#okay here's a preview of my mini comic

[hesitationss]

unintentionally wrote her visibly neurodivergent...

[lucygriefer]

Apothecary AU - Cross & Nightmare Sleep Dilemma: Draft

Welp here's another mini comic draft story. This one was almost done not long after Horror & Nightmare's draft story. I'm working on the mini comics when I'm able to right now and I'll be showing a preview to one of the pages to the Dust & Nightmare Chat mini comic hopefully soon. I've also got a few other character designs that I'm working on as well. So whatever gets shown first, just depends on which I get done.

Also the ------ lines in the draft story, is mostly there to give a slight visual that a certain amount of time has passed.

Anyways onto the mini comic story draft! Enjoy!

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

Cross tiredly stretched out. It was late into the night and he had finally managed to finish up a bunch of paperwork that he needed to get done for the day. He yawned and looked up at the night sky. Thinking as he watched the stars for a little. He sighed slightly as a cold breeze hit his face.

Leaning forward on one of the many railings and just relaxed. Especially since, if he goes to bed now and falls asleep. Then he’ll just wake up sooner and have to do a bunch of work again. He really doesn’t want to do that to think about paperwork. Making a face at the idea of having to sit behind a desk. Reading a bunch of reports, writing replies, and just so many papers.

Looking out into the one of many courtyards within the empire walls, he quietly watched some of the guards. As they changed positions. A few of them noticed him and bowed before hurrying to wherever they needed to be next. After another moment he started to make his way to a different part of the empire, over to the Honmaru section (the most fun but also annoying part. Doing a bunch of online searching and reading to make sure that I’m as close to factually correct about things!).

As he walked through the outer halls of the empire. Feeling the breeze on his face as he walked. He took notice of someone out in the clearing by the cherry blossom tree. Raising a brow and looking over at whoever it was. Noticing that it was Nightmare.

The dark skeleton was standing by the tree and looking up at the branches and the night sky. He wasn’t really doing much but starting. Probably lost in his thoughts. Though that made Cross wonder… why was he up so late?

Thinking for a moment, Cross decided to go over and interact with the other. It gives him an excuse to not sleep just yet. As he walked over he noticed that Nightmare seemed tired. Has he been having a hard time sleeping?

Nightmare thought and quietly stared at the sky. Slowly blinking as he watched the stars. Jumping slightly when he felt someone tap his shoulder. Quickly turning and looking at whoever it was. Once he saw that it was just Cross he relaxed a little. “Oh… it’s just you.”

Cross chuckled a little. “Sorry about that.” He rubbed the back of his neck. Smiling a little at the other. “I was heading to my room for the night and saw that you were still awake.” He thought and stood next to Nightmare. Looking up at the night sky. “Are you okay? I’ve noticed that you’ve been tired more lately.”

Nightmare thought as he watched Cross for a moment. Then slowly looked back at the night sky himself. “... I just haven’t been able to sleep much lately. It’s nothing.” He shrugged a little.

Cross frowned a little. “Trouble sleeping you say? Have you been working on some medicine to help you sleep?” He wondered out loud. Hoping to figure out the cause of the others problems.

Nightmare shook his head. “No. No medicine will really fix the problem that causes my sleep issues.” He sighed a little. Trying to rub as much of his cervical bones that the metal collar blocked. “It’s fine. My body will eventually tire itself out enough to where I can just sleep despite the issue.”

Cross quietly watched Nightmare out of the corner of his sockets. Staring at the collar with pure hate. “I’m guessing it’s cause of those restraints.” He frowned a little. Crossing his arms as he wondered how to get those restraints off of him. The royal blacksmith has yet to figure out how to break them off of Nightmare’s body without having to bring a hammer and chisel to the metal. They told him that he’d rather not risk harming Nightmare, as there is a good chance that they might accidentally harm Nightmare instead of helping them if they were to try and break it while it’s on his body.

It angered him but he also understood. The chance that the chisel might break through but also break Nightmare’s bones was high. Especially for the metal collar around his neck. It could possibly leave him paralyzed so they're stuck looking for another way to free him.

Nightmare said nothing but slowly nodded. Tiredly staring at the stars. “... I’m really tired…” He quietly muttered.

Cross hummed a little and thought. “... What would you need to make your sleep more comfortable?” He raised a brow and glanced at the other.

Nightmare tiredly looked at Cross and thought for a moment. “... Back in the Demon’s Temptations Brothel… my SMM and all the others that lived in the Brothel…” He turned his head and watched a firefly. “They made the bed side walls a bit taller almost all around, then filled the inside with many pillows and blankets. So the bumps of the back restraints would have a lot of cushion and fall between the pillows. All the piled up pillows would cushion me… keeping most of my weight from resting on the metal.” He explained and kept watching the firefly.

Cross nodded a little as he thought about it. “I see.” He watched the firefly as well. Smiling a little. He turned towards Nightmare. Making the other look at him as Cross held his hand out. “Why don’t you come with me tonight?” He offered.

Nightmare stared at Cross. “Eeeeh… excuse me… what do you mean by that crowned prince?” He nervously stared at the other. Not wanting to get in trouble but at the same time was worried by what the other means by coming with them for the night.

Cross blinked a little. Then laughed a little. Realizing the possible implications behind what he meant. “Pardon me. Allow me to rephrase myself.” He smiled at him. “Why don’t you join me tonight and get a good night's sleep. My bed is very soft and I still have paperwork that needs to be finished. So I won’t be getting much sleep tonight. With how soft my bed is. It might help you get some sort of comfort tonight. I just hope you don’t mind me leaving a lit candle while I work.” He nervously chuckled.

Nightmare thought about it. “... No strings attached?” He tiredly questioned. With him growing up in the Brothel and sin district. He fell back on some old instincts he was taught. To make sure that no one would try anything with him if they ever offered something.

Cross blinked a little at that comment but didn’t really say anything about it. Nightmare did say he lived in a Brothel before someone kidnapped him and sold him to the empire. “No strings attached.” He promised. Smiling when Nightmare took his hand. He lead the way and thought about how he’s going to have Nightmare’s bed worked on later.

------

Cross quietly drew on some paper. Thinking about how Nightmare described how his bed in that Brothel was set up. Tiredly looking over at the door as it slid open and the sunlight blinded him slightly. He rubbed his sockets and yawned a little as his youngest siblings ran in. “Hey Xrisk. Xara. Please keep it down.” He tiredly smiled as Xrisk ran over and jumped onto his lap.

Xara thought and looked at the bed. Tilting their head as they stared at Nightmare. “Why do you have someone outside of your concubine in your bed?” They playfully grinned. “Dad’s gonna be so mad.” They walked over to Cross.

Cross glared at Xara. “I haven’t done anything to them. That’s my Apothecary.” He pointed out while ruffling Xrisk’s hair. “Those dumb restraints causes Nightmare to have trouble sleeping.” Xrisk moved out from under Cross’ hand and looked at the other monster themselves. “I just wanted them to have a peaceful nights rest.” He looked back at the drawing as he carefully drew taller walls to the bed drawing.

“I’ve mostly stayed up finishing up some paperwork I left here the other night while he slept.” Cross smiled as he finished the drawing.

Xrisk walked over to the bed and stared at Nightmare. Xara walked over and stood next to them. The two of them staring at Nightmare. Mostly staring at the restraints on his body. Xrisk glared at the metal and tightly clenched a fist. “Try not to wake him up please. I wish to give him the day off to rest for as long as he needs.” Cross commented behind them.

Xara looked at Cross. “Xrisk is angry.” They commented on their mute sibling. Making Cross look over at them. Humming and listening. “They don’t like whoever put that on your apothecary.” They crossed their arms. “I don’t like it either.”

Cross nodded in agreement. “I agree with you. I don’t like it either. We’ve been trying to find a way to remove it but… so far we have yet to have any success.” He sighed a little and got up. Taking the paper with him. “I’m going to his room to change his bed. You wish to join me?” He smiled at them. The twins looked at one another before running over to Cross. Cross quietly chuckled and nodded. “I thought so.” He smiled and closed the door behind them.

------

Nightmare thought as he looked at his bed. He almost slept the entire day away. Having gotten up at noon. He had been so confused till Cross had walked in and explained everything that happened the night before. He really wish someone had woken him up that morning so he could work on making medicines and everything… But it was also so nice to get some more sleep…

Shaking his head a little he looked back at the bed. Apparently Cross decided to change up his bed. Using some wood planks to make the sides taller, while also leaving the walls the same in one corner by his feet so he can still sit on the edge if he wanted. Inside these walls are a bunch of pillows and some blankets that have been piled up inside. Giving it a bunch of cushion that he could basically sink into.

Thinking for a moment he slipped his shoes off and got onto his bed. Laying down on his back and staring at the ceiling. Sighing a little as he could feel the pillows on his back. The metal barely touching the futon (mattress?). Smiling a little as he glanced to the side. Pulling a blanket closer and over his body. He relaxed at how close to comfortable he was.

While he’ll most likely never be able to be completely comfortable, especially with the restraints. This was close. Not feeling the metal pushing on his back. Or pressing down on his spine and ribs like they would if he’d lay on his stomach. Or how they’d basically be crushing the side of his ribs if he were to lay on either of his side.

Cross thought as he leaned on Horror. Yawning a little as he nuzzled into him. Killer raised a brow at Cross as he held onto Arch. While Dust sat on Cross’ other side holding onto Mo. “Why are you so tired?” Killer questioned him.

Cross blinked a little. “... Was fixing something up so Nightmare can sleep better.” He mumbled and nuzzled more into Horror. Horror hummed as he wrapped an arm around Cross. Smiling at the other.

Killer bounced Arch. “He was having sleep issues?” Leaning back onto Cross’ lap. “Wouldn’t some sort of medicine work better?”

Cross shook his head. “No. No. He couldn’t really sleep cause of those restraints.” He hummed at Arch and held his hand out. Smiling as Arch took his finger. “Apparently it’s hard for him to get comfortable as the metal made it hard for him to peacefully sleep.”

Dust hummed and nodded. “Can’t say I blame him. Having that metal press up into the bones. And making his body arch when on his back.” He poked Mo’s nose and got a laugh out of him. “Or how that weight would be pushing into his back if he laid on his front.”

“Oh. That makes sense… Guess laying on his side wouldn’t help either.” Killer scratched his cheek. Horror hummed a little in agreement. “Huh… Well whatever you did should help.” Killer grinned at Cross. Cross smiled at them and hummed a little. Slowly falling asleep.

[ferretoats]

UTY Mini Comic Preview

Okay so I keep procrastinating this mini comic that I sketched out all the way back in March- and it is halfway done... I just suck at making comics. (and as it is right now- I'd rate it as a meh) So here is the first panel as a preview (which also happens to be my favorite one).

[queen-lance]

hi! do you have any recommendations for peter quill/gotg comics?

Okay, since you asked for recommendations, I'll give you what I personally like

- Marvel Preview #4: Star-Lord's origin story, since you specified him

Now let's jump to the modern Guardians of the Galaxy as a whole

- Annihilation: This right here is the very beginning of what will be the Guardians one day. Extremely good. I'd recommend you look for a trade so it'll include

• Drax the Destroyer: Earthfall

• Annihilation: Prologue

• Annihilation: Nova

• Annihilation: Ronan

• Annihilation

• There's also Annihilation: Silver Sufer and Annihilation: Super Skrull, but you can skip those since your goal is the GOTG

- Nova (2007): You can also skip this. However! It deals with the consequences of the Annihilation, Nova later becomes a member of the Guardians AND it's also extremely good. So... Your choice

- Annihilation: Conquest: Even more setting up for the Guardians, you'll see familiar faces like Rocket, Groot, Mantis and others.

• Annihilation Conquest: Prologue

• Annihilation Conquest: Star-Lord (my favorite of the Conquest event AND the one that joins what basically becomes the Guardians)

• Annihilation Conquest: Quasar (wlw and dragons!)

• Annihilation Conquest

• There's also Annihilation Conquest: Waith, but again, not essential to the Guardians. Plus a tie-in in the Nova series if you're reading it ;)

- Guardians of the Galaxy (2008): The first run of the modern version of the Guardians. My pride and joy. I love it SO MUCH. You can, of course, skip all the Annihilation stuff and start reading here, but I honestly think the familiarity with the characters and their traumas that comes with the war makes this series even better

- Thanos Imperative: An extremely good mini and a perfect ending to this phase of cosmic Marvel

Then we have... Stuff. Some good, a lot not so much. Let's skip to the good, shall we?

- Star-Lord (2017): Pretty fun and with great art! I love it a lot

- Nova (2017): If you're keeping up with our dear Rich Rider, here's where he comes back. Again, excellent series with great art

- Rocket (2017): At some point, someone thought "hey let Al Ewing write some cosmic Marvel". That person was a genius and has all my respect. Holy shit, what a GREAT mini. Please read this

- Guardians of the Galaxy (2019): Not perfect, but pretty enjoyable. I like it. Read it or skip it 🤷‍♀️

- Guardians of the Galaxy (2020): Later, someone thought "hey Al Ewing was great at writing Rocket, what if he wrote GOTG?". I'd sell my soul for that person. And for Al Ewing, of course. This, folks, is the true sequel to GOTG (2008) and it's absolutely PERFECT. I honestly have no words for how much I love it and how much I appreciate what it did with each of its characters. Simply amazing

And that's that! There has been no run after that one, I have no idea what you're talking about hahaha (seriously don't read it)

[silverjetsystm]

What's up, gamers. Every so often, I get asked for MK comic recommendations. I'll include links to a couple of really good reading guides from the subreddit (that I had Zero hand in making) and toss my two cents below. Not that it'll buy you anything.

TL;DR: See reddit below, be sure to check out the Excel master list of appearances. Most of the quality runs has been printed in omnibus, Epic Collection, trade paperback, Marvel app. You know.

If those links don't work, go to the r/MoonKnight subreddit and check out the Reading Suggestions and Collected Editions in the menu.

Below the cut, I give a sort of non-spoiler walkthrough and talk about what's in print .

Cory's Reading List [Edited 15 October 2024]

I read everything on the below list. I have my opinions. If I tell you not to read something, it's because I don't like it. But I'm also some Jewish singlet/non DID/OSDD guy on the internet.

Here are some articles written by a system who is a fan of the Moon Knight System.

Okay, finally, the list

Werewolf by Night (1975) #32-33. First appearance of Moon Knight and Frenchie.

Marvel Spotlight (1971) #28-29. First appearance of Steven, Jake, Marlene, Gena, Gena's sons, and Crawley.

Hulk Magazine #13-15, #17-18, #20-21 (they're the backup stories, so if you're 'online' search and read by Hulk, scroll halfway through the issue)

Marvel Preview (1975) #21. Marc solves the murder of a former colleague.

Moon Knight (1980) #1-38. First solo written mostly by Moench and drawn by Sienkiewicz. "But Cory, why are we reading all these old comics?" Because while different words are used now, the writers of the first run do really well at making Marc, Steven, and Jake a system. Iconic rogues are introduced. Marc's first backstory in #37 and #38 is the perfect backstory, imo.

Moon Knight: Fist of Khonshu (1985) is not the best but #6 is great. So, read #1 so you know what the plot is and #6. This is when Priests of Khonshu and other things are introduced.

West Coast Avengers (1985-1994) goes here. The first time Khonshu is more than just some weird statue. Also includes Tigra and Marc kissing. MK is in issues #21-41, which is collected in 3 different Epic Collections and at least one is out of print because someone in Marvel hates me specifically /jk. The Epic Collections are titled: Lost in Space-Time, Tales To Astonish (out of print), and Vision Quest.

Marvel Fanfare (1987) #30. "Real to Reel" is one of my favorite issues of all time. Gorgeous art. Marlene and Steven/Marc have clumsy but meaningful discussions around mental health and identities. Man versus nature. Yes, one of the bigger "the editor forgot Steven doesn't go by 'Steve'" moments.

Marc Spector: Moon Knight (1989-1994) is 60 issues and it gets borderline unreadable about halfway through. Steven and Jake are occasionally referred to but not present. :< That being said, the first half has some great stuff. The Trial of Marc Spector (#15-18) and Scarlet Redemption (#26-31) arcs are the standouts. So honestly, read a few stories from it, get tired, and know he dies for the third time at the end. Then read

Resurrection War (1998) and High Strangers (1999) - two separate mini-series by Moench because they killed his boy. Treats the back half of MS:MK as potentially a dream. The brief return of Steven and Jake.

MK (2006) is 30 grimdark issues. The first 13 issues are usually all I 'enjoy.' Marc gets injured, kills Bushman in an extremely violent way, and has substance use issues. He also lashes out/pushes away his original cast. The run is ableist.

Vengeance of the Moon Knight (2009-2010): The most Marc acting Jake Lockley in existence, coming back from a stint in Mexico at the end of MK 2006. Some retcons. It's. Fine.

Secret Avengers (2010) #19 is one of the only issues with decent MK. First sighting of Mr. Knight. Too bad it's by Ellis. The rest of Secret Avengers is ableist or he's not really there.

Shadowland: MK is a 3 issue event tie-in. Does some retcons I like but also our favorite can't stay dead brother is back. Content warning for miscarriage.

MK (2011) by Bendis. Don't read it. Steven and Jake are replaced by Cap, Wolverine, and Spider-Man. Marc's in LA. Why isn't addressed.

MK (2014): Marc's back from LA. Introducing Mr. Knight. The best issues are the one shot type stories. #5 "Scarlet" is also one of my favorite issues of the character featuring Mr. Knight versus an abandoned building full of goons to rescue one kidnapped girl. The connected plot isn't the best. Content warning for ableism and medical abuse. But. Do you like black and white suit? Marc punching ghosts? Bird skull Khonshu? Tell Shalvey thanks. This run is mostly out of print on account that the first writer, Ellis, sexually coerced people.

MK (2016): Lemire and Smallwood. The dream team. If you can only get one run in print, this is the one I recommend. It works best as a standalone story; the plot does some glossing and retcons around the System's backstory and there's plenty of room for different interpretations of what 'really' is happening. This is also the run Leyna from the article series above reviews.

MK (2017): The Bemis run. Websites attach it to the Lemire run. It's not. Stop reading 2016 when issue #188 appears. It's incredibly antisemitic and ableist.

Avengers (2018) #31-38. Written by Aaron. Age of Khonshu only is relevant for what Marc does now and his mental state. It's. Fine?

MK (2021) wrapped at 30 issues in December 2023.❤️ MacKay gets it right the vast majority of the time. The art (inks by Cappuccio and colors by Rosenberg) are some of my favorite work alongside Sienkiewicz, Smallwood, and Shalvey. Like Lemire, MacKay ties in classic points with new directions. The new dream team.

Vengeance of the Moon Knight (2024) continued MK 2021 with the same creative team from January-September 2024. 9 issues.

Blood Hunt (2024) was the summer event written by MacKay. 5 main issues with tie-ins to Vengeance 2024. It's sort of important to read the main event issues but Vengeance does expand the Mission parts. I'm biased but this is also one of my favorite comic events (and I hate comic events).

Moon Knight: Fist of Khonshu (2024) The current main book continuing MK 2021/Vengeance 2024 with the same creative team. #0 was released July 2024 as a strikefile narrated by Khonshu on each of the key players and onboarding new readers into what's coming next. October 2024-???

Print Options:

Omnibus is a heavy, oversized, hardback and contains a lot more issues. They also can have some weird 'new car' printing smell and paper texture. Epic Collections are standard sized, softback that has more issues than a Trade Paper Back (TPB). Make sure you read the back of the volumes so you don't buy repeats. Unless you're into that. Weigh pros and cons. What do you value/can afford? And the physical weight of the omnibus.

As of Autumn 2024, there are currently 6 omnibuses.

MK OMNIBUS: Volume 1 (1975-1980) - MK's first appearance, the backups from Hulk magazine, half of the 1980 run.

MK OMNIBUS: Volume 2 (1980-1985) - other half of 1980 run plus MK: Fist of Khonshu (1985).

MS: MK OMNIBUS Volume 1 (1989-1994) - #1-34 (out of the 60 issues), some Spidey, some Castle.

MS: MK OMNIBUS Volume 2 (1989-1994) - #35-60 and both of Moench's mini-series (Resurrection Wars and High Strangers) and 3 issues of Black Panther. Do I recommend this omnibus? Not really. After the first story in this omni (and even it is stretching it), it really does fall off that cliff. I got it because I wanted it on my shelf. Moench and Black Panther stuff helps soften the sting.

MK by Huston, Benson, & Hurwitz OMNIBUS (2006-2010) - all 30 issues of 2006's run and Vengeance of MK 2009, and Shadowland.

MacKay's 2021-2023 run was published as an omnibus in October 2024 without Vengeance 2024.

There are currently 7 Epic Collections for the pre-2006 stuff. Everything after 2006 and Vengeance 2009 is far more accessible in trades or single volume collections for certain runs.

MK Epic Collection Volume 1: Bad Moon Rising - early adventures pre-1980 and the first 4 issues of 1980.

MK: Countdown to Dark: the Hulk backups and Marvel Preview #21.

MK Epic Collection Volume 2: Shadows of the Moon - MK (1980) #5-23

MK Epic Collection Volume 3: Final Rest - MK (1980) #24-38

MK Epic Collection Volume 4: Butcher's Moon - tie-ins, solo issues, and MS: MK (1989) #1-7.

MK Epic Collection Volume 5: The Trial of Marc Spector - MS: MK #8-25 and that Punisher annual.

MK Epic Collection Volume 6: Not published yet. Probably #26-38.

MK Epic Collection Volume 7: Death Watch. Collects MS: MK #39-51, Divided we fall, and some other tie-ins. Yes, we do jump ahead from #25 to #39.

MK Epic Collection Volume 8: Not published yet. Probably will finish out MS: MK, have both of Moench's 90s minis, and maybe Black Panther.

If Marvel continues doing what they're doing with Moon Knight like other properties, after Epic Collection Volume 8 is published, Marvel will print equivalent "Modern Era" volumes for 21st century stuff.

Bemis and Bendis have softcover collections. 2014 has a softcover collection in the UK but not in the US for reasons.

For Lemire's run, there is a one volume softcover collection called Moon Knight by Lemire & Smallwood: The Complete Collection. This is the one you want.

MacKay's MK has 5 TPBs and so far one TPB for issues #1-5 of Vengeance 2024. Honestly, get the omni if you can.

Happy reading!!

[drawnaghht]

This 2021 SDCC panel is also one of the reasons I couldn't agree with some of the stuff tumblr posts last year had stated... which was mostly made up! ie "Stan didn't actually work on the show" or

Like you can see the joy emanating from their faces when Stan and the cast and other crew explain their parts in the show... I can't believe any of them would hate it, whether this was a promo video or not xD Like... you don't go to a SDCC panel of the show you made if you... absolutely hated working on it. idk, it just doesn't make sense. I get that seeing a show or characters from a fandom lens makes people hate that show/characters make stuff up about the show later (i.e. other fans hating on Yuichi Usagi, just as a concept, bc of the ship/shipping, I get it) but it just seems... so strangely petty. Plus non-shipping fans might have been mad that this was not a direct adaptation.... Again I get it! I've been there with other stuff. But whether a show is good or bad, it seems mean-spirited to just lie about the crew or creators of it. It's okay to admit that you had different expectations about it. Yes, it's aimed at a younger viewership and does not directly adapt the darker aspects of the comic, but, that's wholly because of circumstance (Netflix show) and the show is good despite that. Your view of it can simply depend, well, on your view on spinoffs and animation in general, when you watched, what mood you were in. Whatever opinions fans might have, this panel seems to suggest the cast and crew had a mostly good time on it. Unless everyone here is some sort of pathological liar.

More press coverage of the Samurai Rabbit SDCC 2021 panel:

IGN, Polygon (a few pics), Animation Magazine, Geek Network, AIPTcomics (I'll add any more I find if I find smth new)

Screenrant (announcement of the Comic-Con @ home lineup) longer article on AWN (2022, about the premiere with more pics)

also, Stan's interview with the SDCC blog in 2022

"UBLOG: Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles debuted its first season on Netflix, and has already been renewed. What was it like finally getting to see your characters come to life in that way, and how pleased are you that it was so well received? Sakai: We at Usagi Studios are very pleased with Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles. The protagonist Yuichi is a direct descendant of my Miyamoto Usagi who is featured very prominently and with a twist that I thought was brilliant. We worked very closely with Gaumont and Netflix, approving/adjusting scripts, designs, suggesting voice actors, etc. I even calligraphed (by hand) the logo for the series. Samurai Rabbit expanded on a mini-series I created titled “Senso” inspired by HG Wells’ War of the Worlds wherein the martians invaded feudal Japan instead. Japan took that alien technology and developed it, adding their own cultural elements. Samurai Rabbit takes place in the future with Yuichi a young samurai in training who worships his famous (or infamous) ancestor, Usagi. Like my Usagi stories, Samurai Rabbit is very character driven and the first season tells of Yuichi meeting what is to become his core group of friends as they battle yokai, the haunts and monsters of Japanese folklore. I’m so glad that a second season is coming up."

i cannot imagine Stan Sakai Lying. like. LEGIT i cannot so i don't get why ppl make stuff up abt the show. it hasn't been very egregious so far, just stuff in tags and reblogs, but still. weird. fandom is weird abt stuff like this lol! I also do not get the hate that the show itself and the character of Yuichi Usagi get for basically. Not being what people imagined in their heads of an Usagi Yojimbo spinoff. I kind of get that part, because when Avatar: LOK was previewed in 2011, I imagined such a vast and colorful version of the show based on just 2 art pieces, I was caught a bit off-guard by the 1st season's premiere, and completely let down by the 2nd season. So I get that part at least. Many articles seemed to suggest that this show would be an adaptation, and I am guessing this is where people's expectations rose ten-fold in a similar way to my 2011 self. From interviews, I sense that the crew had similar expectations when they joined: a Usagi aniamted project with Stan Sakai directly involved! I'd be asking to be on the show too if I'd been a Gaumont studios member at the time.

The mountain is high and it is hard to surpass. When Netflix ordered the show to be about a younger Usagi and gear it for a younger audience too, I find that perhaps the Gaumont and Usagi Studios crew also saw this. In a fan's eyes, almost no one could match Stan Sakai in his storytelling, and the crew are big fans of his work. So it would make sense that they started to see the show they were developing differently. Instead of something like the 2003 adaptation of Miyamoto Usagi, where they make him younger and change his story a bit, the SR crew saw an opportunity. Lets make it about a descendant and a whole different setting, yeah? So the show becomes something quite different, but more manageable now. The mountain seems more like a long trek than an unpassable task.

But it also seems from every interview and official release I've seen that most of the people working on the show really liked what they made and liked working on it, even if it wasn't a direct adaptation of Usagi Yojimbo, something most of the crew were a fan of already themselves.

also, the series was worked on at least since 2018. Yeah, it's aimed at a younger audience, but a lot of effort seems to be put into it anyway, from writing, acting and art aspects all-around, so it just doesn't seem like something that people would feel the need to lie about. it's a good show. It is just not a direct adaptation of the comics, that people have been wanting, or something "style adjacent" to the comics, e.g. what people expect of the comics (that it's only dark and gritty).

A 2019 comicon.com article sharing a facebook photo at Gaumont studios with Stan is the perfect example of this - "This studio is known for their work on the original Redwall animated series. Judging by the key art shown above and Gaumont’s location in Paris, I hope that the animated series will remain faithful to the darker tone of the comics." - of course an article by a reader of the comic would have something like this, but we can see as early as this, the writer is setting themselves up for higher expectations for the series. Which I don't find fault in, who doesn't want a cool animated adaptation of their favourite comic? But comparing a studio now to what the studio was 15-20 years before is like setting the reader up for expectations that are too unrealistic. Redwall is a beautiful adaptation, but each show/series will almost always have a different team of people working on, so from an animation work POV, it just seems like something unrealistic. Animation industry, both western and otherwise, has always been something that can't always cater to all interests.

not-so-hot take but: it's actually good that it's not a direct adaptation!

The expectations people put on any adaptations/projects based on an older thing, is probably also a huge factor in why both younger and older fans (both shppers and the fans of the comic) feel so terse about the series, when in reality, it's possibly the best result we could get for a netflix adaptation (if I look at any anime/manga live-action adaptations for example, netflix has sort of "dropped the ball" on many of these). The series having loose and not-so-loose connections to the comics canon basically ensures that nothing about the comics canon is ever changed much, or that Stan is never obligated to change the comic for the show. The comic and show are allowed to be separate, but the show is also an homage and open fanart to the comic.

This also means that whether viewers hate or love the series, perhaps having a non-adaptation og series based on the comic... means they will actually read the comic itself now. I see this with both liveaction and animated adaptations, but ppl usually don't pick up the og source material based on just one adaptation, and if the adaptation is good or faithful, they still won't - thinking of TMNT 2003 but also Rise series haters who insist Raph doesn't use Tonfa, when that was a og comics reference lol - there's no trust that the animation folk working on your favourite properties adaptation are ALSO FANS of the same thing. So the chances for that might be similar. If people are happy with an adaptation, they might be less likely to seek out more of it. But I just find this series an interesting attempt from that POV. It almost feels similar to what Transmedia Storytelling is explained as a technique - of telling a story across multiple platforms, adding something unique each time.

A direct retelling is different from an original piece or continuation set in the same universe. Imagine that Usagi Yojimbo, the original comic, is like a tentpole that readers gather around. As time grows on, different animated adaptations occur, some tabletop games, a theather play etc. Different media for Usagi to inhabit as a character and a concept. And then comes along Samurai Rabbit, wholly not an adaptation of the comic's stories at all, but something inspired of it, building on it, not changing it much, but still adding to the canon in its own way (the existence of the Ki-Stone in this show). It's different but it's entirely a work made out of love for the comic, and you can see it in the different aspects it adapts from the comic (the 2D sequences, the skull-death-bubbles, the references to the comic, how it shows Miyamoto Usagi) and how it approcahes the characters as a cast.

So because Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles is not a strict retelling of any of the comics narratives, it allows itself room to explore and grow as its own thing, while also loosely adding to the canon in an interesting and unique way.

I hope phrasing the show from that vantage point gives other existing a different view on it.

this show also credits everyone in the production, including even the 3D animation company (a lot of animated shows only credit the company itself, or at least used to do this a lot) so I think that speaks a lot about how the production sees the show itself. The people making the show are valuable and did well, whatever the reception is going to be. And genuinely, I hope it was actually a good experience working on the show for all of the cast and crew.

[meruz]

once again i am answering asks in a big compilation post. included is... gotham, patrick stump, tips about drawing backgrounds, tips about drawing in general, links to my faq, and infinity train

like.... the tv series? No... I’ve drawn dc comics fanart before, though. But it’s been years since I’ve been really into it. I like jumped ship like 10 years ago when the New 52 happened LOL.

AFJHDSLKGH I’m sorry I (probably) won’t do it again??

Actually full disclosure I have a truly cringe amount of p stump drawings/photo studies in my sketchbook right now LOL. He’s just fun to draw... hats, glasses, guitar, a good shape... but I don’t think I’ll rly post those until I can hide them in another big sketchbook pdf.. probably Jan 2022. Stay tuned........ (ominous) 

(ominous preview)

These are all sort of related to backgrounds/painting so I grouped them together even though they’re pretty much entirely separate questions.... ANYWAYS

a) How is it working as a BG artist? Is it hard? What show are you drawing for?

I think you’re the first person to ever ask me about my job! Being a background artist is great. It’s definitely labor intensive but I think that could describe pretty much any art job (If something were rote or easy to automate, you wouldn’t hire an artist to do it) and I hesitate to say whether its harder or easier than any other role in the animation pipeline. Plus, so much of what truly makes a job difficult varies from one production to the next, schedule, working environment, co-workers etc. But I will say that I think while BGs are generally a lot of work on the upfront, I think they’re subject to less scrutiny/revisions than something like character/props/effects design and you don’t have to pitch them to a room like boards. So I guess it’s good if you don’t like to talk to people? LOL

A lot of my previous projects + the show I’ve worked on the longest aren’t public yet so I can’t talk about em (but I assure you if/when the news does break I won’t shut up about it). But I’m currently working on Archer Season 12 LOL. I’m like 90% sure I’m allowed to say that.

b) ~~~THANK YOU!! ~~~

c) What exactly do you like to draw most [in a background]?

@kaitomiury​ Lots of stuff! I really like to draw clutter! Because it’s a great opportunity for environmental storytelling and also you can be kind of messy with it because the sheer mass will supersede any details LOL. 

I like to draw clouds... I like to draw grass but not trees lol,,, I like to draw anything that sells perspective really easily like tiled floors and ceilings, shelves, lamp posts on a street etc.

d) Do you have any tips on how to paint (observational)?

god there’s so much to say. painting is really a whole ass discipline like someone can paint their whole life and still discover new things about it. I guess if you’re really just starting out my best advice is that habit is more important than product. especially with traditional plein air painting, I find that the procedure of going outside and setting up your paints is almost harder than the actual painting. There’s a lot of artists who say “I want to do plein air sometime!!” and then never actually get around to doing it. A lot of people just end up working from google streetview or photos on their computer.

But going outside to paint is a really good challenge because it forces you to make and commit to lighting and composition decisions really quickly. And to work through your mistakes instead of against them via undo button.

My last tip is to check out James Gurney’s youtube channel because hes probably the best and most consistent resource on observational painting out there rn. There’s lots other artists doing the same thing (off the top of my head I know a lot of the Warrior Painters group has people regularly posting plein air stuff and lightbox expo had a Jesse Schmidt lecture abt it last year) but Gurney’s probably the most prolific poster and one of the best at explaining the more technical stuff - his books are great too.

e) Do you have tips for drawing cleanly on heavypaint?

@marigoldfool​ UMM LOL I LIKE ONLY USE THE FILL TOOL so maybe use the fill tool? Fill and rectangle are good for edge control as opposed to the rest of the heavy paint tools which can get sort of muddles. And also I use a stylus so maybe if you’re using your finger, find a stylus that works with your device instead. That’s all I’ve got, frankly I don’t think my drawings are particularly clean lol.

f) Tips on improving backgrounds/scenes making them more dynamic practicing etc?

Ive given some tips about backgrounds/scenes before so I’m not gonna re-tread those but here’s another thing that might be helpful...

I think a good way to approach backgrounds is to think of the specific story or even mood you want to convey with the background first. Thinking “I just need to put something behind this character” is going to lead you to drawing like... a green screen tourist photo backdrop. But if you think “I need this bg to make the characters feel small” or “I need this bg to make the world feel colorful” then it gives you requirements and cues to work off of.

If I know a character needs to feel overwhelmed and small, then I know I need to create environment elements that will cage them in and corner them. If a character needs to feel triumphant/on top of the world then I know I need to let the environment open up around them. etc. If I know my focal point/ where I want to draw attention, I can build the background around that.

Also, backgrounds like figure compositions will have focal points of their own and you can draw attention to it/ the relationship the characters have with the bg element via scale or directionality or color, any number of cues. I think of it almost as a second/third character in a scene.

Not every composition is gonna have something so obvious like this but it helps me to think about these because then the characters feel connected and integrated with the environment.

Some more general art questions

a) Do you have any process/tips to start drawing character/bodies/heads?

I tried to kind of draw something to answer this but honestly this is difficult for me to answer because I don’t think I’m that great at drawing characters LOL. Ok, I think I have two tips.

1) flip your canvas often. A lot about what makes human bodies look correct and believable is symmetry and balance. Even if someone has asymmetrical features, the body will often pull and push in a way to counterbalance it. we often have inherent biases to one side or another like dominant hands dominant eyes etc. you know how right-handed artists will often favor drawing characters facing 45 degrees facing (the artist’s) left? that’s part of it. so viewing your drawing flipped even just to evaluate it helps compensate for that bias and makes you more aware of balance.

2) draw the whole figure often. I feel like a lot of beginner artists (myself included for a long time) defer to just drawing headshots or busts because it’s easier, you dont have to think about posing limbs etc. But drawing a full body allows you to better gauge proportion, perspective, body language, everything that makes a character look believable and grounded.

Like if you (me) have that issue where you draw the head too big and then have to resize it to fit the proportions of the rest of the body, it’s probably because you (I) drew the head first and are treating the body as an afterthought/attachment. Sketching out the whole figure first or even just quick drawing guides for it will help you think of it more holistically. I learned this figure drawing in charcoal at art school LOL.

oh. third mini tip - try to draw people from life often! its the best study. if you can get into a figure drawing/nude drawing class EVEN BETTER and if you have a local college/art space/museum that hosts those for free TREASURE IT AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT, that’s a huge boon that a lot of artists (me again) wish they had. though if youre not so lucky and youre sitting in a park trying to creeper draw people and they keep moving.. don’t let that stop you! that’s good practice because it’s forcing you to work fast to get the important stuff down LOL. its a challenge!

b) I’ve been pretty out of energy and have had no inspiration to draw but I have the desire to. Any advice?

Dude, take a walk or something.... Or a nap? Low energy is going to effect everything else so you gotta hit that problem at its source.

If you’re looking for inspiration though, I’d recommend stuff like watching a movie, reading a book, playing video games etc. Fill up your idea bank with content and then give yourself time/space to gestate it into new concepts. Sometimes looking at other art works but sometimes it can work against you because it’s too close. 

Also something that helps me is remembering that art doesn’t always have to be groundbreaking... like it’s okay to make something shitty and stupid that you don’t post online and only show to your friend. That’s all part of the process imo. If you want to hit a home run you gotta warm up first, right? Sports.

I should probably compile everytime i give tips on stuff like this but that’s getting dangerously close to being a social media artist who makes stupid boiled down art tutorials for clout which is the last thing i want to be... the thing I want to stress is that art is a whole visual language and there are widely agreed upon rules and customs but they exist in large part to be broken. Like there's an infinite number of ways to reach an infinite number of solutions and that’s actually what makes it really cool and personal for both the artist and the viewer. So when you make work you like or you find someone else’s work you like, take a step back and ask yourself what about it speaks for you, what about it works for you, what makes it effective, how to recreate that effect and how to break that effect completely, etc. And have a good time with it or else what’s the point.

for the first 2, I direct you to my FAQ

For the last one, I don’t actually believe I’ve ever addressed artwork as insp for stories/rp but I’ll say here and now yeah go ahead! As long as you’re not making profit or taking credit for my work then I’m normally ok with it. Especially anything thats private and purely recreational, that’s generally 100% green light go. I only ask that if you post it anywhere public that you please credit me.

(and I reserve the right to ask you to take it down if I see it and don’t approve of it’s use but I think that case is pretty rare.)

a) @lemuelzero101 Thank you!!! I haven’t played Life is Strange but actually  that series’ vis dev artist Edouard Caplain is one of my bigger art inspirations lately so that’s a really high compliment lol. And yeah I hope we get 5-8 too...!

b) Thank you for sticking around! I’ve been thinking about Digimon and Infinity Train in tandem lately, actually. They’re a little similar? Enter a dangerous alternate world and have wacky adventures with monsters/inanimate objects that have weird powers... there’s like weird engineers and mechanisms behind the scenes... also frontier literally starts with them getting on a train. Anyways if anyone else followed me for digimon... maybe you’d like Infinity Train? LOL

c) @king-wens-king I’M GLAD MY ART JUST HAS PINOY VIBES LOL I hope you are having a good day too :^)

a, b, c, d) yessss my Watch Infinity Train agenda is working....

e) aw thank you!! i think you should watch infinity train :)

[theanimeview]

My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission

By: Peggy Sue Wood | @pswediting

Alright y’all--if I get sick because of attending this movie, I hope you all enjoy the post as appreciation. Last Friday I had an emergency appendectomy, this Friday I drove to see the premier of MHA’s 3rd movie, World Heroes' Mission. Am I in some pain? Yes. Should I maybe not have gone for my compromised immune system? Also, yes. And am I putting off some freelance work and late homework to write this post in a timely manner before crashing into bed? Yes, okay? I am. Moving on.

Be warned, this post contains some SPOILERS. Why? Well, because I’m going to talk about what’s in the book you see above and the book has several warnings about how many spoilers are in it for the movie (I counted at least three times it warns readers to consume it’s contents after the viewing rather than before). So, now I’ve done my duty. Read further at your own risk...

INTRO

The first ten pages is a brief preview of the story thus far--there are a bunch of mini-screenshots from the series explaining Deku’s journey and the goals of our Plus Ultra Class 1 characters. 

Character Reports

Then we have the “Character Reports.” This is filled with some basic character sheets (the kind you probably see pretty often if you read a lot of manga) for the new and old characters appearing in the movie. They’re a little similar to this: 

Except in black and white, and showing the major players in the movie (villains and heroes). Nothing you can’t really get online from looking up character sheets for the movie. Also, nothing information-wise you won’t be able to find on the MHA wiki in the coming weeks (assumably). 

Special Writings

“Special Writings” is the next section, though the actual title once flipping the page is “Successful Editors Symposium.” In it, the four different Japanese editors for MHA answer a few questions. The editors are: Hitoshi Koike (June 2013 to June 2014); Kengo Monji (June/July 2014 to December 2017); Ryosuke Yoritomi (December 2017/January 2018 to September 2020); and Hikaru Taguchi (September/October 2020 to Present). 

The Questions: 

When were the times you were delighted or surprised in the good sense of Mr. Hirokoshi’s good sense? 

Notable response(s): All the editors are in awe of Mr. Hirokoshi’s drawing abilities. He is very quick and has a clean art style so he doesn’t require a lot of clean up time for his pages. One editor gave the example of Mr. Hirokoshi finishing 19 pages in a day and a half, and how shocking that was when compared to the usual time it takes a creator to complete pages (Monji). 

My Hero Academia presently seems to have a harsher storyline than in the beginning where it was more like a campus-life story. Have Mr. Hirokoshi’s source of ideas and ways to elicit stories changed since the beginning?

Notable response(s): The main idea that is built from these responses can be summarized as “abundant accumulation gives value to works” (p 34 of booklet). A lot of creators will tell you something similar. For example, Andy Kubert (a famous comic creator) recommended that those interested in getting into comics should look at building a cinematic background and foundation of knowledge. Hirokoshi is an avid consumer of videography, both mainstream movies and the unknown, and such consumption informs his work in many ways. 

Which scene in the previous two movies do you like?

Notable response(s): N/a

Since it’s a rare opportunity, please tell us your Quirk in association with My Hero Academia.

Notable response(s): N/a

Lastly, please give a message to the fans of My Hero Academia.

Notable response(s): Editor Monji notes that comic creators in Japan typically end their comics based on sales, so a story can be forced to end at almost anytime. Hirokoshi’s work is super popular, so it’s nice that he is not being forced to take his story in a direction that he may not want. 

Horikoshi’s Precious Drawings

Nothing really notable here (at least not textually). Similar to character pages, this holds a lot of sketches from Hirokoshi of the different characters. Again, nothing here, information-wise, you won’t be able to find on the MHA wiki in the coming weeks (assumably). 

Q&A My Hero Academia

The next section is a very short Q&A. A lot of it is fan directed questions about events from the show/manga that haven’t really been answered for timing reasons (like, what do Tsuyu, Mineta, and Bakugo’s rooms look like or was the ball Ochaco threw in the Quirk proficiency test still flying? [p 56 of booklet]). However, two Q&A’s of note that I found are: 

Q14: When will the faces of (Toru) Hagakure and (Mezo) Shoji be revealed?

A: “Shoji’s face will be revealed someday. Hagakure’s is still in the dark” (p 58 of booklet).

(BTW, their is no official face-release info for Hagakure yet, regardless of what a quick Google search for that Twitter post by Anime Icons may tell you. -- Peggy)

Q22. Can you tell us one secret about My Hero Academia that you can share only here?

A: “The AI used in U.A. robots and others once rose in rebellion” (p 60 of booklet).

The One-Shot

Pages 63 to 71 is a one-shot comic of the hour or so pre-flight period between Endeavor, Todoroki, Midoriya, and Bakugo as they prepare to board the plane for Otheon. 

It’s a very cute story, in which the three hero-students talk out their nerves about the World Mission to hit all the Humarise locations. (Humarise being the villainous terror organization that they’re fighting against this movie). Then Endeavor appears and tries to get his son to sit with him. Hawks steps in to stop their arguing. Hawks then gives them a seating arrangement that makes everyone happy (with Bakugo next to Endeavor, Endeavor in front of Todoroki, and Midoriya in the final spot right behind Bakugo). 

There you have it: A brief summary of the booklet you may not have been able to get at the movie’s release. Okay, I’m off to recover. Night y’all. 

[wordupcomics]

Preview of the next batch! I almost have the line Art done! My current plan is to dedicate my Saturdays to this and just keep hoping my job stops doing overtime so I can do this and all the other stuff I need to do...

Drama is going down in the Botsford-McCallister family!

So I wanted to take this time to talk about the direction of Word Up in terms of maturity.

I've always wanted this to be more mature, more realistic than WordGirl was. Originally I was planning more of a "Gravity Falls" level of maturity and seriousness, and I've certainly ventured past that point in a couple of my "mini comics," where some have mentioned alcohol or have characters cursing, but my intention was still to keep that more PG vibe in the "official comic"

And know I just wanna ask (which I've kinda asked before and haven't gotten any response so I'm asking again) if anyone cares if I go more mature with the "official comics" too? The level of seriousness I was planning probably won't change and I will NOT be including any sexual scenes under any circumstances. Farthest I will go in that sense is something like what I did here where it's clearly implied Becky and Violet ran into some..unsettling fanart. I would never go farther than that with that particular PG13 aspect.

However I would like to include more references to alcohol and more cursing, etc. I have two reasons for wanting to make it more mature. 1. I've always wanted Word Up to feel more realistic in terms of life. I have plans to look into how Tobey has, and continues to deal with his past actions as a villain, dealing with our cast of kids who are now grown up with kids of their own and having problems when it comes to parenting those kids, those same characters dealing with money issues. I have this mini plot where Tim and Sally want to do something crazy that Becky and Tj think is a terrible idea and deal with what happens when parents are getting older and their children feel they need to start stepping in to take care of those parents. I want to do stories and handle topics like this because they are realistic, they are part of life and it makes the world feel more real and to me interesting. This is the same reason I like the idea of including cursing and alcohol, because let's be honest, in a realistic setting, those are just as much part of life as other things (not to say like everyone drinks and swears but ya know, many do) The other reason is I've had so many ideas with these concepts. Theo, from the moment he was created, I knew had a sailor mouth and come on..we all know he would have gotten it from his dad lol. I have ideas of characters drinking habits TRIGGER WARNING like I had this idea that Tobey likes to pretend he only likes the finest of wines, but actually hates wine and will pretty much only drink beer. Or just think of adult Violet, sitting outside, doing a painting while sipping on wine. I'd also mentioned before that Becky got drunk on her 16th birthday and that moment in her life is important to show where she was at mentally and is great for showing how pressures of being a hero affected her. And I like the idea of Becky using that experience, and how her parents handled it, to help guide her own parenting of Theo. END TRIGGER WARNING And I also love the idea of Bob kinda not fully processing that Becky is grown up, and being taken back when she swears or drinks etc.

My main concern here is really the alcohol or something similar, and knowing that could be triggering for some. I hate the idea of someone wanting to read these comics feeling like they can't because characters mention alcohol. Obviously I wouldn't go hog wild crazy with it, and will continue with trigger warnings, but I feel it would be unfair if someone felt like they couldn't read a story because of that.

So I'll ask, if making this more PG13 could be harmful to your mental health in any way is there anything I can do to make it better besides trigger warnings? Perhaps a second posting of pages with things blurred out, changed or summarized dialogue or something else if i think of something else or someone suggests something.

And if not, if there's nothing I could possibly do to make having a trigger in the story okay, please let me know because I will not do it if could potentially harm your mental health to read the comics

And if these ideas do work for you, please still say something so I know it's okay for you, and if you have any triggers that I forget to give warnings for or something more uncommon that I might not think to give a warning for, please tell me!

Ask box is open with anon on so you can let me know anonymously if you would like <3

Thanks for the support and patience everyone!

[dailyjasontodd]

Helloooo, my internet sucks and I have no idea if I sent my previous ask.. - could you tell us more about "upcoming project"? (Im so curious about Red Hood 2020 - were you refering to new arc in his comic book, or what? Unfortunately Im totally behind DC rn, but I'd love to know more about JT, and all projects with him). Thaaank you for your answer!! 💖

Hello! Okay so upcoming “projects” for Jason:

Batman Three Jokers: comes out tomorrow! it’s a monthly mini series of three issues written by Geoff Johns, and it’s been teased for what, three-four years now? And Jason is one of the main characters. You can read the preview here, and get a copy here. In our sidebar you can check when the next issues come out.

Red Hood: it’s gonna be a two issues arc by Shawn Martinbrough, and it will revisit the historic neighborhood of “The Hill”, first created by writer Christopher Priest and Shawn back in 1999. It’s very exciting because the plot sounds very interesting and it’s someone we haven’t seen writing Jason before.

Batman Death in the Family Interactive Movie: its well.. an interactive movie that covers Death in the Family, where you can kind of pick what happens (if Jason dies, if he doesn’t, etc, and the repercussions this has on Jason’s character arc). Here’s more info, and it comes out in october!

Gotham Knights: it’s a new videogame announced a few days ago, you can watch the trailer here. Jason will be one of the playable characters. 

[ficksdiffusion]

My thoughts on #3 of Mega Man Fully Charged comic!

First, I love the cover, I was so happy when I saw Namagem when preview was released. Badass.

The #2 ended during a day, #3 begins during a day and next pages show it's the same day, I like the continuity.

We finally see Bert and Principal 100100!

By virtue of having the same programming, Namagem (I'm still getting used to Daini) can directly communicate with Aki - I theoretised that they may have a special channel for communication and I was not close, but this canonical information explains how Namagem was able to invade Aki's dreams in "" using Hypno Woman's power.

Abandoned infrastructure as a means to move around the city!

OH HI another theory of mine is correct?

Oh my heart, Namagem giving fuel to the starved robots, this is such a good character defining moment.

"That's the battlefield?" "No. You're standing on it." The art. That literal mountain of robot's corpses.

"the ultimate weapon"

Aki's reaction to the truth is heartbreaking. And Daini doesn't hide what happened but the way he touches Aki's shoulder shows that he tries to comfort him. wow. Daini seems disturbed be the truth too, but he had time to accept it and Night already caused him to think about himself as a weapon.

This is really a blow for Aki to find out about his role in the Hard Age NOT from his father. It's a small mercy that it's his brother that breaks it to him, as Daini also searched for the truth, but damn.

We've got confirmation that Namagem also existed during the Hard Age and fought alongside dr Light and Mega Man, they really were built at the same time. And I love this panel where all three of them are shown, although the context is so dark.

The question remains: Why Daini doesn't seem to have any memories of that time, only Aki?

"Who will you be? A hero for the humans? Or a weapon pointed in the right direction?" Daini warns Aki about the Skull Man's attack. I need to think about Daini's words to Aki for longer.

(Darn, I could make a separate post with scans of Daini expressions here, the last panel on this page, it's like he's half worried, half angry).

So, Aki makes his choice. I'm worried.

Suna is right, but given the state Aki is in, only

I understand that Suna' function is to be a voice of reason to Aki and she is right, but it starts to bother me why she has such a trust in dr Light. I mean he is her father, and it is good that she trusts him, but unless she has a reason, even a hand waved reason, this behaviour kind of suggest that she knows something she is not telling.

I feel that if she had a reason for this trust (and I mean in-universe reason, that the writers would at least acknowledge the fact that she seems to not be bothered by her fathers secrets concerning her brother) or if she was showed to chose to trust Light despite him being secretive it would make her character better, less one-dimensional.

Now Wily got creepy and megalomaniac. And uses Aki's care for Mini to convince him.

"You let your onboard counterpart perish" Emotional manipulation :(

Yes Aki, I've got questions about that face plate too.

Junkyard? Dismembered robot parts? Aki, 100% that Light does not wish to have such a lab.

<takes a closer look at the panel with wide shot of the lab> It's not just a face plate, there's a breast plate under it. Is this a foreshadowing?

"Protocol X" <looks at writers> So references to series X are going strong, both narratively and by dropping names.

The procedure looks both impressive and unsettling.

Undisclosed time later... And it's already tomorrow, Skull Man and his army are attacking the city.

Mini is back!

Okay... Skull Man and co attack Wily's home because Mega Man was there. Unless he had spies to inform him about Mega's location or other way to track him, how can we be sure it wasn't Wily who gave Aki out?

"Protect my life's work!" Priorities.

Wily leaves using a secret tunnel?

Blasto Woman: blasts through the wall. Skull Man, Chaotique and Guts Man: take the elevator XD That's a good joke.

Guts Man is born ready XD

I think I like Skull Man as the antagonist, I really hope he is not someone's puppet, he seems to honestly care about other robot masters.

Chaotique dearest, what is even you thought process? Why are you against Mega Man six months after "Panic in the Lighthouse"?

The composition of the panels and action is great.

Mega Man is overwhelmed, the suddenly!

ENTER ZERO! My reaction to a spoiler image with him was basically the Beyoncé??? meme.

He's got double energy blades, his helmet is obviously a callback to Breakman's/Protoman's helmet, but with his face is completely hidden... it reminds me of Vile.

Since he shows up in Wily's house and the descriptions of future issues state that a new ally will betray Mega Man... does it mean we gonna see evil Zero??

(I SO want to see a Mega Man & Namagem vs Zero fight!!!!)

Also: Chaotique in the background XD So angry XD

The issue 3 ends: The city is under attack and Zero (!!! who would have thought?) showed up! What's gonna happen next???

[olivenight17]

Karma and nagisa first date with their s/o?

Hellooooooo! Okay, so I took this as poly, which hopefully I got right and for that I need to thank you! This is my first time writing anything poly and I’m excited, though also a little concerned. Because you know despite your girl being both bi and poly, she’s still single, and I don’t really know how poly relationships work. Nonetheless I did my best to split up the affections evenly between all three so it wouldn’t just be Nagisa and Karma loving the reader and having no feelings or romance towards each other. Let me know how I did! But for now, enjoy our top assassins being in love~

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

Nagisa x Reader x Karma “First Date Together” - Poly Relationship

You bounced on the balls of your feet as you gripped onto your boyfriends’ hands excitedly. After years of waiting, the movie adaptation of the comic series the three of you were reading had finally come out. It had gotten a lot of good reviews and tonight was the night it premiered in your city.

As you sat down in your seats, you began rambling.“I really hope they capture the chemistry between Captain Bright and Obsidian Wave. Seriously, if they give us a ‘gals being pals’ again, I will riot! But I’m also really looking forward to seeing the costume designs each of the characters have, or if they’re really sticking to the comics,” Your eyes darted all around the room of the theater, waiting for the screen to light up and start the movie.

Karma chuckled, halting your words momentarily. “If you wanted to know all of that, you should have just watched the trailers!” His words caused you to puff out your cheeks in a pout.

“Hey, come on. You know (Y/N) doesn’t like spoilers, even if they’re just trailers.” Nagisa defended you from the right.

You grinned as you brought his hand up to kiss it. “See? Nagisa understands! Don’t be mean to me, Karma.” You chirped.

The redhead gave off an expression of mock hurt. “I get scolded while Nagisa gets a kiss? That hardly seems fair, what happened to not playing favorites?” He questioned, holding his hand out to give you more incentive.

You rolled your eyes with a smile, grabbing it, but you couldn’t quite kiss it from where you were in your seat. “I can’t, you’re too far away,” You told him, albeit sadly as you let go of his hands.

Disappointed, Karma let out a sigh, though his smirk never faded as his arm moved to wrap around the boy between the two of you instead. “Well I have to get my spoils from someone. Come on, Nagisa, kiss my hand.” He sung, lifting his hand to the boy’s mouth.

Nagisa’s already red face heated up more as he spluttered. He looked to you for help, but alas you were fully encouraging Karma’s actions. “Show our boyfriend some love, Nagisa.” You prodded, poking him lightly as he gave you a mini glare.

Gently, he wrapped his nimble fingers around Karma’s hand and pressed his lips to it, looking into the boy’s mercury eyes the entire time. When he removed his mouth, he spoke. “Happy now, Karma?” He asked, letting go of his hand and settling back against his own chair.

The redhead’s cheshire grin grew bigger as he pinched Nagisa’s cheek. “Absolutely, you were so adorable doing it! And that look, don’t tell me you’re trying to start something in the movie theater of all places-”

“Shut up! You know it wasn’t like that!”

“Oh? Then what was it like, explain Nagisa.” You giggled at Karma’s teasing, about to join in when the screen flashed to life and the previews began playing. Quickly you shushed them both and glued your eyes to the screen. It may have been the same old previews, with the trailers of the movies that have yet to come out, but you didn’t want to miss even a second of it.

Surprisingly, Karma stayed quiet during the movie and didn’t lean in to whisper one quip to either you or Nagisa. He was just as glued to the screen as the rest of you. Occasionally, you would hear Nagisa muttering under his breath, trying to predict the plot of the movie as it went on.

As for you, you were completely mesmerized. The movie was everything you could have hoped for, staying true to the heart of the comics it was based on. Not to mention the phenomenal acting, you felt waves of sadness over every tear shed by any of the characters. The music only helped spur on your feelings, your stomach churning at every suspenseful scene, your heart pumping as you mentally cheered on the heroes with every fight.

By the time it was over, you were starstruck. It took Nagisa lightly shaking you as the credits finished rolling to snap you out of it.

The three of you stood up and as you made your way out of the theater, discussed your thoughts on the movie. As you were about to exit the building though, you jolted. “Oh, and before we go off, I wanted to thank the both of you! This was a wonderful first date, and I know it might not have been easy to accept me into this relationship the two of you already have, but I’m happy it worked out nonetheless.” You smiled, wrapping both of them in your arms and squeezing.

“Hey, it was no problem. We’re both happy we met you (Y/N), we really like you! Right Karma?” Nagisa turned his head to the boy next to him.

He nodded. “Of course, this night was very fun with you here. I was getting lonely teasing Nagisa all by myself after all.” He chuckled as his boyfriend frowned at the words. “But, this is going to come with a price. After all, I drove both of you here and got both of you snacks.” There was a teasing glint in his eyes as he continued. “My request is simple, I just want a kiss, from the both of you, right here in public.”

You felt your face heating up, trying to gather your courage to ignore the onlookers who would stare as they passed by.

Nagisa was first to step up and meet his end of the deal, leaning up and placing a kiss on Karma’s lips. It lasted a moment before Karma pulled back, a victorious smirk on his face as he looked at the prominent red on the blue haired boy’s cheeks before turning an expectant gaze towards you.

Before you could psych yourself out, you leaned in and pressed your lips against his. The kiss was spicy, and you noted it was probably from the spice he had snuck into the theater to put on his popcorn. His lips were rough but inviting, and you could practically feel his teasing aura. When the kiss had ended, your face was burning up and Karma laughed as he wrapped his arms around you and Nagisa’s shoulders, towing you back to his car. “Who knew I’d get to be so lucky to have two cuties on my arm!”

[roughandtumble-r]

RoughandTumble-r talks about the Sonic IDW 2020 Annual (PART 1)!

Okay, so the 2020 Annual came out today, and even though I don't have access to any scans of the comics yet and I also don't have access to my computer currently, I figured I may as well just write a post giving my overall opinions of it using my phone. Speaking of phones, I'm actually going to be talking about the Annual in two separate parts because my phone keyboard starts bugging out when I go too far down from the top of the post meaning it can't go on for as long as I want it to. Why? I don't know. Anyway, here are my opinions on each of the stories in the Annual...

(WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD!)

First up, we have Big's Big Adventure, which is the one we got preview pages for. Basically, it's just about Big going around looking for Froggy whilst constantly being in the background of everything else that's been going on. At the end, it's revealed that after Issue 22 happens, Big somehow managed to get out of the Resistance/Restoration base and found Froggy. However, Froggy got infected with the Metal Virus, and the story ends with a surprisingly depressing shot of Big holding Zombot Froggy while he and everything around them slowly get infected. It's an okay mini-story, and I think my favorite thing about it is actually Jon Gray's art (especially in the parts with Rough and Tumble because good artist plus best boys equals nice :3)

Next up we have the second story, Darkest Hour. This one actually centers around two new characters, being a radio host named Nite the Owl and his night-hating assistant Don the Rooster. As for the plot, the two of them are busy hanging out at their radio station in Sunset City when they suddenly start getting calls from people talking about the Metal Virus spreading across the city. Nite wants to stay behind to possibly help in some way, but Don ain't havin none of that sh*t and starts getting ready to leave. However, before he does, Nite gets a call from Amy (I think?) who asks him to use his radio station as a way to tell people in Sunset City to go to the hotel being used as a safehouse, and both Nite and Don decide to stick around to help. Out of all the stories in this year's annual, I think this one is my favorite, mainly because I like both Nite and Don already and am interested to see more of them. One other thing I should probably mention is that Evan Stanley actually posted a shot of Nite a couple days ago as a teaser, and I considered bringing that up on here cuz no one else was covering it and I thought maybe he'd be a new character, but I never got around to it. Anyway, he did end up being a new character, so... maybe I should have done that.

Next up we have our third story, Reflections, and this one ended up being the one about Metal Sonic! However... I'm not gonna lie, this one was kinda disappointing to me. Don't get me wrong, it's an okay story with really good art, but like... Nothing happens in it? Like, it just has Metal Sonic walk into a room, dip his finger in Metal Virus goo, and have Starline immediately tell him to get out. Still good art though.

(Continued in next post)

[hellyeahheroes]

Not looking forward to Abrams Spider-Man #2

Here is the preview.

Okay.

I just want to say that I try with writers. It is really hard to lose me on shit. Like it takes a lot of things to make me just despise a book. I can stick with mediocre if you gave me something special in the past.

But this book...

I’ll just say right now that the only thing redeemable about this mini is Sara Pichelli’s art and her designs. What the Abrams’ are writing is so painfully Hollywood and generic. Only Abrams can look at Spider-Man mythos and ignore a huge swathe of it and insert his characters except with Star Wars, his characters were arguably better than the previous expanded lore that was erased. Here in Spider-Man where we have gotten the same movie 3 times, you can’t just insert this kid and present him to a fan base that already has Mayday and Annie May.

This book did no one any favors by killing MJ brutally in the first 6 pages, throwing her off a bridge barefooted in the snow. It’s going for the angsty Peter Parker bit and yeah, that has been done several times in comics. Then you have bad father Peter which again no one wants to see especially since it comes at the expense of fridging Mary Jane. I just don’t think it’s provactive to kill off the leading female role as an origin story. It just isn’t. Don’t get me started on Peter being that type of photojournalist who would make an aesthetic of other people’s misery.

“My wife dying made me a bad parent uwu.”

And again, Ben Parker is so goddamn generic. And he is purposely generic so we can relate to him. Like at his clothes. And then look at Faye Ito’s clothes. Who has more character in apparel? Not to mention that part of the appeal of superheroes as parents is getting to see them interact with their kids. We don’t really get that here.

This is a 6 issue mini series and I’m guessing there is going to be a subversión to this redundancy of a story because that’s what you do as a writer: you mold characters through archetypes initially so the reader can place them in a perceived role so you can expand on characterization later. So I think there is going to be a twist around issue 3-4. I’ll follow it until then but from what I’ve seen, I’m woefully unimpressed.

@ubernegro

[wandernic]

My SPOILERY Be More Chill review

In honor of tonight’s opening, I wanted to put together my impressions of the show, brought to you by five off-Broadway and four Broadway preview viewings. I will divide things up by scene/song to better order my thoughts. Please DO NOT read if you haven’t seen or don’t know the story well already. 

(In that case, here’s a mini-review for you: GOOOOO SEE THIS! Okay now do yourself a favor and close this window.)

More Than Survive:

I like the change to Mr. Heere just eating cereal in his underwear, and unable to drive Jeremy to school. This better conveys Jeremy's real frustration with his dad being mentally checked out than the (admittedly funnier) off-Broadway scene, which just made Jeremy seem grossed out by him.

I miss the Chloe-Jake breakup scene a bit, but it didn't really add much to the narrative other than seeing them as a couple for a brief moment. The next mini-scene where Jenna addresses the breakup with Chloe accomplishes what's needed, plus adds to Jenna's narrative as the girl everyone goes to for the dirt and nothing else.

I Love Play Rehearsal:

I would shower Stephanie Hsu with multiple Tonys for this scene alone. Her Christine is equal parts adorable and batshit, and we can easily see why Jeremy finds her so much more fascinating than the conventionally attractive popular girls at school.

Minor gripe: BRING BACK JAKE'S DAB. That shit was hilarious, and in a simple move showed how Jake, while trying to live up to the cool jock everyone knows him to be, has the same amount of dork inside that everyone does.  

The Squip Song:

Ugh I get they're trying to clean this up for a staid Broadway audience, but Rich drawing the penis on the wall and brazenly peeing in front of Jeremy are both missed. Not just for the humor, but because without it Rich just seems like his Squip made him merely mean, instead of confident. That confidence would presumably be what Rich was seeking with a Squip, not to become a garden variety bully, so it loses something in the translation when Rich isn't displaying that through his inappropriate jokes.

I do appreciate Rich's bullying of Jeremy being stepped up, because it's important we get a fuller idea of Jeremy's suffering. Off-Broadway, it just came across as "I can't get the girl I dig and a boy at school sometimes says shitty things." Though certainly emotional bullying is awful, its pervasiveness over a long period of time is hard to convey in a few short scenes. Having Rich also physically intimidate Jeremy makes you feel Jeremy's fear in a palpable way, which leads you to sympathize more with him.

Also can we give Gerard Canonico a Tony merely for the "It's from Japan!" scream? I think, yes. Seriously, his performance in this role is so iconic, it's hard to imagine another actor playing Rich.

Two-Player Game:

The perfect scene for conveying the true dynamic of Jeremy and Michael's friendship. That dynamic being, Michael is a much better friend to Jeremy than Jeremy is to Michael. This is one of the challenges for Will Roland in portraying Jeremy: he is not an easily likeable character. Yes, Jeremy is bullied at school, but he also makes everything about him, his needs, his pain, etc. There isn't a moment in which Jeremy checks to see how Michael's doing (lest we forget Michael is also bullied - the backpack prank was pulled on him, too.) So this song works as both a fun bop, and as a display of the unequal nature of this friendship.

Also, on the whole I *love* Chase Brock's choreography. Especially in "Halloween" and the utterly phenomenal "The Pitiful Children." The one exception is when Jeremy and Michael get up from the bed to finish this song; these moves are clunky and not sharp. It's hard to tell if executed more crisply, they would work better for me, or if the actors are intentionally sort of keeping it loose to demonstrate that these dudes are not as cool as their peers.

Be More Chill:

Jeremy's Squip being activated and the ultimate dramatic appearance of that Squip is one of my favorite moments in the show. My God, the evolution of the Squip from last summer has me floored. It was always good, but what Jason Tam is doing with this character now is must-see. This Squip is like an emotionally abusive partner. He coldy points out what he sees as your flaws, then smooth talks you about your amazing potential, and you forget that you were ever hurt or mad to begin with. Rinse, repeat. He also reminds me of the current administration, in that he'll say something totally out of bounds, then quickly walk it back to where he really wanted you, and you're temporarily swayed by the dial-down that he's not so bad after all. Fucking masterful.

If this man isn't nominated, seriously fuck the Tonys.

Do You Wanna Ride?

What I love most about this besides its hilarity is that it shows a bit of quid pro quo in the seemingly one-sided Chloe/Brooke friendship. While Chloe pretty openly treats Brooke poorly on multiple occasions, when Brooke wants an assist in trying to get Jeremy to say yes, Chloe immediately jumps to her cue and joins in. This is actually more than Jeremy ever helps Michael with anything in the entirety of the show, which is pretty fucking sad when you think about it.

Katlyn Carlson and Lauren Marcus have perfect chemistry as the best frenemies we'd love to hate if only we didn't kind of totally love them so damn much.

Be More Chill Part 2:

I liked the staging for this better at Signature. It serviced the choreography much better when they didn't throw a mall fountain mid-stage that forces them to redirect the dance moves in a less visually striking manner. I especially miss the hoveround rolling down center stage with the mall shoppers trailing behind it. We've already been to Payless and the food court; we know it's a mall. The fountain is unnecessary. Also, can we give Troy a better alter-ego when he goes on? The Starbucks get-up just looks like Michael went to work at his mall job and for some unknown reason put a wig on.

Sync Up:

I love the expansion of the supporting roles in the show, something this song supports to great effect. I don't have a lot more to say on this scene since it's new to Broadway, and I don't remember as much as the other scenes.  Also I believe before this song is when Jeremy ditches his glasses, and I like the change from first preview in how that was accomplished (though I did laugh at the Spiderman rip-off that first night).

A Guy That I'd Kinda Be Into:

I MISS THE PART WHERE BROOKE NODS HER HEAD ALONG WITH CHLOE WHILE LECTURING CHRISTINE. This is in all caps because that shit was comic gold; why take it out? It also demonstrated how in tune with Chloe's whims and emotions Brooke is, which is to say, too much. If I can't have this back, I'm going to at least need someone to explain why it was taken out.

I believe this scene is where the Squip puzzles over the person Christine is, and I love both that she's entirely confounded him, and that post-song, she ultimately defeats his carefully constructed plotting just by being the unpredictable person she is.

As for the song, this has been unchanged that I can see, and that's because it does exactly what it needs to do well.

Upgrade:

One of the best changed scenes from Signature. It was fine there, but is much more fleshed out now, and gives more insight into many of the characters that is needed and appreciated. I especially appreicated the added dialogue between Jeremy and Brooke, in which we get Brooke's insight into her self-doubt, and how Jeremy's seeming interest moved her.  

I did prefer how the Squip insinuated himself more in this scene at the first preview. When he was trying to get Jeremy to get with Brooke, he pretty much physically climbed on him to push him into her on the bleachers. In a future preview, the Squip stood completely away from them onstage, directing Jeremy with hand motions, and I didn't think that worked at. All. Last Sunday, he stood near them and physically pushed Jeremy with just his hand to kiss Brooke; while an improvement, it still wasn't as effective as the first preview for two reasons.

One, the complete disregard for personal space is just much funnier. Two and more importantly, when the Squip was literally pushing Jeremy's body into Brooke's with his own (imaginary) body, it demonstrated an important aspect of the Squip's control of Jeremy. What looks like the Squip being physically seductive is really a demonstration of his seduction of Jeremy's mind. This is significant, because Jeremy ends up doing a lot of things he doesn't particularly want to do, but the Squip seduces him into thinking he does. I found that incredibly effective.

Loser, Geek, Whatever:

My gripe with this otherwise effective scene is the singing of the song itself. Every time it starts to build steam melodically, it's cut off by Jeremy saying/shouting so many of the lyrics. The build-up then has to start again, leaving the song to finish up not as impactful as it could be. This could be a barn-burner Act 1 closer, and instead it's just pretty good. Also I don't know how Will Roland takes that loooooong end note up and down and back again, and still belt as powerfully at the end of it as the start. The show must be using some new can't-even-look-it-up-on-the-internet technology to pump air into his lungs from backstage. This actor has taken on a very difficult character and pitched it just on the line of where it needs to be to work. So impressive.

Halloween:

Love the song. LOVE the choreo (lookin' at you, Chase Brock.) Love LOVE the addition of the Squip front and center. This makes so much sense, because by manipulating Jeremy he's really manipulating all of them, and his inclusion in the midst of the party instead of on its periphery demonstrates this incredibly well.

I don't love the substitution of a pumpkin candle for a gas can. What even was that thought process? That sucks up the drama of that moment almost entirely. What level of foreboding does one accomplish with a pumpkin?

This scene contains my only major problem with the show, and that is Jake's sudden and unexplained loss of interest in Christine. Are we to infer that they slept together once and that's all Jake was after? And that all of his character development in Act 1 was bullshit? In which case what was the point of developing his character at all? This whole thing could be easily fixed by a line or two where Jake realizes he still has feelings for Chloe, but that never happens. I haven't seen the show since last Sunday (when multiple people told me it was locked in), so I hope since that time they've unlocked it to fix the one glaring flaw, either clarifying Jake is a dick, or Jake misunderstood his own feelings. In any event, Britton is absolutely CRUSHING IT with the nuances of Jake, and I can't wait to hear him on the Broadway cast album.

Do You Wanna Hang?:

Katlyn Carlson is a comic genius. All the little touches she throws into this hilariously awful attempt at seduction are amazing. The only part of this I liked better at Signature is when Jeremy asks her if she's jealous, and in this version she's crying while saying "obviously not." (Or at least she was on Sunday). I think this works better if she immediately *stops* crying at that point, playing it like it's the most absurd possible question Jeremy could ask.

Michael in the Bathroom:

Alternate title: George Salazar at the Tonys

Michael is quite simply the beating heart of this show, an odd role for a supporting character. As played by George, he is that quirky, too weird to be popular but too sweet to not love friend that if we were very lucky, we had growing up. Michael is so important because to be frank, Jeremy is kind of a self-involved dick. That would make the show entirely dependent on Will Roland's ability to make us relate to Jeremy through those trials he faces that we've all experienced - and he does an amazing job. But he also gets a Herculean assist from George, who so convincingly relates how steadfast and loyal to Jeremy Michael is, it makes us believe there's something special in Jeremy that warranted this devotion.

A Guy That I'd Kinda Be Into (Reprise):

During the couch scene between Jeremy and Christine, they've cut out Christine's very valid explanation as to why she can't date Jeremy (it involved getting to know herself better first). This is a problem, because it doesn't make sense at the end of the show when she likes him - we never see why she made that leap, so we're meant to assume she likes him for doing the bare minimum of correcting his own mistake. The way it was at Signature, we find out at least that she just isn't in a head space to date someone on the heels of her breakup with Jake, which shows she could be interested in Jeremy once she gets past that.

The Smartphone Hour:

Easily one of my favorite scenes. Tiffany Mann as Jenna is a delight from start to finish, and this is her moment to shine. Her comic sensibility is perfection. Lauren and Katlyn chime in with equally hilarious support.

My only complaint in this number is the slight lyric change to "Jake's house." For pity's sake, we just spent three or four songs at Jake's party; I promise you, we grasp who's house it is. And the change ruins the flow of the song a bit.

The Pants Song:

Okay yes this song is sweetly funny and does exactly what is needed to advance the plot here. But I just want to talk about Jason SweetTooth Williams overall right now. HOW IS HE A REAL PERSON THAT CAN SO EFFORTLESSLY JUMP FROM ROLE TO ROLE WITHIN SECONDS WITHOUT MISSING A BEAT. Mr. Reyes and his delusions of grandeur is my favorite, but Williams brings equal skill to all his roles, including Jeremy's dad. What a talent.

The Pitiful Children/The Play:

This may be my favorite song. Especially with the song, choreography, and performances here, this show is firing simultaneously on all cylinders. I also love that Jeremy and Jenna have an extended conversation that lets us know her a little more. Tiffany Mann gives a heartfelt authenticity to this that is lovely.

I think this is the scene where these critiques go (apologies if not). I wish Jeremy didn't tell his Squip "you were supposed to make Christine like me!" One thing I love about Jeremy is that he is not really into the popular girls, but the most interesting girl. He digs Christine because of all that she is.

When he says this line, he is upset because the Squip didn't make Christine do what he wanted, meaning he now wants her to change to like him. I think this would work better and make Jeremy come across as less of an incel if the line were more like, "you were supposed to make me someone Christine would like!" It was, after all, himself that Jeremy was looking to change - not Christine, who he loves as she is. That is this character's saving grace, and this diminishes it a bit.

That said, I do think there was an overcorrection in trying to make Jeremy more likeable. In the three previews I saw before Sunday, Jeremy tricks Jenna into drinking the Squip-spiked drink. In the last version I saw, he actually tells her what it is, and she immediately drinks it. It's pretty unrealistic that she would do that. Worse, it conflicts with Jeremy's "you were supposed to make Christine like me!" outburst. If we must allow for the fact the Squip has gained so much control of Jeremy he no longer cares that Christine likes him of her own choosing, he's certainly not going to care about respecting Jenna's need to consent to taking the Squip. Given the choice, I would either change Jeremy's line about making Christine like him, or his choice to tell Jenna what's in the drink. Back-to-back, they don't give us a good sense of how much control the Squip has of Jeremy at that point.

After Jeremy and Michael battle everyone and Jeremy makes his final choice, as the result becomes clear, Michael bizarrely explains what is happening on the spot. This makes little sense, especially in light of the fact that at the hospital, he asks Jeremy how he knew what would result from what he did. Um, he didn't know, you literally explained it to him in the middle of the last scene, bro. I would omit Michael's inexplicably instantaneous explanation from the Play scene and let the audience sit with the aftermath a moment, before having it clarified in the hospital scene.

Voices in my Head:

Not a fan of the lyric changes here, which seem to water down the edge of the teens ("she probably thinks that acne is hot") to morph them into Stepford children ("we got your back 'cause we are your squad" - vomit). Otherwise, this scene wraps everything up well and leaves you satisfield with the weird, wild journey you just went on.

What a score (my #1 favorite in all of musical theater history), what a cast, what a show! If there are not multiple Tonys thrown at this masterpiece, any significance the Tonys have is null and void.

In short, GET THERE or you’re missing the show of the year!

[mk1comics]

Hi from Mk1 and welcome to MARK ONE's 30th year!   Check out Mr Scott McGill’s reinterpretation of the MK1 logo - specially made for our 30th anniversary - MK1 to the Future! 

Our  traditional Birthday celebration FREE COMIC BOOK DAY will be held  on Saturday 4th of May 2019 - here's the page to track all the info for our big day in May http://blog.mk1.co.nz/FCBD2019 .  Our Facebook event page is here https://www.facebook.com/events/407862893303368/  The World Wide page is here https://www.freecomicbookday.com/

More Pop Culture happenings on the near horizon starting with the The GROOVES IN THE GARDEN Retro Market and Soul Picnic next weekend at the Hamilton Gardens (Sunday 24th Feb 2019).  We will have a stand in the COMIC ZONE  so drop by say Hi!   More info here https://hgaf.co.nz/grooves-in-the-garden/    Also on that weekend is the latest HAMILTON BOARD GAMES BY THE BAY installment more info here:  https://www.boardgamesbythebay.org.nz/ 

Looking ahead to matters more pertinent to our MK1 shelves,  I've picked out a few things high on the EXCITE-O-METER below The BOARD GAME RISING SUN looks the goods - great reviews and buzz on BOARDGAME GEEK  amazing miniatures and nice game play. RISING SUN  is due at MK1 later this month - let me know if you would like a headsup when copies hit the shelf.

Check out the blurb for our March hit pick LITTLE BIRD - I was lucky enough to read low res PDF copies of the first three issues - this one's a great read - EAST of WEST and SAGA fans should be pretty chuffed with this one.. or anybody looking for a new Future-riffic Sci-Fi/horror read. IMAGE COMICS : LITTLE BIRD #1 (OF 5) MK1 Price $9.00 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/JAN190099  

NZ comic maker Ross Murray releases his excellent webcomic  RUFUS MARIGOLD in printed form - arriving at MK1 next month.  Nice review of the web series  here http://fromearthsend.blogspot.com/2016/09/review-rufus-marigold-by-ross-murray.html  Ask us for an arrival alert or if you are in AUCKLAND on the 28th of Feb check out the Rufus Marigold Book Launch & Exhibition : details here https://www.facebook.com/events/337389540449378/    

Marvel's new WAR OF REALMS miniseries/mini event looks pretty sweet - preorders are climbing and our order numbers are up for the associated series THOR title so consider that a good sign for this Jason Aaron/Russell Dauterman story : WAR OF REALMS #1  https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/JAN190870 

Speaking of order increases: I find a pretty good indicator of buzz worthy titles is for me to review my recent order history - picking out titles where I've gone back to publisher to increase MK1' s initial order.  Here's a quick list of titles whose MK1 stocks are increasing:

Marvel: GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY  https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/Series/141370-GUARDIANS-OF-THE-GALAXY 

Image: SECOND COMING https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/Series/141608-SECOND-COMING

Marvel: CONAN THE BARBARIANhttps://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/Series/141344-CONAN-THE-BARBARIAN

Boom Studio: RONIN-ISLAND   https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/Series/141591-RONIN-ISLAND

DC Comics : BATMAN #64, #65 and FLASH #64, #65  THE PRICE storylinehttps://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/DEC180515

Image Comics : LITTLE BIRD #1 (OF 5) https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/JAN190099

DC Comics : DETECTIVE COMICS #1000 https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/JAN190542 That's just a sampling - you can get the full picture of the months ahead by checking out our Preorder Forms - here are the links for  March and April and it's not to late to check out FEB too.  If the full listings look too daunting you can just visit the Highlights section of the form each month - all major new releases are listed there.

Okay that's it from me - hopefully we can catch up at one of the events coming up.. I'll finish by listing the regular email groups that we send out : Reply back if you would like to be added to any of the following or reply with the word REMOVE to the email group that you want to jump off.

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

MK1 EMAIL NEWSLETTERS: 

THIS WEEK Preview  - start the week with a preview of the week's expected comic titles

COMICS ARRIVALS - a weekly email sent out when the new comics are unpacked and are online - great for customers wanting early notification when the new Variant covers are online.

Monthly Catalogue - Heads up notification when the latest Monthly preorder form is available

MK1 Game News - mostly monthly headsup of the major Games talking points.

The MARK TEN newsletter - a summary of out latest discounts, deals and offers.

MK1 Newsletter Everything and anything MK1 - all the big MK1 news - mostly monthly.