#this specific taste being characters who are super scared but also super sweet and loyal

[nael-opale]

The Venn Diagram of my latest comfort characters makes sense to me...

Weird exception being Abner Krill falling directly into the "Depressed empathic sweethearts" category without even trying to match with others !

Venn diagram made with Creately

[endobiologist]

Furry Species Stereotypes #1 - By Me

Note;

These are only my personal views of the furry fandom's species I know from my personal experiences with them,

and if not that, then general common assumptions or stereotypes.

Thus, this is not gospel truth for everyone!

If you disagree, please tell me why!

I'd love you guys' take.

I also tried to name as many species I could think about off the top of my head without looking them up, which took FOREEEEVER.

You can reply to this or anon ask me, or DM me with ones I've missed, even your personal own created species (even if no one knows them yet), I'll do them too in a reply to this!

Real existing species stereotypes down below, here!;

WOLVES ; Due to this being the most common persona, you are most likely someone who follows the crowd and likes things that are popular. You however are still a pretty solitary being, preferring a dark corner over a party's dance floor. You love honesty and loyalty and have those traits to a fault, never ever abandoning a friend or ally, in need or not. You may also like things like squishy toys and squeaky toys, fidget spinners, and any manner of play item. Also, basically, to sum it up; YA' BASIC. Sorry. 😆

FOXES ; Somewhat similar to ferrets, raccoons, & sometimes rats, you both scurry around quickly simultaneously physically, and in conversation, and you may "borrow" items from places seemingly like a kleptomaniac, but for sentimental items. Basically if you are friends with a fox fursona, your jacket and/or gloves, pins, pizza (LOL) and many other miscellaneous items may go missing "mysteriously" due to them collecting it as a habit. They almost never mean true harm, they just like keeping your stuff because it reminds them of you, which can be seen as creepy by some people. But it is also very endearing, if done with pure intentions. But you may want to tell the fox to stop taking your things and ask you first! LOL. You always seem to have a ridiculous amount of energy and for some reason, an insane amount of optimistic viewpoints, and positive happy personality. You also like your books, preferring to spend a night reading then playing video games. (Although you do enjoy those too.) You are pretty academic, but yet you can also do well in physical sports, if you're into that sort of thing. There are a few points in the wolf & dog category I would assign here too, most likely due to all three being canines, like liking the squeaky and squishy toys and other stem items, and being verrrry loyal if a bit solitary in nature.

CATS (BIG) ; ...Y'all are usually assholes! There! I said it! I'm sorry to say, but nine times out of 10, you guys seem to be huge dicks, and I'm... not sure why, exactly?? What attracts the enormous dickwad to the big cat's umbrella of wild cat species? Maybe, perhaps, it is the superior, regal, and majestic appearance of big cats,--perhaps relating to their usual narcissism in normal life? Okay, so, I'm exaggerating a little, I have met some big cats that are great and very good friends. But a lot of them I've seen have been downright rude, callous, cold, and distant, at best! And downright asswads at worse!! However it seems like as bad as they go when they're bad, they go really good when they're actually good. When they are cool people, they're actually surprisingly chill, especially when comparing to the other type of big cat. They tend to usually be D.J.s, dancers, comedians, performers or some sort of person in the entertainment field, in some way. Those type're usually hella nice to get along with, however their super friendly exterior disguises a very weird, eccentric and esoteric mind beneath. They also seem to ooze confidence outwardly, even if they aren't confident feeling on the inside. They are royal and regal, and usually relatively unfazed by anything that would hurt normal people pretty badly. These are usually the type of people who don't get into emotions very often, or if they do, they always still have a wall up between them and the other person. They're strong, but that's because they force themselves to be strong, and it makes for a very bad night if the big cat snaps and takes out their very strong, tiger-like roar of anger on others! Thus if you are a big cat, I suggest finding ways to manage your anger, and finding ways to relieve your stress, as I noticed people who are big cats in their fursona tend to be very stressed in real life for some reason. Again, I'm not sure why people who are, are attracted to that species specifically.

CATS (SMALL) ; You kitties are solitary like the big cats and wolves, however much more docile. There's two main types of cats that are house cats in fursona; There's the serious brooding figure that seems to be always alone yet peaking curiosity in everyone's eyes--the type that is stealthy, sneaky, and very cat-like--as in, realistic cat-like. You may sit strangely or have odd habits in voice or body, something that makes you stand out as different. There's also the second type of cat, which is basically an UWU XOXO anime girl that is ridiculously feminine, high pitched, and almost always is a neko type furry character instead of a full furry anthropomorphic character. Not that there's anything wrong with nekos, they're awesome too, it just seems to be a trend that any neko is usually a cat. You may like to actually smoke catnip! (Okay that was a joke LOL, but yes, it is possible, and yes it does get humans somewhat high, but most would not recommend it due to it being short & tasting bad! LMAO 😆) You also really like batting things around, or batting things off tables or counters--when you have a cup of tea beside you, the urge to knock your mug off the table is irresistible, even though your rational mind denies the notion from actually happening. You tend to like yarn snd thread, whether that means just playing with it or knitting or sewing etc. and making creations with it! You usually like fish a lot, mostly sushi is your favorite, and usually, you tend to be more based in Japanese culture.

DOGS ; See wolves, but add loyalty hella and way more people-oriented. you're somehow more basic than wolves 🤣

RABBITS ; As someone who has a rabbit as one of my main 3 fursonas, I have to admit I love rabbits. We are usually very social, unlike the animal we're based on, preferring to conversate and meet people. Although, like the rabbit, we may be shy to actually begin the conversation, or initiate plans on our own. We also scare easily, and most of us for some reason tend to have anxiety or panic disorders, not always, but quite often, and that can usually be why we relate to the characters of rabbits which go still & shake or attack fiercely with their hind legs if scared. There are some people with rabbit fursonas that are definitely fully shy, but a lot of them are actually quite more outgoing than you would think they are. And no, rabbits usually don't love carrots. (Including real rabbits, they eat mostly hay and carrots should only be a treat!) But for some reason one thing I noticed is that almost everybody's fursona in existence is. Just. Super sexual and flirty and just out there in every way. They can come across as perverted and strange to a lot of people due to this, once they reveal their true colours rather than their cutesy entrance, to those they know well.

DEER ; You guys are the innocent bunch, the kids that seemed to never know what was going on when it came to violence or sexual content in any media or situation. This innocence continues throughout your life. You're usually a 'deer in the headlights' and can get very confused easily and a lot, and also you can become quite shy and reclusive if you don't have friends to pull you out of it to shove you into social situations by force. You may not be 'the brightest bulb in the bunch', but you are definitely the friendliest, kindest, and most understanding one in it. Most people love being your friend because your support gives strength that can't be found elsewhere, due to the power and stability of your connection to people. You also may really like salad.

BEARS ; You guys are a bunch of big gentle giants. For some reason, most every person who plays a bear fursona seem to be gigantic in real life, either super tall, or super fat, or super muscular, or a combination or all of the above! Whatever it is, they're always big intimidating figures. Yet, despite this, they seem to be very sweet, mild-mannered and very loyal. They also seem to have a lazy streak, preferring to lay down and eat honey rather than do anything productive on time. Don't get me wrong, they'll do the task, but it'll just take until they feel like doing it. However when they have ambition, they have it and have it well, being able to rise to Big manager positions very easily. They tend to be very shy both in romantic situations and just in general. Despite their large presence, they're just a bunch of softies.

OPOSSUMS ; An opossum is one of my main fursonas, based on me. Plus I can tell you from experience that opossums are little shits. They will pester the shit out of you, text you non-stop, and talk your ears off if you let them. They're not trying to be annoying or clingy, but they're just that type of person that really clings to people and likes talking to people as long as possible when they like them. Like raccoons, rats, and other things on this list, they like hoarding treasure and they tend to be sneaky mischievous little beings, loving to pull pranks or make a joke to make someone laugh hard. The opossums are kind of the clowns of the furry species, always being the comedian of the group. We love soft blankets and we tend to sleep with our head under the covers completely like we were in our mother's pouch. Also a lot of us do what I call the 'human sofa', where we curl around someone's back as they sit, and become their backrest, to snuggle them.

WEASELS & FERRETS ; Same as opossum, but make them scary and super suspicious all the time. I mean seriously, these guys are "sus". Who knows what they're up to? But they tend to be great comedians, and can always crack a joke that's sly and sarcastic to make someone burst out laughing, even if it's just one person who does due to their obscure references to their many fandoms.

RACCOONS ; Same as opossums, weasels, and ferrets--except add that you love trash. Whether this means collecting empty boxes, like shoe boxes and electronic boxes, or collecting old newspapers, or straws, or broken glass, (who knows?!) or making new pretty things out of old withered things, all of it you adore! You enjoy the feeling of making the most out of nothing, and pulling something out of your ass to survive no matter what the situation. This tendency can lead to intense resourcefulness in every area of life.

SKUNKS ; They all tend to be really chill, mostly... because all of you are fucking weed smokers! I guess it comes with the territory since skunks have a skunky smell, but damn does your skunky smell smell skunkier than a skunk! 😆🤣 Okay, okay, now besides the usual stoner stereotypes, you skunks are pretty chill beings, usually preferring a night on the couch. Although when they do catch you adventuring, they'd catch you frolicking in nature, and catching tadpoles, or doing something odd in a river. You love forests, and also love the sounds of city, traffic, and cars passing by. Rain is one of your favourite times.

BADGERS ; Y'all are some bad motherfuckers, the type of person who could kick anyone's ass, any amount of people, and come out without a scratch. People like you are nearly indestructible, and also tend to be somewhat snappy and harsh to others, although usually unintentionally. You tend to love honey, and/or any kinds of sweet things, which tends to contrast with your spicy personality. You have a pain tolerance out of this world, and you also have mental pain tolerance as well, seeming to never get hurt or let down by others' actions. This is due to you never fully trusting, and always preparing somewhat for a let down.

TANUKIS (JAPANESE RACCOON DOGS) ; This is my main fursona, and like opossums, Japanese Raccoon Dogs / Tanukis are ridiculously loyal and strange, almost clown-like beings, and also like raccoons, they love finding old things and transforming them into new. They also tend to be very artistic and really like colours, usually having some form of synesthesia if not multiple, usually having to do with colour association. Also you usually have a very strong connection to Japan and it's culture, either being Japanese or just loving the culture itself, and tend to base a lot of your life around Japanese things. You may even be planning to move to Tokyo someday! Tanukis are notoriously mischievous, but in a friendly, jokey way, and they tend to never want to make people mad. Due to this, they are always very friendly and positive, as much as they can, even if they feel the opposite inside. These are also the types of people to be very esoteric, weird, and downright uncanny, which fits their Japanese theme as Japan does some weird shit too LOL. Also usually stoners. Also pretty flirty, but not overly.

COYOTES & OTHER MISC. CANINES ; As a less common version of dogs, you have some manner of uniqueness about you! You tend to be active, especially physically, and in sports, usually very likely to do hiking as well. You tend to be pretty chipper, although you can come across as sarcastic or biting when you're in a bad mood. When you're in a good mood, everyone can feel it, and your smile brightens up the space around you! People tend to be attracted to your demeanor, even if you don't mean to attract them, they still come, and this quality can lead you to some of your lifelong friends (and perhaps, enemies.).

SHARKS & OTHER AQUATICS ; You aquatic creatures tend to be the jocks of the group, however despite your jockiness, you actually have quite a brain on you; being able to figure out complex things like math problems that are way ahead of where you are, or learning to read very soon in your life, and maybe even being in spelling bees or talent shows later on! You tend to have a scientific mind, and definitely have at least one or two fish tanks, if not a whole room full. You can be a bit perverted, and even a little bit dominating in conversation, but for people who can get past that--you make a loyal, fun, and active friend.

SNAKES & OTHER REPTILES ; You all tend to seem shady no matter how stand-up you are, and the fact that you never go in the spotlight, always preferring to stay by the sidelines and observe and watch others closely. Occasionally, you may leave a small remark, and due to you barely talking, those things you do say echo only louder for those who hear. You tend to be reclusive and secluded, loving the silence of rainy days with no one bugging you, and your beautiful reptiles. You tend to be quite confident, and even heroic at your best, being kind and also empathetic and caring, and intelligent. At your worst, you can come off as cold, manipulative or even cruel at times. Snakes and reptiles are usually seen with dislike and/or fear by others, which can lead to a hardened heart in you that makes you trust less easily, fearing judgement in who you are.

AXOLOTLS & OTHER AMPHIBIANS ; You guys kiiinda tend to be the 'uwu i'm special!!1!' bunch, but rather than in an insensitive annoying way, in the way that you're genuinely childish and innocent and naive, which can be both a blessing and a curse. Like the aquatic axolotl, you stay young forever, (kind of like Peter Pan!) and you seemingly never lose your sense of humour, your playfulness, or your absolute randomness at times. You are someone who would fight to the death for a friend you just met, even though you are usually pacifistic. You have great traits when it comes to caring for others, and fully taking care of others--skills that would bode well for you becoming a nurse, doctor, psychiatrist or therapist. You tend to love water, and will go swimming the whole summer while it's warm enough! You also don't mind, even if it's cold, you'll jump in anyway.

MICE & OTHER RODENTS ; You guys tend to be even more cutesy and little than rabbits! A lot of you guys seem to be age aggressors due to mental illness, and thus choose a very small, innocent animal as their fursona. These people can also just be generally childlike, innocent and playful, albeit very shy. The other type of rodents are the creepy ass ones who give off a high & mighty vibe, being very confident, swaggering, and even mysterious at times. They're the cool kids you see in school, pretending to be some mysterious goth kid, but really they just learned the goth look a week ago.

GENERAL INSECTS/BUGS ; You tend to be very odd, weirding out the general public more than you do connect with them. You've always felt a strange disconnect between yourself and the world, feeling like you're not really there or like you could be more. You might have transformed from being a totally different person in your past, to being a radically different person now. You tend to rule change and dreams and mystic things, perhaps even being some sort of psychic. You tend to have an extremely open mind and a very welcoming, understanding personality, due to you even seeing the beauty in bugs, which so many find repulsive. This quality will follow you into life, which you must be careful of--don't start trusting everyone you meet. Due to you always seeing the best in everyone, you can get taken advantage of easily.

And now fictional/mythical/extinct/hybrids down here;

DUTCH ANGEL DRAGONS ; Y'all give off a very confident vibe to me, although it's hidden under an exterior of pretend anxiety or hesitancy, which you really don't feel. You're one of those preppy kids who tends to dress girly regardless of gender, can't handle coffee but loves their jasmine tea, likes their succulents planted in their house in cute little DIY decorated plant vases, and wears pastels of colour. You tend to be a bright, vibrant person who sees the best in things, and you can be a little naive due to your extreme and blind happiness that radiates purely from you.

GENERAL DRAGONS ; You tend to intimidate others easily, but this is not something you mean to do whatsoever. In fact, you usually try your best to make friends although you usually scare them off, whether due to being unintentionally too clingy, or just being too awkward in conversation. You tend to have anxiety or different worries about things, but you try and overtake these things with a massive upbeat attitude. Although sometimes, this attitude does falter, and you can become somewhat pessimistic without reminder. Also, like raccoons, ferrets and other similar animals, you love to hoard treasure and things you love, everything from gemstones, to rocks, to bottle caps, to pieces of broken glass--it doesn't matter what it is, if it's collectible, you will collect it.

PROTOGENS/PRIMAGENS ; You guys tend to lean heavily into the Japanese aesthetic, or at least into the vapourwave aesthetic. Perhaps even steampunk! Whatever it is, you follow it heavily. You also tend to be a tech nerd. You can help anyone with any computer problem almost effortlessly, and you even have knowledge of technologies in the recent past such as devices like record players, VHS tapes, etc. that most younger people wouldn't know about (if you are young, or if you're old, you know from experience.). You could even be a hacker of some sort if you wanted to, considering your huge skill with computers. Personality-wise you tend to be very cutesy, excitable and both very very innocent, and yet somehow perverted, at the same time. You most likely speak more than one language. I'm not sure why, but it seems like every protogen or primagen I've met speaks multiple languages, two at least, if not more.

SERGALS ; Very similar to sharks, with some qualities of reptiles. You guys also have the Leo zodiac-like personality type of loving to be loved; being in the spotlight is your favourite thing, no matter what it's for! Due to this, some Sergals will tire of reaching for difficult positive attention, and will start to even accept negative attention as attention they want, then will try and act like a troll on purpose to fuck with people, only to get a reaction. Other times they're just chill and generally relaxed people, although if you threaten their family they become very hostile and very unstable emotionally, quickly.

CRUX ; Due to the history of the species being about being experimented on, and abused, and combined, etc. etc., people who play cruxes tend to be pretty edgy "look at how dark I am!!" people. However not always--sometimes, weirdly, very girly, upbeat & happy people will roleplay cruxes. So it's kind of unsure what you'll get when you interact with one. It's pretty much a 50/50 chance on whether they're upbeat & happy, or dark & brooding. Whatever the case, they tend to be usually neurodivergent, since cruxes are mentally ill if you think about it basically, a lot of people have latched on to them as their comfort species for being mentally ill. Like dogs, you love squeaky toys and also you love piercings, and tattoos, and any body modification you can achieve!

PHOENIXES ; Similar 'emo' type to cruxes--people generally choose phoenixes due to their history of being unbreakable when it comes to physical harm. Due to this, a lot of emo people latched on to them. However there are also regular people who play phoenixes, and they tend to be very regal--if a bit intimidating, and are very ambitious & strong-minded people. They have a fieryness that blazes through to show their phoenix-y nature bubbling underneath the surface.

GRYPHONS ; For some reason, you tend to be very aggressive and domineering individuals--think Bakugo Katsuki from My Hero Academia, the anime. Sometimes you can come off as a huge asshole, but you're really well meaning on the inside, and you try to do your best by everyone--you just seem intimidating and aggressive due to resting bitch face and voice, LOL.

DINOSAURS ; You are an excitable individual, whether that means being angry easily, or hyper easily. You tend to be younger in age, or at least younger in mind, having an innocent heart and somewhat ferocious ambitions. You are strong and untamable when it comes to authority figures bossing you around. Most of the time there's no changing your mind if it's set, and you can be very stubborn, pushy, and audacious at your worst, and at your best; proud, confident, encouraging and passionate!

SKULLDOGS & OTHER SKULLIES ; Similar to phoenixes and cruxes, they tend to attract emo, goth, punk, or scene people, however rarely a bubbly girly person will roleplay one, and usually do it with pastel colours instead of dark. They tend to be somewhat reclusive, but yet enjoy people's company when forced to interact. They are people who don't really give a shit much in most circumstances, but when something gets them stirred up, it gets them up and going quickly. They can be somewhat cold and harsh to those who don't know them well, who know that it's all a façade of intimidation, to drive you away from getting closer to them.

FOLVES & OTHER HYBRIDS ; Similar to foxes, you're an excitable hyper furball that will jump around the room, and meet as many friends, and talk to as many people as you can! You guys seem to have none of the reclusive types of personality traits that foxes usually have, and instead seem to be very pack-bonded people! You love finding lucky things, like a clock or license plate that has triple numbers, or picking up a lucky penny off the street. The little things in life make you very happy.

So what do you think?

Did I get your species correct?

If so, or if not, tell me why in the replies! I will read 'em all.

[gryffinclawinthetardis]

Eleven Questions

I’m pretty excited about this. I was tagged by the awesome @theshamelessmanatee. Quick side note, I’m literally adding Leverage to my To Watch list because I keep seeing you post about it and I’m thoroughly intrigued.

So basically I’ve been given 11 questions to answer and afterwards I’ll ask 11 questions of my own and then tag a person or several to answer them. Should be fun.

1. Have you ever traveled abroad?

I have not, but I would love to one day. Top 3 places on my list: Italy, because it would help me get in touch with this part of my ancestry my grandfather has always been tight lipped about. India, specifically during Holi because the things that it signifies and the atmosphere just seem like the type of thing I’d love to experience at least once in my life. Last but not least, the Philippines, I have many close friends from there and we always talk about going and them showing me around and that would be really amazing.

2. If you had a superpower what would that be?

This is a harder question for me to answer then it should be. I talk about this with my friends all the time, and I’m always flip flopping. But if I had to really pick a superpower...the ability to refill which is something some genius I think on this website brought to my attention. I’d never want for anything. Energy low? Refill it. Stomach empty? Refill it. Bank account empty? Refill it. Insanely helpful.

3. Cats or dogs?

Dogs. All the way, dogs. Cats, um...hate me. Like I think I give off some anti-cat scent or something. They never like me. Dogs are loyal, sweet, cuddly, playful...what’s not to love?

4. What is your favorite animal?

I have 2. Can you tell I’m bad at being decisive? Owls, because I love what they symbolize. Also they can be cute and sweet, but also murder you if need be and I aspire to that mix of cute but deadly. Elephants, because they’re elephants...they just always look like they’re so happy and they make me smile.

5. Would you have an adventure in space with dinosaurs or in the pirate era with dragons?(I know they are both super rad but choose one!)

Dinosaurs in space reminds me of an episode of Doctor Who. If I’m being honest, I’ve always been able to picture myself as a pirate type, with the awesome clothes and epic marksmanship, and I really want a pet dragon so the pirate one.

6. Tell me about your best friend

The Marine, as I’ll refer to him, I’ve know 90+% of my life. We met in kindergarten and he had a huge crush on me and I beat the crap out of him because I was violent and tactless. For some reason he is still my friend. He’s the only person I never fear being brutally honest with. And he’s always as honest with me. He’s also kind of an asshole, but he makes me laugh. And if you met him you wouldn’t believe it, but I know if I needed him he’d hop a plane to help me.

7. Beer or wine?

Wine. I hate beer and I have no desire to acquire a taste for it. Yuck.

8. Tell me 3 things that make you happy

A really good book. I could be having the worst day, but a good book can turn it all around. Board games, because I’m a dork. And writing. I actually really love writing, I just never share my writing because people are mean and they scare me.

9. Do you have tattoos?

I have one. I got it when I was 16 as a birthday present. I want another one. Hoping I can make it happen by my next birthday.

10. What is a song that you like lately?

Can I pick an album? I’ve been listening a lot to Broadway lately. And after I stopped listening to Hamilton on repeat, I started listening to Dear Evan Hanson. I have listened on repeat to “Requiem”, “Only Us” and “Good for You”. They’re all pretty different but idk, I just love them all. I love the whole album but those are my favorites.

11. What is your favorite comfort food?

This is probably the hardest question for me to answer lol. Maybe mac n’ cheese? Cereal? Idk, I think I’m more of a comfort beverage person to be honest, and that’s definitely tea.

My Questions

If you could go anywhere, real or fictional, where would you go?

Tell me about your favorite book.

Who is your favorite director?

Coffee or tea?

If you could only choose one song to listen to the rest of your life, which song would it be?

What’s one thing you couldn’t live without?

You’re dropped in the middle of the Amazon Rain forest. How long do you survive?

What’s the weirdest thing you keep on you at all times?

Which superhero would you want to sit down and talk to?

What would be the title of a biography about your life?

Create your best team of fictional characters for a heist.

I’m going to tag a follower who messaged me about being friends. @weird-shit-i-shouldnt-like if you’re feeling up to it, I’d love to get to know you better. Anybody else should feel free to answer these questions as well.

[atleastputinsomeeffortinuroc]

Rant/Analysis: Logan & Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 --aka -- Redefining the Comic Book Film Genre

(As for why this gif specifically…yeah, I couldn’t think of a better one…)

Y’know…Logan and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 were really freakin’ good. Like…REALLY freakin’ good. Most people I’ve talked to have said that they liked it, but nobody seems to share the amount of enthusiasm I share about these two films in particular, and often say “It’s good. I dunno if I’d see it again, but it’s pretty good.” But, not only do I think that both are good, I will even go so far as to say that both of these comic book movies have shown what it means to redefine the comic book film genre in their own unique ways. BOTH. Bit of an odd claim, especially with that second film being…well it’s Guardians of the goddamn GALAXY. Volume TWO. And the other one is just…it’s WEIRD. It’s the dour follow-up to Deadpool to cash in on that sweet R rating they got. But, again, I have claims. Specifically, I believe that narratively Logan pushed the genre the farthest it’s gone, while I believe that Vol. 2 became the first film in the genre to work with one of the most unique and hard-to-get-right story-telling structures.

But, let’s go into detail about these things. Spoilers, btw.

First off, let’s tackle Logan.

The ways in which Logan pushed the boundaries for comic book films are roughly as obvious as you’d expect if you’ve seen it. It actually provides finality to a character, is self-contained, and successfully does the opposite of what we’ve been taught to be a comic book film ought to be. There ought to be big action set pieces, the villain has to be cut and dry from the get-go, make room for a possible sequel, if a hero dies, it has to be ceremoniously, etc. Logan has the downright balls to stick a finger to these ideas, and actively do the opposite. As the name suggests, we see the man underneath the Wolverine mask. The man behind the myth. In fact, that’s what the film’s main central theme lies in. Taking down myths that we have around heroes that we praise ala Unforgiven and the like. It’s almost a reverse Batman Begins, where Bruce Wayne is making a symbol, while Logan is trying to dismantle it. What’s more, the film downright stood against the very Hollywood mantra for how a sequel should work. It’s usually accepted that you should go bigger, instead going small, which is what Logan did. In fact, if you look at the Wolverine trilogy, you’ll notice that they actually steadily go smaller as the films go on in scale—with the quality just getting better as they progressed. The fact that both of these happen in the same trilogy itself makes it almost the anti-trilogy, as that kind of notion would be previously unheard of. But, that’s another subject for another day.

Despite Logan basically spitting in the face on how most comic book films are supposed to go, with the director himself scoffing at the very notion of seeing the films become something along the lines of carnage for the sake of carnage (sorry Kleatus Kassidy,) the film still remains true to the character in the best way it can. It stays on Logan himself. The man behind the mask, which, to be honest, is the real reason any comic book fan worth his salt likes the character. Not just for the excess violence and swearing and one-liners, but because of who Logan is. How he holds himself, how loyal he is to those who he cares about, how he’s too scared to be too close to anybody, and his general rejection to take a knee to just anybody. As such, it makes sense that the final villain that he has to face off against is a jacked up version of himself, the Wolverine that has been advertised and sold to the masses. A blood-filed rage machine that doesn’t have much in the way of character, but is just about the carnage and violence. By doing so, you make the audience question what it is that they expect from a comic book movie. Which makes it all the more tragic when Logan is eventually killed by this monstrosity. It takes another generation, X-23, or Laura, to put the Wolverine down, and finally do the character justice…perhaps it’s more of an open ending statement. How it’s up to the next generation to decide what matters more: the character or the caricature? The fact that Logan even poses these questions makes it stand out among both the top of the Fox brand of X-Men films, but also in general as a film tackling the subject of super heroes.

And then, conversely, there’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

Before I go into detail about this one, I should back up a bit.

In film, there are certain structures that most films abide by, that all mainly circle around the 3 Act Structure, and hence be more narratively driven. Main character sees a problem in his environment that reflects himself, and he or she must conquer that evil, though not before entering his or her lowest point that he or she must conquer. Typical stuff that nearly every movie does. It’s not a bad thing, hell it’s pretty satisfying if you can do it in a unique way, but not all films actually follow this structure. One of note, and the one I’m going to be focusing on, is the “hang-out” movie. The hang-out movie, arguably invented on accident by the film “The Big Sleep” and hitting the mainstream with films like “Pulp Fiction” and “Jackie Brown,” is basically what the name suggests. It’s a movie where you “hang-out” with the main characters, and the plot takes a backseat. There is no clear end-goal that you can see from the get go, but that’s not the point. The point of the film is just to sit around and enjoy the company of the characters, and watch them bounce off each other in different scenarios. The plot winds and curves as dictated by the scenarios that the characters have been placed into. If you try to piece it together at the end, you may find yourself more confused to find a cohesive plot, which is a reason why it isn’t usually embraced by general audiences with a couple exceptions, though to try to pin it down would miss the general point, I think. To rephrase, it’s similar to watching a movie go from scene to scene, rather than plot point to plot point. Hell, the film basically spells it out for you that that is the direction the film is going to go during the opening credits. In it, Baby Groot is dancing to Mr. Blue Sky while the action and destruction is going on behind him. The plot is LITERALLY in the background to the character.

This isn’t to say the plot is unimportant, but it’s very much meandering, but oddly enough meandering with a purpose, which is something that a lot of films in general can’t seem to master. And the fact the film decided to go that direction is endlessly FASCINATING mainly because of one little fact. If I’m not mistaken…Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is the first comic book film to actually use this structure. Every comic book film that I can think of has a very rigorous plot structure that the characters must fall into. That’s to say that there’s not a comic book film other than this one that doesn’t have its fair share of character moments, look at Logan for God’s sake, but this is the first that I can think of where the plot didn’t matter. They tossed out the handbook and just did whatever they wanted to do to flesh out the characters by placing them in different scenarios, see how they bounced off each other, and let it go from there. What you then get in response is this piece of film where every single major character is provided with enough character development and depth. Every single major character, I should remind you, include the already established five heroes, as well as five additional characters. That’s TEN characters who hold their own in terms of how much their characters are just that. Characters. With depth and layers that you could peel back to see the real humanity in them, or lack thereof in Ego’s case. (Avengers and Justice League: take note.) To see all of that come from a comic book film is honestly rather refreshing, when placed to all of these plot heavy films that are focusing on either setting up another movie down the line, mindless action or is just chucked into the same formulaic structure that Marvel has become damn near infamous for following. Add to that the most stunning visuals ever seen in a Marvel movie, and you have one of the most unique comic book films in both the MCU, as well as in general. The subject that Vol. 2 tackles is also very much an important subject matter as well, if you think about it. Focusing on toxic father figures as well as asking what’s more important: what your legacy is or what you value. (Insert political joke here.) Which, in this case, can be seen as family. I’d go into detail about this, but that’s another discussion for another day. Point is, you have a character heavy film in a very plot heavy world, and I couldn’t help but love every single minute of it.

In many ways, perhaps the two are more similar than I gave them credit for initially. Both are character driven films that defy convention and push the boundaries and demand more from their niche medium. Both are relatively contained with uniquely satisfying character development. They are both still vastly different, with one being a neo-western that tears down the “mythification,” for lack of a better word, of the characters, while the other is a hang-out space opera with the slightest echoes of old Greek legends. Both, I should also add, aren’t perfect. Each have their own set of issues, and if you didn’t like them, I can understand why. They also broke so far from tradition in each of their own respective ways, that I can see how it can be jarring and maybe a one-time watch for some of you, as hang-out movies always being an acquired taste, and Logan being so dour, dark and harshly blunt. That being said, I do think that both should be recognized as innovative in the genre in their own unique way. If you think that one’s a bit of a stretch, feel free to disagree, but I stand firm in saying that these two are among the best and unique I’ve seen come out of each studio. One is more critical, while the other is looser.

As to which one is my personal favorite, I’m torn. I’m leaning towards Logan, with its jaw-dropping performances from Hugh Jackman, Sir Patrick Stewart and Dafne Keen as well as the pure grit and honesty that went into it, but the more I think about it, the more I can’t help but smile when I think about how well those scenes between Yondu and Rocket (also, GIVE IT UP FOR MICHEAL ROOKER, Y’ALL. Best damn Mary Poppins I EVER did see), or how devious Ego was that FINALLY GAVE ME ONE GREAT FANTASTIC FOUR VILLAIN ON THE BIG SCREEN, or the eye-watering visuals….so I dunno. The jury is still out at the moment. But I’ll tell you what…they were both better than Iron Fist.