#and i also don't think she's as brilliant as logan could have hoped

[quincywillows]

a scattered and overall supportive review of percy jackson season 1

let me just say first of all, it's extremely fun to be enthused about a tv show like this again. the adaptation isn't perfect, but it's a lot of fun, and you can tell there's plenty of heart and good intention behind what they're doing. i'm very much enjoying tuning in every couple of episodes and catching up -- and avoiding the relentless commentary of the internet while i do so lol.

but now it's time for MY commentary!! to preface, i was a huge fan of the books when i was younger, am a stalwart long-term advocate of the original five books as some of the best children's lit of our lifetime, but i also enjoyed the films a decade ago for what they were and think people (including cough rick cough) are way too harsh about them. justice for logan lerman. anyway

i'm not going to do like a play-by-play, but in summary, here are my takeaways from the first season -- what i thought worked, what did not, and things i'm optimistic about going into the future seasons.

the good

for an adaptation of the original series (which, to be fair, i have not reread in years), i felt this was honest and faithful. there were tweaks, obviously, but none that took me too out of it or felt irredeemable. there was a lot to like about this show, so i want to start right from the top with my highest highs.

the worldbuilding / production design. i absolutely loved getting to see how they imagined certain iconic characters, locations, and sequences from the books. it was so exciting to get to see camp halfblood for the first time on screen (at least, in this adaption) -- that moment in episode two definitely felt like a turning point where we picked up from the somewhat laggy pilot episode. i especially loved the design of mount olympus, aspects of the underworld (hades and his upside down castle were baller, though how did percy and grover get up there lol; and i absolutely loved the choice for asphodel and the ghosts being rooted like trees, i never would've thought of that myself but it was so chilling and unique... just wish i could see it better through the terrible lighting, but we'll come back to that), and of course, camp. even down to the small details, like the camp beads... it's just very cool to see it come to life.

the casting. i wasn't sure about some of the casting when the news was breaking, but i'm very happy to have been pleasantly surprised all around (and have majorly avoided people bitching about every single thing). there wasn't any role where i felt like someone was horribly miscast, and you could tell that everyone involved really wanted to be there and committed. i thought the casting of the gods was especially inspired at times. some of the highlights for me personally:

adam copeland as ares. i had no idea he was apparently a wrestler turned actor until my sister told me, but i thought he was absolutely spectacular. very charismatic, with just the right amount of cringefail that ares needed. i found him thoroughly enjoyable in all his scenes.

lance reddick as zeus. having just played horizon zero dawn recently, oh my lorde was this an inspired choice. he was absolutely brilliant. i'm so so sad about his passing, i don't know how they're going to recapture his performance, but i have faith now that they'll find a way.

timothy omundson as hephaestus. i love that they took a softer, more mad scientist approach to his role than like ugly basement blacksmith vibes... i just thought it was really refreshing. his scene with annabeth, where we got so much humanity from him in such a short span of time, was one of my favorite scenes of the season.

jason mantzoukas as dionysus. i mean. what else can be said. obvious choice, but he was so fun lol. i hope they give him more to do next season.

other standouts beyond the main youth cast for me were jay duplass as hades (his brief appearance in 107 was thoroughly enjoyable) and dior goodjohn as clarisse (she was by far the acting standout of the first couple episodes to me). also very happy to see jessica kennedy parker and sinclair from the 100 get work, lol.

walker as percy jackson. it was really wonderful watching walker grow as an actor even just through the first eight episodes. the difference from 101 to 108 is almost night and day. you can tell how much he cares about the project and percy as a character, and he upped his game with every episode. i cannot wait to see what he turns out in the coming seasons. to be fair, i thought all of the youth cast did a decent job, and i'm giving them a lot of leeway and room to grow since they are literally child actors -- it takes time to hone your craft, and im optimistic they're all going to do a great job as the series goes on. but walker was, definitively and thankfully as the protagonist, the standout.

charlie bushnell as luke. i was so excited when i heard he got cast because i loved him in diary of a future president, and he did not disappoint. i kind of wish he had more to do, but all of that was forgiven in the finale when he had his final confrontation with percy. oh, the acting popped off then -- i can't wait for him to get to chew up the scenery more in the coming seasons.

grover and percy's friendship. it was so sweet to see this come alive, and i thought walker and aryan had excellent natural chemistry together. they were so endearing, and i really believed their friendship basically from the start (them swapping their sandwich fillings is a tiny detail from the pilot that has stuck with me since; i just loved that choice so much). they definitely provided a lot of my favorite moments in the season, and i think evoked the most genuine "aw wow" moments from me.

percy's relationship with sally. since sally was, understandably, absent from the original novel, it was awesome to get the flashbacks here that allowed us to more deeply understand their bond. i thought walker and virginia did a great job with this, and the young actor who played little percy also did a surprisingly great job (he was actually one of the stronger youth actors in the pilot imo lol). you totally understood why percy was doing everything he was, because that mother-son bond felt believable. big shout-out to the absolutely baller line "i am sally jackson's son." one of the first writing moments where i was like oh snap!

the music. a good score really can't be understated, and this one did not disappoint. did just what it needed to do. i also loved the closing title sequence and the art direction there with the epic music -- just such a nice touch that i'm so glad they included.

some of the writing. i'll get more into some of my qualms with the writing below, but there were definitely some great moments that deserve their flowers. i thought they did a great job weaving in some early themes without being heavy-handed about it (percy having to define who he is for himself, mostly). there were some genuinely funny moments that made me laugh out loud, including "i am impertinent," annabeth's "i'm multitalented," and the entire exchange on the road side when the trio to ares are like no... we're fine... ahaha bye... oh and percy trying to drive the taxi out of the garage at the casino was absolutely hysterical.

pivotal scenes hitting their mark. when the show needed to deliver, i thought they really delivered. i absolutely loved the staging and acting in the final luke and percy confrontation -- the lighting of the fireworks was such a cinematic touch. percy's arrival at olympus and scene with zeus was also a big standout. i loved a lot of the st. louis arch episode, and thought the hephaestus golden chair sequence was really well done. overall, the episodes i thought were strongest were without a doubt 104, 105, and 108.

expansion where expansion was welcome. one of my favorite aspects of the series is how it's giving more nuance to the monsters and "villains" of the books. i loved that we got a little more motivation for alecto beyond evil -- that she clearly wanted to accomplish her own mission and retrieve the helm, whether out of loyalty or fear. i loved how medusa got much more depth and humanity, that we're sort of reexamining the fairness of how myths are told rather than just taking it all at face value. i'm really looking forward to seeing how that continues in the next seasons.

the decent

percy and annabeth. to be fair, i think my issue with this is more on the fan reaction than the show itself. i think the show is doing a decent, if somewhat awkwardly paced job, of building their friendship and offering small little hints of what could blossom in the future in classic youth awkward ways -- unexpected hugs, banter, etc. i think walker and leah are both doing a good job, and i look forward to seeing how it develops. but my god, people on the internet are really jumping the shark so hard here. i can't handle seeing more "uwu percy is in love" posts when it's like. y'all. THEY ARE 12. THEY JUST MET. LET THEM ORGANICALLY BECOME FRIENDS FIRST... i just hope the creators don't feed into that and also jump the shark. like yes, we all know where this is going, but can't we enjoy the actual journey to get there instead of forcing what isn't there yet? in any case, on the positive side, some of the moments between them i really enjoyed: the conversation on the train when grover was asleep, the hephaestus chair sequence, annabeth giving him her camp beads before going to olympus (that was a slay... that was a legendary slow burn start moment worth hyping up), the way percy smiled at her in their last scene... that's the good stuff. let's not rush through what we're getting folks. the water is fine.

lin manuel as hermes. here is the thing. i thought lin did a good job. i thought his casting was apt, and fun, and he did a great balance of hermes charisma and like, a darker edge. it's just... the thing about lin manuel is that he's lin manuel. and this is coming from someone who likes him, but it's like he shows up on screen and i'm just like. hey it's lin manuel. it's a bit of a "takes you out of the moment" stunt casting, but i'm not mad about it. i wouldn't call it a bad thing. hopefully it'll wear off (though i doubt it). i guess i'm just deciding that hermes is just lin manuel, which honestly, would kind of track.

the youth acting. mentioned this above, but again, some of that early delivery was rough. but i am giving a lot of grace, and i think they've already improved plenty in the first eight episodes. i felt the same way about shadowhunters back in the day when i thought kat mcnmara was hard to watch in season 1, but by season 3 she was my absolute favorite cast member and came so far. i have no doubt these kiddos will do the same. so very much looking forward to that.

the not so great

the pacing. this was definitely the weakest part of the story writing wise. it wasn't irredeemable, but it did hinder the first half of the show (which didn't lock in for me until about 104, when the stakes truly shot up at st. louis). and that also affected how dynamics and plot points were able to unravel. the biggest victim of this...

the luke reveal. from the start, i was worried about this. since luke was only really in episode 2, i had doubts about whether the reveal of his betrayal would be at all satisfying or earned. i don't know that i can speak on it for sure, since i knew what was going to happen as someone who read the books, but i still feel we should have gotten more of those luke-and-percy-bonding scenes and convos earlier in the series rather than tacked onto the finale as flashbacks. it worked there, but i think it could've been better. thankfully, all of that didn't hinder the delivery of the finale confrontation, which as i said, was a standout moment for me.

the fight scenes. with rare exception, i was pretty underwhelmed with many of the monster battles and confrontations this season. given that's such a huge gimmick of the novels, i hope they're able to revisit and polish up the pacing of these in the future... i just felt that scenes like the museum clash with dodds were so rushed and anticlimactic. or not even confrontations at all, like the scene with crusty. we got a bit more of this at the back half of the season, in the sword fights with ares and luke, but i wanted more of that epic feeling throughout. i'm hoping it's maybe just a budget concern and that it'll improve in the coming seasons -- especially as the bosses get bigger and the stakes get higher -- but i'm not sure i'm optimistic just yet.

some of the dialogue. it was... wooden, to say the least. i think the worst moments of this were when they were trying to force Kid Bants -- which just felt stilted in the earlier episodes -- and whenever they were explaining greek myths point blank to the audience. there were moments it worked, but many where it didn't, and i hope they flesh out how to better info dump in the future episodes. i didn't mind the change of having percy be more familiar with the myths and thus more aware, but they could afford to finesse how they relay that information to us in the audience without basically reading from wikipedia in percy's voice.

the ugly

oh my god i can't see. i can't SEE. this show went to the teen wolf academy of employing one lightbulb and it's actually criminal. there were so many scenes where i really wanted to see what was happening because the stakes were high or the scenery was so pivotal -- the entry into the underworld for the first time, the vastness of medusa's basement of stone, THE FIELDS OF ASPHODEL -- but the lighting was so god awful i legitimately couldn't see a thing. in asphodel i literally could barely see the trio's expressions, it was that bad / flat. the audience is smart, we understand it's dark out. we can suspend our disbelief so you can add some visibility to this thing. i was turning up my brightness constantly but it wouldn't go any higher. please, disney execs, rick, anyone -- GET ANOTHER LIGHTBULB. i'm losing key immersive aspects of the show to this and it's a bummer. when they were walking through waterland for the first time and annabeth was like "wow can you believe this craftsmanship" i was like i don't know, girl, I CAN'T SEE ANY OF IT. begging on my knees that they fix this next season.

well, that ended up longer than expected, but oh my gods it is so nice to be writing paragraphs about a tv show again. all in all, i'd say 7.5/10 from me in this first season. there's so much to be keen for here, and i'm really happy with how it's going so far.

friends and fellow demigods, what did we all think?

[vicky82gargoylesfan]

My Thoughts on X-Men 97 Episode Tolerance is Extinction Part 2

Oh my god!!!! what awesome episode, it was pretty shocking as well.

Brilliant dialogue, score/music and animation

Fight scenes were awesome too

Spoilers

Storm back in the line up in the intro.

It was a bit strange seeing Xavier in bed in a half destroyed Mansion, with no power.

Bastion crying over his Mum, i'm like, you did that to her, you idiot.

Wooo Storm's back and saves Jubilee and Roberto from the mob.

Yay Rogue's awake, but oh damn my heart!! she was dreaming about Remy and was hoping he was still alive. Love that Kurt was watching over her.

Awwww, Jean's so happy Ororo is back.

AAHHHH!!!!!Rogue's wearing Gambit's coat!!!! she's wearing Gambit's coat!!!! This hit me right in the feels.

She's also wearing her classic costume.

I love that they doing the Gold and Blue teams.

I love the animation of the asteroid, with the northern lights.

Ah damn it!!! as soon as Magneto arrived, I knew Rogue was going to side with him and why does she leaves Gambit's coat behind too!!!! I know she's been through a very traumatic experience and dealing with grief but joining Magneto isn't going to help her.

Rogue said that none of you saw what happened on Genosha, err Rogue did you forget Nightcrawler was there too.

It was pretty obvious that Roberto decided to join up with Magneto as well.

Oh damn!! Magneto telling everyone how he witnessed Leech's death was dark.

So with Moira and Banshee dead, who looks after the island now. pretty cool that they have spare gear and supplies there.

LOL love the the black leather suits call back from the 1st X-Men movie.

Pretty cool to see Scott, Jean, Wolverine wearing there classic costumes.

Awww, Scott and Jean having a moment before they go on there separate missions.

Pretty cool to see Jean co pilot the jet.

I absolutely love this moment, I love the sisterhood between Jean and Storm.

such an awesome line

Jean: Make them mind your weather, sister.

Storm: And them weather your mind

Awesome, Morph turned into the Hulk and Jean's even using her Telekinetic powers on him

Jean fighting Sinister alone was pretty worrying, Sinister is just creepy. It was a great fight scene though, throwing bowling balls at him.

Err Sunspot, your on Magneto's team and your apologising to Jubilee, why are you his side again.

LoI just love that she doesn't accept his apology

Lol at Magneto gagging Xavier and telling him to shut up

Morph posed as Sinister to try and stop Bastion but Bastion was not stupid. He even stopped Beast too

Damn!!! now Forge and Storm are down.

Oh no!!! Cable is being mind controlled by Sinister to try to take down Jean and Cable is also using his powers.

Oh no!!! Jean has brought Scott, using there Psychic Rapport (I think).

Jean: Scott, I love you. Oh fuck no!!!!

NO!!! NO!!! NO!!! NO!!! NO!!! NO!!! please tell me she's still alive!!!!!!! Someone please tell me she's still alive!!!!!!!

Damn Scott, why are you stopping Xavier from stopping Magneto, surely from you seeing Jean been probably been taken down by Cable, Gold team have failed.

Oh my gosh!! Wolverine just stabbed Magneto.

HOLY SHIT!!!!!! Magneto just ripped out Wolverines adamantium skeleton. I knew it was coming but it was so shocking and gruesome, seeing it animation.

And it just ends there!!! I got to wait another week to see what happens!!!!

This show is going to give me PTSD

Rogue you said you don't want to see another mutant killed and this could kill Wolverine. I just hope she changes her mind after seeing what Magneto did to Logan.

Also they better not remove Rogue from the line up from the intro next week or I'll punch someone.

[ebooklibrary]

Mindf*ck Series by S.T. Abby

Genre: Dark Romance, Fiction, Thriller

The Risk

They took too much. Left too little. I had nothing to lose...until him.

*****************

~Lana~

I didn't expect him. I didn't want to fall in love. But I can't let him go.

Logan Bennett makes the world a safer place. He's brilliant. He's a hero. He locks away the sick and depraved. But while he's saving lives, I'm taking them. Collecting the debts that are owed to me.

Ten years ago, they took from me. They left me for dead. They should have made sure I stayed dead.

Now I'm taking from them. One name at a time.

I've trained for too long. I've been patient. I can't stop now.

Revenge is best served cold...

They never see me coming, until I paint their walls red.

Logan doesn't know how they hurt me. He doesn't know about the screams they ignored. He doesn't know how twisted that town really is.

He just knows people are dying. He doesn't know he's in love with their killer.

No one suspects a dead girl. And Logan doesn't suspect the girl in his bed.

They're looking for a monster. Not a girl who loves red. Not a girl in love.

I'm a faceless nightmare.

At least until I tell them the story they've pretended never happened.

But in the end, will Logan choose them? Or will we watch them burn together?

Sidetracked

They always want to break me, but I'm too strong now. Untouchable. Or at least I was...until her.

**** LOGAN

I've had tunnel vision for one main goal for so long, that I forgot there was a whole other world just outside. Until Lana.

She's everything I never expected, and I love the fact I can never guess her every move or reaction. It's part of the reason I keep falling. But I also know she shuts me out, hides things from me she feels she can't share.

One day, I hope she trusts me enough to share.

It isn't until my job puts her at risk that I realize just how fierce she is, but it doesn't stop me from doing all I can to protect her. I should walk away to protect her better, but I can't. Instead, I'm forced to find other ways to keep her safe.

I just hope it's enough.

Though she is fierce, she's still fragile...

Right?

Scarlet Angel

To kill a monster, you have to be twice as monstrous. To love a monster, you have to share your soul...

Logan Bennett makes me want to have a future not tainted by the constant hunger for revenge. Doesn't mean I can stop. Doesn't mean I want to stop. It just means I want more...one day.

But how do you make a good man love the monster inside you without stripping his soul away as well? He is all the best parts of me right now, resurrecting bits of my heart I forgot could even exist.

He makes me feel something other than cold.

He also thinks I'm weak and fragile. Something I laugh about to myself, while secretly soaking in all his protectiveness and concern.

If anyone touches him, harms him, or even threatens him, then they should probably run. Because his girlfriend is a little bit crazy. They just don't know it yet.

All The Lies

To understand the monsters in the world, you have to get inside their heads. It's a dangerous place to be, especially when you start to empathize and lose your own sense of morality.

But that's never happened to me...

I've never felt conflicted on any case. Right is right and wrong is wrong. It's simple. Black and white. There's no such thing as a gray area.

But fuck this case. I don't even know what side I'm on anymore. I don't understand how this town can continue to function without breaking under the weight of all the lies they've spun and lived.

Every time I find a shard of truth, my gut twists, my heart beats faster, and I hate this place a little more. Every time I think I've heard the worst, another truth is dug up from the ashes of more burning lies.

Worst of all, I don't even know who to trust anymore. My head is all messed up.

I pride myself on being impossible to fool. I'm an expert at knowing when someone is lying to me. I never believed in being blinded by love...until Lana.

Paint It All Red

Hush, little baby, don't say a word...

Will Logan choose them? Or will we watch them burn together?

It's time to fuck with their minds. It's time to finish it all. It's time to paint it all red...

Monsters don't usually wish for happily-ever-afters.

EPUB link

[reasoncourt]

Agree with all your thoughts on Logan/Tom and even more so on your analysis of Logan's attitude towards the kids and why it would be a good authorial choice to kill one of the kids off. But consider this: the most tragic would be Pinky. With the other two to an extent he expects it. Ken is a junket, Roro came out wrong. But Pinky is as brilliant as he could have hoped, she has potential, she has always pretended to be stable, she's the fiercest, the coldest, the most like him.

Love these thoughts. I would say that I don't know that you can really 'expect' the death of a child - Ken being a junkie doesn't make his death less impactful or tragic and I don't know how Roman 'coming out wrong' translates to him being likely to die or to Logan expecting it. I think any of the four dying would affect Logan equally. However, there is definitely a lot of appeal in how very King Lear Shiv dying would be.

But here's some reasons why it wouldn't (imo) work.

Shiv is basically the only main female character (there’s Gerri but her character is tied up with Roman whereas Shiv is more her own character). The show can’t really kill off its main female character. I mean it could but... it would leave the show feeling very unbalanced imo.

It would overpower the narrative, i think. I.e., Shiv dying would have to be given equal weight in Logan’s arc and in Tom’s arc. The show would stop being succession and start being about Shiv which (purely in my opinion) would be really unsatisfying. Also, Kendall is the main character, so it would be hard to make it make sense - you would have to take most of the focus off him in order to deal with how Logan and Tom reacted to losing Shiv. If it were Connor or Roman, on the other hand, everyone in the show has the same level of relationship with them (if that makes sense) so it would be much cleaner to deal with and it would make sense to still focus on Ken.

Shiv is a key part of tomgreg’s dynamic. If the show loses her then it takes away from two of its most interesting dynamics (tomgreg and tomshiv). If the show lost Roman or Connor, it gains an interesting element imo (so long as there’s no more than one season left).

There’s way more foreshadowing for Roman

I just think there’s a really interesting parallel to be had with Kendall. Roman is the little brother who Kendall wanted to protect in Argestes and Roman dying would feel like a failure to Ken in the same way Rose dying seems to feel like a failure to Logan.

There’s so much more tomshiv to explore so i think killing off shiv would be unsatisfying. On the other hand, romangerri and conwilla could be given more development or they could be cut off at s3 and I don’t think it would be unsatisfying in the same way (if it were dealt with properly).

Idk, these are all just random thoughts.

[earnestly-endlessly]

Hi, how are you? Your blog is amazing and your recommendations have already allowed me to read wonderful stories, so thank you so much! I wonder if you could suggest me any cherik fics of them as detectives? I remember reading one a long time ago, but unfortunately I don't know the name and even less the synopsis. Thank you in advance for your help.

Thank you so much @remember5novemberv for your kind words. I'm so sorry this took me so long but I hope you enjoy this list. There are some excellent detective AUs in this fandom so you're in for a treat.

Cherik Detective AUs

Their Mouths Always Lie – keire_ke

Summary: Charles adheres to most police protocols like they are a personal code of conduct. Erik gets things done and over with, for better or worse. Raven knows what she's doing, most of the time. The serial killer kills, regardless. Police AU.

Guilty by Association – Reagan

Summary: While investigating the homicide of a John Doe who he suspects might've been murdered while working the streets as a prostitute, Detective Erik Lehnsherr finds an unexpected ally in a hooker named Charles who seems as determined as he to solve the case. As they become more deeply involved both with the case and each other, there's just one thing that Charles neglects to mention -- that he's really an investigative journalist, one quickly convinced that what they're dealing with is more than simple murder. cop!Erik, fake-hooker-slash-reporter!Charles, Modern AU.

Incy Wincy Spider – Tawabids

Summary: Erik Lehnsherr is a renowned homicide detective, with his husband Charles at home and his partner on the job, Moira MacTaggert. When a twisted serial killer starts targeting mutants, Erik and Moira are the perfect team for the job, especially since Erik himself is the mutant poster-boy of an NYPD trying to improve their image.

But what they don't yet know is that the serial killer is an old soul out of Erik's past, and his next move is to pull Charles into his web.

The Theory of Partnership Dynamics – Pangea

Summary: “Detective Lehnsherr, how wonderful to see you out on the job!” The fed in the front greets him as they draw nearer. He’s shorter than the other two by a full head, and he’s beaming at Lehnsherr as if completely undeterred by Lehnsherr’s paint-peeling scowl.

“What do the feds want?” Lehnsherr asks bluntly.

“You know I can’t tell you that,” the fed answers cheerfully. Then his gaze lands on Alex, and, impossibly, his grin gets even brighter. “Did you get a new partner?"

“No,” Lehnsherr says through his teeth while at the same time Alex says, “Yes.”

Charles’ Killer – luchia

Summary: When detective Charles Xavier finds himself hunting down a vendetta-driven serial killer, it doesn't take long for him to realize he's in over his head. It only takes a little longer for him to realize his killer is, too.

Demoted – JayPendragon

Summary: Erik Lehnsherr is a detective-specialist with the NYPD Mutant Tactical Unit, ready to help out where his skills are needed. Or he would be, if he and his partner hadn’t been demoted. For the next four months, he is patrolling the Lenox Hill precinct with Azazel – if he doesn’t die of boredom first.

One night they are called in to investigate a potential case of domestic violence, yet the tenant assures them he is both alone and unharmed. However, there is something about this Charles Xavier that compels Erik to follow up.

Watching the Detectives – Clocks

Summary: Detectives Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr are good friends and colleagues. However, when they go undercover at a Christmas party to nab a prime suspect, Erik keeps reminding himself to stay professional and ignore feelings of unexpected jealousy.

Oh, Sinnerman (Where you gonna run to?) – TintagelCastle (orphan–account)

Summary: Erik Lehnsherr is one of the best homicide detectives in New York. From small time stabbings to high end mob hits, Erik (and his equally scary partner Logan) makes sure all the bad guys get caught, searching for the final clue to nail his mother's killer. As a string of murders draws the net ever tighter on Erik's life's work, he needs to catch the nightmare of his past whilst continuing to be the darling of the Force...

And so what if he's completely in love with the British guy on Forensics? Who's he ever going to tell?

Wrap up my bones – waifornight

Summary: Damaged detective Erik Lehnsherr is grimly searching for a serial killer whose victims all have extraordinary gifts. But without any clues or leads he and his partner Logan are in the dark. Until Charles Xavier, abducted by the killer, escapes. Together Erik and Charles must confront something far darker than either of them had ever imagined.

Alternate Universe loosely based off the crime movie Kiss the Girls.

I’ll see your heart (and I’ll race you mine) – sirona

Summary: For Kriminalhauptkommissar Erik Lehnsherr, this case will change everything.

Paralyzer – Yahtzee

Summary: In 1965, Erik Lehnsherr has infiltrated the NYPD for his own purposes -- but his powers make him a brilliant detective. Yet that's not why FBI agent Charles Xavier has sought him out. It's because the mysterious killer they're both trying to find is murdering people like them: other mutants.

Their search for a madman binds them together. Their inner demons may tear them apart. But the greatest danger comes when the killer they're looking for looks back.

Wrap up my bones – waifornight

Summary: Damaged detective Erik Lehnsherr is grimly searching for a serial killer whose victims all have extraordinary gifts. But without any clues or leads he and his partner Logan are in the dark. Until Charles Xavier, abducted by the killer, escapes. Together Erik and Charles must confront something far darker than either of them had ever imagined.

Alternate Universe loosely based off the crime movie Kiss the Girls.

The Long Bright Dark – lachatblanche

Summary: Ten years ago Detectives Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr closed the case on a grotesque series of murders that continue to haunt them even in the present day. When they are pulled in for questioning a decade later, they finally have confirmation of something that they have both suspected for a very long time - that there is unfinished business for them to take care of and that the case they thought they had closed so very long ago is in reality still all too open.

A True Detective AU.

Finding North – ClarkeStetler, Goosenik

Summary: Charles and Erik are (loosely) friends with benefits. They don't share personal details, last names, or anything concrete about their lives. This is ruined rather spectacularly when Charles gets recruited by the Mutant Apprehension Division of the FBI. Surprised is a bit of an understatement for their reaction to finding themselves partnered up and sent out on cases with the team.

Closer (to God) – dsrobertson

Summary: Se7en/The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo AU-ish.

Political journalist and editor, Erik Lehnsherr, has just lost £150,000 in a libel case against businessman, Kurt Marko. Down on his luck and in need of money, Erik is approached by the Metropolitan Police’s Detective Inspector Charles Xavier. Well-known for his investigative journalism, Erik is asked to help in the search for a serial killer in return for £200,000 if the killer is caught.

Wrapped up in murder, religion, and sex, Erik gets more than he bargained for.

Homo Sacer – unveiled

Summary: In a not too distant future, Detective Erik Lehnsherr meets Charles Xavier: street magician, former academician, and telepath.

One Good Day – troll_under_the_bridge

Summary: One case which is going to turn Charles' world upside down, while he struggles to pacify his boss, investigate murders and come to terms with the mess his life has become.

Playing With Fire – professor

Summary: Charles is a detective determined to catch a serial killer.

If the serial killer doesn't catch him first.

Hold on or let go – aesc, pearl_o

Summary: Teenage telepath Charles Xavier takes a job as a consultant, working with prickly police detective Erik Lehnsherr. Charles is used to being on his own and taking care of himself; he has no reason to think that his relationship with this stern, icy man is going to change any of that. (Also known as: Tough Little Baby Telepath.)

MCIS: First Case – Pookaseraph

Summary: Erik Lehnsherr considers himself a great MCIS agent, and he puts up with a lot from his boss - Moira MacTaggart - in the name of solving crimes against mutants, but he's not so sure about this new empath, Charles Xavier. Their first case together will test Erik's patience, but doubtless be the beginning of a brilliant friendship.

MCIS: Fathers, Sons, and Brothers – Pookaseraph

Summary: Alex Summers has a single case that he has obsessed about ever since coming to MCIS two years ago: Su-M-94-0708-0034, the murder of Christopher and Katherine Summers, and the presumed kidnapping and possible murder of Scott Summers. Very little evidence was found at the time, but hopefully a new team - and new leads - can shed light on the case that left Alex an orphan.

When the Crazies come to town – Chinchillaatthedisc0

Summary: Erik is a surly detective with zero people skills who has just been assigned the murder case of Kurt Marko. Prime suspect? Charles xavier. Who's no where to be found.

My old man is a bad man – faerie_ground

Summary: Sebastian Shaw dies at two am in the morning with a dagger embedded in his forehead. Detective Erik Lehnsherr is on the case, and the number one suspect is the recently widowed Dr Charles Xavier, Sebastian Shaw's husband.

Deep Cover – Subtilior

Summary: Omegas in heat? The perfect whores. Sebastian Shaw? The bastard who kidnaps them for his Hellfire Club. Erik Lehnsherr? A hard-boiled detective who's been on the Hellfire case for months. The catastrophe that unfolds when he goes in on retrieval and finds Charles Xavier still writhing in a Hellfire bed? .... Deep Cover.

A Murder of Ravens – AbandonedWorld

Summary:Charles Xavier is wrongfully accused. Erik Lehnsherr is a top-notch homicide Lieutenant who stumbles upon the case of a lifetime: a serial killer targeting mutants–and only mutants. Charles bides his incarceration waiting on a miracle, reciting Poe's timeless gem in effort to retain his sanity...

Note: Unfinished

[lonelywretchjervistetch]

My DC Cinematic Universe: Superman (Epilogue)

Epilogue: A New World

So, it's currently February 4, 2023 when I write this, and James Gunn officially announced part of his DC Studios plans a few days ago, on January 31. Included in these plans were two revelations. First of all, the first chapter of the new DCU is called "Gods and Monsters", presumably bringing in multiple projects that follow that theme. And frankly, I think that's pretty interested, but also.. conflicting for me for a couple of reasons. I dunno, it feels somewhat simplistic as things go, but that's not necessary a bad thing. Call it the cynic in me.

Secondly, though, is the announcement of the upcoming films Superman: Legacy and Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. And my thoughts on those are complicated, but interested. I have some trust for Gunn, but hopefully that doesn't degrade with these new projects. I'm gonna tackle the latter one first to say one thing:

Please, PLEASE read Tom King's Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow.

This book is absolutely incredible. It's pretty obviously based on the book True Grit, which has had two film adaptations, and it pretty well-known. But King uses the concept behind the Western, sets it in space, and makes Supergirl into its Rooster Cogburn. Whether or not you like True Grit or Supergirl as a character, this story revitalized both effortlessly. It gives us a new view at Kara Zor-El, now 21 years old in the universe of the story, and also lets us see a whole new and truly gritty view of a backstory that, frankly, makes sense with every incarnation of the character. It's a brilliant dissection of the character, and the fact that it's being brought onto the big screen...this could be the Logan of DC films. Oh, and if you couldn't tell from the above art, it's absolutely gorgeous as well. Just trust me, you should read this book.

So, yeah, I'm real excited about that annoucement. Is it how I would introduce Supergirl personally? I mean...no, not really. She's a character that I think should be introduced elsewhere, then given this story as a series. Additionally, I think that a story like this would be an interesting way to introduce other elements of the DC Universe on a cinematic sense, while the book relies on very little knowledge of the DC Universe, except for some VERY specific references that kinda come out of nowhere in context with the modern DC Universe. That may be nitpicking, though. Lastly, while this is a great Supergirl story, I honestly think it would function better as a series than it does as a movie. Because, frankly, we already have a movie like this, and it's called True Grit. But don't get me wrong, I'm super excited to see what Gunn and company do with this story.

And then, on Superman: Legacy...I have...thoughts.

Hey Now...

OK, look, All-Star Superman is, without a doubt, one of the greatest Superman stories ever written. It's a written and drawn testimony to one of the greatest heroes that has ever lived, and acts as an epic of love, loss, and redemption for Superman and everyone around him. More than that, though, it's a reflection on the man himself, as well as his, at the time, 70-year history, and a love-letter by comic book historian and underrated wunderkind, Grant Morrison. They're a goddamn genius, and I hope you all know that! Read or listen to their book Supergods if you want a better view of the history of the superhero in DC and Marvel. It singlehandedly gave me a greater appreciation for both Morrison and comic books in general, AND SHOULD BE REQUIRED READING FOR ANY COMIC BOOK FAN!!!

So, that said, what is All-Star Superman about. Well, as that above image implies, it's revealed that Superman is dying of solar radiation, due to the machinations of Lex Luthor. So, in the process, and with the knowledge of his imminent death, Superman has more power than he's ever had before, and decides to use it to use his remaining time well. He tells Lois his secret identity, decides to try and permanently save the world, and finally deals with Lex Luthor in the most poetic possible way. I won't reveal the ending, but suffice to say, it's a perfect ending for this story, as well as being a true-blue ending. It's also an excellent reflection on both Clark and Luthor, as a decent story for Lois as well. So, it makes sense from a quality-based standpoint that Gunn is using this story as a basis...

...Right?

Look, I love All-Star Superman, genuinely. It's a beautiful story, and was also made into a great movie. Seriously, if you haven't seen the movie, check it out! It's on HBO Max, and it's a pretty close adaptation to the original, with some frames taken straight from the panels of the book. But it's also absolutely not a modern Superman story, in any way. All-Star is, if anything, a love story to a Superman long-since gone at the time it was written. Specifically, it's a story about the Silver Age Superman, as well as a love-letter to the time period.

As an example of this, this is a Superman with the ability to make tiny suns on an anvil, which is a comical amount of power. It's the kind of power that only a Silver Age Superman can have. It's also a Superman that's never told Lois who he is, which isn't a deal-breaker at all, but is representative of an older version of the character. Additionally, due to the events of the story, he actually becomes immune to Kryptonite. And in case you're wondering how the fuck that's even possible, the answer is simple. And, uh, spoilers ahead here, but...

Superman dies at the end.

See why this is a weird choice for a Superman movie, especially the first story for a new version of Superman. All-Star Superman is, by it's very purpose, an ending to an insane story. Throughout this story, Superman is essentially exacting his last will and testament, and doing everything he can to end his life in an ideal way. And as such, it's also a love story to the character and all facets of his life. It's true that this story have given us some of the greatest Superman moments in any book, with the suicide prevention being one of the most famous of these. And yeah, it's a great take on the character in a lot of ways. But even then, it's simply not a Superman for a modern age. And that's not the only problem with using this story.

See, the villains are, as fucking always, Lex Luthor, a couple of Kryptonians very similar to Zod, and a crazy-ass cameo from Parasite. There are also some weird-ass side characters that are pure Grant Morrison, like the UltraSphinx and Quintum. It's either already been done, or it's just a weird choice to throw into a new version of Superman. It's a story that makes no sense as a beginning, for the most part. But, yeah, there are scenes like this.

Morrison's got a great grasp of the character, and they write a lovely book. But still, weird choice for an inspiration. That, of course, is assuming that Gunn follows this book to a T, which I personally doubt. I mean, Gunn is a smart man, and a good writer, not to mention probably aware of everything I've said. So why say that this is the story he's basing the film off of? I think the obvious answer is that this is one of the most recognizable stories (and covers) of any modern Superman story, and that (again) it has multiple moments that exemplify Superman. In fact, when you read Gunn's statements about Superman, it seems like he's mostly taking the innate goodness of the character, which we see in All-Star for sure.

And with that said, using the entire story makes even less sense when you consider the released description of Superman: Legacy.

Written by Gunn, the film will hit theaters on July 11, 2025, and focus on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing.

Y'know what classic-but-underrated book that actually sounds like?

Lemme tell ya, I adore Superman for All Seasons, and it isn't really a forgotten story...but I feel like it tends to slip under the radar as a great Superman story. That may because it doesn't have any massive stakes, or world-ending threats. It's a down-to-Earth story about a down-to-Earth guy trying to do good. Each chapter is told from a different supporting character's perspective, all about the Kansas boy turned local hero. And through it all is a story of Clark Kent trying to figure out what the right thing really is.

This is one of my favorite Superman stories, and the tone for this book is what I took my tone for my story from. Granted, I added some big stakes to that, but the character of Clark Kent himself is based on the kind person seen in this story. It's not necessarily a book that I think everyone loves, but it's absolutely one of my personal favorites. Check it out if you want some perspective into my ideal Superman.

Look, Superman is hard. I get that. He's a difficult character to nail, and most people don't really get the character. But there are some amazing stories by writers who really understand the character. Grant Morrison's grasp on the character mostly veers into the Silver Age incarnations, but he still gives a more modern version of the character some great moments. Alan Moore REALLY gets Superman, and his Silver Age homage Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? is another underappreciated classic story, while For the Man Who Has Everything is one of the best comic book stories ever written. It also has the benefit of showing just how tragic the Superman story really is, and was turned into a brilliant episode of Justice League Unlimited (which is the only adaptation of his work that Moore actually likes).

There is, of course, the timeless What's so Funny About Truth, Justice, and the American Way?, written by Joe Kelly, and is another iconic one-issue story. Turned into the equally excellent movie Superman vs. the Elite, it's a great treatise on the seemingly black-and-white morality of Superman in a greyscale world, while also revealing that his methods are actually far more complex than they first appear to be, using Manchester Black as the opposing force. It also manages to humanize Superman without putting him onto a moral high ground in a condescending way.

Superman: Grounded, while being a somewhat controversial arc in Superman's story, is one of the best recent stories about the character, literally bringing him down to Earth. Not universally amazing, but it has some fantastic character moments for the Man of Steel. And, uh, speaking on controversial, The Death of Superman story actually has some amazing moments for the character, but is honestly a great story for his supporting cast, and lets us see the Man of Steel through the people who did and didn't know him best.

For a great Golden Age Superman story, as well as a story about a young Superman, check out Superman Smashes the Klan (which is inspired by a true story, fun fact). That's also an example of a Clark Kent-biased Superman that I absolutely adore, but it's also an amazing story about being an outsider in general. Genuinely one of the best comic book stories I have read in a while.

And there are many others, of course. Hell, the 2016 Superman run was pretty great until Bendis aged up Superboy. But that's an anger-filled rant for another day, I think. Fact of the matter is, there's a lot of Superman material out there that's great, and I always feel burned that people think he's a boring, over-powered lout of a character with nothing interesting about him. Especially as compared to...some.

I won't go into another rant about it, but Superman deserves a lot more attention than he gets. His stories, his humanity, his very essence...they get overlooked and ignored in favor of characters seen as more interesting because they have a tragic past, which somehow makes them relatable. But Clark Kent is, in all ways except for physical, a wolf human. And thinking of him as such is what gives us some of his best stories. I like All-Star Superman as much as the rest of us, but it REALLY doesn't do that very well. It does it, don't get me wrong, but not very well. By focusing on a Superman of a different time, rather than Clark Kent of today, it gives us a purely good, but also alien, Superman. I trust Gunn...but All-Star Superman, to me, is not a complete Superman. So, for now, I'll just have to pull a Clark Kent and...well...hope.

And with that...well, I think the time has come to put Superman away on the shelf. And turn my gaze from the daylights of Metropolis...to the nights of Gotham City.

What the hell am I getting myself into?

Next: My Cinematic Universe: Batman (Coming Soon)

[xtattybye]

STARTER FOR @FAYOFAVALON

“ My god, it reeks to death in here… ” Reaver murmured. A rather dramatic more than audible exhalation tirelessly emits midst a rolling of his eyes as he sticks the dragonstomper.48 back to its holster. His deep brown eyes then briefly hover at the blood that still gushes out of the newly digged fatal hole in the back of one of staff' head, who of course had been shot by no one else than Reaver simply because no one could ever get their heads around his ridiculously unpredictable and immoral rules. A sight so gruesome, yet enough to spark that smug smirk that seems to forever linger onto Reaver's devilishly handsome visage, now an indirect indication to his inner masochism. “ Oh don't look at me like that! ” He snapped, baring his front brilliant white teeth by raising his upper lip in a muted diva snarl. “ I told you not to bring me that wine, specifically… the obsolete vin ordinaire. My what a disaster that one is, how dare you hurt my feelings like that, thinking I would even bare the smell of such a peasant' beverage. Yuck! ” Reaver then carelessly stepped over the butler's corpse as he snaps his fingers to command one of his maids to clean up the mess he just made whilst he just stood there balancing on his golden cane, checking his nails and living in his full queer diva rich bitch moment. “ Oh by the way, I'm taking myself on a little holiday starting today. I want this manor to be all neat and tidy once I return, no finest of little tiny particles wasting my expensive floors. Oh and refill all rooms their storage compartments with some condoms, there have been enough little accidents knocking on my door so far and I'm way too much on a budget these days to be paying any child support. Not that it's much of a budget, I just don't like to see some peasant use my well-earned money on something as idle as a piece of bread. Very well then, I'll be back in one month, perhaps two if this new world keeps me interested. Make sure everything I've written down on this list will be done in perfect form and don't you dare forget getting me those 1.2 million golden toilet paper rolls. ” And just like that, Reaver waved his staff a tattybye before disappearing out of his study, having taken his favorite maid called Misa along to be his pack mule as they both headed out of the manor into the forest. It was quite a bit of a walk to get to the shore where they could sail his ship to some island he once discovered back in the pirate days. But luckily for Reaver, he didn't have to carry any of his unnecessary stuff as his maid was doing all the work for him. Even though she was the only maid whom he considered somewhat close enough to consider a friend, he'd still treat her just as equal as the rest, even after they had shared quite the conversations and nights together; he liked to keep her anywhere but near getting her hopes up, as considering him anything more than just her master would be one big no go.

The ship sailed off to the island that'd eventually make a start to his holiday. He was in desperate need of a new world, not only to explore and learn new things, but to escape his past also. Albion always held certain memories in the back of his head which he'd find harder and harder to escape with just some wild partying. Sometimes he needed to change up his surroundings completely and what better way to do it than to travel to a whole other world? He never believed that portals where a real thing, not until he came across one himself and this was the first time he'd be taking Misa to another world with him. Not that he'd expect her to survive in it, not without him. She was fragile, both physically and mentally. But what he didn't know was that when it'd really come to it, she'd have quite the surprise for both of them, perhaps the entire kingdom, as she had yet to discover herself that she was the missing princess of Albion. Amnesia still had her in its grip and King Logan and everyone else probably thought that she had long been dead after Logan had gotten rid of her when she was younger, not knowing that she had found her way into Reaver Industries before becoming his headmaid.

After a while sailing, the island slowly made its presence known before them as Reaver would sail further towards it. Eventually as they arrived, he was quick to be the first to set foot onto the land and didn't waste mere second on waiting for Misa to catch up on him as he'd find his way towards the entrance of a cave. Misa had been trying to catch up on him by running as fast as her legs could take her while carrying all of his stuff, the poor maid was out of breath once they finally arrived and yet still would have to follow him around the cave not to get lost. Normal people would already have quit working for him and prefer death over slavery, but in her case the poor girl had fallen in love with her master, thinking she could find the good in him and change him. But that was something Reaver would never allow to happen, not even when there was a time where he too felt something for her. But that was something he's kept a secret for a long time now and feelings exist to be suppressed.

Finally after going through this maze of a cave they arrived at the portal. And of course Reaver had to be the one to get through first, with Misa hurriedly following him to the new world; Camelot.