waddlesdpig

[waddlesdpig]

“Even the most superb snout is useless unless it is in the mud.”

--Swi ne tzu (2019)

Shoutout to @the-fluffybee for the amazing art you see above.

[waddlesdpig]

The Lego Movie Franchise Retrospective ( Or how to build Masterpieces)

The following is a opinionated review on the “ Lego Movie” franchise as a whole, spoilers and bad jokes ahead.

Its kinda crazy if we’re being honest here, in the five years since it’s creation the “ Lego Movie “ franchise has made close to a billion dollars domestically and probably more than that total internationally. All for what is essentially a series of really long commercials, albeit very entertaining and ( mostly) heartfelt commercials. No matter how you look at it however, these films on a whole have been a grand success worthy of artistic recognition ( WB has left chat).

This trend of profitably praised pictures seems sure to continue, with the soon to be released fourth installment in the “ Lego Movie” franchise “ The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part.” 

( A sentence as redundant as me writing reviews on Tumblr.)

As a lover of the original “ Lego Movie” this sequel comes like the missing brick in my Lego heart set that i didn’t know existed. In that same breath however, i can’t help but feel anxious over how the movie will turn out. Early reviews have skewed favorably for the film and yet there is a disturbing trend in the Lego franchise that one cannot ignore. Each Lego Movie has had diminishing returns in terms of quality ever since the first. 

Don’t get me wrong, the animation, production, and voice work for has been ( mostly) top notch for every installment. No when i mean quality, i’m talking about the strength of each films script and the way they are constructed. This problem is far more reaching than the common “ It wasn’t as funny as the first” comment one might make concerning the latter two Lego movies. Although i would be remiss to suggest that the humor isn’t itself a issue. 

“ The Lego Movie” is filled to the brim with weird wacky comedy that still holds up five years later, but is coupled with satisfying storytelling that complements the silliness. Out of everything that could have been taken away from that original film the sequential Lego flicks focus is firmly placed on the hijinks and shenanigans. Much like a child who stacks his Legos as high as he can without any regard to building a solid foundation, Lego Batman ( to a lesser extent) and Ninjago lives or dies on the strength of it’s humor, often times tumbling because of that fact. So to help illustrate my point i would like to go back to the beginning and exam why each film worked or failed.

THE LEGO MOVIE

Out of all the things this film is praised for, the animation, the comedy, the amazing cast, i hardly ever hear anyone talking the story structure. While nothing shakespearean, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller masterfully employ the monomyth ( or hero’s journey) to lay the emotional foundation for the film, using it quite literally to a T’. 

After setting the movies conflict into motion with the “ Piece of Resistance” and the “Krangle” we flash forward 8 1/2, enter Emmet Brickowski, your average abnormally normal citizen of Lego City Bricksburg where everything is honky dory. Following him throughout his day we come to find that Emmet is so average that he has fallen into the background of the collective consciousness of those around him. Only by chance does he comes across the Piece of Resistance literally calling him to adventure.

Now melded with the piece of legend, Emmet now bears the name “ The Special” which he is hesitant to hear at first, as he faces persecution from Lord Business forces, who is H’ E’ double hockey sticks’ bent on gluing the entire universe into place. 

Through shenanigans he teams up with local DJ Wyldstyle, warms up to the idea of being, and i quote “ the most important, most talented, most interesting, most extraordinary, mostest most person in the universe.” The two escape from his capturers and crosses the threshold, by also literally crossing into another realm. 

Duding it up in the Old West, Emmet’s lie is exposed like me on Omegle, earning him the disdain of his would be love interest. Trying to decipher next with the piece, the duo finds the wizard Virtuvius ( MVP of the film) who after finding out Emmet’s quandary determines to mentor him to be a Masterbuilder. 

More shenanigans, Batman shows up, Emmet experiences cuckolding with Bat’s and Sty’s blockholding, ( seriously this is supposed to be a family film for krangle’s sake!) they all take a road trip to cloud coo coo land, group meets “ OC do not steal” and the other Masterbuilders to come up with a plan to take down Lord Business and stop his TAKOS! Surprise surprise Bad Cop rolls up to the club and the Masterbuilders aren’t ready to jam so they get sent to the slam. Emmet and crew manage to escape only by hiding in this absolute masterpiece. 

Now beaten and bruised Emmet rallies the troops, and together as a team they set to enter the dragon’s lair that is Lord Business office building. ( Nightmare of college dropouts and unpaid interns everywhere) The story comes to a head as Virtuvius loses his, the piece of resistance is thrown into the abyss that is my grandma’s purse, all the masterbuilders are captured and Lord Business has set up an overly elaborate death trap to get these dang kids off his lawn. In this moment of despair the ghost of Virtuvius appears before Emmet assuring him that cat posters hold the secrets of the universe. Motivated Emmet bids a tearful farewell as he sacrifices himself to save the other Masterbuilders.

On the other side of the abyss, Emmet haves an out of body experience and has a face to face with the pink sausaged-eagle-squid creatures that serve as the lands God’s. It is here that he finally becomes equipped with the Ultimate Treasure: believing in yourself! Now ready to face the odds Emmet is sent Homeward Bound back to the Lego world. 

He returns, Reborn as a Masterbuilder. Emmet confronts Lord Business and stops him by extending him his hand ( claw-grip thing?) in friendship, helping Lordy realize that he doesn’t have to be bad and that in reality we are all the Special. The two reconcile and the story wraps up with the world at peace until the immediate sequel bait.

There’s a reason many a tale uses this storytelling device, when done properly it works to enact growth and change in the protagonist, resulting in a compelling and satisfying character arc. The Lego Movie not content to rely on this alone also explores “ The Chosen One” trope, as well as themes about creativity vs conformity. There is quite a surprising amount of depth once you start deconstructing this film brick by brick, something that would be sorely missed in it’s spiritual sequels.

THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE

Without a doubt there is a lot to like about “ The Lego Batman Movie,” they managed to kick the already amazing animation up to 11, on a whole it is a very funny movie ( giving birth to probably one of my favorite scenes ever. Kazow!), and it joyfully revels in the Batman mythos and world. In addition to that, it’s story tackles a very interesting premise not often explored with the Caped Crusader. Yet in my mind, there is a distinct issue which holds the film back from being as solid as Batman’s ninepack, this being pacing in the third act.

Batman is one of the rare characters in pop culture that require almost no real introduction, as it can be assumed that most will in one way or another have some basic idea of his mythos. Using this to their advantage, the people filming choose to focus on a intrinsic part of the Dark Knight, that of lose and fear of losing. Building on “ The Lego Movie” interpretation of the character, we have here a extremely egotistical, selfish Batman who exhibits these qualities in order to close himself from anymore emotional pain. 

This is plainly stated in the first act by Alfred, “ Master Bruce, you live on an island figuratively, and literally.” It’s the same reason why he can’t admit to Joker being his greatest enemy, because even if the relationship is hateful in nature, it is still a connection to another person. So Batman’s gotta learn to open himself to others, great! A good premise and character arc that the film executes fairly well, up until the beginning of the third act.

See throughout the story we see Batman nudged and guided into becoming a better person by those around him, particularly Alfred and Barbara in the first act. Come the second act, Batman has stubbornly enacted his own plan to stop the seemingly harmless Joker, after succeeding he is berated by Barbara “ You can't be a hero if you only care about yourself.” Batman’s plan backfires giving Joker the means to unleash every villain from your local bar’s trivia night. As such Fatman rectify his mistakes by teaming up with his loves ones to make wrongs right. 

Though hesitant to the idea at first, Bats warms up to his new superhero buddies only for him to push them away as soon as he realizes their importance to him. This is where the problem of pacing really begins to show itself. After sending away the Bat-lites, Batman immediately confronts Joker, only for the Joker to recapitulate something that was just clearly shown to the audience “ I'm not your greatest enemy. Your greatest enemy is you.” 

Joker then banishes Batman to the doom dimension where he is greeted by a literal judge of right and wrong, who then plays a highlight reel showing just how big a betty batty’s been. The thing to note is this all occurs within a span of five minutes, stopping the story completely just to point at something that’s already solidly established in the story.

The real shame is that all this guilt dog-piling undercuts a great moment. In the doom dimension Bat’s gets a peek of the situation to find his friends returning to help him, there he sees Robin emulating Batman’s reckless attitude, and it is there where he is finally able to recognize the harm he’s bringing to others with his selfish actions. A moment i feel could’ve been the emotional pillar of the movie if it had been better builded towards and executed.

To be fair the movie from then on picks back up rather quickly, Batman learns his lesson, forms the “ savi-cide squad,” and in the end is able to save Lego Gotham by literally making connections with others and bringing everyone closer to each other. Capping what is undeniably, despite it’s flaws, a very fun movie. If only i could say the same about the last film here…

THE LEGO NINJAGO

The Lego Ninjago movie was always going to be in a peculiar situation, it’s branding and world aren’t well enough established in the minds of the average movie goer to solely create a story based on in-world lore. Nor is it enough of a clean slate that one could be free to do whatever it wanted if the story ala “ The Lego Movie.” And as such it creates this disjointed hodgepodge of elements borrowed from the two previous entries. This particularly can be seen through the journey of the protagonist Lloyd.

By the time the movie chooses to introduced Lloyd we are already informed that he as the Green Ninja along with the others have already time and again defeated and repelled the big bad Garmadon. In a way Lloyd as already undergone his own hero’s journey, meaning they’ve already skipped any satisfaction that could be gained from seeing a powerless boy becoming a hero and vanquishing that which threatens his home.

Bah whatever, origin stories are overdone and boring. Who’s with me?! Let’s get right into the good stuff. And to the films credit it does just that, right off the bat we are introduced to what will be the main conflict of the story, Lloyd and his relationship with his father. However here too “ The Lego Ninjago” movie stumbles. Lloyd as a character is defined solely by this conflict. During nearly the entire first act you will rarely find a scene, or piece of dialogue featuring Lloyd that will not involve Garmadon or the fact that he is Lloyd’s father in one way or another. 

But hey he’s also the leader of the Ninjas and does a great job of, uh, telling people what to do? Now let’s quickly compare how the “ Lego Batman Movie” handle this. In the opening moments of that film we spend time with Batman before the grand conflict is set into motion, we see he’s egotistical, a showboat, selfish and willfully ignorant to any flaws he might have. Having established his personality, ( what a notion) the story is able to show how that feeds into his fear letting people back in and colors his character arc for the film.

With the “ Lego Ninjago” movie failing to this, it leaves Lloyd as just sort of a blank slate with daddy issues. It’s probably why they have him from the start with a fully assembled team of fun personalities to bounce off of and carry the load of protaganizing, oh wait. Oh boy, we got Flame Fella the spiky hair one, Dirt Dude who is essentially Flame Fella, Wa Wa Womah ( she’s the water element cause she’s so good at retaining water), and the only two with any semblance of personality Jay and Zane. 

Without trying to disrespect fans of the original series, you know where they actually mattered, the other Ninjas here are little more than filler. Functionally they have no real role in the story except to bolster Lloyd’s in-world importance by making him leader, as well as holding him responsible after he unwittingly unleashes destruction upon Ninjago. Towards the start of the third act, our blockhead Ninjas haphazardly realize that all they to do was believe and only now is there any hint of development for the group. Way too little, way too late to have any significant impact on the story. 

Leaving us with the “ Father/Son” plot to essentially carry the whole film. To the movie’s credit it does a serviceable job in accomplishing this. While far from masterful, there is some satisfaction in two opposing fractions learn to work together and eventually reconcile. However even here the film fails to execute on this idea.  After spending the entirety of the second act building up this relationship between the two, Garmadon literally asks Lloyd to join him and rule the galaxy together. Green bean rejects the offer because what else would you expect him to do, and Gar once again pushes his son away from him. Less than five minutes later, the climax of the movie ends with Lloyd talking to his dad through a cat and the two finally reconcile as family.  

In this way “ The Lego Ninjago Movie” fizzles out, leaving a lackluster ending and Jackie Chan to close out an already underwhelming story. 

Finally some more miscellaneous criticisms. 

They reuse a lot of shots in the first act, Lloyd’s dragon cannon being of the more obvious examples. 

There isn’t as much effort to establish “ Ninjago” as a Lego world, often times you see Lego structures mixed with what is supposed to be natural foliage. This is a huge issue in the second act as the majority of the scenery is composed of non-Lego elements. And the stuff that isn’t Lego’s don’t look to hot, the water effects being the biggest offender in this case.  

Jackie Chan as Master Wu is probably the weakest performance in the movie, i don’t know if it’s  because of the voice director or because Jackie just wasn’t feeling the powah.

The movie’s live action intro and outro is just bad. 

But hey Garmadon has a “ Shark-Shooter” gun! 8/10 movie

CLOSING THOUGHTS

In conclusion, the thing that worries me most from the last two movies is the lack of thought and care into execution that the original “Lego Movie” had in spades. Pacing, strong character work for the whole cast, attention to story structure, all of these things have been mostly stepped on in favor of cramming as much hijinks as possible. And as a result leads to painful lackluster conclusions that try to be heartwarming but fail due to poor build up. 

As much as i sound like a negative nancy right now, with “ The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part” being helmed by the dynamic duo which created the first, i am confidant that this will be a return to form for the Lego franchise. 

Thanks for reading this monstrous mess.

[waddlesdpig]

Lovers of Tabletop games and Cats rejoice! Your specific niche interests in life have finally united! Introducing the Purrfectly amewsing game that you won’t be able to keep your paws off: MORE KITTENS! This project is still in the backing phase so if this sounds like something you, or your local loco cat lady, would be interested in please considered backing this project.

[waddlesdpig]

It took the lives over 10,000 artists, in a painting relay to capture a fraction of Shaggy’s omnipotence in painted form. 

[waddlesdpig]

Can we just take a moment to appreciate “ The Lion King 1 1/2″ Powerful pun -game.

[waddlesdpig]

An incredibly imagined and executed page from, in my own opinion, the weakest part of a serviceable event. Still enjoyable nonetheless and would love to see more work from writer/artist Jason Latour.

Source: Silver Surfer: The Best Defense #1

[waddlesdpig]

Don’t mind me, just making memes before bedtime

[waddlesdpig]

I am fond of pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.

— Winston Churchhill

[waddlesdpig]

2018: the year Pete’s mortality was incredibly challenged. 

MCU? Gone with the wind. Spider-verse? Crushing feels. 

“ Pete.. Everything dies.”

[waddlesdpig]

What do you call a group of pessimistic ponies?

Naysayers 

[waddlesdpig]

TOP COMICBOOK WRITERS OF 2018

The following is a quick write up about my personal favorite writers for 2018, spoilers and bad jokes ahead. 

 Wow, will you, wow, just look at, wow all that time wow. 2018 came and went like my dad after McDonald’s McRib was back in season! Tragic loss of delicious parents aside, we can’t look ahead to the new year without reviewing what the things that came before! 

 In this case the Top Comicbook Writers of 2018. I mean you knew this was coming, you read the title. Y-You can read the title right? Oh god all those people with Can’t-Readitis are going to be so lost!

2018 was crazy, but for comic books it was like a good crazy. Kinda like when you eat at a Chinese restaurant and find out they sell pizza, but like actual pizza. And not just in the movies, with Marvel and DC digging deep to revitalize and strengthen their IP’s, we got some of the best comics from the big two in a long while. At the center of this movement has been fresh and exciting writers taking these titles in new directions. So now being the leading authority in basement dwelling blogging hogs, i felt the need to highlight some of my favorite Comic book writers of 2018. First examining those wonderful folks at Marvel Comics.

(Side note, not only am i the world’s greatest blogging hog, i am also a huge flithy casual of the highest order and as such any of my lists for 2018 will not include any indie titles even though there be a great many fantastic non-big two comics.)

MARVEL

DONNY CATES

Whoo boy, i don’t think it’d be a exaggeration to say that Hank Hill’s next door neighbor has had a stellar year comics-wise. Coming out early in the year with the stellar “ Thanos wins” story arc that pushed the big man Grimace himself into new territory in fantastic fashion. Something that would only carry forward with his brand new OC introduced in the run, that being “ Cosmic Ghost Rider.” Which is like the regular Ghost Rider but in SPAAAAAACEEE! Suffice to say he’s a very cool character, with his spin-off title living up to the hype.

These two runs in themselves would be deserved feathers in anyones cap, however with the Marvel Fresh Start initiative, Cates provided what is the crowning achievement of his work this year. This being Venom. Without a doubt since he and superstar artist Ryan Stegman have taken over, the title has become one of the most entertaining books Marvel has been pushing out. 

Cates has done a wonderful job of balancing the tone, knowing when to lean into the edge associated with the character and but also not depraving the title of brevity or more light hearted moments. This coupled with the epic reimagining of key aspects of Venom’s backstory and building to climatic moments that i hate are going to be sullied in the next Venom movie ( Dem Chinese audiences enjoying something that mildly annoys me ;-;). 

In Venom however we find more than big action, grand stakes, and epic concepts, as Cates has made it a point to consider introspectively Venom and it’s host relationship with each other. At some points wholesome, at others disturbing, but always engaging and because of that it has propelled Venom to a title worthy of standing alone from it’s Spider-Man origins.

CHIP ZDARSKY

I love Spider-Man, you probably love the fashion model dating luckless webhead yourself in one way or another. Whether it’s the original Lee/Ditko comics, the 1980’s animated show, MCU movies, or this guy, one way or another Spidey has found a way to web himself into the hearts of generations of people all over the world. So i can almost guarantee you love Chip Zdarsky and you didn’t even know it. (Think about all those valentines you missed out on sending to the man!)

 Chip’s run on Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man didn’t start in 2018, but it ended this year so i’m still counting it. While the first few issues were enjoyable in their own right, for me it wasn’t until Spectacular Spider-Man 6 ( #296 legacy number because Marvel never learned counting in pre-school) that things really started kicking into gear. As readers we are well aquatinted with the quipping more ridiculous side of the menace, but from issue 6 onward Chip makes it his focus to remind us that the Man matters just as much as the Spider. 

He portrays Spider-Man as he should be, the everyman hero that anyone can look up too. You still got your jokes and your villains and your good times, but more than ever Chip’s Peter is willing to lift the mask and show that he just that, a man.  So many times throughout the title we find Peter allowing himself to be vulnerable, not just to friends and comrades but to those who have sought his end so many times.  Giving us a Peter who is a hero, not just through his heroics, but also because he is willing to look for the good in others and not afraid to empathize with those around him.  And in that way Chip has given us, in many respects, the Spider-Man we’ve always known and love. And for that he has my thanks.

In addition to what will probably become a fan favorite take on Spider-Man which already warrants use of the “ Spectacular” adjective, Chip also helped bring the Fantastic Four ( or at least The Terrific Two) back into the spotlight with Marvel’s Two-in-One. ( A title name which might excite and immediately disappoint fans of Chip’s earlier work at Image.) 

Marvel Two-in-One focuses on the two remaining members of the splintered Fantastic Four, primarily how the main duo deal with assumably losing the rest of their family and just how far both are willing to go to regain them. In this book particularly i feel Chip did a magnificent job exploring the character drama, you can really feel the longing and grief that these two are experiencing, but at the same time manages to balance this with fun reality jumping shenanigans that never overstay they’re welcome. All in all another incredible title that made 2018 an absolutely amazing year for Chip, with 2019 looking to be a another stellar year for him. ( Can’t wait for his run on Red Batman!)

Side note it should be no surprise that my top two Marvel writers for the year had a part in this hot spider on spider strip here.

AL EWING 

BOO! Scared you? Probably not ( scary amount of cringe if anything ). Now if you want some real spookums Al Ewing is just the guy for you as 2018 saw the release of The Immortal Hulk, one of if not arguably the best comic of the last year. 

The Hulk has always been a mixed bag for me, i love the premise of the character: Quiet on the streets, radioactive green giant in the sheets. There’s an inherit struggle that can make for some compelling story opportunities in the right hands. But that’s just the thin, for me personally i hadn’t read anything that spoke to that idea i have for the character. Don’t get me wrong in the 57 years of the characters existence there have been some pretty good Hulk stories. ( Some of which i’m still getting around to reading) 

But none have appealed to me quite like Al Ewing and Joe Benett’s run on the title. The two masterfully has given this tale a fresh start by ironically taking the character back to his roots in the horror genre. The creative duo manage to achieve this through turning Hulk from misunderstood hero to essentially a wandering monster bent on exacting his own sense of justice on the scum of the world. This change in the status quo is excellently executed effectively through the artwork. No longer standing proud in defiance of those who would doubt him for the hero he is, Joe Benett pencils depict the hulking giant now as a grotesque monster lurking in the shadows ready for his next victim. 

This would all be for nothing if not for the strong voice Al Ewing has for this title. The Immortal green bean is not scary only because he can snap you in half like a brittle wishbone, but because he instills fear with the scariest thing known to man.. emotional insecurities. (That’s right folks we got a bitter beefed up Dr.Phil serving justice up like it’s a buffet.) Not content to beat you dead, Hulk now tortures those unlucky enough to be his targets by holding up a mirror to the horrors that haunt them. This applies to more than those Hulk seeks to punish, the real genius of The Immortal Hulk isn’t that he is the thing keeping scum up at night, no it’s that he is the never ending nightmare of Bruce Banner. Throughout the run Hulk haunts Banner in showing that they’re only two half’s of the same coin. Leaving Banner and the reader with eerie thoughts that linger on whether the mad beast is right all along. 

This is all too say that The Immortal Hulk is pretty dang good, your probably reading it already, if not you should probably read it. ( You know as long as you don’t have can’t-readitis) And if issue 11 is anything to go by 2019 is looking horribly wonderful for Al Ewing and the jolly green giant.

And that’s it, my top three Marvel writers for 2018. In all honesty last year was crazy for Marvel, i’m leaving out so many amazing people making their mark in the comics industry and all things considering here’s hoping we’re in store for even greater things in 2019.

[waddlesdpig]

Reminder that you don’t need eight legs to saunter down like a swag spider

[waddlesdpig]

Here’s to everyone spending their last moments with this old year at home, in they’re favorite seat, draped with the coziest blanket you can imagine, drinking a nice hot cup of cocoa that can’t help but remind you of childhood. 

All while they quietly reflect back on where all the time has gone, all the good times, all the laughs, all the broken New Year’s resolutions and how their only fooling themselves if they actually think their gonna go to the gym more than once next year and how every waking moment is slowing eating away at them because self-improvement is the modern day fairytale and o my god this is the prime of my life things are only downhill from here!..

Take another sip of that cocoa, stare at the tv for awhile, you’ll feel better.. until next year.

[waddlesdpig]

That’s what I’ve been saying! Please send halp ;-;

TFW People talking about how much they love that Christmas ham

[waddlesdpig]

TFW People talking about how much they love that Christmas ham

[waddlesdpig]

DELTARUNE RUN THROUGH ( Or how quiet silence can speak volumes)

*The following is a opinionated writeup about Delta Rune, spoilers and bad jokes ahead.*

SO, October 31st, Toby Fox stealth dropped a follow up to the smash success that is Undertale. The reaction to this of course was hype of unparalleled levels, Goat Mom’s, Skelebro’s, Socially anxious lizard people, whatever this guy is, everyone was and still are going nuts about DeltaRune. ( Even Jerry! EVEN JERRY!) And what’s not to like? Ya got a brand new story, brand new cast of characters with a unique spin on the returning favorites, new and improved battle system and animation, of course that sweet sweet music, and they even added a run button! ( Video games? Saveeeed!) 

However as i played Delta Rune more and more, i found myself notably less charmed as a whole when compared to my time with Undertale. Don’t get me wrong here, i fully understand that in terms of production and story subject, these are two very different games. Undertale was a complete experience when it was released, while my judgements on Delta Rune so far are based on what is essentially a demo with the promise of a full game later on. 

However i would argue that both Undertale and Delta Rune share a common element which in one elevated the experience, and in the other detracted from the overall enjoyment.

This element being the Player Character ( which will be refereed to as “ PC” from now on cause i’m hella lazy). Given both game’s protagonists are silent, it might be laughable to suggest that UT/DR’s PC effectiveness could vary so much that one would serve as a hinderance in one title or as a boon in the other. However in terms of levels of engagement i feel though that this is just the case.

This is evident firstly in the character design of each game’s respective PC. On a purely surface level Frisk is a blank slate, pure and simple. Though Frisk sports the simpler and albeit rougher design of the two PC’s, his neutral expression goes a long way in allowing the player to imprint their desired personality onto Frisk without having too many mental hoops to jump through. 

Kris on the other hand, despite having the more interesting design and much cleaner sprite work, is harder for the player to grasp onto. His face being mostly covered by shadow, conveys a sense of aloofness and detachment, which plays into the early Delta Rune’s depiction of him as the odd man out in his class. But ( so far) fails to capitalize on turning him into a successfully likable character that can work on his own. In the same way Suzie’s change in appearance signaled a satisfying development in her character, i feel DR could have done something where Kris’s design evolved with his character. Instead it only serves to act a twist at the end of the game, letting us know that Kris is actually the embodiment of all that is evil. 

If the contrast between these two PC’s went only this far, i’d say more than likely i would have enjoyed my time DR at least marginally more than i already did. However the differences goes beyond that, permeating the depth of Delta Rune.  

Going back to Frisk, despite being a silent protagonist, throughout the game of Undertale we can see facets of him having a personality of his own. Frisk is curious about the world, has a sense of humor, ( in non-genocide runs) shows a determination to fight without harming others, and genuinely cares about those he comes across. He makes choices and those choices affect the world around him. Granted aside from Frisk’s merciful nature, ( which is a integral part of UT’s gameplay) most of what i just listed is all implied. Implied through his actions to be fair, but implied nonetheless. But there exists enough of these breadcrumbs of emotion that the player’s mind could fill in the blanks and create a version of Frisk that most appeals to them. 

Kris-py Kreme lacks these facets completely, in fact of all the things he lacks, the most distinct thing he lacks is choice. ( Yes i know surprise surprise, don’t need me to tell you that.) While i say this, that last statement isn’t technically true. In DR you have a variety of choices, you can choose to explore the environments, when engaging with NPC’s you can choose how to respond in conversations, you can choose to ignore NPC’s all together, and famously you can choose to fight or mercy your way through enemy encounters throughout the game.

So what i really mean is in most aspects, the choices Kris makes are never truly his own. This is mainly due to having an active party accompanying the PC. In UT Frisk was on his own for a majority of the journey, ( Shoutouts to Monster Kid) and as a result near every major turning point is affected by Frisk’s choices alone. Meanwhile Kris faces every decision is with a green Jiminy Cricket on his side encouraging him to be a gud boi and get dem brownie points.

I’d be amiss to suggest that Ralsei wasn’t likable in his own right, but his role in the group dynamic completely negates any presence Kris may have had. Serving neither as the aggressor nor the voice of reason, Kris’s silence unfortunately causes him to slip through the cracks when it comes to interactions with Suzie and or Lancer. 

Furthermore Ralsei’s cuddling extends to the choices the players themselves make. Booting up the game the first time i was fully prepared to play passively, it’s freakin Undertale 2 ( The pre-sequel-progressive-alternative-child-timeline-universe-and-knuckles-do-you-know-the-way-to-end-my-suffering) for crying out loud. Yet it’s not till Ralsei quite literally tells you that you don’t have to kill anyone, that you are presented with a non-scripted battle. Which immediately dampened my enjoyment to that point. To play a pacifist route was no longer a self determined course of action, it was a direction the player was pushed towards multiple times throughout the game. 

In UT solving fights by talking and sparing your enemies was encouraged in the beginning. Now i’m sure most approached combat in UT as a standard RPG, spam attack, get exp, level up, rinse and repeat. It was only later in the starting area that many understood that ACTing and mercy was a viable way to play the game. To act in this way was a CHOICE made all your own, a choice that was unfortunately robbed in DR as sparing is something heavily encouraged throughout the game.

As an example to illustrate my point, think back to the Pacifist Undyne fight. After a frantic escape and running sequence, you cross past the bridge into hotland and Undyne passes out due to the heat and conveniently next to you is a office water cooler. Now it wouldn’t be a stretch to imagine many players would simply move on, unaware that saving Undyne was even a possibility. While on the flipside i’m sure it dawned on many what they could do and did so. Whatever the action, this something we had to decide on our own.

Conversely i’m confident that if this sequence had occurred in DR, Undyne would have fainted, with Ralsei immediately exclaiming that Kris needs to do something pls halp. Though the choice is still technically there, it is no longer your own. In fact i would go so far to say that if one were to take Kris out of DR completely, the story and character interactions play out without skipping a beat. Which is the last thing you want in a story-driven RPG.

In this way i feel that not all silent protagonists are born equal. UT was built knowing Frisk wouldn’t utter a word and as such was able to give him a sense of presence both in the story and the character interactions. While Kris ( for now) as failed to be nothing more than a blank slate with a sweet cape that takes up a character spot. 

EPILOUGE

As much as it might seem that i’m beating up on Delta Rune cause “ It’s not mah undertale!” I sincerely had a good time with it, and i’m excited for more. ( Pls no lynch) I do feel a bit guilty judging a character who hasn’t had a chance to finish his story yet. Also recognizing the high possibility that Kris is exactly how Toby Fox wanted him to be, i would not be surprise if this usage of the PC was his way of hammering in the theme of choices being a fallacy. More than anything the purpose of this writeup was to explain my feelings why in my opinion Frisk is the more well utilized character.

Thanks for reading.

TL:DR Frisk > Kris

[waddlesdpig]

Sideways gone Sideways (or the rift between potential and execution)

*The following is a writeup about DC Comics Sideways, spoilers and bad jokes ahead.*

It is my sincere belief that beneath every great superhero, lies a inner struggle that sets the foundation for the character. This dilemma not only informs the character’ motivations, but when done right can add a timelessness to character. A man raised to do good, fighting to do so in a world growing darker and darker. A young child, their parents taken tragically away from them, driven by guilt becoming a force for good.  A young man learning that with great power, comes a great responsibility to others. Someone abused as a child, struggling to hold in earth shattering rage that dwells within them.

These all transcend genre, take any one out from the superhero pantheon and put it into a thriller story, a science fiction story, a fantasy story, and these struggles still serve as compelling pieces of character.

It’s one of the reasons why i believe Ms Marvel ( Kamala Khan) has become such successful character and resonated with so many. ( having a constantly enjoyable solo title does help though) From the start of Ms Marvel #1 we are made of aware of her struggle, caught between her culture, her family, her hopes, and herself, lies Kamala Khan. By which we see the story of person trying to juggle who they want to be with who they are expected to be, making her turmoil a compelling one to follow that goes beyond the Superhero genre itself. 

This brings us too January 6th 2018, a New Age of Heroes was upon us as DC published eight new titles with all but one being made from new characters. Enter Derek James, Aka Sideways. Cards on the table, from the moment i heard about this new initiative Sideways was the one title that i was most hyped for. His wonderfully designed costume, cool power and the fact he was a teen all had me eagerly waiting for the first issue to drop. And when it finally did, i liked it, but i didn’t love it. But the more and more i read, the more i felt Sideways wasn’t living up to what it could be.

Don’t get me wrong i was having plenty of fun with the title, but i feel for Sideways the sky really was the limit. I mean he’s got a attention grabbing costume, a visually interesting power

(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kk1jaxs8HEs/WoVhcOTx8ZI/AAAAAAAEupU/Q0yTifXnfTQfmcuwXe0iJCHurxJfjBosgCLcBGAs/s1600/087_017.jpg) 

(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mu73V0E-4Aw/Ws4_sbI5txI/AAAAAAABckU/6zyzMhXPqdkJy-KlCdICgznmzKMm-7kfwCLcBGAs/s1600/074_0010.jpg) 

That coupled with Kenneth Rocafort’s art becomes breathtaking, an interesting origin, and he has two five-letter names! ( That alone should have this guy rolling with the big dogs!) 

All of this of course is surface level stuff, the icing on the cake if you will. As we dig deeper however the cake stops being so sweet.

Derek James on paper is a young man who was brought into an adopted family, a fateful day where he was granted dazzling powers, craving attention he at first uses it to gain popularity only for him to learn through tragedy to become a hero. Not bad right? The potential for compelling character drama is undeniably there, the problem is how this was conveyed in the story. In many ways it could be said Sideways is a enjoyable title in spite of the main character, with pacing and execution being the biggest issues of how he was handled.

Sideways takes far too long, gets way too sidetracked and does too little when it comes to this story it’s trying to tell. Given the title’s proud emulation of the Spider-man template i think it’s fair to compare the two to help illustrate my point.

In Amazing Fantasy #15 we see the struggles of peter parker, gifted youth with a knack for science, mocked by his peers, and a loving family waiting for him at home. One day he is bit by a radioactive spider, does what a spider can yada yada, uses this newfound power selfishly with his actions coming back to bite him when his uncle is killed and it is revealed to be the same person he could’ve stop when he had the chance. With that Peter comes to the realization that with great power must also come great responsibility!

A timeless story that set the foundation for a character that’s still going strong nearly sixty years later, all told in about eight pages. Whereas in Sideways we don’t get a full grasp of the main character until issue ten. In the first issue we learn that Derek James is adopted, he’s a outcast at school, his origin and that he’s using his power to livestream for some reason. Not a particularly bad introduction, but there’s nothing to hook a reader to, no Dilemma to grab onto. The reason why Derek James wanted fame so badly is finally explain a full nine issues later. This mild revelation does cast his earlier actions in a more engaging light but at the cost of dragging out what should’ve been a core element of Derek. It’s not hard to imagine that if this element had been conveyed from the start of Sideways, more people would have grabbed on to Derek James as a character.

But hey there be many a story where the storytellers need some time with the title before they really start pumping out the good stuff, as long as you nail the big moments right? And Sideways, well..  uh doesn’t really. Spoiler, not spoiler, cause can’t have a kid with superpowers without having a dead parent or two! Derek’s mom dies. To the titles credit they do a good job of establishing the twos relationship and dynamic, making sure it’s clear that this mother/son share a lot of love for each other. ( erotic fanfic writing intensifies) Which makes all the more of a shame when they fail to capitalize on the tragedy of her passing.

 In issue #7 Derek learns that his mother is dead because of (reasons), he is guilt ridden due to his refusal to answer her repeated calls because of (reason), when suddenly six of the seven soldiers approach him freezing time ( and the plot) to ask for his assistance because of (reasons), and thereby save the world. With Derek basically responding to this plea like “ Don’t wanna i’m sad bout my mom, wait never mind she probably wants me to go anyway.” And off he goes on dark multiverse shenanigans for another two issues plus an annual. It’s not till Issue #10 where he comes back to Earth and has to face the music, changing him by!.. Well that’s the thing, he really doesn’t change.

A good death is one that permanently changes the character, giving them new purpose or stronger motivation. There’s a reason Uncle Ben’s death is such a powerful facet of Spider-Man’s origin, in not stopping the burglar Peter inadvertently caused the death of one his loved ones. Causing him to develop this inherit sense of responsibility towards others, it forever changed him. You can’t tell the story of Spider-Man with this element. By not having Derek’s mom mean more the storytellers botched what should have been Sideways defining moment.

All of this is to say Sideway really could’ve been something, with just a little more focus on the main character internal struggles, a little better execution of the titles big moments, add in the costume and the cool powers and the Branafold Interior and the Dark Multiverse and Kenneth Rocafold’s art, it could have been spectacular, amazing even. But with the titles end in sight and only three more issues left, i can only hope that someone else at DC can see the enormous potential Sideways/Derek James still has and will give the character another shot at greatness.