#as in properties that have a studio team behind it or are published works for profit

[theblackdragon-studios]

Rereading this I want to clarify-even though no one asked or called me out on it-that I am referring to mystery villains that pop up in the middle of the story that aren’t established as villains at the start of the show or game or whatever, or as the final boss especially. They just get introduced and you’re supposed to accept that this is the Big Bad now. Not the character you spent at least a whole season watching and thinking this is the final boss I am eager to see the heroes defeat.

I will give DB some grace…they were a small studio working for a big company that very likely wanted their show to fail. They did what they had to to keep people watching, and I don’t know this for sure, but I don’t think they had much time to do things.

However, I want to give some examples of villains that showed up halfway through the source and that are the Big Bad that worked:

Fire Lord Ozai from Avatar: The Last Airbender

Emperor Belos from The Owl House

Ganondorf from Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Demise from Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Odin from God of War 4 & Ragnarok

-

Ozai: It was made clear in the very first and second episodes of the show that Zuko was not the main threat. Ozai is mentioned at least twice in that time, and Zuko being a prince makes it obvious he isn’t the one in charge.

When General Zhao enters the picture, we still know Ozai is the main threat. Though it helps that Zhao is killed at the end of season 1, I think it was…when the Water spirit drags him under and into the Spirit World. Plus his motivation wasn’t very big. He just wanted to be the one famous for slaying the spirit of the moon…never planned to take Zuko or even Ozai’s places or anything.

Azula was also established as being motivated by her unfailing devotion and loyalty to her father (and a resentment toward Zuko) and while she was the most entertaining and eerie villain in the series, we are made aware very early into her introduction that she is just another pawn in Ozai’s war strategy.

Belos: The first episodes of TOH are mostly episodic, building up the world you’re entering and exploring while hinting at the darker elements as it progresses. From wild magic being illegal to weirdos being imprisoned, then the school system and Lilith’s introduction.

There wasn’t an established central villain in that show before this. As far as the audience knew, it was a dark comedy in a magical land but soon it is revealed there is someone behind all these decisions and rules, and that that is the bad guy (though I was told he tricks you and the hero into thinking he’s not a few times…but that’s fine. Because he is still established as the Big Bad and those trickery moments make you hate him even more. Then you learn what a scumbag he truly is when you get his backstory.)

Ganondorf: Twilight Princess (and A Link Between Worlds, but that one reveals the twist much sooner) is the only game I have knowledge of in the franchise (meaning there could be others) where you spend most of it believing the Big Bad is the villain you hear about most of the game (Zant, in this case). Only to learn during his boss fight that he was just a servant of Ganon’s. This would fall under the category of “bad villain reveal” except Ganondorf has always been understood to be the central villain of the Zelda franchise, so him showing up like this isn’t too surprising to veterans of the franchise.

Yes he is a “mystery villain” brought in late to the game, but the clues leading up to it establish why. Twilight Princess takes place after one timeline of Ocarina of Time. At the end of Ocarina of Time, Ganondorf was arrested and we think killed…but turns out he was banished to the Twilight Realm.

But still, he is the central villain of the franchise. Anyone that knows the Zelda lore knows this. He didn’t just show up as a new, never before seen character in that game and steal the spotlight from the villain we’ve been watching and fighting all game (Zant). He is a staple of the series as much as the other two in the trio.

Demise: I’m including him because this is another example of a villain that comes in late, but was established early on as the Big Bad. Except it is different from TP!Ganondorf. Ghirahim is the villain you run into most of the game…but he does make it clear when you meet him that he is working for someone. On top of that, the imprisoned is established the first time you fight him as being an ancient evil that is the true bad guy. There is nothing sudden and “new more evil bad guy, who dis?” about it.

Odin: This counts too, because he doesn’t show up in person until Ragnarok, much like Ozai isn’t truly revealed until Zuko’s return home, but he is talked about constantly. The first game is building him up through dialogue, Mimir’s stories, and side quest stuff as being the Big Bad. Not to mention that’s the theme of God of War: The pantheon leader is the final boss. No one we spent hours with was watered down for Odin to take center stage. They were all working for him, and the villain we deal with in the first game is dead, so of course he can be pushed aside.

Those are a few examples of Big Bads that show up late done well.

Unless your villain we spent hours to seasons following is killed and stays dead, introducing a new Big Bad that is just that character but more powerful is bad writing, in my opinion.

Either you establish from the beginning that the villain we’ve been watching was working for the Big Bad and/or has personal relations to that Big Bad that makes the reveal more interesting, you kill off the other villain, or you show hints at this Big Bad early in.

Don’t be Dragon Booster, basically.

TL;DR: I hate secret mystery villains that have never been mentioned in-story as being a bad guy before they show up half-way through the source. It’s only appropriate if they are established from the beginning as being the main threat even if you don’t meet them for a long time, or the original established big bad is dead and stays dead.

Some examples of this trope done well are: Ozai (Avatar: The Last Airbender), Belos (The Owl House). Ganondorf/Demise (Legend of Zelda games), and Odin (God of War franchise).

👀 Curious about your rant abt Word and Meggy. Also, what are your headcanons for libris for the ask meme 👀

Rant

With Armeggadon it’s not only his entrance into the show’s plot, but also his reveal. As in what he actually looks like. But on top of that: I find secret villain pop-ups annoying. Because they remove the focus from the original villain and make that villain out to be pretty pathetic in comparison. I don’t care how important your ancient evil returned character is to your plot, it isn’t an excuse to water down the villain we have been watching before this new guy has shown up.

Have a mystery villain that appears, fine, but don’t use them to make your central villain either less threatening to pathetic or to redeem the central villain just because there can’t be two villains…or because somehow he suddenly gives a damn about his errand boy-I mean “beloved” son. 🙄

Apparently the writers had stuff planned with him, explaining in DB Academy who he was/is and his history with the war. That sounds interesting, I like that…but in the process Word Paynn has been reduced to an annoyance at best, nonexistent to the conflict anymore at worst. Why can’t he and Armeggadon work together? They have the same goal and the same motivation, and yeah it’ll lead to one screwing the other over in the end…but it gives Word a reason to be a threat still and possibly MORE of a threat.

But no, Word gets his ass kicked then needs rescuing by his ex-friend and then by their children so all four can temporarily beat this ancient evil returned before going back to the status quo (sort of, since Word’s final moments are to cheat at the final challenge of the series for his son then bitch to the judges about why Artha shouldn’t be allowed into the Academy-cause the kid was badly injured at the beginning of the episode…and a hint at redemption for Moordyd going forward) while it’s foreshadowed that Armeggadon is the new major threat to all of them, Moordryd included, who was the puppet he (Armeggadon) was manipulating.

I’m not a fan of this direction with stories. I don’t want a secret mystery villain to take the spotlight from the established villain, followed by the established villain being watered down to be less threatening than the cool new one. Especially when I liked the villain that is being replaced or weakened by this new guy. If they were using it in an attempt to show Word isn’t beyond redemption either, they did a poor job of it.

That’s my rant.

Bonus: Armeggadon’s design is also not great. They were going for ancient battle armor, but it isn’t impressive to me. Makes him look like a hammerhead shark/spider hybrid trying to be a human.

Change the helmet maybe, and he might have a more impressive silhouette. Also a signature dragon. Not the same model of the failed artificial Black dragons scheme Word had in When Darkness Falls.

DB Ask Meme

11. What are your headcanons for X character?

Headcanons on Libris? Well…a lot of them are from my own rewrite project for the show (yes, I have one…but it’s got a twist that lines up with my personal tastes in these things) but one can be applied to that OR the show itself:

Rivett was able to sneak Libris into the Academy through Grey cloaking gear, which made Libris’ colors and texture appearance change so he passed as a hybrid Star-Class of some kind. This was how they got through the Academy and eventually Rivett was able to help Libris evolve.

As for why Libris went through the Academy…probably because Libris is a Black Sheep of the Grey dragons. He thinks differently from them, since he was said to have fought in the original Dragon/Human War. He probably could read the signs as well of another War stirring and agreed to work with Rivett in an attempt to find a way to stop it.

Except much later when he hears the horn, he thinks he was too late and his mind turns to doing what he can to keep the fighting from escalating further. It takes Beau proving he is the reborn Dragon of Legend for Libris to see that all hope is not lost and that war can still be prevented.

If a war actually breaks out later, I think Libris would join the fight again, and this time it would be more devastating because of the sheer size and power of the Evolved dragons like him.

Dragon Booster Ask Meme

[govindhtech]

Metaphor ReFantazio: Visit Euchronia’s Unique Fantasy World

Metaphor ReFantazio Atlus

In a medieval fantasy setting that serves as the “mirror” of the modern real world, the game delves into themes of ideal and reality as well as conquering anxiety. It centres on a talkative protagonist who embarks on a quest to defend his realm, facing challenges and developing relationships with allies along the way.

Project Re Fantasy

In December 2016, ReFantazio was first unveiled under the code name “Project Re:Fantasy”more details were with held until 2023. Many of its game play elements are borrowed from well-known Atlus role-playing games, including turn-based combat that involves taking advantage of enemy weaknesses, calendar-based over world exploration with subtle social simulation elements, and a feature that lets players form closer bonds with their party members outside of battle.

Atlus Project Re:Fantasy

Metaphor ReFantazio takes place in the medieval fantasy United Kingdom of Euchronia, a “mirror” to modern life. In addition to causing confusion and unrest throughout the realm, the King’s assassination invokes a special kind of magic known only to him a phenomenon known as Royal Magic. These ultimately set the scenario for a global tournament to determine who would succeed the throne.

The primary character is a youngster from the Elda tribe who has been shunned by society at large for being “tainted” by the inheritance of prohibited magic and is thus frequently the target of prejudice and discrimination. He is to set out on a mission to remove a curse that was placed on his childhood buddy, the crown prince of Euchronia, who had recently been there when his father was killed. He will travel with a fairy friend named Gallica, whose vast knowledge and keen sense of magic help him along the way.

Throughout the story, more allies support Gallica and the protagonist. The main cast of characters includes Strohl, a horned nobleman from the Clemar tribe who first encounters the protagonist at the State Army recruitment centre Hulkenberg, an elf knight from the Roussainte tribe who was formerly part of the Royal Family’s kings guard and who bears a great deal of guilt for her failure to protect the Prince and Heismay, a former knight of the Eugief tribe who resembles a bat and who experiences similar discrimination from other tribes in the kingdom because of his physical appearance.

Metaphor ReFantazio Advancement

The first game from Studio Zero, a fantasy role-playing game with the codename “Project Re:Fantasy” and directed by Shino, was formally revealed by Atlus on December 21, 2016. It was also revealed that the game would have character design by Shigenori Soejima and music by Shoji Meguro of the Atlus Sound Team. These two previously worked with Hashino on the action-puzzle platformer Catherine (2011) and the Persona games he directed. Weekly Famitsu, a Japanese journal, published an exclusive interview featuring Hashino and Atlus business director Naota Hiraoka in conjunction with the game’s announcement.

Project Re:Fantasy

The latter discussed the significance of Project Re:Fantasy as a new intellectual property for Atlus and affirmed that the intention behind founding Studio Zero was to “aim even higher” with unique projects that could stand alone from either the Persona or Megami Tensei franchises.

However, the formation of the development team had previously been hampered by the fact that the company’s target talent was already committed to other projects, which contributed to Hashino’s appointment as creative producer and game director for the project following Persona 5.

As he addressed developers who were more at ease with the fantasy genre as it became popular, Hashino himself clarified Studio Zero’s goal to create a role-playing game with a foundation in traditional fantasy aesthetics.

Hiraoka also mentioned Soejima and Meguro’s contributions to the project, referring to them as “indispensable” members of the Persona series development team who would keep their positions at P-Studio. However, Hiraoka and Hashino wanted to use their talents on projects other than Persona series development, which is why they were brought on to Studio Zero and “Project Re:Fantasy”.

With a foreword by Shino and an introduction of other staff members participating in the studio and “Project Re:Fantasy” beyond Shino, Meguro, and Soejima, Atlus launched the official Studio Zero website on December 23. Atlus was hiring locally at this time to add programmers, planners, and designers to the team working on the game.

Alongside the news that Studio Zero was working on an improved re-release of Catherine:

Full Body for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita, a second concept film for the game was unveiled in December 2017. Hashino posted a new developer message online to go along with the teaser, stating that the team was “very much in the middle of development” but that they couldn’t reveal any game play details just yet, even though the teaser was only supposed to hint at things.

Hashino said in subsequent interviews that after Full Body’s February 2018 release in Japan, he would have more information about the game to reveal.

Shigenori Soejima expressed his excitement about working on the game in the November 2019 issue of Game Informer. He talked about the difficulty of defining “what exactly is fantasy and how can they bring a meaningful fantasy game into this world?” Furthermore, he said that the team was carrying out the decision to take the game in a specific path.

In July 2021, Naota Hiraoka was interviewed again by Weekly Famitsu and shared more stories about the development of the game. Hiroaka said, “Project Re:Fantasy” is progressing little by little, and they hope to deliver it when the timing is right.”

Promoting and publishing

During Microsoft’s Xbox Games Showcase video presentation in June 2023, the game was formally introduced as “Metaphor ReFantazio“.

It was planned to launch for Windows and Xbox Series X/S.

The Persona Stalker Club was featured in a “Special Celebration Livestream” later that month on YouTube, where it was separately revealed that the game was being developed for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.

Following the publication of the reveal trailer, a “Creator Message” video presentation comprising development interviews with character artist Shigenori Soejima, composer Shoji Meguro, and game director Katsura Hashino was made available.

During the December 2023 pre-show of The Game Awards, a second teaser that revealed more game play, character, and plot details debuted.

Metaphor ReFantazio release date

Atlus and Studio Zero are set to release the role-playing video game Metaphor ReFantazio in the near future. PS4, PS5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S get it October 11, 2024. First Studio Zero original game since 2016 was directed by Katsura Hashino, Shigenori Soejima, and Shoji Meguro.

Read more on govindhtech.com

[mikithelibrarian]

It Takes Two | Chapter One - BLACKPINK Jennie - GN! Reader

Being a streamer has brought you your happiest in your life, even bringing you the opportunity of meeting and dating your favorite idol, Jennie Kim. After some months of dating and pressure from your fans, you've decided to share a part of your relationship with Jennie through a very popular game for couples called It Takes Two. However, your intentions may not have brought the result you wanted Disclaimer: It Takes Two is a property of Hazelight Studios and Electronic Arts as its publisher

Being one of the biggest streamers in the world isn’t as easy as people might think, it is not just sitting in front of a screen and commenting a videogame but it also takes a lot of creativity and a special spark to maintain people’s attention for hours and hours with only your words and actions. Fortunately for you, you had everything to be just that.

Of course, there will be haters, especially since your girlfriend is the one and only Jennie Kim, a member of BLACKPINK. People saying that your fame came from her instead of your personality, people comparing your numbers with other big streamers, saying you were just lucky and that sometime you’re gonna fail, that you’re gonna have to retire, yada yada. Apparently, they like to ignore that your numbers have been increasing constantly during the months and thus your average viewers.

However, these kind of things just don’t come for free. Sometimes you have to succumb to your audience’s wishes like playing a game that is trending or talking about certain topics pertaining to your job or the ones surrounding you, maybe surrendering a little bit of your privacy in exchange of people’s interest, but the last popular request you’ve been getting lowkey excited you.

There was a new game around called It Takes Two. It was described as couple therapy made into a game. Now, you didn’t have problems with Jennie in your relationship but the game also featured heart-warming messages and a story that will make you work as a team, since one character is controlled exclusively by Jennie and the other character was controlled by you, not being possible to play the game without one another.

Little by little, this idea started forming in your head. You already knew when you will propose this idea, the time you will be spending in the game, the days you both would play and a little bit of convincing arguments such as a constant request from both of your fandoms to reveal a little bit more of your relationship. Although you didn’t need all these planning and arguments to convince her.

Jennie accepted immediately, seeing this not only as an opportunity to pass quality time with you but also experiment first-hand one of the things that made you the happiest in the world. Hype and excitement for what was to come slowly filled up her spirit, maybe, a little too much, but you couldn’t say you weren’t as excited as her.

“What are you doing baby?” You asked as you saw her on the couch of your shared apartment’s living room. 

“Practicing” As you got closer behind the couch you could see her playing PUBG in her phone, her eyes moving around the small screen trying to collect as much details as possible.

“Do you have another sponsor event?” She shook her head.

“I’m practicing for that game you mentioned…” You were a little confused for some seconds before realizing which game she was talking about.

“For It Takes Two?” She nodded. You simply smiled at her attempts to make your collaboration as good as she possibly can. “Love, the game we are going to play is much less competitive than that and it’s not a mobile game”

“Of course I know that, I’m practicing my reflexes and hand-eye coordination” You shrugged your shoulders and kissed her nape.

“Good luck then”

At that, you just went towards the kitchen for a quick snack while taking out your phone to text a particular person that might have put these training ideas into your girlfriend’s head.

Turtle Rabbit

(Y/N): So, were you the one that put Jennie to practice on PUBG?

Turtle Rabbit: No…

Turtle Rabbit: Maybe

Turtle Rabbit: It was that or having her on my room all day for the last week

(Y/N): What’s wrong with that?

Turtle Rabbit: I don’t trust anyone with my saves

Turtle Rabbit: I also wanted to play all day!

(Y/N): Understandable

(Y/N): But PUBG…?

(Y/N): And what’s that about hand-eye coordination?

Turtle Rabbit: I had to convince her somehow…

Turtle Rabbit: I didn’t actually believe she would fall for that

Turtle Rabbit: She is that excited to play with you!

(Y/N): I’m happy I think

(Y/N): But if she discovers what you did

(Y/N): I’m not gonna cover you up

(Y/N): I also want to live

Turtle Rabbit: Traitor

You laughed a little before saving your phone and grabbing a cereal bar from one of the counters before returning to the living room.

“I’m starting the stream in five minutes, do you want to accompany or do you want me to call you when it’s time to play?” Jennie remained silent for some seconds before answering.

“Call me when it’s time to play” Although a little bit disappointed, you smiled and nodded, even if she wasn’t seeing you.

“Got it”

And so, you started the stream alone, much to the confusion of some of your viewers which were expecting Jennie to be there from the start, but you calmed their questions just by saying that Jennie was preparing herself, that she was nervous to be in a new environment with you. After that, you continued talking with your audience for an hour, noticing how the chat was going faster than normal since a lot more people were watching since you’ve been promoting this day for the last week. Up until the moment arrived.

You went out of your streaming studio and called Jennie from up the hallway, getting surprised when instead of coming from the living room, Jennie actually got out from your shared bedroom with light make-up and comfy but still fashionable clothing.

“You look as beautiful as ever” You smiled at her and she returned the gesture with those loving eyes that have hypnotized you since the first time.

You invited her to your studio and offered her a seat in a gaming chair you bought just for her and this exact moment. As soon as she entered into the camera view, the chat went ecstatic with hearts, compliments and encouraging comments for both of you. Some even were addressing the obvious nervousness in your girlfriend’s eyes but you both just laughed it off and talk with your audience for a few minutes and addressed the positive donations you were getting.

Of course, there were haters but your mods actually got rid of them in seconds, despite the big flow of comments, and while you could limit how many could participate in the chat and control the limit of messages a single person can send in a short amount of time, you reject the former idea and went with a one message per person every five seconds, understanding the excitement of everyone.

After that, it finally started. Jennie, per her request, chose May, the female character of the game and you chose Cody, the male character of the game. It all started as amusing as she pictured, but, well, that was the peak of her excitement.

As time went on, she started to feel kind of bored. It was a good game, that was for sure, but, she saw nothing special in it. Apart from that, the environment around her didn’t help, you were as supporting as ever, but just the feeling of you having to pause the game to help her understand how it worked, the occasional hate in the chat because of her clumsiness, you having to limit the people that could comment on the chat and finally, she saw nothing different between being an idol doing Vlives and this. Knowing Internet, this was noticed and oh my, did it cause controversy.

A popular image was suddenly trending on Twitter, you smiling as a bright as the sunshine and her, looking unamused, serious, as if she didn’t have any real interest in the game. Your true fans defended her, saying that it was obvious something like this could happen, saying her mind blocked at the new environment, a whole lot information going into her head, having a lot of attention for 5+ hours and a lot of stimuli going around.

Of course, after the stream was done and you saw this, you defended her immediately and tweeted that it was just as your fans were saying. It was a new environment for her, that’s it. However, you still talked with her afterwards.

“Did you have fun?” You asked her as night had come and you both laid on your bed, ready for a goodnight’s sleep.

“Of course baby” She cuddled into your chest and hid her face on your neck. “You know what they say about my resting face, I was just trying to understand the game and follow the story, that was all”

“I’m glad then” You started to caress her head. “I just got worried there for a second, I thought maybe you didn’t enjoy the game and was thinking about changing it for another”

“I love the game; you don’t need to do that” She lied. Of course, she’s going to lie. She could see your face while you both were playing, you were truly happy and got very sweet and romantic with her with every cute scene that passed in the game. It is not as if you weren’t romantic, but these shows of affection carried a different meaning. That of eternity. She felt awful that she couldn’t share that meaning with you in that moment. But maybe tomorrow she’ll be able to, Hopefully…

Next part

[inknopewetrust]

adieu, remember me. (1)

The Old Guard Booker x Female! Original Character

Summary: After a few years away, one member of the immortal team must return to protect their immortality and secrets as enemies begin to uncover their past.

Word Count: 1.6k 

Warnings: nothing yet!

Parts: ... | 2 | part 2 coming soon!

A/N: Thanks so much for reading! Feel free to let me know what you think about the work and it will def be more than 2 or 3 parts and longer than this one. Requests are CLOSED at the moment and I apologize in advance for any mis-wording or spelling in different languages because I don’t know french/italian but I feel in some cases it was necessary to use for character interactions. Published on 8/9/2020.

if you want to be tagged for the next part please let me know!

All original content is owned by me. Anything from the film/comic is property of the writers, studio, and director. Gif not by me.

Versailles evolves every so often but over 172 odd years, more visitors pack its halls and recall its history. Tourists from around the world flock to the once functional palace and the home of infamous, complicated monarchs. Passed the sweeping halls and the paintings of untouchable status, a special exhibit was placed at the end of the hall with cases full of crowned jewels of French royalty.

Tourists flashed photos of crowns and rings and pearls that adorned the exhibit cases. In the center of the room laid perhaps the most famous of jewels, as well as the crowns that found themselves on the heads of women who suffered terrible fates. The Hope Diamond sat in a case between crowns that once adorned it and worn by Marie Antoinette and Louis Philippe I’s controversial daughter, Vivienne, Duchess of Auvergne. On loan from its final resting place at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., the diamond once found itself imbedded in each of the crowns on momentous occasions.

Crown worn by Vivienne, Duchess of Auvergne and third daughter of King Louis Philippe, killed by French revolutionaries in February 1848. Crown was commissioned by the King for his daughter’s twenty-eighth birthday. Was worn on the night of her death on 24th of February, 1848.

Twenty-eight. 172 years later she still remember the party, the food, the smell of the candles that burned from the chandelier and the man who caught her heart. Pretentious was the only word that came to mind when she thought of the party and the woman. At the time she felt deception too but the world has a funny way of making villains look like heroes depending on the perspective.

Clara felt the surge of memories remind her of the life she knew before the one she was in now. She didn’t know how long she had stood in front of that particular case with that particular diamond and crown but by the time her feet began to ache she knew it had been long enough. Clara also wasn’t sure how long a small English girl had been standing next to her, also staring at the silver diamond encrusted crown and the plaque underneath it.

“You know, she’s kind of a rebel and I dig it. It reminds me of Princess Margaret in a way. She was Queen Elizabeth’s sister and she partied a lot too.”

“Excuse me?”

“Vivienne. She was a rebel in her own right and I admire her for it.” The woman turned, her face meeting the girl taking notes on a piece of paper. The girl couldn’t have been more than thirteen and certainly had a bold personality if she was talking to someone she didn’t know.

“The revolutionaries didn’t see it that way, so why would you?”

“She was independent. I think it was progressive and cool for her not to follow the rules of her family. Not to mention the glamour in her style. She had the best dresses and crowns since well, Marie Antoinette probably.”

“That’s a little naïve, no?” The woman raised her brow at the student but the girl simply shrugged. The young one looked at the older woman and analyzed her face and features as she spoke.

“She spent the people’s money like water and saw no problem with the poverty in the streets. Vivienne was oblivious to the world around her because she lived in a world of riches with everyone at her disposal.”

“Perhaps.” The girl paused before continuing. “There’s a tv show about her on... um-I don’t remember- HBO maybe and they say she took a commoner for a lover and he sold her secrets to the revolutionaries which led to her death. Her body disappeared after the broke into the castle and people think they threw her body in the Seine.”

“I would advise you to stop watching whatever movies are giving you that perspective on the issue because it’s not true.” Clara scoffed and turned away from the girl.

The girl listened but was too entranced by the figure in front of her eyes. Brown hair, medium length, waved. She looked nice to say the least. She had on pretty clothes and may have been an employee because she knew so much but the girl wasn’t sure. All the student was certain of was that the woman standing in front of her looked very much like the Duchess in the paintings that lined the modern wing.

“You look like her.” The girl told her and she put her pencil down holding the pad of paper at her side. Before she had a chance to answer the girl, a teacher called out to the students as a signal to leave and the girl picked up her bag.

“Have a nice day.”

The girl left with the class and the woman stayed in front of the case watching them leave the room before turning back to the crown that once adorned her own head. A soft rumble came from her pocket and she pulled out the burner phone with a number she didn’t recognize but an area code she did, Goussainville.

France, safe house #4

“Hello?”

“Clara.” The Italian on the other line sounded relieved that she simply picked up the phone. Clara’s face contorted into one of worry than one of happiness she had been called.

“Nicolo, s’il tu plaît dites-moi que tout va bien?” Clara moved over to a window, away from the crowds to answer the call she had been anticipating for the last day. She dreamt of a black girl and her throat being sliced open. Waking up gasping for breath that wasn’t her own and cautious of who it might be.

“No-no. Il y en a un nouveau ... mais ce n'est pas le problème. les gens essaient de nous trouver et Dieu sait quoi.” Nicky told her and Clara felt helpless, disappointed in herself that she wasn’t there to help them. Not only was there someone new who needed guidance but the others needed her too if they were going to protect their own skin.

“Andy went to get her. We are at the safe house in Goussainville and they should be here later today. If you can make it... we really need you, Clara.” Clara sighed and looked out the window that faced the vast gardens the palace was surrounded by. Serenity before the inevitable storm.

“He’d kill me if he knew I’m telling you this but Booker needs you. It’s getting worse since the last time he saw you and I am not sure what to do.”

“That was three weeks ago, Nicky.”

“I can’t explain it... it’s just gotten worse. I know he has to help himself but he’s always a bit brighter when you’re around.”

“I can be there later tonight. What time are they getting in?”

“7.”

“I can be there at 8. I’m in France so I’ll take a train as soon as I can.”

“We will be waiting.” Nicky told her and she hung up the phone. Clara looked back at that glimmering crown and what the young girl said about the Duchess. Naïvety at its finest.

At the safe house in Gousssainville, the three immortal men unpacked the bag they brought and washed up after the ambush in Afghanistan. Nicky stood alongside the small counter space prepping dinner when Booker came to fill a cup with wine.

“Who was on the phone?” Booker asked in a low grumble and Nicky set down the knife he was using to slice tomatoes.

“It was Clara. I called her and told her we needed her here. She dreamt of the girl too.”

“And?” Booker pushed further and downed his glass in an instant upon the news.

“She could catch a train to be here at 8.”

“How did she sound?”

“Worried.”

Booker nodded and filled his glass again before going to sit in front of the tv in a chair he had designated as his own many years ago. Nicky watched as he sat, drank more and tried to remove himself from his thoughts but was too lost to do so. He was observant and cared deeply for the others in his life but there was only so much he could do for a man as stubborn as Booker.

“Hai bisogno di aiuto?” Joe called out to Nicky from everyone’s shared bedroom before also joining the two in the common space. Nicky shook his head and glanced at Booker who wasn’t looking but certainly listening.

“I called Clara. She is on her way to us now. She knows we are in trouble.” Joe smiled at Nicky and gave him a quick peck. While they were all very close, Joe and Nicky had taken Clara under their wings and helped her acclimate to the world as an immortal, especially after they found her and the two french immortals clashed. 

“It’s been too long. I miss that woman.”

“We all do.” Nicky said before returning to his meal. Without much time having gone by, the door to the cemetery sounded and Andy walked through the door with a nervous woman behind them. The girl was young, no more than 25 and had blood stained on her forehead. One hand was clutching her arm but out of nervousness not injury. Her eyes looked at the three men. Two sat staring at her in chairs and the other by the refrigerator and the only sound that played was the cheering of fans from a football match that played on the widescreen. Andy looked over her shoulder and then back again, breaking the silence to introduce the newest member of The Old Guard.  

“Everyone, this is Nile.”

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

Tag List: (Let me know if you’d like to be tagged for the next part!) 

@holychocopie 

[hatchermatches276]

How does gaming affect technology advance

Strategies For Starting A Gaming Blog

We've as soon as again teamed up with our close friends at Dire Wolf Digital Studios to bring this incredible game to your gaming table. Hi Frags, it all comes down to the quality of visitors you get. Selling stuff via your internet site is hard when there are only common content material on it, but if you target a precise group of gamers and make a loyal following, recommending solutions gets less difficult. It will also rely on the type of items you sell, there are in the end a lot of elements contributing to having a productive gaming weblog. Truly glad you liked the short article! I will definitely verify out your blog.

The gaming WordPress themes contain some one of a kind traits like design and style and options. And most of the themes that are featured here provides you with a full solution for your gaming web page. The Search engine optimization alternatives, social network tools, various solutions, and multiple colors will make you a lot easier to begin your new web-site. All these themes are customizable where you can alter each and every and just about every aspect of the themes with no touching any of the codes.

Luca is operating in the field of gaming for six years, initially as an indie a single-man-group junior developer and, the latter five years, as gameplay programmer and computer software architect in a company exactly where he created video games for all key mobile platforms, Computer, Steam, PS4 and Xbox 1, as properly as minor gaming consoles, increasing as a professional. Lately he founded Twin Wolves, an indie video games development studio, exactly where he's the CTO.

Paul: In 2009, the concept for Green Man Gaming came about when we have been contemplating exactly where the games market place was going to go and what was going to come about next. There was a sturdy organization model in trading in games in the sector and there was the begin of the move to a totally digital marketplace. The coupling of these two marketplace mechanisms have been supported by analysis from London Business enterprise College displaying that a customer's propensity to buy is heightened when offered the alternative to trade-in a item or recoup some of its value. So the significant idea” was to combine digital and trade-in into the same platform, proficiently becoming a retailer and a marketplace on one particular global digital platform.

Due to mobile game development outsourcing , the most up-to-date indie games made by small studios or person programmers get lots of focus and positive feedback from each players and journalists. With the aid of software program outsourcing providers, each individual, with proper knowledge, can develop and promote gaming apps without having any obstacles.

Do not you want you had been truly sitting on a racecar seat just about every time you play Forza, Gran Turismo, or any other racing game? With the racing seat design of the Ficmax Swivel Gaming Chair , finding this experience is now a reality. The completely ergonomic Ficmax is made with a fully retractable footrest to assist sooth tired decrease limbs and assistance facilitate the extra efficient circulation of blood. It also comes with a lumbar massage support to enable stop or even handle low back pain which is very widespread among individuals who sit in an workplace chair for unusually lengthy period. Our handy guide to the very best ergonomic workplace chairs characteristics far more great goods like this.

The Hidden Mystery Behind GAMING

Paul: Our company model is growth focused and we cover 3 important areas in the gaming business. Firstly, we're a worldwide e-Commerce retailer promoting over 7,500 games from 450 publishers in more than 190 countries to millions of gamers. Secondly, Green Man Gaming has a thriving community who talk about and track their game achievements on our neighborhood platform. This data combined with the industrial information of the shop offers Green Man Gaming a considerable depth of knowledge of our customers. Ultimately, we have a publishing arm that aids developers publish their own games and bring them to industry, supporting them every single step of the way. The fusion of Green Man Gaming's e-Commerce shop, a sturdy community producing billions of information points and publisher support sets us apart from our competitors.

It is February! In 2017 that indicates that we get six a lot more weeks of winter AND your yearly dose of video game statistics and trends. We're taking a appear at important events and shifts in the gaming business and considering the current state of gaming. Take a peak, or stay for a week! All statistics are completely researched. See sources at the bottom of the web page for additional information.

Nintendo 64 and PlayStation ushered in a new era of gaming. Polygons replaced pixels, and 3D rendering entered into the gaming vocabulary. Retro gaming hits like Crash Bandicoot, Mario Kart 64, and 007: Goldeneye pushed the limits of technologies, and made the most realistic virtual environments noticed up to that point. We also have some retro games for systems that may well not really feel as old as they are, including PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, and the original Xbox.

Style patterns: To shop information in DynamoDB, gaming companies partition game state and other player information working with player ID, and use the key-value access pattern (1:1 modeling). In circumstances when additional fine-grained access is named for, these companies use a sort important (1:M modeling). This permits them to access and update diverse properties or subsets of a player's dataset separately. This way, they never have to retrieve an complete dataset. In this approach, various items that retailer distinct properties can be updated transactionally by making use of the DynamoDB transactional API Some providers compress user data to reduce expense. PennyPop, for instance, makes use of gzip to compress player data and shop it as a base64 string, decreasing the player information to ten percent of its original size.

Mobile games serve as a source of speedy, boredom-beating entertainment, a bit of pressure relief and a distraction from true life worries, and just as a restful moment (such as gaming in one's downtime). Additionally, 60% of girls say that gaming makes them feel good, and given that mobile gaming is speedy and simple - the game is generally on their particular person - it really is simple to play although on the go. As Refinery29 says in their dive into girls and mobile gaming, ladies have not been historically nicely-served by the sedentary nature of video games, but mobile gaming changes the story right here, given that they can play anywhere.

Ask yourself why you happen to be considering starting a gaming weblog or youtube channel? If it really is simply because you assume you have what it requires to be the next PewDiePie or DanTDM (or TheTechieGuy ), then you're not alone. However, your principal reason really should be that you have an overwhelming love for gaming. It doesn't hurt to have a fantastic voice and a thing to contribute to the gaming network. (Of course, the perks ain't negative when they commence rolling in, either).

The gaming business saw a quantity of thrilling developments in 2016 touching on various aspects of the sector. Gaming technology is creating in really thrilling approaches. The long promised revolution of virtual and augmented reality moved closer to realization. The mania around Pokémon GO with its mass market appeal and utilization of mobile phones introduced untold millions to the possible of augmented reality. With its launch in India and South Asia it has turn into the poster youngster for the prospective of mobile games provided its advanced technologies and the huge international smartphone penetration.

Commonly utilised to refer to games that are produced by key studios with a substantial price range, requiring a high sales volume and in depth software program expansions to retain profitability. Like hollywood, these games tend to rely on reasonably low-danger sequels over larger-risk artistic projects, so anticipate to see your operate all more than billboards and Tv advertisements. You are going to be focused mostly on eeee2.site Pc gaming blog Computer, Playstation and Xbox gaming for AAA titles.

We use our GeForce Practical experience servers to determine the most effective excellent settings primarily based on the user's CPU and GPU, and target higher frame prices than 'normal' optimal settings to make certain the lowest latency gaming encounter. These settings are automatically applied when the game is launched so gamers do not have to be concerned about configuring these settings themselves.

[lesegames669]

How to connect your pc to your tv for gaming

What Are The Most Well-liked And Ifluential Gaming Blogs Of Uk?

Twitter is exactly where game publishers, the gaming media, popular game streamers and entertainers, esports leagues, teams, players and commentators interact with their most engaged fans and with 1 one more. Some like it wireless. Some favor to go old-school with wires. If you occur to belong to the latter group, you may possibly want to give the Havit HV -MS672 Wired Mouse It may perhaps not have a really exceptional optical sensor that can run in the 16,000s, but its maximum of three,200 DPI should be enough to give you with an exceptional gaming expertise. Its DPI settings can also be adjusted to three other levels with the lowest at 800 DPI. The Havit Mouse also comes with breathing LED light effects like 7 circular LED light effects to set the mood in your game.

Your gaming weblog wants a kick ass theme to enable it stand out from the thousands of other blogs on the web. Loads of theme alternatives, on-line shop compatibility, mobile-prepared layout and tons of other goodies await each and every Respawn user. Kick items off now and you will have a gaming website up swiftly. For all items Indie game and geeky, land your self on this web-site that is committed to offering the latest news updates, indie game improvement, gaming capabilities, and best picks critique. IndieWatch is the internet site to understand about indie game attributes from across the globe.

Reasonably priced with a incredibly vast community of developers, Unity supplies the greatest value for an exceptionally sophisticated game improvement engine. With superb editing tools quickly extended through plug-ins, this platform supports a surprising huge variety of asset formats. It has the longest track record of all gaming platforms with mobile games. The totally free license is sufficient to cover the majority of options of the gaming engine with a beginner obtaining tiny to no use of the capabilities of the pro version. The paid version having said that, is also reasonably priced as well. The good quality of results accomplished from Unity is undeniably impressive with one particular of the most well-liked game of all occasions obtaining been developed on it: the Call of Duty.

Do well With COMPETITION In 24 Hours

Comics Gaming Magazine is an online gaming neighborhood magazine that publishes articles and editorials on on the web gaming. The web page also evaluations the most current games and sells gaming merchandise. Subscribe to their magazines to get the newest details on major games. Azreal Llywen or Azzy for quick is a person of contradictions becoming brainy and a total idiot at the similar time. She is a geek by heart constantly amazed at science but despairs at the sight of math. That is why her regions of expertise in gaming are puzzle solving, fighting and flat kind games.

Kongregate are a video game studio, bringing a enormous array of games to the table. Their devblog and forums give invaluable insights into the gaming world, hunting behind the scenes and enabling you to ask those burning questions in an atmosphere complete of authorities. I applied on line. The course of action took a week. I interviewed at Green Man Gaming (London, England) in June 2018.

Android gamers represent 78% of the global mobile gaming market and can be worth eight occasions far more than iOS players in the country. The Gimars Memory Foam Set actually comes with 2 pads: one for every wrist. Considering that gamers typically use each keyboard and mouse when gaming, we advise this set. Sssniperwolf is 1 of the https://asmodea13.site/ world's biggest female gaming influencers, and undoubtedly one particular to watch out for in 2018. Her channel is complete of good video game content material, which includes her Get in touch with of Duty videos, which are particularly well-known among viewers.

Paraxe is a beautiful gaming WordPress theme that is beautifully developed for gaming, magazine or newspapers. This theme is a effectively optimized with a clean code which makes your internet websites loading time amazing and faster. This theme comes with a Brownish Color Scheme that tends to make this theme totally stand out and really different from all other themes, which you will find in the Directory. The theme is a premium excellent, Parallax Ready, Responsive, Retina Prepared, HD WordPress theme.

Having a good gaming magazine is no straightforward process, obtaining to create numerous articles a day is a have to for it to be capable to rank appropriately on Google and keep up to date with all the news but what about when you want to write your own reviews or make up rankings. In this post we are going to examine the very best themes on the marketplace from simply accessible with fewer functions up to the ideal themes full of capabilities. The short article will cover the great, the very great and the quite finest gaming WordPress themes accessible, orderer by capabilities and ranking.

If you're in the marketplace for less costly or additional very affordable games, make positive that you check the Hot Deals section of the web site. Green Man Gaming consists of a link to that page on all its pages. You can look at the Deal of the Day or at present specials that let you save up to 75% off the MSRP on well-known games. The Hot Offers section also incorporates some VIP specials chosen by best games from around the planet.

Did you know that Mobile games now account for 51% of international revenues in the gaming business followed by Console games (25%) and Pc Games (24%) 62% of smartphone owners set up a game inside a week of finding their phones and Mobile Games now account for more than 43% of total time spent on smartphone. Verify out our infographic on The State of Mobile Gaming Industry” for latest mobile gaming statistics and trends.

This weblog aims to make a actual neighborhood that cares about subjects like technologies, gaming and gadgets, offering news and critiques. Furthermore, it allows the readers to interact with the rest of community through comments and polls, but also enabling them to write guest posts. Green Man Gaming's publishing arm works with developers to enable publish and marketplace their personal games, supporting them every single step of the way. Their vibrant on the web community also connects gamers and rewards them for in-game activity. This gameplay data enables them to further strengthen the general gaming encounter.

Some of the most viewed internet websites for gaming-associated content are YouTube and Twitch, both of which are streaming websites that boast hours of videos. The quantity of video content that has been accessed regularly over the previous few years have steadily elevated, producing video content material an invaluable component of any Search engine marketing or social media campaign.

Brought to you by the firm accountable for the Globe Electronic Sports Games, Planet Gaming is a good spot to get all your esports news. The Planet Electronic Sports Games is 1 of the most prestigious esports events in the world, and World Gaming brings that similar level of production value to their weblog. Planet Gaming has coverage of a wide range of esports outside the most popular games, as effectively as general esports news. The forum is also a excellent place to engage and discuss esports with other gamers and fans.

Meet NVIDIA SHIELD portable —the ultimate gaming and entertainment transportable. Unleash your favorite Android and Computer games, movies, music, and more. Take on the latest console-high-quality Android games with beautiful HD 720p graphics, booming stereo sound, and the precise, familiar functionality of a console-grade game controller. Stream your Pc games more than Wi-Fi or Ethernet to play around the property, on your massive screen HDTV, or even outside your property. Get lost in the hottest motion pictures, music, or e-books with a beautiful 5” retinal-high-quality multi-touch show and custom tuned bass reflex audio. And get pleasure from the most recent Android KitKat OS—with immediate access to thousands of good games and apps. All powered by the incredibly fast NVIDIA Tegra 4 mobile processor, and ready to go anytime you are.

From Indie games to PlayStation, Video Chums have got all the testimonials of your preferred weekend picks. Study through their gaming articles, gaming console reviews and participate in contests to win giveaways. Connected Posts: Allow the connected posts and they will appear at the bottom of each and every blog post suggesting three (or far more) connected articles to study subsequent. Make certain the quite layout is enabled in your web pages settings due to the fact this is a lot a lot more enticing for gaming blogs.

[supernaturallyobsessedchic]

My Arms

Pairing: Dean x Reader

Warnings: Song fic (My Arms by Ledger), literally after my lyric post I posted this.

Summary: After a rough hunt some turn to drink, isolation, sex, a number of things. But the reader turns to music, she sings from the heart. (Set around season 13/15)

Masterlist

Mobile Masterlist

a/n: My Arms by Ledger is her song, recorded by Atlantic Recording Studios, all rights to the song and lyrics is her’s and such. Kind of had a fic pop in my head after I posted My Arms Lyrics post, it has Ledger’s official video with lyrics, and I posted the actual lyrics. There is no acoustic version, I recommend listening to the song on Spotify or YouTube to get an idea of the melody, it’s really, a good song to lift you up. Enjoy, Let me know what you thought. :)

a/n2: Italics is song lyrics.

-

It was a rough hunt.

The boys were tested to their limit, stretched as far as they could go. All seems lost with getting rid of God for good. But there’s one hunter who still has the faith.

She walked back to her room, duffel over her shoulder, back slumped. Exhausted, defeated, done with the day.

She saw the defeat in Dean’s eyes, and Sam’s. Her heart broke when she saw Castiel's eyes show the same sadness.

She’s a musical person, always finds strength in music she listens to. To which inspires her to make her own music.

She hurries to the shower to let the dirt of the day wash down the drain.

Back in her room, her hair up in a wet and messy bun. She dresses in her baggy black sweats, a fitted white long sleeve Henley, and solid black socks.

She grabs her Yamaha acoustic guitar, she always preferred the warmer sounds a guitar makes. Gibson had a colder and sharper sound in her opinion. And for what she was going to sing out loud, she wanted to be warm and comforting.

She begins strumming a warm tune.

When did the scars over your heart, become your hiding place?

She began to sing, her voice sounding hurt and depressed. Dean heard the sounds of the guitar as he was walking his way to her room to check on her, Sam behind him heading to his room all hearing her singing.

When did the stars become so dark, you couldn’t find your way?

She kept singing her tune, getting ready to change it. Cas happened to walk towards the guys heading to the library, they meet halfway on both sides of her door.

The light inside your eyes is fading out, but I’m not gonna give up on you now.

She was sounding more confident. And she picked up the tune on the guitar, even slapping the body to add a beat.

Don’t be afraid, I know you think you’re on your own.

But you’ll be okay, you don’t have to go through it alone.

Fall into my arms.

Fall into my arms.

She added spice in her voice to the post chorus of the song.

She continued the confident, strong sound of the guitar, even the beat with the slap.

So let me see the hurt underneath, I’m no stranger to pain.

‘Cause I believe in what you can be, I’ll never turn away.

The light in your eyes is fading out.

But I’m not gonna give up on you now.

Dean, Sam and Cas slowly enter her room without her knowing as she continues to play confidently.

Don’t be afraid, I know you think you’re on your own.

But you’ll be okay, you don’t have to go through it alone.

Fall into my arms.

Fall into my arms.

You’re not the one who has to be strong.

Fall into my arms.

Cas leans over to Dean and Sam, silently whispering.

“It sounds like a mix of two scripts from the bible, Matthew 11:30 and 2 Corinthians 12:9, about finding rest in the holy spirit's arms.”

The sounds of the guitar playing pulls their attention, and they notice she sees them. Tears in her eyes.

I see you right where you are, I hear the whisper of your heart.

And it’s okay to fall apart, I’ll carry you in my arms.

Don’t be afraid, I know you think you’re on your own.

But you’ll be okay, You don’t have to go through it alone.

Fall into my arms.

Fall into my arms.

You’re not the one who needs to be strong.

Fall into my arms.

It’s okay to fall apart.

Just fall into my arms.

She ends the song, with a little ending tune.

*view of team free will, and y/n on her bed looking up at them with a sad smile. Zooms out and up, fading to black. [kind of like the gif below]*

Though when things look dire, and hopeless, she still has the hope, the faith that it’ll all turn out in the end.

When you think you’ve lost control, or are going to lose control. Just know you’re not, He has control of everything. He’s got you. Find rest in His arms, and keep the faith.

~

Dean Tags:

@pandazombie69​, @luci-in-trenchcoats​, @supernatural-jackles​, @becs-bunker​, @winchesters-favorite-girl​, @mlovesstories​

~

Copying and reposting someone else’s content is plagiarism and illegal. This work is property of supernaturallyobsessedchic. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. These works contain material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of these works may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author / publisher. An electronic reference link to the original posted work may be provided for purposes of promotion or assistance of publication by the readers discretion, if proper credits are given to the author in the re-post. 03/30/2020

[thecomicsnexus]

TOP 10 ARTISTS OF 2019′S REVIEWS

Believe it or not, it is harder to “rank” artists than writers, for comic-books. Most of the time, what you see is mostly a collaboration of many artists, and not always an ugly style is a bad thing. Art is subjective and that is why I am not doing a “bottom 10″ list of artists these years. It just wouldn’t make sense.

But because this year I took all sixty-something review that scored 10, while that is still a long list of artists, I was able to see which artists were more prominent in the material I read this year. This may or many not make sense to you, and it might not even make sense at all. But here it comes.

NUMBER TEN JERRY ORDWAY (1957 - PRESENT)

Jeremiah Ordway (born November 28, 1957) is an American writer, penciller, inker and painter of comic books.

He is known for his inking work on a wide variety of DC Comics titles, including the continuity-redefining Crisis on Infinite Earths (1985–1986), his long run working on the Superman titles from 1986–1993, and for writing and painting the Captain Marvel original graphic novel The Power of Shazam! (1994), and writing the ongoing monthly series from 1995–1999. He has provided inks for artists such as Curt Swan, Jack Kirby, Gil Kane, John Buscema, Steve Ditko, John Byrne, George Perez and others.

Jerry Ordway was inspired in his childhood by Marvel Comics, and dreamed of drawing Daredevil, Spider-Man, and the Avengers. To date he has only worked on the latter.

Ordway attended Milwaukee Technical High School, where he took a three-year commercial art course, before joining a commercial art studio as a typographer in 1976. He subsequently worked his way "from the ground floor up at the art studio" between 1978 and 1981.

Ordway is married to Peggy May Ordway (b. 1959).

While Ordway’s work this year that made him into the list is “Crisis on Infinite Earths”, I think that I am doing a special mention for him. He was inker for that series (And this year, I will be separating pencillers from the rest), but Ordway’s pencils have so much personality, that you sometimes forget he is just inking.

NUMBER NINE GARY FRANK (1969 - PRESENT)

Gary Frank (born 1969) is a British comics artist, notable for pencilling on Midnight Nation and Supreme Power, both written by J. Michael Straczynski. He has also worked with author Peter David on The Incredible Hulk and Supergirl. He had a creator-owned series, Kin, which he wrote himself, published by Top Cow Productions in 2000.

Writer Geoff Johns, who has collaborated with Frank, has opined that Frank's rendition of Superman is the best of his generation and that the only other artist in the same league with Frank in this regard is Curt Swan.

Gary Frank began his professional career in 1991, illustrating covers and interior short stories for publications such as Doctor Who Magazine and Toxic!. This led to a stint at Marvel UK in 1992 as regular series' artist on Motormouth & Killpower. It was on that series that he began a long-running collaboration with inker Cam Smith, who would continue to ink Frank's work for many years. In 1992, Frank was recruited by Marvel Comics to illustrate covers for The Incredible Hulk, beginning with issue No. 400. Shortly thereafter, he was hired as the series' ongoing artist beginning with issue No. 403 (March 1993) and ending with No. 425 (Jan. 1995).

During his initial time at Marvel, Frank contributed covers, interiors and pin-up illustrations for various series, such as X-Men Unlimited, the Sabretooth Special, X-Men Classic, X-Men Prime, and Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme, among others. He drew covers for Acclaim Comics' Ninjak and Harris Comics' Vampirella.

In 1996, Frank and Smith were hired as the art team on DC Comics' new Supergirl ongoing series, which re-teamed Frank with writer Peter David. Frank's run as penciller ended with issue No. 9 (May 1997), although he continued to provide covers for the series until issue No. 21. Other assignments for DC included a Birds of Prey one-shot and the DC/Marvel Amalgam Comics one-shot, Bullets and Bracelets.

In 1997, Frank and Smith moved to Image Comics, where they, along with writer John Arcudi, were hired as the new creative team on the Wildstorm title Gen¹³, beginning with the epilogue story in issue No. 25. Their run on the series was praised for its dark, realistic style in both writing and art; however, the drastic change in tone and style alienated many longtime fans who had grown accustomed to the more fantastical and cartoonish approach of the Brandon Choi/J. Scott Campbell run. The Arcudi/Frank/Smith tenure on the series lasted two years, until issue No. 41 (July 1999). It was during this run, in 1998, that Wildstorm head Jim Lee moved his studio and all its properties to DC Comics. Therefore, issues No. 25–36 were published by Image and issues No. 37–41 were published by DC/Wildstorm.

Gary made it into the list because of his work with Geoff Johns on Justice League (including Shazam’s origin). But he could have been included for his work on Doomsday Clock as well.

NUMBER EIGHT DAVE GIBBONS (1949 - PRESENT)

David Chester Gibbons (born 14 April 1949) is an English comics artist, writer and sometimes letterer. He is best known for his collaborations with writer Alan Moore, which include the miniseries Watchmen and the Superman story "For the Man Who Has Everything". He was an artist for 2000 AD, for which he contributed a large body of work from its first issue in 1977.

Gibbons was born at Forest Gate Hospital in London, to Chester, a town planner, and Gladys, a secretary. He began reading comic books at the age of seven. A self-taught artist, he illustrated his own comic strips. Gibbons became a building surveyor but eventually entered the UK comics industry as a letterer for IPC Media. He left his surveyor job to focus on his comics career.

Gibbons was one of the British comic talents identified by Len Wein in 1982 for American publisher DC Comics: he was hired primarily to draw "Green Lantern Corps" backup stories within the pages of Green Lantern. Gibbons' first DC work was on the Green Lantern Corps story in Green Lantern No. 161 (February 1983), with writer Todd Klein, as well as the concurrently released "Creeper" two-part backup story in The Flash #318–319. Gibbons drew the lead story in The Brave and the Bold No. 200 (July 1983) which featured a team-up of the Batmen of Earth-One and Earth-Two. With Green Lantern No. 172 (Jan. 1984), Gibbons joined writer Wein on the main feature while continuing to illustrate the backup features. In issue No. 182, Wein and Gibbons made architect John Stewart, who had been introduced previously in issue No. 87, the title's primary character. Ceding the "Tales of the Green Lantern Corps" backup features to various other individuals from No. 181, Gibbons last issue with Wein was issue No. 186 (March 1985). Gibbons returned to pencil the backup story "Mogo Doesn't Socialize" with Alan Moore in issue No. 188.

While Marvel Comics reprinted some of Gibbons' Marvel UK Doctor Who work, Eclipse Comics reprinted some of his Warrior work and Eagle reprinted various Judge Dredd tales, Gibbons continued to produce new work almost exclusively for DC throughout the 1980s. For the 1985 Superman Annual No. 11, Gibbons drew the main story "For the Man Who Has Everything", again written by Alan Moore.

During 1985 and 1986, Gibbons' artwork graced the pages of several issues of both DC's Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe and Marvel's The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Deluxe Edition. He was one of the contributors to the DC Challenge limited series and in December 1986, he contributed to Harrier Comics' Brickman No. 1 alongside Kevin O'Neill, Lew Stringer and others. Between May and August 1988, he contributed covers to The Phantom miniseries, inked Kevin Maguire's pencilled contribution to Action Comics No. 600, and produced the cover to Action Comics Weekly No. 601.

He is best known in the US for collaborating with Alan Moore on the 12-issue limited series Watchmen, now one of the best-selling graphic novels of all time, and the only one to feature on Time's "Top 100 Novels" list. Gibbons' artwork in Watchmen is notable both for its stark utilisation of the formulaic comicbook nine-panel grid layout, as well as for its intense narrative and symbolic density with some symbolic background elements suggested by Moore, others by Gibbons.

Gibbons lettered Watchmen and it was his lettering style that later served as one of two reference sources used by Vincent Connare when creating the controversial font Comic Sans in 1994. Gibbons has commented that "It's just a shame they couldn't have used just the original font, because it's a real mess. I think it's a particularly ugly letter form."

Comics historian Les Daniels noted that Watchmen "called into question the basic assumptions on which the super hero genre is formulated". DC Comics writer and executive Paul Levitz observed in 2010 that "As with The Dark Knight Returns, Watchmen set off a chain reaction of rethinking the nature of super heroes and heroism itself, and pushed the genre darker for more than a decade. The series won acclaim...and would continue to be regarded as one of the most important literary works the field ever produced."

Gibbons returned to Watchmen in 2008, producing the behind-the-scenes book Watching the Watchmen to tie into the release of the 2009 film. Watching the Watchmen is his take on the creation of the seminal work, and features a number of rarely seen pieces of artwork including sketches and character designs, as well as "stuff," he says "that I just don't know why I kept but I'm really pleased I did." Gibbons stated that "I'm basically thrilled with the movie, you know; it's been in the making for years. There have been proposals to make it – some I was excited about, some I was less excited about. But I think the way that it finally has been made is just great. I honestly can't imagine it being made much better."

Gibbons was present in many reviews this year, but he made it into the list because of his work on “Superman” and “Watchmen”.

NUMBER SEVEN BRIAN BOLLAND (1951 - PRESENT)

Brian Bolland (born 26 March 1951) is a British comics artist. Best known in the United Kingdom as one of the definitive Judge Dredd artists for British comics anthology 2000 AD, he spearheaded the 'British Invasion' of the American comics industry, and in 1982 produced the artwork on Camelot 3000 (with author Mike W. Barr), which was DC Comics' first 12-issue comicbook maxiseries created for the direct market.

His rare forays into interior art also include Batman: The Killing Joke, with UK-based writer Alan Moore, and a self-penned Batman: Black and White story. Bolland remains in high demand as a cover artist, producing the vast majority of his work for DC Comics.

Brian Bolland was born in Butterwick, Lincolnshire, to parents Albert "A.J." John, a fenland farmer, and Lillie Bolland. He spent his "first 18 years" living "in a small village near Boston in the fens of Lincolnshire, England," but has "no memory of comics" much before the age of ten. When American comics began to be imported into England, c.1959, Bolland says that it "took a little while for me to discover them," but by 1960 he was intrigued by Dell Comics' Dinosaurus!, which fed into a childhood interest in dinosaurs of all shapes and sizes. Comics including Turok, Son of Stone and DC Comics' Tomahawk soon followed, and it was this burgeoning comics collection that would help inspire the young Bolland to draw his own comics around the age of ten with ideas such as "Insect League." He recalls that "[s]uperheroes crept into my life by stealth," as he actively sought out covers featuring "any big creature that looked vaguely dinosaur-like, trampling puny humans." These adolescent criteria led from Dinosaurus! and Turok via House of Mystery to "Batman and Robin [who] were [often] being harassed by big weird things, as were Superman, Aquaman, Wonder Woman [etc]." Soon, family outings to Skegness became an excuse for the future artist to "trawl... round some of the more remote backstreet newsagents" for comics to store on an overflowing "bookcase I'd made in school woodwork especially."

As early as 1962, aged 11, Bolland remembers thinking that "Carmine Infantino's work on the Flash and Gil Kane's on Green Lantern and the Atom had a sophistication about it that I hadn't [previously] seen. The young Bolland did not rate Marvel Comics as highly as DC, feeling the covers cluttered and the paper quality crude. His appreciation of the artwork of Jack Kirby, he says, only materialised much later "through the eyes of a seasoned professional." Despite such a variety of inspirations, Bolland credits his eventual pursuance of art as a hobby and then vocation to a primary school art teacher, who "evidently said all the right things to me."

Growing up as "and only child in a house without culture," (Bolland says that his "mother and father had no use for art, literature or music"), he embraced the late 1960s pop culture explosion of "pirate radio stations, music (particularly Frank Zappa...), drug taking, psychedelia, "peace and love," "dropping out," the underground scene, Oz Magazine," and other aspects of hippy culture epitomised by underground comix such as Robert Crumb's Zap Comix. Having taken both O-Level and A-Level examinations in art, Bolland spent five years at art school (starting in 1969) learning graphic design and Art history. Learning to draw comics, however, was "more a self-taught thing," with Bolland eventually writing a 15,000-word dissertation in 1973 on Neal Adams – an "artist [his teachers] had never heard of." He would later recall:

It was during this time that I discovered the sheer range of comics and their history. All the British stuff I'd missed was there to be discovered. I found the American greats, Foster, Herriman, Alex Raymond and Winsor McCay... Noel Sickles, Milt Caniff, Roy Crane, had all, I discovered, put down the basic building blocks of our "Art form". And there were the Europeans... Moebius, Manara, Breccia. Later the Filipinos—Alex Niño, Nestor Redondo, Alfredo Alcala, all were inspirational. None of this stuff was to be found in the art schools. During my five years in three art schools I never learnt a single thing about comics from any of my tutors.

Bolland was among the first British comics creators 'discovered' by the American comics industry, spearheading the so-called "British Invasion" in 1979/80. Bolland recalls that his big break came when Joe Staton attended the Summer 1979 Comicon, and, needing somewhere to work (on Green Lantern) while in the UK, arranged to stay with the Bollands. Staton called his editor Jack Harris and told him that Bolland, a big Green Lantern fan, would like to draw a Green Lantern cover; Harris agreed. He drew several covers for DC Comics, starting with Green Lantern No. 127 (April 1980), as well as some fill-in stories. These stories included, in 1980-1981, "Certified Safe" in Mystery in Space and "Falling Down to Heaven" in Madame Xanadu, DC's first attempt at marketing comics specifically to the "direct market" of fans and collectors. For editor Julius Schwartz, Bolland drew covers around which writers would craft stories, which included two Starro covers for Justice League of America No. 189 and 190 and Superman No. 422 (Aug. 1986).

Among his earliest interior work for DC was a chapter in Justice League of America No. 200 (March 1982) alongside artistic heroes Joe Kubert, Carmine Infantino and Gil Kane, as well as Jim Aparo, George Pérez and Dick Giordano. This gave the artist his "first stab at drawing Batman." Bolland felt that "after my cover [GL #127] worked out the people at DC turned their gaze on London... and particularly on the group of artists at 2000AD who had been weaned on the DC characters." He recalled that, "after I was settled in at DC, scouts from that company came to our "Society of Strip Illustration" meetings to win over a few more of us," making a "formal invitation" at an SSI meeting, which saw "Dave Gibbons, Kevin O'Neill... [t]hen Alan Davis and Mark Farmer," following the artists "Alan Grant "went across" and, at some point, a certain tall hairy writer from the Midlands."

In 1982, DC editor Len Wein chose Bolland to be the artist on DC's Camelot 3000 12-issue maxi-series, with writer Mike W. Barr. The story, dealing with the return of King Arthur to save England from an alien invasion in the year 3000, not only "represents the single biggest body of work" by Bolland – and his only attempt to draw a monthly title – but was also the "first example of a DC (or otherwise) maxi-series." Bolland was not familiar with the Arthurian legends, and initially conceived Merlin as a comical character. The series was graced with considerable media hype, and Bolland found himself "whisked off to San Diego and places and made a fuss of." Bolland was allowed to pick between two inkers, but opted to ink his covers himself. Bolland was uncomfortable with having a third party ink his pencils, and later admitted that he put a high level of detail into his art for the series to leave as little room as possible for the inker to creatively reinterpret his work. However, "by the end I was quite pleased with the results." Reacting indignantly to being presented with Ross Andru layouts for the first two Camelot 3000 covers, he chose to ignore [the Andru design] completely and come up with my own unapproved design. Len Wein rejected it and told me to do the Ross Andru one. Grudgingly I drew the number one cover that made it onto the issue – but as a protest I reversed the letter N in my signature as a code to remind myself that my "artistic integrity" had been despoiled. I liked the backwards N enough to keep it from that day on.

Camelot 3000 had lengthy delays between its final issues. Bolland recalled that he and DC "talked quite a bit about how long it would take me to do the series," and because the series was inked by other artists, he started off "churning the pages out with great enthusiasm." As the series continued, however, Bolland became increasingly meticulous, "trying to make the pages look better and better". The added details he introduced into his artwork caused significant delays in the final issues of the limited series, causing issues #8–11 to be released on a quarterly rather than monthly status, and the final issue to be cover dated nine months later than the penultimate issue.

Bolland married his girlfriend, illustrator and sometime-collaborator Rachel Birkett in 1981. She later gave up illustration "to become a cook in a vegetarian restaurant, although she has since assisted her husband with his work, acting as colourist, inker, co-artist and ghost. The two have a son, Harry.

The Camelot 3000 limited series, which he created with Mike W. Barr, was nominated for the 1985 Kirby Award for Best Finite Series, narrowly losing to Marv Wolfman and George Pérez's Crisis on Infinite Earths. In 2002, he placed second behind Jack Kirby for the title of "Best Artist Ever" in the short-lived National Comics Awards.

Brian Bolland made it to the list because of... you probably guessed it... “Camelot 3000″ and “Batman: The Killing Joke”.

NUMBER SIX FRANK MILLER (1957 - PRESENT)

Frank Miller (born January 27, 1957) is an American comic book writer, penciller and inker, novelist, screenwriter, film director, and producer best known for his comic book stories and graphic novels such as Ronin, Daredevil: Born Again, The Dark Knight Returns, Batman: Year One, Sin City, and 300.

He is in both, Writer and Artist list, and, surpise, surprise, for pretty much the same stuff (”The Dark Knight Returns”, “Ronin” and also “Wolverine”).

NUMBER FIVE MIKE DRINGENBERG (1965 - PRESENT)

Mike Dringenberg (born c. 1965) is an American comics artist best known for his work on DC Comics/Vertigo's Sandman series with writer Neil Gaiman. Mike Dringenberg was born in Laon, France.

Dringenberg first work in the comics industry was the story "A Tale Of... Lenny's Casino & Grill" in Kelvin Mace #1 (Dec. 1985) published by Vortex Comics. His other early work in the 1980s for publishers such as Eclipse Comics included Alien Worlds, Enchanter, and Total Eclipse. He worked on Adolescent Radioactive Blackbelt Hamsters, a parody of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which itself was a parody of many then-current comic books, and Shock the Monkey. His mainstream work includes DC's Doom Patrol with writer Grant Morrison, where he co-created Flex Mentallo; the fantasy card game Magic: The Gathering; and White Wolf Publishing's card game Vampire: The Eternal Struggle.

Mike is in this list because of his work on “The Sandman”.

NUMBER FOUR RICK VEITCH (1951 - PRESENT)

Richard Veitch (born May 7, 1951) is an American comics artist and writer who has worked in mainstream, underground, and alternative comics. Rick Veitch is from a large Catholic family of six children. He was raised in Bellows Falls, Vermont.

Veitch made his publishing debut in 1972, illustrating the underground comix horror parody Two-Fisted Zombies published by Last Gasp and written by his brother Tom Veitch. This one-shot was excerpted in Mark Estren's History of Underground Comix. It also, according to Veitch, proved to be his ticket to admission to Joe Kubert School.

Veitch then studied cartooning at The Kubert School, and was in the first class to graduate from the school in 1978, along with his future long-time collaborators Stephen R. Bissette and John Totleben.

Veitch's next major project was an adaptation of the film 1941 with Bissette.

During the 1980s, Veitch became known as a distinctive fantasy artist and writer for Marvel Comics' Epic Comics line, for which he created three graphic novels, Abraxas and the Earthman serialized in Epic Illustrated; Heartburst published as a standalone graphic novel; and The One originally published as a six-issue comic book limited series. Heartburst was straightforward science fiction, while The One was an ambitious and bizarre fantasy-adventure involving monstrous superheroes, the Cold War, and spiritual evolution. During this period Veitch also contributed numerous self-contained comics short stories to Epic Illustrated.

Veitch's highest-profile title was DC Comics' Swamp Thing. His friends Totleben and Bissette had both illustrated the series since Alan Moore took over as writer. Veitch joined the team for issue #37 (cover dated June 1985), in which Moore's popular character John Constantine was introduced, and appeared regularly after issue #50. He also worked with Moore on Miracleman, illustrating the story that graphically depicted the birth of Miracleman's child published by Eclipse Comics in Miracleman #9 (July 1986).

When Moore left the Swamp Thing series after issue #64, Veitch took over as writer, dividing art duties between himself and Alfredo Alcala. His Swamp Thing stories took a similar approach to Moore's, combining horror-fantasy, ecological concerns, and an encyclopedic knowledge of DC Comics fantasy characters; he gradually turned his attention from the DC Universe to history and mythology, using time travel to introduce his hero to a variety of legendary figures. This was to conclude in issue #91. Difficulties arose after Veitch's plan for issue #88, a story in which Swamp Thing met Jesus Christ, was scrapped by DC President Jenette Kahn. Although DC had approved Veitch's initial script for the Jesus story, the topic was later deemed too inflammatory and was cancelled at the last minute. The publisher and writer were unable to reach a compromise; Veitch quit, and vowed never to work for DC until the story saw print. Though the story arc has still never been printed, Veitch eventually did return to DC.

After leaving DC, Veitch turned to the alternative comics field, where the success of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles had provided the impetus for a black-and-white independent comics boom. After doing a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles storyline for Mirage Studios, "The River", he began creating his own titles again, published by the Mirage spin-off Tundra Publishing.

Rick is one of the “revelations” of this year, to me. He was included in this list because of his work in both, “Swamp Thing” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”. His TMNT story is one of my favorite TMNT stories of all time (even though it may or may not be canon).

NUMBER THREE JOHN TOTLEBEN (1958 - PRESENT)

John Thomas Totleben (born February 16, 1958 in Erie, Pennsylvania) is an American illustrator working mostly in comic books.

After studying art at Tech Memorial in Erie, Totleben attended The Kubert School for one year. He then spent several years working for comics editor Harry "A" Chesler, producing illustrations for the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam; which never saw print. His first published work appeared in Heavy Metal in January 1979.

His first success in American comics, and still his best-known work, was as the inker of pencilled art by Stephen R. Bissette for the DC Comics title Swamp Thing, when the series was being written and reinvented by Alan Moore. Totleben and Bissette joined the series in 1983 shortly before Moore. Totleben's style was unusual for the time, and is still distinctive among U.S. comics artists, for its fluid layouts and heavily detailed rendering using a combination of stippling and hatching. He also painted covers for the series in oils and acrylic. Totleben inked the story in Swamp Thing #37 (June 1985) which introduced the John Constantine character.

As with most cases in this list, these artists can ink, color and pencil their own art. Totleben is another artists that made it into this list thanks to his work on “Swamp Thing”.

NUMBER TWO STEPHEN R. BISSETTE (1955 - PRESENT)

Stephen R. "Steve" Bissette (born March 14, 1955) is an American comics artist, editor, and publisher with a focus on the horror genre. He is known for working with writer Alan Moore and inker John Totleben on the DC Comics series Swamp Thing in the 1980s.

Bissette was born and raised in Vermont, where he still lives, and was raised Catholic.

Shortly after the publication of his first work, Abyss (1976), Bissette enrolled in the first class of The Kubert School. Before his first year was completed, his work was being published professionally in the pages of Sojourn, Sgt. Rock, and Heavy Metal. In 1978, Bissette was among the Kubert School's first graduating class, along with classmates Rick Veitch, Tom Yeates, and others.

While still enrolled at The Kubert School, Bissette executed the logo for early New Jersey synth-pop band WKGB and drew the cover for the band's 1979 single "Non-Stop/Ultramarine" on Fetish Records.

His early work appeared in the pages of Heavy Metal, Epic Illustrated, Bizarre Adventures, Scholastic Corporation's Weird Worlds and Bananas illustrating stories written by Goosebumps founder and author R. L. Stine, and he worked with Rick Veitch on the graphic novelization of Steven Spielberg's motion picture.

Bissette is best known for his multiple award-winning collaboration with writer Alan Moore and inker John Totleben on DC Comics' Saga of the Swamp Thing (1983–1987).

Under the company name of Spiderbaby Grafix, he later published the horror anthology Taboo, the original home of Moore and Eddie Campbell's From Hell and Tim Lucas' Throat Sprockets illustrated by Mike Hoffman and David Lloyd. He created Tyrant, a comic book biography of a Tyrannosaurus rex, which lasted four issues. During this period, he edited the horror anthology Gore Shriek, published by FantaCo Enterprises.

Since 1991, Bissette has presented a lecture series on horror comics called "Journeys into Fear". Having since grown in scope into a five-part series, "Journeys into Fear" identifies 12th century Japanese ghost scrolls and the 16th Century Mixtec codices as early ancestors, and traces the genre from its roots in Winsor McCay's work such as Dream of the Rarebit Fiend. In 1996–1997, Bissette contributed five covers for a comic book series about another swamp monster, Hall of Heroes' Bog Swamp Demon.

Bissette subsequently worked with Moore, Totleben, and Rick Veitch on the Image Comics' limited series 1963, their final creative collaborative effort. From 1963, Bissette owns the characters Hypernaut, N-Man, and the Fury.

Scott McCloud's 24-hour comic project began as a dare to Bissette in 1990. Each created a 24-page comic in 24 hours. The 24-hour comics project evolved into a challenge taken up by numerous hopeful contributors, with several published collections, and inspired other time-limited creative projects. Bissette published the story A Life in black and white in his own comic book anthology SpiderBaby Comix #2 (SpiderBaby Graphix, 1997).

In 1993, Bissette and Stanley Wiater co-edited Comic Book Rebels: Conversations with the Creators of the New Comics, which featured interviews with such notable comics creators as Scott McCloud, Harvey Pekar, Dave Sim, Howard Cruse, Will Eisner, Peter Laird, Kevin Eastman, and Robert Crumb.

Bissette retired from the comics industry in 1999, alluding to what he termed a "generational shift." He teaches courses in Comic Art History, Drawing, and Film at the Center for Cartoon Studies in White River Junction, Vermont

Since 2005, Bissette has also edited and published Green Mountain Cinema, a trade paperback journal devoted to the independent cinema scene in his home state of Vermont, as well as five volumes of Blur, collecting his film reviews and criticism.

The Stephen R. Bissette Collection at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, houses Bissette's works and memorabilia.

Bissette is in this list because of his work on “Swamp Thing”.

NUMBER ONE GEORGE PÉREZ (1954 - PRESENT)

George Pérez (born June 9, 1954) is a retired American comic book artist and writer, whose titles include The Avengers, Teen Titans, and Wonder Woman. Writer Peter David has named Pérez his favorite artistic collaborator.

George Pérez was born in the South Bronx, New York City, on June 9, 1954, to Jorge Guzman Pérez and Luz Maria Izquierdo, who were both from Caguas, Puerto Rico, but who did not meet until approximately 1949 or 1950, after both had settled in New Jersey while searching for job opportunities. They married in October 26, 1954 and subsequently moved to New York, where Jorge worked in the meat packing industry while Luz was a homemaker. George's younger brother David was born May 28, 1955. Both brothers aspired at a young age to be artists. with George Pérez beginning to draw at the age of five.

Pérez's first involvement with the professional comics industry was as artist Rich Buckler's assistant in 1973, and he made his professional debut in Marvel Comics' Astonishing Tales No. 25 (Aug. 1974) as penciler of an untitled two-page satire of Buckler's character Deathlok, star of that comic's main feature. Soon Pérez became a Marvel regular, penciling a run of "Sons of the Tiger", a serialized action-adventure strip published in Marvel's long-running Deadly Hands of Kung Fu magazine and authored by Bill Mantlo. He and Mantlo co-created the White Tiger (comics' first Puerto Rican superhero), a character that soon appeared in Marvel's color comics, most notably the Spider-Man titles.

Pérez came to prominence with Marvel's superhero-team comic The Avengers, starting with issue No. 141. In the 1970s, Pérez illustrated several other Marvel titles, including Creatures on the Loose, featuring the Man-Wolf; The Inhumans; and Fantastic Four. Writer Roy Thomas and Pérez crafted a metafictional story for Fantastic Four No. 176 (Nov. 1976) in which the Impossible Man visited the offices of Marvel Comics and met numerous comics creators. Whilst most of Pérez' Fantastic Four issues were written by Roy Thomas or Len Wein, it would be a Fantastic Four Annual where he would have his first major collaboration with writer Marv Wolfman. Pérez drew the first part of writer Jim Shooter's "The Korvac Saga", which featured nearly every Avenger who joined the team up to that point. Shooter and Pérez introduced the character of Henry Peter Gyrich, the Avengers' liaison to the United States National Security Council in the second chapter of that same storyline. Writer David Michelinie and Pérez created the Taskmaster in The Avengers No. 195 (May 1980).

In 1980, while still drawing The Avengers for Marvel, Pérez began working for their rival DC Comics. Offered the art chores for the launch of The New Teen Titans, written by Wolfman, Pérez' real incentive was the opportunity to draw Justice League of America (an ambition of Pérez's which "seemed like a natural progress from the Avengers"). Long-time Justice League artist Dick Dillin died right around that time, providing an opportunity for Pérez to step in as regular artist. While Pérez's stint on the JLA was popular with fans, his career took off with the New Teen Titans. The New Teen Titans was launched in a special preview in DC Comics Presents No. 26 (October 1980). This incarnation of the Titans was intended to be DC's answer to Marvel's increasingly popular X-Men comic, and Wolfman and Pérez indeed struck gold. A New Teen Titans drug awareness comic book sponsored by the Keebler Company, and drawn by Pérez was published in cooperation with The President's Drug Awareness Campaign in 1983. In August 1984, a second series of The New Teen Titans was launched by Wolfman and Pérez. Moreover, Pérez's facility with layouts, details, and faces improved enormously during his four years on the book, making him one of the most popular artists in comics as evidenced by the numerous industry awards he would receive during this time.

Pérez took a leave of absence from The New Teen Titans in 1984 to focus on his next project with Marv Wolfman, DC's 1985 50th-anniversary event, Crisis on Infinite Earths. Crisis purportedly featured every single character DC owned, in a story which radically restructured the DC universe's continuity. Pérez was inked on the series by Dick Giordano, Mike DeCarlo, and Jerry Ordway. After Crisis, Pérez inked the final issue of Superman (issue #423) in September 1986, over Curt Swan's pencils for part one of the two-part story "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?" by writer Alan Moore. The following month, Pérez was one of the artists on Batman No. 400 (October 1986) Wolfman and Pérez teamed again to produce the History of the DC Universe limited series to summarize the company's new history. Pérez drew the cover for the DC Heroes roleplaying game (1985) from Mayfair Games:167 as well as the cover for the fourth edition of the Champions roleplaying game (1989) from Hero Games.

Pérez is married to Carol Flynn. He has no children. He has a brother, David, and a niece and nephew. He is diabetic, and has undergone surgery for diabetic retinopathy. In May 2017, Pérez was admitted to a hospital with chest pains and was diagnosed as having had a heart attack while travelling to New Jersey for a convention. He was subsequently released from the hospital after having a coronary stent fitted.

George was already in last year’s TOP 10 and he made it again this year, thanks to his work on “New Teen Titans”, “Crisis on Infinite Earths”, “Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?” and “Tales of the Teen Titans”, including “The Judas Contract”.

As I said before, most of these artists are pencillers, but most of them can do anything. Now, I have another list of artists coming up, that have a bit more “rigid” in what they do, but they also excel at it.

The artists in this list are only a small group, among all the other artists that could have made it into this list, some of them being: A. C. Farley, Bruce Timm, Bryan Hitch, Chris Allan, Jim Lawson, Chris Sprouse, Curt Swan, Dave McKean, Denys Cowan, Frank Quitely, Gene Colan, Jesus Merino, Emanuela Lupacchino, Jim Aparo, Jim Lee, Joe Quinones, Keith Pollard, Marcos Martin, Matt Hollingsworth, Paul Gulacy, Richard Pace, Leonard Kirk, Dan Jurgens, Sam Keith, Shawn McManus, Stephen Byrne, The Dodsons, Tony Harris, Stan Sakai and Bob Burden. Thank you all, and thank you to the artists of this list for making 2019 a better year for me.

[rangercommand]

NEWS - The POWER RANGERS: UNLIMITED POWER Era Begins with MIGHTY MORPHIN #1 in November 2020

The POWER RANGERS: UNLIMITED POWER Era Begins with MIGHTY MORPHIN #1 in November 2020  Two New Series. Two New Teams. A New Beginning For All Power Rangers Is Here!

LOS ANGELES, CA (July 13, 2020) – BOOM! Studios, under license by Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAS), today announced an exciting new series premiere, MIGHTY MORPHIN #1, from superstar writer Ryan Parrott (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) and rising star artist Marco Renna, as they launch the first of two all-new series with two all-new teams in November 2020.

A new Mighty Morphin team has assembled to take on the deadliest threats to Earth – but who is the All New Green Ranger by their side?

The new Mighty Morphin team is on a collision course with an even deadlier Lord Zedd, who has a new mission and a new motivation – one that will change everything you thought you knew about our heroes! But even if the Mighty Morphin team can find a way to survive Zedd and their mysterious new enemies, they may discover the greatest threat to their future is the shocking secret of Zordon’s past! A new Mighty Morphin epic begins here, perfect for longtime fans and new readers alike.

New York Times bestselling author Ryan Parrott is a comic book and screenwriter based out of Los Angeles. A graduate of Chapman University, Parrott has written for television series NBC’s Revolution and Hulu’s Chance. Parrott is also known for his work on DC Comics’ Batman: Gates of Gotham, IDW’s Star Trek comic book series, including Starfleet Academy, Boldly Go, and Manifest Destiny, Dynamite’s Death to the Army of Darkness, and his creator-owned projects Volition, Oberon, and Dead Day with Aftershock Comics. He is currently the writer for Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with BOOM! Studios.

“This is a brand new beginning for an all-new Mighty Morphin team featuring characters you know – and an all new Green Ranger. This book is a chance to explore the past, present and future of the team in ways you’ve never seen before,” said Parrott. “Coming out of Necessary Evil, there seemed like an opportunity to not only start fresh but focus the story in on our new MIGHTY MORPHIN team like we haven’t before.”

Marco Renna is a comic artist from Italy who made his debut with Action Lab Comics. After winning the Top Cow Talent Hunt 2016, Renna became the main artist of Fathom Vol.6 and other Aspen Comics series. He has also worked on some short stories such as Sandokan for Star Comics and Muhammed Ali for Petit à Petit. He also collaborated with Dynamite Entertainment on James Bond.

“I’m really happy to have the opportunity to work on Power Rangers. I used to watch the TV show every day and being able to draw these characters is a dream come true,” said Renna. “I feel honored to be part of this fantastic team and I am excited to go into this new adventure. I really hope you enjoy my art.”

Currently, Power Rangers is celebrating 27 continuous years on the air, making it one of the longest running kids’ live-action series in television history with nearly 900 episodes aired to date. Created by Haim Saban and launched in 1993 with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, the franchise celebrates its 27th season, “Power Rangers Beast Morphers” currently airing on Saturdays at 8 a.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon in the U.S.

The hit comic book series Mighty Morphin Power Rangers launched in 2016 at BOOM! Studios, outselling nearly every other comic book in its month of release. The series went on to launch numerous hit spin off series like Go Go Power Rangers and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The series concludes in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #55, on-sale in October, which also features the first appearance of the All New Green Ranger.

“The UNLIMITED POWER era is all about new beginnings for two new teams of Power Rangers as they meet new allies, new enemies, new secrets and an all new Green Ranger,” said Matthew Levine, Editor, BOOM! Studios. “Both of these new series will be critical for long time fans and present an exciting jumping on point for new readers who will learn that the true history of the Power Rangers isn’t what they expected.”

Fans who attend the BOOM! Studios Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Future is Now Panel on July 25, 2020 at 1:00 pm PT on the Comic-Con@Home website will get a very special preview of never-before-seen art as well as behind-the-scenes information about the series and what’s in store for readers! More details at www.comic-con.org/.

Print copies of MIGHTY MORPHIN #1 are scheduled to be available in November 2020 at local comic book shops (use comicshoplocator.com to find the nearest one), or at the BOOM! Studios webstore. Digital copies can be purchased from content providers like comiXology, iBooks, Google Play, and Madefire.

Softcover collections of MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS, and other Power Rangers releases from BOOM! Studios are available now, everywhere books are sold

For continuing news on the MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS series and more from BOOM! Studios, stay tuned to boom-studios.com and follow @boomstudios on Twitter.

For more on Power Rangers, please visit www.powerrangers.com and follow Power Rangers on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About Hasbro Hasbro (NASDAQ: HAS) is a global play and entertainment company committed to Creating the World’s Best Play and Entertainment Experiences. From toys, games and consumer products to television, movies, digital gaming, live action, music, and virtual reality experiences, Hasbro connects to global audiences by bringing to life great innovations, stories and brands across established and inventive platforms. Hasbro’s iconic brands include NERF, MAGIC: THE GATHERING, MY LITTLE PONY, TRANSFORMERS, PLAY-DOH, MONOPOLY, BABY ALIVE, POWER RANGERS, PEPPA PIG and PJ MASKS, as well as premier partner brands. Through its global entertainment studio, eOne, Hasbro is building its brands globally through great storytelling and content on all screens. Hasbro is committed to making the world a better place for all children and all families through corporate social responsibility and philanthropy. Hasbro ranked among the 2020 100 Best Corporate Citizens by 3BL Media and has been named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies® by Ethisphere Institute for the past nine years. We routinely share important business and brand updates on our Investor Relations website, Newsroom and social channels. Learn more at www.hasbro.com, and follow us on Twitter (@Hasbro) and Instagram (@Hasbro).

About BOOM! Studios BOOM! Studios was founded by Ross Richie in 2005 with the singular focus of creating world-class comic book and graphic novel storytelling for all audiences. Through the development of four distinct imprints—BOOM! Studios, BOOM! Box, KaBOOM!, and Archaia—BOOM! has produced award-winning original work, including Lumberjanes, Once & Future, Something is Killing The Children, Giant Days, and Mouse Guard, while also breaking new ground with established licenses such as Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Firefly, WWE, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Cartoon Network, and The Jim Henson Company properties. BOOM! will also bring their original series to life through unique first-look relationships with 20th Century for film and with Netflix for TV. Please visit www.boom-studios.com for more information.

Web: www.boom-studios.com Twitter: @boomstudios Facebook: @BOOMStudiosComics Instagram: @boom_studios

NEWS – The POWER RANGERS: UNLIMITED POWER Era Begins with MIGHTY MORPHIN #1 in November 2020 was originally published on Ranger Command Power Hour

[flavoracle]

Why do you think the website stories Formant is not really being used? I have no idea personally.

I don't have any inside information that allows me to say FOR SURE what is behind the format change, but I can make some educated guesses.

I think the main thing that it comes down to is corporate politics. Specifically, Hasbro executives don't really "get" Magic: the Gathering on the whole, and that's a problem for the people at @wizardsmagic who make the game.

Like, I think Hasbro execs recognize that MtG makes them money. They like that. They certainly want to see more of that. But they don't really understand what it is and why people like it. So for years, they've been content to just quietly ignore it and let it do its own thing, and that's worked out pretty well for everybody involved.

So what changed this? I'm guessing two things, mainly. One is a change in leadership when Wizards of the Coast got a new CEO. (But honestly, changes like that aren't that uncommon, and I haven't heard any stories that Chris Cox has brought all that many changes to the company.) I think the bigger factor is most people's least likely suspect: The Magic: the Gathering Movie.

*crickets*

OK, let me explain. In January 2014, it was announced that Hasbro and Fox Studios had reached a deal for Fox to produce a Magic: the Gathering major motion picture. This got a LOT of hype, and then it got NO hype, because it seemed like nothing was really happening for a long time.

No big deal, movies take a long time to go from concept to screen, right? Sure. So everybody is just kind of quietly waiting for any updates, and REALLY hoping it doesn't end up as crappy as the Dungeons & Dragons movie.

But as the years roll on, there are ZERO updates. And for a movie deal that got so much hype early on, this is... odd. Like something is stuck in the pipes behind a wall that we can't see.

On the bright side, Magic's story team is absolutely NAILING IT for fans during this time. They've switched from kind of cluncky novels that only a handful of people ever read, and switched to short stories published online called "Unchated Realms." These short stories keep getting better and better, and get more and more interconnected so they become more episodic than standalone.

They become so popular that they drop the name "Uncharted Realms," and just call it "Magic Story."

Now let's take a moment and turn our attention back to that theoretical clogged pipe behind the wall. Maybe it's not so much "clogged" as much as it lacks any water pressure.

You know what movies require a lot of to make? Money. You know what the annual operating costs for Magic: the Gathering are? I certainly don't, but I'm betting it's nowhere near cinematic financing levels. You know who does probably have that kind of budget? Big Papa Hasbro.

So now we come back to that old "We ignore you, you ignore us" arrangement that seems to have worked between Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro for so long. If this movie is going to happen, WotC probably needs Hasbro to use its money (or at least its corporate clout) to move things along. But Papa Hasbro isn't just going to hand over the keys to the NICE car to Quirky Teenager WotC without supervision. (Most of the time they don't understand half the things the kid is saying!)

And thus begins the process of proving to Papa Hasbro that they CAN be trusted with this, and they CAN speak the same language, and gosh golly look at THIS dad are you proud of me yet?

Because here's the thing. Transformers movies are crappy, but Hasbro keeps greenlighting them. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is NOT crappy, and Hasbro is happy to keep greenlighting new content for them too. Know why? Because they're considered "mainstream" and "popular culture" intellectual properties.

In contrast Magic: the Gathering is considered "counterculture." And that's not too bad. Hasbro owns LOTS of counterculture IPs. And they love them too, in their own special way. They just don't get the keys to the nice car and other privileges like the mainstream kids get.

So now Wizards of the Coast REALLY needs to shift it's gears to make Magic: the Gathering "mainstream" if it ever wants to get this movie made.

So now let's pump the brakes for just a minute and ask WHY people at WotC really want this movie to be made so badly. Why? Well first off, I don't think all of them do. I think plenty of people at WotC would be perfectly content to just keep designing the game and writing stories and making other MtG products to sell.

But who do they sell them to? Well, existing Magic players for starters. That's their most stable customer base. But it's also a very finite pool of consumers. And people get out of that pool all the time. So how do they get more people IN that pool?

Traditionally, new players have been introduced to the game either through friends who already play, or through events at local game stores and other venues. But that kind of growth is gradual. WotC has certainly tried various marketing campaigns in the past to accelerate that growth, but few of them have seemed to be all that effective in the long-run.

But a MOVIE on the other hand... Even a movie that doesn't do great at the box office can still do a great job of increasing marketing exposure and media attention. THAT could be the marketing bomb that finally causes a sudden BOOM in customers and sales!

(Not to mention the fact that if the movie IS a hit at the box office, that further solidifies Magic's status as "mainstream.")

OK, let's un-pump the breaks now and see if we can start wrapping this up.

So in order for WotC to get Papa Hasbro's respect (and money) they need to show how "legitimate" they are as a mainstream pop-culture product. So they need to show them evidence Hasbro execs can actually recognize.

They need NAME RECOGNITION. But how? Invite famous game designers to design a few cards in a core set? (No, Papa Hasbro thinks "famous game designers" is an oxymoron, and looked at us funny because they think we said "corset.") They can't use famous actors, because THAT would require a MOVIE which is what they're trying to make happen already!

So WHO will Hasbro execs recognize as legitimately famous, who has some reason to work with us? Famous authors? "I mean, we DO have stories that need to be written, right? Of course we already have a story team who writes those, but we could just fire them or move them to different teams. Yeah, that could work..."

But again, there's a problem. "Famous authors" may not be interested in writing web fiction instead of books. Also, it's not really cost-effective. Also, Papa Hasbro still doesn't understand what "web fiction" even is, and asks us if it's anything like those forums with Optimus Prime and Rainbow Dash getting pregnant all the time.

OK then, books it is!

Now how much of this is accurate? In all honesty, I have no idea. Like I said, it's all just a series of educated guesses.

Having said that... I think they are at least PLAUSIBLE educated guesses.

P.S. Oh, and apparently Disney recently announced that they're cancelling a ton of Fox movie projects, including the Magic: the Gathering movie. So if my speculation above was correct then all of that ended up being for nothing anyway, except maybe convincing the Russo Brothers to direct the MtG Nexflix series. (And also Netflix is probably dying soon and the rainforests are being burned by a nationalist government and America's president is seriously unhinged and the ice caps are melting and OH LOOK I NEED TO GO READ THE WILDERED QUEST AGAIN BYE!!!!)

[siphen0]

In a historic move, BOOM! Studios, in partnership with 20th Century Fox Consumer Products, today announced the first surprise series drop in the company’s history – ANGEL #0 will arrive exclusively at local comic shops worldwide on Wednesday, April 17th!

Though comic books are traditionally announced and solicited to retailers months in advance of release, the existence of ANGEL was kept a closely guarded secret by BOOM! Studios to create a true surprise drop that is 100% exclusive to local comic shops around the world (with no immediate digital distribution for two weeks). In order to meet expected fan demand, the first printing of ANGEL #0 will be shipped in equal quantities to the hotly anticipated release of Buffy The Vampire Slayer #4, which features the first appearance of the iconic vampire with a soul.

ANGEL #0 kicks off an all new monthly comic book series reimagining of the titular character in all new stories from the very beginning, with the all-star creative team of  acclaimed writer Bryan Edward Hill (Batman, American Carnage) and Gleb Melnikov (Saban’s Go Go Power Rangers), along with visionary writer and director Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Marvel’s The Avengers). This will be the first Angel release from BOOM! Studios as part of acquiring the comic book and graphic novel publishing license to officially expand the rich mythology created in television, novels and beyond.

Meet Angel – a vampire cursed with a soul who has spent centuries protecting humanity from the monsters that lurk in the dark…including himself. Now, looking for redemption for the atrocities committed by the monster he was when he was first turned at the age of 18, Angel stumbles upon a new demon uprising and a shocking truth: The restoration of his humanity can only come if he takes one more life: a certain Slayer from Sunnydale who he’s never met…but may now be his greatest enemy.

ANGEL #0 features a main cover and a special one-per-store “Thank You” variant cover, both by Mondo illustrator Boris Pelcer.

Bryan Edward Hill is a writer-filmmaker living in Los Angeles, who has previously written comic books including Detective Comics, Batman and The Outsiders and American Carnage for DC Entertainment; Killmonger for Marvel Entertainment; and is currently writing Titans for the DC Universe.

“ANGEL is a great opportunity to tell a story about the present, the past, redemption and most importantly…love,” said writer Bryan Edward Hill.

Created by visionary writer and director Joss Whedon (Marvel’s The Avengers film franchise), Angel premiered on the WB Network on October 5th, 1999 and was a spin-off from Buffy The Vampire Slayer. The series ran for five seasons from 1999-2004, starring David Boreanaz as “Angel,” the tortured vampire destined to walk the earth with a soul who moved to LA to set up shop as a supernatural private investigator. Despite Angel’s best efforts to deal with the sins of his past all by himself, Angel Investigations soon became home to other lost souls searching for redemption and willing to fight by his side.

“Angel instantly connected with audiences worldwide because his very existence asks a question that resonates with all of us – is it possible to find redemption or are we forever defined by our pasts? Now, more than ever, it may be a question without any clear answer,” said Jeanine Schaefer, Executive Editor, BOOM! Studios. “Bryan and Gleb are tackling that question head on, exploring a man quite literally combating the monster inside of him.. But even if Angel does find a way to cure his vampirism and put the horrors of his past behind him, it doesn’t mean he has a future ahead of him – especially if our favorite Slayer from Sunnydale has anything to say about it.”

ANGEL is the newest release from BOOM! Studios’ eponymous imprint, home to critically acclaimed original series, including Once & Future by Kieron Gillen and Dan Mora; Faithless by Brian Azzarello and Maria Llovet; Abbott from Saladin Ahmed and Sami Kivelä; Bury The Lede from Gaby Dunn and Claire Roe; Grass Kings from Matt Kindt and Tyler Jenkins; and Klaus from Grant Morrison and Dan Mora. The imprint also publishes popular licensed properties including Joss Whedon’s Firefly from Greg Pak and Dan McDaid; Buffy The Vampire Slayer from Jordie Bellaire and David Lopez; and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers from Ryan Parrott and Danielle Di Nicuolo.

“Instead of simply announcing and releasing a new ANGEL series in all the expected ways, we wanted to do something truly special to mark the occasion, something that would drive fans exclusively to comic shops. The release of ANGEL #0, spinning out of our top-selling reimagining of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, presented a perfect opportunity to generate nationwide excitement without the typical wait for the issue to hit stands months after an announcement,” said Arune Singh, VP Marketing, BOOM! Studios. “We want to thank our partners at Diamond Distributors for working with us to make sure that we could keep this secret till our announcement today. For any retailers that have questions about ANGEL #0 and details on subsequent issues of the series, please contact your BOOM! Studios or Diamond representative at your convenience.”

For continuing news on ANGEL comic books, graphic novels and more from BOOM! Studios, stay tuned to www.boom-studios.com and follow @boomstudios on Twitter. And follow Angel on Facebook

SURPRISE! Joss Whedon’s ANGEL #0 Drops Next Wednesday In a historic move, BOOM! Studios, in partnership with 20th Century Fox Consumer Products, today announced the first surprise series drop in the company’s history - …

[sleemo]

Star Wars Panels at SDCC 2018

Below is a list of panels at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con that I’m keeping an eye on for possible Star Wars news and announcements. If I find a livestream for any of them, I’ll make sure to post it on the day they happen.

Note: These are not the only panels that discuss Star Wars - there are quite of number of them that I’ve left out of this list that also feature writers, artists, voice actors, and creators who have worked with Lucasfilm which you can find on their website.

• THURSDAY, JULY 19

Celebrate the 10-Year Anniversary of Star Wars: The Clone Wars | 11:45am - 12:45pm

Executive producer Dave Filoni and panelists look back on 10 years of the Emmy Award-winning series that expanded the Star Wars universe and introduced countless fan-favorite characters to a galaxy far, far away.

• FRIDAY, JULY 20

Star Wars Collectibles | 11:00am - 12:00pm 

Hosted by Lucasfilm's Brian Merten, this panel showcases all the coolest new and upcoming releases by Anovos, Bandai, eFX, Gentle Giant Studios, Kotobukiya, Sideshow Collectibles, and a surprise panelist. As always, the panel concludes with some very cool raffle prizes.

Behind the Design: Star Wars Fashion Collaborations | 12:00pm - 1:00pm

Star Wars has always been on the forefront of the "geek chic" fashion movement by bringing iconic characters and stories to life through the lens of modern fashion. Over the past decade, the portfolio of brand partnerships has grown significantly, allowing fans all over the world to celebrate their passion for the brand with more than just T-shirts. Get a behind-the-scenes look at the design and development process of Star Wars fashion and accessories with the creative leads of some of the most popular collaborations to date.

Hasbro Star Wars | 1:00pm - 2:00pm

Members of the Hasbro and Lucasfilm teams will discuss the popular Hasbro Star Wars line. Attendees will get an in-depth look at Hasbro's latest action figure offerings. Word on the Holonet is there may also be a few surprises.

Disney-Lucasfilm Publishing: Stories from a Galaxy Far, Far Away! | 2:00pm - 3:00pm

Michael Siglain (director, creative: Disney-Lucasfilm Publishing) and surprise panelists share previews and exclusive announcements about what should be on your must-read list from Star Wars publishing.

Women of Star Wars | 5:00pm - 6:00pm

For the past 40 years, the Star Wars galaxy has expanded at a remarkable rate. Behind the scenes, creators have worked to round that galaxy out and to maintain cultural relevancy by appealing to new fans from different walks of life. Authors E. K. Johnston (Star Wars: Ahsoka) and Zoraida Córdova (From a Certain Point of View) join writer Nicole Dubuc (Forces of Destiny) to discuss the impact of a more inclusive Star Wars, from the writers to the actors to, of course, the characters you know and love.

• SATURDAY, JULY 21

Saturday Morning Cartoon Jam with IDW | 10:00am - 11:00am

From Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to My Little Pony, Star Wars Adventures, Sonic the Hedgehog, and more, IDW publishes some of the hottest properties in children's comics on the market today. Come meet the people who make it happen and learn the comic-making process so you can make a comic of your own! There will be interactive activities, announcements, and a special gift for everyone who attends!

• SUNDAY, JULY 22

Powerful Young Women in Disney Comics | 12:30pm - 1:30pm

Disney Comics presents a look at recent and upcoming comics showcasing powerful female characters from Disney and Star Wars. Oh My Disney's Michelle Lema leads a discussion with panelists Delilah S. Dawson (author, Star Wars Adventures, Star Wars Forces of Destiny), Amy Mebberson (author/artist, Disney Princess comic strips), Cecil Castellucci (author, Moving Target: A Princess Leia Adventure), Jody Houser (author, Star Wars: Forces of Destiny), and Katie Cook (author, Tangled: The Series comics) discuss the growing importance of female characters and authors in the comics industry and the making of comics for kids.

[eddycurrents]

For the week of 27 August 2018

Quick Bits:

A Walk Through Hell #4 focuses largely on flashbacks to the case the agents were working before whatever’s currently happening happened and...I’m not really sure of anything that’s going on. I think that’s kind of the point, unsure as to how everything is supposed to connect and what any of it all adds up to. Great art from Goran Sudžuka and Ive Svorcina, though.

| Published by AfterShock

Beyonders #1 is off to a great start. Between this and The Lost City Explorers, it seems like AfterShock right now has pseudoarchaeology stitched up and it’s wonderful. Paul Jenkins, Wesley St. Claire, and Marshall Dillon kick this one off with a wee bit more crunch, though there’s a very interesting upheaval this issue that will make you wonder what’s going on.

| Published by AfterShock

Blackwood #4 brings this series to an end and it is dark. Very dark. Evan Dorkin, Veronica & Andy Fish have crafted a wonderful horror story here, with some interesting twists, and one hell of an ending.

| Published by Dark Horse

Bone Parish #2 takes a deep dive in to some of the foundational moments of the Winters clan, even as they begin to deal with the fallout of one of their dealers dying from an overdose. This is great stuff. The art from Jonas Scharf and Alex Guimarães is incredible. Great detail and atmosphere, perfectly bringing to life the premise and characters from Cullen Bunn.

| Published by BOOM! Studios

Brothers Dracul #5 circles back around to the beginning of the story, as we reach the end of this interesting retelling and interpretation of the intersection of both the historical and legendary story of Vlad the Impaler, from Cullen Bunn, Mirko Colak, Maria Santaolalla, and Simon Bowland. There’s an interesting twist here that certainly paints Vlad’s action in a different light, and I hope we see it followed up upon in a second series.

| Published by AfterShock

Cyber Force #5 is a nice change of pace as Bryan Hill, Matt Hawkins, Atilio Rojo, and Troy Peteri introduce us to another old familiar face. This incarnation of the team definitely is taking its time to be brought together, but when the storytelling is as entertaining and the artwork is as gorgeous as this, it doesn’t really matter. To note, though, this is not the kind of decompression that feels empty or padded, it’s just fleshing out characters and their lives more than what we’ve seen before.

| Published by Image / Top Cow

Daredevil Annual #1 presents a standalone story of Misty Knight’s days as a detective and her first meeting with Daredevil. It’s good. It feels a bit more like a pilot for a Misty Knight series than necessarily a Daredevil tale, but, as I said, it’s good. The art from Marcio Takara and Marcelo Maiolo is nice. I really like Takara’s style which gives me hints of Phil Hester, Jim Mahfood, and Tomm Coker.

| Published by Marvel

Dungeons & Dragons: Evil at Baldur’s Gate #5 is another fun one, with a focus this issue on Boo. I’ve really enjoyed this series, with Jim Zub giving the party a bit of a breather between larger adventures and giving a great look at them as individual characters. Great art, too, including this issue from Francesco Mortarino and Jordi Escuin.

| Published by IDW

Edge of Spider-Geddon #2 gives us a view into another alternate Spiderverse, circling back around to SP//dr, and giving us a new twist on the power and responsibility rubric and VEN#m. It’s nice to see Lonnie Nadler and Zac Thompson play with more technological horror, with some incredible artwork from Alberto Alburquerque and Tríona Farrell.

| Published by Marvel

Euthanauts #2 is a thing of beauty. Nick Robles and Eva De La Cruz are seriously delivering some of the best art in comics right now with this series. The page layouts, character designs, use of colour, and incorporation of lettering choices from Aditya Bidikar, just elevate the storytelling immensely. Not even to mention how Tini Howard is making the weird science seamless in the dialogue. This is great.

| Published by IDW / Black Crown

Exiles #7 concludes the Old West-ish arc with cowboy T’Challa. Drop dead gorgeous artwork from guest artist Rod Reis. His depiction of the ultimate villain here shows some nice influence from Bill Sienkiewicz.

| Published by Marvel

Extermination #2 brings the fight to the school, even as the team (and the reader, although it’s not a bad thing) is still confused as to what is really going on. I love this, the tension that Ed Brisson, Pepe Larraz, and Marte Gracia are building is palpable, and the hints of kid!Cable’s actions are chilling. Also, the art is just phenomenal. 

| Published by Marvel

Harbinger Wars 2 #4 is kind of the end to this, but the ramifications and fallout are all supposed to appear in the Aftermath issue. That being said, Matt Kindt, Tomás Giorello, Renato Guedes, Diego Rodriguez, and Dave Sharpe go all out for the spectacle in this final confrontation between Livewire and X-O Manowar. It is still kind of insane how Capshaw could possibly consider what GATE and OMEN have done as being “good”, especially in light of Palmer going absolutely batshit insane, but it does lead to interesting set-up for future conflicts.

| Published by Valiant

Hillbilly: Red-Eyed Witchery From Beyond #1 begins the next adventure of the black-eyed tramp. I get a bit of a Beowulf vibe from Eric Powell’s set-up and I’m interested to see where it goes. This series sees Powell passing on the artistic duties to Simone Di Meo, Brennan Wagner, and Warren Montgomery and it’s an interesting visual shift from the washes of Powell’s own work in the original series. I quite like Di Meo’s style, which reminds me a bit of James Harren and Troy Nixey.

| Published by Albatross Funnybooks

House Amok #1 is something I’m not sure I can describe. It’s kind of a family drama, but if that family were all collectively sharing a hallucinatory experience or delusion. It’s a very interesting concept that’s only partially revealed by Christopher Sebela, Shawn McManus, Lee Loughridge, and Aditya Baker, but it leads to a very compelling start here. Gorgeous artwork from McManus and Loughridge.

| Published by IDW / Black Crown

Hunt for Wolverine: Dead Ends #1, like all four of the Hunt for Wolverine mini-series, is kind of a bit of treading water. I cannot say it or any of the previous series are bad, taken on their own separated from this “event”, they’re usually quite good, but as a whole it’s kind of disappointing. It’s a search for Wolverine that kind of comes up empty, acting as a prequel to the return of Wolverine, despite already having returned in Marvel Legacy and hopped across numerous different titles, before apparently being used for evil, as per throwaway bits in the fourth issues of those previously mentioned minis that didn’t necessarily connect with the plots of those minis. It feels a bit scattered and unnecessary, unfortunately, especially when it comes to comparing notes, coming up with the organization we already knew was behind it, and a bit of hand-waving mystery and grandstanding that still tells us a whole lot of nothing. It’s sound and fury. All of which is a bit of a shame because I otherwise generally enjoy the work of Charles Soule and Ramon Rosanas.

| Published by Marvel

Isola #5... Just look at the artwork. Karl Kerschl and Msassyk just keep delivering page after page after page of beauty.

| Published by Image

Jessica Jones #2 reaffirms that this is one of the best things that Marvel is currently publishing, with the next two chapters in this story. Kelly Thompson’s dialogue, narration, and banter throughout this issue is spot on, propulsive, and funny as hell when it needs to be, but what elevates it is that this isn’t your typical talking heads approach. The characters are doing stuff, like hunting sea monsters, instead of sitting at a desk or whatever. It’s a refreshing change that overall just makes this all the better. Not to mention Mattia De Iulis’ stunning artwork. It’s slick and polished with a line style that somewhat reminds me of Paul Gulacy and a bit of Rick Mays, and an approach to shadow and colour similar to Frazer Irving. This is a great series that really shouldn’t be missed.

| Published by Marvel

Judge Dredd: Under Siege #4 wraps up this entertaining series from Mark Russell, Max Dunbar, Jose Luis Rio, and Shawn Lee. I really like Dunbar’s take on Dredd and the Russell’s idea of people creating their own law in the absence of law is an interesting philosophical counterpoint to the idea of man naturally sliding towards a state of chaos. Even the mutants striving for society is an interesting challenge to the typical idea of things falling apart.

| Published by IDW

New Mutants: Dead Souls #6 concludes the series with Illyana putting the pieces together for what actually has been going on, it isn’t a pretty picture. This has been a great series from Matthew Rosenberg, Adam Gorham, Michael Garland, and Clayton Cowles and the revelations this issue are heavy. The implications for the X-universe is huge and I want more.

| Published by Marvel

The New World #2 essentially reveals itself as a romance comic, amidst the ultraviolence and social engineering. Didn’t really see that coming, but it’s an interesting move. Trippy art from Tradd Moore, Heather Moore, and Ludwig Olimba.

| Published by Image

Paradise Court #2 continues to be an entertaining horror comic from Joe Brusha, Babisu Kourtis, Leonardo Paciarotti, and Taylor Esposito. This gives us the part of the story where our protagonist is experiencing the horror and everyone else is telling her she’s just imagining it, but it’s still well told and well illustrated.

| Published by Zenescope

Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons & Dragons #1 is about as perfect a crossover of two properties as you can get. Morty trying to get into D&D because he thinks it will get him laid is the perfect in to the world of the game and the cartoon, perfectly blending the two for fans of both without alienating or diminishing either. Jim Zub, Patrick Rothfuss, Troy Little, Leonardo Ito, and Robbie Robbins are faithful to both and in doing so deliver a wonderful beginning to this story, that also educates along the way.

| Published by IDW & Oni Press

Runaways #12 is easily one of the best issues in what has already been an exemplary series. Rainbow Rowell, Kris Anka, Matthew Wilson, and Joe Carmagna focus here on forgiveness, acceptance, and second chances, with some truly beautiful character work between Gert & Victor and Nico & Karolina. If you don’t have a giant grin on your face by the end of the issue, I question your humanity.

| Published by Marvel

Submerged #2 is still weird, very weird, but there’s some really good bits in here demonstrating some of the emotional manipulation that family members sometimes employ. Beautiful, ethereal artwork from Lisa Sterle and Stelladia.

| Published by Vault

Venom: First Host #1 is somewhat strange to see in light of where Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman have taken the character, but this limited series from Mike Costa, Mark Bagley, Andrew Hennessy, Dono Sánchez-Almara, and Clayton Cowles serves as both an interesting addendum to the symbiote’s history and as a continuation (and likely capstone) to the previous creative team’s run. It’s pretty decent.

| Published by Marvel

Web of Venom: Ve’Nam #1 is a one shot fleshing out the backstory of Rex Strickland and the SHIELD experiment that bonded the early symbiotes to soldiers set loose during the Vietnam War. It’s an entertaining tale with some nice guest stars and sweet art by Donny Cates, Juanan Ramírez, Felipe Sobreiro, and Clayton Cowles. I particularly like the scratchy, faded look in the art to make it look a bit “old”.

| Published by Marvel

X-23 #3 is great. Mariko Tamaki has nailed the characters and the art from Juann Cabal and Nolan Woodard is incredible. The page designs alone elevate the storytelling immensely.

| Published by Marvel

The X-Files: Case Files - Hoot Goes There? #2 concludes the second of this new approach of a series of mini-series and it’s...weird? Funny, but weird. Definitely taking a page out of some of the more outlandish episodes of the series, where you question whether or not what you saw happened actually happened. Still, it’s entertaining, which is all that really matters. Fun from Joe and Keith Lansdale, Silvia Califano, Valentina Pinto, and Shawn Lee.

| Published by IDW

X-Men Blue #34 looks like it largely serves as a capstone to Cullen Bunn’s work with Magneto over the past four years or so, as he winds down his run here and continues to tidy the characters up a bit before he’s done and hands the reins off to the next band of storytellers. It feels like there’s a lot more here that he would have like to have told, but what we get here is still excellent. The hints at the next stage for Magneto and mutantkind are intriguing. Great art from Marcus To and Matt Milla. 

| Published by Marvel

X-O Manowar #18 gives an interesting transition from this flashback of Aric’s pre-Shanhara life to his return to Earth, focusing on how ideas, people, and culture keeps changing. Matt Kindt delivers a pretty chilling reaction to it. All with some nice artwork from Trevor Hairsine, Brian Thies, and Diego Rodriguez. 

| Published by Valiant

Other Highlights: Deadpool: Assassin #6, GI Joe: A Real American Hero #255, KINO #9, Marvel Two-in-One #9, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Shattered Grid #1, Modern Fantasy #3, Moon Knight #198, Ms. Marvel #33, Red Sonja #20, Rick & Morty #41, StarCraft: Scavengers #2, Star Wars: Lando - Double or Nothing #4, Star Wars: Poe Dameron Annual #2, Star Wars Adventures #13, TMNT: Bebop & Rocksteady Hit the Road #5, Wayward #28, X-Men: Grand Design - Second Genesis #2

Recommended Collections: 2021 - Volume 1, 30 Days of Night, Big Trouble in Little China: Old Man Jack - Volume 1, Black Cloud - Volume 2: No Return, DuckTales Classics - Volume 1, Eugenic, Factory, Femme Magnifique, I Hate Fairyland - Volume 4, James Bond: Hammerhead, Judas, Killer Instinct, Stray Bullets: Sunshine & Roses - Volume 2

d. emerson eddy is not the very model of a modern major general. Nor a scientist salarian for that matter.

[qubemagazine]

New Post has been published on Qube Magazine

New Post has been published on https://www.qubeonline.co.uk/insite-energy-launches-new-esco-manager-service-for-developments-with-heat-networks/

Insite Energy launches new ESCo Manager Service for developments with heat networks

NEWS FEATURES FIRE & SECURITY SUBMISSIONS RESOURCES

Telford Homes’ Stone Studios is first to sign up to flexible, annual fixed-fee management contract which promotes service excellence, plus fair and transparent pricing for residents

Leading London-focused property developer Telford Homes is the first housing provider to sign up to a new energy management service from heat network metering and billing specialist Insite Energy. Known as the ESCo Manager Service, the new offering covers all the same services as traditional Energy Service Companies (ESCos), but on a single-year contract and with a fixed and transparent service fee based on actual costs.

ESCo Manager went live at Stone Studios, Telford Homes’ new development of 120 luxury apartments and characterful sky villas in Hackney, East London, in December 2021.

Under the new contract, Insite takes over handling of the operation and maintenance of the entire heating infrastructure, as well as fulfilling all ESCo management and administration responsibilities on a not-for-profit basis on behalf of Telford Homes. Insite has been providing heat network services across much of Telford’s housing portfolio since 2013 and was already running the heat metering and billing at Stone Studios from April 2021, using the Guru pay-as-you-go (PAYG) system.

“We’re always looking at ways to improve services and value for money for our residents,” said Anthony Atkinson, Estates and Customer Service Director at Telford Homes. “Having worked closely for some time with Insite on metering and billing for many of our developments, we have co-developed the additional roles that Insite bring as ESCo Manager in order to enhance the customer experience and promote the delivery of a holistic, high quality heat network service.”

Emily Lister, Head of Business Development at Insite Energy, commented, “The thinking behind ESCo Manager is that it enables developers to hand over all their specialist heat network responsibilities to our team of experts, freeing them up to focus on what they do best. Unlike a traditional ESCo, we’re not taking a profit on each unit of heat. The charges are based solely on real energy and maintenance costs and fixed management fees. That means fair and transparent tariffs for residents and full recovery of costs for the client. And if they’re not happy with our service for any reason, they’re not tied in.”

An Energy Service Company (ESCo) is a commercial structure created specifically to produce, supply and manage the local delivery of decentralised energy to a ‘whole site’ development. Typical ESCo contracts last for the expected asset life of the main plant – between 10 and 25 years – to enable the ESCo to recoup its capital expenditure. This can lead to dissatisfied residents being shackled indefinitely to high prices and poor service. But with ESCo Manager, because Insite is managing the services on the client’s behalf, it can offer single-year contracts, ensuring clients and residents retain control of their heating services.

The ESCo management services Insite will be providing at Stone Studios include fuel procurement; tariff setting and reviewing; administration of residential heat supply agreements; subcontractor management and auditing; asset maintenance and lifecycle management; financial administration, including management of cashflow and a sinking fund for asset replacement; reporting; and adherence to regulations and best practice. Construction of the development, which also includes 15 commercial units and 33,000 square feet of affordable workspace, is due for completion in December.

  Insite Energy launches new ESCo Manager Service for developments with heat networks

NEWS FEATURES FIRE & SECURITY SUBMISSIONS RESOURCES

[aion-rsa]

15 Superhero Games That Should Never Have Been Canceled

https://ift.tt/3yhDWFZ

We’ve been blessed with a surprising number of great superhero video games over the years. From Batman for the NES to The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction and Marvel’s Spider-Man, developers have often shown superheroes the love it took them years to consistently receive in other mediums.

Yet, I understand why it’s so easy to focus on the superhero games we almost got rather than the ones that we did get. There’s an entire section of gaming’s digital graveyard devoted to canceled superhero games, and it’s filled with projects that could have been contenders or, at the very least, would have given comic book fans everywhere the chance to spend time with characters that still haven’t gotten a proper video game adaptation to this day.

So brace yourself for disappointment as we look at what could have been and 15 of the most notable superhero games that should never have been canceled.

15. X-Women: The Sinister Virus

As the name suggests, X-Women was based on the idea that all the male X-Men team members have been incapacitated by the Genesis Virus. It’s not only an interesting concept that would have put characters like Storm and Jean Grey in the spotlight, but the project was even being developed by Clockwork Tortoise: the studio behind the excellent Sega Genesis version of The Adventures of Batman & Robin. This game seemingly had a lot going for it. 

So why was it canceled? Well, according to those who worked on the project in the late ‘90s, X-Women got off to a rough start that it never really recovered from. A combination of technical shortcomings, studio drama, and Sega’s desire to start moving away from the 16-bit era pretty much doomed this game before it ever had a chance to become more than some vague ideas. 

14. Spider-Man 4

Well, the name of this game should probably give you a hint as to why it was eventually canceled. It is, after all, hard to make a game based on Sam Raimi’s fourth Spider-Man movie when Sam Raimi’s fourth Spider-Man movie was, itself, eventually canceled. 

Interestingly, though, a working version of the Spider-Man 4 prototype was discovered on an old Nintendo Wii devkit in 2019. While it’s obviously not fair to judge a half-finished prototype too harshly, everything we’ve seen of this game suggests it would have been…pretty much just ok. It’s doubtful we missed out on anything better than a pretty good rental when this one was eventually canceled. 

13. Marvel Chaos

I’ve actually heard conflicting reports about this game over the years, but most accounts of its development suggest Marvel Chaos was supposed to be a Marvel fighting game modeled after the Def Jam series. Needless to say, that idea had a lot of potential. 

That makes it all the more depressing that nearly every report about this game’s development agrees that it was canceled simply because it wasn’t very good. EA decided to cancel this project rather than invest more money in it, which ultimately led to EA Chicago’s closure and the end of EA and Marvel’s partnership (at least for a time). 

12. Superman 64 (PS1)

Apologies for the confusing title, but it’s pretty hard to talk about this game without eventually getting around to the fact that it was essentially supposed to be the PS1 port of the infamously bad Superman 64. However, because the PS1 couldn’t quite handle some of the free-roaming mechanics featured in the N64 game, this port was essentially redesigned by developer BlueSky Software to be its own thing. 

Do you know what’s really funny? A recently leaked prototype of this canceled game suggests that it actually might have been kind of fun. At the very least, this port’s emphasis on linear combat looks a lot more enjoyable than…whatever Superman 64 was going for. In a world where most Superman games are bad, it’s a shame this one didn’t get the chance to at least be decent. 

11. Marvel Universe Online

An MMORPG set in the Marvel universe made by the City of Heroes team? How did this game ever get canceled when it’s seemingly a license to print money that might actually be more valuable today than ever before?

Well, some reports suggest this game simply wasn’t coming along as quickly as some hoped it would, but according to Microsoft, the game was ultimately canceled largely because they looked at how every non-WoW MMO on the market at that time was performing and felt that Marvel Universe Online had a slim chance of making enough money to justify everyone’s investments. 

10. The Flash

The rise of the open-world genre has also meant the rise of superhero fans wondering why more game developers just don’t put their favorite characters in an open-world playground. That formula has certainly worked numerous times in the past, and it could have also worked for this Flash game that developer Brash Entertainment worked on starting in the mid-2000s. 

While Brash went under in 2008, they took this potentially amazing project with them. Reports about this game’s development, as well as some early test footage, suggest it was an appropriately fast-paced open-world epic that dove deep into the Flash’s lore and even featured a kind of Sunset Overdrive-style navigation system that would have let The Flash pull off elaborate tricks. Someone really needs to mine this project for its best ideas and revive them in some form. 

9. The Dark Knight

We’ve talked about this game extensively in the past, but what you really need to know is that there was supposed to be a game based on Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight film and that game was shaping up to be pretty ambitious for a licensed title intended to debut alongside the film.

Unfortunately, The Dark Knight’s ambition may have gotten the best of it. The game missed its initial release windows and was ultimately determined to be more trouble than it was worth. While I’d still love to play this game, I don’t know if it would have been nearly as brilliant as Rocksteady’s Arkham series. 

8. Green Lantern (SNES)

Aside from cameos in DC fighting titles and the so-so Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters, the Green Lantern hasn’t exactly gotten a lot of video game love over the years. That makes it that much more of a shame that the Green Lantern almost starred in a SNES action game that was not only almost finished at the time that it was canceled but actually looked pretty good. 

Read more

Movies

Marvel’s Road to the Thunderbolts in the MCU

By Gavin Jasper

Movies

The Suicide Squad Review: The Most James Gunn Superhero Movie Ever

By David Crow

Actually, the game’s cancellation seemingly had nothing to do with the quality of the game itself. Reports suggest that the game was ultimately canceled due to the rise of the Sony PlayStation (and the start of next-gen gaming) as well as conflicts between DC and developer Ocean Software regarding how this game should handle ongoing aspects of the Hal Jordan storyline. 

7. 100 Bullets

Well, “comic” is probably more appropriate than “superhero” in this instance, but it’s hard to have this conversation without mentioning the 100 Bullets game we never got to play. Not only was this game based on a hot (at the time) comic property but everything we’ve ever heard about it suggests that it could have been a worthwhile entry into the post-Max Payne era of third-person action titles. 

Sadly, the decision to cancel this game ultimately came down to money. Publisher Acclaim Entertainment’s rapidly deteriorating financial situation spelled the end for 100 Bullets and most other projects the company planned to publish at that time. There was brief chatter about a possible revival, but nothing ever came of it. 

6. Ghost Rider (PS1)

In the late ‘90s, Neversoft Entertainment (developers of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater) started working on a Ghost Rider action/adventure game that combined elements of 2D and 3D design. It was basically a Castlevania-style action game from the studio that eventually brought us that amazing PS1 Spider-Man title. The only known footage of this title is pretty rough, but it certainly looked promising. 

In fact, this is another one of those instances where the game’s eventual cancellation has nothing to do with how good it was. Ghost Rider was supposed to be published by Crystal Dynamics, but reports indicate that Crystal Dynamics decided to get out of publishing before the game could be completed. Neversoft apparently tried to approach them to work out a new deal, but rumors suggest the company just wasn’t interested in funding a 2D action game at that time.

5. Justice League: Mortal

Remember that Justice League movie George Miller was supposed to direct that was ultimately canceled due to budget concerns? Well, it turns out that developer Double Helix once worked on a loose video game adaptation of/tie-in to that film. It was going to be a third-person action game with a DMC-like combo system that, you guessed it, was canceled around the same time as the George Miller Justice League movie. 

What’s really interesting about this one, though, is that elements of this project were eventually spun off into the Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters game we mentioned earlier. While that title offers a rough look at what this one could have been, reports suggest Justice League: Mortal was a much larger and more ambitious game. 

4. Daredevil

It’s hardly a surprise that Daredevil is arguably the most talked about canceled superhero game of all time. After all, an open-world Daredevil game that properly utilizes the character’s abilities while diving deep into his comic book lore is something a lot of fans would probably still play today.

With this one, though, the story isn’t so much that it was canceled but rather that the project made it as far as it did. Reports about this game’s development suggest that it wasn’t only an overly ambitious technical nightmare, but that the stress of working on this title led to a sharp decline in morale at developer 5000ft Inc’s offices and may have even resulted in a rise in substance abuse issues among the studio’s employees. Marvel eventually decided to pull their support for this one due to a litany of problems and disagreements. 

3. Gotham By Gaslight

Yes, there was a time when someone was bold enough to pitch a steampunk Batman action game based on the famous Batman story of the same name. Early footage of the prototype for that concept even suggests that its gameplay would have fallen somewhere between the Arkham titles and Bloodborne.

“Pitch” and “prototype” are ultimately the keywords to keep in mind here, though, as it sounds like Gotham by Gaslight never made it further than those very early stages. This feels like the kind of game that would be easier to find funding for today, but at this point, it sounds like it will forever be a “what could have been” situation.

2. Superman: Blue Steel

Throughout the…dodgy history of Superman video games, most fans of the character have cried out for an open-world Superman title that captures the awesome potential of the character’s abilities without reducing Superman to a wrecking ball. Well, developer Factor 5’s Superman: Blue Steel was supposed to be that game. 

In fact, Blue Steel lead designer Salvatrix recently shared new details about the game via Twitter that all confirm reports people had been hearing for years regarding this project’s potential. Unfortunately, she also confirmed that this game’s cancellation ultimately came down to the market crash that hit at the time and how it left the team without the resources and support they needed to complete their vision.

1. Spider-Man Classic

What you really need to know about Spider-Man Classic is that it was supposed to be the follow-up to the largely underrated 2009 game Spider-Man: Web of Shadows. The basic idea is that it would have seen Spider-Man and Wolverine team-up to battle new and old foes as Spider-Man relieved some of his most memorable moments from the comics throughout the years. Yes, it probably would have been amazing.

Spider-Man Classic was unfortunately canceled when developer Shaba Games was shuttered in 2009. While we ultimately ended up getting the incredible Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions as a result of this cancellation, I chose to believe there’s enough room in this world for both.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

The post 15 Superhero Games That Should Never Have Been Canceled appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3rNMZfE

[vestedbeauty]

Idyllwild Woods: My Perfect Average Day

New Post has been published on https://vestedbeauty.com/idyllwild-woods-my-perfect-average-day/

Idyllwild Woods: My Perfect Average Day

Last week, I challenged you to do the perfect average day exercise. I promised I’d publish mine, which I’ve named Idyllwild Woods. Last week, that didn’t seem scary at all. Today, not so much scary… more like that feeling when you accept a double-dog dare. Not to get too woo-woo, but there’s a reason I’m sharing my version of living the dream with complete strangers. If it’s a dream I can get behind publicly, that I can proclaim with boldness, it seems all the more inevitable that we will bring it about. (I say ‘we’ because hubby can see it, too, and he’s on-board.) In fact, it’s gotten to the point where I will talk with ANYBODY about it if they show the remotest interest! I’m also drawing up a sort of business plan for it, mapping out the milestones I foresee on the road to this dream becoming reality.

Remember the “rules” of the Perfect Average Day Exercise? Write it as if it’s already reality. Be detailed. Try to capture the reality and feeling of it in the details.

Welcome to Idyllwild Woods

I wake up in the house we built on our land in Tennessee. We bought 18 acres, not far from the kids and called it Idyllwild Woods. After prepping the land, we built one tiny home after another, along with a hobbit house and several old homes we got for hardly anything if we’d just haul them away. We stayed in our favorite whenever we went up for a visit for the first few years. The rents from these rentals funded our personal home on the far end of the property. Now we invite small groups in for seminars, retreats, and camping. There’s a gorgeous fire pit area, an indoor/outdoor kitchen and meeting area, a bunkhouse, and the tiny homes. We’ve also built space for RVs and some tent camping spots. On the grounds, there’s a zip line, a bunch of trails, and of course, the creek which is great for cooling off, fishing, and playing in the little waterfalls.

The view from our home is spectacular – you can see trees for miles. Spook and I designed our home ourselves. We love the windows and because it’s so private, we don’t have curtains. Every morning, we see the trees and leaves shimmying in the breeze as the sun rises. 

Mornings

I still get up at six every morning, rested and excited to start the day the same way I have for decades, thanking God for the new day and praying for my loved ones. Only an alarm on the rare occasion we need to get up earlier than usual. Then I get my robe and go out to the kitchen for a hug. Spook’s already made our tea, and we take it to the porch, where we sit together on a porch swing that rocks. We chat while watching the birds and squirrels do their thing, the dogs are just loose because it’s totally safe for them to wander here. 

After coffee, we shower – in the warm months, the outdoor shower is amazing. When it’s cooler, we really enjoy our walk-in with all those jets and the heated floor in the bathroom. There’s also a gorgeous soaking tub with jets that feels pretty amazing at the end of the day.

Creating and Puttering

After I get dressed, I take the dogs out to the chicken yard and get the hens all settled for the day. Lots of eggs, so plenty for us and for the retreat house kitchen. The dogs follow me as I tend the gardens, picking and pruning and planting away. We’ve got so many tomatoes this year – we’ll have gallons of sauce to put up and enjoy all year. Traipsing around and puttering in the sunshine is good exercise, and I’ve gotten so strong while learning how to do all kinds of homesteader stuff. I love the unhurried pace and getting to be outside in the quiet. 

At about 8:30, I have my usual breakfast of steel cut egg oats over nut butter or fresh fruit. I take all my supplements and make a mason jar of water, then head to my studio office by about 9. While I was puttering this morning, a bolt of inspiration hit, and I already know I’ll be writing from that clarity. The words just flow for a couple of hours, and I’m smiling as I read it. Throughout the hour or so, I have fun, productive calls with colleagues. My life is basically doing cool things with cool people in cool places – and we make everyone involved very, very, very wealthy. We all have teams who do the heavy lifting on our projects. Everyone works so well together because we’re all having a blast and doing what we do best. 

Cool People Doing Cool Things in a Cool Place

One of my morning conversations was with the facilitator of the upcoming weekend’s retreat. I love being able to help more people experience the kind of transformation that various retreats bring. Mostly these folks are business owners who are into personal development. But we also host artists and writers, an annual car show, and family and friends. Sometimes we have fire walking, kanna, ayahuasca, and other woo woo stuff, and it’s really fun. It’s an incredible delight to be able to provide space on our beautiful land for people to come – and for the privilege of witnessing them transform and step into their greatness. So many of these folks come back year after year, and they feel like family. 

We’ve got a wonderful caretaker and team who handle the operations, and it’s also fun to see our volunteer work-campers every year. They take such good care of the place that it’s easy for us to leave anytime we want to take a trip. 

Rhythm and Routine

Friday nights in season, we have cocktails and a cookout with the guests. Live acoustic music, bonfire, catching fireflies, s’mores, and whatever treat I’ve baked. It’s the highlight of the week for our regulars.

Spook and I have lunch on the porch when it’s warm – or in the sunroom during the winter. Then he goes back out to his workshop to putter and I go back out to garden for a while. I cut some flowers for the house and for the retreat center. Then I take a little lie down on the hammock and read for a bit. That sparks more writing ideas, and I jot them down.

A quick check-in with my assistant, and she proudly tells me we’ve had a great revenue day. The team is getting bonuses again!

It’s about six now and Spook and I will meet at the kitchen island for a cocktail. We decide to cook in our outdoor kitchen tonight and eat by our fire pit under the stars. It’s amazing watching the stars kind of flicker in time with our music. We clean up after dinner and get in bed around 8. I read but he’s out cold within minutes. I’m out by about 9:30 and sleep like a rock. 

Living the Dream

I love our land and enjoy hiking all over, taking pictures, tending to the property. It’s good for my body and I’m grateful to be so strong, fit, flexible, and sure-footed. 

Our grandchildren are coming over tomorrow, and we’ll have fun exploring, baking, and telling silly stories. My kids, their partners, and their kids love coming over and we get to see each other almost every week. The babies and I are having fun painting lately, and I’ve set them up with little easels in my studio.

Our life is so satisfying, we are always creating and sharing. Time flies in that flow state. But also, I’m so present that there’s this overwhelming feeling of peace and deep satisfaction that fills me up. I truly enjoy all the creative pursuits in my life. Making – in all forms – is so rewarding. It’s even more fulfilling to see how much of what I create serves others. They read my words and shift. Some see my art and are moved. They attend an event on this land, and are utterly transformed. It feels so good to serve as sort of a conduit of God’s love this way, and I wouldn’t trade one minute for the world.

So, What’s Next?

To be honest, I’m not really sure. To call Idyllwild Woods a dream seems to discount it. But to call it a goal seems off somehow, too. It feels more like an inevitability that’s REALLY fun to enjoy even now in its planning stages.

That’s why I’m going to write up a sort of business plan; seems like that’ll give us an idea of next steps. Obviously, it’s going to take some money to do this. It might sound crazy, but it feels like that part will take care of itself as we go. For now, I feel excited about researching and planning, looking at properties, creating Idyllwild Woods in detail in my mind (and on paper) so we have a blueprint of sorts to follow.

    Note: Idyll – kind of a cool word! There’s an area of Charlotte, NC with that name, and it’s always stuck with me. So… Idyllwild Woods it is!