#Neils a witch and andrews intrigued

[exy-shmexy]

WIP GAME

Thank you @paradoxolotl @anon-lemon @this-witch-writes and @halfpintpeach for tagging me to do this 🥰

Rules: post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descript or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it! And then tag as many people as you have WIPs

I'm not going to tag as many people as I have WIPs because that would be too many but here we go:

Paw and Order ch 7

Jeremy in Paris

King Nothing

LCLR 8

Twinyards on the run

Poor Twisted Me

Irrefutable Truths

Eh whatever this is

Kevaaron AU outline-ish

Fireplace Cuddles - Renison babyyy

Traitorous Cats

Neil vs Andrew fight

Idk man

kiss kiss andrew 

Neil Body Chain

Twinyards fight

WIP WED - Kateaaron meeting

Lucky Horse

@desolatebee @storiesnstardust @mostlymaudlin @brokenpinetree your turn!

[rewritingthestars]

wow remember the tfc wicca au i was working on? yeah me either.

Pt. 1

Bad things come in threes.

Every witch knows this, just as every witch knows there no way to prevent it. His mother taught him young, whispering in his ears the secrets of their people. "Abram," She'd say sternly, "There is no such thing as coincidences. Never ignore the signs."

One instance of bad luck is enough for caution, and two instances is already too late. The third instance will always be the worst, and there's nothing that can stop it.

Neil closes his eyes, trying to breathe through the pain. During spells, it isn't good to lose focus, but Neil always finds clarity at the heights of the magic, and takes the half a second to take stock.

(His mother would kill him, for losing focus during a spell, and then kill him again for doing it on purpose. Losing focus is almost as bad as scrying without a bonded pendulum. In front of mirrors.)

Bad luck number one: Neil runs out of glamor charms and loses the rest of his reflection crystals to a hole in the bottom of his bag. In this moment of bright magic, Neil can see the next path of misfortune; foxes, rosemary, black seed, rose quartz, amethyst, ravens, black roses, fallen brooms, opal, broken mirrors-

Neil gasps as magic tears through his system, leaving him with a buzzing under his skin and the inability to move.  He tries to stand up, but his legs collapse underneath him and ends with him landing harshly on the concrete floor.

He's running out of time. He can see it, like an image out of the corner of his eye, a shadow getting closer behind him, the sounds of figurative clocks stopping.

Ravens, black roses, fallen brooms, opal, broken mirrors.

Bad luck. Bad signs. Death omens for goddess' sakes. He's stayed here too long.

These separate are more than enough reason to panic, to reroute, replan, find a way out. But together they're a recipe for Neil's demise.

He should leave. He should run. He should stop thinking about the blond haired boy that looked like destruction and felt like decay.

Neil doesn't know why his thoughts keep submerging to him.

Andrew, Neil thinks. Then shakes his head in frustration. He shouldn't know his name. He shouldn't know that his blood runs with drugs. He shouldn't know that his feelings are all illusions. He shouldn't know how he dies.

That's why, that's why he keeps popping in his head.  Andrew. The boy he could read across a room without the intent. The boy he could see die without touch.

That's never happened before. The only times Neil has flash visions are when he's in immediate danger. Not when someone else is. But he saw him, the moment he walked in he saw him being shot in a dark alley, saw his body fall to the ground and never get up.

Neil sucks his bottom lip. Maybe his gift is getting more powerful. Maybe now he can do readings on anyone without intent and without touching them. The idea is horrifying.

Foxes, rosemary, black seed, rose quartz, and amethyst.

Neil doesn't know what the fox means, but the rest are good signs, hell, the best signs. The image of rose quartz flashes in his mind again and Neil gets confused. What does love have to do with his death?

The prophecy was certain in one aspect: the good will lead to the evil. As long as Neil avoids the good signs he should be clear of the worst.

"The one rule you must always remember, and Abram, this one is important: you can not cheat fate."

Neil remembers her words and, along with all the other words Neil's mother has left him, promptly ignores them.

Outside the abandoned, decaying building that Neil has been hiding in, the sounds of the forest is broken by those of men. Neil gasps as another vision washes over him, one of hunters and pain and fire. Neil's body is still weak from the confusion spell he cast moments before, and Neil ran out of hexes just days ago.

As Neil prepares himself for his second dose of bad luck, another sound, one less volatile and harsh, causes Neil to look behind him. In the corner that's covered with wild moss and plant vines sits an orange fox, patiently staring at him, and Neil kind of wants to laugh.

No mother, Neil thinks as the fox trots unafraid up to him, you can't cheat fate.

[siritheplatypus]

omg I just thought of an andreil the little mermaid au. Like if Neil was Ariel, and Andrew was prince Erik.

So Neil is a merman on the run from his father, since the sea is pretty vast they have a good amount of places to run to. But since Nathan is kinda like King Triton he has people after them.

So they catch up to Mary and all that and Neil does the one thing she told him not to. He finds a sea witch (Hernandez or Wymack idk yet) and trades his voice for legs. Cause who would think to search for a merman on the land?

And somewhere along the way he meets Andre who sees him as Neil is trying to figure out his legs. Andrew is ofcourse very intrigued but also very suspicious. Like why is there a man who is naked and unable to walk on the beach y'know? And Neil is untrusting of Andrew because humans and also his trust issues.

Idk who they would communicate cause Neil cant speak, but that's all I got so far

[jemej3m]

incarnate

neil is just your friendly neighbourhood demon. andrew is just a curious witch. shenanigans ensues. 

*

“Look,” Kevin said, waving his hands in front of Andrew’s face. “I get it. You want to know what’s after death, we all do. You want to bring Aaron back - we all wish we could bring our loved ones back. But this is going too far, Andrew.” 

Kevin really was an idiot sometimes. Aaron had died a long time ago: Andrew had long since healed, and wasn’t stupid enough to go disturbing the create-destroy balance. Also, Andrew couldn’t give less of a shit about what happened after death. 

The only reason Kevin was here was to make sure Andrew didn’t hallucinate whatever results he was about to happen across. Kevin didn’t actually know what Andrew was planning. He’d been working on this a good year, deciphering the code and glyphs within the Wesninski journal, which was a spellbook all about demons and their alternate realms. Andrew was sure he had it right this time: if he kept the circle intact, there would be nothing dangerous about this at all.

Unless he fucked it up. But he wouldn’t. He’d never fucked up a ritual before, and he wasn’t about to start. 

That is, if Kevin stopped blabbering. 

“Kevin,” Andrew managed. “Will you shut the fuck up?”

The man glared, fiddling anxiously with the small raven brooch that his brother had gifted to him years ago. Andrew turned away now that Kevin was somewhat quiet, ignoring the “Wymack’s going to kill us.” whispered under Kevin’s breath. 

Andrew poked his palm with the tip of his knife and watched the droplet of blood slide from his hand, dropping into the centre of the circle. It sizzled, like Andrew was doing this ritual on an enormous hotplate, and dissolved into the pile of pure salt crystals beneath it. The glyphs all glowed a vibrant blue as the ground shook. Andrew could feel the energy being drawn from the clearing, summoned to the ritual circle. He shielded his eyes as the light grew too bright to look at and took a step back. 

There was a strange and obscenely loud noise that tore through the silence, almost like someone was shredding a piece of paper into a microphone. The air shook around Andrew, quivering anxiously, and all Andrew could think was: 

Fuck.

He needn’t have worried. Within a few moments, the noise, the vibrations, the light - it all vanished. He slowly opened his eyes and glanced to Kevin, who was curled into a tiny ball on the ground. 

“Oh, Hell.” Came an unfamiliar voice, very out of breath and very relieved. “You saved my life.”

Andrew slowly looked to the ritual circle: Within it was the figure of a young man, barely taller than Andrew was. He looked normal for the most part, dressed in a billowing white blouse and trousers, except for the scars across his skin and his eyes. The cuts and burns seemed to be laced shut with golden thread, glittering in the moonlight, whilst his eyes were the most piercing shade of blue Andrew had ever seen. They glowed, really glowed, like those glyphs had during the ritual. The strangest part were his pupils, like two little voids but shaped into inverted pentagrams. Combined with fire-licks of gorgeous red hair and the curvature of his cheekbones, Andrew seemed to have summoned the most attractive monster possible. 

A monster of whom looked extremely exhausted, bewildered, and injured. 

“What?” Andrew remarked, clutching the book to his chest. 

“You saved my life by summoning me.” He stepped closer to the edge of the circle. “You pulled me out of my father’s realm and into this one. Speaking of which,” He looked around. “Where in Lucifer’s name am I? And how did you manage to get ahold of that?” He pointed to the Wesninski journal in Andrew’s grasp. 

“Found it.” He said. 

“Of course.” The demon threw his hands up into the air. “She said she’d hidden it, but I knew she’d lost it. ‘It’s safe with your uncle, Nathaniel. I never lose anything, Nathaniel. Don’t accuse me of causing us such a terrible fate, Nathaniel.’ If you’re listening, Mary, just know I know you were full of shit!” 

“You are the demon Nathaniel?” Andrew tried not to act shocked. He’d hoped that the ritual would pull a demon. He didn’t expect to pull the demon. Or, more accurately, the Wesninski demon’s son. 

“You had to have known who you were summoning when you perfected the ritual,” Nathaniel frowned. “Didn’t you?”

“I wasn’t 100% sure on the translations.” Andrew admitted. “Kinda went on a whim.”

“Well,” The demon remarked. “Congratulations. You’ve snagged yourself a demon.”

“Now what?” Andrew demanded. “It didn’t exactly tell me what to do once I’d brought you here.”

“No wishes?” Nathaniel hedged. “No insatiable desires? No memories you wish to have removed or altered? No enemies you want smited down? I owe you big time, little witch. I’d have a knife in my throat if it weren’t for you.”

“It’s Andrew, not little witch. Also, that’s rich, coming from you.”

“I’m aware.” The demon said breezily. “But for what I lack in height I make up in attitude. It’s what my father was trying to knife me down for: Being such a nuisance. I think your friend has gone into shock, by the way. He can’t seem to stop looking at me like a concussed goldfish.”

Andrew had completely forgotten about Kevin in the midst of his success and looked to where the man was curled into a ball on the floor, jaw hanging and eyes peeled wide open. He kicked Kevin’s leg. “The ritual worked.”

“No shit!” Kevin snapped, scrambling to his feet. “Are you insane? Summoning demons? Everything has its cost, you know!”

“He’s not wrong.” Nathaniel offered. “What you get is what you give.”

“I saved your life.” Andrew pointed out.

“That was fate. You didn’t do it on purpose.” Nathaniel reprimanded. 

“Well?” Andrew spread his hands wide. “What do you want?”

The demon frowned. “Aren’t I meant to ask you that?”

“Because I totally care about semantics. What do you want, demon?”

Nathaniel narrowed his gaze at the journal in Andrew’s hands. “I need that book back.”

Andrew rolled his eyes. “I asked you what you want, not what you need.”

He looked to his feet, lacing his fingers behind his back as he chewed on his bottom lip. All his teeth were just slightly pointed.  “Well - I suppose I would...no. That’s ludicrous.”

“Spit it out.” Andrew crossed his arms. Kevin made a weak noise of distress behind him.

The demon looked up from under his lashes. “I’d do anything for my freedom.”

“Anything?” Andrew prompted. 

“Anything.” Nathaniel confirmed. 

“Alright.” He walked over to the circle of glyphs that kept Nathaniel ensnared. Just as Kevin cried out “Andrew, no!” his shoe scuffed the engravings in the dirt, and whatever invisible leash that bound Nathaniel to the centre of the circle snapped: Andrew could hear it. 

The demon looked at Andrew like he’d lost his damned mind. 

“You’ll still have to uphold your end of the agreement.” Andrew reminded him. 

“Right.” Nathaniel said. “Right. Okay. Are you crazy? You just unleashed a demon into your home realm.”

“Yes, he is!” Kevin cried out, holding up his hands as Nathaniel stepped outside of the ritual circle. “Oh, fate, don’t hurt me.”

“Not insane.” Andrew said, cocking his head. “Just intrigued.”

“Well.” Nathaniel said, appraisingly. “I’m sure we’ll cross paths again soon, Andrew Minyard.” With that, he tapped two fingers to his forehead in a mocking salute before promptly vanishing into thin air. He left behind a distinct smell of smoldering ash and ocean spray. 

Kevin covered his face with his hands and moaned “We’re all going to die!” 

Andrew ignored him. He still had the book in his possession and Nathaniel owed him. It was an asset that no other witch would’ve had before, and that made Andrew very powerful. 

Andrew found that he didn’t mind the idea of having a demon in his pocket. No, Andrew didn’t mind at all.

*

yeehaw *kicks writers block to the curb*

[tripentertainment]

New Movies To Watch This Week: ‘Malcolm & Marie,’ ‘Falling’ And A New Studio Ghibli

February is shaping up to be something special. In response to a pandemic-extended awards season, the sort of films that used to crowd the release calendar just before New Year’s in an effort to Oscar-qualify while also still maintaining some measure of last-minute/latest-thing freshness are now arranging to come out over the coming weeks.

Think of that as a teaser of such upcoming films as “Minari” and “Nomadland” more than a reflection of this week’s lineup, although a couple of this week’s releases feature elements the marketing departments would be happy to hear described as “Oscar worthy.”

The first is Viggo Mortensen’s directorial debut, in which he plays a gay man dealing with his father’s dementia (featuring a raging performance by Lance Henriksen). The second is Sam Levinson’s resourceful two-hander “Malcolm & Marie,” made during the pandemic and featuring two terrific, on-fire performances from John David Washington and Zendaya. (Variety critic Joe Leydon also floated the suggestion that Brian Dennehy’s performances as a spiteful Klansman in the Spike Lee-produced “Son of the South” is deserving of posthumous attention.)

Here’s a rundown of those films opening this week that Variety has reviewed, along with information on where you can watch them. Find more movies and TV shows to stream here.

New Releases on Demand and in Select Theaters

Falling (Viggo Mortensen)Distributor: Quiver DistributionWhere to Find It: In theaters, on digital and on demandDrawing on his own upbringing while touching on universal themes of family and loss, Mortensen reimagines the relationship with his parents — doting mother, difficult father — through the protective filter of fiction. In the process, the actor reminds that his best work comes from a place of emotional vulnerability. Dad was clearly a piece of work, portrayed here as a scorpion-tempered patriarch who dominated his family for decades, growing even more difficult with the onset of dementia (as seen in the present, where Lance Henriksen brings the hellfire). — Peter DebrugeRead the full review

A Glitch in the Matrix (Rodney Ascher)Distributor: Magnolia PicturesWhere to Find It: In theaters and on demandThere are words, and many metaphors, one could use to describe simulation theory: the belief, popularized two decades ago by “The Matrix,” that the life we’re living — the people we know, the experiences we have, what we see, touch, think, and feel — is literally an illusion, an artificial façade orchestrated by minds far more developed than our own. … “A Glitch in the Matrix” gives each of those metaphors a workout. The movie takes the pulse of how science fiction has merged with our imaginations. — Owen GleibermanRead the full review

Little Fish (Chad Hartigan)Distributor: IFC FilmsWhere to Find It: In theaters and on demandWith COVID-19 still raging around the world, a melancholy love story about a 2021 viral pandemic that ravages people’s relationships, romances and sense of self is perhaps not the easiest sell at the moment. Such timeliness proves both a blessing and a curse for “Little Fish,” writer-director Chad Hartigan’s heartfelt tale about a couple struggling with a global epidemic of memory loss. A portrait of life’s impermanence, it’s a bittersweet small-scale saga whose occasional sluggishness is offset by its sensitivity. — Nick SchagerRead the full review

Rams (Jeremy Sims)Distributor: Samuel Goldwyn FilmsWhere to Find It: In theaters and on demandNearly six years ago, “Rams,” a touching humanist drama from Iceland directed and written by Grímur Hákonarson, won hearts — and prizes — at the Cannes Film Festival. Now, in trots an Australian remake. Adapted with winning cultural specificity by former newsman Jules Duncan, it’s longer and more broadly comic than the Icelandic version and boasts a tacked on, feel-good ending. Beloved Antipodean stars Sam Neill and Michael Caton play the two estranged brothers who must pull together to save what is dearest to them: their sheep. — Alissa SimonRead the full review

The Reckoning (Neil Marshall)Distributor: RLJE Films and ShudderWhere to Find It: In theaters, on digital and on demandMarshall returns to his traditional horror roots with “The Reckoning,” an uneven melodrama about an innocent young widow accused of witchcraft during the Great Plague of London, 1665. Striving to be a rousing tale of female empowerment in the face of brutal patriarchy and religious extremism, “The Reckoning” has some powerful moments but relies too heavily on fantasy sequences to deliver scares, and its credibility is significantly compromised by the heroine consistently emerging from extreme torture sessions with barely a hair out of place or a smudge on her makeup. — Richard KuipersRead the full review

Son of the South (Barry Alexander Brown)Distributor: Vertical EntertainmentWhere to Find It: Available on demandAlthough he occasionally uses a broad brush dipped in primary colors while fashioning his admiring portrait of Bob Zellner, the grandson of a Ku Klux Klansman who improbably evolved into a civil rights activist during the early 1960s, Brown shrewdly and intelligently avoids most of the “white savior” clichés common to such scenarios. His well-crafted and period-persuasive biopic strikes a dramatically sound and emotionally satisfying balance between the moral awakening of its white protagonist and his relationships with sometimes encouraging, sometimes skeptical Black leaders and foot soldiers. — Joe LeydonRead the full review

Two of Us (Filippo Meneghetti)Distributor: Magnolia PicturesWhere to Find It: Available in theaters and on demandNeither a hot-blooded tale of sexual discovery like “Blue Is the Warmest Color” nor a coolly alluring bauble like “Carol,” Meneghetti’s debut feature “Two of Us” is an entirely unique and uniquely vital lesbian love story. The tale of two older women whose decades-long secret relationship is threatened after tragedy strikes covers emotional and thematic ground that transcends the sexual preferences of the two main characters. This often-moving film is an affirmation of our universal desire for emotional intimacy and how the right connection can overcome all social and physical limitations. — Mark KeizerRead the full review

Bliss Courtesy of Amazon Studios

Exclusive to Amazon Prime

Bliss (Mike Cahill)Where to Find It: Amazon PrimeThe biggest challenge of discussing “Bliss” lies in describing its premise without making it sound considerably wilder and more interesting than it actually is. In short, the film stars Owen Wilson as a sad-sack office drone who, after accidentally killing his boss, is rescued by an intense, shamanistic homeless woman played by Salma Hayek, who not only informs him that they are soulmates, but also that they are among the few flesh-and-blood humans inhabiting a complex computer simulation. See? Sounds intriguing enough, doesn’t it? — Andrew BarkerRead the full review

Earwig and the Witch Courtesy of GKIDS

Available in Theaters and on HBO Max

Earwig and the Witch (Goro Miyazaki)Distributor: GKIDSWhere to Find It: In select theaters and HBO MaxErica Wigg, the main character of Goro Miyazaki’s made-for-TV feature “Earwig and the Witch,” is both a brat and an orphan. Those two traits seldom go together in children’s stories, and the combination provides a modest starting point for this intermittently amusing CG entry from Studio Ghibli — back in business but a shadow of its former glory. While the story doesn’t feel terribly original, Erica’s attitude manages to set her apart from such relatively well-behaved orphans as Harry Potter and Roald Dahl’s Matilda. — Peter DebrugeRead the full review

Malcolm & Marie Dominic Miller/Netflix

Exclusive to Netflix

Malcolm & Marie (Sam Levinson) CRITIC’S PICKWhere to Find It: NetflixWhile not nearly as ambitious as “Eyes Wide Shut” in theme or technique, Levinson’s feature feels every bit as raw and honest in exploring the fissures in a relationship with a bit of wear on its tires. Not too shabby for a film dashed off and shot during the pandemic. It’s “the biggest night of my life,” Malcolm believes, and we observe as they alternately appreciate and abuse one another, making love and war as they test and tentatively reestablish where they stand. The result is like Edward Albee’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” minus the booze and the cruel mirror a second couple provides. — Peter DebrugeRead the full review

Strip Down, Rise Up (Michèle Ohayon)Where to Find It: NetflixThe class at the heart of “Strip Down, Rise Up,” upends expectations. So does Ohayon’s cinema verité movie. Debuting on Netflix (where the subject might attract the wrong kind of audience, or precisely those who’d connect with it most), the doc is poignant, surprising and deftly reawakens questions about “patriarchy” — not by being a pole-dancing polemic but by foregrounding its characters’ experiences. The film isn’t concerned with strip clubs and their habitués [but rather what the class instructor] calls a “feminine lifestyle practice.” — Lisa KennedyRead the full review

Life in a Day 2020 Courtesy of Sundance Film Festival

Exclusive to YouTube

Life in a Day 2020 (Kevin Macdonald)Where to Find It: On YouTube Feb. 6It’s been precisely a decade since the first edition of “Life in a Day” debuted at Sundance, though in internet years, that amounts to several eons. So, what can “Life in a Day 2020” now bring to the table? Nothing groundbreaking, certainly. Macdonald’s followup collage neatly matches its predecessor in form and function, serving another enjoyable but unavoidably surface-level survey of how the other half lives. Videos flood in from Mongolian livestock farmers, Eastern European high-rise dwellers and American suburbanites alike, connected by little more than their access to a smartphone Cell Phone Belt Holder . 

[nikothespoonklepto]

Chapters: 18/18 Fandom: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard, Aaron Minyard & Andrew Minyard, Neil Josten & Aaron Minyard, and more - Relationship Characters: Neil Josten, Andrew Minyard, Aaron Minyard, Renee Walker (All For The Game), Kevin Day, Danielle "Dan" Wilds, Matt Boyd, Allison Reynolds (All For The Game), Seth Gordon, Nicky Hemmick, Jean Moreau, Jeremy Knox, Erik Klose, David Wymack, Abby Winfield, Robin Cross, Betsy Dobson Additional Tags: Witch AU, godot's plant witch au, necromancer!Andrew, plant witch!Neil, Sweet, Some hurt/comfort, Aaron and Neil are besties, Andrew is the 'outsider' for once, and Neil is the 'monster', Implied/Referenced Torture, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, witch aesthetic, Light Angst, Strangers to Lovers, "SLOW" burn, plant cats everywhere, Fox Family, AFTGBB2k19, racism against witches, a lil violence, Things are rough with updates atm, It will be finished though!, MOAR ANGST Summary:

Andrew returns to Palmetto Village after a three-year sabbatical, searching for answers to unasked questions. Neil Josten is a mysterious, beautiful witch with more secrets than anyone could ever know, and Andrew is horribly intrigued by him.

~

  Neil Josten, the beautiful outsider has made waves in this community in a way Andrew wouldn’t have even cared to attempt, and he’s as damaged, if not more so than Andrew. He’s a curious individual and Andrew can’t help but want to get closer to him… if he wasn’t being so… weird.

[wertigous]

10k+ andriel fic rec

Don’t forget to give a shout out to authors while reading, we stan talented people

(ao3)

1.  time and tide (might just wait for you) by ephemeralsky (9,402) - Andrew and Bee’s relationship through the series. (it’s under 10k I know, bUT THIS IS MY #1 ALWAYS AND FOREVER GUYS, so it’s here okay) 2.  Ultraviolence by lscar123 (12 chapters; 76,527) - music!au; songwriter!Neil, bartender!Andrew; lots of Lana Del Rey music

3.  to know a man by moonix (8 chapters; 47,928) - coffee shop!au; Neil is a newly hired barista with secrets and Andrew is intrigued

4.  Impulse by broship_addict (13,693) -  physiotherapist!Andrew; 

5.  and in a flash, it's gone. by Idnis (19 chapters; 35,881) - amnesia!au; 

6.  fear in a handful of dust by flybbfly (26 chapters; 104,521) - harry potter!au, quidditch!au; sports reporter!Neil, goalkeeper!Andrew

7.  Eyes Half Closed by constellationqueen (6 chapters; 22,506) - ABO!au

8.  Die Young by moonix (7 chapters; 41,640) - soft!au, 90s music vibes, football instead of exy

9.  light fires at night (to push back the void) by inthesea (3 chapters; 61,862) - ‘20+ times Andrew and Neil say I love you, and one time they say it out loud’

10.  Doe & Josten: Deductionists by SpangleBangle (on-going - 25 chapters; 216,188) - detective!au, elementary!au

11.  And We'll Be Running by allyasavedtheday (3 chapters; 62,270) - music!au, band!au

12.  as though nothing could fall by anpm (12 chapters; 96,048) - ABO!au

13.  You're different than the others by Kml19 (12 chapters; 21,024) - prison!au; prison guard!Neil, inmate!Andrew

14.  Where Everything is Good by iaquilam (10, 804) - music!au, synesthesia!au; singer!Neil, producer!Andrew

15.  Pressure Points by puddlejumper99 (25 chapters; 92,157) - high school!au;

16.  I will play my ace (just in time and in the right place) by themythishuman (5 chapters; 22,958) - captive prince!au; 

17.  Like A River by moonix (8 chapters; 65,259) - harry potter!au; squib!Andrew, hufflepuff!Andrew, slytherin!Neil, kinda fake dating!au

18.  the bittersweet between my teeth by alaynes (5 chapters; 63,740) - time travel!au, the relationship between Neil and Andrew in this reminds me the storyline of movie ‘Hancock’ -  (I CRIED ALL OVER MY CARPET, THIS IS SO SAD)

19.  just a slow body by flybbfly (7 chapters; 10,527) - another time travel!au, the time traveler’s wife!au; time traveler!Neil

20.  Connection through pain by sacchan (3 chapters; 106,373) - soulmates!au

21.  they used to shout my name (now they whisper it) by badacts, broship_addict, PuckB (5 chapters; 46,940) - witch!au

22.  Of the Same Stock by neenya, SanDoria, WriteThroughTheNight (19,561) - angels and demons!au; angel!Andrew, demon!Neil

23.  good night, melpomene (come home, erato) by psychosei (13, 649) - artist!au

24.  lightning rod by flybbfly, PuckB (25,085) - kind of housemates!au, aged up characters, Neil never went to PSU

25.  Signing on the Line by andrewiel (26 chapters; 134,296) - different meeting!au, aged-up characters; kind of raven!Andrew here

26.  Inevitably, like a car crash, by Fandine (18,124) - major character death; changing the future!au

27.  we might be hollow (but we're brave) by stttmsbwa (4 chapters; 40,681) - neighbours!au; cat owner!Neil

28.  the harder you fall by petalloso (2 chapters; 17,078) - flight attendant!Neil

29.  I'll be a Brand New Day by especiallythezefronposter (15,519) - avengers!au, captain america!Neil, winter soldier!Andrew

30.  Three-part Process by andrewiel (3 chapters, 29,000) - ABO!au;

31.  Latchkey Child by KING (pelted) (3 chapters; 31,338) - time travel!au, going back in time

32.  You're Such a Violent High by goldveines, howdydarlin, like_a_gem (9 chapters; 16,984) - artist!au

33.  the part we choose to act on. by Idnis (3 chapters; 16,134) - harry potter!au

34.  all or nothing by writeitinred (10,088) - first time, pwp

35.  Touch me, love me, leave me by BakaDoll for Marmeladeskies (43,043) - soldier!Andrew

36.  we're just strangers by whenwordsflyoffthepage (21 chapters; 83,662) - fake dating!au

37.  The Law of Us by FreakingOutGirl (18 chapters; 53,004) - lawyers!au

38.  here and where you are by pentagrammed (24,991) - fake death!au, post Baltimore

39.  Back to the Start by fuzzballsheltiepants (11 chapters; 29,277) - amnesia!au

40.  Better Than a Grave or a Hearse by iaquilam (6 chapters; 41,794) - raven!Neil

41.  Lighter Next To Your Coffee Mug by Hsin (amoralisch) (on-going, 17 chapters; 77,000) - prostitute!Neil, kinda BDSM

42.  you take the fucking cake. by Idnis (12,284) - bakery!au

43.  The Heart of a Star by gluupor (14,601) - stardust!au

44.  Weddings and Other Kinds of Vows by a_case_for_wonder (12,328) - Nicky’s wedding

45.  Remembered. by LunnVic (3 chapters; 10,756) - post Baltimore, hitman!Neil

46.  it suits you by lolainslackss (3 chapters; 13,592) - romcom!au, tailor!Andrew, olympic runner!Neil

47.  exycast by lolainslackss (2 pieces; 13,378) - high school!au, school clubs!au

48.  of cabbages and kings by intrajanelle (4 chapters; 12,106) - small town!au, lighthouse keeper!Andrew, fisherman!Neil

49.  Baltimore Blues by SpangleBangle (3 chapters; 17,097) - andrew!pov (neil’s dissappearing, reunion scene, shower scene)

50.  Turn it Off by elawless (7 chapters; 10,449) - dissociative indentity disorder!au

51.  Call Me Neil by BakaDoll (16,678) - kind of wrong number!au; 

52.  a world alone by ephemeralsky (6 chapters; 54,850) - teachers!au

53.  ANDROMEDA by andreil (2 chapters; 22,044) - childhood friends!au, hitman!Neil

54.  The Real Folk Blues by moonix, nefelibata (4 chapters; 42,365) - cowboy bebop!au

55.  crossed out by aminiyard, flybbfly (21,215) - brainwashed!au, assassin!Neil

56.  groundswell waves by ephemeralsky (17,730) - hawaii!au

57.  Only You by wematch (8 chapters;16,070) - canon divergence, if Andrew and Neil’s realtionship never started in the The Kings Man, post Baltimore

58.  I'm Just Killing Time by thesaroscycle (10,666) - coffee shop!au

59.  faking it by flybbfly (4 chapters; 24,037) - fake dating!au

60.  library hours by lolainslackss (2 chapters, 10,026) - meeting in library, study buddies!au

61.  None But You by gluupor (2 chapters; 11,226) - jane austen’s persuasion!au in modern setting

[poopooooolooo]

Witch Neil Headcanon

•Ok in this Au Neil is the only one of the foxes that has “powers” but there are others like vampires, werewolves,etc, kinda like the caos or legacies

•So Mary and Nathan are witches and warlocks respectively, Mary grows up teaching Neil how to do protection spells, curses, everything she knows.

•The Hartfords are also supernatural but it’s like an secret but it’s easy to keep because people are skeptical this day and it’s easy to convince someone that they’re hallucinating if they happen to see let’s supposed a werewolf

•Neil doesn’t seem like the type to actually curse anyone, like if a stranger is rude to him he won’t curse them but if the stranger is one of his father’s men then he definitely goes all out but he mostly does protection and luck spells for himself and little things

•After Mary dies Neil tries to expand his knowledge on yk witchcraft like going to reddit, reading books and tips given online, so by the time he’s recruited to Palmetto he has more than the binder, his money, clothes in the duffel he has candles, a journal full of spells, what he needs for spells,sigils/runes.So he extra protective over his duffel bag more than ever

•Neil is very wary of the monsters except he has a little edge over them, he decks himself in protection spells like crazy just Incase, he would probably use a reflection spell using the

I'm rubber you're glue, whatever you say bounces off of me and sticks to you” saying ,that’s probably the first spell Mary taught Neil when he was younger.

•Neil would be the type to put a spell on his duffel that lets him knows if anyone has touched it, took anything, so he picks the monsters room lock without using a spell and the fight ensures

•Columbia goes the same except that the monsters feel worse in the morning after the drugging Neil feels relatively fine after but he stills hitchhikes his way to palmetto, the hike going more efficiently.

•Does he have a familiar? Probably his would probably be a deer so always there in a way like Neil can feel her but he doesn’t really see her, he also has a crow(edgy) they help Neil by reporting anything suspicious. The crow is always around Neil sitting on his windowsills, flying around the court when he plays

•Neil probably lies and tells Andrew that he’s a Wiccan to explain for all the “weird” stuff he keeps like candles dream catchers and it makes since cause technically he is

•Neil’s trip to evermore is horrible since he doesn’t have his familiars and he’s in too much pain to preform any spells

•During Baltimore Nathan uses his powers to torture Neil even more and his familiars

Enough with the angst, some fluff will ensue

•Neil familiars names are Mary(deer) and Lilith(Crow)

•When the foxes find out they’re not surprised especially after the mafia and butcher etc, but they are intrigued, Neil has to explain to them that no he does not worship the devil, and he’s not the only one and yes vampires do exist Matt

•I don’t think Neil would use it to be malevolent like maybe if his teammates are being threatened he’ll curse them with bad luck or with like back pain for a week

•Other witches branch out to Neil and he has his own little group of witches and they do spells and seances together of course only the foxes now about it but it’s makes Neil happy that he doesn’t have anyone secrets though it does annoy him when the foxes mainly Nicky and Matt ask him to do the magic but its nice seeing their eyes light up when he finally caved in and shows them, you can hear Andrew roll his eyes

[ao3feed-thefoxholecourt]

Raise Your Spirits

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2LAtN1i

by Nikotheamazingspoonklepto

Andrew returns to Palmetto Village after a three-year sabbatical, searching for answers to unasked questions. Neil Josten is a mysterious, beautiful witch with more secrets than anyone could ever know, and Andrew is horribly intrigued by him.

~

  Neil Josten, the beautiful outsider has made waves in this community in a way Andrew wouldn’t have even cared to attempt, and he’s as damaged, if not more so than Andrew. He’s a curious individual and Andrew can’t help but want to get closer to him… if he wasn’t being so… weird.

Words: 3633, Chapters: 0/?, Language: English

Fandoms: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic

Rating: Mature

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M, Multi

Characters: Neil Josten, Andrew Minyard, Aaron Minyard, Renee Walker (All For The Game), Kevin Day, Danielle "Dan" Wilds, Matt Boyd, Allison Reynolds (All For The Game), Seth Gordon, Nicky Hemmick, Jean Moreau, Jeremy Knox, Erik Klose, David Wymack, Abby Winfield, Robin Cross

Relationships: Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard, Aaron Minyard & Andrew Minyard, Neil Josten & Aaron Minyard, and more - Relationship

Additional Tags: Witch AU, godot's plant witch au, necromancer!Andrew, plant witch!Neil, Sweet, Some hurt/comfort, Aaron and Neil are besties, Andrew is the 'outsider' for once, and Neil is the 'monster', Implied/Referenced Torture, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, witch aesthetic, Light Angst, Strangers to Lovers, "SLOW" burn, plant cats everywhere, Fox Family, AFTGBB2k19

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2LAtN1i

[eddycurrents]

For the week of 11 March 2019

Quick Bits:

Age of Conan: Bêlit #1 expands Marvel’s Conan franchise further with the beginning of this limited series featuring the early days of the notorious pirate Queen of the Black Coast. Tini Howard, Kate Niemczyk, Jason Keith, and Travis Lanham deliver a compelling story setting up the tragedy of Bêlit’s early life and her one-track mind for adventure on the high seas.

| Published by Marvel

Amazing Spider-Man #17, after two preludes (one branded, one not) and a simmering sub-plot of Taskmaster and Black Ant kidnapping the villains running for months, finally gives us part one of “Hunted” from Nick Spencer, Humberto Ramos, Victor Olazaba, Edgar Delgado, and Joe Caramagna. And it’s essentially more set-up. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still great, building anticipation for the hunt to really start in earnest, but it’s a slow build.

| Published by Marvel

Animosity #19 starts trying to pick up the pieces after the fall of the Walled City. There’s some very interesting questions raised regarding survival and existence from Marguerite Bennett in this one, as both the animals and humans try to figure out a way to bridge the divide.

| Published by AfterShock

Asgardians of the Galaxy #7 concludes this arc with Sera and the Ravagers, as they team up to help refugees and Ego, the Living Planet. I still think it’s weird to see essentially the movie version of Yondu in present day 616 continuity, but Cullen Bunn keeps this fun. I suspect that Sera/Angela fans will still be disappointed, though.

| Published by Marvel

Assassin Nation #1 is the exciting debut of this action thriller, somewhat in the vein of Skybound’s other title Die!Die!Die! mixing elements of extreme violence, action, and a bit of humour, from Kyle Starks, Erica Henderson, and Deron Bennett. It’s a damn good set up, immersing us into a world of assassins jockeying for a number one spot, screwing one another over and turning on them for the highest bidder, with two interesting hooks of “Chekhov’s Gun” trying to figure out who’s trying to kill him and Bishop searching for who killed his husband. Phenomenal art from Henderson, with some very inventive death sequences.

| Published by Image / Skybound

Avengers: No Road Home #5 takes it up another notch as the Avengers continue to battle against Nyx and her children, this time narrated by Scarlet Witch. The fight on Nightmare’s front gets particularly interesting as we see how scary Hulk has really become, along with a humorous fight between Hawkeyes. Sean Izaakse and Marcio Menyz really turn in some incredible artwork here. And the final scene is pretty savage.

| Published by Marvel

The Batman Who Laughs: The Grim Knight #1 isn’t something I was going to pick up, but I saw some gushing about it from people I trust and decided on a last minute purchase. Like the rest of the Batman Who Laughs mini-series, this is dark, giving us a “Batman” who picked up the gun that was used to murder his parents, and, though technically proficient, isn’t really for me. What I do really appreciate, though, is the artwork from Eduardo Risso and Dave Stewart. It is gorgeous, with Risso continuing to explore some of the softer, painted style that he’s used in Moonshine and Hit-Girl. It really is worth the price of admission.

| Published by DC Comics

Buffy the Vampire Slayer #3 continues to be one of my favourite comics each month. Jordie Bellaire, Dan Mora, Raúl Angulo, and Ed Dukeshire are presenting a story here that so perfectly captures the spirit and fun of the television series, while also just being a great original tale. It’s fun to see the old faces in new situations, but it’s also an enjoyable story in its own right, introducing us to the characters and tossing them into the chaos.

| Published by BOOM! Studios

By Night #9 gives us Jane’s mom’s history with Charlesco and more or less the origin of the portal and the experiment. It’s particularly interesting as John Allison, Christine Larsen, Sarah Stern, and Jim Campbell tell the story in the visual style of an early ‘90s comic. There’s even a nice little nod to the Marvel Bullpen in there.

| Published by Boom Entertainment / BOOM! Box

Calamity Kate #1 introduces us to Kate, Vera, Jade and a world of monster hunting in this debut from Magdalene Visaggio, Corin Howell, Valentina Pinto, and Zakk Saam. Between this, The Girl in the Bay, and the forthcoming Dark Red, I’m loving the higher profile that Howell is carving for herself. She’s a great artist with excellent versatility.

| Published by Dark Horse

Catwoman #9 is a fill-in issue from Ram V, John Timms, and Josh Reed that’s one part revenge tale and one part heist, resulting overall in one hell of a good single issue. There’s a nice sense of rhythm and pacing to the story that fits with the theme of the heist, with some great artwork.

| Published by DC Comics

Cover #6 brings what has been one of the most unique, ambitious, and inventive uses of the comics medium I’ve seen in a long time to a close, with a bit of conversation and some gorgeous art from Brian Michael Bendis, David Mack, Zu Orzu, and Carlos M. Mangual. It get even more meta this issue, along with the usual multi-layered storytelling that delves into the comics world.

| Published by DC Comics / Jinxworld

Cyber Force #9 more or less completes the gathering of the team, presenting a bit of a quiet moment to collect themselves before setting up a confrontation with Cyberdata. There’s some interesting soul-searching between Dominique and Ripclaw on whether or not with the change they’re still them. And, as usual, the art from Atilio Rojo is pretty much worth the price of admission on its own.

| Published by Image / Top Cow

The Empty Man #5 has some gorgeous artwork by Jesús Hervás and Niko Guardia, especially among the repeating cycles of the opening and closing scenes.

| Published by BOOM! Studios

The Flash #66 brings back the single issue Rogue profile format for an origin story of the original Trickster, James Jesse, from Joshua Williamson, Scott Kolins, Luis Guerrero, and Steve Wands. Great art from Kolins and Guerrero.

| Published by DC Comics

The Freeze #4 concludes the first arc, with a very satisfying reveal of the serial killer and confirmation on a few other ongoing plot threads that nicely serve as a hook for future arcs. I’m really enjoying this one. Dan Wickline, Phillip Sevy, and Troy Peteri are telling a very compelling story here about essentially rebuilding society from a very different form of cataclysm, with some wonderful character-building and enough intrigue to keep you on your toes.

| Published by Image / Top Cow

Grimm Tales of Terror #13 is one of the better recent issues, with Joe Brusha, Umberto Giampà, Fran Gamboa, JC Ruiz, and Fabio Amelia diving into the story of a true crime writer investigating a serial killer in Detroit utilizing the signatures of other famous serial killers. There are a few really nice twists throughout the tale.

| Published by Zenescope

Gunning for Hits #3 throws a few wrinkles into Martin’s plans for Stunted Growth and Brian Slade as Slade’s bodyguard, “Mr. Gladstone”, causes problems while trying to extort Martin. This continues to be a dense, but satisfying, read every month. It feels like Jeff Rougvie, Moritat, and Casey Silver are just packing in as much content as they possibly can.

| Published by Image

Hawkman #10 features a larger than life confrontation between Hawkman and Idamm. Bryan Hitch, Andrew Currie, and Jeremiah Skipper deliver nicely on that widescreen epic feel of the assault on London.

| Published by DC Comics

Hit-Girl Season 2 #2 gets up close and personal with the uglier side of Hollywood as Kevin Smith, Pernille Ørum, Sunny Gho, and Clem Robins continue their arc featuring the adaptation of Hit-Girl’s side of the story from Kick-Ass by the film industry. Things get a little complicated.

| Published by Image

House Amok #5 concludes what has been an excellent, mind-bending series exploring truth and delusion and the power of family, from Christopher Sebela, Shawn McManus, Lee Loughridge, and Neil Uyetake. This finale doesn’t give any easy answers and actually raises a few more questions, all with some gorgeous artwork from McManus and Loughridge.

| Published by IDW / Black Crown

James Bond: Origin #7 begins “Russian Ruse” with Ibrahim Moustafa and Roman Stevens taking over art duties, joining Jeff Parker and Simon Bowland in this tale of essentially piracy in the Barents Sea. Nice set up of the Russians’ duplicity here and an inept Commander not listening to Bond’s observations.

| Published by Dynamite

Justice League Dark #9 unleashes the Lords of Order against pretty much everyone, causing death and destruction as they try to “cleanse” reality of the chaos they think infests it. Between them and the Otherkind, things aren’t looking particularly cheery for existence. Incredible artwork from Alvaro Martínez Bueno, Miguel Mendonça, Raul Fernandez, and Brad Anderson.

| Published by DC Comics

Little Bird #1 is an experience. Darcy Van Poelgeest, Ian Bertram, Matt Hollingsworth, and Aditya Bidikar launch a dystopian future where a theocratic America seems to rule with an iron fist and a pocket resistance holds out in the Canadian Rockies. There’s a bit of a feel of Akira here, and Grendel: God and the Devil, maybe even a little Martha Washington, but still with its own unique elements and some seriously awesome art from Bertram and Hollingsworth.

| Published by Image

Livewire #4 concludes the first arc with a nice bit of soul-searching as Amanda comes to terms with what she did during Harbinger Wars 2. Between this, Age of X-Man: Prisoner X, and this week’s Shuri, Vita Ayala is definitely on fire right now. They’re doing some great character-driven work and it shines in this finale. Also, Raúl Allén and Patricia Martín can do no wrong. The layouts on this book are stunning.

| Published by Valiant

The Magnificent Ms. Marvel #1 is the beginning of a new era for Kamala Khan from Saladin Ahmed, Minkyu Jung, Juan Vlasco, Ian Herring, and Joe Caramagna. Using a kind of fable narration, setting up something new for the future while dealing with a continuation from Kamala’s current status in the presents, is a nice approach from Ahmed. It also marks a good jumping-on point for new readers as it recaps more or less what you need to know about Ms. Marvel’s history. Beautiful art from Jung, Vlasco, and Herring.

| Published by Marvel

Murder Falcon #6 is an epic, face-melting issue. Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer give us a bit of a tearjerker as Anne comes to terms with her situation with Jake and finally finds her voice. It’s really incredible. Also, giant monsters and metal.

| Published by Image / Skybound

Oblivion Song #13 jumps ahead three years for a new status quo, a few shuffled faces, and new situations for many of the cast of characters, providing an excellent jumping on point for new readers. There are some interesting bits about harnessing the flora and fauna of Oblivion for medical advances and the growing mystery about what the Faceless Men are doing. Gorgeous art as always from Lorenzo De Felici and Annalisa Leoni. De Felici really does some amazing reaction shots.

| Published by Image / Skybound

Old Man Quill #3 advances the Guardians’ story a bit further as they celebrate what little hope they’ve brought to the Wastelands, while hell in various forms circulates around them. It certainly pretty bleak, even in the good times.

| Published by Marvel

Outer Darkness #5 drops hell on the crew’s head as they crash on a relatively inhospitable ice planet with an ancient evil prowling and the crew at “Each Other’s Throats”. Also, naked cat girls. John Layman, Afu Chan, and Pat Brosseau are doing an incredible job with this mix of sci-fi and horror and the stakes seem to have been raised this issue.

| Published by Image / Skybound

Shuri #6 begins a two-part guest arc from Vita Ayala, Paul Davidson, Tríona Farrell, and Joe Sabino as Shuri travels to New York in search for the Lubber. Great art from Davidson and Farrell and Ayala has a wonderful feel for Miles and Shuri’s voices.

| Published by Marvel

Spider-Gwen: Ghost Spider #6 continues to suss out a new role for Gwen now that her identity is public and she’s returned to her own Earth. The character building that Seanan McGuire is doing here is pretty spectacular, especially given how strong the interpersonal relationships in the series were to begin with under Jason Latour and Robbi Rodriguez. Also, the art from Takeshi Miyazawa and Ian Herring is perfect.

| Published by Marvel

Star Wars: Age of Republic - General Grievous #1 is the last of these Age of Republic one-shots from Jody Houser, with Age of Rebellion coming next from Greg Pak and a rotating team of Chris Sprouse, Marc Laming, and others. This one focuses on Grievous and is a nice look into what he traded of himself in order to become the even worse monster that we see in the prequel trilogy and Clone Wars.

| Published by Marvel

The Stone King #4 concludes what has been a wonderful light fantasy adventure Comixology original series from Kel McDonald and Tyler Crook. There’s an interesting throughline in the story of responsibility for family versus responsibility for the greater society that comes to a head here, along with misunderstandings continuing to cause conflict. It’s not exactly a happy ending, but there is a set up for something more down the road that I’d love to see. Beautiful artwork from Crook.

| Published by Kel McDonald

Supergirl #28 concludes her jaunt with the Omega Men and the Supergirl clones, opening up more questions about The Circle and the destruction of Krypton. I’ve enjoyed the circuitous route Marc Andreyko has been taking us on to advance Supergirl’s mission, tossing bits of side adventure in growing out of her search, but it feels like we’re going to get down to brass tacks soon. Great art again this issue from Eduardo Pansica, Julio Ferreira, FCO Plascencia, and Chris Sotomayor. Pansica does some great horror and creature work and it shines through in the Kryptonian monstrosities. 

| Published by DC Comics

Superman #9 tells of Jonathan’s ordeal trapped on Earth 3, tortured at the hands of Ultraman. Great art from Brandon Peterson and Alex Sinclair during the Earth 3 sequences. It’s also interesting to see that dream still haunting Superman.

| Published by DC Comics

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder in Hell #2 continues to be revelatory. Mateus Santolouco, Marcelo Costa, and Shawn Lee are doing some incredible work as Shredder continues to be plagued by nightmares, demons, and the undead as he tries to figure out his way through hell and his status as a vessel for the dragon god’s spirit. Over the years, Santolouco has grown exponentially as a storyteller and this is just a masterpiece.

| Published by IDW

Titans #35 continues the team’s nightmare excursion to Unearth, fighting a possessed enraged Beast Boy, Raven’s angry aggressive side, and Mother Blood as we head into the series conclusion next issue. This is a very entertaining story from Dan Abnett, Bruno Redondo, Christian Duce, Marcelo Maiolo, and Dave Sharpe, really putting the team behind the 8-ball wondering how they’re going to get out of this mess. If they get out this mess.

| Published by DC Comics

Tony Stark: Iron Man #9 continues the “Stark Realities” arc, nicely advances Controller’s assault on Stark Industries, the eScape users causing havoc, the mole within Stark, and the corruption causing Tony’s current simulation, from Dan Slott, Jim Zub, Valerio Schiti, Paolo Rivera, Edgar Delgado, and Joe Caramagna. Some really interesting possible revelations about Tony during this issue.

| Published by Marvel

Transformers #1 begins a new continuity, a new universe, a new era for the Transformers, from Brian Ruckley, Angel Hernandez, Cachét Whitman, Joana Lafuente, and Tom B. Long, as we start off some time in the past of Cybertron, before Autobots or Deceptions, as Bumblebee watches over a newly-forged Cybertronian as he makes his first decisions. We also get bits of an uprising of “Ascenticons”, though their ideals and motivations aren’t really explained, just showing a disagreement between longtime friends Megatron and Orion Pax (not Optimus Prime yet). It’s not bad, with some nice bits of humour, and there is an interesting mystery for a cliffhanger, but it is slow. The art is nice, but like the story there’s nothing flashy about this right now. I’ll certainly give it a few more issues, but there’s really nothing “bold” about this new era. Don’t expect something radical out of the first issue, this one plays it pretty safe.

| Published by IDW

Winter Soldier #4 delves into RJ’s father, Richie, attempting to get back into his life. It’s heartfelt and bittersweet, with Kyle Higgins, Rod Reis, and Clayton Cowles delivering a gripping tale with one hell of a set up for the final issue. Reis’ art remains absolutely incredible.

| Published by Marvel

Wonder Twins #2 is more fun from Mark Russell, Stephen Byrne, and Dave Sharpe. There’s some nice commentary on the state of corporate run prisons in the United States in amongst a humorous send-up of z-list villains in the Legion of Doom’s farm team, the League of Annoyance. Great art from Byrne.

| Published by DC Comics / Wonder Comics

Other Highlights: Accell #19, Auntie Agatha’s Wayward Home for Rabbits #5, Blackbird #6, Dark Ark #15, GI Joe: A Real American Hero - Silent Option #4, Go Go Power Rangers #18, The Goon #1, Head Lopper #11, House of Whispers #7, LaGuardia #4, The Life and Death of Toyo Harada #1, The Long Con #7, Marvel Action: Spider-Man #2, Marvels Annotated #2, The Maxx 100 Page Giant, Prodigy #4, The Punisher #9, Radio Delley, Rick & Morty Presents Jerry #1, Riverdale: Season 3 #1, Runaways #19, Spider-Man/Deadpool #47, Star Trek: Discovery - Captain Saru, Star Wars: Han Solo - Imperial Cadet #5, The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #42, Wonder Woman #66

Recommended Collections: Astonisher - Volume 3: Black Hat, Batman vs. Deathstroke, By Night - Volume 1, Defenders: The Best Defense, Infinite Dark - Volume 1, Mata Hari,  Moonstruck - Volume 2, Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons & Dragons, Shadowman - Volume 3: Rag & Bone, She Could Fly, Sleepless - Volume 2, Star Wars Adventures - Volume 5: Mechanical Mayhem, Strangers in Paradise XXV - Volume 2: Hide and Seek, Trout - Volume 1: Bits & Bobs, Vampironica - Volume 1, The War of the Realms Prelude

d. emerson eddy knows a muffin man.

[rewritingthestars]

Pt.1 of that tfc wicca au that i said id write a year back but never did

Pt. 2

He came in with five different crystals hanging from his neck, a sweater twice his size, and hair the color of roses. He was attractive in a way that could only mean trouble, and Andrew went back to mopping the floor with only one eye on the mystery man and twice his usual caution.

But then the man turned his head and Andrew caught a glimpse of his eyes that made him freeze and had his mop crashing to the ground as Andrew stared, mesmerized. Maybe it was the late hour, maybe it was the sugar binge the other day catching up with him, or maybe it was the leftover brain damage of happy pills and head injuries making him delusional, but Andrew could have sworn that the moment his eyes met the strange mans' he saw his own death.

A reflection of himself, a flash of a gun, a knife, a screen of blood, an unmoving body in a dark and damp alleyway.

Andrew blinks, and the imagery is gone.

Andrew shakes his head and picks up the fallen mop. Behind the counter Aaron raises his eyebrows in surprise. He then turns away with a scoff at Andrew's cold glare, while Nicky not so subtly gawks at the new customer who has now gotten to the front counter, looking much more frantic and nervous then Andrew remembers him being just a moment ago.

Nicky doesn’t seem to notice the man's distress and smiles flirtatiously. "Welcome to the Foxhole, what can I-?"

"Please," The man cuts him off, flicking his eyes over to the door, "is there somewhere I can go to-" The man closes his eyes and takes a moment to breathe. When he opens them their color is dark and deep like waves of an ocean instead of the icy tundra from before, yet Andrew finds himself annoyingly as transfixed.

"Please, my ex is following me and he's, well, his temper.." The man drawls off and looks downward haunted, grabbing one of the crystals around his neck and dragging it anxiously on its chain.

Andrew frowns. The man's good, Andrew almost believes him. But there’s something off about him, something too cliche about his story. Nicky though is already hastily opening the door to the counter, obviously falling for the man's lie.

"Christ, of course, come on, you can hide in the storage room." Nicky pushes a disgruntled Aaron aside and opens the door.

The man gives Nicky a tentative but genuine smile that makes Nicky stumble as he holds the door open.

"Thank you." He says with such relief and exhaustion it couldn't be fake.

Andrew pushes the mop against a nearby wall to walk over to his cousin with a brow raised.

Andrew is just about to open his mouth when the bell over the door rings signaling a customer. Nicky's jaw tightens and fist clench and Andrew turns to the sight of a tall burly man with a shaved head and a deep set scowl on his face. His clothes are all dark and concealing, but its hard not to notice the obvious muscle on the man. As he walks towards them Andrews eyes flicker to bunched up cloth in places weapons are typically sealed to the confident form of a trained fighter. Ah. This most be the 'ex.'

Nicky forces on a smile and repeats the usual greeting, "Hi! Welcome to-"

"I'm looking for someone I think passed through here." The man interrupts. "Red hair, blue eyes, lots of strange pendants, he's kind of hard to miss. Have you seen him?"

Funny. The 'ex' seemed more like a professional thug than an unhappy boyfriend.

Nicky's forced smile strains but surprisingly he doesn’t give way more than that. "Sorry sir, doesn’t sound familiar. Would you like to order something? Our iced chai latte is to die for and-"

The man slams his fist onto the counter, startling the other two customers in the store and sending them scurrying out of the front doors. "Don’t fuck with me. I know he came through here, and if you don’t tell me where he is I'll-"

The man stiffens. He most likely dismissed Andrew as a threat with his short stature and apathetic gaze. A rather usual mistake. Also a fatal one.

"You’ll what?" Andrew says in a bored tone, pressing his knife deeper into the underside of the mans ribs.

The man grits his teeth but wisely says nothing.

"That's what I thought. I'm going to take a wild guess and figure you don’t want the cops involved, and I'd rather not have to mop up your blood. I just cleaned the floors and all the money in the world wouldn't give me the motivation to do so again. So here’s how this is going to go: I’m going to walk you to the doors, you are going to leave the store, and go back to whatever shithole you crawled out of. I see you so much as in a five block radius of my store and I will gut you like a dog. Do you understand?"

The man stands there for a moment, before jerkily nodding.

"Good choice." Andrew says and shifts his blade in a way to push the man forward.

The man walks cautiously and Andrew digs the point of his knife in deeper a couple times to keep him from getting any ideas.

"This won't end well for you you know, if you are keeping him." The man says.

Andrew flicks his a bored stare. "Was that a threat?"

"Not a threat. A warning. I know he may look all pretty and distressed and helpless but he's not, trust me, he's not. He's a liar and a manipulator and he'll get you killed I guarantee it. You kids have no idea what you're getting into."

Andrew stills for a moment. He can hear the truth in his words, hear some fear too. Andrew thinks of a flash of a gun in a dark alley and feels warnings go off in his head.

The man chuckles, "See? You feel it don’t you? That kid ain’t normal, he's not right. You put your toy away and I'll take him off your hands."

Andrew shoots him a cold glare and shoves him forward. "Stay quiet and keep moving."

The man growls in frustration. "Aren’t you hearing me? He's dangerous, he's not human!"

Andrew gives the man a full view of his face. "Ask me if I care. No? Then get the fuck out of my store."

Andrew promptly pushes the man out the door as the man curses him out. He watches as he walks down the street and turns from the block before going back over to the small coffee shop's counter.

Andrew slams his hands on it, startling Nicky, "What the hell were you thinking-"

The back door opening cuts him off and pretty boy walks out with a look around as if to make sure his 'ex' is gone, and then turns to Nicky with a smile, ignoring Aaron's glower and the obvious tension in the room.

"Thank you, most people wouldn’t have done that for a stranger, I appreciate it immensely."

Nicky smiles back with a look in his eye that makes Andrew kind of want to stab him. "I-"

"Yeah yeah, if you want to make it up to us buy a coffee or leave, we were suppose to close up ten minutes ago and minimum wage is not worth staying late for some weird asshole's bullshit." Aaron says irritably.

The man frowns and sends Aaron a glare that changes the color of his eyes to an almost unnatural tone of gray and Andrew must be losing it because he swears his pupils are disappearing in the hues.

Then the man looks at Andrew and his eyes are back to normal.

"Sorry for the trouble I caused. I’ll get out of your way."

"Wait!" Nicky shouts and Aaron groans loudly. "Ignore Aaron hes an asshole. I’m Nicky by the way, I, uh, didn’t catch your name?"

The man blinks slowly, looking a little surprised. "Neil."

"Nice to meet you Neil, well I mean, not really under the circumstances with your insane ex and all-"

Aaron rubs his temples, "Christ Nicky shut up and let him leave so we can go home."

Nicky makes an offended sound. "But-"

Aaron's hand clasps over Nicky's mouth. "Nope, it is 11:30 and I wanted to go home five hours ago."

"And I need to be on my way anyways." The man- Neil, smiles awkwardly and walks out from behind the counter only to pause near Andrew. "Though I don’t like being indebted to people, so let me repay you with some advice: stay away from Maple and Hall's Street tomorrow night. Best to get a taxi instead of walking." With that. The man left the shop, Andrew staring disbelievingly in the space he left.

"What the fuck." Aaron says. Andrew, for once, can't help but agree.

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

On Monday nights Andrew is usually the one left for closing. There’s not too many customers so there’s really only need for one person on the clock.

Andrew closes with time to spare and locks the doors before taking a cigarette out. He puts it between his teeth as he looks down the street. Maple street is two blocks over and filled with dark alleyways and muggings gone south. Its also in the same direction Andrew walks home to every night. He thinks of icy blue eyes and a knowing tone and a reflection of himself, a flash of a gun, a knife, a screen of blood, an unmoving body in a dark and damp alleyway. He's never believed in psychic shit, he's on the sharp end of skepticism and doesn’t believe in fate or ghosts or any kind of mythical force. Andrew takes a drag.

Five minutes later a taxi stops in front of him. He gets in.

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

On the news the next morning some night jogger was killed near The Foxhole Coffeehouse. He was shot twice, once in the stomach and once in the head around eleven o'clock.

It was on Maple Street.

"It means nothing." Aaron says heated. "A coincidence."

"A 'coincidence'? How can you say that, someone died on the street he told Andrew not to go to!" Nicky argued.

"You're right. Its not a coincidence. He's probably a gang member that knew shit was going to go down there!"

"Oh, come on Aaron, do you really think he looked like a thug?"

"His ex sure did, and who’s to say Neil wasn’t involved in his boyfriend's activities?"

"Shut up both of you." Andrew hisses with more emotion then he usually allows himself to let out.  His nerves have felt shot and his skin tight and suffocating ever since he saw the news report this morning.

He needs to think this through. The logical part of him is telling him Aaron is right. That Neil is just another kid part of a gang in some capacity that led him to know about Maple Street. But the other part of him; the part that remembers every detail of his bleeding dead body after being shot, the part that can still hear the fear in the 'ex's voice, the part that knows Neil's eyes changed colors every time he looked at them; that part is screaming his mind into a nutshell.

But trusting himself would mean exploring the possibility of magic, an idea he hasn't contemplated since he was seven. It means realizing there's a whole different world of dangers that he is ignorant to.

In any case, Andrew has to find out. Not knowing is the worst outcome, and, as obnoxious and annoying as it may be, Andrew is interested. He is interested for the first time in years, by a boy with changing blue eyes and a fake name.

A voice in the back of his mind whispers dangerous and too risky.

Andrew tries to ignore the wave of excitement he feels.

 --------------

[aion-rsa]

Doctor Who: Previous Guest Stars Who’d Be Great as the New Doctor

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It’s not unusual, in the world of Doctor Who, for the same actor to play more than one role on screen. From classic to modern Doctor Who, Nicholas Courtney, Ian Marter, Lalla Ward, Jaqueline Hill, Jean Marsh, Adjoa Andoh, Eve Myles, Naoko Mori, Vinette Robinson and more have all played multiple parts in the whoniverse. Before she debuted as companion Martha Jones, Freema Agyeman was a Torchwood employee who fell foul of the Cybermen in series two’s ‘Army of Ghosts’. Karen Gillan was a seer in series four episode ‘The Fires of Pompeii’ before she recurred as Eleven’s companion Amy Pond. Even the Doctor has had test runs. Colin Baker played a Gallifreyan commander in season twenty before taking over from Peter Davison. Peter Capaldi appeared in ‘The Fires of Pompeii’ as well as playing John Frobisher on Torchwood before taking up residence in the TARDIS.   

In the search for the new Doctor then, it makes sense to rifle through those actors the show already picked once to see who might be asked back. Continuity can be handled if need be – just do what Russell T. Davies did and make up something about spacial genetic multiplicity, or what Steven Moffat did and pretend it was all part of the Doctor’s plan to remind him to be a good man. In a few cases, the shared genetics wouldn’t even be an issue as the actor in question’s first appearance was either solely as a voice, or beneath too many layers of prosthetics to matter.

Gliding over a few previous guest stars whose current filming commitments likely take them out of the running (Andrew Garfield, Carey Mulligan, James Norton, Felicity Jones, Gemma Chan and Gugu Mbutha-Raw are probably all tied up…), here’s a choice selection of guest actors since 2005 who could all make fantastic, and very different, Doctors.

Chris Addison

Played: AI interface ‘Seb’, who greeted the recently deceased to Missy’s Nethersphere. Appeared in: Two-part Series Eight finale ‘Dark Water/Death in Heaven‘. Watch his stand-up and there’s a real Tenth Doctor energy about writer-director-producer-comedian-actor Chris Addison (The Thick of It, In the Loop, Veep). That probably means his time has come and gone on Doctor Who, as the show isn’t likely to want to repeat itself at this stage. Addison also has his plate full with the third series of Sky/FX’s excellent comedy-drama Breeders, but you could definitely picture him at the TARDIS console, couldn’t you?

Arsher Ali

Played: Bennett, a bookish recent military recruit to a Scottish underwater mining facility in 2119. Appeared in: Series 9 two-parter ‘Under the Lake/Before the Flood‘ Part of a large crew (initially at least) we didn’t see loads of Arsher Ali in his Doctor Who role, but what we saw was enough to convince that he has the presence and bearing of a potential Doctor. He was great as the lead in BBC’s Informer and as a conflicted journalist in the first series of The Missing, as well as in supporting role in Line of Duty‘s best series. Add all that to his breadth of stage experience and he’s a highly intriguing prospect.

Percelle Ascott

Played: Delph, a member of the Ux, humanoid aliens who live for thousands of years and have the power of telepathic inter-dimensional engineering (they can teleport planets). Appeared in: Season 11, Episode 10 ‘The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos‘. Not the only entry on this list with a Doctor Who-adjacent role in his back catalogue (see also: Anjli Mohindra in The Sarah-Jane Adventures), as a teenager, Ascott played science geek Benny in Russell T. Davies’ Wizards Vs Aliens. He was great then, but really showed his range in cancelled-too-soon Netflix supernatural drama The Innocents, where he stole the show. When he popped back up opposite Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor as the wise and conscience-led Delph, it was hard not to imagine what he might do in the Doctor’s role.

Zawe Ashton

Played: Lieutenant Journey Blue of the Combined Galactic Resistance, a solider on the Aristotle. Appeared in: the Ben Wheatley-directed Series 8 episode ‘Into the Dalek‘. A regular on ‘Next Doctor’ wishlists for some time now, Zawe Ashton is a terrific actor who came to fame as hedonist Vod in Channel 4 student comedy Fresh Meat and who’s recently been seen in Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale. In ‘Into the Dalek’ she played a ‘shoot first ask questions later’ soldier, but Ashton has the range for serious, absurd and very funny – in short, everything required to make a great Doctor.

Maxim Baldry

Played: Dr Polidori, a nineteenth century character who was part of Mary and Percy Shelley’s social circle. Appeared in: Series 12’s ‘The Haunting of Villa Diodati‘, about the summer Mary Shelley conceived her famous science-fiction novel Frankenstein. Baldry’s scored a role in Amazon Prime Video’s new mega-money Lord of the Rings TV series, so his dance card is likely full for now, but he’s just the sort of actor to breathe fresh life into the role of the Doctor, much in the way Matt Smith did back in 2010. He’s probably best recognised right now as Viktor, the asylum-seeking boyfriend of Russell Tovey’s character in Russell T. Davies’ future-predicting Years and Years, but the Russian-British actor has been acting in films since he was a child.

Sanjeev Bhaskar

Played: UNIT’s Colonel Ahmed, a colleague of Kate Lethbridge-Stewart in the fight against Missy’s Cybermen-from-corpses wicked plan. Appeared in: Series 8 finale ‘Death in Heaven‘. This Doctor Who role was just not enough of Sanjeev Bhaskar, an actor-writer-comedian whose role as DS Sunny Khan in ITV detective series Unforgotten has elevated him to the status of national treasure (partly because of his backpack, but mostly because of his decency and warm humour). Bhaskar is playing Cain opposite Asim Chaudhry’s Abel in Netflix’s forthcoming The Sandman series, and there’s series five of Unforgotten on the way, but wouldn’t he be great as the Doctor? As would another member of his family (see below)…

Mark Bonnar

Played: 22nd century miner Jimmy Wicks in the one with the ‘ganger’ clones. Appeared in: Series 6 two-parter ‘The Rebel Flesh/The Almost People’. No, of course they won’t let another funny, clever, slightly scary Scot with a brilliant face be the Doctor so soon after Peter Capaldi, but in a parallel universe, Mark Bonnar would make a very fine Doctor – something that hasn’t escaped Big Finish. He’s got it all (funny, clever, slightly scary, brilliant face) and frequently steals whichever show he’s in. Watch this two-parter, Catastrophe, Unforgotten series two and the brilliant Guilt (series two of which is approaching) for evidence of that.

Kevin Eldon

Played: Ribbons of the Seven Stomachs, a trader in the ‘Antizone’ obsessed with the Doctor’s “tubular” (or Sonic Screwdriver), and the voice of companion Antimony in an animated online adventure. Appeared in: Series 11’s ‘It Takes You Away‘ and 2001 webcast ‘Death Comes to Time’. It just seems a waste for the multi-talented Kevin Eldon to only play just one (or technically two, but just one on-screen) role on Doctor Who. And because his series 11 appearance was under a faceful of prosthetics, it wouldn’t even cause any continuity errors for him to come back in the role of the Doctor. Or a companion. Or another alien. Whatever it is, just give us more Eldon please.

O-T Fagbenle

Played: ‘Other Dave’, an engineer on an expedition to The Library who was eaten by the Vashta Nerada but brought back to life in the computer core. Appeared in: Series 4 two-parter ‘Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead‘ Fagbenle has recently been seen as Natasha’s fixer in Black Widow, June’s husband Luke in The Handmaid’s Tale, and as the lead character in sitcom Maxxx, about a washed-up former boy band member. The man has dramatic and comedy range, a very good American accent (not necessarily relevant here) and excellent screen presence. He’d rock the role of the Doctor.

Siobhan Finneran

Played: 17th century landlady/witch prosecutor Becka Savage/Morax queen Appeared in: Series 11’s ‘The Witchfinders‘. If the new Doctor’s going to be a woman in her early fifties, then it should really go to Jo Martin, but if she’s busy, how great would Siobhan Finneran be? The Happy Valley and Downton Abbey actor’s a treat in everything. She can be equal parts funny and imperious, and you can easily imagine her running circles around alien fiends and having a load of fun doing it.

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Tamsin Grieg

Played: the Nurse who inserts Adam’s infospike on Satellite 5. Appeared in: Series 1 Simon Pegg-starring episode ‘The Long Game’, alongside Anna Maxwell-Martin (who might also deserve a place on this list come to think about it). Tamsin Grieg would make such a good Doctor it almost makes you angry she’s never played the role. She has the dramatic chops to deliver all the world-saving speeches, and the comedic skill to give it all a sparkling light touch. She was chilling in her small Series 1 role, but it only showed a tiny portion of what she can do. Also, wouldn’t she look great in a signature coat.

Suranne Jones

Played: Idris, into whom the ‘soul’ of the TARDIS was poured, making her the ship incarnate until her body died. Appeared in: Series 6 episode ‘The Doctor’s Wife‘, written by Neil Gaiman. Perhaps a bit too similar to Jodie Whittaker to be a likely successor, but you only have to see Suranne Jones in BBC/HBO drama Gentleman Jack to know that she’s made of Doctor material. As nineteenth-century landowner and famed lesbian Anne Lister, she’s cleverer and faster than everybody else, with a fierce sense of boundary-breaking why-not-ness, and plenty of emotion. Look at most of Jones’ roles, including that of the TARDIS itself, and she’d be great in the part, especially if her regular collaborator Sally Wainwright is enticed into the showrunner gig.

Paterson Joseph

Played: the venal Rodrick, who competed against Rose Tyler in The Weakest Link on the Game Station. Appeared in: Series 1 two-parter ‘Bad Wolf/The Parting of the Ways’. Paterson Joseph was famously up for the role of the Eleventh Doctor that ultimately went to Matt Smith, and has been a stalwart entry in ‘Who next?’ lists of this sort ever since, so… this isn’t going to happen, but wouldn’t it have been great if it had? The Peep Show, The Leftovers, Noughts + Crosses actor and Big Finish voice artist is currently showing off his commander chops in BBC One submarine thriller Vigil.

Ralf Little

Played: Steadfast, one of the few crew members of an off-world colony ship who weren’t murdered by nano-bots. Appeared in: Series 10 episode ‘Smile‘. He’s currently solving baroque murders on a fictional Caribbean island in Death in Paradise, but none of that lot ever last long, which could free Little up for another spin in the TARDIS. Little has been a familiar face on British TV for years, after playing feckless teenager Anthony on The Royle Family and starring in a BBC Three sitcom that spanned the entire noughties, but now a little older, with plenty of experience under his belt, it could be Ralf Little’s time.

Susan Lynch

Played: Pilot Angstrom, a competitor in an intergalactic race who meets Thirteen on her second ever adventure. Appeared in: Series 11 episode ‘The Ghost Monument’. You don’t need telling why Susan Lynch would make a great Doctor, just watch any decent British drama from the last decade and she’s in it, showing you. From Save Me to Unforgotten to Happy Valley to Killing Eve to any number of TV and film roles, she’s a scene-stealer who can play mystery, tragedy, power… everything the role calls for.

Daniel Mays

Played: Alex, the unwitting foster dad of a Tenza-in-human-form son, George. Appeared in: Series 6 episode ‘Night Terrors‘ written by Mark Gatiss. RADA-trained Danny Mays can do comedy, drama, has some serious dance moves, and was a Line of Duty guest star, so we know he’d have no problem at all learning the Doctor’s long speeches. If the TARDIS wanted to cast a Gallifreyan Doctor by way of Essex, he’d be top of the list.

T’Nia Miller

Played: The General, Military Commander of the Time Lords, in their Twelfth Regeneration. Appeared in: Series 9 finale ‘Hell Bent’. The Years & Years and Foundation star played a Time Lord in her Doctor Who debut and can even already tick ‘Regeneration’ off the to-do list. Miller clearly has the bearing and gravitas required of the Doctor, looks great even in impractically massive armour, and was the absolute stand-out in Netflix’s 2020 horror series The Haunting of Bly Manor. If they could work out the continuity for a reappearance, she’d rock the role.

Lucian Msamati

Played: Guido, the father of Isabella, a new enrolment at Rosanna Calvierri’s school for girls. Appeared in: Series 5 episode ‘The Vampires of Venice.’ Since appearing in this 2010 Doctor Who episode, Msamati has gone on to appear in major series, from Game of Thrones to Gangs of London and His Dark Materials. He’s an experienced stage actor too, who’d be sure to bring dramatic heft to the role of the Doctor.

Anjli Mohindra

Played: the Scorpion-like Queen of the Skithra, a species that relies on other species for their engineering. Appeared in: Series 12 episode ‘Nikola Tesla’s Night of Terror‘. Anjli Mohindra already has a long history with Doctor Who, having appeared under layers of prosthetics and make-up in Series 12, provided the voice of the Mechanoid Queen for animated Time Lord Victorious series Daleks!, and playing the recurring role of Rani Chandra from series two of The Sarah Jane Adventures. Would that preclude the Vigil and Bodyguard star from stepping behind the TARDIS console in the top role? Nah.

Sophie Okonedo

Played: Elizabeth X of The United Kingdom aka Liz 10 of Starship UK. Appeared in: Series 5 episodes ‘The Beast Below’ and ‘The Pandorica Opens’. One of our finest actors, Sophie Okonedo not only played the future queen opposite Matt Smith and Karen Gillan in Doctor Who, she was also the voice of the Shalka Doctor’s companion in the BBC’s ‘Scream of the Shalka’ animated webcast, way back when. She’s currently starring in Amazon’s Wheel of Time adaptation and voices the key role of angel Xaphania in His Dark Materials, so probably has too full a plate to step into the TARDIS, but casting her as the Doctor would be a no-brainer.

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Tom Riley

Played: Robin Hood. Appeared in: 2014 Series 8 episode written by Mark Gatiss ‘Robot of Sherwood’. Tom Riley played a legendary genius and multi-hyphenate over three seasons of Da Vinci’s Demons so taking on the role of the Doctor wouldn’t really be a stretch. The actor is currently playing Augie in HBO/Sky drama The Nevers, which started life as a Joss Whedon-created supernatural fantasy before the showrunner left the project after the first six episodes.

Danny Sapani

Played: Colonel Manton/Runaway (depending on your perspective). Appeared in: Series 6 episode ‘A Good Man Goes to War’. The River Song/Melody Pond revelation overshadowed much else that happened in ‘A Good Man Goes to War’, but nonetheless, seasoned Brit actor Danny Sapani made an impression as enemy of the Doctor, Colonel Manton, who conspired with Madame Kovarian to kidnap Amy and Rory’s baby. Sapani’s enjoying a long career on screen and stage, with stand-out TV roles in Penny Dreadful, Harlots and Killing Eve, as well as the upcoming part of Captain Jacob Keyes in video game adaptation Halo.

Amit Shah

Played: Rahul, brother to missing person Asha Chandra, both victims of Tzim-Sha. Appeared in: The Series 11 opener ‘The Woman Who Fell to Earth‘. A skilled comedic actor who has a habit of stealing scenes, even in serious supporting roles like this one, or last year’s turn as a doctor experimenting on children in His Dark Materials, Amit Shah would be a great surprise to find in the TARDIS. Experienced but not yet a household name, there’s a Matt Smith vibe about this one. Revive him as a companion, at the very least?

Peter Serafinowicz

Played: the voice of alien warlord The Fisher King (though the character’s screams were provided by Slipknot front man Corey Taylor). Appeared in: Series 9 episode ‘Before the Flood‘. Likely not the photo of Peter Serafinowicz his Nan keeps on the mantelpiece, this is the villain he voiced in a Series 9 two-parter. It’s Serafinowicz out of the make-up and prosthetics though, who’d make an intriguing prospect as the Doctor. Great voice(s), great face, serious presence, humour, loads of experience… what else do you need?

Nina Sosanya

Played: Trish Webber, mother of Chloe Webber, the little girl endowed with the psychic powers of an Isolus. (And in Big Finish audio adventure ‘Aquitaine’ Captain Maynard’). Appeared in: Series 2 Olympics episode ‘Fear Her‘. A regular RTD collaborator, with previous roles in Casanova and Wizards Vs Aliens as well as Doctor Who, Nina Sosanya is a joy to see in any cast, which must be why she’s (thankfully) in everything. She’s great in comedy (Good Omens, WIA, Staged, Nathan Barley) and in drama (Last Tango in Halifax, Killing Eve, His Dark Materials, Little Birds) and would no doubt make a very convincing centuries-old two-hearted big-brained Time Lord. Get her a statement coat and get her in the TARDIS.

Meera Syal

Played: Dr Nasreen Chaudhry, the scientist in charge of an ill-fated deep drilling mission in a Welsh village. (As well as voicing audio stories and audiobook Borrowed Time). Appeared in: Series 5 two-parter ‘The Hungry Earth’ and ‘Cold Blood‘. Actor-writer-comedian Meera Syal, CBE, had a fair crack of the whip in Series 5 Silurian two-parter, but would always, always be welcome back for more. As well as comedic talent, she has the dramatic presence, brains and stature to play the Doctor. Her husband Sanjeev Bhaskar (see above) will just have to fight her for the role.

Joivan Wade

Played: Bristol graffiti artist Christopher Riggens aka Rigsy. Appeared in: Series 8’s ‘Flatline’ and Series 9’s ‘Face the Raven‘. Joivan Wade is currently starring as Victor Stone in Doom Patrol for the MCU, so it may be a while before he returns to the UK, but his two appearances in Doctor Who proved him to be a charismatic talent who’d energise the TARDIS if welcomed back.

Harriet Walter

Played: British Technology Secretary and later, Prime Minister Jo Patterson. Appeared in: Series 12’s ‘Revolution of the Daleks‘ (as well as voicing the role of Beatrice in audio story ‘The Boy That Time Forgot’). Having a Dame in the TARDIS would be quite something; that Dame being Harriet Walter would be off the charts brilliant. Just look at her – the face, the voice, the hard-to-define quality that means the moment she opens her mouth, everybody shuts up and listens. Harriet Walter, stage and screen star of Killing Eve, Succession, The Crown, Downton Abbey and so much more, would make a very fine Doctor indeed.

Marc Warren

Played: Elton Pope, co-founder member of LINDA, a group of humans who meet to swap stories on their encounters with the Doctor. Appeared in: Little-loved Series 2 episode ‘Love & Monsters‘. A very familiar face on British screens, with regular roles in hits including Hustle, Mad Dogs, The Good Wife and The Musketeers, there’s always been something about Marc Warren that makes you think he’d make a really great alien. See him as The Gentleman in Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, or Mr Teatime in The Hogfather, and you’ll agree. Top Doctor potential.

Gemma Whelan

Played: the voice of loads of characters for Big Finish audio adventures, but never (yet) on screen. Appeared in: ‘Ninth Doctor Adventures’, ‘Dalek Universe’, ‘Counter-Measures’ and more. Always a treat wherever you find her on screen, actor-comedian Gemma Whelan is best recognised as warrior leader of the Iron Islands, Yara Greyjoy in Game of Thrones but she’s been great in Killing Eve, Gentleman Jack, Upstart Crow, The End of the F***ing World, and recently, a killer episode of Inside No. 9. If Doctor Who is looking for another late-thirties Yorkshire lass to take on the Doctor’s mantle in future, go Whelan or go home.

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Doctor Who Series 13 will air on BBC One and BBC America this autumn.

The post Doctor Who: Previous Guest Stars Who’d Be Great as the New Doctor appeared first on Den of Geek.

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Galleries Of Week 5

Tammi Campbell - Arsenal Contemporary Gallery

Tammi Campbell’s show entitled, “Bring Ice, Thanks” immediately reminded me of Emil Lukas’s show at Sperone Westwater Gallery. I think it was mostly because Emil Lukas makes ‘bubble wrap paintings’ and Tammi Campbell used bubble wrap among other materials generally used in packing/shipping of artwork. She used cardboard, tarps, and tape alongside the bubble wrap. I thought that this was a really interesting thought - the pieces speaking about the transit of art and also drawing on the capitalistic tendencies of the art world as well because if you are mentioning the transit of art/art pieces you must be thinking about the means that is transporting them - transactions. I thought that it was interesting to leave the works in a half-baked sort of state with the bubble wrap surrounding them and the cardboard covering them because it also kind of created an air of mystery about what would be under those layers. 

Ghosts - Jack Hanley

‘Ghosts’ at Jack Hanley gallery was a group show by various types of artists that included video, sculpture, paintings, and prints. A specific video by Courtney Andrews really both intrigued me and also was quite frightening. There was a older box TV on the ground with a video of a girl hanging from a tree while also moving her legs on the tree so It kind of looked like she was climbing it. This image was frightening but also made me very intrigued to see how the artist created the video as it was seemingly overlaid over the forest in the back ground. After reading the press release relating to the work, Andrews video is speaking about perceptions of women and in the specific video, “Holding,” she is relating her character to one persecuted during the witch trials. The show was overall quite eerie and did definitely evoke a spiritual or ghostly presence by the pieces. 

Neil Wellver - Tibor De Nagy

Neil Welliver’s show at Tibor De Nagy Gallery was not something that I would generally be drawn to on my own. I did actually find that I was interested in the quiet landscapes that were both woodcuts as well as paintings. I was more interested in his earlier works that were not only landscapes, but also contained figures within the landscapes. I found that the large scale woodcuts were very detailed and also quite contemplative. I found myself able to sit and spend time with each piece. I also found from the press release that the woodcuts were all in collaboration with a master woodcutter in the Ukiyo-e style named Shigemitsu Tsukaguchi. 

Nari Ward - We the People

‘We the People,’ is Nari Ward’s exhibition at the New Museum on the 3rd and 4th floors. It has extremely striking imagery to almost every piece, as well as a contemplative video that gives you a look into growing up as a POC youth. A few pieces that I really enjoyed were the piece that was made up of shoelaces on the wall that plainly read, “We the People,” which was speaking about how that phrase that begins the constitution is supposed to be inclusive of all but that in reality it really leaves out basically entire populations of inclusion for POC people. Another piece I found really interesting was a quilt-like structure that hung from the ceiling to the ground that was made of bottles with notes inside that was strung together with wire and metal rings. If I remember correctly I think that this piece was based off of traditions seen in colonial america combined with the ‘message in a bottle,’ imagery. The third piece that I found very interesting was the ‘naturalization table,’ where museum goers can take a photo and fill out a naturalization/immigration application and it will get hung on the wall. The table has a specific schedule of when it gets activated, and that is when the museum goers can have their photos taken. I’m not sure if it was just simply the last round of people who were there to get their photos taken, but when I visited the museum, mostly all - if not 90% of the people on the wall were white (the ones filling out the fake naturalization forms) which is not me saying they all are for sure natural born citizens of america, but I just found it interesting, and also was questioning whether or not this was on purpose? 

Yukulti Napangati - Salon 94

Walking into the Yukulti Napangati exhibition at Salon 94, one may think that all of the pieces are very similar, however after spending some time with the work and also reading about its conception, you can really see all of the various subtle changes, but still the unity throughout. Napangati is an aboriginal painted from West Australia and specifically the Gibson Desert. Her group of people which are called the Pintupi were actually reunited with her family at the age of 14, when they were found as a group of nomadic peoples living secluded from the world. Her family of 9 created a media shock where they were touted as the “Lost Tribe” but her family insisted they were not lost from their tribe, they were just living as their ancestors would have, off the land. Napangati’s background was so interesting to me, and was even more intriguing as the press release details how she became one of the first Pintupi women painters, as up until that point there were only ‘painting men,’ and women could only really assist them. Her work is speaking about the various stories and narratives passed down from generation to generation in her tribe/family, and how these are all interconnected both generationally and spiritually as well. I definitely think the work evokes a very specific spiritual quality, almost as if you look at the paintings too long you will feel like you are dreaming!

Ger Van Elk - 202 Bowery/Grimm Gallery

In all of my gallery visits, I have never been more generally excited/in love with a piece before. This happened when I went to see Ger Van Elk’s show at 202 Bowery. I had not heard of this artist before so I didn't really know what to expect, but Van Elk has two pieces in this show that are perfectly framed and matted that actually have screens where a photograph would be. In the first time I saw this in the first video piece where there is a video of the artist trying to row down a stream in a yellow life boat and If I’m not mistaken the title is something like, “Trying to Flatten the Water,” or something similar. This piece really for some reason made me so enamored and I had never thought of showing a video like this or somewhat subverting a photo/prints presentation. Still at this point I’m not really sure if this is even the first instance of someone doing this but It was very influential to me. As was another 2 pieces that were in the downstairs portion of the show that included slide projectors, which was something I had never seen before. I know my freshman year someone in my space class had found a slide projector at a thrift store, but I think I am in love with them now and was just really inspired overall by this show for my own art making. 

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Blog Tour: Revelations by Alesha Escobar and Samantha Lafantasie (Giveaway)

Revelations

The Aria Knight Chronicles Book 2

By Alesha Escobar and Samantha Lafantasie

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal

Magic is dangerous, but secrets can kill...

Aria Knight sees a light at the end of the tunnel as she sets out to confront the powerful witch who turned her world upside down…her mother. She must decide if the witch, Clare, truly wants to help her, or drag her into a fate worse than death.

Darkness gathers around Aria and her friends as rioting and assassination plots break out in the streets of Miracle Falls. Her ally, Harry Storm, conceals the truth about his powers while trying to keep it together long enough to help, or else fall into an abyss of insanity. And Jacob Wolfe, the man she yearns for, has little time for romance as he’s stuck trying to prevent an all-out war on preternaturals.

Aria knows that she must do her part to keep the peace, but it's difficult when the conflict within her own family threatens to tear her down. In liberating her only sibling from a magical prison, she finds that she may have hastened the destruction of all sin eaters, including herself.

REVELATIONS is the second book of the Aria Knight Chronicles by USA Today bestselling author Samantha LaFantasie, and bestselling author of The Gray Tower Trilogy, Alesha Escobar.

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Sin Eater

 The Aria Knight Chronicles Book 1

Aria Knight has an unusual set of skills: she will hold back the hounds of Hell so you can fly toward the Pearly Gates, and she will wipe your slate clean so that you don't become karma's bitch...for a price.

A Sin Eater has to make a living in today's world somehow.

But when she's called in the dead of night to perform her rite for a recluse billionaire, she stumbles upon a murder scene, and the evidence points to her.

In an attempt to clear her name and uncover the true culprit, Aria is forced to team up with a private investigator who's possessed by three spirits, and a handsome wizard who would rather see all Sin Eaters like Aria go extinct.

Aria knows her job is never easy, but now it's become downright deadly.

SIN EATER is the first book of the Aria Knight Chronicles by USA Today bestselling author Samantha LaFantasie and Alesha Escobar, author of the bestselling Gray Tower Trilogy.

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I’m a caffeine addict and chocoholic who enjoys reading and writing engaging stories, loveable (and not-so loveable) characters, and expressing my creativity daily. I write fantasy with intriguing characters, action-packed scenes, and always throw in a good dash of humor and romance.

Science Fiction and Fantasy are my favorite genres, but I also adore the classics (Shakespeare, Dante Alighieri, etc.) and I have a soft spot in my heart for Victorian poetry. You can geek out with me all-day every day over these.

Some of my favorite contemporary fantasy authors are George R.R. Martin, Robert Jordan (rest in peace), J.K. Rowling, Neil Gaiman, Jim Butcher (Dresden Files made me love Urban Fantasy), and Ilona Andrews among others. I enjoy movies and shows like Sleepy Hollow, Supernatural, Arrow, The Flash, The Avengers…there are too many to name!

I want to read more comics and graphic novels, please shoot a recommendation or two my way (I LOVE the Hellblazer comics, by the way).

Please don’t be a stranger–I want you to kick up your feet, sip your coffee (or tea) and join in on my weekly rants, discussions, and updates.

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Chapters: 16/18 Fandom: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard, Aaron Minyard & Andrew Minyard, Neil Josten & Aaron Minyard, and more - Relationship Characters: Neil Josten, Andrew Minyard, Aaron Minyard, Renee Walker (All For The Game), Kevin Day, Danielle "Dan" Wilds, Matt Boyd, Allison Reynolds (All For The Game), Seth Gordon, Nicky Hemmick, Jean Moreau, Jeremy Knox, Erik Klose, David Wymack, Abby Winfield, Robin Cross, Betsy Dobson Additional Tags: Witch AU, godot's plant witch au, necromancer!Andrew, plant witch!Neil, Sweet, Some hurt/comfort, Aaron and Neil are besties, Andrew is the 'outsider' for once, and Neil is the 'monster', Implied/Referenced Torture, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, witch aesthetic, Light Angst, Strangers to Lovers, "SLOW" burn, plant cats everywhere, Fox Family, AFTGBB2k19, racism against witches, a lil violence, Things are rough with updates atm, It will be finished though!, MOAR ANGST Summary:

Andrew returns to Palmetto Village after a three-year sabbatical, searching for answers to unasked questions. Neil Josten is a mysterious, beautiful witch with more secrets than anyone could ever know, and Andrew is horribly intrigued by him.

~

  Neil Josten, the beautiful outsider has made waves in this community in a way Andrew wouldn’t have even cared to attempt, and he’s as damaged, if not more so than Andrew. He’s a curious individual and Andrew can’t help but want to get closer to him… if he wasn’t being so… weird.

[gokinjeespot]

off the rack #1159

Monday, April 17, 2017

 I'm back. Missed posting last week while I was vacationing in Cuba. It was a nice break to be totally unconnected. I managed to read two week's worth of comic books for today's deadline so this will be longer than usual.

 Weapon X #1 - Greg Pak (writer) Greg Land (pencils) Jay Leisten (inks) Frank D'Armata (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). That was a very promising start. This new mutant team book opens with Old Man Logan chillaxin' in the wilds of Washington state and ends with him teaming up with Sabretooth. The age old enemies must work together to fight a common enemy. I look forward to seeing how they hook up with the other three mutants featured on the credits page.

 Superman #20 - Patrick Gleason & Peter J. Tomasi (writers) Patrick Gleason (pencils) Mick Gray (inks) John Kalisz (colours) Rob Leigh (letters). Venom was all over Marvel variant covers recently but I didn't expect to see him in a DC comic book. Part one of "Black Dawn" is a World's Finest team-up that has Batman visiting the Superman family on their farm. Seems the neighbours are not what they seem. It's stories like these that make me appreciate the biweekly release schedule.

 Godshaper #1 - Simon Spurrier (writer) Jonas Goonface (artist) Colin Bell (letters). This is the story of Ennay, the godshaper. He travels around reshaping gods for people in a weird new world where personal gods make life easier. See, natural science doesn't work in this world so gods are what helps people live. I like Ennay. He's a hustler with a conscience who is just trying to get by

and not a con man. Jonas's art is vibrant and colourful and Ennay's little god sidekick Bud is cute.

 Deadpool vs. Punisher #1 - Fred Van Lente (writer) Pere Perez (art) Ruth Redmond (colours) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). Well, that's one way to start a feud. Frank hurts Wade's accountant and the battle is on. I know that neither killer will win this fight but I might read it to see how they settle the feud.

 Action Comics #977 - Dan Jurgens (writer) Ian Churchill (art) Hi-Fi (colours) Rob Leigh (letters). Part one of "The New World" starts off with a rehash of Superman's origin story going right back to when his parents put him into a rocket ship to Earth just before the planet Krypton explodes and Ma and Pa Kent finding baby Kal-El on their farm in Smallville. I found the retelling tedious but there are a few pages peppered in showing a mysterious new super villain that almost made up for that feeling of reading a rerun. This new villain will keep me coming back for more.

 Riverdale #1 - This new Archie publication is based on the new "hit" TV series. I have not seen the show but I have a long time love of these characters, especially for a certain blonde girl next door. There are two short stories. The first by Will Ewing (writer) Joe Eisma (art) Andre Szymanowicz (colours) Janice Chiang (letters) features Archie going through the varsity football team's hazing rituals. I am impressed that Will made me like this version of the redheaded teenager. The second story by Michael Grassi (writer) Joe Eisma (art) Andre Szymanowicz (colours) John Workman (letters) features my gal Betty Cooper as she endures hazing by Cheryl Blossom, the wicked witch captain of the cheerleading squad. This book made me want to tune into the show now.

 X-Men Blue #1 - Cullen Bunn (writer) Jorge Molina & Matteo Buffagni (art) Matt Milla (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). This is the original young X-Men team with Jean Grey/Marvel Girl as leader. It reads like a straight up super hero comic book with Marvel Girl, Cyclops, Angel (with flaming wings, when did that happen?), Beast and Iceman fighting Black Tom Cassidy and Juggernaut on a luxury yacht. Not very interesting until the surprise twist at the end. The twist bothered me more than intrigued me because the character is also in other X-books and I'm wondering are they good or bad in this one? The back-up story looks like it features Wolverine but this guy is a blonde. I liked the art throughout, especially the cover by Art Adams but my opinion is that these kids should be in their own little world to make it interesting for me and that isn't this.

 Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #18 - Robert Venditti (writer) V Ken Marion (pencils) Dexter Vines (inks) Dinei Ribeiro (colours) Dave Sharpe (letters). The Green and Yellow Lantern Corps working together would be like the FBI and the CIA working together. Things are going to get testy at times. Having Guy and Arkillo make peace after almost killing each other in a slugfest is hokey but it kind of works for this comic book. This is a good issue to jump in on as it starts the new story "The Prism of Time". I don't know how long I will stick with this story as it involves time travel. I know because the surprise guest star on the last page gives it away.

 American Gods #2 - Neil Gaiman (writer) P. Craig Russell (script & layouts) Scott Hampton (art) Rick Parker (letters). I have a mild obsession with time. I like to know how long something lasts. I put a date label on Bic pens to see how long it takes for the ink to run out. We rarely lost one at the Snail and one pen would last just over a year. A can of my shaving gel runs out after just over a month. The number 44 is bad luck in Chinese culture so I wear an analogue watch rather than a digital. It always seemed that whenever I looked at the time on a digital it was 44 minutes after the hour and I would get anxious. I kid you not. There's an incident in this issue that relates to a certain time and now that I am aware of it I am going to see if it happens in real life. This is the kind of stuff that makes reading comic books a lot of fun for me. Seeing the incident unfold in three panels made the impact on me even bigger than just reading about it in a novel.

 Jessica Jones #7 - Brian Michael Bendis (writer) Michael Gaydos (art) Matt Hollingsworth (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). This issue starts and ends with Maria Hill and leads to a new case for Jessica. There's a touching scene with Jessica, Luke and their daughter Danielle but not a resolution to their damaged relationship. I really hope Luke forgives Jessica.

 Batman #20 - Tom King (writer) David Finch (pencils) Danny Miki & Trevor Scott (inks) Jordie Bellaire (colours) Deron Bennett (letters). The finale to "I Am Bane" was meh. It's a fight between hero and villain that I've witnessed many, many times. This one is just brute force versus brute force and how Batman puts down Bane (because we all know that's what will happen) was very mundane. I hope the next story ends in a more interesting way.

 Rat Queens #2 - Kurtis J. Wiebe (writer) Owen Gieni (art) Ryan Ferrier (letters). The main story has the Queens landing the demon Canada goose to tie up another quest. The back-up story by Patrick Rothfuss (writer) Nate Taylor (art) Ryan Ferrier (letters) is a nifty little campfire story that was very clever. Fooled me.

 Guardians of the Galaxy #19 - Brian Michael Bendis (writer) Valerio Schiti (art) Richard Isanove (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). This issue is "Bendis' big-time bye-bye blowout!" and it is an artists lover's dream. The guest artists here are Phil Noto, Andrea Sorrentino, Ed McGuinness & Mark Morales, Arthur Adams, Kevin Maguire, Mark Bagley & Andrew Hennessy, Sara Pichelli and Filipe Andrade. It's basically a big fight between the team, a few of their friends and Thanos. My one complaint is that Gamora did not act like I thought she should but it was an expedient reaction to seeing the Mad Titan in that situation. I loved Brian's run on this book so writer Gerry Duggan has a hard act to follow.

 Wonder Woman #20 - Greg Rucka (writer) Bilquis Evely (art) Romulo Fajardo Jr. (colours) Jodi Wynne (letters). Veronica Cale has exhausted all medical means for getting her daughter Izzy back from the clutches of Phobos and Deimos so it's time for the mystical option. I like Greg's incarnation of Circe. She can give Loki a run for his money.

 Paper Girls #13 - Brian K. Vaughn (writer) Cliff Chiang (art) Matthew Wilson (colours) Jared K. Fletcher (letters). Time travel makes my head hurt but I have an emotional stake in these girls now and want to know what happens to them.

 Champions #7 - Mark Waid (writer) Humberto Ramos (pencils) Victor Olazaba (inks) Edgar Delgado (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). That's twice that the team has tussled with the Freelancers and the super villains have given up too easily. There's a good reason for that other than because they're cowards and bullies. There's more than one way to hurt the good guys besides beating them up. Time to call in Matt Murdock.

 Kingpin #3 - Matthew Rosenberg (writer) Marc Laming (layouts) Ben Torres (art) Jordan Boyd (colours) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). Sarah the biographer gets chummy with Wilson Fisk which leads Sarah the reporter into very deep trouble with Tombstone. Can Wilson protect her from harm? I like this portrayal of the Kingpin.

 Savage Things #2 - Justin Jordan (writer) Ibrahim Moustafa (art) Jordan Boyd (colours) Josh Reed (letters). Ruthless terrorists who have no qualms about killing women and children make for some very nasty bad guys. It's interesting that the good guy Abel trained with these same men. I am anticipating the much larger threat that Cain has planned.

 All-New Wolverine #19 - Tom Taylor (writer) Leonard Kirk (pencils) Cory Hamscher (inks) Michael Garland (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). The 3-part "Immune" starts here. Laura and Gabby take down a human trafficker while an alien craft crashed on Roosevelt Island, New York. That crash has consequences for Laura. I am waiting to find out what the connection between the alien and Laura is. I really like Gabby and I hope she plays a bigger role in this book.

 Red Team: Double Tap, Center Mass #6 - Garth Ennis(writer) Craig Cermak (art) Vinicius Andrade (colours) Rob Steen (letters). This issue adds some true romance to the true detective plot of the story. Detectives Mellinger and Giroux break the cardinal rule of workplace romance and that never ends well. Garth will get back to blood and mayhem soon I'm sure.

 Amazing Spider-Man #26 - Dan Slott (writer) Stuart Immonen (pencils) Wade von Grawbadger (inks) Marte Gracia (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). Plenty of action in part 2 of "The Osborn Identity" with Spidey and Silver Sable fighting Norman's henchmen. Some mild intrigue with Doc Ock in the background. I don't get S.H.I.E.L.D.'s stance on what Parker Industries is doing to help Symkaria. Dan has made up some political drama for the sake of the story that doesn't make sense to me.

 Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #6 - Kieron Gillen (writer) Kev Walker (pencils) Marc Deering (inks) Antonio Fabela (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). No killer droids this issue made it a lot less fun but I did like how the story ended.

 The Unstoppable Wasp #4 - Jeremy Whitley (writer) Elsa Charretier (art) Megan Wilson (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). I really like this energetic and slightly naïve super hero. She did try to reason with a super villain but when she had to kick butt she did. I hope she can save her old Red Room mate.

 Spider-Man #15 - Brian Michael Bendis (writer) Szymon Kudranski (art) Justin Ponsor (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). It's time for Miles's mom to find out about his secret identity. She's not taking it as well as the Ultimate Universe Aunt May did when Peter's secret came out. Szymon's turn on the art for this book is okay but I wish he wouldn't copy panels so much. I feel like I'm not getting my money's worth when artists do that.

 Uncanny Avengers #22 - Gerry Duggan (writer) Pepe Larraz (art) David Curiel (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). The team de-powers the Red Skull of Professor X's super powers and Charles Xavier can now rest in peace. There's a page in this issue where Rogue is thinking about Professor X and the major decision that she made that Pepe and David did a beautiful job of expressing. I'm sure when Gerry wrote the scene he could not imagine how well rendered it would be.  That page choked me up and stopped me reading. I had to send Pepe a message right then to let him know that image is burned into my memory like John Romita Senior's Peter Parker walking away down an ally with Spider-Man's costume in a garbage can in the foreground. Some comic book art is unforgettable and their page qualifies. Geez Pepe, you outdid yourself.

 Spider-Man/Deadpool #16 - Joshua Corin (writer) Scott Koblish (art) Nick Filardi (colours) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). I did not leave the best for last. This is a tie-in issue. "'Til Death Do Us…"  part 4's only interesting thing for me was seeing who Deadpool teams up with in his other book Deadpool & The Mercs for Money. This did not make me want to read that book nor the grand finale in Deadpool #29 to see what Wade and his monster queen wife Shiklah will wind up doing. I anticipate it will be the divorce from hell. I hope we get back to the silliness that I have come to expect from this book soon.