#donnie was already an excellent fighter

[tangledinink]

so we saw one of swanatello's good days . . . how do the bad days go? :eyes: don't mind me i feed on angst~

Swanatello is Guardian of The Lake and is extremely territorial and protective. The brothers have to take turns and visit him one at a time-- if they approach as a group, Swanatello will quickly grow defensive and view them as a threat. They've learned by now that if he's not able to recognize them, the best thing to do is back off and try again tomorrow.

... Mostly learned, anyway.

(The next time Leo's able to visit properly, Donnie will worriedly ask him what happened to his wrist.)

[imagionationstation]

OKAY— so like, we had scenarios of which the B-Team were raised by the Shredder, but what if it was the A-Team??

Shredder telling both Leonardo and Raphael (who now goes by Takeō and Akihitō respectively) lies about their younger littermates (Donatello and Michelangelo, whom he named as Junkō and Kōta)— telling them that their younger siblings have been ruthlessly killed by Hamato Yoshi, who had deemed them as an abomination.

In fact, Shredder wasn't even aware of the existence of the younger two; at least, not until both Takeō and Akihitō brought it up a few months after they were officially able to carry out missions and daily patrol. However, he couldn't deny that it's truly a blessing— there's a chance that they might know of Hamato Yoshi's location, and even then, Shredder can expand his army of powerful mutants.

Donatello and Michelangelo, on the other hand, aren't so thrilled about having to 2v2 their older brothers at just about everytime. There's also that the two have the tendency to play dirty. Stalking their friends and whatnot, it's driving them up the wall.

I don't know if Karai should be with the Shredder, because her rivalry with the A-Team over the younger onces is delicious.

What do you think?

I love this. No, no, wait, see my vision, look-

Takeō and Akihitō are everything that Shredder needs them to be. They took up training from the moment that their little legs could walk and they excelled past anything that he’d ever seen before, and one of Shredder’s greatest fighters happens to be blind, mind you, so he knows what greatness looks like.

He knows it has to relate to the fact that they’re mutants, but he couldn’t care less. With one student who bears a determination to please and the other with the violent fury to be molded like his own, they’re better than an entire legion of Foot soldiers. Takeō makes sure every command is followed and Akihitō leaves no enemy unpunched- what could be better?

They’re perfect. No, they’re better than perfect. They’re a miracle.

One that he never hesitates to take advantage of. If Yoshi had done one thing right in his lifetime, it was leading him to them.

And then- AND THEN-

Enter Mikey and Donnie.

The universe throws out two turtles with on obvious ignorance of surface life and an instinct to defend those that dwell on it. Leo and Raph’s world is thrown out of whack the first time that they spot them- considering Mikey is a younger-shaped replica of them with freckles. They keep an curious eye on them from a distance, but uncertain what to make of them, don’t interact.

They inquire about it to their father and (considering Saki likely stole them from Yoshi) he fabricates a story that horrifies them. They already know about Yoshi and how he killed Karai’s mother- but he tore apart their family too?

Afterward, it takes about five seconds to connect the dots on who these mutant turtles are. They go out to track down and reconnect with their brothers. *insert canon plot stuff*

When Donnie and Mikey try to save a kidnapped April, they fail pretty badly. The Saki brothers step in, stop the Kraang from taking the girl before Donnie and Mikey’s brains get blown out, but don’t really do much about them taking the dad. They don’t really care about the humans. They’re far more interested in prodding the turtles.

And, after taking April to her aunt’s, prodding absolutely happens from both sides.

The childish giddy air of the Junkō and Kōta upon finding their siblings obviously cements them as the younger siblings in the Saki brother’s minds. They don’t doubt for a moment that they are who they say they are because Splinter told them that they had two missing brothers as little kids.

Mind made up, Leo insists that they come home. Mikey insists that they have a home and Donnie admits they shouldn’t really wander off with strangers. They both vocalize that their rat dad needs to meet them first since he’s the one who lost them and he’s misses them and they don’t have to abandon their dad or anything, they just really want them to meet Splinter! (The Foot symbols on their gear mean nothing to the Hamatos and the name Splinter means nothing to the Sakis. Oopsy.)

And so they wait around for Mikey and Donnie to collect Splinter and then Splinter comes across his sons and Leo and Raph are tolerant until he introduces himself as Hamato Yoshi and then it all clicks that the man who Shredder thought killed their brothers and he had stolen them away instead and he’s the reason that they haven’t see them for fifteen years-

They don’t even give Yoshi time to explain before they’re attempting to eliminate the threat. Donnie and Mikey are insanely confused until one of the brothers lets it slip that their dad is Saki and- oh wait are they evil?!- so now there’s fighting, attempted forced reasoning and kidnapping of little brothers, but the Hamatos manage to get away.

So now Leo and Raph’s are simply DISTRAUGHT because the madman had stolen and brainwashed their little brothers so how were supposed to focus on anything else when they’re out there but actively on the wrong side of this war??

It trashes their game and suddenly his miracle team is no longer a shinning example of perfection. Once again, Yoshi has ruined something great and, instead of seething, Saki gets creative.

He fakes an understanding with what his sons are going through and expresses a wish that he knew where Yoshi was so that he could put an end to the threat. If only, they could find the lair where he was keeping their brothers prisoner, maybe then they rid the world of the rat and bring them home. Once they’re free from Yoshi’s dark influence, they could all be one happy family.

And Leo, like the helpful little leader he is, realizes that they could find the lair. Him and Raph could totally find a way to convince the brothers to take them home, or even find a way to get in without their knowledge. They were ninjas, masters of deception and lies. They could do it, Master, if only he would give them a chance?

So he does because an end to Yoshi and two new powerful warriors is more than he could hope for. Exactly what he deserves.

And the rest of the series is just Raph and Leo doing everything in their power to inch their way into their brother’s trust. They stalk them in a desperate itch to make sure they’re okay, which leads to them intercepting and assisting on a bunch of Kraang mission.

They run into each other when Donnie and Mikey try to stop the Foot from being evil, and Leo and Raph are more concerned with making sure nothing happens to their brothers that the Hamato brothers end up completing their mission more often than not.

Leo and Raph are still dedicated to the Foot but their priorities are skewed every time their brother come into play. Nine times out of ten, baby brothers take first priority. And Saki lets these mishaps happen because his sons are insistent upon gaining the Hamatos trust.

It doesn’t take Donnie and Mikey long to realize what Leo and Raph are doing, protecting-them wise. They don’t quite understand it, but they assume that even though they have been misguided and brainwashed by Shredder, they still are good people deep down. It’s incredibly annoying that they are always in the way and can’t seem to realize how what they’re doing is obviously evil, though.

Like plotting younger siblings do, they adapt to use the brother’s new apparent weakness against them, putting themselves in situations where the Saki brothers have no choice but to interviene- even if that means slicing their own bots or preventing their own missions from succeeding. And the best part is that the Saki brothers have no idea that they’re being played- they really just believe that their baby brothers are kinda bad at their jobs.

Which really doesn’t help with the whole PROTECT alarms constantly ringing in their brains.

As for Karai, I think she would still be with the Foot, but instead of a doting older sister, there would be jealousy vibes. She’d been overshadowed her entire life by these ‘perfect’ brothers and she jumps at the opportunity to impress her father when they start slipping. She could even play an antagonist role- actively trying to dissuade her father’s approval of Leo&Raph’s activities in order to get a better standing. She doesn’t want them murdered at the stake or anything, simply taken out of the favoritism role so that his actual human daughter (or so she thinks) can have a scrap of his attention.

I WAS GOING TO STOP HERE BUT YOU HAVE ME THINKING ABOUT PLOT AND SUCH NOW-

Like, Donnie would now be the eldest with the responsibilities of genius and leader, which means that he probably feels like his baby brother’s one line of defense against an entire universe. Splinter didn’t train his boys for war- but Saki did. Imagine the pressure on his shoulders to keep his family safe while actively on deadly missions with brothers who could turn on them at any second, stuck under the weight of wanting to get April reunited with her missing family.

Leo’s side of the spectrum is spent worrying that two of his brothers are under the abusive care of their kidnapper. He desperately hones the “but I can totally bring them to our side and make them see things our way!” attitude that he has for Karai during the canon series. He does everything in his power to keep the blame from falling on them when missions go wrong, fabricating stories for their father, like he’s always done to keep Raph out of trouble. He doesn’t care for the Hamato’s missions, but he cares greatly for their safety, so he makes sure they tag along at every opportunity, whether they are wanted or not. Stalking is never out of the question, even if it doesn’t take long for the Hamatos to adapt to their presence.

I CAN’T SHUT UP ABOUT THIS SUDDENLY:

So there’s this song “Our Word” from 36 questions that absolutely has the vibes from this au that has taken root in my brain and when I think of Leo being a sneaky little guy and keeping Raph out of trouble- IT FITS. Well, these specific verses anyway:

When I was a little [boy] Like really little, like eight or so I was playing in my father's study A place in the house I wasn't supposed to go

My father fancied himself a sailor His study was filled with nautical decor He kept a boat in a bottle on the top of a shelf And it shattered on the ground when I slammed the door

I told my [brother] everything I told [him] I was so, so sorry [He] told me, "Don't cry, When he comes home tonight We can make everything okay This is all we have to say"

"We don't remember a boat in a bottle It must've fallen off its shelf alone We know you loved it, we're so sad it's broken But neither one of us was even home"

And it's our word Yes, our word Against his

HOLY MOTHER OF MUTATIONS I AM DEVOURING THIS AU AND NOW I HAVE RETURNED WITH CONCEPT:

“You shouldn’t be out alone.”

Donnie lands as irritation crawls up his spine and becomes fuzzy little ambers in his brain. He has a few irrational thoughts, such as giving the nuisance a taste of throwing stars, but they’re dismissed as he pretends to check his t-phone. He can sense one entity behind him, but his partner doesn’t seem to be hovering nearby.

He turns, t-phone at his side, the cheese phone on speed-dial. He doubts the Foot ninja wants to kill him, but if this is another kidnapping attempt…

Well. Better safe than sorry.

“Apperently, I’m not. Need something?”

“You almost got caught tonight.” Takeō cocks his head, face passive. “You shouldn’t be breaking into military junkyards. There have to be safer options. There’s a place in Chinatown. Less guns.”

“Well, as soon as civilians throw out this kind of equipment,” Donnie pats the bag on his hip. “I’ll consider it.”

He frowns. “You’re taking risks.”

“Weren’t your men trying to slit my throat last week?”

“That was not my doing.”

“Oh, sure, Shredder doesn’t want to lure Splinter out of hiding and you would never kidnap me or Mikey, right?”

“I didn’t know about Bradford’s scheme until it was to late.” Takeō scans his face and Donnie denies the sincerity any thought. “You have to believe us- why else would we help you escape?”

“To earn our trust? For future blackmail? As some part of some evil Foot plot to hurt Sensei?” Donnie sneers. “I don’t care what your excuse is when you made my brother bleed.”

“I told Bradford to back off, but I can only do so much.” The tone is defensive, but his frown softens guiltily. “I can’t stop the bots from doing their programing. Maybe if my clan did not see you as a threat- if you would rethink your position-”

His grip tightens over the t-phone. “This is not a conversation that I am entertaining. Goodbye, Takeō.”

“Wait-”

He does not.

And then Takeō is across the rooftop and roughly taking hold of his arm before he can take more than two steps. The t-phone clatters, adrenaline surging as he stops dead in his tracks. His attention shoots from the weapon on the warrior’s hip and then to the blue gaze that is drilling holes into his skull.

He swallows, proud that his voice doesn’t shake. “Let go.”

Takeō tightens his hold. He steps forward, their gazes locked, face unreadable. Donnie thinks it might be an intimation tactic, but he’s not scared, per say. His gut squirms in discomfort and he feels weirdly small despite being inches taller. He expects a low warning, or some kind of dark threat to cut the air between them.

Instead, he gets a soft promise laced so heavily in passion that it might as well have been shouted across the rooftops.

“I would never hurt my brothers.”

Donnie is silent for several seconds.

“You’re hurting me right now.”

Takeō tears his hand away as though he just found out that Donnie was radioactive. Donnie rubs the area, mostly for show, in the hopes of dissuading him from trying that again.

“…I-I meant…” Donnie looks up. No hesitation crosses his face, but his words come with uncertainty. “Not like that. Never like that.”

Donnie humphs.

“Is- Is Kōta-”

“Mikey.”

Takeō stares and Donnie glares back.

The warrior relents. “How is he?”

“It was a flesh wound.” Donnie picks up the t-phone, unsure why he’s telling him anything. “He’s already back to being a hassle.”

A beat of quiet. “I suppose that means we’ll be reunited soon.”

“To kick your shells in? Yeah. Probably.” Donnie puts away his device, looking somewhere over Takeō’s shoulder to the bulky shadow who has been inching closer through the extent of their conversation.

“You know, family means more to me than biology. Shocking to hear from a scientist, I know.” He pauses for effect, considering. “A family with differences is still a family. You might be serious about this whole hurting thing when it comes to Mikey and me…” He narrows his eyes and trains the hostility on the piercing gaze. “But if I find out that you even thought about touching my father again, you can forget any chance of brotherhood. I might seem like a weak joke to you, but I promise that I can make your life a living hell.”

Donnie stares him down, grip tight over the strap of the bag filled with weaponry that he’ll use to make Metalhead truly surface worthy so nothing can harm Mikey again, and dares Takeō to challenge him.

“There’s no stronger warrior than one whose greatest virtue is their loyalty.” Takeō decides simply. “And there is nothing more that I’d expect from a brother.”

Donnie is pretty sure that’s a compliment. He’s not sure what that he to do with backing off his father, but he accepts it.

He releases the bag. “Glad we understand each other.”

He turns his back to the ninja, looking over his shoulder. “And don’t have Akihitō follow me home.”

Takeō stiffens, eyes widening. He smirks. “See you later, bro.”

With a burst of speed, he takes off.

To their credit, they don’t follow.

Donnie knows better to assume that this’ll be the last time he has eyes on his shell. But, for the first time, he thinks he won’t mind.

[jayswritings13]

TMNT 2012: Turtles saving reader

Request: "Headcanons of 2012!Leo, Raph, Donnie, and Mikey react to Reader being at awe when they saw him and thanks him for saving them?" by Anon

💗Masterlist | WIP Page

Leonardo

"You're amazing, Leo."

Made him feel like a real hero for once.

Not that he'll exactly admit that.

But ever since he was little, he dreamed of this moment.

His smile will never got any bigger than it did just now.

"It was nothing."

"It wasn't." You said, grabbing his hand, "I mean, you and your brothers just came in and made sure that I was okay. I have never met anyone like you. Someone who will selflessly save others."

"I mean--You don't--I-" Leo stuttered, shocked.

He knew what he and his brothers did was selfless and heroic

But hearing someone he cares about say all of that more?

He is absolutely on cloud 9, but will not tell his brothers that for the life of him.

Besides, he quite literally watched Raph get a lecture from Master Splinter about not letting the heroism of their work get to him.

So, he couldn't let it show to the others

But by the look of your face, he knew that you could tell.

"Thank you, Leo."

".....You're welcome."

Raphael

"That was amazing!"

"I know." He said with a huge grin.

Yeah, he's one of those.....

He know how amazing he is and is not humble about it in the slightest.

Which has led to many talks and lectures from Splinter and Leo

Besides, he's not about to deny your praise.

That would be rude of him.

Though, after a little while of knowing him, you know that this is a front he puts up.

",,,,,,do you really think that?"

"Wha-" You paused, quickly understanding what he was referencing. "Of course I do."

Silence

You've never seen him grin so much.

"Please," You rolled your eyes, "like you don't already know." You laughed.

"Oh I do," Raph smirked, "And I know. Just different hearing it from someone else for a change."

What he doesn't like to say is how much your praise and affirmations mean to him.

But something tells him that you kind of already know.

Donatello

Donnie isn't always one to boast.

Well, unless it comes to his scientific interventions and other discoveries.

OH HE WILL GLOAT AND HE WILL EXPECT PRAISE BACK

But, his fighting skills?

He's never really given them much thought.

Well, he has, but he wasn't about to brag about them.

After all, he knows that he's not the strongest fighter.

Which has never bothered him actually, since he knows that he excels in other areas that his brothers don't.

So, in the same vein as Leo, he's a little shocked when you bring attention to it.

"Oh-" He said, "I mean I guess. I never really thought about it like that much. But you don't have to thank me for that stuff all the time. It's just what we do."

He's lying.

He wants verbal praise so badly and you are fully aware of that.

Which is exactly why you don't listen to him when he says this and continue vocalizing your praises to him.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Y'know for what." You grinned, noting the small smile from Donnie. "But, thank for helping me the other day. You are amazing."

Michelangelo

Mikey has no filter and no chill when it comes to..... well, most things.

And his fighting skills is definitely under that category.

He's not shy about exclaiming how awesome things are.

But, he's also not entirely used to hearing that reciprocated back towards him.

Afterall, Master Splinter always emphasized that it was wrong to brag about that type of stuff.

Well, outside of training praise of their fighting skills was rather frowned upon.

Much like his brothers, Mikey did so anyway.

Or at least wanted others to see how cool this talent for fighting was, besides his brothers that is.

He was more vocal about it than Leo wanted him to be.

So hearing you vocalize that praise was a welcome surprise.

One that he never turned down or dismissed like he was taught to.

"That was incredible! I can't believe you just did that." You said.

"That's what I've been trying to tell the others!" Mikey smiled brightly, "They don't listen to me!"

"I mean it, Mikey. That was amazing and you are too."

You never saw him smile as much as he did in that moment.

It was then that you made a mental not to praise him a little more often than you already do.

[itzzaira]

Oohh!

Both Mikey and Michelangelo lit up- aww, everyone here was so nice! "Thank you!" Mikey happily chirped, reaching out to take them- but stopped when he got a look at his hands.

...Right.

He quietly lowered them.

Michelangelo, having picked up on this habit of his by now, took the markers himself, grinning up at the twins. "Thanks, dudes!" He pointed at them with a wink, then nudged his counterpart. "Not like I can draw either, man. We can give them to my Raph?"

"...Hm." Mikey still looked a bit sad. Michelangelo's smile fell, but it was back in an instant. Without thinking about it, the older put one of the markers between his teeth and pulled off the cap. One hand still full of markers, Michelangelo somehow managed to grab Mikey's hand with the same hand. The box turtle looked confused- but grinned when the older drew a star on top of the bandages on his hand. "Hey!"

"There!" Michelangelo put the cap back on, looking proud. He decided to put the unused markers in his pouch, keeping the one he had used in hand. "Now they sparkle like the rest of you."

The younger snickered, and held his hand in front of his face. He sniffed once he caught onto the smell-

Both missing the blue glint in his eyes that lit up right after.

"They smell good!"

"Really?" Michelangelo took the cap off to smell it himself- his eyes turning a darker shade of blue. "Hm... I had excpected blueberries." He shrugged.

Actually... what was that smell? Some kind of flower? Though a bad-smelling flower. Hadn't it been a nice smell? Maybe Donatello would know?

He shook his head to clear the thoughts, about to reach for Mikey to draw more stars on his hands- but stopped. "Uh... little orange?"

"Yeah?" Mikey was still smelling his hand- though he looked uneasy now. He scratched on the drawn-on star... it felt wrong.

"Your scars, dude... you okay?"

"Huh?" Confused, the box turtle looked down- surprised to see his ninpo had lit up, the scars glowing so brightly it could be seen through the bandages. "That's... weird."

"When aren't we?" Michelangelo threw an arm around his shoulders- but both flinched with a yelp when they felt a spark of electricity go through.

In an instant, the scenery changed.

Eyes lit up gold for a moment before going to blue- a blue and dark fog starting to cover the area surrounding them. The two looked lost- and alarmed. "What the shell..."

"Uhm... Leo, Donnie, are you two-" the twins were gone. "...okay?"

"Maybe it's a new, last-second surprise event?" Michelangelo didn't seem like he believed it himself, already resting a hand on the nunchucks attached to his belt, but still tried to keep the mood light. Mikey inched closer to him- a sense of doom seeming to take over the place.

His scars glew brighter.

Which... was starting to hurt, actually. "Ow..." he rubbed a finger over his wrist.

Immediately, Michelangelo was alarmed- he knew mystic powers hurt. Heck, over the course of the event, neither his nor Donatello's burns had healed even the tiniest bit. He didn't have anything that belonged to any of their brothers to give to Mikey.... "Stay behind me." He blinked, pupils gone.

Although Mikey was an excellent fighter, he knew his arms were useless at the moment. So he didn't argue. "...Maybe there's a fire going on?"

"A blue one?"

Michelangelo didn't sound convinced- he could barely see in front of him now. All he saw was blue.

"You never know with this pla- hm?" Mikey looked down when he felt something grabbing his ankles.

And screamed.

Michelangelo quickly turned to see what was going on- and froze at the sight.

That was Leo.

The exact way he and Donatello had found the slider on day one- cracked shell, broken limps, bleeding on the ground- his eyes, however, were completely blue.

He looked afraid. Scared. Terrified, as he looked up at Mikey with hurt.

"...Why did you leave me there, Mikey?"

The box turtle's breath hitched, and he took a step back- his pupils had gone blue. What was-

"What- what are you-"

"Why didn't you get me out of there?" The slider continued to ask, attempting to get up- he only made it half way before he collapsed, leaning on his arms, head hanging low. He coughed, his breath hitching. "Why did you leave me with them?"

"I... no, I-" Mikey was shaking his head in disbelief, taking another step back. No, no, that was- something was wrong. "I got you out-! I opened a portal-"

"Did you...?" The slider coughed again- something dripped down his chin. Still, he crawled towards Mikey. "Or did you fail, and leave us to die, like always?"

"What-?"

"You left me." Leo sounded angry as he finally looked up again- so much anger and hate in his eyes, it hurt. "You left me to die."

Mikey shook his head again. His arms burned, they burned, they burned, but it was proof. Proof that he had ripped open a portal. He clutched at his arms in attempt to ground himself- this must be a prank. A sick prank, but a prank. "No, I got you out, other me found you-" he turned around- but to his shock, Michelangelo wasn't there. "...Other me?"

Nothing.

Silence.

"You left me." Leo spoke again, his voice sounding harsher than before. "You left all of us."

His voice echoed at that last part. Not even a second later, Mikey heard a roar.

Slowly turning around....

...That was Raph. Completely Kraangified.

Donnie next to him. On the ground. Still. Bleeding.

"You couldn't save them either!" Leo cried, snatching at his ankles. Tears dripped down his cheeks, completely cyan, as he growled, with hate. "How could you?!"

"No..." Mikey shook his head, pulling away, something wet trickling down. He kept walking backwards, away from his brother- who just kept trying to get to him. "No, no, I..." he looked at his hands.

His shaky, ugly, useless hands.

He... had he freed Leo?

Had he... imagined that?

When he woke up.... and everyone kept telling him it wasn't real- no.

His breath hitched, and he covered his mouth with one hand, while still looking at the other. His heart completely shattered.

"How could you leave me to die?!" Leo asked, sounding just as heartbroken as Mikey felt. His voice echoeing along with the other words, useless, weak, broken, ugly.

Failure.

Starting to sob, Mikey sunk down onto his knees- covering his ears and hunching over when the screaming, along with Raph's roars, got louder.

Michelangelo, meanwhile, was looking around wildly- where did this Leo come from? More importantly, why did Mikey believe it so fast? "Not cool, dude!" He had yelled- until he saw Mikey's powers come to life. The gold slowly overtaken by blue- what is happening?

He had only let go for a second, and turned around-

And when he looked back, Mikey had been gone.

"Mini-me?" Michelangelo called, confused- the smoke. It must be the smoke. It did something. Where did it come from? He sniffed-

Rotten flowers.

Before it turned to fire.

And a blue, blinding light was pointed at him.

Michelangelo hissed, and covered his eyes with his hands- all of his stickers were dropped, all around his feet. Shame. He should pick them up. But any thought of his stickers evaporated as soon as he heard that familiar voice-

"Did you really think you could outrun your faith, mystic one?!"

And he froze.

He turned around- breath hitching when he saw the all too familiar giant mech- though it was blue instead of purple now. Everything was blue, actually. Why was it blue-? The Purple Dragons liked purple, so why was it-

He gasped and flinched when the giant robot reached for him, grabbing his arms, pulling him towards the three humans that were sitting inside it- what, hey, no, not cool, what is-

"We couldn't finish pulling all of chemical X out last time!" He heard Kendra laugh- his own blood turning cold. Where had she even come from? Did they sneak inside? Everyone else- "How about we finish the job now, make our bota stronger then ever!"

Oh shell.

No.

Flashbacks from last time hit him hard- pain and gold, pain and gold, pain and gold, that had been all he had been able to feel- because what, the Dragons had wanted mystic energy? But he didn’t have any! He couldn't go into that machine- not again.

"No, no you guys-" his breath hitched, heartbeat speeding up as he fought and fought- but he wasn't strong enough to get out the iron grip. Not again, not again, not again, please not again- "You got the wrong guy! I'm not the one you're searching for!"

"That's what they all say." Jeremy appeared next to him out of nowhere, shoving him onto a table- and in his three seconds of freedom, Michelangelo pressed the panic button on his belt. In an instant, belts and ropes held him in place- the same room, that tiny cell he had been stuck in that had been guarded with mystic energy as they shocked him, pain and gold, magic everywhere not again not again NOT AGAIN-

Tears appeared in his eyes as he fought. "I'm not the mystic one! No one has mystic powers!" He yelled- because thats right, his counterpart had died opening that portal for Leon, hadn't he? Wait, who had Michelangelo been hanging out with again-?

"Think his brothers are mystic too?" He froze when he heard that comment.

He stopped struggling, and looked up.

Heart skipping a beat when he saw each of his brothers, all locked up in different cells, completely covered in blue.

"One way to find out!" Kendra laughed- her manical laughter echoeing all through the cell. How could a high-schooler be this evil? That was like. Not cool. At all. And what did Michelangelo ever do to these guys? Why did they think he was his counterpart?! He had nothing-

"I vote we try the other three first." Jace spoke, adjusting glasses. "You know, activate chemical X, let it overpower them, see what happens."

"Even if they don't- we could always take them apart! Find out what makes them freaks!" Jeremy cheered. But it only made Michelangelo struggle harder.

"No, please, they're not- it's only me!" He decided. Hey, he was terrified of what would happen- last time, only his shoulders got burned. And that had been stopped. This time... but he didn’t want them to touch his brothers! "Please, leave them alone, it's only me, they don't-"

"How could we trust anything you say?" Kendra sneered, before turning around. "We'll come back to this one last...... how about we visit O'thello von Ryan first?"

"Ohoho- I've been WAITING to see him again!"

"Can't we just stab him, first?"

"Closing cell now.... we'll see you soon enough."

"No- no!" Michelangelo screamed, attempting to sit up- but the restrictions were tight, too tight, but no, no no no- "Leave him alone! He isn't who you think, stop!"

Too late.

Cell closed.

Michelangelo stared in shock, tears dripping down his cheeks, before the reality of what just happened hit- and he started screaming. Kicking his legs, pulling his arms, banging his head against the table- anything. Anything to get free.

His counterpart died using that magic.

Michelangelo almost did when they did the same experiment on him.

His brothers wouldn’t survive.

"Stop! Leave them alone! Please! Let them GO! It's me you want!"

He screamed so much, breathing hurt. He didn't care. The turtle continued to struggle, trying to get free.

Unaware of the fact he wasn't in a cell.

Unaware that he was sitting next to Mikey, who was crying oh-so-softly, hunched over, both covered in blue smoke and sticker sheets.

Unaware of both of their phones ringing, the older ones having gotten Michelangelo's panic-signal.

@tmnt-fandom-family-reunion

While everyone is saying goodbye to each other, The Wrong Side of the Portal Mikey and Michelangelo from cabin 10 approach you!

They... don't seem upset like everyone else.

"Want some stickers?" Michelangelo asks, holding out a bunch of stickers for you to choose from. "We have plenty."

"They glow in the dark!" Mikey cheerfully added, bouncing on his heels. "Like our magic! To remember us."

@tmnt-fandom-family-reunion

Thank you for the gifts, the twins have one of their own!

Scented markers :)

[freakadr0id]

ROTTMNT Charater Fighting Style Analysis - Part 5: April O'Neil

Oh, would you look at that? It's finally here! After three weeks, multiple rewatches, and several pages of notes and drafts in Word, I've made it to the final individual character* analysis.

This is a continuation of my series of posts analyzing each of the Turtles' (+April's) fighting style, their strengths and weaknesses in a fight, and how Rise uses that to highlight different aspects of their character. I highly encourage you to read the first one (Leo's) before hopping into this one for full context. There is a bit of a TL;DR at the end.

[Part 1: Leo] [Part 2: Raph] [Part 3: Mikey] [Part 4: Donnie]

Last, but ABSOLUTELY not least, is our Girl with the Plan and President of the Dorky Pals for Life Club…

April O'Neil: The Scout/Jack-of-all-Trades:

My analysis for this one might be a bit of a surprise for some, considering a few people have said they already have an idea of how I might categorize her. Going into my analysis, I too thought I had a pretty solid understanding of the way she fought, but by the end, I found that there was so much I missed - I ended up coming to a conclusion that was quite different than what I was expecting.

Fighting Style:

Dynamic and Precise

April is a very strong, energetic, and multifaceted fighter, which allows her to hold her own in battle, even when she's the only human present. She is a primarily offensive fighter with a diverse skill set that she is able to utilize in almost any situation. With her bat, April demonstrates a surprising amount of physical strength as her weapon requires a significant amount of force in order to be truly effective. She also has gymnastic skills that make her a notably agile fighter, giving her an advantage in both speed and maneuverability. She approaches battles with great enthusiasm, amplifying her overall movement and attacks.

In this sense, April's fighting style is rather similar to Mikey's, as they are both quick, nimble fighters that excel offensively while implementing acrobatic movements to deliver quick attacks and make up for a defensive disadvantage. However, she distinguishes herself with a weapon that is very different from Mikey's and by having a larger, more practical set of skills that require unique tactics. Instead of mystic powers, she has a wider range of general skills that end up being incredibly beneficial in battle. She has a fluid fighting style that undergoes the most changes in the show as she learns new techniques from both her allies and enemies and incorporates them into her method of fighting.

Despite the energy she brings into battle, April is surprisingly meticulous in the way she approaches her fights. Instead of running wildly into battle, she is actually quite deliberate in when and how she attacks. April doesn't blindly attack enemies and only goes in for a strike at opportune times, aiming to deliver a few quick, accurate hits that efficiently damage her foe. This gives April the ability to participate and contribute to fights as a human without putting herself at unnecessary risk or becoming a liability.

Strengths and Roles in a Fight:

Jack-of-all-Trades

April is the generalist of the team. While the other members of the family tend to stick to one type of technique or a particular style of fighting, April has knowledge and experience in multiple fighting techniques, skills, and occupations that make her an adaptable fighter. This makes her perfect for "rounding out the team" by providing some extra strength and making up for any weaknesses that may be present in the team. Because of her dynamic fight style and ever-growing list of skills and techniques, April occasionally fights with an amalgamation of the other turtles' roles and fighting styles. April is seen acting as the Wild Card by keeping enemies on their toes with fast movements and nontraditional weapons; a Bruiser/Pummeler (a slugger, if you will) by delivering multiple hits in quick succession with her bat; or even a Striker by going for those accurate, singular attacks. If there's a role that needs to be filled in a fight, odds are April can deliver.

April also has the largest set of practical skills on the team, thanks to the experience she has gained from her numerous (former) jobs. In situations where a very specific set of expertise is needed, April can usually provide that to some degree. This makes her a versatile asset to the team in ways that even Mikey can't be, particularly with battles set in urban or unconventional environments. One of April's greatest strengths as a combatant is her ability to use the environment around her to her advantage - that comes with her dynamic fighting styles. Granted, that applies to all members of her family, but because of the considerable variety of knowledge and experience at her disposal, she has more options when it comes to utilizing her surroundings. Some of her skills are incredibly hyperspecific, however, usually limiting which ones she can use at any given point.

The Scout

April also acts as the team's Scout [No - I'm not just saying this because she happens to have a bat]. She is the one that usually goes ahead of the others before, or at the start of, a battle and gathers information about the enemy and their movements. This typically involves April disguising herself in some way and infiltrating the enemy from within, but there are times when more conventional stealth is needed. She is small and quick enough to sneak past enemies and through different environments, giving her multiple options for her investigations. April also provides information to the team during battles, as she can still apply her "stealth" abilities and use her agility to move around the battlefield quickly and mostly unnoticed.

April's precise fighting style also plays into the Scout role as she can quickly get in and out of fights when needed, which is beneficial both when she is by herself or in a group. A scout needs to be fast, precise, and agile to make up for their lack of defensive capabilities - this fits April's fighting style and abilities to a T. The Scout role plays directly to her strengths as a combatant and decreases her risk of harm as a human in chaotic mutant battles.

Utility:

As a fighter, April is particularly well suited for individual, one-on-one battles. Her primary weapon, a bat, is a generally short-range melee weapon that requires a good amount of accuracy and is limited by its small reach and defensive capabilities. Her fighting style incorporates this by focusing on accurate attacks and accurate timing while utilizing dynamic movements to increase her optimal attack range. When combined with her established proficiency with her bat and adaptive creativity, April becomes a formidable opponent in fights with a small number of opponents. Even without her bat, however, April's ingenuity, agility, and large skill set make her an extraordinarily capable fighter one-on-one.

However, due to her overall lack of mystic powers, limited defensive strength, and the natural restrictions of her weapon, April can struggle in fights with more enemies. Not only is she at greater risk of harm with so many moving parts, but it also doesn't work as well with April's fighting style - she simply doesn't have the range or attacks needed to affect a wider area. That isn't to say she isn't able to handle herself in group fights (she very clearly can), but it just isn't her strong suit.

Some of April's numerous abilities that give her the title of "Jack-of-all-Trades" can be incredibly situational and require a specific set of circumstances and environmental conditions in order to be utilized. While she still has these skills to use to her advantage, not all of them can be used at one time, although at least one of her skills will probably be applicable in any scenario.

How it Plays Into Her Character:

As a member of a family full of mutants and magic, it is only natural for April to want to contribute to the team by participating in fights - but as the only human in a family of mutants, this also means she is left at a bit of a physical disadvantage in comparison to the others. Most people would likely feel a sense of inferiority or weakness in the face of such a disparity, but not April O'Neil. One of April's greatest strengths as a fighter and as a character is her persistence and clever thinking, which is seen in her fighting style. Instead of getting discouraged at her apparent disadvantage to her brothers, April persisted and found ways to use her own natural abilities to her advantage. She may be physically weaker than the turtles, but by implementing a fighting style that relies on precise attacks and her agility, she is less likely to get hurt while still doing a significant amount of damage to the enemy. Her dynamic and precise fighting style embodies April's ability to adapt and persevere even when things are against her.

April's role as a Scout is indicative of April's intelligence while forcing her to dial back on her impulsive tendencies. It is essential for anyone acting as a scout in a battle to be intelligent and clever to be able to acquire information and make observations that are actually useful to the team. April demonstrates her intelligence and quick wit by always assisting the team with the knowledge that is essential to their success, and constantly observing different elements of a battle, even when not formally acting as a scout. The Scout role does, however, expose a potential challenge for April when it comes to impulsive actions. As a whole, I wouldn't say that April is an impulsive character - she is certainly the most level-headed of the bunch - but as the oldest sister to a bunch of teenage boys, it is only natural for some of that to wear off on her from time to time. April is usually pretty tactical about when and how she goes into fights, but there are a few times in the show where she can rush right in if she's especially passionate about something. In order to fully be effective in her fighting style and roles, she has to be sure to not give into those impulses and keep a steady head throughout the fight.

In a Team Fight:

In a coordinated group attack, April is best suited for an initial or follow-up attack. Her speed and agility mean she can get in and out of a fight quickly and her precise fighting style creates a perfect combination to provide a solid initial set of strikes to weaken or disorient an enemy. This doesn't provide much in the way of setting up the next attack, but it could be followed up with an equally quick attack from someone else. Her fighting style also lends itself to a quick follow-up attack and is particularly effective if the opponent is disoriented prior to her attack. April's quick movements and attacks can add to the enemy's confusion and deal significant damage at the same time.

However, April does not do well in a position that requires her to set up for the following attack, nor is she fit to go last in a team attack and deliver a final strike. Since her attack style implements a small number of precise hits to damage an enemy, she does much better at targeting specific weak points on an opponent rather than worrying about how someone else could further add to her attack. Her physical limitations and lack of mystic powers also restrict her ability to deliver the last attack (at least, not by herself). While it doesn't mean she isn't a strong fighter, being the final attacker in a team attack doesn't work well with her physical strengths and the advantages she has with her fighting style.

~-~-~-~

[TL;DR: April is a Dynamic and Precise fighter with very fluid and adaptable fighting techniques and a tactical and accurate approach to her attacks. Her large, diverse set of practical skills and flexible fighting methods give her an advantage by acting as a Jack-of-all-Trades. April also operates as the team's Scout by using her intelligence and precise fighting style to gather information and make quick, opportunistic attacks on an enemy. These all demonstrate her tenacity, perseverance, and creativity by presenting it through her adaptive fighting methods and approaches to battle.]

I have a feeling this one may be a bit divisive... I'm pretty happy with what I've come up with here, but it took some serious self-persuasion to get past the titles and categorizations I already established for her in my brain prior to my analysis - and I think that will be the case with a few others. Hopefully I’ve managed to make my case well enough.

Thank you so much for all your support on this little "series." You have no idea how much it means to me to have people actually read these, much less receive such positive responses to them. I'm thrilled that many of you seem to enjoy reading these posts almost as much as I enjoyed making them. DON'T WORRY - THIS IS NOT MY LAST POST FOR THIS SERIES. I have one more kind of "Wrap-up" post planned after this as an overview of their collective team dynamics, miscellaneous thoughts/"corrections", a brief explanation as to what inspired me to dedicate hours of my life writing these silly things, and (if you guys are interested) a small breakdown of my thought process and approach towards my analyses. I don't have a fully planned time to release that, but know it will be coming at some point in the near future.

[davidmann95]

Best comics of 2018?

A handful of disqualifications up front: since they’re just beginning, I’m not counting Electric Warriors, Martian Manhunter, The Green Lantern (though Evil Star explaining his name in #2 might be my favorite moment in comics this year), Ironheart, DIE, Shazam!, Killmonger, The Batman Who Laughs, or Miles Morales: Spider-Man, all of which almost certainly would have ended up somewhere in here with some more time. Additionally, I switched to a new online pull list system in March, so I don’t have a list of what I got before then - if I’m forgetting about something great that came out early this year, there’s a good chance that would be why.

Honorary Mentions: While there were plenty of comics I was happy to keep up with, a number stood out as exemplary examples of straight-take relatively traditional capeshit: Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV and companies’ Justice League, Steve Orlando’s Justice League of America (which would probably go among the best of the best if the art was a bit more consistent or the lineup more to my personal tastes), Brian Bendis and Nick Derington’s Batman work in the Walmart 100-Page Giants, Donny Cates’ Thanos and Doctor Strange work (the latter might not have quite made it, but that last issue with Irving and Zdarsky was gangbusters), Steve Orlando’s brief Wonder Woman run with Laura Braga, ACO, and Raul Allen, Tim Seeley’s Green Lanterns, Nnedi Okorafor and Leonardo Romero’s Shuri, Robert Vendetti and Bryan Hitch’s Hawkman, Saladin Ahmed, Javier Rodriguez, Rod Reis, Dario Brizuela, and Joe Quinones’s Exiles, Captain America by both the Mark Waid/Chris Samnee team and the current Ta-Nehisi Coates/Lenil Francis Yu lineup, Dan Slott and Valerio Schiti’s Tony Stark: Iron Man when it’s committed solely to being a superhero comic and not Dan Slott trying to be Contemporary, Brian Bendis, Patrick Gleason, Yanick Paquette, and Ryan Sook’s Action Comics, and Kelly Thompson and Stefano Caselli’s West Coast Avengers. 

On the slightly different side of things, Steve Orlando and Giovanni Timpano showed how you do an intercompany crossover right with The Shadow/Batman, Max Bemis’s Moon Knight while not living up to all it could have been - and likely to age poorly - had moments of truly bizarre grace, Saga was Saga even if I’ve lost the plot, Ahmed and Christian Ward’s Black Bolt concluded as well as we all might have hoped, Warren Ellis and Jon Davis-Hunt’s The Wild Storm continued to build up steam in its own fascinating style, Doomsday Clock remains utterly captivating in spite of itself, and Tom Peyer and Jamal Igle’s The Wrong Earth is making the most of a deceptively tough premise. On the one-off end, Chip Zdarsky and Declan Shalvey’s Marvel Two-In-One Annual is an essentially perfect off-kilter Doom/Richards story, Action Comics #1000 had no chance of living up to all it needed to be but was largely a great set of Superman stories regardless, and while the remainder of the miniseries has thus far been fine, Tim Seeley and Carlos Villa’s first issue of Shatterstar was a strange, special delight.

My Favorite Comics of 2018

Rock Candy Mountain: Technically Jackson - the rail-rider who can beat Any One Man in a fistfight - reached the end of his journey for hobo heaven this year, and flat-out, every Kyle Starks comic is a perfect one. This is a book where the first issue has a dude beating ass with a beautiful savagery that leaves an awestruck onlooker declaring “He’s got punch diarrhea and their faces are the toilet bowl”, and by the end it built up to one of the most moving climaxes of the year. It’s a comic about fallen men finding redemption in friendship and in dreams, and also there’s a cage fighter who calls himself Hundred Cats because it would be really hard to fight a hundred cats.

Dark Knights: Metal: This is the final, perfected form of traditional Event Comic Bullshit. Everything good about Snyder, Capullo, Glapion, and Plascencia’s Batman post-Court Of Owls is retooled and reenergized to fit the scale of a Crisis event, everything that I would have considered to be a weakness regarding their partnership either burned away or placed in a context where it becomes a strength. This is the Morrison approach to the DCU rightfully ascendant and presented in a form even more fit for mass consumption, and manages to live up to being the first classic-style, large-scale DC event comic in almost a decade - Marvel may blow its own load every six months until it’s simply got nothing to offer anymore, but DC waited until they really and truly had something, and that something was bloodsoaked magic.

Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man (by Chip Zdarsky and assorted artists): I actually wavered a bit on whether this belonged in the best of the best as a whole; most of the issues this year were definitely very good (regarding Zdarsky’s run specifically, I haven’t checked out the Spider-Geddon tie-in stuff), but more on the honorary mention end of the scale. Ultimately however, the Amazing Fantasy arc and #310 are Spider-Man comics I’m going to be coming back to for years to come - the latter is going to end up in every ‘Best Spider-Man Stories Ever’ softcover from now until the end of time - and they tipped the scales.

Batman: Very much in the same boat as Spidey above; a lot of this year didn’t do it for me in the same way as this run has in the past, but The Best Man is the best thing anyone’s done with Joker since Morrison, the ‘wedding issue’ itself worked really well for me, Cold Days made a premise that’s often stymied creators work as well as people have always wanted it to, and the Dick team-up issue was a perfect little summation of a relationship, nevermind how much this year succeeded in getting me hyped up for things to come.

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: This is one of those comics where it’s so consistently good in such a specific, quiet way that people stop talking about it, but for real, this has never not in the top five or six things Marvel is publishing at any given time for as long as it’s been around. Erica Henderson leaving right before hitting the Kraven story that had been building literally since its first issue 3 years earlier could have been disastrous, but North and new artist Derek Charm manage to hit their own rhythm and continue delivering one of the funniest, cleverest, most sincere superbooks on the stands every month.

Mister Miracle: Yeah, it really was that good.

The Immortal Hulk: So is this, and if I have to name a single best comic of the year, this has probably gotta be it. Al Ewing’s been Marvel’s best creator for a long, long time, and putting him and Joe Bennett (who holy moley, I don’t think anyone would have guessed had this in him) on a tentpole character Ewing’s got genuine reverence for worked out even better than a fanboy like me might have expected. It’s sublime horror, it’s perfect Marvel comics continuity bullshit, and if the superhero is at heart a morality fable, this is very much a soul-searing apex of the genre as it speaks of how we can all go wrong.

Eternity Girl: …or maybe this is the best? It’s probably gotta be this, Hulk, or Miracle. Mister Miracle’s where the comparison really becomes clear, as they’re both books way out on the fringes of the DCU dealing with a character grappling with depression amidst the mundanity of their cyclical existence. However, as perfectly constructed and rawly human as Mister Miracle is, this hits a lot more of my own buttons and expresses its own brand of more surreal emotional authenticity, and rather than the expected and beautiful next step of a pair of already-acclaimed creators with an established partnership, this was a shock coming out party for Visaggio and Liew, who do things stylistically just as odd to see in a DC Comic as anything King and Gerads came up with. It seemed to sail under the radar for readers but also seems to be racking up awards, and I hope this’ll attain the reputation it deserves in years to come.

Ice Cream Man: Likely the respectable fourth place to the three above, while I can’t quite sing its praises in quite the same way when it’s playing so hard-to-get that I can’t quite put a pin in what it’s ultimately about, oh my GOD this is as good as gut-punch horror gets. Not simply grody shock-value stuff, but pit-of-your-stomach-everything-in-the-world-hates-you-and-you-were-wrong-to-ever-believe-in-love shit that’ll rattle your bones and fuck you up good. Not usually a horror guy myself, but this is an essentially perfect comic.

The Man Of Steel: Screw all y’all, this kicked ass and after how hard the Rebirth books blew it - Jon and the new status quo were both excellent, Tomasi had good bits here and there alongside some quality fill-in teams, but those books were still aaaaaaaaaaassssss - this is exactly the fresh start Superman’s needed for years. Granted the Fabok interstitials had some wonky pacing, but this was on-point and insightful for Superman as a character, exciting as hell, and has thus far led to nothing but more good comics as far as I’m concerned.

Milk Wars: Did the various tie-ins live up to the bookends? Nah, though the Shade/Wonder Woman story was pretty good. But those bookends? Friends, those books were AAA+ sup-per-he-ro-bull-SHIT, and while I was initially let down because it seemed as though it would have Superman in a major role and then didn’t, this is even more of an apotheosis of the Morrison approach to the genre than Metal. ACO is ACO, Eaglesham slaughtered it, and Orlando and Way should be as joined at the hip as cowriters as Abbnett and Lanning used to be. This is a gold standard for strange, edgy, colorful, wondrous, fucked-up superhero comics, and there should be a million more like it every day.

Justice League (by Christopher Priest and assorted artists, primarily Pete Woods): On the exact opposite end of the scale, while I don’t think I can say I enjoyed this book as much as the current Snyder-helmed gonzo cosmic adventures, I absolutely feel this was the better of the two. More importantly, this run is the successful version of what just about every other Justice League comic of the past 15 years has been trying and failing to be as the post-Authority, post-Ultimates, post-Civil War take on the concept. It’s as smart and atmospheric and bold as a book like Justice League ever CAN be, building its exploration of the conceptual stress points of the team around one and two-part adventures and clever character dynamics, illustrating an interesting new take on how to handle the main team book with the power players: taking their ability to handle physical threats as a relative given, a structural conceit acting as a delivery mechanism for the politics and people in play. It hardly breaks new ground in terms of redefining the superhero concept, but it’s as far as they’ve gone with the marquis characters without ending in disaster, and it’s an approach I’d love to see more often applied to this scale.

Superman: Walmart 100 Page Giant (by Tom King and Andy Kubert): Of all the places for King to do a regular Superman comic, huh? Still, we’d already seen what he’d done in that Batman two-parter and Action #1000, so I’m more than willing to take what we can get (even if most are going to have to wait for this to come out in trade). There have been four installments so far: the first is the sort of stage-setting that’s common to this type of long-form arc but with a distinctly different atmosphere than how this is typically done with the character, evoking a sort of Miller-tinged Golden Age flavor connecting Superman back down to Earth before throwing him into the stars. The third is a great Fuck Yeah Superman Doin’ Superman Shit throwdown that gives Kubert a chance to shine. The fourth and most recent is haunting, inspired, moving, and tight as a drum. And the second begins as the worst-case scenario of Tom King doing a Superman comic, and ends as likely my favorite Superman story of the last 5 years. If it continues in its current direction, Superman: Up In The Sky is almost certainly going to be a perennial people are going to rank among the best Superman stories of all time for decades to come, and everything I’d want out of this team tackling my favorite character.

Detective Comics (by James Tynion IV and assorted artists): I’m honestly surprised at myself for putting this here, but I just have to hand it to this run - which had to go quite a ways to win me over, between its opening gambit with Batwoman’s status quo and centering the whole thing around my least-favorite Robin (even if it won me over to him over time) - as basically being the platonic form of Dang Good Superhero Comics. Not boundary-pushing, not the sort of thing you’ll remember in 20 years, but just really fun, exciting, good-looking, slick, character-driven adventures building on themselves into the logical culmination of 21st century popular Batman stories. This is Batman 101, but in a good way, and I honestly think that on reflection it’s gonna hold together better as a Batman run than its immediate predecessor in Snyder/Capullo.

You Are Deadpool: This is the smartest, funniest, most inventive big two comic of the year and even if you’re so tired of Deadpool that your skull bones are threatening to suddenly contract and spear your brain in an attempt at saving your weary soul from the prospect of seeing any more of him, you should get this.

Superman (by Brian Bendis and Ivan Reis): I noted Action Comics among the honorable mentions, as while it’s a dang good comic that I enjoy a great deal - and Ryan Sook may well have established himself as my ideal modern Superman artist - it’s very much the best possible version of *exactly* what you’d expect from Brian Bendis doing Superman. This, on the other hand, feels like Bendis stretching himself to do something truly different in a way he hasn’t in years, and the results are stunning. I won’t pretend Rogol Zaar has amounted to much of anything as of yet, but Bendis has acclimated to the realm of Cosmic Superman Punch-Ups in a way no one could have reasonably seen coming; he’s managed to sidestep his usual issues by anchoring each issue in a crazy setpiece and a single perfect Superman character moment, and Reis is doing work here than can unquestionably stand alongside his Sinestro Corps War heyday. Whether it’s #1 having Superman fight an astro-goilla in the middle of a questioning on his responsibilities to humanity, #4 going full Shonen in the best possible way with probably my favorite fight scene of the year, or #6′s storybook mythmaking building to the best, cruelest needle in the balloon possible, or the consistent delightful fucking with Adam Strange, every issue here has something I didn’t know I badly wanted to see, and damn if that isn’t exactly what I want in my Superman stuff.

Assorted one-offs: Along with the major arcs and runs, we’ve got stuff like the Thanos Annual and DC Nuclear Winter Special, as good as anthologies of this kind get. T-shirt Superman got one last ride under Morrison in the Sideways Annual, fighting his way out from under the wreckage of a weird DiDio book to get exactly the sendoff he deserved. The Injustice 2 Annual, of all things, was a perfect piece of bittersweet character work. Invincible #144 satisfyingly closed out The Best Superhero Comic In The Universe by essentially also doing Invincible #145-500 or so, putting this often tumultuous title to bed with the dignity it had earned. And finally, Slott and Marcos Martin’s The Amazing Spider-Man #801 was a perfect minor mediation not even on the title character so much as the basic moral appeal of the genre as a whole.

[johnandrasjaqobis]

@flannelshirtandjeans tagged me to do 20 facts about an OC and then recommended Murphy when I couldn’t decide on a kid so this is doubly for you Ida! (20 is many, so there will definitely be repeats from previous posts like this oh well)

He’s a first generation Nathos native -- his parents had just moved there, so he and his brother are much darker-skinned than most people who grew up underground

Joining the Bureau straight out of school was pretty much a decision of “this is the only way I’m getting off this planet.” It worked, granted, and he loves it now, but there wasn’t much thought put in at first

He could definitely be a unit leader by now

He has absolutely no desire to be a unit leader

His first ex-husband (Troy) is a defense attorney.

Said first ex-husband is the reason it takes a subpoena to get Murphy to step foot in a courtroom

His second ex-husband (Troy) is a fitness instructor

If Troy 2 mentions that Murphy has been “skipping leg day” one more time, there will likely be a murder

Murphy is very much not a fan of going to Praemia. Its skies are too big and even after having been there so many times for work, he still gets major vertigo every time

He has an uncle named Murphy. And a grandfather named Murphy. And a nephew named Murphy. It would take a lot of math and research to figure out what number in the line of Murphy Lockes he is.

He had a Thing with one of the current governors on Nathos. It ended mostly due to him going to Charuta for the academy, and there’s still always a little bit of almost-flirting when he goes to see her about cases

He’s the only one of the main team to have been out of the system, when he went to Dynum to visit Isaac

Though definitely not as quick as he used to be, he’s still an excellent fighter. He just prefers to focus on negotiations (and he’s not a fan of Donny beating him so seemingly easily)

He can play violin. Doesn’t pick it up often, but it only takes a couple minutes of stiff fingers before it comes back

He doesn’t usually cry at funerals, but always at weddings

After the whole Zakon Incident, he’s got a decent limp in one leg, so he starts doing more office work and less field work

Ultimate deadpan snarker -- he’ll have been gone ten minutes already before you realize he roasted you

Even after so long since leaving Nathos, he’s still absolutely in awe of the stars

The only real speaking engagements he’ll agree to are for kids back home

If he hadn’t ended up in the Bureau, he could have easily run for (and probably made) a position on the Council

[go-redgirl]

Donald Trump Fully Endorses Ted Cruz for Senate

by Charlie Spiering  4 May 2018

President Donald Trump endorsed Sen. Ted Cruz on Friday, speaking in Dallas, Texas at the National Rifle Association conference.

“Full endorsement for this man — Ted Cruz,” Trump said at the beginning of his speech.

Cruz waved at Trump from the crowd, which cheered and shouted “Cruuuuz.”

“Boy that was very rousing, that’s a good sign,” Trump continued.

Trump urged everyone in the audience to vote in the midterm elections and warned them not to be complacent.

“You watch how well we do in ’18, you watch,” Trump said. “Get out and vote. Don’t be complacent.”

Read More Stories About:

2018 Elections, Big Government, Donald Trump, national rifle assocation, NRA, Ted Cruz, Texas

INDIVIDUAL COMMENTS:

TheLineIsDrawn • 19 hours ago

I supported Cruz in the primaries but couldn't be happier with President Trump. He is a canny fighter and gets results. In fact, considering everything Swamp Land is throwing at him as he successfully sorts out a mountain of thorny messes kicked down the road by predecessors, the pugilistic Trump may be uniquely qualified for the Presidency in the times we live in.

bankruptfromobamacare TheLineIsDrawn • 19 hours ago

You hit the nail on the head.

proreason bankruptfromobamacare • 18 hours ago

Ted would have been an excellent president as well, but it is unlikely that he could have withstood the flak as well as President Trump has been able. And Trump has proven that he is able to get out of the rigid political boxes that the country has been grappling with for decades.

I hope that Ted will eventually accept a SCOTUS seat because there are some potential successors out there who might be a better fit for president in the era of scorched earth politics (Tom Cotton, hello!!) and Cruz is one of the few people in the world who has the intellect and determination to be as successful a jurist as Trump has been a president.

jason callio proreason • 18 hours ago

Ideal scenario. 8 years of Trump draining the swamp and restoring liberty to the finical / public sector. Followed by 8 years of Cruz restoring sanity and constitutional principals back to our out of control progressive controlled judiciary. Trump removing the commies from the public sector institutions. Cruz restoring the constitution back to our courts. Sounds good to me.

gordonfreeman jason callio • 18 hours ago

I'm a Cruzbot, myself, but I like Trump as well. What I can't stand are the purist, concern trolls, who would rather unite with the RINOs. Like the purists at National Review. I wish they would STFU and get on the Trump Train to 2024.

Steelman gordonfreeman • 18 hours ago

I was torn between supporting Trump or Cruz back during the primaries. Either one of them would've been a good choice in my opinion.

Cruz is the #1 go-to guy of the NRA, so any of you that care about your gun rights might want to cut him a little slack and not root against him.

Schrödinger's cat Steelman • 17 hours ago

There has been no one ever - ever before - like TRUMP !!!

He breaks the mould !!!

In a class of his own !!!

Don't they hate him for it ??? LOL

MAGA

Texaslee Schrödinger's cat • 16 hours ago

One thing for sure he is in it for all the American people, and he was already rich enough to not be bribed all the time like democRats and Rinos....

dirk dominick Texaslee • 11 hours ago

"rich enough"? none except accountants and government's irs know trump's true worth. it's easy to be rich one day and in liquidation the next in industries like real estate and entertainment and technology. so far so good so maybe it will last.

merecedes Schrödinger's cat • 15 hours ago

HE REALLY IS THE GREATEST!!!!!!!!!!!

TMZ2 Schrödinger's cat • 12 hours ago

Think he is good, well my state is favoring Kobach as governor. I pray for both guys Trump and Kobach. The left is freaked out by them. Kobach might eventually run for potus if all things work out.

 Gumbo Joe Schrödinger's cat • 17 hours ago

Do you burn candles at your shrine?

cheatemandhowe Gumbo Joe • 16 hours ago

Do you still eat out of your catbox?

Gumbo Joe cheatemandhowe • 16 hours ago

Only the big pieces.

cheatemandhowe Gumbo Joe • 16 hours ago

Cool, makes cleaning it so much easier.

GeorgiaPeachie Gumbo Joe • 16 hours ago

He's not like you marxists.

marine72 Gumbo Joe • 15 hours ago

Yes, don't you?

Breitbart Administrator Schrödinger's cat • 16 hours ago

your gag-reflex is practically non-existent. the job you do on donny's junk is unmatches

Cadaverville Mayor Steelman • 15 hours ago

Cruz would NOT have beaten Hillary. Trump was the ONLY candidate (of all that ran) who could stand strong against all the BS and not back down (from the ENTIRE liberal media, etc.) Cruz would've folded to protect his family and try to stay "above the fray" which would have resulted in a Romney defeat!

Deplorable Trump Voter Cadaverville Mayor • 13 hours ago

I agree at least Cruz is no Rubio. I do not think he and his family could have handled what Trumps family has handled.

Deplorable Trump Voter Mike Resce • 12 hours ago

Cruz wife wrote that trade deal building a North American Union. that Trump ripped up. She worked in every administration since Bush 1. Heidi Cruz. I do not Trust him but Trump fired her. He would not endorse Trump. Look it up yourself. Why would she work with Obama. Our President knows all of his secrets that is why he kept calling him lying Ted.

blip tard Deplorable Trump Voter • 9 hours ago

Cruz can best be applied to right us by the constitution.. As for the outsider piece.. Trump is the only one that could do that. I wake up everyday thanking my lucky stars we don't have that crook hilary in there! Whew.

blip tard Cadaverville Mayor • 9 hours ago

Cruz is a fantastic Constitutional Conservative but I voted for Trump because of exactly what you said. Most of all, I'd like to see these good conservatives support Trump 100%. Mark Levin is a pretty good example. The thing I disagree with Mark about is the NAFTA deal.. What happened is with clinton starting it, then bush/obama carrying it fwd, our country was gutted into a series of ghost towns where mfgring left. The country was effed so far over that we needed Trump to fight fire with fire. Also, could anyone have won PA/MI/OH like trump - hillary's "blue wall"? The answer is NO.. because to win those, Trump has to take care of the Union types(typically dems), meaning pulling back the wreckage caused by NAFTA - this typically goes against what conservatives are saying about how free trade should be. Trump is the one who gets it done. Now if we can get everyone on board.. We can keep going forward!

 NotMarySue lyndaaquarius • 13 hours ago

Any Republican would be going through this press BS. George W did, and it was ugly every day. He couldn't do anything they didn't harp on.

Kim Cain Steelman • 10 hours ago

Nobody we know in public or private life could have taken what Trump has and flourished. You gotta give him that.

Trump is a trooper.

Karen from outstate gordonfreeman • 16 hours ago

The purists like pure Liberals are alike. They believe in unicorns and fairies-the tinkerbell and Nathan Lane kind-they have no clue about real life.

Vonnie gordonfreeman • 13 hours ago

That's why I cancelled my subscription, I thought I had subscribed to the wrong magazine. Would they rather have a damn Democrat!

Nora brave Glorious_Cause • 10 hours ago

Are you on drugs?? How is attempting to repeal obamas govt takeover of healthcare, pushing for pro 2a legislation, cutting taxes,cutting regulations, and cutting govt jobs, growing government?? Half of the country that were dems jumped ship when obamy pushed the left into communism, including myself. There is no more dems and repubs, just patriots and communists. You are the weakest commenter live ever seen.

 Mort Meek gordonfreeman • 12 hours ago

There are no ‘purists’ at National Review anymore. Only never-Trumpers and RINOs who pretend to be led by principle when they are making decisions on anything but principle.

elgavilansegoviano jason callio • 13 hours ago

...Agree with you 100%, ...Ted Cruz 2024!!,...

 Outer Mission Kid jason callio • 16 hours ago

What, no Pence?

Missionaccomplished jason callio • 7 hours ago

LMAOFF!!!

 Reaganwasright jason callio • 11 hours ago

I'm thankful there are still people who think like you left in this country. There is a chance to save the mess these criminals have created.

 Lou proreason • 17 hours ago

Cruz has taken notes in how to deal with the swamp when he becomes President thanks to President Trump

[tomemyxmen2017-blog]

The Best (and Worst) Free Comics of FCBD 2018

Of the fifty-two comics released for Free Comic Book Day 2018, there were an unsurprisingly high number of excellent comics in this year’s class. Here are my picks for the best of the best (with a few dishonorable mentions too) from the many choices available this year.

THE BEST

10. BERLIN by Jason Lutes (w, a, c). (Drawn & Quarterly).

Set in 1928 Germany, a journalist and an art student meet on a train to Berlin; when they arrive, the young student is surprised by what she sees, and the journalist must navigate a changing climate for the press. Narrated in part by the main characters’ writings (his reporting and her diary), this street-level view of Berlin prior to the rise of fascism is masterful and cinematic. Even in this preview, the sense of menace and dread to the events that are to come in the story permeates every page. Absolutely genius. Part of a series written over the past twenty years, this FCBD release promotes the hardcover omnibus of the series due for release in fall 2018.

9. STRANGERS IN PARADISE by Terry Moore (w, a). (Abstract Studios).

The issue opens with an exciting pickpocket scene in which Scott, a generic business type, has his phone and SIM card stolen. He later contacts his wife, Laura, to tell her that he’ll be late coming home and why, prompting Laura to stoically retrieve her run bag and leave home for good. The phone thief heads to Laura’s house to discover she’s already gone and runs into Scott; the thief reveals that “Laura” is actually Stephanie Kelly, a Parker girl caught up in treason and espionage. This is a dynamic, fully realized introduction to what seems like a fun and exciting story loaded with intelligent, powerful women kicking all kinds of ass.

8. ULTRA STREET FIGHTER II #1 by Ken Siu-Chong (w), Hanzo Steinbach (a), Marshall Dillon (l). (Udon).

Trying to shake off his dark side, Ken meets with Ryu to fight through his worst urges and achieve some balance in his life. The pair travel to Japan for some high-level meditation (and fighting, of course), but that only gets Ken so far. Later in San Francisco, Ken is surprised by an attack from Rufus, and during the battle, he learns to control his evil within. Although this comic attempts to apply drama to a fighting video game, the result is fun, colorful, ridiculous, and delightfully entertaining. What more could you want out of a Street Fighter comic?

7. SHADOWMAN by Andy Diggle (w), Stephen Segovia (w), Karl Bollers (e). (Valiant).

Alyssa and her guide Isiah explore the swamps of Louisiana at night, searching for the cause of cursed water that’s making locals sick. She encounters a monster, the Grinder of Bones, and tries to use magic to protect herself to no avail. She runs, and summons Papa Legba for guidance: in return, her friend Jack, now the Shadowman, appears from a portal to help her in her fight. With gorgeous artwork, beautiful coloring, and a plot like nothing else on the stands right now, this issue draws readers into this world so effortlessly that it’s hard to imagine someone reading this issue without being fully engrossed and wanting to pick up the whole series. Terrifically well-done.

6. THE GHOST IN THE SHELL by Max Gladstone (w), David Lopez (a), Nayoung Kim (color), Jodi Wynne (l), Alejandro Arbona (e), Ben Applegate (e). (Kodansha).

Major Kusanagi (aka Motoko) and Aramaki are intercepted by an American Ghost Force Squad while on a business trip to Shangai. After her arrest, Motoko dramatically escapes through the streets of Shangai and meets her old wartime enemy, Li; the pair must work together to save Aramaki and others. This issue, part of an upcoming anthology, is perhaps the most complete, cover-to-cover, issue released on FCBD. At a whopping forty-five pages, readers are treated to an entire story that is exceptional all on its own. This is a fabulous issue that will convert even the most stoic of non-believers into fans of this character and this series.

5. RELAY by Zac Thompson (w), Andy Clarke (a), Eric Bromberg (st), Donny Cates (st), Dan Brown (color), Charles Pritchett (l), Mike Marts (e). (Aftershock).

In this sci-fi story, a space traveler lands on a planet with an undeveloped population and offers them “the Relay,” a monolith that creates uniformity in technology and ideas. Is it intergalactic socialism, or will it be intergalactic fascism? The Relay seemingly destroys community identity and cultural heritage with a new sort of religion: ultimate fath in the monolith itself. This is an expertly paced and well-rendered metaphor that gives sci-fi fans something deeper to ponder.

4. MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS by Kyle Higgins (w), Ryan Parrott (w), Digo Galindo (a), Marcelo Costa (color), Ed Dukeshire (l), Dafna Pleban (e). (Boom!).

This one takes me back! Chosing to advertise its best-selling series, Boom! strategically used its FCBD option to bridge the gap between fans of the old TV show(s) and the current comics mythology, hoping to draw in readers who may have been overwhelmed by the thousands of different Power Ranger characters and their convoluted origin stories and missions. This issue is a straight-forward explanation of how the first episode of the original TV series connects to the comic storyline today, with some surprisingly awesome artwork and a shockingly murderous ending. The issue concedes its childish origins, but by the end, these aren’t your kids’ Power Rangers anymore!

3. AVENGERS by Jason Aaron (w), Sarah Pichelli (p, i), Elisabetta D’Amico (i), Justin Ponsor (color), Cory Petit (l), Tom Brevoort (e). (Marvel).

This issue, frankly, defied my expectations. As the official free preview to Marvel’s “Fresh Start,” there was a lot riding on this issue, the release of which coinciding with yet another reboot of the Avengers in the same week and a blockbuster weekend for the House of Ideas at the cinema a week prior. And it did not disappoint. In a direct follow-up to last year’s Marvel Legacy #1, Odin meets with Black Panther in the ruins of Asgard. Odin explains that he has fallen to Loki and his manipulation of a Celestial and requests that T’Challa kill Loki; he agrees. The story ends in another scene with Captain America and Thor reaching out to Tony Stark for a meeting between the three of them as a new Avengers era begins. Rather than using its FCBD offering to pump in half-assed action, Aaron instead tries to win new readers over with a well-told and interesting story setup. It is refreshing to see Marvel return to storytelling in its flagship series rather than resort to the redundant tropes of its recent past. Very well done.

2. JAMES BOND 007: VARGR by Warren Ellis (w), Jason Masters (a), Guy Major (color), Simon Bowland (l), Joseph Rybant (e). (Dynamite).

On a mission in Finland, 007 hunts down 008’s killer and exacts gruesome revenge. Later at MI6 Headquarters, M is assigned to take over 008’s case load, setting up a story that is simultaneously exhilirating for new readers and faithful in spirit to fans of the classic Bond. With darkly exquisite artwork throughout (particularly the Helsinki scene) and a character whose charm radiates off the page, it’s hard to imagine any comic fan not falling madly in love with this series.  Originally published in 2016, this issue and the rest of the story is already available in trade.

1.BARRIER by Brian K. Vaughn (w), Marcos Martin (a, c), Muntsa Vincente. (Image).

No comic in this bunch left my jaw on the floor and mouth agape quite like this one. In this exquisite story, Liddy discovers signs of a Mexican cartel using her land, which happens to be on the Texas-Mexican border, as a throughway for drug trades and illegal immigration. In a parallel story, Oscar migrates from his home in Honduras to reach the U.S., crossing onto Liddy’s land in the middle of the night. She finds him and holds him at gunpoint suddenly the pair are interrupted. It’s a contemporary story involving gruesome violence, cartels, guns, and sci-fi. Half the issue is in Spanish (a language deficit won’t detract from your enjoyment of the issue), and the entire book – at an impressive fifty-three pages – is elegantly printed in landscape format. The artwork is phenomenal. The writing is incomparable. This is simply a perfect comic book from cover to cover. Frankly, I’m shocked it was available for FCBD as it’s well-worth a cover price. I recommend this enthusiastically, and I can’t wait to pick up the whole series this month. An exceptional beauty of a comic.

THE WORST

3. SHADOW ROADS by Cullen Bunn (w), Brian Hurtt (w), A.C. Zamudio (a), Carlos Zamudio (color), Crank! (l), Charlie Chu (e). (Oni Press).

In this deeply convoluted introduction presumptively set in the late nineteenth century, we meet Henry Grey, a Native American and a Cambridge man who visits the British Museum of Natural History’s new Native American exhibit with remorse and perhaps disgust. He meets an elder at the Museum who gives him a magical ceremonial dagger carved from bone that ultimately lights up. En route home, his train passes through a Crossroads where Abigail Redmayne and Kalfu intercept him and bring him to the New Mexico Territory. What causes this issue to fail – aside from the onslaught of new characters to learn and an unexplained mythology to understand – is that by the issue’s end, we are no closer to knowing why any of these events occur. Why does Abigail bring Henry to New Mexico? What is so special about Henry? What’s the point of the glowing dagger? While a free comic book should purposefully leave questions unresolved to entice readers to find their answers in subsequent issues, this romp is sadly too obscure and complicated to elicit any interest.

2. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN by Nick Spencer (w), Ryan Ottley (o), Cliff Rathburn (i), Laura Martin (color), VC’s Joe Caramagna (l), Nick Lowe (e). (Marvel).

Facing off against America’s greatest threat – the Manhattan real estate market – Peter Parker and his buddy Randy look for an apartment when they are interrupted by a fight with Boomerang, Electro, Rhino, and Big Wheel. After a quick costume change, Spider-Man battles them all until Kingpin intervenes. Despite the Mayor’s apparent gratitude for Spider-Man, Peter drops his professionalism instantly and leaves the scene. Later, Randy and Peter settle on a new three-bedroom apartment with a third roommate: Boomerang himself. From the ludicrous dialogue, the boring trope-laden plot, the cartoonish graphic design, and the overall neutering of Peter Parker’s character, this was a deep, deep disappointment for me that goes beyond this single issue; if this was meant to be an advertisement for the new Amazing Spider-Man series, I’m afraid it did more to turn me off than on. In addition, despite picking up all fifty-two free comics on FCBD, this issue is the only one with running ink and cheap printing errors. Oh, Marvel. Why do you do this to me?

1. TANK GIRL by Alan Martin (w), Brett Parson (a), Warwick Johnson-Cadwell (a), Jonathan Edwards (a), Brett Parson (l), Martin Eden (e). (Titan).

This was perhaps my fault for setting my expectations too high. Having never read a Tank Girl comic and only vaguely understanding her origins from nineties samples and the Lori Petty film, I was expecting a post-apocalyptic badass who breaks the fourth-wall and uses ingenuity, humor, grit, and charm to fight the Man. Instead, I got an insufferable cutsey-wootsey romp about a woman face-punching an adult man after he ruined her birthday big wheel when they were children. In between this awful plot’s progression, vignettes either drawn by a child or rendered to look like it had been drawn by child are too annoying to attempt to read. The only enjoyable bit of this comic was the cover by Jamie Hewlett, who should have done the interiors as well.  

[chicagoindiecritics]

New from Jeff York on The Establishing Shot: “MULAN” CUTS THE PATRIARCHY DOWN TO SIZE IN A SHARP RETELLING

  Look past the controversies of how Disney released MULAN on their streaming service rather than in theaters, and star Liu Yifei’s political statements about Hong Kong, to concentrate on the actual movie. What you’ll find is an exceptionally well-done actioner with a lot to say about emancipation, prejudice, and fighting the good fight. You’ll also discover one of Disney’s very best adaptations of their animated classics, a re-telling wise enough to keep the best parts of its predecessor while largely making the film feel very much its own achievement.

In fact, the filmmakers weren’t precious at all about truly re-imagining the film, rendering it with more of a sense of CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON than in the Disney style of animation. Gone are the musical numbers, various cutesy critters, and the dragon side-kick character Mushu (voiced by Eddie Murphy three years before he did Donkey in SHREK). What remains from the original 1998 film are the strong themes about loyalty, bravery, and being true to oneself, as well as the exciting battle sequences, and the unique take on what constitutes a Disney heroine.

Hua Mulan wasn’t a princess in that first film, nor in real life. Rather, she was a young woman trying to break out of the typical roles offered her during the feudal China of the Tang Dynasty. She’s struggling with such stakes in this 2020 version as well, only now her political convictions come through even stronger due to the film being told with a human cast and this era of too many women in power being dismissed as “nasty women.” Being strong, intelligent, and principled has never been so threatening to amoral men as it is during this election season, a perfect time for Mulan to cut such sexist patriarchy down to size.

In order for Mulan to join ‘the boys club’ in the film –  the army fighting on behalf of the Emperor – she must pretend to be a man. To combat marauding outsiders, a son from each family across the land is being drafted into service. Mulan’s family consists of two daughters, so the elder father (the estimable character actor Tzi Ma), already crippled from an old war wound, is tasked with answering the call. Mulan defies tradition and honor, disguising herself as a man to join up for duty and take her papa’s place.

At the training camp, she matches skills and wits with the boys, besting them in most instances. She even bonds with the other standout recruit, the handsome and ambitious Chen Honghui (Yoson An). Both fighters are characterized by their soldiering skills, not to mention their drive to succeed. Mulan views him as a potential love interest too, though the film’s B story isn’t given nearly as much time this go-round as you’d expect.

One of the smarter things that director Niki Caro and her screenwriters Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, Lauren Hynek, and Elizabeth Martin do in this version is to not overplay Mulan’s romantic leanings. Instead, they focus on Mulan’s relationships with the other characters surrounding her just as much, including Commander Tung (Donnie Yen), and most effectively, the enemy witch Xian Lang (Gong Li). Lang may be a baddie, a conjurer who can cast spells, morph into animals, and thwart the best battle plans, but she’s no heinous ghoul. Instead, she’s all but burnt out, beaten down by her own struggles within the world of men, a woman who’s both envious and protective of the young, female soldier going through similar skirmishes.

Amongst a strong cast and Liu’s prowess in the lead, Gong is the standout performance, bringing great gravitas to her part. She’s no cliched Disney hag here either, despite some snaggled fingernails that scratch and claw at various times in the story. Instead, her witch is all-too-recognizably human.

There are a dozen others in supporting roles who make vivid impressions, and Caro really spends time showing Mulan’s specific interactions with each of them. That’s all the more surprising, given that stars like Yen and Jet Li as the Emperor are primarily known for being martial arts movie stars. They get a chance to strut their stuff onscreen here too but excel at the dialogue and character interactions just as much.

Caro shoots all the action clearly and economically, and never glosses over missing coverage via jacked-up editing. There’s a LORD OF THE RINGS style of grandeur and intimacy to each set-piece. Cinematographer Mandy Walker ensures geography is king when it comes to the battle sequences, showing the armies in the context of one another, as well as their landscapes. David Coulson’s editing never rushes shots, choosing instead to hang on character reactions a beat longer than you’d expect to give more time to each performance. In its way, this is actually an actor’s action picture.

MULAN does have some flaws. The costumes are too colorful and pristine, some scenes are overlit, and, occasionally, Harry Gregson-Williams’ musical cues are rather on-the-nose. (He’s a terrific composer, but I did prefer the original animated movie’s score by the legendary Jerry Goldsmith). The special effects budget doesn’t quite match that of an Avengers movie either, yet all in all, this is one very-well produced adventure with so much location work, it’s breathtaking.

Many may dislike the decision, but I think Disney was rather shrewd to release MULAN on VOD as they’ve done. The grandeur and scope shine through no matter what the platform, the same with the intimacy. And for those families that fear venturing back into the theater during the pandemic, Disney has done their best to make this winning remake accessible. I hope this new MULAN reaches the large audience it deserves.

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[pedra-ring-blog]

Top 10 Greatest Johnny Depp Movies of All Time

1. Pirates of the Caribbean

Johnny Depp's character as Captain Jack Sparrow is probably the most famous of all. He nailed the role - the dark makeup, pirate attitude, rum lover, excellent gun and sword fighter, and a happy-go-lucky person. Isn't he the hottest pirate in movie history? Fun facts: Originally, he wanted Jack Sparrow to have no nose and be afraid of silly things like pepper and the common cold. However, Disney rejected his idea.He wore contact lenses which served as sunglasses so he wouldn't be squinting in the sun all the time.He also improvised Jack Sparrow's catch phrase, "Savvy?"Captain Jack is portrayed as having gold teeth in the film. The gold teeth were Depp's idea, but he predicted that executives would want fewer gold teeth, and told his dentist to implant more gold teeth as a bargaining tool. Sparrow's final number of gold teeth in the film was what Depp had envisioned all along. 2. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

It may be Captain Jack Sparrow who is our all-time favorite Johnny Depp character, but we couldn't deny the fact that he's a splendid killer in Sweeney Todd. In this movie, he's not just some Benjamin Barker who seeks revenge, but one who can sing while giving a nice shave. He really is a demon barber! Fun facts: There are some scenes in the movie where Sweeney opens his razor very quickly. It is actually a mechanical razor. There is already a button that he would press to have the razor open, which he hides with his finger. He personally requested the prop department to design this razor for him, as he had difficulty handling the real razors.In preparation for his role, he had recorded demo tapes of himself in West Hollywood, working with old friend and music producer Bruce Witkin to shape his own vocals without a voice coach. He also practiced singing the musical while filming Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007).The extra-large jacket costume he worn in the movie is a Belstaff dark leather trench, designed exclusively for him. 3. Edward Scissorhands

Johnny Depp's character as Edward Scissorhands is just a proof that he's not always the cool or bad guy. He can also be a sweet, innocent gentleman who's not hard to love. We all want to give Ed a cuddle, right? Fun facts: Johnny Depp admitted that he "cried like a baby" when he first read the script.He convinced Winona Ryder to appear in this film, so she dropped out of The Godfather: Part III (1990).This is fascinating: Edward says only 169 words in the film.This film is the first collaboration between Tim Burton and Johnny Depp. 4. Sleepy Hollow

Fun facts: According to history, Ichabod Crane was a very unattractive man. Johnny Depp offered to add prosthetics to his face to make himself look ugly, but Tim Burton wanted to base the character on Crane's more unattractive personality traits - more on his reported squeamishness and eccentricity. He initially found the idea of Christina Ricci being his love interest in the film to be rather odd, seeing as he's known her since she was nine years old. 5. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

The sweet world of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is one of our childhood movies. Johnny Depp's Willy Wonka looks funny and vibrant, which is just visually appealing for children. Rolling Stone magazine wrote, Depp goes deeper to find the bruises on Wonka's secret heart than what Gene Wilder did. Fun facts: Johnny Depp was the only actor Director Burton considered for the role. signed on the role without reading the script under the intention of going with a completely different approach than what Gene Wilder did in the 1971 film adaptation.Depp and Burton derived Willy Wonka's character from children's television show hosts.As a child, Johnny Depp was allergic to chocolate. Quite ironic, right?This is Depp's second chocolate-based movie. 6. Finding Neverland

Finding Neverland is a movie which shows that Johnny Depp can play a protagonist's role in a fantasy world without wearing colorful makeup. His role as J.M. Barrie, though understated, was a promising one. He brought just the right amount of grace and charm to the real-life story. Fun facts: Directly after filming those scenes, Johnny Depp told the director that they would end up deleting those scenes. Guess what, he's right! Johnny Depp was the first of the cast members to sign on to the film. Kate Winslet was next. During the formal dinner scene, Johnny Depp played a prank by placing a "fart machine" under Julie Christie's chair. He had a remote control that he used to trigger a fart sound from the device. The children are laughing so hard at that than from playing with the spoons. 7. What's Eating Gilbert Grape

This is the kind of movie that shows how versatile Johnny Depp is. His role as Gilbert Grape is just so enchanting, it would make you feel emotional right away. In addition to his performance, young Leonardo DiCaprio is also astonishing. Variety magazine told that, "Depp manages to command center screen with a greatly affable, appealing characterization." Fun facts: Johnny Depp felt really bad about having to insult Darlene Cates' character, "Momma", and would often apologize to her after shooting. Depp said to Cates, "Man, I want you to know how much I hated having to say those things about you, or about your character."He also had the idea of playing Gilbert Grape as someone who seems constantly half asleep/half awake--someone numb to the peculiarities in his life. Juliette Lewis completely agreed with his interpretation of the character. Even still, he's worried he was boring by playing Gilbert so mildly. Lasse Hallström, however, agreed with Lewis, and thought that Depp nailed the part. In an interview, Depp said, "It was a hard time for me, that film, for some reason. He was always talking about these video games, you know? I told you it was kind of a dark period... 'No, I will not give you a drag of my cigarette while you hide from your mother again, Leo.'" Depp concluded, "I'd say the absolute truth is that I respect Leo a lot. He worked really hard on that film and spent a lot of time researching. He came to set and he was ready to work hard and all his ducks were in a row." 8. Donnie Brasco

This rich,satisfying movie is adapted from Joseph Pistone's novel about his own experiences as an undercover FBI mole. Depp himself played Pistone and his alter-ego, the titular Donnie Brasco. Critics praised his performance especially: a Salon.com review hailed his performance as "sensational." New York Magazine called him "graceful" and found his acting highly believable: "We can believe that the mob might take him for a tough, ambitious young hood—he has the wariness and the self-confidence that creates an aura." Fun facts: In preparation for his role, Johnny Depp met with Joseph D. Pistone in person for a number of times. He also took shooting lessons from the FBI.He spent months together with the real Joseph D. Pistone before shooting. Most of the time they lifted weights together.One of the many reasons why Johnny Depp was chosen to cast as Brasco was because he looked kind of Italian. In reality, he says he's "One part Cherokee and the rest mutt."Al Pacino was originally going to play Brasco. However, when he switched to Lefty, he recommended Johnny Depp. 9. Ed Wood

Another film directed by Tim Burton, the 1994 biopic stars Depp as cult filmmaker Ed Wood. It may not be as popular as some of the other Burton-Depp collaborations, but this movie proved that Depp is more than capable of handling different roles, even without all the flashy makeup and costumes. Though it is not a box-office hit, it earned several praises from other critics and audiences alike, and earned Depp a Golden Globe nomination. Fun facts: Johnny Depp has said that his characterization of Edward D. Wood Jr. was a mixture of "the blind optimism of Ronald Reagan, the enthusiasm of the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz (1939) and Casey Kasem."Ed Wood's Hollywood home overlooking his nightclub "The Viper Room" was previously owned by Bela Lugosi.This is Tim Burton's first R rated film. 10. Alice in Wonderland

Another colorful role by Johnny Depp is being the Mad Hatter in the 2010 Alice in Wonderland movie. Mia Wasikowska, the actor for Alice, said that, "both (Alice and Mad Hatter) feel like outsiders and feel alone in their separate worlds, and have a special bond and friendship." Burton also explained that Depp "tried to find a grounding to the character ... as opposed to just being mad." Fun facts: This film marks the 7th time Johnny Depp has worked under the direction of Tim Burton.Johnny Depp admitted that he found the process of filming on a green screen "exhausting", and "befuddled by the end of the day". He also said that he prefers "an obstacle" while in filming.Tim Burton and Johnny Depp worked hard to give the Mad Hatter more depth and presence than in past portrayals. In fact, the pair swapped sketches and themes for the character prior to creating this new version.Johnny Depp watched the Scottish comedy show Rab C. Nesbitt (1988) to perfect his character's Glaswegian voice. Read the full article