#action comics 986

[comicsclex]

[comicsclex]

Motifs in Clark and Lex's relationship:

Stargazing (Birthright #7, Action Comics #1000 "The Fifth Season", Last Days of Lex Luthor)

"Shut up and fly!" (Superman #282, Superman vol 4 #35)

Clark crushing the phone upon hearing Luthor has escaped (Superman #135, 416)

“Thanks for everything!” (Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #23, Superman #416)

"Our city" (DCeased #5, Superman vol 6 #3)

The Rocky Mountains (Superman #230, Superman Annual #12)

Freefalling together when depowered/compromised (Superman #282, #653, Action Comics #986)

Lex pointing out they're both outsiders (The Secret Years #2, Action Comics #1050)

[dailycass-cain]

Cassandra Cain Reading Guide Part 2: Modern

Part II of my reading list for Cassandra Cain. This one chronicles the current iteration of the character, and all her modern appearances.

Part I you can view here. 

Part III reading guide (Random) you can find here.

Part IV reading guide (Alternate versions) you can find here.

Part V reading guide (PAIN) you can find here.

Batman & Robin Eternal #1-8, #10-14

-  #1 features the reintroduction of the character into the Batman Universe. #10-13 is her new origin, with one section not mentioned, but you can easily put the pieces together what it is (aka Cass killed Harper's mother).

#7 is worth the price alone of Cassandra watching ballet for the first time in this universe. As is #13 with GORGEOUS art by Marcio Takara, and is the crown jewel of the entire series for Cass.

The thing is though I can't really recommend the remaining portions. If you want to understand the finale then read #14-26. But-- it isn't as strong like the first fourteen issues (well save the brief period Tim/Jason go to Santa Prisca and are jerks to Bane).

Detective Comics #934-940

-  the "Rebirth" era where Cass joins a team that features Tim, Steph, Clayface, and Batwoman. One tiny nitpick with the opening (which I guess goes the, if it ain't broke don't redo it) is Cass is bestest friends with Tim/Steph, and only told she is.

Still, the opening arc features Cass being Cass and has some damn good action moments of her being the "tank" of the team.

Batman #7-8

Nightwing #5-6

Detective Comics #941-942

Now I know some might skip this but x-over "Night of the Monster Men" does feature some Steph/Cass moments. Plus it's the first time in A LONG time Cass is in a crossover and it's the Bat-Family vs. Giant Monsters. 

Detective Comics #943-944

-  is the foundation of Cass/Clayface friendship probably one if THE hallmark of this entire run by run writer James Tynion IV.

Detective Comics #950-956

-  the "League of Shadows" aka the arc that focuses on Cassandra and has her take on Lady Shiva. #950 and #955 are the hallmarks of this arc with an entire issue (#950) focuses on Cass, and the later is a giant fight scene of her vs. the League.

The problem with the arc is it feels like the "Empire Strikes Back", with no real payoff to the ending of it involving the conflicts of Ra's/Cass/Shiva.

Detective Comics #957-962

- has numerous Cass moments sprinkled in this arc. Namely more Basil/Cass goodies (him teaching her Shakespeare) and Kate/Cass taking on a brainwashed Azrael in a BRUTAL battle.

Detective Comics #964 

- is the second of a two-part story involving Steph/Anarky/Bruce. But it's this issue that has the apex of Cass/Basil friendship with the later at his breaking point, and Cass is there for her friend. You might need the tissues for the feels.

Detective Comics #969-974 

- features the return of the Victim Syndicate (the second arc's big bads) and they have their focus solely on using Clayface to tear Batman's world apart. If #964 didn't rip your heart out, this arc will. But damn is it good.

Detective Comics #975-981 

- James Tynion IV's grand finale for his Tec run and Cass is heavily featured in all the issues. But #980 is a big one for Cassandra as she and Stephanie learn of their previous lives being Batgirls and Steph’s time as Robin.

Detective Comics #983-986 

- is basically Batman & the Outsiders prelude. #984 has Cass taking on the arc's villain Karma alone. But it's #985 where we get some damn good Cass moments as she, Black Lightning, and Batman foil Karma's schemes.

***Updated note for this section. Shadow of the Batgirl graphic novel. A spectacular reinterpretation of Cassandra's origin story that takes place outside the main continuity. It hits all the beats that are why some of us love Cass and will defend the character. It's a one and done story. Perfect for new readers.

DC: The Doomed & the Damned

Truth & Justice #16-18 (online via DC Infinite), #6 (physical copy that collects the entire story.)

Truth & Justice has a Damian story by Juni Ba that includes the Bat Family celebrating Damian’s birthday, but it is crashed by Ra’s Al Ghul. Has a really cute tiny brother/sister moment between Cass/Damian. Worth it alone.

- A spooky story called “The Hunt” that stars Cass and Orca. The former comes across human traffickers and the fight is interrupted by Orca. A simple but sweet story by Alyssa Wong, (who’d go on to write another fun Cass appearance in Batman: Urban Legends #8). 

Batman & the Outsiders #1-17

-  (there's an Annual and it's an amazing Katana story but no Cass insight there). This series did an amazing job showcasing why Cassandra doesn't need the Orphan identity any longer.

It also FINALLY gives us evolution in the relationship between Cassandra and her mother Lady Shiva. Because going this route adds many more layers, and more story possibilities now. Instead of the tried standard Cass/Shiva death-match, we've gotten in the past.

Besides the new layers of depth added with her relationship with Shiva, we also get Cassandra bonding numerous times with Duke Thomas aka the Signal. If you've been hungering for brother/sister moments that we haven't gotten in AWHILE.

If there's any negative, is that Duke doesn't get the same attention as Cass does throughout the comic. I still hope beyond this comic that writers remember how close these two are and have a few more adventures.

-Batman: Joker War Zone Event --

Batman #95-98 (No Cass)

Batman #99 (Cass has entered the Joker War chat)

Batman: Joker War Zone #1 (Cass becomes Batgirl again doning a variant of her old costume, Steph slaps a Bat symbol on her Spoiler costume and goes back to a half mask but also goes by Batgirl too)

Batman #100

- For a more continuity friendly version that follows the characters specifically: Batman & the Outsiders #17 (i.e. the Bruce/Cass talk) Batman: Joker War Zone #1 (page 3) Batman #99 Batman Joker War Zone #1 (pages 1-2, 4-8) Batman #100

Cass becomes Batgirl again after more than ten years from dropping the mantle. NUFF SAID!

Batman #103-105 

 Infinite Frontier #0 

Batman Urban Legends #2-3

- Various appearances of Cass that have her running around as Batgirl with Stephanie. #3 of Batman: Urban Legends continues Shiva subplot started in Batman & the Outsiders. The story is flawed, but still worth it for the ending. 

There are three issues I'm neglecting in Detective Comics even if two of them have gorgeous art by Bilquis Evely. But the arc is rather meh on Cass. You might see this specific arc pop up on another reading guide for Cass.

Joker #3-4, #7, #9  #11-13, and #15

- Cassandra figures heavily into the Joker ongoing helping out both Barbara Gordon (Oracle) and Jim Gordon in their search to find the Joker and solve the mystery as to why several groups are after the Clown Prince of Crime.

Features Cass vs a Talon. 

Highly recommended reading as it is truly a stealth Jim Gordon ongoing.

Batman: Urban Legends #7 

- “Hunter or Hunted” is a story starring Cass in the "Future State" alternate future. It's a self-contained tale that tells an exceptional fight sequence with some awing visual treats for the reader.

For those readers who've read Batgirl Vol. 1, this story is the first time in all those years we finally get a story where the artist is allowed to let the fight breathe. You take in every move and emotion.

Detective Comics #1038 (backup story) 

Detective Comics# 1039 (one panel but it's Dan Mora drawn-Cass) 

Detective Comics #1047-1058 (Shadow of the Bat arc) 

#1061 (assists Bruce in the finale to Tamaki's Riddler arc and final issue of her run with Ivan Reis drawn-Cass)

- Mariko Tamanki’s Tec run had Cass appear in the latter stages of it. These are the key areas Cass featured or appeared in. Shadow of teh Bat was the arc she appeared most in. 

One Bad Day: Two-Face #1

- Tamaki again writing Cass (and Steph) as they tag on a case with Bruce that involves someone targeting Harvey Dent’s father. 

- Batman: Fear State Event -

Fear State Alpha #1 (first appearance of Seer) 

Batman #112 

Batman: Urban Legends #8 (framed for murder by Seer and team-up with Batwoman)

Batman #115 (secondary story: Batgirls Part 1) 

Nightwing #85 (The Clocktower goes boom from Babs/Dick/Tim's PoV) 

Batman #116 (secondary story: Batgirls Part 2 aka Cass/Steph's PoV when the Clocktower goes boom) 

Nightwing #86 (Babs/Cass/Dick/Tim/Steph team-up extravaganza)

Batman #117 (the main story occurs during Nightwing #86 and after it)

Batman #117 (secondary story: Batgirls Part 3) - Post-Fear State set-up for Cass/Steph that leads into--

Batgirls #1!!

Batgirls #1-6

- Cass & Steph together sharing an ongoing book with Barbara as their mentor figure?  Cass truly shines in these first six issues, but the story is hampered with a few flaws (the narration gets a bit too much, Barbara as Batgirl is treated so normal when it should be a something BIG). 

Besides Cass, the art by Jorge Corona is more than worth the read. That and the villainous Tutor. 

Batgirls #9-12

- Cass/Steph investigate the Hill Ripper, a serial killer targeting at random around the neighborhood they live. The arc has nice twists/turns you just don’t see coming. Add to that, Cass is given two good fights in this arc. A bonus is we get the long-awaited meeting/team-up of Cass with Maps Mizoguchi. Add a fun reinvention of Killer Moth. This arc is a fun read from start to finish.     

Batgirls 2022 Annual, #13-15

- Cass/Steph have a body swap episode and have to confront a parental figure of the other’s (Steph with Lady Shiva/Cass with Cluemaster). The arc steps up a rogue sect of the League of Assassins is attempting to set up in Gotham with Shiva trying to stamp it out (by also asking her daughter for help).

An unhinged Cluemaster (alive and this arc drops the Young Justice issue that brought him back) kidnaps his “daughter” in a hope to reconcile. In the end, Cass/Steph get their bodies back. 

#14 features a Cass solo story and “silent issue” where she goes on a quest to find Stephanie (now in the clutches of Cluemaster). This issue is (so far) the series best issue bar none. Focuses on the advancement of Cass is with reading and her detective skills. #13-14 features exceptional art by artist Jonathan Case.

The Annual and #13 are kind of weak (retreading plot devices we’ve seen with both Lady Shiva and Cluemaster), but the last two issues more than make up it.

Batman: Failsafe (#125-130 for the arc, #126-128 for the Cass stuff).

- After Penguin frames Batman for his “death” a Failsafe robot is activated (one that Bruce created just in case he ever went “rogue” but Alfred kept switching off until his death) and attends to “save” Gotham and end the Batman & Bat-Family.

Cass encounters the robot in #126 with her and the entire family beaten. #128 is a flashforward where the entire Bat-Family save for Bruce, Tim, Cass, and Duke Thomas have all been captured (along with some members of the Justice League).

The arc is alright. It has a gorgeously drawn Cass by artist Jorge Jiménez. Yes, Cass is one of the few to escape Failsafe, but there isn’t much done in the arc with either her or Duke afterward. 

Things just return to normal for Gotham with the defeat of the machine in #130. This is writer Chip Zdarksky’s first arc on the comic and it’s-- alright. Zdarksky falls into the trap of listing only Dick, Jason, Tim, and Damian as his “sons” in Bruce’s narration while Cass is neglected (along with Duke).

Batman vs. Robin and Lazarus Planet Event (Lazarus Planet: Dark Fate #1, Batman vs. Robin #5)

- Cass skips out for most of Batman vs. Robin series until the final issue where she teams up with the rest of the Bat-Family (minus Signal and Batwoman) to take on a demonically possessed Batman. 

The Family job but Cass is the main member (besides Damian and the wild card Monkey Prince) who provides enough of a fight until mystical shenanigans occur. 

Prior to this issue Cass shows up in the Lazarus Planet tie-in teaming up with new mystical hero Xanthe Zhou as they team-up (along with a begrudging John Constantine) to deal with mystical creatures rising up due to the “Lazarus event”. Story ends with Cass getting sent to the Spirit World (see Spirit World #1-6). 

Batgirls #16-19

- Closes out this particular series with #16 tying up the loose plot threads from #1, while #17-19 has the three Batgirls tangle with a vindictive sniper.

Has some really sweet Cass moments (and callbacks) sprinkled throughout the remaining issues.  Why'd this series end?

Detective Comics #1069-1073

- Assists Batman in his latest case, and that's all I'll say about it because the run is underrated and you should be reading it if you aren't other than... These issues close out the first half of Ram V's Tec run.

Tim Drake: Robin #10 

Batman #136

Batman: The Brave & the Bold #4

- Various Bat Family moments with Cass assisting the family. Light-hearted and cute moments. 

Spirit World #1-6

- Continues the story that began in Lazarus Planet: Dark Fate #1 with Cass trapped in the Spirit World with Xanthe Zhou and John Constantine to rescue her.

Alyssa Wong returns for a FOURTH time to write Cass and second for 海凝 Haining drawing the character.

Visually stunning from 海凝 Haining with character, set designs, and sequences. Wong ties some elements of this story from Batgirl Vol. 1, but doesn't fully answer the ideas introduced here.

 Cass gets an amazing mystical costume for the comic combining her various identities.  

Birds of Prey Vol. 5 #1-6 (Mega Death) 

 -   A new Birds of Prey team gets together (Dinah, Cass, Barda, Sin, Mirai Maps, and a rotating team this arc has Harley Quinn and Zealot), and Cass plays a big role in the series. - Friendship with Big Barda is formed and IT IS GLORIOUS.

- We get a glorious fight in #4  between Cass/Wonder Woman (drawn by Leonardo Romero and gorgeous colors by Jordie Bellaire) with the former stalling for time.

- Nice bonding between Cass and Black Canary too throughout.

#7-8 (Undercover Animals)

- Two-parter (now with Barbara Gordon and Vixen), with Cass/Dinah trying to prevent someone from trying to kill Babs.

- Goes on an undercover mission with the Birds at a fashion show wearing lingerie and kicking butt. Get a tiny Batgirls nod here.

Detective Comics  #1077-1080, #1082, & #1084 

 - Ram V continues his epic run and Cass is along for the ride.  This section solidifies again why she is an heir (along with Dick and Jean-Paul) to be Batman. As she keeps the symbol alive with Bruce out of action.

- Her and Babs team up with the Catwomans (Selina and Eiko), Jim Gordon, Azrael, Lian Harper, Cheshire, Solomon Grundy, the Question, Poison Ivy, and Mr. Freeze to free Batman from the Orghams #1077-1080).

- #1082 and #1084 are her trying to keep Gotham safe and as stated before keeping the bat symbol alive as the Orgham tries to wipe the memory of the bat out.

- #1084 she stars in a backup story by Alex Paknadel and Robbi Rodriguez where she teams up with her mother, Lady Shiva.

- Shiva helps Cass out with the mental fatigue she's experiencing during the story with the constant Orghams threat.

- Features the return of pre-New 52 David Cain to the DCU in a flashback.

Nightwing #106, #108 (backup story by Michael Conrad and Serg Acuña.)

- Cass features in this fun little side story where she has some fun sibling antics with Nightwing (along with Stephanie and Jason).

DC's How to Lose a Guy Gardner in 10 Days #1 

 - appears with Steph in Dick/Babs story. 

 Titans Beast World Tour: Gotham #1 

 - Co-stars in a story with Huntress that recanonizes her old NML Batgirl origin. 

 JL vs. Godzilla vs. Kong #5 (one-panel cameo)

[isolationaroundus]

I posted 38,452 times in 2022

650 posts created (2%)

37,802 posts reblogged (98%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@looshipoh

@nospheratusblack

@p-s-y-c-h-o-s-u-i-c-i-d-e-x

@ov-bloodspells

I tagged 10,871 of my posts in 2022

#q - 1,119 posts

#fav - 986 posts

#important - 496 posts

#lmfao - 380 posts

#tolkien - 303 posts

#music - 257 posts

#hand holding - 196 posts

#girls with swords - 181 posts

#berserk - 171 posts

#never again - 163 posts

Longest Tag: 136 characters

#i was cleaning my room the other day and i found the ticket from the misfits concert i went years ago and it's also signed by jerry 🤘🏻

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Attack on titan really just released 3 10/10 episodes in a row like it's nothing.............

10/10

actual 10/10

i really do not know any other shows that have like multiple pure 10/10 episodes... maybe breaking bad and got have a few but like holy shit dude 3 in a row? get the fuck out of hereeee

64 notes - Posted February 7, 2022

#4

Btw rip the Morbius character... It's forever and ever ruined by the memes.

Idk about how good the comics are but oh damn what a death of the image of a character 💀

74 notes - Posted June 13, 2022

#3

89 notes - Posted February 2, 2022

#2

wait... people are actually mad that the first episode of the moon knight series "didn't show the action scenes"???

y'all serious??? you're telling me you didn't like the mystery?? we as a viewer experiencing the same confusion the character is experiencing?? finding shit out as we go???

OF COURSE THERE'S GONNA BE A SHIT TON OF ACTION... literally calm the fuck down..

139 notes - Posted April 1, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Fuck it I'm going back to sleep

447 notes - Posted January 12, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[thealmightyemprex]

FAvorite movie by Genre tag

Rules are One film per genre

Musical :Littleshop of Horrors (!986)

Its got everything:Romance,horror,sci fi ,comedy and catchy tunes

Horror:Evil Dead (!981)

Was between this and Frankenstein ,but went with this one cause I not only admire this film creatively but it is also a purely horrifying movie

ACtion:On Her Majesty's Secret Service (!969)

When I think action I think James Bond and this is my absolute favorite James Bond movie

Comic book movies : Superman the Movie (1978)

Still the best comic book movie ever made in my opinion.

Comedy:The Producers (!968)

Had to pick a Mel Brooks film ,and I always flip flop between this one and Young Frankenstein

ADventure:20'000 LEagues Under the Sea (!954)

The best film Disney has ever done IMO .Great cast ,stunning effects for the time ,and its just exciting .Cant top the giant Squid

Thriller:Night of the Hunter (!955)

Contains my favorite movie villain of all time,Harry Powell played by Robert Mitchum .Nothing more tense then a pair of kids trying to escape their murderous stepfather who happens to be a charming preacher

Western:Good Bad and the Ugly (!968)

No doubts this is my fave western .This film is gorgeous and Eli Wallach delivers a phenomenal performance

Animation:WAtership Down (!978)

The film that changed my view on animation ,about a group of rabbits trying to find a new home .While others dismiss the film for how dark it is ,I think it uses its darkness well

Romance:True Romance (!993)

I am not a romance movie person ,but this romantic crime film has always been a favorite

Drama:Casablanca(!942)

A film the more times I watch it the more I love it.A tale of heartbreak and standing up to tyranny

War:Lawrence of Arabia (!962)

My favorite movie ,it is about a very controversial figure(WAs a contender for favorite biopic as well) ,with an amazing cast (Especially Omar Sharif ) ,gorgeous music and beutiful cinematography

Sci Fi :Metropolis (!927)

Was between this and Star Wars ,but I picked this film because while I love Star Wars ,I feel this is the best Sci Fi movie ever made.A true sci fi epic ,this film still holds up and is my fave silent film

Biopic:Amadeus (!984)

LOVE THIS MOVIE .One of the few best picture winners I agree with

Fantasy : Thief of Bagdad (!940)

I had a hard time choosing which fantasy film ,but this is my favorite .Its got a sweet tale of friendship and a lovable unlikely character as well as being an enchanting technicolor extravaganza

I tag :@professorlehnsherr-almashy @princesssarisa @metropolitan-mutant-of-ark @ariel-seagull-wings @amalthea9 and anyone else who wants too

[scanndan]

PLEASE Clark's face...He's in customer service mode. He's thinking "Damn...must be tuesday."

Action Comics #986

[towritecomicsonherarms]

Action Comics #986

[hellsparadiseessays]

To trick or be tricked - How certain literary concepts tie into Chôbe’s story arc

Disclaimer : This is a Chôbe rant an opinion piece more than essay, though I still use the many elements provided by the source material to justify my points. It’s also pretty spoilery so make sure you’re properly caught up before reading.

This write-up will be about the literary concepts of the trickster and the tricked character, based on the theme of the Faustian Bargain, a certain Japanese tale and how they tie into Chôbe’s character arc.

I. Faustian Bargain

First thing first: what is a Faustian Bargain, and where does it come from? Well, it comes from European stories involving a character who decides to bargain with the Devil to obtain what he or she desires in life. In exchange, their soul would be taken to Hell for eternal damnation. Initially a cautionary tale of a religious nature, its moral aspects still has a universal tone: it is all about sacrificing one’s personal morals and spiritual values in order to gain wealth or other benefits. The most famous literature works about it are Christopher Marlowe’s The Tragical Story of Doctor Faustus (1592), Shakespeare’s Macbeth (1606) and Goethe’s Faust (1808), though more modern literary works use this trope in the story: Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890), Ira Levin’s Rosemary’s Baby (1967), as well as comics, movies and video games, such as Hellblazer (1993), Death Note (2003), Sleepy Hollow (1999), The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009), Skyrim DLC Dragonborn (2012/2013) or The Witcher 3 DLC Hearts of Stone (2015). In Europe, a lot of local legends about Devil’s Bridges are also tied into this idea: the architect asked the help of the Devil in exchange for the first soul to cross the bridge. The architect would then outsmart the Devil by sending a cat, and the Devil would refuse to add the last stone to the bridge in reaction.

And like I said, meddling with supernatural entities and getting punished for it as a form of cautionary tale isn’t a Europe-only thing, it’s a common form of storytelling at a universal level, and Japanese literature has both its own set of traditional tales in that matter (generally involving deities and people not paying their respects to shrines, as well as oni getting tricked by humans) and modern stories mixing various Western and Japanese writing concepts to end with a unique literary style.

Now how is this idea expressed with Chôbe’s story arc? Well, it’s played straight from the moment he gets taken to Hôrai, but there’s a major twist on it from the start. Indeed, as soon as we’re introduced to the Aza brothers and their past, in chapter 9, we learn something important: the path they end up following always starts by being forced onto them rather than willingly followed from the start. It all starts when they get stripped from their status as samurai because of their Lord’s mistake, then their life falls even more apart when they lose their mother to illness and their father to a failed revenge that only led to his execution. As we’re explained this, we also learn that Chôbe’s thing is to adapt and keeping his pride. The way Toma explains it is interesting because we can take it as Chôbe refusing to back down, but I also think there’s more than that. Chôbe had to deal with a lot of bad events and grow up very quickly in order to protect his little brother, so what better thing to stay a master of his own fate than taking what’s forced on them and lashing out at society in reaction? In other words, the Faustian Bargain starts as something forced on Chôbe, yet he decides to make full use of it as a reaction, because it’s the best way for him to maintain a form of control over what little he has left.

This pattern is further reinforced throughout Chôbe’s trip around the island: the Waitanhua growing in the Tan pit never asked for his opinion and simply invaded him like a parasite – he later realized he could make use of it and started teaching himself during the fight against the Doshi. Same thing with Lord Tensen: Chôbe is forcibly put down and taken to Hôrai against his will, even though his initial plan was to get back to his brother. He quickly understood he’d be powerless against Rien and the other Tensen, and thus decided to get along with their plans because it’s his best chance to both stay alive and keep his brother alive – that’s where his Faustian Bargain really start, when he negociates Toma’s life against everybody else’s. It’s terrible from our point of view, because as the readers we care about all the characters, but from Chôbe’s point of view that insane bargain makes sense, and he’s fully aware of the dangerous situation he’s in. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s planning to not only trick the other Asaemon and convicts to get rid of the competition for the Elixir of Life, but Lord Tensen as well. Why? Because of the only two nasty smiles he gave us while in Hôrai (when he decided on the path to follow with Rien and when he managed to block Ju Fa’s strike with a single hand – and didn’t miss the occasion to taunt him in the process because he’s a spiteful little shit), because he really dislikes the Tensen and told the readers so, because he’s openly been thinking about killing Rien himself – but not now, he needs more strength first and is fully aware of it, power is the key to be at the top. With that in mind, I wouldn’t surprised at all to see him backstabbing the (remaining?) Tensen left and right as soon as he can. Especially since the tricked bargainer can also become the trickster in a Faustian Bargain.

However, that image of the tricked/trickster can also be related to a certain story about a certain creature in Japanese folklore, whose fate isn’t the prettiest, yet gets an interesting interpretation.

II. The imagery of Shuten-dôji and the sad fate of an Oni

First thing first, who is Shuten-dôji? Well, he’s a famous oni (a demon) in Japanese folklore. Leader of a band of oni (one of them being named: Ibaraki-dôji, Shuten-dôji’s henchman) and acting during the reign of Emperor Ichijô (r. 986-1011), he would kidnap maidens from Kyoto with his band of oni and keep them as servants in his fortress – optionally slaughtering them to drink their blood and eat their flesh. Abe no Seimei, Onmyodô of the Imperial court, divined that the demon’s fortress was on Mount Ôe, and the Emperor sent a small party to save the women and put an end to the terror of the demon king. He sent Minamoto no Raikô and Fujiwara no Hôshô to exterminate the demon and his underlings. After Raikô’s party left Kyoto, they encountered three deities of transformation, after having paid homage to their shrine, that told them to disguise themselves as yamabushi priests to trick Shuten-dôji and gain his trust. The trick worked, Shuten-dôji offered them his hospitality and shared his sake as well as his personal story with them – he would do what he was doing near Kyoto because him and his people had been displaced from their mountains after the construction of a temple nearby. Raikô then offered some sake given by the deities in order to incapacitate Shuten-dôji and take his head. And that he did, once the oni was asleep, even though the head still tried to bit him and failed only because Raikô had taken the precaution to wear to helmets beforehand. The party returned to Kyoto and Shuten-dôji head was left in the Treasure House at Byôdô-in temple.

Now, without taking the entire story at face value, I’ve noticed a lot of curious patterns that paralleled with Chôbe’s own story. First, the most obvious, the likeness to an oni. For those of you who are on the Discord server [note: r/Jigokuraku’s server], remember how I’ve been joking about Chôbe and his most fitting oni axe? Boi, what an interesting coincidence. We even get to see him drink Soshin blood (because hydration is important for survival), even drink human blood once (to Toma’s horror, which seemed to amuse him) because liquid is liquid when you’re in a tough situation, we see him drink sake with the bandits in Toma’s flashback, we know he’s the leader of a gang of bandits and was causing enough problem to get the death penalty, Toma is clearly his right hand man, Chôbe has been described as wearing a monk outfit in the bonus pages of volume 2... And we even have some interesting things from a geographical point of view.  As soon as I saw the names of the locations, I decided to google them out of curiosity. The Lord of Akô had his domain set in nowadays Hyôgo prefecture. Mount Ôe from Shuten-dôji’s story is located in Tanba province, nowadays an area that encompasses areas of both the central part of nowadays Kyoto prefecture and the east-central part of Hyôgo prefecture. Another funny thing is, Chôbe’s bandit village was set in Iyo Mountains, a group of peaks in nowadays Ehime prefecture, on Shikoku. He basically had his own fortress in the mountains, and originates from the place where it is said Shuten-dôji has been killed.

Interestingly enough, while oni have been feared, then mocked, they are now seen under another angle: one can feel sympathy towards them because they are tricked by humans, and they also make a perfect metaphor for the marginal who lives outside of a society that rejects them. And again, it fits with Chôbe’s life – though this part will be thoroughly explained in my next essay, so I’ll end this piece here so nobody will be spoiled.  But let’s just say that society and its rules haven’t been kind to Chôbe, and he clearly decided to take it and throw it back as hard as he can in reaction – I get the thought process, having grown in a rather rough neighbourhood myself it’s the sort of thing I’ve personally witnessed. It doesn’t make his actions ok, but it explains them.

While I don’t necessarily expect him to meet the same fate as Shuten-dôji, I’m also not sure he’ll survive by the end of the story. Let’s just say I’m on the fence about that, because his story arc is about to move again now that Toma is in Hôrai, and I think his survival will depend on his future decisions. From a narrative point of view, he still has a possibility to live until the end. The question is, will he take it? Will he be able to set aside all of his hang-ups to save his skin from himself? I honestly hope he will, because he needs closure for himself. And I don’t want him to die, too.

Sources

Faustian Bargain: here, here, here (fun fact about this one : the picture of the Devil’s Bridge of Céret, in Southern France, is one I know *very well* because one of my grandmas lives there)

Shuten-dôji

Japanese Demon Lore: Oni from Ancient Times to the Present by Noriko T. Reider (2010)

[smashpages]

Nominees announced for the 2018 Ringo Awards

The nominees for the Ringo Awards have been announced, marking the second year for the awards program named for artist Mike Wieringo, who passed away in 2007.

While fans could participate in the nomination process, only comic book professionals can vote for the winners. The awards will be presented at Baltimore Comic-Con Sept. 29.

Congratulations to all the nominees:

Best Cartoonist (Writer/Artist)

Guy Delisle

Emil Ferris

Monica Gallagher

Joelle Jones

Quimchee

Jillian Tamaki

Best Writer

Jason Aaron

Neil Gaiman

Matt Kindt

Tom King

Jeff Lemire

Aline Brosh McKenna

David Pepose

Best Artist or Penciller

Gary Frank

Mitch Gerards

Chris Samnee

Stjepan Sejic

Lee Weeks

Best Inker

Jonathan Glapion

Mark McKenna

Danny Miki

Mark Morales

Scott Williams

Best Letterer

Colin Bell

Justin Birch

Todd Klein

David Rubin

John Workman

Best Colorist

Dijjo Lima

Laura Martin

Dave McCaig

Jasen Smith

Dave Stewart

Best Cover Artist

Michael Cho

Fay Dalton

Simon Fraser

Joelle Jones

David Mack

Jorge Santiago Jr.

Best Series

Batman, DC Comics

Lady Killer, Dark Horse Comics

Mister Miracle, DC Comics

Spencer & Locke, Action Lab Entertainment

Sunstone, Image Comics

Best Single Issue or Story

Batman Annual #2, DC Comics

Batman/Elmer Fudd Special, DC Comics

Doomsday Clock #1, DC Comics

I Am Groot, Marvel Comics

Mister Miracle #5, DC Comics

Best Original Graphic Novel

The Aggregate, Split Decision Comics

The Best We Could Do, Abrams ComicArts

Hostage, Drawn & Quarterly

My Favorite Thing is Monsters, Fantagraphics

Spinning, First Second

Best Anthology

Magic Bullet, D.C. Conspiracy

Mine! A Celebration of Liberty and Freedom for All Benefiting Planned Parenthood, ComicMix

Mirror, Mirror II, 2dcloud

Overwatch: Anthology Volume 1, Dark Horse Comics

SpongeBob Comics: Treasure Chest, Harry N. Abrams

Best Humor Comic

Baking with Kafka, Drawn & Quarterly

Batman/Elmer Fudd Special, DC Comics

Boyfriend of the Dead, Line Webtoons

Giant Days, BOOM! Studios

My Giant Nerd Boyfriend, Line Webtoons

Sh*t My President Says, Top Shelf Productions

Best Comic Strip or Panel

Bloom County, Berkeley Breathed, Andrews McMeel Universal

Mutts, Patrick McDonnell, King Features Syndicate

Peanizles, www.peanizles.com/

Pearls Before Swine, Stephan Pastis, Andrews McMeel Universal

Sarah’s Scribbles, Andrews McMeel Universal

Best Webcomic

1000, Sanford Greene (www.webtoons.com/en/action/one-thousand/list?title_no=1217&page=1)

I Love Yoo, Quimchee (www.webtoons.com/en/romance/i-love-yoo/list?title_no=986&page=1)

The Middle Age, Steve Conley (www.middleagecomic.com/)

Siren’s Lament, instantmiso (www.webtoons.com/en/romance/sirens-lament/list?title_no=632&page=1)

War Cry, Dean Haspiel (www.webtoons.com/en/super-hero/war-cry/list?title_no=1247&page=1)

Best Non-fiction Comic Work

The Best We Could Do, Abrams ComicArts

Everything is Flammable, Uncivilized Books

Going into Town: A Love Letter to New York, Bloomsbury Publishing

My Favorite Thing is Monsters, Fantagraphics

Poppies of Iraq, Drawn & Quarterly

ReDistricted, redistrictedcomics.com

Spinning, First Second

Best Kids Comic or Graphic Novel

Bolivar, Archaia/BOOM! Studios

Cyko KO: A Comic Book Adventure You Can Color, Alterna Comics

DC SuperHero Girls, DC Comics

Dog Man: A Tale of Two Kitties, Graphix

Home Time (Book One), Top Shelf Productions

If Found…Please Return To Elise Gravel, Drawn & Quarterly

Jem and the Holograms, IDW Publishing

Pizza Tree, Arcana Comics

Red’s Planet: Friends and Foes, Harry N. Abrams

Best Presentation in Design

Jane, BOOM! Studios

Monograph by Chris Ware, Rizzoli

Monsters Vol. 1: The Marvel Monsterbus, Valiant Entertainment

My Favorite Thing is Monsters, Fantagraphics

Saga, Image Comics

Skybourne, BOOM! Studios

X-Men: Grand Design Marvel Comics

[kinasin]

Action Comics #986

[winterlivesinourbones]

Action Comics #986

Are they boyfriends? They are boyfriends

[asmudgedmind]

Everything that’s happened lately. Everything the world keeps sending at me. But you, the way you changed... you inspired me, Lex... You’d reinforced my hope... for even the worst of humanity. - Clark Kent/Superman

Action Comics #986

Writer: Rob Williams

Artist: Guillem March

Colours: Hi-Fi

[gotham-at-nightfall]

Lex Luthor meets Mr Oz!

Action Comics #986

[dicktripwire]

Wallpapers from Action Comics #986

[dccomicsnews]

Written by: Rob Williams.

Art by: Guillem March.

Covers by: Guillem March, Neil Edwards.

Solicit Synopsis

“Only Human” part two! The inhumanities of Earth put even Superman’s trust to the test as he and Lex Luthor begin to see a pattern emerging that points to Mr. Oz and his agents. When Lex confronts Mr. Oz alone, one walks away changed forever.

Take a look at the preview below.

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ACTION COMICS #986 - Preview Written by: Rob Williams. Art by: Guillem March. Covers by: Guillem March, Neil Edwards.

[kierantc-blog]

More Mr Oz Shenanigans! - Action Comics #986 Spoilers

I’ve made a couple of posts about Mr Oz before (which you can read here and here) because i LOVE this story and the mystery behind it. Today though saw the release of Action Comics #986, and with it some of the BIGGEST clues about Mr Oz were made apparent.

So here we go....

Mr Oz has heat vision. Fucking heat vision.

In a confrontation with Lex Luthor at the end of the issue, Mr Oz rips apart Lex’s battle armour and calls him a child before scoffing that he will never be Superman.

So this either confirms the rumour that Jor-El is in fact Mr Oz or it means another being with heat vision is masquerading in the green robes.

Other than Kryptonians we know that Daxamites (like Mon-El) have heat vision, as do green and white Martians (like J’onn J’onzz the Martian Manhunter), so the list of suspects is dwindling.

I still believe him to be Jor-El though, the evidence is too compelling.

Also a note today about something previously was shown to us in Geoff Johns’ New 52 Superman run, specifically in issue 39, when Mr Oz speaks to a woman who has delivered a package for him addressed to Clark, which we later find out is a diary that has the House of El symbol on the front of it. The woman, “Miss Janet”, seems to be an emissary of his and has a symbol seemingly tattooed on her hand.

Today the idea of the Oz tattoo returns but it has changed slightly. Lex notices it when he is examining footage from his recent battle and it’s him noticing it that forces Mr Oz from the shadows to attack Lex.

The difference this time around is the design of the tattoo itself, the original one was made to resemble the perfume called Nostalgia in the Watchmen series sold by Ozymandias and was one of the reasons people originally theorised that Oz and Ozymandias were one of the same.

The change could be coincidental but i believe it was probably done to remove the last bit of hope people had about Mr Oz being from the Watchmen universe.

So what do you all think, is Jor-El = Mr Oz confirmed or could it in fact be Mon-El or maybe Superboy-Prime? I will of course be posting in 2 weeks time when the next issue of Action Comics finally reveals his identity, but i believe it will be at least another couple of issues before we discover his motivations at least.

Thanks for reading, see you next time!