#The Tragedy of Richard the Third

[winter-wise]

Being a disabled Shakespeare fan means that sometimes you just stare at The Tragedy of Richard the Third. He's a stereotype he's deep as an ocean he's a genius he's a failure he's a lover he cannot prove a lover he's a victim he's a perpetrator he's a king he's just some guy he has no friends he would never have made it if not for his allies, "Enter Richard, Duke of Gloucester, alone."

[prosedumonde]

Tant de misères ont éraillé ma voix  Que ma langue accablée de malheurs est immobile et muette. 

William Shakespeare, La Tragédie de Richard III (The Tragedy of Richard the Third)

VO : 

So many miseries have craz'd my voice

That my woe-wearied tongue is still and mute.

[uwmspeccoll]

Shakespeare Weekend

Shakespeare’s historical tragedy, Richard the Third, is volume nineteen of the thirty-seven volume The Comedies Histories & Tragedies of William Shakespeare, published by the Limited Editions Club (LEC) from 1939-1940. The play was likely produced in 1594. It was first printed in 1597 in quarto where it was considered a tragedy, but was published in the First Folio in 1623 among the histories.  The German-born American illustrator, Fritz Eichenberg (1901-1990), was the LEC’s third choice as illustrator for this volume. Their first choice was the English painter, Frank Brangwyn (1867-1956), who accepted the project, but became too ill to begin. Their second choice was, the English painter, Edward Ardizzone (1900-1979), who was one of the British Official War Artists. Ardizzone produced a series of watercolors for the book, and they were reproduced for this publication by the lithographer Fernand Mourlot, in Paris. When the Germans invaded Paris, Mourlot was able to escape. He loyally brought with him all of the reproductions of the watercolors, which he then shipped to New York. Unfortunately, the lithographs never reached the Limited Editions Club and are presumed to be at the bottom of the ocean. 

Fritz Eichenberg said of illustrating Richard the Third: 

I think it is impossible for a modern artist to dissociate his thoughts from the events and emotions of his day... When I tried to fathom Richard’s character, it did not seem to me different from any other power-greedy, bloodthirsty usurper: be it Nero or Hitler.... The artist looks around in his world and he will find living parallels that will make those shadowy tyrants of the past come to life again. 

I looked for a technique that equaled wood-engraving in its poignant darkness and sparse highlights, something that corresponded with the nightmarish quality of the play in its gloomy darkness. I think I found the proper medium in these stone engravings, scraped out of the darkened lithograph stone with the help of diamond, knife and razorblade, wonderfully precise and willing tools in the hands of the artist, but still,  when you think of them in terms of a Richard III, just as precise instruments of bribe, murder and destruction.

The volumes in the set were printed in an edition of 1950 copies at the Press of A. Colish, and each was illustrated by a different artist, but the unifying factor is that all volumes were designed by famed book and type designer Bruce Rogers and edited by the British theatre professional and Shakespeare specialist Herbert Farjeon. Our copy is number 1113, the number for long-standing LEC member Austin Fredric Lutter of Waukesha, Wisconsin.

View more Limited Edition Club posts.

View more Shakespeare Weekend posts.

-Teddy, Special Collections Graduate Intern

[wrenisflying]

god hates me (was forced to play richard III in a scene today)

[natequarter]

best second doctor stories: we put patrick troughton up against patrick troughton. we analysed the horrors of autocracy and fascism. and it rocks

best third doctor stories: the master has fucked up with the humankiller 3000 machine and now the doctor must stop his incompetence from destroying the brigadier's sanity

best fourth doctor stories: it's the daleks! again! but you can't even complain because it actually is good and also a defining episode for the show's lore

best fifth doctor stories: what if shakespeare was richard iii?

best sixth doctor stories: a fascinating deconstruction of the everyday trauma of the doctor's lifestyle, taking a small, insignificant death and working it into the great tragedy it is and analysing the awful psychological toll seeing people die in front of you every day would have on your psyche, no matter how involved you were in the death, concluding that it is not your fault and life is ultimately worth living. also it's a gilbert and sullivan-esque musical

best seventh doctor stories: gruelling deconstruction of the doctor's role in the narrative as the doctor manipulates ace into nearly killing herself or something in order to save her life, all whilst sylvester mccoy plays the spoons

best eighth doctor stories: a straight hour of scifi nonsense interspersed by audio of paul mcgann moaning and/or screaming as he is tortured gruesomely. alternatively, the same but in prose format

[cursed-and-haunted]

web weaving for my oc, Warden

Nathaniel Orion G.K. / Crush, Richard Siken / Dazzled Precise, Anna de Noailles tr. Norman R. Shapiro / Wishbone, Richard Siken / Overflowing With Empty, Judas H. / Waterborne, Natasha Trethewey / The Night There, Mahmoud Darwish / Elm, Sylvia Plath / Amal El-Mothar / The Third Hour of The Night, Frank Bidart / Hamlet, Shakespeare / The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath, Sylvia Plath / Daddy, Ramesy / Another Road in The Road, Mahmoud Darwish / @pikslasrce / Ariel, Aneleh / Tragedy, Sanna Wani / Nicola Samori / Underbelly, Nicole Homer / Beric Dondarrion

[lexirosewrites]

hello, tis I, the anon that sends weirdly angsty ideas to you for slick sunday. I've been super busy and then was on holiday.

I started trying to write a brief version of this, but it kept getting overly long. (tried three times) So first. have the short version as either a teaser, or the only version if I never find a way to do it.

early industrial era england. Steve and Robin are omega twins of the Harringtons who are nouveau riche and mad about it. It's a given that they're both supposed to marry richer or marry peerage.

At the start of the season, Robin meets Chrissy, daughter of the Viscount Cunningham, one of the shyest alphas the town has ever seen, and hates that she'll never have a chance with this angel. Steve meets Eddie, the alpha son of a disgraced Baronet, who charms everyone he meets with his readings and his singing, and his just-acceptable level of exuberance. It's a meet ugly when Eddie knocks into Steve and dumps wine down his outfit. Steve refuses to admit he likes how hard Eddie works to apologize, in increasingly grand ways. Eddie sees right through the bitchy tone though, and keeps playing bard to this gorgeous omega. Eddie has a dangerous reputation as too much of a flirt, bc obviously hes only interested in Steve bc of the Harrington fortune.

Then the Creel's host a ball, and the Harrington's moved heaven and earth to get an invitation to a party hosted by a Duke, so Steve and Robin are on their best behavior.

They're expecting to maybe, maybe, meet a few Barons, and wave hello to Chrissy. A few dances, a few introductions. Instead they meet the Duke's son, Henry, a very handsome alpha, set to inherit, and recently widowed - such a tragedy, so young. Henry immediately shows an affinity for Robin, but it takes one look for Steve to see how much his sister hates/fears him. So Steve jumps in, and puts all his charm to good use. Distracts from Robin, who goes to greet Chrissy while Steve and Henry are dancing.

They both think that the single dance and the bit of conversation will be the end of that. It isn't. Henry sends cards and gifts and invites Steve to things. Richard and Diane are ecstatic, and Steve stopped being charming, personable, or even pleasant after their third encounter. He can't directly refuse, but he can try to get Henry to grow bored. When Henry comments to Richard that 'both your children as so amiable' Steve hears what he really means. That Henry plans to marry one of them, and all Steve gets to choose is if it'll be him, or Robin. Easy choice.

Steve is invited to stay at the Creel manor for a few weeks, and can't find a way out of it. And staying there is as good as announcing a betrothal

Meanwhile: Robin has talked to Chrissy, who, as it turns out, is a childhood friend of Eddie's, before his father lost all their money. And Chrissy is high enough in the peerage to have heard stories and whispers and gossip, all about the Duke's heir, and what happened to his first omega, that she died less than a year after marrying.

Robin, crushing on Chrissy, aware her brother really likes Eddie, knowing that this will fuck up her family's plans and future, looks at Eddie, and informs him that they're going to get Steve out of this.

Eddie, she expected to help immediately, and he does.

Chrissy insisting she'll help comes as a shock.

welcome back! love that this is the second Bridgerton-esque submission this week. something about historical steddie will always ensnare me 🥰

[ihaveforgortoomany]

Veryyy general look at the Story Chapters (Books? Wait genuine question are we calling the main story Books or Chapters?) and the Books / media they are based on (Global only)

(I think someone has done this already?)

Prologue: This is Tomorrow - quick search seems that the title is a reference to the 1956 London Art Exhibition that opened in the Whitechapel Art Gallery and considered a watershed in British post-art and kick starting the art movement of "Pop Art" (see the effects of the Storm having comic book like attributes)

(Richard Hamilton was a painter famous for Pop Art and had a work in that exhibition so it checks out)

Book One: In Our Time - based on a collection of short stories of the same name by Hemingway. these are stories about before, during and after WW1. The stories have a general theme of separation, loss, death, grief and alienation. (Potentially allusions to Druvis maybe?)

Book Two: Tender is the Night - this is the final completed book by Scot Fitzgerald (who wrote the Great Gatsby and referred in the beginning quote of the game) and is a tragedy that follows the deterioration of a married couple that reflects Fitzgerald's own troubled relationship with his wife who Schneider's design greatly references. (The couple in the Book either inspire Druvis and FMN's relationship or Vertin and Schneider's relationship)

Book Three: Nouvelles et Textes pour Rien. (Translation is 'Stories and Texts for Nothing') - Again a collection of stories by Samuel Beckett. Seems to be lesser known, heres from Wikipedia "All three stories deal with the deplacement or expulsion of three old men who are forced to leave their modest lives in search of a new niche they might fit" (the SPDM kids desire to learn more about themselves and the outside world)

Book Four: EL ORO DE LOS TIGRES (Translation "the Gold of Tigers") - this is even harder to find stuff on and in English,An allegoric analysis of the contemporary juvenile reality. A review of the movie based on the book- "Inspired by a J.L.Borges' collection of poems, the story recounts the survey of an individual conscience by three young men, surrounded by the nihilism of a society with a hopelessly urban future" ( the struggle between Madam Z and the suitcase fam against the oppressive Foundation maybe?)

Book Five: Prisoner in the Cave - Based on Plato's allegory of the cave

Book Six: E Lucevan le stelle (Translation "the stars are shining") based on the opera of Tosca by Giacomo Puccini in 1900, the title is a direct reference to an aria sung in the Third Act which Isolde also sings parts of.

[signify-nothing]

It's been a literal fucking decade and I still have SO MANY FUCKING FEELINGS about the season two finale of Boardwalk Empire. (Spoilers ahead because, obviously). On one hand, I mourn the series that could've been if the commodore actor hadn't gotten sick when he did and if Michael Pitt had been able to keep his act together long enough to have another season's worth of story development. It's crushing that Jimmy Darmody never got a chance to rise as a gangster and really play a strong antagonistic force against Nucky the way we hoped he would.

BUT there is also something so fucking gutsy about the writers setting up Jimmy to be such an epic, early failure. I just finished rewatching the third to last episode of season two and Jesus Fucking Christ. Watching him have his last moment with Angela? Devastating. He can't even fucking laugh with her. He doesn't even know how to be remotely normal. Then later that night she and her lover get shot for his failures, and it's EVEN MORE devastating. And then. AND THEN. We cut to Jimmy, who doesn't yet know his wife is dead at home, and he's driving past the Princeton sign -- conspicuously without Richard in sight for the first time in ages -- to try to sell his shitty, watered-down liquor to the university that symbolizes every dream he failed to realize. It's a journey he has to make alone because it is more than anything else a journey into his own past.

And to think ALL OF THIS IS JUST SET UP. It's just the opening act of the end.

I simply cannot. I'm so angry about what went down but I also have so much goddamn respect. There is a reason I wrote a whole fucking novel inspired by the end of the second season of this goddamn show. Nobody does updated Greek tragedy like Boardwalk Empire. Fucking no one.

[bestangelofall]

HI hope you are well! sorry if you’ve already done something like this and i’ve missed it, but i was wondering if you had any recommendations for people who want to get into black widow comics? i have very little marvel comic knowledge but your posts have made me want to read about black widow and i’m not sure where to start

Hi @strangesickness!! I am great :D and I hope you are well too :)

Also, hi anon who asked the same thing! I hope you're well too! I'll answer everything here.

Sorry for taking so long to reply to this... I was doing some reading and rereading of my own before making this post.

For a completionist reading list, I will refer to this link, which was recommended by someone here (I don't remember who, and I can't find my own post now 😭).

Note: I haven't read everything in that list, but I am randomly making my way through it. Also, I can speak more about Natasha's solos, so my rec list is mostly based on those.

In terms of personal preference and what I also consider important, I'd highlight the following: The Name of the Rose, Black Widow (2014) and Black Widow (2004).

The Name of the Rose

I think the last time I answered this question here, I recommended The Name of the Rose (Black Widow (2010) - #1-5, by Marjorie Liu) as a starting point, and I mostly still stand by that, in that if it's the only BW comic you'll ever read, read that one. I started with that one coming from the MCU, and I think it has everything that I like about Natasha: her protectiveness, ruthlessness, competence, and how much she *cares* about people and how that guides her actions. The art by Daniel Acuña is good too (though not my favorite, it serves the story well), but apart from the good characterization, what really shines is the prose itself. Some parts are very poetic, and I simply love the way Liu arranges words, I suppose.

This is my favorite comic book ever, and my only complaint is that Liu only wrote 5 issues of Black Widow and then never again... please bring her back!!!!

Note: BW2010 has another three issues and they are completely mid. Read them if you want, but I just want to make it clear that it's jarring to go from issues #1-5 to the rest of it lol, and i personally wouldn't recommend xD

Black Widow (2014)

If my complaint about The Name of the Rose is that it's too short, with Black Widow (2014) by Nathan Edmondson that is not an issue. This run is 20 issues long, and all of them are excellent! The characterization is spot-on, and once again, everything I love about Natasha is present here. Personally I think this is the run that goes deeper into her ethics, and the way Edmondson approaches the tragedy of her character and all the heartbreak and fucked-up-ness is very tasteful. Also, Liho (her cat) is in this run, and in a way that adds to her lore and characterization in a way that may be unexpected. Phil Noto's art is simply stunning (he's my favorite Natasha artist *by far*).

Personally, I consider The Name of the Rose and BW2014 *the* Black Widow comics, in terms of them being important and also good, but in a close third place comes Black Widow (2004).

Black Widow (2004)

Black Widow (2004) by Richard K. Morgan has some pretty important things of her lore appearing for the first time (I believe, anyone reading this please feel free to correct me) (like mind manipulation, more details about the Red Room, and interestingly, the pheromone thing from the BW movie comes from this comic too). I love the art style of Bill Sienkiewicz which is more artsy. Characterization-wise, what really shines here is the discussion of sexism. Defense of women is a huge thing for Natasha (you'll see that in The Name of the Rose and BW2014), but it's never as deeply discussed as it is here.

Now, there are other books that I liked, and that are solid, but that I simply don't find as good as the top tier books discussed above.

Black Widow (2016)

Black Widow (2016), by Chris Samnee and Mark Waid, is a fun run that has decent characterization but a somewhat repetitive plot (Natasha is on the run and all that, which I think both The Name of the Rose and BW2014 just do better... but then again, that's like, more than half her comics so it's not a completely fair complaint, I suppose). It has some Red Room lore, and I always love that. Samnee's art is really pretty to look at, too (some of the prettiest Nat is in this book, ngl). I definitely recommend it, because it's a solid run.

No Restraints Play (Black Widow 2019)

I recently read No Restraints Play, by Jen and Sylvia Soska, and I liked it a lot. I'd say it has a lot about what I love about Natasha that I already mentioned previously, but she's mentally less stable in this one, so compared to the rest of the recs here, she does more unhinged shit in this book (but not by much tbh... I think it's just the tone that gives that impression). I read it before reading Secret Empire and Tales of Suspense (discussed in more detail below), and I think that I didn't miss that much context that technically would be needed from those books.

Now, there's the section of "I like it because I ship Buckynat".

Captain America (2005)

Captain America (2005), by Ed Brubaker, is the book where Bucky comes back™. Natasha only appears from issue #27 onwards, so this is definitely a rec if are interested in the ship (although it is a very good run on its own, and obviously essential if you are interested in Bucky at all).

Winter Soldier (2012)

Winter Soldier (2012), by Ed Brubaker, features Natasha heavily, and while I don't love some of thing it does to her, I enjoy it for the ship and for the angst (it is also somewhat relevant for Natasha going forward, for example, the thing™ that happens here is referenced in Natasha's solos such as BW2014, but it isn't anything that you will be lost if you just google what happened if you want to skip this).

Moreover, books already mentioned previously, such as The Name of the Rose, BW2014 and BW2016 also have Buckynat content, but it's minor.

Apart from the three recs above, there are other comics that I really liked, though I can't say that all of them are exactly good.

Black Widow (1999) and Black Widow (2001)

So, are BW1999 and BW2001, by Devin Grayson, good? Ehhh. No. Specially in the case of BW1999 (the art of this one is also atrocious). Do they compel me? Immensely. I like these two because there's content of Natasha and Yelena being weird about each other. That's it. When I read them years ago I thought they were really mid *at best* (though I like the art style of BW2001 a lot), but on a reread a few months ago I got bitten by the Yelenat bug and developed a new appreciation for these minis.

Note: BW1999 is also Natasha's first solo, but in terms of characterization and lore it doesn't really establish a lot...

Secret Empire and Tales of Suspense

The gist is: Natasha dies in Secret Empire and then gets revived in tales of Suspense #103-104

I know most people hate Secret Empire. To be honest, I don't know a lot of Marvel beyond Natasha and some Bucky and Steve to hate on this properly, but the common complaint appears to be that everyone is OoC... except for Natasha.

I'm not gonna lie, I blorbo-read this one, asking "where is she" whenever Natasha wasn't in the panels xD (and I also read it because I want to write a meta-post and it seemed important for the theme I have in mind). All that being said, I think it has some *fantastic* Natasha moments... so make of that what you will.

Tales of Suspense #103-104 are incredibly fun, and I think it drops some incredibly fucked up bits of lore (that will likely never be explored to their full potential 😭), but it's not essential or anything...

And lastly, thing that I don't like but that might be important:

Black Widow: Deadly Origin

I personally don't like Black Widow: Deadly Origin, by Paul Cornell, but some people consider it to be important, as it does go into more detail about the Red Room and her backstory. It's not even that I dislike *what* happens in this book, but more that I don't think it was tastefully done (it's the misogyny). I think it all could have been handled better by another writer without even changing the events themselves. The art also doesn't help tbh. I would still recommend reading it for those Red Room bits and pieces, just maybe not as a priority.

Aaand that's all I have to recommend for now! I hope this is helpful and can make you take the dive into Black Widow comics, because Natasha is a fascinating character!

[winter-wise]

The Tragedy of Richard the Third has me constantly flipping between "yes, this is an ableist portrayal of a real-life disabled historical figure, and a lot of it is lies and propaganda" and "the system mocked him for being disabled his entire life. don't you just want to see him burn it all down. have you ever wanted to go apeshit"

[prosedumonde]

Richard Alors, dis-moi de me tuer, et je le ferai.  Anne Je te l’ai déjà dit.  Richard C’était dans ta fureur.  Redis-le-moi, et à ces mots,  Cette main qui, par amour pour toi, a tué ton amour,  Par amour pour toi, tuera un amour bien plus véritable : De ces deux morts tu seras la complice.  Anne Je voudrais connaître ton coeur.  Richard Il est peint sur ma langue.  Anne Je le crains, tous deux sont faux. 

William Shakespeare, La Tragédie de Richard III (The Tragedy of Richard the Third)

VO : 

Richard: Then bid me kill my self, and I will do it. 

Anne: I have already. 

Richard: That was in thy rage.

Speak it again, and even with the word, 

This hand, which for thy love did kill thy love, 

Shall for thy love, kill a far truer love:

To both their deaths shalt thou be accessary. 

Anne: I would I knew thy heart. 

Richard: ’Tis figur’d in my tongue. 

Anne: I fear me, both are false.

[theelectronicstranger]

Ultimate Spider-Man Issue 2 and 3 Discussion

          It’s been a while since I talked about Ultimate Spider-Man. I’m going to be talking about Issue 2 and 3 in this post, so it might get a little hectic. If you have not read these issues, then look away now because I’m going to be spoiling a lot of it. I still think this book is a great read and I’m very much hooked on the story. I really would urge people to go out there and buy this book.

          First, I want to talk about how this series is confirmed to be taking place in real time. The first issue took place in January, the second issue took place in February and now this third issue takes place in March. I really like this decision that we’re seeing this Peter progress as Spider-Man in real time, but I feel like the issues need to be longer because of this decision (*cough* Also, they need to be longer because these new books are $4.99! *cough*). I feel like we’re missing certain interactions and I feel like some characters are not getting as much room to develop in the book because of this. Specifically, MJ and Richard. We rarely get to see them, and I just want to see them more in the book. This is more of a nitpick right now for me and not something that I’m constantly bothered by. I know they’re setting up something with MJ and Richard because they have shown them noticing things with Peter and May. Although, I just want to see more of them to get a better sense of their characters.  I also just really want more interactions with them because right now we see only Peter and May interacting for the most part.

February from Issue 2:

Pictures of Mary Jane and Richard noticing something is up with Peter and May (March from Issue 3):

          Speaking of Peter and May, I really love their dynamic; I love it whenever they’re on a page together. I love that May is pretty much the reason why Peter is even continuing this Spider-Man thing because if you really think about it, Peter doesn’t really have a reason to be Spider-Man in this universe except for what Tony Stark told him. Sure, in issue 1, it was set up that he feels like there’s something that’s been missing in his life and that he wants to do more, but this Peter doesn’t really know what this superhero thing is all about; he doesn’t really have the proper motivation to become Spider-Man like his main universe counterpart. His main universe counterpart knows that with his great power comes great responsibilities through the tragedy of losing Uncle Ben to a criminal he could have stopped. However, in this universe, that motivation is gone. Yes, you could argue that: losing Aunt May from the blast in Ultimate Universe #1; Tony saying that he’s been robbed by the Maker of a heroic future; and Tony saying that he’ll need him to free this universe of the Maker’s influence, is this Peter’s initial motivation into becoming Spider-man.

Blast from Ultimate Universe #1:

Tony telling Peter about his robbed future (Issue 1):

However, I do not think that this is enough motivation for him to keep going in this universe because he doesn’t really know what he’s doing. He literally almost quits being Spider-Man in Issue 2 because the Shocker of this Universe knocks him out twice. The first time, he was too naïve and trusted the Shocker that he would stop robbing the bank then turn himself in (Issue 2):

The second time, he believed the Shocker’s story about a dying wife, which led to him being shocked again:

The reason that Peter is continuing this Spider-Man role is because of May. He was literally coming to terms with the idea that this life was not for him after being beaten by the shocker twice until he saw May’s note on their fridge door. She is his motivation for still doing this; he’s giving it ONE MORE DAY because of May (Issue 2):

In Issue 3, we have scenes of them figuring out what Peter’s Spider-Man costume should look like, which i just found really adorable. If you have a keen eye, then you’ll notice that all of these costumes that he tries on are different variations of costumes that a Spider-Man/Person has worn before. For example, the first costume looks like the Sam Raimi Symbiote Suit, and the second costume looks like Ben Reily’s original suit but in different colors. I love that May ends up being the one that chooses the iconic Spider-Man costume for Peter. I also love that her main categories seem to be that it needs to have the spider symbol on it, and it needs to not be scary, which I just find cute, and it totally makes sense for what would be important for a child. I also love the page that comes afterwards is a page of Peter swinging around New York with May holding on behind him. It’s really just nice to see a Spider-Man that is happy with his family. I really do hope that nothing bad happens in this book in regard to Peter’s family, but it’s a Spider-Man story so the chances of something bad happening is never zero.

Trying on costumes (Issue 3):

Swinging around New York (Issue 3):

          I want to talk about Harry Osborn in Issue 3. Since the first issue, it was speculated that he was going to be the Green Goblin, so it was great to finally get confirmation that he is. We’re still not sure if he’s a good guy or not. My idea from my last discussion was that this version of Spider-Man and this version of the Green Goblin are going to have a Daredevil and Punisher kind of dynamic. Peter’s going to be the be a by the book kind of hero, where he’s not going to kill and he’s going to try to put these criminals behind bars. Meanwhile, Harry is going to be an antihero, where his version of justice is going to be a bit skewed, and he might not be opposed to killing any of these criminals. He has been attacking Wilson Fisk’s businesses in this title so far though; he’s been attacking him since Issue 1. This is just my speculation for now. Although, seeing them fight Bullseye in Issue 3 definitely made me draw those comparisons more:

Also, Harry did lose people from the blast from Ultimate Universe #1 as well, so what if Hickman is trying to show that Peter and Harry are two sides of the same coin, but Peter has this big family he can get support from while Harry doesn’t really have anyone anymore. That’s why he’s more destructive and vengeful. I don’t know if he has a wife and kids in this universe, but we do know that he lost both of his parents from the blast. As far as I know, he's alone. Also, the way he outs Peter in Issue 3 did not sit well with me. He literally had control over his costume and basically forced him to unmask himself. I guess we’ll see more of Harry in the upcoming months, but right now I’m not really feeling him as a good guy. I just hope he doesn’t become the typical sadistic Green Goblin because that would mean danger for Peter’s family.

Harry unmasking Peter (Issue 3):

          I want to talk about Jonah and Uncle Ben for a bit because they’re starting their own newspaper and it’s nice to see their insights into what’s going on in their world right now. For example, in Issue 2, they talk about Spider-Man and the Green Goblin. How the Green Goblin has been trying to kill Wilson Fisk (the Kingpin) for a month now, but nobody seems to mention his name in the Daily Bugle or anything the Kingpin owns. They’re basically burying any mention of the Green Goblin, so that the public will not think that there’s any shady thing going on in Wilson Fisk’s businesses. What they are running with and what’s front page of the Daily Bugle is Spider-Man. I like how both Jonah and Uncle Ben immediately knew that they’re using Spider-Man as a distraction from all the Green Goblin attacks. I also like how this issue shows how resourceful they both are because they literally have contacts everywhere even inside the impenetrable Wilson Fisk empire. I think Issue 2 shows how experienced these two are in their field, but also shows how these two are not afraid of Wilson Fisk and would take him head on if they could. However, that could be dangerous for the two as well because taking on the Kingpin is never a safe endeavor.

J. Jonah Jameson and Uncle Ben talking about Spider-Man and Green Goblin (Issue 2):

In Issue 3, we see their new office, which is not the best, but I really love just seeing these two old timers starting anew at their age. It kind of gives me some hope that at their age maybe I could start over if I ever needed to. Also, in this issue, Hickman kind of teases that Peter might work for Uncle Ben and Jonah once they’re all set up. I hope he does end up working for them because I think it’ll be a really interesting dynamic to see; specifically, Peter trying to hide his identity from his uncle. I just want to see that.

          That’s all I want to talk about in the book for now. Sorry it was kind of all over the place. I also kind of wanted to talk about MJ more but like I said she’s not really doing a lot right now in these past issues. I definitely feel like they’re setting something up with her and their son, Richard. I think by the end of this year they might actually find out that Peter is Spider-Man. I’m definitely still enjoying this book and I suggest that everyone get it if they’re a fan of Spider-Man. There’s a lot of stuff I didn’t talk/show as well, so you should definitely get it for that. Also, I think Marco Checchetto's art just makes this book worth buying every month.

Thank you for reading my discussion of this book! I’d love to know what you guys think of this series so far as well. How do you guys like this new Ultimate Universe? I hope you guys have a great day!

[somewhere-south-of-neutral]

I, personally, will never ship Dreamling. Not because I don't think it would work, but because I do, and I don't want to do that to Hob. It is explicitly stated that there is a metaphysical law in place that prevents Dream from having healthy relationships and that makes all of his romantic endeavors end in tragedy. Do you really want that to happen to Hob? Would you massacere my little blorbo so for your own amusement?

The only power in the Sandman Universe stronger than Hob's will to live is Dream's inability to have a good romantic relationship, and Dream's bad romantic relationships are literally the source of at least two thirds of the problems he faces. His relationship with Nada middled with her spending 10,000 years in hell and ended with the events of "Season of Mists" and Loki's escape. His relationship with Calliope middled with his son going down below (six feet under the ground below) and ended with Richard Maddox. His relationship with Thessaly BEGAN with Wanda getting killed offscreen and ended with him having to kill Reeve Carney Orpheus. All of these together led to his eventual death.

Right now, Hob is a cool, interesting person with a beutiful philosophy and a deep love of life and humanity, and you want to turn my boy into an inciting incident? Shame on you! (To clarify, I hold nothing against Dreamling shippers, and while this is my actual reason for not personally supporting the ship, all judgment is meant in jest.)

[blueiscoool]

A Gold and Megalodon Shark Tooth Necklace Found at Titanic Wreck

A lost necklace made from the tooth of a megalodon shark has been found in the iconic wreckage of the RMS Titanic.

The necklace hasn't been seen since the infamous sinking of the luxury passenger liner—considered to be the most advanced of its time—111 years ago.

The Titanic sank after colliding with an iceberg in the North Atlantic, about 370 miles southeast of Halifax, Nova Scotia on April 15, 1912. The ship was four days into her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City.

The disaster resulted in the deaths of over 1,500 people—more than two-thirds of the crew and passengers who were onboard at the time.

The story of the tragedy holds a special place in the popular imagination, having been the subject of exhibitions, documentaries and Hollywood blockbusters—including James Cameron's 1997 Academy Award-winning drama.

The necklace was found by Magellan, a company based in Guernsey, a self-governing British Crown dependency located in the English Channel, near the coast of France. The firm specializes in underwater site investigations and seabed mapping.

As part of an underwater scanning project, Magellan snapped 700,000 images of the Titanic wreck using two submarines. Using these images, the company then created the first-ever full-sized digital scan of the Titanic, providing a remarkable new view of the wreck.

Among the images captured, the Magellan team managed to spot the megalodon tooth necklace, which also contains gold.

The find was "astonishing, beautiful and breathtaking," Magellan CEO Richard Parkinson said in a statement.

Megalodon is huge shark that is thought to have become extinct around 3.6 million years ago. Considered the largest shark to have ever lived, the earliest known megalodon remains date back more than 20 million years.

Magellan didn't extract the megalodon tooth necklace from the wreck due to an agreement between U.S. and U.K. authorities that prevents such removals by members of the public.

By Aristos Georgiou.

[withasideofshakespeare]

Part 1: Graphs for Tumblr's Favorite Shakespeare Play

In celebration of getting 69 (nice) responses on my Google Form (see below if you'd like to add your opinion), I will be sharing the first round of graphs!

Comedies: Much Ado is in the lead!

Much Ado is the clear winner so far with 53% of the vote (that's 35 votes!) Coming in second place is Twelfth Night with 14 votes; for bronze, we've got Midsummer with 8 votes.

The "robber's" pick for best commentary is... "It's like a drag show but with plot." (Twelfth Night) Tragedies: Hamlet is winning!

Hamlet has a nearly Much Ado-sized lead with 34 votes! Coming in second is Macbeth with 18 votes (including mine)! Third place goes to another one of the four "great tragedies", Othello, with 5 votes.

Best commentary: "I could write an entire book on why I love hamlet. In fact I am writing a book on why I love hamlet." (Hamlet)

Histories: Richard III has a narrow lead!

Richard III is winning with 14 votes, just one more than Richard II with 13! Henry V (and the St. Crispin's Day speech in all its glory) is catching up with 9 votes.

Best commentary: "i saw a version of it where they brough a 10 foot penis on stage. they rolled henry out on a giant golden toilet, wanking, it was amazing," (Henry VIII) (I feel like I need more info on that one...)

Second best commentary goes to the multiple responses that say something along the lines of "Hotspur is gay"

Romances: The Tempest takes the lead!

The Tempest is winning by a large margin with 29 votes! The Winter's Tale takes more than a quarter of the remaining votes with 16 and Cymbeline takes a distant third place with just 4 votes.

Best commentary: "most unfortunate genre"

OVERALL FAVORITE PLAY: Hamlet

Best commentary (the duality of man): "I have no regrets." and "I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry"

Rather than an image description, I'll list off the data here: FIRST PLACE: Hamlet: 18 votes SECOND PLACE: Much Ado About Nothing: 13 votes THIRD PLACE: Macbeth: 9 votes More under the cut (and some bonus content!)

7 people decided to forgo their $100 reward rather than choose a favorite Twelfth Night: 6 votes Midsummer Night's Dream and Othello: 2 votes each The Merchant of Venice, Romeo and Juliet, King Lear, Antony and Cleopatra, Coriolanus, Richard II, 1 Henry IV, 3 Henry VI, Richard III, Winter's Tale, and the Tempest: 1 vote each Bonus: Tumblr's LEAST favorite plays (no votes in any category): Comedies: -Measure for Measure -All's Well That Ends Well -Troilus and Cressida -Taming of the Shrew Tragedies: -Timon of Athens Histories: -1 Henry VI -2 Henry VI