#back issue 155

[ufonaut]

Calling all horror enthusiasts for an early Halloween treat! Back Issue #155 is now out, featuring my deep dive into obscure gothic romance titles The Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love/The Sinister House of Secret Love and the mysterious Mister E. I had the incredible pleasure of interviewing Jack C. Harris, Bob Rozakis, Stuart Moore, and John K. Snyder III!

Available online and in comic book stores across the world.

[platinumaspiration]

Myshunosun's Macaron Kitchen Redux

Remember this monstrosity? I had no business taking this anon request back then. I'm pretty proud of this version with its better normals, shadows, texture mapping... it's much better.

Shoutout to @lordcrumps for the insider tips on how he converts kitchen sets. Shadow file from LordCrumps.com required (not included)!

Disclaimer: this set is unfortunately no longer compatible with simsinlowspace's watchmen recolors, which sucks. :( The original macaron kitchen conversion still exists if you're not bothered by my mistakes and still want the watchmen recolors.

Download - SFS | MF updated 29 May 2024

credits: @myshunosun (original)

@4t2ccdatabase - thanks for all you do, Naomi!

Please leave a comment below if any issues! My ask box is disabled.

details under the cut:

What You Get:

Collection File + ReadMe info included

Found in seating > misc: Barstool - 404 Polys (9 recolors) - $120

Found in surfaces > counters: Counters - 2158 Polys (Main - 22 recolors) - $200

Outer Counter - 273 Polys - $200 Outer Counter Left - 102 Polys - $200 Outer Counter Right - 102 Polys - $200

Island - 1990 Polys (Main - 22 recolors) - $200

Outer Island - 114 Polys - $200

Found in surfaces > misc: Cabinet Tall - 155 Polys (Main - 12 colors) - $200

Cabinet Medium - 141 Polys - $200 Cabinet Inner - 82 Polys - $200 Cabinet Left - 90 Polys - $200 Cabinet Outer - 176 Polys - $200 Cabinet Right - 90 Polys - $200 Cabinet Small - 141 Polys - $200

[afeelgoodblog]

Best News of Last Week - July 3, 2023

🐕 - This dog is 'disc'-overing hidden treasures! Get ready for the 'paws'-itively successful fundraiser, Daisy's Discs!

1. Most unionized US rail workers now have new sick leave

More than 60% of U.S. unionized railroad workers at major railroads are now covered by new sick leave agreements, a trade group said Monday.

Last year railroads came under fire for not agreeing to paid sick leave during labor negotiations.

2. Missing teen found after being lost in the wilderness for 50 hours

Esther Wang, 16, had been hiking with three other people through the Maple Ridge park on Tuesday.

The group made it to Steve’s lookout around 2:45 p.m. that day.However, when they headed back down to the campsite, after about 15 minutes of hiking, the group leader realized Wang was missing. They returned to the lookout to look for Wang but couldn’t find her. The leader headed to the trail entrance to notify a park ranger and police.

“Esther Wang has been located. She’s healthy, she is happy and she’s with family.”

3. A dog has retrieved 155 discs from woods. They’ll be on sale soon, with proceeds going to the park in West Virginia where they were found

Meet Daisy, the yellow Labrador retriever with a unique talent for finding lost Frisbee golf discs at Grand Vue Park in West Virginia. Four years ago, while on a walk with her owner Kelly Mason, Daisy discovered a disc in the woods and proudly brought it back. Since then, Daisy's obsession with finding stray discs has grown, and she has collected an impressive cache of 155 discs.

Mason and park officials have now come up with a plan to return the discs to their owners if they are labeled, and any unclaimed discs will be sold as a fundraiser to support the park's disc golf courses. Daisy's Discs is expected to be a success, with many excited about the possibility of recovering their lost discs thanks to Daisy's remarkable skills.

4. Australian earless dragon last seen in 1969 rediscovered in secret location

A tiny earless dragon feared to be extinct in the wild has been sighted for the first time in more than 50 years – at a location that is being kept secret to help preservation efforts.

The Victorian grassland earless dragon, Tympanocryptis pinguicolla, has now been rediscovered in the state, according to a joint statement issued by the Victorian and federal Labor governments on Sunday.

5. Detroit is going to power 100% of its municipal buildings with solar

All of Detroit’s municipal buildings are going to be powered by neighborhood solar as part of the city’s efforts to combat climate change – check out the city’s cool grassroots plan. Meet Detroit Rock Solar City.

The city has determined that it’s going to need around 250 acres of solar panels in order to achieve 100% solar power for its municipal buildings.

6. Canada Officially Bans Cosmetic Testing on Animals

The fight for cruelty-free beauty in Canada has seen a significant breakthrough as the Canadian government legislates a full ban on cosmetic animal testing and trade, marking a victory for Animal rights advocates and eco-conscious consumers.

This landmark decision is part of the Budget Implementation Act (Bill C-47), not only prohibiting cosmetic animal testing but also putting an end to the sale of cosmetics that use new animal testing data for safety substantiation.

7. Belize certified malaria-free by WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) has certified Belize as malaria-free, following the country’s over 70 years of continued efforts to stamp out the disease.

“WHO congratulates the people and government of Belize and their network of global and local partners for this achievement”, said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “Belize is another example of how, with the right tools and the right approach, we can dream of a malaria-free future.”

----

That's it for this week :)

This newsletter will always be free. If you liked this post you can support me with a small kofi donation:

Support this newsletter ❤️

Also don’t forget to reblog.

[nkplanet]

WHICH TROPE ARE YOU?

PAIRING: enhypen x gn!reader SUMMARY: what trope do you and the enhypen members share? WARNINGS: a smidge of angst in jungwon + heeseung’s, all set in high school apart from jay + heeseung’s, implied toxic parents in jungwon’s, written on my phone so the formatting might be weird

NOTE: thank u sm for all the love on my last post and 155 followers!! i rlly appreciate you guys 🫶🫶 also i’m definitely gonna rewrite some of these as actual fics bc i love them (looking at u jungwon and niki)

— HEESEUNG 희승 — second chance romance personally i’m not a big fan of this trope but it just fits heeseung so well like ??? hello yes i would give u a second chance. there’s no doubt in my mind that cheating would not be involved, instead it was something that happened when you two were young and immature, but when you meet again you’ve grown and can continue to do so together

it had ended awfully the first time. neither of you were particularly mature, and a heated argument had caused your entire relationship had come crashing down. sixteen year old you would always regret the way you gave heeseung the cold shoulder for a reason you couldn’t even remember, and the way you had both yelled and screamed at each other. you hadn’t spoken for years when, all of a sudden, you bumped into him in a cafe. then at work. in the park. after six years of no contact, he was everywhere. it was like the universe was telling you to give him another chance. eventually, your walls crumbled, and heeseung made his way back into your heart. the two of you had never been happier.

others under the cut!

— JAY 제이 — fake dating jay is perfect for this trope imo, especially when it comes to fake dating at a wedding. put me in a psych ward bc whenever i think abt him in a suit i go insane. also your whole family would love him because he’s such a gentleman. he’s so perfect

it was your aunts wedding, and all of your siblings were bringing their significant others as plus ones. your brother had joked about how you’d be the only single one in the wedding party and, rather than face the humiliation, you lied and told him you did in fact have a boyfriend. it was a lie you forgot about until two weeks before the wedding, when your aunt mentioned being excited to meet the mysterious man. you panicked, running to tell jay about your issue. while you were contemplating telling your family that the mysterious man had broken up with you, jay said “why don’t i pretend to be your boyfriend? just for the day?” except, his fake boyfriend touches didn’t feel very fake. your aunt remarked that the two of you reminded her of herself and your new uncle when they were young. by the end of the night, you and jay were sharing kisses outside the reception. yeah, fake boyfriend my ass.

— JAKE 제이크 — you fell first, he fell harder jake seems like such a loser (affectionately) that he’d be the one to fall first, but just imagine that he doesn’t realise his feelings are romantic. he just thinks everyone sees their best friends that way and when he finds out otherwise? oh he’s head over heels in love with you. such a loser. i love him

the way you and jake interact is far from platonic. you had developed a crush on him when you were just fifteen, and since then you'd been trying to drop hints. when he started reciprocating your admittedly flirtatious gestures, you thought you had a chance, but he never made a move. in fact, jake never realised that he shared those feelings until one of his friends pointed out that the two of you were incredibly flirty with each other. he thought everyone saw their best friends as gorgeous, as an angel sent from above, as someone who they'd willingly spend the rest of their life with. after that it was hard for him to see you in any light other than romantic. when you asked him out he practically screamed yes. he is absolutely head over heels in love

— SUNGHOON 성훈 — opposites attract i was gonna pick grumpy x sunshine for him but he’s not exactly grumpy so opposites attract it is!! he’s reserved and only really lets loose around those he considers close, whereas you’re loud and bubbly with lots of friends. one of my fav tropes for a reason

sunghoon’s attention was brought to you via your laughter. it was loud and bright, and he’d never heard anything like it. since then, he’d yearned for the sound. though he lacked the confidence to actually ask you out, he began seeking your company. he’d study with you in the library, would offer to walk you home. things that friends do. you, on the other hand, were absolutely smitten. sunghoon was quiet and a little mysterious. you could never read him, and yet you were absolutely entranced by him. you thought he was absolutely gorgeous, perhaps one of the most handsome men you’d ever seen. one day, while sunghoon was walking you home in the rain, you’d stopped and turned to face him. “what are we?” you’d asked. sunghoon remembers blanking immediately, not knowing how to reply. instead of words, he answered you with a kiss.

— SUNOO 선우 — best friend’s brother okay but imagine: you go over to ur best friends house and end up gossiping with their brother and all of a sudden,, he’s soooo attractive? and then he starts developing this crush but he can’t date you because you’re his siblings best friend. there’s probably be some secret dating involved (which i’m also a sucker for tbh)

you'd been harbouring a crush on sunoo for a while now, never acting on it because he was your best friend's brother. you looked forward to the weekly gossip sessions that the two of you shared when your friend left you together arguably more than you looked forward to seeing your friend (but don't tell her that). little did you know, sunoo felt the same. fleeting glances and not-so-platonic touches began growing between you two. eventually, sunoo asked you out. you wanted to say yes so badly but couldn't betray your friend like that. instead, you began dating in secret. it was only two months of sneaking around, 'jokingly' flirting, and kissing in places where she wouldn't see before she finally exploded, yelling that you two were gross but had her blessing. going public only increased the pda by tenfold, and people quickly grew sick of your sappy conversations. not that either of you cared, of course.

— JUNGWON 정원 — academic rivals turned lovers [full fic!] ACADEMIC RIVALS TURNED LOVERS!!!!! i love this trope sm and i think it fits won so well. i was gonna originally give this to niki but he wasn’t rlly in school. so. jungwon it is!! i can see you two as the top two in your year and always competing when one day it all comes crashing down for you. jungwon is suddenly? nice? and we go from there 🤭🤭

yang jungwon had never been the nicest person to you. sure, he was never really mean per-se, but the two of you were so competitive that nothing said was particularly nice. you and jungwon seemed to constantly be on par with each other academically, consistently being the top two students in your year. in english and sciences, you usually pulled ahead, while jungwon excelled in maths and other subjects. the rivalry between you was so tense that even the teachers tried to calm it down but to no avail. the reason behind your competitiveness was your parents. the pressure they put on you was immense, and one day you just broke. you’d had a fight with them, and the next day flunked a biology test. your grades began slipping from then on, and jungwon began to take notice. he stopped making quips, instead resorting to leaving some snacks or study tips on your desk when he thought you weren’t looking. he began giving you sympathetic looks until you eventually confronted him, telling him you didn’t want his pity. it wasn’t pity, though, it was worry. your relationship changed after that, no longer rivals but a little more than friends.

— NI-KI 니키 — childhood friends to lovers/first love OKAY HEAR ME OUT. u were childhood friends. niki realises his feelings and he’s all like oh no i can’t feel this way abt my bff :( and tried to pull away from u but ur like ??? yes tf and that’s how u become lovers

niki had been your closest friend for longer than you could remember. in both of your houses there sat baby pictures of the two of you together. you’d grown up together, going to all the same schools and most of the same clubs. in highschool, you were known as inseparable - if someone wanted one of you, they got both. but one day, niki started pulling away. it was fine, you told yourself, he was just growing up. you both were. but when he stopped answering your calls and texts and started actively avoiding you, you were hurt. you’d been by each others sides for so long that you didn’t really know how to live without him. the truth was, he’d discovered feelings that he’d never felt about anyone before. he knew he shouldn’t feel like this about his best friend, but he couldn’t help it. he was miserable without you, so much so that his friends were telling him to just ask you out. they told him that you definitely felt the same, so he took the leap. and thank god he did. you’re his first love, his everything.

[sylusjinwoon]

{ 155 }

follow you.

jinwoo sung x fem.reader

{ i will follow you way down wherever you may go | i'll follow you way down to your deepest low | i'll always be around wherever life takes you | you know i'll follow you... }

anonymous said: Is it possible to have a scenario with Jinwoo where f.reader is dealing with a co-worker in his 50s at work who makes her uncomfortable by making inappropriate remarks in his conversations with her and never respects her personal space, she isn't scared of him but he makes her anxious and nervous at his sight for 7 months straight...and she doesn't tell Jinwoo until he starts noticing that she spaces out more often lost in her thoughts. (Its a true event that happened to me at my work and I hope you can write a comforting scenario for it😮‍💨 also eager to see more of protective Jinwoo 😏)

lately, you found yourself dreading the thought of going to work.

you were a young woman who was a regular civilian in this world filled with hunters, gates, and monsters. ever since these strange gates began to appear all across the world, thousands of people awakened with this unique ability to combat against these threats-

your boyfriend being one of these well known hunters.

however, you were not one of those special humans that had awakened with these abilities.

which was why you worked a regular office job in the midst of the city. and your job was by no means too difficult-

however, there was just one tiny issue with your workplace-

and that came in the form of your highly persistent coworker.

he was a balding man that appeared to be in his mid-50s named ryung. the moment your assigned cubicle was directly next to him, the man made it his life's mission to constantly flirt with you. in between breaks, he would find you and proceed to talk to you, all while placing lingering touches against your arm or shoulder.

"you're so beautiful, hehe."

"you say you have a boyfriend, but i don't believe he's serious about you. hell, if i were 30 years younger, i would have snatched you up and put a ring on that pretty little finger of yours!"

"damn, your ass looks fine in that skirt..."

hearing such constant remarks was enough to make you shudder.

despite the many times you told him you had a boyfriend (that also worked as a powerful hunter!), the man refused to back off. and the fact that this had been going on for nearly 7 months now made it so much worse for you.

now, you were filled with anxiety when ryung casually saunters up to your cubicle. even during the times where you purposely ignored him, the man would simply proceed to linger outside of your cubicle, forcing you to listen to his heavy breathing and crazed mutterings, only walking away when the sounds of your other coworkers approaching forces him to make his retreat.

you thought about turning in your letter of resignation several times, but always decided against it, since this was a good job that paid well-

and you didn't want your boyfriend to do all the heavy lifting when it came to your shared finances.

being so caught up with your thoughts, you couldn't even touch the breakfast your boyfriend had made for you, making him frown in response. he calls out your name several times, but you remain completely unresponsive to him.

"sarang." he calls out your nickname while brushing the ice cold glass of orange juice against your cheek. the sudden, icy sensation felt against your skin successfully manages to break you out of your thoughts, forcing to face your boyfriend's concerned gaze.

"jinwoo... what is it?"

jinwoo sighs before running a hand through his hair, placing the glass of orange juice back on the table. "i was asking you if you were okay for several minutes now, and you just recently responded to me. is something bothering you? i noticed that you haven't been yourself lately... ever since you started your job at that company."

you shift around uncomfortably in your seat, feeling as though you were being interrogated by jinwoo.

"it's nothing, jin. just-"

"bullshit it's nothing."

jinwoo then casually sits back in his seat with his arms crossed, his voice coming out as strained as he was clearly trying to control his anger.

"has ryung been bothering you again?"

your mouth goes dry, meeting jinwoo's gaze with wide eyes.

"h-how did you know about that?"

a smirk paints his handsome features. "have you forgotten just who your lover is?"

ah, that's right... he was the shadow monarch. he probably placed a bunch of his soldiers within your shadow and saw what was going on through their eyes.

"i could always have bellion rip through him for you?" jinwoo asks you while letting out a series of rich chuckles, but you were only half-certain that he was simply joking.

"n-no, you don't need to go that far. ryung is harmless... but a nuisance."

jinwoo hums before gesturing at your plate of breakfast. "come on, go ahead and finish eating. i'm going to take you to work."

"oh, you don't need to, jinwoo-"

"sarang, please, i insist."

with his voice dripping with a saccharine sweetness, you could no longer deny him. letting out a sigh, you give him a nod before returning your attention back to the delicious breakfast jinwoo had prepared for you.

you spend the next thirty minutes making small talk with your boyfriend, setting up plans for the upcoming weekend while being filled with an eagerness for the end of the week. once you finished eating and jinwoo had washed all the plates did he grab his keys. smoothing out your blouse and skirt, you grab your own briefcase while walking out the door with jinwoo.

throughout the whole drive to your workplace, jinwoo holds on to your hand while keeping his other hand on the steering wheel. during every stop light, he brings the back of your hand up against his lips, giving it a sweet kiss while basking in your joyful giggles.

soon enough, jinwoo arrives and parks in front of your office building, unbuckling his seat belt before heading out to open the door for you. seeing him smiling down at you, you give him his hand and allow him to walk with you into the building.

upon entering your workplace, several people recognized jinwoo and immediately greet him (all while trying to hold back their awe). your boyfriend keeps his hand on yours, simply returning their greetings with a smile before escorting you to the elevators.

the ride to the twentieth floor was filled with eager giggles and soft kisses, and you quickly felt your anxieties melt away. a few seconds later, the elevator doors slide open as you and jinwoo walked into the floor where you usually worked.

but instead of allowing you to enter your cubicle, he places a hand behind your back, leading you directly towards ryung's office space.

as if sensing you, the older man looks away from his computer screen, raspy voice calling out your name in an almost possessive manner when he faces you-

only to let out a desperate gasp when jinwoo uses his powers to lift ryung off the ground.

"ack!"

"jinwoo!"

but jinwoo ignores your sudden cries of his name, eyes glowing a bright purple hue as he continues to lift ryung mid-air with his telekinesis. choked sounds were heard coming from the man, and your mind was spinning, becoming filled with a sudden panic-

you didn't want jinwoo to get in trouble because of this man!

"if you continue to flirt with my lover so shamelessly like that ever again, i'll kill you."

within seconds, jinwoo releases his invisible grip on ryung, causing the older man to land on his knees for him. he was coughing, with tears filling his vision as the fear was evident in his eyes. completely ignoring ryung, jinwoo turns his attention back to you all while giving you a sweet smile.

"come, i'll take you back to your cubicle, sarang."

you give jinwoo an exasperated sigh, running your hips against his all while whispering to him, "you're insane, using your powers on him like that...?!"

"so what? i put the fear of the shadow monarch into him. there's no way he would dare to flirt with you now."

as if on cue, you hear ryung let out a whimper while pretending to type something on his computer. you shake your head at jinwoo, but still accept his kiss when he leans down toward you.

only after he was satisfied with your kiss did jinwoo pull away from you. "call me when you're done with your shift, and i'll pick you up."

you give him one last nod, watching as jinwoo leaves your office before deciding to login to your own computer, ready to start your day with a confident smile on your face, secretly grateful for jinwoo's intervention as you were certain ryung would leave you alone now.

{ ... }

the next morning, when you came into work and saw that ryung's cubicle was completely emptied of his belongings, confirming your coworker's mention of his sudden resignation-

that was when you let out a relieved sigh while giggling slightly.

perhaps you would need to treat jinwoo to something nice after all.

a.n. - hhhhh more double updates because i love jinwoo soooo much! 😭

all stories are written by rei; reposts, translations, and plagiarism are not allowed.

[cityof2morrow]

OFB Props: Signs 001 Mix

Published: 7-14-2024 | Updated: N/A SUMMARY 100 posters, tags, and area signs to organize sale items on your commercial lots. Customize poster images, infographics, and barcodes/currency labels. Labels are color-coded in Simlish and English to make sorting objects easier: COOK (white label/for cookables, ingredients), DRINK (red label/ for edible beverages), EAT (pink label/for edible foods), GROW (green label/ for harvestables), HEAL (orange label/for functional medicines, motive boosters), CRAFT (brown label/for craftables, ingredients), STOCK (yellow label/for stockable foods, supplies), USE (blue label/for all other functional items), VIEW (gray label/for deco only items), and “other” (black and purple/barcode). These are general deco items, so you don’t have to sort by function/color unless you want to.

DETAILS Pets EP or higher. Cost: $3 | Environment: +1 | Buy > Deco > Wall Hangings/Sculptures (some signs don’t have to be placed on walls) You need my Poster Pack (Simmons, 2024) for all poster recolors. Sale Poster 7 (barcodes/currencies), and Ceiling Sign Info 4 (infographics) – are also REQUIRED. Recommended textures sizes for new recolors are 512x512 (poster graphics) and 512x128 (bar codes/currencies, infographics). Simlish text is ideal since images may be reversed on the back side of some objects, or slightly stretched. *Thumbnails for the BACK side of the posters may not generate accurately in the catalog (default game quirk). Make sure you can see the back side onscreen when recoloring. Finally, you’ll likely need “moveobjects on/off” and “snaptogrid on/off” cheats when placing some items.

ITEMS 11 ceiling signs (160-440 poly, poster images on signs 1-6 appear on back side). 11 standing signs (188-440 poly) 3 curved standing signs (548 poly) 10 wall signs (220-224 poly) 5 curved wall signs (874-876 poly) 3 curved/winged signs (1072 poly) 7 hanging signs (269 poly) 6 Instore Mini Billboards (4t2 conversion by NekoSayuri, 2018; EA; 116 poly) 5 Lil’ Business Chalkboards (4t2 conversion by itsnotdissimilar, 2016; EA; 128 poly) 7 framed posters (64 poly) 5 unframed posters (12 poly) 4 taped, unframed posters (108 poly) 3 unframed, wrinkled posters (18 poly) 3 wrinkled tags (34 poly) 3 smooth tags (155 poly, poster images appear reversed on back side) 3 info/barcode tags (4-60 poly) 6 easel signs (512 poly) 6 sales card on stands (card mesh by Cathee, 2008; 40 poly).

DOWNLOAD (choose one) from SFS | from MEGA *collection file included

COMPATIBILITY I recommend using Shift Everything (Lamare, 2022) or Object Freedom 1.02 (Fway, 2023) to enable floor-to-ceiling shiftability for all objects. This will also minimize shadow issues when shifting the signs. Some signs show a small gap between the frame and poster when viewed at close range. CREDITS Thanks: Sim Crafters, ChocolateCitySim. Sources: Beyno (Korn via BBFonts), EA/Maxis, Offuturistic Infographic (Freepik), Fonts (Gazifu, 2013; Ajaysims), Sims 3 (EA, 2009; 2012), Sims 4 (EA, 2014; 2020), Sims Mobile (EA, 2018), Supermarket Aisle Signs (Rockethorse, 2014), Synapticsims, Vector_Corp.

[leveloneandup]

USWNT great Tobin Heath not ruling out return after 2 years out

U.S. women's national team great Tobin Heath said she is not ruling out a return to the field almost two years after she last played a competitive game.

Heath, 36, has a cartilage issue that has required two surgeries since her last appearance with the Seattle Reign in 2022. The last of her 181 outings with the USWNT came in October 2021.

"I haven't been public about it, but I can say that I have been actively healing and trying to get back to the football pitch," she told The Associated Press. "I haven't ruled it out, to say the least. But I am definitely in my own recovery journey."

Heath, widely regarded as one of the most gifted players of her generation, scored 36 goals and added 41 assists for the USWNT after making her debut in 2008. She was a part of the World Cup-winning rosters in 2015 and 2019, scoring in the 2015 final win over Japan. Heath also helped the U.S. win Olympic gold in 2008 and 2012.

In her time away from the field, Heath launched a podcast series with former USWNT teammate and fellow long-term injury victim Christen Press.

Press hasn't played since tearing her ACL with Angel City in 2022 and subsequently undergoing four surgeries.

The 35-year-old, who has played in 155 matches with 64 goals for the United States, returned to training with Angel City this month two years to the day since her last game.

Neither player will be involved when the U.S. looks to win another Olympic gold in Paris this summer, though Heath said she was looking forward to seeing what the United States can accomplish under new coach Emma Hayes.

"I think for the first time in in a few years, there's a lot of excitement and hope around this team that felt a little bit like they were a little untethered, you know? I think with Emma being this kind of leader figure that this young group needs, it's an exciting time and we can all be very hopeful," Heath said.

"And with an Olympics, that is always a funny tournament in itself, I think anything's possible."

[aihoshiino]

chapter 155 thoughts

Thanks for your patience! I had some stuff crop up IRL this week that kept getting in the way of my chapter review but we're so oshi no back

Chapters Since The 143 Kiss Happened And Went Entirely Unacknowledged And Unaddressed Count: 12

Aqua Hoshigan Status: White

i can't believe toxic yuri was the real core theme of this manga all along

With the long road to revenge seemingly conquered, Oshi no Ko eases us into a bit of a false high before the real finale comes barrelling in. As with 152, it feels like we're tying off a number of arcs that have lasted through the series, with certain characters getting what is clearly supposed to be their big emotional resolutions… and unfortunately, as with 153-4, while a lot of these beats are satisfying on paper, they suffer a lack of buildup that makes them ring a bit hollow. OnK's clumsy handling of certain characters during the Movie Arc has really come back to bite it during the finale, leaving me feeling like a lot of the emotional payoffs for them are undercut and the character work they're doing doesn't have the groundwork it needs to properly resonate. I defo didn't hate this chapter like some folks seemed to, but it has some pretty substantial issues in terms of micro and macro storytelling I am compelled to talk about. This is one of those chapter reviews I think comes across way more negative than it necessarily is lol but man did this one give me a headache…

To start things off, the thing that initially delayed this review: page fucking one!!! By total coincidence, this was the first chapter in basically forever where I didn't get a chance to look at the JP raws until like two days after it dropped and as such I was ripping my hair out trying to figure out who the narrator was on page one - the use of 'Mama' made me wonder if it was Ruby, but the visual flow of the page is much more biased in favor of Aqua and I probably don't need to tell you how fucking huge it would be for Aqua to have called Ai that for the first time!!! However, based on the speech patterns of the speaker in Japanese and the way subsequent pages flow from this intro, I'm pretty settled on it being Ruby - this chapter is a sort of closing of the book on her involvement in the revenge play or as my friend Mala put it, it's Ruby's homecoming so to speak. And like… honestly, thank god lol.

I get a lot of Ruby fans have wanted her to be more involved in this side of the story for a good while but I think the Black Hoshigan Ruby arc playing out like it did made it pretty clear that Ruby as a character is not super well suited to playing a role in the revenge half of OnK in the way that Akasaka wants it to be written. Not just that, but her actual post-BH characterization in relation to this arc has been such a wet fart that I really think it has taken away a lot more than it has added to her arc.

Not only that but… most of it didn't even happen onscreen lol! Not only did we get that absolutely baffling speech in 147 where she literally looked into the camera and Explained With Her Words the character arc she was supposedly having this whole time (just offscreen and nowhere the reader could see) but we now get Aqua going "well ruby decided to forgive him so it is what it is i guess". It feels so limp as a reason for him to have flipped on a dime like he did, especially when we still haven't fucking seen this supposedly lifechanging performance of Ruby's!!!! SO many characters have the resolutions to their Ai-adjacent arcs connected to how Ruby chose to play Ai in the movie but we're not actually seeing it. We're just sort of talking around it and having it exposited to us. I want to assume this is setup for us eventually seeing it ourselves but like… at this point, IS there any point to us revisiting the movie's content? Everything we might have learned from it has already been addressed by characters Telling Us To Our Faces How It Made Them Feel And Gave Them Therapy so it would ultimately be superfluous.

God. I hate still bitching about the Movie Arc now we're out of it, but it really is the albatross around the neck of this finale. So many of the issues littered through these last ten or so chapters are the result of the Movie Arc's fumbling and misuse of the cast and its failure to establish the emotional throughlines that should have been tied off by these chapters. I keep feeling like I'm repeating myself when I talk about XYZ Narrative Beat not being bad on paper but being less effective than it should do because of lacking underlying foundation but it really is the one central thing plaguing this arc right now.

i get what you guys are going for but. seeing aqua just let kamiki walk away when he has definitely killed people is really funny.

The twins' return to Miyako is another moment that I like in theory but honestly just feels frustrating. It's been over 25 chapters - a week short of an entire year since 125 came out where Miyako lamented her inability to reach the twins like a 'real' mother would and this thread was immediately dropped like a rock. She had zero involvement in the Movie Arc even during parts it was straight up absurd that she was not at least reacting to the events going on, didn't have any reaction to the movie or like… anything going on that could have more organically lead to this development.

I also have to say. The twins returning to Miyako performing this Snapshot of Aesthetic Motherhood (as u/DeliSoupItExplodes on the OnK sub put it) felt kind of. Weird and even a little icky to me in a way I've been struggling to articulate. Just that it felt extremely on the nose and kind of. eeeh.

that said. i won't pretend i'm not 4x critically weak to an 'okaeri' / 'tadaima' exchange at the end of a long quest or journey…

For all my complaints about the surrounding context, this scene in isolation is pretty much the one part of this chapter that just uncritically works. It's hard not to read it as a parallel to Miyako offering to adopt the kids in chapter 10 - except there, Aqua refuses to step into his new family. Here, Miyako pulls him into the embrace and the two of them finally engage not as peers but as a mother and son, as they've needed to do all this time. Her words here are so lovely and so, so sincere that it's really no wonder Aqua breaks down in tears. As much as I've bitched about the lacking work in his arc across the last major chunk of chapters, it's nevertheless been incredibly cathartic to see Aqua finally start letting down his walls, believing in his future and letting people love him. I just wish it had the buildup to really land.

also the twins just… still have not had a real conversation or interaction about literally anything lol.

Ichigo's back…! I already aired my major complaint about this scene vis-a-vis Ruby but I imagine this is the last time we're going to get a real Moment with Ichigo so I might as well get this off my chest now: it was and continues to be utterly bonkers to me that of the characters we saw having Feelings about the 15 Year Lie cast screening, Ichigo was not one of them. And it's even more bonkers that we got this whole bit waxing poetic about fucking Kaburagi and how he feels soooo bad about Ai when like… I'm sorry, but Kaburagi's feelings about Ai are so low on my list of priorities as to be functionally irrelevant. Quite frankly, he does not matter and it's INSANE that the story gave this misty-eyed moment to him and not Ichigo - you know, the agent of the industry that went on to exploit and kill her, her literal, actual dad whose guilt over what happened to her made him ghost his family for nearly twenty years? Can you imagine what an insanely powerful moment of resolution it would've been for that moment of Kaburagi addressing Ai through the 15YL poster to have gone to Ichigo instead?

I also have to note this weird ongoing thread of 'the Dome' being framed as Ai's dream that Ruby is inheriting when it, uh, patently was not! I'm sure she felt some pride in her success but all she herself said on the matter back when it came up was that she didn't get what a big deal it was but that since everyone else was happy, she'd be happy too. I initially took this to be laying the groundwork to disprove this idea and make the characters work out what Ai really wanted in her heart of hearts but now the narrative seems to just be uncritically treating this as a value neutral fact. So… who even knows lol.

Short hair Akane returns…! I don't imagine it was planned, but it's a cute coincidence that she cut her hair in the manga right around the time anime Akane grew hers out for season 2. I've always liked short hair Akane best so this was a nice surprise…

I have to say it was uh, really funny to see so many people get so shocked and mad when Akane talked about 'imitating Hoshino Ai' and screaming that this was a retcon or ruining Akane's character when like… was this really news to you guys??? Even before she grew her hair out, she flipped her bangs to go in the same direction as Ai's as soon as she started acting as her and she was popping hoshigans all over the place when she was getting her career off the ground… like, seriously, was this really a shock to people???

Anyway uh. Vindication for me from this scene!!! I've been pointing out for over a year now that we should be very cautious about taking it at face value that Hikaru killed Gorou and Yura because the story has been very delicately implying that to be the case while avoiding confirming it outright in a way that reeked of a red herring to me. That combined with his failure to even mention these two victims while 'fessing up to Aqua really raised some additional red flags for me and finally, we see Aqua confirming that no, Hikaru was not the one person behind everything, Light Yagami style and the final boss of the series seems set to be B-Komachi's former Queen of Smiles. Fuyuko Niino.

And Iiiiiiiii… feel very uneasy about this twist!

First of all; I have to acknowledge that nope, we have no fuckin clue how either Aqua or Akane figured this out but we'll probably get the exposition in that regard over and done with next chapter. Also something a lot of people caught is that Ryosuke is referred to with a different name here - Sugano vs Kaihara, which was used during the Movie Arc. I've heard this called out as a mistake/retcon and it could be, but tbh I'm inclined to think it's just that Ryosuke's name was changed for the movie, since a point is made about needing everyone's permission to include them in the movie and they, uh… can't exactly ask Ryosuke!

But… back to the real point here.

Nino has been one of my favourite OnK characters since I first read 45510 and every subsequent expansion on her character and her relationship with Ai has only made me more invested in her. But the story setting her up as the final villain here is… it leaves me feeling a little cold and very uncertain about how it'll go.

First off, the framing of Nino on these last two pages is just so overwrought that it's a little ridiculous lol. The image of her squatting in her filthy room, listening to old B-Komachi tracks and staring at a poster of the old group with all the other members but her and Ai aggressively scribbled out… it feels downright parodic to an extent that I think honestly makes Nino that much less nuanced and human by its inclusion alone.

Like… a big part of what I loved about Nino's inclusion in the story and how her relationship with Ai was framed was that it was messy and honest in a way that felt like it wasn't judging Nino herself or making her out to be a villain. Her and Ai's relationship breakdown was a two-sided failure of communication spurred on in large part by Ai's own avoidance and inability to have frank, sincere discussions with the people who cared about her. Nino's tangled up feelings of admiration and desire, envy and resentment, love and hate were not flattering but they felt so real and so human. She was a young girl put into an impossible situation and without the power to change the invisible dynamics of the systems around her, she lashed out at the person in front of her that she could see. The impression I always got was that part of what so deeply fucked up her feelings about Ai was her lack of closure - that she had never gotten to say sorry or patch things up. That she had screamed I wish you'd die at someone she loved and then she fucking died. No wonder she was a mess.

All this though… maybe I'm overreacting when we're just a page and a half into this reveal but again, the framing here really does feel so exaggerated and shallow. It feels like it's falling into the trap OnK previously fell into with the GRSR relationship where it attempts to amp up the drama by massively overexagerrating the emotions at play, blowing them up to their hugest possible extreme and letting all nuance and subtlety get lost in the noise. Ultimately, this will all come down to execution and while it's possible for AkaMengo to get us back on track with the Nino I already liked… idk. Like I said. I'm uneasy.

I also can't let it go unsaid - accidentally or otherwise, the framing of Nino here leans extremely hard into the stereotype of the 'psycho'/predatory lesbian and I don't think I need to explain why that sucks donkey nuts, especially in the midst of a manga that is so insufferably hetero at all other times.

at least she has good taste in b-komachi tracks.

[spacetess11]

Bizarre things at dinner

Backstory time: Venom's look back at past hosts and how he met Eddie

Venom 2016 #155

This issue was very cute. It's great to see Eddie call Venom “My Love” or “Dear”. More comics like this one please!!

[thequiver]

Who is...Theresa Cassidy | Siryn? - A Reading Guide

Theresa "Terry" Cassidy is an X-Men affiliated mutant from Marvel Comics first introduced in 1980. Terry is the daughter of Sean Cassidy (Banshee) and was raised by Tom Cassidy (Black Tom Cassidy) and Cain Marko (Juggernaut). She possesses her father's super-sonic scream and a hypnotic voice. Terry is most known for her affiliation with teams like X-Force and X-Factor, and having taken on the mantle of the ancient goddess, the Morrigan, in the 2010s.

Terry's central story deals with topics that may be triggering such as alcoholism, infant death (X-Factor 2005), and suicide (X-Factor 2020). These are all central themes to her story across the years, if you struggle with triggers related to these topics please proceed with caution and make sure to take care of yourself.

Reading list under the cut!

Crime and Muir Island

Terry's appearances open with her as a criminal alongside Black Tom Cassidy and the Juggernaut. Her heart, however, was not in it, and Tom helped her to reunite with her father, Sean, and Terry then split her time between her father's home and the Muir Island Mutant Research Facility.

Spider-Woman (1978) #37-38 Uncanny X-Men (1981) #148 Fallen Angels (1987) #1-8 Marvel Comics Presents (1988) #43D Uncanny X-Men Annual (1986) #15A X-Factor (1986) # Annual 6A Uncanny X-Men (1981) #278 X-Factor (1986) #69 Uncanny X-Men (1981) #280

X-Force

Terry initially joined X-Force to stop her former father-figures, Tom and Cain, from bombing the World Trade Center but stayed with the team for its entire duration. While on the team Terry would become deputy leader, and with the help of Warpath would recover from alcoholism. Towards the end of the team's tenure Terry lost her voice and subsequently her powers- and would regain her voice/powers (bad), lose them again, and then regain her voice/powers again (good) with the help of her recurring romantic mistake, Deadpool.

X-Force (1991) #3 Spider-Man (1990) #16 X-Force (1991) #4-7, 9, 11-15 X-Cutioner’s Song X-Force (1991) #19, 21-26, Annual 2, 27-28 Cable (1993) #5, 7-8 X-Force (1991) #29-33 New Warriors (1990) #46 X-Force (1991) #34, Annual 3B Cable (1993) #14 X-Force (1991) #35-36, 38-41 Deadpool (1994) #1-4 X-Force (1991) #42-44, 46-50 X-Force and Cable '95 (1995) #1A X-Force (1991) #51-58 X-Force and Cable '96 (1996) #1A X-Force (1991) #59-61 Deadpool (1997) #2-5 X-Force (1991) #63-71 Deadpool (1997) #12 X-Force (1991) #72-84 Generation X (1994) #44 X-Force/Champions Annual '98 (1998) #1 X-Force (1991) #85-91, 99-100 Wolverine (1988) #154-155 Deadpool (1997) #56, 61

X-Corps and X-Corporation

Despite what the name might suggest, these are in fact different things. Terry's father, Sean, formed the paramilitary X-Corps, which was frankly a disaster that had to be reigned in by the X-Men, leaving Sean wounded. Terry joined X-Corporation, a secret branch of the X-Men who operated internationally.

New X-Men (2001) #128, 130 Domino (2003) #3 (just at the beginning) Cable and Deadpool (2004) #15-18 X-Men: Deadly Genesis (2006) #6 (Sean is buried in this issue and Terry is present for the funeral in one panel at the end, important for her character)

X-Factor Investigations

Following the events of M-Day, Terry would join X-Factor Investigations and restart her relationship with Jamie Madrox that had first started back on Muir Island. During this period of time, Terry and Jamie lose their baby, and Terry will come to take on the mantle of the Morrigan.

X-Factor (2005) #1-19, 21A-39, 41-44, 46-50 Nation X: X-Factor (2010) #1 X-Factor (2005) #200, 205-209, 211-213, 217-219, 221-224-228, 230, 233-235, 237-239, 241, 243-244, 262

Krakoa

After disappearing from comics for around 6-7 years following becoming an ancient Irish sovereignty, war, and death deity- Terry, like many mutants, came back on the mutant island nation of Krakoa. Things were not quite paradise here for her courtesy of some things with her dad (not his fault this time)- and also Leah Williams' complete bastardization of the Morrigan arc (in X-Factor 2020) which was literally Terry's last appearances, how fucking hard is it to read like 5 issues of comics Leah? How fucking hard could it possibly be? Terry has less than 300 appearances, get it together.

House of X (2019) #6 Hellions (2020) #1 X of Swords: Creation (2020) #1 X-Factor (2020) #4-10 (THIS IS LEAH WILLIAMS' AWFUL MORRIGAN ARC, BUT IT HAS TERRYLORNA CRUMBS AND REMEMBERS THAT SHATTERSTAR AND TERRY ARE CLOSE WHICH IS THE ONLY REASON IT'S EVEN READABLE) X-Men Unlimited Infinity Comic (2021) #26 X-Men: Hellfire Gala Confessionals Infinity Comic (2022) #1 X-Men Unlimited Infinity Comic (2021) #50-55

After the Fall

Krakoa fell apart (as all things run by Charles Xavier do), and things are ROUGH for mutants now. We find Terry now imprisoned by the anti-mutant terrorist organization, Orchis, in the Greymalkin Prison.

Free Comic Book Day 2024 Blood Hunt/X-Men

EXTRA:

Wolverine: First Class (2008) #6, 16 (there's no clear place for these in continuity OR in Terry's established backstory, but it's cute and supposedly 616 so it's here)

[zahri-melitor]

Newish Comics (1 January 2025)

Apologies for lateness but I started the year visiting people and only got home today.

Absolute Superman #2: oh I see we're going for the generative AI dig.

Otherwise, Earth here remains a crapsack world and I think Lazarus is horribly heavy handed, but I'm definitely hanging in here to see all the historic Krypton stuff (and Lois getting absolutely compelled).

Action Comics #1078: in the Clark story, now Kandor is mad at Clark for his plan!

In the Kara one which I am still enjoying more, Kara's hallucinating Kara Zor-L which I am certain will not cause any issues at all ever. Also she's crashlanded on Dagobah and is about to enter the cave that gives you nightmares. (Look, I am enjoying the fun Tamaki is having here, but the second half of the story was CLEARLY 'time for a Star Wars homage' to my eye)

Batgirl #2: this is good, though part of me during the line "As a mother, I remind you that we are our daughter's first teachers" is wincing because a line like that in a Cass book needs a proper payoff that Shiva was NEVER one of Cass' early teachers and her first teacher was David.

Batman #155: oh looks like we are on the bad decision rota! (Also we are playing Officer Down echoes here among others, which makes Bullock being lead investigator here hmmm just a LITTLE weird)

Birds of Prey #16: and we finally reveal why Thompson tanked out this lineup so hard.

Also Cass' innate kindness and the scene removing the collar with a brick reminded me instantly of Cass running with wolves.

Shazam! #16: MONSTER SOCIETY OF EVIL OH YEAH!

Love that Campbell's picking back up on the Mary v Georgia plotline fron New Champion, love even more that Billy's still interrogating his connection to the Captain and loss, love that Freddy's fighting against Mr Mind, and I can't believe we're getting this storyline interrupted for a boring looking fill issue [Amendment: apparently the fill is for maternity leave, which, now I’m just mad at America again. ONE MONTH?]

Two-Face #1: oooh this is as good as the preview promised, though I have to say, I NEED someone to put "Fear the Reaper!" into this! You can't use him, Christian Ward, and not use his catchphrase!

The Warlord #79: This week the Warlord comes with a poster of the NTT by George Perez! (it has not been included in the scan)

Also this week's fun addition to the pile of conspiracy theories that revolves around this title is the USS Eldridge turning invisible during WWII (which is apparently a conspiracy known as the 'Philadelphia Experiment' rather than something made up for the title, if like me you are not very up on WWII US conspiracy theories).

Also Jennifer FINALLY reappears. She's on her way to Shamballah and knocks out some slavers on the way.

Travis is busy bouncing around the timestream after activating the UFO, where he comes across himself from another time in his history, the USS Eldridge (the experiments on which apparently caused all the timestream problems), and a secret US military base in a hollowed out mountain in Utah where time is passing far slower than time in the rest of the world.

[flashfuture]

[Last time on Kyle Rayner's relationship with sexuality] and humanity we saw Kyle Rayner's teenage assistant/friend Terry Berg brutally injured in a gay bashing. He might never wake up. Kyle caught the people who did it. But he's not settled yet. So let's finish this

Green Lantern vol 3 #155 released in 2002

This issue begins with John Stewart arriving after Kyle called him. And then Kyle leaves to go handle something.

What Kyle was doing was begging Wally to go back in time and let him save Terry. Wally said no. Kyle freaks on him about them doing it for no other reason than him being gay. Then Bruce shows up and is all "we all want one day back"

Kyle accuses Bruce of forgetting how to be a person. Because Bruce is comparing what I assume is Jason's death to Kyle about to lose his friend. But the context here isn't the same as Bruce losing a family member because the story here isn't About Terry in a narrative sense but about Kyle's perception of bigotry specifically in regards to sexuality in this case and how he feels about it.

So then Kyle goes into Space to punch rocks and Spectre Hal comes to meet him. And discusses with him what Kyle could have done the things he has done. And Kyle acknowledges how many people he's helped but he's really stuck on Terry's life as his failure. To which Spectre Hal is like bro stop punching rocks and go home good news awaits.

And Kyle is overjoyed about it. He sits down and speaks to Terry who has woken up but his memories are pretty hazy his skull was very damaged. Terry can't actually speak but write. And seeing Terry crying on the bed it just breaks Kyle in half

"I can't help these people now. I don't want to. Earth will have to get by without me."

"I know that there are millions of cultures out in the vastness of the universe that make the brutality we experience or propagate on Earth seem tame. But those cultures aren't my own. Maybe it's shame. Maybe it's anger. I can't tell you for sure."

And so Kyle writes a letter to John Stewart and leaves him a power ring to protect Earth with. Kyle abandons Earth because he couldn't handle the idea of protecting people who would do something like a gay bashing. That's so deeply personal. It is insane they have never elaborated on how Queer of a story this is. Not just in a bringing attention to gay rights but in an exploration of who Kyle is as a person.

When I read this story years ago I said yeah he cares a lot about Terry which is absolutely true Kyle adored that kid. But I compared it a lot to the 90s Hate Crime arc (yes there are two hate crime arcs) where it was about race and in that instance, Kyle could only be an observer as he worked with Connor Hawke who was actually facing racism but it was mainly about the larger context of racism and how rich people exploit it. This version of hate crime is so much more personal to Kyle himself. He decides he literally can't live on Earth where his people are so filled with hatred he just can't

[dyspunktional-leviathan]

The plaintext version of this post is below the second underscore divider.

_

Let’s bring back staves as mobility aids.

I’d been a cane user (mainly for chronic leg pain) with a certain need for more support and with shoulder issues. Ideally I’ve dreamt of a powerchair, but while I can’t have that I’d been planning to get forearm crutches.

Then I began making a staff for cosplay, and found out that it is actually much better for me than a cane.

I am still planning to try forearm crutches, but it’s in less priority for me now.

The staff both gives me more support than the cane and puts much less pressure on my shoulders.

I wish I could use it outside of home too. Perhaps I will once it’s fully done, of course ideally I should not care about people’s reactions to me carrying a bigger stick than is conventional but, yeah.

Characteristics:

My staff’s base is a metal pipe, wrapped in some kind of plastic, from a drape runner. It’s 25 mm in diameter and 180 cm in height. A cane tip is pushed into the bottom. (Later it will be decorated: a foam clay dragon claw at the top holding a ball with an LED light, and painted)

I am 155 cm tall. I am most comfortable holding it on the height around the shoulder level. Sometimes I hold it with both hands. I am uncomfortable holding it at around waist level.

_

Let’s bring back staves as mobility aids.

I’d been a cane user (mainly for chronic leg pain) with a certain need for more support and with shoulder issues. Ideally I’ve dreamt of a powerchair, but while I can’t have that I’d been planning to get forearm crutches.

Then I began making a staff for cosplay, and found out that it is actually much better for me than a cane.

I am still planning to try forearm crutches, but it’s in less priority for me now.

The staff both gives me more support than the cane and puts *much* less pressure on my shoulders.

I wish I could use it outside of home too. Perhaps I will once it’s fully done, of course ideally I should not care about people’s reactions to me carrying a bigger stick than is conventional but, yeah.

Characteristics:

My staff’s base is a metal pipe from a drape runner, wrapped in some kind of plastic. It’s 25 mm in diameter and 180 cm in height. A cane tip is pushed into the bottom. (Later it will be decorated: a foam clay dragon claw at the top holding a ball with an LED light, and painted)

I am 155 cm tall. I am most comfortable holding it on the height around the shoulder level. Sometimes I hold it with both hands. I am uncomfortable holding it at around waist level.

[ufonaut]

for the past four years i've posted on here an end-of-the-year list entitled 'comix of the year' (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023) and though i've read 136 completed series this year and 610 completed series over all, i'm going to skip it this year in favor of a broader look at my year.

the fact of the matter is that the quality of current comics has gone down in what i believe to be a genuinely unprecedented way. even at the height of the comics code, even in the gritty early 2000s you'd still find the occasional gem but dc comics is currently publishing a harley quinn fart comic so prospects are grim and i think it's a little hard not to be disheartened by atrocities like what the 'new golden age' line ended up being and some such events. you can still find my published work over at the back issue! magazine talking about the obscure corners of this wonderful medium (check out my latest article in #155 with many more on the way, including january's keith giffen tribute) and you can also occasionally find me rambling over on substack but other ways of engaging with the present state of modern comics are getting to be bad for the heart.

on the other hand, i've had by far the best year of my life. that's entirely because it's been a year spent with my girlfriend/love of my life/my favorite artist @redstoneofaja and the creative endeavors we've undertaken together are by far my proudest accomplishment -- i never thought i could ever participate in the making of a comic but we've made several based around richard stark's parker, and we've even collected them in a free-to-read zine over on issu! i've been writing more than ever, reading more than ever, watching more movies than i have in years and these rediscovered passions has everything to do with having the best partner (creative & otherwise, everywhere!) i could ever ask for.

but in terms of the art i've engaged with, here's some of this year's favorites in no particular order:

comics it's been a year of crime comics, with very few exceptions here and there. state of the industry aside, what's been mentioned here is all stuff i'd consider an absolute all-timer by now.

road to perdition (1998)

gotham central (2003)

bad weekend (2019)

creepy presents alex toth (2015)

asterios polyp (2009)

from hell (1991)

angel love (1986)

100 bullets (1999)

sin city: the hard goodbye (1992) + sin city: family values (1997)

dead eyes (2019)

the deviant (2023)

books i've spent the year making my way through donald westlake's bibliography and better fiction books i have not read. life changing doesn't even begin to cover it!

butcher's moon (1974) - richard stark

the dame (1968) - richard stark

a jade in aries (1969) - tucker coe

memory (1963) - donald westlake

films a more eclectic mix, with a particular fondness for '50s cinema as per usual.

the big knife (1955)

joker: folie a deux (2024)

attack (1956)

occult (2009)

in & out (1997)

dick tracy (1990)

it came from outer space (1953)

requiem for a heavyweight (1956)

[gorogues]

Spoilers for comics in January 2025!

You can see them in full at Adventures In Poor Taste.

It's mostly just reprints for that month, but here's the Flash solicit now that we know Marco will be in the upcoming Skartaris storyline. Strangely, no cover is provided.

THE FLASH #17 Written by SIMON SPURRIER Art by VASCO GEORGIEV Cover by MIKE DEL MUNDO Variant covers by DIKE RUAN and BALDEMAR RIVAS $3.99 US | 32 pages | Variant $4.99 US (card stock) ON SALE 1/22/25 As The Flash races to contain damage to Skartaris, forces both below and above ground make their move to grasp power. The Flash Family vacation leads the West clan to meet the one and only Warlord!

This next book is obviously a collection with tons of Digger, so fans of his might want to pick it up!

DC FINEST: SUICIDE SQUAD: TRIAL BY FIRE Written by JOHN OSTRANDER Art by LUKE McDONNELL, JOHN BYRNE, JOE BROZOWSKI, and more Cover by LUKE McDONNELL and KARL KESEL $39.99 US | 560 pages | 6 5/8″ x 10 3/16″ | Softcover | ISBN: 978-1-77950-075-9 ON SALE 3/11/25 Task Force X was created in World War II to neutralize metahuman and supernatural threats. Over time, the roster was updated to include incarcerated supervillains who could reduce their prison sentences if they went on dangerous assignments that were deemed suicide missions. Thus, Task Force X earned a new nickname: the Suicide Squad! This first collection of John Ostrander and Luke McDonnell’s classic run includes stories from Suicide Squad #1-10, Secret Origins #14, Detective Comics #582, The Fury of Firestorm #62-64, Firestorm: The Nuclear Man Annual #5, Legends #1-6, and Millennium #4.

This next trade should include a couple of stories with Rogues, since Kadabra appears in a couple of these stories, and some other Rogues appear a bit too.

LIMITED COLLECTORS’ EDITION #48 FACSIMILIE EDITION Written by E. NELSON BRIDWELL and JIM SHOOTER Art by CURT SWAN, ROSS ANDRU, NEAL ADAMS, CARMINE INFANTINO, GEORGE KLEIN, and DICK GIORDANO Cover by CARMINE INFANTINO, JOSÉ LUIS GARCÍA-LÓPEZ, and BOB OKSNER $14.99 US | 56 pages ON SALE 1/22/25 The greatest races of all time between Superman and the Flash are reproduced in this tabloid-size facsimile of the 1976 Limited Collectors’ Edition classic. In addition to tales of super-speed, this issue includes bonus features like a tour of Superman’s Fortress of Solitude drawn by Neal Adams and “How to Draw the Flash!” by Carmine Infantino. Test your knowledge with a Flash puzzle and be sure to buy a second copy to cut out the tabletop diorama on the back cover.

The next trade has a Bronze Age Eobard story in it (the one in which he gets salty about being called the Reverse Flash).

DC FINEST: TEAM-UPS: CHASE TO THE END OF TIME Written by MARTIN PASKO, DAVID MICHELINIE, LEN WEIN, and more Art by JOSÉ LUIS GARCÍA-LÓPEZ, MURPHY ANDERSON, CURT SWAN, and more Cover by JOSÉ LUIS GARCÍA-LÓPEZ and DAN ADKINS $39.99 US | 560 pages | 6 5/8″ x 10 3/16″ | Softcover | ISBN: 978-1-77950-082-7 ON SALE 3/18/25 The Man of Steel and the Flash! The Caped Crusader and Black Canary! See the World’s Finest duo of Superman and Batman join forces with other DC superheroes in DC Finest: Team-Ups: Chase to the End of Time, collecting some of the most exciting team-up stories from the Bronze Age of comics from May 1978 to October 1979. Featuring the works of some of the greatest artists and writers in comics, this volume contains stories from DC Comics Presents #1-14 and The Brave and the Bold #141-155.

[boinin]

Do you have any kunigami headcanons?

Hey! Thanks for the ask.

I'm one of those people that scours through canon for blorbo details to build on and develop in the fanfiction I write. So I actually don't have a huge amount of standalone headcanons for the individual characters? Beyond things like how they'd act in relationships, what they might do in the future, etc. That said, I have enough Kunigami thoughts to write a couple novels, so here goes. These are just general beliefs that could apply to Kunigami, personal to my interpretation of his character:

Kunigami is bisexual, but probably not aware of this while in Blue Lock. He finds it hard to differentiate between physical attraction and admiration when it comes to dudes. Chigiri and Barou particularly confuse him for this reason. Classic do I want to be them or be with them dilemma.

He's generally hopeless with matters of the heart. He's oblivious to peoples' crushes on him, male or female. He's turned a bunch of confessions down on the basis that he's too busy to date (aside from lack of interest). In true sports anime fashion, he has a one-track mind... it's all football under that orange cloud of hair.

Speaking of, he's considered shaving all his hair off to avoid sweat dripping into his eyes. His sisters talked him out of it—mostly because him being bald horrified them, but they used the excuse that with no hair to soak into, he'd have more sweat dripping onto his face, not less. His elder sister introduced him to the concept of an undercut while in middle school, which he's been rocking ever since.

If Isagi's team had chosen Reo after winning the 3v3, Kunigami and Chigiri together would have beaten Shidou and Igaguri without issue. Chigiri would have lifted Kunigami's spirits and deflected Shidou's taunts, helping turn things around. They'd steal Shidou despite Kunigami's serious misgivings about playing with him, then sail through to the third selection. Kunigami and Shidou don't get on during this process, but they do develop a begrudging respect. Shidou can't beat Kunigami in a fist fight, and Kunigami will acknowledge that Shidou is a phenomenal player.

The last few speculate about Kunigami having a mental health condition so I've tagged this for that and put the headcanons under a cut in case anyone isn't into reading those sort of takes about a blorbo. Also: post-s2 anime/chp 155+ manga spoilers below in case that's a problem.

At the time of Blue Lock, Kunigami has symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). It's one reason he's so dedicated to fitness and high performance. He experiences anxiety when he cannot complete his pre-decided training due to intrusive thoughts of something bad happening. While this was also the case for him before Blue Lock, it's really exacerbated by the dangling fear of getting kicked out and never getting to represent Japan nationally.

Him winning Wild Card is a by-product of his OCD traits in addition to his existing similarity to Noel Noa. Having confronted the reality of leaving Blue Lock post-2V2 loss, Kunigami saw the Wild Card as a second chance. Already used to pushing himself through punishing workouts, he performs better than his fellow WC peers.

It still does serious damage to his mental health, as the whole process validates the intrusive thoughts he'd previously been able to categorise as irrational. Now he could think, finish the next 20 reps or you'll get kicked out, without being able to contradict himself. Players are getting kicked out around him for not following Ego's insane training regimens.

Ego preys on Kunigami's thought patterns to reinforce the idea that he must forfeit his existing identity to assume Noel Noa's mindset. Kunigami internalises this so well, it extends beyond his footballing and training to his whole personality. Now, post WC, he refuses to even engage with his friends the way he used to, because something at the back of his mind will say, the old you wasn't enough, or, everything you went through will be for nothing if you go back to your old ways now.

This isn't how I characterise Kunigami in all the things I write—it's really just a stream of thought about why he's so dedicated to fitness and how he was able to succeed in Wild Card (at personal cost).