#justice for Logan and Mariko

[alyceinwonderland777]

SAY IT LOUDER FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK ‼️‼️‼️

[romancemedia]

A Hero's Broken Heart

[tobiasdrake]

The political conflict at the heart of the film is honestly pretty interesting, though I wish Mariko was more directly involved with it.

And also there are some... unpleasant consequences created by the choice of a foreign venue for this story.

About 3/5 of the way through the film, Logan finally gets a chance to interrogate Mariko's fiancé and find out what the fucking plot is.

Noburo Mori, the Minister of Justice, is engaged to wed Mariko but is also trying to have her killed. Weird flex. It's because he's working for her abusive dad.

Despite being hailed as a visionary whose incredible technological advances altered the course of Japanese life, Yashida's a quack billionaire who threw the family's fortune away chasing after dumb shit. He's basically Japanese Elon Musk.

So, he sucks and his son Shingen has a legitimate grievance with him.

Except Shingen also sucks. Yashida decided to skip Shingen and give everything to Mariko, so now Shingen's flipping out and trying to murder his own child to protect what he considers to be his rightful inheritance.

Noburo's throwing in with Shingen because he's a cheating piece of shit and Mariko would dump him in five seconds flat the second her inheritance went through.

He's going to lose Mariko either way so he figures he might as well make a buck and get a friend in high places out of it.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to everyone involved in this, Yashida faked his death and is actually in the middle of carrying out the immortality plot he nearly bankrupted the company over.

Everybody sucks here except Mariko.

It's a cool idea on paper, but there's a couple problems that the two white male writers and one white male director overlooked. The first is Mariko's complete lack of agency in the plot.

There she goes, the character that this interesting story revolves around.

Mariko... hasn't actually done anything, at any point in this plot. Yashida only picked her as successor to spite Shingen, and not because she had any merits whatsoever of her own. Shingen and Noburo, in response, are trying to kill her for the choices of Yashida.

She's involved in this story not because of any choice she ever made, but for the choices that the men in her life have made about her.

Which can still be fine. A hero's journey isn't always something they control. But she isn't the hero here either. All of this serves to create a journey for this man.

All of this complex political drama surrounding Mariko serves only to explain why there is a princess in a castle for Logan to rescue. She is a lamp that was being passed around between three men until a fourth men showed up from a foreign country to play keep-away with it.

Which is the other problem with the film. That the main character is the only non-Japanese person involved with the story (well, besides Viper) means that this is a movie about a gaijin going to Japan and painting the country red in Japanese blood because he wants to bang a hot Japanese woman.

What they really needed, what this story needed to sort it out and get everything to a happy ending, was a hardy white man to murder all the evil Japanese people involved in an orgy of violence, so that the fuckable Japanese woman can live happily ever after.

This is. Uh. Not great so far as cultural representation goes. They try to balance it out by giving Logan some Japanese sidekicks. Look, you can see one of them standing around in the background in those shots up there. But it's still pretty obvious that they're just window dressing around a story that is ultimately about Wolverine carving up Japan so he can bang the hot princess.

Honestly, watching this movie now, I would love to see a version of this movie that Uno Reverses it. Having Logan, Mariko, and Yukio on the run together but with Logan taking the role of the damsel who finally gets kidnapped halfway through instead of the action hero, and putting Yukio in the action hero role instead.

Of course, that movie never would have been made and also probably wouldn't have sold as well to a white male audience hungry for Wolverine action. But I'd love to see it, all the same.

[richincolor]

We've got four titles on our radar for today! Which ones do you want to get your hands on?

Age 16 by Rosena Fung Annick Press

A powerful coming-of-age graphic novel about three generations of mothers and daughters passing down and rebelling against standards of gender, race, beauty, size, and worth, for fans of Mariko Tamaki. Sixteen-year-old Roz is preoccupied with normal teenage navigating high school friendships, worrying about college, and figuring out what to wear to prom. When her estranged Por Por abruptly arrives for a seemingly indefinite visit, the already delicate relationship between Roz and her mother is upended. With three generations under one roof, conflicts inevitably arise and long suppressed family secrets rise to the surface. Told in alternating perspectives, Age 16 shifts seamlessly between time and place, exploring how this pivotal year in adolescence affects three women in the same family, from Guangdong in 1954 to Hong Kong in 1972, and Toronto in 2000. Award-winning creator of Living with Viola Rosena Fung pulls from her own family history in her YA debut to give us an emotional and poignant story about how every generation is affected by those that came before and affect those that come after.

Not About a Boy by Myah Hollis Harper Teen

Euphoria meets Girl in Pieces in this coming-of-age story of a girl trying to put a grief-stricken past behind her, only to be startled by the discovery of a long-lost sister who puts into question everything she thought she knew. Amélie Cœur has never known what it truly means to be happy. She thought she’d found happiness once, in a love that ended in tragedy and nearly sent her over the edge. Now, at seventeen, Mel is beginning to piece her life back together. Under the supervision of Laurelle Child Services, the exclusive foster care agency that raised her, Mel is sober and living with a new family among Manhattan’s elite. It’s her last chance at adoption before she ages out of the system and she promised, this time, she’ll try. But a casual relationship with a boy is turning into something she never intended for it to be, causing small cracks in her carefully constructed walls. Then the sister she has no memory of contacts Mel, unearthing complicated feelings about the past and what could have been. As the anniversary of the worst day of her life approaches, Mel must weather the rising tides of grief and depression before she loses herself, and those close to her, all over again.

The Second Chance of Darius Logan by David F. Walker Scholastic Press

Darius Logan is far from a hero. Since his parents were killed, he has spent most of his life navigating foster homes and shelters, abandoned neighborhoods and decaying buildings. All Darius knows is survival. Life was hard enough, but now he finds himself being hunted by the police after a drug deal he never should have been involved in goes bad. And when they catch him, Darius is positive he will spend the rest of his life behind bars. But in place of a long prison sentence, Darius is handed an opportunity almost too good to be true: the chance to get away from his circumstances by joining the Second Chance program of the Super Justice Force, a league of people with special powers who strive to do good and protect the world from harm. Darius soon discovers a strength he never knew he possessed, but evil forces manifest and threaten to destroy everything he holds dear. Will Darius be able to save the world when he faces a deadly--and all too familiar--enemy? This incredibly powerful YA debut by Eisner award-winning author David F. Walker, dives into matters of social justice and identity, courage and second chances, in a world where heroes loom large and what seems ordinary is anything but.

We Don't Have Time for This by Brianna Craft Disney Hyperion

Lemonade Mouth meets climate change activism in this enemies-to-lovers YA romance. A tied election throws two rival teen activists together to lead their school’s environmental justice club, and they are taken by surprise when their clashes reveal deeper feelings hidden beneath their antagonism. What's more romantic than saving the earth? Two presidents. One club. A sizzling connection. Isa Brown wishes her life would slow down. She doesn’t want to leave for college. Not now that her dad finally gets to spend some time at home. Not now that she’s finally been in one place for longer than a year. But nothing lasts forever. With wildfires ravaging her community and a new natural gas pipeline threatening her dad’s job, the last thing Isa can do is relax. The school’s environmental justice club seems like a promising way to make real change. If only her annoying co-president Darius would stop being such a control freak. Darius Freeman can’t stop hustling. If he does, how will he beat the other honors kids to be valedictorian? How will he get into the top schools in the country? How will he launch his political career? No. Darius can’t stop, and the next step in his plan is leading the environmental justice club this year—putting on a policy summit and rounding out his college applications with a leadership role. But then Isa joins the club and becomes co-president. Is she the stumbling block on his road to success? As Isa and Darius clash over the best way to lead the environmental justice club, deeper feelings emerge. About what’s at stake for their communities if they can’t figure out how to work together. And about the sparks they feel between them. Will Darius and Isa figure out how to burn brightly together? Or will their flames leave nothing but ashes behind?

[izzys-issues]

20. "Myths, Monsters, and Mutants"

(Wolverine / Hercules Trade Paperback # 1, August 2011)

RATING: 10 🐙 RESURRECTED KRAKENS OUT OF 10

This felt like it was just designed to be one of my favorite stories from the get go. I really enjoy Wolverine as a character when he's spending time with his close friends and not just an edgetastic gritty grouch or loner. I've read the Hercules run in it's entirety that preceded this back in high school and thought it was a super fun characterization of him. I love any media that pulls from religious and mythological source material and does it justice by making a fun and faithful adaptation of it, though the use of some Greek and some Roman spellings chafed me a little. Surprisingly there was a lot of emotional depth to this arc about two guys just chatting and punching some ninjas and monsters, with Logan getting some closure for Mariko and wrestling with the realization that he will likely be the one that buries most of his friends. I super appreciated how this had their original 1980 meeting in the back and I feel like this planted the seeds for the recent Elseworlds story where the two were more of like an Achilles and Patroclus level of close 😘

FAVORITE: Just a couple of dudes being pals

LEAST FAVORITE: I don't like this style of portrayal of Hades but that's probably because I've been spoiled by Lore Olympus

[amatlcomix]

https://mailchi.mp/comicartfans/comic-art-roundup-916014?e=a646315a7a

TODAY'S FEATURED COMIC ART

WOLVERINE: NETSUKE #3 COVER

ARTISTS: GEORGE PRATT

OWNER: KASRA GHANBARI Paid Member

MEMBER SINCE 2004

This featured cover by George Pratt is a haunting painted image of Wolverine being visited by the specter of his lost love Mariko Yashida. A chance meeting with writer Chris Claremont spawned the idea for the series.

"[I] spent the weekend fleshing out the idea of a sort of ghost story and tying into what I remembered of [Claremont & Frank Miller's] series and Mariko. Someone informed me that she'd been killed so that became the germ of the idea, to take Logan, who was still struggling with her death, to her ancestral home and try to let her go." Pratt recalled in an interview. "Chris had tried to convince me to add the X-Men to the story, which would generate a ton of sales/money for me, but I nixed the idea because I didn’t really want to draw them, but more importantly I didn’t think anyone would believe it. I'm not a superhero artist really and I felt that I wouldn’t really do them justice at all."

[maybefalsefacts]

And then you've got the DP&W ending where Logan literally gets told 'Nah, we ain't gonna save your X-Men cause your trauma saved this universe'

And he just... Accepts it? Like?????

Wade literally offers him food SECONDS LATER and Logan response is just *shrugs* "I could eat."

Like, hunny, sweetie, sugar, baby boy, I KNOW you're emotionally constipated, but that just feels like whiplash.

And don't even get me started on him getting back his memories of Mariko. His wife? His true love? Like, can you imagine? Realizing you forgot the love of your life? And she's been gone for YEARS (or however long. Timelines 🙄) Like???

This poor man has been through hell and back!

Anyway

Justice for Logan. He deserves so much better.

unfortunately I have been born with “human experimentation obsessed” autism instead of “dinosaurs yay” autism (though I often flip flop between) so let’s talk about Deadpool and Wolverine.

Was Deadpool not even a little bit shaken when he left the lab? I imagine the effects of such an experience would obviously leave him extremely traumatized. And Wolverine, too. After that raw ass scene in Origins when he hopped out the water and like screamed or whatever, he just ran lmao. Didn’t even try to take a minute to process after he was free, just ran like a million miles. And then his newly found Peepaw and Meemaw got turned into Swiss cheese :(.

It's not really something I see people talk about, which is rude because who doesn't love some angst??

I don't think either of them really got to process anything they went through.

Logan doesn't remember any of it. He doesn't remember before the experiment or during, so he wouldn't ever fully process it, not properly. Sure, once Charles helps get some memories back, Logan can START to kind of make sense of his life, who he is, was and can be, but I don't think he would ever fully remember. So he's always just kind of still processing shit.

And let's be real, this man is having nightmares of shit he doesn't remember, which wouldn't help.

Wade remembers all of it, but that doesn't mean he processes it. I think he's come to terms with a few things, but this dumbass doesn't WANT to process it. He hates emotions and dealing with them, so I imagine he just doesn't. When he first escapes Francis and figures out his mutation, I think- again- he more so comes to terms with it than processes it.

Let's just say that, they are both very emotionally constipated.

It 100% affects their relationship, but not in a massive negative way. Its more simple things.

Logan refusing Wade's offer to cuddle after a nightmare, Wade locking himself in the bathroom after a flashback, stuff like that.

Wade doesn't want to deal with it, he wants to forget it happened and move on. Logan wants to remember, wants to figure out how he is the way he is and become a better person.

(Also, my autism goes from "deep discussions about hyperfixations" to "haha look at the colours" so I get it lmao)

[kurt-wagner-official]

Post #35: Wolverine issues 1-4

Wolverine's first solo series is a self-titled four issues mini is written by Claremont with art by Frank Miller. It opens with one of the most iconic Logan sequences of all, him hunting a bear through the Canadian Rockies. He tracks it to its cave and kills it in a brutal battle. It seems like Logan is as much a wild beast as his quarry, until we learn why he was hunting it- a hunter shot it with a poisoned arrow. It wasn't strong enough to kill it, just drive it mad with pain and bloodlust, going on a rampage to kill 16 people. In one scene we're presented with the person that Logan appears to be in the surface and are then introduced to a what lies beneath the surface: mercy, honor, and a drive to protect the innocent. But the sequence isn't done yet, as Logan tracks the hunter to a bar to seek justice. When he confronts the man, he tries to hit him and blow him off, to Logan's pleasure. He beats the man up but lets him live and brings him to trial. We cut to a few weeks later, after Logan has returned home to find Mariko, his girlfriend over the last few years, has returned to Japan without warning. He's on the next flight out to Tokyo, but when he tries to go through immigration he comes up on several watchlists because of his checkered past. He's confronted by Asano Kimura, a Japanese secret agent and an old friend. He tells him that Mariko's father, one of the most powerful crime lords in the city, has recently resurfaced and made several deals, one of which involved marrying Mariko off to someone. Asano tells Logan he can't understand what she's going though and going after her could hurt her more, but he refuses to give up and goes to find her. Her estate has new guard dogs, which he intimidates into letting him pass. He says he's glad, because unlike people, he doesn't like killing animals. He finds Mariko, who tells him that she loves him but that he shouldn't have come. When he gets closer, he's horrified to see her face covered in bruises. He begs her to get a divorce, and she refuses, showing him a pair of swords that have been in her family for hundreds of years and to her represent her duty to family and tradition. This story puts an uncomfortable amount of emphasis on the idea that Japanese people live their lives by honor and tradition, which is obviously problematic and unfortunately pretty common in eighties comics. There's no defense, but I will say that at least the artwork isn't as racist and caricature-y as in a lot of comics. The writing here is at least better than Claremont's stuff with Sunfire, but that's not saying much. Anyway, Mariko's husband, a business associate of her father named Noburu, walks into the room and starts yelling at her, and Logan threatens to kill him until she begs him to leave. He's walking out the door when he's hit by poisoned throwing stars. They're meant to kill, but because of his powers he wakes up in front of Mariko and her father, Lord Shingen, who challenges him to a battle with wooden swords. Logan is weak from the poison and out of practice with swords, but Shingen expertly hits pressure points intending to kill. Logan has to pop his claws to defend himself, and realizes he's played into Shingen's hands- Mariko doesn't realize her father can kill with this weapon, so it looks like Logan is attacking unprovoked. Logan's heart isn't in it anymore, and as he loses consciousness, he hears his opponent tell Mariko that he's nothing more than a mindless animal, unworthy of her. The last thing he hears is her agreeing with her father. He wakes up broken in body and soul on the street, where some muggers approach until they fall to the ground, murdered by a mysterious savior. She's a woman who approaches Logan, telling him that she's hers now as the issue ends.

Issue 2 starts with Logan waking up in the apartment of his savior, who introduces herself as Yukio, as they come under attack from dozens of Hand ninjas. The battle lasts several pages while Logan narrates exposition and his own powers for any new readers. With a different artist, this might be a tedious sequence, but Frank Miller is never more in his element than with street level battles against hordes of minions. When the dust settles, Logan and Yukio are the only survivors, and they flee as the police arrive. Later, at another apartment, they get to talking. Yukio keeps her motives mysterious, but she says the Hand were sent by her enemy, a powerful crime lord. She then comes on to him, but he still loves Mariko and shuts her down. We cut to Yukio arriving at Shingen’s building, where we learn that she’s working for him. The Hand were sent to drive Logan into her arms, but unknown to Yukio, they were also sent after her to test her skill as Shingen’s top assassin. Shingen has arranged a peace conference with his crime lord rival, Katsuyori, planning to send his daughter and son in law to lull him into security. Yukio returns to Logan and says that Katsuyori is the one who tried to kill him, and he agrees to go with her to put an end to it. He hopes to resolve it peacefully by intimidating Katsuyori, but Yukio plans to start a fight that’ll end with Katsuyori and Logan both dead. Logan sneaks them into the peace summit while taking out the guards, without killing them, to Yukio’s displeasure. The summit is at a performance of a Kabuki play about the tale of the 47 ronin who embarked on a suicide mission to avenge their master. Logan is shocked to see Mariko and her husband alongside Katsuyori and his wife in the audience, but he puts it to the side for now, entranced by the performance but keeping his eyes open for the trap from Katsuyori that expects to come. At the climax of the show, he realizes the weapons are real- the performers are assassins that Katsuyori has brought to kill Mariko. Logan intervenes and takes on the entire troop to defend his love. Katsuyori and his wife try to slip out, but Yukio kills them in their getaway car. Inside, one of the assassins finally gets a good hit on Logan, driving him into a berserker rage that quickly ends the battle in his favor, although he still leaves many of them breathing. It’s the first time Mariko has seen Logan’s berserker side, and it sickens her as she leaves.

A few weeks later, Logan is on a drinking binge and dating Yukio, going to bars and getting in fights with whoever he can find. He’s approached by his friend Asano, who asks for his help in taking down a criminal empire that’s growing in power and threatens the country. To the reader, he’s clearly talking about Shingen, but it’s unclear whether Logan has put those pieces together, and either way he doesn’t care, turning Asano down and leaving with Yukio. She brings him to what she says is her secret favorite place, a place on the train tracks where they start making out. Logan, completely wasted, doesn’t realize until the last second that they’re playing chicken with a bullet train that they dodge at the last second. He’s angry that she would risk their lives like that, but she says they’ll die someday, so they should live and die spectacularly. Logan passes out and dreams that he’s a samurai fighting his way through an army to reach Mariko. But when he gets there, she says she could never love a beast like him and shoots him in the soul. In the waking world, the Hand tell Yukio that this is her last chance to obey Shingen and kill Logan. She responds by killing all of them and shaking Logan awake, but he calls her Mariko and she knocks him back out. She runs off, cursing Logan for winning her heart without giving her his, and lamenting her imminent death at the hand of Shingen. But the first person to come after her is Asano, who she murders. Logan comes to his hotel room, hoping to find her, but instead finds the corpse of his old friend Asano. He smells the poison on Yukio’s knife in his throat, and realizes it’s the same as the poison that took him down when Shingen first kidnapped him. He puts all the pieces together- Yukio has been playing him from the start, and the Hand was working for Shingen. When she enters the room, he tells her to kill him now or he’ll kill her, and she runs. He catches up to her in a rooftop Zen garden and prepares to avenge Asano when they’re both attacked by the Hand. When the fight’s over, Yukio is gone, and Logan is standing alone in a wrecked garden that was supposed to symbolize tranquility. He reflects on his failed relationships- Yukio accepted the monster in him, while Mariko wanted him to grow and be better. Logan loved them both but lost himself in the confusion. But as he restores the Zen garden, new patterns emerge in the gravel, and realizes that even if he can’t change his nature, he wants to try to evolve and see where the journey takes him. He’s a man, not an animal. Shingen was wrong about that, and Logan says it’ll cost him.

Logan travels through the city, crippling Shingen’s operations everywhere from street drug deals to lieutenants in their bases. He tells everyone he takes out to deliver the message to Shingen that he’s going down. When he’s ready, he sends a note to Shingen challenging him to combat. Logan has been gathering weapons from all the Hand assassins that have come after him, and is ready to take down their employer once and for all. Meanwhile, Mariko prays for guidance. She loves Logan, but felt obligated to marry to serve her father. She realizes now that he’s evil, but is torn between her love for her family and her conscience. She enters her fathers room when she hears a commotion, which turns out to be Yukio here to kill him to redeem herself in Logan’s eyes. He tells her to take her best shot, but he overpowers her and is about to kill her when Mariko stops him. They’re interrupted by Logan’s arrival outside the building, where he has killed the Hand army with their own weapons and is here for Shingen. Noburu takes Mariko and flees while Shingen waits to confront Logan, but Logan finds them first. Noburu takes his wife hostage and shoots at Logan, but is killed by Yukio. Logan hates her for killing Asano but is filled with gratitude for saving Mariko, so he lets her go, not knowing what to feel. He leaves Mariko silently to go find Shingen, who he kills in a silent, brutal duel. Mariko arrives and picks up Shingen’s sword, one of the two that she showed Logan in the first issue. He expects she’ll kill him for killing her father, and does nothing to stop her. But she tells him that the honor of the swords should not belong to the head of the clan, but to the one who is worthy of them- Logan. She herself planned to kill her father and then herself, but luckily that didn’t happen, and she embraces the man she loves. A few months later, he and Mariko are engaged, and send an invitation to the X-Men.

I will always prefer stories like this to Weapon X conspiracies. Logan works best in the context of X-Men, but when he does have solo stories, they should be like this- a fish out of water grappling with his own nature without the guidance of his family. The X-Men have helped him grow and see that he can be more than his worst nature, but this is the first time that’s been put to the test without them there. And really, Logan being an honorable, cultured samurai type fighting his animal nature is so much more interesting than him just being a murder machine. I really dislike Frank Miller as a solo writer, but as an artist and a collaborator with Claremont he’s really well suited for this series. The fights feel intense and dangerous, which is exactly what you want in a Wolverine book, and I love the way he draws Logan’s face. Overall, this was a great book. I haven’t read much solo Logan stuff cause I’m not a fan of most of the stuff I’ve read, but stories like this make me want to find more stuff with him.

[roach-the-horse]

A Different Side Of Love, From A Comic Book Movie Perspective...

Love is so difficult to describe, let alone express. 

It could be a display of affection, a virtue where people show kindness and compassion, or an emotional response to something or someone. There are so many great love stories told in the form of epic novels or movies. 

Certainly, love cannot be part of the superhero genre, right? Wrong! If we pay attention, many comic book films have shown love as a motivation or plot device. 

Obviously we're distracted by the action going on, but at the core of these movies, the best and sometimes overlooked moments have been driven by love.

Let me share with you, as a comic book fan, some of my favorite moments.

Enjoy!

Suicide Squad (2016) — 'Would You Live For Me?'

Harley Quinn and the Joker. For years, their relationship has seen ups and downs, interpretations and complications. Let's leave that overall discussion for some other time. 

For now, let's focus on the Suicide Squad version of this relationship. This particular romantic moment comes during Harley Quinn's origin story, when the Joker asks her if she would live for him. This version of the Clown Prince of Crime is over-the-top, narcissistic and charms Harley to the point of being almost hypnotized.

Once Harley decides to take a dive into the acid vat, the Joker seems to be enjoying himself, but then the unexpected happens: He has second thoughts. 

Is it regret? Remorse? Love? He's not quiet sure, but in that brief moment, the Joker knows he can't live without her. 

Maybe that's why he laughs at the end — because of the sheer absurdity of it all. She is in love with the madness that he represents and he is fascinated with the violent and damaging chaos she embodies. 

Mad love indeed.

The Wolverine (2013) — Kuzuri

It's long been said that Jean Grey is Logan's greatest love, but it was Mariko Yashida who showed him what love truly means. 

Their relationship is explored during The Wolverine, but the moment when she shares with him the tale of Kuzuri — the beast that saved her father's life and who would watch over young Mariko as she slept — is the moment when Logan feels nothing like the beast he's been brought up to believe he is.

Mariko is no mutant, she has no powers and is part of a world that has alienated and fears Logan's kind. Logan shows his vulnerability and for the first time in a long time he lets his guard down. In that moment, while Mariko gently strokes his claws, unafraid, Logan is at peace.

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) — 'You Know, I Still Don't Know How To Dance'

Captain America is the personification of courage, loyalty and duty. But even a remarkable superhuman like Steve Rogers cannot exempt himself from feeling fear. In the last moments of the movie, Cap knows what he has to do, and you can see the dread written all over his face. 

That is, until he hears Peggy's voice. Both know how it's going to end, but they decide to engage in casual conversation, enjoying their last moments together. There are different ways to express love, and in this scene love becomes a shelter and plays as a bittersweet goodbye. 

All of a sudden, Cap is no longer afraid.

V For Vendetta (2005) — 'But I Don't Want You To Die'

V for Vendetta is a great movie, full of action and outstanding dialogue. The last thing you imagine could fit into this dystopian political spectacle, is a love story. V and Evey didn't need a whole arc to explain their love, they just knew they were in love. It took less than a minute for them to express their feelings for each other and share the most intimate moment they could ever have:

V: I told you, only truth. For 20 years I sought only this day. Nothing else existed. Until I saw you. Then everything changed. I fell in love with you, Evey. And to think I no longer believed I could.

Evey: But I don't want you to die.

V: That's the most beautiful thing you could have ever given me.

V was never meant to be a balls-to-the-wall superhero; the character’s superpower is the rhetoric and the movie nailed that part. Love doesn't have to be a roaring display of affection. Sometimes, a whisper is more than enough.

Guardians Of The Galaxy (2014) — 'I Don't Know What Came Over Me'

This scene is more than just Peter Quill saving Gamora. 

It's a moment when he realizes there's more to the galaxy than fame and riches. Guardians of the Galaxy was a hit thanks to moments like this. In true Star-Lord fashion, Quill gambles with his own life to save another. 

He knows that if Yondu doesn't show up, he will die. But none of that matters, as long as Gamora is safe. In a movie full of quips, jokes and quick-fire dialogue, this moment of silence is all that is needed to express love. 

The right person will always bring out the best in you.

The Crow (1994) — 'I Have Something To Give You. I Don't Want It Anymore'

People think that the motivation behind the titular character is revenge. I beg to differ. Revenge is selfish, self-absorbed and can be at a times confused with justice. Eric Draven was nothing like that. 

This story shows us the power of empathy. 

Love can be selfish, too, and empathy keeps the balance needed for a healthy and reciprocal relationship. Everything done by Eric throughout the movie was about and for Shelly, his fiancée.

Eric Draven: Little things used to mean so much to Shelly — I used to think they were kind of trivial. Believe me, nothing is trivial.

Even when he transfers all 30 hours of pain to Top Dollar, it was so the criminal could feel what she felt. Eric could have easily done the same thing to Top Dollar, or worse, but a lesson needed to be taught, and revenge would have been a disservice to Shelly's memory. 

She was a compassionate and loving woman, and Eric at that very moment realized why she was so special. 

The power of empathy is truly one of the purest forms of love.

The Avengers: Age Of Ultron (2015) — 'All My Friends Are Fighters. And Here Comes This Guy, Spends His Life Avoiding The Fight Because He Knows He'll Win'

Natasha Romanoff and Bruce Banner are two damaged individuals who find comfort in each other's arms. 

It also shows that love needs to be a two-way affair and this is why this scene is so important, since Natasha makes Bruce see that she also has a say in all this.

She calms the beast inside him and he brings out the humanity she though had died all those years ago in the Red Room.

Spider-Man (2002) — That Upside Down Kiss

This moment definitely needed to be included, just for the fact that it's so iconic. 

One of the most romantic moments in comic book movie history, and one of the best on-screen kisses ever committed to film! 

This is pure passion on display, simply because Mary Jane doesn't know that Peter Parker is under that mask. But, hey, passion and unbridled emotion also counts towards being romantic. 

Of course, Peter needed to hide behind a mask, but the point is that being impulsive is also part of love and, thanks to that, Spider-Man gave us one of the most beautiful moments in a comic book film.

Deadpool (2016) — 'I'm Memorizing The Details Of Her Face'

Look at that face!

Not gonna lie. I didn't think Deadpool would be this good. 

The movie is a blast from start to finish. It showed us a different side of the superhero genre, one that proves there is still so much potential to explore. 

But beneath all the jokes, childish humor and gore, we found a love story. 

All the motivation behind Deadpool's actions was Vanessa. This scene shows us that Vanessa truly loves him during a very real, palpable, relatable situation. No more jokes, no more one-liners as she clasps his hand, assuring him that she is all in, no matter what. 

Very underrated scene and a moment that shows us love can be cruel and unfair.

Iron Man 3 (2013) — 'I Got You'

Tony Stark is arrogant, overconfident, compulsive and narcissistic, but all of that goes out the window when the Mandarin attacks his Malibu home. There is no strategy, no clever quips coming from Tony's seductive lips. The only thing on his mind is Pepper Potts.

I love how this scene represents true character development for Tony. Yes, underneath all the bravado he is a good guy, but up until this point he is still trying to improve himself and everything around him. 

The moment he sends the Iron Man armor flying over to protect Pepper (which, by the way, is one of the best scenes I've ever seen in a superhero movie) is the moment when Tony realizes that there's someone in his life worth more than himself. 

He is willing, without hesitation, to sacrifice his life for her.

Tony: I do what I know. I tinker. I — threat is imminent. And I have to protect the one thing that I can't live without. That's you.

Pepper inspires Tony to be a better man — and that to me is the definition of true love.

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

Thanks so much for sticking around with me until the end.

I hope you enjoyed the read, and remember, it doesn’t matter if you have a significant other or several, or maybe you are planning to spend the day with your closest friends, family or loved ones;

The most important person that you must love always, is yourself.

[romancemedia]

Not Every Couple Gets a Happy Ending

[halfacat]

Logan is Worth an Oscar | GD

A

It's f*cking Hugh Jackman!

I was first exposed to the Wolverine series (aka Hugh Jackman) when X-Men Origins: Wolverine was all the rage. My sister wanted to go watch the night premiere, but after one look at Jackman - ripped and bloody and snarling - I shook my head and shied away. Fast forward three years, and Wolverine is the best goddamn X-Men ever created, Hugh Jackman is the best casting decision ever made, and Logan has changed superhero movies forever.

The previous Wolverine films haven't been that successful. Compared to the Avengers franchise or basically any other Marvel movie created (minus Green Lantern but Deadpool makes up for that, right?), Wolverine has suffered a bad case of misfire after misfire. While Hugh Jackman was practically made for the role of James Howlett aka Logan, it wasn't until perhaps the X-Men series itself (or Jean Grey?) that catapulted the character into the iconic symbol it is now.

The year is 2029, and mutants are all but gone. Logan lives a quiet life as a limousine driver in the wee hours of the morning. He drinks a lot and is rather lonely, and his only company lies in caring for a senile Professor X with mutant tracker, Caliban (Stephen Merchant). One day, Logan is approached by a mysterious woman by the name of Gabriella Lopez who is a nurse at a shady cancer research company, Transigen who asks Logan to take in Laura (Dafne Keen). Laura turns out to be X-23, Wolverine's daughter, and a product of Transigen, which manufactures and turns babies into mutant soldiers. Lopez was part of the movement to take the kids to safety - to a sanctuary called Eden - but in the chaos, only managed to save Laura. Obviously, as the grumpy old man he is, Logan refuses but after a series of circumstances, is forced to take in Laura.

First of all, the action in this movie is what Avengers, Deadpool, Spiderman, even Ironman (my Avenger bae) wants their movies to have. It's phenomenal and by phenomenal, I mean, dark and gory and real and absolutely invigorating. It's CGI but it's not and you really can't tell when the line begins and ends because it was that mesmerizing. The screams, the wounds, the metal-on-metal, even the blood (fake and alive) splatter the screens and in our minds, and make Deadpool a kiddie splash in the adult pool of R-rated fun. And might I add that Hugh Jackman, at 48, still looks killer?

While the action was top-notch, it wouldn't have been done justice without the performances of the star-studded cast. Hugh Jackman delivers a powerful and heart-tugging performance as a lonely, dying but still stubborn Logan. You feel his pain through the screen, as always, but this time as a darker, gloomier version of the beloved character. Patrick Stewart is fabulous as a mentally-ill Professor X, providing the majority of the film's humor (he crazy but not that crazy). Dafne Keen, our newest recruit, steals a great majority of the scenes. She puts a new meaning on "Silent but deadly" because she is - and it was fucking awesome. The supporting cast is also pretty great, too. Stephen Merchant as Caliban is a new - but wonderful - addition and our main villain, Donald Pierce (Boyd Holbrook) sports a believable Southern twang and is just as calculating as he is despicable.

But what makes Logan stand out from the rest of the Wolverine films (heck, even all the Avengers, screw it) is the emotion that it lends the viewers. Sure, it's grimmer than the others but it's a film about family. Professor X as Grandpa Chuck and Logan as his son is a humorous take on the powerful connection that the two characters have. It's heartfelt and a bit tragic...but in a beautiful way. Also, there is a unique bond between Laura and Logan that you don't - can't - see with anyone else. Not Mariko Yashida (The Wolverine), not even Jean Grey...in fact, this father-daughter duo is what propels the movie into its deep, emotional core that other superhero movies miss. In fact, I cried. Twice. And there were grown men right next to me, and I heard them sniffle at least once.

Now, the plot is a different question entirely. It's nothing wholly new - bad guys go after the main character. Truly, it's the action and the heart that add it a spice that was never tried before in the Marvel-verse. Yet, although the main plot was usually surface-deep, Logan took risks that rocketed it to the 92% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. First, both Professor X and Logan are dying. They've lived a good, long life but the fact that you're introduced to their dying states (and Logan's suicidal thoughts) near the beginning of the movie hint at a less than happy ending (more on that later). Second, the mutant kids, and not just Laura. The kids - young, artificial mutants - are in search of a new home, a new phase in their lives essentially (in the shape of a franchise, perhaps?). They are part of Wolverine's final battle, and a crucial step in the destruction (and introduction) of their foes. Two risks set up in a way that made me a bit doubtful of the movie, but two risks done beautifully by Director Mangold and the rest of the cast.

And then there's the ending. By God, have I ever tried to hide crying that hard? No, I don't think so. I'm still thinking about it now - heck, the only reason I didn't post this sooner was so I could collect my thoughts. To be fair, though, I didn't particularly love the way it ended. It was fitting to the story-line but just tragic. It stole any chance of the Wolverine series ending somewhat peacefully, but nevertheless, Laura was there to give her father some short-lived tranquility (which he delivered a heartfelt quote - the only one that the father and daughter had time to spare). The X-shaped cross was a clever touch, too, but gah, I half-expected something more and half-expected something less, and ended up getting both. *crying*

In short, Logan is a gem. An Infinity Stone, if you must (get it? No? Alright...). With just the action scenes alone, this movie deserves an Oscar. With the performances of Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart as our old friends, and Dafne Keen as the vicious and spunky X-23, Logan is worth an Oscar and a thousand. I couldn't have asked for anything short of what I saw today, and I was both entranced and destroyed at the same time. And if you're anything of a masochist like I am, or someone who just loves the Wolverine, Marvel, and/or Hugh Jackman like I do, then Logan is your best bet for a deliciously soggy Saturday afternoon.

*originally watched 3/11 

PS. I heard news that there will be more Wolverine movies in the future? And that it will NOT be Hugh Jackman who will be playing him? Hm...what do you think about this?

[fandumbstuff]

The X-Men Franchise, Ranked Best to Worst

In light of Fox’s most recent addition to the X-Men franchise, the stellar Logan, I decided to retrospectively weigh in on the history of the franchise. This is a franchise that really made me an X-Men fan, and it’s one I have enjoyed tremendously. Considering that Hugh Jackman is retiring his performance as Wolverine, and I’m still not quite over his performance in Logan, forgive me if I toot his horn a little too much over the course of this post.

1. Days of Future Past

Directed by Brian Singer

A feverish vision of marrying Singers original films with the First Class mutants pays off in the most spectacular fashion. An epic spanning across time to make sense of the franchise as a whole and create a working continuity - such an innately comic book-esque story. In many ways this is a crossover that trumps all others. It isn’t just the X-Men going up against a big bad. It’s the X-Men of the future trying to right the sins they made in the past. It’s as much an inward reflection on their morality and their motives as it is a physical struggle against a larger than life villain. The film really highlights the stellar cast that the franchise has acrrued over the years. Watch the scenes that Fassbender’s Magneto shares with Lawrence’s Mystique. Or Professor X and Magneto’s Last Stand against an onslaught of Sentinels. Or the meeting of Charles Xaviers old and young. Each one of them is a master class in acting.

2. Logan

Directed by James Mangold

Here’s the thing. Hugh Jackman is a better Wolverine than Wolverine. His 17 years spent evolving the character has transcended it’s comic book version. His impeccable ability to lend a vulnerability under all the gritty stoicism has been evident throughout the franchise, but it is especially evident in Logan. It is fittingly his final performance as the character. An incredible epic journey that charts Logan’s highs and lows. It showcases the drama, violence and tragedy that is ingrained in the character and sets it in a gritty spaghetti Western tour of America. Accompanied by a strong (and concise) supporting cast that includes Sir Patrick Stewart’s last performance as Professor X and Dafne Keen’s powerful portrayal of X-23, Logan is the swan song that Hugh Jackman deserved.

3. X2: X-Men United

Directed by Brian Singer

The X-Men franchise has the benefit of of having an infinitely colorful cast of characters to choose from. And while some films have gone a little overboard with this (Apocalypse, Last Stand), X2 did it best. It finds strong performances from all of its actors, particularly Alan Cumming’s show stealing performance as Nightcrawler. Brian Cox’s performance as William Stryker provides the kind of creepy misguided sense of justice that is the perfect opposition for the X-Men, in a storyline that borrows heavily from a Chris Claremont story, and shows his original vision of just how horrific discrimination can be.

4. X-Men: First Class

Directed by Matthew Vaughn

An incredibly well executed origin story from Matthew Vaughn, First Class foregoes the franchise’s love affair with Wolverine to instead focus on the origins of Professor X and Magneto. James MacAvoy lends a younger, slightly more brash interpretation of Charles Xavier that subtly and surely fills the role that will become the Patrick Stewart version of the 90s. And Michael Fassbender delivers a powerhouse performance as Erik Lensherr, charting the tragic backstory of the character that later defines his ruthlessness. MacAvoy and Fassbender play brilliantly off of each other, establishing the bromantic tension that defines Charles and Erik’s relationship. But the real star of the film is it’s very setting. Taking place in the 60s, in the same era that the X-Men were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, First Class sets the struggle within the greater cultural context of the the height of the Cold War and the Cuban Missile Crisis. We’re left to ponder the political ideologies of the warring factions of mutants against the backdrop of humanity at its quarrelsome worst.

5. The Wolverine

Directed by James Mangold

This is probably the first time Hugh Jackman is given a strong enough script to match his talent. Based off Chris Claremont and Frank Miller’s acclaimed debut story, the movie manages to surpass its source material. Claremont’s story shows a sensitive side of Logan by showing his love for Mariko Yashida, and the conflict that arises between him and the Yashida clan. While this relationship and conflict is very much present in the film, Mangold goes one step further by having Logan contend with his waning immortality. Hugh Jackman is able to play Logan in his most human vulnerability, contrasted with the more primal brutality of some of the film’s action scenes.

6. X-Men

Directed by Brian Singer

Brian Singer’s original vision for the franchise closely resembles the themes established by Claremont’s legendary comic run. X-Men is about the discrimination of those considered to be different. Charles Xavier’s group of outcasts struggling to find their place in the world, locked in an enduring struggle with Magneto and his need to establish dominance over a race he considers to be weaker. It is the discriminated fighting discrimination. It’s a socially conscious tale that will maintain its relevance for many years to come. And Singer really manages to execute it marvellously. And if it wasn’t for Wolverine’s completely inexplicable obsessive-creepy-barely-a-relationship with Jean Grey, it might have been higher on this list.

7. X-Men: Apocalypse

Directed by Brian Singer

Despite how much I loved this film the first time I saw it, I couldn’t bring myself to look past it’s many flaws when re-watching it. Like the poorly tacked-on Wolverine cameo (that would have payed off so much more if he wasn’t advertised in trailers), the re-hash of a Quicksilver scene from the previous film, or the unnecessary backstory that provides sympathy for Magneto yet again. Considering that at the end of Days of Future Past, Magneto was very much a villain, they could have simply carried on with this, instead of trying to add an emotional backstory and then have him turn to villainy again. Not only was it poorly executed (whoops my hand slipped), but it’s pretty poor writing considering it’s just two female characters that serve no purpose other than to further Magneto’s plot.

8. Deadpool

Directed by Tim Miller

While I’m sure this film would be higher on most lists, I’m going to express my unpopular opinion that Deadpool is a pretty crappy superhero. And that’s evident just from watching this film. The use of meta-humour loses its novelty quickly and eventually just becomes an excuse for poor writing. Deadpool is known for his dark humour, and the film goes to great lengths to make this evident. A little too far, in fact- A moment when Wade Wilson is “flirting” with his “love interest” Vanessa results in the pair making light of the fact that they were raped as kids. I enjoy dark humour as much as any one, but I draw the line at child abuse. Wade’s relationship with Vanessa then becomes a major plot point in the film, as it mostly revolves around Deadpool’s need to save her from the creepy villain, and show her how much he loves her. But at no point do we see this “love” play out. We do see them have a lot of sex though. It’s an inherently flawed plot, but the film trudges on and delivers some stellar fight scenes nonetheless, and a strong supporting cast to keep us entertained. Ultimately, Deadpool is probably the closest adaptation of a comic book character I have ever seen, and if you’re a Deadpool fan, you will love this movie. If you aren’t, it’s hard to look past the inherent flaws in the film’s structure.

9. X-Men: The Last Stand

Directed by Brett Ratner

That “obsessive-creepy-barely-a-relationship” I mentioned earlier in X-Men comes to a head in this film. And it’s downright unbearable. Wolverine is reduced to a simpering mess for most of the film, pining over a confused and absurd interpretation of Jean Grey/Phoenix. The film burns through years of comic book storyline over the course of a few minutes, and foregoes any real character development to tease the final showdown between the Brotherhood and the X-Men, without ever really explaining the motivations behind any of the characters other than Magneto. The showdown is entirely underwhelming as a result of this, and the climax is totally disappointing. It would be a long time before the X-Men would ever be good again, and it’s entirely Brett Ratner’s fault.

10. X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Directed by Gavin Hood

Honestly, this movie is totally forgettable and I couldn’t bring myself to watch it again to write this review. It begins with a pretty promising montage that shows Jackman’s Wolverine and a sadly underutilized Liev Shrieber as Sabretooth fighting in wars spanning the century. It all goes downhill from there. In a franchise that drew so much from the comic book legacy of the X-Men, this film seems to ignore it completely. And while a re-interpretation of the story might have been acceptable, the film instead seems to have the goal of muddling the story altogether, burying any interest in fan-favourite characters along the way. The majority of the film can be summed up by the image of Hugh Jackman screaming with his claws outstretched.

[rabbittstewcomics]

Episode 134

Eternity Girl, Supergirl 19, Green Lantern Earth One, New Mutants: Dead Souls, Dry County, Infidel, Postal: Laura, American Gods: My Ainsel, Vampironica, Subspecies, Encounter, Betrothed, Secret Weapons: Owen’s Story 0, News (X-23 by Mariko Tamaki & Juann Cabal, Detective by Bryan Hill, Venditti off Green Lantern Corps, Hawkman by Venditti/Hitch, Cheung on Justice League, Zdarsky exclusive, DC/Hannah Barbera crossovers, Batman wedding specials, New Gods movie, Danny Boyle Bond 25), Crown controversy, Reviews (Derry Girls, Green Lantern 2814 Vol 1, Incognegro HC, Motor Girl Omnibus).

  Comics Credits:

Eternity Girl 1 by Magdalene Visaggio, Sonny Liew, Chris Chuckry

Green Lantern Earth One by Gabriel Hardman, Corinna Bechko

New Mutants: Dead Souls 1 by Matt Rosenberg, Adam Gorham, Michael Garland

Dry County 1 by Rich Tommaso

Infidel 1 by Pornsak Pichetshote, Aaron Campbell, Jose Villarrubia

Postal: Laura by Bryan Hill, Isaac Goodhart, Raffaele Ienco

American Gods: My Ainsel 1 by Neil Gaiman, P. Craig Russell, Scott Hampton

Betrothed 1 by Sean Lewis, Steve Uy

Vampironica 1 by Meg Smallwood, Greg Smallwood

Subspecies 1 by Cullen Bunn, Jimmy Johnston, Daniel Logan, Yann Perrelet

Encounter 1 by Art Baltazar, Chris Giarrusso

Secret Weapons: Owen’s Story 0 by Eric Heisserer, Raul Allen, Patricia Martin

  Comics Countdown 14 March 2018:

Mister Miracle 7 by Tom King, Mitch Gerads

Supergirl 19 by Steve Orlando, Vita Ayala, Jamal Campbell

Green Lantern Earth One by Corinna Bechko, Gabriel Hardman, Jordan Boyd

Deadly Class 32 by Rick Remender, Wes Craig, Jordan Boyd

Secret Weapons: Owen’s Story 0 by Eric Heisserer, Raul Allen, Patricia Martin

New Super-Man and the Justice League of China 21 by Gene Luen Yang, Brent Peeples, Matt Santorelli, Hi-Fi

Peter Parker: Spider-Man 301 by Chip Zdarsky, Joe Quinones, Joe Rivera, Jordan Gibson

Curse Words 12 by Charles Soule, Ryan Browne, Addison Duke

The Wild Storm: Michael Cray 6 by Bryan Hill, Larry Hama, Steven Harris, Andy Owens, Dexter Vines

Detective Comics 976 by James Tynion IV, Javi Fernandez, John Kalisz

Check out this episode!

[gokinjeespot]

off the rack #1165

Monday, June 5, 2017

 There was not the usual flood of books on the racks last week what with it being the fifth Wednesday of the month of May. I took the extra time to read a novel and go for a nice long walk on a day that threatened rain. I don't like riding my bike in the rain. Chris and I had another fine Sunday at the Capital Trade Show in a different location out in the hallway of the arena. It afforded us more space to spread out and it was less congested so interested collectors could peruse our wares more comfortably.

 Old Man Logan #24 - Jeff Lemire (writer) Eric Nguyen (art) Andres Mossa (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). I liked how Jeff ended his run on this book leaving the new writer a clean slate to continue Logan's story. I'll see what Ed Brisson (writer) and Mike Deodato Jr. (art) have in store for the old man in a couple of weeks.

 Wonder Woman Annual #1 - It's Wonder Woman's 75th anniversary and this annual celebrates what this iconic character stands for. The first story by Greg Rucka (writer) Nicola Scott (art) Romulo Fajardo Jr. (colours) Jodi Wynne (letters) shows the first meeting of DC's triumvirate Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. I liked how Wonder Woman's lasso was used and the casualness of the three super heroes. The second story by Vita Ayala (writer) Claire Roe (art) Jordie Bellaire (colours) Josh Reed (letters) shows how important justice is to Diana as she prevents the execution of a super villain. The third story by Michael Moreci (writer) Stephanie Hans (art & colours) Dave Sharpe (letters) shows Wonder Woman's code of honour and sacrifice. The last story by Collin Kelly & Jackson Lanzing (writers) David Lafuente (art) John Rauch (colours) Jodi Wynne (letters) shows us how not to be judgemental and what a big softie Diana is. All admirable traits that humanity strives for and is symbolic of such an iconic hero. The Wonder Woman movie hits theatres on June 2 and from all indications expectations are high and fans are excited.

 Cable #1 - James Robinson (writer) Carlos Pacheco (pencils) Rafael Fonteriz (inks) Jesus Aburtov (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). I am not a big fan of the character because one of his shticks is time traveling, but I was impressed with James's writing on the Scarlet Witch and I like Carlos's art, so I gave this a look-see. This story highlights Nate's time traveling by starting out in the wild west of 1874 and ending in feudal Japan in 1543 while he chases some bad guy. The issue ends with Cable fighting the gang of Ronin and on the verge of being killed. That cliffhanger and the mystery of who the bad guy is will make me read the next issue.

 Kill Or Be Killed #9 - Ed Brubaker (writer) Sean Phillips (art) Elizabeth Breitweiser (colours). Dylan's next victim that he kills to keep the demon at bay serves himself up on a silver platter. It seems too good to be true and it is.

 Star Wars Doctor Aphra #7 - Kieron Gillen (writer) Andrea Broccardo (art) Antonio Fabela (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). Part 3 of "The Screaming Citadel" shows us that it's never a good idea to trust the bad doctor. I found Andrea's zombie eyes to be very distracting.

 Hulk #6 - Mariko Tamaki (writer) Nico Leon (art) Matt Milla (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). The first arc concludes like we knew it would. Jennifer needs to Hulk out to save herself and the other innocent people around her. I loved how Mariko took the time to get to the ultimate transformation. It gave us the opportunity to really get to know this new version of Jennifer Walters and that's important for me to become a loyal fan. This book stays on my "must read" list.

 Saga #43 - Brian K. Vaughn (writer) Fiona Staples (art & colours) Fonografiks (letters). I love to read and I have been reading a lot lately. I had a discussion recently with two very well read and respected friends about stuff I've read that is similar to other stuff I've read and both these friends said "there's nothing much new under the sun these days". That may be true but I can still be pleasantly surprised by what I read even now. The first page of this special 25 cent US issue made me go whoa. There will be a certain segment of society that will use this issue to start a bonfire I'm sure. I would buy up extra copies to give to all my open-minded friends who don't read comic books to show them what an excellent comic book can be. I guarantee that you will see some new poop in this comic book that you have never seen before.