#seriously that those characters could be the plot for the comic

[castlephantom]

One interesting thing about the lost comic Lament of Innocence is that we also original characters:

The concept of a vampire huntress rescuing her so to-be-husband is pretty intresting aspect(since the comic was released in 2007-2008 before Order of Ecclesia when Shanoa was introduced), but she dies after she fought with Leon against Joachim. (At first when I found the name Liza I read as Lisa because of one later and the similarity of their names)

Justine was mentioned by Rinaldo but not by her name. If someone miraculously finds the lost comic, we could have chance to know her as well. The idea to bring her back by Succubus is literally how to traumatize a parent to kill his child again. We don't know how old she is but I prefer Justine as a teenager.

Bianca is the first parent of an antagonist to be introduced in the series, but I have a headcanon that Walter's hair and (maybe) the eyes color inherited from his mother. I like to imagine about her personality at this point that she was kind, but also uncaring due to her marriage with unknown husband that was cruel and possibily didn't care of her child anymore during the pregnancy and her soul was sacrificed so Walter can live (so we at least we know that Walter was born cursed due to that situation).

Volks was Bianca's servant but is a theory that the became the Forgotten One in the comic (but that giagantic creature is said that was created by humans). Exist only one possibility: some sorcerers capture Volks and used him to create the Forgotten One and one day Walter capture the creature that once served his mother. I like to think that Volks betrayed Bianca and her husband out of nowhere and some years later after Walter capture and finds out from the memory that Golem keep it that the creature was once a human and served his mother and as the punishment the vampire imprisoned the creature in Prison of Eternal Torture.

[snekdood]

gonna be very annoyed if ppl insist on tryna turn all 5 of my dude characters into women when the majority of other characters in my comic already identify as women

[genericpuff]

rereading the og LO pisses me off bc why did Hestia take Kore’s coat??!! The Minthe plant situation, but as a side note Eros + Psyche was such a beautiful story in the beginning. Also do you plan on giving Hermes a partner?

OH so that's actually sorta explained in the physical books, there's a bonus chapter in Volume 2 that tries to make sense of it.

Frankly, like most of the bonus episodes, it doesn't really do a good job of filling in plotholes or logical inconsistencies, for a few reasons:

1.) I think it's wild that this episode was supposed to explain Hestia's cruelty in taking the coat (Rachel even addresses this in the author's note leading into the episode) but then Hestia is still kind of an irresponsible asshole when she just IMMEDIATELY starts infodumping to Apollo, completely unprompted, about how Persephone is the newest initiate in her virgin club. Like it's just bad writing for starters because it's clear Rachel's just trying to get the 'plot' of the episode rolling, but it's also like... wasn't this group supposed to be about protecting women from men? Why is she volunteering that information so enthusiastically? 💀 I get it's kind of a nitpick but it still kind of made me go "huh???" because it's frankly just none of Apollo's business as both a man and a non-member and there's just zero reason why Hestia should be releasing that kind of information publicly, especially when it's regarding such a sensitive and personal topic like virginity. Like was there seriously NO BETTER WAY for someone as "conniving" as Apollo to find out this info?? He didn't even intimidate or weasel the info out of her, she just started fucking spilling on her own 😭😆

2.) I don't know why Hestia just immediately took Apollo's word on what he "saw" and opted to go along with his idea to "punish her" which somehow led to the decision to take the coat. He doesn't specifically say to do that, sure, but it's clear she's taking his word over Persephone's literally IMMEDIATELY when she even says aloud that it's out of character for Persephone, and even after getting Persephone's side of the story in that episode where she confronts her, she still takes the coat ???

This is another one of those "where is the feminism???" issues because even with the bonus episode included all we get is "men are evil and awful!" despite the fact that Hestia is a grown ass woman who should be capable of making her own sound judgments. Like where was Hestia's OWN AGENCY that she could have used to decide Persephone was telling the truth about what really happened ??? It's obviously just another opportunity to villainize Apollo which, sure, okay, he's been established as a scumbag rapist at this point so he's undeniably a villain, but... why is Hestia not listening to Persephone at all? And then if that was supposed to be the point, why wasn't that actually addressed in the comic which was still ongoing at the time? Hestia didn't even have the nerve to bring the coat back to Persephone herself, it was Artemis who returned it to her in the end. So we never even get a proper resolution to Hestia's actions, she never apologizes to Persephone, she never takes accountability for her own mistakes in trusting Persephone's rapist over her (which is unfortunately something that happens a lot in these kinds of situations and would have been great to address in a story that's actually trying to be "feminist") and ultimately she just never grows as a character despite having such a direct impact on the main cast.

3.) What was the point of this bonus chapter, exactly? Like I guess we sorta know why Hestia took the coat now (if we don't take ANY of what I addressed above into account) but it doesn't explain at all why that was the decision, nor does it end up affecting the overall plot because Persephone still winds up working in the Underworld, she still spends a shitload of time with Hades, and Hestia is nowhere to be seen, despite the fact that she knows at this point through Apollo that Persephone has interacted with him. How does smugly taking the coat from a 19 year old girl who was recently force fed alcohol to the point of blacking out and then dumped in Hades' car address the original problem that was brought to her attention via Apollo? Despite the bonus episodes being used as a way to "patch up" holes in the narrative, it still doesn't really explain anything, it kinda just raises more questions than it answers.

(*I'll even add real quick that Rachel's apparent reasoning in her author's notes for these bonus chapters not being included in the comic is often so silly because the comic itself is full of so much pointless filler and nonsense that goes nowhere, while the actual important explanations get shoved into the back end of the physical books. It's incredibly backwards and tells me less that these were "deleted scenes" and more that they were attempts to backtrack on Rachel's own poor writing, with the added benefit of making money off it to boot due to these otherwise essential scenes and bits of information being exclusive to the physical books. Many "bonus episodes" feel more like they should have been in the comic and so many canon episodes that got published feel like they could have been bonus episodes. Again, at best, it's bad writing and bad editing, so much so that apparently even Rachel can't fully stand by her decisions because she can't "decide" if these bonus episodes are canon or not.)

4.) Yet another case of "the worst guy ever just made a good point" because even though Apollo's doing it for nefarious, self-centered reasons, he's not wrong that it was extremely concerning for Persephone to spend the night at Hades' place, and that's made worse by the fact that we know Persephone wound up telling her side of the story just for Hestia to punish her anyways. Unfortunately because Apollo has to be Bryce from 13 Reasons Why, the only angle he's coming at it from is "YEAH YOU BETTER GET REVENGE ON PERSEPHONE FOR DOING THAT!!! SHE'S SUCH A SLUT!!!", but there's a whole other separate angle here that his villainy is distracting us from, an angle that actually WOULD have accomplished the subjects of feminism that LO claimed to be tackling and failed at - why was Persephone put into that situation in the first place?

There's never any real consequence to Eros for intentionally getting Persephone blackout drunk and dumping her in Hades' car. There aren't any real consequences to Aphrodite for targeting a girl who did nothing but exist. There aren't any real consequences to Hades for offending Aphrodite within earshot by comparing her to a 19 year old girl who he just spent several minutes oggling through a window. The only one who's actually allowed to suffer consequences is the easily identifiable rapist character, because anyone who knows what sex is knows that Rape is Bad, but no one actually wants to identify and discuss all the other terrible actions and characters within this story - including the leading man who's supposed to be "perfect" for Persephone - because those actions are a lot more subtle and normalized and aren't capable of being consumed easily within a single tweet.

It's a no-brainer to understand "rape is bad"; it takes a lot more self-reflection and honesty with yourself - especially if you're part of LO's core demographic of both young teenage girls and middle aged women - to recognize that Hades and Persephone's relationship is predatory right from the start, and that being a feminist doesn't mean exclusively caring about 'good' women and punishing the 'bad' ones.

[mandacantu]

10 Reasons Why I Actually Loved The Crow Remake

FKA Twigs - I'm not going to sit here and pretend I am not a huge twigs fan, because I love anything she touches and especially her music. This was her first time as a leading lady and I thought she did a good job. I do think there were some points where her line reading could have been a little more fast paced in some spots, but overall, I think she was captivating, eloquent and emotional. And wow, so many stunning visuals that we got of her from this movie!

2. We didn't have to see depictions of brutal and violent deaths of women in this film. I didn't want to spend too many of my thoughts on comparisons to the original The Crow, but one thing I noticed was that I didn't have to endure the violent and sexually abusive death of Shelly or any other woman in this movie. I do like the original movie but never cared for the way they went all in on Shelly's death. In this remake, we still see Shelly die but we don't have to endure gratuitous SA scenes whilst losing the leading lady. I appreciated that and was able to relax more, honestly.

3. The villain had actual motivation for killing and being a villain. There was some decent backstory and character development for the villain and that is something that I always appreciate. Some of my favorite pieces of media (like Spirited Away and Knives Out) do well to at least give the villain a story or a reason for being bad. I think it adds depth to the story and for me, helps immerse me into the plot more.

4. It felt like a comic book come to life. From the color grading and palette to the way scenes were cut and moved from one to the next, it felt like I was flipping through a comic book. There were moments that were very whimsical in depictions of love and then very gritty scenes. The contrast in some of those scenes felt similar to flipping a page in a comic.

5. It was very romantic and spent a lot of time focusing on their love story. I thought their love was believable and felt like that whirlwind kind of love where you just want to party and kiss all night. It gave me a reason to care about both of the characters and it gave Shelly a place in the spotlight where she becomes so much more than just a symbol of loss for character development. Focusing on their love and giving us some romance was a timeless decision and puts their love story up there with Romeo and Juliet or Christian and Sateen.

6. Soundtrack was amazing! If you are into some new wave, some goth tunes and some dance tracks, this is the playlist for you. Beyond just the soundtrack, it was truly a different experience to see it synced up to parts of the movie as intended. The intro was amazing, I thought it was like a James Bond meets Underworld mixed with some NIN music video sprinkled in there. The folks who worked on the score deserve a standing ovation. There were moments where I was tearing up because of how well the music paired with the scene. Most memorable and moving was Joy Division's Disorder when they bust out of rehab together and a perfectly placed Boadicea by Enya. There were so many other good ones too, I'm seriously considering seeing it again just for the mini music videos you get from the film.

7. It was aesthetically pleasing. And I'm not just talking about the eye candy that was Bill Skarsgård, though lets give him his flowers for being a true Mr. Fanservice! The actual visuals were beautiful. I loved the cinematography and color choices. It was truly a feast for the eyes. Just take a look at this beautiful gif set by pizgif!

8. I could easily see a story about grief and the longing for justice for loved ones. I thought it was a good story and as I watched it, I thought to myself that the person who wrote the original comic must have gone through an immense loss. It wasn't until I looked it up that it seems to be confirmed that The Crow was inspired by such loss. The moodiness of the movie itself added to the weight of the tragic storyline. In that, I liked that it takes a while for Eric to become The Crow. Losing someone you love transforms you and in this sense, the movie is all about that transformation and pain and longing.

9. I liked the ending. I don't want to say too much to spoil it, but I enjoyed the different ending and I was definitely teary eyed and sniffling as I left the theater.

10. It was goth as fuck. I think goth can be a multitude of styles and honestly shouldn't be something that has a gatekeeper. This was emo-boy-goth, it was e-boy-tiktok-hottie-goth, it was goth in a different flavor. I think folks are quick to see this new Eric not dressed like a new-wave-leather-daddy-goth as decidedly not dark enough. To quote a favorite musician, he was "goth as fuck, even when [he's] not in black, gothic is the pain you feel and not the clothes that's on your back."

Closing thoughts: A lot of the negative criticism is coming from men or diehard fans of the 1994 movie, so I am not surprised. This rendition felt like the same story, just done differently and with more emphasis on the love story than the revenge plot. There is nothing wrong with that and nothing wrong with a gothic romance heavy action flick.

This was intended to be a different version of The Crow and that isn't a bad thing. I personally think that if they had done the styling to be an exact replica of Brandon Lee's rendition then the movie would still get tons of hate, if not more. It was a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation for sure. I'm glad they took a risk and deviated from the '94 version.

We have been doing remakes since the creation of art. It has always been common to hear that the new movie coming out is actually a retelling of this classic tale or continuation of that scary story. Remakes are not a new concept and some of them do well to tell the same story in a different way. We are in the day and age where there isn't really an original idea anymore, anyway. In a world full of countless retellings of Batman/Joker and Spiderman movies, why not remake The Crow? I say fire it up!

I think they do a good job to pave the way for others to retell this love story in the same vein as The Joker and Harley Quinn. Hell, I would say to keep going, next let's see a remake where The Crow is about two badass lesbians. (I might have gotten too peppered up watching the movie, it was hot.)

P.S. I loved that there were little things like Eric wearing Shelly's jacket later in the movie. I feel like a lot of critics saw him wearing this jacket and were quick to bash the costume design too, but this is the kind of attention to detail that made their love believable to me. And I thought he looked cute as hell in it.

Okay, the end.

[enjoyertrying]

One thing I love about Lois Lane from Maws is that she is a female character who actually has her own personality. She could make mistakes, she could get mad about something, and the way Maws team portrays her is treated her as the main character.

Some people on the twitter argue that Maws Lois has many romantic stories, and she definitely lacks her character, but that kind of argument proves that they don’t even watch this show carefully. In Maws, we can see Lois Lane as the main character, just like Superman. She is not some kind of girl who is only Superman’s girlfriend. She has her own issues, she has her own background story, and the Maws team literally let her be the one who could be involved in Superman’s adventure, she is not just a side character. I know that Lois Lane is always the main character in DC comics and many Superman adaptations but in Maws S01E07, the whole league of Lois Lane? Well I literally see some people be pissed off by those plot because they think Lois Lane is just A FEMALE NEED TO BE RESCUED. Some people literally just get mad because Lois as a main character.

In STAS, we sure see that Lois Lane is an intelligent, stubborn, and beautiful lady, but in STAS, it is more like a Superman solo show. Superman is the main character, and all the other characters are side characters. Although STAS Lois is pretty good, in my opinion, the STAS team does not give her full attention. I love STAS, too; I don't particularly appreciate how they try to portray Lois Lane. Something like Lois only falls in love with Bruce but not Batman; she only loves Superman but not Clark Kent. It is kind of misogyny: it is like in man’s view, females only love strong men.

But in Maws, we can see Lois Lane is a female character who has her own arc, you can see her grow. She makes a bunch of mistakes, she tries to fix things, she is stubborn, and always full of anxiety because of her father…she never thinks that Clark Kent is just a dorky softy Smallville that do not deserves her attention, she actually loves those characters from Clark. The reason why she cares about Superman is because he is Clark Kent, the man she loves. Some people always use the plot about her trying to jump off the roof to prove Superman’s identity to accuse her, but seriously? The reason why she doing this is obviously in that episode. She saw Clark get hurt, she does not like people lying to her because her dad is asshole, she care about Clark…and some people call her as toxic character. Unbelievable. People sometimes just don't accept that female character can gets flaw. People all know that Lois Lane is Superman’s girlfriend, and in many Superman adaptation, they clearly does not have enough time to protrary Lois Lane as a character who has feelings and tempers. In most of the Superman adaptation, Lois is just a girl who admires Superman so much that she even could not notice Clark Kent.

But in Maws, the situation has changed. Lois has her own life, and her own path and her flaws make her a really independent character. She loves Clark Kent because of his kind heart, even his dorky side; she pursues her career with her heart, bravely solving problems, stubborn and cute.

In my opinion, Maws Lois Lane is the best Lois Lane in my heart. Can’t wait to see the third season, to get more story about her.

[hellspawnmotel]

It's a shame about Astro Boy Epsilon 2003's design to be steeped lowkey in this "Well he's the most feminine of those seven robots so why not turn him into a girl" because his design is genuinely cute there, but also because of his more pacifist manners + caring nature, really sends an odd implication when it comes to turning of any of the famous robots from Astro Boy into a girl imho. Your comic really shined a light on that which I really enjoyed and it reminded me how while I enjoyed Astro boy 2003 it has its grounds to cover by how it changes things around

yeah I had the exact same thoughts! it's odd too that in 2003, epsilon doesn't retain the main qualities that make him such an interesting character- those being that he's a caretaker of human children, and his brief relationship with pluto. the former especially seems like such a missed opportunity given how much of a theme robot-human relationships are in the anime. we see plenty of other robots taking care of human children and the conflict that causes, so I don't see why one of those instances couldn't have been epsilon. it wouldve been a really smart way to integrate them more heavily into the plot. my only idea is the writers thought like "well if we make our only recurring powerful female robot a literal mother figure that feels pretty reductive" but it's not like the show isn't already sexist in other ways? and the consequence is that epsilon loses the things that made the audience care about him and becomes a pretty flat character. every other version of epsilon dies protecting a child. 2003 epsilon is defeated because she's worried about some random dolphins. it's kind of an emotional downgrade.

I don't mean to be overly negative though- I actually just finished watching the show last week and it was amazing. it had a perfect ending, which isn't something I can say for many things. AND most of the episodes range from "great" to "mindblowingly awesome and heartwrenching". there's so many good things to say about it- which is exactly why I get so critical of its few flaws, especially when it comes to things that felt like a downgrade from the manga. they stick out like a sore thumb! I could make plenty of complaints about the manga too (and I have, to my friends) but that doesn't stick in my craw as much because the manga is much less consistent in terms of quality. astro boy 2003 is a fantastic show and a really really smart adaptation apart from like, two things. and to be fair they're only things that will really bother you if you read the manga first, which I did. so if anyone reading this is an astro boy fan (or just likes robots tbh) and hasnt watched it for some reason...... do that. it's incredible, seriously. don't let my complaining scare you away.

[littleplantman]

Hermitcraft/Bnha crossover alright, so, I’m not sure if anyone has thought of this before, but what if the hermitcraft/life series participants existed in the bnha/mha universe? Of course not actually IN the universe and influencing the plot. But just imagine if their persona’s had quirks and interacted with some of the characters on an off chance. This is just a random idea for an au that was festering in my brain, but it sounds almost exciting. So I was thinking, how about I make a list of their theoretical quirks and show some random strangers on the internet for my first post? That sounds like a great idea! So, without further ado! The crossover absolutely nobody was asking for (and since I can’t draw I can’t put it into an actual comic or anything) here’s some of the hermits and their quirks!

Grian- I was thinking of giving him a quirk similar to fierce wings, considering most of the internet, (myself included) pictures him with wings. But, the evolution of Grian and his Minecraft skins lead me to give him a transformation quirk, something similar to Toga’s. Although I’ll probably end up giving him a bird quirk anyway, since he also looks quite similar to Hawks too. Those two would probably fly around the city, annoying people all day.

Scar- personally, I like the idea that he would get the “anivoice” quirk, so he could actually communicate with Jellie or the other cats in neighbourhood. Either that or he could have a cat related quirk, but I think it would be funny to have someone like Shinso or Aizawa meet this guy, probably after finding him with an army of stray cats, and just sit there going, “what the heck…?” Because they’re talking to a large and slightly intimidating guy, in a wheelchair, who is really friendly, and surrounded by cats that would likely commit crimes for their dad.

Tango- his quirk would end up being something like the secret lovechild of Endeavour and Burnin. He would have flaming hair, which would make sense, but his manipulation of fire wouldn’t be that strong. Similar to how Kaminari’s quirk works, he would be able to cover his hands, or other parts of his body if you’d rather, in fire. But that would be basically the extent of it. He can’t shoot the fire out all over the place, sadly. It would be cool if he ran, or was a part of a large support company that made support items or costumes for people with fire or heat related quirks.

I’m going to make a few more of these posts, since I know it’s already starting to get quite long as it is. You can probably see a recurring theme about their quirks being based off already existing powers, but I’m mostly taking inspiration from those abilities because they’re so good, and it might make it easier for those characters to interact since they’ve got quirks similar to each other. But seriously, this is how wacky my crossover au’s could get since I have such a vast range of interests.

[homestuckreplay]

Jack Noir, Star Of Hit Movie École De Rock

(page 949-973)

The slow zoom out of Homestuck is very fun. It’s hard to believe that a few hundred pages ago we were confined to a single room, and now this story switches back and forth between planets. In these pages, we cut from John exploring Dad’s room over to what Dad’s actually doing and back, meet some loser monarchist, and poke further at the meta layers.

So all those years, while you believed he was out busking up the corners with hilarious antics, he was working as an ordinary business man all along. He was just a man trying to make a good honest living for his son. Maybe he was too embarrassed to tell you the truth? Or maybe it was just that you'd never bothered to ask? You guess you always just assumed... (p.949)

This really reads like it’s setting up a growth moment for John, when he realizes the truth about his dad and the different ways he should have acted towards him, and I am NOT buying it. This sketch of Dad in a jester’s hat and tie juggling on the street is masterful, and John has lived with Dad and spent time with him for 13 years, and John’s image of Dad based on that time spent together is real and meaningful, and I don’t like that the narrative is suggesting that it isn’t?

Son. If you are reading this, it means you are now strong enough to lift the safe. You are now a man. As such, you are entitled to what is inside. I know you will take this responsibility seriously. I am so proud of you. (p.546)

For some reason, Dad is associated with lifting safes. He can not only lift them, but launch them through walls, and take down guys who can lift even bigger safes. Being strong generally, and safes specifically, are not culturally associated with either dads or businessmen, both of which are more often seen as sedentary. Bakers, harlequins, even street performers are not especially physical. If Dad was just a businessman his special skill would be typing really good or memorizing schedules or processing spreadsheets super fast. And yet.

From there we meet Archagent Jack Noir, overseer of a ‘dark kingdom’ also known as an ‘ominous planet’, who has a spade on their clothes. They are not named Spades Slick, but the similarity is explicitly acknowledged. A few panels later we see one of Jack’s ‘burliest agents’ (p.957) who has a heart on their outfit and looks exactly like Hearts Boxcars, also from the Midnight Crew (p.833). Possibly the Midnight Crew are the ominous agents’ LARP characters.

The Midnight Crew is a comic within the Homestuck universe, and it’s bleeding outwards, its characters entering the main story. At the same time, a set of yellow fingers types commands from the position I’ve been calling the ‘player’ – this player is bleeding inwards to the main story. And both things happen right as Jack Noir’s fourth wall has been stolen. (Jack looks directly out of where this wall would be, at the reader, when he rejects the name Spades Slick, and the yellow hands appear as though in a POV shot).

Jack Noir is the opposite to the Wayward Vagabond; he has a blind devotion to the monarch (who we also get a glimpse of!) and considers them a ‘wise and just leader’ even while disagreeing with them. But they both have a lot of interiority, compared to the imps which don’t appear to have much thought or personality beyond the prototyped clownish spirit. The imps also had their harlequin garb appear automatically (p.424) while Jack was ‘ordered’ to wear the clothes (p.956) and could decide whether to obey. He also doesn’t appear to have adopted a jester’s personality. So I think we have two types of Sburb NPCs, the minions and those with wills of their own.

I was thinking about the names ‘Jack Noir’ and ‘Spades Slick’ and the idea of being an archagent for an ominous planet or plotting a heist in an underground hideout and how this is a very different genre to the rest of Homestuck. So I looked up the Wikipedia page for ‘noir fiction’ and found this interesting quote, which, if this genre is played straight, could be the type of story that unfolds with Jack Noir. It tracks so far with his position between the monarch and the minions, but it’s very early days.

A typical protagonist of noir fiction is forced to deal with a corrupt legal, political or other system, through which the protagonist is either victimized and/or has to victimize others, leading to a lose-lose situation.

John gets more birthday gifts!! I love this. In real time John has been waiting months to open these. And he loves all three of them, just like he loved the Little Monsters poster, showing that for the most part Dad knows what John likes, and the harlequin doll is the one exception. The photoshop job on the fetch modus control deck is so good, this absolutely looks like a real product (possibly an edit of a Star Trek toy?) and the idea of combining the properties of different fetch modi is so chaotic. Do NOT give this to Jade. If she combines memory + operation + ouija it’s all over for us. It is also funny that there is a modus (array) that just works and is easy to use, and everyone willingly opts for worse options (‘array of distinct queuestacks’ is ridiculous).

I think fetch modus technology is the backbone of Homestuck worldbuilding. Right now it’s not super plot relevant, but it establishes rules that other aspects of the world follow too – and this idea of combining properties is something we’ve seen with alchemy too. In the same way that the pogo ride and hammer could be combined in two different ways (adding or subtracting) to give different outcomes, these fetch modi could be moved around in the deck and reconfigured into a queuestack of distinct arrays.

John getting excited about a Gushers birthday gift is perfect, no notes, fits perfectly with how I see him. But I was surprised at first by his excitement about the suit. John does have ‘a lot of clothes’ (p.115) but never struck me as a fashion guy, until I remembered his movies. I think John is excited about owning a suit because a lot of movies feature Cool Characters In Suits, and now he can pretend to be a Nic Cage in Face/Off or a Matthew McConaughey in A Time To Kill.

Dad beating up the ominous planet’s agents, lifting safes and breaking out of jail is also a cool action movie thing, and a lot of John’s movies do feature fathers who go to extreme and heroic lengths for their kids – notably, Con Air’s whole plot is a father trying to get home in time to give his daughter a birthday gift, while imprisoned on a plane with guards and maximum security criminals. So I don’t know what’s going on with Dad specifically, but I do think John’s action movie dreams will come true.

> John: Take important phone call from the President.

[redbuddi]

Do NOT Read "Lady Crystal is a Man"

People who know me know that I'm a little bit of a webtoon addict. I'm basically always reading a million different fantasy romances, even as someone who is not personally interested in romance in real life. Because of this, I am well aware of the more problematic elements of a lot of webtoons, to the point where it's easier to list webtoons that aren't problematic than to name ones that are. It's unfortunate, but it's a common aspect of webtoon consumption that most people get used to. (Note: When I say webtoons, I am talking about the genre of phone-optimized romance webcomics as a whole, not just things from the WEBTOON app. The series in question is on Tapas.)

Because of that, I will admit it is partially on me for assuming this comic was going to be more progressive than it actually was. People new to webtoons may be fooled, but I should have known better. On top of that, I am well aware that female-oriented romance stories can sometimes be a little toxic, and while this is a problem that needs to be worked on, I also know about what can happen when something meant for teenage girls is criticized. Even when the criticism is in good faith, it can start a trend of bashing anything teenage girls like and shaming them for wanting to explore media that is anything but flawless. I don't want to add to that.

But this series isn't just a little problematic. It doesn't just have some questionable elements or common plot failings. This is a series that has the potential to seriously hurt anyone who is trans, gnc, or gender questioning, and could give anyone who isn't any of those things the wrong idea about what is and isn't appropriate when it comes to trans/gnc/gender questioning individuals.

If you would like the td;dr, then in a nutshell this comic portrays material that could make an individual feel shame, discomfort, or even body dysmorphia. And on top of that the protagonist is cruelly gaslit and manipulated in ways that the series presents as if it were just light teasing, and that is all only in the 19 chapters that I was able to stomach before dropping the series entirely.

If you would like a more detailed description of this series' flaws, then I will continue below the cut.

cw: transphobia, body dysmorphia, gaslighting

Lady Crystal is a Man follows the story of a man raised as a woman attempting to escape a forced marriage by going to the mysterious and dangerous duke Illian, unaware that Illian is secretly a woman. The story is essentially a combination of two tropes, the Crossdressing Romance trope, where the main character and/or their love interest is secretly not the gender they present themselves as, a trope which has been around for as long as female-oriented comics has existed, and something a little more specific to webtoons (to my knowlege,) the Contract Marriage trope, wherin the protagonist escapes a bad situation by entering a temporary marriage with someone else, only for true romance to bloom between them. I have read many webtoons about Contractual Marriages, but not very many about crossdressing. As a nonbinary person, I tend to be uncomfortable with the highly traditional way many webtoons portray gender roles, and so I try to steer clear of series that tackle gender directly, but that is not to say no webtoon as ever handled it well. In particular one of my favorite webtoons, Alien Idol, tackles gender in an extremely understanding and informative fashion, even taking the time to acknowledge places where it's knowledge is lacking, which I've never seen a comic do so honestly before. Most webtoons are not like this, unfortunately, but that is only to my knowledge, and recently I've been wanting to expand my horizons a little bit. How can I be sure so many comics handle it poorly if I don't even read them for myself, after all? That is what convinced me to check out Lady Crystal is a Man.

In the first few chapters I was hooked. The series has extremely good artwork, and it first appeared to me that they might be trying to do a metaphor for t4t couples. Crystal is constantly coached on how to act and behave as a woman, because if he lives as a man he will be killed by his cruel and uncaring family. He takes a drug to halt his growth, and this drug is actively harming him, he is literally being torn up from the inside having to live as something he is not. He envies masculine traits he observes in others, and dreams of running away to live with the people who truly love him, cutting his hair short, and living as himself. It's because of this that I made the mistake of buying multiple chapters in advance instead of just waiting for them to unlock, and that's why I read so far into this series when normally I would have dropped it the moment it started to go downhill. Anyway, Crystal meets duke Illian, and already a connection is established by the narrative in how the two have had to live in fear of being who they really are. And at this point I was ready for them to start relating to each other and forming a bond.

This does not happen. Not really, anyway.

Illian tricks Crystal into thinking that the marriage paperwork went through extremely fast, and that they are now husband and wife. This is a red flag, but in the same chapter Illian reveals that she's just teasing Crystal as payback for trying to trick her, and that she will fully support Crystal's escape to be with her family as soon as the snow clears up. But then she doesn't. Even when Crystal admits the truth to her, and the snow clears up, Illian maintains the facade that they are married and that Crystal will have to keep staying with them until the annulment paperwork can go through. This happens because Crystal, under the impression that they are really married and that he has tricked Illian into falling in love with him only to have her heart broken, decides to take responsibility for his actions instead of running away like he originally planned. And Illian, hearing this, continues to lie to Crystal about their being married. This establishes a pattern that will continue from here: Crystal will show genuine care and consideration for others, and will be rewarded for it by being continuously manipulated by the people around him.

It's at this point that Illian finds out that Crystal is not a cis male. Not because Crystal told her, mind you, but because Crystal faints due to side effects from the drug he is taking, and Illian, who has taken the same drug, recognizes them. At first this is fine to me. I like that Illian does not get angry or upset, or even wants to confront Crystal on this, and at first I thought it was because Illian respected Crystal's boundaries and would only acknowledge it if Crystal decided to tell her. She even continues to refer to Crystal with female pronouns, even when she deduces that Crystal might be living as a woman just to not be killed in the battle for succession. But then, Illian decides to "make sure" that Crystal isn't cis. And while we aren't directly shown, it is heavily implied that Illian looked under Crystal's nightgown to see his genitals.

There had been one or two red flags up to this point. In particular, focus on the size of Crystal's hands. This was off putting to me, as this is something that could hurt people. Even people who aren't transfeminine could be hurt by this, the fact that having bigger hands than what is considered "normal" for a woman and how this is treated like a clue to Crystal's gender identity is something that would hurt anyone who identifies as a woman but doesn't fit what is considered a normal body standard. Focus on hands is even something that can be a big dogwhistle for TERFs, although I don't suspect the author is a TERF since I'm fairly certain this is a Korean comic, and I don't know what the discourse on gender in Korea is like.

Regardless, even with my growing suspicions, this was a massive shock. Crystal was unconscious at the time, unable to consent. This is unambiguously a massive violation, but the comic portrayed it as just a silly, over-the-top bit of shenanigans by our female lead. I know for a fact that this wouldn't have happened if the genders were swapped, in every webtoon I've read people who try to look under women's skirts are treated as disgusting perverts. But because Crystal is a man, suddenly it's cute and funny when his privacy is undermined. And this is the turning point where the series goes from a seemingly flawed but earnest attempt at a trans metaphor to a showcase of the most disgusting abuse I have ever seen in a story, all written as though it were just silly antics by people who are ultimately in the right.

Soon Illian and the doctor she had look at Crystal begin internally referring to him with masculine pronouns, all without asking if it's what Crystal wants to be seen as. As the doctor mulls over Crystal's potential circumstances, she thinks "Few people pretend to be the other gender, even fewer do so against their will," the series acknowledging the existence of trans people, but only as "petenders." And again, this is before they even know for sure if Crystal is doing this against his will. All the while, Crystal is portrayed in more and more infantalizing ways. He plays with snow like a child. He doesn't understand basic social cues, or even that people might be lying when they speak to him. He accepts everything Illian tells him without checking, even when he knew going into this that he would need to be careful. Illian secretly alters Crystal's communication devices so that she can see everything that Crystal says when he sends out messages to his friends in the east, who are waiting to take him in, unaware that he has been manipulated into staying against his wishes. Illian is drawn in by the way Crystal wears his heart on his sleeve, and doesn't want to let him go, even though she knows that Crystal has a home somewhere else. Crystal is prevented from escaping, and isn't even giving the courtesy of knowing that he is a prisoner.

There is another character in the comic, a cook who is portrayed as being large and strong, completely unfeminine despite being female. For one thing she's a show of hypocrisy, a cis female is a female, without question even if they don't fit eurocentric standards of femininity, but a trans female has to pass these standards with flying colors, and even then they don't really count. But there is another thing about this character. She is regularly referred to as a "monster" for her immense strength, size, and endurance. She owns it, seeming to be perfectly content with it, but not all real people who look like this would enjoy being called that. I feel that this is another acknowledgement of the other, that yes there are cis people who also don't perfectly fit their expected appearances, but they're not normal. They are exceptions. Monsters.

And then came the chapter that made me drop this series for good, completely overwriting my buyers remorse with disgust. Illian has to leave for a mission, and had instructed the Doctor to take away the drug that Crystal is using to maintain a feminine body. The doctor confronts Crystal, telling him that she "knows" he's a man, and blackmails him, threatening to tell Illian if Crystal doesn't hand over the drug. In exchange, the doctor gives Crystal a magic ring that she says will make other people perceive him as female. This is already bad for a few reasons, namely that even during this confrontation, the doctor never asks Crystal if he truly identifies as a woman or not. If Crystal did identify as a woman, then the ring would be a terrible trade. A person who wants to look at themselves as feminine does not do so in the hopes that other people will see them the same way. While the perception of others is certainly a concern, the main consideration is if the person sees themselves as feminine. A ring that only allows other people to see them as feminine would certainly be useful for people who don't want to be misgendered or seen in a way they don't want to be seen, but it wouldn't be an adequate replacement if it wouldn't help the wearer get a body that makes them comfortable. At best it would just be a supplement to something else.

But worst of all, it's all a lie. The ring doesn't actually work. It's all a trick to get Crystal to give up the drug. Yes the drug is harmful to Crystal, and Crystal himself doesn't want to take it, but as far as the Doctor knows Crystal could be trying to appear feminine for his own reasons. But without even consulting him, Illian and the doctor assume they know what's best for Crystal and trick him into giving up what could very well be the thing making him happy and comfortable in his own skin. Imagine how horrific things would be for Crystal if that was the case. Seeing his body change in ways he does not want, entirely against his will, and since the ring doesn't actually work his transformation would be fully visible to everyone around him. But instead of asking what if he wants this, Illian and the doctors decide to play the odds, and this is written as though they're being helpful by doing this. To add insult to injury, the doctor internally criticizes Crystal for accepting the trade without questioning it, seemingly forgetting that Crystal was essentially forced into it.

For obvious reasons, this was the point where I had had enough. This was abuse, plain and simple. Yes characters are not real people, and there is a place for stories that tackle things like abuse and manipulation, but this series never acknowledges the horror of what it's characters are doing, treating these things as though they're just cute and quirky romcom gags, maybe not normal but ultimately harmless. Meanwhile in the real world, these things are deeply harmful and hurtful to the readers of this series, especially those who, like the characters of the story, are forced to live in identities that are not themselves.

It's pretty common for webtoons to tackle things like this without really knowing what they're doing, and usually I'm able to shrug it off and keep reading, even if still criticizing it, as long as it seems the writers have the best of intentions. Making mistakes is how we learn, after all, and a lot of webtoons are written by young adults living in conservative societies who just need the chance to see other people's experiences. But there is a point where I draw the line, and that is when there is no perceivable compassion whatsoever for the types of people they are portraying. As I mentioned, the comic clearly shows an understanding that there are people who do not live as the gender that they are assigned at birth. But it does not see them as people. Even beyond the "pretend" line, gender is portrayed as concrete, inescapable, with terrible consequences for trying to change it. It portrays transfeminine people as clueless, weak, and unable to decide for themselves what's good for them, and illustrates anyone who doesn't fit typical standards of appearance as a strange and terrifying other that shouldn't be considered on the same level as everyone else. In general webtoons already have a massive issue with beauty standards, (don't even get me started on the way fat people are usually written,) but this is a whole other level of cruelty. While this comic was probably not specifically made to harm people, it takes careful steps to put people it doesn't like "in their place." It wants you to feel bad about yourself. This comic and comics like it should never be supported, not just for political reasons, but because, like it's characters, this comic is trying to enforce ideals that it feels for best for you, regardless of if it's what you actually want. And no one deserves to be hurt like that.

So if you see this comic or a comic like it, I encourage you to turn away. If they won't portray us as human, then we don't have any obligation to give them our support.

[silverthehedgehogcharacteristics]

Silver Characteristics Part 2

Warrior -  fought and struggled for half his lifetime in the hellish Iblis future, constantly fighting against Iblis, monsters and putting out disasters including Flame Tornadoes for most of his life to bring peace to the world. Shadow describes him as a Fighter in Team Sonic Racing. Enjoys Fighting and can be quick to start fights(Fights almost everyone for both in Rivals 1+2 and Infinite in Forces, almost fights Blaze in Colors DS and Otherworld Comedy and Bowser Jr and Jet in the Olympic Games). Extremely Brave(No regard for his own safety, Instant fight response when surprised in Sonic Generations, fought Iblis monsters since he was Cream’s age). Values bravery and dislikes cowardice/cowardly tactics(Rivals 1+2, Colors DS, Team Vector interview). Has high aggression, determined expressions and aggressive body Language during anything he's focused on. Often makes fists, punches things when he’s frustrated and gets up with his fists in Sonic Forces. Due to his backstory he is deeply appreciative of peace and prosperity but also has a violent personality.

Focused - Is Focused on saving the Future(06 design docs). Very serious and focused when it comes to his mission or dealing with potential danger. Very proactive in dealing with things as he was the only one actively trying to defeat Iblis and change the world(06) and the only one trying to find the truth of Dodon Pa and Eggman(TSR). Has a Straight-To-The-Point mindset(doesn't care what the plan is called, only that it works in Forces) and doesn’t like things getting in his way. Very goal focused(even during competitions, he says the Jade Wisp Ghost ability is the only item he likes because it lets him disappear and focus on racing(Team Vector interview)). Takes things much more seriously than Sonic and sometimes gets mad at Sonic for not taking things seriously or messing around(JP TSR, PlayStation Comic). Has pointed angular eyes like Sonic’s other rivals which represent intensity, danger and seriousness in character design.

Can be Ruthless - “sometimes calls forth great power without mercy”(Sonic x Silver). Has fought dirty(Played possum to hit Sonic in 06), tried to assassinate Sonic, snuck past Soleanna guards. Mugs Tails in Sonic Rivals 2, has no qualms with fighting small children like Tails or Bowser Jr. Leaves his enemies to die even if they beg for life. Has the pragmatic “get-it-done” mindset of Future Trunks/will do whatever it takes to save the future.

Intuitive - Solves problems by using his mind in all his major game roles including figuring out how to revive Sonic(06), being a detective(Town Mission 13), uncovering Eggman/Nega’s plots(Rivals 1+2, TSR) and solving various puzzles. Very perceptive(Sees through Eggman Nega’s disguises by noticing small details), turns his fight with Sonic into a race to collect Chao to advance his mission(Crafty). Intuits Blaze trying to control great power when seeing it for the first time(Otherworld Comedy). Not trusting(Didn’t initially believe in time travel, Immediately suspicious of Dodon Pa in TSR, questioned Mephiles’ mission even as Blaze reaffirmed it as their only option, takes time to work with others in the Rivals series).

Challenger - Enjoys challenges and seeks out ways to test himself(Climbed Tokyo Tower, disappointed when Orbot and Cubot don’t pose a challenge). Very Competitive(Almost fights Blaze when they start one-upping each other over who could deal with Orbot and Cubot on their own in Colors DS). Self-confident and has a smug attitude about his abilities but is otherwise pretty humble. Cherishes his friends and strongly believes in/very grateful to those who help him. Regularly trains off screen like Sonic’s other rivals and said to make Steady efforts to improve(Wallpaper Comedy). Bold and undeterred by any threat(“We can take them all on!” when facing Eggman, Knuckles and Rouge in Rivals 2, “I’ll just destroy him everywhere at once” when facing Solaris)

Curiosity - Has a certain curiosity and likes seeing new and different things(“Interesting”).Can praise or call things cool as much as he insults others. Might have a weakness for cute things(Has a soft spot for/plays with Chao in Sonic Rivals 2 and an official PlayStation Magazine comic). 

Skills - Powerful psychic with various super powers(Sonic Runners). Like Sonic’s other rivals he has various skills including car racing, acrobatics, fighting near the level of Shadow, sharp shooting among the best in Soleanna’s 1500 year history. Has been a detective, delivery boy, butler, top ranked ice skater and “genius” skating coach celebrity(He takes offense to being treated like an amateur for a reason). Fly/Skill-type character so he specializes in more technical sports like ice skating and drives a car with high balance(TSR, Team Vector Interview).

Polar Opposite of Eggman Nega(Blaze’s best friend, Pure, Young, Honest, Rude, Empathetic, Impulsive/Reckless, Naive, Practical/Focused, Altruistic, desiring Peace and Happiness and willing to die to protect the world opposed to Eggman Nega being Blaze’s arch enemy, Twisted, Old, Deceitful, Polite, Psychopathic, Calculating, Sophisticated, Petty, Egoistic, desiring Chaos and Destruction and willing to die to destroy the world)

Enhancer-Emitter - Enhancer being someone that is determined and simple, never lies, hides almost nothing, is straightforward in actions and thinking, whose words and actions are often dominated by their feelings and is very focused on their goals. Emitter being someone that is impatient, not detail-oriented and quick to react in a volatile manner but can also calm down and forget easier

Lives in the good future when not helping Sonic in the present the same way Blaze lives in her dimension. Thinks things in Sonic’s time are dated (sometimes, in Sonic Rivals and Colors DS) Often implied/shown to like apples(Ate apple flavored calorie bars in the Iblis Future according to Sonic Pict) and live in Soleanna(He was originally going to be named Venice because he lived there, he may be Italian coded as his counterpart Galahad uses an Italian dagger as a sword). 

[kit04kat]

Ranking the batfamily most to least likely to become a supervillian. (Plus all my ramblings about why I put who where [disclaimer, i have not read the comics due to me not having that kind of money]) I started thinking about this while reading a fanfiction where Dick, Jason and Tim were taken in by villians instead of Batman and it got me thinking. Anyways, let's get to the rankings.

1: Tim Drake. Starting off strong with our resident boy-genius with stalker tendencies. This may shock some of you, but I look at this human disaster and see a plethora of supervillian potential. You take away this man's adult supervision and the world may never be the same. What was happening with the league of assassins? And the fact that he tried to clone his best friend out of grief? Also I feel like we all skimmed over the fake uncle shenanigans too quickly. I once saw someone say something like Tim's moral code is copy-pasted off a house rules sticky note on the fridge and I agree.

2: Jason Todd. Seriously, we all saw this coming. Now, you might ask me, "but Kat, why is Jason at number 2? Didn't Red Hood already do the villian thing?" And to that I say, Ha! I am ranking them on supervillianiousness(???) Jason had his whole revenge plot and crime lord thing in Gotham but after that was done, he kinda settled out a little bit. So no, I don't think Jason has ever been a supervillian, just a villian, and after that he was more like an antihero/vigilante. That being said, I don't think he is incapable of being a supervillian, which is why he is number 2.

3: Stephanie Brown. Ok, I'm gonna be honest, I was really wavering on the order of the people in the middle. Also, I'm not gonna claim to know a whole lot about the adventures Steph has been through. That being said, I feel like she is just a tad bit more unhinged than the rest of the people in the middle, and therefore more likely to go insane. And if she had the proper motivation, she could totally be a badass supervillian. (Kind of reminds me of Jason in that way)

4: Damian Wayne. Alright, here's the thing. A lot of Damian's character development has been about him overcoming his heritage and learning that the things he learned with the league of assassins were bad. That being said, I don't think he will ever leave behind those ideologies as thoroughly as Cass and Bruce did. I think he sees the world in a lot more shades of grey than they ever will, and because of that, I've decided to put him forth on our list.

5: Barbara Gordon. I'm putting Oracle right smack dab in the middle. Not because I couldn't figure out where to put her, but because that's where she belongs. Listen, do I think she would ever become a supervillian? No, not really. However, if for some reason she had to become a supervillian, she'd be able to do it. If she ever turned to the dark side, it would be completely thought out. Calculated. And my girl doesn't do anything half-assed.

6: Duke Thomas. Now, Imma be honest, I don't know a whole lot about Duke, and I didn't really know where the best place to put his would be on this lineup. I put him in 6th cause I don't think he'd turn into a supervillian but he's more likely than the last three. He probably deserves to go further up the list, but oh well.

7: Bruce Wayne. I know some people will probably say he should be further up the list, but here is my reasoning. Batman's whole kinda thing is that he's always toeing the line. He's doesn't kill because he knows he wouldn't be able to stop. He is Darkness, Vengeance, the night, all that stuff. (It's why Batman needs a Robin) If he broke, he'd be broken. I don't think he'd be able to come back from that (I also disagree with myself a bit, cause there's no way his kill count is 0. I mean, he's been beating people up at night instead of therapy for decades) Anyways, that being said, man is stubborn and has been doing this vigilante stuff for a longggg time. I simply don't think he's gonna turn.

8: Dick Grayson. We are getting towards the bottom of the list here, to the people I think are least likely to become a supervillian. Dick has been through so much. With Renegade, Red X, Spiral, whatever was up with Ric, he took up the cowel and became Batman when Bruce was gone (which is something he never wanted to do), he's had so many of his friends die, family die, and that's not even all! He's been through a lot, but he's also the light to batman's dark. He's been through all that and still chooses to be good. There's no way he's ever becoming a supervillian (even if it is a very interesting plot in fanfiction)

9: Cassandra Cain. Last but certainly not least, Cass. I personally think she is the least likely to become a supervillian. She was raised as a weapon and taught to kill, but she has completely overcome that. She won't kill at all, much like Bruce, but she's also more emotionally sound. Her morals are strict, and she doesn't have to fight with herself to keep them. I love her so much, truly one of the best of us.

I'm gonna put Alfred as a honorable mention. He doesn't get to go on the list cause honestly, if he ever became a villian, it's over. He's have the world in his clutches before the week is over. Gotta respect him for having the patience of a saint.

This was so long! Anyways, feel free to add to this or tell me how you would rank them differently!!

[physalian]

On Fight Scenes (Or, getting creative with your magic system)

This is coming from a reader’s perspective, not a writer’s, in what I like to see and what my thought process was when writing my fight scenes—I hate these things and can’t call myself any authority on the matter. They’re tedious and translating what’s in my head onto page is always frustrating.

This is also for fantasy and sci-fi: Fight scenes that have some magical or technological element to them, not a straight-up action story with two dudes punching each other. This includes anything from fights in Harry Potter to battling a Xenomorph to bending in ATLA to a throwdown between superheroes.

Side note: I really, truly hate “two dudes punching each other”.

—

I have a friend who loves comics, specifically DC Comics, and watches all the DCAU films. When we lived together, I often watched a lot with them. My favorite remains Constantine: City of Demons because unlike literally every other DCAU movie, it doesn’t drop the ball in the third act and devolve into a stakes-less fistfight. This dude faces *consequences*.

I’m not a comics (like actual, paper comic books) fan, but without fail, every time the setup is good, the characters are good, the first 2/3s are good with pacing and usually a mystery and passable character development like Batman: Under the Red Hood…. The last 15 minutes or so always abandon what had been a good plot for just superheroes punching each other and I get so bored. I’m invested and then they rarely deliver any payoff.

But I do like Constantine. Dude needs a nap.

Point is: On top of those fight scenes not really mattering, by the nature of what comic books are in that they can never stray too far from the status quo, or if they do, it doesn’t stay that way for long, the people who made these characters don’t get all that creative with their powers.

I think, actually, I liked Constantine so much because his stuff is rated R and it doesn’t shy away from the more realistic effects of living in a superhero society… without being gratuitous like The Boys.

I just get bored. The fight stops when the plot says so. Knockouts are arbitrary, power scaling is arbitrary. Someone can get thrown through a wall and walk it off but the villain or their buddy can come up behind them and hit them really hard on the head and that’s enough.

Anime is its own thing and would take far too much time to address here but I do want to talk about My Hero Academia real quick, following up on a previous post about tournament arcs.

Season 2 of the show has three main arcs: The tournament in the first half, and the Stain fight/final exams in the second.

For a while, the show actually seemed to take injuries rather seriously (for shonen, at least), and got insanely creative with characters’ very niche powers. In season 1, their teacher, Aizawa, gets pretty brutally beaten by a horde of villains and his powers are permanently impacted by his recovery—he can’t use them for as long as he used to, and he has a new scar.

Midoriya, too, whose powers break his bones on the regular, has consequences for overusing them, like his hands and forearms not healing properly despite superpowered medical intervention.

Power scaling, too, was fantastic…. Until the Stain fight.

I will never understand the thought process behind this logic:

“Hey let’s show how powerful Todoroki is by having him manifest an entire glacier in about 3 seconds!” *9 episodes later* “Hey let’s make this fight with a dude who only has various blades to work with super tense by making Todoroki completely nerfed in a legit life or death situation!”

Buddy couldn’t take two seconds to yell at his friends to get the fuck out of the way? Was he worried about damage to the buildings? I feel like nepotism could have spared him from some consequences if breaking a few windows meant him not getting murdered. It wasn’t like he had daddy issues over his ice powers.

The rest of the show (until I DNFed) had similar issues. Powers were as competent as the plot allowed at any given moment, which I guess is the nature of shonen, but if you’re going to go out of your way to establish realistic rules and consequences really early on, breaking them willy-nilly because it looks cool later is annoying.

Which is applicable across all fantasy sub-genres: Consistency.

I might not be the best at writing the step-by-step choreography, but damn it if I don’t know how to make sure I’m not opening up plot holes in how much damage my characters take and dish out.

—

So. How I approach fight scenes as told by Eternal Night and my sci-fi WIP.

Before anything else, establish a reason that this has to be a fight, that it has to happen now, and what’s happening beneath the combat to keep the story progressing. The plot will not stop just for fisticuffs.

A magic system is only as cool as what its characters cannot do with it, and breaking those limits ruins the magic system.

Make sure this is a fight that can only happen in this story, taking full advantage of the various powers/abilities/magic system rules, if this is meant to be flashy and grand.

Eternal Night is about vampires, thus my vampires, being immortal, can take a lot of hits and not suffer long-term consequences compared to a mortal. I adhere to a lot of classic vampire lore while also making up my own rules. They don’t have super speed, super strength, or compulsion, they just have a lot of experience and know how to use their weapons well, and can essentially go at 100% without mortal limitations of fatigue.

Basically: My vampires are only as strong as a mortal in absolute life-or-death situations, but that’s also dependent on how strong they were in life. Somebody who was a couch potato isn’t going to be as strong as a bodybuilder, and that carries over. I don’t have “younger/older vampires are supernaturally stronger” rules.

They have the same immortality risks as most versions: Stakes, beheadings, sunlight. Anything else is survivable.

Simple magic systems tend to be the most robust because there’s less rules available to risk breaking or forgetting (why ATLA's bending feels so real).

So when I was writing ENNS’s big fight, on top of making sure they weren’t all gods with their weapons—they missed shots, got tired, made bad calls—priority one was making sure I kept killing blows consistent, and when they’re temporarily “dead,” that the timing of when they revive isn’t determined by the plot.

Meaning: If I have a vampire who, idk, gets stabbed by a regular sword and it “kills” them, they have to stay “dead” for whatever amount of time I’d previously established and not wake them up early to participate in the plot again. Those are my rules and I have to work with them.

And in that way, yes the choreography is frustrating, but even if it’s an average description of a fight, I will appreciate that the writer respects their own rules and still be entertained.

With that, in the sci-fi WIP I had incredibly complex and diverse magic systems, 3 complete and unique practices split between two characters. One of which was incredibly OP.

This was a very reluctant OP character who wouldn’t use the full extent of his powers even to save his own life, often to the ire of his team who suffers the consequences of unnecessarily complicated battles when he could one-shot the enemy but chooses not to.

Internal limits tend to be stronger than external ones if you have an OP character, because they’re more believably toggled on and off without breaking the lore.

Even with OP character stubbornly making life harder for himself, he was still OP. He had two different magic systems at his disposal, and beyond his internal limits, they had two very easily exploitable external limits.

Magic system A was tied to a physical artifact he had on his person. If he got separated from it, he couldn’t use it. A is also a lot harder to use if B is also busted.

Magic system B was counteracted easily by users of Magic system A, and by the enemy military who’d developed weapons specifically to nullify those powers, and that weapon was everywhere.

Which meant my fights concerning OP character were rarely “why doesn’t he insta-kill them” it was “oh shit, he can’t insta-kill them, now he has to be clever to get out of this alive”.

One of my favorite fights was at the tail end of Book 2 where he was stuck with two of his non-powered teammates, on a ship dead in the water being overrun by the enemy. The ship had no power, the radios were dead, and the engines were fried.

He had already been sick for half the book and physically and mentally exhausted, and when the enemy arrived, they nullified the rest of his powers. All he had was Magic System A, but in his condition, it was like being asked to do long division on paper by hand, because his calculator was broken.

Dude was not having a good time.

Which meant he was basically useless, with two of his basically useless teammates, who all had to work together to get creative and clever with the tools that they had, on a ship they all knew like the backs of their hands.

So many things they would not have had to do in any other situation, with stakes so much higher because OP was powerless. The characters came first, not their powers, which I think is the most crucial ingredient to any fight you want people to keep talking about for years to come.

—

I can’t tell you how to choreograph your scenes, but I do think that why they’re fighting matters far more than what they’re fighting about, and especially in fantasy: What’s the point of writing magic if you don’t take full advantage of your magical characters?

[hollowsart]

seriously, Marvel. please consider a little series of comics that focus solely on the mundane side of Spider-Man's rogues' lives. like focusing solely on those who were and are a part of the Sinister Six cuz those are popular favorites.

let us see more about them beyond being villains and plotting and scheming to rob banks/tech facilities or take down Spider-Man. let's see more of their more mundane side.

I'd do ANYTHING for a comic about Mysterio and his every day life outside the villain persona. I already know a Doc Ock focused one would do MAD Numbers from his fanbase.

no lie, Electro fans would go haywire if there was a comic focused on Max Dillon and his less energetic lifestyle.

I ADORE world building and I think we could use some more for the villains. their environments can tell a lot more about them as a character and I think we really could use more of that in general within Marvel as a whole. there's a lot of focus on the characters and their relationships, but it's limited to purely dialogue. a telling and never really showing. and what it tells doesn't do too much.

slap some more DEPTH and INTRIGUE into these characters!!

What are their daily morning routines?? When they're NOT plotting and scheming and having to secretly meet up with other bad guys to make top secret exchanges to further their devious plans. Like.. HOW do they prefer to live and decorate their living spaces?? Show and tell us more about their likes and dislikes!!! DO they have other talents? Did they have any other career ideas they would have enjoyed besides the ones they ended up with? ANYTHING more would be nice!!

I'm just a sucker for world building and character developments beyond the base narrative limitations.

[adreamfromnevermore]

Watched Dead Boy Detectives recently and read some of the comics, putting some thoughts here to get them into words. Minor speculation for the future if we get a second season (which'll be under a cut)

In the comics the boys are younger, somewhere around 12 or 13 I think and their deaths are a little different. The first major plot is actually focused entirely on the school, I like the shift from that and the way they took the cases in the show a lot actually. Although having them meet Crystal in boarding school would've been funny.

I think aging them up was actually the better option, especially if we want more than one season. Actually having them be as young as they were in the comics would've made it so they had to recast every few seasons since dead boys don't exactly age. I think it also allowed for a wider audience, having two main characters as 13 year olds would've been a little young for a lot of viewers to take the show seriously and to tie in with the Sandman show.

I'm really interested to see where they go from here, if they've decided not to use the school at all and how they handle Crystal and her parents. In the show so far we've only really seen the one glimpse of them but they have a bit more depth (like a tiny bit) in the comics and I do wonder if we'll see anything like that or if they'll be just as absent if we get a season 2. A few of the separate big bads they deal with in the comics come from the school, I'm leaning towards that being mostly left behind because of what we saw with Simon, in the comics he was definitely not someone who was ever going to be redeemed or make peace.

I'm putting the rest under a read more for season 2 spec that some people might not want to see (primarily a bit about Niko and where she might be)

So, my first thought is the Neitherlands. Idk how much it shows up in Sandman comics because I haven't gotten to those and is pretty big plot wise in the 2014 DBD run.

The Neitherlands is where a few different characters are trapped, namely 2 friends of Crystals, Hana and Rosa. In the original comics Rosa is taken as a child while with Crystal on a rollercoaster and Hana is sacrificed so her body can be stolen by a demon. Neither of them are exactly what happens to Niko but we don't really know what that charm did and I'm willing to entertain the idea because of it's connection to Tragic Mike.

Now, the thing that made me think of this at all is the most striking feature of the Neitherlands, snow made of bone. In the comics it appears without color, but the main defining feature from the beginning is snow made of bone. I could be entirely off base, but in the comics they are able to rescue and return people from the Neitherlands.

The question about that, is that in the comics the bodies are still alive. Rosa in a coma and Hana possessed by a demon. If Niko is in the Neitherlands while her body has died what does that mean for her return?

(other slight connection between the Neitherlands is that slightly more walrussy Tragic Mike has a direct path in his shop that allows him to go to the Neitherlands. Direct path as in like, him drowning for a while I think, but it works for him. And he did give Niko the lucky charm)

[spaceorphan18]

You said you saw Deadpool & Wolverine - how did you like it?

Oohh, thanks Nonny! I had been planning on writing my thoughts! :)

I liked it!

I thought it was a very apt bridge between the old Fox films and Deadpool coming into the MCU.

I'm not a huge fan of uber violent things but something I appreciate about the Deadpool films (and Ryan Reynolds' brand of 12yo humor) is that behind it all is a lot of heart. And this film retained that, through all the crudeness, the point is that ultimately, Deadpool/Wade is a really good guy. And I can respect that.

Getting into specifics... which are very spoiler-y

I thought the plot itself was very thin, and this whole thing probably works better as a bunch of sketches, but it's fine. I was never asking for a lot from this film, and it did the only thing I was really asking of it, which was provide entertainment and get Deadpool into the MCU.

I appreciate that they really didn't shit on Logan's legacy while bringing Hugh Jackman back. Jackman seemed to be having a good time of it, which I'm glad to see.

Btw, loved all the musical jokes we got in this! Loved it.

I LOVED the montage of various Wolverines -- I understood most of the references! Yay me for reading X-Men comics for so long!!

The Henry Cavill cameo? Perfect.

I'm not surprised we didn't see a lot of Wade's family and friends, but it is sad they got such a small amount of screen time.

Ooff, Vanessa continues to be the one really weak piece of this whole thing. Does the actress not want to be there? Does she have limited time? Why is her character always being reduced to love interest whom Wade does everything for but there's no development of her character? Idk.

The TVA stuff is fine. I feel like it's so convoluted now that it doesn't really matter that it ultimately doesn't make much sense. I do think the MCU needs to start moving away from the multiverse stuff. It's just getting too mucky and it's lost focus.

Oh, why is Thor holding Deadpool, I'm sure it was just a gag, but oh god would it be hilarious if they brought it back at some point.

The Happy stuff. It's always great to see him, but how did Deadpool end up in the main universe? Why am I even questioning this?

Cracked me up that they hid Peter's face in that picture. Can't give Sony any more money than necessary.

Oh, in general, I love LOVED all the fourth wall breaks. This is why I watch Deadpool movies.

Cassandra Nova was fine as a villain. The actress was great! She just feels... a little too seriously evil to be in this comedy movie. Idk.

All the returning c-list villains were fun!

Having Chris Evans return as Johnny Strom was a brilliant move and I loved it. Having him just be the opposite of Steve Rogers on top of it was hilarious. Perfect use of a cameo, film.

Wesley Snipes returning as Blade. Goddamn. I'm kinda surprised he agreed to do it!

Great to see Jennifer Garner return as Elektra. I'm kinda glad I made myself watch all those marvel movies (which I still need to finish...) I appreciate this cameo more (and the dig at Daredevil).

Yay Laura returning! Could have always used more of her, but she did what she needed to.

Okay. Okay, let's talk about it. Let's talk about Channing Tatum as Gambit...

The Pros : The accent was fun, the way they used his powers was fantastic and original, they didn't make him the butt of jokes or treat him like a joke, there was a general respect for the character overall and I really, really, appreciate that being a Gambit fan

The Cons : Look, I have nothing against Tatum personally. He just doesn't look right. He's too think in body shape (not meant in a derogatory way), and his face just doesn't work in the headsock. Not to mention the costume looked plastic and cheap.

I really hope Gambit is back, but can we have Tatum as Gambit here like we had JKras as Mr. Fantastic in Dr. Strange? Just a one time fun gag? Please??

Remy is having a really good year despite dying everywhere.

The Deadpool squad (or whatever) I'm afraid I haven't read enough Deadpool to really get it, but it was fun. The side scrolling action sequence reminded me of a video game. And honestly, Wolverine with his cowl on, just kind of loosely moving reminded me of a video game as well.

I'm super curious to see how Deadpool plays within the MCU now. Let's go for it.

The credits were a nice touch. I'm glad they could honor those films for what they did, and I'm glad we can now move on from them.

Tl:dr it was fun and I liked it! :)

[thatndginger]

I made a powerpoint presentation for The Runaway. I tried to make it comic sans, I swear, but Temperance refused to cooperate. Anyway, I realized I haven't talked about this Shapeshifter project nearly as much, so a formal introduction is in order.

@sunset-a-story @touloserlautrec @ceph-the-ghost-writer @illyriashade56 I hope you guys don't mind that I borrowed your tags and comments, but they made me happy cry to read💙💙

Transcription for each slide under the cut.

A powerpoint presentation comprised of ten slides. Each slide has a faint background image of a watercolor painting depicting a foggy pine forest.

[SLIDE ONE]

thatndginger presents:

The Runaway A Shapeshifter story

also known as: the story that got me anon hate from a jaded ex-friend who co-wrote the original version, then got mad that I kept writing after she cut me out of her life with no explanation :D

[SLIDE TWO]

THE PREMISE

Temperance Maddox does a runner

ok but seriously, the title of the story is the plot: a shifter [Temperance] runs away from certain traumatic events and ends up stranded in middle-of-nowhere Wyoming

where he’s rescued by a quiet, kind single dad [Dean] with a ~mysterious past~, an adorably rude six year old [Kate], an empty room, and seemingly infinite patience for Temperance’s terrible attitude

Temperance is a totally mature and reasonable adult who absolutely does not argue with the six year old and engage in petty name calling with her

Temperance will also never fall for the man who rescued him. It’s not like he’s going to stick around long enough to even consider it. Right?

everyone involved questions why Dean bothered taking this guy in when he’s a

capital-P Problem - even to himself. Dean is not taking questions at this time

[SLIDE THREE]

alright let’s break this down tier-style

Tier One - The POV Characters: Dean Matthews & Temperance Maddox

dueling POVs are always fun in a romance-centric story, right?

ok neither of these two would shut up so they both get POVs so I can get some sleep

Tier Two - The Important Side Characters: Kate Matthews & Talia Salwood

one is dependent on their father and the other is just plain nosy, so they’re almost always around in one way or another

Tier Three - The Supporting Cast: the residents of Kilnora Falls

there’s a nonbinary mechanic, the mechanic’s Australian vampire partner, a witch that runs a coffee shop, forest rangers, well-meaning grandmas, and distrustful neighbors

imagine one of those small-town romcom background casts and you’re probably close. except most of these background characters are witches, vampires, or shifters

[SLIDE FOUR]

Image ID: in the top right corner of the slide is a digital drawing of Temperance Maddox in a side profile view. He has short black hair, pale skin, and sharp features. His expression could be called confident, contemptuous, or amused. There is a simple sketched outline of a fox just behind and in front of his face.

Temperance Maddox he/him - 22 - fox shifter

the most pathetic drowned rat of a man you’ll ever meet

can and will cuss you out in multiple languages (he only knows the swear words)

if you can get him to stop saying ‘fuck’ every other word he’s surprisingly well-spoken

a city boy born and raised in Moressau, Washington

he’s got worse manners and emotional intelligence than the literal six year old

desperately in need of a long nap, a strong hug, and a lot of therapy. and maybe some kisses

would rather gouge his eyes out than admit any of the above

somehow a fan favorite among readers? I don’t understand that at all but I’m glad y’all love my terrible son?

[SLIDE FIVE]

Image ID: in the top right corner of the slide is a digital drawing of Dean Matthews in a side profile view. He has long-ish brown hair, tan skin, and is missing the tip of his left ear. His expression is neutral but has the slightest hint of a smile. There is a simple sketched outline of a coyote just behind and in front of his face.

Dean Matthews he/him - 32 - coyote shifter

heavy on the Romance Protagonist vibes (the good kind, not the weird heteronormative kind)

has lots of feelings but cannot for the life of him figure out how to show them on his face

tries to be a good dad, kind of a pushover and would bend over backwards to keep his daughter happy

is a carpenter by trade, and always willing to help out around town when things need fixing

the kind of tragic backstory character that sneaks up on you, because how can such a decent guy have a tragic past?

would very much like to have a quiet, simple life in his quiet, far-from-simple mountain town but things just keep happening to him

did I mention he has a bit of a southern drawl? and can play the guitar?

[SLIDE SIX]

Image ID: in the top right corner of the slide is a digital drawing of Kate Matthews in a front-facing view. She has long and curly red hair, darkly tanned skin, and yellow eyes with slit pupils. There are freckles on her face that are grouped in stripe-like patterns. Around her neck is a necklace with green and white crystals. She is looking off to one side with a solemn but curious expression.

Kate Matthews she/her - 6 - half-fae

unreasonably cute for a being who’s part uncanny-valley-made-of-magic creature

not blood related to Dean, but try telling her that

too young for anyone to tell if she’ll end up more fae-like or more human, but who cares? she’s adorable

has to wear a special necklace when she’s not at home to keep her innate magic in check. no one wants the little kid to have a tantrum and set the mercantile on fire

thinks her dad is the coolest thing in the world, especially when he turns into a coyote

thinks Temperance smells funny and is a rude meanie

personal space is not a concept she understands around those she likes. will bite anyone she doesn’t like who tries to touch her. watch out, her teeth are sharper than they look

thinks fairy tales are stupid, because real fae are scary and mean

[SLIDE SEVEN]

The Setting

middle of nowhere town in the western mountains of Wyoming

the town is called Kilnora Falls and there are exactly 521 people living there

more than half the population is some kind of supernatural, the majority being shifters and witches

everyone knows that faeries are real, that they’re incredibly dangerous, and that no one’s seen a true fae in almost a decade since the old faerie door beneath the waterfall collapsed

there is a very strong distrust of strangers among the residents of the Falls. They don’t see many strangers, and not many people who grew up there choose to leave

this setting started as an inside joke between me and my partner because he grew up in that part of Wyoming and I think it’s hilarious to tease him about it. Now it’s its own thing with regional holidays and a whole map and everything

[SLIDE EIGHT]

Image ID: on the left side of the slide is a digital drawing of a map depicting Kilnora Falls. It is in a simple style, with the buildings depicted as simple white shapes. The town sits on a small river and is surrounded on all sides by thick forests and tall mountains. 'Kilnora Falls' is written in the bottom left corner, while a scale and compass are depicted in the top left corner.

look! a map! imagine steep mountains all around, because would rather cut my foot off than draw contour lines

average weather conditions lean towards ‘cold’ - summer highs hang around the 70's. winter lows can get down nearly to -40. bring your coats, kids!

the entire town is less than one square mile in size

all the businesses in town are open 24 hours a day so that the nocturnal residents can still use their services. which means the bar is open 24 hours a day.... oh boy

the nearest ‘city’ is almost two hours away (Wyoming’s biggest town only has 65,000 people guys, the quotation marks are justified)

most people who are born here don’t leave, or if they do for school or work or whatever, they come back

[SLIDE NINE]

TROPES, MEMES, AND THEMES

y’all know I can’t resist a good meme sesh, so without further ado, here’s a mish-mash of tumblr-approved silliness for The Runaway

grumpy x sunshine pairings

domestication arcs

pathetic little meow meows

hot handymen

cute romance moments

tragic backstories

Image ID: a meme variation of the "Gru's Plan" meme. In it, Gru is labeled as 'Dean'. The first section reads "see someone stranded on the side of the road. The second section reads "stop to help. The third and fourth sections read "be verbally assaulted by an angry twink".

Image ID: a meme variation of the "Flex Tape" meme. The man slapping the tape is labeled as 'Temperance'. The tank spewing water is labeled as "trauma induced nightmares. The flex tape is labeled as "don't sleep ever".

Image ID: a meme variation of the "Schoolbus Hit By Train" meme. The schoolbus is labeled as "a wall around your emotions you've spent most of your life building". The train is labeled as "Dean Matthews".

Image ID: a meme variation of the "Bernie Sanders Asking" meme. Bernie is labeled as 'Kate'. The subtitled text reads "I am once again asking why the stranger dad found smell weird. And acts like a big mean pinecone." The line "and never says 'please' or 'thank you' is partially cut off at the bottom of the image.

[SLIDE TEN]

some comments from my lovely friends who have read The Runaway, because they make me happy and if published books get to put endorsement quotes on their covers, why can’t I do the same with my little powerpoint?

"#highly recommend you follow for the absolute bangers of stories you'll find here"

"#askjkdhd look at Temperance's sweet dumb little face #Dean looks like the type of guy who'd pick up a rude stranger #on the side of the road"

"Oh I can already tell Temperance is gonna be my favorite poor little meow meow I adore him."

"#good on you for writing on company time #me [handshake emoji] Dean #<- not being fooled by Temperance's tough guy act one bit #I want to wrap him in a blanket like the feral kitten he is #or maybe talk to him like Sam from Vampire Therapist #'Woah there fella. Easy now. Ain't no one gonna hurt ya. That's right...nice protagonist...'"

"#efojweojfoe love this whole shapeshifter thing giving tem a heart attack #also the way this playing scene is described? idk it flows so neatly and pleasant to read"

"#i can't wait #Dean is dreamy"