGIF everybody!

For another HC on summertime with the guys, let me take you here

Masterlist

[rabbittstewcomics]

Episode 341

Comic Reviews:

DC

Batman: Killing Time 1 by Tom King, David Marquez, Alejandro Sanchez

War For Earth-3 1 by Dennis Hopeless, Robbie Thompson, Steve Pugh, Dexter Soy, Brent Peeples, Matt Herms

Marvel

Devil's Reign: Spider-Man 1 by Anthony Piper, Ze Carlos, Erick Arciniega

Strange 1 by Jed MacKay, Marcelo Ferreira, Don Ho, Roberto Poggi, Felipe Sobreiro, Javier Tartaglia

What If Miles Morales? 1 by Cody Ziglar, Paco Medina, Victor Olazaba, Sean Parsons, Walden Wong, Chris Sotomayor

Marvel Meow by Nao Fuji

Comixology

Red Tag by Rafael Scavone, Rafael Albuquerque, Roger Cruz

 Image

7174 Annual by Ashley Wood, T.P. Louise

Loaded Bible: Blood of My Blood 1 by Tim Seeley, Steve Orlando, Giuseppe Cafaro, Josh Rodriquez

Rogue Sun 1 by Ryan Parrott, Abel, Chris O'Halloran

Dark Horse

Radio Spaceman 1 by Mike Mignola, Greg Hinkle, Dave Stewart

Boom

Jim Henson's The Storyteller: Shapeshifters 1 by Andre R. Frattino, Nori Retherford, Kieran Quigley

IDW

Star Trek Discovery Adventures in the 32nd Century 1 by Kirsten Beyer, Mike Johnson, Angel Hernandez, JD Mettler

Dynamite

DIE!Namite Never Dies 1 by Fred Van Lente, Vincenzo Carratu, Kike Diaz

Ahoy

Wrong Earth: Trapped on Teen Planet 1 by Gail Simone, David Hyde, Walter Geovani, Bill Morrison, Rob Lean

Scout

Juniper 1 by Nathan Tomsic, Georgiana Brown, Lorenzo Colangeli

Additional Reviews: The Batman, Picard s2e1, Truth Seekers s1, Sparrow 1, Arcane: League of Legends, Owl House s2 part 1, FF Omni 2, Murderville s1

News: Bodies by Si Spencer optioned by Netflix, Omninews, Netflix/ABC shows all moving to Disney+, Bendis announces new graphic novel series, DiMaggio rejoins Futurama, Marvel do stupid, Calypso cast in Kraven movie, new 6th Gun adaptation announced, Artist Elite Comics, new line of Kevin Smith comics from Dark Horse, Russian Doll s2 air date, Harper and Cullen Row cast for Gotham Knights CW show, creative team for Amazing 900

Trailers: The Bubble, Apollo 10 1/2, DMZ

Comics Countdown: 

Nice House on the Lake 7 by James Tynion IV, Alvaro Martinez Bueno, Jordie Bellaire

Nocterra 8 by Scott Snyder, Tony Daniel, Marcelo Maiolo

Crossover 12 by Donny Cates, Geoff Shaw, Robert Kirkman, Phil Hester, Klaus Janson, Dee Cunniffe

Dark Knights of Steel 5 by Tom Taylor, Yasmine Purti, Arif Prianto

Batman 121 by Joshua Williamson, Karl Kerschl, Mikel Janin, Jorge Molina, Tomeu Morey, Dave McCaig

Wrong Earth: Trapped on Teen Planet 1 by Gail Simone, David Hyde, Walter Geovani, Bill Morrison, Rob Lean

Rogue Sun 1 by Ryan Parrott, Abel, Chris O'Halloran

Moon Knight 9 by Jed MacKay, Alessandro Cappuccio, Rachelle Rosenberg

Newburn 4 by Chip Zdarsky, Jacob Phillips, Nadia Shammas, Ziyed Yusuf Ayoub

World of Krypton 4 by Robert Venditti, Michael Avon Oeming, Nick Filardi

Check out this episode!

[collectorscorner]

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PUBLISHER/TITLE/PRICE

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AFTERSHOCK COMICS I Breathed A Body #3, $3.99 Nuclear Family #2, $3.99

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AVATAR PRESS Cinema Purgatorio Collection TP, $19.99

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COMIC SHOP NEWS Comic Shop News #1754, AR

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DEL REY Star Wars Doctor Aphra Novel HC, $25.00 Star Wars Dooku Jedi Lost Novel SC, $17.00

DK PUBLISHING Star Wars Skywalker A Family At War HC, $24.99

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT Vengeance Of Vampirella #16 (Cover A Lucio Parrillo), $3.99 Vengeance Of Vampirella #16 (Cover B Ben Oliver), $3.99 Vengeance Of Vampirella #16 (Cover C Stephen Segovia), $3.99 Vengeance Of Vampirella #16 (Cover D Rachel Hollon Cosplay Variant), $3.99 Vengeance Of Vampirella #16 (Cover E Michael Sta. Maria Bonus Variant), AR

GRAPHIX Dog Man Volume 10 Mothering Heights GN, $12.99 Dog Man Volume 10 Mothering Heights HC (With Dust Jacket), $24.99

IDW PUBLISHING Korgi Volume 5 End Of Seasons GN, $14.99 Marvel Action Spider-Man Volume 3 #1 (Cover A Philip Murphy), $3.99 Marvel Action Spider-Man Volume 3 #1 (Cover B TBD), AR My Little Pony Transformers Friendship In Disguise TP, $15.99 Sea Of Sorrows #4 (Of 5)(Cover A Alex Cormack), $3.99 Sea Of Sorrows #4 (Of 5)(Cover B Brian Level), AR Sonic The Hedgehog Volume 8 Out Of The Blue TP, $15.99 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles The Last Ronin #2 (Of 5)(Esau Escorza & Isaac Escorza 2nd Printing Variant Cover), $8.99 Transformers #28 (Cover A Casey W. Coller), $3.99 Transformers #28 (Cover B Adam Bryce Thomas), $3.99 Transformers #28 (Cover C Thomas Deer), AR Usagi Yojimbo Wanderer’s Road #5 (Of 6)(Cover A Peach Momoko), $3.99

IMAGE COMICS Crossover #4 (Geoff Shaw 2nd Printing Variant Cover), $3.99 Crossover #5 (Cover A Geoff Shaw), $3.99 Crossover #5 (Cover B Blank Variant), $3.99 Crossover #5 (Cover C Geoff Shaw Virgin Variant), AR Crossover #5 (Cover D Geoff Shaw Raw Variant), AR Crossover #5 (Cover E Ellipsis Design Variant), AR Decorum #7 (Cover A Mike Huddleston), $3.99 Decorum #7 (Cover B Mike Huddleston), $3.99 Department Of Truth #2 (Martin Simmonds 3rd Printing Variant Cover), $3.99 Department Of Truth #3 (Martin Simmonds 3rd Printing Variant Cover), $3.99 Department Of Truth #6 (Martin Simmonds 2nd Printing Variant Cover), $3.99 Department Of Truth #7 (Cover A Martin Simmonds), $3.99 Department Of Truth #7 (Cover B Tyler Boss), $3.99 Killadelphia Volume 2 Burn Baby Burn TP, $16.99 Nocterra #1 (Tony S. Daniel 2nd Printing Variant Cover), $3.99 Redneck #30, $3.99 Shadecraft #1 (Cover A Lee Garbett), $3.99 Shadecraft #1 (Cover B Jock), $3.99 Shadecraft #1 (Cover C Blank Variant), $3.99 Spawn #316 (Cover A Francesco Mattina), $2.99 Spawn #316 (Cover B Greg Capullo & Todd McFarlane), $2.99 Spawn #316 (Cover C Bjorn Barends), $2.99 Two Moons #1 (Valerio Giangiordano 2nd Printing Variant Cover), $3.99 Two Moons #2 (Cover A Valerio Giangiordano), $3.99 Two Moons #2 (Cover B Francesco Mobili & Francesco Segala), $3.99

MAD CAVE STUDIOS Terminal Punks #5 (Of 5), $3.99

MAGNETIC PRESS Wahcommo HC, $29.99

MARVEL COMICS Avengers Academy The Complete Collection Volume 3 TP, $44.99 Avengers By Jonathan Hickman The Complete Collection Volume 4 TP, $44.99 Avengers Curse Of The Man-Thing #1 (Cover A Daniel Acuna), $4.99 Avengers Curse Of The Man-Thing #1 (Cover B Patrick Gleason Webhead Variant), AR Avengers Curse Of The Man-Thing #1 (Cover C Chris Sprouse), AR Avengers Curse Of The Man-Thing #1 (Cover D Carmen Nunez Carnero Design Variant), AR Avengers Curse Of The Man-Thing #1 (Cover E Joshua Cassara Stormbreakers Variant), AR Beta Ray Bill #1 (Of 5)(Cover A Daniel Warren Johnson), $4.99 Beta Ray Bill #1 (Of 5)(Cover B Iban Coello Stormbreakers Variant), AR Beta Ray Bill #1 (Of 5)(Cover C Todd Nauck Headshot Variant), AR Beta Ray Bill #1 (Of 5)(Cover D Ryan Stegman), AR Beta Ray Bill #1 (Of 5)(Cover E Ryan Stegman Sketch Variant), AR Beta Ray Bill #1 (Of 5)(Cover F Chase Conley), AR Beta Ray Bill #1 (Of 5)(Cover G Walter Simonson), AR Black Cat #4 (Cover A Pepe Larraz), $3.99 Black Cat #4 (Cover B Natacha Bustos), AR Black Cat #4 (Cover C Jen Bartel Black Cat Women’s History Month Variant), AR Black Cat #4 (Cover D Adam Hughes), AR Captain America #28 (Cover A Alex Ross), $3.99 Captain America #28 (Cover B Patrick Brown Avengers Mech Strike Variant), AR Captain America #28 (Cover C Michael Cho Captain America Two-Tone Variant), AR Fantastic Four Antithesis Treasury Edition TP, $34.99 King In Black Ghost Rider #1 (Cover A Will Sliney), $4.99 King In Black Ghost Rider #1 (Cover B Gerald Parel), AR King In Black Ghost Rider #1 (Cover C Jen Bartel Women’s History Month Variant), AR King In Black Return Of The Valkyries #4 (Of 4)(Cover A Mattia De Iulis), $3.99 King In Black Return Of The Valkyries #4 (Of 4)(Cover B Phil Noto Valkyrie Profile Variant), AR King In Black Return Of The Valkyries #4 (Of 4)(Cover C Todd Nauck Headshot Variant), AR Shang-Chi By Gene Luen Yang Volume 1 Brothers And Sisters TP, $15.99 Shang-Chi Earth’s Mightiest Martial Artist TP, $24.99 Silk #1 (Of 5)(Cover A Stonehouse), $3.99 Silk #1 (Of 5)(Cover B Jee-Hyung Lee), AR Silk #1 (Of 5)(Cover C Nayoung Wooh), AR Silk #1 (Of 5)(Cover D Skottie Young), AR Silk #1 (Of 5)(Cover E Bengal), AR Silk #1 (Of 5)(Cover F Jee-Hyung Lee Virgin Variant), AR Silk #1 (Of 5)(Cover G Jen Bartel Silk Women’s History Month Variant), AR Star Wars The High Republic #2 (TBD 3rd Printing Variant Cover), $3.99 Star Wars The High Republic #3 (TBD 2nd Printing Variant Cover), $3.99 Symbiote Spider-Man King In Black #5 (Of 5)(Cover A Greg Land), $3.99 Symbiote Spider-Man King In Black #5 (Of 5)(Cover B Dave Rapoza), AR U.S.Agent #4 (Of 5)(Cover A Marco Checchetto), $3.99 U.S.Agent #4 (Of 5)(Cover B Joe Bennett), AR Union #4 (Of 5)(Cover A R. B. Silva), $3.99 Union #4 (Of 5)(Cover B R. B. Silva Design Variant), AR Union #4 (Of 5)(Cover C Ryan Brown), AR X-Men #19 (Cover A Leinil Francis Yu), $3.99 X-Men #19 (Cover B Jen Bartel Emma Frost Women’s History Month Variant), AR X-Men Legends #2 (Cover A Brett Booth), $3.99 X-Men Legends #2 (Cover B Iban Coello Connecting Variant), AR X-Men Legends #2 (Cover C John Tyler Christopher Action Figure Variant), AR

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SCOUT COMICS Grit Volume 1 TP, $9.99

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TITAN COMICS Adler Volume 1 TP, $16.99 Star Wars Insider #201 (Newsstand Edition), $9.99 Star Wars Insider #201 (Previews Exclusive Edition), $9.99

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