#s: iron man vol 7 | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

lotusflowerbreakingthesurface · 3 months ago

Text

❝Zhang Qiling's Birthday Congratulations❞

𝓗𝓪𝓹𝓹𝔂 𝓫𝓲𝓻𝓽𝓱𝓭𝓪𝔂, 𝓧𝓲𝓪𝓸𝓰𝓮! ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝⋆✧˚

On this special month, let's get to know 'the soul character' of Daomu Biji, the one who always gives Wu Xie a sense of security, Zhang Qiling aka Men You Ping aka Xiaoge in a deeper understanding. Who doesn't know him? He is one of the protagonists and the spiritual leader of the Iron Triangle!

©Divider by @saradika-graphics

Source: NPSS's WeChat or here

Since Daomu Biji is in Wu Xie's first person POV, it's difficult to know what Xiaoge is thinking and what kind of character Xiaoge is. Let's get to know him bit by bit through some info that I found in Chinese fandom and my meta hehe. Please note that I'm not fluent in Chinese, so this post contains a heavy amount of MTL, and people tend to have a different perception and understanding of things, so just take it easy, okay? (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧

※ Contents List ※

Zhang Qiling's Appearance

Zhang Qiling's Body Type

Zhang Qiling's Personality

Zhang Qiling's Character Origin/Prototype

Zhang Qiling's Character Development (a simple meta by me)

First of all, let's take a look at the character "Zhang Qiling" according to Chinese sites and other sites as well.

Source: Baidu [I only took some parts of it, for more info about Zhang Qiling, please visit the site]

The author Nanpai Sanshu mentioned in an interview that Xiaoge is the kindest, wisest, mysterious and powerful character in the whole book. In addition, in the original text of DaoBi (Daomu Biji), Xiaoge has maintained a young appearance for decades. The author calls him "the complete body of immortality", so he will not suffer from the sequelae of immortality such as "corpse transformation", which can be said to be a perfect immortal.

❆ 𝑨𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 ❆

He has a pair of calm (indifferent) and clear eyes—Daomu Biji Vol. 2: Heavenly Palace on the Clouds (Part 1) Ch. 48 (MereBear's Translation), Wu Xie's Private Notes Ch. 9 (MereBear's Translation)

Reference: A photo of a young man appeared on the slide. He was silent, calm, and his eyes were as clear as clear water. He was carrying something on his back and walking normally. His eyes were looking in the direction of the camera. He obviously saw the person taking the photo, but he didn't care at all.—Sand Sea 3 Ch. 28 | Ch. 139 (MereBear's Translation)

Good-looking

Reference: "Why don't we just find a wife for him and marry him off to a rich woman? With his looks, I think we can make some money."—Daomu Biji Vol. 6: Ancient Building Under the Dark Mountain Ch. 1 (MereBear's Translation)

Well-proportioned, handsome, and eye-catching (wearing a suit)

Reference: Men You Ping has a well-proportioned figure and a blank expression. He looks very handsome in a suit and is extremely eye-catching."—Daomu Biji Vol. 7: Stone Shadow in Qiong Cave Ch. 5 (MereBear's Translation)

His face is quite distinctive

Reference: Xiaoge's face is actually quite distinctive. He is not someone who would be lost in the crowd.—Tibetan Sea Flower 1 Ch. 21 (MereBear's Translation)

Wu Xie is the ultimate beauty that can be seen in the world, and Zhang Qiling is invisible to the world——too corny (NPSS's interview) [I think what it means by "invisible to the world" refers to the inner beauty, his kindness perhaps? But this kind of answer should be a joke lol]

He is 180cm tall, fair-skinned, silent, with dark hair and dark pupils, his eyes half covered by his hair (NPSS's interview)

❆ 𝑩𝒐𝒅𝒚 𝑻𝒚𝒑𝒆 ❆

He has a lot of muscle mass

Reference: Xiaoge's weight is actually moderate, and he has a lot of muscle mass. So even though he looks lean and well-proportioned, his actual weight feels much heavier than the last time I helped him.—Daomu Biji Vol. 8: Finale Ch. 56 (MereBear's Translation)

He has a high muscle fiber density

Reference:

Liang Wan was able to touch patient Zhang’s arm while giving him a routine examination. Although his muscles weren’t very exaggerated, the density of the fibers was beyond comprehension.—Sand Sea 1: Introduction Part 2 (MereBear's Translation)

He [the doctor] then proceeded to squeeze Men You Ping's muscles, "Your muscle fiber density is even better than that of athletes. What kind of exercises do you do?"—Notes in Rain Village 2 Ch. 20 (MereBear's Translation)

❆ 𝑷𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 ❆

Silent, indifferent, alienated, and easily misunderstood

Reference: If you are not in the same group as Men You Ping, you will feel very uncomfortable with him, and you will feel more and more uncomfortable. People who know him know that he is just taking a nap when he leans there, but people who don't know him think that this gloomy guy is full of bad intentions and ready to torture them.—Sand Sea 4 Ch. 208 (MereBear's Translation)

Strong action, perseverance, and fearlessness

Reference: He is a man who keeps moving forward for his purpose. Even if there are countless barbs on the road he walks on, he will keep moving forward, regardless of any harm along the way, until all his flesh is scraped off by the barbs or he reaches his destination alive.—Daomu Biji Vol. 8: Finale Ch. 75 (MereBear's Translation)

Spiritual leader and give a sense of security

Reference: He often has a blank expression on his face, but once his expression changes, it usually means he is about to face a critical situation. In the ancient tomb, he acts as the spiritual leader of the team, and his companions obey his instructions, always giving those around him a sense of security.—Daomu Biji Vol. 1 (Part 2): Angry Sea, Hidden Sands

Strong heart and the king of fighting

Reference: Ma Pingchuan thought it very strange that he was having a serious conversation with a teenager, and he even felt overwhelmed by the child's aura.—Tibetan Sea Flower 1 Ch. 3 (MereBear's Translation)

Act cautiously and carefully, clear the way and lead the way

Reference: He leaped in front of the mummy without hesitation, and looked at his mouth first. Finding that there was nothing in his mouth, he put his hands under the corpse's armpits and pressed it down.—Daomu Biji 1 (Part 2): Angry Sea, Hidden Sands Ch. 62 (MereBear's Translation)

Mysterious and unique

Reference: There had to be something strange about those seven bridges-if you got on the wrong one, you'd likely encounter a disaster. In order to avoid this trouble, Poker-Face chose another way-it really was his style to never follow the path others had arranged.—Daomu Biji Vol. 8: Finale Ch. 59 (Merebear's Translation)

Calm and resilient

Reference: I remained silent. I didn't know what kind of person Menyouping was, but I could vouch for his psychological endurance. This kind of person's psychological quality has reached a certain level. It is very difficult to make him receive a great stimulus.—Daomu Biji Vol. 5: Snake Marsh Ghost City Ch. 60 (MereBear's Translation)

Selflessness, a strong sense of responsibility, saving people in distress, and silently dedicate to protect others

Reference: Men You Ping shook his head, "Your level of awareness is too low. If our theory is correct, then whatever happened is extremely dangerous. I am afraid you won’t be able to handle it. I'll keep watching all night, you should have a good rest."—Daomu Biji Vol. 5: Snake Marsh Ghost City Ch. 20 (MereBear's Translation)

Repay evil with kindness and respect life

Reference: An old man had died during our stay in the village, and Mem You Ping had also shown him a kind of attentiveness before he had died. When the old man fell asleep in the sun, Men You Ping would often stop and take a look at him.—Daomu Biji Extra: Fishing King Ch. 26 (Merebear's Translation)

[Note: I can only put one excerpt from the book as a supplement, but there are definitely many words worth your attention in the book :)]

❆ 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑶𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒊𝒏/𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒐𝒕𝒚𝒑𝒆 ❆

If we talk about Zhang Qiling's prototype, we should go back to the first draft of Daomu Biji that NPSS posted on QQ Space under the title 《阴间笔记•七星皇陵��》 "Notes from the Underworld: The Seven-Star Imperial Tomb" and its outline setting (see here for details). Later, he posted the fanfiction of Ghost Blows Out the Light on its Post Bar under the title 《七星鲁王宫》 "Seven Stars Lu Palace" (the original post is gone now, but here is a little glimpse of it). As you may already know, Daomu Biji was started as a fanfiction of 《鬼吹灯》 "Ghost Blows Out the Light" by 天下霸唱 (Tianxia Bachang). People often regard it as the pioneer of the tomb-robbing novel due to its popularity back in its heyday and it has a huge influence on the same genre later on, Daomu Biji is no exception. In the Ghost Blows Out the Light, there are three major characters, Hu Bayi, Shirley Yang, and Wang Pangzi. Among those three characters, only Wang Pangzi shares the similarity to "Wang Pangzi" in Daomu Biji. Then, how about other characters? Is Zhang Qiling a gender-changed Shirley Yang?

According to this post by MuzzledIdealist, the answer is below:

Q: Is Zhang Qiling a gender-changed Shirley Yang?

A: I don’t know where the rumor that Zhang Qiling is a gender-changed Shirley Yang came from… His [NPSS's] first chapter was indeed a Ghost Blows Out the Light fanfiction serialized in the Ghost Blows Out the Light forum [Baidu Post Bar], but the first chapter was about the tomb-robbing in Changsha fifty years ago, and the names Zhang Qiling and Wu Xie did not appear at all. The protagonists of Xu Lei's [NPSS's] earliest writing plan were ZYN (370’s original name), "I" and "Sun Zhongwei" (see the character setting, it was later split into Pangzi, Pan Zi, and Wu Sanxing). The prototype of Zhang Qiling is 370. I never whitewash Xu Lei, although the initial story background borrowed from Ghost Blows Out the Light, Zhang Qiling and Wu Xie have always been original [characters].

In the fanfiction that was written by NPSS, there were no characters with the name "Zhang Qiling" and "Wu Xie". Zhang Qiling and Wu Xie have always been the original from DaoBi and it has nothing to do with Ghost Blows Out the Light. Even so, Zhang Qiling indeed has a real person prototype which appeared in that fanfiction, he is ZYN (I don't know if it's appropriate to put a real person's name here), he is a former classmate of NPSS.

[For more info, see 张起灵相关bot's post or here or here]

NPSS had a classmate and roommate in high school. His bed number was 370 (homonymous with Zhang Qiling), and later he was his deskmate. In [TEDxSISU Fever], Sanshu said that he was a rare person who could notice and understand him, and he was a very good friend. The author turned this "most important man" into the most important character in the novel, Zhang Qiling, and expressed his feelings for this close friend.

"Look at your current deskmate, that inconspicuous little boy back then, who has now spread the story of you and me to the whole world." ✦

ZYN who is the prototype of Zhang Qiling is a man, then how could Zhang Qiling set to be a female character? See the explanation below:

About Zhang Qiling who was supposed to be a woman disguised as a man was first mentioned in the lecture at Fudan University in 2013:

Source: 大头尸胎

However, there is a follow-up interview on March 11, 2023 which basically implied that it's actually not NPSS's idea to set him as the female lead and Zhang Qiling is a man from the beginning to the end.

Q: It has been rumored that Zhang Qiling was originally intended to be a female character? NPSS: This happened a long time ago. These were my thoughts when I was writing the first chapter, he was definitely intended to be a male character at the beginning. Many colleagues told me that he should be a female character and that I should write him as a female character. The seniors at that time were still quite traditional. The seniors in the magazines said that you need a female lead. I was wondering what to do. They said that you should just write Zhang Qiling as a female character. I hesitated at that time, but then I followed the whole process to write it. Because his prototype was my classmate, it was difficult to write him as a female character. It was hard to imagine. I also know very few female characters. In fact, I have been working hard to learn how to write a female character in recent years.

Source: Text | Video | Summary

I think NPSS has his own idea in his mind, when his senior colleague suggested adding a heroine and thought about making PingXie as an official pairing, he hesitated at first, but in the end, he did try it and even had the idea of disguising as the opposite gender (and perhaps to make it easier to write), but later he realized that Zhang Qiling can only exist as a man. He sticks to his words at this point, because I can tell that in the subsequent series, he used descriptions such as "has a lot of muscle mass", "almost inhuman speed", "incomparably strong", "weight feels much heavier", "has a high muscle fiber density", "carrying on one shoulder", "a body more perfect than an athlete", etc. Why do I feel like he works so hard to nullify the words "the body is soft as a woman's" in the earliest book? Does he feel guilty to his former classmate? ( ≖‿ ≖ )

The most interesting thing is that Zhang Qiling and his prototype share many similarities, such as being born in November, being a Scorpio, having a shoe size of 43, being 180 cm in height, and Uncle 370's (fans in Chinese fandom often called ZYN "370叔") wife's birthday is on March 5, which is also Wu Xie's birthday (˵ ¬ᴗ¬˵)

Source: MuzzledIdealist

❆ 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑫𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒑𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 ❆

This is only a simple meta of Xiaoge's character development before and after he meets Wu Xie and Pangzi, which is also purely my personal opinion and does not represent NPSS's opinion. First of all, since I think that Zhang Qiling's character development is deeply influenced and inseparable from Wu Xie's character development, I labeled this meta as a cp-oriented analysis just in case. Nevertheless, I tried my best not to see it with shipping goggles though we don't need it. It's short and may not be perfect, I only read the books from the main story to the period of Notes in Rain Village (and extra stories) once, and it was over half a year ago. If there are any mistakes, I apologize. And if it's okay with you, here you go~

⚠︎ Warning: Spoilers! Spoilers! Spoilers!

What is so unique about Zhang Qiling (and Wu Xie) is that every stage of their life shows a different temperament (though I won't talk about all of them here, it would be too long). Zhang Qiling has lived for a long time and experienced many things.

Tibetan Sea Flower Online Q&A on August 31, 2024:

Q: Universe God, I want to ask you, when Xiaoge first saw Wu Xie being so friendly and kind to him, did he find it hard to believe that there are people in the world who simply cherish and love him without any ulterior motives?

A: Zhang Qiling can see through people's hearts at a glance. It's not that he is smart, but that he has seen too much. People are very simple to Zhang Qiling.

There is a change of heart before and after Xiaoge meets Wu Xie, as well as some behavioral changes when he gets out of the Bronze Door in ten years. It's difficult to see because we rarely have a glimpse of what Xiaoge is thinking through Wu Xie's perspective. However, it's not impossible to see as long as you pay attention carefully to his various actions. In ten years, his outer appearance may not change, but the core of his personality has changed to a certain extent, and he started to put value on many aspects of his life. In other words, he is no longer indifferent to some things. His world has gained a warm color.

Let's go back to his early days. In Three Days of Silence, there are three perspectives about Xiaoge. The first one is the perspective of the little lama's senior brothers, they said that he resembles a postman without destinations. Outsiders who don't know about Xiaoge think that Xiaoge lacks human nature, so he looks out of place in the human world. However, he is not without destinations. He knows clearly what he has to do because he had those so-called missions appear in his head before he had the chance to figure out who he was. The second is the little lama's perspective, he thought that Xiaoge is like Buddha who has no desire to think about worldly affairs. And the third is how the master denied that Xiaoge is like Buddha, people who are born without desires are stones.

Since the day he was born, Xiaoge's freedom has been taken away from him. This freedom was replaced with the Zhang family missions, making his life full of purpose, and yet it was not his own purpose. No one tells him to live his own life, and he doesn't even know how to do it, because from the very beginning he has been living this way.

In the subsequent narration, the master said that Xiaoge was like a stone, but Xiaoge eventually came to meet his mother. It was proof that he was not completely a stone, it was just that his desire as a human was hidden within himself. He needs a revelation to make him realize that it exists and that it's okay to feel it.

“You have to learn to think and miss that the first and last gift your mother gives you will be your heart that was hidden by those people.”

Even so, trusting and loving someone is not an easy task. The moment he understood what the master said, he lost his mother. It was the first time he could feel his connection with the world, but also the first time he lost it. He has a strong heart and resolve, so he was searching for this "connection" again, but the only thing he could find was all about the Zhang family's missions.

He continued, "I am a person without a past and a future. All I do is to find find my connection with this world. Where did I come from and why am I here?" He looked at his hands and said calmly, "Can you imagine that if someone like me disappears from this world, no one will find out, as if I have never existed in this world, without leaving any trace? Sometimes when I look in the mirror, I often doubt whether I really exist or am just a phantom of a person."—Daomu Biji Vol. 4: Snake Marsh Ghost City (Part II) Chapter 18 | Chapter 47 (MereBear's Translation)

In the process of searching, he had seen too much and gradually understood that what has meaning today may lose its meaning tomorrow.

Tencent Video Interview in September 2024

Q: Tibetan Sea Flower is actually a process of searching for him.

A: Searching for his past is also a process of him going from a god to a human being, and Sand Sea is a process of Wu Xie going from a human to a god, and they cross paths in the middle.

"Does meaning have any meaning?" Menyouping showed a rare concern for the word "meaning". He looked at the blazing bonfire and said, "The word meaning itself has no meaning."—Daomu Biji Vol. 8: Finale (Part II) Chapter 17 | Chapter 78 (MereBear's Translation)

He once hoped, but he never dared to put so much expectation, until Wu Xie appeared.

Tibetan Sea Flower Online Q&A on September 22, 2024

Q: Has Wu Xie ever taught Zhang Qiling anything?

A: There is a person called Wu Xie in the world, and this is the first time you have seen him in a hundred years.

Then, let's take a look at this series of statements by NPSS about Zhang Qiling.

NPSS wrote about Zhang Qiling at the end of vol. 8:

Men You Ping: This is a powerful man who is like a god or Buddha. I can always write with extra ease when he is around, because as long as he is by your side, he can protect you from all disasters and pains. He has no words, he is not happy, he is not sad, he always stands there like a [Chinese] porcelain doll, watching everything indifferently [my friend said "瓷娃娃" is a symbolic sculpture without the feeling of sorrow or joy], but you know he cares about you. No one can ever bring you so much sense of security like him. However, I don't know why, when I write about the various actions of this man, I always feel a deep sadness in my heart.

As he said, he is a person without past and future. His only connection with the world seems to have little value [it was before he claimed Wu Xie as his only connection with the world, at that time he was only searching for his memories and clues about himself which actually led to his responsibility as Zhang Qiling but not his true self]. He doesn't know where he came from or where he will go. He only knows that he has something he must do in this world. "Can you imagine? One day, when you wake up from a cave, you don't know anything and look around in confusion, you already have a responsibility that you must shoulder. You have no right to see the scenery along the way, you can't enjoy [to be with] friends and lovers, and all the beautiful things in your life have lost their meaning to you the moment you regain consciousness."

Zhang Qiling is carrying his own destiny in silence. What hurts me the most is that he just carried it nonchalantly, as if it was all natural, as if it was just an insignificant matter. If you ask him, he will just shake his head silently and tell you: "It doesn't matter". This is the man I wrote. He bears the most painful fate in the world, even a thousand times more painful than death, but he is not angry or sad, neither escaping nor suffering. He is right there, telling everyone he protects that it doesn't matter.

Zhang Qiling is physically and mentally strong, if not he wouldn't have survived all alone by himself in those years. However, being strong doesn't mean he has no weakness. He is not omnipotent nor a god. Having a weakness is a sign that he is human. He is observant and cautious, he is often caught off guard when received Tianshou (which can't be predicted) or when he loses too much blood (because his wound takes longer to heal than ordinary people). Most of the time, he feels indifferent to the pain. He endures it well, but he is not immune to it, he still feels hurt.

Snake Ancestor ignored him. After he was done, he said to Men You Ping: "Your hand will hurt so much that you can't move it for three days. It will be like stone, but you won't die."

Men You Ping raised his bitten hand and took a deep breath. He saw that the blood vessels near the wound were bulging, and his stiff fingers began to move instantly.

"Can you still move? Impossible?" Snake Ancestor was surprised. "Don't you feel pain?"

"It does hurt." Menyouping shook his hands and switched the knife to his other hand. With a loud snap, the young master was knocked over and fell on his back. The entire floor arched up, and a huge claw-like insect flipped up from under the floor, and the floor fragments were scattered everywhere.—Daomu Biji Extra: Fantasy Ch. 20 | Ch. 2.24 (MereBear's Translation)

Then, he meets Wu Xie.

Tibetan Sea Flower Online Q&A on August 31, 2024:

Q: What was Zhang Qiling and Wu Xie's first impression of each other?

A: Wu: Wow, what a cocky guy. Zhang: It seems like there is an amateur in the team.

Facebook Interview on September 18, 2014:

Q: I want to know why Xiaoge takes such good care of Tianzhen throughout the whole story, because his care for Tianzhen has gone beyond the scope of friends and colleagues (personal opinion).

A: When you see people around you being as weak as tofu*, you will also think of giving them some protection so that you don't have to do the laundry [something like 'avoid unnecessary trouble'].

*豆腐 "tofu": I'm not sure if international fans know about tofu, there are many variations of tofu, but the texture of tofu is usually very soft and easily broken if you don't handle it properly.

Tibetan Sea Flower Online Q&A on August 31, 2024:

Q: When did Zhang Qiling start to feel that Wu Xie was special?

A: When Wu Xie performed impossible and inhumane miracles time and time again.

Douyin Live on 16 September, 2024:

Q: There is a line in the book "Tibetan Sea Flower" that says that Xiaoge lost his connection with the world. Do you think it was a certain turning point that made Xiaoge feel that he had some connection with the world again? Or was it not a certain moment, but the accumulation of various friendships and experiences?

A: I can give you an example. You know that there are people who can establish a connection with you, and you know that there are people who can work hard to connect you with the world. Maybe he himself is the anchor point of that connection, but you also know that this person will not always be there. Zhang Qiling knows very well that it is impossible for someone to always do this, because his destiny is to be disconnected from the world, and his entire life is to be constantly disconnected. So he knew that in his long life, there might be many people willing to do this, but who would be willing to do this all the time? Zhang Qiling had no hope for this, because he had experienced many separations and seen many such situations.

So when the Iron Triangle was formed, Zhang Qiling initially thought that this might just be a short journey, a short connection. He knew that maybe it could be done. Ordinary people can always become god-like in a short period of time. Ordinary people have this light, but if you can become god-like for a lifetime, Zhang Qiling has never thought about it, but the Iron Triangle is moving towards this possibility. They will become a lifelong connection. For Wu Xie and Pangzi, they have burned up all their time.

This is a more real connection than anyone Zhang Qiling can remember.

Tencent Video Open Day Live on 9 September, 2024:

Q: It is known that Wu Xie is a magnificient scholar of Zhang Studies, but what about Zhang Qiling? How much does he know about Wu Xie? Who knows him better, him or Wu Xie?

A: I think Wu Xie is a very simple person. Wu Xie's resume is written on one A4 page. So I think Zhang Qiling knows more about Wu Xie. Moreover, Zhang Qiling has seen so many people. He may have only one question about Wu Xie, that is, among so many people, what is the difference between Wu Xie and others. Wu Xie in his long life, he would think that Wu Xie is somewhat different. What is the difference?Right, because Wu Xie wiped out the Zhang family (slip of the tongue, it should be the Wang family) by himself.

Nanjing Live Broadcast on August 16, 2023:

Q: What is the relationship between the Iron Triangle from Zhang Qiling’s perspective?

A: I think he has to go through several stages. At the beginning, he will think of two mortals, two ordinary people, and then try his best to protect them. Then slowly he discovered that these two people also had a slightly different aura. And in many cases, it is said that the behaviors and states of these people are beyond the energy range of ordinary people. For example, he may encounter very persistent people many times in his life. But those who are persistent may not be able to hold on for a year or two. In other words, his harsh life is something that others cannot keep up with. But he met someone like Wu Xie who always persistent and became stronger and stronger, constantly upgrading himself. This person is very special. He may be different from others. In such a long world, people like this are rare. This person is very special. He may be different from others. In such a long world, such people are rare. Then there is Wang Pangzi. How can this person do it? The way they do it is different. Wu Xie relies on persistence, and Pangzi relies on being heartless and shameless. So it feels that in the past, all the companions around you may disappear after walking and walking, but these two people not only did not disappear, but their presence became stronger and stronger. In the end, I feel that I will get used to it slowly.

Taobao Live Broadcast on October 30, 2022:

Q: After Zhang Qiling met Wu Xie and others from the beginning and experienced so much together now, will there be any changes in his mentality?

A: I think his world will become a warm color. His previous world was not a cold color, but a neutral color. It made no difference to him whether he had it or not. There was no concept of ownership in his life, whether I was owned by you or I owned something myself. When the world has warm tones, (although) he is essentially a person who has no meaning to him for any possession, the only thing he can have is that color. There may still be various problems with his memory in the future, but that touch of warmth will eventually belong to him, and the color of that world and that period of time cannot be washed or erased. What I mean is that even Tianshou can't erase that kind of temperature. I think this is the most core change in his mentality.

Live broadcast on June 11, 2021:

NPSS: For Zhang Qiling, Wu Xie is his only connection with the human world. He can have no connection with the human world. After so many years, Wu Xie is the opportunity for him to be willing to connect with the human world. This is also something that requires courage for him, because connecting with Wu Xie means connecting with other people. At the beginning, Wu Xie was just one of the many people he had saved, but Wu Xie reached a state of transcendence through his own qualities. He can attract another person who is not a mortal. There is such a person. When you look at him, you will have this feeling-

Host: This is that person, this is the person I am looking for.

NPSS: Yes.

It only takes less than two years to change Zhang Qiling's opinion about Wu Xie, from 'one of the people he had saved' to 'his only connection with this world'. Two years are just a small number in Xiaoge's long life, but the days when they got along together in life-and-death situations are much more meaningful than what he ever imagined. Knowing him little by little, Xiaoge feels that Wu Xie is different, a rare soul. Wu Xie cares about him without any hidden intentions. He is sincere and persistent, proving himself that he has exceeded Xiaoge's presumptions of human beings, again and again.

"Human beings are much scarier than ghosts, and it is hard to understand people's hearts," said Men You Ping, "Living people are worse than ghosts." After saying that, he glanced at Laba's hidden knife.—Tibetan Sea Flower 1 Ch. 12

Later, NPSS explained about Zhang Qiling's farewell in Hangzhou (see more here or here):

"He came to find Wu Xie, which was the biggest emotion in his life for so many years."

Xiaoge is not without emotions. For Zhang Qiling who has seen too much and experienced all sorts of things, it's not easy to cause a spark in his heart. He has his own way of dealing with his own emotions and expressing his feelings. As an analogy, his emotional state is like an ocean; vast, calm, and deep. A small ripple won't have any effect on him, and the waves were just small frictions on the surface. Despite this, that day when he came to Hangzhou to say goodbye to Wu Xie, he felt the greatest emotions after so many years of emotional numbness.

"I came to say goodbye to you." He said, "It's all over. I thought about my connection with this world, and it seems that the only one I can find now is you."—Daomu Biji Vol. 8: Finale (Part II) Ch. 25 | Ch. 76 (MereBear's Translation)

It was stated in Tibetan Sea Flower that Xiaoge also came to Pangzi and entrusted him with three things, which are related to Wu Xie's presumably future actions.

"The first thing is that you found his statue." Pangzi said, "This proves that you found the place where he began to lose connection with this world. This statue was made for him by the best craftsman in the temple at that time. It is his only projection in this world."—Tibetan Sea Flower 2 Ch. 19 | Ch. 84 (MereBear's Translation)

Each encounter has its own purpose. Pangzi didn't chase after Xiaoge, because he understood that if Xiaoge choose not to tell him everything, then so be it, and no one can stop him once he made a decision. On the other hand, Wu Xie has an intrigued temper which is different from Pangzi. If Xiaoge deliberately didn't tell him anything, Wu Xie could just go find it out by himself.

Xiaoge is someone who solves the problem right on the spot the moment he figures it out, and he will not do something unnecessary.

Tibetan Sea Flower Online Q&A on 6 September, 2024:

Q: How would Wu Xie or Xiaoge overcome difficulties when they encounter them, or what is their psychology?

A: Xiaoge overcomes the difficulties on the spot, while Wu Xie overcomes the difficulties secretly.

He came to Wu Xie, even though it had nothing to do with his mission. He could just go straight away to Changbai mountains, but he didn't. What did he expect after saying those words? He was aware of Wu Xie's temper, yet he still went to find him and said something that even Wu Xie might not know what it meant at that time; because he wanted him to know.

He had lost his connection with this world once, and he was going to experience it again. There was no need to carve his emotions on a stone, he now understood it very well; to think and miss; to have his own desire. He wanted Wu Xie to know how important he was to him. He is always selfless, but this time he found again his long-lost desire, a selfish desire.

"It's all over. I thought about my connection with this world, and it seems that the only one I can find now is you."

Those words are not just ordinary "romantic" or "insignificant" words. They can't be understood with a superficial approach, but only after reading Tibetan Sea Flower and Three Days of Silence or Zhang Qiling's story that the meaning can be conveyed properly. They carry so much meaning that speaks volumes of what Xiaoge was thinking at that time. It was the first time after he lost his mother, Baima, that he had his own "desire" again.

“Wu Xie is the opportunity for him to be willing to connect with the human world. This is also something that requires courage for him, because connecting with Wu Xie means connecting with other people.”

In other words, Wu Xie is like a "bridge" that connects Zhang Qiling's world to the human world, and leads to another lifelong companionship like Pangzi. Even to this day, a genuine and sincere relationship without any malice is rare to be found in this world. Wu Xie is an important part of Xiaoge's existence, and recognizing this strong bond won't make Zhang Qiling lose himself. On the contrary, Wu Xie helped him to find his pieces of life and finally do something he truly wants. It's not a one-sided feeling, Xiaoge sacrificed himself for Wu Xie, and it was not out of obligation or courtesy. And it was also the case with Wu Xie defeated the Wang family. Their feelings for each other have always been unconditional, they don't ask anything in return, and what they have done only shows how far they can go for the other.

Xiaoge: “I will give you my whole life in exchange for your ten years of innocence.”

Wu Xie: “I will use my ten years in exchange for your stability and peace of mind for the rest of your life”

There is so much happening after this period that it is worth talking about, but it's getting too long. Perhaps I will continue it, but I cannot guarantee anything (∩˃ω˂∩)

Thank you for reading! ^^

Source: Original picture by 刘巴布

#zhang qiling birthday month #daomu biji #dmbj #dmbj meta #zhang qiling #pingxie #pingxie only #盗墓笔记 #张起灵 #瓶邪 #瓶邪only #congratulatory post

56 notes · View notes

jenyifer · 5 months ago

Text

Book List Time!!!

And with that I have 10 give or take books to discuss. Now I’m up to over 30 books since May woooo telling tumblr about each one has been a great motivator so I hope my reviews and list help people out in a non spoiler fun way. Gonna rank these in order I want to reread them.

1. Green Creek the series by TJ Klune 🏳️‍🌈🐺🌶️🌲 Wolfsong Ravensong Heartsong Brothersong I am obsessed. Literally read all four books in 3 days. I have bought physical copies and marked them up. Will make you cry, laugh, and stay in your heart forever. Just……. Go read it. But the quick synopsis is Powerful Humans Wolves Witches have to pay for the sins of their fathers over and over again while maintaining their found family and finding their true soulmates. There is Ace Lesbian non binary rep in here as well.

2. The Warden by Daniel Ford🏳️‍🌈 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩🧙‍♀️❄️🪦truly a fantasy masterpiece the romance isn’t the focus but it’s fucking good. First sapphic book to get a 10/10 for me. About a witch(with a magic system that is interesting surprising) growing up and finding herself a family without sacrificing who she is. I loved her and at first you think ehhh is this going to be boring no definitely not. Was surprising made me laugh and cry. Can’t wait for part 2 cause more of the hot gf in there I hope.

3. A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland🏳️‍🌈👑⚔️🌶️🌶️ I listened to this book two times in a row I enjoyed it so much. It’s a bodyguard and prince story. The prince’s depiction of depression anxiety panic attacks was so real. The bodyguard is very endearing. The themes of family are strong and interesting. The mystery was easy to solve but I found it rewarding because I wanted the prince to win so badly haha.

4. Spindle Splintered by Alix E Harrow🏳️‍🌈👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩👸🏼🥀😢

Short story about a dying girl who has a special interest in sleeping beauty. It does have a…. Debatably Sad ending. I did enjoy it for what it was trying to talk about. I lost a friend when she was too young. I’m glad I read it.

5. Scumbag Villains Self-Saving System series by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu 🏳️‍🌈🚩⚔️😈🕊️🤓🌶️? I’m putting it up this high because besides that scene in chapter 21 that slapped me in the brain I really enjoyed the series. Only Danmei I HAD TO GET THE REST OF THE SERIES IMMEDIATELY Hell I’ve even now written fan fic for the side ship. About a Nerd being put into his favorite love to hate stallion novel (story about a hero who fucks his way to success) but he’s in there as the abusive villain who the hero is destined to kill. The nerd has to save himself and unintentionally builds himself a harem featuring the most red flag the hero who so sololy motivated by the nerd. It’s great easy to read very fun. But 🌶️ scene in book 3 is a definite skip and delete from memory.

6. Case File Compendium Vol 1 by Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou 🏳️‍🌈? 😈🚩🩸🕵️🥼

I did just finish reading this so maybe I’m bias but I really did find it a book I couldn’t put down. I even brought it with me to work to read a chapter during my lunch breaks. Main characters are heavy in their homophobic lifestyles but they kiss and protect each other? True crime and mentally ill characters. MC is has a fatal mental illness that makes him unstable and MIL was his former private doctor. MC is trying to date MIL’s little sister. While getting up to shenanigans they stumble into a corrupt hospital and evil forces are maybe after them?! Idk its exciting fun to read but only if you like 🚩’s

7. The Disabled Tyrant’s Beloved Pet Fish Vol 1 by Xue Shan Fei Hu 🏳️‍🌈🐟👑🎨🖼️ I did genuinely laugh my ass off during reading this book. It was incredibly easy to read I think I finished it in 4 hours. Very cute. I love the inside and outside art. About a nonverbal Prince who has anger issues and his crush on the modern man who is trapped within an ugly little fish. Now yes the Prince is becomes actively in love with the fish. Lucky for us we are stuck in the man who is trapped as the fish’s pov and he is genuinely just trying to get back to his world by obeying the powers that be System’s prompts to go home. Fish is not trying to seduce the Prince or anything. It’s just funny I had a great time with vol 1 probably will read vol 2.

8. So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole 🏳️‍🌈👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨🐉🏝️ while having dragons and diverse cast it ultimately falls short of expectations wishing for more depth and clarity. The asexual spectrum representation feels muddled and Jamaican inspired cultural elements are unexplored which is at odds with its rich backdrop that could have enhanced the story. The story’s mystery element lacked cohesion resulting in a frustrating bittersweet ending that suggests a sequel and left me unsatisfied. I won’t read the next book. Won’t suggest it.

9. Faithless Book2 by C L Clark 🏳️‍🌈🚩👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩⚔️👑😩 a big let down from book 1 but I’m locked in for life I guess. Luca is back in France navigating a way to get the crown. While Touraine shows up with a priest and Teen to some how get food for her people. Most of the plot feels useless both MC characters are stupid and do no growing. The new teen character was interesting. I disliked the poly romance I didn’t particularly feel comfortable about Touraine and Luca why not add another person in what could go wrong? Luca’s reign as Queen looks to be very bad and you will feel extremely disappointed at the end. I’m going to read the next book but only because I like the characters who didn’t go to France.

10. Self-Made Boys by Anna-Marie McLemore.

I read 90% of this book and I regret it. It’s a trans characters as the leads gay retelling of the great gatsby. I was truly excited to read it I’ve read The Great Gatsby many times. However this book just laughs at the source material. I’m tempted to say maybe the Chat GPT’d the plot and didn’t ask for any over arching themes in the book. I couldn’t do it I’m gonna have to find a better trans representation book in my next set of ten.

DNF’s

Last Night at the Telegraph Club, The Once and Future witches, Gearbreakers, the emperor and the endless palace.

19 notes · View notes

fanboys-anonymous · 1 year ago

Text

#IFTTT #Blogger

4 notes · View notes

slovenlyrecordings · 2 years ago

Text

GREETINGS, SLOBS.

How ya been? Got some Record Store Day money left over? Blow it here! The new CHEATER SLICKS “Ill Fated Cusses” LP is here. Never has a band been so consistently radical, and this album is everything you hoped it would be: crunchy, noisy, dark, and demented with the underlying beauty they’ve always blessed us hopeless freaks with. Jeff from TOMMY and the COMMIES has his latest solo STRANGE ATTRACTOR effort making a Slovenly mail order appearance, and we gotta say, garage punk don’t get much better! Power-pop yer bag? Then grab the two new archival releases from Hunstville, Bamalama’s finest NIGHTMARE BOYZZZ (an LP and a 7inch!) and make sure to scoop their classic Slovenly long-player “Bad Patterns” while you're at it. If you’re hoping to expand your narrow r’n’r tastes, the new “Four” double LP from HEAVY METAL foots the bill nicely. Some great new 45rpm repros are also making the scene to help you get your dance parties started right and raw. We got lots of ‘em and you won’t be finding originals in dollar bins any time soon.

NEW ARRIVALS!

NIGHTMARE BOYZZZ" Singled Out: 2010-2014" (COKE BOTTLE CLEAR) LP

NIGHTMARE BOYZZZ "Say What You Mean / Backyard Coffins" 7"

HEAVY METAL "IV: Counter Electrode Iron Mono" (2xLP)

COLOURED BALLS "Ball Power" LP

TEMBO, CHRISSY ZEBBY & NGOZI FAMILY "My Ancestors" LP

MISFITS "Cuts From The Crypt" (Random colored vinyl) LP

MISFITS "Cuts From The Crypt" LP (Black vinyl)

RAMONES "Rocket To Russia" LP

RAMONES "S/T" LP

RAMONES "Road To Ruin" LP

RAMONES "Blitzkrieg '76" LP

VARIOUS ARTISTS "Slow Grind Fever Vol. 11" LP

VARIOUS ARTISTS "For Dancers Only - Primal Beats From The Basement" LP

VARIOUS ARTISTS "Born To Hula! - An Exotic Trip To The Land Of 1,000 Dances" (2xLP) (ORANGE vinyl)

VARIOUS ARTISTS "Rockin' 'n' Boppn' With DJ Rudy (A Rockin' Party Of Dancefloor Fillers)" (2xLP)

JIMMY NOLEN "I Can't Stand You No More" 7"

BUD HARPER "Wherever You Were / Mr Soul" 7"

DORIE WILLIAMS "Your Turn To Cry / Tell Me Everything You Know" 7"

KENNY & MOE "So Long - I'm Gone / Double Talk Baby" 7"

RUBY JOHNSON "What Goes Up Must Come Down / I Want A Real Man" 7"

EMPERORS "Karate" 7"

EDDIE BO "Every Dog Got His Day / Tell It Like It Is" 7"

BIG MAYBELLE "96 Tears / That's Life" 7"

BILL & WILL "Goin' To The River" 7"

COOK, RONNIE "The Goo Goo Muck/ The Scotch" 7"

"BIG" AL DOWNING "Georgia Slop" 7"

GAY POPPERS "I Want To Know / I've Got It" 7"

IDEALS "Go Get A Wig" 7"

LEE MOSES "Bad Girl Part 1 / Bad Girl Part 2" 7"

TABBY THOMAS "MMMMM I Don't Care/ Tomorrow" 7"

VARIOUS ARTISTS "Rat-A-Ma-Cue EXOTIC BLUES & RHYTHM Vol. 14" 10"

EARL CONNELLY "Every Whicha Kinda Way" 7"

COOKIE JACKSON "Do You Still Love Me" 7"

PROFILES "The Watusi Wobble / Take A Giant Step (Walk On)" 7"

2 notes · View notes

savage-kult-of-gorthaur · 1 year ago

Text

FEBRUARY FINDS -- MY ONLINE CURATED COLLECTION CONTINUES -- PART 1 OF 2.

PIC(S) INFO: Spotlight on assorted Tumblr Cover Photos for the month of February 2024, and featuring the faces and names of:

A double splash page of Wraithkind infecting planet Earth, from "ROM" Vol. 1 #49 (December, 1983)

American actor James Coburn as Steiner in the WWII-themed/anti-war film "Cross of Iron" (1977)

"Dying for Who" 7 inch by UK crust punk/D-beat band HELLKRUSHER

Venom VS. Iron Man, artwork by Kevin Hopgood, story by Len Kaminski

Whiskey photography by David Luciano

A promotional film still from the classic American apocalyptic noir "Kiss Me Deadly" (1955)

Promotional animation still from 1985 cult/dark fantasy Disney film "The Black Cauldron."

Promo photography for "First Issue" (1978), debut album by British post-punk group PUBLIC IMAGE LIMITED

Sources: www.bonappetit.com/story/history-of-my-long-drinking-life, View Comic Online, Picuki, Popmatters, Slant Magazine, Letterboxd, Reelgood, various, etc...

0 notes

kudosmyhero · 2 years ago

Text

Daredevil (vol. 1) #74: In the Country of the Blind!

Read Date: November 24, 2022 Cover Date: March 1971 ● Writer: Gerry Conway ● Penciler: Gene Colan ● Inker: Syd Shores ● Colorist: {uncredited} ● Letterer: Sam Rosen ● Editor: Stan Lee ●

**HERE BE SPOILERS: Skip ahead to the fan art/podcast to avoid spoilers

Reactions As I Read: ● once again, Gene Colan and Syd Shores are a dream team with the art ● [pg. 4, panel 3] nice p.o.v. shot, if DD could see, that is ● [panel 4] … ● enjoy it while you can, Matty. it won't last. (why did the lenses of your mask disappear, though?) ● [pg. 5] ok, that lasted even more briefly than I thought… seriously though, the first 3 panels on this page are really effective! ● like in the 'Man without Fear' series, Matt looks more blond/strawberry-blond than ginger. ● [pg. 7, panel 2] that is a really great panel in so many ways--the art, the reversal of roles, their friendship, etc ● [pg. 10] at least DD is keeping his inner narrative to thought bubbles rather than yammering away to himself. and panel 3 is great! ● [pg. 13] Smasher smash! ● aww, I like DD's group of buddies!

Synopsis: When the entire city is struck blind, Daredevil begins trying to learn the truth behind the strange phenomenon. With the help of a group of people who were blind prior to the incident, Daredevil stops a group of thugs who have drugged the water supply to cause the city to go blind and did so in order to loot the city at their leisure. DD and his blind friends beat the thugs into submission, the drug wears off, and everyone blinded by it has their vision restored.

(https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Daredevil_Vol_1_74)

Fan Art: Avocados at Law by TyrineCarver

Accompanying Podcast: ● Josh and Jamie Do Daredevil - episode 09

#marvel #marvel comics #my marvel read #podcast recommendation #podcast - josh and jamie do daredevil #comics #comic books #daredevil #matt murdock #fan art

0 notes

age-of-moonknight · 2 years ago

Text

History of the Vestments (Part II)

Long post incoming! :D Here are the rest of my random thoughts on 616!Moon Knight's costumes up through modern comics. As I was going through the material for this post, it normatively felt like there were a lot more artists drawing Moon Knight around the same period of time but with slightly different styles, so unfortunately this definitely isn't an exhaustive collection; it kind of ended up being a little less ontological and a bit more of a tour of some of my favorite points along the timeline (RIP my academic credibility).

1. The Skinny Peaked Hood Era

Although it was probably more indicative of artist David Finch's style than perhaps how Moon Knight's hood was actually supposed to be perceived, I do find it interesting that the markedly longer and thinner peak in the hood distinctive of Mr. Finch's work started to bleed into other artists' interpretation of Moon Knight around this time.

Moon Knight (Vol. 5/2006), #5

For example, there is this comic with art by Arthur Adams and Walden Wong.

Hulk (vol. 2/2008), #8

Another interesting characteristic that was especially emphasized during this period was the cloak's volume, which was expanded to create such wonderfully dramatic panels as this one by artist Jefte Palo:

Moon Knight (vol. 5/2006), #29

Other artists around this same time period, such as Mark Texeira and Javier Saltares respectively, chose to emphasize other elements, instead adding more prominent crescent details on the bracers, boots, and belt. (This definitely confirmed for me that the correct answer to the question "how many crescents are on Moon Knight's suit at any given time?" is "yes")

Moon Knight (vol. 5/2006), #17

Moon Knight (vol. 5/2006), #24

2. Armored, High-Tech Jake Lockley

With a new series and artist, Vengeance of the Moon Knight and Jerome Opeña respectively, the Moon Knight suit once again got a new look, featuring a new crescent logo design on the chest plate and what looks to be, in my opinion, more "futuristic" armor. The designs of the spaulders, bracers, and boots have been altered to include more elongated crescents and the armor overall appears to be more extensive and intensive to put on (necessitating the very post-Iron Man (2008) suiting up scene hahaha). Furthermore, there's also the addition of the firearm holsters, which is a marked development from the Moon Knight of the 1980's who largely tried to avoid firearms.

Cover for Vengeance of the Moon Knight (Vol. 1/2009), #1

Vengeance of the Moon Knight (Vol. 1/2009), #7

Vengeance of the Moon Knight (Vol. 1/2009), #4

One other interesting detail that I noticed becoming more prevalent around this time is the inclusion of more noticeable seams, especially along the sides of the mask (which frankly reminds me of Fantomex hahaha), as seen in this panel with art by Juan Jose Ryp.

Vengeance of the Moon Knight (Vol. 1/2009), #9.

But to be honest, this period was a bit of a free-for-all when it came to design, with some people like artist Bong Dazo really focusing on the details....

Shadowland: Moon Knight (Vol. 1/2010), #2

....others like Mike Deodato Jr. and Will Conrad going with a more "classic" look...

Secret Avengers (Vol. 1/2010), #10

...and others still sort of splitting the difference, as seen with Graham Nolan’s work...

Captain America: Hail Hydra (Vol. 1/2011), #5

3. Meleev’s Take

Moon Knight (Vol. 6/2011), #8

Maleev’s work on volume 6 leaned more towards the “understated” end of the spectrum, with no decoration on the bracers and boots and a belt that frankly reminds me of the sort of the thing Spider-Man would keep under his suit to carry his web cartridges (and of course, there’s all the other costume weapons/accessories that came with this volume hahaha).

Moon Knight (Vol. 6/2011), #9

4. Precursor to Mr. Knight????

Now this was an interesting (re)discovery: apparently in Secret Avengers #19 (a personal favorite issue of mine) with art by Michael Lark, Moon Knight's undercover stint as a civilian ends with him wearing a combo that is very similar to what Mr. Knight would wear in his debut in an issue published three years later. Just a fun little bit of trivia.

Secret Avengers (Vol. 1/2010), #19.

5. Ladies and Gentlemen, THE Mr. Knight

Moon Knight (Vol. 7/2014), #1

Perhaps one of THE most iconic looks for Moon Knight, Declan Shalvey’s Mr. Knight was described as a respectable public persona who could interact with official authorities, unlike the vigilante Moon Knight, and with such a smart looking three-piece suit, he definitely looks the part. In this particular panel, I especially like the crescent details on the buttons and cuffs.

5. That One Black Suit

Moon Knight (Vol. 7/2014), #2

I uuuuuh actually already wrote a whole post breaking this suit down, so you can find that here, if you like hahaha

6. Ghost Ripper Armor

Moon Knight (Vol. 7/2014), #3

If Mr. Knight is for respectable, above-board business and the Moon Knight armor is for beating up crooks in alley ways, this here armor is for the more mystical elements Moon Knight might need to deal with. While most prominently featured in Shalvey’s work and throughout volume 7, it has popped up in two issues of Moon Knight: Black, White & Blood, first in a story drawn by Akande Adedotun and then in a story with art by Leonardo Romero.

7. Lockley????

Moon Knight (Vol. 7/2014), #8

This one isn’t revolutionary so much as it just haunts me personally. This appearance by an alter only referred to as “Lockley” (Jake Lockley??? although some argue that this may be another alter???) is only found in this issue with art by Greg Smallwood. It features the volume 7 black suit sans the cowl and with the addition of a white mask and honestly, the whole lack of information surrounding this incident just insures that at least I will forever lie awake thinking about it hahaha

8. Bemis Era

Cover for Moon Knight (Vol. 8/2016), #189

The initial artist for the Bemis run, Jacen Burrows, continued the trend of keeping the Moon Knight suit fairly simple in design and monochromatic in color. Some elements I do appreciate, however, are the subtle change in shape of the bracers while the straps across the inner arm still mimic the banding of earlier designs. Furthermore, I just find the use of white lenses surrounded by black, as opposed to the typical glowing blue or slightly less common red, to be an interestingly distinctive artist’s choice.

Moon Knight (Vol. 8/2016), #197

9. MacKay Era

Simply put, I owe artist Alessandro Cappuccio and colorist Rachelle Rosenberg my soul. On my last post about Moon Knight’s suits, there’s a comment about how the body of Marc’s suit was originally supposed to be black while the white was only intended to act as highlights. The classic all-white suit wasn’t adopted until around the West Coast Avengers era due to changes in printing and some readers coming to the conclusion that the suit was white (sort of a Spider-Man 2099 situation where his suit is described in the text as being predominantly black despite looking blue). Mr. Cappuccio seems to be harkening back to that effect and I personally find it very exciting. Depending upon the lighting in a panel, the suit in volume 9 can look almost like the one introduced in volume 7 or it could look almost entirely black…

Moon Knight (Vol. 9/2021), #1

…OR it could look as pure white as people have thought it has been for decades hahaha

Moon Knight (Vol. 9/2021), #8

Add on to that the faint glow effect that’s present even with Mr. Knight's suit and you get a truly otherworldly look perfect for a guy who’s been brought back from the dead a couple times by an Egyptian deity and who will not hesitate to punch a ghost or kill a faery. Or live in a haunted house for that matter.

Moon Knight (Vol. 9/2021), #1

Moon Knight (Vol. 9/2021), #7

Look at this walking glowstick

#Marvel #Marvel comics #Marvel 616 #History of the Vestments #Moon Knight comics #Moon Knight #Marc Spector #Jake Lockley #Lockley #Mr. Knight #yeah this post feels a lot less thorough than the last but eeeeh what am I trying to do here???? Get a good grade in tumblr???#(....I would be lying if I didn't answer with at least '....a little bit' but I am practically yerding that instinct hahaha)#I had some fun and I hope at least someone else enjoys this too :D #I might do a big ol' compilation of non-616 Moon Knight suits #and then it'll be on to all the vehicles that have been crashed in Moon Knight comics hahaha #long post

43 notes · View notes

ntshastark · 1 month ago

Text

Iron Man #3 lb

well. topical.

omg how vintage iron man of him!!

this is an hilarious statement in so many ways

ROXX NEWS

i'm with irongpt on this one, actually

WAIT THIS IS SO CUTE

i relate so much to mr ackerman's old man yells at clouds energy

oh my god they're having a daddy issues-off

i just know this one is gonna be a hit with the st discord

isn't that that one cards video-game

help

TOPICAL

knowing this was written months ago makes it even funnier

seeing his eyes through the helmet slits omg extremely vintage iron man

wait what

is the merger plot over???? just like that????? i thought this was gonna last for at least 10 issues wtf????

🥺

deus nos proteja

ok this was... weird?? it felt so rushed??? he literally just said "yeah i actually beat these guys all the time" and the balatro dude walked back????? and the entire roxxon deal went kaput because of it??????

gonna wait to see what happens in the next issue, but so far i'm really not happy with this ending

#wednesday spoilers #f: marvel #g: marvel comics #u: 616 #s: iron man vol 7 #mari liveblogs #i also read ubp today but i genuinely had nothing to say about it. bit of a filler issue.#btw merry christmas and happy first day of hanukkah!#i've left her flowers. watched christmas specials of my childhood cartoons. baked cookies. and now i'm reading comics.#so a good day overall. objectively #christmas dinner yesterday was nice too. definitely better than last year's

1 note · View note

whatdoesshedotothem · 3 years ago

Text

Friday 5 June 1840

7 5/..

12 20/..

high wind all last night now and this morning at 7 ½ and R14 ¾° and F65 ½° - reading vol. 1 Dubois breakfast at 9 ¾ to 10 35/.. – out at 1 120/60 to Heins’ about the kibika – will repair it for 30/. silver plus something for an additional piece of iron and cord to tie up the body – but if I take the lighter thing chez un maréschal on the other side the water (at the near German colony) he will exchange the wheels (put my own wheels to the lighter thing) and let me have all complete for 40/. silver – set off immediately to the other side the water – saw the thing – light body with phaeton (leather) head – the man asked 45/. said I would think about it if he would take 30/. – no answer for I would not wait long in returning bought raisins etc. and home at 12 ¾ - off again (A- mending her green Moscow bonnet spoilt en voyage to Baku) called and sat 1/2 hour at least with Madame Latchinoff – very intelligent about her journey – gets to know the traditions of the country from the priests – good road – nothing to stop for – from here to Signach 100v. – afterwards the road bad – generally travelled on horseback –

2 ½ v. from S- (must go exprès) vid. Church of St. Nina sister of St. David (Greeks) who founded the monastery here

from S- to Karagatch 25v. en route 2v. out of the road and about 10v. from Signach vid. les boues l’endroit se nomme Âchtal – 2 priests were working on the day anniversary of the transfiguration – our saviour passed by – he asked why they worked – they gave some double-entendre answer about their wives requiring double labour – priests and their horses and families all sunk down and ever since these les boues – mud bubbling up, but cold – very good for cattle to plunge in and let the mud dry on – some sort of salts in it –

at Karagatch keep the post horses 2 days if one likes and see the palace de la reine Tamara on an apparently inaccessible mountain – near Karagatch, tho’

she has written “près Karatach”........ “sur un rocher à pie” –

Signach to Karagatch

Karagatch to Telaff (about 25v. ?) and near there see church of St. Etienne and ditto of Alaverdi a [?] prince riding one day, his horse took fright and almost threw him, at the sight of an old monk in black sortant d’une cavern or hut – the prince drew his sword to cut him down – his arm was incapable of motion – he then thought the monk some saint and promised to do whatever he asked – his arm was restored as he spoke the monk asked him to build a Xtian church and he built according to the monks’ desire and plan the present church of Alaverdi – about A.D. 400. – Madame L- saw St. Etienne but not Alaverdi, it being much the same thing as St. Etienne –

Synodal, the country house of the prince Tchewtchéwadze at 7v. from Telaff – Madame L- here and in Russia give the postillions ./10 silver each per stage and never more unless when she keeps them waiting or they have some détour to make – Government allows money to pay for horses but not to pay the drivers who are obliged to drive their horses – General Kotzebue not rich enough to give ./80 silver out of his own pocket and so he must do, if he gives it at all – she has an escort of Cossacks 3, 4, 5 – always gives 1/. silver for the whole of them per stage – nothing to be had at the station houses in Cachétie, nor to be bought – but always send to the chef of the village for lodging and to know where you can buy what you want, and the people (all rich) bring it and give it – you may sleep in the villages at the best house, sâcle – but carpetted [carpeted] dark tho’ cool rooms – nothing to pay – she staid 2 days when her carriage broke down – and having little things (trinkets brooches etc.) with her gave the femme de la maison a brooch or something of that sort – they always bring wine as an offering – ask for Schasthlik Schaschlik i.e. mutton cut into slices and thus roasted – very good – had just written so far now at 3 35/.. – then sat a few minutes with Madame Mendt, and home about 2 ¼ - in turning our corner, - slipt, fell, broke my parasol – sent George for my card-case let on Wednesday chez Madame Chwastoff – got it back – but she has nobody to send about the silks – there are but 2 who sell Persian silks – at the Caravanserai – Madame C- paid 3 ½ ab. per archine but thought if we bought much we might get it for 3 ¼ ab. = 2/27 ½ assignats per archine –

Madame L- saw the chateau of queen Tamar to disadvantage because she would not go to the head quarters of colonel Bezabrazoffs’ regiment of cavalry (the most dashing officers in Georgia) but went to the other regiment with whom no need of façons and saw the chateau from en bas –

reading before and after dinner vol. 1 Dubois – dinner a about ¾ hour over at 5 ¾ - had Hein about 7 ½ - he would let us have his kibitka or calêche for 50/. and give ½ price for it on our return – or he would let it at 1/. silver per day – he however was so backwards and forwards that I left him with George to make up his mind for he cant get our kibitka repaired in time nor left us have the servants kibitka – said

SH:7/ML/E/24/0124

said I would think about it – had before said I would go in the morning – see his carriage once more and then decide – wrote and sent at 8 ¼ note “à monsieur monsieur le chef de Police” compliments asked him to come at 10 a.m. tomorrow if convenient – if not to name another hour – from 8 ½ to 9 A- and I walked on the balcony – beautiful night – no moon – darkish – sat reading skimming vol. 1 Dubois top. 307 till now 11 40/.. p.m. – very fine day – windy and high wind again tonight – sign of good weather they say

3 notes · View notes

itzaras · 3 years ago

Text

Magneto (Max) Trivia:

1. After Magneto was believed dead in the Genoshan holocaust, he became a popular t-shirt logo and graffiti image.

2. The DC Comics super-villain Doctor Diehard of the Extremists is based on Magneto.

3. A Jack Kirby close-up image of Magneto's face was used as source material for Roy Lichtenstein's Image Duplicator (1963).

4. While Magneto is Jewish, he maintained a cover identity as a 'Sinte Gypsy' when searching for his wife Magda. This created confusion amongst some readers as to his heritage, until it was authoritatively confirmed that he is Jewish. It should be noted that this confusion probably stems from a comic book published in the early 1990s which attempted to retcon Magneto into being a Sinti, possibly because Marvel was preparing to make Magneto a deadly villain again in the crossover called "Fatal Attractions" and they did not want to draw accusations of anti-Semitism by having one of their main villains be Jewish. This attempted retcon was corrected a few years later when it was revealed that the name "Erik Lehnsherr" and the Sinte ethnicity were part of a cover identity, as mentioned above.

5. Magneto's redemption was chronicled in the pages of New Mutants. Uncanny X-Men #150 is the first issue to start developing Magneto's origin as a prisoner of Auschwitz and his marriage to Magda.

6. Magneto's Auschwitz tattoo was originally seen as 214782 in Uncanny X-Men #161. However, this was a number too high for him to have been among the first group of prisoners to be tattooed there. The number was retconned in Excalibur (Vol. 3) #2 to 24005, but appeared again as 214782 in X-Men: Black - Magneto #1.

7. "Eisenhardt", or rather "Eisenhart" means "hard as iron", a convenient name for the Master of Magnetism. It can be pronounced as "ice 'n' heart".

8. Magneto's pseudonym "Lehnsherr" is often pronounced incorrectly as "Lanshir". Actually the name is composed of two German words: "Leh(e)n" meaning "feud" and "Herr" meaning "master" in that instance. In German 's' is a connective between two combined words sometimes. It could be pronounced as "lens hair" ("e" like in "help" but longer).[226] It's the German word for "liege lord".

9. Magneto was ranked 1st on IGN's Top 100 Comic Book Villains in 2011.

10. The album Venus and Mars by Wings included a song about superheroes called "Magneto and Titanium Man". Paul McCartney was said to have toured the Marvel offices soon after the album came out in the Bullpen Bulletins and it was claimed that he was a fan of Marvel Comics. The song referenced the names of two other Marvel villains (Titanium Man and the Crimson Dynamo). Another song to feature Magneto is the Tearjerkers' "Comic Book Heroes" from the various artists' compilation Through the Back Door, in which some of the lyrics were "Doc Ock, Von Doom and Magneto, don't wanna be like them."

11. "Magneto" was a song by the post-hardcore band Brigade, fronted by Charlie Simpson's brother Will.

12. Magneto carries an archive containing a hologram with the names of numerous mutants violently killed.

13. After his encounter with the Phoenix, his powers now more closely resemble the powers of his movie counterpart who is only able to manipulate strictly metallic objects.

14. For much of the original appearance of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, its members kept referring to him as "the Leader", instead of calling him Magneto.

15. Magneto tried to explain to the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants that their personal feelings (and the mutual dislike between team members) are meaningless. In his view, only their plans were important. However, Magneto himself had trouble controlling his anger.

16. The Toad's flattery to Magneto included proclamations that Magneto was born to rule.

17. While Toad loudly proclaimed his loyalty to Magneto, Magneto found him annoying. He threatened Toad to remain silent.

18. In an early battle between the X-Men and the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, the X-Men captured the Toad and the Brotherhood captured the Angel. Magneto expressed his belief that their hostage was more valuable than the "high-jumping fool", and was ready to abandon the Toad.

19. Magneto has claimed to be able to sense the greed and envy of a man's heart, even when meeting this man for the first time. He finds it easy to manipulate others through these qualities.

20. To secure victory over the X-Men, Magneto was willing to sacrifice Quicksilver's life in a deadly attack on them. He threatened to kill the Scarlet Witch as well, for defying his orders.

21. While listening to another proclamation of loyalty by the Toad, Magneto contemplated that he did not actually need the loyalty of his followers. He expected to rule over them by using their fear for him. He chose to not share his thought with the other members of the Brotherhood.

22. According to Mastermind, Magneto has no emotions and no heart.

#marvel comics #marvel community #marvel mcu #magneto #trivia #marvel trivia #marvel #comic books

7 notes · View notes

majingojira · 4 years ago

Text

Nico Minoru's Magic Part 2

Continued from Here.

So, Avengers Arena.

Avengers Arena is a story told by a writer who has no idea how the genre works and only a fair grasp of how the characters function at best.

This is easily demonstrated by what is established as Nico's status quo for the next few years in this book.

First off, Nico died. She casts a spell for help, and BOY does she get it.

In addition to once more supposedly 'bosting' her magic. She also gains a generic magical blast-attack without incantation, and the Flying Brick standard superhero package. A low end version. Marvel Universe grid method, she'd be at 5's for Strength, Speed, and Durability. Putting her in the same class as most of the 'bricks' in Marvel like Carol Danvers (uncharged), Teddy Altman, and Sif for Strength. Firebird or a basic Power Armor (Iron Man, Iron Heart) for speed, and Luke Cage, Rage, and Emma Frost for durability.

If that seems wholly generic, let that set the tone for the rest of what Nico has to go through for the next few years.

Fun Fact, the preview pages for this issue were actually released BEFORE the preview pages for #11 because her death caused that much backlash online.

Man, even re-reading it about a decade later still gets my stomach all twisted.

So, why should I suffer alone?

Avengers Arena #12

As you can tell, Dennis "Hopeless" Hallum (he chose the nickname for himself) really wants to try and be like Joss Whedon, but lacks the wit.

Having already established that Nico draws her power from negative emotional experiences -- Pain and Suffering, we have that wiped away for Blood. Gamifying the entire system. Now, we can keep track of her health bar (which they had in this series) and correlate it to her overall power access.

But here's the thing: Why should anyone believe Arcade?

In this series, he doesn't even make this Murdeworld, he commissions someone else to do it for him! And what occurs already fits in with multiple things of what is established (Pain/suffering fueling magic, the "Help" spell she cast with her dying breath). So it's REALLY easy to dismiss Arcade here as talking out of his ass.

I mean, this is comic books, we're used to stupidity ("I'm sealing up the fault lines, this is a good thing!"), but not with its own BS as much as this is.

So, it's easier to dismiss Arcade's claims as warrantless, because, really, why would you believe him? He's not just a liar, he's an idiot.

Especially in Arena, despite assertions to the contrary.

The next tidbit we get on Nico's new Magic Staff and Magic Arm of Super-Powered Disability doesn't come until the sequel series Avengers Undercover.

Because it makes dismissing Arcade as an idiot harder.

Avengers Undercover #7

Yes, Alex came back with this series. No, it was actually worse than Arena because it's hook was underwhelming by comparison.

Anyway, while the reliance on "It's totally blood magic now, you guys!" dumbing down of Nico's power, the idea that she's coating in a magical energy field to explain her Strength/Speed/Durability is a pretty viable one.

But the Arm of Disability Super-Powers earns its name rather... handily.

And I am not sorry for that pun.

The analysis of Nico's combat strategy is ... also deeply lacking, but that's another topic.

Once Dennis Hallum was done (Fun Fact #2: Hallum fought for this issue's topic specifically even though by this point, he knew he had only 4 issues left to finish the series), Nico was put in Limbo... until A-Force.

Where interviewers noted that her inclusion was weird because of her... being nearly Hawkman'd.

No new Magic, but Nico continued to display Super Strength in the Secret Wars volume. Why?

Because she took down an Asgardian. Physically.

Not just that, but a MEMBER OF THE THOR CORPS!

A-Force Vol. 1 #4

Arcadia Nico is ... Broken. Flat out Broken.

Anyway, when A-Force is formed in 616, Nico has a Power Up that is actually intelligent after the dumbing down of Dennis Hallum.

A-Force vol. 2 #2

Here, we have Nico taking down a cosmic being in a word, growing in power with her pain and suffering in-line with the Vaughn and Whedon run, AND the most logical expansion of her powers: Linguistic Advancement.

In the series, she is shown speaking fluent Japanese, and using Estonian as a "Heal" word. With 6,500, she has a lot to go with!

Another clever use of her powers comes from using coordinates to teleport.

A-Force vol. 2 #8

Elsewhere in the series, she gets to show off her powers by ... laying out She-Hulk, Captain Marvel, a Dazzler-Thor, and the rest of her teammates multiple times. Depowering them, knocking them out, etc. She also got to fight hard against mind control and subvert the worst of what her controller could do.

A-Force Nico is Peak Nico in terms of raw power.

But it does have some limits. She can keep multiple spells going at once, but doing so is hard for her. This may be an energy thing, but it may be a focus thing as well.

A-Force vol. 2 #6

She does get to punch out the lady mind-controlling her later on, and in One Punch no less.

But after choking out a Valkyrie-Thor, that's pretty pat.

The next really big change to Nico's powers comes in the current Runaways volume (5) with the reveal of The One, a sorcerer who was turned into the Staff and made a deal to use his magic to the benefit of the original caster.

But this is still developing as a story, the 'rules', basically allowing him to parasitize her senses (and probably take full control of her body, you know how these things go). Is also alters the history of the Staff from an implicit long linage to starting with the Witchbreaker.

Which has once again made her more powerful, but it's a much worse deal.

And...it's still developing. I'm hoping it reveals to be her grimmshape, but only time will tell.

So I won't go into as much detail with this. We'll see where it goes.

#Nico Minoru #Runaways #Avengers Arena #Avengers Undercover #A-Force #Nico's Magic

23 notes · View notes

imperiuswrecked · 4 years ago

Note

Is there a tradeback of Namor that a newbie like me could check out?

I would suggest bypassing the Golden Age & Silver Age unless you enjoy that era of comic telling and begin with:

Saga of the Sub-Mariner

- A 12 issue limited series that is narrated by Namor as he tells of his life from the Golden Age > Silver Age > Bronze Age and ends just before the 90s began.

If you want a very easy beginner's guide to Namor, I made this graphic you can save and it breaks up Namor into easier to read sections depending on the era you want to read him in.

Just add King in Black: Namor (2020) & Marvels Snapshots: Sub-Mariner

That series and one shot comic hadn't come out when I made this guide. They're both great!

However if you want a more in depth look at the past here are the collections Namor is featured in:

Golden Age Collections:

Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Marvel Comics

- Collects Golden Age Namor beginning with Marvel Comics #1 & Marvel Mystery Comics #2

Everett's work is also found in Marvel Masterworks, but it was collected separately as well very recently.

Bill Everett the Pre-War years

- Collects Namor by Bill Everett before Everett went off to serve in WWll

Bill Everett the Post-War years

- Collects Namor by Bill Everett after his return.

Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age All-Winners

Silver Age Collections:

Marvel Masterworks: The Sub-Mariner

- This is all you need for all his Silver Age glory. Including Daredevil #7, all of Tales to Astonish, and the entire The Sub-Mariner (1968) series.

Epic Sub-Mariner collects Namor's Silver Age introduction & guest starring: Fantastic Four (1961) 4, 6, 9, 14, 27, 33; Fantastic Four Annual (1963) 1; Strange Tales (1951) 107, 125; Avengers (1963) 3-4; X-Men (1963) 6; Daredevil (1964) 7, Tales to Astonish (1959) 70-76

Essential Sub-Mariner is basically the same as Epic Sub-Mariner: Daredevil #7, Tales to Astonish #70-101, Tales of Suspense #80, Iron Man & the Sub-Mariner #1, and Sub-Mariner (1968) #1

Basically you can just read his Early Guest Starring appearances as one off comics, you don't need to get Essential & Epic because it repeats.

Namor's Bronze Age Comics were never collected as all he did during that era was go from book to book.

Modern Age Collections:

Bryne/Lee 90's Collection

- Collects Namor, the Sub-Mariner (1990) 1-40, Annual 1-2; Incredible Hulk Annual 18; Silver Surfer Annual 5, Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme Annual 2.

As of this posting they have not collected the entire 90s.

Sub-Mariner Initiative or Sub-Mariner Revolution is the same 6 issue mini series (don't know why it got two names) published in 2007. I can't recall if it's in a trade.

Namor: The First Mutant Vol 1 & 2 collects the 2010 series in 2 parts.

King in Black: Namor is the most recent 5 issue miniseries and it is collected in a trade.

If you need specific issue help please let me know!

#namor #namor mckenzie #namor the sub mariner #comic reading guide #namor reading guide #comic recs #imp answers

17 notes · View notes

crossoverworldtree · 4 years ago

Text

An Introduction

Over a decade ago, I had a thread on the Eden Studios forums, “Heroes and Monsters of the New Millennium” which fit various characters into the world of Buffy the Vampire Slayer on the surface. In truth, it was doing writeups for the Crossover Universe concept (at the time known as the Wold Newton Universe) started by Philip Hose Farmer and expanded upon by Win Scott Eckert. It went on and covered a LOT of things. At the same time, I also posted many writeups of folkloric monsters for the Ghosts of Albion game on a different section of the board.

I feel like sharing those things once again, in a new platform (as the old platform has been... roughed up a bit). Plus, with a few years of refinement, things are a bit different than I originally imagined them to be. This blog will contain those writeups. I am open to requests, but they must either be of folkloric beings, or of things that can be tied into the Crossover Universe (IE: “Have they had official crossovers with a member of the CU, either directly or indirectly via shout-out or shared products?”). There’s a lot of rules to the Crossover Universe, so don’t worry too much if something doesn’t link up.

If you want shorthand -- have they met/could they easily meet: Sherlock Holmes, Dracula, Cthulhu, and/or Batman? If yes, they are probably in. And if they HAVE met them, then they ARE in*. *(Except for Batman, he cannot bring in other DC characters in the mainstream Crossover Universe in an effort to keep the amount and power of Supers down and not overshadow more human heroes). Besides, this is all just for fun. Here’s some example crossovers, just to get you in the mind set:

Sugar Bombs, featured in: Calvin and Hobbes, The Incredibles, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Runaways, and Fallout.

The West Coast Avengers (Vol. 3 #10) escape villains to reach the World Of Nothing But Shrimp, first mentioned in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Deadpool (#28) and his wife Shikla stumble across the Bride’s Rampage while in Japan (Kill Bill vol. 1).

Power Man and Iron Fist #65 -- Those three ladies Danny is fighting? They’re totally not Charlie’s Angels. Nope. No sir!

Thanks to this Crossover, Cassandra Cain is officially part of the Crossover Universe.

Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur #43 - PKE Meter links this series to Ghostbusters.

Blue Beetle Vol 7 #27 Put in two Lovecraft nods, bringing in Jaime Reyes’s Blue Beetle.

The Middleman recalls meeting the First Doctor.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer didn’t get many Crossovers while at Darkhorse, but here she gets cameos from Hellboy and a Predator.

Edna Mode cameos in Spider-Girl #90

Atomic Robo recalls working with Buckaroo Banzai and the Hong Kong Cavaliers.

Superboy lounges at Young Justice’s headquarters having somehow managed to survive Trogo’s Pizza. Crossing over Manos: The Hands of Fate and Mystery Science Theater 3000.

And Finally, TV’s Frank and Doctor Forester cameo in Gen13 meet Monkeyman and O’Brien.

Which should give a taste for how BIZARRE this is going to be! And yes, we do have JOJO in this thing!

Here’s Lupin and Jigen showing up in Egypt in the 80s while the Jo-Bros head to Egypt to find DIO.

Also, a Stone Mask shows up in Castlevania Season 3.

We Got SO much!

12 notes · View notes

bobbyshaddoe80 · 4 years ago

Text

Liberated Audio Reviews

Blake's 7 - The Liberator Chronicles Vol. 2

RELEASED AUGUST 2012

Recorded on: 18 October and 25 November 2011, and 15 March 2012

Recorded at: Moat Studios

Review By Robert L. Torres

The Magnificent Four by Simon Guerrier

'A mission to steal data from the planet Mogul goes badly wrong when Cally and Avon are outflanked and outgunned. And then they are teleported to safety – to an alien spaceship stolen from The System, which is crewed by Gilden Trent and his small team of rebels.

For Avon it’s the opportunity to start over again without Blake.

But can Trent be trusted?'

Chronological Placement:

Set during Series B between the episodes Countdown and Voice From the Past.

Magnificent. Defined in the dictionary as 'impressive, deserving of admiration, especially due to an unusual quality involving size'.

The word is often used when describing something vast in size and scope, but magnificence can also be attributed to the quality of something that involves a small group. A prime example would be the title characters of the classic Western The Magnificent Seven. Even the accomplishments made by the John Wick character could be described as magnificent despite them being done by one man.

Magnificent is an apt word to describe the impressive storytelling quality that Guerrier has pulled off with this Cally focused story.

Cally, as played by the exquisite Jan Chappell, was always one of my favorites from the original cast. She was someone that wasn't a hardened cynic like Avon (who provides much needed support for Cally in this story), nor was she cowardly like Vila. She was someone that genuinely believed in doing the right thing and saw fighting against the oppressive tyranny of the Federation to be a very serious responsibility.

I was also always fascinated by her stance as someone that, for all intents and purposes, was the alien of the group (due to her coming from a race of telepaths). I have my own thoughts and theories about the Auronar, but that can wait for another day. Despite having powers of the mind, I always felt that Cally was very much the heart of the team.

I love that this story has Cally and Avon meeting up with a group like Blake's, on a ship like the Liberator, only to learn that they are little more than highly skilled pirates.

I love that the events of the Series B episode 'Redemption' are brought up and how the crew of the Libertine are a result of the aftermath of the events from that story.

I love how the story showcases in the crew of the Libertine a distorted reflection (and perhaps a retroactive premonition) of what would happen to the crew of the Liberator should they lose their way by abandoning their morals and scruples and just give in to blind self interest... Which for the most part is exactly what started to happen during Series C and ultimately came to fruition in Series D.

A minor nitpick, but I always thought the planet Cally came from was called Auron and her people were called the Auronar. And yet in this story and others, they refer to her as being an Auron. Is it a case where one singular person is an Auron but the collective term for the species as a whole is Auronar? It is a minor thing, I know, but still something that stuck out.

Something else that is a bit of a minor flaw is that at one point in the story the voiceover narration switches from Cally to Avon. There is a specific reason why this happens in the narrative, but it still comes about rather unexpectedly.

Given the stories in these chronicles are events being recounted AFTER the fact, there is the inevitable problem of how to create tension and intrigue with life threatening peril for the characters when most fans know the show backwards and are fully aware of what the inevitable fates for many of the characters are.

Luckily for Guerrier and many other writers, they do create moments that make you wonder how such and such will be able to survive whatever life threatening peril is thrown at them, and manage to cleverly pay off how they survive without falling into 'Oh Come The Fuck On' Territory.

8 out of 10 Plasma Bolts

Anyway, this story is very well done and is the first of many plots that involve coming across potential allies for the Resistance movement, only to learn the would be allies are often a lot worse than their enemies in the Federation. Definitely give it a listen.

False Positive by Eddie Robson

'Dr. Lian has a mysterious new patient – a man who was found shot in the leg near Engel City, a man who is delirious and talking about the most extraordinary acts of rebellion.

She prescribes drugs and the use of the alleviator – a device that will dig deep into his memories – to unlock the truth about Carlin Guzan.

But the truth that she exposes is far more shocking than she bargained for...'

Chronological Placement:

Set during Series B after LC Vol. 10's Retribution, between the episodes Horizon and Pressure Point.

This story is definitely a step up in quality from volume 1's 'Counterfeit' and is an excellent Blake-centric story. The framing device for the recollection of the events is actually quite clever as it ties in with the adventure itself in a very naturalistic manner.

The dialogue scenes between Blake and Dr. Liam are excellent. Kudos to Beth Chalmers for giving the character of Dr. Liam the right balance of professional intrigue and personal curiosity as she learns more and more about her 'patient'. But this story belongs to the late Gareth Thomas through and through and it is great to hear him be afforded better material than during his first go round back in 'Counterfeit'.

I always rather liked Blake from the start, and a large part of that is down to the performance of the late Gareth Thomas. The character of Roj Blake was a passionate idealist fighting for a noble cause, someone who could be diplomatic but understood the need for action rather than simple civil disobedience. As someone that broke free from an oppressive government, he immediately gains our sympathies... even if his passions occasionally bordered on overzealous fanaticism. This is largely due to what the Federation did to him personally by trying to rewrite his mind, killing his family and even destroying his public image by falsifying accusations of paedophilia.

Since the Federation enact the same tactics on countless others without any hesitation, morals or scruples, it is no wonder why Blake is so overwhelmingly passionate about wiping out the corruptive and cancerous tumor that is the Federation. Not only to avenge family, but to ensure that people are given the freedom to choose for themselves and not simply be coerced into following the rules through propaganda, torture, drugs or mind control.

Speaking of drugs and mind control, that goes to the heart of the plot: Blake going undercover at a Federation research facility that is conducting a clinical drug trial for the development of a new pacifying sedative, which the Federation hopes to employ in order to ensure total compliance and obedience to Federation doctrine.

Ironically enough, that is exactly what would come to pass towards the tail end of Series D... But we already know that, don't we?

7 out of 10 Plasma Bolts

All things considered, it is a pretty good story. This story, like a few others in the Liberator Chronicles range, could work as a two-hander stage play with a couple of tweaks. It also could easily have worked on TV or even as a full cast audio. Give it a listen.

Wolf by Nigel Fairs

“I heard his death cry. I felt it. And there was a word. ‘Wolf’. You, Servalan. You were the “Wolf”. You killed him. I want to know why.”

'Some time ago, Blake and his crew were helped by a revered Auron scientist named Gustav Nyrron. He stayed aboard the Liberator for a time and then disappeared.

Cally wants to know what happened to Nyrron, and only Servalan knows the answers.'

Chronological Placement:

Set during Series B between the episodes Pressure Point and Trial.

This is a very intriguing Servalan focused story, featuring Cally and a return appearance by Gustav Nyrron from Volume 1's 'Solitary'.

They say that a protagonist is only as good as the antagonist created to provide drama/conflict. This is especially true when the character of Supreme Commander Servalan (along with the equally excellent Space Commander Travis) was introduced as the Liberator crew's primary antagonist in the Series A episode 'Seek-Locate-Destroy'.

A large part of why the Servalan character has left such a lasting impression on the minds of fans had to do with the casting of the late Jacqueline Pearce, and the way she played the role. Her grace, charm, beauty and seductive allure went hand in hand with a ruthless ambitious edge along with a keen strategic mind.

In many ways, Servalan, as played by Jacqueline Pearce, reminded me of Alexis Colby as played by Joan Collins. Although Servalan was a bit more reserved than Alexis.

As such, it makes perfect sense that the Liberator Chronicles would provide ample opportunities to explore the villains as well as the heroes. This story does well to explore Servalan's character along with her thoughts, beliefs and how she carries herself as she recounts events. The recollection is pretty interesting cuz it comes about in multiple ways.

We learn a little bit about Servalan's childhood in reference to a game she used to play with others. Its interesting how this story, along with the upcoming 'Kerr', 'President' and 'Three', provides more insight into the character than the show ever did. The aforementioned upcoming stories do provide some great insight into why Servalan is the way she is... But let's not get ahead of ourselves.

I love the scenes between Servalan and Cally, as I do not recall the two of them having much screentime during the series proper... If ever. But I could be wrong.

This story has some great twists and turns as it deals with exploring how Servalan used Nyrron as her personal plaything in her efforts to lure the Liberator into her clutches.

Although Nyrron will be featured again in the story 'Brother' off of Volume 11 (which I will talk about eventually), I think this is the story that features him the best. We learn the most about him as a character, and much kudos to Anthony Howell for bringing much pathos and nuance to the Auron scientist.

The story also lends itself quite well to philosophical debates regarding how each side views the other. Naturally, Blake's crew view Servalan and the Federation as an evil and oppressive tyranny, while Servalan and those within the Administration view Blake and his ilk as little more than terrorists wanting to bring down the only force for law and order in the galaxy.

It is that clash of ideals and personal morals that will be explored to great effect in future volumes as well as in the full cast audios.

9 out of 10 Plasma Bolts

Final score for Liberator Chronicles Vol. 2 in its entirety is 8 out of 10 Plasma Bolts. It is a profound step up in quality compared to Volume 1, and it demonstrates that things can only go up from here in terms of character exploration and engaging plots.

Special credit to Craig Brawley of the Big Finish Listeners Facebook Group for his tireless efforts in mapping out the chronology of the audios and determining his they fit in with the established TV continuity.

#blake's 7 #reviews #big finish productions #audiobooks #audio dramas

4 notes · View notes

thanosfarm · 4 years ago

Text

Thanos: reading order (simple)

Irrelevant/not canon appearances in general are not included, no matter if they are a single panel or a complete saga.

1. THANOS WAR

Iron Man #55

Captain Marvel #25

Captain Marvel #26

Captain Marvel #27

Captain Marvel #28

Captain Marvel #29

Captain Marvel #30

Marvel Feature #12

Captain Marvel #31

Captain Marvel #32

Avengers #125

Captain Marvel #33

2. Warlock vs The Magus

Strange Tales #178

Strange Tales #179

Strange Tales #180

Strange Tales #181

Warlock #9

Warlock #10

Warlock #11

Warlock #15

Avengers Annual #7

Marvel Two-in-One Annual #2

3. 80’s and The Death of Captain Marvel

OUT OF CANON: Spidey Super Stories #39 (Thanoscopter’s appearance; and that isn’t the most terrible stuff in this story. A good read for the lols, but maybe difficult to find).

Marvel Graphic Novel #1 - The Death of Captain Marvel

4. INFINITY GAUNTLET

Silver Surfer Vol. 3 #34

Silver Surfer Vol. 3 #35

Silver Surfer Vol. 3 #36

Silver Surfer Vol. 3 #37

Silver Surfer Vol. 3 #38

The Thanos Quest #1

The Thanos Quest #2

Silver Surfer Vol. 3 #40

Silver Surfer Vol. 3 #44

Silver Surfer Vol. 3 #45

Optional: Spider-man #17 (an autoconclusive chapter with Thanos and Mistress Death appearances, setted at some moent during Infinity Gauntlet. It has nothing to do with the main plot and can be considered out of canon).

Silver Surfer Vol. 3 #46

Silver Surfer Vol. 3 #47

Silver Surfer Vol. 3 #48

Silver Surfer Vol. 3 #49

Silver Surfer Vol. 3 #50

Infinity Gauntlet #1

Infinity Gauntlet #2

Infinity Gauntlet #3

Infinity Gauntlet #4

Recommended: Silver Surfer Vol. 3 #55, #56 (while Silver Surfer is waiting for the moment of his intervention with Adam Warlock, he imagines a result of the conflict in which Thanos wins. Can be read as some kind of “What if…”.

Infinity Gauntlet #5

Recommended/optional: Silver Surfer Vol. 3 #59 (can be recommended because Thanos is in it, but the chapter itself is a side plot for Silver Surfer’s series while the main event continues).

Infinity Gauntlet #6

Warlock and the Infinity Watch #1

5. INFINITY WAR

Warlock & the Infinity Watch #7

Infinity War #1 (1992)

Infinity War #2

Infinity War #3

Marvel Comics Presents #108

Marvel Comics Presents #109

Marvel Comics Presents #110

Marvel Comics Presents #111

Warlock and the Infinity Watch #8

Recommended: Quasar #38 (the Clash between the Avengers and the Infinity Watch, mostly from Wendell’s point of view).

Infinity War #4

Infinity War #5

Recommended: Quasar #40 (more of Quasar’s plot in the moment he uses de Ultimate Nullifier).

Warlock and the Infinity Watch #9

Warlock and the Infinity Watch #10

Infinity War #6

6. Between Infinity Sagas.

Marvel Holiday Special #2 [F Story]

Optional: Warlock and the Infinity Watch #15, 16 y 17 (for a better understanding of the next event beginning).

7. INFINITY CRUSADE

Infinity Crusade #1

Warlock and the Infinity Watch #18

Infinity Crusade #2

Warlock Chronicles #2

Warlock and the Infinity Watch #19

Infinity Crusade #3

Warlock Chronicles #3

Warlock and the Infinity Watch #20

Optional: Silver Surfer Vol. 3 #83 (it connects with Silver Sufer’s plot during main story).

Infinity Crusade #4

Warlock Chronicles #4

Optional: Silver Surfer Vol. 3 #84 (more of Silver Surfer’s plot during main story and its conclusion).

Infinity Crusade #5

Warlock Chronicles #5

Warlock and the Infinity Watch #22

Infinity Crusade #6

8. BLOOD AND THUNDER

Thor #468

Silver Surfer Vol. 3 #86

Warlock Chronicles #6

Warlock and the Infinity Watch #23

Thor #469

Silver Surfer Vol. 3 #87

Warlock Chronicles #7

Warlock and the Infinity Watch #24

Thor #470

Silver Surfer Vol. 3 #88

Warlock Chronicles #8

Warlock and the Infinity Watch #25

Thor #471

9. COSMIC POWERS

Secret Defenders #12

Secret Defenders #13

Secret Defenders #14

Cosmic Powers #1

Cosmic Powers #2

Cosmic Powers #3

Cosmic Powers #4

Cosmic Powers #5

Cosmic Powers #6

10. 90’s after Infinity Trilogy.

Optional: Silver Surfer Vol 3 #98 (a small appearance that can be considered canon)

Quasar #59

Cosmic Powers Unlimited #1

Warlock and the Infinity Watch # 40

Warlock and the Infinity Watch # 41

Warlock and the Infinity Watch # 42

11. The THANOSI*

*Thanos is veeeery bad written in the next sagas, so reading them is OPTIONAL . But I included them in the list because Jim Starlin retconned them as canon in his own way.

THANOSI Nº 1

Ka-Zar Annual

Ka-Zar Vol 4 # 8

Ka-Zar Vol 4 # 9

Ka-Zar Vol 4 # 10

Ka-Zar Vol 4 # 11

THANOSI Nº 2

X-Man/Hulk Annual #1

THANOSI Nº 3

Thor Vol. 2 #21

Thor Vol. 2 Annual 2000

Thor Vol. 2 #22

Thor Vol. 2 #23

Thor Vol. 2 #24

Thor Vol. 2 #25

THANOSI Nº 4 (AVENGERS:CELESTIAL QUEST)

Avengers: Celestial Quest #1

Avengers: Celestial Quest #2

Avengers: Celestial Quest #3

Avengers: Celestial Quest #4

Avengers: Celestial Quest #5

Avengers: Celestial Quest #6

Avengers: Celestial Quest #7

Avengers: Celestial Quest #8

12. Mini-story in Captain Marvel Vol. 4

Captain Marvel Vol. 4 #17

Captain Marvel Vol. 4 #18

Captain Marvel Vol. 4 #19

13. INFINITY ABBYS

Infinity Abyss #1

Infinity Abyss #2

Infinity Abyss #3

Infinity Abyss #4

Infinity Abyss #5

Infinity Abyss #6

14. MARVEL UNIVERSE: THE END

This event isn’t considered canon in general for Marvel Universe, but it is for Thanos.

Marvel Universe: The End #1

Marvel Universe: The End #2

Marvel Universe: The End #3

Marvel Universe: The End #4

Marvel Universe: The End #5

Marvel Universe: The End #6

15. THANOS: REDEMPTION

Thanos #1

Thanos #2

Thanos #3

Thanos #4

Thanos #5

Thanos #6

At this point ends Jim Starlin work in the main Thanos’ canon. From now on, he only is going to write the ending of his canon and a side-story while the main canon diverges substantially from his point of view.

16. THANOS: SAMARITAN

Thanos #7

Thanos #8

Thanos #9

Thanos #10

Thanos #11

Thanos #12

17. ANNIHILATION

Recommendation for a better understanding of the main event: Drax the Destroyer #1-#4

Annihilation: Prologue #1 (2006)

Recommendation for a better understanding of the main event: Annihilation:Nova #1-#4

Annihilation: Silver Surfer #1

Annihilation: Silver Surfer #2

Annihilation: Silver Surfer #3

Annihilation: Silver Surfer #4

Recommendation for a better understanding of the main event: Annihilation: Super-Skrull #1-#4 y Annihilation: Ronan #1-#4

Annihilation #1

Annihilation #2

Annihilation #3

Annihilation #4

Annihilation #5

Annihilation #6

18. THE THANOS IMPERATIVE

It can be convenient at least know the context and a summary of War of Kings event, and, specially, it’s continuation Realm of Kings, because first Thanos’ appearance in The Thanos Imperative takes place as result of this second event. Plus, it is the reason why he is in the next Guardians of the Galaxy chapters.

Guardians of the Galaxy #24

Guardians of the Galaxy #25

The Thanos Imperative: Ignition #1

The Thanos Imperative #1

The Thanos Imperative #2

The Thanos Imperative #3

The Thanos Imperative #4

The Thanos Imperative #5

The Thanos Imperative #6

——— ———— ————

At the end of The Thanos Imperative, it’s clear that no one knew what to do with Thanos, but he had to start becoming an important character in the comics because he was going to be the main villain the in movies. So they decided to reboot the character in a more dark tone, changing basic features of original Thanos, for a more modern view. In particular, they made official the idea of Thanos never getting over his obsession with Death; indeed, she is manipulating him since birth. This was because most of the public never followed the main canon properly, so Thanos was more known because of his sporadic appearances during 20 years as a standard basic villain, his obsession with Death never forgotten (and being she the responsible of that obsession and his acts), as if the development after Infinity Gauntlet never took place.

Thanos and Gamora relationship is going to change too, gradually, and Nebula will become Thanos’ daughter too, both cases adapting the movies canon. Plus, in this new canon, Adam Warlock and Pip aren’t included as Thanos’ related characters.

19. THANOS RISING

Thanos Rising #1

Thanos Rising #2

Thanos Rising #3

Thanos Rising #4

Thanos Rising #5

Based on the reboot, Jonathan Hickman put Thanos as one of the villains of this series Avengers, New Avengers and Avengers World, that taked place at the same time during some years with a unique plot (ok, Avengers World started later in his run). The first turning point of this run was the event Infinity, in which not only Thanos is introduced, but it’s also the most influential work for everything related to his lore at this moment. If you are interested only in Thanos part, you can read his plot understanding the main ideas, and ignore the rest of the event. Problem is that, after Infinity, the series continued to a shared ending in the next event, Secret Wars, and Thanos appears sporadically to the end. My recommendation, if you don’t want to read the three series from the very beginning, is to search for a detailed summary to know what’s happening at any moment. Otherwise, even if his part in Infinity can be understand, the rest to Secret Wars is nearly impossible.

20. INFINITY

Free comic book day (2013) #1: Infinity

Infinity # 1

New Avengers #9

Infinity # 2

New Avengers #10

Infinity # 3

Infinity # 4

New Avengers #11

Infinity # 5

Infinity # 6

New Avengers #12

21. THANOS: A GOD UP THERE LISTENING

Note: this one was a web-comic that later was published as a comic book.

Thanos: A God Up There Listening #1

Thanos: A God Up There Listening #2

Thanos: A God Up There Listening #3

Thanos: A God Up There Listening #4

Thanos: A God Up There Listening #5

Thanos: A God Up There Listening #6

22. Between Infinity and Secret Wars (I)

Hickman’s Avengers plots continues. Plus, at Guardians of the Galaxy we have some info about The Thanos Imperative ending and what happened to Quill, Nova, Drax and Thanos at Cancerverse.

New Avengers #19

Guardians of the Galaxy #18

Guardians of the Galaxy #19

Guardians of the Galaxy #20

Legendary Star-Lord #4

23. THANOS VS. HULK

Starlin returned to Marvel. This mini-series is a prologue to his new Thanos trilogy (yet you can finish Hickman’s Avengers to the end at Secret Wars and then return here).

Thanos vs Hulk #1

Thanos vs Hulk #2

Thanos vs Hulk #3

Thanos vs Hulk #4

24. The New Infinity Trilogy

Actually, only the first part, The Infinity Revelation, was published at this moment. The rest of the graphic novels and the mini-series were released during the next years. But as this is the end of Starlin canon for Thanos, and has nothin to do with the official Marvel canon, I prefer to put all of it here for a simple reading.

Thanos Annual #1

The Infinity Revelation #1

The Infinity Relativity #1

The Infinity Entity #1

The Infinity Entity #2

The Infinity Entity #3

The Infinity Entity #4

The Infinity Finale #1

And this is the end of Thanos story according his creator, Jim Starlin. Later we’ll have a new trilogy that tell an auto conclusive side-story.

25. Between Infinity and Secret Wars (II)

Thanos part in Hickman’s plot continues.

New Avengers #24

Avengers #40

Avengers World #18

Avengers World #21

Avengers #41

Avengers #44

26. SECRET WARS

Secret Wars #1

Secret Wars #2

Secret Wars #3

Optional: Infinity Gauntlet Vol. 2 #1-#5 (in this tie-in a Battle World Thanos appears, but he isn’t ‘our’ Thanos).

Secret Wars #4

Secret Wars #5

Siege #3

Secret Wars #6

Siege #4

Secret Wars #7

Secret Wars #8

27. Ultimates and Civil War II

Recommendation: shearch for a summary of the first chapters of Ultimates Vol. 2 (or read them because they are good) to understand the context of number 5 and the next ones.

Ultimates Vol. 2 #5

Ultimates Vol. 2 #7

Free Comic Book Day 2016 (Civil War II) #1 [A Story]

Civil War II #1

Ultimates Vol. 2 #8

Ultimates Vol. 2 #9

Guardians of the Galaxy # 11

Ultimates Vol. 2 #10

Ultimates Vol. 2 #11

28. UNWORTHY THOR

Actually, Thanos part is only #2 and #5. That can be read while ignore the rest.

Unworthy Thor #2

Unworthy Thor #5

29. THANOS VOL. 2

Thanos Vol. 2 #1

Thanos Vol. 2 #2

Thanos Vol. 2 #3

Thanos Vol. 2 #4

Thanos Vol. 2 #5

Thanos Vol. 2 #6

Thanos Vol. 2 #7

Thanos Vol. 2 #8

Thanos Vol. 2 #9

Thanos Vol. 2 #10

Thanos Vol. 2 #11

Thanos Vol. 2 #12

Thanos Vol. 2 #13

Thanos Vol. 2 #14

Thanos Vol. 2 #15

Thanos Vol. 2 #16

Thanos Vol. 2 #17

Thanos Vol. 2 #18

30. The way to Infinity Wars

(This part should be checked carefully)

Mighty Thor #700

Thor #1

Thor #2

Thor #3

Thor #4

Thanos annual vol. 2 #1

Thanos Legacy (2018) #1

31. GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY 2019

Guardians of the Galaxy # 1

Guardians of the Galaxy # 2

Guardians of the Galaxy # 3

Guardians of the Galaxy # 4

Guardians of the Galaxy # 5

Guardians of the Galaxy # 6

32. The Last Infinity Trilogy

Before the second Thanos’s regular series was approved, Starlin signed an agreement to make a new graphic novels trilogy about Thanos because Marvel wanted new material about him for IW release. At this moment Starlin can’t draw because an accident, so he works with Alan Davies. Shorly after the first part was published, the plot of the second part of the regular series was known, and Starlin was furious with Marvel because, according to him, they are copying his story. However, he accepts to end the trilogy because Davies involvement. Again, this story has nothing to do with current Thanos in Marvel canon.

The Infinity Siblings #1

The Infinity Conflict #2

The Infinity Ending #3

33. THANOS: ZERO SANCTUARY

A mini-story that definitley rewrites classic Gamora’s origin and her relationship with Thanos.

Thanos Vol. 3 # 1

Thanos Vol. 3 # 2

Thanos Vol. 3 # 3

Thanos Vol. 3 # 4

Thanos Vol. 3 # 5

Thanos Vol. 3 # 6

34. Thor 2020

Thor #6

#Thanos #reading order #reading orders #comics #Marvel #Avengers #Adam Warlock #Guardinas of the Galaxy #marvel comics

24 notes · View notes