#vol 2 spoilers/j

[hms-incorrect-quotes]

Mind: What happened to Soul?

Heart: It died.

Mind: ...what?

Heart: He died, but he's okay.

Mind: …can you please clarify??

Soul: Clarification is for the weak.

[my-midnight-musings-xoxo]

Major spoilers for MadK!

---

As mentioned, it’s J’s turn to be picked apart! It’s not an in-depth analysis either, sorry. It is a ramble about his character design! I apologize in advance if this is obvious or boring!

Alright, we’re starting at the bottom, literally. 

Lions symbolize courage, nobility, royalty, protectiveness specifically in a familial way. What’s intriguing is that lions represent both the devil and Jesus in the bible, befitting of J. (Note this isn’t an assumption of Ryo Suzuri’s religion, purely just speculation on design. I’m not religious but this along with the angel wings made me think of it). 

In 1 Peter 5:8 the devil is likened to a roaring lion: “seeking someone to devour,” referring to his deceptive and destructive nature. On the other hand, in Revelation 5:5, Jesus Christ is referred to as “the Lion of the Tribe of Judah,” epitomizing His divine authority, majesty, and ultimate victory over evil. - The Lion In Biblical Symbolism: A Powerful Emblem of Courage, Majesty, And Justice by Digital Bible

I wouldn’t call him a father figure, but he does take on this caretaker-esque role by bringing them to the brothel to “teach them”, it feels like a twisted sense of raising. He seems to take young people such as Datenshou, who in Vol 3 Chapter 16 was shown to be a young incensate when taken in by J.  The obvious view is young and vulnerable people are easier to mold into what you want. I think this leans into J viewing himself as the mentor Wald was to him, but also finding people similar to him, re-raising himself, or at the least self projection. His younger self in Vol 3 appears in chapter 15, and at one point J refers to himself as Wald’s greatest creation. (As much as I’d love to ramble about the metaphors of owning names, this will already be long)

Both J and Makoto cannot see themselves outside of their creators, with J’s third eye that he gouges out alluded to being Wald’s as J says “It was the eye of someone who cursed me a long, long time ago. Though I guess you could say I went to them to be cursed.” Earlier in the chapter younger J wanted to choose how he died if he couldn’t choose where he started. The only physical difference between Wald and J’s fate is that J fully passed on at the end, but Wald was forever stuck in his mansion. J was trapped mentally and physically for centuries after Wald, taking on the role of nobody led to no one truly knowing him. With Makoto he could finally rest, Vol 2 at the end of Chapter 16 J says while embracing Makoto after he forced him to kill his own father, “Hate me all you like…and quickly climb up here with me.” (The art is stunning here oh my gosh I could gush about it forever!) Once again J is choosing how he wishes to die, but it succeeds. I guess in this way you could argue it’s a metaphor for J killing himself, he’s transferred so much of himself into Makoto, but maybe that’s a reach who knows.

Onto the wings! Obviously, they’re associated with angels (honestly I would’ve loved it if he said ‘be not afraid’ like those biblically accurate angels when Makoto and him first met, it would’ve been beautifully ironic but that’s just me) but they quickly made me think of Lucifer. I highly doubt this was intentional, I just find it interesting that J is called an Archduke and that Archangels (from my research!) are sent to personally oversee and assist humans with a range of issues, do with that what you will. 

Something I appreciate is art seeming touchable. A popular example for me is Vittorio Reggianini, please do yourself a favor and look up his paintings! The way he paints such vivid textures not only shows his understanding of art but also his dedication and skill. 

Not only does Ryo Suzuri draw wings beautifully, but she also draws them in a way where I feel like I could reach through and feel them. The silky feathers, the soft and curved bone. I admit it looks quite nice to be wrapped in those wings, not only do they look soft to the touch they look safe to be embraced within, their size encouraging the appearance of safety, being shielded away from the outside.

Oh and the hair!! I am a sucker for seeing how different artists draw hair, and even more so for curls. I’ll admit part of that is my inability to draw them, but the first thing I thought when I saw J for the first time was, he has great hair! It’s just so luscious! There’s a scene in Vol 1 Chapter One when J is comforting Makoto and I stared at it for at least 30 seconds. He has this devilish angel quality that I mention so frequently because it’s so wonderfully done I refuse to shut up about it. 

The way his hair frames his face almost like smoke as he gazes up at Makoto with eyes full of acceptance and promise, his assured smirk with Makoto in his grasp, ugh! 

What I wouldn’t give for an artbook of this manga, I’ll make my own deal with a demon if I have to.

T_T 

One day I’m just going to gush about my favorite panels, it’ll probably be soon because I have so many thoughts!!

I meant for this to be posted yesterday so I scheduled it, but I must've done something wrong because it never posted. I'm sorry about that!

[legiomiam]

Author and WIP Introduction

My Name is J. Lynnell I am a nonbinary author of color. I mainly write Science Fiction/Fantasy stories with the general rating being 18+. I have been writing for almost 2 decades now, and I also have poems published in The Midnight Collection Vol. 2 Dark Harvest. Which you can read CHRYSANTHEMUM: a hanahaki inspired poem of the acceptance and death of unrequited love {CW: Contemplation of suicide, Death}, UNTITLED IN DEATH: a poem dedicated to the beauty of nature and in death we return to the earth {CW: Death}, and the third poem COMPROMISE: a poem on the inevitable end that awaits us all {CW: Death}.

My About Me can be found HERE

I can also be found of Twitter and Instagram

I am also available for commissions if someone wants and I've started an ART TAG that I will update with my artwork.

(I'll have an updated list of tags here at a later date)

On to my projects:

Dark Fantsy + Romance: Adult A story set against the backdrop of a centuries old conflict between those without magic, Vampyres, and those with magic, Fae. This Dark And Divine Place is the first book in it's series that introduces us to Rashka, sister to Empress Ivette Ananulli and her husband Emperor Seung Ananulli, of the last Great Vampyre Empire that is not fully under the Consul's control. When an entire clan is murdered in the dead of night the Counsul is called to convene. Along the way Rashka is mistaken for her sister and taken, with little hope of her survival none of the Counsul members wish to waste time nor their resources to find her. Except for the Fae representatives, who offer up one of their own to search for her.

Note: This story is an enemies to lovers slow burn with explicit sexual content. It's also not a "will they?" story but a "how did they?" one. This series was started well after I had started trying to draft the Cursed Children and I decided I should tell the parents story before the children's.

{Full WIP Intro} {Series Intro} {WIP Page} {Characters}

*MILD SPOILERS FOR TDADP*

Dark (Urban) Fantasy: Adult The passing of several years find Rashka and Bahram with a growing family, and the knowledge that they each made a bargain— a selfish bargain. Ones that they decided to keep from their children including their eldest. Reign, who's life is not only coveted by darker forces that linger behind false companionship, but also set with a bounty for being the outcome of her parents' forbidden union. Unknown to her, as Reign finds herself having to reap the retribution of her parents actions, her own siblings are forced to take their own punishments in their search to free her from her own prison.

Note: This is the sequel series to TDADP, it takes place several years after the first series and spans a good length of time into a "modern" age. It's told from a multi pov of each of the children, with the main story following Reign and the other siblings each getting a story f their own that ties in. The stories of the children in of themselves are much darker than TDADP .

{Full WIP Intro} {Series Intro} {WIP Page} {Characters}

Dystopian/Cyberpunk: Adult She has to remember who she is. Not what the night terrors trick her into believing. Her name is Alexia Volkova, she fluctuates between the high rise of city life among the neon lights and towers made of reflective glass, and the slums of a worn down remodeled complex paid for in cash with no name on the lease. That's how it's always been, the terrors signaling the oncoming lapse in her suppressants. The need for more comes with the involvement in a mass murder in more than one location across the sectors of New Haven and a run in with the lead investigator.

Note: This idea is as old as TDADP and one that reddit had called a "Resident-Evil-knock-off" {derogatory} so I named the main love interest Leon because I could. A story told by very unreliable narrators and very morally grey characters.

{Full WIP Intro} {Series Intro} {WIP Page} {Characters}

Urban Fantasy: Adult Their bloodlines came with rules, a set of laws they must abide by set by their founders— first of their name— written into their very bones. To be honored and upheld. Savina Starling had obeyed those laws until now, when the greatest law to her was broken. Songbirds shall not murder other Songbirds. With the sacrifice of her family she not only returned to claim a throne that was not hers by law, but to take vengeance with the help of the devil by her side.

Note: This was born from an idea where a cult misinterprets a blood sacrifice and that the person who's blood is spilled on a summoning sigil is the one bound to the demon it summons, and if the idea had a baby with my disappointment at the staleness of some of my once upon a time favorite monster/demon/human stories.

{Full WIP Intro} {Series Intro} {WIP Page} {Characters}

Paranormal Mystery + Romance: Adult Hector Del Bosque an up and coming opera lead ready to star in his first headlining show after the success of his first role becomes a suspect for the murder of his on (and off) stage lover and costar. With the show put to a halt as the understudies are all scared off from taking the leading role. Enter one peculiar lead, Evelynn Delacroix Desbois, her too wide eyes seems to stare through Hector— through most things even as she takes the stage to practice, haunting is what comes to mind. Different than the dutiful servant and almost bodyguard, Reyes, that hovers around her when not talking to staff. Haunting and stubborn against the onslaught of threats.

Note: This honestly was supposed to be POTO inspired and sorta is but not really. It also has a poly relationship as the main romance. Though not the only work I have listed that has a poly romance as the main one.

{Full WIP Intro} {WIP Page} {Characters}

Fantasy: Adult There was power to be had in a name and that is why Brooke Vale chose his carefully, that was the deal after all. His uncle let him flee with his life his own if he never uttered his given name to anyone. Years have passed and the sprawling forest surrounding the once thriving kingdom has taken over as a deadly setting to a cruel tyranny. When old faces come to beg for Brooke to challenge his cousin for the throne he not-so-politely declines. The kingdom of Treyalla had done without him for twelve years what is another sixty more? His only answer is to find the rightful prince, the heir to the king his own very own parents usurped the throne from. Their only lead? Is within that very forest where the old gods slumber and their guide is a girl all too willing to keep their secrets.

Note: This story has been a long one in the making and while nothing it down solid it is a series that is either going to be a trilogy with each book following a different set of characters all woven together or just like Godly Ruins.

{Full WIP Intro} {Series Intro} {WIP Page} {Characters}

The following are WIPs that are not at the forefront of my current projects but still there (any that are tba/coming soon are ones that I just don't have a coherent plot to go with):

Our Multiple Lives Told Through A Single Set Of Eyes: When a woman takes a job as a companion to an elderly man his interests are stories and although skeptical of the new hire he asks her for a story unlike any other. And what better story can she tell of a young woman and the devil she married, sold her soul to, and escaped. A devil that is still hunting down his missing bride.

What Awaits Us In The Dark Of The Sea: The daughter of a merchant upon the news of her betrothal to a man she never met, a betrothal that had been set in stone after tragedy struck her family, decides that the very waters that had claimed not only her father's vast fortune just weeks earlier but her mother and oldest sister's lives when she was a child could have her too. Only she awakens soaked on the beach with a circle of small rings branded on her thigh. A claiming of the creatures that drown men and women. But it vanishes as if it was nothing more than her imagination the very day her intended knocks on the doors to have her hand.

Untitled haunted painting: a couple move into a house in a small town, beautiful even the portrait of the original owners remains on the mantle in the grand room. Even as eyes follow the couple as they go about their lives.

Untitled possible thief story: (more to come)

Fall With Me/Rise For You (duology): When the fiancée of the village's local priest finds a wounded angel in the rafters she keeps it her own secret and what starts as an uneasy friendship turns into an affair

Untitled Circus novel: (coming soon)

Untitled mafia novel: An "FBI" agent that is bought by the mafia covers up a witnesses murder as the local serial killer's work and the killer isn't happy. So unhappy that the agent's new wife becomes a target.

Untitled shadow monster novel: (TBA it's my I support women's wrongs novel)

[gorogues]

No spoilers for comics in December 2024!

These are from the official solicits for that month, which you can see in full at Adventures In Poor Taste.

Just reprints that month, so nothing exciting.

A bunch of Rogues have cameos in this Crisis reprint, and you can see a few on the cover (Lisa and Mark also appear in the issue).

CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS #9 FACSIMILE EDITION Written by MARV WOLFMAN Art by GEORGE PÉREZ and JERRY ORDWAY Cover by GEORGE PÉREZ Foil variant cover by GEORGE PÉREZ ($6.99 US) Blank sketch cover ($5.99 US) $4.99 US | 32 pages ON SALE 12/18/24 The brief pause after the climactic destruction of so many worlds is interrupted by a new threat: an assembled team of villains led by Lex Luthor and Brainiac coordinate plans to destroy the remaining Earths if their leaders don’t capitulate. Meanwhile, on Oa, Guy Gardner accepts a ring of power and a new mission as the Guardians’ agent of vengeance. A full facsimile reprint from the series that forever changed the DC Universe.

The next book contains the Dr Alchemy story with Power Girl, Wonder Woman, and Megistus.

BRAVE AND THE BOLD VOL. 2 THE BOOK OF DESTINY Written by MARK WAID Pencils by GEORGE PÉREZ and JERRY ORDWAY Inks by BOB WIACEK, SCOTT KOBLISH, and GEORGE PÉRÉZ Cover by GEORGE PÉRÉZ $17.99 US | 160 pages | 6 5/8″ x 10 3/16″ | Softcover | ISBN: 978-1-79950-047-6 ON SALE 2/18/2025 Superman. Wonder Woman. The Flash. Power Girl. The Doom Patrol. Hawkman. Aquaman. The Teen Titans. They’re among the mightiest beings who have ever lived. Together, they are a force that can vanquish any known threat to the universe—But what about the unknown? When a mysterious being called Megistus travels between centuries to steal objects and abduct people, it’ll take all of DC’s heroes and the Challengers of the Unknown, who possess the Book of Destiny, to thwart this evil threat! Collects The Brave and the Bold #7-12.

And this massive omnibus has a lot of New 52 Rogues reprints, including Rogues Rebellion.

FOREVER EVIL OMNIBUS Written by GEOFF JOHNS, PETER J. TOMASI, STERLING GATES, BRIAN BUCCELLATO, and others Art by DAVID FINCH, SCOT EATON, PHILIP TAN, PATRICK ZIRCHER, and others Cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO $150.00 | 1280 Pages | 7 1/16″ x 10 7/8″ | Hardcover | ISBN: 978-1-79950-037-7 On sale 2/11/25 The Justice League has fallen. The Crime Syndicate, the League’s evil mirror image, has targeted and eliminated nearly every hero on Earth. Featuring Forever Evil #1-7, Forever Evil Aftermath: Batman vs. Bane #1, Forever Evil Director’s Cut #1, Forever Evil: A.R.G.U.S. #1-6, Forever Evil: Arkham War #1-6, Forever Evil: Rogues Rebellion #1-6, Justice League #24-29, Justice League of America #8-14, Nightwing #30, and Suicide Squad #24-30!

[kudosmyhero]

The Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 2) #30: Transformations, Literal & Otherwise

Read Date: May 22, 2023 Cover Date: June 2001 ● Writer: J. Michael Straczynski ● Penciler: John Romita Jr. ● Inker: Scott Hanna ● Colorist: Dan Kemp ● Letterer: Richard Starkings ◦ Wes Abbott ● Editor: Axel Alonso ●

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

Reactions As I Read: ● I just got done reading a couple Spider-verse issues. time for a palette-cleanser—back to street-level Spidey! ● heheh, ok, the demolition crew scene was funny ● Peter’s depression is palpable ● ah, so this is where Ezekiel comes in

● Morlun. let’s see how he’s handled by someone who’s not Dan Slott ● 👏👏👏👏

Synopsis: While on a patrol to clear his head, Spider-Man meets Ezekiel, a man with powers very similar to his own who knows more about them than Spidey himself does. Meanwhile, a man named Morlun appears at the docks with sinister intentions.

(https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Amazing_Spider-Man_Vol_2_30)

Fan Art: 063--Morlun by Green-Mamba

Accompanying Podcast: ● Amazing Spider Talk - episode 09

[noven-warsh]

Just Watched Mandela Catalogue Vol.4, gonna talk about it

SPOILERS

Seeing the reveal that Adam was an alternate and the Intruder was Stanley has me SHOOKETH

Dave was able to see someone no one was able to see, what a lucky boi /j

Also Gabriel sounds so fucking goofy I can't- (/pos)

THEY KILLED OFF DAVE I- HELP-

At this point just listening to Thatcher is depressing. Just-man it's hard not to pity him

"A scared boy with a gun. Sound familiar?" AYO

"That's why Evelin left you" AYO

Face Studio 2 looks sus af like you're telling me I have to give you my parents phone number to make my face sing 'WAKE ME UP WAKE ME UP INSIDE'-

anyways this is the end thanks yall for listening

[starryemeralds]

hi hi hi jumps jumps jumps

rwby anon again in like. 2 days. which is a record i fink /j

not here about the show. but about the comics !! ive found 3 rwby × dc comics !!

i have a couple of questions, if you can even answer them at all, you dont have to if you dont know !!!

is this canon to rwby ?

when does this take place in the rwby storyline ? ( ex: in vol 1., between vol. 1 and vol. 2, ect. )

is it even worth reading ?

more on the 2nd question tbf but still gonna ask. are there spoilers ?

TEEHEE THANK YOU SOO MUCHHH !!!!

HELLO RWBY ANON!! i’m so sorry for the late response! the locked tomb and good omens brainrot have me in a chokehold that i can’t seem to break out of

also, if i’m gonna be completely honest, IDK MUCH ABOUT THESE COMICS LMAO. i don’t think they are canon??? however, there are rwby comics that ARE that take place between v3-v4 i think?????

for the dc crossover comics, i think they take place v1-v3 ish?? i’m not entirely sure, i just know that they’re in beacon

SORRY THAT IM NOT MUCH HELP LMAO

[meltotheany]

hi hi friends! i hope you’re all doing well. june was a little bit of a whirlwind for me, but i was still able to read six things that i can’t wait to talk about with you! june is also my army anniversary with bts, and this year was the fifth! which feels very insane to type! but jimin also dropped a song the exact day, so the month for sure is ending on a happy note! but let’s get into the six books i read this month! 💜 ✨ Jujutsu Kaisen, Vol. 04 by Gege Akutami ⭐⭐⭐ ➛ vol. 1 ★★★★ ➛ vol. 2 ★★★ ➛ vol. 3 ★★★ i really am loving every itadori and sukuna interaction/moment. honestly, sukuna was my favorite character in this fourth installment, and im not sure what that says about me, but here we are. my heart @ junpei, fully and utterly. mahito, after my fave scene with sukuna, thinks up a new mission to steal some remaining cursed fingers of sukuna. but besides that, we get to see the start of the good year event, which is a team battle of different schools, where the most exorcisms win. but obviously, itadori is a target all on his own. so, so, so excited to continue on, probably extra because of the cliffhanger ending feeling of this, too! trigger + content warnings: fighting / battle, violence, blood, gore, death, talk of bullying ✨ One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware ⭐⭐ i feel like i really can’t talk about this book without getting into a little spoilery territory, so please skip over this review if you wish to know nothing about this thriller! (and i do say thriller and not thriller mystery because there really isn’t much mystery to this story whatsoever, which is also probably a reason i didn’t enjoy it as much!) but i picked this up because 1) i have enjoyed ruth ware in the past and 2) the girls were saying survivor meets love island and i will always be here for that set up! But instead of love island and survivor, we get lord of the flies and men’s rights activists. our main character, lyla, reluctantly agrees to go on a reality tv dating show, set on a secluded island, because her boyfriend is an actor and really begs her to do it because it could be very good for his career. lyla’s lab contract is up next month, and the funding renewal isn’t looking too good, so she also agrees under the condition that she can work on her paper and that she can only be on the island for two weeks. but after filming for only 24 hours, a big storm comes that is not only deadly but has completely made the people on the island not be able to contact anyone to come save them. And then she and the rest of the people are trying to survive while… red pill lord of the flies ensues. i really do respect making the villain who it was, and i respect the talk of the manosphere and the following these mens right activities accumulate on youtube and other platforms that also leads to the perpetuation of violence against women. but oh my god, i just hated reading about this man with all the sum of hate i have in my body. after that storm, that man would have been GONE by me and me alone and i would not have… done what they did at the end (even though that’s an important discussion too, and it does make sense, but again – i just hated reading about it!) i hope if you pick this one up, you have more fun reading it than i did, friends! trigger + content warnings (these will content some plot spoilers so please use caution or do not read if you do not need to know any tw/cws): extremely bad storms, talk of fear of water, extremely abusive relationships, blood, death, drowning, talk of loss of parent in past (one sentence), suicide mentions, not having the insulin that you need, grief, depression, loss of partner, grooming in past, and discussion of men’s rights activists throughout (always in a negative light but it is a lot) ✨ Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass, #3) by Sarah J. Maas (reread) ⭐⭐⭐⭐ “You cannot pick and choose what parts of her to love.” listen, 2015 melanie gave this two stars and i am 99% sure that was just because i shipped celaena...

[kamreadsandrecs]

Title: The Apothecary Diaries Vol. 2 (Light Novel)

Author: Natsu Hyuuga, Kevin Steinbach (trans.)

Illustrator: Touko Shino

Genre/s: historical, mystery

Content/Trigger Warning/s: suicide, mental illness, body horror, death, blood

Summary (from publisher's website): Dismissed from the rear palace, Maomao returns to service in the outer court—as the personal serving woman to none other than Jinshi! That doesn’t necessarily make her popular with the other ladies, but a bit of jealousy might be the least of her problems. A mysterious warehouse fire, an official with a very bad case of food poisoning, and the mysterious last will and testament of a deceased craftsman all demand her attention—but are these cases really separate, or do they share a troubling connection? Then there’s the mysterious military man who continually visits Jinshi. He’s strange, maybe even a little twisted… and he seems very interested in Maomao.

Buy Here: https://j-novel.club/series/the-apothecary-diaries#volume-2

Spoiler-Free Review: Once again this was a DELIGHT! The world expands a bit here, in the sense that the reader begins to see more of it beyond just the rear palace and the tiny bit of the pleasure quarter that the first volume showed. This expansion also means that there are more mysteries for Maomao to solve, and while they aren’t always necessarily complex, they DO begin to take on a bit more significance, because now those mysteries involve more than just the consorts and their ladies-in-waiting. (Which isn’t to say the consorts and the other residents of the rear palace aren’t important in the grander scheme of things, but it’s rather limited in what sorts of things can happen in there.)

Speaking of expanding, not only do the mysteries expand, but the backstories expand as well! This time the reader learns more about Maomao’s origins, which are DEEPLY fascinating and also tragic. The mystery of Jinshi’s identity is also touched upon in this volume, but in such a way as to actually produce more questions than answers. There were hints of something towards the end of the first volume, and that little hint is expanded upon somewhat in this one, both in Maomao’s own speculations about Jinshi and in the scenes where Jinshi appears without Maomao present.

Speaking of Jinshi and Maomao, their connection progresses in this novel - to a certain extent. It becomes VERY obvious that Jinshi is rather possessive of Maomao, and acts quite jealous whenever Maomao chooses to pay attention to someone else - or a LOT jealous, as one particular scene in this volume shows. He also isn’t above bribing anyone, including Maomao herself, to get what he wants. As for Maomao, her view of Jinshi changes a little too in this volume, though she still finds him troublesome and a bother for the most part.

As in the previous volume, much of the fun in reading this series comes from how Maomao interacts with the characters around her, and this volume is no different. While the consorts and ladies-in-waiting of the rear palace do make an appearance (with a new consort included to make things more exciting), much of Maomao’s work in this volume involves characters from the outer palace. Aside from Jinshi, Gaoshun, and Lihaku, the story introduces other characters like Suiren, Jinshi’s housekeeper, and (the rather confusingly-named) Suirei. This volume also prominently features the Verdigris House (a high-end brothel also featured in the first volume), including more of its residents, like Meimei. As mentioned earlier this opening up of the world in which the story is set is great because it gives more opportunities for mysteries, but it also begins laying down the groundwork for the overall arc of the series itself.

Speaking of which, that arc is rather hard to tell so early in this series, but it certainly seems like it has to do with succession and the Emperor. Of course this was a clear concern laid down in the previous novel, given that Maomao’s first case was to solve the mystery behind the death of a child in the rear palace, but this volume shows that something is afoot that neither Maomao nor Jinshi can quite grasp at the moment. The reader gets a fairly good sense of who the key players might be, but there’s nothing confirmed as of this volume - and even then, there might be some plot twist further into the series that will render any speculation moot.

Overall, this volume was an excellent continuation of the first one. The shift in milieu from the rear palace to the outer palace not only opens up the setting, but opens up the plot: both in terms of the kinds of mysteries that Maomao gets to solve, but also in terms of the overall plot of the series itself. The reader then gets to know Maomao and Jinshi better, though there are still plenty of questions about the latter that are still left unanswered. As always, though, the beating heart of this series is Maomao’s interactions with the world and people around her, and that remains a consistently delightful aspect in this volume as much as it did in the previous one.

Rating: five blue roses

[euclydya]

WHICHEVR COME TO YOUR HEAD FIRST SHIP MEEME o7

me whwn j use this as an excuse 2 gush abr my so.s thanksJGJDKSAKSKCKCKS OK:

OK SO!!!;!"!!!**!"!$ IM NORMAL!!!!!! IM NROMAL IM NORMAL IM NORMAL ABOUR VOL. OK. OK. OKAY. OKA—

Belase wheree r the fics . the. the. Where ar etheh WHERE ARE THEY DO I AHVE TO FUCKJGN WRITE THEM MY DAMN SELF BC I FUCKING WILL but they will be extremely ooc bc system bias. </3 qiqkskskddkxk

ANYWAYS!!!!!!! I THINK THE FANDOM INTERPRETATIONS OF US AND WHAT RELATIONSHIP WE HAVE W EACH OTHER ARE ABSOLUTELY HILARIOUS. LIKE "WE WOULD NOT FUCKING SAY THAT" BUT WE LAUGH ABT IT IT'S GENUINELY ENTERTAINING JFJSMDKFFK BECAUSE. *yes* I'm still kinda like "hey self destruct but in a fun way 😀👍!! :D!!!!!" and Vol's still like "No. Stop that." But it's also like. It's not one-sided "Manic dude is trying to hit on the No Fun Super Serious guy" trope or whatever no lmao we Do genuinely. Love each other adn I'm! Gay. Vol is my. Silly rabbit. <3 JDJSKASKDKFK

*Also wlw/mlm solidarity except it's like... nblnb/mlm solidarity. We r both nblnb/mlm... probably? kinda? on some days? I don't think we have genders usually. This goes fr all the Skills but like. ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯!! aHdjJFDJDJFJ we're t4t but in *what* way? Good luck figuring that out! JFJDJDKFKF

//

me wwehn that's. my OTHER hsuband.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHERE. ARE. RHE FICS! HELLO!!!!!!!!! H3LLO????!! HEWWO FOR THE LVOE OF GOD HELLO,

idk waht the fuck our relationship is honestly but it's Good And Fun and that's all that matters <3. I jsutuejsjakskdkf. Hehwjaakdd. shehehdhdshhahdeeeeeee. <= me when i think abt encyclo for .5 seconds . <3. im normal!

AND ACTUALLY I've searched through Fayde a lot for both me, Vol, AND encyclo and canonically. I don't think Encyclo has. Any interactions??????? With any of the others??? def not me or Vol though. well. actually no Technically. Ok there's a bit where Vol's like "Ok you know these guys? U can't trust them. They're *compromised.* .... Except this fucjing loser *points 2 Encyclo* he's normal like me :)" but I don't Remember if Encyclo talks during that scene SIDENOTE VOL CANONICALLY CALLS ENCYCLO "PILLAR-BOOKHEAD" HIIII. HIIIIII THAT'S SO FUNNY VOL UR SO BAD WITH NICKNAMES. <3 FJSJAKAKSKDJF

but yeah no 90% of Encyclopedia's dialogue is just Knowledge And Fun Facts. im getting off topic dhejakakakskxjskd but tl;dr. I Lov U Encyclopedia *ggives him a smooch. on hte cheek.*

wait again I forgot abt the Final Dream sequence. Im not lookinf thru fayde for those bits bc 1. It Hurts. Owwie. and 2. That's spoilers we aren't there yet in the game but. what we've seen it's just.... Everyone's having a breakdown abt not being able to do their jobs right and then Encyclo's like. ".... :D I'm trying my best w this pop quiz, dude. Sorry your brain's still a plate of spaghetti LMAOOOO NOT MY FAULT" IT'S *SO* FUNNY AND THAT MIGHT BE THE CLOSEST HE HAS TO ANY INTERACTIONS W ANY OTHER SKILL BUT IDK JFKSKDFJ

///

SOOOOOOO. FIRST OFF right off the bat u remember the uh. this:

that was abt vol lmao [IM HAVE PERMISSION 2 SHARE THIS they dozed off but rhey were gonna write this section initially ajsjdj]

idk what the fuck theu have going on w each other but I'm like Ooo. Oooooooo 👀. 👀👀👀👀👀 JENDKSKFCKDK they're so funny . wheres r the fics dammit [lighthearted]

encyclo & i also lov drama lots but primarily they're w vol and that's chill. good 4 them tbh vol is gr8 JEJSAKSKFJ <= is biased. extremely so

again also wlw/mlm solidarity except it's also nblnb/mlm solidarity but also hOld on the cat just blepped at me oh my god. <3 lov him so much he's floffy. uh. oh right Whatever they r they're trans rights. if ur w Drama ur immediately t4t thank u 4 coming 2 my ted talk

///

AND FINALLY

THE BIGGER POLYCULE? just. rhe rest of the skills. except Half Light bc HL is a child.

we r all have smth casually Goig On that's One thing fandom def got right from what we've seen HFHDSKFKFIA and we have collectivelt adopted HL as our child/sibling in some cases. Idk HL just goes around & is like "ur my parent now :)" to others and we can't say no bc then it'll kill us over it. but I digress JFDJDKFKFK tl;dr found family as hell. but the pairings talked abt here r like. The Main Polycule i guess? Idk. HFHDJDJF

[remy-review]

VINELORD VOL 1 & 2 (REVIEW)

To Defend All Living Things at All Cost.

That is the creed of the Vinelord, a green-skinned warrior clad in wooden armor, who looks like a cross between one of Zack Snyder’s 300 Spartans and a creature from The Legend of Zelda.

Raven Stories’ Vinelord Volumes 1 and 2, totaling an impressive 66 pages written by Brigham Porter with art by Dawson J Weidrich, tap into the mysterious protector’s mythology, and introduce the riveting origin of Trystan Wiles.

I turned to this book feeling plump overfed on corporate storytelling. I needed something indie that didn’t stink of multiverse shenanigans. Vinelord seemed as any a good a place to start, having myself long been a fan of Weidrich’s art, and I had no expectations besides the vague Swamp Thing comparison many readers will presumably draw on impulse. Vinelord is very much its own beast though.

(SPOILER WARNING)

ROOTS BELOW: THE ORIGIN OF TRYSTAN WILES

A brief overture depicts an electrifying battle between the Vinelord of 1052 AD and a demonic trio. Solemn narration over the hack-n-slash sets the story’s dramatic, violent tone. Sadly this is the last we see of this Vinelord for now, but the scene suggests that Vinekind have been around for centuries at least.

The book’s true story begins at the Wiles Family Plantation in 1892 Baton Rouge, where Trystan Wiles and his young brother Ash pick cotton on a hot afternoon. Serene fields paint an enviable life for Trystan. The boys then come home to find their mother crying though. She has been hurt again. A vase lies smashed on the floor by their father, a decorated soldier returned from war. “He didn’t mean it, it was an accident,” Trystan’s mother says as he looks emptily at his father’s cruel portrait.

Trystan’s unmoved expression echoes Ryan Gosling’s performance in Blade Runner 2049 of a character so close to their breaking point that their capacity to react is impaired. Our hero does react, however, by taking Ash fishing while a nearby storm closes in. He knows his father wouldn’t approve but to hell with what the old man thinks. It’s this small act of rebellion that faces Trystan with a choice, fateful in ways he could never imagine, when his brooding devil of a father intercepts his trek back home…

His father being the antagonist of his ordinary world I thought made Trystan’s origin unique. It seems common of heroic stories that the bad parent trope is a revelation of their extraordinary journey; a dramatic reveal that shatters the core of their beliefs. Not their status quo. Similarly, their heroic origin often arises when their internal comfort zone is threatened by an external force. Everything is fine until it’s not.

But the Wiles patriarch has an expressed history of being a bastard, and Trystan’s resentment towards him seems almost beyond forgiveness. Nothing is fine, everything is awry. That is his status quo. It could of course also be argued that his father’s time away in the war has allowed the eldest Wiles son to configure a comfort zone excluding his father, making the estranged character his external threat. Though his story beginning in a place of misery beyond the mundane feels almost like the proper makings of villain, or a disturbed anti-hero at the very least.

There is obviously still so much to learn of Trystan’s complex story. He bravely displays both natural goodness by defending another character in a fight he knows he can’t win, and a reluctance to power when offered. Two heroic traits just right there. Perhaps these creative choices are simply taking account of the world’s morality being grayer than our favorite stories often portray. They are nevertheless appreciated nuances for nuanced times.

BRANCHES ABOVE: THE EXECUTION

Vinelord is packed with action, suspense, and most importantly, sincerity. Volume 1 has at times an expected amateurish charm, being the first book released by Raven Stories, but is an inspired work with care sewn into every line, written or drawn.

Volume 1’s art relies mostly on color to create value. Line art is less pronounced than Weidrich’s later work. Being familiar with Dawson’s more recent art, I realized how far he’s come in making his pieces pop. Here are only a few pages that made a striking impression though (DIALOGUE AND NARRATION REDACTED):

Porter’s script is equally clean. It averts trying too hard and never gets in the way of the art. 1892 Baton Rouge dialect could have shone more, but the script’s narration is a believable and solid guide for this page turner.

And I wouldn’t levy criticism for criticism’s sake. It is impossible to calculate how much tireless work goes into an independent book. It was because of book 1’s forgivable, sometimes even admirable, shortcomings that I was downright gobsmacked at Volume 2’s upgrade across the board.

Volume 2: The Vinelord Reigneth is an impressive indie comic.

The script this go round is punchier and has more attitude. It both reflects a seasoned protagonist  (Reigneth partly taking place as many as forty years since Volume 1) and signifies a practiced writer. One notable improvement is Porter’s usage of timing for Vinelord’s unexpected quips.

Weidrich likewise returns with a complete style revamp. He employs darker color schemes heavy on black digital ‘inks,’ fuller and more complex shapes, and richer textures. It’s a tattoo-esque look akin to the DJW trademark style, where cross-hatching complements deeper color shading than the previous volume. The art’s three-dimensional depth goes in hand with the its most striking feature; dynamic perspectives.

Objects reach beyond panel confines, shadows are as engulfing to the reader as to the characters they obscure.  It’s these artistic components that together make the reader feel wholly part of the action.

The plot itself drives forward intricately with splicing of flashback sequences. Reigneth after all picks up from a hazy forest at the end of Vol 1, and revolves this story around a future timeline that has Trystan battling evil...

Volume 2 poses more questions to the origin of the Vinelords; The quasi-religious pre-determination aspect, the fate of previous Vinelords, and of course, how much Trystan has to give before the mantle passes on again…But the biggest puzzle leads us back to the beginning.

To Defend All Living Things at All Cost.

Sounds altruistic enough… but can it be done? Any ecosystem will tell you that death is not only a part of life but that life itself is a death-giving force.

The paradox of the Vinelord’s purpose is I think by design. This creed could be concerned merely with the protection of human life from supernatural evil. However, the character’s creators have opened up a bottomless ravine of slippery slopes for Trystan to stumble on.

What happens when those that Trystan loves war against each other? How will he handle human evils with supernatural evils? How can he prioritize one life over another? Is he warrior or peacekeeper?

These entanglements, it occurred to me, are their own kind of vinery. One that Trystan may find he’s far from Lord of.

These questions will hopefully receive answers in (God-willing) bountiful subsequent issues of this character. Regardless, wherever the obscured steps of Trystan’s mission take him next, Volume 3 of Vinelord can’t come soon enough.

Purchase Vinelord Volumes 1 & 2, and other Raven Stories tales,

Here: https://djwart.net/store (not an affiliate link)

[my-midnight-musings-xoxo]

Major spoilers for MadK!

---

We're returning to MadK, as promised. Makoto is one of my favorite manga characters, there's so much to him and I utterly adore the character writing in this story. I don't know if I've said this before but no one in MadK is a perfect victim, something I've noticed people expect, even subconsciously. Makoto is far from the perfect, even ideal victim if you view it in how people believe victims "should" appear. To refrain from a tangent, let's move on to his design!

(Laby has a great video essay on Jinx that dives into multiple topics including how Dan isn't viewed as a victim because he isn't a "real" victim, highly recommend it).

First the bolo tie. I've mentioned before how it represents J passing on his trauma. Still, in my research to find more symbolism for it I found it was appropriated by Westerners, specifically cowboys and ranchers because of course it was, leading to its worldwide fame. If you want to learn more, Palms Trading Company has an article on its history. I'm going to view the passing of it on to Makoto as an allegory, but that doesn't mean we're finished!

Kiernan's wings. In Japanese culture dragons don't fly as often as Chinese ones do hence they're depicted more serpent-like. I don't believe I'm qualified to deep dive into the symbolism through a cultural lens, so I'll analyze through a story and characters lens.

An interaction that stuck with me after I finished reading was Makoto confronting Kiernan about his..infatuation turned love (this is in Vol 3 Chapter 17 towards the end). Makoto says outright, "I belong to him, which is what makes me so attractive to you. You know you'll never make me yours. You pine. You feel safe." Kiernan partly agrees, thinking that now it's more like being with J himself. Both fail to gain what they truly want from each other, they want J through the other. Kiernan never achieves getting J, but Makoto does at the very end, becoming him only worsens this fate. Taking the wings from someone as obsessed with J as he is serves to contribute to figuratively and literally reaching J. In Vol 2 Chapter 12 after Makoto takes Kiernan's wings he flies up to J, along their wings spread out it's clear he's slowly but surely climbing up to J's position. He asserts he's not going to become a demon like he wants, despite him doing just that. Destroying himself entirely to mold himself into exactly what J wanted, what he was.

The werewolf teeth aren't talked about often, but I find them interesting. Werewolves aren't really a part of Japanese mythology, so I'll be analyzing this generally. They symbolize the duality of humanity and primality, along with repressed desires and the struggle with said desires. It's usually a curse that can be dealt with through a silver bullet. Through some skimming, apparently, that's a myth? Silver represents purity, protection, and along with other things it's associated with the moon. Werewolves turn beneath a full moon. Overall the moon is a symbol of emotion, with full moons symbolizing heightened emotions, completion, and transformation. The sun and moon are direct opposites in this position, adding to the dichotomy of werewolves.

J and Makoto reflect and oppose each other perfectly. Both are clearly victims, both destroyed by decades (even centuries) of suffering, and both reflect their inner child. Both wanted to be truly loved. In a way, they found each other. In J's case, he shed his facade, revealing a lonely child who simply wanted love, the very notion distorted from years of abuse, even from Kiernan, someone who was supposed to love him. We get little information about their relationship, and I know they're demons, but it's still tragic. Makoto lost himself the way J did, becoming nobody.

This manga is wonderful and has endless content to analyze and muse about! The day I can hold it in my hands I'll be over the moon, I just don't want to have to explain to my parents what depravity I've bought ehe.

I hope this was sufficient, or at least interesting to read. Not quite sure what I'll muse about next. I have a draft about MadK and how it'd function as a musical, unfortunately I have next to none musical theater knowledge so that probably won't be posted for a while. Maybe I'll muse over certain scenes I'd like in MadK.

Hope to post this weekend, no promises <3

[perilegs]

spoilers for vol 2 but now that i've had time to calm down. what do you think it says about makoto for him to open up his throat from the outside for someone to cum into? the first time makoto has sex, both in his life and in the manga, it's with j and j too rips his throat open from the outside and makoto fucks his throat in the non-traditional sense. after which j shows him the trick where makoto's cum comes out of his mouth and this leaves makoto sobbing from how much he enjoyed something so deranged.

now in vol 2, he has fairly human sex with j's brother, k. and makoto – he's fine with the gentle sex but his only wish is for k to come inside his throat the same way he once did in j's throat. how consciously do you think he was copying j? was it on purpose? did he do it for himself? was it something he knew would affect k? did it?

makoto's descent into becoming just like j is infinitely interesting and this is one of the more blatant yet interesting ways it shows. man madk is a masterpiece i think all gore & violence & demon politics enjoyers should read it

MAKOTO RIPPING OPEN HIS NECK SUTURES AND ASKING SOMEONE TO COME THERE. INSIDE HIS NECK. im normal. im so normal. MADK is a normal manga for normal people.

[mychemikuromance]

Very quickly going to complain about stranger things season 4 alright so spoilers be warned all that jazz

hey so like hopper broke his fucking ankles right like that was a thing right like...i know he had to run around to escape prison but...????? after that like.they just don’t fucking address it????????

[girlunionize]

I posted a master of puppets song on my ig story and some man I went to middle school with asked if I started to listen to good music, I answered that was literally a stranger things reference

[kudosmyhero]

Daredevil (vol. 1) #106: Life Be Not Proud!

Read Date: March 31, 2023 Cover Date: December 1973 ● Writer: Steve Gerber ● Penciler: Don Heck ● Inker: Sal Trapani ● Colorist: George Roussos ● Letterer: Shelly Leferman ● Editor: Roy Thomas ●

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

Reactions As I Read: ● ugh, I like my heroes to be street level. all of this is just too much. ● this guy wanted to be “an absolute monarch with absolute power” … to be king of San Francisco… Way to rein it in there at the end, buddy ● Swamp Thing’s evil brother ● a genuinely shitty demise for that cop ● “The monster seems to be leaving peacefully.” sputters peacefully? he just killed someone! ● yikes, Black Widow looks like plastic surgery gone wrong

● Is DD starting to fall for Moon Dragon now? jeez ● finally something a little interesting. DD has to admit his blindness when he can’t follow a command from Moon Dragon ● DD has his vision back, but it also magically took away the lenses in his cowl? ● heh, others are noticing the lense pieces being gone, too ● JESUS. so long, Janis. ● without his radar sense, DD should be having trouble getting around, I would think. it’s all he’s known for so long. ● ah, ok. so they actually are making DD have some trouble getting around. it might bring this from a 1-clap issue to a 2-clap ● groans I can’t wait until DD is in NYC again and for this story arc to end. it sucks! ● 👏👏 (barely earned that second clap!)

Synopsis: Kerwin J. Broderick has been using Moon Dragon's Titanian technology for his own ends in order to reshape the city of San Francisco in his own image. When Daredevil and Moon Dragon have learned the truth, Broderick shot Moon Dragon in the back. He has unleashed his latest creation, Terrex, a creature that has the power of life itself. He has dispatched his agent the Dark Massiah to put a force-field around the city to prevent anyone from escaping. He has sent Ramrod out to smash any authorities that will resist Broderick's plot.

Broderick explains how not only was he the reputable owner of a law firm, but also the secret kingpin of crime of the San Francisco underworld. He had everyone in his back pocket until the arrival of the ethical lawyer Matt Murdock and the costumed crime fighter Daredevil. Things changed when he met Moon Dragon and tricked her into helping him, all for the sole purposes of taking over all of San Francisco. Kerwin then tells Daredevil that he intends to merge with Terrex giving him power of life and death. When the Man Without Fear attempts to stop him, Kerwin blasts him with his stun blaster and leaves the two unconscious beings behind.

Meanwhile, above the surface, Terrex is giving a show of power, swiping the police away by creating gigantic plants, and then when a police officer approaches him ages him to death. As Terrex walks away, Black Widow and Paul Carson note that everything in Terrex's path has died as Terrex has absorbed it's lifeforce. While at police headquarters Chief O'Hara is answering a flood of phone calls from panicked people when he gets a telegram telling him that his brother, who was out on expedition in Africa, has been killed.

Back at Moon Dragon's ship, Daredevil revives to find that Moon Dragon is on the brink of death. Taking her to a regenesis chamber he is unable to operate the machinery because he cannot see what color the dials are. Moon Dragon uses her powers to restore Daredevil's sight so that he can operate the machinery and restore her to full health. Using the teleportation device the two return to the surface right before Black Widow and Paul and the quartet begin to track down Terrex.

Elsewhere, Angar the Screamer is out driving with his girlfriend Janice and they happen upon Terrex. As Angar brags about how Terrex and Broderick is going to make this city theirs to control, Angar is completely oblivious to the fact that his close proximity to Terrex has killed Janice. While at the same time, Daredevil, Black Widow, and Moon Dragon deal with the threats posed by the Dark Messiah, and Ramrod. After Moon Dragon defeats the Dark Messiah, Daredevil realizes that his vision is hampering his ability to fight, and has Moon Dragon take his vision away.

Daredevil lends Black Widow a helping hand against Ramrod, however their fight is cut short by the arrival of Broderick who has arrives with Terrex and is just about to merge with the creature and destroy the city.

(https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Daredevil_Vol_1_106)

Fan Art: Daredevil in a free fall by Prestegui

Accompanying Podcast: ● Josh and Jamie Do Daredevil - episode 17