#Stefano Vigilante

[jellazticious]

Jalapeño guy

[umbriajournal]

Vigilantes a Terni per la sicurezza , lo ha deciso Stefano Bandecchi

[sketchyallstar]

Pencil sketches of the latest two characters to join the Mystechs, my OC superhero team. I’m not sure how well this will turn out if I ink and color it, so I’ll post this here just in case I ruin it in the future.

Lionheart (Leopoldo Salvatore Aloisio, or just Leo for short) is the youngest son of infamous Italian mafia boss Stefano Thiago Aloisio. The family rose to power thanks in part to a heroic ancestor, a man gifted with divine powers from an otherworldly patron. This patron continued granting descendants of the hero with powers, but eventually stopped one day. In an act of hubris, a descendant of the hero pledged themselves to a more dark patron, demonic in nature. It’s this demonic patron that the Aloisio family now pledges servitude to. Except for young Leo. You see, he was chosen by that divine patron that had chosen his ancestors before him, and the rest of the family couldn’t have that so he had to flee Italy and come to America. Leo uses his powers of healing to make enough money to get by on the streets until he comes into contact with the Mystechs, a ragtag trio of vigilantes.

Galactix is the first sentient result of Kyarus the Blackguard’s experiments with human DNA. Effectively, she is his clone, with some of her body being templated from human body parts. Half human, half Tethrogg. Since Kyarus blew up his home planet, he and Galactix (whom he named Vera) are what remains of the Tethroggian race, as far as Vera is aware. She is his second in command, essentially his daughter though they have a less than familial relationship. Kyarus expects excellence and anything less could get her scrapped, just another failed experiment. So when she’s handed the reigns for the hostile takeover of Earth starting with America, she is determined to not let him down. That is, until resistance pops up unexpectedly. Effective resistance, which was not part of the plan. These “Mystechs” or whatever they call themselves will pay for their insolence, Galactix will make sure of it.

[scienceninjaturtle]

RED HOOD #52

Written by SHAWN MARTINBROUGH

Art by TONY AKINS and STEFANO GAUDIANO

Cover by DAN MORA

Variant cover by SKAN

After making his dramatic return to Gotham City, Jason Todd finds himself in the middle of a turf war between a violent gang aided by Killer Croc and a new group of vigilantes dedicated to protecting his old neighborhood of the Hill. When a childhood friend is targeted for assassination by a vicious new crime lord on the rise, the Red Hood must forge an uneasy alliance with the vigilantes to save her.

32 pages, $3.99, available on Dec. 22.

[sins-of-the-sea]

👀 The Angel Servant?

The Angel Servant was originally a story that is unrelated to Devil's Eye but set in the same verse, so it can have recurring characters or even descendants and relatives but otherwise not have a direct connection to Devil's Eye, and vice versa. It was initially going to be about Giovanni as the one one of the Seven who was not affected by the ending of Devil's Eye (in this case, the Golden End), and so, continued on with his immortality and decided to use it as a vigilante of sorts against the occupying Austrians in Venice. Meanwhile, the people of Venice either think he's a hero or a demon as people are being kidnapped by masked shadows, taking them into a magic pocket dimension, "Cuor", filled with manifestations of negative emotions (the "Masks"). The story would follow descendants of the Conrad family, who try to destroy this destructive magic once and for all.

Art and such below ((TUMBLR STOP STRETCHING OUT MY IMAGES GFDI)).

Well, that was the initial story in the late 2000s, and since then, the story has evolved muchly as focus was less on Giovanni/the Angel Servant, and more on the people of living in 1821 Venice. As of the past few years, Cappn and I decided that Giovanni deserves to have his story resolved with the rest of the Seven in Devil's Eye, and the role of the Angel Servant zimself will be someone else. A descendent? Or perhaps a pre-existing character? Who knows.

In a stark contrast to Devil's Eye, the Angel Servant is NOT a comedy-adventure, but a gothic horror mystery written with inspiration and homage to Romantic/Enlightenment era literature. It also deals with sensitive topics FAR more frequently; a majority of the featured characters have some form of disability, for instance, sexism and misogyny is a frequent obstacle in the heroines' lives, and things like SA is a very real danger to several characters. It's also very much an "Anyone Can Die" sort of story where no one is exempt from being killed off in nasty or tragic ways. And worst: there is no guarantee anyone will get a happy ending. Whereas in Devil's Eye, every character can be written for comedy as well as drama, in Angel Servant, every character is vulnerable to a good and bad end depending on the actions of the heroes. Every one. No one is exempt. No one.

Like Devil's Eye, this story is co-written with @der-karibisch-heyder , as he is very versed in not just the history, but the kind of literature our inspirations draw from (I take from Mary Shelly and Pyotr Tchaikovsky, he takes after Honoré de Balzac and Alexandre Dumas, and together, from Victor Hugo, plus others). A good chunk of the heroes, in fact, are written by him, whereas I focus on the setting, side characters, and story direction.

For what we have for the current story now that Giovanni is no longer canon, it's up in the air. But several elements that are unique to Giovanni have been splintered from the Angel Servant and transferred to Devil's Eye such as Giovanni's delusions of "Little Demons" (the Masks) and believing he does not have a face (the "Dolls Without Faces", denizens of Cuor). Right now, the keeper is: 1821 Austrian-occupied Venice is being haunted by shadows with faces not unlike the then-banned Masks of Venetian tradition, and different people, foreigners and locals alike, are disappearing. It's up to foreigners Sophie Conrad, Dr. Henry Tanner, and friends they make along the way to solve the mystery of the disappearances and the rise of a figure whom the children of Venice dub "the Servant of Angels".

Other characters include Fernao/Ferdinand (I forget which name you're going by, I'm sorry Cappn lmao), Boville, and Bertuccio (written by Cappn), and Félix, René, Clarisse, Andras, Stefano, Davide, Alba, and a mysterious "Plague Doctor".

I actually used to have RP blogs for various characters of "The Angel Servant", but I've done away with them as I not only have no muse, but I doubt I will get the RP I want with them like I do with the Sins.

[dccomicsnews]

Review: Red Hood #52

Review: Red Hood #52 [Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers] Writer: Shawn Martinbrough Artists: Tony Akins and Stefano Gauidiano Colors: Paul Mounts Letters: ALW’s Troy Peteri   Reviewer: Tony Farina Summary After making his dramatic return to Gotham City, Jason Todd finds himself in the middle of a turf war between a violent gang aided by Killer Croc and a new group of vigilantes…

[weirdsciencecomics]

Power Pack #2 Preview

Power Pack #2 Preview #powerpack #powers #outlawed #alexpowers #MARVEL #marvelcomics #comics #comicbooks #news #mcu #art #info #NCBD #comicbooknews #previews #reviews #fantasticfour #FF

Writer: Ryan North Art: Nico Leon and Stefano Caselli Publisher: MARVEL COMICS Price: $3.99 Release Date: December 30th, 2020 THE PACK IN PRISON?! Okay, so MAYBE it’s illegal for minors to fight crime in costume, dispensing vigilante justice as they see fit. MAYBE. But not if they have a mentor! Then it’s totally fine! So now all the Pack need is an adult willing to let them do whatever they…

[thecomicon]

Super Sunday (Part 4) - 'Red Hood: Outlaw' #52 Preview

Super Sunday (Part 4) – ‘Red Hood: Outlaw’ #52 Preview

Cover by Dan Mora Written by Shawn Martinbrough Pencils Moritat, Tony Akins Inks Stefano Guadiano Colored by Paul Mounts “After making his dramatic return to Gotham City, Jason Todd finds himself in the middle of a turf war between a violent gang aided by Killer Croc and a new group of vigilantes dedicated to protecting his old neighborhood of the Hill. When a childhood friend is targeted for…

[dispatchdcu]

Red Hood and the Outlaws #52 Preview

Red Hood and the Outlaws #52 Preview #redhood #jasontodd #redhoodandtheoutlaws #outlaws #outlawed #gotham #DC #dccomics #comics #comicbooks #news #dcu #dcuuniverse #art #info #NCBD #comicbooknews #previews #reviews #amazon

Writer: SHAWN MARTINBROUGH Art: TONY AKINS, STEFANO GAUDIANO, DAN MORA, and SKAN Publisher: DC COMICS Release Date: December 22nd, 2020 Price: $3.99 After making his dramatic return to Gotham City, Jason Todd finds himself in the middle of a turf war between a violent gang aided by Killer Croc and a new group of vigilantes dedicated to protecting his old neighborhood of the Hill. When a childhood…

[newstfionline]

Wednesday, February 24, 2021

First Arctic Navigation in February (Bloomberg) A tanker sailed through Arctic sea ice in February for the first time, the latest sign of how quickly the pace of climate change is accelerating in the Earth’s northernmost regions. The Christophe de Margerie was accompanied by the nuclear-powered 50 Let Pobedy icebreaker as it sailed back to Russia this month after carrying liquified natural gas to China through the Northern Sea Route in January. Both trips broke navigation records. The experimental voyage happened after a year of extraordinarily warm conditions in the Arctic that have sent shockwaves across the world, from the snowstorm that blanketed Spain in January to the blast of cold air that swept through Canada in mid-February, moving deep into the South as far as Texas. The Arctic is warming more than twice as quickly as the rest of the world and the area covered by ice there has reached historic lows multiple times over the past 12 months. The melting in the region is already in line with the worst-case climate scenarios outlined by scientists.

Biden mourns 500,000 dead, balancing nation’s grief and hope (AP) With sunset remarks and a national moment of silence, President Joe Biden on Monday confronted head-on the country’s once-unimaginable loss—half a million Americans in the COVID-19 pandemic—as he tried to strike a balance between mourning and hope. “We often hear people described as ordinary Americans. There’s no such thing,” he said Monday evening. “There’s nothing ordinary about them. The people we lost were extraordinary.” The president, who lost his first wife and baby daughter in a car collision and later an adult son to brain cancer, leavened the grief with a message of hope. “This nation will smile again. This nation will know sunny days again. This nation will know joy again. And as we do, we’ll remember each person we’ve lost, the lives they lived, the loved ones they left behind.” He said, “We have to resist becoming numb to the sorrow. We have to resist viewing each life as a statistic or a blur or, on the news. We must do so to honor the dead. But, equally important, to care for the living.”

Texans Needed Food and Comfort After a Brutal Storm. As Usual, They Found It at H-E-B. (NYT) The past week had been a nightmare. A winter storm, one of the worst to hit Texas in a generation, robbed Lanita Generous of power, heat and water in her home. The food she had stored in her refrigerator and freezer had spoiled. She was down to her final five bottles of water. But on Sunday, as the sun shined and ice thawed in Austin, Ms. Generous did the same thing as many Texans in urgent need of food, water and a sense of normalcy: She went to H-E-B. “They’ve been great,” she said, adding with just a touch of hyperbole: “If it hadn’t been for the bread and peanut butter, I would have died in my apartment.” H-E-B is a grocery store chain. But it is also more than that. People buy T-shirts that say “H-E-B for President,” and they post videos to TikTok declaring their love, like the woman clutching a small bouquet of flowers handed to her by an employee: “I wish I had a boyfriend like H-E-B. Always there. Gives me flowers. Feeds me.” For many Texans, H-E-B reflected the ways the state’s maverick spirit can flourish: reliable for routine visits but particularly in a time of disaster, and a belief that the family-owned chain—with a vast majority of its more than 340 locations inside state lines—has made a conscious choice to stay rooted to the idea of being a good neighbor. “It’s like H-E-B is the moral center of Texas,” said Stephen Harrigan, a novelist and journalist who lives in Austin. “There seems to be in our state a lack of real leadership, a lack of real efficiency, on the political level. But on the business level, when it comes to a grocery store, all of those things are in place.”

Hunger in Central America skyrockets, U.N. agency says (Reuters) The number of people going hungry in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua has nearly quadrupled in the last two years, the United Nations said on Tuesday, as Central America has been battered by an economic crisis. New data released by the UN’s World Food Program (WFP) showed nearly 8 million people across the four countries are experiencing hunger this year, up from 2.2 million in 2018. “The COVID-19-induced economic crisis had already put food on the market shelves out of reach for the most vulnerable people when the twin hurricanes Eta and Iota battered them further,” Miguel Barreto, WFP Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, said in a statement.

Prison riots in Ecuador leave 62 dead (AP) Sixty-two inmates have died in riots at prisons in three cities in Ecuador as a result of fights between rival gangs and an escape attempt, authorities said Tuesday. Prisons Director Edmundo Moncayo said in a news conference that 800 police offices have been helping to regain control of the facilities. Hundreds of officers from tactical units had been deployed since the clashes broke out late Monday. Moncayo said that two groups were trying to gain “criminal leadership within the detention centers” and that the clashes were precipitated by a search for weapons carried out Monday by police officers.

Mount Etna eruption lights up Sicily's night sky (BBC) Mount Etna is erupting again, and its hot lava fountains are illuminating the Sicilian sky. The eruption began earlier this week, and Etna has since been spewing massive orange plumes of smoke and thick clouds of ash. Etna is Europe's most active volcano, and it erupts relatively often. The last major eruption was in 1992. Its eruptions have rarely caused damage or injury in recent decades - and officials believe this eruption is no exception. Stefano Branco, the head of the National Institute for Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) in the nearby city of Catania, told Italian news agency AGI earlier this week: "We've seen worse."

Cow science (Foreign Policy) A new national exam on cows developed by the Indian government-backed National Cow Commission has been shelved following controversy over its less-than-scientific contents. The curriculum for the test involved erroneous claims about the virtues of Indian cows that were widely ridiculed by the country’s scientific community. Among the “facts” on display: That Indian cows have a special “solar pulse” in their humps which can supposedly convert sun rays into vitamin D that is then passed on to milk, and an assertion that Indian cows are “strong” whereas foreign cows are “lazy.” The issue of cows, considered sacred by Hindus, and their treatment has become even more of a cultural wedge issue in India following the rise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government, with sometimes deadly results. Attacks by vigilante “cow protection” groups killed 44 people between 2015 and 2018 according to Human Rights Watch, with Muslims among the majority of those targeted.

Japan creates Minister of Loneliness to fight COVID-19 suicides (New York Post) Japan just appointed a Minister of Loneliness—to try to combat its exploding suicide rate amid COVID-19. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga named Tetsushi Sakamoto, a cabinet member already trying to beef up the depressed country’s birthrate, to the post. Suga noted earlier this month that Japanese women, in particular, have been struggling with depression since the coronavirus pandemic began about a year ago—with nearly 880 female suicide victims in the country alone in October, a 70 percent increase over the year before, the BBC reported. Japanese suicide expert Michiko Ueda told the BBC that part of the problem involves an increasing number of single women in the country who don’t have stable employment. “A lot of women are not married anymore,” she said. “They have to support their own lives, and they don’t have permanent jobs.”

Facebook Strikes Deal to Restore News Sharing in Australia (NYT) Facebook said on Monday that it would restore the sharing and viewing of news links in Australia after gaining more time to negotiate over a proposed law that would require it to pay for news content that appears on its site. The social network had blocked news links in Australia last week as the new law neared passage. The legislation includes a code of conduct that would allow media companies to bargain individually or collectively with digital platforms over the value of their news content. Facebook had vigorously objected to the code, which would curb its power and drive up its spending for content, as well as setting a precedent for other governments to follow. The company had argued that news would not be worth the hassle in Australia if the bill became law. But on Monday, Facebook returned to the negotiating table after the Australian government granted a few minor concessions.

U.S.-Saudi ties (Foreign Policy) The families of the three U.S. service members killed and 13 others injured by Mohammed Alshamrani, a Saudi airman who went on a shooting spree at Naval Air Station Pensacola in 2019, are suing Saudi Arabia’s government, alleging that the kingdom failed to screen him appropriately before sending him to the United States for training. The families are filing the lawsuit against Saudi Arabia based on a 2016 law that allows U.S. citizens to sue foreign governments over terrorist attacks—legislation that was initially passed in order to allow the families of 9/11 victims to bring a civil suit against Saudi Arabia.

Italian Ambassador Among Three Killed in Attack on U.N. Convoy in Congo (NYT) For Luca Attanasio, Italy’s ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo, humanitarian work was at the core of his mission. The 43-year-old had moved with his wife to the capital, Kinshasa, in 2017, where their family grew to include three young daughters. He rose to the rank of ambassador in 2019, the pinnacle of his diplomatic career. On Monday, Mr. Attanasio was among three people killed in an attack on a humanitarian convoy near the city of Goma, the World Food Program and Italy’s Foreign Ministry said, the latest in a wave of violence in that part of the central African nation. The deaths of Mr. Attanasio; an Italian Embassy official, named by the Foreign Ministry as Vittorio Iacovacci; and Mustapha Milambo, a driver for the World Food Program, have rattled the international diplomatic community and drawn condemnation from across the globe.

Flood damage and insurance (NPR) Right now, over 4 million houses and small apartments in the contiguous United States are at substantial risk of expensive flood damage, and the cost of flood damage to homes will increase by 50 percent over the next 30 years according to the First Street Foundation. As the climate changes, places that were perfectly safe to live in will no longer be as sure of bets as they once were, and the costs are about to be a serious reality check. The National Flood Insurance Program is $36 billion in debt because of underestimated risks. Over the next several years, FEMA plans to raise rates up to 18 percent a year until prices are accurate, starting this October.

[biggoonie]

POWER PACK #2 (OF 5)

RYAN NORTH (W) • NICO LEON (A) • Cover by STEFANO CASELLI Variant cover by DAVID LOPEZ DARK MARVEL VARIANT COVER BY GURIHIRU THE PACK IN PRISON?! Okay, so MAYBE it’s illegal for minors to fight crime in costume, dispensing vigilante justice as they see fit. MAYBE. But not if they have a mentor! Then it’s totally fine! So now all the Pack need is an adult willing to let them do whatever they want. It’s a voyage (or at least a two-page spread) across the Marvel Universe to find a mentor! But what if everything doesn’t go smoothly? What if there’s CONFLICT and EVENTS? The Power Pack faces adversity, betrayal and more in this Alex-narrated issue! 32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99

[hellyeahheroes]

POWER PACK #2 (OF 5) RYAN NORTH (W) • NICO LEON (A) • Cover by STEFANO CASELLI Variant cover by DAVID LOPEZ DARK MARVEL VARIANT COVER BY GURIHIRU THE PACK IN PRISON?! • Okay, so MAYBE it’s illegal for minors to fight crime in costume, dispensing vigilante justice as they see fit. MAYBE. • But not if they have a mentor! Then it’s totally fine! So now all the Pack need is an adult willing to let them do whatever they want. • It’s a voyage (or at least a two-page spread) across the Marvel Universe to find a mentor! • But what if everything doesn’t go smoothly? What if there’s CONFLICT and EVENTS? • The Power Pack faces adversity, betrayal and more in this Alex-narrated issue! 32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99

I like how Power Pack realized their book ends in August and won’t be around on Halloween, so they threw out Halloween in May.

- Admin

[ao3feed-jaydick]

One Step Closer

read it on the AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/26031883

by Mykael

“Carmine Falcone, Luigi Maroni, Franco Bertinelli, Stefano Mandragora, Arnold Stromwell, Rupert Thorne,” Black Mask started listing off, staring down at his desk. He looked up at Li and his men, his expression darkening “all some of the most prolific Crime Lords in Gotham History. I defeated them all, made my way to the top. The only thing left in my way now, is the Red Fuckin’ Hood. For twenty years we’ve fought. And yet here we are, still. I need something, anything to give me an edge over this prick,” Mask growled, fist clenching on his cane.

Words: 1232, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Series: Part 7 of Twinsverse

Fandoms: Batman - All Media Types

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Categories: M/M

Characters: Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne, Damian Wayne, Tim Drake, Alfred Pennyworth, Barbara Gordon, Roman Sionis, Joker (DCU), Original Children of Jason Todd, Original Male Character(s), Identical Twins - Character

Relationships: Dick Grayson/Jason Todd

Additional Tags: Crimes & Criminals, Organized Crime, Vigilantism, Angst, Drama, Emotional Manipulation, Kidnapping, Attempted Murder

read it on the AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/26031883

[scienceninjaturtle]

POWER PACK #2 (OF 5)

RYAN NORTH (W) • NICO LEON (A) • Cover by STEFANO CASELLI

Variant cover by DAVID LOPEZ

DARK MARVEL VARIANT COVER BY GURIHIRU

THE PACK IN PRISON?!

Okay, so MAYBE it’s illegal for minors to fight crime in costume, dispensing vigilante justice as they see fit. MAYBE.

But not if they have a mentor! Then it’s totally fine! So now all the Pack need is an adult willing to let them do whatever they want.

It’s a voyage (or at least a two-page spread) across the Marvel Universe to find a mentor!

But what if everything doesn’t go smoothly? What if there’s CONFLICT and EVENTS?

The Power Pack faces adversity, betrayal and more in this Alex-narrated issue!

32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99

[torre-relogio-de-gotham]

Aves de Rapina: A Bombástica Estréia do Título com Chuck Dixon

Chuck Dixon fez por merecer toda a fama que tem. Não apenas passou anos escrevendo diversos títulos (bons) do Batman em uma época em que super-heróis sofriam sua maior crise criativa, como também deu vida a ainda mais publicações relacionadas a este universo. Foi pelas mãos dele que surgiram as primeiras mensais do Robin, do Asa Noturna e das Aves de Rapina. E é desta última que vamos falar hoje.

Tudo começou com uma edição especial desenhada por Gary Frank, publicada no fim de 1995, intitulada simplesmente Canário Negro/Oráculo: Aves de Rapina, uma parceria entre as duas personagens. Naquela época, a Oráculo sabia de quase tudo sobre os super-heróis da DC, mas sua identidade era conhecida por pouquíssimos deles. E Aves de Rapina é um nome não usado em nenhum momento da HQ. Na verdade, durante os anos subsequentes, quando o grupo ganhou revista mensal e tudo mais, o nome quase nunca foi citado. Mas não é bem disso que vamos falar hoje.

Na verdade, vamos comentar o encadernado Aves de Rapina: Canário Negro/Oráculo/Caçadora, que deu início a tudo isso, reunindo os primeiros encontros das personagens em publicações especiais na metade dos anos 1990.

A premissa das histórias foi originada da parceria entre Barbara Gordon (agora aleijada e uma hacker informante com o codinome Oráculo) e Dinah Lance, a Canário Negro, uma ideia que surgiu dos autores Chuck Dixon e Jordan B. Gorfinkel e do editor Frank Pittarese. Como o primeiro encontro delas, citado acima, deu muito certo, vieram em seguida Birds of Prey: Manhunt #1-4 (minissérie), Birds of Prey: Revolution #1 (one-shot) e uma história da antologia Showcase ’96 #3, com uma participação mais que especial de Lois Lane. Todas elas compõem este primeiro encadernado da série, servindo como prólogo para a futura publicação mensal das Aves de Rapina.

Portanto, no início havia Canário Negro e Oráculo. Enquanto a primeira estava começando a superar o fim de seu relacionamento com o Arqueiro Verde (morto havia pouco tempo em uma explosão), a outra tentava levar a vida como informante de vigilantes cheia de receios e traumas pelo ataque do Coringa na clássica HQ A Piada Mortal (Alan Moore, Brian Bolland). Ambas têm algo em comum: a determinação em fazer o bem seguindo uma cartilha ética bem parecida com a do Batman.

Aliás, a Oráculo já era vinculada ao Morcego nesta época, servindo de centro de inteligência para toda a Bat-família, e o conhecimento das identidades secretas de cada um era mútuo. O mesmo não valia para a Canário; Oráculo esconde-se por trás de seu avatar (numa época em que a internet começava a se popularizar nos EUA, o que gera situações bem engraçadas e nostálgicas para os dias de hoje), mas a familiaridade da voz de Barbara, seu jeito de trabalhar e os objetivos em comum garantiram em Dinah a confiança necessária para fazer a parceria funcionar. E é assim que começa.

Tematicamente, as aventuras são bem diretas, com muita influência dos filmes de ação em vigência na época. Não são poucas as referências a Duro de Matar, Aliens, True Lies e muitos outros (mas com mais charme e substância), sempre com aventuras que levam Dinah (e em seguida Mulher-Gato e Caçadora) ao redor do mundo em países que parecem-se muito com alguns que deram problemas no mundo real em plenos anos 1990.

Mas tem uma pegadinha aí.

Como diz a chamada da capa de Canário Negro/Oráculo: Aves de Rapina, há “um toque feminino” no quadrinho. Mesmo que os filmes citados sejam para um público majoritariamente masculino, e mesmo que quem compre HQs de heróis também caia neste bolo, as histórias das Aves de Rapina são completamente diferentes nesse sentido. São mulheres de verdade fazendo coisas de mulheres de verdade.

Há uma vantagem tremenda nesse sentido, pois as personagens não têm superpoderes. Logo, seus afazeres mais comuns são mediados pelas aventuras narradas por Dixon com um ritmo implacável. Sem a menor sombra de dúvidas, esta coleção é de tirar o fôlego, o que é ainda mais enriquecido pelos diálogos, principalmente de Dinah, atrevida sem lascividade, forte sem ser ofensivo. Ninguém é dependente aqui e há momentos de conversas que beiram o tarantinesco.

Destaque para as já citadas participações, mais que especiais, da Mulher-Gato, da Caçadora e de Lois Lane nas aventuras do encadernado. Cada personagem contribui com seus valores e atitudes, e Dixon soube diferenciá-las muito bem, abrindo mão de qualquer estereótipo para desenvolver mulheres verossímeis encaixadas num universo de fantasia. O balanço que a falta de ética da Mulher-Gato traz para o grupo nas missões em diversos países (que remetem do Oriente Médio às partes mais corruptas da África) é ímpar, enriquecendo uma personagem que, até então, era uma coadjuvante na história.

Ou seja, esta estreia das Aves de Rapina em encadernados é matadora, com Dixon no auge de sua criatividade e mostrando conhecimento de estrutura narrativa, personagens e até técnico, no sentido de tecnologia e armamentos citados nas histórias. Um volume para fãs de quadrinhos de super-heróis (ou até de ação) não botarem defeito, cheio de ação, intriga, romance, diálogos incríveis e arte bombástica de mestres como Gary Frank, Matt Haley, Stefano Raffaele, Sal Buscema e Jennifer Graves.

O único problema do volume é a edição. Publicado em 1999, ele ainda sofria da falta de padronização do formato, que só foi estabelecida na década seguinte. Há certa dificuldade de entender quando uma história acaba e outra começa, e o papel não é tão bom. As coisas são bem diferentes quase 20 anos depois, como o relançamento deste material recentemente, com mais dois one-shots de bônus (Birds of Prey: Wolves, Birds of Prey: Batgirl), e uma edição bem melhor.

A verdade é que estas personagens estão circulando por aí há muito tempo, e Chuck Dixon encontrou suas vozes mais profundas e singulares. Ele mudou tudo - para melhor.

[fantomcomics]

What’s Out This Week? 12/18

Looking for something out-of-this-world to do on Thursday night? Come watch Toxic Avenger with us in the store!

Gung Ho #1 - Benjamin Von Eckartsberg and Thomas von Kummant

In the near future, the "White Plague" has almost completely decimated humanity, and civilization is only a sweet memory. Europe as a whole has become a danger zone, where survival is only possible within towns or fortified villages.  Enter orphaned brothers Zach and Archer Goodwoody, troublemaking teens who have just arrived at Fort Apache, and about to learn the hard rules of integration into the colony. Outside the walls lies a hostile and deadly environment, but inside is also a dangerous place, as the boys are about to find out. Benjamin von Eckartsberg and Thomas von Kummant deliver a creative and visual tour de force with jaw-dropping artwork that will transport you to a brand new post-apocalyptic world where the tension is palpable, and the wrong move will get you killed... or worse.

Klaus and the Life & Times of Joe Christmas #1 - Grant Morrison & Dan Mora

In the tradition of Grant Morrison's 2001 New X-Men Annual , BOOM! Studios presents a widescreen comic that catalogs the life and times of one Joe Christmas. Abandoned as a baby, Joe Christmas is taken in by Klaus. In this holiday calendar-inspired comic, experience 25 all new short stories of Klaus teaming up with Joe Christmas over the years!

The Low, Low Woods #1 (of 6) - Carmen Maria Machado & Dani

Shudder-To-Think, PA, has been on fire for years. The coal mines beneath it are long since abandoned. The woods are full of rabbits with human eyes, a deer woman who stalks hungry girls, and swaths of skinless men. And the people in Shudder-to-Think? Well, they're not doing so well either. When El and Octavia wake up in a movie theater with no memory of the last few hours of their lives, the two teenage dirtbags begin a surreal and terrifying journey to discover the truth about the strange town that they call home.

The Old Guard: Force Multiplied #1 (of 5) - Greg Rucka and  Leandro Fernandez

Andromache of Scythia and her band of soldiers are back in this second story chronicling the battles and burdens of their dubious immortality. Nile's addition to the team has given them new purpose and new direction, but when you've got 6,000 years of history at your back, the past is always ready to return-with a vengeance.

Project X-Mas #1 - Mark Millar and Top Secret

MARK MILLAR and Netflix have teamed up to give you the perfect Christmas gift-the sequel to one of the most beloved Millarworld projects since the dawn of time. The twist is that you don't know what it is, and like all good gifts, you're in for a nice surprise when you open the delivery boxes on December 18th. Can you guess what Santa's going to bring you??

Read Only Memories #1 (of 4) - Sina Grace and Stefano Simeone

Based on the hit game 2064: Read Only Memories, enter a cyberpunk universe like you've never seen it before!

Santa Cruz, California. A beach town just 50 miles from Neo-San Francisco. Lexi Rivers, former detective with the Neo-San Francisco Police Department, has left the big city lights behind in favor of opening her own agency. Valentine's Day. A time for celebrating love-or finding it. When a robot's human lover goes missing, Lexi will be faced with a case unlike any she's tackled yet, one which just might show her that not all is as it seems in this pleasant beach-side community...

Revenge Of The Cosmic Ghost Rider #1 (of 5) - Dennis "Hopeless" Hallum, Donny Cates, Scott Hepburn, and Geoff Shaw

Cosmic Ghost Rider is back, baby! But with a reputation like his, it's only a matter of time before the law catches up to the future Frank Castle and tries to put him in chains - too bad for the law, chains are Castle's weapons of choice these days. Now in an intergalactic prison, the Rider is going to turn his cage into an all-out cage match! Who's going to be the last alien standing?!

Skulldigger & Skeleton Boy #1 (of 6) - Jeff Lemire and Tonci Zonjic

Spiral City finds itself trapped in a vicious cycle of crime, corruption, and violence. With the heart of the city at stake, a vigilante rises in Skulldigger. However, when the nefarious Grimjim escapes from prison, will Skulldigger and his ward, Skeleton Boy, be enough to save Spiral City?

Star Wars: The Rise Of Kylo Ren #1 (of 4) - Charles Soule and Will Sliney

Young Ben Solo is legendary Jedi Luke Skywalker's most promising pupil. As the son of Rebel Alliance heroes Leia Organa and Han Solo, as well as Luke's own nephew, Ben has the potential to be a great force for light in the galaxy. But the Skywalker legacy casts a long shadow, the currents of the dark side run deep, and Darth Vader's blood runs in Ben's veins. Voices call from both his past and his future, telling him who he must be. He will shatter, he will be reforged, his destiny will be revealed. Snoke awaits. The Knights of Ren await. Ben Solo's path to his true self begins here.  

Tales From Harrow County: Death’s Choir #1 - Cullen Bunn and Naomi Franquiz

Ten years have passed since Emmy exited Harrow County, leaving her close friend Bernice as steward of the supernatural home. But World War II is in full swing, taking Harrow's young men and leaving the community more vulnerable than ever-and when a ghostly choir heralds the resurrection of the dead, Bernice must find a solution before the town is overrun.

The Visitor #1 (of 6) - Paul Levitz and Mj Kim

Unstoppable. Untraceable. Unkillable. This is how he changes the world... Who is the Visitor? Why are the leaders of the world terrified of him? And will they live long enough to find out?

Wonder Woman: Dead Earth #1 (of 4) - Daniel Warren Johnson

The celebrated creator of Murder Falcon and Extremity and artist of The Ghost Fleet, Daniel Warren Johnson brings bold sci-fi chops to his DC debut with a harrowing vision of Wonder Woman unlike anything you've ever seen. Princess Diana of Themyscira left paradise to save Man's World from itself. When Wonder Woman awakens from a centuries-long sleep to discover the Earth reduced to a nuclear wasteland, she knows she failed. Trapped alone in a grim future, Diana must protect the last human city from titanic monsters while uncovering its secret of this dead Earth-and how she may be responsible for it.

Star Wars: Empire Ascendant #1 - Charles Soule and Caspar Wijngaard

DESTINED FOR HOTH! •  Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia Organa and smuggler Han Solo have have struck blow after winning blow against the Empire. The Rebels are digging in their defenses on the remote ice world of Hoth but how long will they truly be safe from their many enemies? •  Darth Vader will stop at nothing to crush the rebels but his efforts to locate their new base have been in vain. Will the dark side of the Force guide him to the missing rebels and to young Skywalker or mire the dark lord in the conflicts of his past? •  Despite a life riddled with treachery and destruction,  Doctor Aphra has found a family (of sorts). Former Imperial inspector Magna Tolvan and Aphra's young ward Vulaada will have to face the struggles of a life of rebellion...while Aphra reckons with her legacy.   •  Former Imperial loyalist turned cyborg bounty hunter BEILERT VALANCE is taking on a dangerous new mission. And the lives of the entire Rebellion-including his old buddy HAN SOLO's-are at stake should he fail!

This week’s bursting with amazing titles, so whatcha picking out, Fantomites?