#guess it is the charm of the first or maybe the story of superman that struck a deep chord

[wildeatmidnight]

Christopher Reeve the ultimate the only superman ever

[imheretocryandiwill]

How the fear works (and how it doesn't)

There will be major spoilers for the game

Guess what? I played Firewatch and I was absolutely terrified. But the point is, the game isn't actually about fear. I think it's about acceptance, about need to keep moving forward. But that is not what I'm trying to express here.

Before I begin, I want to explain a few things: I never played a horror game or watched a horror movie, and I didn't know what kind of game I am playing. I prefer to go into games almost blindfolded.

First of all, Firewatch is downright beautiful. The way it uses light and color is astonishingly perfect. Water, forest, sunsets - the scenery in early hours of game is charming. It has its haunting moments in that cave, but other than that - all is well. And, to no one's surprise, when things start to change - we have a major shift in environment. And we spend more time during night hours. Works for storytelling and for atmosphere.

Music is, in a way, simple, but charming. I enjoyed it a lot during calm scenes, and it becomes haunting during tense scenes.

But the main reason why Firewatch was so scary to me - except my easy-frightened personality - just how realistic the game really is. Not talking about style here - hyperrealistic graphics are quite boring imo, and it is not the case here anyway. I'm talking about story and characters.

Firewatch is a first-person game, where you play as Henry - middle-aged not so fit white man. He is kind of depressed, he has some problems he'd like to avoid, so he takes job in the woods. Every time you climb, you can see his body - and he is no superman. He is vulnerable, he can fall and hurt himself, and every time he is scared - it feels genuine. He behaves like a normal human.

So when you find out that you are being watched, that is rather terrifying. We are lured out by someone from our tower, we find scripts of our talks with another firewatcher, and eventually we are knocked out from the back. It is genuinely scary to know how fragile we are - Henry is no fighter, he doesn't have any weapon, we are in danger, and the culprit and his motives are unknown.

And that is the moment when your fear at its peak - because as soon as you find that geological station - it is gone. Maybe Henry doesn't really know what he is looking at - but I do. And that is not scary. The horrific unknown is gone, it is destroyed, and all that's left - some sci-fi-ish bullshit. And because previous act was full of realism - the absurdity of ''experiment'' that Henry thinks he was subject of kills any fear whatsoever.

[boredwritergirl]

Day 29 - A Tale of Two Stars Part 1

Yes, this is because the actor in the new superman movie was in the movie Pearl, that's the joke.

A Tale of Two StarsA Pearl X Superman Fanfic

Pearl was alone. After running her errands for her parents, she chose to remain in the city, dreading having to return home to the farmstead. With her cold, demanding mother, her useless, needy father and her absent husband, off to fight the central powers, the only thing on Pearl’s mind was escape, and her easiest available escape was, of course, the movies.

She sat in the nickelodeon, munching on popcorn with a smile as the monochromatic ladies on screen danced their hearts out. But Pearl would do far more than just watch, she’d imagine herself as being one of those interchangeable dancers. She’d think to herself, ‘One Day I’ll be out there in Hollywood and I’m gonna be a Star! No,I AM A STAR!’

Those thoughts would continue to ring through her head as she stepped outside the theater, not noticing a muscular, well dressed man standing in the dark alley. The man smiled and lit a cigarette as he looked at her, asking her, “Did you enjoy the picture?”

Pearl paused, studying the man up and down and awkwardly standing there in silence until the man offered her a cigarette.

As Pearl reached for the cigarette and grabbed it, the man asked, “Do you like movies?”

Pearl nervously looked down at the ground as she replied, “I like dancing.”

The man smiled, puffing a little smoke out of his mouth. “Ah, a future tiller girl? Well, good luck. I’m sure you’ll give it your all.”

Pearl blushed, a doubtful look grazed across her eyes, “Oh, I wish.”

As he lit her cigarette, the man asked, “Why? You’re pretty and charming. As long as you can dance, you’ve got a real chance.”

Pearl’s blush intensified, making her cheeks incredibly rosy. It had been ages since she’s gotten this level of basic affirmation by anyone since her husband enlisted and it was really getting to her. “I-ummm, Thanks.”

The man then extended his hand, “Where are my manners? I’m Clark Kent, it’s nice to meet you.”

Pearl awkwardly extended her hand and shook it. “Howdy Mr Kent, you can call me Pearl…” she then asked, “So have you been working with the movies long?”

Clark let out a little chuckle, “No, no. I’ve been a projectionist since I got here a few weeks ago. To be honest, I’m moving west to become a reporter over in Hollywood, though I might bounce around over to Metropolis if that doesn't work out.”

Pearl gushed, “I’m moving to Hollywood too! I’m gonna be a star!”

“Yes, I’m sure you’ll be in plenty of pictures, maybe you’ll even dance in front of mass audiences. Who knows, maybe I’ll end up covering a story on you.” Clark grinned

Pearl gave him a hug after he said that, a little too nervous at first, Clark reluctantly returned the hug.

“When are you leaving?” Pearl asked, her arms still wrapped around Mr Kent.

“I’ll be leaving in two days.” Answered Clark, “If it’s really that easy for you to give up everything and leave, then I guess there’s no stopping you.”

Pearl thought about it a while, before finally saying, “No, I don’t have much that I don’t mind leaving… maybe I’ll miss the animals… maybe pa, but I already miss him. He’s basically dead anyways.”

“If you have someone depending on you, then you can’t leave him alone like that.” Clark insisted.

“Naww, it’s nothing like that. Ma will take care of him.”

[sinnergetreadymp3]

CHAMERON FIC CHAMERON FIC CHAMERON FIC

Uhhhhh I feel like I should give this a title but I have no idea what to call so uh, nevermind !!

Anyways,I finally finished the fic I said I was writing like,a month ago lol. All my Chameron stans out there this one's for u,I rlly hope at least one person enjoys this,I rlly enjoyed writing it !! Ok sappy stuff outta the way,here it is:

As rain pounded against the window Charlie sent what was probably the thousandth crumpled ball of paper across the room.

"Jesus Charlie,is your arm not getting tired?"

Charlie smirked at that, clearly preparing to make a dirty minded joke,but a thoroughly exhausted Richard Cameron was already one step ahead.

"You know what,forget I asked, you're gross."

Getting up from the seat at his desk and ignoring an indignant retort from Charlie, Cameron thought of the rest of his friends,out for the weekend. Todd and Neil celebrating their one year anniversary, Meeks and Pitts embarking on a two day road trip,for what they still claimed to be, entirely platonic reasons (although the rest of the poets were all too aware of the almost palpable romantic tension between them). Even Knox had found something to do with himself on this miserable Friday night.

And here Cameron was,stuck in his dorm with nothing but stacks of extra homework and his obnoxious roommate to keep him company.

Speaking of that obnoxious roommate, "Oh come on Cam,you're not seriously going to bed already,it's barely eight!"

"Shut up Dalton,I'm tired."

Refusing to admit defeat, Charlie sprung from his own bed into Cameron's, attempting to wrestle the poor boy from his comfortable position.

"Charlie,get off you psycho!" Cameron managed to get out, already laughter threatening to give away just how welcome his friend's childish antics were.

After a few more minutes of "fooling around" as Charlie insisted on calling it (mostly because of how profusely it made Cameron blush),the two boys lay breathless beside each other,trying desperately to think of something else to do that would ward off impending boredom.

After a few moments of comfortable silence,Charlie suggested,looking expectantly towards the ginger, "Wanna go to the cave?"

With extreme,mind numbing boredom as motivation, it was inevitable that Cameron would say yes. It certainly helped that Charlie was gazing at him with those oh-so convincing doe eyes of his. Charlie Dalton and his stupid,gorgeous eyes. And his stupid,gorgeous smile,which Cameron was abso definitely not thinking about as he got up and grabbed his coat.

The two boys trudged through the woods,bickering lightly when Cameron complained of the cold that Charlie apparently couldnt feel at all,but always with an unusually friendly air between them. Before long they were sat together in the middle of the cave,sharing an apple that Cameron had managed to salvage from somewhere (a feat Dalton was of course impressed by),and trading stories of girls and parties galore. In Cameron's case, the stories of girls were few and the parties were from years long before even middle school,so Charlie did most of the talking.

After a while though,the boys came to discussing their friends,and the luck they all seemed to have in finding each other so easily. Charlie, ever the romantic,made no waste of his extensive vocabulary,tediously lamenting on all the opportunities of love he had missed and the everlasting loneliness he was doomed to,all because his dashing knight in shining armour would never come to find him and-

"Why dont *you* just find somebody?"

Charlie,still sprawled dramatically over a rock ,and mildly offended at the interruption,indignantly questioned "What do you mean?"

"What I said? You dont just have to wait around for somebody to come find you and fall madly in love. Why don't *you* just find somebody?"

He thought for a moment,taken aback by the ginger's harsh words,but eventually decided to humout him for a moment.

"And where exactly do you suggest I find him then, hm?"

Cameron shifted in his seat,not expecting to be taken seriously and certainly not prepared to be giving advice. Especially not *this* kind of advice. Especially not to *charlie*.

"Well,uh," he looked up to see the other boy looking at him expectantly,with that ever-present smirk on his face that, oddly enough,made Cameron feel a little more comfortable.

"Maybe,you could,I don't know, consider that the guy you're looking for has been here the whole time?"

"Wow Cam,Pittsie and Meeks' radio must've really gotten to you. All those love songs have turned you into a big softie." Charlie joked,grinning and nudging Cameron playfully.

Through a soft laugh,Cameron continued, "No I'm serious man,I think you're making this whole love thing way harder for yourself. I mean- and be honest with me, what's actually wrong with the guys at our school?"

"Other than the fact that about three quarters of them are raging heterosexuals?"

Laughing again,Cameron replied "yeah,other than that."

After about zero seconds of careful consideration,he had come to a conclusion, "Well,I guess nothing,but I dont know? Cameron, I don't see how this changes-"

"It *changes* things because clearly you don't anything about half the guys at our school. And you can't write off people you don't even know." At some point, Cameron had gotten up and started pacing around,but with the end of this triumphant speech,he finally sat down,a little closer to the other boy than he had been before.

Charlie looked across at Cameron and was suddenly met with a wave of fondness. Weird,how all it took was to sit and talk for a while before someone you thought you near hated,started to feel like your favorite person in the world. And,was he going completely crazy or Cameron at his most comfortable, without the fear of a teacher lurking nearby,without the stress of constantly trying to prove himself,was he... A little..... attractive??

All at once,Charlie made a decision,partly to try and prove himself wrong,but also because hey,if Richard Cameron was the surprise love of his life,what better time to figure it out than right now?

"So how,sir Richard Cameron,do you propose I get to know all these charming suitors?"

Cameron, completely in the dark about Dalton's recent epiphany,was still stubbornly trying to explain how much easier Charlie's love life could be,if only he would let it.

"Well,maybe by actually talking to them? Y'know,kind of like,What we're doing right now."

"So,what you're saying is,*you* could be my knight in shining armor," he said with a smirk.

"Well,that's not what-"

"No,no it's fine,as long as we're talking about this version of you. Regular Cameron is kind of a buzzkill but Cave Cam is actually a kind of.... And I can't believe I'm saying this but,in here,like this...well. You're actually a little hot."

After this, overwhelmingly romantic confession, Charlie was certain he had completely stuffed it,and sure enough,

"Gee Charlie,thanks. Really makes me wanna ride into the sunset with you." To say Cam's ego had been hit was an understatement,but before he could make a swift exit from the cave and lock himself,alone,in his dorm for the rest of the weekend,of course Dalton kept talking.

"God,I'm sorry,that was, I have no idea why I said that. I thought I was being funny but out loud- god I'm so sorry," while he had initially been mad,seeing Charlie fucking Dalton blush (and because of *him* no less) was rather funny. And sure,a little cute. So Cameron decided to hear him out.

"Can I start over? You're not saying anything so I'm gonna start over. I,uh, I really do think you're hot. Like really hot. And not just right now,all the time,like that time we were at rowing practice and I started pushing you around and we ended up on the floor and I saw like,a single sliver of skin because your sweater had ridden up,and I couldn't stop thinking about it all day,which I thought was a little weird but then-"

"Uh,I think I get it,Charlie." Now Cameron was the one blushing.

"Uh,sorry. What I meant was,that I *do* think you're hot l-"

"As you've said"

"Yeah,yeah,but it's more than that. Like,when I realized we'd basically be spending the whole weekend alone together,I was actually sorta excited for that,even though I knew I'd just be sitting by you while you did homework the whole time,I like,wanted to do that. And tonight,I haven't talked like this with anyone who isn't Neil like,ever. What I mean is,I guess,is that,I think that uh,"

Deciding to lighten the mood,Cameron tried for a little sarcasm, "Wow,Dalton, stuttering? I must be superman or something."

"I'm trying to be romantic here Carrot top," Charlie said with a grin,

"Listen,I don't really know what I'm doing here,but I think it might be kinda nice if we tried having a little romantic weekend of our own. Just to try it. If it totally sucks we can pretend it never happened and the others don't have to know about it and-"

"Charlie."

"Yeah?"

"Relax," Cameron said with yet another laugh ,he didn't think he laughed like this since... Well,he couldn't even remember.

So with a radiant smile on his face,he said,"A romantic weekend of our own sounds amazing. Gotta warn you tho I'm not a great kisser."

"Well, lucky for you I am a great teacher," Charlie replied,with a somehow even bigger smile on his face than Cameron's,

"Why are you laughing,I *am* a great teacher!" Unfortunately for Charlie,his indignance only made Cameron laugh harder.

"I'll believe that when I see it."

"If you shut up and stop laughing,maybe you'll get to." After this was all it took to get the ginger to sober up, the look on his face pushed Charlie to make his final,but (in his opinion) most important decision of the night.It was high time he flirt with Cameron way more often (which was *very* difficult to explain to the other poets,at least the first time).

[thememestho]

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚ 911 fox sentence meme

enjoy this overly extra sentence meme series. episode 2.04 (part 13 of ?)

Keep going, my little Superman.

You look worried.

Well, I'm not sure we've ever had a good conversation that started with "shut the door behind you."

He was real son of a bitch.

Taking him is not a problem. Giving him back... That's the hard part.

Where's the fire?

Holy crap, you are hot.

You might want to close your eyes during this part.

I think I'm gonna puke.

She just needs another drink.

No, what she needs to do is go home.

Hey, so is your son really the reason you don't date?

You mean Prince Charming, hmm? He's peachy.

I... I'm trying to find some permanent help, it's just... too many forms to fill out. It's worse than the V.A.

I'll keep him tonight, but you need to get this figured out.

Must be rough.

And we are so proud of you.

Okay, I don't get it. I thought that you would be more excited about this.

All these years... The long hours, extra shifts. You fighting to get recognized. _____, you work so hard, why are you not enjoying this moment?

It was all about stars and bars, climbing up the ladder, blowing through that glass ceiling. I don't need that anymore.

I am finally in a place where I'm comfortable in my life and in my own skin.

______, I thought we were buddies...

You have a scar on your head.

I'll tell you the story later.

I just feel bad for him, you know?

So you’re really moving out?

But it's just not gonna feel like mine unless I'm standing on my own two feet. That's the only way I'm gonna know it's real.

As always, your bedside manner totally sucks, doc.

Well, as we've discussed, some amnesia around such a traumatic event... It's to be expected.

Don't worry, unless this is the longest-incubated baby in human history, she's my husband's.

I'm very happy for you.

How's your life? I mean, anyone special?

I'll wait for the next one.

I do not give my consent to use my face on whatever show this is.

So she has a new life. Great. So do you.

I just feel like it's all happening too fast.

She said she felt like maybe she had been a bitch. 

She's not lying. She was a bitch.

What? You're my friend. She's your ex. You get to forgive and move on. I get to hold a grudge until I die.

It was fine at first, you know? She was just gonna be gone for a few months and I wanted to be supportive, but she still hasn't come back and I don't know what to do.

I still love ____, and I want her to be happy. How long do I have to wait before I get to be happy, too?

What did she say?

How come I survived and that poor guy back there didn't?

I remember it all.  Everything.  Wakes me up in the middle of the night. I just can't...

A life-changing event can't change your life if you keep pretending it didn't happen. You got to talk about it, man, you got to let it out, process it.

I asked you here 'cause there's someone I want you to meet. 

You didn't set me up, did you? 

No, just-just trust me. This woman is... exactly what you need.

Ah! Goodness, I missed your face.

I'm red tape's worst nightmare.  I'll get you through this in no time.

Seeing you the other day really threw me. I spent months thinking about what I wanted to say to you. And then you were there, and... and my mind just went blank.

You see, all I did was pretend with you the entire time we were together, just... pretending to be something that I wasn't. Uh, telling you stories of things that I had never done, adventures that I'd never had.

I guess I always thought that being just me wasn't enough.

I really want you to have a blessed life, ______.

You think you can sleep now?

We all get stuck from time to time. In our circumstances, in our fear, stuck on a page we haven't yet been able to turn.

I'll accumulate stuff. That's part of starting over.

If we're very lucky, someone will be there to give us a little push, or a kick in the pants... or just offer a hand to help us get unstuck.

[ajeepgirl]

Shut Up and Dance

Summary: Cat Grant is attending an event in Metropolis and insists that Kara Danvers go with her as her assistant. During the gala, Kara is awestruck by the most stunning pair of green eyes she has ever seen. She can't help but want to get to know the woman who's eyes are so alluring.

AKA: a fluffy little one shot based on the song Shut up and dance by Walk the Moon set in/around S1 of Supergirl.

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

Kara was staring down into her glass of wine, wishing she was human so it would actually get her drunk. She grumbled to herself, annoyed at everyone in her life at that moment.

Annoyed with her boss Cat Grant for making her come to Metropolis with her for this conference, only to ditch Kara as soon as they arrive at the evening gala.

Annoyed that Clark couldn’t be bothered to make time to meet her for coffee, even in his own city. She thought he would at least make time to see her, but when she told him she would be here for the weekend, all he gave her was a half-ass apology, saying he was busy chasing a story

Annoyed that Alex wasn’t responding to her text messages in this very moment.

Kara sighed. She shouldn’t be mad at her sister. She knows how busy the DEO can get sometimes. She just hopes they don’t have any emergencies or need Supergirl. She can see her boss across the room, doing her thing with people that wouldn’t give Kara, Cat Grant’s personal assistant, the time of day.

But she also knows that Ms. Grant would immediately know if she dipped out of this gala. So instead, Kara sips her wine and tries not to eat all the food she can get her hands on. She takes in the scene around her. It’s like going to the Met Gala in NYC, except instead of being about fashion, this weekend is all about the Fortune 500 companies in the world. More specifically, about their CEO’s and CFO’s and whoever they think is important enough to invite. Of course, what is a party without a little intrigue? So, in addition, for the final event of the weekend, everyone is wearing a masquerade mask to cover their eyes and upper face. It is all very over the top, in Cat Grant’s opinion, since she knows everyone. To Kara, she thought it was adorable and cool, though she didn’t say so to her boss.

The gala is held in a huge ballroom that even has an area with people dancing. It is a gala, after all, Kara thinks to herself. Though what does she know about rich, fancy people? As Kara looks around the room, taking in the other faces, trying to see if she knows any of them, she spots a new arrival to the gala as they enter in a dark green dress, with a matching masquerade mask. Behind the mask are the most piercing green eyes Kara has ever seen. They have a shimmer to them, a pull for Kara, inviting her in. Kara is awestruck by the woman as she takes in the rest of her. Her dark hair is flowing down her back. Kara debates using her powers, but that would require dipping her glasses down a tiny bit, which are precariously placed overtop her own mask. She chews on her lip, intrigued by the woman as she makes her rounds around the ballroom. Kara is surprised to see the woman having difficulty interacting with the other people here.

Kara starts to use her superhearing to get a better sense of what is going on. How could anyone possibly not want to talk to this alluring person. She first picks up the tail end of a conversation with two men.

“You should have known better than to show up here tonight.”

“Exactly. How could you possibly think this would go any different?”

“It isn’t my fault you idiots cannot see me for who I am.”

Kara watches the woman turn and walk away after her statement, leaving the two men speechless. Kara goes on to listen to her next conversation.

“Hello, Bruce.”

“You shouldn’t be here.”

“We both know I need to be. It’s the event of the year for companies like ours.”

The man pauses at the comment as he takes a drink from his glass. “And is it yours now… the company?”

“Of course. It certainly isn’t his anymore. I’m taking over. I have full control and big plans.”

“Well, good luck with that.”

The woman gives this Bruce fellow a curt nod as he walks away, clearly not wanting to be associated with her.

After hearing a few more people completely tear down this woman, Kara can no longer stand by idly. She finds herself walking intently towards her. She catches her a few feet away from a small group of businesspeople that would surely treat her the same. Kara realizes as she takes the last few steps towards her, that she doesn’t actually have a plan on what to say. Instead, she says the first thing that comes to mind.

“The food is better than the people.”

The woman looks at Kara, head tilted, eyebrow raised, as she takes in Kara’s comment. A smirk slowly appears on her face.  

“You know, that is an interesting theory. Perhaps I should test it myself.”

“Well, I happen to have an entire plate of food back at my table, if you’re interested.”

She looks just past Kara to the group of people she was approaching, and then back to Kara, who is giving her a bright, warming smile.

“Well, I’m never one to turn down food or science.” The woman offers her arm, which Kara gladly takes with her own, guiding her back to her table.

As they walk, Kara says softly, “I’m Kara, by the way.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Kara. I presume like everyone else here, despite my silly mask, that you know who I am?”

Kara can feel herself blush under her own mask. “Well actually…”

As they sit down, the woman gasps in mock surprise at her. “That would explain your willingness to associate with me.”

Kara shrugs. “What can I say? I saw a beautiful woman who I want to get to know.”

This time, the woman blushes. “Well… Kara. If you must know then, my name is Lena.”

“What a beautiful name.”

The two spend the next hour talking and nibbling on the food and drinking wine, Lena forgetting about her purpose for coming to the gala tonight. It turned out to be a moot point anyway, with no one wanting anything to do with her since her brother tried to kill Superman. She finds Kara endearing and charming, her smile so bright and happy. It’s a change of pace from everything she has been dealing with since taking over the family company. So maybe, for tonight, she can be just Lena. She listens to Kara tell her all about Catco, working for Cat Grant, and living in National City. She talks a little bit about her sister. She talks a lot about Cat and how much she has learned being her assistant.

As the evening goes on, Kara becomes more and more enthralled by Lena. She can tell Lena is holding a lot back. She guesses it has to do with what she overheard earlier, but she can’t ask her about that, considering there is no human way she could have heard that stuff. So instead, she lets Lena tell her what she wants, and shares plenty about herself. After all, Kara knows she herself is also keeping some important stuff a secret considering they only just met this evening.

Knowing all that though, Kara doesn’t want the night to end, so when she can tell that Lena is starting to get a bit antsy and she thinks Lena is about to call it a night, she does the only thing she can think of to keep Lena around longer.

“So… Lena… want to dance?”

Lena’s eyes go wide. “Um… with you?”

Kara’s smile again broadens. “Yes, Lena, with me.”

Lena gives a sly smile as she holds her hand out. “Alright. Let’s go.”

As they made their way to the dance floor, Kara can again feel the eyes of many of the other guests on them. She looked to see Lena’s eyes darting around the room and found herself giving Lena’s hand a gentle squeeze. As Lena looked at her, she gave her a tentative smile. “Don’t you dare look back. Just keep your eyes on me.”

Lena smirked at Kara’s boldness, ready to give it right back. “Oh, just shut up and dance with me, would you?”

As Lena says it, she wraps her arms around Kara’s shoulders, sending a shiver down Kara’s spine as she stumbled to respond with words, but quickly finding her footing on the dance floor. Her hands touching softly on Lena’s hips as they began to sway to the slow music. Lena could feel the warmth radiating from Kara.

They danced in silence for a few minutes before Lena couldn’t help herself anymore.

“Kara, I hope you don’t mind me saying, but your eyes…”

Kara tilted her head as her forehead crinkled. “What about my eyes?” she asked dejectedly.

“No no,” Lena said putting a hand on Kara’s chest instinctively. “What I mean to say is that they are unlike any shade of blue I have ever seen. They are almost electric the way that they seem to glow. They are beautiful.”

Kara blushes under her mask as her head drops. “Oh… um… Thank you…”

“Sorry… if that was too forward,” Lena offers, not wanting to ruin things with the only person to treat her like a human this evening.

Kara looks back up in her eyes. “I’m glad you told me Lena. Your eyes were one of the first things I noticed about you when you walked in tonight.”

Lena’s eyebrow raised in the air suspiciously. “Really now?” Lena knows she is attractive, but her eyes? That isn’t something she often hears.

Kara smiles brightly. “Oh yes. They pulled me right in. I knew I just had to talk to you.” Kara doesn’t say it, not what she really sees when she looks into Lena’s eyes.

Deep in her eyes. I think I see the future.

Lena hides her own blush as she moves in closer, their bodies touching as she whispers in Kara’s ear. “Well, lucky for me that you rescued me from everyone else tonight then.”

Kara responds before she has time to think. “I will always save you Lena.”

Little did either know just exactly how true that statement would come to be.

Also on my AO3 page: https://archiveofourown.org/works/32377102

[ordinaryschmuck]

What I Thought About the First Season of--

Salutations random people on the internet who most likely won’t read this! I am an Ordinary Schmuck. I write stories and reviews and draw comics and cartoons.

When I first saw the sneak peek of--

...I...didn't...think it would be anything all that special. I love animation, and I love superheroes, so it would go without saying that I would love an animated series about superheroes. But the animation looked a little too stiff for my liking, and aside from featuring J.K. Simmons, there wasn't anything grabbing me when it comes to this show.

Then I heard some s**t goes down at the end of episode one. So, letting my curiosity get the better of me, I binged the entire series in a day to see what the fuss was about. And, um...Yeah. Holy s**t.

This is a series that will very much make you uncomfortable in all the right ways. However, it is a gigantic gorefest at times, so if you get queasy after a single drop of blood, DON'T WATCH THIS SHOW! Trust me, you will not be prepared for what this series has to offer.

At the same time, I highly recommend you watch this series before reading this review. I'm going to spoil major plot points and characters so I can appropriately discuss what I think about the season, so trust me when I say you should click away if you haven't watched it yet. It's one of those series that are better to go in as blind as possible. You can call it a cheap way to appeal to shock value, but I call it one of the best reasons why--

...Is a contender for best-animated series of the decade--That bit with the title card isn't going away anytime soon, is it?

WHAT I LIKE

The Guardians of the Globe vs. The Mauler Twins: This is the best possible way for the series to begin. The first fight scene is bright, colorful, and kinda fun. Thus setting the ultimate expectation subversion in making audiences think that will be the series staple. However, just because it has the energy of a harmless superhero fight, there is a sense of intensity as the Guardians give their all in saving others. Like that moment with Darkwing (Not the duck) as he rescues that woman without hesitation, despite knowing he might die because of it. Or Green Ghost, who just barely rescues all those civilians from that falling debris. It shows that you don't need intense scenes of violence to make a fight scene thrilling to watch.

Diversity Wins: I don't know how diverse the comics are compared to the show, but I'm impressed with how inclusive this series is. So many members of the main cast are people of color, with the main lead being half-Korean. And it's not just different races that the series shines a light on, as we also get the rare, but very much welcomed, animated male gay character. Who's thankfully isn't cliched in ten ways to Sunday...for the most part. It really does seem like writers are starting to grow up and that it's better to be as inclusive as possible instead of pretending certain people don't exist for the sake of "convenience." It might not solve oppression in general, but it certainly makes certain people feel better, even if it is briefly.

Mark Grayson: Mark is a pretty solid super-protagonist if you ask me. Sure, at first, he comes across as whiney...and even more so in later episodes, but he's really an endearing character at times. Mark nails the role of the relatable everyman that's also inspirational with his determination since he never gives up until beaten to the inch of his life. Seriously, while he might not entirely be--

...I guess that bit with the title card really isn't going away.

Anyways, while he might not entirely be invulnerable in the literal sense, he is very much so in the figurative sense. Mark, in so many ways, refuses to call quits once he finally gets the hang of being a superhero, which is what makes him so inspirational. Plus, it's funny seeing how much of a rookie he can be to the gig at times. Mark is far from a perfect lead but is still charming to a fault, and it's nice seeing him grow more heroic each episode. I hope to see him develop more in future seasons, as he has the potential to be ranked higher up as one of my favorite superheroes (it's hard to compete with Spider-Man and Batman, but he'll make me consider it).

Debbie Grayson: This is almost what I expect a mother and wife of superheroes would be. 

Your son is constantly crash landing in your yard? Tell him to knock it off because he's past his curfew. 

Your husband disappeared into another dimension to fight off invaders? Shrug it off and expect that he'll be late for dinner.

It's a ton of fun to watch, and I adore how supportive she is of Mark, despite how much danger he could be in as a superhero. But, what really endears me with Debbie is her complicated feelings with Omni-Man. There's not a doubt in my mind that she loved him with her whole heart, but she also isn't an idiot. She is quick to pick up how unheroic her husband can be at times, often scolding him for it when necessary. And when she finally starts investigating if he really did kill the Guardians, I love that she instantly comes up with every single plausible excuse she can, despite knowing the truth. Because she believes that she knows who Omni-Man is and refuses any possibility that he might be a supervillain. So when she finds out that there really is no other explanation and hearing him call her a pet (big ouch when that happened), you wanna know what she does? She cries. Not because the man she loved is gone forever, but because the idea of him is. And it's that level of emotional devastation that comes from those complicated emotions that make me think Debbie Grayson is the most complex and endearing character on the show. And I. Will. Stand by that.

Seeing the Guardians of the Globe on their down time: Wow, what a cute collection of scenes that are charming as much as they are heartwarming! A set of scenes that show how human these characters are with their close relationships with friends and family! I sure hope it's not followed up with a brutal emotional gut-punch of a scene that will be even more devastating after thinking back on these! Especially with that bit with Martian Man and the little girl, cause OOO-WEE, would THAT tear me up inside!

Omni Man destroying the Guardians of the Globe:...I'd follow through on my joke here, but holy s**t.

That's really the best way I can describe all of this. It is a brutal, I repeat, BRUTAL scene that will stick with you hours after watching it. Not only that, but it's one of the few instances when I was damn near speechless because I couldn't think of anything else to say other than, "Holy s**t." The only time another superhero property did that was Avengers: Infinity War, except with that, the only difference is that the characters come back. Here, except for The Immortal, the Guardians stay dead! There's no magic amulet or alternate versions from another dimension. No, they die and never come back. Thus setting up how serious the show can be. Because if these superheroes can stay dead, then so can others.

Plus, what makes it more impactful is how throughout the entire fight, there was a glimpse of hope that the Guardians can beat Omni-Man. I heard he got nerfed for the sake of drama, and I approve of that decision. Because if he was really--

...If he was really unbeatable, then the fight doesn't have weight to it. There wouldn't be a point in rooting for these characters to win when we already know they're going to lose. But, by showing there's a chance that they could win, it becomes all the more intense watching the fight and even more tragic seeing them lose. It is a masterpiece of a battle that proves once and for all: Batman is right. You need contingency plans.

Omni Man: J. Jonah Jameson has become the one thing he hates the most: A masked MENACE...Ok, I know Omni-Man doesn't wear a mask, so the joke doesn't work as well as it could. But it was served to me on a silver platter, damn it! I had to take it!

In all seriousness, though, Omni-Man might give Homelander a run for his money on best evil Superman. Because while Homelander might be terrifying in his own right with his style of evil, Omni-Man takes it a step up a notch with the mystery behind WHY he killed the Guardians of the Globe. We know right away that there's something off with him, but up until that point, we see multiple instances of Omni-Man doing the right thing rather than the wrong. Sure, he might come off as cold when interacting with people, but so does Batman and other great superheroes in comics. That doesn't mean he's evil. So when he does do something so incredibly heinous, we're left with this mystery as to why. Because there has to be a reason for it all, right? Like, maybe mind control or his family was threatened. Something and anything that means he was forced into killing the noblest of people. So when it turns out that his actions were intentional, it is already pretty devastating. But when we find out why he does these things, it paints how truly evil Omni-Man is, given how little respect he has for human life.

Plus, as terrifying as Homelander is, Omni-Man is ten times more of an engaging villain. With Homelander, what you see is what you get: A narcissist with a god complex. For Omni-Man, it's more or less the same thing, but it's something fed to him because of the conditioning from his planet. There is a tiny, molecule-sized part of him that genuinely cares about others. It doesn't change what he does, nor does it mean he deserves forgiveness (far from it), but it hints that maybe he's not evil because of his own ego. It's because of how he's trained to be. And judging by his pained expressions from Mark's words and the single tear he sheds when leaving everything behind, there's a chance that he might be willing to fight back that mentality.

Or he will stay evil, and that he'll return to do worse things in the future. I don't know. I haven't read the comics. But I feel like I don't need to read anything to tell you all that Omni-Man is up there as one of the most intriguing comic book villains of all time, and I can't wait to see what happens with him next.

This show is f**king Violent: I mean, I refer you back to that scene where Omni-Man destroys the Guardians of the Globe. But, unlike other shows that use violence to force that mature rating, I feel as though In--

...Title card. You were cute the first time, but now your novelty has quickly worn thin.

Anyways, I feel as though this show...uses gore more appropriately. More often than not, death and carnage get treated as a literal joke in adult cartoons because people are sick bastards, I guess. But with...the current series I'm talking about, it all has an impact. No one dies or gets mangled for the sake of shock value or for a laugh. Instead, every instance of this type of violence is to either make a point, set the tone, or prove just how dangerous a specific character is. It makes...the series more mature than most adult cartoons you'll find because it actually brings a worthy discussion for its violence rather than milking it to give the illusion of maturity. And I gotta respect the writers for doing that.

Cecil: This man is basically Nick Fury if he was overpowered but in a good way. There is just something about a man who knows superheroes are needed in the world but also trusts a "hero" like Omni-Man as far as he can throw him. Not only does Cecil have contingency plans for his contingency plans, but the guy also knows to send the right heroes out for the exact missions that require them. Plus, a man is an instant badass when he's stone-faced about a demon saying he'll go somewhere worse than hell and is calm when being face-to-face with an angry Omni-Man.

I don't make the rules. I just abide by them.

The title card gets bloodier with each episode: This is just a really cool gimmick. It proves how intense this show can really be and how the stakes get higher and higher with each installment. Also, I like to think the amount of blood that splashes over the title card reflects how brutal the episode will be, especially with episode eight, 'cause holy hell.

The plot structure: The way the story works is very similar to how a comic book series handles its overarching narrative. Even though the writers begin a new arc that continues for a handful of issues, the overall main plot still develops in the background of the current adventure the hero goes through. That's basically how--

>Intense inhale<

>Calm exhale<

That's basically how THIS SHOW operates. Each episode can be seen as its own story that's given a ton of room to develop with its forty-five-minute runtime (which blew my f**king mind when I started binging it). Despite that, there's still a great sense of continuity. Everything involving Omni-Man and the mystery behind his murder of the Guardians gets fleshed out throughout the season, even when it takes the background of Mark's escapades. It really does feel like sitting down and taking the time to read an entire volume of comics, which I like to believe is the intention. After all, what's the point of making a series about superheroes if you don't make it feel like a comic book at least once?

Dark Blood: I desire a series based on this character alone. I know it's probably just Hellboy, but I want it. 

The idea of a demon solving murder crimes to work off his debt in Hell is too much of a remarkable concept to strictly be a c-plot in one series. Give Dark Blood a spin-off, damn it!

The Realistic Portrayal of a Superhero world: Unlike certain superhero properties--*cough* DC *cough*--it's--

>Huff<

>Puff<

>HUFF<

>PUFF<

>HUFF<

It's. This. F**KING. SHOW! That really does an excellent job at portraying how much it would suck to live in a world of superheroes. Sure, you got the cool battles and awe-inspiring heroes with incredible powers, but do you know what else you get? Hundreds upon thousands of people dying from the very threats those heroes fight against. Not to mention all the realistic physics that come from people like Mark trying to save others. Just look at how mangled that old woman looked when he attempted to help her. It, uh...It sure did not look great. Don't get me wrong, I love superheroes and the worlds they live in. But when watching a show like...this one, it really makes me appreciate how I don't live in those worlds with them.

It’s Still Funny: This is something I appreciate the most. When most superhero shows go for the realistic approach, they go with the doom and gloom route, making everything so melodramatic about how serious the world is. But here's the thing: Superheroes are f**king stupid.

Don't tell me they're not because they are. Superheroes have cornball hero names, bright costumes, and logos on their foreheads, chests, belts, and what-have-you. Taking a superhero too seriously is the worst mistake you could make, which is why I love the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Say what you want about Marvel having "too many jokes," but at least they know it's for the best to laugh at themselves and embrace the weirdness. It's something similar with...you know what. Because while the series tells a serious and realistic story about superheroes, it's still a story about superheroes. So it tells some jokes and some pretty funny ones at that. Because while it's essential to include some drama in a story such as the one in...you know what, it's just as important to never forget to have some fun.

“Earth is not yours to conquer.”: Such a great line that gains an even greater meaning once we fully know who Omni-Man is. The main creditor for how effective it is goes to J.K. Simmons for making the line sound explicit yet implicit at the same time.

Allen the Alien: ...It is an absolute crime that this character only has about six minutes of screentime. Allen is such a bro, partially because of Seth Rogan's performance, that I would honestly be upset if he doesn't show up more often in later seasons. Seriously, bring him back for more.

The Mauler Twins: Thankfully, these characters get as much attention as they deserve. The banter between the Mauler Twins is always entertaining, often being the comedic highlights at times. On top of being funny, they also work as efficient villains who can come across as threatening at times.

But what I love most of all about these two is the explanation behind the cloning process. The reasoning of why neither character remembers which one is the cone is a brilliant idea that I'm surprised no one else did in the past (to my knowledge). It also provides some excellent fruit for thought in wondering if it really is better to live your life not knowing if you're a clone or not. The whole thing is great to watch, and it makes me really glad for their inclusion...too bad they had to be forced into a story that makes a character look like a reckless superhero and an inconsiderate jackass to his friend. Seriously, what was up with that?

“That Actually Hurt”: This just might be my favorite episode of the first season. Machine Head is both equally hilarious and devious, Titan might just be my favorite character due to how intriguing his allegiances and motivations are, that final fight was the perfect amount of brutal, and we get the biggest hint of the man Omni-Man really is. Having him simply watching Mark instead of flying in to help him actually shocked me the first time seeing it. It's not until we learn what a Viltrumite really is that it becomes clear as to why. He doesn't care about saving his son but instead seeing Mark reach the same potential Omni-Man did during that smash fest the planet went through to reach perfection. And something tells me he felt more disappointment than sadness after seeing his son get nearly killed by Tony the Tiger (I know he has an actual name...but this is funnier to me). It's such a solid moment with great implications that just so happens to exist in an even greater episode.

Eve deciding to just help people for the heck of it: I actually love this idea more for the potential it has rather than what actually happens so far. Because the main reason why heroes don't fly around and solve every little minute problem people have is that they need to learn how to act without help. If you suddenly make food appear out of thin air or stopping forest fires, you're doing good, but there's also potential harm that comes from it. I think back to that episode of The Powerpuff Girls, where the townspeople are so idiotic and complacent with having their heroes solve every problem that they really can't think or act for themselves. A similar thing can happen with Eve if she's not careful. Even worse, if she keeps trying to end famine for farmers, because she might get into a Supergirl situation with people building a cult around her. And, you know, that's not going to be fun.

But again, that's just the potential that this presents. We--Or the people who haven't read the comics--don't know if Eve will actually face this issue. Regardless, we still get some solid moments that proves just how much Eve is a true hero in this series as she has no other motive to help people other than she just wants to. And I actually think that's pretty cool.

The Immortal’s rematch: I gotta hand it to the guy. Not a second after being brought back to life, and The Immortal's already flying off to get revenge on the bastard who killed his closest friends in the world. Or, globe, I guess.

I respect that, to be honest.

(As a bonus, The Immortal causing Omni-Man's eyes to become bloodshot adds to how evil he'll be in the last episode)

Mark trying to snap his dad out of mind-control: Oh, I felt that.

I'm pretty sure we all felt that.

Ow...Big ow.

The Train Scene: ...This is the most horrific thing I have seen in entertainment. Seriously, while Omni-Man annihilating the Guardians left me speechless, this is another level. Because him using Mark's body to kill a train full of people ramming into them, leaving Mark all the more helpless to stop it, makes a scene that is so...so hard for me to describe how effectively f**ked up it is. It's one of those moments where just by seeing it, you know why it's awful in all the right ways. And I will never forget the look of shock and horror on my face when it reflected onto my laptop's screen after the scene briefly cut to black soon after the carnage. Because if that doesn't explain how unmerciful this moment is, I don't know what will.

Saving Mark after the fight: I really love this because as it flashes between still images of people carrying Mark away after his brutal fight with Omni-Man, it really feels like you're reading a comic from panel to panel. It’s pretty neat. I won’t lie.

WHAT I DISLIKE

The Animation isn’t that great: Now, in terms of action, the animation is fantastic. You feel the impact of each attack, there are some creative uses of powers, and the gore is better implemented because it's all animated. As for everything else...yeah, it kinda sucks. Movements are a little stiff at times, the CGI backgrounds could use a bit more polish, and don't get me started on the CGI crowds of people. I understand the shortcuts that need to be taken to make everything else more effective, but man, this series needed a little more time in the oven before being shown to everyone. It's never too bad, but it can be pretty distracting at times.

Amber: F**k Amber. Just f**k her. Everything people tell you that is wrong with her is one-hundred percent on point. She is easily one of the worst love interests, and to me, it has everything to do with the fact that she knows Mark is--

...That she knows Mark is--

...

...

...ThatsheknowsMarkisInvinci--

--BECAUSE IT INVALIDATES ANY POINT SHE HAS, GOSH DANGIT! I don't give a single S**T if she's upset that he's late all the time! If Amber was always unaware of it, then I would understand. But having her know means that she thinks her issues are more important than Mark, oh, I don't know, SAVING THE PLANET! I mean, the girl helps feed the homeless! You would think she would understand.

But fine. Maybe Amber's just upset that Mark's lying to her. Sure. That's understandable...BUT WHAT THE F**K IS UP WITH HER BLOWING UP IN HIS FACE FOR NOT HELPING ANYBODY AT THE COLLEGE WHEN SHE KNOWS HE'S HELPING EVERYBODY!? Even if it's her giving Mark one last chance to tell her the truth (which is a mile of a stretch, and you know it), did she really expect him to reveal his secret with tons of people watching? That is a crazy expectation that no one should live up to!

Amber is quite possibly the worst thing about this show. She was fine at first, and her chemistry with Mark was on point, but MAN, did she get worse later on.

And if I see one mother f**ker calling me a racist because I don't like this character who just so happens to be black...I'm going to be upset, not gonna lie. Because that is a cheap shot to dismiss any criticism, especially since her race has NOTHING to do with why people hate her...Or, at least, most people.

Edit (5/27/2021): Disregard the above. The long and short is that I don’t like Amber. She just doesn’t sit right with me for the reasons that her anger towards Mark just never felt entertaining to me in comparision to everything else. But saying her thoughts and arguements are invalid is not cool, and I’m sorry to both any readers who are black or especially female who would be upset by this.

Rex-splode: I understand the point behind Rex. He's a character who we're supposed to hate, so it becomes so much more satisfying seeing others s**t on him. But those characters are hard to get right if you’re not careful. Make them too irritating, then any suffering they go through will seem too little. Make them not annoying enough, and their punishments can be too harsh. Rex fits into the "too irritating" category. It's satisfying to see Monster Girl wreck his s**t after he started commenting how ineffective she might be, but with what he pulled with Dupli-Kate, I feel as though he might deserve worse. Although I will admit Rex gets slightly better in later episodes, showing at least a smidgen of character development. But I don't think it's enough to make his a**holeness worth it. Still, I hope he at least becomes above decent in the next few seasons, which is way more than what I can say for Amber.

(Seriously, writers, if she just disappears without an ounce of an explanation in the season premiere, I won't question it. You have my word.)

Edit: I no longer agree with what I crossed out, but I won’t delete it either. I want people to know the mistake I made so I can prove that I changed in the future.

Robot cloning himself to be with Monster Girl: ...Nope! 

Nope!

Changed my mind.

I am NOT touching that.

I will touch a lot of things, but I will not touch--That came out wrong.

Please forget you read anything.

Thank you, and goodnight.

Let’s move on

Transitioning to the title card: Here it is! The nitpickiest of all nitpicks! But, seeing how it happens in every episode, meaning that the writers have no choice but to commit to it, means it's one of those things that viewers are forced to get used to. And boy, is the transition to the title card hard to get used to! Oh, you thought it was annoying how it kept happening in this review? Well...fair enough. But trust me when I say it's much more aggravating in the show.

The funny thing is, I had no problem the first time it happened. It was a cute way to introduce the character as well as the title of the series. But having that be the basis for transitioning to the title card every time was a gimmick that got old real quick. Especially since every time that a character says the word--

--it always feels forced. What's even more annoying is that sometimes it interrupts characters as they're saying invin--

LIKE! F**KING! THAT! Because interrupting someone before they say something is one thing, but doing so as they're saying it shows a sense of bad timing. Not even that, because this is something that I feel like could have been the easiest to change in the series by having someone go, "Hey, maybe we should edit out this single second."

It's laziness that doesn't happen often, but it still grinds my gears a bit. Plus, is there really no other smoother transition the writers could come up with? Did they really believe this is the best way to do it?

Think, writers! THINK!

It's fine to have a gimmick, but this is one that really shouldn't have any follow-through on.

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

That's about all the issues I have with the show. It's far from perfect, but still, an A- is pretty impressive work. The stuff that this series does right not only outnumbers the mistakes but also heavily outweighs them. Besides, no show in the history of creativity has ever been perfect in its first season. There are always dents that need to get buffed out and improve upon for the subsequent seasons to come. Only then can a series truly be Invincible from all criticism.

...

...Oh, sure. 

SURE!

NOW it lets me say it!

GOSH, DANGIT, I HATE THAT TITLE CARD!

[redpandaramblings]

I’ll Place the Skies within Your Eyes.  Toshinori Yagi x f!Reader Halloween Drabble

Hello lovelies!  It’s a little rushed, and not as edited as I’d like, but really wanted to get this out today!  Know I’ve promised a few stories with other pairings, and I’ve still working on them, never fear.

Content Warnings- Pretty solidly Pg-13.  Little citrusy.  Small Might only.  Buldges and fondling over clothing.  Lot’s of domestic fluff.

“You want me to wear this?  I don’t know, Y/N, I don’t think I can pull it off.  We could always just stay home this year.”

“Toshinori Yagi, you are going to strip and put this on this instant; or I’m going to strip you myself!”

“Promise?” He leered at you with a cheeky grin.

You groaned in exasperation and gave his arm a playful shove.  “You’re lucky I love you, you dork.  But we are going out for Halloween.  Besides, it’s a couple’s costume!  You wouldn’t want me to be sad, lonely, and distressed about being all by myself, now would you?”  You stuck out your lip in an exaggerated pout.

His eyes sparkled as he let out a loud gasp, sweeping you in off the floor into a tight hug and peppering your face with kisses as you giggled.  “It’s a hero’s duty to make sure his lady is never distressed!  Never fear!”

He set you down gently, dubiously eyeing the costume you had had custom made just for him.  “I’ll try it on at least.”

You smiled at your husband lovingly.  “Thank you, Toshi.  I’m going to try mine on in the other room, do a big reveal to each other when we’re done, okay?”

“Okay love.”

You smiled gently and you walked out of the bedroom toward the guest room where your costume waited.  You were glad you had actually been able to get Toshi to even agree to try the costume on. Your husband had loved Halloween, ever since his internship in America.  Every year he dressed up in elaborate costumes, no matter if he was going to a party, handing out candy, or even when he was out on patrol.  And ever since you two had become a couple years ago, every year was couples costumes.  Superman and Lois Lane, Captain America and Peggy Carter, Batman and Cat Woman, Tarzan and Jane,  just to name a few.  But there was a pattern that had remained true every year- the costumes had always featured his strong form.  Even after his devastating fight with All for One the first time, he had set aside at least an hour to be able to wear a costume at his full muscly size.

This was going to be the first year he couldn’t.  This was the first Halloween since he had burnt through the last of his ability to tap into One for All.  Sure, he could change for a few seconds, but certainly not anywhere near long enough to plan a costume around it.  And you were absolutely determined that you weren’t going to let the love of your life sit around feeling as if he were less of a man on one of his favorite holidays.  Maybe he could no longer pull off the hulking muscled look, but to you he would always be the sexiest man on earth.  Now, you just wanted to get him to believe it too.  Or at very least believe he could still look good.

You quickly did your makeup then struggled into your own costume for several minutes.  The gown was very elaborate, requiring a corset and petticoats.  You were going to need Toshi’s help with fully lacing the back, but you managed to get enough done that you knew you were going to knock his socks off.  And he could wow you wearing a potato sack, let alone the outfit you had left him.  Now, you just hoped Toshinori was feeling some of the confidence you had hoped to inspire in him.

Feeling a little nervous, you head down the hall and knock on the door to your bedroom.  “You ready, Love?”  It takes a few moments before you hear an affirmative.  Taking a deep breath, you enter the room.

You smiled warmly when you saw your husband staring at himself in the full length mirror.  The dark blue and black sparkling suit clung to him in all the right ways.  The long coat emphasized his broad shoulder while also flattering his slim figure.  You could see in the mirror that you had guessed right with the fit of the pants, and they were just the right amount of deliciously tight.  Your man looked very good, no denying it.  Not every man can pull off a ruffled cravat after all.

“For the record, I think you make one very sexy goblin king.”

He turned to look at you then, eyes soft as he looked you over.  You did a twirl, showing off your voluminous white ball gown.

“And you, as always, are an angel. Where did you come up with this?”

“Well, you know I love the movie.  And just so happens I’m actually married to a gorgeous blond with sexy floofy hair.  So, I made a few calls to get the costumes made.”

“You know, I’m not sure I remember the pants from this scene being quite this tight in the movie.”

You shrugged as you blatantly ogled the way the tight fit of his pants showed off his rather impressive bulge.  That was one part of his that had never changed, no matter what form he was in.  And though Toshinori was modest, you also knew he was quite proud of that fact.  No reason not to have the pants commissioned in a way that gave both of you plenty of enjoyment.  And it was no worse than some of his hero costumes over the years, honestly.

“You like it.  And you know all Jareth’s other pants are all rather form fitting in the movie, I just took some liberties.”  You let your hand teasingly run along his clothed length.  “Besides, love showing off my very handsome, very endowed husband.”  He shuddered under your hand, bucking slightly before pulling away.

“Y/n, keep that up and we’re not going anywhere tonight.”

“True..”  You sigh, and turn, showing him the back of your unlaced bodice.  “Help out your darling wife?”  You batted your eyelashes.

He hums appreciatively, taking his time to press a few kisses to your bare skin and his long, skillful fingers tighten the laces.  When he’s done, he pulls you closer, wrapping his arms around you and burying his face in your neck.

“Thank you, Y/N.  I don’t deserve you.”

You lean back against him, covering his hands with yours.  “Toshinori Yagi, you are the kindest, handsomest, sweetest, and most charming of men.  You're the best husband I could ever dream of.  And if I have to spend the rest of my days convincing you of that, so be it.”

After a few minutes trading kisses and just enjoying each other, you pull away.

“Come on, goblin king.  I need to do your makeup before we’re off to the ball.”

“Of course, darling.  But don’t expect me to sing like Bowie”

You laughed and nodded.  Toshi hummed softly as you led him to the bathroom.  How very lucky you both were.

Much later that evening, as the party you had gone to was winding down, you walked up behind him and whispered in his ear.  “I wish the goblin king would take me away, right now.”  And after you got home… Well, let’s just say there was plenty of “singing” from both of you.

Thanks for reading!  Taglist- @prussianengel

[keanureevesisbae]

The alluring charm of Henry Cavill - Chapter 3

Summary: During a trivia game, Adelaide impresses people with her knowledge.

Henry Cavill x Adelaide Park (ofc)

Wordcount: 3.5k

Warnings: None

A/N: For the people who have send in character asks and I haven’t answered it yet: I’m working on it 🤗 Because of school, I haven’t gotten to it yet. But somewhere this week I’ll answer them. Also: I love the responses to this fic. I want to let you know that these comments make my day 💕 Also, did I use the twitter accounts from the characters of my other fics for the tweets at the end? Yes, I did.

Masterlist // Previous chapter // Next chapter

Why am I in bed?

I look around and see that I’m in the middle of the bed that Henry and I share back on the show, but the improvised wall between us is gone.

Back when I was growing up, we had one bedroom and one bed, where we had to squeeze in if we happened to be all home. That rarely happened. It was usually just me, or later on my dad joined, when he got back from work. On mom’s days off, she’d be in bed all day, resting from all those hard days at work. Sharing beds isn’t something that I really mind, even if the person I’m sharing with, is Henry Cavill.

‘You’re awake,’ I hear Henry’s deep voice and I look to my left, to see him standing up from a chair. He sits on the edge of the mattress, sinking into the soft material. ‘How are you?’

‘I don’t know,’ I mumble, pushing myself up straight. I’m not in the muddy clothes anymore and I look at Henry again, slightly worried and ashamed. Did he undress me?

‘Don’t worry,’ he calmly says, ‘Jennifer went with us. She changed you.’

I clear my throat, as I start fidgeting my hands, one of the many nervous ticks I have. ‘I’m sorry.’

‘Why?’ Henry asks.

‘We were leading and then…’ I sigh deeply, trying not to think about what happened to me. I never learned how to swim, but I always avoided waters like the plague. During my acting career, I only had to swim once, but I was with David Castañeda, who played my love interest. I let him know that I was scared of water. He promised me he wouldn’t let go and the director actually loved the twist we gave to that swimming pool scene.

However, David knew I was scared of water, but didn’t know I couldn’t swim. Now I told Henry and in a matter of days, the rest of the world will know too, when this episode will air.

Henry doesn’t say anything. I bet he is mad, I think to myself. Fuck, I really let him down, didn’t I?

‘I’m sorry,’ I say, ‘that I let you down.’

His gaze softens. ‘You didn’t,’ he tells me. ‘I shouldn’t have pushed. I should’ve calmed you down. It was obvious that it really scared you.’ Henry sighs deeply. ‘But Adelaide… Why can’t you swim?’ he asks.

I could tell him. The whole world will know I can’t swim in the near future, why not tell them the entire story? ‘We didn’t have the money back when I was younger to go for swimming lessons,’ I say. ‘And I haven’t had the chance to do it now.’

Henry nods. ‘There is a pool in the backyard,’ he says, a telling smile toying on his face. ‘How about, over the course of these two weeks, you and I try it. It’s not deep and I’m there with you every second.’

‘Why?’

He shrugs, as if he is a little embarrassed that he offered, but he shouldn’t be. It’s just that I’m surprised, because the last time someone offered something like that to me… That was so long ago. I think it was when I still lived at home. I always do everything myself and people on set know that I tend to be very independent, so they don’t try. But Henry doesn’t ask or offer, he just does it. In the days that I’ve come to know him, he has been nothing but a gentleman. He made me breakfast and when we were cooking dinner, the oil was splashing over the pan. Before I could step aside, Henry grabbed another pan to shield me from the hot oil. The way he lifted me up during the obstacle course when I couldn’t reach the bars and how he caught me when I fell.

‘Well,’ he says, ‘because I think everyone should know how to swim.’

I smile and say: ‘Well, let’s consider it,’ I say. ‘We finished last, didn’t we?’

‘Yeah, we did,’ he says. ‘But don’t apologize for it, please. I don’t want you to feel bad about it. We were really great during this first challenge, so we’ll climb our way back to the top.’ Henry sends me a dashing smile and I can’t help but blush a little bit. ‘How about you get ready for tonight, then I’ll go and make you something to eat.’

‘Ready for tonight?’

‘Trivia night,’ he says.

I nod. I can’t seem to tear my eyes from him, as I look into his soft eyes. When I first met him, I thought he had that stern look in his face and I still did think that from time to time, but in those days that we spend together, it never looked like this. ‘Right, I’ll get myself ready.’

After a fifteen minute shower, I get dressed in a jeans skirt, with a simple black shirt that I tugged in. I paired it with the same white sneakers I wore the first day. I keep my hair and make-up pretty simple.

Henry made some sandwiches. I never knew that I thought it was attractive that a man could cook, but I sure do know now. Come to think of this, I never really thought about what I wanted for traits in a man.

My parents were happy with one another, but I feared that one day, I ended up like them. Poor, overworked, with two kids and a husband, who maybe felt—just like my dad—that he had to take care of us. Besides, I never experienced love. I never fallen in love, I only had on stage kisses and sex scenes. It was never real.

Maybe I’m way ahead of myself, but I feel something. I feel cared for. I feel noticed. I feel appreciated. Like I’m worth it. And that’s all thanks to Henry Cavill.

◎ ◎ ◎

Everyone seems concerned about me, but after I reassure everyone I am okay, we take place at three different tables, one for each duo. I take a seat on the chair. It’s a little colder than I imagined and I curse myself for not bring a jacket with me. I rub my upper arms as the crew is setting everything up, checking if our mics are working well enough, making sure the screen works.

Henry stands up as he wiggles out of his cosy vest, before placing it without a word on my shoulders.

‘Oh, that’s not necess— uh… needed,’ I say to him.

‘I’m not cold,’ he tells me, as he sits down next to me again. I want to stop my smile, but I can’t help it.

‘Thank you, Henry,’ I say in a soft tone, as if I don’t want him to hear me, but seeing how the corners of his mouth curl up, I know that he heard me.

The game is pretty simple: there is a host who asks a question and you have to answer it. It’s fairly easy and I almost feel like they are taking it easier because of me.

Every team has a button in front of them and ours meows like a cat.

‘What country won the first FIFA World Cup in 1930?’ the hosts asks.

Meow. ‘Uruguay,’ I answer, as I retract my hand from the button. .

Even the host seems impressed. ‘That is correct.’ On the screen behind him, I see that we are actually first now, with only one point, but it feels nice to be ahead of someone else, because of what I did. ‘Okay, next question. Which boxer was known as “the Great—’

Meow. That is not because of me, but because Henry slammed the button a little harder. Guess he doesn’t know how strong he is. ‘Muhammed Ali,’ he answers.

‘Correct.’ Why does the host not seem impressed now? Okay, this is nothing to be surprised about, so I should stop letting the subtle differences in reaction get to my head. It’s true, I’m pretty stupid according to the public.

And besides, we only had two questions and I had one right.

‘What animals have the longest gestation period?’

No one presses the button and I tap Henry on his leg. He looks at me and I usher him closer. ‘What is a gestation period?’

‘Pregnancy,’ he whispers, his hot breath against my lips, that start to tingle as a response. I shouldn’t get distracted because of that.

Meow. ‘An African Elephant,’ I answer.

We are ahead now with three points. I can’t help but beam with pride. Maybe the public will think a little more highly of me now.

‘What does HTTP stand for?’

Meow. ‘HyperText Transfer Protocol,’ Henry says with a smile.

‘What year was the first model of the iPhone released?’

Meow. ‘2007,’ Henry answers with ease.

He knows a lot, I think to myself. I look to the side for a second and I wonder what goes on in his head, right now and basically every single time we’re just alone. He can look at me in a way that I can’t explain and I don’t even understand why he looks at me like that.

We continue to answer multiple questions correctly and the meow is one of the only sounds that we hear. By the time we reached ten points, I discovered that Charlie and Jennifer’s sound is a bark and when we reached fifteen points, I found out that the Biebers’ sound was a chicken.

Who were the founders of Adidas? (Rudolf and Adolf Dassler—I knew this one.) Some Greek mythology questions that I knew nothing about, but Henry did and he seemed so giddy to explain it all to us, though no one seemed cared, besides me probably, because I could listen to this man for days on end. Together we knew the seven world wonders, who the Danish author was who wrote many fairy tales and they even asked us what Superman’s birth name was…

While Superman is in the room.

We are way ahead of everyone with twenty points, Charlie and Jennifer have ten (who knew that babies weren’t born with kneecaps—for knowing that alone I feel like they should win) and Justin and Hailey have nine. But the next question we can think about for a few seconds and it’s worth fifteen points. So we either become second or first, depends on how well we do.

‘Name these chemical elements of the periodic table. Ge, Sn, Rf, K and Ba.’

Henry places his arm on the back of my chair and leans over. Gosh, he is really close. Not that I’m complaining, but feeling his body heat so close to mine and it’s not even acting… Why does that make me feel all sorts of things?

‘Ge is Geranium,’ he whispers, ‘and Ba and Barium.’

‘K is Potassium,’ I say in a soft tone. ‘So we only have Sn and Rf left. Sn is Tin.’

‘You know a lot,’ he says with a smile.

Does he mean that? Did he just say I know a lot? Me, the Hollywood ditz? ‘Rf is Rutherfordium,’ I whisper.

Meow. Henry presses the button and he looks at me, non verbally asking me if I want to answer this, but I simply shake my head. He names them in order and everyone seems impressed, but before they can give him a compliment (I know the host is desperate to call him ‘Handsome Henry with a Brain’ again. He did it seven times already and it was annoying the first time, let alone the seventh time), Henry says: ‘I only knew Geranium and Barium. Adelaide is the real genius here.’

◎ ◎ ◎

It’s twelve ‘o clock when Henry and I are in bed, both staring at the ceiling. Normally I’m in bed long before he is, but today we’re awake in the bed together. The only reason why I get into bed early, is that I hope I can fall asleep before he gets in.

But not today.

‘I have something I want to ask you,’ Henry says. ‘I’ve been thinking about this for awhile.’

‘Okay?’

‘Are you dyslexic?’

He could’ve given me a slap across my face and that wouldn’t have shocked me as much as this question. I push myself up, so I’m sitting. ‘Why?’

‘Just wondering.’

I simply shrug. ‘I don’t know. I never got tested back in school.’

‘Why not?’ Henry sits up straight as well and from the corners of my eyes, I see him placing his pillow on the headboard. That one curl covers part of his forehead and it’s almost a signature look when we are in the cottage.

‘The teachers didn’t care and we didn’t have a lot of money,’ I explain. It feels weird and uncomfortable to open up to him, however on the other hand, it feels right to have this out in the open. ‘And I don’t want to get tested now,’ I whisper. ‘I’m an adult, I can manage.’ I finally force myself to look over my shoulders, only to see that same soft look in his eyes, that I almost grown accustomed to. ‘What?’

‘Nothing,’ he whispers. ‘I just want to say to you that I underestimated you and—’

I can’t help but chuckle. ‘You are not the only one,’ I interrupt him. ‘It’s okay.’

‘No, Adelaide, it’s not okay.’

The sternness in his voice, make me turn around on the mattress completely, so I can look at him. ‘I did it myself, Henry. Really, it’s okay, don’t worry about it.’

Henry moistens his lips, before he clears his throat. ‘Then I won’t worry about it. Just know that I—now—think very highly of you.’

‘You don’t need to,’ I say as a frown appears between my brows. ‘Henry, what is really the case?’

He rubs his face, resists even and he actually looks really frustrated. ‘It’s just that I’m trying to figure you out, but I can’t seem to actually get to know you.’

‘There is not much to know,’ I say, but he shakes his head and says: ‘There is. You are so intriguing, Adelaide, you don’t even know it.’

I don’t really know what to say. He thinks there is much to know about me and that I’m intriguing? ‘Oh.’

‘And I get that it can be hard to open up, truly, I know, but… We have to work together. Wouldn’t it be better if we knew something about each other?’

Okay, that’s a fair point. ‘You tell me something first,’ I say to him.

‘Like what?’ he says, genuinely looking relieved that I’m going along with it.

I tilt my head as I look in his eyes as I take in the brown spot on his left eye, that is surrounded by a beautiful blue. ‘You want to win?’

Henry frowns, probably confused by my question, but when he sees I’m dead serious, he nods. ‘Of course,’ he says, ‘I’m competitive. Why was that your question?’

‘Because now I know that I have to work extra hard not to let you down. It doesn’t really matter to me if I win or not.’

‘You won’t let me down, Adelaide.’

‘I did already,’ I say, ‘and don’t try to convince me otherwise. Now, what do you want to know about me?’

He tilts his head and says: ‘You have a nickname?’

And he thought my question was a bit weird? I snort. ‘My parents called me Dasom. That’s my Korean name.’

‘Really?’ he asks. ‘I didn’t know that.’

No one knows that. ‘But other than that I don’t really have a nickname. People call me Park every now and then, but that’s it.’

‘What does Dasom mean?’

‘Love,’ I whisper. ‘Because, as my parents always say: I was born out of pure love.’ I roll my eyes, because I hate the cliché, but thankfully I was born out of love. It meant that I was welcomed in their lives, though they were poor and barely had anything.

‘That’s sweet,’ he says. ‘So, no one called you Addy for example?’

‘Come to think of it, Keanu Reeves called me Addy every now and then. Especially when we were doing stunts for the movie and he had to encourage me.’

‘Can I call you Addy?’

The fact that he asks me if he can call me Addy, shows me that he is so much more than the news outlets let him to be. Of course, he is handsome, but there is more than just looks. He is intelligent, caring and a real gentleman. Though he can look slightly intimidating, he is a big softie. ‘I would like that, Henry.’

As much as I want to sleep, I can’t. I’m too awake for that, maybe because of the thrill that we are actually ahead of the others now. Who knows how long that will last…

‘You want to do something?’ Henry suggests. ‘I’m not as tired as I figured I would be.’

‘Like what?’

‘You want to swim?’

◎ ◎ ◎

Henry is already swimming laps in the pool, as I try to build up the courage to actually walk out of the door to the pool. I have a large towel wrapped around me, to hide my red and white striped bathing suit.

I can do this, I think to myself. I wore a skimpy bikini for a movie, I’ve been naked on sets with the crew around me. This isn’t too hard.

I walk out of the cottage and see that Henry leans with his under arms on the edge of the pool, placing his chin on one of them. ‘There you are,’ he says with a smile.

I dip my toe in the water and start to shiver, goosebumps appearing on my entire body. ‘It’s cold,’ I mumble. ‘And it looks too deep.’

‘It’s not. It’s only one meter sixty.’

‘I’m one fifty,’ I retort. ‘What if I drown?’

‘I’m not letting that happen,’ he says. ‘I promise you, Addy.’

The use of that nickname, makes my feel all sorts of things. Normally I’m not too keen on nicknames, but I could get used to this.

I fold the towel, before I place it on the floor and I sit on the edge of the pool, as my legs dangle in the cold water. Henry bumps his elbow against the side of my thigh and he asks: ‘Ready?’

Maybe it’s because of the dim lighting of the lanterns outside, or the reflection of the water, but he looks even more ethereal than other times. My eyes fall on his beautifully formed lips, that curl up in a smile.

‘I am,’ I say.

He stands in front of me and I place my hands on his broad and tight shoulders. I shimmy myself off the edge, into the cold water. Despite the fact that his large hands in the dips of my waist, makes me all warm from the inside, the water is really cold. Henry starts to laugh, probably because I scrunch up my entire face like I’m a Sharpei dog. ‘Maybe you should keep breathing, because I can’t have it that you pass out on me twice within one week.’

‘Shut up,’ I shiver, as I hold on tightly to his shoulders. ‘You’re not going to let me go, right?’ I ask, just in case.

‘Of course not,’ he whispers.

For a second I envision we’re having a moment together, but then I realize that’s not the case, because he takes a step backwards and we are further away from the edge. I can still reach over to my left, so I’m directly at the other edge, but it does terrify me a bit.

‘Henry,’ I say.

‘Yes?’

‘I’m scared.’

‘I know,’ he tells me, squeezing my waist to let me know that he is there. ‘But there is no need for you to be scared. You just have to grow comfortable in the water and that takes time.’ Henry’s voice is soft and I have to take a deep breath. ‘You’re doing great.’ He slowly takes more steps backwards and smiles at me, as if he knows that that comforts me.

After two laps of him walking backwards and me moving my legs (I don’t know why I do that, but it just happens), I feel more and more accustomed to the water. Still, I don’t want to let go of Henry for one single second, because the fear that I might drown is still there. For the other two laps, he wraps his arm around my waist, as I hold onto the edge and my other arm around his shoulder.

Henry lifts me on the edge, before he hoists himself next to me. He reaches behind him to grab my towel and wrap it securely around my shoulders. ‘How was it?’ he asks.

‘It was good,’ I admit. ‘I mean, I still don’t want to swim myself, but it’s not that scary anymore.’ I look to the side, only to discover that he was already looking at me. From the looks of it, he is looking at my lips, but I must’ve hallucinated that. ‘Thank you,’ I say, to break the silence between us.

‘You’re welcome,’ he says, his voice low.

I smile, before I stand up and hurry back inside. I was making that up, wasn’t I? He wasn’t totally staring at my lips?

Or was he?

◎ ◎ ◎

After the first episode was aired, showing the first few days of the duos together, these were the favorite tweets of the producers of ‘the Celebrity Project’

Taglist: @thelastsock​ // @jolly-polly​ // @henrythickcavill​ // @maan24​ // @diegos-butt​ / @agniavateira​ // @onlyhenrys​ // @turkish276​ //

[davidmann95]

So... Crossover #1: any thoughts?

Anonymous said: You seemed not to think much of Crossover #1 on Twitter. Your full thoughts?

wcwit said: So Cates' Crossover #1, best bad comic of the year or just regular pretentious trash?

An incidental note upfront: What you’re seeing there is the apparently SUPER-RARE SECRET VARIANT COVER I unwittingly picked up at the store - at first glance indistinguishable from the standard cover, the kid getting four-color-fucked by mysterious comic book rays is in fact themselves reading a variant cover of the book, rather than the main cover again in an infinite painting-within-a-painting sort of deal that’s the standard.

So I wasn’t gonna get this: my initial post on the comic and what an obviously awful idea it was back when we only knew half the premise and it was known as Pray The Capes Away actually got some out-of-nowhere traction recently, and I’ve grown rapidly tired of Cates’ Marvel work. Even learning that it was going to be Image’s biggest debut in decades - Jesus fuck, how and why - mostly just made me wish it was Commanders in Crisis getting those kinds of numbers. But Sean Dillon/@deathchrist2000 and Ritesh Babu both got early looks at it and assured me that I, specifically, needed to see the last page, so in I dove. I’ll be posting my reaction to the last page below because I recorded it for their amusement, and below that I’ll talk about said last page. It may surprise you, however, that that wasn’t my main takeaway from the issue.

Let’s accentuate the positive first! This book is gorgeous. Geoff Shaw was terrific back with Thanos Wins, but this is an incredible stylistic level-up aided and abetted by Dee Cunniffe’s colors: it’s rote as hell to say “They mix the elevated and the mundane so well!”, but even beyond the obvious ben-day dots stuff there’s such a tangible sense that the comic book beings don’t belong here, that they’re of higher, misty, platonic stuff and we squishy non-paper-people inevitably crumble and break and bleed in their wake, communicating that big idea so much more powerfully than the actual loads of text on the subject. And if we’re talking good things, I’ll concede it’s possible that there could be subtleties that play out in more interesting ways as it goes on, and that not everything is meant to be taken at face value: a smart friend who actually did like it mentioned being interested in it as clumsy but potentially effective exploration of ‘what if the fun hobby you had inadvertently became contaminated and stigmatized by forces beyond your control?’ In a post-Comicsgate world where we recently ended up inches away from the Superman logo almost certainly becoming a fascist propaganda symbol ala the Punisher skull for at least a generation, that’s a defensible lens to view this book through.

For all Donny Cates’ legitimate talents however, I don’t think an expectation of subtlety is gonna work out with this one.

Okay first off getting into the rest of it the main characters’ name is Ellipsis because “Those three little dots...they can become anything”, so there’s that. More importantly, in the world of this story where comic fans face social oppression after superpeople materialize and fuck up Colorado, they face EVERY KIND OF OPPRESSION: there are clear parallels drawn in here to the violence and harassment faced by people persecuted for their religion, people seeking abortions, queer people, and people of color; this motherfucker even drops a “hates and fears” to let us know comic collecting basically makes you one of the goddamn X-Men. Which in theory could be a purely misjudged allegory rather than stemming from actual, obscenely inflated to the point of disgusting fears of ‘nerd oppression’, except that the book literally opens with a quote from Wertham. If Cates didn’t want to make the message “Hating comics? That’s bad. Like, racism bad”, he utterly, grotesquely failed by inextricably intermingling imagery of real-world bigotry with systemic, deluded fanboy paranoia, at least as of this first issue that’s supposed to meaningfully convey the premise. As a queer dude I think I’m somewhat in my lane to say it’s too blunt and broad and dopey to be particularly offensive, but the co-opting of oppression is what this is rooted in.

The idea of ‘comics good no matter what people think, ain’t it?’ extends to the last traditional local comic store standing in this world: much as superheroes are the primary cause of suffering in this world but the point of the story is still supposed to reveal the beauty in them, part of this is that the comics community isn’t perfect but it sure is great. Which is expressed here via Ellie’s boss Otto, a loveable asshole who yells at people coming in trying to sell the wrong kind of comics to fuck off, but at heart is we’re supposed to understand a good enough dude that the shop he runs is “the only home a lot of (the benighted nerds) have left” (because I guess in this alternate universe the physical stores are still the main hub through which comics fans talk with one another?).

So here’s a story of my very own! That’s me in 2013, it must’ve been some kind of special day because I’m wearing a shirt with a button. I’d at that point only frequented one of what would be my thus far four regular comic shops. The first was a great place, and while to say I had a sense of community there would be overstating it a bit, I was on really good terms with the owner and we regularly chatted when we had the time. When I left for college my store there wasn’t as well-stocked, and for some damn reason all variant covers were double-price, but I got along really well with the owner there too. The third I wasn’t so lucky; the guy regularly behind the desk was never overtly hostile, but clearly wanted to wring my neck every time I asked when a missing comic might get in or if I could update my pull list, and given I’m in the ‘ideal’ demographic for being a comic book store regular and was dropping a solid lump of money there every week, I wonder how others were treated there (the store nearly went under, was saved on the last day of operation by another store that wanted to incorporate it as part of its franchise, then shortly afterwards DID go under and is now I believe a beef jerky place). My current store is fine, I didn’t chat much with the folks behind the counter even before we all had medical incentive to get in and out of places fairly quickly but it almost always has what I’m looking for.

Just because those were my regular stores of course doesn’t mean those are the only ones I’ve ever gone to. About a year before that picture was taken - it’s the closest I could find - when I was 17 my store didn’t have something or another I was looking for, so I head across town to see if another place I had looked up had it. This other place didn’t have what I was looking for either, though I distinctly remember picking up a few issues of Hickman’s FF while I was there since I had foolishly fallen off, hence my remembering the year. I bought a couple issues, but hung around for a bit looking to see if I might grab something else out of a dollar box, setting my comics down. Without realizing it, I’d set my books down on top of another issue, and when I decided I wasn’t getting anything else, I just picked that up along with the rest of the pile and was about to walk out before the owner stopped me. He explained what I had done though assumed it had been deliberate, and because I was a good-hearted little geek I even recall thinking “Well, he’s gonna chew me out, but I guess I deserve it. I’ll try and take this to heart as a learning experience.”

Then he pulled up his shirt a little to show me the gun on his belt. He pointed at the security camera monitors at his desk, and explained to me that if I ever did something like that again, he would have it on tape, and he would pull that gun on me and hold me there while he called the cops.

As it turned out, the comic was free.

The whole thing was so sudden and bizarre and unexpected I didn’t actually freak out until the drive home. It wasn’t until weeks or maybe months later that I managed to tell my dad about the experience, because I *had* nearly stolen a (free) comic and my guilt was mixed in with my nerves and I guess I was somehow too close to register just how disproportionate his response was. It wasn’t until now, nearly a decade later and thinking about it for the first time in a long time as I write this, that I wondered if that might have gone differently - especially living in the midwest - if I hadn’t been a white, squeaky-voiced 17-year-old.

So, minor spoiler, when our cantankerous but well-meaning LCS owner yells to call the cops and grabs and yells at a small kid for pocketing a comic (and later displays fantasy racism towards said kid), I am not filled with nostalgic love for the brotherly safe space that is comic book stores, where this guy while not meant to be seen as perfect is still framed in part as a charming, witty representation of Why We Love These Places, And This Community, And This Genre, And This Medium. Cates is clearly drawing on real time at his local stores, but he equally clearly has a very different takeaway from those experiences than me. And I am, again, in a demographic - white, cis-male, abled, bi but more interested in women, disposable income, a lifelong collector - that the industry and a lot of the guys who sell it to us contort themselves around catering to, even if I had a single very negative experience and later an ongoing low-key uncomfortable one to help disabuse me of any notions of the purity of the dork community. In the world of Crossover as of #1, toxicity is intertwined, deliberately or not on the part of the creators, with what we love on the cosmic and small business scales alike, but at least in the latter case it’s the whole picture that’s beautiful, not any single kernel that needs to be worked on to be dug up.

So underneath is my video reaction to the last page of Crossover #1. Very minor spoilers because I mutter the last two words of the comic to myself, but under the video I discuss said final page and some other scattered thoughts. Whether you read that or not, my takeaway is this: I’m fascinated with wherever the hell this thing is going, I’m glad my dad liked it well enough to want to keep getting it because now I’ll get to see where it heads, but my first impression is that this is at heart meant as cheapass Oscar-bait for people who only read Batman. It’s big and high-concept but also small and intimate! It’s meta and about how great you, the reader are for your consumption, especially the consumption of this! It’s going to be in large part about a forbidden love between a couple divided across impermeable social lines (a couple where they’re a seemingly straight white man and woman, but one likes comics)! Maybe it’ll become Not That, and I’m sure it’ll do at least something interesting along the way because Cates has done good stuff before and there are some inherently interesting big ideas for him to play with here, but for the love of god if you’re thinking about getting this buy Commanders in Crisis too or instead, it’s another new book out of Image about superheroes dealing with the collapse of the multiverse but that one is really fucking good.

So the final page splash reveal is that when the comic book child discovered in here got out of Colorado, which has had an impenetrable energy shield erected around it by one of the heroes for years, she and others were ferried out of there...by Superman, as the narration declares that “This is a story...about hope.” They don’t say the word, but she sketches her savior, Ellie and Otto freak out and go “Is that---” when they see it, and on that last page we see that while a crude drawing it isn’t a rough analogue character, it’s a guy with a cape and trunks with an S on his chest. Surprisingly, I don’t have much to say: it’s just another blunt signifier that superheroes rule and are the best, paired with the most utterly devalued notion as of late of what makes Superman special in ‘hope’. I mean, I’m perversely excited to see whether this is building the entire series on a hook it can never deliver on, or if Cates actually has talked DC into an intercompany crossover; believable given they’ve done a bunch of those over the last several years, and why else would Mark Waid be supervising as ‘story editor’ on this? I guess it’ll shake out one way or another with #6 given Cates has said it “has one of the more epic and — I would argue historic — sequences in comic book history in it.” But I’m far less convinced this is gonna truly go into the meaty question of “What does Superman mean and what makes him unique in this world where superheroes in general are indisputably either failures or monstrous bastards given the scale of destruction their presence has brought about, and he himself failed to stop that?” than as some kind of holy grail of how great superheroes are despite how dang violent they’ve gotten these days for the crew to chase after, whatever additional twist will surely be placed upon it. At least he’s kinda helping an immigrant kid get over a wall, if that’s deliberate?

Random final thoughts:

* If I wrote the opening essay and turned it in in a college course, I would be expelled for plagiarizing Grant Morrison. This is not a joke.

* If mainstream American superhero comics ended January 2017 in this universe, its own last ‘crossover’ was Civil War II, which is hilarious.

* God, please tell me if it takes the dive after all that this isn’t somehow tied into whatever Waid’s Superman project is.

* I wouldn’t normally crap on issues with the finer details of worldbuilding, but A. This is rooted in a nominally ‘real’ world playing by recognizable rules, B. I’m ragging on this anyway so what’s the harm, and C. It’s really obvious. So: Why is one of the racists against the superheroes the guy who loves superheroes so much he’s the last holdout in the entire world still selling comic books about them? How does this modestly-sized shop exist long-term with apparently a significant regular customer base if there are no new comics or even reprints to restock with, ever? Who’s buying the serialized cop/cowboy comics that the U.S. government apparently created pretty much overnight (nobody, it’s just another Wertham dig)?

* The solicit for issue #3 proclaims “Don't miss this one, folks. If you do, it just might drive you...mad.”, so now I fear some kind of Ultra Comics riff.

* “Kids love chains” is the most metal-ass quote of all time and I hate that it’s being wasted as an arc title on this book.

[agentnico]

Wonder Woman 1984 (2020) Review

Why specifically 1984? Why not 83 or 85? What is so significant about 1984? 83 had Ronald Reagan propose development of tech that would intercept enemy missiles, and the project was called “Star Wars”. In 85 there was an earthquake in Mexico that killed 9,000 and Coca Cola made a new Coke! Impressive stuff! What happened in 1984? *another quick Google check* Aids break out. Oh. Oh no.

Plot: Diana Prince lives quietly among mortals in the vibrant, sleek 1980s - an era of excess driven by the pursuit of having it all. Though she's come into her full powers, she maintains a low profile by curating ancient artefacts, and only performing heroic acts incognito. But soon, Diana will have to muster all of her strength, wisdom and courage as she finds herself squaring off against Maxwell Lord and the Cheetah, a villainess who possesses superhuman strength and agility.

After many delays due to COVID once again doing a COVID and messing things up, Warner Bros. finally released Wonder Woman 1984, due to concerns of audiences losing interest in the project. I remember enjoying the first Wonder Woman years ago, and though it didn’t reinvent the superhero genre, as an origin story is was watchable and there were a couple cool action set pieces, such as the notable trench sequence where Diana fights through No Man’s Land and literally all that’s missing is her screeching “GIRL POWER!” everytime she deflected a gun bullet! Anyway, nothing ground-breaking but a decent piece of entertainment. Now we have sequel set in the 80s that plans to go bigger, bolder, grander.....well, you know, the usual sequel stuff. And they have the Mandalorian himself along for the ride, because even Warner Bros. knows that this is the way.

Having watched the film I must say, it is disappointing. Though in reality is it really disappointing? Personally I had hardly any expectations anyway, so it’s not as if my hopes and dreams have been crunched and shattered and thrown into a pit of despair! Wow, that came off as if I am super in denial, which I am not, I promise, okay?? In all seriousness though, the movie is a mess. With a runtime of two and a half hours, the film is filled with pacing issues so much so that I can say I was bored 50% of the time. A lot of it doesn’t make sense, the editing is atrocious and also this baby is filled to the brim with plot holes! So. Many. Plot Holes. For example, right from the start, one of the opening scenes involves Wonder Woman stopping a robbery at a mall. The robbery in itself is botched up. "I'm not going back!" screams one of the criminals, so hey, I'm going to hold this kid over the railing and almost drop her so that I can go to jail for murder. Genius writing there. Anyway, so Diana swoops in, saves the kid obviously, then proceeds to destroy the cameras in the mall as if that will also magically erase the footage that has already been recorded as well as all the witnesses that have seen her show off her bongo-bongo power mojo. So she’s trying to hide her identity and existence a secret, and apparently has been doing so for years, yet all her heroic moments happen in the middle of the public’s eye, so there is no way that she could have stayed confidential all this time. Then again, Superman can put on a pair of cheap glasses and all of a sudden he’s this random fella named Clark Kent, so what do I know? My guess is that the human population in the DC world are stupid and aren’t capable of adding 2 plus 2! Right, onto the next plot hole. So throughout most of the film, it feels like the movie is set in autumn or something along those lines. One of the characters gives food to a homeless person and tells them to stay warm, and also many people passing by are wearing coats and furs. Suddenly at one point there is a firework display and Diana winks to the camera and says “oh look, it’s the Fourth of July!” I’m sorry, last time I checked that date is set in the summer. Why would I know this? Well maybe cause it happens to also be my birthday! Next! So Diana can fly in this movie. How? Or why? I don’t know! Because “GIRL POWER!” I guess? I don’t know, this new superpower comes out of nowhere, yet its not referred to at all in Justice League, which is set many years later. So yeah, sounds like director Patty Jenkins couldn’t give a single flying dollop of poop about continuity. Speaking of random decisions, Wonder Woman’s new golden armor serves absolutely no purpose at the end of the film. She decides to randomly use it one point for no particular reason, and in fact it slowed her down more than anything, after which it was all forgotten about. Look, I can go on forever, this movie is filled with disorganised and erratic plot decisions and it makes zero to no sense!

Visually this film is disappointing too. Taking into account that this is a big budget film from one of the biggest film studios, the special effects in this film are atrocious. The green screen is so obvious and the CGI sets are clearly fake. Diana spends a lot of the film doing jumps and then floating in a very peculiar way in the sky, and it looks laughably bad. Even the 80′s setting doesn’t feel quite right. Yes, the costumes are somewhat okay, but the atmosphere is off and it seems the director’s opinion of the 80s is that everyone needs to act like a caricature.

Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman is okay. Look, Gadot seems like a very lovely and earnest person in real life, and her face is indeed very likeable, but I still haven’t seen her give a good performance. It’s the typical pretty Hollywood face, and you can tell she’s trying her hardest, but I can never properly buy her as this female superhero pop culture icon. Chris Pine returns even though he died in the first one. Look, the way he’s brought back is a bit strange, however I did actually like seeing Pine in the movie, as he was one of the best parts of the first film, and he brings that same charm and charisma in this one, now with the added factor of being the fish out of water. And to be honest, his presence actually does provide the movie with some needed emotional heft, as it explores the ideas of having to get over someone you’ve lost and learning to accept it and move on. In terms of villains, there are two in this movie. Kristin Wiig as Cheetah feels very shoehorned in and is mainly there to have Diana fight someone at the end of the film. Kristen Wiig does her part, however the character is written really badly, and her development into becoming a villain comes off as rushed and cheap. On the other hand Pedro Pascal as Maxwell Lord is actually not bad. He’s not the typical superpowered baddie, he’s actually a normal human being, and even though, again, there are some inconsistencies with his character, Pascal brings enough swagger and panache to the role. And I’m sure he actually enjoyed playing a role where you can actually see his face.

As a whole, Wonder Woman 1984 is a mess. There are some good moments, but generally this is a very disjointed movie that doesn’t make sense and is extremely chaotic. Also, the entire thing is really boring. I’d say if you want more of an organised and wholesome movie, check out Disney Pixar’s new animation Soul! Or The Mandalorian with Pedro Pascal, as indeed... this is the way.

Overall score: 3/10

[duhragonball]

BEGIN: Battle Tendency Liveblog.   JJBA Ch. 45-47

🇺🇸🗽🧗‍♂️🧼🪀🌵Part 2, Hell Yeah!🌪️🎈🛩️🌋🚬

I'm pretty friggin' excited for Part 6 anime, and Part 6 is one of my faves, so one could understandably assume that Part 6 is my favorite.  And I post a lot of other JoJo stuff on this blog, so it's probably not obvious, but Part 2 is the best.   

I got into JoJo in 2017, watching Parts 1-4 in anime version, then reading the scanlations of Parts 5-8 while I waited for the anime to catch up.    Then I re-liveblogged the Part 5 manga because there was finally a proper translation available.   And technically the Part 8 liveblog never ended, since the manga is still ongoing.  

As I developed an appreciation for the manga, I started to feel like I should go back and check out the comic versions of Parts 1 through 4.  Where better to start than my personal favorite?   But I never got around to it, until now.

There's a few things I want to explore with Part 2.    First, I want to go through and work out why exactly I like it so much.   It's kind of tough to articulate, but usually I just say that it's fast-paced and something's always happening.   Part 1 takes a while to get going, and Parts 3-8 rely on the Stand concept, which means that each of them occasionally fall into the trap of becoming formulaic.   Part 2 doesn't have the hassle of introducing all the lore, and it doesn't have the luxury of just doing a gauntlet of Stand Battles to pad out the story.   But I think there's more to it than that.  Battle Tendency has a charm all it's own, and that's what I want to talk about.

Second, now that I've become familiar with Parts 1-7 (and most of 8), I want to go back and see how 2 holds up as part of this mythos.   BT sort of gets overlooked, I think, and that's fair, since it doesn't involve Dio, Stands, or the more outlandish costumes of the later installments.  A lot of fans write off Parts 1 and 2 for being "boring", but at least Phantom Blood carries the prestige of starting it all, and providing the origin of Dio.  Something I think a lot about is whether or not Part 2 "connects" with the later entries in the JoJo series.  It forms a trilogy with 1 and 3, and Part 4 features Joseph's legacy in an important way, but what about the later ones?   Parts 5 through 8 owe a huge debt to Stardust Crusaders for introducing Stands, and to Phantom Blood for introducing JoJo's, but what does Part 2 give them, if anything?   

Third, I'm interested in seeing how BT holds up in isolation.    It's a direct sequel to Part 1, and it ends with a prelude to Part 3, so it's clearly designed to function as part of a larger saga.   But Parts 4 and 5 really don't operate that way, and that got me thinking that maybe Part 2 is more self-contained than I give it credit for.  

But enough about that, let's get this started.

There's two plot threads in these opening chapters.  One reintroduces Robert E. O. Speedwagon, now a 70 year old oil tycoon, and Straizo, who has succeeded the late Tonpetti as the Ripple Master.   Speedwagon has been using his oil fortune to fund a research organization called the Speedwagon Foundation, and it discovered something major during an archaeological expedition: an engraving of the stone mask, the same one Dio used to turn himself into a vampire 50 years earlier.   Note that the mummified corpse lying on the slab with the engraving has vampire fangs.   Whoever this guy is, he didn't just know about the masks, he used one personally.

It might get revealed later in the comics, but I'm pretty sure the anime version had Speedwagon explain that he primary purpose of his foundation was to learn more about phenomena like the Stone Mask, which is probably why they were digging up an Aztec temple in Mexico to begin with.   As I recall, the Stone Mask was discovered in that part of the world, and taken back to Europe, where it eventually came into the possession of the Joestar family.   Speedwagon would know this tale, and so if he wanted to find out more about the mask, he would have known where to start.   Fifty years later, he seems to have hit paydirt.

But the mask engraving isn't why he called Straizo all the way in from Tibet.   Deeper in the temple, there's a weird looking area that looks like something from out of an H.R. Giger painting.   In the center stands this column, or pillar, if you will, and mounted on the pillar is...

...This guy, surrounded by more stone masks.   When I first watched this part of the anime, I though the big reveal here was that there were lots and lots of Stone Masks, which would be a big problem, since Part 1 made a big deal out of destroying the one Stone Mask that started all the trouble.   And maybe the guy in the pillar was the one who invented the things, I thought, but the bigger problem is that he made so many of them.   But no, Speedwagon explains that the "Pillar Man" is not an image carved into the stone, but a living being, in some form of suspended animation.  He even has a pulse.   

So who is this guy and why did he create the Stone Masks?   Speedwagon does not care.   He only wants this Pillar Man destroyed before he wakes up, and that's the sole reason he called in Straizo.   The two of them were the only survivors of the battle with Dio 50 years ago, and Straizo's Hamon power, also known as the Ripple, can destroy vampires that were created by the Stone Mask.    So he's desperately hoping Straizo can finish off the Pillar Man the same way.   But Straizo doesn't seem as concerned about it, and he asks about Joseph Joestar instead.    So I guess I ought to circle back to the other plotline... 

Fifty years after Jonathan Joestar sacrificed himself to defeat Dio Brando, his wife Erina and his grandson Joseph have moved to New York City.   Joseph tries to buy a Coke, but this kid swipes his wallet.   Kind of funny how Joesph's first and last appearances in JJBA are him getting robbed. 

But the kid runs afoul of the local corrupt cops, who bludgeon him with their batons and threaten to put him in jail for 20 years unless he agrees to give them a cut of whatever money he makes from pickpocketing.   When Joseph catches up to this scene, the cop even says he's going to keep Joseph's wallet "as evidence".   I gotta say, not everything from Battle Tendency has aged well, but this police brutality stuff has become incredibly relevant.  This could be 2021, except the cop would have had a gun, and he would have shot Smokey, then Joseph because he mistook the Coke bottle for a rocket launcher.  

Joseph tries to defuse the situation by claiming he gave the wallet to the kid as a gift, but the cop doesn't believe that story, and he wouldn't care even if he did.   He even smears boogers in Joseph's face just to prove that he can say and do whatever he pleases.    Up to this point, Joseph looks and seems a lot like Jonathan.  Later artwork tries to downplay that resemblance, probably just so it's easier to tell them apart.   The anime gave Joseph different color hair, and Hirohiko Araki himself started drawing young Joseph with aviator goggles all the time, even though he doesn't wear them that much in this story.  But starting out, the idea was that Joseph is the spitting image of his grandfather, and it almost looks like this is just an clever way to sneak Jonathan back into the story and transport him forward in time, except....

Coming through, coming through, coming through now  

Coming through, coming through, coming through now

Coming through, coming through, coming through 

Shake it like it's heat, Overdrive!

Yeah, so Joseph can do Hamon/Ripple tricks just like his grandfather, and all the others guys who could use Hamon back in Part 1.   The difference is that when Joseph does it, it looks coooooool.  After breaking Officer Hulk Hogan’s trigger finger, Joseph takes a big swig of soda, because it’s awesome.

To Smokey’s surprise, Joseph did all that badass stuff a second ago, but he’s terrified about his grandmother scolding him for it.  So Joseph wants to run for it, and that suits Smokey, so they rush off together, beginning a long tradition of JoJo’s running from things.   Enemies, consequences, you name it. 

Smokey asks Joseph how he learned how to do that trick with the coke bottle, and he says he has no idea, he’s just always been able to do it.    He knows his grandfather had the same power, but he’s dead, and so are his mother and father.  Curiously, Joseph’s father did not have Hamon powers, so it seems to have skipped a generation. 

And that sets up the other side of the plot.   Speedwagon wants Straizo to destroy the Pillar Man immediately, but Straizo first asks about Joseph.   He had heard some time ago that Joseph had innate Hamon abilities, and he had used them once to rescue Speedwagon from a kidnapping attempt in midair.   A flashback shows us this moment, with guys threatening to ransom and kill Speedwagon, but Joseph is just chilling in the back with a Superman comic. 

Okay, time out.   This panel rules and all, but the Superman comic book didn’t start until 1939, a year after Battle Tendency begins.   Superman was featured in the 1938 magazine Action Comics, but this scene on the plane is a flashback to Joseph from his early teens.   Also, the earliest DC bullet logo didn’t appear until 1940, so what is this?  Some kind of magic, time travelling comic book?    I hope someone got fired for this blunder! 

Anyway, Joseph was content to ignore the hijackers until one of them struck him, and even that wouldn’t have upset him except he got his own blood on his clothes, which Erina bought him, so that sends him into a rage.   Speedwagon was worried that Joseph might clobber the hijackers, but instead he knocks out the pilot, then drags him and Speedwagon out of the plane before it crashes.    The main thrust of that story was that Speedwagon was more worried about what Joseph might do than the hijackers who had already threatened to murder him.   Joseph is slow to anger, but once you piss him off he’s going to go to war, and he doesn’t always think things through.

But he’s never been trained to use his powers like Straizo’s order.  Upon hearing this, Straizo kills his own disciples, and all of the Speedwagon Foundation guys, then knocks Speedwagon himself out.   This will anger Joseph when he hears about it, but Straizo is counting on this.    As he explains, Hamon power can slow his aging process down considerably.   He and Speedwagon are both about 70 here, but he looks much younger.   Even so, he’s feeling his age, and he confesses that he always admired Dio for his immortality and power.   So now that there’s Stone Masks available, he’s decided to use one on himself, become a vampire, and become “a being that surpasses all”.  

And that’s a theme that runs through all of Battle Tendency, along with the rest of the JoJo franchise.  The main villains always seek power to position themselves above the rest of humanity.  At first, it seems kind of random for one of the men who opposed Dio to suddenly switch allegiences like this, but in truth, it’s human nature to be tempted by this kind of power.  Dio succumbed to the lure of the Mask, and now we find that Straizo would have done the same.   He just didn’t have the opportunity until now.

But the reason he’s concerned about Joseph is that he’s thinking this through.  Dio was defeated after all, so Straizo wants to eliminate anyone who could potentially defeat him.  Aside from himself and Speedwagon, the only others who know about the battle with Dio and the Stone Mask are Erina and Joseph.   Once he eliminates them, he’ll be free to do as he pleases.

Back to New York, this is a pretty sweet drawing of a car.    I’m not a car guy, but even I can get behind this.  By now, Smokey has met Erina Joestar, and he finds out some of the backstory from Part 1.    Erina’s husband died at sea, and she was pregnant with their son, Joseph’s father, and had a baby girl whom she rescued from the same incident at sea.   The two children grew up, married, had Joseph, and died, the father in World War I, and the mother of some unspecified illness.  Perhaps out of loneliness, Erina is “unflinchingly kind” even to someone like Smokey Brown, who doesn’t seem to think he’s worthy of her favor.

Anyway, Erina wants to take Smokey out to dinner at this nice Italian restaurant, but this racist mafia guy makes a big stink about a Black person being allowed to eat there.    Joseph gets up to kick his ass, but first he has to check with Erina to make sure it’s okay, and she’s like “Yeah, destroy that guy,” because even though she doesn’t approve of Joseph beating up people, she can’t abide disrespect to her friends.   This leads to the memorable fight scene where Joseph is like eight steps ahead of his opponent.  He goes for his brass knuckles, but can’t find them, and Joseph deduces where they are because of some bloodstains on his shirt.  He even suggests what this guy is about to say next because he’s so predictable.

Then he dodges every blow, moving so quickly that this jerk thinks he was hitting Joseph, when in fact he was punching a hat rack behind Joseph, and somehow he didn’t notice that he impaled his hand on broken wood until Joseph explained it to him.     And honestly, this feels like the prototype for a lot of Stand Battles down the line.  I’ll have more to say on that later.

What puts Battle Tendency over the top is how Joseph not only outwits this big lummox, but the rest of the diners at this restaurant all start applauding him for doing it.    They’re just honored to be present in this insane comic book where literally anything can happen.   “He made that asshole punch a hat rack!   This is awesome!”

Then this dude suddenly speaks up.   He’s not only the mafia guy in charge of the first guy, but he’s also heard a hot tip about Speedwagon getting murdered in Mexico by a Tibetan man.   He knew Erina would be interested in hearing this, but he’d never met her before.  Small world, huh?  

How would this guy already know about it, though?  I guess Straizo deliberately leaked the story, specifically so Joseph would find out about it sooner, but it seems awfully convenient.   But that’s how Battle Tendency rolls.   This thing’s only seven volumes long, and we’ve got a lot of ground to cover...

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

Michael in the Mainstream: Zack Snyder’s Justice League

Before we dive into this, I want to make a few things clear.

First, I actually did enjoy Josstice League. It certainly wasn’t anything game-changing or incredible, but it was a fun, cheesy, overly-expensive B-movie. It was like a Saturday morning cartoon come to life, a kid playing with their action figures and smashing them together, and in that sense it’s relatively enjoyable. It’s about as good as, say, Age of Ultron; it’s not a good film overall, but there are a lot of elements and scenes that make it worth a watch. 

Second, I have a very love/hate relationship with Zack Snyder. I love 300 and its intense hmoeroticism as much as everyone else, and I really enjoyed Watchmen too, but everything he has done since Sucker Punch has really grated on me. Man of Steel was pretty average, and Dawn of Justice joined Sucker Punch on my list of my least favorite films of all time. Going in to his vision for Justice League, even if it was now uncompromised, I wasn’t exactly holding my breath for a quality Snyder experience.

But with both of those things in mind I still sat down and watched his version of Justice League, and I have to say that it absolutely blows the theatrical version of the film out of the water. Not only that, it is something I never thought I’d see again: A true Zack Snyder experience, for better or for worse. His version of Justice League is a fantastic film… but boy does it have the usual Snyder problems that make even some of his best work a hard sell.

Let’s just get the problems out of the way first. The biggest issue is the runtime. At four hours, this is a ridiculously long film; it is a director’s vision completely uncompromised. But it is that way to a fault. Zack Snyder is a man who has never been about brevity, which is fine, especially when he’s using the long runtime to make you actually care about these characters, but with his freedom to bring this to life he basically just left everything in. There are a lot of scenes that just do nothing but bloat the runtime and could have easily been removed for a more streamlined experience. For instance, the scene where Barry saves Iris (our introduction to him in this cut) is just really weird and unnecessary seeing as it introduces characters who never show up again, makes Barry look like a creep, and doesn’t establish him as well as the scene where he talks to his dad. The scenes early on with Diana, such as her stopping the terrorists or going into the ruins with the arrow, are cool enough but they could easily have been removed. Even the scene with Vulko could have been dropped with little lost, not to mention the weird scene of women singing about Aquaman. The first act is especially bogged down with scenes that really could have been trimmed without losing any character or story relevance.

Perhaps the most egregious scene that should have been cut is the weird Martian Manhunter reveal in the middle of the movie. While he certainly looks awesome, it just feels weird and unnecessary, especially when the scene he has in the epilogue is a much better use of him and feels a lot more in line with what superhero movies do. A good chunk of the first half of the movie is weighed down with this overindulgence, though that’s not to say any of this is bad, per se. This is just stuff that, when making a movie, you need to trim for the end product to be more engaging and streamlined.

Adding onto this is the dropping of every single thing the guy they brought in to replace Snyder filmed. Now, I’m all for erasing that guy’s contributions to film as much as possible, but the fact is he did add some good scenes to the movie, scenes that certainly could have been left in over the pointless “Barry saves Iris” scene or the Martian Manhunter midpoint cameo or really any moment Mera is in the film and not being annihilated by Steppenwolf. Hell, leaving in the Superman/Flash race in the epilogue would have been appreciated, though at the very least I’m happy I didn’t have to hear the word ‘brunch’ during this four hours (though I did have to hear far too much of that godawful ancient lamentation music whenever Diana so much as breathed onscreen).

But enough complaints! After we get out of the first few chapters, we get into the really good stuff. What this cut of the film does best is redeem characters who were maligned or underutilized in the theatrical version, with the two main redemptions belonging to the villain Steppenwolf and the hero Cyborg. Steppenwolf in the theatrical cut was little more than a cheesy, two-dimensional B-movie villain, and despite his crappy design he did have some charm to him. But in this film, I genuinely felt for the guy. He’s an incredibly tragic villain here, tirelessly slaving away in the hopes he can return home and please his master who does little but ignore him, instead having his middle man dismiss and berate Steppenwolf at every opportunity. It’s to the point you almost want him to wipe out humanity just so Darkseid will give him a break. Add onto that the fact that his new, spinier design looks a lot better, and they somehow managed to make a villain who was previously only a few hairs better than Malekith and somehow give him the gravitas and tragedy of Thanos. Well, maybe Diet Thanos, but Steppenwolf is still a really good villain now, seeing as the original movie’s Steppenwolf was basically Bootleg Thanos.

Then we have Cyborg. Cyborg is easily the best character in the film, and the fact they watered down Ray Fisher’s role in the theatrical cut is a crime against humanity. His character arc in this movie is nothing short of amazing, and he’s so compelling that sometimes you might just forget he’s mostly CGI. His relationship with his father, his tragic origin story… there’s so much that could be cut to streamline the movie, but if you cut any of Cyborg’s scenes, it would ruin the film. He’s really that good. There’s really not much else to say other than that he is a truly compelling character, and maybe even one of the best in superhero cinema.

Then we have new additions. Perhaps the best and most striking addition to the film is Ray Porter as galactic conqueror Darkseid. While he is used sparingly here, he is set up as an incredible threat, and is utterly terrifying every moment he’s onscreen. If they run with this guy, they almost certainly will unseat Thanos as the premier galactic villain in superhero cinema with Darkseid (as it should be; who do you think Thanos was ripping off in the first place?). Other additions, like Joker, are… a bit more complicated. Jared Leto’s appearance in the epilogue is still leagues better than he was in Suicide Squad, and I appreciate how he insults Amber Heard and also has some incredibly gay dialogue with Batman (all good Jokers get homoerotic with Batman, after all), but at the end of the day, it’s still Jared Leto, he’s still doing that weird laugh, and he still doesn’t bring much to the table in terms of Jokers. I don’t want to be too hard on him, though, because he has definitely improved, and his chemistry with Batman here is something I think a lot of cinematic Jokers are missing, so if they decide to run with this and keep something akin to this design I guess I can tolerate him coming back.

This movie is certainly not perfect. It could use some trimming in the beginning in particular, the Knightmare sequence is ridiculously indulgent, and the CGI isn’t always perfect (something more forgivable because a lot of work was done with less money and more restrictions due to Covid), not to mention that enormous length that would certainly scare off more casual viewers. It’s a hard sell to anyone who isn’t already invested. But I definitely think it’s worth giving a chance, because this really is the sort of film the Justice League deserves. It’s grand, it’s epic, it has compelling characters, it has a sympathetic and tragic villain, and it has one of the most incredible final battles in superhero cinema (and within that, perhaps the only thing that tops Quicksilver’s run through the mansion in Apocalypse as the greatest super speed moment on film). This is Zack Snyder at his best, and while there are still things that just didn’t work here, the overall product is what we as an audience deserved rather than the theatrical cut.

This isn’t the greatest superhero movie ever, of course, but I’d at least put it in the top twenty. I’m just honestly astounded… We live in a society where Zack Snyder is making good movies again. Good on you, Snyder. I did not expect this film to come even close to being good, and I don’t think I’ve ever been happier to have been proven wrong.

[quietsharpeheart]

WW1984

just my thoughts about it

(so obviously spoilers below).

First of all, I really enjoyed it! It was a fun movie that reminded me a lot of the original Superman movie, which we know Patty loves. 

Now onto my nitpicking!

There was like WAY TOO LITTLE of the Amazons. I knew it would be the case, but still. That spinoff movie (series?) can’t come soon enough.

I loved Hippolyta and Antiope’s little moments with Diana (would’ve liked them a lot more if it weren’t for the Zeus thing) but for the most part we just saw them reacting to Diana’s performance and that’s just not enough! Maybe there will be some deleted scenes when the dvd gets released.

Oh, and did anyone else get total Gladiator flashbacks when Hippolyta was talking with Diana in the sand?

Also LOVED the mid-credits scene even if I didn't care for the origin story for the golden armor. You can't convince me that anyone other than Hippolyta would stay behind and fight while the others escaped. Also why wouldn’t all the amazons just take on their enemies together? Why leave it to just one?

Also where exactly did Diana find that armor?

Seeing the invisible jet worked into the story was a cool surprise..again I just wish Zeus had nothing to do with it.

I wasn’t too crazy about the wish stone being the reason for Cheetah’s powers the way it was but Kristen did a great job, I knew she would. As did Pedro.

And look I adore Diana and Steve, Gal and Chris are so freakin’ charming together but I still wish they hadn't brought Steve back.

I would’ve liked them to focus on Barbara and Diana's relationship friendship instead. The friends to enemies story could’ve been so tragic! And if they made it so Barbara couldn’t lose her powers so easily and had to live with being the Cheetah...but I guess they weren’t looking to make that angsty of a movie. Oh well.

I liked the ending more than I did the first movie (thanks for that WB) but it still felt like we were missing one more Barbara/Diana scene after their final fight when Barbara returned to her normal self. Sigh. I just needed more of them together! They were setting it up so well....and then Steve came into the picture. :/

Anyways, in spite of all my complaints, I enjoyed myself and am excited to rewatch with my mom. She’s gonna lose her mind at that Lynda Carter cameo! :D

[myhahnestopinion]

THE AARONS 2019 - Best Film

Once again setting a personal record and winning a friendly competition, I watched 105 films from the year 2019. That’s more films than there are seconds of screen-time for Rose Tico in The Rise of Skywalker! That one won’t be found here, but after ranking all 105 movies, here are the ones that did rise to the top of my list. Here are the Aarons for Best Film:

#10. Marriage Story

Marriage Story twists a knife we never even saw go in; its tragedy is a fully formed snowball of once seemingly-insignificant bad decisions that the viewer is powerless to reverse, only observe. Director Noah Baumbach, however, makes only great decisions in his tale of the difficulties and distractions of divorce (in the context of the film, that is. The infusion of Baumbach’s informed personal experiences is unmissable here). The film splits its focus between the perspectives of the two former spouses, but not evenly. Through both, we understand the effects of unintentional harm of other being; in the unbalance, we empathize with people reaching that realization at different times. Marriage is a story about learning that, no matter the effort to relate to another, there will always be unknowns, but in trust, there is peace.

#9. Little Women

The best adaptations play to the strengths of the screen. The kinetic timeline shifting of director Greta Gerwig’s new version of Little Women is a feat only manageable in cinematic form. The shake-up to the traditional script enlivens the familiar story; the bits of happiness and heartbreak all feel a little bit bigger. Backed by an exceptional cast, Gerwig illustrates that the importance of retelling stories is the same as the importance in telling them to begin with. The movie is undoubtedly the superior cinematic version of the story; if it’s not too blasphemous to say, it’s the best version on the big-screen or off. 

#8. The Farewell

Secret secrets are no fun, but can shared secrets spare someone? It’s the question at the heart of director Lulu Wang’s The Farewell, in which a family decides not to tell their grandmother she only has a short while to live, and stage a wedding as an excuse to gather the family together before she dies. Such a heavy burden seems unbearable alone; the cycle of shame and fear when trying to find the best way to love someone is inexorable. Sharing has never been a strong suit of the Western world; the culture clash of the understated film ends up a surprising source of comfort. Yet there will always come a point where one must face such uncertainty alone, and choose whether to say goodbye to the guilt or not. The Farewell is a comfort there as well.

#7. Parasite

It’s not what you know, it’s who you know; survival depends on sticking together. Like The Farewell, Parasite’s premise unearths questions of solidarity; unlike The Farewell, its execution is not understated. Director Bong Joon-ho’s lampooning of late-stage capitalism is as unmissable as a big dumb rock, and he lampshades it as such. Parasite is the most unexpected of heist films, but one that cuts to the heart of the genre: the world as-is is a mad scrabble for a good job, and morality need not apply. The insidious ploy of the film is an insightful exploration of class conflict. The two families at its center may not have a single person between them who’s not hungry for more, but only one is deciding how many seats are at the table. It’s not our world, we’re just living in it. 

#6. Knives Out

After the dregs of the internet came for him with knives out, director Rian Johnson decided to kill them with kindness… and gift everyone with another masterful work of cinema. There’s no foul play made in Johnson’s new murder mystery; the cast is stacked with talent and the screenplay stacked with twists. The story subverts genre expectations in revolutionary ways, keeping viewers guessing and engrossed. The additional emotional undercurrent is similarly revelatory; even when killers are caught and loose ends are tied up, questions of justice remain. Pointed, poignant, and uproarious, Johnson has carved up an excellent mystery. Considering his debut feature Brick, it’s no surprise the director’s dunnit again. 

#5. Shazam!

After shifting its focus from an overambitious shared universe to its lesser known characters, DC Comics has captured lightning in a bottle once again. The selling-point of Shazam! is, in a word, magical: a young boy given the power to transform into a full-grown superhero (play with infectious charm by Zachary Levi) boils down the appeal of the genre to its base wish-fulfillment elements. With superpowers dominating the cinemas right now, Shazam!’s recentering of their collective narrative is more powerful than Zeus. Zack Snyder sought to bring maturity to the Superman story by questioning the burden of possessing power. Made for kids but holding the wisdom of Solomon, Shazam! combats Snyder’s misguided notions: with great power comes great responsibility, but responsibility is sharing power. 

#4. One Cut of the Dead

While there are many films shot in one-take, including one vying for Best Picture at the Oscars this year, One Cut of the Dead’s pure commitment to its craft makes it a cut above the rest. In the film, things go haywire for a small filmmaking crew on the set of a zombie movie when real zombies attack; what happens next is best left unspoken (to preserve its wonderful surprises). The tightly-crafted horror-comedy is a bloody beast; its multi-limbed nature reaches every mark its aiming for, tearing at one’s heart, brain, and stomach in equal measure. It deconstructs its own movie magic only to build up an even more fantastic monument to cinema and the cooperation demanded by its creation. Within One Cut of the Dead’s endless inventiveness, the art-form’s rarely felt so alive.

#3. Midsommar

Midsommar is an honoring of tradition, but it quickly evolves into something all its own. Its most obvious influence is The Wicker Man, yet while that film’s pagan horror turned a twist of fate and a twist of faith into its punchline, Midsommar lets viewers in on the joke. Director Ari Aster lets events unfold at a meticulous pace in the closed-off community, but dread never sets in. The film is perhaps entirely miscategorized as horror; any screams crescendo into a potent catharsis. Midsommar is a banquet of visual treats that leaves viewers to chew on a shocking ending. With both, Midsommar is nothing but fulfilling.

#2. Us

Many directors can’t escape the shadow of such a successful debut, but luckily for us and for Us, Jordan Peele was no less effective at holding up a mirror to society’s sins in his sophomore feature. Like Get Out, Us rips the ineffectual bandage off this country’s festering wounds, demanding they be properly addressed lest they be allowed to kill us. The effect is once again deeply uncomfortable, gnawing at the viewer long after it’s over, as all proper horror films should. Peele, however, is entirely comfortable, further solidifying himself as an unmissable auteur through an assured handling of tone. The movie is both a crowd-pleaser and entirely uncompromising; we have met both friend and enemy, and it is Us.

AND THE BEST FILM OF 2019 IS...

#1. It: Chapter Two

It is inexplicable. The first half of the new adaption of Stephen King’s monstrous book was #8 on this same list back in 2017, yet while Chapter Two is much more uneven and unwieldly, it floated all the way to the top as my favorite film of 2019. It’s victory certainly owes a debt to its origins; the second part is a reflection on the first, as the adult version of the Loser’s Club must remember their past to battle the child-eating clown one last time. With this intent in mind, the film’s ungainly composition shifts into a new form. Chapter Two is an eerie and eerily-accurate encapsulation of the sensation of unpacking past trauma. It’s confusing, frustrating, disheartening, scary, and often unexpectedly funny trying to control such a narrative. Sometimes, all one can do is scream at the cyclical cruelty. In those moments, the greatest thing is to have someone screaming with you. Perhaps the It sequel suggests that there is no such thing as good movies or bad movies - maybe there are just movies that you need. Chapter Two is a cinematic barbaric yalp, indulgent in its runtime and its special effects because that is how it can and chooses to be heard. I needed it.

NEXT UP: THE 2019 AARONS FOR WORST FILM!

[facepalming-since-chernobyl]

State of the pilots, ABC, TSE, etc.

I didn’t even realize today was the day of you know who and you know what till just now.  I’d imagine everyone in both “camps” is going to be severely on edge today so we could all use a distraction.  The discussion about the TSE pilot is brewing so I thought this is a good time to talk about a few things.

Disclaimer: First off, I want to say like all of us here, I wish nothing but amazing things for Chris in his career.  Anything I say here is not because I want him or his show to fail or wish he were back for karamel endgame or to play Kai or anything like that.  Everything I’m going to discuss is just the facts and how things go.

Like I said before, ABC has a few pilots in contention this season and a few guaranteed vacated timeslots and the possibility of more.  Here’s a list of all its shows in a table to look at just for reference:

https://www.spoilertv.com/2019/09/spoilertv-broadcast-cancellation.html

To address these comments from Peggy and chelsea before I continue:

“TSE is a drama script, it will fight against other dramas not comedies” - not true, ABC doesn’t have two different networks, one for comedies, one for dramas, it is all one network and regardless of the type of shows it picks up, there are limited timeslots so all the pilots are in the same boat and competing against each other.  Whether it’s drama or comedy doesn’t necessarily matter except to affect what time length of timeslot it’ll take up.

“I know revivals are hit or miss but this has so much going for it, it’s hard to imagine it not being successful.” - right now, the first stage of this show, or any new show, isn’t ratings or performance success, it’s getting beyond the pilot stage and making it on the air.  That’s where TSE actually is at the moment.

Some background on how the process works because I think people got caught up reading the news about Chris and thought the show is all ready to go.  It may be and we don’t know it yet, but formally, this is not the case.  Here’s how the process works behind the scenes the few months up to a show actually getting or not getting on the air:

1. Each network buys hundreds of pilot scripts a year.  They go through as many as possible, and the ones that look most promising are pared down to only a handful.

2. Of those handful, the network tells the people behind those properties to make a pilot episode (the stage TSE is in).  They’re told to make an actual episode of what the show would be like.  It’s like seeing recipes on a menu for a start-up restaurant and one of them is made into the actual dish.  If they like what they get, they can order more, if not, they can pass on it.

3. Of the pilots that are made into actual episodes, the networks go through them.  They watch them and sometimes have them shown to test audiences and gauge their feedback which is necessary to see how the people actually watching will react.  Do the audiences hate/love a particular actor/character?  Storyline, something else?  All this is good to know if the reviews are mixed and the network really likes the idea/creators/etc. and want to keep the show but need to make changes to get people to like it or like it more.  Sometimes this means casting changes too - the original Charmed series recast Lori Rom with Alyssa Milano for the character of Phoebe.

4. Depending on the availability of timeslots due to ending/cancelled shows, they’ll order the necessary number of shows to series.  One thing about this: if they love something enough from the get-go for a particular reason, they’ll forego the pilot process above and order it straight to series.  Example: the Walker pilot (Jared Padalecki) and Superman one, easy to see why CW didn’t bother with the pilot for those and just gave a series order to both.  ABC also has one of these this season which is guaranteed a timeslot and chance to air, a thriller based on a book series starring respected producer David E. Kelley who was behind The Practice.

So here’s my concern.  There are many shows on ABC already, ones that have been there for years with varying guarantees of renewal.  There are only so many scheduling hours on a broadcast network so it can’t pick up everything.  Here are the current guaranteed shows ending this season:

1. How to Get Away With Murder

2. Fresh off the Boat

3. Modern Family

4. Agents of Shield

I don’t know about the comedies, but Emergence (*SOB*) is also definitely cancelled and Stumptown could be too according to the TV Grim Reaper is also reporting the ratings have been dropping of late: https://www.tvgrimreaper.com/2020/02/10/predictions-week-21-stumptown-is-likely-to-be-canceled/5226/

Okay, so let’s say they’re both cancelled.  That vacates I would say about close to 6 hours of vacant scheduling time ABC must account for in the fall/spring season.  I’m not going to include other shows that could also be cancelled and other shows not on the list because that makes it too complicated for now.  I’ll be generous and say ABC has 5-6 hours to fill.

Here are ABC’s pilots in contention so far according to Deadline, one of them is already ordered to series and guaranteed a timeslot this fall:

https://deadline.com/pilot/2020-abc-pilots-series-orders/

Thus far, it’s 6 shows in contention to make it to air though I’ve read stories in other places saying ABC has also picked up two more comedies.  If my math is correct or at least reasonably close, I would say at most ABC can order maybe 3 of the drama pilots and 1-2 of the comedies or something else depending on the drama/comedy ratio.  

Here’s my wild guess of what will happen/hope happens based on the loglines only: ABC orders Rebel, TSE, and The Brides and whatever comedies it wants and the rest of them get a pass.  Here’s why I think so: 

Rebel - based on the life of Erin Brockovich and has cast Katey Segal as the lead character, I’m sure they’re clamoring to bring in fans of the movie/Julia Roberts and Katey Segal is probably in demand too

The Brides - premise sounds completely ill-fitting for an ABC show to me but everyone wants to work with Berlanti nowadays, he’s the new Shonda on steroids and produces like ½ the shows on tv now and he has a history with ABC, produced the very successful Brothers and Sisters which coincidentally the Olins worked on as did several Arrowverse actors including Calista Flockhart

TSE - I’ve said enough about it of late, Karey Burke was a fan of the original, supposedly they’ve been given the green light to set up a writers’ room though no official overtures of it being ordered to series - I am optimistic, I think the only real concerns I have other than the lack of space is how good not only this pilot is but the others are

So here’s what going to happen now and in the near future.  The TSE pilot is shooting next month.  From news I’m seeing on Deadline and the trades, the others have been casting and are probably getting ready to shoot too or shooting already.  Sometime between the time the pilot is finished and network upfronts in May, ABC will screen all of them and make decisions on each: which to order to series as is, which to order on the contingency they make changes (like recasting if needed) and which to just pass on.  These made a pilot episode but they will most likely never see the light of day though it can be shopped to other networks/outlets.  

Once the cast is done shooting, they’ll be placed on holds for another 2 months in case the show goes to series, they’re not committed to other projects and the network doesn’t have to go through the time/expense of recasting that role.  Once the decision is made - whatever is picked up to series will be presented at upfronts - they all gather in early fall to begin shooting the show.

Basically, we’re in a waiting game now for the next few months to hope the show is picked up and sending good thoughts that once it is, it’ll do well in the ratings, a whole other topic entirely I think is too soon to comment on.  I know the news we’ve gotten so far is very promising that it could be successful, sure, but it is a waiting game till it’s announced at May upfronts, if it is.  Bottom line being?  Everyone keep your fingers crossed still.  And if you don’t mind reading through all the scripts, let me know how good/bad they are.  I know I made my predictions for what I think will be picked up and passed on but the reality is no one will know for sure till the dust settles.  For all we know, the pilots I think get chosen are terrible and the ones I think will get passes are fantastic.  You can just never know.  

EVERYONE send out plenty of good thoughts for Chris and Odette!!!!  Thanks for coming to another overly long TED talk.  ;)

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Wow, thanks for submitting it :)