#best comic books in USA

[icreativewriter]

Exclusive Marvel Collectibles for the Ultimate Fan

Are you a devoted Marvel enthusiast, constantly looking for the following exclusive piece to elevate your collection? Look no further! Within the expansive universe of Marvel collectibles lies a treasure trove of rare finds and classic comics waiting to be discovered. Whether you're a seasoned collector or just beginning your journey, this comprehensive guide will unveil some of the most sought-after Marvel collectibles that will make your collection extraordinary.

The Marvel Collectibles Marvel Comics Fans Can't Resist

1. Limited Edition Marvel Comic Books

The Marvel comic books are the backbone of any proper collection. But we're not just talking about any comic books; we're talking about limited edition releases that are a true testament to the artistry and storytelling brilliance of Marvel. Watch for variant covers, signed editions, or issues from milestone events – these gems will set your collection apart.

For example, seek out the rare variant cover of "The Amazing Spider-Man" #300, featuring the first entire appearance of Venom. The striking cover art and the significance of this issue make it a must-have for any serious collector. Similarly, issues like "X-Men" #1 or "Fantastic Four" #1 hold historical value and will indeed be coveted additions to your collection.

2. Exclusive Marvel Statues

For those who appreciate three-dimensional art, exclusive Marvel statues are an absolute must-have. These meticulously crafted pieces capture the essence of your favorite characters in stunning detail. From Iron Man's iconic pose to Captain America's heroic stance, these statues not only showcase the characters' strength but also serve as eye-catching centerpieces for any collector's display.

Consider investing in limited edition releases such as the Bowen Designs Thanos statue, a breathtaking representation of the Mad Titan himself. These statues not only pay homage to the characters but also to the talented artists who bring them to life.

3. Vintage Marvel Action Figures

Take a nostalgic trip down memory lane with vintage Marvel action figures. These relics from the past not only hold sentimental value for longtime fans but also add a unique touch to your collection. Hunt for rare editions or characters that have become iconic over the years. Whether it's the original Spider-Man action figure or the first edition X-Men set, these toys are a testament to the enduring legacy of Marvel.

Scour online marketplaces, collector conventions, and specialty stores for these elusive figures. You might stumble upon the 1978 Iron Man Mego action figure, a true gem for collectors seeking a piece of Marvel history.

4. Autographed Marvel Collectibles

Elevate your collection with autographed Marvel collectibles. Imagine owning a piece of history with Stan Lee's signature or other vital contributors to the Marvel universe. Signed comic books, posters, or scripts add a personal touch to your collection, making it a conversation starter for fellow fans and enthusiasts.

For instance, a Stan Lee-signed copy of "The Incredible Hulk" #181, featuring the first entire appearance of Wolverine, would not only be a valuable addition but also a cherished keepsake for any Marvel fan. Such items not only appreciate in monetary value but also serve as a direct link to the creators who shaped the Marvel landscape.

Collectibles Marvel Comics Enthusiasts Shouldn't Miss

1. Marvel Cinematic Universe Art Prints

As Marvel's cinematic universe continues to captivate audiences worldwide, art prints featuring your favorite movie moments have become highly sought after. Whether it's the Avengers assembling or the emotional farewell of Tony Stark, these prints immortalize the cinematic experience. Frame them and turn your space into a Marvel-themed haven.

Look for limited edition prints that capture pivotal moments in the MCU. The emotional impact of scenes like the "Avengers: Endgame" portal sequence or the intense battles from "Infinity War" can be beautifully encapsulated in high-quality art prints. Not only do these prints celebrate the visual spectacle of the MCU, but they also serve as a testament to the evolution of Marvel comic book storytelling on the big screen.

2. Marvel Funko Pop! Figures

Funko Pop! figures have become a global phenomenon, and Marvel characters are no exception. These cute, stylized figures cover the entire Marvel universe, from the Avengers to the X-Men. With exclusive variants and limited editions, Funko Pop! figures are not just collectibles; they're an addiction. Line your shelves with these adorable representations of your beloved Marvel heroes and villains.

Explore the vast Funko Pop! releases, including convention exclusives and characters in unique costumes or poses. From the classic Spider-Man to the cosmic power of the Guardians of the Galaxy, these figures capture the essence of Marvel characters in a fun and collectible way.

3. Marvel Comic Books Collection

For those who appreciate the narrative depth of Marvel, complete comic book collections are a must. Search for omnibuses or special editions that compile entire story arcs or character runs. Not only do these collections save shelf space, but they also allow you to immerse yourself in the comprehensive Marvel storytelling experience.

Invest in collections that span key storylines, such as "The Infinity Gauntlet" or "Civil War." These curated sets provide a comprehensive view of the Marvel universe, allowing you to explore the interconnected stories of your favorite characters. Dive into the intricate narratives that have shaped Marvel comic books over the decades.

Marvel Collectibles: Start Your Collection Today!

With the plethora of exclusive Marvel collectibles available, now is the perfect time to start or expand your collection. From rare comic books to iconic action figures, each piece adds depth and uniqueness to your personal Marvel sanctuary.

As you embark on your collecting journey, remember that it's not just about amassing items; it's about curating a story, a reflection of your love for the Marvel universe. Stay connected with the vibrant community of collectors, attend conventions, and keep your eyes peeled for the following exclusive release that will elevate your collection to new heights.

Conclusion

In the world of Marvel collectibles, the adventure never ends. So, what are you waiting for? Dive into the exciting realm of rare finds and classic Marvel comic books, and let your Marvel collection tell a story that transcends time and space. Marvel at the artistry, relive the epic narratives and celebrate the heroes and villains that have become cultural icons. Start your collection today and become part of a community that shares your passion for all things Marvel!

[kotori-mochi]

Can't afford art school?

After seeing post like this 👇

And this gem 👇

As well as countless of others from the AI generator community. Just talking about how "inaccessible art" is, I decided why not show how wrong these guys are while also helping anyone who actually wants to learn.

Here is the first one ART TEACHERS! There are plenty online and in places like youtube.

📺Here is my list:

Proko (Free, mostly teaches anatomy and how to draw people. But does have art talks and teaches the basics.)

Marc Brunet (Free but he does have other classes for a cheap price. Use to work for Blizzard and teaches you everything)

Aaron Rutten (free, tips about art, talks about art programs and the best products for digital art)

BoroCG (free, teaches a verity of art mediums from 3D modeling to digital painting. As well as some tips that can be used across styles)

Jesse J. Jones (free, talks about animating)

Jesus Conde (free, teaches digital painting and has classes in Spanish)

Mohammed Agbadi (free, he gives some advice in some videos and talks about art)

Ross Draws (free, he does have other classes for a good price. Mostly teaching character designs and simple backgrounds.)

SamDoesArts (free, gives good advice and critiques)

Drawfee Show (free, they do give some good advice and great inspiration)

The Art of Aaron Blaise ( useful tips for digital art and animation. Was an animator for Disney. Mostly nature art)

Bobby Chiu ( useful tips and interviews with artist who are in the industry or making a living as artist)

Sinix Design (has some tips on drawing people)

Winged canvas (art school for free on a verity of mediums)

Bob Ross (just a good time, learn how to paint, as well as how too relax when doing art. "there are no mistakes only happy accidents", this channel also provides tips from another artist)

Scott Christian Sava (Inspiration and provides tips and advice)

Pikat (art advice and critiques)

Drawbox (a suggested cheap online art school, made of a community of artist)

Skillshare (A cheap learning site that has art classes ranging from traditional to digital. As well as Animation and tutorials on art programs. All under one price, in the USA it's around $34 a month)

Human anatomy for artist (not a video or teacher but the site is full of awesome refs to practice and get better at anatomy)

Second part BOOKS, I have collected some books that have helped me and might help others.

📚Here is my list:

The "how to draw manga" series produced by Graphic-sha. These are for manga artist but they give great advice and information.

"Creating characters with personality" by Tom Bancroft. A great book that can help not just people who draw cartoons but also realistic ones. As it helps you with facial ques and how to make a character interesting.

"Albinus on anatomy" by Robert Beverly Hale and Terence Coyle. Great book to help someone learn basic anatomy.

"Artistic Anatomy" by Dr. Paul Richer and Robert Beverly Hale. A good book if you want to go further in-depth with anatomy.

"Directing the story" by Francis Glebas. A good book if you want to Story board or make comics.

"Animal Anatomy for Artists" by Eliot Goldfinger. A good book for if you want to draw animals or creatures.

"Constructive Anatomy: with almost 500 illustrations" by George B. Bridgman. A great book to help you block out shadows in your figures and see them in a more 3 diamantine way.

"Dynamic Anatomy: Revised and expand" by Burne Hogarth. A book that shows how to block out shapes and easily understand what you are looking out. When it comes to human subjects.

"An Atlas of animal anatomy for artist" by W. Ellenberger and H. Dittrich and H. Baum. This is another good one for people who want to draw animals or creatures.

Etherington Brothers, they make books and have a free blog with art tips.

📝As for Supplies, I recommend starting out cheap, buying Pencils and art paper at dollar tree or 5 below. If you want to go fancy Michaels is always a good place for traditional supplies. They also get in some good sales and discounts. For digital art, I recommend not starting with a screen art drawing tablet as they are usually more expensive.

For the Best art Tablet I recommend either Xp-pen, Bamboo or Huion. Some can range from about 40$ to the thousands.

💻As for art programs here is a list of Free to pay.

Clip Studio paint ( you can choose to pay once or sub and get updates. Galaxy, Windows, macOS, iPad, iPhone, Android, or Chromebook device. )

Procreate ( pay once for $9.99 usd, IPAD & IPHONE ONLY)

Blender (for 3D modules/sculpting, animation and more. Free)

PaintTool SAI (pay but has a 31 day free trail)

Krita (Free)

mypaint (free)

FireAlpaca (free)

Aseprite ($19.99 usd but has a free trail, for pixel art Windows & macOS)

Drawpile (free and for if you want to draw with others)

IbisPaint (free, phone app ONLY)

Medibang (free, IPAD, Android and PC)

NOTE: Some of these can work on almost any computer like Clip and Sai but others will require a bit stronger computer like Blender. Please check their sites for if your computer is compatible.

So do with this information as you will but as you can tell there are ways to learn how to become an artist, without breaking the bank. The only thing that might be stopping YOU from using any of these things, is YOU.

I have made time to learn to draw and many artist have too. Either in-between working two jobs or taking care of your family and a job or regular school and chores. YOU just have to take the time or use some time management, it really doesn't take long to practice for like an hour or less. YOU also don't have to do it every day, just once or three times a week is fine.

Hope this was helpful and have a great day.

"also apologies for any spelling or grammar errors, I have Dyslexia and it makes my brain go XP when it comes to speech or writing"

[theniftycat]

What other Neil Gaiman work might you like?

The biggest thing to know about Neil Gaiman is that each work of his is a mixture of horror, fantasy, and subtle comedy.

That being said, each of his projects is pretty distinct from one another and there might be some that are more up to your tastes than others.

I haven't read some of his newer stuff (because I largely stopped reading as much since the early 2010s), but I'll do my best to remember what matters in other works.

Horror

The Sandman is a great work for horror fans. It's also great for mythology fans and other nerds, but horror is a major push and pull factors.

The comic is probably the greatest body of work Gaiman produced and it's recommended if you're a goth at heart and are comfortable with themes of death and humans being gods' toys.

The Sandman (TV) is a great adaptation, but it's very short so far and doesn't cover the best stories.

Coraline is a horror story for children. It doesn't have anything that's not suitable for kids, but it can be viscerally scary to some people. Both the book and the film are great.

Mirrormask is my personal favourite, it's a low budget film with mindblowing surreal imagery and one of the best soundtracks ever.

It's about a teenage girl who has troubles with her parents (who run a circus, btw) and who gets swiped up by her imagination into a bizarre world that is being eaten by her depression. Not a scary film, per se, but it's disturbing. However, it's a very warm film and it always makes me feel better.

Fantasy

Neverwhere is set in a dimension of twisted London Underground where everything that's straightforward in our world becomes weird and too real.

It really tickled my imagination, I highly recommend the book.

Stardust is set in a more high fantasy setting.

It features kings, witches, ghosts, and a star that fell to the Earth. It has a young protagonist who's not exactly the best or the brightest person, so if you hate such things, stick to the adaptation. In my opinion, the book is just lovely.

American Gods is a darker fantasy that asks the questions: "What if every god people ever believed in became real through the power of their worship? And then what if that worship started fading?"

It's set in the USA and because that country is such a melting pot, there are many gods. And not all of them are happy. This is the book that gave Neil Gaiman his reputation of a writer who loves weird sex scenes.

Humour

Stardust the film is often compared to Princess Bride. It's lighthearted, funny, full of imaginative adventures.

Just a very nice film with an all-star cast.

Anansi Boys is a spin off of American Gods, but it's a lot more lighthearted.

Anansi is a trickster god, so you know things will get funky.

I haven't read The Graveyard Book and The Ocean at the End of the Lane yet, but I hear they're very good as well.

Also, short story collections or Norse Mythology might be a good place to start if you want to get a feel of Neil Gaiman as an author first.

[littlefankingdom]

Instead of calling Bruce Wayne a capitalist, just say you have never read a Batman comic.

Or that you don't know words' meaning.

Bruce is a privileged white man, born rich and the heir to a fortune and a company. That doesn't make him a capitalist, that makes him a privileged man. Being a privileged rich man who owns a company in a capitalist society also doesn't make him a capitalist (it's the fucking meme again.) He has no power over this, he couldn't choose who he will be born as or where. He is a nepo baby, but that doesn't make him a capitalist.

The correct definition of a capitalist is: a person who uses their wealth to invest in trade and industry for profit in accordance with the principles of capitalism.

Bruce Wayne is literally famous for not doing that, because he invests his wealth in healthcare, housing, education... Literally anything Gotham needs and the gov cannot pay for. Literally nothing that he can make profit from. He doesn't care about profit AT ALL. Investing??? That's not in his vocabulary. And, btw, Bruce doesn't believe it should be a private company doing this. I'm going to use Future State: Dark Detective again, but in it, he states clearly that he thinks rich people should pay their big taxes instead of having lavishing lifestyles (he pays his, btw, and I'm sure he doesn't use the charity to pay less), and the gov should use this money to make everything better for others. And that's not the only time he says that stuff.

"But, if not capitalist, why Bruce keeps WE and money? Why doesn't he change the system?" For the latter, Bruce is one man, he cannot change the system on his own, but also, if he was able to change the evil capitalist way of the USA, the story would be over. It's just like how whatever he does, Gotham never gets better: the story would end. For the former, he keeps WE for two reasons. 1, it's his parents' legacy, that's explained multiple times, and he feels like he would disappoint them if he gives it up. 2, because he knows other rich people don't care and don't use their money for nobody but themselves, and if he gives WE up, all that money and power would end in the hands of an asshole. With him and his kids, he can trust that money to go to the people.

I don't have the energy to demonstrate again how Bruce hates rich people, just look up my posts about Bruce. I have used examples.

If you tell Bruce Wayne "The rich should be dry out, and their money should go to help people and make society better", he would say "Hell yes". That's that he CANONICALLY wants.

When you call Bruce Wayne capitalist, you are showing, at best, that you have so little reading comprehension skill that you cannot understand comic books, at worst, that you don't know shit about our economic and politic hellscape you lived in and the words you use.

Yes, this is because of that fucking panel from Boy Wonder where Ra's Al Ghul calls Bruce a capitalist dog.

[amrass]

8 films that inspire my RDR2 fanfics

So this is for the kind and patient anon who asked me for some movie recs relevant to my writing, and for anyone else who might be interested.

This list has genres like western, drama, crime and horror. Most of the films have darker themes, half are non-English, and some have that surrealistic edge that I try to emulate as a nod towards Rockstar games. I consider fanfics closer to screenplays than literary fiction, and so it feels natural that this list has an emphasis on fun!!!

1. Il Grande Silenzio / The Great Silence (1968)

I've said it before and I'll say it again, this is my favorite western film of all time. It is a classic, a spaghetti (Italian) western made by Sergio Carbucci ("the second greatest spaghetti western director"), and it has a Morricone score - buuut it is set in snowy mountains as opposed to deserts, have anti-fascist themes and is revisionist and dark.

The main character Silence, who is an outlaw who kills bounty hunters, reminds me of Arthur Morgan, and the main villain, the evil bounty hunter Loco, of Micah Bell. I think it served as an inspiration for them. It's great if you want to get that western atmosphere seen through a colder lense.

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2. Utvandrarna & Nybyggarna / The Emmigrants & The New Land (1971 and 1972)

These two movies are best seen as one imo, as they follow the same Swedish family of farmer immigrants through the 1800s, as they travel across the sea to settle in the USA. These films are great for getting into the history at the time, as they are quite accurate, and might give you a realistic portrait to "lawful" human beings lived and died, such as Abigail and John in RDR1-2. To say it's a harsh life puts it mildly, but there is also joy, and I love how unflinching this film is in showing the life at the time. Great for seeing why it isn't easy for the Van der Linde Gang to settle down.

The last one might be the most relevant since it's set wholly in the USA, but personally I adore the shift from the Scandinavian landscape to the American one, a contrast that helps me describe it better. It has great actors you might associate with Ingmar Bergman films (no one is as good at dying as Liv Ullmann lol, kudos).

PS: PLEASE DON'T WATCH THE NEWER NORWEGIAN REMAKE. THE SWEDISH VERSION IS SUPERIOR.

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3. The Thing (1982)

AHHH I couldn't not put it here, and not only because the main character wears a cowboy hat, or it being my favorite horror film. No, this one is just great for learning how to write tension. The whole movie is super tense, and made more so by the characters being smart, the stakes being high, and the whole setting being used. It’s also gory and FUN.

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4. Le Cercle Rouge / The Red Circle (1970)

Lolol when I first wanted to watch this I got the German one made many years prior, which was pretty meh. Afterwards I watched the correct version, and MAN, truly a great heist film. It really gives young Dutch & Hosea vibes. This one is great how at showing how much planning and carefulness one has to do if one wishes to lead a life of crime, and how it might not save you. It’s also just a cool movie. Old school cool.

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5. Le Trou (1960)

More tension ... And god, the sound picture in this movie is something else. This is a French prison escape film, and can help you if you want to see just how important loyalty is among criminals. It really has that harsh, high testerone vibe to it lololol, and I'm sorry, but the French butts in tight and sexy prison uniforms are a sight to behold.

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6. Sin City (2005)

Okay this is the sort of film I can't watch with just everyone because it's so exploitative and over-the-top, but it's my favorite comic book style movie. It has extreme violence, very sexy men and women in nice coats or underwear, and it's just so much fun. The character Marv reminds me of low honor Arthur Morgan, and Dwight, of high honor John Marston. I love the comics too. Just know that this isn't for everyone, but it is very me.

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7. Female Trouble (1974)

LOLOL another film that isn't for everyone, but it's kind of considered mandatory viewing if you're queer. I know this is an odd choice to inspire RDR2 fics, but I write crack fics, and believe it or not they require work as humor requires a degree of form, seriousness and precision.

I love also John Waters so much, I remember watching this exact movie with my first queer friend at sixteen and we were like, hugging and kissing each other in sheer joy. I am inspired by this type of surralist, over-the-top, dark humor across all my stories. Tbh if Divine showed up in the Rockstar universe, probably toned down for Rockstar due to marketing reasons, would you be surprised? I'd love to see her on a horse spray painted with glitter.

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8. The Hateful Eight (2015)

I almost translated this movie title into Italian just for fun, but ... Yeah, I guess I had to kind of end this list with a circle composition, what with The Hateful Eight being inspired by Il Grande Silenzio and all, and those two GIFS before the list being from the film.

I grew up with Tarantino movies, and when I watched this in the cinema I liked it but was underwhelmed. It's only after rewatching it a couple of times that I started to really, really like it. I like and understand the references, I love the atmosphere, it just helps remind me how fun a movie can be. It's also great for giving characters the necessary degree of coolness. I reference this one a lot in all my works, and would love to do write a fic directly inspired by this.

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That was it! I can mention some more movies I like that are kind of relevant to this list: Army of Shadows, Django, Man Without a Past, Werckmeister Harmonies, Jackie Brown, Diary of a Country Priest, The Price of Fear (French one!), Event Horizon, Hellraiser, Braindead, Green Room, Rec, Withnail and I, Ravenous …

I always welcome movie recs! Just know that I got specific tastes lol.

Thanks for reading!

[sasheneskywalker]

books and articles about about comics, superheroes, dc and batman

books Ahrens, J., & Meteling, A. (Eds.). (2010). Comics and the City: Urban Space in Print, Picture and Sequence. A&C Black.

Bongco, M. (2014). Reading comics: Language, culture, and the concept of the superhero in comic books. Routledge.

Brode, D. (Ed.). (2022). The DC Comics Universe: Critical Essays. McFarland.

Brooker, W. (2013). Batman unmasked: Analyzing a cultural icon. Bloomsbury Publishing USA.

Burke, L., Gordon, I., & Ndalianis, A. (Eds.). (2020). The superhero symbol: media, culture, and politics. Rutgers University Press.

Dittmer, J., & Bos, D. (2019). Popular culture, geopolitics, and identity. Rowman & Littlefield.

DiPaolo, M. (2014). War, politics and superheroes: Ethics and propaganda in comics and film. McFarland.

Dyer, B. (Ed.). (2009). Supervillains and Philosophy: sometimes, evil is its own reward (Vol. 42). Open Court Publishing.

Geaman, K. L. (Ed.). (2015). Dick Grayson, boy wonder: Scholars and creators on 75 years of Robin, Nightwing and Batman. McFarland.

Giddens, T. (Ed.). (2015). Graphic justice: Intersections of comics and law. Routledge.

Heer, J., & Worcester, K. (Eds.). (2009). A comics studies reader. Univ. Press of Mississippi.

Irwin, W. (2009). Batman and philosophy: The dark knight of the soul. John Wiley & Sons.

Langley, T. (2022). Batman and psychology: A dark and stormy knight. Turner Publishing Company.

McKittrick, C. (2015). Fan phenomena: Batman, edited by Liam Burke.

Ndalianis, A. (Ed.). (2009). The contemporary comic book superhero (Vol. 19). Routledge.

O'Connor, L. R. (2021). Robin and the Making of American Adolescence. Rutgers University Press.

O'Neil, D., & Wilson, L. (Eds.). (2008). Batman Unauthorized: Vigilantes, Jokers, and Heroes in Gotham City. BenBella Books.

Packer, S., & Fredrick, D. R. (Eds.). (2020). Welcome to Arkham Asylum: Essays on Psychiatry and the Gotham City Institution. McFarland.

Pearson, R., & Uricchio, W. (Eds.). (2023). The many lives of the Batman: Critical approaches to a superhero and his media. Taylor & Francis.

Pearson, R., Uricchio, W., & Brooker, W. (Eds.). (2017). Many more lives of The Batman. Bloomsbury Publishing.

Picariello, D. K. (Ed.). (2019). Politics in Gotham: the Batman universe and political thought. Springer.

Pustz, M. (Ed.). (2012). Comic books and American cultural history: An anthology. Bloomsbury Publishing USA.

Romagnoli, A. S., & Pagnucci, G. S. (2013). Enter the superheroes: American values, culture, and the canon of superhero literature. Scarecrow Press.

Smith, M. J., & Duncan, R. (Eds.). (2012). Critical approaches to comics: Theories and methods. Routledge.

Smith, M. J., Brown, M., & Duncan, R. (Eds.). (2019). More critical approaches to comics: theories and methods. Routledge.

Weiner, R. G. (Ed.). (2009). Captain America and the struggle of the superhero: Critical essays. McFarland.

Weldon, G. (2017). The caped crusade: Batman and the rise of nerd culture. Simon and Schuster.

White, M. D. (2019). Batman and ethics. John Wiley & Sons.

Worcester, K., Heer, J., & Hatfield, C. (Eds.). (2013). The Superhero Reader. University Press of Mississippi.

articles Authers, B. (2012). What Had Been Many Became One: Continuity, the Common Law, and Crisis on Infinite Earths. Law Text Culture, 16, i.

Austin, S. (2015). Batman's female foes: the gender war in Gotham City. Journal of Popular Culture (Boston), 48(2), 285-295.

Avery, C. (2023). Paternalism, performative masculinity and the post-9/11 cowboy in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy. The Australasian Journal of Popular Culture, 12(1), 65-81.

Bainbridge, J. (2007). “This is the Authority. This Planet is Under Our Protection”—An Exegesis of Superheroes' Interrogations of Law. Law, Culture and the Humanities, 3(3), 455-476.

Best, M. (2005). Domesticity, homosociality, and male power in superhero comics of the 1950s. Iowa Journal of Cultural Studies, 6(1).

Brienza, C. (2010). Producing comics culture: a sociological approach to the study of comics. Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics, 1(2), 105-119.

Camp, L. D. (2017). ‘Time to ride the monster train’: multiplicity, the Midnighter and the threat to hegemonic superhero masculinity. Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics, 8(5), 464-479.

Camp, L. D. (2018). "Be of Knightly Countenance": Masculine Violence and Managing Affect in Late Medieval Alliterative Poetry and Batman: Under The Red Hood (Doctoral dissertation, University of South Carolina).

Cocca, C. (2014). Negotiating the third wave of feminism in Wonder Woman. PS: Political Science & Politics, 47(1), 98-103.

Coogan, P. (2018). Wonder Woman: superheroine, not superhero. Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics, 9(6), 566-580.

Cohn, N., Hacımusaoğlu, I., & Klomberg, B. (2023). The framing of subjectivity: Point-of-view in a cross-cultural analysis of comics. Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics, 14(3), 336-350.

Costello, M. J., & Worcester, K. (2014). The politics of the superhero: Introduction. PS: Political Science & Politics, 47(1), 85-89.

Crutcher, P. A. (2011). Complexity in the comic and graphic novel medium: Inquiry through bestselling Batman stories. The Journal of Popular Culture, 44(1), 53-72.

Curtis, N. (2013). Superheroes and the contradiction of sovereignty. Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics, 4(2), 209-222.

Fennell, J. (2012). The aesthetics of supervillainy. Law Text Culture, 16, i.

Giddens, T. (2015). Natural law and vengeance: Jurisprudence on the streets of Gotham. International Journal for the Semiotics of Law-Revue internationale de Sémiotique juridique, 28(4), 765-785.

Guynes, S. (2019). Worlds Will Live, Worlds Will Die: Crisis on Infinite Earths and the Anxieties and Calamities of the Comic-Book Event. Inks: The Journal of the Comics Studies Society, 3(2), 171-190.

Hall, K. J., & Lucal, B. (1999). Tapping into parallel universes: Using superhero comic books in sociology courses. Teaching sociology, 27(1), 60-66.

Hatchell, R. (2023). ‘We prefer protégé’: The temporal function of sidekicks in Young Justice and Titans. The Australasian Journal of Popular Culture, 12(1), 83-97.

Jeong, S. H. (2020). Sovereign Agents of Mythical and (Pseudo-) Divine Violence. Walter Benjamin and Global Biopolitical Cinema. The Philosophical Journal of Conflict and Violence, 4(2), 81-98.

Jimenez, P. (2021). Wonder Woman, Feminist Icon? Queer Icon? No, Love Icon. In Wonder Woman (pp. 23-36). Routledge.

Lang, R. (1990). Batman and Robin: A family romance. American imago, 47(3/4), 293-319.

Petrovic, P. (2016). Queer resistance, gender performance, and ‘coming out’of the panel borders in Greg Rucka and JH Williams III’s Batwoman: Elegy. In Superheroes and Identities (pp. 221-230). Routledge.

Philips, M. (2022). Violence in the American imaginary: Gender, race, and the politics of superheroes. American Political Science Review, 116(2), 470-483.

Pitkethly, C. (2016). The pursuit of identity in the face of paradox: indeterminacy, structure and repetition in Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. In Superheroes and Identities (pp. 87-94). Routledge.

Powell, T. (2023). ‘You’re a refugee, are you not?’‘Extraordinary bodies’, monstrous outsiders and US refugee policies in superhero comics. The Australasian Journal of Popular Culture, 12(1), 9-20.

Romero, L. G., & Dahlman, I. (2012). Justice framed: Law in comics and graphic novels. Law Text Culture, 16, vii.

Schott, G. (2010). From fan appropriation to industry re-appropriation: the sexual identity of comic superheroes. Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics, 1(1), 17-29.

Sereni, E. (2020). "When I'm Bad, I'm Better": from early Villainesses to contemporary antiheroines in superhero comics.

Sharp, C. (2012). 'Riddle me this…? 'would the world need superheroes if the law could actually deliver justice'?. Law Text Culture, 16, 353-378.

Shyminsky, N. (2011). ‘‘Gay’’ Sidekicks: Queer Anxiety and the Narrative Straightening of the Superhero. Men and Masculinities, 14(3), 288-308.

Valentine, G. (2021). Empire of a wicked woman: Catwoman, royalty, and the making of a comics icon. In Wonder Woman (pp. 93-112). Routledge.

Weston, G. (2013). Superheroes and comic-book vigilantes versus real-life vigilantes: an anthropological answer to the Kick-Ass paradox. Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics, 4(2), 223-234.

Whaley, D. E. (2011). Black cat got your tongue?: Catwoman, blackness, and the alchemy of postracialism. Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics, 2(1), 3-23.

Wolf-Meyer, M. J. (2006). Batman and Robin in the nude, or class and its exceptions. Extrapolation (pre-2012), 47(2), 187.

York, C. (2000). All in the Family: Homophobia and Batman Comics in the 1950s. International Journal of Comic Art, 2(2), 100-110.

[gattnk]

As long as we insist on forgetting the past, we'll need teachers like Omnia and Gnosis to remind us of our history.

Would you look at that, I'm done with all the canon teachers from the cartoon! I'm only missing those from the comics now, and then the humans and locations. I really liked how season 2 dedicated time to expanding the Golden School and included more staff, Omnia and Gnosis were fun characters to redesign.

Omnia and Gnosis had pretty solid character designs: the contrast between them in terms of shape and colors was especially good, and I wanted to retain and expand on these traits to the best of my abilities.

I started by simplifying their original shapes as much as possible, and then I exaggerated them further. I took some inspiration from mountains to further define their designs (I'm currently reading a nice book on world geography and it seeped in).

After making Omnia taller and lankier in her design, she reminded me of China's Tianzi mountains; they inspired me to make Omia's hair cloud-shaped, since these famous pillar-like mountains often touch the clouds.

Meanwhile, Gnosis' flat and bulky body reminded me of the mesa formations found in Colorado's Grand Valley (USA). His horns and wing claws start with a flat shape and then curve upwards almost vertically, like the butte formations often found around plateaus and mesas.

Their original color palettes were honestly among my favorites in the series, so I kept them for the most part, though I sought to simplify them even further. Omnia's key colors (pastel green, soft pink and white) were easy enough to figure out, but Gnosis took a lot of testing; at one point I considered switching him to purples and oranges, but I'm glad I stuck to earthy browns, yellow and orange, and added a washed black to the roster for contrast.

Like Arkan and Temptel, Omnia and Gnosis are much older than they seem: Omnia sports two sets of wings and a carved halo (I was inspired by the Ohm symbol because... OHM-nia, :B), and Gnosis has clawed wings and a tail. These traits mark them as older Eternals.

Just like Terence and Scarlett, these two professors got assigned as Academic Deans to their very own Universal Law and History faculty! their clothes are a bit more old-fashioned in a way to reflect this. They are definitely my most normal-looking pair of teachers.

With this I think we're halfway through with the Golden School staff, since we're only missing two more faculties. They're sketched out and everything, I just need to figure out the colors next.

I'll Fly With You (rewrite fic) Art masterpost

[wojakgallery]

Title/Name: Gerard Arthur Way, better known as ‘Gerard Way’, born in (1977). Bio: American singer, songwriter, and comic book writer. He is best known as the lead vocalist and co-founder of the rock band My Chemical Romance. He released his debut solo album, Hesitant Alien, in 2014. Country: USA Wojak Series: Feels Guy (Variant) Image by: Bomberboi98 on Newgrounds Main Tag: Gerard Way Wojak

[linkspooky]

Superman vs. All Might

Hello, this is a post comparing My Hero Academia to the comic books it was inspired by. Despite the title of this post, this is not going to be about the power levels of the individual characters. Rather, a comparison between what kind of heroes Superman, and All Might are respectively, and how All Might compares to the all-American super hero.

1. With Great Power

It's pretty obvious All Might takes his influence from Western / American ideas of superhero comics. He studied in the USA before returning to japan as a part of his training. He wears red, white and blue and shouts the names of American states before his attacks.

Before we begin have you heard about Superman? Really, never? That's kind of unlikely. If you want to read more about him though, there's this post with several recommendations of short comics that help you get the idea of his character. I personally recommend "All Star Superman" which is only twelve issues and is it's own self contained story.

There's also "Superman the Animated Series" which I believed watching just the first few episodes will give you everything you need to know about his character. I also recommend watching the Justice League episodes "Patriot Act", "War World", "Hereafter" and "For the Man Who has Everything" to get a glimpse of his character. I'll be referencing a line from the series finale of Justice League later on in this post, though I don't reccomend watching that because all the above are one shot episodes and the finale has spolers obviously.

So, All Might like Superman the single strongest superhero in his country. The only one of them that could truly be called "Superhuman", to the envy and amazement of others. There's an arc in My Hero Academia Vigilantes, where every single hero struggles only to fail to save a building full of people from collapsing. Only for after an entire arc of more minor heroes completely failing to stop the building from falling down, across the street All Might hears about it and arrives at the last second saving everyone inside and a couple of cats too.

The basic concept of All Might and Superman is basically the same, they are both the respective strongest heroes in their world's, and they are both defined by the fact they use their great power entirely altruistically. They work themselves to the bone saving other people.

In fact, in comparison to Superman All Might overowrks himself so much it can be considered a flaw. It's shown in the overhaul arc that All Might used to have a sidekick who was devoted to him, who quit and left him entirely because he could not stand to see how much All Might was ruining himself to help others.

I wouldn't say Superman doesn't work himself to death, or risk his life just as often, because he is a character with a long history, there are times he's been overworked and in crisis, heck he's even died before (Google: The Death of Superman), but working himself to the point of self destruction is not really a character flaw of superman's the way it is for All Might. I wouldn't say it's because Superman is any less selfless than All Might, though.

Rather, it has to do with the underlying difference in their motivation is. Now I said above, they are both people who use their powers to the best of their ability to help the others around them, but that's their actions not the internal motivation that drives those actions.

I've been calling him "Superman" so far, but that's not really his name. Everyone, meet Clark Kent. (This is from Superman: Secret Origin).

Wholesome geek from Smallville Kansas. He was adopted by Ma and Pa Kent, and raised on a farm, with no clue that he was an alien orphan from outer space until about his teenage years when he began all of a sudden to develop superhuman powers. What was his reaction to learning he has those powers? That he's something stronger than any other human?

He didn't want them. Clark Kent didn't want to be different from everyone else, and he never saw himself as better than them. He only comes to term with his identity, when he realize that these abilities are a gift, the same as any other gift, like being a fast runner, or being good at math, and Clark can use these gifts to help others.

This is essential to understanding Clark's character, he sees himself as gifted yes, but he's never seen himself as superhuman, or better than others. Clark is not superman, Clark is Clark.

He's a reporter at the Daily Planet who helps the city by writing expose articles with his colleague Lois, and who occasionally hears about disasters and puts on his pajamas to save people from a burning building, or catch Lois when she's flying out of a window. Being superman is community service for Clark. Clark never makes himself out to be a savior.

This all comes from Clark's fundamental desire, to be normal, to be a part of the planet that adopted him, and to feel connected to the world. Clark, unlike All Might values both parts of his identity (This is from Superman: Birthright).

There's a lot of things I can tell you about Clark Kent, he's a farm boy, he has a home life, a wife, however I could not tell you anything about Toshinori Yagi, both his past, and what he does when he's not being All Might.

The quirkless Toshinori Yagi may as well have stopped existing the moment he inherited One for All. As for why he has no identity outside of the costume he puts on, and why he devotes everything to being a superhero, it all falls back to that idea of motivation and origin again.

Superman never wanted to be a savior or a symbol, but that's exactly what Toshinori wanted to be, to become what the world needs him to be at the expense of everything including his own identity. Toshinori is not allowed to be human, because he needs to be superhuman. Once again, that makes it seem like Toshinori is more selfless, after all he sacrificed everything. They're both gifted with powers yes, but Toshinori doesn't let himself have anything resembling a normal life because he must be what the world needs him to be.

However, this is where I want to point out, that self-destruction is never a good thing. It's you know, destructive, hence the name. I think one of All Might's greatest flaws is not just that he's "So nice, and so selfless that he always hurts himself helping others", but that he genuinely began to buy the fact that having superhuman powers made him superhuman. He didn't overextend himself just because he was genuinely that selfless, but because he believed HE was the only superhuman with the power to do so and therefore HE had to do it.

We see shades of this in the Dark Deku arc, where this complete selflessness ends up veering into egoism. "I'm the only one in the whole world who could possibly do this, you all are too stupid and slow to catch up."

All Might is known for always flying solo, to the point where he only ever had one sidekick who quit on him because he refused to accept help. Clark cooperates with other heroes all the time, watch literally any episode of the Justice League cartoon.

All Might believes he has to become a superhuman symbol in order to help people, but then he starts to genuinely believe he is superhuman and that's where all the differences between them start to branch out. Superman wants to be a part of the world he wants to be with everyone, All Might wants to stand above everyone as a superhuman symbol. Yes, his motivations are still altruistic, he does it because he wants peace for the general population, but it's still a toxic attitude on his part.

Superman is a character who grapples with his own ability to help everyone too, because someone with his abilities should be able to do just that. (Superman: For all Seasons)

However, unlike All Might who pushes himself further and further away from his own humanity, when Superman reaches his limits, he instead goes back to his humanity instead. Superman's friends and family remind him, he may be strong, but just like anyone else in the world he's not capable of doing anything.

Clark's the kind of guy who when facing a crisis in the big city, comes home to talk with his small town parents, and then is deeply touched and learns a lesson from his father talking about growing corn, because to Clar, his father's efforts at growing corn are the same as him being a hero. They're both just trying to do the best they can do with the skills they have. That is the difference, Clark is rooted in the people around him, and his community, and is basically human in everything but biology.

Toshinori crumples under the expectations of being the perfect symbol that he places for himself, because he has no connection to the world outside being a hero. For Clark, what makes him a hero is the farm boy raising and the good values that his mother and father gave him as a child. For Toshinori, for a long time in the manga at least, he genuinely seems to believe that powers are what make him a hero. (Superman: Brainaac Action Comics #866).

Somewhere down the road, All Might began mistaking power for morality. You know, "All Might Makes Right." This could be partially because All MIght's not entirely based off of superman, Horikoshi has gone on record saying that My Hero Academia is like an exploration of two kinds of heroes, Spiderman and Goku.

Goku being the kind of reassuring hero who always wins a fight. So, All Might himself has two different distinct images, he's someone who's powerful enough to always beat the bad guy, and he's also someone who shows up to save everyone. All Might never really reconciles those two sides of himself though, and because of that he ends up representing a lot of Hero Society's Toxicity.

2. All Might Makes Right

So, I hope the lengths I went to establish "Superman does not think he's superhuman, All Might does, or at least expects himself to be..." have convinced you, because now we're moving onto the more toxic parts of All Might's nature.

All Might set out to do good, yes, but he also inspired a lot of the toxic parts of quirk society, the idea that the only people who can be heroes are people with strong and flashy quirks, the idea that defeating evil is just brutally punching a villain in the face. All of this because, at some point down the line All Might seemed genuinely convinced it was his superhuman powers that made him capable of saving so many that made him the hero.

Hence why we get scenes like All Might whining in front of his All Might Statue that he can't be ahero anymore, because he's too injured to continue fighting on the front lines.

Stain even compares himself to a god, that has now fallen upon the earth and became mortal. Superman was never superhuman or above anyone else, Toshinori can't really cope with being stripped down to having the same powers as everyone else, because he thinks his power lies in showing up to fight the villain.

The one time he's called upon to stop Deku from the same self destructive spiral that he went on, he can't, because All Might hasn't really overcome his own self destructive mentality that being a hero requires him being superhuman.

It's not just self destructive though, All Might clearly believes in the ideal image of a hero that the rest of hero society supports of an overly strong hero, bashing the brains in of a completely evil villain. He never stops to question himself, or the other people who imitate him. To quote League of Legends Arcane of all things, he's so busy worrying about greatness that he doesn't stop to ask himself if his actions are good. Every time we see All Might fight a villain, no matter who it is, it's a complete and absolute beat down.

"A hero's always ready to smash his way through trouble, tell me villain do you know the meaning of, plus ultra?"

All Might himself might have brought in AFO alive despite him being the worst villain ever and kept him in prison without executing him, but he's inspired an entire society of top heroes who are in fact, totally cool with brutalizing villains. Heroes who when they hear the only way to fight the Nomus is to kill them, and killing them is completely okay, are actually excited and find it fun.

"Oh wow, we can kill them? Cool, that's way easier!" All Might himself might not kill, but the attitude he promotes that a hero is someone who punches his way through a villain no matter what, promotes this line of thinking.

I could go through the manga and nitpick All Might, like how he never had any reaction to finding out his close personal colleague abused his own family, how he called Dabi the child Endeavor abused a maniac right in front of his brother's face, I bring these up but they're nit picks, I don't think they're in the spirit of the argument. Horikoshi is not trying to say that All Might is cool with child abuse, I'm nitpicking inconsistencies in the writing there. However, the dual nature of All Might's influence on society and the double nature of heroes themselves has been a long running plot thread.

All Might is completely unaware of the toxic influence he has on others, and also refuses to self-evaluate and look at his own flaws because as I stated above he mistakenly believes that All Might needs to be Superhuman in order to be a hero. Therefore, he can't have flaws. All Might seems to believe it's his ability to perform superhuman deeds that makes him a hero, unlike Clark Kent who's greatest ability is his sense of right and wrong.

Clark also, does not support the brutalization of villains in any way. If you want to watch the animated series, there's an episode called "When there's Smoke" where Superman meets a villain who's the victim of government experimentation, and spends most of the episode trying to talk her down, and de-escalate the fight.

Clark: Don't do it volcana. I can help you. Volcana: No thanks. These days I can help mysrlf. Clark: Listen, nobody will blame you for what you've done, but the stealing has to stop, now. Clark: You have to trust me, Volcana. Volcana: DO you know how many times I've heard that? From my parents before they shuffled me off to the institute? From the institute just before they turned me over to the feds. And from the government just before they took away my life.

At the end of the episode, he doesn't even hand her over to the feds or the government because he knows they're going to experiment on her.

Superman usually attempts to de-escalate first, whereas All Might always skips step one. In fact, one of Superman's most legendary animated scenes in the DCAU is a scene where he shows just how much he always holds back in a fight.

"That man won't quit as long as he can draw breath. None of my teammates will. Me, I've got a different problem. I feel like I live in a world made of cardboard. Always taking constant care not to break something, to break someone, never allowing myself to lose control even for a moment, as someone could... die. Now, you can take it can't you big man? What we have here is a rare opportunity for me to cut loose, and show you just how powerful I really am."

Clark is constantly concerned that if he doesn't hold back perfectly he might hurt someone more than he intended to, even a bad guy, whereas All Might is always going Plus Ultra on those purse snatchers. When Shigaraki brings up the possibility that All Might might be just as violent as the people he fights, he just laughs it off and pounds Shigaraki into the pavement.

Here's another clip where superman disavows violence. Quoted Here:

"Yes, they did see. They saw the ugliness as a solution and it frightens them. It frightened me too when I decided to cross that line and do what you do. It's so easy, anger, vengeance. *Fake punch* Luckily, I'm not you and I never will be." [...] "You think that's it. It's not over you poncey twit. If you think I'll just go to jail and rot you're living in a dream world." "Good, dreams save us. Dreams lift us up and transform us into something better. ANd on my soul, I swear that until my dream of a world where dignity, honor and justice are the reality we all share I'll never stop fighting, ever..."

Clark deliberately holds himself back from violence, because he knows he's a role model other people look up too and he doesn't want them imitating him.

Clark does not think his powers make him a hero, which is why he is so mindful of them. While I don't think All Might is convinced that powers make you a hero, to the lengths that say Endeavor absolutely seeps convinced that being a strong hero, and having strong powers should make him good.... I do want to compare how Clark and All Might act when they're called to save someone in a situation where their powers don't help.

Shigaraki Tomura, the villain of the manga is the grandson of All Might's mentor Shimura Nana. At her request, he never looked for her son after Nana decided to abandon him for his own safety, so they could remain hidden. As a result, when Shimura Tenko lost control of his own quirk and killed his family, no hero came to save him. Not only was All Might unaware of the situation because he was keeping his promise to his old mentor, but in the society that All Might created, Shimura walked the streets for days and not a single person stopped to help him.

Tenko is the child that All Might cold not save. However, upon learning of his existence, that All For One kidnapped the grandchild of his mentor, and then raised him for years into a villain and twisted him as a pawn to use against All Might... learning those circumstances All Might still doesn't try to go after him.

When All Might learns there was someone he did not save, someone he also has a personal connection too because his grandmother abandoned her family in order to raise him up as a hero, his reaction amounts to "Shucks, what can you do?"

"Shucks, what can you do?"

To compare All Might's dilmena with Tenko, the child he could not / did not save, there is a superman comic called "Superman: Up in the Sky" a six issue self-contained story, about Clark as he attempts to save a single girl who was abducted from earth and taken to space.

It examines the morality of such an action, Clark leaving the earth and going out of his way just for the sake of one person. After all, Clark is the most powerful hero. If Darkseid, or Brainiac shows up, you're going to need Clark fighting on your team.

The comci doesn't brush over the fact that Clark leaving just to save one little girl's life means he won't be there to help whatever natural disaster people need saving from, in fact Clark himself said it was a reason he shouldn't go, and Clark during the comic has constant hallucination and fear sequences of someone on earth dying because they needed his help and he was off saving a little girl.

Clark even has the option of leaving the search of the little girl up to the Green Lantern Corps, who are basically the universe's police with magic rings that let them fly practically anywhere and far more members than Clark, but he doesn't.

And his reasoning is simple. "No, I can't save everyone but maybe I can save her."

Superman even has a crisis of conscience with the two halves of himself, while hallucinating on an alien planet, the human half of him that wants to save one little girl, and the superhero sdie that's responsible for guarding earth from threats.

The alien himself says he only kidnapped her because she was a nobody, because she's someone who would never come after, because she's not worth that effort.

This is the defining scene which makes Superman, Superman. He came to save her, because superman isn't a set of powers, superman isn't a guy who fights bad guys, superman helps people.

Which is why I think All Might is just too different a character from Clark to really be comapred to him in the end, he's too wrapped up in his society's toxic ideals of heroism and too unwilling to bend from it. After all, if All Might had learned something, wouldn't his final stand be doing what Superman did in this comic? Giving everything he had left to save the child he failed to save? Instead, what do we see him do? Go to fight All for One in a giant robot suit.

The child who most needs to hear "I am here" is Shigaraki, but All Might's essentially already given up on him. "Shucks, what can you do?" Indeed. I want to point out in this same chapter though, All Might gives a very touching motivating speech to Todorki, reminding him he doesn't have to beat the big bad All for One, and it's okay for him to go after Dabi, and reassure his family and everyone else as a hero. THAT is the hero All Might could be, even without his powers. THAT is the hero who could try to talk to Shigaraki and bring him down, who could make an effort to be there for him now because he wasn't in the past. All Might's genuine altruism, and his moments where he uses his words and idealism to inspire people shows us what he could be, if he just divorced himself from this toxic notion that being a hero means standing up against a bad guy and beating them up.

However, we have not seen him do that yet. Because in the end All Might is no Superman. And he's DEFINITELY no Clark Kent.

[comicsart3]

Black Widow has a reasonably long comic book history, making her first appearance in Tales of Suspense #52 in 1964 but has arguably only recently come into her own thanks to reboots from the 2000s and the character’s appearance in the Marvel Comics movie franchise (Iron Man 2 in 2010). Despite being the creation of Stan Lee, Black Widow was a rather two dimensional Cold War figure, whose real name was Natalia (Natasha) Romanova who operated as a seductive Soviet spy and assassin in the 1960s, usually pitched against Iron Man and fellow Avengers. She was later portrayed as something of a brainwashed dupe, controlled by her sinister Communist Russian bosses, until at last, she discovers the joys of American individual freedom and defects to the USA. After this the character somewhat loses her point, working occasionally with The Avengers and briefly becoming Hawkeye’s love interest. In the 1970s, the character was relaunched as a crime-fighting espionage “babe” complete with tight leather costume, her flowing iconic red hair and a jet set lifestyle, perhaps manifesting Marvel’s ongoing struggle with feminist portrayals of its (few) major female characters.

The character dropped from sight in the 1980s and made fleeting appearances the following decade, usually allied to Tony Stark and was a sometime member of The Avengers. Her contributions were often linked to her former role as a Soviet operative, particularly after the Russian Communist regime collapsed in 1991.

In the more nuanced world of the 2000s, Black Widow has become a more standard sexy-but-lethal espionage character, generally working with the good guys against international threats, but her fraught background makes her a morally ambiguous figure, prone to rogue behaviour. In the page featured, Black Widow takes on Alexei Shostakov, Natalia’s original husband. Shostakov began as the Soviet version of Captain America, Red Guardian, frequently working with his wife on anti Western missions during the Cold War. Alexei became estranged from Natalia after her defection, and in the post-Soviet era, the need for Red Guardian was no more, so Shostakov took on the role of Ronin, a more conventional super assassin for hire, although he retained a love for Mother Russia. Working with a terrorist group known as the Dark Ocean Society, Ronin was eventually taken down by a number of Avengers, including Black Widow, and was actually, rather embarrassingly for him, captured and incarcerated by his ex-wife.

Black Widow, for me, falls rather unfortunately between the stools of more convincing DC heroines/villainesses such as Catwoman and Huntress and never quite equals either, her earlier politicisation as a character perhaps not helping. Her current role as a modern Modesty Blaise-type figure perhaps suits her best.

Sources: Black Widow and Red Guardian Wikipedia entries and ReadComicsOnline.

[neapaulatan]

Neapaulatan's Writeblr & Artblr Introduction!

[ID in the alt]

Hello beautiful people~

i'm paula or neapaulatan!

she/they

enfp

usa

aspiring illustrator and graphic novelist

digital illustration: photoshop, procreate, clip studio paint, illustrator

I'm open for commissions! See here!

Find me on:

Instagram

Patreon

Linktree

My art tag!

Favorite Books/Comics/Graphic Novels: The Adventure Zone, Persepolis, The Outsiders

Favorite Video Games: Skyrim, Horizon Zero Dawn & Forbidden West, God of War Series, Minecraft

Favorite Anime/Manga: InuYasha, FMA:B, Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid

Favorite Artists: Gabriel Picolo, Gretel Lusky, Danica Sills, Roger Witt

Current WIPs Below!

(Let me know if you'd like to be added to a taglist for one or multiple!)

Where Demons Hide

Genre: YA fantasy

Tropes/themes: found family, good vs. evil, destiny, redemption

Content warnings: blood/gore, racism, homophobia, kidnapping, implications of rape, mental illness trauma, death

Status: Drafting

Blog tag: #wdh

When twins Mira and Vera discover they have magical powers, they uncover the truth that their late mother was a fae, and their long-lost father is a demon. Their father comes after them for their rare and newly emerging powers, but when they try to run, Vera is kidnapped and Mira is thrown into the fae realm with nothing but a mysterious grimoire by their mother. Mira must maneuver this new, magical realm, find her sister, and stop her father, or else lose the last family she has left.

Cool & Hotshot

Genre: high fantasy, superheroes

Tropes/themes: fighting against religion/tradition, love, sacrifice, who's the real villain?

Content warnings: blood/gore, torture, mental illness, trauma, death

Status: Outlining

Blog tag: #c&h

When pryomancer Mel skips an important sacrifice at the temple, he runs into a rebellious cryomancer, Jessie, who only gets him into more trouble. She's wanted by the government, and when they're caught, they're given an ultimatum: become government-sanctioned superheroes and fight terrorism, or die. In choosing to live, their previous identities disappear and they emerge as dynamic duo, Cool and Hotshot. But when they're tasked with taking down a mysterious rebel leader known only as Void, Cool and Hotshot begin to question whose side they should really be on.

Near Death Experiences

Genre: fantasy, slice of life

Tropes/themes: death, being friendships with extraordinary circumstances

Content warning: death, mild sexual content

Status: One comic strip done

Blog tag: #nde

Will is a shy 20 year old fighting depression just trying to get by. But when Death accidentally kills her, they have to make it up to her—by bringing her back to life and becoming her best friend. Join Will on her daily adventures as she maneuvers learning how to be friends with Death and teach them how to act human enough to not get caught.

[nattobees]

ao3 writers, there's a spam commenter (most likely a bot) going around. It's already been reported by someone else so you only need to pre-emptively block if you want to. It seems to mostly be hitting obscure fics and fandoms, my fics with 0-2 kudos and comments in a fandom with 4 works all got hit.

Image description: a screenshot of an ao3 comment that reads:

Heow^^

How are you doing?

I am scottie from USA and I'm a avid reader as well as illustrator. I read your story and it really impressed me. So just now let me introduce myself so i am a commission artist and illustrator as well i draw so many illustrator and when I read your story so I just pop up something pretty cool idea in mind for your story. So if you are interested so I would love to help bring your characters and scenes to life. Whether it's a book cover, promotional art, or anything else, I can create high-quality illustrations at a reasonable price. I also have a great idea for you.

I craft captivating characters for writers, comic creators, and storytellers, bringing their narratives to life through animation. I also assist in publishing their stories, turning their visions into reality. Well I am wondering! How about if I'll make your OC full body in 2D/3D for you in my artstyle? in reasonable pricing^^

With different outfits and different poses which is totally based upon your liking and requirements!!

Work portfolio : https://www.flickr.com/photos/198236076@N05/

G-mail : vitaminbee1101@gmail.com

Discord : scottie_699

best wishes from scottie!

best regards!

scottie

[warm-cat-burrito]

This is legitimately just my spam blog. I have two other sideblogs, one for art/my OCs (@fennmeow) and one for therian/autism/ADHD stuff and general thoughts (@fennthetalkingdog). All I'll probably ever do here is reblog cool stuff I find, but the main reason I'm making this intro is just so I can organize all the tags I'll be using here. It'll change all the time (if I start to reblog something that requires a new tag, I'll add it here), so this will continually change.

For reference, though, I like:

Yu-Gi-Oh, Dungeon Meshi, and other anime/manga

Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, Tower of God, and other webtoons/webtoon anime

Persona 5 Royal (both the game and the manga <3)

Wings of Fire

Warrior cats

FNAF

Spiderman

Writing

(Some) K-pop songs, Vocaloid songs (Ghost and Pals <3), and music in general

Alt stuff (especially poc alt stuff)

Autism, ADHD, and therian stuff (will be limited tho since some of it will go on my sideblog)

so I'll definitely be reblogging that stuff. And I occasionally have hyperfixations, so that list is also subject to change, lol. Also I'll be putting real life stuff into either the #real life tag or the #advice tag (depending on what it is). Other stuff will be organized in one of the tags attached here (hopefully).

Also here are the links for the daily clicks for Palestine/Sudan thing because I keep forgetting and maybe you did too:

Okay so it looks like I'm gonna run out of tags soon so I'll put them under a cut (I'll save the actual tags for important and relevant ones):

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(Note: If tags have another tag next to them in parentheses, that's their spoiler tag; I try my best to use only one. And related tags can be listed in bullets beneath a parent tag—in this case all posts with the specific tag will also be tagged with the parent tag. If two tags have a "/" between them, that means they're interchangable and all posts with one tag will have the other too.)

General Trigger Warnings:

#tw blood

#tw drugs

* #tw weed

#tw eyestrain

#tw sex mention (literally for anything that mentions sex)

* #spicy (spicy stuff that may imply/describe sex but don't show it)

* nsfw (full-on nsfw stuff - I shouldn't be posting that? But just in case)

#tw syscourse (most will only be reblogged privately tho)

#tw periods

#tw politics

* #international news

* #congo

* #gaza/#palestine/#free palestine

* #haiti

* #sudan

* #tigray

* #usa news

* #us presidential debate

* #us politics

General Art Tags:

#animatic

#character design

#comic

#cool art (for art unrelated to a mentioned fandom)

* #anthro

* #artfight

* #fennmeow/#my art

* #monster

* #oc art

* #scenecore

#human designs

#suggestive

Anime:

#dungeon meshi (#dungeon meshi spoilers)

* #farcille

* #labru

* #secret lab!au (also under #crossover and #scp foundation)

#jujutsu kaisen

#mob psycho 100

* #transfem mob

* #transmasc reigen

#oshi no ko (#oshi no ko spoilers)

#tower of god (in this category since I'll barely reblog ToG webtoon stuff probably)

* #tower of god anime

#welcome to demon school iruma kun/#marimashita! iruma kun

* #iruma kun mafia if story

#yugioh

* #yugioh gx

Webtoons:

#omniscient reader's viewpoint (#omniscient reader spoilers)

Videogames:

#deltarune

#fnaf

* #fnaf movie

#legend of zelda

* #breath of the wild

* #tears of the kingdom

* #wind waker

#off game

#persona 5 royal

#slay the princess

#the stanley parable

#ultrakill

#undertale

Books:

#stormlight archive

#virals

#warrior cats

#wings of fire

Other Media:

#actirangers

#crossover (a tag for crossovers - I've gotta go back and retag stuff tho)

* #secret lab!au (dungeon meshi x scp foundation)

* #twin runes (undertale x deltarune)

#gravity falls

* #after canon AU

* #fiddleford

* #billford

* #bill(ford)^2

* #the book of bill

#lackadaisy

#musicals

* #cats the musical

* #hadestown

#my little pony

* #equestria girls

* #my little pony friendship is magic

#scp foundation

#spiderman (almost each character has their own tag in this category)

* #into the spiderverse (#into the spiderverse spoilers)

* #across the spiderverse (#across the spiderverse spoilers)

* #meows morales/#spidercat

#total drama island

#what we do in the shadows

* #my familiars ghost

Relating to Me:

#alterhuman/#nonhuman

* #otherkin

* #therian

#college things

* #major stuff (stuff about my majors)

* #minor stuff (stuff about my minors)

#for future fenn

* #for irl friends

#languages

#music

* #video game music

* #vocaloid

* #hatsune miku/#miku worldwide

#neurodivergent

* #autism

* #adhd

* #intellectual giftedness

* #overexcitability

* #stimming

#plurality

* #tulpamancy

#pride (for queer stuff in general)

#writing

* #fanfiction

* #mha fanfiction/#Rowan Call and Toby (my own mha fanfiction)

General Tags:

#important

#advice

* #drawing advice

* #job applications

#cats

#friend interactions (things like chain posts with friends)

#mental health

#pretty people

* #drag

#real life

* #comedy

* #disability

* #fundraiser

#resources (only for linked resources)

#stuff for atlas (stuff for my friend Atlas btw)

#tumblr

* #historic tumblr posts

* #poll

* #tumblr folks doing the usual

I apologize profusely for any untagged or badly tagged posts—I reblogged a bunch of stuff before I began my tagging system and some past stuff is still untagged or weirdly tagged.

[rei-ismyname]

The Power Fantasy

I don't want to spoil any of it, I just want to get across how disgustingly good this book is. The premise revolves around the Superpowers - which carries a different meaning in this alternate history - an individual with the destructive capability of the USA's nuclear arsenal. Think about that. There are 6 of them currently, and they can NEVER fight directly because it would destroy the world. Kieron Gillen wrote that TPF is in conversation with Immortal X-Men, except it's a creator owned comic so the kid gloves are off. A deconstruction of cape comics because these people are so powerful that there's a constant necessary balancing act to avoid destroying the Earth. Superheroes, except not. They're all invested in the world continuing to exist (so far) but have vastly different beliefs on how to achieve that. Therein lies the tension.

Light spoilers henceforth

Take this guy, for instance, Brother Ray 'Heavy' Harris. He has absolute control over gravity, so much so he lives with his family (fellow powered individuals - Atomics - but not Superpowers) in a floating city powered by a gravitational singularity he made.

He's been described as Magneto meets The Dude (The Big Lebowski) though Gillen has said that's really only where he starts. He has a Xavier analogue too, Etienne Lux, who makes Chuck look like Mentallo. Etienne is the character we know best as issue #4 drops, but it's Kieron Gillen so it's safe to say there's so much more to learn as the tension ratchets up.

This MF is who Chuck sees himself as, but much more effective. Kills the US president issue #1.

There's no comic I recommend more confidently, and Casper Wijngaard's art is transcendental. I'm still learning how to discuss visual art critically, so bear with me. Never have I felt the visuals tell as much story as the words - every choice is bold, purposeful and beautiful. 1969 looks like 1969 if pseudo Gods were a factor in the Cold War. 1999 looks like 1999 if that cold war never truly ended, with the nuclear powers realising and reacting to not being the supreme powers on the planet.

It's exciting, it's fascinating, it's existentially horrifying, it's only just begun. It's something new done by the best in the game with nothing to stop him cooking. Treat yourself.

[lokiinmediasideblog]

Can you recommend me Loki books? (as in novels, not norse mythology textbooks)

I am not sure if I rated these correctly in terms of audience maturity. But I tried lol.

Comics:

Valhalla comics-Peter Madsen

Fun slap-stick re-tellings of the Norse myths. Children oriented?

Loki (2004) aka "Blood Brothers" by Robert Rodi & Esad Ribic

It's my favorite Marvel!Loki comic of all time. It altered my brain chemistry. You can read it for free on the links in my pinned post.

The graphic novel version of Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman.

There's also this webcomic I found as a teen that's ongoing to this day and I need to go back to following:

Kids:

Loki: A Bad God's Guide to Being Good by Louie Stowell

Diary of a Wimpy Kid but with Norse mythology! What's not to love about that?!

Eight Days of Luke-Dianna Wynne Jones

The book that inspired "American Gods."

Odd and the Frost Giants-Neil Gaiman

A boy named Odd encounters Odin, Thor, and Loki who have been turned into animals.

Teens:

Runemarks duology-Joanne Harris

Just keep to the first two books. You'll hate the rest. Let's just say it dealt horribly with Eating Disorders and Harris should have done research on heavy topics before writing about them. Her Loki in the first two books is very enjoyable and he rules over goblins for a while, among other things. I also thought the way rune birthmarks worked in here was fun.

Norse Mythology-Neil Gaiman

It's an entertaining overview of the myths. If you're unfamiliar with them it's a good place to start.

Adult:

Black Wolf: The Binding of Loki-Una Verdandi

I don't recommend if you want a soft!Loki or one that remains a decent person. Loki is interesting and feels like a force of nature. But let's just say he's like the Joker with all that implies. But I thought it was a worthwhile read (very long). It has probably the best Sigyn depiction I've encountered. She feels like a real person! I go more in detail here. I'd pay attention to the things I warn about in case they're deal-breakers or triggers. My review is not spoiler free but contains warnings.

American Gods-Neil Gaiman

Has very interesting premise and a multiple pantheons existing at the same time. It's fun how the deities adapt to the USA and modern times.

The Goddess of Nothing at All-Cat Rector

This book is basically a Norse myth whump fic. I would avoid if that's not your thing because I can see how someone else might hate it. I know I like it because making fictional characters suffer is my guilty pleasure. You won't be laughing at the mythology-based Loki memes. I don't think it's perfect. For example, I dislike that they have to make Loki's every action "justified", such as cutting Sif's hair because Sif called him fantasy racism slurs. Let him be a bit of an asshole just because. The disproportionate punishment makes it difficult not to sympathize with Loki either way. I don't know how I feel about her Sygin. It's the 2nd best Sygin I've seen yet in books. She has a personality, is likeable, and is not a doormat, but something about her and this Loki feels sanitized to me. Like the author was checking boxes for Sygin and Loki. I don't know how to explain it.

Father of Monsters-A. B. Frost

Short read. Loki is a loveable little shit that gets the Aesir into trouble and takes one for the team to get them out of it. I really liked this characterization and it had cute illustrations of Loki, Angrboda, and Jormungandr.

The Nine Worlds Rising Series-Lyra Wolf

They're not perfect. I think her Loki is very funny and likable but too sanitized. And Sigyn has no flaws other than caring too much for her no-good brother while the other goddesses are evil witches. But the author has a very comedic writing voice that is highly enjoyable and keeps the stakes high so that you want to keep on reading. I also like how one of the books starts with a very vengeful Loki and draws comparisons to Lucifer. Thought that was cool. Also, some reactions to some reveals didn't land the impact as well as they should. They do tease the Odin/Loki abusive relationship, but not with the toxicity I wanted, and Odin goes on a redemption path a bit too soon for my liking (while making all the goddesses evil witches...). There's also a lot of anachronistic language in here, such as Loki mentioning a Chihuahua.

Books I haven't read but I know of their existence:

Loki-Melvin Burgess (I saw a Sigyn stan complain about it, but I am not sure how seriously to take her complaints because she said shipping myth!Loki with say Balder or Thor or Odin was "incestuous" because Loki is Odin's "blood brother" despite Loki being unrelated to everyone but Narfi and Nari on Asgard). My standards for Loki don't require that Loki be a paragon of morality, unlike hers. UPDATE: A mutual told me it's horribly transphobic and has rape apologia.

Harbinger of the End-Nicki Chapelway (I've seen praise from Logyn shippers for this one)

Loki: Nine Naughty Tales of the Trickster by Mike Vasich

I saw an excerpt with a rather humorous joke, but the one other Mike Vasich Loki book I read bored the hell out of me. So I haven't given it a chance for that reason.

The Blackwell Pages by Kelley Armstrong and Melissa Marr

It's a children's book series where the descendants of Thor and Loki are the protagonists.

I might have some revies in "LokiBookClub" tag.

[jasmine604]

W1. 10 creatives

1. René Ferracci (1927 - 1982)

Rene Ferracci is a French director, illustrator, and designer. After completing his military service, he became the head of advertising at MGM in 1949. He played a key role in the cinema poster genre, esp within the French cinema world. His designs were a combination of traditional poster design and trends from comics/press illustration at the time. He was also honoured with the César d'honneur in 1986 posthumously, which cemented his legacy. 

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2. Denis Dulude

Denis Dulude is a canadian graphic, motion and type designer. Before founding his graphic design studio, he was a ballet dancer for 11 years. He opened the 2Rebels studio in Montreal in 1995 with Fabrizio Gilardino that was sold to Fonthaus in 2007, He got known for his unconventional graphic style, and as such as been on book covers and magazines. He now teaches typography at University of Quebec in Montreal.

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3. Hans Hillmann (1925-2014) 

Hans Hilman was a german designer of the post-war period. He started his career by working with Walter Kircher who borough art house films to Germany through his company Neue Filmkunst. As such he started designing a lot of movie posters for international films and became known as the founding father of german poster design. Since then he got involved in the magazine and Newspaper design world and has become the art director for many papers. He also taught at the Kassel Design school. 

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4. Elisa Sue Young Park

Elisa Sue Young Park is a photographer and is also known for her depot store ‘sugarcubeshop’ where she sold archival Japanese fashion pieces, as such making her known within the fashion and photography world. She particularly gained traction through her work with Heaven Marc Jacobs, where she is regularly photographed as well as made zines for the company. She is also legal assisting civil rights lawyers in Koreatown and works for a Korean American youth nonprofit organization. 

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5. David Carson (1995 - )

David Carson is a well known graphic designer and art director that rose in popularity in the 1990s as his experimental style changed the world of design. He is claimed as the godfather of ‘grunge typography’ and this can be seen in his work for the magazine ‘Ray Gun’ for which he was the art director. He has also been the art director of the magazine Beach Culture in the past. His work has been characterised by chaotic typography and a ‘disarray of photos overlapping each other’. 

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6. Lise Sarfati (1958 - )

Lise Sarfati is a French photographer whose work explores the ‘instability of feminine identity’ as a common theme in her photography are young women who resist attempts of being pinned down. Although that is what she is most known for, these days she explores the relationship between people and urban landscape. She has worked a lot in Russia and USA. She traveled across the USA, and documented ‘adolescent’ cities like Austin (TX), Portland (OR), Los Angeles (CA), etc - she named this piece La Vie Nouvelle. Her work tends to follow this process of travel/exploration. 

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7. Paolo Roversi (1947 -  )

Paolo Roversi is a fashion photographer known for his ‘intimate and classic’ look. His career started in 1970 with photojournalism but eventually, his interest shifted to fashion and he began to assist Laruence Sackman. He then started shooting fashion and editorials himself which crafted his sought-after image in the fashion world today. He added polaroid photography in the 1980s and it’s been a part of his practice ever since. He has collaborated with leading fashion and beauty houses like Dior, Chanel, Armani, Lancome, Comme Des Garçons and has been in magazines like Vogue frequently.

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8. Petra Collins (1992 - )

Petra Collins is a Canadian artist who is best known as a photographer but also is a director, fashion model, and actor. Her photography is described as dreamlike and feminine. She rose to popularity in the 2010s as she was the resident photographer for the rookie magazine. She has directed short films and music videos for artists like Selena Gomez, Olivia Rodrigo, Carly Rae Jepson, and Lil Yachty. She’s been labeled as an IT girl and was also the face of Gucci in 2016. Her career started with Richard Kern who took on the role of her mentor, she also then went on to become Ryan Mcginley’s protegee before building up her own work. She is also someone that writes articles/essays. 

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9. Vewn (1999 -)

Vewn or Victoria Vincent is an American artist and 2d animator. She is a content creator who uses Vimeo and youtube to showcase her animations that tell her stories. She created illustrations and comic strips and uses unique colours and distorted angles from which the audience views her work. She is relatively She is self-taught and has been on the YouTube platform since 2015, her exact origins are unknown. Her videos however have been a part of media outlets like Huffington Post, Buzzfeed, and Teen Vogue.

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10. Clare Caulfield

Clare Caulfield is an artist and printmaker. She likes to travel around the world, and this serves as her main inspiration and source material in her work. She likes to screen print as it allows her to transfer her sketchbook drawings which she usually draws on-site to bigger canvases - she likes the sense of spontaneity this allows. She uses a variety of methods and techniques like pen, watercolour, acrylic, pencil, and collage as well. Her work can be bought online but she also often exhibits it in galleries. She has cited that one of her inspirations is Stephen Wilshire. 

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